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tt0179098 | Moonlight Mile | Following the murder of Diana Floss (Careena Melia) in a restaurant shooting in Cape Ann, Massachusetts in 1973, her fiancé Joe Nast (Jake Gyllenhaal) elects to stay with her parents. Her father Ben Floss (Dustin Hoffman) is a realtor whose business partner has recently left. Ben and Joe go into business as Floss & Son, as this was their plan before Diana's death. Joe goes to the post office to retrieve all the invitations that had been sent out for his and Diana's wedding, and with the help of Bertie Knox (Ellen Pompeo) he retrieves seventy four of seventy five. She finds the last invitation and takes it to his house later that night. He drops her off at a local bar, and returns home, despite her inviting him in for a drink. Joe and Ben attend a local property fair, and Ben pitches the idea of redeveloping a block in the town to developer Mike Mulcahey (Dabney Coleman). Mulcahey agrees, but they need to get all the tenants to agree.
Diana's friends come round to look through her possessions, much to the consternation of her mother Jojo (Susan Sarandon). They then take Joe out for a drink at the same bar Bertie went into the previous night. Joe puts "Moonlight Mile" on the jukebox and Bertie dances with him, to jealous looks from Diana's friends. Joe convinces Ben to let him talk to the bar's owner to convince them to sell. He asks the bartender who owns the bar, but the bartender does not give him the information. Feeling trapped at the Floss home, Joe goes to see Bertie and they sleep together. He leaves early the next morning.
Ben is frustrated at the lack of progress and goes to the bar to see the owner, where he meets Bertie and tells her about Diana. Bertie finds Joe and confronts him; he confesses to her that he had split up with Diana three days before she was killed. Bertie tells Joe about her boyfriend, the owner of the bar, who is lost in Vietnam. Joe goes to dinner at the Mulcahey's, where Mike's wife rudely presumes aloud that she thought Joe was not still tied up with thoughts of his fiancee's murder. Joe states that this is not the case, completely upsetting the mood at the dinner table. This causes Mike to call Ben and call off the deal. The family attends the trial of Diana's murderer. However the murderer's wife elicits sympathy from the jury, and the prosecutor, Mona Camp (Holly Hunter), asks Joe to testify and help the jury gain sympathy for Diana. While on the witness stand, Joe confesses that he and Diana had broken up prior to her death, and had not told her parents. Ben and Jojo are happy with the confession and gain closure. Joe symbolically writes 75 letters expressing his newfound clarity about what course his life ought to take and places them in mailboxes around town, hoping that one will get to Bertie.
Ben closes the shop, Jojo resumes her writing career, Bertie sells the bar, and she and Joe leave town. | comedy, murder | train | wikipedia | The dead person is the daughter of Ben (Dustin Hoffman) and Jojo (Susan Sarandon), her fiancé named Joe (Jake Gyllenhaal) is now living with them.
Joe befriends a girl named Bertie Knox (Ellen Pompeo) who also has lost someone.Like I said the subject is handled in a very good way.
Highlighted by phenomenal performances by Hoffman, Sarandon and Hunter, the film is truly inspiring, despite some overly-sentimental moments.Brad Silberling has created an amazing piece of film.
Some cynics may find the film too sentimental and will claim they predicted the entire movie, but if one is able to ignore the odd mushy moment (there's one or two), "Moonlight Mile" is a cinematic triumph.
OK this movie is not for everyone some people are bound to find it really boring and a bit of a drag so if you into all action and full of energy kind of films then I would advise you not to even consider this but to all the people who are into dramas or Jake Gyllenhaal then I would recommend this movie 100%.
Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon as the parents of their murdered daughter, Ben and Jo Jo, clinging on to her fiancée as they feel he is a big part of her and don't want to see him leave them too, while Jake Gyllenhaal as the part of Joe the nearly son-and -law to Ben and Jo,Jo, who tries to be perfect for them and be everything he wants them to be despite what he wants..which he really doesn't even know..he's confused..doesn't know what he wants to do in life.
Joe (Gyllenhaal) doesn't want to hurt them by leaving, but has to find his own path now.The actors keep the movie going for longer than expected.
*** out of ****While not quite a great movie (it just barely misses the mark), Moonlight Mile is still an excellent drama that showcases some of the finest acting talent around, wrapped amidst a beautifully told story of a young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) who's trying to do what everyone expects out of him, but against the desire of following his own heart.
Siberling's intent is to portray a normal family dealing with life, loss, and love and whatever obstacles may come their way and he does a fine job of it.There are moments Moonlight Mile doesn't entirely ring true, but those moments are glossed over by the acting.
From Gyllenhaal to Ellen Pompeo to Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon, the cast is uniformly superb.
I highly recommend this movie to those who take a little time to read the characters, and who don't expect the director and writer to spell it all out for them.Enjoy!.
Imagine the struggle between accountability and being hurtful, living your life for someone else to help them and fulfilling your desires......now imagine that the movie is not the waste of time In the Bedroom was and you've got THE MOONLIGHT MILE.
The script is absolutely delicious, the acting out-standing and to put it bluntly, this film is brilliant.Joe Nast's (Gyllenhaal) world suddenly becomes very claustrophobic when his fiance, Diana, is shot dead.
Now Joe is stuck in Diana's child-hood home with her two grieving parents; Jo-Jo (Sarandon) and Ben (Hoffman) who both deal with their loss in very different ways.
The second choice becomes increasingly tempting when Joe meets local waitress and postal-employee, Bertie (Pompeo), who is dealing with the loss of her own loved one, Cal, who left for Vietnam 3 years ago and doesnt look to ever be coming back.
Joe and Bertie reluctantly fall for each other, and the relationship and trial of Diana's murderer propels Joe to confront all of his battling emotions and release a secret he's been desperately trying to communicate to Jo-Jo and Ben.Gyllenhaal, Sarandon, Hoffman and even new-comer Pompeo are absolutely magnificent.
Each deliver a beautiful performance with the help of director and writer Brad Silberling, a genius who you should be sure to be on the look out for.I have read some real hair-pulling comments about this remarkable film.
However, it is the acting of the cast (especially Hoffmann's) that makes us believe they are the people we see at the end of the movie, and their synergy with Brad Silberling's writing/directing makes the film work.
This happens to be the case here though the moments of despair in this film never plunge quite to the depths of those in, say, `Ordinary People.' In fact this might almost be called `Ordinary People-Lite,' a film about grief for a mass audience that doesn't want to be too disturbed by the experience.That may sound like a more negative assessment of the film than I am trying to convey, for `Moonlight Mile' is an often sharp and incisive piece of moviemaking, intelligently written and beautifully acted by Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon, Jake Gyllenhaal and Ellen Pompeo as the postal worker who falls for the grieving husband-to-be.
Susan Sarandon struggles to bring her usual fiery passion to adully-written part, Dustin Hoffman looks great but is otherwise a bore, andJake Gyllenhaal comes across as an annoying Tobey Maguire clone, buteven more annoying than Tobey.The nadir?
Dustin Hofman, Susan Sarandon and Jake Gllynhall were really great but for me Ellen Pompeo was the real star of Moonlight Mile .
But all this technique really does, of course, is keep telling the audience, over and over again, "it's only a movie, it isn't real."Because in real life, people who know each other almost never use each other's names -- not unless they're calling out to get each other's attention, or want to kill each other, or both.This film doesn't rival the top offenders in this category, thank God -- the worst being "American Buffalo" (which made me run screaming from the theater after about fifteen minutes) and "Wonder Boys," both of which achieved a false, theatrical quality strictly because of this annoying tendency.
When I started watching Moonlight Mile I was already hooked on Jake Gyllenhaul and this movie just added to my admiration of his acting ability along with his amazing sex appeal.
The movies story, about people's grieve and solitude, is conveyed by a ensemble of brilliant actors, a script that's cheesy at times, but honest all the way, and a director that never succumbs to a mere show-off of soap-opera glitz as so many other reviewers have remarked.You may never get past the "kitsch" when dealing with emotions, just as you've always have some people who feel patronized by these emotions.
Ben Floss (Dustin Hoffman) and wife JoJos (Susan Sarandon) only child--a daughter--was accidentally shot to death before she was to marry Joe Nast (Jake Gyllenhaal).
This movie deals with three people dealing with the murder of a daughter.One of them was her fiancé.Moonlight Mile (2002) is directed by Brad Silberling.It's loosely based on Brad's own experiences.The cast does a great job.Dustin Hoffman is amazing.Today this great actor turns 75.Jake Gyllenhaal plays Joe Nast.Susan Sarandon is Jojo Floss.Ellen Pompeo portrays Bertie Knox.Holly Hunter plays Mona Camp.Dabney Coleman plays Mike Mulcahey.This is a film not to avoid.It's not a kind of film that makes you only cry and feel sad, it can also make you smile.The romance part is something I enjoyed.In the music department there is Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Jefferson Airplane and their guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, not to forget the Rolling Stones.The film's title comes from their song of the same name..
The heavily emotional scenes with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan caught the attention of acting legend Dustin Hoffman and then Silberling was able to make his dream project for his third film.Moonlight Mile (2002) is loosely based on a real experience.
Many films have done this in the past but Moonlight Mile has a different take on it because it is also about grief, keeping secrets and not opening up to people which I think makes it even more thought provoking and inspiring which I feel are the two most important elements to a film.So check this one out when you have the chance.
I would give it a 7.5 out of 10.There is so much not to like about this movie - Susan Sarandon overdoes the cool mom bit, they use each others' names all the time, Dustin Hoffman shuffles about like Rainman in several scenes, the love story is rather improbable, the ending too perfectly happy happy, Jake tends to have one expression through the whole movie and you don't realise it is in the 70's until they start talking about Vietnam.
We meet him as well as the woman's parents, played by Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman, at the funeral and we are surprised by the lack of emotion of any kind.
Other critics are calling the characterizations either too cold or too emotional, but one thing is certain in situations like extreme grief -- everyone reacts in his/her own way, and I think Moonlight Mile gives a little bit of a spectrum of human reaction to the insurmountable.Susan Sarandon has been pigeon-holed a bit as the in-your-face-no-BS ultra-liberal, and she does it again successfully here, but the character is so VERY written that way that it's not even an acting choice; it's a script obligation.
It's set in the early 70s...take it on faith, okay?If you don't like emotional films, have a problem watching films that deal with death and loss, and are upset at the idea that people might actually become emotional in such circumstances, calling any such emotion "melodramatic," don't see this one.If you only like films as mindless escapist entertainment, don't see this one.If you want all the plot points of the movie wrapped up in a nice little bow at the end, don't see this one.Even if the characters are somewhat stereotyped...the overly-dramatic grieving mother, the stoic grieving father, the awkward neighbors who don't understand what it's like and say all the wrong things at the wake...the movie seems to disappoint because we're conditioned to be left with a definite "message" at the end of this type of movie.
Face it, death sucks, life is messy, and sometimes the meaning is really unclear, and I like the fact that the film doesn't apologize for it.All in all, it's a moving story with mostly moving characters that, unfortunately, are a bit stereotypical and therefore can remind you of a dozen or so similarly-themed movies.
the movie begins with the death of a 20 year old girl, fiance of Joe (Jake G), and the daughter of Ben (Justin Hoffman) and Jo Jo (Susan Sarandon) (line from the movie....
Dustin Hoffman,(Ben Floss),"Meet the Fockers",'04, and Susan Sarandon,(Jojo Floss),"Alfie",'04, both were husband and wife and did an outstanding acting performance.
I love drama, plus Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman are great actors.
After the murder of his fiancée, Joe Nast (Jake Gyllenhall) moves in with her parents, Ben (Dustin Hoffman) and JoJo Floss (Susan Sarandon).
Based on the personal experience of the director, whose girlfriend was murdered in 1989, Moonlight Mile is an intimate, touching, and often amusing film about coming to terms with loss and having the courage to tell the truth about it.
Ben feels remorse about his lack of emotional connection with his daughter but goes immediately back to work in commercial real estate and convinces Joe to come in with him as his partner, changing the company name to Floss & Son. JoJo is a tough minded writer without any affectations who rebels against the insincere displays of affection shown by people in the community, retreats into herself and visits past addictions.
Both help each other to come to terms with their emotional isolation and open the door to growth, powerfully dramatized when Joe testifies at the trial of Diana's killer.Moonlight Mile is an honest film because it dares to tell the truth about its characters.
There are two ways you can look at a film like Moonlight Mile.
This is the third Jake Gyllenhaal movie I have seen(October Sky, Donnie Darko, Moonlight Mile) and I have to say that you could have cast anyone in the Joe Nast character.
This movie is so bad that you feel embarrassed for the actors as they fidget uncomfortably through film-school-quality schmaltzy writing.The shallow, poor performances turned in by Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman only prove that great acting is not a gift, it's a craft, and it takes work and a competent director to put a scene together.
This movie is so carelessly acted that all you can think as you watch is, "I hope they got a good paycheck", because there's certainly no commitment to the material shown by any of the performers.The filmmakers might have gotten away with this unctuous family underreacting (by miles) to their daughter's tragic death if they'd left it at that, but they simultaneously try to squeeze every drop of sentimentality from the situation that can be managed.
Diana's fiancé Joe Nast (Jake Gyllenhaal) is staying with her parents Ben (Dustin Hoffman) and Jojo (Susan Sarandon) who still treats him as their own son.
Hoffman and Sarandon are thoroughly convincing and then some, and ditto for the young lady.The story was touching, well told, and somewhere along the lines certain aspects must have hit home to someone.I recommend this story of confused love and confused relationships to one and all, except for the folks who go for blood, guts, and nice, loud special effects."Moonlight Mile" is a movie I will savor again..
Jojo and Ben Floss (Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman) are preparing to wade through the uncomfortable aspects of their daughter Diana's funeral: Diana was accidentally killed in a café when an unknown man attempted to murder his wife over a family dispute.
The highly talented Jake Gyllenhaal playing his usual reserved and comedic best, holding himself to the highest standard besides two greats like Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon.
Dustin Hoffman is great as ever and Susan Sarandon is true to character.
Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon are both amazing actors, but even their presence wasn't enough to redeem this movie.
I spent the first half of this film saying to myself "I want to like this movie because Dustin Hoffman usually delivers the goods." But he's not even that great in this.
Starring Dustin Hoffman (`Sphere'), Susan Sarandon (`Dead Man Walking'), and Jake Gyllenhaal (`October Sky'), all providing excellent performances.
Moonlight Mile is a movie that will touch the inside of your imagination and make you feel like your their oberving every moment of the film as if it werent a film but real life.
But the film's best performance is that of Jake Gyllanhaal, who plays the young protagonist with a deep complexity, and never allows the great Hoffman or Sarandon to upstage him.
It always amazes me how a movie with two phenomenal stars like Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon, either of which alone could make a great film, can still manage to be sub par.
The five main actors, Gyllenhaal, Surandon, Hoffman, Holly Hunter, and the newcomer, Ellen Pompeo, are SO GOOD it makes me want to find some way to personally congratulate them.
New heartthrob Jake Gyllenhaal pairs with Oscar winners Susan Sarandon, Dustin Hoffman, and Holly Hunter in screenwriter and director Brad Silberling's Moonlight Mile, but none of these fine actors shines in a hackneyed story that Silberling should have left in the wastepaper basket's darkness.Life goes on after tragedy.
Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon are fabulous, newcomer Ellen Pompeo is a far better version of Rene Zellweger and the young Jake Gyllenhaal is stunning in his range of emotions portrayed.
It really was unacceptable that they didn't put in any effort at all to make this movie feel like it was taking place in the early 70s.The acting is really the only positive thing I can say about the film and all of the performances are excellent with Jake Gyllenhaal and Susan Sarandon in particular shining.
The outstanding and riveting preformances by Susan Surandon, Dustin Hoffman, Ellen Pompeo, and the amazing Jake Gyllenhaal were enough to not even make you notice the slowness of the film at times.
MOONLIGHT MILE is a very touching, original piece of work from writer/director Brad Silberling (City of Angels) and what makes it more emotional is the fact that it's based around his own feelings of dealing with the death of Rebecca Schaeffer.
Finally, Ellen Pompeo does a convincing job of the post mistress in town who befriends Jake's character after the lost of his fiance.Bottom line: Not the best movie of the year, but in the fall drought of any decent films, definitely worth taking a look..
And Susan Sarandon is sharp as hell in her best role in years--Hoffman has the most difficult task, portraying a man who is completely submerged in denial, but he serves the film well and handles the inevitable Big Moments late in the narrative with the class and skill you'd expect.This movie has some genuinely original points of view about the reality of losing a loved one, and the complexity of human emotion: especially how that complexity is usually at odds with how we're expected to behave in such situations.There is a tortured romance with Gyllenhaal's character that is cliched to begin with, and nearly altogether bungled by the writing.
This film is one of the most touching ensemble films I've seen in a long time with great performances by Dustin Hoffmanm, Susan Sarandon, and Jake Gyllenhaal.
It isn't just a film, it's an autobiography of one of the most personal moments in his life, and the result is the most honest, amazing, feel-good movie of the year!.
But the real star of this movie is Jake Gyllenhaal (October Sky) who plays Joe, the son in law to be.
Gyllenhaal's character (Joe) takes up residence in the home of his fiancee's parents Ben (Dustin Hoffman) and JoJo (Susan Sarandon) following his intended's tragic accidental death just a few days before their impending nuptials. |
tt0362270 | The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou | While oceanographer Steve Zissou is working on his latest documentary at sea, his best friend and chief diver, Esteban du Plantier, is eaten by a creature Zissou describes as a "Jaguar shark." For his next project, Zissou is determined to document the shark's destruction.
The crew aboard Zissou's aging research vessel Belafonte includes his estranged wife Eleanor, chief strategist and financial backer; Pelé dos Santos, a safety expert and Brazilian guitarist who sings David Bowie songs in Portuguese; and Klaus Daimler, the German first mate who views Zissou and Esteban as father figures. Minor crew members include Vikram Ray, cameraman; Bobby Ogata, frogman; Vladimir Wolodarsky, physicist and soundtrack composer; Renzo Pietro, sound man; and Anne-Marie Sakowitz, script girl. Also included is a recent group of unpaid interns from the University of North Alaska. The "Team Zissou" venture has hit a decline however; having not released a successful documentary in nine years.
Ned Plimpton is a longtime Zissou fan whose mother had recently died, and he believes that Zissou is his father. After they meet at Zissou's latest premiere, Ned takes leave from his job as an airline pilot in Kentucky to join his crew. As Oseary Drakoulias, Zissou's producer, can not find anyone to finance their latest documentary, Ned offers his inheritance. Eleanor feels her husband is taking advantage of Ned and leaves. A reporter, Jane Winslett-Richardson, who is pregnant, comes to chronicle the voyage. Both Ned and Zissou are infatuated with Jane, and a rivalry develops between them. Klaus becomes envious of the attention Zissou pays to Ned.
On their mission to find the Jaguar shark, the Belafonte steals tracking equipment from a remote station owned by Alistair Hennessey, a more successful oceanographer and Zissou's nemesis. They then sail into unprotected waters and are attacked by Filipino pirates, who steal Ned's money and kidnap Bill Ubell, a "bond company stooge" assigned to the project. They are then rescued by Hennessey and towed to Port-au-Partois. Sakowitz, along with all but one of the interns, jump ship once they reach port. Zissou convinces Eleanor to rejoin the Belafonte, and then leads the crew on a rescue mission; they save Bill, along with Hennessey, who is also kidnapped by the pirates.
While Ned and Zissou make one last search for the shark in the ship's helicopter, the aircraft malfunctions and they crash. Ned dies from his injuries and is buried at sea. Prior to Ned's death, Eleanor revealed to Jane that Zissou is actually sterile, therefore Ned could not have been his son.
Zissou finally tracks down the shark in a submersible but he decides not to kill it, both because of its beauty and not having any more dynamite. At the premiere of the finished documentary (which is dedicated to Ned), Zissou receives a standing ovation while waiting outside the theater for the premiere to finish. The crew returns triumphantly to the ship the next day. | comedy, dark, boring, murder, whimsical, cult, cute, plot twist, flashback, absurd, humor, psychedelic, tragedy, revenge, entertaining | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0257322 | Storytime | The film begins with an animated version of director Terry Gilliam reading from a children's storybook. The story, "Don the Cockroach", opens with a palace high atop a mountain. Inside the wall of one of its rooms lives a cheerful cockroach named Don, who is shown frolicking and generally enjoying his life as a cockroach. One day, as Don scurries across a kitchen floor, he is suddenly crushed by a foot. The narrator Gilliam remarks that this does not matter, as cockroaches are not very interesting. The story then shifts to the man who crushed Don, then to his brother, then to the brother's friend, then to the friend's employer, and so forth. Eventually the chain of interconnected people reaches a cleaning lady who is involved in a search-and-destroy mission against a colony of cockroaches, one of whom is named Don. The film then loops back to Don, replaying some of the earlier events until a gruff voice interrupts the narrator with "You already said that!" and the sound of a punch. An intertitle appears, announcing that the animator responsible for the previous cartoon has been sacked, and promising that the next one will be better.
The next segment, entitled "The Albert Einstein Story", revolves around an English man who happens to share the name of the famous physicist, and is "quite interesting in his own right". The new narrator says that Einstein is very good with his hands, and that his hands are very good to him. However, they once stayed out late at night, carousing, misbehaving, and even cheating on their owner by shaking other hands. One of the hands was once seen out with a foot, causing a scandal in the upper-class society of hands, who were prejudiced against feet. The film then cuts to a musical extravaganza starring "Fred & Frank Feet & Their Dancing Body". The curtains draw to a close with the sound of a jeering audience, and the words "The End – Yours truly, Terry Gilliam" appear.
Next the film cuts to a segment entitled "The Christmas Card", set on Christmas Day in 1968 London. A lonely old man receives a Christmas card in the post. A series of Christmas cards are then shown coming to life in bizarre ways, connected only by the Three Wise Men, who follow the Star of Bethlehem from one card to another. Suddenly the postman returns and takes the card back, apologising for delivering it to the wrong address. | storytelling | train | wikipedia | Am I the only one who remembers this show?. So it would seem. It's got no reviews. It hasn't even gotten 5 votes yet for an average score on IMDb.But I have fond, vague memories of watching this on PBS when I was little. As I recall, the show was centered around a childish puppet named Kino who was cared for by his human friend, the gently maternal Lucy. In every episode, people would come and read storybooks to Kino and listening children. These stories were presented in a fashion similar to Reading Rainbow, but there were several on an episode, as opposed to just one.Storytime, along with Reading Rainbow and Wishbone, had a profound influence on my imagination and love for reading. The stories in this show and their illustrations stirred my mind, sparked in me a sense of wonder. The image of a haggard young Native American woman, shrouded in rags with dark hair unfurled around her shadowed face as she marches to marry the "Invisible Being", has never left me. Neither has the forlorn figure of shunned Baba Yaga, conjured up by color and lines of ink and simple words in a tale whose title I cannot clearly remember
I haven't seen this little show since the earliest years of my childhood, and have no idea what I would make of it if able to see it again. But I know it fascinated and enthralled me back then, and played its part in shaping me. It seems a shame it appears to have been ignored for these long years. |
tt0222024 | Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam | Dev Narayan (Alok Nath) lives with his widowed daughter Laxmi (Aruna Irani) and her children Radha and Prashant. Dev also looks after two orphaned children, Gopal and Nita. Laxmi believes that Dev is taking more care of Gopal and Nita, so she leaves the house with her children. Laxmi soon spots an orphaned boy on the streets and takes him in. Radha forms a sisterly bond with him and names him Suraj. Suraj has a particular passion for singing.
Years pass and Suraj (Salman Khan) is now a famous and popular singer. Radha (Madhuri Dixit) is particularly fond of him – Suraj is grateful to Radha for contributing to his success. Meanwhile, Gopal (Shah Rukh Khan) has become a wealthy business tycoon. When Laxmi is killed in an accident, Radha and Prashant (Atul Agnihotri) are taken to live in Gopal’s house. Also living with them is Nita (Suman Ranganathan). Gopal asks Radha to marry him and she agrees. Before their wedding, Gopal meets Suraj where he asks Gopal to watch over Radha (as Suraj loves her like a sister). On their wedding night, Gopal asks Radha who she loves most in the world. She answers her mother and Prashant. Gopal is hurt that she did not mention him. As time goes on, Gopal starts to disapprove of two things. First, he does not like the fact that he and Radha are supporting Prashant financially and second, he does not like the fact that Radha is always on the phone with Suraj. After a misunderstanding, Gopal loses his temper with Prashant and throws him out of the house.
Gopal soon suspects that Suraj and Radha are secretly seeing one another and consequently throws her out of his house. Radha goes to live with her relatives, where Prashant is staying. Everybody thinks that Radha has simply moved out for a few days. However, when Gopal sends Radha a divorce note, Suraj realizes the situation. He and Prashant tell Radha they wish to speak to Gopal, but Radha does not want them to do so. Suraj secretly holds a meeting with Gopal. Gopal arrives and angrily confronts Suraj. Eventually, Gopal pulls out a loaded gun and asks Suraj to shoot him. After an argument, Gopal leaves. Suraj now believes that he is the reason for Radha’s divorce and feels extremely guilty. He is determined to set things right. Radha has realised that Gopal was angry about her sibling relationship with Suraj. Radha and Suraj agree never to meet again.
Suraj explains the situation to his girlfriend Suman (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan). Suman talks to Gopal and explains where he went wrong. Gopal now realises that he misunderstood Radha and Suraj’s sibling relationship for adultery. Just as Radha is about to commit suicide, Gopal arrives and stops her. They reconcile. They visit Suraj at his show. Gopal and Suraj apologise to one another and things end well. | melodrama | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0816226 | It Takes Two | Two unrelated young girls who happen to look identical suddenly meet. Amanda Lemmon (Mary-Kate Olsen) is an orphan, and she is about to be adopted by the Butkises, a family whom she doesn't like. She actually wants her child-loving social worker, Diane Barrows (Kirstie Alley), to adopt her instead. Diane would like to do so, but authorities will not let her because of her low salary. Alyssa Callaway (Ashley Olsen) is coming home from her school's piano recital competition, only to find that her wealthy father, Roger (Steve Guttenberg), is about to marry Clarice Kensington (Jane Sibbett) a socialite who threatens to send her soon-to-be stepdaughter to boarding school in Tibet.
The girls switch places and find out that Roger and Diane would fit together perfectly. So they arrange "chance" meetings with the desired result: they fall in love with each other. After some turbulence, Alyssa (who poses as Amanda) ends up being adopted by the Butkises. She and Diane (while looking for Alyssa) find out the only reason they have adopted so many kids was for them to work in their salvage yard.
When Clarice secretly spies on Roger and Diane, she decides to move up the wedding from the next month to the next day. Roughly two hours before it, Amanda, who poses as Alyssa, proves to the family butler, Vincenzo (Philip Bosco), who she really is. He summons to have the real Alyssa picked up from the Butkises' salvage yard to stall the wedding. Once she and Diane show up, Roger stops it and tells Clarice that he fell in love with Diane. Furious, she slaps him and prepares to do the same to both Amanda and Alyssa but is stopped by both Vincenzo and Diane. She storms out, embarrassed. Alyssa embarrasses her even more by stepping on her gown, causing the skirt to rip off. Roger and Diane both find out in the end that it was Amanda and Alyssa that arranged all the meetings between both of them the entire time but it ends happily. | non fiction | train | wikipedia | God awful show.... Another feeble attempt by channel 7 to milk the popularity of celebrity reality TV shows. Of course the term "celebrity" is used quite loosely especially when they have such mega stars as Michael Bevan!I must say I admire the way channel 7 work, they find that one type of show is popular and they do it to death. Unfortunately the public actually watch these shows, meaning decent TV shows lose out to garbage shows like this.Curse the person who created reality TV, it has been the biggest blight on TV and is an insult to human intelligence. The sooner the reality TV craze is over the better for us all.Both this and "Dancing" with the "stars" are garbage television, which intelligent Australians would avoid at all costs.. Erika and David - a class act!. Not at all my type of show, and the reality format wasn't helped by the series being screened on a commercial channel (unlike it's BBC counterpart) but, as a David Hobson supporter, I stuck with it through all ten nerve-wracking episodes. For the most part the competing couples ranged from the totally awful (who were the first to be voted off) to the increasingly competent, as the weeks passed and the more talented (or appealing) duos survived to the next round. But, from the very first night, for a few magical minutes the show was transformed into something truly entertaining when celebrity Erika Heynatz and her Mentor, leading opera tenor David Hobson, took the floor. They had to overcome a few obstacles, including early otherwise fine performances from Erika marred by her obvious nerves; Hobson's lack of previous experience as a voice coach (also his having to spend the last six weeks of the series commuting between Sydney and Melbourne, due to opera rehearsals); and even Hobson appearing on crutches one night, following a sporting mishap! However, they received the most Judges votes (leading throughout the series) and against all odds and the strong voting from fan-bases of some other competitors, made it through to the Grand Final when, to the delight of their much-increased band of supporters, they won the competition!Although I was obviously pleased by the hoped-for but unlikely outcome, I was also relieved when the series ended, as I hadn't enjoyed it at all. However, since a sufficient number of viewers obviously did, it seems that a second series of It Takes Two is planned for next year.. Why can't we vote 0???. This is crap.Sometimes you need to fight that urge to turn the TV on, when there is seemingly nothing on.This is a great case for fighting that urge.I turned the TV off after Michael Bevan (and god knows who) sang "The time of your life" from Dirty Dancing. The hour of radio was like bliss in comparison.(For those that don't know Bevan played cricket up until about 5 years ago, so make up your own mind whether that classifies him as a celebrity or not) Hopefully there are growing numbers of people who won't put up with this crap for much longer. |
tt0084208 | King Lear | King Lear of Britain, elderly and wanting to retire from the duties of the monarchy, decides to divide his realm among his three daughters, and declares he will offer the largest share to the one who loves him most. The eldest, Goneril, speaks first, declaring her love for her father in fulsome terms. Moved by her flattery Lear proceeds to grant to Goneril her share as soon as she has finished her declaration, before Regan and Cordelia have a chance to speak. He then awards to Regan her share as soon as she has spoken. When it is finally the turn of his youngest and favorite daughter, Cordelia, at first she refuses to say anything ("Nothing, my Lord") and then declares there is nothing to compare her love to, nor words to properly express it; she speaks honestly but bluntly, which infuriates him. In his anger he disinherits Cordelia and divides her share between Regan and Goneril.
The Earl of Gloucester and the Earl of Kent observe that, by dividing his realm between Goneril and Regan, Lear has awarded his realm in equal shares to the peerages of the Duke of Albany (Goneril's husband) and the Duke of Cornwall (Regan's husband). Kent objects to Lear's unfair treatment of Cordelia; enraged by Kent's protests, Lear banishes him from the country. Lear then summons the Duke of Burgundy and the King of France, who have both proposed marriage to Cordelia. Learning that Cordelia has been disinherited, the Duke of Burgundy withdraws his suit, but the King of France is impressed by her honesty and marries her nonetheless. The King of France is shocked by Lear's decision because up until this time Lear has only praised and favored Cordelia ("That she, women even but now was your best object, the argument of your praise, balm of your age"). Meanwhile, Gloucester has introduced his illegitimate son Edmund to Kent.
Lear announces he will live alternately with Goneril and Regan, and their husbands. He reserves to himself a retinue of one hundred knights, to be supported by his daughters. Goneril and Regan speak privately, revealing that their declarations of love were fake, and that they view Lear as a foolish old man.
Edmund resents his illegitimate status, and plots to dispose of his legitimate older brother Edgar. He tricks their father Gloucester with a forged letter, making him think Edgar plans to usurp the estate. Kent returns from exile in disguise (calling himself Caius), and Lear hires him as a servant. At Albany and Goneril's house, Lear and Kent quarrel with Oswald, Goneril's steward. Lear discovers that now that Goneril has power, she no longer respects him. She orders him to reduce the number of his disorderly retinue. Enraged, Lear departs for Regan's home. The Fool mocks Lear's misfortune.
Edmund learns from Curan, a courtier, that there is likely to be war between Albany and Cornwall, and that Regan and Cornwall are to arrive at Gloucester's house that evening. Taking advantage of the arrival of the duke and Regan, Edmund fakes an attack by Edgar, and Gloucester is completely taken in. He disinherits Edgar and proclaims him an outlaw.
Bearing Lear's message to Regan, Kent meets Oswald again at Gloucester's home, quarrels with him again, and is put in the stocks by Regan and her husband Cornwall. When Lear arrives, he objects to the mistreatment of his messenger, but Regan is as dismissive of her father as Goneril was. Lear is enraged but impotent. Goneril arrives and supports Regan's argument against him. Lear yields completely to his rage. He rushes out into a storm to rant against his ungrateful daughters, accompanied by the mocking Fool. Kent later follows to protect him. Gloucester protests against Lear's mistreatment. With Lear's retinue of a hundred knights dissolved, the only companions he has left are his Fool and Kent. Wandering on the heath after the storm, Edgar, in the guise of a madman named Tom o' Bedlam, meets Lear. Edgar babbles madly while Lear denounces his daughters. Kent leads them all to shelter.
Edmund betrays Gloucester to Cornwall, Regan and Goneril. He reveals evidence that his father knows of an impending French invasion designed to reinstate Lear to the throne; and in fact a French army has landed in Britain. Once Edmund leaves with Goneril to warn Albany about the invasion, Gloucester is arrested, and Regan and Cornwall gouge out Gloucester's eyes. As he is doing so, a servant is overcome with rage by what he is witnessing and attacks Cornwall, mortally wounding him. Regan kills the servant, and tells Gloucester that Edmund betrayed him; then she turns him out to wander the heath too. Edgar, in his madman's guise, meets his blinded father on the heath. Gloucester, not recognising him, begs Tom to lead him to a cliff at Dover so that he may jump to his death.
Goneril discovers that she finds Edmund more attractive than her honest husband Albany, whom she regards as cowardly. Albany has developed a conscience—he is disgusted by the sisters' treatment of Lear, and the mutilation of Gloucester, and denounces his wife. Goneril sends Edmund back to Regan; receiving news of Cornwall's death, she fears her newly widowed sister may steal Edmund and sends him a letter through Oswald. Now alone with Lear, Kent leads him to the French army, which is commanded by Cordelia. But Lear is half-mad and terribly embarrassed by his earlier follies. At Regan's instigation, Albany joins his forces with hers against the French. Goneril's suspicions about Regan's motives are confirmed and returned, as Regan rightly guesses the meaning of her letter and declares to Oswald that she is a more appropriate match for Edmund. Edgar pretends to lead Gloucester to a cliff, then changes his voice and tells Gloucester he has miraculously survived a great fall. Lear appears, by now completely mad. He rants that the whole world is corrupt and runs off.
Oswald appears, still looking for Edmund. On Regan's orders, he tries to kill Gloucester but is killed by Edgar. In Oswald's pocket, Edgar finds Goneril's letter, in which she encourages Edmund to kill her husband and take her as his wife. Kent and Cordelia take charge of Lear, whose madness quickly passes. Regan, Goneril, Albany, and Edmund meet with their forces. Albany insists that they fight the French invaders but not harm Lear or Cordelia. The two sisters lust for Edmund, who has made promises to both. He considers the dilemma and plots the deaths of Albany, Lear, and Cordelia. Edgar gives Goneril's letter to Albany. The armies meet in battle, the British defeat the French, and Lear and Cordelia are captured. Edmund sends Lear and Cordelia off with secret-joint orders from him (representing Regan and her forces) and Goneril (representing Albany's) for the execution of Cordelia.
The victorious British leaders meet, and the recently widowed Regan now declares she will marry Edmund. But Albany exposes the intrigues of Edmund and Goneril and proclaims Edmund a traitor. Regan falls ill, having been poisoned by Goneril, and is escorted offstage, where she dies. Edmund defies Albany, who calls for a trial by combat. Edgar appears masked and in armour, and challenges Edmund to a duel. No one knows who he is. Edgar wounds Edmund fatally, though he does not die immediately. Albany confronts Goneril with the letter which was intended to be his death warrant; she flees in shame and rage. Edgar reveals himself, and reports that Gloucester died offstage from the shock and joy of learning that Edgar is alive, after Edgar revealed himself to his father.
Offstage, Goneril, with all her evil plans thwarted, commits suicide. The dying Edmund decides, though he admits it is against his own character, to try to save Lear and Cordelia; however, his confession comes too late. Soon after Albany sends men to countermand Edmund's orders, Lear enters bearing Cordelia's corpse in his arms, having survived by killing the executioner. Kent appears and Lear now recognises him. Albany urges Lear to resume his throne, but like Gloucester, the trials Lear has been through have finally overwhelmed him, and he dies. Albany then asks Kent and Edgar to take charge of the throne. Kent declines, explaining that his master is calling him on a journey. Finally, Albany (in the Quarto version) or Edgar (in the Folio version) implies that he will now become king. | tragedy | train | wikipedia | Very Prickly and Uncomfortable for BBC Shakespeare.
This is a caustic, disturbing production by Jonathan Miller that belies the usual condemnation of BBC blandness.
Colors are deliberately desaturated, costumes are all black, interior sets have a plank-and-drape design and a Velasquez-like austerity, exteriors have little or no detail, and scenes are played out in long, tight shots that emphasize the intimacy of television vs.
The taping was in a much smaller studio than usual, as the big room at the BBC was being used for "Richard III" at the time.
The overall impression is discomfort, deliberately.Robert Shaw was cast as Lear, but he suddenly dropped dead at the age of 51 just before taping.
It would have been something to see a certifiably mad actor play a mad king.
However....Michael Hordern has a film reputation as a doddering, comic blitherer, but in the classics he had far more range and authority, and we get to see much of it here.
He is always the king, and genuinely moving in his recognition scene with Cordelia.In addition to Hordern, many in the cast had worked with director Jonathan Miller on previous telecasts.
John Bird from "Shrew" and "Timon" is here largely free of his usual comic mannerisms.
Anton Lesser, good in "Troilus," is a little small as Edgar, but then so is Michael Kitchen as Edmund.
Norman Rodway, excellent in "Timon," is no less so here as Gloucester.
Penelope Wilton, an equivocal Desdemona, is much better here as Regan.
Gillian Barge's Goneril and John Shrapnel's Kent should also be complimented.
I must say Frank Middlemass's Fool eludes me.
I find him too old, too solid and not always intelligible - a spirit of earth, not of air.Jonathan Miller stated that a director's role was to react against a familiar play, not merely be a servant to it.
"Lear" is by far the most subversive in his Shakespeare collection.
Miller had directed the play on stage with Hordern and Middlemass in 1969 and for the BBC in 1975 (supposedly better, but we'll never see it).
So we can assume that this 1982 production is pretty much what he wanted.Much of the show winds up more a comment on "Lear" rather than a straightforward performance.
Miller's neurology background makes the mad scenes medically grounded and often nerve-wracking.
Edgar's Tom o' Bedlam scene approaches the unsettling chaos of "Marat/Sade," and crazy Lear's meeting with blind Gloucester turns into vaudeville according to Samuel Beckett.Such treatment doesn't betray the play, but if you're looking for comfortable, pipe-and-slippers Shakespeare, this isn't the one.
Surely Lear shouldn't have asked that stupid question, but why is there so much collateral damage?
This production is not just a drama, it's an invitation to thought, and that's always dangerous.The greatest personification of the title role on video remains Orson Welles, in a prized relic from the Stone Age of live television.
The Olivier version, with a starrier cast, a shooting schedule three times longer and a budget five times bigger than Hordern/Miller, will be the obvious choice for many.
one of the better BBC Shakespeares.
Let's get the niggles out of the way first - I didn't like the performances of either Julian Curry as Cornwall (too bored) or John Bird as Albany (ok but too John Bird).
I felt some of the poetry of the text was muffed and therefore lost power, and there was little sense of scale - where were Lear's rowdy knights?However, the good by far outweighs the bad.
As the three daughters of Lear, Gillian Barge (Goneril), Penelope Wilton (Regan), and Brenda Blethyn (Cordelia) are all excellent.
The eldest sisters are pure poison, plotting against their father and their land; while Blethyn gives the wronged youngest daughter quiet dignity.
John Shrapnel made an excellent Kent, at times quarrelsome, at others lordly as became his hidden persona.
Good stuff too from John Grillo as the sneaky servant Oswald, from Anton Lesser as Edgar (and Tom a Bedlam), and from Norman Rodway as the Earl of Gloucester - the scene where he has his eyes plucked out, seen only from behind, is played very well, as are subsequent scenes with the disguised Edgar and Lear.
Michael Kitchen is a fairly interesting Edmund, but looks a bit cartoonish in places, all that conspiratorial glancing at the camera.
I wasn't that keen on Frank Middlemass' take on the Fool but I have never had much patience with anyone in that part - perhaps he did what he could with some fairly poor bits of speech and action.I've left Lear himself till last.
I didn't think at first that Michael Hordern was quite right - but following the storm he comes into his own, and by the final act and scenes with Cordelia and following, he gives the character a human side that's lacking from many productions - even Olivier came short of the scene where Lear recognises he is in the presence of his youngest and much wronged daughter.
It is an interesting performance that repays re-watching and a fascinating contrast to other versions available to view..
Michael Hordern's masterful understanding of the part, his sandpaper voice, his shaggy but noble head made him the perfect Lear--"every *inch* a king".
I first saw this production as a college freshman in 1985, and I've seen none since that has equaled it.
It should be noted that Frank Middlemass who plays a more sympathetic and tender-hearted Fool is no less indispensable to the success of this production.
By the way, the BBC series of the complete Shakespeare plays (produced in the late 1970s to mid-80s), which is prohibitively expensive at ca.
Everyone who is able should make a point of availing themselves of the opportunity of seeing this wonderful series at least once before they die..
As a devotee of this play I was absolutely relieved to find this version is expertly done.
Jonathan Miller perfectly captures the dark and brooding nature of the play with an unfussy and shadowy set and costumes.
The acting is by and large excellent, especially that of Michael Hordern who is in my mind an unrivalled King Lear out of the 7 I've seen attempt the part.
He conveys the irascible, foolish and finally 'fond old man' with an absolute truthfulness, making the final scene in Act V utterly heartbreaking.
Frank Middlemass, reprising his earlier role as the Fool is perfectly cast as one who can chide his master with the right level of Shakespearean humour that never becomes too telegraphed or obvious.
The roles of Kent, Gloucester, Cornwall and Albany are played again very well.
John Shrapnel stands out amongst these with his level of tenderness, humour and heroic righteousness that such a part demands.
The 3 sisters are played excellently by Penelope Wilton, Gillian Barge and an early Brenda Blethyn.
I couldn't help thinking that there was some off-screen rivalry between Regan and Goneril, so convincing was their on-screen chemistry and sparky interaction.
I hope this was fanciful, and if anything serves to illustrate how well the two actresses delivered these plum roles.Another outstanding performance was given by Michael Kitchen as the villain Edmund.
Kitchen is an excellent character actor, nowhere better exemplified than in his delivery of Edmund's terrifically Machiavellian and cruel speeches, with a wry devilry and ignobly attractive flair.
Edgar's portrayal was sensitive in the main part and intelligent, but through no fault of the actor, the scenes in Act III on the heath became a little overplayed for my liking.
It is however a very difficult line to tread between the portrayal of 'madness' and provoking a reaction of laughter in an audience.
This would have been less of a concern in the early 17th century when the play was first performed however.
A wonderful King Lear.
It was very stirring, almost as interesting as Ian Holm's King Lear.
A very good King Lear with a very strong cast.
Brenda Blethyn was wonderful as was the amazing Micheal Horden.
Probably the most admired play by Shakespeare about what I will call insanity, male insanity, real or faked.
But to understand at least half of it you have to start from the beginning and the beginning is an absurd situation in which an old King decides to share his kingdom between his three daughters provided they describe their love for him.
Vain old man, tyrannical, and probably seriously mentally disturbed, probably because of his long reign since he is supposed to be over eighty.
I read that play when I was fourteen and must have traumatized by it since it is still just as disturbing as the first time.Three is the number of evil in Shakespeare, so three daughters is evil and evil it is since the third one, the youngest, Cordelia, refuses to declare her love for her father and to her father because love is fake when you cast it in words.
The King of France accepts her.
So King Lear's kingdom is cut in two only and the condition is that on an alternating basis the two sisters, Goneril and Regan, have to host the old king and the hundred knights that are entertaining him for a month.The old king is capricious, whimsical and tyrannical.
So it does not work and the two sisters have arranged it not to work anyway.
So one night he leaves alone, in fact only with his Fool, and on the heath in a storm they come across Kent and later Edgar playing a deranged character, called Tom, disguised as a mad man, and in this production half naked, though we will never see the clothed bottom half.
Shakespeare had indicated that King Lear tore his clothes off and ended naked, but it is rare this character does what the stage-directions say.
I have seen many solutions, once the King, other times the Fool generally played by a young actor, so why not Edgar-Tom?
Cordelia and the King of France arrive in Dover to rescue King Lear but the battle does not work and Cordelia, King Lear and others end up prisoners.Shakespeare had invested another situation in the play from the very start.
Gloster had two sons, a legitimate one and a half-blood illegitimate one.
The illegitimate Edmund maneuvers between the two sisters Goneril and Regan, seducing them both, and he manipulates his father who ends up banning his legitimate son Edgar.
This Edgar is the one playing the mad man on the heath.
His father had kept some connection with King Lear and he is accused by Goneril and her husband the Duke of Albany of treason and Albany rips off his eyes but after the first eye some servants intervene to stop Albany who will prevail but he is fatally wounded and he dies after taking the second eye off.
So Edgar reappeared on the heath as a mad man and then his blind father Gloster is led to the heath.
His legitimate son takes care of him, satisfies his desire to die by misleading him to what is described as a cliff, but is not, and he falls to the earth.
Then Edgar reclaims his identity and takes care of his father.
That's when a messenger comes along from one sister to the other.
He is killed and the letter he carries reveals that one sister was planning to have the other killed.
After the scene of the meeting of King Lear and Cordelia in her camp before the battle, we move to the victorious camp of the two sisters, with only one husband, the Duke of Cornwall who is a rather meek person, and Edmund.
Edgar, disguised as some king of pilgrim arrives and delivers the recuperated letter of his wife or her sister to Cornwall who discovers the duplicity of his wife with Edmund and her sister.
The confrontation of Cornwall and the sisters is in the process of becoming difficult when Edgar reappears with a mask and dressed like a knight.
He challenges his half brother Edmund and he wounds him mortally.
Before dying he speaks and Edgar reveals himself.
The two sisters disappear and we will soon learn Goneril has poisoned Regan and then has stabbed herself.
It is then Edmund dies.
But then King Lear who had regained some sanity before being taken prisoner arrives carrying Cordelia who had been hanged.
Edmund had instructed some servant to do it.
And King Lear dies of sorrow in front of us, cajoling his dead daughter.Only two survivors, the Duke of Cornwall and Edgar Earl of Gloster.
The study of the three sisters and their various degrees of ambition, love and perversity could be illuminating.
Cordelia would appear as probably the truest and the most generous but it is her stubbornness that caused the drama, though the great culprit is the old King Lear.
The second originality is of course the three deranged characters, three males this time, King Lear who is really deranged, his Fool who is a professional mad man and Edgar who plays the mad man to remain incognito.
But Shakespeare takes advantage of this situation to literally liberate his poetic style to produce a phenomenal language that is probably one of the best linguistic impersonation of insanity.
In this production these three characters are performed by three actors who really transcend this insanity to make it look and sound insane.
Some other actors are quite good too, like Gloster in his blindness.
Shakespeare in a Box (Spoilers maybe?).
I wouldn't know, because halfway through the film I closed my eyes, put my chin on my chest and just listened--I simply could not bear another second of watching King Lear filmed only in close-ups and medium shots.
This seems to be a symptom of Miller's productions, such as A Winter's Tale.
He adorns everyone in elaborate costumes, places them on a set made of plywood and bedsheets, then has them stand in one spot, ONE SPOT, to perform an entire scene as the camera holds them tightly framed and doesn't move.
In one scene between Lear, Edgar, and Gloucester, the three seemed like caged animals, clawing at the edges of the screen with their lines.
It's a play, for goodness' sake, and it should be filmed as one--from a distance, as someone in a theater might view it--or as an actual film- -look to Branagh or Nunn.At one point I joked to my friend beside me, "I wonder if the swordfight will be in close-up." I glanced back up at one point and, sure enough, there were Edgar and Edmund duking it out with only their grimacing faces flashing across and the odd tinkling of swords occurring somewhere off-screen.After that I bet my friend that Miller would pile the actors into the frame until there wasn't enough room to breathe, and, sorry to say, I was right again.
In the final scene, Cordelia's body, Lear, Kent, Edgar, and Albany wedged themselves into a shot that would typically only be comfortable for one actor.
The finale of one of Shakespeare's great tragedies, a scene that should be wrought with emotion, had me instead laughing and shaking my head..
A BBC Masterpiece.
'King Lear'- BBC Version is quite faithful to the play but it lacks a little essence of the play, that could have been noted but the stars of this version foreshadowed it.
The play does have a slow start but it goes fast paced due to the acting.
The plot is about a king who divided the kingdom to his daughters.
When one of them truly expressed her true love towards the king, his fury forced him to banish her from the kingdom.
Due to his actions, the consequences came towards the king's life that leads him to a misguidance and a loss of sanity.
There are funny sequences when The King exposes his madness, the performance of Tom the Beggar (Edgar) and the fool's 'nuncle' word.
The royal status of the King is omitted to shorten the play.
Somehow it is not the fact but I may say that the film is the bet one to date as I cannot find any of the versions of the play to be better.
The acting is much more brilliant due to its star cast like Ralph Fiennes as Tom The Beggar and Michael Hordern as Lear.
The villains were also brilliant such as Edmund, Regan and Goneril.
I laughed and cried at the same time.
The most emotional scene is the moment when Lear recovered his mental illness, and the torturing scene of Glouster who was blinded and begged forgiveness from his legitimate son, Edgar (Tom The Beggar).
The acting is a little shallow but brilliant at the same time.
The camera angle was such that I was watching a stage play.
It is faithful and must watch it for the story and its performance only..
Over-rated Shakespeare.
I have never been a huge fan of "King Lear".
There is no effective humour to counterpoint the drama (as in the weakest of Shakespearean plays) and the Fool character is no substitute.The play is about a monarch who divides up his kingdom between his three daughters, one of whom rejects said inheritance, and the resulting scramble for his power results in the King's descent into madness.Micheal Hordern plays the title character of Lear, and he is actually pretty effective even when the plot loses it's focus now and then.
He is given good support by Brenda Blethyn as Cordelia, his most virtuous daughter, Norman Rodway as the doomed Earl of Gloucester and Anton Lesser as Edgar among others.The stagy direction and lack of pace are deadening, and muffle the effect of the performances.
Technically, it is fine for the time though (again) less dependence on straightforward black-and-white backgrounds would have greatly enhanced the look of the play.I still don't like "King Lear" but if you enjoy this play and you are a student of Shakespeare, this is still a competent enough production. |
tt0126765 | 23 | In 1980s Germany at the height of the Cold War, 19-year-old Karl Koch (August Diehl) finds the world around him threatening and chaotic. Inspired by the fictitious character Hagbard Celine (from Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea's Illuminatus! Trilogy), he starts investigating the backgrounds of political and economic power and discovers signs that make him believe in a worldwide conspiracy.
At a meeting of the Chaos Computer Club, Karl gets to know the student David (Fabian Busch). David and Karl are able to hack into the global data network—which is still, at this point, in its early stages—and their belief in social justice propels them into espionage for the KGB. Driven by contacts with a drug dealer—and by increasing KGB pressure to hack successfully into foreign systems—Karl spirals into a cocaine dependency and grows increasingly alienated from David.
In a drug-addled state, Karl begins to sit in front of his computer for days at a time. Perpetually sleepless, he also grows increasingly delusional. When David publicly reveals the espionage activity in which the two men have been engaged, Karl is left alone to face the consequences. Collapse soon follows. Karl is taken to a hospital to deal with his drug addiction and mysteriously dies after his supposed hacking of Chernobyl . | cult, mystery | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0301543 | Lethal Weapon | LAPD Homicide Sergeant Roger Murtaugh, shortly after celebrating his 50th birthday, is partnered with Sergeant Martin Riggs, a transfer from narcotics. Riggs is a former Special Forces soldier who lost his wife in a car accident just three years prior, has turned suicidal, and has been taking his aggression out on suspects, leading to his superiors requesting his transfer. Murtaugh and Riggs quickly find themselves bickering with each other.
Murtaugh is contacted by Michael Hunsaker, an old Vietnam War buddy turned banker, but before they can meet, Murtaugh learns that Hunsaker's daughter, Amanda, apparently committed suicide by jumping to her death from her apartment balcony. Autopsy reports show Amanda to have been poisoned with drain cleaner, making the case a possible homicide. Hunsaker tells Murtaugh that he was concerned about his daughter's involvement in narcotics, prostitution, pornography, and was trying to get Murtaugh to help her escape that life.
Murtaugh and Riggs attempt to question Amanda's pimp, but discover a drug lab on the premises, leading to a shootout. Riggs kills the procurer and rescues Murtaugh, who starts to tolerate his new partner. Although the case seems closed, Riggs is aware that the only witness to Amanda's apparent suicide was Dixie, another prostitute who was working away from her normal streets. They attempt to question Dixie at her home, but it explodes as they approach it. Riggs finds parts of a mercury switch from bomb debris, indicating a professional had set the bomb; a group of children who were nearby witnessed a man approach the house with a tattoo similar to Riggs', and Murtaugh suspects Hunsaker knows more than he has told him.
The two approach Hunsaker before Amanda's funeral, where he reveals that he had previously been part of "Shadow Company," a heroin-smuggling operation run by former special forces operators from the Vietnam War, masterminded by retired General Peter McAllister and his chief enforcer, Mr. Joshua. Hunsaker had been laundering the money, but wanted to get out, and when McAllister found out he had contacted Murtaugh, the general had Amanda killed. As they discuss the matter, Joshua arrives in a helicopter and kills Hunsaker. Joshua attempts to kill Riggs in a drive-by shooting, but he is saved by his bulletproof vest. Murtaugh and Riggs fake his murder to gain the upper hand.
Shadow Company later kidnaps Murtaugh's daughter Rianne and demand Murtaugh turn himself over to them for her exchange. Murtaugh and Riggs plan an ambush at the exchange at El Mirage Lake with Riggs providing sniper support, but Riggs is captured by McAllister and all three are taken to an unknown location. Murtaugh and Riggs are tortured for information, but Riggs manages to overpower his captors, frees Murtaugh and Rianne, and they escape to find themselves at a busy nightclub used as a front for Shadow Company. With their cover blown, McAllister and Joshua attempt to escape separately. Joshua manages to get away, but McAllister's car is struck by a bus on Hollywood Boulevard after Murtaugh shoots the driver of the getaway car and McAllister is killed when hand grenades in the car detonate. Murtaugh and Riggs race to Murtaugh's home, realizing Joshua will be after his family. They arrive in time to stop him, and Riggs beats Joshua in a violent fist fight on the front lawn. As backup officers arrive to take Joshua into custody, he breaks free and grabs one of the officer's guns, but both Murtaugh and Riggs draw their guns and shoot him dead.
After visiting his wife's grave, Riggs spends Christmas with the Murtaughs, having become best friends with Murtaugh and bonding with the rest of the family. Riggs also gives Murtaugh a symbolic gift: an unfired hollow-point bullet which he had been saving to commit suicide, as he does not need it anymore. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0081283 | Ordinary People | The Jarretts are an upper-middle-class family in suburban Chicago trying to return to normal life after the death of one teenaged son and the attempted suicide of their surviving son, Conrad (Timothy Hutton). Conrad has recently returned home from a four-month stay in a psychiatric hospital. He feels alienated from his friends and family and begins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch). Berger learns that Conrad was involved in a sailing accident in which his older brother, Buck, whom everyone idolized, died. Conrad now deals with post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt.
Conrad's father, Calvin (Donald Sutherland), tries to connect with his surviving son and understand his wife. Conrad's mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), denies her loss, hoping to maintain her composure and restore her family to what it once was. She appears to have loved her older son more (though perhaps more what he represented), and because of the suicide attempt, has grown cold toward Conrad. She is determined to maintain the appearance of perfection and normality. Conrad works with Dr. Berger and learns to try to deal with, rather than control, his emotions. He starts dating a fellow student, Jeannine (Elizabeth McGovern), who helps him to begin to regain a sense of optimism. Conrad, however, still struggles to communicate and re-establish a normal relationship with his parents and schoolmates, including Stillman (Adam Baldwin), with whom he gets into a fist fight. He cannot seem to allow anyone, especially Beth, to get close. Beth makes several constrained attempts to appeal to Conrad for some semblance of normality, but she ends up being cold and unaffectionate towards him. She is consistently more interested in getting back to "normal" than in helping her son heal.
Mother and son often argue while Calvin tries to referee, generally taking Conrad's side for fear of pushing him over the edge again. Things come to a climax near Christmas, when Conrad becomes furious at Beth for not wanting to take a photo with him, swearing at her in front of his grandparents. Afterward, Beth discovers Conrad has been lying about his after-school whereabouts. This leads to a heated argument between Conrad and Beth in which Conrad points out that Beth never visited him in the hospital, saying that she "would have come if Buck was in the hospital." Beth replies, "Buck never would have been in the hospital!" Beth and Calvin take a trip to see Beth’s brother in Houston, where Calvin confronts Beth, calling her out on her attitude.
Conrad suffers a setback when he learns that Karen (Dinah Manoff), a friend of his from the psychiatric hospital, has committed suicide. A cathartic breakthrough session with Dr. Berger allows Conrad to stop blaming himself for Buck's death and accept his mother's frailties. Calvin, however, emotionally confronts Beth one last time. He questions their love and asks whether she is capable of truly loving anyone. Stunned, Beth decides to flee her family rather than deal with her own, or their, emotions. Calvin and Conrad are left to come to terms with their new family situation. | melodrama, romantic, depressing, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0175047 | Point Blank | Walker works with his friend Mal Reese to steal a large amount of cash from a courier transporting funds for a major gambling operation, with the deserted Alcatraz Island as a drop point. Reese then double-crosses Walker and shoots him, leaving him for dead. Reese also makes off with Walker's wife, Lynne.
Walker recovers. With assistance from the mysterious Yost, who seems to know everything about everybody, Walker sets out to find Reese, take his revenge, and recover the $93,000 he is owed. Reese used all of the money from the job to pay back a debt to a crime syndicate called "The Organization" and get back in its good graces.
With memories of happy times together, Walker goes to Los Angeles to pay back his wife and his best friend for their treachery. He bursts in on Lynne and riddles her bed with bullets, just in case Reese is in it. A distraught Lynne tells him she no longer wants to live, then takes an overdose of pills.
Walker is told that a car dealer named Stegman might know where Reese can be found. He takes Stegman for a wild ride in one of his new cars, smashing the car and terrorizing him until Stegman reveals where Reese is living. He is told that Reese has now taken up with Walker's sister-in-law, Chris.
Breaking in on Chris, he learns that she actually despises Reese and had considered Walker the best thing ever to happen to her sister. Willing to help in any way, Chris agrees to a sexual tryst with Reese inside his heavily guarded penthouse apartment just so she can gain access and unbolt a door for Walker. Walker ties up some men in an apartment across from the penthouse and has a call made to police to report a robbery, creating a diversion that enables him to slip into the penthouse.
With a gun to Reese's head, Walker persuades him to give up the names of his Organization superiors – Carter, Brewster, and Fairfax – so he can make somebody pay back his $93,000. He then forces a naked Reese off the balcony and watches him plunge to his death.
After next confronting Carter for his money, Walker is set up. A hit man with a high-powered rifle is assigned to kill him at a money-drop in a storm-drain river bed. Walker sees to it that Carter and Stegman are the ones who get shot.
Yost takes him to a home belonging to Brewster. Walker visits Chris in her apartment, which has been trashed by The Organization. He brings her with him to the home belonging to Brewster, claiming she will be safer with him than by herself. Walker waits for Brewster to return there. Angry at Walker's apparent disinterest in her, Chris slaps and punches him as he regards her impassively, not defending himself. Then they make love. The following morning, Brewster comes home and is ambushed by Walker, who demands his money. Brewster insists that no one will pay. Walker forces Brewster to make a phone call to The Organization to get his money. Brewster speaks with a Mr. Fairfax, telling him that if they do not pay the money, he is going to be shot. Fairfax refuses to pay, though, saying, "Threatening phone calls don't impress me." Walker then shoots the phone. Brewster says that they can still get him the money in San Francisco through "The Alcatraz Run" in which large sums of money change hands. "The drop has changed, but the run is still the same," explains Brewster.
They travel to Fort Point in San Francisco. Walker does not trust him and refuses to show himself. Brewster receives the money by a courier in a helicopter. The hit man is also in the darkness with his rifle. He shoots Brewster, who falls to the ground thinking Walker shot him. Yost emerges from the shadows, telling him that it was not Walker who shot him. Brewster calls out to Walker, "This is Fairfax, Walker! Kill him!"
Yost/Fairfax thanks Walker (who is still hiding in the darkness) for eliminating his dangerous underlings, telling him: "Our deal's done, Walker. Brewster was the last one." He then offers him an enforcer job, claiming he has looked for a man like him for years. Walker remains silent and does not bother collecting the money. Yost/Fairfax and the hit man leave. | murder | train | wikipedia | This is a very bad movie.The actors seem to be on drugs, the action scenes are unspeakably clumsy and the plot virtually non-existent.
There is a lot of sadistic and unnecessary violence featuring weird slow-motion scenes, which could be intended to cover up Mickey Rourke's slow, bulky moves.
There are also terrible sentimental scenes where the convicts tell their life stories in a weepy voice.Above all this nonsense a lot of boring guitar music plays in the background.
In one scene, where a dying man goes nuts with a Gatling gun while thinking about his wife, the music choice is "Silent Night"...
But even the worst movie can be good in an appropriate situation: Watch this in good company when having a hangover, and there is no end to the joy.
Danny Trejo gets shot like 15 times (twice in the HEAD!) and he's wearing a motorcycle jacket!
Anyone who has followed Rourke's career lately has to be pleased that this flick was made.Yes,the movie rips off countless other action films but who cares when you've got the pumped-up Rourke whooping ass in the middle of all the cliches.Danny Trejo gives a very creepy supporting performance and I really enjoyed the score as well.I bought this movie after renting it and have screened it for several friends,all of whom immensely enjoyed it.A must for true Mickey fans.This title,as well as Bullet,hold a special place in my film library..
Well, this isnt so much of a B-movie version of Die Hard, but a tongue in cheek parody of that whole action movie genre, and an achingly funny one at that.
Mickey Rourke grunts his way through the tough guy script with a bone dry delivery that make's you certain he's talking this whole thing seriously.
Second, you may actually enjoy picking out the "dumb things" and the totally improbable or impossible.Of course, there is also the weird fascination of watching Mickey Rourke (at a mere 41 years of age) totally over-the-top with steroids and immediately after one of his face lifts.
(To be fair, the early 1990s were not kind to him.) YotD was not one of Mickey's best movies, but the contrast between the Mickey of 1985 and the Mickey of 1998 is almost too much to be believed.Danny Trejo is, as always, fun to watch.
Kevin Gage turns in a surprisingly good performance in what is probably the most difficult role in the movie.I normally don't pay a lot of attention to editing in a movie (unless it's just really bad) but this movie is one of the most obviously-poorly-edited movies I've ever seen.
But with that aside, this movie is worthwhile if only to show your friends or your date what bad editing looks like.Four stars awarded for having some entertainment value, even if no artistic value.
One of them is a genuinely nice guy, so his well-meaning brother Rudy Ray (Mickey Rourke) infiltrates the shopping centre to save him.
If you were expecting a good film, you've got the wrong POINT BLANK.
Of course, the phrase could be aptly used to describe Mickey Rourke.
Unfortunately, expectations of Mickey Rourke are not what they once were.
Anything - absolutely anything - to spare us any more films as bad as POINT BLANK.
It's a juvenile action romp, so gleeful in its stupid, sadistic violence it's almost unbearable to watch - and certainly impossible to enjoy.If it hurt Mickey to have his scenes removed from Terrance Malick's THIN RED LINE, or even DOUBLE TEAM, it seems his role has been reduced here too.
But much like Mickey Rourke in the ring, his audience has a habit of coming back and suffering again and again..
Unfortunately for the criminals a former mercenary and all-round tough guy, Rudy Ray (Mickey Rourke) is after them, in no small part because his brother is one of the escaped prisoners.
The action is good, if utterly ridiculous and the film apes from MUCH better films (Die Hard, Leon, etcetera), but fans of Rourke or Danny Trejo (who is suitably over-the-top as the 'crazy' villain) will enjoy this flick.
It feels more like an '80's film than one for the late '90's though.My B-movie grade: B-.
They are the ones who like stupid movies and hate good ones like this!!!!
The film was shot at Seminary South, a semi-closed mall in Ft. Worth,Tx, likely the cheapest location they could find.
After hearing the local preproduction hype I was hoping for more than an outlaw version of Walker, Texas Ranger.Sadly, I was forced to watch just that.The writing's bad, the acting is poor and the production values are pure B-grade.
But, Mickey looks like he has been spending lots of time at the gym..
Mickey Rourke was perfect too as Rudy.
The film a good action scenes and good actor's such as Danny Trejo, Micheal Wright, Paul ben-Victor,and Kevin Gage if you like escaped convicts on the loose type of movie then you will like this movie.
I am totally serious when I state that the title must be the filmmakers' admission that the film has no 'point', that it is literally an entertainment 'blank' or void.A bunch of hardened convicts break out of captivity and immediately take 8 or so hostages (business must be down) at a local mall?
He, like the ridiculous characters in this movie, boxes himself in and tries to blast his way out, with predictable results.Even given this premise's painful absurdity, the film could at least deliver on all of the routine but fairly dependable and mildly diverting staples of this genre, like say the way the ones starring Charles Bronson and I don't know, Michael Dudikoff do.
And only two of the hostages are even given close-ups (a pretty girl in a mini-skirt and a slutty girl with a drug habit) so it seems like there's about 5 hostages or so, instead of the hundreds you'd think would be roaming the mall at the time of the takeover.
Plus, there's lots of inertia in this movie, lots of standing around, as if the actors had to constantly be reminded that yes, they were taking part in the filming of a motion picture and that, don't worry, everything will come together in the editing room.
(Uh, not quite.)As if that weren't bad enough; self-pitying, disinterested Mickey Rourke is the putative star.
The film is quite unspeakably ghastly on its own, to be sure, but Rourke's involvement is very much like dropping a ten ton elephant on an already sinking ship.
(Though he must've made them agree, I suppose wisely, that his participation was contingent on his not having to speak more than 50 words of dialogue.)Rourke is an actor who at some point evidently decided that the drama and spectacle of his own strange life far surpassed that of any movie he could possibly be in.
Amazing when you consider how surprisingly good and professional he is in a fine made for TNT movie he appeared in around this time called "Thicker Than Blood".Every film, no matter how bad, must have a central theme, and this one's seems to be that "It's bad to hurt innocent people".
(At least, Rourke's character mentions something along those lines a few times.) Anyway, I think that's something we can all agree on.So why make this film?.
Ok, one more prisoners-escapee movie, and not to forget, Danny Trejo is in it, the guy who played Johnny-23 in Con Air. A pretty good B-movie about a former cop,soldier,mercenary that is going to stop a couple of bad guys that is holding people hostage (Die Hard).
Got some good action, the end is the coolest.
And don't I detect some Leon-the professional here also.For a B-movie it is very good, for a Con/Hard rip-off it doesn't even come close.
What happened to Mickey Rourke's career?.
The most fascinating thing about this movie, is the way in which Mickey Rourke has physically demolished himself totally.
Although this may sound very pessimistic, I strongly recommend it to everyone who wants to have a good time looking at pumped muscles, weapons, toughguys and violence..
for this Movie to be a B type Movie i thought was was actually pretty good .
i mean it had a good cast ,plot , and Decent acting to be a B Movie .
i don't see why the Haters of this movie didn't like it bc it was worth the watch .
and i for one cant see why its rated so low on IMDb bc it was a good movie and i enjoyed every minute of the movie .if you like Mickey Rourke , Trejo , or Frederic Forrest then you will like this movie .
imo i think this is one of Mickey's Best Movies .
I saw Point Blank last year, and I admit I was surprised by Mickey's new body.
I watched the movie and observed the new Mickey.
If Mickey is failing to deliver the same kinds of movies he did before, it's because they aren't being offered to him.
Point Blank was a tough guy action movie, and I'm not mad that it got made.
At least Mickey takes risks and he is always fun to watch.
This movie was good for a laugh and to check out Mickey doing something different.
Mickey, at least in this movie, looks macho as he they say he is..
When Trejo asks "What did I do??" at the end, and you're not completely satisfied...you suckThe arch-villian is perfect, the mini-gun on the roof of that crappy mall is perfect, and that scene of rourkes brother all close up walking toward the light at the end of the movie is beyond perfect, it brings tears to my eyes.Beautiful villian heart to hearts, a real 'feel-good' flick if ive ever seen one.
Says here i need at least ten lines, so ill try to sum it up as such, really really good, although it IS better is you're pretty drunk with your buddies, but i cant think of a single movie, or thing in general that isn't for that matter..
Mickey Rourke stars as Rudy Ray a soldier who breaches a group of terrorist's stronghold (This time a mall being held hostage) to save his brother and thwart the terrorists in this mind numbingly awful movie that is so dumb it doesn't even have a sturdy handle on the lame plot.
A Bruce Willis Die Hard clone that does not work with Mickey Rourke!.
This is the worst movie Rourke ever made.
It is awful because Mickey actually thought he was giving a good performance.
Well at least this established that even with Mickey Rourke's former ability to act well back in the 80's he can not be an action movie star.
I really wanted to like this movie....
Mickey Rourke is an established actor (YEAR OF THE DRAGON) who in the past years traded his legitimacy for a few inches on his bicep (I did enjoy DOUBLE TEAM however).
Mickey Rourke plays an ex-military, ex-Texas Ranger now working for Pa who mentions to him one day that his brother is one of a group of convict escapees now holding an entire shopping mall hostage.
An overriding theme of sentimentality plays well in the movie between the two brothers and even with some of the convicts revealing their human side.
Paul Ben Victor (over)plays a gay ex-business man convicted of money laundering coming back to roost in his office underneath a mall, now stashed with military weaponry.
With the ok from lead Tex Ranger in charge, Rourke makes his way into the mall and "pays homage" to many of the action movie greats of the 1990's: Martial arts by a non-martial artist, two gunmen shooting at each other between obstacles a la John Woo's Hard Boiled and Hard Target (but looking MUCH more clumsy), high floor mini gun without the dramatic punch of T2, and finally the most blatant artistic theft possibly EVER coming straight from Luc Besson's THE PROFESSIONAL (you've got to see it to believe it).
As an action hero, Mickey Rourke does have potential.
And yes, Mickey Rourke's career is really disappearing ...
This was made during the years when Mickey was on the outer of Hollywood, and roles like this were his only offers of work Regardless he kills it with help from Danny Trejo and Kevin GageRourke sleep walks through the film, shrugging and grunting menacingly, dispatching bad guys with ease.
Point Blank takes a big, silly macho whack at the trashy action genre, and gives fans of such lowbrow, cheese saturated stuff a huge sloppy kiss.
He plays Rudy Ray, an ex special ops turned farmhand of few words and lots of action.
Rudy's brother (Wainegro himself, Kevin Gage) is mixed up with a nasty bunch of escaped convicts who have hidden out in a rural strip mall and taken multiple hostages.
Throw in Michael Wright as a seriously intense war vet with a rocky past (he has a monologue that dips between scary and campy quite a bit) and Paul Ben Victor displaying acting so far over the top it'll make your eyes and ears bleed, and you've got one inane B movie crew ready to fulfill your every schlocky need.
It's funny because there's an 'emotional' scene near the end where Rourke and Gage go brother to brother and it's supposed to be touching.
The writing is so godawful, and the music so beyond ludicrous, but the two of them are such good actors that they end up completely selling it without even trying, like they couldn't turn in bad work if they wanted to.
It's basically Die Hard in the sticks, with Rourke instead of Willis, a mall instead of a skyscraper, and you know...
the fact that it's obviously not a good movie.
To sum up my entire review of Point Blank, this is a poor man's version of Die Hard.
In fact, amongst the many various Die Hard blueprints, Point Blank is certainly one of the worst movies.
Point Blank is basically Die Hard in a Shopping Mall.
Not a bad idea, but this movie fails miserably.Point Blank is about a group of convicts who have broken out of prison led by Howard played by Paul Ben-Victor (The Wire, Entourage).
It's up to an ex-cop turned mercenary Rudy Ray played by Mickey Rourke (Angel Heart, Nine 1/2 Weeks) who is a poor clone of John McClane, to save the hostages from the murderous convicts as well as save his misfit brother Howard Ray from being killed.As I said before, this is certainly a poor version of Die Hard and amongst the brutal violence and unnecessary nonsensical scenes, this movie is terrible.
I just lost interest in how the movie ended as it just got worse as the movie continued on.There are better action movies out there, and there are certainly superior versions of Die Hard out there.
The trailer featured the action scenes to the thumping music of Guns 'n' Roses' "Knocking on Heaven's Door" and showed an incredibly beefed up Mickey Rourke strolling through the carnage in slow motion like he was indestructible.
After big budget high concept crap like "Con Air" and "Armageddon" this movie looked like a refreshing throw back to the good old days of 80's cinema.
The main focus is on the Mickster, an ex Texas Ranger, who might have to kill his brother, a drug dealer, who along with his low life cohorts, has escaped from prison and taken over a mall and everyone in it hostage.
Mickey does a good job playing the tormented former lawman and he also proves he's upto the action scenes.
What could have been another dime store direct to video action stinker turned into a nasty, in your face movie that had some surprising moments, especially the final touching scenes between Mickey and his dying brother.Some people have complained the film has too much slow motion.
Although it's not perfect it serves up action better than the last couple of Stallone movies and it is certainly the best thing Mickey's done in years.3 out of 5.
Possibly the greatest movie of all time for fact.
The guitar solos when Mickey Rourke and Danny Trejo were in the fight scenes will be collected by the Library of Congress and saved.
When at the end, Mickey Rourke dodges that bullet and Danny Trejo keeps screaming no and the girl just whisper "Yes" and he never shoot him at point blank, ~wink~, was euphoricThe writing was some of the greatest since Citizen Kane.
It's up to rugged mercenary and ex-Texas Ranger Rudy Ray (a credible performance by a pumped-up Mickey Rourke) to stop these no-count scum and rescue his wayward criminal brother Joe Ray (well played by Kevin Gage) who's mixed up in the whole mess.
The solid professional cast helps matters a whole lot: Danny Trejo goes totally over the top with infectious maniacal glee as vicious and volatile psycho Wallace, Werner Schreyer does well as token sympathetic hard-luck young con Billy, Michael Wright brings real soul to his part of no-nonsense former Marine turned killer Sonny, Paul Ben-Victor is a slimy hoot as shrewd nd duplicitous gay ring leader Howard, Nina Savelle doesn't embarrass herself as sweet sales lady Tracey Deakin, Frederic Forrest is typically fine as amiable good ol' boy sheriff Mack, and veteran character actor James Gammon has a nice bit as Rudy's father.
I remember first watching this movie not so many years after its release on VHS.Mickey Rourke in his career's best shape, along with Double Team (1997) was what struck me first.
Part from that, he does not speak many lines throughout the movie, but his emotional scenes along with Kevin Gage are as real as can be.Paul Ben-Victor as the 'boss'.
You would not watch this movie for these things.
Yes, it is a rip-off of certain movies which are a lot better. |
tt0028597 | The Awful Truth | Jerry Warriner (Cary Grant) returns home from a trip, which he falsely says was to Florida, to find that his wife, Lucy (Irene Dunne), is not at home. When she returns in the company of her handsome music teacher, Armand Duvalle (Alexander D'Arcy), Jerry learns that Lucy spent the night in the country with Armand, after his car, they claim, broke down unexpectedly. Lucy then discovers that Jerry did not actually go to Florida, though he went so far as to get an artificial tan and write multiple fake letters home to convince her that he did. Mutual suspicions result in divorce.
During the divorce proceedings, Lucy moves into an apartment with her Aunt Patsy (Cecil Cunningham) and becomes engaged to a neighbor, Oklahoma native Dan Leeson (Ralph Bellamy), while Jerry is seen on a date with singer Dixie Belle Lee (Joyce Compton). However, Leeson's mother (Esther Dale) does not approve of her. Eventually, Lucy realizes that she still loves Jerry and decides to break off the engagement. However, before she can inform Dan, Armand shows up at her apartment to discuss Jerry's earlier interruption of Lucy's singing recital. When Jerry knocks on the door, Armand decides it would be prudent to hide in the bedroom. Jerry wants to reconcile, much to Lucy's delight, but then Dan and his mother make an appearance. Wanting to avoid complications, Jerry slips into Lucy's bedroom, too. A fight erupts when he finds Armand already there. When Jerry chases Armand out of the apartment in front of the Leesons, Dan and his mother stalk out.
Afterwards, Jerry is seen around town with heiress Barbara Vance (Molly Lamont). To break up this relationship, on the night before the final divorce decree, Lucy crashes a party at the Vance mansion, pretending to be Jerry's sister. She acts like a showgirl (recreating a risqué musical number she had seen performed by Dixie Belle) and lets on that Jerry's father ("their" father) had been a gardener at Princeton University, not a student athlete as Jerry had claimed. Realizing that his chances with Barbara have been effectively sabotaged, Jerry drives Lucy away in her car.
Motorcycle policemen stop them on the road, and Lucy, plotting to spend more time with Jerry, wrecks the car. The couple get a lift to her aunt's cabin from the policemen. Once there, Jerry admits having made a fool of himself and the Warriners are happily reconciled, just before the clock strikes midnight. | romantic, comedy | train | wikipedia | Each scene takes moment from the time-line established by the impending day and hour and minute at which a husband (Cary Grant) and wife (Irene Dunne) become legally divorced, and the movie ends at precisely the stroke of midnight which marks that moment.
It succeeds with its self-assured anarchy and the charm of its stars.Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy and especially Irene Dunne are in top form.
(Grant and Bellamy basically repeat their roles, with the same success, in "His Girl Friday," another first-rate comedy)."The Awful Truth" is the masterpiece of Leo McCarey.
Cary gets himself involved with society debutante Marguerite Churchill and Irene takes up with mother fixated oil millionaire Ralph Bellamy.Any fan of old Hollywood films can tell you how this one will end.
Dunne received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her inspired work in this film, which endures as a reminder of why she was one of Hollywood's top actress during the thirties and forties.After flirting with success in SHE DONE HIM WRONG (1933), SYLVIA SCARLETT (1935), and TOPPER (1937), Cary Grant finally became a bonafide superstar with his performance in THE AWFUL TRUTH.
Exceptional performances are also delivered by the rest of the cast (including Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nominee Ralph Bellamy), but the film's real scene stealer is the incredible canine performer Asta as Mr. Smith, which is easily the best performance by a dog ever!
Much later, I had the good fortune to see it myself, at an oldies-goldies TV re-run, and it amused me like nuts.Today, as a movie professional, I can safely state that it's an instance of PURE COMEDY: bright humor, pointed satire, a healthy dose of absurd, deliciously foolish, a fast-paced rhythm that makes the 90 minutes seem barely 9 seconds!
The movie is really all about the sexual tension between Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, married partners who wilfully dissolve their marriage over the husband's possible infidelity (barely alluded to) and his lack of confidence in his wife's virtue (a.k.a. jealousy).
It is a good example of what master craftsmen can do to turn a thin and deliberately implausible plot into a fun movie.The actual story is pretty simple, serving only as a setup for a lot of pleasant nonsense - Cary Grant and Irene Dunne play a couple who get divorced, and then make each other jealous when they pursue other relationships.
An older friend introduced me to "The Awful Truth" in the days before VCRs. I thought it so hilarious, I taped the dialogue on a tape recorder when it was shown on local channels.Of course, the most famous scene is the one in which Irene Dunne, still in love with husband Grant, appears at his society girl's family's estate.
But he is delightful too.Joyce Compton, in endless movies for a couple decades, is an absolute scream as Dixie Belle, the risqué nightclub performer with whom Grant takes up at around the time Dunne has taken up with deadly dull Bellamy.Not only is this sequence funny but it is also touching: Don't we all, on the rebound, make choices that seem right but turn out catastrophic!
I also like "Twentieth Century" and Bringing Up Baby." I do not like the smug "My Favorite Wife," also with Dunne and Grant" or the mean "Nothing Sacred." When it comes to screwball comedy, this is the one!
Like the way the film's structured, the dialog is clever (I understand that much of it was improvised, testament to the quality of actors involved working with an already great script) and the themes and situations are ones that transcend time, no matter how long ago the '30s might seem to most of us.
Magic.I started watching old movies like these, after two or more decades of mostly viewing movies from the '70s and later, when a few viewings of Sergio Leone films got me interested in that director's influences and from there I went to Kurosawa, back to his idol John Ford, and then Howard Hawks and John Huston and so on, starting to re-explore offerings by Bogart, Cary Grant, and others, including some classic films that I don't think I've ever seen ("Gunga Din," for example).
Dunne and Grant (this film launched him as a huge star) play a couple who hastily divorce and then alternately take turns trying to win each other back.
I can only imagine that politics played a part in her not getting a special lifetime achievement Oscar later in her life (she was a strong Republican), after all Ralph Bellamy himself got one and his film career paled next to Dunne's.Watch Theodora Goes Wild for another great Dunne Screwball performance..
This is a favorite film, starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne at their absolute goofy best as a divorced couple who can't admit they still love one another.
Sure enough, though, love never quite runs as expected, and can indeed be a truly complex thing, especially when the other parties involved are human, a cheeky cat, and a rather smart and astute canine!The Awful Truth is tagged as part of the wonderful genre that encompasses the screwball comedy, and although to a degree that genre placement is true, I do believe that those not particularly fond of the high octane scattergun comedies from the genre, will certainly find this offering far more appealing with its pacing and lighthearted production values.The Awful Truth began life as a stage play in the early 20s, and was then adapted to film twice previously in 1925 & 1929, but here for the 1937 version, director Leo McCarey {Academy Award winner Best Director} improves the story big time with sharp witty dialogue and an appreciative knack for letting his actors improvise at free will in the name of comedy.
Taking the lead roles of the Warriner's is Cary Grant & Irene Dunne, and it's a great pairing as they positively bounce of each other with almost carefree abandon.
In this movie you can see two of the most brilliant actors, Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, who are both the Queen and King of Comedy.
I think we were a successful team because we enjoyed working together tremendously, and that pleasure must have shown through onto the screen," and Grant compliments her with "(Irene) had perfect timing in comedy and was the sweetest-smelling actress I ever worked with." Dunne indeed has the perfect timing and one of my favorite parts in this movie was the scene where she puts on a double act, pretending to be Grant's sister.
He can act all he wants and it doesn't seem like he's "acting." I admire performers who can do that, and Grant certainly deserves the reputation he had, and still has.Overall this movie was fun and entertaining, although I personally think that the movie's success was rather exaggerated, because the story itself isn't all that great.
Irene Dunne and Cary Grant star (in the first of 3 pictures together) as a divorcing couple who really love one another, but they're just so darned sophisticated!
Cary Grant, an up-and-coming actor in the mid-1930's, fortuitously teamed with the more established Irene Dunne for the first of three fruitful pairings in this archetypal 1937 screwball comedy directed with finesse by Leo McCarey.
A specialist in playing the third point in romantic triangles, Ralph Bellamy is likeably lunk-headed as Dan, and there are sharp comic turns by Cecil Cunningham as no-nonsense Aunt Patsy and Joyce Compton as nightclub chanteuse Dixie Belle Lee. According to Hollywood lore, McCarey encouraged Grant and Dunne to improvise much of their dialogue.
Irene Dunne and Cary Grant were wonderful together in this film as well as MY FAVORITE WIFE because the writing was so exceptional and the chemistry between them was terrific.
Plus, the movie is so similar to MY FAVORITE WIFE--another Grant and Dunn comedy.By the way, a couple things to look for: Yes, the dog "Mr. Smith" is the same dog that is "Asta" in the THIN MAN movies.
I especially liked the fact that the movie was short.Cary Grant is excellent in his role.His acting is so funny, especially his dialog delivery and his facial expressions.
Grant and Dunne are perfect, and they have perfect support from Ralph Bellamy and Cecil Cunningham.It's all been said in other reviews, so here are just a few observations;*Important to note that this was possibly the first of the so-called 'screwball comedies' which were so popular in the 30's and early 40's.
He seemed to make a career out of this type of role and here gets an AA nom for his work.*There are so many funny scenes in this picture and I think it's a tribute to the comedic genius of Leo McCarey, who started out as a director of silent comedy shorts, including some Laurel and Hardys..
Leo McCarey directs this screwball marital comedy that stars Cary Grant and Irene Dunne as a divorcing couple who secretly still love each other, so try desperately to thwart the other's romance: He to a "haughty" socialite(Molly Lamont), she to a "country bumpkin" oil magnate(Ralph Bellamy) He comes up with a scheme to visit their dog Mr. Smith, she tries to convince his fiancée that she is his scandalous sister.
The best screwball comedies, such as It Happened One Night and Sullivan's Travels, are unpredictable, fast-paced, and funny-- three qualities that The Awful Truth utterly lacks.The plot begins badly and goes downhill — but oh, so very slowly since the story drags on.
When she impulsively takes up with Ralph Bellamy's dull character, the action goes from screwball to mothballed.Meanwhile, her husband immediately agrees to the divorce, else there is no movie — and this film wouldn't be worth suffering through without Grant' s physical and verbal gifts.
Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, "superstars" of their era, don't quite have the chemistry that Grant had with other of his co-stars, like Rosalind Russell in "My Girl Friday." But this is an interesting if predictable example of the Screwball Comedy era.
Awful Truth, The (1937) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Leo McCarey's classic screwball comedy about a divorcing couple (Cary Grant, Irene Dunne) who decide to drive each other nuts while the other is dating.
Cary Grant is sublime, rarely needing words to express his feelings; Ralph Bellamy as Oklahoma Man - Dan Leeson:- "I'm in oil, y'know", whose little story about the rooster is told with the utmost seriousness; Joyce Compton is amazing as the night-club singer/dancer Dixie Bell, while Cecil Cunningham, as Aunt Patsy, gets some tremendous one-liners such as - "Here's your diploma." handing Dan his P45 (Lucy's farewell note).
The Awful Truth represents the genre at its peak of popularity.While both Irene Dunne and Cary Grant would do a lot of comedies in their time, they weren't especially associated with the genre, especially not at this point in their respective careers.
Ralph Bellamy – again, usually a dramatic player – is also very funny in a supporting role, playing the stereotypical ranch owner but still making him a real human character.Director Leo McCarey was one of the finest comedy directors of his time, seasoned in slapstick but equally adept at the talkie variety.
Irene Dunne provides some masterful comedy touches, particularly at the end of recital which Grant butts in on, and delivers a come-hither look in another scene that is priceless.
Heck, I didn't even mind the horseplay with the mutt from "The Thin Man", pardon my metaphor mixing.There are loads of great comedic scenes, for example Grant's embarrassment at his showgirl's very literal "Gone With The Wind" number, their drunken antics with the traffic cops, Grant's ju-juitsu duel with an Oriental doorman which predates "The Pink Panther" by nearly 30 years, Dunne's hilarious appearance as Grant's classless sister Lola and ending satisfyingly with a humorous variation on "It Happened One Night's" famous "Walls Of Jericho" set-piece.After this treat, I'm on the lookout for "My Favourite Wife" a similarly plotted Grant/Dunne comedy from the same era.
And it's another one of those films where there are so many great elements Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are so perfect that it's really frustrating I laughed so little.
It's hard to imagine audiences of 1937 having any connection with these spoiled characters--it must have been the allure of movie idols Cary Grant and Irene Dunne that people fell for.
I'd already seen countless Cary Grant films by the time I'd gotten around to seeing The Aweful Truth, but have to admit I think it was my first Irene Dunne film.
Cary Grant and Irene Dunne have great mutual chemistry and movie won Oscar for directing.7,5/10.
Cary Grant and Irene Dunne play a married couple who divorce due to (mostly) mutual misguided suspicions of infidelity.
Cary Grant had his best performance with Irene Dunne in this film, they are both humorous and seem to share a bit of what they find funny.
All the while they try to hide how they still feel about each other.Cary Grant is great, as usual, but it is Irene Dunne who really shines in this very funny comedy.
A cute romance story filled with genuinely funny moments.THE AWFUL TRUTH was nominated for six Oscars (including Best Actress for the wonderful Irene Dunne and Best Picture), winning for Best Director (Leo McCarey).
I can't get enough of this movie.I'm a big fan of Cary Grant and, because of this film, of Irene Dunne.
"The Awful Truth" was a completely funny film, typical of the ridiculous, over-the-top screwball comedies of its time.
Ralph Bellamy, in my opinion, is one of the film's very best characters, however, as a hilarious country bumpkin planning to marry Dunne after her and Grant's divorce.
I hadn't seen this in over 10 years, and finally watching "The Awful Truth" again, I was quite surprised at myself at how loud I was laughing, as Cary Grant and Irene Dunne REALLY put on a performance.
In particular, it's a classic in the 'comedy of remarriage' vein.In the film, Cary Grant & Irene Dunne play an unhappily married couple whose suspicions of infidelity lead them to seek a divorce.
In support, Ralph Bellamy's Oscar-nominated performance as Dunne's new beau stood out, though others were memorable as well.In the end, "The Awful Truth" is a top-notch screwball comedy worthy of being ranked alongside the likes of "Bringing Up Baby" & "The Philadelphia Story".
Irene Dunne was wonderful in this movie, especially the scene where she pretend to be his (Cary Grant) sister (they are married) and sung a trashy song in front of those high class people.
And although Grant and Dunne put up excellent performances (as usual), i believe the true star of the movie is director Leo McCarey who offers perfect pace, editing and mise en scène.
The fun is watching those wonderful comic actors Cary Grant and Irene Dunne giving hilarious performances in their best film together.
Laughs all the way to the end, which leaves big warm smiles.Wonderful performances by Cecil Cunningham as Dunne's unmaidenly aunt, and Ralph Bellamy as the perfect rival for Grant.
Both Cary Grant and Irene Dunne are truly great actors with broad appeal, yet this film drags like you wouldn't believe.
As such Dunne is the absolute scene stealer using inventive style of a comedy performance which has become the signature of screwball.Though Ralph Belemy is excellent as the 'hillbilly' oilman (he should of perhaps had a part in the US television soap Dallas, though he did reference his character in The Awful Truth, that of Dan Leeson in Pretty Woman (1990) playing the rich businessman James Morse) he is essentially playing the same part as he did in His Girl Friday (1940) again opposite Grant.
Special tribute also goes to canine actor Mr. Smith who does a sublime thespian turn deserving of a doggy Oscar.The Awful Truth with the addendum of an excellent supporting cast is essential viewing for fans of classic old films, screwball comedy and Cary Grant..
The Awful Truth is the movie that made Cary Grant a star and has Oscar-winning direction from Leo McCarey.
Innocent, energetic, and gracefully acted all around, The Awful Truth is a great showcase of Cary Grant and Irene Dunne's chemistry while presenting a bittersweet love story along the way.One of my favorite films of all time is Bringing Up Baby, which is famously a screw ball comedy.
And I think Cary Grant's best performance is in Penny Serenade, where he shares the screen with Irene Dunne.
Jerry and Lucy constantly fight and can't seem to get over each other.Cary Grant and Irene Dunne are a fun couple.
The romantic comedy The Awful Truth is directed by Leo McCarey and stars Carey Grant and Irene Dunne.
With "The Awful Truth," each scene feels like a moment.One other interesting note: At the end, it seems likely that Cary Grant and Irene Dunne will now spend the night together in the one room on the one bed.
Leo McCarey's "The Awful Truth" is among the best of the "screwball" comedies of the 1930s.
It gives the movie a sort of a realistic look into how Cary Grant and Irene Dunn worked as actors but it doesn't always provide the movie with some much needed great witty dialog and fine written comedy moments.
(I think it's much funnier than the overrated (IMHO) Bringing Up Baby (which also stars Grant).) Irene Dunne really busts out of her more ordinary characters and shines in this film with humor, intelligence and, in the wonderful final scene, even sexiness!
This is Grant and Dunne's first screen pairing together, they would go on to make two more successful films after 'The Awful Truth'.
Cary Grant and Irene Dunne were paired in two hilarious comedy romances.
A favorite scene is when Lucy (Irene Dunne) gets a dance lesson from Daniel (Ralph Belamy), to Jerry's (Cary Grant) great enjoyment of it. |
tt0180897 | Paradise Lost | The poem follows the epic tradition of starting in medias res (Latin for in the midst of things), the background story being recounted later.
Milton's story has two narrative arcs, one about Satan (Lucifer) and the other following Adam and Eve. It begins after Satan and the other rebel angels have been defeated and banished to Hell, or, as it is also called in the poem, Tartarus. In Pandæmonium, Satan employs his rhetorical skill to organize his followers; he is aided by Mammon and Beelzebub. Belial and Moloch are also present. At the end of the debate, Satan volunteers to poison the newly created Earth and God's new and most favoured creation, Mankind. He braves the dangers of the Abyss alone in a manner reminiscent of Odysseus or Aeneas. After an arduous traversal of the Chaos outside Hell, he enters God's new material World, and later the Garden of Eden.
At several points in the poem, an Angelic War over Heaven is recounted from different perspectives. Satan's rebellion follows the epic convention of large-scale warfare. The battles between the faithful angels and Satan's forces take place over three days. At the final battle, the Son of God single-handedly defeats the entire legion of angelic rebels and banishes them from Heaven. Following this purge, God creates the World, culminating in his creation of Adam and Eve. While God gave Adam and Eve total freedom and power to rule over all creation, he gave them one explicit command: not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil on penalty of death.
The story of Adam and Eve's temptation and fall is a fundamentally different, new kind of epic: a domestic one. Adam and Eve are presented as having a full relationship while still being without sin. They have passions and distinct personalities. Satan, disguised in the form of a serpent, successfully tempts Eve to eat from the Tree by preying on her vanity and tricking her with rhetoric. Adam, learning that Eve has sinned, knowingly commits the same sin. He declares to Eve that since she was made from his flesh, they are bound to one another ‒ if she dies, he must also die. In this manner, Milton portrays Adam as a heroic figure, but also as a greater sinner than Eve, as he is aware that what he is doing is wrong.
After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve have lustful sex. At first, Adam is convinced that Eve was right in thinking that eating the fruit would be beneficial. However, they soon fall asleep and have terrible nightmares, and after they awake, they experience guilt and shame for the first time. Realizing that they have committed a terrible act against God, they engage in mutual recrimination.
Meanwhile, Satan returns triumphantly to Hell, amidst the praise of his fellow fallen angels. He tells them about how their scheme worked and human kind has fallen, giving them complete dominion over Paradise. As he finishes his speech, however, the fallen angels around him become hideous snakes, and soon enough, Satan himself turned into a snake, deprived of limbs and unable to talk. Thus, they share the same punishment, as they shared the same guilt.
Eve appeals to Adam for reconciliation of their actions. Her encouragement enables them to approach God, and sue for grace, bowing on suppliant knee, to receive forgiveness. In a vision shown to him by the angel Michael, Adam witnesses everything that will happen to mankind until the Great Flood. Adam is very upset by this vision of the future, so Michael also tells him about humankind's potential redemption from original sin through Jesus Christ (whom Michael calls "King Messiah").
Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden, and Michael says that Adam may find "a paradise within thee, happier far". Adam and Eve also now have a more distant relationship with God, who is omnipresent but invisible (unlike the tangible Father in the Garden of Eden). | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0112401 | Assassins | Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone) is a paid assassin who wants nothing more than to get out of 'the business', haunted by the memory of murdering his own mentor Nicolai years ago. Rath is a quiet, morose professional who is on an assignment to kill someone when someone else gets to the 'mark' (the target) before he does. That person turns out to be Miguel Bain (Antonio Banderas), a fellow assassin and a competitive sociopath.
As Rath tries to figure out who sent Bain, the contractor offers him one last job that could financially allow him to retire: killing a computer hacker named Electra (Julianne Moore) and the four Dutch buyers of a disk that contains sensitive information and Rath has to retrieve. However, Electra has set up cameras in all the rooms of the apartment block where she lives and watches them like watching television.
Bain first kills the four Dutch buyers who turn out to be Interpol agents, but when Rath comes to kill Electra, for the first time he has a change of heart. His pay for the job is given to him in a briefcase in exchange for the disk. But the briefcase actually contains a bomb placed by his own contractor in an attempt to kill him. Luckily, Electra had swapped the disk, not sure if Rath was coming back or not.
The contractor takes the chance and hires Bain to terminate him; now having become a target along with Electra he must try and extract enough money out of his contractor so he can disappear for good, while avoiding the bloodthirsty Bain. Rath's contractor turns out to be none other than Nicolai himself who also hired Bain to track down Electra and the disk.
Nicolai revealed he had a vest on when Rath shot him years ago and faked his death ever since. Knowing that Nicolai would kill him too, Bain, along with Rath, shot him dead. Bain plans to kill Rath to be the number one assassin. But Electra puts on her sunglasses to allow Rath to see Bain. Rath shot Bain through his jacket killing him. | suspenseful, neo noir, murder, violence, romantic, revenge, sadist | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0040843 | The Street with No Name | The opening credits include the following foreword:
The motion picture you are about to see was adapted from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Wherever possible, it was photographed in the original locale and played by the actual FBI personnel involved.
This is followed by a message from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover:
The street on which crime flourishes is the street extending across America. It is the street with no name. Organized gangsterism is once again returning. If permitted to go unchecked three out of every four Americans will eventually become its victims. Wherever law and order break down there you will find public indifference. An alert and vigilant America will make for a secure America.
A crime wave, including a holdup at a nightclub that ends in a murder and a bank robbery in which a guard is killed, has hit Center City. A squad of FBI agents headed by inspector George A. Briggs meets with local FBI field officer Richard Atkins, police chief Bernard Harmatz and Police Commissioner Ralph Demory. After Briggs interrogates suspect Robert Danker, who claims he was not involved in either killing and that he has been framed, various tests are run at the FBI laboratory in Washington that exonerate Danker. Later Danker, who has been bailed out by "John Smith," is found stabbed to death. At the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, Briggs briefs agent Gene Cordell, who is going undercover in Center City to try to infiltrate the gang Briggs thinks is responsible for all three killings. Cordell takes a bus into Center City and rents a room at the same "Skid Row" hotel in which Danker had been living. Fellow agent Cy Gordon is in a similar hotel across the street from him. Using the name George Manly, Cordell makes himself known in the area by going to the local gym and picking a fight with one of the boxers training there. He is spotted by owner Alec Stiles, who offers him cash if he can last against the boxer. He does, and Alec pays him off.
Later, in a nearby amusement arcade, Cordell tells Gordon that while he was at the gym, his Social Security card was stolen. As they talk, two policemen approach and arrest Cordell for a break-in at a jewelry store, where his card has been found. The FBI has provided a false record for Cordell, and he is bailed out by John Smith, who turns out to be Stiles. Through the police department, Stiles has acquired a copy of Cordell's phony FBI record and is impressed enough to invite him to join his organization. Later Cordell meets with Briggs on board a ferry, and his report convinces Briggs that the Stiles gang are their culprits. After Stiles and his henchmen plan a robbery of a local mansion, Stiles has a violent argument with his wife Judy. Cordell alerts Gordon about the robbery and the FBI and police prepare an ambush, but Stiles' informant within the police department tips him off and he cancels the job. Cordell returns to gang headquarters and fires a shot from Stiles' revolver in order to recover the bullet for testing. However, Stiles discovers that his gun has been fired and goes to see his informant, who turns out to be Commissioner Demory, and asks him to have his gun checked for fingerprints. Demory later advises Stiles that his gang has been infiltrated by Cordell.
Shivvy and Matty, two of Stiles' henchmen, take Cordell to see Stiles, and Gordon follows them in a taxi. Briggs, who has been observing Stiles and can link him to Demory, then receives a report from Washington that the barrel markings on the bullet fired from Stiles' gun are identical with those on the bullets used in the previous killings. After Gordon tracks Shivvy, Matty and Cordell to a factory, he tells the taxi driver to get word to Briggs as to where he is. Inside the plant, Shivvy discovers and then stabs Gordon. Cordell does not realize he has been found out until Stiles announces he is going to frame him and have Demory's officers "accidentally" kill him. However, the plan backfires when Briggs and Chief Harmatz arrive with backup and chase Stiles through the factory. Cordell corners Stiles and kills him, and as Briggs arrests Demory, agent Gordon recovers. | violence, murder | train | wikipedia | Most directors assigned these tasks in the noir cycle wrote off such idolatry as a cost of doing business, clearing it away quickly so as to get on with their moviemaking; William Keighley follows this sensible agenda.FBI agent Mark Stevens goes undercover to infiltrate the mob in that cesspool of crime, Center City, USA.
The success of The House on 92nd Street set a whole new trend of film making for 20th Century Fox. For the rest of the forties, that studio had a lot of success with a certain kind of documentary/noir type film.In The Street With No Name, Lloyd Nolan repeats his characterization of FBI inspector George Briggs.
The undercover guy is Mark Stevens and the gang he finds an infiltrates is led by Richard Widmark in his second film.
The outcome of this pursuit is a film like THE STREET WITH NO NAME.New hot property RICHARD WIDMARK is given another chance to shine as a sneering villain who runs a gang the police are anxious to put out of business.
They send a mole (MARK STEVENS) to infiltrate the mob and get the goods on Widmark--not unlike the situation in Cagney's WHITE HEAT.While this one doesn't approach the finesse of Raoul Walsh's WHITE HEAT, it's a solidly entertaining piece of crime melodrama given punch by some good overall performances.
Aside from Widmark and Stevens, the cast includes reliable Fox contract players BARBARA LAWRENCE, ED BEGLEY, DONALD BUKA, and JOHN McINTIRE.Based on an actual FBI case, there's some narration in the manner of other Fox films in this genre.
He certainly plays a nasty piece of work here and is also a wife-beater.It is told in semi-documentary style and shot well in black and white, is very atmospheric and has a good music score too.Also in the cast are Mark Stevens, Lloyd Nolan, Barbara Lawrence and John McIntire (Wagon Train).
At first, the docu-drama approach feels like kind of a safety net that prevents the viewer from losing himself completely in this striking noir universe, but the intricacies of the police work were interesting to watch unfold and this is still a strong film.
I also liked the colorful low life lingo such as when one of the thugs tells Stevens to "pick yourself a boom-boom" as they suit up for their big score.Great to see Richard Widmark doing what he does best - playing villains, of course.
Never having heard of Stevens I assumed it was just a made up movie star name and movie title ("I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now".) Imagine my surprise when shortly thereafter I looked up his name and found out that there certainly was such an actor, a borderline leading man who apparently enjoyed some level of stardom during a 30 or so film career.
While the movie is a very dark crime movie and a lot of the scenes are filmed outdoors on rainy nights, the movie merely gives a nod to the lighting/shadowing aspects of film noir as there are quite a few day scenes and/or scenes that are shot in very well lit rooms (i.e. the boxing gym, the FBI offices, etc.).
Finally, Although I liked his part in The Kiss Of Death a little more---boy was he evil in that movie--- Richard Widmark does a great job in this, one of his earlier films, and the rest of the actors do a very competent job in playing their parts as well.
This underrated noir, efficiently handled in all departments, has rather unjustly been overshadowed by its higher-profile color remake – Samuel Fuller’s HOUSE OF BAMBOO (1955), which I’d watched before but will re-acquaint myself with now thanks to the original (scheduled as part of my ongoing Richard Widmark tribute).The film (whose title is allegorical) deals with F.B.I. rookie Mark Stevens infiltrating a criminal gang headed by Widmark; the Bureau gave Fox (who produced it) their full co-operation: the studio, in fact, had already made THE HOUSE ON 92ND STREET (1945) in a similar vein and, though THE STREET WITH NO NAME is marked by that earlier title’s innovative semi-documentary style, it actually ties in more with the gangster pictures of the 1930s.
At first glance, Stevens looks like an unlikely tough guy but, in retrospect, he acquits himself surprisingly well; Widmark – in his second film – has graduated from sadistic thug to unscrupulous gang boss (memorably introduced, with his face half-hidden behind a handkerchief during a night-club ‘job’, spitting a line at the orchestra conductor: “O.K., Stokowski…dry up!”).
The film is also blessed with a terrific supporting cast (including Lloyd Nolan, John McIntire and Ed Begley – all of whom play F.B.I. operatives – Donald Buka being especially noteworthy among the criminals as Widmark’s taciturn but ruthless right-hand man, and only one prominent female figure in Barbara Lawrence as the typically-abused gangster’s moll).As expected, Joe MacDonald’s shadowy lighting emerges to be an indispensable asset here – rendered even more effective (and realistic) by locations carefully-chosen to fit the desired mood of every sequence.
A terrific cast (with Richard Widmark especially good, and even better than he was in "Kiss of Death" a year earlier), and an atmosphere as dark and moody as Widmark's character, make this one of the very best film noirs..
Directed by William Keighley, an able action director ("G-Men", "Each Dawn I Die"), it stars Richard Widmark as the creepily murderous mob boss Stiles and Mark Stevens as the innocent looking FBI agent in peril.
This FBI -vs- the gangsters film seems a bit stiff and hokey in the first 15 minutes, then takes off when Alec Stiles (Richard Widmark) shows up.
He's neither chilling nor very menacing (even though he's mean as hell to his non-femme fatale girlfriend); yet there's something charismatic about him that makes you want to watch his unique screen presence here.The last 45 minutes of the film is truly excellent entertainment and the final 10 minutes or so is a wet, dark, dripping noir.I'd give it 10 stars if not for the first few scenes that don't involve Widmark..
I loved how the film used words like "Skid Row" and set one of the crimes in the generic-sounding "Center City"--a cute use of film noir style names and in effort to make a film that could be placed in any big city in America.Eventually, Stevens is able to impress the local mob bit-shot (played by Richard Widmark) when he boxes in a mob-controlled joint.
I was very pleasantly entertained by this better-than-standard B-movie fare.I'd heard about this film for many years, promising myself to see it at some time mainly because I knew Richard Widmark was one of the stars.
But, when a DVD came across to me recently, I received it with mixed feelings: I found out that Mark Stevens had top billing, with Widmark and Llyod Nolan (another good actor from the 30s and 40s I liked) in support.
It's a guy film; gals are almost non-existent, the exception being Judy Stiles (Barbara Lawrence), the abused wife of the very murderous gangster, Alec Stiles (Widmark), whom Gene Cordell, FBI agent (Stevens), is commissioned to bring down, by infiltrating Stiles' gang to secure the necessary evidence.So, the story is in a real sense by the numbers: in this case (no pun intended), the very detailed processes used within the FBI to get the bad guys.
Frankly, any real crime at that time could have learned a lot by watching this film...maybe.In a nutshell, Cordell gets his man Stiles in an excellently staged shootout, at night, in a large factory on the outskirts of Center City (the fictional city for the story but, as J Edgar Hoover intones at the start, it could be any city, any street across USA).
It's a delicious filmic sequence as the director, William Keighly, cuts between both camps, shot for shot, showing how each of the moles is faring as the duplicate nets close in around each.Add to that, the very realistic filming on location in Washington, Los Angeles, San Pedro and Santa Ana the rain-slicked streets, the boxing gym, the clip joints, the seedy hotels, the dirty diners and you have a much better than average B-movie that gets it right, all the way through.
Street with No Name, The (1948) *** (out of 4) A couple gangland killings prompt the FBI to sent agent Gene Cordell (Mark Stevens) into a mob being ran by the hot-tempered Alec Stiles (Richard Widmark).
When the prime suspect is released and executed in the same night, FBI Inspector George Briggs (Lloyd Nolan) recruits the rookie agent Gene Cordell (Mark Stevens) to follow the last paths of the victim undercover in the identity of George Manly.
Watch for some great noir scenes, including an edgy shootout in a factory.Most interesting is the presence of Richard Widmark (in his second film after after Hathaway's Kiss of Death).
1948's "The Street With No Name" is, without question, hard-hitting, well-scripted, and, most definitely, top-of-the-line Film Noir.Shot in a semi-documentary style (which was a popular format in its time), this film of crime and corruption tells the vivid story of a tough, undercover FBI agent who infiltrates a ruthless criminal gang who operate in the skid-row district of the fictional "Center City" (which clearly reminds one of NYC).Very entertaining, "The Street With No Name" is a real treat for any fan of the Film Noir genre.I really liked actor Mark Stevens in this picture.
There are some very silly shots of Stevens running here and there, while being tailed by the bad guys the whole time, as he makes contact with his boss (who else but Lloyd Nolan) and other FBI agents.
Edgar Hoover himself,Richard Widmark shows up and you realize you've been in Dark City USA all along.Mark Stevens makes the perfect FBI agent.This FBI is sleek and on the ball.They're going to get their man,although throughout,you're constantly left guessing about who's one step before who.Barbara Lawrence goes toe to toe with Widmark a couple of rounds and gives as good as she gets.This is definitely one of the best film noirs ever made..
I especially loathed the upbeat march-like music that accompanied every scene that had the heroic and infallible FBI in it, and I simply can't stand the pretentious faux-documentary-style footage showing grave men in suits running about their business, looking self-righteous.Yes, Richard Widmark, noir icon if ever there was any, is in it, but he has little to do but sneer and look suggestive, a far cry from standout performances in masterpieces such as 'Night and the City', 'Panic in the Streets' or 'Pickup on South Street'.
Mark Stevens is the all-American captain-of-the-football-team cutie-pie as the FBI agent posing as a hobo to get to Widmark.I am afraid that a scene or two of noir-by-the-book lighting is all that Keighley's film has to recommend it.
Gene (Mark Stevens) infiltrates a gang led by Alec (Richard Widmark) with the intention of discovering who is responsible for a series of recent shootings and robberies.
The story is good and both the main characters, Mark Stevens and Richard Widmark, play their roles convincingly.
It Stars Mark Stevens, Richard Widmark, Lloyd Nolan, Barbara Lawrence and Ed Begley.
Music is by Lionel Newman and cinematography by Joseph MacDonald.Undercover FBI agent Gene Cordell (Stevens) infiltrates a crime gang led by Alec Stiles (Widmark).Produced in the good old semi-documentary style that suits cops and robbers noir pieces, The Street With No Name is all about showing how great the FBI is - and how dangerous their jobs are.
One of those docudramas from the 1940s that wraps a fictional film and stentorian narration around the real-life workings of a government office, in this case the FBI.Mark Stevens plays an agent who poses as a hood in order to infiltrate a crime gang suspected of a couple of murders.
It tells the story of an undercover FBI agent, Gene Cordell, who infiltrates a ruthless crime gang who have carried out a series of robberies in which two people have been killed.
Cordell adopts the persona of "George Manly", a boxer and criminal, and is recruited into the gang by its leader, Alec Stiles.Seven years later the film was remade as "House of Bamboo" which, rather oddly, transferred the action to Japan although most of the main characters, and all the gangsters, remained American.
Unusually for a crime drama from the fifties, Fuller made "House of Bamboo" in colour, whereas "Street with No Name" is made in the standard black-and-white film noir style.
Widmark was later to appear in one of the all-time great films noirs, Fuller's New York-set "Pickup on South Street", which has a similar gritty look.
He recruits FBI agent Gene Cordell to infiltrate the gang of Alec Stiles(played by Richard Widmark) which is suspected in a number of robberies and murders.
He followed it up the next year with this film.A classic noir involving the FBI and a plant (Mark Stevens) to get inside Widmark's gang to find out who killed a housewife, and two others.Widmark was excellent as the gang leader, and ruthless when he thought he was crossed, as his wife (Barbara Lawrence) found out.The ending was very good, and provided some great twists.
Crisply photographed by master cinematographer Joe MacDonald, it was beautifully written for the screen by Harry Kleiner and was filmed by Fox in their customary forties semi-documentary style that they had started producing with great success in 1945 with "The House On 92nd Street".Richard Widmark is Alec Stiles.
Determined to outwit and bring them down the FBI, under Inspector Briggs (Lloyd Nolan), trains an undercover agent Gene Cordell (Mark Stevens) to infiltrate the gang to find out just how and from who they are getting their information prior to every job they undertake.
Here repeating his role as the FBI's Inspector Briggs from "House On 92nd Street" and there's a nice contribution too from John McIntire as Steven's fellow undercover agent.
This story of an FBI undercover agent (Mark Stevens) who infiltrates the gang headed by Alec Stiles (Richard Widmark) is introduced by a lengthy warning about how, unless the new gangsterism is stopped, three out of four of us will become its victims.
The Street With No Name -an excellent film noir from Fox- featuring a charismatic Richard Widmark as the leader of the Stiles gang.I saw most of the elements of this movie earlier this month when I saw House of Bamboo which lifted several parts of this plot and transported them to post WWII Japan.This movie dispenses with the trite romance that threatened to throw it's remake off the rails and is a straight FBI v the bad guys movie- mixing tons of location shooting with stock footage(like another Fox film House on 92nd Street that also featured Lloyd Nolan as agent Briggs) this movie manages to capture a vivid and raw underworld that draws the viewer in.
Employing these styles, of course, conforms with the traditions of film noir and documentary film making, however, the symbolism involved is also clear.An FBI agent Gene Cordell (Mark Stevens) is furnished with a false identity (George Manly) and a criminal record and given the task of getting into a gang which is suspected of having recently carried out three murders in Center City.
A definite taut thriller where both the good guys and the bad guys have infiltrated each other's group.Lloyd Nolan takes a similar role as an FBI agent, this is what he did in "The House on 92nd Street." Wasn't he Inspector Briggs there as well?
Gene Cordell is an FBI agent who is ordered to go undercover, work his way into the gang, earn Stiles' confidence, and then blow the whistle.
Every time we stop to see these FBI resources in action (ordered by Lloyd Nolan, reprising his role as George Briggs from The House on 92nd Street), the movie stops, too.
The FBI also provides Cordell, now calling himself George Manly, with a phony rap sheet showing how good he is in not only committing major and violent crimes but also being able to get off being convicted in committing them.In no time at all Cordell/Manley's gets himself noticed by the Center City mob boss Alex Stiles (Richard Widmark) who, by having his boys lift his phony social security card, knows a good and successful hood when he sees one.
The big problem for Manley/Cordell is that if he's ever caught by or exposed, as an FBI Agent, by Stiles' gang he'll end up being their latest murder victim!***SPOILERS*** Nowhere as good at the earlier FBI movie, also staring Llyod Noland as Inspector George Briggs, "The House on 92nd Street" the film "Street With no Name" has the FBI now involved with just garden verity American criminals who, unlike the Nazis and Soviets, are anything but a threat to the nations existent or even national security.
The most interesting thing in the movie is that the involvement of local police, never the FBI, corruption that's by far more effective for the Stiles Mob then anything else in the film.
FBI boss Briggs(Lloyd Nolan) dispatches agent Gene Cordell(Mark Stevens)to pose as a young thug to infiltrate Widmark's gang that runs with the precision of a military unit.
Cordell assumes the identity of George Manly who with main contact Cy Gordon (John McIntire), set up shop in the skid row district of the city.Manly soon comes into contact with gang leader Alec Stiles (Richard Widmark) who controls the crime operation.
The gang is planning a major heist but it is halted when an inside source informs Stiles that there is an undercover cop within the organization.Stiles bides his time and knowing that Manly is the "rat" makes his move and..............................................Although Mark Stevens was a capable leading man, it is Richard Widmark who steals the film.
"G-Men" director William Keighley must have seemed the ideal choice for this sturdy undercover FBI melodrama "The Street with No Name." Mark Stevens co-stars as the Fed with Richard Widmark as a smarter-than-average, but trigger-happy gang leader. |
tt3149206 | The Vanished | Sara Collins vanishes from a dinner held in her honor. She was a teacher, and wife to Senator Jeffrey Collins. She had previously told her husband that she had a secret, but disappeared before she could reveal it to him.
The investigation into her kidnapping starts to probe secrets from the main characters. While Senator Collins is clean and desperately wants his wife returned, even payment of the ransoms demanded will not get her back. He paid both $5,000,000 in cash (plus public humiliation), then voted to confirm a Supreme Court nominee he hated, because he knew the nominee seduced under-aged girls.
What he did not know was that one of them was his daughter, Marcy, who may (or may not) have been pregnant by him. Marcy's secret was that she had been having an affair with the judge. She cut it off after being caught by Sara, but was later raped by him. Marcy believes she was poisoned to induce a miscarriage at the end of the series. The justice in question is compromised later, overruling the conviction of a Dead Sea scholar sentenced to death for murdering his wife, thus leading to the translations the conspiracy wanted.
Senator Collins' son, Max, had gotten into trouble over underage drinking. Sara urged Jeffrey to put him in a rehab facility. There, Max expressed a hatred for his stepmother, which was used against her by the conspiracy (his counselor was Quinn, who was a conspiracy member). The facility was one Sara had been checked into by her parents, and she escaped from, preventing a brainwashing. It was suggested that Sara was the only person who ever escaped the facility without brainwashing, and it might have been a factor in her kidnapping.
Senator Collins' ex-wife had confronted Sara over the birth of her child, who was being raised by her parents as a sister, instead of a granddaughter. She worked her way back into Jeffrey Collins's life via her children. She was dead broke and took a bribe from Collins' chief of staff (to help her daughter bail her boyfriend out of jail), but despite her hatred of Sara, never revealed the truth.
Sara went through torture and manipulation when she was in captivity. She was fed certain information, and was played with good-cop/bad-cop. The conspiracy fed her half-truths and statements taken out of context to make her believe that Jeffrey Collins took her kidnapping as opportunity to advance his career. Circumstance and the lies led her to flee to the one place she felt anonymous - the same place she fled the rehab facility once before, a small seaside town in Massachusetts, Gloucester, where she met a man on a fishing boat, who fathered her child.
FBI Agent Graham Kelton solved many aspects of the kidnapping, and even managed to contact the mysterious person leaving St. Nathan prayer cards. He found out that the person wanted the conspiracy undone more than Sara's rescue. He eventually solved the real ransom demand of the conspiracy, but after stopping the vote with a bioterrorist attack simulation, was shot and killed by one of the co-conspirators, before he can give any details.
FBI Agent Lucas takes over, and tracks down more leads, leading to a raid on a conspiracy site where dead sea scrolls were being photographed. However, while he gets very close to Sara a few times after she escapes, he is unable to unravel the false trail Sara left behind her as she escaped to her safe place with Peter Manning.
Ben Wilson, the boyfriend of Marcy Collins, was released on bond from Marcy, who believed his story. He still believed he was the father of Marcy's unborn child, and despite his innocence over prior events, was enraged by the rape of Marcy. He murdered her attacker in the end. If he got away with it is unresolved at the series end.
Peter Manning is a man searching for the love of his life, who one day vanished from Massachusetts, where he worked on a fishing boat. He sees her again as the wife of Jeffrey Collins. He still loves her, but his lead is classified as low priority. He embarks on a mission to find her. He finds his child, but can't find a way to make things right. He gives up in the end, and returns to his boat to find that Sara is there. It's the place she ran to before; where she could be anonymous and find love.
Judy Nash has faith in her story about Peter Manning fathering a child with Sara, but is cut off as she doesn't have the proof. While Peter got her proof that he was the father, there is no proof about the mother. Without Sara, there is no story.
The series ends with Jeffrey Collins in a family dinner with his ex-wife and his two children. Sara Collins, meanwhile, appears in the final scene aboard Peter Manning's boat. She says "I didn't know where else to go", and begins to explain about why she disappeared twelve years ago, and how she never wanted to go. Peter interrupts her, and says, "none of that matters now. You're home", and they embrace. The news shows no hope for the Dead Sea scholar, who the justice who Collins confirmed as part of the ransom being scheduled for execution (Collins compromised another justice). The Dead Sea Scrolls will not be interpreted (the main motivation of the conspiracy, who was after his release; they had kidnapped his wife as well). The FBI is left with no leads. | paranormal | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0099654 | Ghost Dad | Elliot Hopper (Bill Cosby) is a workaholic widower who is about to land the deal of a lifetime at work, which he hopes will win him a promotion and a company car. After he forgets his daughter Diane's birthday, he attempts to make it up to her by promising her she can have his car when he secures the deal at work on the coming Thursday. After being persuaded to give the car to his daughter early, Elliot must hail a taxi from work, which is driven by Satanist Curtis Burch (Raynor Scheine), who drives erratically and speeds out of control. Attempting to get the taxi stopped, Elliot announces that he is Satan and commands him to stop the taxi. Shocked to see his "Evil Master", Burch drives off a bridge and into the river.
Elliot emerges from the accident scene, but when he approaches a police officer, he learns that he is a ghost when the officer urinates on his shoes, then when he walks into the road, a speeding bus goes straight through him. When he gets home he discovers that his three children can see him, but only in a totally dark room, and they can't hear him. He struggles to tell them what happened when he is whisked away to London by paranormal researcher Sir Edith (Ian Bannen), who tells him he is a ghost who has yet to enter the afterlife because "they screwed up"; his soul will not cross over until Thursday.
The pressures of work and family life lead to many comedic events, as Elliot attempts to get a life insurance policy and complete his company's merger, so his family will be provided for once he crosses over. One day, he must choose between staying in an important work meeting and helping his son with a magic trick at school. He eventually decides that his family's happiness is more important and walks out on his furious boss, Mr. Collins (Barry Corbin), who later smugly fires him. Dejected, Elliot reveals himself as a ghost to his love interest, Joan (Denise Nicholas), whose initial shock soon turns to sympathy.
Edith arrives from London to announce that Elliot is not dead; his spirit jumped out of his body in fright. They also work out that the only previous known case of this happening was Elliot's father. In the excitement to find Elliot's body to reunite his spirit with it, Diane trips on a pair of skates that her little sister Amanda left on the stairs; she falls and is seriously injured. The family rush her to the hospital where her spirit has also jumped out of her body. As she delightedly flies around, Elliot begs her to re-enter her body; his own has started to "flicker". When he collapses, Diane becomes concerned and races into the intensive-care unit to find her father's body. She helps him into the room and they discover that Burch had swapped wallets with Elliot, meaning Elliot was wrongly identified by the hospital as Burch. Elliot returns to his body and wakes up; Diane does the same and jumps off the operating table to tell the family what has happened.
As the reunited family leave the hospital, Elliot spots a yellow taxi parked outside and Burch behind the wheel. Delighted to see his "Evil Master", Burch returns Elliot's wallet and tells Elliot he will do whatever Elliot commands. Elliot commands Burch to go to hell and sit on red hot coals waiting for him "until it snows". Curtis agrees enthusiastically and drives off while Elliot, Joan, Edith and the family leave the hospital. | cult | train | wikipedia | After the colossal artistic and commercial triumph of Leonard: Part 6, "The Cos" decided to make his next film a more organic, "Art-House" picture and proves once again that he has the cinematic midas touch.
In a premise that might seem silly in other hands, Cosby and director Sidney Portier deftly weave a tightly knit tapestry of familial melodrama and undead hijinks.
An often overlooked masterpiece in the Cosby canon, Ghost Dad is without a doubt a labour of love from one of the cinemas greatest pioneers..
Bill Cosby unsuccessfully tries to balance work and family, when he suddenly dies in a horrible car crash.
He is then whisked away to HELL, AKA London, England, where a man named Edith trains him in being a ghost.
Now Cosby must raise his kids as a Ghost Dad. The movie is insane.
Cosby flies through walls, Pops out of a phone to strangle his daughter's boyfriend, declares himself Satan, and goes to his female neighbor's house for a little "afternoon delight".
Enjoyable Family Movie.
Sometimes movies are just supposed to be entertaining without having to be analyzed.
This movie is a good one for family viewing.
If one were to hear of a movie concerning the antics of a dead Bill Cosby trying to help his children, the cineast in you would not be stirred to see/rent it.
Every moment of Cosby's acting seems an excuse for a new stupid face to pull, though even these become horrendous.
I don't care what anyone else has said this is a great movie.
I have seen this movie several times and Bill Cosby is funny, A single dad trying to raise 3 children until he has his accident and becomes a ghost.
The adventures that Cosby goes through in this movie while he is a ghost are interesting.
It is a great film for children of all ages.
So, see this movie if you haven't already and I think you will be very surprised at the adventures of Cosby and the other Characters in this film..
OK so let's be honest here "Ghost Dad" is not any place near to being a great movie or the best movie you will ever watch.
for one thing it is Bill Cosby back in his time as one of the best comedians and entertainers, in his prime.
So that alone means that there is going to be some really funny entertainment value in this movie.
The movie can be a little darker than most things you would expect out of Bill Cosby but in a way that made it a little more special.
I don't want to give away too much of the story for you people but near the beginning Cosby is in a horrible car accident with a crazy devil-worshipping cab driver and comes back as a ghost, trying to get back to his family and learning what's really important in his life..
Ghost Dad, the movie you live to watch, and watch to live!.
Ghost Dad is one of those movies that has that sort of corney cheesy feel to it, but is very entertaining and fun.
I remember watching this as a kid on TV and the one part that always stuck in my mind was when Elliot (Cosby) is done getting his life insurance physical, and he's walking down the hall and his face and hands are gone, and his sun glasses and hat are floating above is body.
That's always been my favorite part in the movie, just because it had freaked me out as a little kid.
The only part I can see a problem with around younger kids is when he comes through the phone, and chokes the guy, and used the 'b' word a couple times.Buy it, rent it, or watch it on TV.
I loved Bill Cosby in this role and the premise of the whole movie was, while a bit of a stretch, quite fun in itself.
This was a good family movie and both me and my brother had a lot of fun.
Good 'ole Bill Cosby..
Bill Cosby gets lots of flack.
I've personally always dug his style and decided to re-watch Ghost Dad, one of the most commonly used titles for talking about silly stupid flicks.
And I'll tell you what, I'll take ghost flicks like Ghost Dad any day over any of these crappy, cheap-scare infested, long-haired, pale-faced, school-girl Asian ghost flicks.
I know Ghost Dad ain't horror, but still, those movies tend to suck.Ghost Dad revolves around Bill being accidentally killed, but still being able to use his new-found ghost body/abilities to continue to help, more or less, his family and himself with their daily struggles.
Through trying to save his job, help his son with magic tricks and even taking out the garbage, there are plenty of fun lil gags that will entertain the movie-goer who still possesses that lil kid inside of them.With classic Cosby facial expressions, sound effects and jokes, it's really just a hoot for any fan of the Pudding Man. But if you're not a fan of Cosby, you may not find it as entertaining as someone like myself.
Ghost Dad was a cool lil flick that was consistently entertaining and had a surprisingly high amount of heart, though with Sidney Poitier directing that's not truly that surprising.
I happened to really like this film.
Bill Cosby did a good job acting (as always).
I really got into the movie and felt for the characters.
So, if you want to see a movie that has heart and will make you feel good about life, rent "Ghost Dad" (or you can catch it on tv every once in a while)..
This movie is probably the worst I have ever seen, and I saw both of the Problem Child disasters.
Bill Cosby, a normally competent TV actor fails here as does the rest of the cast--most of whom have a serious lack of acting skills (especially the daughter in the hospital scenes.) The writing is childish, nose-wrinklingly weak and so boring I found myself wondering who put up the money to actually produce this monstrosity.
Bill will always be Bill.So unsurprisingly Ghost Dad breaks no new grounds for Bill Cosby or that haven't been tread before in other similar entries.
It's what it was meant to be - a harmless film for the whole family.
Bill Cosby is the caring husband and father trying to keep his daughters content and maintain the family's happy existence.
Hence, Ghost Dad.So being the good father he is - his protective side takes over as he tries to protect his daughters from the woes of life - all the while trying to 'stay alive'.
Cosby is fun and though the movie is predictable it shouldn't hurt you to take in a viewing.
I have not studied writing, acting or directing, nor have I watched many so called "classic" films.
However, I still feel that I am qualified to say that Ghost Dad is the pinnacle of achievement in the realm of motion pictures.
Bill Cosby is a genius, and offers a finely tuned performance which recalls the "ghost" of all of his viewers' "dads." Wonderfully cast, superbly directed, touchingly photographed, and ably written, this film will no doubt stand the test of time to supplant "Citizen Kane" at the top of the cinematic hierarchy..
For a film called Ghost Dad, this was pretty hallow.
The Simpsons championed The Cosby Show and it looked like Bill Cosby was washed up, and this film proves it.
Surely after Leonard Part 6, Cosby would've learned from his mistakes and stayed away from starring, writing, or directing movies.
I am sorry Cosby fans but the man CAN'T ACT.
The reason he could play Dr. Huxtable on the Cosby show is because that role was based on him.
With Ghost Dad, it's completely different.
Basically, it is a cross between Ghost and Full House.Bottom Line: It is not as bad as Leonard Part 6, but stay away from this movie..
This is a fun family movie, but the plot isn't solid.
This movie left me with a lot of questions.
Also when the company comes over to visit, it's day time, and some minutes later, when Stuart calls, Elliot went to his house and the sun was already down long ago.
Though plagued by errors, this makes for a good family film and is better than Home Alone 4..
Until you sit through something as terrible as 'Ghost Dad', of course.Dear oh dear, what WERE his agent and him thinking when they flicked through THIS script and decided it would be worth making?
Not a great loss, in my view.To start with, his character in the movie is HORRIBLE.
He spends all his time at work (to the extent where he reads bedtime stories for his youngest on cassette, forgets all their birthdays and can't even remember each child's name...) so we instantly hate him off the bat.
Bill Cosby hasn't had much luck in his movie career, which may explain this (not unsuccessful) attempt to carry his familiar middle-class-family-man TV image over to the big screen.
In the film he plays a single, somewhat neglectful father of three children who learns a few belated lessons in parenthood after a fatal taxi ride turns him into a reluctant ghost.
Of course he can only be seen in darkened rooms, which leads to a lot of ectoplasmic slapstick and some predictable puns ("
over my dead body!") The film is strictly sit-com material, but at the same time is too undemanding to warrant any real criticism, and under Sidney Poitier's slick, superficial direction it moves quickly to a happy ending, with the help of a few clever (if economical) special effects.
It might, however, have an unexpected side effect on a younger audience: having a dead dad is made to seem such fun that some kids might begin to want one themselves..
It was ingenious how they combined the screen writing with the special effects to allow the "live" people" to interact with Bill Cosby (as Elliot Hopper) in his "between" state: They could hear him, but only see him if the lights were turned down low.
What I liked maybe most about Ghost Dad was the pacing, which was flawless; not a single wasted or empty moment in the movie.
Regardless of what some reviewers have to say, I did not find the movie "corny" at all.
It was a perfect combination of sober and hopeful.The ending was beautiful, as Elliot's daughter, Diane (played by Kimberly Russel), has her own near death experience and he has to convince her to go back to her body.
The ending is a very happy one, but I will not spoil it for you.Note: Historically, I have been very critical of movies that force us to suspend our disbelief through plots that just don't work (particularly with "invisible" people).
Ghost Dad is very believable, and Cosby (and the movie) never lose focus or waste time on goofy gags or cheap dialogue.
Some utterly hilarious moments highlight this overlooked Bill Cosby comedy.
Here the beloved comic is widower Elliot Hopper, who returns home to his children as an invisible ghost after perishing in a car accident.
This sets the stage for laugh-out-loud scenes such as The Coz booting his daughter's grubby boyfriend from a car and making a boy next door believe the aliens have landed.
GHOST DAD gradually departs from its comedic potential, however, before becoming a bit heavy-handed in its conclusion.
I have to admit that I don't know Bill Cosby's work too well, but "Ghost Dad" is pretty funny.
Cosby plays Elliot Hopper, who gets in a car wreck and is rendered a spirit who only shows up in the darkness.
Much of the movie involves Elliot getting in and out of goofy situations; the telephone scene was neat.True, this movie doesn't really have much artistic value, but it's an OK way to pass time.
Having seen Ian Bannen in "Waking Ned Devine", I never would have imagined him also starring in a movie like this (despite the fact that this one was released several years earlier).
The sixty-second worst thing Cosby ever did.
I'm just going to treat it like a movie.
This film features Bill Cosby apparently becoming a ghost.
This movie is just really dumb with the rules it has about the afterlife.
It's said that people can see Cosby's clothes but not his face but we clearly see him with clothes on in one scene and nobody notices him!
This film is very mean spirited with Cosby running into a crazy Satanist who then convinces him that he's Satan.
I really do hate it when people make ugly, hateful films for children.
this is a good movie for kid and all ages pretty much for the most part the writing is OK the dialogue is good and the pilot is good and everything else is good I don't get why people hate its this movie just their opinion if you like this movie good for you but if you don't that's OK too..
Elliot Hopper (Bill Cosby) is a recently widowed father of three who has nearly bankrupted the family in attempts to save his lingering wife.
Elliot is working on a business deal to get the family out of debt when he climbs into the taxicab of a maniacal Satanist.So, IMDb has this at 4.3 and allegedly it was on many critics' "worst of" lists, with Roger Ebert really taking a dislike.
Whether we like the film, or not, one has to recognize the greatest achievement, perhaps, of the creative talent of the people working in the movie industry.
Basically this is a ninety minute episode of the explosive family comedy/drama "The Cosby show".
I remember this movie coming out, the ad with wild bill ghosting through a bus, and making his face disappear.
The time this came out Cosby's family show was hotter then hell, and as this movie will prove even Death can't keep a good dad down.
I used to enjoy this movie a lot because I enjoyed Bill Cosby, the doctor who helps out Bill Cosby's character, and the satanic cab driver Curtis Burch.
The way he caused the cab to fall over because he reached over to grab Bill Cosby's character's wallet.
This film used to have a certain aura that made it corny, but a great movie to watch if you were bored and needed something to pass the time and get you ready to go to bed.
But I have just grown to hate this movie because it was so weak in its plot.
SPOILERSSidney Poitier was a big star in the sixties and played in some really important and good movies of that time like "In the Heat of the Night" and "The Defiant Ones"."Ghost Dad" is to date his last direction and it is clear why.This movie is as empty as the head of George W.
Bush.It can be forgiven because it is a fantasy comedy made for all ages but even then it isn't any good.Bill Cosby tries hard to save it but he doesn't manage.Both Cosby and Poitier were important black persons in showbizz in their time,Poitier in the sixties and Cosby in the 80's with his legendary sitcom "The Cosby Show" about a "white" black family.All these political and social problems are thrown overboard in this film and that's a shame cause both Cosby and Poitier are highly respected in Hollywood,maybe they could make a difference.Anyway about the film there's not much to say except that it is your typical fantasy story about a neglecting dad who comes to his senses as the movie goes on and of course it all ends well.Pretty mediocre entertainment when you expect nothing and when you don't want to think during the picture,otherwise:don't watch it.
Another Cosby-Poitier Triumph!.
I don't read reviews before I see a movie, as I don't wish to cloud my own response and my own judgments with what other critics may think or not think.
I thought the movie an almost perfect spoof of such films as Danny Kaye's "Wonder Man" (1945), brilliantly updating the events to a contemporary setting and changing its comic thrust to big business rather than organized crime.
Director Sidney Poitier not only coaxed perfect performances from his large cast of interesting players, including Raynor Scheine as the cab driver – a real weirdo if ever there was one – and Ian Bannen as the paranormal expert, plus Kimberly Russell as Cosby's wife, but he was able to marshal a huge team of experts in Hollywood wizardry to help him produce an amusingly relevant and super-fascinating movie that is not only a joy to watch and fun to listen to, but reasonably believable once you accept and get caught up in its initial premise..
A Spirited Movie with Bill Cosby.
If you are looking for a pretty good family movie then watch Ghost Dad. Ghost Dad stars Bill Cosby.
You probably will remember him from The Cosby Show.
This movie came out in 1990 so it even has the tagline "America's Favorite Dad in a Spirited Comedy." You really think Bill Cosby is going to make people want to see this movie?
That movie is in the bottom #100 of movies.Ghost dad is about this widowed father who is raising 3 kids.
He asks the scientist to send him back so he can finish this business deal and make sure his kids are well taken care of.Parts of this movie are really funny.
Things like Bill Cosby's head popping out of a telephone receiver.
I wasn't sure if this movie could be good.
In the beginning of the movie the father could have died on a runaway elevator.
Is that suppose to add something to the movie?
Yeah, let's only show people who are well off in this movie. |
tt0127396 | Toransufômâ: Chôjin masutâ fôsu | Several thousand years ago, the planet Cybertron was consumed by a civil war by the two Transformer factions, the Autobots led by Optimus Prime and the Decepticons led by Megatron. Optimus jettisoned the AllSpark, a mystical artifact that brings life to the planet, into space, but Megatron pursued it. Megatron crashed in the Arctic Circle and froze, and was discovered in 1895 by explorer Archibald Witwicky. Witwicky activated Megatron’s navigational system, which scanned the AllSpark’s coordinates into his glasses. The glasses end up in the possession of his great-great-grandson Sam Witwicky. In the present, Sam buys his first car, a rusting Chevrolet Camaro, but discovers it has a life of its own.
In modern Qatar, Blackout attacks and destroys a United States military base in a failed attempt to hack the military network to find information on Megatron and the AllSpark. A team of Army Rangers led by Captain William Lennox escape across the desert, pursued by Blackout’s drone Scorponok. They fight Scorponok off, aided by aerial reinforcements, and travel home with Scorponok’s stinger, discovering sabot rounds damaged the armor. At the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense John Keller leads the investigation into the attack. Sound analyst Maggie Madsen catches another Decepticon, Frenzy, hacking into the network while onboard Air Force One. While the hack is thwarted, Frenzy downloads files on Archibald’s glasses, tracking down Sam with Barricade, disguised as a police car.
Sam and his high school crush Mikaela Banes are rescued by the Camaro who turns out to be Autobot scout Bumblebee, but he is mute and has to communicate through his car radio. Previously sending a beacon to his fellow Autobots, Bumblebee takes Sam and Mikaela to meet the new arrivals – Optimus, Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet. Optimus explains the details of their situation, revealing if Megatron gained the AllSpark he would transform Earth’s machinery into a new army and exterminate mankind. Sam, Mikaela, and the Autobots travel to Sam’s house to retrieve the glasses, but the teenagers are captured by agents of Sector Seven, a top secret government branch led by Seymour Simmons. The Autobots stop the agents, but Simmons calls for backup, who take Sam, Mikaela, and Bumblebee into custody, while Optimus obtains the glasses.
The respective groups connected to the Transformers are gathered together at Hoover Dam by Sector Seven’s director Tom Banachek. Inside, the group discover the frozen Megatron and the AllSpark, but Frenzy, who smuggled away in Mikaela’s bag, summons the other Decepticons to attack. Bumblebee is released to protect the AllSpark, shrinking it down to a handheld size so it can be transported to safety. Megatron escapes the dam after thawing out. A lengthy battle occurs in Mission City, with most of the Decepticons being killed, but Megatron murders Jazz. He prevents Sam’s attempted escape with the AllSpark, and begins to fight Optimus. After a long brawl Megatron seems to get the upper hand. Optimus then tells Sam to push the cube into his chest in order to ensure their mutual destruction, but Sam rams it into Megatron's chest instead, extinguishing his spark. Starscream is the only Decepticon to escape, but Barricade remains on Earth.
Optimus salvages a shard of the AllSpark from Megatron’s body. The United States government shuts down Sector Seven, disposing of the dead Decepticons in the Laurentian Abyss. Sam and Mikaela then start a relationship while the Autobots secretly hide out on Earth, Optimus sends a transmission into space inviting any surviving Autobots to join them. | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | The best of the 1980s anime-Transformers shows.
That's saying a fair bit as Headmasters from personal perspective didn't hold up(despite saying that I remembered it being good) and I didn't care at all for Victory.
Masterforce was really well done though, the concept initially did seem a little shaky and as with a lot of shows the first couple of episodes had a yet-to-find-its-feet feel to it.
The execution however was truly impressive.
Of the three 1980s anime-Transformers shows Masterforce is the most Japanese-anime-like and also has the most detailed animation and the most consistent characterisations.
And it also doesn't try to cram in too much in the story lines or the terrible dubbing like Headmasters and has more energy and characters that are relatable unlike Victory.
The animation is rich in detail and quite exciting in the action, definitely the best animated of this show, Victory and Headmasters combined.
The music is dynamic and un-repetitive and the theme tune is catchy and not cheesy.
The writing is thought-provoking and has a freshness to it, ill-placed humour and slapstick being nowhere in sight.
The stories are well-paced, exciting, with emotion and are gripping, without trying to do too much.
The series also has a well-rounded end, not anti-climatic like Headmasters.
The characterisation is remarkably consistent with Devil Z being a very sinister villain and not a Megatron clone, and we even see some familiar faces.
The voice is decent.
In conclusion, excellent and the best of the 1980s anime-Transformers shows by some distance.
Also one of the high points of the franchise along with the original 1984 show and Beast Wars.
9/10 Bethany Cox. Excellent, great show, the second greatest Transformers ever.
This show is the second best Transformers anime after Transformers: Victory.
I love this show and I also used to watch it a lot with my cousin and these Transformers are really cool.
Humans using bracelets to become the Transformers.It is known that God Jinrai is actually Convoy (Optimus Prime) and then he becomes the Super God Jinrai by combining with the best Transformer of the show, God Bomber, and also the Destrons Masterforce (Decepticons)are a lot strong and more powerful.
And the main villain Devil Z is a lot stronger than Galvatron and Unicron.In the Dominican Republic in this show Devil Z name is Scorponok, that was our favorite Destron.
But no human controlled him,only Devil Z got inside him making him more powerful, he is the leader of the Destrons.But the other two Destrons Giga and Mega made things a lot more difficult when they interfered and they most of the time have severely injured God Jinrai (Optimus Prime), I hated them so much that I'd wish they would die.
By the way, that husband and wife team in the show are just like the new version of Cyclonus and Scourge(Galvatron's most loyal soldiers)This show is great I give it a 10/10.
In the words of Optimus Prime: Pure drivel..
The series starts out cool and has some intriguing concepts, but I quit after watching only six full episodes.
The human characters are annoying as usual, and I for one don't need a "sexy" villain as I assume Giga is supposed to be in a Transformers series-particularly one that's supposedly intended for kids.
Even the episodes I did watch seemed like they could be pretty disturbing for little kids, what with the violence and dark magic zombies.
It's a shame really-I was looking forward to Ginrai, Overlord, Grand Maximus, and Black Zarak, but they're not cool enough to warrant that kinda crap.
Here's hoping Victory was more tastefully done..
an interesting take.
I came into this series with uncertain expectations.
I had undertaken the task of watching the various Transformers series, starting with the original series and hopefully going on through the current Cybertron series.
In order to get there, I had to get through Masterforce.So after the events of the Headmasters series, I was unsure if this installment would just be a permutation of that, or if it would just venture out on its own.As it turns out, it did both.
There's a hint left of the old series, but it doesn't come off as just the "next chapter," like Headmasters did.
There's a glimpse of old characters (Rodimus Prime) and a cameo or two of some Headmasters characters like Fortress Maximus, but for the most part, these are new Transformers.
And this time, instead of having the Transformers rely on humans for help, the humans themselves are actually the Transformers.
Some are robots hiding in the disguise of human shells, and others are real humans who adopt robot transtectors to defend the Universe.Best among them all is Ginrai, who adopts a truck that looks an awful lot like the classic Optimus Prime.
I think this is where most original Transformers fans will latch onto the story.The thing this story has going for it is story, pure and simple.
It takes it to the next level.
And while this may have unfamiliar elements, it's definitely a must-see for all Transformers fans.
(Look at TV-Nihon for fansubbed episodes not available in the US!).
Transtectors: No Force.
Masterforce is a spin-off-ish sequel to the horrid Headmasters, where awful Japanese scripters continue the awful tradition of taking interesting Transformers and putting no effort at all, delivering us another horrid sample of Japformers.Masterforce takes the concept of Powermasters and changes aliens into humans, transformers to lifeless mechas called transtectors and (of course) adds to the equation of nonsense a supernatural Decepticon emperor, named "Devil Z".
So, we have Godmasters instead of Powermasters, battling to protect Earth from the evil forces of Devil Z, where for some reason other humans decided to drive Decepticons transtectors.Although the second JG1 series has 5 or 6 interesting episodes and some moments, especially the ending, which makes it far better from the horrible Headmasters, it's still awful.
Better read the Marvel & IDW comics if you want to know these characters. |
tt2654124 | Iron Man: Rise of Technovore | While racing in a desert with War Machine (James "Rhodey" Rhodes), Iron Man is ambushed by a mysterious new enemy who tries to destroy Tony Stark's new security satellite, "The Howard". War Machine is killed in the struggle and Iron Man sets out for revenge. He is intercepted by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury who needs to talk to him. He escapes and make it over to Pepper Potts who is on vacation.
They discover that A.I.M. Advanced Idea Mechanics has been conducting research into techno organic weaponry for some time and pinpoint one of their warehouses in Karachi. S.H.I.E.L.D. locates them and Tony comes out the front to be surrounded by Mandroids. He activates his suitcase armor, destroys all the Mandroids, and heads to Karachi. The scene then cuts to a member of A.I.M. trying to sell weapons to a buyer. Punisher comes in and breaks it up. Just as Punisher is about to kill the A.I.M. member, Iron Man saves him in order to get some answers. Iron Man and Punisher then work together and discover the identity of the new enemy being Ezekiel Stane. Hawkeye and Black Widow are given orders to retrieve Iron Man. Iron Man escapes with the help of the Punisher and continues on to Shanghai where he meets Ezekiel Stane, the son of Obadiah Stane.
Ezekiel paralyzes Iron Man with the Technovore and details his plan to replace humanity with his new technology utilizing the technology on the "Howard" satellite to hack into all computers and satellites. Hawkeye and Black Widow show up and arrest both. Later on the Helicarrier, Iron Man discovers War Machine is barely alive. Then the Technovore hacks the craft leaving Iron Man to uses his arc reactor to stabilize the Helicarrier and drive the Technovore out of the systems. Ezekiel is now betrayed by the Technovore and taken over by it causing a big fight with Iron Man resulting in the Helicarrier crashing into Shanghai. When all hope seems lost, War Machine miraculously wakes up and helps Iron Man fight the Technovore.
In a last ditch effort, Iron Man is able to use a backdoor he built into the Howard's system to hack back into it temporarily. He is purposely captured by the Technovore and orders War Machine to fire the satellite's defense laser at Tony's arc reactor before the Technovore is able to use the other satellites to destroy the world. War Machine fires, and the Technovore is defeated with Iron Man seemingly sacrificing himself. Miraculously, Iron Man is saved by War Machine and lives. Ezekiel Stane is seen in the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D. | violence | train | wikipedia | The animation was good, like most Japanese animes.
And the story is pretty much crap.I see a pattern here: somewhere between the releases of big Hollywood productions, some low budget animation features appear, usually straight to video, and usually made by the Japanese.
Probably both.The problem with this idea is that the difference in quality between the big budget movies and the animated features is huge, and not always in a predictable direction.
Look at the Resident Evil animated movies; some of them were way more enjoyable than the live acting ones.So, what am I to think of Rise of the Technovore when the Stark hero is way off the image that Robert Downey Jr. created (let's face it, he pretty much carries the films by himself), the villain is practically copy-pasted from Japanese animes (bad ones) and, as many reviewers observed, the dialogue is boring and pretentious.So I have to mark it as a failure.
Not a big failure, mind you, we are talking about comic book heroes, so the expectations were low to begin with.
To coincide with the release of IRON MAN 3 in cinemas, Marvel has returned to direct-to-video animation with Iron Man: Rise of Technovore.
Iron Man Rise of Technovore has more clichés in it than its title, showcasing all that is good and bad about modern Japanese anime.Our story seemingly takes place within the Marvel Cinematic universe.
The characters look like their live action movie counterparts, and there are references to events in the live action movies.
We start off with Tony Stark about to launch a "Big brother" surveillance satellite that will be able to track all criminal activity worldwide.
Well, we never touch on these instead moving into an attack by mobile suits piloted by the silly named "Raiders" intending to stop the launch.
Lives are lost, and since Stark is the only survivor, he is taken in by SHIELD for questioning.
Now here is where things stop making sense.
Instead of hearing Nick Fury out and joining forces to stop this new threat christened "The Technovore", Iron Man bails out on SHIELD and stupidly makes himself a wanted man.
Now with SHIELD agents Hawkeye and Black Widow on his tail, Iron Man has to find a way to defeat this Technovore despite being outclassed in every way possible.True to modern anime, this movie favours flaire, extravagance and all round coolness over narrative, pacing and the usual things that matter.
Take a leading Japanese anime studio, give them an American sized budget and technological backing and Iron Man Rise of Technovore is the end result.
The CGI (computer generated images) are blended seamlessly with the traditional animation, action is fast paced and in-your-face, character movements are smooth while still keeping an insane level of art detail.
Overall, the show is a real thrill with wicked aerial combat and state of the art tech.For fans of anime, this is truly a visual treat.
Yet like most modern anime, the visuals are about the only thing good going for it.
As stated earlier, the story makes little sense.
Stark could have saved himself a lot of trouble with SHIELD if he just stopped for a bit and listened.
Our character of Stark is a one trick egotistical pony, dead set on having things his way.
The other characters also come across as flat personalities, more typical anime fodder for fanservice than actual contributors to the story.
All in all, the story bears a lot of similar elements to Steins;Gate and Texhnolyze, 2 other anime series directed by Technovore director Hiroshi Hamasaki.
The script is a hodge podge of, again, anime clichés.
Thankfully, the voice cast do great job of becoming their characters, both English and Japanese cast.
They bring their best performance to the roles, especially Keiji Fujiwara and Matthew Mercer as Tony Stark.
This is not Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man, which is refreshing; you do not have any of the corny humor that plagues the live action movies.
Instead you have a Tony Stark that is not as comedic as the movies but still as snarky; more like in the comics.
On a whole, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore is merely superficial entertainment.
There is no way anyone can be emotionally invested in any of the characters thanks to the cliché ridden script and story.
Oh and the Punisher gets shoehorned in for absolutely little reason.Pretty graphics and good acting cannot save an otherwise unimpressive, uninspired, and mediocre anime movie.
At best, this is an extremely long showcase of studio Madhouse's animation capabilities when given the right backing.
The "Invincible Iron Man" animated movie from 2007 is still a better animated feature than this..
The Animation is probably the strongest part of this installment of this Iron Man production.
The story begins as we are placed dead centre in the middle of another technological marvel as Stark is trying to change the world.
The only sense of urgency seems to come from Stark and its not very convincing because the Antagonist is way too enigmatic.
Another example why most Marvel animated series and movies are crap..
A best way to describe the torture of watching Technovore is to compare it to a late 60s to 70s Sci-Fi from Russia.Then you got the dialogue which is god awful crap.
Half it sounds like those horrible anime dubs.
While we are at it the voice acting also boarders on the same quality of those anime dubs.
Mathis III was the only one did a good job.To sum it up it is the most unrealistic, illogical, boring, pretentious crap.
Madhouse has yet to repeat their success for making an animated movie for the English market since Vampire Hunter D and their only good release after that was the Highlander direct to video movie.Not even worth renting unless you are a die hard Iron Man or Madhouse fan..
Iron Man Rise of Technovore: Passable Marvel animation.
Marvels animated history has always been spotty, the fact that each one seems to be animated by a different studio and there is no consistency with the writers probably has something to do with it.Rise Of Technovore is one of the better efforts I've seen lately and tells the story of Tony Stark on the run from Shield after being setup by a new cyber villian.Also featuring Nick Fury, War Machine, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Agent Hill and surprisingly The Punisher.Sadly the Punisher's contributions are rather brief and for a host of reasons I didn't like this version of him.
Here he is voiced by Walking Dead star Norman Reedus who I'm not sure was the best fit.The story is solid, the animation is mostly decent and the films execution is more than passable.
It's only let down by some shoddy editing and not the best action sequences (Which is pretty unforgivable for a Marvel movie)Watchable shlock for the fans.The Good: Decent storyThe Bad:Tad dark in placesNot keen on this version of The PunisherThings I Learnt From This Movie:Authorised to use lethal force?
Don't think much of Stark do they?Seeing Ironman getting spanked did nothing for me.
The animation and the Punisher aside, this was a big mess.
Iron Man: Rise of Technovore did have some good ideas going for it, and considering the characters and that a good deal of animated superhero films are good, there was good potential here.
Unfortunately, while with a couple of things that keep it from being unwatchable, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore wasted almost all the potential it had.What saves Iron Man: Rise of Technovore from being unwatchable is the animation and the character of the Punisher.
The animation is crisp and vibrant in colour, smooth in drawing and the backgrounds are incredibly dynamic and detailed, with a couple of funky visuals in the action.
The Punisher's screen time is far too short, but when he is on screen the film actually is diverting and entertaining.Everything else just doesn't work however, with the script and story being the biggest failures.
The story is one big, drawn-out, incoherent mess, stretching everything(with the rambling dialogue being the offender here) to the point that the running time feels like an eternity.
There were some really cool ideas here but nothing ever is explained(hence the incoherence complaint), and the pacing was like trudging through the thickest mud, that's how dull the film was.Iron Man: Rise of Technovore has action scenes that are the very opposite of fun or suspenseful.
The film does a very bad job with the characterisation, only the Punisher is interesting.
The heroes are bland and not always with much personality(Stark is stripped of everything that made him such a good character in the live-action films)- this is unforgivable seeing as when done well they are among the most entertaining superhero characters ever.
The voice acting, with the exceptions of a good job from Norman Reedus and a reasonably acceptable one from Matthew Mercer, often sounds like the voice actors were very unmotivated and like their hearts weren't in it.
The music is forgettable at best and lacks energy, momentum or atmosphere, but the poor sound quality doesn't help(flat and distorted).To conclude, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore has good animation and Punisher is a good character, to a lesser extent too two voice actors fare better than they deserved to, but despite the potential that's all the film has going for it.
The anime scenes were so boring.
That was the most exciting thing about this movie..
A movie follow up to the anime series by Mad House comes Iron Man's latest adventure where he seeks to launch his newest invention, the satellite Howard.
As one of the leading technological geniuses of the world and a devil may care hero, he gets to the bottom of this, uncovering the Technovore with mysterious connections to Tony while saving the world from a machine who has long abandoned his humanity.The anime format does wonders for the world of Iron Man, as his armor along with barrage of mechs he fights look nice and shiny, seeing them in action is a delight.
Good portions of the movie take place in either and it's far too distracting.
However in other environments it looks just fine.You got Iron Man; the genius playboy we all know and love, but he's not alone as we have War Machine fighting alongside him as well as SHIELD along with the ride which includes Director Nick Fury and his top agents Hawkeye and Black Widow.
Punisher also makes a short lived but memorable enough appearance.
All are represented pretty well from their characterization to their relationships and conflicts.Technovore is the main antagonist and is a convincing psychopath with Ezekiel Stane's fragile state of mind as a result of his teen angst meshing together with the Technovore nanotech eating away at his humanity.
You really feel that the world is at stake with his rampage and proves a difficult obstacle for our heroes to overcome.Not too much to say, it's a decent enough action packed hour and a half that's sure to please fans of the Invincible Iron Man..
Good for time killing..
Story: Empty beginning, anti-climatic ending.
But there is a big gap between a deep Sci- Fi movie with upcoming sequels and a DtV anime for the fans.
It took me some time to figure on the net, who the heck were the antagonists(beside the story told in the movie).
Would almost like it, if it wasn't cliché to the anime.
Looks like I'm watching Iron Man themed Evangelion or something.
I guess that's the only reason Japanese animators took this movie - it has android-tech in it!3.
I had to kill some time while waiting for download, the movie did it's purpose.
This movie could be tolerable at it's best, if not for the points 1-3, which I listed.
Iron Man Rise of the Technovores.
Lots of experimental animation was used to show the nano based enemy.
The voice acting was pretty badly synched and delivered.
And even at multiple times during the movie admitted that it didn't know what it was talking about or even getting at.
For example, in the beginning of the film the main villain's plan included destroying the all-seeing eye satellite plot device, however as the movie progressed it became clear that the boy didn't know what to do with it; going from destroying it calling it a "transgression," to ultimately trying to take it over.
I will say the cameo of the Punisher vigilante was a good part of the film that actually worked,but the sheer amount of plot holes in this could keep me reviewing for days.
In the end, the lack of a coherent plot or motive for the insane villain kept the film from moving forward, and kept us scratching our heads at the way everyone responded to his shenanigans.
Mr. Sparkle Meet Iron Man With The Dumbest Plot Ever As A Backdrop.
"Iron Man is framed by a technological terrorist, and breaks out to stop him and clear his name." What frame job???
So, an unknown agent attacks a space launch on American soil and the first thing SHIELD does is commit a billion dollars in technology and ordinance to kill Tony Stark???
It was a Stark launch that killed or wounded 300 of his own people.
SHIELD knows it was a foreign agent yet they throw everything they have with "deadly force" at Stark because he didn't stick around to give them more information???
That could be the dumbest thing I've seen in a while.The animation looked good at times but the action was all just a jarring mess.
The animation is not bad.
Otherwise is this animated feature probably one of the worst superhero adaptations I have seen in the last few years.
The plot feels like it has no idea where it is going and doesn't make any sense.
The main characters just jump from one part of the movie to the next, with what ever reason they pulled out of their noses in the scene before.
The entire story feels like somebody glued one fourth of the "Avengers" movie to another forth of "Akira", set it on fire and passed it in on the last minute.
Even worse: If you would play a drinking game, while watching this movie and down each time a shot, when you see either something pretentious or you notice a overused (anime- )trope, you wouldn't last till the end of the movie.
2) Tedious, overly long and pointless dialogues – take a shot - in the face of certain death instead of acting right away.
Take a second shot.3) An insanely powerful, yet mentally unstable teenager – take a shot - who wants to rid the world of humanity, thus making it better - take another shot – but has no real reason to do so apart from a massive apex-predator-complex.
5) Hero sacrifices himself – take a shot – in way that looks nearly like religious symbolism – shot – and survives.
7) A technology so badly explained, that it strains the suspension of disbelief in a movie, where you expect people in super-powered suits trashing giant robots.
Shot....also take a shot each time you think: "I don't think computers work that way."Conclusion: Avoid..
A good Tony Stark story, told anime style..
This is an anime version of an Ironman story, late teen/adult style.Tony Stark is about to launch a surveillance satellite.
They set about to blow up Tony's properties near the launch, and draw him into a one on one fight.
Further, they kill his long-time friend and ally, Rhodes, and many people near the launch.Fury sends Black Widow to fetch Ironman.
Ironman evades most of them, but Black Widow gives him a harder time before he disables her plane.The bad guys in this film are a small group who think of technology as a set of false idols, and particularly blame those who create more technology.
So Ironman is high on their list, and his satellite is a prime target.Tony meets with Pepper to get intelligence.
SHIELD surrounds the place, but Tony escapes.
SHIELD catches up, and Hawkeye screws Tony's suit with his arrows.
Punisher helps him get away, with Black Widow and Hawkeye in pursuit.Ironman follows Stane's efforts to China.
He discovers more about the powerful weapons that Stane has, namely the technovores, which invade high tech gadgets and take them over.Does Ironman find the ultimate goals of the enemy behind all this?
Will Tony make nice with SHIELD and Pepper?
-----Scores-----Art/Animation: 8/10 Good by anime standards, but occasionally had the washed out look.Sound: 7/10 The lip synching was not the best.
Most of the time the voice actors' words were clear enough.Voice/Acting: 7/10 I liked the performances of Norman Reedus, Matthew Mercer, Kate Higgins, and Clare Grant.
The work of Eric Bauza and John Eric Bentley I did not care for so much.Story: 8/10 Rather nice.
Had transitions beginning to middle to end that were reasonable to follow.
Marvel anime movie?.
This movie was very good to watch if you had a very bad day.At first, glance back in 2015 when I looked at pictures of this movie because it was anime I was put off.
I was never a fan of anime at this time.But when I actually got round to seeing this movie I actually enjoyed it.The voice acting was good especially Iron Man, War Machine, Pepper, Hawkeye, Punisher, and JARVIS.
All though some of the voices didn't sound right or were off.The designs were good and so was the Japanese animation.There was one moment which never made sense like what happened to the main villain at the end and who exactly was Sasha Hammer (the girl reading the book) his wife, girlfriend, sister or cousin and I wonder why The Punisher had very little screen time?It is surprisingly better than The Invincible Iron Man. |
tt0340374 | Splinter Cell | The first game explains that "Splinter Cell" refers to an elite recon-type unit of single covert operatives (such as Sam Fisher) who are supported in the field by a high-tech remote team.
In the first three games (Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow, Chaos Theory), terrorists are planning attacks, usually by use of information warfare, which Sam Fisher, an operative for Third Echelon, a secret branch of the NSA, must prevent. The missions range from gathering intelligence to capturing and/or eliminating terrorists.
In the fourth game, Double Agent, Fisher assumes the identity of a wanted criminal in order to infiltrate a terrorist ring.
The fifth game, Conviction, starts after events in the conclusion of Double Agent: Sam has abandoned Third Echelon. When he discovers that the death of his daughter Sarah had not been an accident (as had been purported at the beginning of Double Agent), he strikes out on his own in search of those responsible until Sam's investigation uncovers a conspiracy within his old agency.
In the sixth and most recent game, Blacklist, Third Echelon has been disbanded by the President of the United States. A new outfit, Fourth Echelon, is formed by the President and placed under the command of Sam Fisher with the mission of stopping the Blacklist attacks and the Engineers - the organization behind them. Blacklist deals with the morality of war and how far Sam and his team go in order to prevent these plots against America.
==== Trifocal goggles ====
A device used for seeing in the dark features strongly in the series. Originally, Tom Clancy had rejected the idea of Sam Fisher having these "trifocal goggles", having stated that such goggles (with both thermal vision and night vision) were impossible to make. The creators argued that having two separate sets of goggles would have made for awkward gameplay and convinced Clancy to allow it. This also gave the Splinter Cell series a recognizable signature, a desirable feature. Chaos Theory added a third one, electromagnetic view, which shows the path of electricity in the area, mainly electrical cables and any device that has electrical power, like TVs, computers, etc. Conviction allows a fourth module to be accessed, a sonar module that can scan through walls for interactable objects, such as weapons, people, and consoles.
The trifocal goggles however, didn't remain completely fictional. In 2004, Northrop Grumman produced and delivered one such device. The device, called Fused Multispectral Weapon Sight (FMWS) was capable of combining thermal and intensified imaging. Later in 2007, ITT Industries developed another such device, designated AN/PSQ-20.
=== Characters ===
The characters of the games, as well as the organization "Third Echelon", were created by J. T. Petty. The main recurring ones are:
Sam Fisher is the main protagonist of the series. The character ranks 24th on the "Guinness Top 50 Video Game Characters of All Time" list.
Irving Lambert, leader of "Third Echelon", serves as the player's guide by leading Fisher through the games' missions, until he is killed by Sam in Double Agent.
Anna "Grim" Grimsdóttír is portrayed as an official Third Echelon hacker and analyst, who helps Fisher when technical obstacles need to be overcome. In Conviction she takes over the role of guide from the deceased Lambert; her character also becomes the source of dramatic tension in the story. In Blacklist, she is the technical operations officer and butts heads with Sam over morality, ethics, and Fourth Echelon's operating parameters.
Sarah Fisher, Sam's daughter and sole family member. She was presumed to be killed in Double Agent, but Conviction revealed her murder to be a deception.
=== Gameplay ===
The encouraged way to progress through the games is to remain hidden, select non-obvious routes, and utilize diversions to pass guards. The first game in the series only features a single-player mode, Pandora Tomorrow introduces a two-on-two multiplayer mode. Chaos Theory further develops that mode and introduces a cooperative mode. Cooperative mode plays similarly to the single player mode, but adds situations that can only be overcome as a team. The cooperative storylines in Chaos Theory and the sixth generation version of Double Agent parallel those of Sam's actions in the single-player modes, letting players act on information he obtained or provide support in the field.
Double Agent introduces a morality factor: Fisher may now encounter conflicting objectives between his superiors and the terrorists. For example, the terrorists may assign a mission to assassinate someone, while the NSA simultaneously instructs the player to prevent the assassination. This creates a delicate balancing act between gaining the trust of the terrorists and fulfilling the mission assignments. In addition, Fisher must not do anything to reveal to the terrorists that he is a double agent (such as let himself be seen with an NSA gadget), otherwise he will lose instantly.
Conviction utilizes a much faster and more violent form of stealth action gameplay than previous games in the series. It retains the cooperative multiplayer mode of the two preceding games. The weapons that Sam Fisher uses are based more accurately on current real-world weapons which behave accordingly and all weapons can be upgraded by a points system. This points system is secondary to the main storyline and is achievement based. These points may be used to add silencers, sights, upgraded ammo, laser targeting and other upgrades, with up to three upgrades per weapon. This game provides an interactive mission update sequence that is built into the levels themselves. Instead of getting an objective-bar popup, the objective may appear in bold white text on the side of a building or in front of a barricade. This adds to the immersion and keeps the HUD uncluttered. The stealth element of the game allows Fisher to hide in the shadows and become almost invisible. Guards may be assassinated by unsuppressed or silenced weapons, gadgets, or hand-to-hand combat. After successfully completing a hand-to-hand kill, the player is provided with an 'execution' bonus, which allows the player to mark two to four targets (depending on the weapon selected) such as enemies or objects, and trigger the execution animation. Fisher will then dispatch all targets within a few seconds in an extraordinary fashion. Interactive interrogation cutscenes where Fisher beats up a target for information do not require the player to do anything other than press [Interrogate]. Though if the player happens to be near an interactive object like a television or table, Fisher may use that to alter the standard animation. | violence | train | wikipedia | Coolest Stealth Game I've played yet..
This is the first Tom Clancy Video Game I've ever played.I'm familiar with his video games, but this one interested me the most.Splinter Cell is taken place in an alternate late 2004.
Including Terrisum, World in Crisis, and a war between the middle east and the USA.You play Sam Fisher, a highly trained Agent for the NSA(National Security Agency).
Mission Failure is not an option in the NSA.There are 9 missions in total with a very long game play.
You can play this game for hours till you succeed in stopping the terrorism from rising.The graphics in it are very well done.
Plenty of catch phrases from Sam Fisher.Those who like Tom Clancy, Stealth, or Shooting related games will like this title..
Sam Fisher is a CIA Black Ops Agent codenamed "Splinter Cell" who is recruited to infiltrate the Georgian government in an effort to locate two missing US spies.
He soon uncovers a political conspiracy involving presidents, hackers and so on and so forth.Games are not known for their plots but to be honest "Splinter Cell" has a pretty good one - it's a good starting place for a Tom Clancy novel and one can imagine that Clancy had the idea once, considered it unworthy compared to his other stuff and tossed it aside and later decided to use it as a game.
It's never expanded upon fully as most of the time is actually spent on gameplay, not plot...but it does have one of the best video game stories of all time.I liked the voicework by everyone's favorite villain from "Total Recall" (Michael Ironside) but the best part of this game was the beautiful rich textures and actual gameplay.
In "Splinter Cell" you do stuff I've never seen in other games - stalking villains instead of shooting them.
I do like shoot-'em-ups but it's come to a point now where new stuff is welcomed - and this is great!
And to open doors you don't just walk up to one, you have to manually push it open.The graphics are great, fluid movements on characters...one of the best games of all-time!.
but after a while, once i got used to the game, and played the police station level for a while, i started to love this game.
i compare it to goldeneye for the n64 because splinter cell and goldeneye, in my opinion, made the consoles look much better.
i spent a LOT of money on the james bond games looking to emulate goldeneye but after i found splinter cell and timesplitters 2, my search is over..
great game-play ...
Even though the game-play is great the story implies a world view which gives me the creeps.
Even though many games use these ideas the normally don't promote them in such a naive propagandistic style.With such naive distinction between good and evil implicating that the end always justifies the means, promotes fascistic ideas.
it is a shame that such a great game is being destroyed down by the infantile world view of its designers.game-play 4.5 out of 5 story ought better be banned.
When I was off work for many months with broken leg, I had nothing to do, so I brought an xbox, splinter cell is a budget games with everybody saying how good it is, believe me, it is good!
The controls are easy to master on the xbox version, it totally gripping, very believable, running around with lots of guns will never happen in real life, hence why in splinter cell, for the first few levels, you get a silenced pistol, with very limited ammo, so ideally you don't use it, you have to think around how to get somewhere, how to moves to a certain locations, avoiding guards, knocking guards out, cleaning pipes and walls, action blending nicely with real life problems you might except in the real world of espionage, the object of each level is basically get in, get out, without anybody knowing you are there at all, tricky, mistakes either let the guards know your there, or get you killed.
First game to let YOU play the spy!.
It's the first game that let's YOU play..
Whilst Splinter Cell might have made a pretty good game for the Xbox, it simply is not up to the standard expected by more discerning PS2 owners.Whilst it absolutely is not in the same league as MGS (1 or 2), the game itself is actually more akin to Syphon Filter on the PS1 - which it has "borrowed" greatly from in many areas.Most annoying of all, it keeps the S-Filter approach to stealth - in that once you are spotted then it is game over on many levels (!!) Wheras in MGS, Solid Snake had to deal with the consequences of being discovered.So in S-Cell you find yourself repetitively going over and over the same sections of the levels.On the levels that dont have this drawback, the AI is so stupid that you can simply charge through as if you were playing a shoot 'em up.And as for all those fancy moves you see on the box, forget it, I completed the game and not once did I find anywhere to perform the promised moves - they simply arent required.And also, the box says "creat your own darkness path" - ie all lights are supposed to be shootable - rubbish, very few lights are shootable.The game is very very linear, you simply can only take the route laid out for you, you cant climb on stuff that the programmers dont want you to - even though they are low enough.This game could have been so good !
If you have never played MGS then you might think this was pretty good, but otherwise just rent it from Blockbusters (PS2 owners) before you consider buying it.And poor PC owners need a 1gb, 256mb, 64mb GFX PC to run this !!
And I've got several hundred boxes on my shelves here.I was excited about playing another sneaker, after the Thief series was lacking the third part for a long time, so I thought I give splinter cell a try.
The training mission was good and interesting, and quickly brought me into the "I want to play this" mood.
The movement controls/logic, however, were so extremely bad I didn't play the game further than the second map - it is the second game ever I threw away.
Really.If you plan to spend money on this game, make sure you can test play it a bit before, so you can decide for yourself whether you get along with the movement controls..
This is a piece of my childhood, have played countless times till this day, and Ik this game by heart!
(Title: Splinter Cell Trilogy - remastered in HD) Console: Playstation 3 Genre: 3rd person stealth, espionage, shooter.Setting: Georgia, China, Burma, the U.S.Story:You play as National Security Agency agent Sam Fisher, who is recalled into secret service again due to the deaths of two C.I.A. agents in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Graphics:Since I've never played the original Playstation 2 version of this game, I have to say that it looks decidedly 'last gen' in any case.
Sam Fisher sounds kind of cool, in a macho way, but lines like "Goody" tend to spoil the mood!
Good about the game: * This game does make you think on occasions...as in wondering how to go about moving forward in the game, especially when you have an eye for the various trophies on offer...not really a fan of stupid trophies, but I played along in any case...and felt cheated when I did obtain them.* The enemy A.I. is a bit of a mixed bag...can be good...can be cheating.* In some ways the political scenarios in the game seem plausible, so it seems realist (although what you do as Sam Fisher don't really strike me as how the U.S. would act in such circumstances, which makes it a lone-wolf kind of fantasy, as far as Fisher goes).* I did have an audible laugh right at the end of the game, where ex president Ronald Reagan is mentioned in the final cutscene.Bad about the game: * The game had a catastrophic glitch...I was quick-saving the game and it froze.
The orange "save" light was not flashing so I rebooted the game.
I was near the end of the game at the time, and doing this corrupted my 0 Save spot, 1 Save spot, Quick save spot and Auto-save spot.
Turns out Splinter Cell games are made by Ubisoft...and I've had issues with their bugs/glitches and gameplay in the Assassin's Creed series.
Ubisoft does not note the difference...either you get penalised for merely picking up a medi-pack or if you accidentally use it but then reload the game, the game 'remembers' you've 'used' the medi-pack and penalises you.
E.g. in general gameplay, shooting out the lights in an area will make you able to avoid conflict with the enemy, but the difficulty is ramped up at other times where, for no discernible reason, the enemy will be able to pick you out in the dark...for no discernible reason.
Or...you'll get a soldier shooting the wall next to them, in the dark...for no discernible reason.* Found myself without the ability to do a split jump which allows you to hold a position high in a corridor.
Annoying.General observations: Since Ubisoft also created the Assassin's Creed series after this one initially hit the shelves, it looks like they had the basic gameplay right in this game...without the annoying bugs and glitches of the latter series.
It's no world beater, but gives you an idea of what the first Assassin's Creed could have been like if everything fell into place for it (which it didn't).A playable game in which I never needed to consult Google about how to progress in a game, which is always a positive in my eyes...although a few times I felt I may have needed to, but perseverance paid off for me...felt I may have needed help with the high jump required to enter the area where you had to turn off an antenna..
I have never in any other game seen anything quite like it, and certainly not before this came out.
With that said, the two weapons, fitted with silencer and flash suppressor, pistol and SC-20K(to know it is to love it) are a ton of fun to use(when the time is right), as is all the equipment.
Don't get me wrong, the game-play is magnificent.
Sam Fisher, who you're taking on the role of, is voiced by Michael Ironside, who owns the crap out of every vocal emission(including the freaking *death scream*), since that is one of the things he can just *do*.
What can i say this game is awesome the graphics are great the music is suspenseful the action not the greatest but are still cool violence well there is no blood but why should there be it's kinda gross Michial Ironside did an amazing job for Sam Fisher's voice the game may be kinda old but if your a Spy/Espinage fan then you should pick it up at your local game store it's worth it and most of all the storyline is excellent the game's weapon inventory is cool the the sticky cam the sticky shocker and the pistol and Frag Grenade are all my favorite and the loading screen is looks good it shows what date and time of your current mission.
A game played on vision.
This game is full of hard levels, that are exceptionally fun to figure out how to be the mastermind.
But it's up to you to decide the best course of action and save the missing agents, which makes the game all the more free and in your hands.
What I like about this game is that the shadows are your best friend.
Plus, Sam Fisher, the spy, can do a whole load of special moves, like land quietly or go down zip lines with ease.
But that's okay, because the game is great fun.
I recommend it, anyone but anyone can find this game awesome..
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, was the most revolutionary game I've ever played.
Besides of very dazzling graphics and technical stuff, the character of Sam Fisher was awesome.Sound Efefcts and very suitable use of Metal-Rock music of credits and opening scene rock the gamers!I've just noticed that the movie of splinter cell is gonna be produced in 2006 and I'm so glad that the director is NOT John Woo (As he was suggested to be the director of Rainbow Six, thanks God he's not!) I think he do nothing but exaggerating the screenplay and for Tom Clancy novels, we need a more realestic director.It's the BEST video game I've ever played!
First off id like to say that if anything, MGS is the poor mans Splinter cell.
The reason the game may be worse...is mainly because they had to lower it so much for the PS2 to meet its requirements.
However, if you had been smart ad had gotton a Gamecube, Xbox, or PC then you would like the game.
The game for other systems include the following-Wonderful graphics -realsistic movements -Good AI -Plenty of options -Interactive environments -Unique shadows and sound hearing AI allows you to sneak around.
-thermal and night vision modes.the game is INCREDIBLE!
Or get the series including: -Splinter cell:stealth action redefined -Splinter cell:Pandora Tomorrow -SPlinter cell:Chaos TheoryGraphics get better every game and more interactive with features..
Metal Gear Solid cannot even compare to the realism of Splinter Cell.
Metal Gear Solid is simply a cheap Japanese anime with lame animations and unrealistic movements.Splinter Cell is a breath of fresh air, one of the best games I've ever seen - stunning graphics, smart AI, and a great storyline.
With lame names like "Revolver Ocelot" and "Solid Snake", and extremely lame dialog, game-play, and such, it has no excuse.
Maybe some of your problems are from having a PS2, which has the lowest stats of current game consoles.In MGS, a red punctuation mark above a guards head with very cheesy music shows that he is suspicious, whereas realistic dialog and suspenseful music does in Splinter Cell.
Metal Gear Solid cannot even compare to Splinter Cell.
Well you might want MGS, if you want to have a cheesy Pokemon code name instead of a real one....Splinter Cell is something you get if you want something real, and coordinated.
Long live Ubi-Soft, the best of game-makers!
Splinter Cell is a hundred times better.
The most intense graphics, heart pounding, gripping audio (I suggest playing it with Dolby Digital 5.1 or better), and awesome story line.
If you have never played it, I highly suggest at least renting it with plans to buy...it will engross you and not let go!
This is one of the best games I have played in a while.
Splinter Cell is definitely the best spy game i have rented.
The graphics are good, the shadows are well done, and the AI on the guards was excellent as well.
In this game you take the role of Sam Fisher, an agent of the NSA.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell wasn't the first "sneak in, sneak out, drop a few baddies" game I've played, but at some points in playing it, I can honestly say that I'd considered it being the last.
Because it was impossible.Splinter Cell has you playing the role of Sam Fisher, the best-of-the-best super spy in the still fresh high-tech world of 2002.
If Ubisoft really wanted to make you a Clancy-esque, super-spy that we read about in his fantastic thrillers, they should've probably lowered the difficulty level by 300%.
Only problem is, for a super-spy, Sam's aim is terrible and one misguided bullet into the ceiling means that you'll be stuck with a Russian terrorist running to see what that noise was only to find an NSA ninja standing underneath is a still intact lightbulb with absolutely no plan-B in mind.
When that happens, you'd better hope and pray that you saved your game before stumbling into the rough part of town.-OVERALL : 8/10- In the end, Splinter Cell is a game that's focused on stealth and one's ability to stick to the shadows without getting stuck with a gunshot wound.
All in all, the stealth aspects (minus a couple of technical issues that arise with said aspects occasionally) are probably the best I've seen in a game of Splinter Cell's caliber.
If you're a hardcore gamer looking for a challenge, and perhaps a few objects broken in pure frustration, then Splinter Cell is a definite buy.
If, however, you -are- a casual gamer that enjoys feeling like a covert operative on a mission to prevent world destruction from the comfort of your home, then I'd advise getting yourself some cheat codes and calling them "government issued field assets".
An awesome game with a great plot.
Splinter Cell isn't your ordinary game.
In the game, you have to stay hidden, only kill when necessary, stalk people and grab them, recover information, and take on some brutal terrorists.
None of the actual violence is shown, but the thought of it is pretty violent.Sam Fisher is a stealth agent who is sent in by the NSA to stop these terrorists from launching an information crisis on the world.
There is a conspiracy that goes along with all of this that Sam Fisher discovers.Fortunately there is a movie of Splinter Cell that is in production.
Until then, we can enjoy the game as much as we want..
(Some Spoilers):You play as Sam Fisher, a tough spy.
This game is simply on of the best ever made (spoilers) it focuses around Sam Fisher (former Navy SEAL, now secret spy-esque operative for the U.S. government).
The game play is unique becuase it presents you with several ways to solve each problem.
They NEED to make this game into a movie! |
tt0047706 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Richard the Lionheart (Ian Hunter), the King of England, is taken captive in 1191 by Leopold V, Duke of Austria while returning to England. Richard’s treacherous brother Prince John (Claude Rains) usurps the throne and proceeds to oppress the Saxons, raising taxes to secure his own position.
Only the Saxon nobleman Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn) opposes him. Robin acquires a loyal follower when he saves Much the Miller's Son (Herbert Mundin) from being arrested for poaching by Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone). At Gisbourne's castle, Robin boldly tells Prince John and his followers and a contemptuous Lady Marian Fitzwalter (Olivia DeHavilland) that he will do all in his power to restore Richard to the throne. Robin escapes, despite attempts by John's men to stop him.
Robin and friend Will Scarlet (Patric Knowles) take refuge in Sherwood Forest and recruit Little John (Alan Hale, Sr.), while other men join their growing band, including the rotund Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette), one of the best swordsmen in all England.
Now known as the outlaw Robin Hood, he binds his men by an oath: to fight for a free England until the return of Richard, to rob the rich and give to the poor, and treat all women with courtesy, "rich or poor, Norman or Saxon." Robin and his band immediately begin guerrilla warfare against Prince John and his minions, systematically killing the Prince's tax collectors, rapists, and any nobleman who abuses his power over the people of his lands.
Robin and his men capture a large party of Normans transporting tax money extorted from the people of England. Among Robin's "guests" are Sir Guy of Gisbourne, the cowardly Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper) and the Lady Marian. At first disdainful of Robin, Marian comes to accept his good intentions and begins to see the reality of Norman brutality. Robin allows the humiliated Sir Guy and the Sheriff to leave Sherwood, telling them that they have Marian's presence to thank for his sparing their lives.
The Sheriff comes up with a cunning scheme to capture Robin by announcing an archery tournament with the prize of a golden arrow to be presented by the Lady Marian, sure that Robin will be unable to resist the challenge. All goes as planned: Robin wins the match, is taken prisoner, and is sentenced to hang.
Marian helps Robin's men rescue Robin, and he later scales a castle wall to thank her. Each pledges their love for each other but Marian declines to leave, believing she can best help the rebellion as a spy by staying where she is.
King Richard and several trusted knights have returned, disguised as monks. At a roadside inn, the Bishop of the Black Canons (Montagu Love) discovers their presence and alerts Prince John and Gisbourne. Dickon Malbete (Harry Cording), a degraded former knight, is given the task of disposing of Richard in return for the restoration of his rank, with Robin's manor and estate to support it.
Marian overhears their plot and writes a note to Robin, but Sir Guy finds it and has her arrested, pending trial and execution. Marian's nurse, Bess (Una O'Connor), romantically involved with Much, sends her paramour to warn Robin. On his way, Much intercepts and kills Dickon, being wounded in the process.
King Richard and his liegemen journey through Sherwood Forest and are soon stopped by Robin and his men. Richard assures him that he is traveling on the King's business; when asked if he supports Richard, the incognito King replies, "I love no man better." He accepts Robin's invitation to eat with him and the Merry Men, and humbly accepts Robin's rebuke of the King for not staying at home to give justice to his people instead of traveling to fight in foreign lands.
Will finds the injured Much, who tells Robin of Marian's peril and that Richard is now in England. Robin orders a thorough search to find Richard and bring him to Robin for safety. Now certain of Robin's loyalty, Richard reveals himself to the outlaws.
Robin devises a plan to sneak his men into Nottingham Castle. He coerces the Bishop of the Black Canons to include his men, disguised as monks, in his entourage. During John's coronation in the great hall, Richard reveals himself to the assembled nobles to their shock, and a huge melee breaks out between the outlaws and the noblemen who support John. Robin and Sir Guy engage in a prolonged swordfight, ending with Gisbourne's death. Robin releases Marian from her prison cell and Prince John's men, defeated, throw down their swords, shields, and banners in token of surrender.
Richard exiles John and his followers for his lifetime and pardons the outlaws. He elevates Robin Hood to be Baron of Locksley and Earl of Sherwood and Nottingham, and commands that Robin marry the Lady Marian. With Marian by his side, from across the great hall Robin replies with enthusiasm, "May I obey all your commands with equal pleasure, Sire!" | violence, action, historical fiction | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0758796 | The Violent Kind | Cody, Q, and Elroy are second-generation bikers and drug dealers who plan to visit Cody's family at a remote cabin for his mother's birthday party; Shade, Q's girlfriend and Cody's cousin, joins them. When they arrive, they meet Cody's ex-girlfriend, Michelle, and her younger sister, Megan, who has a crush on Cody. After the party, Michelle and her husband take leave, which strands Megan at the cabin with Cody, Q, Elroy, and Shade. Though everyone else has left the party, Megan sees people outside the cabin and tries to get a ride from them. Having no luck locating the people she saw, she returns to the cabin and finds her sister bloody and near death. Michelle begs for help and collapses into unconsciousness before they can get any answers from her. At the same time, the cars and cell phones stop working. As the others attempt to figure out a plan, Elroy sexually assaults Michelle, but she surprises him by suddenly waking up and responding positively to him. As they begin to have sex, Michelle bites Elroy hard and tears away a piece of flesh from his neck. Elroy screams for help and tries to defend himself from Michelle as she tears into him. The others pull Michelle off Elroy, who is now heavily wounded, and, unsure what to do, they bind Michelle to the bed with tape.
Cody and Megan set off to find help, while Shade attempts to communicate with Michelle, whom she believes is possessed. During the conversation, Michelle loses control and attacks Shade. Shade barely escapes, and Q shoots through the door with a rifle. Michelle hides on the ceiling and attacks Q when he enters the room. Meanwhile, Cody and Megan discover that their closest neighbor is dead, and his wall is littered with missing persons reports that date back to the 1950s. They return to the cabin and discover the aftermath of Q's fight with Michelle: Michelle has disappeared, and Q wants to give up on finding her. Megan is outraged that Q would try to kill her sister, and Cody insists that they stay to help Elroy and find Michelle. Q and Cody come to blows, and Q leaves alone after failing to persuade Shade to accompany him. As Q walks down the road, he meets Michelle's dead husband, who is now alive again and talking about hearing strange, beautiful music. At the same time, Elroy, who is in the cabin, also mentions hearing music. Elroy and Michelle's husband both explode as their bodies are overcome in a blinding light.
Vernon, Jazz, and Murderball, psychopathic greasers, appear at the cabin, take everyone hostage, and torture them for information. Vernon sadistically toys with Cody, demanding to know where Michelle is and hinting that she is critically important to plans that involve a cataclysmic end to humanity. Vernon and Jazz leave the cabin momentarily to bring in Q's bound body, and Vernon proceeds to repeatedly stab Q with a switchblade. When Shade protests, Vernon orders Jazz to kill her. Outraged, Cody and Q overpower Vernon and shoot him with Q's rifle, but it has no effect. Murderball kills Q, and Vernon reveals that he knew Michelle's location the whole time; he just wanted to torture them for the fun of it. Vernon claims to have been hiding in a human body for the past 60 years and to be originally from a void beyond time and space that was the inspiration for human myths about heaven and hell. After he completes a ritual involving Michelle, Vernon releases Cody and Megan, saying that he likes them and pities their fate. As Cody and Megan flee to a nearby town, they see the people around them dropping dead, and the sky darkens ominously. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0075784 | A Bridge Too Far | Operation Market Garden envisions 35,000 men being flown 300 miles from air bases in England and dropped behind enemy lines in the Netherlands. Two divisions of U.S. paratroopers, the 82nd and 101st Airborne, are responsible for securing the road and bridges as far as Nijmegen. A British division, the 1st Airborne, under Major-General Roy Urquhart, is to land near Arnhem and hold both sides of the bridge there, backed by a brigade of Polish paratroopers under General Stanisław Sosabowski. XXX Armoured Corps are to push up the road over the bridges captured by the American paratroopers and reach Arnhem two days after the drop.
The British are to land using gliders near Arnhem. When General Urquhart briefs his officers, some of them are surprised they are going to attempt a landing so far from the bridge. The consensus among the British top brass is that resistance will consist entirely of "Hitler Youth or old men on bicycles". Although reconnaissance photos show German tanks at Arnhem, General Browning dismisses them and also ignores reports from the Dutch underground. He does not want to be the one to tell Field Marshall Montgomery of any doubts since many previous airborne operations had been cancelled. Though British officers note that the portable radios are not likely to work for the long distance from the drop zone to the Arnhem Bridge, they choose not to convey their concerns up a chain of command intent on silencing all doubt.
Speed is the vital factor. Arnhem’s is the crucial bridge, the last means of escape for the German forces in the Netherlands and an excellent route to Germany for Allied forces. The road to it, however, is only a single highway linking the various key bridges - trucks and tanks have to squeeze to the shoulder to pass. The road is also elevated, causing anything moving on the road to stand out.
The airborne drops catch the Germans by surprise and there is little resistance. Most of the men come down safely and assemble quickly, but the Son bridge is blown up by the Germans just before the 101st Airborne secures it. Then, soon after landing, troubles beset Urquhart's division. Many of the Jeeps either do not arrive by their gliders at all or are shot up in an ambush. Their radio sets are also useless.
XXX Corps' progress to relieve them is slowed by German resistance, the narrowness of the highway and the need to construct a Bailey bridge to replace the one destroyed at Son. They are then halted at Nijmegen. There, soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division perform a dangerous daylight river crossing in flimsy canvas-and-wood assault boats and the Nijmegen bridge is captured, but XXX Corps has to wait several hours for infantry to secure the town.
The Germans close in on the isolated British paratroops occupying part of Arnhem at the bridge, although armored attacks are repelled. Urquhart had been separated from his men and the supply drop zones overrun by the Germans. Finally, Sosabowski's troops, held up by fog in England, enter the battle too late and are unable to reinforce the British. After days of house-to-house fighting, pitted against crack SS infantry and panzers, the outgunned troops are captured or forced to withdraw. Arnhem itself is indiscriminately razed in the fighting.
Urquhart escapes the battle zone with fewer than a fifth of his original ten thousand crack troops; those who were too badly injured to flee stay behind and cover the withdrawal, surrendering afterwards. On arriving at British headquarters, Urquhart confronts Browning about his personal sentiments regarding the operation: does he think it went as well as was being claimed by Montgomery? Browning's reply (and the film's last line of dialogue) contradicts his earlier optimism: "Well, as you know, I always felt we tried to go a bridge too far."
In the film's final scene, a young Dutch woman, whose elegant and beautifully furnished home was used as an overflow hospital by the British, abandons the mostly destroyed house. Passing through the front yard, now converted to a graveyard for fallen troops, she and her children trek along the high riverbank, with her father, an elderly doctor, pushing a few salvaged possessions in a wheelbarrow. | dramatic, cult, historical, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0041263 | Cover Up | In a small Midwestern town, Roger Phillips is found dead. When insurance investigator Sam Donovan (O'Keefe) arrives looking into the apparent suicide, all clues lead him to suspect murder. The man was shot, but there are no powder burns on the body (which would indicate he was not shot at close range) nor was a pistol found. Unfortunately, no one wants to assist him with the case, including Sheriff Larry Best (Bendix), despite a double indemnity clause. It turns out the dead man was universally hated.
One of the prime suspects is Frank Baker, who eloped with Phillips' daughter the night of the death when Phillips objected to the marriage. During the investigation, Sam and local girl Anita Weatherby (Britton) are strongly attracted to each other. This causes complications when Anita finds her father's hidden Luger pistol (Phillips was shot with a Luger) while searching for a place to store her diary away from her inquisitive younger sister.
Meanwhile, at the annual town Christmas tree lighting, the residents are grieved to learn that beloved longtime physician Dr. Gerrow has died of a heart attack.
Finally, Sam plants a false story in the newspaper, stating that he has sent for a chemist to find clues of the killer's identity from the floor of the house where Phillips died. The chemist is due very soon, so Sam waits for the murderer at the scene of the crime. Sheriff Best shows up first, but he knew the story was a fake. Next to arrive is Anita's father, Stu Weatherby, followed by Anita. Sam accuses Stu of the crime, but then realizes from the position of the murderer that he had to have been left-handed, which rules Stu out. Then Sam remembers, from his previous investigation, that Dr. Gerrow was left-handed. Stu confirms Sam's guess. Weatherby came upon Dr. Gerrow, just after the doctor snapped and killed the man responsible for so much misery to his loved townspeople. He talked Gerrow out of turning himself in and took the Luger away. | murder | train | wikipedia | So why aren't small town locals cooperating with insurance investigator O'Keefe as he looks into a suicide or maybe murder.
Good thing the Weatherby's elder daughter (Britton) is there to brighten up his stay.The production does an excellent job blending the mystery ingredient with lighter moments and the romantic angle.
Before his company will pay out, an insurance investigator (Dennis O'Keefe) arrives in a small town to look into an apparent suicide.
It may not be the noir I was expecting, but Cover-Up is a nice little 40s style mystery.
The cast is more than capable with Dennis O'Keefe, William Bendix, and Barbara Britton giving nice performances.
Another nice discovery for me: a pretty good thriller which, though not exactly a film noir, features two staples of the genre Dennis O'Keefe and William Bendix in top form.
Their rapport throughout is quite delightful and this, along with the equally refreshing charms of leading lady Barbara Britton and the distinct Christmas flavor of its small-town setting, creates an overall mood of warmth not easily found in murder mysteries!
The plot (whose insurance-investigation angle clearly derives from Billy Wilder's DOUBLE INDENMITY [1944]) provides a good amount of tension and red herrings along the way, while the final revelation (bearing an unexpected moral emphasis) concludes the film on a satisfying note..
A good, economical little b movie, with a wonderful female lead , Britton, who is stunning and a straight faced male lead, O Keefe.
So why would an insurance investigator, Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe), investigate this in the first place?
I think this is a HUGE problem with the plot of "Cover Up"...unless I am mistaken.The story begins with Donovan arriving in town to do his investigation.
To make things worse, the Sheriff seems ambivalent when Sam's investigation shows that the man was murdered.
If you can ignore the inconsistency of an insurance investigator trying to make his company pay out the biggest claim instead of the smallest, it is an interesting film.
Second, one piece of evidence that Sam has that convinces him the dead guy was murdered was that the killer was left-handed.
Isurance investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) arrives in a small town to look into an apparent suicide.
Almost immediately he begins to suspect something's not quite right here, getting no hope from the police, the absence of the gun, and no coroner's report, the evidence points to foul play, but can Sam get to the bottom of it?Neither bad nor especially good, Cover Up is the sort of Saturday afternoon picture that TV schedulers put on as a precursor to the main event.
O'Keefe is fine and plays out nicely as a sort of Insurance Mackintosh Sam Spade, William Bendix is underused but adds a touch of credibility to proceedings, while Barbara Britton is the shining light of the film with a very watchable performance.
An insurance investigator (Dennis O'Keefe) arrives in a small town right at Christmas time to find out about an apparent suicide that his company may have to pay out for.
The evidence of his death points not to suicide but to murder, though everyone in the town from the bus driver to the sheriff (William Bendix) seem totally unfazed about what has happened.
So, ergo, it would seem that they are, in fact, not so nice after all, and that this town is covering up murder, though the film seems to be telling us that that is OK, that the dead guy somehow had it coming and that the spirit of Christmas overrides the evil of his murder.
Nonetheless, a few parts stand out for being bizarre, most especially the one played by Doro Merande as Hilda, the housekeeper for Barbara Britton and her family, who in one scene is outside setting fire to the dad's fur coat and later tells everyone that it was an accident.
Insurance investigator unravels complicated murder cover up with little help from victims associates and family.
Dennis O'Keefe, Barbara Britton and William Bendix star in this mystery about an insurance investigator who arrives in a small town to investigate the death of a policy holder.O'Keefe portrays Sam Donovan who is trying to learn the reason for a clients sudden death .
The indifferent sheriff played by Bendix and the rest of the people in the small town who knew the man insist the cause of death was suicide and are openly hostile to Donovan's investigation.Donovan quickly ascertains that the cause of death was really murder, but no one seems to care.
Even the niece of the dead man, when she is told by Donovan that there is a double indemnity clause for murder in his policy says that she does not want it.
Lovely Barbara Britton plays Anita Weatherby the oldest daughter of the town's banker.
Britton is really good as Anita Weatherby in this film and there is a nice turn by Doro Merande as Hilda, the Weatherby's housekeeper, cook, and watch dog.
Dennis O'Keefe arrives in town as an insurance investigator.
But when O'Keefe offers to pay the extra $20,000 to the niece of the murdered man, she refuses it, insisting that her uncle committed suicide.
The murdered man turns out to have been 'a poison in his community', who was hated by everyone in town.
It is a very good yarn in theory, but mystery and tension are sacrificed to other aims, namely to concentrate on the dilemma of O'Keefe's budding romance with a girl called Anita, played by Barbara Britton.
Barbara Britton smiles charmingly, O'Keefe is falling for her like a schoolboy, her father is genteel and reassuring, and only the sheriff appears truly suspicious, though even he has a twinkle in his eye and casts mischievous little smiles aside from time to time, which suggest that he is not a bad guy after all.
As a result, Dennis O'Keefe is not as effective as usual, because he was best in films where things get really tough, and here he has to be Mr. Nice Guy who in between wooing his gal dabbles in proving and explaining a murder, and worrying whether his gal and her father are involved in it.
A good black and white mystery/murder story with some good acting and an interesting mystery that an insurance investigator named Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) must match wits with the small town sheriff named Larry Best (Willia Bendix) who claims the investigator Sam Donoovan is incorrect in his thinking and should just accept that the death of a prominent man in town was a suicide, and not a murder.Sam Donovan is suspicious of Sheriff Best's claim of a suicide so he decides to stick around and stick he does, his nose that is.
The mystery thickens, and so does the insurance investigator Sam Donovan's affection for a lovely local lass named Anita Weatherby (Barbara Britton).As the film progresses more clues are discovered that challenge Sam Donovan to question whether the whole town is hiding something about the murder victim who has a $20,000.00 life insurance policy that will pay out double indemnity to the victims niece if in fact it was not a suicide but rather a murder.The film has some light humour, a new romance blossoming, a Christmas theme, and a battle of wits between the insurance investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) and Sheriff Best (William Bendix).
I liked the film throughout, and I have always been fond of the 1940's period, especial murder/mystery themes.
an insurance investigator comes up against an entire town.
Dennis O'Keefe stars in "Cover Up," a 1949 film also starring William Bendix and Barbara Britton.
O'Keefe is insurance investigator Sam Donovan, who comes to a small town during the Christmas season to investigate the suicide of a man who had a $20,000 insurance policy; if it wasn't suicide, the policy pays $40,000.
So far we're not talking about any numbers that have meaning for anyone in 2014, but this was a bundle in 1949 when the average annual salary was $3900.Everyone insists the man committed suicide, but there is no gun to be found, and a delay in getting the coroner's report, not to mention the laissez faire attitude of the sheriff (Bendix).
Its Hokey at Times and the Tone Wavers from Investigation to Invitation to Small Town, Post War Complacency.Worth a Watch, but Hard-Boiled Types will be Disappointed.
The Love Interest, Barbara Britton, Falls Abruptly for the Out of Town Investigator, Chain Smoking Dennis O'Keefe.William Bendix does His best with some Lame Dialog and Presents Much Mystery to the Character and Dora Marinade as the Housekeeper Upstages Everyone.
B film murder mystery.
In this 1949 black and white mystery an insurance investigator (Dennis O'Keefe) comes into a small town for a reported suicide, but according to the sheriff (William Bendix) there is no report, no bullet, no powder burns, and no gun.
Enticed to stay by having met a beautiful young woman (Barbara Britton) on the train, he gets embroiled in a mystery.Alan Ladd look-alike Dennis O'Keefe (1908-68) does his usual B-film job, and Barbara Britton (1919-80) is even more beautiful than I remember her from the Mr. and Mrs. North TV series (1952-4).
Insurance investigator Dennis O'Keefe (Sam) arrives in a small community to confirm details regarding a payout to newly-wed Virginia Christine (Margaret) after her uncle has exited this world courtesy of Mr Suicide.
It's up to O'Keefe to find out what is going on whilst wooing local girl Barbara Britton (Anita).I like the human sentiment of a community helping each other out even if it is against the law.
William Bendix (Larry) is good as the town's sheriff who is carefully obstructive and Ann E Todd (Cathie) throws in some funny moments as Britton's younger sister.
Shortly before Christmas the most hated citizen in a small town dies by gunshot wound, declared by the law to be a suicide.
Into town comes insurance investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) to investigate the death and see if all loose ends are tied up since the deceased has a 20K life insurance policy - about 200K in today's money.
When Sam goes to talk to the town sheriff and ask about the weapon, the sheriff (William Bendix) says it is missing.
Only when Sam threatens to get a court order does the sheriff produce the bullets.In other words, if the sheriff was trying to deflect suspicion of this being anything but a suicide his obvious lies and stonewalling has had the expected opposite effect.
Meanwhile Sam is having a serious romance with the daughter of the town banker who also had a motive to kill the insured.What are the odd devices in this film?
Again - never seen in live action or flashback.So we have a death that may be murder against the backdrop of a small town Christmas post-war, the descriptions by the townspeople of two dead people who seem to have had opposite personalities but whom we never see for ourselves, and all of the townspeople acting like pod people when it comes to stonewalling the investigation, including the sheriff who is so obvious that he creates doubt rather than eliminates it.
And why does the insurance company let their guy even try to prove it is murder when they will have to pay out double if it is?
Not a noir, although the DVD case makes it appear like one, but still a taut and engrossing mystery movie.
Barbara Britton is lovely and William Bendix adds stature to most pictures he's in.
***SPOILERS*** This turned out to be a very strange and baffling case for Federated Insurance investigator Sam Donovan, Dennis O'Keefe,to crack.
In fact even the dead man's body seemed to have disappeared with the police pathologist and local morgue director having no idea where he went!It becomes very obvious to Donovan that not only was Phillips murdered but the entire town from Sheriff Larry Best, William Bendix,on down were covering up his murder and even more shocking who was Mr. Phillips killer!
As it soon turns out Phillips was without a doubt the most disliked person in Cleberg and everyone in town had a motive to kill him but the big question in Donovan's mind is who!
It's in fact the luger that killed Phillips that soon appears out of the blue in Stu Weatherby's, Art Baker, house that sets off alarm bells to who exactly murdered Phillips!
Found by Weatherby's daughter and Mr.Donovan's now girlfriend Anita, Barbara Britton, it makes it look like her father was in fact Phillips killer with Anita trying to hide the evidence to have him arrested and booked for it.It soon comes out that the luger was in fact in the possession of a Doctor P.L Garrow a good friend of Stu Weatherby who gave it to him as a Christmas present just weeks before Phillips was found shot to death!
Dr. Garrow being the most beloved and respected person in Cleberg is the last person anyone could suspect in murdering Phillips,the most hated person in town, but something very strange happens before Donovan could interview him!
Dr. Garrow suddenly drops dead of a heart attack which makes his sudden and unexpected death, like that of Phillips suicide, very suspect to say the least!***SPOILERS*** The end of the film ties all the loose ends together with both killer and victim never being seen as much as a second on screen even though they, at least Mr. Phillips, were the most most talked about persons in the movie.
The ingrown small-town setting seemed ideal for both its noirish atmosphere and its ability to provide a conflict between the local citizens, anxious to keep small-town affairs within the community, and outside insurance investigator, Dennis O'Keefe, equally anxious to bring the true facts to light.
O'Keefe's opposite number in the plot is William Bendix, who plays the local sheriff with just the right blend of suppressed antagonism and official non-helpfulness.
"Highway Dragnet" scribe Jerome Odlum penned this offbeat melodrama that benefits from "Hitler Gang" lenser Ernest Lazlo's atmospheric cinematography.Chain-smoking Insurance Detective Sam Donaldson (Dennis O'Keefe of "Raw Deal") is dispatched by his company to investigate the apparent suicide of a policy holder, Roger Phillips, in a closely-knit small, Mid-western town.
Instead, Sam concludes that the suicide was really murder.
When the movie opens, we see a train pull into a railway depot and a fashionably attired woman, Anita Weatherby (Barbara Britton of "So Proudly We Hail") gets off it with Christmas packages piled high to her chin.
Eventually, cantankerous Marlowe County Sheriff Larry Best (William Bendix of "Detective Story") not only provides Sam with the bullet that he found at the scene of Phillips' death, but also that he states that a Luger was the kind of automatic pistol used to kill Phillips.
Before long, Sam learns that Anita's father, Stuart Weatherby (Art Baker of "The Beginning or The End"), had given the local town doctor a Luger that he brought back with him from World War I.
Instead, a doctor who died recently from a heart attack but who was held in high regard by the community was responsible for killing the man.William Bendix plays the suspicious sheriff, and we suspect that he may have been responsible for the crime.
Another reviewer nailed it, I think - a term life insurance policy is essentially a bet the company takes with a customer that says it will pay off if the customer dies.
So virtually no insurance policy will pay off on a suicide, unless there's a provision that says otherwise.So right off the bat, the film started off on shaky ground because that whole idea kept distracting me throughout the story.
As for the double indemnity business, I think Donovan's boss stated that it was a good idea to pursue the murder angle because it was good public relations for the company, a way to increase business based on the publicity of a doubled payout.
I don't know, it doesn't sound like a sound business practice to me.But casting all that aside, the picture did a fairly good job of keeping the viewer on one's toes with the suspicious nature of the principal characters, especially Sheriff Best (William Bendix), who if this was a Western, would have all the characteristics of being in the pocket of the town boss.
Other characters were quite intriguing too, I got a kick out of the Weatherby housekeeper Hilda (Doro Merande), surreptitiously offering investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) mysterious hints, and then burning a piece of evidence 'by accident'.
Oh, boy.Though the resolution of the murder angle is offered in a way that almost sounds plausible, I couldn't help thinking that this town of Cleberg was one dysfunctional little community.
Everyone except for the protagonist Dennis O'Keefe, as Sam, and his local girlfriend Anita (Barbara Britton) is off a note or two.The sprinkling of folksy humor, helped along by the Christmas spirit, make good counterpoints to the murder cover-up.
The fascinating thing is, after a labyrinth of detective work by the outsider Sam, we never really learn just what Phillips actually did to turn the entire town against him.
The fact that Sam agrees, for appearances' sake, to buy the original premise--that Phillips' death was a suicide--maintains the town's sense of disbelief.
The fact that the town has covered up one murder makes the second death seem as unnatural as the first one.
What looks like a standard film noir ends up looking like a 1950's family sitcom once the Weatherly family is introduced to insurance fraud detective Dennis O'Keefe early in this film.
Along the way, he interviews practically the entire town, helps eulogize the deceased at a Christmas function, getting enough shadow of a doubt that the supposed suicide was really murder.
Barbara Britton plays the oldest daughter who obviously has a crush on O'Keefe yet knows what is going on behind the scenes. |
tt0073240 | The Killer Elite | Mike Locken (James Caan) and George Hansen (Robert Duvall) are best friends and private contractors for a private intelligence agency, Communications Integrity or ComTeg, which handles covert assignments for the CIA. At the beginning of the film, Locken and Hansen are helping an East European defector, Vorodny (Helmut Dantine), escape. After delivering the defector to other ComTeg operatives, Locken and Hansen throw a wild party to relax. The next day, they go to a ComTeg safehouse to relieve other agents who have been guarding Vorodny, the defector they previously helped escape.
Hansen, having been bought out by an unknown rival group, assassinates Vorodny, and then critically wounds Locken in the knee and elbow, telling Locken that he has "just been retired".
Told that he will be a cripple for life and that his career is apparently at an end, Locken undergoes a long period of rehabilitation when he is subsequently approached with another assignment from his ComTeg contact man, Cap Collis (Arthur Hill). It requires him to protect an Asian client, Yuen Chung. It also gives him the opportunity to seek revenge against Hansen, who is part of the team out to assassinate the client.
Locken, having become well versed in the martial arts using his cane during his rehabilitation, recruits a couple of former ComTeg associates, Mac (Burt Young), a wheelman and a former friend of Locken's, and Miller (Bo Hopkins), a weapons expert, to help him. However, the deal turns out to be an elaborate set-up: part of an internal power struggle between rival ComTeg directors; the aforementioned Cap Collis and his superior, Lawrence Weybourne (Gig Young).
In a subsequent assassination attempt on Chung, Hansen gets the drop on Locken, but is shot and killed by Miller. Locken rebukes Miller for killing Hansen. He later forgives him. A final showdown between the Asian rivals takes place aboard a naval vessel on the Reserve Fleet in Suisun Bay, California with Locken and Mac involved in the fray and confronting Collis one last time. | comedy, suspenseful, murder, violence, flashback, humor, revenge | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0043914 | The People Against O'Hara | James Curtayne (Tracy) has retired from criminal law, but when Johnny O'Hara (Arness), a boy from the neighborhood, is accused of a murder, Curtayne takes the case. The boy's parents plead for Curtayne's help, even though they are too poor to pay him a fee.
A man Johnny knew was shot and killed during the night by two people in a passing car. The only witness, from a distance, was a man coming out of a diner. Johnny flees when the cops come to question him. Once the boy is in custody, Detective Ricks (O'Brien) and District Attorney Barra (John Hodiak) explain that a gun owned by Johnny appears to be the murder weapon. And a young punk, Pete Korvac (William Campbell), is claiming that he was Johnny's accomplice in the crime and is willing to testify that Johnny pulled the trigger.
Johnny insists he was working all night, but no one can verify that. What he refuses to tell the authorities, or even his own lawyer, is that he was with Katrina Lanzetta (Yvette Duguay), the young wife of a local gangster known as Knuckles (Eduardo Ciannelli). She has fallen in love with Johnny, but he is determined to protect her honor and her safety.
Curtayne's daughter Ginny (Diana Lynn) didn't want her widower dad to take on such a stressful case because he is a recovering alcoholic. Ginny lives with him, putting her own future with boyfriend Jeff (Richard Anderson) on hold. Curtayne expresses confidence he can handle the strain. He goes to see the Korvac family, trying to learn why young Pete, who has a criminal past, would double-cross Johnny this way. He also visits Knuckles, who knew the victim and is volunteering to help Curtayne, but the lawyer neither trusts nor believes Knuckles and declines his offer.
The case begins to go badly for the defense. Johnny's alibi about being at work proves to be a lie. Pete's chatty testimony is convincing and Curtayne has been unable to rattle him. Curtayne confides in Ricks, his friend, that he is becoming forgetful at inopportune times in court. Desperate, knowing that Johnny's life is on the line, Curtayne not only resumes drinking, he bribes the eyewitness with $500 after learning the man, Sven Norson (Jay C. Flippen), is willing to change his story for a price.
D.A. Barra discovers the bribe. He wins the case, convicting Johnny of murder, then must decide what to do about Curtayne's behavior, possibly seeking to have him disbarred. Curtayne, however, is tipped off by Ricks about the boy's relationship with gangster Knuckles' wife, who is willing to come forward and accept the consequences now that Johnny's been found guilty.
Curtayne tries to set up Knuckles, certain that he is the one behind the murder. He wears a wire for the police, looking for a confession. Instead, it turns out one of Pete Korvac's brothers is the man who did the fatal shooting, and Curtayne ends up at gunpoint. By the time Ricks, Barra and others tailing him can get there to make an arrest, Curtayne ends up fatally shot. | romantic | train | wikipedia | An excellent performance by Spencer Tracy in "The People Against O'Hara" lifts this all too familiar plot line to a different level.
Tracy is an alcoholic who, for the sake of his health and sobriety, becomes a civil attorney, only to be drawn back into criminal work when neighborhood friends need him to defend their son.
The son is played by a pre-Gunsmoke, blond James Arness, and it was a pleasure to see him do something besides the one-note Matt Dillon.
Diana Lynn does an excellent job as Tracy's protective daughter, and a pathetically young Richard Anderson is her patient fiancé.Tracy's performance drives the film, which is really just an excuse for a character study, and who better to essay it.
The ending is tense and suspenseful.There is a fine cast, including the above, Pat O'Brien John Hodiak, Eduardo Cianelli, and William Campbell (who in real life was for a time married to Judith Exner, the woman who went public with her affair with JFK).I think Spencer Tracy is always worth watching, and this film is no exception..
What it's all about is a young man framed for a murder, whose impoverished parents coax "retired" defense attorney Spencer Tracy to exonerate him; Tracy plays half Clarence Darrow and half gumshoe.
Spencer Tracy's only venture into the noir genre finds him playing James P.
Curtayne, an alcoholic criminal lawyer who is living with daughter Diana Lynn.
She's essentially put her life on hold to take care of her father.Friends from his old neighborhood ask him to defend their son, James Arness, who is being charged with a homicide during the course of a what we would now call a home invasion.
Tracy's not up to it, he's past his prime and unable to break down the perjured testimony of William Campbell who says Arness was the trigger man in the crime.
He's got a sharp District Attorney in John Hodiak going against him.
But not quite.I liked John Hodiak as the District Attorney.
He's good in anything he does and his role here is as an honest lawyer who's more interested in finding out the truth than scoring another prosecutorial notch on his belt.
That in itself is very refreshing.Given Spencer Tracy's own alcholism this must have been a part way too close to home for him.
Usually Flippen plays upright characters so this portrayal of a witness willing to sell his testimony to the highest bidder is against type and good.Other good performances of note are Eduardo Ciannelli as the mob boss of the Fulton Fish Market, Pat O'Brien as Tracy's long time friend and homicide cop, and in a bit role in the end Ann Doran as a policewoman who puts herself on the line in the final confrontation scene.Both Tracy and Hodiak in this film are two of the best portrayals of the legal profession on the screen.
Even Tracy's ethical lapses are done with the best of intentions.The People Against O'Hara is a great example of film noir at it's best and one of the screen's finest players in his only venture in noir..
The People Against O'Hara is a slightly offbeat film to have come out in 1951.
The photography is by noir tyro John Alton, and in many of its night-time and shadowy scenes the movie looks like a thriller, which it really isn't.
Director John Sturges was an up and comer at the MGM of this time, and the film was one of the earlier shots at A level film-making.
The cast,--Spencer Tracy, Diana Lynn, Pat O'Brien, John Hodiak--are all fine.I can't say that the script is any great shakes, but it gets the job done.
I like the film more than most people and think that had the script been tidied up it might have been a great movie.
There are some splendid moments, and one in the courtroom in particular stands out, when a young thug delivers such a double-talking testimony that lawyer Tracy almost has a nervous breakdown while questioning him.
It's a tough scene to watch, alternately sad, realistic and infuriating.Tracy plays his role as a recovering alcoholic with sincerity and a conspicuous absence of sentiment.
Spencer Tracy,(James P.
Curtayne), plays a lawyer who wants to get away from Criminal Law and go into Civil suits with not very much pressure, because he has a drinking problem.
James Curtayne soon gets involved with a family he has known all his life and decides to help them when their son gets involved with a murder.
John Hodiak,(Louis Barra) is the Defense Attorney and gives James Curtayne a hard time in the court room.
Pat O'Brien,(Detective Vincent Ricks) is an old friend of James Curtayne and tries to help him stay focused on his law case and does give him some important leads.
There are many twists and turns in this crime drama and Spencer Tracy gives one of his best performances in this Classic 1951 film..
***SPOILERS*** Courtroom drama in and out of the halls of justice with former high profile defense attorney James Curtayne, Spencer Tracy,handling a murder case for the first time in years.
With his boss Bill Sheffield shot down in front of his building young Johnny O'Hara, James Arness,is picked up going to his parents apartment the next morning and arraigned for Sheffield's murder.
With his car identified at the murder scene and Johnny having no alibi to were he was at the time things don't look too good for the ex-con and WWII vet.
Defense attorney Curtayne nonetheless took up the case for Johnny, pro Bono, because he knew him all his life and felt that he was innocent.Having been away from dealing with criminal cases for years put a tremendous strain on the once brilliant defense attorney.
Curtayne once successfully defended 18 murder cases in a row getting his clients off.
Turning to the bottle and being drunk while handling Johnny's defense Curtayne lost his grip on the case and had assistant D.A Louis Barra ,John Hodiak, run circles around him in the courtroom and easily had Johnny convicted of murder.Johnny himself didn't help his case at all by not revealing that he was with his girlfriend Catrina, Vetta Duguay, at the time of the Sheffield killing since she's married to big time mobster Sol "Knockles" Lanzetta,Eduardo Ciannelli.
Curtayne desperately trying to get his client off the hook even went so far as to pay off a witness local stevedore Sven Norson, J.C Flippen, to change his testimony with a $500.00 personal check no less!
Convicted and waiting for a sentence that may well strap him into the electric chair Johnny still didn't want to bring out the fact that he was with Catrina when Sheffield was shot and killed; even when she came forward herself willing to be a witness for his defense.
It was later in the movie that Catrina unknowingly brought out the real reason for the Seffield murder and it was something that was right in front of both D.A Barra, in fact he was photographed with it.
Curtayne all during the trial would not only identify the killer, or killers since by revealing it would bring them out in the open and put her life in danger.A bit confusing at times "The People Against O'Hara" does hold together pretty well with James Curtayne risking his life in the end to save Johnny O'Hara from being executed by the state for a murder that he didn't commit.
Attorney Curtayne having himself "wired" to get the goods on the real murderers had him make up for all the mistakes he made in the movie by putting his life on the line to do it..
Spencer Tracy plays a seasoned attorney with his work cut out for him defending a young man in a murder trial.
The role has some depth to it, as the character is a struggling alcoholic who makes a mistake in a moment of weakness.
The rest of the cast doesn't match his performance, although John Hodiak is pretty good as the opposing counsel.
Curtayne (Spencer Tracy) decides to forgo civil law and accept a homicide criminal case involving an old time family friend.
Det. Vincent Ricks (Pat O'Brien) a police detective and friend advises him as does his daughter Virginia (Diana Lynn) not to do it as does his heart and former bout with alcoholism.
Still Johnny O'Hara (James Arness) needs his established reputation to save him from prison.
The story is fraught with dangers which involve the local mob as well as Curtayne's inability to deal with his return to drinking as the case tests his ethics.
For Tracy this is a remarkable film as one sees the sober lawyer deal with an inability to deal with his weaknesses.
A great movie and one easily recommended to Tracy fans.
This is a tidy crime drama about a "retired" attorney(Spenser Tracy)dealing with his own unethical behavior.
An apt group of players support the flawless Tracy: Pat O'Brien, John Hodiak, Regis Toomey, Diana Lynn and James Arness.
People Against O'Hara, The (1951) *** (out of 4) Part noir and part courtroom drama, this film isn't a complete success but it has enough going for it to make it worth viewing.
In the film Spencer Tracy plays an alcoholic lawyer who decides to help a couple poor friends out by defending their son (James Arness) who has been accused of murder.
The lawyer knows the kid is innocent but he can't get enough information on the streets as to who the real killer is so he must put his own life on the line to try and clear his client.
Sturges and Tracy would re-team four years later on the masterpiece BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK and while this film is no where near that one, this here at least offers up some fine performances and a terrific ending.
I thought the director did a much better job with the personal demons battling Tracy as he's trying to avoid drinking but as the pressure builds he keeps wanting back at the bottle.
Sturges handled these scenes extremely well including a heartbreaking and rather shattering one between Tracy and his daughter (Diana Lynn) as both of them break down and let their emotions show.
He did a really good job with the role and the scenes with him battling the alcoholism were very well handled and you could tell Tracy was giving it his all.
Pat O'Brien gets a pretty good bit as the Detective working the case and John Hodiak is very good as the D.A..
Lynn shines in her scenes including the unforgettable moment mentioned earlier and we also Eduardo Ciannelli playing a gangster.
I really wasn't too impressed with Arness here who gets several scenes where he's suppose to be playing scared and frustrated yet I didn't believe either emotion.
While the courtroom stuff doesn't work too well the director makes up for this in the final fifteen-minutes where we get a masterfully directed sting sequence.
Basically Tracy, the D.A. and the cops try to lure the real killers out and this is done with Tracy leading the way yet we never get to see him.
It's filmed from the cops point-of-view as they listen to Tracy over a radio and the way this is done builds up a terrific amount of suspense and easily makes the film worth sitting through for..
but is it a good pattern?I have my doubts.The -of course alcoholic-retired lawyer who redeems his name and his soul by saving an innocent will be the center character of so many courtroom movies that they it's impossible to count them all.Anyway,in "les inconnus dans la maison" ,a French movie of 1941,Raimu had a similar part with desperate case,daughter et al:this Henry Decoin movie was a detective story,from a good George Simenon book.John Sturges's film would rather fall into the film noir category,complete with gangsters , bribes and false evidences .But his treatment verges on faux melodrama (the sobbing parents,the phone call when Tracy asks his daughter's squeeze to marry her,and of course the "moving" finale).the plot is never exciting,being muddled,complicated and mushy (see Johnny's attitude towards his girlfriend:it's worthy of the old folk song "the long black veil" when it lays claim to realism!The judge said "son,what's your alibi/if you were somewhere else/then you won't have to die;we really feel like screaming these lines to the fair knight Johnny)No suspense either.Maybe if we had any doubts about Johnny's innocence ,we could get some chills.The actor's performance is listless -one does not believe his risks his neck-and frankly,Spencer Tracy's is not that much mind-boggling either..
There are bookend scenes drenched in noirish atmosphere, but other than that this is a straight up courtroom drama that finds Spencer Tracy defending a man accused of murder who has an alibi but is reluctant to share it for fear that it will endanger his life.
You might think that Tracy, being Tracy, will eventually triumph in the courtroom, perhaps with a snag or two along the way.
He botches the defense and loses the case, and still redeems the accused but in a way we're not expecting.
The movie's treatment of alcoholism indeed is one of the things that sets it apart as a memorable little product of 1951, and in fact I think it's more notable for that than it is as an addition to the noir canon.Grade: B+.
This character and the film's ambiance seem closer to what is written about Tracy's life than anything else he ever made.(His "Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde" was dark -- Ingrid Bergman is sensational in it.
Listen for it.In many ways he plays a character similar to the title role in "Father of the Bride," made around the same time.
This one was Predictable going in, an Overrated Director, John Sturges, and an Actor, when commenting on, becomes Blasphemous to call Overrated, but a case could be made, Spencer Tracy, always seemed to be Old On Screen even in the Early Days and although He could be Commanding and Intense, the Range was Small and He Rarely Played anything other than Spencer Tracy.
But He is much Beloved.MGM was Late to Film-Noir and Never seemed to Get it quite Right and this is another Excellent Example of the Studio Trying but Coming Up Short.
John Alton's Cinematography in the First Act and the Third Act give the Film a Distinctive Urban-Crime Feel and the Ending is Surprising considering the Studio.But the Film is Clunky at times and Tracy Struggles to show the Difference between His Drunk and Non Drunk Scenes.
But it is Worth a Watch for Spencer Tracy Fans, John Alton's Noir-ish Look and to See Director Sturgess before He Became completely Formulaic and a Mainstream Hack that Delivered Popcorn Pictures Masquerading as Artful Cinema like "The Great Escape" (1963) and "The Magnificent Seven" (1960)..
Spencer Tracy will always be good to see in any role, from Bad Day to Mohicians to this movie.
They don't make actors like Tracy and Bogart any more.
It was nice to see an old favorite, James Arness at such a young age of 29.
When recovering alcoholic attorney Spencer Tracy returns to criminal practice to defend accused murderer James Arness, he finds himself up against a ruthless machine of racketeering and crime.
But Tracy, who has known him and his family his entire life, delves deep into the bowels of New York City's crime circuit which is lead by a former defendant of his named "Knuckes" (Eduard Cianelli).
Tracy looses the case and Arness is sentenced to die, but Tracy is not about to give up, even at the expense of his sobriety, or his life...What could be a gripping crime drama or semi-film noir turns out to be a slightly dull, convoluted misfire.
Tracy, predictably, is excellent, and it is ironic to see his character battling demons that Tracy fought in real life.
Diana Lynn is his "motherly" daughter, fussing over him with worry every chance he gets, afraid he may resume drinking as a result of the stress over the case.
As directed by John Sturges (who also directed Tracy in the brilliant "Bad Day at Black Rock"), this had the potential for uniqueness but ultimately messes up with inadequacies in the screenplay and too much detail mixed in to follow easily..
Dependable Tracy in a good film noir.
I should begin by saying that I'm a tremendous fan of Spencer Tracy...second only to Cary Grant.
But even having said that, I think this is a very fine film noir which interestingly combines courtroom drama with back alley thugs.Spencer Tracy plays a criminal defense lawyer who demoted himself to civil law after alcoholism took its toll.
But then a family he has long known pleads with him to take their son's (a young James Arness) murder case.
You'll almost certainly see that coming, but there is a high degree of suspense here.The acting in this film is quite good.
Tracy is dependable as he almost always was, and this must have been a difficult film for him, considering his own problems with alcoholism.
Pat O'Brien plays a cop friend just about the way you'd expect him to.
John Hodiak is very good as the District Attorney...too bad his life as an actor was cut short.
Diana Lynn, who never really made it big, is very convincing here as the daughter concerned with the pressure her father will be under during the trail, as well as the alcoholism problem.One for the DVD shelf?
Tracy is a recovering alcoholic who returns to criminal law to defend the neighbors' son.A nice cast, with many familiar faces, and Tracy delivers in his own quietly flabby and unpretentious way.
Things fall apart; the center can't hold.Then he makes a final, self-sacrificial attempt to redeem himself and save the defendant whom he knows to be innocent.It's well photographed too, sly and dark, and Sturges' direction is efficient and to the point.It's rather a good film. |
tt0346578 | Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman | A new heroine has arrived in Gotham whose identity is a mystery—even to Batman. During patrol, the Dynamic Duo spots her trying to stop one of Penguin's shipments on Gotham's interstate, using a plasma rifle to send the Penguin's truck with its driver off the bridge. Batman and Robin save the driver from falling to his death. Batman must figure out who Batwoman is and stop familiar enemies, the Penguin and Rupert Thorne, from selling illegal weapons to the fictional nation of Kasnia. The two employ Carlton Duquesne, a gangster, to provide protection.
Batwoman's main focus is on illegal activity by the Penguin, Thorne, and Duquesne. Despite taking the symbol of the Bat as a sign of justice, Batwoman sullies the Bat prefix by taking out criminals with ruthless and dangerous techniques. She seems uninterested in sparing the lives of her adversaries.
Batman, with Robin, sets out to stop the Batwoman from making mistakes as she tries to take out the villains, and as he encounters numerous twists, setbacks, and apparent false leads in determining her true identity. The newest gadget on display is a wind glider used by Batwoman that utilizes some of the most advanced technology ever seen in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne, Batman's alter ego, also becomes involved with a new lady in his life: Kathy Duquesne, the crime boss's daughter.
In addition to Kathy Duquesne, Bruce is introduced to two other women who, as his investigation into the Batwoman's true identity continues, seem to fall well into suspicion: Dr. Roxanne "Rocky" Ballantine, a new employee of Wayne Tech whose technology development is used by the Batwoman against the Penguin; and Detective Bullock's new partner Sonia Alcana, whose knowledge of the weapons being smuggled by the Penguin and Carlton Dunquesne is much greater than the detective should know. With Carlton Duquesne unable to stop Batwoman's raids on the facilities used to hold the various weapons, the Penguin calls Bane for additional support to ensure that there are no more losses as a result of the Batwoman.
Not long after Bane's arrival in Gotham, it is revealed that there is not one but three Batwomen, all of whom were the women suspected by Batman; Kathy and Sonia met taking art classes at college and Sonia and Rocky were roommates. They had taken turns to remove suspicion on any one of the three, while using Roxanne's technological genius and contempt for the Penguin (who had framed her long-time fiancé Kevin), Kathy's money and access to several key aspects of her father's organization (Kathy wants to end her father's criminal career as it led to her mother being killed), and Sonia's physical and police skills to ensure that Thorne's operation is thwarted (as the crime lord previously left her family in financial ruin after arsonists who worked for him burned down her parents' shop and were not punished due to the lack of sufficient evidence). Alcana was also saved by Batman nine years prior, the event giving the detective the original inspiration for the costumed identity she now shares with her friends.
In the final confrontation, a ship taking the weapons into international waters for the exchange is destroyed by a bomb planted by Kathy. But not before she is unmasked by Bane. Kathy and Batman narrowly escape the explosion despite the efforts of Bane, who falls into the Gotham River and vanishes. At the conclusion, the GCPD are left to assume that Sonia is the only Batwoman after she helps rescue Batman from the ship. Sonia resigns from the police due to the potential problems her presence could cause and decides to leave the city. Batman gives Sonia evidence he discovered which helps clear Rocky's fiancé. Carlton agrees to testify against Thorne and the Penguin after saving Kathy's life during the ship's destruction. After she reconciles with her father, Kathy drives off with Bruce. | comedy, mystery, gothic, suspenseful, violence, good versus evil, revenge | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0077539 | Fedora | A reclusive foreign-born actress, one of the greatest movie stars of the century, has inexplicably retained her youthful beauty despite her advancing years. She commits suicide by throwing herself in front of a train, and among the mourners at her funeral is aging has-been Hollywood producer Barry "Dutch" Detweiler, with whom she once had a brief affair.
Detweiler recalls how he had visited Fedora two weeks earlier, at a villa on an island near Corfu, determined to convince her to star in a new screen adaptation of Anna Karenina. She had told him she was a prisoner in her remote retreat, held captive by aged Polish Countess Sobryanski, her overprotective servant Miss Balfour, her chauffeur Kritos, and Dr. Vando, who seemingly was responsible for keeping the one-time star looking so young. When he had tried to respond to Fedora's plea for help, Dutch had been knocked unconscious by Kritos. He had awakened nearly a week later, only to learn Fedora had killed herself.
At Fedora's funeral, Dutch accuses Vando and the Countess of driving Fedora to her death. The Countess ultimately reveals she actually is Fedora, and the woman who died was her daughter Antonia, who had been impersonating the actress for years after one of the doctor's treatments disfigured her. Antonia's charade was successful until she fell in love with actor Michael York while making a film with him and decided to tell him the truth. In order to ensure her silence, she was held captive and kept drugged, until she finally killed herself. Dutch bids the real Fedora farewell, and six weeks later, she dies too. | flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0050665 | Madhumati | On a stormy night, Devendra (Dilip Kumar), an engineer, drives down a hill road with his friend to fetch his wife and child from the railway station. A landslide blocks their path and the friends take shelter in an old mansion off the road. Devendra finds the house uncannily familiar. In the large front room, he finds an old portrait which he recognises. His friend and the old caretaker join him, and Devendra, amidst flashes of memory from another life, sits down to tell his story while the storm rages outside.
Anand (Dilip Kumar) had come to Shyamnagar Timber Estate as its new manager. An artist in his spare time, he roamed the hills and fell in love with Madhumati (Vyjayantimala), a tribal girl whose songs have haunted him from a distance. Anand's employer, Ugra Narayan (Pran) is a ruthless and arrogant man and, as Anand refuses to bend down to him like others, he incurs his wrath. Anand has enemies among his staff. Sent away on an errand, he returns to find that Madhumati has disappeared. He learns that Madhumati had been taken to Ugra Narayan and confronts him, but he is beaten unconscious by Ugra Narayan's men. While the men are taking Anand's body out of the palace, they meet Madhumati's father (Jayant) who has to fight for his own daughter's death. He does it and wins but dies lying on the road, while Charandas (Johnny Walker) hides and takes Anand's body to the hospital.
Anand's life is saved but his mind wanders. One day, he meets a girl who looks exactly like Madhumati. She says she is Madhavi but Anand refuses to believe her and is beaten up by her companions when he tries to plead with her. Madhavi finds a sketch of Madhumati and realises he was speaking the truth. She takes the sketch and learns his story. Meanwhile, Anand is haunted by the spirit of Madhumati who tells him that Ugra Narayan is her killer. He appeals to Madhavi to pose as Madhumati before Ugranarayan and help him get a confession out of him and she agrees.
Returning to Ugranarayan's palace, Anand begs permission to do a portrait of him. Next evening, with a storm brewing outside, Anand paints Ugra Narayan. At the stroke of eight, Ugra Narayan sees the pretend-Madhumati in front of him. Shaken, he confesses the truth. The police waiting outside the room come and take him away. Anand suddenly realises that the questions Madhavi asked Ugra Narayan were things she could not have known, as even Anand did not know, such as where Madhumati was buried. Madhavi just smiles and moves towards the stairs. The real Madhavi, dressed as Madhumati, then rushes into the room. She is late, for the car failed on the way. Anand realises it was Madhumati's ghost he had seen, not Madhavi. He runs up to the terrace, where the ghost beckons to him. Madhumati had fallen from the same terrace, trying to escape Ugra Narayan. Anand follows the ghost, falling to his own death.
Devendra's story is over. But he says "I finally did have Madhumati as my wife. In this life – Radha." Just then, news arrives that the train in which his wife was travelling has met with an accident. The road is cleared, and they rush to the station. Devendra's wife, Radha (Vyjayantimala) appears, unhurt with her baby. | revenge, romantic, flashback | train | wikipedia | One of the most beautiful Indian Films.
Simply beauty.
Vaijyanthimala is simply exceptional as a village girl.
deals efficiently with human relationship and love.
Great movie 10/10 one of the top movies of Indian cinema.
I saw a previous comment about excessive length and I disagree with that.
it is a well made film with not a single dull moment.
The songs are the main strength of the movie are and are all time classics.
Ask an Indian about "Dil tadap tadap ke kah raha hai" or "julmi sang aankh lagi" and the first thing in mind is the word madhumati!
Like most Indian movies there is a feel good ending that some how dampens the strong emotional affect of the tragedy in the movie.
But thats what is the Indian cinema is most known for: it may be tragedy but when you come out of the cinema it feels good..
A romantic tragedy.
The movie Madhumati was made for lovers everywhere.
It portrayed the saying "love never dies" perfectly and the actors, Dilip Kumar and Vijantymala were the perfect couple in this love story.
There was just the right amount of romance and tragedy shown in this movie with a very interesting twist towards the end.
The songs were amazing and they fit the movie perfectly.
My favourite one was "toote hoi khabo ne." To top it off, Johnny Walker gave a wonderful performance that added much needed comedy to this film.
I cannot think of any scene that i disliked, the directors did a wonderful job making sure that the movie was always interesting.I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes romance..
Timeless tale.
Dilip Kumar is Anand, a man who is rushing to the train station to meet his wife and kid.
On the way his car breaks down and he has to seek shelter in a dilapidated mansion.
There he begins to have memories from a past life and remember and retells his life as Deven an accountant for the rich and cruel Ugra Narayan (Pran).
Deven meets the shy village belle Madhumati and a romance grows.
But there is past bad blood between Madhumati's father and Ugra Narayan.
Ugra Narayan's nefarious plans involve separating the two lovers and the outcome is dire.
Deven is devastated until he meets a girl who resembles his Madhumati.
What role will she play in his life?
Will Madhumati and Deven be united in this or a future life?
The movies weaves a beautiful tale of the past and the present and has a twist on the reincarnation story.I was never a huge fan of Dilip Kumar but here he is stunning.
Exceptionally good looking, understated in both the romance and the sadness but never wooden.
Vyjayanthi as Madhumati uses the finger to the lip and wide eyes to convey her innocence and it does work to a certain degree.
But in her other personas she is fabulous, and can she dance!!
Johnny Walker is kind of annoying, but strangely enough he is the only actor who won an award in this film!
Pran is the quintessential villain in the era when a villain was needed in every film.
He plays the bad man quite well and with a certain emotional depth - he first invites Deven as a friend but is spurned and you are left to wonder if he and the story could have taken a different trajectory had his offer of friendship been accepted.The direction is superb.
Bimal Roy tells the tragic tale of Madhumati in a very matter of fact way that still manages to engage the viewers' emotions - the moody way the mountains are shot with a mist enveloping the tragic lovers, the shadows and light in the forests, the precipice that immediately tells you bad things will happen.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee edited the film, Rajinder Singh Bedi and Ritwik Ghatak wrote the story and dialogs - this is an assemblage of talents that delivers the goods in an exceptional way.A discussion on Madhumati is not complete without talk of the songs.
Shailendra wrote the lyrics and Salil Chowdhary composed the music.
The movie almost begins with that mother of all road songs Suhana Safar Aur ye Mausam Haseen.
Then, in a very unusual twist, as it ends there is the start of another number - the haunting Aaja re Pardesi!
There is the folksy Daiyya re Daiyya re Chadh Gayo Paapi Bichua (you might laugh at the lyric subtitles - they do not get the point) and the stage number where the scorpion is imagined!
Then there are the peppy Dil Tadap Tadap Ke and the Zulmi sang Aankh Ladi, the soulful and sad Toote hue Khwabon Nein.
Each song is a gem and the soundtrack is worth buying.This is a fine golden oldie, worth many a repeat watch..
MadhumatiLove never dies!.
Tinged with whimsy, 'Madhumati' is a primeval tale of reincarnation, with retribution and eternal love.
Bimal Roy, a poet of light and shadow, draws you in with sheer lyricism.
Cinema here is more than just the telling of a story.On a stormy night, Devendra (Dilip Kumar) and his friend (Tarun Bose), who are on their way to railway station, take shelter in a creepy and deserted mansion.
Exploring the house, Devendra finds a painting of its former owner, Raja Ugaranarayan, and feels he has painted the portrait.This cues a flashback to his previous life as Anand, when he worked as a foreman on a timber plantation, owned by Raja Ugaranarayan (Pran).In the hauntingly beautiful jungle, he sees Madhumati (Vyjantimala), a beautiful village belle, and falls for her elemental appeal.Initially her father, the Pan Raja (Jayant) disapproves of their relationship, but when Anand vows to marry her, everything works well.
But, the wicked Ugarnarayan casts his evil eye on Madhumati.
When Pan Raja goes to the city, Ugaranarayan arranges for Anand to visit a nearby village.
And then the news of Anand's accident reaches Madhumati, and she rushes to the mansion, little knowing that this is a plan to trap her
'Madhumati' won 9 Filmfare Awards.(Best Art DirectorSudhendu Roy, Best CinematographerDilip GuptaBest Dialogue WriterRajinder Singh Bedi, Best DirectorBimal RoyBest EditorHrishikesh Mukherjee, Best FilmBimal RoyBest Music DirectorSalil Choudhury, Best Playback Singer FemaleLata Mangeshkar For the song 'Aaja Re Pardesi,' Best Supporting ActorJohnny Walker)Vyjantimala is excellent, and Dilip Kumar's convincing turn at befuddlement, earnestness and fascination anchors our belief in the events.The story, punctuated by plenty of dark cloudbursts, sustains its suspense through complications that include a flashback within the flashback a train wreck in the frame story, and no less than three different embodiments of the heroine.The film deploys an eerily romantic atmosphere, enhanced by Salil Choudhury's background score and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's editing.The imagery evokes passion, linking the beautiful Madhumati with nature and tribal cultures, beyond the grasp of capitalist appropriation..
Madhumati(1958).
Although the main theme of this film was a by-word in Indian cinema,superior direction by Roy and acting by Kumar and Vyjantimala plus the haunting music and lyrics contrived to make this the ultimate movie of its kind.
It has its flaws.The comedy apart from Walker is unasked for.As the tragic lovers Dilip KUmar and Vyjantimala never acted better together.An enduring masterpiece which never ceases to amaze.I have seen it countless times but still marvel at it.Pran and Jayant are also in good form and the photography is excellent.Alesson for the modern times,making maximum use of natural scenes to show feelings,moods and the fallacy of man.Few directors could have surpassed Bimal Roy..
An achievement in Indian Cinema.
Most reviewers forget that they are watching a movie made in India in 1958 and that too in black and white.
To see it with FX-laden tinted glasses would be do do a disservice to the makers and the actors.
regardless of the overall delivery of the film.
Though even today ( and i must have seen this movie 10 times already ) you shudder at the thought of Pran in the empty large house, you creep at the surreal lighting, you rejoice at the music and its uplifting raw tribal rhythm, and how you wish you had the panache of Dilip Kumar or the grace of a Madhubala.
The plot keeps you in your grip while the music and the acting are a feast for your senses.
- if you appreciate good cinema, this is a treat.
But remember it belongs to a time, when films, like people used to take their time to unfold and once open would invite you into their arms and never let you go.
As a tribute to the masters and a tongue in cheek to Bollywoods plagiarist accusations - the recent Blockbuster of 2007, OM Shanti OM, has lifted its Climax totally from this film.
Go Check..
Beautiful love story.
Bimal Roy's movies were invariable a tragedy.
In this movie he tried to make a happy ending story.
Music being the hallmark of his movie, takes the centerstage here too.
The song 'suhana safar...' was put to get that romantic touch and happiness into the movie.
But invariable that tinge of sadness is apparent.Madhubala at her best and what to say of Dilip Kumar, better watch it.
And for those non-Indian viewers, look for the song 'bichuva..' ..
Very Good Plot.
The movie is the story about a hilly village, Shyamnagar.
One of the most important things in the movies of 50's and 60's was that they shown strong characters and each and every word that the characters spoke shown a sense of strength.
Madhumati is no exception.
The direction is excellent.
Bimal Roy was on his road to be a legend after Madhumati.
Dilip Kumar and Vijayantimala played another great roles after their success in Devdas.
Music was another strength of the movie.
The songs "Suhana Safar" and all others created history.
Pran also played his role exceptionally well.
The movie is recommended for everyone.
The main drawbacks of the movie were:1.
The scene in which Dilip Kumar saves a child from the horse of Pran was really poor.
Dilip Kumar comes from a long way and it is shown that the child was very near to the coming horse, so it was totally impossible for someone to come from 200 meters and save a child.2.
The voice "Aaja Re Pardesi" of Vijayantimala that comes from the hills creates a sense of mystery in Dilip Kumar but there was nothing like that.
In fact, it should have been shown like a girl singing in hills but it looks as if a spirit is singing.3.
When Pran invites Dilip Kumar to make his portrait, he refuses in less than a second, but he should have waited for at least two seconds.
Then he says that he is busy but he was enjoying the scenery.
So when Pran says that yes he is seeing how much busy he is, he does not show any kind of expression that may show that if Dilip Kumar is busy, and he has no time for making my portrait, then what is he doing there at the moment..
The genius called Bimal Da. Perhaps if not "the best" certainly one of the best from Bimalda's kitty.
Way back in 1958 Bimalda managed to weave a intriguing and nail- biting suspense movie which is nothing short of creative genius.
The black-and-white format actually works to the advantage of the storyline to give it an eerie feel.
♦ Dilip Kumar:: Honestly after watching "Madhumati" I could really appreciate Dilip Kumar's authority over the fine nuances of performance.
The subtlety he effectively brings up on the screen deserves special mention.
As Deven/ Anand he delivers a spot-on performance.
♦ Vyjayanthimala:: The actual protagonist of the movie.
As Madhu she gets into the skin of the character without going overboard.
The rest two characters Madhavi & Radha can be categorised as special appearances.♦ Pran:: Now no wonder Dilip Kumar refused to work with Pran after Madhumati.
If not stealing the thunder right under the nose, he gave a tough fight.
As Ugra Narayan he ensures you hate him to no limits.Rest of the star-cast was adequate.
Music was integral to Madhumati.
Had it not been Shailendra lyrics churned into haunting melodies by Salil Chowdhary, the movie would not have reached the cult status.
Lata Mangeskar I am sure catapulted to dizzying heights after the success of the her numbers.
Songs by Mukesh & Rafi are equally soulful.
Due credit is deserved for the story by Ritwik Ghatak who later on became a yard-stick in his own right.
And of course Rajinder Singh Bedi who pens the dialogues.No wonder Bimal Da held maximum number of Filmfare awards and held undisputed record for many decades..
Gorgeous, heated, classic Indian melodrama....
Here's a brooding and heated melodrama, that seems to me (as an non- Indian, English person) to have taken some great lines from myth and legend and put them all into a romantic drama that transcends time.Having bought director Bimal Roy's 'Devdas' and played that, I found that I'd recorded Mudhumati from Film 4 years ago, but had never got round to playing it - what better time than now to do so?I loved the multilayers of humour, the darker, sinister sides, the romance, the beauty and the love shown for the landscape and even the singing and dancing, which I have to admit, had always put me off 'Bollywood' films, before.
Though long, over 3 hours with ad breaks, it was always compelling and ticked so many boxes that make for a really good film.The on-screen quality, though, was a different matter, though, so bad were the white blemishes, it looked like it was sleeting on occasion!
Sound was poor, too.
One does get used to this, at least a bit, though and would probably lose some of its mysticism if it were a perfect digitally restored version, though I might actually buy such a disc, if one was released here and at a keen price..
Flawed but still interesting.
Madhumati is far short of a perfect film.
it's main flaw, like with many Bollywood ventures, lies in its pacing.
The narrative is stretched out too thin (although there are rumors that some additional convolutions of the plot's reincarnation themes were chopped off after it was felt that they would make the story confusing), there are an insane number of song-breaks (although the songs are crisp with lyrics bearing relevance to the film's theme) and apart from the prologue almost 2/3rds of the film is a conventional fairy-tale romance and tragedy theme.
But in entirety it does have points of interest for the genre fan and is a good notch above uninspired mainstream Bolly product.The film boasts some very effective scenes thanks to excellent editing and moody cinematography.
Also a great performance from Dilip Kumar as the obsessed lover. |
tt2717860 | The Riot Club | Alistair (Sam Claflin) and Miles (Max Irons), both with aristocratic connections, start their first year at Oxford University. Though they are very different — Miles is friendly and level-headed who does not care that his girlfriend Lauren (Holliday Grainger) comes from a lower background, whilst Alistair is an insecure, arrogant and cold-hearted snob with aspirations to follow his friend's uncle, Jeremy (Tom Hollander), a Conservative MP — the common ground is that they both become members of the Riot Club, a long established elite drinking club priding itself on hedonism and the belief that money can buy anything.
Alistair takes the club in more of a competitive fashion and ends up hating Miles. Having been barred from most establishments in Oxford, they have their annual dinner at the function room in a country pub, where their raucous behaviour annoys other patrons though they reimburse Chris, the landlord. After hiring a prostitute who refuses to perform group oral sex, Alistair takes Miles' phone and texts Lauren without Miles knowing, whom they proposition to Miles' disgust. Getting progressively more drunk and ingesting drugs, they start to wreck the room, and when Chris comes to confront them, Alistair punches him followed by the others who viciously attack him, sending him to hospital. Miles attempts to stop them, by calling for an ambulance.
The boys are all arrested but believing that the club is more important than the individual, they agree not to give statements and go on to suggest that Miles, as the newest club member, should take the blame for the attack on Chris. Alistair's skin is then found underneath Chris' fingernails, meaning they can arrest and charge him. Miles' now-ex girlfriend refuses to talk to him, and Miles is approached by the new president of the Riot Club (Guy Bellingfield) to re-join next year, but after nearly having to leave university because of this scandal, he decides to leave the club, a decision which the new president mocks.
Alistair is invited to a meeting with Jeremy, who asks for the Riot Club to be kept out of future court appearances, and assures Alistair that in spite of being kicked out of Oxford, the boy is still a Riot member. Though Alistair is at first aggressively dismissive of Jeremy's proposed assistance, Alistair is brought around when Jeremy offers the boy a position in his office and an assured future. The film concludes with Alistair leaving the meeting with Jeremy, a smug smile on his face as he walks down the street. | violence | train | wikipedia | The unofficial club, which still exists today, consists of a select group of male elites at Oxford University and is the inspiration behind the latest cinema release, "The Riot Club".The Riot Club begins with the group looking to recruit two new starters, as Alistair (Sam Claflin) and Miles (Max Irons) emerge as possible candidates.
While it comes as a slight disappointment that The Riot Club doesn't stray too far from its theatrical origins, it does seem to work in the film's favour, adding to the suspense before the highly dramatic climax.Wade unsubtly incorporates a number of themes in The Riot Club that are reflective of the society we live in, including the inherited privilege and power culture in the country.
There's also a lot of political satire, which comes as no surprise considering some of The Bullingdon Club's ex-members include the current British Prime Minister David Cameron, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and Mayor of London Boris Johnson.Overall, The Riot Club is an excellent play-adaptation that makes for a highly gripping film.
After an amusing introductory scene that informs you of the club's centuries old origin, the film turns to contemporary Oxford and presents us with the latest generation of students and Riot Club members.
It follows first-year students Miles Richards (Max Irons) and Alistair Ryle (Sam Claflin), both are of 'good stock' but the former is normal and down-to-earth and the latter is a malicious, fascistic sociopath.During the fresher's activities, Miles quickly befriends the middle- class Lauren (Holliday Grainger), a friendly girl from Northern England; the romantic pair have a sweet naturalism as they playfully talk about and erode their differing heritages.
The scowling, aloof Alistair however proves to be not much of a conversationalist.Both are soon inaugurated into the Riot Club, whose other members include Harry Villiers (Douglas Booth), the pretty boy who struck me as the de-facto leader of the club; Hugo Fraser-Tyrwhitt (Sam Reid), a closet homosexual with an attraction to Miles; Dimitri Mitropolous (Ben Schnetzer), a horribly rich Greek student, and James Leighton- Masters (Freddie Fox), the smug little squirt who's somehow the president of the club.
Some have said that it is littered with caricatures, however the film isn't about ordinary Oxford students or ordinary privilege, it is about an elite circle of extreme wealth and aristocracy.After Miles and Alistair make up the Riot Club's ten members, the group soon have their risibly pompous suits tailored and set off for a night's debauchery to The Old Bull, one of the few establishments they haven't been banned from.
By the time this happens, I thought I had the measure of the pretentious characters and the film's narrative and tone, however as the 'dinner' progresses, both the characters and the course of events become veritably loathsome.As most will know, The Riot Club is inspired by the Bullingdon Club, an Oxford University dining society infamous for its destructive hedonism that boasts alumni such as David Cameron, Boris Johnson and George Osborne.
The film's main target of attack isn't the purported anti-social behaviour of such people, the obnoxious decadence we witness is not endemic to the highly disagreeable 'Riot Club', what it attacks is rather the characters' raging, blue-blooded superiority complexes that causes it.
Some may disagree with its politics, they may consider it a gross exaggeration; it is indeed vehement in its depiction of class wars, however I think it is undeniably a very well executed piece of filmmaking.The film is adapted from the stage play Posh by Laura Wade, and the middle section of the narrative, which is one long scene, certainly feels like the work of a playwright.
Like Tracy Letts' Killer Joe (2011) and Bug (2006), it is another example of how punchy stage material often makes an excellent transfer to the cinema.Much like Letts' work, The Riot Club contains a maelstrom within a cramped four walls; the scene goes from embarrassing to plain excruciating as the decuplet, fuelled by alcohol, drugs and each other's presence, become increasingly hateful and immoral, the vile crescendo eventually reaching a climax that's genuinely shocking.
He is initially honoured to host the boys, the sight of him sycophantically at the beck and call of people half his age who look at him the way they would dog mess on their shoe is pathetic in the true meaning of the word.The worst offender is Alistair, Sam Claflin is excellent when delivering his well-written diatribes with drunken, acerbic hatred.
Claflin proves himself as an accomplished villain actor, he gives his character a sociopathic quality; when there aren't flashes of his vulgar jealousy, resentment and massive hubris, Alistair has an unnerving emotional vacuity.The Riot Club is not simply 107 minutes of pretty boys holding champagne flutes, it is a sharply made thriller that is perhaps politically divisive but rivetingly executed.84%www.hawkensian.com.
In The Riot Cub, however, we are presented with an odious bunch of toffs with few, if any, redeeming features.Alistair (Sam Claflin) and Miles (Max Irons), both aristocratic and with either latent or pronounced class prejudices, begin their first term at Oxford University.
If director Lone Scherfig (One Day, An Education) is aiming to show us how fortunate we are not to be part of that world, then surely there are subtler ways of doing so.The Riot Club isn't a bad film; it is just a largely unpleasant one.
I felt uncomfortable through most of it, particularly with the pseudo morality of Miles when he apparently tries to do the right thing and rise above it, though his peers do not hold back in reminding him he, too, is there by choice.The Riot Club is well performed by all, the attention to detail feels meticulous, from the perspective of one on the outside, and, yes, there is a part of me that enjoyed it.
It was a fascinating experience that repulsed me frequently and left me feeling rather dirty; a little like the evening I had rotten.com inflicted on me by a long-eschewed former colleague.I suspect The Riot Club will have a limited audience and most of those who venture out will find something within it to fascinate them.
I can't imagine many in my circle of friends wanting a repeat viewing or wishing for a life in the inner circle of society afterwards, though.Well constructed, fascinating and repulsive, The Riot Club is a classic example of a film that is good, despite the subject matter being thoroughly unpleasant.For more reviews from The Squiss, subscribe to my blog and like the Facebook page..
This film tells the story of two freshmen at Oxford University, who are invited to join the exclusive club called The Riot Club.I have to say this film surpasses every bit of my expectations.
It shocks me deeply, and provokes much thought about the discrepancy between the world of the young elites and the general public's perception of them.The story quickly builds towards trouble, and I already had a feeling that the dinner will end badly towards the middle of the film.
The Riot Club is a film that has a feeling of disappointment, not from me, but from itself, it feels like a movie that had more to give us and wanted to but can never quite get into the right gear with it's own inner mechanics, it's a film that comes across as unhappy with it's own final piece.The film has a lot of things going for it despite this, it has an INCREDIBLE cast of young men, the whole premise is pitched just right and when it needs to the tension is palpitatable, So why isn't it a better movie?
I think we need to take a second look at this to get to the bottom of it properly.The Riot Club begins as it means to go on, within the first 5 minuets we are shown hard drug use, strong sex scenes, violence and bad language, it never tries to hide or conceal what it is, but then I suppose this is where the problem starts because a movie like The Riot Club (much like A Clockwork Orange really), tries to live in two camps at once, those being the one of class commentary and the other of exploitation cinema.
When I sat down to watch The Riot Club I expected darkness and debauchery, and what I ended up getting was something mildly unsettling, sure there are flurries of vindictiveness in the film, but they are in the trailer.
I wanted to see a film that would justify the tenseness that I felt during some of the periods of the movie, but instead what I came out with was a feeling of confusion to what the hell happened to it all.The Riot Club works perfectly to a pint, and then during the third act totally loses its way and decides it's run out of time anyway, so brings everything to a screeching halt almost mid flow.
That is a crime I can't forgive, to deny me a justified ending to a film I was largely enjoying is wrong.I feel it goes without saying that film has a superior showing of young up and comers, but what I feel should be said is that aside from the main male dominated teens, there is a surprising mix of other actors and actresses too, this is always a welcomed surprise.At times The Riot Club is funny, at times it's uncomfortable but it never reaches the depths it desires or needed to for me.
The performances are solid, especially from the club's newest members (Sam Claflin and Max Irons), but two thirds of this film is spent focusing on their petty squabbles than relatable facets..
It really made me consider how we act in situations we have very little control over and how responsible should we feel in these kinds of situations.My only complaint about the movie would be the main character (Miles Richards) being a flawless Mary Sue - rich, handsome, witty, intelligent, kind and well meaning, as well as some of the other positive characters being presented as these morally superior beings.
The co-leads are Max Irons and Sam Claflin, who play Oxford freshmen who become the two newest club members.Irons is solid, but when your character's defining characteristic is spinelessness, it's hard to generate a lot of excitement.
REVIEW - THE RIOT CLUB I have watched many films in my life and many wash over me with no meaning except for a few like I Daniel Blake.This film is one of those very rare films that is truly disturbing.
Very gritty , very thought provoking watch this knowing that you will be shocked .A secret Oxford University club where if you have to ask to join you can't be a member who are all from affluent backgrounds and think they are better than anyone beneath their social standing.We see how the club begins from its origins to modern day with the group needing new recruits .
Because It was portraying a group of young, rich and stupid people who were behaving so arrogantly and most general (middle class) people who watch it would feel strongly disapproved and, as a consequence dislike this movie.
The movie really shows how rich kids and even elite adults can be out of touch with the world and think of themselves as superior than the rest, which I believe there are still many like that in the UK.
The thrill in what the riot club members do is exciting and really intrigues one into wanting to go to oxford.
This film is often difficult to sit through, so effective it is in showing us how badly sections of the British upper classes behave at University and beyond.It is based upon one or two similar clubs which exist in Britain today; and from which are eventually drawn some of the top people in the UK.The behavior of these boys is given free reign because of a sense of entitlement with no serious consequences.
While The Riot Club shows an exaggeration in its message, with its overly distinguished 'posh' accents, penguin suits and outrageous dialogue that may only happen in the cinema, it doesn't flinch in its uncomfortable portrayal of a divide between the elite and the rest.
The film centers on a group of 10 pompous, snobby school boys at Oxford, who are enlisted in 'The Riot Club', an exclusive clique that only accepts those with dignified family connections, education and wealth.
The acting is one of the highlights of the film, especially from Sam Claflin, who plays a newly initiated member of the club who shows no hesitance in voicing these perspectives and provoking his fellow 'chaps' to go to extremes to prove their status.
The film starts out flashing all over the place from character to character trying to introduce us to each one of the 10 members of the 'Riot Club'.
The writing is about as uncreative and unoriginal as you could possibly get and the acting is mediocre at best (although probably the best thing this has going for it).There's doesn't seem to be any point or message that Cherfig is trying to get across to the audience, which is fine if you make the film fun to watch.
The Riot Club is a very unusual movie that starts out in a way, but then it takes a total different one without you even imagining it.
A cast of up-and-coming British acting talent - Max Irons, Douglas Booth, Sam Clafin et al - do their best with the one-dimensional characters, as well as giving the impression one of the requirements for membership of the club is possession of fantastic cheek bones.
A cast of outstanding young British actors all acting superbly, together with several very fine, and already established character players, a 'name' director and a successful West End play so why isn't "The Riot Club" more engaging than it is?
"The Riot Club" is said to be very loosely based on the real life Bullingdon Club and is about a group of thoroughly unpleasant, extremely rich young men at Oxford, members of the club of the title, who have dedicated themselves to decadence and debauchery and really just being absolute shits.It's very well done though I'm not sure it tells us very much about the state of the nation that we didn't already know.
The Riot Club, although centring around a dark plot, is more of a voyeuristic film that laughs at British pomp (rather like an episode of Midsomer Murders) with the main idea being that rich people always seem to get their own way.
Although many may try and interpret this film as highlighting underlying political issues, such as the gap between rich and poor, in reality it's just a short, easy-going, two hours of watching students getting drunk and smashing up a room.
With a name like "the riot club" it excites me and look forward to these posh oxford university students going out in London and having a fun riot.
Anyway, the movie is about a club in Oxford University which is for the privileged students who act like spoilt idiots.
After bringing in 2 new students, the Riot Club decide to have a night out in a pub, which gets totally out of hand.
Personally, I think that she should have rewritten the ending because they really needed to shut that awful club down.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $2millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their dramas about an exclusive club in Oxford University (Riot Club) who take there celebrations of initiating 2 new students, a bit too far.
The decline of the middle class and the over-power of the rentier class is the big issue of our time.This movie gets nowhere near it.We are given no idea why these people are so privileged, the characters are simply not dominant (especially the president), and overall it feels like an intra-class conflict - the little people hating on each other - with the bad little people in fancy dress.At the least it had to deliver grotesqueries, but not a bit.
Not a very good film, the "riot group" were a bunch of geeky guys with a bit of cash....They got drunk and smashed up a room....
Sure, Miles and Alistair have at least a little personality but as for the rest of their fellow Riot Club members?
Despite the pub landlord being a little grating at times, you do genuinely feel sorry for him and angry at the actions of the Riot Club.
So even though there are some writing faults with this film, it does actually leave you feeling kind of angry with the aristocracy (the Riot Club actually exists under a different name--google it!!)..
When he objects the Riot Club attempt to pay him off while at the same time berating him about the lowness of his and all working people's standing in their eyes.
And propagandist nonsense like "The Riot Club" just adds to the societal rot where people look upon their fellow citizens as "enemies" based on their coming from a certain background or holding the "wrong" political beliefs.Why four stars?
'The Riot Club' is a thrilling 2014 British drama film, revolving around a small group of born with a silver spoon in their mouths students of the University of Oxford.
Albeit the so-called Riot Club is in the center of the story, most of the screen time is dedicated to Sam Claflin (Alistair) and Max Irons (Miles).
It is much like "The Beach" where it makes you feel dirty for watching but still leaves you unsatisfied.I went to Oxford University and not everyone is posh as sin.
I recommend this film not only because it has a good story plot but because the members of the club are all hot and babes..
yet the Riot Club is supposed to only have 10 members at a time. |
tt0097937 | My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown | The film opens with Christy Brown (Daniel Day-Lewis), who has cerebral palsy, being taken to a charity event, where he meets his handler, a nurse named Mary Carr. She begins reading his autobiography. Christy could not walk or talk, but still received love and support from his family, especially his mother. One day when he was still a young boy, Christy was the only one home to see his mother fall down a flight of stairs while in labor, and he was able to alert some neighbors and summon them over to help. His father, who had never really believed in him, becomes a supporter the day nine- or 10-year-old Christy uses his left foot, the only body part he can fully control, to write the word "mother" on the floor with a piece of yellow chalk.
Consequently, Christy seeks a hobby in painting. The neighborhood youngsters include him in their activities, like street football. But when he paints a picture and gives it to a girl he likes, she returns it. When his father loses his job and the family faces exceptionally difficult hardships, Christy devises a plan to help his brothers steal coal (to their mother's dismay). His older sister, who was always very nice to him, gets pregnant and must marry and leave home. Christy's mother, who had been gradually gathering some savings in a tin in the fireplace, finally saves enough to buy him a wheelchair.
Christy meets Dr. Eileen Cole, who takes him to her school for cerebral palsy patients and persuades a friend of hers to hold an exhibition of his work. Christy falls in love with Dr. Cole, but when he learned during the dinner that she is engaged to be married, he considers suicide. His mother helps him build a private studio for himself, but soon afterward his father dies of a stroke, and during the wake Christy instigates a brawl. At this point, Christy starts writing his autobiography, My Left Foot. Dr. Cole returns and they resume their friendship. Meanwhile, at the fete, Christy asks Mary Carr to go out with him and they leave the fete together. | romantic, flashback | train | wikipedia | When he finished writing that one word, we all knew that we had witnessed not one but three triumphs - the triumph of a human will and spirit, the triumph of the cinema which was able to capture the moment like this on the film, and the triumph of an actor who did not act but who became his character.Jim Sheridan's "My Left Foot" is an riveting, unsentimental bio-drama about Christy Brown, the man who was born with cerebral palsy in a Dublin slum; who became an artist and a writer and who found a love of his life.I like every one of Day Lewis's performances (I have mixed feelings about his performance in GONY) but I believe that his greatest role was Christy Brown in "My Left Foot".
Daniel Day-Lewis' almost impossible performance as a man with cerebral palsy earned him a well-deserved Oscar in 1989 for Best Actor over the heavily favoured Tom Cruise in 'Born on the Fourth of July' and Morgan Freeman in 'Driving Miss Daisy'.
The story follows Christy from his birth until has later years when he eventually gained fame for his art as well as his autobiography, "My Left Foot"--named that because it was his only usable limb.When you watch the film, you will marvel at the acting.
'My Left Foot' is the remarkable story of Christy Brown, born into a working-class Irish family with cerebral palsy.
Using his left foot, the only part of his body he had proper control over, the young man learned to write and paint.I could spend this review talking about the film's excellent portrayal of working class Ireland, and the working class Irish family specifically.
The most important thing about this movie is the brilliant performance by Daniel Day-Lewis and Hugh O'Conor as Christy Brown, guineas artist and fighter who despite of her physical condition overcame all the odds.
This film is brilliant and I have a massive amount of praise for Daniel Day-Lewis who portrays Christy as an angry young man who is coming to terms with everything in his life.
Born with cerebral palsy, the story goes from his tough childhood to his even tougher adulthood where he becomes an expert writer and painter despite the fact he only has mobility with his left foot.Now on to Daniel Day-Lewis.
Also, I must single out Brenda Fricker in this role as Christy's mother because she does such an amazing job.Overall, My Left Foot is a wonderful film that tells a story of a condition that many people must suffer through.
And even though the film doesn't have anything else to offer, the performances are strong enough to keep the viewers engaged.Based on the autobiography of the same name, My Left Foot tells the story of Christy Brown; an Irishman who was born with cerebral palsy but despite his handicap went on to become an artist & writer, all with the help of the only thing he could fully control: his left foot.
The film covers his upbringing in a poor family, his daily struggles, discovery of new passions & also his stint with love.Wonderfully directed by Jim Sheridan, the film is heartwarming & heartbreaking at the same time, and is an inspiring insight into the life of Christy Brown that makes the viewers go through various emotions, but pity isn't one of them.
And last we have Hugh O'Connor who is as good as Day-Lewis for his portrayal of young Christy Brown sets up a perfect stage for Day-Lewis to take over.On an overall scale, My Left Foot is a touching tale about the indomitable will of the human spirit to triumph against all odds, and succeeds mainly because of the unforgettable performances from its highly committed cast.
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS does a remarkable job of playing Christy Brown, the artist who grew up with cerebral palsy but managed to have a productive life, dealing successfully with his handicap and becoming a respected artist and writer.The film, however, is a very difficult one to review--or even watch.
While I respect it as a brave piece of work dealing with difficult subject matter, I can't say it's the sort of film I'd want to view more than once.Nevertheless, my attention was held by the story-telling device, a flashback framed by the present, in which we see Christy being honored for his achievements before we see the flashback to his youth and his struggles to communicate with those around him, who certainly gave him loving care.DANIEL DAY-LEWIS certainly is remarkable as the troubled man who falls in love with a therapist (FIONA SHAW), much to his mother's fear that when the love is not reciprocated his heart will be broken.
There's a painfully long scene in a restaurant where he confesses his love to her before others and then goes into a frenzied rage after drinking too much.BRENDA FRICKER does a brilliant job as the mother taking care of him, his father and a brood of siblings while struggling to keep a roof over their heads until Day-Lewis begins to have success with his work.
My left foot is an epic outstanding film explaining the life and times of Christy Brown,who had cerebral palsy,a severe disability and had only the use of his left foot,but he was defiant,he managed to become an artist and writer against all the oddsI have seen this film a lot of times and each time I see it,I find it equally brilliant each time.I wonder how did this amazing film not win an Oscer for best picture,It is a shambles by the academy awards.
Daniel Day-Lewis is Christy Brown, a victim of cerebral palsy who uses "My Left Foot" to write and paint in this incredible 1989 film.
Their brilliant performances, great script and wonderful direction by Jim Sheridan help to paint a vivid portrait of Christy Brown, an artist and writer who died in 1981 at the age of 49.Brown was born into a lower middle-class Catholic family where his mother was constantly pregnant (22 children in total, 13 of whom survived).
Also, before Mary, Christy had a 12-year relationship with the woman to whom he dedicated "My Left Foot." And the typical Hollywood ending, 9 years before his death where neglect by his wife may have been a factor, doesn't finish the story.Despite all of that, Christy Brown's biopic is incredibly powerful, all the more so because of two performances: Hugh O'Conor as young Christy and Daniel Day-Lewis as the adult Christy.
One is exhausted for him and heartbroken at the same time.And what can be said about Daniel Day-Lewis, one of the greatest actors in the world - he brings Christy totally to life, a fully fleshed out, intelligent human being capable of swearing, becoming angry, bitter, drunk, pushy, lecherous, funny and loving.
My Left Foot was the film that broke Daniel Day-Lewis into the spotlight, giving him his first of three Oscar wins and labelling him as one of the finest actors in the world.
It is a great story with some excellent writing based on a very inspirational man named Christy Brown, but said man is captured so expertly by Day-Lewis that everything else great about the movie is easily ignored.Regarded as being one of the most 'real' actors of all-time, Daniel Day- Lewis reportedly stayed in character throughout the filming process, some may criticize the approach, but when you watch him on the screen, you can tell that all the hard work paid off to the fullest extent.
The story of Christy Brown (Daniel Day-Lewis), who was born with cerebral palsy.
He learned to paint and write with his only controllable limb -- his left foot.I have been a fan of Daniel Day-Lewis since seeing "Gangs of New York" and then began to realize how great he had been for a long time.
I have seen this film three times now, and each time I see it, it becomes more personal and more emotional to watch.The acting is amazing, which is not hard to believe since it is Daniel Day Lewis, who is an amazing actor.
Based on Christy Brown's autobiographical novel, this endearing film tells the story of his life, him being affected by cerebral palsy and being considered basically not a person by everyone including his mother.
Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker both won an Oscar for their efforts.The movie is about a real guy named Christy Brown, who, despite his severe handicap, wins a stubborn struggle for respect, love and the outside world's prejudice.
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown is a great movie with a very well developed storyline and a very impressive cast.I thought this movie would be incredible but in wasn't nearly as good as I expected.I found it very boring at times,but Daniel Day-Lewis really made this movie what it is,his acting is incredible and inspired and he deserved the Academy Award for his performance,but I don't think Brenda Fricker did,I didn't find her performance that impressive.The movie did tell us the story of Christy Brown perfectly and put us in his position all the way through,but I am Irish,and I thought this movie would make me feel very proud of my country,other than Daniel Day-Lewis,it didn't really.If you enjoy dramatic biography movies and Daniel Day-Lewis,this movie certainly is a must see,but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought it would.Adaption of Christy Brown's autobiography of how he overcame cerebral palsy to become an artist and author..
Daniel Day-Lewis is so powerful that you could literally see his heart being blown into pieces, and the way the situation becomes more and more out of control, reveals a dark, almost creepy, side in his personality, a dependence to alcohol and an almost childish incapability to accept his condition, his heart suffers much more than the body, but who could blame him?The power of "My Left Foot" is to rather take an ordinary look of low-budgeted TV family drama rather than a grandiose Hollywood- type biopic, which fits the tone of the film.
The 'porridge' scene was also confusing because it tried to turn Mr. Brown into a real douche-bag while there were more scenes showing pride than animosity between him and Christy, and nothing to show a sort of complicity between Christy and his sister.Apart from these little details, "My Left Foot" tells a great story, about a great character, it's not perfect, but what the heck: humanity is full of remarkable examples of persons whose talent and hard work allow them to overcame their handicap and to communicate with the rest of the world and if it was not for Jim Sheridan's adaptation of the biographic book "My Left Foot" and for Daniel Day-Lewis' extraordinary performance, many of us wouldn't have heard of Christy Brown..
This performance from Daniel Day Lewis goes down as one of the most amazing performances of all time in my opinion.Christie a man who is only able to use one limb - his left foot.Amazingly, he learns how to write and paint with this foot.Watch out also for Brenda Frickers performance.She is absolutely outstanding as a caring mother who would do anything for her sonRATING - 9/10.
I had never seen such an incredible acting job in a motion picture as I did when I saw Daniel Day-Lewis play Christy Brown in My Left Foot.
He played the role of Christy Brown or at least disabled like him all through the filming of the movie and needed surgery because of the damage his superior acting had done to his back.
It's certainly a well made and competent film, but it's clear that the bulk of its success rests on the shoulders of Daniel Day-Lewis, who immerses himself in the role of Cristy Brown, a man living with cerebral palsy.
My Rating : 8/10I've read a lot of crazy stories about how Daniel Day-Lewis always stayed in character during the making of the film and I absolutely love that level of intensity and dedication to one's craft.This is no doubt one of the best acting performances I've ever seen by the master himself.
Both Sheridan and Day-Lewis would later work on "In the Name of the Father", another fantastic Irish-themed drama with similar emphasis on human emotions and gritty authentic performances."My Left Foot" gives us brash honesty; we are left admiring Christy Brown and reminded of the importance of family.
The relationship of Christy and his mother is a special one and the way the film shows a person with cerebral palsy doing all he can to live a normal life, is inspiring.
But back to my main point, it was this inner struggle that kept the character of Christy Brown both fascinating and extremely empathetic.I have the feeling that Daniel Day-Lewis' role in this film is one that will be talked about and studied for years to come.
Actor/chameleon Daniel Day-Lewis gives an award-winning performance as Christy Brown, the physically disabled (but mentally gifted) artist and writer, who overcame both a debilitating handicap and the social disadvantage of a working-class environment using the only functioning limb at his disposal.
My Left foot is a touching story about the life of Christie Brown, a very talented author, painter and poet who had severe cerebral palsy.
There are also brilliant performances from Huge O'Conor who plays young Christie in one of the best scenes in the film where he first uses his left foot to write and not to mention Brenda Fricker who also picked up an Oscar for he heartfelt portrayal of Brown's loving mother.
Day-Lewis probably would have won anyway as his performance was hard to ignore and he had never received any acting nominations from the Academy before this film despite turning in great work in such films as 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' and 'My Beautiful Laundrette.'As Christy Brown, Daniel Day-Lewis makes his character unsympathetic as he doesn't want you to feel sorry for him.
Day-Lewis probably would have won anyway as his performance was hard to ignore and he had never received any acting nominations from the Academy before this film despite turning in great work in such films as 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' and 'My Beautiful Laundrette.'As Christy Brown, Daniel Day-Lewis makes his character unsympathetic as he doesn't want you to feel sorry for him.
Director Jim Sheridan directs the film like a series of home movies that millions want to see.Brenda Fricker won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress as Brown's mother and she is the real moral centre of the film and this film proves that Hollywood is capable of choosing small, lesser known films for Oscar consideration and 'My Left Foot' is a film that is uplifting without being sentimental..
Director Jim Sheridan directs the film like a series of home movies that millions want to see.Brenda Fricker won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress as Brown's mother and she is the real moral centre of the film and this film proves that Hollywood is capable of choosing small, lesser known films for Oscar consideration and 'My Left Foot' is a film that is uplifting without being sentimental..
He plays Christy Brown, a man born with Cerebral Palsy, who is only able to move his neck and his left foot (more like his left leg actually.) This alone is an incredible task on Daniel Day-Lewis' part, having to confine his acting to almost complete paralysis, while gaining remarkable control of his foot, but he also had the inability to talk.
Supporting actors are rather difficult to concentrate on in a movie like this, but Brenda Fricker, who played Christy Brown's loving and loyal mother, gave a very good performance, winning herself an Oscar.
However, Daniel Day-Lewis was the focus of this movie, and he has proved himself to be one of the greatest actors of our time, and definitely my favorite.Jim Sheridan, who has been nominated for six Oscars (two for my Left Foot,) wrote and directed this picture.
Mainly, I just felt that I hadn't seen enough of Christy Brown when the movie finished, when honestly I could have watched Daniel Day-Lewis' performance for many hours before getting tired or bored.
I wasn't at all impressed with the directing in this movie, but Daniel Day-Lewis' transformation into Christy Brown was in the end what made this movie an incredible watch.I was torn with this film, I was very disappointed by the directing and writing, but was completely blown away by the acting.
Day-Lewis is crippled author and painter Christy Brown, and he won the Oscar for best actor.
Daniel Day Lewis won an Oscar for his powerful, unforgettable performance as the flawed but tenacious Christy Brown, and Brenda Fricker did so as well for her supporting role as Brown's solid mother..
Oscar and BAFTA winning, and Golden Globe nominated Daniel Day-Lewis plays Christy Browna crippled man with cerebral palsy who spends most of his life on the floor, in a wheelchair and carried by his family.
Oscar and BAFTA winning, and Golden Globe nominated Daniel Day-Lewis plays Christy Browna crippled man with cerebral palsy who spends most of his life on the floor, in a wheelchair and carried by his family.
Daniel Day Lewis gives his best performance in My left foot, a wonderful film in which Lewis gave one of the most challenging performances I have ever seen: a man with cerebral palsy.
You've really never seen anything like it.My left foot tells the true story of Christy Brown, a scotsman with cerebral palsy.
Despite the brilliant performance of Daniel Day-Lewis, "My Left Foot" is a very disappointing film.In winning the Oscar, Lewis showed great depth and his mannerisms depicting a frustrated man paralyzed from cerebral palsy was amazing.I can't believe that Brenda Fricker was voted best supporting actress for her role as his devoted mother. |
tt0040192 | Bugs Bunny Rides Again | A hail of bullets flies down one street until a traffic light turns red and the bullets hover in mid-air while a second hail of bullets shoot by on the perpendicular street. Afterwards, Yosemite Sam walks into the saloon. All of the patrons are afraid of Sam, yelling his name in terror while the score plays Der Erlkönig (as is often the case for villains in Looney Tunes). No one dares to challenge Sam except Bugs Bunny. Sam says that the town isn't big for both of them; after Bugs tries to accommodate him by then instantly building an entire city skyline, bur Sam is not appeased. Bugs and Sam draws out increasingly bigger guns; Bugs shoots Sam's nose with a pea shooter, and, after performing a soft shoe routine, tricks him into falling into a mine shaft. When Sam returns to the surface, Bugs dares him to cross lines drawn with his foot Sam does so until he falls off the cliff.
Sam chases Bugs on horseback, until Bugs convinces Sam to play cards with him instead, to determine who leaves town. After Bugs wins the game, he tries to get Sam to take the train out of town. The two of them arrive at the train station and discover that the passenger car is the Miami Special, full of swimsuit-clad women. Accompanied with a rendition of Oh You Beautiful Doll fit for a striptease number, the plot twist completely changes the tone. Bugs fights with Sam to board the train, and prevails as usual, shouting, "So long, Sammy! See ya in Miami!" | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0052946 | John Paul Jones | The film begins with a United States Navy officer telling sailors the story of John Paul Jones.
By age 17, John Paul (Robert Stack), a native of Scotland, is an experienced ship's navigator. In 1773, nine years later, he is master of a ship in the West Indies, but after an incident that results in the governor of Tobago advising him to leave, John Paul adds the surname Jones and goes to visit a brother who lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The brother has recently died. Jones hires his attorney, Patrick Henry (Macdonald Carey), to assist in business matters. He also takes a romantic interest in Henry's sweetheart, Dorothea Danders (Erin O'Brien).
After serving as second-in-command of a man-of-war in the Bahamas, his adopted countrymen sign the American Declaration of Independence. Jones receives his first command, sets sail towards Newfoundland and seizes eighteen enemy ships, sending their supplies to American general George Washington (John Crawford).
Washington sends the young officer to France, where he is appreciated for heroic feats at sea. Benjamin Franklin (Charles Coburn) then urges Jones to take a frigate and invade the British Isles. A new vessel is built for him at the suggestion of Marie Antoinette (Susana Canales), and the only condition of his majesty King Louis XVI (Jean-Pierre Aumont) is that Jones' ship sail under an American flag.
Jones' successes ultimately lead him to Russia in 1790 at the behest of the empress, Catherine the Great (Bette Davis). He returns to Paris ill.
A dying Jones, begins to dictate to Aimee (Marisa Pavan) the type of man required and training to be given a future United States Navy officer. The final scenes show the present day (1959) Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Admiral John Paul Jones gains acclaim as one of the bravest and most daring naval figures of his time and in the United States Navy of all time. John Paul Jones remains are located beneath in the Naval Academy Chapel rotunda in Annapolis, Maryland. | romantic, avant garde, murder | train | wikipedia | Colorful story of the Naval hero during the American Revolution....
JOHN PAUL JONES is certainly a colorful film to look at, but the script is rather stately and dull when it should be tense and exciting and a lot of this may be due to the casting of ROBERT STACK in the title role.
His outbursts of anger are sometimes hard to comprehend but he does get things done and everyone seems to bend to his will no matter what the circumstances are--that's the kind of hero he's depicted as being.It's a handsome looking film with a capable cast including CHARLES COBURN as Benjamin Franklin and MARISA PAVAN as Jones' love interest in a rather colorless role.
But BETTE DAVIS has fun with her brief scenes and actually brings a lively flavor to the film once she appears as Catherine the Great and falls under the spell of the man with a commanding presence.It may not be accurate as history, but it's spectacular to watch in some of the lushest Technicolor from the '50s with a nice score by Max Steiner that gives the film a lift when it needs it.
Under John Farrow's direction, the film is a bit talky at times but comes to life during the battle scenes.
A brilliant, unscrupulous hack named Augustus Buell wrote a series of so-called biographies at the turn-on-the-century of various American heroes.
His biography of Andrew Jackson is like his biography of John Paul Jones - he "embellished" it.
His work on the life of Jones was so damaging to scholars that the great historian Samuel Eliot Morison wrote an in-depth appendix of the lies Buell wrote.
An example: Buell said there was a love triangle in Virginia between Patrick Henry, John Paul Jones, and the woman they both loved (whom Henry married).
It is in the film JOHN PAUL JONES.Not everything is in the film.
Buell had a fictitious quote from Napoleon I that he would have used Jones (who lived his last years in Paris)to head his navy against Nelson at Trafalgar.
Robert Stack was an admirable Elliot Ness on television, and had a goofy streak he revealed in AIRPLANE, CADDYSHACK II, 1941, and other late films.
He probably was responsible for killing two crewmen, one who tried to strike the flag of the Bon Homme Richard during the battle with the Serapis, and one just before the war, when Jones was Captain John Paul of the British merchant marine.
This led to Jones fleeing to the 13 colonies, and changing his name.Another thing cleaned up (or at least changed) is the career of Jones as a Russian Rear Admiral under Empress Catherine the Great (Bette Davis).
The film suggests that the Empress hired Jones, in part, due to his attractive appearance (after all, the Empress had all those affairs).
Actually she hired him needing able sea commanders to fight the Turks in the Black Sea. And the experiment did not work because of jealousy by Russian commanders (possibly assisted by Catherine's chief minister Potemkin - whom the famous battleship in the Eisenstein movie is named after).
Jones was (with John Barry and Joshua Barney) the only American Revolutionary naval heroes to win battles against the British.
It even reminds us to the bizaare behavior of Captain Landais, a French madmen who was in command of the "Richard"'s companion ship, who actually fired on the "Richard" during the battle.Also, on a minor note - in one moment of the film Stack is angry about the delays from Congress in giving him a ship, confronting the head of the Naval Committee.
Not entirely accurate but at times rousing nautical adventure purporting to tell the story of the early American naval hero.Stack is okay in the lead but some of his early career zest would have benefited the character.
Some reverence for Jones is that man's due but a bit more animation in Stack's performance would have made him more accessible.What helps deflect from his wooden performance is an incredibly colorful and sumptuous production with several maritime battles thrown in for good measure that's a treat to the eyes.
MacDonald Carey makes a fine Patrick Henry and Bette Davis, dolled up in a sky high wig, ermine and pearls, has a lot of fun in her tiny cameo as Catherine the Great.
As a true document of John Paul Jones life it may miss the mark but it's still a decent entertainment..
Biography of one of the great men of the American Revolution , being produced by the great Samuel Bronston and spectacularly filmed in Spain.
Biopic about a notorious sea commandant , a 18th-century naval hero who became the prestigious leader of the American navy against the British Empire .
This is tribute to the Revolutionary War naval hero filmed in big budget , spectacular scenes and great production design , though was pretty wooden and failed at box office .
The career of Revolutionary War naval hero , John Paul Jones (Robert Stack) from his youth in Scotland through his service to Catherine the Great of Russia (Bette Davis) .
Later on , he greatly aids George Washington (John Crawford) and the American cause .
With Benjamin Franklin's (Charles Coburn) help, he secures a ship from Louis XVI (Jean Pierre Aumont) and Marie Antoinette (Susana Canales) which he calls the Bonhomme Richard and ultimately meets the vaunted British battleship of the line, the Searapis, in one of the great naval battles of all time.
The picture contains interesting drama , a love history , colorful spectacle , historical events and sea battles have some flare , being filmed in Denia , Alicante , Spain .
Being a Spanish/American co-production by Suevia Films-Cesareo Gonzalez along with Samuel Bronston Production in his first movie in Spain where he produced monumental flicks such as ¨El Cid¨ , ¨55 days in Pekin¨ , ¨King of Kings¨ , ¨Circus World¨ and ¨The fall of the Roman Empire¨ .
Richard Pearson and final film of Charles Coburn ; including cameo appearances from Bette Davis as Catherina The Great, the Russian empress , Eric Pohlmann as George III replaced George Sanders , and film debut of Mia Farrow , director's daughter and Maureen O'Sullivan .
Rousing musical score by master Max Steiner , this would be the last time Max Steiner would compose a film score for a film featuring Bette Davis , he had written several scores for movies starring Davis, and had been her favorite composer .
The picture was professionally directed by veteran filmmaker John Farrow , though with no originality , being his final film .
The motion picture was correctly based on historic events , these are the following : John Paul Jones (July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish sailor and the United States's first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolution.
During his engagement with HMS Serapis, Jones uttered, according to the later recollection of his first lieutenant, the legendary reply to a taunt about surrender from the British captain: "I have not yet begun to fight!".
Essentially a biography in movie format, tells of the life of John Paul Jones, the man who put the U.S. Navy on the map during the American Revolution.
Movie also touches on the impact and standards that Jones imprinted on today's navy, and it is this element, among others, that makes this well worth watching.
Not to be overlooked either are Coburn's portrayal of Benjamin Franklin, Davis's of Catherine the Great, and Max Steiner's excellent musical score.
Additional note: movie was produced by Samuel Bronston, who also produced and did a magnificent job on "El Cid." Whether one is looking for a movie about the Age Of Sail period or simply wants to learn about Jones, this is an excellent choice..
I have always believed that one of the reasons that John Paul Jones continues to be a fascinating figure is that we in America pride ourselves in that Horatio Alger tradition of the young man rising from humble circumstances to obtain wealth and prominence.
And as the son of the gardener of a Scottish estate who ran away to see as a boy, his circumstances could hardly have been more humble.Robert Stack makes a commanding John Paul Jones and he's a full blown hero in the tradition of the Samuel Eliot Morrison biography from which this film is adapted.
There is a later book about him that came out a few years back written by Evan Thomas which presents Jones as the hero this film makes him out to be.One thing that was overlooked is that it presents Jones as a man unlucky in love.
Except for a cameo appearance as himself in Pepe, this film was the farewell role for Charles Coburn who played Benjamin Franklin who was Jones's biggest booster in the Continental Congress.
He also did not bring him the news of an offer of a commission in the Russian Navy under Queen Catherine the Great.Bette Davis played Catherine the Great ever so briefly and I wish we got to see more of her.
Jones did take command of her fleet and did defeat the Turks as per the film.
It was the only time Jones showed what he could do as a naval strategist and he passed the test.
In an ironic twist of history when Adams got to be the second president of the United States and we were in an undeclared naval war with France, he got a Navy going in a hurry then.
Our department of the Navy was founded during his administration, but John Paul Jones was a few years dead by then.Despite some historical errors the film does present John Paul Jones as he would wish to be remembered.
And this review is dedicated to the United States Navy, to the many men and women who have served and continue to serve in it, guided by the example of a fine fighting commander in John Paul Jones..
Overdone in the Sun. After becoming a Revolutionary War hero, Scottish seafaring Robert Stack (as John Paul Jones) wants to hook up with wispy Marisa Pavan (as Aimee de Tellison), upon obtaining the blessing of founding father pal Charles Coburn (as Benjamin Franklin).
Although he helped win America's independence, Mr. Stack butts heads with the country's Congress, who send him to Russia, where he has a brief encounter with French-accented Empress Bette Davis (as Catherine the Great).This overproduced and generally uncomfortable-looking "John Paul Jones" biography is loud, stiff, and boring.
There is an impressive use of fire during a sea battle, and Mr. Stack does get to exclaim, "I have not yet begun to fight!" Ms. Davis adds little beside her name to the credits, but Mr. Coburn and a few others help keep it afloat.**** John Paul Jones (6/19/59) John Farrow ~ Robert Stack, Marisa Pavan, Charles Coburn, Bette Davis.
John Paul Jones movie extras.
(I'm looking for ALL locations)and does the movie archive keep a list of unnamed and uncredited extras who appeared (in the backdrop) of the film?
the other reviewer hit the nail right on the head, this movie is full of historical inaccuracies, the house of burgess is in Williamsburg, Virginie, and John Paul Jone's brother lived and is buried in historic downtown fredericksburg, a good two hour drive from Williamsburg.
despite the flaws, i've liked this movie ever since i was a little boy and saw it on TNT during one of the fourth of July marathons...
maybe i like my heroes a little stiff, but i thought Robert stack did an alright job.
although, it would be nice to see the movie remade with a little more historical accuracy, and maybe have Mel Gibson or Russel crowe or a Scottish actor play jpj...
Wow....you'd think that John Paul Jones needed meds if you watch this film!!.
First off, the review by theowinthrop is masterful--and so I don't have to go into great deal about all the ways that the film is historically inaccurate.
Second, this film is enough to convince me that my uncle is correct--Robert Stack wasn't much of an actor or at least the writers writing his part were idiots!
After all, almost every five minutes, his John Paul Jones is getting angry and flying off the handle--screaming and carrying on like he'd missed more than a few doses of medication!
Well, the color cinematography was lovely and at least the film did not end with the American Revolution but at least mentioned his service for the Russians as well as his death in France.
Robert Stack, who plays John Paul Jones in this biographical pic, was by all accounts a nice guy, an avid skeet shooter who didn't take his career too seriously.
His expressions throughout "John Paul Jones" is one of firm conviction.
Moreover, the viewers, many of whom may be presumed never to have even HEARD of John Paul Jones, also get to meet Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin, and a few other historical figures.
In The Revolution only one man attacked British merchant shipping so fierce that the Llyod's Company begged King George to let America go.
Such a character must have captured taken Hollywood by storm.Billed as the "true" story of John Paul Jones, John Paul Jones offers for Hollywood an accurate summary of the dynamic naval hero's life.Though larger than life, Jones born John Paul stood 5'6" tall, hardly NBA material today but in his time perhaps average.
John Paul at age 14 goes to sea as ship's boy.Rising to wealth in the West Indies, John Paul (Robert Stack) kills a mutinous crewman.
In his next command, Jones takes 18 British vessels.
Despite all the prizes, the Continental Congress lands Jones at the bottom of their list of naval commanders.Robert Stack's stately appearance and mellifluous voice carry the air of command, even if they do not capture a Scottish burr.
Stack plays Jones as the committed hero, unshakable in battle, despite a justifiably anger at the ingratitude Congress would show almost all its talented land and sea commanders.Yet despite the rage General George Washington (Jack Crawford) persuades Jones to return to sea to break the British blockade.
Jones promises to steal the derelict Ranger docked at Portsmouth, refit it, raise a crew, and set to sea.On the briny, the French greet The Ranger (according to the movie) with the first salute given to the flag of the United States.
History usually gives the honour of the first salute to US colors to the Dutch at St. Eustis.Rushing to Doctor Franklin (Charles Coburn), Jones has a plan to invade the British Isles with a tiny ship.
Refusing to surrender, Jones declares the famous words, "I have not yet begun to fight." The British surrender just in time for the Americans to transfer to the captured vessel before the good ship Bonhomme flounders.First in war and first asea, Jones finishes last in love.
The Real life Jones warned accurately of future trouble with the Barbary coast.The new Republic would pay dearly ($2000 per seaman captured by barbary pirates) for ignoring Jone's prophesy.Jones departed for Russia to accept a commission as rear admiral in the Czarist Imperial Navy from Catherine the Great (Bette Davis).
In the movie, Jones is on assignment from the US government to study the building of a real navy; in reality Jones was out of work and needed a job.
While the Empress is less interested in war than playthings, Jones prefers the sea and his command.The real life Jones found the Czarina's navy in worse shape than the American Navy with conscripted serfs unable at seamanship.
Luckily Jones was permitted to leave for France.The movie version is kinder to the Russians.
Despite constant interference and poor ships, Jones has won great battles in the Black Sea for the czarina.
In real life Jones died alone.
Franklin had departed for America long before.Jones probably would have enjoyed the uniqueness of his burial: the first unnoticed almost without ceremony in the foreign cemetery in Paris seething with its own revolution.
As we recall, the series was already on ABC when JOHN PAUL JONES(Samuel Bronston Prod./Suevia Films/Warner Bros., 1959)hit the shows.*AS AN HISTORICAL Biopic, it was somewhat more lively than many others; which often opted for a more Docudrama approach.
This was most likely a mood setter and a dramatic tool.OTHERWISE THE MOVIE moves along tracing the life of who has been called "the Father of the United States Navy" as it progresses from humble beginnings to his famous quote of "I have not yet begun to fight!" BY STORY'S END we see Admiral Jones auditioning for Russia's Czarina Catherine the Great; being played in a sort of Cameo Role by the Actress of Actresses, Betty Davis.SEEING THIS WAS a big deal for us when we were in Junior High.
During JOHN PAUL JONES, the title character is thwarted at every turn by fat cat family flunkies thriving in the proprietary seas of their own incompetence.
Rich People Greed again and again stymies JOHN PAUL JONES' heroic efforts to build an American Meritocracy based upon Democratic Values.
And so ended Robert Stack's movie career.
This turgid thing has to be one of the most boring movies I've ever had the misfortune to watch.
John Farrow, the director of this awful movie, should have been ashamed of himself.
The actors all look either bored or at a loss as how portray their parts, especially Robert Stack ,whom has never been more wooden in his whole career.
An actual action scene does take place about 95 minutes into the movie, but it's much too little , too late.
Charles Coburn is a welcome participant as is Bette Davis at the end , although the scene she appears in, with the "bring on the dancing girls, if all else fails" routine, is unintentionally funny. |
tt0372532 | The Wedding Date | Kat Ellis (Debra Messing) is a single New Yorker who returns to her parents' house in London to be the maid of honor at her younger half sister Amy's (Amy Adams) wedding. The best man is none other than her former fiancé, who unexpectedly dumped her two years ago. Anxious about confronting him and eager to impress him, she hires suave escort Nick Mercer (Dermot Mulroney) to pose as her boyfriend.
Kat intends to make her former flame, Jeffrey (Jeremy Sheffield), jealous, but her plan backfires when Nick convinces everyone, including her, that they are madly in love. Kat then feels herself, too, falling for Nick as he slowly falls for her. The night before the wedding, Kat discovers Amy slept with Jeffrey when they were still together, and that Jeffrey dumped Kat because he believed he was in love with Amy. Nick had discovered this fact a day earlier, and when Kat finds that out, she feels betrayed from all sides, and puts Nick off. He decides to return to America, and leaves Kat the money she had paid him.
On the wedding day, seeing Kat distressed, her step-father (Peter Egan) asks Kat if Nick 'is the guy for you', and Kat realizes he is, so she sets off to find him. Meanwhile, just before the wedding, Amy confesses her betrayal to her fiancé, Ed (Jack Davenport), but professes her love for him. Ed, upset, chases Jeffrey out of the church and down the road. Jeffrey in distress of the chase, said he gave up on Amy and believes he's done nothing wrong. To which Ed, calls him a "back-stabbing weasel", though Jeffrey believes he's still done nothing wrong because he slept with Amy before they dated. Ed shouts out that he was engaged to Kat, proving he was still in the wrong for what he did to Kat. Nick, driving away, picks up Ed as Jeffrey disappears into the woods.
Nick and Ed talk about love, and Ed decides he loves Amy more than he is angry. To make it more clear that he should go back, Nick tells Ed if he went back the couple would end up having great make-up sex. To which, Nick helps urge him more to return to the church, so they end up getting married, with Nick as 'new' best man. Just before the ceremony, Nick tells Kat he realized he'd "... rather fight with you than make love with anyone else", and they kiss passionately. Kat and Nick begin a real relationship together. Amy and Kat now reconcile and Kat lets go of her anger and forgives Amy since she confessed the truth to Ed. TJ, Kat's cousin also apparently enjoys a moment with Woody after the wedding. Jeffrey, the main cause of all the trouble, learns absolutely nothing. At the end he is seen trying to get the attentions of a female neighbor. | romantic, boring | train | wikipedia | It's a cute, mildly funny, sometimes sappy, story about a woman, Kat, played by Debra Messing, so wrecked from her last relationship that when she has to go to her sister's wedding where she knows that he ex will be she hires a male escort to go and make him jealous and her family get off her case.
It's a movie for women, by a woman director, and it's really for any girl who ever wished she could have a happy ending like Cinderella.
More than just a romantic comedy, it is a good people movie in which you can visualize yourself (or someone you know) embodied in one of the cast's believable characters.
I went to this movie hoping for a fun enjoyable romantic comedy.
Debra Messing and Dermot had good on screen chemistry and there were twists in the plot that I don't think anyone could have foreseen.
Debra brought her comedic skills to the big screen showing she isn't just a TV star she is now a full fledge leading lady - watch out Julia!I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys the romantic comedy genre.
I loved it so much I would have bought a copy on the spot leaving the theatre to have as my own.Don't believe the critics who are panning this movie see for yourself a wonderful romantic film..
I think this movie was the perfect escape for women who don't want to watch football..
so, i mean give it up, sit back, and just enjoy this very awesome movie.The actors are very well cast, and while i must agree that some of the many plot lines are mostly left hanging, the important ones are not..
After reading some reviews, I had my doubts, but I have to say that I had a good time watching Wedding Date.
I much prefer Dermot Mulroney in this movie than in My Best Friend's Wedding with Julia Roberts.
While the movie did have a very simple plot it was made totally enjoyable by the wacky cast of characters and great one-liners that they tossed out.
I loved every minute and thought it was worth every penny.I will buy this movie the day it comes out on DVD..
My biggest gripes, if you can call them that, are: 1) that we're asked to believe that Dermot Mulroney's character is *so* into Debra Messing's character pretty early on, without much to back it up; and 2) that some of the most romantic lines in the movie are spoiled by being used in the trailer (I hate it when that happens).I thought the casting was well done, and that there was a good amount of character development, probably (surprisingly) more so in the secondary characters.
If I had to compare it to something, I'd call it a bit more risqué version of _My Best Friend's Wedding_, but really, don't *not* go because you think it's already been done or is too clichéd - this is a really funny movie that had people in the audience clapping and laughing the whole way through..
Beautiful Kat (Debra Messing, revisiting her "Will & Grace" character by rote)pays $6000 for a male escort (Dermot Mulroney) to accompany her to her half-sister's wedding in England.I have to mention that "Will & Grace" in the first place is basically a reworking of the film "My Best Friend's Wedding" ANYHOW, with Ms. Messing filling in for the similarly long-red-haired Julia Roberts with a gay friend she is practically in love with, and in that film, Dermot Mulroney ALSO played her old boyfriend!
It took me nearly half the film to even figure out their relationship, it was portrayed so confusingly.Mulroney and Messing have no sex appeal or chemistry together, and the dialogue is not witty or charming enough to carry the viewer across the many plot roles or unbelievable circumstances (such as: why a gorgeous babe like Kat has to hire a male prostitute, when any red-blooded man would be eager to date her).
The reworking of the "Pretty Woman" plot line is very thin, as male prostitutes are much rarer than female and because we culturally find the idea of a woman paying for sexual pleasure sorta "icky", Kat never actually pays for sex and Dermot's character actually pays back his $6000 fee, thus negating the whole hooker/john(or "jeanette") relationship.Utterly without any romance, this is the worst chik-lit type film I have seen since "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" and actually it's worse.
I can see both Messing and McDermott in these roles with a better writer, director, and producer.This easily gets my vote as one of the worst movies I've ever wasted time on.
i like Debra messing from will and grace and wasn't really sure if she could carry a movie (since she really hasn't had a lead in a while).
Honestly, don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good cheesy chick-flick as much as the next person and would defend '13 Going On 30' to the death, but a good chick-flick this certainly is NOT!I've never posted on this site (or any other) before but feel I must warn anyone with a shred of intelligence or who lives or has lived in England: you will spend the entire running time cringing over the painfully awkward, wooden dialogue and laughable (well, I say 'laughable' as a figure of speech; an overwhelming sense of depression will muffle any budding laugh at this attempt at comedy), sub-Richard Curtis depiction of English life.
Underneath each Englishman does not lurk a wildly inappropriate Austin Powers, and frankly, good luck finding an English-speaking barman in London nowadays!Debra Messing is good in 'Will and Grace' and was either seriously underused and cast only to whip up publicity for this film as anyone off the street could have played this one-dimensional role, or perhaps just comes off well in 'Will and Grace' because of the chemistry with her co-stars, something which was in embarrassingly short supply here.
He can't act even a little bit, he can barely speak, and he looks not 0.1% as good as he thinks he does, or is supposed to in this role.Ms Messing is well suited to him in those respects.
I won't even waste my time listing the faults.Do yourself a favour and watch any other movie ever made, or failing that just stick needles in your eyeballs for a couple of hours - it would be a more pleasurable and valuable way to waste your life..
To answer Canuck Girl's question from the post previous - the quote that was said a few times, in the article and by Kat's dad at the wedding was -"every woman has the exact love life that she wants".
It won't win any awards or anything, but it made me laugh and I was entertained for an hour and a half...what more do ya want!I do have to say that it was a little bit similar to a few movies I've seen recently though.
It reminded me a lot of the movie Jennifer Aniston was in "Picture Perfect" ...similar plot...she hires someone to pretend (Jay Mohr) to be her boyfriend to make someone else jealous (Kevin Bacon) and then ends up falling in love with him the one she hired.
Unfortunately for "The Wedding Date," I can only rate the film with 4 out of 10 possible tears.My apologies to fans of Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney, but I did not see much chemistry between their two characters.
The premise of the film is a reverse "Pretty Woman," with Dermot playing the role of Nick, a high-priced male escort hired by Debra's character Kat to accompany her to England for her sister's wedding.
Weak Rom Com. Debra Messing plays Kat Ellis, a neurotic single woman, who hires a male escort (Dermot Mulroney) to play her boyfriend as she attends her sister's wedding where she knows her ex-fiancé will be the best man.The film is just as predictable as the story is generic.
Usually I can tolerate films like The Wedding Date but with unlikable leads, it's a little harder this time around.
In the end, there really is no reason to watch The Wedding Date and it's better if you just skip the movie.
Sick of people feeling sorry for her, single-woman, Kat Ellis (Debra Messing, TV's "Will and Grace") hires male escort Nick ( Dermot Mulrony, "About Schmidt") to pose as her boyfriend for her sister's wedding in London.
But ultimately Nick helps Kat realize that she can open up, and let someone love her.The film borrows too much from similar wedding movies.
The movie also has a reverse "Pretty Women" theme going for it, and knowing her audience, the director makes clever references to that and other films."The Wedding Date" has all the clichéd elements of a typical wedding movie, there is the stereotypical overbearing mother (Holland Taylor, "Legally Blonde"), and practically plagiarized wedding speeches by the family and friends at the wedding and rehearsal dinner.
The real reason why Kat was dumped comes as a surprise and changes the direction of the film for the last half hour.Even though "The Wedding Date" is predictable, it is able to stand on its own.
The feel good story, and humor make it the best date movie released in a long time..
The acting is pretty good, Debra Messing does a great job as a leading lady, she really can carry a romantic comedy.
If you need a feel good love story that you AND a guy will like, this is definitely the movie for you.
I'd rank "Star Wars", "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "My Favorite Martian" as slightly more likely to happen in real life....Meet Kat, an annoying, neurotic career woman (although admittedly Debra Messing has never looked more beautiful) who hires a gorgeous, nationally renowned male escort (Dermot Mulroney) to be her date to her sister's wedding.
"the wedding date" is a romantic comedy that is in no way like "pretty woman" like all the critics say.
i hate that critics are giving this movie such bad reviews, because it was honestly one of the best romantic comedies i have seen in many years.
His dad ended up bringing him back to life 4 times until the electricity miraculously ended up going out, which saved him from a terrible awful death.So let it be known that the wedding date is a true demon.P.S. The males who are reading this need to be aware.
It is neither funny nor touching, there is no chemistry between Messing and the charisma-free Mulroney and everyone is trying to hard without succeeding on any level.It is a cobbling together of elements from Four Weddings & a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill and Pretty Woman but lacks the charm of all of its influences.It is depressing that anyone thought this was worth the time and money required to bring it to the screen.Cinematic excrement..
It's a good date movie, most women would enjoy it for what it is...
And Debra Messing brought a certain warmth to her character which allowed the female audience to feel like they could totally relate to her which (in my opinion) takes real talent.
They meet the first time getting on a plane to her sister's wedding and over the course of three days realise that they're meant to be.This isn't like Pretty Woman, which also causes you to suspend belief in the romance, but the characters and their relationship with each other and their conversations make you believe it.
The editing was very choppy, and as a result, scenes didn't mesh, characters weren't developed, there weren't clear reasons for some of the "romantic/outrageous" things that occurred, and the movie took on a very (unintentional, mind you) zig zaggy storyline.
Yes it is a standard wedding/desperate single woman "chick flick", but there is so much room for originality regardless, and this movie completely flopped in this regard.I would not recommend this film to anyone willing to spend money, or go for a relaxing night with a date.
I am a fan of the genre, but films such as My Best Friend's Wedding put this movie to shame.
The worst thing of all is that you have two very likable actor in Dermot Mulroney and Debra Messing and their talents are totally wasted.
see the hilarity that ensues when debra messing's character must find a date to her step sister's wedding...
Thank goodness for movies like The Wedding Date..
Dermot was HOT, HOT, HOT and Debra Messing was believable and at times, very cute in her actions and manner.Some of the funniest lines in the film were a little hard to hear, but that was it.
The film was so sweet and the chemistry between Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney was so perfect.
But what makes this little film charming is the degree of commitment from such solid actors as Dermot Mulroney and even Debra Messing.
In this romantic comedy, Debra Messing plays Kat, a single New Yorker.
It's very comedy and I think it's heartbreakingly romantic, yes, heartbreakingly, I almost burst into tears when Nick Mercer(Dermot Mulroney) said "you're three hundred in short", just see the look on his face, too much emotion makes it emotionlessly cold.
" I think this is all due to Dermot Mulroney's personal attraction, he's the most gorgeous American guy, very much like the PERFECT DATE in this movie.
In this sparkling romantic comedy, Debra Messing plays Kat, a never-married New Yorker, who is invited to her parents' London home for her younger sister's wedding.
In a desperate attempt to face the ordeal with dignity, Kat hires Nick (Dermot Mulroney), a charming and handsome professional male escort, to pose as her new boyfriend and escort her to the wedding.
It cleverly showed realistic relationships, ie Kat and her sister Amy's strained relationship.The basic plot is that Kat hires a male escort to accompany her to her sister's wedding in England so as to make her ex-fiancé mad with jealousy.This film has just the right amount of comedy and romance and is thoroughly enjoyable and very watchable.
Debra Messing was really good and the woman from cutting it was the funniest actress i've seen in such a long time.
The twists and turns of the movie were indeed surprising, making it interesting for the non-lovers for romantic-comedy films.The day I watched the movie, I watched My Best Friend's Wedding in the morning for the nth time without any idea that my best friend would be calling me in the afternoon to invite me to watch a movie with him.
As I always get the chance to choose what movie to watch, I chose The Wedding Date.
After watching the movie, I fell in love with Dermont Mulroney like crazy.
Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney are genuinely sweet and "real" As someone else online has said Pour the champagne and toast "The Wedding Date." ( mallard "calvin" (Cleveland, OH USA)).
Story goes like this Kat Ellis (Messing), who returns to her parents' London home for her sister's wedding is afraid of confronting her ex fiancé, who dumped her two years before, she hires a male escort Nick (Mulroney) to pose as her new boyfriend.
I thought this movie was perfect if your looking for a lighthearted romantic comedy.
Plus, Messing is great in "Will and Grace", but she just didn't carry the romantic lead in this movie.For comparison, if you are like me, and you liked "My Best Friends Wedding", or "French Kiss", then, IMO, this movie will disappoint.
It simply pales in comparison to other good romantic comedies.Of course it has the predictable "funny" parts, but all in all, I would not recommend this movie..
This movie asks you to suspend your disbelief and believe that Debra Messing, who is absolutely gorgeous, could not find a date to her sister's wedding.
So, Kat (Messing) hires a man named Nick (Mulroney), who may turn out to be the guy she has been looking for her entire life ;).
However, had there been a different leading man, with better chemistry with Messing, this could have been a very good little movie.
Debra Messing was fabulous as the leading lady, Kat Ellis, who hires a male escort, Nick Mercer, for her sister's wedding.
I really did enjoy the casting, Debra Messing did a good job and Amy Adams did as well, and of course the very sexy Dermot was the perfect romantic interest.
In this film Debra Messing's character, Kat, goes to London to her sister's wedding and to deal with the fact that her ex will play a large part in the wedding party.
Dermot Mulroney's character is hired by Kat to escort her to the wedding, to help her deal with the stress and awkwardness of the wedding.Neither Dermot Mulroney nor Debra Messing worked for me in this film.
There's good chemistry between Debra (Kat) and Dermot (Nick), the hooker - as he calls himself at one time.
I'm sure most people have seen or heard of at least one other romantic comedy following a plot that includes prostitute and client falling in love, former flames, or getting a date for a wedding/some other social outing to not look like a loser (or all three).
However, with better romantic comedy movies, they at least try to have something good about them; fresh jokes, good witty dialog, enjoyable characters, etc.
Debra Missing is one of the brightest new talents to come from television, and she lights up the screen in a happy, positive way, but she may not yet be ready to carry a heavy romantic comedy-drama such as this--especially one so obviously cobbled together from other wedding movies.
He always plays "the good guy." Well, what I want to know is how he manages to land roles with people like Julia Roberts who he was acting beside ALSO pertaining to a wedding, and not get discouraged as an actor?
Had it not been for Amy Adams and Debra Messing, the movie would have been a total waste of time for me. |
tt0016676 | Born to the West | On the vast mountainous Montana vista, to the soft strains of a "ride 'em" chorus, horned cattle are quietly herded until raiders divert them. Hearing shots, Dare (Wayne) "This is no time to think" in a tall white hat, and hungry dark-mustached wiry side-kick lightning-rod salesman Dink Hooley (an uncredited Syd Saylor) mis-call "the winning side", add their wild mustangs to confusion and dusty stampede at jerky triple time of original silent film. Rough shrubby terrain provides a dangerous battleground.
Seemingly safe across border in next state, Wayne's cousin Tom Fillmore (John Mack Brown), local "big man," Bank President, and "shining" good sheep of the family surprises the pair, and offers them a job. "People around here spend too much time thinking"; John just fist fights and proposes while Tom's girl Judy (Marsha Hunt) bandages his eye, "I guess I'll just marry you" he says. She declines to answer, but says, "You've been hurt enough for one day." When a rattler scares her horse, Tom's somersaults and Dare wins the chase.
"I wound up the cat and kicked the clock out" is Dare trying to turn a new leaf and be responsible. Judy asks Tom to take the cook's apron off Wayne, so the boss does promote his cousin to foreman of the herding. First night out, rustlers attack - empty blankets "Hope it don't start raining". Dare makes the sale for over $10K, but gets convinced to pay out wages and stay the night to celebrate, proving who is "the best player west of the Mississippi". The bartender serves a deck under the bad guy's tray of drinks, and Dare loses almost everything.
When Dare is late returning, Tom tells Judy the cost was worth every penny to show her Dare's true nature. She pleads for him to save Dare "You're smart about these things, smarter than any man I know." He arrives in time to take over playing and catches their trick. Fillmore hands have already left, so the bad guys shoot Tom in the shoulder and pursue the trio. Dink diverts some and catches up to bring the hands back, while the cousins hole up, Dare admitting Tom is the best poker player. Back home after winning the gunfight, Tom tells Judy where Dare is riding out of town, and that he wants to offer him a partnership, so Judy brings the Montana-bound buddies back. | violence, romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0065360 | ...tick... tick... tick... | In a small Southern town, deputy Jim Price is elected sheriff over John Little, the incumbent. Racial tensions exist in the community, and Price gets little assistance from Little, leaving office, or from Mayor Parks, who insists he be consulted on any decision the new sheriff makes.
A white man, John Braddock, is arrested on a manslaughter charge after his drunken driving causes the death of a young girl. Braddock's father carries considerable influence and demands his son be freed. Price's deputy, Bradford Wilkes, is beaten by Little's former deputy, Bengy Springer.
Another arrest is made, this time of a black man, George Harley, accused of rape. The townspeople's mood turns uglier by the minute, particularly when Braddock's father threatens to spring his son by force if necessary.
Little's conscience gets the better of him. He agrees to become Price's new deputy. Together, they try in vain to persuade other men in town to side with them against Braddock's vigilantes and to convince the mayor to call in the National Guard for help. Alone against the mob, Price and Little form a barricade and prepare for the worst when their fellow townsmen suddenly join them in the street. | blaxploitation | train | wikipedia | Film-critic Leonard Maltin called this "a poor man's In the Heat of the Night", which sounds like an easy way to dismiss a movie that is actually quite good on it's own terms, and not really anywhere close "In the Heat of the Night" story-wise (except for the part of white southerners learning to respect a black man).In my opinion, Jim Brown is one of the coolest athletes-turned-actors of his generation.
Here he's given one of the best parts of his career, and he even gets great support from a number of wonderful actors, notably the legendary Fredric March, who chews the scenery as a quarrelsome old mayor and George Kennedy as the former sheriff (and I guess this movie's equivalent to Rod Steiger if Leonard Maltin had a say in it).
Don Stroud (whatever happened to his career?) is creepy as a racist ex-deputy and any fan of Clifton James should get a kick out of his part, as a leading klan-member who in the end turns out to be one of the main characters in the plot, and not such a bad guy after all.A surprisingly engaging movie, at times quite gripping, with inspired direction by Ralph Nelson and a show of force from a first-rate cast.7.5/10.
Jim Brown takes over as a sheriff of a racially se....
Jim Brown takes over as a sheriff of a racially segregated southern town from George Kennedy in the 50's.
Excellent human nature study of the time when a turn of events forces Brown to seek Kennedy's assistance with a tense situation.
Believe Kennedy and Brown fans would be impressed with this film..
In The Heat of The Day. This film is hugely under rated and deserved a clutch of awards."Racial tensions threaten to explode when a black man is elected sheriff of a small, racially divided town in the Deep South".The movie is set in a time when race almost defined a nation.
And the picture captures the period brilliantly illustrating the culture, language and music of the era.There are stand out performances from George Kennedy-surely one of his finest- as the former sheriff coming to terms with unemployment and racism.
The town mayor played by Frederic March, who gives a charismatic amusing performance.
But the best of all and the one who steal the show is Clifton James who is apparently hostile to the new sheriff but events have a way of changing minds.
Where he excels is his ability to convey his thoughts silently, a skill few actors possess.All the cast are convincing as is the ultimate theme and outcome of the story.Highly recommended:8/10..
...tick...tick...tick is the story of a county somewhere in the Deep South undergoing some radical changes in the wake of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts of the Sixties.
A new black sheriff has been elected as a result of the Voting Rights Act and the organizers who came down from the North to see it enforced.
But now that Jim Brown has the job, the organizers have gone back North and what to do now in a tense racially divided situation.One person trying his best to deal with things is Mayor Fredric March who is a southern politician of the old school, but by no means a stupid man.
He will govern his town as best he can without any outsiders, thank you.The key in the situation is former sheriff George Kennedy who is a good old boy, quite comfortable with the white power structure, but also an honest and fundamentally decent man.
Things come to a head quickly when a punk kid from another county runs down a little girl who happens to be white and leaves the scene.
When Brown arrests Bob Random the kid's father who is a bigwig in the neighboring county threatens to invade Brown's jurisdiction, the new sheriff has a crisis on his hand.
What will ALL the residents of Collusa County do in this situation?In many ways this film is something of a successor to In The Heat Of The Night which covered many of the same issues.
In The Heat Of The Night takes place in a time right on the cusp of the changes being voted in Washington.
Sad to say that the Academy Award winning In The Heat Of The Night has overshadowed this film, especially after it became the basis of a television series.
...tick...tick...tick in my opinion could also be readily adapted to the small screen.One thing that In The Heat Of The Night has way over this film is a superior musical score.
Whose brilliant idea was it at MGM to have Jim Brown chase Bob Random through the woods with the Mike Curb Congregation singing Gentle On My Mind?
It was so out of place.The three leads are superb in their performances and such folks as Clifton James, Dub Taylor, and Don Stroud play some of the good old boys who deal with the crisis in Collusa County in their different ways.
Janet MacLachlan and Lynn Carlin are the supportive women in the lives of Brown and Kennedy respectively.
And Bob Random plays one nasty little redneck punk....tick...tick...tick still has great entertainment value and it's a portrait of the new emerging American South, one of the best done by the American cinema..
Sure, if one is going to compare this film to the earlier "In the Heat of the Night", it can't quite measure up, but that doesn't mean that it's not a good film in its own right.
It's a pretty effective story of race relations, in which a black man, Jimmy Price (Jim Brown) is elected the new sheriff of Colusa County.
He's replacing the outgoing sheriff, white man John Little (George Kennedy).
His job is made particularly difficult when he arrests a young man (Robert Random) who's killed a little girl in a traffic accident, and the mans' bigshot father (Karl Swenson) shows up to demand his release.Brown is extremely good in this early lead role, playing a character of likability and integrity.
Kennedy is also fine as the one white person willing to stand behind him.
A lot of familiar faces fill out supporting and character roles: Lynn Carlin (as Littles' wife), Janet MacLachlan (as Prices' spouse), Don Stroud, Richard Elkins, Clifton James, Mills Watson, Bernie Casey, Anthony James (who was actually in "In the Heat of the Night"), Dub Taylor, and Barry Cahill.
All of the performers do fine work, but it's the great Fredric March (in one of his last film roles) who tends to steal the show as the aged, ill tempered mayor who's resistant to the idea of outside help.Plenty of solid local flavour and a nice assortment of music help to make this decent entertainment.
Director Ralph Nelson manages to milk some believable tension out of the scenario, especially near the end when it's believed that Swenson will be returning to town with all of his bigoted cronies.Nelson does come up with an ingenious way to begin the action, with some of the townspeople literally frying an egg on the pavement while there is insistent ticking on the soundtrack.
And there's a highly amusing exchange between our leads to end the film.Seven out of 10..
tick...tick...tick..., is a really good film in some ways, well if it had been in the right hands it would have been fantastic, one of the films problems is the bad screenplay and the cheaply used colour which makes it look dated and cheesy, which at times it is.
Also, Jim Brown (The Dirty Dozen) gives a good performance as the police officer, who becomes along with his sidekick (who is being a policeman so he can get married) get dollops of racial abuse dropped on them by a guy who looks like Sean William Scott (From American Pie), though this was 29 years before.
Good for it's targeted audience, but dull for many.Slightly Under-rated, **1/2 out of ****.
This by no means is a sequel to the much more critically acclaimed 1967 In the Heat of the Night starring Academy Award winners Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger.
Mind you both the cinematography and musical score are top notch, but where In the Heat of the Night rose to fame bringing racial tension to reality through strong acting performances, this film, ...Tick...Tick...Tick...
leaves me with an empty feeling of just another film trying to piggyback off the established fame and success of another racially toned film.Similar films such as "Billy Jack", "Return to Macon County Line" and of course, "In the Heat of the Night" allowed their audiences to feel the cruelty of either racial tension and/or law versus disorder, of their townsfolk and their local small town police station.
Jim Brown did his best to carry this movie alongside the versatile actor George Kennedy.
(Who can forget George Kennedy's stellar performance as the prisoner named Dragline in Cool Hand Luke?) But a good film needs a good script and this film is not going to explode as the films' title may indicate.
Instead it implodes, and instead of being suspenseful, I would have rather the title be delete...delete...delete....The music score is a harmonized track that is more relevant to a film like Midnight Cowboy than to this film.
Sorry Jim, you were good in 100 Rifles, even better in Ice Station Zebra, but ...Tick...Tick...Tick...
stopped time completely 20 minutes in to the film and never really started for my taste.I give it a 3 out of 3 rating and another pass..
Having grown up in the South, I felt that the film conveyed the ugliness of racism very well.
Jim Brown was excellent in the role of a newly elected black sheriff.
This film showed a side to racism that most people outside of the South didn't see.I will agree with the previous reviewer on one point, though.
Racism is, and was, a very ugly aspect to life in the South at the time that this film was made.
Good drama movie about racism.This film is very under rated due to it's message hitting hard with few punches pulled.Brown gives a very good performance here and so do all the other actors.I like the cinematography color here,very crisp and eye pleasing.The screenplay is a little bland but does not ruin the movie at all.Not for people who do not like seeing the truth about the ugliness of prejudice and corruption from BOTH races......
I am from Sutter county California which is where a great deal of the filming was done.
The filming crew members and actors (my dad also) ate together.
During the set meal time My brother got to set on George Kennedy's lap for a short time and interact with several actors.
This film did not bring in a lot of money at the box office but was a really good film.
The message of how the south had(was)having a hard time with accepting racial equality may have been the reason for the movies less than stellar box office attraction...America was tired of the Vietnam War and of the civil rights struggle...
new old south.
It's the last day for small town Sheriff John Little (George Kennedy) in the deep south.
He's been voted out as the negro population help elect Jimmy Price (Jim Brown).
A couple of arrests threaten to set the simmering racial tension to a boil.Jim Brown is a limited actor.
He's help by the great George Kennedy.
The white kid is good villain material.
The movie doesn't need the balancing from the black prisoner.
George Kennedy has never been better as the frustrated outgoing sheriff, and Jim Brown is good also, as his disillusioned replacement.
When a White boy is arrested for manslaughter following his drunken car accident, things reach the time bomb stage of the film's title.
Ultimately "Tick Tick Tick" comes across as a dark period of history, frozen in time by this wonderful film.
Despite the good and plenty of stereotypes, the movie does not come across as preachy, but merely as an entertaining look into the past.
Good Performances and Nice Drama.
(1970) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Interesting drama about a new black sheriff (Jim Brown) who takes over duties in a Southern town where the KKK aren't too happy about his election.
The Mayor (Fredric March) doesn't want any violence because he doesn't want federal men in his town but after a white man is arrested for murder, some of the good ol' boys don't like the idea of a black man arresting him.
The former sheriff (George Kennedy) decides to step in and try to help but soon all sorts of racist types are coming in.
I think it's fair to call this movie a wannabe IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT but the three lead performances make it worth viewing.
I think the weakest thing is the screenplay, which tries too hard to be like that previous film but in the end it really can't come close to the tension in its story.
I think the one thing that really does work well here is that the racial tensions against Brown are because he's black but the interesting thing is that those sides turn against him for crimes dealing with the same race.
I think the fact that this film tries to stay away from a race riot was something rather refreshing and I liked how the film didn't solve the race issues but instead simply tried to get both sides to fight for a common cause.
Brown is very good in his role and I really liked the laid back approach that he brought to the role.
There's no screaming and there's no tough, macho action but instead he plays a man with morals and I thought the actor did a very good job with the part.
Kennedy was born to play the good-hearted redneck and he too does nice work here.
March certainly overacts a bit in his next to last film role but he's always fun to see.
The supporting cast also step up with everyone fitting their roles quite nicely.
isn't the greatest race drama out there but I think there are enough interesting aspects to make it worth viewing..
The lead role, played by Jim Brown, should have gone to someone with more acting experience.
Even George Kennedy doesn't do particularly well in this film.
This was a waste of a good chance to show how truly ugly racism was (and still is).
Some scenes were filmed at a bar that was made to look like a gas station/store.
My mom has pictures of her and George Kennedy and Jim Brown on the set during a break in filming.
I loved the film...of course I was a bit biased.
It does remind someone of the old south and it's difficulties especially with people of color in that part of the country.
Northern organizers help a southern black man get elected sheriff in a small town (which feels like a lot of small towns down south) in the 60's, and he gets to deal with the reality of being elected.
The movie sets up quite a few stereotypical characters; for some of them, it knocks down the stereotype, and then for others it lets it stand.
People (black and white) in the town have to choose between their traditions, their comfort, and their values, as tensions rise when the new sheriff tries to do his job.
The movie are really good one.I'm interested it is possible to buy soundtrack.
The song I like was at the end of the movie.Trouble is the song was not very long, but the voice of the singer are really good.I thank you in advance.
tick" is a wonderful, uplifting movie about racism and hatred in a small Southern town.
Jim Brown is perfect as the first black sheriff in a rural town, facing resistance on all sides.
George Kennedy is excellent as the displaced former sheriff who understands better than anyone what Brown is up against.The movie has moments of suspense, drama, gritty violence, and genuine humor.
The best line in the movie comes when Kennedy is beating his former deputy in the back room while the current deputy sits at his desk reading a magazine.
The supporting characters are all great- they genuinely look like they've all been roasting under the Southern sun all their lives.
And the pressure-cooker opening sequence in which the townspeople literally fry an egg on the sidewalk fits in perfectly with the ticking on the soundtrack and the stylized opening credits.Okay, the movie isn't perfect.
The cinematography dates the film, making it look much older than 1970, and the finale is a little sudden, mainly because ALL of the good ol' boys have a change of heart instead of just a brave few.
That said, this is an inspiring, entertaining movie with its heart in the right place.
Racial Tensions in the South.
"John Little" (George Kennedy) is the white sheriff of a small town in Colusa County, Mississippi who has just lost his position to a black man named "Jimmy Price" (Jim Brown) in a local election.
Although most of the black people in the county are jubilant the white people residing there are horrified and to show their displeasure try to make it as difficult for the new sheriff as possible.
In any case, Sheriff Price soon realizes that his new job is almost impossible without the help of the white community and things become even more heated when he arrests a white man for manslaughter.
Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a fairly good film made interesting in large part due to the racial tensions prevalent in the South during this particular time in American history.
That being said, I thought that the director (Ralph Nelson) managed to capture some of the fear and hostility that definitely existed and for that reason I have rated this film accordingly. |
tt0821795 | The Last of the Mohicans | The story takes place in 1757 during the French and Indian War in the Adirondack Mountains in the British colony of New York. British Army Major Duncan Heyward arrives in Albany. He has been sent to serve under Colonel Edmund Munro, the commander of Fort William Henry. Heyward is given the task of escorting the colonel’s two daughters, Cora and Alice, to their father. He is a family friend and in love with Cora. He proposes to her before they leave, but she does not give him an answer.
Major Heyward, the two women, and a troop of British soldiers march through the rugged countryside, guided by Magua, a Huron warrior. Magua leads the party into an ambush. All of the soldiers are killed or wounded, but Heyward and the women are rescued by the timely intervention of the Mohican chief Chingachgook, his son Uncas and his white, adopted son "Hawkeye". They kill all of the ambushers except Magua, who escapes. They agree to take the women and Heyward to the fort. During the fight, Hawkeye noticed that Magua attempted to kill Cora, and asks Duncan if he knows why. During the trek, Cora and Hawkeye are attracted to each other, as are Uncas and Alice.
When they arrive near the fort, they find it under siege by the French and their Huron allies. They manage to sneak in and are greeted by Colonel Munro, who asks Major Heyward about the requested, desperately needed reinforcements. While there, Cora and Hawkeye share a passionate kiss. Heyward becomes jealous. In response, Cora finally tells him she will not marry him.
When Munro refuses to allow the militiamen to sneak away to defend their own families and homes, as he had earlier promised, Hawkeye arranges it anyway. He stays, however, and is condemned to death.
Before that happens, during a parlay, French general Louis-Joseph de Montcalm shows Munro an intercepted message which states that no reinforcements have been sent. Montcalm offers to allow the British to evacuate the fort with honor, keeping their weapons. Munro has little choice but to accept. However, Magua, a French ally, is furious at this arrangement. He harbors great hatred for Munro, blaming him for past wrongs done to him and his family.
The following day, Colonel Munro, his soldiers and their women and children leave the fort. Magua and his Huron warriors ambush them. Magua personally kills Munro. Hawkeye and the Mohicans fight their way out, leading Cora, Alice and Heyward to temporary safety. Later, however, Magua captures the major and the women.
Magua takes his prisoners to a Huron settlement and address its sachem. He is interrupted by Hawkeye, who comes in alone to plead for their lives. The sachem rules that Heyward be returned to the British, Alice given to Magua and Cora burned alive. Hawkeye, for his great bravery, may leave unharmed. Hawkeye tells Heyward, who is serving as translator, to beg the sachem to let him take Cora's place. Instead, Heyward trades his life for Cora’s. Once Cora and Hawkeye are far enough away, Hawkeye shoots Heyward to end his suffering. Chingachgook, Uncas and Hawkeye then set out after Magua's party to free Alice. Uncas races ahead and engages Magua in personal combat, but is killed. Alice chooses to step off the cliff to her death rather than go to the beckoning Magua. While Hawkeye holds Magua's remaining men at bay, Chingachgook duels Magua and avenges his son. Chingachgook prays to the Great Spirit to receive Uncas, calling himself "the last of the Mohicans". | psychedelic, historical fiction | train | wikipedia | Ideosyncratic but fun for kids. This is an Australian production - generally available at the $1.00 bin at Stop & Shop. Worth every penny, and more so.IT makes a good effort to tell the story without overly romanticizing it, but there are some questionable, even amusing errors that run through it.Natty Bumpo is dressed like a Tennessee frontiersman, complete with southern drawl and coonskin cap. Now figures like Bumpo are the model for later romantic characters of popular literature, but goes a bit too far. Also, a young George Washington is placed in Fort William Henry as Munro's aide, which a bit of a hike from the areas where he actually served.Cooper mangled much of the history and ethnography, so it would be stingy to begrudge the Aussies for fooling around, so I give it a 7.. Fun animation from Burbank Animation Studios. I have enjoyed a lot of Burbank Film Australia's animations. The Last of the Mohicans is not among the best or worst of the studio but does its job well for the target audience. I do think the character designs could have been less crude at times and I didn't care much for Natty Bumpo's appearance or voice, it seemed like a cliché to me. However, if you just ignore the fact that history is literally thrown out of the window here, then it is entertaining fun. The backgrounds are smooth and colourful on the whole, while the music is rousing. The writing is witty with some wisdom and poignancy as well, and the story does well in maintaining interest in such a short running time without feeling rushed. The characterisations are mostly interesting, while the voice work is on the most part solid.All in all, a fun entry from Burbank's resume, could have been better but does well with what it has. 8/10 Bethany Cox |
tt0032209 | Angels Over Broadway | Bill O'Brien is a New York con man in search of a suitable gullible person to make some money on. In a fancy nightclub he finds Charles Engle, a man ridden by guilt and on the brink of committing suicide after embezzling a large sum of money that he has spent on his high-maintenance wife.
Charles has the appearance of a common hillbilly from out of town visiting the city and Bill decides to scam him for his money. Bill is unaware that the desperate Charles only has until 6 am to pay back the money he has embezzled before the crime is discovered.
One of the showgirls at the club, Nina Barona, is persuaded by Bill to help trick Charles into entering a poker game to win back the money. The game is arranged by a gangster named Dutch Enright.
Another disillusioned man at the club, playwright Gene Gibbons, learns about Charles's misfortune from the suicide note he discovers in his coat, and wants to write the man a story with a happier ending.
He tries to get a valuable brooch from his ex-girlfriend, to give to Charles so that he can get the money, but his plan fails because the brooch is a cheap copy. Instead he overhears Bill telling of his poker scam against Charles, and persuades Bill to change the plan so that Charles wins the first rounds and is allowed to escape from the game after that. A deal is made, that Bill gets whatever Charles wins over the $3,000 he needs to pay the money back.
However, Gene passes out while waiting for the game to start, and when he wakes up he does not remember the deal he made with Bill, but goes home to his wife. Bill discovers that Gene is gone, and Dutch finds out about Charles's planned escape, and tries to stop him. Nina convinces Bill to do the right thing and help fend off Dutch's men when they try to get Charles and the money back.
Bill is changed by his discovery that behaving honorably has a positive effect on him; he falls in love with Nina, who returns his feelings. Thus they get a happy ending of their own. | comedy | train | wikipedia | Popular writer Ben Hecht certainly was no stranger to the Broadway cornucopia of gangsters, molls, hoofers, & sharpies and mixes them all in a non-glamorous look at the Great White Way.Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in a bit of offbeat casting plays Bill O'Brien, Broadway sharpie who thinks he's latched on to a sure thing in steering rube John Qualen into a fixed poker game.
Fairbanks ain't as sharp as he thinks, but with the help of inebriated playwright Thomas Mitchell he tries to bluff his way through the gangsters and turn a profit.Always appealing to Fairbanks's better nature is Rita Hayworth who does a good job of arousing the noble and the carnal at the same time.
But Hayworth is just magnificent in this part.Thomas Mitchell is always given kudos for his part and they are deserved, but one who's not talked about is John Qualen.
He was a fine, but underrated actor and another favorite of John Ford.It's worth it just to see Rita Hayworth as always and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. with that New York City accent..
Produced, directed and written by Ben Hecht, Angels Over Broadway is a film that I personally hadn't heard of until it showed up on one of the British Freeview stations this last week.
The first thing what surprised was the bona fide classy cast list, Mr Charm himself, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Miss Beautiful 1940, Rita Hayworth, Mr Ever Watchable, Thomas Mitchell & Mr Undermentioned, John Qualen.
The next thing that surprised me was during a bit of research I learned that critics of the day gave the picture a hard time for not soft soaping the audience, madness really, because this is a razor sharp and highly efficient picture.Set around one night on Broadway, our four main characters come together courtesy of Charles Engle's {Qualen} intention to kill himself over a huge debt.
Mistakenly thinking that Engle has loads of cash to burn, Bill O'Brien {Fairbanks} enlists Nina Barona {Hayworth} in the hope of luring Engle to a poker game run by seedy gangster types, and thus fleecing him of his cash, where of course the pair of them will get a cut.
Yet boozy playwright Gene Gibbons {Mitchell}, upon learning of Engle's suicidal leanings, hatches a plan to turn the tables on the poker fiddlers and turn Engle's life around.
Naturally tho, not everything is going to go to plan!A smashing film that shines brightly with quality acting and comically astute writing, so if you get the chance then give it a go and you might be as surprised as I was.
1940's "Angels Over Broadway" is actually a little play on words, since the name of one of the main characters is Engle, which in German means Angel (actually spelled Engel).
Written by Ben Hecht, the film stars Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Rita Hayworth, Thomas Mitchell and John Qualen.
It's an interesting and sweet film with very good performances, but you would swear it's based on a play because it is extremely heavy on dialogue.The story concerns four people who wind up joining forces: a wheeler dealer named Bill O'Brien (Fairbanks Jr.), a suicidal man, Engle (Qualen), a lonely performer, Nina (Hayworth) and a drunken playwright, Eugene Gibbons (Mitchell).
Engle needs to come up with $3,000 that he embezzled by morning; O'Brien thinks Engle is a rich sucker; Nina is looking to meet someone successful; and Gibbons has written another flop.
Nina goes along, interested in O'Brien, even after she finds out he's broke.One of the most amusing aspects of the film is that everyone - including the mobsters - knows who the Gibbons character is.
The film is interesting as well because is that although this is really four individual stories, the plots converge so that the film is not in the least episodic.Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. is marvelous as usual.
Qualen has precious little dialogue but he, too, does a great job as a desperate man.Definitely recommended for the acting and the structure of the film, which is masterful..
ANGELS OVER Broadway (Ben Hecht and Lee Garmes, 1940) ***.
Co-directed by a writer (Hecht made seven films in this multiple capacity, but this is the first one I've watched!) and a cinematographer that were second to none in their respective professions, it's small wonder that the film is brimming with sparkling dialogue (particularly as delivered by Thomas Mitchell, here in his trademark role of philosophical drunk) and inventive shadowy lighting.The main roles, however, are equally well-filled: Mitchell, as I said, wasn't really stretching himself here but his three co-stars - Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Rita Hayworth and John Qualen - had rarely been offered such an opportunity to shine up to this point.
Fairbanks' best-known role had been his 'smiling villain' Rupert of Hentzau in THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937; where's that DVD, Warners?) but he had already made other impressive ensemble pieces, such as THE YOUNG IN HEART (1938; see my review elsewhere) and GUNGA DIN (1939); actually, his role here is sort of similar to that of the former - though he's a harder character, an utter heel, but whose scheme of 'taking' a man he believes to be a millionaire rebounds on himself and actually ends up involved in the 'taking' of his 'business partners' to the benefit of the latter (who's really an embezzler on the brink of suicide)!
The unwilling crook is played by John Qualen, the great - if largely unsung - diminutive and mild-mannered character actor, whose other notable roles included the murderer in HIS GIRL Friday (1940), a victim of the Oklahoma Dustbowl in THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940) and "Miser" Stevens in THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER (1941).
The film's feminine interest, then, is provided by a young Rita Hayworth who, again, exceeds all expectations with her role of a star-struck girl who forsakes her dreams of glory in order to do a good deed (even if she's initially drawn into the 'plot' purely on a whim by Fairbanks); indeed, the characters' individual reformation - more so than in THE YOUNG IN HEART, and done in a much less sentimental manner - adds an undercurrent of spirituality to the film's prominent sophistication and hard-boiled veneer, which is not so surprising coming from Hecht!
For its time, ANGELS OVER Broadway must have seemed like a B-movie with pretensions; while it falters here and there under the strain of its own self-indulgence, because it is unique, the film doesn't feel all that dated today and is bound to give detailed pleasure on every viewing..
This early Rita Hayworth movie shows off her more youthful charms of innocence and good will.
The unlikely casting of glamour boy Douglas Fairbanks Junior as a small-time chiseller is a surprise.
The film features a fine performance from sad-sack character actor John Qualen as 'Charles Engle', a rather obvious pun on the title of the film, 'Engel' being German for angel.
I've always been a Ben Hecht fan so it was good to see something I'd never seen before - in the old days, Bill Kennedy out of Windsor/Detroit showed many old films on his TV show at 1 pm but I don't remember ever seeing this one.
I'm a fan of such actors as John Qualen and Thomas Mitchell.
I also liked finding two new actors to look for in old films, Jack Roper, the boxer who played Eddie, and Eddie Foster who played Louie Artino.
This is a wonderful film that many reviews say was way ahead of its time, and it was not a roaring success due to this fact.
and Rita Hayworth both act supremely, which luckily saves the film from being a killer.
(Anyone ever notice how many drunks and loud-and-obnoxious characters Mitchell played?)The writers also gave Rita Hayworth some sappy dialog as she tried to be Douglas Fairbanks' girl.
John Qualen is good as the mousy man who really is at the center of this story.
It is so easy to write off beauty as the reason an actress achieves great rank in Hollywood, and it is what also plagued Marilyn Monroe - the desperate need to be taken seriously for your talent rather than your looks once you have become famous for beauty alone.I myself had never given Rita Hayworth props for anything other than her luminous visual persona.
So it was with great delight that I came across this exceptional film, with its screwball comedy timing and humor, and its amazing ensemble casting - from a sleazy but compelling performance by Douglas Fairbanks Jr. to the ironic portrayal of the has-been drunk played to iconic perfection by Thomas Mitchell.But the two real gems are John Qualen as a suicidal bookkeeper who is the target of a 2 bit mob scam, and Rita Hayworth in a portrayal as exceptional to me as Rosalind Russell in The Front Page, or Marilyn Monroe in 7 Year Itch - a star-struck wanna-be who is barely making it in shady circumstances, yet manages to convey tremendous innocence and idealism in spite of her deeply compromised situation.The most striking thing to me of all is how uncanny it is to watch what one would consider to be a classic Monroe performance coming from an actress seven years prior to Marilyn having been given her first on screen part.
Suddenly I felt like I understood how Marilyn had crafted her persona - hours of sitting in darkened theaters watching Rita Hayworth concoct her brilliant magic of innocence and seduction like it was real and not a carefully crafted act.In my humble opinion, I don't believe Marilyn would have been nearly as iconic had she not had Rita Hayworth's example to follow, and this portrayal in Angels Over Broadway is the link that, to me, irrefutably proves my point!
On that night she and Hermes Pan (master choreographer)were slumming to show her what a coffee house was like, and my roommate who knew Hermes invited them to the hippie like house in an alley way in West Hollywood we shared.We both were in love with the Goddess and did black magic (amateur)to see that Hermes would bring her and it worked.Rita was 38 an still beautiful,a gypsy who drank our cheap wine,and we talked and laughed till dawn.
From that day forward,we spent three or four nights a week at her home on Hartford and she often burnt dinner for us and we drank Dom Perignon and we danced and laughed and she told stories and her Brooklyn accent would come out (I hear it a lot in ANGELS) Rita always insisted she could act and this film showed her talent and some of her incredible allure which was emerging.I think she did BLOOD AND SAND the next year where she was outrageously sensual and cruel.She was great in that.Paulene Kael disliked her because she was dubbed by Anita Ellis in most films even though Rita had a decent voice.
I found this Hecht film to be far ahead of its time with terrific casting and dialogue which sounded like Mankiewicz in a way,and a touch of Damon Runyon with sophistication.It is an odd, and terrific film and my Rita was really good and I watched her and she "listened" to other actors like a seasoned performer.She still is magical and her presence on film still excites..
The 2-time Oscar winner (both wins, and all six nominations, were for screen writing prowess) Ben Hecht directed this, and he did a decent job, even throwing in the odd bit of idiosyncratic flair.
I must admit though I admire him more for his writing--he's made such a mark on cinema with simply the handful I'll casually mention here (Underworld--an Oscar-winner, The Front Page, Scarface, Nothing Sacred, Angels with Dirty Faces, Gunga Din, His Girl Friday, The Shop Around the Corner, Foreign Correspondent, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Gilda, Notorious, Rope) from ones I have personally seen and adored.I must admit I'm more familiar with Douglas Fairbanks Sr.'s work than that of his son here, and it's really different watching Rita Hayworth at this stage of her career, playing a shy, naïve waif--nothing like the force of nature she would become just a few years later with 'Gilda' and her short, tempestuous marriage to Orson Welles.In short, the story works for me, that of a boozing playwright, struggling actress and hustler helping a suicidal man out of a jam.
Underrated gem about three strangers (Rita Hayworth, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Thomas Mitchell) in a nightclub coming together to help out a suicidal embezzler (John Qualen).
The script, smart and full of dark humor, plays like a Damon Runyan plot with cynical Hecht characters.
The cast is good, with Hayworth, Mitchell, and Qualen all standouts.
A gamester looking for prey ends up with a suicide candidate, a drunk and Rita Hayworth..
The story is typical of his going to extremes about everything - there is a suicide candidate, a drunk, a reckless adventurer, a gang of gangsters setting up poker games to kill the victim, a loose young lady, a loser playwright, and a lot of intrigue.
Although the character of the film is dark like an early noir, it's actually a charming comedy.
One is Charles Engle (John Qualen)--a guy who embezzled some money but who others in the club mistake for a millionaire.
And, there's the sharpie (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) and a woman he enlists to help him (Rita Hayworth).
While there are some nice moments in the film and some of the acting is pretty good (I particularly liked Qualen), too often the film comes off as a play clumsily brought to film.
Additionally, while I generally like Fairbanks in films, here he seems a tad miscast and out of place.
Perhaps the film's only major fault is its ambitiousness -- like the inebriated has-been playwright played in the film by Thomas Mitchell, this film sets up too much for it to satisfactorily resolve.
When Mitchell's character begins to refer to Rita Hayworth and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as characters that he is re-writing into the hero and heroine, we know we're in for something special, and we're not wrong.Hayworth's acting here is more effortless than usual, allowing her charm to come full to the fore.
The film also presents a rare opportunity for a real performance from John Qualen, as well.
The script by Ben Hecht and the performances of Thomas Mitchell and John Qualen make this sardonic drama of clichéd Manhattan types all the more fun to follow.
Qualen has written a suicide note after stealing $3000 from his partner, and with the help of a down on his luck playwright, a con man and a chorus girl, he discovers a possible way out of his predicament.
This leads Qualen to end up in a card game with a group of serious gamblers, and with Mitchell, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Rita Hayworth, he has the possibility of not only paying back his partner but also making a bit of a profit.The leads are Fairbanks and Hayworth, but it will be the two supporting characters that you will remember.
Mitchell is the play-writer and Qualen, every bit as pathetic here as he was in His Girl Friday, is the embezzler without an escape plan.
While the plot isn't 100% believable, it is done with fine acting, a script that keeps you interested, and a direction that helps the movie flow perfectly.
Writer and co-director Ben Hecht seems at times to be creating a blueprint for his later Miracle In The Rain but the main interest is in the four disparate characters who come together for a few life-changing hours one rainy night.
Least convincing by a country mile is Douglas Fairbanks Jnr, cast improbably as a 'Broadway' wise-guy-cum-chiseller which he plays equally improbably to the point of embarrassment.
John Qualen has to carry the burden of the plot and he does it superbly, Thomas Mitchell by this time could have phoned in his philosophical lush but the real revelation is Rita Hayworth who is ill at ease (as the script demands she should be) as a nice girl going on the make and whose ultimate sincerity shines through.
Make no mistake, "Angels Over Broadway" is nothing more than a vehicle for upcoming Columbia star Rita Hayworth.
It's a budget conscious "B" programmer at best with a "B" storyline despite the presence of Ben Hecht as writer/producer/director.Disgruntled Charles Engle (John Qualen) has been caught by his boss Mr. Hopper (George Watts), with his hand in the till to the tune of $3,000.
Street hustler Bill O'Brien (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) thinks Engle is a millionaire and plans to con him into a high stakes poker game and make off with the proceeds.
Gold digger Nina Barona an out of work dancer, enters the picture and O'Brien plans to utilize her in his scheme.Down on his luck boozy playwright Gene Gibbons (Thomas Mitchell) accidently stumbles upon Engle's suicide note and decides to help him.
Now aware that Engle is broke, O'Brien and Gibbons hatch a plan whereby Engel will still participate in the poker game but with a mind to take off as soon as he "wins" the $3,000 he needs to repay Hopper.
O'Brien then plans to take whatever money Engle wins over $3,000 for himself.They four go to a cheap hotel where the gangster laden poker game will take place.
He excuses himself to go check on Gibbons but...........................................................................................Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is totally miscast as the gum chewing con man with the New York Accent.
Rita Hayworth was still being built up as a major star at this time and is given several generous close ups through out the film.
Veteran character actors Mitchell and Qualen steal the film.
Some over-acting by Thomas Mitchell, or maybe his part was over-written.
The sudden turnaround of the Fairbanks character and his decision to stick with Rita Hayworth in, literally, the last five seconds of the movie rang totally false. |
tt0091276 | Invaders from Mars | Late one night, youngster David MacLean (Jimmy Hunt) is awakened by a loud thunderstorm. From his bedroom window, he sees a large flying saucer descend and disappear into the sandpit area behind his home. After rushing to tell his parents, his scientist father (Leif Erickson) goes to investigate David's claim. When his father returns much later in the morning, David notices an unusual red puncture along the hairline on the back of his father's neck; his father is now behaving in a cold and hostile manner. David soon begins to realize something is very wrong: he notices certain townsfolk are acting in exactly the same way. Through his telescope, David sees child neighbor Kathy Wilson suddenly disappear underground while walking in the sandpit. David flees to the police station for help and is eventually placed under the protection of health-department physician Dr. Pat Blake (Helena Carter), who slowly begins to believe his crazy story.
With the help of local astronomer Dr. Stuart Kelston (Arthur Franz) and Dr. Blake, David soon realizes the flying saucer is likely the vanguard of an invasion from the planet Mars, now in close orbital proximity to Earth. Dr. Kelston contacts the U.S. Army and convinces them to immediately investigate: an important government rocket research plant is located nearby. In short order, the Pentagon assembles troops and tanks under the command of Colonel Fielding (Morris Ankrum). An alien sabotage plot at the plant is soon uncovered, leading back to the sandpit, and the army surrounds the saucer landing site.
Standing well away from the army search, Dr. Blake and young David are suddenly sucked underground. They are captured by two tall, slit-eyed green humanoids and taken through underground tunnels to the flying saucer. Army troops locate and blow open an entrance to the tunnels, and Colonel Fielding and a small detachment make their way to the saucer entrance. Inside they confront the Martian mastermind: it has a giant green head with a humanoid face atop a small, green partial torso with several green arm-tentacles, and is encased in a transparent sphere. The Martian is served by the tall, green, silent, synthetic mutants. Under their master's mental commands, the mute humanoids have implanted mind-control crystals at the base of the skull of their kidnapped victims, forcing them to attempt sabotage at an atomic rocket project being built at a military plant near the town; if they are caught, the mind control devices implode, causing a fatal cerebral hemorrhage. The troops and Colonel Fielding, with Dr. Blake and David in tow, open fire on the pursuing mutants as their group escapes the saucer. After a short running battle in the tunnels, they return to the surface. Orders are given for everyone to quickly leave the area: Fielding's troops have planted timed explosive charges aboard the saucer.
In an extended montage, David runs downhill away from the sandpit. As he does so, flashbacks of the film's important events are superimposed over a close-up of his face, including scenes played backwards for surreal effect. These are inter-cut with alternating shots of artillery opening fire on the sandpit or close-ups on the ticking timer slowly approaching zero.
Following a large explosion, David is suddenly back in his bed. Thunder and lighting are heard again. He runs into his parents' bedroom, confused and frightened; they reassure him that he was just having a bad dream, telling him to go back to sleep. Having returned to his bed, more wind and loud thunder is heard. David then climbs out of bed again, goes to his window, and witnesses the very same flying saucer of his dream slowly descending into the sandpit; the screen then holds on young David, who says "Gee whizz", and then dissolves to the film's "The End" title card, as the film's ethereal music reaches its crescendo in coda with the final fade-out. | cult | train | wikipedia | null |
tt3322892 | XX | The anthology is framed by stop-motion-animated segments depicting a walking dollhouse, directed by Sofia Carrillo.
=== The Box ===
Written and directed by Jovanka Vuckovic based on the short story by Jack Ketchum
While riding on a train with his mother Susan, a young boy, Danny, sees an old man with a red box; the old man describes it as "a present" and allows Danny to look inside. After looking, Danny refuses to eat any food presented to him. Susan and her husband Robert start to worry about him, taking him to a doctor who finds that Danny has lost five pounds since his last checkup. Danny speaks with his sister Jenny, and soon after, she refuses to eat as well. Robert attempts to speak to Danny about his refusal to eat, but Danny whispers something in his ear, which causes Robert to start refusing food.
Susan is haunted by a dream of her family happily eating her at the dinner table. Come Christmas, Danny, Jenny, and Robert are all emaciated, but don't seem to mind. Susan reveals in a voiceover that all three members of her family later died of starvation, and she is now searching the trains for the man with the box, unable to stop her curiosity as to what is inside.
=== The Birthday Party ===
Written and directed by Annie Clark, co-written by Roxanne Benjamin
Mary is attempting to hold a birthday party for her daughter Lucy, but when she finds her husband David dead in his home office, she is forced to hide the body. She spends the day frantically trying to conceal David's body from Lucy, nanny Carla, and neighbor Madeleine. She finally buys a panda costume off of a man who comes to sing Lucy a birthday song, and hides the body in the costume.
During the party, Mary does not have time to move the costumed body and is forced to set it up on a seat at the table. Carla bumps the costume, causing it to collapse into Lucy's birthday cake. The body is discovered when Carla, attempting to lift the Panda, accidentally removes the head, and the full title of the film is revealed as the children scream in terror: The Birthday Party, or, The Memory Lucy Suppressed From Her Seventh Birthday That Wasn't Really Her Mom's Fault (Even Though Her Therapist Says It's Probably Why She Fears Intimacy).
=== Don't Fall ===
Written and directed by Roxanne Benjamin
Four friends - Paul, Gretchen, Jess, and Jay - are all on an expedition out in the desert. Gretchen is afraid of heights. The four discover an ancient cave painting depicting an evil spirit before camping out for the night. Gretchen is attacked by a creature similar to the spirit in the painting, which takes over her body and wears her skin. It kills Paul and Jay before chasing Jess, who breaks her leg. The Gretchen-creature leaps off a high cliff to kill Jess.
=== Her Only Living Son ===
Written and directed by Karyn Kusama
Single mother Cora's rebellious son, Andy, is about to turn 18. She is called into Andy's school to meet with the principal regarding an incident in which Andy tore off a classmate's fingernails. The principal suspends the classmate and warns Cora that something must be done about Andy's behavior.
Cora's mailman Chet hints that Andy is not necessarily her distant former husband's son. Andy - whose voice has changed and finger and toenails have become claws - confirms her suspicions: he is the spawn of Satan. Andy forces Cora to bow down to him, but she then embraces and quickly tells her son the reason she went into hiding. Her details about his conception and the people involved allude to the possibility that he is Rosemary's baby. The two hold each other so tightly that they crush each other's ribs, killing each other. | paranormal, violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0023352 | Prestige | In 1890s London, magician Robert Angier performs his trick, 'The Real Transported Man,' to a sold out theater. Rival magician Alfred Borden, in disguise, sneaks under the stage. At the trick's culmination, Angier drops through a trap door and into a waiting water tank, where Borden watches him drown.
At Borden's murder trial, Angier's ingénieur John Cutter testifies how Borden pushed the water tank under the trap door to catch and kill Angier during his New Transported Man trick. In prison, Borden is visited by an agent of Lord Caldlow, who offers to care for Borden's daughter Jess in exchange for all of Borden's tricks. As a show of good faith, Caldlow gives Borden a copy of Angier's diary, which Borden reads.
In flashback, Angier and Borden work as shills for Milton the Magician, alongside ingénieur John Cutter and assistant Julia, who is also Angier's wife. Milton's famous trick is the water tank trick, where Julia is bound in ropes and dropped in a water tank from which she frees herself and escapes. Borden, with Julia's consent, ties her hands with a riskier slip knot. Julia fails to slip the knot and drowns, devastating Angier and fueling his deep-seated grudge against Borden.
Borden launches a solo magic career and hires the silent, mysterious Fallon as his ingénieur. Borden courts and eventually marries Sarah, who gives birth to their daughter, Jess; but their relationship is shadowed by Sarah's intuition that Borden is keeping secrets and that sometimes he is lying when he says he loves her. At his first show, Borden's bullet catch trick is sabotaged by Angier, and Borden loses two fingers. Angier launches his own magic career, hiring Olivia Wenscombe as his assistant and Cutter as his ingénieur. During the finale of Angier's show, a disguised Borden sabotages Angier's bird cage act, which maims an audience member and ruins Angier's reputation.
Angier discovers and subsequently steals Borden's fantastic trick "The Transported Man," where Borden instantly travels between two wardrobes on opposite ends of a stage. Cutter and Olivia groom Root, an out-of-work actor, into a "double" for Angier to mimic his appearance and mannerisms. 'The New Transported Man' is a huge success, but Angier is displeased, as he ends the trick hidden under the stage while Root basks in the applause. Obsessed with Borden's secret, Angier orders Olivia to spy on him. Instead, she revamps Borden's act, making it more successful. Borden subsequently sabotages Angier's show, humiliating him and leaving him with a permanent limp. Angier confronts Olivia, who confesses to loving Borden before giving Angier a copy of Borden's diary, its contents scrambled by a coded cipher. Angier and Cutter kidnap Fallon and extort from Borden his codeword "Tesla," which Borden claims is also his secret. As Angier leaves for America to find Tesla, Borden begins an affair with Olivia. Sarah becomes increasingly disturbed with Borden's fickle and contradictory nature and, succumbing to depression, commits suicide.
In America, Angier meets scientist Nikola Tesla and asks him to build him the machine Tesla built for Borden. While waiting for Tesla to finish, Angier deciphers Borden's diary, which he discovers to be fraudulent: Borden confesses that Tesla has nothing to do with Borden's trick and that Borden ordered Olivia to give Angier the diary to send him away. Angier confronts Tesla, who admits to never having built any device for Borden but has successfully built a replicating machine for Angier, capable of reproducing animate and inanimate objects a distance from the machine. As Tesla departs, he advises Angier to destroy the machine.
Returning to London, Angier debuts 'The Real Transported Man' where he vanishes within the machine's electrical field and appears atop the balcony at the back of the hall. Baffled by the trick's success, Borden sneaks backstage to find Angier's secret, only to witness Angier drop through a trap door and plunge into a waiting water tank, where he drowns. Cutter stumbles upon the scene, and Borden is arrested.
In the present, Borden is found guilty and sentenced to death. He agrees to Lord Caldlow's terms and surrenders all his secrets. When Caldlow visits, Borden recognizes him as Angier. Baffled by Angier's return, Borden begs for his life, but Angier ignores Borden's pleas. Borden is hanged and dies, his last word: "Abracadabra." Cutter learns that Caldlow has bought Angier's machine. When he visits him to plead for its destruction, he discovers that Caldlow is Angier and faked his death to frame and kill Borden in revenge for Julia. Disgusted with Angier, Cutter agrees to help Angier dispose of his machine in a private theater. As the two work, Cutter discovers rows of water tanks containing rotting duplicates of Angier: Every show, Angier used the machine to create clones of himself atop the balcony, while unbeknownst to anyone, the original Angier would fall through the trap door to be drowned in the tanks under the stage. The night Borden ventured backstage, Angier's clone presumably disappeared into the crowd, making it appear Borden had killed him under the stage.
His task finished, Cutter leaves the theater, allowing a man to enter as he departs. The man shoots Angier and reveals himself as Borden. Angier realizes that "Alfred Borden" is actually an identity assumed by twin brothers who took turns being Borden and Fallon, each living half of Alfred's life to prepare for their "Transported Man" trick, but loving different women; the twin who hanged loved Olivia, and the one who lives loved Sarah. Borden berates Angier for going too far in his quest for dominance. Angier explains that giving his audience a moment of wonder, and to bask in their applause, was his great ambition. Angier dies as his fallen lantern sets the theater on fire, and the living Borden twin goes to pick up Jess at Cutter's workshop, exchanging a silent goodbye and leaving. A final glimpse of the burning theater shows what looks like the body of Angier in a water tank near the dead body. Cutter narrates that while we try to find the secret of a magic trick, we will never find it because we don't really want to. Instead, we want to be fooled. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1620719 | Dabangg | Chulbul Pandey, a young boy, lives with his younger half-brother, Makhanchan "Makkhi" Pandey, stepfather Prajapati Pandey (Vinod Khanna) and mother, Naina Devi (Dimple Kapadia) in Laalgunj, Uttar Pradesh. He has a troubled relationship with his stepfather and Makkhi. After 21 years, Chulbul (Salman Khan) becomes a policeman. Chulbul, who calls himself "Robin Hood" Pandey, lives with his family. Makkhi (Arbaaz Khan) is in love with Nirmala (Mahi Gill), whose father Masterji (Tinu Anand) opposes the relationship. Chulbul falls in love with a girl named Rajjo (Sonakshi Sinha), who he meets during a police encounter.
A corrupt political leader named Chedi Singh (Sonu Sood) meets Chulbul and both quickly become enemies. Makkhi asks his father to arrange his marriage with Nirmala. His father refuses because he needs money to repay the loans he took to make his factory, and he believes that he can acquire money through his son marrying a rich girl. In desperate need of money, Makkhi steals from Chulbul's cupboard and gives the stolen cash to Nirmala's father, hoping that he will permit Makkhi to marry Nirmala. Meanwhile, Chulbul meets Rajjo and proposes marriage, which she rejects, as she has to take care of her father, Haria (Mahesh Manjrekar)—a drunkard.
Chulbul comes home to find his mother dead. He goes to his stepfather to make peace, as he is the only family left. His stepfather refuses and despises him as an outcast. Makkhi invites Chulbul to his marriage with Nirmala. Chulbul convinces Rajjo's father to marry her. Rajjo's father commits suicide, as he knows that his daughter will not marry anyone while he is alive. Chulbul takes Rajjo to Makkhi's exuberant wedding. Realising that Makkhi has stolen his money to finance the wedding, Chulbul marries Rajjo in an impromptu ceremony. Nirmala's father feels disgraced and cancels his daughter's wedding.
Makkhi beats up one of the workers in his factory due to a small mishap. The worker goes to the police station with his mother to file a complaint. Chulbul beats up Makkhi in public to disgrace him. Chedi takes advantage of the situation, and takes Makkhi along with his father to the police station. Makkhi's father resolves the situation by accepting an apology from Chulbul. Chulbul meets Dayal Babu (Anupam Kher), a local political leader, who also dislikes Chedi. With his help, Chulbul adulterates the breweries of Chedi, and wrongly frames him for it.
To take revenge, Chedi burns Makkhi's factory. Makkhi's father suffers a heart attack due to shock and is hospitalised. Makkhi goes to Chedi seek help from him, without knowing that it was Chedi, who burnt his factory. Chedi agrees to finance his father's treatment, if he delivers a crate of mangoes to Dayal Babu's house. Unknown to Makkhi, there is a bomb inside the crate, which explodes after he leaves, killing Dayal Babu. Chedi gives Makkhi a task to kill Chulbul. Makkhi accepts, and confesses it to Chulbul. He reveals to Chulbul that Chedi made him plant the bomb unknowingly. Chulbul forgives him and reconciles with his stepfather. Makkhi then reveals to Chulbul that it was Chedi, who killed their mother. Enraged, Chulbul suffocates Chedi to death. Later, Chulbul gets Makkhi married to Nirmala in the presence of her father, while Rajjo reveals that she is pregnant. | murder, violence, revenge, flashback, good versus evil, romantic, sadist | train | wikipedia | The movie has great action sequences, fantastic music, an all-star cast, but more than anything it has Salman Khan, who totally delivers in a role that is a caricature of his own image.
This is strictly Bollywood entertainment and the king is entertainment is at his best.Salman is a corrupt but golden-hearted police officer in a small town of U.P. He dotes on his mother (Dimple) but hates his stepfather (Vinod Khanna) and stepbrother (Arbaaz Khan).
Sonakshi is Salman's love interest in the film.What's Good: Salman Khan's performance; the songs, particularly Munni badnaam huyi and Tere mast mast do nain; the action and stunts; the humour.What's Bad: Not bad, but the story offers absolutely no novelty.Verdict: Dabangg will rock at the box-office.
A mind blowing action film with a best performance by Salman.Everseen best action film after a long time which will entertain all ages of the people.The music is fantastic which will make audiences to enjoy the movie to a great extent.
The debut actress is also fantastic.The songs are really superb and a musical hit of the year.Truly one of Salman's best action blockbuster ever seen.The plot even old it is good.Surely this film will make a record in India.The debut director has given his best that people who see this movie will become a fan of him.Definitely an awesome action movie which will do a record in all regions..
Salman was having a no of flops after wanted but in 2010,director Abhinav Kashyap teamed with Salman to give a masala entertainer which changed Salman's career at the box office.Salman became the biggest crowd puller at the box office and even some worst movies like BODYGUARD broke many records at the box office The story of dabangg is very simple.It is about a corrupt police officer who faces challenges from his family, gangsters and politicians.But what made DABANGG stood out was how it was directed.Director Abhinav Kashyap did a fantastic job And what made Dabangg more special is the presence of Salman in an action masala after Wanted.Dabangg was indeed made for Salman.Truly Dabangg is among the best Salman performances.The comedy was also very good.The music "munni badnaam" became an instant hit and had the item girl herself dancing to it.Sonakshi made her debut with Dabangg but had less to do since it is all about the hero All in all DABANGG deserved the success it had at the box office..
Salman and Soni played their roles so well romantically along with the perfect action execution that was done.This movie contained brotherly love and debate and remains a perfect example of a high quality Bollywood film that would possibly have a chance of being a Hollywood film.I recommend watching this movie no matter what.
Effort of Anurag Kashyap to make Dabangg is better than Salman's earlier movie wanted is failed and also failed to reveal themselves as a good director.
With over-the-top sequences, exaggerated circumstances, incredulous action and Salman Khan at its helm, Dabangg not only explodes with its outlandish style to entertain but garners more money than all of Anurag's films combined.One look at Salman's entry in the film and you know what's in store for you.
I saw this film recently, because of all the hype around the film and breaking 3 Idiots' box office records and I could say for the first time, I enjoyed watching Salman Khan in a 'mass' movie!!
:) I watch Telugu/Tamil films a lot and when I say 'mass' movie, I mean like masala (songs, fights, dances, senti-scenes, all that good stuff).
Nice brown and reds throughout the film..I did not like the camera-work/Artwork of Salman's previous film WANTED because it looked too colorful..these kinds of movies need to bring down the color..Story is very weak but directions takes over.
The chic has a nice body (the only good part of the movie).Please do not be misled by the high ratings it has received from some of Sallu fans and idiots.Its shameful for actors like Om Puri, Anupam Kher and Mahesh Manjkrekar to be a part of such flicks to earn their bread and Butter.
Salman successfully proves that any problem can be solved by using force and muscle power...No need to have a brain inside your head.Actually Bollywood is now following a simple formula to churn out 'HIT' movies....First,get a superstar and pay him tons of money(preferably Salman,Shahrukh or Amir)...get some good songs...put an item number with MALAIKA or any other hot girl who has nothing else to do....pay nothing to scriptwriters....put some copied action/emotion scenes mingled with romance or vice versa...send that superstar to monkey dance everywhere to promote it....and there you have it!!!!!!This film has no logic,no story....just Salman performing superhuman stuff...all the others are either praising him and his 'Dabangg' or getting beaten to death....a complete brainless piece of trash!!
Vinod Khanna,Dimple Kapadia,Anupam Kher all are wasted...let's not even get started about Arbaaz!!Sonakshi Sinha is a cute girl....but her acting is simply forgettable.However, Dabangg has already accumulated over Rs. 500 Million in 4-5 days....set a new record beating 3 IDIOTS(which was another commercial crap)...It shows the amount of brainless people watch this kind of movies in theaters expecting to watch a blockbuster...rather commit suicide and rid this world of stupidity!!!!!People blame directors,scriptwriters,producers and actors for bad movies....blame yourself for watching this kind of movies and earning them HUGE money.....they will continue making this kind of BULLS**T until you people get a life!!!Real and thoughtful movies like UDAAN,YEH HAI India,A Wednesday get snubbed just because of lack of stardom,advertisement and idiocy of people and the scriptwriters and directors either dies of starvation or turns into zombies and write/direct DABANGG!!!This kind of films must come with a statutory warning......it can kill people faster than tobacco by sucking their brains out...enough said!!.
Its a complete waste after the first fight sequence, after that everything just goes haywire and your left wondering seriously did all that just happen.This was supposed to be a entertainer but that was just bad.Even as a fan of Salmon, he cant even keep you glued to the screen for this one, and whats up with acting with his brothers in every movie.Every one else especially Anupam Ker are all wasted and the leading lady, she should have just stuck with not acting in the first place, or at least with something to show case her talent which I don't think she really has.
Directed by Abhibnav Kashyap and co-written by Dilip Shukla, the filmmakers have created an awesome alpha male type whose shoulders they firmly rely on to carry the film from start to end, and rightly differentiated itself from the tons of cop films available from Indian cinema with having a character that lives and breathes its title Dabangg (Fearless), alongside being an awkward romantic, a filial son to his mother, and pretty much multi-faceted in all dimensions.The character of Chulbul Pandey is one of the most charismatic that I've seen coming out of Bollywood recently, and Salman Khan adds his own fine touches to make him really over the top, complete with an unmistakable swagger, attitude and wit.
If you think that Indian films have rather exaggerated fight choreography, perhaps the treatment that this film adopts will change your mind about it, and adds a lot of fun and colour to a film that doesn't take itself too seriously when it comes to entertaining the masses with some over the top action that as a finale, seemed like that of a typical epic Western shoot-em-ups with plenty of explosions thrown in for good measure.
In fact, there are plenty of Western elements put into the film, from action as mentioned, to even the music - Udd Udd Dabangg remains my favourite from the film for its cheesy looking moves that tells us in one song, just what Chulbul stands for.Central to its story are a few sub plots running in parallel, involving Chulbul's falling in love with and the romancing of the headstrong Rajo (Sonakshi Sinha in a film debut), the Pandey family problems with the non-recognition from his step dad Prajapati Pandey (Vinod Khanna) to whom his mom (Dimple Kapadia) marries, and his step brother Makkhi (Arbaaz Khan), a non too bright, good for nothing who finds support in Chulbul's political enemies.
Not every actor has natural charisma, but Salman Khan here just oozes plenty as he makes this role his own.Dabangg swaggers its way into my shortlist of some of the best films this year.
The actions sequences of the movie are remarkably done in South Indian movies style just like before in Salman Khan's super block buster movie "Wanted".
DABANGGGGGGGGG-------10/10Sonakhsi performance-9.5/10 SALMAN KHAN-10/10 ARBAAZ KHAN-10/10 VINOD KHANNA-10/10 DIMPLE KAPADIA-10/10Go grab a seat near you before the movie gets off the theatre you will feel action adventure romance and corruption of CHULBUL PANDEY AKA ROBINHOOD PANDEY.
Robinhood Pandey aka Chulbul Pandey(Salman Khan) is a corrupt police in the movie.His craziness blows everyones mind!And the timing of the music is so incredible.The action of Salman is flawless,beyond description.His attitude is so firing.Chulbul lives with his parents and brother (Makkhi Pandey).Cheddy Singh (Sonu Sood) is the villain.Cheddy killed Chulbul's mother.And create problems with Salman and with the villagers.Chulbul Pandey fight against Cheddy.There is even romantic periods in the movie.Taran Adarsh rated Dabangg 4.5/5.Salman Khan at the age 44 showed damn action.If don't watch it you gonna miss a mass.GO QUICKLY and watch DABANGG(FEARLESS) MUST WATCH-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!----BOX OFFICE COLLECTION--49 CRORE(3 DAYS BUSINESS,India)Biggest in Bollywood.RECORD!.
His character of a Robin Hood type anti hero was not well developed but then again I think most of the thinking went into the action sequences and that's about as good as it gets in a salman khan movie.Another funny aspect to the movie was his interaction with Sonakshi Sinha's character.
Its basically for the audience who love Hindi film full of Masala(spicy),action,comedy,drama and only expect only 2 thing from the movie thats Total ENTERTAINMENT and stress reliever.
And if you are a Salman Khan fan for them its Icing on the cake.Dabangg is a movie about Chulbul Pandey AKA Robinhood Pandey,a fearless,ruthless but funny and lovable Cop in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Dabangg provides wholesome entertainment.No doubts on that.But the problem is of its story,Its the kind which the people have seen in 60s-70s Bollywood movies.But,the director takes a step ahead with 3 aces.
After having some major Bollywood flops this year (all of them had a story) dabangg came to the rescue.Remember dialogs from western movie like "the good,the bad and the ugly"-"if you want to shoot ,shoot,dont talk" or " in this world there are two kinds of people my friend, one who load guns and others who dig.you dig" .Dabangg follows similar trend with funny dialogs.The action sequences have been shot in a different manner.
This movie is a complete package of Action and Comedy.The dialogues are awesome.The acting is also good.But Salman Khan steals the show,the mustache suites him a lot.The acting of Sonakshi Sinha is very good according to her first movie and she is beautiful.The Story is very nice,but there are some flaws too,like they did not tell very much about the villain ,it was a little confusing to know what was his profession plus the second flaw was that they did not tell the name of the character of the heroin ,i didn't notice it in the movie but afterward i thought about it and i didn't get it.The End fight was one of the best directed fights ever.The songs and music in the movie is very good,the songs were not getting out of my mind after i watched the movie.This is a movie that only Salman Khan can do,no one would be applicable at his place.A movie worth watching 4 or 5 times ..
film is an epic.Went to watch the paid preview because its an action film.I feel Movies are made so that audience can be entertained, Dabangg does that!
Anupam kher is a fantastic.Dimple kapadia is Superb.Arbaaz,he is a good,but he has a Extended Cameo only.Vinod Khanna is A grade in his 'grey shade' role.Sonu sood as the main villain is fantastic, But, but, The show Belongs to "SALMAN KHAN", he is so so Cute and adorable as Chulbul pandey.
The hysteria its promos created before its release, Munni Badnaam the item number, hit music, Salman Khan's fantastic new look, Sonakshi Sinha's pleasant appearance and the historic box office response, all directed at one thing
Dabangg is something special.Dabangg gets the basics right.
There is the new action hero of Bollywood, the Salman Khan of Wanted and Dabangg.
Dabangg which means 'fearless' is quite an annoying and disturbing because firstly, its not an out and out Salman's movie and secondly, again in the name of producer the actor of 'Arbazz Khan' will come in every third scene without any remorse that he is blocking the flow of the story.
As other aspects are also good like stunts, cinematography , music and performance also.Best watch it in single screen among crazy crowds whistling clapping for their superstar Salman Khan.
These, compiled with the chop-chop edited (Pranav Dhiwar) action sequences and simple stepped choreography (Raju-Farah) complete the technicalities needed to translate the predictable, yet spoofed screenplay to a whole new Salman-world on the screen.The hero wears his glares on the back of his collar, gets married before the end of the movie, beats up people he doesn't like and cracks fart-jokes.
Some dialogs are witty and delivered in typical menacing style by Salman and it keeps grin to your face.Movie has a throng of fine actors like Vinod Khanna, Dimple Kapadia, Anupam Kher, Mahesh Manjrekar and Arbaaz Khan.
Sonu Sood and Arbaaz Khan i think are good actors but this movie has been made to circle around Salman.
That's the absence of any out of the box, solid and powerful villain standing against Salman Khan in the film.Unlike WANTED, DABANGG doesn't have any amusing villain character who gives a tough fight to the hero in his own entertaining style and persona.
This movie was brilliant and entertaining but I enjoyed watching the film and movie scenes of the movie are hilarious Storyline is good screenplay is good editing is good direction is good background music is good Songs are really good and excellent songs are excellent as always Salman khan was the real hero he is superb sonakshi does a wonderful debut performance arbaaz khan is superb sonu does amazing in his negative role Overalll my rating is 8/10.
starting Salman khan & sonakshi sinha dabangg 2010 is overpraised & overrated film in Indian cinema along with other salman movies like ready & bodyguard.Salman cant make good moves now he make only money by giving these so called spicy mass entertainer film.
starting Salman khan & sonakshi sinha dabangg 2010 is overpraised & overrated film in Indian cinema along with other salman movies like ready & bodyguard.Salman cant make good moves now he make only money by giving these so called spicy mass entertainer film.
Dabangg-A film by Anurag Kashyap is a family film as like all other movies of Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan.
The story of dabang is very simple.It is about a corrupt police officer who faces challenges from his family, gangsters and politicians.But what made DABANGG stood out was how it was directed.Director Abhinav Kashyap did a fantastic job And what made Dabang more special is the presence of Salman in an action scenes after Wanted.Most importantly, it's not meant to make sense.
Dabangg delivers entertainment Salman was having a no of flops after wanted but in 2010,director Abhinav Kashyap teamed with Salman to give a masala entertainer which changed Salman's career at the box office.Salman became the biggest crowd puller at the box office and even some worst movies like BODYGUARD broke many records at the box office The story of dabangg is very simple.It is about a corrupt police officer who faces challenges from his family, gangsters and politicians.But what made DABANGG stood out was how it was directed.Director Abhinav Kashyap did a fantastic job And what made Dabangg more special is the presence of Salman in an action masala after Wanted.Dabangg was indeed made for Salman.Truly Dabangg is among the best Salman performances.The comedy was also very good.The music "munni badnaam" became an instant hit and had the item girl herself dancing to it.Sonakshi made her debut with Dabangg but had less to do since it is all about the hero All in all DABANGG deserved the success it had at the box office..
Movie: Dabangg Rating: 4.5/5Salman Khan has played action packed roles for a long time.
But this time he shines as the new age cop in his mega action entertainer Dabangg, where he is excellent not just as an actor, but also as a true hero who looks like a cop.It's not only Salman, but also the screenplay that makes this film excellent.
In comparison Dabangg is a no nonsense film from a no nonsense action star/ actor Mr Salman Khan .
Director Abhinav Kashyap puts Salman Khan in Rajnikant's shoes in action sequences while the film's setting in U.P gives it a grand scope to explore the bhojpuri realm and take advantage of it for entertainment through dialogs and characters.
Director Abhinav Kashyap puts Salman Khan in Rajnikant's shoes in action sequences while the film's setting in U.P gives it a grand scope to explore the bhojpuri realm and take advantage of it for entertainment through dialogs and characters.
Director Abhinav Kashyap puts Salman Khan in Rajnikant's shoes in action sequences while the film's setting in U.P gives it a grand scope to explore the bhojpuri realm and take advantage of it for entertainment through dialogs and characters. |
tt0071675 | It's Alive | Lenore Harker leaves college to have a baby with her architect boyfriend, Frank. After discovering the baby has doubled in size in just a month, doctors extract the baby by Caesarian section. After the doctor cuts the umbilical cord, the newborn baby Daniel goes on a rampage and kills the surgical team in the operating room. He afterwards crawls onto his mother's belly and falls asleep. Lenore and Daniel are found on the operating table, the room covered in blood. Lenore has no memory of what happened.
After questioning by the police, Lenore is allowed to take Daniel home. Authorities arrange for a psychologist to help her regain her memory of the delivery. Soon, Daniel bites Lenore when she feeds him, revealing his taste for blood.
Daniel begins to attack small animals and progresses to killing adult humans. Lenore refuses to accept that her baby is a cannibalistic killer. Frank comes home from work to find Lenore sitting in the baby's room, but Daniel is not in his crib. The electricity goes off. Frank goes to check the fuse and at the same time searches for Daniel in the basement. Then he finds himself locked in. Daniel kills Marco, the police officer who came with Sergeant Perkins. Perkins finds Frank in the basement. As Perkins and Frank search for Daniel, Daniel suddenly drops down on Perkins and kills him. Frank captures Daniel with a rubbish can, but cannot bring himself to kill him. Daniel leaps out of the rubbish can and attacks Frank when he lifts the lid off the rubbish can.
Lenore finds Frank injured, and she brings Daniel into the burning house. Frank and his brother, Chris watch helplessly as the house burns with Lenore and Daniel inside. | cult, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0032520 | The Ghost Breakers | In a Manhattan radio studio, a broadcast is being made by crime reporter Lawrence Lawrence (Bob Hope)—"Larry" to his friends, as well as his enemies, who are many in number among the local underworld.
Listening in on the broadcast is pretty brunette Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard), whose high-rise hotel room goes dark as a violent thunderstorm causes a city-wide blackout. In the near darkness, a knock comes at her door. It is Mr. Parada (Paul Lukas), a suave, vaguely sinister Cuban solicitor. He delivers the deed to her inherited plantation and mansion, "Castillo Maldito," on a small island off the coast of Cuba. Despite Parada's discouragement, she impulsively decides to travel to Cuba by ship to inspect her new property.
During Parada's visit, Mary receives a telephone call from Mr. Mederos (Anthony Quinn), an even more sinister gent who warns Mary not to sell the newly inherited property to Parada. Mary agrees to meet Mederos later.
Meanwhile, after Larry Lawrence has finished broadcasting the evening's exposé of a local crime boss, he receives a telephone call from the crime boss, Frenchy Duval (Paul Fix). Frenchy invites Larry to his hotel to discuss the broadcast so he can "give it" to him straight.
Coincidentally, Frenchy is living in the same hotel where Mary Carter lives. Mederos arrives on the same hotel floor as Larry. However, Mederos is looking for Parada. Mederos confronts Parada and Parada shoots and kills him. Larry hears the shot and fires his gun at random. In a mix-up in the still-darkened building, Larry sees the body and believes he's killed one of Duval's henchmen. In the confusion he finds himself in the rooms of Mary Carter, who is already busy packing for her journey. Believing that he is being pursued by Duval's men, Larry hides in Mary's large open trunk. Unaware of Larry's presence, Mary locks the trunk and arranges for its transport to the harbor.
Later at the dock, Larry's valet Alex (Willie Best) searches among the luggage bound for loading and finds Larry among them. Although not in time to prevent the trunk's transfer to the ship's hold, Alex manages to get on board, hoping to extricate his employer before the ship sails.
Once in her stateroom, Mary is surprised to unpack Larry along with the rest of her belongings. Larry and Alex decide to remain on board, partly to act as bodyguards to the plucky beauty, but also to keep out of reach of Frenchy Duval and the police.
As Larry and Mary strike up a flirtation, they run into an acquaintance of Mary's, Geoff Montgomery (Richard Carlson), a young professorial type who regales them with tales of the local superstitions of their destination, particularly voodoo, ghosts and zombies.
Upon reaching port in Havana, Mary, Larry, Alex go to the island. En route they find a shack occupied by an old woman (Virginia Brissac) and her catatonic son (Noble Johnson), whom they believe is a zombie. The imposing plantation manor proves to be a spooky edifice indeed. They begin to explore the long-abandoned, cobweb-ridden mansion, and discover a large portrait of a woman who is nearly an exact likeness of Mary—most certainly an ancestor.
Soon they are terrorized by the appearance of a ghost, and the reappearance of the zombie. Are these real, or are they a ruse to frighten Mary away from her inheritance? | murder | train | wikipedia | Goddard is strikingly pretty and charming, Bob Hope seems fresh and energetic (and very effective in some of his straight moments) and Willy Best gets to shed his "scared darky" persona and play a funny and reasonably straight role.
Another able funny man Willie Best, who never got his due because of the racial stereotyping rampant in Hollywood at the time, makes a better sparring partner for Bob than anyone else including Bing Crosby, although Crosby and Hope were also a winning combination with plenty of chemistry between them.
In "The Ghost Breakers" Bob Hope and Willie Best are together through much of the picture.
Hope tells Best that if he sees two ghosts running down the stairs, "Let the first one by because that one will be me." Best retorts, "If you see another one pass you,let him go because that one will be me." And the fun continues at a scatter gun pace.An added attraction is the wonderful and beautiful Paulette Goddard.
The atmosphere of acceptance of the supernatural (in the zombie element of the movie)is reminiscent of "I Walked With a Zombie", which might sound like ridiculously high praise for a Bob Hope comedy, but it's probably best if you see the film and check it out.
Many movie fans who were raised seeing Bob Hope strictly in the slightly depressing films he made during the 1960s and his periodic TV specials may be surprised to learn that in the 1940s he was one of the best "fast patter' comedians working on the radio and in films.
Generally playing a coward who still managed to come up on top in circumstances over which he had no control, the comic starred in a number of successful films.I admittedly have a preference for "old dark house" mysteries, and I spent years trying to catch up on this one.
The only version of the script which had been readily available through the 1970s was the Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis remake, SCARED STIFF, which used the basic premise but altered some of the gags and inserted musical numbers.The action opens in New York City where Lawrence "Larry" Lawrence (Hope) is preparing for a radio broadcast as the city is hit by a storm-created blackout.
Hope and Goddard had also starred in a sound remake of one of the better known of these creakers, THE CAT AND THE CANARY.GHOST BREAKERS is well worth renting..
Add the colorful (no pun intended) Willie Best as Hope's sidekick, a creative script, George Marshall's direction, two Anthony Quinns and you have movie magic.
In fact, there are times when it is easy to forget that this is a Bob Hope comedy and not a straight horror movie (you can easily imagine, that Val Lewton, say, was out in the original audience, taking notes).Hope is helped by the cast.
The basic plot: Bob Hope gets mixed up in a plot to get Paulette Goddards fortune.The praise: Its a funny movie, with Bob Hope doing plenty of good gags and wisecracks .
It was interesting to see Anthony Quinn in this early role in his career.All in all, a movie that a lot other folks would agree is one of Hope's funniest films..
Bob Hope made some wonderful, fun movies in the '40s, and "The Ghost Breakers" costarring Paulette Goddard, Paul Lukas, Willie Best, and Richard Carlson is a prime example.
Anthony Quinn has two small double roles in an early appearance for him.Hope is a radio gossip who talks about the mob and sometimes upsets them; Goddard is a woman who has just inherited a castle in Cuba.
Zombies and Ghosts and Murder, Oh My. When Bob Hope first signed with Paramount what they had in mind for him were some B picture comedies playing the bottom half of double bills.
When Quinn gets murdered Hope thinks he did it and Goddard and he are soon involved in every which way possible.On my VHS copy is the trailer for The Ghost Breakers in which it's advertised that this new Bob Hope film will feature his 'boy' Syracuse played by Willie Best.
Without a scorecard it is difficult to separate the players, but one of the most important is Hope's aide, ably played by master straightman Willie Best without a trace of racial stereotyping; he is loyal, at least as brave as his boss and a great asset to the movie.
Willie Best is outstanding as Hope's sidekick and straight man; Anthony Quinn is promising, young and sullen as twin gangsters; Richard Carlson does a bright job of playing off-type as a duplicitous villain; and Paul Lukas is extremely powerful as Senor Perada, a wonderfully villainous red herring.
The Ghost Breakers is a sort of sequel to Paramount's 1939 hit The Cat and the Canary, also starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.
Befriending her, it's not before long that Larry is on his way to Cuba as well, but Mary is under threat from shifty characters and to make mattes worse, their destination castle is rumoured to be haunted and tales of zombies seem to carry some weight.Hope and Goddard really do have a rich chemistry here and the results are excellent to say the least.
Bob Hope always thinks he is bigger than he is, and we are terrified along with him as he jokes and pans his way through this classic and original haunted house film.
I've just watched The Ghost Breakers for the first time and rather enjoyed it and was creepy in parts.A woman has just inherited a castle on a small island which turns out to be haunted.
This happens in New York.The Ghost Breakers reunites Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard from The Cat and the Canary and are joined by Richard Carlson (Creature From the Black Lagoon), Paul Lukas (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) and an early role for Anthony Quinn.
Paulette Goddard plays Mary Carter the beautiful heiress to a castle in Cuba who goes there to check it out against all the stern warnings, and with dashing radio dj Lawrence L.
Amidst all the smart ass one liners from Hope and Best there's even a couple of genuinely spooky scenes, especially the zombie on his bed turning his head to look (dead) at them and the transparent ghost getting out of the casket at midnight to take a stroll around to their decided consternation.
As for the "castle" itself - where apparently no one had lived for twenty years even though someone had died there only two months before – the sets are simple and simply perfect in their spookiness.Serious people will probably have a problem overlooking the white master/black servant relationship depicted, but compared to many other Hollywood films from the era Best is almost treated as an equal and Hope really reduced only once to a rude imperiousness to Best.
It's always a joy to watch and listen to a guy at the top of his game; I think this is one of Hope's best films and as a comedy-horror (olde style) also probably the best of its kind..
The Ghost Breakers is a black and white movie from 1940 Starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.Bob Hope plays a New York City radio newscaster, named Larry Lawrence that specializes in political gossip.
When he inadvertently offends a local gangster, his attempt to get back into the gangster's good graces results in him being accused of a murder he didn't commit.Enter Paulette Goddard as Mary Carter a damsel in distress who has just inherited a haunted castle in Cuba.
Undoubtedly one of the best comedy/horror movies of the 1940s--perhaps of all time--and almost on a par with the great "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948), the 1940 reremake of "The Ghost Breakers" manages the tricky balance between yukyuks and chills with considerable deftness.
In this one, Bob Hope plays a radio personality named Lawrence Lawrence Lawrence (his parents had no imagination, he tells us), who escapes the Mob and the cops by hiding in Paulette Goddard's steamer trunk Paulette's just inherited a creepy haunted mansion off the coast of Cuba, and before you know it, the two are up to their jutting eyeballs in bats, ghosts, murder attempts and zombies.
Mr. Quinn:stated his salary was about $5,000 dollars,he said after all he played twins.This movie to me is a great film,the sets are by far the best,So real is the painting of Paulette.
Bob Hope plays the radio broadcaster Larry Lawrence, who gets into haunted castle with his butler Alex (Willie Best) and with Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard), whose family owns the castle.
Anthony Quinn has a double role in the movie.He plays Ramon and Francisco Mederos.Larry and the gang are pretty scared in thecastle with all kind of zombies and ghosts.And who wouldn't be.
The Ghost Breakers is a nice horror comedy.Bob Hope does a great job as always and Goddard and Best are the best.
Amid thunderclaps and flashes of lightning Bob Hope turns to Willie Best and quips, "Basil Rathbone must be giving a party!" And it goes on that way thoughout a fast-paced comedy mixing thrills, chills and horror in a fun way, as did an earlier Hope film, 'The Cat and the Canary' (which, by the way, has never been released to video for copyright reasons).
Anthony Quinn turns up in a double role, as does Richard Carlson--but it's Hope and his fast-paced comic timing that makes the movie so watchable.
However, she accidentally gets a couple of chaperones when broadcaster Bob Hope (Lawrence Lawrence Lawrence) and his valet Willie Best (Alex) make a get-a-way from a murder scene.
A Great Haunted House Comedy with Bob Hope as Larry L.
This early Bob Hope vehicle features the lovely Paulette Goddard at the peak of her beauty and under-appreciated Black comedian Willie Best in probably the finest work he ever did in film.Haunted house comedies are a unique genre, because it is so difficult to successfully blend the spooky and potentially dangerous aspects of the supernatural with the humorous possibilities usually lurking under the surface in such situations.
Hope and Goddard pulled off an enjoyable haunted house romp in the earlier "Cat and the Canary" (1939) but "Ghost Breakers" tops it.For fans of such films, I heartily recommend that you seek out a rather obscure movie directed by George Marshall ( the same director who gave us "Ghost Breakers") titled "Murder, He Says" (1945).
In general, I have found that I liked Hope's earlier films far more than the ones he did in the 50s onward--they just seem fresher and more compelling.Bob and Willie Best come to the rescue of poor little old Paulette Goddard.
However, compared to many of the other characters played by Best in previous films (when he was billed as "Sleep 'n' Eat" instead of "Willie Best"), his portrayal is pretty responsible and avoids most of the usual "black man in a haunted house" clichés..
'The Ghost Breakers' is one such film, in excelling in both comedy and horror, and one of the finest examples there is.It was remade thirteen years later as 1953's 'Scared Stiff' with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
As far as Bob Hope films go, 'The Ghost Breakers' is also one of his best ('The Cat and the Canary' is another example of Hope at his best).
It is a perfect marriage of romance, humour and scares, delivering to never less than very good standards on all three.Visually, 'The Ghost Breakers' looks great and one of Hope's better looking films.
Richard Carlson excels magnificently against type and Anthony Quinn likewise in more than one role.Overall, truly wonderful comedy-horror, a fine example of Bob Hope at his best.
Patchy Bob Hope "zombie comedy" has him likably paired again with Paulette Goddard from "The Cat and the Canary" the previous year.
He's a radio personality who thinks he's shot and killed a gangster's henchman, she has just inherited an allegedly-haunted mansion in Cuba; together, with assistance from Hope's valet, Willie Best, they figure out why nefarious types (Anthony Quinn among them) are trying to keep Goddard away from the spooky property.
Didn't Work For Me. Ghost Breakers, The (1940) ** (out of 4) Disappointing horror/comedy has Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard traveling to Cuba where they investigate an eerie house, which may or may not be haunted.
When l'd watched Paleface in 1976 Bob Hope becomes my hero ever since, then l've looking for pictures from this fabulous comedy actor, I have some, not enough but each them are specials, in this latest release here in Brazil is a fine tale a mix of spooky and smart jokes told in every frame, Paulette Goddard in sexiest scenes showing us a beuatiful full shape, Willie Best rise up in funny faces in every corner, the picture was well conceived, with many twists around, Bob gained recognition afterwards with several upcoming well-crafted and smart comedies paving a solid career that will confirm later!!Resume:First watch: 2012 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5.
Incorrectly assuming that he shot a man dead, a radio broadcaster flees to Cuba together with a young woman checking out the apparently haunted castle she has inherited in this amiable mix of laughs and chills starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.
good occasion for discover Paulette Goddard and Bob Hope in a ghost story who reminds the old science to use the humor in graceful manner.
Bob Hope is in top form, Paulette Goddard does her usual first-rate job and Willie Best puts in an amazing performance.
Bob Hope plays a radio personality - not much of a reach, admittedly - who finds himself in Cuba on the run from gangsters and ghosts in this follow-up to the hit movie The Cat and The Canary.
Anthony Quinn shows a nice light touch as well.It all involves ghosts and zombies in Goddard's ancestral home in Cuba.I liked Willie Best here.
Bob, Paulette Goddard , WIllie Best & George Marshall create another classic!.
"Ghost Breakers" is right behind Director George Marshall, who helmed the classic Jimmy Stewart/Marlene Dietrich Western "Destry Rides Again" and W.C Field's great comedy, "You Can't Cheat An Honest Man," (with Eddie Cline & EDward Sedgewick) both in 1939, directed two of Bob Hope's three best & funniest, "Monsieur Beaucaire" (1946)and this film, "Ghost Breakers" (Robert Butler's riotous 1944 Technicolor gem, "The Princess & The Pirate" is the third).Bob helps perky & gorgeous 30-year old Paulette Goddard (who was married at the time to the great Charlie Chaplin, who was 51) and this leads him and his valet Willie Best to a spooky old castle on a desolate tropical island in Cuba.While there, they meet ghosts, murder, a secret treasure, hidden rooms and passage ways - and one humdinger of a zombie (veteran Noble Johnson, who in 1933 played the native chief on Skull Island in "King Kong" and the Nubian slave in "The Mummy" with Boris Karloff).The blend of comedy and frights is (almost) unbeatable.This is the type of movie that parents should show their kids (at least 9 or 10) to give them an example of what great entertainment is all about.
Bob Hope plays Lawrence Lawrence(really) a radio host who goes on a cruise ship to evade some irate gangsters, and gets mixed up with beautiful heiress in distress Paulette Goddard, who inherited a reputedly haunted castle in Cuba.Fast, and furiously funny, with some gags that may seem dated(Basil Rathbone & Baby Snooks references, for instance) but what makes this comedy so special is how it blends seamlessly witty humor and atmospheric horror in a highly appealing cinematic package.
Willie Best plays his servant/best friend, and is very funny indeed, and nothing to be embarrassed about.Richard Carlson and Anthony Quinn round out a talented cast.The type of film that can be viewed many times over without getting tired of, it is a joy from start to finish.
However, in this film he is teamed up with a great actress, Paulette Goddard, (Mary Carter) who inherits an island off the coast of Cuba and the house is full of ghosts and strange things.
Perhaps that's because it's fairly early in his career before his character was totally set?Anyway, if you like old 40s mystery-haunted house comedies, and you like Bob Hope, this is a good bet..
And this is a Bob Hope comedy
I love this film because it is really before its time.
How cool is that!This is also one of Bob Hope's funniest performances and a great way to remember him.P.S.: Like many commentators, I first saw this film on the late show as a kid and remembered it as the most chilling horror picture I had ever seen and only got to understand the jokes later.
Larry agrees that one good turn deserves another and decides to go to Cuba to help Mary.The Ghost Breakers is a very entertaining mix of comedy and horror.
Bob Hope referred to Best, as his comedic co-star in The Ghost Breakers (1940), as one of the finest talents he had ever worked with.It's all very funny & this film kind of set up the model that Hopes solo comedy films would use in different variations throughout his career when he wasn't with Bing.
Those expecting another comical spook fest from the team of Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard will have to wait until half way through the film before the chills start.
This early Bob Hope movie hits all the right tones...mostly because of the ghost/zombie angle.My sisters and I saw this as kids.
Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard team up again a year after starring in THE CAT AND THE CANARY.
After a chain of circumstances(which must be seen to be believed)leads to Lawrence believing that he murdered a man, Lawrence and his chauffeur Alex(Willie Best)come into contact with a beautiful young heiress named Mary(Paulette Goddard)who has inherited a reportedly haunted castle in Cuba, and they follow her.Hope isn't as funny in this film so much as charming and witty, but he does a good job and his mastery of wordplay is used expertly here. |
tt0124595 | Return to Paradise | Three friends, Lewis McBride, Sheriff and Tony, are seen having a fun vacation in a Malaysian paradise. Their adventures include being almost run over by a car while riding a bicycle, and being pressured into buying some rhinoceros horn from Malaysian locals. They also purchase a large bag of hash from a drug dealer. The three men wind up at their beach front house on the ocean pondering their future in the island paradise.
Tony and Sheriff decide to return to New York, while Lewis, being a "greeny", wishes to travel to Borneo to save endangered orangutans. On the last day, they toss the remaining hash in the garbage. As time passes in New York, Sheriff is working as a limo driver and Tony as an architect.
A young lawyer named Beth informs them that their friend Lewis has spent the last two years in Penang prison in Malaysia, because of hash found at their Malaysian house. She reveals that he will receive the death sentence unless one or both of the men return to share responsibility. Beth assures both of them that they will not suffer in prison, be tortured, or harmed in any way. After a gruelling eight days, during which they must make a decision, Beth and Sheriff begin a heated love affair, and both men decide to return to Malaysia. Upon their arrival, all seems well until they visit the prison to see Lewis.
Lewis appears to have suffered psychological damage from the harsh imprisonment, although it is reported that he has not been tortured or starved as is the case with other prisoners. Beth subsequently reveals that she is Lewis' sister and has been blatantly manipulating the two men. Her lie makes Tony fearful of the Malaysian justice system and he abandons Lewis and flies back to the United States. Sheriff initially follows Tony, but decides to face jail to save his friend and returns to the courtroom in which Lewis is being tried.
The judge seems heartened by this act of courage and bravery, until he discovers a news clipping from an American newspaper blaming the Malaysian justice system and condemning them for their harsh sentencing of Lewis. Because of this, the judge becomes infuriated and gives Lewis a death sentence, despite Sheriff's decision to accept his share of the responsibility. He also gives Sheriff an unknown period of jail time.
As Lewis is taken to his execution, Sheriff hears his screams and struggles. From a window, he is able to call to him, to assure him repeatedly that he is not alone. Just before he is hanged, Lewis calms in response to these assurances and dies quietly.
Sheriff assures Beth that Lewis, despite his emotional deterioration, seemed at peace in his final moments. Beth becomes emotional and kisses Sheriff as a sign of their love and connection. She tells him that the attorney general has said that the Malaysian government will quietly release him within six months, once the media attention dies down, to save face. As the guard takes Sheriff out, Beth says that she will take her brother back home and then return to Malaysia to wait for his release. | suspenseful, psychological, melodrama | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0098623 | Warm Summer Rain | Kate is a depressed thirty-something who unsuccessfully attempts suicide by slitting her wrists. Reflecting briefly upon her circumstance in the hospital, she realizes that nothing has been solved, whereupon she vacates the premises, wearing nothing but a hospital gown, a black coat, and flimsy sandals. Shortly thereafter, at a bus station, she requests from the attendant a bus ticket to wherever, with consideration to the limited funds she has to spare. The attendant insists on a destination, or even a direction – Kate spins about, points, and says, "that way".
She then gets off the bus in the middle of nowhere, and after turning down a ride from a handsome stranger (Barry Tubb) in a Mustang convertible, she walks though the desert and finds an isolated bar. Getting drunk at the bar, she parties with some people in the bar. The stranger who tried picking her up along the road comes in and eventually she passes out. She wakes up the next morning in an abandoned house, with the stranger, wearing a ring. He tells her that they were married in the bar and shows her some Polaroid photos of the "ceremony".
Hiding out in an abandoned house in the desert, the pair embarks on a torrid journey of sensual and romantic discovery, who rekindles her will to live, but it soon becomes clear that things can't stay this way forever. | romantic, murder | train | wikipedia | Precursor to American Beauty....
I disagree that this movie is strictly a gratuitous sex film.
I think it has a lot in common with American Beauty, in that it addresses how we choose to live our lives.
In this case, they choose to have sex a lot, but that is not the point.
The point is to deny the typical societal roles, and to live life however you want.
The film has a lot of funny scenes, good dialogue, and a lot of David Lynch-style bizarre characters.
Next to American Beauty, it is one of my favorite films.
It is definitely a low-budget, intellectual, art-film, but worth watching if you enjoy intelligent filmmaking with a bit of humor..
A hidden Gem(check the drama section at the bottom of the shelf in a mom and pops vid shop).
About a year and a half ago, I was browsing my favorite video stores drama section(ya know the kinds of stores who carry all low budget titles on their catalog listings), and I came across this film.
I liked the description and it reminded me alot of Last Tango In Paris, so I tucked it under my arm with my other releases brought it home and watched the other three films first.
It was around 2 am and I put this in....the first 5 minutes drew me in hook line and sinker: there is no sound just pleaseing mood music as a shroud of quick cuts display a beautiful woman lying in a pool of blood with images of her past playing out before the viewer...no smart perceptive dialogue, no state of panic...just beautiful images.
The film then begins and it could all go downhill from here...but it does'nt..this woman is fully aware of the constant daily grind of life and the annoying people that inhabit it...so she gets up in her hospital gown, witnesses a dying old woman and then leaves town...no destination, no cause.
What progresses then is basically alot of sex and insightful, yet not overly cocky insights into life, love, death, and isolation between a dim witted drifter whom she meets in an almost ghost town.The astonishing thing about this film is that it is perfectly aware of its characters problems, yet it doesnt bore us with the details....they meet, they do the most logical thing and have sex constantly in an abondoned house...they state their cuases...and then try to conform somewhat to the outside world by the films great ending.
I love this person.
She wants to be alone and she wants to be isolated.
Combined with stunning imagery and camera work...even if u mute the sound..u still feel the isolation and quiet moodiness of the film..compared to Last Tango..this film is much better.Tango is loud it is repellent unsenseibly..this film is bright, evocative and mildly entertaining...it shouldnt be entertaining however.If only more films like this could be made....better yet..no..this is a one of a kind...maybe only meant for the people who find it wipe the dust off of it and give it a try.
I watch it every once in a while...when the wind is blowing and im alone..
a truely ethereal movie.
rented this awhile ago-very ethereal movie, atmospheric, movie is dreamlike all through.
If you appreciate these types of movies you will like this-even the title has that dreamlike feel.I'd have to see it again to give it a rating, but remember it as atmospheric, different and disturbing.
A good movie for summery rainy day..
Different and Interesting - you might like it as well..
If you are a film buff, and do not mind a different style of film, this is worthwhile.
It does not leave you with such a great feeling, but overall it is done very well.
Psychological, even philosophical; thought-provoking.Sometimes it is refreshing to see a film venture away from the usual 'Hollywood formula'..
Doesn't deserve neglect.
Although given short shrift by the few critics who watched it, this is a worthy effort, marked by good acting, direction, technicals, and an intelligent script.
Although in a state of undress through much of the film, Kelly Lynch is given an opportunity to display the full panoply of her acting range as there are essentially only two actors.
And, as so often with independent films, all involved have an opportunity to be truly creative.
The desert setting enhanced the starkness of the extreme emotions to which the viewer is exposed..
A Delightful, Surrealistic Film.
Warm Summer Rain brings to us feelings we have all experienced...
isolation, hopelessness, bewilderment, doubt...
and opens a vein of self-examination that asks basically...
Why me, why life, why love?In seeking meaning and purpose in the midst of social disparity, the couple exploits a temporary pseudo-marriage relationship that allows them intensity.
If the dialogue, the feelings, and the interactions sometimes seem awkward, it is in keeping with the ages of the characters...Coming to us in the middle of what some called the ME generation, this film addresses those issues along with post-sixties sexuality and frankness.
This has long been one of my favorite Art films and each time I see it I find new symbolism.I swear I have been in several bars identical to the one at the beginning of the movie, and their abandoned house was where I began my own married life.
When Kelly Lynch mentions the longing she wakes up with each morning, I know just what she means.So here we have a damsel in distress, a Don Quixote sent to rescue her, some amazing sets, props, characters, and dialogue, and all the elements of a great myth...
the conflict, the descent of the hero into the underworld, and the redemption.
What else could we hope for?A dance with a five-legged Iguana, that's what.Don't miss this humorous, delightful, thought-provoking movie.* Films similar to this one: Local Hero, The Swimmer (Burt Lancaster), Where the Heart Is (Natalie Portman), Amalie, Harold & Maude..
not to miss cult film.
This film is absolutely the best.
It takes a woman that has almost committed suicide and a man coming from nowhere and going to nowhere, to meet in a bar in the middle of the desert, and strip their lives bare.
Both have been living with illusions in the plastic world created in this country and in a few days find each other in a way most people do not reach in a lifetime...with a perfect ending.There is much nudity and honest (some call foul) language..
Erotic Lynch-esquire Film.
This dreamy movie, I feel is so uncredited and unnoticed or not given enough credit.
It may not be appreciated by many people because there are so many existing films similar to it (e.g. Wild at Heart).
But, don't let that get in your way.
I found this very similar to such films as 'Blue Velvet', 'Wild at Heart', 'Mulholland Drive', 'Lost Highway' and it strangely is reminiscent of 'Requiem for a Dream'.
It's essentially an intense, beautiful, erotic love story.
The moods' it creates are very carnal, passionate, melancholy, desperate and dream-like/surreal.
I can definitely see the similarities to 'Monster's Ball'.
All in all, it's a good but very overlooked film.
For fans of depressing love stories and Lynch films, this will be very appealing..
artsy erotic journey.
Depressed Kate (Kelly Lynch) fails in her suicide attempt.
She is brought into the hospital.
After some visitors, she walks off wearing only her hospital gown and an overcoat.
She takes a random bus and gets off in the middle of the desert.
She finds a kitty and then finds a bar.
It's a meandering drunken sexual journey.
She wakes up next to the well-dressed stranger (Barry Tubb).If you like Kelly Lynch drunk, troubled, and naked, this movie is for you.
That is what you get and there is plenty of it.
It's an erotic romance that leans more towards the art-house side.
I'm not in love with this couple but I don't hate them either.
It's an artsy erotic dysfunctional journey.
Her bandaged wrists are the most striking part.
Suddenly, there's a baby.
Of course, they're naked a lot.
This is one weird movie..
Unimaginative cross between an Edward Albee play and soft-core porn..
More play than film, "Warm Summer Rain", is an obtuse character study of two troubled people who manage to spend a great deal of time naked, having sex.
There are moments that are more akin to an acting class exercise than a real motion picture.
Too much of the time we see the actors acting.This film is very derivative.
It borrows from many sources including "Last Tango In Paris", "The Terminator", "The Chase", the works of Eugene O'Neill and William Saroyan.Although you can applaud the courage of Kelly Lynch and Barry Tubb, there is very little to admire here in a dramatic way.
As a rental, I would barely recommend it..
Beautiful, Touching and Funny!.
This is very unconventional film, yet so easy to watch.
It has some universal meaning and contains a lot of hidden points.
The beautiful bodies exposed ate just the top of the iceberg.
There are some pretty funny moments throughout the film, these situations made me (and the 4 people with me) laugh to tears.
For the first time I see such a combination of very serious drama, surrealistic mystery, comedy and thriller at the same time.
There is no much action, it is more subtle, but not boring at any point.
I usually get bored easily, but this was not the case here, although some may find the movie a little disoriented.
Definitely a must-watch!.
Reality bites.
Something about this movie has always haunted me.
Kelly Lynch is suicidal for one reason and that is that she has to deal with the realit of her life.
The other guy just can't face reality.
It isn't about sex, it's about despair and dealing with one's life.
Each character is running from his own reality.
It's something most of us deal with every single day of our lives.It isn't a film for the masses, or maybe that is what all the nudity and sex was for!
There were a couple memorable lines.
One was something about Kelly Lynch explaining that she is only a secretary.
The other was when Kelly Lynch is told that the crime was stealing a car and not murder..
Ken saves Barbie.
Barbie is sad.
Ken is sad.
Together they are happy, and Kenteaches Barbie to love life.The pretentious script, constantly sounding like it's impartingpop-psychology wisdom is made doubly silly when it comes out inmonologues from such incompetent actors, who can't even beconvincing in the less-demanding, non-verbal, gratuitous sexscenes.Insipid, sappy, and shallow, Warm Summer Rain can't hold acandle to Ordinary People, to which it had been favorablycompared.
The themes are also completely different, with theexception of the theme of suicide.Avoid at all costs.
Excellent Film.
I just watched it today for the first time..
I agree that it has artistic qualities similar to a David Lynch film, especially in regard to the visuals; however, this is a different kind of film, altogether.David's films are ingenious for (among other things) psychological twists/abstraction that builds to meaning in the end, while this film has a different kind of artistic sensibility; the poetic nature of the dialogue really appealed to me personally as a poet myself, and the final sequence of the movie comes across as a damn good poem, as well as the sequence near the middle of the film where Kelly Lynch is discussing her reasons for the suicide attempt, ie "and I just let the rose inside myself spill out." Gorgeous writing, imo.In short, David's movies communicate meaning in large part through the symbolism of their imagery, and while this film has its share of symbolism through the images, its driving force was primarily the poetic attributes of the dialogue, imo.
Very nicely done, I enjoyed it.
Where has this Joe Gayton guy been?
I was very impressed.ps American Beauty is a great film; a classic..
More than I expected.
The basic theme/synopsis of this movie interested me so I decided to watch it, but other than that I had low expectations based, unfortunately, on the low 4.5 IMDb score it received.
I was pleasantly surprised.
The movie pushed me throughout to try to understand what was going on.
But unlike other films that never actually come together or deliver a punch, this film ties everything together in an interesting, unique way.
The acting was engaging and the chemistry between the two leads was believable.
The film is genuinely quirky without it being forced like some films that seem to be quirky just for the sake of being quirky and/or "arthousy".
There was just enough suspense, intrigue, humor, and sensuality/sexuality to drive this film from beginning to end.
I can't say that this film is for everyone, but I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will probably watch it again -- something I don't usually say after watching most films. |
tt0210044 | Flowers for Algernon | The short story and the novel share many similar plot points, but the novel expands significantly on Charlie's developing emotional state as well as his intelligence, his memories of childhood, and the relationship with his family.
=== Short story ===
The story is told through a series of journal entries written by the story's protagonist, Charlie Gordon, a man with a low IQ of 68 who works a menial job as a janitor in Donnegan's Plastic Box Company. He is selected to undergo an experimental surgical technique to increase his intelligence. The technique had already been successfully tested on Algernon, a laboratory mouse. The surgery on Charlie is also a success, and his IQ triples.
He realizes that his co-workers at the bakery, who he thought were his friends, only liked him to be around so that they could make fun of him. His new intelligence scares his co-workers, and they start a petition to have him fired, but when Charlie finds out about the petition, he quits. As Charlie's intelligence peaks, Algernon's suddenly declines—he loses his increased intelligence and mental age, and dies shortly afterward, to be buried in the back yard of Charlie's home. Charlie discovers that his intelligence increase is also only temporary. He starts to experiment to find out the cause of the flaw in the experiment, which he calls the "Algernon–Gordon Effect". Just when he finishes his experiments, his intelligence begins to regress to its state prior to the operation. Charlie is aware of, and pained by what is happening to him as he loses his knowledge and his ability to read and write. He tries to get his old job as a janitor back, and tries to revert to normal, but he cannot stand the pity from his co-workers, landlady, and Ms. Kinnian. Charlie states he plans to "go away" from New York and move to a new place. His last wish is that someone put flowers on Algernon's grave.
=== Novel ===
The novel opens with an epigraph taken from Book VII of Plato's The Republic:
Anyone who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eye are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind's eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye.
Charlie Gordon, 32 years old, suffers from phenylketonuria and has an IQ of 68. He holds a menial job at a bakery which his uncle had secured for him so that Charlie would not have to be sent to a state institution. Wanting to improve himself, Charlie attends reading and writing classes at the Beekman College Center for Retarded Adults; his teacher is Miss Alice Kinnian. Two researchers at Beekman, Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss, are looking for a human test subject on whom to try a new surgical technique intended to increase intelligence. They had already performed the surgery on a mouse named Algernon, dramatically improving his mental performance. Based on Alice's recommendation and his motivation to improve, Charlie is chosen over smarter pupils to undergo the procedure.
The operation is a success, and within the next three months Charlie's IQ reaches 185. However, as his intelligence, education, and understanding of the world increase, his relationships with people deteriorate. His co-workers at the bakery, who used to amuse themselves at his expense, are now scared and resentful of his increased intelligence and persuade his boss to fire him. Later, Charlie angrily confronts his scientific mentors about their condescending attitude toward him, particularly Dr. Nemur because Charlie believed that more than anyone Dr. Nemur considered him nothing more than another laboratory subject and not fully human before the operation.
When not drinking at night, Charlie spends weeks continuing his mentors' research and writing reports which include observations of Algernon, whom he keeps at his apartment. Charlie's research discovers a flaw in the theory behind Nemur and Strauss's intelligence-enhancing procedure that could cause him to revert to his original mental state. His conclusions prove true when Algernon starts behaving erratically, loses his own enhanced intelligence, and dies.
Charlie tries to mend the long-broken relationships with his parents. He remembers that as a boy his mother insisted on his institutionalization, overruling his father's wish to keep him in the household. Charlie returns after many years to his family's Brooklyn home and finds that his mother now suffers from dementia. Although she recognizes him, she is mentally confused. Charlie's father, who had broken off contact with the family many years before, does not recognize him. Charlie is only able to reconnect with his now-friendly younger sister, Norma, who had hated him for his mental disability when they were growing up, and is now caring for their mother in their newly depressed neighborhood. When Norma asks Charlie to stay with his family, he refuses but promises to send her money.
Despite regressing to his former self, he remembers that he was once a genius. He cannot bear to have his friends and co-workers feel sorry for him. Consequently, he decides to go to live at the state-sponsored Warren Home School, where nobody knows about the operation. In a final postscript to his writings, ostensibly addressed to Alice Kinnian, he requests that she put some flowers on Algernon's grave in Charlie's former backyard. | tragedy, prank | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0058824 | Lost in Space | In October 1997, 32 years in the future from the perspective of viewers in 1965, the United States is about to launch one of history's great adventures: man's colonization of deep space. The Jupiter 2 (called Gemini 12 in the unaired pilot episode), a futuristic saucer-shaped spacecraft which owed its design to the Fifties sci-fi movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, stands on its launch pad undergoing final preparations. Its mission is to take a single family on a five-and-a-half-year journey (altered from 98 years in the unaired pilot) to a planet orbiting the nearest star, Alpha Centauri (the pilot show had referred to the planet itself as Alpha Centauri), which space probes have revealed possesses ideal conditions for human life.
The Robinson family, supposedly selected from two million volunteers for this mission, consisted of Professor John Robinson, played by Guy Williams, his wife, Maureen, played by June Lockhart, their children, Judy (Marta Kristen), Penny (Angela Cartwright), and Will (Billy Mumy). They are accompanied by their pilot, U.S. Space Corps Major Donald West (Mark Goddard), who is trained to fly the ship when the time comes for the eventual landing. Initially the Robinsons and Major West will be in freezing tubes for the voyage, with the tubes opening when the spacecraft approached its destination. Unless there is a problem with the ship's navigation or guidance system during the voyage, Major West was only to take the controls during the final approach and landing on the destination planet, while the Robinsons were to strap themselves into contour couches on the lower deck for the landing.
Other nations are racing to colonize space, and they would stop at nothing, not even sabotage, to thwart the United States's effort. It turns out that Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris), Alpha Control's doctor, and later supposedly a psychologist and environmental control expert, is moonlighting as a secret agent for one of those competing nations. After disposing of a guard who catches him on board the spacecraft, Smith reprograms the Jupiter 2's B-9 environmental control robot, voiced by Dick Tufeld, to destroy critical systems on the spaceship eight hours after launch. Smith, however, unintentionally becomes trapped aboard at launch and his extra weight throws the Jupiter 2 off course, causing it to encounter a meteor storm. This, plus the robot's rampage which causes the ship to prematurely engage its hyperdrive, causes the expedition to become hopelessly lost in the infinite depths of outer space.
The Robinsons are regularly placed in danger by Smith, whose selfish actions and laziness endanger the family frequently. After the first half of the first season, Smith's role assumes less sinister overtones, although he continues to display many character flaws. In "The Time Merchant" Smith shows he actually does care about the Robinsons, when he travels back in time to the day of the Jupiter 2 launch, with the hope of changing his own fate by not boarding the ship, so allowing the Robinsons to start the mission as originally planned. However, he learns that without his weight altering the ship's course, the Jupiter 2 will be destroyed by an uncharted asteroid. So he sacrifices his chance to stay on his beloved Earth, electing to re-board the ship, thus saving the lives of the family and continuing his role amongst them as the reluctant stowaway.
The fate of the Robinsons, Don West and Dr. Smith is never resolved, as the series unexpected cancellation left the Jupiter 2 and her crew literally on the junk-pile at the end of season three. | absurd, psychedelic, sci-fi | train | wikipedia | However the first season had action packed space adventure, a crash landing, jet packs, laser rifles, the chariot, scary monsters including the Cyclops and fantastic music by John Williams, (the best music ever created for TV in my opinion.) The Jupiter Two sets are still fantastic and believable today, including the fabulous creation of the Robot.
STAR TREK certainly utilized elements of whimsy but not to this degree ...I think especially of an example such as the space circus episode,or the wonderful episode in which Dr. Smith turns slowly into a stalk of celery (an acting tour de force, by the way...)...Stunning use of archetypes such as the innocent young lad, the brave companion and the cowardly uncle...many have complained of the cardboard quality of the so called "main characters" of this series, but what an interesting use of them.
The familiar characters included the Robinson family (John, Maureen, Judy, Penny, and precocious Will), the testy, short-tempered space pilot (Major Don West, played by Mark Goddard), the sinister, cowardly stowaway (Dr. Smith, played to perfection by Jonathan Harris), and of course the ship's robot, played by diminutive actor Bob May. The entire group took off in their ship Jupiter 2, and promptly got
well, lost in space.The first season (1965-66) was in B&W and was very dark and serious in tone.
There were lots of colorful characters and absurd situations, with a few standout episodes, including my all-time favorite "Trip Through the Robot".The third season (1967-68) left all logic and coherence behind, emphasizing silly situations with Will (Billy Mumy) and Dr. Smith always in peril.
However, this season also included "The Anti-Matter Man", which was imaginative, dark, and very disturbing at times.With "Lost in Space", I suppose you either love it or hate it.
Look at the recent movie; see how the producer's '90s view had a troubled Will Robinson, and a self-centered Penny, along with a soulless John Robinson who had all the charm of a brick.I am glad that Lost In Space is on DVD as well as video and that people can see a great classic television show.
There was a certain sense of wonder, a certain sense of the fantastic---and a definite 60s vibe of surrealism that crept into every show from "Green Acres" to "Batman" to "Gilligan's Island." And for my money, the best show in TV's greatest decade was "Lost in Space." It's impossible to describe what watching this show was like in the 1960s.
Also like Gilligan's Island, although the group's first priority starts off as finding a way to return to earth, eventually they settle into a kind of domestic tranquility and seem to make peace with their situation of being "lost in space".Of course, rewatching this series over forty years later, it is not quite as great as I remembered it, but it is still great fun and Smith is still a fascinating character.
What the series' creators couldn't foresee is that today people are much more like Zachary Smith than the Robinson family - at least the people in charge of things are..
I too, like many people, wish that "Lost In Space" would have remained a more serious science fiction epic, but the 2nd and 3rd seasons did produce some outstanding episodes like: Blast of into Space, Wreck of the Robot, Collision of Planets, The Colonists, Space Creature, The Anti-Matter Man, Hunter's Moon, and Visit to a Hostile Planet.
Even though people remember Smith, the robot, Will, and their relationship the best, there were plenty of episodes where the main focus was the Robinson family as a whole and their plight.
With its exceptional Sets & Vehicles!-The Jupiter II , Chariot & Space Pod. Lines said like "You Traitor!" will always remain fun for the globe to enjoy -said by the nefarious , Loveable villain Dr. Zachary Smith.
"Lost In Space" was the first big-budget, prime-time science fiction/fantasy action-adventure series for television that originally aired on its Wednesday night time slot in prime-time.
The next two seasons of the series produced 54 episodes in color(Season 2 consisting of 30 episodes and the third and final season 24 episodes)that ran from September 14, 1966 until March 6, 1968 for Irwin Allen Productions/Twentieth Century-Fox Television and the CBS Television Network."Lost In Space" had a top-cast of well known and respected actors that included Guy Williams("The Legend of Zorro"), June Lockhart("Timmy and Lassie"),Jonathan Harris("The Third Man",and "The Bill Dana Show"), Mark Goddard("Robert Taylor's The Detectives",and "Johnny Ringo")and Marta Kristen("The Man From UNCLE"),and two of the best child actors of the era Billy Mumy("The Twilight Zone"),and Angela Cartwright("Make Room For Daddy").Throughout it's impressive three season run and 83 episodes(more episodes than Star Trek on NBC)it was usually the highest- rated show in its time slot(going up against NBC's The Virginian and usually coming in neck to neck with Batman on ABC,believe it or not).
What made the series stand out was it's cliffhangers during the first 2 seasons with the family facing constant peril and danger where it left viewers in suspense("To Be Continue...NEXT WEEK...Same Time, Same Channel)until the next episode and so much more.
Season 2 picks up where the Season 1 left off this time in color with several good episodes ranging from "The Prisoners of Space","Trip Through The Robot",and "The Ghost Planet".
The third and final season of the series saw "The Anti- Matter Man", "Hunter's Moon", "Visit to a Hostile Planet",and "Condemned of Space" stood out as the best episodes of the series.
The worst episodes that came out of Lost In Space's three-year run consisted of the worst of them all "The Great Vegetable Rebellion",and from there the episodes got even worst and some outrageously over the top and ridicious ranging from "The Thief of Outer Space", "The Space Croppers", "Princess of Space", "Castles of Space", "The Questing Beast", "The Girl From The Green Dimension", "Space Beauty", "West of Mars", "The Curse of Cousin Smith",and "Mutiny In Space".When "Lost In Space" was abruptly canceled in the Spring of 1968 after three seasons and 83 episodes the powers that be over at CBS didn't waste any time in finding a replacement on it's Wednesday night prime time schedule for the 1968-1969 season which was the another action/adventure series from creator-producer Ivan Tors called "Daktari" that eventually replaced "Lost In Space"..
It's too bad that so many people only remember the silly episodes like "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" and forget the wonderful ones like "The Hungry Sea", "Island In The Sky", "There Were Giants In The Earth", "The Anti-Matter Man", "Visit To A Hostile Planet", "Return To Earth", "The Sky Is Falling" and on and on.
The surviving cast still gets together for lunch at 20th several times a year.Even "Star Trek" seems to have borrowed some ideas from "Lost In Space".
Some of this was by the great Bernard Herrman (The Day the Earth Stood Still, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad) which surprised me as I didn't think he composed music for television.The special effects are very good and some of the monsters are impressive, especially the giant cyclops, (a man in a rubber suit), from the fourth episode (There Were Giants In the Earth).
Some of the monsters in this story are stock footage from fellow Irwin Allen production The Lost World (1960).It would be nice to see another rerun of this series on Channel 4 as I enjoyed it very much.Rating: 5 stars out of 5..
The concept was intriguing: Family (which represents warmth, love and survival) in the environment of Space (cold, vast, mysterious).All through my life, I have never been fascinated by any series or film more than the first five episodes and first season of glorious black & white.
I figure that I must have seen Lost In Space the first time it was re-run in the 70's on Australian television (Channel 10 from memory) and as a kid, it was definitely a show that captured the imagination.Nearly 40 years later, I don't see that greatness.
Johnathon Harris as Dr Smith turning from an almost plausible villainous character to overacting coward didn't help much either.If someone could watch the better episodes that made sense and write an entire new series with those as the core, it could easily become the launching pad for an entire new show like The Next Generation did with Star Trek.I shouldn't be cringing in embarrassment for actors in a show that stopped being made 2 years after I was born..
In its second and third seasons, it was ridiculous and amusing, in a cubist sort of way.LOST IN SPACE was originally intended (to use programming parlance) to be "Swiss Family Robinson in Space." Schlockmeister Irwin Allen got the idea to send a typical American family into space, but get them lost on a deserted planet.
CBS bought the show and took it into production.Soon afterward, the show received a lucky break when another writer- producer sent them a proposal for a show he described as "Wagon Train to the Stars." CBS read the pitch and pulled Gene Roddenberry into a lengthy meeting, where they asked questions about what the ship should look like, what type of music to use and stories he might run.Among other things, Roddenberry told CBS that his music would probably borrow from Bernard Herrman's score for THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and his ship might be based on something like the United Planets Cruiser C57-D in FORBIDDEN PLANET.CBS thanked him for coming in and explained that they already had a show they liked better (their show had kids).
Even six-year-olds realize that won't happen.)Looking for a fix, someone noticed that LOST IN SPACE was about a group of people trying to get home-- and CBS already had a hit show about a group of people in pretty much the same fix.So the evil Dr. Smith got turned into the intergalactic Willy Gilligan, the Robot became Jonas Grumby, John Robinson the brilliant scientist became Roy Hinkley-- and the show became "Cretin's Island In Space." The three women and extra man got swept aside as SMith, the robot and the cute kid had adventures.
My vote is ten, for the importance of this series in my childhood.First DVD1) `The Reluctant Stowaway' (` O Clandestino Relutante') D: Tony Leader (17 Aug 2004)In the first episode, it is the beginning of the Robinson's family journey to space.
Who knew we LIS fans would have a marathon of merriment almost 40 years later with rewind, forward, pause and freeze frame on another little piece of plastic?Yes, it was genius (as the kiddies today say) to rework the pilot and add the characters of Dr. Smith and the Robot.
What about Dr.Smith (Jonathan Harris)he was something else, rude, lazy, and all he had in mind was getting back to earth no matter what, but I think he was a really good part of this show, and of course who can forget Will (Billy Mumy) and the Robot always on a new adventure ussually thanks to Dr. smith, of course we remember Judy (Marta Kristen), Penney(Angela Cartwright)and Mayor Don West(Mark Goddard) who I thought would make a move on Judy, but I dont think he ever even kissed her, or maybe I dont remember.All I have to say is that LOST IN SPACE is my first favorite all time sci fi show, of course in the 70s I have to say it is Star Wars!
Lost in Space - First Season - Seventh and Eighth DVDs. Seventh DVD25) 'The Space Croppers' ('Os Semeadores do Universo') D: Sobey Martin (23 Sep 2004) Dr. Smith, Will and Penny are storing some goods in a time capsule, when they hear a howling.
My vote is nine.Eighth DVD (the last one)29) 'Follow the Leader' ('A Voz do Espírito') D: Don Richardson (26 Sep 2004)While trying to recover a laser gun lost by Dr. Smith in a hole in a cave, John Robinson falls and an evil alien spirit called Canto possesses part of his body.
My vote is ten.31) Bonus: Presentation of CBS networkThe DVD offers as a bonus, with Portuguese subtitles, the presentation of 'Lost in Space' series by CBS, including its target public.Now lets wait for the release of the second season in Brazil.
Angela Cartwright & Billy Mumy were attractive to the 8 to 14 year old set, though Angela moved up more into the older teenagers more before the series ended.The robot, the space ship, the aliens were all imaginative & so was the action that Allen came up with in the series which was well produced.
The concept of Space Family Robinson was born.The show was to feature the family dealing with life beyond the Van Allen Belt in the late 1990s, and trying to survive as they encountered situations and creatures they had no idea about.With Guy Williams as the patriarch and June Lockhart as his wife, the series gave us Zorro and Lassie's mom in silver flight suits!
Younger sibs Angela Cartwright and Billy Mumy rounded out the family, plus the high tech gadget, the robot, acted by Bob May and voiced by famed announcer Dick Tufeld, and the ship's inadvertent stowaway and special guest star, Jonathan Harris as the infamous Dr. Zachary Smith.Ratings are a double edged sword for a program.
As such, story lines, characters, and behaviors became broader, more colorful (also because LIS switched from a black and white series to color) and sillier, to match what was happening on the successful "Batman." The result was a shift in focus from the family struggling to survive in the harsh realm of another galaxy to three characters: Dr. Smith with his pedantic vocabulary, The Robot who was straight man to Smith (no jokes, please) and Will, who was the smart, sensitive one that Smith could grab at a moment's notice, when there was danger!
This episode has a great moral and ethics message and is certainly one of the best stories of 'Lost in Space'.
I have very fond memories of this as a child coming home from school so I would not miss the start of the show.....My favourite episode was "Trip through the Robot" which was an homage to the movie "Fantastic Voyage." and "Visit to a hostile planet" where they land on Earth only it's 50 years in the past.
'The Addams Family', 'The Munsters', Doctor Who', 'My Favourite Martian', 'Batman', 'Star Trek', 'Bewitched', 'I Dream of Jeannie', 'Dark Shadows', 'I Love Lucy', 'McHale's Navy', 'Green Acres', 'The Avengers', and they are just a few examples of very good to classic shows from that decade.'Lost in Space' may be an uneven show, no this is not one of those rarities where there was not a dud episode throughout.
There was a much better balance of characterisation, and the cast enjoy themselves without going over the top.However, 'Lost in Space' was at its weakest in the second half of Season 3, where it felt like a different show.
I am willing to bet that you will never find words like vicissitudes or pusillanimous in any episode of Star Trek , as you do in Lost In Space throughout it's run.
The point is that even if it was made forty years ago and the special effects are really really (x100) terrible, Smith can't act, and Judy and Don are taking forever to get together, Lost In Space is a great TV show.
There are three things about Lost in space that are Iconic and you don't mess with: The ROBOT, the JUPITER II, and Dr. Smith.
Irwin Allen, 20th Century-Fox and CBS did make a ca$h accommodation with Western and the comic book's title was permitted to change to SPACE FAMILY ROBINSON-LOST IN SPACE; which resulted in a boo$t in the title's $ale$.OUR RECOLLECTIONS OF the series are ones of a sort of a modern day (or futuristic) epic story of more similarity to the Fairy Tale than to Sci Fi. The characters' interaction seems to win out over plots and stories.
From the moment we see the Jupiter 2 on the launching pad , Dr. Smith trying to sabotage the flight of the Robinson family to Alpha Centauri I was hook as a viewer and a fan , but only of the black and white episodes , they only two color episodes I enjoyed , which were The Anti-Matter Men and the Junkyard Planet .The black and white episodes I enjoyed were The Derelict , The Raft and The Oasis , which saw Dr. Smith at his best ,One Of Our Dogs is Missing and My Friend , Mr. Nobody and Attack of the Monster Plants , I did enjoy Return From Outer Space , but it could have been a classic like The City on the Edge of Forever would have been in Star Trek .I give the first season of Lost in Space ten out of ten stars .
Even as a child when this series originally aired in the '60s I loathed and detested it: Cardboard sets, annoying characters (especially the freckle-faced kid and the horribly camp Doctor Smith), unintentionally funny monsters, pantomine villains (like the "space vikings"), dreadful acting, ridiculous storylines (of which "The Great Vegetable Rebellion", complete with carrot monster, was the absolute nadir) ......
Smith was dark, evil, and menacing in those episodes, instead of the effeminate, selfish, and cowardly fool he became.If you are looking for non-Star Trek sci-fi nostalgia from that era, then seek out "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" (which also got quite silly after a while, but never to the level of LIS), "The Time Tunnel", "Land of the Giants", and even "Wild Wild West".
"Wild Adventure", the best of Season 2 and one of the strongest of the series, is a great space bound adventure getting them close to Earth.From the middle of Forbidden World on, the adventure element was nearly gone and we had fun, comical episodes.
And two great Robot episodes, "Trip Through the Robot" and "The Mechanical Men".Season 3 of Lost in Space had a very ambitious start. |
tt0285823 | Once Upon a Time in Mexico | El Mariachi is recruited by CIA agent Sheldon Sands to kill General Emiliano Marquez, a corrupt Mexican Army officer who has been hired by Mexican drug lord Armando Barillo to assassinate the President of Mexico and overthrow the government. Many years before, El Mariachi and his wife Carolina confronted Marquez in a shootout and wounded the general; in retaliation, Marquez took the lives of Carolina and their daughter in an ambush. In addition to El Mariachi, Sands persuades former FBI agent Jorge Ramírez to come out of retirement and kill Barillo, who had murdered his partner Archuleta in the past. Furthermore, AFN operative Ajedrez is assigned by Sands to tail Barillo.
While monitoring Barillo's activities, Ramírez meets Billy Chambers, an American fugitive who has been living under the protection of Barillo, but can no longer stomach the horrible tasks he's been forced to carry out for him. Ramírez convinces Chambers he will provide him protection in exchange for getting closer to Barillo by tagging Chambers' pet chihuahua with a hidden microphone, and Chambers agrees to complete the deal by surrendering to U.S. authorities once Barillo has been taken down. Cucuy, who was originally hired by Sands to keep an eye on El Mariachi, tranquilizes El Mariachi and brings him to Barillo's mansion. Cucuy, however, is promptly killed by Chambers while El Mariachi escapes from captivity and calls his friends Lorenzo and Fideo to assist him in his mission.
While monitoring Barillo's activity outside a hospital, Ramírez notices armed men storming the building and follows suit. He discovers that a group of doctors have been gunned down and Barillo has bled to death as a result of a botched facial reconstruction, but realizes that the corpse on the operating table is a body double before he is knocked out and kidnapped by the real Barillo and Ajedrez, who reveals herself to be Barillo's daughter. Sands realizes his mission has been compromised, but is too late, as he is captured by Barillo and Ajedrez—who drill out his eyes before sending him out. Despite his blindness, he manages to gun down a hitman tailing him with the aid of a chiclet boy.
As the village celebrates Day of the Dead, Marquez and his army storm in and attack the presidential palace. The guerrillas, however, are met with resistance from not only the Mexican army, but the villagers and the Mariachis. Marquez enters the presidential palace, only to once again confront El Mariachi, who shoots out his kneecaps before finishing him off with a headshot. Ramírez, who was released from captivity by Chambers, faces Barillo. After Amarillo guns down Chambers, Ramírez and El Mariachi kill the drug lord. Sands manages to shoot the sadistic Ajedrez dead outside the presidential palace. Ultimately, Lorenzo and Fideo walk away with the loot that Barillo was using to pay Marquez, and escort the president to safety. Ramírez walks away, having accomplished his job. El Mariachi then gives his part of the loot to his village before walking into the sunset. | comedy, neo noir, murder, dramatic, cult, violence, flashback, action, revenge, entertaining, storytelling | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0126344 | I Went Down | After serving an eight month sentence for breaking and entering, Git Hynes, (Peter McDonald) walks into trouble on the day of his release from jail.
He goes to meet his ex-girlfriend Sabrina Bradley, (Antoine Byrne), who has dumped him for his best friend Anto (David Wilmot). When Git goes to confront Anto about this, he learns that the latter's gambling addiction has left him heavily in debt to the bookies, who are about to take his fingers as collateral. Git jumps in and saves his friend from a beating, but uses a broken bottle to permanently disfigure the ringleader, who happens to be the nephew of mob boss, Tom French (Tony Doyle).
At a sit-down, Tom French decrees that Git must work off Anto's debt as punishment for his interference. He is ordered to drive to Cork to find French's associate Frank Grogan (Peter Caffrey), and bring him back to Dublin. Holding Anto as a hostage, French pairs the reluctant Git with half-wit and heavy-handed mobster, Bunny Kelly (Brendan Gleeson).
After robbing a petrol station and dumping their stolen car, Bunny and Git steal another car and continue on their journey. They drive the extremely old and decrepit car to a remote bog area, where they are to rendezvous with a so-called "Friendly Face". However, they arrive late, and the "Friendly Face" has left. With no other option, the duo drive to Cork. They check out the last known hotel that Grogan was registered in, only to find that he has already left.
Following a tip, they then drive to The Black & Amber Inn, a pub that Grogan is known to frequent. However, Git is attacked by some mobsters who break his nose. Bunny painfully re-sets Git's nose for him. Returning at night to the pub, they follow the mobsters to a secluded house in the middle of a forest. After surveying the house, Bunny and Git conclude that Frank Grogan is being held against his will by the mobsters and they decide to rescue him.
The following morning, Bunny provides Git with a pistol. The two then enter the house, find Grogan, and flee the scene. They engage in a gunfight with the mobsters. During the escape, Grogan demands to know where he is being taken. When he is informed that he is being taken to Tom French, he reacts in horror and attempts to flee. Grogan is then knocked unconscious by Bunny and bundled into the boot of the stolen car.
After phoning Tom French's associates, Bunny and Git are informed that the "Friendly Face" will be at the bogs again the following day, and they can pass Grogan over there. Bunny and Git then release Grogan from the boot. They drive along, heading back towards the rendezvous with the "Friendly Face". Grogan's incessant and self-aggrandizing chatter deeply irritates Bunny, who eventually abandons the car and steals a far newer and more plush Mercedes-Benz saloon.
After arriving at the rendezvous point, Bunny refuses to leave the car. Grogan and Git walk across the marshes to get to the barn to meet the "Friendly Face" (Donal O'Kelly). Grogan, afraid he will be killed, begs Git not to leave him alone. Git agrees. At the rendezvous, Grogan does not recognise the man and is fearful for his life. Git refuses to leave Grogan alone with the stranger. The "Friendly Face" then pulls a gun on the two and forces them to kneel on a tarp, preparing to execute them both. Grogan, eager to save his own skin, offers the "Friendly Face" £50,000 in exchange for his release. Grogan also instructs the "Friendly Face" to kill Git, who has no money to offer. Before the "Friendly Face" can kill Git, Bunny arrives and holds the "Friendly Face" at gunpoint and saves Git. After stuffing the "Friendly Face" into the boot of his own car, Git and Bunny drag Grogan back to the Mercedes, and begin to interrogate him for the truth.
Grogan reveals that he and Tom French were once business partners, along with a man named Sonny Mulligan (Johnny Murphy). Grogan reveals that he once came into possession of one side of a plate to print $20-dollar bills. Without the other half, it was useless. French later comes into possession of the other side of the plates. Eager to get both plates, French offers Grogan £5,000 for his half. Grogan refuses, instead opting to sell his half for £10,000 to a criminal from London. French, however, counter-offers. He has found a buyer for both plates, the buyer offering £100,000. French agrees to a 50-50 deal with Grogan, and offers him £25,000 up-front as good-faith money. French's wife is to deliver this money. However, the deal fell through as French's wife never shows up.
Phoning French again, a meeting is arranged for the following day. Anto will be released and the deal will be closed.
The trio check into a nearby hotel, The Ambassador. Bunny and Git tie Grogan to the bed in the room, so they can go and enjoy the swimming pool and the bar of the hotel in peace. Both Bunny and Git have one-night stands with women they meet in the hotel. Git reveals to his partner through pillow-talk that he took the fall for his father and went to prison so his father could go free.
When Bunny and Git return to the hotel room, they find that Grogan has escaped. Before leaving, Grogan made three phone calls; one to a Cork number, one to a taxi company, and one to the nearby Slieve na Vogue Hotel. Bunny and Git head to the Slieve na Vogue. Grogan has checked into the Slieve na Vogue under a false name, but Bunny recognises his deception. Grogan's associates from Cork arrive soon after, forcing Bunny and Git to flee again, with Frank in the boot of the car.
The trio then head for the rendezvous with Tom French. Leaving Grogan with Bunny, Git and French head into the woods to dig up a package. The package contains one of the printing plates. French, Git, Grogan, and Bunny then head to another area of the woods, where French instructs them to dig another area. It is here that the skeletal remains of their former associate, Sonny Mulligan, is uncovered.
French and Grogan then reveal what happened all those years ago. Sonny had "borrowed" the plates from an American criminal gang, on the condition that he would not print more than $50,000. This was to be Sonny's retirement money. French married Sonny's niece (and Grogan proceeded to have an extramarital affair with her). French wanted Sonny to print more than the agreed $50,000. But Sonny refused and the pair had a blazing argument at French's wedding.
Grogan and French decide to steal the plates from Sonny, print their own batch of counterfeit money, and then return the plates to their hiding place without Sonny ever knowing. Sonny, however, always kept one of the plates in his possession at all times. French spied on Sonny and saw where he had buried the other plate. Grogan murdered Sonny in the woods to get the other plate. Burying Sonny in the woods, Grogan and French narrowly avoid being killed by Sonny's relatives and by the American gang who want their plates back. The situation is further soured when French learns of the affair Grogan is having with his wife. They then part and never speak again.
Back in the present, Grogan insults the memory of Sonny Mulligan. It is revealed that French's wife has absconded, with the £25,000 of French's money. Infuriated, French uses a gun that was buried with Sonny to shoot Grogan twice in the chest, killing him. French then turns his attention to Bunny and Git. French shoots Bunny in the arm, before Git uses his own gun to shoot French twice, killing him. Bunny and Git then bury Grogan and French, alongside the remains of Sonny Mulligan. The duo then leave, taking the plates with them.
Several months later, Bunny meets with Git's ex-girlfriend, Sabrina, in a pool hall and gives her an envelope with several thousand pounds in it; a gift from Git. Bunny claims that Git has left and gone to America. Bunny states his intentions to also head to the USA. When Sabrina raises the possibility that Git had something to do with Tom French's disappearance, Bunny denies it and states that French pulled an insurance scam and fled the country.
It is then revealed that Git is waiting outside the pool hall for Bunny. After a short conversation, Bunny and Git head to the airport. | revenge, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | I went to see this movie and was enjoying it, and then it came to the bit where they were rescuing the hostage from the house.
I do however think you need to have a certain understanding of the Irish psyche and way of life to get full value from the hilarious script.
One of the earlier set of well-made Irish films with not a shamrock or a leprechaun in sight.
The film, which was shot in various locations within Dublin (posing as Cork) is in my opinion one of the best movies to come out of Ireland, Its a great tale of two guys thrown together to complete a task which neither of them want to do.
Git (McDonald), the novice to the world of shady dealings and gangsters and Bunny Kelly (Gleeson), a man who has been there, done that and shot the gun, according to him anyway.The movie moves at a fairly quick pace, we are given glimses at Bunny and Gits life and why they are both in the predicament they are in.
The situation humor is spot on with some funny set pieces, with great dialogue between the two.
The story has twists and turns much like the travelled roads the guys are on, the twists and turns are nicely explained by the films end.
Music is by Dario Marianelli and cinematography by Cian de Buitlear.Fresh out of prison, Git Hynes (McDonald) runs into trouble with local mob boss Tom French (Doyle) and finds himself having to work off a debt to him.
He's to accompany Bunny Kelly (Gleeson) to Cork and locate Frank Grogan (Caffrey) and bring him back to Dublin.
There's some murky history at the core of this request, but for now Bunny and Git must survive each other and a host of life challenges before they begin to worry about Tom French's motives.Hugely popular in Ireland for a number of years, this independent comedy/drama is finally starting to get noticed by a wider home viewing audience.
The actors are ever watchable (especially Gleeson and Caffrey), while the fact that the story focuses on a different Ireland to the one that's often tainted by "The Troubles", gives the film a freshness that off sets the standard buddy buddy road movie formula of the plot.Director Breathnach goes for the slow burn approach, choosing to let McPherson's script dominate the picture.
Yes there's some action, and good sequences flit in and out of the narrative, but the director is mostly about letting his characters breath, fully forming them with each passage of play during the guy's journey/mission.
There's a most interesting side issue involving the women in Git's and Bunny's lives, two men just about traversing the path on the wrong side of the law, both with gal trouble that gnaws away at their masculinity.It's not the Irish Midnight Run, as I was personally led to believe it was, and any expectation of a violent fun fest will only lead to disappointment.
"I Went Down" is a droll, sometime monotonous, sometimes clever comedy about a couple of guys who run an errand for a small time gangster and end up embroiled an underworld scheme of very limited proportions.
The film spends most of its time studying the characters involved as its mildly humorous story unfolds leading to an eventful conclusion which may or may not be worth the wait depending on individual taste.
"I Went Down", the title, is a double entendre representative of the very subtle humor the film embodies.
Excellent film with a mix of action, comedy, and even a little passion..
Peter McDonald and Brendan Gleeson's chemistry together reminded me of much better known and consequently higher cost Samuel L.
If they are good actors, the script will make the movie, and effectively promote the careers of the actors.The script did an excellent job of portraying the relationships between the characters involved.Again this was one of the best movies I have seen in a while..
When I saw this movie, and after I had stopped laughing, I realised that it wasn't a film which was going to travel well.
This movie doesn't hold back when it comes to Irish accents, figures of speech and wit.
Brendan and Peter play the two out-of-their-depth ex-cons brilliantly, in fact they play them so well that I find it hard to watch them in other roles, to me they are Bunny and Git. Conor Mcpherson transfers his stage writing skills well to the big screen and doesn't lose any of his humour.Paddy Breathnach directs the action well but it is slower paced than some may expect, or want, in their gangster comedies but I think it makes perfect Sunday afternoon hangover viewing, so sit down with the hair of the dog and a big fat fry up and prepare to love this film!.
A gem of a movie; action, humour and fast-pace.
I Went Down is a gem of a movie.
Although it has been fairly overlooked, it in my opinion is one of the best Irish movies to date.
Before films like 'Lock, Stock...' and 'Intermission' made these colloquial crime-capers the fashion, this fast-paced, funny and thoroughly enjoyable action movie hit the big screens.
Brendan Gleeson, as ever, is outstanding in his role as Bunny Kelly, but he's not on his own by any means.
Much like the aforementioned 'Lock, stock...' the dialogue is what steals the show, but it's also well shot, and plot is great.
'I Went Down' is a great movie.Ok, I'm Irish, I would say that.However, most English-speaking people would actually have no problem in understanding and appreciating most of the wit, humour and language in the movie, despite all the 'scare-mongering' on the web.
The film contains a good measure of violence mixed with humour that isn't forced.
The situations presented in the movie, while being out of the ordinary, are presented in a way people can relate to, more-so than many American movies of a similar vein.(I'm talking about the usual mob based story involving million dollar drugs deals, corrupt FBI agents, rogue-turned-hero and the like.
That just doesn't happen too regularly outside the confines of script-writer's minds and movie theatres.) 'I Went Down', by not being over-ambitious with either its villains or heroes, creates more believable characters and a situation that could happen anywhere.(It probably won't, but then again it could...groovy, huh?)I must admit, I didn't enjoy this movie very much when I saw it in the cinema.
The humour got to me and its one of the few movies I laugh out loud to.I urge anyone who didn't enjoy it first time 'round, give it a second chance.
Here's the teaser that'll bug you until you do see it (and that'll make those of you have seen it smile smugly to yourselves ;^) - Think about the balaclava scene, think about the gun that Bunny gives Git and you're thinking about cinematic comedy classics..
The dialogue, which is the movies strongest point, is not only hilarious, it's totally real.This film is like a trip to a rough Dublin pub.
'I Went Down' however, really does sound like two regular Dublin lads having a 90 minute argument.By the way, the title refers to the two characters driving down to Cork, not what you may think..
The best Irish film ever, bar none.
I Went Down is simply a masterpiece of Irish cinema, and by all accounts it stands up superbly anywhere in the world as a hilarious, dark, suspenseful film with more twists than either side of Princess Leia's head.
The two main leads, Brendan Gleeson and Peter McDonald, are both new to starring roles (McDonald is in his first role in films) but it never shows in either performance.
When one watches Irish films, one expects that the dialog is going to be so much more important than any action sequences.
Bunny (Gleeson) gets to accompany Git (Peter McDonald) on a job.
Along the way, we come across interesting characters like Frank Grogan (Peter Caffrey), and interesting locales with their own special stories.But, like we saw in In Bruges, it it McDonald and Gleeson that carry the film..
Hi guys, Can someone please tell me the last exchanges of Git and Gleeson in the car on their way to the airport?
also any other great IRISh recommends please do tell meits like not getting the last bit of the movie and feeling incomplete...so if someone understands this nagging feeling...and i don't want to talk so much but i have got to fill my ten lines for this comment to be up...so if u can find the time...just read the first three lines, they constitute the entire essence...now i am just filling space ...an.
I just couldn't stop laughing at this film.It was so funny.I don't agree with the guy who says that it is the best Irish film ever made.Watch The General with Brendan Gleeson.You'll love it as well.Or Sweety Barrett.Or The Craic..
If you can get past your fear of hearing the English language with a totally undiluted Irish accent (which you should get used to, if this movie is an indication of things to come), you'll find an odd little gem.
Quirky characters leading the charge into unknown situations.If for no other reason than the scene descriptions, you should see this movie..
When watching this movie for the first time on the Trio network, I felt a little iffy about it.
I've never seen an Irish film prior to this--unless you count the "Leprechaun" movies...lol.
But as I watched the film more and more, I better understood the dialogue.
I've seen Brendan Gleeson in other movies, though.
It's good to watch a movie that actually gets BETTER the more times you watch it.
There are some very beautiful women in this movie, including Git's ex-girlfriend and the blondie he sleeps with later in the story.
Most excellent Irish movie.
I watched this film in two sittings.
As a young lad at school in Southern London in the 1950s I found myself inculcated with the idea of the supremacy of being English, and that the Irish were so silly they only knew how to plant potatoes............Years later, from my friendly enclave retreat, hidden in the depths of peaceful Spain, I have noted how over the last twenty years the Emerald Isle has been doing some wonderful things in all spheres of life, especially with its valuable contribution as a member of the European Union.So I would prefer to do without trivial stupidities which are supposed to be some kind of comedy but which are no more than comical in bad taste, such as this pointless film `I Went Down', which, for some reason beyond me, seems bent on reaffirming those indoctrinations with which I was fed half a century ago..
I thought thought we'd be seeing a bio-pic on Monica Lewinsky I seriously did but instead found myself watching a black comedy road movie This is a co-production between the BBC and the Irish film council made at the same time when British film production was picking up thanks to TRAINSPOTTING and THE FULL MONTY .
There's aspects that give a vague nod British production premise of having a couple of losers in the shape of Git Hynes and Bunny Kelly make an unlikely journey but the Irish influence adds a lot of charm to the story that was missing in say THE FULL MONTYThere are a few problems though .
It's like the director went out of his way not to show any serious violence .
There's also a few unlikely occurrences throughout the movie usually involving Bunny .
You'll know them when you see them I'm sure Having said that I WENT DOWN is a lot better than many other movies that were funded by public bodies in the British Isles round about the same time .
It's by no means a great movie but is far more entertaining than say THE LIFE OF STUFF and THE SLAB BOYS.
What a find 1997 Irish film I Went Down turned out to be; a film that greatly reminded me of Stephen Frears' 1984 film entitled The Hit and one that packs in just about everything from crime to comedy; from the gangster genre to the road movie arc and from the buddy sub-genre to the sorting out of romances with loved ones.
The film is a balanced buddy comedy, veering off into scenes of great disturbance and wrong-doing in a timely and tasteful manner but retaining a certain 'feel' to it; a certain heart.Some of the central themes to I Went Down revolve around relationships between human beings.
The placement of I Went Down in the 'road movie' narrative arc enables the two central protagonists and a third character, who's being transported, to bond for long periods in a lone location as they physically travel together.
The leads are Git Hynes (McDonald), a young man just out of prison, and Bunny Kelly (Gleeson), a rough and ready if somewhat clumsy criminal that has his own way in which to see that the job's done.
They are charged by a certain criminal boss named Tom French (Doyle) to travel to Cork and recover Frank Grogan (Caffrey) before taking him to a remote, rural location (always a dangerous place in these noir-infused tales) for supposed judgement.The film recalls 1984's The Hit as a film about two men, of rather unbalanced 'types' transport a third, seemingly more helpless man, to his supposed death.
Whereas John Hurt's silent and experienced gangster was in direct comparison to Tim Roth's younger and more scociopathic up-coming criminal; Gleeson and McDonald's two leads are explored more physically; as one exhibits short, wiry and somewhat soft-bodied characteristics as opposed to a much larger, clumsy and more 'involving' individual that likes the attention and action.
In both The Hit and I Went Down, the supposedly hapless victim wears a face of acceptance; he sits in the rear of the car and seems cool with his dangerous predicament; and while Terrance Stamp will forever be better known, Peter Caffrey's performance as the upbeat and talkative soon-to-be-in-mortal-danger individual goes down rather well.Some of the things I noticed early on included an amusing dig at BSkyB, probably on behalf of the BBC who co-funded this, when it appears some gangsters have it in mind that taking a man out back, sitting him down in front of the TV and tuning into a Sky Sports channel is a dreadful punishment.
I also got the sense that Git, the lead, wasn't imposing enough or rugged enough to carry the sort of character he was playing, although this was sort of the point in the sense his partner, Bunny, took on the necessary conventions.
By the end, we've met some pretty rough and ready characters; those that are involved in murder and criminal activity whereas Git, as this alienated young man more-so a gangster, just seems to share this space with these people in an out-of-his-depth predicament.
The symbolism here works better than it should, because we've built up a connection of some sort with these people who are, essentially, criminals but bumbling and down-to-earth people caught up in something far meaner.One of the film's other ideas that it sort of touches on here and there is the connection the men make as they undergo their journey.
I Went Down is a darkly comic, somewhat disturbing at times, but very engrossing film that comes complete with a broad atmosphere and a respectable attitude to some rather intimate ideas.
A generally enjoyable film, but why would a good-looking woman in a bar pick up and sleep w/a guy who fell in a bog, has been wearing the same clothes since, and who has a broken nose?I guess so the film can have a sex scene (not that I don't like to see naked women as much as the next guy)....
An unusual Irish road movie with lots of comic touches..
WARNING - POSSIBLE SPOILER DETAILS INCLUDEDThis is a cool Irish road movie with brilliant performances from the two lead actors.
Brendan Gleeson is a master of these Irish rogue type roles, and his comic timing is impeccable.
His charisma jumps off the screen and I'm sure he will go from strength to strength.Peter McDonald gives an understated performance as Git, and acts as a perfect foil to the exuberant Gleeson.
The supporting cast of villains and ne'er do wells is also very convincing, particularly Peter Caffrey as Frank Grogan, whose brand of Irish Blarney and dirty tricks is wonderful to watch.All in all this is a very enjoyable film both for the splendid acting, non-fussy directing, and a storyline that is tight while still allowing plenty of time for the comic antics to run their course.Please see this film if you get the chance..
Where other movies attempt to tailor their image and dialogue to suit an American or British market this independent gem from Paddy Breathnach and Conor McPherson depicts believable characters acting and talking in a way that real Irish people would ...a great example being how seriously the lead duo consider the handling of a gun (guns are still not very easy to come across in Irish society and having one is a big deal.
The screenplay has echoes of Tarantino and the Coen brothers while not being a slavish rip-off of either and essentially plays as a buddy, road movie; it even manages to include a scene in an Irish bog without seeming twee!
Brendan Gleeson's star turn as bunny provides the perfect foil to McDonald's shy, pent-up lead and the movie manages to evoke laughter, sympathy and ultimately happiness as it winds it's way to a satisfactory, yet not overly sugar-coated, ending.Be warned ...I watched this film with my old Canadian flatmate and had to explain a lot of the 'Irish-ism's' in the dialogue as it went along so some of the humour may go over the heads of non Irish-viewers. |
tt0104006 | Consenting Adults | Composer Richard Parker and his wife Priscilla live an ordinary suburban life until they meet their new neighbors Eddy and Kay Otis. The two couples became friends. Kay's talent for blues singing gets Richard's attention, and Eddy is attracted to Priscilla. It becomes clear that Eddy is a scam artist who fakes a neck injury after an auto accident for the insurance proceeds, the majority of which he offers to the Parkers as a gift. Eddy chastises Richard for not living dangerously, and suggests they swap mates for an evening.
The plot takes a nasty turn when Richard does sleep with Kay (supposedly without her realizing that he is not her husband) and Kay turns up bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat the next morning. Later, it is revealed that Eddy spent the night elsewhere in order to establish an airtight alibi. Richard's fingerprints are on the bat (the two couples having played a friendly game of softball earlier that day) and his semen is found in her body, so he is charged with the crime. Insult is added to injury as Priscilla disowns and divorces Richard due to his infidelity. Eddy soon becomes Priscilla's lover and a substitute father to Richard's child.
A distraught Richard finally finds a ray of hope when he discovers that Kay is alive, recognizing her voice singing in a radio talent show. With the help of a private investigator hired by the insurance company from which Eddy is attempting to collect a $1.5 million indemnity claim, Richard tracks her down and learns the truth of how he was betrayed. Kay is guilt-ridden over her part in it, but terrified at Eddy's threat to implicate her if she testifies. Eddy, anticipating what Richard intends to do next, murders Kay and slips away. Implicated in a second murder, Richard must now flee the scene as police sirens approach.
Priscilla discovers a forgotten plane ticket Eddy used on the night of the second murder. Now realizing Eddy's guilt, she worries over what to do about it. Richard performs a commando-style raid on Eddy's house, but Eddy, anticipating this move as well, reveals to Priscilla his plan to murder her and shoot Richard as a homicidal intruder. Working together, Richard and Priscilla eventually kill Eddy, using the original murder weapon, the baseball bat. Richard and Priscilla are later seen moving into a very secluded house with no neighbors visible for miles. | suspenseful, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0790665 | Flood | A devastating flood strikes London when the Thames Barrier is overwhelmed by a huge surge of water. A storm surge travels between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, raising sea levels and coinciding with the spring tide. Several parts of Scotland are devastated, including Wick.
The Met Office's head forecaster, Keith Hopkins, mistakenly believes the storm will head towards Holland and is guilt-ridden after Professor Leonard Morrison proves that the approaching surge of water will break through the Thames Barrier and flood central London in the next 3 hours. Leonard had focused his life around the belief that the barrier was built in the wrong area, and turned his now apologetic son Rob into a bitter man.
Deputy Prime Minister Campbell, in charge while the prime minister is away, declares a state of emergency. He begins to evacuate over one million civilians from Central London before the water surge hits. He is assisted by Police Commissioner Patricia Nash, Major General Ashcroft and others.
The Thames barrier is raised, but the huge wave of water (now over 46 meters high) overwhelms the barrier and sweeps into the city. Rob and his ex-wife Sam, both expert engineers, jump into the Thames to escape. Leonard is saved by a military helicopter and taken to Whitehall, where the authority figures desperately require his assistance in finding a way to handle this emergency.
Rob and Sam end up in the London Underground with other survivors. They are led through a ventialtion duct to higher ground by two underground maintenance workers, Bill and Zack. When the surge floods the station, the currents drown Bill. The group find themselves in the flooded Trafalgar Square, where Rob and Sam are able to contact Leonard. They end up returning with him to the barrier, where Leonard believes the water flow can be reversed back out of London, as the tide has turned and the water level is starting to go down. But the military's Ashcroft disagrees and prepares to destroy the barrier with an air strike.
Hopkins, feeling even more guilty when thousands of corpses are shown on a news report, quietly disappears and is later reported by Ashcroft to be dead, an apparent suicide. Nash is at odds with Ashcroft, wanting to give the Morrisons a chance to remedy the situation, while also distraught over her own two missing daughters.
Rob, Sam and Leonard discover the controls to the Thames barrier are now underwater. One can activate them, but likely will not survive the effort. Rob and Sam try to decide which of them should go, but Leonard leaves on the suicide mission behind their backs. He saves London by activating the barrier's controls before running out of air whilst underwater and hence, dying.
Campbell is informed that the Thames barrier has been activated and orders the air strike to be aborted. Rob and Sam lower the Thames barrier and the water flows back out of London. | dramatic, mystery | train | wikipedia | The movie is based upon a really good and very topical idea but both the producers and the director simply applied the standard Hollywood 'disaster movie' formula and thereby ruined any potential value from the production.An unusually high tide and very strong gale conditions combine to produce a record high storm surge that overwhelms London and floods most of the Thames Valley.
The plot centers around a heroic scientist (Tom Courtenay) who alerts the authorities of the danger and ultimately saves the day, a glamorous female police chief who runs the entire show and an embattled Deputy Prime Minister (David Suchet) who tries to look important.But it's all so unreal that one feels like an extended tea break after just 30 minutes.
An ambitious but wholly routine production which suffers from feeling rather too much like recent TV dramas such as Supervolcano and less like the Hollywood blockbusters it wants to be held in the same regard as.While the disaster film is hardly the most critically popular genre the special effects vehicles do generally have a little more to offer the viewer than this film does.
Both actors deserve better than a routine film which shares it's name with an old Irwin Allen film and a recent TV movie.In fact Carlyse is wholly ineffectual as a star presence in this film since he serves only to consistently remind those who've seen it of the excellent 28 Weeks Later.
He's no Rickman or McKellan.Flood is worth a watch on a wet Sunday afternoon, it's certainly not a bad film.
What is left is a tired formulaic attempt at the disaster movie genre that will disappear with the ebb tide.A decent cast, are either miss cast, or cannot be bothered.The beautiful Joanne Whalley is unable to bring any gravitas to the role of Police Commissioner Nash who wears the most irritating matching waist clincher above her skirt.Jessalyn Gilseg plays the heavyweight part of Director of the Thames Barrier with all the conviction of a fairground candy floss.
It, and she, fails.Her initial appearance in a tight fitting pink jogging suit as she arrives at work is risible.The part of the "Siren old git who was right" is played by Tom Courtenay as though he is acting in his sleep, and the various plot twists that are designed to energise his son, played by Robert Carlyle, struggle to get any response from him.Nigel Planer looks determined to commit ritual hari kari for his failings as Met Office Director, or for his acting, or both, and only David Suchet emerges with some credit for his role as Deputy PM.There was enough in the story, and the cast and the effects to have produced a decent effort.
Well yes, David Hood as the junior underground engineer whose mate got washed away looked like he was taking the thing seriously and credit to him for that, it can't be easy when "all around are losing theirs" so to speak, or maybe his scenes came under the direction of the assistant director ( if there was one) I just don't know what these people were doing in a film that was this poor ( other than paying the bills, obviously) I can't begin to say how disappointed I am in them.
yes The aerial shots of London largely submerged were very well done and the effects artists responsible deserved better than to have their fine work punctuated by such a shallow story,if you'll forgive the expression, as those few people that do see them will do so on a far smaller screen than would be to best advantage.
why are British film makers trying to imitate such characterless, spectacle driven, tabloid level genres as the disaster movie and then doing it even worse than the Americans.
The scenes are going one after another at what I hoped was an alert pace but turned out to be just bad (or forced) editing.I was actually looking forward to see a British disaster movie, one that would be a good one, not like those Hollywood violin pieces.
It was a disastrous film alright, with every possible cliché taken from all the American movies of the genre, but lacking in the directions where US productions shine: editing.Bottom line: avoid.
Poor cgi effects, poor editing, poor direction, a cast that i hope were well paid as this will be a nail in many a careers coffin.Nigel Planer should've donned his Neil wig once more & gone out with a laugh at least!It was like a particularly long & drawn out episode of "Torchwood" but without the camp fake Canadian doctor fella...it had the same overly dramatic music though, perpetually repeated, in a vain attempt to drum up some tension.Oh the humanity!.
Granted, most disaster movies tend to explore familiar territory instead but I can usually live with that.Unfortunately, Flood probably marks the low point in the history of this sub-genre.
I give it a 2 for using London as a location, which is a nice change, for Gilsig being actually decent in a key support role and for the few CGI shots that were decent (those of the water closing in on London and the gates).Do yourself a favor and check out Day After Tomorrow or just about any disaster movie before this one.
I recently purchased this on DVD as I hadn't heard of it and like robert carlyle.Obviously this movie is not going to have Hollywood blockbuster special effects,in saying that though the special effects were decent enough,and the acting was fine also.I found the movie to be enjoyable and do not regret buying it at all,at almost 2 hours long it is just the right length for this type of movie.Do not expect thrilling explosive action from beginning to end though,it is a fairly well balanced movie with a decent enough storyline!.
Someone somewhere has obviously come up with a new bit of software that asks a few questions then churns out four hours of loosely connected clichés, lousy dialogue and a collection of stock characters that you end up wishing had all drowned in the first five minutes.Tom Courtney took the prize for worst performance.
'Flood' is a prime example of how throwing good actors and cgi at a film will do little to compensate for a rubbish script.
The basic premise is fine: what if a freak storm threatened to send the sea straight over the Thames flood barriers and engulf London so fast that most of the inhabitants would probably never get out in time?
Not that every actor gets let off the hook - Tom Courtenay seemed capable of only one emotion throughout the film, but then he wasn't given much of a challenge.I applaud any opportunity to see some non-Hollywood disaster flicks for a change, and I don't expect zillions of dollars spent on rendering ultra- realistic graphics.
At the center of the story is a climatologist(Tom Courtenay) a climatologist who tries to save London from the effects of giant wave , trying to convince the authorities that the town dike was unsafe, furthermore a marine engineer (Robert Carlyle) and his ex-wife Samantha(Jessalyn Gilsig) .
They have a little time to save London from total catastrophe.Perfectly acceptable drama-disaster with alright acting.
The movie packs impressive flood scenes brought to life by the breathtaking computer generator special effects, better than the classic of the 70s , such as 'Earthquake, Inferno Towering' and similarly to 'Armaguedon and Day after tomorrow'.
If only the characters had the same depth as created by the flood itself, yet they galumph from sound bite to sound bite without any emotional response whatsoever.The sad thing about this film is that it could have been so much better, informative, imaginative and tense.
The human suffering is portrayed in perfect balance with the actual flooding scenes.And of course, the movie confirms what many of us suspect anyway: weather forecasters so often do not get it right!
It might have worked as a 110 minute straight to DVD movie but with a run time of almost four hours padded out with clichés , poor plotting , sheer internal stupidity and a totally wasted cast this is one disaster miniseries that should have been drowned at birth.
A massive flood in a major world city, a virtually unique opportunity to demonstrate the Thames Barrier, and decent but not outstanding special effects.Unfortunately the movie gets bogged down in some very contrived, drawn out, and stultifyingly uninteresting romances and family "crises".
This is initially an annoyance but by the end of the film, the cheesy subplots completely take over and actual action nearly grinds to a halt.Taking about 30 minutes out of the film may have turned his from a D grade drama into a B grade disaster movie.
Anyway, this was just a really boring movie and it does make it seem like whoever made it doesn't understand good storytelling in film.Darn stock footage...
Lately we have seen movies such as The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 and to an extent Twister set themes of destruction to our screens, all as well have failed to live up to their giant budgets and huge use of special effects.
Like I said Flood is the British version of these sorts of films but unfortunately it is placed back in the Hollywood category as it is full of special effects and fails to really add anything new to what we have already seen.The title of the film makes it obvious what it is about.
The Met Office begin to investigate this event and a local professor, Leonard Morrison (Courtenay), discovers that the storm is heading South and will hit the Thames Barrier at the same time as high tide, causing mass volumes of water to flood into central London.
The characters in the film never really seem bothered by the fact that London is being hit with gallons and gallons of water, and there is little urgency in the attempt to rescue it.
As a film this did not work despite the strong cast, the interesting idea, and the special effects, which at times are the only good thing in this film.
The script is totally unrealistic, and the film does not even have the feel of a disaster movie.
Apart from all the other points that have been made - great cast wasted on a truly appalling cliche-ridden script; poor pacing; intensely irritating camera-work and meaningless use of freeze-frames; and (criminally) some absolutely dreadful acting - this production commits the ultimate sin: it's unbelievably BORING.
There's nothing wrong with the story, it's quite clever, I have gripes with the acting, script, direction and special effects, all are generated dire, the likes of Robert Carlyle, David Suchet and David Hayman battle with what's basically a woeful script.
Flood tries to be like those big-budget American disaster films...
It's like they're trying to be funny and self-parodying, only they're not - they're being serious.The film tries to crank up the tension by quick cutting and shaky camera work, plus some incredibly dramatic music just to point out just how dire the situation is when the Thames overflows and drowns half of London.
However, despite the fast-paced direction and dramatic score, you have the dialogue bringing it back down to the quality of a sixth form drama production (no offense to sixth formers - I'm sure they'd do better).The special effects aren't that good, but they're not that bad either.
It confirms to every cliché going: it has the family coming together in face of a catastrophe, the budding romance, the token characters who you know are going to be washed away in the first splash of waves and, of course, the inept officials.I'm sure you've probably heard people say "It's worth a watch if there's nothing else on." Well, they're probably right about this one.
It's obvious they wanna reproduce a UK version of a flood film from those US ones, but they can't get as good.It's an average movie, not bad after all.
The film is like a simulation of what might happen if a giant sea swell overwhelmed the Thames sea wall barrier created in 1983,to counteract tidal swells which have increased in size over the years and do actually pose a threat to the city of London, England, due to its close proximity to the ocean waters of the English Channel.
Not including the water, of course.Lots of dialogue like "Oh my god" and "we're not going to make it." Lots of people looking at each other with long faces.
Although Tony Mitchell's 2007 film, "Flood," begins well and promises to be a serious warning about the dangers of global warming, this low-budget disaster epic soon descends into a maelstrom of stock characters and Irwin-Allen-inspired clichés.
Many crowd scenes look like footage from unrelated events edited into the storyline.At more than three hours, "Flood" is overlong, often ponderous and self important, and lacking in state-of-the-art special effects that might have raised the film's entertainment quotient.
On the face of it this film looked like it might be really good - it isn't.The cast is pretty good, but most of them seemed embarrassed by the whole thing.
The real disaster in this film is not the flood, but the script.
Most acting was poor and the story tried to copy nearly every cliché to each disaster movie ever but just failed in that sense.
I really do not joke when i can honestly submit that this film is not suitable for Sunday night viewing on ITV4.The underground scenes are just awful when London is supposedly under 30ft of water, Robert Carlyles character is drab.
Anyway,the film itself was just about watchable, the acting talent available was under used, the rather flimsy dialogue was in places almost drowned out by an overbearing and irritating action music soundtrack and the whole thing smacked of a made for TV production complete with plot holes, unfulfilled side stories and lots of people fussing about and getting stroppy about not being able to see the disaster unfold on their big screens at COBRA headquarters.
I enjoyed this film because i didn't take it that seriously, good cast, British made, but my problem isn't with the film, the actors, the effects or the script, its with people comparing it to massive budget American crap like the day after tomorrow, we are force fed that crap and expected to accept it as quality film making and when a little film comes out over here then its a copy and therefore crap, what about all the really crap remakes that Hollywood are doing because they are afraid to make something new or original, all films made on blue or greens screens and created in a computer so no real effort is put in, maybe the people who slated Flood should watch it again as they are probably American and 12 years old and know less about film making than Hollywood do, I would rather watch this than transformers which is an insult to anyones intelligence over 17 years old..
Sorry mate but that would be a senior RAF officers job, not yours.The best things about this movie are the supporting cast who make the film what it is and the excellent effects and visuals of the actual flood itself.
So well in fact his character commits suicide out of sheer shame.The film is exceptionally silly in places (I'd expect the London Underground system to be the first place to fill with water in such an event).It's certainly not a disaster movie in the same vein as something like "The Day After Tomorrow" which so many people are trying to compare it to.
In a film filled with actors of the calibre of Carlyle and Courtney., she gives the best performance.The script, like the book, is full of clichés - there is nothing any actor can do with lines like 'we've got to get out of here!', and there's no real sense of danger to any of the characters - this is the kind of film where the heroes always survive.But the true star of this film is the water - whether is the shots of the coastline flooding (and a bit disturbing when you realise those aren't special effects, but actual news footage) or the amazing shots of the massive tidal wave sweeping over London, the water shots are breathtaking, astounding - and worrying when you see your home town flooded so quickly.And finally - well, at least next time I'm stuck in an underground station as it floods, I'll know to head for the map!
About it's only redeeming quality was it had Robert Carlyle in it and for once it wasn't a disaster movie set in the United States of America.A great flood whooshed into the city of London, but buildings didn't crumble and there was absolutely no debris to speak of ugh...Bought this on DVD for a couple of quid on Amazon, but I'm sure I got ripped off because more than likely they sell it in my local Poundland along with all the other crap movies no-one buys.
He is perhaps a little too calm for what is going on in the film, all that fake water gushing around London must have made him pretty annoyed.It is understandable that the effects weren't going to be as good as TDAT and DI, but the CGI was at best, average.Bland, disappointing and sometimes even tiresome.
Some of the action scenes are OK concerning the seismic waves and disaster effects.On the other hand the command of London in the depiction descends into farce but I cannot see why Suchet is so panned for his role in this movie as his acting is not poor.If anyone likes seeing what would happen if London was rocked by a massive amount of water, check this movie out.
I live on Crystal Palace hill, so I'm alright.So far from inundating us with entertainment, 'Flood' has simply set a new low-water mark for disaster movies.. |
tt0111149 | Shallow Grave | David Stephens (Christopher Eccleston), a chartered accountant, Juliet Miller (Kerry Fox), a physician, and Alex Law (Ewan McGregor), a journalist, share a flat in Edinburgh. Needing a new flatmate, they interview several applicants in a calculatedly cruel manner, amusing themselves at the applicants' expense before finally offering the room to the mysterious Hugo (Keith Allen). Shortly after Hugo moves in, the trio find him dead from an overdose in his room with a large suitcase full of money. They agree to keep the death a secret and the money for themselves and to bury the body in the woods after removing the hands and feet to prevent identification should it be found. They draw lots and David is given the gruesome and traumatising task of dismembering the corpse, while Juliet disposes of the hands and feet in her hospital's incinerator.
Unknown to the three friends, Hugo is being sought by a pair of violent men who are torturing and murdering informants as they follow Hugo's trail. The flat below Alex, David, and Juliet's is broken into, causing them much apprehension and anxiety. The break-in also draws the attention of the police, who are surprised when the three deny that they ever had a fourth flatmate. While Juliet and Alex spend part of the money to 'feel better', David's fears explode into full-blown paranoia. He hides the suitcase of money in the attic, and begins living there, drilling holes in the attic floor to watch the living space below. The relationship between the three becomes increasingly strained and distrustful, with undertones of sexual tension and rivalry.
The men trailing Hugo break into the trio's flat and assault Alex and Juliet until they reveal where the money is. As the men enter the dark attic, David, who has been lying there in wait, kills both of them with a hammer. David returns to the woods to dispose of the bodies. Alex and Juliet become more worried than ever about David's mental state and David becomes worried that the two are conspiring against him. Meanwhile, the police are already circling in the form of Detective Inspector McCall (Ken Stott) and Detective Constable Mitchell (John Hodge). Juliet, hoping to flee the country, secretly buys a plane ticket to South America, but she also seduces David to get at the money. Matters come to a head after the bodies are discovered in their shallow graves and Alex is sent by his newspaper to cover the story. He returns to find Juliet and David have reached an understanding about their shared plans that excludes him. That night, Alex, now fearing for his life, tries to secretly phone the police inspector in charge of the case, but he is interrupted by David and Juliet leaving. The doorstep altercation quickly escalates into a murderous triangular fight. David reveals he knows Juliet's secret plan to betray them and attacks her. In the scuffle, David stabs Alex in the chest but is killed by Juliet before he can finish Alex off.
With David dead, Juliet tells Alex he can't come with her. She then forces the knife even deeper into Alex's torso, pinning him to the floor, before fleeing to the airport with the suitcase of money. When she arrives at the airport, however, she discovers that she has been tricked: the suitcase is filled not with money but with hundreds of headline clippings about the triple grave taken from Alex's newspaper. Devastated, with no possessions except her air ticket, and knowing that she will soon be wanted for murder, Juliet boards the plane. The police arrive at the flat to find Alex bleeding heavily and pinned to the floor. The camera pans down to reveal that Alex has hidden the missing bundles of cash under the floorboards. | comedy, dark, cruelty, murder, violence, atmospheric, flashback, insanity, psychedelic, romantic, home movie | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0303678 | Armitage: Dual Matrix | === Armitage III: Poly-Matrix ===
In 2046, the overpopulation of Earth has led to the colonization of Mars—with the aid of the "first type" androids, men were able to begin terraforming the unfriendly environment of Mars and build the city Saint Lowell. Seventy years after the start of colonization, the city is completed and inhabited by great numbers of people and "Second type" robots, much improved versions of the "First types". Ross Syllibus, a middle-aged policeman from Chicago, flies to Saint Lowell using a space shuttle. Syllibus asked to be transferred to the Martian Police Department to escape from his past and haunting memories of his previous partner being killed by a robot. At the Saint Lowell's space port he is to meet his new partner—a young woman named Naomi Armitage.
On the same shuttle as Syllibus travels Kelly McCannon—"the last country singer in the Universe". As the shuttle nears the terminal, a mysterious man is seen entering the cargo section; soon after this, the intruder is noticed and the alarms go off.
Later, as Ross gets off the shuttle, he witnesses a disturbing scene at the airport. He bumps into the mysterious man with a big suitcase and two guards. Soon after that, Armitage orders the men to stop and get their hands up. Puzzled, Ross notices a few drops of blood spilling from the mysterious man's suitcase. The two robot guards are killed by Armitage and the mysterious man is wounded, but flees. However, he leaves his suitcase behind—inside of which is the dead body of Kelly McCannon. To everybody's surprise and horror, McCannon turns out to be a robot: a new, never-seen-before "Third type" android that is superficially identical to humans.
Later, the mysterious man hacks into the public television system and replays the security camera footage. The tape shows the man killing Kelly McCannon and reveals the fact of her being a robot to the entire city. The mysterious man, René D'anclaude, reveals that the Third types have been among the regular people for a long time and nobody can tell them apart from humans. He also reveals a list of Thirds—and it turns out that a lot of well-known people are actually robots. Riots begin in the city as people start to capture and burn all the Thirds they can find. Meanwhile, René D'anclaude proceeds with his extermination of the Thirds. The two main characters start their investigation and eventually find out, that the victims are women.
One of the dying victims sends out a message with the list of Thirds to save them from being slaughtered. Armitage receives it and pursues D'anclaude. Armitage is eventually revealed to be a third and goes into hiding as the police hunt for her. Ross seeks her out as she enlists the help of a male third named Julian Moore. D'anclaude then attacks them and is revealed to be a second.
While the police drop the case with D'anclaude's supposed capture, Armitage and Julian search a databank for information on her origins. Armitage eventually defeats D'anclaude, but is too late to stop Julian from being killed. She and Ross break into the hospital D'anclaude was recovering in, branding themselves as criminals after the rescue.
Armitage and Ross later go off in search of her "father", Dr. Asakura, only to learn he had lost his mind, as explained by a gentler, reprogrammed version of D'anclaude, living with delusions of creating "Fourths". They learn that the Thirds were originally "assassinroids" - deadly robots with organic components, capable of infiltrating secure facilities by masquerading as humans. This project was re-purposed to bolster the low Martian birth rate, itself a result of Earth's strongly feminist society encouraging the immigration of males and discouraging the immigration of females. However, Earth's discovery of the Thirds incensed its leadership, forcing Mars to reverse its plans; Earth demanded that the Thirds be annihilated, offering female immigrants as a reward - and threatening war if not obeyed. The assassinroid program was thus re-activated to hunt and destroy the Thirds, which had vanished into the Martian population after their creation.
These revelations shock and dismay Armitage, leading her to seek comfort in Ross, who affirms her value as a living being before consummating their relationship. The next day, after Asakura deactivates Armitage so he can install angelical wings and particle cannons on her chassis, the military kills Asakura and Armitage and Ross eventually finish off the military. Months later, Ross returns to Mars, using false IDs, however Armitage throws hers away after Ross Sylibus' arrival. Armitage tells Ross that she is pregnant with their child.
=== Armitage: Dual-Matrix ===
It had been several years since the events of the previous OVA. Naomi Armitage and Ross Sylibus, now living under assumed identities, are living in St. Lowell on Mars, along with their daughter Yoko. Ross now works for a company seeking to restore oceans to Mars by using ice asteroids. However, a new effort to restore the Third project prompts Naomi to travel to Earth to figure out what is happening. Meanwhile, Ross saves a facility from a group of terrorists and is declared a Martian hero.
When Armitage arrives on Earth, she confronts Colonel Strings, hero of the First Error, which was a suppression of a robot uprising, which in reality, was to cover up the existence of the Thirds. But then he is shot by agents of an Earth Robotronics Corporation. Its vice president, Demetrio Mardini, asks Armitage to give the data on how Thirds can conceive so humanity can create a race of beings who exist to serve. She refuses so he resorts to force and unleashes a robot that scrambles her eyes. She manages to use her telepresence abilities to hack into its system and overload it. She then escapes but is damaged and is found by a repairer third named Mouse, who prides himself on his skill and frequently brags that he's a "genius". However, Mouse is also an informant to Demetrio and presents the data he found on Armitage; but he only got the recent data and Demetrio wants the conception data. Mouse claims that he did not know about the conception data, and also that if it existed it would be with what he gave him; but Demetrio refuses to believe either of these and tries to brutally force it with two clones of Armitage, who severely injure Mouse. He does not get anything and throws Mouse in the trash. Mouse swears revenge.
Back on Mars, prime minister Fredrick O'Hara sends Ross to Earth to represent the planet in the support of robot rights, promising amnesty from the charges against them. However, Demetrio's agents captured Yoko while Ross was away from the hotel, and is threatened that he will not see Yoko again if he votes for the Rights Bill. With a little reluctance, Ross remains neutral on the bill. Demetrio's agents, however, reveal that they were planning on killing Ross from the start, contrary to their deal. After a car chase, Armitage is able to save him at the very last moment. Together, they vow to rescue their daughter.
They storm Demetrio's compound; Armitage deals with Demetrio while Ross saves Yoko. The same robot Armitage encountered earlier had been upgraded to withstand her telepresence attack. Meanwhile, Ross manages to locate Yoko in a freezer. Elsewhere, Demetrio demands the secret in exchange for forgetting the damages they committed against him and his company. Armitage lures him closer, presumably to tell him what he wants to know; but she ends up kicking him in the crotch and telling him that Third conception is not simply data, it is about true love. With that she escapes again, forcing Demetrio to unleash the clones on her. She manages to evade the two and meets up with Ross and Yoko. Yoko is overjoyed to see her mother but recoils when she sees Armitage's metal shoulder that was scraped off by the clones. Just then, they attack. While Armitage holds them off, Ross and Yoko make their way to an unused space elevator. It is here that Yoko shows that she has a photographic memory, leading them to the space elevator whose location she determined from a map she saw minutes beforehand (Ross comments that she is "quite the little genius"). Soon, Armitage flees to Mouse, who repairs the damage and gives her a program that will allow her to go beyond her limited fighting abilities. He tells her that the password is "Heaven's Door"; but that if she exceeds more than her internal battery can handle, she will "be knocking at the Pearly Gates for real". She also has him do her one more favor: broadcast the footage of the Third massacre attempts all over Earth and Mars (upon seeing it himself, Mouse comments, "I think it's inhuman, and I'm a robot!"). This compels Demetrio to command the clones to prevent the family from leaving. After both clones are beaten, Demetrio tries having the elevator's defenses fired on their shuttle only to be killed by the last remaining clone, who is at the time controlled by what was left of Poly-Matrix's Julian Moore. Without Demetrio's authorization, the turrets do nothing. A hologram of Julian Moore then appears, wishing the family goodbye. The movie ends with the family enjoying a day at the beach on Mars, on Naomi's birthday.
In a post-credits scene, Mouse salvages one of the Armitage clones for himself. | violence | train | wikipedia | Digitally animated action-packed sequel to ARMITAGE III.
ARMITAGE: DUAL MATRIX (2001) is a sequel to ARMITAGE III (1994), a four-part made-for-video Japanese animated series that was also re-edited as a two-hour feature (ARMITAGE: POLY-MATRIX) and shown in the U.S. on the Sci-Fi Channel.
(The III in the earlier title is not the mark of a sequel but a reference to "Thirds," a special class of cyborg.) It helps to have seen the earlier production in order to better grasp what's going on in this one, which doesn't stop to fill in the background.
Instead it plunges us right into the continuing tensions between humans and robots in this far-off future society in which a growing Mars colony seeks independence from Earth and greater rights for robots.
It picks up the characters of Naomi Armitage, a Third, and her human mate, Ross Sylibus, as they lead a quiet life together incognito on Mars with a young daughter, Yoko, after having been fugitives at the end of ARMITAGE III, in which they'd been cops investigating murders of Thirds by anti-robot factions.
(The big secret of female Thirds was that they had the power to procreate, which made them such hated targets.)The couple's familial bliss is disrupted when a zealous army colonel leads a raid on a secret Earth plant doing illegal robot research and kills the robots and humans working there.
Naomi has a connection to the plant and heads to Earth to seek out the perpetrator, Colonel Strings, who turns out to actually work for the Earth Robotronics Corporation, which wants to redirect research away from robots to human cloning.
Ross is sent to Earth also, as a Mars delegate to the Chicago Summit to vote on the Robot Rights bill, and he and Naomi soon find they have a common enemy in Demetrio Mardini, an executive with Earth Robotronics.
Odds against the couple increase when Mardini sends two powerful new clones of Naomi to stop them.On the surface, DUAL MATRIX is an exciting, action-packed thriller bursting with extraordinary high-tech touches dotting this exquisitely rendered futuristic landscape.
The digital animation used to render this vision is often quite spectacular, particularly in the plentiful action scenes which range from car chases and shootouts involving high-powered automatic weapons fire to copter attacks and hand-to-hand battles with robot fighting machines.
The final stage of the film is particularly riveting as Ross, accompanied by the child, Yoko, tries to make it to the landing platform at the top of a huge spaceport where a shuttle waits to take them all back to Mars while Naomi fights off the two clones.The problem for fans of the original is that the science fiction themes that once predominated--questions of identity, status of androids, and ability of human society to coexist with them--are overshadowed here by an emphasis on action elements.
Naomi Armitage was originally a much spunkier character who played on the ambiguity of her origins and made viewers care because she seemed human and triggered deep emotions in Ross as they bonded in their efforts to carry out their mission.
She joked, laughed, cried, loved and searched desperately for answers.
Here Naomi is much less emotional and more of a traditional anime fighting cyborg.
She's still a colorful heroine, but most of her screen time is devoted to demonstrating her considerable powers.
Ross seems subdued and more in need of protection than he did in the original.
Furthermore, the motivations for most of the main characters are not always clear.The new one also looks quite different from the original which was still done in the now long ago era of hand-drawn animation.
While digital animation (which replicates the two-dimensional look of traditional cel animation) can create all sorts of elaborate effects and details that are most helpful in crafting the suitably dazzling future society on display here, it still lacks some of the vigor and artistry of traditional animation.
All anime is done digitally now and I miss the occasional imperfections--the jerky movements and shifts in color that reflected hand-painted work--as well as the bold lines and bright comic book colors that used to burst off the screen.
Everything looks so slick and polished now that I tend to get the greatest anime pleasure these days from such older series as "Kimba, the White Lion," "Star Blazers" and the original "Mobile Suit Gundam."DUAL MATRIX is still quite an entertaining 90-minute thriller and will no doubt please many young anime fans, but for those with a special interest in more challenging Japanese sci-fi anime, such as PATLABOR 1 & 2, GHOST IN THE SHELL and SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN, it will be less satisfying, although the impressive visual design may provide some compensation.
The English voice cast features one name actress, Juliette Lewis, in the role of Naomi Armitage.
(ARMITAGE: POLY-MATRIX had two name actors, Elizabeth Berkley and Kiefer Sutherland, in the roles of Naomi and Ross.) Serious fans of anime are advised to pick up the DVD and opt for the Japanese-language soundtrack..
Put simply.
Good anime.
Better voice acting.
Great surround sound..
When I first read that Juliette Lewis was going to be a seiyuu (voice actor) for Armitage I wasn't sure if she would be able to pull it off.
Even though I think she is a great actress some actors don't seem to make a good transition to voice acting.
I am happy to say that she did a great job.
Elizabeth Berkley did a good job with the first movie along with Kiefer Sutherland but Juliette really shines in some scenes when Armitage is blowing her top (no pun intended).
It would have been great if they would have gotten Kiefer Sutherland to play the role of Ross with Juliette for the sequel but Skip Stellrecht does a fine job as the ex-cop.
The picture quality is great although it would have been better in letterbox.
Now, the real jem of this DVD is the surround sound.
It seems Pioneer went all out and purposely made the movie's soundtrack for 5.1 systems.
The sound engineers balanced the music very well with the voices and sound effects.
Even during an action scene you can still here the voices very well along with the music and everything else without having to play with the volume buttons.
Of course, you can only appreciate this if you have a surround sound system.
I give this anime 7 out of 10 stars for it's excellent sound engineering..
Almost as much fun as the original.
Be warned, this will spoil some of the story to the original movie, Poly-Matrix.
If you haven't seen that movie, I recommend you watch it first.
Now, moving on the sequel we have Dual Matrix.
Dual Matrix is set many years after the events of Poly-Matrix.
Ross and Naomi did indeed have a child and named her Yoko.
She's about 7 years old by now and completely unaware of her parent's past.
They've changed their names and identities and are living on Mars trying to keep peaceful lives.However, a horrible attack occurs killing several humans and robots.
One of them contact Armitage before death, sending her its memories.
She then quietly goes on a mission to find out just what's going on and take care of those responsible.Ross in the mean time is dealing with his own issues on Earth with Yoko.
Suffice to say when the action gets started it's just as good as old times.
There are twists and turns that keep it interesting throughout, as well as a few new characters.
Almost all the old favorites return and keep things interesting.Naomi has changed a bit and isn't as hyper as she was the first time around.
However, what she's lost in nubile cuteness over the years is more than made up for in experience.
She's more of a hardcore fighter than ever before.
Dual Matrix starts off somewhat slow, but quickly picks up into a very worthy sequel to the original movie.The highlight of the movie is the ending and I assume its namesake.
Naomi and Ross must survive a brutal fight against two enhanced Terminator style Armitage replicas while protecting Yoko.
It's a dramatic and power set of scenes that will have Naomi fans beside themselves.
If you liked Poly-Matrix, give this one a shot as well.
You may enjoy it just as much or even more.Rirath_com.
Great movie with bad English voiceovers.
Great flick -- provided you watch it in Japanese with the English subtitles.Having a celebrity do a voice-over for Japanese anime is nothing new.
Kiefer Sutherland voiced Ross in Armitage III: Polymatrix and did a terrific job.However, Juliette Lewis (who is given star billing for the film) delivers her lines terribly.
Her emotional delivery is flat when it needs to be expressive, and expressive when needed to be flat.
She mumbles and is difficult to understand through portions of the film.Ahmed Best is even worse as Mouse.
He plays Mouse as a Jar Jar Binksesque character with even more annoying voiceovers than Lewis delivers.Having said all that, don't miss the opportunity to catch this DVD.
The animation is first rate, and the action scenes are well thought out and delivered..
Great Show.
This would make a great cinema movie.
I re-watch it sometimes when I just want to relax.
The animation is great (esp.
for the era), the story is interesting, and the fight scenes are long and involved.
After a while of watching the same sword-wielding stuff, it's good to see action which is ...
hard to describe.
It's hand to hand, but when those hands are android hands, the action tends to be more intense.Set in a "cyberpunk" world, a sci-fi future where androids are almost accepted as equal to humans, this film has some serious themes, if you are interested in that sort of thing (most people aren't and just want raw action...
adrenaline junkies or something).I only took off one point because a key plot question is not, to my satisfaction, explained.
You'll know it when you see it since it perplexes the main villain, as well.My description doesn't really do this movie justice...
I haven't watched the others in the series yet but I must say, I love this movie, am glad I own it, and the English dub is great (my copy doesn't have subtitles or the Japanese soundtrack, but I don't miss them), not too high-key as some dubs are, and brings more "realism" to the characters (I mean, how real can androids and whatnot be?).To draw a comparison, this I think is overall a better movie than "I, Robot".
Yes, I, Robot has cg, and has Will Smith, and is newer, and has more special effects, and a bigger budget; but the story here is bigger and somehow the fact that the main android in this story can (and did) bear a child adds something.Moreover, the political intrigue involving the androids striving for true equality with humans, while more explicit in Animatrix, adds a level of depth to the story, framing the individual conflicts which the main characters find themselves in against the larger social framework which ultimately drives the creation of said conflicts.Plus, I have a thing for hot cybernetic/android chicks...
this reminds me a bit of Ghost in the Shell, but the two are very different.
It is like comparing Star Trek: The Next Generation to Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars.
Yes, they have superficial similarities, but just as GITS is more general, serial, and focused on teams...
so was ST:TNG.
Armitage is a lot more personal, focusing on a closed nuclear family of three (man, woman/android, and child).Well, go watch it, if you haven't already. |
tt0780534 | My Mom's New Boyfriend | The film begins with Tommy Lucero (Antonio Banderas) being caught by French police following a foiled robbery at a museum. Tommy seems confident he will not remain in police custody very long.
The film then shifts its focus to Henry Durand (Colin Hanks). Henry had to care for his mother, Marty (Meg Ryan), when his father died in jail. Now a grown man and an FBI agent, Henry leaves his overweight mother to go work on a case.
Upon returning three years later, he finds his mother has lost a considerable amount of weight and is dating several men, one half her age, having turned over a new leaf after a passerby dropped a coin in her coffee cup, mistaking her for a homeless person. Henry announces to his mother that he has recently become engaged to another FBI agent, Emily (Selma Blair). Henry finds himself in a very uneasy state with his newly transformed mother and begins to be extremely protective about her. He confides his worries in his fiancée who does not find anything unusual in Marty's behavior.
While taking a walk with Henry and Emily, Marty is hit in the head by a toy helicopter being flown by Tommy. Tommy asks to take the trio to dinner at an old Albanian restaurant as an apology. Henry, who is still protective of his mother, grudgingly concedes to go when he notices how much his mother and Emily want to.
Romance sparks between Marty and Tommy. Henry, meanwhile, is informed by his FBI superiors that they expect Tommy and two accomplices are going to attempt to steal a sculpture currently on display at a local museum. Along with his fellow agents, Henry spies on his mother around the clock, albeit reluctantly, after the FBI chief implied that he may be shipped to Alaska if he doesn't cooperate. Many uncomfortable situations arise for Henry as he has to listen into the conversations his mother has with Tommy.
While stealing the sculpture, Tommy is betrayed by his gang members and shot twice in the chest. He survives due to wearing a ballistic vest, but is later caught by Henry and Emily. Tommy reveals to them that his real name is Tomas Martinez and he is with the CIA. He has been working undercover trying to apprehend a gang of thieves who are stealing art to fund terrorism. He is concerned the gang will attempt to kill Marty as they know he has been romantically involved with her and she may know about their operation.
The trio reaches the Durand house in time to rescue Marty from the gang. The film ends with the gang members being taken into custody while Tommy kisses Marty and Henry kisses Emily. | romantic | train | wikipedia | (And insulting their looks just makes YOU look petty and stupid.)That said, this movie was mildly entertaining, not offensive, and had a few chuckles.
Past the time quite nicely, but what with it being something of a comeback for Meg Ryan I guess people will be expecting quite a lot ...Well, Ryan is good, but she's still just Meg Ryan.
People talk of her being one of the leading ladies of romantic comedy, but when compared to the likes of Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts and even Catherine Zeta Jones, I always question her 'greatness'.
Just look at the physical comedy: it always seems forced and at the very least placed and safe, she's just not as free to do anything and to look really silly, say like Bullock or Diaz often do in this genre.Banderas is his usual sexy and funny self, he is great in rom coms, tongue wedged firmly in cheek, bringing all the fun and frolics he gets up to voicing Puss In Boots in the Shrek films to his physical self here ...
great fun.Colin Hanks is good as the worrying son of Ryan.
It's kinda a little weird seeing him in this role, after Ryan's famous partnering on screen with his father Tom Hanks, but he pulls it off well, and you get a sense of his predicament ...
I don't need rules to be changed up all the time in every genre, but when you have a good premise and actors totally able to pull of some great pysical comedy, then switch to romance (Banderas, Hanks & Blair I'm talking about) it's just a shame not to utilize that.A 6/10 from me.
Yes, most of the time a disaster is meant to happen because the industry has ran out of ideas and thus people have lost the faith in romantic comedies; but this isn't an excuse for writing reviews that sometimes indicate that critics may not have seen the film or that talk more about Meg Ryan's surgery than her performance.
"My mom's new boyfriend" stars Ryan as Marty, the mother of Henry (Colin Hanks), an FBI agent, and a woman who was once extremely fat but now when Henry comes back from a very long work trip, is completely unrecognizable.
I don't know what surgeries everyone mention, but the woman Henry sees by the pool is very hot and I guess that's why a mysterious art thief (Antonio Banderas) falls for her.I don't know why anyone would enter this film badly predisposed.
Firstly, It has Meg Ryan, eternal queen of romantic comedies.
Take in consideration it's not a great movie (which romantic comedy is these days; I can accept that) and I knew nothing about its director George Gallo, who also wrote it.
The key word here is 'uncompromised', because "My mom's new boyfriend" doesn't break into new ground of the classic formulas or contains many laughable jokes (there were two or three times I truly laughed, though), but that's not where you should look.Maybe it's too convenient, but it's as if Gallo knew that romantic comedies are taken less seriously these days, so he provides a direction that is not safe (that would be a disaster), which is what someone would do to secure a hit, but it's definitely pleasing.
"My mom's new boyfriend" is short, but in its duration finds time to construct its characters and establish their personalities by giving each one of them interesting things to say.
I've already learned to let myself go and forgive minimal trespasses in occasions; but I'm writing objectively, and I'm writing the truth."My mom's new boyfriend" is a good romantic comedy.
Unfortunately, "My Mom's New Boyfriend" falls way below the grade and fails even at being mildly amusing.First, it isn't necessary for a movie like this to be smart or particularly realistic, but it should have some integrity so that we can actually believe in the characters.
Here, in the prologue, we see Henry Durand (Colin Hanks), who clearly has a close relationship with his Mom, Marty (Meg Ryan), leaving home and Mom behind to start a job with the FBI.
Actually, the only genuinely funny performance in the film is from Trevor Morgan, in a small part as a young stud Ryan dates.The film piles bad jokes one on top of the other and beats to death what wasn't particularly funny the first time -- the Italian chef who pines for Marty, the FBI agents' jokes about how hot Marty supposedly is, etc.
The plot about the Mum (Meg Ryan) whose son is in the FBI (Colin Hanks - who here acts as though he has a large plank inserted right up him especially in his scenes with Selma Blair) - starts with Meg Ryan losing 200lbs of fugliness suddenly becomes beautiful wealthy vivacious and sexy, much to the son's embarrassment, is just tooo much.
- I suggest anyone would be just plain insulted by the lack of anything construing the most basic brain food here - there ain't one smart line or original scene - it truly is neither comedy or romance.The only positive is that this is totally harmless and won't offend,but it won't entertain either, it really is lobotomy food...This is seriously one of the turkeys of the year and deserves to not only go straight to DVD but straight into the DVD bin...Does no-one's careers (Especially Hanks) any favours ...
Meg Ryan's worst movie!.
i think this is the worst of Meg Ryan's movies, i'm really a big fan of her, she's one of the most gorgeous actress in Cinema, and she'll always be the queen of romantic comedy, and i liked most of her choices in the past, even the not so-good movies of her , she was able to make them worthy watching, but this film is just bad in every possible way?!it's boring, not funny, flat and predictable .
nothing in this movie is interesting nor original, it's not comedy, not romantic, not thriller and not action.
My Mom's New Boyfriend is one of that movies which is very difficult to write about because their elements are not bad but they are not particularly good either so,there is not too much to talk about.My Mom's New Boyfriend is an average comedy and I had a good time watching it...but the experience is completely forgettable.The actors are good on their roles.Meg Ryan,Antonio Banderas,Colin Hanks and Selma Blair bring decent performances,although they do not have too much to do.As I said at the beginning of this commentary,there is not much to talk about this movie.My Mom's New Boyfriend is a mediocre but entertaining comedy.I would recommend to watch it on DVD if there are not any other options..
I can't believe Meg Ryan's performance and Banderas' too.
Can't understand how Meg Ryan accepted to participate on it.Haven't seen Meg Ryan and Antonio Banderas in good movies for the past...4 years I think.Fell asleep 15 minutes after it started.
No plot, no script, no sense.By the way Meg Ryan's makeover went really bad.
How sad.Avoid this movie at all cost, it's an awful waste of money and time..
first things first: Colin Hanks, as well as his character Henry Durand should have not been part of this feature; the character is way to stereotypical,i kept having such thoughts as "what a moron!" throwout the whole movie; the "actor" is probably one of the worst i have seen lately.
Antonio Banderas, Meg Ryan and Selma Blair do all the work and bring the real laughs, sympathy and charm.
Colin Hanks is one of the worst miss-casts i have seen in some time, and because of that the movie suffers.
another dumb scene would be the one having 30 or so FBI agents briefed on a possible theft of a statue(30...heh...give me a break)but once passing the "fat" Meg Ryan and getting the "regular" sized one, things picked up for me))) she and Antonio Banderas are interesting and fun to watch , a whole different approach as compared with "the assassin".
the Albanian family is the funniest "gig" i think.well my score would 6 and that mostly because Antonio Banderas is in great shape, even if comedies are not really his domain.Meg Ryan is good too but towards end her character has nothing original to offer, too stereotypical..
I was expecting more of this movie...A cast with Meg Ryan, and Antonio Banderas in it can do only good and it did but not quite as I expected.
Colin Hanks was OK, Meg Ryan was good and Banderas was average.
I don't know why but Banderas seemed a little fake in some parts, he had extra-use for his charm and that's not quite good in a comedy.
My personal rating would be 8/10 as though I criticize it a lot it's not bad it's just not as good as I'd like to get from this cast..
That said, I do like some quality of acting or comedy, e.g. 4 Weddings, Music & Lyrics, Bridget Jones, Notting Hill, Love Actually (oh god...
About a third of the way through this terrible terrible film I started to look for at least one thing that I could identify as not annoying or not just plain stupid.
This movie will not disappoint Banderas or Ryan fans.
I haven't any good or say, better, movies the two leads act in..
i don,t understand at all what has to do Albanian restaurant with Arabic music,,i saw the scene when they were in sk Albanian restaurant and the only thing Albanian there was the flag,,nothing else,,albaniens does nor have bellydancers in their places,,but i guess ,,someone when wanna make fool of albaniens did payed a lot of money to mix Albanian people with middle easy people,,probably it was Russians or Serbs who payed those money to George gallo for mixing albaniens with Arabic people,,nothing wrong ,,people are all same everywhere,,good or bad,,but AL least when you try to make something Albanian,,make that in right way,,not only lies there,,as an Albanian,,i feel humiliated by that horrible music,,pretending to be Albanian music,,but it was not Albanian AT all.
If you love Meg Ryan, there are many things to enjoy and appreciate about this film: seeing Meg at the beginning in a very realistic fat-suit -- so funny!
It's fun (after the romantic roles Meg and Tom have shared) to see Tom Hanks's talented son, Colin, playing Meg's on-screen son, too!
-- One negative thing, however comical it was meant to be, though, was the merciless teasing and sexual innuendo directed toward Colin's character when his FBI job forces him to conduct surveillance on his own mother, even while she was becoming romantically involved with Antonio's character; suggested incestuous feelings just don't sit right with me, and many others, I would imagine, so that type of humor is lost on me.
But the film is worth it all for the great acting, including Selma Blair as Colin's fiancée..
It was cute, like most of Meg Ryans movies.
Meg Ryan movies are like home made chicken soup, you are always left feeling good.
(Check the guy out in Mean Creek and Brotherhood - best thing about those movies too!) Selma Blair is underused and the mother/son relationship between Ryan and Hanks is not quite believable.
There are some laughing moments but for a comedy this lacks the spark that would expect from a Meg Ryan work.
Antonio Banderas does what he normally does in a movie like this and the relationship between Hanks/Blair's characters is even more awkward-unbelievable.
There are no good comedies, all were so plain or maybe already seen in different films.
So within them, two cops and a thief, how the events turn out, especially how it affect their romance was told in the remaining part.I have not seen Meg Ryan for a long time, though this is nearly a decade old film that I watched now.
The others like Antonio Banderas was not bad, including Colin Hanks and Selma Blair.
Next time the writer and director decide to do another movie maybe they should get informed, read a little or hire a person who knows what the heck they're talking about.
Antonio Banderas looks like he wasn't even trying in this movie.
Henry Durand (Colin Hanks) is an FBI agent who leaves home and his fat lethargic mother Martha (Meg Ryan).
Later Henry finds out that Tommy is an art thief in town to steal a priceless sculpture.Even though it's technically possible for Meg Ryan to be Colin Hanks' mother, she just don't look like it.
Colin Hanks failed to deliver the goods thereby the movie doesn't quite register an impact.
On the one had I expected something downright awful given what I'd heard but on the other hand how bad could it be if it's got Meg Ryan, Colin Hanks and Selma Blair?
Meg Ryan, Colin Hanks and Selma Blair are solid.
I enjoyed watching Kolin Hanks in this movie.
The movie left me with impression that Meg acts with a thought in her mind "hey!
Could have been one of the better romantic comedies, marquee actors, a somewhat clever story line and a stock but well played plot twist at the end.
Could have been, but wasn't because Meg Ryan is a one woman wrecking crew from beginning to end.
As bad as the Marty Durand character was, Meg Ryan playing her only made her more unbearable.
Meg Ryan, looked like a cross between Joan Rivers and Jack Nicholson, as the Joker, and it was hard to relate to her wacky character who seemed to be on speed, crank, or something.There where some funny parts and Colin Hanks played his part well I thought, though casting Meg Ryan as his mother felt unnatural to me.Antonio Banderas played the same character he plays in all movies he stars in, with emphasis on his looks and accent and no consideration for his acting, which was only his average, not exceptional.One of the high points of the movie for me was seeing Selma Blair, who I have admittedly have a small crush on since I first saw her in Legally Blond.
Though I thought that she did not have a large enough part in this movie to really judge her acting.The movie has a surprise ending, that actually caught me off guard, and that is a good thing in my opinion.All in all, this movie was worth watching and I felt that the money I spent was not wasted, but, don't watch this expecting to use your brain at all or you might be disappointed..
This film is about a beautiful mother, whose son is in the FBI, falling in love with an international art thief.Initially I found the sound effects that accompany scene changes annoying.
Meg Ryan looks so young and beautiful, and she is so unconvincing as a mother.
her part could have been played by anybody.It's kind of scary when Meg Ryan smiles (her face is a disaster, but her lips are freaky) but other than that she looks good and can still pull off her Megness like no one else.
Meg's still got it and Antonia doesn't seem like he's going to lose it any time soon.It was a pleasant surprise to see how good Antonio looks.
The real problem with this movie is the casting of Meg Ryan who looks ridiculously young to be mother to the FBI agent who's obviously not a novice at the job so's been in it some time.
Perhaps Ms Ryan really is old enough in which case she certainly looks fabulous - but I think she looks unreal in this part.We didn't need a Mom who's acting like a teenager.
The movie's worth watching once if you've time to fill..
Enjoyable, at time a bit silly, nicely acted & made comedy...
This type movie was a staple on movie screens until about 30 or so years ago.Antonio Bandares stars along with Meg Ryan.
Marty, who falls hard for Tommy, is not aware of his real occupation, but Henry really suspects the real reason behind his mother's boyfriend for being in town.George Gallo, who wrote and directed this film, was behind another movie that involved art, "Local Color", which was more successful.
The cast seemed to be the only thing going for the picture, or perhaps our only reason for watching it.Meg Ryan, who was away from making movies for a while, reemerges with a new look with the help of some cosmetic procedures she must have undergone.
But since then she underwent plastic surgery and by god does it really show in this unfunny movie.She plays Marty a woman who's son(played by her bff 's son Colin Hanks who is Tom Hanks son btw) happens to be working for the CIA but of course she meets a handsome man named Tommy (played by Puss In Boots and Zorro himself Antonio Banderas) who is stealing a valuable statue in an Art gallery and its up to Ryan's charcther's son to stop him.
After watching all of it I concluded that it is better than many of the poor reviews say it is.Meg Ryan is Marty Durand, a middle aged mom of one who has sort of let herself go.
Marty is frumpy and badly overweight.Marty does have a fine son, Colin Hanks as Henry Durand, who also happens to be an up-and-coming FBI agent.
This is her wake-up call that she looks like a vagrant and she heads towards a better lifestyle.The movie picks up 3 years later, when Henry comes home and finds this strange woman in his back yard, lounging beside a pool they didn't have before.
the movie lacked a sense of excitement and it seemed too predictable and the only unpredictable thing was the fact that Banderas was a secret agent the movie did not deliver as a funny movie but some times it was humorous but nothing too hilarious. |
tt1612611 | Phoonk 2 | Phoonk is based upon the concept of black magic. Civil engineer and atheist Rajiv (Sudeep) lives in Mumbai with his wife Aarti (Amruta Khanvilkar) two kids, Raksha (Ahsaas Channa) and Rohan (Shrey Bawa), Rajiv's mother and the housemaid Laxmi(Anu Ansari). Rajiv's most trusted colleagues are Anshuman (Kenny Desai) and Madhu (Ashwini Kalsekar), whom everyone, including Rajiv's friend Vinay and Raksha feel are not normal. During a party at his house, when he comes to know that the husband and wife duo have cheated him on a valuable contract for an IT firm in Delhi, Rajiv fires both of them after insulting them both. Humiliated and angry at this, the two of them decide to take revenge on Rajiv. Madhu notes that Rajiv is very fond of Raksha.
Soon a series of strange events start to take place in and around Rajiv's house. Mandar (Bharat Kaul), who is appointed to take the place of Madhu and Anshuman is killed at the construction site mysteriously. Raksha starts to talk and behave weirdly, much to the shock of everyone. Doctors are called for, but the strange behavior continues, with Raksha flying in the air, talking in a manly voice, acting in pain. The superstitious and religious grandmother repeatedly says that someone is using Black Magic on Raksha, but Rajiv and the doctors refuse to believe any of it.
Now at the end of his wits, Rajiv begins to look to God. He also agrees to his construction laborers' demand of making a small shrine at the construction site, which he was previously adamantly turning down. Vinay suggests asking for the help of Manja,(Zakir Hussain), a magician familiar with this sort of stuff.
Manja analyzes the whole situation, sees Raksha, visits Rajiv's house, and tells the latter that someone is trying to take revenge on him, at which Vinay exclaims that it is none other than Madhu and Anshuman. Manja also tells them that Rajiv's driver has been helping the duo by providing them with necessary materials like Raksha's hair, soil from her foot and her toys to perform black magic.
Losing no more time, Rajiv, Vinay, Manja rush to Madhu's house, where she and Anshuman are found to be doing black magic rituals on a doll, supposedly an effigy of Raksha to trouble her. Rajiv orders Madhu to stop, but Madhu attacks him with a trishul. Vinay takes on Anshuman. The effect of Black magic forces seep on the entire place, pushing everyone away. As Madhu is going to attack Rajiv who is being pushed towards the wall, Manja uses his powers to separate the running ceiling fan, which lands on Madhu's head, decapitating her. All the negative forces stop, a spider comes out of one of the skulls on the floor and bites the driver who dies.
Everyone rushes to the hospital to find that Raksha has completely recovered. Rajiv and Vinay see that everyone thinks it is the doctors who have cured Raksha, and they smile at each other. | paranormal | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0433442 | The Return | In contemporary Russia, Ivan and his older brother Andrei have grown a deep attachment to each other to make up for their fatherless childhood. Both their mother and grandmother live with them. After running home after a fight with each other, the boys are shocked to discover their father has returned after a 12-year absence. With their mother's uneasy blessing, Ivan and Andrei set out on what they believe will be a simple fishing vacation with him.
Andrei is delighted to be reunited with their father and Ivan is apprehensive towards the man whom they know only from a faded photograph.
At first, both brothers are pleased with the prospect of an exciting adventure, but they soon strain under the weight of their father's awkward and increasingly brutal efforts to make up for the missing decade. Ivan and Andrei find themselves alternately tested, rescued, scolded, mentored, scrutinized, and ignored by the man. Andrei seems to look up to his father while Ivan remains stubbornly defensive.
As the truck stops and cafés give way to rain-swept, primeval wilderness coastline, Ivan's doubts give way to open defiance. Andrei's powerful need to bond with a father he's never known begins, in turn, to distance him from Ivan. Ivan and his father's test of will escalates into bitter hostility and sudden violence after the trio arrives at their mysterious island destination.
Ivan has an outburst of anger after witnessing his father strike Andrei. He shouts at his father, runs into the forest, and climbs to the top of the observatory tower. Andrei and their father run after him. The father tries to talk with Ivan, but this only stresses Ivan further. He then threatens to jump down from the top of the tower. The father tries to reach out to him, but falls and dies.
Ivan and Andrei take the body across the forest, bring him on board the boat, and sail back to where they came. While the boys are putting their gear in the car, the boat starts to drift away. Andrei screams, "Papa!" and starts running towards the shore, followed by Ivan, but it is too late. The boat and the body are sinking. Ivan screams "Papa!" for the first and the last time from the bottom of his heart. They get into the car and drive away. The film ends with still images from their journey. | revenge, murder, violence, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0379306 | A Good Woman | Set in 1930, the film opens in New York City, where femme fatale Mrs. Erlynne finds that she is no longer welcomed by either the high-ranking men she has seduced or the society wives she has betrayed. Selling her jewelry, she buys passage on a liner bound for Amalfi, Italy, where she apparently sets her sights on newlywed Robert Windermere. When his car frequently is seen parked outside her villa, local gossips become convinced the two are having an affair.
Robert's demure wife Meg remains oblivious to the stories about the two circulating throughout the town, but when she discovers her husband's cheque register with numerous stubs indicating payments to Erlynne, she suspects the worst. What she doesn't know is that Erlynne actually is her mother, who has been extorting payments from Robert in return for keeping her secret. She is consoled with the advice, "Plain women resort to crying; pretty women go shopping."
In retaliation for what she believes is her husband's transgression, Meg wears a revealing gown to her twenty-first birthday celebration, attended by Erlynne - wearing the same dress - in the company of Lord Augustus, a wealthy, twice-divorced man who has proposed marriage to Erlynne. Complications ensue when Lord Darlington professes his love for Meg and implores her to leave her supposedly wayward husband, an invitation she accepts.
Erlynne, having found Meg's farewell note to Robert, intercepts her on Darlington's yacht, where the two are trapped when Augustus, Darlington, Robert, and friends arrive for a night of drinking. Robert is startled to see the fan he gave Meg for her birthday on board; while Meg makes a hasty escape, Erlynne reveals herself and claims she had taken it from the party in error; and Augustus, thinking his fiancée was planning a romantic rendezvous with Darlington, ends their engagement.
Robert pays Erlynne to leave Amalfi immediately and begs her not to reveal her identity to Meg. Reluctantly, she complies with his wishes, although she returns his cheque before she departs. On board the plane waiting to take her to a new life, she discovers Augustus, who presents her with the fan Meg gave him when she confessed to him all that had really happened. Erlynne accepts his renewed proposal of marriage and the two depart for places unknown. | romantic, depressing | train | wikipedia | Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson are both very good (as is most of the cast), but Wilkinson is so endearingly silly that you can't help but care for him more than the others.
But have no fear - if you like films that have a good and witty screenplay, high production values, wonderful scenery, excellent actors, beautifully made costumes and a score that enhances every bit of enjoyment in the film - then this one is for you.
The principal actors are good, particularly Helen Hunt and Tom Wilkinson, but they are more than well supported by some fine British character actors who are superb and totally convincing.
Tom Wilkinson is, as ever, a joy to watch - it's certainly impressive how he can persuasively portray both fantastically nice characters such as Tuppy, and also villains like Lord Queensberry in "Wilde".
For the record, I know by heart every Oscar Wilde work, all his quotations, and where they came from.Oscar Wilde was a genius, and these hacks who tore apart "Lady Windermere's Fan", changed the title to "A Good Woman", and passed it off as their own did nothing but to tarnish Wilde's reputation.Those who read or saw the original play would have a good idea what is going on in the film.
Here, he is just another man who sympathized with her (mostly due to the fact that Mrs. Erlynne's role was demoted to a hair short of a whore).Overall, the flow of events and lines were just thrown right at the audience with little sense, or expectations, or both.Finally, if you don't like this movie someone tells you you're an uncultured brute, you can tell them this.
I almost didn't bother to see this, but I'm pleased that I did.As noted by other comment writers, the strength of this film is the two fine performances of Helen Hunt and Tom Wilkinson, especially Wilkinson in the role of Tuppy.The film suffers the usual foibles of a stage adaptation, with some scenes seeming very contrived, as the characters linger at bars and exchange witticisms.
On the other hand the writer and director have made a serious effort to address this problem and succeed in parts, (Lady Windermere and Lord Darlington's stroll through the fish sellers is a memorable example).I am not familiar with the original play and especially towards the end was quite swept along by the narrative tension, which again was a very pleasant surprise.So in conclusion, a clever little story, some fine performances and a stack of Wilde's incisive aphorisms on the vagaries of the human condition.
As a UK BAFTA member had I have seen it in competition earlier this year (and I don't know why it was not BAFTA nominated) I would have cast my vote for it in most major categories....particularly Direction, Editing, Performances, Design, Make up, Costume, Music and more, even Best Film.The only criticism I have is the title....and this may have held it back from popular interest.
The way you are lured to believe throughout the first half of the picture the great deception on which Wilde first built his plot,which is the role of a woman of ill-repute portrayed by Helen Hunt, and her connection with Mr. Windermere, I find it to be a stroke of genius of both the original writer as well as the script's writer and the director.
Having read and seen the original play "Lady Windemere's Fan", I had some expectations watching this movie, knowing Oscar Wilde to be one of the best playwrights throughout history and loving his wonderfully witty and marvelously studied dialogues, which perfectly mirror the society he was criticizing with his amazing play.Unfortunately this movie is a complete failure.
As lovely as she was in Lost in Translation, she was dazzling in A Good Woman.This film requires that you invest your full attention or you will miss most of the really great gems:"I like America.
I remember her fondly from "Mad About You." The only other movie I have seen her in was "As Good as it Gets," but I will be looking for "Bobby" to see her again.I won't go into the details of the story as that would spoil it for you, suffice it to say that it makes for a very interesting background to this film about love and morals.
Based on Wilde's work, 'A Good Woman' is a decent enough film to be enjoyed once.
I almost knew nothing about the movie before I saw it (including that it was an adaption of an Oscar Wilde play), so I had no expectations at all.
(If you haven't seen the movie, watch the trailer and you will hear what I mean!) I note many other reviewers disagree with me on this one.Scarlett Johansson is better cast (although she was having a bad hair movie - period hairstyles don't have to be unflattering you know!) as the young newly wed Meg Windemere.
The wonderful wit of Oscar Wilde is placed squarely in the hands of Tom Wilkinson (Tuppy) and Stephen Campbell Moore (Lord Darlington).
The name originally accorded by Oscar to this famous and most well-loved play, Lady Windermere's Fan, was the title used in this movie.
This was about the only honour accorded Oscar in this woefully disappointing film.I had missed that Helen Hunt was in it, being caught up in the other good cast members I read on the sleeve - Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Diana Hardcastle.
(Did anybody in the movie research the Italy of that era and why would the British and American be supporting a fascist regime?) Americans stand in for just about everyone so it also loses the cranky tweeness that English thoroughbreds were trained in.Here the lines (and all of Wilde's work is freely pillaged for this) sound awkward and artificial in most of the mouths, with the exception of the aforementioned Tom, Stephen and Diana who positively shine and raised this viewer's rating from a 3 to a 6.
I have enjoyed both Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson in other films, and so expected good things.
Mike Barker has made an exquisite adaptation of "Lady Windermere's Fan" and the only significant change that he's introduced has to do with time (the 30's instead of the beginning of the century).Helen Hunt gets into the skin of that marked woman that's the epicenter of tons of rumors and gossip.
I really liked this version of Oscar Wilde play.The idea to put the story in the 30's and Italian riviera is very appealing.The photography of the Italian landscape is excellent and plus you get to see some incredible Italian villas of the place.
A European collective production, this film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windemere's Fan" is quite lovely.
I had seen an Oscar Wilde movie that Was called the Ideal Husband, A Good Woman is similar to it, being in that there was a women that came in that had started to wreak havoc on everybody's life, I like Oscar Wilde but it seem that everybody wants to make movies of, the same plays all the time and not really having much originality.
There is much that is worthwhile about director Mike Barker's adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic play of manners, "Lady Windermere's Fan".
First-time screenwriter Howard Himelstein updates the story to the 1930's placing most of the action on the glamorous Amalfi Coast in Italy, and it certainly makes for a great excuse for a beautiful setting and period-authentic fashions.The film sticks with the basic outline of Wilde's play, as the plot focuses on Mrs. Stella Erlynne, a scandalous socialite who has been run out of New York for using wealthy, married men to allow her to live the high life to which she has become accustomed.
Faring better are Stephen Campbell Moore as Darlington (spewing my favorite Wilde line as he describes America as a society "that's gone from barbarism to depravity without bothering to develop civilization in between") and, in particular, Tom Wilkinson, who plays Mrs. Erlynne's not-so-love-blind suitor, Tuppy, with the panache that the rest of the cast seems missing.
Great adaption of Oscar Wilde's play 'Lady Windermere's Fan'.
I've read Oscar Wilde's play "Lady Windermere's Fan," and I don't care too much for it, which seems to be a sentiment partially shared by the makers of this adaptation of it, "A Good Woman," a title that is taken from the last words spoken in the play.
I also like that there's a scene where the social clique spy on Mrs. Erlynne and Tuppy at the theatre, even though it's essentially a relocated reworking of the race track sequence in Lubitsch's film, and it would've been better had they been watching one of Wilde's plays, as in another similar scene from an adaptation of one of Wilde's scripts, "An Ideal Husband" (1999).
Lord Augustus (Tom Wilkinson) falls for the fascinating American Erlynne.I don't know anything about the Oscar Wilde play.
While retaining her secret identity, the illustrious Mrs. Erlynne (Hunt) saves Lady Windemere (Johansson) from making a grand social faux-pas with the scoundrelly Lord Darlington (Moore).My expectations were a bit low on this because I am still warming up to Helen Hunt.
A terrific little film, although few will know, as I did not, that it is an adaptation of Wilde's play, Lady Windemere's Fan. Lady Meg Windemere (Scarlett Johannsen) is a beautiful, young newlywed, residing presently on Italy's Amalfi coast with her rich, gorgeous husband.
One day, there is a new lady in town, very lovely Mrs. Erlynne (Helen Hunt), who is a notorious woman.
This is based upon a play by Oscar Wilde Mrs. Windermere's Fan Meg(Johansson) and Robert Windermere (Umbers) have a happy marriage until Mrs Erlynne (Hunt) makes an appearance and she appears to have monopolized Robert all to herself.
But it all makes sense a little more than half way through and then I thought that Helen Hunt was the perfect person to play in this movie.
Oscar Wilde, one of the greatest playwrights of the 'fin de ciëcle', did a good job writing Lady Windermere's Fan, the play this movie is based on, so doing it any justice would be very hard.
The play is still being staged all round the world, and audiences still love Wilde's work, so the step to the big screen was one that would be taken one day or another.Mike Barker did a great job, he stays true to the text where he can, but he also is very aware that in film you do not have the confinements of the theatre.
The costumes look wonderful, though some are a tad too much updated to the year 2000.This is a great movie, if you like Wilde's witty dialogue, go see it!
Although the playwright changed Oscar Wildes original play.Alternative versions are entitled to exist.The original play was better and it would have been better to set the movie in Victorian England.The costumes were great as well a the editing and the photography was excellent.The 4 other men and women were like a Greek chorus.The distributors should change the title and reissue the movie the title"The Sacrifice"Tom Wilkinsons acting was great.The 2 female leads were miscast.
after that nightmare thriller this was nice enjoyment, excellent screenplay, good actors (Helen Hunt is as usually adorable, although this role certainly did add not much to this outstanding actress, Scarlet Johanson was also good, I hope she will get better roles in future, Dumby and Tuppy have exceeded my expectations...), Italy in its best sunshine and shadows, nice charming happy-end.
I must say it is excellent: the adaptation works excellently, the script is really good, all the cast act well and Scarlett Johannsen is just perfect: so is Helen Hunt.As so often in this kind of film, the ensemble playing is very good with the minor aristos (esp the men) played to perfection.
Don't get me wrong, I am quite a fan of Tom Wilkinson, who has seemed to matured with age, but the main characters Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson, didn't really make the movie enjoyable, due to the script.
The Wilde original calls for sophisticated (& probably necessarily British) actors with talent for the drawing rooms of the 19th century.Tom Wilkinson & the sets/setting were the only redeeming things in this otherwise pretty badly acted film..
I loved everything in this movie and it let me totally escape into it's story of a loose woman (Helen Hunt) who has worn out her welcome from many wives and they wish her to leave so she sets off to Italy to start a new life and runs right into her past (a daughter she abandoned as a baby)and yet everything works out beautifully in the end.
Updating Oscar Wilde's play, "Lady Windermere's Fan" is definitely tampering, but at times not poorly done.
Even though I had never heard of the director, I was sure this couldn't be a bad movie, as it featured Scarlett Johansson and Helen Hunt (oh well, the latter starred in What women want, so maybe I was just deluding myself).
I much prefer other people's." "The best way to keep my word is never to give it."And most appropriate for this drama: "Modern marriage thrives on mutual deception."Director Mike Barker and writer Howard Himmelstein have smoothly changed the location from a Victorian drawing room to the 1930's island of Amalfi, an escape for the indolent British wealthy and opportunists like Helen Hunt's Mrs. Erlynne, who decides to steal the heart of Lord Windermere (Mark Umbers) from his wife, Meg (Scarlett Johansson).
Along the way Lord Augustus (the durable Tom Wilkinson) sets his eye on Erlynne, in a turn of honesty in which he acknowledges his own lack of worth but his great wealth and her life as a series of wealthy-man entrapments.Except for Johansson, who seems uncomfortable and thereby miscast, the actors are fit for their roles, or more properly, for declaring Wilde's witticisms.
I loved the script and the way it had been uplifted from Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's fan set in Victorian England to the 30's in Italy - some cracking lines.
Helen Hunt was almost unrecognizable and I loved her in this role.I knew very little about the movie before seeing it and will say I did not see the twist coming at all.
Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson in a film that is based on a play by Oscar Wilde.
Scarlett's one sick lady/the most beautiful woman!I love A Good Woman it's really sweet and kind with great acting; Helen and Scarlett make the film with good support from Tom Wilkinson!(Who knows who came out alive in 2008's The Other Boleyn Girl with Scarlett and Natalie Portman, that was a real bloodbath/epic clash between 2 all-time bright and young beautiful movie babes!
I've always thought that Helen Hunt was a very good actress, but I found her a little less than convincing here, particularly in the climactic scene near the end of the film.
"A Good Woman", a phrase which occurs a number of times in the script, was Wilde's original title for his play.
Mrs Erlynne, fearing that Meg is about to take a step which will ruin her life and reputation, takes a dramatic step to prevent this and to bring about a reconciliation between Meg and Robert.The point of relocating the action from the drawing-rooms of London to the Amalfi coast was presumably to provide some spectacular scenery to make the film more visually attractive, and the point of making some of the characters American was presumably to provide roles for Hollywood names like Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson.
The line, for instance, about America being the only country to have gone from barbarism to decadence without an intervening period of civilisation does not reflect Wilde's personal view but rather the prejudices of a bitter, cynical character in "A Woman of No Importance", the play from which it is taken.The best acting contributions come from Tom Wilkinson as Mrs Erlynne's lover Lord Augustus and Stephen Campbell Moore as Darlington, the only actors who seem at home with Wilde's style.
"A good woman", an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windemere's Fan" is a sweetly charming , inoffensive little movie that makes for a great afternoon's entertainment.
The actors are to the person excellent with Helen Hunt giving a fine portrayal of a character at first difficult to like (but she is a good woman!).
Scarlett Johansson once again proves that her dramatic skills are equal to her beauty and Tom Wilkinson, Milena Vukotic, and the entire cast toss Wilde's wonderful lines into the air like butterflies.
Though lavishly photographed, and sporting decent period production design and costumes, the film is freighted with disappointing performances by Scarlett Johansson as Meg Windermere - the first of her roles that I've seen that did not sweep me off my feet - and by Helen Hunt as her secret mother, the gold digging Mrs. Erlynne, who had abandoned Meg 20 years earlier.
However, there are quite a few problems that have less to do with the story itself than in the actors playing the pivotal roles they've been given.Helen Hunt, a good actress who brings a little of the iron physical presence Bette Davis had in her early film career -- think EX-LADY, for example -- can't be believed for a moment that she could be a man-eater, an alluring female capable of having men eat at her beckoning (the same way Davis had no sex-appeal in her own glammed-up performances).
This change makes the character more accessible -- indeed, there must be women like the Mrs. Erlynne in this movie -- but it can be a tad problematic when it comes to a re-interpretation of a 19th Century play.Scarlett Johansson is another good choice to play Lady Windemere -- she's the right age, at least.
For those who have neither read nor watched Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's fan", here's a simplified plot, as adapted for the motion picture. |
tt0040427 | He Walked by Night | On a Los Angeles street, Officer Rawlins, a patrolman on his way home from work, stops a man he suspects of being a burglar and is shot and mortally wounded. The minor clues lead nowhere. Two police detectives, Sergeants Marty Brennan (Scott Brady) and Chuck Jones (James Cardwell), are assigned to catch the killer, Roy Morgan (Richard Basehart), a brilliant mystery man with no known criminal past, who is hiding in a Hollywood bungalow and listening to police calls on his custom radio in an attempt to avoid capture. His only relationship is with his little dog.
Roy consigns burgled electronic equipment to Paul Reeves (Whit Bissell), and on his fifth sale is nearly caught when he shows up to collect on his property. Reeves tells police that the suspect is a mystery man named Roy Martin. The case crosses the paths of Brennan and Jones, who stake out Reeves' office to arrest and question Roy. He suspects a trap, however, and in a brief shootout shoots and paralyzes Jones. Jones wounds Roy, who performs surgery on himself to remove the bullet and avoid going to a hospital, where his gunshot wound would be reported to the police. With his knowledge of police procedures, Roy changes his modus operandi and becomes an armed robber. During one robbery he fires his semi-automatic pistol, and the police recover the ejected casing. Lee (Jack Webb), a forensics specialist, matches the ejector marks on the casing to those recovered in the killing of Officer Rawlins and the wounding of Sgt. Jones, connecting all three shootings to one suspect.
Captain Breen (Roy Roberts) uses this break to gather all of the witnesses to the robberies. They assist Lee in building a composite photo of the killer. Reeves then identifies Roy from the composite. However, Roy hides in Reeves' car and attempts to intimidate him into revealing details of the police investigation. He barely eludes a stakeout of Reeves' house. Because the police do not realize that Roy has inside knowledge of their work, the case goes nowhere. Breen takes Brennan off the case in an attempt to shake him up. Jones convinces his partner to stop viewing the case personally and to use his head. Plodding, methodical follow-up by Brennan, using the composite photograph, results in information that Roy, whose actual name is Roy Morgan, worked for a local police department as a civilian radio technician before being drafted into the Army. Brennan tracks him down through post office mail carriers and disguises himself as a milkman to get a close look at Morgan and his apartment.
The police surround and raid the apartment that night, but Morgan, forewarned by the barking of his dog, escapes through the attic and uses the Los Angeles storm drainage tunnel system as a means of escape. The film continues with a dragnet and chase through the drainage tunnels. Roy is finally cornered by the police in a passage blocked by the wheel of a police car. As the police shoot tear gas at Roy, he staggers and attempts to fire at them. He is then shot down and killed.
The final scene is notable for its resemblance to the final scene in The Third Man in which Orson Welles' character is chased through the sewers of Vienna. No known connection between the films has been established. | murder | train | wikipedia | "He Walked By Night" is a turning point in the detective movie, displaying the real-life police procedures used in searching for a criminal, which include teamwork and technology, and showing far more realistic characters than other flicks did.
Though Scott Brady was probably too young (24) as the lead detective in this movie, his realistic performance is a welcomed relief from the over-the-top camp performances from actors in other detective movies, such as Dick Powell's in "Murder My Sweet" and Alan Ladd's in every one of his detective movies.The realistic technique of this movie was so innovative, that Jack Webb (who has his first good-sized role in this movie) used this technique in making his 1940s radio show "Dragnet." When he brought "Dragnet" to television in 1951, the style of the show influenced countless other shows, launching realistic police drama in television.
We also follow the cops as they make use of whatever little information they're able to gather on Basehart's character, and slowly they do close in after several missed opportunities and track the killer into the storm drains, where the play of light and shadow really takes over.
One of the cops in "He Walked By Night" is played by Jack Webb, and there's no question he got the inspiration for 'Dragnet" from this film.
Its set-up and execution are remarkably similar to Orson Wells being chased through the sewers of Vienna in Carol Reed's "The Third Man," which was filmed a year later and likely inspired by "He Walked By Night." And who knows, it might also have given a few ideas to the makers of "Them" a couple of years later when they revisited the L.A. storm drains with their giant ants.
Captain Roy Roberts and Detective Scott Brady lead the investigation which takes both men into some unexpected places in trying to track down the culprit.This was Richard Basehart's breakthrough role in He Walked By Night.
I'm also sure that the final chase scene through the storm drain must have inspired Carol Reed to put it in The Third Man where the idea got more notice.The lack of really big name stars gives this film a realistic approach.
John Alton, the cinematographer who worked with him on a couple of other film noirs, did the camera-work and he was one of the best.Richard Basehart plays a convincing no-conscience killer.
In fact, this movie even had a Dragnet feel to it with some kooky minor characters, such as the lady talking to the milkman/cop.This movie dragged a big in the middle but overall was entertaining enough to recommend, especially to film noir fans.
Based on the real life case of cop-killer come thief Erwin Walker, who in 1946 struck terror into the heart of LA, He Walked By Night zips along at a frenetic pace but maintains all the darkness requisites of the Film Noir genre.
Directed by Alfred Walker (aided by one uncredited Anthony Mann) and also starring Jack Webb (who used the piece as inspiration for the popular "Dragnet" TV series), the picture has excellent use of shadows and a brilliant finale down in the Los Angeles drainage system.
With added plot worth in the form of early police forensics (check out the photo fit technique) and a largely unknown support cast adding a raw reality to proceedings, He Walked By Night comes highly recommended to fans of the Noir and Crime genres.
As related on http://www.adam-12.com/webb.htm ...quote -In 1949, Jack landed the role of Lt. Lee Jones in the film"He walked by Night." After meeting LAPD Sgt. Marty Wynn,a technical advisor for the show, Jack got the idea to developDragnet after being invited to review LAPD case files.
During one of their conversations, Wynn mentioned to Webb, "It's a shame they don't have a radio show that depicts the actual policeman and the work that he does." At that time, the lead detective show was "Sam Spade." They derived the title, "He Walked by Night," to the fact that he committed most of his crimes at night.
On its own, the film is said to have served as a virtual template for the DRAGNET TV series (whose creator, Jack Webb, appears here as a police lab technician).Richard Basehart's characterization of the coldly calculating criminal was possibly the most compelling to be depicted on the screen since the time of Fritz Lang's M (1931).
Jack Webb did a great job of directing, making good use of shadows and dramatic lighting effects which would come to define the film noir genre.
The supporting cast is a treasure trove, among them: Roy Roberts as the determined police captain, Dorothy Adams as the loony lady on Brady's milk run, Whit Bissell as Basehart's bookish friend, Billy Mauch as the mugging head of a teen gang, and Jack Webb learning how to make "Dragnet" a west coast version of "The Naked City".
And, that's not all; read the extended cast list on IMDb before watching, so you don't miss anyone!********* He Walked by Night (1948) Alfred Werker, Anthony Mann ~ Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy Roberts.
(Of course, we all know what influence the film had on Jack Webb's career on the development of "Dragnet".) The film tends to move rather slowly at times but it all ends with one of the greatest chases in film history.....through the storm drains of Los Angeles with the already mentioned Alton touch.This is a small film that is worth watching.
The perseverance of Sgt. Marty Brennan in his investigation gives a clue where he might live."He Walked By Night" presents a police story based on a true event like a narrated documentary.
It was done documentary-style and certainly has some interesting aspects to it: it has a noir feel to it, it shows 1948 routine police work, it's based on a true story, it shows what's under Los Angeles, there are glass milk bottles, and before he started playing bald and paunchy policemen, Scott Brady was a hunk.The film's star is a very young Richard Basehart as a diabolical burglar who thinks nothing of murdering one cop and paralyzing another.
HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a neat little film noir filmed in semi-documentary style (narration included), typical of several films from the '40s-era (BOOMERANG, THE HOUSE ON 92ND STREET), taut with suspense lasting a brisk 79 minutes and released by Eagle-Lion, a small independent company.RICHARD BASEHART (one of Hollywood's most underrated actors) was always an interesting actor to watch and here he has one of his best roles as a petty thief and murderer who uses his skill as a radio/television technician to make a fast buck with stolen property.
Breen who uses some state of the art (at the time) technology to put together a composite picture of what the killer might look like.The very tense build-up to the capture is film noir at its best with the camera exploring the dark underworld of sewer tunnels in San Francisco that I never knew existed.
John Alton's Famous Noir Photography with its Night Shoots, Diagonals, and Relentless Looming Shadows Dominate the Mundane, and now Frankly Dated but at the Time Cutting Edge Police Tech Inclusions.Richard Basehart's Cold Demeanor and Sweaty Presentation is also a Standout Noir Killer.
This is a movie that even after the passing of so many years stands out as an excellent example of documentary style film making.Because unlike a lot of movies it doesn't waste time in getting to whats going on And indeed from the first scene when a police officer on patrol surprises a robber in an electronic store and is killed by him which of course sets off a massive search by the LAPD to get the killer responsible.The cast was headed by a young Richard Basehart as the killer,along with a young Scott Brady as Sgt Marty Brennan and James B Cardwell as Chuck Jones who are assigned to the investigation and also featured many well known character actors such as Roy Roberts as Captain Breen ,Whit Bissell as Paul Reeves,Byron Foulger as Freddie in Records Section,Anne Doran as a Dispatcher,a young Jack Webb as lab technician named Lee who later came up with the classic TV Show"Dragnet"among the cast and there were many others as well in the cast who later became familiar faces in Movies and TV appearances and the narration by Reed Hadley as well added to the greatness of the cast.But of course it was the performance of Richard Basehart that makes the movie memorable because he kept you interested in what he was up to and also made you wonder why he did what he did.And the final chase sequence in the sewers of LA was excellent and those sewers were also used at the end of the movie"Them"about the giant ants made in 1951 .And in fact an actor named Harry Wilson who was in"He Walked By Night" as a prison inmate also appears as a patient in"Them" and indeed only recently when watching it again did I spot even more actors who's faces I knew but a lot of times didn't know their names and indeed this movie had a lot of the best character actors that could be in one movie.And at a running time of 79 minutes packed more excitement then most movies do today at 2hours.If you have a chance to get this movie do so because its an example of movie making at its best..
There's no Holmes-like genius here who solves the case with a brilliant eureka moment, instead we see the force utilise traditional methodology in pursuit of the perpetrator, involving most prominently an early identikit method to lead them to their man.Set in Los Angeles, periodic voiceovers add to the documentary feel describing the mundane everyday aspect of the job, effectively de-glamourising it, although these have disappeared by the time we get to the exciting extended chase through the city's underground storm drains.Richard Basehart, best known to me as the paternal Admiral Nelson in the much later Irwin Allen TV adventure series from the 60's "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea", is very effective as the hoodlum whose small-time M.O. of stealing and re-selling electrical goods escalates when he resorts to using a gun on the curious cop at the start of the film.
He's probably the biggest name here but I was just as impressed with the performances of the remainder of the lesser-known cast thoroughly convincing me in their portrayal of ordinary men and women doing a difficult job for a living.The noir elements come through in the deep shadows which Basehart's character inhabits, especially in his darkened apartment he shares with the best acting dog I've ever seen in a film and later as he tries to escape his fate, hunted down literally like a rat in a sewer in the imaginatively devised culmination of the film in the underground maze of tunnels below the city, dark and as silent as a tomb apart from the sound of running footsteps, lit only by the hand-held torch-light of pursuer and pursued.No real motive is given for the escalation of Basehart's actions from low-rank burglar to gun-crime, but the resonance with so much of what we still see today in latter-day America gives the film an unexpected topicality in my view.I've been watching a lot of noir movies of late and found this one a refreshing change with its deliberate lack of psychological intent, convoluted plotting and treacherous women.
Complete with V.O. narrative, this Dragnet-style police procedural describes the pursuit of a killer, and is based on the real-life crime spree of Erwin Walker (played by Richard Basehart).
One thing that detracts from the story is that although this criminal was a killer, most of the crimes recounted in the plot involve robbery and burglary, and that renders the story less intense."He Walked By Night" is one of the first, if not the first, films to use composite drawings as a procedure to identify the perp.
Werker & Anthony Mann co-directed this realistic semi-documentary thriller that stars Richard Basehart as cunning but disturbed electronics expert Roy Martin, who becomes a wanted killer after shooting a policeman who was getting too close to identifying him after a robbery.
Martin makes a living, and a damn good one at that, by selling his stolen booty to his fence-man, who in fact doesn't known it's stolen property, electronic dealer Paul Reeves, Whit Bissell.It's when Martin is spotted by an LAPD cop one night hanging around an electronic store and looking like he's up to no good that he gunned him down thus going up the ladder in the world of crime from just a plain garden variety burglar to a wanted all points, in the state, cop killer!
Webb became so interested in police work during the filming that with the support of LAPD cop Sgt. Marty Wynn, who served as a police technical adviser in the film, he came up with the idea for his blockbuster radio and later TV police drama series "Dragnet"..
This is a good, solid police procedural film based on a real case, about how they caught a killer in Los Angeles without any clues to go on.
"He Walked by Night" is a crime-mystery film in the style of a police drama that would later be used in long-running TV series such as "Dragnet" in the 1950s and many more that followed.
Whatever the case, the direction is one of the most distinguished things about this movie, which looks spectacular and has all sorts of memorable moments, not the least of which is a climactic chase in a sewer that instantly brings to mind Carol Reed's "The Third Man" from two years later.Richard Basehart is the villain in this one, and it's fun to see him give himself so completely over to a nasty role, that of an armed robber who will kill if he has to.
Jack Webb has a small role as a forensics expert, and one of the film's most interesting scenes is one in which he uses the feedback from an assembly of Basehart's victims to reconstruct a picture of what their unknown suspect looks like.
I'm a huge film noir classic movie fan, and I already knew that the film "He Walked By Night" was NOT "a true story" by the time the writers got thru with it.
HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1948) *** (out of four) Gritty film noir has the police trying to track down a master criminal who killed a cop.
I used to love Dragnet when I was a kid and they had it in re runs on local TV.Unfortunately this movie feels very dated.The plot:In the Post-World War II, in Los Angeles, a criminal shoots and kills a police officer in the middle of the night.
A Bit of a Forgotten Gem. This film-noir piece, told in semi-documentary style, follows police on the hunt for a resourceful criminal who shoots and kills a cop.What makes this film interesting: During production, one of the actors, Jack Webb, struck up a friendship with the police technical adviser, Detective Sergeant Marty Wynn, and was inspired by a conversation with Wynn to create the radio and later television program "Dragnet".But also, this is the fictional version of a true story that is not well-remembered today.
Little to no explanation is given in the film as to his motives but the film is pretty good anyway.The film is a good example of film noir - very dark, disturbing and has the makings to be a great film if they would have added more to the ending - giving us some sort of explanation of Roy's motives.The movie is a semi-documentary loosely based on the real life burglar and cop killer Erwin "Machine-Gun" Walker.
Ultimately, the police gets a break that will put an end to Roy's crime spree.Albert Werker directed the impressive "He Walked by Night", a 1948 film noir that went to be imitated by a lot of people in Hollywood.
The best thing in the film is John Alton's black and white cinematography that captures the Los Angeles of that era in all its splendor.Richard Basehart made a cool Roy Martin.
He Walked by Night" is a 1948 black-and-white film noir crime drama that was shot in semi-documentary style and inspired one of the film's actors, Jack Webb, to create the radio and later television program Dragnet, which the film clearly resembles.
That does not happen in the Basehart film.It's unfair, for HE WALKED BY NIGHT is a tidy and tense little thriller and police procedural.
Everybody ought to know by now that director Alfred Werker's semi-documentary police procedural "He Walked By Night," with Richard Basehart and Scott Brady, inspired Jack Webb's classic radio and television crime series "Dragnet." The evocative, film noir photography of the late great John Alton, who also lensed a couple of John Sturges films "Mystery Street" and "The People Against O'Hara" as well as Richard Brooks' "Elmer Gantry," gives this lean, mean 1949 thriller an edge that neither its budget nor its action could have achieved in tandem.
*Special Stars- Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy Roberts, Whit Bissell, Jack Webb.*Theme- Good honorable police enforcement often helps justice along the way.*Trivia/location/goofs- B & W, Film noir, Los Angeles.
Los Angeles streets turn sinister as the killer leads the police force (among them Scott Brady and Jack Ebb) on a not so merry chase.If you like tight camera work that really goes into the structure of the new wave, then this is a great example of how film noir and crime dramas, whether on the big screen or the then new invention of television.
"He Walked By Night" (1948) fully deserves its good reputation as a classic noir, thanks mainly to its chilling performance by Richard Basehart and a great deal of atmospherically low-key location filming in Los Angeles by ace cameraman, John Alton. |
tt0023992 | Ever in My Heart | In 1909 in the town of Archedale, Mary Archer (Barbara Stanwyck), an American girl from the prominent Archer family, meets Hugo Wilbrandt (Otto Kruger), a German chemist who knows her childhood friend Jeff (Ralph Bellamy). It had been assumed for years that Mary and Jeff would marry someday, but Mary falls in love with Hugo and he with her. They soon marry and start a family.
Hugo enthustically adopts his new country and becomes an American citizen on the eve of World War I. Allied propaganda soon promotes anti-German sentiment, which eventually costs Hugo his professorship at the local university. Hard times fall on the family, and the Wilbrandt's young son Teddy (Ronnie Cosby) dies. Hugo convinces Mary to return to her parents home with a promise that he will soon follow. Hugo later sends Mary a letter stating that although he is now a citizen, he is not being accepted as an American. He also informs her at the end of the letter that he is returning to Europe to fight for his people. Mary is devastated and divorces Hugo.
Mary volunteers her time in a USO-like organization supporting the American war effort. Mary goes to France where she meets two new arrivals, Martha Sewell (Nella Walker) and Serena Honeywell (Virginia Howell), who are petrified that they will be taken prisoner and ravished by the Germans. Martha even brings along a pistol for protection and poison pills to take if she is captured. Mary quickly confiscates them. The American Army is just about to kick off their Meuse-Argonne Offensive, but there are rumors that nearby there is a German spy who is collecting information. In a canteen, Mary recognizes Hugo dressed in a US Army uniform and urges him to escape because she realizes she still loves him. Hugo leaves just as Jeff arrives looking for the spy. Knowing that Jeff would immediately recognize Hugo, Mary diverts Jeff's attention long enough for Hugo to get away safely.
Upon returning to her room, Mary finds Hugo there and they share a night together. As Hugo prepares to leave, Mary is torn between her love for Hugo and her duty to protect the lives of hundreds of American soldiers. She asks Hugo to delay his departure until dawn and to have a glass of wine with her before he goes. Mary prepares two glasses of wine but secretly drops poison pills in each. They toast their love for each other while troops outside march off to battle. | murder | train | wikipedia | To get the American public in the proper fighting spirit for their inevitable entry into the war, the authorities deliberately and uncritically passed along British propaganda which wildly exaggerated or just plain fabricated German atrocities.
(Sadly for all concerned, real German acts of brutality, especially in the conquered Low Countries, gave this propaganda an air of plausibility.) It's unfortunate that, given its time and circumstances, this movie can only hint at the pervasive ugliness of these manufactured images of the gleefully nun-raping, baby-bayoneting "Bestial Hun", and the vicious persecution it inspired against German immigrants.Though the glimpses it does show are often harrowing, as the story tracks the collapse of the blissful marriage between a professor (Otto Kruger) from Germany who teaches at a small college, and his American wife (Barbara Stanwyck), under the pressure of the growing hatred and intolerance they face from almost everyone around them.
Even if the plot's predictable and the final twist is pretty contrived, and with few exceptions the acting and direction are about what you'd expect from a time when talking pictures were only four years old, I still have to give Warner Brothers some credit simply for having made a film -- even a low-budget "weeper" like this -- showing at least in some small way how war can corrode our humanity on the home front, too.The other major thing this picture has going for it from my point of view is, of course, Barbara Stanwyck: In the moments when she subtly transcends what could otherwise have been just another mawkish, pedestrian melodrama, you can clearly see a great actress who's just beginning to hit her stride.
This is odd, as through most of the war, Americans were roughly divided in half between those who supported the Central Powers (including the Germans) and the Allied Powers--and the average American just wanted us to stay out of the conflict.
German-language newspapers and churches ceased as well.This film was exceptionally well directed, sensitively written and acted and it's obvious Warner Brothers believed in this film.
This actually isn't surprising, as in the early 1930s, Hollywood was very pro-German--as Americans were now having second-thoughts the advisability of their involvement in this war as well as the persecutions of Germans in the country.
Simply stated, people in America were feeling sorry for the Germans---which, ironically, coincided with the rise of fascism (oops--talk about bad timing).In "Ever in My Heart", Mary (Barbara Stanwyck) falls in love with Hugo (Otto Kruger) and they marry.
As the war progresses, however, anti-German sentiments begin to affect Hugo as well as his family.
Suffice to say it's a heck of a good film--and might just bring a tear or two to your eyes.By the way, although Otto Kruger was a fine actor and was very good here, he actually was not a German (despite his excellent German language skills) but his heritage was Dutch..
In a beautifully restrained performance, Barbara Stanwyck plays a Daughter of the American Revolution who marries gentle German immigrant Otto Kruger.
Upon the outbreak of the First World War, they become victimized by anti-German sentiments.With tasteful understatement and an unusual attention to period detail, director Archie L.
Even so, the film's quiet sensitivity stays with you long after.With Ralph Bellamy (as the inevitable jilted boyfriend), Ruth Donnelly, Laura Hope Crews, and Clara Blandick..
Barbara Stanwyck and Otto Kruger star in "Ever in My Heart," a 1933 film directed by Archie Mayo and also starring Ralph Bellamy.Stanwyck plays Mary Archer, who, in 1909, falls in love with a young German, Hugo Wilbrandt (Otto Kruger), a friend of her cousin Jeff (Ralph Bellamy).
When World War I occurs, the anti-German sentiment forces Hugo out of his teaching job and unable to find any other work.
He doesn't; he turns his back on America and returns to Germany to fight the war with the Germans.Mary divorces Hugo and later goes overseas to work for the war effort.
Barbara Stanwyck is wonderful, going from a fresh, young, happy woman to one who has to endure horrible sadness.
Otto Kruger is very effective as well, but this is really Stanwyck's film.
No actress was ever more beautiful than Barbara Stanwyck in this film.
Barbara Stanwyck, World War I, Germans and throw in mystery...sounded like a good old war themed movie.
It was sandwiched just right between the two World Wars to deal with the issues in the film.
It showed the life of a German who married an American in the years before the Great War. Later in the film the War became a major focus and impact upon his life and his family.
Barbara Stanwyck, the gal who could play any role, is American Mary Archer, who is fawning over her cousin "Jeff" (Ralph Bellamy), until she meets the dashing German Hugo Wilbrant (Otto Kruger).
I had seen Stanwyck in Ten Cents a Dance in 1931, and in that one, she was still very much a young girl, in style and appearance; in this film "Ever in my Heart", even though only two years has gone by, she is much more grown up, in looks and in sophistication.
Technically, the acting and story here are just fine, and I guess the plot would soon be a current event again with the coming of WW II, much less still be an issue with world events going on today.
Her best friend/fiancé (Bellamy) returns from Europe with a German friend (Kruger), who sweeps Stanwyck off her feet.
Hardships ensue.Stanwyck is terrific, and Otto Kruger is surprisingly warm and effective in his role.
Ralph Bellamy, of course, played the good-natured slob who lost the girl.The film is a hyperbolic screed against small-town prejudice, and the first half seems forced and simplistic, but picks up in the second half with the onset of the war.
BARBARA STANWYCK gives a very sensitive performance as a perfectly normal young woman whose marriage falls apart after the hostility of townspeople towards her German husband during the period of WWI.
She does a commendable job as a woman who suffers the consequences when friends and colleagues destroy their relationship, showing a sweet and vulnerable side that she seldom exploited in later films.It's a subtle look at a German-American marriage at a time when Germany was launching into World War I.
OTTO KRUGER is cast as her German husband, and he too gives an understated, sympathetic performance that is compelling to watch.Poor RALPH BELLAMY has another one of his hapless roles as a man he describes as "an unromantic bachelor." Nevertheless, he brings energy and eagerness to his role of a man in love with Stanwyck.Stanwyck has a much softer look and is very attractive in the lead.
But, Barbara Stanwyck was absolutely beautiful in this film.
Ever in My Heart (1933) *** (out of 4) Surprising powerful and effective drama from Warner has Otto Kruger playing Hugo Wilbrandt, a German man who comes to live in New England where he's accepted into American society and eventually marries Mary Archer (Barbara Stanwyck), a woman from a proud American family.
There's no question that this was made on the budget of a "B" movie but at the same time you can tell that the studio, directors, actors and writers cared so much about the subject and every inch of the film bleeds a certain love that you can't help but get caught up in their story, feel the pain of the family and at times breathe a bit of hatred for those treating the family in such a bad way.
It's funny to think that at one time filmmakers were ripped apart for showing any type of sympathy towards the German people but I guess after ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, filmmakers were allowed to show things differently.
It's funny that this movie tries to show the evils of what some Americans did while back in the days that this story actually took place Hollywood were turning out all sorts of propaganda, which probably helped fuel the fire of many Americans.
With that said, this is an extremely powerful movie at times and this is especially true in a couple scenes that once you see you'll unlikely to ever forget.
I always say being able to act with your eyes is a very difficult thing to do but I was constantly watching Kruger's eyes, which said so much during the various important parts of the film.
Stanwyck is also extremely good in her role of the wife who finds your life falling apart when just months before it was perfect.
EVER IN MY HEART lasts just under 70- minutes and one would think that wouldn't be enough time to really get deep into the serious subject matter but it actually works out perfectly because the mind frames of people in this country turned on a dime back when the war started and I think the film, running as fast as it does, did a terrific job showing this..
It doesn't fit Well into any Category and it isn't Exactly a Good Time at the Bijou.It is a Story about American Propaganda and Prejudice with the Persecution of People on the Homefront that Our Country is at War. Still goes on Today.
This is WWI and the German-Americans were the Victims in this Film.
Released in 1933 (a decade plus after the War ended), it is Interesting to Note that the Original NY Times Reviewer Chastised Hollywood saying that this is Old News (Germans being Ostracized in America during the War) so why did they even bother.Really.
To be Mindful of Propaganda and Bigotry, and Prejudice.Overall this Movie with Barbara Stanwyck and Otto Kruger is Quite Gripping and although the Final Act is Overdone for a Finality that is Contrived, the Remainder of the Film Manages to Draw the Audience into its Message that Love Outside the Family and Yes, Outside the Country can be Acceptable and Even Preferable than Marrying One's Cousin..
If you don't like tearjerkers, pick a different Barbara Stanwyck movie from the pre-Code era, like Illicit or Night Nurse.Set in the years before WWI, and made years before WWII, the film discusses anti-German prejudice in small-town America.
Barbara Stanwyck and Otto Kruger fall in love at first sight, and once her family gets over the fact that he's a foreigner, they get married.
Otto is a respected teacher and lecturer, and in an extremely touching scene, he celebrates getting his American citizenship with his family and friends.
The happy days for Barbara and Otto are about to dwindle.Once again, there are some pretty sad parts to this movie.
Barbara and Otto have a tender, loving relationship in the first half of the film, but when the prejudice affects their family, their lives get torn apart.
Even with the strong social message, there is a bit of German prejudice still present in the screenplay, as if Hollywood couldn't let Otto be a completely good guy.
Overall, it's nice to see Barbara Stanwyck in a role that utilizes her sweetness and toughness all at once; just be prepared for some drama.Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children.
Although the script is better than most of Miss Stanwyck's roles of the period, this story, like most of her early roles, creaks, this time with unhappy sincerity and an over-the-top ending.
unreasoning prejudice against German Americans during World War I.
and Albert shelved this particular item.At the turn of the last century Barbara Stanwyck meets and marries German
teaching chemistry at a college.All that changes when World War I starts and Stanwyck and Kruger suffer a series of setbacks and tragedies culminating with Kruger losing his citizenship
marry a German.Stanwyck delivers a good performance and Kruger underplays his tragic role
If you want to see a well crafted film you are in the right place, but if you are in the mood to be cheered up you are absolutely in the wrong place.The film concerns the trials and tribulations of a marriage between a German college professor and his New England socialite wife set in the years 1909-1918.
Mary Archer (Barbara Stanwyck) was born to one of those New England families that for some reason thinks it is a great personal accomplishment to exit the birth canal of someone whose ancestors landed on Plymouth Rock.
However, one day in 1909 he brings over a friend of his, German Hugo Wilbrandt (Otto Kruger).
It's love at first sight for Mary and Hugo and the whirlwind courtship and marriage is shocking to Mary's blue blood relatives who receive Hugo somewhat coolly.Hugo gets a job at a small college as a chemistry professor, Mary gives birth to their son, and they get a small dog - a dachshund - that actually becomes a rather important part of the plot.
Hugo even becomes an American citizen and the couple's friends give Hugo a loving cup in commemoration of his naturalization - all is good.
That's exactly what happens to the Wilbrandts after the sinking of the Lusitania when all of their friends and associates and even relatives turn against them because of Hugo's German heritage.
Jeff admits that Mary has always been the only girl for him and states that the tragic end of her marriage to Hugo was caused by her not "sticking with her own kind".
Good little Warners soap, up to a point--and at that point it veers off into ridiculous plot coincidence and a rushed, depressing ending.
Stanwyck contributes even more expressiveness than her considerable usual, and Kruger is an appealing leading man, until the wild contortions of the plot lead us to hate him, after the movie's spent three-quarters of its time cementing our allegiance to him.
Warners, always wanting to be The Socially Conscious Studio, registers some truths about American prejudice that must have rung true and discomfiting a decade after the war.
Yes, this is one of the most tragic stories I have ever seen put to film.
A young woman (Barbara Stanwyck) is in love with Ralph Bellamy, but then falls in love with Otto Kruger, a German national who is visiting Bellamy.
Stanwyck and Kruger get married, have a child...and a dog...and are living a happy life until World War I breaks out.
The community turns against them because of Kruger's former German citizenship, even though before the war he became an American citizen.
Barely subsisting, Stanwyck goes to live with family, and instead of following her "before Christmas", Kruger returns to Germany a bitter repatriate.
There he becomes a spy for the Germans, and by great coincidence Stanwyck (as a worker at a canteen), Kruger, and Bellamy (in the army) all end up at the same place near the front.
Kruger is there to spy on troop movements, which will endanger the lives of thousands of Americans including Bellamy and Stanwyck's brother.
One last night together, then Stanwyck poisons a last toast of wine between her and Kruger, and they both die before he can pass on his information to the Germans.The problem here is not the story.
Yes, you have to suspend belief a bit to imagine the 3 principals would all end up near the front at the same time, but then again, most films require us to suspend belief.
A couple of years later, I suspect a slightly longer film (this is only 68 minutes long) would have eliminated gaps and filled in the story nicely.Stanwyck is excellent here.
And, Laura Hope Crews is here as the grandmother (Crews was later Aunt Pittypat in "Gone With The Wind").As indicated, the film has its flaws, but is well worth watching as a reminder that Americans are not always uplifting, kind, and generous people.
This is a tragic war story, a paints a sad picture of how our society can behave at times..
I am aware that things like this happened at this time, in fact my own family, which is German in heritage and last name, had things like this happen to them in the UK.
If you are the kind of person that doesn't need this sort of thing presented as "entertainment" (even in a good cause) you might want to avoid this film, in spite of the wonderful Barbara Stanwyck..
The same year that Adolph Hitler became chancellor of Germany, Warner Brothers released this movie set during the days just before World War I where young Barbara Stanwyck, preparing to marry the handsome Ralph Bellamy, falls in love at first sight with his German born pal Otto Kruger.
Perhaps there's good reason, as the marriage seems to fail, and Kruger suddenly disappears, just as the Lusitania is sunk and war is declared.
Stanwyck ends up working in France along side Bellamy and suddenly recognizes a rather sullen soldier to be her estranged husband, with the revelation of where his loyalties lie and the decision she makes to change the destinies of both of them, as well as the war itself.This is perhaps the only film where Otto Kruger played the leading male part, and while he is a fine character actor, a romantic idol he is not.
Unlike other older actors she's been paired with in other films, there's supposed to be a heat between them to generate some sort of passion, but even the staid Bellamy has more passion than Kruger can generate.
Ironically, Blandick (like Bellamy in the Frank Capra film "Forbidden") had played a villainous role opposite Stanwyck the year before in "Shopworn", but here, she is much kinder and supportive.
This is unfortunately a weird film that doesn't quite express an anti-war sentiment but gives a paranoia about German immigrants that would grow increasingly stronger over the next few years as Hitler's agenda became obvious and the world headed into another war.
Stanwyck gives her typically sincere performance, but the stunning ending sort of came out of nowhere, leaving me completely disappointed over the rest of the film that didn't generate the needed heat to deserve such a surprising twist. |
tt2230051 | High School DxD | Kuoh Academy (駒王学園, Kuō Gakuen, alt. Kuou Academy) is a former all-girls school that has recently turned co-ed, but it has a secret. Unknown to normal humans, angels (天使, Tenshi), fallen angels (堕天使, Datenshi) and devils (悪魔, Akuma) comprise part of the student population. One of these students, Issei Hyodo, is a lecherous second-year human student who lives a peaceful life. After an ordinary school day, Issei is suddenly asked out on a date by a girl named Yuma Amano. After their date, Yuma brings Issei to a local park and makes a startling request. She reveals herself as Raynare, a fallen angel, and she tries to kill him. Using her summoning card, Rias Gremory, a buxom third-year student at Kuoh Academy, revives him. Issei wakes up the next morning, thinking that the events that occurred were all just a dream. Immediately after being attacked by another fallen angel and waking up, he notices Rias naked in his room. Rias reveals to Issei her true identity as a devil and says that as a result of his death at the hands of Yuma, she has reincarnated him as a devil, becoming his new master in the process.
=== Story arcs ===
Ishibumi has grouped the light novels into story arcs. The first arc, titled The Red Dragon Emperor's Awakening (赤龍帝覚醒, Sekiryūtei Kakusei), ran through the first two volumes. Birth of the Breast Dragon Emperor (乳龍帝誕生, Chichiryūtei Tanjō) is the second story arc and follows volumes three through six. The Heroic Oppai Dragon (英雄（ヒーロー）おっぱいドラゴン, Hīrō Oppai Doragon) follows volumes seven through twelve. The fourth arc, The Legend of Oppai Dragon and his Lively Companions (おっぱいドラゴンと愉快な仲間たちの伝説, Oppai Doragon to Yukaina Nakamatachi no Densetsu), follows volumes fourteen through twenty-one. The fifth arc, Red Dragon Emperor of the Blazing Truth × White Dragon Emperor of the Morning Star: The True Dragon(s) of the Kuoh Academy ((明けの明星の燃え立っているTruthx白ドラゴン皇帝の赤いドラゴン皇帝：Kuohアカデミーの真実のドラゴン（s)), starts at volume twenty-two and is the final arc of the series.
The light novels also feature a series of side stories set in between the main storyline, and are often compiled into volumes. So far, three short story collections (Volume 8, Volume 13 and Volume 15) have been published. | sadist | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0063571 | Secret Ceremony | Leonora, a prostitute, is despondent over the death of her daughter. Cenci, a lonely young woman, follows Leonora to the cemetery and strikes up a conversation with her, inviting her home.
A resemblance to Cenci's late mother becomes obvious once Leonora notices a portrait. Cenci, who is 22 but looks and acts much younger, asks Leonora to stay. A lie is told to the housekeeper Hannah that Leonora is actually Cenci's aunt.
Cenci is found one day cowering under a table. Albert, her stepfather, has paid a visit. Cenci is terrified of him, claiming that as a child, Albert tried to seduce her. Leonora is repelled by the man's presence until Albert tells her that Cenci is mentally unstable and had repeatedly tried to seduce him.
On a beach one day, Cenci and Albert have sexual relations. A despondent Cenci commits suicide. At the funeral, Leonora now knows whom she chooses to believe. After standing beside Albert in silence during the burial, Leonora produces a knife and stabs him. | murder | train | wikipedia | Elizabeth Taylor as a prostitute that takes advantage of a peculiar girl, played with real zest by Mia Farrow who mistakes her for her mother, and Robert Mitchum, as the disruptor.
The one thing that made people talk about Secret Ceremony at the time was an infamous still with Elizabeth Taylor and Mia Farrow in a bathtub together.
Having come on the heels of another Elizabeth Taylor/Joseph Losey collaboration - the truly awful "Boom" - I suppose the critics were sharpening their knives again.Admittedly, "Secret Ceremony" is probably an acquired taste.
Nevertheless, what remained of the original film was good enough that I sought out the uncut original.The story is bizarre but consistently intriguing, and the Taylor/Farrow combination works.
Taylor is very good in this film; I think it's one of her best performances (her scene at the very end is excellent).
All the characters are either so deluded (crazy rich girl Mia Farrow), desperate (middle-aged hooker Liz Taylor) or demonic (scummy pedophile Robert Mitchum) that watching it is like spending two hours in a psych ward with no attendants on duty.
With wide-angle shots and a minimum of noise, Losey reinforces his characters' isolation and solipsism by making London, one of the most crowded cities in the Western world, seem as empty and quiet as a tomb.The plot is a psychological inversion of the classic haunted house story -- Liz and Mia take shelter from an outside world that threatens their relationship.
Liz indulges Mia's fantasy because as a homeless prostitute she's in need of shelter, plus, she lost a daughter who looked a lot like Mia. This arrangement could be sweet to the point of treacly if these two grown women didn't enjoy doing things like bathing together and discussing ex-lovers.
Joseph Losey's brilliant psychological drama follows the strange relationship between a prostitute(Elizabeth Taylor) and a waif-like girl(Mia Farrow) who resembles her deceased daughter.
Taylor also bears an incredible likeness to Farrow's deceased mother, enabling the two women to create a world of their own where they can live as mother and daughter.
Their secret world is disrupted, however, when Farrow's lecherous stepfather(Robert Mitchum) enters the scene.
"Secret Ceremony" features expert performances from all, but it is Elizabeth Taylor who walks away with the honors, delivering a truly moving portrayal of an emotionally broken woman searching for some stability in her life.
She meets a strange, mad girl, Cenci (Mia Farrow) who's convinced Liz is her recently dead mother, Leonora and takes her home where both women play a game: Elizabeth becomes Leonara and Cenci has found her mother alive and well.
A haunting musical score, outstanding lighting and camera-work and an unforgettable wardrobe for the star all combine to make this a true cult movie--which was lambasted by critics and audiences at the time of release but has since grown in stature as a treasured art-house classic..
The added twist of Mia Farrow, before Rosemary's Baby, as her daughter, searching for her mother's love.
If you appreciate a movie that accentuates a couple of great actors, in an unusual, intense story, this hits it like no other film.
Taylor reluctantly allows Farrow to take her home, feed her tea and sausages, and slowly comes to fill the role of the dead mother, even dressing in the woman's clothes and confronting some thieving elderly aunts.
The psychological charade is complicated when the two go on holiday as mother and daughter and happen to encounter Farrow's stepfather, played by Robert Mitchum.A fascinating psychological study of two damaged women and their own disturbed inner worlds, SECRET CEREMONY is a great movie for anyone looking for something different.
This is a somewhat weird psychological drama about a mentally troubled young woman (Mia Farrow) who mistakes Liz Taylor's character for her dead mother.
The situation is complicated by the fact that Farrow's character also resembles Taylor's dead daughter.
The film does suffer from several major flaws, most notably the appearance of Robert Mitchum, painfully miscast as Farrow's lecherous stepfather.
There is a difference between not pandering to your audience and completely shutting it out, which is what director Losey has done here (especially regarding Mia Farrow's character and what she is all about).
The two seemed to be made for each other.) This Liz Taylor-Mia Farrow chamber pot play is so bad that even the most dedicated Losey adherents need be restrained from jumping the aisles.NOTE OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE: Later on in life, I met John Farrow, Jr..
He told me that his one responsibility on the set of the film, SECRET CEREMONY, was keeping the badly bearded Robert Mitchum from disappearing off the premises into one of the thousand and two pubs existing in London at the time.One would BUY the man his own bar to hear from the horse's mouth candid commentary on the shooting of SECRET CEREMONY.Rating: Below a 6 doesn't make the cut in my books.
Young heiress Mia Farrow, living alone in a ornately-designed mansion in England, attaches herself to prostitute Elizabeth Taylor after seeing her on a bus, fancying the coarse woman to be her recently deceased mother (they do look alike!).
Secret Ceremony has an excellent central cast in Elizabeth Taylor, Mia Farrow and Robert Mitchum, but unfortunately it really misses out in the most important area; that being the story, as while the film features a handful of interesting themes and ideas, it never really seems to know what it wants to be and this results in a film that just feels completely pointless and thus will leave most viewers feeling cold.
Things are going quite well for the pair until Cenci's stepfather, Albert, turns up...The source material is a short story, and at over a hundred minutes; I wouldn't call Secret Ceremony a short film, which largely seems to be one of the problems.
Director Joseph Losey (who previously made the underrated Hammer Horror classic The Damned) gives the story too much time and since there isn't actually a lot of ideas; the film does soon start to drone on.
I think Elizabeth Taylor was crazy, and I'm sure Mia Farrow was crazy, and Robert Mitchum was just a jerk.
Mia Farrow is an incestuous lunatic who pretends to be a little girl because her stepfather likes it (apparently), Elizabeth Taylor is a lonely prostitute (a point which was never made clear) who is racked with guilt, and then Robert Mitchum comes in first in this hate-fest as a statutory rapist.
I have yet to understand all that nonsense.Basically, to sum up, if you want to see Mia Farrow try to make love to Elizabeth Taylor, then this is your movie.
But he came up short with Secret Ceremony of which I still am trying to figure out just what was happening.Elizabeth Taylor plays an aging prostitute for whom Mia Farrow gets fixated on, thinking Liz is her mother.
Those were two legendary drinkers, Mitchum and Burton and they really enjoyed night after night seeing who could drink who under.Secret Ceremony will never rate on the top of any of the three main players film resume.
A really bad movie from a respected director with red hot 60s stars, especially Mia Farrow, her first role after "Rosemarys Baby"..
The Excuse of Art. The major talents involved with this movie -- director Joseph Losey and actors Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor and Mia Farrow, have done some great work and some lousy work -- Mitchum was inclined to phone in performances unless he got interested.
After that, everything bogs down because of the idiotic, minimalist story in which nothing is ever really explained -- but the plot is that psycho Mia Farrow's mother has just died so she falls in with psycho hooker Elizabeth Taylor, whose daughter has just died, until psycho step-daddy Bob Mitchum, in a hideous beard and sporting an accent that varies form Irish to Australian to his basic accent, discourses on statutory rape.That's very little to build a hundred-minute movie on and, despite everyone -- except possibly for Mitchum -- doing their best, there are long periods of nothing.
Grieving the loss of her daughter, beautiful church-going prostitute Elizabeth Taylor (as Leonora) is "picked up" by wealthy psychopathic Mia Farrow (as Cenci).
Coincidently, Ms. Farrow is grieving the death of her mother "Margaret", who looks a lot like Taylor.
The two women form a surrogate "mother/daughter" relationship, with Ms. Taylor moving into Ms. Farrow's beautiful mansion and assuming the parental role.
Taylor, acting in familiar territory, performs well; probably, she received most of the hoots and bad reviews, but she at least helps us understand what her character is about, and how she relates to the confusion.***** Secret Ceremony (10/23/68) Joseph Losey ~ Elizabeth Taylor, Mia Farrow, Robert Mitchum, Peggy Ashcroft.
Strange Is Just the Start of It. Secret Ceremony (1969) *** (out of 4)Extremely bizarre psychological thriller from director Jospeh Losey about the strange relationship between a prostitute (Elizabeth Taylor) and a young woman (Mia Farrow) living alone in a large house.
The Farrow character thinks that Taylor is her dead mother and Taylor sees that the girl resembles her dead daughter and things just grow more bizarre from here.
SECRET CEREMONY is apparently available in a couple versions and most point out that the alternate, studio cut of the film is pretty bad but I'm not sure what the differences are.
Just take a look at Farrow as she stalks Taylor trying to figure out if she's her dead mother or not.
Check out Taylor once she realizes that this strange woman looks like what her dead daughter would have at this age.
Taylor and Farrow deliver some of the best work of their career and the way the two play off another another is something truly terrific to watch.
Secret Ceremony displays Mia Farrow's excellent portrayal of madness.
"The Secret Ceremony" is a 1968 film starring Elizabeth Taylor, Mia Farrow, and Robert Mitchum.
I've seen many of Losey's films, but this one beats them all.It's a very dark movie about a prostitute, Leonora (Taylor) whose daughter drowned.
A young girl named Cenci (Farrow), who somewhat resembles her daughter, starts following her; Leonora resembles Cenci's dead mother -- in fact, Cenci has never accepted her mother's death and thinks Leonora is her mother.
Taylor plays along; she needs a daughter to love, and the girl is wealthy.During a seaside vacation, the emotionally disturbed Cenci becomes a little too emotionally disturbed for Leonora's taste, and the fantasy is threatened.Robert Mitchum plays Farrow's stepfather, a pedophile who had a bizarre relationship with Farrow."Secret Ceremony" is a film about unresolved relationships -- Cenci's unresolved relationship with her late mother, Leonora's unresolved relationship with her late daughter, as well as her guilt, and how both women try for closure using one another.Bizarre isn't the word!
The very beautiful Taylor is top-notch and wears some great outfits (and in fact, she's the only reason I watched this film); Farrow plays the waif she perfected in "Rosemary's Baby." Mitchum is miscast as Cenci's stepfather - he slips in and out of an approximation of a British accent and doesn't seem too comfortable.
I'll chose to believe everyone wanted to help launch Mia Farrow's spooky movie by releasing a similar film at the same time.
That's my standard for recommending this movie: if you actually liked Rosemary's Baby, rather than just appreciated it, then you can feel free to watch Secret Ceremony.Elizabeth Taylor's daughter is dead, and Mia Farrow's mother is dead.
Robert Mitchum costars as Mia's stepfather, but unless he, too, wanted to support Rosemary's Baby, I don't know why he agreed to be a part of this movie.This movie is so strange, awful, and convoluted, it makes the 1968 horror flick seem like a Mister Rogers' episode.
Mitchum Liz and Mia. Elizabeth Taylor starred along with Mia Farrow and Robert Mitchum in this campy drama filmed in England in 1968.
Liz is a lady of the night who meets an extremely strange young woman played by Mia Farrow.
I saw "the girl in the park" yesterday and although it featured Sigourney Weaver's moving performance ,I couldn't help but be struck by the similarities with Losey's forgotten movie: Sigourney Weaver was in search of a long lost daughter whereas Mia Farrow is in need of a mother.Farrow is impressive in her performance which was outstripped by the success of "Rosemary's baby" -in which she is terrific too-.As soon as we see her ,we feel how irrational she is.Her smiles,her gentleness ,her tenderness have something spooky.Ther's also an attic where the characters try to invent a brand new past for themselves.Liz Taylor and Robert Mitchum are as good as Farrow and the movie is one of Losey's sleepers,almost in the same league as his overlooked "Monsieur Klein" (another case of mistaken identity).
Some scenes are comically genius, Monty Python couldn't have topped the absurdity of the restaurant scene where Mia Farrow's Cenci enters in an unexpected state with Liz's Leonora swiftly adjusting to Cencis madness.The DVD-copy of the film I recently purchased, has excellent colour and image quality, which gave justice to Loseys very detailed work with the environment and sceneries.
and when the interaction with Mia Farrow starts, they are both heavenly to watch.And let's not forget the two kleptomaniac sister-in-laws, vultures of the worst sort and a direct menace to the secret ceremonies of Leonara and Cenci.
Here, she is a tired two-bit hustler, or as Liz put it, with typical finesse, "I play a dikey prostitute in this one." For the first time in her career, she plays a character who doesn't like men, a middle-aged woman battered by a life on the streets who has come to regard men as her natural enemies
Given her animosity, this is a Taylor triangle with a twist: her character fights a strong Robert Mitchum for possession of a foolish girl Mia Farrow
A psychological thriller, the movie depicts the fantasy world created by the young girl and the older prostitute
The girl thinks Taylor is her mother, and she brings her home to her once resplendent, now faintly decayed London town house
.
The two women, locked away from the world outside, enact a "secret ceremony" in which fantasy mingles with and reshapes reality, and Taylor is only too willing to exchange her role of streetwalker for that of the mad girl's rich mama
"Secret Ceremony" is a thickly dark, arty movie, and her role is tricky, complex: the hooker must become a big lady
Nervous, agitated and confused in the face of a supply of illusion and reality, Taylor uses her Virginia Woolf number for a role that needs cunning shadings
"Secret Ceremony" looks terrific (Joseph Losey again going to work on a magnificent dream like house), but this is no triumph for Liz
The role pushes against Taylor stereotype, but she isn't elastic enough to transcend her new-found image.
Mia Farrow as Taylor's surrogate child-like daughter is no less impressive here than her astonishing turn in ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968).
Mitchum's role - which has a dash of CAPE FEAR (1962) in it - is arguably the most unusual he's ever played (even more so than his unforgettable mad preacher in THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER [1955], in my opinion!) and, while I'd be interested to know what he really thought about the whole thing, his leering and abusive (verbally to Taylor and physically to Farrow) interloper certainly lends the film an added charge of tension - not to mention another possible mode of interpretation!
Mia Farrow is a deranged girl who latches on to aging hooker Elizabeth Taylor, claiming Taylor's actually her dead mother.
Robert Mitchum, as Farrow's lecherous stepfather, comes on the scene and throws cold water on the whole thing.
Taylor gives one of her best performances and Farrow is great and really creepy, particularly when she's alone on screen acting out her demented fantasies of being taken advantage of by Mitchum.
SECRET CEREMONY is far more successful than BOOM!, Taylor's previous collaboration with director Losey..
Farrow refused to film her big love scene with Mitchum, so it was cut and note how a convenient (and gargantuan) sponge is always floating in front of Taylor in her bathtub scene.
The adaptation by George Tabori of the Marco Denevi tale gets an excellent treatment in the hands of Joseph Losey, a brilliant director in his own right.Elizabeth Taylor got a good opportunity in which to excel.
Cenci, Mia Farrow, has never got over the death of her mother who after suffering for some three years from an unknown or unnamed illness finally killed herself by downing an entire bottle of sleeping pills.Spoting this woman on a city bus who looks a lot like her deceased mother Cenci becomes so infatuated with her that she follows the women into a local Catholic Church where she goes to confession.
After trying to get away from the pesky young girl the woman whom we later find out to be a street hooker named Leonora Garbowski, Elizabeth Taylor, gives into Cenci's fantasies of being her dead mother.
At the same time Leonora starts to fantasize herself about Cenci being her daughter Judith who died or disappeared five years ago at the age of 10.Everything couldn't be better for the two women who feed of each others tragedies by trying to outdo themselves in who suffered the most until Cenci's step-father Albert, Robert Mitchum,shows up unexpectedly from the US.
Albert never as much as made, it must have taken everything that he had in him, a real sexual move on Ceni ends up with a knife in his gut courtesy of Lorona at Cenci's funeral as the movie "Secret Ceremony" finally comes to an end.Very strange movie that has it's high as well as low moments with one of them, the highs, having Elizabeth Taylor for once looking really sexy. |
tt0083693 | Brimstone & Treacle | For two years, Tom and Amy Bates have been struggling to cope with their altered lives, after their daughter Pattie (or Patricia) was severely injured in a hit-and-run accident. Pattie is unable to walk, completely dependent upon others for the activities of daily living, and seemingly unable to communicate beyond making unintelligible sounds. Although poorly educated and gullible, Amy Bates firmly believes that Pattie is able to understand what is being said in her presence, whereas Tom Bates has given up all hope of her recovery. In fact, judging from the sounds she makes, Pattie seems to realise what is going on around her, but Tom Bates is beyond noticing.
One day on his way home from work he witnesses a handsome, well-dressed young man collapse in the street. Tom Bates is among the passersby who offer to help him. The young man, who gives his name as Martin Taylor, quickly recovers. A few hours later he turns up at the Bates', handing Tom Bates his wallet, which Martin pretends Tom lost in the general hubbub. Though the cash is gone, Bates' credit card is still there. Although Martin's true identity remains a mystery, Sting (who played Martin in the film production) has said that he believes him to be the Devil.
From the moment he enters the house, he casts furtive and knowing glances at the audience (according to the stage directions) so they know at once that he is not what he pretends to be. He claims to have been Pattie's fiancé.
He offers to be at Pattie's side despite the changed circumstances, and care for her for an unspecified period of time. Amy Bates in particular jumps at the suggestion; she has not had an hour off since Pattie's accident and is stranded in the house without the chance to go even to the hairdressers or do some window-shopping.
Tom Bates is reluctant to accept Martin's help. He has always been very choosy about his daughter's friends, and as he cannot remember Pattie ever mentioning Martin's name, he does not want her to be left alone with what might well be a complete stranger. Eventually Martin wins him over by his excellent cooking and lip service to his bigotry; Tom has joined the National Front.
At the first opportunity, Martin rapes the helpless Pattie (although in the film version, the rape comes late in the action, precipitating Pattie's return to consciousness shortly after he removes her nappy). When Amy Bates comes back from the hairdressers she recognises a change in her daughter's facial expression, but attributes it to Martin's presence. However, when Martin tries to rape the disabled girl again after Mr. and Mrs. Bates have gone to bed, Pattie starts screaming so loudly that he runs out of the house. When the Bateses come to see what has happened to their daughter, they find that she has fully recovered from her disabilities, and though still confused, asks her father what has been happening to her. She also recovers her memories of the events preceding her accident, which result from her discovery of her father's infidelity.
Brimstone and Treacle was originally written by Potter as a television play, commissioned, paid for and recorded in 1976 by the BBC, for their Play for Today slot. The cast were Denholm Elliott (Mr. Bates), Michael Kitchen (Martin), Patricia Lawrence (Mrs. Bates) and Michelle Newell (Pattie); plus minor characters.
It was withdrawn shortly before its scheduled transmission, it was listed in the Radio Times, because then Director of Television Programmes Alasdair Milne found it "nauseating" though "brilliantly made". Brimstone and Treacle was finally shown in August 1987, and has been released as a DVD.
Rewritten by Potter for the stage, the play premiered on 11 October 1977 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. | whimsical | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0077614 | The Glove | Sam Kellog (John Saxon) is an ex-cop who works as a modern day bounty hunter in Los Angeles. He works for bailbondsman Bill Schwartz (Keenan Wynn) and is assigned to bring in ex-convicts and criminals who have skipped bail. Kellog is frustrated over the low amount of money he receives from his jobs. Recently divorced, Kellog's ex-wife is threatening to end weekend visitation rights to their young daughter over missing several alimony payments. One day, Kellog is offered a large, off-the-book $20,000 bounty by his former police commander, Lt. Kruger (Howard Honig) to bring in an ex-covict named Victor Hale (Roosevelt Grier) who is suspected in the murders of various former prison guards in the L.A. area. Hale was brutalized in prison by the guards who used a five-pound, leather-covered, steel glove called the 'riot glove' and has been using a copy of it to murder the prison guards who used to beat him with it. Kellog takes the job, aware that the 20 grand reward will solve all of his financial problems.
Over the course of the film, the acton switches back and forth between the lives of the protagonist Kellog, who narrates several aspects of his life, as well as the antagonist Hale, who in between murdering the former prison guards, makes a living as a guitarist in a jazz band, and is popular and well liked among the tenants in the low-income housing project where he lives. Hale soon realizes that Kellog is on his tail when he learns that Kellog has been asking questions about Hale's whereabouts. Hale begins stalking Kellog as well as making phone calls to his house to stop trying to find him.
At the climax, Kellog and Hale finally meet face to face when Kellog tracks Hale to the roof of Hale's apartment building where Hale (whom annoys Kellog during most of the film by addressing him as "hound dog") offers to make bringing him in a challenge by giving Kellog his riot glove to fight him with. Kellog accepts and a brutal and climatic brawl occurs on the roof of the building where both men batter each other senseless. The fight ends in a stalemate when both of them collapse against a wall, exhausted, and Kellog concedes defeat by removing the riot glove. To show that he does not hold any grudge against him, Hale helps Kellog up and begins to escort him from the building until Lt. Kruger suddenly shows up and shoots Hale to death. Kruger tells Kellog that the bounty for Victor Hale was to kill him, not to bring him in alive. The residents of the building, after hearing the gunshots, rush up and literally beat Kruger to death for killing "one of their own", leaving behind the battered and bloodied Kellog on the floor. In a final voice-over, Kellog explains that he neverless received the $20,000 bounty for Victor Hale and, having used the money to pay off all of his debts, was able to regain visitation rights to his daughter. | grindhouse film, murder, realism, violence, horror, insanity, revenge | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0203408 | The Omega Code | In Jerusalem, a rabbi named Rostenburg is using software he designed to decode seventy eschatological prophecies hidden within the Torah. Rostenburg has handwritten each one in a journal, to be entered into the program for deciphering. The program deciphers a prophecy which says that he is about to die; immediately, he tears the page containing the final code from his journal, hiding it in his shirt pocket. He is then shot and killed by an assassin, who takes his journal and the optical disc containing the decoding program. After the assassin leaves, two mysterious men (later revealed to be two prophets) retrieve the journal page Rostenburg had hidden.
Television reporter and talk show host Cassandra Barris (Catherine Oxenberg) introduces Dr. Gillen Lane (Casper Van Dien) as her show's guest. Lane is a popular author and charismatic motivational speaker who explains that codes hidden in the Old Testament describe events past, present, and future; he sees no contradiction between this belief and his dismissal of religious faith.
Media mogul and European Union Chairman Stone Alexander (Michael York) receives a humanitarian award in Rome for having all but eliminated world hunger through advances in nutritional technology. There, we see that the man who killed Rostenburg and stole his decoding software is Alexander's apprentice, Dominic (Michael Ironside). Dr. Lane is in attendance, seeking to meet with Alexander "to discuss some ideas." Cassandra, employed by one of Alexander's television networks, is also in attendance, providing Lane brief conversation after Alexander spurns him. Some time afterward, however, Alexander sees a prophecy (deciphered with Rostenberg's program) that leads him to ask Lane to become his Minister of Information.
Using each prophecy Rostenburg's program deciphers to guide him, Alexander works toward world domination by whatever means he deems necessary, including secretly arranging for the bombings of Muslim and Jewish holy sites in Israel. Reporting from Jerusalem, Cassandra is caught up in one of the blasts. The two prophets from Rostenburg's study take her from the rubble, telling her that they have "a message for [her] to carry". Alexander goes on to use the sites' rebuilding to help forge a groundbreaking Middle East peace treaty. Not long thereafter, most national governments agree to join a ten-state "World Union", of which Alexander is chairman. Lane finds fulfillment in his new position, though he regrets not being able to be with his estranged wife and young daughter.
Cassandra delivers to Lane a warning that the prophets gave her, though he is skeptical. Nevertheless, the warning leads Lane to discover the decoding facility where Alexander's staff uses Rostenburg's program. No one else is in the facility at the time, but Lane sees that the program is running, and leafs through printouts of previously deciphered codes. Seeing Lane on a surveillance feed, Alexander and Dominic go to confront him. A disillusioned Lane accuses Alexander of "following the code like a script," and being behind the Israeli bombings. Confessing to Lane's charges, Alexander asks him to be "my spokesman for this new world, my visionary, my prophet." Believing himself to be the only rightful aspirant to the position, Dominic pulls his gun on Lane, who flees. Firing repeatedly at Lane, Dominic inadvertently shoots Alexander in the head, mortally wounding him. Dominic immediately alerts security, claiming that Lane shot Alexander and fled. Lane escapes Alexander's compound, but becomes the target of a worldwide manhunt. Alexander is pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Lane runs into a sympathetic Cassandra, who agrees to smuggle him onto a network jet so that he can return to his family in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Satan enters Alexander's body in the hospital, causing his head wound to heal miraculously and the World Union chairman to rise from the dead. Seven of the ten World Union leaders agree that Alexander will be appointed "Chancellor of the United World" in a ceremony to be held at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, coincident with the reopening of Solomon's Temple. In Los Angeles, it becomes clear that Lane cannot be safely reunited with his family, which is under heavy surveillance. He and Cassandra end up flying back to Jerusalem, where the prophets give him the page of Rostenburg's journal containing the final code. Immediately thereafter, Cassandra pulls a gun on Lane, demanding the code and revealing that she is loyal to Alexander.
At the ceremony in Jerusalem, Chairman Alexander (now Chancellor Alexander) proclaims that he has become "both king and god!" The crowd is upset by this statement, with some devout Jewish and Muslim listeners denouncing him as a blasphemer. Out of the growing tumult, the two prophets appear inside the temple, identifying Alexander as the Abomination of Desolation, quoting evangelistic biblical prophecies, and predicting that they would be resurrected three days after their deaths. Alexander has Dominic kill them both, and put them on display as an example of what happens to those who oppose him. He leaves for his compound in Rome, as Dominic relays word to him that "the Israelis and several others are seceding." Alexander plots a massive military action, including a nuclear strike.
Alexander meets Cassandra, who gives him the final code; when he examines the writing, it evaporates from the page supernaturally. Alexander accuses her of conspiring with Lane (who is being detained on-site). The two of them go to Lane's holding cell, where Dominic violently interrogates him as to the whereabouts of the final code. Lane is truly ignorant of its whereabouts, causing the interrogation to reach an impasse. Lane is left alone in his cell. In his solitude, demons swirl around him, tormenting him; Lane prays, "God ... Jesus, save me." Immediately, the demons are scattered, Lane's cell door opens, and he exits. Meanwhile, the two prophets are resurrected.
Lane, trying to find Alexander, runs into Dominic instead. Dominic is about to kill him when the two prophets supernaturally appear. They strangle Dominic without touching him, and give Lane the journal page with the final code. Lane takes Dominic's gun and confronts Alexander, who, with Cassandra at his side, is about to commence the attack. Alexander uses this as a bargaining chip to get Lane to give him the final code; Lane agrees, typing it into Rostenburg's program for deciphering. Once he does, however, Alexander reveals that he never intended to call off the attack, and now, with the final code, will begin his massive war. Just as Alexander is about to give the final authorization to attack, a blindingly brilliant and pure white light appears on the horizon, expanding like a shockwave through the entire surrounding area. As it reaches Alexander's war room, its appearance is accompanied by a strong wind. While Lane stands safely and peacefully within it, it blows through Alexander violently enough to cause Satan to fly behind him. Initially attempting to grasp onto Alexander's shoulders for stability, Satan is finally blown away, out of sight. At this point, Alexander reaches behind his ear and finds that his hand is bloodied; his head wound was restored after Satan was ejected from him, leaving him dead again.
The shockwave of light spreads to cover the entire Earth, then grows in brightness and intensity such that it causes the entire screen to remain white for a few seconds. This effect ends with a fade to the printer in Alexander's facility, the output tray of which bears a freshly-printed page with Rostenburg's final code, deciphered as follows: "0000 ... Dawn of New Millennium". | good versus evil, christian film, murder | train | wikipedia | The idea that someone would use the Bible Code to try and conquer the world is an idea that has not been utilized before, at least to my knowledge.The characters definitely could have used some refinement, as they never really are fully developed during the movie.
Overall, this is an interesting film that has good special effects, especially considering the budget it used.
The wife's lines were the most disappointing part of this film for me.I was left with some questions from a Biblical standpoint, but really, it's just a movie, and doesn't claim to be Revelation on film..
Films have a long tradition of exploiting biblical phenomena, and people have been entertained by such stories for years.
After viewing it, you will be able to walk out of every other bad movie EVER saying "at least it wasn't The Omega Code."Forget my money, I want my TIME back!.
Usually Christian films are mediocre but not the case with The Omega Code;especially when you consider the budget they worked with.Another good thing is in the end God wins and the movie ends with hope rather than despair..
Unlike other 'bad movies' like Battlefield Earth or Plan 9 from Outer Space, this mindless piece of propaganda disguised as a film fails to entertain.
The plot is lifted directly from the popular Bible Code series of books by Michael Drosnin, although it is dumbed down substantially for the film.Unfortunately, this film lacks the wacky charm and unintentional humor of the Crouch's TBN TV productions such as "Praise the Lord".
I never expected much from soap actors like Casper Van Dien and Catherine Oxenberg but it is truly sad to see how far Michael York and Michael Ironside have fallen, that they need to appear in mediocre movies such as this..
If you enjoy movies about prophecy, end-times, or the supernatural in general, you will love this film.This movie just happens to be based on a true story..
Hollywood has long forgotten how to make a movie that can be exciting, thought provoking and interesting without foul language or extreme gore.
Hopefully Omega Code has lifted many eyebrows, and given Hollywood a wake up call that a movie can be good without being vulgar.I have seen a few reviews bashing this film, but the sites that list the negative reviews never reference the positive reviews like the ones from CNN, USA Today, The New York Times or Time.
Who knows.My son, a 13 yr old big fan of guts and gore, thought this was a good movie even without the graphic violence evident in many of today's films, and he is not an easy sell.
If it was all that bad, the numbers would not have held up!If extreme violence, sex & potty mouth is your idea of entertainment, then you probably ought to skip this film; If you are looking for a exciting drama that will give you food for thought, Omega Code should be on your 'next to see' list..
If you want intrigue with action and elements of just plain fun, then the Omega Code is your movie.
Great acting--characters with whom you can identify--highly involved, detailed plot with a beautiful mixture of the expected and unexpected--filmed on location.
I bought this movie expecting it to be some corny and cheesy rendition of what might happen in the last days but upon viewing, I was surprised to find that it was very accurate.The story line and plot were really well thought out and planned and the acting was superb..
Not only is it a poor piece of directing, writing, and filmaking altogther, it goes on to frsutrate the viewer with promises of an interesting story, leaving you unable to walk out of the movie, in hopes that at the end it will all come together to make sense.
The Omega Code can be compared to any top box office action/thriller movie.
I fault this movie on the religious side for that, because the antichrist would come like a sheep in wolves clothes, or so I would think.Still, an interesting concept that seems somewhat based in truth..
I went into this movie thinking it would be mediocre at best, especially since it starred Casper Van Dien.
The rest of the acting was good (especially Michael York and Michael Ironside), the story was compelling, and the effects were very good, especially considering that this movie's budget wasn't very large.
In a culture where "Titanic" is "the best movie ever made," it's normal that a film with such power and precision as The Omega Code would get kicked at.
I have to say that I am a Christian, but that doesn't effect my judgment on watching movies (e.g. I like Halloween, Stephen King, and other stuff that you would think a Christian wouldn't care about).
This movie may seem boring to some, but if you've ever read 'Revelations' (the back of the new testament) you'd probably be more interested in seeing how the symbolism in the Bible plays true to the realistic forms in the movie.
The movie itself has good acting, better than usual special effects, and a gripping story line placed on top of the Bible scriptures.
Beside the low rating, there should be a sign that says, 'Most of the people don't like religious movies.'.
Our local movie guru who's famous for reciting entire scenes from memory can't even picture Michael York.It's October 19th, three days after the big Omega Code debut.
I get mad every time I think about it.)Setting aside all the "religion movie" complaints, Michael York is the best reason to see Omega Code.
Even people who wouldn't get all the Biblical nods or appreciate the conversion scene should see this movie just so they can witness the power that Michael York can plug into a role.
I am a Christian and I have always thought that if a real "Hollywood" type movie could be made about the end times, then it would be very entertaining and very frightening, even if you don't believe the Bible.
The acting is very good, especially Casper Van Dien who plays his role very well, with good performances also by Michael York and Michael Ironside.
The special effects were surprisingly good, as I was expecting a low-budget film, but it surprised me with how realistic it actually was.
Loved this movie, this movie is so believable, I like the style of this film, I am a great believer in the strange and unexplainable.
Honestly, with all the hype given to dreary "films" like 'Blair Witch Project', (and the lemmings' response to it), why would you be reluctant to stay away from "Omega Code"?Scholars worldwide ARE deciphering the Bible, and there does appear to be a systematic Authorship behind the words.
This was an interesting movie about a TV guru and bible student who learns that a person whom he thinks will be the anti-Christ is rising to power.
But I do know that this movie is quite a good thriller--probably better than the Omen or like movies.
The reference to the Scriptures in this movie was perfect, and the omega code could not have been thought out better..
I spent literally hours after we left the theater apologizing for leading us so far astray.Another reviewer commented that Omega Code's premise of a numerological interpretation of the Bible is similar to that of Darren Aronofsky's "Pi." While I felt that "Pi" was ultimately unsuccessful in its treatment and plot, it is at least a watchable investigation of the idea.
I'm not a huge fan of Kevin Smith's films, but I've since rented "Dogma" and it at least presents a coherent, if convoluted plot and some interesting characters in its comically warped take on Armageddon.There have already been over a hundred commentaries for this movie, but the reason I felt compelled to write this one is that I stumbled across the entry and found that the title of the first contributor's summary is a very positive `Accurate Biblical Drama.' I couldn't disagree more.And I'm not some high-minded cinema buff either.
The movie is ridicules and at times laughable bad and it all just leaves a pointless impression.Visually the movie looks like an average made for TV-movie, complete with some stupid cinematography and horrible looking special effects.
Poor Casper van Dien and Michael York, they try the best they can but even their efforts can't save the horrible script, awful dialogs and the even worse directing by Robert Marcarelli.
Not really van Dien's fault but more the director's I think.Only thing that saves this movie from being a complete disaster is Michael Ironside.
You know you won't like it, you won't try to understand the underlying story, and you will lose focus because this subject doesn't interest you.I have to say, given the resources available, the movie was actually quite good.
Before I get bashed for being a "bible thumper" or a "religious zealot", I want to point out that I am not affiliated with any organized religion and watched this movie with people who were Christian, agnostic, atheist, and wiccan.
Michael York turns in a top-notch performance as the AntiChrist, attempting to use hidden codes from the Bible to take over the world.
The Omega Code may not be the best movie that ever was, but it had a great message and had amazing effects for a $7.2 million dollar budget.
"Stargate").One big thing that was not even mention or shown was the Rapture (i.e. Christians are called up to Heaven during the bad 7 years of trying times on Earth.) There was no depiction of this happening.It was an interesting movie.
I seriously don't think Casper Van Dien is a good actor, and Catherine Oxenberg as well needs some work.
However, Michael York, Michael Ironsides, and the guys that played the two Prophets did EXCEPTIONALLY well!As for the content, the only reason people are giving it bad marks is because it's a movie that caters to Christians.
The movie, based on the Book of Revelations and the controversial Bible Codes depicts the rise and fall of the Anti-Christ.
This movie is my favorite Casper Van Dien movie after me starting to be a fan of his:) I think he did an awesome job in this movie portraying a motivational speaker who was skeptical and bitter towards God, ending up to be helping the Anti Christ at first without realizing the danger he is getting into or who he is helping and the outcome of this...
Among having a great idea, a decent script (although some lines were pretty corny), The Omega Code's best asset was the wonderful acting by Michael York.
How well I remember back in 1999 when the Crouch family went into the movie producing business with this end times film, The Omega Code.
But with a network at your command The Omega Code was promoted like only a Disney film would be.
I suspect that players like Casper Van Dien, Michael York, Catherine Oxenburg and Michael Ironside probably directed themselves.
It's better than some Christian films, not as good as others..
But I was also excited, because as much as I tend to shy away from things like the "Bible code," I could see great potential for a movie plot.
And I was thrilled to see what was billed as a Christian movie playing in mainstream theatres to mainstream audiences, and with mainstream appeal.Unfortunately, I my suspicious side was more right than my excited side.The problems began with the story.
But those in the audience who do have such an understanding are going to have other problems: at times the movie draws more from the Book of Daniel than from Revelation, and many of the elements from Daniel which make it into the film are thought by most scholars not to reference the end-times but to reference other things, such as the destruction of the temple and the conquest of Jerusalem.
The movie (which may be film, but is certainly shot, staged, and lighted as if it were a video) is directed by an inexperienced director who told most of the performers to use exaggerated stage mannerisms, as if subtlety were impossible on the big screen.
The special effects (by the folks who brought Godzilla to "life") look as if they were airbrushed and applied with Q-tips.The idea of the movie had potential, and I look forward to future attempts by Christians to put legitimate work in theatres, but the folks who put this movie together needed to either consult with people who had more previous experience than they did, or else to first watch a couple of movie and see how they should turn out..
While I commend TBN for attempting(key word) to make a film about the end times, this movie, along with almost every other "Religious" movie out there was disappointing.
It was a good effort, but in the end it falls short.Hopefully, many peoples lives will be saved because of this film....hopefully..
Their photos on their website fail to show the ultra-tacky bright white Christmas-type light strings that line the building year-round, and the unaesthetically-scattered statues that dot the lawn, but you may understand what I mean when I say that "The Omega Code" is the cinematic equivalent of TBN's HQ.As of this writing, there are 123 comments on this movie already, so I don't need to go into great detail on what makes it so bad, but I'll cover a few highlights.
I thought the way these newscasts drained all the inherent wonder out of the subject material was a good metaphor for what the movie did as a whole to its subject matter.I could go on and on, but additionally I'll just say that the "nuclear holocaust of holiness" CGI from the end of the film was lifted straight from 1982's "Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan".
Also, I can't recall another movie I did as much groaning, sighing, head-shaking, and chuckling at inappropriate times on as this one.It would have been infinitely more interesting and satisfying to watch a film consisting of nothing but author Jeffrey Satinover sitting on a stool and reading from his book (on the same topic) "Cracking The Bible Code" for two hours..
If this film represents evangelicalism's best interpretation to the book of Revelation (and for the most part it does), is it any wonder that most educated, critically thinking people avoid Christianity?
This movie is, without a doubt, one of the worst films I have ever seen.
I have seen high school films a hundred times more powerful than this, with a story.
Secret codes in the Bible, end of the world, anti-Christ...not a bad idea for a film.
As a TBN viewer and supporter, I had heard all the buzz and thought that maybe, at long last, we Christians had finally produced a quality movie on a par with secular productions.
The guy doing the killing turns out to be Dominic (Michael Ironside), who is prancing about in the most ridiculous Rabbi disguise straight out of the Halloween Costume Department of Wal-mart.After stealing the CD Rom which contains the computer program that unlocks the code, and not for one minute thinking to search the corpse, Dominic begins his escape where he is quickly confronted by two strange characters, who after showing Dominic that his pistol is no match for their "angelic" prowess, tell him to be on his way like a good little boy so he can kill a few more rabbis or priests or whoever crosses his path the wrong way.Later on we will find out that Dominic is employed by a guy named Stone Alexander (Michael York) whose goal it is to rule the world by making sure the biblical prophecies are fulfilled.
The best part of this opening sequence is that it let's us know early on that nothing in this film is going to involve logic, but at least the opening credits were finally over.We quickly zoom back to the good old U.S.A. where we meet Tony Robbins wannabe Gillen Lane (Van Dien) just as he is about to appear on an Oprah TV like show hosted by Cassandra Barashe (Catherine Oxenberg).
I've seen this movie two times actually.
How can anyone in his right mind, and with a career like Micheal york had agree to perform in a movie with a script, plot and effects like this.
It must have been a joke.I just watched it again on TV.This is not only Yorks worst movie ever.
I do have some suggestions for people who want to see good movies with christian themes.
"La Nazarin" by Bunuel is a great film in the tradition of Job and when bad things happen to good people.
Notice that all these films and directors are foreign, I guess that says something about America and Christianity.As for the Omega Code, if your idea of Church is to watch Oral Roberts on the Bible Network than you may like this one, all others are forwarned..
Caspier Van Dien of "Stormship Troopers" and Michael York star in "The Omega Code," another low-budget Christian movie, that had good potential, but for some reason didn't work.I think it's the directors.
Christian films get really bad directors.
The actors aren't great, either, but seeing that Michael York is in this film is quite an achievment, I'd think.Still, "The Omega Code" does not have enough in it to break through that "Christan movie" stereotype.
Casper Van Dien (An actor that talent forgot.) stars as Gillen Lane a man who is trying to prevent a maniac (Michael York) from using the "secret" codes of the Torah to change the world to his liking in this preachy and moronic thriller.
The WORST movie I have seen in a long time.
The WORST movie I have seen in a long time.
where did that come from?"Bottom line, if you want to watch a movie having to do with Bible codes, watch Pi, and steer as far clear of The Omega Code as you can! |
tt0268437 | The Man Who Sued God | Advocate Steve Myers (Billy Connolly) is a disillusioned lawyer who becomes fed-up with the perceived corruption within the judicial system. He quits the law business and buys a small fishing boat and takes up fishing for a living. His fishing boat is struck by lightning and explodes into pieces, burns and sinks. He informs his insurance company, which reviews and then subsequently declines his claim on the grounds that it is not liable as his fishing boat was destroyed due to an "Act of God".
Frustrated that his claim is repeatedly declined, Steve files a claim against God, naming church officials as representatives of God and thereby the respondents. The church leaders, their respective lawyers and their insurance company get together to find a way to settle this dilemma, which catches the fancy of the media. It is in Court that God's representatives will have to admit that the destruction of Steve's fishing boat was actually God's Act, accept and compensate him, or deny it altogether thereby denying God's existence, leaving the onus on Steve to prove his claim.
Myers's battle brings media attention leading to a meeting with journalist Anna Redmond (Judy Davis) who helps to raise his public profile, enlisting the support of others who had fallen victim to insurance companies' "Acts of God" clause. He also faces heavy criticism and protests from religious groups as his profile grows, and he backs the church into a disadvantageous position.
However, the attention takes its toll on Myers' family, who are exploited by the media, his ex-wife already crippled by debt as the guarantor of the boat. Steve faces a reality check as his family considers moving to Perth, on the other side of the country. Meanwhile, Anna Redmond comes under fire for a history of disputes and attacks on insurance companies, drawing criticism that the case is little more than a publicity stunt. Facing a drawn out legal battle and the impact it would have on those around him, Steve decides he has won a moral victory, and withdraws from the case but not before convincing the judge that insurance companies' use of the term "Acts of God" is a misleading term. | satire, philosophical | train | wikipedia | When a freak of lightning wipes out his small fishing boat and the insurance companies refuse to pay (as it's an act of God') he takes up law again to take on the system, the legal fiction, the churches and the big insurance companies.
Although it's title and trailer maybe suggest a mindless slapstick (and it contains a fair amount of this), the film actually delivers something more mentally challenging and is successfully entertaining by dint of hard work on an initial premises rather than any series of fast jokes.
Billy Connolly is excellent, his wit and charm is on display throughout the film and it is very, very, funny, most of the time.Unfortunately it is slightly too long and there are a few bits that could have been quite easily cut without harming the story.
Colin Friels is also pretty good as Connolly's brother and Wendy Hughes is nice as the prickly but understanding ex-wife.I can't imagine many Jews would be too pleased with the portrayal of the Rabbi "So, we just prove there is no God, ...who cares!" seems to be his attitude, but generally the film is pretty amusing with an interesting premise.As I say there is at lease one totally shoddy scene and some unnecessary wandering that could have been fixed by a decent editor but still, if not a classic, still a genuinely funny film and well worth seeing.By the way Connolly gives a fantastic (and quite different) acting performance as an ex-con artist in the Debt Collecter (1999).
Aside from it's flaws i did enjoy this movie a great deal, the story builds nicely and Billy Connolly holds together the plot despite the delicacy of the premise and the flaws in the script.As a comedy it is well worth watching, it's crammed with subtle humour throughout; it's also enjoyable as a romance, again it's subtle, but it's steady and quite heartwarming, despite the clichés.The story itself is very intriguing, it successfully provokes your thoughts and captures your imagination with interesting questions; but it fails to draw sufficient conclusion at the finale, and it did feel like a bit of a let down.6/10 It's still worth watching..
The story of retired lawyer Steve Myers (Billy Connolly), whose boat is struck by lightning and, well, he wouldn't beat the insurance companies, so theres gotta be _someone_ to sue, is...
Connolly and Judy Davis are great, Billy in particular being roaringly funny at some points.
Although for all its funniness the film raises some interesting questions as well, like: can the churches sue insurance companies for "breach of copyright" on the phrase "Acts of God"?
Any genre can be elevated to the level of genius, if it's done this well.Starting with a brilliant premise - challenging the stupid 'act of God' terminology used by the insurance industry - this film explores the philosophical ramifications.
At the same time, the film follows an eccentric but extremely likable character, played by the inimitable Billy Connolly, as he seeks his own form of redemption.
Instead of a heavy-handed Hollywood resolution, we get something more delicate and subtle, but also far more satisfying.The Man Who Sued God manages a difficult feat - being both hilariously funny and deeply thought-provoking.
And especially when it's an event that causes a loss' where that loss was covered by insurance.That sort of loss befell our man, played with insight, verve and delicacy by Billy Connolly, in 'The Man Who Sued God'.
It's well written, played with truth and energy by the entire cast, and shot vividly, both for the exterior scenes of 'beautiful OZ', and the interiors, where so much of the action takes place.He's just had his fishing boat blown out of the water by a direct hit from lightening, and it's all covered by insurance.
Until the small print comes into play, and the company refuses to pay, saying that the lightning strike was an act of God.
It's a drama with comedic moments and a romantic element, in a warm and compact package, which is a good thing.All in all, a feel-good movie without the smarminess -you can feel good about liking this one..
Scottish stand up comedian Billy Connolly (recently featured in The Last Samurai) plays divorced and disillusioned ex-lawyer Steve Myers, who now whiles away his time on a fishing boat in New South Wales, Australia.
On crutches he approaches his insurance company who refuse to pay as the incident is deemed an 'Act of God'.
It eventually gets to the point where it looks like the only way the church are going to win their case is to prove that God doesn't exist.
It's no coincidence that Connolly's character is a fisherman, or even a fisher of men, and that his beef is with the corrupt insurance companies representing an apparently corrupt church.
Never mind, he could play that role too (nobody seems to worry about accents in movies anyway) and in fact he almost pleads to the court on behalf of his co-plaintiffs 'Let my people go', or rather 'Give my people their money you bastards', but with a smile and a twinkle in the eye that only Connolly can get away with well, him and Sean Connery.
There are many storms brewing toward the end of the film; Religious zealots surround the courthouse hurling abuse at the blasphemer Myers; Myers can't afford to lose the case; the lawyers can't afford to either, nor can the church, and there's also a mighty wind storm approaching the town bringing forest fires and floods (and no doubt frogs, plague and locusts) with it.
Needless to say it's a happy ending, the lawyers and the church get their knuckles rapped, the image of God remains untarnished (of course), Myers gets the girl and the zealots go home sulking and dragging their large wooden cross with them in another Christ reference.
Connolly (Water, Mrs. Brown, Muppet Treasure Island, Boondock Saints, Timeline), undoubtedly a talented actor and comedian, is obviously cast for distribution purposes (Myers isn't a particularly Scottish name after all) and seems a little out of place in the Australian backdrop, but his rants are very funny.
If you only watch one 'alternative' film this year, see this one.This is a lovely hard warming, but gentle story about a guy who's boat and livelihood is destroyed by lightning.
When the insurance company refuse to pay up, blaming it on an 'act of god', he decides to try to gain compensation from someone.This is a delightful film that's a relaxing, humorous and gentle tale of one little mans fight against the global conglomerates who are using God as a way of getting out of their contracts.It's a great film, and one which I would recommend you go see before it disappears.
The phrase "Act of God" universally used in insurance policies gets a severe thrashing in the film and in the process leaves one doubled up in uncontrollable laughter.
Steve (Billy Connolly)is seeking replacement of his fishing boat which has been destroyed in an unexpected lightning storm, but his insurance company refuses to pay a cent on the grounds that the catastrophe was an "Act of God".
I think that this movie, beyond that is a Drama-Comdedy film , has a great philosophical point.
Renegade lawyer takes on an insurance company by suing God. Very funny and a tad surreal..
Steve (Billy Connolly) sees his boat blown up by lightening and the insurance company won't pay up, citing the Act Of God defense against the claim.Steve, a runaway lawyer, decides to sue God, and his/her representatives, the Churches for the money.
It would seem that the Churches could well have to argue against the existence of God to defend the case.Now no doubt there are good legal reasons why the above couldn't happen although it's usual that whenever theology gets bantered about the arguments never seem to make much real sense.
But in the hands of director Mark Joffe (Cosi, Spotswood), writers John Clark, a.k.a. Fred Dagg (The Gilles Report,) and Don Watson (The Gilles Report, Passion), as well as a terrific cast headed by the wild and wooly Billy Connolly we are given plenty of fun moments.A lot of the humour is visual a dog flung above a jetty, Judy Davis as Anna falling into the sea, Anna and Steve's first meeting in a restaurant.
Then there's Connolly who has an nicely mad, every man, quality exuding from him that manages to grab humour out of even a hideously pierced foot.Then there's the photography, the look of the film.
There's an early storm scene which is a little disquieting as all really good storms should be and from then on we see cloud scenes that are entrancing.Judy Davis lends her trademark intensity to her work in a film where nearly everyone seems to gel, even if Wendy Hughes as Jules seems forced in her performance.
The ideas are lively if confused and there's a lovely surrealistic touch or two that gives this movie a depth far beyond comedy.And if you crave a good belly laugh or two The Man Who Sued God delivers.4 Lively Flys.
In many aspects, this is certainly very little in this film that deviates from the standard formula.It all revolves around good old Billy...
so much so that toward the end when they are trying to fill the film out to 90 minutes, he spends a lot of time just loitering unwholesomely in Churches...I suppose that in some ways the idea behind this is wholly novel, really it never escapes the fact it wants to be a schmaltzy romance and a legal drama.
the dialogue was witty, intelligent and thoroughly enjoyable - all actors were excellent and Billy Connelly was his usual larger than life character.
A fisherman see his boat get hit by lightning, but the insurance company won't pay up as they call it an "Act Of God", so he decides to sue God - well the leaders of the churches, anyway.I wish Billy Connolly would play less roles where he's called upon to be Billy Connolly, where there's no at all the swearing and being Scottish - he can be a really good actor, and he sort of is in this.
Judy Davis, however, isn't convincing, but I'm sure that's the fault of the role or the writing, rather than Ms Davis herself.At first thought, the ending seems to be very Hollywood, but in the time since I saw the film, it would appear that perhaps it was the best possible conclusion.
The two other possible endings - one would have been even more Hollywood and the other one would have been a disappointment.(And on a minor point, I think this was the first time I've ever seen a movie or TV show set in Sydney that didn't go for the stock cliche of shots of the Harbour Bridge and/or the Opera House - kudos to the writers for not being formulaic in that respect)..
I always enjoy Judy Davis' performances and it was great seeing Wendy Hughes again.I'd highly recommend this film for fun, irreverence and spirit..
The scruffy dog Arthur gets the biggest laughs.I expected the movie to play in a witty way with the notion of "act of god" and the lies churches and insurance companies perpetuate, but the banter was wooden and irrational.
Connolly's charisma carries a so-so film that does little with the potential in the concept.
When his boat is destroyed by lightening he and his extended family are faced with ruin when the insurance company refuses to pay out citing "act of God".
With journalist Anna chasing an "important" story giving him the publicity that helps give his case weight, Steve starts the battle.In the opening fifteen minutes or so this film moves quickly to set up the plot and does the absolute basics to establish character and relationships (by a blurred collection of overlapping short scenes).
As it goes though the concept well enough and is engaging but it is never that funny, that clever or that interesting.Connolly is good in the lead thanks to his natural charm.
Beyond him the cast is OK at best and it does fall to Connolly to carry everything which, although he is OK he cannot do the whole time.Overall then a so-so film that distracts but doesn't really offer much more than that.
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsHaving been held back for two years,Billy Connelly's 'latest' is a high concept comedy,although not entirely believable in execution.As neither,sadly,for the most part,are the contrieved gags,as see through as tracing paper and as a result,not particularly funny.The pace is a problem too,often slumberous and sleep inducing and the movie certainly feels overlong.The film actually ends up working better as a drama than a comedy,and what's on offer is certainly rather enthralling.It's just,we payed for laughs.***.
Man Who Sued God was entertaining and a good movie to see with a good friend.
Movie Review: The Man Who Sued GodDirected By: Mark JoffeWritten By: Don Watson and John ClarkeStarring: Billy Connolly, Judy Davis, Colin Friels, Wendy Hughes and Bille Brown.The very concept of the movie and the bold title alone would seem to be enough to trigger off a political and religious minefield.
Connolly is careful to point out that he is not suing God himself, but rather the very idea of an Act of God as an insurance get-out clause.
Connolly, after being told by the insurance company that lightning striking his boat was an act of God, takes the logical course and attempts to sue God.This, at its core, is a very simple romantic-comedy/family-movie with very simple laughs.
Ultimately, this is something of a love-story by the numbers, but the very idea of a man suing God gives the old story and plot something new.
Also the political and theological hot-bed it opens up with leave you with something to think about and discuss long after the movie has ended.STORY: 8/10 DIRECTION: 5/10 PERFORMANCE: 8/10 OVERALL: 7/10RECOMMENDED TO: Mothers, aunties and people who like Connolly.
I already had a lot of respect for the writer(s) who came up with the idea for the film and specially came up with the title: 'The Man Who Sued God' tickled my curiosity.
Of course this is because of the absurd idea of suing God, but mainly because of the energetic and stimulating performance of Billy Connolly.
Although the film is very standard executed, the original subject and Billy Connolly make it interesting and as said, very refreshing!.
And what happens if you sue the churches, as God's representatives, when the insurance company refuses to pay?
Not a bad Aussie effort if you can get around main star Billy Connolly's broad Scottish accent and liberal use of swear words.
He plays a chap who by an act of nature, has his fishing boat struck by lightning and the insurance company refuses to pay.
Warning: Billy Connelly swears a whole bunch so perhaps not a good movie for the whole family...
I went to see this film with high expectations, Billy is usually so funny with his observational humour!
The worst was yet to come.(SPOILERS)Just when the film was getting juicy (when the church could only win by proving God DOESN'T exist) Connelly falls for (in matters of the heart and into bed with) the annoying reporter that oh-so-sweetly accepts the fact that he cost her her job!Basically the end turns out so that he drops his case because God's "fury" turned him to the new love of his life and they live happily ever after, yada yada yada, then he sponges off the media and makes a few Australian bucks!Good start to the story and very controversial in its own right, bad ending and even worse acting on the reporters part, i can't even remember her name!.
Actually the first half hour is watchable though full of clichés, but Billy Connolly makes it work.
There was a nice bit of friendship chemistry between the two leads but I don't think there's any element of the film that hinted at them falling in love until they start snogging.
I think the film would have been stronger if they'd remained friends with a strong respect for each other.Cop out ending: It seems that the writers wrote themselves into a bit of a corner and by the beginning of the third act you start to wonder how their going to get themselves out of it.
I think we all know Billy's opinion on the Catholic church in which he was raised, but he chooses in this film to leave a little bit there for those who like to still hold on to the mysteries.
And I couldn't quite figure out the plot twist that had two Scots sons following their father into the old established family law business but happening to be doing so in Sydney???It isn't destined to ever be regarded as a great movie classic, but as a low budget piece of irreverent (!) Aussie fun and a great vehicle for Billy's comic talents and the terrific acting of Judy Davis, it was pretty much right on the money.
I wanted to like this more than I did.Using the comedy/drama form, this moderately engaging little movie poses some interesting question, and then fails to address them - or, more exactly, decides to opt out of presenting the audience with any conclusion.
Steve Myers (Connolly)is a lawyer turned fisherman who, after his boat is blown up by lightning, decides to sue God after the insurance company doesn't pay up.
He finds a very good loophole in the legal system that states that a company cannot deny the existence of an employer or employee, therefore, the church cannot deny the existence of God. Connolly and Judy Davis' performances are above par. |
tt0120679 | Frida | Frida begins just before the traumatic accident Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) suffered at the age of 18 when a trolley bus collided with a motor bus she was riding. She is impaled by a metal pole and the injuries she sustained plague her for the rest of her life. To help her through convalescence, her father brings her a canvas upon which to start painting. Throughout the film, a scene starts as a painting, then slowly dissolves into a live-action scene with actors.
Frida also details the artist's dysfunctional relationship with the muralist Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina). When Rivera proposes to Kahlo, she tells him she expects from him loyalty if not fidelity. Diego's appraisal of her painting ability is one of the reasons that she continues to paint. Throughout the marriage, Rivera cheats on her with a wide array of women, while the bisexual Kahlo takes on male and female lovers, including in one case having an affair with the same woman as Rivera.
The two travel to New York City so that he may paint the mural Man at the Crossroads at the Rockefeller Center. While in the United States, Kahlo suffers a miscarriage, and her mother dies in Mexico. Rivera refuses to compromise his Communist vision of the work to the needs of the patron, Nelson Rockefeller (Edward Norton); as a result, the mural is destroyed. The pair return to Mexico, with Rivera the more reluctant of the two.
Kahlo's sister Cristina moves in with the two at their San Ángel studio home to work as Rivera's assistant. Soon afterward, Kahlo discovers that Rivera is having an affair with her sister. She leaves him, and subsequently sinks into alcoholism. The couple reunite when he asks her to welcome and house Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush), who has been granted political asylum in Mexico. She and Trotsky begin an affair, which forces the married Trotsky to leave the safety of his Coyoacán home.
Kahlo leaves for Paris after Diego realizes she was unfaithful to him with Trotsky; although Rivera had little problem with Kahlo's other affairs, Trotsky was too important to Rivera to be intimately involved with his wife. When she returns to Mexico, he asks for a divorce. Soon afterwards, Trotsky is murdered in Mexico City. Rivera is temporarily a suspect, and Kahlo is incarcerated in his place when he is not found. Rivera helps get her released.
Kahlo has her toes removed when they become gangrenous. Rivera asks her to remarry him, and she agrees. Her health continues to worsen, including the amputation of a leg, and she ultimately dies after finally having a solo exhibition of her paintings in Mexico. | avant garde, murder, flashback, psychedelic, romantic, historical, queer | train | wikipedia | Salma Hayek (uni-brow and all) gives a genuinely great performance as `Frida,' the Mexican artist who is more famous, perhaps, as the wife of Diego Rivera than as a painter in her own right - although Rivera himself always insisted that it was Frida who had the greater talent.Frida Kahlo was a woman who endured a life of crippling pain caused by a trolley accident in her youth, yet her innate energy, passion and love of life - as well as her enormous abilities as a painter - allowed her to overcome that daunting obstacle to achieve a measure of fame and recognition.
That the relationship is one of utter co-dependency is demonstrated by the fact that Rivera, even after their numerous breakups, keeps coming back to his one true love.Based on the Hayden Herrera biography, the Clancy Sigal/Diane Lake/Gregory Nava/Anna Thomas screenplay doesn't paint Frida as some sort of passive victim of her own weaknesses nor as some sort of plaster saint martyr who was entirely guiltless in her own troubled life.
We empathize with Frida because she functions as such a compelling figure in the context of the story, but we are never allowed to forget that she is a flawed human being, as capable of making a mess of her life as any of the men who generally occupy the lead position in these stories.If for no other reason, `Frida' is worth seeing for the marvelous sense of history it provides, chronicling the turbulent period of the 1920's and 1930's when socialism was the `in' cause for the art world to rally around - at least until the arrival of Stalin when the pipe dream of a worker's state and a classless society fell victim to the murderous brutality of a regime more totalitarian in nature than the one it had replaced.
We also get to see some of the lip service paid by these artists to the socialist cause, as they live the good life among the elite pampered classes, often at the expense of the very workers whose rights they so loudly proclaim in their work.As Frida, Hayek literally carries the film.
Geoffrey Rush, unfortunately, is not given enough time or good material to make much of an impression as Trotsky.Taymor has had mixed results integrating Frida's works into the story.
The movie deals with the biography of Frida Kalho (well performed by Salma Hayek , though Laura San Giacomo was originally set to play her but was dropped when fans objected to a non-Mexican playing the role) who after a terrible accident with a trolley causes herself a crippling injury , then she gets away from her parents (Roger Rees and Patricia Spinola) to live on the paintings .
The film was perfectly directed by Julie Taymor and includes magnificent cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto as when imaginatively brings to life the scenes on the Kalho's paintings , where the color is glimmer and spellbound .
Frida Kahlo's life was more suffering than joy, yet the movie does not pity her all the time but shows Frida's lust for life, love, art and her husband Diegor Riviera.It tells the story of a really unusual life: When Frida is a student, young, beautiful, full of live and in love with a gorgeous boy (Diego Luna from "Y tu mama tambien" and "Dirty Dancing Havanna Nights) she experiences a horrible accident when her bus crashes with a tram.
Frida then becomes a cripple for the rest of her life, but through this she experiences herself in a new way and starts to paint, mostly self-portraits where she deals with her pain, her family, political situations and people she loves.
Soon after the accident a miracle happens: Frida learns to walk again and the first thing she does is to visit the famous artist and painter Diego Rivera to ask his opinion about her paintings the beginning of an unusual and often complicated love story that should last a lifetime.We get to learn a woman who experiences so many tragic things in life that it should be enough to commit suicide, yet she never gives up, grows stronger and one thing that certainly helps her through hard times is her wit, her dignity and her love for life and art.
Outstanding performances also by the supporting cast: Valeria Golino, Ashley Judd (with a great imitation of the Mexican accent), Geoffrey Rush and Edward Norton.Frida a feast for the senses full of life and exploding emotions and a tribute to a truly unique and remarkable woman, who was the greatest female artist of the last century!.
Selma Hyack does a great job portraying the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who marries, puts up with, and in some ways, maybe even excells famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera.
It's a tough role and Hyack seems to let it all hang out in many ways.Alfred Molina is good, but not great as Rivera, and the rest of the supporting cast also performs well, including a cameo appearance by Ashley Judd as Italian born-photographer and leftwing activist Tina Modotti.The direction is crisp and effective throughout, and the colors and ambiance of the film are simply great.
They have to look at the big picture and make a film that is understandable to mass audiences, or else count on losing millions of dollars.For myself, I knew next to nothing about Frida Kahlo, only that I had seen some of her paintings and that she was Rivera's wife.
This is a very well-realized film, and the most inspired thing about it is the casting of Salma Hayek in the title role.After displaying amazing star quality in Desperado, Hayek has been sadly under-used by the film world - until this magnificent and passionate performance, which will surely get her an Oscar nomination if there's any hope for Hollywood at all.
She exhibits all the passion that goes into being an artist, especially when playing off Alfred Molina, who plays Diego Rivera, husband of Frida Kahlo, and a famous Mexican artist in his own right.
Unfortunately, the underlying story of the love affair between the title character, Frida Kahlo, and her husband, Diego Rivera, tells an unpleasant tale of irresponsibility and betrayal.
Although Kahlo may be more attributable to her surreal paintings and dramatic marriage to more popular painter Diego Rivera, the movie focuses on the sex lives and deeply held socialist beliefs of the couple.
Salma Khalo's movie grabs many references from the other movie about, Frida: Naturaleza Viva (1984, not 1986), but not the important thing about her shows in the movie, in fact, deliberately (i don't know who had this brilliant idea) twist all the controversial faces of Frida and the contribution to Socialist movement, the support to Sandinist Armed uprising in Nicaragua , instead Salmas wants count us a tale with aspartame; to American market a friendly face of the real anti-capitalist Frida Khalo.just nothing more to say about this film, it worths watch it only for the BSO, edition, scenarios, the Frida Khalos masterworks of course, (but not for biographical references, please, take a book and read it) and cinematography, but the content, is like a big pan cake filled with...air.
The film provides no insight into their politics, relationships, or why they "must" paint.When Rivera has his famous confrontation with Nelson Rockefeller, he declares that he "must stand by his principles." Up to that point, the film has never introduced us to any of Rivera's principles, or whether he had any principles at all.There is a lot of reference to Frida Kahlo's pain after the trolley accident, but no insight into how this may have influenced her life and art.
In fact Selma Hayek rarely shows Kahlo as being in pain at all, unless it's convenient to the story line.This movie felt like the film makers expected us to be impressed by all of the already well-known details of Frida Kahlo's life: her accident, her relationship with Rivera, her art, her various affairs with Leon Trotsky, and others.
The story of this Mexican artist is wonderfully presented in this movie, with a stunning performance of Salma Hayek.
Maybe because art comes from such a deep, personal place in each individual that a filmmaker can't get at the source.Salma Hayek is fine as Frida Kahlo, but it takes more than an artfully applied mono-brow to add up to a compelling performance.
It presents the major facets of Frida's life--the terrible accident, her great love for Rivera, lesbian dalliances, miscarriage, her art work, affair with Trotsky, etc.-- as if it were marking off a list.
After hearing about all the grandeur that this film would convey, I was looking forward to seeing the attempt to put the life of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo onto the screen but I also came in with healthy skepticism.
Hayek is tepid, stale and dull and never really brings any vividness or passion into one of the most vibrant artists of the century, instead, we get to see her breasts about 20% of the time, not that I am against that, but a film should be about something more important that conventional sex scenes which have no point being on the screen and give us feelings into the art and life and relationship with Rivera (played by the dismal Alfred Molina).
We feel as if we are watching a bunch of idiots on the screen because not one of the actors hired for this film show any enthusiasm or any acting capabilities, although Antonio Banderas as the artist Siqueiros is the closest thing but he is given only about 2 minutes to work.
See the Mexican production from 1986, also called Frida, with Ofelia Medina as the artist.Well, then, take Hayek's widely loved performance, throw in a convincing if slightly camera-smart (self-aware) performance by Alfred Molina as Diego Rivera, and you have the story of this tempestuous artist couple like no other.
Mexico, in particular, comes off beautifully, and Frida (since we are on first name terms) loved Mexico and all things Mexican.This is not, especially, a story of Kahlo the artist, which is a fair enough decision, given that so much already happens in this two hours.
Salma Hayek is `Frida' a young talented bisexual women with an undying passion for expression through her paintings, and a women dealing with the all-popular struggling tale of love and life.
Taking place in Mexico City during the 1920's, the film delivers a successful look into the lives of those who were there to experience the city for everything that it was and everything that it could have been.Clearly the main thing to look for in this piece is Salma Hayek's most glorious performance to date and Alfred Molina's successful portrayal as her husband.
Director Julie Taymor certainly made the film's performances stand out with it's interesting approach at using the characters artistic expression through painting, a communication tool for the audience to delve deeper and deeper into the minds of those that this story is so clearly about.
Frida, a film by Julie Taymore based on the 1983 biography by Hayden Herrera stars Selma Hayek as the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo who suffered through a lifetime of physical pain and a tempestuous marriage to leave the world a legacy of great art.
Ms. Hayek looks like Frida in her colorful Mexican dresses with heavy necklaces and braids wrapped around her head but the psychology of her art and the political issues that she cared about are presented only in a very superficial manner.Frida first met the muralist Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) at the National Preparatory School in Mexico City where he was painting a mural in the school auditorium.
Salma Hayek played the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, in this two hour film about her life.
Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) is a rebellious student who is intrigued with artist Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina).
I did enjoy the creative touches of fancy they were a very effective way of showing that this was an artistic, creative person.As everyone has already said, Hayek is well cast as Frida in regards looks but her performance is also good.
The other players are fine, but the script gives them little that we will remember them for.The unconventional relationship between Kahlo and Rivera might remind some viewers of another movie about artists, the Anglophilic but similarly juiceless `Carrington.' This film is rainbow-colored where that one was gray, but they have in common a rather sad inability ever to really come to life.
Scenes from the - often troubled - life of the crippled Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.The problems of artists-on-film are well known: The layman has to be educated, and as soon as you do this starts the connoisseur complains about having their intelligence insulted.
Bad as it is, I still think it has some small educational value!) Husband Alfred Molina (playing muralist Diego Rivera) is probably just as good an artist and lets the film become a two-for-the-price-of-one deal.
This is a solid movie that is a must see for anyone who believes in the artistic expression of the internal world as exploding onto the screen by Frida Kahlo to the political commitment and expression of Diego Rivera - the dove and the elephant, an evolving tale of romance and independence, of sensual freedom and betrayal..
Very unusual movie experienceThis strange art-drama is an adaptation of the biography of famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
But the performance of Salma Hayek and the way in which the movie was filmed are truly impressive.
I liked very much the interpretations of Salma Hayek who played as Frida Kahlo, Alfred Molina who played as Diego Rivera and Valeria Golino who played as Lupe Marín.
In the attempt to do so it pulls out all stops ~ striking visual imagery from Mexican born director of photography Rodrigo Prieto (Water For Elephants '11) ~ marvelous visual effects from Dawson and Schrecker ~ good performances from most of the cast ~ OK (if overly voyeuristic) direction from Julie Taymor ~ evocative music score by Eliot Goldenthal ~ lots of color and angst.Maybe there wasn't a great deal to work with in Kahlo's life, as the movie spends more time indulging in over detailed examinations of her somewhat sordid private life.
...there's a lot I came away liking in it.Frida follows most of the life story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo(SAlma Hayek,who pushed hard for this show,produced it and her passion for it shows in this role!),from her days as an Art school student in 1922 to her dying days in the(I'm guess-timating here)late 1960s.
Through it all,she paints the world she knows and steadily: her joys,her pains(i.e. Diego's infidelity,her miscarriage,her disabilities and failing health)and much of what she observes in her travels.Beautifully filmed by director Julie Taymor,off an adapted novel,and featuring extended cameos by Ashley Judd and Edward Norton and augmented by touching performances by Roger Rees(as Frida's patient and loving father),Valeria Golino(as one of Diego's former wives)and Mia Maestro as Frida's sister,this movie is colorful,lush and passionate.
Alfred Molina gives Diego Rivera an edgy charm and has a good body language, acting subtly and he has a great chemistry with Salma Hayek even if I think she's more responsible for this than him.
Beneath that Frida is a magnificent movie - colourful as Kahlo's paintings, intense and painful as her life full of love and hatred and with astonishing pictures and visions.
Hayek persisted in getting the movie made to have a Mexican feminist icon played by a Mexican actress -- though she saw no similar national loyalty in casting the rest of the characters, including Alfred Molina as Diego Rivera, Valeria Golino as Lupe Marín, etc.Hayek is effective in aging from a rebellious teenager to a tragic revolutionary, though her evocation of Kahlo's life of pain wavers a lot, including that sometimes she limps, sometimes she doesn't.But the key is the opening credit: "A film by Julie Taymor" and this makes is worth seeing.
Frida is played by Salma Hayek and she gives a great performance and makes us care for the artist she portrays.
i didn't knew much about Frida before seeing this film, director portrayed the intimate life of her, her romances, her beginning as an artist and let me tell you that the art direction's great, it's a hole great visual experience!
Salma Hayek has the title role in this film about the life of famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.
Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina excel as the famous artistic couple, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, bringing them vividly to life.
I'm sure Salma Hayek wanted this to be a movie worthy of the artist, since it's a project she wanted to do for many years, but if you ask me, it's no better than the best mexican films of the last years.I thought Salma would put her heart into playing her favorite artist in the big screen but it doesn't seem like it, and if she did, then maybe she's not such a great actress as I had believed.
Alfred Molina as Diego Rivera, Frida's husband and world-class artist, is every bit as convincing in his role as Salma is in hers.
I personally kept thinking, without knowing too much about Kahlo and Rivera, that they were undoubtedly, in "real life," much less likable than these two characters as portrayed by Hayek and Molina.
Here she uses the rich, earth-tones of Mexico and the beautiful pastels of Santa Fe to bring to life the story of artist, Frida Kahlo.Frida is portrayed by Selma Hayek in a eye-opening performance that proves the woman CAN actually act.
Salma Hayek gives a strong performance as the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and Albert Molina gives her great support as her husband, the muralist Diego Rivera.
In the movie Frida staring Salma Hayek in the starring role, you get a nice overview of this larger than life artist. |
tt0057634 | The V.I.P.s | The film is set within Terminal 3 of London Heathrow Airport during a fog. As flights are delayed, the VIPs (very important people) of the title play out the drama of their lives in a number of slightly interconnected stories. The delays have caused serious hardship for most of the characters and have plunged some of them into a deep personal or financial crisis.
The central story concerns famed actress Frances Andros (Elizabeth Taylor) trying to leave her husband, millionaire Paul Andros (Richard Burton), and fly away with her lover Marc Champselle (Louis Jourdan). Because of the fog, Andros has the opportunity to come to the airport to persuade his wife not to leave him.
Film producer Max Buda (Orson Welles) needs to leave London, taking his newest protégée Gloria Gritti (Elsa Martinelli) with him, by midnight if he is to avoid paying a hefty tax bill. The Duchess of Brighton (Margaret Rutherford), meanwhile, is on her way to Florida to take a job, which will pay her enough money to save her historic home.
Les Mangrum (Rod Taylor), an Australian businessman, must get to New York City to prevent his business from being sold. His dutiful secretary, Miss Mead (Maggie Smith), is secretly in love with him. It being a matter of great urgency, she decides to approach Andros and ask him to advance a sum of money that will save Mangrum's company.
Buda spots a poster picturing the Duchess's home. She is offered a sum of money if she will permit Buda to use it as a location in a film, enough to keep the house she loves. Andros, meanwhile, about to lose the woman he loves, is spared a possible suicide at the last minute when he and his wife reconcile. | melodrama | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0109858 | Funny Man | When Max Taylor (Benny Young) wins the ancestral home of Callum Chance (Christopher Lee) in a game of poker, little does he realise that the game is far from over. After moving into the ancestral home with his family the nightmare begins after Max spins a wheel of chance, (a wheel with four parts, two saying win, and two saying lose). It lands upon lose, and this awakens a demonic creature that lives in the soil of the ancestral home. Soon, one by one, Max's family are murdered by this strange creature known as the Funny Man (Tim James), a Mr Punch-like jester with a varied and imaginative repertoire of homicidal techniques and a highly irreverent sense of humour. This sense of humour is shared with the audience. He is the only character that addresses the audience directly, as in a pantomime. He kills off Max's wife and both kids in gruesome yet humorous ways. Max's son being the 1st, after walking around a pillar in circles playing with Funny Man, he stops and is killed off screen. After, Funny Man changes his voice to sound like Max's son and talk Max's wife while looking at her through a key hole, he is then seen dragging the child's body away and telling the audience "when hosting a party, it's always good to put the little ones down first.". Max's wife is beaten to death with a club after failing to escape an endless room. Max's daughter is killed while playing a Gameboy after Funny Man hooks jumper cables up to her head, electrocuting her to death to the point where she catches fire. Meanwhile, Max's brother, Johnny Taylor (Matthew Devitt), is on his way to the mansion with a bunch of hitchhikers who will be lucky to survive the night. Among the hitchhikers is a voodoo woman (Pauline Black) who after using tarot cards later learns about the awakening of the Funny Man. At first, after arriving at the ancestral home, everything seems fine. But the Funny Man has made his targets, and his evil game has begun. It soon becomes a Scooby-Doo Rock'n'Roll madhouse with bizarre scenes, gruesome kills and lots of humorous moments. "Just remember, there's no rest for the wicked." | paranormal, psychedelic, comedy, cult, violence | train | wikipedia | The story is about a man who wins a card game against Christopher Lee, who then gives him his large old house.
The man moves into the house with his family, and they soon discover a sinister jester who resides there, the Funnyman.This pesky little guy kills people in different ways; some of them are outrageously gory and over the top, and a little bit like Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead.
The joker also speaks in a variety of British accents, and takes on different personas, such as a club owner, a footballer, and a few other weird guises.The film is low budget and very English, and may not appeal to overseas audiences; but it's a worthy effort considering its budget.
If you want a horror film with comical gory scenes, dark humour, sprinkles of English silliness, and something different, check out the Funnyman.
Sure, it's low budget, and it's certainly shallow in the plot department, but the film is all the more charming for such "shortcomings", with a brilliantly hilarious and understated script and production values which clearly display a labour of love on the filmmaker's part.
The makers of FUNNY MAN seem to have wanted to create a 100% English version of such wisecracking horror figures as Freddy Krueger, and the figure they've chosen seems on the mark: he's a living embodiment of a joker from a deck of cards.
The movie had such a low budget that they used the same room for most of the scenes, and I am pretty sure they decided to give all the money to hire actors to Christopher Lee, so that they had to ask the technicians to play the other parts.
The costumes look like they've been stolen from some poor bums, except from the black lady (???) who comes straight from "Hair".If you ever had the weird idea to watch this movie, just stop right now.
They should have hired the woman from funny man.The relation between Christopher Lee's character and the fates of those in the house reminded me a lot of Hammer Horror.
He is the kind of movie bad guy that you could see spawning endless sequels, and while he may not be on the level of a Fred Krueger he's way above the level of a Chucky.The effects, the set and the sound track are all quite cheap, but you don't need a big budget to make a good movie and this demonstrates that..
If there's one thing I've learned from reading the other reviews around here, it's definitely that "Funny Man" is the type of film that you either praise into the heavens or hate with a passion; there doesn't appear to be a middle way.
It's a cheesy and low-budgeted 90's horror movie about an ugly jester killing off uninteresting characters whilst firing off lousy and wannabe clever one-liners, so it's fairly safe to say there's absolutely nothing specific "to get" here.
"Funny Man" is probably the most atypical British horror movie I've seen.
The Funny Man is the Joker from the pack, a demon out to get Max, his family and friends once and for all
it's payback time.This movie is a tongue in cheek cult horror/comedy made on a shoe-string budget.
If you like the Monty Python variety of British comedy, and the Nightmare on Elm Street type of horror, you should check this movie out.
Overall, an amusing horror film, made me laugh more than a few times..
Deeply unpleasant to watch, not because it is brutal or shocking, but just because the characters don't fail to annoy at any time in the film, particularly the Funny Man himself and it just drags on and on.
Not in the least bit funny, this comedy horror was, although it breaks my heart to say it, made in Britain, and, although it pains my very soul to admit it, stars Christopher Lee. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Poor old Lee, we can't blame him for appearing in these things though; everyone needs to make a living, after all.The "plot" is a retread of a typical American slasher film of the 1980s, with a group of people in a mansion being bumped off by a psycho killer dressed as 'Punch' from Punch and Judy who offers us the worst one-liners you will ever hear in the history of comedy.
The opening scene is actually quite good, where Lee is engaged in a card game and loses everything to a joker in the pack ("You're a funny man, but I've met funnier" is his simple reply).
The whole victims die by some ironic means of death somehow appropriate to whatever personality traits they have displayed (Usually just the one, as with most movies of this ilk the characters are completely one dimensional) shtick was old a long time before this film was made.
The funny man the films half arsed British attempt at a Freddy Kruger type character is pretty lame and none of his jokes are remotely funny.With type of movie the individual scenes can sometimes be amusing even if there is only enough plot to provide a pretext for a series of killings (This film doesn't even go that far, stuff just happens) but they are all so badly staged, nonsensical and at times incoherent that they are hard to sit through.
Some of the stuff in the movie, like the bits with the Jamaican voodoo woman, or whatever the hell she was supposed to be, going underneath he house were almost entertaining in a WTF kind of way but again it was all so tediously protracted and badly staged that I was just waiting for it to end.I like to watch bad horror movies and whimsical over the top humour, which I gather this movie was trying for but this movie was a train wreck.
"Funny Man" is one of the worst films I have ever seen.
Also, and some puzzling for a film with such a title, "Funny Man" actually has nothing funny, unless you are quirky enough for laughing at people having atrocious deaths for no valid reasons.
The Funny Man himself is annoying and I often thought he was the one in the film really deserving to die.
Don't buy, don't rent, don't watch "Funny Man".
A little prelude, some friends and I were wandering around the video store, spotted this movie, and picked it up, thinking it would be one of the "so bad it's funny" sort of movies that the horror genre is famous for.
"Funny Man" is most likely an abhorrent oddity to the more serious & 'intelligent' horror fan amongst the audience and pretty much a fun ride to those who enjoy a loose horror cannon with blood fodder every now and then.
Christopher Lee makes a cameo appearance that feels much like just a narrator's part in the wraparound story of some B-horror anthology film.
Because, well, "Funny Man" is a British nonsensical B-horror flick made with enthusiasm, a fair amount of creativity and perfectly acceptable little rippings-off left & right.
I finally got the pleasure of viewing FunnyMan after missing my chance on VHS years ago, I have to say I was very pleased with this little known gem.A word of advice before viewing the film, don't go into it expecting serious horror and gore, you wont find it, But if you want to watch a fun and "funny" film then by all means check it out, the original short in the extras is worth the ten bucks alone.
Some people it seems just take life far too seriously.This film is meant to be fun.....hence the title!Dont go expecting a deep psychological horror,just take it for what it is-an hour and a half of slapstick humour with some gore thrown in for good measure!When I first saw this film back in 95 i lent the video to my friends and everyone loved it-a perfect film for parties and drinking beer too!Life is short as it is so lighten up you people who slagged this film off and learn to enjoy yourselves!10/10.
The funny man makes no sense, and is extremely violent for no reason.
This film will help you decide what it is, exactly, that you like/dislike about movies.
Funny Man. I saw this film many years ago, 1994/5 I think, and have been looking to purchase it ever since.
If you have it, let me know.As a film, it was "whacky-lad-horror-humour".
The 'Funnyman' is basically a jester-demon with a Lancastrian accent, which turns into Welsh at various points in the film, who likes to kill people via hilarious (?) pranks in his big scary house.
By the time you've finished watching this film, you can't help but say the word "Sorted", accompanied by a thumb-up..
The film was always intended as a horror movie that celebrated laddish humour and it is maybe this that undid it.
It is interesting that practically the only good Brit horror since The Wicker Man and Don't Look Now is Hellraiser (now some 15 years old) + the work of Phillip Ridley.
I was good enough to give Simon and his motley crew a grounding at Tollcross Community Centre in Edinburgh to make the trailer for a spoof Bond movie, "A view to a Shandy", in the 1980s, which turned out to be a load of rubbish like this film.
The Police Sergeant in "Doctors" actually got a line from another character, "You are a 'funny man'".
As long as you get the original UK uncut VHS version this film it is a treat for those who appreciate a very typically British sense of humour.The film presents us with at least 8 loathsome stereotypes who are humorously dispatched by our anti-hero Funnyman.In the full version of the film (not available in the US as I found to my cost when I ordered the DVD from some place in Chicago) the violent scenes are a campy gore fest accompanied by suitably humorous music, in the cutting down of those scenes for the US market much of the humour is lost to the cutting room floor.Unfortunately it seems that the authorities responsible for censoring movies in the US find the humour a little TOO violent for American Sensibilities (Something that I am sure many Americans would disagree with had they been given the opportunity to see this film in its entirety).This is a cult movie of the first order, not everybody's taste in comedy (which is what gives it its cult movie status) but certainly a movie that is unworthy of deletion and unworthy of the philistine cutting room in the US censors office.Like the comment on the VHS and DVD cover of Funnyman says "He's cheeky and he's cruel" and sometimes cruelty is involved in humour to deny that is to deny humour of which this film is Jammed packed full from the very simple humour of slapstick to the more cerebral humour of irony, farce and parody.If you are going to venture a rental or a buy, make sure that you go for the uncut / uncensored version it is infinitely more funny.This is a film that works well if you are familiar with Britain and British culture, if you don't know who Jimmy Saville is or are so out of touch with Britain that you think any of the accents employed by the characters were "Cockney" (Which none of them were) then clearly you will not understand the gags or parodies and can be forgiven for your lack of appreciation for them.Additional Background Information of Interest:Whether or not Simon Sprackling based the Funny Man character on an old English legend is not known but people who view this film should be aware that there was a real life funny man counterpart in history, his name was "Thomas Skelton" (Tom Fool) and he was the Jester and Sheriff to the Pennington family.Legend has it that Thomas would often be seen sitting at a tree on the roadway waiting for travellers to go by, he would then engage them in conversation and decide whether or not he liked them, the unfortunate travellers that Tom decided he didn't like he directed towards the local marshes and quicksands where they would meet their grizzly fates.Thomas Skelton (Tom Fool) died around 1600 and gave the phrase "Tomfoolery" to the English language even being cited as the inspiration behind the Jester in Shakespeares King Lear.Today Mucaster Castle in Cumbria claims to be the home of Thomas's Ghost who is apparently every bit as mischievous today as he always was.I would rather like to think that the inspiration for Funny Man came from this ancient legend than from some Hollywood garbage, something others unfamiliar with the legend might find hard to believe, but life did exist before Hollywood and Hollywood is NOT the ONLY source of inspiration to those with access to other cultural sources.Thomas Skelton was the original Psychotic Jester predating "Freddie Krugger" by a mere 400+ years and predating the USA by a mere 200..
Once a leading man in horror films, Lee rarely pops up for more than 5 minutes in most of his appearances in the 90's.
The basic story is a guy wins a house of an old man (Christoper Sauromon Lee) in game a cards which just happens to be haunted by a northern jester demon called the Funnyman, He kills people and makes smart comments about it the end.
Funny Man is a movie that is totally different in every way.
The script for Funny Man is a strange one & I don't quite know what to make of it, there's little in the way of story & it has a habit of switching tone from straight horror to comedy to slapstick to deadpan humour to downright crudeness & it's frankly weird at times & there's even enough time for it to be a musical as well but I thought it all came together rather well to create an enjoyable comedy horror that never takes itself seriously, it moves along like a rocket so it's never dull or boring & I actually found it quietly amusing at times although I think you will need a slightly twisted sense of humour to get the most out of it, I'm not sure what that says about me...
The best way I can describe Funny Man is to liken it to a comedy sketch show where the Funny Man creates little mini films within the overall film to dispatch his victims in a ironic & gory way, yeah I'd call it the first horror orientated comedy sketch film that I've seen & for what it is & what it tries to be I found it good fun & good entertainment.Director Sprackling does a good job, I don't think I've seen another film quite like it.
The Funny Man (who lives in a place called Sod's Law, nice touch) looks like an ugly Jester although he occasionally changes outfits & he regularly turns to the camera & 'talks' to the audience a bit like a stand up comedian.
For about two lines of dialogue.I was surprised about how much I liked Funny Man, it has a certain style & originality.
Not everything works, not everything is funny in it but it certainly gets points for effort & enthusiasm, not bad at all & if you like your horror light & mixed with laughs then you could do a hell of a lot worse than Funny Man you really could....
Totally British and perfect for a night in with a load of beer.I don't understand all the negative reviews but whatever-I enjoyed it and everyone i know who watched it thought it was great too!If you want serious horror then there is plenty of choice out there.Nothing wrong with having a laugh whilst the characters get bumped off in very original ways-Where else do you see a Jester dancing around whilst electrocuting,stabbing eyes with stilettos and as for what he does in the van-Hilarious stuff!In some ways it reminds me of Revenge Of Billy The Kid-another British horror comedy.Perhaps the humour doesn't translate that well overseas .Just wish the proposed follow up had been made but sadly we just get Friday the 13th part 54 etc........Now lets have a long overdue DVD release-my VHS copy is getting worn out!Sorted!.
Funny Man the Harlequin from the deep bowels of the earth, waiting for his calling in this exceedingly surreal fantasy horror of the B-movie genre.
Simon Sprackling, both director and writer of this very British movie, has a humour that delivers wit and slapstick that is all very bizarre and horrific, and English.Shock and startle, this is what Funny Man does best, and with his touch of poetic justice, he delivers a blend of fiery retribution and with his fearsome and disturbing looks.
Its no wonder really, as the cinematography, by Tom Ingle, is both interesting and along with Simon Sprackling's script and overall direction of macabre horror makes Funny Man seriously horrific and at the same time funny, man..
The "story" (and I use that term loosely) is about a man who looses at a game of cards (one of my favorite horror actors Christopher Lee) and his house in the process.
I did like the Funny Man character and the guy playing him did a good job but this movie was just so random in parts that even that could not help.In the end this movie is just a plain and simple miss.
The movie is not a total bag of crap but you better be really desperate for entertainment or have some kind of Joker Fetish to really pick this movie over all the other fine horror films that are out there.
If the movie focused a little more on the Funny Man's back-story, the movie would have had a much more interesting sub-plot. |
tt1121977 | Mother and Child | When she was 14, Karen (Annette Bening) became pregnant and gave her daughter up for adoption. The decision to give up her child has always haunted her. Upon meeting laid-back Paco (Jimmy Smits) at work, Karen allows her anxiety and mistrust to get the best of her. She gradually calms her anxiety through her growing relationship with Paco, and they get married. Paco persuades Karen to write a letter to her unknown, adult daughter, and she leaves the letter with the Catholic agency that had arranged the adoption.
Karen's daughter, Elizabeth (Naomi Watts), grows up to be solitary, willful, and hardhearted. She is hired as an attorney at a prestigious law firm headed by Paul (Samuel L. Jackson). They have an affair, and Elizabeth becomes pregnant. She quits without informing Paul of her condition, and moves to a new apartment and a new job. She also leaves a letter for her biological mother with the adoption agency.
Lucy (Kerry Washington) is a baker who longs to be a mother, but she cannot have children of her own. She and her husband, Joseph (David Ramsey), contact the same adoption agency and they meet with a young pregnant, prospective mother. After a protracted interview period, the mother agrees to give the couple her baby, but she changes her mind shortly after giving birth. Lucy is devastated by this news. Joseph reveals that he really wants to have his own biological child, and he and Lucy separate.
Elizabeth dies while giving birth to her child. Since no one steps forward to claim the baby, the agency offers the baby to Lucy, who adopts her. At first, Lucy is overwhelmed by the demands of being a new mother.
One year later, Karen finds out about Elizabeth's death and her letter, which had been misplaced, informing her that she has a granddaughter named Ella. The agency arranges a meeting and Karen meets the little girl and Lucy, who live a short distance away in her own neighborhood. | dramatic, sentimental | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1602611 | Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance | === Setting and characters ===
The events of Metal Gear Rising are set in the year 2018, four years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4. The Patriots, a powerful shadow organization running the world's war economy, have been destroyed and Private Military Companies (PMC) have splintered into numerous factions. With the elimination of the Patriot-controlled nanomachine technology used to regulate soldiers' abilities, PMCs turn to advanced cyborg technology, creating durable superhuman soldiers. The player controls Raiden, a former child soldier turned into a cyborg that now works for the PMC Maverick Securities. Raiden is supported by his Maverick colleagues, Russian pointman Boris Popov, military advisor Kevin Washington, computer specialist Courtney Collins, and cybernetics expert Wilhelm "Doktor" Voight. Returning from Metal Gear Solid 4 is Sunny Emmerich, a child prodigy and friend of Raiden working at Solis Space & Aeronautics.
Rival PMC Desperado Enforcement LLC. serve as the game's antagonists; Desperado wants to destabilize peaceful nations and preserve conflict, allowing them to reap the financial rewards and technological advancements of the war economy. Desperado operative Samuel Rodrigues, also known as Jetstream Sam, serves as Raiden's rival with a conversation between the two in the beginning influencing Raiden. Sam is a member of a team of Desperado cyborg assassins named the "Winds of Destruction": Sundowner, Desperado's de facto leader, who wields "Bloodlust", machetes that combine in a large pincer, and who also has a set of reactive armor shields connected to his body; Mistral, the team's only female member, whose frame can support multiple additional arms, allowing her to wield her "L'Etranger" staff that she can use as a whip or halberd; and Monsoon, who uses dual sai called "Dystopia", can manipulate metal objects with magnetism, and can break apart his body into individual components while retaining control over each part through magnetism. LQ-84i, or Bladewolf, is a state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence (AI) housed within a quadruped robot who serves initially as Raiden's Desperado-controlled enemy, but is later reprogrammed to aid Raiden and Maverick. Additionally, a Colorado senator and potential Presidential candidate, Steven Armstrong, is involved in Desperado's activities. An additional member of the Winds of Destruction, Khamsin, appears as part of the Bladewolf DLC campaign. The game is a spin-off that is "not part of the Metal Gear Solid series", although it is considered part of the same canon.
=== Plot ===
While providing security detail in an unnamed African country for its prime minister, N'Mani, Maverick operative Raiden and his team are attacked by Desperado, a rogue PMC involved in terrorism. While Raiden fends off Desperado forces, their leader "Sundowner" manages to kidnap and execute N'Mani. Sundowner's comrade, Samuel "Jetstream Sam" Rodriguez, fights and defeats Raiden, severely damaging his cyborg body. Raiden survives, and Doktor later gives him a new black cyborg armor.
Three weeks later, Raiden infiltrates the breakaway nation of Abkhazia after learning that Desperado is leading a military coup there. He plans to capture Andrey Dolzaev, an extremist leading the Abkhazian forces, to force Desperado into standing down. Desperado anticipates the move and assigns a prototype AI designated LQ-84i to stop him. Raiden defeats LQ-84i in combat, and later has it rebuilt as an ally, naming it Bladewolf. He faces further opposition from Mistral, the commander of Desperado's forces in Abkhazia. After Raiden kills Mistral in combat, Dolzaev commits suicide by blowing up an oil tank he is standing on. Maverick assigns Raiden and Bladewolf to investigate a research facility in Guadalajara, Mexico. There, Raiden meets an orphan named George, and learns that George was at the facility to have his brain—along with the brains of several other orphans—surgically removed and shipped to the United States. He learns that Sundowner inspected the facility in the company of Senator Steven Armstrong, creating an alliance between Desperado and World Marshal, another PMC. They plan to condition the children's brains to become killers through VR training and place them inside cybernetic bodies to create new soldiers, similar to Raiden. Raiden rescues George and the unharvested orphans, and takes them to Doktor.
Raiden promptly resigns and with Bladewolf at his side, launches a one-man assault on World Marshal's headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Though he is no longer employed by them, Maverick unofficially approves of his actions and provides discreet support throughout. As he fights his way through the city's privatized police force and Desperado soldiers, Raiden becomes conflicted over those he has killed. The longer he fights, the more he starts regressing towards his aggressive child soldier persona, "Jack the Ripper", before finally embracing it when he encounters Sam and another operative named Monsoon. He kills Monsoon and infiltrates World Marshal's headquarters before locating and killing Sundowner in short order. There, he learns that Armstrong brought World Marshal and Desperado together to exploit Raiden's desire to avenge N'Mani's death. Armstrong used Desperado to distract Raiden while he carries out "Operation Tecumseh": a plan to assassinate the President of the United States during peace negotiations with Pakistan to ensure another War on Terror.
While Doktor recovers the children's brains, Raiden seeks help from the Solis company to reach Pakistan in time to stop Armstrong. He encounters Sam on the way and the pair engage in a final duel from which Raiden emerges victorious. At Solis, Sunny helps Raiden travel to Shabhazabad Air Base in Pakistan, where he is attacked by Metal Gear EXCELSUS, a hexapedal tank piloted by Armstrong. He reveals that his true plan is killing US military personnel at the base as this is enough to agitate the American people. Armstrong, with his connections to the PMCs, would win any subsequent election in a landslide. This would give him free rein to realize his vision of a survival of the fittest society, fighting and dying only for what they believe in. Raiden destroys EXCELSUS, but discovers that Armstrong has augmented himself with nanomachines that give him incredible strength and near-invulnerability, destroying Raiden's blade. Bladewolf intervenes and gives Raiden Sam's sword which allows him to kill Armstrong.
In the epilogue, Maverick receives approval to create a new cyborg staffing firm, allowing them to shelter the orphans' brains and potentially give them a chance at a better life, while George and Bladewolf go live at Solis with Sunny. Although Desperado is defeated and the brain-taking operation defunct, World Marshal remains in business. Afterwards, Raiden decides against rejoining Maverick, having resolved to fight his own war. | revenge, sci-fi | train | wikipedia | In The Name Of Metal Gear. Story: As far as Metal Gear games go there has always been some sort of story, usually a convoluted one involving Nukes and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (From here on MGR) is no exception to this.Taking place four years after the events of MGS4, the game revolves around Raiden and his return to the battle field as a cyborg ninja. The actual story is as you would expect somewhat convoluted confusing at times, especially on a first play-through, but thats not the problem here. The actual time it takes to finish the story and game is somewhere between five and six hours. This is quite short for a full Metal Gear (From here on MG) game especially when your not skipping cut-scenes.Characters are introduced very quickly into the story, especially when it comes to the rivals in the game. E.g Two Rivals are introduced right before you fight them, two are seen but not actually met till right before the fight and two are met very early on in the game. Overall this isn't much of an issue as each one gets a cut-scene or two and explains their somewhat forgettable back-story (Not all forgettable) Its when you compare this to previous MG games where we usually meet and learn about rivals before hand, or we at least see and hear them speak. With that in mind the story and its tone and themes still fit in to the MG franchise quite nicely and it works as a MG game no doubt.Gameplay: This game unlike previous MG games is not exactly about stealth but its more hack and slash, but for any fans of stealth out there, there is stealth in the game. MGR controls quite well and the quick sword movements are quite fluid and the numerous combos you can use depend on your own choice of going simply with Raiden's blade or the secondary weapons which open up some slightly different game-play. Also included in game-play is the use of quick-time events. A lot of these are mandatory and some can be triggered depending on the moves you choose to use. Thankfully these are mostly used for taking down bosses or getting one up on a larger opponent, tho that is optional and isn't shoved in your face every five seconds. The inclusion of a First person blade mode is also quite a fun and unique feature, but can take some time to get use to if you choose to use the analog control( Which is more fun) over the buttons. The camera during play can be a little off at times and annoying causing you to maybe miss your target in a quick paced fight or results in you getting hit, however this really isn't a major concern.There seems to be some slowdown during game-play when you get a codec call. The real slowdown seems to be a loading issue with these calls, however it could just be my games console rather than the game. MGR has fun hack and slash game-play which is not something I usually go for.Presentation: Visually the game looks great, realistic and fits in perfectly with the rest of the MG series as one might expect.Soundtrack: The soundtrack is a fast paced rock and metal mix. Nearly every boss fight includes lyrics within the soundtrack. I personally had no idea what was being sung during these fights but it certainly upped the tension and overall feel of each battle. MGR's soundtrack works great within in the game but its not one I'd have on my ipod.Cast and Characters: The cast, with whom I'm not really too familiar with apart from Quinton Flynn who voiced Raiden in MGS2 and MGS4. Quinton Flynn delivers his lines perfectly along with the rest of the cast. Every character had a voice that suited them perfectly and none of them seemed out of place in any way.As noted earlier in MGR we are introduced to characters very fast, some of these characters seem interesting and have certain quirks about them, one is constantly moving a cup placed by another character so it won't be knocked over while another wants you to cut off and deliver the left hands of your enemies. Sadly we don't get to know too much about these characters and this game really is focused on Raiden. One great aspect of this is the fact that Raiden was a main character in both MGS2 and MGS4 so we don't need to learn his back-story all over again because we know it. There are a few times his past is talked about and his nickname of 'Jack The Ripper' is tossed around but its not in your face and we don't have to listen to Raiden whine about it constantly, or just whine in general (I'm looking at you MGS2)One problem with the quick introduction of characters is that bosses are introduced and then we fight them, they get a cut-scene to babble on about some stuff but we don't see any growth with them. Its as if some of them were born had something happen and then were in a coma up until this point in time. One other thing to note about the characters and especially Raiden is some of his actions, I wont go into detail on this but just think of it as, saying one thing and doing another. On the topic of characters overall there are two returning characters from the previous game one is Raiden and the other you will know when/if you play for yourself.Final Thoughts: The game is very enjoyable, high speed hack and slash with plenty of extras to collect, if thats your kind of thing, mine personally is PS3 trophies of which there are 51 set across, I believe 5 difficulty settings from Easy up to Revengence.Score:8/10. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013). Presentation : 8Story : 7Direction : 8Gameplay : 9Graphic : 7Score : 7.8 "Don't miss!". I haven't played Solid but this is amazing!. Where do I begin with this? Metal Gear Solid is one of those franchises that if you haven't heard of it then you've either been living under a rock for 20 years or you're so disconnected from playing stealth games that you don't know about it's most popular franchise. I thought this would be the best place to start because I've heard different things about the series, most of them glowing but also with a few different complaints such as the plots getting convoluted towards the end. I decided to instead go for the hack 'n' slash because I'm more accustomed to those games than stealth and by god! I'm buying the original MGS as soon as I see a copy if it's as good as this.The plot is that Raiden, a cyborg ninja (who's design makes him look like he's wearing stilettos... Weird!) fails to protect a head of state from other cyborgs when the region was actually going pretty well all things considered. Raiden loses an arm and an eye in the mix so he's given a better body and stops the terrorist group from destabilizing regions to profit from the wars.If there is a single complaint with this game it's when Raiden suffers from PTSD for all the lives he's taken. There's nothing wrong with the scene but he goes from PTSD, flipping out and when he goes back to normal he's perfectly fine with cutting people into hundreds of pieces... What?! I haven't left anything out this is seriously how it's played out. I really think the game would have been stronger if this scene wasn't played at all.Okay, now to talk about the fun stuff. Blade Mode. If this doesn't become the norm for hack 'n' slash games or attempts are made then I'm giving up on the genre. It is so fun to either be precise with where to cut or just going insane with the mode. Either way, for that alone, this is worth getting. I also really REALLY love the first and final boss fights, right off the bat the first boss makes you feel like a complete badass, the final one (at least until things change) is so good as well, I seriously recommend it. The story as well, while it's weak in a lot of places I enjoyed it and while I hate the PTSD scene I love it bringing up themes of war and such. You'd think with the goofier things that go on in the game that it bringing this stuff up would be whiplash in tone but it's played out perfectly. That is ridiculous! Especially considering this is the game where you can leap frog missiles in one section.I'd say this is worth getting. Yes it's goofy, yes - it might not be as good as solid but with Blade mode alone I would seriously recommend this game if you want the feeling of having an unbreakable blade by your side. I'll also say that it might be a little too short for some people's liking - I managed to beat the game in 3 days but I think regardless this is worth renting at least!. Different than the ones before it, and for a good reason. Let me just state that though I'm familiar with Metal Gear series, I've only played MGS4, MGRR and the prologue demo Ground Zeroes. Let's get to the point then...Set couple of years later after the events of MGS4, Raiden aka Jack is now a cyborg ninja employed under a private security company. War economy has ended after the fall of the Patriots AI, but many private military companies are still fighting and now using cyborgs. Raiden gets brutally defeated after failing to protect the prime minister during a simple mission which of course goes awry and gets a new body.The story focuses on Raiden's efforts to stop the ones responsible and his morality which is basically hypocrisy as he considers himself a sword of justice and talks loudly about it, but is still "Jack the Ripper" who loves killing as pointed by the bosses in the game. The scene where Raiden sheds it all and confesses to becoming Jack again is powerful but slightly cheesy. Many characters are present but the story is rushed (no long cutscenes) and the only memorable characters for me were the boy who is saved by Raiden, the Doktor, Jetstream Sam aka the guy who defeated Raiden brutally in the beginning of the game and taunts Raiden the most and Sonny who is grown up and is a machine genius. The story length is about 5-6 hours which is somewhat short but decent enough.The gameplay is totally different from the previous games, where stealth was the key to success. Now you as a cyborg ninja rely on your sword and awesome moves and weapons to finish the task. The game is all hack and slash but with a few stealth elements thrown in, noticeably the return of the all mighty cardboard box and drum roll, which I didn't like because they don't fit in perfectly and there is no reason to use them. But the slow motion Blade mode where you strategically dismember the enemies and steal their life force and the later unlocked Ripper mode aka the rage mode are pretty cool. Even there is a training mode, there is no survival mode.The boss fights are amazing and even though it's hack and slash, each boss fight feels different and more dangerous as you mix and match tactics and weapons to defeat them. After defeating each boss you gain their weapons (pretty much like MGS4). The best boss fight for me would be against Jetstream Sam, the Sundowner and the final boss fight against the Senator who transforms into Broly the Super Saiyan without the hair (just kidding, but he does become monster like).The graphics are pretty good but the PC port is bad because even if you change the resolution and frame rate according to your system, you have to lower those because certain boss fights don't progress, which is pretty weird and irritating (especially the final boss fight which is pretty good, but gets hampered due to such issues). And I'm not the only one with the issue.The soundtrack fits the atmosphere perfectly and especially during boss fights but its not something I would download for listening again.To summarize, the game is worth your time if you want a decent story and great gameplay. The only reason I give this 8/10 is due to the graphics issue on PCs and no survival mode. |
tt1051981 | Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! | Dorky Andy (Jake Mosser), flamboyant Nico (Jonah Blechman), jock Jarod (Jimmy Clabots), and nerdy Griff (Aaron Michael Davies) reunite in Fort Lauderdale for spring break. The plot revolves around a contest—"Gays Gone Wild!"—to see who can have sex with the most guys during the duration of spring break. The winner will be crowned "Miss Gay Gone Wild".
While Andy seems to have no problem getting men to have sex with him, Nico has not been attracting men at all. He has a frequent fantasy sequence involving a merman (Brent Corrigan). Andy is troubled, however, when he falls hard for Luis (Euriamis Losada), a charming, handsome virgin. Jarod and Griff are also having problems, as they have become a couple, and are conflicted over whether to enter the contest. Meanwhile, a trio by the name of Jasper (Will Wikle, Brand Lim, and Isaac Webster) seem to be eager to win the contest by any means.
In a subplot, the guys meet Perez Hilton on an airplane. Hilton pursues a young priest to the bathroom; he hits his head and becomes a religious zealot trying to suppress the gay activities. He is later hit in the head again and changes back. | prank | train | wikipedia | And finally the promise of yet another sequel "Gays in Space" sounds atrocious..
Gee, I need to write at least ten lines but can sum it up nicely: THIS MOVIE IS A PIECE JUNK AND NOT WORTH YOUR TIME.
As impossible as it many seem, this film makes "Justin Loves Kelly" seem like a work of art.
Finally a movie that makes a gay go straight.
'Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild' is quite possibly one of the worst movies I have ever seen.
This movie was so unfunny, so unpleasant, it was utterly painful to watch and yes, I had to continue to watch just to see each scene that got more disturbing than the last.
I've despised movies in the past, but rarely will one both make me cringe as well as almost vomit on how bad it is (Side note: don't eat while watching, as I did seriously and no joke, I almost vomited.) Shameless product (websites) placements, God-awful attempts at spoofs, jokes OK more accurately, just flat statements (there are no words to describe) that are seen thousands frames in advance and loss of respect for the once great RuPaul, for he was in the movie long enough to know how incredibly bad of a decision to support these idiots.
The only close-to-funny gag (yes singular) was them making fun of the original cast for failing to return due to "not being labeled as gay for doing two gay-themed movies." More likely, they simply read the script and knew they were above this (ah-hem) bottom-dwelling nightmare..
sad distant echo of the original Another Gay Movie.
Tonight I sat down to watch the newly arrived "Another Gay Sequel" DVD, expecting it to at least live up to the standard of "Another Gay Movie" (which I had thoroughly enjoyed and can happily recommend).
The bevy of nice looking actors, no matter how naked, had no hope of saving this film..
First things first; this is not like the first movie.
You can tell from the very beginning of the movie that the aim is not so much to tell a heartwarming coming-of-age story, but rather to make you laugh as much as possible by presenting crazy over-the-top, sometimes revolting, gags which it does with gusto.
If they were going to make this a serious and realistic follow-on to the last movie, how could they have possibly explained away why three of the four main leads look completely different?!
It was like watching the antics of the drunken slut at a party; you just felt embarrassed for him.Jonah Blechman deserves a paragraph of praise.
I don't think the movie would have been anywhere near as good if he had wimped-out and jumped ship like three other certain actors.Biggest surprise; Rupaul is actually a really good, natural and convincing actor.
We don't see enough of him on this side of the Atlantic.Look, just watch the movie with the intention of having a laugh.
Switch off the nit-picking film-critic part of your brain and you will enjoy this movie..
My opinion is: if you loved ANOTHER GAY MOVIE, you'll love ANOTHER GAY SEQUEL.
I also liked that the movie explored different kinds of gay relationships - single guys, monogamous couples and non-monogamous couples.
I thought all options were given equal screen time and presented non-judgmentally.Lastly, I CANNOT stop singing The "Lady" Bunny song "Gays Gone Wild" - I can't WAIT for that to come out on amazon.com!.
To say this movie is not only a waste of your time, a waste of time of anyone involved with this "film" and a waste of the energy and anything else associated with this disaster is an understatement...I did not find one even one scene minorly funny scene, yet found at least a handful which were totally nasty and disgusting...If this is what passes for humor in the "gay community" today...then let me be an outcast as I cannot find one positive comment to make about this "film" unless you count finally seeing the end of it as a positive...I cannot find one reason why anyone looking at the screenplay for this could conceive why this should have ever been made...were they hoping the mindless sheep would flock (pun intended) to see this film?...I think that whoever heads the studio that made this should be immediately terminated...although this same studio will probably be the next one in line asking for a handout...oops I mean a bailout...oops, I mean a loan so they don't have to file bankruptcy...this studio should go down in flames!.
I've finally got around to watching this movie tonight - albeit with Spanish subtitles - and it truly is ghastly.
I, like most of the other reviewers here, really enjoyed the first movie which had life and spark to it.
I hope that this sequel is just a glitch and a third film in the series will go for charm and not paint all us gays out to be butt-chasing, screaming queens..
This movie, although possibly not as well produced as the first, was highly enjoyable and yes even heartfelt.
If you're looking for an epic Oscar winning movie you'll be disappointed, if you're looking for a good night out and lots of laughs and some gross out moments this movie will more than satisfy!.
I was hesitant at first after seeing that the main characters had been changed, but I was surprised by how that change actually was worked into the movie quite well.
RuPaul and the new Griff (Aaron Michael Davies) as well as the director and creative team were there for a talk back after the film.
Since it was still a work in progress, some of the editing, coloring, and sound was off, but other than that, it was the complete movie.
Hey Folks,I've seen the first part which was so-so, funny and trashy and a gay version of American Pie. Whatever, We went to see the preview of the second one, and this was a riot - totally trashy and "bad-tasted" (does that word exist ?
Save yourself two hours of your life and do something meaningful, like watch paint dry!I really enjoyed the first one and was anxious to see the sequel.
Brent Corrigan's butt was very nice to look at, but I can find that on-line, along with the rest of his naked body!Seriously, save yourself and watch something else..
Like the first movie,if they hadn't put in all the gross out scenes and its over-reliance on "guest star" cameos,as well as a tighter(no pun intended)story,this might have been a better movie instead the disappointing,muddled mess that it is.Performances from OK(i kinda liked the guys who played Andy & Jarod and Jonah Blechman(?) is a stitch,as always)to the "WTF?".(Perez Hilton,anyone..HELLO!)The storyline is all over the place,however Again,not a terrible movie but not a winner either.Stick with the movies it parodies..
The four "lovable" gay guys from "Another Gay Movie" go to Ft. Lauderdale for Spring Break.
Still this isn't a GOOD movie by any means.It's very colorful and the cast is rearing to go.
Davies and Clabots portray a gay couple realistically and are quite good.
The movie also has a few serious and well-done moments with the guys discussing relationships.
Also there are plenty of buff good-looking guys strolling around near naked throughout most of the film.
Now I LOVE horror movies and I got the parodies--but they're totally out of place in a gay comedy.
I didn't actually really like the first movie 'Another Gay Sequel' at all, and admit for the first 20 mins of this one I was wondering how on earth such a god-awful script made it to the point of actually shooting it as a movie!
But I hung in there, and by the end I was a committed fan and own the DVD now.It's definitely hit and miss with it's jokes, there are some quite lame jokes, some 'could have been so much better with a bit more planning' jokes and definite laugh out loud moments (The films campy villains - the 'Jaspers', Niko's 'Does He?............' with flickering eyes *not sure what film he's parodying but it's hilarious*, Rupaul's incessant product spruiking, Amanda Lapore's 'offer to use her ample bust for flotation devices during some turbulence, and even Perez Hilton provides some laughs as a militant anti gay campaigner (turned to the dark side after being knocked on the head whilst performing oral on a priest in an aeroplane toilet).Then there are some sweet and touching moments (Niko's speech at the orgy at the end about his struggle to fit in, the love story between Andy and Luis the virgin, even Griff and Jarod's struggles as they explore a monogamous - then open - then back to monogamous relationship.) It's VERY cheap, VERY over the top and incredibly trashy.
This film is about four guys having a crazy holiday in Florida, where they participate a race called "Gays Gone Wild".The title of "Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!" is very cheesy, which is exactly what this film is about.
Moreover, the "Gays Gone Wild" contest is basically promiscuity, which is grossly irresponsible to promote."Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!" is a disappointing comedy, and it is not really that funny either..
It's a harmless bash at every gay stereotype you can imagine, it's camp, driven and funny.Many moments in the film have that extreme cringe factor, but you have chosen to invest time in a movie titled 'Another Gay Movie: Gays Gone Wild' you can hardly expect subtleties like the camera veering off to record a fireplace while sexual activity is implied...RuPaul and Lady Bunny bring classic drag comedy, while the main cast are easy on the eye and don't appall with their acting skills.
The Cameos from Muffster and Nico's Mum are also welcomed with a wide grin.I would say if you are bored and want to spend an hour and a half amused yet bemused, laughing but not really knowing what at and trying to guess the countless films this one parodies, go for it!
Yes, this is gay, silly, dumb, offensive, trashy and pornographic film making -- but I still ended up chuckling for most of the 90 minutes.
I'm not sure they should have returned with Jonah Blechman and Scott Thompson in the same roles because their shticks seemed less original the second time around.
The first movie was so great; I still watch it over and over again, but this sequel was filled with nothing but tired and forced humor that the first movie didn't have to try for.
I think they tried too hard to be funny or they might have rushed just to get a movie out, but it was just plain terrible.
The guys were totally cute and overall did a good job, but maybe they should have taken the time to watch both movies one after another to see where they started to change what didn't need to be changed.
I'll still buy the movie to support the cause and sorry for the negative review, but come on Todd, you must have friends that will be honest with you..
A super great move about common gay issues :) put a little more under the microscope :) But with RuPaul, The Lady Bunny, and a great cast of funny actors..Really great, i can watch it over and over and over.....The first one is also good, but this is better!Perez Hilton is a great add to the bunch of neurotic cast :)Watch it!, open minded :)Please write me if you have any other good suggestions of gay movies!Come, follow me, where manatees swim free, down under the golden sea....
If ever there were an "A for Effort" moment it would be Another Gay Sequel.
Desperate to mix charm and wit with gross-out teen sexploitation style humor, this film unfortunately provides 10 unfunny moments for every 1 truly endearing or hilarious one.On a shoestring budget the plot seems borrowed from the video game "Leisure Suit Larry: Love For Sail".
Unfortunately making gross-out jokes "gay" doesn't make them funny, and so many sight gags and predictable moments occur in this movie that it prevents a real laugh-out-loud experience.Whether it's "the prettiest boy" ending up with poo on his face from an unclean sex experience or a father and son power-vomiting all over each other because of accidental incest, most of these shallow moments somehow lose their sheen for even the biggest fan of low brow gags.Saving the film is the character of Nico, the over-the-top femme of the bunch.
There are also some brilliant parody moments including Nico running down the beach in braids a'la Bo Derek in "10", and even a one-off tribute to cult classic Romy & Michele's High School Reunion.Where the movie really fails in in the attempt to blend boner jokes and toilet gags with genuine plots about monogamy, relationships and discovering one's identity.
Yes, but it wasn't.Shout outs go to RuPaul in a hilarious turn as an androgynous activities directory who seems to exist mostly just to drop cheesy product placements for the movie's sponsors.
I was a huge fan of Another Gay Movie.
While some of the gross-out humor got to me, altogether I thought it was a funny, well-meaning and overall entertaining comedy full of fun homages and great eye-candy.
Unfortunately, "Another Gay Sequel" gives us about half the effort and a quarter of the laughs that the previous entry served up.First of all, replacing the main cast members hurt the film big-time.
Now, the original cast's reasons for returning (or probable reasons) are explained in the film's opening, but if you're going to replace the original actors, at least attempt to cast actors who look somewhat like them.
Jonah Blechman, thankfully, stayed around and offers up some of the film's funniest lines and moments.The endearing supporting cast from the original film aren't even here this time.
Muffster, Nico's mom and Andy's mom are traded in for the hideously unentertaining "Jaspers" and Perez Hilton, who provides what are perhaps the most annoying 5 minutes of screen-time I've ever sat through.
Also, Andy's dad appears very late and randomly in the movie, making me think that they needed to pad the film with gross-out humor to get the running time up to par.Thankfully, the movie does have its funny and sincere moments.
RuPaul provides some hilarious one-liners and random appearances in the movie.
And the references and homages in the movie - ranging from "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion" to "10" and "Thriller" - kept me sane.Altogether, "Another Gay Sequel" comes up short in terms of keeping with the tone of the original, and gives us a bunch of new characters (and actors) who, unfortunately, can't capture the campy and hilarious mood that the first film gave to us..
OK, to be frank, this movie was not ever meant to be the best work of cinematography ever, and perhaps the director and the producer may agree.
With that said, let's look at it for what it is: an instant cult movie, grotesque, exaggerated (and sometimes painfully real) look at the gay subculture of today, whether people agree with it, or not.
Going to this movie with an open mind is, to say the least, the only way to enjoy it.
Having preconceived notions and self righteous imperious attitude will only result in disappointment.I went to see this movie with my best friend and guru, my yoga instructor.
In many ways, we often have a self view of us to be so different from the rest of the world, as if we were aliens in our own planet.Sure, of course, this movie is crass, gross, juvenile, and almost downright delinquent.
If you can't laugh at this movie, the very least I can recommend you seek help.I liked it..
My fiancée went to the movies to see the original & when it came out on DVD I watched it with her.
This is one of those movies that people will love or hate.
If you don't mind stepping out of your comfort zone & shutting off your brain Gays Gone Wild is a lot of fun.
We loved the first movie (Another Gay Movie), and had read that Another Gay Sequel was 'not as good' and 'trashy'.
Seriously, this movie made me feel ashamed to be gay.So the four boys go off to Fort Lauderdale to have as much sex as possible.
Reality: gay men spreading STDs like it's nobody's business, off of their heads on the buzz of hedonism, having dreams about fisting zombies who go so far that hands break through flesh.
I wet myself with laughter whenever I watch the first movie.
There are a number of Gay sacred cows in this movie like Lady Bunny, Colton Ford, Perez Hilton, and that twerp from the Eating Out movies.
I really don't know why Gay people put up with garbage like this just because it is a "Gay Film".
Burning the negative and all prints of this film would help preserve the reputation of the first movie.
As corny as the first movie was, I still genuinely liked it.
I honestly don't think I've ever seen a worse movie in my life.
If Another Gay Movie was surprisingly better than anyone had a right to expect, Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild is far worse than one could possibly imagine.
While the sight gags plumb ever further depths of tastelessness and gross-out humor is at a maximum, very little of it is actually funny.
Familiar gay faces make appearances again, but mostly to little avail this time.
Of the four leads from the original, only Jonah Blechman returns and it comes as little surprise that he contributes the best performance.
Another disappointment is that while the original film truly seemed to like its main characters and have some degree of respect for them no matter the ludicrous indignities being suffered, this sequel rarely treats them as anything more than props for the next gross-out gag. |
tt0478024 | SPL: Sha po lang | The movie is set before 1997, prior to the return of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. Chan Kwok-chung (Simon Yam), a Hong Kong police inspector, has dedicated his career to putting Wong Po (Sammo Hung), a notorious triad boss, behind bars. While escorting a witness with damning evidence of Wong's wrongdoings to court, Chan's car is rammed by another car driven by Jack (Wu Jing), a ruthless assassin. Jack proceeds to kill the wounded witness and his wife, but spares their young daughter. Chan survives with a piece of glass stuck in his head. After the glass is removed, the doctor informs Chan of a tumor in his brain that will soon kill him. Chan becomes even more determined to bring down Wong Po, using any means necessary.
Three years later, Ma Kwun (Donnie Yen), a police officer from another precinct, is assigned to replace Chan, who is going to retire soon. Ma will lead Chan's team, composed of Wah, Sum and Lok. The three men are very protective of Chan, who has since adopted the slain witness' daughter.
An electronics shop owner brings to the police station a video tape of Wong Po torturing an undercover agent. In the video, Wong hits the agent repeatedly with a golf club, then one of his men finishes him off. Chan and his colleagues decide to alter the tape, intimidate the shop owner into accusing Wong Po of being the murderer, and eliminate the real killer. Ma, who once beat up a drug trafficker so badly that the latter has become mentally handicapped, has vowed to abstain from using questionable means in his career. He is upset when he sees Chan and his colleagues resorting to use underhanded means to frame Wong Po for murder. He witnesses Chan's team murdering the henchman that killed the undercover agent, and confronts the four of them, resulting in a brief fight. Despite their disagreements, Ma still assists Chan and the team later in the arrest of Wong Po.
The group receives a message warning them against leaving the police station that night. Ignoring the threat, Lok goes to buy a gun to serve as Wong Po's "murder weapon", but is trapped in an enclosed area and ends up getting killed by a knife wielding Jack. Later that night, Jack sneaks up on Wah and Sum and stabs them to death. Ma rushes to save them but arrives too late. Before dying, Wah confesses to Ma that he, Sum and Lok had stolen money from Wong Po (when they busted one of Wong's drug operations earlier) to help Chan raise his adopted daughter, and were targeted for retaliation by Wong. A copy of the original video tape is sent to Chan's superior, Cheung Chun-fei. Seeing that Chan had tampered with evidence to frame Wong Po, Cheung releases Wong and proceeds to arrest Chan. An elderly policeman called Uncle Ba helps Chan avoid arrest.
Chan goes to Wong Po's office with the stolen money. He shoots a few henchmen but is eventually overpowered and disarmed by Jack. At the station, Ma has a heated argument with Cheung over the handling of the case. Furious, he turns in his badge and gun. He receives a call from Wong Po, who tells him that he has taken Chan captive.
Ma then heads to Wong Po's office and encounters Jack in a back alley. After an intense battle, Jack wrestles Ma's baton away from him, but Ma manages to eviscerate Jack with his own knife. In Wong Po's office, he fights Wong and seemingly kills the crime lord when he backdrops the latter onto a tall display of glasses and bottles. Ma sits down at the bar and starts to pour himself a drink. However, Wong suddenly gets up and throws Ma out of the window. Ma lands on the car carrying Wong's wife and baby son, caving in the roof. All three are killed instantly. Wong gazes down at Ma's body and recognizes the car underneath. He slumps down and starts sobbing, broken with grief.
In the final scene, Chan and his adopted daughter are seen on the beach, with the girl playing near the shore. Chan finally succumbs to his tumour and dies. | dark, neo noir, murder, violence, flashback, melodrama, revenge | train | wikipedia | Donnie's character repeatedly goes for takedowns, armbars, chokes, and all the moves that you might see in a UFC or Pride match (with Sammo countering attacks exactly how the big fighters do it in a real bout), while seamlessly combining them with the incredibly fast, complex punching and kicking exchanges you'd expect in a Hong Kong flick.
Of course, there's always a backup tape, and the vicious crime kingpin again walks free, this time with a master plan to wipe out Simon's unit for good.Into this raging carnival of payback is transferred Simon's replacement Donnie, a not-quite- by-the-book hot shot whose initial protestations to the group's dark pragmatism and exclusionary procedures are rescinded after he helplessly watches one of them get slit up a treat by Sammo's snickering, psychotic blade-for-hire Jacky Wu Jing (who's hardly the "newcomer" he's being touted as by both the opening credits and the internet gossip cycle).
That these two will later settle up accounts in a ferocious bout of hand-to-hand combat in the alley leading to Sammo's club is a foregone conclusion: that the fight is one of the most beautifully constructed, relentlessly exhilarating setpieces of martial arts choreography in the history of Hong Kong cinema, one that practically INVENTS new ways of kicking ass, comes as a breath of minty freshness in this era of assembly line romances and computer-assisted Jackie Chan in silly helmets.The sequence is rivaled in short order when Donnie finally takes on the Big Man himself, virtually trashing Sammo's opulent nightclub in the process just moments after Simon's abortive last attempt to kill his archenemy buys him a series of gaping stab wounds and a Great Big Knife through his hand.But the film isn't just about combat, phenomenal though it is; it's about consequences, and the dark decisions of the soul that, in Hong Kong movies at least, routinely resulted in cataclysm in film after film of the golden era of the 80's and 90's.
No one escapes fate in SPL, not that they try very hard: combatants on both sides of the battle have tunnel vision and live only to see the other side pushing up the daisies, their own deaths often appearing as surprising to them as they are to us.SPL feels like the movie its director, Wilson Yip, wanted to make in the mid-1990's, back when folks like Danny Lee knew the value of a hammer and a phone book in extracting confessions, so it doesn't surprise that the film is set in 1997 (a fact seemingly lost on the majority of the audience at the Toronto Film Festival where this debuted): how else to justify the "shoot-first-f***-the-questions" cocaine bust flashbacked as newly arrived Donnie quietly acquaints himself with the vacant desks of his new charges, or the sight of weary veteran Liu Kai-chi slapping around a mental retardate and trashing the poor boy's pad?Not that the film is all bleakness.
There's more authentic characterization on display here than in any five Hong Kong action thrillers of the past few years (barring the gorgeously grim procedural of Johnny To) - not for nothing is the film set on Father's Day - a fact not lost on the likes of Yip and Yen, who must have known respective talents such as theirs, coupled with an Asian cinephile's dream cast, could only result in something truly memorable.With little argument, this is Yip's most refined, tightly-wound effort to date, a lean, dark, unsparing bastard of a movie that melds the satiny luster of 2002, with which it shares art director Jeff Mak, with the sinewy, stripped-down plotting of BIO-ZOMBIE (minus the comedy, of course).
The plot was seriously stretched thin, you don't really get into the characters or care much for them; Audience members laughed at scenes that were supposed to be touching or sad but every criticism I could lay at the movies feet is fairly much washed away by the fight scenes.Donnie yen did a spectacular job with the choreography and MMA fans will be glad to know there is an energetic mix of all types of fighting styles including Jiu Jitsu complete with take downs and arm-bars.
To this point, the baton that yen wields in this fight scene was replaced three times as it was broken on Wu Jing's head while filming.Sammo is fantastic and I still marvel at how he moves at his age.
its not a story about idealistic law enforcement, its about cops living in a very bad world, and doing whatever they need to do to get the job done.Donnie Yen is in prime form here, its great to see him back in action and in such center-stage role.
Sadly it is so rare nowadays to see a martial arts film where real martial artists are fighting instead of pop stars on wires, and it makes such a huge difference because Donnie, Sammo and Jacky Wu were simply incredible.
Donnie Yen has finally joined the ranks of great fight choreographers with S.P.L.As good as the action was though, the story fell flat for me and put the film into the "Very Good" category when it could have been "Great".
They're headed by Chung (Simon Yam AGAIN), who's got it in for Wong Po after a family of witnesses under his protection got wasted on the criminal's bequest.But Chung's naturally about to retire in order to care for his goddaughter (sole survivor of said family), so the stage is set for new captain Inspector Ma, another fighting machine in the form of ever-likable Donnie Yen (Iron Monkey, Hero, Seven Swords) to come in and join the fray.
Others include abrasive, skeptic cop Ah Wah (Liu Kai Chi, pretty much in every HK movie over the last few years) and a nameless, lunatic killer employed by Wong Po (martial arts expert Wu Jing).Save for a few minor pseudo-surprises, SPL follows a normative mold as far as story goes, but succeeds mostly in terms of its superb pace and impressive mood-setting elements.
To others, it's a useful storytelling conceit, in synch with the story's overall fairy tale, fantasy mindset.Additional assets in SPL's collection number generally strong supporting characters (Chung's crew and Wong Po's insane-clown head minion), a gorgeous soundtrack, and this perturbing ability to fuse components from action epics like Cobra and The Punisher with gangland hysteria a la Goodfellas or Scarface (just listen to the violins as they play in the background).Perhaps nostalgia and time won't be as kind to SPL as they were to the films that inspired it, but one can't hide from acknowledging we have before us another substantial action entry in a year that, for ten months out of twelve, was nigh on arid in the adrenaline department, and that's not even mentioning the years preceding.Archetypal tormented cops, obsessive villains, a city teeming with unrestrained violence and props so destructible they must have cost more than hiring Simon Yam and Sammo, who have been so prolific recently we have to wonder when they get any time off.In short, and acronyms aside, go watch it.Rating: * * * *.
This is an amazing film if not just for the fact it has Sammo Hung fighting Donnie Yen and fans of Martial Arts movies will know what I mean!
gangsters movie which Hong Kong is very good at making but as the story progresses and you get to know all the characters more, the twists kick you right in the gut.
I'll give credit to Donnie Yen for directing the fight scenes as they were brutal, shot with long takes and very little cutting just like the old Hong Kong fight flicks.
I watched these films before Hollywood hired Yuen Woo Ping and other HK choreographers repeating wire work scenes that I had seen earlier in other films and this kind of wire work made way for the antidote of the non wire work in the shape the excellent Ong Bak.I also watched the antics of Jet Li,Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen growing up.
However rather being a straight edged action movie it does attempt a story of that being Detective Chan (Simon Yam) leads a posse to take down Po(Sammo Hung).
However a shade of grey comes into Chan and his posse when they attempt to frame Po and that's were everything literally explodes.SPL is primary built on the finale between action Gods Sammo and Yen. No these guys are not Hollywood actors training "hard" for three months only to make an action sequence look so stiff you think your watching stop motion animation, these are actors who have been training most of their lives who can also act(is that too hard to find?).
What make's SPL interesting is the little fights in between that build you up for Donnie Yen's inevitable awesome confrontations with not only Sammo but his evil dagger wielding psycho henchman played by Wu Jing (Drunken Monkey) who is probably the best secondary bad guy since Bobba Fett.
The stylistic approach by director Wilson Yip is fresh and displaying that Johnnie To is not the only one who can do serious thrillers in Hong Kong...but I'm digressing lets talk about the action.Donnie Yen choreographed the fights and has it spot on, no wire work here just pure raw fight scenes, bloody and brutal but the most entertaining elements are the incorporation of Brazillian Jiu Jitsu moves, simply amazing.
The acting is superb by Yam and especially Sammo Hung hamming it up as the bad guy with such glee, Yen's character is perhaps the least developed although his motives become true to the end of the film but thats only a small hiccup.
But perhaps I would like to shout about the introduction of Yam's team to the audience when Yen visited their empty office - it's very retro, with the characters given the spotlight after undergoing a short action sequence in a police raid.On the whole, the movie works, up till the supposed ending which put me off, and where the final "hurrah" brings it down a little.
All the martial arts stars involved do their thing nicely- sammo proves that he's still got the moves, donnie yen shows off great kung fu as only he can and wu jing is striking and slightly creepy as the blade wielding killer.SPL is a great film that shows a return to form for hongkong martial arts thrillers.Riveting stuff..
I kept checking the time and thinking "Oh my God, it's only been 30 minutes??" And it never, ever gets better.The only good fight scene is in the last 15 minutes of the film, Donnie Yen vs.
An incredible martial arts display happens here, thanks to action masters Donnie Yen, Wu Jing, and Sammo Hung.
Inspector Ma Kwun (Donnie Yen) must make some difficult decisions when he discovers that Chan (Simon Yam), the police detective he is about to replace, and his loyal men have been bending the law in order to convict ruthless gangland boss Wong Po (Sammo Hung).Donnie Yen first smashed his way onto my screen over twenty years ago in the excellent Hong Kong fight-fests In the Line of Duty 4 and Tiger Cage II; sadly, subsequent roles in some less than memorable films saw him slowly slipping off my radar during the 90s (with only Iron Monkey making any lasting impression on me).
(AKA Kill Zone), a powerful crime drama enlivened by some amazingly brutal action, I'll be sure to track his every move from now on.Admittedly, with both Yen and Hung on board, I would have loved to have seen a little more fight action, but I found the story compelling enough to hold my attention until the inevitable bad guys/good guy showdown, at which point all hell breaks loose and kung fu fans finally get to enjoy some blisteringly fast and bloody battles.
If you demand a good movie around them...well, fast forward or something..because Donnie Yen vs Wu Jing(Jacky Wu) is too freaking cool.It is astounding to me how many of these user comments are glowingly positive, calling this tripe the best HK film of the year, or in years.
Look at the scene where each of the cops gets a call on father's day from his daughter, one after the other, and tell me that this isn't a cheesy piece of ass-fudge movie with some seriously great fight sequences.
Another problem is, that to remain within it's theme, the story stresses probabilities at times.If you want to watch this merely for the martial arts, be aware that the fight scenes only make up a small part of this movie.
No quarter is given in what is essentially a p*ssing contest designed to let the enemy know exactly who is boss.Later though the police have a breakthrough, when a socially inept young man brings in a tape that inadvertently shows Wong Po being directly involved in a brutal beating and murder.As Wong Po clearly did not pull the trigger in the tape, more "special methods" are utilised and Wong Po is immediately arrested and charged with the crime.Chan and his crew must then work against the clock to clear up all loose ends that might absolve Wong Po of the crime before his 48 hour holding period elapses and he is once again on the streets.To this point the film is largely a goodies Vs baddies story with slightly blurred boundaries, Wong Po of course is freed from prison after a short time and the cops become marked men.
Once Donnie Yen's character Kwun becomes fully aware of what he is now in the middle of he must choose sides quickly and take the consequences.The film sets an early tone that tells us this will not have a happy ending, and the good and bad both suffer losses, often in sudden and brutal fashion.The final showdown is preceded by a frankly awesome fanboy fave knife fight between Donnie Yen and a white-clad assassin.
Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung (who looks like an asskicking purple Chinese Santa Claus in this movie) both shine in this action orientated crime thriller.
Very solid Chinese cop/martial arts action movie with Sammo and Donnie Yen. This is a very well shot film, the entire thing is very visually interesting and sharply edited.
These, as far as I can surmise from the story line, represent respectively the characters played by Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen and Simon Yam.The gripping tension is expected.
But it's the action that is the main draw for this movie and in that department, out goes Simon Yam and in comes Wu Jing.The two top martial art stars today are Donnie Yen and Jet Li. In some ways, Yen is even better because Li is at times too cool.
Any such fears are given the smack-down courtesy of Wilson Yip's SHA PO LANG (SPL), an utterly brutal take on the 'good cop versus bad gangster' premise starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and Jing Wu all of whom credit legendary Yuen Woo Ping for a lot of what they know.
He's primed and ready to become next in line after Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan as the premiere Hong Kong action cinema star.
Yip's brilliant direction and the stunning, bone-shattering choreography of the fight scenes alone are enough of a reason to recommend it, but the way the film deals with human tragedy at the same time as blowing the whole action genre out of the water has to be seen to be believed.It has been pointed out by detractors that Kill Zone is unbelievably dramatic, with a lot being made of the fact that no police force on earth would forgo jailing a man because he 'didn't kill' the guy he was beating unconscious with a golf club.
Donnie Yen is a powerhouse of martial arts power as always, newcomer Wu Jing is fantastic and terrifying to boot as an unspeaking knife-wielding assassin, and Simon Yam is on the best form I've seen him at since Full Contact back in the 90s.At the end of the day, this is not a crime-thriller, it is an action movie.
In this movie it turns into a bloody mess.Other powerful touches of the film: - the psychological "bottles scene" when 2 cops are dealing with the mob of angry juveniles with a great slow-motion glance delivered by Mr Sammo Hung (no fighting here, but the silent opposition is freaking good); - the Father's Day when the sons/fathers are dying one by one (blood sprays, leaks, and streams); - the possessed "knife killer-boy" who is an empty shell of a man (one of the most memorable cinema villains); - two one-on-one martial arts scenes near the end of the movie (both involving Mr Donnie Yen's character); - absence of stupid bed scenes and lousy love-and-hug elements (my guess is that 90% of potentially good action movies are spoiled by this vulgarity nowadays); - very enjoyable nature views (the ocean shore and the green field); - the final heavenly justice for all (man wants this and plans that: for instance, the police chief says to his colleague something like "You will be all right, I will not let anything happen to you", and further on the colleague is found dead; in reality it happens every day and it is one of those movies that show the futility of human self-confidence).There's much more to be mentioned but one should stop already.That's it.
It has fights, it has Sammo Hung as a bad guy (surprising), it has Simon Yam as a good guy who has become fairly bad in his quest for justice (usual), it has Donnie Yen as a hard as nails cop (enough said) and it has Jacky Wu as Hung's very effective right hand man.
Donnie Yen and Simon Yam impress as Ma and Chan and Sammo Hung is great as Wong Po; he may be a big guy but he has got what it takes for the fight scenes. |
tt1104806 | One Week | Ben Tyler (Joshua Jackson) is a young elementary school English teacher living in Toronto, Ontario. Ben is told that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in its fourth and final stage.
On the way home, he encounters an elderly man Marc Strange selling his 1973 Norton Commando motorcycle. The narrator notes that Ben's fiancée Samantha Pierce (Liane Balaban) despises motorcycles, but he buys it. Finishing a Tim Hortons coffee, he rolls up the cup's rim to see if he has won a prize, but sees only a message that reads "Go West Young Man".
He breaks the news of his cancer to Samantha, as well as his desire to take a two-day excursion on the motorcycle. She objects, arguing that he should begin treatment immediately, but he feels a need for an adventure before "becoming a patient". He asks Samantha to come with him, but she refuses, and he ultimately sets out from Toronto by himself. Early in the trip he begins to question the trip's worth, and turns back. But he encounters two young men bicycling from Newfoundland to Vancouver on a wager of a case of beer, and his adventure seems reasonable by comparison, so he resumes it.
He finds that Samantha has packed a copy of a book he had written as a child, hoping that an attached note about reading it to his children someday would persuade him to return and begin treatment. But the story, about a mythical creature called Grumps, which his father had said would bring good fortune to any child who managed to find one, strengthens his resolve to symbolically resume his search for Grumps.
Ben begins to question his future with Samantha: He recalls their discovery while planning their wedding that their religious beliefs – Ben has none – differ, and they have a telephone argument about compromises she's made for him. He meets a middle-aged man (Gord Downie) staying in the same motel, who successfully treated his cancer years before; he tells Ben that if he's unsure if he's in love, he isn't.
His motorcycle breaks down in rural Saskatchewan. Nearby, he finds a dead dog and phones its owner, a middle-aged rancher. In gratitude, she picks up him and his motorcycle, takes him on a scenic horseback ride, and fixes the minor problem with his bike. She is twice-divorced with a son and granddaughter she rarely sees, but the narrator explains that the time with Ben inspires her to seek the son out, coincidentally meeting the new "love of her life".
Continuing the trip beyond the promised two days, he arrives at Banff National Park in Alberta, and checks into an expensive hotel suite. Samantha has told his family about his cancer, and is flying out to get him. He goes on what he fears will be a last adventure in the woods, where he gets lost and meets a backpacker, Tracy (Emm Gryner) exploring the backcountry with her dog. At her campsite, she chides Ben for giving up too easily on his dreams: of a singing career quashed by a teacher's harsh remarks, and a novel which he failed to find a publisher for. Ben spends the night with her. The next morning, Samantha has arrived earlier than expected, and Ben admits to sleeping with Tracy. He also tells Samantha that he does not love her like she loves him; she leaves him and returns home.
Ben makes his way to the west coast of Vancouver Island. At a diner, he finds himself unable to eat his meal, and meanwhile a truck hits his motorcycle in the parking lot, wrecking it. He rents a surfboard and takes it out into the Pacific, but rather than catching a wave to ride back in, he keeps going, despondent. He sees a humpback whale dramatically breach the surface. Ben remembers that his father had said to him as a child that anyone who searched for Grumps would "know him when you see him"; Ben is satisfied that he has, and returns home. He and Samantha discuss his prospects and their impending breakup, and he goes home to see his family.
The final sequence reveals the movie's narrator (Campbell Scott) recording the final chapter of an audio book, revealed to be One Week by Ben Tyler, a memoir of his motorcycle trip. | flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0067989 | Wild Rovers | An aging cowboy, Ross Bodine, and a younger one, Frank Post, work on cattleman Walt Buckman's ranch in Montana. A neighboring sheepman, Hansen, is in a long-running feud with Buckman.
Ross has a dream of riding off to Mexico to retire from the hard work of the range, but he doesn't have much money saved up. Frank suggests they rob a bank and head for Mexico together.
While Ross thinks this over, he and Frank brawl with Hansen's men at a saloon. Buckman intends to withhold their pay to make restitution for the saloon's damages.
Desperate for money now, Ross agrees to the holdup. He takes banker Billings to town at gunpoint while Frank holds the banker's wife, Sada, hostage at home. Ross rides back with $36,000. Before making a getaway, he gives Billings $3,000 so that Buckman's other cowboys won't lose any pay they have coming.
Sada tells her husband to keep the money and not inform the sheriff. A posse is formed that includes Buckman's two sons, hot-tempered John and easy-going Paul, told by their father that no cowhand of his is going to get away with breaking the law.
Ross and Frank get as far as Arizona and go into town for supplies. Ross hires a prostitute while Frank plays poker. A card player dislikes Frank's winning of a huge pot and shoots him in the leg. Ross comes to his partner's aid and a shootout commences, leaving several people dead.
Back home, Buckman and Hansen have a run-in that results in both their deaths. John and Paul hear about their father's fate from a Tucson sheriff. Paul wants to turn back but John becomes obsessed with fulfilling the old man's last request, catching the bank robbers.
Frank refuses to see a doctor, and his leg injury grows much worse. Ross has to pull him behind a horse on a stretcher. Frank dies from the wound just before John and Paul turn up on the trail, where Ross is gunned down. Disgusted with the entire affair and sorry he had to shoot Ross, Paul rides off, leaving John alone struggling to return Ross' dead body to the scene of his crime.
The movie ends with a flashback of Ross riding a bucking bronc while Frank cheers him on. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0427309 | The Great Debaters | Based on a true story, the plot revolves around the efforts of debate coach Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) at Wiley College, a Historically Black College, to place his team on equal footing with whites in the American South during the 1930s, when Jim Crow laws were common and lynch mobs were a pervasive fear for blacks. In the movie, the Wiley team eventually succeeds to the point where they are able to debate Harvard University. This was their 47th annual debate team.
The movie also explores the social constructs in Texas during the Great Depression including not only the day-to-day insults and slights African Americans endured, but also a lynching. Also depicted is James L. Farmer, Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), who, at 14 years old, was on Wiley's debate team after completing high school (and who later went on to co-found C.O.R.E., the Congress of Racial Equality). According to the Houston Chronicle, another character depicted on the team, Samantha Booke, is based on the real individual Henrietta Bell Wells, the only female member of the 1930 debate team from Wiley College who participated in the first collegiate interracial debate in the United States. Wells also happened to be a minor African American poet whose papers are housed at the Library of Congress.
The key line of dialogue, used several times, is a famous paraphrase of Augustine of Hippo: "An unjust law is no law at all."
Another major line, repeated in slightly different versions according to context, concerns doing what you "have to do" in order that we "can do" what we "want to do." In all instances, these vital lines are spoken by the James L. Farmer Sr. and James L. Farmer, Jr. characters.
=== Historical background ===
The film depicts the Wiley Debate team beating Harvard College in the 1930s. They did not debate Harvard, however. The debate depicted in the film instead mirrored the match up between Wiley and the University of Southern California, who at the time were the reigning debating champions. Wiley College did indeed win this matchup. According to Robert Eisele: "In that era, there was much at stake when a black college debated any white school, particularly one with the stature of Harvard. We used Harvard to demonstrate the heights they achieved."
The film omits another reality: even though they beat the reigning champions, the Great Debaters were not allowed to call themselves victors because they were not truly considered to belong to the debate society; blacks were not admitted until after World War II. | violence, home movie | train | wikipedia | "The Great Debaters" is a very fine film.It reminds us of what it means to be excellent, to stand for something good, to love with all our hearts, and to shine.The performances, or the cinematography, historical care, or directorship all lift it out of the ordinary.And in its difficult subject: racial tension and the education and discovery of values by the three young debaters from Wiley College, one of the oldest colleges in America, it creates real excitement and interest.But the real reason that this is a fine film lies in is its plea that in education lies the reasoning, the power, and the will to change history.
I can forgive the slight drag here and there because the ending is magnificent and explains something crucial about American history by its finish.From an era when bigotry, racism, and degrading behavior was a wretched norm to our era where values are mutable, where dumbing down has no limits, and taste little place; "The Great Debaters" stands out as being a story that stands against all of these things.The rating says it all: excellent..
It is a great story, based on real events that most of us never heard of, about a debating team from Wiley College, a small black institution in rural Texas, that performs extraordinary feats because the kids are good and the team is taught by Mel Tolson, a real person, acted by Denzel Washington, who also directs.
The revelation in this film are the performances of the three principal debaters: Jurnee Smollett as Samatha Booke (with an "e", as she proclaims when she tries out for the debate team), Nate Parker as Henry Lowe (also with an "e" as he announces in response to Samantha's declaration) and Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer Jr.
The acting is marvelous by all the actors, but recognition has to be given to the three stars that portray the debaters, Denzel Washington, and Forest Whitaker.
In his sophomore effort, actor-director Denzel Washington has created one of the best films of the year, The Great Debaters.
Never trying to be the cliché coming of age tale of student-teacher relationship that becomes like a bad aftertaste like past efforts, as Mona Lisa Smile; the film takes a high road to transform its narrative into a beautiful canvas for Washington to paint on like forgotten masterpieces like Stand and Deliver and Dead Poet's Society.
Yet, the film was basically not political in theme.It deals with a small black college in Texas,Wiley,that had a poet plus a political agitator played by Denzel Washington as many students' mentor.
Keep in mind that the main theme of the Civil Rights Movement was "if given the chance" and so the film builds on it and does the kind of damage to opponents as did the great "Brown Bomber," Joe Louis.Although a bit slow moving and at times, pretentious, the film was very skillfully done in bringing to light the efforts accomplished by the African Americans to do away with the perniciousness having pervaded this nation from the time the first slave ship landed on our shores.
Robert Eisele's story really brought home the pain and deprivation of being Black in America, and how some could overcome that deprivation with the right help, but could never overcome the pain.Besides Washington, there were outstanding performances by Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, and Denzel Whitaker, as a 14-year-old in college.Tears in my eyes, I will long remember this film as one of the best of the year and of many years..
There's just no subtlety in it and situations are stock.Best things: the design of the film, the cinematography, the casting of the primary characters, and, most importantly, the inspirational theme of debating, of speaking well as a way out and up.
The story has solid pacing, a great cast and an easy to understand plot; a few minor side steps (talented but tormented student, first female student fighting both racism and gender issues, a younger than average student fighting for a father's love/respect while coming of age) but the message holds up and delivers an appropriate but completely unsurprising conclusion.
Be it Denzel Washington to Forest Whitaker to the entire debating team of fine young actors.
I would expect great things from this movie for all of the new young people and another notch in his belt for Denzel and more appreciation for Forest Whitaker.
Directed and starring the masterful Denzel Washington, "Debaters" tells the true story of the first debate team from an all-black college to have a match against a white university in 1935.
The debate team members are played wonderfully, too: Nate Parker as the fiery and troubled Henry; Jurnee Smollett as the beautiful and headstrong Samantha; and Denzel Whitaker as James Jr., a young man in the shadow of his successful, scholarly father.
His team is comprised of three bright young black people: Henry Lowe (Nate Parker), an overly-clever man with a possible future ...if he can stay out of harm's way; Samantha Brooke (Jurnee Smollett, HOUSE, M.D.), the first female debater in Wiley College history; and James Farmer Jr.
It would've also been nice to have had the names of the actual persons within the film and not some made-up ones (some were real, like Tolson, but others were not).Some praise has to be made for Forest Whitaker (THE LAST KING OF Scotland) as Dr. James Farmer Sr. His role was understated and held much of the powerful, emotional punch toward the final third of the movie, especially when his son James Jr. discovers why his father reacts the way he does during an embarrassing prejudicial moment.That Wiley's black debaters made it to Harvard and debated their team is now history.
Sure, it has a touch of "Remember the Titans" and just about every other feel good underdog sports story, but what makes this one a bit different is that it is based on words and education, not athletic ability.Based in the Jim Crow south, Melvin Tolson drives his team of debaters to heights never before reached by a black college debate team.
Forest Whitaker is again outstanding, this time as Dr. James Farmer, Sr., whose brilliant mind and moral standards set the tone for his prodigy son.The screenplay by Robert Eisele could have benefited by losing the sappy and predictable love story between Lowe and Booke, and the actual debates don't provide near the suspense and tension that the "real life" segments do, but he does capture the added stress of being an educated black in the 1930's.The enduring message from this group of amazing students is that education is the road to freedom.
He pushes Denzel Washington (Melvin Tolson) who teaches the students debating at Wiley College, an all-black college in Texas.
The utter stupidity of the times is shocking.I guess the film, backed by Oprah and Denzel, really wanted to show how much blacks have had to overcome, and how there were many who preached using your mind, and words, not violence, to debate, to fight, to stand up for yourself - to get ahead.The final scene involves the juxtaposition you would expect from a typical Hollywood ending.
Plus it lacked a certain amount of realism with the drama between people that really never formed a relationship in real life.This movie does point to one thing: there were real debaters from Wiley College.
In fact, I chose it as the number one movie on my "Best Films" list on the Reel Inspiration blog at Blogspot.The Great Debaters, directed by Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah, is Hollywood all the way.
The film asks if the power of words can really make any difference in the face of violent acts of racism.Through his example, Professor Tolson inspires his students to speak up for what is right despite how it might conflict with their personal lives or the dangerous world around them.
I mean the story is fantastic, but it couldn't have been told any better because of the three young actors in this movie: Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, and Denzel Whitaker.
They presented themselves with class, intelligence, and courage to carry on in the tough world they lived in.Henry, Samantha, and James are three young black students who have joined a debate team led by Melvin Tolson.
But the team pulls in strong together to win several debates despite their color and the ignorance that surrounds them, eventually leading them into competing against Harvard University.The Great Debaters is just a terrific movie, it's very inspirational and makes you think.
Terrific story dealing with a small black college in the 1930s whose debate team ultimately defeated Harvard University.The film is a complex one as there are really several different plots occurring here.We have the debate team, racism in the south and dealing with unions all in one film.It has been said that one's best writing comes from your own personal experiences.
The actors here have precisely done that, they seem to be in control of a good director and make us believe that they are fully aware of the topic of the debate.Denzel Washington is the director and also acts in the movie and I am sure this was the toughest thing to do.
Time was when the events which take place in this movie called " The Great Debators " was the basis for a story, ostensible written by Robert Eisele and ably directed by Denzel Washington.
Tolson (Denzel Washington) who arrived at a West Virginia college in 1935 and inspired the students to form the first ever black debate team that saw them go on to take on Harvard in the championships.
Though he wins the admiration of the students, fears of his communist leanings create tension as well as the general racial tension of the time.Denzel Washington has tried his hand twice at being a director now, and one thing you can say for both of the films is that, in the UK at least, they have both received poor distribution.
Wiley was a black college in Texas who happened to have an extraordinary debating team - extraordinary enough that they began to get invitations to debate white college debate teams, finally leading up to a match against the national champions from Harvard.The movie has a very talented cast, headed by Denzel Washington as Melvin Tolson, the debate team coach, and Forrest Whitaker as Dr. James Farmer, Sr., the president of Wiley College.
In the end it's a not bad movie with a great cast telling a very interesting story from history that more people really should know about.
The movie was way better than I thought it would be, the movie also did not come across as the evil white people type of movie, yet it did not shy away from the reality of the times, it was really balanced, Denzel really did capture the atmosphere very well, the movie was not really so much about debating like I thought it was going to be, there was debating but there still was a whole lot of sub-plot going on, the relationship between the debaters, the relationship between melvin tolson and his students(with regards to his extra curricular activities, with the local farmers and an alleged communism).My qualms with the movie was most of the debate topics was structured in the clichéd way were the wiley college debate team's winning points against the white teams gets to be a big hulabaloo on racism, it's also a good thing because this makes this movie way different than the other movies of it's kind as the fight against racism was done through the debate topics, instead of having it in every damn scene, it was rather subtle .There was this one scene which I found cringe worthy, right before they debated howard, they recited their coach's motto, about who is the Judge, and who is their opponent, it was supposed to come of as emotional, or quasi-emotional but it cam off as forced and cliché.
"The Great Debaters" tells the true story of the debate team at all-black Wiley College in the 1930's.
The movie shows a Debaters Team from the University of Wiley (for Black students) of which James Farmer Jr. was a part with Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett and with Denzel Washington as their Teacher.
Denzel Washington's second feature as director, The Great Debaters, is a deeply moving, intelligent and inspiring work that both entertains and educates without being overly manipulative.
While it has an underdog formula that you have seen many times, it has rarely been presented with such skill and passion.An outstanding cast features Washington as poet Melvin Tolson, professor at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, James Farmer Jr.
(Denzel Whitaker), as the 14-year-old son of the college president (Forest Whitaker), Henry Lowe (Nate Parker) and Samantha (Jurnee Smollett), as debaters, Samantha being the first ever female member of the team.
At the next level, however, the film is a wonderful portrait of small-town life in a racially charged Texas town at the dawn of the civil rights movement.The underdog in question is a college debate team at a black college and Denzel Washington plays Melvin Tolson, the team's impassioned debate coach with politically questionable ties.
It's 1935 and some students make their way on the debate team of a black college (from Texas) ran by a professor played very well by Denzel Washington.
Brilliant directorship from Denzel Washington and as always Forest Whitaker and Kimberly Elise no matter how small their parts prove what it means to be a great actor this is one movie not to miss and one that will forever be timeless.Definitely Oscar material..
Fortunately, this movie had zero problems in that area.The film tells the story of the small Wily College debate team in 1930s Texas (deep in the Jim Crow South) under the tutelage of the famous Melvin Tolson that took on all-comers (big or small) and defeated nearly every one of them.
"The Great Debaters" is a movie that is based on the true story of Melvin B.
That was the first debate between U.S. students from white and Negro colleges.It is a very good movie that show us the true face of racial racism and how that effects the relationships between the people.
Tolson, Forest Whitaker as Dr. James Farmer, Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer Jr. and Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Samantha Booke."The Great Debaters" is a movie that everyone have to see it and try to understand the situation of time (1935)..
Denzel Washington is Mr. Tolson, the head of the debate team of a Blacks only Willey college.
Unsurprisingly, Harpo Productions' (Oprah spelt backwards) latest offering is a period drama that not only speaks about racial violence, but the courage of real people and what they did to overcome it.Set in 1935 Texas, a time before public swimming pools and colored swimming pools, a time when it was not derogatory to call African-Americans "Negros", Wiley College professor Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington) assembles a team of young black Americans in preparation for the annual inter-college debate competition.
Borrowing from actual events, Eisele's premise is a juxtaposition between Gandhi's Satyagraha and Martin Luther King's Civil Rights movement, making this not just a true story, but the biopic of a man that would become a modern American poet - Melvin Beaunorus Tolson.At a time when it is politically incorrect to call an ethnic race by the color of skin or traditional sustenance, "The Great Debaters" is a film with a story that boldly refuses to remain hidden within the forgotten pages of history.
But if these are his traits as a skilled actor, then this film is all the more inspiring, encouraging and uplifting because "The Great Debaters" also benefits from having Denzel Washington as the director.
The Great Debaters showed the story of Wiley College's debate team of four African American college students in Texas during 1935, and how they debated in one of the most controversial debates of all time.
Actors Jurnee Smollet, Nate Parker, and Denzel Whitaker truly embraced their roles as Samantha Booke, Henry Lowe, and James Farmer Jr., the students on the debate team.
Denzel Washington directs and stars in this inspirational true story set in the Texas of 1935, about tiny "Negro" Wiley College, where teacher Melvin Tolson (Washington) was the debate coach.
In "The Great Debaters," a true story that takes place in the 1930s, Denzel Washington plays Melvin B.
The final debate against Harvard is simply mind-blowing and moving!Denzel Washington did a great job as a Director and deserves high praise for this wonderful movie..
Directed by one of the celebrity's African-American star movies (Denzel Washington), the great Debaters which based on a true story is amazing and educational film in my opinion.
The Great Debaters may be a good inspiration movie for many other s blacks and colored people that it is possible to dream, in what we do to success if we really trust in our capacity.
Denzel Washington's The Great Debaters is an inspirational true-life based movie.
Co-produced by Oprah Winfrey and inspired by actual events, The Great Debaters is a very compelling history lesson about a small black college called Wiley and that school's debate team that wins enough of them to be challenged by perhaps the biggest university of the country: Harvard.
"The Great Debaters" is an enthralling movie about three young people from Wiley College, a school from the south where only blacks attend (the setting's in 1936) who use their personal experiences, undeniable wit, research and passionate oratory skills to become a powerful debate team.
I did.The actors whose names you don't recognize in the movie are up and comers and are very good.Denzel Washington directed this film and did an outstanding job.
'The Great Debaters is inspired by the true-life exploits of the all-black Wiley College debating team in Marshall, Texas in the 1930s. |
tt0337692 | On the Road | The two main characters of the book are the narrator, Sal Paradise, and his friend Dean Moriarty, much admired for his carefree attitude and sense of adventure, a free-spirited maverick eager to explore all kicks and an inspiration and catalyst for Sal's travels. The novel contains five parts, three of them describing road trips with Moriarty. The narrative takes place in the years 1947 to 1950, is full of Americana, and marks a specific era in jazz history, "somewhere between its Charlie Parker Ornithology period and another period that began with Miles Davis." The novel is largely autobiographical, Sal being the alter ego of the author and Dean standing for Neal Cassady.
=== Part One ===
The first section describes Sal's first trip to San Francisco. Disheartened after a divorce, his life changes when he meets Dean Moriarty, who is "tremendously excited with life," and begins to long for the freedom of the road: "Somewhere along the line I knew there would be girls, visions, everything; somewhere along the line the pearl would be handed to me." He sets off in July 1947 with fifty dollars in his pocket. After taking several buses and hitchhiking, he arrives in Denver, where he hooks up with Carlo Marx, Dean, and their friends. There are parties—among them an excursion to the ghost town of Central City. Eventually Sal leaves by bus and gets to San Francisco, where he meets Remi Boncoeur and his girlfriend Lee Ann. Remi arranges for Sal to take a job as a night watchman at a boarding camp for merchant sailors waiting for their ship. Not holding this job for long, Sal hits the road again. "Oh, where is the girl I love?" he wonders. Soon he meets Terry, the "cutest little Mexican girl," on the bus to Los Angeles. They stay together, traveling back to Bakersfield, then to Sabinal, "her hometown," where her family works in the fields. He meets Terry's brother Ricky, who teaches him the true meaning of "mañana" ("tomorrow"). Working in the cotton fields, Sal realizes that he is not made for this type of work. Leaving Terry behind, he takes the bus back to Times Square New York, bums a quarter off a preacher who looks the other way, arrives at his Aunt's house in Paterson, just missing Dean, who had come to see him, by two days.
=== Part Two ===
In December 1948 Sal is celebrating Christmas with his relatives in Testament, Virginia, when Dean shows up with Marylou (having left his second wife, Camille, and their newborn baby, Amy, in San Francisco) and Ed Dunkel. Sal's Christmas plans are shattered as "now the bug was on me again, and the bug's name was Dean Moriarty." First they drive to New York, where they meet Carlo and party. Dean wants Sal to make love to Marylou, but Sal declines. In Dean's Hudson they take off from New York in January 1949 and make it to New Orleans. In Algiers they stay with the morphine-addicted Old Bull Lee and his wife Jane. Galatea Dunkel joins her husband in New Orleans while Sal, Dean, and Marylou continue their trip. Once in San Francisco, Dean again leaves Marylou to be with Camille. "Dean will leave you out in the cold anytime it is in the interest of him," Marylou tells Sal. Both of them stay briefly in a hotel, but soon she moves out, following a nightclub owner. Sal is alone and on Market Street has visions of past lives, birth, and rebirth. Dean finds him and invites him to stay with his family. Together, they visit nightclubs and listen to Slim Gaillard and other jazz musicians. The stay ends on a sour note: "what I accomplished by coming to Frisco I don't know," and Sal departs, taking the bus back to New York.
=== Part Three ===
In the spring of 1949, Sal takes a bus from New York to Denver. He is depressed and lonesome; none of his friends are around. After receiving some money, he leaves Denver for San Francisco to see Dean. Camille is pregnant and unhappy, and Dean has injured his thumb trying to hit Marylou for sleeping with other men. Camille throws them out, and Sal invites Dean to come to New York, planning to travel further to Italy. They meet Galatea, who tells Dean off: "You have absolutely no regard for anybody but yourself and your kicks." Sal realizes she is right—Dean is the "HOLY GOOF"—but also defends him, as "he's got the secret that we're all busting to find out." After a night of jazz and drinking in Little Harlem on Folsom Street, they depart. On the way to Sacramento they meet a "fag", who propositions them. Dean tries to hustle some money out of this but is turned down. During this part of the trip Sal and Dean have ecstatic discussions having found "IT" and "TIME". In Denver a brief argument shows the growing rift between the two, when Dean reminds Sal of his age, Sal being the older of the two. They get a '47 Cadillac from a travel bureau that needs to be brought to Chicago. Dean drives most of the way, crazy, careless, often speeding over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), bringing it in a disheveled state. By bus they move on to Detroit and spend a night on Skid Row, Dean hoping to find his homeless father. From Detroit they share a ride to New York and arrive at Sal's aunt's new flat in Long Island. They go on partying in New York, where Dean meets Inez and gets her pregnant while his wife is expecting their second child.
=== Part Four ===
In the spring of 1950, Sal gets the itch to travel again while Dean is working as a parking lot attendant in Manhattan, living with his girlfriend Inez. Sal notices that he has been reduced to simple pleasures—listening to basketball games and looking at erotic playing cards. By bus Sal takes to the road again, passing Washington, D.C., Ashland, Cincinnati, and St. Louis, and eventually reaching Denver. There he meets Stan Shephard, and the two plan to go to Mexico City when they learn that Dean has bought a car and is on the way to join them. In a rickety '37 Ford sedan the three set off across Texas to Laredo, where they cross the border. They are ecstatic, having left "everything behind us and entering a new and unknown phase of things." Their money buys more (10 cents for a beer), police are laid back, cannabis is readily available, and people are curious and friendly. The landscape is magnificent. In Gregoria, they meet Victor, a local kid, who leads them to a bordello where they have their last grand party, dancing to mambo, drinking, and having fun with prostitutes. In Mexico City Sal becomes ill from dysentery and is "delirious and unconscious." Dean leaves him, and Sal later reflects that "when I got better I realized what a rat he was, but then I had to understand the impossible complexity of his life, how he had to leave me there, sick, to get on with his wives and woes."
=== Part Five ===
Dean, having obtained divorce papers in Mexico, had first returned to New York to marry Inez, only to leave her and go back to Camille. After his recovery from dysentery in Mexico, Sal returns to New York in the fall. He finds a girl, Laura, and plans to move with her to San Francisco. Sal writes to Dean about his plan to move to San Francisco. Dean writes back saying that he's willing to come and accompany Laura and Sal. Dean arrives over five weeks early, but Sal is out taking a late-night walk alone. Sal returns home, sees a copy of Proust, and knows it is Dean's. Sal realizes his friend has arrived, but at a time when Sal doesn't have the money to relocate to San Francisco. On hearing this Dean makes the decision to head back to Camille. Sal's friend Remi Boncoeur denies Sal's request to give Dean a short lift to 40th Street on their way to a Duke Ellington concert at the Metropolitan Opera House. Sal's girlfriend Laura realises this is a painful moment for Sal and prompts him for a response as the party drives off without Dean. Sal replies: "He'll be alright". Sal later reflects as he sits on a river pier under a New Jersey night sky about the roads and lands of America that he has travelled and states: ". . . I think of Dean Moriarty, I even think of Old Dean Moriarty the father we never found, I think of Dean Moriarty."
=== Characters ===
Kerouac often based his fictional characters on friends and family.
"Because of the objections of my early publishers I was not allowed to use the same personae names in each work." | flashback | train | wikipedia | Whilst the book takes the reader on an exuberant, spirited journey full of life, the film puzzlingly slows the pace right down and presents a muted, almost depressed version of the same story.This is best illustrated by the presentation of the character of Dean Moriarty.
He is the muse for the writer character of Sal, but anyone coming to the film fresh without having read the book, may well struggle to understand why.The film lacks a rounded sense of the hedonistic side of the journey.
The film seems to focus on the melodramatic, miserable aspects of the characters lives at the destinations they travel to, but fails to contrast this with wild and exciting times spent on the road.
The only time the film gets anywhere near the free spirited adventure of the book is when the characters reach Mexico in the later stages of the film, but this is too little too late.I did wonder whether the muted atmosphere of the film was a deliberate ploy of the filmmakers, however the last ten minutes would indicate not.
yes there are great landscapes, the photography is nice and the actors surely are OK, the music is often inspiring, but even if the movie basically tells the same events as in the book, I found it pretty boring, and above all the spirit of the book, about freedom etc, was completely gone.
So I was curious about the movie: would Walter Salles be able to turn this legendary but rather monotonous novel into a good film?
Anyone that has read "On the Road" has to question the wisdom of attempting to translate that into a decent movie.Like the novel, there are parts of this film you just have to fight through in the hopes that he'll move off his love for grape picking & into something interesting again.The plus side is, once you make it past the stagnation, the plot picks up again & you feel the sense of freedom having overcome the monotony of Kerouac.
Sticking to the fictional character names of Dean Moriarty and Sal Paradise (this feels historically faithful as these are the names used in the book up until a recent re-edition of the original text) we follow Sal's attempts to find 'it' in his travels across America, and through his relationships, and his attempts to write a meaningful work of art.
For a young audience jaded and sick of a seemingly constant avalanche of super hero and action block buster no-brainer movies this film will shine like a refreshing breath of much desired escapism in times of depression and high unemployment.
The film seems part biopic as it departs often from the book, young audiences will easily connect and relate to mind-set of Kerouac as they are given insight into one of America's legendary free-spirits that pre-dated "Generation X" and the much earlier Easy Rider generation by decades.
Whilst Kirsten Stewart will draw a large teen audience following for the Twilight Saga movie franchise, Riley for his stand-out award winning art-house performances, it will be the scenes of drug taking, sexual experimentation, visuals of haunting beautifully shots landscapes and a sense of escapism that will all have a massive teen audience appeal, but most memorable of all will be Garrett Hedlund star in the making, charismatic scene stealing performance that will be prominent in reviews, garner excellent word-of-mouth and leave an indelible mark..
I despair to think that people who watch this movie will think that it is in any way representative of the book, because it simply is not.(Please, please read 'On the Road' and follow that by reading 'Junky' by Burroughs, they are life-changing books).The film is not, in one iota, representative of the book!
Very important parts of the book are brushed over, and the parts that remain are not recreated effectively.I don't have time to list the many ways in which the creators of this movie just simply did not "get it".If I did not know better, watching this movie I would assume that the people behind the movie hadn't even read the book, and if they had read it, they had not understood it in the slightest.However, I am sure Hollywood played a part in removing the soul of the movie because they were afraid the mass audience wouldn't understand or be interested in it.
I get that any adaptation of this was going to have to do some reconfiguring just because any movie is going to need to have a story with a clear through line for people who aren't familiar with the book to understand and that's OK, but at the same time it kind of takes away some of the amazing strength of the book.
I did in fact watch virtually the entire movie with a huge smile on my face because i enjoyed in no small measure the staging of certain scenes from the book, as well as catching certain lines that i remembered vividly from the book but not until hearing them spoken in the film did i think about how great it was that the screenwriter and director thought to include them.The film itself to me even gets better in retrospect because at first i didn't particularly like either Sam Rielley or Garret Hedlund as Sal or Dean.
Thought they were both entirely miscast, but in truth as the film went on it was a lot easier to accept them as the characters if only because i think i had such a specific type in mind for both characters--Sal should have been less grizzled, more naive...and Dean should have been way more manic and charming instead of the fairly low key but very affable man.
(i feel like maybe James Franco would've been a good choice for this cause he can definitely do both manic and depressed.) Even that i understand that you can't overdo Dean Moriarty because then you run the risk of going too far and having him not be believable as someone who could easily charm this entire group of people, but again as the film goes on, and the scenes go by--it becomes a lot easier to accept the two actors as Sal and Dean.
It kept my attention for two hours, and, no matter how dissatisfying it proved to be in the end, I found it quite beautiful in certain places.ON THE ROAD follows a linear, too-often patchy storyline (just like Life itself, eh?) The film basically captures what it's like to be young and restless, but it would have been nice if the makers had found more to show us beyond all the scenes of Sal, Dean, and the others getting high and screwing.
Novels can be exciting challenges for many directors, but clearly the challenge in this case is to not get too bored as a viewer until about the last third of the film when the writing and the acting become more complex and go beyond what are often silly quasi-philosophical comments the various characters issue like exhaust.
The aspirant writer Sal Paradise (Sam Riley) befriends the reckless and sexually liberal Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund) and they travel across the United States of America in a journey of sex and drugs with their friends.
I understand Salles was taking a biographical approach to capturing the essence of On the Road, as well as the beat scene of the time, rather than an attempt to transform the book into a film (which is what I was kind of expecting), but because of this, the movie wound up with too much content in too little time..
Yes i know this movie is based on a classic novel and blah blah blah but this movie is trash, the characters are all old school hipsters who are all unlike-able people, the movie had no plot or any kind of story line that can keep you gripped or even to wonder whats gonna happen next all you get are these weirdo characters drinking booze and having weirdo man hugs as they roll around the apartment stoned in old school new york i mean who acts like this?.
there are a lot of people who may disagree with my view as they made have read the book or whatever but me being someone who watches a lot of films and appreciates all genres i found this movie to be utter crap, also this is my first ever review..
Life would speed up with drugs and alcohol, slow down for a night with a beautiful woman, speed up when it was time to hit the road again, and slow down as they fail to find themselves where they thought they would be.Sal Paradise (Sam Riley) was a writer.
Charmed by Kerouac's prose, I never noticed how shallow and self-destructive the main characters actually were.I read the book many years after the Beat generation run on the road to nowhere.
Nowadays, "On the road" - the movie – looks like a slice of crystallized history, rather than the vibrant narration of the adventures of the post-war generation.I think most people know that the book does not really have a plot, but narrates how Sal and Dean (Kerouac and Cassidy alter-egos) aimlessly wandered across the US, consuming many illicit substances, having plenty of casual sex and meeting other similar-minded youngsters along the way.Some critics complained about the fact that the "greatness" of their generation does not resonate in the movie.
Even worse as Sal/Kerouac is Riley, a thin, charm-free Englishman, with not the physique nor the angst required to play such a well-known personality.As far as Stewart playing sluttish Marylou and getting first billing and her face on the movie poster
I must confess I did not even remember the Marylou character was in the book, so insignificant is her part – and the part played by any other woman in the narrative and in the life of these men.
First of all, it's crucial to note that the book is not easily adaptable, and the task might be hard even for an experienced filmmaker such as Walter Salles, who directed another road-trip film The Motorcycle Diaries back in 2004.
After his father's death, Sal meets a charismatic, handsome, rebellious, up-to-no-good guy named Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund) - a perfect example of the Beat culture - and his 16 year-old, moody, and very straightforward girl Marylou (Kristen Stewart).
Jack Kerouac's Novel On the Road was thought to be an Unpublishable Book in the 1950's and when it finally was reluctantly given a chance it became a Perennial and Seminal Work and must Read for all Bohemians, Rebels, and Counter-Culturalist.
Hell, I lean to the left but that was a bit too much and this is a story that should remain true to the authors soul -- don't think JK was going there to that extent = just sayin' One would be best served watching this movie while not ever having read the book.
Good looking, yes, but charming he is not.Reading the film's trivia page, previous attempted adaptations of Kerouac's book had the likes of Marlon Brando and Brad Pitt in mind to play the role of Dean.
But none of it really mattered because, in the end, none of them really changed.I'm aware, of course, that Kerouac's book is a much-loved piece of literature, which leads me to conclude that it must be much, much better than this film.
The film feels like it relies too heavily on people knowing - and liking - the characters of the book, and in doing so fails to deliver an adaptation worthy of its source material..
The movie captures but a fragment of the real story and turns the characters into caricatures, the complexity of Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassidy and Alan Ginsberg (which are the real life persons the characters are based on) lost in this Hollywoodesque version in which classic scenes in the book are reduced to fit the director's Disney vision.
On the Road (2012)** 1/2 (out of 4) Wannabe writer Sal Paradise (Sam Riley) wants to experience life so that he can do his job better so he becomes friends with a more free spirited rebel named Dean (Garrett Hedlund).
Disappointing is the one word I would use to describe Walter Salles's long-anticipated film adaptation of the much-beloved, semi-autobiographical Jack Kerouc novel, On the Road which is the definitive American novel of the post war Beat Generation about aspiring writer Sal Paradise (Kerouc) as he traverses 1950's America and experiences life via car/bus/foot with friends, buddies and strangers.Sal (Sam Riley - Control, Brighton Rock) meets and befriends charismatic Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund - Country Strong, Tron: Legacy) and his young wife Marylou (Kristen Stewart - Twilight, Snow White and the Huntsman) in New York City.
Following a brief friendship/courtship, the trio leaves the city seeking freedom, life, love and the open road.While "On the Road", Sal meets a variety of other individuals who make him experience and appreciate other aspects of life and living including characters played by an all-star supporting cast including Viggo Mortensen (The Road), Kirsten Dunst (The Virgin Suicides), Amy Adams (Enchanted), Elisabeth Moss ("Mad Men"), Tom Sturridge (Pirate Radio), Alice Braga (I Am Legend) and Steve Buscemi (Ghost World).There is some beautiful cinematography here with many shots of picturesque, wide-open landscapes; there is a nice soundtrack; and the acting is good with some interesting characters; but the movie is unfortunately a much-too-literal adaptation of the novel without any of its spirit.
This movie is for me a BIG 10!!!Indeed, the film is totally different from the book of Jack Kerouac.
The movie is a beautiful looking road film, that's pretty aimless in story but does have some somewhat fascinating characters.The film begins in 1947 when writer Sal Paradise (Riley) meets Dean Moriarity (Hedlund).
Damn, Kristen Stewart can actually act and the scene where she gives both Moriarty and Sal a joint hand-job in the car, on the road, is worth it alone!A great trailer to encourage one to read the book which I am about to do...then I will watch it again when it comes on general release....
A piece of art.Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart weren't the actors I pictured playing any of the roles, but they were amazing, and captured the captured the soul of the characters and the spirit of the story perfectly.
You're taken 'On The Road' with Dean, Sal and Marylou, you can sit all day, googling, looking at the worlds most incredible places, places you want to go someday, people that inspire you, people that are 'free', but one thing I took from the film is what those characters feel throughout, the experiences they have and that shape them, those that can't be truly grasped without truly doing it yourself.
The book is very difficult to adapt, anyway, so it's probably best that the screenwriter and director found their way to film it.The film chronicles Sal Paradise (Kerouac's alter ego) and his trips with Dean Moriarity (Neal Kassady) as they journey across America.
It's hard not to have expectations when a movie is based on a classic novel like Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." So when the film opened with a rambling narrative that's all over the map, I became increasingly frustrated at what appeared to be overly random character development -- albeit somewhat necessary -- that was more continuous than transformative.
Even though the movie lacks the absolute energy and pace I had in mind when i read the crazy mad novel, I feel Kerouac would not only be satisfied but would have been ecstatic, he would have tears of joy like I did.
If as many people hit the road because of the movie as they did with the book, I'd be a happy manP.S. To all those Twilight fans who'll go watch this film only for Kristen Stewart, Team Dean and Team Sal anyone?
I have seen that there is a book which this movie is based on, I would like to read that.
On the Road adapted from the novel by Jack Kerouac features a great cast including Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Tom Surridge, Alice Braga, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Steve Buscemi, and Terrance Howard, but does it pack the punch to bring this iconic book to life?
having finished jack kerouac's original scroll of on the road to watching the film in the same 24 hours, i feel i may have a strong bias within this review as i championed this moving the whole way through, cheering at scenes that were so perfectly laid out, and laughing hard at moments where the characters charm shined stronger in the film then in the book.an important thing to be aware of regarding this film is that on the road is not a straight forward read, and so within that, how could the film be?
if you can find the beauty in these things, you'll love this film, regardless of whether you've read the book..
I do think those who loved Kerouac's novel will enjoy the movie and in some ways, that is the most you can ask for from a film.
Since the settings and time period were, to me, one of the best parts of this film, I am looking forward to the documentary about Kerouac and the story behind On the Road that Salles worked on prior to and during the making of this movie.
That is what it's about, Jack Kerouac's life on the road, his experience, and he did seem to sail through the story – angelic, quiet, sage-like - in amongst the craziness of Dean and all the others' irresponsibility and struggle.
And it had quite an original script as well.I haven't read Jack Kerouac's novel, but after watching this film I really wish I would. |
tt0046415 | Le comte de Monte-Cristo | === Summary ===
On the day of his wedding to Mercédès, Edmond Dantès, first mate of the Pharaon, is accused of treason, arrested, and imprisoned without trial in the Château d'If, a grim island fortress off Marseilles. A fellow prisoner, Abbé Faria, correctly deduces that his jealous rival, Fernand Mondego, envious crewmate, Danglars, and double-dealing Magistrate, Villefort, betrayed him. Faria inspires his escape and guides him to a fortune in treasure. As the powerful and mysterious Count of Monte Cristo, he arrives from the Orient to enter the fashionable Parisian world of the 1830s and avenge himself on the men who conspired to destroy him.
=== Edmond Dantès ===
In 1815, Edmond Dantès, a young merchant sailor who has recently been granted the succession of his captain Leclère, returns to Marseille to marry his Catalan fiancée Mercédès. Leclère, a supporter of the exiled Napoléon I, found himself dying at sea and charged Dantès to deliver two objects: a package to General Bertrand (exiled with Napoleon Bonaparte on Elba), and a letter from Elba to an unknown man in Paris. On the eve of Dantès' wedding to Mercédès, Fernand Mondego (Mercédès' cousin and a rival for her affections) is given advice by Dantès' colleague Danglars (who is jealous of Dantès' rapid rise to captain) to send an anonymous note accusing Dantès of being a Bonapartist traitor. Caderousse (Dantès' cowardly and selfish neighbor) is drunk while the two conspirators set the trap for Dantès and stays quiet as Dantès is arrested, then sentenced. Villefort, the deputy crown prosecutor in Marseille, destroys the letter from Elba when he discovers that it is addressed to his own father, Noirtier (who is a Bonapartist), since if this letter came into official hands, it would destroy his ambitions and reputation as a staunch Royalist. To silence Dantès, he condemns him without trial to life imprisonment.
After six years of imprisonment in the Château d'If, Dantès is on the verge of suicide when he befriends the Abbé Faria ("The Mad Priest"), a fellow prisoner who had dug an escape tunnel that ended up in Dantès' cell. Over the next eight years, Faria gives Dantès an extensive education in language, culture, and science. Knowing himself to be close to death, Faria tells Dantès the location of a treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. When Faria dies, Dantès takes his place in the burial sack. When the guards throw the sack into the sea, Dantès breaks through and swims to a nearby island. He is rescued by a smuggling ship that stops at Monte Cristo. After recovering the treasure, Dantès returns to Marseille. He later purchases the island of Monte Cristo and the title of Count from the Tuscan government.
Traveling as the Abbé Busoni, Dantès meets Caderousse, now living in poverty, who regrets not intervening and possibly saving Dantès from prison. He gives Caderousse a diamond that can be either a chance to redeem himself or a trap that will lead to his ruin. Learning that his old employer Morrel is on the verge of bankruptcy, Dantès buys Morrel's debts and gives Morrel three months to fulfill his obligations. At the end of the three months and with no way to repay his debts, Morrel is about to commit suicide when he learns that his debts have been mysteriously paid and that one of his lost ships has returned with a full cargo, secretly rebuilt and laden by Dantès.
=== The Count of Monte Cristo ===
Reappearing as the rich Count of Monte Cristo, Dantès begins his revenge on the three men responsible for his unjust imprisonment: Fernand, now Count de Morcerf and Mercédès' husband; Danglars, now a baron and a wealthy banker; and Villefort, now procureur du roi. The Count appears first in Rome, where he becomes acquainted with the Baron Franz d'Épinay, and Viscount Albert de Morcerf, the son of Mercédès and Fernand. Dantès arranges for the young Morcerf to be captured by the bandit Luigi Vampa and then seemingly rescues him from Vampa's gang. The Count then moves to Paris and dazzles Danglars with his wealth, persuading him to extend him a credit of six million francs. The Count manipulates the bond market and quickly destroys a large portion of Danglars' fortune. The rest of it begins to rapidly disappear through mysterious bankruptcies, suspensions of payment, and more bad luck in the Stock Exchange.
Villefort had once conducted an affair with Madame Danglars. She became pregnant and delivered the child in the house that the Count has now purchased. To cover up the affair, Villefort told Madame Danglars that the infant was stillborn, smothered the child, and thinking him to be dead, buried him in the garden. While Villefort was burying the child, he was stabbed by the smuggler Bertuccio, who unearthed the child and resuscitated him. Bertuccio's sister-in-law brought the child up, giving him the name "Benedetto." Benedetto takes up a life of crime as he grows into adolescence. He robs his adoptive mother (Bertuccio's sister-in-law) and ends up killing her, then runs away. Bertuccio later becomes the Count's servant and informs him of this history.
Benedetto is sentenced to the galleys with Caderousse, who had sold the diamond but killed both his wife and the buyer out of greed. After Benedetto and Caderousse are freed by Dantès, using the alias "Lord Wilmore," the Count induces Benedetto to take the identity of "Viscount Andrea Cavalcanti" and introduces him into Parisian society. Andrea ingratiates himself to Danglars, who betroths his daughter Eugénie to Andrea (not knowing they are half-siblings) after cancelling her engagement to Albert. Meanwhile, Caderousse blackmails Andrea, threatening to reveal his past if he doesn't share his new-found wealth. Cornered by "Abbé Busoni" while attempting to rob the Count's house, Caderousse begs to be given another chance. Dantès forces him to write a letter to Danglars exposing Cavalcanti as an impostor and allows Caderousse to leave the house. The moment Caderousse leaves the estate, he is stabbed by Andrea. Caderousse dictates a deathbed statement identifying his killer, and the Count reveals his true identity to Caderousse moments before he dies.
Years before, Ali Pasha of Janina had been betrayed to the Turks by Fernand. After Ali's death, Fernand sold Ali's wife Vasiliki and his daughter Haydée into slavery. While Vasiliki died shortly thereafter, Dantès purchased Haydée. The Count manipulates Danglars into researching the event, which is published in a newspaper. As a result, Fernand is brought to trial for his crimes. When Albert blames the Count for his father's downfall and challenges him to a duel, Mercédès, having already recognized Monte Cristo as Dantès, goes to the Count and begs him to spare her son. During this interview, she learns the truth of his arrest and imprisonment. She later reveals the truth to Albert, which causes Albert to make a public apology to the Count. Albert and Mercédès disown Fernand, who is confronted with Dantès' true identity and commits suicide. Albert and Mercédès renounce their titles and wealth and depart to begin new lives.
Valentine, Villefort's daughter by his late first wife, stands to inherit the fortune of her grandfather (Noirtier) and of her mother's parents (the Saint-Mérans), while Villefort's second wife Héloïse seeks the fortune for her son Édouard. The Count is aware of Héloïse's intentions and introduces her to the technique of poison. Héloïse fatally poisons the Saint-Mérans, so that Valentine inherits their fortune. Valentine is disinherited by Noirtier in an attempt to prevent Valentine's impending marriage with Franz d'Épinay, whom she does not love. The marriage is cancelled when d'Épinay learns that his father (believed assassinated by Bonapartists) was actually killed by Noirtier in a fair duel. Afterwards, Valentine is reinstated in Noirtier's will. After a failed attempt on Noirtier's life, Héloïse targets Valentine so that Édouard will get the fortune. However, Valentine is the prime suspect in her father's eyes in the deaths of the Saint-Mérans and Noirtier's servant, Barrois. On learning that Morrel's son Maximilien is in love with Valentine, the Count saves her by making it appear as though Héloïse's plan to poison Valentine has succeeded and that Valentine is dead. Villefort learns from Noirtier that Héloïse is the real murderer and confronts her, giving her the choice of a public execution or committing suicide.
Fleeing after Caderousse's letter exposes him, Andrea is arrested and returned to Paris, where Villefort prosecutes him. While in prison awaiting trial, Andrea is visited by Bertuccio, who tells him the truth about his father. At his trial, Andrea reveals that he is Villefort's son and was rescued after Villefort buried him alive. Villefort admits his guilt and flees the court. He rushes home to stop his wife's suicide but is too late; she has poisoned her son as well. Dantès confronts Villefort, revealing his true identity, but this drives Villefort insane. Dantès tries but fails to resuscitate Édouard, causing him to question if he has gone too far.
After the Count's manipulation of the bond market, Danglars is left with a destroyed reputation and 5,000,000 francs he has been holding in deposit for hospitals. The Count demands this sum to fulfil their credit agreement, and Danglars embezzles the hospital fund. Abandoning his wife, Danglars flees to Italy with the Count's receipt and 50,000 francs. While leaving Rome, he is kidnapped by the Count's agent Luigi Vampa and is imprisoned. Forced to pay exorbitant prices for food and nearly starved to death, Danglars signs away his ill-gotten gains. Dantès anonymously returns the stolen money to the hospitals. Danglars finally repents his crimes, and a softened Dantès forgives him and allows him to leave with his freedom and 50,000 francs.
Maximilien Morrel, believing Valentine to be dead, contemplates suicide after her funeral. Dantès reveals his true identity and explains that he rescued Morrel's father from bankruptcy years earlier; he then tells Maximilien to reconsider his suicide. On the island of Monte Cristo, Dantès presents Valentine to Maximilien and reveals the true sequence of events. Having found peace, Dantès leaves the newly reunited couple part of his fortune and departs for an unknown destination to find comfort and a new life with Haydée, who has declared her love for him. The reader is left with a final thought: "all human wisdom is contained in these two words, 'Wait and Hope'". | revenge | train | wikipedia | The Dantès redemption. How many versions of the famous novel are there in the world?Even the "best movie of all time "(sic) ,according to the IMDb users ,"Shawshank redemption", owes a lot to Alexandre Dumas and his count: Andy is Dantès and Red is Faria.Robert Vernay loved this novel so much he filmed two versions of it;the first one,reportedly the best (I have not seen it yet)was made in 1942 and featured two parts .So does this one :to see the whole ,the audience was requested to come back to the theater and pay again.One thing for sure,Jean Marais 's aristocratic look and his harsh face make him the perfect actor for this Nemesis role .The fifties version was in color , then something rare in the French cinema ,and was made with care and respect for the public.From start to finish ,Robert Vernay holds his audience spellbound because he knew to tell a story,a thing the N.W. used to ignore,with a few exceptions of course.Part 1: Betrayal Once again,Dumas combined history with fiction with talent.It begins in 1815,when king Louis the Eighteenth was on the throne and Napoleon was about to come back (Les Cents Jours).More than an innocent's plight,it's the opportunism of the magistrates ,waiting to see where the wind blows which is masterfully shown.On the king 's desk,there's a music box with a bird singing an old nursery rhyme which goes like this:"J'Ai Un Beau Château Ma Tantirelire ..................... Nous Le Détruirons Ma Tantirelirelo" (I 've got a beautiful château .............................. We shall raze it to the ground..)When Napoleon arrives ,for a short while ,just before Waterloo,the first thing he does in the king's office is to play the little tune.The sinister Château D'If and its dark spooky dungeons ,the meeting with L'Abbé Faria ,and the escape are depicted brilliantly.Part 2: Revenge (is a dish best eaten cold)Generally ,in these movies in two parts (the French used to say "Epoques"= eras ),there was a summary (for people who could not have seen the first part);sometimes lines on the screen, more often a voice-over.Here Robert Vernay found a more interesting way: the hero tells his story to his henchman .The plot becomes very melodramatic with plenty of new characters and the story is not always as clear as in "betrayal" .There's even a touch of "Oliver Twist",written seven years before "Monte Cristo" .Marais is as impressive as the statue of the Commendatore and he 's got his duel in the end ,finally!All in all,if you like a good story,told with gusto and panache,this version of the famous novel was made for you |
tt0066156 | Rebel | The setting is 1922, in French-occupied Vietnam, and anti-French rebellions by peasants have emerged all over the country. In response, the French have activated units of Vietnamese secret agents to track and destroy the rebels. One agent is Le Van Cuong. Although he has a perfect track record, Cuong's conscience is troubled by the sea of Vietnamese blood he has spilled. Following the assassination of a high-ranking French official, Cuong is assigned to seek and kill the notorious leader of the resistance. Cuong encounters Vo Thanh Thuy, a relentless revolutionary fighter and the daughter of the rebel leader. She is captured and imprisoned by Cuong's cruel superior, Sy. Cuong suspects that Sy knew about the attack on the French official before it happened, and could have prevented it. Suspicious, he warns Thuy that her organization has a mole, helps break her out of prison and becomes a fugitive himself. Her fiery patriotism inspires Cuong, and he develops feelings for the young woman as well. Meanwhile, Sy is tracking Cuong and Thuy, knowing the pair will lead him to Thuy's father. | cult | train | wikipedia | Vintage Sly at his best.
First of all, when i saw it listed in the TV guide, the year was listed as 1973.
But the movie was re-released in 1980, with some extra footage added.
However, the extra footage mostly covers the FBI office scenes.
This movie had all unknown actors, including an unknown Sylvester Stallone.
Sly looked so youthful and handsome.
The film was based on a true story about 1960s radical, Jerry Savage, who infiltrates a terrorist group who plan on blowing up a building in New York.
He also falls for a beautiful country girl, who's opposed to his association with the group.
It would've been nice for Sly to be the first unknown actor to be nominated for an Oscar for this film.
The end is a very emotional one for Sly as he's seen stumbling through fields..
If you think it's "a bomb" you're sorely mistaken..
Sly plays a sixties radical who must choose between his love for a beautiful country girl and his loyalties to a terrorist group planning to bomb a Manhattan skyscraper.
Stallone's performance is to be admired as he delivers lines such as "a bohhmb." Also you can just let the tears fly as Sly or shall I say Jerry Savage takes that final liberating run through a field of green.
This could be the greatest movie ever made.
Definitely misunderstood..
An interesting look at early Sly. Plot In A Paragraph: A young Sly Stallone plays a sixties radical who must choose between his love for a beautiful country girl and his loyalties to a terrorist group planning to bomb a Manhattan skyscraper.
This movie had all unknown actors, including a then unknown Sly, he looks really youthful and for me his performance shows early promise.It starts with Sly hitchiking, stopping to feed a horse, before finally getting a lift to New York.
Real life war footage is mixed with a guy singing a protest song " what are we fighting for".
A random conversation about hamburger sales that wouldn't look out of place in a Tarantino movie later, Sly meets a guy in the street, it's revealed "everything is in place", and that Sly used to have a beard ("a lot happens in a year") as a movie It's OK.
not great quality on my DVD, and the audio is out in places, which is annoying.
It's a bit slow, (I was tempted to turn it off after 20 minutes to do some ironing) despite a short running time it really feels like much, much longer.
But it does have a plot, and takes the time to build the tension.
With some reworking and a decent soundtrack, this could be a decent 70's thriller, but as it is, it's very cheap and only my devotion to Sly got me all the way through it...wonder if he could actually watch this movie now a days.
However Sly's performance is brilliant at conveying the confusion of the times.
The end is a very emotional one for Sly as he's seen stumbling through fields, It also has a beautiful soundtrack (not counting the 70's horror music) with some good songs.I can see why some people may not get all the way through this movie, I would like to know how many people actually paid to see this one when it was first released..
Rebellion of a tormented young man.
An incredibly sexy handsome young Sly thrown in the political turmoil of the ending sixties, the Vietnam war protests, the anti multi national firms activism.
A must see, Stallone on screen from the first to the last second of the movie embodies the disarray of an entire generation, which at some point contemplated terrorism against its own institutions public or private.
Sly's performance is brilliant conveying the confusion of the times, as in the wake of 1969 America was on the verge of civil war.
Beautiful soundtrack of protest songs.
Classic direction by Robert Schnitzer.
Look for the fully remastered version of 2006..
O.K. FOR A SLY FIRST.
I own this movie under a different title "REBEL".
A bit slow, but it does have a plot.
It tells the story of a young man having to choose between his desire to be part of a social movement in the late sixties.
Or the love of a country girl, a true "flower child" he meets on his way to Manhatten.
I liked it because it shows Sly before he became so pretty.
The longest 80 minutes of my life.
Believe it or not, I was pumped up to see this movie after seeing a preview for it on another tape.
My hopes, however, were quickly dashed as I found it hard to get through the first 10 minutes with my eyes still open.
Dreadfully boring and slow moving, the only redeemable factors are when Sly attacks a chair and his final run through a field......clad head to toe in denim.
After watching this, my friends and I took a trip down to the shore and buried it in the sand.
That was the only enjoyment we got out of this movie, which is truly one of the worst pieces of work I have ever seen.
Enjoyment may be slightly higher if you make bad Stallone impressions while watching it..
Nothing more than a Stallone curiosity..
REBEL" (aka "NO PLACE TO HIDE") is mostly like an independent film that when it came out had little to no interest, but as decades passed it somewhat caught the eye of a ''few'' for the casting of its upcoming star.
Still I wouldn't bother with it, unless you're a fan of Sylvester Stallone and want to see everything he's done.
Outside of that, there's not much to recommend.
The story follows a college dropout Jerry Savage, turned homegrown terrorist involved in an underground movement wanting to take down the corporate war machine while the FBI closes in.This clunky low-budgeter is very much a product of its era.
The movement of the late 1960s shines through and the backdrop of New York City is authentically brought across.
Be it through stock footage, or gritty location shooting with its documentary-like style.
Being made during the Vietnam era the political tailoring is at the forefront, yet the narrative is pretty long on its build-up consisting of numerous exchanges (capitalism, propaganda, spiritualism & etc) and tactical scheming of what needs to be done for this group to get their point across.
Also the FBI is in the same boat in trying to weed out these organized bombers.
Editing between scenes can be ragged and the script is more talk and ideas, than anything of action.
So tension, or its attempts of it stems mainly from the character interactions.
In spite of one or two minor visual moments towards the end.
Even so there's a lot of sitting around and trivial waxing, causing it drag at times.
Strangely though, the presence of Stallone keeps you watching.
It's a raw, yet affecting performance of confliction that you can see why he went onto bigger, better things..
No Place to Hide, or Rebel, provides a fascinating early glimpse of Sylvester Stallone on film and the era he inhabits.
A few days before Sylvester Stallone's latest movie The Expendables came out, I was at the used video store called Grand Cinema Station and stumbled upon this VHS case from Paragon Video Productions that had him on the cover and had the title of Rebel.
I bought it right away but I have just now gotten through watching it.
In a nutshell, Stallone plays Jerry Savage who is part of an underground terrorist group that's planning to blow up a building in Manhatten.
It's interesting watching a film from this time in the late '60s-early '70s and seeing and hearing various news footage of the riots of the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968 (where and when I was just a few months old), the speeches of Robert F.
Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., and various hit songs of the time.
Also interesting is seeing someone later known as more of a conservative figure playing a left-wing radical.
Not to mention his reactions when a woman in his group recounts her abortion or another lady from the country he likes argues with him about his bombing methods vs.
her more peaceful tranquility living.
This is not a great movie but it's certainly a fascinating document of such a turbulent time in U.S. history and of Sylvester Stallone's early contribution to that era..
Country scenes in the Catskills.
I recall the filming of this film in my upstate NY town of Livingston Manor in 1972.
So the making date is inaccurate.
The scene of them driving up to the country is on Route 17 which is now Interstate 86 at the exit near Parksville,NY.
The old boarding house is actually a bed and breakfast now and they make no claims to this pretty awful film.
It was definitely a period piece and fun to see how Sly started in this industry.
He was a looker even then before all the excesses.
Does anyone else remember this film from the Catskills of Sullivan County?
The Bed and Breakfast is located on Debruce Road in Livingston Manor and is known as the Debruce Inn. It has been restored but still the structure looks like it did in the film.
As I watched this film I realized how much of our area in the country is timeless and other than trees being bigger the road is unchanged.
I still would like to know how many people actually paid to see this one? |
tt0054279 | School for Scoundrels | Henry Palfrey (Ian Carmichael) is a failure in sport and love, and the easy victim of conmen and employees alike. So he enrolls at the "School of Lifemanship" in Yeovil, run by Dr. Potter (Alastair Sim). Late for his appointment, he overhears Potter explaining the principles of lifemanship to the new intake:
Well, gentlemen, lifemanship is the science of being one up on your opponents at all times. It is the art of making him feel that somewhere, somehow he has become less than you – less desirable, less worthy – less blessed.
Palfrey is given an object lesson in this when he has his interview with Potter, who proceeds to win a name-calling game. When Palfrey explains that he is a failure, Potter surmises that a woman is involved. In flashback, Palfrey recounts how he first met April Smith (Janette Scott), knocking parcels from her hands when he rushes to catch a bus. He manages to arrange a dinner date with her.
When Palfrey shows up at work, his loafing employees are unconcerned, despite his being the head of the family firm. They pay much more respect to his senior clerk, Gloatbridge (Edward Chapman). In private, Gloatbridge is patronising toward his erstwhile boss, making the business decisions. Palfrey asks him to make a dinner reservation, and has to fend off Gloatbridge's unwanted restaurant suggestion. That night at the restaurant, the head waiter (John Le Mesurier) cannot find Palfrey's booking at first; he does finally locate it under a slightly different name, but still refuses to seat them, as they are late. When Raymond Delauney (Terry-Thomas), a casual acquaintance of Palfrey's, arrives and sees April, he invites them to his table, where he proceeds to try to seduce April and cast Palfrey in a bad light at every opportunity.
As Delauney has a fancy sports car, Palfrey tries to counter by purchasing an automobile of his own. However, two salesmen (Dennis Price and Peter Jones) sell him a ramshackle 1924 "Swiftmobile". To further his humiliation of his rival, Delauney suggests a "friendly" tennis match. He wins easily. The film then returns to the school. Over the next several weeks, Palfrey proves to be an apt pupil in learning various ploys to gain the upper hand. The next phase of his education involves a field test of his new skills, evaluated by Potter. Palfrey convinces the car salesmen that his car, after some tune-up, is now a valuable and sought-after vehicle. They trade him a sports car and £100 for his Swiftmobile, which promptly breaks down.
After putting Gloatbridge in his place, Palfrey challenges Delauney to a rematch. Using some stratagems, he thoroughly frustrates his foe before they even start playing. Then, with April watching, Palfrey proceeds to win the set 6-0. April becomes disgusted with Delauney's behaviour afterward and drives off with Palfrey. They go back to his place for a drink. Palfrey arranges for April's to spill on her dress. He suggests she take it off to dry and put on his dressing gown. Eventually, they end up in his bedroom through his tricks, but Palfrey cannot bring himself to take advantage of April. Then Delauney barges in, dragging Potter with him. Delauney had found out that Potter was Palfrey's guest at the tennis club and got the story out of him. However, after Delauney informs her, April realises that Palfrey genuinely loves her, and they embrace, much to the disgust of both Delauney and Potter. Potter breaks the "fourth wall" and apologises to the audience for his pupil's behaviour.
The film ends with Delauney getting off the train at Yeovil station and heading in the direction of the school. | comedy | train | wikipedia | Ian Carmichael is, of course excellent, but my all-time hero, Terry-Thomas, is on the toppest of forms delivering the "Look's like a Polish stomach pump" and "Oh I say, smashing cricket stroke" lines with his unshakeable aplomb.
The quintessential role for Terry-Thomas (tho' "Magnificent Men" is a close second).But also fine turns from Alistair Sim, John Le Mesurier, Hugh Paddick, Peter Jones.
Humilliated in sport,losing his girl to a cad, and always taken advantage of-Henry Palfrey decides enough is enough and enrols himself at the College Of Lifemanship to learn self improvement strategies.School For Scoundrels is inspired by a trio of parody self-help books written by Stephen Potter called Gamesmanship, Lifemanship & Oneupmanship, with the subsequent result being a deftly charming satire backed up with very knowing comedy.
Taking the lead role of Henry Palfrey is Ian Carmichael, though a star of many funny and successful British comedies, Carmichael is not someone I would normally term as a confident leading man, but here he does well and I think that is probably down to having the ebullient Terry-Thomas to feed off.Terry-Thomas is here in full caddish rapscallion mode as Henry's love rival Raymond Delauney, a devilishly funny character who firmly has us begging Henry to get the better of him come the end.
School For Scoundrels is never ever less than a funny movie.However the film is far from perfect, Alistair Sim isn't given that much to do as Henry's mentor, Professor Stephen Potter, and this ultimately feels like a wasted opportunity.
But Hamer was fired shortly after filming began after lapsing back into alcoholism (he would die three years later), so the film was completed by Hal Chester and Cyril Frankel.Frayed edges aside though, School For Soudrels still holds up well today, and when one witnesses the poor standard of the 2006 remake, this 1960 offering is something of a comedic gem to be cherished forever and always.Hard cheese old boy 8/10.
Aficianados, of course, love the film with a passion and for good reason since it represents a high point in the careers of Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and director Robert Hamer, (sadly this was the last thing Hamer did).It's based on the Oneupmanship books of Stephen Potter, in themselves classics of British humour, and here Potter is played by the great and inimitable Alastair Sim, though Sim takes a back seat in this one.
Surprisingly, the writers Hal E Chester and Paricia Moyes, who adapted Potter's books, have managed to pull together something of a coherent plot rather than just a series of sketches as initially nerdy Carmichael starts putting Sim's Dark Arts into practice as he goes head-to-head with the dastardly Thomas for the virtue of Janette Scott.
Upon completion of the course he sets his sight on Delauney but can he avoid becoming that which he hates?Terry Thomas is famous for his lecherous wretch and here he not only plays it to perfection, but also gets out played at his own game.
I first saw this film about ten years ago and in that time I must have seen it two hundred times.It stands for everything great in British comedy.It tells the story of a young man who always seems to come a cropper in the lifeman stakes.He joins classes for one-upmanship and turns into an arrogant idiot.Alastair Sim is at his lugrubious best.Terry-Thomas plays the bounder to a tee with some wonderful lines.If I have one gripe it's the casting of Ian Carmichael in the lead role.Leslie Philips would have been much better But that's a personal choice.Now I'm off to watch it again for the two hundred and first time!.
Having watched it dozens of times over the years it was only the other day when I noticed the following gaff: Early in the film when Palfrey has been stitched up by Delauney at the restaurant he is outside with April when Delauney toots his wolf whistle horn on his 'new Belini 2.6' sports car.
Three of the Fifties best comedy actors here play roles that could have been written with them in mind; the polite and put-upon 'loser' is played marvellously by Ian Carmichael, who specialised in this kind of role; the free-wheeling braggart and womaniser is played to the hilt by the wonderful Terry-Thomas, and the slightly seedy head of the College of Oneupmanship is played with knowing wisdom by Alastair Sim. Even the two minor parts of 'The Winsome Welshmen' - the delightfully dodgy car salesmen who sell our hero the mother-of-all bangers are played with verve by Dennis Price and Peter Jones - "Oh, that's the er..
I have watched this film dozens of times and still manage to discover fresh delights and nuances, let alone locations - the road where Terry-Thomas and Carmichael drive on when going to pick Janette Scott is a stretch of the North Circular that I use daily !.
While it is usually sent to the second division of Alastair Sim films (behind such classics as "The Green Man", "Scrooge", and "Green for Danger") this is one of my favourites.Although the credits say the film is based on 'novels' by Stephen Potter, they are really spoof 'self-help' manuals on how to get ahead in life.
For example, if you are at a party where someone is talking to an admiring group about a country you have never visited (and don't even know) listen quietly until they give an opinion such as: "Left-wing politics are on the rise in Turkmenistan" and say "Yes, but not in the South." This is the 'Canterbury Block', which gives everyone the impression you are more of an expert than the speaker.In this film Ian Carmichael attends Potter's College of Lifemanship to learn how to overcome those who belittle and take advantage of him (and to win the girl of his dreams).
There is a great support cast, too: Dennis Price and Peter Jones as shady car dealers, Hugh Paddick and Hattie Jacques as college tutors, and Edward Chapman as the office manager from hell.Another reason for my affection for this film is that I saw it as a boy with my dad and we both laughed our heads off (especially at Sim's closing speech).
Well by now you will have already been won over by Terry Thomas and the crop of great British comedy actors (Alistair Sim, Dennis Price, Peter Jones and Ian Carmichael).This comment is posted to reinforce your belief that this is one of the best comedies ever made?
A comedy played out by Alastair Sym,helping Ian Carmichael win against the odds to find true love and end up a future winner in life.The "comeuppance" of the shady car dealers is really memorable and a chuckle.
Terry Thomas losing his "Mr Cool" image whilst driving to Carmichael's directions (surely a voice for a Sat nav?!) is a lesson in comedy displayed by two fine actors at the peak of their careers.Not for the cad or dim witted,this film!When feeling a little cross at the winter rain I watch this and add a little fuel to the glowing fire and open a single malt.
This is about winners and losers.Ian Carmichael is Henry Palfrey who wants to woo the delectable April Smith a girl he has bumped into but is made to look foolish by his chum Raymond Delauney (Terry Thomas) who is out to steal her.Palfrey also is not having much luck at his firm and his attempt to buy a sports car goes wrong as well.
He joins the Lifemanship school where the headmaster played by Alistair Sim soon sorts him out in the ways of gamesmanship and oneupmanship.Ian Carmichael plays the weak willed Palfrey really well but soon after his time at school he is transformed as the cad on the make.
The moment he claps eyes on April he turns lecherous and uses his weasel charms to get his way.Of course as the table turn you see Thomas getting frustrated, exasperated and even more bad tempered.Alistair Sim again gives another vintage performance as the wily headmaster of the school teaching Palfrey valuable life lessons.The film has cameos from British character actors of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
How could a British comedy starring Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Alastair Sim could be bad ?
In the case of Schools fro Scoundrels, you have the perfect typical old British comedy with wonderful actors.
Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas, Alastair Sim and Dennis Price were actors of immense talent and bring so much promise.
Add to that a very interesting concept and that it is directed by Robert Hamer, who directed a personal favourite comedy of mine 'Kind Hearts and Coronets', and one can't help thinking what could possibly go wrong with that amount going for it?Luckily 'School for Scoundrels' doesn't come anywhere close to going wrong and doesn't actually do an awful lot wrong.
It is Terry-Thomas, possibly never better, who makes the most impression playing a cad to hilarious perfection.Also a big star is the script, filled with witty lines and subtle humour that is seldom less than very funny, thanks to the cast's sharp and elegant comic timing.
John Addison's score has the right amount of energy and the film looks great, not many films have had me pining for any kind of car but 'School of Scoundrels' is one of those exceptions.Concluding, very good film and very much a winner if not quite classic.
Most especially a pretty girl he literally ran into played by Janette Scott is being given a first class rush by that cad Terry-Thomas.I think you can figure what happens after Carmichael takes a few courses at Sim's College of Oneupmanship.
The cast is filled with some of the better performers of the time with the always very good Alastair Sim as the essentially the headmaster of this school for cheats, the perfectly cast rival Terry-Thomas, with the ideally good Ian Carmichael in the lead role.
Ian Carmichael at his most innocent; Terry-Thomas as his most unctuous; Alastair Sim at his most Simish.
"Oh, hard cheese, old man!" School for Scoundrels, that cheery, malicious comedy of one-upmanship, was based on Stephen Potter's classic of underhanded winning, Gamesmanship - Or How To Win Without Really Cheating, and its follow-up, Lifemanship.
"Well, gentlemen," says the avuncular head of school played by Alastair Sim to a new class, "lifemanship is the science of being one up on your opponents at all times.
He who is not one up, is one down." Getting ready to sign up for the courses is Henry Palfrey (Ian Carmichael), so nice, so pleasant, so helpful that he usually finds himself either ignored, taken advantage of or walked all over.
He meets April Smith (Janette Scott), an attractive young woman, and invites her to dinner, only to see himself turned into the extra man while that bounder, Raymond Delauney (Terry-Thomas) moves in and takes over.
The English humorist Stephen Potter enjoyed great success in the 1950s with his books "Gamesmanship", which ironically advised sportsmen on "how to win without actually cheating", chiefly by using psychological ploys to unsettle their opponents, and "Lifemanship" and "One-upmanship" which advocated a similar attitude to life in general.It is perhaps surprising that the makers of this film did not use the titles of any of Potter's books for their own title, as at least two of them have passed into the English language.
The central idea is that Potter, not content with merely writing books, has actually opened a College of Lifemanship in Somerset in order to teach his philosophy.The central character of the film is Henry Palfrey, a young man who enrols at the College (a sort of boarding school for adults).
When Henry tries to buy a car to impress April (Delauney drives an expensive Italian sports car), he is cheated by a rascally pair of used-car salesmen who sell him a broken-down wreck for 695 guineas (£729.75- a large amount of money in 1960).Henry therefore enrols in Potter's school where he learns the philosophy and all the tricks of "Lifemanship".
Carmichael receives excellent support from a number of other famous British comedy stars, some of them such as John Le Mesurier or Hattie Jacques only playing minor roles.
The best supporting performances come from Peter Jones and Dennis Price as the car dealers, Alastair Sim as Potter and Terry-Thomas as Delauney.
Waiters ( John Le Mesurier ) insult him, his own staff - particularly 'Gloatbridge' ( Edward Chapman ) - bully him, an old chum - 'Ray Delauney' ( Terry-Thomas ) humiliates him in a tennis club - and when he tries to impress lovely 'April Smith' ( Janette Scott ) by buying a Swiftmobile ( it closely resembles a reupholstered roller skate!
It is run by 'Mr.S.Potter' ( Alistair Sim )...Some British comedy films look and feel timeless, and this is one of them.
Mr Ian Carmichael(born to play the meek middle-class doormat)is thwarted in his every move by by the manic Mr Terry-Thomas.In despair he enrolls at Stephen Potter's Colllege of One-Upmanship where shrinking violets are turned into tigers,unravelling the subtle coils of the English Class - System by using the Nobs techniques against them.
Miss J.Scott is innocent and sexy in a 1960 - ish way,Mr Price and Mr Jones incomparable.Mr Sim,first in a field of one,hooded eye and sardonic voice,is perfect as Stephen Potter.But I leave the best to last.Mr Terry-Thomas,leering,loathsome yet strangely child - like, irritatingly good at everything he does,a portrait to join those masterpieces from "Private's Progress" and "I'm All Right,Jack" of the cynical upper-class opportunist who gets his come-uppance.
Terry-Thomas and Ian Carnmichael are always enjoyable, and of course this is the Golden Age of British (cinema) Comedy; but this is really Alastair Sim's movie, in my view.
I have never seen the American "School for Scoundrels" and assume it's a remake of this wonderful British film.
To reach, also, the goal of "winning without actually cheating" and most importantly, to make your opponent think that they had lost fairly, thus, to achieve "One-Upmanship".School for Scoundrels, with their continuing theme of "lifemanship", is the 1960 movie based on the books of Stephen Potter, directed by Cyril Frankel, who goes uncredited, as Robert Hamer, an alcoholic, was unreliable for duties, rarely sober and who died some three years later.Failure is not an option, at The College of Lifemanship, with the brilliantly talented Alastair Sim (1900 - 1976), playing Mr. S.
Potter as the shrewd and cunning mentor, and that has the unfortunate Henry Palfrey (Ian Carmichael), turning too for assistance, with his naïve, bumbling and placid nature, will soon have him in the right direction.
Done in a very humorous fashion, with the cast of Terry-Thomas (humour), Alastair Sim (scheming), Ian Carmichael (genuine) and Janette Scott (naivety), and with bit parts from Hattie Jacques (1922 1980), Irene Handl (1901 1987) and John "Dads Army" Le Mesurier (1912 1983), you really cannot go wrong here, entertaining till the end.There is the serious side to School for Scoundrels, and that to participate in such activities is sometime counter productive, and toward the end, maybe, a little backbone can be built up on just basic human sincerity.
Best of the lot is the excellent Terry-Thomas playing the ultimate cad character as he's absolutely hilarious.
"School For Scoundrels" is a comedy of manners in which applicants at the title school learn to shed some manners in order to get ahead – and stay there."He who is not one-up is one-down," explains the school's headmaster, Mr. Potter (Alistair Sims), who finds in Ian Carmichael's Henry Palfrey an apt pupil.
Can Potter's school teach him a lesson in "lifemanship" and help him exact revenge?Less a movie in a story sense, "School For Scoundrels" is a concept film in which the concept involves using ploys to keep one from getting buried by others - by burying them first.
We watch Carmichael's character as he cleverly takes the lessons learned from Potter to use in his life struggle, eventually settling in on a return match against Delauney at the tennis club where he previously suffered his most piercing defeat.Like ianlouisiana points out in an April 2009 review here, this is the sort of film Monty Python could have done a decade later, but with a heavier tread.
But the principals in this film do work just fine.Carmichael stretches a bit from his amiable persona to good effect, while Terry-Thomas steals every scene he's in as his character steals April.
At his wits end Carmichael enrols at Stephen Potter's (Alistair Sim) academy where Gamesmanship is the name of the game and - I trust I'm not giving anything away here - graduates with honours and gives Thomas his comeuppance.
"School for Scoundrels" is 90 minutes and is one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time, one that will leave you feeling good long after and make you keep repeating to yourself, hard cheese, and laughing all day, and with Terry-Thomas in his element and never better, no one loses..
Henry enrolls in The College of Lifesmanship" run by Mr. Potter (Alastair Sim) and learns how to always be "one-up" rather than "one-down," always in control of every situation and the confident winner in every scenario.
Potter, played by Alistair Sim) teaches the easily intimidated Henry Palfrey (Ian Carmichael) how to turn the tables on rotter and cad Raymond Delauney (Terry-Thomas) and win back the lovely April Smith (Janette Scott).The script, by Peter Ustinov, turns the spoof techniques of the book into maguffins driving a coherent narrative.
Potter's "College of Lifemanship" to study "how to win without actually cheating." Once he has learned how to be a "one-upper," Henry returns to the outside world, a new man! |
tt0463948 | Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York | A volcano beneath New York City seems unlikely, yet nothing else can explain the bizarre tremors and terrifying explosions wreaking havoc on the city. Tunnel digger Matt MacLachlan (Costas Mandylor), head of the team of "Sandhogs", has witnessed lava seeping into the city's aqueduct system and knows the unimaginable truth. A group of tramps trying to keep warm in Central Park near a heat vent all die from carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide poisoning. A boat in the harbour is caught in a venting and explodes. The FBI Terror Task Force begins to look for the imagined terrorists who killed the tramps and blew up the boat.
Matt is taken off of the sandhogs as some of his men were badly injured, which prompts an investigation. Pipes which were supposed to carry water are filled with steaming acid because of the volcano. He reunites with his former wife Susan, who has been sent to interview him on what happened, and convinces her that there is something seriously wrong in tunnel number three. Together they sneak down into the tunnels, which have been sealed off, and she sees enough to believe him.
Doctor Andrew Levering (Michael Ironside) has been conducting a geo-thermal energy experiment, which has triggered the volcanic activity as his project drills down seven miles into the earth in a secret location hidden in a warehouse in downtown New York. Neil Kavanagh and other people are financing this project, but since there have been no results they are ready to pull the funding, forcing Andrew to take more chances to produce instant results.
Matt and Susan go to the Mayor, only to find out that Susan's her boss Jacob Reed lets her down. Neil, who is there also, manages to make the idea of a volcano look impossible so the Mayor dismisses them. Shortly afterwards, a home owner opens the door to his house, only to be buried alive and instantly killed by a stream of molten lava. The whole block of houses goes up in flames, with 72 people missing, all of whom are presumed dead, and the Mayor begins to wonder, while Agent Walters of the FBI's Terror Task Force is given leave to do whatever he has to do.
Using a handheld thermal detector, Matt and Susan drive around the suspect area and find unnatural heat coming from a warehouse. They enter, but Matt is recognised by Andrew, who then binds them as prisoners. In an effort to produce results, Andrew, by this point, acting in desperation, goes too far and the workers start to desert as flames leap from the drill hole. He tries to seal it but is badly burned by the flames. Meanwhile, Matt and Susan manage to escape as the unleashed lava causes the warehouse to explode. The effects of Andrew's latest efforts are seen on the streets of New York as lava spouts out of manholes and buildings catch fire, killing thousands and causing untold damage.
The Mayor sees what is happening from his office and Neil reluctantly admits his part. He decides on an evacuation of the city. But all is not lost, as Matt has an idea which he tells his work crew his idea. He tells them that an explosion in the right place will divert the lava along the city's aqueduct tunnels and into the nearby sea. The race is then on to do it in time, but Andrew, who survived his burns, but was horribly disfigured, and is now stalking the streets of the city with a gun, learns of their plans via a television broadcast that also announces over 1,000 counts of murder to be handed down against him. The deranged doctor follows the team into the tunnels and faces Matt and Susan as they attempt to set the charges necessary to open the tunnels. Delusively believing that his project is still viable, Andrew shoots Matt, but one of his shots goes astray and destabilizes the wall, releasing steam that blinds him. Matt and Susan escape from the tunnels just in time to avoid the lava flow, while Andrew is killed in the eruption. Their plan works and the city is saved. | violence | train | wikipedia | This is about a group of underground tunnel workers in NY who come across some molten lava while digging a new sewer.
The woman who comes to investigate for the government just happens to be the ex-wife of the tunnel digger, and of course we run through the usual cliché of them disliking each other and then getting back together over the course of the movie.
Yes, someone has to stand in the way of our heroes doing what must be done, if for no other reason than that it's in the handbook of required clichés for disaster movies.Overall, it's just insanely cheesy and silly, with lines like "They're screwing with the pressure of the Earth's crust".
The two main characters turn in good enough performances.I say this is not too terrible - for a disaster movie - because there's no sappy melodrama involving kids, pregnant women, sanctimonious paramedics, or inner city gang members.
Oddly enough, for a disaster movie, the "special" effects actually serve as a backdrop for the story, not the other way around.
Diasaster Zone: Invasion of the Demented Camera Guy. It's hard to say which was more toxic: the magma or the camera work in this film.Endless dart-in's, dart-out's, dizzying pans, rapid-fire jump-cuts, unnecessary point-of-view changes, and so on.
Irritating in nature, devoid of purpose, it has become a pandemic in made-for-TV flicks.Once the bumbling camera movement has you popping sea-sickness pills, the movie introduces you to the same old assembly-line stereotypical characters rehashed on a hundred other made-for-TV flicks.
You've got some Einstein-wanna-be scientist causing the menace, a bunch of blue collar heroes that are the only ones who want to save the city, a female scientist that discovers the problem but nobody listens, politicians who are breaking the law and not listening to reason, dimwits in an anti-terrorism unit, and a few extras whose only reason for existence is obviously to be victims.
While the plot of the movie wasn't bad and almost plausible, the camera work was extremely distracting and a bit annoying.
And Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York could be chapter one.First question to the film makers: there were two fairly good Hollywood volcano movies in the 1990s.
No matter how close they are to searing death, no matter how precarious their emotional circumstances, I could only chuckle.To summarize: DZ:VINW is really no worse, no better than the other under-shoe feculence of the Sci-Fi Channel (not counting it's rather good series, Stargate and Battlestar).I'm sure the film makers are nice people and will do good work elsewhere.
The person who filmed it kept zooming the camera in and out like they were investigative reporters.
Have I seen worse than Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York?
The script is cheesy and forced more times than not, the story was decent enough in concept was very predictable and suspense-less in execution and the characters are no more different than the stereotypes that are here, there and everywhere in SyFy's movies.
All in all, a near-disaster of a movie, where both my eyes and ears were feeling sensitive by the end.
I love the "no animals were harmed" line at the end; apparently it's okay to show 3700 people, some of whom I knew, dying, apparently.There are at least three scenes I saw where 9/11 footage was used; if the special effects look fake, they're made for the movie; if they look real, well, that's our friends and family members dying.BUT that's not why it should be banned.
Somebody clearly watched "Volcano" and "24" while writing, filming, and editing this movie, since its obviously trying to emulate them.
Any death in this movie is deserved due to the bad acting.The CG effects look cheap and cartoonish, the lame tie-in and obvious shot at the anti-terror task forces are ridiculous.Other than the fact that the city of New York is facing total destruction, I found little of any redeeming value is this laugher.Michael Ironside must really be desperate for money.
Matt (Costas Mandylor) works in the underground pipelines of New York City, with a lot of other brave men and women.
Is there going to be a series of these now, like "Disaster Zone: Tidal Wave in Detroit" or "Disaster Zone: Earthquake in Indiana" or "Disaster Zone: NC State Basketball in the NCAA Tournament"?Anyway, I hope so, because this was the best "Disaster" comedy I've seen since Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120461/) and TV's 10.5 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364146/).If you're looking for thrills and science, go rent a documentary.
But if you are looking for laughs and "Science!", you've got the right movie.
DISASTER ZONE: VOLCANO IN NEW YORK is one of the most unintentionally funny movies I've seen in a while.
It's an attempt to convey a large-scale disaster movie on a TV movie budget, which of course is doomed from the very beginning, but the whole affair turns out to be so overblown, ridiculous and ultimately cheesy that it becomes a highly entertaining production.The essence of the film is as simple as this: there's an erupting volcano underneath New York.
Levering is played by cult favourite Michael Ironside, one of those actors like Lance Henriksen who's still good value even when he's slumming it like he is here.Of course, the fate of the city lies in the hands of one man, namely rugged hero McLaughlin (played by Costas Mandylor, better known for his depraved role in the SAW franchise).
Mandylor is paired with tough cookie/eye candy Alexandra Paul, and away we go on an odyssey of unlikely scenarios and disaster film clichés.There are plenty of enjoyable set-pieces to mention, from tunnel workers finding themselves burned by acid (some surprisingly graphic effects are utilised here) to a scene where a smoking human skull is blown out of the ground.
Sadly, there's never the kind of large-scale destruction that you'd hope from the premise, but there is one isolated scene of lava coming out of a guy's house which is worth watching the film for alone - it's an absolutely highlight of cheesy, cringeworthy effects work.
And that, my friends, is what DISASTER ZONE: VOLCANO IN NEW YORK is all about!.
I went into viewing this movie thinking it would be bad, but it far exceeded my expectations.
I watched this movie because I am a hardcore Costas Mandylor fan, but my god does he deserve (and luckily has gotten) better roles than this.
However, if you can appreciate a bad cheesy movie knowing that it will be entertaining enough to make you laugh, then go for it.
It is also so far the worst Costas Mandylor film I have watched and that is including an episode of Tales from the Crypt that he was barely in, and a horror movie called Hyenas that had bad CGI animated beasts in it.
This made for sci-fi channel movie was so bad it was funny!
What was disturbing was the shot of lower manhattan smoking....I am just SURE they used some 9-11 footage...and I HOPE they didn't...because that would be wrong!The special effects were tolerable for a TV movie.
At least it is not aggressively bad so that you feel cheated if you watched it.Characters are pretty standard, evil scientists taking short cuts, ex-lovers at odds with each other that must work together to save the world and so forth and so on.Disaster warnings start small and build slowly so that the "man" is not aware of the problem until almost too late and then must turn to the "rebels" they have been trying to suppress because they don't want a panic or interrupt the annual picnic or whatever.
Every possible cliché for a disaster movie, you would think that someone would say "But wait, that's been done." But no, they just went right ahead.
It's a normal day of hard hats and hazards for New York's finest tunnel workers until a group of them are assaulted by acid, sulphur and...lava?
Are the two events related?The purpose of 'Disaster Zone: Volcano In New York', apart from having an unnecessarily long title, seems to be to convince the viewer that 1997's 'Volcano' with Tommy Lee Jones was a cinematic masterpiece by showing what it might have been if it had been produced by the Sci Fi Channel.
Yes, it was an interesting idea, and it was done better elsewhere.Nonetheless, you might be tempted to give 'Disaster Zone' a look if like me, you're a fan of both disaster flicks and indeed volcano disaster flicks.
Therefore, being neither especially good nor especially bad enough to be entertaining, 'Volcano In New York' will recreate a disaster zone in your living room should you choose to follow in my footsteps and be mad enough to watch it..
Such was the question occurring to me as I struggled through yet another disastrously ridiculous SciFi Channel disaster movie.
I have watched half a dozen of these "SciFi Channel World Premiere Event" movies in the past year and each is uniquely, achingly bad in its own right.
Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York, however, brings bad into a new light.Every hackneyed device of disaster movie development is employed to predictable, hackneyed affect: the hero, a burly tunnel digger, leads his crew of rough-but-capable misfits (Local 147 "Sand Hogs") in a daring race against the volcano to save New York City from certain incineration by lava.
Throw in some incompetent DHS and FBI investigators; an incredulous mayor and his scheming, corrupt deputy; a female Sand Hog whose daddy was a legend among Sand Hogs; a foreman who is overly safety-conscious, except when he's not; and the unfortunate but gruesome deaths of several supporting "color" characters and you've got your standard disaster movie fare, all dressed up with nowhere to go except straight down the tubes.As seems to be the new standard, the volcano is not itself the "enemy," typically the case in classic disaster movies; no, the volcano is the unfortunate result spawned by a greedy (read: evil) scientist of the "mad" persuasion who has drilled a 7-mile deep hole beneath Manhattan into the Earth's molten core so as to capture the thermal energy and make bazillions of dollars.
Greedy, Evil Scientist guy has been able to pull this off with the help of the Deputy Mayor, who has greased palms all over the city in order to keep the drilling secret until such time as the thermal energy could be captured and the resulting power plant used to "open franchises" the world over.
C'mon, you know how this goes: the greedy, evil scientist guy dies, the safety-waffling foreman dies, the homeless guy dies, the black guy dies, the Hispanic pyromaniac dies in a column of lava, the female Sand Hog survives and Mr. Sand Hog and Dr. USGS get back together and suck face as the credits roll.In the 50s and 60s, we were subjected to horror movies populated with monsters created from nuclear testing.
In the 70s, disaster movies became an art form, with man struggling - often in futility - against the ravages of nature: no way did George Kennedy try to stop that 1975 earthquake, but he sure managed the aftermath really, really well.
There is no moral imperative in an avalanche: the best one could be accused of is getting what's coming to them for being in the wrong place, against instructions.In these modern disaster movies, we are treated to scenarios in which garden variety pests (bees, bats, locusts and the like) become monsters created out of genetic engineering or toxic waste dumping, or the very planet itself rebels against its victimization at the hands of mankind, specifically, Greedy Evil Scientist guys and their investors.
There are no surprises in Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York, except perhaps your own surprise at your willingness to waste two hours of your life on such dreck.
This movie has all the elements of a fine disaster movie; inept Government officials, unjustly ridiculed hero, the evil psychologically challenged scientist and the sniveling bureaucrat trying to cover it all up to save his own butt.
When confronted with an explanation the mayor turns to the sniveling underling who happens to be in league with a complete nut of a scientist intent on bringing Geothermal Energy to New York City, a good cause but a bad concept by doing it in the heart of the city.
The science if very fuzzy so don't expect any "A" from a Geology teacher as the vulcanology is about as good in this one as in other volcano movies.
Actually this is the best parts of the show because Matt (Costas Mandylor) and Susan (Alexandra Paul) actually works well together and has very good chemistry.
There is a final attempt to stay the disaster by the sandhogs by diverting the lava into the underground tunnels of NYC which saves the city.
The Disaster Zone IS this movie!
They died from inhaling poisonous gases generated by the underground volcano.* Workers and scientists travel through subway tunnels and other confined spaces - within sight of flowing lava!!
and the best performance in the movie,) and the hateful footage from 911.I really disliked the way the "heros" managed to get away in a GM truck.
This movie has every, I repeat every, cliché in disaster films.
I must admit that there are touches I haven't seen in my favorite volcano movie "Dante's Peak", like the rubber duckie.
It's the movie Volcano ala Sci-Fi Channel.
It's got the usual bureaucrats who won't listen to the scientists who are trying to warn of a impending disaster, FBI agents who get all ultra paranoid thinking it's all terrorism and the mandatory love interest.
This disaster film was released as a made-for-television movie on February 25, 2006.
The unrated film follows a group of underground workers in New York who begin to believe that a volcano lies under New York City, and is connected with an illegal drilling operation.
The 92-minute long film stars Costas Mandylor as an underground pipe worker who first sees signs of a volcano, Eric Breker, Pascale Hutton, Zak Santiago, and Michael Boisvert as his co-workers, Alexandra Paul as his ex-wife, and a scientist working to uncover the strange phenomenon, Robert Moloney as Paul's associate, and Michael Ironside as the head of the illegal drilling operation.
Nothing interesting really happens until over 50 minutes into the film when Mandylor, and Paul investigate the illegal drilling operation, and are held hostage by Ironside, who is the best performer in the group, and really seems to enjoy his scenery chewing role.
Volcano in New York is just abysmally bad.
It has every cliché character (and I mean every one) that you'd expect in a disaster movie.
They're all here.Add in the stereotypical science project goes wrong plot and "band of everyday heroes" that save the day and you've got a film that you could do yourself the favour and just NOT watch and still know what will happen at the end.Of course, from the SciFi Channel, you already know that the script will be dire, the dialogue inane and ludicrous and the characters annoying as hell.
Intersperse real-world eruption footage, cheesy "Youtube" quality lava CGI and what looked jarringly like 9/11 footage (I kid you not) and you have an awful mish-mash of effects that fails dismally.And whilst I mention the 9/11 footage, am I the only one to think that using such footage was just plain wrong?
The least they could have done was cut out the three or four scenes from the movie.So then, rubbish plot, rubbish effects, awful dialogue and questionable stock footage.
The CGI could've been better done by a junior high schooler with too much time on his hands!The ending was straight out of "Volcano" (1997).It's so clichéd:people with histories being thrown back together; gov't involved conspiracies; a small group of people saving the day, with a villain trying to thwart the heroes.And of course, copy-catting a bigger film.You don't have to have a big budget to create a decent film.
ludicrous disaster movie!
The people responsible for coming up with the idea for a volcano hitting New York City don't waste the opportunity to at first suggest that unexplained mayhem may be the work of terrorists.
The only decent idea in this movie script is the lunatic scientist portrayed by Michael Ironside, who at least might make you slightly interested for the latter scenes when he has lost the plot, ranting about using larva as an energy source or something.In the end, the main guy and (reunited) ex-wife pop the loony and save the day.garbage..
And it did not fail to disappoint.The story line of this particular offering has to do with a scientist, Dr. Levering (Michael Ironside)who has come up with a plan for tapping into geothermal energy to heat Manhattan much more cheaply than conventional methods.
Can Matt and Susan manage to stop the volcano before it obliterates most of New York City?
Like most disaster plots, this one's full of holes.
And finally, throughout the movie, people are way to close to lava with no problems caused by the hear or the fumes.
Michael Ironside does a pretty good job as the mad scientist, who just gets crazier and crazier as the movie goes along.
Worst disaster movie ever.
I have just seen this movie and I personally think it is the worst disaster movie of all times!
**SPOILER WARNING** The plot was interesting at the beginning, but at the part where the supposed "volcano" erupted the plot became a kind of the film Volcano, specially the part where the plan to save New York was to "guide" the lava to the ocean.
The special effects were so lame that I laughed every time the "lava" appeared.
In the part when the lava began to "burn" the city it looked like I was watching a cartoon..
To sum up I wasted 2 productive hours of my life watching this movie personally, this film may deserve a score of minus 4. |
tt2365946 | Bitten | Jack, a paramedic, is frustrated with his life after he breaks up with his girlfriend. He discovers a girl (Danika) in an alleyway covered in blood, clinging to life. Jack takes Danika in and soon discovers that she is a vampire.
Jack and Danika try to find a way to feed her cravings to drink blood while killing as little as possible. All their attempts end without success because a vampire needs fresh human blood. Jack also must find places to hide the bodies in his apartment, including the body of his ex-girlfriend, who had gone to his apartment to reclaim several of her possessions before Danika had bitten and killed her. Jack discovers upon his ex-girlfriend's corpse reanimating into a vampire (and having to kill her when she attacks him in a rage) that only a stab to the heart will kill a vampire.
When Danika becomes more violent, killing several people, including a young woman, Jack is forced to kill her with the help of Roger, his paramedic co-worker and friend. Roger stabs Danika in the heart while she attacks Jack and kills her, but not before Jack is bitten. Jack becomes a vampire, cared for by Roger, who feeds him from a dish of blood. | paranormal, murder | train | wikipedia | I originally read the Kelley Armstrong Book "Bitten - Otherworld 1" about 5 years ago and was impressed with the way the characters unfolded in the book.And as with anyone who reads a good book you try to visualize what you read, and because of this you tend to be disappointed with the transition between book and screen.
To my great surprise this first episode has followed and brought to life the original work,and moreover has kept true to the written word unlike many other book to TV attempts in the past.I look forward to watching this series unfold and hope that i can say the same of the future episodes.I would caution parents as some of the future content if it follows the book may need to be viewed before allowing children to see it first.But above all any lover of very well written stories this is a must view and i can only recommend that you accompany the series with the original book..
While they may not be my idea of the character, again, I don't expect a TV or move to meet my expectation of what I think Clay or Jeremy or any of the others might look like.
It's too bad they didn't do more of the flash backs during the first show because I think people who don't know the history may not get some of the relationships, but I'll still be watching all of them and I am pretty sure I'll enjoy it, along with some of my friends..
Glancing over the book series it seems like there is an interesting plot line for the show to follow if it chooses to do so and hopefully they will.
I enjoy this program but Elena's character alsways speaking in hushed tones or whispers is done right annoying, I mean come on who constantly speaks like that she should start her own ASMR channel.
(Clay Danvers is hot, hot, hot!) So far the writers are sticking close to the book "Bitten" written by Kelley Armstrong.
My only complaint as a fan of the books is, since I already know what happened from the book, it's moving a little slow for me, but ignoring the book, the show is doing a great job of setting up all the characters and plot.
However they have managed to keep the story line well on track, and I will continue watching and keeping an eye out for future series on this set of books.
The plot from each episode never progresses or changes, and from what I can tell there is no plan for it to.Save yourself from the disappointment of yet another attempt to turn a horror genre into love triangle based bullshit..
How the hell this has received a rating of 6.6 is completely beyond my comprehension,from the word go you could see it was just a copy of many other shows out there,CGI is a joke,the writing and acting (if you can call it that)is appalling.Cheap lame sex scenes put in here and there to grab SOME viewers really had no reason or point for being there.Main character seems quite dull and uninteresting and no others to really even mention,may have done a better job with a few store dummies I think.They either had a lot of bots vote for this or they rigged it I was generous with a rating of 1.I would highly recommend you Don't waste your time bothering with this one..
OK why is this show so bad, corny visual effects, acting is like they are extremely tired and any threats around them too having ones loved die is like taking a crap on the dunny, you cannot feel any tension and when the characters get angry is like watching a hissy fit only.I cannot give this show praise, having perfect looking people isn't an asset if they cannot show any real sense of the situation they are facing.
The aspect of having a werewolf that changes at whim could have done well but having this lot really the saying only the strong survive, they have no chance.This show tries to imitate the Vampire Diaries meets Dawsons Creek, I don't see this show going anywhere and would be surprising if it makes it into another season..
As someone who loves all things Supernatural, I feel many people have failed to do a series strictly about werewolves, right.
However in regards to Bitten, I was a bit apprehensive to watch the series, due to reading some bad reviews.
It seems like I have been wanting to see a good werewolf show for years and unfortunately Bitten is not the one I have been waiting for.
It's a twilight TV series and the only redeeming quality is Laura's pretty face.A better show to watch for a werewolf fix is Being Human, if you're looking for a good werewolf series keep looking as will I..
Didn't really get under my skin, I haven't read any books and maybe that is the fault, I can see that many believes it is a good transition to the series.The characters seem a bit too ordinary, yes they have special powers, but it is all too Twillight like, it is just with grown ups and not teenagers and seriously, who wants to see that if it is not more extravagant like x-men or something.
So people trying to live ordinary lives but with powers they can't entirely control and some don't want etc.This is just another nothing special TV series and you have to be liking this mindless nonsense that isn't serious enough, but takes itself very serious, it just isn't working for me anymore..
I'm figuring that next week, in an effort to make the show even MORE boring, the only thing left for them to do would be to have all of the actors sit around a big table in the movie studio and read their scripts.The following week of course they'd top that by having the cast sit around a big table in the movie studio and read their scripts to themselves.Then they could follow that with an episode where the cast don't even show up to the script table and just phone in their lines.Then after that as a season finale they could just run footage of the scripts sitting on the table to fill up the time..
I honestly believe with different actors the show could actually be a lot better - as the story lines, plot twists are really good.
Another in a long line of overwrought fantasies penned by sexually frustrated female novelists targeting an audience of vapid teenaged girls.After a somewhat limp and bargain-basement pilot, featuring truly awful CGI wolves, the first season found its feet within three or four episodes and actually became quite good (for someone in the mood for this sort of show).What kept me watching was the unique lack of teenagers in the cast, making the whole thing more grown-up and less of the mindless angst-fest that one is generally obliged to endure.
Despite an obviously restrictive budget it was really quite watchable.Then season two arrived, and for reasons presumably book-based (I haven't read them), it abandoned the grown-up storytelling of the first season and plunged headfirst into a poor imitation of The Vampire Diaries, complete with teenagers (the annoying, pouty, petulant kind) and worse, witches, (and all the irritating chanting and writhing around in trances that modern depictions seem to demand).The narrative, when not bogged down with prophecies (yawn), dream-sequences (yuck), dead-eyed cultists (mega-yawn), and, of course, objects floating around (oh, boy!), was all but abandoned in favour of teenaged girls writhing, grunting and whining through endless mind-numbing minutes, sometimes with white contact lenses (how original!)Season three, by comparison, was a welcome relief, returning to less arcane storytelling.
For a werewolf series, As an adaption of Kelley Armstrong's books, it is extremely poor.
I had the feeling the writers for the show read the books only to get the names of the characters in the book.The two story arc's in the first season presented are way out in left field.
Clay in the book is mostly wolf, in the series he is completely human.
None of the characters in the series seem like werewolves at all.
I just don't understand the rather low 7.1 rating this show has had from people (who most likely by in to the whole 'hollywood needs more tears than story' thing).The first few episodes made me believe this would be yet another 'Twilight' or 'Vampire Diaries', but 5 episodes in you can definitely see the differences.
When you meet elena in the books her backstory hinges on how hard she worked to gain her major and be taken seriously, so by making her a photographer they have change her entire character.
Clay bites Elena & sires/turns her into a werewolf & according to the show that like makes them betrothed when it sounds & looks more like straight up incest to me which is just wrong & disgusting.
Other shows that have werewolves in them like The Gates, Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Hemlock Grove, & a few more or almost all others are way better the Bitten..
There are loads of interesting characters, the actors are pretty decent and the story line is always changing.
it supposed to come from the books some of the changes i can understand like Logan being psychologist but what i don't understand if this show will still be adaptation of the books every Elena leading books contains or mentions Antonio but at season 1 he is dead how they are gonna make other books now?
The first few episodes were promising but by the time I tortured my senses through B Grade acting and a plot that is better suited to Days of our lives, (I think 1/2 the cast probably tried out for that too) I really have to say that this is the most ludicrous load of crap.
not what i did expect,the acting is alright but it has nothing to do whit werewolf it is more like a shape shifter, the werewolf looks like a normal wolf/dog, They should have used a bit more time on the werewolf partif you don't have any clue what are werewolf is or don't care, Then the series are alright.the "Otherworld" books are alright many because there you don't see the werewolf.
but this is one of the series that are building up and could get very god at some point if they mange to keep it close to the books.i don't even know how they mange to use horror in the Genres because there is no horror only Drama | Fantasy, but it could be worth watching just to see if you might like it..
I've watched the entire first season now and, honestly, the last episode is the best BY FAR because the plot actually manages to plod along somewhere; it's exciting, action-packed in a good way, not in the let's throw in some random fight scenes because even we can tell this is boring as fcuk way of the rest of the series, and you actually care to find out what happens ...
By the second season, Every thought, action and decision Elena makes and every outcome of every episode is dictated by the male characters.
I have read almost all of the books and stories by Armstrong written in the Otherworld and I am a big fan, so when I found out there was going to be a TV series I was super excited.
People died who shouldn't have died and there were characters in the first season that you don't even get to know in the tenth book.
I was really angry and told my friends that they shouldn't watch the series before reading the books first.
After watching the whole first season I decided I should write down what I ACTUALLY thought of the series itself and shouldn't compare the series to the books, since it's an adaption.
Bitten is just the first in the series and Clay is definitely my favorite character in all 13 books of the series.
I must first admit i haven't read the book, whether or not that has any bearing on my review i do not know but i must say the series is pretty amazing.
It's disappointing that there hasn't been more publicity on the series, i only found it by researching new series to be aired and so most people i know haven't had the opportunity to view it yet and get as hooked as i am.Let me say i wasn't immediately drawn in from the first episode, even with the cast being so stunning and so good at what they do.
After around the third episode however, i found myself wanting more..i think this is mostly because that's when you start to relate to the characters,you're slowly getting to know them.
As I read the books I developed images in my mind of what the characters would look like and these actors fit those images perfectly.
If you like this show, read the books and not just the Women of the Underworld, but all of the books because the characters cross over so if they follow the story line of the books, we will see witches, warlocks, demons, and necromancers....all of my favorite things..
For us who have read the books, of course some changes are made, they to what they can to make the story less complicated, but they work for the show :-) and if you think there is a lot of sex i the show, there is just as much as in the books ;-).
Probably this issue will be less visible if she wouldn't be dressed almost like a prostitute, I mean, come on, we want to see a film about werewolves not a sex / romance SOAP opera.
3. Too many and too long sex scenes and too much romance, every time there was a sex scene or romance I had to skip forward, same wake up call you get from those too.Overall the film seems interesting but with these issues I mentioned before it's pretty hard to keep going, the werewolf plot kind of keeps me going so far, I've only watched the first season.
Just a shame that every time I see an Apple logo thrust into my face I feel irked to the point where I want to turn it off.The product placement in this show is so sickening that it will probably make people remember it for being so pathetic due to it.Going so hardcore with the product placement can actually make people lose love for the story and the direction.
But when they started killing off characters that were alive for the entire book series and keeping characters alive that were supposed to be dead, I just couldn't watch anymore.
I have read the books this series is based on although I didn't mind them necessarily swapping some storylines as obviously books and TV are very different mediums.What put me off this show is the terrible acting from pretty much every character, the disastrous CGI for the wolves and the fact that everyone in it is extremely unlikable.There is literally nothing about this show I enjoyed and I couldn't even make it past episode 6 of season 1 before giving up in disgust.
The series got 3 seasons and had a pretty good fan base from what I heard.
Especially when they torment them and use them as a food source I mean if you would've made it where the werewolves actually got killed and eaten by Chinese people because they look like dogs then at least it would've been a lot more entertaining than it is right now.
I think so far the picking and choosing what been used in the script has failed, the story is not providing enough detail to explain what's going on to the new audience they have also left out key details of the books that makes the fans of the books unimpressed.
Elena doesn't wanna go home because she's sort of estranged from the Pack and doesn't enjoy werewolf life, but Logan tries to convince her it's for the good of the Pack.While this story is way more fun when told by Elena herself, it's always interesting to see a book brought to life on TV or film.
Laura Vandervoort plays the main character Elena Michaels, a werewolf journalist in Toronto, with the same passion as one wakes up on a Monday morning to go to work.Vandervoort is a terrible actress and unfortunately there's no one in this cast that can help.
The pilot was OK, this could have turned into a pretty decent series....but as the "story" continues the more you start seeing: bad acting, horrible action scenes, soft porn "love scenes" and it just makes me wanna carve out my eyes instead of watching another minute....In the previous episode i watched there was an ambush of the mighty alpha and his pack....I thought to myself: finally some action!
Over all the 1st season was great, the plot is interesting, the actors are good, and the mood is pretty strong.
He wasn't thinking of consequences, because that's Clay; he is a true werewolf, more animal than man, and the bittersweet romance of the entire series rests on Elena's coming to terms with that fact - he has no excuse for what he did, except that he loves her, absolutely.
Clay's wayward love of Elena makes him who he is, and one of the best characters of the books, and part of their charm is being able to sympathise with both of them simultaneously even though they are at such odds.
I thought this was a really good adaptation of the book series.
The Actor playing Clayton looks like he stepped from the cast of True Blood - and I thought the actress playing Elena was soooo good. |
tt0378417 | Die Nacht der lebenden Loser | The film begins in Haiti, where a zombie attacks a small family, only to be quickly killed by being set on fire. The zombie's ashes are gathered in an urn, which is promptly stolen and sold before it can be buried.
Three months later, Philip Fleischhacker (Tino Mewes) is left to watch his parents' house as they go on a trip in their RV, specifically forbidding him to have any parties, drink, or do drugs. He is then picked up by his two friends Wurst (Manuel Cortez), a party-loving stoner and Konrad (Thomas Schmieder), a nerd who is frequently bullied. The three also give a ride to Philip's neighbor Rebecca (Collien Fernandes), a goth girl who has an unrequited crush on Philip. At school, Philip attempts to ask out a popular girl named Uschi (Nadine Garmann), which prompts her jock boyfriend Wolfe (Hendrik Borgmann) to bully and humiliate Philip and his friends.
While in Frau Niedermacher's (Patricia Thielemann) class, Rebecca and her two goth friends Gunther (Oliver Grober) and Frederik (Tom Lass) give a presentation on Voodoo, which is ridiculed by the class, including Wurst and Konrad. When Philip learns that Rebecca knows of a love spell, he asks if she'd use it for him so that he could woo Uschi. Though she tells him it will not work, she tells him to meet her and her friends at the cemetery, where she, Gunther, and Frederik planned to perform a ritual. Later that night, Philip, Wurst, and Konrad show up at the cemetery, where they learn that Rebecca and the goths plan to use the ashes of a zombie (specifically the zombie from the beginning of the film), and a chicken from the grocery store, to raise the dead, specifically to raise Kurt Cobain so that he can play music for them. Though the spell is cast, as the urn is being emptied, a gust of wind picks up and covers Philip, Wurst, and Konrad in the zombie's ashes. Disappointed and frustrated, the three leave.
While driving home, Wurst loses control of his van while messing with his bong, causing an accident that kills all three boys. The zombie ashes slowly re-animate them. The three wake up in a mortuary, and discover that they are dead, but are somehow still alive all the same. They escape the morgue, and after returning home realize that they have become zombies as a result of the ritual. The next morning the three eat raw steaks before going to school.
At school, the boys are bullied again by Wolfe, but quickly discover that because they are now zombies, they no longer feel pain and have tremendous strength. Realizing this, Konrad begins to take revenge on those who bullied him (as he has written down every incident since he started school), while Philip seeks out Rebecca. He initially tries to get her help in fixing his zombie condition, but she mistakenly thinks he remembered her birthday, causing him to promise to spend it with her. Throughout the day Konrad begins to crave raw meat and human flesh, causing him to get in trouble after he bites one of his classmates. At gym class, the boys use their newfound strength and immunity to pain in order to trounce Wolfe and the school rugby team, which earns them the admiration of their whole class. To celebrate their victory, Wurst announces a party at Philip's house, and Uschi publicly declares that she will have sex with Philip. When Rebecca sees this, she storms off, angry and hurt.
Konrad sneaks into the office of the gym teacher (Tim Wilde) and takes revenge upon him by eating him. When Philip and Wurst discover this, they scold him and end up ripping of Konrad's ear, which he staples back on. To keep him from eating anyone else, Philip and Wurst chain Konrad to a pipe in the basement. Later on, Uschi and the rest of the school show up at Philip's home and proceed to throw a wild party. Wurst uses his being undead to win numerous bets, particularly drinking competitions, and seduces Frau Niedermacher. Wolfe, eager for revenge for being humiliated by Philip, sneaks in, leaves a stash of drugs in the basement, and calls the police. Konrad consumes all of the drugs and breaks free from his confinement. Philip pleads for Rebecca to come join the party, which she agrees to eventually. She arrives just as Philip and Uschi were about to have sex, causing her to leave, again feeling hurt.
Philip attempts to seduce Uschi, but she accidentally pulls off his penis, causing him to quickly run away. With the help of Wurst, he reattaches his penis with a stapler. Uschi catches the two in the middle of this, and assumes Wurst was giving Philip fellatio. She then ridicules and humiliates him, prompting people to start leaving. The police show up and search the house, but find nothing, much to the dismay of Wolfe (who didn't realize the drugs he planted were gone) and Philip (who discovered Konrad had escaped). The police find nothing and break up the party finally. Once alone, Konrad bites and kills Wolfe, prompting them to hide his body in the freezer. Desperate for a cure, Philip goes to Rebecca once again. While alone with her, he loses control, attacks her, accidentally burns her spell book, and then runs away in shame. Rebecca then correctly deduces that the ritual she and the other goths performed turned Philip and his friends in to zombies.
The next morning, Konrad is gone, but Rebecca arrives and agrees to help them find an antidote. She has Philip and Wurst steal another copy of her spell book from a museum, and then sends them off to gather the necessary ingredients, including holy water and the blood of a virgin. Wurst and Philip gather all except the blood, which Rebecca reluctantly offers. As she prepares the potion, Philip and Wurst scramble to clean up the house, as Philip's parents (Henry Grundler and Sissi Perlinger) call to inform him they're on their way home. En route, they accidentally run over Konrad and take him to the hospital. When Philip's parents arrive at home, Philip and Wurst fail in convincing them that there was no party held there the previous night, but manage to escape and consume the potion, making them human again. Philip, Rebecca, and Wurst rush for the hospital, using Frau Niedermacher's car.
At the hospital, the group confront Konrad (who had gone through a large portion of the hospital's blood bank), and give chase in an attempt to get him to drink the potion. While cornering him in an autopsy room, Philip ends up impaled on a knife which Konrad threw at Rebecca, and starts dying for a second time. Overcome with remorse, Konrad saves Philip by turning him into a zombie again using his own blood, and agrees to drink the potion. Wurst accidentally drops the bottle containing it, causing it to break. After tasting the contents of the bottle, however, Wurst realizes it was Frau Niedermacher's special cocktail of "moonshine, vodka, and orange juice," and that she in fact had the real potion. Frau Niedermacher then appears with the bottle, and Philip and Konrad become human again.
In the final scene, Philip and Rebecca acknowledge their feelings for one another and have sex in Philip's bed after sneaking her into his room. | gothic | train | wikipedia | The film's underlying connection is obviously the lot of zombie films which have filled the last decades since Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" (1968).
And in this it's pretty funny, because there are many scenes in which the teenage actors are reacting unexpected, but never miss the point to be what they are: a bunch of maturing youths, whose only interests are in women, booze and party!
Interestingly there this a similar film out now with the title "Shaun of the dead" which takes on the funny sides of zombie-films, too, although it has a better making and the puns are more precise than in this one.
A German horror comedy that successfully spoofs all possible clichés of zombie films without ever paying any disrespect to the real genre classics or ending up as a retarded 90 minutes joke itself???
I swear, unless you absolutely have no sense of humor in you, you can't but enjoy this silly story about three typical German high-school nerds that suddenly move up the social ladder because they have the strength and advantages of the living dead.
In a desperate attempt to conquer a girl's heart (and body), Philip and his friends Konrad and Wurst (what's in a name) undergo a voodoo ritual and become soiled by the ashes of a dead Haitian zombie.
While Konrad and Wurst are having the time of their lives abusing their zombie powers, Philip turns to his loving neighbor girl for a cure.
Whereas other German movies are frequently uptight (no offense to any German readers...), "Night of the Living Dorks" specifically focuses on laughing with stereotypes and even the country's own national history.
All the gags and references towards classic films in the script already featured in previous zombie comedies and yet this movie still feels fresh and innovating.
Even the jokes that aren't zombie-related, like soft-drug usage or the "crush on teacher"-syndrome, are effective and will make you chuckle.
The acting of the boys is pretty good, while the girls all look ravishing and show quite a bit of naked flesh.
The gory situations aren't as outrageous as I thought, which is probably due to the German rating system, but there certainly is some nice sloth to enjoy.
Many will disagree, maybe, but I think this pleasant German surprise doesn't have to yield much to similar movies like "Shaun of the Dead", "Return of the Living Dead" or "The Dead Hate The Living".
A decent but hilarious movie combining comedy with typical zombie images.
The topic on it was obvious.This movie is made in Germany, obviously out of the title and it probably won't ever come to the US.
There are only German actors in it who fit their characters pretty well.
The special actor in this movie is Collien Fernandes.
So even your girl should be pretty amused by it.I could imagine that it's related to the bunch of zombie movies which came out (more or less) recently, like Resident Evil 2 and 28 days later.
It has got a whole bunch of funny scenes in it like when parts are falling off of the characters, flat comments and dark humor.
Though I need to mention that I really like this kind of humor.The characters are done well and the zombieteenagers look really freaky as the movie goes on further.The Plot outline describes all you need to know about the story of this movie.This movie is not necessarily one of the top (comedy) movies you might have seen, though I still recommend watching it!.
Extremely Funny Parody of Zombie Movies.
The school friends Philip (Tino Mewes), Wurst (Manuel Cortez) and Konrad (Thomas Schmieder) are high-school losers: Philip desires the sexy Uschi (Nadine Germann), an easy girl for successful boys; the complex Konrad lists all the humiliations he has been submitted in school; and Wurst only cares to dope himself and smoke pot.
While seeking an antidote in the Necronomicon, Konrad, Wurst and Philip find the advantages of being zombies, becoming successful due to their recently acquired strength."Die Nacht der Lebenden Loser" is an extremely funny parody of zombie movies, a sort of "American Pie" meeting "Night of the Living Dead" or "Shaun of the Dead".
The result is hilarious and this enjoyable movie is highly recommended to make the viewer forget, for example, the defeat of his soccer team (my case today), since it is impossible not laughing along the 89 minutes running time.
Definitely funny if a little too much like an American teen flick.
As others have said this is kind "Revenge of the Nerds" meets "Night of the Living Dead".
It kind of reminded me of Bob Balaban's underrated horror/comedy "My Boyfriend's Back" released about ten years ago or "Idle Hands" a little more recently.
After participating in a hilariously screwed-up graveyard ritual with some half-assed satanists, three nerdy losers are killed in car accident (which results from a hilarious bong-related mishap), and come back to life as zombies.
They decide to use their undead abilities to get revenge on their enemies and chase after the girls of their dreams.To this movie's credit it's very funny, and all the characters, especially the three protagonists, are well-drawn and likable.
There's also some subtle jokes like the characters attending "Friedrich Nietzsche High School" (which actually might not be a joke in Germany) and the homosexual gym teacher named "Mr. Stalin".
The downside though is it's a little too much like a modern-day American teen movie (which makes it pretty ironic that Hollywood is apparently going to remake this).
The teens are ridiculously horny even by teenage standards and there is no end to the gross-out, sexually related humor, yet there is also very little (female) nudity.
The main protagonist is in love with an icy Aryan blonde, but in typical Hollywood teen movie fashion doesn't seem to notice that the "goth" girl-next-door who taught him how to kiss is absolutely gorgeous.
I also wish it were even more "politically incorrect"--the funniest scenes are the ones Hollywood would have been too leery to put in a teen movie, like the irresponsible dope smoking while driving or the scene where the dim-witted satanists accidentally draw a Star of David instead of a pentagram ("The only thing you're going to summon with that is the Jewish Council!").If you are going to watch a modern-day teenage movie though, you could certainly do worse than this (a lot worse)..
Invite some friends, get some beer, watch this movie and enjoy it !!!
BUT: It is extremely amusing, the DVD-Extras are superb, and for such a low-budget movie the effects are OK.There are no splatter-blood-spilling-brain dripping scenes in it, so everyone can really enjoy it.So...
Have fun, and if you liked the movie recommend it to your friends!
Even though its in German it is dubbed English and is amazing!!its SO funny XD The actors were fantastic and the special effects were hilarious and with the make up it really ,makes this awesome film even better :D!!!
A very good teen flick ( and much better than the average American XD) its a certificate 15 and contains strong language, comic horror, and loads of sex drugs and rock and roll!!!!!
If your a fan of zombie movies like Shaun of the dead then this is totally the film for you!!
The movie has several well played and sympathetic characters, a nice story and good camera, actors and cut.
It is obviously made like productions from America, but with an unique German approach, so it isn't a copy but a distinct work.It is simply an enjoying movie, with funny dialogs, silly situations and some slapstick in a positive manner.
The youngster's acting is convincing, especially Thomas Schmieder as Konrad, but also Manuel Cortez as Wurst and Tino Mewes as Philip and the supporting actors.
Funny horror-comedy from Germany....
I saw this film as part of the Cinemuerte Horror Film Festival in Vancouver recently, and I have to say that I did enjoy it, as silly as it was.The characters were affable, the zombie and gore effects were solid, and the storyline was good fun.
The actors were all very natural, and seemed like real teenagers, despite the fantastic situations they were in.
Anyway, when this film will reach DVD on North American shores is hard to tell, but if you like 80's-style teen comedy flicks, and are a fan of zombies and gore (there are some gross and violent scenes, but nothing as extreme as what you'd see in a Romero film, and they're mostly played for laughs), then this film is good for a laugh and worth renting.
It's certainly better than most teen flicks coming out of Hollywood these days!.
Zombie-Comedy fun basks in endearing silliness.
As my usual SIFF ritual, I attended a "Midnight Adrenaline" screening, and this year it happened to be "Night of the Living Dorks", a German "zombie-comedy", a spoofing genre that has seemed to kick off since the massive cult success of UK's "Shaun of the Dead".
And this film does play like a nutty hybrid of "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Night of the Living Dead", and it's joyfully naughty, undemanding fun.This particular horror spoof/send up takes place in suburban Germany, focusing on group of unpopular high school geeks in all their individual, expected ways.
Of course, this wouldn't be a teen movie without a pair of sidekicks: best friend Konrad (Thomas Schmieder), an uber Micheal-Anthony-Hall-ish nerd who keeps a precise, daily recording of the endless taunts and vile pranks repeatedly pulled on him, and Wurst (Manuel Cortez), a perpetual stoner who remains completely insouciant and unaffected by the group's considerable lack of a social life.
And in true John Hughes' fashion, there's the lovely next-door gal pal, Rebecca (Collien Fernandes), one for whom is trying on a Gothic lifestyle to see if it fits, who has a none-too-subtle crush on the oblivious Phillip.And the night that puts the story's pivotal turn in motion is at a pathetic meeting of Collien's goth clique and Phillip's nerdy triad, for which an inept voodoo ritual to try and reverse Phillip-n-crew's downward social spiral goes awry, as they die in a car crash during a roadside bong haze, only to wake up in the city morgue that night to realize there the walking dead!
And when they return to school the next day, they realize their luck is about to change: not only do they crush the athletic jocks at their usually unbearable PE class (with heavy reverence to "The Longest Yard") and find they have superhuman strength, but also throw a totally radical school-wide party at Phillip's pad (for whom are on vacation), completely reversing their terminally unpopular streak.But of course, things don't quite go as smoothly (body parts falling off at inappropriate times, a conniving, emasculated jock planning to bring them down and Konrad's wildly uncontrollable violent outbursts), and they realize they are now on a ticking clock to resurrect themselves with a "magic mixture" before they officially go forever back into the grave.Now all this is a pretty predictable template, but director Mattheius Dinter's goofy, manic energy and the unpretentiously clever vignettes (Finding ancient zombie remains on E-bay; an ultra-cheery mother barging in on an awakening Phillip to see he has an erection under his sheets) helps elevate this gross-out comedy/teen-horror-romance to the above-average category.
The movie does have a few deeper observations than expected (noting that a Zombie's "Hunger" for human flesh reflects the boy's burgeoning sexuality), but really it just wants to have fun, as even the movie's climax is pretty much you would expect (with some minor surprises), it still works splendidly.Great fun, no matter how petty it actually is..
Awesome Zombie comedy.
my friend give it to me and i was having nothing more to watch so i watched it and i think i did a good mistake :P cause this movie is really cool..
i really loved it they actors they played great characters and they act very well i love the other cast too the teacher lover , the nerd everyone beats him and the main character one ..
there are many laughs in the movie if you are a teenager or a adult and love comedy movies then this one is a must watch movie..Acting 10/9..
A unique take on the zombie genre, this film is a must see..
I must laugh out loud at various points throughout the film, yet the humor, at times, should be subtle enough that not everyone understands the jokes (this is my self-indulgent side who loves more than nothing else to break out in the childish chorus: "I know something you don't know").
Well given the aforementioned qualities of a good film, Night of the Living Dorks is a recipe I can not wait to cook up for friends.
A lesser version of Idle Hands (1999) due to the pot references and a lesser version of Shaun of the Dead (2004) due to the zombie comedy.
Few horror-comedies out there, and most of them usually rely on gore and extremely bad language for the gags, but not this one, oh no, Night of the living dorks is a sure winner!I won't go into details, cause they are better to be explored by the viewer and keep the fresh pace throughout the entire movie, but I can assure you, this dark comedic production will not make you gag, smile, or snort a little, but laugh out loud plenty of times!
And after these recommendations, I'm gonna stop writing, as Night of the living dorks is a movie to be watched first, then discussed!
The ultimate in German teen zombie comedy!.
My review is based on me experiencing this awesome comedy in German language, so it might be a bit biased for you English speaking folks out there.If you enjoy a laugh along with a bunch of stereotypical characters then you better fasten your seat belts as this movie takes upon lots of clichés from the Zombie movie genre as well as teen comedies - with a German twist, though.
There are boobs, butts and drugs, but not much gory violence as you'd expect from a classical Zombie movie.
Nonetheless this movie also contains one of the most-closely to real-life teen party scenes I've ever witnessed on screen.This movie is best watched with a couple of friends and plenty of beer for even more entertainment - and if you're able to: do so in German.
I whole heartedly recommend this movie to anyone sporting a good sense of humor.
It didn't let me forget for one minute that I was watching actors (well, sort of...) in a movie.
And I was well aware, that this was going to be a somewhat silly teen comedy.
"Night of the Living Dorks" rocks!
It's "American Pie" meets "Night of the Living Dead".
It is so rare that I see a teen horror film that works on so many different levels, the way "Night of the Living Dorks" does.
Thus, I was shocked to see some "real dork" posting all these negative comments about this amazing film, which unfortunately comes up as the first user comment one sees, when most of the user comments on "Night of the Living Dorks" are favorable.My only advice is watch the film in German (with English subtitles) because the dubbed version is lame, and the actual voices of the actors in this movie are hilarious.
"Night of the Living Dorks" was OK in it's own right.
I can't say that the story was exceptional, nor was the acting, effects, etc., but it did blend two genres: comedy and horror effectively enough.The movie "borrowed" elements from such American teen comedies as American Pie, Revenge of the Nerds and Weird Science and mixes them with the obvious: Night of the Living Dead.I won't be giving anything away by saying there's teen zombies, revenge and bare breasts (not in that order though).
As far as German teenage comedies go, this one at least doesn't suck.
Our hero Philip chases after the posh Uschi who turns out to be the type of female sexual predator who constantly talks about getting it off and pleasing her man and who will be the first to be brutally offed by the zombies in a run-of-the-mill US-American teen comedy.
The film steers towards a pretty far-fetched but at least fairly original ending.I didn't get to see this movie when it came out ten years ago.
Overall this is what it claims to be, a working teenage zombie comedy.
"Die Nacht der lebenden Loser" is a German movie from 2004, so this one will have its 15th anniversary two years from now.
The writer an director of this 90-minute movie is Matthias Dinter and if you take a look at his body of work, then you probably already can roughly estimate the quality to expect here.
Even the likes of Henry Gründler who may be a talented comedian are just no quality performers in terms of film acting, even if it is comedy.
You never had the impression you were watching actually existing characters (of course there are fantasy elements, but still) and the actors sure didn't make things better.
Now if this had at least been somewhat charming with the romance element attached to it and the way the central character and Ulmen's get together, but it was all predictable and for the sake of it and once again the lack of talent in acting and writing makes this painful to watch.
The genuine drama moments like the knife scene at the end are ones where the film actually dares to take itself seriously despite how garbage it is.
And still it is pretty famous still even today, most certainly the most known work by almost everybody involved with the project and that shows how much people are curious about zombie movies.
I highly recommend to stay far far away from any copy of "Night of the Living Dorks". |
tt0435631 | Demon Hunter | The movie begins in the middle of an exorcism, while demon hunter Jake Greyman waits downstairs in case the exorcism does not end well. It's quickly seen that Jake has a dark personality and is more than human. He is solely focused on killing demons regardless of what he must do to accomplish his task. He is a half-demon working for the church.
A young nun named Sarah assists in the investigation to find a connection between the possessed girls. Upon arriving at the office of a modeling agency Jake and Sarah find a corpse. While Jake searches through the desk a succubus comes through the dead man to taunt Jake - telling him that he has a different purpose in life and that he should take his rightful place in the world. Jake returns to the Church to inform that the girls were prostitutes and that there was a fourth name on the list.
Jake and Sarah track down the fourth name on the list, finding her to live in a very large house and that she married a wealthy man. Sarah believes the girl, Nancy, is safer because of this though Jake does not. The Demon has summoned Nancy and she leaves in a limo to the cemetery, where the Demon is hiding. Jake and Sarah, staked outside of Nancy's home, follow her there. At the cemetery Nancy leaves flowers at a grave and sees the demon. She informs her guards that the man is an old friend of her husband's and that they are to wait for her because she wants to speak to him in private and she then follows into the crypt where she saw the demon. Despite following Nancy to the cemetery Jake and Sarah are too late; they approach Nancy's guards just in time to find her stumbling back to the group of men in a daze and already showing signs of demonic possession. Jake knows he must kill Nancy before she has a chance to give birth to the demon's child, just as he did with the previous girls. A fight ensues between Jake and Nancy's guards, Nancy flees and Jake yells to Sarah for her to follow. Jake finds Sarah on the ground, alone, and gets angry when he realizes that she can not kill the girl possessed because she sees the women as victims and believes they could have been saved. Jake tells Sarah to return to the convent and walks away, in which she replies that he is a soulless bastard. At this point the demon had witnessed Jake's fight with the guards and his disappointment in Sarah and he calls to Sarah to come to him and to seek comfort with him. Jake interrogates one of Nancy's guards and walks back to the car where Sarah is waiting. Sarah talks Jake into letting her stay with him by claiming while she can't kill the girls or him, if he turns and joins the demons (knowing now that he is half-demon and more susceptible to becoming evil after hearing Nancy refer to him as half-breed) but that she is willing to die for her convictions and that when Jake goes against this demon she may be the only edge he has.
Jake and Sarah follow a lead down to an abandoned hotel where Nancy may be hiding. The demon is seen snatching a prostitute in the alley of the hotel, he then watches Jake and Sarah enter the building and then lies beside the unconscious prostitute and begins licking her. Inside the hotel Jake and Sarah come across a naked and dying man, he speaks of Nancy who is responsible for his condition and falls back into unconsciousness as Jake and Sarah continue deeper into the hotel now knowing that they are on the right trail. The next scene brings take place at a hotel room where the demon and his succubus are talking about the half breed (Jake) and Sarah. The succubus points out that the demon has become infatuated with Sarah because of her innocence. The succubus wishes to have Jake; she believes he will be a powerful ally. The demon tells her he is too dangerous and that he is to be destroyed. However, the succubus eventually persuades the demon to allow her to have him to enslave his soul and control him. As Jake and Sarah walk the halls of the hotel they come across rooms with various couples having sex. Jake determines the demon they are looking for is Asmodeus, the demon of lust. His power is what draws the prostitutes to the hotel, so he must be somewhere inside.
Jake and Sarah come across Nancy and, after a brief scuffle, Nancy runs off. Jake tells Sarah to wait in the hallway and he goes after Nancy. While searching one of the rooms Jake is confronted by the succubus who attempts to seduce him while Asmodeus shows up in the hallway where Sarah is waiting. Asmodeus once again calls for Sarah to follow him. She does but with her weapons ready for use against him. Sarah is assaulted in the hallway by Nancy, but uses her cross to burn Nancy and she then flees with Sarah chasing after her. Jake is seen rolling on the floor and kissing the succubus, which brings him closer to his cross and distracts the succubus enough for him to grab the weapon and kill her. Nancy is found by Sarah and after Nancy attempts to pounce Sarah shoots her with a gun in an attempt to slow her down to kill her but Asmodeus appears to Sarah following the shots which were also heard by Jake. Sarah shoots at Asmodeus but the bullets do nothing to him and the gun runs out of bullets. Asmodeus knocks Sarah out just before Jake shows up. Jake and Asmodeus fight. Jakes loses but Asmodeus does not kill him - claiming it doesn't matter to him whether Jakes lives or dies because in the end his soul will belong to him.
Jake awakes in the morning to find Sarah gone. He steals a motorcycle after breaking the arm of the biker. He rides back to the cemetery where Asmodeus seduces his other victims, and where he has brought Sarah. While Asmodeus begins to have sex with Sarah she transforms into a demon and kills him. Jake hears the growls of a demon and rushes into the crypt to see Sarah, as a demon, devouring the heart of Asmodeus. Sarah explains to Jake that he is not the only half breed to have been born and to have his dark side restricted by the church. Jake and Sarah fight after she refuses to play for the side of God any longer and is unable to convince Jake to do the same. Jake strangles Sarah and then walks out of the crypt seeming to be genuinely distraught over having to kill her. Jake goes to the church and confronts the Cardinal, angry and demanding why he wasn't told that Sarah was a half breed. He tells Jake that it was best if no one knew and that Sarah didn't know herself and while they had hoped Jake would kill the demon before he could get to Sarah, which they knew would bring out the demon in her, it wasn't a terrible loss that she is now dead. The movie ends with seeing the prostitute Asmodeus had snatched in the alley of the hotel now possessed with his child and then the camera pans up to see Jake dropping down from a fire escape to kill the prostitute. | good versus evil, violence, murder | train | wikipedia | I am normally quite easy to please when it comes to Sci-Fi and paranormal movies, if the story is good.
The beginning of the movie is actually good, and has a new approach, but after those 5-10 minutes it is down hill.
If you like exorcist movies you get very disappointed, but if you have absolutely nothing to do and want to see Demons possessing people, some bare skin, and the church's weird way of dealing with Demons then go for it..
Demon Hunter is a lower budget film that its brother Constantine.
Reminiscent to the feel of Terminator (staring Arnold Schwarzenegger).Demon Hunter's story line works.
Demon Hunter has a good pace and never drags.
If you like this type of flick, watching Demon Hunter is good time well spent..
As low budget horror movies with demons and hunters, this one was pretty good.
Sean Patrick Flannery is a half breed and Billy Drago is evil (wow, what a surprise :) ).
Evil is as evil does, but Mr Drago, at his 57 years and 86 appearances, still gets to be surrounded by lustful naked women and to lick the skin of helpless girls.The basic story is pretty cliché, with things added up from different stories of the genre: half-demon demon hunter works for the Church.
Beats Blade on story and acting, but it is low budget, so no special effects..
Jake Greyman is a demon hunter, a sort of supernatural cleaner, the guy who takes over when the exorcism fails.
Jake teams up with the unorthodox sister Sara and the two learn that the Demon of Lust, Asmodeus, is doing his horny best to impregnate as many hot young girls as he can in order to produce a race of half breed beings who will destroy us all.
Sean Patrick Flannery, quite a good actor, does his best here with a corny script and a limp storyline.
Drago, a great but seriously underrated actor who almost always plays scummy bad guys, is excellent as the fanged and sleazy demon, surrounded by half naked girls and smiling like an alligator.
The fight scene between Drago and Flannery is well choreographed and is a lot of fun to watch.
The special effects are rather lame and the soundtrack is bloody awful, sounding like a bad 80s hair band reunion, but there are enough good and energetic performances in this film to make it halfway decent and raise it slightly above the level of most other direct-to-video crap.
does show that, however it was a lot better than i expected and i'm happy about that because I like Shaun Patrick Flannery.The dialogue at points in the movie was a little hammy and the director used the same stock shot several times (although this may have been to save money) but in general the story line was pretty good and the acting was OK.This may not be for everyone and draws a lot of comparisons with Constantine (which i also enjoyed) so if you liked that you may like this.I suppose my final comments would be that its a very average movie but it did entertain me for an hour and a half and for a movie based on a video game it was a lot better than any other i have seen lately especially any Uwe Boll movie..
Amongst pretty good performances by the entire cast, Billy Drago is convincingly sleazy as the head demon.
This film is hardly challenging, but what did you expect from a movie named "Demon Hunter"?
The production values are way above your average low-budget crap horror movie and there was an attempt to craft an interesting plot.
I thought the movie was good, but I really think that it would be a good TV series like Angel, Buffy, and Charmed.
Jake (Sean Patrick Flanery), a half-breed demon hunter, struggling with the side he has chosen with the war between heaven and hell.
Finds himself facing off against an 'unbound' fallen angel, played by Billy Drago, who seeks to spread his "demon seed" upon the Earth.After watching this movie, I cannot see why others are comparing it to Constantine.
Doing so would be like comparing Vampire Hunter D and Van Helsing, they have similar roots but take things from different perspectives.I took this movie at face value and went from there; it is a low budget film with cheesy effects, some gaping holes in the plot, and almost funny fight scenes.
But when you look at how many other movies out there have similar story lines, you can see why it would be so hard to stand out in this genre.All in all, it's not a bad "rainy day" type flick; ranks up there with a series pilot that never took off...or like someone posted before, a B-level movie..
The fact that the lead character had an internal conflict that actually played out in the overall story gives it more depth than just about everything else being cranked out in the horror genre nowadays.
Its not perfect, but its pretty well put together for a low budget film.The one thing about it is, it's more like a supernatural thriller than a horror movie.
The movie starts pretty good.
There's a lot of sensuality, hot women (mainly because of the succubus), but little action and horror related scenes.
After resolving a situation of exorcism, the half-breed demon hunter Jake Greyman (Sean Patrick Flanery) reports to Cardinal White (William Bassett) and they realize that the demon Asmodeus (Billy Drago) is impregnating many mortals trying to raise offspring.
Cardinal White calls Sister Sarah Ryan (Colleen Porch) to assist Jake in his hunting for Asmodeus and his spawned women.
Meanwhile, Asmodeus sends the delicious and sexy Succubus (Tania Deighton) to seduce Jake.A battle between good and evil is in course."Demon Hunter" is an entertaining rip off of Constantine in the environment of Buffy and Angel.
The demons have fangs like vampires, and the face of the surprising last monster is very similar to those in Buffy and Angel.
I saw it with very low expectation, and I surprisingly liked "Demon Hunter".
Plot is also very thin, this film goes from A to B to C to D to E and in that order there is a small surprise element but was more a surprisingly absurd rather then anything else.Music was OK.This Story reminded me somewhat of Constantine and Sean Patrick Flanery is in Keanu's role.
Demon Hunter is a goofy, low-budget flick that wouldn't look out-of-place as a "movie of the week" on the Sci-Fi Channel.
Sean Patrick Flanery (Into the Fire, Kiss the Bride, Simply Irresistible) does a credible job as the demon hunter in a kind of Blade/Constantine remake.
He the church's Michael Clayton, who comes in to fix messes when exorcisms go wrong.He is helped by Colleen Porch (All In, Transformers, I Know Who Killed Me), a nun (who kinda looks like Angelina Jolie) who is definitely not cut out for this work.He is fighting one of the evilest looking characters in the movies, Billy Drago (The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Mysterious Skin, The Untouchables), who is trying to create some evil spawn.
He is assisted by a knockout, Tania Deighton (Something's Gotta Give), who needs to be in a lot more movies.Lots of skin and some good fighting, but no FX.
BLADE meets "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" BILLY DRAGO stars as a half human/half demon who fights to save the world from a vicious demon bent on forcing possessed women to bear its children.Yawn, it's not exactly the most original type of movie and it easily tries to emulate the styles of recent fanatical television series.
It's filled with boring modern rock music, poor dialogue and uninteresting fight scenes which may have just been borderline passable if it were an actual TV series but this movie just didn't move at a good pace.The opening scene whilst not being fantastic may shine some light of hope in your eyes but from then on in you should only stay for the boobs because that's the only thing that caught my eye.
To no avail, Demon Hunter becomes very boring, very quickly.Too much talking, too much walking.
It's hard to review this movie because I don't watch many television series, if any at all.Hence, I can't take much more of this..
Comparisons with CONSTANTINE (2005) are also off based even though both movies were released the same year and dealt with demons, angels and such, CONSTANTINE maintained its rich and consistent characterization and a rather more convoluted and deeper plot.
DEMON HUNTER with its relatively straight forward script with rather consistent editing, a basic storyline couldn't be considered a bad movie, it just wasn't a great movie.
One of the few entertaining ideas is that there's some interesting changes around the possession angle, as rather than getting a traditional version where one is possessed throughout the film only to get it exorcised at the end, this one decides instead to give several demonic figures that are actively possessing several individuals throughout the film, and that gives it a little extra that might be otherwise ignored as in excluding the tired exorcism scene.
This here also has some pretty good action scenes in its' two really big martial arts fight scenes, which are both above-average for the style.
The plot, the conversation and all characters lacked imagination and intelligence.If you are a fan of Blade and the TV-show Angel, this movie might be to your liking.
Jake Greyman(Sean Patrick Flanery)is a "half-breed", a hellspawn born from a mortal whose father was a demon, one of the devil's angels.
Jake has a rather bleak view of mankind, yet, despite not be loved by God, works for the Cardinal of a Catholic Church, hunting down the possessed and killing the host bodies if priests are unable to exorcise the demons.
Billy Drago(..relishing this role)is the Demon of Lust, Asmodeus, and he plans to spread his seed, creating an army of half-breeds to do his will, by devouring the souls of hookers and "women of the street" on the seedy side of downtown LA, and the Red Light District.
Colleen Porch is Sister Sarah, a nun who developed very well in the convent, is assigned to partner with Jake as they pursue Asmodeus.
As Jake, Flannery remains solemn throughout, a man whose life doesn't amount to much, except what he's skilled at, removing anyone or thing that threatens his goals to take out demons possessing humans.
Nancy Yooin is Nancy in the film, a prostitute who married a 90 year old millionaire and is the last on a list of girls to be possessed and planted with a demon seed after Asmodeus seduces her with overwhelming ecstasy.
I guess one could call Demon Hunter a poor man's Constantine, because this was shot on a much smaller scale considering it's overly ambitious plot..
But this was actually not a bad little film.
A Fallen Angel/Demon, Asmodeus (Billy Drago), wants to fornicate with pretty girls and impregnate them with his..."devil spawn".
They send over GQ coverboy Jacob Greyman (Sean Patrick Flanery), Demon Hunter; and Sister Sarah Ryan (Colleen Porch), the shapely nun who must have found God off the fashion runways of New York.
They set out to save LA by taking off their clothes (love the lacy underwear worn by nuns), and getting into the line of...Demon Fire.Somehow, this isn't a porno film.
He lets the audience know that he has been saving Sister Sarah for just such a mission
as if she were the new Demon Fighter, Jason-a Bourne - complete with designer dresses, pumps and layered haircuts.In the meantime, Jacob is hanging around with Asmodeus' demon hitwoman (Tania Deighton) who wants Greyman's..."dark soul" as a trophy.
Anyway, she spends half the movie making out with him...and exchanging horns, or something.There is a lot of primping and posing and demon faces in this movie.
Demon Hunter is set in modern day Los Angeles where half demon half man Jake Greyman (Sean Patrick Flanery) has an ugly job, he works for the Catholic church as a demon hunter who uses his powers to rid the streets of various unpleasant demons.
His latest mission is a young girl & ex-prostitute named Maria (Lea Moreno Young) who happens to be pregnant with evil Vampire demon thing Asmodeus' (Billy Drago) baby, Jake takes care of her in his own unique way.
Reporting back to his boss Cardinal White (William Bassett) it seems this isn't an isolated incident & Asmodeus wants to spread his 'seed' throughout the world beginning with impregnating some Los Angeles prostitutes, hey it's a start isn't it?
However Asmodeus hasn't figured on demon killer Jake & his partner Sister Sarah Ryan (Colleen Porch) who are out to find him & stop him...Directed by Scott Ziehl there simply isn't any nice way by which I can describe Demon Hunter so I won't even try, it is complete total & utter crap & it's as simple & straight forward as that.
I'm not sure quite who the script by Mitch Gould is aimed at or what sort of film this is supposed to be, large portions of this lame film is taken up with really bad philosophical dialogue between Jake & his new partner Sister Sarah.
You see when it comes down to it Demon Hunter is basically a mismatched partner film, you know what I mean a sort of good cop bad cop scenario, in fact I kept thinking of Lethal Weapon (1987) as Jake is obviously the tough uncompromising one while Sister Sarah is the moralistic one & by the end of the film he's lightened up a bit & she has no problem shooting people.
Far too much screen time is given to this really badly written relationship & the two cardboard cutout character's involved in it, listen guys this isn't rocket science here as all we, the viewer that is, want to see is lots of fights, some nudity, some good looking chicks in leather outfits & some decent horror.
To add to Demon Hunter's problems it's incredibly slow, there is one fight during the opening sequence but then you have to wait until the film reaches the 40 minute mark before the next & then after that there isn't another fight until the end.
There's no horror or exploitation worth mentioning & quite how the filmmakers managed to screw a half decent Blade (1998) type idea up this badly is beyond me.Director Ziehl does a reasonable job actually, it's got some nice photography & the odd stylish scene.
Unfortunately the film is still awful, the action scenes are poor (see Blade to see how it's done properly), there's no gore (again see Blade to see how it's done), the special effects are poor (see Blade to see how it's done properly), the main villain is terrible is neither scary nor menacing & doesn't do a thing except spout a load of nonsense (see Blade to see how it's done properly) although on a positive note his female sidekick looks quite foxy.
In terms of gore there is one scene where someone gets a stake through their chest & there's one dead body & that's it.With a supposed budget of about $1,000,000 I suppose the poor effects & lacklustre action scenes can be blamed on a low budget but that still doesn't excuse the film for being so dull, boring & downright awful.
The acting isn't up to much although it's nice to see Billy Drago in something even if having him in a The Matrix (1999) style kung-fu fight is stretching it a bit.
Is it just me or is Porch a dead ringer for Angelina Jolie?Demon Hunter is a low budget piece of action/horror Blade rip-off crap that lacks any action or horror, not a film to get excited about.
The costumes and "special" makeup, In my opinion seemed easy to recreate as though for a weekly show.Examples: The main bad hotty: stick-on horns and vampire fangs, little leather outfit.The main bad guy: vampire fangs, leather jacket.The main good guy: glowing eyes, occasionally.The main good hotty: nothing until SHE turned bad, then two finger demon hands and ugly face like the vampires on "Buffy".It's not going to win any awards, although it's better than many of the so called theatrical releases I've seen lately.
The backstory is nothing new, but interesting: a demon half breed works for the church by killing possessed people that cannot be exorcised.
When a very strong demon targets young women to create an army of half breeds (by impregnating them), the demon hunter is paired with a nun to stop this.The hunter is played by a very cool and super hot Sean Patrick Flanery, who convincingly plays a conflicted character and has some nice lines.
Unfortunately that is the only thing that makes this film worth watching at all.Unless you like cheesy soft porn scenes which distract from the story.The demons are pathetic with their fangs and fake horns.
The Sleazy Uber-Demon does not come across as very threatening.The fight scenes could have been good - after all, SPF is a martial artist - but they're always blurred, shaken up or shown only half.Some of the girls are hot but completely over-acting.
The succubus would have been nice if not for the very stupid horns and wings.It had the potential for a good movie - or even TV show pilot - but unfortunately it simply wasn't done well..
Rough'n'tumble half-breed holy a**kicker demon hunter Jake Greyman (a superbly rugged portrayal by Sean Patrick Flanery of "The Boondock Saints") fights various forms of evil for the Catholic Church.
He's assigned by Cardinal White (nicely played by William Bassett) to stop nefarious lustful hell spawn Asmodeus (a marvelously creepy and reptilian Billy Drago) and his loyal servant Succubus (gorgeous brunette knockout Tania Deighton, who sports cute little horns) from procreating with fallen Los Angeles prostitutes. |
tt0055601 | Viridiana | A novice named Viridiana (Silvia Pinal) is about to take her vows when her uncle, Don Jaime (Fernando Rey), invites her to visit him. Her only living relative, she has met him only once and is reluctant to comply. Her mother superior pressures her into accepting.
Don Jaime is a recluse, living on a neglected farm with a couple of servants—Ramona (Margarita Lozano), her daughter Rita, and Moncho. When Don Jaime sees his niece, he is struck by her strong resemblance to his deceased wife.
The night before she is to leave, Viridiana, grateful for her uncle's longtime financial support, reluctantly complies with the odd request to don his wife's wedding dress. When Ramona informs Viridiana that Don Jaime wants to marry her, she is aghast and Don Jaime seems to drop the idea. Ramona secretly drugs her drink. Don Jaime carries the unconscious woman to her room with the intention of raping her. At the last moment, he decides otherwise.
The next morning, he lies and tells Viridiana that he "took her virginity", i.e. raped her, so she cannot go back to her convent. When she is undeterred, he confesses he lied, leaving her uncertain as to what happened that night. At the bus stop, the authorities prevent her from leaving. Her uncle has hanged himself, leaving his property to her and his illegitimate son, Jorge (Francisco Rabal).
Deeply disturbed, Viridiana decides not to return to the convent. Instead, she collects some beggars and installs them in an outbuilding. She devotes herself to the moral education and feeding of this motley group. Disgusted, Moncho departs.
Jorge moves into the house with his girlfriend Lucia and starts renovating the rundown place. Lucia senses that he, like his father, lusts after Viridiana, and soon leaves. Jorge then makes a pass at the willing Ramona.
When Viridiana and Jorge leave for a couple of days to take care of some business, the paupers break into the house. At first, they just want to look around. Faced with such bounty though, they degenerate into a drunken, riotous bunch, partying to the strains of Handel's Messiah. Posing for a photo around the table, the beggars resemble the figures in Da Vinci's Last Supper.
The rightful owners return earlier than expected to find the house in shambles. The miscreants excuse themselves one by one and leave. Jorge confronts one of them, who pulls a knife. When the man assaults Viridiana, Jorge tries to rescue her, but another beggar strikes him in the head with a bottle, knocking him out. As Viridiana resists sexual assault, Jorge regains consciousness. He has been tied up, but manages to bribe one beggar into killing the would-be rapist. The police finally arrive.
Viridiana is a changed woman. The child, Rita, burns her crown of thorns. Wearing her hair loosely, Viridiana knocks on Jorge's door, but finds Ramona with him in his bedroom. With Ashley Beaumont singing Shimmy Doll on the record player, Jorge tells Viridiana that they were only playing cards, and urges her to join them, stating "You know, the first time I saw you, I thought, my cousin and I will end up shuffling the deck together." | comedy, murder, atmospheric, psychedelic, satire, romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0021303 | River's End | In remote northern Canada, Sergeant Conniston (Bickford) seeks to capture escaped convicted murderer Keith (also played by Bickford). He is accompanied by O'Toole (J. Farrell MacDonald), a guide who is constantly drunk. When he finally catches his quarry, he is shocked to find that they look exactly alike.
On their way back to the RCMP post, however, their sled overturns. Keith takes Conniston's gun and sled and leaves the policeman and his guide to die in the snow. Keith starts to feel guilty about what he has done. He turns back and takes the men to an emergency cabin. In spite of this, Conniston dies of a frozen lung.
After talking to Keith for a while, O'Toole becomes convinced of his innocence. He coaches Keith so that he can pass himself off as the sergeant. O'Toole is not well enough to travel, so Keith goes to the RCMP post alone.
Once he arrives, Keith tells McDowell (David Torrence), the post commanding officer, that it was Keith who died. McDowell then informs him that Keith was innocent; the real murderer confessed. Worried that he will be accused of Conniston's murder if his true identity is discovered, Keith plans to escape across the border.
There are complications. Miriam (Evalyn Knapp), McDowell's daughter, had been Conniston's girl, but she decided to break up with him. Keith is very much attracted to her, and proves to be much more romantic than Conniston. Miriam finds herself falling in love with him. Mickey (Frank Coghlan, Jr.), O'Toole's young son, had adopted Conniston as a substitute father. He eventually realizes that Keith is not the sergeant, but Keith manages to persuade him to keep his secret.
Keith goes to see McDowell to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage, only to discover that a jealous rival had made inquiries. Conniston, it turns out, was married. McDowell orders him to leave the base in disgrace. Before he goes, he confesses the truth to Miriam. Then, refusing to sneak away, Keith braves a beating from a gauntlet of angry Mounties and boards a ship, accompanied by Mickey. At the last minute, Miriam boards as well. | murder, melodrama | train | wikipedia | Pretty impressive for an early talkie. You can enjoy Charles Bickford in a rare (dual) leading role and watch Michael Curtiz learning to master talkies in this rugged melodrama, an improbability about a Mountie who gets his man and lives, though not for long, to regret it. Unusual for this period, it has refreshingly ambiguous morality -- the Mountie, outwardly such a mensch, turns out to have an interesting secret, and the bad guy turns out to be not bad at all. Add to that an appealing supporting cast, with vivacious, pretty Evalyn Knapp (she looks a little like Joan Blondell around the same time) and the excellent Junior Coughlan, a comparatively subtle kid actor who doesn't overdo cute, like Freddie Bartholomew, or grate the ears, like Jackie Cooper. Some of the art direction is forcedly unreal, almost Expressionist, and the ending's abrupt and unconvincing. But the snowy exteriors are vivid and believable, and Bickford's good enough to leave you wondering why he didn't attain leading-man status for a longer period.. Disappointing early mountie adventure.. Michael Curtiz directs Charles Bickford in a story of rugged adventure in the Frozen North piney woods - sounds great.Well, for the first ten minutes, with mountie Bickford getting his man, unshaven fugitive Bickford, and the dialogue in Eskimo (I kid you not) this one does intrigue, even if Ben Carré's painted on canvas cabin walls aren't going to fool anyone. The effects work with the doubled-up character is really ingenious and the confrontation has a harshness that we're not used to.Unfortunately, as with so many early sound films, all the good stuff is in the opening and then the movie gets on with what people have paid good money to watch - actors talking.The leads aren't at all bad but the dumb plot lets them down.I wonder who thought it was worth another go round in 1940?. Evalyn Knapp is Certainly an Eyeful!!. Charles Bickford was a larger than life character whose outspokenness eventually ended in a showdown with Louis B. Mayer (Bickford called him a "posturing little ignoramus"). The fight was over a film called "The Sea Bat" - Bickford thought it was garbage. Mayer saw to it that he never worked on any of the A movies he was promised (how great he would have been in "Cimarron", also "The Big House" and "The Maltese Falcon"). "River's End" came directly after, an intriguing Canadian Mountie adventure directed by that "man's" director Michael Curtiz. To have Bickford play both the murderer Keith and the Mountie Conniston who brings him in, was a terrific idea and gave this early talkie real novelty. No, they were not long lost twins with one brother gone to the bad or that the Mountie was leading a secret life. Conniston was determined to get his man and the unfortunate thing was that they were both mirror images of each other. Keith is arrested from his hideout (a ship that had become lodged in the ice) within 5 minutes of the movie's start but while bringing him in circumstances are reversed. Conniston becomes sick and Keith then becomes the one they both turn to (J. Farrell MacDonald is Connie's offsider). Connie, in his delirium, mentions Mimi, the Inspector's daughter, but when he dies, O'Toole, who is impressed with the help Keith has given them turns his allegiance to the convict. By the time they get to the outpost Keith is well versed in all of Connie's mannerisms and sayings. He seems to have everyone fooled except O'Toole's kid, Mickey (Junior Coghlan in a charming performance) - you see, Connie chewed gum and Keith never touches the stuff.The twist, half way through, is that Keith has now been cleared of the murder he was originally caught for and he is more anxious than ever to escape across the border. But that is before he meets the beautiful Mimi and what an eyeful Evalyn Knapp is, she was so pretty and not any worse of an actress than many others who succeeded at that time. Should he stay and try to win her or leave her to his rival, a "dizzy dude" named Martin. From what he is learning about Connie he finds he is not the man he appeared and has a few unsavoury secrets that are soon exposed. He confesses all to Mickey and together they await the arrival of O'Toole who can verify his story but O'Toole dies on his way to the outpost ......Evalyn Knapp, who had been in a series of shorts, hoped that the dramatic "Sinner's Holiday" would give her career the boost it needed. Unfortunately the supporting cast was headed by James Cagney and Joan Blondell, so it was "Goodbye Evalyn" before she had a chance to say hello!! After that it was on to programmers like "Air Hostess" with James Murray.. Charles Bickford, meet Charles Bickford. When Lewis Stone shakes hands with himself in 1922's Prisoner of Zenda I thought I'd never see a better bit of trick photography. But River's End goes two or three better with its effects. Charles Bickford plays cards with himself. He crosses behind a chair and when he reaches the other side picks up his other self's wrist to take his pulse. Finally, he checks his other self's breathing by placing his head on his chest while laying his hand over his other self's hand. There are lots of standard split screen effects in the film, too. You'll want to watch these tricks multiple times to try to guess how they were done.As for the film itself, it's early enough not to use the standard plot devices. The hero's untenable position seem genuine. There really is no easy way out. However, after the action of the first few minutes the film drags into a talk fest. I wished it were about 15 minutes shorter. |
tt1132285 | The Factory | In Buffalo, New York, a man named Carl picks up a prostitute and takes her to his home. When he spots that she is transsexual, he angrily murders her, cuts up the body, and places the pieces in a freezer. Meanwhile, Mike Fletcher, a detective, becomes obsessed with the case, which is under threat of being shut down due to its inactivity. A troubled Thanksgiving holiday dinner reveals that he has been ignoring his family, including his rebellious daughter, Abby. Following an argument with her mother, Abby sneaks out of the house to be with her boyfriend Tad. At the diner where he works, Tad breaks up with her, and Abby runs outside. Tad sees her talk to a person in a car; when he next looks, she has disappeared. Carl kidnaps Abby and chains her up in his basement, where he keeps two other young women prisoner, Brittany and Lauren, who suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.
Mike and his partner, Kelsey Walker, immediately investigate Abby's disappearance. Although he initially denies any knowledge of Abby's disappearance, Tad shows up at the police station the next day and identifies Darrell, a former suspect and Carl's co-conspirator, who he saw at the diner. Mike and Kelsey interrogate Darrell, but Mike physically assaults him and is taken off the case. Mike breaks into Darrell's house and finds a list of pharmaceuticals that Darrell has supplied to Carl, before Kelsey shows up to back him up. He takes the list to the hospital and has a brief conversation with Carl, who works as a cook there. Darrell's boss tells Mike that Darrell has not shown up for work and the list of drugs is written by a non-professional. Mike calls the company on the back of the list in the hope of finding him, but they are too busy to immediately respond.
That night, a snow storm shuts down the airport and forces Darrell to stay in town. Mike and Kelsey track Darrell to a hotel but find Darrell dead and circumstantial evidence planted by Carl pointing to him as the kidnapper. Mike receives a call from the company, which turns out to be a catering company. He pieces that together with details of Carl's description by a would-be victim and realizes that Carl is the killer. He and Kelsey make their way to Carl's house as Kelsey reports it over the phone. Meanwhile, Abby, who had framed Brittany for breaking Carl's rules, convinces him that Brittany was just celebrating the fact she is pregnant, and Abby takes Brittany's place for a special dinner he had planned; she uses this opportunity to stab him with a corkscrew. Carl throws her back into the basement, where a pregnant Lauren's water has broken. Due to her immobility, she asks Abby to help cut the baby out.
Mike and Kelsey arrive at the house and find plenty of evidence, including a nursery with several babies in it. They hear noises from below, and, searching for the basement, Mike briefly talks to Abby over the house intercom. Abby tells him that Carl keeps the basement door key around his neck. Mike confronts and shoots Carl, but Kelsey picks up Carl's discarded shotgun and shoots Mike, revealing that she was with Carl the entire time (as she was Carl's first victim); her infertility left them unable to have children, so he set up the operation to kidnap prostitutes and force them to have children. Carl dies, but before Kelsey kills Mike, he reveals that Abby is pregnant. Kelsey frees Abby and takes Lauren's just-born baby, assuring them that they're safe. Carl's nursery, which is now empty. Weeks later, Kelsey, using a new name, is shown to have moved to another city with the missing babies. She leaves a phone message to Abby in which she congratulates Abby on her expectant motherhood, which Abby later listens to, including the sound of a baby crying in the background. | murder | train | wikipedia | I really had to think about how I would rate this one because MANY times I read horrible reviews of films that are made very well, but the 'reviewer' just didn't like it so obviously it's just crap.
And of course as ALWAYS Cusack's performance was good (although, quite honestly he DID look like he was kinda sleepwalking through most of it) Now, as far as the 'Ending'...
I wouldn't put it that strongly but I personally think it could have been worked a little better than just kind of attached onto the end of an otherwise competent film; and then the continuing scenes after that also not really quite matching the quality of the rest of the movie.So, again, is it well made?
But, if you can take the ending with a teaspoon or two of salt and just enjoy the intensity, pacing, and entertainment value of the majority of the movie, then you might like it..
Well, I'll leave it up to each viewer to determine whether this film paid off, for me, it didn't.This movie can only work if you accept the amazing coincidence that forms the basis of the story, but then you find that you have to accept a lot more coincidences.
I have a feeling that the whole ending was grafted on as an afterthought and then the screenplay was readjusted to it.I watched this movie primarily because John Cusack was in it and that gave it a certain credibility.
Hollywood veteran John Cusack is detective Mike Fletcher, a maverick cop who has a hard time playing by the rules at the best of times, let alone when trying to find his missing daughter.
Mistaken for a streetwalker by the creepy-for-the-sake-of-being-creepy Gary Gemeaux (Dallas Roberts), Abby Fletcher (Mae Whitman) is thrown into a makeshift dungeon with a couple of other inmates who are forced to produce children for a mysterious benefactor.Cusack and Roberts make an honourable effort despite an uninspired script, but that is the only highlight to draw from this film.
And the basic story here is a little contrived from the get-go, even without the holes in the plot.The idea of a pair of cops pursuing a mysterious serial killer is a cliché of the movies, of course (including "Seven" which didn't invent the idea).
But the basic whodunnit is intact and the great filming makes it pulse along pretty well.The main character is John Cusack who holds his end up well--he's probably a better goofy dad than a relentless cop but he's decent at both.
The daughter is another story, a surprisingly complex character and a good young actress (Mae Whitman, famous for her role in "Parenthood" more than anything, I think).
But he's really squandering the good feeling with "The Factory" and looks throughout like he's embarrassed to be part of something so intensely pathetic and which insults the intelligence of its audience so catastrophically - but you still took the cheque, didn't you, John?
It's a world in which people are sliced open and drowned but are okay two minutes later.I hate myself for seeing this film through until the jaw-droppingly ludicrous final twist.
So this movie was kind of my niche, and I still watched it despite it being a straight-to-DVD film.
I read some reviews during that time, and I knew there would be a major plot twist at the end.
I think anyone who enjoys SAW movies will like this film.
You know, the story where a father is on a case which ends up involving him because the daughter becomes a victim, but just as you think you've worked out how it will go, BAM, a massive plot twist which you never see coming!
A truly great film and that plot twist just made the movie so much more enjoyable.
Very good story and a great twist at the end.
Cusack is good as usual, but the movie has a great ending and is a nice little thriller.
Pretty in Pink is a much better choice if you are looking for John Cusack movies.
Loving films like "Silence of the Lambs" and "Se7ven", I was nervous walking into the cinema to watch the first screening of "The Factory"...
This movie is built up in a very nice way that slowly builds up suspense and feeds the audience bits and pieces along the way.What appealed to me about this movie was the storyline, and the way that director Morgan O'Neill managed to entice the audience with the way that the story was presented and still managed to put in some really genius plot twists along the way.The storyline in "The Factory" was alpha and omega in the movie, but the good cast also helped the movie along quite nicely.
It was essentially John Cusack who made me sit down and watch this movie, but it turned out to be Dallas Roberts who ended up carrying the movie with his phenomenal performance as Carl.I can't claim to be familiar with the true story upon which this movie is based, but the events that took place in the movie were portrayed nicely and realistic.
And the fact that some of this actually happened to a certain degree is just disturbing."The Factory" might be slow paced, but it is an outstanding movie that really should be watched if you enjoy crime thrillers.
I would have like to have seen a bit more of her in this film, since the true message of this movie is ultimately about family.
John Cusack has given good performances in past movies, but he's really miscast here.
First off I have to say 'The Factory' has one of the best unexpected plot twists I've seen in a long time.
Why You Might Like It: If you enjoy serial killer movies and thrillers, then you will want to see this film.
The movie has a great pace and flow and you won't find yourself slipping into boredom.Why You Might Not Like It: While the cast is notable with Cusack and Carpenter, it also doesn't scream star power.
There are better serial killer movies out there, but this one does manage to be entertaining.Acting/Casting: 6* Directing/Cinematography/Technical: 6.5*Plot/Characters: 7* Entertainment Value: 6.5* Total - 6+6.5+7+6.5 = 26/4 = 6.5* - Well worth a rental.
I like anything with John Cusack and he did not let me down in this movie.
The writers of this script need to be awarded an Oscar, John Cusack is awesome as always, and Jennifer Carpenter...mark...my...words...one day, Jennifer Carpenter will have her very own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame...right next to Nicholson, Brando, Pacino, De Niro, Hopkins...hands-down one of the most talented actresses of our time.
I'm not even good at figuring out 'who's the killer?' that's why i really enjoyed the Scream movies and a few films in the 'Giallo' Italian genre.
However, this movies plot is so boring and unimpressive that you will truly feel dumber for having sat through it.To make a movie with even this kind of budget and have the audacity to try and beef the thing up enough for an extended runtime in what is clearly an effort to lull you to boredom before trampling over every other crime/thriller cliché you've seen in the past 60 years.
Very mild violence, mild language, zero nudity, and a completely unbelievable John Cusack starring as the 'tough guy cop trying to find his daughter.' The bottom line is that this could easily have been a Lifetime movie and even though i'm guilty for having sat through a few of those in the past two decades, they're not what mystery/thriller/horror fans are looking for.
John Cusack is a strong lead in this film, not a great stand-out performance but nonetheless not bad either.
John Cusack and Mae Whitman turn in some good performances, and the Story's Not Bad up until the last 10 minutes or so...Ending IS a Surprise, but Very Unsatisfying....
There are several twists in the plot that I couldn't guess (and I am fairly good at that) and I couldn't have come up with the ending at all.
But the script is quite arid and uneven, and the movie is watchable thanks to John Cusack as Mike Fletcher and Dallas Roberts as Gary Gemeaux, above all; female performers were uninviting to me.
I'm glad I did.Most reviewers bashed the movie with the exception of the "twist" at the end.
John Cusack acted well as almost always.Dallas Roberts was great in his role, which surprised me.
If you aren't a big John Cusack fan, you probably won't enjoy it anyway.The film has a lot less plot holes than people say it does, but still has a fair number of them.
They also could have shortened the movie with getting rid of some completely unnecessary and dull scenes.I was a bit disappointed in Jennifer Carpenter's performance because I want to see her get into a role she hasn't done before.
I think she could do a lot better than this, and her typecast is holding her back.Despite most of the movie being predictable with obvious foreshadowing, there were a few things I didn't expect to happen.
We get John Cusack, which I have grown to like, especially after starring in '1408', and Jennifer Carpenter (the girl from Dexter), who is becoming the most typecast actor ever - doesn't she have anything else to offer than this sort of thing?
There is an end twist; it took me by surprise - which is good - but simply because it didn't make sense - which is bad...In all, it left me empty and disappointed..
There are a few sketchy bits in the storyline, but it definitely a watchable movie with some great performances, especially from John Cusack.
I don't know if it will be as good without the major star, but if the director pieces it together properly, it has the makings of a great movie.
Anyway, I know that a lot of people wouldn't have heard of this film so I hope that people will watch it after reading my review so I can heard other people's opinions.Budget: $30million Worldwide Gross: N/AI recommend this movie to people who are into their deep drama/thrillers about cop whose investigating the disappearance of hookers, only to find out that his daughter has gone missing.
It was a tremendous story, but what I didn't like is that you knew exactly who the suspect was and where he worked right from the beginning of the film, there was no mystery too it, but the writer makes up for that with a twist in the end that I promise you won't see coming.
Sometimes you don't know what's going to happen, but you have in your mind the way you want the story to end, and when the film all of a sudden goes in a completely different direction at the very end, you start to wonder if you didn't see it sooner, because it just wasn't written well enough.
The basic plot has Cusack and his partner working a series of unsolved disappearances of women, and along the way his teenage daughter gets kidnapped by the same perpetrator.
"I'm doing you a favor, I'm doing everyone a favor." Mike Fletcher (Cusack) is a cop who has been looking for a serial killer (Roberts) for a long time with no luck.
However, the twist the movie delivers, and it's final conclusion, ultimately end up completely derailing this film and turning it into a train wreck of absurdity.At the end you feel like you've watched two different movies, and in this case that's not a good thing.There's also some really annoying plot/character issues which start to appear prior to the moment of the movie-derailing twist (looking back now these were warning signs of what was about to unfold).For example, the daughter goes from being a frightened and confused teenage captive to being the solid rock/savior for the other victims within a matter of scenes, before finally ending the film in the role of avenging angel.Then there's the confusing motivation of the antagonist - why does he need so many babies?
At the end of the day this movie just didn't know what it wanted to be - a dark serial killer mystery with a touch of gritty realism, or an escapist thriller with a mega twist.If it had just chosen one or other of these two paths it would have probably worked a lot better, but because it tried to do too much, the plot twist and final ending, which would have been great in an escapist thriller, actually end up completely sabotaging the film..
John Cusack's jacket is better than the movie itself..
That is the also case with "The Factory".This is a B-grade thriller with an uninspired script, cardboard-cutout characters and a twist.I don't usually have problems with movies in which you know everything about the plot before the main characters do, because a movie can be predictable and solid at the same time, but here it's all over the place.
Yes, one character was made bland on purpose probably to BETTER SUIT THE HORRIFYING TWIST SO YOU WOULDN'T SEE IT COMING, but you still a) see it coming and b) know it's lazy writing.I never was a fan of Jennifer Carpenter, and this film certainly doesn't help.
Again, I can't blame the actors that much (even if I will blame them a little), the writing and directing just...it's so mediocre that it shows in everything.That said, I did watch it to the end and I got to see some John Cusack.
These are two excellent movies to plagiarise.The twist, ridiculous as it is, is good and i didn't see it coming.
What bothered me most was the ending - i really liked it, since John Cusack died and was betrayed by his partner Kelsey.
first of all its a one of my favorite film so many people gave negative reviews as Cusack tries but unfortunately flop, this movie is so bad, this movie is a very poorly written like this so many negative and unrealistic review people r telling but thanks god i not focus all those reviews so finally i bought this movie and watched it oh god its incredible and now became one of my favourite,s movie to a great thriller story is about Detective Mike Fletcher , a rugged and obsessive police officer,and his partner Kelsey Walker , r on the trail of a serial killer who prowls the streets targeting young streetwalkers .when his teenager daughter disappears Fletcher discovers that the killer has kidnapped her after mistaking her for a prostitute .
The story line is great.I definitely feel the need to give this movie a 10 star rating.
Sophomore director Morgan O'Neill's bizarre but lukewarm hostage thriller "The Factory" qualifies as John Cusack's worst movie.
John Cusack is joined by Jennifer Carpenter as Fletcher and Walker, two detectives who are after a serial killer who murders prostitutes.
In not the first nor last of the films great many clichés, things hit closer to home after Fletcher's daughter, Egg, gets abducted.Cusack, whom hasn't been in a good film (excluding arguably Hot Tub Time Machine) since High Fidelity, doesn't see that sad trend ending anytime soon with this release of a movie that has justifiably been sitting in a vault for a good half-decade before being given a unceremonious straight to DVD release.
He also kills a "pre-op transgender prostitute." (The best surprise is no surprise.) Mike Fletcher (John Cusack) and Kelsey Walker (Jennifer Carpenter) are two Buffalo detectives assigned to find the missing girls.
When Abby (Mae Whitman), Mike's prostitute looking daughter, becomes the latest missing victim, Mike crosses the line to find her.First off, I love John Cusack, but he is no Liam Neeson.
This ties to a twist which made the film er, um...silly.The movie is a "B" grade crime/drama/thriller.
The good news for the movie is that it started to get better and the twists and turns were a little more watchable around the halfway mark.
He has star power in the form of Cusack and a second half of a film significantly better than the first and a twist that actually works so its not a complete write off.
The Factory isn't the worst movie I ever watched, it's not the best either.
Aided by Kelsey and using the involvement by Darryl an assistant who works at the hospital and that has a link with the killer, giving him the medications he needs to fulfill his plans he will begin a race against time but his feeling and the love for Abby will make him give up or will be able to bring his daughter back home?After a promising start the film begins to lose its action gradually becomes dull with stupid long and unnecessary scenes, towards the end has a twist but will only wake us up a little bit from our sleep after we nearly dozed off.And what up with that painful song from the ending credits?
The film throws a lame twist ending our way.
So far, all you need to know is, that the ending is not the average "good guys win, bad guys go to jail, everyone else lives happily ever after" ending.Plot: A police detective investigating the disappearance and potential murder of multiple hookers is drawn personally in the case when his daughter goes missing under the same conditions.
What makes this plot good is that the film gives a lot of weight on the characters.
I think for this movie, the ending was actually quite good.
I watched this movie, because of John Cusack and also Jennifer Carpenter (I was really curious to see her in a role other than Dexter), and she played almost the same role as Debbie, minus all the cursing...
This movie had me glued to the chair, right up until the ridiculous "twist" ending.
If the movie ended 5 minutes earlier, I think the reviews would have been much better. |
tt3581920 | The Last of Us | In September 2013, an outbreak of a mutant Cordyceps fungus ravages the United States, transforming its human hosts into cannibalistic monsters known as infected. In the suburbs of Austin, Texas, Joel (Troy Baker) flees the chaos with his brother Tommy (Jeffrey Pierce) and daughter Sarah (Hana Hayes). As they flee, Sarah is shot by a soldier and dies in Joel's arms. In the twenty years that follow, most of civilization is destroyed by the infection. Survivors live in heavily policed quarantine zones, independent settlements, and nomadic groups. Joel works as a smuggler with his partner Tess (Annie Wersching) in the Boston, Massachusetts, quarantine zone. They hunt down Robert (Robin Atkin Downes), a black market dealer, to recover a stolen weapons cache. Before Tess kills him, Robert reveals that he traded the cache with the Fireflies, a rebel militia opposing the quarantine zone authorities.
The leader of the Fireflies, Marlene (Merle Dandridge), promises to double their cache in return for smuggling a teenage girl, Ellie (Ashley Johnson), to Fireflies hiding in the Boston capitol building outside the quarantine zone. Joel, Tess, and Ellie sneak out in the night, but after an encounter with a patrol, they discover Ellie is infected. Full infection normally occurs in under two days, but Ellie claims she was infected three weeks ago and that her immunity may lead to a cure. The trio make their way to their destination through hordes of infected, but find that the Fireflies there have been killed. Tess reveals she has been bitten by an infected; believing in Ellie's importance, Tess sacrifices herself against pursuing soldiers so Joel and Ellie can escape. Joel decides to find Tommy, a former Firefly, in the hope that he can locate the remaining Fireflies. With the help of Bill (W. Earl Brown), a smuggler who owes Joel a favor, they acquire a working vehicle. Driving into Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Joel and Ellie are ambushed by bandits and their car is wrecked. They ally with two brothers, Henry (Brandon Scott) and Sam (Nadji Jeter); after they escape the city, Sam is bitten by an infected, but hides it from the group. As his infection takes hold, Sam attacks Ellie, but Henry shoots him dead and commits suicide.
In the fall, Joel and Ellie finally find Tommy in Jackson, Wyoming, where he has assembled a fortified settlement near a hydroelectric dam with his wife Maria (Ashley Scott). Joel contemplates leaving Ellie with Tommy, but after she confronts him about Sarah, he decides to let her stay with him. Tommy directs them to a Fireflies enclave at the University of Eastern Colorado. They find the university abandoned, but learn that the Fireflies have moved to a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Afterward, Joel is severely wounded by bandits, who are killed by Ellie.
During the winter, Ellie and Joel shelter in the mountains. Joel is on the brink of death and relies on Ellie to care for him. Hunting for food, Ellie encounters David (Nolan North) and James (Reuben Langdon), scavengers willing to trade medicine for food; David turns hostile after revealing the university bandits were part of his group. Ellie manages to lead David's group away from Joel, but is eventually captured; David intends to recruit her into his cannibal group. Refusing the offer, she escapes after killing James, but David corners her in a burning restaurant. Meanwhile, Joel recovers from his wounds and sets out to find Ellie. He reaches Ellie as she kills David; Joel consoles her before they flee.
In the spring, Joel and Ellie arrive in Salt Lake City and are captured by a Firefly patrol. In the hospital, Marlene tells Joel that Ellie is being prepared for surgery: in hope of producing a vaccine for the infection, the Fireflies must remove the infected portion of Ellie's brain, which will kill her. Unwilling to let Ellie die, Joel battles his way to the operating room and carries the unconscious Ellie to the parking garage. He is confronted by Marlene, whom he shoots and kills to prevent the Fireflies from pursuing them. On the drive out of the city, Joel claims that the Fireflies had found many other immune people but were unable to create a cure, and that they have stopped trying. On the outskirts of Tommy's settlement, Ellie reveals that she was not alone when she was infected and expresses her survivor guilt. At her insistence, Joel swears his story about the Fireflies is true. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0973816 | Kane & Lynch: Dead Men | The game opens with a voiceover of Adam 'Kane' Marcus, reading a letter addressed to his daughter Jenny. Kane is traveling to death row after being convicted of manslaughter. Another death row inmate, James Seth Lynch, lets on there will be a breakout. Their truck is involved in a head-on collision by a group of mercenaries. The two are taken to a construction site, where they are confronted by four members of a gang of criminals called The 7, led by The Brothers and their henchmen Carlos (a close friend of Kane) and Mute. They accuse Kane of stealing money from them, and reveal that they have taken his wife and daughter hostage. Kane is given three weeks to retrieve the money or his wife and daughter will be killed.
After the meeting with The 7, police officers arrive and the two are forced to shoot their way out of the construction site. Later, Kane explains that he did not steal from The 7, but knows who did, and where they hid it. Kane and Lynch rob a local bank where the money is being kept. Though only half of the money is inside the safe, Kane believes he knows where the other half is. Meanwhile, Lynch, who suffers from periodic episodes of violent psychosis, blacks out and kills all of the hostages after his medication wears off, forcing Kane and Lynch to shoot their way out and flee in a van driven by their getaway driver. Losing the police in the subway after the van crashes, Kane informs Lynch that they need to go to Tokyo to retrieve the other half of the money.
In Tokyo, the pair go after Retomoto, a Japanese crime lord, by kidnapping his daughter Yoko as ransom. While Kane negotiates with Retomoto over the phone, Lynch accidentally shoots and kills Yoko while trying to stop her from escaping. Kane, Lynch and The 7's hired guns then proceed to escape from Retomoto's hitmen. Kane is furious with Lynch, but he soon realizes that they are out of time, and must return to The 7 with only half of the stolen money.
Lynch reveals to Kane that he made a deal with The 7 to ensure his survival as well as a position within The 7, but he is betrayed and knocked unconscious at the construction site where Kane and his family are to be executed. Kane's plea for extra time is denied, as The Brothers and Carlos depart for Havana, leaving Mute to carry out the deed. Kane's wife expresses her disgust with Kane but is executed by Mute before he has a chance to speak to her as promised. Regaining consciousness, Lynch snaps and attacks his kidnappers while Kane beats Mute to death. Kane and Lynch then protect Kane's daughter Jenny from The 7's reinforcements as she cries over her mother's body.
Kane buries his wife and decides to finish off The 7 for the sake of his daughter's safety. Kane and Lynch free a group of "dead men" from prison: Rific, Thapa and Shelly. These men had been wronged by The 7 and join the duo to get revenge, although Shelly expresses resentment at working with Lynch and suggests that he may have killed his own wife. Before flying to Havana, they return to Tokyo and kill Retomoto, reclaiming the briefcase of money to finance their war with The 7. In Havana, Kane keeps everyone motivated with promises of payment as they track down The Brothers and Carlos. Kane informs Lynch that The 7 profit from assisting factions in civil wars, with Havana supposedly the last job needed for their retirement. They find themselves caught up in an ongoing civil war, joining the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and battling The 7's forces trying to stage a coup d'état. They find Carlos, abandoned by The Brothers. Kane recruits him, and Thapa, no longer trusting Kane, abandons the mission as a result.
The Dead Men then fight their way through the Venezuelan jungle, and locate The Brothers at their compound. When the Dead Men arrive in the Cuban Jungle of Havana, Shelly demands his pay for helping Kane, that Kane claimed Shelly, Rific and Thapa would get for helping him, Carlos tells Shelly and Rific that there is plenty of heroin in the village that they can take as compensation. Carlos then volunteers to go on ahead and open the gates with an explosive trying to create a diversion, but vanishes inside. This leads Lynch to think that Carlos tricked them all into a trap. Then Kane and Lynch discover over Carlos's radio that The 7 have again captured Jenny. They discover in the compound courtyard Jenny, unharmed and Carlos' corpse. They suddenly get ambushed by The Brothers and their mercenaries, The Elder Brother claims the killing of Carlos, forcing Kane to shoot a mine beside Carlos' corpse and the two then kill The Elder Brother. The Younger Brother however, manages to escape with Jenny and attempts to take off in an airplane.
Kane and Lynch follow in a car and disable the plane's engines before killing the Younger Brother. Jenny then pulls a gun on Kane and blames him for her mother's death. Kane tells her that whether she hates him or not he will get her to safety. Kane is then given the choice of rescuing Rific and Shelly from the village church, who are being pinned down by The 7's mercenaries, or escaping in a helicopter with Jenny and leaving them to die.
If Kane boards the helicopter with Jenny and leaves Rific and Shelly to die, Jenny will resent her father for leaving his men and tell him that she hates him. As they are escaping in the helicopter, Lynch, on the ground, says to himself, "I fucking knew it, from the first second I fucking knew it."
In the other ending chapter, Kane chooses to rescue Rific and Shelly, who are trapped in a burning church towering over a village. Kane and Lynch are too late to save Rific, but Shelly is still alive. He feels betrayed despite the rescue attempt. As they escape to the pier, Jenny is shot, and Kane carries her body along. Shelly loses his patience and attempts to escape on one of the boats alone but appears to be killed by an explosion, although his boat is seen leaving the pier. Lynch is shot as he escapes on an undamaged boat with Kane, while Jenny's status is still unknown. The boat drifts slowly with the river, while Kane holds Jenny and whispers to her about the letter he tried to send her. | revenge, violence | train | wikipedia | Mainly because it has a genuine human drama, you mostly feel this is the character Kane because of the backstory of the death of his son.A great feature of the game is when your dying the screen goes into negative and you can hear voices of past events which is a clever addition as it builds up the emotion.The online is massive fun, it's not just your random kill anyone game.
Kane & Lynch is a story about two men who both are punished to the death.
Kane's way back crew "The7" get's in touch with him, they have is wife and daughter and if He doesn't play along...they will both die.Kane & Lynch is a thrilling but "VERY" violent action game.
Just that you have the opportunity to shoot innocent people is frightening but it's nothing i haven't seen before in a game.
The game's story is very well written, the gameplay the other end is nothing special.
It's very fun to play with a friend if you are bored.Graphics Really impressive on this point.
But the fact that the graphics changes from lousy to SUPER in different places is just dumb, hope it gets fixed in the upcoming patch.Multiplayer This part i haven't tried out yet though.
You and a friend or more is about to make a robbery, there is about 4 different maps to play on, where a bank is included.
The loots will be shared at the end of the game, however there is a way to get away with this, if you become a "TRAITOR" you will get your money and don't have to share it with anyone.
Although i haven't played this mode by myself these facts are just from gameplays and text.As it looked beforeWhen the news about Kane & Lynch first was released i expected something completely different, but who doesn't the game looked a hell lot of better on pictures but what game doesn't.I'm giving this game an kind of weak 8/10.
This game has a good story and all but it's feels to simple, just go around and killing people on every single mission, nothing else for a change.
So if you are sensitive for violent this isn't the game you should play, well if you haven't sorted that out already with the facts that the game is called "Kane & Lynch (DEAD MEN).
Even though the game got some mixed reactions from people, I think it is entertaining if you like playing shooter games.
This one isn't overly demanding to play, I passed through the game on the standard difficulty without too much trouble, but it is challenging at times, especially some of the Boss battles - I remember at one point you have to slug it out with a huge truck in a junkyard, it was quite difficult doing it with the controller since the aiming sensitivity never feels perfect no matter how much you fiddle with it in the settings.
As others here mentioned, the game is similar to one of IO's earlier efforts - Freedom Fighters, and I think K&L DM is kind of a spiritual successor to that game.
You could almost go through the whole game without using the special squad commands since the core shooting play is quite basic and your AI controlled friends can happily go about their own business.
But much like the enemies, they do stupid things sometimes like running into the line of fire.The graphics were good, at the time I had to play in standard definition, but still the detail in the game was evidently well done - the game engine technology is the same (or close) to Hit Man Blood Money I think.
The diversity in the environments is actually one of the stronger aspects of the game, and like the Hit Man series you find yourself in different parts of the globe, so things don't get so stale in that respect.The guns in the game will be familiar, you get hand grenades & flash- bangs as well, I think probably the most interesting weapon was a tear- gas grenade launcher.
The story in the game isn't much to write home about, I didn't find myself rooting for Kane and Lynch's cause - actually, I wouldn't even call them antiheroes because there isn't much of a 'greater good' sense to things, but I can't really say more without spoiling the plot.
I didn't have many genuine issues with this game, there was a bug during a car chase sequence where the van you were in would hit a junked car and flip on its back meaning I couldn't get my crew to the required destination - this happened *every* time I reloaded the checkpoint, so in the end I had to replay the whole section.
Apart from that, the cover system is a little dodgy since Kane will 'snap' onto nearby objects whether you want him to or not, so that can be a bit dodgy, especially when making a mad dash to safety from a killer Helicopter or something.
Overall, none of these things are damning to the game, just some quirks really.Overall, I had a fairly good time with this game, probably those who loved Freedom Fighters or played the Hit Man games in a not-so-stealthy 'Guerilla' style will truly relish the huge body counts in K&L DM.
I would recommend playing in the standard difficulty, even if you are an experienced player, since the game is suitably demanding as it is and 'hard' is perhaps leaning more towards 'masochist' sensibilities.
Anyhow, I think the game can pass some pleasant evenings, so if you are interested, give it a shot!*Review for Xbox360 Version.
a great action game.
i just bought this game this morning, i was very happy of what i bought i thought to myself this was worth my money i can see why they want to make a movie out of this a very good story, very good plot line, very good characters i just freaking lovefor the people who like hit-manthey need to try something more freestyle, pounding action in Kane and lynch dead meni recommend you buy italso there is great multiplayer contents and the co op is very goodi think its worth your money guys10/10.
Would make a great movie, but as a game it's a letdown.
A man on death row is busted out of his prison transport and is thrust into a violent game of do or die.
That man is Kane, his newly-appointed partner is Lynch.
You'll kill many people and pick up lots of different guns...but how much fun will you have (if you pardon the macabre use of the world "fun")?The answer is some, but not as much as you'd like.
Precision targeting is almost non-existent in this game and hit detection is all over the place.
They may be in 1080p high-def but they look real bad.I hear a sequel is in the works.
More freedom to roam and an ability to upgrade Kane and Lynch as characters would be a welcome addition.
Kane & Lynch makes for a decent bargain bin game, but don't pay top dollar for it.Graphics C Sound B+ Gameplay C+ Lasting Appeal C.
One of the fewest time killers i had with friends at home was playing co- op with this game, a lot.
This is one of the few points Kane & Lynch has at a fun value, with a title like this and a concept like that, it does really feel like an old-school game meant to be played with co-op (like an arcade game whose name i forgot, but consisted in one driving a car and the passenger seat shooting the bad guys at front)Anyways, the story follows at a psychological drama emotional vibe, and certain strong elements that would put the player in enough stress if it isn't by the story's way of f'ing up the characters lives, and although it doesn't grab enough interest on it's character development it does at least satisfy you with those individual personalities of each that makes a credible duo that are not precisely role models, but personifies our GTA player inside us.The Sound is decent, although i noticed some of the same music/soundtracks are a bit over-exploited, voice acting is convincing enough to put you on stress through the characters.Gameplay-wise is pretty Kinetic and non-stop, shootings are exciting whenever you control it (although a bit stiff with recoil when trying to shoot enemies) and blood-packed enough for those who find this satisfying (AKA: Me) And although it can get repetitive at times, there's no stop sign to show at you by the constant number of henchmen coming at you.
There is another command system that plays out in a strategic way where you can command NPC's to kill X enemy or take cover somewhere else, i personally found it under-exploited, because i was doing all the killing and shooting to sum up...
._.Also, level design is sort of simple, some of the maps are pretty short and it could get repetitive to miss out or going all the way around the map in some missions, but also it has a decent amount of variety on it's missions that also offers another level on the "old-school" game vibe that you could really have a grip on.And although there is also a 2-way ending that has some flaws in it (since one is cannon to the supposedly disappointing sequel and the other is not, and both endings do have some of the same annoying conclusion, it does still have replay value through both campaign co-op and multiplayer.In conclusion, Kane and Lynch: Dead Man is a Flawed, but Kinetic Shoot 'Em Up Game with Lots of Shooting, Co-op Replay Value and Potential for a Franchise that makes this starter of a series (that i hope doesn't die and deliver us a Better and more submersive K&L3) a kick-ass of a time killer..
This is like Heat the video-game(well, different story), and yes, it's as awesome as that makes it sound) the psychopathic Lynch, who murdered his better half.
Every "Chapter"(note that you can only start at the beginning of those if you quit; while you are in the game, you can replay from the most recent "Scene", and those are frequent so you never have to redo a lot, and it autosaves) consists of you and him(and usually a team) carrying out an attack on a building(like a bank, corporate headquarters, a dance club, etc., and situations like a robbery, a hostage exchange, a jailbreak(!) and the like), get whatever objectives you have done, and get away in one piece.
This is a third-person tactical shooter, a bit like a Freedom Fighters 2.0(which, in turn, was Red Dawn interactive).
Using and protecting the people there with you is vital(you can take out anyone else, and this supports grand crowds, similar to what they did in Blood Money), and you can pick up additional clips from them, swap weapons with them and bring bring them back from near-death using adrenaline shots(!), and they can do the same for you(don't rely on it too much, you'll overdose; also, this is highly psychological, with flashbacks and your guilty conscience haunting you as you lay there in what may prove to be your last moments).
This has a bad-ass score(all of the audio(including acting!) is marvelous) by Jesper Kyd. I have not tried multi-player(as I could not get it working...
It's not terribly surprising, coming from IO Interactive, home of awesome, unique(-ish) concepts for games.
You can also mêlée kill(anytime you're right by them, there's no "fighting"), with a blade in your hand that comes out between two fingers.
This has one of the best cover systems I've tried, so easy and instantaneous to enter/exit, blind-fire and aimed(hold down right mouse button anytime), and such a wide use of the view(without leaving the safety) is possible, meaning you will hardly ever be caught with your pants down(I'm scowling at you, The Godfather: The Game!
I recommend this to any fan of the genre and the concept(if you want to play a Michael Mann movie, this is one of the better ones).
Great Game..
I thought this game was great, i really enjoyed playing and the online game is not only about shooting as many you can, there is a little tactical game play in online.
I think that i was pretty much the same game mode as Hit-man, but this time it was just on the streets.
But there is allot of action anyways.One of the things in the game that is two thumbs way up is the story line in the game, you almost fell like you know this persons very good after the game is completed, I've never seen such a good plot in game and hat is really awesome we need to see more story in games, that makes it more interesting to play.The main characters is Kane and Lynch.Kane is trying to spare his family from getting involved in a crisis against him and the gang the seven.Lynch have schizophrenia, and is a watchdog for The seven, hes job is too make sure Kane gets the money he have stolen from The seven back!.
There are a few factors you must take into consideration when you play this game: 1) The Graphics - Something I have come to expect from most 3rd person shooter games is a set of lackluster graphics.
Sure it would be nice for it to look great but think of this.
If you play a game because of the way it looks, you are into gaming for all of the wrong reasons.Do you remember Super Mario Bros.
Everybody still has fun playing that game today.
So stop moaning over the look of the game and remember that it was only a decade ago we were playing at 16-bit and still having fun.2) Audio - Paranoia rings a bell when I think about this.
As for the voice acting, Lynch leaves something to be desired but the voice acting for Kane adds much more to the character of this flawed man.3) Game play - The game has a simple premise, kill the bad guy's, a little harder than we are usually used to.
The shooting system is to the point, which has received some criticism.Many players are stating that the line of fire is often broken or flawed, saying that the bullets don't go exactly where you aim all the time.
However, if you go to a shooting range, or if you have ever shot a gun before, you would know that at distances the line of fire can be altered depending on many things.
I think it added a sense of realism to the game.4) AI - This is where things go wrong for me.
There had been times when Lynch or anybody wouldn't follow me, or they walk up to a high cal.
turret.Now the game works easy, you can revive a fallen ally be injecting them "Mia Wallace Style" (Adrenaline).
The problem here resides in previous paragraphs where I had stated that there is always someone firing at you and often time you have to revive a fallen ally in front of the enemy or turret that had killed him.This is one tough game.--- My overall reaction to the game was great.
I like simplicity put to a challenging game with a good premise.When the game got to the end I noticed something that has been popping up in many games of recent release...
This was present in the recently released Assassin's Creed as well as Jericho, both games toted for sequels.
If you are like me and you like getting frustrated and finding your way out of a good fire fight, play it.
Especially if you are fans of Hit-man and Freedom Fighters.My only warning is that this, like the two games mentioned above, should have been made directly as a movie.
Great story, great potential.In conclusion, I rate this game a nice 9 out of 10.
Eidos has never been one to impress those looking for absolutely everything (Graphics and the like), but most do not realize that game creators are on a budget and some things cost more money and more importantly in the industry TIME that they do not have.
How come so many reviews are slating this game.
i really do think its quite excellent probably second only to saints row in my xbox360 collection (with the usual candidates GOW and Halo3 way below).
First of all I'd like to say a lot of the issues other people have with the game i just haven't had.
It's challenging, yeah just like hit-man.
I didn't find aiming a problem, OK machines guns are hit and miss but a rifle is pretty much spot on, surely thats quite realistic?
i didn't hate the story line, it's no enthralling quest like good old mass effect, thats for sure, but it isn't bad.
I think that playing this game is more like doing it in real life, in a way.
Whereas you might be looking for cheap leg-shot kills and cover that makes you totally invulnerable in other games you won't find it here.
I think as what it set out to be a games take on true Michael Mann style action movie its truly superb.
Hosts of memorable levels, very good game-play (i think anyway) and good variety too.
This isn't run shoot repeat like halo or GOW or the army boy approach of COD4 (which is pretty excellent admittedly), this is a more stylised film approach with much more vulnerable and edgy characters.
I'm a big fan of IO, loving hit-man and the equally underrated Freedom Fighters and i don't think this game disappoints at all.
Whatever is said about this game it doesn't look like many people are sitting on the fence.
If you like hit-man or Micheal Mann's Heat (1995) then give this a try. |
tt0075203 | Shao Lin Si shi ba tong ren | The much-reviled Qing government decide to eradicate any opposition to their rulership by attacking pro-Ming families in the kingdom. One such attack sees an influential official killed, though his wife and son manage to escape thanks to the intervention of a close ally. While on the run, the son, Shaolung, is aided by his father's close friend (Jack Long) who teaches the young boy the basics of kung-fu. As time passes, the renegades must once again move on and evade capture by the Qing army. However, it is decided that the safest place for Shaolung to hide would be in the Ming-friendly Shaolin Temple where he could also further his knowledge of kung-fu. Once there, the boy finds the severe, disciplined lifestyle hard to cope with and, despite his best efforts, he lags behind his fellow pupils. Over time he does make a couple of close friends and it is their encouragement that drives him to reach his goals. Now a young man, Shaolung (Tien Peng) gradually develops into a formidable fighter and concentrates his sights on leaving Shaolin to avenge his father's death. However, to 'graduate' from Shaolin means to defeat the Shaolin bronzemen and a series of similarly fiendish tests. The first attempt to conquer these trials is unsuccessful, but Shaolung is spurred on by his straight-talking friend (Wong) and finally leaves through Shaolin's hallowed gates after a final tremendous effort. Once through the dreaded chambers, the Shaolin disciples will have the Shaolin crest of the dragon and tiger burnt into their forearms by lifting a huge bronze pot. Outside, our heroes meet up with more patriots. Shao Lung meets his uncle who tells him the true story of his past and gives him half of a royal seal, the other half belonging to his (unknown) future wife. Once on his journey again his constantly stalked by a young "man" (actually a woman in disguise), Miss Lu. After defending him from an assassination attempt, Miss Lu constantly claims how Shao Lung owes her his life, though he is still under the impression she is still a man (a typical recurring plot device in some martial arts films though it is obvious it is a woman). After another failed attempt at Shao Lung, he manages to come across Miss Lu’s half of the royal seal thus revealing she is a woman and also his wife-to-be. Shao Lung and Miss Lu meet up with Brother Wan, and in turn they meet with Brother Ta-Chi who managed to beat the Bronzemen and leave Shaolin. Ta-Chi is a mole who was placed in Shaolin by the Qings to learn kung fu and eventually kill Shao Lung. Shao Lung and Brother Wan manage to kill their former brother in self-defense,and with Miss Lu, move on to kill the Manchu general. | revenge, violence | train | wikipedia | Carter Wong and the Shaolin Monks fight THE 18 BRONZEMEN.
THE 18 BRONZEMEN is a celebrated 1976 kung fu film from the prolific hand of producer/director Joseph Kuo who operated in Taiwan in the 1970s.
It stars Carter Wong, Tien Peng, and Polly Shang Kwan in a tale of Shaolin training, lifelong friendship, and a mission of revenge during the early days of the Qing Dynasty.
The uneven plot structure suffers from the lack of a suitable payoff at the end after the powerful setup of the film's stunning first half.
Also, the presence of three strong heroes is not matched by any villain formidable enough to provide a satisfying final battle.The first section follows two dedicated Shaolin students through rigorous training, leading up to a sequence of challenges posed by the Bronze Men of the title whose function is to test the combat skills of the students in order to graduate them from Shaolin.
This sequence is a fanciful addition to Shaolin cinematic lore and would be repeated in different variations in Kuo's later Shaolin films.
(The Bronze Men include men in head-to-toe robotic outfits, more gold than bronze, and men whose skin is painted gold who fight with swords, sticks and kung fu.)During their travels, the two friends, Carter Wong and Tien Peng, are joined by a female fighter who was betrothed to Tien Peng as a child and is played by Polly Shang Kwan.
Eventually, after various attempts on Tien's life and the revelation of his family background, the stage is set for a final confrontation with Hei Chu Ying, the traitor who had Tien's father killed.The fight choreography is less robust than it should be and, of the three leads, only Carter comes off as a powerful fighter.
The actor who plays the chief villain is never seen in combat until the very end, so is never presented as much of a fighting threat to the heroes.The photography and production design are visually impressive and well above average for this kind of film.
I watched both the English dub and the Hong Kong import DVD for this review.
The HK version is completely reedited and includes footage from EIGHT MASTERS (aka 18 BRONZEMEN 3) and another, unrelated Kuo film, UNBEATEN 28.
It also shortens scenes showcasing Polly Shang Kwan and Tien Peng and plays up Carter Wong's role.
I actually found the English dub, despite being available only on full-frame VHS, the more effective version.This film was followed by various follow-ups that were not exactly sequels, but more like variations on a theme.
With the help of a good friend, an orphan becomes a Shaolin master after many years of training.
The most interesting bit is the training, though, when he needs to stand against 18 bronze men!
The villain needs to be mentioned; he has several bodyguards dressing just like him to confuse his enemies.The difference in running time between the German version (77 minutes) and the Hong Kong version (93 minutes) is mostly due to a different beginning of the movie.
The rather cruel early years of the boy's training were added to the Hong Kong version, although that footage was shot for "The 8 Masters" by the same director..
18 Bronze Men is a film of two halves.
As it is, the two halves cancel each other out to make 18 Bronze Men a pretty much middling movie, worth watching for fans of the concept but not something to really go out of your way to see.
The only way people can leave this place is to become so highly skilled in the martial arts that they can pass a series of deadly tests before they can pass through the door.
Said tests take up the entire first half of the movie.As the title would suggest, during these tests the boy (now a young man played by Tien Pens, accompanied by pal Carter Wong) must battle with a series of colourful and crazy Bronze Men. Some of the men are just naked guys covered in gold paint, others go the whole hog and have really bizarre, almost robotic-like looking gold plated armour complete with faces that make them look like Buddha.
The kung-fu action as the two heroes attempt to pass the Bronze Men makes for a truly unique viewing experience (at least until the sequels and rip-offs followed) which is a lot of fun.Unfortunately, as soon as these guys do manage to escape, the film goes downhill.
It turns into a run-of-the-mill revenge drama with a serious lack of decent action, at least until the breathtaking three-on-one fight in an old quarry at the end which comes as too little, too late.
Meanwhile the subtitles on the version I saw were often misspelt or simply wrong, which is kind of amusing but not really.Tien Pens isn't to fault as the hero, creating a quite likable persona and proving himself in the action stakes without being really spectacular like some of his counterparts.
Meanwhile the shaven-headed Carter Wong is probably the hardest-looking and toughest guy in the film, although sadly his is but a supporting role.
18 BRONZE MEN proved to be quite a disappointment in my mind, as aside from the fighting with the Bronze Men (for which it gets that extra star alone) it doesn't really offer much apart from a very old, tired plot and some routine action.
After having made kung-fu films for nearly a decade, Joseph Kuo at last received international attention with the release of The Mystery of chess Boxing (made famous by the Wu Tang Clan, one of whom adopted the name of the film's villain, Ghost Face Killer).
I've always thought this unfortunate, first because Chess Boxing is clearly derivative of the Jackiee Chan film Snake in Eagle's Shadow (which is much better paced), and secondly because Kuo was close to the closure of his Chop-socky period and only had one more great film in him, Shaolin Temple (AKA Shaolin Temple Strikes Back).At any rate, 18 bronzemen is without question Kuo's real masterpiece.
Of course we're not talking about grand drama - but film is an art of motion, and a visually beautiful film doesn't necessarily need grand drama.However, those dramatically inclined should be aware that the actors in this film are really giving us their best - This is certainly Carter Wong's finest performance, and it may be Tien Peng's as well.
The reason for such commitment is clear - the film's story carries a theme of loyalty and courage which the Chinese value very highly.The long training sequences at the beginning of the film (which are among the best on film) are actually reflective of this theme - Shaolin Temple has a very demanding martial arts program, demanding full commitment.
Dedication to training is a loyalty as well, and the film is quite clear on that point.I suppose those unwilling to give any genre film (or at least any kung-fu film) a viewing with an open mind should be warned away.
And if you do find the dubbed American release out on VHS during the 1980s, be aware that the Amereican dub version is badly panned-and-scanned, using a an old runny-color print for transfer, and that a good 10 minutes of the film were hacked off (to no purpose that I can tell), leaving the plotting difficult to follow at times.
But even that version can leave a positive impression of the main line of the story, the acting, and the performance of the martial-arts.One last word: The film utilizes two child-actors at the beginning of the film; these are among the very few child-actors that I can watch without disappointment or disgust.
Besides my mate that watched it with me I can safely say that out of everybody I know I am the only person who has seen this movie.
So onto reviewing The 18 Bronzemen: Part 1.The story in itself is quite confusing and most of it does not get explained until towards the end but I'll try my best.
A baby (later called Shao Lung) is rescued and brought to the Ming friendly Shaolin Temple where he is brought up in the art of kung fu to exact revenge upon his family.
Shao Lung then decides to track down the evil tyrannical ruler to avenge his family.The movie was directed by Joseph Kuo and starred Peng Tien as Shao Lung and Carter Wong as Brother Wan (the kid that was sent at the same time as Shao Lung).
A complete laughable part however is when a woman is apparently disguised as a man and everybody thinks she is (but it is clearly obvious it is a woman).So despite its flaws, most likely because of being something that is completely different to me, I found this to be an enjoyable movie.
18 Bronzemen is something of a paradox in that it typifies so many of the weaknesses of the Hong Kong chop-socky genre of the 70s, and yet stands head and shoulders above most of its contemporaries.
While there is more than enough kung-fu action to keep the most avid fan happy, there is also an entertaining story (in the first half, anyway) and an attempt at some character development beyond the usual boy-becomes-a-man-by-facing-adversity-and-beating-up-lots-of-people variety.Ting Peng plays Shao Lung (which sounds like an ad for a table-tennis match), the son of a high-ranking Ming official brought to a Shaolin temple by his granny after his father has been murdered by the wicked General Kwan (Chang Li).
As he grows into a young man, Shao Lung undergoes the rigorous training of the shaolin monks (who seem to be holding some kind of eyebrow-growing competition) in preparation for his confrontation with the eponymous bronzemen that he must undertake if he is to earn his stripes and leave the temple.
Having successfully passed the tests, Shao Lung and his friend, Brother Wan (Carter Wong), head off into the wide world to avenge the deaths of Shao Lun's mother and father.18 Bronzemen is really two different movies in one; the first, in which Shao Lung overcomes his apparent limitations to hold his own against the bronzemen, is hugely entertaining, but the second, during which the two friends hook up with Miss Lu (Polly Shang Kuan), drags very badly until the climactic fight which, while undeniably entertaining, is rather sloppily mounted.
One of the near-constant aspects of this movie genre is the unintentional comedic elements that, while initially amusing, quickly become an irritation; 18 Bronzemen contains them all extremely dodgy translation and dubbing, amateurish acting (both voice and action); laughable sound effects (each fighter's movement is accompanied by a sound effect that resembles a heavy chest of drawers being dragged across a concrete floor) but the quality of its fight scenes, together with a reasonable storyline, allow the viewer to overlook its more common failings.
And the fight scenes especially those featuring the human bronzemen (some of them are sort of crude animated robots that resemble that little one in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century but about thirty years older and eighteen stone heavier) are pretty damn cool, even if a lot of the bronzemen do look like the Tango man painted gold instead of orange.
At least in this movie we don't have to put up with half-a dozen villainous henchman surrounding the hero as they patiently await their turn to step forward and be savagely beaten here they all pile in at the same time.Unfortunately the pace begins to flag the moment the two boys leave the temple and run into Miss Lu. Upon meeting her, Shao Lung and Wan are supposedly fooled by Miss Lu's 'disguise' into believing she is a man which must have something to do with their monastic upbringing because a blind man with no hands would make her as a woman in an instant: mascara, rouge, plucked eyebrows, high-pitched voice, lumpy chest they're all a bit of a giveaway.
Kuan's character adds nothing at all to the plot of the story, slowing it to a crawl as she proceeds to annoy both the heroes and the audience and even her romance with Shao Lung, which is presumably the reason for her inclusion, is barely touched upon.
Nevertheless, things pick up for the film's climax, and it's always refreshing to find a movie that refuses to take itself seriously but which still manages to establish its own character and, for the most part, entertain you into the bargain..
Unfortunately I could only get my hands on the cropped 4:3 release which really ruins the composition of every shot and makes the fight scenes nearly incomprehensible.
The fights against Bronzemen are like the final exam for our protagonist and are intercut with training sequences.
I was always looking forward for the next scene with the Bronzemen.
I mean, this is basically the title of the whole movie so there have to be more scenes with them, right?
with the Bronzemen the protagonist leaves the temple behind and the whole ordeal is never mentioned again.
Focus on the training in the temple and the quest of beating the Bronzemen.
MUCH better movie just like that.
Carter Wong and co take on the multi-chambered labyrinth of the 18 bronze men.
As a young orphan, Shao Lung was raised in a Shaolin Temple after his grandmother abandons him there, fearing that an evil General will kill him after killing Lung's father.Lung spends countless years perfecting his kung fu in order to gain revenge against the cruel General.
As he reaches adulthood, Shao Lung decides he must leave the temple to discover the truth about his past and get revenge.But in order to do this he must he must pass the Shaolin monks most sternest test; the 18 Bronzemen.The 18 bronze men is a collection of fighters, some of them wearing super thick armour which make them look like robots, others painted in Bronze/Gold paint and fight in different styles within a multi-chambered labyrinth filled with a mixture of deadly traps and deadly fighters.Once Shao Lung passes the tests (with Carter Wong in exceptional form), the film becomes less entertaining and incredibly boring.Whilst Tin Peng (Shao Lung) is cast as the leading man, it's clear that Carter Wong is the main man and out-acts, outperforms and outfights Tin Peng at every turn.
Indeed, Wong is enjoyable as the star pupil of the Shaolin monastery, barking insults and pushing students to their limit and beyond.After Shao Lung and Tai Chung are out in the real world there's no more bronze action instead we have the discovery that Shao Lung is in fact the son of a Ming general who was slaughtered by Fei-Lung's evil Ching General (realised in a blistering swordplay flashback).There's also a poorly developed love interest in the pretty form of Polly Shang Kwan.
Polly gets to do some kung fu, and seems to be blessed with an amazing leaping ability.In addition to this, there is a good sub-plot of a mole within the Shaolin monastery; who feeds the Evil Ching general with information - especially the styles of kung fu that the 18 bronze men use as well a super secret kung fu found by Shao Lung in a book.When the mole is uncovered to be Lung's childhood best friend, he is aghast and demands to know why his best friend betrayed him -- then comes the most convoluted twist of the movie; the best friend explains that he is the child of a high-ranking Ching soldier and gave an oath to his father, and presumably the Ching empire, that he would kill the child who showed the most zeal for destroying the Ching empire (ie: Lung).Adding to the twist, Carter Wong explains that he was raised by a bodyguard who saved Lung's father and Wong, like the mole, gave an oath to protect Lung until he got revenge.This plot twist I found to be confusing, it seemed like Lung's destiny was to remove the General from power; sorta like Luke Skywalker.
Maybe the scriptwriters wanted to portray Lung as a Prodigal Son -- it didn't really work out.The end has an excellent, climatic four-way showdown with the Evil Ching General (and, for some reason, his many clones); who has learnt the skills of the Shaolin monks and constantly changes his style until Carter sacrifices himself, leaving the General open to be killed.The 18 Bronzemen has impressive production values and looks pretty expensive in places, and although the outcome is never in much doubt, the climatic four-way showdown is well-staged by Kuo.My issue with this movie is that that 18 bronze men do not offer any real threat to the heroes in this movie.
They should have been the personal bodyguards of the Ching General, or at least try to kill the heroes; too many times you hear a voice boom "PASS!" as the Bronzemen stop fighting and let the heroes move to the next room.Although a reasonable fun film, this 70's kung fu movie lacks real danger and wasn't the classic all-out kung fu movie I was lead to believe.Overall: 4/10.
Underrated Gem From Kuo. While not perfect I find this to be a highly entertaining film with excellent performances by the four main characters.
Some complained of bad acting(Uh yeah and Jackie Chan can act?),bad dubs(watch the subbed version) and poor effects.
The subbed version I watched I got a while back and watching it for the second time my only critique is the Shaolin set (model lol)and the ending was little kooky(Doubles of the Villain everywhere ha.) it still delivered however at the very end.
The story of three friends in Shaolin all sent there by their fathers for different reasons is one of the best I can remember in any Martial Arts flick.a young Carter Wong is fantastic as the serious Big brother.All I can say is I wish more Martial Arts movies were as well made as this one. |
tt0804505 | Married Life | Set in 1949, the film focuses on successful middle-aged businessman Harry Allen (Chris Cooper), who is having an affair with considerably younger war widow Kay Nesbitt (Rachel McAdams). Feeling rejuvenated by his emotional reawakening, he confides in his best friend Richard Langley (Pierce Brosnan) and encourages him to visit his mistress in order to alleviate her loneliness. Richard complies and immediately finds himself attracted to the young woman.
Richard discovers Harry's wife Pat (Patricia Clarkson), oblivious to her husband's ongoing tryst, is engaged in an affair of her own with John O'Brien (David Wenham). Anxious to cement his blossoming relationship with Kay, Richard separately urges Harry and Pat to remain with each other.
Harry, however, is determined to marry Kay. Certain divorce would hurt and humiliate Pat too much. So, he decides to kill her by lacing her daily digestive aid with poison. He visits Kay, who unexpectedly ends their relationship. Harry departs, then returns to ask for all the correspondence he has sent her, only to discover Kay in the arms of Richard, who had secreted himself upstairs. Realization sets in, and Harry races home to stop his wife from taking her nightly dose of medication. When Harry returns home he finds his wife sleeping, thinking she consumed the poison Harry walks towards the bedroom window and opens it. He is startled by Pat waking up and saying, "You're home early, is everything all right honey." Harry looks out the window in his backyard and sees John O'Brien running away from the house while getting dressed. It was implied that at this moment Harry comes to know about Pat's infidelity. Harry never confronts her, maybe consumed by his own guilt.
Richard and Kay eventually wed and become part of the Allens' social circle, which includes John O'Brien and his wife. Harry and Pat continue to be on the periphery of their healing marriage. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1137996 | Anaconda: Offspring | Sometime after the events of the previous film in Romania, a female anaconda and a male anaconda are being held in a genetic research facility owned by Wexel Hall, for experimentation. The research project is led by Dr. Amanda Hayes (Crystal Allen) and funded by J.D. Murdoch (John Rhys-Davies), a well-known industrialist. While visiting the facility, Murdoch provokes the male anaconda with a large flashlight, and has it gassed to calm it down. However, as Murdoch, his assistant Pinkus (Ryan McCluskey) and Daryl (Alin Constantinescu) are about to leave, the anaconda kills Daryl and breaks through his enclosure's wall. As it escapes, it kills many of the people working in the lab. In looking through the facility, Amanda and Professor Eric Kane (Serban Celea), realize that the second (Queen) anaconda has also escaped. Murdoch calls in a team of animal hunters, led by Hammett (David Hasselhoff), to capture both snakes. Amanda and Pinkus go with them. At a small farm in the middle of the woods, the owner is eaten alive by one of the snakes.
The hunting party arrives later and begin formulating a plan of attack. During the first confrontation with the snake, two of the party are killed: Gronzy (Anthony Green) is stabbed by the genetically altered anaconda's very sharp tail and Dragosh (Bogdan Uritescu) gets his head bitten off by the snake. Hammett arrives and gives the team a lecture on how to kill the snake. As the group splits up, Amanda heads off in a car with two other team members, Victor (Toma Danilă) and Sofia (Mihaela Elena Oros). During the next confrontation with the snake, the anaconda spits acidic venom in Victor's face, burning it. The car crashes and Sofia is thrown off the car, broke her leg. As Amanda tries to leave the car to help her, the snake reappears and devours Sofia. Amanda is rescued by Hammett and both of them escape.
As they regroup, Amanda reluctantly reveals that the queen snake is pregnant and will give birth to more genetically "special" offspring in less than 24 hours. The teams want to call in the military, but Hammett forbids it and threatens Amanda with jail for her role in creating it. In the morning, the party begins searching for the snake, but Pinkus has his hand bitten off by the anaconda and is killed. While Hammett searches for the snake on foot, Amanda and one of the three remaining hunters, Nick (Patrick Regis), spot the snakes going into an old factory, follow them in to plant explosives around the building. Before they can finish, the male attacks. Nick helps Amanda escape but is wounded by the snake as it impales him with its tail, but Nick is able to discharge a grenade, killing both him and the snake. Hammett and his last remaining hunter, Andrei (Alin Olteanu), arrive heard the grenade goes off. As the two of them meet Amanda inside the factory, Andrei moves to set the charges, but Hammett kills him, causing Amanda to realize that Hammett is working for Murdoch wanting a live baby anaconda. Inside the building, the queen gives birth. After wounding Hammett, Amanda sets the timer on the explosives and escapes from the building, leaving Hammett to be attacked by the baby snakes while he tries to reach the bomb. Once she is at a safe distance, the explosives detonate, killing Hammett and the baby snakes. As she squats by a roadside burning all of her documentation on the snake research, one of Murdoch's men drives by heading for the factory where he finds one baby snake still alive and delivers the snake to Murdoch. | flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0116772 | The Killing Jar | Several people are gathered at a diner—Noreen, a friendly and talkative waitress; Lonnie, a dim-witted cop; Jimmy, the short-tempered owner; Billy and Starr, a young couple on their way to elope; John, a meek salesman on his way to New York City; and Hank, a quiet regular. A radio is playing, and the group hears of an entire family murdered gruesomely in a neighboring county. Noreen, shocked, becomes increasingly agitated and nervous after an aggressive man in a black leather jacket enters. Noreen covertly asks Lonnie to investigate the newcomer, but Lonnie brushes aside her concerns. After Noreen spills the man's coffee, Hank urges Lonnie to do something.
When Lonnie questions him, the man becomes antagonistic and belittles Lonnie, who pulls his gun on the man. Lonnie sheepishly apologizes when Hank reports the man's vehicle does not match the police reports. As the patrons relax, the man leaves the diner, only to return with a shotgun and pistol. After he kills Lonnie and Jimmy, he takes the rest of the diner hostage. He orders Noreen to collect all the wallets and cell phones, and he forces Hank to dispose of the corpses. The gunman catches Noreen trying to sneak a cell phone, and threatens to kill her if she does it again. Hank quietly proposes that they rush the gunman, as he has used up several rounds already, but Noreen and John refuse. The lovers, frightened, huddle at another table.
A new customer enters the diner, introduces himself as Mr. Greene, and seems minimally surprised by the situation. He hands the gunman a suitcase full of money and addresses him as "Smith". When Greene attempts to leave, the gunman takes him hostage and demands answers. After being severely beaten, Greene eventually reveals that he is a corrupt land developer who hired a professional hit man to kill the neighboring family when they refused to sell their land to build a shopping mall. With no heirs to the family's life insurance policy, Greene would buy the land from the bank.
Disgusted, the gunman kills Greene for not giving enough information and reasons that one of the people in the diner must be the hit man. Noreen begs him to let them go, but the gunman says that he intends to see the situation through. He also tells her he uses extreme methods to extract information from certain people.
The gunman immediately discounts Noreen and the young couple. He first interrogates Hank, who, after being shot in the leg, reveals that he is an ex-soldier who is cheating on his wife. After being shot, he admits that he has sex with women and men at truck stops, gas stations, and bathrooms. Satisfied that Hank has held nothing back, the gunman kills him.
He then handcuffs and interrogates John, who quickly gives up his pretense of being a salesman. John matter-of-factly recounts killing the family but rejects comparisons between himself and the gunman, whom he calls insane. The gunman threatens to torture John, but John coolly laughs it off as pointless, as he will not reveal any details about his employers except that they are powerful and well-connected.
John turns around his interrogation, and the gunman reveals that he is also ex-military, forced out because of mental instability and jailed for two years. With the situation now reversed, the gunman unsuccessfully attempts to bargain with John. Convinced that whatever he does will result in his being marked for death by the organization, the gunman panics and kills the young couple. As the gunman prepares to kill John, Noreen lunges at him with a knife and slashes his throat. John gratefully asks her to free him, but when she hesitates, he again drops his friendly demeanor and tries to cruelly bully her into surrendering. Noreen admits that she has trouble standing up for herself and that she is afraid of change but surprises him by instead shooting him with the last round in the pistol. Rather than call the police, she plays music on the Jukebox, takes the money and walks out of the diner. | murder | train | wikipedia | Contrary To What Others Might Have Said. I enjoyed this film a lot! I thought that the story and the direction were fine, and this is a much better film than I ever imagined. I enjoyed it enough that I bought it, after renting it.The biggest problem with the film lies in the fact that two of the victims appear to survive by the end of the film, when there's no chance of that happening. The human body can take a lot of abuse, but not that much. Plus, the film ends too soon to let us know what happened to Sanford and his wife.Still, it's a taut, well-made film, with the actors giving some gritty performances. Cullen, Tomita, and Bower do a great job with their roles.It's obviously not for every taste (what movie is?), but I sure liked it!. One of the worst flicks I've ever seen.. The Killing Jar is one of the worst pieces of crap I've ever seen. At first glance you may think The Killing Jar is a slash flick of some sort, well its not and far from it. Its about this couple who move to this small town where the guy grew up. He witness a murder, but doesn't know it. Through hypnosis he recalls all this crap blah blah blah. Really its about this kid who once put a spider in a jar and watched it die. Thats it. And they can't get over it. The characters repeat it over and over again. Recalling that the kid was crazy and most likely would grow up to be a killer or something. Damn this flick sucked hard. It was so boring I almost killed myself. If you see this flick at the vid store for the love of God don't rent it. Gives all new meaning to the word "SUCK.". Missed Opportunities. The story here is, at heart, a fairly standard 'taut' suspense thriller with a few modest twists. The cast ranges from workhorse to strong, including should've-been-stars Tamlyn Tomita and Wes Studi, plus support from Brion James, M. Emmet Walsh, Xander Berkeley, etc. Brett Cullen comes off a bit wooden in the lead role, but I can't be sure it's his fault.The real problems here are the slow, uneven pacing, the even more uneven atmosphere, and the often amateurish direction that makes the actors stand around and deliver dialogue in extended chunks of stagey-looking shot-reverse shot and too much camera motion. The editing doesn't seem to have helped, but it's hard to tell what's an editing error and what was a failed attempt to fix the direction. The script and story could have been punched up a bit, too.Tamlyn Tomita is luminous, and a lot of the cast is working hard here, but it doesn't come together. |
tt0386669 | Nouvelle-France | Trapper Francois returns to his hometown to visit his father. Unfortunately his father has just died and Francois is clueless in regards to the business he's just inherited. He trusts his father's lawyer will take care of everything including the claims of creditors who have demanded an investigation.
Like his friend Xavier before Francois soon develops a crush on Marie-Loup, the town's healer. He is delighted when he sees her protecting an Indian girl against a racist. Both share a deep sympathy for the local tribe and speak its language fluently. Unlike Xavier, who serves the local authorities, Francois is successful. But after he has become Marie-Loup's lover, he is forced to escape. Right now the local authorities have discovered illegal affairs of his recently inherited company and they hold him responsible.
Francois hides in the wood among friendly Indians and lets them deliver a letter to Marie-Loup. He is waiting for her to join him, so they can get away together. Unfortunately she cannot read and needs to ask the local priest what Francois has written. The priest tells Marie-Loup she had been forsaken by Francois and persuades her to marry Xavier. The desperate Marie-Loup complies with the ceremony but then refuses Xavier his conjugal rights.
After she has done so for weeks, Xavier visits Francois in his hideout. He blames his rival for his misfortune and following a fierce fight he leaves him for dead. On his return to Marie-Loup the still furious Xavier utters threats. He doesn't survive this day.
Xavier's comrades refuse to accept Xavier's death as an accident. Marie-Loup gets accused of murder and witchcraft. Francois fails to save her and only gets himself arrested. The British authorities, who have meanwhile taken over the formerly French colony, refrain from interfering in this matter for fear to rekindle hostilities. | flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1068961 | Midnight Son | Jacob (Zak Kilberg) is a young man in Los Angeles, California who lives a life of isolation by day and works as a security guard by night. This is due to a rare skin disorder developed in his youth that prevents him from being exposed to sunlight. His world opens up when he meets and falls in love with a local bartender and secret druggie, Mary (Maya Parish), recently departing a relationship with a drug dealer. Beginning to crave blood, as everyday food no longer cures his hunger, Jacob suspects he may be a vampire, though his physician, Dr. Barnes (Kevin McCorkle), diagnoses him to be anemic. His condition worsens and he goes from consuming animal blood to depending on human blood for medical sustenance, a necessity which brings out his violent tendencies on people in the city.
Jacob, longing to be normal, hides his deteriorating condition from Mary, and their romantic relationship suffers because of it. Searching for blood at a hospital, Jacob comes in contact with an immoral hospital physician named Marcus (Jo D. Jonz), who alongside his younger, misguided brother, Russell (Arlen Escarpeta), helps Jacob by milking a patient for blood in exchange for money, a grim method Jacob is against. Shortly, Detective Ginslegh (Larry Cedar) narrows his focus on Jacob during a homicide investigation.
While on security one night, Jacob assaults a disobedient man, resulting in his job termination. Fascinated with Jacob’s paintings and attempting to help him monetize it, Mary interests her friend, Liz (Juanita Jennings), who works at an art gallery. However, his relationship with Mary, suspicious there is more complications to his health, falls apart. In desperation, Jacob approaches Marcus to help him get more blood, but Marcus turns him down for initially opposing his actions. After Marcus hits him, Jacob lashes back and causes Marcus an injury on broken glass, leaving him to bleed heavily.
Jacob reconciles with Mary, confessing to her he is suffering from severe anemia, which plays a role in his skin sensitivity. When they decide to ditch a party at the gallery, Russell tracks and follows them to a quiet location, shooting Mary to avenge his missing brother who he believes Jacob killed. Jacob is able to retrieve the gun and scare him away. He sucks the bullet out of Mary’s chest and soon realizes he passed on his contagious case of anemia to her. Jacob keeps her isolated in his home and not wanting to harm Mary, attempts to convince Detective Ginslegh that he infected and killed the girl in the homicide case whose body burned during sunrise, but there is mysteriously no evidence for an arrest.
Jacob finds out Marcus is alive, and he is left with a burn on his face from escaping daylight, after Jacob had sucked his blood, infected him and left him for dead. Morally corrupt, Marcus forces Jacob and Russell to dismember and dump the dead old man’s body they used to extract blood from. After Marcus decides to dumb the body instead, they revolt against him, with Russell using a cinderblock to knock Marcus unconscious before running away. Jacob chains Marcus up and leaves him to burn at the break of dawn. He returns home the next night, and Detective Ginslegh follows him there, looking to arrest him for seemingly harming Mary, who starves for blood. In an act of need, Jacob kills Detective Ginslegh, providing blood for him and Mary to feast on. In the end, they kiss and begin their new found life together. | realism, dark, gothic, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1748179 | Red Lights | The film opens with two primary characters: university academic Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver), who investigates claims of paranormal phenomena, and her assistant Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy), a physicist. The audience is provided with an insight into the world of the opening section's primary characters while concurrently observing the public reemergence of a psychic, Simon Silver (Robert De Niro).
The ending of the film's first half is signified by the sudden death of Matheson from a chronic vascular condition at the same time that one of Silver's comeback performances takes place, an incident that is particularly significant due to the death of a former nemesis of Silver, a skeptic who investigated the psychic's work, under similar circumstances. Matheson also had a previous encounter with Silver. She recounted a public meeting when Silver had, for an instant, got the best of her by bringing up the subject of her son's spirit (her son was in a vegetative coma and on life support). Matheson agrees only to appear on a televised panel in anticipation of Silver's return. Prior to her death, Matheson refuses to cooperate with Buckley's insistent call to undertake another investigation of Silver, warning Buckley against such an undertaking due to her previous experience with the psychic.
However, following Matheson's death, the assistant becomes increasingly obsessed with investigating Silver for the purpose of exposing the popular psychic as a fraud. During Buckley's efforts to reveal Silver's large-scale trickery, a series of inexplicable events occurs — electronic devices explode, dead birds appear, and Buckley's laboratory is vandalized. Buckley's paranoia intensifies, as he believes Silver is behind these incidents. Buckley's calm and rational disposition eventually degenerates into an obsessiveness that resembles the late Matheson's intense antipathy to paranormal claims. As part of the introduction to the climactic section of the film, Silver agrees to participate in an investigation proposed by an academic from the same university that Matheson was employed by, and Buckley joins the observation team for the tests.
In the final moments of the film, Buckley's assistants manage to reveal the manner in which Silver defrauds the public through a close analysis of the test footage accumulated by Buckley from the university's investigation. At the same time, Buckley exposes Silver at one of the psychic's public performances, and Silver is left dumbfounded. Buckley then reveals to the viewer that he actually possesses paranormal abilities and has been responsible for the inexplicable incidents that have occurred during his investigation of Silver. In a letter to his late mentor, Buckley explains a realization in which he arrives at an understanding that his decision to work with Matheson, despite the possibility of loftier career opportunities as a physicist, was the result of an unconscious attempt to seek others like himself; the revelation clarifies that Buckley's choices were made in spite of his conscious denial of the existence of paranormal activity (such denial is touched on earlier in the film, whereby the character implies that he chose this career because his mother was delayed from seeking critical medical treatment due to advice from a fraud psychic). The letter to Matheson ends with regret that Buckley denied her the consolation of knowing that there is something more, and that now she deserved even more, "everything." Buckley then turns off the life-support machine that is keeping Matheson's son alive. He then walks out of the hospital and concludes his letter to the deceased Matheson: "You can't deny yourself forever". | paranormal, mystery, flashback | train | wikipedia | Psychologist and paranormal investigator Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant Dr. Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) a physicist travel around debunking supposed paranormal activity from bumps in the night to stage psychics.
With actors such as Signourney Weaver, Cillian Murphy, Toby Jones, Joely Richardson, the delightful Elizabeth Olsen and my all time favourite actor Robert De Niro, anything less than a great film would be a disappointment.
That might have stoked up debate in a good way and generated some more interest in the film.Acting-wise i'm sorry to say i'm always skeptical when Robert De Niro appears in a movie nowadays.
Cilian Murphy's character administered the test, and then left the scene without explaining the point of the exercise, which is a shame.I liked Sigourney Weaver's character in the beginning, but the character turned out to be so poorly threshed out; not a lot better than a caricature of a pseudo-science skeptic.
With all respect to the director/writer though, 'Red Lights' is worth watching based solely on the first 60 minutes because of the idea, as well as the performances of the many talented actors, despite some characters being completely irrelevant and unnecessary.
I saw this movie and i was quite excited about it simply because the plot was somehow familiar yet original..in the sense of their connection with the basic idea of a typical human life's struggle to understand the unexplained phenomena of para or divine potential of human mind which has been never proved or rejected completely in modern science.The starting of the movie might not appeal to most of the people as i also felt that the initial 10-12 minutes were not a good way to begin which simply never connected with the main theme of the movie...but as i said it was ambiguous yet was connected to the movie within the very first thirty minutes or so..yet most of the audience might go with me on this that it was not a good way to start the movie...may be the writing had to be more experimental or visionary to scout a new scenario to feel more majestic enough to build a sense of connectivity with the modern day conflict to accept or reject the thought of something superior than science.But never the less the script yet had enough material to keep the interest of mine going..i was dying to know what actually is gonna happen..thought i might like to add that these movies are totally driven from plot or the thought process yet some clever direction and sound effects and nice acting made it possible for me to enjoy this movie..i will not say it is great but it is decent enough to share with people you know...but don't want to compare it with inception or other psychological thriller of recent times...but still i was not happy the way studio has never taken it seriously.A good budget might have ensured it a more improved run on the predecided media but overall it is still a good watch.
Psychologist Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant study paranormal activity named Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) , which leads them to investigate and unlock a world-renowned psychic who has resurfaced years after his toughest critic mysteriously passed away.
Good performance from Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Margaret Matheson as a world's foremost investigators of paranormal phenomena and her partner, Tom Buckley well played by Cillian Murphy .
The skeptical psychologist Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant, the physician Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy), are specialists in disclosing fraudulent paranormal phenomena.
When the famous psychic Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) reappears to his public after many years of absence, Tom becomes obsessed to investigate whether Silver is a fraud or not."Red Lights" could have been a good movie with an intriguing premise.
With Robert De Niro playing dark and Cillian Murphy taking lead duties with Sigourney Weaver and Toby Jones in prominent supporting roles, even the presence of sometimes-I'm-compelling, sometimes-I-ham-it-up Joely Richardson (alas, in the latter incarnation this time) is not a real problem.
Although it gives away more than I'd like, the trailer does at least intend to tease, to entice the viewer to hand over cash to enter the world of the psychic phenomena and it did the job admirably: I came, I saw, I, hmmm, departed slightly disappointed.I really wanted Red Lights to work and often it does, it's just that it doesn't work completely and for its entirety.
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday MorningMargeret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) is a woman who, along with her assistant Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) sets out to dis-prove those who claim to possess paranormal powers or psychic abilities.
However, she is shaken up by the re-arrival on the scene of blind clairvoyant Simon Siler (Robert De Niro.) Unshaken, her and Tom resolve to disprove him like all the others- but Silver may be working more powers than they know.The greatest testament to greatness is, after many years, still being amazed by something brilliant and recalling the amazing power it held at the time and still does to this day.
Just inept in all respects.The unveiling of the star psychic, the troublesome "scientific" investigation they put him through, the inclusion of so many ridiculous and lame expositions (she the wise one informs the scientist that the reflection in his glasses was being used to deceive), and the ending is so utterly annoying, that it probably won't matter because by then the film has lost all credibility and reveals itself to be a sham.The existence and the study of the paranormal is virtually vacant in the mainstream media and academia, and making the subject legitimate and worthy of serious investigation is not helped when even a fictional Hollywood story can't make the intriguing case that "something is going on here", there is very little hope that it ever will.
Red Lights is about a team of professional sceptics, aka Cillian Murphy and Sigourney Weaver, who go around 'debunking' supposed psychic and supernatural occurrences (think Sculley from the X-files, but without the oversize flashlight and shoulderpads).They seem to be making a good living off picking holes in séances and mediums when along comes our friend Robert DeNiro, who appears to be the 'real deal.' Cue a battle played out in the media as they do their best to try and disprove his act.Red Lights is certainly not the best film in the world, but it's different.
Let me start this review by saying I went into this movie thinking it might be pretty good, I was excited to see Cillian Murphy because I love the man, but coming out of this film I was in complete shock at how good it was.The thing that makes this thriller so great, is that unlike most of the movies made under the genera, the first half doesn't suffer to make the final half that much more shocking/amazing.
I never thought I am about to watch such a spectacular film when I saw the low ratings it received.Seeing names such as Sigourney Weaver, Cillian Murphy and of course Robert De Niro made me reconsider and watch it anyways.The story is beautiful and the acting is just marvelous.
The actors made a good effort to keep up with the movie, but it's just horrible how all the introduction of the main character Dr. Tom Buckley (Murphy) goes from an intelligent, clever and motivated assistant professor to the Dumb##$$ ludicrous, naive person of the finale, it's just not coherent,.
"What I'm saying is that after 30 years of investigating all kinds of phenomena with the right controls in place I have yet to witness a single miracle." Paranormal researchers Dr. Margaret Matheson (Weaver) and Tom Buckley (Murphy) are the best at what they do.
RED Lights - the second English movie by Spanish director Rodrigo Cortes, the first being Buried - is a horror flick about two paranormal investigators who bust fake mind readers and psychics.
The start of the movie is identical to that in British movie The Awakening (2012).Dr Margaret Matheson (the ever able Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant, physicist Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy of Inception and Dark Knight Rises), are called in to probe into irregular sounds in a house.
This sets up the movie's finale: can there be a real psychic?Meanwhile, comely student Sally (Elizabeth Olsen) catches the eye of Tom.Then the biggest psychic entertainer in the world, grey haired Simon Silver (Robert De Niro without breaking a sweat), makes a return after 30 years.
I think this is a wonderful film with some outstanding acting from several people ( not just Cillian, but Toby Jones, Sigourney Weaver, and Robert De Nero - even Joely Richardson has a big impact on the way the film feels; though a smaller part in the film - her level of sinister is great ).Some of the directing was a bit odd - several corridor scenes added to the 'weird/disturbing' theme but seemed disjointed and a little out of place.The ending was brilliant!A thoroughly enjoyable film.
There are very subtle references to THE OMEN and other horror films but nothing overt; no huge gross outs or even climactic physical battles.(though there is a brutal bathroom battle worthy of the new James Bond movies) The cast is terrific:Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy (for once in a good guy role!) are debunker's of paranormal phenomenon.
Red Lights opens a new door, bringing an intelligent plot which is not connected with horror movies.Rodrigo Cortés has created a piece of art and Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy have helped a lot.
Right at the beginning we see them take down a séance in a reputedly haunted house and then later discuss some of the tricks of the trade to their students.When a once famous blind mentalist and psychic Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) comes out from a three decade self imposed exile, Margaret and Tom are determined to expose him as a fraud.The film starts off promisingly enough, great acting from Weaver which makes you wonder why Murphy is first billed but then this becomes clear later on.
The storyline was very good and it kept my interest throughout, I really wanted to know what happened to both Cillian Murphy's character (Dr. Buckley) and Robert Di Niro's character (Silver).Sigourney Weaver gives a a very good monologue about Silver, saying how dangerous he is and talking about her son.
Ah well, it seems they all get there eventually.Red Lights follows the story of psychologist Margaret Wilson (Weaver), along with her partner in paranormal crime, Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy), whom both travel the state seeking to expose those claiming to be factual based Psychics.Margaret, who has seen and done it all before, separates herself from any beliefs such as religion and particularly the ability to perform such dark magic.
It is just hard to care about this movie unfortunately.Sigourney Weaver, Cillian Murphy and the rest gave a performance; I just think they chose a bad movie to represent...Like most of these supernatural flicks they do tend to offer some nice twists, basically to change the mind of the audience last minute.
'Red Lights' is supposed to be a serious film about a pair of paranormal skeptics investigating a well-known psychic, but the sheer absurdity of the plot developments and ending make this movie impossible to take seriously.It starts off promisingly but becomes sillier and sillier as it goes along, ultimately descending into farce.
When physicist Tom Buckley and his boss Margaret Matheson (a university academic who engages in paranormal investigations) discover their department's funding is being funneled to the supernatural studies department, and not long after Simon Silver, a psychic who vanished 30 years prior, comes out of hiding to perform one last time.
Sigourney Weaver and Robert DeNiro, two Hollywood legends, team up in Red Lights, a thriller that questions the nature of supposed ''Paranormal Activity'' and asks the question, can people really have supernatural powers?
Anyway, the story focuses om two physicians (Weaver and Cilian Murphy) who spend their time exposing so-called psychics or magic healers as crooks, things are going well for them, until Simon Silver (DeNiro), a world famous psychic, returns after 30 years as a recluse.
Nevertheless, Sigourney Weaver carries on her classic ''scientist with authority'' role from Avatar and DeNiro gives us his best performance in decades (not very hard to be honest), and despite a clumsy script, this is a good film for 100 minutes, but the final 10 minutes are horrendous and ruins it all.
Professor Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and he assistant Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) have a very unique and interesting job.
To be honest, this is one of those films I watched for the cast, I wasn't super interested in the story and at times it was painfully slow, but Red Lights has some downright creepy moments, and the ending will absolutely blow your mind.
Just a shame that Sigourney Weaver didn't have more screen time in the movie than she was given."Red Lights" does raise some interesting views and questions about phenomena that we can't explain.
And it was as shame too, because this movie really had potential."Red Lights" is well-worth watching, if not for anything else then for the performances by De Niro, Weaver and Murphy..
Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) is a psychologist who works as an investigator of paranormal phenomena with her partner Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy).
But Tom is determined to expose Silver and when an unfortunate accident occurs just past the half way mark, Tom goes into full unwavering mode.Directed by Rodrigo Cortés (Buried), Red Lights has a lot of real interesting pieces at work here - especially in the first half of the film.
The film therefore gets its name from the clues that these performers leave in their defrauding – clues that Margaret likes to call 'red lights'.Unfortunately, the biggest plot turn just over half way through the film takes things in a direction we found less interesting.
Although Robert DeNiro actually looks as if he is interested in a role for the first time in years, the dealings and relationships between Simon and Tom were far less engrossing than the travelling work detail of the Margaret and Tom pairing.There is another plot twist at the conclusion of the film that will either be exhilarating or wonky depending on how your positioned yourself prior to the reveal.
Red Lights sucks the viewer in as Margaret Matheson played wonderfully emotional by Sigourney Weaver and as Cillian Murphy as Tom Buckley go about disproving the paranormal in a number of locations during the captivating opening.There are some poignant moments littered throughout most revolving around a subplot with Matheson's son, and Buckley's and Matheson's characters arcs.
Some of Cortés' plot points come as no surprise and although realism seems to go out of the window tonally in the latter half e.g no one assisting or stopping the bludgeoned Buckley, there is a nice twist at the end despite leaving a few loose ends.Eugenio Mira's caricature of De Niro as a young Simon Silver aside the acting is top rate featuring the likes of Toby Jones, Elizabeth Olsen and UK TV's Craig Roberts.
This also explains why the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy got themselves involved with this movie.
When I first started watching this I thought, "Robert DeNiro and Sigourney Weaver in a horror film?" I don't like horror and was shocked that such fine actors would do one.But "Red Lights" isn't a horror film despite some horror elements.
Psychologist Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant (Cillian Murphy) study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic (Robert DeNiro) who has resurfaced years after his toughest critic mysteriously passed away.I really enjoyed the first half of this film, with the crew debunking psychics and trying to find their methods.
Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her protégé Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) are two scientists who have made their work out of debunking people who call themselves paranormally gifted.
It is an ending so out of left field that it sours the experience of the entire film.Red Lights is not necessarily bad, the first half is decent with great suspense and interesting characters, but it completely fails when the director tries much to hard to shock its audience with absurd plot twists and an ending that essentially mocks the entire story itself.
I am sure he will achieve a lot in future ventures.The plot of this film is about a duo of paranormal investigators Margaret Matheson(Sigourney Weaver) & Tom Buckley(Cillian Murphy).
'Red Lights' is an odd film; it is about paranormal fraud and the exploitation of the vulnerable.The script overall is good but unfortunately the ending spoils it all; the plot takes its time but it is very interesting, clever and well-written.
The team of Dr. Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) and Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) investigate Psychics and find that tricks (Red Lights) are employed and these Psychics are shown to be fake.
The story is about a couple of University Paranormal skeptics, Margaret Matheson and Tom Buckley (Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy)who teach a class on the "fake" phenomenon of so-called psychics and the tricks they use.
Mixture of normal and paranormal, mystery and reality, life and death are clearly present and visible, but the depiction pace is uneven at times, tensions fade and you realize that you are just following good performances: Cillian Murphy as Tom Buckley, Robert De Niro as Simon Silver and Sigourney Weaver as Margaret Matheson, above all.
It's like watching MythBusters with a supernatural twist.Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) are two professional paranormal skeptics dedicated to expose fraudsters who prey on the superstitions of unsuspecting clients. |
tt0239548 | Lady Stay Dead | Gordon Mason (Chard Hayward) works as a handyman at the Rocky Beach Motel. Mason proceeds to spy on Marie Coleby (Deborah Coulls), who is bad tempered, bossy and constantly barks orders at and berates Mason all day. Later that day, when she packs up to drive to the airport to pick up her sister, Jenny (Louise Howitt), Mason intrudes on her, plays one of her songs on the radio ("Loving from a Distance") and rapes her. After Marie bites Mason and calls him an animal, he drowns Marie in her fish tank in a fit of rage. While trying to hide her body in a garbage bag, her neighbour Billy Sheperd (Les Foxcroft) catches him in the act and is also killed by Mason, who also poisons Billy's dog.
Later, Jenny is driven home from the airport and finds the house empty. She later finds Marie's jewels from her necklace in the fish tank and even finds Billy's dog floating in the water at the beach. She tries to tell Billy but sees his body lying on the couch and mistakes him for merely napping. Jenny tries making a few phone calls to find Marie and even tries calling Billy later, but receives no answer. She then meets Mason, whom she draws suspicion towards due to his knowledge of the house, which are later confirmed by sundown when she finds a muddy footprint on the carpet that was attempted to be cleaned off. She runs back to Billy's house to get help from him only to find his body hidden in his garden shed. She runs back to the motel to call the police only to find Mason there waiting for her, dressed in a suit with presents for her.
Mason cuts the phone wire while she calls the coastal guard service. Mason then proceeds to taunt Jenny and whistles "Loving from a Distance" every now and then. He also tries to break into the house to no avail. Two policemen arrive shortly, officer Clyde Collings (Roger Ward) and patrolman Rex "Pops" Dunbar (James Elliott), but Pops is killed by Mason with a shotgun from the cop car when Pops tries to radio for backup. Collings reveals to Jenny that Mason has a history of raping other women who never laid charges on him because of their "irate husbands". He then tells Jenny to make a run for the highway since Mason won't see her in the dark, but she stops when she finds Marie's body in the backyard and mourns over her. Collings tries to strike a deal with Mason, who refuses, but Collings vows to kill Mason after he sets his partner (who survived the gunshot) on fire. Collings chases Mason and fights him in the swimming pool and eventually drowns Mason.
Jenny, who eventually ran out and hid in the bushes on the highway, comes out of hiding when Collings' car drives by and orders her to come out. It's revealed that Mason survived his drowning and killed Collings. He proceeds to strangle her, but envisions Marie in her place and has a mental breakdown. Mason is then hit by a passing motorcyclist and is thrown into Collings' car. Another cop car drives by and the two officers inside find Jenny lying on the road. One of them inspects Collings' car and finds a barely conscious Mason inside about to shoot him with the shotgun, but that officer shoots and kills Mason. | violence, cult, murder, sadist | train | wikipedia | Deranged Sweaty Sleazy Forgotten Gem that turns into a good movie halfway!.
They just don't make em like this anymore- Like I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, HOUSE BY THE LAKE, MANIAC, THE FAN (81) etc this film delves right into a psychopaths fantasies and allows the actor to fully rip roar and indulge in the character without restraint.
The plot pretty much revolves around a rich mean spirited high class diva who talks to everyone like scum, including her mentally deficit gardener who just happens to also be a obsessed psychopath who , when not being berated by her, spends his time jerking off in the sand thinking of tortured women and making love to a mannequin dressed like her as her music plays in the background.
Eventually he acts upon his sick delusions and when her boyfriend is forced to leave their villa for a weekend the gardener enters her house then rapes and kills her.
The rape scene and dialogue are pretty disturbing.(ie " never mind those limp yuppie guys- if you ever want it rough and hard, ask me and I'll give it to you whenever you want..") Then her concerned sister comes to the house to see how she is, unaware of the rape-happy madman still hiding there, What follows is a intriguing cat and mouse.
The violence in this film is great and I did not find it boring at all.
This is easily one of the best of the Australian horror/exploitation that came out that era.
Unfairly ignored and loathed it stands up today as a gross horrifying and sometimes unintentionally funny home invasion film thats as good as anything else.
track this down.
If you like bleak films and twisted psychos you'll get a great fix from this..
A little slow at first but worth it..
The first 30 minutes are like "Oh God!
This sucks" but after the sister gets to the house on the movie it gets pretty cool.
Even though you know who the killer is & don't think he's scary, the music & direction make it seem like a slasher or gore movie.
Its not real bloody or scary but I liked it..
Great.
It's a bit slow at first, but it gets going.
What a camp film.
I noticed Roger Ward wearing what could only be a hair piece which looked like a doormat missing the welcome sign.
When they put the woman in the fish tank to drown her, she didn't fight very hard and was rather unrealistic, but I guess that adds to its camp disposition!
It's not the best film I have ever seen Roger Ward in - his performance in Mad Max will always be my favored.
I would suggest you try and get a copy of LSD.
It's one of those films you will have a soft spot for...
in a peculiar kind of way.
Typical of how 1970's films were shot in Australia.
Sleazy and forgotten Australian slasher..
Pretty singer/actress Marie Coleby has a charmed,affluent life in Sydney.She lives alone in a beach-side mansion with her dog and doting neighbour,old Billy Shepherd helps her out from time to time.The bearded Gordon Mason is her gardener.He is a psycho,who enjoys lying in bed with a mannequin and dreaming about torturing women on the beach.His obsession with Marie leads to rape and murder.A new resident enters the house of murder.Marie's older sister Jenny Nolan is looking for her..."Lady Stay Dead" is a sleazy psycho slasher comparable to "Maniac","Don't Go in the House","Never Pick Up a Stranger" or "American Nightmatre".There is plenty of sleaze and full-frontal nudity as well as some brutal violence.Chard Hayward is perfect as a appropriately perverted and crazed murderer.8 out of 10.I enjoyed this low-budget slice of sleaze..
One of the worst horror movies I've ever seen - inept and ridiculous on every level.
"Lady Stay Dead" may be the most inept horror movie I've ever seen.It's the kind of movie where you stop paying attention to whatever's supposed to be happening on screen and start tallying off every mistake the director made.Like when the lady discovers her neighbour's body hanging in his shed - why did the killer move it to such a prominent position?
Could it be that the plot wasn't going to continue moving unless she realised he'd been killed?Or what about the scene where the killer and the lady are playing tug of war with a garden tool through a hole in the front door?
Cuts from the killer to the lady show they are obviously holding opposite ends of something completely different.
The director doesn't even bother to make this appear convincing.The killer, bearded and bespectacled, is the least threatening example of such a man I've ever seen in a movie.
He's more like Forrest Gump than Jack the Ripper; indeed, in a scene where he is supposed to be strangling somebody, you can clearly see he only has the gentlest possible grip around her neck.The police that arrive to help her are also among the most useless I've ever seen in a film.
At one point a motorcycle mounted policeman rides his bike straight at the killer with no regard to his own safety.
Of course he goes flying, but on second thought this may have been the safest option for him: these police are so pathetic with guns I was waiting for the moment when one missed so badly they shot themselves in the face instead.
They arrive in pairs with weaponry, and are almost immediately in the same position as the poor young girl, at the killer's total mercy, and you're thinking: don't they have training or something for situations like these?
How can a killer this moronic immediately bring two policemen to their knees?Every scene of violence is so badly done you have to guess at what you're supposed to be seeing.
There's a rape scene, for example, that looks more like the perpetrator is trying to push a couch into place.
He drowns the victim, but at one point she obviously moves inside the bag she's been placed inside.
Is this why the movie is called "Lady Stay Dead"?
Well, no matter, she does "stay dead".
The movie forgets about the fact that she is apparently still alive and does nothing with it; she's a corpse in all future scenes.It defies belief that this was made by the same guy who did "Night of Fear" and, especially "Inn of the Damned".
It also defies belief that it was made by someone who had ever directed a movie before..
Good solid drama rides high on plot, some sex and violence aplus.
Mind tipped Handyman, Hayward who gets treated look one of his tools, by a successful bitchy model- Coulls from The Restless Years finally snaps, raping and killing her.
A lot of us guys have been there too.
How the film got this title, I'm buggered if I know.
Coulls's character would chafe a lot of guys.
Hayward, playing the reverse of his in control and sexually alluring character norms, is almost a childlike character, here, ill treated by Coulls, not even being allowed to come into her house.
When verbally striking back, telling her what it feels like to be one of her tools, she just abusing him more, as if what he said, went in one ear and out the other.
Prior to Coulls getting it, when entrapped in the house I liked, as well as seeing her nude.
It was great here to really see Hayward, return forth, his own brand of retribution towards her, that is funny in part too.
But our disturbed Chard had developed a sexual fascination for her, an obsession, that has eventually led to her demise.
He so much obsesses with her, he replaces her with a mannequin at the start.
Hysterical, especially played against a mellow soundtrack I liked.
Getting rid of Coulls's body is only the start of his problems.
Big sister is in town for a visit, so Chard must play the part of the stable minded handyman, where other complications develop, the biggest, when the cops finally arrive on the scene where it's a standoff between them and Hayward.
The sister, out of harms way at this stage, even insults the cop, as not taken psycho Hayward, as seriously as he should.
This is a good situation plotted movie just like Bourke's "Brothers", with some sick violence, but it's a good watch, one reason for Coulls's over the top acting, where in contrast, this is one of Hayward's best performances..
Cheers, mate!.
Someone noted (elsewhere) that the theme song is a bit of a stinker within the realm o'guilty pleasure-genre'.
I agree, but especially the fact that it keeps coming back over and over and again, does not help in any way, shape or form.Back to LSD (Lady Stay Dead, that is): the 'protagonizing' psycho is not half bad: nice, cooperative, clean, and of course a total whack job when the (fragile female) situation calls for it.
The 'story' spirals down rather quickly (and, in a way, surprisingly), and the tension is built up pretty nicely from time to time, as well, even if tempo is lacking just as much.
And, unfortunately, really good exploitation scenes are sparse, but what the hey - decent exploitation scenes are good enough.Other than that, some decent acting (nothing to write home about), but the nice settings and the fine camera-work make up a lot.
O, and some tasteful tasteless nudity is in here, as well.At least a good 6 out of 10 from yours truly..
Perversity and misogyny in the Land of Oz. I was warned from beforehand that the first half hour of "Lady Stay Dead" would be quite dull and derivative, but I can't say I fully agree with that.
True, the concept of misogynistic violence was quite popular around that time, but this film definitely does bath in a strangely uncomfortable and sinister ambiance right from the beginning.
There's a creepy guy, with beard and glasses, fondling a life-size mannequin doll to the tunes of a song by his favorite singer/actress Sheena.
That's slightly disturbing, to say the least, especially if you know that this same freak is employed by Sheena (who's real name is Marie Coleby) as her gardener and handyman around the house.
He – Gordon the pervert, as I'll refer to him as from now – secretly peeps at Marie when she's working out on the beach.
He actually digs little holes in the sand to
you know
masturbate!
Yeah, Gordon the pervert is quite the sicko!
But then Marie yells at him quite mean and Gordon the pervert snaps.
He viciously rapes her and barbarically drowns the poor girl by holding her upside down in the fish tank.
All this stuff occurs during the first half hour, so how can you even think for one second that "Lady Stay Dead" is a boring film?
After his little moment of temporary insanity, Gordon the pervert has to get rid of Marie's body – as well as those of the noisy neighbor and his dog – on the exact same day that her sister Jenny planned to pay an unannounced visit.
Only around this time slot, there's a slight dip of boredom in "Lady Stay Dead", as it takes a little too long before Jenny realizes something isn't right around the house, but the pacing automatically repairs itself for a virulent and exciting finale.
Jenny eventually locks herself inside the house with Gordon the psycho pervert trying to get in by using all of his gardening tools.
"Lady Stay Dead" is a raw and mean-spirited early 80's Aussie shocker with a similar set-up like the American exploitation hits "Maniac" and "Don't Answer the Phone".
Basically, these are all very sick thrillers with misogynist killers that are introduced straight from the beginning and containing explicit footage of violence against women.
The body count in this film is relatively low, but Gordon the pervert insists on exhibiting the bodies of his victims in various macabre positions.
That's quite disturbed enough already, I'd say.Interesting trivia detail for horror buffs: "Lady Stay Dead" comes from writer/director Terry Bourke, almost ten years after he made what is generally considered to be the very first Australian horror movie "Night of Fear"..
A decent enough slasher.
Night of Fear and Inn of the Damned are two of Australia's first horror films.
Their director, Terry Bourke, would go on to create this film, a quasi-slasher stalker film that's packed with plenty of weirdness.Gordon Mason is a handyman that's obsessed with Marie Coleby, a young singer who treats everyone around her with snarling contempt.
The film starts with what seems like him taking care of her needs, but he really just has a blow up doll that he pretends is her.
She treats everyone around her like garbage, but Mason demands an apology from her, unlike everyone else.
Later, he spies on her being tied up by a boyfriend.Later that day, he breaks into her apartment, continually plays one of her songs and rapes her, thinking that it's what she wants from what he watched before.
Oh yeah - this dude also spends much of the film wandering around in mirrored shades, wearing a speedo and showing off one hell of a porn mustache.After all that, she ends up biting Mason, so he holds her upside down and drowns her in a fish tank.
Welcome to Australian film!Mason gets caught by a neighbor, so he kills the man and his dog, too.
But the killer had no idea that Marie's sister, Jenny, is coming to visit.
She instantly finds Marie's jewels in the fish tank and the neighbor's dead dog.
Soon, Mason has transferred his stalkerly affection to her and only two policemen (the younger one being Roger Ward from Mad Max and Turkey Shoot) can save her.What follows are the kind of antics that set Australian films apart: cops being set on fire, dead bodies being hidden in sheds, people being shot over and over, cops trying to drown their suspects and so much more.This film didn't come out in the US until 1986 and has never been released on DVD or Blu-Ray in this country.
Is it worth a release?
There have certainly been worse films put out.
It's cheesy and not a little ridiculous, but it ends up being pretty tense by the end. |
tt0068286 | Bless the Beasts & Children | The central characters in Bless the Beasts and Children are six adolescent boys, whose preoccupied parents send them off to the Arizona Box Canyon Boys Camp for the summer. John Cotton leads this bunch of “misfits” who are all, to varying degrees, emotionally or psychologically disturbed. Cotton’s group, composed of rejects and outcasts from the other cabins, is known as the “Bedwetters” and the boys are constantly demeaned and ridiculed, which inevitably crushes what little self-esteem they possessed in the first place.
Cotton, through trial and tribulation, becomes the leader of this tight-knit group, and he sets out to mold his followers into a unit that commands respect rather than derision. Of course it’s a formidable task in view of the fragile psychological state of the small group, which includes two warring dysfunctional brothers who are known as “Lally 1” and “Lally 2.” Lally 1 reacts to threats against his emotional security by throwing violent temper tantrums, often directed as his younger brother Lally 2, who in the face of these attacks plunges himself into a fantasy world that is filled with tiny creatures he calls Ooms, and seeks solace in the scorched foam rubber pillow he always carries.
Lawrence Teft III is shown in the film as quiet and sullen, but when confronted with authority he is rebellious. Before he came to camp, one of Teft’s favorite adventures had been stealing cars, but because of his father’s “connections” he was never arrested for his offenses. Hoping that he will learn some self-discipline which will make him worthy of attending Exeter or Dartmouth, his parents enroll him in the camp.
Cotton’s group also includes Sammy Shecker, and overweight, paranoid Jewish boy, whose father is a successful comedian who trades upon the Jewish stereotype. Much to the annoyance of the other boys, Sammy mimics his father’s routines and compulsively bites his nails and is loud, nervous and obnoxious. The designation “Bedwetters” applies especially well to Gerald Goodenow, the sixth member of the group, who often wets the bed at night–a behavior that gets him ejected from two cabins before Cotton takes him in tow. Bedwetting, however, seems to be the least of Gerald’s problems, as he suffers from a phobic reaction to school, which results in several unsuccessful sessions with a psychiatrist. Goodenow is also handicapped by a heavy-handed stepfather who is determined to make a man out of him, by physical force if necessary.
Kramer and his screenwriter Mac Benoff decided to compromise Swarthout’s time sequence by having the entire film set in the present with flashbacks into the past of all the boys, to explicate their presence at the camp. Whereas Swarthout’s novel – thematically powerful though it is- is episodic and difficult for some six-graders to follow, the Kramer film flows almost faultlessly to its tragic conclusion. The plight of the American buffalo and any other endangered species is at the center of the film’s focus. Almost predictably, the dysfunctional group, under Cotton’s guidance, set out to free a large heard of the bison, after they witness their perverted macho camp counselor “Wheaties” shooting the animals in a festive (and deeply disturbing) western lottery, which is given validation as a proper method to thin out the large numbers by eliminating the ‘weak’ or ‘sick’ buffalo. Of course, the buffalo are not the only targets of this destructive urge, as the Bedwetters–similarly–have been have also been “tamed,” “penned” and crushed in spirit. As a result of their parents’ neglect, they have been turned into psychological misfits. Ridiculed and rejected by the other boys in the camp, they are forced to cling even more strongly to their deviant behavior. The boys’ pilgrimage to free the buffalo is also a search for freedom.
Cotton perceives that success will free the boys of psychological crutches and allow each to stand alone in defense of self. Cotton sacrifices his life not only for the buffalo but for the boys he has led to this one miraculous triumph. The implication at the end of the film is that the remaining boys are no longer “dings” and “weirdos”, as they have all gained a sense of pride in their abilities and have saved themselves, as well as the buffalo from extinction. The title of the film (and novel) exemplifies the dual yet unified nature of the theme. Both beasts and children need to be free to roam, to develop and to discover, but the freedom that is given to the buffalo at the film’s conclusion is worthless because their very natures have been altered by man. Outside the fence of the preserve, the tame buffalo will never find wild plains and grasslands on which to roam and their natural habitat, as well as their natural spirit has been destroyed. The children, however, have regained their spirit and independence and eventually they will triumph over the fear instilled in them by their parents and society. But it’s conspicuous that they will require the love and compassion of others. | satire, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | Many of the comments written about this film do not even recognize the multitude of symbolic layers this movie encompasses.
Of course it is clear that the killing of the buffalo and the killing of the human spirit of children is an apparent theme throughout the movie.
My other brother, however, would be, "Cotton", the starring role in the movie, "Bless the Beasts and Children".
I was 7 when I saw the screening preview for the actors and others who worked on this film.
The irony was that what surrounded his death was also that he was an "outcast", "different from others", "a societal reject" - similar to the character he played and the theme of Bless the Beasts.
The movie may not have interpreted the true spirit of the book, but I do think Stanley Kramer did as best a job he could in evoking both the struggles of male adolescence and the cultural patterns of the American family in the 1970's.
Though I viewed the film through 42 year-old eyes, it still had an impact.
(It's interesting to note that Robins, who played a 16 year-old, was 26 when the film was made!) He reminded me of Sal Mineo, another fine actor who left us far too soon.
And that lead me to reflect upon my teenage experience of sitting in one of Melbourne's grand old picture houses one Saturday afternoon and viewing this movie for the first of what has now been many times.Perhaps it was my age at the time, or my love of the outdoors, or my regular weekend hikes, or my love of animals...
whatever it was, that 2 hours looking at the enormous screen was one I can recall with vivid clarity even 30 years on.I remember how awesome the cinematography was it captured the beauty of the environment in those scenes where the misfit teenagers headed out across the plains to rescue the bison.The music also evoked the essence of the outdoors for me.
For many years after whenever I came up over a hill in the forest the Carpenters' music seemed to play in my head.
It is just a shame that someone let the theme be [mis] appropriated to other less noble ends.I have shown this movie to many teenage groups in the years since it opened.
Although time has certainly moved on and much, especially the dress and manners has changed I have rarely found any teenager who has not been able to identify with the movie and the themes it seeks to explore.Stanley Kramer made some wonderful, no some great movies.
I saw this at 15, alone, one Saturday afternoon in a dark movie theater and my life was transformed.
This is a coming-of-age movie that more people should watch at that turning point of their lives.I know it gave me the feeling for the first time, that I wasn't alone feeling geeky, weird, and a stranger to the world.
And that's a good thing, because it made me feel for the first time, that I was OK..that I did belong...that we all had something to contribute.But it's not just about teen angst, it's about finding a place, a reason and a purpose to live for and finding the strength to follow through in the face of all adversity.Much praise should be extended to the acting which was natural and never seemed forced....and of course, the music.
Like so many others, I saw this movie in school.
I connected so well with this movie when I saw it that it will ALWAYS be at the top of my favorites list.Most favorites aren't usually the best that cinema has to offer but ones that strike a special chord in one's life.
It helped that the Carpenters were my favorite music group at the time (still are) and "Lost in Space" had been my favorite TV show as a kid and now there was an older "Will Robinson" in this movie (doing a very good non-Will performance).I have a very poor VHS copy of this movie recorded from a late-night TV showing back in the late 80's.
I am holding on to that copy until (hopefully someday soon) the DVD version is released (and hopefully again) with lots of special features.I am waiting to show my partner this movie on DVD because I want him to know more about who I was (and am) by seeing probably the most important movie of my adolescence.Re: Actors' real ages.
Who cares, adults have been playing teens in movies and TV since the beginning of cinema and still do.
If they can pull it off, who cares.LET'S PULL TOGETHER AS FANS TO GET THIS MOVIE FINALLY RELEASED ON DVD!.
This movie is dead-on when it comes to adolescent worry and the way that young people (and older folks too) treat one another.
Swarthout has it right.I have just now re-read the book and am dying to see the movie again.
Although often bypassed in the critics' reviews of Kramer's best movies, "Bless the Beasts and the Children" (1971) shows Kramer's compassion of the underdog and his dislike of injustice with great emotional impact.
Kramer directed many outstanding films including such classics as "High Noon," "Inherit the Wind," "The Defiant Ones," and "Judgment at Nuremberg" to mention only a few, but I believe that "Bless the Beasts and the Children" deserves to be listed along with them..
Director Stanley Kramer does of great job of showing the parity between the teenagers and the Buffalo.
So many (scenes and boys) in fact...and some almost suggestive...that it's clear [to me] that it was spurned at the time for this risky cinematic approach to telling the story.
This movie follows these guys throughout their adventure and, by the end, you completely understand every aspect of each person's motivation.
As you watch the credits, the point will be clear that the movie echoes the true reality of life..
Some movies are great because they impacted us when we were young.
This is a movie we can all learn from.I hope they never remake this film..
Ahead of it's time - a film dealing with the decidedly non-Disney interaction of man and animal.
A powerful message film, and for me, the down ending struck a note that allows me to recall this film in great detail 30 years later.
"Beasts" one of the best "coming-of-age" movies I've ever seen..
As a young kid of about 9 or 10 I saw this movie for the first time.
I always felt "different" even at that young age, and to see a movie where kids who were considered different were teased and tormented for it was something I could identify with.
I remember being so depressed over the ending of the movie, but then realizing that this young cast of "misfits" were actually hero's.
Being gay and understanding some of the sub-texts of this movie now it makes sense why it had such an effect on me as a kid.
I saw this movie a few more times in my teens and older and it still captures me.
Hard to find it on video these days, but would love to own this movie.I've read there are some people who did not identify with or like this movie.
This wasn't the greatest film of all time, but it was a wonderful and honest story about teenagers told in a hard hitting way...and also the actor's were not the boy band "pretty" kind of actors you get in today's teenage movies.
This film was not made for those with an attention span shorter than that of a flea.GREAT MOVIE - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
I finally saw this again after many years, and it still holds up as a good story!
It's one of those 'forgotten' movies of the 1970's, and I think it's way cool to see the great Bill Mumy in a completely different role from Will Robinson!!The killing of the buffalo is awful, whether they needed to 'thin the herd' or not!I think there would be more Vegetarians in the world if we all saw how out meat is processed!
(Not that i'm a Vegetarian or anything)I was very touched to hear of the comment from the woman whose brother played 'Cotton' in the film.
I saw this movie on TV when I was very young, only 7 or 8.
I recently saw it listed on Comcast On Demand as a free movie, so I thought I would watch it.
What an odd feeling to look back and realize how the meaning of certain movies dawned on you over time.
I knew the first time that the kids were doing something good, setting the buffalo free.
As a pre-adolescent and a teen, I understood that they were misfits, much like the buffalo they were trying to set free, and that their views weren't in line with the views of the authorities.
What I remember as being so powerful about the final scene of the movie was not the sight of Cotton's being shot, but rather the image of the remaining boys standing on the hill and facing the hunters.
I think it was one of the first times in my young life that I realized that there was a scary world out there beyond my yard and that there were bigger things than me out there and that people could actually die for believing in them.
Seeing it now, 30 or so years after the first time, I see the campiness of it, the forever-70s-ness of it, but I still "get" the message at the end.
I wonder, though, in this world of high tech and instant gratification if there are many people today who are as passionate about the things they believe in as the kids in that movie were about those buffalo.
I first seen this movie in 1971 and I was 15 years old.
Barry Robins (as "Cotton") wakes up, all right, in his "Box Canyon Boys Camp" cabin.
The entire cast performs well, with Robins and Mr. Mumy more obviously standing out.Watch for a great scene, after the travelers' "Pest Control" truck, hot-wired by Mumy, runs out of gas.
When Robins threatens to reveal his mother's age, she responds, "I'll kill you..."Telling.Another important, well-played, sequence occurs with Mr. Glaser's last "flashback" -- to when he was "cast out" of his cabin.
The music is outstanding: both the instrumental theme by Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin Jr., and the vocals "Bless the Beasts and the Children" (by Carpenters) and the ill-titled "It's a Beautiful Day" by co-star Mumy (written with Paul Gordon).********* Bless the Beasts & Children (7/30/71) Stanley Kramer ~ Barry Robins, Bill Mumy, Darel Glaser, Miles Chapin.
Viewers looking for a feel-good film should rent this one immediately.
A lot of things are going on this film, which is done in a classic style.First, at the time Billy Mummy had to live down his child roles as sort of a rich kid.
Here, he gets his chance to play something different, and like the other actors, he is great.
We get this from their point of view, how the men who shoot the buffalo are creepy, and perhaps they are, but obviously this is also a point of view story.We also get different levels of dealing with the reality, from the older boys to the youngest.Third, what is important is their point of view.
We don't have to agree with them, and we know that just freeing the buffalo into the wild won't save them, but there's more at work here.The boys are considered worthless, and need to show their value.
It appears as if 1971 critics lauded the movie with praise but I don't think that it will necessarily stand the test of time.
Interesting movie I see years ago.
When I was a boy I see these movie.
Good boys to protect the animals.Good things about these movie is show how the boys grow up and have family problems.
I Still Like It. I first saw this film in the ninth grade when they showed it to my high school class.
Even tho Cotton's emotional outbursts made me cringe at times, I think Barry was the best person to do the job.
No, seriously, I really like this movie.
I think a great double feature to show kids would be this and "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea." Well, maybe not for kids but for people like me who were so young in the 70s as to have very nearly only sense memories of the time.
Compare this to the treacly "Stand by Me" and the infantile "Goonies." I don't mean to suggest those are bad movies, but they don't treat kids or childhood very seriously.
He also wrote a song for this movie!If you were a misfit dweeb growing up as I was, you'll enjoy this film.
The film was very good, about young boys, friendship, commitments, etc.
1-the actor playing cotton was 16 at the time of filming,not 26(per imdb)..2-lighten up about guys in their underwear..it was a summer camp and America had not yet gotten hysterical about guys showing chests and legs..this was neither controversial nor provacative..3-yes,the movie was trite,Kramer usually was..but the book was written in the mid-60s and most literature and theater and film were heavy-handed with their messages..4-over-all,with a limited budget,it was a good film..topical, well-acted,excellent music and lighting..outside of the script,it was worth seeing..Kramer by then was on the down-side of his career..after classics such as ship of fools and inherit the wind,he was resorting to the domino principle and R.P.M--.
I watched this in high school and couldn't understand why it was a popular movie.
But at least it comes equipped with the obligatory 1970's-ish "downer" ending, to remind you that the filmmakers were making an oh-so big, important, pretentious STATEMENT, not something you were actually supposed to enjoy.Do something important rather than watch this movie.
The guy who played cotton was 26 flippen years old, when in the book he's supposed to be 16.
By the end of the movie I was sick of it (as was my entire English class, seeing as we watched this in school).
I would never ever watch this movie again, unless they did a remake of it with characters who are believable, better music, and it stayed closer to the book..
I just saw the movie on class, by the way i am in high school.
cotton seems like more than 30 years old.
like crying all the time.all the way though the movie.
I seen this movie when I was in the 10th grade in my high school English class.
We first read the book by Glendon Swarthout, then we watched the movie.
Billy Mumy's character (Teft) was excellent in the movie, even though Cotton(played by Barry Robins) was the bad ass in the movie.
I was saddened by all the Buffaloes being shot in the movie.
I remember how all the girls in my class were pouting too.I thought that Goodenow's character(Darel Glaser) was a lot like the character in the book.
This is a classic movie with a lot of unknown actors, except Billy Mumy (who played on TV's "Lost in Space") Miles Chapin did a few movies later on when he was older, but the actors were really convincing.
I recommend this film to all young people with family problems, to look at how lucky they could be, and not in the situations the main characters were in with their families.
If I could feel the way I felt when I first seen this movie, I'd be one happy dude.
I think the characters did a good job in trying to save the buffaloes, it's just sad to watch at times.
I too have seen this film many times over the past thirty years or so when I first saw it.
Anyway, about the film...I do not want to give anything away, suffice to say that it is both touching and funny with great location work and music to boot!
The score is worth too; I must admit I like the Carpenters...Anyway, this is a movie that deserves to be discovered again..
We were assigned the book in English class, and had to watch the movie too.
I didn't care for either one, but while the book had some merit, the movie did not.Yes, both were a trite story about misfit kids banding together on a mission and growing up in the process.
The book at least did a better job of explaining the misfit kids and what motivated their mission to free the buffalo.
And unlike the book's ending, where Cotton dies when his truck crashes (he served his purpose in the story), in the movie Cotton gets shot to death-accidentally?
And then the movie abruptly ends.If I were a schoolteacher, I could and would find something far better to use as a class assignment..
I find it amusing that many people can watch the same film and interpret it so differently from one another, some loving it and others hating it.
I first saw this film in the theater in 1971 at the age of 30, an educational therapist with some of my students, boys aged 10-13.
This movie was, for many years thereafter, my favorite film of all time, replacing "To Kill A Mockingbird".
Having now seen the film at least 40 times with a variety of audiences, I can see some of its flaws.
For example the cartoon like scenes of the boys at camp playing baseball or archery, and the exaggeratedly broad stereotyped counselor and director.
Hope springs eternal that one day the forces that be will finally release this lesser known Stanley Kramer film on DVD or Blu-Ray. It remains a very powerful and enjoyable movie about the mistreatment of animals and children, which still happens more than we like to admit. |
tt0363666 | Hatya | Govinda stars as Sagar, a wealthy but idle young man. Following a night of consuming much alcohol he finds a homeless and parentless young boy. He takes the boy home and learns that he is deaf and attempts to nurture him and names him Raja. He tries to get information out of him but does not understand anything. Raja's mother has been brutally murdered (by Anupam Kher and his henchman Ranjit) as she witnesses a murder committed by this pair. Sagar takes Raja out to fairs and adventures and Raja sees Ranjit and tries to tell Sagar that he is the one who murdered his mother. Slowly Sagar understands the tale of the story. He meets a girl Neelam and becomes friends. She takes them to her house. Raja sees a picture of Neelam her father and shockingly his mother. Sagar wants to unfold the mystery of Raja's incident. He finds out that Raja's mother has been murdered. As he is looking for clues, he gets arrested. To prove his innocence the boy takes them to his house where there was a happy family. They take a sniffer dog to find out clues. The dog sniffs the floor outside the house. the men dug it and found a piece of cloth which his mother was wrapped in and buried there.
Govinda received critical acclaim for his performance and it was commercially successful movie of 1988. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0194622 | RoboCop | In the near future, Detroit, Michigan is a dystopia and on the verge of total collapse due to financial ruin and a high crime rate. The mayor signs a deal with the mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products (OCP), giving it complete control of the underfunded Detroit Police Department. In exchange, OCP will be allowed to turn the run-down sections of Detroit into a high-end utopia called Delta City.
OCP senior president Dick Jones proposes replacing the police with the ED-209 enforcement droid. At its first demonstration, however, ED-209 malfunctions and gruesomely kills a board member. Bob Morton, an ambitious employee, uses the opportunity to introduce his own experimental cyborg design, "RoboCop". To Jones's anger, the company chairman approves Morton's plan. Meanwhile, police officer Alex Murphy arrives at his new precinct following an OCP-directed transfer where he is introduced to his partner Anne Lewis. On their first patrol, they chase down a gang led by the ruthless criminal Clarence Boddicker, tailing them to an abandoned steel mill. When he and Lewis get separated, Murphy is caught and brutally shot by Boddicker's gang just before Boddicker himself executes the helpless cop. Morton selects Murphy for the RoboCop program and replaces most of his body with cybernetics, except for his brain and part of his digestive system.
RoboCop is given three primary directives: "Serve the public trust, Protect the innocent, and Uphold the law", as well as a classified fourth directive that Morton does not know of. He single-handedly and efficiently cleans Detroit of crime, earning Morton a promotion to vice president of security concepts. Enraged, Jones hires Boddicker to murder Morton in his home. Meanwhile, Lewis realizes that RoboCop is really Murphy, and tells him his real name. RoboCop remembers past events from his life and returns to his former home, only to find that his wife and son have moved away. He connects to the police database, looks up Murphy's entry and discovers Boddicker's gang, who were responsible for his death.
RoboCop tracks down Boddicker to a cocaine factory and after a battle, threatens to kill him. Panicked, Boddicker admits his affiliation with Jones, verbally triggering RoboCop's law-abiding programming. RoboCop arrests Boddicker and turns him over to the police. He then confronts Jones and attempts to arrest him, but begins to shut down. Jones reveals that he planted the fourth directive, which prevents RoboCop from arresting any member of OCP's executive board. Jones explains his larger goal of taking over OCP, and confesses to Morton's murder before activating his personal ED-209 to destroy RoboCop. During the ensuing battle, Jones calls the police claiming that Robocop has malfunctioned and gone rogue. Robocop manages to escape ED-209, but is soon cornered by heavily armed police units and is nearly destroyed. Lewis helps RoboCop escape, and takes him to the abandoned steel mill. As RoboCop repairs himself, he and Lewis discuss his former life.
Under pressure by OCP and fearing their replacement by RoboCop, the police go on strike. Jones frees Boddicker and supplies his gang with anti-tank rifles and a tracking device to hunt down RoboCop. The gang converge on the steel mill, where RoboCop is able to kill most of them until he's quickly subdued by Boddicker, but RoboCop stabs Boddicker in the throat with his neural spike, killing him.
RoboCop heads back to OCP headquarters, where Jones is presenting his improved ED-209 to the board; RoboCop states Jones' guilt of murder and explains that he cannot intervene due to the fourth directive. He plays a recording of Jones' confession, exposing his role in Morton's murder along with his sinister plans. Jones retrieves a nearby handgun and takes the chairman hostage, demanding a helicopter. The chairman verbally fires Jones from OCP, whereupon RoboCop repeatedly shoots Jones, who crashes through a window and falls to his death far below. Grateful, the chairman says, "Nice shooting, son, what's your name?", to which RoboCop smiles and replies, "Murphy." | sci-fi | train | wikipedia | Almost had it.... Back in the 80's, it was perfectly acceptable to adapt an extremely violent, R-Rated movie into a kid-friendly cartoon, and Robocop was no exception.The stories couldn't carry over the violence so instead they relied on the whole "is he a man or a machine?" plot threads. While those aspects stories were done quite well, they were surrounded by simplistic "I wanna kill Robocop" plot lines that brought down the quality of the stories.This show was a little more mature than shows like "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends," but not quite at the level of "Batman: The Animated Series," which many of its writers and producers when on to.. Good cartoon adaption. Decent cartoon version of the extremely violent 80's movie, with special nods on my part to the first episode which featured the Vandal's, my favorite badguys. My only complaint is that how is it that Clearance Boddicker appears in an episode of this cartoon, since Robocop killed him in the movie?. An Honest Review. Back in the '80s and before, you were allowed to see violent movies for adults.Robocop was a movie you took your kids to see and we loved it. But that was before parents assumed that their kids were all idiots that couldn't distinguish between real l9ife and movies.Now the assumption is that kids today are fragile and vulnerable and the slightest stimulation will destroy their psyche and leave them in a catatonic state.That's what happens when you listen to psychologists.Moving back to the '80s, Robocop was rater "R" and every kid wanted to see it, so parents took their children to the movies and it became a hit.It became so much of a hit with kids that they made a cartoon out of it, because back then we could understand movies made for adults and enjoy them as much as we could dumb cartoons...save the obvious anti-privatization satire in the original Robocop film.And the cartoon wasn't dumbed down. Robocop's origin story was left unchanged and even rehashed. The blood was significantly less, but the story of the police killing was the same.And it didn't warp anyone.The only thing was...we wanted Robocop and the cartoon was a little too cheap to stand up to the movie.. Words cannot describe how bad it is.. RoboCop was an awesome movie and could have been a great franchise. I mean this was an R-rated film and loads of parents let their kids see it. Even though it had limbs getting blown off, melting men, buckets of gore and satire that would, no doubt, go right over the heads of kids, it was still yapped about in every playground. I was one of them.Yes, the violence was the main thing that attracted me to RoboCop. But I knew the difference between fiction and real life, I could tell that the film wasn't meant to be taken too seriously and, to tell the truth, upon repeat viewings I was more interested in RoboCop's tragic afterlife/rebirth than anything else.But someone, somewhere thought that castrating Robo of all that was unique to him and selling it off direct to the kiddies was a good idea. It certainly was not. Movies can often make great kid's shows (The Real Ghostbusters, Batman) but not when it means compromising everything that made it so good in the first place. Making a kid's of RoboCop is just as moronic as making a kid's show of Freddy Krueger. And how the hell can Clarence Boddicker be in it if he died in the movie?Remember that massive gun of Robo's? Well when he shoots it in this cartoon there is no entry or exit wound, no blood and the baddies fall down and die anyway. Then, a few seconds later, they are alright and alive as Robo arrests them. What??? I may have been a child but I wasn't stupid! And why is it now some kind of laser gun? And if it blows holes in walls and doors and other giant robots (every other episode would feature a giant robot) then why would it not blow apart a human? The main focus of every episode was to have contrived, annoying characters who serve no purpose other than to make poor stories happen (Lt. Hedgecock especially) spout appalling dialogue and constantly put the man in the can down by calling him loads of silly names, like 'that bucket of bolts', 'that rustbucket', 'that tin can', 'that (fill-in-the-blank but use either rust or bolts or bucket or can)'. I know characters need adversaries or obstacles. But this was pathetic.No kid liked this show. It insulted their intelligence and embarrassed a great movie. Forget that it exists. Even if they kept the main RoboCop theme or maintained the political subplots (yes, a child CAN understand this) it could have been bearable.Sadly, as it is, it's unbearable. |
tt0037791 | Hotel Berlin | The lives of various desperate people intersect at the Hotel Berlin, a hotbed of Nazis, officers, spies and ordinary Germans trying to weather the inevitable defeat. Martin Richter, a leader of the German underground who has escaped from Dachau concentration camp, is hiding there, aided by some of the staff. He is hunted by Joachim Helm, who has his headquarters in the same building. Another hotel guest is Nobel laureate Johannes Koenig, Richter's friend from before the war and in Dachau.
General Arnim von Dahnwitz, the last of the leaders of a plot against Hitler still at large, goes to his friend von Stetten to see if his clique can help him, but is told that nothing can be done. He has at best 24 hours to shoot himself and save the Nazi regime the embarrassment of publicly dealing with him. At the hotel, von Dahnwitz encounters Lisa Dorn, his lover and a famous actress. He asks Dorn to marry him and flee with him to Sweden, but she is aware his situation is hopeless and declines. Later, von Dahnwitz commits suicide.
Meanwhile, von Stetten is arranging for the escape of his group to South America, where they hope to secretly rebuild their strength for another grab at power. He invites Koenig to join them (to provide a cover for their activities).
Hotel "hostess" (and informant) Tillie Weiler warmly greets Major Kauders, a pilot determined to make the fullest use of a short leave. They quarrel and part when he finds her photograph of a man who he thinks looks Jewish. Later, Sarah Baruch comes to her and begs her help in getting medicine for her husband, dying of cancer. The older woman also reveals that her son Max, Tillie's former employer and love, is alive, having been liberated from a labor camp by the Allies. When they take shelter from an air raid in the basement, Sarah is recognized by Hermann Plotke, who orders her to put on the Star of David badge required of all Jews. This is too much for Tillie, who reveals to all that Plotke used to work in the Bauers' department store, until he was caught stealing. Max gave him another chance, only to have Plotke appropriate the business when the Nazis came to power. Plotke orders her arrest, but is himself taken into custody for stealing from the government.
Richter is given a waiter's uniform and sent to serve Dorn dinner in her suite. When she becomes suspicious, he is forced to reveal his identity. She offers to assist him in exchange for her own passage out of Germany. Later, however, Tillie snoops in Dorn's suite (envious of her extensive wardrobe) and finds a suspicious discarded waiter's jacket, which she reports to Helm. Helm captures Richter by himself, but Richter is able to disarm him and knock him out. He throws Helm down the shaft of a disabled elevator. Though the hotel is surrounded, Dorn persuades admirer Major Kauders to escort a seemingly drunk Richter (now in an SS uniform) through the cordon. When Richter sends word where to meet him, however, she betrays him. Fortunately, she is suspected, and her phone call to von Stettin is overheard. As a result, she is taken prisoner to the underground headquarters. Despite her desperate attempts to justify herself, Richter shoots her. | murder | train | wikipedia | Warner Brothers used none of their box office stars in making Hotel Berlin.
What they did do is use a whole lot of second line character players who had been playing Nazis throughout the World War II years.
The only two who didn't get into this film were Bobby Watson who played Hitler several times and Martin Kosleck who essayed Goebbels perfectly.If this film has a familiar look to it the author of the novel on which this is based is Vicki Baum who wrote MGM's Oscar winning Grand Hotel which covered Germany in the days before the Third Reich.
The book was written in 1943 and Warner Brothers barely got the film out as events were overtaking the story.Some of the most sinister of character players like George Coulouris, Kurt Kreuger, Alan Hale, Raymond Massey, Henry Daniell play various Nazi types.
Helmut Dantine who played some really nasty Nazis in Mrs. Miniver and Edge Of Darkness is our protagonist/hero in the main plot.
He does do so in the Hotel Berlin where all these folks are staying, but has to get out undetected.Raymond Massey has an interesting role as a Nazi general who got caught up in a plot against Hitler.
Now he's playing for time.For all the men in the story, the two main women's roles really dominate Hotel Berlin.
She turns out to have a bit more character than supposed in the end.Best in the film though is Andrea King in what might have been her career role as Fraulein Lisa Dorn, celebrated German actress who hobnobs with the high and low of the Third Reich.
She's a Nazi through and through, but a realist who just wants out of Germany and will use anyone to achieve her ends be it Massey, Dantine, Major Kurt Kreuger, or any whom she tries to charm.A bit over the top in wartime propaganda, Hotel Berlin holds up very well for today's audience..
Unusual because this film presents some Germans as good and tries to separate the Nazi regime from the ordinary population who just tried to survive the madness.
Very reminiscent of "Grand Hotel" -- not surprising since the author of the novel upon which the screenplay is based is the same Vicki Baum who wrote "Grand Hotel" and "Weekend at the Waldorf." Characters and sub-plots come and go with a central theme of the search for an escaping prisoner and the moral and physical decay of the Nazi regime.
Raymond Massey is quite good as General Arnim von Dahnwitz, an old-school officer who participated in the plot against the Corporal and is offered the honorable way out.
Entertaining war drama with a darker tenor than most studio films at the time.
The cast performs well but with the source material being from the author of Grand Hotel and a decent script it's a surprise that the players are more or less B level performers.That's not a swipe at any of them since they all play their parts well, although a more charismatic actor than Helmut Dantine, someone like James Mason, would have given better focus to the lead character's plight.
The audience is never fully sure what side her duplicitous Lisa Dorn is playing for which might have caused bigger stars such as Joan Crawford, Ann Sheridan and Alexis Smith to decline the role.The supporting cast is stocked with great character actors all getting the most out of their parts.
Good performances...Raymond Massey was particularly fine in a relatively low key role while Peter Lorre plays a repentant Nazi with equal effectiveness.
The female leads here are also great, especially Faye Emerson as the hotel "hostess." There are some dated elements of propaganda (a painting of Hitler hanging in hotel lobby prompts one guest to comment "I'd like to see him hanging another way") All the same this film offers thoughtful character studies of human beings at their best and worst while under duress.
What makes this film so much above the other anti Nazi propaganda films of it's time is that the whole Jewish prejudice issue is actually dealt with, (can only think of one other film in the WW2 era that even mentions it---The Mortal Storm (1940) another 4 star movie).
Warners B roster of character actors including Raymond Massey, Peter Lorre, Andrea King, Alan Hale, Philip Dorn, Faye Emerson (who steals the movie as the hotel prostitute)and all the rest are very good.
a wartime German "Grand Hotel" - by the same author.
This point in time is toward the end of the war, when Germany was obviously losing.Raymond Massey plays General Arnim von Dahnwitz, who is given the chance to commit suicide after an attempt on Hitler's life fails.
He's in love with an actress, Lisa Dorn (Andrea King), who is a collaborator but, not sure where she's going to end up when the war ends, play both sides.
He realizes he's been allowed to escape to lead the Germans to the underground.Tillie (Faye Emerson), the "hotel hostess" is an informant but plays as many sides as she can to get a new pair of shoes.
It's then that she learns that Max is alive, and her attitude undergoes a change.Peter Lorre has a small role, that of a scientist who was imprisoned and then released (with no explanation for the audience) and has become an alcoholic.This film was released after the war, and it's a little more interesting than many propaganda films in that it shows the state of the German people, and separation from the beliefs of Hitler, even among officers.
It's a time of confusion for a falling Germany.The acting is good, particularly from Faye Emerson as Tillie and Raymond Massey as the doomed General.Worth seeing, not your typical propaganda film..
It was based on the play and novel 'Menschen im Hotel' by Vicki Baum, whose novels were the basis for numerous Hollywood movies, and who was a best-selling novelist in several languages.
Here we see a highly complex ensemble drama set in a hotel again, but this time the action takes place in Berlin just as the Second World War is ending and the Nazi regime is falling apart.
The film is well directed by Peter Godfrey, and contains some wonderful performances, one of the best being by Raymond Massey as a German general of the old school, who had been involved in one of the plots to kill Hitler which failed.
It's one of the few movies made during WWII that distinguishes between ordinary German citizens and Nazis.
Interesting movie about the goings-on of various characters at the Hotel Berlin near the end of WWII.
Unlike the film adaptation of Grand Hotel, this one doesn't have an all-star cast but it does have a cast of solid character actors.
Raymond Massey and Faye Emerson are standouts but really the whole cast is good.
It's a pretty good though not great WWII movie with a unique setting and some frank (for the time) talk about concentration camps and the Holocaust.
During the World War II years, you would always see many of these actors in this type of war film appearing as Nazi's, namely, Henry Daniell(Von Stetten),"The Body Snatcher",'45, starring Boris Karloff.
Even Raymond Massey (Arnim von Dahnwitz),"Arsenic & Old Lace",'44, was a Nazi who was in love with Faye Emerson,(Tillie Weiler),"Nobody Lives Forever",'46, who played a sexy blond charmer that managed to play with both sides, the Naxi's, Polish(Jews) and French.
Peter Lorre,(Johannes Koenig),"The Beast With Five Fingers",'46, played an entirely different role as a Professor, who seemed to drink most of the time, but did hate the Nazi's and their cause and managed to do his best making false ID papers and passports.
While there are bits of that in this film, the way they portray the Nazis in the final weeks of the war is a bit more multidimensional.In some ways, the film plays like a Nazified version of Grand Hotel- -with this Berlin hotel being a way to tie together the various stories in the picture.
As for the really terrible Nazis, some of the better actors who specialize in portraying evil characters are here...such as George Coulouris, Henry Danielle and Raymond Massey.
The stories are engaging and the picture manages to show a reasonably accurate picture of Germany in the final days...which is amazing since the film came out only weeks before the war ended in Europe.
Well made and its only fault is that, at times, the film seems overly long and a bit of editing would have helped the tempo.By the way, some of the anti-Nazis in the film were portrayed by folks who actually DID escape from Nazi Europe, such as Frank Reicher, Peter Lorre and Helmut Dantine..
This stale, bitter melodrama has little to recommend it except for Peter Lorre's heartfelt tour de force as a former political prisoner who is (rather implausibly) released from a concentration camp to join the underground..
But at the Time of the Production and the Films Release the Outcome was a Foregone Conclusion so there isn't Much here that is Heavy Handed or Preachy.In Fact, the Best that has been said about this Forgotten Film is it's Evenhandedness in Portraying the German People as "Not all Evil".
Nothing Really Seems that Demanding and the Whole Thing comes off as a Stage Play with Stiff B-Actors.There are a Few Highlights, like Peter Lorre as a Scientific Experimenter that is Suffering from a Guilt Complex and can't seem to Find One Good German.
The Other Character that Stands Out is the Hotel Hostess (read Prostitute) Played with some Pathos by Faye Emerson.Overall it is a Weary Movie that Reflects the Weariness of the War and by this Time Most Folks, Germans or Americans, were so Drained of Emotion by Their Losses that Another Melodramatic Story was just Tiresome.
I expected a schematic diagram of German stereotypes and their evolution in this war-time film about the good folks in a classy Berlin hotel towards the end of the war.
The Germans -- Nazi and underground alike -- are trapped in the hotel like fish in a box net.
Faye Emerson is the hotel whore who will do anything with anybody for a pair of shoes but undergoes a major change of values upon finding that her Jewish lover is still alive.
I think he was Goebbels three or four times.The most complex character is Andrea King's as Lisa Dorn ("thorn" in German), the famous actress with powerful friends and a suite in the hotel that includes a bed the size of a football field.
Efficiently Made Warner Brothers Propaganda Film May Not Raise Eyebrows Now. Initially, Germany might seem the last place for a story about the Nazi resistance, but that was the setting for "Hotel Berlin." After the success of the MGM movie "Grand Hotel," Vicki Baum sought to capture the public's interest with another bestseller Hotel Berlin '43, which was a similar tale about life in a hotel.
Earlier he had co-scripted the Errol Flynn war film "Northern Pursuit." "Hotel Berlin" was director Peter Godfrey's seventh film.
Fearing World War II would end before he could release "Hotel Berlin,"Jack Warner wanted this melodramatic opus completed as quickly as possible.
The Reporter stated, "Continuing production momentum geared to put "Hotel Berlin" in release coincidental with Russian and Allied drives on German capital, Jack Warner has alerted all departments of the studio with objective of giving the Vicki Baum story a Broadway opening within a month."Scenarists Jo Pagano and Alvah Bessie made several important changes to Baum's novel.
Second, the movie changed the background of resistance protagonist Martin Richter, a former Nazi enlisted man who runs an anti-Nazi underground movement, to that a Jewish man who has escaped from a concentration camp and works with an anti-Nazi resistance group.
During the 24-hour period, Martin Richter (Helmet Dantine of "Northern Pursuit") is a Jew who has escaped from a Nazi concentration camp.
The famous German stage actress, Lisa Dorn (Andrea King of "Mr. Skeffington") tries to extricate herself from a bad situation by rescinding her Nazi beliefs and helping Richter until she discovers a way of out her problems with the Nazis by informing on Richter.
A blond hotel hostess, Tilli, (Faye Emerson of "Lady Gangster") yearns for a new pair of shoes.
General Dahnwitz (Raymond Massey of "Desperate Journey"), an arrogant Nazi who participated in a plot to kill Hitler, learns he must commit suicide or suffer a worse fate from the Gestapo.
Dahnwitz delays his suicide until Gestapo officers arrive and stand guard outside his room.The Production Code Administration warned Warner Brothers "with regard to the suicide of General Dahnwitz, it is important that it not in any way be glorified, or justified, but played practically as an execution ordered by the Gestapo." Joseph Breen reminded the filmmakers that the suicide must be an order.
Breen also wanted Warner Brothers to explain where Martin Richter spent the night in Lisa's room.
The only time that Richter spends anywhere overnight is in the shaft of the out-of-order elevator.After having read the incomplete revised Hotel Berlin script of August 29, 1944, Breen reminded Warner Brothers about General Dahnwitz's suicide and the problems it could pose which Breen had addressed before.
Breen also warned the filmmakers about characterizing Tilli as a hotel prostitute."Hotel Berlin" bristles with intrigue, but this wartime film is totally forgettable today.
War movie buffs will appreciate this more than the typical viewer unless "Hotel Berlin" is a late night treat for an insomniac..
***SPOILERS*** The movie "Hotel Berlin" was Made in early 1945 and released on March 2nd of that year exactly two months before Berlin fell to the Red Army on May 2, 1945.
Inside the Hotel Berlin are a number of anti-Nazi German resistance fighters led by Martin Richter, Helmut Dantine, who just escaped from a German concentration camp.
Richter is now planing to start a revolt against Hitler's Germany in order to help put an end to the war before the vengeful and murderous Red Army captures the city.
Richter is given cover from being captured by the Gestapo headed by the hotel's security chief Gestapo Commissioner Joachim Helm, George Coulouris, by top German actress Lisa Dorn, Andrea King.
There's also General Von Dahnwitz, Raymond Massy, who was called back to Berlin from the front and is also Lisa's lover.
Other stories at the hotel is about the hotel hostess Tillie Weller, Fay Emerson, and Nazi big shot Herman Plottke, Alan Hale.
Tillie is shocked to find that her lover Max is alive since thinking that he was dead she became an informer for the Nazi's at the hotel besides being the hotel hostess.The movie ends with both Gestapo Commissioner Helm and pro-Nazi and double-crossing Lisa Dorn getting their just deserts from none other the the person who they tried to do in heroic German freedom fighter Martin Richter.
The Film "Hotel Berlin" ends with Richter and his band of resistance fighters in the hotel including a number of downed US Army Air Force bomber pilots, where did they come from?, escaping to freedom.
"Hotel Berlin" is a well acted and directed film that doesn't hit you so hard over the head with the propaganda that your use to seeing in most Hollywood WWII movies.
This may be because when it was made the war against Germany was just about over and there was no reason to go overboard with the anti-German propaganda in it.
Among other pluses in the movie "Hotel Berlin" is that there were also a few good Germans in it..
As the war against Nazi Germany is coming to a climax, this 1945 film revolves around several characters at a hotel in Berlin.Despite brief appearances, Peter Lorre and Alan Hale do some very fine dramatic acting, properly the best in their long careers.Andrea King is wonderful as the German actress staying at the hotel.
When a concentration camp survivor escapes to the hotel, he meets up with her and is warned that she has strong Nazi sympathies.
Raymond Massey is such a German; although a General in the Germany army, he participated in the assassination plot and when caught, you know what he is told to do.
100 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Resistance leader, cornered in a Berlin Hotel, enlists the aid of an actress to help him escape.NOTES: Vicki Baum's Grand Hold (1930) was such a runaway bestseller, she spent the rest of her life (she died in 1960) trying to recapture the extent of that achievement.
This then is a Grand Hotel in a last-days-of-Berlin setting.
Alternative film title: BERLIN HOTEL.COMMENT: Concocted by Vicki Baum of Grand Hotel, this is a delightfully flamboyant melodrama, engrossingly acted by a second-string but first-rate cast, stylishly directed by Peter Godfrey who makes the most of Carl Guthrie's fluidly fascinating camerawork and John Hughes' broodingly magnificent sets.
Every role is perfectly cast - from the major leads (Dantine as the fugitive, Andrea King as the actress sympathizer, Raymond Massey as the general-in-a-trap, Faye Emerson as the hotel "hostess") to the minor supports (Alan Hale as a vengeful Nazi, Dickie Tyler as a harried bellboy), with splendid back-up from deft players like Steve Geray and Frank Reicher.Godfrey keeps the various story strands cracking along at a merry pace.
I guess people were eager to see a timely dramatization, such as it was, of the defeat of Germany played as an ersatz Grand Hotel.
Alan Hale, as a Nazi official, is disposed of, as a suspect in an SS officer's killing -- completely out of the blue (he's innocent and not connected in any way) -- because, well, his character needs disposing of.
Andrea King's Lisa Dorn gives up Dantine to the SS, for coffee, but it's Emerson who gets shot.
(Well, this is a Faye Emerson vehicle.) There's also a lame reprise of Lewis Stone's "doctor waiting for a message" in Grand Hotel.Raymond Massey has a great part, as a doomed general, and the other actors do their stuff well, but none are allowed to develop their characters. |
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