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tt2910814 | The Signal | Three MIT students – Jonah, Nic, and Haley – are on a road trip to move Haley to California, a decision that stresses Nic's relationship with her. Haley feels Nic is distancing himself from her and Nic explains he doesn't want his disability to hold her back (Nic walks with forearm crutches, and the possibility of muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, or some other degenerative disease is implied but never specified). During their stay in a hotel, Nic and Jonah discover that a hacker named NOMAD, who nearly got them expelled for breaking into MIT servers, has found their location and is taunting them with strange and ominous emails. They track NOMAD to an abandoned house in the middle of Nevada and decide to go after him. After finding nothing in the house, Nic and Jonah hear Haley scream and run outside, only to see her pulled into the sky before disappearing into a white light themselves.
Nic, now with the number 2.3.5.41 tattooed on his arm, wakes up in a strange and sterile underground research facility where he is questioned by Dr. Wallace Damon, the head of the "transition group" in charge of helping Nic to cope with his strange situation. Damon tells Nic what they encountered near the house was an EBE: an extraterrestrial biological entity. Nic remains in a state of disbelief. Dr. Damon then shows him footage from Nic's own video camera and pauses where an alien face can be seen peering from behind a tree. Nic is taken to his room where he hears Jonah talking to him through a small vent in the wall, saying "(his) body feels weird." Nic also notices that his legs, previously weak but functional, are now completely numb. When Dr. Damon questions him again, Nic tries to get answers about Haley's condition (she is in a coma at the time), but is unsuccessful. Following an unexplained experiment on a cow in another part of the facility, a security alarm goes off and Nic, along with other personnel, finds large dents with scorch marks running across the walls and no sign of Jonah. Nic asks Damon where Jonah went but Damon tells him that Jonah was never recovered from the house. Increasingly agitated, Nic tries to break Haley out but is intercepted. After being restrained, he's shocked to discover that his legs have been amputated and replaced by prostheses made from alien technology. Nic then uses these super-powered limbs to break Haley and himself out of the facility, only to discover they're in the middle of a vast barren desert.
After hitching a ride with an old lady who seems sweet yet oddly troubled, Nic and Haley hijack an 18-wheeler truck to try to find a way around the seemingly endless canyon that extends around the facility and surrounding area. At a visitor's center, they come across Jonah disguised as one of the facility workers dressed in a white HAZMAT suit. Jonah reveals that he too had limbs taken from him, as his forearms and hands have been replaced with the same alien technology as Nic's legs. Jonah speculates that they're all in Area 51 and that this is all a test. After Nic discovers indications of alien technology also implanted in Haley's spine, the trio drive up to a military checkpoint where Jonah tries to hack into their systems, only to be stopped by a hail of gunfire from the facility personnel. Nic and Jonah hug as the fatally wounded Jonah prepares for his final stand that will allow Nic and Haley to escape. Jonah uses his remaining strength and prosthetic alien arms to subdue the group of soldiers. However, Nic and Haley's escape is short-lived; as they approach the only bridge that would take them over the canyon to the outside world, they run into Damon and his military men, who blow out the truck's tires. Haley is evacuated by helicopter beyond the canyon and, knowing that Nic has mastered use of his legs, Damon tells Nic "you can't reach her." After hearing a loud horn coming from the sky, Nic realizes Damon is NOMAD. Damon then explains that it was Nic who came looking for him, that this was his fault, and adding that Nic is "the perfect integration of human will and alien technology. Our finest achievement." Agitated and emotionally compromised, Nic's bionic legs enable him to sprint at supersonic speed across the bridge in the direction of Haley's chopper where he hits an invisible barrier and breaks through.
Nic finds himself inside what appears to be a different facility behind a projected image of the outside world beyond the canyon. Turning back toward the bridge, he sees Damon remove his helmet to reveal he's actually a robotic alien. Nic walks towards a window and realizes he isn't in a facility, but is on an immense alien spacecraft numbered 2.3.5.41 (matching the numerical tattoo on his arm) that is about to dock at their home-world (signaled by the horn). | suspenseful, atmospheric | train | wikipedia | I would say that the words "inchoate" and even "incoherent" can't help but come to mind regarding the film.Before you write me off as someone who only likes nice linear films where EVERYTHING is made perfectly clear and who can't handle anything unusual, abstract, metaphoric, or different in any way, compare "Signal" to "Dark City", the recent "Under the Skin", and even "THX 1138" (which BTW arguably has a lot of similarities to this one).Meanwhile, for examples of films that have similar problems as "Signal", see "Citadel" (2012), "Critical Nexus" (2013), and even "Shuttle" (2008) or "Blair Witch Project".
MEANWHILE, to see what a low-budget independent sci-fi movie CAN be, see "Moon" (2009).Finally, I was just reading a review of "Signal" in which the reviewer mentions another director who started out with a middling low-budget sci-fi film and has gone on to bigger and better accomplishments; he sees similar potential in the director of "Signal".
Directed by Will Eubank (who co-wrote the screenplay), the film follows a trio of MIT students on a cross-country trip, who decide to take a detour in order to track down and expose a malicious hacker.Arriving at their destination, Nic (Brenton Thwaites) and Jonah (Beau Knapp) find nothing but an abandoned, dilapidated structure.
Damon wants to know everything about "the signal" - how Nic found it, when he first discovered it - but Nic's only concern is getting himself and his companions to safety.It's nearly impossible to reveal anything more about the plot without wandering into spoiler territory, but rest assured that The Signal does a spectacular job of approaching familiar sci-fi tropes from a completely different perspective.
A lot of people are over analysing every scene and image they see in the movie, instead of enjoying a simple story with a lot of photography design.
Great job, Mr. Eubank!I definitely recommend to watch this, for all the sci-fi lovers, and especially the ones that appreciate non blockbuster, plastic, cliché movies, and enjoy different ways of doing cinema..
Those who expected a sci-fi story with a lot of techno-gadgets and special effects are likely to be disappointed.
The same applies to those who are uncomfortable with the concept of victimization, a common basis for horror films and a key element in "The Signal." But those who like to read Philip Dick or who enjoyed "The Cube" will find much to admire in this film, a low budget effort with a smart script..
The film tells the story of Nic (Thwaites), Haley (Cooke) and Jonah (Knapp); three MIT students on a road trip to California.
It's nowhere near the quality of a great sci-fi flick but it is a lot of fun; if you're a fan of the genre.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/NdWU81GeyN4.
The movie is a little slow at times, while the plot is not completely explained or even logical sometimes, but other than that, the film is perfect.What I enjoyed most about the movie is that it is truly original in the way of Monsters or District 9 were.
The movie could have been better -- there is an attempt to show some spiritual triumph for the main character and a love story that doesn't work, but the suspense and sci-fi elements alone make the movie a solid B and worth seeing..
I drove a long way to see this movie and during my drive home, I kept having the ending play over and over in my head...and then the "aha's" started to roll in.
You spend a lot of the movie confused, but might still decide to stick along for the lure of great big reveals of its finale, which ultimately don't feel very shocking at all.Beyond the endless ambiguity of the plot and copious nonsensical elements in the story arc, the film also leans heavily on the relationships between the three leads, which are wafer-thin and under-cooked at best.
"The Signal" not only made me want to do exactly that, but it's so deplorably made and so soporific that I actually felt like abandoning the movie within the first 1/2 hour itself..
I don't mind movies that are vague, misleading, or mystery, that leave you guessing, but this was absolutely ridiculous.I was able to guess the end 20 minutes in, yet there was no hint that my guess was right, up until the last 30 seconds when my initial thoughts were confirmed.This was honestly a terrible movie and a complete waste of time.
It's not even worth pointing out everything that was wrong with this movie.If you've got time to waste, you'd be better off watching paint dry..
I must admit that I had some expectations for "The Signal", which ultimately weren't delivered, because this movie turned out to be somewhat of a joke.The story is about three friends driving to find a person named Nomad by location of his IP address.
When they arrive at the desolate location things start to turn strange, and the friends find themselves in over their heads.Storywise then "The Signal" had some interesting aspects, although I didn't fully agree with much of the story, because it was just rubbish and nonsense.
The acting is not all that but I swear to God it is better than most big budget movies.I have noticed that Canadians can make a good Sci-Fi movie with a low budget.Do not watch the trailer, do not read stupid comments on IMDb, buy some micro wave popcorn, make some pasta, light up a cig, kick back and enjoy this very nice picture..
Similarly we will all rate the same film differently for an infinite amount of reasons, that being said I will give my opinion on the movie based on how it affected me and in comparison to the thousands of films I have watched previous to this one which have also affected me to a lesser of greater degree.First thing to say would be that I knew little about the film before watching it and I think with most films that's probably the best way to approach it as there are a couple of big reveals towards the end and knowing these beforehand would spoil what I thought was a great even if some people have said predictable ending.
I have also read a fair bit on these boards about how this film heavily borrows from other films, and yes I guess it does, but you know what I was enjoying it so much from beginning to end that I really didn't care about where the influences of the film had come from and although I have seen hundreds of sci-fi films over the years I never once thought 'ahh come on that bit is such a blatant copy from 'whatever' film', but then I don't generally go into watching a film with that frame of mind as every film is unique in its own ways even remakes and reboots...I am not saying that this is the best film I have ever seen but I can say it is up there in my top 5 sci-fi films from at least the last couple if not 5 years.
The acting was all round impressive,I thought Laurence Fishburne turned out one of his most convincing roles in years and Brenton Thwaites at times reminded me of a young Brad Pitt.
The story itself held my attention throughout the entirety of the film as the pace was spot on and you never really knew where it was heading and those two things if done well are very important to me in a movie.
But despite this small budget, this magnificent indie has some very successful moments with hallucinatory special effects.Sometimes you watch a movie and you are wondering all the time what's actually going on.
While watching "The Signal" I could predict which way it was going and where it would end up (actually there are only two options to choose from), and yet I was surprised at the denouement.
The entire film keeps a perfect balance between mystery, successful visual images, surprising plot twists, strong performances and masterfully applied special effects.A brilliant, magnificent SF which is pretty captivating through its simplicity and sobriety, and continues to fascinate.
I am consistently on the hunt for solid Sci-fi movies.The good ones leave you interested all the way through and generate enough a mysterious buzz to keep you entertained (some sort of alien or hint of aliens doesn't hurt).
The Signal didn't generate a cuss word at the end but here I am 24 hours later googling conversation threads about the film because i'm still thinking about it and I have questions that the movie just didn't answer.
Great sci-fi explains just enough to create the possibility that you and whoever you watched the movie with could have completely different explanations for why something happened.
I mean, some of the effects look like they belong in a big budget Hollywood film, not an independent movie that caters to a very niche market.
I loved the way they blended in nic's Dream's and the Action sequences and as a idea for a movie, this is one of the most original scripts I have ever seen, except for perhaps Repo: the genetic opera.All in all I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the genre.Awesome work!
Lawrence Fishburne may not have a lot of range, but what he does, he does well.Apparently, the makers didn't think today's viewers would settle for that sort of thing, so about three quarters of the way through, it takes an abrupt turn to Stupid Town, and the try to jam every cliché trope we've come to expect from more modern sci fi: implausible escapes, contrived chase scenes, ridiculous shoot-em-ups, and Matrix-style special effects.
The 1st act arc of the film is apparently targeting wanna-be millennial hackers with a cursory knowledge of computer science driven by raging hormones..i.e the squishy female character that serves not as any kind of role-model for budding female engineers, but rather an object of frustrated teen-geek lust.Can't say how the rest of this crap turned out, but I can usually tell a could film withing the first act at least.If you want to see a good 'hackers-against-the-world' flic, try "Sneakers." Anybody with at least a passing knowledge of Wireshark, will laugh at this lame attempt to captivate the 'dark-web' crowd..
In all, I was very disappointed with this film and the whole "out in the wilderness" aspect, became boring and uninteresting after a while.Budget: $4million Worldwide Gross: $2millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their sci-fi thrillers about 3 computer geniuses who end up in a mysterious facility after following a hack on there computer.
This movie raises more questions laying out 'clues' for the audience than it bothers to answer, until the very end's 'big payoff', which was a laughably half-assed attempt at plot-twist.
The third act has some impressive special effects, but as if the first 2/3 of the movie wasn't slow enough, the film bombards us with more 'look-at-me-dying-slowly-as-I-do-some-heroic-crap' montages and sentimental 'flashback', nature-scenery and carnival-rides crap.This is the last time that I would ever watch any unknown 'indie' trash from some unknown director simply basing it off of a mildly intriguing poster art and title..
Other than that, there's decent acting performances by Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke and Matt Damon.It's an independent science fiction film, but like several blockbuster sci-fi, it's not bringing anything new to the table..
Only one scene was SF, otherwise nothing.Secondly, I expected to have some action somewhere, but cameras have revealed too much slow & motion effect, which seems unoriginal.And thirdly and finally, all related to lack of originality, the film is a lot of scenes copied from a series like "Roswell" and movies like "Dark City" and "Cube".
I'm convinced people that didn't enjoy this film simply need everything explained in every movie they watch I mean SPELLED OUT for them.
I give it a 10 for all over quality from the plot twist to the action cgi it's a cool movie and I especially loved the ending..
From trivia section: "Director Eubanks wanted the viewer to continually feel they nearly have a grip on where the film is going; only to have their notions fall apart when the direction changes again - all the way to the very end."Yeah well, if you're like me and have seen a lot of sci-fi movies, TV shows, played a lot of games, then you'll see all twists coming a miles away.That said, it's still a entertaining movie with nice enough CGI that isn't overdone (probably to keep the budget down).
Do not expect a film where everything is explained or else you will be disappointed.If you enjoy science fiction in general and original story lines with rather unknown actors go watch The Signal.
However if you have seen a lot of scifi movies then you will probably know the whole plot and its "twists" by watching the first 30mins of it..
Imagine a porn movie without nudity.;well this is such a science -fiction movie without any science ...and fiction is not well either!..A Bruce Willis die hard genre seems like an intellectual art work in front of this garbage.Its filled with plot holes, in accurateness ...absolute stupidities but thats okay , whats worse is its neither had a good story nor even good acting by main characters.
This is the type of movie for Sci-Fi people who like to make up their own minds as to what happened and why.
The premises of this movie are good enough to encourage someone to watch it, but then the plot becomes boring and unoriginal.
Good mix of imagery , music and good rhythm of facts happening.Makes you a bit confused, makes you want to realize what is happening.The Plot is interesting, i would say is a very good Thriller, that could explored just a bit more on the Alien experience.But at the same time, i liked the fact that you just know as much as the characters.Its no an easy movie to watch if you're looking just entertainment, but it's a smart good looking one.
Not that Fishburne's role is impressive in any way; this role is the most arid he's ever played in my opinion, and sadly drops his status again a bit more on the scale for me.So if you want a movie that looks very impressive, but then ends in total stupidity, and you're willing to not give a sh*t about that, then you're in for a treat!.
I feel like this movie needs a remake or something where they end it completely different.
Maybe if you want to analyse it and try to find the story/meaning, but that is not the reason I watch movies..
Story wanders around through several different genres, can't decide what kind of movie it wants to be and tosses in a couple action sequences to make the viewer think the plot must be going somewhere.
A superb different aspect of a sci fi movie and a must see for like minded fans of the unknown!
It's only Hayley's character, played sparingly by Olivia Cooke, that seems a little flat, maybe the male writers haven't got in touch with their feminine sides yet.This is a slow burner of a film which builds slowly up to major reveals, action sequences, and the big reveal at the end, which you know is coming because in sci-fi something big has to be revealed.
However, there are also disjointed flashbacks, which only serve to confuse, but this may be the director trying to show Nic's confusion of the situation, though, this didn't work for me.If you love science fiction then this film is worth at least one watch..
This is not to say this film is better, it is not, but for what it is, it is a great sci-fi thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and will leave you with much to think about by the time it ends, if you do not mind slower paced films.
I would call the pace of this movie a slow burn, it does pick up a bit towards the end, but it stays pretty consistent, and gives you very little answers until the very end.I would love to see more sci-fi films that utilize a relatively small budget so well.
The Signal wasn't quite what I expected and I'm thankful that I had gotten to see it and I recommend anyone who likes sci-fi films to give it a shot.The Signal's cast was perfect for this movie, everyone did a great job on their roles.
The Signal is a movie still worth watching (especially if your a sci-fi fan), rememberable for its original story, tension and unexpected twists
just sadly not its characters..
I can't discuss the rest of the characters without, again, taking away from your movie watching experience.I wholeheartedly recommend this film for ages 13 to 18 because of the difficulties around following the plot, some very intense and violent situations and also, there is a lack of dialog.
At first, I was very hesitant about this film because it starts off a bit slow and is, as you know, confusing as heck, but after watching it all the way through I give The Signal 5 out of 5 stars and am eager to see it again.
If you're into sci-fi film, aliens or just want a mind-bending experience, then check out The Signal in theaters now.
That's the mystery in which you have to solve along with Nic when watching this Twilight Zone inspired movie, The Signal.
He wants to answer all of Nic's questions but does not by donning that Morpheus-like stance and character tone ....only giving what you need to know until finally revealing his movie-ending surprise, And believe, SouthSide, it will blow you away.
In some movies, we learn about characters and their motivations too soon or too late, or that it can be all over the place, but with The Signal, we get it all as the film goes on. |
tt0418773 | Junebug | When art dealer Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz) travels from Chicago to North Carolina to pursue a local, self-taught painter (Frank Hoyt Taylor) for her outsider art gallery, she takes the opportunity to meet and stay with the family of her new husband George (Alessandro Nivola), who live close by.
There is his mother Peg (Celia Weston); his reserved, contemplative father Eugene (Scott Wilson); and his sullen, resentful, twenty-ish brother Johnny (Benjamin McKenzie) who, although married, lives at home. He is studying for his high school equivalency certificate while working at Replacements, Ltd. as an order processor. Johnny married his now pregnant wife Ashley (Amy Adams) before either of them finished high school. Relations between Johnny and Ashley are strained, with Ashley believing that a baby will solve their marital problems.
Madeleine and George stay in the expected baby's nursery, and Madeleine becomes friends with Ashley, who is a very sweet and friendly, if somewhat naive and talkative. The family takes Madeleine to a church service, where George is asked to sing a verse from the Bible. Madeleine is not used to intense religious displays but makes no comment. She attends Ashley's baby shower and gives her sister-in-law an antique silver spoon, which stands out from the other gifts. Madeleine discovers that she does not know much about George, as they have been married only six months and knew each other only a week before they got married. George's strong Southern family values come through.
The artist Madeleine is pursuing wavers over signing with her gallery. Ashley goes into labor, and the family goes to the hospital with her. Madeleine chooses to go and convince the artist to sign with her gallery, which briefly makes George angry. Ashley's baby boy is stillborn. She had told Madeleine she was going to name the baby "Junebug". The artist and his sister drive Madeleine back to her in-laws' home, and she later sits with Eugene on the back porch and cries. George comes home and has a wordless encounter in the garage with his brother, who punches him. George does nothing because he understands that Johnny will never be an educated, independent person who can leave home and live independently. There is nothing he can say, so he wisely says nothing.
George and Madeleine go back to Chicago. | romantic, humor, psychedelic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0074455 | Eaten Alive | After refusing a request from frisky customer named Buck (Robert Englund) who wants anal sex, the naive and inexperienced prostitute Clara Wood (Roberta Collins) is evicted from the town brothel by the madam, Miss Hattie (Carolyn Jones). Clara makes her way across the local swamp to a decrepit hotel, called the Starlight Hotel, to check into a room for the night where she encounters the scruffy and mentally disturbed proprietor Judd (Neville Brand) and his pet crocodile in the swamp beside the front porch. Upon realizing Clara was a prostitute, Judd attacks her while ranting and raving. When Clara tries to defend herself, Judd stabs her with a pitchfork and feeds her to the crocodile.Some days later, a fractious couple, the outgoing Faye (Marilyn Burns) and her mentally disturbed husband Roy (William Finley), along with their young daughter Angie (Kyle Richards) arrive at the hotel to check in since they are driving across country. They soon experience the trauma of the Angie's persistantly barking and overly curious pet dog being eaten by the crocodile. Faye and Roy take their daughter to their room to try and try to calm her down.The insane Roy decides to shoot the crocodile with a shotgun for eating their dog, but Judd intervenes. During the struggle, Roy shoots Judd in his right leg, but it is revealed that Judd's right leg is a wooden prostetic which he apparently lost years earlier when it was bitten off by his pet crocodile. Judd angrily stabs Roy with a scythe before he is attacked and devoured by the huge crocodile which breaks through the porch railing and swallows Roy whole.After getting Angie to sleep, Faye goes into the bathroom for a bath, however she is interrupted by Judd who begins to beat her. Angie wakes up and runs from the hotel. However, Angie gets trapped underneath the hotel by Judd, who proceeds to tie up Faye in a vacant room where he spends the rest of the movie sexually fondling her while Angie remains trapped under the floorboards of the hotel.That evening, Harvey Wood (Mel Ferrer) and his daughter Libby arrive at the Starlight Hotel seeking information on the whereabouts of Clara, Harvey's daughter who had run away from home several months earlier. Judd calmly denies having ever seen Clara when he is shown a photo of her. Never less, Harvey and Libby check into separate rooms and then leave to try and locate her at Miss Hattie's brothel.Accompanied by Sheriff Martin (Stuart Whitman), Harvey and Libby question Miss Hattie, who lies to them by denying ever seeing Clara (apparently still angry over Clara upsetting her business). Harvey returns to the hotel while Libby stays in town to eat dinner with Sheriff Martin. When Harvey hears Angie's crying underneath the floorboards of the porch, he begins to investigate and is attacked by Judd who stabs him in the neck with his scythe. Judd then drags his dead body to the swamp to be eaten by the crocodile.While Sheriff Martin and Libby are at the local bar having dinner and drinks, Martin kicks out Buck and his sluttish girlfriend Lynette (Janus Blythe) after a fight nearly breaks out between Buck and another local redneck barfly. The pair venture to the hotel, much to the annoyance of Judd who had already warned Buck to stay away from his land. While in their room to have sex, they hear Angie's cries for help. Buck goes to investigate and is pushed off the porch and into the swamp by Judd, where he is quickly eaten alive by Judd's crocodile. Lynette hears the commotion, and goes outside only to be chased by Judd and his scythe into the nearby swamps. She manages to get to a road where she flags down a passing car and gets away.At the same time, Libby arrives back at the hotel and goes up to her room. Judd arrives back also, and opens up the gate for the crocodile to get in under the house so it can eat Angie. Meanwhile, Libby discovers Faye tied up in the room. After freeing her, the two women attempt to leave, however Judd chases them back upstairs where he wounds Faye with the scythe. Libby escapes out a window and begins to help Angie out of the swamp she has managed to get into to evade the crocodile. Judd throws the severly wounded Faye off a balcony and then he attempts to push Angie back into the swamp while struggling with Libby. But at the last second, Faye arrives and pushes Judd over the fence into the swamp, where he is devoured by his pet crocodile. Sheriff Martin arrives at the hotel minutes later to arrest Judd after being alerted by Lynette only to find the bloodied but alive Faye, and the shaken but unwounded Libby and Angie. All that is left of Judd is his prostetic wooden leg floating in the swamp beside the hotel. | grindhouse film, murder, cult, horror, violence, insanity | train | imdb | Although not as entirely successful as Chainsaw, "Eaten Alive" is one messed up little drive in flick with good performances particularly by Brand as the psycho Inn keeper of "Starlight Hotel".
It's still a hell of an entertaining trashy horror movie.Neville Brand ('The Ninth Configuration') gives a gonzo, almost vintage Timothy Carey-like performance as psycho scythe wielding Judd, owner of the one place in town you really don't want to check in to.
Some of these unexpected guests who face this horror that awaits them ranged from a reform hooker, an unfortunate family and the hooker's father and sister who are looking for the missing girl.Tobe Hooper (director) and Kim Henkel (co-writer) the two who brought us one of the most powerful and groundbreaking horror films of all time "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" team up again for their next independent B-grade project: the crzay exploitation piece "Eaten Alive".
Well, if you saw The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and were impressed with director Tobe Hooper, your next move might be to view his second film Eaten Alive.
`The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (of course) and `Death Trap' (less obvious already) are the only two films Tobe Hooper should be really remembered for as a horror director.
"Eaten Alive"(1976),director Tobe Hooper's second and less successful stab at backwoods horror following the success/notoriety of his brilliant "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"(1974)is one of the most bizarre horror movies ever made.The plot revolves around demented motel owner Judd(Neville Brand)who likes feeding his guests to his pet alligator in the swamp outside.With its gory set-pieces and gratuitous nudity,and Neville Brand's over-the-top performance as Judd "Eaten Alive" is a truly visceral experience.Great location sets:the dilapidated hotel at the edge of the swamp is so bizarre,that it may as well exist on another planet,or in some alternate insane reality.The acting is very good,Marilyn Burns once again proves that she can emote hysterically and Robert Englund is really convincing as a local-yokel Buck.The film is grainy,even ugly looking at times,so don't expect any polished crap from Hollywood.For me this the best(along with his debut of course!)Tobe Hooper's horror film.A must see for horror fans!.
Toby Hooper's follow up to his classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) was this atmospherically bizarre horror oddity.Deep in the swamps, a crazed hotel owner is keeping a monster crocodile in his yard and occasionally feeding offensive people to it!As with Texas Chainsaw Hooper gives this film lots of spooky atmosphere, but he really puts it into over-drive with Eaten Alive.
Horror fans will see lots of familiar faces in the cast - Marilyn Burns (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), William Finley (Sisters), Robert Englund (Elm Street movies), Janus Blythe (The Hills Have Eyes), and young Kyle Richards (Halloween).While Eaten Alive doesn't reach the nightmarish heights of some of Hoopers other films, it is a good B horror picture.
The old coot, a few sandwiches short of a picnic, thinks nothing of feeding his guests to the old croc, after hacking them to death with his huge scythe.Eaten Alive, Tobe Hooper's follow up to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, was co written by Chainsaw collaborator Kim Henkel, and stars Marilyn Burns, the damsel-in-distress from the '74 horror classic.
However, this movie fails to capture the intense feeling of terror that Hooper delivered so well with his incredible debut; only in the closing moments of Eaten Alive does he manage anything close to the absolute horror of his first and finest film.Before that, we get a rather dreary hour and a half of loopy old Judd muttering to himself and occasionally offing the odd guesttipping them into the water for his scaly friend to devour.
The realism of Chainsaw is gone, replaced by an almost cartoonish atmosphere; the characters are mostly freakish caricatures, there is a smattering of gore, everything is swathed in garish primary-coloured light, and the old croc is as bad as one might expect from a low budget horror.Tobe also finds time to throw a few fit birds into the mix, and two of them obligingly flip their norks out (and very fine they are too).Eaten Alive is enjoyable on a trashy level, and if this had been directed by anyone other than the director of possibly the finest horror movie of all time, I wouldn't have felt quite so disappointed; but as a follow up to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Eaten Alive just didn't impress me enough..
Eaten Alive is a movie I STRONGLY reccommend to fans of Massacre as it follows Mr.Hooper's similar recipe.Great horrifying shooting and wild lighting.Incredibly dense sense of macabre.Total atmosphere of insanity and hopelessness.I don't want to comment on the plot(which I liked) but rather to encourage people to see(or re-see) this movie and try to absorb the atmosphere!!
It is a disturbing and worthwhile flick(kind I wish Tobe Hooper would continue making) but people that just want to cling to the cliche that Texas Chainsaw Massacre has become,don't bother.You might never see another movie you like as long as you live.
Directed by Tobe Hooper (following up on the success of his first film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"), "Eaten Alive" is about a junky old hotel run by an old guy more demented than Norman Bates ever was.
For some reason, he murders unsuspecting guests with a scythe and feeds them to the always-hungry animal.Tobe Hooper's follow-up to his cult hit "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is surprisingly disappointing, lacking suspense and atmosphere that worked in the last film.
"Hey Tobe, why did you think we wanted to see a movie with Robert Englund as a sodomy-obsessed nutcase and a filty, rundown hotel with an obvious psychopath for a proprietor and a random, fake-looking alligator?" Maybe Hooper was drunk on the success of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
After making a film about CHAINSAWS in 1974, Director Tobe Hooper would go on to make a movie using another hardly used, yet immense, horror asset; crocodiles!
The story this time follows a hotel owner that, for one reason or another, enjoys battering his guests and feeding them to the crocodile while they're still alive, which isn't a bad premise for a movie at all in my opinion!
Especially when they are upset of the management of his bayou hotel.Directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1 & 2, Poltergeist, Salem's Lot) made a truly garishly stylized, unrelentingly bizarre film.
Also the film has a good cast like:Mel Ferrer, Carolyn Jones, Marilyn Burns, William Finley, Staurt Whitman, Janus Blythe, Kyle Richards and a young Robert Englund.
And it has a great cast for a horror: Western star Stuart Whitman as the Sheriff, an after-Morticia Carolyn Jones as a brothel owner, Mel Ferrer as the father of a dead girl who is then killed by the croc, and future horror star Robert Englund as a sex pervert.By the way, I liked it not that much, but it's still an unusual horror from the 1970s recommended especially to fans to the genre.
Eaten Alive is the film that Tobe Hooper made after having made the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Cool to see him in one of his earliest roles, actually I think this was his first film.We also get Madelyn Burns (whom we also saw in TCM) here she spends most of her time gagged to a bed, and nearing the end she does her scream queen bit, screeming and running from a demented Judd.Add to that a slew of weird characters (including this really strange lady who runs the local whore house), a truly insane soundtrack which include some really outlandish hillbilly songs (yes banjos and everything)and some crazy guests that arrive to the hotel and you got yourself one absolutely freaky flick.Im glad I finally got to see this flick, dont pass it up if you are interested in seeing a truly bizarre flick with some cool deaths, one of Tobe Hoopers rarest films, and in my humble opinion a movie that deserves to be watched by more people out there in horror world.Rating: 31/2 out of 5.
All of this would be fine and well, except that Judd has murderous impulses, and his alligator has a taste for human flesh.Panned by many and beloved by some, "Eaten Alive" likely got a great deal of the flack it did simply by virtue of being Hooper's follow-up to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Make no mistake, "Eaten Alive" comes nowhere near "Chainsaw," but it is a respectably entertaining, morbid, and sometimes darkly funny horror film.
The film also boasts a cast of would-be horror royalty, including performances from Robert Englund, Marilyn Burns (returning from "Chainsaw"), and an even-younger Kyle Richards, pre-"Halloween."Overall, "Eaten Alive" is an unusual offering from Hooper, and though not one of his best, it's certainly not one of his worst films, either.
Among those that could be on the menu are Harvey Wood (Mel Ferrer), an old man searching for his daughter, and a young family that includes William Finley as the father and Marilyn Burns of TCSM as the mother!You know good times are ahead when the first performer to make his entrance is the great Robert Englund, who, before insisting on doing it doggy style with inexperienced whore Clara (Roberta Collins), utters the memorable lines: "My names' Buck.
Night Shamaylan started making horribly inadequate movies after the superior "Sixth Sense" Tobe Hooper twenty years earlier was following up his cult masterpiece "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" with the dull and moronic "Eaten Alive".
The cast is forgettable as Mel Ferrer stars in his first of two movies titled "Eaten Alive" and Robert Englund makes his film debut as Buck who like to fu......fornicate.
Things get out of control when a family consisting of a mother (Marilyn Burns), a very weird father (Frank Finley) and a little girl (Kyle Richards) drop by to spend the night.Tobe Hooper's second film (after "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") is bizarre (to say the least).
Carolyn Jones (who plays a madam) was in "The Addams Family" TV series; Brand himself was in quite a few horror films; Burns was in Hooper's previous "Chainsaw"; Richards played one of the kids in "Halloween" and even Robert Englund (Mr. Freddy Krueger himself) has a small role.
But between Hooper's direction, Neville Brand's inspired raving as the scythe-waving Judd, and appearances by a motley crew of exploitation film vets, this is an often hysterically funny horror comedy (successful horror comedies are not something you see very often) which takes the humorous aspects of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre plot to the extreme, while still managing to be intense and suspenseful when it has to be.
Eaten Alive' is known as Death Trap' in the United Kingdom and thus I shall be using this alternate title in reference to the film.Judd (Neville Brand), a deranged southern psychopath, runs the Starlight Hotel and even keeps a pet crocodile in the swamp next to it.
The guests of this hotel soon learn about Judd's eccentricities and discover (to their own dismay) that the crocodile will eat just about anything.Tobe Hooper's follow up to the immensely successful The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974) is a slow and dull failure of a movie lacking all the charm and intrigue that TCM possessed.
Boy what a mess this movie was.Tobe Hooper's follow up to the great "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is just plain bad.The more Hooper films I see the more I'm convinced he just lucked out with "TCM" cause everything else I've seen by him pretty much blows chunks.A crazy motel owner living in the backwoods on the edge of a swamp keeps his pet gator happy,which he claims is a croc for some reason, by a continuous supply of fresh meat.This motel owner runs around waving what I took to be a wheat hook,or whatever you call one of those things that Death is always seen carrying.The crazy hotel owner, called Judd ,just can't compare to the sinister chainsaw waving Leatherface and that may be the problem----everything Hooper ever does will be compared to "TCM".But with this picture comparison to "TCM" isn't the big problem.The big problem is this picture sucks even if you didn't know anything about Hooper and "TCM".The script is just horrible.I was trying to figure out what a couple who had stopped by the hotel were talking about after they got to their room and I never could catch on to it.It was like they were talking in code---a sentence never connected to the one before or after it.Maybe Hooper was trying to create an eerie disjointed feel but most of the script was just nonsensical ramblings from Judd or some of the other characters.And Hooper didn't seem to know what to do with Judd a lot of the time.....he just sort of ambled around the lobby of the motel and dusted while people upstairs and outside were screaming and yelling.The soundtrack,if you can call it that,was the radio in the motel lobby that stayed on during the entire movie...it played generic sounding country music that was probably made up for the picture so no royalties would have to be paid.The result was a steady stream of boring droning stereotypical country songs about cowboys and lost loves by people who couldn't really sing if their life depended on it.For me ,as a music lover, this generic lazy-ass approach to something so constantly used in the film was almost the worst thing about this movie.But the special effects were bad too.The croc was a big plastic looking piece of junk mostly hid by bad lighting and black swamp water.The whole pic was cursed by bad lighting and grainy looking film,those things gave "TCM" some of it's aura,here they were just cheapo looking and annoying.The whole set itself looked worse than the fake island sets used on "Gilligan's Island".But this little junky run down motel setting out in the swamp was a busy place nonetheless just like "Gilligan's Island" was.You'd think this place was in downtown New York by the amount of people passing through.The only redeeming thing about this pic was a couple of topless chicks we get to see near the end of this mess.I guess by then Hooper had realized that the crappy mess he had so far was a stinker and his last ditch effort to save this disaster was some boobage.Didn't work,the bad lighting mostly ruined those too (or four), i should say..
The bodies begin to pile up as Judd tries to protect his beloved man- eater, and when Clara's father and sister turn up, Judd must also evade being discovered by the law.Following up a horror masterpiece like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) is hardly an envious task, but Tobe Hooper decided to stay in familiar surroundings with Eaten Alive (known as Death Trap in the UK).
It's a surprise that Death Trap (Eaten Alive) was the film Tobe Hooper followed up The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with as, at first sight, TCM is totally and utterly superior in every way.
The Crocodile part of the story is actually quite minor and until the end i don't feel was the main disturbing part of the movie, but it was the character of the sick and disturbed hotel owner Judd (Neville Brand) who portrayed the character superbly, who made the film truly great.
Eaten Alive is a product made possible by acclaimed director Tobe Hooper of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame...a film that almost everyone has seen or at least heard of.
It's interesting to note that the female lead of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Marilyn Burns, makes an appearance yet again to display her intense acting abilities to emulate the fears of a victim.The plot concerns a deranged hotel owner by the name of Judd who wields a scythe and feeds his victims to his pet alligator.
Director Hooper's mainstream follow-up to his seminal THE Texas CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) doesn't live up to its predecessor or its own middling reputation as a blackly comedic macabre venture whose plot, basically, involves a crazy hotel owner deep in bayou country who feeds his customers to a crocodile living in the swamp adjoining his place!The film, in fact, is a bit of a mess generally heavy-handed and peopled by obnoxious characters (especially Neville Brand as the grizzled psycho, William Finley the titular figure of Brian De Palma's PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE [1974] himself as a weirdo staying at the hotel with his family, and a young Robert Englund as a yokel who deems himself the self-appointed local stud).
**SPOILERS**Trying to be a combination of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Psycho" the movie "Eaten Alive" falls flat on both accounts with it's only redeeming feature being the few nude scenes in it that are far more hotter than anything, including the Janet Leigh stripped down to her bra scene,in both of those films.The basic story itself is anything but new with this peg legged psycho Old Judd, Neville Brand, having a pet African crocodile that he had shipped to his home in the Louisiana Bayou to keep him company.
Tobe Hooper's cheapo follow-up to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is more like a grindhouse sleaze flick than a proper horror film, featuring as it does tons of gratuitous nudity, sleazy and grim characters.
Director, Tobe Hooper follows up on his "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" with this equally bizarre and maniacal exploitation film set in the deep south featuring a psycho scythe-wielding hotel owner who slices up his patrons and feeds them to an enormous crocodile that he keeps in the swamp beneath his property.
Toby Hooper's follow up to Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the story of Neville Brand who runs a hotel in a swamp.
Judd becomes even more insane as the hole he has dug for himself gets bigger and bigger.Directed by Tobe Hooper this was his second film after the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). |
tt0033870 | The Maltese Falcon | Private eye Sam Spade and his partner Miles Archer are approached by Miss Wonderly to follow a man, Floyd Thursby, who allegedly ran off with her younger sister. The two accept the assignment because the money is good, but Spade also implies that the woman looks like trouble, though she projects wholesome innocence.That night, Detective Tom Polhaus informs Spade that Archer has been shot and killed while tailing Thursby. Even later that night, two officers visit Spade at his apartment and inquire about Spade's whereabouts in the last few hours. Spade asks what the visit is really about. The officers say that Thursby was also killed and that Spade is a suspect, since Thursby likely killed Archer. They have no evidence against Spade at the moment, but tell him that they will be conducting an investigation into the matter.The next day, Spade gets a visit from Archer's wife, with whom he has been having an affair. The widow asks Spade if he killed Miles so that they could be together. Spade dismisses her and tells her to leave, and coldly orders his secretary Effie to remove all of Archer's belongings from the office. He then goes to a new address left in a note from his client, whose name he learns is Brigid O'Shaughnessy. He also finds out that Brigid never had a sister, and Thursby was her acquaintance who had betrayed her.Later, Spade is visited by another man, Joel Cairo, who offers Spade $5000 if the private eye can retrieve a figurine of a black bird that has recently arrived. While Spade has no idea what the man is talking about, he plays along. Suddenly, Cairo pulls a gun on Spade, and declares his intention to search Spade's office. But when he approaches Spade to search his person, Spade disarms him and knocks him unconscious. After cataloguing Cairo's belongings and questioning him in return, Spade returns Cairo's firearm and allows the man to search his office. Following this, Spade is again contacted by Brigid O'Shaughnessy. She offers her sympathies for the death of his partner. Spade senses a connection between O'Shaughnessy and Cairo, and casually mentions that Cairo has contacted him. O'Shaughnessy gets extremely nervous when she hears this. She tells Spade that she must meet with Cairo, and asks Spade to arrange a meeting. Spade agrees.When Cairo and Brigid O'Shaughnessy meet, they make references that the reader and Spade don't initially comprehend. Cairo says he is ready to pay for the black figurine. Brigid O'Shaughnessy, however, says she does not have it at the moment. They also refer to a mysterious figure, "G" ("the fat man" in the film), whom they seem to be scared of. The two then continue to talk about some events that happened overseas. Eventually, O'Shaughnessy insinuates that Cairo is a homosexual, and Cairo insinuates that O'Shaughnessy simply uses her body to get what she wants, and the two begin to fight. At this point, the police show up, coincidentally, to talk to Spade. Spade greets them at the door, but refuses to let them in. The officers say they know Spade was having an affair with Archer's wife; just as they are about to leave, they hear Cairo screaming for help. They force their way into Spade's apartment, and Spade invents a story that involves describing how Cairo and O'Shaughnessy were just play-acting. The officers seem to accept, if not believe, Spade's story, but they take Cairo with them down to the station for some "grilling". Spade sends Brigid to stay with Effie, where she will be safe.The next morning, Spade makes his way to the hotel where Cairo is staying. Cairo shows up disheveled, saying that he was held in police custody through the night. Meanwhile, Spade notices that he's being tailed by some kid named Wilmer Cook. He confronts the gunsel[1], and tells him that both he and his boss, "G," will have to deal with him at some point. He later receives a call from Casper Gutman, who wishes to meet with him. Gutman, a huge person weighing over 300 lbs, says he will pay handsomely for the black bird. Spade implies that he can get the item (though at this point this is a bluff), but wants to know what it is first.Gutman tells him that the figurine was a gift from the Island of Malta to the King of Spain a few hundred years ago, but was lost on ship in transit. It was covered with fine jewels, but acquired a layer of black enamel at some time, to conceal its value (estimated to be in the millions). Gutman learned of its whereabouts seventeen years ago, and has been looking for it ever since. He traced it to the home of a Russian General, then sent three of his 'agents' (Cairo, Thursby and Brigid O'Shaughnessy) to get it. The latter supposedly did retrieve the figurine, but learned of its value and decided to keep it for themselves. Spade starts to get dizzy at this point (Gutman has drugged him), and when he goes to leave, Wilmer trips him and knocks him out by kicking his temple.When Spade awakens, he returns to his office and tells the story of the Maltese Falcon to Effie. Soon afterwards, an injured man, identified as Captain Jacobi of "La Paloma," shows up at the office; he drops a package on the floor and then dies of gunshot wounds. Spade opens the package, and finds the figurine falcon. Sam is called away from the office. To prevent losing the item, Spade stores the package at a bus station lost luggage counter and mails himself the collection tag. He first goes to the dock where "La Paloma" was anchored, but learns that a fire had been started on board. He then proceeds to the place Rhea Gutman said she was when she phoned earlier. There he finds a drugged-up, seventeen-year old girl, her stomach all scratched up by a pin in attempts to keep herself awake, who just manages to give him some information about the whereabouts of Brigid, which turns out to be a false lead.When he arrives back at his apartment, he finds O'Shaughnessy in a shadowy doorway. Inside, Wilmer, Cairo, and Gutman are there waiting. Gutman hands Spade $10,000 in cash in exchange for the bird. Spade takes the money, but in addition says that they need a "fall guy" to take the blame for the murders of at least Thursby and Jacobi, if not Archer as well. Reluctantly, both Cairo and Gutman agree to make Wilmer the fall guy. Gutman proceeds to tell Spade the missing pieces of the story. The night that Thursby was killed, he was first approached by Wilmer and Gutman. The latter attempted to reason with him, but Thursby remained loyal to Brigid O'Shaughnessy and refused to cooperate. Later things escalated, then Wilmer shot Thursby. Also, Brigid O'Shaughnessy had seduced Captain Jacobi and hid the Falcon with him. Later, Brigid O'Shaughnessy instructed Jacobi to deliver the package to Spade. Once Gutman learned of this fact, he attempted to remove Spade from the situation with the spiked drink. Wilmer managed to shoot the captain, but Jacobi still got to Spade's office to deliver the figurine. After finishing his story, Gutman warns Spade to be very careful with Brigid O'Shaughnessy as she is not to be trusted.Spade places a call to his secretary, Effie, and asks her to go the office and pick up the figurine. Effie brings it to Spade's apartment, and Spade hands the package to Gutman, who at this time is overwhelmed with excitement. He checks the figurine, but quickly learns that it is a fake. He realizes with dismay that the Russian must have discovered the true value of the falcon and made a copy. During this time, Wilmer manages to escape from Spade's apartment. Gutman quickly regains composure, and decides to go back to Europe to continue the search. Before he leaves, Gutman asks Spade for the $10,000. Spade returns $9000, saying he's keeping the remainder for his time and expenses. Then Cairo and Gutman leave Spade's apartment.Immediately after Cairo and Gutman leave, Spade phones the police department and tells them the entire story. Wilmer killed Jacobi and Thursby. He also tells them what hotel Gutman is staying at and urges them to hurry, since Gutman and Cairo are leaving town soon. Afterwards, Spade angrily asks Brigid O'Shaughnessy why she killed Miles Archer. At first, Brigid O'Shaughnessy acts horrified at this accusation, but seeing that she cannot lie anymore, she drops the act. She wanted to get Thursby out of the picture so that she could have the Falcon for herself, so she hired Archer to scare him off. When Thursby didn't leave, she killed Archer and attempted to pin the crime on Thursby. When Thursby was later killed himself, she knew that Gutman was in town and that she needed another protector, so she came back to Spade.However, she says that she's also in love with Spade and would have come back to him anyhow. Spade coldly replies that the penalty for murder is most likely twenty years, and he'll wait for her until she gets out. If they hang her, Spade says that he'll always remember her. He goes on to say that while he despised Miles Archer, the man was his partner, and that he's going to turn her in to the police for his murder as that was a line he could not cross in the industry of detective work. Brigid O'Shaughnessy begs him not to, but he replies that he has no choice. When the police get Gutman, Gutman will finger Sam and Brigid as accomplices. Thus the only way Spade can avoid getting charged is to say he played both sides against each other. He tells Brigid O'Shaughnessy that he has some feelings for her, but that he simply can't trust her. Just before the police arrive, Brigid O'Shaughnessy asks Spade if the Falcon had been real, and he'd gotten the entire $10,000, would it have made a difference. Spade replies that, while she shouldn't be so sure that he's crooked, more money would have been one more item on "her side."When the police finally show up at Spade's apartment, Spade immediately turns over Brigid O'Shaughnessy as Archer's killer. They tell Spade that the kid Wilmer was waiting for Gutman at the hotel and shot him when he arrived. Spade also hands over the $1000 bill, and the falcon to the police as evidence. | mystery, boring, realism, murder, cult, atmospheric | train | imdb | Considered by many film historians as the very first noir film, "The Maltese Falcon" is cinematically important also for making Humphrey Bogart into a Hollywood star, and for being the debut of John Huston as film Director.The film's story is complex and convoluted, typical of detective films of that era, and involves a valuable statuette.
But Brigid is the one who propels Spade into the deceiving and double-crossing world of bad guys who yearn with greed for the priceless Maltese Falcon.Enter Kasper Gutman, that thoroughly rotund and intimidating (in a gentlemanly sort of way) king of greed, portrayed with verve and panache by the inimitable Sydney Greenstreet.
Gutman responds articulately: "That's an attitude sir that calls for the most delicate judgment on both sides, because as you know sir, in the heat of action, men are likely to forget where their best interests lie ...".And Peter Lorre is a hoot as Gutman's mischievous elf, Joel Cairo, who tries, without success, to threaten Sam Spade, but only succeeds at getting on Sam's nerves.The film's high contrast B&W lighting renders an effective noir look and feel, one that would be copied in films for years to come.
Primarily remembered as John Huston's directorial debut, the movie played a decisive role in giving Film-Noire its true identity as a genre.
Almost everyone in the supporting cast gives a memorable performance with special mention of Peter Lorre as the deceptive Joel Cairo, Sydney Greenstreet as the witty yet dangerous Kasper Gutman and Mary Astor as the scheming Brigid O' Shaughnessy.
The cinematography undoubtedly features amongst the best works of the time.The Maltese Falcon is not merely a Noire masterpiece but also a testament to the true spirit of cinema that has kept itself alive despite decades of relentless mutilation and sabotage in the name of commercial movie-making.
"The Maltese Falcon", scripted and directed by Hollywood first-timer John Huston (from Dashiell Hammett's novel), would go on to become an American film classic.
Humphrey Bogart chews the scenery in his star-making turn as acid-tongued private eye Sam Spade, whose association with the beautiful and aloof Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor), neurotic Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre), and morbidly obese Kasper Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet, in his Oscar-nominated screen debut) over the recovery of the title object, sets in motion a movie experience that is as much crackling as it is dazzling.
Usually the original is best and the remakes are the inferior product.These characters that John Huston wrote and breathed life into with his direction are so vital and alive even 65 years after the premiere of The Maltese Falcon.
There are some who will argue that this first film is Huston's best work and I'd be hard up to dispute that.After a long career on stage The Maltese Falcon was the screen debut of Sydney Greenstreet.
As Sam fights to get hold of a black bird ¨the stuff that dreams are made¨ (a line suggested by Humphrey Bogart was voted as the #14 movie quote by the American Film Institute) .
Here Bogart is extraordinary and as cool as ever ; he plays as the tough-talking P.I. Although George Raft was originally cast as Sam Spade , he allegedly turned it down because it was "not an important picture," taking advantage of a clause in his contract that said he did not have to work on remakes .
Movie Review: "The Maltese Falcon" (1941)Director John Huston (1906-1987), just 34 years old, adapts the classic "hard-boiled" mystery-novel by author Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) on his own to present a shooting draft to Warner Bros.
in the "Golden Hollywood" season of 1940/1941, when over-seas WW2 rages, which gets nevertheless put on the fast-track at Hollywood's major studio with a breakthrough role for leading man Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957) as legendary private-eye character Sam Spade, losing his detective partner in the opening sequence before he stands alone in ultra-atmospheric San Francisco office space to unfold a film-noir of excellence in twisted story-telling machinery, not without having high-end entertainment factors along the way due to splendid supporting cast Mary Astor (1906-1987) as the uneasy, demanding feminine, Peter Lorre (1904-1964) as Joel Cairo entering Spade's office in taking-charges moods of pride and show-stealing actor Sydney Greenstreet (1879-1954) to hold-your-breath showdowns in a tiny hotel-room-suit all surrounding the believed to be priceless title-given world-traveling statuette, before Bogart, Greenstreet and Lorre play together again in Michael Curtiz directed "Casablanca" the year after.
"The Maltese Falcon" directed by set-ruling John Huston and shot to striking angles, shades and layers by black-and-white master cinematographer Arthur Edeson (1891-1970); together with the cast they deliver fabulous character signatures, Bogart becoming the star-actor from there on to his death, a plot twisting suspense with slides of easing-cool humor that even the dusty décor can not bring the picture down after 75 years out to be witnessed by any generation because its terrific and furthermore arguably "The Best Film-Noir in Motion Picture History".© 2018 Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC.
The performance of a lifetime by Humphrey Bogart, the masterclass of acting from one of the greatest German actors of all time, Peter Lorre, yet sprinkled by some magnificent performances from Mary Astor, Lea Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook Jr. and others, couple that to the twists and turns, the drama and suspense, the movie "The Maltese Falcon" is indeed legendary so much so that it's legacy survives even today, The Maltese Falcon statuette being sold at a whooping $4 million at an auction.
Bogart takes guns away from the gunsel (which is quite unnecessary to the plot), and Huston also adds a typical hard-boiled scene in a hotel lobby.Nor can Bogart be allowed to appear as sleazy as Sam Spade was in the original book, so his affair with his partner's wife is played down - in fact in typical 1940s misogynist-fashion poor Iva gets all the blame!
While investigating the murder he finds himself getting involved with dangerous men, seeking the myth of a Maltese Falcon statue, so valueable, they're willing to do anything it takes to get it.This movie is most of the way a real original film-noir, where our head character and supposed good guy finds himself getting involved in something larger and more dangerous than he should be able to handle.
The movie, despite having quite a number of flaws, is overall an interesting experience, that will leave you guessing and hold your interest for most of the time, even though it has its drop downs, it's still a pretty well done mystery story, following the classic film-noir model much of the way.
THE MALTESE FALCON does have much going for it: It's got one of Humphrey Bogart's greatest performances as tough detective Sam Spade; some sensational dialogue; smart casting in Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and Elisha Cook, Jr.
Sam Spade, a tough private detective gets involved in a murderous hunt for The Maltese Falcon, a legendary statuette thought to contain diamonds.What can I possibly say that hasn't been said, written and studied by the greatest film critics and industry members, about The Maltese Falcon before?
Well nothing by way of new stuff or a differing slant on the plot, I can merely concur and hopefully jolt prospective first time viewers into believing the reputation afforded this stunning piece of cinema.First off I have to let it be known that The Maltese Falcon is far from being my favourite Bogart movie, in fact it's not even my favourite Bogart movie from 1941, it's well trumped in my affections by High Sierra, but few films ever get as close to being perfect as the Maltese Falcon clearly is.
The cast are across the board perfect in performances, Bogart (Spade) is peerless, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet (film debut) and Elisha Cook Jr. stand out, but every other member of this cast add something good to this picture.
for Bogart, Lorre, and Greenstreet, with Ingrid Bergman instead of Mary Astor.Many other reviews remark upon the historic significance of The Maltese Falcon, and I acknowledge the movie deserves props for Bogie's turn as Sam Spade and for snappy dialog.
IMDb Top 250: 103The Maltese Falcon is one of the most famous film noirs, the film that made Humphrey Bogart a star, and an American classic.I have no idea why.
The Film Noir That Dreams Are Made Of. The Bible forbids us from murder, adultery, and theft, but the characters in "The Maltese Falcon" do not have the time to think about their eternal fates in the fiery pits of Hell.
That John Huston had never directed a film before.I saw "The Maltese Falcon" for the first time five years ago, sitting in the pitch-black room of my grandfather's study with his dinosaur laptop on a Saturday night.
In his (arguably) career-defining role, Humphrey Bogart portrays Sam Spade, a smug private eye hired by the beguiling Miss Wonderly (Mary Astor).
Greenstreet and Lorre completely subvert the pitfalls most character actors face, immediately so large in their presences that Bogart and Astor frequently feel like supporting actors.Still more witty, unforgettable, and clever to me is "The Big Sleep" — "The Maltese Falcon" comes at a close second.
Private detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) finds himself with a murdered partner and a female client (Mary Astor) who is not who she says she is.
Complicating matters is the arrival of two men, Kasper Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet) and Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre), seeking a priceless falcon statuette that Spade's client may know the whereabouts of.One of those classic films I can watch over and over.
The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 detective/crime noir film, directed by John Huston and stars Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor and Lee Patrick.
While it does have a few saving grace moments overall The Maltese Falcon is a rushed, terribly written and at times a unnecessarily confusing film with unlikable characters and uninteresting plot.
The scene itself was very well shot and gives the story a strong start ( which unfortunately later falls apart), the next is the very ending scene in which Sam Spade (our protagonist) utters that famous line 'The stuff that dreams are made of' which ends the film brilliantly and completes both the character of Spade and the movie's narrative in a conclusive and well rounded manner.
i enjoyed this most famous version of the story.it's as good as the previous two.Humphrey Bogart plays the Sam Spade role and is good,there's no question there.but the real standout to me is Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo.Lorre exudes menace from every pore.he owns the movie in my opinion.i also liked Sydney Greenstreet as Kasper Gutman.overall,this third version is comparable to the other two.i can't say it's any better or worse.i think the reason it's so acclaimed is because it's directed by John Huston and Stars Humphrey Bogart,which doesn't automatically make it a better movie.don't get me wrong.it's a good film but i wonder how many people have actually watched the two previous version of this story first,and would this version bee rated as high if more people had seen the other versions first?anyway,for me, this third version of The Maltese Falcon is a 7/10.
Dashiell Hammett story becomes much-acclaimed directorial debut for John Huston, with definitive role for Humphrey Bogart as hard-boiled detective Sam Spade, here solving the murder of his partner while chasing down a priceless artifact which dates back to the 1500s.
Set-bound noir seems awfully constricted, but Bogart is fully into his role and has a great time; supporting performances from Peter Lorre (a perfumed question mark) and Sydney Greenstreet are also excellent.
I'm not sure I 'get' The Maltese Falcon; a film lauded with so much praise and given so much in the way of attention over the years that it has embedded itself within cinematic history as one of the greats of the classical Hollywood era.
Hollywood's star system may have died a death as the face of American cinema slowly shifted onto different levels, but it seems people just cannot get enough of this one hundred minute Humphrey Bogart vehicle that allows people to hark back to a time when set-shot, scuzzy, black and white film noirs were the mainstay for the cinematic crowd out for that genre; and people could see their acting heroes do what ever one-dimensional, 'tough guy' act it was that they did.A pet-dislike with The Maltese Falcon, although others will say it's all part of its genius, that I have is its low-key and minute look at a period in each of its character's lives.
And if you can follow the plot of "Falcon," you're either smarter or paying more attention than I.But I don't know that anyone watches movies like this for the plot, and while I didn't see the "Great Film" in this that others seem to see, I still appreciate its place in screen history for kick-starting two things: film noir and the career of Humphrey Bogart.As long as Bogie's on screen, no one else really even matters, not even Mary Astor in a sizzling role.
Whenever I see this film I am always impressed with how good the story is.These days we are used to brilliant crime/mystery series and movies on TV and cable, but back in its day "The Maltese Falcon" was head and shoulders over just about every film in the genre, which often had unbelievable stories and lightweight characters.It not only had that great story, but crackling dialogue and a perfect cast.
From Bogart as Sam Spade, Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy to Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet as Joel Cairo and Kaspar Gutman, the cast almost seemed divinely inspired.When I finally read the book, I discovered that the great story and that crackling dialogue is in there: "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it", "I distrust a man who says when", and all the others, they were author Dashiell Hammett's all along.But what director John Huston and the cast did was to bring the characters to life; they gave them shadings beyond Hammett's words.
But in this case the film added the magic.Although Hammett came up with the plot and just about every word we hear spoken, it's hard not to picture Bogart as Sam Spade even when Hammett describes him as a blonde Satan.No, something unique happened on that film, it was Huston's first directing job and he just laid out the pages, edited them a bit, and shot the whole thing pretty much in sequence - and he sharpened the ending.In his impressively researched "The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre", author Stephen D.
Greenstreet became an overnight star thanks to his brilliant performance here, thoroughly deserved.Director John Huston does a marvellous job of bringing the book to the screen, and I think this is the THIRD version of the story to be filmed!
This is one of those remakes that ensures the earlier versions are pretty much forgotten today.The snappy dialogue is some of the best and most memorable ever put on screen, so I'm not going to repeat it here; but the film creates its own dark world full of shady characters always out to keep Spade from getting close to the truth.
This is a riveting story of a private detective named Sam Spade (played by Bogart) whose partner gets murdered but at first no one even knows who did it.
There is a lot of top notch performances especially from Humphrey Bogart,Peter Lorre,Sydney Greenstreet (in his film debut),and Mary Astor.
John Huston's first film, The Maltese Falcon, from Dashell Hammiet's novel, makes itself a classic on the first watch with two things- great story development and a great lead/breakthrough.
Most of the people who have seen this film argue that it is not understandable how the private detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) arrived to his conclusions, finding out the real guilty people of the murder of his partner.
This is one of Bogart's three best performances (Casablanca and the big sleep are close) and some of his scenes are among the best in movie history.Second, the script, written by the director John Huston based on the great author dashiell Hammett book.The dialogue moves a hundred miles an hour and is one of the top five dialogues you will ever see.The camera work is brilliant, between the setups of the shots, the camera movement, the lighting and the use of space.The pace of this film is what sets it apart from 99.9 percent of movies you will ever see.
It is a world where Sam Spade feels comfortable, making strategic moves in a game with ever-changing rules.Two other actors grace this film with their classic portrayals: Sydney Greenstreet as Kasper Gutman, and Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo.
I liked THE MALTESE FALCON and think it's a very good example of Warner Brothers Film Noir.
Maltese Falcon, The (1942) **** (out of 4)One of the all time great mysteries has Humphrey Bogart playing Private Detective Sam Spade.
By the time Huston came along, cinema was acquiring a brutal honesty and his version is far closer to the original story than the previous two adaptations.Whatever its noir credentials, the Maltese Falcon also works as a great piece of entertainment.
It isn't the worst thing in the world, it has some good scenes, but I don't think it's the best of classic Hollywood, nor of film noir, nor even of Humphrey bogart (see 'The Big Sleep', 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre' etc.).
But it nonetheless features some impressively staged camera-work & tight editing which makes sure every scene has a role to play.Coming to the performances, The Maltese Falcon packs in a dependable cast in Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet & others and everyone is very poised in their given roles.
The film is at its best when the screen is shared by Bogart & Greenstreet and for that alone, The Maltese Falcon is worth a watch..
After watch Casablanca and seeing what a great job Humphrey Bogart did he did in that film, he killed it with the Maltese Falcon. |
tt0382628 | Dark Water | Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) and her daughter Ceci -Cecelia- (Ariel Gade) move to a flat in a condominium because of Dahlia's impending divorce. They go to live to Roosevelt Island, a neighbourhood in New York. Because her soon-to-be-ex-husband Kyle (Dougray Scott) rejects the new school and the new surroundings, it looks that the proceedings for Ceci's custody are turning nasty. The mediators (Bill Buell and Linda Emond) feel that Ceci would be the most damaged person at the end of the divorce, regardless of whom the custody's winner will turn out to be eventually. Dahlia and Ceci live on the ninth floor. Dahlia tries to keep her routines, reading children's books to Ceci before going to bed, taking her to school, etc. However, she keeps on getting splitting headaches and has to take heavy medication. The condo has laundry facilities in the basement and a rude clerk called Veeck (Pete Postlethwaite) who is always complaining about everything but not doing much.Pretty soon, Dahlia finds herself exhausted. She needs to keep her job to pay her bills, her mother (Elina Löwensohn) disapproves of her life and finds herself worried about Dahlia's psychological strength. When Dahlia first took a look at the flat, she didn't notice that there was a damp stain in a bedroom, but later on, when she and Ceci are already living there, it becomes a huge problem. They also begin to hear strange noises coming from the other side of the walls, The flat is badly-lit, the same as the dilapitated corridors or the dark basement. The clerk promises to call in a plumber.Two teenaged boys are making mayhem around the flat. They are almost always together and they are considered vandals. One of them even makes a sexual remark to Dahlia when they found her on the basement preparing a washing machine full of clothes. However, they leave , and Dahlia is alone when she turns on the washing machine. It doesn't seem to work properly so she starts another one. She hears strange noises, the water inside the washing machine turns nasty brown and Dahlia thinks that there is a girl inside the washing machine. She pulls the lid until the machine's door opens, but later, when she realises that there is nobody inside, she blames it on a prank played by the two teenaged boys.Ceci has been unable to make friends in her new school, so she starts playing with her imaginary friend, Natasha. Dahlia tries not to worry, but the weight of the world on her shoulders starts to take its toll. The clerk says that Ceci must have seen/heard Natasha, the little girl who lives in the 10th floor with her father. After the incident in the laudromat, Dahlia sees the red Hello Kittly schoolbag named after Natasha. When Ceci gives it back to the clerk, he just throws it away again.Jeff Platzer (Tim Roth) is Dahlia's lawyer. He seems to live in his car, all on his own. However, when Dahlia calls him in panic a Sunday evening, he says to her that he is taking his family to the cinema and that he will call on Dahlia the next day. Cue to him, all by himself in the gritty cinema.Dahlia talks to Ceci and tells her to stop playing with her invisible friend. Later, at school, Ceci is making a drawing of herself and her mother in front of the home. It looks like an invisible force is forcing her to paint on top of the drawing, so that everything becomes a blurred disaster. Ceci gets annoyed and shouts to the invisible energy to stop it. The teacher (Camryn Manheim), sees that Ceci is having a kind of nervous breakdown. She takes Ceci to the bathroom so that she can wash her hands. There, muddy water goes out from all the taps, and Ceci encloses herself within a toilet cubicle. A dark-haired girl in a red coat walks by, splashing on the watery floor.The teacher (Camryn Manheim) phones Dahlia, who arrives all wet from the heavy rain. She is told that Ceci got dizzy and fainted in the bathroom.Kyle accuses Dahlia of being unstable and a bad influence for Ceci. Platzer asks Dahlia whether there is anything real in all those accusations, and Dahlia talks about her headaches. Platzer takes the matter on his own hands, as he seems to feel that Dahlia is about to have a breakdown. He phones the owner of the building, Mr Murray (John C. Reilly), who seems really upset when he notices the level of damage made by the water coming from the 10th floor. Murray promises that a plumber will arrive the following day. Next day, the plumber says that the pipes themselves are not the problem, as there was no leakage to begin with.Dahlia decides to take her fears seriously and investigate the matter. She goes up to the 10th floor, but nobody lives there anymore.On the 10th floor there lived a family of Russians. They were a disfunctional family: the mother was an alcoholic, but their only young child, Natasha (Perla Harney-Hardine), was nice and welcoming. The mother checked herself into rehab, leaving Natasha with her father. The father returned to Russia, taking for granted that Natasha was with her mother. The child was abandoned by both parents, so one day, when on the rooftop, she walked up the ladder to the big reservoir and drowned in it. It seems that the clerk knew about it, but he refused to do anything about the matter, because after all, it was not his job. Instead, he just stopped taking care of the reservoir, and that was why Dahlia's apartment was getting flooded again and again.Dahlia peers inside the reservoir. She immediately spots Natasha's corpse. Natasha opens her eyes and tries to take Dahlia inside, but Dahlia leaves the place and phones the police. The police arrest Veeck, but there is no way to prove that either of Natasha's parents killed her, and Veeck is probably only guilty of not having phoned the police when he realised that Natasha was dead.Once that the ordeal seems to be over, Dahlia talks to Kyle. She proposes to reach an agreement over Ceci's custody and live closer to Kyle. Kyle is overjoyed to hear it. Dahlia intends to leave the condo in only a week... for good.That night, Dahlia prepares a bath with bubbles for Ceci. Dahlia leaves Ceci in the bath and talks on the phone to her mum. Dahlia is having her bath playing with a blue doll. When Dahlia is about to take Ceci out of the bath the girl is already in the living room, wrapped in a robe. Dahlia starts reading a children's book to her, when suddenly she realises that it is Natasha, not Ceci.Dahlia has to break down the bathroom door. Natasha is trying to drown Ceci. To save her daughter, Dahlia offers to take care of Natasha forever. The bathroom becomes flooded.The police are in the building again. They think that Dahlia has committed suicide. Kyle picks Ceci up, and takes her to his home. When they are in the lift, they become stranded. At that moment, the ghost of Dahlia talks to Ceci, combs her hair and tells her that if she has a problem in the future Dahlia would be in the building waiting and that she would help her. Meanhwile, Ceci leaves the building happily, and Dahlia stays to take care of Natasha. | suspenseful, horror, flashback | train | imdb | Not only is the original Japanese version not that scary to begin with, and focuses more on the drama and the human aspects of the story, but in the remake, the horror element completely gets thrown out the window in favor of an intelligent, mature human drama.
I have never posted a review on this site, but I feel that I should inform some people on "Dark Water".This is NOT a horror film.Yes,it's being marketed that way but it's not.This is a drama about a mother and daughter trying to make it on their own with a bit of a ghostly twist.Jennifer Connelly is amazing and has become one of my favorite actresses.In this,she is strong and fragile.She almost made me cry once or twice as she tried to hold things together and convince herself that she is not crazy.The little girl playing her daughter is sublime;The next dakota fanning maybe.
This film is slow paced,there are NO big scares,no blood-just tension and mystery under the surface.The pace brings you to really care about the characters and not root for dahlia because it's Jennifer Connelly,but because it's Dahlia.It has one of the saddest yet hopeful endings I've seen in a while.This stands head and shoulders above "The Ring" (which I liked) and "The Grudge".Give it a try if you're looking for a good drama..
Of all the recent remakes of Japanese horror films, I have to say that Dark Water is the only remake that actually surpasses the original.
If you go into Dark Water expecting something more akin to Rosemary's Baby or a Hitchcock thriller, you might just end up enjoying this film.As far as comparing this remake to the original, I will say that I felt that Jennifer Connelly was a much more compelling character than the mother in the original movie.
Their A.D.D.-addled brains couldn't sit still long enough to decipher the complex plot points or to appreciate good character-building (something sorely lacking from movies nowadays.) Comparing this movie to "The Ring" is like comparing "Godfather" to "Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer." The movies are in two completely separate genres.I blame the marketing department.
Jennifer Connelly is superb as always, but the young daughter is quite skilled as well, and I expect to see her more often in the future.I won't get into specifics, but the ending is something I really wasn't looking for.As I left the theater, all the adults (most of whom didn't know each other) were talking about what a great movie it was as we filed out the doors.
Her presence makes any movie that much more enjoyable.I'm not into the Japanese converted thriller/horror movies and enjoyed the fact that Dark Water was more interesting and plot developing than thrilling.
Where Salles succeeds in this adaptation of the original Japanese film by Kôji Suzuki (novel) and Hideo Nakata (director) is his concentration on developing interesting and strange people, characters with whom we can identify and thus whose encounters with the 'unknown' feel more intensely internal.The story has been related ad infinitum: Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) and her daughter Cecelia (Ariel Gade) move from Manhattan away from her recently estranged husband Kyle (Dougray Scott) to a creaky apartment building on Roosevelt Island to the benefit of real estate agent Mr. Murray (John C.
With that said though, I have a bone to pick with this movie.Dark Water has set itself up as a 'ghost' horror movie, and thus attracted an audience who expected to see blood, gore, chase scenes, a creepy ghost, and maybe even a naked Jennifer.
Dark Water has none of these things, except the ghost, who is actually a small part of the movie.What this movie should have advertised was a mother struggling after a divorce...a woman unable to escape the demons of her childhood...a ~mystery~ only she can solve, brought to her attention by the ghost of a child whose life clearly mirrored her own past before it was tragically ended...and a daughter caught in the middle of it all.
It may have even impressed those who weren't originally interested (Fathers/Sons/Boyfriends getting dragged along) as they wouldn't have expected gooey, gory, bloody things only to be let down.Anyway, I tend to be a little more open-minded, so though Dark Water wasn't what I expected I still found it very enjoyable.
This is the most effective drama thriller with elements of lets say survivor horror that i seen in a long time.Jennifer Connelly acts superb,she is became with this movie one one my favorite actors.Also the story is original and if you watch it at night after midnight like i did,you will get the full concept of how this movie is great.Drama element are her so sad and real that it seam that is better not to have children in this cruelly lonely place that we call world.
"Dark Water" is a remake of a Japanese horror film.
No matter what they do, the dark water keeps coming back, and the ghost of the young girl who lived there begins to visit Dahlia and Ceci, and is jealous of Ceci because her mother abandoned her.I liked the story to this film, even though it's a remake.
Jennifer Connelly was completely perfect in her role, playing the woman who has all too many problems - a bitter divorce, bad memories from her own childhood and her mother, and on top of that the ghost of a little girl is terrorizing she and her daughter.
Overall, "Dark Water" is a suspenseful, scary, all around good movie.
I wasn't ready for that kind of cinematic experience,the film isn't clearly a thriller.Its more about a struggle of a mother with a child against todays state of loneliness.A state that keeps us all constantly in a cage-like apartment.This film is clearly about this struggle that lasts for most of us all life long.Thats the reason why this film is meant to be liked i think,of course the plot develops slow but thats the way life goes and the art is only imitating life:-)Jennifer is a great actress,the whole story depends on her acting,so thats another reason why you must see this film,don't expect a typical Hollywood blockbuster!This is truly a great story and a more that classic film......
The film is a bit slow to start but gets more interesting as the custody battle between the parents becomes more strong and confusing, and the audience have to grasp with Dahlia's rightful concern of her daughter or her delusional paranoia brought on by a troubled past and stubborn migraines which I think were very well portrayed, the sound effects and emotions on Connely's face were very well portrayed, I could really feel the pain she is going through.
The only thing I could complain about and in my opinion make the film better *possible spoiler following* is when Dahlia is asleep next to her daughter and she has the nightmare about going up to the apartment 10F upstairs and sees her mother/herself/Natascha's mother in the bathroom, although well done I think was slightly confusing, and on my region 2 DVD on the bonus features there is an alternate sequence for this called "Wall of Water" which was very impressive, showing Natascha summoning water to cascade down her wall like a waterfall into Dahlia's apartment, and to Dahlia's despair downstairs, her acting is serene in this scene and the use of CGI is superb, I only wish this scene was included in the final cut.
With it's pointless shocks, boring "extra" story lines and dull dreary look, made we wonder why I was so excited to see the remake of 'Dark Water'.This time I had seen the original 'Dark Water' (Honogurai mizu no soko kara), and though it wasn't a world beater nor very scary, it did tug my heart strings and I was curious to see just how much of a mess Hollywood had made of this remake.
'Dark Water' is a wonderful adaption of the film and is actually right up there with the original Japanese version.
'Dark Water' is an extremely hard film (like 'Ring') to act in with the psychological confusion that has to be made clear in her character.
Connelly played her role to perfection and did a better job then any woman has in any Hollywood horror movie in a long time.
She was the original choice to play Rachel Keller in 'The Ring', so it's nice to see her in another Hideo Nakata horror remake (and a better one of that).I was also very impressed by Ariel Gade who played Dahlia's daughter, Ceci.
A rare talent in someone so young is rare to find and I think she was perfectly cast as Ceci.Walter Salles, unlike Gore Verbinski, knew what was expected of 'Dark Water' to make it an equal to it's original.
It didn't drag and it didn't for once make me think, "This is boring!" The storyline had only been edited for the good of a Western audience and it didn't patronize us with answers and explanations.With never a dull moment, Jennifer Connelly and Ariel Gade lead a tale of a mother and a daughter, wounded by recent divorce, trying to find a home they can afford.
Based on a novel by Koji Suzuki ("The Ring"), director Walter Salles ("High Art") hands us a flat, uninspired, at times boring rendition of the traditional Hollywood genre.Despite a nice cast and excellent performances by Jennifer Connelly (looking unhealthily thin), John C.
Dark Water is another one of those slow PG-13, atmospheric and creepy ghost stories in the vein of The Ring and the Grudge, and like those two, it is worthwhile.The film certainly has flaws, but it is also clever and has some great drama.
I don't know if I was ever as bored in a movie theater before today.The story (based on a tired formulaic novel by Japanese hack Koji Suzuki), follows Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) and her daughter, Ceci (Ariel Gade).
I do not blame the cast, as they all did a good job, but sometimes a movie is just bad for other reasons such as story, lack of mood, and no real scares considering this is supposed to be horror.
You may want to check it out if you like a really mild thriller, but otherwise if you are looking for scares, alas there are very few of them (actually I would say there are none) I would avoid this movie and wait for the next Japanese horror turned American remake or see something of ours that isn't rated pg-13 and can put ya to sleep.
Director:Salles and Screenwriter:Rafael Yglesias (Fearless, Les Misérables "1998", From Hell) remained faithful to the original film by adding more character development by the supporting cast and changing certain plot points or suspense from the 2002 movie.
But Connelly's excellent performance and an top supporting cast makes this remake work.DVD is the original theatrical cut to the movie.
My girl friend after viewing Dark Water, looked over at me and said, "Do you think I could get a refund on the last two hours of my life?" I think it's time to step up to the plate and start putting out some quality horror/supernatural films.
If it's not very scary, I didn't mind.I loved Jennifer Connelly in the leading role, she is fantastic as single mom Dahlia Williams, who moves into a crappy (and creepy) apartment with her daughter (Ariel Gade).
Reilly is great as the Realtor who would do anything to get his property sold, and there's Pete Postlethwaite's performance as the maintenance guy who you know is hiding something from the beginning.The ending is touching and sad, and Connelly's performance enhances it even more.Dark Water is an excellent, very underrated film.
The astonishing thing is that DARK WATER is a brilliant little film; in this instance I haven't seen the original Japanese movie, but I don't see how it could improve on this.The movie works because it's about people; it's a human drama with real-life characters in situations that almost anybody can identify with.
The original "Dark Water" was one of the better Asian horror movies.
The good thing of this remake is the presence of Jennifer Connelly, of whom I am a great fan, and the young actress Ariel Gade, with an excellent performance.
After seeing a lot of the garbage that has come out in the scary movie genre recently, I was very surprised to find that "Dark Water", which did not get many stellar reviews, was truly a movie worth the four dollars I paid to rent it.This film follows in the footsteps of other Japanese remake horror films that the US has been putting out recently.
I very much enjoyed Dark Water - and on two levels: the dynamics between the characters, and the thrilling aspect.It's not particularly scary (and, I must admit, I prefer scary films that are actually scary), but it seems to me that it was marketed as a horror (at least in the UK), whereas it is clearly a slow-burning thriller.
I liked Dark Water because it isn't just a stupid horror movie,.
I did not see the original Japanese movie of which Dark Water is a remake but I found this remake set in the creepiest apartment building on the Roosevelt Island, NY imaginable, a very underrated, good on its own merits and certainly worth watching drama/psychological thriller with the elements of supernatural thriller.
This is really the only thing i can say about this movie, but i need a bit more to submit this - so here goes: When i watched the original version of Dark Water, i actually enjoyed it, even though it wasn't that scary, compared to a few films that have actually given me a scare whilst watching them on a windy night at 2:00am in my bedroom with the curtains open ( to actually feel scared whilst watching excellent films such as The Exorcist and Ringu).
The director takes his time setting up the movie (drawing out divorce, custody hearings, looking through the apartment for a good 20 min., walking around the halls, riding in the elevator, going to school, among many other things), and then when you finally care about what is happening, it is like he slams the book shut and leaves you disappointed.
I am not normally inclined to see horror movies, but I am a fan of Jennifer Connelly and figured that if she would choose to be in this film it must be good.
Not since Mike Nichols liberally used water as an ambivalent motif in The Graduate has water had such a psychological impact as it does in Dark Water, a thriller that abundantly uses horror story techniques but goes further to expose the tender nerve endings of a single mom, Dahlia, caught in a cheap Roosevelt Island apartment that drenches her and her young daughter, Ceci, incessantly both inside and out with leaking ceilings and flooding floors that promise drowning both real and figurative.Outside the obligatory ghost, incompetent apartment super, and conflicted dad lies the awful reality of vulnerable women being forced to live in substandard housing, dangerous to health because separation leaves separating wife and husband with no means to do better.
In addition, I already watched the original "Dark Water (2002)" and really hated it (it had good atmosphere, but I found it very boring and the plot to be silly and predictable).Unlike many remakes, this movie is actually much better than its origin (in my opinion, of course).
It works more like a psychological thriller.There is a very good acting by the entire cast: Jennifer Connelly is gorgeous as ever and really carries the movie - she is very convincing, even in the more-clichéd situations; Pete Postlethwaite and John C.
Reilly are both good as the sleazy guys; Camryn Manheim (from "Happiness") behaves like she's been a teacher for years; Ariel Gade is surprisingly good for a 7-year old in her second feature film; And I didn't even recognize Tim Roth as the lawyer who runs his office from the car.Director Walter Salles and writer Rafael Yglesias did a good job in avoiding many of the cheesy horror movies tricks and creating good atmosphere.
Gauzed in the razor-thin sheen of a classy ghost story (like some many recent films revolving around a dead little girl ), "Dark Water" is really about coping with being abandoned by your mother...a depressing real life horror many children face.
The movie starts off by showing a mother Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) and her daughter Ceci (Ariel Gade) as they struggle through a divorce and move into a new apartment in Staten Island.
This is where the mystery begins as it seems like someone still lives in the apartment above where the water is leaking from.Right off the bat, I have to say without Jennifer Connelly, this film would have really sucked.
But I can safely say this film is the best of all films like this that follow the same story.So to wrap everything up, if you want a fresh and original movie then your not going to get it when you see "Dark Water", however, if want to see a suspense thriller that actually contains suspense and good performances then you might want to check this film out.
It is not a horror film nor is there blood and guts.Don't necessarily expect the happiest ending in the world and enjoy the brilliant acting of Jennifer Connelly and direction of Walter Salle.
"Dark Water" is a film of several layers of understanding, a horror movie that happens inside the head of the characters, a game of suspicion and discovering AND a realistic divorce story.
Ariel Gade, who played Ceci, did a great job and will probably be successful if she continues acting.If your looking for a scary horror story, go watch the original film. |
tt0076028 | Final Chapter: Walking Tall | Picking up where Part 2: Walking Tall left off, this movie begins with Buford (Bo Svenson) remembering the ambush that killed his wife. One year has passed, and Buford still has a hard time dealing with it. He goes to his wife's grave and breaks down, telling her that if he had listened to her about not being sheriff, she would still be alive.Buford then goes to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation wanting to know why John Witter (Logan Ramsey) (the mobster who ordered the ambush) is not in jail. Buford is told that there is nothing that can be done since they have no case against him. Pinky Dobson is paralyzed and his girlfriend retracted her statement implicating Witter. Buford then goes to see his friend, attorney Lloyd Tatum (Sandy McPeak) and asks if this is the case. Lloyd tells Buford that it's just the way the law reads, and he will have to be patient and let the TBI do their job.John Witter is now in New York, and tells his boss (Morgan Woodward) that he will settle things with Buford once and for all. The boss tells Witter that he should face the fact that Pusser beat him, and let it be at that. There isn't any prostitution, stills or gambling left in McNairy County, and the boss doesn't want back in. Witter is told that due to his mistakes, he must cede 25% of his territory, which WItter says he doesn't have to accept, but the boss tells him he will.Meanwhile, Buford and Grady (Bruce Glover) are staking out a still being run by O.Q. Teal (Clay Tanner) and his brother Udell(Michael Allen Honacker). Buford witnesses O.Q.beating his son Robby (David Adams), and intervenes. He takes Robby to the car and tells Grady to entertain him while he deals with O.Q. Buford orders O.Q. to drop his trousers and proceeds to give him the same kind of beating he gave his son. They then depart, blasting the still as they leave. Buford takes Robby to a foster home, and returns to the office to find a telephone message from Luan Paxton (Margaret Blye) a prostitute who helped Buford get rid of the state line gang. Buford arrives at the motel and upon seeing Luan, asks her if she is still hooking. He is surprised when she tells him that she is on her way to the gulf coast and works in real estate.Buford arrives at home and his father, Carl (Forrest Tucker) tells him that his tax situation is bad due to all the expenditures he incurred while sheriff. Buford says he will ask the county for a raise after reelection. Carl asks Buford if he really wants to remain sheriff despite all the pain it has caused, and Buford says its the only thing he knows how to do.Buford arrives at his office the next morning to find O.J. Teal's lawyer, French (Taylor Lacher) waiting. French shows Buford the pictures taken of O.Q. after the beating that Buford inflicted on him. French wants Buford to drop the charges against O.Q. and in return he will not file police brutality charges. Buford declines to which French reminds him that the office of sheriff is up for election soon.Buford has a meeting with Sheriff Clegg (Lecile Harris) from Hardin County. Sheriff Clegg wants Buford to check out a new club called the 3 Deuces. The club is in an area that no county claims, and Buford is reluctant to involve himself, since he will be up for reelection soon, but reluctantly agrees. As they are talking, some boys steal Bufords car and go for a joy ride. Buford and Sheriff Clegg give chase, and finally catch them. Buford takes them into custody, handcuffs them to each other and has them clean up the courthouse lawn. French sees this, and confronts Buford about their civil rights. Buford says that the alternative, detention hall and a police record would be a lot worse. One of the witnesses watching the boys at the courthouse places a phone call to John Witter filling him in on everything that happened. Witter believes he can use this against Pusser on election day.Pusser goes to the 3 Deuces bar, and is surprised to see Luan there. Angry that she is still a prostitute, he offers her money, which Bulow (H.B. Haggerty) the bar manager sees. After Buford leaves, Bulow confronts Luan, and tortures her. Witter's boss is angry that Witter opened the 3 Deuces without his consent, and orders him to shut it down.With the election coming up, Lloyd tells Buford that French has mounted a good campaign against him, and that there will be a citizens meeting, and wants Buford to attend. Buford is reluctant believing that his presence will prevent people from speaking their minds. Buford finally concedes, and agrees to attend. As the meeting is set to begin, Buford gets a radio call from Sheriff Clegg that they have found a dead body, Buford departs before the meeting starts. Lloyd speaks on behalf of Buford, reminding the residents that Buford put his life on the line to make McNairy County safe. French then speaks, and says that the time is passed for the type of law enforcement that Buford administers. Buford arrives at the scene, and sees that the dead body is that of Luan. He angrily leaves for the 3 Deuces. Once there, he storms in, orders everyone to leave, and starts busting up the place. Milo and his thugs fight with Buford, and defeated, they leave. Buford then goes back to his car, gets a flare gun, and fires shots into the windows, proceeding to burn down the 3 Deuces.Election day comes, and the next day Buford is informed by his dad that he lost in his bid for reelection. John Witter returns home elated that Pusser lost the election, and is ready to do business again. He is told that it might be hard to do. Buford has lunch with his secretary Joan(Libby Boone) and tells her that he will run for reelection in two years. She asks him what he will do in the meantime, and he says he has applied for the highway patrol. Buford's parents are beginning to worry about Buford's situation, and their own finances since the lumber mill they owned is no longer in operation.Buford is now earning some money fixing up old cars and selling them. While in town, O.Q. Teal and his brother, now out of jail, see Bufords car and finding Buford's stick in the front seat, begin smashing it. Buford confronts O.Q. and his brother and knocks them out. The new sheriff (R.D. Smith) arrives, and believes Buford is causing trouble. Since no one is willing to witness the confrontation, Lloyd does, and presses charges against the Teals. The sheriff apologizes, but tells Buford not to cause any more trouble.Carl has a talk with Buford and says that he had to borrow money from Buford's brother to help pay their bills. Buford then goes to his wife's grave and says that he doesn't know that to do. Buford's daughter Dwana (Dawn Lyn) shows up and reassures him that everything will be alright.Mel Bascum (John Malby), a movie producer, sees a news story about Buford, and is impressed at what he sees. He goes to Buford with a movie deal, which Buford is reluctant to sign since it will require filming the ambush that killed his wife. Buford seeks Lloyd for advice, and signs the deal, seeing that it will solve his financial situation. Buford acts as technical consultant and when the movie premiers in 1973, Buford is nervous. When the ambush scene comes, he is overcome with emotion and walks out of the movie.Witter is angered at the publicity that the movie has generated, and his boss tells him to leave it alone. Buford purchases mini bikes for his children, much to his mother's (Lurene Tuttle) dismay. She asks him if he plans to spoil his children, and he replies "I hope so".Two years later, Buford has dinner with Joan, and tells her that he still plans to run for sheriff. He also tells her that he did a screen test in Hollywood, and will play himself in the next movie 'Part 2'. With part of the money he gets, Buford buys himself a new car (Corvette). The children are going to the state fair, and Buford has to meet with the movie execs.That same night Buford returns, and as he parks his car, he is seen by Johnny (Robert Phillips), one of the goons from the 3 Deuces. Buford enjoys the evening with his daughter, telling her "good times are just beginning". Dwana asks to ride home with her friend, to which Buford agrees. Witter calls his boss saying he is ready to do business again. The Boss hangs up, and orders a hit on Witter.While driving home, Buford's car suddenly goes out of control and runs off the road and crashes, Buford being thrown clear. The car then bursts into flames. Minutes later, Dwana arrives at the scene and breaks down at the sight of her father laying dead beside the burning car. The movie closes with a shot of the marker at the actual site where Buford Pusser died. The true nature of his fatal car accident remains a mystery. | violence | train | imdb | In a nutshell about how the first film came to be..
Did any of the "Rocky" sequels truly match the first one?
Of course not.
This could be said of this The Final Chapter and Walking Tall Part Two as well.
A substantial portion of this picture is about how Buford Pusser becomes nationally known as a result of the original film..
A Great Finsh To The Pusser Story.
TITLE: Walking Tall Final Chapter was release on August 8, 1977 and it was 112 minutes long.
Bo Svenson, Lurene Tuttle, and Forrest Tucker.
The film was directed by Jack Starrett.
The film opened in the US on May 31, 1977.
The on-screen title of the movie is "Final Chapter Walking Tall." Bo Svenson, Lurene Tuttle, and Forrest Tucker.
Walking Tall: Final Chapter is the third installment of the Walking Tall film series.
Walking Tall: Final Chapter is the third installment of the Walking Tall film series.
SUMMARY: The movie begins with Buford (Bo Svenson) remembering the ambush that killed his wife.
One year has passed, and Buford still has a hard time dealing with it.
He goes to his wife's grave and breaks down, telling her that if he had listened to her about not being sheriff, she would still be alive.
Buford then goes to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation wanting to know why John Witter (Logan Ramsey) (who ordered the ambush) is not in jail.
Buford is told that there is nothing that can be done since they have no case against him.
Pinky Dobson is paralyzed and his girlfriend retracted her statement implicating Witter.
Buford then goes to see his friend, attorney Lloyd Tatum (Sandy McPeak) and asks if this is the case.
Lloyd tells Buford that it's just the way the law reads, and he will have to be patient and let the TBI do their job.
John Witter is now in New York, and tells his boss (Morgan Woodward) that he will settle things with Buford finally.
The boss tells Witter that he should face the fact that Pusser beat him, and let it be at that.
There isn't any prostitution, stills or gambling left in McNairy County, and the boss doesn't want back in.
Witter is told that due to his mistakes, he must cede 25% of his territory, which Witter says he doesn't have to accept, but the boss tells him he will.
Meanwhile Buford and Grady (Bruce Glover) are staking out a still being run by O.Q. Teal (Clay Tanner) and his brother Udell (Michael Allen Honacker).
Buford witnesses O.Q. beating his son Robby (David Adams), and intervenes.
He takes Robby to the car and tells Grady to entertain him while he deals with O.Q. Buford orders O.Q. to drop his trousers and proceeds to give him the same kind of beating he gave his son.
They then depart, blasting the still as they leave.
Buford takes Robby to a foster home, and returns to the office to find a telephone message from Luan Paxton (Margaret Blye) a prostitute who helped Buford get rid of the state line gang.
Buford arrives at the motel and upon seeing Luan, asks her if she is still hooking.
He is surprised when she tells him that she is on her way to the gulf coast and works in real estate.
Buford arrives at home and his dad, Carl (Forrest Tucker) tells him that his tax situation is bad due to all the expenditures he incurred while sheriff.
Buford says he will ask the county for a raise after reelection.
Carl asks Buford if he really wants to remain sheriff despite all the pain it has caused, and Buford says it's the only thing he knows how to do.
Buford arrives at his office the next morning to find O.J. Teal's lawyer, French (Taylor Lacher) waiting.
French shows Buford the pictures taken of O.Q. after the beating that Buford inflicted on him.
French wants Buford to drop the charges against O.Q. and in return he will not file police brutality charges.
Buford declines to which French reminds him that the office of sheriff is up for election soon.
Buford has a meeting with Sheriff Clegg (Lecile Harris) from Hardin County.
Sheriff Clegg wants Buford to check out a new club called the 3 Deuces.
The club is in an area that no county claims, and Buford is reluctant to involve him, since he will be up for reelection soon, but reluctantly agrees.
As they are talking, some boys steal Bufords car and go for a joy ride.
Buford and Sheriff Clegg give chase, and finally catch them.
Buford takes them into custody, handcuffs them to each other, and has them clean up the courthouse lawn.
French sees this, and confronts Buford about their civil rights.
Buford says that the alternative, detention hall and a police record would be a lot worse.
One of the witnesses watching the boys at the courthouse places a phone call to John Witter filling him in on everything that happened.
Witter believes he can use this against Pusser on Election Day. Pusser goes to the 3 Deuces bar, and is surprised to see Luan there.
Angry that she is still a prostitute, he offers her money, which Bulow (H.B. Haggerty) the bar manager sees.
After Buford leaves, Bulow confronts Luan, and tortures her.
QUESTIONS: Why did Buford run for reelection?
Did Buford really think he was going to win?
On the other hand, Buford run for reelection because he didn't know how to do anything else?
Why are Buford parent's beginning to worry?
Why was Buford fixing up old cars and then selling them?
What happen to Buford's car?
Were there any witness?
Why did Buford visit his wife's grave?
Why did Dwana show up at here's mom grave?
Who contacts Buford about a story?
Why is Buford reluctant to sign a contract?
Why did Buford seek help from Lloyd?
MY THOUGHTS: I give this movie 8 weasel stars because of the suspense that keeps watching the picture and the action..
Not enough story to justify a movie.
They had pretty much run out of story by the end of the second film, so making a movie with what was left was kind of redundant.
Yet they somehow manage to stretch what was left to an unbelievable length (116 minutes), a lot of which is made of endless and unnecessary footage of people walking from one place to another.
A competent editor would have been able to prune not only this filler, but a lot of scenes that don't do anything to the plot, or start subplots that go nowhere.There was promise in the sequence when Pusser sells his life story to the big screen (including when Pusser tells why he is reluctant to do so) but they don't spend much time in this sequence.
If you don't care about this, and just want to see Pusser swing his bat at heads, you should know there isn't much of that this time around.
Most of the movie is just people talking, and it's not interesting talk.
If you know what happened to Pusser, then there's no reason for you to see this movie..
Stick with the original..
You don't have to agree with its message to enjoy the first "Walking Tall".
Certainly not as violent as the "Dirty Harry" pictures, but just as unsubtle, it was a powerful movie with a totally convincing, appropriately square performance by Joe Don Baker.
The first sequel, in which Baker was replaced by Bo Svenson, was a boring, by-the-numbers follow-up, with none of the force of the original.
The second sequel is even worse; talky and drab, it exploits (in an almost cannibalistic way) the first movie by lifting and recreating the most famous sequences from it.
There are a few good moments (when Pusser picks up his trusty bat), but they are very scarce..
NOT HALF AS GOOD AS " WALKING TALL ".
This movie was good.....but i suggest you see the original.(Walking Tall) I find that this movie shows Buford Pusser as just a fantasy movie character, and not the real tennessee sheriff he was.
Bo Svenson was terrible as the role of Sheriff Buford.
Why didn't Joe Don Baker act in the final two?
They probably would have been alot better if he were in them..
OK this movie should be in the bottom 100.
The first movie in the series what fantastic and the second was just horrible because they change the actors a little bit and now the 3rd movie in the series is just horrible.The first movie in the series had a lot to tell about Bufford Pusser's life and the second in the series had just had few thing that really happened to Bufford but not enough to make it interesting and now the 3rd movie in the series is just horrible worst then the second one and this one doesn't tell anything real about Bufford life except for when he died at the end.If anyone if planning on watching this movie you should not watch this one and just watch the first in the series its more interesting then this one.Please don't waste your time watching this movie go on and make coffee instead..
He's not going down without a fight.
The Final Chapter Walking Tall.
The Final Chapter Walking Tall.
Is perhaps the most fictionalized chapter in the series Bo Svenson once again picks up the big stick.
The film goes into detail as it's one year to the day Pauline Died and Buford is still fighting his war.Buford is filled with gulit and remorse.
If he had not been Sheriff his wife would still be alive.
But Buford only knows one thing and that's action.
He continues his war and dries up the county and breaks the back of the state line mob.
Soon Re Election comes up and Buford is voted out of office.
It seems the people want change.
and Buford's violent war is something they want to put behind them.So Buford decides to fix cars up and sell them.
However some people have a hard time in accepting the fact that Buford is no longer sheriff and call him for help.
His enemies attack him.
And Buford tries to move on with his life.
A Hollywood producer sees a news story on Buford and decides to make a film based on Buford's life.
This leads to Buford helping out with the film in telling his story.
the end of the film comes with the tragic death of Buford Pusser just days before he was to step in front of the cameras to film Buford.
a film continuing his story.
A fitting end to the legend of Buford Pusser..
Good return to form.
Rough'n'tumble maverick sheriff Buford Pusser (a fine and credible performance by Bo Svenson) finds himself falling out of favor with the people in the small town he enforces the law in and faces an uncertain future after he's voted out of office.
Moreover, the local mob plot to take him out.Directed with trademark muscular aplomb by Jack Starrett, with a strong script by Howard B.
Kreitsek and Samuel A.
Peoples, an engrossing story that unfolds at a constant pace, a few potent moments of bloody'n'brutal violence, a tough serious tone, an interesting subtext concerning changing social mores and victims of progress, and several exciting and well-staged action set pieces, this film packs essentially the same fierce punch as the excellent original.
Furthermore, it's compelling to see Pusser try to do something else with his life besides being a lawman and eventually cutting a deal with Hollywood types who want to make a movie about his exploits because he desperately needs the money.Svenson gets to show a greater range of emotion this time out and rises well to that particular challenge.
In addition, there are sound supporting contributions from Forrest Tucker as Buford's hearty dad, Sandy McPeak as helpful lawyer buddy Lloyd Tatum, Logan Ramsey as slimy toad John Witter, Dawn Lynn as Buford's spunky daughter Dwana, Margaret Blythe as the sultry Luan, Libby Boone as smitten secretary Joan, H.
B. Haggerty as the brutish Bulo, and Morgan Woodward as fearsome bigwig the Boss.
Robert B.
Hauser's polished cinematography boasts the occasional snazzy visual flourish.
A worthy closer..
Like Davy Crockett, too good to kill off.
This turned out to be a false title because this film was not the Final Chapter: Walking Tall.
Like that other hero from Tennessee Davy Crockett, Buford Pusser was too powerful a hero to die, cinematically speaking.Still as in real life we find that the sheriff with the stick was not universally popular.
You take the approach he does to law enforcement and eventually people will fear you.
That was a plot in fact for two westerns with Richard Widmark, Warlock and Death Of A Gunfighter.
Pusser was in fact defeated for re-election.But news of his exploits in cleaning up his county and all the attempts on his life got him a Hollywood offer for his life story.
And then came the car crash that ended his life.I'll never understand why Joe Don Baker didn't do the sequels.
To this day it's the role people remember him for because he was so good in the part.
Bo Svensson for the rest of his life always came out second best even with more Walking Tall movie to his credit.
My best cinema memory of Svensson was as the guy employing Clint Eastwood's wife Marsha Mason in his joint in Heartbreak Ridge.This film maybe entitled Final Chapter, but it was by no means a fade to black for the Walking Tall hero Buford Pusser..
A dramatic alas predictable end.
This last chapter is better built than the second and hence has a better rhythm.
He is defeated in the election because he shows a high level of distance from the people.
He seems to consider it below him to come and discuss things with the public, the electors of the county in a public meeting.
Then of course he is a double or triple victim One, of the low life people he had chased and hunted down in his crusade against crime and they think they can finally get their revenge and they can trash his car or even attack him in the street or attack his family or the people he has relations with.
Two, of the new sheriff who has the tendency to consider him as a dangerous person and a trouble maker.
Three, of the real bad ones who know he does not have the protection his uniform could provide him with (cars, deputies, etc) and they come to the idea they can finally organize his end and go through untouched.
That will be his doom.
But the best part is his economic situation once he is no longer the sheriff.
He lives with his parents who are old and retired and live on a small pension.
He refuses to accept the job his brother in the north is proposing because he does not want to move.
He also refuses to accept the job the local lawyer is proposing: investigator for his special cases, because he feels it is charity.
He finally accepts the proposal of some Hollywood producer to make the film of his life and that brings him the end of his financial problems but also the multiplied desire to get even from the local traffickers, even against the advice of their own higher-ups.
This reveals how difficult it may be after you have been in the limelight of law enforcing in a small city.
The people reject you and even refuse to testify for you when you are attacked and your property is attacked by some local bullies or rough individuals.
The film also shows very well there is a change in the US at that time.
People after the worst criminal activity is gone, want to have a more peaceful and less visible law-enforcing police force.
But at the same time it represents the end of a generation of traffickers who also want to run things in a smoother way.
In other words US society in these early mid 70s, at the end of the Vietnam war, moved from the cult of sheer force to solve any problem to the understanding that a solution can only come if it is founded on some kind of peaceful consensus, even if that means accepting some kind of traffic provided it becomes non-violent, peaceful, and it respects some basic rules like paying taxes.
That's exactly what Buford Pusser did not understand.
Maybe he was right but at that time crime moved from the back woods of Tennessee to the dilapidated ethnic and poor suburban areas or ghettos of the big cities because the main traffic did not concern moon-shine whisky any more, an inheritance of Prohibition, but the new hard drugs like heroin and cocaine coming from Latin America.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines |
tt0107468 | M. Butterfly | Beijing, Red China, 1964. Mild-mannered Rene Gallimard, an accountant at the French embassy, watches captivated as Opera diva Song Liling sings a selection from 'Madame Butterfly'. Afterwards, he tells his wife Jeanne that Song Liling has opened his eyes to the beauty in the tragic tale, but Jeanne pours scorn on his romanticized western ideal of the submissive oriental woman. He tells Jeanne that the Chinese can't stand Madame Butterfly because "the white man gets the girl."Three weeks later, Rene musters the courage to visit the Opera again where he meets Song Liling backstage. Although he and Song only talk, he lies to his wife about his whereabouts. Song next entertains him in her parlor, a potentially scandalous action in a country "rooted 2,000 years in the past". When Rene kisses Song, she looks offended and asks him to leave. At Frau Bauden's party, Rene is accosted by angry embassy employees whose expenses he has refused. Song begins to write letters to Rene which he does not answer.Ambassador Toulon notes Rene's sudden personality change by stating: "you've become this new, aggressive, overconfident thing". He appoints Rene as Vice Consul, in charge of setting up a new intelligence-gathering operation to spy on the current Chinese authorities during Chairman Mao's so-called Cultural Revolution. Rene rushes off to Song, and demands to know if she's his butterfly. She shyly admits she is, although to protect her modesty, she insists on remaining clothed as they make love, watched by the prying eyes of Song's maid. Rene and Song's courtship continues secretly with a trip to the Great Wall.Some time later, the ambassador asks Rene Gallimard's opinion on the current conflict in Vietnam and of China's involvement it for his report. He tells the ambassador that the Americans must show strength, as the Oriental will always bow to a superior force. Song is revealed to be a double agent as she begins to feed Rene misinformation, and relays his comments on American troop movements to local Party official Comrade Chin, who is disgusted to find American movie-star magazines in her parlor. Song counters with saying "I'm trying my best to become somebody else."At another one of Frau Bauden's parties, Rene embarks on an "extra extra-marital affair" with Song. On his next visit to Song, he demands to see her naked. She tells him that she is pregnant and she must go to her parents village, as is the custom, from which she will bring him back a son. He is delighted. Song then goes to her handler, Chin, and requests a male Chinese baby with blond hair as part of her cover.Some months later, Rene Gallimard views a Red Guard demonstration with the burning of opera costumes. The ambassador advises caution, as they have become a powerful movement. Song visits Rene with their "son". He proposes marriage, but she is marched away by Red Guard militia who have declared all artists criminals under the Cultural Revolution. Rene is told by the Chinese authorities that he is being deported back to France for wrongly analyzing the Chinese and Vietnamese political situations. On a last visit, Rene finds Song's courtyard quarters full of peasants. Meanwhile, Song is seen entering a re-education camp, as a loudspeaker voice declares hard labor will transform them into real citizens of the future under the tutelage of Chairman Mao.Paris, France, 1968. Rene is watching a performance of Madame Butterfly at the local opera, where his eyes fill with tears. Outside, Rene runs into a riot where pro-Communist students are attacking the police during the so-called Student Riots. Rene returns to his apartment which the decor is austere of Chinese chic. One day, Song reappears, and Rene is overjoyed to see her again. Rene tells Song that since his dismissal from the diplomatic service, he has been working as a motorcycle courier, carrying diplomatic pouches. Rene is soon arrested by Etancelin, a government agent.Rene is brought on trial for espionage of leaking classified documents during his tenure as Vice Consul in China. During the trial, Rene is confronted by the crushing spectacle when Song Liling shows up to testify against him, and wearing a suit and necktie... unmistakably a man. Much to the court's incredulity, Song testifies how Rene gave him access to the diplomatic pouches to protect their "son" back in China. When the prosecutor asks Song if Rene ever knew that he was in fact a man impersonating a woman, Song speaks about his Oriental ways of love "out of which I invented myself, just for him." In a police van en route to prison, Song confronts Rene and finally disrobes, bitterly reminding Rene that he still is the same person that Rene fell in love with. Rene angrily rejects his advances, destroyed by the revelation of Song's true gender and that what he loved and believed was all a lie.In prison, Rene gives a one-man performance, admitting his story about falling in love with a man whom he thought was a woman, and a spy, had given the whole from France a good laugh. As Song boards a plane back to China, having been extradited, Rene plays an audio tape of Madame Butterfly and relates the tale as if he himself were the tragic oriental woman who loved an unworthy man. In oriental clothes, heavy Chinese makeup and a wig, Rene says that he has found the perfect sacrificial woman, far from China. In front of all the inmates and the warden, he kneels forward and commits suicide by slitting his own throat. | tragedy | train | imdb | Jeremy Irons and John Lone (who plays the character, Song Liling) should both have gotten academy awards for their performance in this incredibly enigmatic and captivating scorcher of a movie.
It has a sexual tension that holds throughout the whole movie and is entirely played out in the mind and sensuously mesmerizing at the same time.It's an emotionally tortuous journey that Jeremy Irons makes in the name of love (?), and more likely addicted passion.
Jeremy Irons plays the lead role as French diplomat, Phillipe Bouriscot, who falls in love with an absolutely seductive Chinese woman opera singer (John Lone).
The romantic & erotic chemistry between the diplomat & opera singer is a very famous true story written by David Henry Hwang--"Madame Butterfly." There have been numerous stage & screen renditions of the story.I like this (1994) version best because David Cronenberg is undoubtedly the finest director to deal with the most important topic in the story: gender bending.
Cronenberg adds to this by deliberately casting the rather butch John Lone, rather than a more obviously androgynous actor (ala 'The Crying Game', a movie this is often compared to).
Jeremy Irons, who was robbed of an Oscar in Cronenberg's previous 'Dead Ringers', is outstanding as usual, Lone (still mainly known for 'The Last Emperor') isn't as good, but still fine, and the supporting cast includes a nice turn from Brit veteran Ian Richardson ('Dark City').
In 1964, in Beijing, the French Ambassaty accountant René Gallimard (Jeremy Irons) goes to a social event without his wife Jeanne Gallimard (Barbara Sukowa) and meets the opera singer Song Liling (John Lone).
Directed by David Cronemberg, "M Butterfly" is probably one of his best films with an intriguing love story about clash of cultures, having China as background in a troubled revolutionary moment great acting and magnificent cinematography and set decoration.
During the Cultural Revolution in China in the mid-1960s, a French diplomat René Gallimard (a brilliant portrayal by Jeremy Irons) falls in love with a Chinese opera singer Song Liling (John Lone) - women were never allowed to sing in the Beijing Opera so the fact that Song is a man is credible.
In a desperately touching final scene we see the imprisoned René perform the final act from the opera that has accompanied this film - Puccini's MADAMA BUTTERFLY.The story is at once compelling, explosive and slyly humorous, 'a work of unrivaled brilliance, illuminating the conflict between men and women, the differences between East and West, racial stereotypes--and the shadows we cast around our most cherished illusions.' The musical score by Howard Shore integrates arias and choruses from Puccini's opera with music from Chinese opera and his own sensuously beautiful original musical score.
David Cronenberg directs with the tight amount of surreal disbelief the piece needs, but it is the brilliant acting of Jeremy Irons and John Lone that illuminate this film.
I like the two main actors both, who I think had a wonderful performance in this movie( although I keep wondering whether it will be another masterpiece if Leslie Zhang took Chung long's position in this movie.) For those who love this story itself, you will definitely agree how this movie perfectly described a story which tells " only in real life could love become so unreal." Also this is a good movie to watch if you are interested in the type of movie which entangle east and west, love and betrayal, passion and illusion....
In the mid-'60s, while the cultural revolution is going on in China, French Vice Consul Phillipe Bouriscot (Irons) falls in love with a singer, Song (John Lone), who performs with the Bejing opera.
The film doesn't go into how this fantasy was actually executed physically, but in point of fact, in real life, the character played by Irons believed he had gotten Song pregnant.
Odd but true.David Cronenberg does an excellent job with this dark, mysterious film, and the actors are terrific, each character hooked on this fantasy in his own way.
In this movie, however, it slightly misses the true impact of such events Irons has exhibited so well in those other parts, mainly because the final "revelation" actually doesn't happen until after Gallimard's world has already collapsed, with Butterfly's arrest (by the Red Guard, as an artist and thus a criminal) and his own recall to Paris.
It is not important to the movie that Gallimard learn of the true nature of his lover in the court room, so I would have that revelation earlier, thus completing the cycle of destruction we have seen in his life, and also avoiding that impossible ride in the police van near the end of the film.
It's one of the most tragic stories I ever saw in a movie.With a perfect Jeremy Irons in the role of the crazy desperate and betrayed lover.
Anyway, if u like tragedy, even if u hate Cronenberg(I actually love his movies), have to watch this one!.
M.Butterfly was originally written for theater and I was quite intriqued when I saw the movie advertisment, I wanted to know how the story was going to be conveyed because I had a role in a production of M.
I will give credit though to Jeremy Irons, who put on a fabulous performance in the lead role of Rene Gallimard, a French diplomat in Beijing, China in the mid-1960's who becomes entranced by an "actress" named Song Liling, who he meets at the Beijing Opera.
Song was also played quite brilliantly by John Lone (you have to watch the movie to understand that bit of casting) and the chemistry and sexual tension that Irons and Lone managed to create was excellent.Having said that, the movie itself I did not find especially captivating.
The first two-thirds of the movie or so are essentially a rather ho-hum quasi-espionage story, as Gallimard begins to reveal secrets about U.S. plans for Vietnam to Song, who in turn passes them on to the Chinese authorities.
Butterfly, the odd and empty story of a French civil servant agent who falls in love with an opera singer while working in Beijing.
But the real problems stem from the relationship between Rene Gallimard and his lover, Song Liling, which takes an unforeseen turn when you least expect it.This is just one of those films that is flat, dull, unconvincing, and just downright bland.
I started out disliking this film and by the end I didn't like it any more than I had before, but I wanted it to be so much better and I longed for it to be more emotionally engaging in order to achieve the full affect which this story has the potential to do.
He falls for Chinese opera singer Song Liling (John Lone) as she performs Madam Butterfly.
This film tells the story of a French diplomat, who falls in love with a mysterious Chinese opera singer.The story is chronologically told, with little surprises.
I can't understand how the play won a Tony, unless it was much better than this film adaptation.It's the story of a man who loves a woman who is really a man.
At first sight,"M.Butterfly seems like an anomaly in Cronenberg's production.Apparently it's not a horror and fantasy film.It would rather be some lost fifties or sixties melodramas,the likes of "sayonara" or "Suzie Wong".But futher acquaintance demonstrates that:we do not deal with a realist movie.IT's really a cronenbergesque work,as weird ,as frightening as "dead ringers " or "the fly".The world that the director depicts is a complete studio creation with extravagant settings:what can we say about the French police van (where anything can happen!!),the French jail ,and the May 68 events?About this two-bit China where everybody speaks English,even the Chinese between them?René Gallimard ,for a French ,it sounds like an editor's name ,but Jeremy Irons does not seem French ,to the slightest extent.Neither does the ambassador and the whole staff.But all this is voluntary:the story is as unbelievable as the other Cronenberg's creations,so the treatment is thoroughly appropriate.Content and form walk hand in hand.However,I 'm compelled to deflate all this a bit:the unexpected twist,so to speak,-check the title- recalls that of Neil Jordan's movie(1992) which I mention in the title of my comment,and "recalls" is an euphemism!Hats off,nevertheless ,to Jeremy Irons,for the extraordinary final,and to John Lone,who reiterates Jaye Davidson's feat,even if Neil Jordan's work is ,IMHO,much better than Cronenberg's extravaganza..
It presents its characters not as good or bad; it's not interested in judging or condemning; it is a film which desires to take you deep into the world of an enchanted and tortured man: Rene Gallimard.
So what?" It's a very distasteful, unpleasant, and rather cruel story, with dialogue that is dotted with sarcastic wisecracks, and no particular theme lends the story any sort of framework or structure that justifies the emotional investment we're supposed to make in the longing of the protagonist.Among the other comments, I've come across some assurances that the stage play was far superior; I have my doubts about that, since I cannot think of very much that would redeem the story.And so, if you're a fan of Jeremy Irons (as I am), and love seeing him even in a script that leaves you feeling as if you feasted on potato chips and gumdrops, then indulge yourself.
Basic gist, a diplomat (Irons) is obsessed with the local opera in 1940s China, and falls head over heels for a lead singer (Lone), believing him to be a woman due to ignorance of the gender roles in Chinese theatre.
It's a combination of great make-up work and Lone's rather underrated skill to fully embrace the mannerisms of his role (see my praise of his work on 'Iceman' for more), playing up the submissive and ethereal qualities often tied to Oriental women, that make this performance so effective.Everything else is par for the course: Cronenburg is a slick director and keeps the film trundling along at a good pace, the production values are lovely and give you the full scope of a changing China, and Howard Shore's score is suitably moving yet also enigmatic and does incorporate Puccini's 'Madam Butterfly' in at points, mainly towards the end.
In 1960s China, French diplomat Rene Gallimard (Jeremy Irons) falls in love with an opera singer, Song Liling (J.
I do not wish to make any political remarks, but this film was layered very well -- the Madam Butterfly aspect had at least three parallels.Jeremy Irons is excellent, and it is nice to see him reuniting with Cronenberg.
He goes to see the famous Chinese opera Madam Butterfly and instantly falls in love with the woman playing the lead roll.
It's a good movie ,in my opinion as a Chinese girl,though there are some obvious ridiculous errors.I have not seen any intro about this film before my watching,neither a poster.I found it because I like the opera of Butterfly and I mistook it as the adaption of the famous opera.At the beginning of the movie,I was so confused that when Gallimard fell in love with Song-because,it's very apparent that the "actress" of Song was a male guy!And,from a Chinese view,John Lone was too stocky to play the role of a eastern girl.-If a Chinese girl was like that in appearance ,she will be the butt of others.However,anyway,John Lone was so great an actor.His appearance has no similarity with a girl,but his manners, expressions,and tone are very very similar to a Asian felmale.Can't believe it.About the story of the film,I have little to think.Anyway,it's a novel that a child how to make and ruin a colorful bubble.All of us have to experience some destroyings of good dreams.The story was only one of them .Many of us think we found the one of ideal,but it turns to be a joke in the end.It's life.The great value of the movie ,I think ,is that it showed what a big gap between the different group of people exists in this world.Over several centuries,western people were imagining the scence of the mysterious ancient east,including the people there.However,...it's hard for a west to penetrate the east...I think.There are too much imposed on an east person,including man ,and woman..
"Plot" (may contain spoilers) René Gallimard (Jeremy Irons),is a diplomat working for the French Embassy in Beijing 1964.
When he goes to a performance of Puccini's Madame Butterfly performed by the outspoken and exotic singer Song Liling (John Lone), (who is actually a man masquerading as a woman) he is the witness of himself falling in love with "her".
Unfortunately in 1993's M Butterfly, his attempt to play things straight leaves the film distant and lackluster.Based on a play of the same name, the film explores the real life relationship between a Beijing opera star posing as a woman (John Lone), and the French consulate officer (Jeremy Irons) that loves her for 20 years without discovering that she's actually a man.
This is partly because helpful subtext and motivation are frequently removed in the more "obvious" medium, and occasionally the writer actually even removes important subplots feeling them less essential with the viewer distracted by all the "real world" visuals on the big or small screen.This was even more true in the superior film of Michael Frayne's COPENHAGEN where the original staging gave the viewer a second layer of meaning with the actors acting out the "chaos theories" which were the underpinnings of the play - giving the audience an essential understanding of the physics the movie's historically accurate sets couldn't - but in losing the vast sweep of the red ramp circling the stage in M.
Moving the final confrontation between the leads from Gallimard's acknowledged imagination to the literal back of a police wagon removes any believability, impact or magic.Even worse, the casting of the two leads seriously undercuts the author's efforts by giving us *not* a plodding diplomat who might conceivably not consider himself a sexual catch (John Lithgow in the original) but a prissy Jeremy Irons as Gallimard (wonderful actor in other roles) more in BRIDESHEAD REVISITED mode from 12 years earlier, where we question his very heterosexuality from the beginning.Whether it is John Lone's fault as "Song" or director David Cronenberg's in his filming of the character, but ALL surprise in the role is removed (tellingly, in every stage production the role is billed only using the first INITIAL of the actor playing it).
Hwang kept the structure of his story but eliminated the illusion which made it believable and the surprise which justified the structure.All that said, if you DON'T know the story and the first telling, the elaborate settings and supporting cast (occasionally distorting in themselves with the casting of brilliant scene-stealers like Ian Richardson as the Ambassador) give an interesting visual picture of China just at the cusp of Mao's late-life destructive "Cultural Revolution" from a ground level perspective - the literal aspects of which were an essential plot point but more subtly finessed on stage.Curiously, SHOWING the reality of the revolution and "re-education" camps makes the credibility of the "Paris" portion of the story almost non-existent, and the one area there the tools of FILM making could have improved the story, showing how Song and Gallimard were exposed, is ignored entirely.M. BUTTERFLY isn't the first film which didn't understand or support the genre of its source (think Stephen King's THE DEAD ZONE which tried to make a horror-thriller out of a sci-fi mystery), and it won't be the last.
The first time i saw M.Butterfly i thought it is not a typical Cronenberg's movie.
The second time, i saw i feel like it's definitely a Cronenberg movie, not about the body deformations but about the emotional deformations.
During the Cultural Revolution in China in the mid-1960s, a French diplomat falls in love with a singer in the Beijing Opera.
I have been watching the movies of David Cronenberg--considered a cold emotionless director ( Some what true but I basically disagree) He has made some of the most emotionally devastating films I've ever seen, from the romantic tragedy of The Fly to the human wreckage of Crash & Spider & the heartbreaking Dead Ringers.
Covering almost twenty years in the life of a tawdry French diplomat (Jeremy Irons), the story of M.
After seeing a lead performer (John Lone) in Puccini's Madame Butterfly, the diplomat falls in love with the star singer.
Inspired by the true story of a French diplomat in China during the 1960s who conducted an 18-year affair with a native man he always thought was a woman & who was later convicted of espionage, Film worked onstage because the plot device worked due to the distance created by the theatrical setting so the audience could accept the rather far-fetched premise.
Now I know Jeremy Irons loves to do such movies, but I wonder if he knew it was gonna turn into a disaster?
The cinematography of the movie is dark, still - reflective of the forbidden love between the French diplomat and the Chinese opera singer.
I was just 13 years old then, but already loved Cronenberg films.
We know that in the real case the film was based on, the Rene Gallimard person was a bisexual man, which is very telling.
Butterfly" stars Jeremy Irons as Rene Gallimard, a French diplomat who falls in love with Song Liling, a Chinese spy and opera performer.
This isn't a horror film you see, although it does share some similarities with Cronenberg's other work; the main link here is Jeremy Irons, who was so good in Cronenberg's DEAD RINGERS, and once again tugs at the heartstrings here with his superb, haunted performance of a man unable to resist his feelings and unable to think straight in the face of confusion and betrayal.The photography is colourful and beautiful, bringing out the life and atmosphere of the '60s China setting.
The ending isn't based on fact, but it moves the film into tragedy, which is where Cronenberg works best.
M. BUTTERFLY is worth a look for Cronenberg fans and film viewers in general, as being one of the most compelling character dramas of the '90s.. |
tt0118636 | Apt Pupil | In Southern California in 1984, 16-year-old high school student Todd Bowden (Renfro) discovers that his elderly neighbor, Arthur Denker (McKellen), is in reality Kurt Dussander — a former Sturmbannführer in the SS who is now a fugitive war criminal hiding from justice. Todd blackmails Dussander by threatening to turn him in to the police. However, the teenager is fascinated with Nazi atrocities perpetrated during World War II, and forces Dussander to share disturbing stories of what it was like working at Nazi extermination camps, and how it felt to participate in genocide.
Todd purchases an SS uniform from a costume shop, and forces Dussander to wear it. When he spends more time with the old man, his grades suffer, he loses interest in his girlfriend, and he conceals his bad grades from his parents. In turn, the Nazi blackmails the young boy into studying to restore his grades, threatening to expose the boy's subterfuge and his dalliance with Nazism to his parents. Dussander even poses as Todd's grandfather and goes to an appointment with Todd's school counselor Edward French (David Schwimmer). Talking about the war crimes affects both the old man and the young boy, and an intoxicated Dussander attempts to kill a cat in his gas oven but fails when it attacks him and escapes. Dussander also takes great pride in Todd's unbelievable turnaround, going from near dropout to straight A's in a matter of weeks.
One night, Dussander tries to kill a hobo who earlier had seen him in the uniform. When Dussander has a heart attack, he calls Todd, who finishes the job, cleans up, and calls an ambulance for Dussander. At the hospital, Dussander is recognized by a death camp survivor sharing his room and he is arrested, prior to being extradited to Israel. Todd graduates as his school's valedictorian and gives a speech about Icarus, saying, "All great achievements arose from dissatisfaction. It is the desire to do better, to dig deeper, that propels civilization to greatness." The scene is juxtaposed in a montage with Dussander's home being searched and the hobo's corpse being found in the basement.
Todd is briefly questioned about his relationship with Dussander, but he manages to convince the police that he knew nothing of the old man's true identity. At the hospital, Dussander hears a group of Neo-Nazis demonstrating outside the hospital; realizing his identity has been hopelessly compromised, he commits suicide by giving himself an air embolism. When French learns that the man who met Todd at school was not Todd's grandfather but a war criminal, he confronts Todd, who then blackmails him into silence by threatening to accuse him of making inappropriate sexual advances towards him, and to thereby expose him publicly as a homosexual and pederast. | violence, psychological, cruelty, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1235796 | Ondine | Syracuse "Circus" (Colin Farrell) is trawling with his fishing boat and finds a scantily clad young woman caught in his net. He sees she is alive and resuscitates her. She calls herself Ondine (Alicja Bachleda) and refuses to be taken to hospital, not wanting to be seen by anyone else. He shelters her in a caravan house that belonged to his late mother in a quiet harbor, which makes him late for picking up his wheelchair-bound daughter Annie (Alison Barry), who lives with his ex-wife Maura (Dervla Kirwan). During Annie's dialysis, he tells her a story about a fisherman that catches a woman out of the sea. Annie explains the woman could be a magical selkie. Annie receives a new powerchair from the CRC, and upon returning home is greeted by Maura's boyfriend Alex (Tony Curran). Maura flips Circus off for missing the doctor who had news on a kidney match for Annie.
Next morning, Circus finds Ondine washing clothes in a stream, singing in an unknown language. She follows him on his boat to work the day. Circus pulls up only empty lobster pots, until Ondine starts singing, after which every pot contains a catch. Still not wanting to be seen, Ondine doesn't follow Circus to the fish market where the lobsters are sold. Circus buys a dress and lies to the store clerk that it's for Annie when she grows up.
When Circus picks up Annie from her school, he continues the fisherman story by explaining how the woman sings to the fish for him to catch, a song in a language he has never heard before. Annie states that Selk is the language of the selkie. Circus stammers that his lobsters hear her sing, which makes Annie curious as to whose story this is, and she secretly follows him to the caravan. When Circus asks how long she will stay, Ondine says it is up to him. Humored, Circus answers forever and happily ever after, according to the fairytale he has been building with Annie, who watches them without being noticed. Annie is back home studying all her new library books on seals and selkies. Alex says selkies are Scottish creatures, but the one Annie saw is not.
Circus meets with the priest (Stephen Rea) for a confession, who has repeatedly told Circus that this isn't AA. Circus recalls a recurring nightmare where he is at Alex's funeral and reunited with Maura, still with her drinking problem. As the priest pushes the subject away, Circus brings up the woman he pulled out of the water with his net and kept her. Ondine is by herself tidying up the caravan, and tries her new clothing as if the experience was a first, especially when she stretches leggings over one splayed hand so it looks webbed.
The next day, Ondine is swimming and is met by an unexpected Annie, they bond together talking about selkies, none of which Ondine denies, kissing Annie goodbye before the child goes back to her Mam. Circus is in the library asking for books about selkies, but discovers that Annie took them all. Annie runs into some neighbourhood kids showing off their bicycles, lets one of the kids play with her powerchair, it shorts out driving into water. The kids abandon "spaz" Annie, who is left alone to push it back home, where she finds Alex drinking beer. As Alex dries out the batteries, Annie asks again about selkies, he tells her they come from his homeland Outer Hebrides. However, Ondine doesn't speak like him.
Circus brings Ondine fishing again to steer the tiller, until a Fisheries board patrol boat zooms by, causing Ondine to hide. She begins singing again as he is pulling up his net, and finds it filled with a bountiful catch of salmon, that doesn't come from trawling. Ondine hides as the patrol boat returns to inspect for prohibited gillnetting, the guards look for the truth by finding dry gillnets and Ondine hidden in them. Circus wasn't sure if she could be seen, the guards accept Ondine's answer as to how the fish were caught. Glad that Ondine isn't invisible, Circus boats into the town harbor to sell their catch, where everyone stares at Ondine, including a dark-haired man who is looking for her. Circus and Ondine go shopping for clothes and run into Annie, who helps her with outfits, as townsfolk gawk through the store window eyeing a very pretty Ondine.
Later, Circus wants to pick up Annie for local regatta festivities. Maura says she already left. Ondine gets another surprise visit from Annie, and sees the caravan has been cleaned. Learning that Annie can't swim, they both play in the shallow water, where Ondine finds something that Annie thinks is her seal coat, and they bury it in the greenhouse. Annie wants Ondine to stay for seven years, unless the selkie husband claims her back, and shares this with Circus as they all boat into town, Ondine warns Annie that she isn't selk and can't grant wishes. Upset, Annie pretends to have brake failure to throw herself off the pier, to test Ondine's ability to breathe underwater, when Ondine jumps in to her rescue. They bring Annie back to Maura and Alex, who share with Annie that a man was asking for Ondine. This gives Annie a nightmare about the selkie husband coming. Back in the caravan, Circus explains he's called Circus the Clown because he was an alcoholic like Maura. He stopped drinking for Annie, yet custody went to the mother.
Back in the confessional, Circus tells the priest he sinned with Ondine the night before, and fears the good luck she brings, since he lost hope long ago. As he leaves, the unknown man approaches him about Ondine, Circus ignores him. Circus brings Annie back from dialysis, but is locked out since Maura and Alex are drinking in a pub. Annie asks to be left with them. Circus returns to find the caravan has been ransacked, and Ondine hiding nearby. Circus wants Ondine to stay and asks her to wish the man away, but her only wish is for Annie not to be sick. Ondine's man is back in town driving with rage, causing an accident with Maura who was drunk driving. Alex is killed, thrown through the windshield. Ondine and Circus follow Annie to the hospital, and learn she is getting an immediate kidney transplant from Alex who opted as a donor. The man is also brought to the hospital, and asks Ondine why she speaks their language as they both don't belong here.
Circus and Maura both get drunk at Alex's wake. Maura wants him to get rid of Ondine, now hiding in his boat, because of bad luck. Intoxicated Circus maroons Ondine at Roancarrig Lighthouse island because he thinks she will haunt him forever, as humans and selk don't belong together. Dusk comes and some driftwood gives Ondine's basking shilouette the appearance of a seal's tail, she jumps into the sea towards the seals on Seal Rock. The priest wakes up a depressed Circus, and he brings Annie from hospital to his home. She comforts him saying Ondine will be back because she left something behind. Annie watches TV with Sigur Rós performing, Circus recognizes they are the songs of Ondine, and goes back to find her on Seal Rock to demand the truth. Ondine gives one version that she is a sea creature that found her seal coat and buried it so she can stay with a family she loves. She then explains that she is a drug mule from Romania, and her pushta Vladic (Emil Hostina) was evading the Coast Guards, when she swam away with the backpack of heroin since Vladic can't swim. She floated in the sea until Circus saved her.
Circus brings Ondine back to Annie where they are ambushed by Vladic and another gunman, that Annie thinks want the seal coat. Everyone goes to the greenhouse to dig it up, but find nothing because Annie had moved it. Ondine promises to stay with Annie, revealing it was moved to a lobster pot. As they pull that up, Annie reminds Ondine that she is a selkie yet Vladic isn't, Ondine trips Vladic overboard by pulling on the rope he is standing on. He drowns going after the falling lobster pot pushed back in by Annie. Circus throws the other Romanian into the water, disarming him and the Romanian is arrested ashore, along with Ondine, who faces deportation. Annie is seen making a confession to the priest who is to wed Circus and Ondine, completing the fairytale how selkie women often find unexpected happiness with a landsman. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0045061 | The Quiet Man | An American, Sean Thornton (John Wayne), arrives in Ireland and plans to settle in Innisfree, where he was born. On the way to Innisfree with Michaeleen Oge Flynn (Barry Fitzerald), Sean spots a redheaded woman moving a flock through the fields. He becomes interested in this unknown woman, and greets her at the church entrance the next day, where he learns her name - Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O'Hara), a redhead with a temper to match.Sean wants to buy the ancestral Thornton cottage from well-to-do widow, Sarah Tillane (Mildred Natwick), and finds himself in a squabble with "Red" Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen), a neighbor and would-be suitor of the Widow Tillane. Mrs. Tillane, angered by Danaher's presumptuous attitude and bragging at the local pub, sells the land to Thornton. When Sean goes to claim the cottage, he finds Mary Kate there, cleaning it as a good Christian act. Thornton easily fits into Innisfree, earning a reputation as a quiet, peace-loving man. Danaher, however, holds a grudge. When Thornton arranges to court Danaher's sister, Mary Kate, the real fun begins. Thornton learns that Ireland's quaint charm includes some old-fashioned rules of courtship. He needs Squire Danaher's consent to marry Mary Kate, since their father is deceased. He and the local shaughraun (matchmaker), Michaleen Flynn, pay a formal visit to Danaher to ask for Mary Kate's hand. Danaher refuses and orders the two men out of his house. Sean and Mary Kate are devastated. Sean is puzzled by social rules that seem archaic to him, and takes out his frustrations by seemingly reckless cross country rides. Concerned, Thornton's newfound friends - Flynn, Reverend Playfair (Arthur Shields), and Father Lonergan (Ward Bond) - concoct a plot to trick Danaher into consenting to the marriage. They lead Danaher to believe Sean is courting the widow Tillane, who will have nothing to do with Danaher until Mary Kate is married off and out of the house. Danaher agrees to the courtship when Thornton wins the local cross country race, claiming the Widow's bonnet as his trophy.The Thornton/Danaher courtship quickly skips a few months of steps and soon turns into a wedding, but Squire Danaher, furious upon learning (at the reception) that he has been duped, reneges on Mary Kate's promised dowry of 350 pounds (Irish Currency). The money is a trifle to Sean Thornton, who has learned for himself that money isn't worth fighting for, and refuses to "shame" himself by begging for it. Mary Kate perceives Sean's lack of action as cowardice, and refuses her new groom his marital privileges. Tension builds in Innisfree, a highly sporting community, as the townspeople hope for a fight between Thornton and Danaher. However, Thornton refuses to fight. He suffers the guilt of a terrible secret concerning his last prize fight, which only the Reverend Playfair knows.As tensions grow, Father Lonergan counsels Mary Kate about her duties as a married woman, as Reverend Playfair councils Sean about what the dowry means to his wife. Although Mary Kate acquiesces, she feels that the dowerless marriage is improper and leaves Sean. To Sean, this is the last straw. He goes to the train station, literally drags his wife back to Squire Danaher's farm, collecting a very large crowd along the way, as the neighboring towns realize that Sean is about to confront Will Danaher and demands Mary Kate's dowry. Danaher refuses to pay the dowry, so Sean calls off the marriage - claiming that the dowry is their custom, not his. Shamed in front of the whole county, Danaher gives up the dowry (350 pounds cash). To further prove a point Sean stalks over to the nearby threshing furnace, where Mary Kate open the door for Sean to throw the money into the fire. This infuriates Danaher and he takes a swing at Sean, who defends himself. Mary Kate sees that her husband is willing to fight and heads home to cook dinner.For the rest of nearby residents of Innesfree, farmhands, the train engineers and passengers who've stayed for the event, the long awaited fight breaks out - starting at Danaher's farm and heading into Innesfree. During this Sean learns Danaher is, indeed, a worthy opponent. Many a side bets are laid - including Reverend Playfair, the visiting Bishop, and the local constabulary. By the end, the two men respect each other and have become fast (if drunken) friends. After the fight, the town gathers together to also help save Reverend Playfair's job and Will Danaher starts formally courting the Widow Tellane. | violence, romantic, flashback | train | imdb | More appropriately "They CAN'T make a movie like this anymore" applies to "The Quiet Man".John Ford directed John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in a number of classic unforgettable Westerns with a familiar supporting cast including Ward Bond, Victor McLaughlin, Mildred Natwick and other pros.
"The Quiet Man" moves these familiar icons from the post Civil War American West to the post World War II rural Ireland.You don't have to be Irish to appreciate the visual beauty of the Irish countryside and villages or the beauty of Maureen O'Hara, but your appreciation of the story is enhanced if you know something about the unique Irish culture.Ireland and America have been tightly bonded from the earliest Colonial Days of America and are permanently intertwined since the Potato Famine of the 1840's sent tens of millions of immigrants to populate the vast U.S.John Ford perfectly casts John Wayne as the Irish born, U.S. raised troubled ex-boxer returning to his birthplace and Maureen O'Hara as the Irish beauty .
The story plays like most John Ford/John Wayne/Maureen O'Hara movies as one step larger than life.It's clear that everyone appearing in this movie LOVES being in the movie.
The filming of The Quiet Man was the culmination of a dream by John Ford to make an Irish picture in Ireland.
It's not only the fact that I'm actually from County Mayo in Ireland where most of the outdoor scenes from The Quiet Man were filmed in the summer of 1951, that makes it my favorite movie of all time.
Steven Spielburg most famously gives the cottage kissing scene the nod in "ET" and it was said of the "Wet shirt" Graveyard kissing scene in the rain that, during the many takes it took to get it in the can, Director John Ford only got John Wayne to do everything he wanted to do to Maureen O'Hara himself.For the action brigade it has probabaly the longest and one of the most enthralling fight scenes of any movie.For the comics the entire film is laced with Irishisms and good humor and wild banter and loads of "craic"For the weepies it has tragedy and death and a haunting from the past.
And for the pure sentimental including myself the film has my beautiful country lavishly and lovingly displayed in glorious technicholor compliments of Winston C Hoch amnd Archie Stout which deservedly won it an Oscar for cinematography.And it has all this and more...If one cares to delve deeper it touches on themes of Shakespeare (Taming of the Shrew) and the best traditions of Irish literature (JM Synge and WB Yeats).Testament to it's greatness are the many books and documentries that have been created about it in it's wake (Try Des McHales "The Complete Guide to the Quiet Man" or Gerry McEntees' "In the footsteps of the Quiet Man" for starters!) along with the many tourist that still visit Cong, County Mayo in search of their own dream Inishfree.I've lost count how many times I've seen this movie both in Ireland and in Exile both here in the US and in England, but suffice to say that at this stage I can now quote liberally from such classic lines as Feeney's: "Silence if you please, Parlimentary procedure, Squire Danagher has the floor" or Micheleen Og Flynn's "Homeric, impetious" upon viewing the marriage bed of Sean and Mary Kate and coming to his own conclusions on the events that may have occured in it.After owning a variety of VHS (both Pal and US versions) of the movie I've finally purchaced the DVD also which allows one (If one so wishes) to watch every frame of the movie digitally remastered - If you are a fanatic like me or Quiet Maniacs as we are sometimes known this allows you to catch a glimpse of such things as a fly landing on Maureen O'Hara cheek during one shot or (In a daring unintentionally risque scene for the 1950's) her momentarially exposing her underwear whilst jumping over a trunk.If you haven't seen this movie (and I'm increasing surprised how many of the younger Blockbuster New Release weaned movie viewers haven't) get yerself down to yer local video store now and look in the Classic Shelves for one of those classics that is sure to be there alongside Ben Hur, Gone with the Wind and Casablanca and rent it out for a great nights entertainment.
Ford (who received an Oscar for Best Director for it) presents the story on a very personal level, and in Sean and Mary Kate gives the audience characters to whom they can relate; and it's that personal connection he affords the viewer that may suggest the main reason behind this particular film's popularity.
"The Quiet Man" is an Irish village version of "The Taming of the Shrew," the tamer being an ex-pugilist Sean Thornton (John Wayne) retired to the land of his fathers where he purchases "that little place across the brook, that humble cottage." But no sooner does he arrives on a soft spring morning than he falls in love with Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara).Sean courts and weds her easily enough, but he has not worked out on the anger of her heavy and hard rich brother, the farmer Will Danaher (Victor McLaglen) who holds an envy against him for having bought the very property that separates his spread from that of the wealthiest widow in Innisfree Sarah Tillane (Mildred Natwick) whom Danaher strongly desires...Danaher refuses to supply the traditional dowry, and Mary Kate accuses Sean for his apparent cowardice in not fighting for what is rightfully theirs...The battle that follows (considered to be the longest recorded on screen) has Sean and his strong brother-in-law engaging in a climatic fight the townsfolk have long been anticipating with effervescent...Maureen O'Hara is totally in her element as the fiery Irish girl whether as the bare-footed attractive woman looking after a number of sheep in the meadow, or as the troubled colleen trying to explain her problem to the devoted salmon-catching Catholic priest (War Bond) or as the proud beauty whom Wayne lets fall at her brother's feet...
Their screen relationship emphasized the strength of their chemistry...Barry Fitzerald is simply superb as Michaeleen Flynn, the village matchmaker and cart-driver who can't seem to tell anyone something without winning a black beer from them first...With an exciting Innisfree Races along the beach, a titanic fight from the farm, across the hillside, through a haystack and into a stream, and with emerald environments and great music, John Ford's romantic comedy is a marvelous entertaining film, painted beautifully, simply told with love and humor...With 7 Academy Award Nominations, the film earns Ford his 4th and last Oscar for Best Director establishing a record which is still unbeaten and won another Oscar for the outstanding Technicolor for Best Cinematography....
He immediately discovers some old friends, and a new one, too, Mary Kate, who while herding sheep stares back at him in what James Joyce might have called "a significant manner."Director John Ford elects to shoot O'Hara from an odd angle, and with an unusual overhead shadow crossing O'Hara's face, that in anyone else's hands would have totally blown the shot but here creates something, well, "Homerific." It's one of many amazing shots in a film that seems more painted than photographed, and is perhaps the most strikingly lovely film ever made.The shot of O'Hara looking back at Wayne also clues you onto something else, that this is going to be her story as much as it is Thornton's.
But since John Wayne is the nominal star and no one ever confused Ford with Douglas Sirk, "The Quiet Man" isn't popularly regarded this way.It's fun to read all the comments about poor Mary Kate and how this film glamorizes the mistreatment of women.
The Ireland of the time in the movie probably doesn't exist any more, but only in the minds of those who knew the Emerald Isle back then.The story is a bit passe, but we make excuses for seeing it once more whenever it plays on cable, as we take the journey to an ideal place that thanks to John Ford will live forever.The best thing in the film is Maureen O'Hara.
John Wayne, as Sean Thornton, is a bit stiff, but maybe Ford's direction called for this actor to play himself in rural Ireland, who knows?This is a film to be treasured..
The Quiet Man is a wonderfully layered and at times hilariously ironic portrayal of Ireland as seen by an American.For those who doubt the film's sense of irony, just re-watch the scene where Sean (John Wayne) paints the door of his cottage.
Mary Kate and the locals believe that he is a coward, but Sean actually wants to forget a fatal incident from his past and start a new life."A Quiet Man" is a delightful romantic comedy by John Ford.
But first, my dear Mother use to tell us, I'm the youngest of 6 boys and a sister, that, when the film crew came to West of Ireland, my mother, who was lovely young woman had her picture taken with one of her sisters, arm in arm with John Wayne, she would go on about this and I vaguely remember seeing the small en-print as they were called in them days, I think my sister has the photo but, what a photo.
Thornton's helped by an alcoholic old man (Barry Fitzgerard who plays the character of the Roman Catholic Michaleen Oge Flynn) , the Protestant vicar Cyril 'Snuffy' Playfair (Arthur Shields) , and the parish priest (War Bond) , among others .This hight-spirited tale is one of Ford's finest movies and his first love story with a marvelous fresh-air feeling .
This was the fourth Academy Award for John Ford , though somewhat less deserved Oscar , previously was prized for 'The informer (35)', 'Grapes of wrath (1940)' ,'How green was my valley (41)'.The picture has family characters , as John Wayne's sons appear in a sequence surrounding to Mauren O'Hara ; the Irish Mauren O'Hara played along with her brother Charles Fitzsimmons as Forbes ; Irishmen Barry Fitzgerald and Arthur Shields were brothers in real life , they were both Protestants born in Dublín , Ireland , Shields was the family name and they also appeared together in director John Ford's Long Voyage Home (1940) .
Among the negative comments are things like "John Wayne has never been in a movie that wasn't corny and hokey" (ahem -- "The Searchers" or "Stagecoach" to name but two), "the Irish accents were terrible" (with the exception of Wayne, almost all the principals were born in Ireland), "it's only funny if you think brutality to women is funny" (says nothing of the repeated right hooks aimed at Wayne's jaw by Maureen).This is a funny picture with, as another poster pointed out, a very Ford-esque subtext.
Wayne as the re-patriated Irish-American, O'Hara as the fiesty Mary Kate, Fitzgerald as the sly little old man, Bond as the strong-willed priest, and McLaglen as the blustering blow-hard.
John Ford's 'The Quiet Man' is one of Hollywood's most enduring and romantic epics.The entire cast brings this film together
.it was sort of a family affair really, seeing two of John Wayne's children in a scene.
While many films share some or all of these qualities, it is the way in which these themes are so skillfully woven together in the lives and personalities of a handful of people that helps to explain something of the charm of The Quiet Man.With the glorious scenery around Cong in the Irish Republic around the 1900s as the backdrop, we are introduced one by one to a variety of delightful characters and to a lifestyle that sadly is no more: pugilistic railwaymen who are ready to put up their fists at the slightest pretext; the fiery Mary Kate who "packs up wallop" and has "a tongue like an adder" and her equally fierce brother, Red Will Daneher; the cheery pipe-smoking old rogue, Michaeleen O'Flynn with his horse and cart; Father Lonnergan, who is not averse to making the occasional bet on the side; the proud Widow Tulane who helps the poor; a host of other delightful supporting cameo-roles; and of course, the quiet American himself - John Wayne, playing Sean Thornton, returning to his birthplace from the steel-mills of Pittsburgh.John Wayne must have really enjoyed making this film, which was such a departure from his more usual cowboy films.
Anyway, he played Sean Thornton to the hilt, showing what a good actor he was.Maureen O'Hara is also a total delight and thoroughly believable: I shall always associate Maureen with this film, and I like to think that she enjoyed making it too!
The sweeping and beautiful vistas, the development of a haunted and potentially troubled past of this American come home to the small village in Ireland where he was born...I began thinking of Hollywood's other leading actors of that time, and how this role would probably be better served by the likes of Grant, Gable, Stewart, etc., however...as the movie progressed, I began to see the Duke in a completely new light.Throughout much of the movie, the title aptly decribes Sean Thorton, at least his dialog.
Set in a small Irish village, John Wayne plays a Yank boxer originally raised in Ireland who returns home after vowing never to fight again; he falls for a fiery local lass while butting heads with her brutish, imperious brother who refuses to hand over his sister's dowry when the two decide to marry.
A labor of love for director John Ford, who won an Oscar for his work while getting award-worthy performances from leads Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, both of whom are clearly impassioned by this boisterous romantic comedy.
"Well then, I'll begin at the beginning..." Father Peter Lonergan narrates this tale of a "Yankee from Pittsburgh" who "..is a quiet, peace lovin' man come home to Ireland to forget his troubles..."John Wayne plays Sean Thorton the former boxer who moves back to the land of his birth when walking along the road he spots a beautiful redhead (Maureen Ohara) herding the sheep.
Well, Irish tempers get to flarin' and Irish passion can't be quelled and the Quiet Man...well...I don't want to spoil it...you know somethin' good is bound to happen!The cast is terrific: John Wayne, Maureen Ohara, Barry Fitzgerald, Victor MacLaglen, Ward Bond and many others.
Thus, with no genuine tension and no real character development that drew you in; it was hard to sustain interest in this film.My difficulty is, as a boy, I use to love all of the John Ford/Maureen O'Hara/John Wayne pictures.
John Wayne as Sean Thornton is superb, his presence, his swagger and of course Maureen O Hara as fiery Mary Kate just radiates throughout this film.
This was one of Maureen O'Hara's first color films, back when the colors still looked a bit "runny," but to be honest, that is one of the things I love best about "The Quiet Man": it looks and feels like a moving painted picture.
The plot is simple enough: Sean Thornton (John Wayne), a disgraced Irish-American boxer retires to the hometown he was born in back in Ireland years ago and falls in love with a pretty maid, Mary Kate Danaher (O'Hara), whose regionally powerful brother is at pain to consent to the marriage.
I look forward to any movie outing where i see them together, but this movie "The Quiet Man" is my favorite!I almost died with laughter when in a VERY romantic and old-fashioned style, Sean aka John Wayne throws the hot-heated, single-minded " I want me about Sean, and I if I don't have your man at all!" as she weeps.Tensions build and much plotting in this wonderful little village of Innis free, Ireland, until finally Ms O'Hara hops on a train to leave.Well with tiny town precision the message travels to Sean and he finally loses his temper (there is a subplot of two as to why he didn't) and he Grabs Her directly out of the train with the townspeople following, one precocious old lade applauding him and saying "Can I get ye a good stick for the lady sir?!" I almost died laughing, as Maureen was terribly unhappily and Very much was over his shoulder and pinned, kicking a screaming in a rather risqué moment or so for kiddies, as swats, though endearing certainly threatened!
My wife, also being an Irish Mary Kate and being born on the same day as Maureen O'Hara, started a tradition several years ago watching The Quiet Man on St. Patrick's Day. We both love the Irish character of this movie.
"The Quiet Man", beautifully filmed in the green hills of Ireland, is definitely one of John Wayne's greatest movies.
The proprieties at all times"It's lines like that courtesy of Frank Nugent (from "Green Rushes" by Maurice Walsh), spoken throughout this wonderful film by among others, Michaleen Oge Flynn, the town's tippling matchmaker & bookmaker as played by the whimsical Barry Fitzgerald that help make John Ford's homage to his Irish homeland, "The Quiet Man" (1952)such a delightful classic!
May not be everyone's taste, but if you like John Ford films, the Duke, or old movies, it may be worth your time..
The Quiet Man is one of Wayne best films and his made possible by beautiful spitfire Maureen O'Hara ..
The Quiet Man (1952) *** 1/2 (out of 4) American Sean Thornton (John Wayne) heads to Ireland where he plans on buying the home that he was born in.
Soon after Will has even more to be upset with when Sean decides that he wants to date Will's sister Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara).John Ford's THE QUIET MAN is not only a very good romantic comedy but it's also a love letter from the director to Ireland.
John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara make a movie great!. |
tt1549572 | Another Earth | Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling), a brilliant 17-year-old girl who has spent her young life fascinated by astronomy, is delighted to learn that she has been accepted into MIT. She celebrates, drinking with friends, and in a reckless moment, drives home intoxicated. Listening to a story on the radio about a recently discovered Earth-like planet, she gazes out her car window at the stars and inadvertently hits a stopped car at an intersection, putting John Burroughs (William Mapother) in a coma and killing his pregnant wife and son. Rhoda is a minor, so her identity is not revealed to John. After serving her juvenile prison sentence, and after four years of isolation, Rhoda continues to shield herself from the world outside, becoming a janitor at a local school, wanting to work "physically", almost as a means to struggle past the potential she has squandered with the decision of a single night.
After cleaning her former high school for a while and hearing more news stories about the mirror Earth, Rhoda visits John's house after he has recovered, thinking she will apologize for the harm she did to him. He answers the door and she loses her nerve. Instead, she pretends to be a maid offering a free day of cleaning as a marketing tool for Maid in Haven (a New Haven-based maid service). John, who has dropped out of his Yale music faculty position and is now living in a depressed and dirty stupor, agrees to Rhoda's offer. When she finishes, John, who still does not know she is the person who killed his wife and son, asks her to come back next week. Rhoda tells him someone will come, but it may not be her.
Despite her fear, Rhoda returns to clean and begins to develop a caring relationship with John that eventually becomes more significant and romantic. They like each other and are intelligent and compatible conversationally. Rhoda genuinely wants to be of service to him.
Rhoda enters an essay contest sponsored by a millionaire entrepreneur who is offering a civilian space flight to the mirror Earth. Rhoda's essay is selected, and she is chosen to be one of the first explorers to travel to the other Earth. Rhoda tells John she has won the space flight, but he asks her not to go. He tells her that they might have something together. Faced with this, she finally decides to confront him with the truth and tells him that she was the one who killed his wife and son. He struggles to accept this information and becomes upset. He forcibly removes her from his house.
Rhoda hears a scientist postulating in a telecast that the citizens of the mirror Earth might be identical to those on her Earth in every way until the moment they learned of the others' existence. From that point on, the identical people on the different Earths probably began to deviate in small ways, changing their actions. Hearing this, Rhoda realizes that her identical self on the other Earth may not have caused the accident.
Excited, Rhoda rushes back to John's house, but he is still in shock and will not listen. She breaks into the house, and, unable to talk to John properly, leaves him the ticket to the other Earth, telling him enough information to give him a small hope that his wife and son might be alive on that planet. John accepts the gift and becomes one of the first civilian space travelers to the other Earth.
Four months later, Rhoda looks up at the sky where Earth 2 is now hidden in fog. She approaches her back door and sees her other self from Earth 2 standing in front of her. | psychological, murder, flashback, psychedelic, tragedy, romantic, storytelling | train | wikipedia | I scanned the billboard for anything that might seem vaguely interesting - "Another Earth" sounded science fiction-y so I bought my ticket and went in.It's important I explain this for two reasons: first because I saw this movie "tabula rasa", having not seen trailers, read reviews or having any idea what it was about.
Having seen the high budget yawn-fest "Transformers" I can actually say that given the current state of big budget science fiction this is a refreshing, if a bit left-field approach to the genre.Evidently my companion viewers in the cinema, a small group of guys, were not getting as much out of the deeply troubled love story that forms the basis of the plot, and they made their discontent very audible to my irritation.In brief, not a film for everyone, but if you're in the mood for an introspective slow-burner and you've got the patience for it, this film will prove a rewarding experience.
Other Earth is all about beauty, the attention to detail and the simple yet delicate story.Its a lot like those many many beautiful Japanese movies (Tokyo Story comes to my mind, though I have to say its not as good as that).
For this reviewer, the sci-fi aspect stands as a metaphor that powers the film's message.17 year old Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) has just been accepted into MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Not to say that it is a bad movie, but I just felt that the whole Earth 2 concept was wasted on it, it felt more like and add-on than an important central plot for the story..
If you on the other hand like to see people trying to better themselves and turn their life around (inspirational stuff, this is probably more your cup of tea!).Finally: everyone has a right to their own opinion, I can understand why some people might love this film however it was certainly not for me.Thanks for reading..
While driving home drunk, Rhoda looks up into the sky to get a look at this new planet and smashes into another car, instantly killing the wife and child of Yale music professor John Burroughs (William Mapother) who goes into a coma.
But as her relationship with John deepens, she must decide not only whether or not to leave for the new world but also if she can confess her identity to the man she took everything from.Somewhere inside Another Earth there exists a worthwhile indie drama that has a bit of promise.
Likewise, I think director Mike Cahill (also co-writer) shows some talent behind the camera and a knack for finding the right shot for the situation, heightening the drama in the already tense atmosphere of his film.
For example, in the beginning earth 2 is a tiny blue dot in the far distance but by the end of the film, the planet is a giant colossus dominating the skyline both day and night.
Another Earth is a low budget, indie, character drama with an intriguing sci-fi idea, never explored to its potential.
Another Earth (1:32, PG-13) — other: drama, bargain basement, originalDo not go to see Another Earth for the science fiction, which is howlingly ludicrous.In fact, the film would've played better if the entire SF premise had been subtracted from it altogether, which would only have cut its 92-minute running length down to about 83 or 84.It's a tiny independent movie, with everything that implies: hand-held single camera, extreme close-ups, long pregnant pauses, characters staring portentously off into the distance, Goodwill costuming, 2 obviously private homes used as sets, and a microscopic cast; William Mapother and writer-producer Brit Marling get about 97% of the screen time.I won't waste your time on the un-freaking-believable plot premise about how an exact duplicate of Earth (yes, exact!
For some reason, this space junkie hasn't yet heard of its appearance, even tho it's currently bigger and brighter than Venus, so she's looking up at it thru the open moonroof when another car crosses her path.Four years later, after her stint in prison (where, as a minor at the time of her crime, her identity was not revealed), she trepidatiously approaches the home of John Burroughs, the college professor and musical composer whose wife and young son were killed in the collision, intending to apologize.
Burroughs, who's been living despondently in a pigsty, accepts, and the rest of the movie is about their subsequent relationship, with the occasional jarring and largely irrelevant reference to Earth 2 thrown in as a distraction.It's a drama, ruined by bolting on bad science fiction.
id like to have given a score of 0 but IMDb wont let me, the other reviews on IMDb that gave it a score of 1 have said it all really, idiotic story, so boring you'll want to walk out of the cinema within 20 minutes and go spend your time doing anything other than watch this dire excuse for a film.
Instead the characters both need massive professional help and just as you care about the subjects, they let you down and you wish the movie would just end.The science of the movie is so far from reality it makes fun of anyone that took any science class in high school.Who gets pleasure watching movies of people that need professional care to get over their issues, unless you also have serious issues and feel solace in seeing others in your same condition?I wish I would have read other reviews instead of the first few that praised the film for its "deep thoughts".
If I could describe this film in a sentence, it would be: "Are you freaking kidding me?"The title, cover and trailer suggest a scifi movie, but it ISN'T.The entire movie I kept asking, "okay, now where is the second earth part?", that is nothing more than a earth (and every time with a different size) stamping every new chapter, besides this, it is just drama circling a guilty minded girl.I could even notice the same white car 3 times in the movie, showing how short the budget was.
I'm really disappointed, not due my lost time watching a childish drama, but this idea "second earth" could be explored in so many ways I couldn't describe, even with possible Hollywood clichés, with a high budget, a competent writer this could be an remarkable movie..
Awful, from the trailer I was expecting sci-fi movie, but it's like 10% of that and more lovey dovey and poor dramatic acting about some girl who killed some guys family and regretting what she did, it slowly goes on like that.Very misleading description, trailer and possibly title, If there was ever a movie to walk out off, this would be it.The basic sci-fi idea of this film would of had potential if they did away the whole rest of the boring stuff.Ed Wood made better films than this and he's named worse movie director..
Anyone who sees this film will be looking at their watch wondering whether Brit Marling (actress & co-writer) is famous yet.In the Q & A, a Russian-accented man asked about the physical possibilities of the story and it's holes.
This type of other worldly phenomenon can play out as an interesting influence on a very human story, but here it just left me confused about what was the real point.Another Earth has a concept that gets you in, but feels so underdone.
The last 20 seconds of the film -- the final scene -- was better than the entire rest of the movie put together, but that's not saying a whole lot.
I just feel like I owe a serious warning to people who might be intrigued by a recent "7"-rated movie that appears to explore a sci-fi theme.
Sometimes when I read positive reviews I can't help thinking that the film makers family and friends have gone to very, very great efforts to make it seem that lots and lots of people think the movie is really good.
It must back more under its belt.The story is about Rhoda Williams (played by Brit Marling, who also wrote and produced the film), a woman bound for MIT and hopefully intriguing things in life.
Her and the man, John Burroughs (Mapother), start to become increasingly close, which leads to personal demon conflicts with Rhoda.Oh, and that Earth-like planet that was in the sky?
Earth 2 exists because on its planet there are supposedly doppelgangers of humans (to show the better side of people, get it?) It's almost like Another Earth is self-obsessed in the sense where it feels to get noticed it needs to make you think way too hard.
Despite what Rhonda says early in the film when she's narrating, people did NOT think the Earth was flat during the time of Columbus.
I always watch a film for the first time with a completely open mind, regardless of what reviews I've read, or previews I may have seen, and I try not to expect anything at all but to be entertained in some way.
The acting was wonderful, the visuals were just about perfect, and all the elements came together in a thoughtful and well-orchestrated experience.If I were to express any negative critiques at all, I would say that (a) it's a slow-moving film which may not be to all tastes, and (b) that I felt, more than once, that the editing lingered just a second or two longer at the end of a scene than what may have been necessary, sort of like trying to stretch out the overall running time.I loved this movie, and will watch it again, and again..
Nonetheless, director Mike Cahill and his co-screenwriter, Britt Marling, have used this concept as a backdrop to their film Another Earth, which, despite it's title and science fiction underpinnings, is actually a sobering drama about mistakes made and the infinite possibilities of the universe.
Heady stuff, to be sure, and while Another Earth is hardly perfect, it eschews what you would normally expect from a film of it's title to deal with very down to Earth matters.17 year old Rhoda Williams (Marling, engaging in double duty as writer and star), who is fascinated by astronomy, has just been accepted into MIT and has been celebrating at a party with friends.
On her way home, drunk and distracted by the news on the radio of a second, Earth like planet that has appeared in the sky, causes an auto accident.
Wracked with guilt at her part in the accident, she decides to visit Burroughs, who has turned to alcohol in the intervening years since awakening from his coma, but cannot bring herself to reveal the truth to him, and ends up pretending to be from a cleaning service and thus begins helping him put his home, and to some extent, his life back together.In the time since the evening of the accident, the new planet has drawn closer to our Earth, and it is revealed to be an almost exact duplicate of Earth, with the same continents, and, as revealed on a news broadcast where radio transmission to the planet is attempted, possibly the exact same people.
Another Earth doesn't specifically make us feel sorry for her, she accepts her responsibility in the tragedy, but it also does paint a picture of a human who, do to how society treats those who commit acts like this, even if accidental, seems to have fewer options available.Burroughs, while not ignored, lacks the same degree of development, and we largely view him through Rhoda's gaze.
If Another Earth missteps, it comes late in the film, where certain decisions are made that are arguably too manufactured, too melodramatic for this film that seems mostly interested in not working in the standard trumped up events of similar material, and while it certainly doesn't ruin Another Earth, it does seem a bit overdone, where a subtler, more realistic choice might have been better.Against the story of these two characters, the revelation of the second Earth plays as a backdrop, but at key moments this plot thread delivers interesting material that allows Another Earth to move beyond the standard for a drama of this type.
Another Earth uses the science fiction conceit of the second Earth as a catalyst for story and character development, not as thin excuse to throw a bunch of special effects on the screen.Another Earth is a small, somewhat slow piece that deals less in the fantastical nature of it's title and subplot, but more in the isolated world of two people who were changed by one terrible event.
With Marling's strong performance and the film's focus on the characters and their coping with a horrible event, Another Earth proves to have it's aim set on a more precise and personal target than you might think..
I liked the concept of the film of an alternate Earth and the acting was decent...you wont see no Oscar nominations coming from this one.
Unless it comes out of Hollywood, or sometimes despite that fact, it's seen as popular with a specific group of people but not respectable with a larger audience.What's interesting about Another Earth is that it in some ways attempts not to be a sci-fi film despite the basic premise of it.
Even though the concept of the film isn't hindered in any way by the idea of another earth and in many ways is not central to the story, I think it keeps people from considering a really great film.Yes, the film did fairly well at the box office for what it did.
What sells it is the fact that the two main characters are very much focused on a single event, an event which we witness in the film so we understand exactly where each of them is coming from and why they do the things they do.I actually had an idea that was somewhat similar to this in that it was a sci-fi fantasy story which centred around a single event or idea but I wasn't certain it would work.
It's provocative, touching, and masterful, and much of its success is due to the unerring, passionate performance by star Brit Marling, who co-wrote the movie with director Mike Cahill.On the very day that a planet that appears to mirror our own in every physical way, a teenager who has just been accepted to MIT carelessly crashes her car into another, killing a woman and her son and leaving the husband/father in a deep coma.
So much so that i sometimes find myself watching an utterly hideous mass-produced junk film like, let's say, X-Men First Class, knowing full well before-hand that i was going to hate every minute of it, but still clinging to the hope of taking pleasure in seeing another gloriously outlandish world unfold on screen.That's the most enticing promise of science-fiction, isn't it?
Sure, that is a tiny detail, but as more details from that kind are accumulated, we notice the maturity from Marling and Cahill, who are not afraid of telling the story on its own terms, because they simultaneously bring us the clues and necessary tools in order to follow it clearly, and to "plunge" ourselves into the characters' experiences.In conclusion, I can recommend Another Earth, because despite its science fiction angle feeling a bit forced and some questionable turns near the end (which however did not avoid the film from reaching a satisfactory ending), it kept me very interested and it provoked an emotional effect on me..
I read a little about it before watching it, and I discovered it was a low-budget indie movie that won some awards at a few film festivals.
There's a thought-provoking ending scene that seemingly validates the movie's sci-fi backdrop, but it feels like an afterthought.
The conjunction of Earth 2, our doppelganger as close as the moon, has profound effect on the life of troubled teen, Rhoda (Brit Marling).After spending 4 years in prison for the automobile manslaughter of a family, with its dad, John (William Matopher), in a long coma and just recovering, Rhoda withdraws from the world, taking cleaning jobs that keep her from connection with her fellow human beings.
If you're open to a unique film that conveys "life lessons" in a highly entertaining and artful way, I think you will enjoy Another Earth..
But it is still an excellent movie to please people wanting something intelligential.On the day another planet that could support life is discovered in the Solar System, teenager Rhoda Williams (Brit Marling) kills a woman and her child while driving drunk.
But if you like to see SF used to focus on the nature of OUR world and OUR species, you're in luck.The film engages head and heart in equal measure, using a parable/fable/allegory approach that makes it timeless; people will be watching, loving, admiring, and teaching this movie for generations.Best final shot since the 1968 PLANET OF THE APES.Brit Marling should play "Dayna Clay" in the now-in-development film version of my 2002 novel UNPLUGGED ( www.paulmccomas.com/unplugged).
With 2 wins at the Sundance Film Festival early this year the independent movie ANOTHER EARTH shares a message that allows the viewer to connect with its themes in many angles.
Enough said that the second Earth that we discover right next to us is a metaphor, a plot device, and not something that makes this movie a sci-fi one.
That film is definitely not for everyone but if you like independent and strange movies it's very good choice.
Second to this, and more important for this film, is that no matter how big or small the earth-2 is in various shots, it's just like real life --- we use our personal filters to view the world, and now we are experiencing another's filters, that is, becoming involved in their story.
One of the achievements of this film (and I think this is Brit Marling's contribution) is the great tension created, like in the best adventure stories that, in the end, are not so much resolved as given new life. |
tt0448694 | Puss in Boots | Sometime before Puss (Antonio Banderas) meets Shrek and Donkey in Shrek 2, he arrives at a town while escaping a bounty hunter. There he learns that the outlaw couple Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris) have the magic beans he's been looking for most of his life, beans that can lead him to a giant's castle holding valuable golden goose eggs. When Puss tries to steal them from the outlaws' room, a masked cat (Salma Hayek) interrupts. Both fail and escape, and Puss follows the cat back to Cat Cantina, a club, where they have a dance-off and a sword fight, ending when Puss hits the masked cat in the head with a guitar. He learns that the masked cat is Kitty Softpaws, and is shocked to learn she is a girl. She is allied with Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), a talking egg and Puss' long-estranged childhood friend from the orphanage where he was raised. Puss tells Kitty of his feelings of betrayal for a youthful misadventure when Humpty tricked Puss into helping commit a crime. It turned out that Kitty was sleeping through the story. Humpty attempts to convince Puss to join them in finding the beans and retrieving the golden eggs, which he does.The trio steals the beans from Jack and Jill and elude the angry outlaws in a canyon chase. As Humpty leads his compatriots to the spot where they must plant the beans, Puss and Kitty's relationship begins to grow from rivalry into friendship. The trio ride the fast-growing beanstalk into the clouds where, Humpty explains, they'll find castle of the late giant. Now, he continues, a fearsome monster called the Terror guards the Golden Goose. When they realize the golden eggs are too heavy to carry, they steal the Goose which is just a gosling and escape the castle and the Terror. While celebrating their victory, the group is ambushed by Jack and Jill, who knock Puss unconscious.When Puss wakes up, he tracks Jack and Jill back to his old hometown, where he learns that the entire heist was a plot by Humpty to lure him home to be captured, as revenge for abandoning him to the authorities when Humpty's youthful heist went bad. Jack, Jill, and even Kitty were involved in the con. After pleas from his adoptive mother, the head of the orphanage, Puss turns himself in to the guards while Humpty donates many golden eggs to the town and becomes a hero.While in prison, Puss meets the original Jack from the "Jack and the Beanstalk" (a.k.a. Andy Beanstalk) story who warns him that the Terror is in fact the Golden Goose's mother, and it will stop at nothing to get its child back. A repentant Kitty helps Puss break out of prison and tells him that she loves him more than gold. Puss convinces Humpty to help him fight off the Terror, saying he knows Humpty is a good person at heart, and he will be forgiven if he helps save the town. The Terror arrives, revealing itself to be a giant goose. Using the Golden Goose as bait, Puss and Humpty lure the Terror out of the town, but Humpty and the Goose are knocked off a bridge with Puss holding on to them. Humpty knows Puss cannot hold both of them, and he lets go, sacrificing himself to save the Goose and the town. Humpty's shell cracks open to reveal that he was a golden egg on the inside. The Terror then takes the Goose and Humpty away back to the giant's castle.Puss is forced to flee because he is still an outlaw, but his efforts to save the town make him a hero among the townspeople. Puss and Kitty escape the guards once more, and Kitty says she will see him again soon, showing that she has taken his boots. In the epilogue, Jack and Jill are recovering from their injuries after being crushed by the Terror, Humpty is shown once again in his regular egg form, wearing a golden egg suit, as he rides the Terror into the clouds, and Puss and Kitty head back to dance at Kitty's hideout, the Glitter Box, where they finally kiss. | clever, romantic, action, fantasy, flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt1114677 | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Miley Stewart has always had the best of both worlds. She always got what she wanted. After having a shoe fight with Tyra Banks, her dad decides to take her where she never thought she would be taken to: Tennessee. He gives her the chance to be Hannah Montana for awhile and to learn what family is all about. While there, she meets a new love interest and makes a decision that will change her life forever. Does she want to be Hannah Montana anymore? -IMDbCSMiley Stewart has become overwhelmed with her alter-ego, Hannah Montana's, popularity. After being late to her blowout concert and filming her music video ("Best of Both Worlds 2009 Movie Mix"), Oswald, a sneaky undercover journalist for celeb magazine BomChic, overhears that Hannah is keeping a secret (that she is really Miley Stewart) and becomes determined to find out what it is. However, Miley gets into trouble when she ends up in a catfight with Tyra Banks over a pair of shoes at a department store, wanting to buy them as a birthday present for best friend Lilly, but Tyra is presenting it to her friend ("The Good Life"). This results in her missing saying goodbye to brother Jackson who departs for college. Steve Rushton performs at Lily's birthday party. ("Everything I Want") ("Game Over") When Oswald secretly follows her limo to the party, she is forced to attend as Hannah, resulting in the guests turning their attention to her instead of Lilly, especially when Hannah is accompanied by Steve Rushton in her performance of ("Let's Get Crazy"). Oliver and Rico try to stop Lilly from leaving, but the party is now ruined by an exploding cake.
Hannah and Tyra's fight is splashed across front pages across the media and Miley's father, Robby is left furious about the fact her popstar life could threaten to take over for good. That same day, they leave for the World Music Awards in New York on a private jet but when the plane lands, Miley instead finds herself in Crowley Corners, Tennessee, her hometown. It soon emerges Robby had the plane travel to Tennessee instead because of it being her grandmother, Ruby's birthday and that he wants her to reveal the life she could have had. When the dismayed Miley asks if her career as Hannah Montana is over, Robby says to ask again in two weeks' time. But Miley won't let go being Hannah Montana.
In Tennessee, Robby and Miley have their own relationships. Robby has a love interest, Lorelai, played by Melora Hardin, and Miley develops a deep connection with a childhood friend Travis Brody, played by Lucas Till, after he helps her with riding her old horse, Blue Jeans. Robby's relationship with Lorelai is awkward.
That night, Miley looks at a picture of her mom and her when she is young, missing her mother. Meanwhile, Miley is chastened after Robby mentions that she seems to want to be Hannah Montana more than she wants to be with her family. Oswald, meanwhile, follows Miley to her hometown. Later, she tries to write a song, but when Travis ignores it, she is unable to write. Meanwhile, there is a firm battle developing with the residents of Crowley Corners and a team of developers who are planning to destroy the meadows and building a shopping mall on the site. At a barn party that night, several singers contribute to the charity to save Crowley Corners, singing ("Back to Tennessee" by Billy Ray Cyrus), and ("Crazier" by Taylor Swift). Miley then sings ("Hoedown Throwdown") until the mall developers arrive. Travis and Miley dance, as do Robby and Lorelei. Travis suggests that Hannah Montana should appear to play a special gig, seeing that Miley knows her (Miley had lied to Travis that she saved Hannah's life in a surfing accident)as a way to save the meadows from being ruin for construction.
Miley spends time with Lily, who has arrived along with Hannah Montana's band and crew, and the two make up. She has a rough time adjusting to farm life while trying to be herself and Hannah, and Oswald takes a picture of her and Lilly, and Lilly is the one that invited Oswald to come here for a secret by accident. When Miley sees Travis, talking to him as Hannah, she encourages him to ask Miley out; he decides to take her advice. She promises to go, but has been invited to dinner with the Mayor by Lorelai (Lilly had been disguised as Hannah at the time). Miley struggles to switch between the two venues as both forms. Eventually she lets her guard down and is caught by Travis holding her Hannah wig. He immediately rejects Miley and she is devastated. Matters are further complicated when Robby has to break up with Lorelai, needing to take care of his daughter.
Miley writes her own song, "Butterfly Fly Away", which she and Robby Ray sing together to cheer her up. Upon finding the finished chicken coop that he and Miley were building and hearing the Hannah Montana song "Rock Star", Travis decides to go to the concert to support Miley.
The day of the final concert arrives and while performing, Hannah suddenly stops midsong, seeing Travis show up. She explains to the crowd that she cannot do this anymore, saying that that where she was was home. Hannah then removes her wig and reveals that she is Miley and can no longer continue being Hannah, declaring herself unable to lead her double life anymore. She then sings her own song she created; ("The Climb"), but afterward the crowd pleads with her to carry on being Hannah, promising her they won't tell anyone her secret. Suddenly, Oswald appears and takes a picture on his mobile phone but after encouragement not to by his twin daughters, he changes his mind and quits his job. The concert ("You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home") is a success and Miley departs Tennessee again after kissing Travis, her faith in living a double life fully restored, and Robby and Lorelai renew their relationship. [D-Man2010] | dramatic, romantic, comedy, prank | train | imdb | null |
tt0247196 | Before Night Falls | Before Night Falls is the story of the writer, novelist, and poet Reinaldo Arenas who was born in a poor rural area of Eastern Cuba. He initially supported the Cuban Revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959. Arenas moved to La Habana in 1963 and grew interested in writing. In 1966 he published El mundo alucinante (Hallucinations) which received critical acclaim and won honorable mention from the Union of Cuban Writers and Artists.
Arenas openly gay lifestyle eventually let to trouble and in 1973 he was charged with ideological deviation and sent to jail, but escaped, was rearrested, then imprisoned in El Morro. He was released in 1976 and in 1980 was part of the Mariel Boat lift to the United States. While in New York City Arenas published Cantando en el pozo (Singing From the Well) in 1982, followed by El palacio de la blanquísimas mofetas (Palace of white Skunks) in 1982 and El portero (The Doorman) in 1987. He committed suicide by overdose on December 7, 1990 at age 47. His memoir, Antes que anochezca (Before Night Falls) was published three years later, and is a principal source of this film, produced in 2000. Arenas is played by the Spanish actor Javier Bardem, whose performance and Cuban accent are absolutely perfect. | flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt0319524 | How to Deal | Halley Marie Martin (Mandy Moore) is a 17-year-old high school student who is disillusioned with love after seeing many dysfunctional relationships around her. Her parents are now divorced and her father, Len Martin (Peter Gallagher), a radio talk show host, has a new young girlfriend that the entire family despises. Her mother, Lydia (Allison Janney), is now always alone while her sister, Ashley, is so overwhelmed by her upcoming wedding with Lewis Warsher that she barely exists in the house. The shallowness of all the teens at her school convinces Halley that finding true love is impossible.
When Halley walks in on her best friend Scarlett having sex with her boyfriend, the high school soccer champ, Michael Sherwood, Halley tries to warn her of the complications that lie ahead. Ignoring her advice, Scarlett embarks on a summer fling with Michael. In the meantime, Halley must deal with Ashley and the rest of the Martins must deal with her soon-to-be in-laws, Lewis' overbearing Southern parents, who have an African American maid. In the meantime, Halley runs into classmate Macon Forrester, a slacker who never shows up for biology and is more interested in having fun than school work. He is Michael Sherwood's best friend.
Then a few weeks later, Michael dies of a heart defect on the soccer field while Halley, Scarlett and other classmates watch helplessly. This event changes the lives of Halley and Scarlett forever. While Scarlett does her best to look beautiful for Michael at his funeral, Macon gives a moving speech about his friend. Struggling with Michael's death, Scarlett, at age sixteen, soon learns that she is pregnant with his child. With Halley at her side, Scarlett reveals the pregnancy to her mother.
Halley's father, Len Martin, marries his mistress, Lorna, in a beach-side ceremony, with guests from all over the world, or "within his radio frequency", as Halley puts it.
Halley and Macon eventually start a relationship. He takes her to his and Michael's favorite hangout and once come close to having sex. Halley and her mother get into an argument and on New Year's Eve, Halley sneaks out with Macon to a party. Again, they come very close to having sex but this time Halley stops it and Macon is upset. On their way home, they are both upset and distracted and hit a tree. Halley gets a broken arm, but otherwise they both walk away from it unharmed, but Halley breaks up with Macon saying that she can't wait around for him to grow up. Later things go awry when Halley finds Ashley drunk on the family's front porch. Finding a male stripper's thong around her neck, Halley witnesses the break-up of her sister's engagement. She also learns that her mother sneaks out once a week to have sex with a man she met a couple of weeks previously, Steve. After another make-up, Lewis proposes to Ashley again, this time at a crowded airport: she says yes.
On the day of Ashley and Lewis' wedding, Macon bursts into Len's radio studio, professing his apologies and love to Halley. He then heads to the wedding. On the way, he finds Scarlett, who insisted on walking to the wedding, going into labor on the side of the road. He puts her in the car and walks into the wedding, getting Halley's attention. The three rush to the hospital, leaving Scarlett's mother behind in the rush.
While Scarlett is having her baby, Halley makes a list of all the little things she hates about Macon, the way his hair falls over his face, the way his voice gets low when he's serious, the way he bites his lip when he's nervous and the way his eyebrow twitches. Halley playfully uses Macon's 'Jedi Mind Trick' and they kiss and dance briefly in the hallway. The movie ends as Halley and Macon embrace and viewers see that Scarlett gave birth to a baby boy. | flashback | train | wikipedia | It covered just about most of the problems teenagers face these days.It was essentially a good movie and dealt with these issues quite well - not too heavy, not too light.Mandy Moore was pretty darned good too - she has a nice little career ahead of her me thinks!
Though it's all rather light, How to Deal does have some seriousness and important parts.Mandy Moore (marry me?) is Halley Martin, a teenage girl who refuses to believe that true love exists (like me).
It seems like the best way to deal with love is to avoid it.All that changes when Halley meets Macon (stupid name) a geeky Star Wars nerd.
He's played by Trent Ford and on the cover he's wearing a white vest and is marketed as a sexually neutral, non-threatening pretty boy (Orlando Bloom, Justin Timberlake etc) but that ain't him or his character at all and he never appears in a vest at any point in the movie.
Real kids, not the kids that make love to pastries or live in mansions, which are the only 2 types of kids Hollywood thinks exist.Taken from 2 separate novels by Sarah Dessen called 'Someone Like You' and 'That Summer' it's possible that How to Deal might have a sequel.
The real problem is that for the movie's target audience of middle-class suburban white teenagers it's positively overflowing with groaners -- embarrassing "banter" between the kids, cartoonish characters (idiotic philandering husbands, evil boy-stealing girlfriends), and a preposterous storyline.
My own teenage daughter and her friends thought How to Deal was, and I quote, "stupid." But for us middle-aged parents nostalgic for a time in their lives they've almost completely forgotten, it really isn't that bad.
With a well-selected and not over-done cast and a promising trailer, I looked forward to seeing Mandy Moore's second leading role in a film.
Allison Janney is another actress I respect, ever since her small role as the grouchy secretary in 10 Things I Hate About You. Her role did not require as much "involvement" as Mandy's and Trent's, but she did well and contributed to this movie's good quality.
Yes, it was tacky, pervasive and thematic at many times with it's dismissed and glorified themes of teen sex, teen pregnancy and teen drug use but it conveyed itself in a way that has not been used as often lately and in a way that i truly enjoyed.I don't know if it was the tone, cinematography, costumes, art direction, or a little bit of each which made How to Deal a pleasantly enjoyable movie.
This is what made it seem like a less of a thin movie than some may argue it was.The plot was interesting and almost kept you on the edge of your seat as you watched Hally struggle and hoped things would work out for her.
How to Deal (2003) Cynical seventeen-year-old Mandy Moore has seen love gone wrong too many times in her own family that she refuses to believe it exists in her when a boy (Trent Ford) takes interest.
Unlike a high-school-movie-of-the-week, this is a surprisingly thoughtful, sometimes contrived film that takes concern to serious teen issues, but it tries to deal with too much at once.
It boils down to this, Mandy's character has to deal with her parents divorce, her sister's wedding, her father's remarrying, her best friend getting pregnant with her deceased boyfriend's baby (it's not what it sounds like), and the fact that despite her misgivings about love, falling in love with the high school clown named Macon.
At one point Haley (Mandy Moore's character) blows up over her Mom not believing that she could remember the last time Haley's comet passed by.
Allison Janney as Mandy Moore's mother is quirky but not funny although she has the only laughs in the movie.
Unlike most sleazy teen movies, this one is realistic and the audience will most likely connect and understand what the characters are going through.
How to Deal would work so much better as a teen film refusing to conform to cookie-cutter ideology if it didn't always seem like it was contradicting what it originally set out to do.
Whether this issue was brought on by Sarah Dessen, the author of That Summer and Someone Like You, which the film is based off of or screenwriter Neena Beber is up to debate, but for whatever reason, How to Deal feels like a rebel being proved wrong, foolish, and worthless and I doubt that's how it was originally conceived.The story revolves around seventeen year old Halley Martin (Mandy Moore), who becomes disillusioned with the concept of love because of how it appears in her own life.
So, because of these two things, Halley simply doesn't believe in love anymore and goes on with her life with that mindset.This, right here, should be the plot of How to Deal, but strangely, Beber (or Dessen, perhaps) decides to throw the film for a loop and have Halley be the subject of a love story with the geeky hunk Macon (Trent Ford).
The film should be revolving around Halley's life rejecting love, perhaps embracing hobbies, becoming more artistic and sociable in her life and at school, or even just being more comfortable around guys with the conflict potentially being rejecting her family and mistaking her family's love for ingenuous behavior if something were to go wrong in her life.Instead, the film brings up a romance, which feels offputting because it gives the message to young teens who maybe have questions about love the impression that if they think real love doesn't exist they are wrong and foolish because it does.
How to Deal plays like "love propaganda," in the sense that its goal appears to be convincing a segment of the population who have rejected romantic notions and the idea that love makes people blind to reality (usually hard-hearted realists or mature pessimists) see the stupidity of their ways and rethink their initial thoughts.Early on, when the film is still trying to show us that Halley may be on to something with her ideology before pulling a complete three-sixty with the story, we get a glimpse at Halley with her close friend watching Halley's sister argue with her ex.
Right there, the film has just proved Halley's point by saying that love makes people ignore or lessen the bad in life because they are so in awe with the person they are with.
However, just a few scenes later, Halley is seen falling for Macon in a way just as contrived as the events we just saw unfold.Because of this, little additional features about How to Deal can be admired, with the exception of the cast's uniformly solid performances in making their characters at least somewhat believable in their personalities.
This is an entry in the new genre I'll call "love propaganda" and I'm hoping another film won't fall into that category.Starring: Mandy Moore, Allison Janney, and Trent Ford.
But Moore is lovely, and has such an honest screen presence, that transfers to film amazingly --- Now, as she leaves those teen roles behind, she's bound to be an Oscar Winning actress --- she's gonna go all the way, you can see it in her eyes.
Again, we understand the point, and we trust in the final 45 minutesof the movie it resolved itself and some moral came across, but getting there was all wrong.Mandy Moore, we were huge fans and big believers in you, and even liked your attitude on your DVD commentary on "A Walk to Remember" -- but this ruined you for us.
It centers around Halley (Mandy Moore), who has a weird dad that announces his upcoming marriage on his radio show before telling her, her best friend who finds out she's pregnant after her summer boyfriend dies from a heart defect, her sister who is planning a wedding, and her mom who starts a new romance.
(A show of hands if anyone believes that -- besides teen girls.)And just when you think the film will deliver a laugh or an insight, all it can manage is one of those cheap, spur-of-the moment comments that kids make up in the hallway between classes when there really isn't any time to think things through.Bad. Bad.
In `How To Deal,' we see the story of a teen girl who's dealing not only with her parents divorce, but also her sister's wedding, her best friend's pregnancy and falling in love in a world where love doesn't seem like it can last.
It sounds like this film has the ingredients for something more truthful than most movies geared towards a teen audience.
Although I'm actually thankful the relationship with Halley (Mandy Moore) and Macon (Trent Ford) didn't have more time, because it was a joke and the whole time I kept rolling my eyes and screaming inside "NO!
When a romance movie ends and you are left thinking that it's very likely the two could break-up the next day and don't have a chance in hell at staying together, it's not exactly a good thing.
Combining Sarah Dessen's two brilliant novels, (Someone Like You and That Summer) Mandy Moore and Trent Ford as Haley Martin and Macon Forrester deliver a wonderful, creative, and believable story.
The acting in this movie was decent at the very least, Nina Foch provides comic humor as the grandmother and Mandy Moore plays a perfect Haley.
I really like Mandy Moore, I think she's a good actress and under-rated, maybe cause she's a pop singer too, I guess...
Though it could have been edited better and could have been a bit different, the movie doesn't suck.Mandy Moore does a great job showing a different character than that of Jamie Sullivan from A Walk to Remember.
Ford also does a great job as her soon-to-be lover and as a friend.My advice: Read the books and watch the movie with an open mind.
If you liked the movie, read the book and you will definately fall in love with it..
This movie is a typical teen flick, which focuses on a teenage girl reluctant to believe in love.
I saw Crossroads and Glitter and let me tell you it was not pretty.Mandy Moore comes off as a likeable and genuine girl.Not once did I roll my eyes at her or stiffle a laugh at poorly delivered line (I wish I could say the same for her co-star Trent Ford he was terrible).
How to deal was a good low budget movie with the major strengths being Mandy Moore, Allison Janney and the beautiful photography set over 9 months.
:) Trent Ford was really good, too.This movie also gives off a flirty, romantic, exciting, and anticipating feeling because every new thing that happens isn't usually what you'd expect.I recommend this movie to teenagers or even just people who like romance with a tad of comedy.
The movie features great perfomances from Allison Janney, Alexandra Holden and Mandy Moore, and actually had the balls to tactfully tackle issues that most teen flicks shy away from.The sub-plots, yet unoriginal, are thoughtful.
We begin to think the movie has a brain when the characters who aren't the centre of the film have to deal with their situations.
We are distracted by what is supposed to be the centre of the film, but in actuality is a gag-inducing, terribly clichéd romance between Mandy Moore and Trent Ford.
The movie's producers knew what demographic they wanted to reach, and as such, rolled out a cookie-cutter romance story to appease the teenage girl audience - girl disillusioned with love meets nice boy, initially resists his insatiable charm, but ends up falling for him because that's how it always goes.
and mandy moore was very good .it's not the better movie that a saw but it was very great !
Based on two popular novels by my favorite author, Sarah Dessen, this movie deals with the life of cynical Halley (Moore), who doesn't believe in true love.
The movie is based after 2 young adult novels which deal with a young woman's relationships with friends and family, but more importantly, it deals (no pun expected) with getting used to different things in life: love, death, and many normal life changes.
It is the start of many new teenage understandings, and this movie is good at seeing how universal and "common-day" some of these "problems" are for this girl.Mandy Moore (this is the first film I've seen of hers) plays a cutie-pie role (like I've heard is every character she's ever played) so there wasn't much of a stretch.
The rest of the actors/actresses did a fairly standard job at acting interested in being in a film with Mandy Moore...that's all, though.So the movie is very average, touching on too many other films based on young adult novels without any kind of artistic license used.
I love Mandy Moore, and felt let down by the film.
I am still a Mandy Moore fan, but I think she made a mistake by making the film...but hey you live and learn.
Mandy Moore is a great actress and Trent Ford is pretty damn cute but I was disappointed.
A Walk To Remember was the best movie I saw which is played by Mandy Moore.
The basic plot behind this movie is that Mandy's character Halley Martin sees many flaws in the love in the relationships of the people she knows that she fails to see that true love exists.
well maybe if you didn't focus so much on the image of mandy moore and judge her personal life which has absolutely nothing to do with her films you might see this movie for what it really is.
I enjoyed the chemistry between Mandy Moore (Halley) and Trent Ford (Macon); their love scenes and adequate acting.
"Walk to Remember" is one of my favorite movies, so I was really looking forward to seeing Mandy Moore's latest.
Early in the movie Halley, the Mandy Moore character, walks in on her best friend, Scarlett, having sex.
But then, instead of setting a good example, the mother sneaks off to have sex with her own boyfriend.Finally, at the end of the movie, Scarlett, still unwed, gives birth and everyone is standing outside the maternity ward acting like it's so wonderful that she has this adorable little baby.
The whole point of the plot seems to be that (news flash!) puppy love is still possible even though you are disillusioned by your parents' divorce.I read that Mandy Moore is trying to shed her squeaky-clean image, like Jennifer Lopez did after Selena, I guess.
Let's not forget the bad boy who has a sensitive spot when it comes to the right girl, and the idealistic best friend who tries to 'deal' with everything life throws at her with cheerful resolve but only manages to do so because of her best friend, Halley--which brings us to the lead.Mandy Moore's natural acting talent shines through in this character.
How To Deal looks like a really good movie.
Mandy Moore's movies are always good though.
I thought that the mom (Allison Janney, now the star of a show called "Mom") was the most interesting character, but she didn't get enough screen time.Basically, I prefer to think of the causes for which Mandy Moore stands (I haven't seen "This Is Us").
Mandy Moore is a good actress, even though she seems tied to movies made from books (A Walk to Remember).
How to Deal is the tale of a girl, played by Mandy Moore, who doesn't believe that falling in love is a good idea because her parents are divorced, her friend is knocked up by a dead guy, her sister fights with her fiancée and her father is marrying a woman half his age.
It was the story that got to me,and when I finally saw it,it didn't disappoint.The main character has to deal with a lot of different situations during the course of the film which is like compressing all the good parts from an entire season of one's teen soap.
It was the story that got to me,and when I finally dsaw it,it didn't disappoint.The main character has to deal with a lot of different situations during the course of the film which is like compressing all the good parts from an entire season of one's teen soap.
Having seen "A Walk to Remember," I figured it'd be another Mandy Moore chick flick - not bad, but nothing special.This movie just *didn't work.* Using two different teen novels as a basis for a "plot" didn't work.
A couple of the supporting characters (played by Allison Janney and Alexandra Holden) were ok; others (Mackenzie Astin, Mary Catherine Garrison) were as terrible as Trent Ford.One can only hope that if Mandy Moore wishes to be taken seriously as an actress, she'll accept a better script next time, because she's not a terrible actress.I gave it 3/10, and that's only for the non-comedy induced laughs my friend and I, as well as several other members of the very small audience, had..
Mandy Moore's performance in this movie is so bad - that a person watching Mandy for the first time may never want to watch her act again.
A cute Mandy Moore film, not as bad as some say it is..
How to Deal (2003): Dir: Clare Kilner / Cast: Mandy Moore, Allison Janney, Trent Ford, Peter Gallagher, Dylan Baker: Regards relationships but it gets pulled in too many directions.
Oh well...Mandy Moore, as Halley, is about the only reason for watching the movie.
Now I like Mandy Moore and thought she was good in A Walk to Remember so I wasn't too upset.
Mandy Moore stars in How To Deal based on teen girl author Sarah Dessen's books about growing up as a young lady in today's world.
Moore is an interesting lead for the film, but her character has enough material thrown at her to deal with in three different movies, much less one. |
tt0060955 | Seconds | Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) is a middle-aged man whose life has lost purpose. He is disengaged at his job as a banker, while the love with his wife has dwindled. Through a friend who he thought had died years earlier, Hamilton is approached by a secret organization, known simply as the "Company," which offers wealthy people a second chance at life. The Company, in the person of Mr. Ruby (Jeff Corey), interviews Hamilton, then shows him a film of him attacking a girl after he'd unknowingly consumed drugged food & drink offered him by the Company. They threaten to blackmail Hamilton forcing him to sign on, foreshadowing the unfortunate consequences of accepting the Company's assistance.Hamilton's death is staged to make it look as if he perished in a hotel fire with a corpse left disguised as him. Through extensive plastic surgery and psychoanalysis, Hamilton is transformed into Tony Wilson (Rock Hudson). He is provided with a new home, a new identity (as Wilson), new friends and a devoted manservant. The details of his new existence suggest that there was once a real Tony Wilson, but what became of him is a mystery.Wilson copes with his new world. Relocated to a fancy home in Malibu, California, where he is an already established artist, he commences a relationship with a young woman named Nora Marcus (Salome Jens) and for a time he is happy but soon becomes troubled by the emotional confusion of his new identity, as well as by the exuberance of renewing his youth.At a dinner party he hosts for neighbors, Wilson drinks himself into a stupor and begins to babble about his former life as Hamilton. It turns out that his neighbors are "reborns" like himself, sent to keep an eye on his adjustment. Nora is actually an agent of the Company and her attentions to Wilson are designed merely to ensure his cooperation.In violation of Company policy, Wilson, posing as an old friend of her husband's, visits his former wife (Frances Reid) in his new persona. He learns that his marriage had failed because he was distracted by the pursuit of career and material possessions, the very things in life that others made him believe were important.Wilson returns to the Company and announces a desire to start again with yet another identity. The Company offers to accommodate him, but asks if he would first provide the names of some past acquaintances who might like to be "reborn." He refuses since he now knows of the drawbacks to being "reborn" and also doesn't want to delay the Company's procedure for a new identity for himself.While awaiting his reassignment, Wilson encounters Charlie Evans (Murray Hamilton), the friend who had originally recruited him into the Company. Evans was also "reborn" and likewise could not make a go of his new life. Together, they speculate on the reason for their failure to adjust, attributing it to the fact that they allowed others, including the Company, to make life choices for them.This realization comes too late. Wilson/Hamilton is suddenly strapped to a gurney and as he is wheeled down the hallway, a priest reads him his last rites. He is eventually wheeled into a small room where he learns that failed reborns are not actually provided with new identities but instead become the cadavers used to fake new clients' deaths. | cult, psychedelic, murder | train | imdb | You could make a strong case for the late John Frankenheimer being the most unappreciated American film director of all time simply by mentioning his two astonishing 1960s movies 'The Manchurian Candidate' and 'Seconds'.
It starts easy enough when a middle-age man, John Randolph (Arthur Hamilton) decides to accept an offer to 'exchange' his given life, and trade it for a more youthful one.
During the fantastic transformation from old John Randolph to youthful, handsome and attractive Antiochus 'Tony' Wilson, (Rock Hudson) he and the audience is gently beaconed and eased into the new, but alien life by a calm and compassionate guide, called the "Old Man.
Some movies which failed when they were released became sleepers ,and in the case of "seconds" quite rightly so.It predates "Abre los ojos" (and thus "Vanilla Sky" so to speak) by 30 years !"Carnival of souls" did the same for "Jacob's ladder" and "the sixth sense".Those two works did more:they invented what we call the "indie cinema" and David Lynch's first -and best- two works owe them a great deal.By far Rock Hudson's best performance -with the eventual exception of ,in a diametrically opposite style, "all that Heaven allows"and his other Sirk melodramas-,"seconds" is what we can call a movie ahead of its time.The weakness some users are complaining of -the lack of psychological depth - is intentional;and if some sequences may seem long,this length inspires their vital nightmarish side -the drunken revel ,the bacchanalian dance are so unexpected that they pack a real wallop.The camera uses disturbing angles and Frankenheimer does not need a ton of special effects to exude pure primal fear.This movie ,"the Mandchurian candidate" and "Birdman of Alcatraz are enough to make Frankenheimer go down in History of seventh art..
Given an opportunity to completely start his life over he jumps at the chance even though it means he must "die" and be reborn in a new body.Filmed in black and white SECONDS has that unsettling jumpy-jangly editing and sound track I associate with 50s film noir.
In Seconds life's become pretty boring for John Randolph, no interest in the little woman any more, a dead end job, all the money in the world, but no interest in spending it anywhere.So when he gets a call from an old friend who he's heard has died, the possibilities are intriguing.
Two of the best performances are Wesley Addy as a rather creepy factotum assigned to Hudson and Salome Jens as a woman who evinces interest in the new man that is Hudson.Seconds is not a feel good movie, but it's a great horror story told without any of the usual monsters, blood, and gore associated with the genre.
In Scarsdale, the bored banker Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) is contacted by his former friend Charlie Evans that supposedly died several years ago giving information about a secret organization that offers for US$ 30,000.00 a second chance in life to wealthy people.
But the rules are not so easy to be changed."Seconds" is a weird film by John Frankenheimer with potential of cult- movie.
Music is scored by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by James Wong Howe.Arthur Hamilton (Randolph) is a middle-aged business man who is tired of his mundane existence, but that is all about to change when he is coerced by a mysterious organisation into faking his own death and letting them create an entirely new look and lifestyle for him.
It's the sort of film that has you wondering if somebody slipped some dubious pill into your drink when you wasn't looking, such is the claustrophobic atmosphere, weird imagery and the use of the SnorriCam. Wong Howe's Oscar nominated black and white photography keeps things bordering on the realm of the surreal, while Goldsmith scores it suitably unusual like, with low rumbles and avant-garde tinkerings flitting in and out of proceedings.Upon release it was met with very mixed reviews and received a critical mauling at Cannes, a shame since it has since become something of a cult classic.
Maybe it's a case of Frankenheimer being in love with every second he filmed, but the pace is a big part of what made the oppressive atmosphere of the movie.
SecondsThe downside to getting a new face is that all your old selfies are now meaningless.However, the recipient in this sci-fi thriller could care less about his old face.Fatigued with his middle-aged existence, Arthur (John Randolph) abandons his loveless marriage for an opportunity being offered by a clandestine organization able to give you the life you've only dreamed of.Surgically altered, rechristened Tony (Rock Hudson) and presented with a new apartment, Arthur enjoys his new life as a successful artist with many well-to-do friends.
But when a drunken Tony relapses into Arthur, he learns quickly that The Company doesn't tolerate such regression.A paranoid thriller that is both visually stunning - thanks to director John Frankenheimer - and highly suspenseful - thanks to its Twilight Zone-esque narrative and social commentary on modern medicine, Seconds is a landmark cinematic achievement.Incidentally, Arthur's sexual preference also changes when he becomes Rock Hudson.Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca.
View "Seconds" as a new take on "The Jungle", but this time the author gets the primary message across -- the maltreatment of human beings is of paramount concern, not the unsanitary processing of wine.The plot of this film raises many questions (and many red flags) about American life for the viewer.
The film drags in just a few spots (mostly in the middle), but it is interesting and sobering to watch this guy go through an artificial rebirth and live a second life.The story is pretty well-structured.
There are a ton of wild and unusual camera angles, many of which seem less like what you'd find in the 60s and more like what you'd see in modern films (especially when the camera tracks a person's head or body, keeping it still while the background moves; that is very much the same kind of thing you get with webcams, which many modern movies use, and I think it's an awesome achievement for Seconds).
He had to have drawn on his own personal fears of living a life for other people, only to mournfully regret this decision later in life.Seconds is a genre film that was far before its time.
It sounds sacrilegious to suggest splicing such a classic piece of English literature with a schlock American television series but that's essentially what's happened with 'Seconds' and the results are certainly remarkable and next to astounding.The Wildean moral of 'be careful what you wish for' echoes around the winding caverns of this story and it points a chilling finger in the direction of the viewer's own superficiality.In our world, it is easy to derive a fake 'meaning of things' from the sparkly-cool objects that we buy in the mall: these are our of-the-peg raison d'etre and in the film, the main character is given just that but without the pretension.
It also shows that Rock Hudson could play a fully-developed, three-dimensional, tragic character.The modern-day Faust is married, middle-aged businessman Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph), who most definitely doesn't want to be who and where he is in life.
The Devil is incarnated as a soft-spoken, elderly gentleman (Will Geer), who turns out to be the CEO of The Company, an underground organization that offers Hamilton a chance to be "reborn." But this offer has absolutely nothing to do with what Jesus was talking about when he spoke of being "born again." (I'm betting, however, that the allusion is deliberate.) For a huge sum of money, The Company will (1) stage Hamilton's death, actually planting a cadaver that everyone will mistake for his decomposed body (2) take Hamilton apart on the operating table and put him together again to look just like Rock Hudson (3) send Hamilton off to a new life and a new identity.
Arthur Hamilton/Tony, the sad protagonist (expertly played by both John Randolph and Rock Hudson(!)) finds all too late that there is no place like home, and once you're gone, you're gone.
I was too obvious that the man's new role was so against who he really was, that it couldn't have been what he really wanted.I think it'd have been a better movie if his second chance in life was something really natural and good for him, but he still got confused in the conflicts between his old and new life, as he did in this one.I had to fast forward through some really obnoxiously loud and annoying scenes of his new life in the middle, otherwise it was pretty enjoyable.
The final chapter of director John Frankenheimer's paranoia trilogy (after THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE 1962 and SEVEN DAYS IN MAY 1964), SECONDS posits the possibility of a second chance to start one's life with a clean slate, through proper plastic surgeries and a fake death, and our protagonist is a 51-year-old bank manager Arthur Hamilton (Randolph, cogently laying bare his ambivalence concerning the wacky proposition), who is consequentially, reborn as Tony Wilson (Hudson), assumes his hobbyhorse as an amateur painter, lives in his seaside studio and falls in with new female acquaintance.
We would never know.Above-mentioned gripes aside, SECONDS is commendable even it is solely for the avant-garde monochromatic cinematography from Hollywood doyen James Wong Howe (justly accorded with an Oscar nomination even the film was tanked upon its release), his camera angles are often oddly askew and heightened close-ups are put into extensive use in conveying through a distorted point-of-view that something is terribly amiss, underpinned by Jerry Goldsmith's mind-bending incidental music, together they constitute a sterling oracular-and-aural combo to stagger the audience witless.
Would you do it if money is not an issue?John Frankenheimer's Seconds (1966) feels like an extended Twilight Zone episode and you know there will be no good outcome.
An unhappy middle aged banker (John Randolph) agrees to a procedure that will fake his death and give him a completely new look and identity (Rock Hudson) -- that comes with its own price.I see some people have seen this as a look at midlife crisis, or even closeted homosexuality (which seems like a stretch).
Rock Hudson plays his role solemnly; it is always obvious that the tired old man is still behind his rejuvenated eyes despite the efforts to escape Arthur Hamilton's numbing life.
In this 1966 psychological thriller, director John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) explores the dark side of human longing.A surgical procedure transforms a fifty-something working class man drained of any passion for life, into a youthful new existence, identity and all.
Director John Frankenheimer, in collusion with a genius cinematographer, got Seconds, the ultimate "be careful what you wish for" chiller, absolutely right.The weak spot maybe could have been the casting of Rock Hudson in the lead, but apparently Hudson insisted that he not play the "earlier" version of his character in the beginning stages of the film--and what this means is that Rock Hudson understood this material and his place in it.
John Frankenheimer's 1966 film "Seconds" is a deeply disturbing psychological thriller with a strangely strong sense of paranoia and repression.The story involves a strict, live-life-the-same-every-day businessman who goes to a company that fakes his death, gives him a makeover and creates a new persona for him.
The same feeling I get when I watch the end of films like "Se7ven" and some psychological thrillers is in "Seconds," only it's there the whole way through.
Very few of us watch it as a film by John Frankenheimer or as a film based on the novel by David Ely. We're instantly shocked to see Rock Hudson playing a very unusual role for himself.
Back to the film; Seconds is a very unusual sci-fi thriller for its time, it is a story of unsatisfied people who desperately want to get a second chance to live.An old man living a wealthy American life with his wife suddenly gets a phone call from his long lost friend, who he thought was dead.
The project has to do with giving people like Charlie, who feel that they have nothing to look forward to in life, a new start in life with a new and younger body.Rock Hudson is the new and reborn Antlochus "Tony" Wilson after shedding his old and worn-out body of 50 year-old banker Arthur Hamilton in "Seconds".
Tony doesn't realize that everyone at the party are "reborns" like himself who are, together with Nora and his butler John(Wesley Addy),there to ease him into his new life as Tony Wilson and have him forget that he ever was Authur Hamilton.The film later has Tony, now determined to get a new body change, going back home to Westerchester NY to see his wife Emily, Frances Reid, for one last time telling her that he knew her late husband Arthur as an excuse to see her.
Rock Hudsons brief scene with Emily is so moving and at the same time unnerving that it by itself is worth watching the movie "Seconds".
Sad and at the same time happy to see Emily, who has no idea that he's her late husband Arthur, Hudson made you feel just what was destroying Tony Wilson from within and how he knew that he can never have the life that he just threw away with Emily and his two grown children.The bleak and almost unwatchable ending may be too much for most movie-goers to sit through but it's the only ending you can expect in a movie like "Seconds".
However,the performances inthis thriller by John Frankenheimer are very good,especiallycoming from Rock Hudson in a power-house performance and itsalso one of the finest piece of acting in his film career.
From the David Ely novel, Seconds takes a marvel premise--back your life up 30 years and start again, with all your experiences intact-and struggles and stumbles through weak plot progression, shallow characterizations and benign story.A black and white movie in 1966?
The music of Jerry Goldsmith is integral and never better.Probably not the director's first choice, Rock Hudson is strong in the lead
Will Geer, John Randolph, Jeff Corey and Wesley Addy are all excellent in their supporting roles.A mesmerizing premise, a daring attempt at filmmaking for 1966, or 1996-watch this movie on an evening you don't mind thinking a little, don't mind be challenged by a film.And what became of John Frankenheimer?
This new print from Paramount may be making the roundsof film festivals -- watch for it.Some of the info that was given before the showing included, thatwhile Rock Hudson was not Frankenheimer's first choice, heaggressively pursued the role until he got it.
Hudson turns in the best dramatic performance of his career in my humble opinion.The story revolves around a middle-aged man (John Randolph) who is unsatisfied with his lot in life and is transformed into Rock Hudson (we all wish) and set up in a new life with a new identity by a mysterious organization known only as "The Company".Hudson as mentioned above is excellent in the role of the reborn painter.
And, if he'd like, he too can join this club--then fake his death and assume a newer, younger and more handsome identity.When he awakes, the man is now played by Rock Hudson and he seems to love his new life--at first.
Seconds is a marginally interesting "make-over" film that, regardless of its high production values and excellent cinematography, suffers significantly from way-way too much talk-talk-talk (yawn) and just not enough worthwhile action to happily satisfy this ardent Sci-Fi/Thriller fan.Seconds stars the 1960s super-hunk/movie-idol, Rock Hudson who (at the height of his career) plays the youthful, handsome Tony Wilson, a highly-successful, but totally talentless artist now hobnobbing around with all the hep-cats and jet-setters of beautiful Malibu, California.Prior to some extensive cosmetic surgery, Tony was once the aging banker, Arthur Hamilton, who was seriously going to middle-age waste.Desperate to escape his dreary, dead-end existence, Arthur succumbs to a mysterious organization's enticing, but ambiguous, offer of a spanking new identity and fresh start.Soon enough Tony's heady exhilaration spirals him (due to the fact that he can't seem to keep his big mouth shut) into a terrifying reality check when he discovers that his newly purchased life carries with it a devastatingly dangerous price..
I explained that I don't have enough time to be active in any type of small Internet group, particularly at this time in my life, but the idea that there are some people out there who admire his work as much as I do is always an uplifting thought.Frankenheimer's "Seconds" (1966) is one of his best, a deeply disturbing blend of psychological thriller with a hint of paranoia and repression thrown in for good measure.
At times, the movie is itself an ironic (though unintended) commentary on Hudson's own life and the secrets he held back from his public until almost the end of his life.Though it's hard to think of a more relentlessly downbeat motion picture, it's well-directed by John Frankenheimer, perfectly acted by John Randolph and Hudson, and filmed in razor-sharp black and white by James Wong Howe.
I've always been a champion of John Frankenheimer, and I think just about every movie he's made is underrated (even "The Manchurian Candidate," now considered a classic, was underrated at the time), but "Seconds" is one of his weaker efforts.
Deep-focus and angles galore, and at times what we see on screen changes in our minds without changing physically before it transitions.Sometimes considered a third in a "Paranoia Trilogy" of movies directed by John Frankenheimer made close together in the very paranoid mid-1960s (the other two being the Cold War thrillers The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May), Seconds however prioritizes delving into the psychological dimensions of alienation over the sociopolitical conditions of the other two, as well as that it is distinguished from the other two as a science fiction story.
Excellent movie about a middle-aged man being given a second chance in life. |
tt2106476 | Jagten | Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is a member of a close-knit Danish community and works at a local kindergarten. Divorced, he struggles to maintain a relationship with his teenage son, Marcus (Lasse Fogelstrøm), who lives with his ex-wife, but enjoys wholesome interaction with the children at the kindergarten. His coworker Nadja (Alexandra Rapaport) makes advances towards him and eventually moves in as his girlfriend.One of the kindergarten pupils is Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), the daughter of Lucas' best friend Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen). Drawing on memory of a pornographic picture her brother showed her, she makes comments that lead the kindergarten director to believe Lucas indecently exposed himself to her. When interviewed with leading questions, Klara gives unclear testimony against Lucas. The adults in the community believe the director's story of abuse, dismissing Klara's later contradictions as denial.Lucas is shunned by the community as a pedophile sexual predator. His friendship with Theo is destroyed, the pressure causes him to break up with Nadja, and his son is publicly ostracised. The kindergarten staff ask leading questions of other children at the kindergarten, who also "admit" to being abused. However, the children's accounts mention details of Lucas's basement, which supports Lucas's innocence, as his house has no basement. After a hearing, he is released without charge.The community is still suspicious of Lucas, and the ostracism turns to violence. His dog, Fanny, is killed, a stone is thrown through his window, and he is beaten by grocery store employees when he tries to buy food. On Christmas Eve, Lucas confronts Theo during a church service. Later, Theo overhears Klara apologizing to Lucas as she drifts off to sleep. His doubts about Lucas' innocence are resolved, and he visits him on Christmas Day with food and alcohol as a peace offering.A year later, tensions in the community have lessened. Lucas and Nadja are in a relationship again, and Lucas' son is accepted into the local hunting society as an adult. On a hunting expedition to commemorate the event, an unseen person shoots at Lucas. Blinded by the setting sun, Lucas is unable to identify his attacker, who reloads but flees. | dramatic, violence | train | imdb | This is the kind of isolated little village that can be found anywhere in the world."The Hunt" was easily the saddest film I've seen all year but in a cathartic way that only a great work of art can accomplish.
Having felt like he was being hunted through a community's narrow rifle scope of understanding, Lucas's idea of hunting is ultimately altered....and believably so.Vinterberg does a masterful job of story telling and in such a way that we hear a morality tale.
The film is hugely engrossing and completely and utterly infuriating, which is a testament to the merits of its acting, direction, script and hyper-realism.The film follows Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), a lonely primary school teacher who relishes his job and is popular with both the children and the local community.
In Thomas Vinterberg's superb psychological thriller, The Hunt, a town turns on its kindergarten teacher, Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), from the erroneous testimony of a little girl, Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), who accuses him of molesting her.
I give props to the young actress playing Klara, the girl who makes the false accusation, she was fantastic.Distressing, highly emotional, but unlike an American movie, never over-bearing in its sentimentality, minus one or two slightly cliché metaphors in the dialogue.
Finely and acutely directed by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg, this finely paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the main character's point of view, draws an instantly involving and profoundly heartrending portrayal of a little girl who after being unintentionally hurt by a well-liked man whom she has a childhood crush on, unknowingly and with only a few words incriminates him by expressing her anger to the head of the kindergarten.
This somewhat romantic, at times humorous, atmospheric and tangible intrigue which has been chosen as Denmark's official submission to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards in 2014 and where a friendship is tested, a hunter becomes the hunted and the question of guilt transforms ordinary people into paranoid Savages, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, subtle character development, mysterious characters, brilliant writing, the tailor-made though distinct and accomplished acting performance by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, the understated acting performance by Danish actor Thomas Bo Larsen and the impressively authentic acting performance by child actress Annika Wedderkopp.
Then a girl from his group makes accusations that he has indecently exposed himself to her; unable to prove his innocence, he is hunted by the entire community, including his childhood friends.A chilling and fundamentally plausible story, but I thought the movie didn't handle it well.
Untypically for director Thomas Vinterberg, who came to acclaim with an eerily similar story (a pater familias is exposed to accusations during a family celebration that he has raped his children), the film didn't come across as credible to me.
It would have been a much better movie with more understatement -- especially, if there had been some doubt in the community, rather than everybody instantly "buying" the accusation (for example, the headmistress of the small Kindergarten says that "children don't lie", which seems ludicrous, especially since she says previously that Klara -- the girl making the accusation -- is prone to telling fibs).
Cruel and Heartbreaking Story about the Destructive Power of a Lie. In a small town in Denmark, the life of the kindergarten teacher Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) turns upside-down and is destroyed when Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), the daughter of his best friend Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen), lies and tells to the director Grethe (Susse Wold) that he showed his sex to her."Jagten" is a Danish-Swedish drama with the storyline of These Three (1936) and The Children's Hour (1961).
"The Hunt," the latest from Thomas Vinterberg, takes a compelling premise but pushes its credibility, and its audience's patience, so far that any impact the film might have had is blunted under the weight of its preposterousness.Mads Mikkelsen plays a kindergarten teacher who is accused by a little girl of exposing himself to her.
Now, with "The Hunt" ("Jagten"), Vinterberg directs a film where quite the opposite happens--a man is accused of sexual abuse but who is 100% innocent.
Had the director always done films denying sexual abuse, folks might have thought him strange but here the brave director allows himself to go in a completely different direction with his movie.In his film, Mads Mikkelsen plays Lucas, a divorced father who works at a kindergarten.
Although I think such a theme is great stuff for older kids and teens to watch with their folks, there are a few graphic scenes that were unnecessary for the film and which would probably make many of these parents not show the movie to their families.
The cast is excellent, with Mads Mikkelsen putting in another mesmerising performance, and the evocative cinematography captures austere but beautiful Danish landscapes and small town life.But perhaps I lost something in translation, for this otherwise standout movie has some frustrating plot flaws I couldn't overlook.
As the hate and abuse begins to mount and with his own girlfriend doubting him, Lucas wonders if his life will ever be the same as he struggles to try and prove his innocence.As besets the calm manner of the Danes, the acting here is beautifully observed and subtly explored in a range of superb performances by the whole cast.
But what The Hunt is really about is perception and how quickly people can turn on someone with a target on them - guilt or no guilt, but especially in the case of not guilty - like with Lucas.Vinterberg expertly sets up this problem by first showing life as (relatively) normal - Lucas is a father in the process of a divorce, has a great group of guy friends (the kind of Denmark/Sweden/etc who come together, sometimes swim naked in the cold, and drink a lot and sing), and is a teacher at a Kindergarten school.
The last act especially is tough to watch as morality is questioned and the mob mentality of a town takes over (not to extreme heights, this isn't Fritz Lang or something, but close enough, realistically enough, just with all those faces).Quiet scenes punctuate a lot of this film, as much as the brutal ones where rage and bewilderment overflow, like shots of someone having to do something tragic in the rain, and it all builds up to something that is hard to watch.
A brilliantly painted portrait of how prejudice can turn even the most decent people into a mindless mob, The Hunt is a provocative study of our ever judgmental society which is always ready to believe anything that gives them a chance to persecute someone without even verifying the accusation or caring about how affecting & damaging it could actually be if the accused turns out to be innocent.Set around Christmas in a small Danish town, The Hunt (also known as Jagten) tells the story of Lucas; a kindergarten schoolteacher in his mid-40s who is admired by his peers, loved by his school children & is friendly with everyone in town.
But his life soon turns upside down when an innocent lie spreads like wildfire throughout the town and does an irrevocable damage to his life, dignity & relationships.Beautifully directed by Thomas Vinterberg, the story isn't concerned with how Lucas proves his innocence but instead focuses on how he deals with the isolation & hostility that comes from his community after the false accusation.
Screenplay deals with a sensitive subject matter but isn't afraid to throw uncomfortable questions at its audience, while all its technical aspects are executed in a very serene manner.Coming to the acting department, this is Mads Mikkelsen's show all the way for the actor delivers the finest work of his short but admirable career with a performance that perfectly captures Lucas' plight & his Best Actor win at Cannes for this role was a well-deserving one.
Also bringing further solidity to this aspect is the young Annika Wedderkopp who plays Klara; daughter of Lucas' best friend.But the most powerful thing about The Hunt is that it puts up some very difficult questions in front of us & isn't afraid to ask for an answer.
It shows us that children are indeed capable of saying the stupidest things without any idea of what it can do to someone's life & reputation and how society always believes their version of truth without even looking for any evidence because in their eyes, children don't lie.On an overall scale, The Hunt is a wonderfully directed, skilfully written, vividly photographed, smoothly edited & calmly scored cinema that's impressive, thought-provoking & potent in every way, is one of the finest films to come out from Denmark, manages to maintain a strong grip on our emotions from start to finish, really makes its viewers connect with Lucas' predicament, and is scarier than your average horror flick.
This film creates an amazing emotion or feelings for an innocent man and makes you suffocated.A superb movie.
I really love the silence of that movie and the personality of the leading character- "Lucas".Thank you so much Thomas Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm for such story and direction..
That's what makes 'The Hunt' so superior - it manages to emphasize that a community which ignores a single person's rights can easily deteriorate, and that - in the end - we're all as vulnerable as the protagonist is: any accusation from whatever angle may lead to ostracizing and social death.If there's one slight weakness to the film, it's its very perfection.
During the scenes, I have felt different types of feelings and emotions: joy, trust, anticipation, anger, sadness, disgust, surprise.I have learned a few things from this film, about people and the way they interact.
***may contain a spoiler***...can certainly destroy...The Hunt (Jagten in Danish) is about a kindergarten teacher named Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) after a messy divorce is getting his life back together though having problems with his ex while entering a new relationship with Nadja (Alexandra Rapaport).
However, since the lie is seen as the truth, the adults think she's experiencing a case of Stockholm Syndrome or lying because she feels some sympathy towards her accuser.Besides showing how a child's little lie after being taken as a truth by everyone directly and indirectly involved, it also demonstrated how an accusation could instantly effect the alleged abuser and his family thus changing their lives throughout the course of the film.
Mads Mikkelsen in the role of Lucas shows the moveigoer (especially during the heart-stopping conclusion of The Hunt) that he always will forever be the victim of little girl's innocence lie never caring that he was justly vindicated by the truth and court.
This actor wonderfully demonstrated a wide range of emotions from disbelief and anger (when being accused of the alleged crime) to frustration and hopelessness (after being acquitted of all wrong) and more while remaining relatively calm for the sake of his son ...especially when someone viciously murders the family dog.In The Hunt, there seems to be three sides to the truth - Klara's, Lucas' and what the director reveals during the course of the movie.
And (without trying to give too much away) through the use of the minor characters towards the end, he also gave you the sense that some were able (a) to forgive and forget, (b) forgive but not forget or (c) still hold a grudge ...from afar.If you want to see a thought-provoking drama and don't mind reading subtitles (though there are moments when it's in English), SouthSide highly recommends checking The Hunt (which has a limited theater viewing run)..
I still think it's more concerned with sympathy than empathy at times, but there is a boldness to this approach which will hopefully see the film appeal to a wider audience.Mads Mikkelson excels as the schoolteacher, Lucas, who in a single month goes from kids' favourite to community outcast, after the daughter of his best friend accuses him of sexually abusing her.
That alone is a sign of great writing and directing, and that is of great credit to Thomas Vintenberg and Tobias Lindholm for crafting a consistent tightly-knit story revolving around such a touchy subject, and to those wondering about the name, it very nicely reflects the phrase "witch-hunt", which is what people are doing in the film.As you've probably read/heard by now, the story is about a teacher who is falsely accused of a horrendous act.
One can say that the way the ending skipped over a period of time was a bit lazy in writing, and it maybe got a bit sappy, but if you think about what happens at the very end, all of that is very well justified because it was to conveys a certain message which you, the viewer, may interpret different than others (do not mistake this, though, as one of those open-endings some films do, not that that is necessarily bad but is usually done out of laziness and lacks thought and effort).Another thing worthy of note is the cinematography and shot composition.
"The Hunt" is a danish film which I think that it's one of the best films that Mads Mikkelsen has played.Mads Mikkelsen (Lucas) plays as a divorced teacher who lives a lonely life and he has some problems with his ex-wife that impacts to their son.
After that his life is going to be better for some time as he finds the love from his son but all of these are going to change when something else happen.I think that "The Hunt" is a very good film and I have to say that Mads Mikkelsen performance was really great.
The story is a simple one, a man, a teacher, is wrongly accused os sexually misconduct with a young child and his community, filled with old friends and acquaintances, turn on him and make his life a living hell.
Jagten (2012) Director Thomas Vinterberg tells a story of a kindergarten teacher, who is accused with an innocent little lie by one of his pupils.
You need actors like Mads Mikkelsen to convey the story and be able to portray all the facets of his character.The kid actors in this are very important too and as is said in the making of, none were told the whole truth or what the implications might be.
However, unlike Festen, this movie deals with the horrible consequences for a decent man being accused of child abuse.The film is hard and cold, never shying away from showing the horrendous journey that lies ahead for the blameless main character Lucas.
So approachable, in fact, that children come to him for solace, comfort, and even assistance using the restroom.One particular child, his best friend's daughter Klara (Wedderkopp), looks to Lucas to fill a role that her own parents haven't been filling (which makes sense considering how much they fight).
His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie.The critical consensus states, "Anchored by Mads Mikkelsen's sympathetic performance, 'The Hunt' asks difficult questions with the courage to pursue answers head on." Very much the case.
I certainly think this is an important topic to make a film about, and it does throw some interesting light on the way adult relationships are affected by children in various ways (specifically in small Danish rural communities, I suppose, but I'd say the themes are pretty universal).But once The Hunt got going, there was almost nothing in it which took me remotely by surprise.
After the main action begins, assuming you have read a one-sentence synopsis of the film, you can pretty much always guess what will happen at any time by asking yourself "what is the worst decision Lucas could make right now which is nonetheless fairly reasonable from his point of view?" More generally, you might ask "what plausible outcome from this scene would be the worst for Lucas's case or position?" Just like water flowing downhill, you can pretty much foretell where the entire film is going to go from the beginning right out until way in the end of the fourth act.Now, I don't need every movie I like to be some kind of sui generis bolt from the blue that makes me see cinema in a whole new light.
Offering an interesting insight in to criminal sexual abuse cases, and shows how carefully these sort of cases have to be treated.Director Thomas Vinterberg's story follows the case of a male kindergarten teacher played by Mads Mikkelsen who has falsely been accused of sexually abusing young children.
The performances in the film for me were unquestionably great, with Mads Mikkelsen's powerhouse performance being simply breath taking with every emotion played to perfection and timed perfectly.If i had one small critic of the film is that i buy the community turning on the lead character but it is his colleagues acceptance of the accusations is what bothered me.
Not many films capture my upmost attention like Thomas Vinterberg's 'The Hunt'.Mainly following the eyes of the main character, Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen), we witness his daily life of loneliness and struggle to gain custody of his son, Marcus (Lasse Fogelstrom).
The movie does not put you in to the prospective of the protagonist and his feelings but instead it puts you into the lives of several other characters their perspective on the incident as well.Most interesting conclusion I came is that at the end of the film, it is hard to blame anyone because the way people look at things is different from one to another..
The Hunt or Jagten is the first film I've seen, as far as I'm aware, that stars Mads Mikkelsen.
This film tells the story of Lucas (played by Mads Mikkelson), a divorced kindergarten teacher who appears to have his life in shape. |
tt0926129 | Prom Night | The movie begins with Donna (Snow) coming home with her friend Lisa (Davis) and Lisa's mom from the movies. Once they pull up in front of Donna's house they say their goodbyes and Lisa and Donna have a short discussion about cheerleading tryouts, but Donna isn't going to try out this year (note: this is Donna's sophomore year).
Donna walks inside of her house and hangs up her jacket. The t.v. in the family room is on when Donna walks in the house and she calls out to tell her family that she is home, but she get's no response.
When she puts her jacket in the closet she thinks she hears a noise and turns around and there is nothing behind her.She walks past the couch to go up stairs and then the camera turns to her dead father at the bottom of the couch where he had been murdered by a cut to the throat.
She walks upstairs and trips over her brother's baseball bat and makes a small shout. She takes the bat to her brother's room and when she opens the door she see's him laying on the bed and tells him that she slipped over the bat.Then she tells him to turn the television volume down and pokes him in the side revealing the slit to his throat and the blood under his chest. She lets out another small scream and hears running from her parents bedroom and a man yelling "Where is she?", then Donna hides under the bed.While she is under the bed, she see's her mother run in and the killer, Mr. Fenton (Scheach) right behind her. He pushes the mother down and asks her where is Donna. The mother says she doesn't know and then he hits her and she falls to the floor. He asks her one more time and then the mother turns her head to the direction of the bed where Donna is hiding under and then the killer stabs the mother five times in the stomach.
Donna witnesses her mother being killed and holds in her scream. Once she realizes that the killer has left the house she runs downstairs and tries to flag down a police car. Then Donna hears a voice in her ear that says "I did it for us". It was the killer. Donna turns around and screams when she see's him and then the screen blacks out.Donna is now in her school psychiatrist room and she just finished telling her about the nightmares Donna has been getting about the night the killer killed her family."And then what happens" the psychiatrist asks, "and then I wake up, just like I used to" Donna says. And then the psychiatrist tells Donna that the killer is locked up and far away and can only hurt her in her dreams. And then the psychiatrist asks Donna what color is her prom dress.Now Donna and her friends Lisa and Claire (Stroup) are in a beauty salon getting their hair done for prom and Donna is explaining her dress, then Clair and Lisa make a joke about Lisa's dress and her boyfriend Ronnie (Penny).Donna's hair dresser gives Donna a mirror and tells Donna to look at her hair and in the background of Donna's reflection she thinks she see's the killer standing by a bus stop and then she gasps and looks behind her to see that there is no man.About an hour or two later Donna is getting ready for her prom in her house and she walks into her bathroom to freshen up. She opens her medicine cabinet to put on some make up and she think's she hears a noise, then when she realize's it nothing she closes the cabinet and screams because she thought her aunt Karen's (Gilsig) reflection was the killer.After they have calmed down Donna's aunt asks Donna if she has been taking her anxiety pills, and Donna replies no and tells her aunt that she wants to remember what happens tonight and not feel numb.
And then Donna's date and longtime boyfriend Bobby (Porter) rings the doorbell and Donna goes downstairs and gives hima hug and kiss and the give eachother their corsages that they got for eachother and take a picture.
Now Donna, Bobby, Lisa, Ronnie, Clair, and Claires date Michael (Blatz) are in their limo going to their prom and they are taking pictures and having a good time.The next scene takes you to the police department where Detective Winn (Elba) is at his desk going over files when Detective Nash (Rinsone) comes in with a fax. Detective Nash gives the fax to Winn and Winn curses and then calls a number to confirm if the fax is true about the killer that has escaped from prison.When Detective Winn gets off the phone Detective Nash asks what's going on. Detective Winn explains the story about one of Donna's teacher's that got obsessed with her and how her parents got freaked out and got the teacher fired and he still was in communication with Donna so the parents got a restraining order and the teacher flipped out and killed Donna's father and brother and how Donna had to watch her mother die. The he explains how Donna started getting notes from him a few weeks ago.Now Donna and her friends have arrived at their prom which is at a fancy hotel and they see one of the school girls that hates them named Crissy (Davis). They compliment her work on the dance and she doesn't care what they say. While in the hotel they see their P.E. teacher and have small chit chat.After they have been in the dance hall for a few minutes where the prom is being held Ronnie tells them that he is going to get the keys for their room.When Ronnie reaches the desk there is a man giving his information so he can get a room. He tells the room keeper that his last name is Ramsley. And then Ronnie comes up and tells the room keeper that he needs three keys to room 312 which the room that they are all staying in for the night. The Mr."Ramsly" recognizes Ronnie from Donna's group and tells the room keeper that he would like a room on the third floor.After Ronnie gives them the keys the girls want to go up to their room to freshen up. Mr."Ramsly" (A.K.A the killer) see's Donna and her friends go into their room, and when he is at the door of the room he was assigned he takes out his card key and his pocket knife and cuts the magnetic strip of the card. He calls the housekeeper in the hallways and tells her his room key is broken. And she tells him that the card was cut. So she uses her master key to open the door and then he tells her that he would like more bath towels.As the house keeper is in the bathroom putting in towels it is dead silent and she turns around and the killer takes out his pocket knife and stabs her in the stomach and covers her mouth so she cannot be heard.
He stashes her body some where and waits for Donna and her friends to come of out of their room. He watches them leave the room.A few minutes later in the ballroom Clair and her date Michael are arguing about leaving for college and then Clair tell's Donna about their situation and Claire goes up to the room to freshen up.
While Claire is in the bathroom she hears the sound of the door opening and she calls to see if it is Donna. When she gets no answer she walks out to see if anyone else is in the room and then she turns around and the killer is behind her and stabs her in her stomach 3 times.When Claire doesn't come back downstairs, Michael goes upstairs to see Claire. He thinks he hears her in the bathroom and tells her to come out and when she doesn't he sits down on the couch and waits for her, when he hears the door creak he thinks she is coming out, but the killer was in the bathroom. So Michael is looking around the room for Claire, and then when Michael turns around the killer pops out and stabs Michael and kills him.
Then in the hotel lobby the person at the front desk tells one of the other house keepers that he can't get a response from Gloria, which is the house keeper that got killed. The other house keeper tells the man at the front desk he will check for her when he is up at the floor she was last seen on. When he arrives up there he see's the killer coming out of Donna's room and he walks to his room. As the killer is about to go into his own room the male house keeper asks if he has seen the female house keeper, the killer replies "she is in my room turning down the bed" and when the male house keeper walks in the killer closes the door and kills the male house keeper
Later on they are discussing about how it is taking Micheal and Clair so long to come downstairs. Then the P.E. teacher announces that they are about to announce king and queen, when Ronnie decides to go upstairs with Lisa so they can have some alone time.On their way up there Lisa bumps into the killer, he ducks his head quickly and Lisa stares at him for a few minutes trying to remember where she has seen him before. Once they are in their room they lay on the bed and start making out and and then Lisa opens her eye's and says something signifying that she is surprised and scared then she tells Ronnie that she has to go tell Donna something. Ronnie says "of all times" and pulls out an engagement ring.When Lisa runs out of the room she slams the elevator button waiting for the elevator to open then she see's the door open that leads to the stairs and the killer comes out and she runs to the other stairs. While she is running she trips down the stairs and gets back up. She runs to the base or contruction level hiding from him. Ronnie starts to look for Lisa; and the elevator he takes ends up leading him to the contruction level. He calls out for Lisa but doesn't leave the elevator he is in, then the elevator closes. When Lisa thinks the coast is clear she gets up and runs only to be startled by a bunch of pigeons. Then she starts running again and bumps into paint buckets and makes a whole bunch of noise. Thinking that the killer is behind her she starts running and is looking behind her not looking forward she bumps right into the killer and he slits her throat.A few minutes later, Detective Nash gets Detective Winn to follow him and a police officer to the parking lot. The police officer takes them to a car and he opens the trunk; there is a dead body in the trunk. The officer tells the story of a person that ended up missing the day the killer escaped from jail and how the dead body is mssing their clothes and their wallet, then the officer tells the detectives that the dead body is James Ramsly, the name of the person the killer checked into the hotel as.Back at the dance they are about to announce kind and queen when Detective Winn sounds off the evacuation alarm right before they announce them. As everyone is leaving Donna tells Rick, Crissy's date(Lutz) that if Bobby is looking for her, she went up to her room to get her mothers shawl that her aunt gave her.
While she is up in her room she goes to her closet to get her purse and drops something, when she bends over the killer is right behind her. Then she turns around and there is nothing behind her, then she closes the closet door and see's his reflection in the mirror, and he says "Donna, I've missed you" and she screams and runs around the room into another part of the room and looks the doors.The killer grabs the fire extinguisher in the halls and breaks down the door, then Donna runs under the bed to hide again. Once the killer is in the room he is looking for Donna and and while Donna is under the bed she scoots further away from the edge and bumps into something and when she turns her head that something is Claire's dead body. As Donna tries to hold in her scream she lets out a small whimper and the killer turns around and looks at the beds and goes to the opposite one Donna is under.When he looks under Donna runs from under the bed and escapes out of the room bumping into the Detectives. In a frantic tone she tells them that the killer is in there. They escort her downstairs but don't see the killer in the room. Once Donna is outside, Bobby see's her and hugs her and they get into a police car and before they leave Donna tell's Ronnie that Claire is dead.They bring a S.W.A.T team in the hotel and look every where for the killer and the once they receive word that the killer hasn't been found blood starts to drip from the air conditioning vent in Donna's room where the Detectives are and when they open it the body of the male house keeper falls out, but he doesn't have his uniform on. And then Detective Winn starts thinking and comes to realize that the killer walked right past him when the employees were exiting the building during the S.W.A.T search and the killer was wearing the house keepers uniform.Detective Winn calls Nash and tells him that the killer escaped from the hotel and is on his way to Donna's house, so they have the house completely gaurded. About 20 minutes later the phone line's to the house got cut unexpectadly but no one knows when it happens, and Donna and her boyfriend are sleep in Donna's room and Donna wakes up and looks at the television and then looks out her window where she see's Nash wiping his eyes and then she goes into her bathroom to take her anxiety pills and when she closes the medicine cabinet the killer is behind her and she slams her head into the mirror. Then she wakes up, it was only a dream. When she wakes up and looks at the television the same show that was on in her dream is on, when she looks out her window Nash is wiping his eye and then when she goes in her bathroom and takes her pills she hesitates to close the cabinet but there is nothing behind her, but her window is open in her bathroom, she closes it and gets back in her bed.When she tries to hug Bobby he doesnt move, so she pushes him a little revealing the slit on his throat. Donna covers her mouth and lets out a small shriek. Before she see's the dead boyfriend Winn pulls up to Nashes car and see's that Nash has also been killed. Then Winn goes inside; Donna see's a shadow and starts to walk in her closet and closes the door. When she see's that it is Winn's shadow she starts to step out when the killer grabs her and covers her mouth. Winn calls for Donna but she can't say anything, then the killer asks if she is ready to come with him and she says yes. Then Donna's aunt and uncle scream and Winn runs to them and they see that one of the security gaurds was killed. As Donna and the killer open the closet door and are about to leave Donna bites his hand and starts to run but she trips and he slips to pick her up and then she kicks him in the face and Winn hears Donna scream and he runs to the room where the killer is on top of Donna about to stab her then the killer gets shot once in the chest, but he is still alive so he get shot six other times by Detective Winn. And Winn tells Donna that it's over. And the movie ends. | suspenseful, humor, murder, violence, flashback | train | imdb | I know they often lack in horror movies, but Prom Night looked like it didn't even put forth ANY effort in that department.
Yeah, well when you have a horror movie rated PG-13 like Prom Night, they leave that stuff out too.
Poor acting, no script, no plot, no convincing killer, no suspense, no original setups, it uses the same closet/under the bed/person-behind-you-in-the-mirror tactics over and over again making it repetitive and boring, and NOT in a foreshadowing way either, and the fact that NOBODY ever "really" gets killed (at least not on screen) , which in turn zaps any suspense it may invoke right out of it and makes everyone feel eve MORE cheated for spending money on their admission ticket....its a horror film w/o any horror LMAO.
The MOST you see is what looks like someone having taken a ketchup bottle and spraying it across a plastic sheet.You have to be a teen who was sitting there screaming in the theater and scaring yourself to have enjoyed this, or you were high/drunk at the time.Honestly, I have a life and don't bother writing reviews that often unless I really really hated something, or enjoyed it tremendously.But this film is AWFUL and I feel I have a duty of sorts to warn you NOT to give your money to Hollywood and encourage this kind of filmaking ever again!
It is not scary, nor engaging, nor is it satisfying enough to be "funny" like others on IMDb have claimed...it is just stale and booooring.Here is what you will take away from this film: remembering the scar on Brittany Snow's head that stands out more than the plot, the fact that Jonathan Schaech MUST be having some sexual affair with J.S. Cardone of "The Forsaken" to have gotten another role as a killer(because he is as frightening as my poodle, and too cute to kill just about anyone) and that for some reason (duh) everyone who goes back to the hotel suite never comes back.
The young actors were alright at playing their characters, but I'd have to say the killer was definitely at the top of the game - acting wise.Yes, I'll give props for the plot because it was good, but it's not thrilling or scary.
Seriously don't spend your money or the time for dull acting, cheap scares, and a 'Night to die for' when watching the film.1 star out of 10.
The idea that audiences paid to see this movie (and like an idiot I rented the film) is discouraging also.Obsessed teacher (3 years prior) kills teenager's family because he wants her.
I may have hated the movie, but all the twelve year old screams and laughter in the theater made me think that maybe it was worth it to make a horror so mind numbingly terrible for the sole purpose of appealing to those young ones.
And April's "Prom Night" concludes the trio of awful horror movies that are some of the worst of all time.So, there's a girl named Donna.
Plus, add random slow motion, fast motion and annoying camera angles, and you've basically got every kill in the movie.Also, the characters are so mind-numbingly stupid, it gets to the point where you think they deserve to die.
The movie's PG-13 rating takes almost all of the thrill and suspense out of the film.The beginning of the movie starts off sudden, but afterwards there's a nice drought of action until the first prom killing.
In the venues of remakes, sometimes that is a good thing as it lends familiarity to an old story, and basically gives your ardent fans an updated version of their comfortable old slippers.In this case, however, instead of atmosphere and skill, the audience is cheated by cheap thrills (loud noises that make you jump instead of earning the scare via masterful suspense); cardboard cut out characters with so little depth that there is NO WAY to develop any emotion at ALL towards them, be it sympathy or worry or even animosity; and no dialog, no effort whatsoever in the area of a screenplay and/or story.It's a shame, really.
Wait for it free on cable to decide if you want that DVD, or better yet, rent or buy the ORIGINAL Jamie Lee Curtis flick and watch a GOOD horror/slasher flick!It rates a 2.9/10 from...the Fiend :..
The story is about Donna (or Donor Kebabs for a laugh) who is away to a prom with her friends and expects it to be the best night of her life, but an obsessed killer is after her (which is related to her terrible past).
The film follows Donna Keppel (Brittany Snow) on the night of her prom, fours years after she was traumatized by her pedophile former teacher stalking her and then watching him kill her family.
I will admit I jumped out of my seat a couple of times.This movie was one of the best teen slasher films of the 21st century, as the acting is amazing!
The characters were realistic, too.(Most of the time) they were intelligent and believable as party-going, fun-loving young teenagers with romantic drama enjoying their senior prom.The only thing that could have been better for me, was the ending.
You will probably realize it when you watch it, but they had a golden opportunity to make really creepy ending.Anyway, if you are a fan of horror films, particularly teen slashers, watch this movie!
As the teens arrive at the Prom, Donna (played by Bittany Snow) is trying to forget the horrors of her past but little does she know, shes in for one hell of a night.
BORING.The movie is practically about a teacher highly obsessed with Donna Keppel(Brittany Snow) and would do ANYTHING to get to her at her Prom in a hotel.
It was so enjoyably terrible however, that I was thoroughly entertained by its utter failure to create any original circumstances, generate a suspenseful moment in the film, or frighten anyone over the age of 14 in the audience.With those two things considered, i recommend this movie with 7 stars to anyone looking for a good laugh..
The main character is played by the wonderful young actress Brittany Snow (Hairspray, Pacifier) and despite what many, many people had said about her and the rest of the young actors and actresses performances, I still thoroughly enjoyed the movie; it's worth watching.As far as recommendations go, I recommend this to anyone who like suspense without too much gore, trashy horror or just a good spooky story.
To me the previews weren't all that scary, but the movie was!!!(Don't let the previews fool you.) A lot of yelling Tons of anticipation and eye popping action.The actors are great and the obsessed killer was chosen greatly (best man to play the part).
As is any teen slasher there is a creepy looking bad guy, except in Prom Night, you might be offended as he isn't actually that bad, adding more to conclusion that if you haven't got that blonde cheerleader mind set this film will be tough to envisage seriously..
i won't say this is a terrible movie,but i don't think it's very good either.there's nor gore very little blood,and not too many scares,although i have to admit i jumped once.there is a bit of suspense,but not a lot.i did like the soundtrack though.there were some good songs.i also felt that nobody in the movie actually seemed scared when they should have been.it's like they didn't realise they were supposed to be in a horror movie.this movie is rated 14A in Canada,while in the U.S.it gets a PG13 rating.i've seen some TV movies and/or shows that are more violent and bloody.the only other bright spot besides the music,was Jonathon Schaech as the villain.he was pretty convincing and credible.otherwise,this movie is just,well, ordinary.i'll give it a 4/10.
a man she thought was gone forever.Now, Donna and her friends must find a way to escape the sadistic rampage of an obsessed killer, and survive a night "to die for." It is very stupid i can't believe i wasted $7.50 for this obvious waste of time and space.
I have to this movie some credit, it's hard to make a slasher film thats more boring than the 1980 Jamie Lee Curtis flick Prom Night and in 2008 it was actually accomplished with it's remake.
And in the process, he just happens to kill he family, and her friends, and even her enemies!!!Now, I think the world is tired of PG-13 'horror' movies that aren't even close to scary.
Please do NOT waste your money on this poorly made remake it only gives them more of an initiative to make more movies as terrible as Prom Night..
After years in a mental institution, he escapes and comes back for her, on prom night.I never really thought the horror remakes were truly horrible until I watched this piece of crap.
But Fenton actually escaped from the mental hospital to be with Donna and he kills people, who gets in his way to get to Donna.Directed by Nelson McCormick (Who's an pro directing T.V. Episodes like "E/R", "Nip/Tuck" and "NYPD Blue") made an entertaining teen slasher movie with the right moments of suspense and terror.
The main thing that bothered me about this movie was if your going to have an unrealistic slasher flick where an obsessed school teacher manages to be very skilled at killing hand fulls of people at least make it bloody.
Why Hollywood feels the need to remake movies that were so brilliant their prime (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes) but is it considerably worse why Hollywood feels the need to remake those horror films that weren't brilliant to start with (Prom Night, The Amityville Horror) Much like their originals these remakes fail in creating atmosphere, character or any genuine scares at all.
Prom Night promises a lot, but leaves the viewer feeling stood up and alone by the end of the movie.A remake of the popular 1980 Jamie Lee Curtis slasher vehicle, Prom Night discards the original's more interesting plot and opts for a more obvious, silly, and TV movie storyline, centering around innocent teenage Donna (Brittany Snow) and the older male teacher who is obsessed with her.
Needless to say, the new story could have truly gone somewhere and it's a shame that it ends up feeling more like a typical Lifetime movie event rather than a scary or suspenseful thriller.The young cast manage to give pretty decent performances, but they have very, very little to work with.
Dana Davis as Donna's best friend, Lisa, is especially likable.The film's condescending PG-13 level shocks and scares are pretty dull and bland, but the film does have a nice pace to keep things rolling smoothly, which is one thing that you can't say for other watered down pre-teen efforts like Boogeyman and When A Stranger Calls.Fans of the original might want to consider this new film as more of an unofficial sequel in the Prom Night series.
Its a paint by numbers slasher film which is clearly trying to attract the young teens (hence no violence etc), the knife in this slasher flick is blunt.The director spends so much time focusing on trying to make the rather attractive killer look somewhat creepy that anything else goes out of the window.The cast who include Britney Snow (who was superb in Hairspray) try their hardest but the material gives them nothing to do but pout and look scared.More annoying is how the death scenes are handled (we will hear the attack but wont see it).
Slasher movies are a lot of fun but in Prom Nights case it made me want to download the original.I've seen scarier OC and Dawsons Creek episodes.
The real star of the show is the Villain it just shows that we don't always have to have some creepy guy in a hockey or clown mask to pull off scary expressions human expressions can also be terrifying too and he portrays this with perfection his actions and cold temper extremely credible as a serial killer.The cinematography in this film is great excellent scenes good camera work atmospheric sound maybe needs more gore but then the PG rating would need to be pushed up and this was aimed at a wider audience All in all what you see is what you get with Prom Night and i knew exactly what i was expecting so i didn't let myself get disappointed, instead i saw good acting with likable characters in suspenseful scenes!
Donna witnessed the tragedy of watching her mother murdered right in front of her.The killer was one of Donna's teachers who had grown an unnatural attraction to the teen with books of pictures of her in his home.A few years later he has escaped from a high security mental hospital and is on his way to get the girl he believes belongs to him.The loving killer strikes during Donna's prom night.Dumb and uninspired teen slasher with no gore and nudity.The original "Prom Night" from 1980 at least provided some sleaze and bloody violence,the remake offers tons of fake scares,lots of goofy talk and laughable killer.The killings are completely bloodless,the acting is bad and the script is even worse.I can't believe that J.S Cardone,the director of creepy slasher flick "The Slayer" wrote this obnoxious trash.I have seen hundreds of slasher movies and this ranks among the lowest of the low.It truly reeks!.
The good news is that I didn't have to pay good money to see this in theaters; the bad news is that I actually bothered to wait until DVD release to see it.I tried to watch this just last night, hoping for something remotely scary, or at least something different: in the end, I was sorely disappointed as I got neither.The acting was laughable, the plot was absolutely predictable, and having not seeing the original, this may have ruined it for me.This movie makes me wonder where the horror genre is headed, and if it's anywhere within this movie's direction, I'd say it's going to die a slow, painful death.Verdict: 0/10.
The killing scenes are formulaic and entirely predictable and it is astounding studios will allow scripts, direction and acting like this.The plot has more holes in it than a sieve and it is full of ridiculous moments where a character will say (not a spoiler) "there may be a mass murderer in the house but I am just going to the basement to replace that lightbulb that went out...." Just astoundingly bad.Dreadful..
Another thing I noticed was that this killer wasn't scary, creepy or weird at all just that he wanted to screw some chick really bad.There was no suspense or surprise at all when characters were about to die it was all predictable and very very boring.
Prom Night is the sort of horror movie you go into expecting nothing more than a cheap scare, sure in the long run it's likely to be forgettable, but so long as it makes you jump, gives you a laugh and lets you leave the cinema feeling entertained.
Once the killing starts you no longer want to slit your wrists, but you still have to cope with an incredible amount of stupidity.Overall Prom Night is boring, stupid and just a lazy attempt at a horror movie.
OK, so Prom Night was the most popular movie at my school a few weeks back, all my friends had seen it, some liked it, some hated it.
I feel like I need to warn you guys who haven't watch this,coz its so awful that I have to sit and watch Prom Night at the theater and wasted my 7 dollars.For a horror film,not being scary is one thing,but it has no plots ,and the characters are nothing special.The Hollywood high school,you call it.This is the first time I thought a movie is so BAD I have to warn you guys.Its really not worth it.Maybe the kids will enjoy it.But if you're 13 and above,promise you,you're not gonna be scared.Its not even funny.I find myself laughing when they kill people.How great this movie is?
Prom night the remake just isn't that great of a movie.
I have seen first prom night movie, I thought it was really dull and boring wit some decent acting from older actors playing teens.This is not real remake too the Prom Night (1980), it' nothing like first movie at all.This movie start off with fake scene or dream she telling some one that family were being killed.
However I don't think this was better or worse then first prom night movie..
When I first saw the trailer for Prom Night, I have to admit, the trailer looked good and like this would be a fun horror movie.
So my friend and I saw Prom Night last night and I have to say I must be growing up because this was such a ridicules film, not to mention I am so sick and tired of the typical horror slasher movies with the loud noises as an excuse to scare people.
Donna is in big trouble because also this killer who is clearly human can apparently get into houses un-noticed and can kill people so silently, just, wow.I'm sorry, I really did want to love this movie, we haven't had a good slasher flick in a long time, but this was just a stupid movie that I was not impressed with.
and is willing to kill anyone in way of his pursuit of her.I'm a fan of the original "Prom Night", so I tried to maintain a little hope in this movie, but I have to admit I was quite disappointed.
"Prom Night" suffers from the worst affliction a horror movie could have, and that is predictability.
You don't need gore to make a film scary, but even had "Prom Night" been gratuitously violent (which it is not, it is very tame), it still would have added little to the movie because there is not much in the script to build on to begin with. |
tt0107664 | Necronomicon | Howard P. Lovecraft (Jeffrey Combs) is the narrator who says that he found out that the Necronomicon book was located somewhere in America, guarded by some monks. He wanted to find it to use it for his writings. In there book, the secrets to the universe, past, present and future.Lovecraft goes to a mysterious library because he wants to fact-check his writings, as he alleges he presents possibilities and not fiction in his writing. The attendant (Juan Fernández) gives him the 3rd volume of an alchemy enclyclopaedia, and reminds him that, if he tries to steal anything, his priviledges will be revoked. He uses the librarian keys to open the vault. There is a safe in that room. The door closes by itself and the safebox, which has no key, opens by itself as well. Inside, there it is: the Necronomicon , also called The Book of Death , which turns itself off when Lovecraft touches it. On Lovecraft carrying away, we can see something opening up. The letter Y written in the Gothic style appears. There is a kind of ominous resounding which startles the librarian (Tony Azito) and the two attendants. In his humble notebook, Lovecraft starts writing:Story 1: The Drowned Edward De Lapoer (Bruce Payne) has returned to America by ship to inherit his family's estate. The young female lawyer Nancy Gallmore (Belinda Bauer) took on his case from his late father with the rest of the practice. There was a problem with the writing and pronunciation of Edward's surname, until she finally found him in Sweden.They enter the hotel, now almost derelict since Uncle Jethro (Richard Lynch) used to manage it sixty years ago. She advises him to sell it as soon as possible, because there are underground rivers which create caves which will make the hotel cramble down in the non-too-distant future. The wooden planks on the floor keep on breaking under them. Once, she falls down to Edward's arms, and once, Edward falls down the stairs, also causing a sicle fall close to a well or pond beneath. Nancy makes a comment about the hotel not liking Edward, because when she had seen it before, with her assistant Kevin, they didn't have any problem at all.Once on the first floor in the bedroom, Edward focuses on the portrait of beautiful aunt Emma (Denice D. Lewis), who was mysteriously dead and, some days later, was the probable cause of uncle Jethro's death , who was found below the balcony, which overlooks the beach. Edwards goes to the balcony and look to the sea landscape. He can't avoid remembering his own past. He was driving with Clara (Maria Ford). The car falls to the water because he gets distracted. He survives and she dies. The forensics doctor (William Jess Russell) treats her corpse brutally.Nancy gives Edward a document which Jethro left with the will. She advises him to make the place happier, or sell it quickly, because of its bad reputation.A storm breaks out and Edward sets on the fire. Jethro wrote that he committed suicide. He was travelling by ship with Emma and Yon (Peter Jasienski), their son. There is a shipwreck and he survives. He wakes up to attend them at the funeral. Distraught, he throws the bible to the fire and tells to all attendants that god is not welcome to his home again. He caresses the dead corpse of Emma. When he wakes up, a kind of monstruous alligator dressed with seaweed enters the foyer and tells him to open the book only when he's on his own. Jethro tells him to wait for him, but it's too late; it's gone. The book is full of electricity. Jethro follows the instructions of an incantation to mend the untimely loss. The incantation is to Cthultu, and says that death is only sleep. He uses his own blood, which falls down. Yon and Emma immediately wake up. Yon and Emma become octopussy-monsters with glittering eyes. Jethro, before commutting suicide, says that his beloved are now watching the book.Edward moves the table to see the area where the incantation was performed. The magical circle is still drawn on the floor. He looks for the Necronomicon with fury. A tentacle gives him the idea of looking behind Emma's portrait. Behind it, there lies the Necronomicon . Clara arrives in the morning, whispering "Eddie". She asks him to let her in. He cries because the car accident was his fault. Clara tries to make love to him. She says she's tired of making bubbles, and tries to suck his blood with her octopus tentacles. He cuts her with a sword and Clara becomes a huge tentacled monster below the ground. Edward jumps to the lamp to kill the monster. Edward leaves through the ceiling, and looks to the sunny day in the sea.Cut to Lovecraft, who sees a monster below the room where he's in. One of the assistants wonder whether he'll be so stupid as to try it, and the other says that he'll, because he's only human. The room is getting colder and colder,Story 2: The Cold In the planet of Lost, there is a heat wave, and only a man is calm and cool about it, but this man is imprisoned by his own devices.Dale Porkel (Dennis Christopher), a reporter from the Boston Journal, calls on Amy Osterman to talk about 11 corpses which have been appearing around the neighbourhood for 40 years. It's freezing inside, but Amy says that she's got an illness which makes sunlight and heat harmful to her. Amy's mother prepares tea.Dale talks about Dr. Richard Madden (David Warner), who may be alive after 80 years. Dale tells her to talk to him or the cops. Amy's mother arrived to London to study the flute.Emily Osterman (Bess Meyer) arrives to Boston in a yellow cab, rents a room to Lena Kamen (Millie Perkins), who lives with Dr. Madden. He never leaves his room on the third floor. A chain-smoking man watches the house from his car. Emily is having a shower, but feels something strange. There is water spilling, and Sam (Gary Graham), threatens her because he loves her. He tries to rape her, so she runs upstairs to the third floor. Dr Madden stabs Sam in his hand. Lena looks at Sam Linder, who has stumbled down the stairs.Dr. Madden bandages Emily's head. She says that Sam was her stepfather. Dr. Madden says that the frigid temperatures are because of a skin condition he has. Emily wonders at the ammonium leaking down to her room, and Dr. Madden says that it was a mistake of his. He prescribes some pills to her.That night, Emily looks at blood spilling down to her room. She goes up and sees Dr. Madden and Lena performaning some strange surgery on Sam. Emily passes out.She wakes up in a blooded bed and they convince her she had a dream. Dr. Madden cuts a finger: he's got not blood, but a pinkish liquid. Emily gets a job at Al's, a restaurant nearby. Mr Hawkins (Curt Lowens) will give her a job is she gets a good tip from two cops (Sebastian White & James Paradise), who are looking for Sam Linder.Emily runs to bang on Dr. Madden's door. He admits that his research has led him to poverty. Emily wants to leave. Dr. Madden feels sick because it's warmer downstairs. She is not annoyed about him hurting Sam - he was dead anyway -, but about him lying to her. Emily covers him in a bath of ice because Lena has gone out. She gives her hand to him.He explains about the Necronomicon. There is a virus which dies and can be revived with water, and it helps to stop growing old. Dr. Madden doesn't love Lena, although she seems to love him. He injects a serum to a rose, which immediately becomes a bud again. It'll never die, says Dr. Madden, and it's become cold.Lena sees Dr. Madden and Emily making love in the conservatory. Lena appears with a knife, and tells her that she must be prepared to kill or be killed for him. Emily runs away.Back to Amy, who says that Emily left Dr. Madden, but she was pregnant, so she had to go back to him. Lena and Dr. Madden are trying to kill Al. Lena wants to kill Emily. Richard tells her not to do it. A fire starts, burning Richard's face. He says that, without fresh spinal fluid, he'll lose all his senses. Dr. Madden melts away and dies muttering Emily's name.Lena saves Emily only because of the baby, and that Amy was that baby. Dale says that three more corpses appeared after Dr. Madden's death. Dale realises that "Amy" is Emily. As soon as she takes out her shades, Amy is clearly Emily, who hasn't grown old, and picks the rose which Madden had given that injection.She got that disease from him; in fact, she died from Lena's shot. Emily has poisoned Dale with the tea. She wants to keep well-stocked. In order to keep feeling his baby inside her, she must have fresh spinal fluid as well.A white-haired Lena gives a screaming Dale an injection.Back to Lovecraft, who feels more and more warm-up. One of the monks checks on him. Armed with a knife, he approaches the safebox. The monk checks that the door is securely locked. Now, the letter W appears engraved.Story 3: Whispers Downtown Philadelphia's wasteland is inhabited by somebody who people call The Butcher. Police officer Sarah (Signy Coleman) is driving like crazy after him. Her partner on the force, Paul (Obba Babatundé) thinks that she's driving like a maniac because they made love together but he didn't want to have a relationship with her afterwards; he even offers to quit if she stops behaving like crazy. Sarah is afraid of being a mother. The butcher leaves his car and ges away on foot. The police car bumps onto the abandoned car and it flips over.A man with pink-coloured boots takes alive Paul away. Sarah is badly hurt as well. She tries to contact control, but there is only static. She follows the trail of blood and opens a door, some pigeons scare her. There is a dark long corridor; the butcher pulls from Paul and enters onto an elevator. Sarah shoots the controls of the lift.She falls down a hole but, luckily, she had tripped onto a thread of coil, so she is left hanging upside down but without dying. She reaches the elevator shaft - which is located in an abandoned factory. She finds a weirdly-looking man. Harold Benedict (Don Calfa) says that the building is his, so that the butcher should pay him rent. She threatens him with her gun so that he opens a door, but he says that he's lost all the keys, and that the building swallows things and people as though they never existed. She wants to go down below, so he takes her though a series of corridors.Mrs. Daisy/Lilly/Rose Benedict (Judith Drake), his blind wife, shoots them. Harold says that he's just called the police. The couple lives in a makeshift room in the abandoned building, and Sarah sees the Necronomicon , but doesn't particularly call her attention. Harold shows him a backdoor door to the corridor, where there are signs of further blood droplets. Sarah feels pain in her tummy. Mrs. Benedict immediately feels that she's pregnant, and she starts arguing with Harold about the reasons why they didn't have any children, ...which annoys Sarah some more. She screams for them to shut up and take her to the tunnel.Harold has to clear out the entrance and she forces him to go with her. Lilly tells Sarah that it's scary to bring a new life to this world, and she guesses correctly that her partner is the father. Sarah forces Harold to go with her. Lilly tells her that the butcher is an alien and was around even before the dinosaurs.In the tunnel, there are corridors akin to an Egyptian pyramid. Harold goes by lighting candles. They follow Paul's trail. Suddenly, there are two trails of blood, because Paul is not the first one to be down there. Harold thinks that the Butcher works for the aliens, but that he's human. The encriptions on the walls are of human sacrifises. Sometimes, Sarah feels something, like whispers in the wind. It looks as though somebody were following them.Harold steps on more blood, so he produces the pair of pinky boots and puts them on. Sarah gets angry on recognising the pair of boots, so she aims at him. At that moment, a hand with a stick throws one of the candles to the floor. Harold calls for Daisy / Rose, but Sarah thinks that if Harold is not the butcher, Daisy must be. She shouts that they are not married and that she is the person who is turning off all the lights. Harold tells her that if she kills her baby, Sarah will be the real butcher.Daisy/Rose/Lilly appears and sets her on fire, and pushes her down a hole. The couple take the ladder out of the hole, leaving Sarah for dead. She puts off the fire with her jacket. There are plenty of bloodied skeletons around, and a octopus-like arm goes after her. She gets up an engraved stone and promises to have the baby. She shoots the walls, which bleed a green gooey.She steps down from that weird-looking shrine and tends to Paul's call. However, his head is mostly disappeared and you can see to the other side. Paul attacks Sarah, who shoots him repeatedly.The gory alien bats have taken Pauls' brain. It says that they need them to reproduce, and advises Sarah to watch the walls. They spring from the walls and corner her.When she wakes up, Harold and Daisy tell them that she'd better look at her situation as a transition, that she won't have to pay rent, and that she'll think everything was a nightmare. The aliens are hungry for the bone medule.Sarah wakes up at hospital. Harold is the doctor, and Daisy is Sarah's mother. Sarah caused herself an abortion, and her mother forgives her if she'll forgive herself. She enquires about Paul, who is brain dead in the bed besides hers. Paul has been completely taken, and they are feeding him green goo.Sarah shouts. Her mother tells her to shut up because she's gonna scare the baby. Sarah asks her what she's talking about, as she had said that the baby was dead. The mother says that the baby is not dead, it's only that Sarah was not fit to be a mother. She opens up her blouse and shows the baby being inside the womb of one of those alien-bat creatures. Sarah screams, punches her shades away and screams at her empty eye sockets. With that motion, she realises that she's lost half of one of her arms. She screams and the hospital sheets gets pulled over. We can see she's lost her two legs as well.Daisy and Harold are pushing Sarah down. Now the hospital bed is at the cave, and the creatures approach Sarah. They are sucking the narrow bones of Sarah's dettached limbs. Daisy pushes Sarah down and stays with her. Harold wants to leave, but it's Sarah who has the keys.The monk from the beginning tells Lovecraft that now that everything is over, he only has to unlock the door. Lovecraft says he's lost it. The monk calls him a fool and tells him to put the Necronomicon back to its place.Something is rising from below the floor. The book starts to work and tentacles stop Lovecraft from leaving. The monk enters through the bars of the rail. Lovecraft cuts the tentacles of the monster creature with the knife he'd disguised as his walking stick. The monk says that the secrets of the Necronomicon have to be paid with his life. Lovecraft reveals the monster behind the skin of the monk.The monk forces him to face and await the starfish-like monster which is travelling from behind the vault.The door opens itself, letting Lovecraft go. Lovecraft walks out non-chalantly. The cab driver is talking to a police officer. He leaves among admonitions of danger, because he's released a great danger. The taxi driver (Brian Yuzna) speaks to Lovecraft. He is happy, because he's carrying the Necronomicon with him.---written by KrystelClaire | murder, flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt0068833 | The Last House on the Left | Mari Collingwood (Sandra Cassel) plans to celebrate her 17th birthday by attending a rock concert in New York City with her friend, Phyllis Stone (Lucy Grantham). Her parents express concern both at the band Bloodlust and Mari's friendship with Phyllis, who is implied to be of a lower social class. They let her go, however, and give her a gift before she leaves: a peace symbol necklace.On the way to the city, Mari and Phyllis hear a radio report of a recent prison break, involving violent criminals by the names of Krug Stillo (David A. Hess), his drug-addicted teenage son Junior (Marc Sheffler), Krug's slutish bisexual girlfriend Sadie (Jeramie Rain) and Krug's cousin and partner-in-crime Fred "Weasel" Podowski (Fred J. Lincoln). Upon arrival in the city, Mari and Phyllis stroll the streets, seeking someone who might sell marijuana. Eventually, they run into Junior, who leads them back to Sadie's apartment, where the two teenage girls are immediately entrapped by the criminals. Phyllis, who resists, is punched in the stomach and gang raped by Krug and Weasel, as Mari watches in horror. Mari's parents, meanwhile, prepare a surprise party for her.The next morning, the girls are locked in a car trunk and driven to the countryside as the gang intends to leave the state. The villains' vehicle breaks down right in front of Mari's house while the cops are talking to Mari's parents about her disappearance. Unable to get their car fixed, they drag the kidnapped girls into the woods. Removed from the trunk, Phyllis is beaten after biting Krug's hand. Mari, bound and gagged, realizes that they are coincidentally right near her own home. As she is helplessly dragged to the woods, her parents sit inside with two bumbling local police officers who assure them that Mari is probably fine. The officers disregard the gang's broken-down car when driving back to the police station.In the woods, the girls are untied and subjected to several tortures, including Phyllis forced to urinate into her own jeans, then stripping herself completely naked followed by stripping Mari completely naked as the gang watches.At the police station, the bumbling police officers eventually realize their mistake in disregarding the car in front of the Collingwoods' home and quickly set out. Their car breaks down en route, however, and the cops unsuccessfully try to hitch a ride with a group of hippies and a Mammy chicken farmer.After Phyllis and Mari are forced to have sex with each other, Sadie molests Mari. Phyllis whispers to Mari she will make a break for it to distract the kidnappers and thus, offer Mari an opportunity to escape. Phyllis takes off, chased by Sadie and Weasel, while Junior stays behind to guard Mari, who makes a desperate attempt to convince the troubled addict that he doesn't need to listen to his abusive father because Dr. Collingwood, her father, can help him instead. She also gives him her peace symbol necklace as a symbol of her trust. Meanwhile, Phyllis is eventually cornered at a cemetery, where Weasel stabs her in the back. The defeated Phyllis attempts to crawl away, but the gang inevitably catches up with her and repeatedly stab and disembowel her.Mari eventually convinces Junior to let her go, though their timing is too late, as they are immediately halted by Krug. He presents Phyllis' severed hand and proceeds to carve his name into Mari's chest before sexually violating her. Following this act, Mari, sick from the shock of being raped, vomits and then walks in a daze over to the nearby lake. Krug shoots at Mari and her body floats on the top of the lake. Seemingly shocked by their own actions that has led to the death of their two hostages, Krug, Junior, Sadie and Weasel wash up and change out of their bloody clothes.In their formal new attire, the gang shows up at the Collingwoods' home, masquerading as traveling salesmen. Mari's parents agree to let them stay overnight. However, Junior exposes their identity, when his heroin withdrawal symptoms cause him to end up vomiting in the bathroom, where Mari's mother, Estelle, sees Mari's peace symbol necklace dangling around his neck. Later that night she listens in on the gang while they are spending the night in Mari's bedroom and finds blood-soaked clothing in their luggage. She and Dr. Collingwood rush out into the woods, where the couple finds Mari's body by the lake, still barely breathing, and place it on their couch for consolement.Outside, Estelle has duped Weasel into a sex game, which concludes with her biting off the criminal's genitals. Weasel collapses in agony. Inside the house, Dr. Collingwood carries his shotgun into his daughter's bedroom, where two of the criminals are sleeping. Krug turns out the lights, and gets gazed on the arm by the shotgun blast. Krug escapes into the living room and overpowers the doctor, but the criminal is then confronted by his own son, who now brandishes a firearm. Junior threatens to kill his father. However, Krug psychologically manipulates the already troubled young man, and Junior commits suicide with the weapon. As soon as Krug notices that Dr. Collingwood is missing, the doctor runs into the basement and attacks Krug with a chainsaw.Dr. Collingwood continues approaching Krug with the chainsaw, as the sheriff arrives and pleads with the doctor not to go through with it. Dr. Collingwood murders Krug with the chainsaw anyway by beheading him. Sadie runs outside to escape, where she trips and drops her weapon. Estelle tackles Sadie, and after a struggle, Sadie punches Estelle but trips once again and falls into the family's swimming pool. Estelle grabs Sadie's switchblade knife, catches up with Sadie and slits her throat. All four of the criminals now lay dead; Weasel lays by the lake's edge having bled to death; Sadie is floating face down in the pool; Junior in the house beside a wall with the back of his head blown out; and the beheaded Krug also lays nearby as well.The shaken and exhausted couple reunites in their living room in their blood-spattered clothes as the police look at the family and their four murdered guests. | cruelty, murder, cult, horror, violence, insanity, revenge, sadist | train | imdb | null |
tt0259484 | Paid in Full | Paid in Full is about a young man who rises to the top of the cocaine industry in Harlem. The protagonist, Ace, is played by Wood Harris. At the beginning of the movie, Ace is stuck in a dead end job working in a dry cleaner's shop. His sister's boyfriend, Calvin, is a big time drug dealer who often tries to lure Ace into becoming a part of the drug trade with promises of fast money and glamour. Ace resists these temptations, warning constantly that Calvin's flashy style and audacious method of dealing will get him arrested. When Calvin does get locked up, Ace ends up taking his position on the streets after a chance encounter with Lulu, a Dominican drug dealer. With the help of his friend, Mitch and their partner and enforcer, Rico, he creates a huge drug empire in Harlem. However - unlike most hustlers, Ace is careful not to draw too much attention to himself and stay, more or less, behind the scenes.Mitch, Ace's best friend, is very popular and an extremely flashy drug dealer. Mitch does not pressure Ace to become a dealer because he thinks that his friend is not the hustling type. In fact, he humorously tells Ace that he will become the "George Jefferson" of the ghetto, making reference to his job at the dry cleaning shop. Eventually, Mitch gets arrested. During this time, though, Ace has been introduced into the drug game by Lulu. Soon after Mitch's release, Ace becomes partners with his best friend, realizing he cannot control such a lucrative empire on his own. The two quickly become successful, gaining a reputation worthy of street legends. Rico, a recently released inmate who came to Mitch's aid while Mitch was in prison, appears, and as a show of appreciation and gratitude, Mitch suggests to Ace that Rico join the team, since they could always use additional "muscle" to bolster their rise to the top. Ace agrees. The trio become extremely well known in Harlem, the center of their operations, as well as locations across New York, Washington D.C. and other areas. Ace, as always, tries to remain quiet with a low profile while Mitch returned to his image as the "rich, pretty boy" gangsta. Rico's reputation, however, is one of a ruthless 'killa' who is always quick to show his loyalty to Ace and Mitch by making an example of anyone who does not pull their weight on the streets.After their rise, trouble soon finds them. When Calvin is released from jail, he tries to regain his position of power in the streets. After Ace gives him a lower-level role on the team, Calvin becomes dissatisfied with the thought of making money only as a result of Ace's generosity. Calvin cannot accept the idea of losing his former territory and clientele to Ace and decides not to partner with Ace if he cannot be one of the leaders of the team. He attempts to rob and kill Ace at his apartment one night and shoots him in several times, including a shot to the head. Ace survives, however, and begins to think it's time to leave the game before he is killed. Nonetheless, Rico kills Calvin in retaliation.A short time later, Mitch's brother, Sonny is kidnapped. In an attempt to get his brother back, Mitch tries to raise the tremendous ransom the only way he knows how. He asks Ace, who is basically retired, to help him one last time to get a large quantity of drugs - enough to raise sufficient money to pay the ransom. Ace helps Mitch as requested. When Mitch reaches out to Rico for help to sell the drugs and raise the money, Rico takes this as an opportunity to establish himself and expand his hustle. He kills Mitch and takes the drugs Mitch intended to sell to rescue Sonny. Soon after Ace is told about what happened to Mitch, Ace realizes that Rico was to meet up with Mitch that same night and might be responsible for Mitch's death. Ace then sets up a meeting between him and Rico interrogating Rico on what happened between him and Mitch that night, Rico in return answers that he hadn't seen Mitch all day, Ace then realizes that he is lying and settles the score with Rico by giving him the number to two FBI agents working undercover as drug dealers that Ace had spoken to once before. Rico is arrested and is last seen in prison giving up information on his out-of-town connections in Washington D.C., but not on the connections he once had in Harlem, due to his is claim that "When I come home, I'm still gon' be the king." Since the ransom was not paid, Sonny is later found dead as well. Later, it is found that Sonny's kindnapping had been set up by his own uncle and was killed by Tommy an accomplice of their uncles who resented Mitch because he would not provide him with money. Ace does manage to get completely out of the drug game and makes a new life for himself and his family using diamonds he found in Lulu's apartment. | revenge, murder, violence, flashback | train | imdb | I am glad that there is a movie based on the lives of legendary Harlem kingpins Alpo, AZ and Rich Porter coming out.
I don't want to give it away but for those people who checked the street documentary, "Game Over" would really understand this movie as well as those who knew AZ, Rich and Alpo personally and those who know the legacy of these hustlers.It gets a 9 from me, I loved it.
I saw this one a while back in the end of 2001, and I was very interested as it was the true story of the drug game in the mid eighties.
This movie is actually AZ's side of the story(AZ is Ace played by Wood Harris[Above The Rim, Remember The Titans, The wire]).
well, it tells the story of drug kingpins AZ(Ace), Rich Porter(Mitch)and Alberto "Alpo" Martinez(Rico).
Cam'ron really displays some actin' skills in his part as the trigger-happy, O-Dog reminiscent Rico("alpo"), Wood Harris gives a very different performance from his previous roles in Above The Rim and The Wire as the laid back Ace. but this one belonged to Mekhi Phifer(8-Mile, Clockers) as Mitch(Rich Porter) he really came out and busted out Rich to a "T"!
It is the mid-eighties in Harlem and Ace is working in a laundrette making honest (if small) money while his friend Mitch is rolling in the ill-gotten gains of street dealing.
With Mitch back on the streets with new friend Rico, Ace continues to rise within his community but still maintaining his lowkey and quiet personae.
However coming to the top draws more attention while the loud and aggressive Rico contrasts with Ace's style and trouble is not far away.It was the presence of Wood Harris that drew me to this film even if the hip hop stars in acting and producing roles did worry me that this was just going to be a basic modern blaxploitation movie that panders to the lowest common denominator to make cash.
Instead the narrative is fairly linear and straightforward but it is still interesting and well delivered.I'm not sure if I was totally convinced by the character of Ace all the time but he did make for a good centre piece and the film is less moved by the events around him than it is by how he is within them.
As such Harris is actually very good and never looks like he is about to fall into cliché or easy action.
He has less to work with for the majority of the time but one or two later scenes show how good an actor he can be.
Director Stone does an OK job but is greatly helped by the sense of period that the film consistently has thanks to the design of sets and costumes.A solid narrative keeps it interesting, even if it is not really that surprising or clever.
Of course compared to most hip hop films this is surprisingly good and it does benefit from being based on a true story and featuring good turns from Harris and, to a lesser extent, Phifer..
Lies, drugs, money and betrayals in real life (the movie is based on a true story)....
He knows where he wants to tell his stories because he has filmed in similar places in his movies.
He knows about directing actors, about keeping the spectator focused on the film
His writers know about the way the characters talk, and about creating an interesting story that comes from real life so the viewer doesn't get bored
The team knew what they were doing messing with "Paid in Full".This piece comes in the groove of the movies we see from time to time about life in the neighborhood ("hood"), black people and their relationships, money problems, hard life, "this is how we do it here" and the other stuff
Phrases and situations like this are all over this film; combined with an appropriate sense of reality and personality.There wouldn't be success in these movies if it wasn't for the characters.
Changes that occur because of (and I come back because it's the way it is) the characters.The movie starts as many others these days, giving a glance of the present.
I won't mention anything about these situations that involve, among other things, a guy who worked in a dry cleaner but then became the king of money and drugs; another guy who had the money to help his family and to buy nice things before he screwed up, a guy who is fascinated with money and can't control it; the women that celebrate or suffer for the men's actions.Wood Harris plays Ace, the one who tells the story; and there's a reason why he tells it: in his story things will go right or wrong to the people, but they will all experience something because everything is connected.
Newcomer in the acting scene, Cam'Ron, screams too much and puts arrogant faces, and I can't know if he's doing it right because I haven't seen him before.
The rest of the cast (female and male and younger), achieved amazingly by pros Kerry Barden, Billy Hopkins and Suzanne Smith (experienced in casting people for films of this type), accomplish decent performances just to match everything with the story.What's left for director Charles Stone III is to give some revealing and profound shots in the movie's most dramatic scenes, lead his actors to their glory and generate a realistic environment that traps anyone who sees it.
All work of the team, messing with the film.Because the characters in the film mess with each other, and it's a messy film, you don't know why Ace keeps seeing notes falling from the sky, and from where he is telling the story he narrates.
I am very happy that the life story of Alpo, Rich Porter and AZ has come out, I saw the movie and I was mezmerized.
Mekhi Phifer(Rich Porter) and David Sherwin Harris(AZ)(Above The Rim, Remember The Titans) do great as the legendary drug kingpins AZ and the now deceased Rich Porter.
This was a great movie and I also recommend the street documentary "Game Over" hosted by AZ which is also based on the lives of Alpo, Rich Porter and AZ.A street classic 10/10.
Coming from someone who grew up during this era (the 80's), I found this movie to be a very honest and real portrayal of the music, the atmosphere, the street, and the drug game in general.
Mekhi Phifer, Cam'ron, and Wood Harris gave very good performances in this real life re-telling of the events that occurred between the notorious Ace, Mitch and Alpo.
Any hip hop heads know who Rich Porter, Alpo and AZ.
The movie tells their story subiting the names for Mitch, Rico and Ace. The film is told through the eyes of Ace played with great vigor by rising talent Wood Harris.
Ace see his boy Mitch (Pfeifer) in a great performance living the high drug life.
While in prison Mitch meets Rico (Cam'ron in a breakthough debut) a hot head who decides he wants someone of the action.
Producers Jay-Z,Dame Dash ( who shows up in a cameo) and Brett Ratner did their research to make the film look true to life.
Regina Hall,Chi McBride go good supporting performances and the direction by Charles Stone III is impressive as is the script.
Paid if Full is about 3 real life teenagers who made the drug game in Harlem huge.
I gave this movie a 7 because a lot of their story was left out.
I know that only so much can fit into a movie's 2.5 hr time frame but there were so many things in their story that was left completely out.
Just because they both mention Scarface and take place in NYC and because they involve the drug game does not make the movies comparable..
The performances and story are fine but it could have been a TV movie.
In the 80's, in Harlem, the simple Afro-American worker of a laundry, Ace (Wood Harris), is seduced by the easy money of his friend Mitch (Mekhi Phifer) and when Mitch is arrested, he becomes a drug lord.
Later, her joins Mitch and his new-friend Rico (Cam'ron) as his right arms, ruling the neighborhood.
His kingdom is destroyed one year later, after successive betrayals.Based on a true story, I found the first part of "Paid in Full", showing the powerful and wealthy drug dealers' lifestyle, an apology to crime.
The cast has great performances and the direction of Charles Stone III is amazingly real.
I thought this movie was fabulous!The acting was good all round especially Wood Harris, Mekhi Phifer, Cam'ron and the little boy Remo Greene was pretty good for a kid as well.The story was fabulous.
I loved all the twists it had.Great directing Charles Stone III!It was really cool how it cut back and forth from scene to scene.Interesting to see it was based on a true story.It's odd I have never heared of this film before.
This is the story of a soft-hearted drug dealer, as far UP the chain as you can go before you leave the Harlem neighborhood.
You might have seen him playing third fiddle in REMEMBER THE TITANS (2002), the Denzel Washington feel-good film.
Like TITANS, this is another true story, by the way.The film tries to link itself to SCARFACE (1983) and even goes so far as to have the characters view that film on the big screen when it first came out.
The scale of their operation, their life-style, ambitions, family orientation, neighborhood emphasis, and sheer abilities puts them much more on a par with Wesley Snipes NEW JACK CITY (1991).Realizing that JACK CITY was supposed to portray a dealer who went a little power crazy, I found Snipes' performance over-heated, and didn't enjoy THAT film even the second time around.
Wood Harris has a more moderate part to begin with, and he gives a credible performance as an underwhelming street kid who keeps on growing sufficiently to meet the demands of the job.
That might have been good advice even for corporate giants like Drexel Burnam and Enron.But, like all bio-corporate organisms, the rule is, "Grow or Die." Wood's character makes the mistake of reacting the way you or I might in similar circumstances.
Before viewing the film I had never heard of Wood Harris I was surprised at how good he was in the role.
The plot ran smoothly all the way through the film and what made a nice change with this film the lead character always understood his limitation which gave the ending a realistic feel.
Finally a good gang movie, I've see a lot of them lately and thy all more or less suck, but this one was real real good.Properly because it was based on a true story, that always makes a good movie.
And Mekhi Phifer is or some in this movie, one scene was so so good, man he is becoming a great actor if you ask me :).
Based on the true story of the childhood friends: AZ, Alpo and Rich Porter...
The fictional names used in the movie Ace Boogie (Wood Harris), Alpo (CamRon) and Mitch (Mekhi Phifer)...
I suggest seeing the documentary Game Over or read up on the real life characters to get an idea of what this film really is about.
What impressed me so much about this movie is its authenticity with regards to imagery - you look at these infamous photos of the three back in the day and they're accurately replicated in live action in the film, creating a special vivid realism.
I was impressed by everything in this movie, the acting, directing, camera work, and the whole process of telling a compelling story.
Once again, Wood Harris kills it in another great movie that doesn't get recognized.
Each character is cool in his own way and like most hip hop movies, this one has an explosive ending.
Unlike most of Wood Harris' movies, they actually put a lot of money into this movie and gave it an actual budget.
I was surprised about how good this movie was.
Combined with the other cast member's performances- the entire tragedy/saga of young black peoples in the hood- the sh** made you(me) want to cry.Being from Harlem- 155th street- this story had a special significance for me.
Besides Wood Harris- Mekhi Phifer threw down as usual- Solid performance -nailing Rich Porter.
The women in the movie had no major roles- this was a story of three teenagers who ******* ran harlem.
bottom line, the people in this film are human, flawed and all- but human- and the things they went through were real- not these 'gangsta' fantasies of 99% of today's hip-hop acts!
whatever he's doing- I hope the dude's healthy, at peace and making money legally.The directing was good, not great- but solid.
The script was good- but trust me -it was the PERFORMANCES- many of them improvised that made this film great!.
It had a ton of holes, Liked the characters though but should of been used in an action film.
Also, I didn't see the point in setting the film in the mid 80's even though the events are based on a true story the fact that it took place in the eighties is of no consequence.
director Charles Stone III, writers Azie Faison Jr. and Austin Phillips did an excellent job of capturing the essence of movies in the same vein that preceded paid in full.
the brotherhood of friends -Juice; rags to riches and the drug lord maturation of an empire finally culminating in tragic betrayal -New Jack City; and camron's portrayal of the reckless Rico is quite convincing, reminiscent of the late tupacs bishop and larenz tate's o-dog.my only fault with a movie of this genre or should i say the fans, is that often times fans walk away from a movie like paid in full and the other aforementioned films with the wrong message.
instead of looking beyond what looks glamorous (the fame and fortune of the drug game) fans choose to glorify the "thug life" and end up emulating the characters in the film.
I really enjoyed watching paid in full and do not mind watching it again.Paid in full is based on gangs and how they make money with drugs.The three main characters are known as mitch, rico and ace.AS I watched this movie it made me think about drugs,money,gang,violence,family and trust.At the beginning i felt really happy until the end were it got a bit sad.Any ways i really enjoyed watching paid in full and i would recommend it to a lot of people..
Paid in full is a movie about a good kid from the ghetto who is seduced into the local drug trade.
In the beginning of the movie the main character Ace is seen as a quite kid from Harlem who works for a local tailor.
Personally I had no interests in watching this movie.
Growing up in Baltimore City you see a lot of activity such as in this movie, and like Ace sometimes you might be tempted to join the negative influences in your surroundings.
Ace had a good job, making legal money, working at the cleaners.
He always watched the drug dealers with the nice cars, designer clothes, all the girls, and lots of money.
While his friend Mitch was the top drug dealer in Harlem.
Ever since then Ace became the top drug dealer in Harlem, although he had more money than working at the cleaners, he began to have more problems also.
This is a great movie to watch.
It's relatable and based on a real story which makes it all the more interesting..
"Money is the root to all evil" (Based on a True story).
Based on a true store of Azie "AZ" Fasion, Alpo and Rich Porter are urban legends in New York.
2002 film "Paid in Full" Azie Fasion wrote a story based on the lives of his crew and "Roc-A-Fella Films licensed the story and brought it to the big screens where notable actors Mekhi Phifer and Wood Harris would portray the lifestyle theses teenagers were lavishly living until tables turned and one is betrayed by his own and would lead to the fall of the Harlem kingpins.
"Paid in Full" released in October of 2002, a drama action film directed Charles Stone III.
Main character Wood Harris acts as narrator in this film.
The Directors uses various techniques of Flash- forwards and flashbacks in this film so the viewer can make a connection between the characters in the story and how they transform.
Director incorporating some great cinematography in this film which lead to impact scenes and the success of actors.
The Movie Shows how two characters and transform due to the success of the drug trade and lead to a major shift of street creditability and eventually table turn.
As Ace the Main character played by Wood Harris the Protagonist character in this film character traits of the quiet one who quits his job at the dry cleaners to make some fast money.
It seems like Ace has to take the role of which his friend played and supply the street with the latest and best product that customers can't resist buying because they were getting better quality product for a lower price.
When Mitch is released from prison, the best friends join forces with Rico (Cam'ron), a paranoid, hot-headed pal of Mitch's from prison whose idea of fun is to show home videos of himself having sex in a local dance club I think this movie is good for young kids growing up in the city to see.
I think its a good representation that selling drugs and having all material things can lead to the quickest fall and then your life is gone because you vale the streets more than getting a career or job and going about life making the right choices. |
tt1125849 | The Wrestler | Over the credits, we see numerous magazines and newspaper articles from the 80's, all of which feature Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), a major professional wrestling star. We then flash forward twenty years, where Randy "The Ram" is getting ready for a match in a small, local auditorium on the underground circuit. He interacts with the other wrestlers backstage, most of whom are much younger than he is (Randy is acknowledged to be in his 50's). Ironically, though they are foes inside the ring, outside the wrestlers are all friendly, discussing with each other how they want to perform the "act" that night, and after the show go drinking together. Randy preps for the match and it's obvious his age has caught up with him; his joints are cracking as he stretches and becomes short-winded easily. After he stretches he puts a small piece of a razor blade in his wrist bandages, in which later he uses to cut himself on the forehead to draw blood, making the match more dramatic for the fans. Afterward, Randy is given a meager payday, as the promoter claims the audience was smaller than expected. Randy's manager then poses a 20th anniversary rematch with his most notable opponent, the Ayatollah, which sold out Madison Square garden in the 80's. Randy agrees, hoping this kind of high-profile match could help him get back to the top.Randy goes home to find he has been locked out of his trailer for not paying his rent. He takes pain medication with a beer and falls asleep in the back of his van. The next day he goes to work to load boxes at a supermarket where he asks his boss if he could have more hours. His boss is very rude to him and makes a snide comment about the cost of tights going up being the reason he needs more hours. Randy laughs it off and continues to ask his boss for more hours but "not on the weekends". Again his boss makes a snide comment about his other 'profession' being the reason he can't work weekends.That night after work goes to a strip club to visit a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). Like Randy, Cassidy is older than her coworkers. She's only 43 and still very good looking, but her coworkers are under 25 and dance to updated music versus outdated 80's rock. Randy overhears in another room a few obnoxious young guys calling her an old hag, she is old enough to be their mom and to get away from them. Randy steps in and pushes them around and yells at them that they have no idea how wonderful Cassidy is. She gives him a lap dance before she goes on stage and we switch to the next morning.We see Randy going through his training rituals. First stop is getting his hair bleached blond at a salon, then going to a tanning salon. Going to a Dollar Store to buy a few items for his upcoming match and then we see him sitting in a locker room at a gym buying $900 worth of steroids and injecting it into his backside before he begins to work out feverishly. After the gym we see him talking to wrestler Dylan Summers, (a.k.a. Necro Butcher) who is explaining to him that the match is going to be particularly brutal "hardcore", in which Randy and his opponent use various weapons on each other, including thumbtacks, staple guns, barbed wire and glass. Randy is asked if he's ever been in a match that involved staples and Randy says he hasn't. It is explained they are not bad going in but coming out they may leave a small hole. Randy looks uncertain but continues. We cut to the match and it is exactly as described; bloody and brutal. Randy suffers numerous gashes, including a deep cut on his chest from the barbed wire, but wins the match by smashing a glass door over his opponent's head. After the match Randy stumbles backstage and is seated in a chair where doctors fervently sew him up and remove the staples. The pain is excruciating and Randy gags a few times from the pain. After the doctors are finished and he is alone in his dressing room, he walks over to his locker, but before he can even open it he stares intently at his left arm, vomits twice and passes out.Randy wakes up in a hospital to learn that he suffered a heart attack that necessitated a bypass operation. His doctor warns Randy that unless he cuts out the drugs and stops wrestling, his life could be in danger. While signing out of the hospital an envelope is given to him containing his pay for the match. Randy goes to the pharmacy to have his prescriptions from the hospital filled and is very embarrassed to pick them up. Then he goes to pay his back rent and the trailer park manager takes the padlock off his door and says "Welcome Home". Randy immediately falls asleep. The next day, following the doctor's advice, he takes it easy. He invites a neighbor kid over to play a game of wrestling, featuring Randy himself, on an old Nintendo console. The kid plays one match with him and abruptly leaves complaining about how old and boring the game is, and how he has "Call of Duty 4 at home".. "Call IT what?".. "No, Call OF Duty, it's about war". Randy goes for a jog and half way has to lean on a tree from exhaustion and starts to cry from the pain in his chest and realizing how alone in life he is.He goes back to the strip club and tells Cassidy about his heart attack, and she breaks one of her rules by agreeing to meet him outside to talk. He tells her how alone he feels, and she suggests he try to rekindle a relationship with his daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). At first he is hesitant but then Randy agrees.Randy goes to Stephanie's home, where she refuses to have anything to do with him. She yells at him for never being there during her childhood and walks away. Randy goes back to the strip club, tells Cassidy what happened, so she offers to help Randy find a present for Stephanie. The next morning Randy is waiting for Cassidy in front of a resale clothes store when she pulls up an old pickup truck. She gets out wearing jeans, winter boots, a heavy winter coat and a winter hat. Opposite of how he usually sees her (half nude) Randy 'compliments' her by saying she looks good cleaned up. She good-naturedly laughs it off knowing what he meant, and thanks him. They go inside the vintage shop and look at clothes to buy Stephanie. Cassidy settles on a black pea-coat but Randy insists on buying a lime green jacket with an "S" on it, "For Stephanie" he says. Cassidy frowns at it but then tells him to do what he thinks is right. Outside of the store he asks her is she wants to go have a beer. She declines. Randy insists and asks her why she can't. She tells him she doesn't usually do this but..she has a confession to make. She has a son. He's 9 years old. Randy asks why she never told him before and she explains it's just not considered attractive to have a kid. She shows him a picture of her son and he tells her how good looking he is and that he looks just like his mother. Randy then runs to his van and comes back with a old "Randy the Ram" wrestling action figure and tells her to give it to her son. Eventually Randy convinces Cassidy to have that beer. In the bar they talk and reminisce about the 80's and how lousy things are now, and Randy eventually kisses her. At first she fully embraces him, but then suddenly pushes him away, slams her beer and leaves him.Randy goes to see Stephanie and gives her the gift. The first one was the shiny lime jacket with the letter 'S' embroidered on it. She looks uncertain, so he explains that the next one is the "real" gift. He then gives her the pea-coat Cassidy picked out. She likes this one much better. Stephanie reluctantly agrees to spend the afternoon with him but he insists. They go for a walk by the New Jersey boardwalk and talk. Randy confesses that he has not been a good father. He breaks down in tears and pleads with her to have the relationship he never had because he was so very wrong before. Stephanie warms to him, thinks he might be trying to be a good father, and agrees to meet him for dinner that weekend.A few days later Randy goes to a convention to sign memorabilia for fans, only 2 fans showed up to see him. While there he also sees several of the old wrestlers are disabled, one being in wheelchair. Randy leaves and makes a bunch of phone calls telling each person he is now retired and to cancel the 20th anniversary rematch with the Ayatollah. He then goes to work and walks in his bosses office without knocking and sees him watching a porn. The boss yells at him to "try again, this time knock". Randy turns around and closes the door, knocks twice and his boss throws the door open hitting him with it yelling, "what do you want?". Randy again asks him for more hours. His boss says he doesn't have anymore to give him except for weekends. Randy hesitates and says he'll take weekend. Stunned the boss turns around and says it's his. He is to work the deli counter. "You mean with customers?" After donning an apron and a hair net the boss gives him his name tag (with his real full name even after Randy objecting to it) and he goes out to the deli counter and immediately gets into the swing of things. He actually seems to enjoy himself taking care of the customers and cutting meat and frying chicken.Later he goes to see Cassidy at the strip club and gives her a 'Thank You' card. He asks her if he could get her a drink and she says she doesn't take drink from "customers". Stunned he says to her, "I thought we were passed that." She became very harsh with him and said NO, all he is is a customer and she should never have went out with him the first time. They argue and Randy insults her and she yells for security for him to be thrown out.Upset, Randy goes to a wrestling show as a spectator. After the show he goes out with the other wrestlers, gets drunk, and ends up doing cocaine and having sex with a fan. The next morning he gets home and sleeps the day away and when he wakes he realizes that he missed dinner with Stephanie that night. He goes to her home in the middle of the night to apologize, but Stephanie is in tears, throwing things at him, and screaming that she waited two hours for him to show up. She says he has never been and never will be a father to her. She also says he cannot change who he is, and that she never wants to see him again and throws him out of the house.Randy goes to work the next day. He becomes very agitated while dealing with an finicky elderly lady, and to add insult to injury the next customer says he "thinks" he recognizes him, that he looks just like the Ram except older. Humiliated, Randy accidentally/intentionally cuts his thumb in the deli meat slicer. After he cuts himself he yells in pain and blood spatters, with customers screaming. His boss reminds him there are customers, and he screams at his boss for being such an A**hole, and "HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT", kicks and punches items around with blood flying everywhere, "You Prick!! I QUIT"..and he later calls up the promoter and tells him he wants to wrestle the last match with the Ayatollah.Later we see Randy bleaching his hair from a box and spray tanning himself, then packing up his trailer with all of his belongings. Cassidy arrives just as Randy is leaving and apologizes, saying there is something between them but she was afraid to let him get close. Randy seems to have resigned himself to the fact that he is meant to be alone, and drives off, passing her a flyer for the match. Randy drives to the arena and greets the Ayatollah (actually a used car salesman named Bob). They catch up and prepare for the match. As Randy is getting ready to walk out to the ring with the crowd chanting his name, Cassidy arrives. She warns him that his heart could give out if he wrestles, but he shrugs it off. Randy says that the real world doesn't care about him, and the only place he belongs is in the ring. Cassidy tells him she wants to be with him, but Randy heads to the ring as his music blares.Before the match, Randy gives a speech thanking the fans, telling them how he's lived his life burning the candle from both ends. But even though people told him he'd never wrestle again, here he is. The match begins, and the crowd is into it. But as it progresses, Randy starts to deviate from the planned match. Concerned, Ayatollah asks if he's alright. We realize that Randy is doing this on purpose, that he wants his heart to give out. Randy goes so far as to steal one of the Ayatollah's signature moves. As the match winds down, Randy feels his heart giving out, and he can barely stand. Bob/Ayatollah realizes this and tries to end the match to save Randy's life, but Randy refuses to stop. Randy looks into the crowd, but cannot see Cassidy. Finally Randy climbs to the top rope to deliver his signature "Ram Jam" finisher, his heart ready to burst, Randy salutes the fans, his face covered in tears and sweat. He then leaps off the top rope, and the screen fades to black. | realism, dramatic, violence, tragedy, romantic, sentimental | train | imdb | Following the screening was a Q&A session with Mickey Rourke, Darren Aronofsky, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and film composer Clint Mansell.Mickey Rourke delivers one of the most honest and heart breaking performances I've seen from an actor.
As a newly revived Mickey Rourke fan, I can tell you this audience member says it's just beginning Mickey!Marissa Tomei delivers a stellar performance as an aging exotic dancer the parallel story to Mickey's character "The Ram".
Rourke may not be as out-of-his-comfort-zone as Sean Penn in Milk, the only other Oscar-worthy lead performance this year, but that is merely a testament to his fundamental understanding of his character: Randy is an understated guy with big scars, both literally and figuratively.
He works part-time at a grocery store and visits strip clubs regularly, because it's the only place where he seemingly has any meaningful connections with another human being namely the dancer Cassidy (played by Marisa Tomei), who is similarly a bit older than most peers in her "profession," yet doesn't really know any other way to live.The Wrestler draws immediate comparison to the classics of working class cinema, including Rocky and On the Waterfront.
Yet we recognize that the drugs, the empty sex and the generally self-destructive behavior Randy partakes in is rooted in the same emotional enguish that the actor himself seems to carry with him; Aronofsky spotted this quality in Rourke, and he fought the producers for Rourke over their first choice (Nicolas Cage), and his dedication paid off you'll be hard-pressed to find a more convincing, moving or memorable lead performance this year.Ultimately, The Wrestler is one of the year's very best films a character study that is at once timeless and powerful.
An amazing career-best performance from Mickey Rourke and outstanding work by Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, the film is very powerful and emotional.
Mickey Rourke returns to the big screen in Darren Aronofsky's brilliant character study, The Wrestler.
Mickey Rourke gained about 35 pounds of muscle to play Randy 'The Ram' Robinson and looks the part of an old beaten down wrestler.
It brings out an amazing amount of depth out of his character and simply pushes the film to that of the least a very good movie.The direction of Darren Aronofsky and writing of Robert Siegel combined for an amazingly heart felt sympathy portrayal of a man.
As someone who's a fan and who has actually worked behind the scenes in pro wrestling, I can tell you that Randy "The Ram" Robinson's story is a very respectful and realistic portrayal of the toll pro wrestling takes on its stars' lives.
Most end up somewhere in between.Interestingly, as precarious as Randy's health became, however, if he were in his mid-50's (as was Mickey Rourke at the time), he still had a longer pro wrestling career than many others who abused their body likewise.
In Darren Aronofsky's brilliant character drama The Wrestler, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is a down-and-almost-out pro wrestler who grapples with his own mortality and a fear of being alone and desperate.
Rourke's Randy is intrepid, a scarred battle cruiser who desperately needs to be in the ring to survive, a man who's emotions are kept as close to the vest as possible, a man with nothing else going for him other than his time in the spotlight.The Ram, probably an amalgam of several real-life wrestlers (chief among them, Randy "Macho Man" Savage), is a relic of the 1980s, a man who wistfully counts the scars and cuts on his body and remembers with great fondness his greatest ring moment, a pay-per-view battle against The Ayatollah.
"The Wrestler" is a beautiful movie, but it wouldn't be half as good if Mickey Rourke hadn't given the main character a face and a heart.
There's virtually no other Hollywood actor that could have embodied Randy "The Ram" Robinson as perfectly as Rourke, and it's shocking to think how the movie could have turned out had someone else, say Bruce Willis or - as originally planned - Nicolas Cage played the part.
It's all good, because one look at Randy's face reminds us of all the hits and punches he must have taken in the past, and it all becomes real again.So, Rourke obviously makes the movie, but that's not the only remarkable thing.
Besides a very good performance by the beautiful Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler" is also worth mentioning because it marks the first time Darren Aronofsky has made a straight forward drama that's not heavy headed or laden with too much symbolism.
Sean Penn may have been very good in "Milk", but the character of The Wrestler is a thousand times more interesting and memorable, and considering that fact that Rourke will forever be remembered for this great performance, he would really have deserved the Oscar..
Even though the wrestlers are shown to be friendly outside the ring and what goes on inside is really a 'performance', the blood is real, and so is the pain.Siegel's writing is solid and Aronofsky's portrayal of the character is quite remarkable.
Evan Rachel Wood shines as Randy's estranged daughter.I have admired Aronofsky for his attempt in making different kinds of cinema and giving us great movies and 'The Wrestler' is no disappointment at all.
It is one of the best movies I've seen last year, and more than that it is even more special due to the brilliant and amazing performance of its cast.The return of Mickey Rourke was overdue, a gifted and talented actor, who in my opinion was wrongly shunned and marginalized because of his past attitude and behaviour which marked him as a "bad boy".
I don't want to discuss the movie in detail, nor give anything away from the plot or storyline, suffice to say that this is one viewing that is more than worth sitting through from beginning to end.Rourke, Marisa Tomei (another grossly underrated actress) and Evan Rachel Wood are phenomenal and really hold their own and make the most of their on-screen time.
Most importantly, the director does an excellent job of showing the mutual respect and camaraderie that exists among professional wrestlers - a code of honor that ultimately attracts and keeps Rourke's character engaged in the world of wrestling 20+ years after he has passed his prime.
As a faded wrestler, Randy "The Ram" Robinson is living in a trailer park where he can barely keep up the rent, during the week he works a manual job in the stock room of a local supermarket and at weekends he dons his costume and takes part in wrestling events in small and only partially filled leisure centres and halls.The nature of the character has been talked to death already, mainly because of the actor playing him and how good his performance is, but Randy is a fairly simplistic character on paper.
It can be seen various ways, like a story about an ageing wrestler and showgirl who try to get back into life or as a film about show-business using those who are part of it, without really caring about them as person and so on.
There is no denying that Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler features two tremendous performances by Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei.
Not only is this a juicy, meaty role - though some might argue he really isn't acting but simply being himself - but it is such a far cry that some of the crappy movies he came to be known for.Perhaps it is because Rourke finds such a personal connection to Randy "The Ram" Robinson in "The Wrestler" that he is able to truly tap into the character's deepest fears and insecurities.
Mickey Rourke finally convinced me of the recognition some people give him.Me, I've never really been a big fan of him, but this movie made me care about him, and yes, him, not just his character.
Last night though I wasn't only floored but I felt I was walking on air after watching Darren Aronofsky's near masterpiece, THE WRESTLER.MIckey Rourke's performance is not one of just hype.
There's a lot here to discuss including the dueling thread of Marisa Tomei and Mickey Rourke's characters both using there aging bodies to perform, and yet not knowing if they have anything else.
As the Ram, Randy endures severe beatings, razor blade cuts and staple gun wounds all over his body, among lesser evils, but the real world just might be tougher than this.A killer story, career-resurrecting performance by Mickey Rourke, and amazing support by Marisa Tomei (Randy's love interest), help make this film one of the most beloved sports films of all time.
Rourke looks like a man who has been beaten up by life and in the ring so he fit the character perfectly and along with fantastic performances from Marissa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood who play his stripper love interest and estranged daughter respectively.
Marisa Tomei killed it as Pam also.Aronofsky's directing is spectacular, the one scene that stuck with me all these years (as i write these lines, i just watched the film for the second time after about four years) is the one when Randy is going for the deli counter in the supermarket.
Mickey Rourke's resurrection as an actor by playing Randy 'The Ram' Robinson in The Wrestler.
And this, again, worked amazingly well.Randy 'The Ram' (Rourke) is an aging wrestler, a former star of the great American invention mistakenly called there "wrestling", which actually has more to do with acting than wrestling and can be summed up as "trying to imitate a cruel fight using hands, legs and different sharp artifacts".
In reality his days of fame have passed long time ago and Randy makes a living trying random physical job, and spending his weekends fighting in a local wrestling club, usually with wrestlers that could be his sons or grandsons.
How on Earth other that -- it just feels real.Thanks to the great Rourke and fantastic climax building using music, sound, cinematography and "this something" added by Aronofsky, "The Wrestler" is a powerful and engaging movie that I watched with my jaws dropped up until the final "Ram Jam".// This review has been originally published at http://filmaster.com -- film buffs community //.
An aging and broken down wrestler tries to live a normal life outside the ring, but when things get even worse in his life, he turns to the one thing that kept him going and made him feel loved, wrestling.Mickey Rourke's performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson is honest, heart-breaking and real.
True, the story of this character mirrors the life of the actor himself and it's obvious that he brought that with him, but it's hard to watch this film and not cheer for him, feel sorry for him and want everything to work out in the end for him.This is the 4th film from Darren Aronofsky and it goes back to his more independent roots, like his first feature Pi. Not saying his other two features who big Hollywood productions, but anyway.
Rourke's performance will make you love Randy, support him, cheer him on, but above all, come the end, you will be pleading with him, like all of the other characters around him, to stop.The towering presence in the middle of the film is ably supported by Marisa Tomei.
After seeing the movie, Cage called Aronofsky and told him that "Rourke is the Ram." He gained some muscle for the film and really looks the role of the beat down and washed up professional wrestler.
Twenty years ago, Randy 'The Ram' Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a successful wrestler; now he is decadent, living alone in a trailer, working part time in a supermarket and wrestling in the weekends.
Randy gets also a full-time job in the supermarket, but he does not deal well with the world outside the arena and decides to return to the sport were he is recognized by his fans."The Wrestler" is a good, but overrated movie, with a drama that is very common with athletes when the end of their careers comes.
Mickey Rourke returns like a phoenix in a role of a decadent wrestler that wasted his life and destroyed the relationship with his own daughter and has adaptation problems with the world outside the arena.
Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, played by Mickey Rourke, is an aging professional wrestler holding onto his last thread of fame and worthiness in the bottom ranks of the sport.
"The Wrestler" is one of the most effective films of the year because wrestling fan or not you can relate to these characters and genuinely feel for them..
Randy (Mickey Rourke) is portrayed to be a professional sportsman who puts wrestling before anything, so how did he end up in the situation he is at the start of the movie?
He spends his days alone and the main identity he has is from the 80s, and he is so attached to the his performance name Randy "The Ram" Robinson that he can't go by his real name.After watching this movie I have no doubt that in addition to winning the Golden Globe Mickey Rourke will also win the Oscar, because when you watch his gritty performance it doesn't even seem like he's acting.
Because he is also someone who was washed up in the 80s like Randy, and yet the exile from mainstream has been good for Rourke in a way, because now he is a man who pulls the pathos right out of you.But the movie isn't only deserving of pathos, and neither is Randy "The Ram".
The blood looks real, and those that say professional wrestling is fake are only half right.The movie is also sexy thanks to Marisa Tomei, playing a stripper who is growing out of the business, and is as connected to the 80s as Randy.
Mickey Rourke appears to connect strongly and sincerely with this role, as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a professional wrestler 20 years passed his peak; it's the kind of searing, heartfelt performance only a true survivor could deliver.
The Wrestler is an extraordinary film at the same time it marks the transition of director Darren Aronofsky to a different style than the one of his previous movies.The Wrestler is a more accessible film than Aronofsky's previous movies.Pi,Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain were very unusual movies while The Wrestler is more "normal".But this very talented director has made a brilliant work even at a style which is different than the one he is accustomed to.This is a magnificent movie which will stay with the spectator for a long time (well,that's what happened in my case).Basically,The Wrestler repeats the formula from Rocky (or,more precisely,from Rocky Balboa).But putting the main character in the wrestling world makes the story more credible and less archetypal.The down at heel hero who tries to recover his previous glory has been used on many movies; but in The Wrestler,that story feels fresh,unpredictable and absolutely realistic because of some innovative angles the screenplay has.Many people consider The Wrestler as the artistic rebirth of Mickey Rourke,which makes me very happy,although we do not have to underrate his solid works on supporting roles in movies like Domino,Spun and the brilliant Sin City.But the last time we had seen Rourke in a leading role was in 1992,in the movie White Sands.His performance in The Wrestler is monumental and it also helps the fact that Rourke had a period of glory for then living in the shadows for a long time,something which is related to his character.Marisa Tomei also shines on her character because she is completely natural on her role.Evan Rachel Wood also brings an excellent performance because she shows solid range and adequate deepness.Aronofsky's direction is perfect.The style he found to tell the story was completely appropriate,he could obtain magnificent performances from his cast and the scenes of wrestling fights are very well filmed.The screenplay is amazing,not only because it is very well crafted and because it presents a perfect development of the characters,but also because I admired the way in which it shows the wrestling world.For one sight,it accepts the falseness from that sport but for the other sight,it shows the tremendous training the wrestlers have to do,which requires enormous effort.And I also liked the ending very much.I think it should not be taken on a literal way,but as an analogy of the emotional search of the main character.I will not say any more because I would ruin the movie to the reader.The Wrestler is a magnificent and absolutely fascinating movie which shows once more,why Aronofsky is one of the most interesting contemporary directors.This is a great cinematographic experience which deserves all the acclamation it has received.Besides,who cares if Rourke did not win the Oscar ?
If ever a guy deserved an Oscar it is Mickey Rourke for his portrayal of Randy ( The Ram ) Robinson in this film.
There were points in this film where I had very real tears in my eyes.Mickey Rourke is Randy "The Ram" Robinson (the wrestler of the title), who lives in the nostalgia of his former glory but who's career has taken a nosedive.
Darren Aronofsky, the director of Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain, offers up his latest, and greatest, film yet (and I thought it couldn't get any better than Requiem.) The Wrestler stars Mickey Rourke as washed-up professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson, in the greatest performance of this year.
Both Marisa Tomei and Rachel Wood is outstanding in this movie, but never ever have I seen such an obviously and worthy winner for the Oscars without winning as Mickey Rourke as Randy.
Right up there with movies like Million Dollar Baby and Lost In Translation in terms of emotional content and character exploration.Mickey Rourke deserves all the accolades for his acting performance - he is superb - but Marisa Tomei is excellent too, as is Evan Rachel Wood. |
tt0891592 | Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li | The movie opens with Chun Li narrating her experience growing up aspiring to be a concert pianist. As a child, she moves from San Francisco to Hong Kong with her family. There, along with piano, she learns Wushu from her father, Xiang, who is a well connected businessman. One night, her home is attacked by Bison and his henchman. Chun Li's father fights them off until Balrog grabs a hold of a young Chun Li, forcing him to surrender. As Bison and his men are leaving with Xiang, Chun Li's mother tries to stop them. Balrog just punches her.Years later, Chun Li grows up and becomes a talented concert pianist. At the end of one of her concerts, she receives a scroll written in Ancient Chinese text. On her way home, she sees a mysterious homeless man getting assaulted by street thugs. After the thugs leave, Chun Li tends to him and notices a spiderweb tattoo on his hand. Meanwhile, Xiang is shown working for Bison as a prisoner. In return for his services, he is allowed to view pictures of his daughter all grown up. Back home, Chun Li's mother finally loses her battle to cancer as Chun Li and her servants mourn her loss at a funeralElsewhere, we see Nash and Maya investigating a murder of several heads of criminal syndicate families in Bangkok. Chun Li on the side is meeting with a wise old lady in town who studies the scroll and tells her to find a man named Gen in Bangkok, revealing to her an image of the same spiderweb she saw tattooed on the homeless man's hand. With a new goal in mind, Chun Li leaves her home and heads to Bangkok. After weeks of searching for Gen without any luck, she sees a man being assaulted in an alley by thugs. Chun Li comes to his rescue and fights them. After a long battle ended by finishing them with a Bike Rack Drop Ultra move, Chun Li collapses in exhaustion. There, we see Gen pick her up to take her to his home.Gen tells Chun Li that he knows how to find her father and that Bison has him, but that she also needs anger management. In response, she goes to an internet cafe and logs onto shoryuken.com to find out more about Bison, who is now holding the families of property owners hostage in order to force them to sign their property over to him. Upon leaving, one of the owners is asked to hand over the rights to a docking harbor, allowing the shipment of the "White Rose". Chun Li overhears this. Meanwhile at Interpol, Nash figures out that Bison's headquarters are right across the street from the Police Station.Later that night, Cantana, one of Bison's secretaries, goes to a nightclub. Chun Li spies on her and notices her jocking the girls in the club. Chun Li moves in and seductively dances with her before casually walking away into the bathroom. Cantana, sex driven, follows her and locks the bathroom window. There, Chun Li beats her into giving out the location of the White Rose. Cantana's bodyguards come back and Chun Li escapes after a brief shootout.We are then told of Bison's origins. He is the son of Irish missionaries. He grew up an orphan having to steal fish from people in Thailand. In order to lose his conscience, he forced his daughter out of the womb of his wife prematurely. This somehow transferred his conscience into her. Back at Gen's home, Bison's henchmen come after Gen and Chun Li. Gen fights them off until Balrog blows up his house with a rocket launcher. With Gen gone and nowhere to be found, Chun Li runs off. She is then attacked by Vega, who she defeats soundly and hangs upside down since his claws weren't sharp enough to cut rope.Chun Li then heads to the harbor and interrogates an employee into telling her the arrival time of the White Rose. Later that night, this turns out to be a trap as several Shadaloo soldiers capture her. Chun Li is then taken back to Shadaloo headquarters and is reunited with her father. Bison tells her that Xiang outlived his usefulness and breaks his neck, killing him. Bison and Balrog leave Chun Li to the henchman to finish off. Chun Li however escapes when they try to swing her around from the ceiling like a pinata. As she runs away, she is shot in the arm by Balrog. Before Balrog could recapture her, the crowd begins throwing durians at him. This scares Balrog as he drives off in his Benz. Chun Li meanwhile, is rescued again by Gen, who survived the explosion.Chun Li approaches Nash and tells him she needs backup to take down Bison. Nash and Maya oblige as Chun Li approaches the dock employee who set her up last time. The employee tells her that he was forced into deceiving her and tells her the real arrival time. Chun Li doubts him at first, but he points to the white board at the arrival time, proving that it is true. At the dock later that night, Interpol agents engage in a shootout with Shadaloo soldiers. On a ship, Chun Li finds a girl asking where her father is. Meanwhile, Gen fights Balrog and kills him by stabbing him with a pipe spraying nitrogen. We later find out that the girl is Bison's daughter and her name is Rose, making her the White Rose. Bison takes her in and welcomes her warmly.Bison walks into his office where he is ambushed by Gen. Gen however is no match for him. Sensing his daughter in danger, Bison goes back to his daughters room, where he finds she is gone. Gen shows up again and ambushes Bison, getting beaten up again. Chun Li then comes in and fights Bison. After a long battle, she hits him with a bamboo pole a couple times and drops some sandbags on him, making him dizzy. She then charges up a Kikoken and shoots it at him, knocking him off the scaffolding they were fighting on, then jumping on his neck and twisting it, killing him.Back home, Chun Li is settled down as Gen pays her a visit. He shows her an ad for a Street Fighter tournament, telling her about a Japanese fighter named "Ryu something". Chun Li declines, saying that she's home for now. | murder, violence, flashback, good versus evil, action, revenge | train | imdb | Horrible, almost nonexistent plot, bad acting, and terrible fight scenes make this movie not worth the time it takes to watch it.
If you think my heading is cheesy and stupid you're absolutely right and I heartily agree...unfortunately that vary statement is the crux of the latest Street Fighter attempt's plot.Ignoring the 1994 Van Damme version of the franchise this film starts anew, focusing on the character of Chun Li, a young Asian woman highly skilled in both piano and martial arts.
The director ALWAYS misses the point of what the movie should be about; I mean fair enough you don't want a movie about Ryu fighting Ken or Bison, and want a Legend of Chun Li, But you could've put a better story in it, or give the movie better actors (I can't believe the acting in this movie).
Take Marvel for example, their world interacts a lot of different marvel characters, but when it comes to their own movie/cartoon, they actually make the story relevant to the characters life(e.g just because Bison was the boss, it doesn't mean that Chun Li's life has to be revolved around killing him (which is what Ryu does)).The choice of camera shots used to try and show the story was also done badly.
I would highly recommend better actors and directors AND story writers if another street fighter movie comes out.P.S Didn't finish the movie, it was that bad..
On a scale, the strongest scenes are easily those between Kristin Kreuk and Robin Shou as Chun Li and Gen, and sadly the weakest being Michael Clark Duncan and Chris Klein's characters of Balrog and Nash.That was the central problem for me here, there is an exciting action piece at work but is jumbled with various other plot lines and set pieces that really feel out of place.
The first Street Fighter movie (1994) at least made me smile once here and there with it's "camp" -attitude, Legend of Chun-Li tries too hard to be a seriously taken "growing-up" drama that the fail is twice as bad that it could've been.
I guess another comparison that crossed my mind was Lara Croft.Kristin Kreuk won a great part when she got the role of Chun Li. Being a fair-weather fan of Smallville, I had long hoped she would find a fitting character in the movies.
He also did not seem to know that, while this is a movie about a fictitious crime/street fighter, you don't have to litter this kind of movie with weak and poorly played characters like Charlie Nash and Detective Maya Sunee.
Enough nods to the game without trying to be the game, real enough without loosing it's fantasy edge.Sure it's easy to hate, but lets face it, the reason the Van Damme movie was so bad was because it tried to emulate the game too much, this movie does not make that mistake.Fight scenes are excellently done and well choreographed, plot is smooth without being too daft or serious.If you are expecting a video game or to see "Lana Lang" expect to be disappointed.
We now have Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li, a story about the First Lady of Fighting Games herself.
So it's nice to see her finally in the spotlight, portrayed by an actress who actually bothers to put some effort into her performance: Kristin Kreuk.The previous Street Fighter film pretty much failed to give its characters any good development or reason to show any real emotions, making it rather hard to connect with them.
They not only had to please Street Fighter and Chun Li fans around the world, but somehow try to make a good movie in the process.
i think this movie deserves good reviews because it wasn't bad as those other game based films like DB:evolution that sucked big time!
(well that worked for the x-men films, wolverine, yellow spandex anyone,and didn't work in the slightestfor the Van Damme version of street fighter, yeah the costumes were true to the game but in real life they are so very wrong) The costumes in the game are slightly ridiculous so to make any attempt of making this a serious film they had to change that.Bison is wearing a suit, and has a beard (yes cos most druglords wear military outfit despite not actually being in the military, I see why people would care about that???) Some bad wire work, but lets be honest no worse than in a lot of Chinese films and how else were they gonna recreate moves from the game which are ridiculously over the top in the first place.
As for the rest of the action their were some pretty damn good strikes and locks as well really impressive flips, rolls and break falling especially when you consider the main character is from smallville, I was really surprised.Im surprised at how seriously people criticised this film as well as overacting, I have seen so much worse and at least someone is making street fighter movies.
Seriously, I rather watch the first live-action streetfighter just because some of the cast actually looked like the role they played.*(Zangief, Sagat, Bison, Blanka ..a bit, etc) In this movie, NO ONE LOOKED ANYTHING LIKE WHO THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO BE!!
Michael Clarke Duncan, Chris Klein and Neal McDonough also Great in they characters, i would like to see Michael Clarke Duncan a little more in the movie, doing some more fight scenes but whatever..
Wonderful music, good action scenes, decent story plot as much as you can based on the video game, and hot eye candy Kristin in it too.
If you pay attention you realize that in some ways she kinda looks like Chun-Li. Now I had read a review on IMDb saying "Kristen Kreuk managed to turn in the least sexy fighting heroine ever." But you see, I am glad they didn't try to make it all about how sexy Chun-Li is, but more about her and how she became such a great fighter.
I just came back from watching "Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li" at the cinema and the movie is better than my expectation!
This movie has incredible martial arts, a beautiful heroine, lots of action, cool quotes, an epic infiltration scene, parcour (freerunning), a wise master, you see the use of "CHI" (chinese life energy) and you get an incredible show of Wushu.And yes, of course it might not fit your expectations if you want to see the best movie of your life, but ey, it's really really good entertainment.Hey, I normally share the opinion when the vast majority of reviewers say "BAD".
Some take the comical route as did "Double Dragon", which went well in my eyes when I saw it as an early teenager - I would find a lot more to bash about it today, some were written with monkeys with down syndrome; Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, case in point, and others veered from the original idea to form their own story; Resident Evil.The original "Street Fighter" was terrible; now comes "legend of Chun Li".
Vega only has a handful of scenes, Balorg is merely the Hench man without much dialog to screw up, and the only other character besides Bison is Chun Li herself (obviously) and Gen (acting as mentor).I laughed at some of the attacks, like Chun Li's spin-kick, but moments like that were too far between for me to seriously point out as down grading the movie.
But the real show-stealer here is Neal McDonough, who looks like he's having a blast playing the main villain, Bison, a role that tarnished the great Raul Julia's career (sadly it was his last cinematic performance) in the first movie.What makes the film give credibility is the lively and kinetic direction from director Andrzej Bartkowiak.
Being a film lover, and even being able to enjoy watching even a good B movie, I rate this as a better than average game conversion movie.It has a nice budget, plenty of action, a story than generally makes sense, some fairly well known faces and even starts off fairly promising.The main rub is that it tries to make the film appear almost every-day believable, which just doesn't work with it also trying to be a totally fictional game conversion where there are special powers all over the place.Toning down certain abilities, and omitting characters from the game will always upset hardcore gaming fans, which is a shame as the film really isn't all that bad.My biggest bug-bear is the directing.
No doubt actual Street fighter fans everywhere (including myself) will be out for blood after seeing this cinematic atrocity!I can't be bothered wasting my breath about this "film" but I'll just say the special effects were certainly special but more in a South Park 'Timmy' kind of way, the fight scene's were even worse and the acting and plot were non-existent!
Lame!!!If you thought the Van Damme Street Fighter film was bad then you're in for a major surprise with this one!!!Honestly, the whole thing plays out like a bad made for TV movie and is just horrible.
Bison and Barog, years later Chun LI is all grown up and sets out on a journey to bangkok to find a warrior named Gen who will show her a way to defeat Bison and get her father back.This game to film adaptation is directed Andrej Bartowiak, whose credits includes more superior fare such as ROMEO MUST DIE, EXIT WOUNDS, CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE and the game to film adaptation of DOOM, although this film is not the director's best work but it is far from being the worst movie ever made, this adaptation is mostly reinvented, the characters are portrayed differently such as Vega who in the game wears a mask to protect his looks, in this film he wears a mask to hide his identity, none of the things that were attempted in this film were meant as bad intentions, it was a case of the filmmakers maybe wanting to give STREET FIGHTER fans something different, only it wasn't very well received.The acting isn't all bad but not all good, seeing Chris Klein as Nash who is a cocky police detective, you kind of figure someone needed to tell him that he didn't need to make it so obvious that he was acting lame, Robin Shou who plays Gen is not a bad actor but here he's a bit wooden as if he didn't have much to work with, the rest of the cast did all right, but Chris Klein doesn't fit in with his role.On the Positive side there are a few good fight scenes and a strong female lead, its truly not the best action film you'll find but at least it won't join the same list as the game to film disasters of Uwe Boll..
I'm still playing with Chun Li and Cammy on Street Fighter X Tekken.We - who know and play the game - expecting that the movie suppose to look like the game.
Other than that he really was like an assassin.Some people said only Chun Li, Bison, Vega, Balrog are from the game but there was also Gen. The only thing that other reviewers I agreed about was the overdone cop scenes and characters.Fighting scenes were very good except the Kikouken.
But if you are a fan of the game and have regular friends who has no idea what Street Fighter is (like me) - when you go together to this movie you never need to explain anything because it's down-to-earth and finely told story.I watched it many times, tonight just watched it once again just to write this.
I really liked street fighter: the legend of Chun-Li. It was better than i thought it would be and it had a lot of action.
On the whole, Kristin Kreuk along with the rest of the cast, come across like B rate actors, Michael Clarke Duncan being the exception, as he has a level of screen presence's A listers bring.Fans of the Arcade game probably won't relate to The Ledged of Chun-Li. Fans of Kung-Fu probably won't relate to The Ledged of Chun-Li. There's still room, lots of room, for a better movie based on Capcom's Street Fighter..
I thought it couldn't get much worse than Rollerball and Say It Isn't So, but in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Klein goes the extra mile, putting in a turn (as tough cop Nash) that is inexplicably bad in every way, each line delivered in a raspy macho manner whether it suits or not, and with a range of bizarre facial expressions that are hard not to find funny.To be fair, it must be said that it's not all Klein's fault that The Legend of Chun-Li is as terrible as it is—almost everyone in this clunker is dreadful, from Kristin Kreuk as the titular heroine, who never once convinces that she is capable of unleashing major whoop-ass, to Michael Clarke Duncan as musclebound henchman Balrog, who hams it up a treat, to Neal McDonough as head villain Bison, who gives Duncan a run for his money in the overacting stakes.
The Legend of Chun-Li doesn't remind you of the Street Fighter game but it does remind you of a lot of other movies.
Chun-Li fights exactly the way it was shown, some of the street fighter characters were there and most importantly they at least stick to the general plot of the game.
While Doom is no cinematic masterpiece, I consider it the best video game to film adaptation ever.Even saying that though, the film still isn't all that great.But Street Fighter Legend of Chun-Li is really awful.Direction is badly done.
I'm no director and Andrzej Bartkowiak clearly has more talent that I do, but really, even the average movie watcher will spot z-grade direction.The film contains some Street Fighter characters, but the plot is made out of thin air, not from the games.The film is also terribly cast.
i don't know What Chris Klein was doing here.i do know his acing was razzie worthy.come to think about it,his character was pretty pointless.Neil McDonough didn't really belong in the movie either.and Michael Clarke Duncan played the same role he always plays.Kristen Kruek is no doubt a talented actress,but i wonder if she read the script(if there was one)or if any body did.the only person who seemed to be decent was Moon Bloodgood and she was in an entirely different movie.for me,Street Fighter:The Legend Of Chun-Li is a 3/10.
I have never been a fan of the fight videogames.Sure, I played the most famous games from the genre (Mortal Kombat, Virtua Fighter, One Must Fall and various iterations of Street Fighter), but I did not find these game strategies to be satisfactory: 1)frantically pressing buttons with the hope of achieving combinations which let us win the fight; and 2)spending long hours on the slow test and mistake process in order to learn those combinations.However, I understand the attractive those videogames has on so many people, because in some way, they simulate the fights we have seen on several martial-arts movies.So, I guess there is an ironic element when the roles are reversed, and a video game inspires a movie.The most recent example of that is the film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, and the result is truly horrible.Like it happened on the recent Dragonball: Evolution, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li exploits the name of a popular franchise for bringing us a pathetic martial-arts movie.This film does not take advantage of its exotic location (Bangkok); it has a disastrous, stupid and deeply tedious screenplay; and the fights are very poorly filmed.On the leading role, Kristen Kreuk makes a good effort, but the material is so poor that she cannot do anything with her role.And I liked to see the Asian superstar Robin Shou on this movie, because I was so terribly bored with it that I started to remember some competent martial-arts movies he participated on (like DOA: Dead or Alive and Mortal Kombat, which were also based on videogames).Speaking of videogames, director Andrzej Bartkowiak's previous film was Doom, and even that piece of crap was better than Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.The deep incompetence from this film made me to remember with a bit of nostalgia the previous version of Street Fighter, which starred Jean Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia (1940-1994) 15 years ago.That film had been ridiculous but very entertaining, and the horrible quality of its successor made me to have a bit more respect for it.So, of course that my suggestion is to stay very far away from Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. If you wanna see an excellent martial-arts movie, I highly recommend you Kung Fu Hustle, Fearless (2006) and Hero..
Despite being called "Street Fighter", the fights here are nothing too fantastic or memorable, and looks comfortably in place with many B-grade action movies out there, with the occasional lapsing into the crutch of having the fight scenes edited in double quick time.I suppose the filmmakers had tried their best, but there's a lot of room to try harder and come up with a better product.
The kung-fu action itself wasn't as bad as the film, although many elements didn't quite work, and there were enough 'cheesy' moments to detract from what could have been o.k. scenes.The plot seemed non-existent, with clear 'holes' in the script, and as plenty of mistakes in the film (the fact Chun-Li seemed to be able to converse in Mandarin to Thai people (perhaps that was just what I derived?) was just one of them).Added to the poor acting, in which I highlight Chris Klein's attempt at being a tough, streetwise Fed (perhaps sticking to soppy love stricken characters is a good idea for the guy), the film left a lot wanting..
Since this is a movie based on a character based from a fighting game you at least would expect some good action.
Street Fighter: the Legend of Chun-Li is perhaps the worst movie ever to be put on celluloid. |
tt0053219 | Return of the Fly | The movie opens with title and credits shown over a stark white background and one solitary fly cleaning itself. It flies away and we zoom in on a graveside service for Helene Delambre. It is pouring rain and the handful of mourners hold umbrellas. A priest (Francisco Villalobos) conducts last rites at the graveside. Francois Delambre (Vincent Price) remembers his sister-in-law. His nephew, Philippe Delambre (Brett Halsey) stands in the pouring rain grieving for his late mother. Standing outside is Inspector Beauchamp (John Sutton). He was a member of the team investigating the death of Andre and is privy to the terrible family secret. The service concluded, everyone walks slowly away from the flower covered casket. A nosy reporter, Granville (Jack Daly) intrudes on Francois and Philippe as they walk to their car. Granville takes exception to being ignored and presses his inquiry about aspects of Andre's death. Beauchamp notices the hostile exchange and steps up when Philippe grabs the reporter. Beauchamp warns the reporter to cease such tactics. But Granville accuses, "Well, Inspector Beauchamp, you were part of that big cover-up, weren't you? This is going to make nice reading, I promise you!" The reporter storms off and Beauchamp walks over to talk to Francois. Francois and Philippe get into the mid-1950s Chrysler Imperial Limousine, and drive off. Philippe asks his uncle, "Why was mother accused?" Francois refuses to discuss the matter, but Philippe persists. He warns his nephew, "If I tell you, Philippe, it will haunt you for the rest of your life." Philippe replies, "Tell me. I've a right to know." Francois relents and orders the driver to take them to the old foundry of Delambre Freres. Francois escorts his nephew into the basement and is stopped by the night watchman, Gaston (Michael Mark). He asks the two men not to go into the lab, "This place is cursed." He remembers, as he was the one to find Andre's crushed body in the hydraulic press. The cobwebbed lab is a shambles, the same as Andre left it. Philippe observes all the equipment is smashed. He also tells his uncle that his father was doing research in the transmission of molecular structures. Francois tells his nephew that Andre succeeded, "Andre's machine actually disintegrated the molecules of solid matter and then reintegrated them again in a different place. Eventually, Andrew gained such confidence in his machine that he put himself through the disintegration-integration process. He successfully transmitted himself. Then on a tragic second attempt something went wrong. Unwittingly, he found himself in the disintegrator chamber but he was not alone. With him was a fly. The result was a creature with the body of Andre Delambre and the arm and the head of a fly." With Helene's help he used the hydraulic press to destroy all evidence of his head and arm. Philippe tells Francois he wants help to rebuild the equipment and vindicate his father's dream. Francois flatly refuses to help for two reasons: First, the safety of his nephew. And finally, financial. The company is nearly broke. Philippe vows to continue, with or without his uncle's help.Philippe enters the Electronic factory to talk to his friend Alan Hinds (David Frankham). He is also known as Ronald Holmes, an unsavory character with a criminal past, something Philippe will discover later to his regret. He invites Alan to pay him the same and start work immediately at his grandfather's house he inherited. They drive out to the mansion. Madame Bonnard (Janine Grandel), the housekeeper, admits Phil and Alan into the house. Cecile Bonnard (Danielle De Metz), the housekeeper's daughter, runs down to see the visitors. Philippe explains they were childhood friends. While tea is being prepared, Phil and Alan go downstairs to the wine cellar. Phil is converting it to a workshop and laboratory. It is a large room with plenty of space for expansion, privacy and the comforts of the main house. The old wine cellar is perfect for their work. While having tea, Phil hears the buzzing of a fly and freezes. He recoils slightly when he sees it crawling over sugar cubes in the tea service. All notice how visibly upset he has become. He admits he has always hated flies.Sometime later, they are in the lab. An electrical panel shorts out, an expensive item Phil admits he hasn't the money to replace. Alan agrees to defer salary until the project is a success. Francois stops by the house to see his nephew. He is annoyed and tells Philippe, "I see you've gone ahead against my wishes." Phil asks his uncle for money, knowing Francois will say no. He plays his trump card and expresses his desire to sell his half of the company for cash to anyone. The gambit works and Francois agrees to finance the project, but he intends to supervise all aspect of the project to protect his headstrong nephew. Francois leaves and Phil and Alan drive into town. Phil drops Alan off. Alan immediately takes a taxi to an undertaker's shop. He walks through the entry parlor, through a room full of caskets on display, and into the office of the proprietor. Sitting at the desk, eating a large meal, is Max Barthold (Dan Seymour). The fat man addresses Alan Hinds as "Ronnie", but Alan correct his old business partner, "No Ronnie. Alan Hinds, if you please." Max does not believe Alan has a business matter worth considering, but listens to the scheme. Alan wants Max to shop around for an interested buyer for the disintegrator-integrator. Alan asks for a 50-50 split. Max reminds Alan that he is wanted by the British police, so Alan reminds Max the last partnership deal that went sour ended in murder. When Alan exits the building, Phil drives up by chance and stops. Alan lies and tells Phil he was just visiting an old friend. A plain clothes policeman, Inspector Evans (Pat O'Hara) sees his quarry and follows.In the lab, Phil, Alan and Francois make final preparations for their first experiment on the completed machinery. An ashtray will be the first experiment. It is placed in the chamber. The machinery is fired up and the three men don eye protection goggles. In the receiving station the ashtray is perfectly transmitted. Sometime later, they are ready to try a live subject: a guinea pig. The animal is placed in the disintegrator cabinet and the machinery run. Unfortunately the receiving station contains a huge guinea pig--giantism is the problem. Philippe concludes, "Must be in the amplitude control." They check the machine settings and review their notes. They fix the giantism and proceed to the next phase, "Hold the subject in a disembodied state for a time then complete the cycle and bring the subject back." They cycle the machine for disintegration only, then agree to meet the next morning to bring it back. Alan eyes the documentation with lust. He must have a few key diagrams to offer as proof for sale to the highest bidder. A fly buzzing in the lab distracts Philippe. Alan kills the insect then shows Philippe, who recoils in revulsion.That evening, Inspector Evans enters the lab. Alan steals into the lab for a little espionage. He grabs a few documents and photographs them. He is unable to get into the storage cabinet. Evans attempts to arrest Ronald Holmes, now calling himself Alan Hinds. A chair thrown against an electrical panel causes confusion and Alan gets the upper hand. Alan disarms Evans and takes his keys. He puts the body in the machine and disintegrates it. Phil enters the lab and finds Alan inside the lab. Phil goes back to bed, but Alan decides he needs to get rid of the body permanently. He spots the car and decides to call Max for help in disposing of the body. Max is not eager to get involved. Alan runs the integration cycle to retrieve the body, but to his shock and horror Evans has the hands and feet of a guinea pig. The little guinea pig has human hands. Alan squishes it under foot, injuring it. To finish the job he drops some electronic equipment on the poor thing. He puts the dead creature in a box and wipes up the blood. He drags the body of Evans out of the lab and places him in the trunk of the policeman's own car. Alan drives away, but is seen clearly by Madame Bonnard from the window. Alan meets up with Max. He set the car to drive itself into a lake and rides back to the house in Max's car. While driving back Alan asks how the sale of the project is proceeding. He hands Max a roll of film.In the lab, Phil is waiting for his friend. A series of suspicious lies regarding noises and the blood stain from the guinea pig leaves Philippe unconvinced. Alan is not able to explain the handcuffs. Alan pulls a gun on Phil and demands he open the cabinet. A fight breaks out, but Alan manages to knock Phil out. Alan places Phil in the disintegrator cabinet and then starts the machinery. He deliberately captures a fly and adds it to the cabinet. The machine works and Phil disappears. Uncle Francois drives up and enters the house. He walks down to the lab as Alan grabs a handful of documentation and gets into the car. He shoots Francois and drives off. Madame Bonnard and Cecile help Francois into the house. Cecile helps Francois down to the lab. Police Sirens can be heard approaching. Francois tells Madame Bonnard to hold them off. He fires up the machinery assuming Phil was disintegrated, and re-integrates his nephew. Francois is horrified and Cecile screams. Philippe has returned with the enormous head of a fly. Three police officers rush down to the lab and break down the door. Philippe uses his fly arm to break the glass of the cabinet and makes his escape from the lab. Sgt. Dubois (Richard Flato) telephones the station to report the gunshot wound. He picks up the handcuffs. One of the other policemen chases Phil/Fly and fires at him with his police revolver. He is slowed down by his one fly foot. Sgt. Dubois hears the tiny voice of Philippe calling to Cecile for help. He spots the fly with the tiny human head of Philippe. He is shocked. Phil/Fly manages his escape.At the hospital, Francois is wheeled out of surgery to his room. Lt. MacLish (Barry Bernard) arrives and asks to speak to Francois. He confirms the handcuffs found belonged to Evans. A truck pulls up to a warehouse and Phil/Fly gets out. At the hospital, Francois is now awake. Dubois tries to question Francois, but he insists on speaking with Beauchamp. MacLish arrives and gets the same response to his inquiries. Dubois asks why Beauchamp is the only person he will speak to. Dubois asks if the secret involves a fly, then assures Francois he will contact Beauchamp at once.Max paces his funeral home. The phone rings. It is Alan/Ronnie and he asks about the money. Max is unhappy, "I must say you've botched things thoroughly. There's no doubt of it. Young Delambre is looking for you." Beauchamp visits Francois in his hospital room. Francois tells him what happened to his nephew and reminds him the fly will be needed if his nephew can be returned to normal. A scraping sound piques Max's attention. He searches each room, but finds nothing. He returns to his office and closes the door. Phil/Fly is waiting for him. He smashes his way into the preparation room and kills the mortician. Francois is returned to the house and taken to a room upstairs to convalesce. Beauchamp asks to be taken to the lab. He searches until he finds the tiny fly with Phil's head. He places it safely in a jar. He tells Francois he caught it and fed it. He asks about lifespan and Francois tells him, "Musca domestica, the common housefly, lifespan about three weeks." Alan/Ronnie drives over to see Max at the funeral parlor. He finds the dead body of Max on a gurney. He runs into the arms of Phil/Fly. Mortally wounded, Alan's body is stuffed into one of the caskets. A policeman (Gregg Martell) hears the commotion and finds Alan's gun. Alan tries to get out of the casket but collapses and dies. Beauchamp stops in to see Francois in his room. He reports that Alan Hinds and Max Barthold are both dead. Beauchamp suspects Phil/Fly will return to the house, and he does through Cecile's bedroom window. Her scream brings Beauchamp to her room. He orders Cecile to get Francois and help him to the lab. Beauchamp helps Phil/Fly to the lab, and then into the cabinet. He carefully retrieves the fly from the glass container and places it in the cabinet. Francois fires up the machine. They hope to untangle the two living creatures and return them to their original state. To their relief, Philippe is himself in the re-integrator cabinet. Cecile and Beauchamp help him out. Philippe and Cecile embrace. Francois hears the buzz of a fly and looks for the tiny insect. We close with a shot of the fly on the stark white background. | romantic | train | imdb | It was fun and campy, but also somewhat disturbing in its depiction of a man losing his humanity, a theme which was explored more deeply in David Cronenberg's astonishing remake.RETURN OF THE FLY is basically a cheap follow-up which is better than it should be.
This is mostly due to the always reliable Vincent Price, who returns as the brother of the scientist who became the fly-monster in the original.
Here, he desperately tries to sway his nephew from following in his father's footsteps.The movie concentrates on the son's attempts to recreate his father's teleportation equipment with a hesitant Price helping out, then shifts gears as his other partner, a British ex-con, is discovered to be attempting to steal the research.This leads to a few misadventures with the teleportation machine resulting in a man becoming a human guinea pig (literally), and ultimately the son becoming a fly-monster himself.Shot in stark black and white (as opposed to the original's lush Technicolor), RETURN OF THE FLY has a sleazy, grindhouse quality to it.
This rushed sequel to 1958's classic THE FLY is actually more entertaining than the original thanks to a faster pace and a greater emphasis on action and chills.The original fly's son, Philippe, is now a brilliant young scientist in his own right.
With decent performances from Brett Halsey and the returning Vincent Price, this 1959 outing deserves its own place on the mantle of great black and white horror entries..
But as light entertainment, it works well enough.The first part of the movie connects things up pretty efficiently with the original story, and it's kind of fun to go back to André's wrecked lab, which looks just as it should.
While the setup could have led in a number of different directions, the story that actually follows puts an emphasis on action, and it uses the special visual effects rather more freely than in the original "Fly".From a scientific viewpoint, the whole premise of both movies is far-fetched at best, but in the original, you rarely thought about it because the story was so tightly constructed.
Fans of this sort of science fiction will no doubt find it has a certain amount of interest.Anyone who enjoyed "The Fly" will want to see this and probably not be too critical of the shortcomings--although the special effects are not quite as harrowing as they could be.Summing up: Okay for a viewing, but not likely to be the kind of horror flick anyone will want to revisit..
Philippe Delambre decides to continue his father's work, at the disapproval of his uncle François (an ever so great Vincent Price, reprising his role from the first film, this time having a lot more screen time).
It's not as howlingly bad as Plan Nine From Outer SPace but there are plenty of laugh inducing effects to sing your fly claws into but what do expect from a teensy budget and a director that was used to doing The Three Stooges Episodes with Shemp.Most of the cast strives for dignity in the face of a script that was hurriedly written and probably uncared for even though you do get the standard over the top moments that were in just about every 50's sci-fi.
The great Vincent Price is back in his role of Francois Delambre, whose brother Andre Delambre (played by David Hedison) was turned into a Human Fly in the original film.
Visually, "Return Of The Fly" is something rare, namely a black and white sequel to a film that was actually in color.
Overall, "Return Of The Fly" may not be quite as essential a film as its predecessor, but it is definitely more than worth a look for any lover of Sci-Fi and Horror in general, and for my fellow Vincent Price fans in particular.
The Return of the Fly is the first sequel to The Fly and followed a year later in 1959.It is 15 years since the scientist who invented the transportation machine died and his son and brother decide to reactivate it.
The Return of the Fly was remade as a sequel to 1986's Fly as The Fly 2 in 1989, but avoid, too gory.Vincent Price reprises his role from The Fly and is joined by Brett Halsey as Philippe, Dannielle De Metz as his lover and Dan Seymour.Return of the Fly is certainly worth watching and is quite good for a sequel.
Now, it's a race against time for Francois and Inspector Beecham to save Phillippe from the same aftermath of his father.Right of the back of the original film, comes a rather quickie of a sequel that doesn't push any limits.
The story has the little boy from the first Fly film, Phillipe, coming back to carry out the work of his father, against the express wishes of Vincent Price, his uncle.
"Return of the Fly" doesn't look as slick as its' predecessor, but it has something going for it that the first didn't: a better story and execution.The film stars Vincent Price, reprising his role from the original.
Unable to get financial help from his uncle François, Phillipe turns to a shady friend for assistance, a decision that will send Philippe and those around him into utter terror!.Much like the disastrous creatures that are born out of the family Delambre's experiments, this sequel to the 1958 adaptation of George Langelan's short story is an abomination that not only was a cash cow rush job, it's also a stain on the first pictures' greatness.
Unintentionally funny and wasting the obvious talents of Vincent Price (who looks bemused by what's going on most of the time), it's a picture that really has no redeeming features, technically it's poor (the superimposed head of pretty face actor for hire, Brett Halsey, on the fly is cringe worthy) and it lacks any moments of unease to speak of.
A quite disturbing sequence involving a mouse/guinea pig scores well in the sicko stakes, but by the time the "Papier Mache" headed fly goes for some emotional weight, well we no longer care what happens to it or those around it.Some times cheese can be fun and entertaining, but bad cheese tends to stink up the place very quickly indeed, Return Of The Fly is the Stilton of stupidly bad sequel movies.
The boy has become a hard headed and stubborn man that blackmails Francois into funding the experiments of "matter transfer." Philippe's friend, a fellow scientist Alan Hinds plays the part of murderer and traitor.
Sequel to the classic The Fly has the son of the scientist who turned himself into a man-fly in that film deciding to follow in Dad's footsteps.
Returning from the first movie is Vincent Price as the original Fly's brother.
But make no mistake this isn't close to being as original, suspenseful, or entertaining as The Fly. Brett Halsey is the lead but Vincent Price is the only real star here.
Obviously, this sequel is nowhere near as good as the original 1958 film 'The Fly', but despite obviously being a cheap follow-up and working from a story that basically just rips off the first film, there are some good ideas here and the film is definitely worth watching.
The only actor to return from the original movie is Vincent Price, but the story does lead directly on as in true horror sequel style, in this film we follow the fortunes of the original scientist's son, who naturally decides to follow on his father's experiments.
Along with his friend Alan Hinds and uncle Francois Delambre, they conduct a series of experiments in the hope of succeeding where Andre failed...but naturally, as nothing runs smoothly in a horror film, events take a turn for the macabre...I'm guessing that black and white film was cheap around 1959 as despite the fact that the original film was shot in colour, this one is in black and white.
Vincent Price took a backseat in the original film, but as his star was rising by the release of this follow-up; he gets a more central role, although he still doesn't appear enough if you ask me.
Personally, I loved The Fly ever since I was a kid so any follow up was bound to fall short.This movie takes place years after the death of Andre, the original fly/man.
Take Philippe Delambre, for instance, in the 1959 sequel to the previous year's "The Fly," the perhaps inevitably titled "Return of the Fly." When we last saw Delambre, he was a little boy living near Montreal, aggrieved over his scientist father's death, a man who had been turned into a humanoid with the head of a giant fly, AND a little insect with the head of a man!
When the sequel picks up, it is a good 10 years later at least, and Delambre is a young adult, attending his mother's funeral in the pouring rain along with his uncle, Francois (Vincent Price, the only actor returning from the original, and who, that same year, starred in one of this viewer's all-time favorite horror films, "The Tingler").
(played by Brett Halsey, who almost comes off looking and sounding like the young Gregory Peck) has the bad sense to hire as his assistant Ronald Holmes (David Frankham, who would go on to appear with Price two years later in "Master of the World"), a British purloiner and seller of industrial secrets.
And the viewer has a pretty good inkling of what the results might be...."Return of the Fly," unlike its predecessor, was filmed in black & white and makes good use of its CinemaScope print.
The dead scientist from the original film had a son, Philippe, and this young man has grown up and has a fixation of finishing his father's experiments...the same one that turned him into two fly/human hybrids.
Therefore, my heart doesn't go out to Philippe as much as it did for his father Andre.Pretty good sequel to the original film - it's just not as good as the first.
But it seems that fate just HAS to step in, and Philippe falls victim to the greed and machinations of others and ends up a human / fly hybrid just like his old man.Halsey is a good looking man but is rather deficient in the personality department.
Fifteen years after the events of "The Fly," Andre's son (Brett Halsey) does some transportation experimentation of his own.The most unfortunate thing about this film is that only Vincent Price returned.
In this sequel to The Fly, Andre Delambre's son is grown up and takes over his father's experiments, much to the chagrin of his Uncle Francois, once again played by Vincent Price.
Here, the son (Brett Halsey) of the original scientist is trying out daddy's machine and ends up with the head and arm of a fly after his assistant double crosses him.
Sequel to "The Fly" stars Brett Halsey as the now-grown Philippe Delambre, who, along with his uncle Francois(returning Vincent Price) have just attended the funeral of his mother Helene.
The plot, at least, brings some novelty value to the table in the character of the duplicitous partner intent on selling the secret formula (I was wondering how the son would eventually turn into a fly, since he seemed determined not to repeat his father's mistake though the deliberate manner in which it happens is perhaps too nasty!), the fact that the monster goes on a rampage (rather than have the scientist simply lock himself away and pity his own fate), not to mention how it all manages to work its way to a happy ending (which is a rare commodity in horror films even to this day!).Brett Halsey is a handsome lead but merely O.K. in the role (though he would return to the genre a number of times), while David Frankham makes for an ineffectual villain; however, Dan Seymour is a welcome presence as Frankham's equally unscrupulous associate (amusingly using the funeral business as a cover a' la that underrated British noir gem,THEY MADE ME A FUGITIVE [1947]!).
"Return of the Fly" is the inevitable sequel to the 1958's classic horror film "The Fly", and like most of the sequels done to capitalize on the success of their predecessors, it doesn't hold a candle against the original.
Written and directed by Edward Bernds (who directed many of The Three Stooges films), the film moves far away from the Gothic horror of its predecessor and gets closer to the many creature features of the 50s where a monster kills mercilessly those who oppose it causing havoc and horror among those who surrounds it.Set years after the events of the first film, "Return of the Fly" presents an adult Philippe Delambre (Brett Halsey) and his desires to continue his father's work on matter transportation now that his mother has died.
To their misfortune, Philippe's assistant Alan Hinds (David Frankham) has a dark secret, a secret that will unleash the horror of the Fly again.To his credit, Edward Bernds connects very cleverly both films and the premise is actually quite exiting and original.
Bernds use of basically every visual effect available (without caring too much for quality) is notorious and while the Black & White photography is very well used to make an eerie atmosphere, the overall look of the film is a bit typical of the 50s.The cast is probably what saves the film from being just another cheap sequel, as despite the dull dialogs and the overall weak script, most of them deliver quite good performances.
Picking up a little more than a decade after the original, the deceased Hedison character's son decides to pick up where his father left off in his experiments with teleportation, with some reluctant help from his uncle Vincent Price, reprising his role from the original.
To be honest I've always thought the original Fly movie a decent effort but no great shakes - it keeps horror mainly off-screen for a tragic romance, and while it's stylish-looking and engaging Vincent Price gets very little to do.
It may be a hasty knock-off but the sequel is a more traditional horror movie and fun to boot.Of course the Fly here - played by Brett Halsey as the son of the original transmigration inventor Andre Delambre - looks utterly silly, with a massive over-proportioned head that is unintentionally funny.
Late scientist Andre Delambre's ambitious son Philippe (a solid and sympathetic performance by the handsome Brett Halsey) decides to continue his father's experiments with teleportation.
As a sequel, released only a year after the original, it works quite well as follow-up story.So many reviewers complain about wooden acting, as if every movie created must be Citizen Kane.
The ultimate morph of the movie -- Phillipe turning into a half-fly / half-man just like his father Andre had, was hardly a surprise when it happened.
Perhaps this left the door open to another sequel.All in all, Return of the Fly makes a good double-feature with the original.
The adult Phillipe really does resemble his father (played by David Hedison) and when he suffers the same fate, his fly-head seems three times as large as the one in the original.
Following the death of his mother, Philippe Delambre (Brett Halsey) decides to continue the work his father began 15 years previous.
Philippe promises his uncle, Francois Delambre (Vincent Price), he'll be more careful and not make the same mistake that took his father's life.
Though he wasn't able to help Philippe's father, maybe this time Uncle Francois can find the fly and save Philippe.Return of the Fly is a quick and cheap follow-up to The Fly. Though there are things to enjoy, it's something of a disappointment given the original.
Teleportation movies were not the common of the time, and that is what helps this film stick out.Brett Halsey(Phillipe Delambre), son of the original Fly, now grown up and wanting to fill in the shoes of his father, wants to advance the cause of Teleportation.
Cheaply made sequel is still entertaining, but nowhere as good as the original horror classic (although, SPOILER ALERT, you do get a half man/half guinea pig at one point).
The story picks up years later with the son of the original film's scientist attempting to recreate his father's teleportation experiments, which inadvertently turned him into a half-man/half-fly.
Vincent Price is the only returning actor from the original film.
With his mother deceased, the son of the fly (Brett Halsey) takes over his experiments, with uncle Vincent Price standing by to remind him of the horrible past.
The plot follows directly on from the original but the only principle returning cast member is Vincent Price, reprising his role as the brother of Andre and uncle of Philippe.
While not in the least bit scary, RETURN OF THE FLY is a very good B-movie, hugely enjoyable and a lot of fun.
Ironically, the use of black-and-white film presumably due to budgetary restraints heightens the atmosphere immeasurably and writer/director Ed Bernds manages to add some memorable scenes to make this sequel better than you might expect.The film opens fifteen years after the original, with the funeral of the original's heroine, which is attended by both her son Philippe (Brett Halsey) and his uncle Francois Delambre (Vincent Price).
In the film its star Vincent Price repeating his role in the original as Francois Deambre looks despite a ting of gray in his hair as if he didn't age as much as a day much less 15 years!With both his mother and father now gone forever grown up Phillippe Delambre, Brett Halsey, wants Uncle Francois to finally tell him the truth of what was the cause of his father's-Andre-horrific death and the mental collapse of his mother Helene.
**Possible Spoilers Ahead**Vincent Price returns, recalls the horrors he witnessed in the original, and tries to talk Andre Delambre's son (Brett Halsey) out of messing around with teleportation machines. |
tt0077714 | I Wanna Hold Your Hand | Ed Sullivan prepares the ushers for the Beatles' performance on his show. In Maplewood, New Jersey, Rosie and Pam visit the record shop. Janis, the owner’s daughter, hates the Beatles and prefers folk music. Grace wants to rent a limo, so they can pull up to the Beatles hotel, and get exclusive photos of the band. The girls recruit shy Larry DuBois, the local undertaker’s son, as he has access to limos. They leave for New York City and on the way pick up Tony--a brash, streetwise guy. After driving all night, they arrive in New York early on the morning of February 9, 1964. When they pull up at the hotel, Grace, Rosie and Pam sneak in, while Larry pulls the limo with Tony and Janis in it to the side of the building. Once inside, Grace and Rosie sneak into a service elevator, while Pam is left in the basement in a storage closet. Pam (who was the only one not really interested in seeing the Beatles, as she is engaged) sees them leave the hotel as they go to rehearse. Meanwhile, Grace gets off on the 11th floor. Rosie rides up to the 12th, where the Beatles’ room is located. She is caught, escapes and meets Richard Klaus, a fellow Beatles fan who is hiding out in a room in the hotel. Pam hides in a food cart and is taken to the Beatles’ room, where she handles all their stuff and hides under John’s bed. Grace is caught too, so she goes to the CBS studio, where a guard tells her that for 50 dollars he will let her in backstage while the show is on. Richard and Rosie are tossed from the hotel. Janis meet Peter, a kid whose dad will give him three tickets to The Ed Sullivan Show if he will get his Beatles style hair cut into a crew cut. She recruits Tony to steal the dad’s wallet and get the tickets. Larry asks Grace to the Valentine’s Day dance at school, but she brushes him off.
Grace decides to take the place of a prostitute who has an encounter at the hotel to get the 50 dollars she needs. Rosie knows the question on the radio call in to win tickets, so she uses the room key she still has, goes to the room, calls in and wins two tickets. Richard then strands them in the elevator. Pam is caught, but interviewed by the press. Her fiancé arrives to get her, but she uses the ticket she was given by the Beatles roadie Neil Aspinall to see the show. Once in the john’s room, Grace can’t go through with it and hides, but takes photos of the john and the hooker and blackmails him into giving her 50 dollars. He attacks her, but Larry saves her. Tony lifts the dad’s wallet. It’s empty, but they get the tickets anyway. Richard and Rosie escape from the elevator and get to the show. Tony’s effort to sabotage the show fails. Larry parks the limo beside CBS in an alley and is about to be arrested for improper parking and driving without a license, but Grace uses the 50 dollars to bribe the cop in to letting him go, but now she can’t get backstage and get her photos. Grace accepts Larry’s invitation to the dance. On leaving the show the Beatles take a wrong turn and end up in Larry’s limo. They drive away, pursued by a mob of screaming fans, while Grace snaps away. | cult, comedy, adult comedy | train | wikipedia | I never saw this until just today--I was afraid it would turn out to be a dumb film like "Beatlemania!" was--but it turned out to be one of the innocently charming films I've ever seen.I am a big Beatles admirer, but I wasn't around for this particular time period (I grew up with them during the 70s instead).
LITERALLY) go through their exciting and silly adventure in their attempts to get tickets.I was really laughing HARD while watching this one, and highly recommend it!Out of all the characters, the one whom I fell in love with the most was the one young girl who wanted more than anything else in the world to see her beloved Paul McCartney.
She wanted SO much to see Paul, and it was both funny and terribly heartbreaking at the same time to watch her rush into a phone booth to call the radio station with the correct answer for a Beatles trivia contest and be so anxious with her handful of dimes that she practically *THROWS* them at the phone.My favorite lines declaring the Beatles one of life's happiest pleasures come at a scene when the bride-to-be is driving with her future husband (who gives the impression with his short onscreen time that he'd be a real CREEP to her!).
So for both Beatle fans and non-fans, I think it's safe for me to say that this movie works as both a fun piece of nostalgia and a satirical look of human nature gone wild and how crazy some will go when it comes to beloved icons.
It's hysterically funny from one point to another about these three young girls who are HUGE fans of the Beatles and would do anything just to see them on Ed Sullivan.
There is a scene that takes place about three quarters of the way through this film that is not only one of the ten funniest scenes in the history of movie-making, but probably does even a better job of summing up what the year 1964 was all about than Dr. Strangelove.
The film, directed by Robert Zemekis and produced by Steven Spielberg, is about the pandemonium that ensued when the Beatles came to America to play for Ed Sullivan.
Nancy Allen and Theresa Saldana are great(what ever happened to her?) Wendie Jo Sperber as usual does a fine comedic performance, while Mark McClure and Eddie Deezen have funny little side roles.
A cast of unknowns with a young Robert Zemeckis as director made a movie as memorable as the Beatles themselves!
Especially Wendie Jo Sperber, who is the most hysterical of all the fans, and Nancy Allen, who actually gains access to their hotel room at one point.
The most important thing about the Beatles arriving in America in January of 1964 to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show is not even mentioned in I Wanna Hold Your Hand.
The Beatles coming to America was the first thing as a country we got any kind of excited about.I Wanna Hold Your Hand is the story of four young teen girls from New Jersey, Nancy Allen, Wendy Jo Sperber, Susan Kendall Newman, and Theresa Saldana and their quest to see the Beatles up close and personal and maybe get tickets to the Ed Sullivan Show.
I mean he comes off like SuperNerd, his lack of social graces is painful to watch.Pieces and whole songs from The Beatles are heard throughout the film, fans will love it.
Robert Zemeckis who directed and wrote the film had a real feel for those crazy times in New York in 1964..
I hope fans of this film will take a moment to remember her and her work to help others.** I Wanna Hold Your Hand was a movie that came and went very quickly in 1978.
Rosie (Wendie Jo Spreber) LOVES the Beatles; Janis (Susan Kendall Newman) hates them and wants to protest; Pam (Nancy Allen) is along for the ride and is getting married the next day; Grace (Theresa Saldana) is a reporter who wants an interview with them; Tony (Bobby DiCicco) is a hood and Larry (Marc McClure) drives them from NJ to NY to see them.
Various complications occur.I'm way too young to remember back then (I was only 1!) but I heard this perfectly captures exactly what it was like back then with the hundreds of screaming girls trying to see the Beatles.
Still, this is a must for Beatles fans and anyone who wants a good funny comedy.
"I Wanna Hold Your Hand" is a HILARIOUS and historical film-a must see for any true Beatles fan!
The Beatles played two sets that night on Sullivan and this film showed the program ending after they came on and did their thing which wasn't totally accurate but so what.
It's nothing more than fluff to be sure, a story about teenage girls who leave the comfortable suburbia of 1963 to find tickets to the Beatles' first appearance on American TV, the historic Ed Sullivan show.
But this one is good-natured, lively, and funny; the performances are good; there's a fine sense of the period (so many things were just beginning then); and I just like seeing a story about teenage fans.
With these people in charge, the latter wins out easily, and this first effort, released before the Spielberg-directed "1941," is perhaps the best of the Zemeckis/Gale collaborations.The setting of I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND is New York City, February 1964, just after the Beatles have landed.
A group of teenagers descend on the Ed Sullivan Theater with disparate motivations: a Fabs fanatic (Wendie Jo Sperber) who hooks up with Beatles obsessive Eddie Deezen (in, believe it or not, a flawless performance), an ambitious young photographer, Nancy Allen as the prudish, tentative bride-to-be who ends up in the Beatles' hotel room, and a stuck-up Peter, Paul & Mary fan determined to stamp out the Beatles.
Its dismal performance at the box-office (along with that of USED CARS) is still an injustice even if the movie has redeemed itself since.Check out the recently-released Universal DVD of I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND, with an excellent commentary by Zemeckis and the always-informative Gale (who, to be fair, does confuse Brian E.
This film is simply the best film to ever show how "Beatlemania" really was, it really gives you a feel of what it must have been like for the teens of 1964 anticipating the arrival of The Beatles on Ed Sullivan.
But hey this is a movie so dramatic license is needed, and watching the crowd go completely nuts as The Beatles perform "She Loves You" brings everything to a satisfying climax, in more ways than one apparently for Nancy's character.
And two years before John's "we are bigger than Jesus" comment (taken out of context of course, but John WAS a wimp for apologizing) it is good to see that God wasn't going to allow anything to stop The Beatles broadcast!The one bad thing about this film is that it has Steven Spielberg's name on it, because he is an overrated hack, but thankfully he is just the "executive producer" and didn't actually direct the film, because then it'd be horrible..
I'm a huge fan of Apatow films and others of the like, those movies have far more laughs per minute than "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" but will they still be entertaining 30 years from now?
"I Wanna Hold Your Hand" is the hysterical story of young girls who want to see the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, and the lengths that they go to achieve their goal.Nancy Allen, Teresa Saldana, and the late Wendy Jo Sperber are the three crazed girls in this 1978 film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, who also helped write the script.
The film also stars Bobby DiCicco, Eddie Deezen, and Marc McClure.The film covers the events of February 9, 1964, the day the Beatles made their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Janis Goldman plays a protester who thinks the Beatles are a corruptive force in the world of art."I Wanna Hold Your Hand" is heavy on slapstick, but much of the slapstick is very funny the way it's done.
Both of them, along with the rest of this fine cast, give wonderful performances.If you're a baby boomer, this is a great film for you to watch and relive the innocence of the time and the Beatle furor.
Being a younger generation Beatle fan, I watch this movie knowing what it might have been like during the Beatlemania days.The characters are great.
And i think about the main character here, Miss Rosie.It's an easy slapstick adventure, when people fall constantly, stupidity rules and luck has everything to do with the movie.There are very few Beatles songs in the film, and it seems it's always the same ones that play over and over again.
Zemeckis recreates a believable facsimile of that period when the world was on the cusp of a social and sexual revolution a revolution embodied by Nancy Allen's character whose sexuality is awoken by one of the Beatles musical instruments in the film's one memorable scene and whose liberation is affirmed by her decision to ditch her commanding boyfriend.There are some funny moments here and the film's cheerful attitude just about carries it through the less funny moments which grow more frequent as the film progresses.
Of the young cast, Allen was the only one who went on to any sort of sustained fame which is a surprise as, apart from Eddie Deezen, they all manage to avoid being annoying or reverting to stereotype.You'll probably enjoy this one while you watch it, and it will obviously mean more to those who were around when the Beatles first became famous, but it won't take long to fade from your memory..
As American Graffiti focuses on one night in the lives of a group of California teenagers, I Wanna Hold Your Hand goes across the plains two years later and focuses on A Day In the Life of Beatle-crazed teenagers hoping for a glimpse of the best band in history (their opinion which I share).
Supported by beatnik-folk-purist Susan Kendall Newman, jealous Beatle-hater and Four Season fan Bobby Di Ciccio, obsessive Beatle- geek Eddie Deezen and mild-mannered future Jimmy Olsen actor Marc McClure (see what I did there?) as an unlicensed getaway car driver (actually one of the limos from his father's funeral parlor), the girls fight a never-ending battle for an encounter with John, Paul, George, Ringo, and the American Way (sorry).
This movie made me think of the Hairspray yet to come at that time, as Rosie's character is what Tracy Turnblad might be like two years after desegregating the Corny Collins Show.
Finally, I think this movie, this film, this cinematic comedic masterpiece (and yes, I'm as obsessive a Beatles fan as they were) should be reissued through the Criterion Collection as it paints a very accurate as well as affectionately satirical picture of Beatlemania on "Sullivan Day".
I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND was the first film directed by Robert Zemeckis (it was also produced by Steven Spielberg).
It's a fictional comedy that plays on a winning idea of having a group of New Jersey teenagers traveling into New York City with the goal of meeting The Beatles on their historic first trip to the United States, one early February weekend in 1964.
The young actors here include: Nancy Allen (she plays an engaged girl who's too mature to get involved by something as trivial as The Beatles); Theresa Saldana (an aspiring reporter looking to snag exclusive photos of The Fab Four); Susan Kendall Newman (Paul Newman's daughter, playing a folk music lobbyist looking to expose the saccharine Beatles); Wendie Jo Sperber (a wildly obsessed Beatlemaniac who's in love with Paul); Eddie Deezen (bespectacled "geek actor for all seasons" with a serious Beatles addiction); and Bobby DiCicco and Marc McClure (two guys along for the ride who don't care much for the English quartet but tag along anyway to get the girls).The movie is quite a distant cousin away from the classic American GRAFFITI.
Watching this film and the antics of these characters is possibly the closest I will ever come to experiencing first hand what Beatlemania was like.
It was like I was an unofficial member of this group of kids as they are trying desperately to get tickets to see the Beatles live on the Ed Sullivan show, all this starting by them trying to sneak into the Beatles' hotel.I loved that Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale made a wonderful dynamic by NOT making all the characters involved Beatles fans which made the film that much more believable.
Their presence was a great contrast to the rest of the cast, especially Wendie Jo Sperber as the sweet, cherubic Rosie, the most fanatical of the bunch that at one point of the film, she literally throws herself from a moving car just so she can get to a phone booth to win Beatles tickets on a radio call-in contest.
The rest of the cast is rounded out by Nancy Allen as Pam, a bride-to-be roped into this adventure against her will and ends up having fortunate luck of accidentally ending up in the Beatles' hotel suite; Theresa Saldana as Grace, the career minded, future reporter who wants exclusive pictures of the band and will do anything(literally) to get them; Marc McClure as Larry, who has a crush on Grace and is willing to do anything to help her achieve her goal and Eddie Deezen as Richard who is Rosie's equally fanatical partner in crime as they reek havoc throughout the hotel.Another thing I thought was a great direction taken by Zemeckis and Gale was to use Beatle sound-a-likes, not look-a-likes and to have the guys' faces hidden.
The film made me feel like the latter, like I was actually there.So, long story short, the movie is a must-see for any Beatles fan.
Most of the early part of the film deals with the fans attempting to break into the Beatles' hotel room, the second half shows the girls attempting to gain admission to Sullivan's show.
There are some fairly slow spots about 3/4 through the film, but the climactic scenes about Ed Sullivan are very fresh and funny.The cast is fine, including Will Jordan with his on-target impersonation of Sullivan, and the actresses playing the fans (Nancy Allen, Wendie Jo Sperber, Theresa Saldana, etc.) are just wonderful.
Nancy Allen's adventures in the Beatles' hotel room--with her cuddling Paul McCartney's bass guitar and "harvesting" hair from a hairbrush--are hilarious and absolutely priceless.Just about everything clicks in this funny, happy film.
Except, where four teenagers in the latter make desperate attempts to acquire access to see glam rockers, KISS, eight New Jersey teenagers in I Wanna Hold Your Hand obsessively cramble for tickets to the taping of the famous 1964 episode of the Ed Sullivan show featuring the Beatles.The plot is also somewhat similar to the 1979 classic, Rock N' Roll High School (with the Ramones) and Shag (because the girls, about to face a weekend of crazy misadventures, want one crazy night of fun before their friend, Pam, get's married).
Viewers too young to know about the crazy crowds of screaming teenagers that the rock stars like the Beatles could command, may see this movie as a time capsule of American pop culture.
The teenagers in this movie were grossly obsessed, Richard "Ringo" (Eddie Deezen), who hid out in the Beatles hotel, collecting the grass or the carpet that they walked on.
If you like the Beatles or teen comedies like Shag and Rock N' Roll High School, then this movie is probably perfect for you..
Robert Zemeckis' directorial debut, this is an extremely funny comedy about six New Jersey teens and their trip to New York to see the Beatles' performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on February 9, 1964, the highest viewed television event in history up to that time.
Other than the Beatles' own films and documentaries, this was the first film about the Fab Four.The film has a great cast of then unknowns, most of whom went on to have solid film and/or television careers such as the late Wendie Jo Sperber, Marc McClure, Eddie Deezen, Nancy Allen, Theresa Saldana and Bobby Di Ciccio.
It's rare to find a performance that strident and, at the same time, ingratiating due to the actor's prowess for physical comedy (again, his physical shenanigans are, well, overblown, but I somehow found them riveting).All in all, this movie really isn't a seven--it's probably a six at best--but I cannot shake those scenes of Nancy Allen nor do I want to.
The film begins with Ed Sullivan (Played by Ed Sullivan look-a-like Will Jordan) on the set on his own show off air introducing the movie Patton style, setting the stage for just how big The Beatles had become by January 1964.
The film shows how Beatlemania provided an escape from the real world.Wendie Jo Sperber and Eddie Deezen (a voice forever implanted into my head from years of childhood exposure on Dexter's Laboratory) as Rosie and Ringo (as he calls himself) are the two most hyperactive of the cast members.
I'd do the same thing as well, not with The Beatles but there are other celebrities of whom I was in their hotel room I would be rubbing my face against everything they've touched and don't lie, you would too.I Wanna Hold Your Hand also features Paul Newman's daughter Susan Kendall Newman in her second of three film appearances.
If they actually did cast actors to play The Beatles in which we see their faces it would take you out of the film.
Like in Zemeckis' Forrest Gump years later, I Wanna Hold Your Hand combines fiction surrounding a historical event. |
tt1500491 | Death Race 2 | Getaway driver Carl "Luke" Lucas (Luke Goss) is arrested after a robbery for his crime boss Markus Kane (Sean Bean) goes wrong. As his accomplices are robbing the bank, two officers casually enter the building. Luke tells them to abort, but they refuse; Luke intervenes, but it results in the death of one of the three accomplices. Luke shoots and kills one of the officers and dumps off his accomplices in order to fulfill Markus's wishes. In doing so, Luke is eventually captured by the police following a high-speed chase and sentenced in prison. Six months later, Luke is transferred to Terminal Island.
Terminal Island is a prison under the control of The Weyland Corporation, which hosts Death Match, a televised pay-per-view competition where two dangerous convicts are chosen and then forced to fight to the death or submission. The prisoners are given access to weapons or defense items to use during the fight by stepping on a marked plate in the arena. Luke meets the men who eventually become his pit crew in the Death Race: Lists (Frederick Koehler), who annoys him by over-analyzing everything, Goldberg (Danny Trejo), and Rocco (Joe Vaz). The host of Death Match is September Jones (Lauren Cohan), a former Miss Universe who lost her crown due to allegations of having a sexual relationship with all of its judges. She now works for The Weyland Corporation to create profit from the pay per view subscribers of Death Match. When a convict tries to stab Lists (because of his nature and weakness, as he was convicted only of swindling), Luke takes it upon himself to defend him.
Luke is later approached in the showers by September, who proposes that he fight. When he refuses, she makes sexual advances towards him, which he pretends to go for before refusing. In retaliation, September chooses Lists to fight with in a Death Match with the convict Big Bill who tried to stab him earlier. Luke confronts her while Lists is running for his life during the event, pleading to let him fight in place of Lists. She refuses to help and he jumps over a barbed fence to fight for Lists. He is joined by Katrina Banks (Tanit Phoenix), a woman convict who is serving as a ring girl with other female convicts. She hits the convict with a round number sign made of metal. A riot breaks out during the fight between Luke and the convict because of racial tension, sparked because Luke is white and the other convict is black. The convicts break down the fence to get in, and some of the rapists attack and attempt to rape female convicts. Katrina defends herself and helps other women, who are then evacuated. When the riot control guards come, Luke surrenders. Markus, worried that Luke will trade info on his crimes for immunity, discovers his location at Terminal Island while watching Death Match. Afterward, Luke is well-received when he sees Katrina and inquires about her well-being after the fight.
Markus puts a bounty of $1 million on Luke's head and convinces some of the prisoners to kill him. Meanwhile, September comes up with a plan to boost their profits by converting the Death Match into a "Death Race", where the contestants will have to race over days to win each match. The person who manages to win five matches will be released from prison. Luke joins the race, during which other prisoners try to kill him to earn Markus's bounty. On the second race, Luke's car crashes after being fired a missile by Big Bill (who is later killed by his navigator when he killed his pit crew), Luke's pit crew arrives including Katrina try to save him but it's too late and everybody is led to believe that Luke is dead. In reality, he survives with extensive scarring to his face. He joins the race as the new character "Frankenstein" with a mask to hide his identity from others. As the third race begins, Luke's new Triad friends manage to kill Markus in revenge, Lists kills Luke's pit crew member Rocco who set up on Luke's car and Luke kills September by running her over with his car, before he races with the other competitors. | revenge, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1152836 | Public Enemies | The film opens in 1933 as John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) is brought to the Indiana State Prison by his partner John "Red" Hamilton (Jason Clarke), under the disguise of a prisoner drop (with Dillinger posing as the prisoner). Inside the prison, several gang members, Charles Makley (Christian Stolte), Harry Pierpont (David Wenham), Ed Shouse (Michael Vieau), Homer Van Meter (Stephen Dorff), and Walter Dietrich (James Russo) acquire guns smuggled into the prison inside boxes of thread sent to the prison's shirt factory, with which they take a few guards hostage and march them to the changing rooms. At the same time, the warden that meets Dillinger and Hamilton suddenly recognizes Dillinger. Dillinger admits to his identity, and at this point, he suddenly springs his handcuffs off, and he and Hamilton conjure shotguns and force the warden to open the door to the break room at gunpoint, at the moment that the other inmates come in. They force the guards to take off their uniforms at gunpoint. Everything goes as planned until Shouse suddenly beats a guard to death in a fit of rage and another guard gets shot. A running shootout ensues as the men run towards the waiting car. Unfortunately, a sniper on the wall shoots Dietrich in the back just as he is about to get into the car, mortally wounding him, and a furious Dillinger kicks Shouse out of the car.In East Liverpool, Ohio, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) and several other FBI agents are running down Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum). As Floyd sprints through an apple orchard, Purvis aims a rifle at him, fires one round, and misses, as Floyd fires back a burst from his Thompson submachine gun. Purvis sets his sights, aims, and fires again. The bullet goes straight through Floyd's chest and mortally wounds him.Meanwhile, Dillinger's gang reaches a hideout, where crooked Chicago cop Martin Zarkovich (John Michael Bolger) convinces them to hide out in Chicago, where they can be sheltered by the Mafia. Dillinger exchanges brief words with a Mafia car dealer and close acquaintance Anna Sage (Branka Katic).We next see Dillinger, Pierpont and Makley walking up the stairs into the lobby of a bank in Racine, Wisconsin, wearing dull overcoats and bowler hats. Pierpont, the lobby man, overpowers one of the guards and orders everyone to get on the floor, while Dillinger leaps over a railing, grabs the bank manager, and plays "Spin the Dial," by marching him to the vault at gunpoint. Makley clears money from the teller cages into a duffel bag. When the manager appears to be stalling, Dillinger strikes him over the head with a pistol and gives him the choice of being a dead hero or a live coward. The manager complies.Outside, we see Van Meter acting as the lookout, hiding a rifle under his coat. He turns to his left at the sound of screeching tires and sees a car pull to a stop in the middle of the street. He quietly backs into the doorway and taps his rifle against the door to inform the robbers inside that they have company. The men inside do not stop working, though, as the money bags are thrown to Pierpont, and Dillinger takes the bank manager as a hostage. He notices a customer with some spare money out and assures him, "I'm not here for your money, I'm here for the bank's."In the car, Hamilton, the getaway driver, checks his watch, and pulls forward just as the first cops climb out of their vehicle and run towards the bank. As the first cop reaches the door and tells him to leave, Van Meter asks "What for?" Before the cop can react, Van Meter suddenly whips out his rifle, strikes the cop across the neck (knocking off the cop's peaked cap), and locks him into a chokehold with his left hand, levels his rifle over the cop's right shoulder, and fires on the police. As pedestrians flee the scene, Dillinger, Pierpont and Makley exit the bank with their own hostages. The shields keep the police from firing on the robbers, until a detective fires a pistol. With their Thompson submachine guns, the robbers mow down the cops and speed away, dumping their hostages on the outskirts of town.In Washington, DC, BOI director J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) is frustrated after his latest request for additional funding is turned down, after he admits that he has not made a single arrest in his lifetime. Struggling to expand his Bureau into a national police agency, he meets with Purvis, and assigns him to lead the manhunt for John Dillinger, announcing to reporters that he is declaring the first "War on Crime".In Chicago, Dillinger meets Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), his love interest, at a restaurant, and proceeds to woo her by buying her a fur coat. Frechette falls for Dillinger even after he tells her who he is, and the two quickly become inseperable.Purvis and his men, meanwhile, trace the overcoat that Dillinger gave to a female bank teller hostage as a souvenir and also track down the car dealer. Tracing the car, he leads a failed ambush at a hotel where he believes Dillinger is staying. One agent, Warren Barton, is gunned down by trigger-happy Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham), who then escapes after a shootout.The next day, Dillinger, Pierpont and Makley walk into another bank, wearing overcoats to hide their guns. Dillinger and Pierpont walk towards one guard, whom Pierpont overpowers at the same moment that Dillinger whips out pistols in each hand. As Pierpont and Makley handle the lobby, Dillinger leads the bank manager over to the vault at gunpoint, training one gun on the manager and one on the lobby.That night, Hoover is seen reprimanding Purvis for his bungled attempt to arrest Nelson. Purvis demands that Hoover bring in professional lawmen who know how to catch criminals dead or alive, including Texas "cowboy" Charles Winstead (Stephen Lang). We later see Purvis greeting Winstead and the other new arrivals when they arrive at Union Station.Meanwhile, Dillinger, Billie and the members of Dillinger's gang spend some time in Florida watching horse races, then lay low in Tucson. While Dillinger and Billie are in their hotel room, three men with shotguns burst in and arrest Dillinger. Dillinger learns from Pierpont and Makley, who have also been arrested, that a fire broke out in their hotel room, the firefighters found their guns, and turned them in to the police.Dillinger is extradited back to Indiana where he is locked up pending trial. A syndicate lawyer, Louis Piquett, manages to convince the trial judge to keep Dillinger locked up in the Lake County Jail in Crown Point. Dillinger eventually escapes from Crown Point on March 3, a week before his trial, with another inmate, Herbert Youngblood, by carving a fake wooden gun, tricking a guard into opening his cell, then overpowering the other guards and escapes in Sheriff Lillian Holley's car.Dillinger is unable to see Frechette, who is under tight surveillance. Dillinger learns that Frank Nitti's (Bill Camp) Chicago Outfit associates are now unwilling to help him. And for a good reason: Dillinger's crimes are motivating the government to begin prosecuting interstate crime as a federal offense, which imperils Nitti's lucrative bookmaking racket.Later, Dillinger meets fellow bank robber Tommy Carroll (Spencer Garrett) in a movie theater; with him is Ed Shouse, who wants to rejoin the gang. Carroll goads Dillinger into a bank robbery job in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, promising a huge score. Even though Baby Face Nelson is involved, whom he doesn't like, Dillinger agrees, since he intends to use the money to break Pierpont and Makley out of prison.We next cut to a motorcycle cop pulling up on a street corner, where pedestrians are gathered, watching something with great interest. As the cop dismounts, gunshots suddenly ring out and pedestrians scatter as the cop falls, struck four times. The gunfire is Nelson, inside the bank, firing through a plate glass window. He screams "I got one!", laughs maniacally, and then fires another volley into the ceiling. Van Meter, startled by the noise, quickly grabs a hostage outside the bank while the men inside the bank just look oddly at Nelson. Frustrated at the fact that there is less money than they wanted, Dillinger grabs this bank manager and other hostages and they begin to leave. But as they leave, Nelson suddenly opens fire, sparking a shootout with police and vigilantes up and down the street. Dillinger is shot in the arm, and Carroll is shot in the head and left for dead. The men climb into their car, and retreat to a hideout at Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin. Dillinger expresses hope he can free the rest of his gang still in prison, including Pierpont and Makley, but Red convinces him this is unlikely to happen.Purvis and his men apprehend Carroll (who is still alive) and torture him to find the rest of the gang's location, despite the doctor's insistence on giving Carroll medication (and Purvis threatening to run him in for obstruction of justice if he tried to intervene).They arrive at Little Bohemia and Purvis organizes another failed ambush. Unfortunately, when a car leaves the lodge containing three locals, they mistake it for the robbers' vehicle, and they end up accidentally killing a few innocent civilians and tipping off the inhabitants inside. In the shootout that follows, Dillinger and Red escape separately from Nelson and the rest of the gang. Agents Charles Winstead and Clarence Hurt (Don Frye) pursue Dillinger and Hamilton through the woods on foot, engaging them in a running gun battle in which Red is mortally wounded.Down the road, Nelson shoots and kills Purvis's partner Carter Baum (Rory Cochrane) and steals his car. Purvis and another agent, Johnny Madala, hop onto an arriving BOI car and chase down Nelson, who picks up Shouse and Van Meter. As the BOI car closes in on the gangsters' car, Purvis opens fire from the running boards with his Thompson submachine gun. Van Meter returns fire with a BAR rifle until it jams. Purvis fires a shot that hits the radiator and causes Nelson to lose control of the car and skid off the road into a field, where it flips over twice before coming to a stop. Shouse is killed by the crash. Van Meter gets out of the car and tries to make a break for it, but is gunned down by Purvis. Nelson gets out and opens fire, and another agent is shot dead as he tries to draw a submachine gun. Simultaneously, Purvis fires his pistol and Madala fires a shotgun, both rounds hitting Nelson, who briefly falls over but continues to fire. Purvis continues to fire his pistol into Nelson until he finally falls to the ground, dead.Further down the road, Dillinger and Hamilton steal a farmer's car and make good their escape; Hamilton dies later that night and Dillinger buries his body, covering it in lye.Dillinger manages to meet Frechette, telling her he plans to do one last job that will pay enough for them to escape together. However, Dillinger drops her off at a hotel he thinks is safe and helplessly watches as she is captured. Tears sting his eyes as he drives away, unnoticed by the feds.An interrogator, Agent Harold Reinecke (Adam Mucci) viciously beats Frechette to learn Dillinger's whereabouts, but she refuses to talk; Purvis and Winstead arrive and angrily break up the interrogation. Meanwhile, Dillinger is meeting with Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi), who tries to recruit a disinterested Dillinger in a train robbery with his associates, the Barker Gang. Dillinger receives a note from Billie through his lawyer, Louis Piquett (Peter Gerety), telling him not to try and break her out of jail.Through crooked cop Zarkovich, Purvis enlists the help of Anna Sage, who is facing inevitable deportation and wants to set up Dillinger in an attempt to stay in the United States.The agents only know that there are two possible theaters Dillinger could be going to: the Biograph Theater, which is showing the Clark Gable gangster film Manhattan Melodrama, or the Marbro, which is showing the Shirley Temple movie Little Miss Marple. Ultimately, it is the former theater.When the movie is over, Dillinger, Sage, and his girlfriend Polly Hamilton, leave as Purvis and his men move in. Dillinger spots the police and tries to draw his gun, but is hit at least four times. Two bullets only nick him, while another goes through his chest, while the fourth and fatal shot enters Dillinger through the back of his head, tears through his spinal cord and brain, and exits above his right eye. Winstead leans down to see if Dillinger is saying something as he dies, but tells Purvis that he couldn't hear a thing.Later, Winstead meets Frechette in prison. He tells her that Dillinger's dying words were "Tell Billie for me, 'Bye bye Blackbird.'" The closing text reveals that Melvin Purvis quit the FBI shortly afterwards and died by his own hand in 1960, and that Billie lived out of the rest of her life in Wisconsin following her release in 1936, and died in 1970. | boring, neo noir, depressing, murder, violence, psychedelic, romantic | train | imdb | Squinty-eyed stares can only convey so much, after all.Michael Mann seems to be in a terrible hurry to tell this story, as he is stuck between the rock of having to relate a relatively complete "crime-ography" of a notorious American gangster and the hard place of keeping the movie shorter than 2 1/2 hours.As a result, a beautifully shot and edited movie that had a lot of promise ends up little more than a dumb, shoot-'em-up action movie wearing the fedora of "historical romance." Good for a date, but not a serious film.Grade: C+.
Things to look for: Mann's ham-handed and laughably obvious political commentary on the use of torture about 2/3 of the way through the movie; psychotically trigger-happy Baby Face Nelson well-played by Stephen Graham; cool old products (Zenth radio); great fashion sense..
Many of the scenes are well paced, but in its running time the film feels like a very rushed overview of the final years of John Dillinger.
Public enemies, Johnny Depp never truly gets to define what he feels are the most important aspects of his portrayal of Dellinger because often the film gets too caught up in the action and events instead of its characters.Christian Bale bounces back after a sub-par performance in 'Terminator: Salvation' and it's good to see him working his voice manipulation ability again, because I for one was beginning to think he'd gotten stuck on his Batman-style growl.
Playing the FBI agent pursuing Dillinger he is an interesting character due to his dedication and could have been a really interesting character, but like Depp, Bale never really gets a chance to try and expand on his character.The music isn't anything you haven't heard before in previous crime films of this sort, but for the most part it works.
Also, songs from the 30s are played throughout, and most of the time they manage to fit into the story's many montage scenes very well.Director Michael Mann seems a tad bit off when compared to some of his previous films.
So this is a pretty film to look at, and with Depp and Bale it's a good way to introduce those unfamiliar with Dillinger to the criminal, but if you were looking for a character study on the bank robber you may find yourself a tad-bit disappointed.I wouldn't come close to calling Public Enemies one of the best movies of the summer, or of the year, but when compared to several other films that are currently being screened I would still highly recommend it.
Much of the film focuses on the love story between Dillinger and Billie Frechette (Marion Cottillard) It's also interesting to see the other gangsters of this time and how they relate to Dillinger and the criminal world.Much has been made of Public Enemies being filmed on HD video, mostly complaints.
It points instead to the wider focus of Mann's book source -- 'Vanity Fair' writer Bryan Burroughs' 600 pages of meticulous research, 'Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34.' Relentless G-man Purvis (a convincing but bloodless Christian Bale) and his rising boss FBI chief J.
Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup, both droll and period) are part of another story as important as the bank robber's final wide ride, the story of the growing cruelty and relentlessness of the forces of American law.Look at another title of a movie about a doomed but spectacular crime spree: Arthur Penn's 'Bonnie and Clyde.' That 1967 classic works so well because it's character-driven.
Even in the sketchy but powerful scenes that outline John Dillinger's romance with French-Native American hatcheck girl Billie Frechette (Marion Cottillard, working wonders with limited material), character is subsidiary to function: "I rob banks," Johnny says.
The final adventures on John Dillinger's life look and feel like a work of fiction and I suspect that in "Public Enemies" they are, 50/50, fact and fiction.
Melvin Purvis(Christian Bale) is assigned the task of leading this group of agents.Johnny Depp is as usual great, but you get a feeling he would have been even better if the script had given enough scope to explore the character of Dillinger.
Except for a weird scene in which Dillinger walks into the Chicago police station and wanders around, there's a very down-to-earth approach to the character, taking away his more mythical elements and leaving us with a career robber who, like James Caan's character in Thief, seems to abstractly decide to fall in love to make up for lost time.The movie focuses obsessively on this relationship, instead of the more obvious paths it could have taken.
With Billie Holiday singing her heart out and the subtle details of cracked nail polish and $3 dresses, Public Enemies brings you into the era of the Great Depression without boring you with back stories and explanations.It is an honest bio-pic with little factual variations outside of John Dillinger's romantic ambitions.
A time when people were starving and in need of a gun-toting, charismatic mid-western boy to stir things up a bit, one bank robbery at a time.A Cast of Winning Players Director Michael Mann is known best for Heat, Collateral and Miami Vice.
The romance between Dillinger and Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) was interesting but felt clichéd (gangsters always have THAT chick in these movies) and just like real life that political blowhard J.Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) is the only real "bad guy" in the entire film.Final Thoughts It felt like a different time period and the choreography of the gunfights were done well enough to keep me interested.
Johhny Depp is superb as Dillinger, Christian Bale a thoroughly convincing Melvin Purvis, his taciturn but determined G-Man nemesis.A plot curio is that some time is given over to J Edgar Hoover's fight to establish an FBI with Purvis operating as his local enforcer.But the role is under developed, it could be dropped with no impact on the plot, making you wonder how much extra footage was left on the cutting room floor, hopefully set for an appearance on the DVD.Marion Cotillard, a native Frenchwoman, plays the part of the leading lady, and Dillingers love interest, well enough.
In a role which offers infrequent appearances, she conforms to the genre requirements of being easily bedded, hit, and cries on demand.Critics have queried the way that the digital film is shot.There is none of the lushness of "last of the Mohicans", nor the grittiness of "Collateral", but the compelling plot leaves little time to worry about that.Review audiences also complained of poor sound quality and mumbled dialogue, not faults that I could identify with on this showing.The "showdown" between Dillinger and Purvis happens early on, in a scene which is played straight and without lingering fanfare, it is certainly no re-run of De Niro v Pacino in "Heat".If the film lacks anything it is a sense of Tragedy, so wonderfully apparent in De Palma's "Carlitos Way".
Depp and Purvis are played so ruthlessly and efficiently by Depp and Bale that pathos and emotional attachment are on pretty short display.The period is lovingly recreated by Mann and the action sequences, unsurprisingly, never fail to disappoint, indeed when Dillinger is first shown robbing a bank his vault over the counter is seen in graceful slow motion.
I love gangster movies, I think Christian Bale is one of the best actors around, I think Johnny Depp is always decent, and I think Michael Mann is a great director.
And Depp and Bale are the lucky ones, since the excellent supporting cast really has nothing of any interest to do, and the love story, which is given a prominent place in the marketing campaign, taking up a very minor part and being unconvincing to boot.As much as I wanted to like this movie, I just couldn't.
I would say Eastern Promises, Gangs of New York, Road to Perdition, Collateral and The Departed came close, but they are more just good movies of their own.Public Enemies is the first film in my opinion to have captured the essence of crime drama in a long time.
Michael Mann sees no need to limit the time it takes him to tell his stories, and he certainly has little care for his audience's time.The film feels under lit, often out of focus, and scenes play with little sense of dramatic or cinematic structure.
The editing in the first half of the film is particularly gratuitous and confusing when coupled with the hand held camera work and dour, flat lighting; the viewer's eye can make no sense of the composition or relationship of shot to shot and is instead presented with a scramble of action.There have been so many well told depression era gangster stories over the years, but "Public Enemies" will not rank among them, as in general, the amount of talent that is ultimately squandered in this film, from the cast, Director of Photography, and Editors, to the score and Sound Mixing, illustrates that Michael Mann is a man not unlike Dillinger in his own way: it is inevitable that he will continue to go on until someone stops him..
Johnny Depp is rather good as the bank robber John Dillinger, and Christian Bale is not bad as Melvin Purvis, the agent chasing him.
Formulaic is not always bad – but movies require something new as well to keep me entertained.Set in 1933 during the Depression, John Dillinger is Public Enemy #1 and we see him on many accounts robbing banks, escaping the seemingly useless lawmen, and murdering people who get in his way.
Yet, thanks to the acting, directing and photography, I found it an interesting film.Johnny Depp isn't just some actor who likes to play weird roles; he's simply a good actor who can be convincing whether he's "Edward Scissorhands," Willie Wonka" or "Public Enemy No. 1 (Dillinger)." It also was interesting to see Marion Cotillard, the star who played singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose," playing Dillinger's girl "Billie Freschette." Wow, it seems like very strange casting, but it works.
Purvis is portrayed by Christian Bale in a fine performance, yet the script is so light on the character that we don't really know what his role is supposed to be in the film.The thing that holds the film together, however, is not the impressiveness of Mann's direction and the fantastic sets, but the romance between Dillinger and Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard).
You could say one of the toughest things for an actor to do is to make life out of a dull script, but somehow Depp and Cotillard both pull it off.With all of the good stuff that I have mentioned, from the lead performances to the great action sequences, I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration as I walked out of the theater.
"Public Enemies", Michael Mann's account of John Dillinger's (Johnny Depp) crime wave and his romantic involvement with a young beauty (Marion Cotillard), has technical pros (the film vs.
I wasn't turned off by the use of HD in "Public Enemies" and actually think it gave the movie an interesting, unusual look – you could see the pores, wrinkles on Depp's and Christian Bale's faces like never before.My main problem with the film is the lack of character development and, why not say, soul to the whole package (So let me end the technical discussion here).
Depp is charismatic, and Cotillard, who delivered one of my favourite screen performances of all time in "La Vie en Rose" (and earned an Oscar for it), isn't bad, but is not given much to do (and unlike the likes of a Juliette Binoche, she doesn't sound very convincing in English yet; she seems much more comfortable in her own language, which doesn't mean I'm bashing her efforts because I believe she will have a wonderful international career, and I'm looking forward to seeing her with Daniel Day-Lewis in the musical "Nine" later this year).
It doesn't always work as a gangster film, and the love story at the core doesn't ring true.I think it was Billy Wilder who once said "Nobody is gonna remember after a movie: what a great shot!
This is NO "Bonnie and Clyde", and as cool as Mann's camera angles and visual approach can be, they're not half as groundbreaking as Dede Allen's daring editing job in Arthur Penn's masterpiece (back in 1967, and still as compelling over four decades later).The way it is, "Public Enemies" has good moments and technical achievements, but seems more like a curious exercise in style than a really good movie.6.5/10..
In 1933, in the fourth year of the Great depression, the bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) challenges the law with his gang and is considered Public Enemy #1.
Meanwhile Dillinger falls in love for Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) and Melvin and his men stakes her out trying to catch the outlaw.I had great expectations with "Public Enemies" and I am quite disappointing with this gangster movie.
Made at the time when Johnny Depp was still one of Hollywood's finest & most bankable stars, it's a well-conceived project that was poorly executed in the end.Set during the Great Depression, the story of Public Enemies chronicles the last years of notorious bank robber John Dillinger & his associates, who flourished during a booming crime wave in 1930s Chicago.
The plot covers their numerous heists while also focusing on Dillinger's own personal life as they are being pursued by an agent of FBI, which was still in its early years.Co-written & directed by Michael Mann (best known for Heat), Public Enemies recreates the early 1930 era in fine detail and employs the right props & setting to add more authenticity to its overall surroundings.
Unfortunately the screenplay feels a little bloated at times and the truth is that while Michael Mann is a consummate professional as director, his films always possess a certain coldness that makes it hard to get close to the characters.And that's the case here.
It ends up a middling Mann film, lacking the urgency of The Insider and the power of Heat (Mann's two best films.) The picture opens auspiciously in 1933, with a thrilling jailbreak by Dillinger, who is introduced in glorious close up, and Johnny Depp playing Dillinger holds that shot like few other actors working.
In the words of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) spoken to his love interest Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard, A Good Year), "I like baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars...
John Dillinger is one such criminal, claiming bragging rights to the fact that he can clear out a safe in "one minute and forty seconds
flat." With the help of Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd there really isn't any bank they can't knock over or any jail cell secure enough to hold them in, that is until they are matched by the likes of FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale).
The script is at times unintentionally laughable, clichéd, trite, historically inaccurate and ultimately boring.The lighting is so poor that at times the film appears to have been filmed in a closet, the dialog is often unintelligible and the musical score at times is intrusive.Michael Mann's ham-handed directing and producing worked much better on the small screen in Miami Vice and Crime Story.Christian Bale is noteworthy solely for the utter ineptitude he brings to his performance as Melvin Purvis.
I've never been a fan of his but here in "Public Enemies" he is particularly dreadful.The saving grace of the film (and the only reason I gave it two stars instead of the one it so richly deserves) is Johnny Depp's nuanced performance as John Dillinger.
The ending of "Public Enemies" thus makes for absorbing viewing, helped along by the realization that these events actually happened.That said, I find little of interest in this mostly factual account of public enemy number one, John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), and attempts by Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to catch him, under the watchful eye of J.
This film is blended with enough action and your traditional bad guy against good theme to make it a must see for any film fan and the acting and chemistry between the characters which features some of the best working in film today like Depp, Cotillard and Bale make it even much more of a treat.Set in the 1930's Midwest during the great depression the film starts off rather heavy as criminal John Dillinger(played wonderful by Johny Depp)burst out of an Indiana jail and right away becomes a dangerous and brazen bank robber of the 1930's depression era as one by one he's robbing banks and breaking out of jails.
I saw Public Enemies today.I was interested in seeing it as I am a fan of mafia films.Not just ones set during the 1930's, but all of them.Michael Mann is also usually a good director as well.I knew little about John Dillinger so I do not know how historically accurate this film is.The performances were great.Johnny Depp played a good role as mobster John Dillinger and Christian Bale's acting was great as well.The plot involves the police trying to find and arrest John Dillinger, who escaped from jail and commits a series of bank robberies, while falling in love with this one girl.The movie is not boring, there is a good mix of action as well as plot.It's a bit long(2 hrs 20 min), but not as long as other gangster films such as "The Godfather".My only problem with the film was, at times the camera was shaky and made the film look a bit cheap.I don't know if Mann intended to do this.It wasn't a big deal for me, but some people may not like it.If you like crime/drama's, it's definitely worth watching..
Think 'Heat' meets 'The Untouchables' it's a brilliant gangster film about John Dillinger, played expertly by Johnny Depp, America's public enemy number one.
Public Enemies, the latest film from director Michael Mann, is a film that is entertaining, but comes short of true greatness.The film chronicles the adventures of bank robber John Dillinger in 1933. |
tt0070047 | The Exorcist | Father Lancaster Merrin (Max Von Sydow) is an elderly Catholic priest on an archeological dig in Iraq. Merrin has a sense of foreboding and encounters a number of strange omens, including the unearthing of a series of confusing items, a near miss with a runaway horse drawn carriage, and a clock that stops ticking in mid-stroke. Finally, Merrin discovers a statue of a bizarre demonic figure; although the film does not mention it, it is a representation of a demonic figure known as Pazuzu.Back in the United States, in Washington D.C.'s upscale Georgetown neighborhood, a successful actress named Chris McNeil (Ellen Burstyn) begins experiencing strange phenomena. Chris lives with her twelve-year-old daughter Regan (Linda Blair), her personal assistant Sharon (Kitty Wynn), and two housekeepers. Regan's father is estranged for reasons unknown. There are mysterious, unexplained sounds in the attic of the house, which Chris attributes to rats. Regan slowly begins to exhibit strange behavior, undergoing behavioral changes much like depression and anxiety. She turns up in Chris's bed one night, complaining that her own bed was "shaking".Chris is working on a new movie in Georgetown with a director known as Burke Dennings (Jack MacGowran). While filming a scene one day, she notices a young Catholic priest watching her; his name is Damien Karras (Jason Miller). Father Karras has a background in psychology and counsels parishoners at a nearby church; Chris also notices him while walking home from the shoot one day.Karras is a thoughtful, conflicted man. He discusses his vocation with a superior and asks to be transferred because he feels he is losing his faith. He also has an elderly mother who lives alone in a slum in New York; he visits her and is reminded of how lonely her life is, and he feels guilty that she has to live in such poor surroundings.The strange occurrences in the McNeil house begin to increase. Regan reveals that she has been playing with a Ouija board and claims that she has the ability to communicate with a spiritual entity all by herself. A nearby Catholic church is desecrated, a statue of the Virgin Mary painted crudely and adorned with conical clay additions made to resemble breasts and a penis. Regan also works with clay and paint, making small animal sculptures.Meanwhile, Father Karras's mother falls ill and, due to a lack of funds, she is placed in a very shabby hospital and resigned to a ward full of mental patients. Father Karras is distraught when he visits her and she seems to blame him for her situation. Later, she passes away under these conditions, adding to his sorrow.Chris has an elaborate party at her home with a number of affluent guests. One of her guests is another Jesuit named Father Dyer (Rev. William O'Malley), and Chris asks him about Karras, having noticed him and referring to him as "intense". She finds that Karras and Dyer are good friends. During the party, Regan appears happy and social, but she reappears after being sent to bed, dressed in her nightgown and urinates on the carpet in front of the guests while making an ominous statement to a prominent astronaut ("You're gonna die up there"). After the guests leave, Chris bathes Regan and puts her to bed, but is startled by a loud sound from Regan's bedroom. She rushes back down the hall and discovers Regan's bed shaking violently, rising up off the floor with Regan on it. Chris jumps on the bed and it still levitates.Chris subjects Regan to a series of medical tests to discover what the problem is. The doctors are unable to discover anything, despite putting Regan through some grueling, painful procedures. The best they can come up with is that Regan may have a lesion on her brain, but ultimately they are frustrated when nothing appears on her brain scan. At Chris's house, Regan suffers what appears to be a seizure, and two doctors visit to assist. They find her rising and falling up and down on the bed in a way that seems impossible for a human being. When they try to sedate her, she hurls them across the room with abnormal strength, speaking to them in what seems to be a male voice: "Keep away! The sow is mine!" Eventually they sedate her.Out of options, they advise Chris to search for a psychiatrist, but they also reluctantly discuss another possibility: they mention the phenomenon of demonic possession and the rite of exorcism. While they seem to hold professional contempt for it, they do admit that it has been known to solve problems such as what Regan is going through. Chris is skeptical, having no real religious affiliation of her own.The situation worsens when Chris is out one evening; she returns to find the house deserted except for Regan, who is alone in her bedroom and appears to be in deep sleep. The bedroom is freezing cold, the window standing wide open, and she is uncovered. Sharon returns and Chris is furious with her for leaving Regan unattended, but Sharon explains that she left Regan in the care of Burke, who was visiting the house, while she went to the pharmacy to get Regan's medication. Burke's absence is unexplained until the doorbell rings and an associate of Chris's breaks the news that Burke has just died on the steps outside Chris's house.Shortly after this, Chris is visited by a kindly detective named Kinderman (Lee J. Cobb), who seems suspicious of Burke's death. He questions Chris about the events of that evening, and Chris is nervous, hesitant to tell him about Regan's problem. While he is visiting, he notices a few small animal figures that Regan has crafted; they are similar in style to the desecration of the statue in the church. Kinderman leaves and immediately a violent disturbance comes from Regan's bedroom. Chris hears a deep male voice bellowing at Regan to "do it", and Regan screaming in protest. In the bedroom, Chris finds Regan plunging a crucifix violently into her vagina. When Chris tries to stop her, Regan assaults her with impossible strength, and furniture around the room starts to move on its own. As Chris watches in horror, her daughter's head turns completely around backwards, and she speaks to Chris in Burke's voice, saying to her "Do you know what she did? Your cunting daughter??" Chris then realizes that Regan is responsible for Burke's death.Desperate, Chris arranges to meet with Father Karras, and when she mentions the notion of exorcism, Karras is almost amused. He tells her that exorcism is nearly unheard of, and that he doesn't know anybody who has ever performed one. Chris is distraught and convinces him to meet with Regan anyway. Karras is shocked by the girl's appearance; she is tied to the headboard of her bed, her face misshapen and covered in lesions, her voice deep and gravelly. Regan announces that she's the devil, and toys with Karras in a number of ways, seeming to make a drawer next to the bed open all by itself, then speaking to Karras in a number of languages. She also conjures up the voice of a subway vagrant that Karras has encountered alone earlier. Karras remains unconvinced, and when Regan claims "Your mother's in here with us", Karras asks her what his mother's maiden name is. Unable to answer, Regan vomits spectacularly all over him.Chris cleans Karras's sweater and discusses Regan with him. Karras is still not convinced that Regan is possessed, especially because Regan says she's "the devil", and he recommends psychiatric care for her. Chris pleads with him to help her obtain an exorcism, swearing that the "thing" in the bed upstairs is not her daughter.While Karras thinks it over, he is approached by Kinderman, who questions him about the fact that the desecration of the church could be connected to Burke's death; what he was unable to tell Chris was that Burke's body was found with his head turned completely around backwards, and the police department considers it a homicide. Kinderman knows that Karras suspects something unusual about the McNeil house, but his confidentiality as a priest prevents him from discussing it with Kinderman.Karras visits Regan again and records their conversation, during which he sprinkles Regan with water. He tells her it is holy water and she begins to writhe in pain, seemingly going into a trance and speaking in a strange language. Later he tells Chris that it will be difficult to make a case with the Bishop for possession; the water he sprinkled on Regan was simply tap water, and was not blessed. The Bishop, and Karras himself, would consider Regan to be mentally ill and not possessed. Chris confides in Karras and tells him that Regan was the one who killed Burke Dennings. Later, Karras uses his tape recordings of Regan's seemingly incomprehensible babble to discover that she is really speaking backwards, in English. A phone call from Sharon interrupts him; she summons him to the house to see Regan, not wanting Chris to see that's happening: as they look at Regan's unconscious body, the words "help me" begin to materialize on her stomach, rising up in her skin like scar tissue.Karras reluctantly agrees to try and get an exorcism for Regan, although he seems to have more in common with the doctors who recommended it as a form of shock therapy. The church calls in Father Merrin to perform the exorcism, with Karras assisting. Merrin has performed exorcisms in the past, including a difficult one that "nearly killed him", according to the Bishop. When Merrin arrives at the McNeil house, Regan bellows his name from upstairs, as if she knows him, and she makes strange animal sounds. He warns Karras about conversing with the demon, and reminds him that the demon will mix lies with the truth to confuse and attack them.When they enter Regan's bedroom, she immediately begins with a string of obscenities. Merrin and Karras recite the ritual of exorcism and Regan manifests strange phenomena such as levitation, telekinesis, an abnormally long tongue, and strange vomiting. She constantly curses the priests and emits evil laughter and verbal abuse. Regan begins to talk to Karras in the voice of his mother, and he starts to break down. Merrin sends him away; when he returns, he finds Merrin dead on the floor, the victim of a heart attack. Regan cackles gleefully, infuriating Karras, who grabs her and shouts at the demon, "Come into me! Take me!" The transference works almost immediately; Karras begins to transform and Regan returns to her normal self. Before Karras can harm her, his "normal" personality breaks through for a split second and he commits suicide, hurling himself out Regan's window. Just as Burke did, he tumbles down the stairs outside Regan's window and lays dying in the street below. By chance, Father Dyer happens upon the scene and administers the last rites to his friend.In a brief epilogue, we see Chris and Regan as they prepare to leave the house in Georgetown. They are visited by Father Dyer. Chris speaks with him privately and tells him that Regan doesn't remember anything about the possession or the exorcism. Regan then appears and greets him cheerfully, transfixed by Father Dyer's white collar. Before they leave, she suddenly hugs Father Dyer and kisses him. As Chris pulls away in their car, she orders the driver to stop for a moment and gives Father Dyer the religious medallion that belonged to Father Karras; in their struggle, Regan had torn it from his body and it was in her bedroom all along. | cruelty, murder, paranormal, cult, horror, violence, tragedy, sadist | train | imdb | null |
tt0416496 | Bandidas | In 1848 in an auditorium of police officers, criminal investigator Quentin Cook is displaying how science can be used to investigate crimes; by using fingerprinting, a magnifying glass and drawing conclusions from evidence. Afterwards, Quentin meets his fiance Clarissa who wants to marry him.At the Capitol Bank and Trust in New York, bank president Ashe is standing in front of a map of Mexico, telling Tyler Jackson the importance of acquiring certain tracts of land in Mexico where a railroad will be built. The land must be acquired within 90 days or the railroad will be built elsewhere.In the Mexican town of Santa Rita, Maria Alvarez is playing Connect with her horse while her father Pedro is inside the bank asking why the bank sold his mortgage to a US bank. The banker Bernardo tell him that the owner of bank don Diego had no option. Maria is sitting outside the bank when seven grim looking men enter the town by horse. When Pedro leave the bank, he is very concerned but Maria promises to speak with don Diego immediately.Tyler Jackson enters don Diego's office, looking at the photos on the wall displaying photos of don Diego's daughter Sara growing up. Sara herself is outside in the courtyard training her horse. When don Diego enters he offers Jackson a drink and tell him that Sara is the spitting image of her deceased mother and that Sara has spent the last 10 years in Europe. When she enters her father's office, don Diego tell her that Jackson's bank has offered to provide much needed capital to his bank. She expresses surprise that a US bank would have any interest in a small rural Mexican one. Jackson's request to have dinner with her is politely rejected.Maria is denied entry to don Diego's house by Jackson's men at the front gate but instead she enters the house from the back. Outside don Diego's office, Maria meet Sara very shortly before don Diego's men capture her. While she is dragged through the house she is screaming that don Diego is a traitor for selling her father's land. Meanwhile don Diego signs a contract with the US bank. They toast to the future.Later, Jackson and his men go to the Alvarez farm to tell him that his loans have been foreclosed and that the bank is taking over the farm in exchange for 1 peso. "Over my dead body" say Pedro before Jackson shoot him down. Jackson give him a receipt before burning the house.Maria is released by the sheriff. When she returns home she finds her father badly injured. Sara is visiting an old friend who has helped her with her horse. When Jackson and his men show up, they explain that his farm has been foreclosed. When he protests he is shot down. Sara ride away from there quickly on her horse. When she returns home she find her father dead in his office. Jackson is there and explains that her father had a fatal heart attack. He explains that her father's property is now his. She excuses herself to go to her room. Instead she flees from the house, Jackson's men unsuccessfully trying to stop her.Maria take her injured father to the church where the priest, padre Pablo, receive them. In the church there are a number of locals who have been evicted by Jackson's men, having nowhere else to stay.Sitting outside her house, Sara is watching as her father's coffin is carried from the house in a procession.Sara and Maria meet when they try to rob the town's only bank at the same time. Sara wants to take back her father's money in order for her to return to Europe, Maria is robbing it for the people who have been evicted and have nothing to live off. Jackson and his men arrive at the same time to inspect the bank's vault. The only thing left in the vault is a flower, left as a greeting by Sara. They stop at the church and get in a fight over how the money should be used, to help the people or for Sara to leave Mexico. They are interrupted by padre Pablo who take them to a cave outside the town where a large number of people is living, now that they have been evicted. Sara have a change of heart and they decide to rob banks together to help the people.Outside the city live Bill Buck, a famous Texan bank robber, and he trains Maria and Sara to use weapons. Maria turn out to be a crack shot while Sara is quite good at throwing knives. When Maria falls into a river, Sara rescue her from drowning. "I guess this makes us friends" asks Maria. "I don't know about friends. But definitely partners" answers Sara. Before departing Buck teach them the three rules of robbing banks: One, nobody gets killed, two, don't take more than you can carry in one hand, and three, getting away is the first rule. The two start robbing friends, now known as the Las Bandidas on the wanted posters.Arriving in the town of Santa Rita by train, the criminal investigator Quentin Cook comes to investigate the claimed fatal heart attack of don Diego. Sara and Maria meet padre Pablo in the church where he tell them that a detective has arrived from New York. They are interrupted by Cook himself knocking on the door of the church. Cook shows a photo of Sara as a child, asking if she and don Diego had any problems. The duo decide to go to Santa Rita to speak with Quentin.In his room at the hotel, Quentin is getting dressed, wearing only a towel when Sara and Maria enter, dressed in dancer's costumes showing a lot of cleavage. They tie him up and have a photographer take photos of all three of them in provocative positions on his bed, threatening to have the set of photos sent to his fiance. When asking about his criminal investigation he tell them that he believe that don Diego was poisoned. Also, Sara teach Maria how to kiss a man, practising on Quentin.They bring Quentin with them to the bank in town, showing the land deeds locked in the vault, explaining to him that Jackson is taking over land where a railroad will be built. In the office, Quentin find bottles of wine and a small bottle of poison. When Jackson's men unexpectedly show up at the bank, Sara and Maria manage to get away by taking a very compliant Quentin hostage. It is revealed that Quentin is the son in law of the president of the Capitol Bank. When he hears this, Jackson decide that capturing the Bandidas is the first priority, bringing in extra men.Sitting around a camp fire in a forest, Quentin tell Maria of how a criminal can be found by looking for fingerprints at a crime scene. When Sara returns she complains of how difficult life has become now that she, a young lady, must live as a renegade without parents. Quentin explains that he would like to help them.Maria and Quentin visit a bank, properly dressed as a young married couple, expressing an interest in depositing jewels for safe keeping. The bank is heavily guarded by Jackson's men. The bank manager is happy to show them the safe. Maria draw a gun and Quentin open the safe using his expertise. They blow a hole through the roof and leave the bank with a lot of money. Jackson's men are alerted by the explosion but find the bank robbed and their horses disappeared.The governor and his ministers meet Jackson to express their deep concern that banks belonging to Capitol bank are not safe. Jackson show the governor how all the banks will be equipped with a new alarm system. Until all banks have been equipped, all money will be kept in the headquarters of the Banco de Mejico. Quentin and Sara visit that branch of the bank and hear of the new alarm system. With the help of an accomplice they get drawings of the alarm system and the keys to the vault.Using a rope, a pair of skates and a blowgun with poisoned darts, the trio try to rob the Banco de Mejico of all its money. Instead they are captured by Jackson's men. Luckily they are freed by the locals, including Maria's father and padre Pedro.At a meeting with the governor and his minister, Jackson promises that the gold reserve will be sent to Texas. The trio hears of this and decide to get their hands on the gold. In a quiet moment, Maria and Sara agree that they are now friends, not only partners.The gold reserve is being transported to Texas by train. The Mexican governor, the president of the Capitol Bank and Trust and his daughter Clarissa are on the train. Jackson is also on the train, intending to use the train as a bait to capture the Bandidas. Before kicking the governor off the train, Jackson explain to him that he is going to keep the gold for himself.The Bandidas enter the train with Quentin, have their revenge on Jackson and Quentin is reunited with his fiance Clarissa. In the end the Bandidas ride off together, heading for Europe where the banks are bigger. | good versus evil, revenge, comedy, murder, violence | train | imdb | null |
tt1754648 | The Lamp | Two years after losing their son Eddy (Greyson Moore), father Stanley (Jason London) cannot seem to live a normal life. His wife Lisa (Meredith Salenger) finally tells him it is okay to "move on" with their life. (Eddy was a budding baseball prodigy, in his young life, and his father coached his team.) Stanley has been sleeping in Eddy's room. When he finds that Lisa has taken some of Eddy's clothing for a fundraising sale he explodes and claims that she had no right to sell HIS son's memories to "the highest bidder".
At the garage sale, the grieving parents' neighbor, a foster-care mother, Miss Esther (L.Scott Caldwell) offers an old oil lamp. She says it has given her what she needed and now it is time to find a new owner. At the end of the day, the lamp has not been bought. Lisa tries to return it to Miss Esther, who tells her that "of course" it wasn't bought, because it needed to find "the right owner". Miss Esther then suggests (perhaps) it is her, and gently shuts the door, leaving Lisa holding the lamp.
The argument regarding Lisa taking Eddy's old clothes to the sale occurs after this. After the "highest bidder" comment, Stanley sneers at Lisa and the lamp and says "and you brought home THIS?" (I assume as a replacement, in his mind). He leaves, enraged.
The next thing memorable, is Stanley being gone, and Lisa in the house as a knock on the door sounds. Enter Charles Montgomery, Jr. III (Louis Gossett, Jr.)..Unwilling to open the door to a stranger, he slips his card under the door. It simply says BELIEVE in ornate script with his name underneath. Lisa then opens the door to him and as he is seated, things happen that amaze her, especially when he simply disappears as Stanley comes in.
A seemingly obscure Maintenance worker named Sam (Muse Watson) was...if you looked closely...watching Stanley at Eddy's funeral...he is a key character, though you wouldn't know, in the beginning.
When I first saw this, I did not realize (at first) that Josh (Cameron Ten Napel) and Rachel (Katie Burgess) were sisters. I had thought that Rachel was the child whom would be instrumental in helping Stanley to heal.
Enough Spoilers and Details...this movie is worth watching. For anyone whom has suffered a loss (my prayers), this is a movie of hope, redemption, salvation and renewal-of spirit. No more Details! | paranormal | train | imdb | Far better than the ratings score!.
I admit it, I'm a bit of a snob.
I tend to look a film up on IMDb before I watch it if I have the chance, anything much below a 5 out of 10 doesn't get a look in.
I watched The Lamp as it's on my satellite film channel and I had nothing else to do at the time, then I came on here to see where I had seen the male lead before and was shocked by the rating which inspired me to write my own (and first) review to right a wrong.
I won't try and appraise the uncomplicated plot as it it well described already.The Lamp is a real feel good film helped a lot by some convincing acting by Jason London.
Though the story doesn't have much in the way of twists, turns, explosions, shootings or martial arts it does do exactly what it says on the tin - I felt genuine affection for the characters and shed a tear or two in the highs and lows of the plot, although if my wife ever reads this review then I was coughing *honest*.
I should point out that she was blubbing like a human shower which she likened to her experience of watching Marley and Me ;PPersonally, a good film for me is one where I don't feel aggrieved for the time I spend watching, the next criteria is whether that time could have been spent asleep for the same value, the final and probably the most important is that I am not shouting at the screen after the finale because of a rushed or incomplete ending.
In all cases The Lamp passes the test, it has a beginning middle and end and after the end you can walk away feeling that this particular saga is complete without pondering on any loose ends or unfinished business.So, if you like a movie that gives you a warm feeling with all loose ends wrapped up, watch The Lamp.
There won't be any sequels and I doubt whether they will release it on 3D Bluray but I'm damn sure its worth a better score than it has at the moment especially when you compare it with other films with much larger budgets and higher scores..
Inspirational, Heartwarming, Uplifting.
ahhh!
One of those wonderful movies that just makes you feel good...
and reminds you that the most important things in life are people and animals....you know...
LoveWell written, good acting...
particularly from Louis Gossett Jnr & L.
Scott Caldwell but also from the two main characters and rest of the cast.
Predictable?
but didn't matter at all...The addition of Rachel's character is inspired and the young actress who plays her does a sterling job.
The movie has a tangible "magical" quality throughout and does just what it set out to do.....
remind us all to believe.
Wonderful!
thank you!.
A Lamp to light your way!.
The Lamp is a wonderful, heart-warming movie for the whole family.
. Louis Gossett Jr. is one of the greatest actors out there!
I can relate to this movie I lost my son in 2007 to Leukemia he was 17.
I kind of died inside and after watching this movie I can see I can not only change my life I could make someone else's life better.
If you have a little imagination and want to see a good move this one is the Lamp to light your way!
When you think your life has changed so drastically that nothing will ever make you happy again, you discover that God's plan, while different from yours, is always perfect if you "Just Believe"!.
Excellent.....why 3.7 as all reviews excellent??????.
Lovely heartwarming film, good pace, simply done but big subject of grief, belief, trust and all the ingredients of life!!
Acting very good and not 'cheesy' in any way.
A film for all to watch, clean, good straight forward storyline with a little magic thrown in.
Don't know why this has a low rating as all reviews are very good???
The learning curve for a grieving dad who blames himself for his son's death and his relationship with his wife is delivered at a good believable pace.
With a need to feel empathy for him and the grieving mother is well delivered so the ongoing happenings are a joy to you, the viewer, and you share the storyline.
It needs at least an 8.5.
Albeit there are only 5 reviews to date I know and 'I believe' you will enjoy!!!!..
Surprisingly heartfelt and satisfying..
I saw the IMDb rating for this picture (3.9!), and almost decided not to watch the film.
Thankfully, it didn't stop me.
This was a pleasant surprise.The Lamp starts out pretty slow.
You have the oft-used "funeral" beginning and a family grieving, fighting, struggling to re-enter life.
I was getting a little weary.However, the story took some surprising and satisfying twists.
By the end, I was smiling and pleased with the movie.
You won't finish it in a bad mood.8.5 out of 10 stars..
Very good FAMILY movie.
Right you are, Golidog (review).
I think "The Lamp" has been seriously underrated so far.
I selected the film (On Demand) because Meredith Salenger was in the cast.
As a teen, she was so enjoyable in "The Journey of Natty Gann." Here Cameron Ten Napel (Josh) is an equally marvelous child actor, with a range of believable emotions and a totally irresistible smile.
I just kept thinking, "She is sooo cute!" Jason London, Louis Gossett Jr., and Muse Watson round out the excellent cast.
"The Lamp" does exactly what it is supposed to do.
How wonderful to find a family movie - with no curse words or sex scenes - just a sweet message that reaffirms the power of faith and love.
I really like this film..
Great family movie.
Heartwarming with a bit if magic.
The world needs more movies of hope and love..
really stupid.
Black nice smart magic people help dumb white people.
Beautiful movie.
Touching and heartfelt movie.
This one will help put hope back into the hearts of those who've lost their way.
Adorable sweet and charming movie!.
Luv luv luv 💘.
I absolutely love this movie if you Want a feel good movie that will bring tears to your eyes this is the one for you this is how we all wish Life Would turn out.
ENJOY.
Heartwarming reminder of what is possible in life..
A well made movie with the right cast to portray it.
The familiar faces of the experienced cast immediately draws you in and makes you want to find out what they'll have to say.An often-overlooked perspective from a child helps to open someone's eyes and leads toward solutions.
Even the dog is able to get through with solutions where humans couldn't.
The premise of the lesson is apparent throughout, but you don't realize until the end.At times the story is predictable, but still keeps you looking for the twist.
It does not disappoint.
This is definitely a movie to be watched several times and called upon for reference or just to feel good and be reminded.I marked this as having a spoiler since I was granted pre-screening access, but didn't give away details, just generalities.
You'll have to wait for it to come out, but be sure to see this one, it's worth everyone's precious time, just believe me!.
All You Have To Do Is Believe.
- The Lamp.
(My September 2011 movie review).
In July I was privileged to be invited to a prelease of 'The Lamp'.
It is based on the book by Best-Selling Author Jim Stovall.
Mr. Stovall is an awarding winning author of 14 books, four of which have been made into movies.
Mr. Stovall's last movie 'The Gift' was released last year and as of July was still was one the top selling movies of our nations.
Mr. Stovall had a dream to play pro football.
While in college, Mr. Stovall degenerative eye disease and was told he was going blind.
After a lengthy battle of accepting his blindness, he became an Olympic weight lifting champion.
He has won an International Humanitarian of the year in 2000.
Because Hollywood was unwilling to make Mr. Stovall's family films with the messages that he intended he developed the Emmy award winning Narrative Television Network.
The movie stars an academy award winning Louis Gossett Jr., along with some familiar faces that you all will recognize from the hit television shows like NCIS, Lost, and 7th Heaven.
The handicap children portray their own disabilities, as Mr. Stovall said "It is much better to hire a child who already knows how to run their wheelchair, instead of buying a wheelchair and then teaching a child how to operate it." Also be on the lookout for cameo appearances by Steve Forbes, and the blind Mr. Stovall as the limo driver.
Although I won't tell you all the details, I will tell that it will be wonderful family movie with twist and turns along with a great message.
The story involves around a family consisting of Lisa (Meredith Salenger, Annie) and Stanley (Jason London, 7th Heaven) were just your average middle class family trying to rebuild their shattered life riddle with anger and guilt over the death of their five year old son.
Next door to the foster home is filled with children which a constant reminder that they no longer have a child.
Miss Ester (L.
Scott Caldwell, Lost) gives Lisa a very unusual Aladdin type lamp.
Lisa shines the lamp and Mysterious Visitor (Louis Gossett Jr.) makes his appearance in the movie.
Stanley meets the groundskeeper (Muse Watson, NCIS), at the ballpark, as he is watching Josh (Cameron Ten Napel), foster child as she plays baseball.Louis Gossett Jr. and Muse Watson's characters in this movie work through their various emotional issues toward finding healed relationships.
Through the ups and down of the relationship of Miss Ester, the foster kids, Stanley and Lisa brings hilarity, sadness, anger, joy, frustration love, and compassion throughout movie.
Even though I enjoyed watching this film, it had a good message about believing.
This family film will be enjoyable for all ages.
The film will be release September 20, 2011 on DVD.
You can find more information about Mr. Stovall at his website at www.jimstovall.com.
Recently 'The Lamp' was aired nationally on the Inspirational Network.
The original article can be found here: iamhannahevans.tumblr.com |
tt0985699 | Valkyrie | Valkyrie opens with a Colonel Stauffenberg in Tunisa, North Africa (in 1943), penning in a journal his thoughts about World War II, and how he feels Hitler is destroying Germany. Stauffenberg states he took an oath to swear allegiance to Hitler, but feels he owes more to Germany. He argues with a general about holding a key city in a futile effort against the British Army and American General Patton. The general agrees to have the 10th Panzer moved to a different location where they can be evacuated back to mainland Europe. Shortly thereafter, the camp is attacked by British aircraft and Stauffenberg is badly injured, losing one of his eyes, his right hand, and two fingers from his left hand.The next scene shows Hitler visiting a base camp in Germany, and a nervous General Trescow onlooking. As Hitler prepares to depart, Trescow and an associate hide a bomb in a wine case and give to a man on Hitler's plane, but it fails to detonate in flight, and Trescow must return to headquarters to retrieve it. Once he arrives, he meets up with who is revealed as a fellow conspirator, a General Olbricht. Trescow safely retrieves the wine case and he and Olbrict discuss a member of their secret committee who was recently arrested. Trescow recommends Olbricht contact Colonel Stauffenberg as a replacement, which Olbricht does, and brings Stauffenberg to one of the clandestine meetings.In the meeting, Stauffenberg meets three of the most important figures in the resistance: Dr. Goerdeler, who will become Chancellor of Germany should the plot succeed; General Beck, who will lead the Armed Forces, and a man named Witzleben. After tempers flare, Stauffenberg agrees to help. At a later meeting, Stauffenberg suggests they utilize Operation Valkyrie, which is a plan that uses the Reserve Army to keep order amongst the Germany country should anything disrupt communications from Hitler, or should Hitler be killed. Stauffenberg rewrites the order to exclude the SS from taking control, which would leave the head of the Reserve Army, General Fromm, in charge of Germany. Reaching out to General Fromm, Stauffenberg and Olbricht are surprised at his rejection, but Fromm keeps quiet, choosing to neither support the dissenters nor reports them to the authorities.Meanwhile, General Trescow is sent to the front lines. Stauffenberg is promoted to head of the plan, and he, along with his assistant Lieutenant Haeften, take the order to the Berghof to be signed off by Hitler himself. Hitler, with his inner circle present, praises Stauffenberg's loss of appendages as the attitude necessary for his military, and states Stauffenberg is the ideal German. He then signs off on the bill, saying he's sure the changes are adequate.Back at command, a Colonel Quirnheim shows the dissenters how to use pencil detonators, and Stauffenberg persuades a General Fellgiebel, who controls communications at the Wolf's Lair, to help. Stauffenberg has been promoted to General Fromm's chief-of-staff, and thus has access to Hitler's military debriefings, so the plan goes as follows: Stauffenberg and Haeften will travel to Hitler's bunker, the Wolf's Lair, to attend a military meeting. Stauffenberg will ignite one of the pencil detonators and then have Fellgiebel call and pretend to be a general, pulling Stauffenberg out of the meeting while Haeften waits with a car. In theory, Stauffenberg and Haeften will have six minutes to drive before the bomb detonates, giving them time to return to the airfield and fly off before they can be suspected. The only condition the heads of the dissenters give, however, is that head of the SS Himmler, along with Hitler, must be present for Stauffenberg to arm the bomb.Stauffenberg travels to the Wolf's Lair and has all preparations ready, but notices Himmler is not present at the meeting and calls the committee to ask if he may proceed anyways. He is refused by the committee, unbeknownst to Olbricht, who mobilizes the Reserve Army anyways. As Stauffenberg safely extracts himself and the bomb from the bunker, the Reserve Army believes they were just running a training drill, and Olbricht and Stauffenberg are ordered to report to General Fromm, who is outraged they would mobilize the army without his permission. He tells them that if this happens again he will arrest them both.Dr. Goerdeler has a warrant issued for his arrest and General Beck implores him to leave the country. Goerdeler, Stauffenberg's chief opponent on the committee, hastily leaves and is replaced by Colonel Quirnheim. Colonel Stauffenberg visits his home and tells his wife his plan, and that she and his children must leave, because of their suffering if he should fail. They do so, and Stauffenberg makes his next attempt on Hitler's life as he attends another military debriefing on July 20, 1944. Much to his surprise, the meeting has been moved from Hitler's bunker to an open window summer hut. The blast would be most effective in the pressurized bunker, where the thick walls would deflect the pressure back to the bomb's origin, wiping out everyone in the bunker. Stauffenberg plans to proceed anyways but then notices Himmler is once again not present. He calls the committee to ask permission to continue and they say 'no', but Stauffenberg and Quirnheim privately agree to continue anyways, and Stauffenberg enters the summer hut. He and Haeften arm the bomb in a washroom and place it under the war room table, as Haeften gets the car. Fellgiebel gives Stauffenberg his distraction phone call, and Stauffenberg hastily leaves the hut.In the war room, an enraged Hitler bangs his fist against the table, knocking Stauffenberg's briefcase, with armed bomb inside, over. A correspondent at the table sees Stauffenberg's fallen bag and moves it behind a table leg opposite Hitler. As Stauffenberg walks to his car, the bomb detonates. Fellgiebel phones Quirnheim, but poor reception keeps Quirnheim from fully understanding what all has happened, only hearing that the bomb has indeed detonated. Believing his job to be done, Fellgiebel orders them to shut off all communications. Olbricht impores Quirnheim to phone back and find out if Hitler really is dead, but the broken phone lines keep that from happening. Olbricht refuses to mobilize the Reserve Army until he has received confirmation that Hitler has indeed been killed, and leaves for lunch. Quirnheim issues the mobilization order behind Olbricht's back, and the Reserve Army, led by Major Remer, mobilize in Berlin.Meanwhile, Stauffenberg, Haeften, and their driver quickly make their way out of the Wolf's Lair, and Stauffenberg cleverly tricks soldiers into opening checkpoints for him. He makes it back to the airfield, and quickly flies a plane back the government district of Berlin.Much to his shock, the delay caused by Olbricht issuing the order could substantially set the effort back, but they proceed with the plan as scheduled. They march to General Fromm's office and inform him that Hitler is dead, and that he can either join their cause or be arrested. Fromm calls the Wolf's Lair, whose communication has been restored, and hears that Hitler is, in fact, alive. Stauffenberg dismisses this and asks Fromm whose side he's on. Fromm attempts to arrest Stauffenberg and Olbricht, but is himself arrested. Stauffenberg, Olbricht, and Beck, as heads of the Reserve Army under Operation Valkyrie, give orders to arrest all SS officers and seize control of Berlin. Major Remer follows these requests until he reaches the SS headquarters in France. Contradicting orders have been sent, one from the Wolf's Lair ordering the arrest of Stauffenberg, and one from Stauffenberg ordering the arrest of Minister Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels, shown slipping a cyanide pill in his mouth as he watches the Reserve Army approach, picks up a phone and asks to be connected. Remer walks in and states the man is under arrest, but the man gives Remer the phone. Hitler is on the other line, and he commands Werner to release all SS and capture those in charge alive. Remer cancels the occupation of Berlin and marches to Stauffenberg.Rumors are swirling that Hitler is alive, which Stauffenberg dismisses as SS propaganda. But gradually, Stauffenberg's associates in headquarters are defecting. The Reserve Army reaches headquarters, and Stauffenberg, Haeften, Quirnheim, Olbricht, and Beck attempt to leave. After a short shoot-out with loyalist SS officers, Stauffenberg is wounded. He and all of the other conspirators are captured, and General Fromm is released from his cell. Wanting to appear innocent, Fromm orders the immediate arrest of the conspirators. In his office, he condemns Stauffenberg, Quirnheim, Olbricht, Haeften, and Beck to death, but allows Beck to kill himself with a pistol.At midnight, the remaining four are taken outside and executed by firing squad in the building square. Meanwhile, General Trescow, hearing of the failure, is shown committing suicide on the front lines with a grenade. Goerdeler is shown executed by hanging, and eventually Stauffenberg is brought before the firing squad. Quirnheim and Olbricht have already been executed, and only Stauffenberg and Haeften remain. Stauffenberg is prepared to face his death when Haeften steps in front of him, taking the firing squad's first shots, and falling dead. The firing squad reloads, and aims at Stauffenberg, who screams "Long live sacred Germany!," before falling dead.Witzleben is shown publicly denouncing Hitler at his trial, and the film reveals he too was executed on September 4, later that same year. Then the film states that General Fromm's hasty executions could not save himself, and he too, was executed for not reporting the conspirators.The film concludes with a byline announcing Hitler's suicide in April 1945 nine months later, and reveals that Stauffenberg's wife and children survived. | suspenseful, murder, violence, revenge, historical | train | imdb | null |
tt0142201 | Crazy in Alabama | This film moves back and forth between its two main characters.1- Peejoe Bullis (Lucas Black) and his brother Wiley (David Speck) are orphans who live with their grandmother (Sandra Seacat).2- Lucille Vinson (Melanie Griffith) kills her husband Chester because he won't let her go to Hollywood to star in the sitcom Bewitched, where she has been cast on a 2-episode role. Lucille is Peejoe and Wiley's aunt, and the sister of Dove, another uncle of the two boys.When Lucille goes to Hollywood with Chester's head in a Tupperware container after having poisoned him with rat poison, she leaves her seven children with her mother, so Grandma has no more place for Peejoe and Wiley. They have to go to live with Uncle Dove (David Morse), and his wife Earlene (Cathy Moriarty). Dove tells sheriff John Doggett (Meat Loaf), that they don't know where Lucille is heading for.On her way to New Orleans, Lucille can hear Chester's head talking to her (represented by the voice of Brent Briscoe), making sarcastic comments. The assistant at the Fleur de Lys hat shop (Marion Zinser) is a bit sarcastic at the beginning as well, but she is not so when Lucille buys a 500-dollar couture hat because she needs the hatbox to put Chester's head in. Later, Lucille stops at a bar, and a barman (John Fleck) thinks she is a whore and is rude to her. She gets annoyed, and steals the barman's money and car.Later on, she stops at a road coffee shop. There, Sally (writer Fannie Flagg) is a waitress, and realizes Lucille's being sought by the police, but she doesn't give her in. She talks to her for a while, and then she tells her to go without paying saying "it is on me". Because of the stolen car, Lucille gets pulled over by a police officer, who gets all excited hearing the story she is telling with sexual overtones. When they are kissing, Lucille handcuffs the police officer and steals his gun, although she leaves it outside the police station.Back home, Peejoe sees black people queueing up to register for voting although it's illegal in Alabama, and focuses on 17-year old Taylor Jackson (Louis Miller). Peejoe and Wiley go to a small swimming-pool, the only one in town but only-white. Taylor jumps in the pool, and all the white people get out of the pool, except Peejoe. Peejoe watches how the sheriff kills Taylor when he was running away from him, pulling him down from a railing, hitting his head on the cement and killing him. Later, Peejoe has an incident with a lawn mower, which hits him in an eye with a golf ball, and everybody wants to think he was attacked by the sheriff. Peejoe will carry a patch in his eye for almost the rest of the film.At the funeral, Peejoe parades with Taylor's mourners. He coaxes Wiley into following him. They all finish at the same pool, singing and jumping in, only to be disbanded by the sheriff. A Look magazine photographer (Michael Arata) is there, and takes a close-up picture of Peejoe's face. Peejoe is considered a hero, although he insists he only happened to be there. When Martin Luther King (Dudley F. Craig II) arrives in town -we never see his face-, Peejoe is introduced to him, and they shake hands.Lucille had earned some money in Las Vegas, having the time of her life playing roulette and shagging a very handsome bellboy (Brad Beyer). Eccentric limousine driver (Richard Schiff) takes her to Hollywood, where her agent Harry Hall (Robert Wagner) is expecting her. She presents herself under the name of Caroline Clay. There, bitchy actress Joan Blake (Elizabeth Perkins) is rude to her. Lucille works on the set of Bewitched, with the stand-in actors (Charlie Dell, Oliver Clark and Tracy Griffith) giving her the cue lines. Hall thinks Lucille should appear in films as well. At a party, the bitchy actress investigates what's in the hatbox, because her badly-behaved dogs are snuffing at it. When she sees Chester's head, she walks stiffy and dizzily, goes through a closed window and drowns herself out of shock, but nobody suspects Lucille had anything to do with it. Norman drives her out of the party.Back in Alabama, Earlene complains because the whole town is ostracizing her, because of Peejoe's involvement with the cause. She wants the two siblings out of her house, but Dove won't allow it. In the middle of the discussion, they see Lucille's episode on TV. They stop quarrelling and they watch it in amazement.Back to Hollywood, when Lucille is about to throw Chester's head from the Golden Gate Bridge, all her money -kept in a red bag- slips away. She tries to retrieve it. Two patrolmen (Kirk Fox and Jordan Lund) ask her questions, because they think she's trying to commit suicide, and that's when one of them see all the money and the head in the hatbox. Lucille is discovered and sent back to Alabama, where she could be sentenced to the electric chair.Peejoe and Dove have been talking to FBI Agent Murphy (William Converse Roberts) in secret, but Dove is afraid of Peejoe's security and doesn't want him to testify. Nehemiah Jackson (John Beasley) is Taylor's grandfather. He's in prison as well, because of his demonstrations and parades. He gives Lucille something to eat.Judge Louis Mead (Rod Steiger) is an eccentric man, who makes Lucille's children go away, in order not to influence the jury. At one moment in the trial, he wants to talk to Lucille alone. She's pleading self-defence and sanity.When Peejoe testifies, he says that there is a deal between sheriff Doggett and Dove: if he doesn't accuse the sheriff of Taylor's murder, Lucille will not be given the death penalty. Later in the trial, Lucille tells the jury how Chester abused and mistreated her and her children -all with cinema stars' names like Marlon, Rock, Marilyn... (Dane Le Blanc, Dakota Johnson, Estella del Carmen Banderas and Jackson Isaacs) However, the jury isn't adamant to feel pity for her, and they find Lucille guilty on all counts. Outside the courtroom, Murphy arrests sheriff Doggett, who is unrepentant. Dove asks Peejoe if he had planned it all, and he said it just came to him in the spur of the moment. Dove tells Peejoe that that was something he couldn't run from, so that he won't have the opportunity to change his mind. Peejoe is happy about that.Judge Mead gives a long speech when sentencing Lucille. He says the jury wants Lucille to go to the electric chair, but that he has never sent a woman there. He doesn't think she's a danger to anybody, except her late husband. First he sentences her to 20 years, then he suspends the sentence and makes it a 5-year probation sentence, if she seeks psychiatric counselling. Lucille can go free, although the prosecutor shouts and is really angry.Outside the court, Norman is waiting with a car and a bunch of flowers. He and Lucille go away with all of Lucille's children, presumably back to Hollywood.Back in Alabama, the town is filling the pool with cement, because a judge has ruled it should be integrated (be for everybody, not only for white people). Peejoe and Wiley find it ludicrous. They go away fishing with a black friend, and he says that now nobody has a pool. | violence, murder, romantic | train | imdb | Performances like Steiger's make you want to ransack the video store to rent all his older films.Finally, I believe Lucas Black is destined for greatness.
When I saw that Antonio Banderas had directed it, I thought "Oh, here's another one of those films where the actor/director has to put his wife in the leading role..
This movie really is strange with its incredibly serious (and gruesome) subject matter of a woman who methodically murders and decapitates her husband and then carries his head around with her - first in Tupperware and then in a very stylish hat box!
It's the 1960s in Alabama and Lucille (Melanie Griffith) murders and decapitates her abusive husband Chester, and heads to Hollywood with his head.
Our narrator is Lucille's nephew, he is living with his uncle (David Morse), witnessing the evil of the town sheriff (Meat Loaf) and trying to make sense of the civil rights movement.This is an odd, yet ultimately successful, merging of two very different stories.
Griffith is compelling -- her husband, Antonio Banderas, directs her as he sees her, the camera keeps finding the perfect woman; thrilling, sensual and sweet.In the "featurette" on the DVD, both Griffith and Banderas say the movie is about freedom, and the stories parallel well because Lucille's freedom from her husband's oppression parallels the blacks' freedom from civil oppression.
Antonio Banderas did a great job in direction, but Lucas Black stole the show with his acting.
Antonio Banderas did an awesome job as a director and Melanie Griffith is outrageous.
I loved this film.I am not normally a fan of Melanie Griffith, but she is superb as the Southern Belle, Lucille.Antonio Banderas does a brilliant job behind the camera, telling two stories both about the difference between Justice and what is Just.Rod Steiger is superb in his cameo role as the judge..
A woman chops her husband's head off and leaves a punch of kids behind to go fill her dream to become a movie star.
But behind this crazy story line this movie holds a truly honest, sarcastic, picture of a strong, loving woman.In addition there is another story of a boy who will also become a star even without wanting to become one.
The trouble with most Melanie Griffith vehicles-and for some reason I'm excruciatingly aware of the number of them I've seen- is that you're only seeing one character, ever, and not a very good or memorable one at that.
Melanie Griffith is not only not a very good actress, she is so abominably bad and mind-numbingly predictable in her infantile reactions and sex-kitten phrasings that she should never have been seen aside from her appearances in Body Double and Something Wild, in which the characters she played were simply tailored to fit her deficient persona.
We have a typical Hollywood construct, 60's racist Alabama, intercut with a retail clerk's dream of ascendance to stardom: kill your abusive husband, steal a car, by a hat for the hatbox, (paste classical reference here) sweet-talk a cop out of holding you in jail--Banderas probably knows so little about police procedure in this country that he actually thought the hatbox in a stolen vehicle would not be checked-- win big in Las Vegas, audition for Bewitched, and become a star.
Now, the "serious" side of this movie flounders like the fully dressed blacks diving into the pool--we're supposed to think here of baptism, even before we see the image of the little boy floating in the crucifixion pose--and we are also supposed to swallow yet another screenwriter's slam-dunk of a terribly complex and many-sided situation, that of racial injustices of sixties Alabama.
Banderas, who, come to think of it, may actually be the closest thing to a male counterpart to Melanie Griffith you're liable to find.
What we have, then, is shoddy "stars" that no one really wants to see, like Melanie Griffith, shoddy directing, that we could live without, like Banderas,' and shoddy films, that no one really wanted to see, playing three times a day on Bravo, like this one.
CRAZY IN ALABAMA / (1999) **1/2 (out of four) By Blake French: "Crazy in Alabama" is actually very well constructed; with good performances by a strong supporting cast, including David Morse ("The Green Mile"), Rod Steiger ("End of Days")" Meat Loaf Aday ("Fight Club"), and a compelling leading performance by director Antonio Banderas' wife, Melanie Griffith.
The first details a woman named Lucille (Melanie Griffith), who dreams of becoming a famous actress in Hollywood after chopping off her cruel husband's head.
Although it is his first feature film, Antonio Banderas, also a well-known actor starring 1999's Viking drama "The 13th Warrior," he should have realized the complexity of the plot as a negative contribution.
If the writers had just stuck with the comedy instead of -- once again - laying down their heavy-handed Leftist cultural agenda - this would have been a very entertaining and fun film.Certainly the "voice" of the head in the basket (you have to see this to know what I mean) was funny.
Too bad the bias had to enter because it was a fun film to that point with Melanie Griffith, Lucas Black and David Morse all doing a fine job..
Amazing that a movie blending a southern vixen killing her abusive husband and fleeing the country with his head can mix with a racially motivated killing and yet be good.
This is what "Crazy in Alabama" exactly is.This is basically a story of freedom-obtaining it through the civil rights struggle, while a white woman sought her freedom in disposing of her horrible husband.Melanie Griffith, directed by husband Antonio Banderas, is just perfect for the part.
With a great southern accent, she wears hats so similar to Judy Holliday in "Born Yesterday," or Jean Hagen in "Singin' in the Rain."This melding of marital abuse and civil rights in 1965's Alabama hits the high mark.
When they were announcing filming of this movie and doing location checks, everybody in Alabama (where I live) was so excited!
Oh boy, Banderas and Griffith are coming here to film!
Crazy in Alabama is a smart, witty film about aspiring actress Lucille,(Melanie Griffith) and her nephew, Pee-Joe (Lucas Black).
The film is definately worth seeing, with moments of comedy interspersed among the drama unfolding in the small southern town.The strong story is supported with excellent performances from Griffith, Balck, and David Morse..
Interesting director, Banderas; wonderful roles for Griffith, Meatloaf, Steiger.US rated PG-13, but recommendable also for (smart and strong) 10-agers..
I thought that the cast especially Melanie Griffith, David Morse and the young Lucas Black were very believable.
Rediscover Melanie Griffith in one of the finast film I have seen in years!
The acting was excellent but I did have reservations.While Melanie Griffith would normally have been perfect for wacky Aunt Lucille, she was NOT 34 years old as the radio announcer said on the getaway car radio.
One or two should have been 12 or 13, given Ms. Griffith's age.And I was totally put off by the fact that Lucille got her BIG BREAK by just sending in her head shot to the producers of "Bewitched," and they went on and on about how wonderful she looked.
Now THAT would've made a lot more sense and it would have been far more BELIEVABLE!!!!!!!Other than those points, I found everyone's acting wonderful, and Banderas did a fine job of directing.
Mr. Bandera's first movie as film director was a true surprise.
Although the Civil Rights angle is fairly well-acted, it's everything you've seen in at least 20 other movies -- it's like the Lucille story is the candy and this part is the medicine.
As Lucille, Melanie Griffith is sooo adorable (which is quite a surprise for anyone who finds her babydoll voice more irritating than nails on a blackboard) and as for the others who appear here, it's just pleasure upon pleasure: the seldom-seen, ever-brittle Cathy Moriarity as Lucille's sister-in-law, Fannie Flagg as a sympathetic and much-married diner waitress, Robert Wagner as Lucille's Hollywood agent, Rod Steiger as the judge at Lucille's murder trial, and on and on.
`To Kill a Mockingbird' meets `Nurse Betty' in Antonio Banderas' directorial debut, `Crazy in Alabama'.
The film starts when we hear that Lucille (Griffith) murdered her husband.
While not quite as good as I thought it would be, `Crazy in Alabama' is a wry, oddball comedy/drama that has originality and entertainment in spades.
Intertwining the light hearted and almost childlike fulfillment of Lucille's life long dream to make it big in Hollywood with the backdrop of the violence and intolerance of the Civil Rights Movement in her hometown of Indstry, Alabama has you laughing one minute and almost in tears the next.
Peejoe (Lucas Black) is 13 living a simple life until his eccentric aunt Lucille (Melanie Griffith) kills her abusive husband.
Released in 1999 and directed by Antonio Banderas (Melanie's husband at the time), "Crazy in Alabama" is a drama/comedy about an Alabama housewife (Melanie Griffith) in 1965 who kills her abusive husband and takes off to Hollywood to attain her dream of being a starlet, all the while carrying her husband's head in a suitcase.
Robert Wagner and Rod Steiger are on hand as a Hollywood producer and judge respectively "Crazy in Alabama" has that quirky, hip flare of movies of the mid-to-late 90s, like "Pulp Fiction," "Michael," "Mojave Moon," "The Way of the Gun" and "American Psycho"; but especially "Nurse Betty," which came out less than a year after "Crazy in Alabama." These two films have the same quirky tone mixed with black humor and also share plot similarities—an abused wife kills her husband and flees to Hollywood.
If you have a taste for these types of movies you might like "Crazy in Alabama."For me, it was half-good and half-meh.
There are slow ways and there are fast ways and Chester (her husband) was killing me the slow way for 13 years." Unfortunately, I'm not a big Griffith fan, which isn't to say I DON'T like her; it's just that I can take her or leave her, although I love her spirit and voice.
Watched this because it has Antonio Banderas's directing his wife Melanie Griffith.There are 2 ongoing stories set in the 60s in Alabama.
An abused wife (Melanie Griffith) kills her husband and sets off to Hollywood to make it as an actress carrying her husband's head in a hatbox.
It's part feel good fantasy and civil rights commentary.Melanie still looks young and slim and gives her signature ditzy performance.
it got a six.This is a black comedy with plenty of food for thought....interweaving the drama of prejudice, wife abuse, freedom and the difference between(to quote a line from the film) "justice and being just".....OK....the plot is generally preposterous;but because of good directing and fine acting this is an entertaining picture.The stars that shine are the lead actress, the actors playing her nephew, the sheriff and her chauffeur.
I hope I look as good as that at his age.....and Rod Steiger is the great American ham actor as the judge...definitely worth renting this film from the video shop!.
Melanie Griffith's acting stood out in this film.
She is convincing as a Lucille, a loon from Alabama, who travels to Hollywood to fulfill her dream of becoming a movie star.
While it's not unusual to see actors become directors, I underwent a huge frameshift in seeing Banderas making his huge directorial debut in Crazy in Alabama.
As you might have not known, Antonio Banderas has been acting for quite some time (since 1983) in various movies that even surprised me.
You can quote me on that.Melanie Griffith, as it happens is also in the movie, starring as Lucille.
More than I expected from a "husband directing wife" movie.A little uneven though; the two stories flip-flopped with no apparent tie, even though you knew there would eventually be one; once it came it was not entirely satisfying.
In the meantime, I kept thinking, "this movie is about the kid (peejoe), not about Melanie Griffith, why do they keep interrupting it with her disjointed scenes?"A great cast gives good performances.
I particularly liked the kid, Lucas Black ("Sling Blade"), David Morse...and look for an almost unrecognizable Richard Schiff ("The West Wing") as the limo driver, Norman.Other than the odd blending of the stories, Banderas (director) didn't get in the way at all (this is a compliment).
The plot was fresh and funny; the supporting characters were excellent (particularly David Morse and Lucas Black); the adaptation kept the essence of Mark Childress' book.
"Crazy in Alabama," the directorial debut of Antonio Banderas, tries desperately to live up to its title yet simply emerges as deep-fried Southern malarkey garnished with social significance.
Melanie Griffith, obviously past her darling ingenue stage and heading into the career sunset of doddering, crazy aunt roles, plays the stereotypical Southern lunatic who has decapitated her abusive husband, packed his head in a tupperware container she carries with her in a hatbox and headed off (pardon the pun) to find fame and glory in the spotlight of 1960's Hollywood.
And not all the scenes of phony emotional uplift at the end - a scanning of tear soaked faces at a ludicrous trial, a shot of Griffith, standing through a sun-roof riding off into the sunset, arms raised in a victory salute - can mitigate the tastelessness at the film's core."Crazy in Alabama" simply proves that, for an offbeat film to be successful, an attempt has to be made to blend the disparate elements of plotting and tone into an organic whole.
Melanie Griffith really shined, especially at the end, and Lucas Black was terrific throughout the entire movie.
A movie that is well directed, acted and with a great script.
Great satire and moving, Melanie Griffith gives an excellent performance, Banderas directed with an amazing feeling for emotions and effects.
Melanie Griffith plays a battered wife who snaps and decapatates her abusive husband and heads to Hollywood to become a movie star with his head in a hotbox.
If you're a fan of Antonio or Melanie Griffith see some of their other movies.
Average drama/comedy movie set in U.S. 1960's Alabama Civil Rights Movement.Two main story lines in one movie.Has average all around production.The screenplay could have been better.Only for fans of historical setting comedy/drama road/coartroom movies and big fans of the lead actors.....
I didnt laugh one time and I wasnt moved by the story about the black people, so I would say it's a bad movie.
Actor Antonio Banderas directs his wife, Melanie Griffith, in this off beat black comedy.
This movie is worth seeing just to watch the courtroom scene and the judge at the end.
Melanie Griffith also fares very well in her role as eccentric aunt on the lamb with her husband's decapitated head!!!
The other performances are also very good especially Lukas Black as Griffith's young nephew who is really the main character in the film.
The film's message was a bit too obvious and the courtroom scene in the end was just a vehicle for a soliloquy by Melanie Griffith who was appropriate for the part.
No matter how poor any reviews may be or how this film does at the box office, I applaud that they left out the graphic violence and sex scenes from the book and went with the character development and emotions of the stories.
Crazy in Alabama is a great movie the depicts the changing of the world in the 1960s in the south as well as one woman's adventure and dreams.
This movie is very touching and I believe that Banderas did a good job at directing.
Melanie Griffith, directed here by her husband Antonio Banderas, plays the loony Aunt Lucille, a 1960's-era housewife who murders her abusive husband in order to escape from her oppressive, drab life.
But then it clumsily tries to become a "message film" with a weighty parable about freedom and civil rights, and it draws a parallel between Lucille's cartoonish road trip and the deadly-earnest battle for African-American civil rights which is both ridiculous and patently offensive.Back in Alabama, a stereotypically repulsive and bigoted sheriff (Meat Loaf Aday) beats several black youth who are trying to enter a whites-only pool, accidentally killing one of them.
One reviewer stated that "Crazy in Alabama" is heartwarming because it promises that good will triumph over evil, even if it takes a while-- and it's this naive and simplistic "black-and-white" view of things that is the movie's downfall.
Crazy in Alabama (1999): Dir: Antonio Banderas / Cast: Melanie Griffith, Lucas Black, David Morse, Meatloaf, Cathy Moriarty: Black comedy about unusual behavior divided into two subplots.
Lucille (Melanie Griffith) is fleeing her small town because she just killed her husband and cut off his head.
I feel that the film industry needs to take a little more responsibility than this.When I rented the movie, I started out skeptical about the prospects of a film directed by Antonio Banderas, even more since his wife Melanie Griffith was cast in the lead.
Banderas showed very solid direction, good camera work, excellent period props (great vintage cars), and an attention to detail that was impressive for a first time director.Melanie Griffith was the best I can remember her since `Working Girl'.
But as good as she was, the best performance was from young Lucas Black as Peejoe.
It was a good story with an identity crisis, but most people will have an easy time liking this film..
Melanie Griffith stars (why did she EVER do THAT to her lips!?), followed by a talented, young Lucas Black, and a story full of stars in surprisingly small roles.
Melanie's real-life hubby, Antonio Banderas, directed, and this is where it falls down.
"Crazy in Alabama" is about a woman (Griffith) in 1965 who kills her husband, and takes off. |
tt0476964 | The Brave One | As radio show host Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) and her fiancé David (Naveen Andrews) are walking their dog at night at Stranger's Gate in New York's Central Park, they are attacked by three violent criminals who film the whole attack on their phones. David dies from his injuries, and Erica, while seriously injured, survives. Angry and traumatized, she attempts to purchase a gun. Terrified and unwilling to wait the month required to obtain a gun legally, she buys a Kahr K9 semi-automatic pistol from a black market gun dealer.
When she stops at a convenience store, a man comes in screaming at the female cashier for not allowing him to see his kids, and shoots her. The killer then hears Erica's cell phone ringer, while attempting to clear out the till, and stalks her in the aisles. Just as the killer is about to find her, Erica is overcome with fear and shoots through the aisles and kills him. On another night, two street thugs harass and threaten passengers in a subway car. The passengers all leave at the next stop except Erica. When the thugs, amazed that she was not threatened enough to leave, take it as a challenge and threaten her with a knife, Erica shoots them both dead. Another night, she attempts to save a prostitute by threatening the brutal pimp with her pistol. When he attempts to run them down with his car in retaliation, she shoots him in the head, causing his car to run over the prostitute. The prostitute is injured, but lives, and is taken to the hospital. All the while, Erica attempts to track down the thugs who killed David.
She strikes up a friendship with Detective Sean Mercer (Terrence Howard), who is investigating the vigilante crimes and who is initially unaware of her role in the deaths. Erica, in trying to find out if the detective is close to solving her case, as well as the vigilante killings, pretends to want to interview Mercer. During the interview, the detective asks her how she pulled it back together after her tragedy. She replies that she did not, and she had to become a different person from the one she was before. They talk several times after. Erica's boss gets her to take calls on her radio show to solicit the public's opinion on the vigilante killings. The various responses almost get her to confess to the killings, but once at the police station, she is unable to bring herself to do so. Mercer tells Erica about a criminal he has been pursuing for a long time, who has allegedly committed several murders, but Mercer is unable to bring him to justice.
When Erica kills the suspect that Detective Mercer had long been after, Mercer comes to suspect her as the killer. He attempts to set a trap for Erica by taking her along with him to interview the prostitute she had saved before, but the prostitute does not let on that she knows Erica. When Mercer is finally able to interview one of the subway car passengers, he gets a description of the probable vigilante, and learns that the person is a female rather than male as previously suspected. When the police bring in Erica to identify one of the suspects in her attack, she recognizes one of them, but does not identify him. After, Mercer meets Erica for coffee, during which he hints that he suspects her as the probable vigilante.
Informed by the police that they found her engagement ring at a pawn shop, she manages to hunt down a name, address and phone number at the pawn shop. With the phone number, she is able to track down one of the attacker's ex-girlfriends, who witnessed the whole attack via a video recording on a cellphone, but is too frightened to rat on them, fearing a similar reprisal. However, she forwards the video recording of Erica's attack to Erica's phone. Erica almost breaks down on seeing the video, then forwards it to detective Mercer. Erica, now armed with positive visual identification of all three attackers, is able to track them down.
At the climax of the film, Erica finds and confronts the thugs responsible for David's murder. She kills two, finding and releasing her dog in the process (which they had stolen and kept after the attack) and struggles with the third. Mercer arrives on the scene just as the third attacker had taken the upper hand and disarmed Erica, holding her in a chokehold, and attempts to arrest him. Erica then retrieves her weapon and attempts to execute the thug. Mercer persuades Erica to lower the gun, but after looking into her begging eyes, hands her his own for her to use a legal weapon to kill the last thug. The thug begs to be arrested, instead, insisting that it is Mercer's job to do so, but then Erica kills the thug, and Mercer insists that Erica should wound him (Mercer) to help frame a story which blames the thugs as the vigilante killers. Mercer places Erica's gun in the last thug's dead hand and Erica leaves the scene, eventually being rejoined by her dog in Central Park. | neo noir, realism, murder, violence, flashback, revenge | train | wikipedia | this movie was much better than i had hoped or expected it to be.it basically turns the vigilante genre on its head,and has a female character as the vigilante.like any vigilante movie,it certainly poses tough questions.it contains some terrific performances in it's two lead characters,Jodi Foster as the vigilante,and Terrance Howard as the cop on her trail.both are outstanding and very credible in their respective roles.Foster really makes you sympathetic to her character and rooting for her,even though you probably shouldn't.Howard's character is also sympathetic,because he has mixed feelings,but has to follow the law.he comes off very convincingly as someone who is conflicted.the movie is well paced and appropriately dark.even before the end of the movie,i thought it was well done,but the ending caught me totally off guard.it elevated the movie a notch.for me,The Brave One is a 9/10.
In "The Brave One," Foster plays a radio talk show host, Erica in New York City and is caught up in the illusion of a safe, happy life.
Few actresses can pull off a role like Erica in film today, but Foster stands alone as one of the best character actors's working today.
She decides to avenge him, and other helpless people, with her own hands.If not for Jodie Foster's presence, I probably wouldn't bother watching "The Brave One" (even though I admire most of Neil Jordan's films).
just desperate and cathartic.Far from being a great movie or intellectually instigating as, say, "Dogville", "The Brave One" is worth seeing for Jodie's performance and for its unapologetic badassery in times of false, excessive morality.
Police detective in New York City is befriended by a female talk-radio hostess who makes acerbic/introspective comments on daily life in the Big Apple; her past as the near-fatal victim of murderous street thugs connects in his mind with the current rash of celebrated vigilante killings...but if his hunch is right, will he be able to arrest someone he has come to admire?
Jodie Foster is very capable in the role of this intense, mourning and benumbed woman who isn't quite sure what her feelings are regarding the low-life she kills, yet the character as conceived is tough for us to reach.
How about being attacked and brutally beaten in Central Park by a gang of thugs, then waking up in hospital only to find out that the love of your life has been buried while you were in a three week long coma.The Brave One takes you on a journey of what it means to loose everything, to become a shadow of yourself, propelled by a very strong performance by Jodi Foster as Erica Bain.
Jodie Foster takes the lead here and I enjoyed seeing a woman in the role of vigilante, refusing to be a victim and fighting back.Foster can be a bit much at times but she was perfect for this role setting out on a mission of revenge after a brutal attack (it's really rough) leaves her fiancé dead and 'Erica' unable to move past the tragedy.
Jodie Foster is a bit like the modern version of Barbara Stanwyck or one of those other powerful female stars that took the role of the woman in society into actions and attitudes that had been the male prerogative since time immemorial.
Jodie Foster delivers an Oscar worthy performance in this astoundingly fresh/novel treatment of what, to some, may seem like old themes."The Brave One" is a far cry from the hackneyed "revenge fantasy" flicks that Charles Bronson made (in)famous.On the surface, some of the elements are similar; but once we get past the surface (which Ms Foster and an excellent supporting cast make easy for the viewer) we are transported into the mind, body and soul of Foster's character to a depth that none of the old "Death Wish" movies ever aspired to, let alone achieved.Yes, powerful emotions are evoked and complex, often contradictory thoughts/ideas are provoked; yet somehow, it is all done with a minimum of coarse manipulation.
(If there had been none at all I would have rated this a ten)."The Brave One" manages to pull off that most rare of cinematic achievements/challenges; it works as high art, profound social/political/psychological/ethical commentary AND delivers an exciting/riveting "can't take your eyes off the screen" theater/drama that elevates the experience of "entertainment" to a level far beyond mere diversion.As someone who is anti death penalty and pro gun control I was surprised, and even uncomfortable, finding myself (along with others) applauding at the end of this marvelous movie.Part of me is tempted to write a long commentary discussing the movie in depth; but that would spoil it for anyone who hasn't already seen it.
We're given no real depth aside from 'she had someone she loved, he died, the police don't pursue it, she gets a gun, yada-yada-yada, she gets somewhat but not really involved with the lead detective' into the character, and so were left with something leftover from past movies: the vigilante code of justice, where taking the power in one's own hands is all there is.
But we're never too sure if Erica is sane or not, if the filmmakers take a position one way or another (that is until the end, which is such a stupid message to take anyway, dog included as overbearing metaphor), while making the New York City of today, which has become significantly safer than, say, twenty years ago, look like you'll get knifed or beaten if you go down just the right alley or just sit alone on a subway car.There could even be a somewhat better movie in the midst of all of this- perhaps just in the undercooked subplot with Terence Howard's detective, who is involved in some custody battle of a child that isn't his and a woman who he's not linked to and a step-father who, I don't know what aside from owning parking lots and being a bad dude- but we're left to a script that's both ham-fisted and disjointed with logic.
It doesn't help that Jordon's style with the camera becomes a little more than insufferable: it's called a stedi-cam for a *reason*, not because it can weave in and out.Ironically, the script and direction become very good, or rather work the best they can under the desired circumstances: when looking at the actual beating scene under the bridge, caught between a video-taped point of view by one of the criminals by the regular film cam in a pace that is perfectly disorienting.
And when Erica first comes back on the air to her radio show, and she freezes up trying to do her old shtick, and speaks out a 'from-the-heart' about how afraid she is- this scene, from Foster's performance, to the clear direction and script, is the best scene in the film.
But unlike Death Wish, a movie that held more ambiguity and never held an answer at the end in a revenge scenario, the path of endless violence just heeds to a message, one that won't be news to anyone who's seen a second of Lifetime movie-of-the-week melodrama.The actors make do with what's given, and in the end it becomes much more frustrating trying to stay with the anticipated, the hackneyed plot turns, and the plain old inexplicable (plus the unintentionally hilarious, like a few expletives shouted by Howard after getting shot in one scene), and the temptation to walk out grows stronger and stronger.
"The Brave One" stars veteran actress Jodie Foster as Erica Bain a New York City woman who works as a radio talk show host, and she seems to be happy and have all comfort in her life including a loving relationship with an emergency room doctor.
Also the film is transformed into a revenge story as Erica becomes a gun loving lady that she carries all the time to protect herself, even though good investigative work is provided from Detective Mercer(Terrence Howard).
The movie tells a story of a woman struggling to recover (physically and psychologically) from a brutal attack and finding a reason to live in the revenge; as said, this vigilante drama turns ludicrous for the implausible and unbelievable ending but, aside from that, the story makes sense overall.
Whether it's an intentional career move, there's no denying that Jodie Foster has been gradually transforming herself into a female action star whose characters always start as ordinary women falling victim and then finding their courage to ultimately give the perpetrators their comeuppance.It's the case here, as Foster plays Erica Bain, the host of a weekend radio show who miraculously survives after being beaten to death by some thugs late one night.
The film is not badly directed and not badly interpreted, but the story...How can murder be justified and rewarded with no penalty even after someone suffers the way Jodie Foster's character does?
This film produced by Joel Silver tells about Erica(Jodie Foster) a successful radio host along with her boyfriend(Naveen Andrews) are walking with their dog at Central Park when are attacked by a gang of hoodlums.
Strong performance by a traumatized Jodie Foster driven violence after his fiancé is killed and she's viciously attacked by degenerate punks.The film bears remarkable resemblance to ¨Death Wish¨ series with Paul Kersey-Charles Bronson, of course the acting by Jodie Foster is much better and the story is more intelligent and thoughtful.Atmospheric musical score by Dario Marinelli and good night-time photography on city streets by Philippe Rousselot.
Want a good vigilante flick go on and rent the 3 listed above Deathwish is your best bet for matching the feel of this movie, taxi driver if you can handle a little reality(by the way Jodi foster is one of the lead characters idk if that helps) and boondocks while not as much of a dramatic classic is funny and inventive..
Well there isn't, so don't waste our time.The relationship between Jodie Foster's Erica, the victim vigilante, and Terrence Howard's Mercer, the detective she befriends, is a very interesting one.
In painting the police force as bureaucratic and inept, it elevates our support level for Erica as well.But we have Detective Mercer (Terrence Howard) who gets acquainted with our leading lady, as the two of them exchange thoughts, philosophies and pain through their friendship, providing some light that there are right and wrong, black and white, but there's always that shade of gray which makes it a constant challenge for those on the side of the law to adhere to following the book, because any deviation might mean a chance for legal exploitation, and the perpetrator walks.Foster's role is nothing unique here, as she had been The Accused before, but it's only in this movie that I realize how successfully she projected vulnerability, given her small frame.
Holding his own against the award winning actress, Terrence Howard didn't have much else to do besides the cursory investigations into a supposed serial killer, being the supplemental detective character in a movie that touches on putting matters into your own hands.Enough suspense was built towards the finale although it degenerated almost into some unsatisfying Western high noon shoot out, and the ending is probably the best that could be mustered out of the story, despite its quite obvious stance toward vigilantism.
A very interesting and shocking story about a woman named Erica Bain, a radio host who's life was good until she and her fiancé get mugged and brutally beaten, he dies and she is left badly wounded, as a result of this, she began to seek justice by her own hand.
The intriguing subject of "The Brave one", added with the determination of Jodie Foster to produce and play in the movie, makes me hope of a sort of intelligent and feminine version of "The Punisher", a kind of violent reflexion on vigilantes and auto justice.
Helas, this movie is just a ridiculous plagiary of Bronson's "Death Wish" series, that hides its emptiness and B-Movie style under a boring psychological study.The victim of an aggression that kills her husband but not her dog, Erica (Jodie Foster) becomes a stranger to herself, buys a gun and rapidly transforms herself in a dark avenger at night.
You care about most of the characters and virtually all acting is really nice; especially Jodie Foster as the frustrated anti-hero and Terrence Howard as the detective who is assigned to crack the case.The sinister atmosphere that this movie generates is exactly the same as in the 1976 classic "Taxi driver" but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
"The Brave One" was a huge disappointment, striking me as a poor amalgam of "Death Wish" and "Play Misty For Me." In any event, star Jody Foster is no female equivalent of either Charles Bronson or Clint Eastwood from those films.
We get the obligatory philosophical debate of the morality of killing thugs who deserve it, minus that crucial law step.But mostly, this is a movie that impresses it self most by some impressive performances from its leads and the fact that, despite whatever our opinion is on the vigilante syndrome, there is something pretty darn neat about watching jerks get shot in the face by Jodie Foster.
This is an enjoyable if predictable revenge movie but it is mainly down to Jodie Foster as Erica Bain that it is lifted slightly above mediocre.She is always good to watch and here she manages to portray the vigilante DJ in a convincing yet vulnerable way.Miss Foster is a fine actress and is up there with Cate Blanchett as one of the very best film actresses around today.Terrence Howard is fine as Detective Mercer and the film is tightly directed by Neil Jordan.It was nice to see Mary Steenburgen again as Erica's boss Carol.I haven't seen her for a while and she shows here that she still has plenty to offer.New York is shown to be a pretty bleak place here but that is within the context of this film which has to show just why Erica feels so unsafe.There are some scenes which are predictable and comparisons with 'Death Wish' are inevitable as this movie is quite similar in a lot of ways.It isn't a classic but it is worth a watch thank's mainly to Jodie..
The experience changes her into a Charles Bronson Death Wish type vigilante avenger.After Foster buys a gun more as a feel good type of protection should she need it she has occasion to use it after she witnesses a murder and then kills the murderer.
What director Neil Jordan does to separate this film from others is that he immerses the audience through the psychology and consequences when one decides to take the law into their own hands, rather then focusing on the killing spree and violence of other similar pictures.In "The Brave One," Foster plays a radio talk show host, Erica in New York City and is caught up in the illusion of a safe, happy life.
Few actresses can pull off a role like Erica in film today, but Foster stands alone as one of the best character actors's working today.The film poses controversial questions to the soul rightness of conducting vengeance on those who impart their control and power on others.
Although vigilante justice seems to be justified at film's end, this is definitely a terrific psychological thriller with Jodie Foster and Terrence Mason producing a fine chemistry between the both of them.After her fiancé is murdered during a Central Park mugging where she falls victim as well, Foster becomes a vigilante when she at first turns up at the wrong places, a store where a husband has shot his wife and in a subway car where she is definitely threatened.The best part of all this is that she has her own radio show and speaks out about what is going on.
Erica Bain's (Foster) fiancée dies from a beating and she prowls the streets of NY hoping for revenge.This is a female version of the Death Wish movies which were better in many ways.
The thing that shocked me, though, was that this movie was not boring for a second, everything was down to Earth and you have complete compassion for the characters.Jodie Foster carried this roll so well, it is honestly some of the best acting I have seen in my life.
Erica Bain (Foster's character) is barely out of her coma and back in clothes after the gruesome park beating that has put her in the hospital and killed her fiancé, when she's buying an illegal handgun, and then the opportunities to off bad guys just fall into her lap one after another, with little in between.Nothing much else happens, except that Erica turns successfully from a nostalgic radio chronicler of the vanishing sights and sounds of New York (whose violence as seen in this film people have noticed makes it appear more the 1970's than the 2000's city) into a talk show host discussing how violence transforms people and whether vigilantes are a good idea.
The Brave One moves into some of this territory as it examines a detective, who gets involved with Jodie Foster's character, and with her killings.
The movie has a taut story line and superb piece of acting by Joddie Foster and Terrence Howard (Detective Mercer), who is, by the way, one of the most underrated actors of Hollywood.
This is a movie where criminals and street thugs get more than they bargained for when radio hostess Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) buys a gun and turns into a vigilante after her fiancé was brutally attacked in the New York streets.Foster gave a credible performance as Bain, mixing in drama and her hunger for revenge, but generating sympathy from the audience after the very unfortunate incident her character experiences in the film.
I love this movie and I put it up there on the list of Jodie Foster's most best stand out performances in her film history. |
tt0492956 | The Game Plan | In the last game of the American Football Federation regular season between the Boston Rebels and the New York Dukes, Rebels quarterback Joe Kingman (Dwayne Johnson) scores a touchdown after ignoring an open wide receiver, Travis Sanders (Morris Chestnut). The next morning, an 8-year-old girl named Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis) arrives on Joe's doorstep saying that she is his biological daughter, and that his divorced wife sent her there to meet him. His agent, Stella Peck (Kyra Sedgwick), thinks this will be bad for his image and distracts him with the upcoming playoffs.
At the opening of his own restaurant, Joe leaves without Peyton, and is on the cover of a tabloid the next day. Stella decides Joe needs a new fatherly image. At a later press conference, the reporters make Joe miserable, until Peyton comes to his defense, saying that he is new to this and trying the best he can, and that she thinks he is the best father in the world. Peyton then says that Joe has to repay her, so she has him take her to a ballet academy run by Monique Vasquez (Roselyn Sánchez). Monique has Joe join their ballet performance to show him that ballet takes just as much athletic ability as football. Joe and Peyton begin their relationship after Peyton calls his arrogant and selfish behavior to his attention. Joe takes Peyton and her new friends to the mall where he begins to develop romantic feelings for Vasquez.
The Rebels march through the playoffs via three road games: Denver in the Wild Card round, Indianapolis in the Divisional round and finally Baltimore in the Conference round. They eventually make it to the championship game held in Arizona in a rematch with the New York Dukes. Stella offers Joe a $25 million endorsement deal with Fanny's Burgers, a successful fast food restaurant run by Samuel Blake, Jr. (Robert Torti), if he wins the game and mentions the product to the press. While at lunch with Joe and Monique, Peyton accidentally reveals that her mother does not know that she is with him. She was supposed to go to a ballet school program for the month, but instead she ran away to be with Joe. Peyton then has an allergic reaction to the nuts in the dessert she was eating, and Joe rushes her to the hospital; however, the doctors tell him that the reaction is mild, and his daughter is going to be fine. Joe's former sister-in-law and Peyton's legal guardian, Karen Kelly (Paige Turco), arrives. She announces her intent to take Peyton home and he tries to convince Karen that he wants his daughter to stay. Joe discovers that Sara, his ex-wife and Peyton's mother, was killed in an automobile accident six months earlier, and that Peyton sneaked away on her own. After overhearing Stella explaining that Peyton would be a distraction to Joe, Karen and Peyton return home. Later, while going through Peyton's bag under her bed, Joe finds some photos and reads a letter from Sara, saying that she hid Peyton away from Joe, not wanting Peyton to be a distraction to him. As the championship game begins, Joe's mind is not fully set on the game and he is soon injured.
Joe is surprised to discover that Peyton has arrived with Karen. Understanding Joe's earlier words about how he wants to remain in Peyton's life, Karen decides to let Peyton live with Joe. Near the end of the fourth quarter, Joe passes the ball to the running back, Webber (Brian White), who gains positive yardage but fails to get out of bounds. Joe hurries his team to the line with the clock running, and rushes ahead before being knocked out of bounds. With time for one last play, Joe throws a lob pass to Sanders, who catches the pass, allowing the Rebels to win their first championship. In a post-game interview, Joe declines the Fanny's Burgers offer, insisting that he will be with Peyton. Joe, Peyton, and Monique dance together in Joe's apartment to the song "Burning Love". | comedy | train | wikipedia | It has a very simple yet enjoyable story about a famous football player who's life is all about football, parties, women and his dog apparently a very good life but also a very lonely one when someday a girl appears at his door telling that he is her dad and there's where he must learn how to be a parent and at the same time to live.
The Rock proves that he is more than an action hero, he also can do comedy in a very good way, the little girl Madison Pettis is so cute and his acting is great, she looks very natural.
We were both very impressed with the little actress, Madison Pettis, who played The Rock's daughter, she was incredibly believable and didn't over do her role or was too cute that it made you sick.
The script may not be Oscar material, but it was perfect for a family film and the story while it may not be the most original, still had it's funny and touching moments.Joe is a quarterback on Boston's football team and they are about to go to the championships.
But he ends up gaining something more in the end, a loving daughter to call him "daddy".Like I said, this is a Disney film, don't expect Oscar worthy material, it's just a fun little family flick.
My husband took one look at all the little girls seated in the theater and said, "Did you choose the right movie?" But he laughed from start to finish, as did all the other men in the theater.The story is about a selfish star quarterback who plays for the Boston Rebels NFL team.
In "The Game Plan" after being high-jacked to the mall by his 8 year-old daughter Peyton (adorable Madison Pettis) and her ballerina crew, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Superstar Quarterback Joe Kingman is held captive at a "Make Your Own Doll" shop.
"The Game Plan" works, because of The Rock's undeniable charm, and his natural chemistry with Madison Pettis.Film critic Richard Roeper commented that The Rock has squandered the opportunity of being the next huge action star, with his recent roles.
Madison Pettis does a sterling job as Peyton Kelly, his sassy little daughter.The duo has brilliant on-screen chemistry and Disney has compiled a sure-fire family winner in The Game Plan..
In "The Game Plan," Boston Quarterback Joe Kingman is quite surprised when he suddenly learns that he has a 6 year old daughter from a previous marriage.
I didn't expected much from this movie but it did surprise me.It is very funny , a lot of meanings and emotions, the kid is a fantastic actress,she is really cute and adorable and the rock did a good job.I'm sure you would like to watch it again, it is a good break,it helped me to relax and forget about a lot of stress.you don't expect a lot more from a funny family movie that everybody can enjoy,it is well done so don't worry about the story and just have some good time..
Story line is pretty basic, egotistical self-centered football superstar dealing with the fact that his marriage that ended eight years ago produced a child who takes it upon herself to come and stay with him (unbeknownst to her mother who thinks she is away on ballet camp) Footballer hero has to deal with the realities of parenthood in a hurry and does a damn fine job of it despite a few initial hiccups.
American football team Boston Rebels' star quarterback Joe Kingman (The Rock) has only two loves in his life - Football and Elvis Presley.
But alas one fine day he finds little Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis) at his doorstep, claiming to be his daughter, and thus putting the brakes in his fast life.It's convenient to start weaving woeful family drama and comedy about the complete opposites being struck by Fate to live under the same roof.
When funny doesn't work, it switches gears to cute.However, The Game Plan possesses a certain charm, helped in loads without a doubt by the charisma of Dwayne The Rock Johnson.
In The Game Plan, he rolls all those into one without breaking a sweat, and this movie is almost single-handedly saved from the doldrums by resting itself on his broad muscular shoulders.Gridiron Gang had American Football elements in it, though The Rock now crosses from being the coach to the star player.
There are some heartwarming scenes between her and The Rock, and you'll probably be trying to hold back that teardrop.This is still a star vehicle for Dwayne Johnson, and I hope that he will not ditch his action roles for drama or comedy, given a distinct lack of action movie stars that I humbly think he can fill.
Filled with plenty of Elvis songs (director Andy Fickman is reportedly a fan) that you can hear Johnson serenade with, there are enjoyable moments in The Game Plan, and its predictable Zacherie sweet messages on family, determination and the likes, will no doubt make this movie achieve a decent box office success here.As a fan, I can't wait for his debut in Get Smart, and crossing my fingers he'll be casted in the much rumored production of Shazam!
If you are in search of a great family film, do make a personal game plan to show this movie to your loved ones very soon.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays a professional football player who's a selfish, self-centered macho man that changes his ways when he finds out he's a father.
I also liked the role of Peyton Kelly(Madison Pettis) because it's so cute how she treats The Rock like a father because The Rock does not look like the kind of guy that would have an 8-year-old daughter.
making a youngsters film?"i wasn't completely sure what to expect but after i watched it I really did love the film.a lot of funny parts, the rock and Madison played the whole thing very good.
The little girl, Madison Pettis, plays a great role as the daughter and hopefully she doesn't end up like so many other child actors from the 80's and 90's.
First off i will say its one of the most funny Disney films i ever seen.Secondly its also one of the best of Dwayne ''The Rock'' Johnsons films to date .This movie kept me thinking laughing and kept my attention throughout The movie is very very well put together and very well shot.Great acting, as well as a terrific script.The Rock puts on a great show as well as the cast but whether your a movie fan of his or wrestling this is not one of his films to be missed.Also The DVD has some pretty cool extras.To Me This Is A Buy I Could Def. Watch this afew more times and with the extras makes it a nice little treat.A Very Well done 10/10 from me..
It's really a touching one and very heart warming family movie.I really recommend Game Plan for everyone to watch.
This was a very entertaining and funny movie, I taught the Rock and Madison Pettis had great chemistry and there was nonstop fun.
I hope to see Madison Pettis in more movies ,she is a cute adorable little girl and has such a great persona on the screen.
The Rock is such a huge figure and he did a great job in this family film and showed how loves can change anyone to become a less selfish person..
The Game Plan has learned its lessons well, as it teams up its star, wrestler turned actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, with both a cute child and an animal.
With Peyton's mom away in Africa, Joe has to learn how to be a father for the first time in his life.The Game Plan is total film-making by numbers that plays entirely by our expectations.
The movie stars a perfectly-cast Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a quarterback with a huge ego and a quest for a championship who suddenly has to mature when the daughter he never knew he had suddenly shows up on his doorstep.
Madison Pettis plays little Peyton the eight year old daughter of Joe Kingman the football player, she is a cute kid who sparks the movie.
A very nice family movie that you should watch, Johnson does his play pretty well i really like him as a actor because he can be funny and action remind me of Arnold somehow.
this was a predictable Disney movie, no real plot twists, well a maybe 1 or 2 that I didn't see coming, but I found this to be a very enjoyable movie.Joe "The King" Kingman, a totally self-absorbed star quarterback, discovers he has an 8 year old daughter, and she proceeds to turn his OCD lifestyle upside down.
The Game Plan is a pretty good Disney family comedy for fans of The Rock.
But as the story went on and many entertaining set pieces like The Rock and the girl doing ballet in front of nearly all of his teammates, his singing his idol Elvis' "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" to her, or his teammates with the little girl playing super soaker with him were coming on, I was thoroughly enjoying myself to the point that I was thinking, "Hey, this is not so bad at all!" So on that note, for anyone with families or who just want a good clean comedy, I highly recommended The Game Plan!
It is basically about a football star quaterback Joe King aka "The Rock"(by the way plays a good part in a family movie) who has it all great life until 1 day when a young girl shows up at his home and says you are my father, and he never knew nothing about her even existing never seen her for 8 years and I will leave it at that, I don't want to get to much into the movie ruin for those of you who haven't seen.
Without it that film would be a messy Disney Original movie.Joe Kingman (Johnson) is a star quarterback who has fame and fortune.
However a long lost 7 years old daughter, Peyton enters his life, a product from a brief marriage some years ago.Now the the fun loving and partying Kingman has to adjust to life going to plays, ballet classes and kids tea parties.Its an undoubtedly feel good family film as even his teammates who are seemingly unmarried or without children enjoy Peyton's company and like to poke fun at Kingman wrestling with fatherhood.There are enough stunts in the film such as The Rock doing ballet, having water fights, singing Elvis songs which does enough to raise it from immense cheesiness..
then one day a little girl shows up on his doorstep and claims to be his daughter,,, at first he thinks this is a joke or a Public Relations stunt,, at first he doesn't want anything to do with her because he realizes that his current lifestyle is a thing of the past if her accustations are true, and she really is his dad,, so they talk for awhile,, and through some interrogation,, he finds out that indeed she is his daughter from a previous daughter,, so he has to learn all about the daughter that he didn't know he had,, and he ends up teaching her football , and getting her on the local team..
excellent feel good movie,, even if you don't like sports or the Rock..
From the first minutes of The Game Plan,it's obvious that the movie belongs to the group of bad comedies which show humor at the same level of any sitcom and some cheap sentimentalism for finally being familiar products,when actually,they are cold products created by people who have the intention of attracting enough spectators for winning money.But,in sight that The Game Plan was directed by Andy Fickman (whose previous movie,She's the Man,was a subversive comedy which adapted Shakespeare with a lot of humor and energy),I had,during the first minutes,the hope that the director was going to find some way of rescuing a movie which seemed to be tedious.That was such a big mistake from my part.The Game Plan does not go beyond its tired formula with its humor moments and some life lessons which we have seen on a lot of mediocre movies and TV programmes.I do not particularly hate this kind of movies...I understand this formula attracts kids and their parents and I thank its intention of offering unoffensive humor and which does not try to be pretentiously sophisticated...I am simply tired of this insipid formula.I suppose the fans of Dwayne Johnson will enjoy seeing the ex-wrestler in a sensible character.By my point of view,Johnson is charismatic and I think he can be a good actor with a good screenplay and a director who understands his capacity and limitations.But,under Fickman's mediocre direction,Johnson only shows some of his charisma.Roselyn Sanchez does what she can with her role.The Game Plan is what I was expecting to find:a very crappy comedy..
It's never going to win Oscars, and Dwayne Johnson looks (surprisingly) weak in the emotional acting department at times but this is still an OK kids movie.Nothing to worry about here: no unexpected nasties, just good clean silly fun.It manages to be a nice father-daughter movie, and as we have three daughters that's appreciated.
This movie is not brilliant, nor is it terrible.It's just one of many decent family movies: Entertaining and fun for all ages.The storyline is pretty easy to predict and the movie has all standard elements for a 'buddy'-movie, but watching the though and cool Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson humiliate himself is very funny :) I liked this movie for what it was (a decent, but standard family movie) and I'd recommend it to everyone who wants to view a nice movie with the whole family or grab some popcorn and watch the movie with your partner to forget the everyday stress..
The Game Plan is a very predictable cute and funny movie with The Rock.
However, his very bachelor existence is turned on its head when 8 year old Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis) arrives at his bachelor pad claiming to be his daughter.When watching The Game Plan it reminded me a lot of Big Daddy; a selfish immature adult finds themselves having to look after a child and for the most part the adult does a pretty bad job at being a parent.
The Game Plan is a very funny and enjoyable film made better by two very strong performances by Dwayne Johnson and Madison Pettis.
Only this situation is hilarious enough.Dwayne Johnson and Madison Pettis make a good double and convince in the father-daughter relationship."The Game Plan" is certainly not a film that invents the wheel.
Even Kindergarten Cop is a more worthwhile watch, because at least it was groundbreaking at the time.Famous, self-centered quarterback Joe Kingman (Dwayne Johnson) has to deal with the unwelcome news that he has an eight-year old daughter from his previous marriage, Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis), who suddenly appears at his doorstep.Johnson is great at poking fun at himself, which is crucial for any comedic actor, but with such a lousy script, The Gameplan is emotionally lacking, despite the oddly good reviews and box-office surprise.
We've already had Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vin Diesel doing the daddy-day-care bit - in "Kindergarten Cop" and "The Pacifier," respectively - and now we have Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson making like a wet-nurse in "The Game Plan," a warm-and-fuzzy piece of generic fluff designed to be enjoyed and disposed of in roughly equal measure.Joe Kingman is a professional quarterback with an ego and a paycheck as massive as his ginormous biceps.
I liked the movie, just when it came to getting the DVD of it some is different he changes the channel when the team watching basketball, and a lot of things that when at cinema she was doing "the Rock"is doing in the film on DVD version of it..
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays pro football player Joe Kingman, the star quarterback of the Boston Rebels, who is keen on getting his first championship after years of futile attempts.
things get complicated when a young girl (Madison Pettis) shows up at her door, claiming she's his daughter and will stay for a month with him while Mom's doing humanitarian work in Africa.Basically a plot device to get The Rock to do ballet and make a fool of himself, "The Game Plan" doesn't have anything up its sleeve that would surprise more jaded viewers.
it is really cute to see Americans do films about family and friendship although they seem to be the most violent nation on the planet thank allah we have the world of movies that give hope to all it is still possible we can be friendsthe film is about a successful American football player who does not know he has an 8 years old daughter until one day she suddenly appears at the doorway the rock is a pankratio performer (americans call it "american wrestling") but he sure can act in this sweet family comedy as well as he can in action films.
Then things take off from there, and the Rock's character Joe Kingman is a pro football player looking to win a title, while is daughter Peyton is a ballet dancer.
'The Game Plan' is a funny and touching movie with a great performance by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.he really should consider doing more family movies.He's a natural..
The Game Plan is a rather silly movie about an arrogant football player who learns he has a daughter.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays Joe Kingman, a high profile football player who meets the eight year old daughter he never knew he had.
Basically NFL football quarterback Joe Kingman (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) is a star on the pitch, a single bachelor, and a little self centred with love for Elvis Presley, but more for himself. |
tt2802136 | Home Sweet Hell | Don Champagne (Patrick Wilson) runs a successful furniture business. His wife Mona (Katherine Heigl) has everything planned according to the book of her goals. One day an attractive young woman named Dusty (Jordana Brewster) applies for the job as saleswoman at Don’s store. After consulting with his partner Les (Jim Belushi), Don hires Dusty.
Don is desperate because of his poor sex life with his wife. Shortly, Dusty seduces him and they start having an affair. Later, Dusty shows up at the birthday party of Don and Mona’s son Andrew (Aiden Flowers). She tells Don that she is pregnant and wants to keep the baby. Don is desperate and Les advises him to pay Dusty money.
Meanwhile, it is revealed, that Dusty is actually the abused girlfriend of a criminal named Murphy (A.J. Buckley) and she is lying to Don about the pregnancy. Don offers Dusty $13,000, which she refuses, telling Don that it will not be enough. Don is not sure whether Dusty will keep her mouth shut, and Les advises him to tell Mona the truth before she finds it out from Dusty. Don confesses to Mona and she demands that Don kill Dusty.
Murphy is not satisfied with the amount of money, so Dusty calls Don and demands $25,000. Don agrees, but instead prepares poison for Dusty together with Mona. Dusty shows up to take the money and drinks the poisoned drink. Don and Mona put an unconscious Dusty in the car and take her home. Dusty wakes up, so Mona has to kill her with the hammer. Later she saws Dusty's body into pieces and buries it in the garden, and reveals to Don that Dusty wasn't actually pregnant.
Murphy and his friends, Freeman (Kevin McKidd) and Benji (Heath Freeman), discover Dusty is missing, and suspect that something went wrong and attack Les. Murphy also threatens Don by leaving his son a letter, in which he demands a meeting at a strip club. Don meets Murphy and his gang and convinces them that Dusty went to Dallas. Murphy tells Don that she had his money and threatens to rape his family if he does not pay him $20,000 the next day.
Don and Mona dig out the body of Dusty and go to the place where the gang lives. While Mona is trying to hide body parts in the freezer, Freeman comes home with his girlfriend. Mona mortally wounds Freeman, stabs and kills his girlfriend, and shortly calls the police to report a disturbance at the house. Before dying, Freeman calls Murphy and tells him what happened. Murphy and Benji arrive and find Freeman and his girlfriend dead. Murphy also discovers parts of Dusty in the freezer and realizes he has been set up. Soon the police arrive and find Murphy and Benji at the crime scene. The police shoot Benji, while Murphy escapes. The police decide that Murphy and Benji were responsible for the murders.
While alone, Don asks Mona about the reason that she is cold-blooded, and if it was due to her upbringing. Mona threatens to kill him if he asks her that question again. At a house party the next day, Don finds the neighbor's dog dead in his freezer, and Mona displays very antisocial behavior with their guests. Afraid, Don stages an accident to kill Mona. After her death, Don and his children move to a new house and are seen in the driveway getting into a new car and driving away. The movie ends with Murphy going after their car. The screen turns black and the end credits roll. Two shots are heard followed by a prolonged honk and children's screams, indicating that Murphy had killed Don. | murder | train | wikipedia | It seems, and there's a bit of assuming in this, that 9 out 10 one star ratings come from females and/or families with little ones surprised (upset even) that this film turned out to be a bloody dark comedy.
This film is not supposed to make sense from a detailed perspective, nor is it supposed to be filled with introspective self-aware characters, because that is how all of these people got into this fix in the first place.The first tip-off that this is just a farce is the family name of the protagonist...Don CHAMPAGNE???
She has sex scheduled for Don six times a year, and Don being a healthy guy in his thirties, this is just not enough, but strangely enough he still loves his wife.Enter stage left Dusty, a beautiful girl in her early 20s who answers Don's ad for a saleswoman.
Partial karma for Don not offering his employees insurance, partial karma for not running to the nearest exit on his wedding day to Mona.Don has been a real milquetoast so far, and that is probably part of the reason he and Mona are married, but he does summon the courage to tell Mona that Dusty is pregnant, keeping the baby, and demanding money.
Watch and find out.I'd recommend this one because it is a pretty well made dark comedy with lots of plot twists and turns.
In spite of the subject matter there is practically nothing in the way of explicit violence although there is plenty in the way of implication, such as when Mona comes in from the garage after dismembering Dusty wearing only her underwear and covered in blood.
My friend Bryan recommended that I watch Home Sweet Hell, thinking that I would enjoy it.
This movie is a twisted little black comedy about a man who cheats on his frigid, OCD wife with a woman he hires to work in his furniture store...a woman he believes is sincerely sweet and genuinely interested in him as a man.
That is as close as I can get to sharing spoilers, aside from the fact that anyone who saw the trailers for the movie is already aware that the wife informs her unfaithful spouse that the only solution is for him to kill the woman he had been having the affair with...so that part should be no surprise.
Patrick Wilson manages to succeed in coming across as the bumbling, panic prone, jackass of a husband without any difficulty, but the true star of this movie is Katherine Heigl.
I like this sort of movie though, this sort of dark humor is just my kind of thing...though I tend to prefer things that go a little bit more perverse and a bit darker in my comedy, this one manages to satisfy..
Home Sweet Hell is basically a dark comedy.It's not a comedy per se because it has jokes or funny situations.
It gives the proper tone especially when the movie take its dark turn.The direction is OK I guess but nothing to write home about it.The plot soon becomes evident, but there are some twists even after the final credits start to roll.Jim (not James!) Belushi is here too.
Don Champagne (Patrick Wilson) seems to live the American Dream; he has a successful family business selling furniture; he lives in a comfortable house in the suburbs; he has the perfect wife Mona Champagne (Katherine Heigl) and the perfect children Allison (Madison Wolfe) and Andrew (Aiden Flowers).
When Don hires the gorgeous saleswoman Dusty (Jordana Brewster) to work with his salesman Les (Jim Belushi), they have a torrid love affair.
Without any way out, Don discloses his affair with Dusty to Mona and she tells that he must kill Dusty to protect their family.
But what they do not know is that Dusty is a swindler and lover of a dangerous gangster and his gang wants to take money from the Champagne family."Home Sweet Hell" is a very dark joke with the American Dream.
I enjoyed watching it in parts, but frankly I am disappointed for this potential theme was misused for ineffectual narration.Looks like inspired by 'Serial Mom'.
When a little, strange but a happy family who are living by the storybook of their own was threatened by the dark side of the life, they are ready to jump into the hell to save it.
Nice Dark comedy ,, the drama overpowered the comedy in a few parts of the movie but the whole thing worked out just okay with a bit of unexpected thrill..
Loved the story since i'v seen the trailer but the movie started just a little bit slow like they've needed 35 minutes to build up to the main plot of a 80 minutes movie !!
well after that it peaked to the level i expected, As i thought they would give a little unpredictable surprise to make it look different than what they revealed in the trailer, Well there were a bunch of them,,The last 20 minutes had A Boom Boom.
and it surprisingly got thrilling in a way , i gotta be honest thou the Dark Comedy side seemed to be overpowered by the Drama one in some minutes,, Apart from the dorky innocent tense comic acting (which i sorta liked) by "Patrick Wilson" i didn't see any :P but again that was the whole idea and it worked out nicely after the middle of the movie ...
maybe it was just me because i really wanted to watch a pure comedy movie ;)The cast is nice ,, i love "Katherine Heigl" i mean she's so HOT and yeah talented too ;D, her role here didn't give her more of her funny side but she engaged well in the character ...
"Patrick Wilson" also did a good job, the appearance of "James Belushi" was also cool ;)Overall the movie worked out just fine,, and it was enjoyable on an bit above average..
From everything I have heard about Katherine Heigle in the news this seems like the perfect part for her.
It is a dark comedy of an unhappy, sex-deprived husband and his control freak wife that made the whole plot full of twist and turns with sex, drugs and murder not suitable for young children.
This film tells the story of a furniture salesman who seems to have the perfect suburban life.
He has an affair with an employee, and his life and his wife goes awfully wrong.I thought "Home Sweet Hell" was a romantic comedy, but it turns out it's actually a new hybrid of romantic comedy slasher!
Katherine Heigl plays an obsessional turns psychopathic wife, breaking her run as the new queen of romantic comedy.
The whole film is quite funny, despite some gruesome scenes not typically in a romantic comedy.
Overall, I enjoyed watching "Home Sweet Hell"..
I like a good dark comedy, in fact 'VERY BAD THINGS (1998)' and 'HEATHERS (1988)' are some of my favorite movies.Other dark comedy favorites include 'THE BIG WHITE (2005)', 'JUST BURIED (2007)' and 'THE LAST SUPPER (1995)', heck I even enjoyed Patrick Wilson's previous dark comedy 'LET'S KILL WARD'S WIFE (2014)'.But THIS 'HOME SWEET HELL (2015)' simply isn't very good...
In fact it's pretty poor.Starts out reasonable enough but once things start getting 'dark' it simply lacks bite and just pile on with clichés.There's really not a whole lot more to say about it, I guess it's cool that Katherine Heigl plays a different role than usual but she really got nothing on Cameron Diaz when it comes to playing the crazy wife role.Nice to see A.J. Buckley in a movie though, too bad it wasn't a particularly good one.I like Patrick Wilson but he can't save this, and Don Champagne has got to be one of the worst character-names in recent years..
I had fun watching this movie, I didn't read anything about it so it was all a surprise to me.
it s not the best movie of all time and i don't know why, but i cant find anything bad about it.
Just like in an action movie where the star gets punched kicked shot at, and makes a car do things that are just impossible, suspend belief for 90 minutes and allow yourself to be entertained.
'Home Sweet Hell' is the epitome of a film that will never be watched by the mainstream.
We're introduced to a professional couple (Patrick Wilson and Katherine Heigl) - he is a weak-willed, spineless excuse of a man who is desperate to have an affair with anything in a skirt.
And, as I mentioned, when he finally gets 'lucky' enough to have an affair with an attractive employee, you know it's never going to end well.
Let's just say that what follows is a twisted tale of blackmail, murder and double-crossing.Now, those are traits you may expect from the film's villains (of which there are also the 'traditional' type who come in the form of a pair of meth-heads).
However, the fact that those we're supposed to root for, i.e. Wilson and Heigl, also display those - ahem - 'admirable little traits, mean these are hardly your regular 'heroes.' Some may claim that they could be called 'anti-heroes,' however they do little to earn this label, as they're hardly fighting the forces of darkness for the good of mankind, merely to save their own skins (and reputations!).
James Belushi is a nice guy in the story, but he's just an additional character who we never really get to know.Now, please don't think I'm coming across as 'harsh' on this film - I actually quite liked it!
HOME SWEET HELL is yet another movie that doesn't live up to its trailer.
You have Katherine Heigl playing to her strengths as a cold, manipulative (insert preferred derogatory term for females) who is wife to one of the most weak-minded, ineffectual husbands ever put to film (played by Patrick Wilson).
To the film's credit, I did enjoy the performances by Patrick Wilson and Katherine Heigl.
Overall, HOME SWEET HELL has a few good moments but still manages to squander a rather cool concept and the talents of its cast..
pretty funny and you are getting into the film...then boom she takes up a level and you have yourself a really sexy dark comedy with twists and direction changes that keep you on your toes all the while with some great comedy lines in there.Katherine Heigl's performance would warrant a 10..
Katherine Heigl takes her knifes again, but this time not for curing a patient - like she did in Grey's anatomy few years ago - but for a totally different reason.
This movie is a black comedy with a little bit of a drama, soft (very soft) porn and crime.
Overall Home Sweet Hell is the perfect choice for Katherine's Heigl fans, because her performance as a psycho wife is perfect.
To cut a long story short, it's about a successful business man who cheats on his wife with the new shop assistant who gets pregnant for him.
Katherine Heigl plays the psychopathic wife who has there life in order and doesn't want to spoil her perfect suburban family values.
Enjoyable!Round-Up: Katherine Heigl usually stars in romantic comedy, like Knocked Up, The Ugly Truth and Life As We Know It but in this movie she isn't playing the sweet and innocent person who is gullible and struggling to find love.
For once, she has everything that she wants out of life and she won't let anyone come and destroy her perfect little world.
Patrick Wilson was like a little puppy dog all the way through the film, doing exactly what his owner was telling him to do but you can see that there is something in the back of his mind that is telling him that his wife is totally nuts.
Anyway, I'm sure that people will find something to laugh about in this movie but it might be another film that goes under the radar because it didn't blow up at the box office.I recommend this movie to people who are into their comedy/drama/thrillers about a perfect couple whose life's completely change when the husband has an affair with a work colleague.
Although the Good Acting and Energetic Directing make for some Moments of Demented Anti-Suburban Pleasure.Katherine Heigl and Patrick Wilson are a "Happily" Married Couple.
Mona Champagne (Katherine Heigl) likes her life the way it is with everything on her schedule and she has a schedule for everything.
Enter sales girl Dusty (Jordana Brewster) who has an affair with Don. Mona catches on and has murder in her eyes.
Love making is out unless it is on Mona's schedule and we see Don masturbating in one scene that really wasn't necessary but Hollywood is all about filming these things because it can.
Getting back to "Not so" we find that Mona has serious plans to do away with Dusty to insure her perfect world doesn't crumble.
It seems like the movie never really finished as there was one more thing left hanging, but either the Director forgot about that last loose end or he wanted it that way and for us to make up our own ending.
Who knows?In some ways, this could have been a good comedy, but it became serious along the way and I was disappointed.
So if you watch this movie and you don't like how it goes, you should know it won't get any better.
Katherine Heigl was , i mean still is cute , and her history of film making branches like producing and performing proves the aforesaid subject, but in a point of view she is finished , since Knocked Up and further roles she had after that , i think she accepted her ego as to be repeated times and times and her scheme of planning to have better roles is about to go into deep sh#t , now this crap Home Sweet whatever is rolling into deep Sh#t , no new story line is there and the performances are all abhorrent , still if you consider clichés and repetitions to make a movie , you have to put better ideas and give the picture some dinky visage , but u know ?
Home Sweet Hell is a strange but charming movie.
Home Sweet Hell definitely has its moments but it doesn't make a good movie.
;o) ), which in itself looked like a dream sequence, but wasn't meant to be that way or maybe I was just overwhelmed like our main character was too, the movie kicks into a different kind of gear.
But, don't bother watching the spoiler--I mean the "trailer"--for this movie.
Seriously there is nothing funny in this movie and the dark bits are just gross and poorly made.
Worst part of the movie is the chopping of Ms. Brewster by Ms. Heigl.
Don Champagne (Patrick Wilson) appears to live the ideal life, at least the ideal life his wife Mona (Katherine Heigl) desires.
Don hires major league babe Dusty (Jordana Brewster - I need to watch D.E.B.S. again.) who throws herself at him causing blackmail complications that can only have the expected final solution.
"There is ever only my way."Yes. this is another quirky housewife psycho killer film, most of which were a bit better, which is not to say this wasn't entertaining.
Don is a man who is used to his boring life, his wife who makes a schedule for everything , even the days they can have sex.
The pros in this film are: Katherine Heigle who plays the nuts role perfectly, the music is not excellent but fits well, and the humorous lines of Mona.
Katherine Heigl is cast as Mona Champagne, a ball-breaking wife who denies her husband sex unless she has scheduled coitus on her calendar.
Patrick Wilson is simply brilliant as Heigl's milquetoast husband Don Champagne who runs a furniture store.
Everything is done with a wink and "Home Sweet Hell" lives up to its title and is a drastic change of pace for Heigl.
If you are a Heigl fan, you don't want to miss "Home Sweet Hell.".
VIEWS ON FILM review of Home Sweet Hell.
In the tradition of 1998's Very Bad Things comes a black comedy that defies good taste, or a sense of decency, or even a flask of flat-out humility.
Home Sweet Hell is said featurette and it has Katherine Heigl playing Mona Champagne, the impossible wife.
He hires a knockout associate (Dusty played by Jordana Brewster) and eventually has a torrid affair with her (Donny boy isn't getting enough sex at home, the horror).
You know something has gone afoul when well known movie stars team up with a director who doesn't have so much as one other film making credit to his dossier (2010's Skateland).
In the arena of acting, Patrick Wilson has played similar characters before (Little Children comes to mind).
I will say that I did enjoy the acting - as acting.I started watching what I thought could be a sexual farce, and it was fairly good, however - for me, that ended about three quarters of the way through this - whatever.May I say, that others are very welcome to view the film, and enjoy it all you want.Like I said, about three quarters of the way through, it went from peaches and cream with a little lemon tossed in for flavor, but when it turned - it turned sour for me.
Life As We Know It is the last decent Katherine Heigl film I have seen.
I actually like Katherine Heigl in this black comedy role as a more demented version of a Stepford Desperate Housewife.
Jordanna Brewster is skinny and comically sexy as his mistress who blackmails him.This suburban tale of infidelity and murder is a funny black comedy that has some good moments especially between husband and wife. |
tt1155056 | I Love You, Man | The movie begins with Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) pulling into an abandoned property with his girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones). He tells her about his plans for this place and says that if he lands his next client, a huge movie star, he will be able to afford all that as well as their reception. She looks at him, puzzled, until he gets down on one knee and proposes. Zooey happily accepts, and spends their entire drive home calling her girl friends on speakerphone. Since they dont know that Peter can hear them, they begin to spill all the details about the relationship that Zooey has told them over the months. Peter is embarrassed, but just bears with it.When they arrive at their home, Zooey asks Peter if he wants to give anyone a call. He tells her his parents are probably sleeping, so he can just let them know tomorrow. When she clarifies, saying that she meant any guy friends, he tells her he doesnt really have any. This is further explained at dinner with Peters parents the next night. We learn that Peter has always had a girlfriend, and he always put them first. As a result, all of his guy friends ended up bailing. His father begins to joke about it saying that even Peters gay younger brother Robbie has never had as much trouble making friends. His father takes it a step further, saying that Robbie is one of his two best friends. The other being a childhood buddy he still calls all the time.The next day at work, we see that Peter gets along really well with all the women of the office, but when he goes to talk to Tevin, one of his co-workers, he becomes really annoyed. Tevin keeps telling Peter that he doesnt know how to market himself, that hes too boring, and hell never sell houses with traditional advertising. Tevin talks boastfully about putting his face on buses and urinal cakes, effectively weirding Peter out.Later with his fencing partners, he finds that they dont really consider him a friend because hes never made an effort to hang out with any of them outside of the gym. Still, Peter is not truly bothered by his lack of male friends until he gets home early and overhears Zooeys friends talking about how strange he is. Theyre concerned that the wedding party will be unbalanced and they all say that guys without friends are too clingy, and that its weird that Peters best friend is his mom.Knowing that he must make a change, Peter sets out on a series of man dates to find his Best Man. He learns the term from Robbie, who manages to make a married, straight man flirt with him in less than 5 minutes. The rules of the man date are a casual lunch or drinks after work, but NEVER dinner. Peter learns the reason for this rule the hard way as he goes out for dinner with a very amiable man his mother introduced to him, only to be surprised with an intense, all-out kiss at the end of the night. Robbies date for Peter is one of his gym clients, a soccer fan who has a very high-pitched voice. The date ends in disaster when the man tries to get the crowd to cheer but ends up getting them boo-ed by everyone else.Zooey sets Peter up with her friends husband, Barry, and his poker friends. Barry is VERY reluctant to let Peter join them, and acts like a total a**hole the entire time. He jokes about Peter not knowing how to play poker, then just when hes thought hes won, we find out that Peters hand beat his. They have a drinking contest and Peter wins, but since hes not used to drinking so much, he throws up all over Barry and gets kicked out. Finally, Peter goes to meet a man from the internet, only to find that the man used an old photo and is much older.Disappointed by all the date disasters, Peters just about given up when he hosts an open house for his client and meets Sidney Fife (Jason Segal), a very blunt and friendly guy. Peter is, of course, awkward at first, but the two begin chatting freely when Peter points out that Sidney is the only person whos eaten the sandwiches and Sidney compliments Peter on his panini choice. At the end of the conversation, Sidney admits that hes only at the open house to check out women, and that he has no intention of purchasing the house. They exchange business cards anyway before going their separate ways.Weeks later, Peter is going through a bit of a slump. The clients house isnt selling, and Tevin wants in on the property, but doing so would mean that Peter wont get enough money to buy the land he wanted. He holds off, and after awkwardly practicing for a few minutes, gets the nerve to call Sidney up. He ends up leaving a very convoluted message, but Sidney calls him back anyway. They go to Venice Beach and Sidney tells Peter that he never picks up after his dog and shows him how to really yell to let go of stress. They have a great time together, and it isnt long before the two are hanging out all the time. They put on jam sessions at Sidneys and even go hiking with some of Sidneys old friends.Meanwhile, Zooey is worried about Peter spending so much time with Sidney because Peter has started ditching their weekly HBO nights to hang out with him. Peter invites Sidney to their engagement dinner. They try to set Sidney up with one of Zooeys friends, but she is giggly and sporadic the entire time, and Sidney is completely uninterested. At the end of the dinner, Sidney makes a toast praising Peter and suggesting that Zooey pleasure Peter more often. The drive home is awkward and silent, with Peter finally coming out and admitting that he told Sidney about the lack of oral sex. They discuss it, and Zooey tells him that shes not against it. In fact, she enjoys it, but her last boyfriend didnt, and thats why she avoids it. Peter tells Zooey not to be angry at Sidney because if it werent for his toast, this topic never would have come up. She agrees, and they make up. Zooey thinks that her friend got along very well with Sidney and that they should go out on a group date, so Peter agrees, even though he knows that Sidney hates going on these kind of dates.Peter sets up a golf date for them, and although Sidney agrees to go, the day ends in disaster, with Peter and Zooey returning home angrily. Later, Sidney calls Peter up and tells them that Rush, their favorite band, is putting on a show tonight. Peter is about to decline, saying that its HBO night, but Sidney convinces him to go. Peter brings Zooey, but ignores her the entire night, choosing instead to air-rock with Sidney. Zooey is visibly confused and upset with her fiancés behavior.Peter takes Sidney with him to buy the tux for the wedding, and although Sidney wants Peter to wear a blue suit, Peter doesnt know if he can pull it off. Sidney asks Peter how their relationship is, and Peter admits that its been rocky lately. Sidney then asks Peter why hes marrying Zooey, and Peter cant come up with an answer. Sidney also asks Peter for a loan of $8000 for an investment project. Peter is reluctant, but agrees. As they are about to leave the store, the man who kissed Peter on one of the "man dates" earlier comes up to them and tells Peter off. After explaining everything to Sidney, Peter asks him to be his Best Man. Sidney is honored and gives Peter a huge hug just as the man walks by again. Later, Sidney and Peter are walking along when they see Peters client talking with Tevin. An enraged Sidney runs up to them and begins taunting the client, whos buff enough to wrestle Sidney and puts him in a sleeper hold. Peter apologizes profusely before leaving, but is unsure of whether or not he still has the client.That night, Zooey and Peter have a fight when Zooey finds out about the loan to Sidney. Peter asks Zooey why they are getting married, and she tells him that until he figures it out, shes going to go stay with her best friend. Unsure of what to do, Peter goes to Sidneys to break off the friendship. On the way, however, he spots some outrageous billboards. All of them have Peter in ridiculous poses, mostly spoofing movies and whatnot. Peter realizes that this was Sidneys doing, and becomes increasingly embarrassed as he drives. Once he arrives at Sidneys house, he tells Sidney that they were really using each other for ulterior motives - Peter to find a best man in time for the wedding, and Sidney because all his high school friends were moving on, and Sidney was afraid of not having anyone to hang out with anymore. Peter is outraged about the billboards and says that Sidney basically ruined his life. Peter then tells Sidney that he knows why he wants to marry Zooey. Its because one of the best nights of his life was spent with Zooey. They ate a summer salad, had some wine, and watched Chocolat together. Sidney doesnt want to accept this and keeps arguing with Peter, but finally they go their separate ways.Next, Peter goes to apologize to Zooey. He admits that he was wrong and tells her that he still wants to marry her. He also tells her that hes broken up the friendship with Sidney, so she wont have to worry about it anymore. When he returns to work, however, he realizes that the billboards were a hit! He has tons of messages, all from people responding positively to the unique advertisements.At the wedding, Zooeys bridesmaids look outside to see who Peter ended up choosing for his groomsmen. We see that he picked his brother, his father, his client, and all the men he went on man dates with earlier in the movie. Everyone agrees that theyve never seen such a random group of men, and they share a laugh, happy that Peter managed to get some friends. When everyone heads inside, however, Zooey looks outside and she catches a desolate Peter staring out at the ocean and air-rocking with himself. Cut to Sidney on his moped. He sees a call from the hotel where Peters having the wedding, and he says that hes surprised to be getting this call. Sidney is being re-invited to the wedding! He says he might not be able to make it, but when the camera pans out, we see that Sidney is already on the way, fully decked out in a tux. Meanwhile, everyone is standing at the alter, ready for the ceremony to begin, but since Sidney isnt there yet, Peter asks his brother to hold the ring, a gesture Robbie appreciates deeply. They share a hug, and their dad agrees that both of his sons are his best friends.Just as the pastor begins the ceremony, Sidney arrives on his moped. Peter is surprised, and we learn that it was Zooey who called Sidney. She wanted him to be there for Peter because it was so hard for Peter to make friends and after all, Sidney was a good guy. Sidney goes up to the front and gives Peter a check for the billboards, repaying him in full. Peter admits that the billboards really worked, and Sidney says itll be their wedding gift. He takes his place in line, and the couple is happily wedded. Peter and Sidney jam out on the stage as the credits roll. | bleak, comedy, boring, feel-good | train | imdb | Eventually, after a number of faltering attempts, Kevin alights on Sydney (Jason Segel), a mucho macho bundle of testosterone who, like a latter-day Henry Higgins to Kevin's Eliza Doolittle, instructs the awkward lad on the fine art of "being a man." But as with any good teacher/pupil relationship, each side winds up learning a little something from the other before it's all over.A straight man far more comfortable in the company of women than of men, Kevin emerges as the ultimate metrosexual figure: fastidious in demeanor, sensitive to the needs of others, and courteous to a fault (he even admits to liking "The Devil Wears Prada" in a moment of unguarded weakness).
That being said, the performances are all first-rate, with Rudd and Segel playing to their respective strengths - Rudd's of the tongue-tied, self-effacing Mr. Nice Guy who needs lessons in "manning up," and Segel's of the refreshingly blunt but socially indelicate Man/Child who clearly needs to do some growing up.There's additional excellent work from J.K. Simmons, Jamie Pressly, Sarah Burns and Rob Huebel, among others.It's also a bit of a casting coup to get both Jane Curtin from the first generation of SNL players and Andy Samberg from the current one together in the same film.
A Nutshell Review: I Love You, Man. I Love You, Man is a delightful film not just for its brand of humour which worked almost all the time, nor because it stars the bunch of contemporary jokers who have taken Hollywood by storm, but because it had a meaningful story to tell, and has translated that key insight of friendships and relationships for the big screen effortlessly, wrapping up some deep, intrinsic behavioural observation deceptively behind a curtain of laughter.Like the 40 Year Old Virgin in its quest for a woman to get laid with to pop his cherry, this film works on the reverse in its protagonist's quest for a male friend, since Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) has no problems with female friendship as he's the quintessential ladies man, only that he's about to marry his fiancé Zooey (Rashida Jones).
They have some of the best lines and insane moments in the film, and poor Jon has got to suffer two verbal abuses (for you to watch and find out).Many of us who have remembered Jason Segel's comical turn in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and here he cuts his Sydney Fife both ways, one an alpha male type who seems way cool with his frat boy sensibilities, which is actually a facade for a lonely life he leads in his garage where he can be the man he actually is.
As a comedy, this film hit plenty of right spots in eliciting laughter from the audience, with funny lines that do work, and carefully crafted characters in Peter (with his nonsensical one- liner conversation endings, and nicknames), and Sydney being quite multi-dimensional.
And what's a film like this about man-friends without that dose of fanboy-dom in it, with the Incredible Hulk Lou Ferrigno playing himself in a very short supporting role, and many other film references thrown in for good measure too?I Love You, Man is an excellent story on friendship, and what makes friendship tick.
It's a delightful comedy that will make you laugh throughout and brighten your day.Whether it be the great buddy chemistry between the leads, or the simply hysterical supporting cast, I found myself loving this movie.
Like director John Hamburg's previous effort, 'Along Came Polly', the movie is incredibly likable because it relies on the awkward humor that Paul Rudd does pretty much perfectly, playing off the happy-go-lucky humor of Jason Segel.Rudd is likable and reliable as usual in a role showcasing the best of his abilities (I really can't say how happy I am that he's finally getting leading roles), and unlike in 'Role Models', he's the undisputed lead here.
It's the foundation of characters played by Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressly, and Andy Samberg that completes the movie and makes it worth watching (because, let's face it, the movie wouldn't be that great if Rudd and Segel just sat around bro-ing out for 2 hours).
After a few disastrous "man dates," he runs into Sydney (Jason Segel), a fun loving guy with a lot of advice on how to break loose and have fun.The best thing about this movie is that everything unfolds naturally.
As the gay brother who is on hand to give advice about "man dating," Andy Samberg is far less irritating and obnoxious than he was in the utterly awful "Hot Rod," which is near the top of my list of one of the worst movies ever made.John Hamburg is making a comedy, and like the best ones, he lets everything flow naturally.
Every once in a while,I'm relieved to say,you do run across a film that decides to mine the margins of these love stories to make a movie.I submit to you I Love You Man,made with the sensibility--and at least two members of the stable of actors--of a Judd Apatow/Greg Mottola film,and VERY appreciated.Peter Klaven(Paul Rudd,the nicest,most likable mensch in movies and TV today,with a punum you could just....)is a reasonably successful Real Estate agent in Southern California whose engagement to Zoe(Rashida Jones,the girlfriend from Heaven)couldn't be going better.
The phrase 'hilarity ensues' is overused but,in these instances,they apply.Then walks into an open house Sidney Fife(Jason Segel,physically the same from Forgetting Sarah Marshall,but character-wise a near one-eighty),an investment broker whose own,self-actualized sense of zen and bro-supreme self-sufficiency hits it off perfectly with Peter,balancing the groom-to-be's pleasant but feminine recessive qualities.Featuring a supporting cast that doesn't try to stand out but still does: Curtin,Samber,J.K.Simmons(as Peter's dad),Tom Lennon(as a potential guy friend "suitor"),Sarah Burns(as one of Zoe's more pathetic friends),Jaime Pressly(as Zoe's perpetually angry married friend),Jon Favreau(as Pressly's dickish husband)and Lou Ferrigno(as...well,Lou Ferrigno),this film has a delightful time bringing to screen a "love" story angle that is as fresh,real and relatively ignored in most movies starring(pick any two of the following):Matthew McConaughey,Kate Hudson,Sandra Bullock,Meg Ryan,Hugh Grant,Ryan Reynolds,Renee Zellweger,Richard Gere or Reese Witherspoon.
Not quite as good as Superbed, better than Forrgetting Sara Marshall and about on par with Tropic thunder, leads Paul Rudd and Jason Segel anchor director John Hamburg's film so securely it adds a complete additional layer of heart and gravitas to material that could have been executed disastrously.With both Rudd and Segel in recent years we have seen they can carry a movie, having starred as leads in Role Models and Forgetting Sara Marshall (which Rudd also starred in) respectively and uniting them as co-leads works fantastically.
The duo score massive laughs together and apart and a fantastic supporting cast highlights all the talent involved marvelously.Rudd stars as Peter Klaven a freshly engaged real-estate agent who has always been more of a girls-man then a best buddy guy.
The two hit it off and a bromance is born, but the bond puts a strain on his engagement to Zooey (a lovely and delightful Rashida Jones) and more hilarity ensues.As I mentioned Rudd and Segel are given oodles to work with by way of a supporting cast including Andy Samburg (who has evolved by leaps and bounds since Hot Rod) as Peter's gay brother, John Favreau as a disgusting family acquaintance, J.K. Simmons as Peter's father, and The Hulk, Lou Ferrigno as himself.
I honestly don't know why (maybe I was in a bad mood), but the second time I watched it I had to keep pausing it so I could laugh and it's been like that ever since.Paul Rudd and Jason Segal together are a match made in heaven.
The movie somewhat held my interest for the first part when Paul Rudd is struggling to find a best friend, but as soon as he meets Jason Segal - when you think it will get good - it derails.
Romantic comedies from a male perspective have worked very well in the past (I maintain that 'When Harry Met Sally' is such a movie and not a so called chick flick and 'High Fidelity' is as equally good) so the story of a man due to be wed but without a friend to call a Best Man did draw my interest.The subject does actually have some depth, making friends when already an adult isn't as easy as it once was and we get a few scenes of so called 'man dates' where Peter's innocent intentions are misconstrued as romantic advances and so on.
But the film requires drama, you're constantly waiting for it and when complications do arrive, its all some-what anti-climatic.There's some great support with an under used Jon Favreau (I wish I'd watch Swingers again instead!), a handful of funny scenes (the poker table) and an admirable job from Jason Segel but ultimately, 'I Love You, Man' will make you feel as though a better film could so easily come from the same subject matter.
I enjoyed my time watching it and laughed quite a bit, but if you're looking for the funniest movie of the year, this isn't it.Although the cast is great, you don't get to see enough of hilarious people like John Favreau and Jaime Pressly.
'I love you, man' is another in a string of light-hearted comedies that find the humor in these situations.Rudd plays Peter Klaven, an young Realtor in LA who at the beginning of the film gets engaged to his girlfriend (played by Rashida Jones who you'll probably recognize from 'The Office' or 'Parks and Recreation').
But truth be told it's not even this that makes I Love You, Man so funny.Rudd and Siegel are simply funny guys, but naturally so; there's a new trend to put a somewhat straight face on gross out gags in these movies, Apatow or its spin-off groups (one can equate it to the good rip-offs of Tarantino in the 90s to a certain extent), and it works very well here.
While it definitely is a buddy movie, there is enough of a romantic element and relationship humor to make it acceptable as a date movie for couples that have been together long enough to know each other's quirks.Paul Rudd and Jason Segel both turn in above average performances and mesh well together, and Rashida Jones does fairly well considering it seems that she has not deviated much from her acting chops on "The Office".
It manages this through the main characters being likable in the most part as well as having plenty of pretty funny asides or episodes based on plot or character, which are again delivered well by a cast containing endless faces that will be familiar to anyone who watches US comedy on even a semi-regular basis.I'm not sure that Paul Rudd is close to being an all-round leading man type of actor but certainly this type of film (like some of his other recent turns) plays to his strengths.
With Paul Rudd's impeccable comic timing and genuinely convincing take on his character (which, like the rest of the characters here, is really not brought to life by the writing all that well), it had me in stitches.I don't want to take too much credit away from the screenwriters because this is a (very) funny and enjoyable comedy, but I do have to mention that where "I Love You, Man" falls short of the standard for Apatow productions (and although it's hard to believe this is not one) is in the characterizations.
I do suspect it's all a cunning plot to bring back Lou Ferrigno jokes, but the cast pull even THAT off (that includes Ferrigno himself).The entire movie falls apart just a bit when we get to the inevitable wedding scene, but it's not enough to really undo the movie (which almost veers into "*insert crappy lowbrow maudlin sentimentality-laden wedding comedy here*" territory before quickly recovering), and while "I Love You, Man" only provides a few truly uproarious laughs it is a consistently amusing movie which kept me and the audience I was with giggling and laughing throughout, and Hamburg as director gets the comic timing absolutely right, much like Segel and Rudd do.
Jon Favreau holds up well though.Jason Segel is good in it, but doesn't have the great material he got to write for himself in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.Paul Rudd I expected better from, but again I would say its more the scripts fault.
Because you can best appreciate it if you know all the other films and TV that fed into it."Apatow" is a rule of thumb term: different writers and directors are involved, but Judd produced '40 Year Old Virgin,' 'Knocked Up,' 'Superbad,' 'Walk Hard,' 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall,' and 'Pineapple Express.' (I forgot 'Drillbit Taylor'; it might be best to do so.) It's funny, the fertile ground all these popular movies seems to come from is two TV series that basically flopped, or at least they were canceled after 17 or 18 episodes: 'Freaks and Geeks' and 'Undeclared.' Viewers of these will know Jason Segel as an embarrassingly obsessive boyfriend; and then he got practically a whole movie to himself in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall,' as a boyfriend who can't--forget his girlfriend, that is.I don't really think any of these movies are better than 'Freaks and Geeks' or 'Undelcared,' which were about high-schoolers and first-year college kids, respectively.
He's super cool, for Peter Kleven, Paul Rudd's character, because he's available for "bromance," defined in The Urban Dictionary as "the complicated love and affection shared by two straight males." Peter's getting married, it's time to find a best man and he realizes he has dated women and not spent much time with guys.
This is a great thing.Paul Rudd is the ideal avatar for modern comedy, a nearly perfect average of every character type; droll and sarcastic but not a jerk, awkward and self-deprecating but not a loser, comfortably profane but without seeming like something's missing when he's not swearing, good looking but not insultingly so, and with a line delivery and comic timing that hits every bullseye a script offers him.
Enter the supernaturally easygoing Sydney, played by Jason Segel doing the exact opposite of his depressed, high- strung Forgetting Sarah Marshall character, and we watch their friendship bloom.Peter and Zooey's romance is a constant, not really focused on, with the movie as a whole being a twist on the generic romantic comedy, refocusing all the tropes of the genre - the cute initial meeting, the tentative bonding, the blissful montage, the tearful fight, the joyous reunion, and so on - from romance to platonic male friendship.
It's like they made a big list of the things I hate about 97% of romantic comedies and carefully didn't do any of them.I hate to sound like a gushing Paul Rudd fanboy, but I have embarrassingly little critique to offer to I Love You, Man. It's a very slight movie with a featherweight narrative, there's nothing deep or remotely innovative about the experience and it won't inspire any knockoffs because there's nothing identifiably unique about it to knock off, but it hits all the right notes, never lags, and has a superb cast that to a man (and woman) know their way around a punchline.
When he finds the perfect guy friend, the relationship between Peter and his fiancée are tested.I Love You, Man stars Paul Rudd, Jason Siegel and Rashida Jones, with some side characters acted by J.K Simmons, Andy Samberg, John Favreau and Jaime Pressly.
So the cast is great, the storyline is great as far as comedies go, so the only thing left is the screenplay, and my God is it funny.Paul Rudd gives a brilliant performance as an awkward, innocent man and then when he comes out of his shell he's hilarious.
Thankfully director John Hamburg has two extremely gifted comics who not only know how time a gag perfectly but who can also embody characters who you can actually believe in at the same time; here Paul Rudd and Jason Segel share some great scenes together that are hilarious (many of which come as a result of Rudd's unbearably bumbling and awkward nature contrasted against Segel's straight-guy persona) but most of all, tangible; I Love You, Man is a very funny movie, but it also makes no sacrifice—at least until the final five minutes—to any of the characters' integrity or believability.As far as the romantic subplot of the movie goes which involves Rudd preparing to marry his fiancé played by Rashida Jones (The Office) whilst at the same time trying to sell off Lou Ferrigno's (The Hulk) condo—who, by the way, has some great scenes alongside both Rudd and Segel—being that much of the focus is drawn away from this element, it doesn't work as well as you might expect.
Paul Rudd, alum of several Judd Apatow movies such as Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin, stars as Peter Klaven who, mere weeks away from his wedding to Zooey (Rashida Jones of "The Office" fame), realizes that he has no male friends.
Though none of them got nearly as much screen time as the three main actors, they all had their moments and did a great job with their characters, which were quirky but believable.Like any good comedy, I Love You, Man had a script that had both laughs and heart.
This was a funny comedy about "desperate times call for desperate measures." Paul Rudd is a Realtor who gets engaged and then realizes he has no close male friends to serve as his best man.
While I do admit that I will watch just about anything starring either Jason Segel or Paul Rudd, and I'm sure that contributes to my love for this movie, that isn't the only reason.
Jason Segel and Paul Rudd make a great comedy duo, and I hope they make more movies together in the future. |
tt0258463 | The Bourne Identity | In the Mediterranean Sea, Italian fishermen rescue an unconscious American (Matt Damon) floating adrift with two gunshot wounds in his back. They tend to his wounds, and when the man wakes, they find he suffers from dissociative amnesia. He has no memory of his own identity, while he retains his speech and finds himself capable of advanced combat skills and fluency in several languages. The skipper finds a tiny laser projector under the man's hip that, when activated, gives a number of a safe deposit box in Zürich. Upon landing in Imperia (Italy), the man heads to the bank in Switzerland to investigate the deposit box. He finds it contains a large sum of money in various currencies, numerous passports and identity cards with his picture on all of them, and a handgun. The man takes everything but the gun, and leaves, opting to use the name on the American passport, Jason Bourne.
After Bourne's departure, a bank employee contacts Operation Treadstone, a CIA black ops program. Treadstone's head, Alexander Conklin (Chris Cooper), activates three agents to take down Bourne: Castel (Nicky Naude), Manheim (Russell Levy), and the Professor (Clive Owen), while also issuing alerts to local police to capture him. Meanwhile, CIA Deputy Director Ward Abbott (Brian Cox) contacts Conklin about a failed assassination attempt against exiled African dictator Nykwana Wombosi (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). Conklin promises Abbott that he will deal with the Treadstone agent who failed.
Bourne attempts to evade the Swiss police by using his U.S. passport to enter the American consulate, but he is discovered by guards. He evades capture, and escapes the consulate, giving a German woman, Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente), $20,000 to drive him to an address in Paris listed on his French driving license. At the address, an apartment, he hits redial on the phone and reaches a hotel. He inquires about the names on his passports there, learning that a "John Michael Kane" had been registered but died two weeks prior in a car crash. Castel ambushes Bourne and Marie in the apartment, but Bourne gets the upper hand. Instead of allowing himself to be interrogated, Castel throws himself out a window to his death. Marie finds wanted posters of Bourne and herself, and after agonizing, agrees to continue to help Bourne. After a chase in which Bourne evades Paris police in Marie's car, the two fugitives spend the night together in a Paris hotel.
Meanwhile, Wombosi continues to obsess over the attempt on his life. Conklin, having anticipated this, planted a body in the Paris morgue to appear as the assailant, but Wombosi is not fooled and threatens to report this and other CIA secrets to the media. The Professor assassinates Wombosi on Conklin's orders. Bourne, posing as Kane, learns about Wombosi's yacht, and that the assailant had been shot twice in the back during the escape, just as he was. Bourne now considers himself to have been the assailant. He and Marie take refuge at the French countryside home of her old friend Eamon (Tim Dutton) and his children. Under pressure from Abbott to tie off the Wombosi matter entirely, Conklin tracks Bourne's location and sends the Professor there, but Bourne shoots him twice with Eamon's shotgun, mortally wounding him. The Professor reveals their shared connection to Treadstone before dying. Bourne sends Marie, Eamon, and Eamon's children away for their protection, and then contacts Conklin via the Professor's phone to arrange a meeting. From a rooftop near the arranged location in Paris, Bourne sees Conklin has brought backup, so he abandons the meeting, but uses the opportunity to place a tracking device on Conklin's car, leading Bourne to Treadstone's safe house.
Bourne breaks in and holds Conklin and logistics technician Nicolette "Nicky" Parsons (Julia Stiles) at gunpoint. When Conklin begins pressing him to remember his past, Bourne recalls his attempt to assassinate Wombosi through successive flashbacks. As Kane, and working under orders from Treadstone, Bourne infiltrated Wombosi's yacht but could not bring himself to kill Wombosi while Wombosi's children were present, and instead fled, being shot during his escape. Bourne announces he is resigning from Treadstone and is not to be followed. As agents descend on the safe house, Bourne fights his way free. When Conklin leaves the safe house, he encounters Manheim who kills him under Abbott's orders. Abbott then shuts down Treadstone.
Abbott reports to an oversight committee that Treadstone is "all but decommissioned" before discussion turns to a new project codenamed "Blackbriar". In the final scene, Bourne finds Marie renting out scooters to tourists on Mykonos, and the two reunite. | mystery, action, murder, boring, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0044685 | Hans Christian Andersen | In the 1830s, in the small Danish town of Odense, cobbler Hans Christian Andersen spends his day spinning fairy tales for the village children, teaching them lessons about pride, humility, love and growing up through his fanciful characters. One day, the stern schoolmaster, who believes Hans is wasting his pupils' precious time, implores the Burgomaster and councilmen to curtail the cobbler's habit of distracting the students with his storytelling, but even the adult citizens easily become a rapt audience for Hans' fables. Hans finally agrees to stop distracting the children and returns to his shop, where his teenage assistant, the orphan Peter, begs him to stop causing trouble. However, later that day Hans is drawn back to the schoolhouse to see the children. As he hears the schoolchildren drone mathematical phrases, he compares an inchworm's myopic measuring of beautiful blossoms to the schoolmaster's blindness to beauty and creativity. On yet another day, when the children do not arrive at the sound of the school bell, the schoolmaster deduces that Hans is again distracting his pupils. When the schoolmaster then demands that the Burgomaster and the councilmen choose between him and the cobbler, they decide that Hans must leave Odense. Peter, who has witnessed the verdict, returns to the shop and secretly tries to save his friend from the shame of being exiled by eagerly suggesting Hans travel to Copenhagen. After much prodding, Peter succeeds in convincing Hans to leave that afternoon by reminding him that he will be the envy of the town for having been the first to visit the famous city. Soon after Hans begins his journey, Peter joins him on the trail, bringing all the shop's tools to start their business anew.
After a sea voyage, the pair arrive at the city's harbor and find their way to the Great Square of Copenhagen, which is filled with vendors selling flowers, pots and pans and fresh foods. When Hans sets up shop and introduces himself to the crowd while standing on a statue of the king, police arrest him for defaming the image of their leader. Peter, who has sought refuge from the police by hiding near the back entrance of the Royal Theatre, overhears choreographer Niels demand that a company producer send for a cobbler and asks them to free his friend, a cobbler, from jail. Meanwhile, Hans sees a lonely young girl outside his jail cell window and offers to introduce her to his companion. By drawing on his thumb, Hans creates a puppet he calls "Thumbelina" and brings a smile to the girl's face. Soon after, Hans is bailed out of jail by the theater company and taken to the theater where he becomes entranced by the beauty and talent of a Royal Danish Ballet dress rehearsal. When Niels ridicules lead ballerina Doro's performance, she in turn complains that her shoes need adjusting. Doro gives the slippers to Hans, who is immediately smitten with the ballerina. After Hans leaves, Peter learns that Niels and Doro are a happily married couple, despite their theatrical quarrels. When Hans returns, Niels is equating his wife's performance with an "elephant in the snow drift," prompting Doro to break into tears. After learning that the couple is married, Hans fantasizes that he can save Doro from her horrible fate with "the cruel" Niels.
Later, when Peter explains that the couple is actually in love, Hans resists the idea and writes a love letter to Doro in the form of a fable called "The Little Mermaid," in which he tells her that she has chosen the wrong man. That night while Peter surreptitiously reads the letter, a gust of wind whisks it from his hands and carries it into the theater through an open window, where a stage doorman finds it and delivers it to Doro. The next morning, Peter tells Hans that Doro has the letter, but Hans is unconcerned, believing that Doro's possession of the letter is a good omen. The next day, the entire ballet company sets off on their annual tour, leaving Hans bereft, but he soon finds comfort entertaining a new group of children with his stories. One day, Lars, a sad boy with a shaved head, remains behind after the other children tease him. Hans tells him the story of an ugly duckling who is ostracized by his peers until the ice melts at winter's end, and he sees his reflection in the lake and finds he has become a handsome swan. When not with the children, Hans counts the days by making pair after pair of brightly colored satin slippers for his absent ballerina and dreaming of her love. One day, Hans receives an invitation from the Gazette newspaper office, where Lars's father, the publisher, thanks Hans for helping his son overcome his difficulties and offers to publish "The Ugly Duckling" in the newspaper. Overjoyed by the news, Hans asks that his credit be changed from "Hans, the cobbler" to "Hans Christian Andersen" and runs down the street singing his full name with pride.
That evening, when the ballet company returns, Doro tells Hans that they have created a ballet based on his story "The Little Mermaid," which Hans believes is a sign of her love for him. The next evening, Peter tells Hans about the councilmen's verdict and warns Hans that Doro will humiliate him as well. Disappointed by his friend's attitude, Hans suggests that they part ways and leaves for the opening of the new ballet. When Hans tries to deliver Doro's slippers backstage, Niels locks the insistent writer in a closet to prevent him from disrupting the performers. While Hans listens to the music and dreams of his story, the performance opens on stage. In the ballet, mermaids float in the ocean, while a ship carrying a handsome prince sinks to the mermaids' garden at the bottom of the sea. The littlest mermaid helps the unconscious man to the surface, saving his life. Having fallen in love with the prince, she seeks the help of the sea witches, who transform the mermaid into a woman, so she might find the prince on land. She arrives at the palace during a masquerade ball and dances with the prince, but his attentions are for another. Heartbroken, the mermaid returns to the sea.
The morning after the ballet, Doro sends for Hans and discovers that he is in love with her and has misunderstood her relationship with Niels. Niels inadvertently interrupts their conversation and insults Hans by offering to pay him for "The Little Mermaid." To save face, Hans refuses Niels's offer and claims that his writing was a fluke. Doro knowingly accepts the slippers Hans made for her and graciously allows him to leave. On the road to Odense, Hans meets Peter and renews their friendship. Upon reaching town, Hans is greeted as a celebrity and regales the citizens, including the schoolmaster, with his now famous moral tales. | romantic, fantasy, storytelling | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0079470 | Life of Brian | Brian Cohen is born in a stable next door to the one in which Jesus is born, which initially confuses the three wise men who come to praise the future King of the Jews. Brian grows up an idealistic young man who resents the continuing Roman occupation of Judea. While attending Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Brian becomes infatuated with an attractive young rebel, Judith. His desire for her and hatred for the Romans lead him to join the "People's Front of Judea", one of many fractious and bickering independence movements, who spend more time fighting each other than the Romans.
After several misadventures, and escaping from Pontius Pilate, Brian winds up in a line-up of would-be mystics and prophets who harangue the passing crowd in a plaza. Forced to come up with something plausible in order to blend in and keep the guards off his back, Brian repeats some of what he had heard Jesus say, and quickly attracts a small but intrigued audience. Once the guards have left, Brian tries to put the episode behind him, but he has unintentionally inspired a movement. He grows frantic when he finds that some people have started to follow him around, with even the slightest unusual occurrence being hailed as a miracle. Their responses grow in fervor and intensity, making it harder and harder for him to get away from them, yet because of the mob's excitement over the 'miracles' they discover, they ultimately end up completely ignoring Brian himself. Judith is the only one that doesn't leave; Brian and Judith then spend the night together. In the morning, Brian, completely naked, opens the curtains to discover an enormous crowd outside his mother's house which proclaims him to be the Messiah. Brian's mother protests, telling the crowd that "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy" and, "There's no Messiah in here. There's a mess, all right, but no Messiah." All of her attempts at dispersing the crowd are rebuffed. Furthermore, once Brian addresses them, he also finds that he is unable to change their minds. His followers are completely committed to their beliefs in and of Brian's divinity. They immediately seize upon everything he says and does as points of doctrine.
The hapless Brian is unable to escape his unwanted 'disciples'; even his mother's house is surrounded by an enormous, enraptured crowd. They fling their afflicted bodies at him, demanding miracle cures and divine secrets. After sneaking out the back, Brian is then finally captured and scheduled to be crucified. Meanwhile, yet another huge crowd has assembled outside the palace. Pontius Pilate (together with the visiting Biggus Dickus) tries to quell the feeling of revolution by granting them the choice of one person to be pardoned. The crowd, however, shouts out names containing the letter "r", mocking Pilate's rhotacistic speech impediment. Eventually, Judith appears in the crowd and calls for the release of Brian, which the crowd echoes since the name also contains an "r". Pilate agrees to "welease Bwian".
His order is eventually relayed to the guards, but in a scene that parodies the climax of the film Spartacus, various crucified people all claim to be "Brian of Nazareth" and the wrong man is released. Various other opportunities for a reprieve for Brian are denied as, one by one, his "allies" (including Judith and his mother) step forward to explain why they are leaving the "noble freedom fighter" hanging in the hot sun. Hope is renewed when a crack suicide squad from the "Judean People's Front" (not to be confused with the People's Front of Judea) come charging towards the Romans, but rather than fighting to release Brian or the other prisoners, they commit mass suicide as a political protest. Condemned to a long and painful death, Brian finds his spirits lifted by his fellow sufferers, who break into song with "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." | comedy, avant garde, whimsical, cult, psychedelic, absurd, satire, humor, entertaining | train | wikipedia | A firework of hilarious sketches, timeless quotes and clever comments on the human condition, this film was deemed too dangerous for the masses and therefore, until recently, banned in several countries (normally, this only used to happen to the so called "Video Nasties").This film never once makes fun of Jesus (Christ) - but it DOES take the mickey out of blind, fanatic followers of any political movement or religion.An outstanding achievement and endlessly re-watchable.
And in the 1979th year of Our Lord, God took in a screening of Monty Python's "Life Of Brian," and thought it was funny.
He, too, thought it was a hilarious film, and immediately sang the praises of the Monty Python troupe---John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam & Michael Palin---for creating such a wonderful spoof.
Get a life!But God gave Monty Python's "Life Of Brian" the power to overcome such ridiculous adversity, and today, well over two decades later, the film is rightfully regarded as a comedy classic, and one of the Python's finest works.
If you're in tune with the Python's style of zany comedy, you'll enjoy "Life Of Brian."And praise be to Saint George Harrison, late of The Beatles, for lending the Pythons a hand in making this wonderful movie.
Jesus is not criticised, but the film's central message seems to be; be in the right place at the right time and even a man called Brian can become God. Almost the last line is from Eric Idle saying; "you come from nothing and go back to nothing" which doesn't suggest that the man on the mount at the beginning is a divinity, no matter whether he's talking sense or not.Most importantly though, LoB is refreshingly satirical.
This is also what makes LoB such an incredibly funny film to watch; but put it this way despite what Rowan Atkinson may have once said I'd be very surprised if the Python's weren't expecting the Spanish Inquisition.That shouldn't put you off, though.
It's not a great FILM comedy - Terry Jones is no Gilliam - but the style suits the humour perfectly, allowing it to breathe, and sometimes pulling off an extraordinarily evocative shot, such as when Brian and his mother are walking from Jesus' sermon, and squabbling about petty things like big noses, and the camera pulls back to a vast Judean wasteland, with a massive Roman statue being wheeled, and a set of crucifixes being planted: a marvellous encapsulation of a period in history.This is the film's true triumph - it's a magnificent deconstruction of historical distortion.
Its resolute rejection of divinity leads to a bleak, ironic conclusion (listen to 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life' carefully, and in context: it's NOT comforting) - the story of Jesus without redemption is ghastly.The intelligence behind the juvenile gags is astonishing - the film is a learned commentary on power, totalitarianism, repression, language, gender, the writing of history, the politics of subversion, the complicity of the repressed.
Jokes like these are why BRIAN will always remain vital - it turns you into a ludicrous, ill-informed amateur historian.The acting is an astonishing feat of multiple performances, but Graham Chapman, always my favorite Python, holds the chaos together, ironically as the Kafkaesque hero who races towards the abyss, an anti-Jesus to love and identify with.
It ranks as one of my favorite films of all time, which unlike 'The Holy Grail', hasn't dated with time but improves with repeated viewing.The Pythons supposed take on Christianity, which caused outrage when it was first released (mostly by people who hadn't seen it), is actually a take on cults, both religious and political, and the people who follow them.Brian, our hapless hero, is confused, horny, and constantly mistaken for the Messiah; who just happened to be born in the manger next to him.
Unless, of course, you are very Christian yourself, in that case you will probably feel that the film is blasphemous(I don't personally think so, since it makes fun of the followers and the general stupidity of people and organizations back in 30-something A.D., rather than Jesus and his teachings).
Christian "believers" can probably laugh at it too, like I said, it's not the religion itself, it's more the brainwashed followers that the film makes fun of.
Monty Python's follow-up to their cult smash Holy Grail was Life of Brian, a film that takes on (if not always with the utmost seriousness, then usually with a mix of silliness and slight intellectualism) the believers in religions, the zealous nature that belief brings out in people.
It's not without it's scenes that stick out as some of Python's finest (the Stoning, Pilate's scenes, the Spaceship sequence), even as sometimes it goes a little too broad for comfort (part of the colisseum).Yet, the great strengths that lie in Life of Brian are that 1) the writers and performers (Chapman, Cleese, Gilliam, Jones, Idle, Palin) bring their irreverent strengths to a fine point with the script and multiple roles.
The characters are hilarious, and out-of-this world zany.The plot is good, and contrary to the Holy Grail, it actually comes to a satisfying conclusion.The movie also dares to joke about religion.
Hell, many comedy fans would even say that I was being blasphemous, but here goes...Life Of Brian isn't THAT funny!There, I've said iteven after multiple viewings, I still find the Life of Brian, Monty Python's tale of an ordinary man who is mistaken for the Messiah, to be rather disappointing as far as belly laughs are concerned.Sure, it's a very quotable film, the sets and cinematography look great, and it certainly has a lot of valid things to say about the stupidity of religion and it's followers (who are, let's face it, often pretty stupid!), but I honestly feel that much of the movie's comedy just doesn't work, and actually feels rather laboured.
I mean, is a speech impediment really THAT hilarious?I'm not saying that I am not amused by any of the Python's silliness: there are definitely laughs to be had, particularly at some of the more absurd moments (after all, who can keep a straight face at the phrase 'wolf's nipples'?), but, with the complete adoration that Life of Brian receives from it's fans (particularly from students), anyone would think it was the second coming.5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb..
Brian joins the Peoples' Front of Judea, one of several dozen separatist groups who actually do nothing .Irreverent and often sidesplitting satire of Jesus Christ movies that will probably offend some catholics , including many Political and Social comments .
Though the movie has been directed by Terry Jones only, to avoid the frictions and conflicts there were in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Terry Gilliam directed at least two scenes: the very first one, with the arrival of the Wise Men and the Nativity, and the abduction of Brian by the aliens, as explained in the commentary.Lively Original Music by Geoffrey Burgon , including jolly final song sung by Eric Idle .
The British comedy troupe Monty Python had always been on the edge of controversy ever since their show "Flying Circus" appeared on the BBC in the late 1960s, but nothing had prepared the world for what Life of Brian had brought.
Life of Brian is filled with questions of the role of religion in society, why people often feel they need religion, and the age old question of "What would happen if the 3 wise men went to the wrong stable on that night they brought gifts to the young savior?" There is typical Python silliness throughout the movie, set up early where listeners at one of Jesus' sermons (held at "tea time," of course) think they hear that "blessed are the cheese makers." But the most important part of this film, and it's charm, are the questions of religion.
While not wall-to-wall as funny as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian is a humorous look at civilization's oldest and dearest institutions, and asks us to consider what we are doing..
British humor is the best, though, and this film is a clear and vivid example of the finest the Python gang had to offer.The single most hilarious moment is when Brian shouts to the crowd that they're all individuals.
This is Pythons second movie and just as good as the first although i prefer holy grail (which is why this got a 9) Very funny stuff this is about Brian who was born in the stable next to Jesus Christ.
We used to joke that this was the story of my life because my name is Brian, but i am not as funny as the boysfrom Monty Python.
It will always be remembered for the controversy but when you watch it it is basically a collection of sketches and comedy characters rolling one after the other with many of them well-known and full of memorable and funny dialogue.That it isn't just a collection of sketches held together (like some of their other films) is down to how good the story is.
The incredible Monty Python cast delivers this in their typical sketch humor manner, though this film has much more continuity than 1975's "Holy Grail."Brian Cohen was born the same day as Jesus, but Jesus is separated from the film early on, so the film becomes about how Brian finds himself looking for something to believe in and eventual finds people strangely believing he is the messiah.
While the film will still has the distinct look and feel of a Monty Python work, it doesn't go from hilarious scene to hilarious scene as one might expect if they've only seen "Grail." There's a lot of clever humor, but "Brian" is not nearly as out of the box as you'd like.
Everyone who has a little sense of humor should find at least some parts funny.I'd recommend watching this movie when you just want to have some fun with your friend for example.After all these jokes just don't get old at all.The role of Brian basically is a man who was born in the same moment in the house next to Jesus.And from there his life goes on and gets funnier every second.Brian just always is in the wrong place in the wrong moment.He has such bad luck on his journey,which makes it really fun to for example getting followed by many religious people that thought he was telling story's about god.The end also is a really fun experience.I rate the movie 8/10 because it's really funny but definitely not perfect.There are no mistakes but also nothing to stunning..
Coming from the Monty Python group, Life of Brian is classic British comedy at its best - perhaps one of the most intellectual comedies made.
All the gags and sequences could appear a bit juvenile to those not familiar with the Monty python style of comedy , but the movie is indeed a laugh riot and the makers live up to their earlier hit Monty Python and the Holy Grail with downright clever satirical wit and commentary on totalitarianism, history, politics and most importantly religion.
People shouldn't over intellectualise this film.It is extremely funny, indeed it is funniest if you are a Christian, as I am, because it is about Brian not Jesus.It is a satire about Jewish society AD 30 and in many ways its good to see satire which shows that people of any time are capable of being daft.
'Life of Brian' is Monty Python's film about Brian, a man in the old days who gets mistaken for being Jesus Christ.
Even the most depressed people in the universe will feel happy again once they've seen this incredibly funny movie.Now, a short message to those intimidated by the fact that Life of Brian was banned in some countries (though eventually released after a few years) for its supposed "blasphemy": there is nothing blasphemous in this film.
It's an enjoyable satire on everyday life, both Jewish and Roman (or Woman, as Michael Palin would say), in 33 AD Judea.The movie has so many memorable gags and characters it's impossible to list all of them: my personal favorites are Pontius Pilate (Michael Palin) with his speaking defect (see the Woman part) and his friend Biggus Dickus (Chapman again), the PFJ led by John Cleese's Reg, and of course the immortal ending, which I won't and can't reveal, but I assure you: rarely has a comedy had such a brilliant, original conclusion.
Story says that after the enormous success of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", a reporter asked the comedy troupe about their next film project.
"Life of Brian" shows the Python style of comedy completely adapted to a cleverly written and well structured narrative that, with their usual mix of witty satire and surreal nonsense, showcases their ideas about organized religions as well as the other social themes (government and other political satire for example) they tend to use.
Contrary to what could be thought, the structured narrative enhances the comedy instead of limit it, and makes for a more focused piece of work.Python member Terry Jones takes again the director's seat (without Terry Gilliam this time), and makes the Python's masterpiece come to life, remaining true to its roots without sacrificing the film's structure.
That said, this movie is probably the easiest to "get" as it lacks the surreal randomness of "Holy Grail" or the darkness of the sketches in "Meaning of Life", making it the ideal introduction to Python's humor.
I can't write about "Life of Brian" without talking about the "controversies" it met after released, as it was accused of being blasphemous and disrespectful to God. While the film is indeed irreverent, it is in no way an attack to God, it is more a satire on the way some religious people follow their leaders blindly without really thinking about it.
There is nothing blasphemous in the movie, and it is more humanist than irreligious.Monty Python's style has proved to be one of the most influential in the history of British comedy, and personally I think that "Life of Brian" is the crowning achievement of their career.
Zany, irreverent and wild, "Life of Brian" can stand proudly as the Python's movie masterpiece, and while sadly they only made one film after this, it's always better to look on the bright side of life and see it as the testament of their genius.
Although this movie is made mostly for laughs, I think the Python comedy troupe recognized what opportunities the genre afforded them, and used it to their advantage as a way to inspire people to be better.
This British comedy film starring the Monty Python players is a gentle religious satire considered controversial at the time of its release, drawing accusations of blasphemy, and protests from some religious groups.
The difference is of course nobody remembers Brian of Nazareth but now his story can be told.The movie is full of hilarious characters, misunderstood comments and the very surreal and zany humor that the Pythons were known for.
While I enjoy many of Monty Python's skits and love the Holy Grail, this film just didn't do it for me.
His decision to repel the Romans turned out to be a big adventure."Monty Python's Life of Brian" is so funny that I laughed out loud so many times.
Of course, like any Monty Python film, there are scenes that are so absurd you can't help but laugh.
The movie follows his life from beginning to end, and it is littered will hilarious moments and characters.A triumph from the Monty Python crew, but if you don't like Python comedy, leave it alone.10/10 also watch the Holy Grail, and the Meaning of Life.
I think The Life of Brian is the best movie I have seen.
The 1st movie, "Holy Grail" looked like a series of sketches, every scene was for itself, which is not a bad thing of course.Life of Brian is a fully "head-on" movie, and it is marvelous.
The Life of Brian is the second installment of the Monty Python films.
Life of Brian is a fantastic movie with a surprisingly different and extremely risky storyline from the Monty Python crew and the six main cast members do a terrific job with all the wacky characters they play.Its without a doubt one of my favourite comedies,there's very few parts in this movie that don't make me laugh.The Holy Grail is Monty Python's best work,but Life of Brian is very close.I love all the hilarious random scenes,like when Brian falls into a alien spaceship,and it stuff like this that is reason why I love Monty Python,and 'Always Look On the Bright Side of Life' is one of my favourite movie songs of all time,it always cheers me up if i'm in a bad mood.Fans of Monty Python won't be disappointed by Life of Brian.Revolves around the life of Brian (Graham Chapman),a boy who was born the same night as Jesus Christ in a nearby stable and is mistaken for being the real messiah..
Many people believe the Pythons are some of the best comedy films ever made, I on the other hand do not.
Monty Python's Life Of Brian is without a shadow of a doubt the Funniest film ever made and there is a arguement that this could also be the greatest film ever , comedy or not.
Life of Brian may have caused controversy on release, but this has always been my personal favourite of the Monty Python movies.
Next to Holy Grail, this is definitely the best Monty Python movie and one of the best satire/parodies ever filmed.
It is truly unmissable.The Monty Python team are at their best in the story of Brian, born within a few feet and a few minutes of Jesus his life mirrors that of the messiah.
Actually, this is Monty Python's only film in the sense that it, unlike "Holy Grail" and "Meaning of Life", has a continuous story and persistent characters. |
tt0089913 | Revolution | Opening scene is a yelling, rioting mob in a heavy rain shower in New York City. They are tearing down a statue of the King of England. Tom Dobb and his teenage son Ned are sailing into the harbor in a small boat, carrying furs. An expensive carriage can barely get through the crowds. Inside the carriage are a wealthy mother, Mrs. McConnahay, and her daughters, who are young women. A man tosses several pages of paper into the carriage window shouting, "The Declaration of Independence!" One of the daughters, Daisy, begins to read it, but her angry mother takes it away and wads it up, telling Daisy to ignore the "scum" in the streets.
As Tom pulls his boat up to the dock, the mob, including Daisy, who has joined them, demand he give them the boat and cargo. Tom and Ned resist, but the mob storms aboard, seizing the boat and furs. He is given a 'note' for the boat, but now he and his son are homeless and without money or any possessions.As Tom goes into a big hall full of yelling, angry men to find out about his boat, he tells Ned to wait outside. Inside, a man on a balcony tells the crowd that all the money has gone to war, but the crowd is furious, all of them waving notes for their seized possessions. The man tells them that Mr. McConnahay, a wealthy man standing beside him, will pay them back. When Tom goes back outside, he discovers that his son has signed up with the United States Continental Army in exchange for five shillings and a promise of land at the end of the war. Tom argues with the recruiter, offering the money back and begging him not to take his son, who is the last of his family, but the recruiters will not let Ned out of military service, so Tom is forced to join the Army as well, to stay with his son and protect him. Tom and Ned get their guns and provisions and are immediately loaded on one of many boats full of soldiers. None of them wear uniforms, but just wear their own clothes. The crowd on the dock wave them off, cheering and yelling, "Liberty!"Daisy volunteers for the Patriots' cause by bringing supplies to a battlefield medical tent, and she is needed to assist a surgeon cutting off a woman's leg with a saw, while the woman screams. All around the tents are vast fields of yellow flowering weeds. Daisy walks through the tall weeds, looking for soldiers to feed. She finds Tom and Ned lying in the fields, gives them food, and draws close to Tom as she asks him what the battle was like. Tom tells her that the battle was beneath the Brooklyn Heights, that they never saw the enemy, but were torn apart by their cannons and they lost the battle. Daisy cries because she is so moved emotionally that Tom would fight for the cause of freedom. At least half a dozen men on horses gallop up suddenly, yelling for all the men lying in the fields to get up and fall into rank, and the scene closes showing long lines of men marching out as several women watch.Back home in New York, Daisy overhears a business meeting her father, Mr. Mconnahay, is having with several men. She hears him say that he is happy the Continentals lost the battle because soon the British army will occupy New York and his company will make a lot of money by selling them food. Daisy demands that her father give some food to the Rebels. He admonishes her about her youthful idealism, and tells her it doesn't matter who wins, as long as he and their family are on the right side. He tells her he'll give 50 barrels of food to the Rebels, but after she leaves, he tells his clerk to revise the number down to 10.Next scene shows Tom and Ned, along with the Continental Army, preparing for battle with the Red Coats. They are all getting behind cover to hide, such as trees, rocks, and brush, wearing brown and tan clothing. The British meanwhile march toward them in straight lines, right out in the open, in the old fashioned European style, and they have far more numbers than the Continentals. Their uniforms are clean and new, and their equipment is obviously superior to that of the Continentals. Drummer boys and flautists play as they march. As the British march toward them, the Rebels open fire, shooting down many, but the British never break ranks. Finally they stop marching and shoot in unison. The Americans are badly massacred. Survivors of the barrage fall back to a second line of defense, then flee as the British chase them with bayonets. Still walking from the battlefield afterward, the Continental troops are scattered, and Tom tells Ned they are going to quit the Army and go back to New York to work in the rope factory.As predicted by Mr. McConnahay, the British do indeed occupy New York and scenes show several hundred British troops marching in the streets as hundreds more citizens watch them. Officers make speeches in the public square, and Mr. McConnahay is up on the stage with British generals and officers. Two of his daughters, heavily layered in make-up, in the style of European aristocracy, are excited about their chances of meeting eligible British officers. Daisy meanwhile, without make-up and dressed in black, as if mourning, spots Tom in the crowd and talks to him. Crying, she accuses him of cowardice for running away, even though he explains that the whole Army ran away. Tom then leaves her, taking his son Ned to an encampment of homeless people under a wooden walkway to seek shelter.Daisy returns home, to the wealthy mansion of her parents, where a party is being planned by her mother, Mrs. McConnahay. Daisy wants no part of it, but her mother orders her to attend. The party is a very fancy affair, with white make-up and gigantic powder wigs with sculptures of castles and sailing ships in them. The women wear fancy dresses and the British officers wear dress uniforms as they sip drinks. One of the girls plays harpsichord. Another daughter flirts with a British officer. Daisy begins to flirt with the same officer until suddenly stabbing his upper thigh with a giant pin from her wig. The officer screams, calls her a "bloody, Yankee bitch!". The party is ruined and ends abruptly. Daisy goes to her bedroom, screams and throws a fit, kicking her furniture and tearing the room apart, until her mother comes in and tells her she has shamed her family, and that now she must choose between her family and the Rebel Patriots.Running with a gang of youths called the Mohawks, who commit small crimes and plan to blow up a bomb to kill British soldiers in town, Ned steals a live pig, but it squirms out of his grasp and gets away. Ned finds Tom at his job in the rope factory, and Tom tells Ned that he must not run with the Mohawks or he could get killed by the British. At that moment, British soldiers come into the factory and pick a couple of men, including Tom, making them run in place. They explain they are organizing a fox hunt, but can find no foxes, so Tom and another man must run in the place of the fox. Ned hates seeing his father jump at the command of the soldiers, effectively calls him a coward, and leaves to join up with his gang.The hunt begins with blowing horns and many hunting dogs barking. Tom and the other man, a big man, are tied by the wrists to a heavy effigy of George Washington, made of rope and doused with fox scent. Given a sizeable head start, they are forced to drag the effigy through wilderness while about a dozen British officers chase them on horseback. Tom and the big man argue and seperate, Tom carrying the heavy effigy over his shoulder. First the dogs hunt down the big man, and it appears that they maul him some, then the dogs finally run down Tom, and they attack the effigy. A British officer cuts the rope to the effigy from Tom's wrist, and they let him go, but Tom is out of breath, traumatized, and physically exhausted as they ride away.British Sergeant Major Peasy comforts his young son, who is about nine or ten years old, at a battlefield burial of some drummer boys. His son is in uniform and is also a drummer boy. To replace his lost drummer boys, Peasy goes to a prison in New York where he finds Ned and Ned's fellow gang member, Merle, and he forces them, along with others, to serve in the British Army. Daisy sees them leaving prison and followed by her black servant girl, Cuffy, she searches out Tom to tell him of the capture. Even though he is still exhausted from the 'fox hunt,' Tom gets himself up and immediately takes a boat to chase after the departing British Army to rescue his captive son.The British Army is encamped at night with tents and campfires, when a superior officer orders Peasy to bring him some boys to choose one of them to shine his boots. Among others, Peasy brings Ned and Merle into the officer's tent, and as the boys stand in line, the officer stops at Ned to touch his face, and Ned bites his hand. The officer orders Ned to be tied to a cannon and the soles of his feet whipped. Tom catches up with the British Army at nightfall, and in the midst of a rain storm, sneaks into the encampment and finds his son. He cuts Ned loose and, because the boy is unable to walk on his bloody feet, Tom carries Ned out of the camp. Merle escapes with them. Peasy quickly discovers that the boys are missing and promises a high quality knife to two Iroquois scouts if they bring back the prisoners. Tom carries Ned into the wilderness, followed by Merle and chased by the two Iroquois. When they spot the Iroquois, and the Iroquois simultaneously spot them, Tom and the boys lie in wait as the natives approach, and Tom jumps out from hiding to quickly kill with a knife the first and then, with some struggle, manage to kill the second Iroquois.No sooner is the fight over than Tom and the boys see more natives, these of the Huron tribe, standing in the distance watching them. The natives approach as Tom and the boys stand their ground, as it becomes increasingly clear that these natives don't want to fight them. One of the natives explains that "He who kills my enemy is my friend" and the natives decide to help Tom, Ned, and Merle by giving them food and shelter, and by treating Ned's severely wounded feet. Ned screams as his feet are cauterized by the natives and Tom holds him in his arms. Tom and Ned stay with the Native Americans for six months while Ned's feet slowly heal. Then they come down from the mountains "to join the fight".In Valley Forge, Daisy drives a horse drawn wagonload of supplies into the fortress, flying an American flag. Snow falls as she discovers that conditions are harsh and men are wounded and dying, and she is told that she will need to evacuate some dying men to a hospital. She meets up by chance with Ned, and she sees that he has grown. He tells her that he and Tom are scouts now, and he leads her to their tent, where he is making bullets with his friend, Ongwata, one of the natives who helped him and his son in the wilderness. Happy to see Daisy, Tom offers her food and they visit together as Ongwata leaves to give them privacy. She tells Tom that she and Cuffy, her servant, had fled New York to Philadelphia, where they joined the Rebels, smuggling supplies, and that she had learned how to sail. They dream of sailing away together. Ned meanwhile becomes friends with Bella, the daughter of a gunner in the Valley Forge fort. Ned's conversation with her reveals that he has a new found respect for his father's courage and fighting abilities, and the two have become closer as they have fought together as comrades in arms. Tom and Daisy confess their love to each other as she drives her wagonload of wounded soldiers out of the fort, but as she pulls away in the distance, Tom sees British cavalry surround the wagon, as he watches and chases them by foot helplessly. He cannot tell if she is wounded, dead, or captured, but must return to the fort or be AWOL in hostile territory.The Americans win the battle in Valley Forge, and while on leave in Philadelphia, Tom goes into a public building where records are kept of the dead and wounded, looking for the name of Daisy McConnahay. He needs help from a woman there because he cannot read. Daisy's name is not in the records however, which gives Tom hope that she may still be alive. Meanwhile, Ned and Bella wander the building and meet a Harvard student helping Congress to clean up buildings wrecked by British soldiers. The student explains that the term 'revolution' was coined by Mr. Jefferson for their political movement because the world was going through a new turn in history, like the moon revolving the Earth. People are generally in a festive mood, and the soldiers are singing because the Continental Army has been fairing well. The American soldiers are now much better equipped with real uniforms and boots in good condition. Tom and Bella get married outdoors, just before Tom and Ned march out again with the Army.Three years later, the next scene picks up in the middle of the battle of Yorktown. Cannons are firing, and the fighting is fierce and violent. From within a fortress, father and son fight together, taking pot shots at good British targets, until Ned spots British officer Peasy, who whipped Ned's feet while he had been captive. Tom and Ned watch as Peasy, Peasy's son and two other British soldiers run toward the beach, and they decide to chase after him. They run together with Ongwata and another Native American friend down to the beach where they find Peasy and his companions. Hiding behind cover, the Americans shoot the British soldiers, who all die except for Peasy and son. Peasy is wounded and upright, but his son is badly wounded, lying in Plessy's arms and possibly dying. Ned aims to kill Peasy, but decides not to, and the Americans take the British soldiers' weapons and go back to the fort. Peasy begins dragging his son back to the safety of the British Army.There is a somber moment while a woman sings a sad song after the battle of Yorktown. The Americans are victorious, but dead and wounded lie everywhere, and survivors stand listening. Then, as the song fades into silence, there is a dramatic cut from the silent battlefield to the cheering, crowded streets of New York, where a merry band is playing, countless Americans are waving flags, singing, dancing, and celebrating. Tom cashes in his note for his boat and gets paid $ 40, far less than the $ 70 he had been promised by the American government. He asks what happened to the land he had been promised to join the the Army, and the American soldier paying him tells him the land is all gone due to the war debt, and if Tom is unhappy then he should complain to Congress. Tom asserts his freedom to complain to anyone he wants. Leaving the soldier, Tom meets up with Ned down the street and gives him the $ 40 as they say goodbye. Ned is heading upriver with Bella, who is pregnant, to start a farm and a family. Merle and Bella's father go with them, and a native man. Tom stays in New York, where he wants to learn to how to read.After watching Ned and the rest leave, Tom spots Cuffy, Daisy's servant, in the crowds of New York, where people are still singing, dancing, and celebrating everywhere, literally in the streets. He follows her in the crowd, as she is moving quickly. He passes people watching a bare knuckle boxing match, but keeps searching until he stops and sees Daisy, who is kneeling, smiling, talking with several small children. She looks up, sees Tom, and they embrace as the camera pulls back to show the vast numbers of people celebrating and dancing in the city streets. | cult, violence | train | imdb | null |
tt0051755 | I Bury the Living | Title and credits run over a section of granite headstone. We pull back to reveal a cemetery and are shown text, "Science has learned that man possesses powers which go beyond the boundaries of the natural. This is the story of one confronted by such strange forces within himself." Robert Kraft (Richard Boone) and the caretaker, Andy McKee (Theodore Bikel) walk to the Immortal Hills Cemetary office building. Bob Kraft has taken over the chairmanship of the cemetery and is briefed on the routine by Andy. Bob notices a map on the wall of the cemetery. Andy explains that a black pin on a plot indicates someone buried and a white pin indicates a sold plot not yet occupied. Bob asks Andy, "McKee you've been on the job now forty years, right?" Andy replies, "Aye," in his Scottish accent. Bob informs him he is to be retired and assures him he will draw the same monthly paycheck. Bob asks Andy for a replacement recommendation. Andy walks over to the desk and pulls a gun. He tells Bob it is available in case of emergencies. A young couple drive up to the office. It is Stuart Drexel (and uncredited Glen Vernon) and his new bride Elizabeth (an uncredited Lynette Bernay). A provision in Stu's inheritance is that he buy a plot for him and his wife before he can draw part of his trust from the bank. Beth is not amused by the entire situation and lets her new husband know. They drive off and Bob goes back to the office. Upon his return, Andy greets him with a shot of liquor. He explains that the previous chairman left it to sooth customers needing fortification to get through the burial process of a loved one. Bob places two pins on plots in the Drexel area of the cemetery.In his Department Store office, Bob, his Uncle George Kraft (Howard Smith) and the outgoing chairman, Henry Trowbridge (an uncredited Russ Bender) go through the formal process of swearing in Bob Kraft as the new chairman. Bob is not happy with the "honor", claiming he is far too busy to take on the role. But Uncle George insists, explaining that it is a family and company tradition and that it is his turn. While it is done pro bono, it is expected because three previous generations of Krafts did. It only entails a few hours a month of work. The caretaker takes care of day to day operations. As soon as he is sworn in he gets a telephone call from the local undertaker. He is told that Stu Drexel and his new bride, Beth, are dead.At the cemetery office, Bob and Andy are going over some paper work when the local newspaper reporter, Jess Jessup (Herbert Anderson) walks in. He tells Bob and Andy he is on the obituary detail, and complains the office is cold. When Bob tells Andy to change the Drexel pins from white to black, Andy informs Bob that they are already black. Bob dismisses it saying, "I must have picked up the wrong color," when he marked the plots. Bob mentions the mistake made him feel eerie. Andy adds, "I think he means he marked the young couple for death, sir." Jess jokes that if any more pins are used to stay away from his area of the cemetery. As Jeff leaves, Bob's fiancée, Ann Craig (Peggy Maurer) arrives. She lightly complains that she was stood up for their lunch date. Bob and Ann quickly make up. Bob goes back to the map and randomly places a black pin on a plot. He looks to see his choice. A black and white pin sits on the "W. Isham" plot. He pulls the white pin out. The phone rings and he informs the caller that the funeral is for immediate family only. Ann returns to the office and they embrace and kiss. They leave the cemetery office.William Isham (an uncredited Cyril Delevanti) is repairing a teddy bear in his shop. He finishes stitching a section. As he is installing the eyes he collapses and dies. At the cemetery, Andy is finishing the Drexel marble headstone. Bob asks Andy if he has found his replacement. No is the reply, but Andy does show some progress in another area. He has fixed the space heater. Bob reviews the paperwork and notices an invoice for the funeral of William Isham. The pair walk over to the map and Andy tells Bob that he was going to change the white pin to black, but noticed it was already black. Bob tells Andy he changed the pin. Bob calls Jessup at the newspaper office. He informs Andy he change the pin color before the man died. Jessup reassures Bob that there is nothing supernatural. It was just a coincidence.Uncle George and Bob are going over store figures when Bob blurts out that he is quitting the chairmanship. "I'm going to call Bates, Honegger and Trowbridge right now and tell them I'm quitting." He reminds his uncle that three incorrectly placed pins accounted for three deaths. Uncle George laughs out loud. He tells Bob he is going out to the cemetery to put some black pins on the map to wipe out the competition. The two drive out together. At the cemetery, George pulls out Henry Trowbridge's pin. Bob insists he actually make the exchange then places a black pin on the map. Bob has a shot of booze and the two depart.Later that evening, Bob calls Henry Trowbridge at home. His wife answers the phone. It is 11:40 p.m. and Henry's wife informs Bob that her husband is not breathing. The body count is now four. The police drive up to the cemetery office. Lt. Clayborne (Robert Osterich) talks to Bob. Incredulous, Clayborne summarizes the situation, "Let me get this straight, Mr. Kraft. You say that every time you stick a black pin in the map, people turn up dead?" Clayborne reminds Bob that the Drexel couple were killed in a traffic collision. Isham died of a cerebral hemorrhage and Henry Trowbridge had a coronary thrombosis. He investigated and found nothing to suggest foul play. Bob starts to think it isn't the map, but he may be responsible.At his store office, Bob is informed by his Uncle George that he needs a vacation and George arranges one. Bob asks the committee be assembled that night at 7:00 p.m. Ann tries to reassure Bob it is a coincidence and suggests the vacation be turned into a honeymoon. That evening the committee members meet in Bob's office. Bill Honegger (an uncredited Ken Drake) and Charlie Bates (an uncredited Matt Moore) join Uncle George and Bob Kraft. Bill has a proposal to keep Bob as chairman. The committee demands Bob go out to the cemetery that evening and change Bill, Charlie, and Uncle George's white pins to black, then go home to bed. The motion is passed, and Bob makes the changes as ordered. Andy McKee stops by the cemetery office and tells Bob to lock the office and never come back. The phone rings. It is Jess, and Bob informs him of the three exchanged pins. He tells Jess if anything happens to any of them it is his fault. His attempt to light the portable furnace is unsuccessful. He calls the police and asks for Lt. Clayborne. The Desk Sergeant gives him the number where he can reach him, but the number is always busy. He finally realizes the phone number he has been dialing is Bill Honegger's. Jess calls Bob and informs him that Clayborne is with him and that Honegger is dead. He adds that Charlie Bates was found in his apartment dead. Bob is worried about his Uncle George and is surprised when George walks into the cemetery office. George tells Bob that he has proved his point. George pulls his black pin out of the map then leaves the office. Bob calls the police and asks that a policeman be assigned to watch his uncle.Clayborne calls Bob to inform him that George can't be found. Bob exits the office and finds his uncle in his car, still on the cemetery grounds. He is dead. He drives back to the office. He informs Lt. Clayborne he found his uncle. He puts the black pin back on the map on his Uncle's plot.The next day Lt. Clayborne returns to the cemetery with Jess and Ann in tow. Clayborne asks about one Jacob Mittel. Bob tells the policeman that he is a buyer for the store and he is currently out of the country on business. At the insistence of Clayborne, Bob puts a black pin on his plot. He is informed that Mittel is not dead. He is in Paris. This is a test. The police are setting up a trap. Bob voices his objections. Clayborne suggests Bob may have some unknown power, like voodoo in the West Indies.Overworked and overtired, Bob begins to hallucinate. He blames himself for the deaths. He concludes that if he changes the black pins back to white he can return the dead to life. With the floor heater broken by his own hand, he gathers paper and kindling to light a fire on the floor to keep warm. Out in the cemetery, the graves of the recently departed are starting to unearth themselves. Bob discovers this after he awakens in the smoke filled office. He snags his overcoat on one of the headstones. Leaving it behind, he runs back to the office. He retrieves the gun from the overturned desk. Before he has a chance to commit suicide the phone rings. It is the voice of Mrs. Mittel. She tells Bob that a cable arrived informing her that her husband died in Paris, France. Andy walks in and tells Bob it must be impossible. Andy confesses to Bob that he was responsible for the deaths. Andy was upset at being dismissed after forty years of faithful service. Andy picks up the gun and explains exactly how he killed each one. Andy doesn't believe Jacob Mittel is dead. The police burst into the office after Andy drops dead. Clayborne explains that Jacob Mittel is actually alive. The call and cable were set up by the police with the assistance of Mrs. Mittel. They watched as Andy dug up all seven graves. Bob and Ann leave the cemetery office together. We close with a slow zoom in on the map. It falls off the wall. | cult | train | imdb | Shortly after the man discovers he has the power to kill sticking black pins in an old cemetery grounds map.
Richard Boone ('Hombre'), best known as a star of Westerns, is solid as a businessman who is obligated to serve on the committee of a local cemetery, and inadvertently discovers that by using the map of the graves available he has the power of life and death.
The film utilises a graveyard as it's central location, and this represents one of it's major assets; as graveyards often make for intriguing horror locations, and when combined with the atmospheric cinematography and the brilliantly compelling story; I Bury the Living becomes more than it's B-movie status suggests it should be.
This cemetery has a map of it's plots on the wall, with filled ones represented by a black pin, and ones owned by people who are still alive being represented by a white one.
After accidentally inserting a black pin into the plot owned by a newly married, and very much alive, couple; the man is astonished when they turn up dead...was it merely coincidence, or can he control who lives and who dies?
By taking this kind of narrative technique, adding a bizarre and haunting score, repeating certain eerily iconic images and superimposing a decidedly downbeat and pragmatic dialogue, Albert Band created a uniquely dreamlike horror picture that broke through the cliched 50's take on the genre.Working with a cast of almost unknown character-actors, and the makeup of Jack Pearce, Band's vision finds expression through action focused almost entirely in one room, a room dominated by a map of a graveyard.
Each time Kraft suggests a thing, that thing invariably happens just as is often the case in the best and worst of dreams.The end of the film simply makes no sense, breaks all the rules established by the narrative, falls apart into a tangled mess.
That map gives you the creeps too.The cast is led by western actor Richard Boone and is joined by Theodre Bikel, Peggie Maurer and sci-fi/horror B-movie regular Russ Bender (It Conquered the World, War of the Colossol Beast).I bury the Living is worth tracking down.
This crafty chiller is well scripted, acted and tightly directed by Albert Band.Richard Boone portrays Robert Kraft, prominent chairman of a large department store chain, who because of civic obligation reluctantly accepts the trusteeship of Immortal Hills Cemetery for a one year term.
His reluctance soon gives way to fearful belief that his insertion of black pins into the imposing cemetery map in the caretaker's office can supernaturally cause the deaths of the targeted plot owners.
The eerie musical score that highlights the scenes inside the caretaker's office and the cemetery both day and night intensifies the suspense all the way to the startling conclusion.Of interest is Boone's rather unusual role as the tormented Kraft in his only horror picture.
What happens when Richard Boone, recently put in charge of a cemetery, mistakenly puts a black pin in the hole of a map of the grounds instead of a white pin(black meaning the customer is dead and white alive)?
Band and company create some some good visual tricks and nice scene transitions as they establish a suitably creepy atmosphere.Boone plays Bob Kraft, a department store executive who as a tradition in his company assumes the duty of cemetery director for a year.
When he puts the black push pins in, the owners of those graves mysteriously perish, and he comes to feel great guilt over this horrible ability he seems to have acquired.Granted, this film could have had even more punch had the filmmakers gone with the ending as scripted, which would have been more eerie and more in tone with the rest of the film.
Boone is excellent in the lead, and receives sturdy support from a cast also including folk singer Theodore Bikel as amiable cemetery grounds keeper Andy McKee, Peggy Maurer as Bobs' girlfriend Ann Craig, Howard Smith as Bobs' concerned uncle George, Herbert Anderson as jovial reporter "Jess" Jessup, and Robert Osterloh as hard nosed police detective Lt. Clayborne.Clocking in at a trim 78 minutes, "I Bury the Living" just gets better as it goes along, with a superb climactic sequence of the weary Bob starting to succumb to guilt and terror, and discovering some nasty surprises in the cemetery.
However, there's still a very enjoyable movie here, one that thrives on an uneasy atmosphere and showcases some neat visual film noirish, touches.Shot in stark black and white to perfectly emphasise the shadowy tension in the plotting, director Band deftly lets the office cemetery map become the dominant force of the piece, marrying it up with the ever fretful Kraft's mental being.
With pins and maps replacing voodoo dolls, this, mixed with its gripping score, wonderful black and white photography and the stellar casting of Richard Boone, I Bury the Living is a psychological attack on the mind and the slow demise into despair and guilt.
Science too, has its place, with its rational reasoning that fate, through life, has simply chosen these people to die.Richard Boone's performance as the troubled Robert Kraft is the man driven to near suicide, who, having the equivalent charisma and drama as Rick Blaine in Casablanca (1942) and Jerry Connolly in Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), a cool demure set against a stern eagerness, casting Mr. Boone here has done both film and himself a world of good.See this film for what it is, an interesting B-movie of its generation that has a superb visual tone of the great days of Hitchcock and a musical drama that highlights the tension and intrigue that draws you into both the concerns and anguish of this cursed man..
Richard Boone plays Robert Kraft, the newly elected director of a cemetery who finds himself involved in a morbid mystery when people who have plots in the cemetery begin mysteriously dying, especially when Robert realizes that he mistakenly put a black pin(for dead) in place of a white pin(for living) on a big map representing all the burial plots in the cemetery, for people who subsequently died.
Theodore Bikel costars as the retiring caretaker Andy McKee. Despite a good score and direction, this film is ruined by the revelation at the end, which is simply not credible, as if it was thought of at the last minute.
First, let me state that I'm an unabashed fan of The Twilight Zone, so when I say that I Bury the Living is, indeed, much like a TZ episode, that's a compliment!Boone's performance is excellent as the cemetery man who seems to have the ability...or the curse...to cause people to die by sticking pins into a map of the cemetery.The movie has its flaws, including a tendency for anyone in the film who doubts Boone's ability (including Boone himself) to stick a pin in the map to find out if anyone dies, which is a bit like pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger to see if the gun's loaded.
Eerie little film about a cemetery caretaker (Richard Boone) who finds he can cause the deaths of people by changing their white pins in a cemetery map into black pins...or can he?
I think the last 10 minutes or so drop the overall quality of the film at least a couple of stars, and if the original ending from the story had been kept (see another poster's comments for the original ending), I would have easily voted this an 8 or 9.Bottom line: this horror flick is very well-done and extremely effective.
It would have been interesting to see what Hitchcock could have done with this material, that being said director Albert Band did a fine job, with keeping the tension near constant and creating several creepy "under your skin" moments throughout the film, as well as getting an excellent performance from the star.This one was a real team-effort, as there's obviously a good deal of talent all around, from the cast to the crew, especially the music by Gerald Fried and the sparsely used, but very effective optical effects.
Most effective Mr. Fried.The star, Richard Boone, does an excellent job of making the viewer pity him, with first his understandable reluctance to take up a position he doesn't want (that was pretty much forced upon him); as the head honcho of the local cemetery (a super-intendant I guess) and then the ultra-heavy-weight psychological torture and torment he's rung through over the course of the next few weeks.
Once you've seen this film I think you'll agree, that never has there been such prominence placed on black pins and white pins and a cemetery plot map.
This creepy old black and white is great to watch alone, late a night and if there's a thunderstorm brewing, think of that as additional atmosphere and a definite a bonus, which should only enhance the experience that is: I BURY THE LIVING.Happy Viewing..
I Bury The Living is a very entertaining little "B" chiller that benefits from a strong performance by the always reliable Richard Boone and it was Boone's only foray into the horror genre.Louis Garfinkle wrote and produced the film, and Directed by Albert Band.
If there is a weak spot in the movie it's Austrian actor Theodore Bikels attempt to play the the Scottish cemetery caretaker Andy McKee. With his heavy makeup causing him to look like Captain Kangaroo, he struggles with a Scottish burr in his voice that brings unintentional chuckles to the proceedings.
Kraft comes to believe he has been cursed with the power of live and death over the cemetery plot owners when several of them die after the white pins signifying unoccupied graves are replaced with black pins signifying occupied graves on the cemetery plot map.
This is more like a Twilight Zone episode, with Boone as a funeral director who comes to think that when he puts a black pin in a cemetary map, the owner of the selected plot dies.
"I Bury the Dead" is a cool horror tale that feels like a blown-up episode of "Tales From the Crypt".Robert Kraft (played by Western actor Richard Boone) gets a job as a caretaker of a cemetery where a detailed map provides the location of every burial plot.
A black-headed one means that the owner is now also the occupant.Kraft, by accident and on a whim, replaces some of the white pins with black ones, and begins to feel that the map has some supernatural power over life and death.I have said that the film feels like a blown up episode of a television show.
Acting: 8/10 Story: 8/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Character Development: 7/10 Special Effects/Make-up: 7/10 Nudity/Sexuality: 0/10 (none) Violence/Gore: 2/10 (very little violence) Music: 6/10 Direction: 7/10 Cheesiness: 2/10 Crappiness: 0/10 Overall: 7/10 This is a great classic thriller for fans of either classic films or thrillers..
Basic premise has Richard Boone's character discovering he literally has the power of life and death, via the implausible, but fun conceit of sticking pins into a well-worn cemetery schematic.
Robert Kraft has become the new chairman of a cemetery that the Kraft family owns when he is introduced to outgoing Scottish grounds-keeper Andy McKee. A quick tour of his new cold office brings Robert's attention to the detailed map of the funeral plots that Andy has kept pegged with black pins for those filled and white for empty ones.
I couldn't help but laugh as I watched this film because Robert is causing these deaths by replacing white pins with black ones.
Boone believes all he must do to kill is to push black pins into the map of the cemetary plots of those whom are not yet dead."I Bury the Living" might have worked as a "Twilight Zone" or even a "Richard Boone Show" repetory company episode, particularly if someone like Tony Perkins, Wally Cox or Robert Blake had played Boone's role.
Veteran player Matt Moore, primarily an actor in "silent" films, appears for the last time as the victim named Bates.***** I Bury the Living (7/58) Albert Band ~ Richard Boone, Theodore Bikel, Peggy Maurer, Howard Smith.
Up until the last fifteen minutes or so, I BURY THE LIVING makes you think there's a paranormal explanation for all the weird things going on at a cemetery where Richard Boone is put in charge.
But the whole story collapses like a house of cards when the writer couldn't figure out how to resolve the plot.In the meantime, you'll be reminded of a "Twilight Zone" similarity between the plot that does exist and you'll certainly expect an ending that is more satisfying than the twist supplied here.Richard Boone hasn't much of a characterization to build on but does a passable job of acting as the man who feels he's being manipulated by a board that shows the layout of the cemetery and its white and black pins for designating life and death.As a Scottish caretaker who is facing retirement, Theodore Bikel is hardly recognizable behind some heavy age make-up that has an artificial look.
Through a series of macabre "coincidences", the newly-elected director of a cemetery (Richard Boone) begins to believe that he can cause the deaths of living owners of burial plots by merely changing the push-pin color from white (living) to black (dead) on a large wall map of the cemetery that notes those plots.When you think of the name Albert Band, what you might first think of is the man who sired the hack director and producer Charles Band and hack composer Richard Band.
And Boone starts really believing that he's got a power of life and death working here that he really doesn't want.Fans of his will be surprised at Theodore Bikel who plays the cemetery caretaker, a man who loves his work.
A chairman over a cemetery, Robert Kraft(Richard Boone)is overcome with fear and paranoia when odd occurrences that seem to supernaturally happen from changing a white pin to a black pin on a board map of the grounds displaying all the lots occupied and unoccupied by their owners.
Yes it does look a little cheap, but it helps that the film is so imaginative, and creepy, plus just the fact that you can determine how long a man will live by a bunch of black pins just gave me the Creeps!.
I also thought comparisons to a map of the brain were quite apt.I was quite intrigued by an earlier comment that claims the ending as written in the original script has Boone's character locked inside the caretaker's shed with the re- animated corpses of his victims (caused by his switching the black pins with white) calling for him from outside, causing him to die of fright.
However the idea of Robert Kraft's (Richard Boone) black pin voodoo exercise resulting in the deaths of seven victims goes well beyond the realm of coincidence.
(Almost.) Directed by Albert Band (father of Charles Band, who is known for quite a few B movies himself), it was referenced as a favorite of Stephen King's back in his 1981 non-fiction book Danse Macabre, though even he criticized the ending.Robert Kraft (played by Richard Boone, who was primarily known for his roles in Westerns at the time) is to take over as chairman of a committee that oversees Immortal Hills Cemetery, much to his chagrin.
As he is learning the ins and outs of operations from the caretaker, Andy (Theodore Bikel), he is shown the cemetery's map, where pins are used to mark the plots — white for the living and black for the dead.
The idea is certainly interesting, but at feature length the story feels padded and repetitive; after the third black pin and the third death we have already accepted the film's premise but Richard Boone keeps sticking the pins on the map, which would make more sense if his character turned evil, but he doesn't.
More on this in a moment....In the film, the viewer meets the head of the Kraft Department Store, Robert Kraft (extremely well played by Richard Boone), who has just received a piece of bad news from his board of directors: It is his turn, at least for the next year, to be the manager of the town of Milford's Immortal Hills Cemetery.
Convinced now that either he or the map harbors some kind of supernatural power, Kraft soon realizes that he might have an opposite ability, as well; i.e., using white pins, he might be able to bring the dead back to life....Intelligently scripted and increasingly suspenseful, "I Bury the Living" benefits from an immensely likable performance from the charismatic Richard Boone.
Things get creepy when Kraft inexplainably changes push-pins on a map of the cemetery plots.
Kraft discovers that he can cause the deaths of living owners of funeral plots by simply changing the push-pin color from white to black on a large wall map of the graveyard.
Reluctant new managing director of a cemetery (an itchy, uncomfortable-seeming Richard Boone) finds business curiously booming after he sticks black pins in the plot-directory map in his office.
I wanted to see this film for many years thinking that the combination of a lurid plot device (a man who can decide who lives and dies by placing pins on a map), a great old actor (Richard Boone), and the cheesiness of the wave of 1950's horror genre would create a classic.
Richard Boone is the new director of the cemetery and as soon as he takes over, the bodies of the board members begin to pile up as the pins on the maps change from "white" (available) to "black" (unavailable), even though the grave plots for the board members have already been purchased.
However, he discovers that when he puts black pins into the plots on a sinister map, people end up croaking.
Richard Boone stars as a newly appointed cemetery caretaker who has a giant map of the cemetery with all its plots marked by pins. |
tt0758781 | Seed | Max Seed (Will Sanderson) is a serial killer responsible for the deaths of 666 people over a six year period who is on the loose. The police receive videos portraying the slow death and decomposition of creatures ranging from a cockroach, a Labrador dog, a baby, and fully-grown woman in an underground chamber. They trace the videos to the residence of Seed. Detective Matt Bishop (Michael Paré) captures Seed,Max Seed's background story is revealed that , as a boy, a reclusive and antisocial Max Seed was disfigured in a school bus crash that killed everyone else involved in it. Starting In 1973, Seed began torturing and murdering people, filming some of his victims starving to death in his locked basement, and ultimately racking up a bodycount of 666. Now in this current setting (in 1979), Seed is arrested by Detective Matt Bishop (Michael Paré) in a sting operation that claims the lives of five of Bishop's fellow officers. Seed is sentenced to death by electric chair, and incarcerated on an island prison, where he is a model inmate, only acting out when he kills three guards who try to rape him.On Seed's execution date, the electric chair fails to kill him after two shocks. Not wanting Seed to be released due to a state law that says any convicted criminal who survives three jolts of 15,000 volts each for 45 seconds walks, the prison staff and Bishop declare Seed dead, and bury him alive in the prison cemetery. A few hours later, Seed digs his way out of his grave and returns to the prison, where he kills the executioner, doctor and warden before swimming back to the main land. The next day, while investigating the massacre, Bishop realizes Seed was responsible when he discovers the serial killer's empty cemetery plot.Over the course of several months Seed resumes his killing spree, and kills dozens of more people, with one long shot showing him beating a bound woman with a chisel for five straight minutes. One day, a videotape showing Bishop's house is sent to the detective's office. Knowing this means Seed is going to go after his family, Bishop races home, finding his wife, Sandy, and eight-year-old daughter, Emily, gone, and the four officers charged with guarding the house are found dismembered in the bathroom.Driving to Seed's old house, Bishop is lured into a basement room containing a television and a video camera, and locked inside. The television turns on, and depicts Seed with Sandy and Emily in the attic. Emily informs Bishop that Seed wants Bishop to shoot himself in order to save his wife and daughter. When Bishop hesitates, Seed brutally kills Sandy by shooting her in the head with a nail gun, prompting Bishop into shooting himself in the head, believing that doing so will make Seed release his daughter. Instead, Seed takes the little girl to the room containing her father's corpse, and locks her in it. As Emily sobs for her two dead parents, the film suddenly ends with Max Seed contining to kill with no end in sight to his bloody rampage. | revenge, flashback | train | imdb | It's essentially Uwe's entry into the current gorno/torture porn fad, and was partly motivated by the likes of Hostel not being as harsh as they were claiming.The biggest shock i had during the film was when the credits rolled and i realised i'd just had an emotional reaction to an Uwe Boll movie that wasn't amusement or boredom.
Like those films, the big moments are morally questionable - many will find the opening scenes showing real-life animal cruelty (footage obtained from PETA) too heavy with too little purpose, but personally I found they gave the film real edge - you lose your safety net of Hollywood R-rated violence and feel genuine revulsion.
The ending too was a nice surprise and something that mainstream horrors rarely go for these days.Boll-haters (and there's a planet full of those) are still going to find faults with Seed, and there are many, but it is in a class above all his previous output, and gives me hope that he will one day turn around his (undeniably impressive) poor reputation and produce material that is not only acceptable, but actually genuinely enjoyable.
Director Uwe Boll is commonly regarded as a terrible film-maker, and his sick psycho killer flick Seed is unlikely to radically alter this general perception, being an absolute mess in the script department; however, if nothing else, it does prove that Boll has balls.Packed full of sadistic, no-holds-barred violence, the film is truly nasty stuff from start to finish, the director clearly not intending to make any new friends; as a result, I can't help but feel a sneaking admiration for this movie maverick, a man for whom the words 'quit', 'diplomacy' and 'restraint' obviously do not exist.During the opening credits, Boll even has the nerve to show PETA footage depicting real-life atrocities perpetrated on defenceless animals; I can only guess that this was an attempt to show the viewer just how inhumane people can be, but it comes across as a cheap tactic to shock the audience.Thankfully, everything from here on in is achieved through special effects, although with numerous graphic murders, a baby among the many victims, it's still definitely not for the easily offended.
Yes, Boll sure knows how to upset and disturb; all he needs to do now is perfect telling a decent story (one that isn't so obviously flawed), hire a decent lighting technician (some scenes were way too dark), and he might be able to silence his critics without having to punch their lights out.4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for IMDb..
Probably not a bad idea because I'm going to go out on a limb and say the guy in the mask is probably a brutal actor...Additionally, there is enough splatter to appease any horror fan and a nice little ending that doesn't leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.I know Uwe Boll is known for making ridiculous films, but he came through with one here.
Mindful of the fictional law that says anyone still alive after 3 attempts must go free, though if you'd been fried with that much electricity why would you want to, they pronounce him legally dead and bury him, only for the disgruntled killer to resurface and begin a whirlwind tour of his gaolers.Boll begins his 'exploration of nihilistic rage' with Seed watching footage of animals being tortured for experimental purposes.
Yes, we're worthless, gormless sadists and worse than that, we won't give Uwe a good rating on the IMDb. In short, humanity is bunk.Of course you might think that Uwe relies on our worst excesses for his livelihood and with that in mind it's a bit of a bipolar piece, on one hand hating its audience and positively basting itself in the sour milk of human kindness the milk that poor old Boll has had to drink for so long, while simultaneously whipping out its member and inviting those with a pornographic lust for on screen depravity to marvel at its sheer arse splitting girth.The result says nothing about society and its discontents, more the corrosive effect bad press is having on its director.
"I wanted to make a horror movie that was no fun" Boll told the audience at the film's world premiere and he has, on that flimsy manifesto, succeeded but if this was supposed to convince the director's detractors that he was a serious genre filmmaker, he'll need something genuine to say as well as a better, more original way of saying it..
I think not.Meanwhile, Michael Pare acts like a listless, long-lost brother to James Remar's character on "Dexter": a cop who sits at his desk a lot, thumbing through newspaper clippings, and watching pointless stop-motion scenes of decomposing animals and people trapped in Seed's lair.
But after seeing 'Seed' my laugh froze at my face.Like most of the people who have reviewed the movie so far, I saw 'Seed' at London's FrightFest and I was really surprised by the work of Uwe. I have seen most of his films (including 'Amoklauf', which was not bad) and I must admit that he really improved as a director.
This is what Uwe would like to do to all these guys who do not even bother to watch his movies and just put 1 star at IMDb. That is why this dark, brutal and nihilistic tale with some really gruesome scenes is so credible and sincere.
The scene when Seed is hitting a woman on the head with a hammer was really harsh and hard to watch (although you can see some CGI effects were added), not to mention that it reminded me of that infamous fire extinguisher scene from notorious "Irreversible" by Gaspar Noe. But this was Uwe Boll movie, remember?
Of course the movie has it flaws: a couple of pointless scenes, lousy dialogue, mediocre acting, but most of the time it is really interesting.Uwe is learning from his mistakes, trying to improve his skills and make movies he wants, while all the people around the world do not want him to continue with that, filling Internet with all that mockery, insults, hatred.
"Seed" doesn't deserve all the bile and hatred on IMDb.It's arguably the best Uwe Boll's horror film so far-an unflinching exercise in barbaric human cruelty that shows that the man is the cruelest animal.The movie begins with archival footage of humans being exceptionally cruel to a variety of suffering animals which truly made me squirm.Max Seed is a brutal serial killer.He filmed many of his murders.The decomposing baby scene is quite unsettling.After killing several policemen in his dark house Seed is captured.He is quickly executed on electric chair and buried in a shallow grave.However the killer rises from its tomb ready for sickening vengeance...Very gloomy,raw and disturbing horror film with truly revolting hammer murder scene.It's an exceptionally well-acted and unrelenting assault on viewer's mind.I applaud Uwe Boll for making such savage piece of horror.Ignore the negative reviews and see it for yourself.9 out of 10..
Which is saying something, considering the main protagonist is not a based-on-true-life serial killer but a masked murderer in the same cartoonish mould as Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers.Uwe Boll has made a truly scary movie.
While movies like "Malevolence" and "Hatchet" steal people's money and time, this slipped in under the radar and fifteen years from now, some horror fan somewhere will watch this and say, "holy crap, how come I never heard of this?" And the reason will have been because people make judgments before seeing it.
In here, Boll tries so desperately hard to come across as controversial and shocking that he overlooks numerous other elements that any movie essentially needs to exist, like a plot, a narrative structure, character development, tension building
"Seed" is a hideous movie, full of gratuitous filth and incompetent padding footage.
After being buried alive because the electric chair couldn't fry him, Max Seed crawls back to the surface and goes on a brand new killing spree; this time mainly focusing on the people who arrested and executed him.
It really makes you think that Uwe Boll simply neglects all advice and criticism, and just stubbornly shoots his movies the way he wants to.
For the entire movie the shoulder-held camera is moving, not shaking but like on a wave.Unfortunately, this movie starts from the first second with some real life brutal animal torture footage provided by PETA, for no good reason whatsoever.
Seed is a unique brutal horror movie and an accomplishment for Boll- just don't watch the first few minutes..
I'm a huge horror fan and i generally like Boll's movies, not because they are movies of the year but cause they always deserve you a brainless moment, pretty good when you use your brain all the time to code softwares.
SEED is a thoroughly disturbing film -- evoking a truly nihilistic and utterly horrible feeling of dread from the (grotesque) opening shot onwards.Sparsely lit (although shot very well) with a minimal cast and setting; it conjures the ol' boogie man fear along with the anxiety of being in the dark that has resided in us all from a young age with its antagonist Max Seed, a seemingly unstoppable entity of pure malevolent evil and the cop(s) that try and end his reign of terror.Using imagery for the pure purpose of upsetting the viewer Uwe Boll has crafted a horror film that is very minimal in its use of gore but very, very frightening in its execution.
While this film as all films has flaws, I ignored the negative comments and score on IMDb and actually sat down with my wife to watch it.It was both disturbing and unusual, a very fresh take on a stale genre.From the opening scenes of mutilation of animals which both disturbed and got your attention, to the purposeful way the main antagonist is kept in the shadows.This is not a film for those who enjoy being spoon fed all the answers, this film mechanic works best as a very personal experience different depending on your own outlook on life.As for Uwe Boll there seems to be an almost legendary hatred of him which I don't understand at all, He isn't the worst or the best but the kind of people who spout this negative vitriol have neither the talent nor time to write or produce movies.My advice actually watch the movie..
First of all, it should be said that the low rating on IMDb should be a straight up warning that you should take heed of before you sit down to watch "Seed".Personally, I have nothing against Uwe Boll or his skills as a director, but this movie was just downright bad.
This is by far the worst Boll film I've seen, worse even than BLOODRAYNE and ALONE IN THE DARK, because it manages to be completely offensive as well as execrable.The film begins with needless scenes of real-life animal torture provided by PETA.
Finally the film becomes a predictable, shot-in-the-dark slasher flick, with a random killer murdering endless cops and innocent victims.Later on, there's a stand-out scene of Seed beating in a woman's head in a kitchen which lasts for around five minutes.
And this is not Boll bashing (watch Tunnel Rats or Darfur is supposed to be good to), it's just that this movie does look what the budget was like.
I think it's disgusting.OK I mentioned it wasn't the worse horror film but the thing that annoyed me the most is that the director loves animals and he decided to throw real animal killing scenes in the film just to rely on shock value and content.
I am probably paraphrasing on what they said but seriously It was like the writer knew the film was bad so they decided to add an ironically hilarious scene.The movie deserves some credit because it isn't all bad but with the movie being not scary at all but just annoyingly gory and in a boring way like when the killer spends 5 minutes to beat on some woman's head.
This movie tries to shock the viewer, and it sure does.With the animal snuff at the beginning, and the killing of babies in the movie (fake at least)its was enough to make myself turn it off.I've seen movies like this before that show slaughterhouse footage (BTK movie) and this kind of footage should not be allowed in a horror movie.We watch gore and horror because we know its just make-up, and special effects, so we shouldn't sit down to watch a movie and see the real killing of animals, its not what we rented the movie for.If anything, there should be a large warning label put on these types of garbage movies so people won;t be surprised by it.
The most informal thing about the plot was the fake "State Law" that tries to explain itself in the beginning.This movie was directed by universally hated director Uwe Boll (House of the Dead, Postal) who has ended up on everyone's most hated directors list.
The reason why I give this movie a 8/10, is because it made perfect sense, it looks like any kind of slasher movie I've seen, when I first watched it, it seemed pretty disturbing and scary, this movie has a good script, good acting, good storyline, and good ending, I heard a lot of people said this movie will make you throw up, but I didn't, and I know, because I'm use too these kind of films.
Uwe Boll is a good director, his films are pretty good, In the Name of the King, House of the dead, Alone in the dark, and Seed, and they were excellent to watch, In the Name of the King: 8/10, House of the Dead: 8/10, and Seed: 8/10, and I also found out what Seed (The Killer's Name) want, he wanted revenge of killing of people that try to kill him.
Uwe Boll knows how to make an excellent horror movie, and he knows how to pick some good actors, and actresses in his films..
After having seen and loved Postal (yes, I actually loved Postal), I decided to try another Uwe Boll film and I picked out Seed because I happened to stumble on it in a local DVD-store and it's supposed to be one of his better films.While the first 10 to 15 minutes of the film were very promising and seemed like the beginning of a not too mainstream psychological thriller, it soon went downhill from there and eventually degraded into one of the most generic slasher films I've seen so far, including a massive amount of plot holes, unrealistic emotional responses and sub-par acting.
The hammer scene was probably the most gruesome thing I have ever seen in a horror film.I know the Uwe Boll haters will find something to tear up in this film, but it really was worthwhile in the video nastie sense..
I say there is a skill in having the balls to make a film that no one can possibly enjoy & still have people watch it thru to the end.There is another murder scene that involves a woman tied to a chair in her kitchen & Seed slowly, Calculatingly, almost curiously bludgeoning her to death with a claw hammer.
Detective Matt Bishop (Michael Pare) is the character who becomes most intimate with the killer and leads the investigation, but he's only given a couple of short scenes in a 90 minute movie to develop, and ultimately he makes no real choices that affect the outcome of the story until the very end, and even then the focus is more on the actions of Maxwell Seed than truly on resolving any character development.
this director uwe boll, and his group of people used to make this movie should think it over before making another one similar to this one.
FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ENJOY WATCHING ANIMALS BEATIN TO DEATH, LETTING ROT, WITH WOMEN AND CHILDREN AS WELL AND A FIVE MINUTE SCENE OF SOMEONE GETTING THERE HEAD SMASHED IN WITH A HAMMER then you will enjoy this movie, if not, and you like horror, go with a higher budget film, like saw for example.
I myself, as I have stated in previous Uwe Boll reviews, only watch his films in the hope that one day he will actually make something good.
I understand the concept that Seed (the killer) is a sicko and enjoys watching such stuff.....but can't understand why Mr Boll thought putting REAL footage in the film would work.
However, just when I thought I knew what I was getting into, Uwe Boll's film turned me around and suckerpunched me.This film wasn't filled with gore (like most of today's "torture-porn" subgenre) apart from the hammer scene, which actually detracted from my viewing experience because the CGI effects weren't particularly well-done.
Uwe Boll's films are no worse made than half the crap the Hollywood elites crank out, so seriously, get over the Boll hate.This movie had me screaming and crying with the opening scenes.As an animal rights advocate, I've seen footage of stuff like that before and wasn't able to eat (vegetarian by the way...) for days.I'll probably not eat or sleep tonight.
It was obvious he just wanted to try and top any gory horror film out there..it might have been acceptable if the story had an ounce of reasoning to it or even a believable plot..after seeing this I put it in the ranks of Cabin Fever 2, a waste of perfectly good movie watching time..Do yourself a favor and leave this one on the shelf and hopefully everyone will forget that Mr. Boll attempted to make a film in the first place.
Perhaps this is the strength of Uwe Boll, although not a particular good talent to have.The movie opens with the killer (Seed), watching PETA footage of animals getting skinned and tortured. |
tt0061671 | Five the Hard Way | Vince Rommel (Ross Hagen) is a good sidehacker runner. Sidehacking is a way of running motorcycle races with a passenger on the sidecar/sidehack, and Vince is supposed to be one of the best riders.Vince is in love with Rita (Diane McBain), and both like frolicking around. He asks Rita to marry him. Luke (Dick Merrifield) lost yesterday's race. His mechanic (Ivy Ross) fools around with him. J.C. (Michael Pataki) needs to have his bike ready for an exhibition fast. While the mechanic looks into the bike, Paisley (Claire Polan) talks to Rommel. He's a bit sharp towards her. J.C. notices the sidehack on the bike. Rommel explains that the passenger has to lean one way or another depending on the direction of the curve they are going through. Both the mechanic and Rommel feel that Paisley will be trouble. Dick's wife appears to ask for some money and do some shopping.J.C, Paisley, Rita and Rommel watch a race. J.C. finds it interesting. J.C. offers a position to Rommel in the exhibition, as it's very spectacular. He goes in Rommel's bike as passengers, but he falls down several times. It's good fun until Vince crashes onto a fence and sends J.C. flying. Rita looks how much Rommel and Rita a re in love. J.C. is hot-tempered and violent, and he is a cloud in the lunch everybody is enjoying. J.C. doesn't move without an entourage which tries to placate him. Nero (Edward Parrish) is the only one who tries to stand up agains her. When Rommel rejects his offer, he and his men leave the dining room. Paisley can't even remember what attracted her to him in the first place. J.C. punches her because he wants to hear her scream. J.C. that he'll kill anyone who dares to touch her; then, he says he loves her while she keeps on sobbing.Paisley, dressed to the nines, calls on Rommel at the garage some other day. He rejects her and she leaves slamming the door. Paisley cries and feels jealous of Rita and Rommel's relationship. She tears her dress to pretend that she was raped by Vince Rommel. She spills her lies as soon as J.C. comes back to their hotel room and while Rita's about to have sex with Vince. Rita dreams of her life after she's married to Vince while he falls asleep. She tenderly kisses him.J.C. interrupts them, saying "Time's up, loverboy". They beat and tie him up. Rita lies tied to a beam in the roof. She is dead. Vince's car has been dismantled. He runs and runs until he finds a phone booth, but he's got no money, so he keeps on running through some regional road. A car doesn't stop, so he has to keep on walking the long road. He goes to Dick and Debbie (Diane Tessier)'s, and they tend to him. Seeing Dick's children fight in a rough way, he remembers how Rita was gang-raped and killed when she was pushed around and her head hit something. Rommel can't even speak about what happened with Dick.J.C. is getting restless in his hotel room, as the police are looking for him. Dick suggests Vince to try and go on with his life. Rommel says that revenge won't change things as they are, because Rita won't be alive again anyway. They play billiards.Nero tells Rommel that there's an upcoming sidehack bike race. He will help Rommel to take his own back.Rommel prepares his revenge. He goes to the Children's Charity Workers, INC. SALVAGE shop and sells his car. Nero hires a fighting instructor. He also hires a painter who tells him that she has gone somewhere else, where there is no pain. Cooch (Michael Graham) tells him that Rommel's preparing his revenge, hiring people who can fight. Paisley tells him to leave the city and forget about it all, but J.C gets frantic. He says he was like a brother to him, and that he used to love him in spite of his rejection to work with him at the rodeos and exhibitions. Suddenly, J.C. punches Cooch in spite of Cooch declaring his loyalty to him, apparently because he was the bringer of bad news... or probably to give him a reason to go and tell Rommel that he's betraying him.Cooch gets so mad that he offers Dick to hell Rommel with his revenge. Tork (Eric Lidberg) thinks they need to devise a plan.Cooch tells Rommel where J.C. will be soon. Dick's wife want him to stay out of the fight, but he goes anyway. They wait and wait, while Jake (Robert Tessier) tells a really unfunny joke. Cooch recommends everybody not to use guns, as J.C. won't be carrying any as well. They try to get organized, but it's all very loose. Cooch is double-playing everyone, as he tells J.C. where Rommel and his men are going to be. Immediately afterwards, J.C. wants to have sex with Paisley, and at that moment, she tells him that she wants to get away from her. J.C. laughs it off, what would she do without him? She says that, that way, she wouldn't have to do things she doesn't usually fell like doing. J.C. gets frantic, punches her - this time she tries to defend herself - shouts for her to get out, but then she strangles her mercilessly. When she's already dead, he speaks to her, asking her what she said all those things for. In desperation, he screams for her to talk to him. She is dead. J.C. makes weird gestures, as though he were a naughty child who's just eaten a pie he was told not to.Rommel and Dick speak about the situation and about Cooch being missed. Cooch comes back and jumps under a blanket, pretending that he's never gone away, but Nero has seen him and tells everybody. At the beginning, Cooch denies everything. Cooch says that J.C. will be at the rock quarry, preparing some kind of trap. Cooch is taken to the quarry, where J.C. and his men are already waiting for Rommel, who is carrying a gun.The noise alerts some of the outpost watchers and Cooch takes the opportunity for alerting J.C, sliding down a slope. J.C. shoots him for no apparent reason. There is a shootout. Nero uses Rommel's bike to shoot from the sidehack.J.C. offers Rommel the opportunity to fight to death. He comes out of a derelict cabin with his hands up high. J.C. kicks Rommel first. A police car approaches but the fight goes on. Rommel punches J.C. in his balls and leaves him alive in a disgusting pool of dirty water because, after all, the police car is already arriving; however, J.C. picks the gun of one of his guns and uses it to shoot Rommel in the back. He falls in the disgusting pool as well.While he is dying, he reminiscences about the time when he and Rita were frolicking among the high grass.Last shot of Rommel's dead body in the dirty water while ending credits roll on.--- written by KrystelClaire | revenge | train | imdb | null |
tt0134084 | Scream 3 | Cotton Weary [Liev Schrieber], now a controversial talk show host, is living a good life in Los Angeles on the fast track to fame when he's on the phone with his agent about his role in Stab 3 and other opportunities. A female fan interrupts his conversation, catering to his ego, but unfortunately Cotton learns that it's really another psycho killer Ghostface (voiced by Roger Jackson), stalking his girlfriend Christine [Kelly Rutherford] in their condo and making Cotton an offer he can't refuse: Christine's life or Sydney Prescott's location. Cotton doesn't accept the ultimatum and the killer pursues Christine. Cotton, unfortunately unable to warn her or get help from 9-1-1, and drives home erratically, while the killer uses a voice scrambler to trick Christine in believing her boyfriend is pulling a very dangerous & horrific prank on her chasing her around the condo with a knife while speaking in an insanely threatening manner. When Cotton finally arrives home and finds Christine in the study with a golf club ready to swing at him, he tries to explain that it's not him threatening her but Christine's so scared and doesn't believe him. This provides the killer ability to get the drop on her and stab her in the back and let her fall to the ground dead. Cotton meanwhile struggles with the killer, whom overpowers and stabs Cotton in the heart, letting Cotton know he failed and kills him off screen as the title comes up.Sydney Prescott [Neve Campbell] is now living in a very secluded area of California. She has a new name, a new career with California's Women Crisis Counseling service (mostly stay at home), a golden retriever for a friend, and a sophisticated security system for the entire property around her house and presumably for all doors with double bolt locks in the house. Turning on her TV, Sydney eventually learns that Cotton was targeted and killed in his home, during the production of Stab 3: Return to Woodsborough which rattles her quite a bit.Gale Weathers [Courtney Cox] is now with Total Entertainment and providing a lecture at GW Bestor Series School of Journalism when she's informed by Detective Mark Kincaid [Patrick Dempsey] that Cotton Weary was killed and a younger photo of Sydney's mother Maureen Prescott was found on Cotton's body.On the set of Stab 3, Director Roman Bridger [Scott Foley], Producer John Milton [Lance Hendricksen], and a studio executive contemplate the decision to continue production or cancel it with Cotton's death on everyone's mind including the press & the public. Violence & cinema are raised as questions, but from Roman's point of view it wasn't his idea to allow Cotton in the movie; that was the studio's. Milton said 35 years in the business; this is 1st time he's had a psycho and asks Kincaid's partner Detective Wallace [Josh Pais] about the connection between Cotton's death and the movie. Wallace suggests the obvious: "Movie's called Stab; he was stabbed."Also, on the set, we're introduced to Stab 3 actors Tyson Fox [Deon Richmond] playing Ricky from the video store (Randy), Tom Prinze [Matt Kesslar] playing another version of Dewey, Sarah Darling [Jenny McCarthy] playing Candy, and Angelina Tyler [Emily Mortimer] as another version of Sydney while they discuss Cotton's death & the production of the movie as well. Tyson & Angelina are worried about their futures as actors, while Tom mocks them & Sydney and wants to continue production no matter what cost. Sarah looks at them, thinking about the points made and continues reading her script.Gale finally shows up on the set, a Woodsboro replica, meets her twin Jennifer Jolie, a huge fan obsessed with her Gale character and learns Dewey's a technical advisor for Tom, guard, and clearly Jen's love interest. Dewey thinks Gale's back for the action and the story once again. Tom's ticked off about Gale's smear job on some accident he had, which she admits was her way to boost ratings at his expense. Milton sees Gale & Dewey talking and kicks her off set and as she exits the set, Jay & Silent Bob actors Jason Mewes & Kevin Smith recognize Gale and make a sarcastic remark to which Gale gives Jason the bird.Neil Prescott [Lawrence Hecht] visits his daughter at her place. Sydney naturally wishes the recent events never happened and if only her mother's past was different, life be easier. Neil asks her to come home, but Sydney defends her exiled lifestyle stating at least she can't be targeted again if they can't find her. In the next shot that night, Sydney's sleeping on her couch while her mother in a nightgown walks up to the house. Sydney opens her eyes to see her mom, staring at Sydney through the window, calling her name and talking to her hauntingly, and claws at the window before sliding down leaving blood streaks from her fingernails. Sydney gets up for a closer look and Ghostface pops in the window, says hello, and knocks the window out with a knife, startling Sydney and knocking her back on the couch turning away from the window. The dog wakes up as Sydney turns toward the window and realizes it was just a hallucination.Sarah meanwhile drives up to the Stab 3 set to meet Roman, the director, to run lines. While waiting for him, Sarah is startled by Tyson and Stan, the make-up artist. Tyson hasn't seen Roman, but Sarah waits in his office and jumps when Roman calls his office to let Sarah know he's late. Sarah's not happy with her part, but Roman says they should run lines anyway. As they go through Sarah's lines, Roman supposedly changes the name of Sarah's part to her real name in mid-script and Sarah asks if there's been another script change. Roman lets her know it's a whole new movie and Sarah's the star to be skewed like a pig. Horrified, Sarah runs out to the studio exit, seeing a shadow thinking it's the killer (really just a guard locking up) continues on through the building and hides into the costume room, calls 9-1-1 only to discover the killer has been there the whole time and begins attacking Sarah but misses. He chases her into a storage area, smacks her through a door window, and stabs her in the back.Gale & Dewey meet for lunch, discussing their relationship the last few years and Dewey's frustrated while Gale recognizes they're different. Gale suggests there's connection for sure between Cotton & Sydney, to which Dewey said a couple months back someone did try to get Sydney's case file and dispatch declined, so the records were broken into but Dewey had removed Sydney's before the thief could get it. Jennifer calls Dewey to come to her house and Gale comes along.At Jen's house, she's all worked up about Sarah's death and we meet Steven Stone [Patrick Warburton], Jen's bodyguard. Gale is astonished when Jen and Dewey agree the two murders are in the same order as the script. Gale's the third or Jennifer whichever. Dewey grabs a flashlight from his trailer and is confronted by Steven who wants to run the protection detail. Dewey's unphased.At Stab 3 set, Kincaid & Wallace discuss Sarah's murder and find Gale there asking them questions about the crime scene and Dewey discloses Jennifer is next to get killed since she's Gale. Kincaid suggests that there's actually 3 scripts going around, so there's no actual guarantee that Jennifer is next, plus Steven's watching over her so she should be fine. Roman is worried about production and is getting more heat from the studio as Sarah's death puts another damper on his production getting done and making deadline. Kincaid walks over to him letting him know Sarah was supposed to meet with him, which Roman denies even calling her. Wallace insists Sarah's roommate recognized Roman's voice, to which Roman says there's a conspiracy out to shut down his movie. Kincaid & Wallace walk Roman down to the station.Sydney's at home continuing to handle her crisis counseling calls when a female caller notifies Sydney that the caller killed someone. Sydney says she should be calling the police, to which the caller's voice insists she should be calling Sydney. It's the killer using Maureen Prescott's voice haunting Sydney and asking her to turn on the news. Sarah's death is announced to which the killer's raspy voice comes and asks Sydney if she thinks this whole thing is over. Sydney, gun in hand, looks around her house looking for the killer and looks out her window, but no Ghostface.Steven's patrolling Jen's grounds and thinks he might have heard something. Inside, Tom's ripping the crappy parts out of Stab 3, being a little sarcastic about the murders, which scares Angelina who thinks Tom's drunk because he's being a jerk and leaves the room. Tom makes a rude remark about Angelina stepping on her competitors' toes before she got the Sydney part. Jen looks at him thinking Tom made a move on Angelina and she wasn't interested. Tom denies & Jen looks at him in disbelief and has Dewey escort her to another section of the house while Tom continues ripping things up. Gale arrives at the house and starts spying on Jen & Dewey's private conversation about Gate, getting caught by Steven, who notifies Dewey to Gale's presence. Gale suggests Sarah's call was from a cloned cell phone, not Roman's. Gale talks to him about Maureen Prescott's past that there wasn't many records on Maureen Prescott when she was young. Dewey recognizes the background of Maureen's older picture and finds Jen's background is the same which concludes Maureen was an actress years ago and worked at Samoine Studios (where Stab 3 is shot).Steven's in Dewey's trailer when Dewey calls him and asks him to watch Jen as something has happened. Steven is dismissive since he doesn't work for Dewey and makes a crude remark about Dewey's sister, which pisses Dewey off. However, it's not really Dewey at the other line, but the killer who's pissed off and runs from a hiding spot in the trailer at Steven and stabs him in the back.Dewey meanwhile suggests there's an even bigger connection now between Maureen Prescott & Stab 3 and dials Kincaid when Gale looks around Jen's house and notices it's a little quiet than normal. Suddenly, the door opens but no one enters and we notice it's really just wind blowing from outside. Dewey calls for Angelina & Tom, but no response. Suddenly Jen enters the house, scaring Dewey who draws his weapon & points before recognizing Jen. Tom pops up with Angelina and Dewey points, but doesn't shoot. As Dewey puts his gun away, he looks outside one of the open doors as everyone suddenly has their attention on Steven in a zombie walk, bloodied from ears & mouth with a knife in his back trying to communicate but falls. While the others' eyes widen in horror, Dewey runs over to attend to him.Realizing the killer could be anywhere near them, Dewey instructs everyone back inside the house just as the power goes out. Frantic, everyone begins to get rattled at every noise heard, including when a phone rings and everyone's checking to see whose it is. Jen realizes it's a fax from the killer and grabs a flashlight to read it, written from the Stab 3's script reading like a riddle. Suddenly another passage, much like the first with characters in other scenarios, and ends in "the killer will give mercy to...." just like the first. Unsure what to do, everyone runs outside. Frustrated, Tom decides to go inside while everyone runs from the house. He reads another fax in the dark, ending with "the killer will give mercy to whomever...." He lights a lighter and reads that it ends in "whomever smells gas." Next shot, he's immediately engulfed in flame, only screaming for a second or two, as everyone watches in horror and run from the house as it explodes killing Tom.The humongous fireball erupts forcing the survivors to jump over a railing from Jen's patio and land on a steep dirty hill, rolling down and landing in various flat areas over several yards in the back of the property. The movie follows Dewey as he gets up, looks around and can't see where everyone else went, & calls for Gale & Jennifer and they reply back (off-screen) from a far distance. Dewey looks for Gale, sees her down at the bottom of the hill standing on the road near an SUV. Before the killer is able to attack Gale from behind, Dewey shoots the killer, to which the killer rolls under the SUV and disappears. Meanwhile, not careful of his footing while firing his weapon, Dewey looses his balance and falls down the hill next to the SUV and joins Gale looking for the killer. Gale thanks Dewey for saving her and they're about to kiss when Jen shows up, freaking out wondering where was Dewey in protecting her and slugs him. Gale turns and immediately punches Jen in the mouth, causing Jen to fall to the ground. Jen turns and suggests she's ready to sue (her lawyer going to love Gale's assault on Jen). Gale feels much better though, considering Jen was being a bitch. They hear a noise and turn to their right seeing Angelina, walking toward them, almost in shock, frightened and mourning Tom's death asking if they're safe for now. Dewey suggests they're fine now. Dewey, remembering the killer had rolled under the SUV, looks under the SUV finding another picture of Maureen Prescott, on the back a message, "I killed her."At the LAPD office, Gale and Dewey meet with Kincaid and discuss this latest development. Gale suggests they know Billy Loomis and Stu Monker killed Maureen Prescott and went in grave detail about it to Sydney from the first movie. Kincaid suggests Sydney was wrong before, maybe this is from the real killer. Frustrated with the situation, Kincaid & Wallace need answers since there's three dead celebrities, a bodyguard, and now the mayor isn't happy with this threat & the press it's receiving. Gale asks the question: What does Stab 3 and Maureen Prescott have in common? Where's the link? Kincaid suggests well Maureen's picture is at the same studio as Stab 3 is shooting from. Kincaid suggests Sydney might know since she knows her mother and Dewey suggests her father was married to Maureen and he doesn't know much either. Kincaid and Wallace feel the pressure & are ready to interrogate Dewey, who feels of course on the spot & at the gallows. Gale diffuses the argument, to which Kincaid insists they bring Sydney in or Gale and Dewey will be charged with obstruction of justice.Dewey calls Sydney and begins leaving a message when he sees Sydney has come in to LAPD, hanging up to greet her. They catch up and talk a little about Gale. Sydney asks what's going on and wants to meet with Kincaid. Dewey confronts her for coming out of the cold, but Sydney responds that the killer contacted her home phone, realizing it's only a matter of time before her isolated life won't feel so safe anymore. Sydney rather joins Dewey and Gale to solve this mystery. Dewey introduces Kincaid to Sydney and lets Kincaid and Gale know the killer called Sydney. Sydney suggests that it was the same old bullshit, catching up & how she wants to die. While Kincaid, Gale & Dewey discuss leads, Sydney looks at her mother's pictures on Kincaid's wall. Kincaid informs her that the killer is leaving these pictures at every murder site and asks about the connection. Gale asks her whether Maureen was an actress or a model years ago, since the background in Maureen's shots match Jen's in the studio. Sydney suggests to Kincaid she's ready to visit Stab 3 set.Just when Sydney, Dewey, Gale, Kincaid and Wallace arrive to enter the set, Randy Meek's little sister Martha [Heather Matarazzo] walks out and scares them. Dewey prevents Wallace and two uniform officers from shooting the young girl, since Sydney & Dewey know her. Martha suggests she misses them not being in Woodsborough and shows them a videotape they need to see. It's Randy back at Windsor College during the time of Scream 2 a few years ago, leaving his legacy by acknowledging it's possible he won't make it out and that the killer may come back for a third time. Sydney is really surprised at how Randy prepared for a third sequel vs. the third & final chapter in a trilogy. Randy's sure the past is now a clean slate, different than what everyone knew before, and warns Sydney that in a trilogy as the main character in this live horror trilogy Sydney's destined to die in the end. This 3rd round could be a bloodbath like Reservoir Dogs before it's over. Randy wishes them well and suggests to the group that he might see them soon because some may not make it out alive. Sydney and Dewey hug Martha goodbye and Martha leaves.Gale takes a walk around the studio and tries to open a door but needs a key to get in. Jen approaches her which freaks her out. Using Jen's pass key, they enter the studio and meet Bianca [Carrie Fisher], the studio's bitter records coordinator. For an inside joke, Gale asks her if she's Carrie Fisher and Bianca says she isn't and suggests that Carrie Fisher slept with George Lucas to get the part of Leia in the Star Wars trilogy. Jen is astonished at how familiar they look (done for comedic effect of course). Gale apologizes and asks for information on Maureen. Bianca resists initially for a $50 bribe Gale offers, but Jen takes a step further and offers one of her expensive jewelry valued at $2,000, next shot Bianca's pulling a file on Maureen Prescott's stage name Reina Reynolds. Gale reviews the file which enlists all of Reina's films, some directed by John Milton, the producer of Stab 3, raisinh Gale's and Jen's eyebrows.Hanging around the Stab 3 set, Sydney is washing her hands in the bathroom when she hears a clang in the stalls behind her which rattles her a little and tries to get a grip until she hears another. Just like in the first movie, she looks underneath only to see boots stepping off the floor to stand on the toilet seat. She arms herself with pepper spray and kicks in the stall door to find Angelina Tyler. Angelina is startled by Sydney's assault on the door at first, but immediately recognizes her. Feeling bummed out that production is shut down due to the murders and convinced that her career is likely over, Angelina grabbed some souvenirs to remember Hollywood by. Feeling sympathetic about Sydney's past & current ordeal, Angelina states it was a great opportunity and she wanted to do right by Sydney. Sydney sighs and says Angelina probably would have. Unusually wound up, Angelina is amazed as the target of her portrayal is right there and wished she finished production. Angelina collects, with Sydney's help, the memorabilia, leaves the bathroom and heads out of the studio. Sydney finds Angelina left something on the floor in the stall and exists the bathroom only to see Angelina's gone.Sydney looks around and heads down a hallway which leads to the set, feeling a little nostalgic while looking to see if anyone else is there. She continues walking around the set and enters her "pretend" house and "bedroom." This brings back happier memories of her conversation with her ex boyfriend Billy before he became a Ghostface psycho. She then hears a noise looking outside her "fake bedroom window" but doesn't see anything. Behind her a door closes startling her, so she opens the closet door and adjoins them which forces both doors to flex a little (just a draft) as Sydney gets rattled. She backs away from the doors, thinking the killer is coming only to discover Ghostface appears in the window behind her and pulls her out of the bedroom onto the set floor. Sydney manages to escape and goes inside another house, where Ghostface appears and chases Sydney up the stairs. Sydney frantically slows the killer down and runs up a couple floors, calling for Dewey to get on the set. Hearing a voice from another room, Sydney's curiosity brings her to her mother's death scene. Scared and upset, she hears more voices and sees on the floor a fake cadaver covered by a white sheet with blood spots on it. The voices of her mother, Stu, & Billy seem to be coming from it. She runs toward the window and continues to hear her mother's voice as she turns to see the sheet has rose with her mother's haunting voice. Sydney jumps out of the window calling for Dewey and somersaults onto the set floor.Lights turn on as Dewey, Wallace, and some police officers rush in from a set door to Sydney, who's crying by now and informs them the killer is upstairs in the fake house. Dewey said Sydney shouldn't have been up there, since that's the production preparation for Maureen's dead scene. Wallace and some officers go up there to check it out, but the killer has vanished. Angelina and Tyson walk in to find out what happened while Kincaid rushes in to Sydney's side. Wallace interrogates Angelina and Tyson and question Angelina about the stalker mask she took for memorabilia. Kincaid confronts Sydney about seeing the killer on the set and Sydney swears he was there in "Woodsborough" (on the set). Kincaid reminds her it's just a set, not the real thing, which Sydney acknowledges but insists someone in a Ghostface costume was stalking her on the set. Dewey comforts her and suggests everyone believes her, as does Kincaid who drives Sydney back to the precinct for her protection while they figure out what's going on and who's trying to get to her. Jen and Gale walk over to Dewey and confirm Maureen Prescott, under the stage name Reina Reynolds, was an actress working for, none than, John Milton, Stab 3's producer at the studio.Roman is having a lengthy argument with Milton in the latter's office about the reason behind these murders and the fact it's happening while Stab 3's in production. They are interrupted by Jen, Gale, and Dewey who want to know what the hell Milton and Reina Reynold's history is. Roman asks them who Reina Reynolds is, but Milton suggests Roman should concern himself with his birthday party and not to cut the cake without Milton. Jen realizes it's Roman's birthday and wishes him "Happy Birthday." Disgusted with his bad luck, Roman suggests as if he doesn't had enough problems he has to celebrate his birthday and leaves the office. Dewey confronts Milton about knowing Reina Reynolds/Maureen Prescott and Milton acts like he doesn't know anything, until Dewey says he'll give Kincaid a call if he doesn't get a straight answer. Milton acknowledges he knows Reina Reynolds. Jen, breaking into her overly hyped Gale Weathers shtick, confronts Milton about making money off Reynolds/Prescott's death, and accuses him of being obsessed with Maureen and her daughter Sydney. Gale settles Jen with humor calling her "Geraldo", no doubt for Geraldo Rivera, famous for that type of reporting for money and ratings. Milton suggests Stab wasn't his idea and making the film he realizes he knew Maureen Prescott as Reina. He knew the controversy behind the murder and was worried about the press because he knew the victim, but Gale doesn't buy it and presses him about their history. Milton acknowledges Reina was working for him, was invited to a lot of his parties, and was desperate to make something of herself. Gale asks him if Reina was possibly attacked. Milton acknowledges things got out of hand and maybe some producers and directors took advantage of Reina and that maybe Reina wasn't cut out for Hollywood. He also acknowledges no charges were brought. Milton felt Reina couldn't play by the rules and that's why she didn't last in Hollywood.Sydney and Kincaid meanwhile talk about movie trilogies, his job, Sydney's ghosts (as Kincaid does get them too - hazard of the trade unfortunately), and about Maureen Prescott. Kincaid confirms Sydney's most likely telling the truth about Ghostface on set, which is good news because if this killer was there, then there's two ways to take them down: catch 'em or kill 'em, just like every other bad guy Kincaid dealt with. Sydney asks him what's his favorite scary movie, to which Kincaid responds his life is the most horrific and Sydney concurs as she been there the past 4-5 years.Dewey, Gale, and Jen meanwhile are returning back to the precinct to talk to Sydney and Kincaid about what they found when Dewey receives a phone call from Sydney while driving, suggesting that Milton supposedly called her to come over to his mansion to give Sydney some information. Dewey suggests it's not safe for Sydney to be out there, but Sydney suggests Kincaid is with her. They arrive at Milton's place and are greeted by birthday boy Roman and ask him where Sydney is. He says she's in the mansion and leads them inside, only to find out that he really means Angelina, the actress who plays Sydney in Stab 3. Tyson is also there as well sitting on Milton's couch. Gale confirms she means Sydney Prescott and Roman suggests that he would have never invited her here, but Gale suggests Sydney's coming which Roman doesn't mind.Roman suggests he wants to walk around the Milton mansion, but Tyson confronts him with the idea that a killer is on the loose and whenever Dewey for example is confronted in one of these situations he's left as a shishkabob. Jen volunteers to walk around the place with Roman and they head to the basement which scares Jen, who watches Roman go down the stairs in bad lighting. Tyson and Angelina go up stairs and look at the various posters Milton produced and posted on his walls. Roman seeks a coffin in the basement and opens to find a fake skeleton with eyeballs in its sockets. It's a little scary to him but he manages. He hears a noise behind him and looks over while Jen calls him from up the stairs and hears a clanging sound for a couple seconds, but no Roman.Dewey and Gale are concerned about why Sydney hasn't showed up, so they recheck the phone call they received by dialing it and hear the ring tone in a closet within the living area, turn on the light to see the phone, the voice scrambler which has everyone's voices, and a Ghostface mask, implying the killer is at the mansion. Dewey arms Gale with a gun and they split up in different areas of the house, calling for the others. Dewey finds Tyson and informs him that Stab 3's back in production (the killer's on the hunt to kill off characters for real once more). Gale finds the basement door and calls for Roman and Jen, then goes down to the basement, opens the coffin, and finds Roman dead with a knife in his chest. This naturally sets Gale back and bumps into Jen, which gives them both a jump.Gale and Jen run upstairs looking for Dewey and find Angelina. They inform her Roman's dead. Angelina wants to leave, but Gale and Jen want to find the others. Angelina confirms she slept with Milton to get Sydney's part and doesn't want to die in vain with Gale and Jen. Dewey calls Gale from another room while Angelina panicking continues to run down the hallway, makes a right, and another left and runs right into the killer who stabs her to death. Gale and Jen hear Angelina's blood curdling scream and run down the same pathway and find her down stairs being dragged off screen.Gale and Jen finally run into Dewey and informs him Roman and Angelina are dead, just then the killer gets the drop on them and punches Dewey in the head. Gale and Jen run into the bedroom and find Tyson, while the killer tracks them down and pushes Tyson away. Dewey confronts the killer, gets slashed in the arm and punched again. Tyson gets physical with the killer and is stabbed in the abdomen. Jen decides to hide in the bathroom while Gale picks up a vase and throws it at the killer. Tyson is able to get up and run, yelling help and police (like anyone would hear it inside a closed windowed house). The killer, realizing he's still mobile, chases after Tyson and catches up with him, throwing him into a vase case, and out an open window with a balcony onto the brick patio killing Tyson as his head smacks against the pavement.Jen finds Milton's secret passage way in the house and walks down some steps, only to find the killer has as well and chases her up the stairs. Running from the killer, in the passage way, Jen finds Dewey in the bedroom and begins knocking on the tinted windows trying to get his attention, so he realizes someone's back there. The killer finally catches up and attacks her as Gale joins Dewey and they realize the mirrors are shaking, so Dewey begins shooting them out one at a time, only to realize by the last one Jen falls to her death through the broken window pane as Ghostface had already killed her and disappears.Dewey and Gale go back to the main section of the hallway and can't find Sydney who hasn't arrived yet. Meanwhile the killer attacks Gale while Dewey's away and they struggle right just outside the kitchen at the basement entrance to the house and falling backward through the open door and down the steps. Knocked out the killer lands on the bottom step while Gale is down on the basement floor and manages to get up only to realize the killer is in between her and her means of escaping. Dewey walks outside in the common area finding Tyson dead on the bricks and calls for Gale. From the basement, Gale hears him calling while the killer has a little reflex but not enough strength to wake up and passes out. Upstairs, Dewey receives a call from Gale downstairs, asking him to open the basement door, but is instantly suspicious since he fears the killer is once again using her voice to attract his attention. Gale insists it's really her speaking and he should just open the door. The killer finally wakes up at the bottom, just as Dewey opens the door and truthfully it was Gale talking him. Dewey tries to shoot the killer before Gale is attacked, but realizes he doesn't have any bullets, so the killer throws his knife up the steps at Dewey and luckily the handle part is the one that hits Dewey in the head, causing him to lose his balance and fall down the steps. Gale attends to him, while the killer flashes his knife standing before them.At the police station, everyone's working 2nd shift and Sydney's still in Kincaid's office, foot on the desk bored, confirming it was the killer who called Dewey and sent him, Gale, and Jen down to Milton's. She happens to see her file on Kincaid's desk and opens it to see dozens of articles, forms, and news clippings about the past 4 years from Maureen's death to now. She receives a call and hears herself like an echo. It's really the killer with the voice scrambler, who changes to his normal raspy voice and suggests that he has Gale and Dewey and wants Sydney at Milton's place ASAP. Sydney immediately wants to attract Kincaid's attention to the call, but the killer lets her know it's not happening and if she does, she won't see her friends alive again. She says "Where?" to which the killer says he'll let her know when she's on the road.Sydney opens Kincaid's drawer and grabs his backup gun. When Sydney arrives at the mansion, she checks on Tyson and realizes he's dead and looks around, just as the killer calls her and asks she run the metal detector over her body, which beeps at her ankle. The killer insists she remove the gun and throw it in the pool which Sydney does. The killer insists she join the party inside, which she suggests that she won't, but he keeps saying that Dewey and Gale are right inside and she should take a look. Gale and Dewey are hogtied and Sydney walks over to them and starts working on releasing Dewey and Gale from being taped up. Just then Ghostface creeps up behind Sydney as she turns and smacks her across the face and she falls. He's ready to stab her when she draws Kincaid's gun, pointing it at the killer and shoots a few shots. Sydney continues to start untaping Gale and Dewey and Gale looks up at where Ghostface fell and notices the masked killer's no longer there. Sydney looks over and sees that the killer's missing too and grabs the gun and looking around.Kincaid shows up, only to discover Sydney becomes suspicious of the fact he's alone and doesn't trust him. Diffusing the fear and intensity in Sydney's eyes, Kincaid withdraws his weapon to show good faith and calm her down. Ghostface pops out of nowhere, knocks out Sydney, and attacks Kincaid struggling with him, knife in hand, and Kincaid manages to overpower him, but not before the killer kicks him in the stomach and Kincaid loses balances, hits his head on the mantle of the fireplace, and falls to the ground. Sydney manages to get up and fires the gun at the killer who ducts, tries to fire again but the gun's out of bullets, so she throws it away and challenges the killer to chase after her. The killer draws his knife and lunges at her. Sydney manages to move out of his path and the killer falls through the window while Sydney runs down the main hallway, with the killer back up in hot pursuit. She runs into Milton's study, locks the door, and looks for a secret passage way access on the bookcases which she finds and enters Milton's private study, locking the door to the exit back. Sydney sees a movie on a screen of her mother and can hear her mother's voice, which again turns out to be the killer in the same white sheet with blood stains on it from the set. Upset, Sydney tries to escape but the killer locks up the safe room.The killer lays out the truth. She asks who he is, to which he informs her he's the other half of her - her sibling, in short. In his raspy voice, the killer tells her he searched for a mother too, an actress named Reina Reynolds, and when he finally tracked her down she turned him away, saying that she had a new life and a new name, that Reina doesn't exist anymore, and Sydney was the only child Maureen claimed. The killer suggests she wouldn't acknowledge her son, as he takes off his mask, revealing the killer to be Stab 3 Director Roman Bridger, back from the dead. Roman continues his story about how Maureen said Roman was Reina's child and Reina's dead, so he figured if Reina's truly dead, he'll make it real and begins stalking her, filming her every move, making a movie which shows the good and bad of Maureen Prescott. Roman talks about how Maureen was sleeping around, mentions Cotton which everybody knew, but then Billy's father - that's what he needed. He showed the film to Billy, which motivated and coached Billy on how to solve both their problems with a few tips including a partner (Stu), find someone to frame (Cotton), almost as if Billy was making the movie. Sydney concludes that Roman was responsible for everything the last 4 years, to which he suggests that he's a director, he directs, meaning he knows what sequence he wants for anything and will go through several organized plans to make it happen whether preparing for a scene or seeing someone executed premeditated. Roman informs Sydney he had no idea that Gale would write the book and the studio would make a movie about it, but is quite fascinated with the idea until he realizes they portrayed Sydney as the victim and the star of the movie which clearly pissed him off.Dewey finally gets loose, helps Gale, and they attend to Kincaid who's still managing and hands Dewey a gun and tells him to get the killer. Dewey and Gale start trying to break into the study with great success. Sydney acknowledges Roman's plan succeeded and the showdown shall continue with the villain Roman dying at Sydney's hand. Roman corrects her saying he's not the villain and Sydney is so she'll be no longer. He also reveals to her the hogtied Milton, suggests how Milton and his posse attacked Reina/Maureen, messed her up, made her a whore, and asks if Sydney hates Milton for what he did. Roman shows her he recorded a message he created using Sydney's voice threatening Milton. Milton attempts to bribe and beg Roman to spare his life. Roman slits his throat, while Sydney snaps and throws the responsibility on Roman who continues his rendition on how he intends to have Sydney framed for the murder and the other murders. Roman truly believes he's going to get away with this as he lays out why Sydney supposedly does the crimes. Sydney cuts him off, informing him the truth is that he's a whack job like every other she dealt with and he's responsible for his own actions, which Roman clearly can't handle facing the idea that she's right and he's going down. He gets pissed, have a loud argument, and Sydney and Roman begin to struggle.Meanwhile, Dewey and Gale look for a way inside the safe room, finally shorting the safe lock and the lights. Kincaid using a couple pins finds his own way in, opening another door and asks Sydney where the killer is. Unfortunately, Roman gets the drop on Kincaid and knocks him out. Roman looks over the cop, withdrawing Kincaid's weapon and make sure there isn't another weapon on him. Sydney grabs Roman's knife and confronts him, to which Roman responds that he has a gun and shoots her in the abdomen. He walks up to her and shoots in the chest and she passes out, supposedly dying. Roman grabs his knife as he hears Dewey and Gale calling for Sydney and threatening him if he harms her. While locking the other exit, he turns to Sydney only to discover she's missing. Off screen, she grabs an ice pick while Roman searches for her, flipping out that the same game he's playing is played on him while hearing that Dewey and Gale continue their efforts to unlock the door to the safe room. Roman decides to call Sydney's phone as a means to track her down, which works as it rings very close by. All of a sudden Sydney jumps out from behind the bar and stabs Roman who falls and turns toward her suggesting he thought he killed her. Sydney reveals she's wearing an LAPD standard issued bullet vest, Roman is amused, and Sydney concludes they must think alike and stabs Roman in the chest. Finally, Dewey and Gale bust into the safe room and see Sydney, kneeling over Roman, who's dressed in black cloak, stabbed, realizing that he was Ghostface this time around. Gale tends to Kincaid, who's wounded but still fine, while Dewey keeps a gun pointed on Roman. Roman reaches out to Sydney to hold her hand as he's supposedly dying. Dewey suggests she be careful since the killer always generally comes back for one last scare in a horror movie. Sydney suggests this isn't a movie at all, and low & behold Roman gets up, grabs a knife, starts screaming like a maniac, lunging at them, and Dewey fires his into Roman's chest, but to no avail apparently Roman definitely has his own vest and manages to stop the bullets before they reach his body. Sydney realizes this and yells to Dewey to shoot him in the head, which Dewey finally registers and shoots Roman point blank, killing him. Dewey thanks Sydney for her help as they look at Roman.At Sydney's house in secluded California, Dewey and Gale visit and look at the beautiful landscape from the house and watch Sydney walking back up to the property with her dog once more. Dewey asks Gale to sign "The Woodsborough Murders", which Gale thought he hated, but he insists. She opens the book's cover to realize it's just a fake book to disguise Dewey's engagement ring and he proposes. After some consideration of their differences and their time slots, Gale accepts and they kiss.Sydney opens up the gate, but noticeably doesn't close it and punch the code. At the house, she enters and is ready to arm the security system, but stops herself, debating on whether to let herself continue to live a controlled paranoid life or to live a little and take a chance. She chooses the latter as Kincaid, with arm in sling, walks in to greet her with popcorn and invites her for a movie in the living room. Sydney asks what kind of movie, to which Kincaid suggests she has to find out for herself as Dewey and Gale walk in too and have a seat. Sydney sighs and walks in when she hears the door open behind her and turns around to watch it swing open and wait for a sign that someone's after her, but nothing, only the wind blowing. Sydney turns and just grabs a seat and the screen goes back as the credits begin to roll. | comedy, mystery, murder, violence, humor, satire, revenge, prank | train | imdb | null |
tt0277828 | Enter the Matrix | The story begins with Niobe, captain of the Logos, and Ghost, her first mate, retrieving a package left in the Matrix by the crew of the recently destroyed rebel ship Osiris. After being pursued by Agents, Ghost and Niobe escape from the Matrix with the package, which turns out to be a message to the human city Zion, warning them that the machines are approaching with an army of Sentinels. Niobe and Ghost are tasked with calling the rest of the ships back to Zion to coordinate a defense.
With this in mind, the captains of the various ships hold a meeting in the Matrix to decide on how best to defend themselves. During the meeting, Agents attack the building they are in, although Niobe and Ghost are able to help their allies escape. They then encounter the Keymaker, a program capable of accessing any area in the Matrix, who leads them to safety through a door he created. The Keymaker gives the two a key that they are supposed to give to Neo. However, the key is stolen by henchmen of the Merovingian, a program created during the early days of the Matrix who now operates an illegal smuggling ring within the program. Ultimately, the Merovingian destroys the key, but Niobe and Ghost are able to escape, when the Keymaker realizes that it is too early for the key to be given to Neo.
Niobe later volunteers to go find the Nebuchadnezzar, the ship captained by Morpheus, upon which Neo serves, and the only ship yet to return to Zion. Upon finding the ship and its crew, and helping them escape from the Matrix, Niobe and Ghost agree to help in Neo's mission against the machines, agreeing to destroy a power plant. After this mission is completed, the Oracle, a program that often gives the humans advice, requests that the player character come and speak to her. After their conversation, the player is confronted by Agent Smith, a rogue Agent that seeks to destroy both the human and machine worlds. The player character barely escapes from the hundreds of Smith copies and the Matrix. Once out, the Logos is attacked by the machines. They defeat the machines by setting off an EMP, which disables their own ship in the process. The game ends with Niobe and Ghost waiting in the Logos, hoping that they will be rescued. The two wonder what's coming but believe that it will be "a hell of a ride."
=== Characters ===
Aside from Ghost and Niobe, there are numerous secondary characters in Enter The Matrix.
Sparks — the operator on the Logos; he gives players tips and information throughout the game.
Smith — a program that can absorb human bodies and humanoid programs to make copies of himself; he chases the player through an abandoned skyscraper, and later, Chinatown.
Agent Johnson — an agent who appears frequently during the game; Niobe defeats him by kicking him off a cargo plane, while Ghost defeats him by knocking him into a short-circuited computer server.
Agent Jackson — another agent with frequent appearances in the game; Ghost defeats him by blowing up his helicopter. Jackson also tries to kill Niobe and Ghost after the crew of the Caduceus is saved, but the two were unexpectedly saved by the Keymaker.
Agent Thompson — the least-featured Agent in the game, who only appears in cinematics; the only opportunity to fight him occurs at the end of Niobe's missions at the power plant.
The Oracle — a program within the Matrix who often helps the humans.
Seraph — a martial arts master who protects the Oracle; he fights Niobe or Ghost once during the events of the game.
Morpheus — a member of the rebels, Niobe's ex-boyfriend, and captain of the Nebuchadnezzar.
Trinity — another rebel, a good friend of Ghost, to whom she refers as "dear brother"; first mate on the Nebuchadnezzar.
Neo — the most important rebel; Morpheus believes he is "The One".
Cmdr. Locke — leader of the Zion defence forces; Niobe's current boyfriend.
Axel, Soren, Ballard, Bane, Vector, Binary, Ice, Corrupt and Malachi — rebels encountered during the game.
The Keymaker — an old program who guides players through certain portions of the game.
The Trainman — carries multiple wristwatches on his arms; he controls the link between the Matrix and the machine city, and works for the Merovingian.
The Merovingian — an old program that has gone rogue in the Matrix; he has a chateau in the mountains wherein he has the Keymaker imprisoned; his henchmen are from early Matrix programs, and are rumored to be "vampires" and "werewolves".
Persephone — wife of the Merovingian; often betrays him out of spite.
Cain and Abel — two henchmen of the Merovingian.
Vlad — the black-clad, pale-skinned leader of the Merovingian's vampires; he is killed by Niobe, who stabs him through the heart with a wooden stake.
Cujo — the leader of the Merovingian's werewolves; he is killed by being impaled on a wooden stake in the dungeons of the chateau.
The Twins — employees of the Merovingian, they are encountered as the player leaves the chateau; they chase the players down a long tunnel, before they are finally evaded.
Sewing Woman — a character featured in the multiplayer mode of the game. | good versus evil, psychedelic, alternate reality, neo noir, violence | train | wikipedia | When the Wachowski's shot footage for the video game as they were shooting The Matrix Reloaded and Do you have to play the video game in order to see the movies.
No, just like The Animatrix, you don't have to have played the game in order to enjoy the movie.
Cinematics - through the use of DVD quality video, you see the story unfold with all the main characters from the Matrix Trilogy.
No matter how powerful your computer is, the game play is going to bog down to a crawl whenever there are a lot of enemies on the screen.
I don't know that a video game is the best medium for telling a story, but I have to give the Wachowski brothers credit for the attempt.
Not just a little at a time, but in 20 seconds you can go from 2% to 100% if you simply stand still (and no one is shooting at you).Other than the 1 hour of DVD quality video (have I said that enough yet?), the only saving grace is the audio in the game.
It's weird when the sound effects are the most notable aspects of a game, but they are that good.The music is also excellent.
If you're a die-hard Matrix fan, then I'd recommend buying the game if you can find it on sale.
Even if you're not a die-hard fan, the story arcs are good and worth slugging through the game to watch them..
After seeing the movie, i started playing the game.
It has clips of the movie.....which are very cool.Also I think the graphics of this game look perfect.
If you have 20$ or whatever you have in your wallet.........BUY THIS GAME RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!Its really worth to buy you know.It has every thing you want.Its real cool.
'Deleted scenes' from The Matrix Reloaded compiled into a video game..
It is sort of a "Fill In" for many scenes in Matrix Reloaded, or Ghost's or Niaobi's perspective of things.One can play as Ghost or Niaobi and the game starts with us stealing a tape from a post office.
Another good factor is the sound, which is top notch and the music.Direction/Animation: Good.Story/Screenplay: Good.Acting: Average.Music: Awesome.A game for movie fans but not gamers..
One of the all time best Movie-based games ever made.
Seriously, if your a fan of the matrix and you love movie based games done well, then this is the game for you.
I am a movie fan more, and I did really enjoy the matrix movies, so being able to do bullet time in slow mo, dressed in some slick duds with sunglasses and visiting matrix 1 environments, evading agent smith clones, all the while watching a story made exclusively for the game that ties into the movie, its just a great experience and a fun one.
I thought the graphics were exceptional and well done, even though other reviewers say it looks "rushed", think about it, the game had to tie into the release of the movie and if it at times looks like that, which is rare, it still doesn't look "bad".
This game is basically a background story for "the Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions" and allows you to play as Niobe and Ghost ( voiced and played in the cinematics by Jada Pinkett Smith and Anthony Wong).
Oh well, play it anyway if you love the "Matrix" trilogy or Action/Adventure/SciFI/Thriller games!.
All in all, it's a good game and if you like the Matrix, get it..
When I first heard about this game and how it tied in with the Matrix movies I was very interested.
Enter the Matrix is, hands down, the worst video game I have ever played: controls are terrible, graphics are crap, game play is frustrating.
And it was nifty seeing the Trainman reappear in the movie.In the end, I'd recommend this game to any, at least slightly serious Matrix fan.
The cut scenes read like the deleted scenes from the film, but without any of the connecting scenes from the movie or exposition explaining what's going on, the game has no coherent story or thru-line.The game play was decent, but the graphics are far behind other games for GameCube, Playstation, or X-Box. The motion capture often left the animated cut scenes feeling stiff.
The game is pretty good, but could have had some things improved if they had put the time into it.
Granted, auto-aiming is pretty bad if you are not using focus, but hey, that's one of the points of the game--focus makes everything better.
You can do stuff like sideways no-handed cartwheels, diving toward or away from guys while shooting, jumping farther, running up/along walls, and doing better fighting moves.Negatives: *Bad AI.
In fact, as a game in its own right, its hard to actually say whats good about it (The hacking is a nice, innovative feature and the focus bar makes for some nice touches, but that really is all thats worth noting).
Because while it is a shockingly average game, it is perhaps the best use of a movie liscence you will ever see.
You get to play as a charecter in the Matrix, in a well recreated, if a tad bland looking and badly modelled, world.So summed up - average game, excellent liscense.
It is a nice game to play, the fighting is the best but the graphics are not a surprising thing to see.
But you can drive Niobe´s car in that avenue that appears in the movie when morpheus is on the Truck fighting with an agent.The good thing in this game are the voices of the real actors from Matrix and sound of the weapons, and of course the fighting.Bad thing: As i sad auto aim is terrible and the design of the weapons are crappy.Of course the game will have a sequel, let´s pray that the next one is bettr than this.
'Enter The Matrix' is a very good game, in fact it is one the better action games that have ever come out.
Featuring a great story with very fun hand-to hand combat and a nice variety of game-play, 'Enter The Matrix' will take you further down the rabbit hole.
I never got past "control tower 2" with ghost because it would crash every time it went to play the cutscene.The hacking was kind of fun.
Enter the Matrix is not a bad game...but certain things keep it from being great.
I have the GC version of this and for those who have not played it yet: picture Max Payne with hand to hand fighting, and driving levels and you have ETM.I liked the game despite how short it was...and not to mention how easy it was also.
Fans of the series will want to check this out...but if you hated games like Max Payne and Dead 2 Rights...you'll hate this game too.Enter The Matrix Final GradeB-.
Then again, compared to the voice acting in games like Silent Hill 2 (a game which I loved), it's a massive improvement.I am going to finish this game but primarily because I am a massive Matrix fan - I want to see the extra movie footage.
THE GAME tells you where to safe, so you might be playing parts of the game very often...The story, ah, it´s okay, but the levels are more or less the same, it get´s boring very soon.The only good thing about the game is the kung fu part.
Very nice, lot´s of fun, but that doesen´t help after all.This is one hell of a frustrating game, and i really don´t know why i should waste my time with it.Matrix license?
This is NOT in any way a good game, an average at best!
If you have played ONE good game in your life, then by the second level you will see and know that this game was not ready to be sold in stores?
Can't really compere it whit the X-box but it's probebly kinda like the GC ver.It's a dam shame that companies can abuse great movie licenses like this, but that just goes to show that most people don't care about how good a game is, they just buy the license and are then blinded by it..
I recommend this to a Matrix fan or someone who like beating up cops, and doing wicked moves.
The 3 comes from an interesting first few missions, and you are able to play until the end just for the really cool matrix trailer.
In Enter the matrix you could either play as ghost or niobe.
I would recommend you to play as ghost because ghost does a lot more than niobe such as shooting cars in your way in a 3D graphic car chases.
Ok to the game the story lets you understand the movie better such as seeing what happend before everything happended in reloaded.
When they do connect, your body goes right through their character models).SOUND: Pretty decent, but I don't know why people are missing the fact that the music skips at given points (the PS2 version, anyway).
Gunshots sound realistic, too, such as the handguns, which actually sound like the blazing gunfire coming from the guns in the films.GAMEPLAY: Play through the first 20 minutes of the game and you'll automatically be in awe.
The events in the game actually take place after the "Final Flight of the Osiris" mini-movie, and 3 days before the events in Reloaded.
Sure, the game lets you do bullet time, but even that gets boring after a while.
A mediocre action game that is a must have for every die-hard "Matrix" fan.
"Enter the Matrix" is an interesting exercise, it's the latest attempt to merge video games and movies closer together by linking them to one story.
This title takes place between the CGI animated short "Final Flight of the Osiris" and "The Matrix Reloaded".It's basically a back story for the two minor characters who are featured in "Reloaded" played by Jada Pinkett Smith and Anthony Wong.
You also have the ability to "focus" and manipulate the Matrix like Neo, Trinity and Morpheus do in the films.The levels are mindless entertainment, they do not require much from the player other than to press a few buttons to fight and move.
I did like the element of "hacking" into the Matrix, which is based on the old DOS system.With this, you can unlock a number of features, cheats and mini-games.
Maybe juggling the production of the movies, comic books, video game and animated shorts were just too much to tell one huge story with.
Now, there is a feature called Focus in this(using it is how you shoot straight), and holding down the button that starts it lets you break the rules, do things you can't in real life(slow down time, wall-run, dodge, etc.), and that is one of the areas where this gets fun.
I'm a huge matrix fan and I found it very innovative to tie in the game with the movie.
What I mean by that is that when I want to look back at the matrix saga it will be very limiting because chances are that most of the systems that we play this game on today will not be commonly used in the ten or twenty years.
Enter the matrix is one of the best games ever!
I think some of the levels are a bit too hard but most are really good and this game is up in the hall of fame, with games like Grand theft auto 4.9.5/10.
Lets get one thing straight, this is by far the worst excuse for a game I have played for a long time.
Obviously a lot of thought has gone into the story, and the cut scenes are fantastic, but actually playing through the game is painful.
Very obviously rushed to get it out in time for the film.But whilst the game itself is as poor as newborn tramp, the package itself is actually rather good.
You get to play in 'THE MATRIX' and fight like NEO.
You get to play with Niobe or Ghost who feature less in Matrix Reloaded movie.This Game is as good as the film.
I mean, I have played a lot of video games, but I think that this could be the best one ever.
Other than that, this is the best video game I have ever played.
I've played Enter the Matrix for the Playstation 2 and i think that the game is absolute class, the graphics, the action that's in the game and the movie is just cool, i think it's an amazing game and i really would give the game and outstanding 10/10.
AS far as movie connected games goes this is as good as it gets.
I think that the fight and other coerography is very good, but the graphics and the gameplay (Max Payne was a lot better) is too average.
The music is very good: it makes a real Matrix feeling for this game.
This game maybe worthwhile to anyone that likes The Matrix, if you want my opinion this would make a better movie than The Matrix Reloaded.
Enter the Matrix was the most expensive game made.It was 20 million dollars for its production.But the money made an amazing game, with marvelous graphics, great sounds(of the actors of the movies) and a great difficulty level, making a high fun factor.
The game is great, with only a problem: the hacker mode is ridiculous.The Best: Amazing graphics and soundsThe Worst: the terrible hacking modeLinking: Final Flight of the Osiris to Reloaded.
Occasionally your character will perform a complex fighting move where they grapple with an enemy and knock them out except they don't pull off the first move correctly, i.e. getting a hold of the enemy, and they will perform the entire sequence of fight moves against thin air.The first problem is understandable considering that MOST video games don't have accurate physics engines.
Occasionally your character will perform a complex fighting move where they grapple with an enemy and knock them out except they don't pull off the first move correctly, i.e. getting a hold of the enemy, and they will perform the entire sequence of fight moves against thin air.The first problem is understandable considering that MOST video games don't have accurate physics engines.
Unlike most movie tie-in games this actually compliments the films rather than trying to imitate it or be a condensed version.2.
Unlike most movie tie-in games this actually compliments the films rather than trying to imitate it or be a condensed version.2.
The use of focus power, or bullet time as it is also known, makes for some very impressive hand to hand and gun fighting.
The use of focus power, or bullet time as it is also known, makes for some very impressive hand to hand and gun fighting.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Matrix concept (if you don't know any thing about the films then why the heck are you reading about the game?) I will give you a prime example of bullet time so that you can understand the magnitude of being able to control this power.Five minutes into the first Matrix film we see a woman dressed a black, leather biker's outfit with her hands on her head about to be cuffed from behind by a cop, there are three other's who all have guns trained on her as he approaches.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Matrix concept (if you don't know any thing about the films then why the heck are you reading about the game?) I will give you a prime example of bullet time so that you can understand the magnitude of being able to control this power.Five minutes into the first Matrix film we see a woman dressed a black, leather biker's outfit with her hands on her head about to be cuffed from behind by a cop, there are three other's who all have guns trained on her as he approaches.
This is what bullet time is about.The game itself is sufficiently entertaining that if every thing about the matrix were stripped away from it and it were simply an action/adventure/fighting game with no connections to any other product it would still be a decent enough game to stand on it's own.
This is what bullet time is about.The game itself is sufficiently entertaining that if every thing about the matrix were stripped away from it and it were simply an action/adventure/fighting game with no connections to any other product it would still be a decent enough game to stand on it's own.
The thing that makes this a good game is that it (like The Animatrix) is more like a compendium to the matrix than an entity unto it self.All in all I would give this game a.
The thing that makes this a good game is that it (like The Animatrix) is more like a compendium to the matrix than an entity unto it self.All in all I would give this game a.
I recommend to watch the movie and play the game.
It's one heck of a story.Game: When we look at graphics it looks good and the sound is OK.
If you are a hardcore gamer: play this game if you like good story or if you are a total fan of the Matrix trilogy..
Similarly, the controls were so simplistic I could hardly do anything I wanted to with my character.Both these problems stem from the fact that Enter The Matrix was rushed to the PC format with virtually no consideration for the new platform - I have well over 50 buttons on my keyboard, and can only do about 3 things in the game.
It feels rushed, poorly executed and is, frankly, an insult to Matrix fans.This is one game to avoid like the plague.
Go play Max Payne instead to see how Bulle Time games SHOULD be done. |
tt0082951 | The Prowler | It is the end of the second World War and newsreel footage shows us the troops returning from Europe onboard the Queen Mary.In a letter dated March 12, 1945 and sent to her lover abroad, a woman named Rosemary writes that she can no longer wait for him. She tells him that so much has happened and that perhaps they can be friends upon his return.On the evening of June 28, 1945 in the small seaside New Jersey town of Avalon Bay, the townspeople hold it's graduation dance. G.I.s escort their girlfriends to the ball. Inside, the class of '45 are swinging to the orchestra's music.Rosemary (Joy Glaccum) is attending with her new boyfriend Roy (Timothy Wahrer). The two decide to go off by themselves and drive to a lake where they spend some romantic time together in a gazebo. Lights are strung up around the gazebo and along the small nearby walk-bridge. Ominously, someone approaches the couple and cuts the power. The stranger is wearing full combat gear and carrying a pitchfork. As Rosemary and Roy embrace, she looks up and sees the pitchfork over them. Rosemary screams and the stranger plunges it through the both of them...and then leaves a long-stemmed red rose in the dead woman's hand. The revelers are oblivious back at the dance.35 years later. The town prepares for its graduation dance once again. There hasn't been one since that fateful night. Pam MacDonald (Vicky Dawson) stops by to see Sheriff George Fraser (Farley Granger) and they discuss the event. The discussion turns to the invalid Major Chatham (Lawrence Tierney), a fellow World War II veteran, over his refusal to allow the annual celebrations after the murders all those years ago. Sheriff Fraser tells Pam that someone has robbed a store in the nearby town of Columbus and then cut up a kid and took his car.Authorities there are afraid the killer is headed towards Avalon. Despite that possibility, the sheriff is leaving town to go fishing. He puts Mark London (Christopher Goutman), his deputy, in charge. Before Sheriff Fraser takes off, he stops by a convenience store owned by Pat Kingsley (John Seitz). One of the employees is Otto (Bill Hugh Collins), a strange "slow" fellow whom the sheriff seems to mistrust.Pam and Mark have an attraction for each other and go on a lunch date. She shows him an article she wrote about the return of the graduation dance and tells Mark she's concerned about his safety. Pam also tells her roommate Sherry (Lisa Dunsheath) that she's worried about the Columbus killer. Sherry tries to calm her friend's nerves while the other girls in the dormitory are excitedly preparing for the dance. Lisa (Cindy Weintraub) even flashes Major Chatham, who's sitting in his wheelchair in the house across from them.As Pam is putting the finishing touches on her outfit, someone else is getting ready too. But this person is putting on a military combat uniform, complete with a bayonet, hunting knife, and a sawed-off double-barrelled 12-gauge shotgun.Sherry gets into the shower, and before Pam heads out, she asks Sherry if she should wait. Sherry tells her to leave because she's waiting for her boyfriend Carl (David Sederholm). When Carl shows up, he surprises Sherry in the shower. Hoping to have a little fun before they leave, he goes into the bedroom to undress. Suddenly, an intruder grabs him from behind and plunges the bayonet through Carl's head until the other end comes out of his neck. The force is so great that the victim's eyes roll back into his head. Sherry is still in the shower when she sees someone through the curtain approaching. She thinks it's Carl... until the killer (wearing a military helmet and with a gas mask covering his face) pulls the curtain open and is holding a pitchfork. As Sherry screams, he lunges it under her breasts. He then lifts her up as he sticks the pitchfork in further killing her.At the party, Pam is happy to see Mark when he arrives. But before she can talk to him, Lisa pulls him away to dance. Pam stands by the cocktails, frustrated and annoyed. When Mark comes over to talk to her, Lisa follows him. Tipsy from the alcohol, she knocks into him and he spills some liquor on Pam's dress. Pam is furious and heads back to the dorm to change her outfit.When Pam gets to her room, she hears the shower running. Still thinking that Sherry is in the shower, she closes the door. Little does she know that Sherry is dead and that the killer is still in the bathroom. The room is dark enough that she doesn't see Carl's blood on the bed. She changes and then leaves. But as she's going down the stairs, she hears something. Pam looks up at the top of the stairs and sees a dark figure... what looks like a G.I. wearing a gas mask. She gets creeped out and runs through the dorm.There's no one around and just as the killer comes near her, Pam makes it outside. She knocks right into Major Chatham in his wheelchair, who grabs her arm. She breaks free and finds Mark. When she tells him that someone has been chasing her, he takes his flashlight and searches around the dorm. Mark doesn't find anything besides wheelchair marks on the ground which lead to the sidewalk.He returns to his car where Pam is waiting for him - and she tells him to check the dorm because Sherry and Carl are still in there. Mark goes inside and towards the bedroom but the door is locked. He doesn't see that there are two dead bodies in the tub.Pam and Mark go to Major Chatham's house. It's dark and the old man is nowhere to be found. The killer is in the house and he watches them from an upstairs window. During their search, Pam finds an old scrapbook and discovers that Chatham's dead daughter's middle name was Rosemary. She was the girl killed 35 years ago.The two then go back to the dance, where they tell Miss Allison (Donna Davis) about the prowler on the campus. The teacher tells the students they should stay put and not go out until the person has been apprehended. That message comes too late for Lisa.Angry that her date Paul has been puking in the bathroom, she's gone to the pool for a late night swim. After doing a few laps, Lisa ascends the stairs of the pool to go back to the party. The killer is standing above her and kicks her in the face. Shocked by the attack, Lisa tries to swim away but is unable to get her bearings. The killer then jumps into the pool, comes up from behind her, takes his bayonet... and slices her neck. Her body falls lifelessly to the bottom of the pool.Paul wants to leave the dance and find Lisa but the teachers won't let him. He's so drunk and rowdy that he gets thrown out. Mark and Pam take him to the police station house, where Mark puts him in a jail cell.Meanwhile, Mr. Kingsley organizes an armed posse of several men to search the neighborhood for the prowler. Otto is given a rifle and invited to come along with them.Told that the local cemetery has been desecrated, Mark and Pam head out to see what's happened. When they get there, they find Rosemary Chatham's grave dug up. They open the coffin and find Lisa's body in it.Meanwhile, Miss Allison has left to see if she can find Lisa. She sees blood in the pool and panics. As she tries to run away, the killer grabs her and thrusts the bayonet into her neck.Mark tries to reach Sheriff Fraser at the lodge he's staying at but can't get in touch with him when the overweight and lazy front desk clerk refuses to place a call to his cabin, claiming that the sheriff is not there. Before heading back to Major Chatham's house, Mark tries to drop Pam off at the dance. She refuses and insists on going with him. When they get to Major Chatham's house, Mark leaves her for a moment and is knocked unconscious by the killer.Pam spies a necklace dangling from inside the fireplace and tries to pull it out. Still in her graduation dance dress, Rosemary's skeleton falls out of the chimney. Pam tries to find Mark but is confronted by the killer. She runs through the house trying to get away and hides under a bed. The madman is now in the same room. Pam makes every attempt to be still... even as a rat comes near her. Finally, Pam gets up and runs out of the room. She manages to get the pitchfork away from the killer and holds it up for protection as he comes near her.Just then, Otto, the clerk from Kingsley's convenience store, enters the room and shoots the prowler with his hunting rifle. Seconds later, the killer takes out his double-barreled shotgun and shoots Otto in the chest who falls dead. As the killer reloads the shotgun to shoot Pam, she stabs the prowler in the back with the pitchfork and they struggle for the shotgun. The wounded murderer pulls his mask off and Pam is horrified to see who it is. It's been Sheriff Fraser all along. Pam gets the upper hand, points the shotgun at his head and fires... exploding it to bits.The next morning, Pam returns to the dorm, she goes into the bathroom in her bedroom and opens the shower door. The shower is still running and Sherry's body is still on the floor of the tub and Carl is hanging from the shower head by his tie. Suddenly, Carl's corpse reaches out to grab her. She screams and the screen cuts to black. | cruelty, murder, cult, violence, horror, flashback, insanity, romantic, suspenseful, sadist | train | imdb | The film is directed by Joseph Zito who has special effects wizard Tom Savini to thank for the film's best scenes.
Only instead of full mining gear, our Prowler is dressed in WWII era military fatigues.The gore is by far the best thing this film has going for it.
By far my favourite of the early eighties dorm slashers, THE PROWLER is an excellent and exciting film brought to the screen with finesse by Joseph Zito.
The Prowler is not a great little slasher flick, there are a few redeeming features; highish production values, some suspenseful chase sequences, gruesomely effective gore effects courtesy of Tom Savini.
The film tries to set itself up as a bit of a mystery and much is made of the snooping couple looking for clues, I factor that I always finds interesting in these movies, the killer's identity is a surprise, It could have been anyone.A prime example of the slasher genre that gleefully touches all the familiar bases before sliding home (home being an exploding head courtesy of living legend Tom Savini).
In the case of THE PROWLER you'll probably guess the identity of the killer way before the final 'unmasking'-scene.The plot is straightforward and easy to follow (like almost every slasher-flick).
Further more, there are at least two jump-scenes that really work (always a good thing in a horror movie, but you might wanna turn up the volume) and I thought the roses were a nice touch.It was also a nice surprise to see a slasher-movie that knows the rules of the genre and dares to break a few too (you figure out which ones yourself).
80's slashing is in the house.This rather predictable and slow slasher is saved by the gore set-pieces by effects maestro Tom Savini.
Aside from the gore, one of the things that was actually enjoyable about "The Prowler" was that it did offer a little bit of suspense and tension, and the direction by Joseph Zito is perfect while he creates a scary atmosphere and uses the camera to make his killer all the more terrifying.
It is rare that people nowadays can cringe at slasher films from this era, but "The Prolwer" certainly will add a little bit of suspense.The acting isn't as bad as one might think, and its shocking that most of these stars were never heard of again.
However, as mentioned, it is the director Joseph Zito and the make-up artist Tom Savini (of the "Friday the 13th" and "Dawn of the Dead" fame) who really make "The Prowler" worth your time.
I must say that these effects are the best I've seen in a horror film from the time period, and they surpass "The Burning", "Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter", and "Sleepaway Camp"."The Prolwer" is available on DVD, from the Blue Underground Company completely uncut, uncensored, and relentless.
For not only does The Prowler exhibit some of make-up effects artist Tom Savini's best work, but it also might just be the best slasher film released in the glory days of the early 1980's.Opening after the conclusion of World War II where a couple is brutally murdered, the film forwards 35-years to present day (1981 present day) where a group of college kids are preparing for an annual spring dance.
Mysteriously, the fatigue donning killer reappears and using his weapons of choice (a bayonet and a pitchfork) he begins his night of terror that will leave the small New Jersey town soaked in adolescent blood.A slasher film is routinely graded on the graphicness or originality of its kills.
A pitchfork puncturing shower scene, a pool throat slashing and the shotgun blow to the head were arguably three of the best kills of The Prowler's era – and era that included Friday the 13th sequels, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween II.The story itself is horror routine.
A masked killer, wearing World War II U.S. Army fatigues, stalks a small New Jersey town bent on reliving a 35-year-old double murder by focusing on a group of college kids holding an annual Spring Dance."The Prowler" was directed by Joseph Zito, an incredibly nice guy and talented artist, probably better known for his installment in the "Friday the 13th" series.
He goes around in full WWII combat gear with a mask over his face.Jump 35 years later and at the new graduation dance (the 1st one since 1945), the killing begins again with various college students having their throats slit, pitchforks in their bellies and being chased all around Cape May, New Jersey.
The atmosphere is there, the characters aren't that bad, the killer is imposing, the kills are brutal and nasty...but then...(sigh) things just fall apart and don't get semi-exciting again until the last 10 minutes.The Prowler might be so wonderful in its first act, because it starts off like most slasher flicks end.
An often overlooked entry in the early 1980s slasher genre, "The Prowler" (otherwise known as "Rosemary's Killer" in other territories) benefits a great deal from the unrelenting gore and inventive death scenes delivered by special effects maestro Tom Savini (Dawn Of The Dead, Friday The 13th) and in the surprisingly solid direction of Joseph Zito, who would later go on to deliver one of the most memorable (and bloody) installments in the Friday The 13th franchise, "The Final Chapter."The film opens up with a solider being informed via Dear John letter that his lover is breaking up with him.
"The Prowler" definitely leaves something to be desired in terms of plot...but the amazing gore effects from Savini and the good direction make this a stand-out among other slashers of the 80's.
When a serial killer attacks the students, Mark and Pam seek his hidden place.I bought the DVD "The Prowler" with great expectations based on the good reviews in IMDb. Unfortunately I found a senseless, boring and dated low-budget slasher movie with awful screenplay and lines.
Yet another entry in the flood of early '80's slashers, this one mainly remembered for Savini's awesome gore FX.Gilted WWII soldier kills ex-girlfriend and her lover upon returning home, now decades later he begins to randomly murder.
Does it have anything to do with the Graduation Dance being held again or is it because lovely Pam McDonald is coming too close to solving the mystery of the long-ago murders?While the film's story line is thin indeed (infact, it's kinda similar to that of the earlier slasher My Bloody Valentine) this killer thriller isn't without its merits.
Rejected soldier reaps revenge on unfaithful sweet-heart and new partner, then returns to wreak havoc on anniversary of the killings.The Prowler in question is suitably chilling, dressed in Army fatigues, face hidden under camouflage netting and armed to the teeth with combat knives and assorted garden tools and implements(!?!)Plotline typical affair with obligatory death sequences for this genre, though orchestrated expertly by Special make-up effects wizard Tom Savini,(Friday the 13th, Maniac, Day of the Dead,) some subsequently cut from U.K. release.
The tension never relaxes, and the murders,courtesy of gore effects maestro Tom Savini,including a pitchfork shower killing,an exploding head and a bayonet through a skull,are genuinely shocking,no cheap cutaways here.
Despite this stuff,there's a sense of fun about some parts of the movie,especially during a swimming pool stalking which copies some of the exact shots from Jaws.The acting's pretty feeble {although look out for a 'slumming it' Farley Granger and Lawrence Tierney} and there is rather too much footage of the hero and heroine wandering around the killer's house,the tension TOO drawn out here.
But the big thing with this film to me is the effects done by Tom Savini are great in being graphic and skillful (much like he did a year earlier with FRIDAY THE 13TH).
Yes "The Prowler" also known as Rosemary's Killer from director Joseph Zito is my personal 80's slasher horror favorite film.
One of the best gore overdone death scenes I ever saw in the movie.A group of college students holding a graduation spring dance, 35 years after a double-homicide occurred.
The Prowler I love so sue me.There is a lot of gore, bloody cruel body counts, Tom Savini's effects are excellent.
Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter is my number 1 all time favorite film in the franchise, Friday the 13th (1980) is in my fourth rank in the "Friday the 13th" franchise just like in this movie I love Tom Savini's effects.Come out the same year as Friday the 13th Part 2, My Bloody Valentine, The Burning, Halloween II did and more gory slasher films, the year 1981 was full of slaher films.
35 years later, there is another graduation dance and that's when our mysterious killer shows up again to murder more people.The Prowler delivers some suspense and gruesome scenes of people being murdered.
"The Prowler" is one of many in the long line of 'slasher' films produced in the early 1980s after the success of "Friday the 13th." Many would have you believe it's one of the greater efforts, but I'm convinced their opinion is swayed by the excellent gore effects provided by Tom Savini.
The majority of the murders take place within the first half hour, and you know something is seriously off about a slasher film where the 'final girl' (the one that usually survives until the end) discovers the carnage so early on in the movie that she's reduced to running around town playing detective with the town deputy for nearly half the film.
Excellent pacing is critical to making a good slasher, and this entry unfortunately isn't up to par, resulting in a disjointed, often meandering film.But as such, some of Tom Savini's best effects are on display here (the pitchfork in the shower scene is genuinely uncomfortable) and make this worth checking out if not just to see one of the few '80s slashers that managed to escape the MPAA unscathed (they would later crack down on many of these films, often sanitizing them to the point that fans have been pleading for uncut releases of their favorite slashers for decades).Not a total waste, but one has to wish they'd thrown in a little more suspense and better pacing to go along with the excellent gore..
I don't want to give the good scenes away, as it is Savini's effects that are the greatest quality of this film, but I can assure that no gore lover will be disappointed.
I watched The Prowler many years ago and the only thing I had really remembered about the movie was that Savini provides some really good special effects.
Look for the best head exploding scene ever.I really would have to say this movie is for Savini fans or just people that like to see ultra gore.
Those who want to see gore, you've got gore.As for the plot, it's really not that important but let me explain a little: in an openly long prolog, a World War II vet in the small town of Avalon Bay returns home from Europe in 1945 having received a "Dear John" letter from his fiancee who does not take it easy, and armed with a pitchfork, he kills her and her new boyfriend one night during a graduation dance at the local college.Cut to 35 years later, the present, it's the day of the first graduation dance since the murders.
But the thing to see are the murders: pitchforkings aside, there are stabings, throat-cuttings, a bayonet through the skull, and an exploding head, most of it shown in considerable detail.Contents: Seven killings; superior blood; one nude scene where Lisa Dunsheath takes a shower (and gets pitchforked); masked psycho; a pathetic red herring; a little suspense; and a couple of surprises..
Yeah, the plot isn't all that great, the pace of the movie drags in places, and several questions ultimately go unanswered - but I was genuinely surprised at the identity of the killer (who is pretty intimidating in his killing garb), the lead actress is fairly cute, and - as is always important for us gorehounds - I was absolutely delighted at the spectacle of blood and gore on display.
The prowler to me might be the second best slasher film of the early 80s with The Burning #1 either way all the gore effects r done by the best man in the business Mr. Savini..
The Prowler is by far the best slasher film of the 80's due to its amazing practical make up effects done by Spfx master Tom Savini and great direction from Joseph Zito.
Yes, all the dumb clichés of horror films are present here, sexed up teens dispatched, a heroine in distress, some red Herring's as to the identity of the slasher, several "false alarms" to set up the real scares, and some of the most idiotic actions by the characters when faced with the stress of evading the killer (running wrong way, tripping over everything, going into one exit rooms, calling out "who's there" when they hear a creepy noise, etc.) but despite all this, I consider it a nifty little film, and one worth watching..
But, then again, that just goes to show you that there's absolutely no accounting for one's puzzling taste in movies.I recently read that make-up effects man, Tom Savini, considers the gore-effects he created for The Prowler to be his very best work.
Well, if this is really so, then I can't imagine how Savini has been able to survive in this competitive field of work for all of these years.From its predictable story-line, to its dismal suspense, to its overloud music, to its laughable, surprise/shock ending, The Prowler was a certified dud on all counts.It made absolutely no sense to me why (after committing his first murder in 1945) the pitchfork-wielding killer took an incredibly long, 35-year hiatus off (that's right!
Joseph Zito's The Prowler (released on video here in the UK as Rosemary's Killer) still commands quite a lot of attention from fans of 80s slashers, primarily for its outstandingly bloody special effects work courtesy of movie make-up legend Tom Savini.
When the main characters, college girl Pam MacDonald (Vicky Dawson) and deputy sheriff Mark London (Christopher Goutman) aren't wandering aimlessly through a dark house, they're engaged in a variety of other mundane activities, and with the killer rarely breaking a sweat to catch his victims, the viewer is left counting every excruciatingly drawn-out second until the next vicious murder.I rate The Prowler 6/10, but solely for the outstanding splatter from Mr. Savini..
Following a terrific pre-credits sequence (which evokes the post-war period through a combination of soft-focus cinematography and imaginative production design), the movie segues into a by-the-numbers slasher scenario, lacking all but the most rudimentary elements of suspense.Savini's effects are just as shocking today as they must have seemed in 1981, particularly a mean-spirited twist on the PSYCHO shower murder which revels in the victim's blood-spattered torment.
Prowler, The (1981) ** (out of 4) A graduation dance is the setting for this slasher that features a masked killer wearing WW2 fatigues.
Joseph Zito The Director Of "Friday The 13th The Final Chapter" And The Chuck Norris Action Film "Missing in Action" Has Directed a Brilliant And Gory Film Called "The Prowler" When The First Time i Saw This Movie it Was Very a Good Slasher Flick And Also Too The Gore Special Make Up Effects is By The Great Tom Savini And This Slasher Film Has Two Hollywood Legend Actors in Special Appreances One is Lawrence Tierney From Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs And The Warner Bros Gangster Classic Film "Dillinger" And The Other is Farley Granger From Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope" Who Plays Shreiff George Fraser Also Known As "The Prowler" This Film The Prowler is One Of The Greatest 80s Slasher Movie Period.
The film's plot is simple: a World War II vet who killed his ex-girlfriend and her lover in 1945 has suddenly began killing again 35 years later, dressed in complete military regalia and using instruments such as a pitchfork and a machete.Like many of its contemporaries, THE PROWLER has little going for it besides gore.
Veteran actors Farley Granger and Lawrence Tierney, who could have lifted the film above most of its contemporaries in terms of acting, are given precious little to do.The main saving grace of THE PROWLER is the special effects work by gore maestro Tom Savini.
Great ending, in my opinion, one of the best of any slasher flick.I highly recommend "The Prowler" for people who enjoy violent and scary movies.
The acting is on the higher end of the spectrum for similar slashers and the director's look of the film is very good, especially (duh) his utilization of Savini's gore.
The Prowler 9/26/2010This early 80's slasher film by Joseph Zito is a horror classic.
"The Prowler"(1981,Joseph Zito)is a lot better than many other slasher flicks.The film is about a WW2 veteran who first kills his girlfriend who left him and her current boyfriend and then goes on a rampage years later,brutally killing teenagers.There are some truly creepy moments and the gore effects made by maestro Tom Savini are truly gruesome.Yes,there are some boring scenes,but who really cares?The killings are unique and extremely bloody.A young guy gets a knife through the top of his head and then out of his jaw,a girl,while seen swimming neo-nude,has her throat slashed,a woman is brutally stabbed in the throat etc.The killer's demise is also great-he gets his head blown off with shotgun(this sequence is very realistic and reminiscent to the one in William Lustig's "Maniac").Besides the gore,the acting is surprisingly decent and Vicky Dawson plays a really likable heroine."The Prowler" is rather hard to find,so if you get a chance watch it.I can safely say that it's ten times better than stupid and politically correct teen slasher movies of the 90's.Highly recommended..
"The Prowler", aka "Rosemary's Killer" is a 1981 slasher movie that begins on the night of June 28, 1945 at a graduation dance in a small town. |
tt0094812 | Bull Durham | "Crash" Davis (Costner), a veteran of 12 years in minor league baseball, is sent down to the single-A Durham Bulls for a specific purpose: to educate hotshot rookie pitcher Ebby Calvin LaLoosh (Robbins, playing a character loosely based on Steve Dalkowski) about becoming a major-league talent, and to control Ebby's haphazard pitching. Crash immediately begins calling Ebby by the degrading nickname of "Meat", and they get off to a rocky start.
Thrown into the mix is Annie (Sarandon), a "baseball groupie" and lifelong spiritual seeker who has latched onto the "Church of Baseball" and has, every year, chosen one player on the Bulls to be her lover and student. Annie flirts with both Crash and Ebby and invites them to her house, but Crash walks out, saying he's too much a veteran to "try out" for anything. Before he leaves, Crash further sparks Annie's interest with a memorable speech listing the things he "believes in", ending with "I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days... Good night".
Despite some animosity between them, Annie and Crash work, in their own ways, to shape Ebby into a big-league pitcher. Annie plays mild bondage games, reads poetry to him, and gets him to think in different ways (and gives him the nickname "Nuke"). Crash forces Nuke to learn "not to think" by letting the catcher make the pitching calls (memorably at two points telling the batters what pitch is coming after Nuke rejects his calls), and lectures him about the pressure of facing major league hitters who can hit his "heat" (fastballs). Crash also talks about the pleasure of life in "The Show" (Major League Baseball), which he briefly lived for "the 21 greatest days of my life" and to which he has tried for years to return.
Meanwhile, as Nuke matures, the relationship between Annie and Crash grows, until it becomes obvious that the two of them are a more appropriate match, except for the fact that Annie and Nuke are currently a couple.
After a rough start, Nuke becomes a dominant pitcher by mid-season. By the end of the movie, Nuke is called up to the majors. This incites jealous anger in Crash, who is frustrated by Nuke's failure to recognize all the talent he was blessed with. Nuke leaves for the big leagues, Annie ends their relationship, and Crash overcomes his jealousy to leave Nuke with some final words of advice. The Bulls, now having no use for his mentor, release Crash.
Crash then presents himself at Annie's house and the two consummate their attraction with a weekend-long lovemaking session. Crash then leaves Annie's house to seek a further minor-league position.
Crash joins another team, the Asheville Tourists, and breaks the minor-league record for career home runs. We see Nuke one last time, being interviewed by the press as a major leaguer, reciting the clichéd answers that Crash had taught him earlier. Crash then retires as a player and returns to Durham, where Annie tells him she's ready to give up her annual affairs with "boys". Crash tells her that he is thinking about becoming a manager for a minor-league team in Visalia. The film ends with Annie and Crash dancing in Annie's candle-lit living room. | philosophical | train | wikipedia | Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins all brought Ron Shelton's script to life and the three of them displayed some of the greatest chemistry ever captured on film.
Before they became giants of Hollywood, Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins stars in this great movie as some of the most interesting, yet simple characters.
Costner plays an aging baseball player who meets with rookie, soon to be great major league pitcher Tim Robbins.
Bull Durham works scene after scene, because the film never forgets that baseball is what binds all the characters together.Tim Robbins is nothing short of brilliant and Nuke Laloosh, the rising star youngster who walks 18 batters and strikes out 18 batters in his first minor league appearance - both league records.
Eventually, Crash's mentoring begins to pay off until he finally realizes that winning is "like, you know, better than losing!"The love triangle between Annie (Susan Sarandon), Crash and Nuke is wonderful and funny, but it mainly provides us with set up for the baseball scenes, like when Sarandon convinces Nuke to wear women's underwear while he pitches.
Susan Sarandon plays Annie Savoy, a baseball groupie in her sexual prime who likes to read poetry and give the players hitting advice.
And so along comes Crash Davis (Kevin Costner, one of the more underrated and less flashy stars of our time), playing an itinerant catcher who has managed to hit nearly 300 minor league home runs.
Nuke is just the hunk Annie needs to keep her from falling in love with Crash, but...well, this is a romantic comedy, so you can be sure that love will find a way.The baseball shtick and the interior dialogues of Robbins and Costner during the games ("Why's he want the heat?
Get that...woman out of your head--Time out!") are really funny, and the bit where Robbins shakes him off and Costner, as an object lesson for his young pitcher, tells the batter what's coming next allowing the batter to hit it out of the park (or onto the Bull Durham sign to win a free steak dinner--is this genuine Americana or what?) are a crack up.
Another great scene is on the bus when Crash lets the other players know that he once made it to the bigs where "...you hit white balls for batting practice and the ballparks are like cathedrals." Beautiful.Best dead-pan one-liner is when Crash catches Nuke in the locker room trying to adjust the panty hose girdle that Annie has talked him into wearing under his uniform: "The rose goes in the front, big guy."By the way, the great rock and roll soundtrack includes the galvanizing baseball song, "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame.
For Crash, Nuke, Annie and all the other characters in here baseball is a way of life not a sport and it is to be respected and in some cases worshipped.
For me the best scene in this movie comes in the pool hall at the end with three generations of baseball player we know that one day nuke, will be in crash's position and that crash will eventually be in the old guys position it's the baseball way of life.
Howevever it's a way of life that's changing and this is shown in the almost forlorn at times shot's of the ballpark and main characters, like the lady says you have to respect the ball player who's just trying to finish out the season.Direction, script and performances (Costner's best performance ever I think even over Field of Dreams and the Untouchables) are superb see this movie you wont regret it.
The way Costner struggles being a great baseball player and a career Minor Leaguer with an abundance of knowledge and love for the game sets his character apart from any other.
There's all the love in the world for this great American pastime, but there's also some interesting and literate discussions going on all the time in this smart and witty comedy, as well as some memorable characters whom we like and find easy to watch.Kevin Costner plays "Crash" Davis, a veteran minor league catcher who's hired by the Durham Bulls to act as a mentor to their new pitcher Ebby LaLoosh (Tim Robbins).
At the same time, sexy Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon), the Bulls' loyal groupie, takes an interest in Ebby as she makes a habit of hooking up with one young player every season and helping the man to mature.
Naturally, some sparks fly as the two guys both get attracted to Annie.Writer / director Ron Shelton truly knows the territory, having been a minor league baseball player himself, although he doesn't in truth feature a lot of game action.
Continuing my plan to watch every Kevin Costner movie in order, I come to 1988's Bull Durham Plot In A Paragraph: Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) a baseball fan who takes a new lover each season, finds her life complicated when Crash Davis (KC) an aging catcher is brought to the The Bull Durham's to provide some help for "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) a hot young pitcher who has a great fastball but no control or handle on life.
Costner and Robbins are both absolutely excellent in their portrayals of frustrated Minor Leaguers trying to get to the "show" (i.e. the MAJOR LEAGUES for those of you who do not know the lingo.) and the setting is beautiful; a small southern town where baseball is probably the best thing on Earth because everything else is boredom.
The Annie character is also an interesting twist on the necessity of a female figure to calm down too much boiling testosterone.MLB players like Milton Bradley need an "Annie Savoy" - unfortunetely they apparently do not yet; I hope these tortured souls of MLB will someday find an "Annie" or at least watch this movie so chairs stop flying into the stands at MLB parks and these guys can get back to the real business of just playing the game.If you are a serious baseball fan this is a must see; if you're clueless or just don't get the draw of not just the game but of honest "Americana" - don't bother; maybe at least try to figure it out..
It's no surprise that Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner play the leading roles in this sleazy film.
There's something to be said about Minor League Baseball.While the Major Leagues have their glitz and glamor,the minor leagues are a bit different.It's not so glitzy.It's not so glamorous.Everything having to do with the minor leagues happens on a much smaller scale.For some,like me,the atmosphere of the minors is much more appealing because you don't have a bunch of millionaires out there saying "look what I can do".What you do have are guys trying to prove themselves worthy of that next step,the Major League level,which means that they are more likely to be giving their all.Minor league ballparks,depending upon which ones you go to,have a lot to offer as far as fun things to do for the family as far as contests and the like.What Bull Durham does for the average movie watcher is project that very atmosphere that I have just described.When you watch the film,you feel like you are at the ballpark having a blast.The three way interaction between the characters played by Costner,Robbins,and Sarandon is a great display of artistry that no one should miss.There are elements of language and sexuality that some may find offensive as well as slams against Christianity that made me personally uneasy,but otherwise this film is a definite fun time..
I believe Ron Shelton wrote a screenplay based upon his experiences in the minor leagues and feel the balance between baseball as a fun game and as a business/job were overall solid.Here's my main problem with the film -- the character of Annie is ultimately a self-righteous manipulative whore.
I can accept it as an unlikely scenario in a comedy, but it's the only male/female relationship I could allow to slide by since the woman wasn't developed as a character very fully.Overall, I found the game of baseball handled in a good and serious manner befitting the thousands of players currently working in the minor leagues but the portrayal of Annie as a savior and helper of one player per season was despicable via her manipulative use of sex and need for control.
Bull Durham is written and directed by Ron Shelton, it stars Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Robert Wuhl and Trey Wilson.
Music is by Michael Convertino and cinematography by Bobby Byrne.Annie Savoy (Sarandon), small town groupie of the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team, takes a different player from the team into her bed each year and in the process imparts her considerable knowledge of the game on them.
Baseball groupie Susan Sarandon only sleeps with one player a season: Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner both want to be that player.
America's two favorite pastimes, baseball and sex, combine in Bull Durham, a delightful romantic comedy with a real-life happy ending.Susan Sarandon, in her totally adorable heyday, plays a baseball groupie with a tradition of having an affair with a different player of the Durham Bulls each season.
Rating-7/10Bull Durham is a sports film which boasts a great cast, comedy throughout and actually some good bits of baseball.
Whatever sport movie fans may think of the sport, you should enjoy this and I felt that this was firmly a good movie.The story is a fun film about a minor league baseball who hire a veteran batsman and a young promising pitcher who may make it big one day, both the characters work together well and the story always lets the two express there polar opinions and feelings.
It can be funny at time, not really laugh out loud but it still raises some chuckles and if anything it is very much feel good and smile like entertainment.Kevin Costner in the main role is good and really shows his wise face as the wise old veteran batsman Crash Davis.
Even those who don't like baseball would like this film.Ron Shelton's film is about a 12-year veteran catcher of the minor leagues named Crash Davis who is assigned to mentor hotshot pitcher Ebby "Nuke." Along their moments of bondage, they rival each other in getting the attention of Annie who believes in the "Church of Baseball" and she has a program where she chooses one player per season to be her lover.This film is well-acted.
I'm not exactly a fan of sport comedies , but this one is one of the best I've seen.The movie really heavily on the trio of stars : Kevin Costner ("Dancing with the wolves") , Susan Sarandon ("Dead man walking") and Tim Robbins ("The Shawshank Redemption").
Ron Shelton's Screenplay & Direction, both, are very-well done, while the Performances, are remarkable.'Bull Durham' Synopsis: Crash" Davis, a veteran catcher is brought in to teach rookie pitcher Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh about the game in preparation for reaching the Major Leagues, While, Baseball groupie Annie Savoy romances Nuke but finds herself increasingly attracted to Crash.'Bull Durham' is humorous, energetic & most of all, entertaining.
Bull Durham doesn't seem to enjoy the game of baseball nearly as much as it's foul mouthed players.Kevin Costner is the only reason to watch this film -- he gives a fire-cracker of a performance..
I wasn't even aware there were such things as "baseball-groupies" or "Annie's" as I believe they're called but as ball-game slappers go, it has to be said that Susan Sarandon's Annie Savoy and her young sidekick Millie, certainly offer an understandable come-hither attraction to the dumb grunts who make up the baseball team's ranks.The acting by the A-list cast is very good, Sarandon in particular scoring (no pun intended) as the inexhaustible, Durham Bulls fan with a novel way to bring on young talent in the team, well supported by a a very young looking Tim Robbins as her number one draft pick this particular year and Kevin Costner as the seen-it-all-before old lag who arrives to encourage Robbins' character in more traditional manner but who likewise falls for Annie's charms and ends up competing with his protégé for the squiring rights.Like I said, a lot of the baseball terminology and action pretty much passed me by, although I did enjoy Costner's universal roll-call of sporting clichés to Robbins for his first major television interview.
Kevin Costner, in one of his 3 baseball movies, gives one of his most memorable performances as Crash Davis, a close-to-retirement minor league baseball player who never got his true shot at fulfilling his dreams in the big-leagues.That's the strongest asset the film boasts, is the bittersweet story of someone who gave it his all and even then, it may not be enough to be successful.
Complement that with a bittersweet story, memorable performances, and a funny script and you have one of the great sports movies of the last 30 years.+Well-written+Romance & baseball+Back and forth with Catcher-Pitcher dynamic-Sarandon's character motives don't hold up7.9/10.
It stars Kevin Costner, in what may be the first of his successful sports-themed movies, Susan Sarandon, and a young Tim Robbins, at the outset of his career.
None of these films will ever have a character like Susan Sarandon, a well known baseball Annie which is what the players have dubbed their groupies.
But baseball is a most unsentimental game as Costner knows and Sarandon's avocation is also one with some heartbreak.Best scene in the film is Costner describing what it's like in the Major Leagues, 'the big show'.
"Making love is like hitting a baseball: you just gotta relax and concentrate." In what is not your classic sport movie, the focus of Ron Shelton's Bull Durham is on the relationships of the players to each other and to the team's number one fan, Annie Savoy.
Soon after the film opens, she brings Nuke LaLoosh and Crash Davis, played by Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner respectively, and lets them know that they are both in contention to be her lover.
Kevin Costner portrays a veteran 'player to be named later', doing what he can to mature a hot shot but dim-witted rookie pitcher (Tim Robbins), while competing against him off the field for the heart (and body) of local groupie/baseball guru Susan Sarandon.
Gladly, there is not way too much focus on the game being shown on screen--there's just enough to make it a true baseball movie, but the movie revolves around the way baseball affects people, particularly those who love it but never saw any good come of it.In the film, Costner is Crash Davis, a minor league vet who is brought in to play catcher for the Durham Bulls to mentor their pitching prospect, "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) who has a "million dollar arm and a five cent head." The relationship between the two is humorous and eventually becomes serious after awhile as the film takes its turn for the dramatic.While I didn't particularly care for the film's portrayal of its female characters, Sarandon did make the film a bit more interesting than just a generic love interest because she's so fixed on baseball and strange things like romantic era poetry.This is not really a true comedy, and perhaps the slight dislike I have with the film is because of that expectation, but it's mostly the ineffective romance stuff.
Costner in particular is excellent, showing a knack for verbal comedy and physical heroism that he put on a shelf until "Tin Cup." And Tim Robbins turns in a memorable performance as Nuke Laloosh.I see no reason in going into the plot details, as everyone who has seen the film knows what "Bull Durham" is about, and those who haven't seen it are in for a wonderful treat.
Unfortunately, even with a cast like Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins, this movie failed miserably.
If I had to pick between the two of them, I'd pick Freddie, no doubt about that one.The film centers around the hard-throwing yet iratic arm of LaLoosh (Robbins) and in order to make it to the show, he needs lessons in baseball and in life from no other than a twelve-year minor league veteran catcher, Crash Davis (Costner).
Bull Durham is a comedic baseball film starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins.
This film is about the happenings of two baseball players' year in a minor league team."Bull Durham" is only fairly engaging, which is a surprise as it is a sports movie.
i enjoyed this little baseball drama/lite comedy movie starring Kevin Costner,Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.it's one of three baseball themed films starring Costner,the other two being Field of Dreams and For Love of the Game,both of which i have seen and will post reviews of.as for this film,even though i'm not a baseball fan,i still liked the movie.it tries hard to make the game seem profound,but it doesn't quite convey it,in my opinion.the three main characters are likable and sympathetic,so you really want to root for them,yet at the same time they are sad and almost tragic.but the movie is worth watching.it never gets boring.for me,Bull Durham is a 7/10.
Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) has had a chance to play in the major league, but finds himself back in the minors training Nuke (Tim Robbins), a young pitcher with a wild arm.
And then there's Susan Sarandon, who creates a love triangle when she enters their relationship, claiming sex with her can create a better ball player.Tim Robbins has consistently made great movies, even disposable stuff like "Nothing to Lose".
Yes, Costner was a tad unconvincing as a ballplayer, but held his own...what makes this movie so great are the unique characters (Crash Davis, Annie Savoy, Nuke, etc...), the side stories and the exploitation of many baseball clichés. |
tt0095238 | The Good Mother | This film is about a recently divorced mother, Anna, and how she copes and moves on with her life. Anna is from a family of some wealth and required obedience. She has learned most of what she would like to be from her Aunt Babe, a free-spirited, physically secure, and mouthy young woman. Babe becomes pregnant out of wedlock, is sent to Europe to finish her pregnancy and give up her child, and comes home only to try to resolve and hide from her downfalls at the bottom of a bottle. Babe drowns one night and it is uncertain if it was accidental or purposeful. Anna was considered a conformist at an early age and yearned to be more like Babe. Once her role model is gone, Anna continues with following form.Anna describes her marriage and sex life as rigid, and her attitude towards her husband as frigid. Her ex-husband remarries almost immediately which makes Anna all the more insecure, feeling easily replaced and commonplace. Then she meets an artist from Ireland, Leo, and becomes enveloped in his zest for life, his ability to make every aspect of life interesting, sensual, loving, and his natural beauty and compassion. Suddenly Anna feels like a desirable woman and invites Leo into every facet of her life, including her young daughter, Molly.
Anna had been raising Molly to understand and be secure with herself and her body, reading her books about the differences in gender and from where babies come. Leo is comfortable and nurturing with Molly and genuinely cares for his new family. One night Molly has a bad dream and goes into Anna's room while she and Leo are having sex. They stop while she tells of her bad dream and falls asleep. From the way the scene ends it does not appear that they continue although they don't deny it later.Anna's ex-husband, Brian, shows up at her house to inform her that he is filing for full-custody because of allegations that Leo has been inappropriate with Molly. We learn that Molly came into the bathroom while Leo was showering and saw him naked. She was curious and asked if she could touch him to understand the difference between male and female. Leo allowed her to since he understood that she was a curious child who was beginning to understand physicality and sexual nature. Brian does not know to any extent about Anna's educational book and misinterprets what Molly says happened. In court the lawyers place blame on Leo, who takes it hoping to end legal matters and keep Molly with Anna. He explains that it was a mistake, that he thought it was in keeping with Anna's parenting, since she had bathed with Molly and was very open with her. A counselor agrees that Leo should have known better but he believes that Molly hasn't been abused and is a very well adjusted and happy child, particularly with Anna and Leo. In the end the judge gives custody to Brian and Anna's relationship with Leo ends. She does not fight for her child although an appeal was an option. She only sees Molly on alternate weekends and holidays. One of her loves was taken away and the other she pushed away. | romantic, flashback | train | imdb | Excellent, compelling, infuriating, underrated..
I'm cautious about films with a message: they are too easily heavy-handed and preachy, or on the other extreme capable of producing a mass "understanding" that is actually untrue ("The Klansman/Birth of a Nation" comes to mind).
Films dealing with sexual attitudes can very glibly preach either "damnation for transgression" or "freedom from repression" with equal superficiality.
This film is remarkable for painting all its characters with dimension: no one is evil, but everyone can be weak, afraid, and make poor decisions with good yet fearful intentions.
The acting is terrific, so you feel satisfied at having seen a movie of quality at the same time you feel frustrated, infuriated, and finally exhausted by the outcome of the plot.
Another example of Leonard Nimoy's excellent qualities as a director, forever lost - I'm afraid - in the strange perception that his work in Star Trek makes all of his career somehow lightweight..
Beautifully Acted, Tender Story.
JJack100 couldn't be more ridiculous in her/his assessment of this film.
"The Good Mother" is a wonderfully acted, beautiful little film that is completely underrated.
Very basically, it illustrates the problems that sometimes might ensue due to simple "clashes" of culture and social morais, even though both are western (she's American, he's Irish).
It might have been interesting to see how the daughter describes to her biological father what actually happened with the boyfriend.
But beyond this single observation, it is to some degree a very interesting little character study of a single mother finding her way and stepping into the world of dating.
The relationship between the mother and the daughter is solid, and it is this very relationship that the mother has invested so much of her life cultivating, nurturing, and perfecting.
But now, she is confronted with the possibility of losing the one accomplishment, this relationship, to which she has committed herself and about which she feels very proud.
Overall, this is a quiet, very well acted, and ultimately heart-wrenching film..
Recommended.
Diane Keaton and Liam Neeson are great together, but the subject matter is hard to watch.
The points of view of the different characters are well presented.
You can understand everyone's behavior and conclusions.
Would I have preferred a tidy, happy ending?
Yes. But this movie doesn't take the easy way out.
It tackles a difficult situation caused by "enlightened, progressive" thinking, and leaves you pondering.
I so wanted to point out to the characters the early errors so the catastrophic ending could be avoided.THE GOOD MOTHER presents one of the most honest portrayals of awakening female sexuality and committed love on film..
OK, non-commercial film, a bit unpleasant.
Not particularly pleasant to watch.
The events at the heart of this movie are supposed to be thought of ambiguously, as maybe not such a big deal.
I don't know about 1988 Boston, but I live in the South in 2005.
I think that here and now, if these sort of things came to light, there would be a lot more going on than a custody dispute.
Probably a major criminal investigation, at minimum.
Anyone has the right to live a bohemian or libertine lifestyle, but not necessarily the right to subject children to such things.The movie could have developed the character of the ex-husband a bit more.
As it stands you really don't know if his motivations are reasonable concerns about his child, or if he simply intends to stick it to his ex.Everything else about the film, aside from the material was just fine.
The lead acting, the child actor, Leonard Nimoy's direction were all good.
Katey Sagal was good and looked scrumptious in a small part.Worth checking out if you are willing to forgo the car chases and alien wars, and think about something.
But don't expect to enjoy it..
true picture of the intrusions of the state on private lives.
Painful as this film is - especially for women - it is accurate in its portrayal of the intrusions of the state on the lives of parents.
Laws and practices vary by state, but Massachusetts is notable for its readiness to separate parents from their children for minor infractions or parenting the state disapproves of.
It is a warning to parents to stay away from protective services if their beliefs are progressive in ways the state does not agree with..
Not a good vehicle for Keaton....
Dreary, rather annoying film-adaptation of Sue Miller's book (directed by Leonard Nimoy!) has Diane Keaton in one of her weakest roles as a single mother sued for custody of her child by her ex-husband.
Seems mom's new Bohemian boyfriend (Liam Neeson) is a bad influence, and after Keaton's little girl sees Neeson undressed and begins asking grown-up questions about sex, any viewer might understandably side with the ex (who is made to be the villain of the piece).
Beginning with a puzzling prologue which hopes to show the different ways in which we view sexuality, Nimoy's take on this material is just confounding.
Keaton never really develops a character, and I presume we're supposed to empathize with her simply because she's lovable Diane Keaton.
Aside from some OK technical merits, the film is muddled beyond repair.
Unpleasant and troubling single mother's custody tale.
Though it is a well crafted film with wonderful actors, I'm not much of a fan of this movie's messages.
Its main characters believe that uninhibited folk who feel free to go about their house nude in front of their kids represent a more enlightened form of humanity than the more modest (sexually repressed?).
In this era where child molestation by step fathers & live in boyfriends is all too common, it casts the boyfriend's admittedly well intended behaviour in a sympathetic light; he's the misunderstood & tarnished victim of the piece.
My main complaint, however, is that the film supports the misguided notion that this wonderful new sexual discovery this mother is experiencing should be at least as important in her life as her child.The story revolves around a laboratory worker & part time piano teacher, Anna, who is divorced from her husband, Brian, a lawyer, and has custody of their young daughter, Molly.
Anna embarks upon a passionate affair with Leo, a sculptor, and basks in her newfound sexual discovery.
One day Molly curiously & innocently inquires whether she might touch Leo's penis.
He consents, so as to convey to her that there is nothing shameful or embarrassing about one's body.
However, the ex-husband, Brian, learns of the event and sues for custody, declaring Anna an unfit mother.
The acting is superb, with Diane Keaton compelling as Anna and Liam Neeson charismatic & appealing as the bohemian Irish lover, Leo.True, no one in this story means any harm, with the possible exception of Brian who may simply be vindictive.
On the other hand, what father in his right mind wouldn't sue for custody if confronted with this tale?
It is indeed heart wrenching that Anna loses custody of the daughter she dearly loves, but frankly, she put her own sexual fulfillment ahead of her maternal role.
Call me old fashioned, but I have a BIG problem with lovers living in or boyfriends sleeping over in any case, but especially where children are involved.
Anna & Leo definitely shouldn't be having sex in the same bed with Molly, whether she's sleeping or not.
Leo is kind to Molly, but his behaviour here is ill advised at best, and one cannot blame the courts for coming down on the side of the situation's obvious appearance.
There are certainly wonderful step people so I don't want to tar everyone with the same brush, but there's also far too much child molestation going on in second marriages & love relationships.
The biological parent must assume absolute responsibility for ensuring that their new love interest isn't victimizing their child.
Leo is perfectly innocent here, but Anna hasn't known him long and she's pretty trusting in leaving him alone with her little girl.
Frankly, if mothers were a little less trusting of their new boyfriends AND PUT THEIR CHILD FIRST, there might be a lot less abuse going on.As another noted, I think the moral of the story is that if the mother wants to live a bohemian lifestyle, she should be very leery of involving her child.
Frankly as I see it, unlike the 'Me first' philosophy of modern society, a 'good mother' is willing to make some sacrifices and most definitely puts the interests of her child ahead of her own love life.
That's not true here of Anna, who's totally caught up in her newfound passions and alas, pays the price.
This is NOT a movie that doesn't provide a viewpoint, as another has claimed.
It DOES have a viewpoint.
The producers' obvious intent here is to have the viewer totally sympathize with Anna, this caring & dedicated mother, and to see both her & her misunderstood lover as the tragic victims of injustice.
As always, the real victim here is the child..
Good Film (spoiler).
I saw this movie recently, although it was released in 1988.
Diane Keaton plays a divorced woman with a young daughter.
Liam Neeson is her boyfriend whose casual attitudes "free's" Diane.I had to think back to the 1980's when this movie was released and compare it to what our attitudes towards child molestation are now.
I was amazed that Liam Neeson's character wasn't arrested immediately when the incident occurred with Diane Keaton's daughter.
Nowadays, it just wouldn't be a custody issue, but he would have been thrown in jail.
That said, I was also surprised at Diane Keaton's character.
She appeared to be a good mother, but to let her young child spend time with a man that she may not really know was not a good idea.
Maybe it was the time period.
All I know is that the situation would be totally different now.If you are looking for a good film, with good acting, take a look at this.
You'll be surprised at Liam Neeson, who probably was just starting out, how young he looks!.
Good Job, Bad Mother.
Solid acting and i get what he movie was trying for but imo if you have half a brain or kids of your own you'd feel no sympathy for the mom.The Mother discovers joy through sexuality with her new (KEY WORD BEING NEW) lover and her daughter get's caught up in it (Not in a rapey way).I get it.
Mother is enjoying being a new liberated sexual being.
But how long have you known this guy?
If you're going to allow him to go around naked in your home, have sex with him on the same bed as your young daughter etc etc your answer better be YEARS and that you trust him with your daughters life.
Because that's basically what your doing.I know what others say this movie is about but i saw this as a movie where the Mother didn't love her Daughter enough to put her child above her own happiness and put her at risk of rape or worse.
While no one is supposed to be the villain of the movie the Father is kind of put in that role but i didn't understand.
Any Parent in their right mind would do the same thing and sue for custody.If it was the Father with a young son and was letting the son go around and touch his girlfriends private bits you don't think the Mother would go apeshit crazy?
Or if the Father let his Daughter touch his private bits because she was curious rather then let her touch some strangers cock?
I think the Mom would've gone crazy for that too..
Interesting drama.
Story about a divorced woman (Diane Keaton) who has custody of her daughter (Asia Vieira).
She starts dating a sexually liberated man (Liam Neeson) and they get serious.
At one point the child touches Neeson's penis (not shown) and her ex (James Naughton) finds out and starts a custody battle saying she's an unfit mother.I like this movie a lot--but I am prejudiced.
It was shot in Cambridge MA and I lived in that area back then so it was great to see it on a big screen.
That aside the story is unpleasant (for obvious reasons) but compelling.
It shows each side of the issue and really makes you think.
It doesn't end happily but realistically and I applaud that.
Acting is great by the leads and Jason Robards shines in a role as an understanding lawyer.
Some may find this slow and depressing but I was fascinated.
Worth a look..
no wonder you never heard of it - SPOILER.
No matter how many famous actors you throw at this "story," it is still pointless and laughable.
**Possible spoiler** A woman gets divorced, meets an artist, and her 5 year old daughter touches his penis, trial ensues.
I wish I were making that up, but that is the 'story' of this movie.
Sound bad?
Yeah, it is. |
tt3850590 | Krampus | The movie opens with a montage of crazed customers storming into a store for their Christmas shopping, trampling over the store's employees before maniacally grabbing every hot item they can get their hands on, all to the tune of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas". In the mall, we see two parents, Tom and Sarah Engel (Adam Scott and Toni Collette), run to their son Max (Emjay Anthony) as he is fighting with another child after this child spoke ill of Santa Claus to the other children. Max's sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) gleefully films everything on her phone.The family returns home where Max's German grandmother Omi (Krista Stadler) is baking. Sarah continues working in the kitchen in anticipation of her sister and her family arriving. She is anxious, as is everyone else, but Sarah tries to keep the Christmas spirit alive in the house. She hangs up a picture of her family posing with Santa, but it's ruined by everyone looking uninterested and Santa checking out Beth's butt.Sarah's sister Linda (Allison Tolman) arrives with her husband Howard (David Koechner) and their kids - Howie Jr (Maverick Flack), Stevie (Lolo Owen), Jordan (Queenie Samuel), and Baby Chrissy, along with the family dog Rosie. Also joining them, to Sarah's extreme displeasure, is their Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell), whom Sarah considers to be a nightmare. The family gathers for dinner, where Howard takes the time to boast about his use of guns, despite Linda telling him not to bring that up. Dorothy insults Sarah's cooking, so Sarah goes to get the dessert in the kitchen, where Dorothy follows her to make more complaints until Sarah shuts her up. Stevie and Jordan mock Max for still writing a letter to Santa. They swiped it off of him and start reading off Max's wishes. He wants his parents to be in love again, for him and Beth to spend time like they used to, and for things to go better between Linda and Howard. Stevie gets angry when she reads that Max wrote that Howard wishes she and Jordan were boys. Max loses it and fights Stevie to get the letter back. He yells at the whole family and says he wishes Christmas was like it used to be, but now he hates the holiday and his dysfunctional family before running back upstairs.Tom goes upstairs to comfort his son and remind him that this is the time of year where they have to deal with family members like this. After Tom leaves, Max puts his Santa letter into an envelope, but he is too angry to go through with it and he tears up the letter. He throws the pieces out the window, which are then blown up high into the sky. A dark cloud then forms over the whole neighborhood, followed by a strong gust of wind that takes out the power.The next morning, the whole family is struggling without heat and electricity as a snowstorms blows through the area. Max looks out the window and notices a creepy snowman having been built in front of the house. Someone knocks on the door and Linda answers it to find a delivery guy bringing some boxes. Next to him is a sack of gifts, but he claims it didn't come from him. Beth suggests that she walk a few blocks to her boyfriend Derek's house to see if he has power (and also so she won't be stuck with the family). Although Sarah is hesitant, she and Tom allow Beth to go out for an hour.Beth walks through the storm and sees a large horned creature perched on top of a roof. The sky becomes darker, and the creature appears to follow Beth. She runs away as the creature pounces across rooftops. Beth finds the delivery guy literally frozen in fear. She hides underneath his truck as the creature lands on the ground, where Beth sees its hooves. To her side, she sees a jack-in-the-box playing a tune. It opens and a smaller creature emerges slowly before attacking Beth.As it gets darker, Tom and Sarah become concerned when Beth doesn't return. Howard agrees to go out with Tom in his Hummer to find her, and Howard gives Tom a gun to carry just in case. They go to Derek's house and find it unoccupied and wrecked. The two see large hoofprints in the snow. They go back outside and Tom hears Beth screaming. He runs to find her, only for something burrowing underneath the snow to grab Howard. It nearly drags him beneath the snow until Tom shoots at the creature and sends it fleeing. They find the Hummer has been destroyed and they run home. The ladies tend to Howard's leg, which appears to have a bite mark on it. Omi is seen looking nervous by the fireplace. Tom says they need to board up the house and look for Beth in the morning.The adults decide to take turns keeping watch for anything suspicious. Howard volunteers to stay awake while Tom rests with his family. Howard also apologizes to Tom for thinking he was always a "spineless dick". Eventually, everyone falls asleep and the fire goes out. A hook descends from the chimney with a gingerbread man cookie tied to it. This awakens Howie Jr. He goes over to the cookie and takes a bite out of its head, only for the gingerbread man to come to life and frighten Howie. The hook wraps around Howie and starts pulling him up the tree. Sarah wakes up and runs to grab the boy, with the rest of the adults grabbing her for help. Sarah accidentally kicks a hot log toward the Christmas tree, igniting the presents and then the whole tree. Max runs to get the fire extinguisher and puts out the fire, but Sarah gets freaked out by the cookie, causing her to let go of Howie, and he is taken up the chimney.Now convinced that something unnatural is occurring, Omi speaks English for the first time to tell the family that she knows who is doing this, and that this is all their fault. She says she experienced the same thing as a child. Through an animated sequence, we see Omi as a little girl in her old poverty-stricken village. She was holding a toy Santa and a loaf of bread, but the other villagers snatched the bread from her and fought each other for it. When Omi returned home, her parents didn't help matters through their own bad behavior, and her mother ripped the Santa doll. Omi lost her holiday spirit and threw the doll in the fireplace after wishing that her parents would go away. This wish would summon an ancient spirit that arrives to punish anyone that disrespected the Christmas spirit. the spirit's name is Krampus, and he brings multiple helpers to terrorize the misbehaved. Omi watched as Krampus and his helpers dragged her parents to their underworld, with Krampus leaving her with nothing but a bauble with his name on it as a reminder of what she's done. Omi shows the family the bauble, and to this day, she has regretted making that wish. Howard remains unconvinced that this is the work of some supernatural entity, and he grabs his shotgun to go out and find Howie. As he opens the door, he discovers a snowman with a close resemblance to Howie on the front porch. Several demonic creatures lurk behind the snowmen, and Sarah pulls Howard back inside the house.Tom devises a plan to get to the snowplow with the family and head to the mall for shelter. Meanwhile, Stevie and Jordan think they hear what sounds like Beth's voice coming from upstairs. They walk up to investigate, but then the adults hear the girls screaming. Tom, Sarah, and Linda run up to the attic and notice that the kids' presents had something burst out of them. They then come across an enormous, worm-like Jack-in-the-Box in the process of swallowing Jordan whole. Tom shoots it, causing it to flee towards the vents, where it later escapes. The adults then get attacked by demonic toys. Sarah faces her mother's angel ornament that nearly hangs her with Christmas lights, Linda is jumped by an evil teddy bear, and Tom is attacked by a robot toy. Downstairs, Howard gets shot with a nail gun by three gingerbread men. Linda sees Stevie in the next room, driving her to grab an icicle and stab the teddy in the eye. She grabs a hatchet and swings at the angel and robot before running to Stevie. Sarah gets Howard's gun and shoots the robot to pieces. Howard shoots a lantern that burns the cookies, only for one to survive and pounce toward him, but Rosie eats it.The family goes downstairs to the living room where Max sends Rosie into the ventilation shaft to combat the clown, but the dog is consume by it off-screen. The Jack-in-the-Box clown suddenly crashes through the ceiling into the living room. Before Howard can kill it, the teddy and cherub leap down from the hole in the ceiling to attack once more. Dorothy takes the shotgun and kills the teddy and angel, but before she can finish off the clown, a group of dark elves break into the house. They take Dorothy and Chrissy, while Howard is lost when he grabs onto the clown's tail as it is sucked out through the hole in the wall. A loud thumping is heard on the roof, signifying the arrival of Krampus and causing the elves to flee. Omi stays behind while Tom, Sarah, Linda, Max, and Stevie escape. Omi then comes face-to-face with Krampus, who looks like a demonic Santa Claus with a long tongue. He opens his sack in front of Omi, and a gruesome-looking nutcracker soldier grabs her and pulls her inside.The family heads toward the snowplow, only for the creature in the snow to attack again. It first takes Tom before also getting Linda and Sarah. Max and Stevie get into the snowplow. Max tries to start it, but the elves attack and take Stevie. Max runs after her and he is faced by Krampus. He hands Max his torn-up letter that is wrapped around a bauble similar to what he gave Omi. This leads Max to realize that it's his fault that Krampus arrived. He follows the demons to a spot where they are preparing to take Stevie. Max calls to Krampus and throws the bauble back toward him. It sinks in the snow and opens up a massive hole in the earth that leads to the underworld. The elves hold Stevie over it until Max tells Krampus that he knows it's his fault that Krampus is there, and he offers to take Stevie's place. Krampus wipes Max's tear with his claw, but he and the elves start laughing as they throw Stevie into the hole. Krampus grabs Max and holds him over the hole. Max says he only wishes Christmas could be like it used to be. Krampus drops a screaming Max into the hole.Max then wakes up and finds himself in his room, and it's now Christmas Day. He goes downstairs and sees the whole family together, looking more happy and peaceful than they did a few days ago. They start to open presents, and Max hugs his parents, thinking the whole ordeal was just a bad dream. He then opens his gift to find the Krampus bauble, and suddenly everyone has an ominous look on their faces as their memories of the horrific events slowly come back to them. The camera pans out revealing that either the family is being watched through a snow globe by Krampus, along with hundreds of others in his collection, or are now held prisoner for all eternity by the evil Krampus.The evil toys then appear for one last jump scare. | paranormal | train | imdb | One child named Max wants to continue the family's Christmas traditions, but tensions between members of the family keep everyone from having a good time and the family lose their Christmas spirit, especially Max, who rips up his letter to Santa and throws it to the wind after his cousins read it out at the dinner table Shortly afterwards, a severe blizzard appears and cuts out power in the entire town and Christmas will never be the same.
Krampus himself looks fantastic being made entirely of practical effects and carries a great presence in may opinion he is a classic horror villain in the making.
Plot: A boy who has a bad Christmas ends up accidentally summoning a Christmas demon to his family home.This was a fun movie to watch, the kind of film I've been wanting to see done with much love and respect to the fans of the genre.
I first heard of the story of Krampus from a Christmas episode of American Dad!, and I've been surprised that none of the reviews I watched online for this film mentioned that since it's the one of the only times Krampus is mentioned in pop culture.
The other problem I had with the film was with the editing during the scenes with Krampus' helpers, because it was quite jumpy and made it hard to see everything going on the entire time.Again, this is a good movie.
A young boy (Emjay Anthony) loses the hope and spirit of Christmas because the holidays aren't the same as they used to be with his family and proceeds to destroys a letter he wrote to Santa Claus triggering the release of a massive blizzard and the summoning of the titular Christmas folklore demon who strikes against the family and it isn't alone.From 2007's Trick 'r Treat director and screenwriter Michael Dougherty, this is the second holiday themed horror film he has done.
My favourite would easily be Black Christmas (1974) in my life as one of cinema's most underrated slashers of the 1970's with one of the most bone chilling endings in a horror film and Gremlins, enough said.
However, this is movie besides Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale are the greatest modern X-MAS horror films of recent times considering I was making fun of the title alone and thought it would be TV movie quality.
The results altered once the film began.The setup is a brilliant throwback to the stereotypical mean-spirited family from Christmas Vacation and Home Alone and a great satire on consumerism taking over the holidays with a riot at a Shopping Mall with "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" by Bing Crosby in the background.
It breathe a sequel that could happen.Still, I'll consider this during a time where most expensive Horror films are underwhelming unintentional comedies with ugly third rate CGI, Dougherty and his crew decided to continue the practical dream to us Horror fans and brought us a dark and fun early Christmas gift!
Still, the actors give it 100%: Adam Scott and Toni Collette as Maxs' parents, David Koechner as the gun loving uncle, Conchata Ferrell as the grumpy great aunt, and Krista Stadler as the wise grandmother who knows the score, right from the start.A solid diversion overall, with some groan inducing dialogue and moments but quite a bit of energy & pizazz and a twisted nature.Seven out of 10..
There are only a few horror/comedy mix moments allowing a dark tone for the movie without being too outlandish.The only problems I had was with the lack of subtitles and need for Max/Tom to translate for the German grandma and the ending will give you mixed feelings.
I don't think any of the critics that I stumbled across had more than one or two kind words for Krampus, and that seems like a disservice to me because this film isn't bad -- in fact, it's really good.
If you aren't bothered with a PG-13 Horror movie, or are willing to wait for the unrated version, strongly consider watching it." For those of you who watched the trailers put out for Krampus, I'm sure that the beginning of film didn't hold much in the way of surprises for you.
Since we are talking about a Horror movie, this sort of thing can only ever lead to curses or monsters; and sure enough, Max's ill feelings draw down the ire of Krampus: a Germanic spirit whose job is to punish those who are on the Naughty section of Santa's list.
Dougherty did similar things with creature design in Trick 'r Treat, and it really pays off in this movie with evil clowns, elves, dolls, and pretty much anything else you can think of that's vaguely Christmas related.
There are some scenes which pay a certain amount of homage to movies like Evil Dead, but nothing I saw struck me as being intended in a comical light; in fact, the only reason that I can fathom for people believing that Krampus is partially a comedy is that there were rumors circulating around the Web to that affect.
Greetings from Lithuania."Krampus" (2015) is sometimes kinda pretty creepy, sometimes a little scary, sometimes a little funny movie that eventually gets boring by trying to be different and by doing that, it quickly becomes very average.
There is nothing in it that you would like to return for a second viewing and nothing that you would be glued to your screen during first viewing.Overall, "Krampus" tries to be scary and kinda original Cristmas movie, and sometimes it succeeds, but mostly it doesn't by the end i didn't care what will happen to one or another two dimensional character.
Michael Doughtery, who directed "Trick R Treat", brings a rather offbeat but overall enjoyable concept to his latest film based on the Alpine folk legend, "Krampus".Krampus stars a very talented cast, featuring Toni Colette and Adam Scott in the lead roles, David Koechner, Alison Tolman and Cochenta Farrell in supporting roles, and Emjay Anthony as the heart of the story, Max. Max is a young boy who has lost his Christmas spirit when he family becomes more and more distant from each other and have pretty much given up on Christmas.
The minions of Krampus are incredibly creatively designed; an intimidating crew of atmospheric yet useless snowmen, a stabby robot toy, a creepy Christmas angel, and, possibly best of all, a snake-like jack-in-the-box that swallows children whole.
Another wickedly entertaining horror-comedy from Michael Dougherty, "Krampus" is a great throwback to 80's cheese and holiday-horror classics like "Gremlins"!.
Yet also a sub-genre that paves the way for some of the most wickedly entertaining and genre-bending classics of all time- just take a look at "Gremlins" or "Evil Dead II" for some of the finest examples of horror-comedy done right.And for this fan of horror and of horror-comedy, "Krampus" is definitely a wonderful new treat.
Especially as, just like "Gremlins", it's not only a horror-comedy, but also a prime example of a holiday-themed horror-comedy done near-perfectly, save for a few issues here and there.Director Michael Dougherty is certainly no stranger to either sub- genre- his previous directorial effect (the excellent "Trick 'R Treat") also fit into both categories and is arguably the best Halloween- themed horror flick of the past several decades with its savage sense of humor and some genuine eerie thrills.
and to top it off, he has to contend with his irritating extended family who have come to spend Christmas with he and his parents.After a disastrous diner, Max loses all faith in the holiday spirit, and tears up a letter he had written to Santa Claus, casting it out of the window, unaware that his actions will summon a dark force- the "Shadow of Saint Nicholas"- "Krampus." Now, Max and his family (under the guidance of his elderly German grandmother played by Krista Sadler) will have to struggle against Krampus and his legions of demonic toys, killer-gingerbread-men and freakish devil- elves to survive.The success of the film really does fall back on Dougherty and his expert blending of both broad and specific types of humor in addition to a few genuinely creepy set-pieces, and the wonderful casting of the film that lends to all characters- even an irritatingly uber-conservative gun-nut uncle played by David Koechner (frankly a character you'd usually love to hate)- being inherently likable and enjoyable to root for as they deal with the onslaught of Christmas-chaos.There's also plenty of great callbacks to old-fashioned 80's cheese and wonderful old film standards of the holiday and holiday-horror genres, which give the film great character in and of itself.
Particularly notable is an animated flashback sequence explaining the character of Krampus that is done in such a style to invoke notes and feelings of those old, schmatlzy Rankin-Bass stop-motion Christmas specials.Though despite how wonderfully entertaining and stylish the film often is, it does have a few issues.
'Krampus' is a comedy horror film that isn't very funny or scary.
Great actors / characters, great pacing, amazing visual effects, nothing looked cheesy, or too CGI filled, We're given a great plot design, as well as unique aspects, and to top it all off we're given an excellent blend of comedy, as well as horror.
The trailer did a great job of making the movie look like it was going to be good (somehow).
Listen, i don't know a lot about Michael Dougherty other than he made ''Trick R Treat'' a good fantasy-horror film divided in three stories, and it was done in a great way that it makes Tales from the Crypt look like something written by a child.Here, 2015 surprise of the year to me with ''The Guest'' and ''The Gift'' this year, is ''Krampus''.
oh my god give us sequels Dougherty !!!!Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner and the always great and underrated Conchata Ferrell (Two and a Half Men) stars in this horror-comedy-suspense-fantasy film you did not know you have to seen this year !
A dysfunctional family gathers for Christmas, when the Christmas spirit is dead, Krampus comes to punish the naughty.Writer/Director Michael Dougherty (Trick R Treat) brings us this fun flick.
Although it's still a satisfying Christmas horror film from Michael Dougherty, Krampus is a bit disappointing..
As Krampus lays siege to the Engel home, Max and his family must band together to save one another from a monstrous fate.After all the B-movie treatment that this German folklore has gotten, he has finally got the treatment he deserves with Trick 'r' Treat writer and director, Michael Dougherty, a man who knows how to treat horror with good care.
It was surely a fun throwback to 80's & 90's horror films like Gremlins and even though it isn't all that on par with Trick 'r' Treat, Dougherty still did a satisfying job..
The horror comedy "Krampus" (PG-13, 1:38) is 2015's most high-profile (but not its only) cinematic embodiment of the legendary character, and is, in fact, part of a growing trend.Tom and Sarah (Adam Scott and Toni Colette) have an upper middle-class suburban family living in an unnamed city, likely in the Midwest.
The movie opens with a funny, but random and awkwardly-staged slow motion Black Friday-type scene, set to Bing Crosby's joyous rendition of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas".
Meanwhile, if horror comedies and/or evil central European holiday characters are your thing, you just might enjoy "Krampus".
The film careens haphazardly from horror to comedy and back again (or not), sacrificing pretty much everything along the way: laughs, scares, tension and stakes.Workaholic Tom (Scott) and uptight Sarah (Collette) are readying their house and home for the annual holiday descent of family members they'd much rather avoid.
Disillusioned by his family's bickering, Max makes a wish that draws upon his house an evil spirit (and his Christmassy minions) that comes straight out of Germanic folklore and the nightmares of Omi (Krista Stadler), Max's grandmother.Right from the outset, Krampus establishes an almost dour tone that makes it tough for writer-director Michael Dougherty to effectively dial up the comedy later on.
"Krampus" feels like a mixture between the comedy classic "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (dysfunctional family spending the holiday period together) and the Dutch horror flick "Sint" (demolishing the image of children's heroes), and the result is a fast-paced, atmospheric and beautiful film.
The real appeal of the film is it's trying to be a campy horror film in a time of Christmas, where we see creepy practical effect monsters, designed with the festivity of the holidays.
Krampus is a horror/comedy Christmas film.
Most of the movie isn't that good.After seeing Krampus for the first time, nothing is as scary as that moment.
When its a family scene it is just that and the same goes for horror too.If you can get past it, you will have a movie full of good performances (especially Toni's one), great end and some pretty creepy monsters.Not recommended for a family viewing, but you can watch it with your friends during Christmas period..
Movie Review: "Krampus" (2015)The opening as commercial as can be with an army of consumers storming a department store for holiday season shopping, giving in to the madness, the money spending, the elbow practice of the fastest to catch the best of pieces to bring home, where the chaos continues in the everybody's family who seek the pleasant evening with a roaring fire inside and snow-covered exteriors of cushioned silence in quiet town neighborhood, when 10-year-old Max, grandmother's darling, tears up his wish list to throw out the window, a blizzard rises with nowhere to run but besieging the living room, which comes eventually invaded by the shadow of "Sankt Nikolaus" and his dark-side turned elves to open the gates of the underworld.
Much like Michael Dougherty's directorial debut "Trick 'r Treat," which has gone on to embed itself as a contemporary Halloween classic, one can hardly fault "Krampus" for trying to interject some life and memorability into the forgotten formula of Christmas horror that was ostensibly left for dead in the 1990's.
Cross that with a cast of proved comedic talents, such as Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and "Two and a Half Men"'s Conchata Ferrell, and you ostensibly have a genre hybrid that attempts to restore the magic of Christmas scares.The sad part is that "Krampus" is the kind of film that feels like lightning will strike and it will, all of a sudden, be a strong piece of comedy/horror without having to rely on storytelling or genuine scares in order to be successful.
Dougherty and cinematographer Jules O'Loughlin do their best to give us sporadic ideas into the physical appearance of Krampus while making him a visual enigma, keeping the audience, at the very least, in-tuned and interested in what Krampus looks to be.But around the forty-five minute mark, when we haven't seen too much, we don't really know too much, and there isn't much to keep us invested other than what the titular demon truly looks like, "Krampus" goes from being a silly comedy-drama about a family not getting along (I already had to endure "Love the Coopers" last month) to a wild and cluttered horror film full of noise and narrative obscurities.
Starts out with 20 minutes of genuinely unfunny 'comedy' (I use that term lightly when it comes to this movie) then gets more promising as it manage to create a somewhat spooky atmosphere but just when you think they are gonna get it right they ruin it.Michael Dougherty attempts at recreate what made 'Trick R Treat' a hit which basically means put in as many different baddies as possible and hope that people will feel that they got their 'bang...
Nothing like a good scare to get you in the holiday spirit.A dysfunctional family who don't like each other too much and has lost their holiday spunk, get a visit for a mischievous evil that comes when you make it onto Santa's Naughty list.It's very unique and it's very imaginative as the film makers use more on camera style effects to create the monsters in the movie.
This movie its more important i think than most in that respect.Good for the family, they will likely be OK watching it a 2nd time..
The film is a well made, and effective horror flick; but it's just a little too slow- paced, for my taste.Max (Anthony) has always loved, and believed in, Christmas; but this year he's started to lose his 'festive spirit'.
By doing this, he unwittingly calls a terrifying Christmas demon, called Krampus, and it's twisted helpers.The movie is darkly funny, in places, but it's never as humorous, as I was expecting it to be (especially given the cast); it's a pretty straightforward horror flick actually!
I suspect that this is one movie that they had fun filming.I had heard of Krampus before watching this.
Many Christmas horror movies are slashers so Krampus makes a good alternative.
I certainly would not call Krampus a classic Festive horror movie but it is better than many others, I enjoyed it..
Most of its "horror scenes" are sadly filmed in dark, so its hard to follow what happens most of the time in the movie.
but overall a good christmas movie for all horror lovers.
Krampus is a film that deserves a watch because of its good cast , directing , music and effects..but it's not a horror comedy movie as it was expected...it only has 2-3 moments that makes you laugh a little but that's all..it's more like a fantasy movie that you can put to your 10 year old kid to terrify it if it's not in a Christmas mood...
It's not funny so isn't a comedy, it's not scary enough to be a horror, it's too childish to be for adults but too slow and sweary to be for children.because of this most of the movie is pretty bad, it just doesn't know what it's doing, but it's got a good cast and everything looks good. |
tt2404425 | Woman in Gold | In a series of flashbacks throughout the film, Maria Altmann recalls the arrival of Nazi forces in Vienna, and the subsequent suppression of the Jewish community and the looting and pillaging conducted by the Nazis against Jewish families. Seeking to escape before the country is completely shut off, Maria Altmann and members of her family attempt to flee to the United States. While Altmann and her husband are successful in their escape, she is forced to abandon her parents in Vienna.
In the present, living in Los Angeles, a now elderly and widowed Altmann attends the funeral for her sister. She discovers letters in her sister's possession dating to the late 1940s, which reveal an attempt to recover artwork owned by the Altmann family that was left behind during the family's flight for freedom and subsequently stolen by the Nazis. Of particular note is a painting of Altmann's aunt, Adele Bloch-Bauer, now known in Austria as the "Woman in Gold".
Altmann enlists the help of Randol Schoenberg, the grandson of her close friends, but a lawyer with little experience, to make a claim to the art restitution board in Austria. Reluctantly returning to her homeland, Altmann discovers that the country's minister and art director are unwilling to part with the painting, which they feel has become part of the national identity. Altmann is told that the painting was in fact legitimately willed to the gallery by her aunt. Upon further investigation by her lawyer and Austrian journalist Hubertus Czernin, this claim proves to be incorrect, as the alleged will is invalid due to the fact that her aunt did not own the painting in question, the artist's fee having been paid by her uncle. Schoenberg files a challenge with the art restitution board, but it is denied and Altmann does not have the money needed to challenge the ruling. Defeated, she and Schoenberg return to the United States.
Months thereafter, happening upon an art book with "Woman in Gold" on the cover, Schoenberg has an epiphany. Using a narrow rule of law and precedents in which an art restitution law was retroactively applied, Schoenberg files a claim in US court against the Austrian government contesting their claim to the painting. An appeal goes to the Supreme Court of the United States, where in the matter of Republic of Austria v. Altmann, the court rules in Altmann's favor, which results in the Austrian government attempting to persuade Altmann to retain the painting for the gallery, which she refuses. After a falling out over the issue of returning to Austria for a second time to argue the case, Altmann agrees for Schoenberg to go and argue the case in front of an arbitration panel of three arbiters in Vienna.
In Austria, the arbitration panel hears the case, during which time they are reminded of the Nazi Regime's war crimes by Schoenberg. Schoenberg implores the arbitration panel to think of the meaning of the word restitution and to look past the artwork hanging in art galleries to see the injustice to the families who once owned such great paintings and were forcibly separated from them by the Nazis. Unexpectedly, Altmann arrives during the session indicating to Czernin that she came to support her lawyer. After considering both sides of the dispute, the arbitration panel rules in favour of Altmann, returning her paintings. The Austrian government representative makes a last minute proposal begging Altmann to keep the paintings in the Belvedere against a generous compensation. Altmann refuses and elects to have the painting moved to the United States with her ("They will now travel to America like I once had to as well"), and takes up an offer made earlier by Ronald Lauder to acquire them for his New York gallery to display the painting on condition that it be a permanent exhibit.
from Wikipedia | murder, flashback | train | imdb | The Woman in Gold is based on the true story about a woman, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), and her lawyer, Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), as they attempt to reclaim ownership of an extremely valuable painting (along with a few more) form the Austrian government nearly fifty years after it was stolen by the Nazis.
Add to those the quest of a remarkable woman whose family was ripped apart by Nazi insurgents, and more than a history lesson, it becomes a poignant personal story.Helen Mirren portrays Maria Altmann, the woman who emigrated to the United States by fleeing her Austrian homeland during World War II, and leaving behind her beloved family and all possessions.
See, Adele was Maria's aunt, and the stunning piece (with gold leaf accents) has become "the Mona Lisa of Austria", while hanging for decades in the state gallery.The story revolves around Maria's partnering with family friend and upstart attorney Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) to take on the nation of Austria and reclaim the (extremely valuable) artwork that was seized illegally so many years ago.
"Woman in Gold" (PG-13, 1:49) is such a film."Woman in Gold" is based on the true story of Maria Altmann, who, as a young woman (played by Tatiana Maslany of "Orphan Black" fame) fled her beloved Austria as the Nazi noose was tightening around the necks of her Jewish countrymen.
One of those possessions was a Gustav Klimt painting of her dear aunt Adele (Antje Traue), a painting which would soon be taken by the Nazis and, after World War II, end up in a Vienna art museum where it became so revered that one character calls it "the Mona Lisa of Austria".When Maria (played as an old woman by Dame Helen Mirren) loses her sister, she discovers some letters that, along with 1990s changes in Austrian law, make her think that she might reclaim what once belonged to her family.
Before seeing Woman in Gold, I read three to four reviews, ranging from "ordinary" to "extraordinary movie." I was more than curious, since I am an historian and secondary ed teacher, always looking for excellent historical films that remind us "why" we study history.
Woman in Gold is about a survivor of World War II, named Maria Altmann, a Viennese who wants a famous family painting by Gustav Klimt returned to her possession since it was stolen by the Nazis.
In Woman in Gold, Helen Mirren, chameleon-like, inhabits the body and personality of Maria Altmann, niece and heir of a prominent Jewish family in pre-WWII Vienna.
Formidable legal and bureaucratic hurdles stand in the way of Maria being reuniting with the painting—"When you look at this painting, you see a work of art," Marie tells a reunification commission, "I see my aunt." The story is another in a long line of mostly not happy stories of stolen art works in World War II, brought to renewed public awareness by movies and books like The Monuments Men and Pictures at an Exhibition.
What would attract audiences to WOMAN IN GOLD is its David Vs. Goliath story, everybody loves a story about an underdog taking on the impossible and that's what WOMAN IN GOLD essentially is.Directed by Simon Curtis who gave us "My Week With Marilyn" four years ago, Helen Mirren plays an elderly Jewish woman named Maria Altmann who sixty years after she fled Vienna, Austria to escape the Nazis, starts her uphill legal battles to retrieve a valuable painting that was seized by the Nazis, a painting that is now in the possession of a museum in Austria.
I think WOMAN IN GOLD is an important film, unfortunately I doubt that it would be remembered during award season mainly because we're still fresh from another Weinstein Company's drama, "Philomena" a couple of years ago which also showed an elderly woman accompanied by a young lad, both on a crusade for the truth.Read more at Ramascreen.Com. There Are All Kinds of People in the World and Some of Them Are Beautiful!.
Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds star in "Woman in Gold" from 2015, a true story about the quest of Maria Altmann to recover art stolen from her family by the Nazis in Vienna, the seat of anti-Semitism in Europe.I just want to point out, to answer some of the reviews, that this is not a documentary, it's a movie.
In flashbacks, Maria is played by the remarkable Tatiana Maslany, the star of "Orphan Black," who looks incredibly like a brunette Mirren.This is a touching, beautifully told story of one man's sacrifice and determination and a woman facing up to her past in order to seek justice.
You can see all of that in Mirren's multilayered performance.Reynolds is excellent as a young man who believes in taking a chance - - he started and failed in his own law practice - and in this case, going for the gold, despite the fact that he has a wife (Katie Holmes), a baby, and one on the way, and an intolerant boss.
She finds documentary proof in her late sister's belongings that several priceless paintings are stolen from her family, and are now in the possession of a state museum."Woman in Gold" is a beautiful film because it's a journey of three people working hard for a common goal for slightly different reasons.
Altmann's quest to reclaim the painting turned into a tug-of-war between the US and Austria in the late 1990s and early 2000s.Simon Curtis's "Woman in Gold" tells this story, starring Helen Mirren as Altmann and Ryan Reynolds as her lawyer.
We see presumably non-Jewish Viennese watching with pleasure the Nazis' humiliation of Jews, but we get no sense of whether this came as a surprise to Maria's family, whether they felt totally integrated, etc.2) Whether or not the real Austrian officials were officious and cold, it would have been more interesting if their representatives in the movie had been less stereotypical and given more chance to express the complexity of the issues they were defending.
Also how that very distinctive painting shaped Maria's memories of Adele.It's true: as I develop this review, I am coming to realize that while the script has some good scenes in it, it really could have been a lot better developed.Still and all, the movie held me, and sometimes moved me very much.
"Woman in Gold" is what happens when all of that is traded for what looks to be a "collect the check" job on all fronts, where everyone involved just seems more concerned with collecting their pay rather than telling a story with the significance and heart it not only bears but deserves.The film revolves around Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), a Jewish refugee living in Los Angeles, who seeks the help of a lawyer named Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) to recover Gustav Klimt's iconic painting of her aunt, known as Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer I.
Every way around the Austrian government is portrayed as a flash-in-the-pan, revolutionary moment that makes you wonder why these two bright individuals didn't think of that before they started (IE: the cost of suing the Austrian government being in the millions - shouldn't they have known that as a "worst case scenario" event?).It's also worth noting that it's impossible for a dynamic to be achieved between both Mirren and Reynolds because screenwriter Alexi Kaye Campbell doesn't write a line of dialog that's purpose is to paint both of these individuals as characters and not narrative vessels.
Its about a Jewish lady called Maria Altmann who hires her friends son Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), to get back a painting which was stolen by the Nazis during World War II.
On the plus side, it did make more than double its budget so there must have been audiences that were touched by the subject matter.Budget: $11million Worldwide Gross: $51millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their emotional dramas about a woman whose trying to retrieve a painting which was stolen by the Nazis during World War II.
"Something happened out there and I just can't let it go." (dialog, Reynolds) The negative reviews for Woman In Gold seem to be from reviewers expecting a cross between Witness for The Prosecution and Jurassic World.That is not what this movie is about.While based on a real story about a WW2 survivor who tried to reclaim a stolen painting from the Austrian government (a govt stuck in full-on "stonewall" mode) the producers clearly chose to use the tale as a metaphor for a much larger story about some of the worst aspects of human nature, to wit: doing nothing while everyone around you is committing the most evil acts and, later on, attempting to profit from your own inactivity.In this light, the alleged "flaws" of "sentimental flashbacks" and other criticisms melt like butter on a hot day.Reynolds is not bad, especially for a young actor who may be trying to put roles like "Green Lantern" behind him.
The story is about Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), a Viennese born resident of Los Angeles, who fought the Austrian government for ownership of various paintings (mainly the "Woman In Gold", which was her aunt's painting painted by Gustav Klimt), stolen from her family by the Nazi Party during the second world war.
Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann, an Austrian Jewish survivor who tries to recover her family's art works,and Ryan Reynolds who plays Randal Schoenberg, her lawyer, were the main actors and did a fine job with many moving moments.
But if life is a boxing match, I'm the last one standing."Based on true events, Woman in Gold is one of those films that ended up being far less interesting than the actual story it was trying to tell.
Randol Schönberg (finally an excellent acting role for Ryan Reynolds) who happens to be the grandson of the brilliant Austrian composer Arnold Schönberg to help her retrieve the painting 'Adele' (now simply known as 'Woman in Gold') – a Gustav Klimt painting belonging to her family and was stolen by the Nazis and is hanging in Austria's Belvedere.
It is, after all, a story which needs to remain in our psyche, especially in times like these when an incompetent president and his administration and lackeys seem intent on history repeating.THE WOMAN IN GOLD is the story of Maria Altmann, played by Helen Mirren.
The second, and more serious, objection was that the painting was not actually Adele's to dispose of- it was legally Ferdinand's property, not hers.The film is based on the true story of this legal battle, concentrating on the relationship between Maria and her young lawyer, Randy Schoenberg.
Intercut with the legal action are scenes showing Maria's early life and her flight from Vienna to escape from the Nazis in 1938.I watched this film when it was recently shown in television, partly because I am an art lover and partly because of my respect for Helen Mirren, but in many way it proved a disappointment.
Helen Mirren delivers a tour-de-force performance and the entire film mirrors high production standards, excellent continuity and obviously skillful direction from Simon Curtis along with a wonderful musical score.Those pundits here and on other sites panning this little gem because they are either anti-Semitic or think that money and lawyers getting rich was the only motive for this real-life story have missed the point entirely and should probably stick to watching mindless shlock like Jurassic World instead of something tender and lovingly crafted dealing with a difficult but nevertheless touching story told with a warmth, obvious love and pride of craftsmanship that is not often found in many films these days..
It tells the true story of a Jewish refugee, in her 80s, who battled the Austrian government for nearly a decade; to regain control of famous artwork (especially a painting of her aunt, known as the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I), which was taken from her family by the Nazis before the war.
I found the movie to be really slow going, at first, but quite captivating by it's conclusion.Maria Altmann (Mirren) was a young Jewish woman (played by Tatiana Maslany, in her earlier years) who fled Austria, with her husband Fritz (Irons), as the Nazis were taking it over, right before World War II.
She enlisted the help of a young, and very inexperienced, lawyer named Randol Schoenberg (Reynolds).The movie is powerfully acted (especially by it's two leads) and decently directed; but the story could have played out in a much more emotionally charged and engaging way.
Following the Anschuss of 1938 when Germany took over Austria, this painting was one of many, many artefacts seized by the Nazis from Jewish families in occupied Europe.The film tells the story - a little fictionalised - of Adele's niece Maria Altmann who escaped from Vienna to live in California and, during the 1980s as an octogenarian, pursued an audacious claim to take back this painting and other Klimt works from the Austrian Government.
Helen Mirren is brilliant as Altmann in another distinguished performance in a sparkling career during which she has played everything from "The Queen" to an assassin (RED"), while Ryan Reynolds is surprisingly good as her lawyer Randy Schoenberg in a role a million miles from "Green Lantern" or "Deadpool".There's a lot going on in this film: legal battles over the art work with some classic courtroom scenes, flashbacks (in sepia colours) to Altmann's earlier life in 1930s Vienna, and an evolving relationship between the irascible Altmann and the idealistic Schoenberg, both descendants of famous Austrians.
This movie brings together an unlikely cast of Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds and Daniel Bruhl in what I found to be a highly satisfying drama, based on a true story concerning a great work of art by painter Gustav Klimt from from early 20th century Venna.
We learn the background through a series of flashbacks that play through Mirren's memory as Maria Altmann, the child of a highly cultured family in Vienna, who were targeted by the Nazis during the occupation of Austria in World War II.
So the first thing we are presented with, is an old fashioned courtroom drama with Ryan Reynolds as the young lawyer Randol Schönberg, grandson of the famous Austrian composer Arnold Schönberg and also descendant of a family of war refugees.The fascinating and interesting part of the film focuses on the past and present of the widow Altmann.
WOMAN IN GOLD mines the apparently inexhaustible subject of Nazi atrocities during World War Two. This time it centers around Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), an Austrian refugee forced to leave her homeland after the Anschluss of 1938, when Hitler's troops invaded.
-The film is based on the true story of the late Maria Altmann, an elderly Jewish refugee living in Cheviot Hills, Los Angeles, who, together with her young lawyer, Randy Schoenberg, fought the government of Austria for almost a decade to reclaim Gustav Klimt's iconic painting of her aunt, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, which was stolen from her relatives by the Nazis in Vienna just prior to World War II.
"Woman in gold" is a film that I should not be overlooked , perhaps because of technical issues the film the movie does not reach the big prizes this year but undoubtedly is a beautiful film that grabs you and excited , if the movie would have been of foreign origin and not American undoubtedly would have had a place in the Oscar , Ryan Reynolds and Daniel Bruhl are two actors who are on track to great prizes , perhaps one of the best roles of Reynolds , Helen Mirren hope to see you in the big nominees this year , but this movie is good this time by the performance of the actors and the story that is expressed , Simon Curtis could have been better ..
The movie "Woman In Gold" is based on the remarkable story of the octogenarian Austrian- American woman, Maria Altmann (played by the always sensational Helen Mirren).
Woman in GoldThe worst thing about growing old is everyone starts to dispute that it's you in all of your portraits.Facial recognition, however, isn't imperative in this drama – proof of ownership is.Made aware of the fact that the portrait of her aunt that was stolen by the Nazis is now hanging in an Austrian gallery, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) hires an inexperienced lawyer, Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), to repossess it for her.With assistance from a journalist (Daniel Brühl), they challenge Austria's ownership of Gustav Klimt's The Woman in Gold in court, but turn up short each time.It's not until they contest proprietorship on US soil do they see results.An intriguing and inspiring true account of retribution, Woman in Gold may lag with numerous wartime flashbacks but the outcome is still an edifying one.Unfortunately, the Nazis vandalized Woman in Gold by painting a Hitler moustache on her.
Woman in Gold is one woman's story and perseverance to reclaim the possessions stolen from her family by the Nazi regime nearly sixty years earlier.Elderly Maria Altmann, played by Helen Mirren, must return to her home city of Vienna and wage in battle against the Austrian government for one of its most prized national treasures, Gustave Klimt's "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I." Fighting for restitution in a battle that means near certain defeat, she and lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) engage in a lengthy legal battle to recover the painting to its rightful owner.A film as much in the past as it is in the present, Woman in Gold perfectly conveys the open wounds left by living through such an atrocity as Nazi persecution.
Woman in Gold stars Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann a Jewish Austrian who fled to America.
While watching the new film, Woman in Gold, based upon the true life stories of Maria Altmann and Randol Schoenberg, I couldn't help, but think of caparisons and links between this film and last year's The Monuments Men. Both films deal with World War II and recovering art that was stolen by the Nazis during that time. |
tt0067950 | Requiem pour un vampire | Two pubescent, pig-tailed, virgin schoolgirls, Michelle [Mirielle d'Argent] and Marie [Marie Pierre Castel], run away from their
school and find themselves lost in a cemetery which leads to a chateau
inhabited by vampires and naked women in chains. The girls try to escape,
but they are bitten by the vampires' aging Master. The Master decides to
initiate the girls in order to make them perpetrators of the vampire race
(which is about to die out). Eventually, of course, the girls will have to
be deflowered because 'you cannot be both virgin and vampire.' For now,
however, their job will be to hunt by day and lure victims back to the
chateau for the vampires to feed upon. Michelle brings back a victim, but
Marie takes pity on hers (Frédéric [Philippe Gasté]), begs him to be the one to deflower
her, and then sets him free.Tonight is to be the grand initiation. First goes Michelle. Then it's
Marie's turn. When the Master discovers that Marie is no longer a virgin,
the vampires set out to search the chateau for her defiler. Frederick
takes refuge in the Master's mausoleum. Then the Master takes Marie for a
walk and tells her a secret. He is the last vampire, and there will be no
more. Only Erica [Dominique Toussaint] has the chance to complete the change. The others will
change slightly over time, but they will never be full vampires. He then
sets Marie free and returns to his mausoleum.The next morning, Michelle confronts Marie and tells her that she
must reveal where Frédéric is hiding or they will both be killed. Marie
refuses, so Michelle chains her and spends the day whipping her, kissing
her, and apologizing for hurting her. But Marie refuses to talk. When
Erica threatens to poke out Marie's eye, Michelle helps Marie to escape.
Of course, Marie leads everyone directly to the mausoleum where Frédéric
is hiding. A gunfight ensues. All the vampires are killed except for the Master,
Erica, and Louise. The Master tells Louise to seal him and Erica in the
tomb and never let them out again. After their deaths, there will be no
more vampires. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.] | pornographic, psychedelic, murder, gothic | train | imdb | This is not Jean Rollin's best film, but it might be his most essential one for fans because it combines the moody visuals of films like "Fascination" and "Two Orphan Vampires" with the perverse softcore sex of films like "Bacchanales Sexuales".
Two teenage virgins run away from a school party (which in the strange Rollin universe somehow involves dressing as clowns, having a shoot-out with police, and disposing of the body of their dead male accomplice in a burning car).
After a bizarre accident while walking through a graveyard that almost results in one girl being buried alive, they arrive at a deserted castle and do what any two virgins would do in a 70's Eurohorror/sex movie--strip off all their clothes for some hot lesbian action.
Any non-virgins are chained to the wall while the monstrous man-servants have their way with them in gratuitous sex scenes before the female vampire suck their blood from their breasts and the male vampire changes into a bat to commit an act of bestiality that no pervert in the world would find erotic (you have admire the sheer audacity of Rollin if nothing else).The conflict happens when one girl decides to lose her virginity while the other decides to preserve hers and join the ranks of the living dead.
This movie addresses some real themes of coming-of-age and friendship (albeit in a fantastical and at times ridiculous milieu), but no one will confuse it with "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer".
If you're looking for sex,on the other hand, you certainly won't be disappointed, but unlike all the erotic vampire movies they churn out these days, this is a vampire film with a lot of sex, not a sex film with vampiric trappings.
Dark, young beauty Mireille Dargent stumbles into an open grave and ends up covered in opened dirt as nearby Marie-Pierre Castle watches, too scared to speak.
Dargent and Castle, prototypical Rollin girls, appeared in several other of his films..
Specifically, this one has two hot teenage girls running away from school and ending up in a castle inhabited by sex-obsessed vampires.
By sex-obsessed, I mean that there's a scene where the vampires torture some prisoners, and much of the whole sequence consists of shots of women's naked bodies.So, since I haven't seen any of Rollin's other movies, I'll have to assume that his movies consist of this...and I LIKE IT!
After escaping an auto shootout, two sexy female clowns (yeah) stumble upon a mysterious old castle full of classy vampires and some giant viking-type men.
There, they bear witness to the vampyric rituals and are forced to remain as vampires, but they must lose their virginity first to become a real vampire.Like many Jean Rollin films, Requiem pour un Vampire is a very erotic, dreamlike film that utilizes limited dialogue and unlimited sexy French women.
They soon run into the lord of the manor, an aged vampire looking to use their luscious, virgin (yeah, right!) bodies as vessels for his progeny.
A lot of flesh, a bit of bondage and a touch of lesbianism punctuate another erotic horror masterpiece from French filmmaker Jean Rollin.It's somewhat hard to recommend a Rollin film to the uninitiated.
Marie and Michelle are two girls dressed as clowns and on the run from someone with a grudge, this is at least where the film begins with a shoot 'em up car chase through the french countryside.
There male companion gets killed in the crossfire and the girls decide to hide out in a seemingly deserted Château where they indulge themselves in some Lesbian sex before they discover they are not alone .The last surviving Vampire and his followers want to enrol the two girls in to the realms of the living dead, but not before they get the girls to lure some fresh blood to the château with the promise of sex.Rollin's imagery is superb,two wonderfully colourful clowns wandering through barley is quite an exquisite scene,in this often ponderously slow film, the vampires look cool except for some dodgy fangs, there isn't too much of a plot really and I can readily see why some would hate Rollin's work.
My main problem with the film is that it was cut to bits, The DVD sleeve said 88mins where in actuality it was a paltry 76mins,IMDB says 95mins so I'm not too sure what I've missed and how badly the continuity was hampered by this, a lot I would guess.Not my last Rollin film,I'll certainly watch some more.
So its another pretentious art / exploitation film from Jean Rollin.I still found lots to enjoy.
As soon as Rollin has made his point with these poor critters, he then sticks fake vampire bats to the chicks' necks.
There's a truly repellent and utterly gratuitous rape scene that's neither logical nor titillating; it just made me want to wash my eyes out and ask for the 5 minutes it took of my life, back.Look: I like a trashy film as much as the next guy.
'Requiem For A Vampire' is the first disappointing Jean Rollin movie I've watched.
I love horror films ans even love bad acting b- movies but this is dumb idiotic trash and waste of time..
Marie (Marie-Pierre Castel), a blonde, and Michelle (Mireille Dargent), a brunette, are two sexy young girls fleeing the cops (in an atypically action-packed opening for filmmaker Jean Rollin).
Fundamental differences develop between our protagonists as the vampire and his flock seek to induct the girls into their fold.Rollin wrote this himself, in apparently just one night, and it's clear that what he wanted to do was create some pure cinema.
The story is thin and only deepens as the film progresses; also, Rollin refrains from use of dialogue for quite a while, until it's necessary for characters to give us some exposition."Requiem for a Vampire" exists in an offbeat universe where the girls are dressed in clown costumes at the outset.
Rollin, as usual, doesn't concern himself with trying to make the horror particularly "scary"; note how phoney the vampire fangs look.The performances are generally effective.
Delesalle delivers the best performance of the piece as a rather mild-mannered, distinguished vampire who's determined to meet his destiny with some dignity.Due to its balance of art and exploitation, "Requiem for a Vampire" will likely remain a pivotal film for Euro-horror lovers who admire Rollins' works.Seven out of 10..
they dress like clowns (again literally), aren't affected by sunlight, don't have super strength, are afraid of bats, corpses and other vampires, but they do have the ability to spontaneously change attire and spawn pistols.
The film starts with a nice little shootout and car chase but that must have blown a good chunk of budget because they spend a long time just walking around after that.
But one girl meets a handsome young man and decides that lesbo stuff is for squares and now she doesn't want to be a vampire.
A vampire lures beautiful young women dressed as clowns to his castle in Europe.How many movies have both clowns and vampires?
All that happens is vampires raping women, who seem to be enjoying it, this goes on for ten minutes straight, they don't hide anything.
Requiem for a Vampire (1973) *** (out of 4) Erotic-horror from French master Jean Rollin about two fugitive girls (Marie-Pierre Castel, Mireille Dargent) who are on the run from the law and end up in a creepy castle where many young women are chained in the basement.
The girl's learn that vampires run the castle and they want the two ladies to join the undead since they are virgins.
With countless horror and porn titles under his belt, to me this is the best that Rollin has to offer as his art-house style perfectly blends in with the erotic nature of the subject matter and best of all is that the film never once feels too long nor does the pacing have any issues.
I thought the opening fifteen or twenty-minutes is where the director really works his magic because we see the girls on the run, going through the county side and eventually arriving at this castle.
I thought Rollin did a very good job at building up this atmosphere and things just turn downright crazy once the vampire enter the picture.
The highlight of the film is a rather long sequence where several of the male vampires go into the basement and attack the women that are chained up.
Those unfamiliar with the work of Rollin will probably find this one of the easiest of his films to get into and those just wanting to see some nudity and erotic stuff will find plenty here..
Initially, this incredibly simplistic film may look like a step backwards for Rollin after the highly experimental Rape of the Vampire and the highly strange The Nude Vampire but it could also be argued that it is, in fact a precursor to the dream-like The Iron Rose.
It looks like it was shot over a long weekend and, indeed, would perhaps have worked better as a short film.
Aside form the odd diversion (one of the girls meets a man in a graveyard and offers him his virginity so as to remain free of the vampire's curse) that's about it.Upon first viewing the film, there is very little to get out of it aside from the odd bit of S+M imagery (chained up naked girls attacked by bats, a kinky lesbian whipping scene) but ones whole perspective changes when one discovers that Rollin wrote it in ONE NIGHT.
Rollin's work is all about repressed sexual desire; his films are essentially adolescent fantasies, which is why many of them feel like fairy tales; they disguise their true meaning through the circumstances under which the images are presented.
The story starts out with two girls and a guy fleeing in their car after a murder and being chased but suddenly the male is shot and the car is steered off the road where it is hidden.
They come across a cemetery and behind it they discover what appears to be an old castle so they enter it and discover that it is not uninhabited.*****SPOILER ALERT*****They run into some female vampires and their male servants so the girls try and outrun them but they keep getting caught.
Marie meets a man and decides to lose her virginity to him and later she asks him to help her get out.This was directed by Jean Rollin who made a career out of making erotic vampire/supernatural films and while this is extremely low budget and highly exploitive this film still creates an effective mood that enhances the story.
I watched this film waiting to hear the names of the two girls and only once in a scene did I hear D'Argent call her friend Marie.
"You cannot be both virgin & Vampire." Arty crap from Rollin..
Vierges et Vampires,or Requiem for a Vampire as it's more commonly known to English speaking audiences, starts with a 'high' speed car chase through the French countryside which ends in the death of one guy & two young women dressed as clowns, Marie (Marie-Pierre Castel) & Michelle (Mireille Dargent) escaping on foot.
Eventually they end up at a run down Château where they discover a Vampire & his group of followers, Marie & Michelle are initiated into the world of Vampirism as the head Vampire dude plans on turning them into the blood drinking undead...This French production was produced, written & directed by Jean Rollin & personally I didn't think too much of it.
The plot is virtually none existent as you would expect from Rollin who could never be accused of wasting good running time on small unnecessary things like a coherent storyline.
The character's are as one dimensional as could possibly be, it's dull, boring & doesn't make a whole load of sense & quite frankly I didn't get much, if any, enjoyment or entertainment from it.Director Rollin again puts the visuals way before the story which in my opinion is a bad move all day long.
There isn't much gore, just dead rotten corpse although there is some nudity & sex.Technically Vierges et Vampires is good & it's well made, no one was ever questioning Rollins ability to make a film just his ability to write a script for one that makes any sort of sense!
Since the dialogue is so sparse & it's in French I couldn't really tell you how good the acting was although some of the faces these people pull are worth a few laughs on their own.Vierges et Vampires is just a collection of loosely connected imagery as usual with Rollin.
When the girls try to flee, bats hanging from tree branches "hypnotise" them enabling Erica to capture them as she plans for Michelle and Marie to meet her master, the last full male vampire whose powers have weakened over the ages.
Michelle and Marie are introduced to the last male vampire as he bites them from behind.
Will the last male vampire's legacy live on through his blood daughters?If you are familiar with Rollin, this film carries his various signatures..beautiful french countryside, atmospheric cemetery, Gothic greystoned ruins of a castle where rows of steps are endless and halls echo, skulls make their mark throughout showing up near tombstones, places marking the vampires' lair, etc., limited dialogue and back story, fluid camera-work capturing the entire landscape squeezing every bit of ambiance available, an abundance of nudity and sex, and a jazzy organ score in the background.
The version I watched had gratuitous extended scenes of sexual molestation as Erica's barbaric servants rape and abuse various enslaved nubile females, chained within a pit, as she takes a few bites for good measure.
I think Erica just looks incredible and Dominique just runs with it, easily overshadowing the weary last male vampire who is in the film mere minutes and looks as if his powers were weakened.
I don't even think we see the first vampire until thirty minutes into the film and the sexual sequences in the bondage chamber go on forever it seems..
Marie-Pierre Castel, whose blond hair and big eyes make her hard to miss, appears in both films.
Honestly, I was kind of hoping this movie would explain how the servant girls in "Shivers" came to stay at the castle.
Story-wise, the movies are unrelated.The film opens with an odd-ball, wholly Rollin-esque image: A girl, dressed as a clown, shooting a gun through the shattered window of a getaway car, the police in hot pursuit.
There's some stuff about the girls seducing men and one of those guys factors into the story later but, mostly, there's not a lot of narrative.Rollin does create several bizarrely memorable tableaux throughout, the clown shootout only being the first.
Two ogre-like vampires try to force themselves on our protagonists and, when that doesn't work, instead ravage a series of girls chained up in the dungeon.
The fondling and humping goes on for a long time and ends in an odd scene of a woman, with unshaven armpits, having a vampire bat land on her pubes.
Typically, the film is nearly dialogue free until the 44 minute mark.There's a lot of talk about the vampire bloodline ending.
Like many of the director's films, the movie feels like a dream put to celluloid.
At times it's not that easy to give a film the appropriate rating, and so this was the case with Requiem pour un vampire.
In the opening scene we can see a car chase, in which two very young girls and their male friend are getting away and trying to shoot someone.
At this point I was almost sure that these girls were the vampires from the title, but to my absolute surprise they were not!
If this movie is a good example of Mr. Rolin's work, I'll not be watching another of his films!.
This early horror film from French director Jean Rollin is an example of the kind of moody, dialogue-free movies he would make for his whole life: one of his best known is FASCINATION, made in 1979.
Unfortunately, REQUIEM FOR A VAMPIRE lacks the genuine horror of that film, and the best this one can do is summon up a few little chills here and there in some spooky moments.
One of the best occurs near the start of the movie, in which one of the two heroines is nearly buried alive in a scene that recalls Poe.Elsewhere, Jean Rollin shows little scope for reality, preferring instead to shoot his film as a series of increasingly bizarre visual images.
Things kick off with a car chase through the French countryside, as the heroines, dressed as clowns (!) for no particular reason, shoot revolvers at their pursuers and end up burning the body of a male accomplice (his acting isn't very good – when he's supposedly dead and has petrol poured over his face, you can see him visibly recoil).
From there on in, we watch as the girls wander around a seemingly deserted and ruined castle, only to find some bloodthirsty vampires and their human servants living in the basement.
What happens next is fairly predictable, considering the fact that the director spent much of the '70s shooting hardcore pornography: the girls are stripped, whipped and bitten, while lots of padded sex scenes take up the rest of the running time.Rollin's films are an acquired taste, for sure; they're not like the usual Euro-horror offerings from Italy, which have plots and dialogue; this film has hardly any of either.
It's best viewed as a series of images, many of which make good use of the isolated French countryside and the ruined castle.
Instead, much of the film focuses on nudity and sex scenes, which might be good if you're interested in skinny French models; can't say I am. |
tt3522806 | Mechanic: Resurrection | In this sequel, after faking his death, Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) has been living quietly in Rio de Janeiro as Mr. Santos. One day during lunch, he is approached by a mysterious woman (Yayaying Rhatha Phongam). She states that her employer wishes for Bishop to come out of retirement to kill three targets and stage them as accidents. The woman also brought a group of assassins with her. Bishop takes a picture of her on his phone as she reaches for a gun. He pushes the table against her as the other hitmen approach him. Bishop fights all of them before running onto a tram car. The woman chases him and almost gets him until he makes his escape by jumping on the back of a hang glider.Bishop retreats to a nearby location to hideout with help of his friend Mae (Michelle Yeoh) investigates the woman and learns her employer is Riah Crain (Sam Hazeldine), a former childhood friend of Bishop's.By the shore, Bishop sees a beautiful woman, Gina (Jessica Alba). Later at night, on the ocean, Bishop sees a boat and hears Gina sounding like she's being attacked. Bishop heads over to the boat and kills the attacker before bringing Gina back to the shore for safety. Bishop later watches a video of Gina teaching children in Cambodia. When she wakes up, Gina explains that a friend of hers was taken by Crain, and he threatened to harm the children if she didn't do what he wanted. Bishop keeps Gina close and takes her by a bar where Mae works. This brings the two of them closer as they bond, unaware that Crain's men are watching them.Eventually, Crain's men corner Bishop and Gina on the beach. While Bishop fights the hitmen, Gina is taken.Bishop is brought in to meet with Crain after a long absence. Crain has an axe to grind with Bishop after he felt that Bishop abandoned him when Crain needed him. Crain orders Bishop to kill the three targets, or else Gina will die. Bishop reluctantly agrees. The first target is a warlord named Krill (Femi Elufowoju Jr.), who is being kept locked up in a Malaysian prison.Bishop travels to Malaysia and gets himself arrested in order to get in the same building as Krill. While on the inside, Bishop stops a man who was already planning on killing Krill. Later, Bishop meets with Krill inside his little hut by the prison yard. As Krill discusses his plan to rule Africa once he gets out of prison, Bishop sneaks up on him and chokes him with a wooden rod by pressing it against a bar on the window. He sets up the "accident" by having Krill sit at his table to appear as though he was in the middle of a prayer. The guards are alerted to the incident and witness Bishop on the security cameras. Bishop creates a bomb that blows a hole through the prison walls. He walks through and jumps into the ocean to escape.Bishop is contacted by Crain through his tablet to speak with Gina. She tells him that he only has 36 hours to kill the next target or she will be eliminated. Crain tells Bishop that the next target is a man named Adrian Cook (Toby Eddington), who runs an underage trafficking ring.Bishop finds Cook's apartment and carefully sets up his trap. Cook goes for a swim in his glass pool outside his apartment while Bishop is hooked to a wire as he scales the building. He uses a device to break the glass in the pool, causing the water to spill out with Cook plummeting to his death. Once again, Bishop makes a clean getaway.Somehow, time has run out for Bishop, and he is forced to kill the last target immediately. The man is Max Adams (Tommy Lee Jones), a billionaire who owns a bunch of submarines. Adams finds Bishop waiting for him in his safe room, but instead of killing him, the two of them get along and decide to work together. Bishop has Adams fake his death by blowing up his equipment and telling Crain that the job is done. They arrange a meeting so Crain can give Gina back. However, Crain is planning to have Bishop killed.Bishop waits for Crain's men as they get off land and head to kill him. He shoots them all dead before heading toward Crain's boat. He shoots, stabs, and blows up more hitmen before getting to Crain. He finds Gina, and they discover that Crain has the boat rigged to explode. Bishop puts her in a chamber to let her escape while he finishes Crain. The two of them go head-to-head and fight as time is running out. Crain pulls Bishop down with the anchor chain, but Bishop manages to pull it off and tie Crain down with the chains. Bishop runs away moments before the boat explodes, killing Crain. Gina resurfaces in the chamber and sees the wrecked boat. She is rescued and treated by paramedics, and she learns there were no survivors.Gina returns to Cambodia to continue teaching. She writes a letter to Mae to let her know she is safe and doing what she loves. Gina is then surprised when Bishop shows up. They embrace.The last scene shows Adams reviewing security footage. He sees that Bishop found a chamber to sneak into before the boat exploded. He got out once that piece of the boat was recovered. Adams laughs and deletes the evidence. | revenge, murder, violence | train | imdb | The content is too non logical, Jason has no reason to scarify his life for a 2 days met girl.For short, this film is only for watching some action scenes.
If he doesn't look these people within a certain time frame, his female acquaintance will be in danger.Though "Mechanic: Resurrection" is an action film, it looks more like a pop feel good film because of its beautiful locations and its movie logic that defies common sense.
It should only be watched if you want to get the exact idea how NOT to write a script, direct a movie, act in a movie and especially how NOT to cut the scenes and shots together (it just feels like the whole post-production work was missed or at least rushed).
Bad acting (predominately by Alba and Lee Jones), combined with unconvincing story line (superficiality of good and, especially, bad characters) and mixed with non-imaginative CGI sequences turned this film into my first 1-star movie on IMDb.Luckily, I brought a phone with me so I could play some games during this projection..
Nothing more than that.Jason Statham is back and though this is not a good movie, it is a fun one and if you expected more than that you have no one else to blame but yourself.Ill rate the movie with my usual ratingssystem which contains rating a few aspect of the movie with an overall total score at the endActing: 5/10.
If Jason Statham looking stoically at everyone/everything isn't enough, we got jessica alba being used as a sex symbol first and an actress second.
They have done some promising things in the past, Statham did great in Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Jessica Alba was pretty good in that time she appeared in The Office and she was promising in Dark Angel, which I gave up on quite quickly.
The story is exactly the same with the same lead actor: -A hit-man who makes his kills look like accidents stars in both movies -A loved one is captured -The antagonist tells the protagonist to kill three targets and the loved one will liveThat's how generic this is: it's been done exactly the same years ago.
Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a very professional hit man who always works alone , he is the number one killing people with a bullet whose reputation has caught up with him.
Furthermore, appears a nice secondary cast such as Jessica Alba as Bishop's love interest, but the romance isn't what this movie offers , it is about action and violence and director knows his work , as well as Sam Hazeldine , Michelle Yeoh , John Cenatiempo and special mention for veteran Tommy Lee Jones in a brief appearance as the millionaire Max Adams .
This is an acceptable film about a deadly rivalry among killers , thrilling kidnapping and restless rescue that will appeal to Jason Statham fans and action lovers ..
(perhaps one who had her fighting in it, but let her get cut because she is a far superior action star and upstaged Statham??)All in all, an absolute travesty of a movie.
And let's not forget the beautiful scenery, and I'm not talking about Jessica Alba here, even though she has quite a few Action scenes as well and isn't just the Damsel in Distress.All in all, it's a great Jason Statham movie, with fun Action and a beautiful and diverse scenery.
But if you're in the need for a dumb yet entertaining Action movie, Mechanic: Resurrection is just the thing you're looking for.
but the movie is great to watch with a few friends and riff on.The whole plot is just so bland and far fetched, actions are sometimes so illogical and the movie doesn't even follow it's own rules (for instance, from the trailer we learn he has to assassinate a few people and make it look like an accident.
So watch this movie if you are a Jason Statham fan and love action a lot..
Much better than first one.Actions are really good and has it all- Knives, Guns, Punches, Technology so go for it.After all its Jason Statham movie.
I always liked his movies and his fighting styles.Just a little boring love drama for around 15 minutesIts full enjoyable and worth to watch from starting to end.......
Have sex with your girlfriend after watching this movie, hell bang each other while you're watching and pretend you're both Jason Statham and Jessica Alba and have the greatest time of your life.
With a movie like Mechanic: Resurrection, you won't expect Oscar worthy acting or dialogue and it certainly isn't going to reinvent the action genre or an established formula.This unexpected sequel, is another decent entry into Stathams filmography and further cements him as one of the top action stars of this generation.
Ben Fosters performance and his chemistry with Statham added more to the film and story whereas the sequel may have a great cast on paper, the supporting roles and characters they play are either forgettable or little used.
Tommy Lee Jones is there but only to give impression of a bad guy not so bad.In all, nothing wrong in watching once and may be twice if action is the generation of your favorite movie lists..
"Mechanic: Resurrection" was actually a worthy follow up to the 2011 movie.Without being blinded by enjoying Jason Statham's movies, then it should be said that you know what kind of movie that you are in for here, as his movie are essentially made from the same recipe; much like Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone back in the day.
But with that being said, then I will say that I enjoy these types of movies as I grew up with them, and Jason Statham rarely fails to deliver.The story in "Mechanic: Resurrection" is about Arthur Bishop (played by Jason Statham) who has put his turbulent past behind him and is living a quiet life in Asia.
But it was still very entertaining and enjoyable, because there is a lot of action throughout the movie, and it is kept in a very fast pace, which ensures lost of adrenaline and thrills.The acting in "Mechanic: Resurrection" was good.
This is my review of Mechanic: Resurrection (spoiler free)*** (3/5)Cast: Jason Statham, Jessica Alba, Tommy Lee-Jones, Michelle YeohPlot: Arthur Bishop (Statham) thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life (Alba).
Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.A lot of people say that whenever Statham is in a new movie the only person he can play is himself, but maybe that isn't so much a bad thing.
But because of the wobbly scripting it turns out that the performances aren't particularly great either, although Statham tries to the best of his abilities but the real performer is the action, the stunts and the bullets, also the story is a little bit flat it does take a while for the action to get started, although in some areas it starts pretty much immediately but it takes a while for him to get the assassinations sorted, and finally when it gets to them they are too quick to end not necessarily a bad thing.
Of course just like in the first one Bishop is very clever especially when he uses surveillance to scope out the people he wants to kill, but that's another story he is clever in the way he devises his plans to end people's lives mainly his enemies, and also the use of explosives which is the key element to this movie but then that is the key element to action movies, well some actioners.
There is a way this film is done better this is kind of like the first one as well everywhere Bishop goes it is absolutely stunning with the gorgeous landscapes and the beautiful women, but he doesn't go there for women, he's not James Bond.
Well not really, not much anyway there is a little bit to learn about the characters especially one of the targets, which strangely enough Tommy Lee-Jones' Max Adams in his most ridiculous outfit yet, but also he doesn't say much which again is weird because in most of his movies he's quite the talker.Now finally the one thing that is missing for all you Statham fans there is no martial arts, whenever Statham stars in a new film there is loads of martial arts spectacles to behold but unfortunately that is the one thing that is missing but don't let that disappoint you there is still plenty of blood filled, guns blazing action to peel your eyes at.
I'm sure many people would find this movie unwatchable, but not me
Because it has Statham, Alba & Michelle Yeoh.It also has Tommy Lee Jones, but I won't hold that against the movie - 7 out of 10.
This film is the standard action Jason Statham film, and for fans of him, they know what to expect.
The rest of the movie, however, is pretty rough around the edges.The story falls apart on several points as character's only motivation to behave as they do is to morbidly push the plot along, which is especially frustrating when deaths that are supposed to look like accidents are clearly murders.
The motivations of characters are foggy at best, especially the impetuous relationship between Jason Statham and Jessica Alba's characters.In addition to the poorly conceived plot line, the effects department and production team failed to blend green screen stages, background sets and simple explosions in a convincing manner.Have a watch if you're looking for a quick action film with lots of people getting shot, large amounts of time dedicated to fruitless attacks that result in getting characters nowhere they want to be and lots of Jason Statham without his shirt on, punching people in the face..
Probably Not. Because Jason Statham is one of those Mumbling Action Heroes that is Fun to Watch Ply His Trade.
Worth a Watch for Statham Fans and Action Enthusiasts, but the Potential is Wasted and Delivered so Dry it becomes like so much Bright and Shiny Wallpaper.
Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a retired assassin who faked his own death to get away from all that madness is contacted to kill 3- people, but must make it look like an accident.
Now late into the movie we see Tommy Lee Jones (I didn't know he was in this until I saw someone who almost looked like him) as Max Adams, who is supposed to be the 3rd kill.
See, it can be done.To be fair Jason Statham is a very good actor and deserves more credit than he is given for these Action-Hero movies Jessica Alba is just now returning to the movies and we are glad of it.
And Tommy Lee Jones is always a breath of fresh air.But, here's the thing: we see Jason Statham's name and we just know we will see fantastic fighting choreography and spectacular CGI and we are not disappointed as it was okay, but the wasteful preparations to make the kills and a no-go chemistry between Bishop and Gina bring all this down.
I think the idea of going for it was good and the film was not that bad, if your purpose of a watch is time pass.
So the action begins where he takes a series of missions across the globe and how it all ends follows in the rest of the narration,It's good to see Jason Statham back to his signature role.
You won't like this film, but surely enjoy it if you are a Statham's fan, that's the only reason to go for it.6/10.
I'm a Statham fan and I tried my best to not take this too seriously, but unfortunately I don't think anyone behind the movie took it seriously either which is a shame as the Bishop character, like The Jackal, is a great character.Running Time: 5 The Cast: 4 Performance: 4 Direction: 5 Story: 2 Script: 2 Creativity: 4 Soundtrack: 3 Job Description: 1 The Extra Bonus Point: 030% 3/10.
The underwater swimming sequence was great to see as Jessica can hold her breath forever as she has said in the extra's section for the movie 'Into the blue'So if you like good action movies, ignore the silly criticisms on here and watch for yourself..
I guess having an intelligence of anything more than a brick is not required for this film.No, 3 minutes after opening credits, the first stupidity took place and it continued throughout.Jason Statham movies are either supposed to be action with a sense of almost non-stop as kicking or dark sarcastic humor - where he is either a good guy or a bad guy.This boarders on stupidity throughout much of the film and actions by somebody who is being hunted should never do - strictly for the sake of avoiding any conflict or attention...but then if that were the case of the plot, I guess this movie would not exist.Bad actions taken in circumstances where they definitely should not be - and avoiding any attention of any sort is required...I guess the writers, director, producers, actors and editors overlooked that small important and very crucial part of the plot..
Tommy Lee Jones is looking for a easy pay day and Jessica Alba has never been much of an actress, Jason Statham tries to deliver but falls flat as well.
This combined with the standard of acting makes this movie almost unbearable.Has to be the worst Statham movie ever!I'm sure 90% of people who watched this film feel ripped off!Cannot believe that this movie grossed more than 3 times its budget!.
The action in this is really fun to watch but really no better or worse than his other movies.
The stunts and action in this are really fun to watch but again, this is really no better or worse than his other movies.
I write to those who write very bad reviews about Jason Statham's Mechanic movies.
Mr. Statham's movies do make money so (like myself) fans of his works can enjoy..
I get that sex sells and that some men take their mate to action movies so theres a need for a romantic aspect but would this movie not have been better had they cut the whole jessica alba aspect out?If u like statham, obviously check it out.
Watching this movie, you get the nagging feeling that the filmmakers were just going through the motion of creating a generic action film and could care less about presenting anything new on the screen.To say the bad guys were one-dimensional and derivative would be the understatement of the year.
Movie Review: "Mechanic: Resurrection" (2016)As main cast Jason Statham and Jessica Alba seem up for this action task, director Dennis Gansel stumbles over a shallow script even worse sequence editing as not one single action scene is able to reach the superior standards of the 2011 Simon West directed remake of a Charles Bronson starred relatively un-appreciated 1970s action flick.
Jason Statham performs his usual, action packed, indestructible man who can do it all sequence, but the plot is terrible.
Why doesn't someone come up with a good script for Jason Statham, who is definitely the best action movie actor around?.
Too bad Jason f***ing Statham, who is, imo, a very talented actor, chose to act in this poor movie.
When you want to watch a movie with Jason statham, out at looking for some action.
I recently watched the first Jason statham mechanic film and I found it okay but now I have seen the sequel and this film make the first one look great because of how bad resurrection is.
As mentioned before Jason statham plays the lead in this film and you get what you expect, he is very brooding in this and plays the tough guy well, which helps sell him in the action scenes.
The style of the film though was pretty cool, the action scenes were all filmed really well and it was fun to watch statham come up with these unique creative kills.
Jason Stratham the star is a player in the movie industry and has made some impressive films based on his ability to make fighting look good.
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, so if you're looking for a fun, action story, this is the one to see..
Usually I love anything with Jason Statham in it as the films to date have been made to a standard thats worth watching.
I understand that story is not really a focus in a Statham flick but come on, it's established that he makes his hits look like accidents but all I am seeing is crazy action scenes in very public places with tons of witnesses!
The writing in this movie is bad from beginning to end.Like myself you are probably here to enjoy a decent Jason Statham action flick and this movie is anything but decent.
the morning after I bought and watched it.Says it all really.Silly Story nonsense in most scenes, never ending bullets, very poor CGI, I love a Jason Statham flick and you get what you expect on so many levels ..
It's action pack and we'll what more do you guys want good movie overall and I went into the movie thinking I wasn't gonna like it.
Jason Statham has a monopoly on the action movie market because he seems to be in every single one of them and seems to play the same character every time.
Mechanic Resurrection is as about cliché as action movies get: a bad guy kidnaps Statham's girlfriend so he has to do some assassinations in interesting ways on far away locations.
The fight scenes are descent but like I said nothing you haven't seen before in another Statham film. |
tt0307479 | Solaris | We first see psychologist Chris Kelvin (George Clooney) going through his daily routine, getting up in the morning, taking the train to work, and talking to his patients in their group therapy sessions. However, there is an underlying sadness about Chris, which we'll learn more about later.One evening, Chris cuts his finger by accident in the kitchen while making dinner and washes the finger under the faucet and looks at the cut. (Important later on). He is then visited by two men who give him a video message from his friend, Dr. Gibarian (Ulrich Tukur), who has relayed this message from Prometheus, a space station in orbit around the planet Solaris. Solaris is an ocean planet that is being researched for its commercial or resource potential. Dr. Gibarian implores Chris to come to the space station, not explaining why exactly, but that something incredible has happened and that he has to come and see for himself. The two men explain to Chris that contact has been lost with the space station; an intervention team was sent and not heard from again. The government may abandon the station and the crew unless Chris travels up there to find out what happened.Chris makes the trip to the space station and upon arrival finds it mostly empty. However, stains of blood are everywhere on the walls. He stumbles upon a makeshift morgue and is devastated to find Dr. Gibarian as one of two dead people on the slab. As Chris leaves the room, he fails to notice blood accumulating in the ceiling panels.He proceeds to find only two survivors of the crew in the space station. The first is a young man named Snow (Jeremy Davies) who is EXTREMELY WEIRD, and only provides very vague and confusing answers. Chris learns that Dr. Gibarian committed suicide. Chris asks about doctor Coutard who was also supposed to be on board. Snow says the doctor was killed by an intervention team when he tried to escape from them. One other doctor has simply vanished; the only thing they know is that he is no longer aboard the station. Chris then proceeds to the other survivor, a woman named Dr. Gordon (Viola Davis). She has locked herself in her room because she is traumatized by what has happened to her and the others. Chris can hear another person stumbling inside her room, but she refuses to let him in. Both Snow and Gordon make it clear that discussing their issues is of no use unless the same things start happening to Kelvin.A little boy suddenly runs around the corridor. Chris tries to catch up to boy but loses him. Dr. Snow tells him it is Dr. Gibarian's son. When asked how the boy could be on board, Snow remains vague, but implies that this is part of the problems everyone is experiencing.Chris successfully coaxes Dr. Gordon out of her room and discusses her frail mental state, although she remains elusive about what caused it. Chris goes to bed and dreams about his wife, Rheya (Natascha McElhone), the time they first met, their courtship and making love to her. When Chris wakes up in the morning, Rheya is right beside him in bed. Chris jumps out of bed all freaked out. He asks how she got here, but Rheya doesn't seem to know what he means by that and continues to act as if they were still married. Chris realizes that Rheya cannot be real because Rheya has been dead for years. Chris tricks her into going into an escape pod and seals it shut. He sends her out to space and then breaks down crying.Chris receives Snow, who explains that Solaris is responsible for all of this. The planet is somehow able to read the minds of the scientists during sleep, and conjures up a living facsimile of their most beloved. Snow himself got a visit from his brother. The boy they saw earlier was actually a replica of Gibarian's son who appeared out of nowhere. Snow tells Chris that Rheya will appear again if he wants her to.The next night, Chris dreams about Rheya and in the morning, she's there in bed with him again. She is another copy and totally unaware of the first one. Chris asks her what she remembers and all she knows is her life with him. She has no clue how she arrived at the space station. Chris decides to let her stay with him, and tells Snow that the second Rheya may never know about what he did to the first.In time, Rheya has thoughts of her own and begins to have doubts about who she really is. She has all the memories of her life with Chris, but they do not feel like they belong to her. To her distress, she starts to remember that she suffered from a bad childhood and depressions. When she got pregnant once, she had an abortion without telling Chris, who left her furiously. She then committed suicide.All aboard have a meeting. They speculate how the planet creates these visitors from matter, and theorize how they could permanently dissolve them with a certain type of radiation. Against Gordon's judgement, Chris theorizes that Solaris is giving him a second chance with his wife, and he wants to take her home to Earth. Gordon thinks otherwise; more visitors could follow, some could go to Earth, and the effects may be devastating. She thinks that Rheya should be vaporized immediately, but Chris refuses and intends to carry on his relationship with Rheya. Gordon spills out to Rheya about the first copy of Rheya that Chris had sent out to space. Rheya is apalled and leaves. Chris is angered, but Gordon stresses that the visitors are not human, and that it is too dangerous to treat them as such.That night, Chris has a dream in which he talks to Gibarian about the visitors. Gibarian implies that he communicates for Solaris. Chris wants to know what Solaris wants from them. Gibarian says that they cannot be sure, and the planet may not even have plans for them; there are no answers, only choices. Chris awakens, and finds Rheya missing. He searches for her and finds her lying on the floor: she has killed herself by drinking liquid oxygen, her face burned where it was in contact with the oxygen.Chris brings her back to his bed where he, Gordon and Snow witness her facial wound suddenly healing itself. Gordon states that she hates watching "their resurrection". Rheya is distraught that she is alive again; she feels that she is not Rheya and therefore should not exist. There is a sudden power drain: Gordon has finished the special weapon and 'tested' it successfully on her visitor. Gordon warns Chris that Rheya will most likely try to kill herself again. Chris becomes determined to protect Rheya. He locks the door and starts taking pills to stay awake, in order to keep an eye on her.Rheya tells Chris that he 'remembered her wrong'; she is depressed and suicidal because that is how Chris remembers her. However, Chris vows to Rheya that they can be happy together and start anew, despite her doubts. In spite of his efforts, Chris falls asleep, dreaming about the breakup with Rheya that led to her suicide from sleeping pills; Chris found her and blamed himself for her death. She left Chris' favorite poem as a suicide note. When Chris wakes up, he finds the door ripped open; Rheya has broken out and has asked Gordon to vaporize her, but not before leaving a goodbye video message for Chris: she states that she can never be the real Rheya, and that it is better this way; she found the suicide note from the real Rheya that Chris had brought with him from Earth, and left it for him to find, again.Chris confronts Gordon in the makeshift morgue and gets angry at her for letting Rheya die; Gordon simply maintains that she only fulfilled Rheya's wish. Suddenly, they look up to the ceiling and see a large patch of blood. Chris opens up the ceiling tile and finds the body of doctor Snow, the cold having preserved the body. They both confront Snow and he admits to killing the doctor because it turns out that.... Snow himself is a visitor! He was the doctor's visitor and the doctor attempted to kill him within 30 seconds of his appearance, but the fake Snow didn't understand why or what was going on, killed the doctor in self-defense and stuffed his body in the ceiling.Gordon advises to vaporize Snow immediately, however Snow warns them that since vaporizing the other visitors, Solaris has increased it mass and the vaporizing equipment has used up most of the station's energy. The entire space station begins to descend towards the planet Solaris. Snow tells Chris and Gordon to evacuate by an escape pod while he stays behind to meet his doom. Chris and Gordon suit up and head towards the escape pod, making preparations to leave.We suddenly see Chris back on Earth, trying to resume his Earth life. He has no idea how long he has been back. While in his kitchen making dinner, he cuts his finger, like before, and rinses it out under the faucet. As he looks at the cut, it begins to heal itself and disappears. Chris suddenly remembers being back on the Prometheus, having second thoughts about escaping, and staying behind. Gordon goes off in the pod by herself as Chris turns back. As the Prometheus starts rocking, Chris is unable to stand on his feet and collapses to the floor. The little boy shows up, walks over and holds Chris' hand as Solaris comes closer.Back in his kitchen, Chris looks up and sees Rheya standing before him. Chris asks her if he is alive or dead; she replies that those words no longer have any meaning, and that their regrets no longer matter, or words to that effect. They embrace as the camera zooms out on Solaris.Now the question is: Is Chris dead and in heaven with Rheya? Or is he in Solaris with another copy of his wife? Or is she the real Rheya? Is Chris himself still real? | boring, psychological, flashback, psychedelic, philosophical, romantic | train | imdb | Clarke and Stanley Kubrick decided to make the 'proverbial good sci-fi movie' when they jointly created the film and novel 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Solaris is, however, one of them.Whilst the Russian original is an epic and demanding film, Soderbergh's work should not be considered a remake.
Their design is complemented by some of the best CG spaceship effects I have seen (incredible that it has taken this long for computer graphics to look as good as the model-based technology of 2001, Star Wars and Aliens in the 1960s and 70s).Solaris, the planet itself, is a clever piece of art, seemingly evidencing a degree of emotion by its colouring and detail, as no doubt was the intention.
The camera work is non-intrusive, solid stuff without gimmick (apart from a touch of shaky-cam in the restaurant scene where Kelvin meets Rheya) or overstatement.Add to this a beautiful, timeless score by Cliff Martinez and you have one of the better psychological sci-fi movies ever made.The majority of people will hate Solaris.
If you've seen Tarkovsky's brilliant "Solyaris" this film will seem more like an Americanized tribute than a Hollywoodization of a great piece of Soviet cinema.
This is a great film, and shows that it is possible for Americans to remake classic non-American films sensitively, intelligently and well.To cut to the chase - if you like sci-fi with a soul,which stretches the boundaries of imagination, explores the uncharted realms of the human condition as much as the unknown realities of the universe, and swims upstream against the currents of ethics, physics, and even metaphysics, you will probably enjoy this moody, slow, multi-leveled and heavily textured film.
I am hardly surprised by the very low (in my opinion) ratings received by this film here on IMDb. Solaris is a love story, a story of exploring the fringes of sanity, and of questioning the very nature of reality, and much more.
Those who have read the book will recognize the plot up to close to the end, where the movie veers off in its own attempt for a resolution that Lem did not seem to think necessary to provide in the novel.I was disappointed that the movie had almost nothing to say or show about the sentient ocean of Solaris and humanity's failure to comprehend it.
But I was truly mesmerized by this film's approach to what, I think, is the study of human insanity slipping beyond saving.The film is slow in pace and lengthy, with stretches of tedious silence, letting the imagination of the viewers try understand what happened to each of the characters seen, or heard.
While Soderbergh's Solaris may well be a work of art in its own right, I certainly pity those who haven't read the book or at least seen Tarkovsky's 1972 original adaptation, which is a lot more faithful to Lem's novel in its scope, if not in its vision.
SOLARIS, directed by Steven Soderbergh, and starring George Clooney, is one of those pointless remakes Hollywood has been making these past decades that adds almost nothing to the original classic.
In the film, the Solaris planet takes a person's main dream while they're sleeping (there's even silly close-up shots of Clooney's cranium).
So when Rheya comes back, looking exactly like Kelvin's wife, for me this points out to an obvious weakness in the whole concept of the Solaris planet going into a person's mind and grabbing their version of reality.
Oddly enough, the way Soderbergh approached the idea of a planet reincarnating a long lost loved one into flesh reminded me of the SPACE 1999 episode, A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, more than the Tarkovsky movie.
As a science fiction film, Solaris follows the same rule as the best of the genre, namely that it isn't the creatures or technology that makes the viewers want to watch, it is the human drama.
When the Solaris alien appears in his cabin, it tells him everything he wants to hear, and appears exactly as he desires.The big question posed by the film is whether we are the sum of how we, and more importantly other people, remember us, or whether there's more that defines our reality.
I have not read the novel on which the film is based and I have watched Tarkovsky's version twice (because it demands it), but by judging this 'Solaris' on its own merits, I think this version is simply a load of old plop.
I did not walk into the movie theater with very high hopes for this film as Andrei Tarkovsky's version of Stanislaw Lem's 1961 novel "Solyaris" is one of my all-time favorite films.
In sum, Soderberg's version of "Solaris" is relentlessly SHALLOW.Clooney is not appropriately cast, and his lack of acting chops robs the audience of identification as there is no character development that a fine actor like Kevin Spacey could give this role.
It might have made sense if we watched the character deteriorate, but as it was played, the character is poorly realized.As for the other actors, Natasha McElhone is better than she was in FearDot.Com, and this is NOT like saying Pauley Shore was better in SON-IN-LAW than he was in BIO-DOME; she's not only beautiful, but gives a decent performance; however, what she lacks is star power, the charisma that a star like Julia Roberts can bring to a picture, thus making Kelvin's yearning and his ultimate decision more real.
It's becoming excruciating watching Davies in any movie; each movie, he is actually getting worse.On an upbeat note, Viola Davis was good.I voted this film a "2" (as the production design is excellent, as is the soundtrack), but is really is a BOMB.Beware a Michaelangelo-inspired visual motif towards the end when Soderbergh really begins channeling the spirit of Stanley Kubrick.Stephen, I knew Kubrick and you're not Kubrick, nor will you ever be.The Web site for "Solaris" presents the film as being from two Academy Award winners, James Cameron and Soderbergh.
The planet Solaris becomes an artistic representation of the true Unknown, and the unknown is that state in which we all exist in, but in which we create forms of meaning to encapsulate the mystery of this moment within the illusion of the Known.Solaris presents through its actions and its very existence a format for the characters, and the viewers, to examine what it means to live safely within the illusion of the Known, but where the reality is actually an existence in which the Known is not a possibility.Do not approach this film with the intention of understanding some final conclusion, for like life itself, it is the writers intention that we question our assumptions about this movie, and possibly about our own lives as well..
It makes no sense whatsoever and if it moved any slower....I will give the film its due in that it is trying to be an arty scifi movie with more flair than pure scifi.But still, something thats that hard to follow just cant be appealing.If you're a classic Scifi lover of action, aliens and at least some kind of story - then I would give this one a skip..
Mr. Soderbergh could have made a classic sci-fi film here, if only he'd made an honest attempt.The funny thing is, if I hadn't read the book I would have liked the film, because it is well directed and has a nice atmospheric mood.
call it something other than Solaris, give the characters different names, don't do anything to remind me of the original story and I'd say it is a good movie.
As a love story and psychological thriller, Solaris works quite well and Soderbergh solidifies his status as one of the great directors working in film..
We've had horror ("Out of Sight"), drama ("Erin Brockovich"), gritty realism ("Traffic"), comedy ("Ocean's Eleven"), and now romance in "Solaris," a film that blew me out of the water - in terms of I was so surprised it sucked.I think this may be the very first film that Steven Soderbergh made that is bad - followed by that stinky "Collinwood" movie.
Not only would it have been much more...hmm...how should I put it...INTERESTING, it would also be about ten times more meaningful than this sorry mess.The film (based upon a novel and previous film titled "Solaryis") takes place sometime in the future, when a pshrink named Chris Klein (George Clooney) is sent to a space station on the planet Solaris to rescue a crew of space explorers.
Thus said we see immediately that all the originality is left out of this Cloony- Solaris version.A meager love story...and never coming close to the esoterically bestranening appearances of the Wife in the Tarkovsky film.Somehow Soderbergh needed his film 'to make sense'.
Simply put, this was the worst movie I have ever seen.I usually like George Clooney and cannot imagine why he took this role.
There were about 30 other people in the theater and you could hear everyone commenting on how horrible this film was.Please, save yourself the lost time in your life and DO NOT see this movie..
This film captures that sense of the Great Unknown and twists it into a very moving love story, which revolves around George Clooney's character and his dead wife (the beautiful Natascha McElhone).And at the centre of this film...
. .This film requires and will induce thought.Concepts like define existence, what exactly is death, or life for that matter, is only the beginning edge of where this story takes you, as one follows George Clooney's character out into deep space aboard a corporate financed space station in orbit around Solaris.While living on Earth, he's summoned to go out to the station, to solve a "problem" that no one can understand or even describe .
The chemistry between these two is obvious, but Natascha has her own depth of character complexity that I cannot find words for here, but is absolutely compelling to watch.No, I'm not going to meander down a laundry list of what happens at various key pivot points in this story, as such would be tedious, and hopelessly inadequate to convey the experience this film delivers.From a technical and aesthetic perspective, this is a very beautiful, well crafted example of the artform.
If you want to watch a really good film by this director then look up "the limey" which is a very good film which, like solaris, deals with elements of love and how we deal with it when it has gone.
Soderbergh and Clooney have produced a literate, cerebral, adult film exploring the nature of consciousness, faith, reason, reality and love.In a career best performance, Clooney gives a deep and subtle portrayal of a man emotionally laid bare by the death and seeming resurrection of his wife played by Natascha McElhone.Soderbergh has deliberately gone for a gloomy, moody, restrained feel - think Seven with the rain but without the violence - and the lack of music to drive the plot along adds to the stark and brooding atmosphere.
The film centres around Chris Kelvin(George Clooney) a troubled psychologist sent to a distant research space station, orbiting a peculiar planet called Solaris.
He's sent there to investigate strange occurrences going on with the crew, as they're experiencing possible delusions of people they loved who've passed away, coming back to life.Steven Soderbergh writes and directs this adaption, which helps give the film a singular vision.
Story Something is wrong on the space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris, so Chris Kelvin (Clooney) goes there, all alone, to find out what's going on and to persuade the crew to come home.
Just as I feel one should always see the movie and then read the source material in order to savor the deeper experience that comes with the written word, you can always rent and watch the earlier version if you liked this film for a much more rewarding experience.
This film had a retro 70s feel running all the way through it laments back to the days when film-makers were allowed to treat their audiences as adults and the fact they are no longer allowed to do this makes us all poorer for it.For me Clooney has become a great actor and been behind some of the best films of recent years and I think this was his coming of age movie.'Am I alive.
It's pretty dull.The only pluses are the beautiful Natascha McElhone, the set designs, and the interesting sound track by Cliff Martinez, who seems to have made a career scoring films for Steven Soderbergh.The planet somehow is tapping into the humans' minds and creating beings from the images of people in their past.
More like a Tasters Choice commercial in outer space.Really, for all the elegantly written reviews on this site, I cannot find a single redeeming feature in this film.The philosophical exchanges are of a vapid cartoon variety better handled by Woody Allen's paranoid schoolboy in Annie Hall (depressed in the 3rd grade because he knew the universe would end in 3.5 billion years...) Not being a fan of Mr. Clooney's frat-boy style of charisma I had a hard time finding any chemistry between his character & that of Natasha McElhone's.
It's an atheist's movie, I'm sure, but filled with spiritual and human optimism.Most viewers don't know that this is a remake, and hard core film buffs dismiss this American Steven Soderbergh version as Hollywood at its worst (big budget, sentimental, pretty beyond reason).
Steven Sodebergh's script, though lean, does not ignore the the essence of the book, which is that this is a love story, a search for redemption, a second chance, one to undo passed wrongs and mistakes.I won't delve into the plot of the movie or the book, save to say, that many of us could identify with the plight of the principal character, doctor Chris Kelvin (George Clooney), a man beset by the demons of his past.
"Solaris" is a fine example of what true sci-fi can be, and can thus join the pantheon of sci-fi classics as "2001 A Space Odyssey", "Alien", "Blade Runner", "Gattaca", "Dark City", "Strange Days" and others.Natasha McElhone (Rheya) is great (and beautiful) while the rest of the supporting cast is very good (Jeremy Davies is really weird...but in a good way).The soundtrack totally captures the atmosphere and mood of the movie, which is one of melancholy and sadness.
In the end, Solaris was a tedious, boring, confusing at times, uninteresting film about people I couldn't possibly care less about.
In this way, it's a very personal movie.In the end, we don't know much more about the characters than we did at the beginning, and this is a weakness of Solaris.
George Clooney plays astronaut Chris Kelvin who is summoned on a space station floating around the mysterious planet Solaris.
I read the book by Stanislaw Lem just before getting the film, and there are of course elements of the story well explained in the book which were removed from the film - or simply too hard to pump into a film.The plot is the following, people in a space station above the planet Solaris receive "visitors", lifelike persons from their past, all dead already.
The question of their nature, their origin, their purpose is key as they are not aggressive, not "aliens in disguise".George Clooney delivers a good performance and while the film takes us miles away from a typical SF movie into a psychological drama, a debate on reality, love even, I would say that the result is surprisingly good.Still enigmatic, the very nature of Solaris, the nature of the "visitors", only tends to find an explanation through metaphysical and religious terms.
Therefore in my opinion a remake was certainly a good idea to make the story more accessible to people that would not watch, or have not seen this movie.In respect of Solaris 2002, I found this to be an excellent movie.
Anyone who likes this movie and gives it more than, let's say 3 points hasn't seen the Russian 'Solaris', made 30 years ago and 30 times better than this.This movie is just another example how Hollywood takes some European movie, remakes it and thinks it creates gold....
Tarkovsky's is a sci-fi classic and considered by many to be the foreign equivalent to `2001: A Space Odyssey.' Steven Soderbergh (who won Best Director for `Traffic'- itself a remake) refuses to call this `Solaris' a remake, and contends that his film is simply a new adaptation of Lem's novel.Soderbergh's argument is credible, his `Solaris' is almost half the length of Tarkovsky's near 3-hour epic, his screenplay concentrating mostly on the relationship of Rheya and Kelvin.The 1972 version eyes the scientific morals of the mission, something completely missing from the latter movie.
The 2002 `Solaris' is a chilling film with great acting that asks intriguing questions about humanity, space and essentially love itself.
Steve Soderbergh's lastest masterpiece, SOLARIS, ask the question, can a person love a being that looks, acts, and has the memory of a deceased loved one, but really isn't that person?SOLARIS is based on the Stainslaw Lem novel that was made into a long, but very well done film by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky.
Or is this a hallucination that is created by Chris' mind?SOLARIS is like Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, in being a film that is full of philosophic questions.
If you don't like using your brain while watching a movie, then catch the next showing of DIE ANOTHER DAY or MAID IN MANHATTAN.SOLARIS is a film that proves that Steve Soderbergh IS one talented and versatile director.
I was so glad and pleased to see that Soderbergh respected the story and sci-fi genre by making SOLARIS into a highly intellectual film where thoughts are required, characters are the key element to a film, and technology and location are used with what they should be used for, background support!Georgy Clooney proves that he IS one of the best and underrated actors working in Hollywood.
The conception of the planet was very good, very beautiful, but, like much of the film, I think it got away from Soderbergh in the end. |
tt1531663 | Everything Must Go | Salesman Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) is fired from his job of 16 years following an unspecified incident in Denver related to his alcoholism. He sits in the parking garage after leaving the office, drinking from a flask. He then takes the Swiss Army Knife he was given as a farewell gift and stabs it into his supervisor's car tires, only to leave the knife (which has his name on it) and run away when he is unable to pull it back out from the tire. He immediately drives to a convenience store and buys a large amount of beer. When he returns home, he finds his wife is gone, the locks have been changed, and his belongings have been strewn all over his front lawn. His wife has left him a letter telling him that she is leaving him, also over the Denver incident, and to not contact her.
Nick spends the night on the lawn. In the morning, he leaves to buy beer and food, returning to find his company car being taken back. In addition, his credit cards no longer work, he has been blocked from the joint checking account he has with his wife, and his phone service is terminated. When the police ask him to vacate the premises, Nick gets them to contact his AA sponsor, Detective Frank Garcia (Michael Peña), who provides him with a permit for a yard sale, allowing him three more days before he must move on. Nick gets a neighborhood boy, Kenny (Christopher Jordan Wallace), to help him sell his possessions, assuring Kenny he will pay him for the help, and also that he will teach him to play baseball. The first day's sale is unsuccessful as Nick is unwilling to let items go.
Nick meets his new neighbor, a pregnant young woman named Samantha (Rebecca Hall), and invites her to his backyard. There, he tells her that he had been sober for six months until attending a conference in Denver, during which he had gotten blackout drunk with a female coworker; he awoke with no memory of the night before, and soon learned that she had lodged a complaint against him, setting the stage for his firing.
Nick then finds a yearbook with a friendly message from an old classmate, Delilah (Laura Dern), whom he tracks down and visits. The reunion is awkward, but Delilah nevertheless gives Nick a hug and tells him that he is a good person deep down.
Now completely broke, Nick has to go without alcohol and soon experiences withdrawal. Samantha gives him a Valium and tells him that he needs help. He replies that she is no better than him because she puts up with her husband's drinking and frequent absences. Samantha storms off, angry and hurt.
The next morning Nick awakes to find Kenny has arranged his belongings on the lawn and has put price tags on them. Most of the things get sold by that evening. Nick apologizes to Samantha, who admits that he was right and that she had told her husband to come home or get a divorce. She, Nick and Kenny then go out to dinner. In the restaurant restroom, Nick encounters his former supervisor, who explains that the incident in Denver probably did not happen. They fired the female employee he got drunk with because it was discovered she has a history of suing fellow employees for sexual harassment, and that Nick probably would have gotten his job back if only he hadn't slashed the supervisor's tires. Nick expresses little reaction to this news, but when the supervisor leaves a glass of beer in the restroom, Nick takes it back to him without drinking a drop.
After dinner, Nick meets with Frank, and answers Frank's phone while he steps out of his office. The caller is Nick's wife, Catherine, telling Frank she is waiting at his house. Nick confronts Frank, who admits Catherine has been staying with him ever since she left Nick. The two men have a fight, and Frank says Catherine deserves better than Nick. It is also divulged that Nick and his wife were both recovering alcoholics. Later, while Frank drives Nick home, he observes that, because Catherine got sober and Nick didn't, their marriage had little chance of succeeding, and proceeds to list the ways Nick failed her as a husband. He then hands Nick a packet of divorce papers for him to sign, along with some spending money and keys to the house. Nick tells Frank to drop him off on the nearest curb; before he gets out of the car, he asks Frank to tell his wife he's sorry. He walks home the rest of the way, at one point stopping to look into the convenience store where he regularly bought beer, but moves on.
The next day, he settles up with Kenny – including repaying him for what he skimmed from Kenny's profits for beer money – and receives an appreciative hug from Samantha, whose husband has come home. She hands him the Polaroid photo she took of him a few days prior, with the message from her fortune cookie taped to the bottom, which says "Everything is not yet lost." | dark, boring, home movie | train | wikipedia | The Other Guys was pretty good, Step Brothers was funny in parts, but this one totally takes the cake for being a great drama, and schools anyone who thinks Will Ferrell can't do anything but comedy.
Kenny and Nick strike up an odd, but warm relationship with each other and when Nick is informed by his AA sponsor (Pena) that he must move all his stuff off his lawn in three days, he works with Kenny to help them hold a big yard sale.A sub-plot involves Nick getting acquainted with the woman across the street who has just moved to the neighborhood and is awaiting her husband's arrival.
The plot works fine without them, and I believe that if we saw Nick's wife in the film we'd get too many arguments between the two which may result in (a) believability being low and (b) a possibility for Ferrell's comedy side to sneak in.
Everything Must Go is the story of Nick Halsey (Ferrell), a struggling alcoholic who, in the first 10 minutes of the movie, has been laid of from his job and kicked out of his house by his wife, all within the same day.
I will start by saying I thought the acting of everyone involved, especially Will Ferrell and Christopher Jordan Wallace, was superb and a highlight of the movie.
I did particularly enjoy watching the relationship between Nick Halsey and Wallace's "Kenny Loftus", and thought that the filmmakers did a good job pairing the two actors up.
Overall, I do believe that the movie was well made, with an interesting story and fantastic acting, but the mood of the film was a little heavier than what I was looking for..
"Good without the bad ain't no good at all." After Nick (Ferrell) gets fired from his job of 16 years he comes home to find his wife has changed the locks on his doors and all of his stuff is on the lawn.
Will Ferrell plays Nick Halsey, who arrives home from being fired from his job to find all his belongings on his front lawn.
Eventually, Nick befriends one of the kids in his neighborhood, and together they hold a yard sale on his front lawn to sell off everything that he owns.This is really a story about hitting rock bottom and figuring out a way to start over again.
Will Ferrell plays a Sales Executive named Nick Halsey who at the beginning of the film is being fired from his job due to his problems with alcohol.
Will Ferrell, Christopher Wallace, and Rebecca Hall (who I first came to love in Ben Affleck's flick The Town) all give great performances and the success of the film relies entirely on them.
Maybe that wasn't the director's intention but that's how I'll classify it.I give it 3 stars out of 4.Just a very simple, and ultimately touching, story about a man who's life is falling apart and it is purely his own fault.It is nice to see Will Ferrell ACT and not play his normal over the top persona in comedies.This is a QUIET movie.
'EVERYTHING MUST GO': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)Will Ferrell tries his hand at more serious comedy-drama again (after the likes of 2006's 'STRANGER THAN FICTION') with this tale of a relapsed alcoholic who loses his job and wife on the same day and resorts to living on his front lawn.
While trying to sell his stuff Nick befriends a new neighbor across the street (Hall) and a local neighborhood kid (Wallace).Like I said the movie is surprisingly dramatic for a Will Ferrell movie and he pulls off his performance impressively.
Will Ferrell nails the helplessness of his situation, he drinks and along the way through relationships with a young kid, his pregnant neighbour and an old school flame he realises that he's a good man, that he has something to offer the world, that perhaps he doesn't need the booze after all.
I think that Will Ferrell is one of those actors that can do a pretty solid job of mixing comedy with drama, and I like when he plays human characters.
Unfortunately here he is stuck in a movie that pretends to be this grounded character drama about a broken man who's lost everything, while it's actually just an absurd story that doesn't fit into any real context and meanders along until it thankfully comes to it's disastrous end.
Based on a short story by Raymond Carver, Ferrell's Nick Halsey gets fired in the opening scene and then goes home to find out that his wife put all of his things on the lawn and changed the locks on the door.
One of my favorite director's these days is Sofia Coppola who I think does a great job at instilling a deep sense of real-life into her movies.
Watched Will Ferrel in his most mature film, "Everything Must Go"It's about a an alcoholic who loses his job and his wife in the same week and rethinks his life.A thoughtful and down to earth movie about finding what it takes to start over."They say every man needs protection, they say every man must fall"And so this is a movie that begins at the fall.
It not that bad but I find it utterly pointless movie.Story of a man having a bad days, first he got fired from his job, then got thrown out of his house, his wife deactivate his bank account.
Without Will this would have been straight to VDO store and maybe left there totally untouched.The good thing about this movie is – I will likely don't remember I have even watched it in a week time.
But this movie does have the perfect dose of both the humor and drama, and it never gets caught up trying to do both at the same time.However, the one minor problem i did have with the film was the ending.
"Everything Must Go" is a comedy - drama movie which shows us a man who after being fired from his job due to his alcoholic relapses and losing his wife, trying to start over.
I really liked it because makes it truly understandable for everyone how he feels about all of these, his agony and depression.Finally I have to say that "Everything Must Go" is a really worth seeing movie and I strongly recommend it because as I said before it combines drama with comedy..
Will Ferrell who's one of the best funny men working in the business today takes a role that's offbeat and uncommon here, yet his choice turns out for a good entertaining and emotional film of discovery.
Some characters seemed a little "Hollywood" to me, but some dark comedy moments and unexpected alcoholic truths made the movie definitely worth watching.
I hadn't seen something quite like this since the 80's movie "Less Than Zero" with Robert Downey Jr. Ferrell played Nicholas, a lush that just lost his job and his wife due to his habit.
The movie plays out on his front lawn with all of his belongings as his wife moved all his stuff outside and had all the locks changed."Everything Must Go" dives in to the dark and pitiful world of alcoholics.
At best, it's going to be one of those films that will find its market several years from when it was first released.For a start, it has Will Ferrell as the leading man - an actor constantly linked with madcap, silly throwaway comedies.
And, possibly worse still, it's very sad.Will Ferrell plays Nick Halsey - an alcoholic who, on the same day, gets fired and finds out his wife is leaving him by returning home to find she has thrown all his possessions out onto the front lawn.
Another thing you should know is that the film doesn't really move from there - the whole ninety minutes is spent on Ferrell's front/rear lawn (and a lot of people seem to have critisised it for this).What little story there is, centres on themes rather than moving the script along.
After Nick (Will Farrell) is fired from his sales job, mostly because of his alcoholism, he comes home and finds that his wife has kicked him --and all of his stuff out of the house and onto the front lawn.
I thought this film was going to be another stupid , fantasy comedy created by the actor Will Ferrell who has been in such movies as Anchorman and Step-Brothers.
Next once Ferrell's character when he gets home and what has happened is what really kick starts the movie.The movie has all the aspects such as comedy, drama, seriousness and many more such things.
Anyways, "Everything Must Go" is an intended drama with a few comedic moments starring Ferrell as Nick Halsey, an Arizonian alcoholic who lives in front of his lawn with all his personal belongings; due to the fact that his exasperated wife cannot tolerate the Nick no more so she placed all his belongings on the lawn and also changed all the locks to their home.
I guess that many people will feel confused or disappointed after watching Everything Must Go, because the mere presence of Will Ferrell in the leading role suggests the fact that the film is a comedy.
But the opportunity was squandered in scene after scene, and with the exception of the typical outstanding work of Rebecca Hall as Halsey's neighbor, I was left wondering "Who were those people?" Most disappointing of all, Will Ferrell's performance as a very-non-recovering alcoholic left his character as wooden, uninteresting and - most importantly -- unappealing.
Everything Must Go (2010) *** (out of 4) Will Ferrell turns in the best performance of his career as Nick Halsey, an alcoholic who is fired from his job only to then come home and realize that his wife has left him and changed the locks to the door.
One of the main components of this film is the alcoholism of Ferrell's character and the detrimental effects it has had on his life, costing him his job, marriage and home.
When everything is lost and we are left with nothing, is it really the end of it?Watch this movie and you may be able to answer these for yourself."Making friends is not always easy, but the ones that you have, make sure that you can trust them with your heart." "Maintaining relations requires revisions; so make the things straight as many times as it is required." "Understand the difference between giving up and letting go!".
Everything Must Go is a better than average movie with a pretty good story at this very depressing and is much more of a drama than a comedy,there are plenty of funny parts but it is not something you could consider a feel good comedy.Will Ferrell delivers a very impressive performance,it is nothing like what he has done in the past,if your a fan of him in movies liked Anchorman or Step Brothers,don't expect this to be another one of those,thats what I put the movie on expecting and it certainly wasn't,but I was impressed with his acting,it was very deep.I think the movie definitely needed more time to develop the other characters,we got to learn plenty about Nick,but we didn't get to know enough about the other characters he communicates with in this movie,also I would haver liked to see his ex-wife in at least one scene.If your a fan of very dramatic comedies then I would say check it out,but if your a fan of Will Ferrell for his usual goofy comedies,you won't enjoy this,however,if your interested in seeing him in different more unique roles,then you should check out Everything Must Go.An alcoholic sales exec decides to love on his front lawn when his job and marriage come to an end on the same day and he can't afford to own a house..
This movie really put his acting talents to the test, and Will Ferrell rose to the occasion and delivered a great performance and made this movie turn out rather nice.The story is about Nick Halsey (played by Will Ferrell) who gets fired from his job, after a series of unfortunate events which mostly included alcohol, only to come home to find that his wife has thrown him out, put his stuff out on the front lawn, and changed all the locks to their home.
But as reality sinks in, Nick comes to realize that things must change, and he strikes up a partnership with a young boy in the neighborhood to look after his stuff while Nick tidies up loose ends in his life.Actually, the story told in this movie was rather interesting and quite captivating.
What makes it work so nicely is the acting performances put on by the various actors and actresses throughout the movie, along with the colorful characters and good dialogue."Everything Must Go" is not an average comedy, as there isn't all that many laughs to be had in the movie, but this is more the likes of a comedy that sinks in and sticks with you, especially given the absurd storyline and the realism there is to it.I highly recommend that you watch "Everything Must Go", because Will Ferrell is nothing short of spectacular in this movie.
After years on "Saturday Night Live" and numerous comedic roles, Will Ferrell takes a more serious, almost dark role as a man who loses his wife and job, and then finds himself locked out of his house with his credit cards canceled, and so he simply decides to live on his lawn.
Rush prefers to focus on capturing what it's like when a troubled person's life can't get any worse.Despite being excellent at his job, Nick Halsey gets laid off in good part due to past drinking problems.
His setup attracts the attention of a young boy named Kenny (Christopher Jordan Wallace) whose mom is taking care of a sick person down the street as well as his new neighbor, Samantha (Rebecca Hall), whose pregnant with a husband who constantly travels.The script gives us no real sense of Nick's wife, job or any of his previous attachments, so we don't really empathize with him being caught between the things he has loved in the recent past and the opportunities appearing before him for a better future.
Nick is not the easiest character to love or understand, but Ferrell cues us in to what's going on in his mind the best he can.Even with some mistakes, "Everything Must Go" tells an honest story about personal tragedy and how we cope with the moments that bring our dignity to an all-time low.~Steven CThanks for reading!
When people make bleak comedies about alcoholics it tends to be labelled as a tragedy.Everything Must Go starts out with Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) getting fired in his job as a salesman and then when he gets home he finds his belongings on the lawn, his wife has changed the locks, taken his savings and kicked him out.We find out that Halsey is an alcoholic, has temper issues and decides to live on the lawn with his belongings.
Everything Must GoErecting a delousing booth adjacent to a yard sale is an excellent way to make some extra cash during the summer.Unfortunately, the clothing on the front lawn of the loser in this drama is not there for rummaging.After he is fired from his high paying executive job for excessive drinking, Nick (Will Ferrell) thinks that he has hit rock bottom.However, upon returning home, he discovers that things have just worsened.Lining his front lawn is everything he owns.
Will Ferrell fans who liked Melinda and Melinda and Stranger Than Fiction will not be surprised by his performance as Nick Halsey in this movie.
The writing is sparse, but it still makes you think and this idea goes into the film as well.Will Ferrell plays Nick Halsey, the ex-Vice President of a Regional Sales Office.
On the day he's fired from his job in Phoenix, for falling off the wagon and waking up in the hotel room of an associate who files a suit for harassment, Nicholas Halsey comes home to find his stuff on the front lawn, the locks changed, and a farewell note from his wife.With his bank account frozen, his credit cards and phone cancelled, and his company car gone, he takes up residence on the lawn.A cop who's his AA sponsor tells him he can sit there for five days as if it's a garage sale, then he'll face arrest.With help from a chubby kid on a bicycle, a pregnant neighbour, and an old high school acquaintance, Nick goes on a beer-soaked odyssey, from his front-yard easy chair...Not since stranger than fiction, has Ferrell been this brilliant.
Will Ferrell stars as Nick who loses his job, punctures his boss' tire, and finds out his wife not only left him, but also locked him out of the house with all his belongings in the front yard.
Writer/director Dan Rush has made a fascinating film that is too good to pass up.Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) is fired from his job of 16 years.
Basically alcoholic Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) had an unspecified drinking related incident happen in Denver, and due to this he is fired from his job as a salesman after sixteen years, after returning home he finds that the locks have been changed and his wife has left him, with a letter telling him not to contact her, and all his belongings are spread across the lawn.
You do feel some level of sympathy for the main character (and some supporting ones), but not much.The humor is OK, not too many gags, but not very funny either.The story does seem to take too long to come to that particular end, which could have been an interesting experiment had the whole "guy living at his front lawn" been taken a level higher, but, like we noticed before, the movie is not taking real risks.All things considered, it's worth checking out.. |
tt0110912 | Pulp Fiction | Late one morning in the Hawthorne Grill, a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, a couple of young Brits called Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) and Pumpkin (Tim Roth) discuss the pros and cons of robbing banks versus liquor stores. Then they add restaurants to the equation, realizing they can make more by taking customers' wallets than they get out of the till. The two kiss, declare they love each other and stand up in their booth, announcing that they're robbing the diner.Earlier in the day, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) arrive at a San Fernando Valley apartment building. They are hit men in the employ of Marsellus Wallace and have come to retrieve a valuable belonging of Wallace's from a group of would-be crooks led by a young and naive guy named Brett (Frank Whaley). They take back the valuable item -- kept in a briefcase, it glows warmly and transfixes whoever looks at it. Jules recites what he claims is a Bible verse, Ezekiel 25:17, before he and Vincent execute Brett.Story #1: Vincent Vega And Marsellus Wallace's WifeAt his strip club, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) pays boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) to throw his next fight. Jules and Vincent arrive; though it's only a few hours after their visit to the Valley, the two hit men are sporting gym clothes in place of the suits they wore earlier in the day. While Jules heads to the men's room, Vincent goes to the bar and encounters Butch. The men take an instant disliking to each other. Vincent insults Butch but before Butch can retaliate, Marsellus calls Vincent over and embraces him. Marsellus is leaving town that evening and Vincent is to take Marsellus' wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), out for dinner to keep her entertained. Rumors abound that Marsellus gravely wounded another associate, Antoine, who he believed had been improperly friendly with Mia, so Vincent is nervous. Before picking Mia up, he visits his drug dealer, Lance (Eric Stoltz), and buys some high-quality heroin. Properly sedated, he escorts the cocaine-addicted, chain-smoking Mia to Jack Rabbit Slim's, a West Hollywood 1950s-themed restaurant. After some small talk about European travel, Mia's failed acting career, foot massage, and the rumors about Antoine (which Mia dispels), Mia enters herself and Vincent in a dance contest. They dance the twist and win an award. After dinner, they return to the Wallaces' home. Vincent goes to the bathroom to talk himself out of making a pass at Mia. Meanwhile, she discovers the baggie of heroin in his coat pocket and, assuming it's cocaine, snorts some. She immediately passes out and begins to foam at the mouth. Panicked, Vincent takes the dying Mia to Lance's where they argue about what to do with her. Following Lance's advice, Vincent is able to revive her with a shot of adrenaline administered straight to the heart. Vincent takes Mia home. They agree not to tell Marsellus what happened since both of them would get in trouble for it.Story #2: The Gold WatchThe following night, before his fight, Butch dreams of an incident from his childhood: Back at his Tennessee home in 1973, Captain Koons (Christopher Walken) visited Butch to bring him a gold watch. The watch had belonged to Butch's great-grandfather, who took it to World War I with him. Butch's grandfather had taken it to World War II, and Butch's father to Vietnam. Butch's father died as a POW, but gave the watch to Koons to return to Butch. Koons says that he and Butch's father had to hide the watch in their rectums to keep it away from their captors. Butch reaches up with his hand and takes the watch from Koons.Butch wakes from the dream. Instead of throwing the match (not shown on-screen), he fights so viciously that he kills his opponent. He took Marsellus' money and bet it on himself; his winnings will amount to a small fortune. Butch makes small talk with Esmarelda (Angela Jones), the driver of the cab he is in, who reveals that she knows he's the boxer who killed his opponent; she seems fascinated with the topic of death. Esmarelda drives Butch to the seedy motel where he and his French girlfriend, Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros), are staying, having abandoned their apartment. In the morning they will travel to Butch's hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, claim their winnings, and leave the country. While packing the next morning, however, Fabienne reveals that she forgot the gold watch, the belonging Butch cherishes above all others. After a savage outburst in which he wrecks the motel room, Butch takes Fabienne's car to get the watch, parking a few blocks away and walking through a vacant lot to his apartment building as a precaution. He enters without incident and finds his wristwatch in the bedroom. He realizes he's not alone in the apartment when he notices a submachine gun in the kitchen. Catching Vincent off guard as he emerges from the bathroom, Butch kills him with the gun he found. He leaves his apartment after wiping the gun down with a tissue to remove his fingerprints.Leaving the apartment with his watch, Butch encounters Marsellus crossing the street. He tries to run Marsellus over with his car but only wounds him and is hit by another car himself. Both are injured and Marsellus chases Butch into a pawn shop. There, the owner, Maynard (Duane Whitaker), overpowers them. Marsellus and Butch wake up in the basement of the pawn shop, bound and gagged. Maynard has called his cousin Zed (Peter Greene), who works as a security guard. Maynard and Zed are apparently a pair of redneck serial killers who kill passersby who happen into their store. While the Gimp (Stephen Hibbert), a huge manchild dressed head to toe in black leather fetish gear, watches Butch, Maynard and Zed take Marsellus into the next room and begin to rape him. Butch manages to break the ropes and chair holding him and knocks out the Gimp. Rather than leave the pawn shop, he procures a samurai sword and rescues Marsellus; in the process, Maynard is killed and Zed emasculated by a shotgun blast fired by Marsellus. Marsellus stays behind to oversee the torture-execution of Zed ("I'ma get medieval on your ass," he tells him), but promises that as long as Butch never mentions what happened and never returns to Los Angeles, Marsellus will forget that Butch betrayed him in the boxing ring. Butch agrees. In the final scene, Butch and Fabienne leave town on Grace, Zed's chopper-style motorcycle.Story #3: The Bonnie SituationThree days earlier, flashing back in time to just after Vincent and Jules finish killing Brett for stealing Marsellus' prized possession, a gang member they had not known about bursts out of the bathroom and empties a large pistol point blank at them. However, all of the bullets miss Vincent and Jules, hitting the wall behind them, so they kill the gang member. Jules is certain what occurred was divine intervention, but Vincent dismisses the idea. They leave with Marvin (Phil LaMarr), Marsellus' inside man in the gang. In the car, Jules continues his insistence that what happened in the apartment was a miracle and that he's retiring from Marsellus' gang. Vincent asks Marvin if he believes in miracles, but accidentally shoots him in the head and kills him. The inside of the car is now covered in blood and brain matter. Jules, furious at Vincent's klutziness, drives to the house of his only friend in the Valley, a former colleague named Jimmie (Quentin Tarantino). Jimmie lets them hide the car but angrily tells them that they have to get rid of the body within an hour -- before his wife Bonnie comes home from her night shift at a hospital. Jules calls Marsellus at his home to explain their predicament. Marsellus then calls Winston Wolf (Harvey Keitel), a suave and professional criminal and gambler who solves problems. Wolf arrives at Jimmie's house and tells Vincent and Jules how to clean up the car and themselves -- they have to strip out of their business suits, be sprayed down with a garden hose and wear Jimmie's spare T-shirts and shorts (which explains their appearance at the strip club) -- then helps them dispose of the car and body at a junkyard belonging to a discreet friend named Monster Joe, whose daughter is Mr. Wolf's girlfriend.With the whole situation resolved, Jules and Vincent decide to have breakfast at the Hawthorne Grill, where they continue their discussion about miracles. Jules reveals his plan to leave his criminal life and travel the globe as a mendicant, helping those suffering under tyranny. Vincent mocks him, then goes to the bathroom. Just then Honey Bunny and Pumpkin (from the prologue) begin their robbery of the diner. They collect the cash from the register and the patrons' wallets. Jules gives Pumpkin his wallet, but when Pumpkin tries to take Marsellus' briefcase, Jules pulls his gun and disarms Pumpkin. While Vincent holds Honey Bunny at bay, Jules explains to Pumpkin how, even earlier that morning, he would have killed Pumpkin and Honey Bunny without a second thought. He recites his ersatz version of Ezekiel 25:17 again: "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and good will shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."Jules explains that while he previously thought it was cool to make such a cold-blooded passage the last thing his victims heard, he now realizes that the "tyranny of evil men" part of the passage refers to him, and he intends to become a better person. He and Vincent allow Honey Bunny and Pumpkin to leave with all the money but not the briefcase. They leave the diner themselves and head to Marsellus' strip club. | comedy, murder, stupid, cult, action, revenge, suspenseful, neo noir, western, flashback, clever, psychedelic, satire, thought-provoking, atmospheric, philosophical, entertaining, storytelling, dark, mystery, realism, dramatic, violence, humor, plot twist | train | imdb | null |
tt0023969 | Duck Soup | The wealthy Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) insists that Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho) be appointed leader of the small, bankrupt country of Freedonia before she will continue to provide much-needed financial aid. Meanwhile, neighboring Sylvania is attempting to annex the country. Sylvanian ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern) tries to foment a revolution and to woo Mrs. Teasdale, and he tries to dig up dirt on Firefly by sending in spies Chicolini (Chico) and Pinky (Harpo).
After failing to collect useful information against Firefly, Chicolini and Pinky are able to infiltrate the government when Chicolini is appointed Secretary of War after Firefly sees him selling peanuts outside his window. Meanwhile, Firefly's secretary, Bob Roland (Zeppo), suspects Trentino's motives, and advises Firefly to get rid of Trentino by insulting him. Firefly agrees to the plan, but after a series of personal insults exchanged between Firefly and Trentino, the plan backfires when Firefly slaps Trentino instead of being slapped by him. As a result, the two countries come to the brink of war. Adding to the international friction is the fact that Firefly is also courting Mrs. Teasdale, and, like Trentino, hoping to get his hands on her late husband's wealth.
Trentino learns that Freedonia's war plans are in Mrs. Teasdale's safe and orders Chicolini and Pinky to steal them. Chicolini is caught by Firefly and put on trial, during which war is officially declared, and everyone is overcome by war frenzy, breaking into song and dance. The trial put aside, Chicolini and Pinky join Firefly and Bob Roland in anarchic battle, resulting in general mayhem.
The end of the film finds Trentino caught in makeshift stocks, with the Brothers pelting him with fruit. Trentino surrenders, but Firefly tells him to wait until they run out of fruit. Mrs. Teasdale begins singing the Freedonia national anthem in her operatic voice and the Brothers begin hurling fruit at her instead.
=== Mirror scene ===
In the "mirror scene," Pinky, dressed as Firefly, pretends to be Firefly's reflection in a missing mirror, matching his every move—including absurd ones that begin out of sight—to near perfection. In one particularly surreal moment, the two men swap positions, and thus the idea of which is a reflection of the other. Eventually, and to their misfortune, Chicolini, also disguised as Firefly, enters the frame and collides with both of them.
Although its appearance in Duck Soup is the best known instance, the concept of the mirror scene did not originate in this film. Max Linder included it in Seven Years Bad Luck (1921), where a man's servants have accidentally broken a mirror and attempt to hide the fact by imitating his actions in the mirror's frame. Charlie Chaplin used a similar joke in The Floorwalker (1916), though it did not involve a mirror.
This scene has been imitated many times; for instance, in the Bugs Bunny cartoon Hare Tonic, the Mickey Mouse cartoon Lonesome Ghosts, The Square Peg (1959), The Pink Panther (1963), and Big Business (1988). Harpo himself did a reprise of this scene, dressed in his usual costume, with Lucille Ball also donning the fright wig and trench coat, in the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy and Harpo Marx".
=== Other scenes and jokes ===
The climactic production number ridicules war by comparing nationalism to a minstrel show. One segment is a variant on the old Negro spiritual "All God's Chillun Got Wings" (and was reportedly considered for deletion for the film's DVD release, for fear of offending African Americans):
Shortly after, during the final battle scenes, "rightfully [...] called the funniest of all of cinema", Firefly can be seen wearing a different costume in almost every sequence until the end of the film, including American Civil War uniforms (first Union and then Confederate), a British palace guard uniform, a Boy Scout Scoutmaster's uniform, and even a Davy Crockett coonskin cap. Meanwhile, the exterior view of the building they are occupying changes appearance from a bunker to an old fort, etc. Firefly assures his generals that he has "a man out combing the countryside for volunteers." Sure enough, Pinky is wandering out on the front lines wearing a sandwich board sign reading, "Join the Army and see the Navy." Later, Chicolini volunteers Pinky to carry a message through enemy lines; Firefly tells him, "[...] and remember, while you're out there risking life and limb through shot and shell, we'll be in here thinking what a sucker you are." Thomas Doherty has described this line as "sum[ming] up the Great War cynicism towards all things patriotic".
The melodramatic exclamation "This means war!" certainly did not originate with Duck Soup, but it is used several times in the film—at least twice by Trentino and once by Firefly—and would be repeated by Groucho in A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races. Variations of this phrase would later become a frequently used catch-phrase for Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny in Warner Bros. cartoons.
In another scene, the film pokes fun at the Hays Code. Due to the code, a man and woman could not be shown in bed together. The camera begins the scene in a woman's bedroom, panning across the foot of the bed. A pair of men's shoes are shown on the floor, then a pair of women's shoes and then four horseshoes. The camera cuts to a shot of the entire room: Pinky is sleeping in one bed with the horse, while the woman is in another bed.
The film's writers recycled a joke used in Horse Feathers in this dialogue with Chico:
Prosecutor: Chicolini, isn't it true you sold Freedonia's secret war code and plans?
Chicolini: Sure! I sold a code and two pairs o' plans!
The street vendor confrontations are also well-remembered pieces of physical comedy: Chico and Harpo harass a lemonade seller (comedy film veteran Edgar Kennedy), egged on by his irritation that they have stolen his pitch.
First, there is a scene involving the knocking off, dropping, picking up and exchanging of hats. Later, Kennedy (a much larger man) steals bags of Harpo's peanuts, and Harpo responds by burning Kennedy's new straw boater hat; in return, Kennedy pushes over their peanut wagon. Harpo responds by stepping knee-deep into Kennedy's lemonade tank, where he imitates a stereotypical Italian grape-crushing peasant; this drives off Kennedy's waiting line of customers.
Just before the Mirror Scene is the Radio Scene. Harpo tries the combination to the safe on a box which proves to be a radio, and it starts blaring the break-up strain of John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever". The music continues despite frantic efforts to silence, and finally destroy, the radio.
Harpo often doffed his hat on-screen, but Chico very rarely removed his Tyrolean hat, even when indoors. For a few seconds on-screen in the earlier scene, Chico's head is uncovered, revealing a wavy wig. Chico had already started going bald when the brothers appeared in their first Broadway production, I'll Say She Is, in 1924. All of the Brothers' natural receding-hairline patterns were similar, but Harpo and Chico covered theirs with wigs (Groucho would later sport an obvious toupee in the films At The Circus and Go West). | insanity, anti war, absurd, cult, satire | train | wikipedia | Many times their movies were vehicles for their vaudeville acts of funny lines, slapstick gags and musical talent.Two differences in this film than most others from the boys: 1 - Zeppo has a number of lines.
There are just tons of funny (and, yes, very dated) lines in this movie and having Duck Soup out on DVD making the sound clearer helps, too.
The Brothers simply deflate the pomposity of the whole deal.4) The fact that Zeppo is actually given something to do.Anybody who thinks the Farrelly brothers are the last word in comedy should be strapped to a chair and shown Marx Bros films over and over again, until they concede..
It has the Marx brothers at their very best, with rapid-fire laughs combining with a satirical "plot" that is very funny in itself, without getting in the way of the individual comedy sequences that are the real highlight of the film.
Their timing and material are as good here as they ever have been.The Marx brothers are still beloved today because when at their best, they treated their audience to a lot of riotous slapstick that cannot be watched without laughing, while at the same time rewarding their viewers for paying attention with a steady stream of puns, deadpan one-liners, brief sight gags, and other subtler humor.
The more you watch, the more you notice."Duck Soup" has a lot of their very best material, and everyone has their own favorite scenes, whether it is the mirror sequence, or Chico and Harpo giving their report to Louis Calhern, or the street vendor scenes, or ...
. The variety of comic settings and comic material is amazing, and when you add in the entertaining musical sequences (which again are particularly good in this one), it is a feast that never stops.Any Marx brothers fan has seen this one several times, and does not need to be reminded what great fun it is.
Director Leo McCarey directed this zany movie in which the Marx Brothers do their best to entertain their public.There are many interesting moments in the film, but the best sequence has to be the mirror scene in which Groucho, Harpo and Chico, dressed in the same costume are seen on either side of the looking glass following the other person's movements.
The great Margaret Dumont is simply one of the best actresses that ever worked with the Marx Brothers in their comedies.
Raquel Torres is a nice addition to the film playing the exotic Vera Marcal.The Marx Brothers do what they do best in "Duck Soup" guided by a director who knew what to do with them, Leo McCarey..
Probably the Marx Brothers' most famous comedy, "Duck Soup" is a hilarious and wacky slapstick comedy that even manages to take a stab at politics.
I can honestly say I wasn't given the opportunity to ever see it until recently, when I finally managed to watch it on Turner Classic Movies, completely uninterrupted.Although it is not consistently laugh-out-loud, tears-in-your-eyes hilarious, "Duck Soup" is very funny - and not quite as outrageous as I had expected.
There's a lot going on here, aside from silly physical humor.The Marx Brothers are great as usual and as usual Groucho steals the show.Ultimately if you've never seen this, you need to go rent it out right now.
Whether it has Harpo answering the phone, Groucho explaining his tax policy or Chico giving a detailed report of his weekly surveillance tactics ("On Wednesday we fool him: We no show up"), this is the epitome of the Marx Brothers movies.
'Duck Soup' was my first Marx Brothers film, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was slightly disappointed with it.
Perhaps it was just my general ignorance, but it took me a very long time to work out which character was played by Zeppo, usually regarded as the "straight-man" of the group.The mirror pantomime sequence first used in Charles Chaplin's 'The Floorwalker' is a classic gag, and probably my favourite of the lot.
One favors the Marxes integrated into the traditional Hollywood formula: the excellent "A Night at the Opera"; the other insists it's the film where Hollywood is helpless while the boys unleash their anarchistic, trademark lunacy against conventions to new heights: "Duck Soup." I am in the latter group.The plot in a nutshell: The Marx Brothers go to war.The government of Fredonia has been mismanaged to the point that it must borrow $20 million from Mrs. Chester Teasdale to stay afloat.
By the time the short-wave radio cries "Help is on the way!" what follows will have you rolling on the floor!Duck Soup is the dazzling, frenzied, unrelenting, full-steam-ahead, no-holds-barred trademark brand of nose-thumbing, up-yours comedy that the Marx Brothers created in vaudeville, honed to razor sharpness in bus and truck tours, and finally exploded onto 1920's Broadway, making them national treasures.
But time and succeeding generations have elevated this film to one of the best movies in the annals of American film making.Within "Duck Soup" is a treasure trove of priceless routines.
To mention a few: Firefly's coronation and musical offering of how he'll run the country; Harpo and Groucho with a motorcycle and sidecar; Chicolini and Pinky's spy report to Trentino; Groucho's cabinet meeting; Harpo's phone conversation, the three (count 'em three) encounters with a lemonade vendor; three night-gowned Fireflys racing around the Teasdale mansion seeking the secret war plans, which leads to the legendary and Dali-like Mirror Sequence (Continuity be damned.
DUCK SOUP (1933) **** Arguably the greatest Marx Brothers film (yes even with Zeppo!) and the most consistently funny tailor-made to each sibling's talents with Groucho in his image-defining role as Rufus T.
However, it was said to be one of the best comedies in movie history so I thought I should pay my respect and give this a try.Duck Soup was a short movie with only about 75 minutes but I couldn't help but to look at my watch when I was only 15 minutes into it.
Having never seen a Marx Brothers film before, I watched "Duck Soup" not knowing what to expect other than what the hype led me to believe.
There was Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and sometimes Zeppo, with Groucho being the best-known of the bunch due to his long career on the "You Bet Your Life" TV show and the "nose, glasses, and mustache" disguise based on his appearance.I didn't think "Duck Soup" was terrible, certainly not enough to prevent me from checking out another Marx Brothers film some time.
Partly to blame is the hype surrounding the film, which leads one to expect comic brilliance and intelligent satire, rather than the frequently abrasive gags to be found here (and the satire that is not to).After the unsettling title image of live ducks flailing about in what looks like a pot of steaming water, the quartet of Marxes soon makes its presence known.
Unfortunately, after this opening bit, the film fails to offer anything else on this level, nothing to make the work as a whole a perceptive social satire.After this comment was first posted, I gave the Marx brothers another chance when I watched "A Day at the Races," and was pleasantly surprised.
War seems inevitable.Starring the Marx Brothers and viewed as a comedy classic, I was expecting great things from Duck Soup.
The others revolved around Groucho's quickfire wit and Chico and Harpo's slapstick comedy and Duck Soup is no exception.
Marx brothers who are considered as comedy giants in their times, gave wonderful performances in this film.
Some of Groucho's one liners are funny but on the whole I find the Marx brothers leave me cold in this movie.
Today's comedians are nothing compared to the likes of the Marx Brothers.These comedic forefathers worked harder to get a laugh in one film than today's comedians do in a career.Duck Soup is documented proof of this.They are in no less than top form here.We have Groucho,who delivers one liners with lightning quick speed,Harpo,who never uttered a word,but he never needed to,Chico,who supported Harpo with perfection,and Zeppo,who in my opinion was not particularly funny,but made a great straight man for the others.Last but not least,Margaret Dumont.Without her,the guys would have been somewhat less successful.She was practically a Marx "sister".Duck Soup has nothing to do with ducks.Duck Soup has nothing to do with soup.When you watch,you'll be too busy laughing to care.It's comedy at it's classic best.I'll end with my favorite line:"He may look like an idiot.He may talk like an idiot,but don't let that fool you.He really is an idiot.".
And in Duck Soup, the Marx Brothers do what they always do, manic comedy for the entire length of the movie.
If this film is Marx brothers at their best, I certainly won't watch their other movies.
And A night at the opera is way better than Duck Soup, Marx Brothers showed their comedy talent in A night at the opera.
However with such people is positions of power, anything could happen.Easily the best of the Marx Brothers' films, Duck Soup has the music and comedy that we expect from them but it also serves as a great satire on war, politics, religion, the justice system and many other targets from polite civilisation.
I saw this movie recently expecting something terrific,with a rating of above 8 on IMDb.This movie is an utter waste of time,especially today.Perhaps it has an anti-war message but you'd have to sit through the entire movie for that.You cant go for more than 10 minutes without hearing that dreadful anthem 'Hail Freedonia'.The only relevance I could see is Groucho Marx' resemblance to many of the tin-pot dictators of this day.And the 2 spies were unbearable,especially Pinky.It did have some good performances ,especially from Louis Calhern and Margaret Dumont.However most people wouldn't find this sort of slapstick appealing anymore.Don't bother watching it unless you're an avid fan of the Marx brothers.And if you do,Don't BUY THE DVD..
I saw it for the first time tonight and felt like I didn't get my money's worth.Lines that were clever in the Marx Brothers' other, even earlier, movies, fell flat here and there was lots of filler between.
Perhaps I've become jaded after too many M*A*S*H repeats - those with Alda doing Groucho - but I just viewed the DVD after a loooong break from Marx Brothers' movies and wasn't impressed.1933 was an interesting year for political satire but, as another commentator has pointed-out, Duck Soup is more a vehicle for standard Marx Bros routines than it is for incisive political commentary.I'm disappointed that it only made #85 on the AFI's top 100 movies, but not surprised.
These guys were the pioneers of the jokes and slapstick in the early days of film that would eventually become cliché; however in their time it was cutting edge and original.Someone else said that if somebody turned out movies like this in the '90's it wouldn't be funny or sell.
So in the same vein Duck Soup is a classic of the 30's, but not only that, it is a classic comedy in the annals of film history.The Marx Brothers just mesh really well together and the lines that are delivered were just hilarious, like when Groucho says, "You know you haven't stopped talking since you got here.
However once Rufus (Grougho) is placed in charge anarchy breaks out and the country winds up at war with its nearest neighbour Sylvania.This is the Marx Brothers finest contribution to screen comedy with Groucho on the form of his life with dialogue that is so sharp you suspect he may cut himself, he talks like he is afraid that if he stops speaking nothing may come out again, his performance is dynamic, fierce and fantastically bizarre.
The Marx Brothers have never been better, and there are so many hilarious moments (the lemonade stand, the mirror routine, the war scenes) one would probably die of laughter.
The story is simple enough; a fictional country ousts their leader in order to appoint Groucho as the head man in charge, leading to a war & the intro of Chico and Harpo; and I guess Zeppo was there, too.Too many funny lines and scenes to cover--Be sure to wash your neck, peanuts, Harpo jumping into the lemonade, the running gag with the sidecar, and the war at the end, especially Harpo grabbing Margaret Dumont's ass.
DUCK SOUP is a riotously funny, anarchic comedy from the Marx Brothers which is a send-up of government and international politics.
chaotic and hilarious, satire and exploration of absurd comedy possibilities, it is one of great Marx Brothers films.
The latter was my favorite as a child, and even after watching all Marx movies, they are still on par with Duck Soup for me.Duck Soup is a good comedy, but I don't think it deserves to be called the best of all time.
This is the greatest film the Marx Brothers ever made, and the funniest sound comedy I ever expect to see, because it turns them loose full force against the institutions of government and war, exposing them to such apt and merciless ridicule that the movie actually appears to be ABOUT something.
Not only is the humour a good feature of this film, but it was made well (especially for the time), it was acted very well (especially by Groucho Marx) and the plot was done well.
Firefly (Groucho Marx) and he makes things complicated for both Freedonia and Sylvania, with his rather odd manner (you will understand when you watch this film).
"Duck Soup" is the Marx Brothers' best movie and among the funniest movies of all time.
But when I came to this movie I really wasn't sure what to expect, as such i'll write this comment for those of you who have never seen a Marx Brothers film and hopefully it will encourage you to see it.First off yes of course it looks a bit dated (being over 70 years old!) but the restored DVD is better quality than expected.
Each Marx brother has a distinct personality and type of humour which sparks off the others, Groucho has the one liners, Chico the zaniness and Harpo the physical comedy and just plain weirdness, Zeppo is the straight man (who barely features in this his last film with the brothers).The plot is at times seems irrelevant just a framework to hang the zany gags off, but strangely there can be seen some definite commentary under the humour.
If you've never seen a Marx Brothers film before please do as it really will make you laugh like no other.
Groucho is such a cultural icon that, like Charlie Chaplin, he inspires warm nostalgic feelings in movie buffs even if you've never seen one of his movies.However, that said, I have to assume that "Duck Soup" is the Marx Brothers at their zaniest best, and it is very funny.
Marx Brothers Mania (Chico, Groucho , Zeppo & Harpo).
Duck Soup (1933) has to be the best Marx Brothers film.
One of the funniest films ever made, Duck Soup is total insanity and a fast pace by the Marx Brothers.
Best gags include the mirror act with Grouch and Harpo (redone on one of Lucille Ball's TV series with Harpo 20 years later); the lemonade sequence with Chico, Harpo, and Kennedy, and of course the bizarre war finale with the brothers and Dumont, who was one of the best comedy foils in film history.The usual Marx Brothers blend of skimpy plot, musical numbers and non-stop gags makes this the best of their films.
This movie is nothing different.What we have here is a laugh out loud comedy featuring the Marx Brothers at their finest.
"A Night at the Opera" by the Marx brothers was good, but "Duck Soup" was much better than the 1935 movie.
Nobody makes films like "The Marx Brothers", firstly may I say the plot is top notch, Groucho is on top form with his quips and gags.
The movie works almost like a cocktail of dreams and hallucinations on war (at least the last 20 minutes), and also features some of the best gags and jokes ever put to film.
I'm a big Marx Brothers fan and Duck Soup is considered their best.
Harpo and Chico as always form a perfect comic partnership, yet I do feel sorry for Zeppo, who as usual is left with too little to do.Duck Soup is the best loved Marx Bros.
Many people think the musical numbers hold up the story in the majority of the films -- in Duck Soup they help the plot move along; and who can forget the mirror sequence, possibly one of the finest examples of physical comedy?
DUCK SOUP is a consistently funny comedy that never slows down, and takes honors as the best of all the Marx Brothers' movies.
Duck Soup, the 1933 film featuring Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo was a hilarious satirical look at a president/dictator's reign over his nation.
Duck Soup reminds me how great the "unfunny" Marx brother, Zeppo was, and how much I missed him in the later films.
Released in 1932, "Duck Soup" is surely one of the best Marx Brothers films, blessed with countless memorable lines and plenty of free-form comic insanity.The story takes place in the mythical country of Freedonia, where they are in need of a new leader.
"Duck soup" is another great Marx brothers comedy, just like "A night at the opera", " Animal crackers", and "A day at the races".
These days "Duck Soup" is generally considered the best of the Marx brothers comedies.
It was also the last of their films to feature Zeppo, who never really stood out much due to his role as a straight man to his brothers' zany antics.In this movie Groucho plays Rufus T. |
tt0445922 | Across the Universe | The film opens with a solitary figure, Jude (Jim Sturgess), sitting on a quiet beachfront, singing Girl with a melancholy air, while looking off into the distant horizon. It's the end of the workday as Jude lines up with his fellow shipyard hands for their day's wages. After receiving payment from the old man in charge, Jude walks back home, smiling along the way.As he leaves, Hold Me Tight begins, while we flash to an idealistic prom scene, where Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) dances along with her boyfriend Daniel (Spencer Liff) and their classmates. A classic band plays along, as Lucy sings to Daniel Tell me I'm the only oneIn another part of the world, another couple in Liverpool is singing the same song as they dance at a dark underground Liverpool bar, a reference to the Cavern Club, where the Beatles began their career. Jude holds his girlfriend (Lisa Hogg) as she sings Let me go on loving you. Ambling along a dark, damp street after leaving the bar, Jude and his girlfriend hold hands and trip along the cobblestone. They stop to kiss along the road, as she tells Jude not to forget her while he is in America. He laughs and consoles her, singing While I'm away, I'll write home everyday, and I'll send all my loving to you. While Jude continues to sing All My Loving, he packs his bag, kisses his mom (Angela Mounsey), and heads off to the docks to board a ship to America, seeking out his estranged father in New Jersey.Back at Daniel's house, Lucy is seeing him off to boot camp and Vietnam. In his new uniform, Daniel drives off while Lucy runs after the car. We then see Lucy sitting on her bed writing a letter, clearly for Daniel.In an army vehicle we see Daniel reading the letter presumably from Lucy as he and his fellow recruits drive away from Boot Camp. The vehicle drives past a high school football field, where football practice is winding down, with cheerleaders running through their routines and watching the players on the field.After practice ends, a cheerleader, Prudence (T.V. Carpio), watches wistfully as a fellow cheerleader flirts with a football player. She softly sings I Want To Hold Your Hand as she watches her obvious rival walking away with the jock. As she watches them and sings, she walks off the field, into the unknown. We then see her on the side of the road, thumb extended. In a different part of America, Jude is doing exactly the same thing. A car pulls over for him and, momentarily trying to get in on the wrong side before realizing American cars are different, he gets in.Jude arrives at Princeton and stands on the academic quad while a student, obviously in a rush, tears his way through the crowd and drops all of his books and papers. While stooping down to help collect the papers, Jude asks the student if he knows a certain professor, believing him to be his father. The student, Max (Joe Anderson), is first at a loss, until he realizes that Jude is looking for the janitor (Robert Clohessy). He laughs, and points to a man washing windows on a ladder, saying "That's him."Introducing himself to the window washer, Jude explains who he is. At first, the man is surprised, saying that he didn't know the mother was pregnant, and that he would have married Jude's mother if he had known. Jude assures him that this apology wasn't what he wanted, but just wanted "them each to know that the other existed."Max, the charming and outgoing student from earlier, is on a roof with a few of his buddies as they chip golf balls off of a beer bottle at the nearby dormitory windows. After a few misses, he finally connects - and the group flees the angry mob that spills out of the dorm. Jude, seeing the commotion while out having a cigarette in front of the building that his father is letting him stay in, lets Max slip in to hide. Grateful, Max invites Jude to go out that night with himself and his golfing buddies. While proclaiming that they get by With a Little Help From My Friends, they smoke and drink their way through town until they finally collapse on couches from exhaustion.Lucy walks home from school with her friend, while she talks about missing her boyfriend Daniel. As they walk up to Lucy's house, her mom hands her a letter, smiling; it's from Daniel saying that he has been able to get a few weeks leave, and will be home soon to visit. Lucy launches into song as she flies up the stairs, excited that "It Won't Be Long" before she'll be back together with Daniel.For Thanksgiving break, Max invites Jude home for the holidays. After picking up Max's little sister, who turns out to be Lucy, they continue on home. At dinner, Max announces that he is dropping out of college and going to New York. An argument ensues, and the three decide to go out bowling to release some tension.At the alley, while they joke around and tease each other, Jude thinks to himself that he's "falling, yes he is falling" for Lucy while singing I've Just Seen A Face. When he and Max drive away to New York, Max warns Jude that Lucy has a boyfriend. Jude smiles and assures him that It's OK; he has a girlfriend too.Jude and Max arrive in the city, and after climbing to the top of a walkup, they enter a large apartment owned by a singer named Sadie (Dana Fuchs), who shows them the apartment, while several people lounge around playing the guitar or reading. Pleased with the apartment, they agree to pay two weeks' rent in advance, and become New Yorkers.Moving to the streets of Detroit during the race riots, a little boy cowers next to a car on fire, while black men and women run on the streets from the police. Staring out at the audience, he sings "Let It Be" among the violence. Moving into a church in the black community, while the choir swells, we see the same little boy laying in a coffin, obviously a casualty of the rioting. JoJo (Martin Luther) stands holding an older woman as she weeps, staring at the little boy's lifeless body. The little boy is his younger brother.Experiencing the same grief, we see Lucy weeping after a letter to Daniel's parents notify them of his death. She too, stares at the burial of her boyfriend, as soldiers fold up the flag and hand it to bereaved mother.As the song ends, JoJo slings a guitar over his shoulder, and walks down the street, heading to New York City himself. As he steps along, Come Together plays to the beat. Walking down the street, he sees a sign for Guitarist Needed at the bar "Café Huh?" and enters. Sadie is there, and gives him the role of lead guitarist in her band. He comes to the apartment to live; one night while he is playing a song on his guitar for Jude, a water-logged Prudence climbs into their bathroom window out of the rain, and becomes their newest roommate.After graduating high school, Lucy joins her brother Max and friend Jude in the city for the summer before she goes to college. While she's happy to see her brother, she's reluctant to give him the letter that came for him - a draft notice. At a party at the apartment that night, Jude falls again for Lucy, and breaks up with a girl that he was seeing. Lucy sings If I Fell while they dance, and finally kiss.The next day, Max reports to the draft board for his physical, and despite having swallowed an entire box of cotton balls in the hopes that it will show up as a shadow in x-rays, is deemed qualified for service. While he and a large group of men all endure rigorous physicals, they imagine an animated poster of Uncle Sam singing to them I Want You.Back at the apartment, Prudence is mourning the coupling of JoJo and Sadie, after having found herself infatuated with the singer. She locks herself into the closet, and the others sing Dear Prudence to coax her out of her hiding place. Despite this, Prudence leaves unexpectedly; no one is sure where she goes.The remaining gang goes to a party where an agent tries to convince Sadie to go solo. Tripping out on pink punch, the group embarks on a psychedelic cross-country bus trip. At a stop in a field, they see a circus run by Mr. Kite, and find Prudence in the troupe dating a contortionist named Rita.Max is now off to war, leaving Lucy angry and distraught. After seeing an anti-war speaker in the park, she decides to protest the war and call to bring the troops home. As Lucy devotes more and more time to the protest, Jude becomes jealous of the man that runs the group.Sadie has finally told the rest of the band that she is planning on going solo. Infuriated, JoJo purposefully ruins her opening song Oh! Darling with distracting and awful guitar riffs, forcing her to leave the stage. Having his own relationship trouble, Jude sinks into his artistic work while singing Strawberry Fields Forever. He and Lucy have now fought over her increasing involvement and obsession with her anti-war group, culminating in Jude confronting her at their headquarters while singing Revolution.After being kicked out, he walks by a window display of the announcement of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. While My Guitar Gently Weeps starts playing. He meets up with JoJo and gets drunk, only to find that Lucy has moved all of her belongings out of the apartment, leaving him. Later that day, he gets on a subway (to the song Across The Universe) to go to Columbia University, where the anti-war group's actions escalate to increasing violence, leading to police action at Columbia.Sadie starts singing Helter, Skelter at a club, while Jude, walking through, sees Lucy as one of the protesters being arrested by the police, and attempts to save her while she is being dragged away. She calls out to him, but he is overcome by the police and is arrested.At the same time, Max gets into a gunfight, where he is injured and has a dream sequence about naked Vietnamese mothers floating in the river.Meanwhile, Jude sits in his jail cell, as more and more prisoners are released. Finally, alone, his father comes to visit him and breaks the news that although the police will not press charges, he is being deported to England. He encounters Molly, his old flame, now pregnant with Phil's child.While he is walking home, the scene cuts to Lucy at Max's bedside in the VA hospital. He starts singing Happiness is a Warm Gun in a sequence with Salma Hayek as a nurse.At one of her rallies, Lucy is in a phone booth, while her mother pleads with her on the phone to be careful and begs her to stop her involvement in the protests. Resolved, she argues with her mother, when a fight breaks out, and a bullet hits the phone booth. Lucy tells her mother she has to go and hangs up, then screams as she sees a protestor being mauled by a police dog. Uninjured but shaking in terror, Lucy sinks down while singing to herself that it'll be alright. TV scenes of the DC protests and the Pentagon protest show while Max watches at the VA hospital. Lucy goes back to the old protest headquarters and finds Paco making pipe bombs.[/i]A Day in the Life[/i] is playing as Jude gets off work, and he gets a newspaper and sees that the place where the protesters organized had blown up. Cut to him sitting on the beach... then cut to the wharf area in NY, where Max is sitting and Lucy sings Blackbird, while Jude wanders the beach and tidal areas in Liverpool.Jude gets back into his routine at the shipyards, then sits in a pub after work, having a pint. To the words of Hey Jude, sung by Max (as imagined by Jude as sitting next to him, while he is looking into a mirror behind the bar), he runs to his house to again pack his bags, and returns to the States (this time with a visa) to reclaim Lucy. Max meets him at Customs, and takes him to the building where Sadie and JoJo's reunited band is playing Don't Let Me Down to a cheering crowd on the streets.Unaware that Jude is back, Lucy is invited by note by Max to come to the concert. She is about to press the buzzer when she sees the strawberry logo Jude designed for Sadie, and old memories of her and Jude and the pain of the breakup come rushing back, and she walks away hurriedly. The police break up the concert as the crowd gathering gets larger. Jude hides from the police, and after being left alone on the roof, starts singing All You Need Is Love into the microphone. Sadie, JoJo, Prudence, Max, and the rest all rush back up to the roof, and join in. Lucy hears Jude's voice, and frantically rushes to get into the building, only to be stopped by the police. She turns, and runs to a building across the street, and stares at Jude from the roof across the way. As the rest of the band join in with song, Jude catches Lucy's eye from across the building. She smiles as a tear runs down her cheek. Jude sighs and a smile of happiness slowly spreads across his face. Together in the end, they kiss as Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds plays during the end credits. | anti war, psychedelic, murder, romantic | train | imdb | If you're interested in seeing the movie, they'll be more enjoyable if they're unexpected.It's a bizarre and beautiful movie musical, almost a music video at times, that uses thirty- three of The Beatles' songs and director Julie Taymor's unique visual style to illustrate both a personal love story and the overall conflict in the sixties.
Julie Taymor takes this combination and makes it fun, instead of extra cheesy, and it is visually fascinating instead of the obnoxious MTV-video nightmare it could have been.I cared about the characters - and the cast of 'unknowns' have great star power and voices.
The soundtrack is stuck in my head as I write this (the new versions, not even the original songs) All corny jokes and references, and lapses in plot are forgiven, because Ms. Taymor manages to take a movie chock full of things that have been done a million times before and makes it as fresh and exciting as if it were all done for the first time.
I'm tempted to spill my credentials when it comes to Beatles music, but it's not exactly material in reviewing this movie purely on its own merits, so I'll resist.There's good and there's bad, but if my score is any indication, the bad greatly outweighs the good.The good: Some decent song renditions, and a misplaced Joe Cocker.
The movie flows along at an astoundingly disjointed pace, creating any and every excuse to have a musical segment possible - usually falling flat on its face in the process - with the most literal interpretations of the songs possible and some truly poor imagery and symbolism.As if the audience didn't have enough of being slapped in the face with giant Uncle Sam poster singing "I want you," the movie depicts just about every 60's cliché you can imagine.
Besides the codification of the 60s into convenient chewy clusters (one character drafted, another one black, a girl "too" involved in the anti-war protest movement , another in the club scene trying to sing like Janis Joplin...), in this movie, it appears they tried to build an entire plot around the 60s and most of the dialog out of (sung) Beatles songs.
Characters like Prudence were horribly underdeveloped; you could've taken her out altogether, and the only thing that would have REALLY changed would that you couldn't include "I Want to Hold Your Hand" or "Dear Prudence," and speaking of the former, that number was just one of the many examples where in the movie, you'd think they were trying to lead up to something, and then they'd drop it altogether.
The movie also traces a small group of friends and musicians who are swept up into the emerging anti-war and counterculture movements, along with the star-crossed lovers, Jude and Lucy.Interesting versions of more than 30 Beatles songs preformed by the cast, complete with cool cameos (Bono, Joe Cocker) and musical numbers with amazingly trippy choreographed dance routines.
They are all manic energy without real engagement.It does not help that all the characters are annoyingly and rather dishonestly tangential to historical reality - like a reminiscence of the great originals ('Jude' = 'Paul Macartney', 'Sadie' = 'Janis Joplin' for instance), or merely inserted as an incarnation of a song (the otherwise pointless 'Prudence'), or of something wildly trippy in a cartoonish way (a brilliant Eddie Izzard completely wasted in a misfiring farrago entirely bereft of any identification with the hippy ethos - to call it 'pastiche' would be to wildly over-praise it).Even the more 'down-to-earth' scenes back in Liverpool lack any substance at all: Even the Albert Docks location looks as gentrified here as it has become in reality, at the hands of the property developers.
They are still being passed around- the music and the ideas." Bob Dylan (1992)It's far too true, everyday I see a teenager wearing an already faded Abbey Road shirt, America is dying due to the fact that every child claims that classic rock bands like The Beatles are the ultimatum to music and that they are individual because they listen to a band as complex as The Beatles this anticipated release of "Across The Universe" was merely a trip across your dad's LP collection except with bad vocal talent and little pictures to look at, if you're really in the mood for "The Beatles" go get an actual Beatles album and enjoy..
If you were a part of the 60's, loved the Beatles or were influenced by their music, or if you just want to see some phenomenal performances in a beautifully told story...Do not miss this film..
There is no depth to any of the characters, and sometimes some of the lyrics make no sense because they didn't alter them to fit the plot.This makes the BeeGee's Sgt Pepper's movie look like a work of art...avoid it if you love the Beatles..
(I kept thinking how they sounded like Ewan McGregor, and Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge - they shocked the producers, who let them try their own singing in that film.) I thought the re-do of the Beetles songs sounded fantastic, except for "Mr. Kite" which I hated.
Also the way they synched the songs with what was going on in the story, and the way they synched certain lyrics with a few things on screen here and there was very clever, and refreshing.I have always remembered the 60's with the Dickens quote from A Tale Of Two Cities "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times......." If you are too young to have lived the 60's, look that entire opening sentence up, and see this film, because it so perfectly captures the awe and turbulence, the artistry and combustion, and more than anything the wonderment and beauty of that controversial time in American history..
The movie is fantastic, it was such a pleasing film experience.Julie Taymor has always been a very visual director, since Titus, I praised her as a director with extremely rich visual ideas, and compared her to the likes of Baz Luhrmann, which is funny now, cause when the film started, I realize Julie Taymor had a very similar intention with Across the Universe, to that of Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!, however, I'm of the opinion that Luhrmann was modestly effective, while Taymor hits the nail with absolute precision and perfection.Even though I was a Musical Lover Freak, that I'll admit to, I had a hard time accepting Moulin Rouge!, I enjoyed it visually, as well as the performances, but I don't know, I was sort of a put off with the messy use of music, which really distracted me from the movie, which was supposed to take place in Pre WW1 Paris, but felt like some weird, annoying place, a musical version of a bad Three Stooges Episode, which I know sounds a little too tough on the film, but that's what I though.
The opening scene, is a perfect example of just how effective the use of the Beatles was, the comparison of late 50s, early 60s Americana Life Style, with a very industrial and rough Liverpool Life Style, from there on, the movie becomes a fantastic musical in all the classical sense, it's so classic that the film could be easily translated to Broadway.People have said the most inane things like "the film has no plot"...no plot?
And regarding the visual and special effects, I think Taymor was a bit gratuitous with the effects back in Frida, but here, they are all in service of the plot, even if some of the scenes seem like scenes that would go great with a little LSD, they are all used for the effect of creating that 60s feel and look in which the movie moves about with a delicious comedic overtone.All of these praises go to the master behind the film, Julie Taymor, she deserves more credit than what she has been getting, the incredibly imaginative and exciting musical sequences are excellent.
Who cares if it's music from the Beatles, the Beatles are pretty much the official soundtrack of the 60s, and it's not like the film is just a big bloated Beatles tribute, it's a tribute to the decade, and the whole music scene of the decade, aside from the numerous Beatles references, there are references to Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Morrison.I wanted to focus my review on Julie Taymor's work, but, the whole film is amazing, the cinematography, the production design , Albert Wolsky proves he is still champ of the musical genre.
And the cast, aside from Evan Rachel Wood, most of them are young, fresh faces, which works wonders, since you are not ever wondering about who dubbed that song, you take all the stuff in, without having second thoughts or reservations.I recommend you see the film, it's great, and if you have a beef about it using Beatles music, well, I only have one thing to say, DEAL WITH IT, it's not like the film is abusing the Beatles legacy, if anything, it's giving it a standing ovation, and it's fitting for the period, and the tone of the picture, so...that's pretty much it, just..."let it be, let it be, let it be"..
A revolutionary work of art set in the decade of the sixties takes you on a trip through all the changes in culture, history and society that took place in that time, with awesome music and wonderful film-making it is a must see picture!!!
The movie has an extremely incoherent story, that is just an excuse to showcase some young actors singing Beatles songs.
That's what's supposed to be a movie with Beatles music, instead of a stupid love tale with a couple a no-names singing to each other, tearing apart some of the most beautiful songs in the history of the universe.This?
I saw this movie's screening about a month ago and had completely blocked the experience from my mind this morning until i was listening to Abbey Road.It would be cruel to call "Across the Universe" a two hour music video because it tries so hard to be more than that, but it wouldn't be entirely inaccurate either.
The movie can be summed up as a series of punctuated scenes and characters each represented by a Beatles song and strung together by a boilerplate love story.Of course, these criteria don't preclude the movie from being a true gem.
It is succession of topics about the sixties, all together in 133 minutes: rock music, the Vietnam war, drugs, youth power, the fight of the rights for black people and so, badly linked together with Beatles songs.
Graft songs by the mostly apolitical, rather surreal and very British Beatles onto a story involving mostly American characters fighting the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement; have most of the songs integrated into the film in a completely literal and obvious way; don't reference the musical nature of the 60s at all otherwise except by showing a Janis Joplin and a Jim Hendrix clone, thrown together with the English hero Jude (a poor working-class lad from Liverpool doncha know) and the love of his life, Lucy (in the Sky with Diamonds, of course).
Every time something happens with her character, more questions arise than are answered.If you're up for seeing some occasionally interesting visuals, and halfway decent covers of Beatles songs, then you MIGHT enjoy this movie.
She developed the Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge" style of adapting popular songs, with the psychedelic direction of Rafael Fracacio's "Julia's Journal", to improve a new way of making musicals.All that magic feeling of the sixties is combined into this great masterpiece of pop culture, that, in my humble opinion, is the best picture of 2007..
The weird thing is that none of the versions of the songs done by the actors is really any good all by itself (so DON'T get the soundtrack), but they were enhanced drastically by the beautiful and mind-blowing imagery and the charming story."Across The Universe" tells of the coming of age of a group of flower-power kids.
There are also several notable cameos in the film, I'd also love to see a stage version of the movie, maybe Julie Taymor will work on this in the future...
Like young adults all across America during the 1960's, Jude (Jim Sturgess), Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), Max (Joe Anderson), Sadie (Dana Fuchs), Prudence (T.V. Carpio), and JoJo (Martin Luther) are in turmoil over the war; questioning their individual roles in the war effort and struggling to find a way to hold true to their beliefs while making a difference in the world.
I thought Jim Sturgess, who played Jude, was probably the best-developed and most believable character of everyone, but the rest of them felt like archetypes ripped and Xeroxed from Oliver Stone movies and Milos Forman's "Hair".
Plus, the Vietnam scenes were so underdeveloped (Compared to other Vietnam War films such as "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket") and Max's character so forgotten by the end that I really felt the movie didn't have a message.Continuing on the subject of characters, I thought the characters of Jojo (played by Martin Luther McCoy) and Sadie (played by Joan Osbourne lookalike Dana Fuchs) were almost unnecessary.
It's the film equivalent of taking all of Picasso's work, hacking it to little bits and having those pieces rearranged by a far lesser artist into some hackneyed "interpretation" of what someone thinks Picasso was trying to "say." Now, one might argue that the Beatles' music are pop songs, not great art, and therefore are game for this kind of "homage." Fair enough.
But if you truly love the Beatles like I do, forgo this bomb of a movie, and, instead, pop on some headphones and listen to their music.
The characters, and the actors playing them, are lively, talented and full of the kind of life that these songs require.I am in love with this movie..
It's called "Hair." As if we need yet another anti-war movie, like "Hair" this is a musical using Beatles songs.
While it worked for Lucy, an effective Evan Rachel Wood; Jude, relative newcomer Jim Sturgess in a great turn as our lead; and Max, Joe Anderson with the best performance of the film, it was too strained for others like Mr. Kite and Dr. Roberts.
As nearly everyone aware of this film knows, it's a musical with a story outlined and directed by a selection of Beatles songs, one of them sharing a title with the movie.
To me, what is portrayed is all that that wonderfully uplifting and energizing song can be about, and consequently a imaginative personification of how it can make you feel.The film's story, revolving around the arching transformations of our culture throughout the 1960s seen with the focus upon a group of people who become affiliated with each other and drift in and out of each other's lives like the tempests and flights of fancy that were very much what the Beatles' music was for people's lives in that era, which is the central reason why Taymor's vision is so wonderfully ablaze with the true meaning of the word "brilliant." Not just because the premise sounds unfamiliar compared to what we normally see.
a surprise!thats what it was...i first saw the poster on the London underground...i thought it would be one of these interesting movies that i d like to see..probably on a DVD...well...being in a relationship as sweet as that of mine...such posters make a click on you...so i IMDb-searched and thought it would be really amazing...you don't really have to love Beatles as i do but if you do and if indeed their songs have been there in almost all of your really good and really bad times then u d understand and feel the shivers as i did!!!!cried in hey Jude and all you need is love(i love it when they all sing with such passion!)...prudence had an amazing voice!!!amazing!!!you ll really love it especially if you are together with your boyfriend/girlfriend!!!.
This movie makes you feel as if you are going along this journey of Beatles songs.It's not like a normal musical in which characters just burst in to songs, they do it subtly and with a kind of seamless flow.
Even if, in hindsight, the film is not without its flaws, I must applaud veteran screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais and director Julie Taymor not just for their bravery in making this almost impossible task work but because, more often than not, the results are brilliant and occasionally dazzling.To begin with, 33 songs from The Beatles' repertoire are redressed to suit the actors who perform them and the characters they portray are also named after famous Beatles creations: the main protagonists are British dockyard-worker Jude (Jim Sturgess) who goes to America to look for his janitor father whom he has never met; along the way, he makes friends with spoiled rich kid Max (Joe Anderson) and soon falls for his sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood); meanwhile, their sluttish landlady Sadie (Dana Fuchs) is silently lusted after by Asian misfit Prudence (T.V. Carpio) but the former has set her own sights on colored guitarist Jo-Jo (Martin Luther McCoy) whom she engages in her own rock band.
With a story set between 1967 and 1968 and filled with musical and cultural references this is a fantastic film that really takes you back to that period, making you sing along with The Beatles classics performed by the great ensemble cast and singers like Bono and Joe Cocker.
It was a great mix of things.In the beginning I thought the movie was becoming one of those musicals where you almost laugh at it, many of the songs wasn't good performed by the actors but when Joe Cocker appeared singing "Come Together" I was really in the mood of the film, and after that it was delightful to follow and at many times sing along almost all the songs.
'Across the Universe' is a powerful musical in which all songs are by The Beatles. |
tt0101775 | Drop Dead Fred | Elizabeth Cronin is an unassertive and repressed woman, domineered by her controlling mother, Polly. While taking her lunch break from work, she visits her husband, Charles, from whom she is separated, hoping to sort out their problems. He reasserts his desire for a divorce and says that he is in love with another woman named Annabella. While she is at the public phone, a man walking down the street breaks into her car to steal her purse. Then her car is stolen as well. Forced to run back to work (at the courthouse), she arrives late and loses her job. While leaving the courthouse she runs into an old friend, Mickey, who brings up childhood memories they shared, which includes memories of Elizabeth's childhood imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred. Mickey explains how only Elizabeth could see Drop Dead Fred, and everybody else thought she was crazy.
Since losing her job Elizabeth moves back into her mother's home. While rummaging through past belongings in her childhood bedroom closet, Elizabeth finds a taped-shut jack-in-the-box. She places the box by the window and gets into bed. Through a series of flashbacks, it is revealed that while he caused havoc for her, he also gave her happiness and a release from her oppressive mother. Elizabeth wakes up to find the jack-in-the-box slowly playing music. She removes the tape and the box continues to play itself, faster and faster, until Drop Dead Fred flies out of the box, finally freed after all these years. He agrees to help her become happy again, which she believes will only happen when she wins back Charles. However, his childish antics do more harm than good. He sinks Janie's boat, causes havoc at a restaurant, and even makes Lizzie attack a person playing a violin in a shopping mall.
Worried by Elizabeth's recent strange behavior, Polly brings her to a (children's) psychologist. In the waiting room, Fred is seen meeting up with the imaginary friends of other patients, who are all children. The doctor prescribes medication to rid her of him, whom he and Polly believe is a figment of her imagination. She also changes her appearance and wardrobe. Charles now wants her back and she is overjoyed, until Fred discovers he is still cheating on her with Annabella. Heartbroken, she tells Fred that she cannot leave Charles, because she is scared of being alone. They escape to a dream sequence in which she is finally able to reject him, stand up to Polly, and declare she is no longer afraid of her. She frees her imprisoned childhood self. Fred tells her that she no longer needs him, so they kiss and he disappears into her eternal subconscious.
Upon awakening from the dream, Elizabeth dumps Charles and asserts herself to Polly, who blames her for her father leaving home. Before leaving, she reconciles with Polly, and encourages her to find a friend to escape her own loneliness. She goes to her friend Mickey's house, and on meeting, they both express interest in becoming more than just friends. After his daughter, Natalie, comes up to them and blames Fred for mischief that has just prompted her nanny to quit, Elizabeth realizes that he is now with Natalie. She can no longer see him, but he is now leading another, and smiles contentedly. | cult, humor | train | wikipedia | I watched it again recently, and while the film's slapstick comedy did not hold quite the same massive appeal (although I was still hugely entertained) as it did when I was younger, I regretted to discover that I had grown out of a lot of the goofy antics that went on in the movie.However, I was reading through some of the reviews written on the IMDb by other users, and was amazed at how offended a couple of people were by this film, revealing in their reviews a total detachment from their own inner selves and a complete misunderstanding for the little people that we call kids.
Drop Dead Fred begs Elizabeth not to let her mother turn her into one of them because he doesn't want her to turn into the kind of person who is so uptight and frigid and barren that she would be incapable of enjoying exactly the kind of entertainment and fun that Drop Dead Fred is.This is a movie that was made for people who are still in touch with their inner child, people who realize that a little girl with a mother who has absolutely no understanding of the mind of a child has every right to escape into the world of an imaginary friend if it will help her escape the grayness and responsibility imposed on her by her mother, who demands absolute perfection and hasn't the first clue about how to raise a child.
Very similar things can be said about various IMDb users, such as ones who refer to Fred as a product of a deranged mind or say anything about psychos or brutality or insanity.Drop Dead Fred is not a film about an insane little girl.
I am generally against grouping together people who did not like a certain film, but in this case it seems overly obvious that the people who wrote negative reviews of this fun comedy are simply the people who resent being pointed out as the kinds of people that they are.Drop Dead Fred is a movie that was made for fun, to be enjoyed, laughed at, and respected for reminding us that we need to lighten up occasionally and, while not necessarily flinging spaghetti in a nice restaurant, act like children every once in a while to prevent ourselves from being driven insane by the fast-paced society that we live in.
And if you can't do that, if you hated Drop Dead Fred because you simply can't understand that concept, if, indeed, you think that Elizabeth is in dire need of psychiatric care, you may want to step back and look closely at your life and your views.
it should become clear by the end of the movie that this is a fantasy, Fred is not an imaginary friend he is "real" he exists and his sole purpose in life is to help children in a dark place and bring them out of themselves.
Able to be loved by younger kids and laughed-at by the more "balanced" adults, DROP DEAD FRED is just fun.
My children "grew up" with this film in our library and we have seen it probably 30 - 40 times over the years.For those with absolutely no humor or sense of childhood-wonder still, you would be doing yourself a big favor to miss this flick.
I laughed at the reviewer claimed "her" imaginary friend had way better taste and wouldn't be seen dead acting like "Fred"....pity her!
The entire point of the film is brought to bear at the very conclusion of the film when Phoebe realises she has finally grown up and Fred knows it is time to "move-on." Personally I found this extremely touching, but there again, I never grew up!Manic Mayall was born for this one role and he makes the most of it.
Instead of pointlessly hypothesizing about the dullness and pointlessness that most likely constitute your personal lives, I choose to take the high road, and merely state that Drop Dead Fred will make you laugh, cry, and question nearly everything about your life...if you listen to it.
But it's those people who didn't have an imaginary friend as a child, who can't understand what it's like to have a friend who'll annoy the crud out of you, but still be the one you want to spend time with everyday.I saw Drop Dead Fred when I was six years old, and now, at fourteen, i'm still watching it with friends who i've shown it too.
There are so many funny parts in this film, it's impossible to name them all, but Rik Mayall never fails to bring up the laughs in any scene, as he gives a highly energetic, enthusiastic performance.
But after being; abandoned by her father (and seemingly Fred), emotionally battered by her mother, and losing her only other real friend (Ron Eldard is really charming in this bit) as a child; who wouldn't cling to any shred of love they can get?While this movie is so funny and energetic, it's at the end it really pays off for the grown ups.
I thought Drop Dead Fred was a wonderfully magic film as it has a brilliant sense of humour, a beautiful friendship, love , a moving end and -of course- Rik Mayall's brilliant British humour.
I first saw Drop Dead Fred when I was 15 and didn't really fancy it at first but there was nothing else on T.V, however, what I thought was going to be a purely childish movie turned out to be a wonderful light- hearted film for everyone and enjoyed every minute of it, and i'm not afraid to say I did have a few tears in my eyes at the end but it was beautifully acted and a perfect end to a perfect film.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who needs a good laugh or wants to watch a one-of-a-kind comedy!
Though honestly, I saw this film when I was about 7 and it had no adverse effect on me, and I still enjoy it now, as an 18 year old.People who claim it isn't funny generally do so because they aren't fans of crude and slapstick humour.
When Elizabeth (Phoebe Cates) returns to her childhood home after her marriage breaks down, she re-creates her imaginary friend from her childhood; Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) to help her cope with the loss.Fred should have never been allowed to enter the world of an adult, he simply breaks everything he comes in to contact with, including Elizabeth's chances of getting her life back on track, and Rik Mayall portrays this maniac in true mad-cap fashion.'Drop Dead Fred' is wickedly funny, but it does have very serious and accurate undertones beneath all the zany comedy, and is a great deal cleverer than most people give it credit for.7/10.
I love Drop Dead Fred- it's one of the funniest movies ever made.
This movie was so foolish, but if you can drop your lofty adult ideals of comedy, then you will find yourself laughing loudly like you did when you were a kid.Elizabeth's life is falling apart.
To help her through the tough times her childhood imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred, returns.
His comic timing is masterful in The Young Ones and Bottom and Drop Dead Fred is just a feature--length excuse to showcase his talent (or sheer madness, whatever works best) It tells the story of Elisabeth trying to live out her childhood as happily as a child could.
But her obnoxiously overbearing mother won't allow her to do what comes naturally to children - play - Her only solace is from her bad-influenced, wonderfully-manic imaginary friend Drop Dead Fred.
I think those who "get" this film understand the complexities of the film's premise, retreat into fantasy isn't healthy but sometimes it's the only refuge a person has, Fred is as destructive as he is supportive but every annoying action requires the Phoebe Cates character to strengthen her own boundaries and sense of purpose.Okay, I don't want to sound like Doctor Joyce Brothers, just find it ironic that what some people don't like about this film is what distinguishes it from the usual Hollywood bull***t, Fred isn't cute and cuddly, that would have been false, imagine Robin Williams as Fred...that film would be a complete waste of time..
But if, like me, you started to get angry when the ending of 'Hook' started to leave room to rationalize the whole thing as dream, and you cheered when what's-his-name got his marbles and that film embraced the reality of it's fantasy, then rush out and find 'Drop Dead Fred.' And if you didn't enjoy Fred, I can only quote the Wendy lady from Hook: "Why Peter, you've become a pirate!".
Drop Dead Fred is essentially a film version of grown-up Calvin and Hobbes - except the real kid is the good one, and the imaginary friend is naughty.There are so many original, funny, creative scenes in the film that it is worth watching for those alone.Having said that, I did find the film a little boring until Fred's introduction.
After that, however, there isn't a boring moment to be seen.Rik Mayall plays the part perfectly, Phoebe Cates is excellent and the costumes are superb too.I would whole-heartedly recommend this film to anybody who still holds on to a bit of the child in them.
Drop Dead Fred tells the story of a young woman (Phoebe Cates) when she was about 6 years old she had an imaginary friend called "Fred" 21 years later she remembers about "Fred".
Drop Dead Fred was an extremely hilarious film,Lizzie(Elizabeth) was a perfectly rational character,and the way the character Drop Dead Fred was obnoxious,energetic and a bit crazy was laugh-out-loud brilliant and really well-played.The beginning was hilarious(when Elizabeth as a little girl in bed didn't believe the fairytale about a princess rescued by a prince told by her mum and said to her mum "What a pile of s***").The movie started to get funnier and more interesting when Drop Dead Fred followed Elizebeth(the character who was the little girl in bed who was the only one who saw Drop dead Fred),who is grown up as a lady, all throughout the movie and causing chaos with her situations.But he also saved her life because her boyfriend was cheating on her,so Elizabeth leaves her boyfriend.
It was a bit sad at the end of the movie when Drop Dead Fred couldn't stay with Elizabeth any more,but the thing was he was an imaginary person who was most of the times off the wall but a hero as well.My favourite scene is where Lizzie meets up with her old friend from childhood and then Drop dead Fred shows up sitting on the table and saying "Oh no,Mickey Fartpants!Let him grow up!God,he's still talking about love!I always said you should be a girl!".That was so hilarious I always laugh to death on the couch.All in all,the film was side-splitting and touching as well.I'll always watch this movie on DVD whenever I want a real good laugh of Drop Dead Fred and his explosion of chaos and laughter!.
This is a film I grew up with really, and it's one of the earliest movies I can remember, I must have watched it a hundred times when I was little!
Drop Dead Fred manages to portray the magic of childhood so beautifully, and I think it'll be a hit for anyone who isn't afraid to laugh at its silly jokes, and not take themselves too seriously!
Additionally, in this scene Rik Mayall is pretty sexy, red wig and all..I've been shocked reading reviews where people were actually offended by this film, because although it is a certificate 12, as I've said I can remember watching it from a very young age- 4 or 5- and it's done me no harm!
Phoebe Cates is also great as Elizabeth Cronin, a woman with a child-like innocence trying to deal with adult problems in the real world while battling her Psychosis which is manifested by an imaginary friend.
I love this movie!I shared it with my daughter when she was very young.Every time it would come on t.v. we would watch it.
I have never heard that child laugh so loud.Who does'nt love Fred?It just makes you feel like a kid again.
drop dead fred was my favourite movie as a kid i must of watched it over 30 times i was always scared of it for some reasons but if you always thought how cool it was to have or want to see what it would be like to have an imaginry friend this is for u..
Rik Mayall plays the invisible friend from Elizabeth Cronin's (Phoebe Cates) childhood, who has come back into her life in an attempt to make her happy.
The final dream-state sequence includes some great set pieces, and the viewer finds themself surprisingly sorry to see the back of Rik Mayall.If you like seeing Rik Mayall doing idiotic things on screen, this is essential, and although "Drop Dead Fred" isn't a great comedy, its got some entertaining scenes.
As a whole, it may not be a very strong movie, but there are parts that are very entertaining.Rik Mayall, in the role of Drop Dead Fred, is the main character Elizabeth's (played by Phoebe Cates) imaginary friend who returns to help her win her husband back.
I love how like a true childhood imaginary friend, Drop Dead Fred isn't seen or detected by anyone else but Elizabeth and mischievous, terrible things that he does are thought to be done by her.I was especially touched by how things are resolved at the end of the film.
Drop Dead Fred is an absolutely funny movie, you can quote this movie over and over, It has charm and the movie still touches me every time I watch it ( Which is everyday )I can not recommend this movie enough, It is my favourite movie of all time.
Please don't wait any longerI just hope this movie gets released on DVD some day and more people can experience how great it is.If you are looking for other recommendations, I strongly recommend you rent buy Pump Up The Volume and Heathers.Drop Dead Fred = Amazing.
The movie made me laugh and cry and really want an imaginary friend like Fred.
So expect childish behaviours from Drop Dead Fred (played by Rik Mayall, who is described by the character of Phoebe Cates as "way out of control").
As we all know, Fred is the best character in the whole movie and I think Rik Mayall is so cool.
At the time I was able to watch anything, but "Drop Dead Fred" was one of the few films I simply couldn't digest.Many say that movie-going children should be protected from sex and violence on screen, but they're all wrong.
After recently becoming a Rik Mayall fan, I took a break from watching zombie flicks all day to check out this hilarious and heart warming film where Mayall acts as Drop Dead Fred, an energetic and spontaneous child-hood imaginary friend to a 26 year old girl, Elizabeth.
...unlike in this movie, where Elizabeth's childhood friend (Drop Dead Fred) not only never died, but even comes roaring back to life for dear sweet Elizabeth when she is 21, adult, and miserable.I liked this movie a lot, in spite of every good reason NOT to like it.
Mainly, it isn't a very convincing story concept to build from (it seems barely believable that a young woman as poised and beautiful as Elizabeth could really have a psychological need for her imaginary friend from childhood, Drop Dead Fred, to come back into her life).
It seems this movie was made mainly just as an excuse for Rik Mayall to act obnoxious and goofy, and for Phoebe Cates to be, well, a perfectly sweet young woman.But that, folks, is also what makes for great comedy that pairing of extreme opposites.
"Drop Dead Fred" is a hilarious movie.
Trouble ensues...Rik Mayall is crazy good as Drop Dead Fred.
Drop Dead Fred is simply a cute little film, with a funny/silly plot.
And Rik Mayall really do put on a very good performance as the imaginary friend Drop Dead Fred.
I was laughing a good amount throughout the course of the movie, especially because of the hilarious situations that Elizabeth (played by Phoebe Cates) ended up in because of her imaginary friend.Rik Mayall is quite well-cast for the menacing make-believe friend, and he seemed to be given free hands to do what he wanted with the character.
I was more than genuinely entertained by his comedy in this 1991 movie, his brush with Hollywood, although he was always more at home in the British comedy.Aside from an all-over-the-screen Rik Mayall, then Phoebe Cates also did perform nicely in "Drop Dead Fred" and borough her usual charms.
Due to the great Rik Mayall's recent passing, I decided to re-watch his (pretty much one and only proper) big screen outing, 'Drop Dead Fred.' I saw it in the cinema when it was first released and have almost forgotten everything about it.
The basic premise is that a young woman's childhood imaginary friend (Fred, played by Rik Mayall, obviously) returns to make her life hell.Now, the problem with having a (prominent) character whose main role in the film is to be annoying, is that he's annoying.
Or if you like Rik Mayall, 90's films or silly movies that don't take themselves seriously.Plus a movie about imaginary friends hadn't been done before and have never been done again..
All the while, she conjures up an imaginary friend named Fred (who has a British accent, much like her father).Watching this as an adult, this movie has some heavy things going for it.
Without getting into Phoebe Cates amazing looks Drop Dead Fred still qualifies as one good movie.
All in all Drop Dead Fred is worth consideration if your want to see something to make you feel like a child again. |
tt0306892 | George and the Dragon | Note: Significant plot details follow.George (James Purefoy) returns from the Crusades to his father Sir Robert's (Paul Freeman) hall. George has tired of battle and has resolved to find a small plot of land to build a cottage and rear cattle. His father, formerly a great knight, is not best pleased that his son will not seek further glory. However he tells him of a friend to the north King Edgaar (Simon Callow) who may grant him some land especially if George shows him the Dragon Horn that Sir Robert has crafted from the toe-nail of a dragon, a dragon he once almost slew and that took both his legs, a horn that sounds a note only a dragon can hear and that the king will know can come only from his friend Sir Robert. Though he does not believe his fathers tale he accepts the horn and parts for the north.Several scences follow until George is presented to King Edgaar by his new friend Garth (Patrick Swayze). There is an exchange between Garth and King Edgaar in which we discover that with no good evidence Garth is convinced of the Picts guilt in the dissaperance of Princess Lunna and he has and will continue to persue them mercilessly in his desire to recover his bethrothed the Princess Lunna (Piper Perabo). As George is the son of a great knight and is himself a warrior he is entreated by King Edgar to assist in the search for his daughter. George agrees and George, Garth and a detachment of troops head out in search of the Princess Lunna.Sometime later George, Garth and troops arrive at a forward camp. It is from here that Garth has been conducting his search. Garth tells George that he has found no evidence of the Picts movements. However this encourages Garth. He is convinced that a lack of evidence means that the Picts must be guilty. Garth resolves to build boats in order to make a surprise attack upon the Picts. However as George, Garth and Men chop and work wood to make boats the Picts themselves launch a surprise attack upon the camp. Though the attack is repelled an excited monk pursues a group of three retreating Picts into the forest. George parts with Garth in order to assist the monk who he narrowly saves with the assistance of a lad from his fathers hall who has secretly been following them.George, the monk and the lad are subsequently unable to return to Garth being cut of as they try by the patrolling men of the mercenary El Cabillo, for he too is in search of the princess. Forced further into the woods they seek shelter in a cave. A cave that contains an egg the size of a cow.A creature squirms within the egg and George draws his sword to kill it before it can hatch. As he readys his thrust he himself is struck down with a blow to the back of his head. He is only dazed and he opens his eyes to see a small woman. The monk rushes up identifing the woman. It is the Princess Lunna herself.The Princess Lunna has named the egg and was aquainted with the mother dragon but tells the band that the mother dragon had gone down to the lake one day and had never returned. George insists that they kill the egg. Princess Lunna is determined to protect what may be the last dragon and to take the egg to a safe place to hatch. Reluctantly obeying her royal command George and his small band load Princess Lunna and the egg on a cart, though George laments he does not know where a safe place might be.They travel to a convent, where a cousin of Lunna's is a nun (Caroline Carver). Here they meet a friar an old friend of George's. The friar convinces the mother superior to allow the band of travellers and the egg to stay. She agrees but it must be for only one night and the precence of the egg must be kept secret. George must also tidy up as he is not suitably dressed for a knight. It is now that George is given his distinctive white tunic with the red cross pattée.At evening meal they encounter Garth for he too has sort refuge for the night. Though pleased to see the Princess Luna she is less than pleased to see Garth. Garth belives this must be because Princess Lunna has fallen for George, which George denies. The Princess Lunna tells Garth that she will never marry him, that she will marry only for love.Overnight Garth develops a rage, and a plan, he sends for his men to meet him at an abandoned castle and aducts the Princess Lunna and the Friar in order that he might marry the Princess. He will then return to King Edgaar and take the throne.George and his band chase after Garth. Several scences follow and it is revealed that the Mercenary El Cabillo is a title given to whoever bests the previous El Cabillo in single combat and the present El Cabillo is yet another friend of George's. However El Cabillo's men will not pass up such a rich bounty as the Princess Luna and the movie degenerates into a general melle involving Garth's Men, El Cabillo's mutinous men, and of course Garth, George and his band and also the Princess Lunna. At somepoint during this the baby dragon hatches, the monk is killed saving the Princess from a flying spear and King Edgars men and Sir Robert's men arrive to join the fray. This conflagration is interupted as the wall of the castle keep explodes across the screen.The mother dragon has returned.The combatants all flee. George is last to the door of the keep but debris prevents his escape. In the castle courtyard the former combatants all listen in silence as the dragon makes much noise within the keep. The Princess Lunna fears the worse for George.Within the keep the mother dragon seems preoccupied with her child and George is largely frozen lest he attract the mother dragon's attention. George notices a lance protrudes from the mother dragons side. This is the lance of his father still lodged in the beast. George slowly approaches the lance and takes hold. He asks God's forgiveness for what he must do.The scence shifts to the castle courtyard an almighty roar is heard. George emerges from the keep with a bloddied lance. Believing that George has slain the dragon the men are overjoyed. The Princess Lunna however is not and, sobbing, she flees on horseback. George pursues with King Edgaars horse and his blessing to marry his daughter. There is a chase along the shore of a large body of water but George is not alone in the chase. Garth has also persued. Garth knocks George from his steed and they fight. Garth has the advantage and as he raises his sword for the killing blow the mother dragon leaps from the water and swallows Garth whole.The Princess Lunna realizes that George did not actually kill the dragons. They kiss and presumably live happily ever after.Significant plot details end here. | violence, action | train | imdb | After his performance in "Vanity Fair," a serious and heartbreaking dramatic role, it's nice to know that he is just as capable of making a funny, lighthearted film as well.
Of course, the CGI dragons aren't exactly as slick as you'd like them to be in 2005, but the cinematography is beautiful, and the editing is fast and keeps the pace rolling along at a good clip.Did I mention that James Purefoy is wonderful?
There was a lot to complain about in this film - the editing was awkward, the fight scenes poorly shot (they were well choreographed, but poorly filmed), and the special effects were mediocre.Still, I'd watch this movie again, simply because the characters were so much fun, and the movie made the point of not taking itself seriously.I saw this movie on Sci-Fi channel, and didn't realize it was any thing other than a made- for-TV movie, and so thought that many elements were better than average.
James Purefoy and Piper Perabo were wonderful - and had a good chemistry.
Certainly not 'period,' at all, but then the really good princesses never are.James Purefoy was equally enjoyable - he seems very much the natural, whether on horseback, wielding a sword, or doing a classic double-take.
He makes every scene his own with great charm.Michael Clarke Duncan, while having a small role, was enjoyable, and would have liked to see have seen his character more fully developed.Patrick Swayze was very, very weak - he didn't seem interested in what he was doing, unless it was a fight scene.
An English accent wouldn't have killed him either.But I had fun with the movie - I laughed out loud more than once, and really, really enjoyed the jokes.
I had been looking forward to seeing this movie through weeks of advertising and I was not disappointed.The story was well written, with several interesting twists.
I had enjoyed him in his small role in "A Knight's Tale" and wondered if the promise he showed in that movie would carry over into others.
Costumes were great, sets were lovely, script was fun.All in all, this is a movie I would recommend to my friends..
A princess who turns out to have quite a big secret.George and the Dragon is a simple, and light medieval comedy that takes on the story of St:George and the dragon.
But foremost it is a traditional knight-rescuing-princess story with a dragon, a king, some bandits, an evil guy and a few good fights.
It would probably fare well amongst the younger movie viewers.Michael Clarc Duncan is far from convincing as a moor with that wide American accent, but that does not matter.
The movie is pleasantly free from overbearing Hollywood cliché humor that most simple comedies are contaminated with.The story is very simple, and quite skittish: first this happens, then he did that, then they did this.
I guess SOMEONE had to play that part.George (James Purefoy) is charming as the hero, and the princess (Piper Perabo) is willful and strong, although she feels like a college sweetheart at some points.
The role of Garth seemed made for Patric Swayze, and the rest of the cast are quite likable as well.If you are looking to be dazzled with a good story, sparkling action and mesmerizing effects.
I saw the world premiere of George and the Dragon at Cinenygma, Luxembourg International Film Festival.
After the opening minutes of "George", it should be clear to anybody that it is time to cast aside expectations of seeing LotR's little brother, the skateboarding monk reveals that this film does not take itself seriously at all or does it just emulate a certain elf surfing shields?
Nice entertainment, good cast, weak realization.
Quite interesting actors/characters interleaving: Purefoy starring as George here played a tiny but plot-significant role of Prince Edward in "Knight's Tale" and this character could be the future of George; and vice-versa for another comic fantasy "Willow", also close by the mood to this one, where we had Kilmer starring, and his tiny but plot-important role of El Cameo #1 in "George..." could be the bad future of his thief character in "Willow", would he not have a chance to show himself as a true hero.We also have a charming princess, which reminds me the one out of "Shrek", with strong character and extraordinary view on the world, a sweet smile for friends and a hard hand for foes, quite a charismatic character as well as George himself, and James Purefoy makes a very charismatic presence in the film, becoming my personal actor discovery, so if you love Purefoy, that's definitely a title to enjoy.I haven't seen Patrick Swayze on screen for a long while and he was my reason to buy this movie, but that's definitely not his best appearance, I had an impression that he wasn't giving himself a lot into playing that knight.
I heard he did want to plain villains, but he still looks best as romantic hero by his manners, and thus he fits well for this role since his character is quite ambiguous: not romantic, not sensitive, eager for power and fame, but he does show the qualities of a strong chief and he's also drawing sympathies as a deft and humorous warrior.
Almost until the end I was hoping they would still end up friends with George, as they started out being naturally attracted to one another as two of a kind, but the end roughly outlines the core difference between them purity of the heart, even still showing their similarities.Well, the bottom line that's not a piece of art, but a very good entertainment, perfect for kids.
Simple nice and romantic plot, a classical fairy-tale story, with right moral accents.
Very good set of actors, the characters are almost all hilarious: what of the Father Bernard played by Jean-Pierre Castaldi or George's best friend out of Crusades - Tarik the Moor played by Michael Clarke Duncan!
And the plot is not without a knot - quite a nice & kind "upside down" view of a famous Christian legend of George the Dragon slayer!.
Throw in a greedy prince and a bunch of villains and you have a nice romantic and adventurous fairy tale.This movie was nice to watch and enjoy, but just as easily forgotten.
In terms of special effects, you cannot compare it to other dragon movies like Dragonheart or Reign of Fire.
If you're familiar with the several versions of George and the Dragon, there are lots of good puns and carry-overs to amuse it but the amazing thing is it works.
Well, I guess I'm no different.I saw this movie listed on my "You might like this" list at one of the DVD websites, and, after scoffing at it here and there, wondering what kid of film would have such unimpressive DVD cover art (technically very good, but nothing unique) for a title I'd never heard of?
But maybe that's getting too high- falutin' for film meant for younger ages.There's some contemporary pop culture references, and the acting is a little over done, but again it's all aimed at younger audiences.The one interesting aspect was to see Patrick Swayze in a historic/fantasy film.
It's a film that despite being aimed at younger viewers, shows that there's more than enough story material that can be eeked out of a period that's very unfamiliar to most people.
Good, sincere performances without the usual annoying clichés that infect most scifi CGI-filled fantasy films.Good cast has fun with the story.On the downside, there is some bad editing, cheesy CGI and everything is a bit rushed to speed towards the climactic battle.
This has ambition like Lord of the Rings, action that sort of equals Eragon but with well written characters who are as fun to watch as those of Princess Bride.Awesome stuff.
A "What really happened" retelling of the tale of St. George and the dragon.
It begins when the dutiful princess Lunna (the perky Piper Perabo), who agreed to marry a man she hates for the good of her father's kingdom, is abducted by a dragon.
No one realizes that she wasn't abducted to be devoured, but to help care for the dragon's egg while she recovers from an injury!George(James Purefoy) returns from the crusades and agrees to rescue the princess in return for land.
Accompanying him is Lunna's self-absorbed betrothed (Patrick Swayze) and a small boy who grew up on tales of noble knights and Dragon Slayers.
George thinks to find Princess Lunna gentle and despairing, but instead she's sick of playing gentle princess and ready to defend her charge by any means necessary.This movie is refreshing in it's ability to poke fun at itself and the swashbuckling tales in general.
I had been reading about this movie for a while and thought the idea of a humorous retelling of the legend of George and the dragon had some potential.
Then I was watching Sci Fi Channel on a boring Saturday and suddenly this movie appeared (under the generic name of "Dragon Sword").
I quickly realized this was the "George and the Dragon" movie I'd been wanting to see.
James Purefoy is fun to watch as the war-weary knight who just wants "an acre and two head of cows" and finds himself on a rather odd journey.
Piper Perabo is cute as the spunky princess (though they never adequately explain why she is so obsessed with dragons).
The supporting players are pretty good as well.Keep your expectations low and you'll enjoy the movie.
I saw this on the Sci-Fi Channel so I knew it would be bad to start with but I was surprised at how much worse it was than expected.
The only redeeming quality of this movie is that it's so terrible it's almost funny, especially the part where Patrick Swayze's knight character goes home to his Knight father who has retired after losing his legs and is now bed-ridden in his armor for the sole purpose of letting the audience know he was a knight.
The majority of the movie focuses around an enormous dragon egg that hatches into a not-so-enormous baby dragon with some of the worst CGI I've ever seen.
That James Purefoy looks exactly like Thomas Jane!That's the most profound thought I took with me after having seen the rather underwhelming George And The Dragon.
For a fantasy comedy, the story was very dull and the effects unspectacular.The problem wasn't the acting.
James Purefoy makes a good knight, and his various side-kicks are not bad characters.
I even thought Patrick Swayze in this role was a pretty good idea, too.
Compared to another recent fantasy comedy, Ella Enchanted, which was actually funny, this movie comes up terribly short.
This movie started with some promise: big name cast, good looking sets, but then it fell apart.Most of the time it can't tell whether it's a serious movie or a comedy.
One minute they're talking about how there's no joy in killing and the next there is a fight scene set to funny music and funny banter.Some of the acting is pretty bad, mainly from Patrick Swayze and Piper Perabo.
She also gets some groaner lines like, "When I marry, it will be about love." Ugh.But the worst thing about this movie is that it's just boring.
Despite a meandering plot, George succeeds on the strength of its beautiful setting, nice cast and numerous action scenes.
George (James Purefoy) has just returned from the crusades, with a Moorish friend, Tarik (Michael Clarke Duncan) with him.
This is a very handsome film, with a nice cast and plenty of action.
The actors are fine, with Purefoy making an excellent hero and Perabo giving the princess spunk, brains, and beauty.
As the main "heavy", Swayze does a good job while Duncan makes the most of his smaller role, too.
Certainly my favorite James Purefoy movie.
In fact it was thanks to this movie that I became a fan of Purefoy, this and 'A Knight's Tale'.
Still a good movie and as for Purefoy fans it's one of his best.
The really great things is he gets the limelight and he actually plays the good guy.
This film looks as though it had major production problems with cast (disapearing) and hence a revised plot line??
After what I imagine is a bit of a bodge job on the script the cast has persevered with a lot of humour and gusto to present a story which although it has many flaws also has a charm that makes up for this to the credit of Purefoy, Perabo and Duncan who throw themselves into making the best of it I suspect.
If you like a comedy along the lines of A Knights Tale combined with a bit of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves then this is pretty much what you are getting, a good old romp with some hammy over the top theatricals thrown in..
George (James Purefoy) is returning home after the Crusade.
She stays to guard the egg against the local Picts.This is a loosely reworked version of the medieval tale of Saint George and the Dragon.
I think the creators of the movie meant it to have humor, but the only time i was laughing was when I saw Patrick S.
The scenes at the end were good but they were not a part of the movie.
The movie features some violence but the fun musical score by Gast Waltzing makes sure that the movie remains always light and fun to watch, no matter how serious or scary the movie ever gets.The story is rather weak and simple and the way it is told makes things even worse.
Sure, the sets and costumes all do look nice but what the movie lacks are some truly impressive and large scale sequences or even some spectacular action sequences.
It makes the movie really low budget looking.
James Purefoy is a good actor and he mostly showed that in the HBO mini-series "Rome" but he's not good and charismatic enough to play the main heroic character of this movie.
The supporting cast is far more impressive with actors like Patrick Swayze, Piper Perabo, Michael Clarke Duncan and Val Kilmer in a small cameo.
It makes you wonder why didn't cast a real English and good actress instead.
Also Patrick Swayze feels really out of place in this movie but he at least seemed to be enjoying himself playing in this movie.
Most acting is good until Patrick Swayze (with his Texas Twang- everyone else sounds British-like even the Muslim) shows up, and proves that he can't act.
Other reviewers mentioned "Troubled Production" and it shows.At the end I just didn't even care about the fight scenes, sure, the CGI Dragon was weak, but the storyline was the biggest letdown..
And as much as I have liked Patrick Swayze in other films, he's unforgettable in Dirty Dancing, he sleepwalks through his role here.
However, the rest of the acting is really quite good, James Purefoy is a charismatic hero and Piper Perabo exudes charm and spunk as the princess.
I just watched this movie entitled as Dragon Sword (26 Aug 2006) on the SCI-FI channel.
The fight scenes were quite fun to watch, and it looked like they were having fun making them.
I liked this movie, it reminded me a little of the comedy stylings in the Princess Bride.
It would be fun to watch with someone who had seen all the reference movies..
It was a light highly entertaining film, one that you can sit down and watch at any time.
I had not seen Patrick in a film for a long time and I was slightly disappointed with him in this.
It was so nice to see a movie where the whole family can sit down and watch it.
I used to love this book when I was little and having seen it come to life on the big screen made the movie all the more special.
And even if he does not portray the most likable character of his career in this movie, but it is always good to see Patrick Swayze (no, I am not a Dirty Dancing fan, but Swayze did much more than that and a lot of good stuff among it)!
So if you want good and educative entertainment for little and adult viewers alike, check this movie out!.
Patrick Swayze looked bored, like he would rather be surfing than riding a horse.
While flawed, it's a nice and simple fairy tale that children under the age of 10 may find interest in.The acting is hammy from everyone.
There's not one solid performance at all, but even for such lame acting, everyone seems to have had a good time making this little film.
Michael Clark Duncan is okay, but just like Kilmer and Swayze, his screen time is so limited, why they didn't go for someone "cheaper" is beyond me.
James Purefoy and Piper Perabo both had nice chemistry, even if they tended to overact most of the time.The writing is where the film is vastly flawed.
The title of George and the Dragon as listed on this site is also a little misleading, as any dragon seen in this film is only on screen for maybe 10 minutes all together.
It does provide a good atmosphere to some scenes, but as a whole, there's not a lot to warrant a purchase.When the dragons do finally show up, the special effects are mediocre.
The action is very short, and not at all edited nor choreographed well.All in all, this is a film that really passes the time, that is the only major positive thing I could grant George and the Dragon.
The acting, while hammy, is okay; the special effects are mediocre; the music is less than desirable; and the film is just WAY to simple for mature audiences.I highly recommend this for children under the age of 10. |
tt0059297 | I Saw What You Did | Mr. and Mrs. Mannering are about to leave on an overnight business trip when the babysitter cancels. They reluctantly leave sixteen-year-old Libby and her younger sister Tess home alone. Libby invites her friend Kit Austin to spend the night. Kit's father allows her to come for dinner but not to stay all night, since the parents are not home.The Mannerings live on an isolated property several miles from town. Kit is given a tour, ending in the barn where the door blows shut. The girls are unable to open it and Tess, who has followed them, lets them out. She plays a prank on Kit by telling her that a boy is on the phone wanting to speak to her. When Kit picks up the receiver, no one is there. Libby scolds Tess but admits that they have fun making prank phone calls. Kit is mystified so the Mannering girls show her how it's done. They choose a number at random from the phone directory. In a sultry voice, Libby says "I saw what you did and I know who you are." Kit thinks this is hilarious. They call several people and get various responses, from indignation to amusement.Meanwhile, Mrs. Mannering is repeatedly calling home to check on her daughters but gets a busy signal. Her husband assures her that he'd be worried if they weren't on the phone.When the girls dial Steve Marak's number, his wife Judith answers the phone. Libby asks for Steve and Judith goes to get him. An open suitcase is on the bed and water is running in the bathroom. Judith tells Libby that Steve is taking a bath. Libby purrs that she really needs to speak with him. When Judith goes into the bathroom, she sees that Steve has slashed her clothing with a knife. She begins screaming at him. He yanks her into the shower and stabs her to death, then throws her body through the glass door.Since no one comes to the phone, the girls eventually hang up and decide to take a break.Steve's next-door neighbor Amy lets herself into the house. She sees the suitcase on the bed and knocks on the bathroom door. Wearing a bathrobe, Steve emerges and tells her that Judith has left him. He says they had a terrible fight and she left without bothering to pack her things. Amy is happy to hear this and says Judith was too young and flighty for him. She begins packing Judith's clothing and Steve tells her to leave it alone. When she offers to straighten up the bathroom, he yanks her away and walks her into the living room. He is trying to act normally but all he wants is for her to leave. She agrees to come back later and notices that the phone is off the hook. After she leaves, he replaces the receiver and goes into the bedroom.The girls, giggling hysterically, resume calling people. They wonder if the man is out of the bathtub yet but can't remember his name. Tess finds it because she put her peanut butter and jelly sandwich on top of it. Libby calls and this time Steve answers. He panics when a voice tells him she saw what he did and she knows who he is. Libby plays along when he asks for her name and tells him she is Suzette. He demands to meet with her and she hangs up, suddenly bored with the game.Amy, watching from her window, sees Steve putting a large trunk into his station wagon. When he drives away, she goes over and checks out the bathroom. She puts two and two together when she sees the shattered shower door and a bloody knife in the clothes hamper.Steve drives to a wooded area and digs a deep hole for the trunk. He is startled when a dog appears and begins barking at him. It belongs to a young couple who stopped so the dog could do its business. The woman catches a glimpse of Steve through the trees and quickly takes the dog back to the car. She tells her husband that the next time, he can chase the dog. They drive away but she is uneasy about what she saw.When Steve returns home, Amy comes over. He is beginning to feel stifled by her attention, saying it is late and he is going to bed. As she opens the door, the phone rings. He goes to answer it and Amy slips into the bedroom to listen on the extension. Libby, pretending to be Suzette, plays a cat and mouse game with Steve. He again wants to meet with her but she hangs up, this time intrigued and wondering what he looks like.Amy angrily asks who Suzette is and Steve tells her it is a business deal. He says he may have to go out later. By sweet-talking her and telling her he loves her, he persuades her to go home.
The girls speculate about Steve and wonder how old he is. Kit asks Libby if she would actually meet him somewhere and what would she do if he tried to get romantic. Libby admits that she might let him kiss her. She envisions Steve as a handsome man and wishes they had a way to see what he looks like. Since she has recently gotten her driver's license, she suggests they drive to Steve's house in her mother's car to try and catch a glimpse of him. Kit doesn't want to but lets herself be talked into it. Libby changes into a dress and puts on a lot of makeup, trying to make herself look older.On the way to the Marak home, Libby orders that no one is to get out of the car. When they arrive, the house is dark except for a light in the back. Kit wants to leave but Libby exits the car to peer through the windows. Steve sees her and goes into the kitchen for a knife. He is at the door when Amy appears, having seen Libby from her window. She yanks Libby's hair and drags her away. Kit and Tess immediately hide in the back seat. Calling her a tramp, Amy tells her to clear out. Libby tries to explain but Amy won't listen. Rather sadly she tells Libby that she is far too young for Steve. Then she opens the car door and shoves Libby inside. Seeing the car registration pasted on the steering post, Amy tears it off. Libby, shaking with fright, drives away.Amy confronts Steve and tells him there will be no more Suzettes. She points out that Suzette even lied about her name, showing him the registration card. Steve tells her she doesn't own him yet. Then Amy tells him she knows he killed Judith. Unless he agrees to marry her right away, she will go to the police. "Life with me or no life at all," she says. Steve has no choice but to accept. Amy makes them drinks and reminds him of how wealthy she is; that they can go anywhere in the world. Steve goes into the kitchen for ice cubes and retrieves his knife. He kills Amy and takes the registration card, which has Mrs. Mannering's name and address. Climbing into his car, he sets off.Libby is frantic about losing the registration card because her parents will find out that she took the car without permission. She thinks Amy was Mrs. Marak and that maybe if she returns in the morning, she can get the card back. Kit is fed up with Libby and tells her to forget about the card. Tess is supposed to be in bed, but the girls discover her missing. They go outside to find her and this time all three end up shut in the barn.Mrs. Mannering has continued to call home and even had the operator check the line. Now there is no answer. She insists that her husband call the police to check on the girls. They arrive at the same time as Kit's father, who has come to collect his daughter. Together they search the property and find the girls in the barn. Libby calls her mother and assures her that everything is fine. Everyone leaves and the Mannering girls go to bed.On the way home, Kit hears a breaking news story on the radio. The body of a young, attractive woman was discovered buried in a trunk not far away. A couple who were walking their dog reported seeing a middle-aged man, tall and dark-haired, in the vicinity. Kit shudders and turns off the radio. Her father knows something is wrong and says she may as well level with him. Kit says nothing but starts to wonder.Tess is awakened by their dog barking. Realizing he has somehow gotten out she wakes Libby, who tells her to let him in. When she goes outside, Steve is waiting. He asks for Suzette and Tess, too little to realize the danger, invites him in. She wakes Libby and tells her that Steve is downstairs. Libby is startled but goes to meet him, hoping he has come to return the registration card. She apologizes profusely for upsetting "Mrs. Marak" and says they were just making prank phone calls. Steve is relieved when he realizes she knows nothing of the murders. He scolds her and gives her back the card. As she closes the door behind him, the phone rings. Instead of leaving, Steve goes to the window to listen.Kit is calling to tell Libby about the news report. Libby says the man's description sounds a lot like Steve and that he has just left after returning the registration card. Kit abruptly hangs up after her father asks who she is talking to so late. Libby hesitates, then dials the operator and asks for the police. Steve crashes through the window and she runs upstairs, screaming at Tess to lock the door. But Tess is not in her room. Libby realizes she must have gone outside and slips out to look for her. Steve goes after them. Libby finds Tess and they run toward the car. Someone grabs Tess and claps a hand over her mouth. Libby is unable to start the car and then Steve, who was hidden in the back seat, tries to strangle her. A shot rings out and he collapses. Mr. Austin and the police are there. He grabbed Tess to prevent her from crying out. The girls embrace, sobbing. Mr. Austin says it is a good thing his daughter finally told him the truth. Libby tearfully says they will not be using the phone again for a long, long time. | suspenseful, murder | train | imdb | Left alone one night while their parents are out of town, teen-aged Libby, her little sister Tess, and Libby's visiting friend Kit amuse themselves by making crank phone calls.
Tense and atmospheric, with delightful performances from Andi Garrett, Sarah Lane and Sharyl Locke as the kids, and strong ones from John Ireland as the psychopath, and the one-and-only Joan Crawford (straight from Castle's "Strait-Jacket") as his blackmail-minded neighbor, who's inexplicably in love with him.
and she knows who you are!This is another strange William Castle concoction that features Joan Crawford in one of the B-horror movies she made near the end of her career, and yet the only way they could fit her into this story was to make her a kooky neighbor lady who wears tacky jewelry that looks like some sort of bizarre Aztec armor.
Everyone knows the plot, which involves two teenage girls who spend an evening making prank phone calls and, through the miracle of plot contrivance, stumble into the path of a psychotic man who has just committed murder.
Yes, good old William Castle is on the loose again, with a low budget and a creepy plot...and Joan Crawford, whose salary probably used up most of Castle's available cash.You know you're in trouble from the first few scenes, with corny eyeball-shaped framing devices, then the intrusion of Van Alexander's completely out-of-place bouncy score, with its recurring principal theme of "Ninny nanny noo-noo." (Most of his credits are for 60s sitcoms, and it shows.) Then we're treated to exteriors of the Mannering house which are nothing more than Thomas Kincade- style paintings.
(Virtually the whole film was shot on a sound stage, except for some rear projections.)The plot itself is clichéd, but decently "executed." The casting is a problem, with Joan Crawford at age 60 trying to be the hypotenuse in a love triangle between 50-year-old John Ireland and some young bimbo (or we should say, ex-bimbo).
...which is a no-budget thriller.Two teenage girls (Sara Lane, Andi Garrett) make prank phone calls saying the title line.
There are also quite a few good moments calculated to make you jump.On the debit side--there's not enough story even for 83 minutes; Joan Crawford (dressed to the 9s for no reason) is wasted as a next-door neighbor; Ireland is stone-faced throughout; Lane and Garrett are horrible actresses (and, tellingly, never made another movie) and the script has lines that no teenager would utter.Still, there are worse ways to kill 90 minutes and the jolts in this film do work.
To amuse themselves, the decide to make prank phone calls(this was in 1965, long before caller ID or tracing existed) one phrase they use quite often to the people they call is "I saw what you did...and I know who you are." What they don't know is that one of the people they call, Steve Marek (John Ireland) takes them seriously, having just stabbed his wife to death!This film was really scary or at least very suspenseful, considering the time period.
But Libby and Kit's idea of innocent fun turns dangerous when they ring a psychopath who has just murdered his wife.I admittedly am not a fan of William Castle's earliest work (as much as I don't want to say it, I find his earlier ghost films "House on Haunted Hill" and "13 Ghosts" remarkably dull), but here Castle seems to have struck my fancy.
As lightweight as the film feels for much of its duration, the first murder is there to remind us that it's really not.The two leading young girls are remarkably likable in their roles, and Joan Crawford infamously pulls off the role of the psychopath's sultry mistress next-door.
While Crawford is often credited for hamming things up in her later career, I found her performance here to be actually quite incredible and terrifying; her interrogation of Libby when the girls arrive at the madman's house was absolutely hair-raising— in fact, I'd go so far as to say she's scarier in that moment than John Ireland is throughout the entire film.Overall, "I Saw What You Did" is noteworthy as a thriller, but also as a cultural relic of a bygone era of rotary dials, and a world where prank calls could lead to murderous madmen peeking in your windows.
It is enjoyable on its own terms, as are most of William Castle's movies.What makes it stand out, historically, is that children who saw this film in the theater or on TV became EXTREMELY unlikely to make prank phone calls!
In this film she's a bad one of a different sort--bad as in "not good."Kit and Libby are the two silly acting teenagers that decide prank phone calls are a lovely way to spend an evening.
True, she has a minor role in it (playing Ireland's neighbor, hoping to blackmail him into marriage), however it's one of the better movies she was involved in after "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" William Castle did a good job as producer/director of this story, and the two teenage girls are very appealing and natural.
You all know the story, 2 teenage girls spending the night without parental supervision decide to make prank phone calls, and damn the luck, they accidentally prank a murderer.
William Castle throws you a little off at the start with playful music and young girls as the leads, but then he recreates the shower murder scene of "Psycho" - and outdoes it in viciousness!
William Castle made a career out of monster and ghost stories, so even though the synopsis on my TV said this was a departure about teenage girls involved with murder I still expected the same kind of B-movie action.
Really Bad. A trio of teenage girls spend the night alone in a big old house making prank calls to people from the phonebook.
They have the incredibly bad luck of calling a man who has just murdered his wife and telling him, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are!" Thinking they are serious, the killer decides to find them and do them in.
Only a forgotten term for murder...and Joan Crawford.ISWYD is a movie trapped in it's own time bubble, a look at the hijinks of teenage girls left alone with a telephone for fun and games.
Amy was a supporting character, and although Crawford put in a good performance, 'I Saw What You Did' is more about the teenagers and the psychotic murderer out to keep them quiet.'I Saw What you Did' was likely the first horror movie to introduce the "helpless babysitter versus killer" storyline, which of course 'Halloween' used brilliantly in '78.
After he kills his wife, the next door neighbor (Joan Crawford) is ready to replace her in his affections.Across town, two kids left on their own for the evening (Sara Lane and Andi Garrett) are making prank calls.
Anyway, the girls take turns calling numbers, sometimes intimating they're a husband's girlfriend, or saying "I saw what you did...and I know who you are..." Unfortunately for them, Steve Marak just did something, and the idea that someone saw it and knows who he is makes him desperate to meet her.This is a real camp classic with some good suspense that brings back fond teen memories in the way that "The World of Henry Orient" did, but with some scary aspects.John Ireland is an effective killer, and Joan Crawford is scary as all get-out as the neighbor.
Entertaining, but campy B-horror flick from William Castle of two teenage girls randomly crank calling people and saying "I Saw What You Did & I Know Who You Are." They accidentally call a man who just murdered his wife.
I Saw What You Did (1965) *** (out of 4)Libby (Andi Garrett), Kit (Sara Lane) and Libby's younger sister Tess (Sharyl Locke) are home alone when they decide to have some fun by prank calling people.
They start telling people "I saw what you did and I know who you are" but unfortunately for them they say this to Steve Marak (John Ireland) who has just murdered his wife.William Castle's I SAW WHAT YOU DID is an extremely entertaining and satisfying thriller that manages to be the director's best film next to HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL.
Well, it's fun, completely uncompromising, the kids Andi Garrett, Sarah Lane and Sharyl Locke are quite adorable, and they know to make you interested in the story, responding for the several well humored moments of the movie, and also the great presence of Joan Crawford as the psycho's lover.
The real stars of the film are teenage girls Sara Lane and Andi Garrett who had brief careers and John Ireland a man they prank and live to regret it.You couldn't make this film today.
"I Saw What You Did
And I Know Who You Are" may not be the first title that springs to mind when people mention the name and reputation of the legendary filmmaker William Castle (that honor is preserved for "House on Haunted Hill" and "13 Ghosts"), but it's definitely a highly entertaining and massively ingenious slice of 60's horror with a fantastic basic plot outline and a wondrous duo of lead stars; namely Joan Crawford and John Ireland.
The premise is surprisingly simple: two teenagers spending the night together at one of their parents' homes (far too isolated for their own good) pass the time making what they think are harmless crank calls--dialing random numbers from the phone book purring to the person on the other end of the line: "I Saw What You Did and I Know Who You Are." Trouble is, the recipient of one of their calls (John Ireland) has just brutally murdered his wife.
While Marak spends his time covering up his crime, fending off the advances of his oversexed neighbour Amy Nelson (Joan Crawford), and desperately trying to get back in touch with the so-called "witnesses", the girls buy themselves more trouble by casing Steve's joint.This isn't as enjoyable overall as this viewer would have liked.
When two teenagers on babysitting duties decide to have fun making prank phone calls, their evening turns sinister when they call up a man who has just murdered his wife
William Castle was of course better known for his gimmicks than for his ability as a film maker, I Saw What You Did shows the best and worst of the great entertainer.
The girls play the same prank phone call over and over again to different people telling them that they know who they are and saw what they did, until coincidently they call a man who has murdered a woman that same day.
William Castle seems likely to be remembered more for his showmanship and ability to make very modest movies into "gotta see" events by devising advertising campaigns that while bizarre bordered on a kind of genius--like wiring up seats to give electric shocks ( The Tingler )or the "emergo" process that saw skeletons dangling over the heads of the audience in The House on Haunted Hill .I Saw What You Did eschews such gimmickry and is a perfectly acceptable and eminently enjoyable B movie that passes the time in an agreeable and satisfying mannerTwo teenage girls take advantage of parental absence to indulge in a series of telephone pranks including ringing people chosen at random from the Directory and saying "I SAW WHAT YOU DID AND I KNOW WHO YOU ARE " This backfires when one man they contact -Steve Marek (John Ireland )turns out to have a genuine secret -he has just murdered his wife and disposed of her remains in the nearby woods.He sets out to locate and silence the women ;this is not his only problem as his neighbour the wealthy and possessive Amy Nelson (Joan Crawford )is also clued in to the murder and seeks to blackmail him into marriage.
The script by veteran pulp author William P McGivern is solid and Castle directs efficiently-although the shower scene murder cannot help but pale into hack work when set alongside the similar scene in Psycho.Crawford is over the top and was reportedly drunk for much of her performance ,and the weak performances of the teenage leads are a drag on proceedings ,leaving John Ireland to take the acting honours.Its proficient and well made and thriller fans should try it--I suspect they will enjoy this crisp little tale..
One of their funnier stunts is calling random names from the phone book and telling the answering party, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are!" When they tell this to John Ireland (as Steve Marak), he thinks they know he has just killed his wife...William Castle's "I Saw What You Did" probably provided most theater and drive-in audiences with medium-sided thrills in 1965 - but, today, it's very tame stuff.
Her role as the horny, fiftysomething neighbor, who knows how to prepare a stiff drink, is absolutely delicious.****** I Saw What You Did (7/21/65) William Castle ~ John Ireland, Andi Garrett, Joan Crawford, Sarah Lane.
Although I have a blurry memory of Leif Erickson, John Ireland, and a seriously creepy Joan Crawford, I know I thought this 1965 drive-in theatre-grade flick was a cut above.It had a modern look to it, there was a serious level of menace in the story of a couple of teenage girls who call a stranger to inform him he's been caught, not knowing he really did just kill his wife.I know I liked it, and I had it in my Netflix queue for a long while (until they said it wasn't available).
These calls lead to murderous consequences.William Castle made a lot of great films, both horror and comedy.
"I saw what you did...and I know who you are!" This is what teenagers Kit and Libby say to Steve Marak (John Ireland), whom they've randomly dialed as a prank.
Now he thinks his mysterious caller knows too much - and he's out to find her.This is another post-gimmick horror movie from the legendary William Castle, and like The Night Walker and Strait-Jacket, there are plenty more genuine scares than campy laughs.
The best aspects of the film are the excellent realistic performance by John Ireland as a menacing murderer, Joan Crawford's decent performance in which she is murdered before she gets a chance to over-act, and the creepy conclusion where the girls are chased about the property by the madman--all really good stuff.
The little girl, Tess, is a nuisance.Some really good creepy moments throughout, and one can't deny the fun of the subject matter: Two teenagers getting the wits scared out of them, after making prank phone calls.
Libby Mannering (cute brunette Andi Garrett) and Kit Austin (adorable blonde Sarah Lane) are a couple of fun-loving teenage girls who get their kicks calling strangers over the phone and exclaiming "I saw what you did and I know who you are!".
Libby and Kit find themselves in considerable jeopardy when they pull this particular prank on Steve Marak (excellently played with brooding menace by John Ireland), a hot-tempered brute who's just murdered his wife (an effectively startling set piece that clearly imitates the famous shower scene from "Psycho").
That's the case in "I Saw What You Did" about three girls who prank call folks, chosen at random from a phone book, unfortunately hand-picking a middle-aged psychopath who likes to stick a knife in women's bellies.Libby(Andi Garrett), her little sister Tess(Sharyl Locke)and school chum Kit(Sara Lane)spend the evening, while their parents are at a small gathering for the night, prank calling various people, when they select the wrong man, Steve Marak(John Ireland)claiming they saw what he did and knew who he was, shortly after he murdered his wife, burying her not too far from his home.
This card will provide Steve with their whereabouts as a frightened Libby, with Kit and Tess in tow, drives away at the angry demands of Amy. Threatening blackmail if he doesn't marry her, Steve "rids" himself of Amy before taking to the road so he can find Suzette, planning to silence the one he believes might know of his bad conduct.While touching on the repercussions of prank phone-calling to kids, Castle has the perfect set-up for a confrontation between a sadistic killer, with an explosive trigger, and innocent children, alone in their house with parents far from home.
Together with Libby's little sister Tess (Sharyl Locke), whom they find themselves babysitting, they amuse themselves by making prank phone calls teasing whoever answers by saying "I saw what you did, I know who you are." Things take a sinister turn when they accidentally call a psychopath called Steve Marek (John Ireland) who has just brutally murdered his wife in the shower so he can be with his neighbour and lover Amy (Joan Crawford).
Of course, you can't help but think, "Mommie Dearest, I promise I'll be good!"Two teenage girls (Andi Garrett and Sarah Lane) bored on a Saturday night, decide to make prank phone calls (oh, those glory days before caller ID!), and use the interpretive phrase, "I saw what you did - and I know who you are!" Be careful how you dial, girls, because macho psychopath John Ireland has just brutally murdered his young wife (while he was taking a shower, no less - "Psycho" parallels, anyone?), and thinks you saw him do the dastardly deed.
It is funny because the music score transforms scenes that should be suspenseful or scary into something that sounds like a Disney's film.There is a couple of murders in ISWYD, and the first one happens in such an idiotic way that I had to watch it a few time to understand what was going on And, by the ways, Joan Crawford is wasted here.Well, there is nothing much here, unless you are feeling nostalgic..
Two childish teens make prank calls and one of them is to a guy who has killed his wife and he now thinks that the one who made the call saw him do it and knows who he is. |
tt0116378 | The Funeral | Director Abel Ferrara puts his finger on the pulse of the world of sin. The Funeral is a dark portrait of a family "not broken enough to believe in God". The film opens in a movietheatre where Johnny Tempio (Vincent Gallo) is watching Humphrey Bogart talking about death. After the titles we find ourselves at the home of the Tempio family where a coffin is brought into the house. When the coffin is opened we see Johnny; he's dead. His oldest brother Ray (Christopher Walken) seems to be the head of the family. He's a gangster. Behind his ice cold gaze lives the hunger for revenge and strategic 'gangster-justice'. When Johnny's other brother Chez (Chris Penn) enters the house the mood seems to change from silence into rage and fear, for Chez is a man on the edge of insanity. Madness, rooted in pain and fed by anger. The movie progresses into a parallel structure where we follow the three brothers through flashbacks up against the present where the two remaining brothers are dealing with their loss. The movie is a depiction of gangster life, without the traditional glamour and romanticism. The more mainstream enjoyment and stylistic elements of the famous gangster films are dismissed and replaced by pain, suffering and hopelessness. The Funeral is a bleak but powerful film about the fate of sin. A film about a place in the world where redemption is far gone. As opposed to most of Ferrara's films The Funeral finds no salvation for the lead character(s). Chez, the insane man turns out to be the man that does the only sane thing. End this life of evil and immorality by the only means possible in his way of thinking. | cruelty, depressing, murder, violence, flashback, insanity | train | imdb | null |
tt0071315 | Chinatown | Set in 1937 Los Angeles, a private investigator named Jake "J.J." Gittes (Nicholson) is hired to spy on Hollis Mulwray, the chief engineer for the city's water department. The woman hiring Gittes claims to be Evelyn Mulwray, Hollis' wife. For unknown reasons, Mulwray spends considerable time looking at dry riverbeds and water outlets. Mulwray is photographed while having a heated argument with an elderly man on the street. Gittes photographs Mulwray from a roof top when he kisses a young blonde, and the photo is published in the newspaper the next day, causing a scandal. After the story is published, Gittes is visited by the real Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray, who threatens to sue him for defamation.Gittes uncovers information that despite a serious drought and an expensive proposal to build a new dam, the Water and Power Department is dumping fresh water into the ocean at night. The dam project is opposed by Mulwray himself, who cites a potential disaster because of weak geological formations in the rock where the dam is to be constructed -- Mulwray had previously supported the building of another dam that had failed due to similar geological conditions. When he addresses a public hearing on the project, wbich Gittes attends, Mulwray is ridiculed by several farmers who want the reservoir and water the dam will provide.Jake goes to Mulwray's mansion to speak to him but is only able to talk to Evelyn Mulwray. While he waits for her, Mulwray's Japanese gardener cleans a small decorative pond. He casually says "bad for the glass" in broken English, a comment that Jake dismisses. Jake notices a shiny object in the pool and tries to retrieve it, stopping when Evelyn appears. She tells him that Mulwray usually takes afternoon walks at a reservoir and that he should look for him there.Gittes goes to find Mulwray at the reservoir but instead watches the police haul Mulwray's body out of the reservoir. They believe Mulwray died from drowning. Gittes used to work with the lead investigator, Lt. Lou Escobar. When the police interview Evelyn Mulwray about her husband's death, they assume she hired Gittes, and Gittes corroborates the lie for her. She thanks him and hires him to investigate what happened to her husband. Later, at the county coroner's department, Gittes learns from the coroner that Mulwray's lungs were filled with salt water, although he had been found in a freshwater reservoir. Gittes also learns that a local drunk was found dead from drowning in a dry riverbed that Mulwray had been inspecting.Later that night Gittes climbs the secure fence around the reservoir's and, after he is shot at, is nearly drowned when the culvert he is hiding in is suddenly filled with running water. Two water department security thugs detain him; a large man named Claude Mulvihill and a short thug (Roman Polanski), who slashes Jake's nose for being a "very nosy fella." Gittes, forced to wear a large and ridiculous bandage, receives a call from Ida Sessions, the woman who originally impersonated Evelyn Mulwray. She admits she was hired to trick Gittes, but refuses to come to his office. She tells him to read that day's obituaries. At the water department, Gittes sees photographs of the elderly man Mulwray quarreled with a few days before his death, and he turns out to be Noah Cross (John Huston), Evelyn Mulwray father. He used to own the water utility in partnership with Mulwray, but Cross ended his association with the department when the partners sold it to the city, as Mulwray had long desired.Cross invites Jake to lunch at his home and hires Jake to find the blond girl Mulwray had been seeing, saying that she might know what happened to him. Gittes goes to the Hall of Records and looks in a large plat book of the valley. He learns that a considerable portion of the valley has been bought up in the past few months by a few new land owners who have purchased large tracts of land. When the attendant in the room refuses to let Jake borrow the book, Jake surreptitiously tears the column out of the book and pockets it.Acting on another tip from Sessions, Gittes begins to unravel an intricate scandal involving LA's fresh water supply. Gittes first travels to an orange farm to talk with the owner about how his land is being irrigated. As he drives around he is shot at by the farmer and a few of his farmhands and crashes his car into a tree. Jake is dragged from his car, beaten and searched. The farmer explains that the Department of Water & Power has been harassing him by sending agents to run him off his land and poison the water in his wells. While he tries to show the farmer documentation of his investigation, the farmhands claim that Mulwray is responsible for harassment of late and attack Jake. When Jake tries to fight back, he's knocked unconscious. He wakes up to find that the farmer and his wife have called Evelyn, who has come to the farm.While they drive back to LA, Jake explains the scandal to her: her father and his partners have been forcing farmers in the rural areas surrounding the city off of their land so they can buy it cheap, after which a newly-built (and controversial) dam and water system would start redirecting much of L.A.'s water supply to that land, dramatically increasing its real estate potential and value.Since Cross wants no record of such transactions, he has partnered with a retirement home community, using the identities of the eldest residents within (one of whom is mentioned in the obituary column): they would legally, but unknowingly, own the land. Jake, having matched one of the obituary names to one of the names in the list he stole from the plat book, has Evelyn drive him to the retirement home and pose as a married couple trying to find a place for Jake's father to live. The host tells them they can tour the facility. They come across an activities board with the names of the people from the plat book. Jake talks to a group of women working on a quilt. One of the pieces of fabric they've sewn into the quilt bears the emblem of the Albacore Club, the yacht club owned by Noah Cross. Jake is confronted by the host who has figured out Jake's ruse. The man takes him out to the lobby where Mulvihill is waiting. Jake tells Evelyn to bring the car around and then severely beats Mulvihill and barely escapes when the short thug who slashed his nose shows up.Back at Evelyn's house, Gittes and Evelyn share a romantic interlude. As they lie on the bed afterward, Evelyn asks Jake about his past as a cop. He tells her he worked in Chinatown and was responsible for a woman "being hurt", possibly killed because of his actions. The phone rings and Evelyn has a cryptic conversation with someone, then informs Jake that she has to leave for a little while. She gravely asks him to trust her.Gittes takes Mulwray's car and follows Evelyn to a middle-class house and sees Mulwray's girlfriend crying. Evelyn claims the young woman is her sister, who was crying because she had just learned about Mulwray's death in the newspaper. Later that night, Jake receives a call at home from a detective named Loach, Escobar's partner, telling him to meet him at a specific address. When he gets there he finds that Ida Sessions is murdered and Escobar and Loach are waiting for him. When Jake asks how they knew to call him Escobar shows Jake his phone number written near the phone. Escobar also points out that he knows the coroner's report proves that salt water was found in Mulwray's lungs even though the body was found in a freshwater reservoir, a fact that Jake had discovered earlier but withheld. He demands that Jake turn over any incriminating photos that may reveal Mulwray's murderer's identity. Escobar's chief suspect is Evelyn herself.Under pressure from Escobar threatening to revoke his PI's license, Jake returns to Evelyn's mansion looking for her. Evelyn's Japanese gardener is working in the backyard and drops a minor comment about "salt water being bad for the grass". Jake has the man fish out the shiny object he'd noticed in the pool before: it's a pair of eyeglasses.Gittes confronts Evelyn at the small house where she'd been keeping the young girl. Evelyn reveals that the blond girl, Katherine, is both her sister and her daughter, born from an incestuous relationship she had with her father years before. Gittes asks Evelyn if her father raped her and she shakes her head no. It remains unclear whether the act was consensual or not. It is apparent also that Evelyn resents her father for taking advantage of her in a relationship considered unnatural. Gittes then chooses to help Evelyn escape. Evelyn also states that the eyeglasses Jake found in her back yard pond could not have been her husband's because they are bifocals. Gittes arranges for the two women to flee to Mexico on a fishing boat owned by another of Jake's clients and instructs Evelyn to meet him at her butler's address in Chinatown. Evelyn leaves, and Cross arrives with Mulvihill under the pretext that Gittes has found the girl; however, Gittes confronts Cross with the accusation of murder and the glasses. Cross had Mulwray drowned in the saltwater pond at his own house and lost his own glasses in the pond during the act. Jake asks Cross about the water scandal; Cross tells him that he plans to create a community in the desert with an abundant fresh water supply. The real estate revenues from the sales of the land will generate many millions of dollars for him. Cross considers the plan a way of buying the future, essentially insuring that his family will reap the benefits from such a deal for many years. When Jake pointedly asks Cross about the relationship with his daughter, Cross confidently says "Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything". Cross then orders Mulvihill to seize the glasses, the only physical evidence Jake has and forces Gittes to take him to the girl. When Gittes arrives at Evelyn's hiding place in Chinatown, the police are already there and arrest Gittes on conspiracy and withholding evidence. Jake vainly tries to explain Cross' plan to Escobar, who won't listen.Evelyn appears with her daughter, trying to drive away in her car. When Cross approaches Katherine, demanding custody of her, Evelyn pushes him back, shoots him in the arm with a small pistol and starts her car. As Evelyn is driving away, the police open fire and Evelyn is shot and killed. Cross clutches Katherine, taking her out of the car, as a devastated Gittes is comforted by his associates, who urge him to walk away: "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."The plot is based in part on real events that formed the California Water Wars, in which William Mulholland acted on behalf of Los Angeles interests to secure water rights in the Owens Valley. | comedy, dark, depressing, murder, neo noir, mystery, bleak, cult, violence, plot twist, atmospheric, humor, suspenseful | train | imdb | He continues his investigation into the murder only to find a conspiracy involving thousands of gallons of water being wasted during a drought and the mysterious presence of Mrs Mulwray's father, Noah Cross.As a fan of film noir and tough detective movies, I am too often put off by modern entries into the genre that try to replace atmosphere and intelligence by just having nudity and swearing; the genre managed atmosphere without these in the forties and fifties but yet modern films seem to rely on them.
Unlike some other "classics" of the genre, Chinatown manages to do this without ever losing the audience and I found the plot to be both rewardingly complex but yet still very easy to follow.Needless to say, things are very dark and the script is convincingly dark and miserable, leading to an ending that is as depressing as I've seen not so much in what actually happens but also in the wider implications for the characters that the credits prevent us from seeing.
Director Polanski does a great job of putting this story in a lush setting that produces a real strong sense of period but also manages to always be showing us the darkness coming through subtly throughout the movie.
Director Roman Polanski (his last film in America, and the first he made in America after the murder of Sharon Tate), stars Jack Nicholson & Faye Dunaway, and writer Robert Towne, all come together to create a detective story classic.
Add to it some good cameos (Burt Young as a driver, Polanski playing the little guy in the infamous 'knife' scene), and a smooth soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith, Chinatown comes out as strong piece of movie-making, and arguably one of the greatest in the crime/mystery genre..
In addition, the film itself received nominations for Best Picture and Best Director for Roman Polanski (Who has a cameo in the movie as the knife-welding thug who cuts Nicholson's nose), but those Oscars would be lost to The Godfather, Part II.
It's a great reminder of how utterly engaging cinema can be without the special effects, flimsy plots and outrageous stunts of many major studio productions now, not evening mentioning the obvious marketing tie-ins.The cinematography and screenplay could be considered almost economical in its minimalism as it is really the story, script and characters that drive this movie forward.
Chinatown tells the story a detective, confidently played by Jack Nicholson, who gets embroiled in an investigation involving the mysterious murder (suicide?) of the head of the Water Board.
During the investigation, he gets involved with Evelyn Mulwray, the wife of the murdered man who appears to want to get to the bottom of the mystery but during the course of the movie demonstrates that she is not telling the whole story and has something to hide.Everything in this movie works from already mentioned tight editing down to the costumes and sets.Nuff said!10/10.
Set in late '30s Los Angeles this 1974 film opens with a woman, identifying herself as Evelyn Mulwray, asking private detective Jake Gettes to find out whether her husband, chief engineer of the LA Water and Power Company, is having an affair.
A film about LA and water set in the l930's during a drought with a dark incestuous subplot and some stunning performances by Faye Dunaway and Jack Nicholson, and superb cinematography that seemed to capture the essence of LA.
I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys film noir, watching Jack Nicholson in perfect shape in a role that was tailor-made for him, a good mystery, Roman Polanski's direction and just a good movie with a more adult tone that many others.
This was the movie that started it all.Jack Nicholson graduated from star to superstar playing a gumshoe in this marvelously intricate film noir of the 70's directed by Roman Polanski,who has a memorable cameo as a sadistic hood,gives Nicholson the most famous nose job in motion picture history.
"Chinatown" was the apex of what the cinema of the 1970's was about to become,and this was the prime factor of that as well.The film was nominated for 11 Oscars including Best Picture and won three for Best Original Score(Jerry Goldsmith),Best Screenplay(Robert Towne),and Best Supporting Actor(John Huston)..
The term "film noir" has itself loosened up to include almost any moody 1940s-style film with crime in it, which starts lose it's descriptive usefulness.But Jack Nicholson is, really, a great detective in the Raymond Chandler mode--sassy, fearless on the surface but actually wary and a little scared in the end, playing by his own set of rules, and working mostly alone.
Even though Gittes is trying to find the killer, the picture is more about an insight into the characters and their profiles to provide a definitive explanation of this gruesome story.All in all, I highly recommend Chinatown as one the best avant-garde crime movies ever directed and one of the finest, freshest takes on the pristine noir genre.
The film features a phenomenal cast with Jack Nicholson as Jake Gittes, the beautiful Faye Dunaway as femme fatale Evelyn Mulwray and the excellent director John Huston in an acting role as one of the most horrifying villains in the history of cinema: Noah Cross.
And typical of movies that feature gumshoe detectives, the stories of both "The Big Sleep" and "Chinatown" are confusing and convoluted."Chinatown" combines power and corruption with sex and murder into a needlessly complex plot, written perhaps deliberately to confound viewers, in keeping with traditional noir doctrine, which espouses that confusion equals arty sophistication.So who did kill Ida Sessions, and how did she get possession of those pictures?
This movie just drips with Los Angeles film noir atmosphere: a rich-looking piece of cinema with great period detail.What stands out in most people's memory of this film is another odd thing: a man's nose getting sliced.
"Chinatown" is not the most beloved, best-known, or most remembered of the films, but ironically, it is one of the most important films of the 70's, "chinatown" is not a kind film, and it's not even the best movie of Polanski, but his narrative capacity is absurd, even to this day there is a maxim in entertainment that is not true, that all the stories have already been told, it is up to the interlocutor to tell them in different ways, and that is precisely what this movie does, inspired by the great noir films of the 1940s, it is not a novelty, and at the same time it is unlike anything we have seen, such as "the unforgivable" of '92 is the last great act of the western genre in cinema - even out of season, "chinatown" does the same thing with the noair genre.
The great point that draws attention to "chinatown" is his script, he is completely magnificent, I would say, which is a complete synthesis of the perfection of how to script a movie, in 2 hours we have complete development of all the characters, we have a simple plot which gains layers of depth every minute, we have problems that mix with the city, turning into a political and social plot while bringing a classic story of a detective full of twists, who at one point surrenders to the cliché, but then surprises the all showing that in "chinatown" there are no spaces for the obvious.
With a great photo, extremely clear and brings new york life together with an assembly that joins the script to bring a great rhythm to the film, and a soundtrack that combines but is not marked in technical parts, the film has no much to criticize, is not perfect, but is not far behind the artistic part of the film, part that brings jack nicholson who is incredibly in a centered role, and alias, doing a great performance, and the stunning Faye Dunaway, who we love and hate her throughout the film, and she makes the whole story run around her, and she succeeds in behaving like the guiding thread of the script, interpreting many facets.
Boasting one of cinema's all-time greatest screenplays by Robert Towne and a powerful lead performance by Jack Nicholson, you are in for a fantastic time.As I mentioned briefly, the film's plot can be complex as the film will turn down a completely different path in a heartbeat.
No matter what, Robert Towne written one of the best screenplays of all time and that will endure for many, many years into our future.Even though Chinatown is a fictional movie, it's based of the Los Angeles water grab of 1908.
The mystery of what's going on has several layers that are slowly revealed as the story unfolds, Dunaway and Nicholson are brilliant playing off one another, and the ending is truly memorable and perfectly reinforces the theme of the movie.
Film Review: "Chinatown" (1974)Character J.J. Gittes, the private eye for tricky matrimonial cases with the usual "inflagranti" finish note to a case, performed to picture-carrying excellence by actor Jack Nicholson at age 36, trusting director Roman Polanksi, at the height of his powers in Hollywood, to wear two third of the film bandaid noise after investigations get all-too-messy concerning a major struggle for the water-supply dominion in Los Angeles county.Producer Robert Evans, in close excutive action with legendary as prestigious Hollywood Major Studio "Paramount Pictures", opens doors for director Roman Polanski, who gets filmmaking freedoms to find classic 1940s hard-boiled film noir homages, when screenwriter Robert Towne's Academy-Award-given original script out of total eleven nominations at the Oscars on April 8th 1975 in its 47th edition, losing all major categories to equal as comparable "The Godfather: Part II" starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as Young Vito Corleone directed by Academy-Award-winning Francis Ford Coppola.Nevertheless "Chinatown" strikes an even darker note than its direct competitor, when street-thug-behavior gets respectable due to the shear non-stop endurance and elevated to excellence impersonated by haunting as impeccably-written character of "Noah Cross", portrayed in fine-beat-acting by highly-successful director in his own right John Huston (1906-1987), who shares the highest suspense moments with Jack Nicholson getting seemingly sucked deeper into L.A.'s underworld of contract-making, funds-shifting with iron-fist for the so-called "Future" of mankind with running water in an unless desert city.
Director Roman Polanski makes sure that the 125-Minute-Editorial does not fail once to lose its grip onto the audience with additional atmospheric scoring by supreme composer Jerry Goldsmith (1929-2004) and supporting grace and classic-beauty-indulging actress Faye Dunaway as notorious character Evelyn Mulwray, who carries a family that deep hiding in female's spirit that every scene she appears becomes unbearable for tension points that have not been done better in Hollywood-filmmaking ever since.Copyright 2018 Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC.
Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston and a Great Supporting Cast Deliver the Robert Towne Script Effortlessly.Bathed in a Sun-Baked Glow of Burnt Brown and Yellow with Highlights of Bright Red/Orange, the Cinematography of John Alonzo was an Attractive Anomaly for its Time.
Roman Polanski's 1974 Neo-Noir Chinatown is a film that helped define both the genre and the era in which it was made.Chinatown centers on a '30s Los Angeles private investigator, Jake Gittes (who turned to the profession after being unable to work as a police officer in the corrupt environment present in his assigned district of Chinatown), who is tricked into digging up dirt on the head of the department in charge of the city's water (a hot issue as Los Angeles was experiencing a drought).
Do not go into this film too focused on the minutiae of the plot, but rather look at what the picture as a whole, and particularly its ending, is trying to say about American greed.The acting is terrific, with three great performances by Nicholson, Dunaway, and Huston.
This is one of those rare productions where every element seems to fall into place, from Robert Towne's exciting, original screenplay to a definitive performance by Nicholson to John Huston's unlikely but effective portrayal of what must be one of the most depraved villains in screen memory, a man who, by his own chilling admission, "is capable of anything." Music, art direction, editing and photography are all first class, but the true test of any classic is longevity, and in this regard the film passes with flying colors by actually improving with each viewing..
Ever so unfalteringly, he sticks to his guns, renders the whodunit mystery with an unadulterated tragic ending, as an acerbic retort to a patriarch society inundated with dyed-in- the-wool corruption both morally and economically, in memory of those innocently victimised.J.J. Gittes (Nicholson), a copper-turned-private-eye, is swindled to investigate the hanky-panky of Hollis Mulwray (Zwerling), the chief engineer of L.A. Department of Water and Power, will soon discover something much bigger and sinister than that, after Hollis' sudden death and the involvement of Hollis' wife Evelyn (Dunaway), Gittes is intrigued to unearth the truth, which also implicates Evelyn's father Noah Cross (Huston), a magnate once was the business partner of Hollis.
The soul-shattering upshot is a rarely seen defiance in the mainstream cinema where a director holds sway of the final say, and its aftershock hangs around, that's why CHINATOWN is so unique and groundbreaking.Uniformly, the film is hailed as one of the finest productions out of Hollywood, Robert Towne's Oscar-winning script delineates a conspiracy theory based on the true story which grants the story a tangible relevance, but also dives into a more personal matter of shocking taboo, to establish cinema is really a voyeuristic projector of all the dirty corners in our universe, A minor bellyaching is that, Gittes' function in the plot feels somewhat contrived, if Noah is so intent on locating what he is looking for, why on earth he would leave Evelyn out of his sight?
Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and somewhat hilariously, John Huston, it is the story of a private investigator sent to snoop on a cheating husband only to later find that husband turned up dead, setting off a chain of events that leads to the top being blown off a major conspiracy that runs deep into the roots of early 20th century Los Angeles.
Robert Towne's labyrinthine script keeps the proceedings thrilling, humorous and disturbing at the same time, pepped up greatly by the crackling dialogues.The film also boasts career best turns from its star-cast led by Jack Nicholson, who is absolutely charismatic as Jake Gittes, as we find ourselves solve the mystery alongside him as he follows lead after lead through a labyrinth of sticky situations.
Roman Polanski directed this complex but fascinating story of corruption that stars Jack Nicholson as private detective J.J. Gittes, who is hired by a woman named Evelyn Mulwray to see if her husband(a water department official) is cheating.
A classic example of its genre(s) that packs in a taut screenplay which is transitioned on the film canvas in a seamless manner by a skilled filmmaker in complete control of his craft and is further bolstered by strong performances from its entire cast, Chinatown is considered by many to be one of the best offerings in the mystery genre and it is indeed difficult to dispute its legacy.Inspired from true events, the story of Chinatown is set in Los Angeles and follows a private detective specialising in matrimonial cases who's hired by a woman to investigate & confirm her suspicion of her husband having an affair but soon finds himself caught in a bigger web when the client turns out to be an impersonator.
Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway are perfectly cast, the background score is sublime and the dark detective story is consistently engaging and very, very classy.A well-crafted film-noir, albeit a bit slow but if you don't mind the pacing it's rather riveting in places, especially the second half.Thumbs up for this mysterious suspense-drama if you're in the mood for a good slow-burner.
Chinatown is undoubtedly one of the finest films to emerge from the 1970's, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunnaway, Roman Polanski has delivered a Noir masterpiece for the ages.
Chinatown is a drama about a private investigator Jake (Jack Nicholson) who gets hired by a Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) because she believes her husband is having an affair.
Experiencing older Hollywood films, films made in the era when script, direction, cinematography, lighting, musical scoring and acting became melded together in an intricate but cohesive escapist adventure, is like visiting a fine art museum - masters at work creating a living work of art that time only enhances in respect.Such is the case for Roman Polanski's 1974 film noir CHINATOWN.
Director Roman Polanski (who makes a cameo in the movie as a short mobster who cuts Jack Nicholson's nose) creates a film noir so tense and so brilliant, that it makes any 70s detective drama pale in comparison.
"Chinatown" paved way for a tremendous respect for Roman Polanski, Faye Dunaway and Jack Nicholson.The movie takes place in the 1940s where detectives and private investigators were the biggest thing.
One of the most revered and famous films from this great decade is Roman Polanski's 1974 crime thriller "Chinatown".Set in the 1930's, "Chinatown" stars Jack Nicholson as Jake Gittes, a private detective who with two associates, seems to specialize mostly in adultery cases.
The film is highly stylized and seems to draw the classic old detective formula perfectly into the downbeat, sometimes depressing, but artistic style of the 1970s.The story is that Jake Gittes (Nicholson) is an LA private investigator hired by Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray to investigate whether her husband, the head of Water and Power for the city, is having an affair.
Chinatown is neo-noir's finest work of film art, fueled by Polanski-Nicholson synergy, anchored by one of film's greatest original screenplays (written by Los Angeles native Robert Towne), and brought to movie-life via PanaVision by cinematographer John Alonzo. |
tt0892874 | Halla Bol | Ashfaque (Ajay Devgan) is a small town boy aspiring to be a film star in the Hindi film industry. He joins a street theatre group run by a reformed dacoit Sidhu (Pankaj Kapur) who uses street theatre as a medium to bring about an awakening in the masses. Ashfaque struggles to give a creative vent to the actor in him in order to realize his dreams. Ashfaque's determined struggle pays off and he gets a break in films. He gets a new screen name Sameer Khan. With the passage of time, the roles start becoming better and he moves up the success ladder in a very short time. Soon, he becomes Sameer Khan the superstar one who can enact any role with finesse, get under the skin of any and every character with ease and walk away with audience applause.Sadly, amidst all adulation and applause, he slowly loses his own identity. He forgets his real self and imbibes all characteristics of the various roles essayed by him on screen. Corruption takes over his entire system, alienating him from all loved ones, including his wife Sneha (Vidya Balan). A shocking incident at a party changes everything, rocking Sameer Khan's lifestyle. He gets caught between his human self on one side and his corrupted superstar image on the other.Whether the conflict within him gives way to good sense and whether he is able to discard his corrupted image and emerge as a true life hero, becomes an integral part of this true life cinema. | satire, murder, flashback | train | imdb | What to say about Halla Bol...it is a commendable movie to watch.
After a long time I have seen a movie which has so much power in it and it inspires all of us to fight against injustice.
A must see film that lifts our spirits to raise our voice against crime.I applaud the effort of the actors who did justice to their role and added strength to the movie.
It is one of those rare films that motivate people of India to fight back.
Ajay Devgan has given an outstanding performance.
I believe that if more movies like this are made that bring social issues to limelight then the nation will be motivated to fight crime.
And even if the public is not motivated, the film still conveys the message of standing up for what you believe in life and that is what I am taking from this movie.
I thank the director for making an effort to reach the masses from this film.In two words "Good Work"..
Watch Halla Bol for Pankaj Kapur.
Raj Kumar Santoshi as director is at his element while handling a script that demands its pound of action and strong dialogues.
With Halla Bol he gets those occasional moments and on their basis the movie is worth a watch.
Movie star Ajay Devgan (Sameer Khan) knows the ropes of how the industry works and does his bit as a member of the film fraternity who bitches behind the back of colleagues, acts in umpteen commercials or turns sycophant, dramatic, romantic as the situation in reel or real life may demand.
But when he becomes an eye witness to murder at a party (Jessica Lal episode revisited) his conscience is at a crossword.With the aid of his theatre guru Pankaj Kapur (Sidhu) he declares Halla Bol on the nexus of politicians and important businessman who believe they can protect their guilty sons since they control the reins of 'Power' 'Paisa' and 'Public' in the country.The plot dips and loses audience interest at times since its a script that has been done in different variants before but then you can trust the director to deliver a few moments that draw a clap from the audience.The dialogues between Ajay Devgan and the Politician along with those few minutes when Pankaj Kapur reacts to a bribe are strong points and raise the movie above the ordinary.Ajay Devgan puts in a spirited performance but the movie belongs to Pankaj Kapur who lights up the screen every time (reminiscent of Sunny Deol doing his bit with Damini).For his portrayal as Sidhu - a reformed dacoit - and a bit of Ajay Devgan each time he hits out at the political big wig makes Halla Bol a movie to watch and get, shall we say
a bit inspired..
The story has been treated very well, the issue has been brought up very nicely and the way a person standing against norm has to suffer has been very well portrayed.
At the same time options for a person to fight against such evils are also presented.
The story also presents that we Indians are so engrossed in our daily lives and also doesn't want to be a part of any controversy even when it concerns other people life.
The director and all the actors has done a gr8 job and played their parts really well.
Rajkumar Santoshi's Hard Hitting Social Drama with Pankaj Kapur in full form.
It is encouraging to know that in the current scenario of rip offs, remakes and comedies, a filmmaker is there who has the courage to make films on social issues which need to be addressed.
Halla Bol is Rajkumar Santoshi's hard hitting movie inspired from a well known real life incident.
In the second half you see the good old Rajkumar Santoshi back in form in some well directed scenes.
2. It can also be seen as a redefined version of Rajkumar Santoshi's own masterpiece "Damini".
As here Ajay Devgan witnesses a murder and then fights for the justice.
A hero using the main hall of a minister's home as his bathroom and Vidya Balan giving some bold statements as the wife of Ajay Devgan to the press reporters.
4. This time Santoshi's 'Sunny Deol' is the powerful "Pankaj Kapoor" who is equally power packed and punchy as Sunny was in "Damini".
He is such a great actor that even when he has not got that physical appearance, still he makes you believe when he fights many men single handedly.
The film belongs to him completely.Ajay Devgan plays the role of Bollywood Star who was there in a party where a girl was shot dead.
As he comes from a good social background he stands alone against all oppositions and becomes a witness.
Pankaj Kapoor is there for his support who was once a dacoit and had surrendered after a moral transformation.
The movie is enjoyable in parts, specially the confrontation scenes between Ajay Devgan and the politician father of the murderer, with some powerful dialogues inviting cheers from the viewers.
But its all the way "Pankaj Kapoor" which you remember coming out of the theater for his gem of a performance.
Vidya Balan has nothing to do as Ajay's wife except one good scene with the press.
The movie is tense and lacks lighter moments of good humour.
Rajkumar Santoshi only manages to impress in the second half.
If only the first half had been more entertaining and engrossing, it could have resulted into a better movie.
"Halla Bol" lacks the complete ingredients of a blockbuster, still it's a welcome change to have a movie on social issues after "Rang De Basanti" and the movie should be watched only for one person, that's Pankaj Kapoor..
Shout Against Crime....Halla Bol. This is one of the movies which will remain in my collection for lifetime, and like to watch it again and again.
I am a big fan of Rajkumar Santoshi's movies except for Family which deserved nothing mark.
Though he is considered as a commercial filmmaker, but the way he makes every movie has deep relations with the real world.
Another example in this category is Prakash Jha.Halla Bol is about Sameer/Ashfaque, a street actor turned superstar after stepping in Mumbai's B-Town.
But after he gained superstar position in the film industry he avoids to step in controversy as it would spoil his stardom and popularity.
In that way, he faces the case for Rashmi Sahani murder case, in which he was a perfect witness.
It is clear that Ajay is a favorite choice of Santoshi for casting in this kind of movies which have social messages to the citizens.
Ajay and Vidya Balan couple looks great and cool.
But the one who makes this movie interestingly worth a watch is Pankaj Kapoor.
His convincing and motivating role as a dacoit turned reformer Siddhu is superb and deserved 10 out of 10 because only his presence takes the movie in forward.
Santoshi did a brilliant job by casting such a talented actor in his project.
After all, Halla Bol cannot be as great as Santoshi's previous The Legend of Bhagat Singh or Khakee but still can be accepted as useful to the audiences.
This is not for them those who simply watch movies for timepass, leisure or fun...but for them those who want to view the world's real happenings inside a movie.
One time watch movie.
Every time Pankaj Kapur's movie comes out, I eagerly wait to watch it.
So I went to watch Halla Bol, but for the first half hour I could not decide if I am watching Halla Bol or Madhur Bhandharkar's "Page 3" or Jessica Lal murder case on some news channel.
But as always Pankaj Kapur stands out.
Hope he gets more movies, and film industry does justice to his talent.This movie is not up to the standard of what we expect from Raj Kumar Santoshi.
The person gave us awesome movies like Damini, etc.
As for Vidya Balan, I don't understand how is she managing to get movies.
She is not a good actor, and does over acting most of the time.
But anyways, do watch the movie, it is a one time watch..
Halla Bol!!!.
This film had its flaws, the story line got a bit too filmy in a few places, was not so practical...
a few goofs here and there but in the end what I feel what matters is the overall feel and effect, where this film did very well.Analyzing this film, Rajkumar Santoshi does have a habit of touching an extreme, portraying a world with people who live either in the black or the white, he tends to leave out those who reside in the greys...
That is where this film lacks in the story, that it is not practical.But the same point comes to his rescue when it comes to involving the audience in his film, it becomes much easier for a viewer to associate himself with an extreme.The music was a part that got left out of the rain, had someone like AR Rahman done the music and the background score, the film would have got a lot more value added to it.
The acting was good, with all those in the lead doing an exceptional job...If one overlooks a few flaws this film surely makes for a great viewing, and surely does touch your heart!!!.
Halla Bol stinks!.
A complete waste of timeHalla Bol is a complete waste of time.
The script and dialogues are poorly written, the direction is lacklustre and the acting borders on hammy.This movie was clearly aiming for the Rang De Basanti crowd but it falls far short of the mark because it does not have even one of the elements that made RDB connect with its audience_great script, terrific acting, good direction and a powerful social message that was never preached but shown.Compared to that near-masterpiece, Halla Bol takes a step backwards by resorting to scenes such as the hero taking a leak on the villain's Persian rug and the hero's mentor staring down bullets in a truck no less!
All of this might have been acceptable in the 80s when there was a downturn in movie quality and bad movies like DivyaShakti and Phool Aur Kaante became big hits, but movie-making has become_should have become_more subtle and thoughtful of late.Rajkumar Santoshi is a capable director and I appreciate that he wants to give a social message in every movie he makes but maybe he simply does not know how to do it!
Maybe he should just concentrate on entertainment and leave the social messages to the Rakeysh Mehras and Aamir Khans.Even if you don't agree with everything I say, you will agree that throughout the screening you will be thinking that Rang De Basanti was much much better and Mr.Santoshi should have left the industry-bashing to Om Shanti Om. Industry-bashing?
That's right!!Santoshi has depicted the industry as a place of back-biting, bitching and the casting couch which the hero happily indulges in with a starlet curiously named Sania.
There are some people who will think that these portions show the real face of the industry.
Don't believe everything you see!All in all, raise your voice against movies like this and don't spend your hard-earned money on this bomb.* out of ****..
Mr. Rajkumar Santoshi needs no introduction.
Then he went ahead and seized up movies like "Damini", "Ghatak" and highly under-rated "Andaz Apna Apna" (PS: the rest are not worthy mentioning anyway).
If you look at "Halla Bol" it clearly gives away the fact that Mr. Santoshi has run out of steam.
If "Family" was yet another "Ghayal" then "Halla Bol" is definitely "Damini".
This time it is Ajay Devgan who witnesses a crime and decides to stand up against it.
Coming to his rescue is not a drunkard lawyer with "Dhaai-kilo ka haath" but a reformed dacoit Pankaj Kapoor.
The plot has been tweaked to incorporate bits from A.) "Bollywood Calling"/ "Om Shanti Om", B.) Power of public and C.) Jessica Lal murder case.Ajay Devgan:: Passable considering the plagiarised plot he decided to be a party to.
Vidya Balan:: Weak character which got compensated with a few fiery sentences like "My husband has got ****".
Finally Mr. Santoshi, nobody can fill in the shoes when it comes to your pairing with Sunny Deol.
Halla Bol starring Ajay Devgan & Vidya Balan.
'Halla Bol' Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi (China Gate, Lajja, Pukar, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, and Khakee) is a film about recognizing what is wrong in society and standing up for what is right.
Anybody who has a problem with the director's decision to cast his male lead as a sexy superstar should first refer to present day Bollywood and ask why all of India has selected and endured an average looker as their bad-shah for nearly two decades now.
Okay, with that kind of an introduction, I am pleased to tell you that the movie stars Ajay Devgan as a larger than life Bollywood superstar with a rags to riches story (Shah Rukh Khan any one?) Aptly named, Sameer Khan (Devgan) has it all, the fame, the fortune, the goods & the glory.
We are immediately introduced to the notorious two-faced world of behind-the-scenes Bollywood.
The initial shock of witnessing such a gruesome crime coupled with the fact that he had been acquainted with the deceased young woman earlier, may be the reason why Khan then decides to keep quiet about what he had seen.
A chanced encounter with the younger sister of the deceased forces Sameer to battle the demons within himself in order to "Halla Bol" (translated to mean "Speak Up" or "Raise Your Voice") & a media circus erupts when he steps forward to recant his testimony of not seeing anything that fateful night when indeed he had accidentally witnessed the murder.As he ponders the implications of the new turn of events, Khan flashes back to his life before he was a superstar (with half of the movie already done, I'm sure most people –like me- were probably wondering where does Vidya Balan -- his big name co-star-- fit in to all of this?) and it is at this point where we first see Ms. Balan.
She initially appears as Khan's love interest then later as his wife as the film progresses.
Ms. Balan has given applause worthy performances since her debut in 'Parineeta' but she seems to have faltered with this film.
No, I am not talking about the fact that this is her first (second billing) flop, I am strictly commenting on her lack luster performance in this film (she did better in her multi-starer flop 'Salaam-e-Ishq'.
Maybe the fact that she was up against the stellar acting prowess of Ajay Devgan (a legendarily talented actor in his own right) had something to do with it; I don't have all the answers.
All I know is that I did not like Balan in this film at all.
Something just was not right.All of the characters that we are introduced to in Sameer's flashback, now come to life to help defend his character against the forces that have turned against him(don't worry, the reason why they were initially absent from his life to begin with is explained during the flashback).
The two men that Khan witnessed murdering the young party-goer turn out to be sons of prominent members of society, including a crooked politician with ties to the underworld and top-notch business mogul.
This spells out trouble for superstar Khan who must now not only defend his honor but also his life as well as the lives of everyone he holds dear all in the quest for justice.Look for blink-n-miss-it cameos by Kareena Kapoor (in a weird non- speaking role
even though u can clearly see her speaking dialogue for some strange reason her audio was muted while in conversation with other people whom we could hear
I guess they did not want to pay her LOL!), Jackie Schroff, Sridevi, Tusshar Kapoor (his was the longest cameo, he could even be considered a character in the film.) Just to mention a few.
Devgan's playing a Bollywood superstar after all; he has to have star friends.
And just in case you missed the fact that Santoshi directed The Legend of Bhagat Singh & Khakee (also starring Devgan in pivotal roles), he never misses an opportunity flaunt this as part of his character's Bollywood achievements.
Touché!The movies excels in its plight to establish and send a positive message (Santoshi is a pro when it come to that) but fails in its attempt to be modern and stylish.
All in all, the film had its moments.
Great performance by Devgan (he is such a seasoned actor that even when he plays the younger version of himself in flashback it is so believable), Darshan Jariwala also co-stars.
Watch it for Ajay!.
Ajay Devgn is a superb actor.
He is one of the few actors who manage to speak a lot through their eyes.
And once again, in 'Halla Bol', he delivers a sincere performance.'Halla Bol' tells the story of how a small-time, timid wanna-be actor, becomes a superstar and then how he takes his stardom for granted.
But after witnessing a brutal murder, he raises his voice to prevail justice.'Halla Bol' is an average fare.
Maverick filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi directs this story with his usual touch, but the writing here lets him down.The first hour doesn't work.
In fact, the back-story, where Ajay is shown as a timid wanna-be actor, is far from convincing.
Acting wise, It's only Ajay who stays with you, even after the film has ended.
And like I also mentioned before, he is a performer who speaks a lot through his eyes.
Vidya Balan gets limited scope, yet she manages to leave a mark.
Pankaj Kapur is average.
Anjan Srivastava & Anupam Shyam are excellent in their respective parts.On the whole, 'Halla Bol' suffers from a erratic screenplay, yet I'd say to watch it for Ajay. |
tt0103874 | Dracula | It is the year 1462. Constantinople has fallen to invading Turks. Prince Dracula [Gary Oldman] must leave his bride Elizabeta [Winona Ryder] to do battle against the Turks. A ferocious and pitched battle occurs and Dracula's counteroffensive is a success and he leaves many in the Turk army alive and impaled on long spears on the battlefield. The Turks, seeking vengeance, send a message to Dracula's castle falsely announcing that the warlord has been killed in battle. Elizabeta flings herself into the river below. Because she committed suicide, the Bishop [Anthony Hopkins] proclaims her soul damned. Furious that God let his wife die while Dracula was defending His church, Dracula renounces God and the Church. He draws his sword and stabs the large cross on the dais of his chapel and it begins to bleed. Dracula drinks the blood flowing from the cross, proclaiming he will be reborn after his death with all the powers of darkness at his command.March 1897, England. Law clerk Jonathan Harker [Keanu Reeves] must travel to Transylvania to close the sale of 10 London properties being purchased by Count Dracula. Upon his return, Jonathan and fiancee Mina Murray [Winona Ryder] intend to be married. In Jonathan's absence, Mina goes to stay with her rich friend Lucy Westenra [Sadie Frost], who has just recently received three marriage proposals -- from Texan Quincey Morris [Bill Campbell], Dr Jack Seward [Richard E Grant], and Lord Arthur Holmwood [Cary Elwes] -- and she has decided to marry Arthur.Meanwhile, Jonathan has arrived at Castle Dracula following a strange carriage ride past blue flames and wolves. Even stranger is the Count himself. He never eats, sleeps all day, lives alone in a large castle in which most of the doors are locked, and crawls down the castle walls like a reptile. Jonathan has begun to have strange dreams about three women who try to seduce him. To Jonathan's further unease, the Count seems to be fascinated with a picture of Mina, who upon seeing her picture believes she is a reincarnation of Elizabeta, has forced Jonathan to write letters saying that he will be staying with the Count for another month. Meanwhile, the Count is preparing for his trip to England by having his mindless servants fill large crates with dirt from the grounds around the castle.July, 1897. Jonathan has been missing for over three months, and Mina is sick with worry, while Lucy is involved with planning for her wedding. But Lucy is not without worries either. A particularly violent summer storm has recently washed a ship of dead sailors upon the beach, and shortly thereafter Lucy has begun her old habit of sleepwalking. Each time she sleepwalks, she returns bewildered and pale. Dr Seward, who has his hands full treating the fly-eating lunatic R M Renfield [Tom Waits] , has taken on Lucy as his patient. She shows all the signs of anemia, but Dr Seward can find no cause for it. Consequently, he has decided to send for a metaphysician, philosopher, and specialist in rare blood disorders, his old mentor Professor Abraham Van Helsing [Anthony Hopkins]. Upon his arrival, Van Helsing immediately begins a blood transfusion on Lucy and places garlic near her bed. When Lucy's suitors ask what could possibly have caused such extreme anemia, Van Helsing suggests that a supernatural force may have been stalking her. The others find it too fantastical to believe.Meanwhile, Mina has begun occupying herself with a dashingly dressed but mysterious man she met near the cinematograph. He introduced himself as Prince Vlad of Szekely, and Mina is strangely drawn to him, as though she knows him. He is easily able to seduce her in the theatre but she is snapped out of her hypnosis when a large wolf appears and terrorizes the theatre-goers. Mina is surprised moments later when she sees that Vlad is suddenly friendly with the wolf.Mina later receives news that Jonathan has been found and has suffered a violent brain fever and is being cared for by the sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, who bid her to come to Romania and be married to Jonathan. She realizes that she can no longer see her prince again. Mina says goodbye to Lucy, writes a note to Dracula, and sets sail for Romania. Dracula, heartbroken at losing Mina to Jonathan, takes Lucy as his bride instead, attacking her in her bed as the wolf and causing a violent explosion of blood that kills her.Lucy is dead, although Van Helsing knows that the correct term is 'undead,' for he can see the fangs in her mouth and knows that she is 'nosferatu.' He explains to Arthur, Jack, and Quincey that, to give Lucy's soul peace, they must cut off her head and take out her heart. They are horrified and think that Van Helsing is just a sick old coot, until they
spend a night in Lucy's tomb and find her returning with a child in her arms. Van Helsing is able to force Lucy to release the child and forces her back into her coffin with a crucifix. Due to his engagement to and love of Lucy, Holmwood is selected to drive a large stake through Lucy's heart while Van Helsing beheads her with a single blow. When the deed is done, they band together to seek out the Count and destroy him.Mina and Jonathan have returned to London, only to hear that Lucy has died. One night, they have dinner with Van Helsing, and Jonathan realizes that he knows Count Dracula and that he sleeps in Carfax Abbey. After securing Mina at Dr Seward's sanitarium, the five of them -- Van Helsing, Jonathan, Quincey, Jack, and Arthur -- pay a visit to the abbey in order to sterilize Dracula's earth-filled crates. Meanwhile Dracula is paying a visit to Mina. When she learns that her prince is actually the vampyre who killed Lucy, she becomes extremely upset, but not enough to resist wanting to be with him, to live how he lives. Dracula drinks from Mina, then opens a vein in his chest and bids her drink. However, he stops short after she has taken but a bit. 'I love you too much to condemn you,' he explains. Suddenly, Van Helsing et al burst in the room. They attempt to destroy Dracula, but he changes into hundreds of rats and scurries away.Dracula knows that he cannot stay in England any longer and books passage back to Transylvania via Varna. Mina and the men follow close behind. As Dracula is in mind contact with Mina, Van Helsing knows Dracula's plans but Dracula also seems to know theirs. Instead of sailing into Varna, Dracula diverts the ship 200 miles north and lands at Galatz, causing a change in plans such that Van Helsing and Mina take a carriage directly from Varna to the Borgo Pass while Jonathan, Quincey, Arthur, and Jack continue by train to Galatz where they secure horses and ride for the Borgo Pass, hoping to intercept the Count. They are unsuccessful. Dracula's gypsies picked up his box at Galatz and are now speeding down the Borgo Pass road, making the race closer than ever.Mina and Van Helsing are almost to the castle but decide to stop for the night. Hearing spirits from the surrounding area, Van Helsing casts a circle around Mina and protects her by burning her forehead with a blessed communion wafer. They stay inside the circle through the night while Dracula's three brides tempt Mina to join them, killing the horses from their carriage. The next morning, as Mina sleeps in the circle, Van Helsing visits the castle and beheads the vampiresses, throwing their severed heads into the gorge.Near sundown, the gypsy wagon bearing Dracula in his crate approaches the castle. Jonathan, Arthur, Quincey, and Jack are riding hard to catch up. Mina and Van Helsing wait inside the castle courtyard. Mina calls up a blue flame to protect Dracula. As the gypsy wagon enters the courtyard, a gypsy stabs Quincey in the back. Jonathan attempts to open Dracula's box, but the sun has set and Dracula bursts forth, his strength revived. At that very moment, however, Jonathan slits Dracula's neck and Quincey stabs Dracula through the heart with a sword. Mina screams. As Arthur races forward to finish Dracula, Harker stops him. 'Let them go,' he says. 'Our work is finished here; hers has just begun.'As Quincey dies, Mina sits with Dracula on the chapel floor inside the castle. She kisses him, and he begs her to give him peace. Out of love, she pushes the sword the rest of the way through Dracula's heart. The burn on her forehead disappears, the wound in the altar cross repairs itself and Dracula dies, his face becoming youthful again. Mina gives him his final release by cutting off his head. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl] | avant garde, gothic, cult, violence, horror, good versus evil, insanity, romantic, revenge | train | imdb | Gary Oldman is absolutely fantastic, lavish, romantic,chilling, in particular as he plays an old Dracula in the beginning of the movie.
Coppola returned thirteen years later and created a similarly haunting and poetic so-called "masterpiece," a supposed truthful adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula tale - when, in fact, the truth is that this movie is no more faithful to Stoker than the (superior) Universal Pictures original.The hazy film-making is visually satisfying, and some of the special effects are - simply put - amazing.
It seems like Coppola loses a grip on his characters and plotting very early on.Oldman gives a chilling performance but isn't given very much to do, because he's set aside and the special effects take over.
The opening scenes of his battle and his motivation to become the King of the Undead is very enthralling - if Coppola had maintained this mixture of style and content the movie would have been far better.The casting of the weak Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder in leading roles harms the impact of the film as well.
Reeves sounds like a Californian pothead imitating a Brit; Ryder treats the material as if it is a dramatic, over-the-top theatre rendition; every line she speaks is sickeningly cheesy.Anthony Hopkins turns in a disappointing performance as the utterly forgettable Van Helsing, who is given very little to do in this particular film apart from show up when convenient and sprout fancy little one-liners, most of them dramatic closers to scenes (e.g.
Though I did not read the book and can't compare it to the movie, I found Bram Stoker's Dracula quiet excellent.
The most famous vampire in the history of literature and film is brought graphically to life in `Bram Stoker's Dracula,' directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and starring Gary Oldman as the Count from Transylvania.
Working from a screenplay (by James Victor Hart) that is a faithful adaptation of the novel, Coppola takes an artistic approach to the material and creates some startling and effective images-- some quite intense and erotic-- to tell the story of Count Dracula and his world of the undead.
"Bram Stoker's Dracula" is one of those films that reeled people in by making its audience believe that it would be an intense horror film on par with productions like "Rosemary's Baby" or "The Exorcist".
Instead, director Francis Ford Coppola stayed more true to Stoker's novel and put a focus on an intense love story that transcends time, the elements and even life and death.
By the late-19th Century, the titled character is trying to lure back a reincarnation of his one true love (Winona Ryder) and of course attempting to eliminate all those that might stand in his way (Ryder's fiance Keanu Reeves and professor Anthony Hopkins most notably).
Overall "Dracula" is an amazingly good looking film that benefits from high production values and guaranteed performances (mainly from Oldman and Hopkins).
Another thing that is real in this film are the pictures in the book Vampyr, which is read by van Helsing (Anthony Hopkins) in this movie.
There are some great (and famous) actors in this film: Anthony Hopkins, Winona Ryder, Gary Oldman, Cary Elwes and Keanu Reeves.
They all contribute greatly to this film, although I must say that the best acting comes from Gary Oldman (Dracula), Sadie Frost (Lucy), Sir Anthony Hopkins (van Helsing) and music legend Tom Waits (Renfield).
Now, what makes the movie a "tenner" is everything else, in particular Gary Oldmans interpretation of the count, and Anthony Hopkins as doctor van Helsing.The scene with Mina and Dracula in bed is one of the greatest romantic scenes ever, and sure to make any girl cry..
On top of its visual power is the treatment of the Dracula story, remaining very faithful to Stoker's vision.Gary Oldman turns in his best performance to date, both terrifying and compassionate, and is the most frightening Count since Max Schreck donned the Dracula gear back in the 1922 original.
Her various suitors try to help her and call for Professor Van Helsing to come and help they realise that this is not a simple battle against a disease of the blood.Although a little too long for my liking, this film is a very rich gothic telling of a story that has become watered down slightly with the many different versions of stories with the characters.
Meanwhile Coppola works well with shadows and images in the backgrounds to make the film have the feel of an old silent movie version (eyes in the storm) but with modern standards.
It's just a royal glut of crapness from start to finish.-Every cast member excerpt Gary Oldman turns in a career-worst performance par excellence.-Calling it 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' is an exercise bordering on the farcical.
This film should be called 'Francis Ford Coppola's unashamed molestation of Dracula, aided and abetted by the most staggeringly inept fake English accents ever committed to celluloid'.Keanu Reeves' English accent is (deep breath) worse, yes WORSE than Dick Van Dyke's horrific cockney aberration from Mary Poppins.
They are: Gary Oldman (as Dracula) and Anthony Hopkins (as Professor Abraham Van Helsing).Other than that the negatives regarding this movie are seemingly endless.
It is called "Bram Stoker's Dracula." The title is deceiving.This film is an incoherent mess, to put it rather bluntly.The effects, which look beautiful, only take away from the story-- you forget that this is a vampire movie and you are left with an impression that it is a special effects promo.
Poor Mr. Stoker....If he knew such trash like this would come out of his work, I'm sure he would have never written it.If you want to see a good Dracula film, watch the Klause Kinski version of Nosferatu.
It certainly isn't faithful to the novel, but at least it doesn't PRETEND to be, like this sorry excuse for a Dracula epic does.I would give this film a negative two hundred on a scale of one to ten, if not for Anthony Hopkin's brilliant performance as Van Helsing.
This simply isn't "Dracula".By naming it "Bram Stoker's Dracula" Coppola holds himself to a higher standard of faithfulness to the original book than any other version of the story, past or future.
Some of the costumes aren't bad, others aren't good.After seeing an interview with Coppola, one really gets the sense that he believes this is the way the story "should have" or "would have" been told had Stoker been allowed to write openly about certain topics.
The visual style is stunning and I just love they way they handled the characters.Without a doubt the best thing about this movie is Gary Oldman in his role as the blood sucking count from Transylvannia.
It was kind of weird, in the beginning it only focused on Harker and Dracula, in the second halve mainly on Mina and the third halve mainly on Van Helsing, it was very inconsistent all.Not only the main cast but also the supporting cast consists out of big names like Cary Elwes, Bill Campbell and Monica Bellucci.The musical score by Wojciech Kilar is really on of the best and most fitting scores in movie history.
I tried to forget about it immediately, but twenty-two years later, I found a used DVD of it at a thrift store (cost: fifty cents) and attempted to try a second time to understand why so many people thought this was the "best Dracula ever!!!" (see dozens of rapturous ten star reviews here on IMDb) In truth, this movie is still atrocious.So. It has been thoroughly established that the title is erroneous.
Other things obviously not being in the book were also really bad: Reeves performance and terrible wannabe English accent, Watts looks (because he looked like himself, not like a mad servant of Dracula's), lots of inconsistent and pointless details in the rest of the movie.
And it's not as if I thought he was great in other films, but in this one it was absurd, and on the verge of parody; the way he looks when he enters Mina's room with his friends to meet the count- his scattered look, compulsive blinking, lack of any emotion what so ever- just gave me the general feeling that Keanu momentarily forgot in which movie he was playing and what was expected from him.
She made quite an impression on me because she played Lucy perfectly) makes this a wonderful movie experience.So are you in for a night of Horror, Erotica, Love, Action, great special effects and a lot of Vampire teeth?
I'm 15 years old, and my English class just watched this movie, and rather than joining my friends in bagging it out, i was memorized!This movie flowed with such grace and style, and the tender scenes between the Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman were amazing, i was truly touched.Congratulations to all who took part in this wonderful film, and for those who enjoyed it, I'm glad to find some people that recognize a good story.
This is the definitive film version of Bram Stoker's novel, and if anyone is not stunned by the magnificence of this film or the phenomenally good performance of Gary Oldman in the title role, then I think they should be checked for a pulse.
So all in all, this film is the one that any fan of the novel should see first, and I think once they have seen the Lee versions they will agree that this film is the very best and the most faithful to Stoker's novel.To start with, Gary Oldman is the personification of the Dracula portrayed in the novel.
Keanu Reeves is an excellent Johnathan Harker, sufficiently afraid while in Dracula's castle and determined enough to kill him back in England; Winona Ryder is a fantastic Mina/Elisabeth; Sadie Frost is a superb sweet, naive and flirtatious Lucy; Arthur, Seward and Quincey are portrayed well and make excellent vampire hunters; and Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing is ten times better than the Peter Cushing version and a million miles closer to the eccentric genius portrayed in the novel.
Hart's stunning script, which adheres quite closely to Stoker's novel, including extracts from the novel and sufficient explanations to allow those who have not read the novel to understand and follow the plot.The superb direction by Francis Ford Coppola is beyond any faults, and his handling of the bed scenes between Dracula and Mina is enough to bring out all the raw emotions and tears among the audience, let alone between the two characters themselves!
The script is pure excellence and the prologue about Vlad the Impaler losing his bride (Elisabeth) after a battle between his people (the Transylvanians) and the Turks, then in his grief denying God's existence and avenging her death by becoming a vampire (i.e. Dracula) is superb and brings all the beliefs that Dracula was partly inspired by the real Vlad the Impaler bursting into a new light, and makes Dracula a sympathetic and tragic character, instead of the charming but deadly ladies' man as portrayed by Lee. The use of Romanian language in the prologue and later in the film adds authenticity to a beautiful and tear-jerking adaptation of the novel.The music is one of the very best as heard in a film, and in places is so utterly fantastic it could almost be an undiscovered Beethoven's symphony.
The half-man, half-wolf and the half-man, half-bat versions of Dracula are wonderfully created with make-up and special effects (bearing in mind this film was made in 1992) and the death of Dracula at the end (his throat slashed by Johnathan Harker and his heart impaled by Quincey Morris) is beautifully written, acted and directed, and the scene where he reverts back to the young Vlad the Impaler and is finally allowed to die with Mina (the reincarnation of Elisabeth - hence his affections towards her) next to him is so tear-jerkingly wonderful it leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.Stunning.
Add (subtract?) the painful acting of Keanu Reaves and his british accent and you end up with an unbearable movie.I'm not even going to *mention* Winona Ryder as Mina Harker...the mind boggles.One final thing, though...what was with the shadows?
Actually if you ever read the first chapter of the original Bram Stoker´s Dracula, you will be amazed how in some few pages, the author teaches you a little bit of many things at the same time that he tells you the first part of the story.
No, I have not read the book therefore I have nothing to compare it to but unlike most Dracula films Bram Stoker makes you feel compassionate towards Drucula (who more often than not depicted as a villain)with his pursuit for love.
Anthony Hopkins was a fitting selection for the famous Van Helsing and of course Winona Rider playing Dracula's long lost love was just superb!The way it ended was just gruesomely romantic (which is where i I think true blood got its idea of the ending of Bill and Sookie from the final season, but that just my opinion..) I can watch this movie every time it comes on TV and I still watch it as if it was my first time.#TeamDracula.
And the cast was also fantastic with Gary Oldman doing a great job at the very complex and difficult role of Dracula and Anthony Hopkin's brilliant portrayal of his nemesis Professor Abraham Van Helsing.
Despite this little hitch, I felt that 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' was absolutely brilliant, with exceptional performances (minus Keanu), a great script and Coppola's usual genius as a director, this is one the best films of all time.
Dracula travels to London to seduce Harker's fiancée Mina Murray(also played by Winona Ryder).Gary Oldman is deliciously evil but Keanu Reeves is well overmatched by his acting counterpart.
If you're one of the viewers who left the theater grumbling that the 1979 version with Frank Langella was better, then you're probably not of the target generation for this film.This new take on the classic Dracula story by Bram Stoker is all MTV attitude where the '79 film was something your dad probably listened to back before they invented CDs. There is a wonderful sense of lushness and extravagance to the sets and the costumes.
A lot of trouble brews throughout England as people get hurt, Dracula gets a new look and a vampire killer/slayer named Van Helsing is on the catch to get him.The story is all round the same but there are two major differences that I found with this film: The overall atmosphere and feel of this film was really different.
They took it to a whole new level as they got well known actors (being Gary Oldman playing Dracula and Anythony Hopkins as the Vampire Slayer), the music was full of dread, costumes and make up was also quite up to date style and the film followed the lines of Gothic and old times (obviously as this film is set in the 18th century).
The remake (like the Halloween Remake) was much more longer than the original film itself giving us more detail, back story, and a lot of story.Gary Oldman was an excellent choice as Dracula.
Skip this movie and watch NOSFERATU (the best film adaptation of Dracula out there, and a masterpiece all in it's own right too.).
A classic vampire novel, a good story (though in my opinion, could have been better told).Dracula - the 1992 movie?
Coppola sucks you into an entirely convincing, dark world with his feverish editing, impressive sets, outstanding costumes, brilliant special effects and the greatest Dracula put on film: Gary Oldman.
Oldman's and the other actor's Romanian(except for the vampire women whom are Romanian for sure) sucks big time(I admit I ask too much here as I'm a native and it isn't an easy language) There are hungreds of small things that further accentuate the alienations with the novel:1.Most of the initial Transylvanian story line was shrunken down to a lame carriage scene and replaced with that "story" in the 1400s that had NOTHING to do with the book and its only purpose was to induce further false plots further into the movie.2.Dracula's shadow and hair, OMG what the hell?
That wasn't a porn scene in the book.4.Dracula didn't break Harker's mirror just by thinking it, he just threw it away.5.Lucy wasn't raped by a big(poorly looking) Dracula wolf.I could go on and on in how this movie sucked in terms of plot, landscapes, acting etc etc etc but it wouldn't make it better.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)** (out of 4)Coppola's big-budget version of the classic story features Gary Oldman as Dracula, Winona Ryder as Mina, Anthony Hopkins as Van Helsing, Keanu Reeves as Harker and Sadie Frost as Lucy.
The title indicates that it's the movie adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula but, with the exception of the character names, it has nothing to do with the book itself.
Century's later he is back to keep his word but becomes infatuated with Mina (Winona Ryder) who bears a resemblance to his long dead true love.Forget the Bram Stoker bit, this is liberty taken wholesale, and forget any notion of this being a scary Dracula movie, for this is Gothic romance opulence.
How dare Francis Ford Coppola title this movie "Bram Stoker's Dracula." The movie does not begin as the book does nor does it end like it.
If I were to rate Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula based on style alone, it would get a pretty decent score, the film boasting some truly striking visuals achieved through a wide range of classic pre-CGI movie-making techniques.
They certainly shouldn't fall in love.And yet this film sees Dracula (Gary Oldman hamming it up for all he is worth), supposedly the most evil vampire of them all, sporting a really stupid get-up that makes him look like an old queen, and has him pining for a woman.
Also, he is given more of an origin.What they could have done was to admit that the film is about Mina and Dracula's love and therefore not faithful to the book at all. |
tt0100403 | Predator 2 | Los Angeles, 1997. The temperature in the city stands in the high 90s. In the streets, the LAPD and Colombian gangsters are fighting a pitched battle that the police are rapidly losing. Efforts to rescue two wounded cops have failed and backup is unavailable. Lieutenant Mike Harrigan bursts onto the scene. Harrigan arms himself and drives his car directly at the front lines, giving his comrades the chance to save their wounded friends. The Colombians seize the chance and retreat into a nearby building that serves as their stronghold.While the Colombians arm themselves they are attacked by an invisible enemy and slaughtered. Only the gang's leader, El Scorpio, makes it out, shooting wildly at Harrigan and his team. The hysterically terrified El Scorpio escapes to the roof, with Harrigan behind. On the roof, El Scorpio spots a distorted human figure and raises his guns to shoot. Harrigan shoots the man, who falls off the roof and is killed.In the room where the gangsters were arming themselves, Danny notices that one of them has been stripped naked and hung upside down about 40 feet above the floor. Marveling at the strength needed to perform such a task, Danny turns away and the body is pulled up by unseen hands. Outside the building, Harrigan is met by his captain, Heinemann, and told that he disobeyed direct orders. Harrigan argues with him, citing the war they're fighting an losing in the streets to better armed Colombian drug dealers who also have greater numbers. Adding to the mayhem is another faction, Jamaican gangsters, who are also fighting the cops and use brutal terrorist acts against their Colombian enemies.Back at his precinct, Harrigan is lectured by his other captain, who informs him that a federal investigation, lead by a man named Peter Keyes, is not to be interfered with. Keyes claims that his team is trying to stop the Colombian and Jamaican gangs from establishing an empire on the west coast. Harrigan agrees not to interfere in Keyes' work. Harrigan also welcomes a new member to his team, Jerry, a smart-mouthed and cocky detective.In a luxury apartment, Ramon Vega, the leader of the Colombian gangs is having sex with his girlfriend when they're interrupted by Jamaican gangsters. They hang him upside-down and cut his heart out as part of a voodoo ritual. They are suddenly attacked by an invisible enemy using superior weaponry. All of them are viciously slaughtered. When Harrigan and his crew arrive on the scene they enter the apartment against orders and find several bodies hung from the ceiling, skinned. Vega's girlfriend is the only survivor. Keyes enters the room and orders them all out. His own crew begins to examine the room, using unusual gadgets. Also in the room is a sleazy reporter, Tony Pope, who films much of the carnage. Everyone is ejected from the room and the woman who survived is taken away in an ambulance.Danny and Harrigan agree to meet at the scene later that night and conduct their own investigation. Danny arrives first and looks around the room. Seeing what appears to be a trail of claw-marks leading up a decorated column, he climbs up. In the rafters, he spots a small object embedded in an air-conditioner. He pulls it loose and examines it; it appears to be a spear-tip of some sort. Suddenly, he hears Harrigan's voice nearby and loses his footing and falls. An arm catches him and Danny looks up to see a large figure holding him by the ankle. The figure drags him back up and kills him. As he dies, Danny's necklace falls to the floor and is splattered with his own blood.Harrigan finds himself in Captain Heinemann's office. The captain reprimands him harshly for Danny's death and continuing to interfere with Keyes' investigation. Harrigan leaves the meeting angry and confronts Keyes in the station's lobby, telling him that he's motivated by revenge and will find Danny's killer himself. Strangely unoffended, Keyes tells him that the magnitude of the situation is beyond his comprehension. At the police forensics lab, Harrigan has a doctor examine the spear tip he recovered from Danny's body. The doctor determines that the metal isn't found on the Periodic Table of Elements. She also tells Harrigan about how Danny was murdered: by a sharp-edged weapon that cleaved Danny's heart.Harrigan tells Danny's wife, Leona, to arrange a meeting with King Willy, the leader of the Jamaican gangs, with the intention of sharing information about their mutual nemesis. Harrigan also meets with Jerry, who has done some surveillance on Keyes. The survivor of the attack in Vega's apartment was taken away in a helicopter and Jerry has been unable to find her. As he and Harrigan leave the bar, they are met by a large limo filled with Jamaican gangsters. Harrigan joins them and is taken to an alley where he meets King Willy. Willy, a voodoo practitioner, mysteriously tells Harrigan that the enemy they both face comes from a netherworld he can't understand. Harrigan leaves without answers. Just after he goes, the predator jumps to the ground behind Willy and walks through a small pool of water. The water causes an electrical disturbance on the predator's body and it becomes visible. It challenges Willy to blade combat and Willy loses. The predator carries Willy's severed head away and is seen cleaning the tissue off the skull for a trophy.Harrigan calls Jerry and Leona at the forensics lab. The doctor tells them that the only lead she has is from evidence collected at the scene of Danny's killing: whomever killed him left traces of debris that came from a slaughterhouse. Harrigan and Jerry recall that Jerry had lost track of Keyes in LA's meatpacking district. Harrigan tells them to meet him there.Harrigan goes to the cemetery to pay his respects to Danny. While he's there, he sees Danny's necklace hanging from a tree limb. Startled, Harrigan, looking around for his enemy, grabs the necklace and realizes the predator is stalking him specifically. Moments before, a small boy plays in the cemetery with a toy gun. The predator targets the boy but does not kill him when it realizes the boy poses no threat because he's unarmed.On the subway to the slaughterhouse district, Jerry and Leona encounter a group of gang members harassing a passenger. The passenger pulls a gun on them and the gang members do the same, prompting several other commuters to pull their guns as well. As Jerry and Leona try to defuse an impending slaughter, the predator jumps onto the roof of their car and enters it. It wades through the passengers, killing anyone who possesses a weapon. Leona is able lead most of the passengers out of the car and to the opposite end of the train. While she does, she sees Jerry shooting at an invisible target. Jerry's bullets have no effect and he leaps at the predator with a large knife. Leona pulls an alarm that stops the train and she guides the passengers out of the platform. She walks back to the last car and finds Jerry and a couple of commuters hung upside and dead. The predator suddenly appears and grabs her. Looking her over with it's infrared vision, it sees that she's pregnant.Harrigan arrives on the scene and sees the carnage. Jerry's body is gone and he walks down the tunnel, searching. He spots the predator ripping Jerry's skull and spinal column from his body. Harrigan chases it to street level. He steals a police car and chases it several blocks until he's stopped by Keyes' men. Taken to a high-tech command center, Keyes explains that the predator is an alien that uses advanced weaponry. He tells Harrigan about a commando team that encountered another of these creatures in a Latin American jungle 10 years prior. Keyes says that they believe the alien can only track it's prey using infrared technology and that his team, intending to capture it and study it, will wear special suits that will insulate their body heat and make them invisible. At the same time, they will dust the slaughterhouse with radioactive particles that will make the alien visible. Their ultimate goal is to freeze the alien with frozen nitrogen. The predator comes to the location every couple of days to eat the beef there. Keyes tells Harrigan to stay in the command center and observe.Keyes and his team move into the slaughterhouse. Their equipment functions well at first, until a couple of team members step on a creaking stair. The predator, hearing the noise, uses a small control panel to adjust it's vision enhancer, which changes several times until it's able to see the beams from the lights the team are using. Harrigan tries to warn Keyes that they've been spotted but the team is attacked by the predator, which kills nearly all of them. One of the teams sprays a smoke detector with nitrogen, setting off the warehouse's sprinkler system. Harrigan leaves the command center, arms himself and blows down the door just as the predator fires a blast from it's laser cannon at Keyes. Harrigan shoots at the predator, damaging its laser cannon. The alien tries to activate it's cloaking system but the water falling from the ceiling prevents from becoming invisible. Harrigan shoots the predator several times with a shotgun, blowing it onto its back. He approaches it slowly and removes it's helmet, studying it briefly before it wakes up suddenly and throws Harrigan backwards. The predator finally corners Harrigan and is about to kill him when Keyes intervenes, trying to blast the monster back with frozen nitrogen. Keyes tells Harrigan to retreat just as the alien throws a smart disk, cutting Keyes in half. The predator retreats to the roof of the building, using a breathing mask. It throws its large hunting spear at Harrigan and misses. Harrigan uses the spear to push the alien and himself off the building, where they both hang onto a ledge. The predator activates a timer connected to a small nuclear charge. Before the charge can go off, though, Harrigan uses the alien's smart disk to sever it's arm, deactivating the bomb. The alien falls down the side of the building and crashes into an apartment bathroom. It uses an elaborate first aid kit to heal it's wounds and again retreats. Harrigan follows it, falling into a cavern below the building where the alien's spacecraft has been hidden.Inside the spaceship, Harrigan finds a small shrine of sorts with skulls of humans, animals and aliens. The predator once again attacks Harrigan who fights it off and kills it with its smart disk. After it falls dead, several more predators appear and carry their fallen comrade off. The last one to leave looks over Harrigan briefly and tosses him a flintlock pistol, a trophy from a previous hunt. Engraved on the pistol is the original owner's name and the year 1715. Harrigan hears the ship starting up and runs out to cover just before the blast from the engines fills the cavern. As Harrigan walks out of a tunnel he meets one of Keyes' assistants, who, upon seeing the haggard Harrigan, leaves him. | comedy, neo noir, gothic, murder, cult, violence, good versus evil, action, suspenseful | train | imdb | Lines weren't meant to become one-liners, they were just so memorable that they ended up that way."You can't see the eyes of the demon, until him come calling." "Okay P-ssy face, it's your move." "Danny Boy."And of course..."Want some candy?"Granted, those aren't as good as the classics from the first Predator, like:"You son of a bitch!" "I ain't got time to bleed." "Knock Knock." "Stick around." "If it bleeds, we can kill it." "You are one ugly mother f---er."and of course..."AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"Last but not least, the music score from Predator 2 is one of the best ever.
But when a secretive government task squad, headed by Peter Keyes (Gary Busey), enters the picture and takes increasingly odd actions, it seems that something even more bizarre may be responsible (a fact also given away by the film's title, it's relationship to the Predator series, and obvious shots involving the titular character early in the film).For my tastes, Predator 2 is an example that breaks the supposed trend that "sequels are never as good as their predecessors".
Additionally, we have Gary Busey, one of the odder actors in Hollywood (just watch his comments on the DVD extras)--a fact that to me always pleasantly comes through in his characters, and the incomparable Morton Downey, Jr., basically playing his "real life" television talk show personality, is even present as a "guerilla" journalist.The music, special effects and every other technical aspect are also excellent.But what makes this film even better is the brilliance beneath the obvious aspects.
Underrated, interesting sequel to the Arnold Schwarzenegger hit has Danny Glover trading in his user friendly Roger persona to play a rougher, tougher, more kick ass cop who fears heights and goes one on one with a new Predator, who has some new tricks to share with the world when he lands in LA during a wave of both crime and heat.
Glover and his team begin to hunt the new gang until they are joined by a FBI unit who seem to know more about the gang than they let on.This follows on from the first movie well - not a forced sequel picking up from the last, but a different film that ties it's action in with previous events.
The plot is basically the same as the first - an unseen attacker attacks armed forces in the jungle - except here it's in the urban jungle, and it's actually pretty good.The plot has the core of the predator doing battle, but now has another string of the FBI/Gary Busey conspiracy which makes the film much more interesting.
First of all the original revolves around Arnold S.(although I still find it to be Arnold's best movie, and also like Carl Weathers and Sonny Landham) who is this 80's action-man stereo-type one-dimensional feel-no-pain killing machine who nobody in their right mind can identify with and second the jungle is much too obvious a studio set.The second Predator on the other hand is set in an anarchic future in the asphalt-jungle, midst a drug dealers-police violent confrontation(I loved the war-zone-city vision), and hunted by government agents(this being an excellent pretext to display some stylish shooting-techniques and unusual angles, and also explain the creature's nature and motives) who want to capture the beast(Gary Busey-another brilliant performance) to study it for it's killing potential.
The voodoo-gang's whole mystique, the hard music score, the attention for detail - the south-American influenced interior design of the drug-lord apartment or the interior of the alien ship(there are some hidden treats for the trained eye, like the alien skull and other interesting trophies) and not at least the creature's design are just a few examples for the stylish quality of this much better than the original sequel.
The same goes to the director of the first, John McTiernan, who dodged a bullet directing in the same year "The Hunt of the Red October".This sequel honors the saying of "Second parts were never good," and supposed the beginning of the end for the alien character of "Predator", since the poor have not taken advantage of good way in any of the sequels that have been made , They are all a garbage, and when they put it so that it was faced against Alien, already was the height of absurdity.In this returns Kevin Peter Hall from the first one, but newcomers as: Maria Conchita Alonso ("Running Man"), Robert Davi ("Raw Deal", "Licence to Kill"), Gary Busey ("Lethal Weapon") complete the recurring roles.A piece of garbage.
But of course, everyone could've seen this coming, because that's how sequels tend to be like; very, very pale in comparison to the original.This time we have the Predator not in the jungles of Central America, but now in the streets of Los Angeles that has become over-run with a gang war between the Jamaicans and the Columbians.
We've already seen the Predator before and we already know what it looks like, so the movie is basically wasting time trying to keep us guessing.But what really killed this movie for me was Danny Glover.
Los Angeles is imploding with mayhem as gang wars fill the streets, an under pressure police force try to restore order, but both parties have another foe to worry about, a Predator is in town, and he's about to up the ante.Gone is Arnold Schwarzenegger, gone is John McTiernan, and gone is the jungle setting, so following in the foot steps of the ultimate beefcake movie that was Preadtor 1987 was an unenviable task it seems.
Yet I personally feel that Predator 2 stands up to scrutiny as a fine entry into the sci-fi/action genre, locating it among the urban decay of L.A. works real well, and pitting the Predator against a tough grizzled (but hardly giganticus beefcakeus) cop (Danny Glover) gives us a smart brains against brawn story.
There is plenty of bloody snotty gore to appease fans of that persuasion, and it's nice to report that the characters on show do actually impact as part of the story.It has a fine cast that reads like a who's who of action films, Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), Bill Paxton (Aliens), Robert Davi (Die Hard), Gary Busey (Under Siege), Rubén Blades (Once Upon a Time in Mexico) & Maria Conchita Alonso (The Running Man), whilst Kevin Peter Hall dons the Preadtor suit and suitably kicks arse again.
Amidst a territorial gang-war, a sophisticated alien hunter (Kevin Peter Hall , he had studied African tribal dances in order to get into the feel and flexibility and to give him a personality) stalks the citizens of Los Angeles and the only man between him and his prey is veteran LAPD officer, Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover ,at one point Arnold Schwarzenegger was going to co-star in the film, but chose to do Terminator 2) , being only helped by his underlings (Maria Conchita Alonso , Ruben Blades , Bill Paxton).
Interesting script by Jim Thomas and John Thomas , the original storyline of the film was to have taken place in New York City, but writers quickly changed it to Los Angeles because of budget concerns , as the scene where the Predator raises the skull during the lighting storm was to have taken place atop the Chrysler Building .
And amongst them: Stephen Hopkins, who has consistently given me the most entertainment out of the crappy movies he's made.Let's make things clear, Predator 2 is most definitely NOT better than it's previous film.
The Predator itself is given much more of a personality this time, with the kills being more obviously trophies rather than just butchering everything and it is given much more of a background and don't forget, this is the film that gained widespread popularity about the concept of these creatures verses the Aliens with the now infamous 'trophy room scene'.The film races along like most movies of the era, i.e. very good and is possibly one of the last action films to be purely an action film before CGI really started to poke it's nose in about a year later.It would have been interesting to see Schwarzenegger in the film for curiosity's sake, even for a cameo but people just don't seem to see the genius of casting Danny Glover.
Sequels without the original characters never seem to do well as the recent 28 WEEKS LATER show ( It's a much better film than is given credit for ) but I think the producers deserve some congratulations for trying something different Certainly this movie gets off to an explosive start with the LAPD in a shoot out with a Latino drugs gang and it's safe to say that both the pyrotechnic and stunt team earned their money with this shoot .
Okay it doesn't have Arnie blowing away lots of bad guys but when you compare it to these dire ALIENS V PREDATOR movies it's actually quite good and hopefully now its reputation will go up slightly.
It is my childhood movie and the last good Predator film and worthy sequel of all time.
I think this film is highly underrated and no where near as bad as some say about it.Why I love this film as much, that I love the original film?: because of action, it is sequel to the first movie, Kevin Peter Hall stars in this movie actor from the first movie , it has Predator movie theme score, more Predators showed up at the end.
It has since become a cult film among fans.Amidst a territorial gang war, a sophisticated alien hunter stalks the citizens of Los Angeles and the only man between him and his prey is veteran L.A.P.D. officer, Lieutenant Mike Harrigan.This electrifying action sequel unleashes the deadly invisible Predator in another jungle -- the urban jungle of Los Angeles.
Gary Busey and Ruben Blades co-star in this action-packed, high-tech thriller.Predator 2 is a 1990 American science fiction action film written by Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover and Kevin Peter Hall.
The film is a sequel to 1987's Predator, and Kevin Peter Hall again plays the role of the Predator.10/10 Score: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: 20TH Century Fox, Silver Pictures Starring: Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, Robert Davi Director: Stephen Hopkins Producer: Joel Silver, Lawrence Gordon, John Davis Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 48 Mins.
The first PREDATOR was a violent, well produced action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leader of a band of army commandos who are hunted by an alien creature in a South American jungle.
Black and white is not as interesting, to me anyway, as the varied shades of gray that the original film created.The fact that PREDATOR 2 has many well produced action sequences, but very little character development, should come as no surprise considering that it is directed by Stephen Hopkins (LOST IN SPACE, JUDGMENT NIGHT, BLOWN AWAY, THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS).
Danny Glover steps into the lead role, but seems out of place as an action film tough guy (his character in the LETHAL WEAPON series, the closest comparison, had much more nuance).
Most of the things that made the original Predator movie great are missing in this follow up, Arnold Swarzenegger, the Jungle setting and John "Die Hard" McTiernans direction.
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsDefying the laws of sequels somewhat,Predator 2 does not feature it's originals lead star,Arnold Schwarzenegger.Interestingly,he pulled out of playing in it and left the leading action man duties down to Danny Glover,Mel Gibson's sidekick in the Lethal Weapon films.And what we have is a film that is certainly very action packed,but at the same time gratuitously violent and gory and also unfairly depicts all it's violent drug lord characters as being of either Columbian or Jamaican origin.The predator creature effects are still very impressive though,and director Stephen Hopkins commandeers a mesmerizing visual feel throughout the film.It seems to pass by a lot more quickly than the previous film too.***.
And then this bloody alien shows up,The rest of the cast are great, too, 'Predator 2' is more interested in character than how much a guy can bench, so here the muscles are replaced with mouths: Bill Paxton essays one of his most memorable roles as brash country cop Jerry 'The Lone Ranger' Lambert, Maria Conchita Alonso is perfect no-bullshit action-heroine fodder as Glover's partner Cantrell and Gary Busey performs his usual eye-rolling, wisecracking shtick to perfection as shady Special Agent Keyes, a role originally intended for Arnie's big comeback.
Aside from Kevin Peter Hall, who returns to play the Predator, the cast is entirely different from that of the original.This film is set in 1997 in L.A. where rival gangs have turned the streets into a war zone and where the Predator is loose and off killing/skinning people...
This sequel in my opinion is a good action slasher movie as the original, I love this film to death.
I love the third act of the film which is more interesting.I understand Arnold is not in here, but Danny Glover and Gary Busey did a great job with there characters.
Ably supported by well known faces like Danny Glover and Bill Paxton Predator 2 is better than a bad movie but not as good as a great one.
This was never going to live up to the original.The first film,being the master piece that it was,would never have been as popular as it is if Arnold had not being apart of it.So in this movie we have to settle for Danny Glover!Why him?He spends the whole film prancing around in his old man pants looking very old age pensioner like.The Predator,being the main star,is given some major screen time.The predator design can't be faulted,he looks amazing.His spear is his only problem,its too big and bulky to be used by an efficient killing machine.The plot.....now here is where we kinda fall off the wagon.In theory its a solid enough idea.The predator is drawn to LA by the heat wave and conflict between the police,the Jamacions and the Colombians.The predator spends no time in dealing with the Colombians,next up are the Jamacians in a pretty thrilling sequence of events.Then Mr Glover's friend buys the farm and Mr Glover takes it upon himself to find the killer.you can probably guess the rest.There's a pretty decent subway sequence,and a very "Aliens" like Slaughter house sequence.Then the film plummets into a lack of ideas.a cat and mouse chase scene takes place to kill some time before arriving at the predators space ship which looks as if it was thrown up on a sound stage in about five minutes.overall its OK.The acting is nothing special.The plot runs out of ideas and there's a cameo from an alien.
Knock, knock...Stick around....bluurrrghhh!) And far less macho posturing as well, making this film one of the very few movie sequals that manages to be better than the original.Danny Glover is very well cast in the role (albiet he seems to have laryngitus) and is supported well by Bill Paxton if not by Maria Alonso (Who still cannot act) Although we have a few hollywood sterotypes (the yardies, generic SA drug gang) everything fits in well here.The Predator of this movie is younger and brasher than the one in the first, eager to get trophies he feels are worthy of his alcove and quite happy to kill anyone else carrying a weapon in his presence.The chase scene and ending to this film were both very satisfying:(After following the predator out of the destroyed bathroom in the old folk's apartment: Harrigan: "It's OK!
Those suits were human technology to avoid detection by the Predator, the Predator's suit is technology to be stealthy against the humans.If you don't like a cool alien killing all kinds of people, shootouts, gritty city settings, and excess blood and explosions, what are you watching an action movie for in the first place?
It's the year 1997.It's a war in the streets of LA.Drug lords have taken the control.Suddenly an invisible alien starts killing people in the streets.Predator is back!The late Kevin Peter Hall performs the creature again.Danny Glover plays lieutenant Mike Harrigan.And he has to stop the space creature.Predator 2 from 1990 is a sequel for the classic movie from 1987.There Arnold Schwarzenegger played Dutch who was fighting against the ugly creature in the jungle.The sequel can't get even close to that.Danny Glover is a great actor and he does a fine job in this movie.But Predator 2 just doesn't have what the original had.There is some great action in this but that's all there is.The original was so much more.Watch Predator 2 at least for the great action scenes..
As people have said, there is more Predator time on screen, the action sequences are exciting, new weapons, all these things really add to this being a great movie.
While Danny Glover was solid in his role as Harrigan, this film couldn't capture the original coolness of Predator 1.
Don't get why this is only a 6.3 on here, it's really good!Different to the original sure, but it complements it nicely, with some stand out performances by Danny Glover and Gary Busey, plus it's the only other film where Kevin Peter Hall plays the Predator.Some of the set pieces - like the metro and the meat packing facility - rival anything from in Predator 1, and this is a on the whole a very worthy follow up.
i watched the sequel now for the third time and i must say it's still doesn't bore me because it's a unique movie.First,you have Danny Glover a real acting pro.Second,there's a great atmosphere (example:An alien hunter in the asphalt jungle what do you want more).Third,you have the best special effects you have ever seen. |
tt1352369 | Gurotesuku | A young couple Aki and Kazuo are snatched off the street while having their first date as a romantic couple after a few years working in the same office, and wake up shackled in a basement, which has all its walls covered with plastic. With no further explanation, a sadistic madman degrades, tortures and mutilates them. Initially, he punctures Kazuo's belly with a screwdriver and slices his tongue, then rapes both, one at a time, forcing the other to watch. Sometimes he stops the torture to provide medical assistance and cure the couple's wounds, so they can continue alive for a long period of time. This way he cuts off all their fingers, makes collars with them, pops out Kazuo's right eye, removes the girl's nipples and cuts off her right arm. As the torture progresses, it is revealed he is simply doing it for sexual stimulation, and tells the couple he wants the two to survive. He finally castrates Kazuo, claiming he has found all the sexual relief he needs, so no longer needs the couple's "services". Then the couple is moved to a room which resembles a modern and clean hospital room, where the kidnapper takes care of the couple's wounds. While it is never explicitly mentioned on the movie, it becomes gradually apparent that the man has professional medical training, refined manners, taste for classical music and good wines and dressed with expensive clothes when he is not in surgeon dress torturing the couple. At some point he even mentions he is a wealthy man, which suggests he may be a reputable surgeon, not merely a violent sadist, looking for an extreme and different way to obtain satisfaction on his lonely life; however, the couple also notes the doctor has a particular rotting smell always present behind his clean and elegant appearance. After several days healing, the "doctor" simply tells the couple they will be free to go, he will turn himself to authorities and, as apology for all the suffering he inflicted to the couple, he will give them all his fortune which seems to be very large, as compensation. After all the horror, in a moment alone in the hospital room, Aki and Kazuo promises to support each other once they leave the place and become a formal couple. It is unclear if the madman changed his mind, or if playing with the couple's hopes to survive and being released soon was part of his mischievous plan from the beginning, but immediately after communicating to them they will be released, the next scene takes back the couple to the scary basement. After being drugged, they are shackled again, exactly as they were the first time. The "doctor" announces they must participate in one final test of love strength. He pulls out an extreme of Kazuo's intestines and attaches them to a hook. If Kazuo is able to cross the room to the other side (pulling off his entire intestines out of his body in the process), take a scissors and cut Aki's ropes to release her, both will be finally free. However, Kazuo fails due to blood loss and falls to the ground, agonizing (it is also revealed that the ropes restraining Aki have a metal wire running through them, rendering them impossible to cut with scissors; the task was therefore impossible). Aki begins to insult the doctor, telling him he is just the son of a whore that nobody cares about, and insists despite his refined manners and expensive clothes, he has an unusual and unbearable skunk odor, no matter how hard the tries to cover the stench. Angered, the doctor cuts off Aki's head in response and as her head falls down, it lands on the man's neck and bites him with her final breath. Kazuo on the floor, not dead yet, stabs him in the foot with the scissors as a supreme last action. The couple then dies facing each other. In the epilogue of the film, the madman is revealed to have survived what happened to him in the basement, although he cannot walk properly. He is in a quiet forest where he respectfully buries the couple next to each other in a traditional Japanese way, leaving the scissors on their tombs as a symbol. The next scene shows him back in the same car he used to kidnap the couple, covering himself with lots of perfume to hide his skunk stench while a girl is walking by, and the screen cuts to black as he goes after his next victim...Source: Wikipedia | violence, cruelty, murder, sadist, flashback | train | imdb | Grotesque (2009) *** (out of 4)Extremely graphic, depraved and vile film from Japan about teenagers Kazuo (Hiroaki Kawatsure) and Aki (Tsugumi Nagasawa) who are on their first date when they're kidnapped by a sadistic surgeon (Shigeo Osako) who takes them back to his house, ties them up and begins to torture them.
In all honesty this is a good thing because a film like this doesn't need any boring backstory and in fact the worst thing about the movie is the one flashback introduction to the two teens.
A sick doctor kidnaps a couple and torture them in different ways, often in gory ways.As a torture movie, this film can clearly be classified as a "torture-porn", or more likely "gorno".
With a lot of torture throughout this film, it can also be called a modern variant of the infamous "Guinea Pig"-film series, especially the first two movies being "Devil's Experiment" and "Flower of Flesh and Blood", which "Grotesque" seems to pay a homage to.Like other films like "Ichi the Killer" and "Murder-Set-Pieces", this film was said to be available in Norway with an 18-rating, only to get banned later by Medietilsynet (the Norwegian answer to MPAA).
Even on the Danish DVD I have it clearly says that this film is banned both in Norway and the UK.In the UK this film is banned by BBFC, because this film has minimal narrative or character development and features more humiliation, brutality and sadism.Absolutely NOT for weak stomach and any viewer under the age of 18.So, can you manage to stomach through this Japanese hell of a movie, which is even worse than "Hostel" and "Saw" altogether?.
I wouldn't say gore wise this over-tops anything else that is out there especially from Japan (thinks Ichi the killer) but it is as full on as it can go.what turned me of was that the movie is very mean spirited and has no other feature than to show the torture and brutality inflicted on our two victims.
I don't mind the occasional torture scene liking films such as Hostel, Texas Chainsaw, Inside, High Tension, Martyrs, Frontiers and the Saw franchise but for all there faults they all give you some story, breathing room between the torture scenes, production, some meaning and actually entertain.
If being locked in the same room for and hour and 15 minutes while you watch the most extreme close ups of sadistic torture without anything else to it thrills you then maybe this movie is for you.I am trying to stress i am not opposed to gore, i am personally just opposed to gore alone with no other meaning besides thrilling those sickos that like this stuff and revolting everyone else - simply to revolt.
If your curious due to it being a banned film in 2009 (i can't believe a film is banned in this day and age) or just like a bit of gore than seek it out and have a look but i don't think this is a film that many will sincerely enjoy and watch again.
If that's not enough, the finale radically shifts the tone for seemingly a cheap laugh in a movie that hasn't earned or even tried to get that reaction at any time beforehand.Whenever I see someone review a film with this level of violence and knock it, even if I think it's great, I understand.
so i am not going to judge the film for not meeting any expectations of disgust/excitement,but rather point out that it really has no plot, and no visuality to speak about, i guess the film crew relied on the snuff-ish scenes to make up for the costs,because other than them, the movie is devoid of anything at all worth mentioning.
This is a movie, you don't undermine for it's shocking violence, where each sick torturous act out shocks the last (some torturous methods, mirroring the ones in Daddy's Little Girl), and don't think for a second, cause of it's 73 minute running time, that it lessens the amount of horror you expect to see.
Most people will know what their getting themselves into and at least there's more entertainment value in this than seriously sick stuff like the Guinea Pig and Slaughtered Vomit Dolls films.
Honestly, had the BBFC not banned "Grotesque" in the U.K., calling the film "little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism," this nasty movie wouldn't have even popped up on anyone's radar.
But alas, banning a film only makes people want to see it even more, so in light of the BBFC's decision I had to see, is "Grotesque" worth watching?
Everybody was hyped when Gurotesuku was banned in the United Kingdom...me included.I was expecting the Japaness "August Underground", in term of shock and violence, but it's not.The plot is just a excuse to show some violence: a maniac kidnaps a couple and tortures them.The movie had good special effects, but it's NOT that violent for enter in the annals of extreme cinema, don't trust comments like "Gorey as *beep*, U ARE A PERV IF U WATCH DIS !" Gurotesuku is the perfect example how banning a movie can make it popular on the internet and international market.Want a real shocking movie ?
I almost didn't even watch it because I don't like boring torture movies, so I left this one for a while thinking it was pure gore.
The ending also has a shocking twist to it.This movie is NOT all about gore and violence, like other people so falsely claimed.
Yes there is lots of it, far more than movies like "A Serbian Film" so if you cannot handle that, then go watch SESAME STREET or MY LITTLE PONY instead.
A Japanese entry into the torture porn genre is more graphic yet at the same time less powerful (not to mention entertaining) than similar Western movies, like Saw, Hostel or a Serbian Film.
It isn't a horror movie either and there is no deeper meaning.It is just a series of torture shots, one after the other and it is difficult to guess what kind of appetite it can feed in the viewer except neurotic perversions.For people looking for a fright there are movies a million times better - even if very graphic.
I just watched this movie reason why was because it's banned and i wanted to see what's so bad about it.All admit it's not really a horror movie its just a sick movie why sick torture acts it dose have a story but the story is sick and twisted.you will only be really disturbed by it if your under age (note not one for the kids you really need to be to understand this stuff isn't right) light hearted a woman or get disturbed really easy.its one to see out of curiosity over all as a movie in whole its not that good that's why i gave it a 4 out of 10.It dose have lots of blood and torture as that's what the movies all about but it isn't that bad but this movie should only be viewed by people who are old enough to know this is wrong and by people who are right in the head..
Fortunately, these days, where there's a will, there's usually a way, which means I am now able to fill you in on the details about this sick flick from Japan which has gotten so many censors' knickers in a twist.In a nutshell, Grotesque is director Kôji Shiraishi's reply to horror film-makers in the West, who in recent years have been claiming 'torture porn' as their own concept, when in fact, the genre was practically invented by the Japanese (can anyone say Nikkatsu?
By ramping up the violence in his film to never-before-seen levels of nastiness, Shiraishi is basically flipping the bird to all the Eli Roth's of the world and screaming 'Follow that, if you dare!!!'The story, for want of a better word, sees a young couple, Aki and Kazuo (Tsugumi Nagasawa and Hiroaki Kawatsure), abducted by a lunatic (brilliantly played by stony-faced Shigeo Ôsako) who sexually abuses and physically tortures people in order to get his jollies: apparently, this sicko can only be sexually satisfied by observing his victims' will to survive.For starters, the psycho pushes a large nail to the back of Aki's throat (through a hole in his ball-gag!) and inserts another into his abdomen; then both Aki and Kazuo are stripped and sexually stimulated to...
The best film I've seen that fits this 'genre' over the last few years is 'Martyrs', and while I wouldn't credit Gurotesuku as being at quite the same level it does seem to achieve something, given appropriate interpretation and invention, that many viewers seem to have missed.On the face of it this just seems to be an opportunity to torture and maim an innocent couple with very little motivation for engaging the viewer in a story or character development, but as a psychological study of the human mind it is a potentially terrifying hour and a half that, if viewed in the right way, deserves far more credit than it will inevitably get.The story summarises as thus: a couple venture out on their first date and after getting on fairly well (though it's obvious that the guy has far more affection for the girl) they are knocked-out by an unknown assailant and wake up chained to surgical-style beds where they undergo some extremely horrific torture for what turns out to be quite a legitimate reason (psychologically speaking) by the aforementioned perpetrator.
The general point is that the assailant has never known love, and therefore decides to torture those who dare to experience it by finding out how far they are willing to go to protect the subject of their emotions.What follows, and in particular the 'hospital' scene, is a traumatic roller-coaster of 'would you, wouldn't you' dilemmas that could surely leave anyone who watches the movie asking how far THEY would actually go to protect a loved one.
And in such a situation, dangling a carrot of hope in front of them, only to whip it away again, would surely be a fitting way to break one's spirit.The fact that this transgression, and the general tone of the movie, will be missed by many is testament to the fact that American cinema has prepared viewers for a far more linear and character-based analysis than this and engaging the masses in this way will obviously; ultimately lead to a very niche-market appeal.Despite an annoyingly redundant scene at the end of the film, those who claim to appreciate this category of disturbing cinema, and who are willing (or daring enough) to immerse themselves in the sickening extremities of human nature will be disturbed, horrified and unsettled by Gurotesuku, and considering these three adjectives are arguably the most sought-after by hardcore horror aficionados, it's difficult to argue that it doesn't succeed..
It is mostly a horror film but the love story sub-plot is quite interesting, maybe even the main focus of the film.(slight spoiler) I also have to mention that there is a ridiculously hilarious scene near the end where a decapitated head bites a guys neck and its really out of place and that made it even more funny.It delivers the violence and gore but the plot is also interesting on its own so it doesn't really matter if you're watching because you want gore or because you like Asian horror.If you like something different or just more torture this should be a satisfactory watch..
Within the genre of 'gorno' or tortureflick -what's in a name- i think it's a good movie.The effect's are well made, and there are certainly a couple of nice twists to make the whole thing very amusing and watchable.In my opinion it doesn't drag too long and the acting is good.So if you liked the Guinea Pig series i think you're spot on with this one.It's better made and certainly equals the sickness.Much better than any Saw or Hostel.Maybe only outsickened by Salò.Recommended only to people with taste for depraved cinema.
He said that cuts were "not a viable option".The film's director and screenwriter Koji Shiraishi responded that he was "delighted and flattered by this most expected reaction from the faraway country,since the film is an honest conscientious work,made sure to upset the so-called moralists".A young couple Aki and Kazuo are kidnapped by sadistic madman and sadistically tortured and mutilated in his basement.For example our torturer cuts off all their fingers with a chainsaw,makes collars with them,pops out Kazuo's right eye,cuts off girl's nipples with scissors,cuts off her right arm and castrates Kazuo.He is doing all this cruelty galore for sexual kicks.He is actually trying to measure the strength of his victims love.The finale of "Grotesque" is extremely gory and silly at the same time.Still I sort of enjoyed this modern piece of depraved filth.8 out of 10..
The guy stands there & makes it clear to both that he will torture them & if their will to survive is strong enough & he gets sexually aroused enough he will spare them, however once the unbearable torture begins how long can the captives hold out for...Also known under the title Grotesque: Unrated Version which was what the version I saw was called this Japanese extreme torture horror flick was directed by Kôji Shiraishi & was recently banned here in the UK which has predictably had the effect that everyone now wants to see it because it's 'banned' whereas if Gurotesuku had been rated 18 without any fuss no-one would ever have heard of it & it would have sold a few hundred copies on DVD at most.
Anyway, what we have here is a film almost totally devoid of any meaningful narrative or plot & an increasingly boring conveyor belt of sadism, humiliation & torture as some guy (we never find out who he is or his name) gets sexually turned on by watching other people suffer & try to survive & cope with horrible injuries he inflicts upon them.
There's some blood splatter, needles are stuck into people, hands are cut off with a chainsaw, severed fingers are seen, an arm is chopped off, a head is chopped off, a woman has her nipples cut off with scissors, someones guts are pulled out & this guy hammers nails into his victims testicles that isn't overly graphic but the mere thought of it will send shivers down any mans spine & he also cuts his penis off which again isn't actually shown (due to a well placed sheet) but it's clear what is happening.
View on the film:For the film only featuring three actors for the whole of its 75 minute running time,the cast impressively never make the characters that they are just going round in the same constant circles,with Tsugurmi Nagasawa and Hiroaki Kawatsure as the unlucky couple,giving the characters a good bit of depth,that really seems to be lacking in the script.A long with giving the characters a bit of extra background,the two actors have to be highly praised for taking part in some extremely tense scenes,with beautiful actress Tsugumi stunningly barring all physically and emotionally to help build an intense atmosphere.Reading the outline to director Koji Shiraishi's script,my initial through was that the film was going to be a Japanese take on Hostel 2.Instead,Koji goes in a slightly different direction,to create a great,nasty,short- sharp-shock of a movie.Although he does throw the idea of giving the characters some "background" overboard almost from the off,Shiraish shoots to the jugular do have a very good hit ratio,with the disturbing " invasion of privacy scene" being one of the few scenes this year which really caught me off-guard.For the violence in the film,which got Aunty BBFC to go red face with anger,the scenes are (mostly) not as realistic as I had imagined,with all of the characters strangely showing not as much pain as was shown in Tom Six's crazy Grotesque- inspired film The Human Centiepede.For the ending of the film,Koji goes very left-field with a fun "twist" at the end,which seems to have been taken from Lamberto Bava;s disappointing "ectoic Gothic-horror" Macabre ,Although,unlike that film,Koji executes the scene well,by having built up a great puddle of blood for the whole movie.Final View on the film: A film that does everything it sets out to do,which should one day be at last given the chance to be seen in the UK..
Another torture movie.Take HOSTEL, remove the story, amp up the nastiness and gore and you've got GROTESQUE.
Although, I don't know how you can "spoil" a movie that doesn't actually have a plot; I mean, revealing the different methods of torture in a pornographic pseudo-snuff film isn't exactly revealing "spoilers," is it?
Plus, Japan have been putting out some pretty good gory movies the last couple of years.However, I don't really understand why "Grotesque" would be banned, because it is not really that horrible, perverse or extreme.
After discovering this I tracked it down on the internet just like any other person would, again I was surprised, after viewing the movie I fail to understand what could possibly be so bad that it had to be banned, OK so there are some torture scenes but you see nothing, hell you see more torture in Saw and Hostel, both of which I felt were majorly over hyped, the story is good but the so called horrifying torture was quite a let down.
I found Grotesque to be disappointingly predictable, the script was OK, rather amusing to honest, but I feel you should have seen more in the torture scenes, fine, if you want to make a film where you hammer a nail into some guys testicle, don't be shy, get a close-up!
Pointless and stupid if you ask me.If you want to watch a non-story line, pure gore, pointless movie, Grotesque is for you. |
tt0110989 | Ri¢hie Ri¢h | Richie Rich is the son of Richard and Regina Rich, two of the wealthiest people in the world. Richie lives a life of luxury in the Rich Mansion, of which he is helped and waited upon by a manservant named Cadbury, who acts as Richie's guardian when his parents are unable to. Also in the employ of the family is Professor Keenbeen, a man who comes up with rather amusing gadgets and gizmos for the Rich family.One day, Richie attends the reopening of a factory called United Tool, which is father has saved from bankruptcy. While acting in his father's place, Richie soon becomes more interested in some kids playing a game of baseball nearby than the event. However, when he tries to join in the game, he is ushered away by Cadbury. On the trip back to the Rich Mansion, Cadbury notices a strange look of melancholy on Richie's face.When Richie attends school the next day, he tries to get some of the other wealthy classmates to 'hang out' with him, but none of them are willing to or know what this meaning is. On the way home, Richie has Cadbury take him back to the neighborhood where United Tool is. Finding the kids playing baseball again, Richie tries to join their game, only to have the kids feel that Richie is too rich to know how to play sports. He proves them wrong by hitting a homerun. Richie's thoughts that this will impress them, only seems to repulse them.Richie is then scheduled to accompany his parents on a visit to see the Queen of England. However, Cadbury insists that Richie stay home, and Regina and Richard give in to his request.Later on in the day, Cadbury surprises Richie by showing that he has invited the kids from the baseball game to stop by. They are soon enormously impressed by the Rich Mansion, and soon end up playing all sorts of games with Richie. Richie eagerly invites them back for another time to play, but this is soon tempered when a report comes that his parent's airplane has gone down in the Atlantic Ocean. Even though it seems hopeless, Richie and Cadbury believe that Richie's parents are still alive.Unknown to them, the plane crash was orchestrated by Lawrence Van Dough, a ruthless member of the Rich Industries Board who intends to take over the company. As the second-in-command behind Richard, Lawrence begins to make changes in the company's policies, starting with the closing of United Tool. When Richie is informed of this by Gloria, he decides to take action.As heir to the Rich Family Fortune, Richie owns a large portion of company stock, but is unable to take control of the company. However, since Cadbury was placed as Richie's guardian in the case of anything happening to his parents, Richie can operate through Cadbury.This move irritates Van Dough, who soon finds himself in a tug-of-war with the Rich Empire's board of directors. | cult, comedy, entertaining | train | imdb | null |
tt0088170 | Star Trek III: The Search for Spock | The USS Enterprise, having survived it's battle with Khan Noonien Singh, is returning to Earth. With a few hours left in their journey, Kirk remarks in his log that there is a heavy feeling amongst the crew on the ship, having lost their science officer, Captain Spock, whom sacrificed himself to insure the Enterprise would not be destroyed by Khan. Kirk has Uhura check for a hailing signal from Starfleet but finds there isn't one. When asked by a cadet if they will receive a hero's welcome at home, Kirk thinks they will since they've "paid with their dearest blood."In a remote area of space, a Klingon female, Valkris, waits on a small freighter for a signal from her commanding officer. Commander Kruge responds and Valkris transmits stolen data to him on the Genesis project. When asked by Kruge if she had seen the information, she replies she had.Kruge tells her that it's unfortunate that she had. With the captain of the freighter asking when he'll be paid, Kruge's ship, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, deactivates it's cloaking device and swings into attack, blasting apart the freighter and flying off.At Earth the Enterprise arrives at the orbiting Spacedock. While the ship docks the crew catches sight of the fleet's newest and most advanced ship, Excelsior. Sulu remarks that Excelsior has a new technology called "transwarp" drive. A skeptical Mr. Scott is scornful however Kirk scolds him gently, saying "young minds, fresh ideas." A warning alarm suddenly sounds; someone has broken into Mr. Spock's quarters which Kirk had ordered sealed. Kirk goes there himself and finds Dr. McCoy, whom appears to be suffering from mental trauma. He tells Kirk that "he left him back on Genesis" and that he has to "climb the steps of Mount Selaya" on the planet Vulcan. McCoy collapses, unconscious, and Kirk calls for the medics.Back on Kruge's ship, he and his first officer study the Genesis materials and determine that it can be an invincible weapon. He orders a course set for the Genesis Planet.On Earth, the crew of the Enterprise is not given a ceremonial reception. They are received by Admiral Morrow who has nothing but bad news for them: Kirk will not be allowed to return to the Genesis Planet to retrieve Spock's body. Project Genesis has become a "galactic controversy" and only the science teams will be allowed access to the planet. The crew are sworn to secrecy regarding the subject. Scotty will be transferred to the Excelsior to help with engineering development on the new ship. Worst of all, the Enterprise is to be decommissioned from service.Onboard the USS Grissom, one of Starfleet's science vessels, Dr David Marcus and Lt. Saavik approach the Genesis planet. They scan the surface of the planet and find varying environmental conditions. They also locate the photon tube in which Spock's body was sent to the planet's surface during his funeral services. They ask permission to beam down to the planet, a request that Captain Esteban is reluctant to allow. He eventually gives them permission.Back on Earth, at Kirk's apartment, he and his comrades share a drink honoring Spock. They also discuss McCoy's condition, who is noticeably absent and allegedly sedated in a medical facility. Kirk answers a ring at his door and is surprised to see Spock's father, the Vulcan ambassador, Sarek. Kirk asks his friends to leave and talks privately with Sarek, who is quite upset with Kirk for leaving Spock behind. Sarek speaks of Spock's Vulcan "katra", his soul, that can possibly be returned to his body. Saying that Spock wouldn't have spoken openly about his final wishes, he asks Kirk to allow a mind-meld with him. Sarek recounts Kirk's and Spock's final moments together but does not find a trace of Spock's katra. As he starts to leave, Kirk stops Sarek and tells him that even in a situation as desperate as the near-destruction of the Enterprise and Spock's efforts to prevent it, Spock would have transferred his katra to someone. Kirk reviews the ship's recording of Spock's last conversation with Dr. McCoy and sees that Spock had mind-melded with him after rendering him unconscious. Sarek tells Kirk that he must bring both McCoy and Spock to Mount Selaya on Vulcan where a ritual can be performed to restore Spock's mind to his body. Kirk says it will be difficult, but he will attempt the rescue.On Genesis, David and Saavik find Spock's photon tube, his burial robe inside. The tube is also covered with a strange species of slimy, orange creature. David deduces that they are the evolutionary descendants of microbes present on the tube before it was sent to the planet. They also notice that the weather conditions on the planet change very rapidly. They hear a child's cry coming from a nearby cave and find a young Vulcan boy: Spock. They dress him again in his robe and contact Grissom about the discovery. However, Esteban has to cut off communication with them when Kruge's Bird-of-Prey enters the sector and attacks. Kruge's gunner fires a torpedo at Grissom, obliterating it. In a fit of anger over being denied Federation hostages, Kruge shoots his gunner with a blaster, disintegrating him. His officer, Torg, tells him that there are members of Grissom's crew on the Genesis planet below and that he'll still have a chance to take prisoners. Kruge beams down with two of his crew and they search for Saavik and David. They reach the photo tube and find huge, lamprey-like creatures, the next evolution of the small creatures David and Saavik found earlier. They pick up David and Saavik's signal on a scanner and head toward them.On Earth, Kirk asks Admiral Morrow to allow him to return to the Genesis planet to rescue Spock. Morrow refuses, citing that Genesis is off limits and a forbidden subject. He also expresses doubt about what he calls Vulcan "mysticism". Kirk acts as though he sees Morrow's point and agrees not to attempt a voyage to Genesis. Outside the bar where he met Morrow, he finds his friends and tells them that despite Morrow's refusal, they'll go ahead with their plans. In another bar, Dr. McCoy meets with an alien pilot to arrange his own charter to Genesis. The alien, who has a booming voice, speaks loudly enough to get McCoy noticed by Federation officers that have followed him. They arrest him and put him in the brig. After making his arrangements for travel, Kirk visits McCoy in his cell and tells him about Spock's mind meld. McCoy is given a tranquilizer and Sulu, using martial arts, subdues the guards. In a transporter room in Spacedock, Uhura is present when Kirk, Sulu and McCoy arrive. She blackmails the officer she works with in the facility and beams her three friends aboard the Enterprise. On board already is Scotty, who has reworked the ship's control systems to be operated from the bridge. As they prep the ship for departure, they are hailed by Federation security to return the Enterprise, a warning that Kirk orders ignored. The ship moves out, heading directly for the dock's space doors, which remain closed. Scotty, following several attempts, is successful in opening them. allowing the Enterprise to escape. Meanwhile, on board Excelsior, Captain Styles receives orders to pursue and stop Kirk. The Enterprise goes to warp speed and streaks away. Excelsior powers up, Styles planning to use the ship's experimental "transwarp" drive to overtake the Enterprise. When he orders the transwarp drive activated, it fails, leaving Excelsior stranded outside Spacedock. On board the Enterprise, Scotty gives a handful of circuits to McCoy, admitting he'd sabotaged the other ship.On Genesis, Saavik confronts David about the unstable nature of the planet. David admits that he used a volatile substance, "protomatter", in the Genesis Project matrix. The protomatter, may have advanced David's research, but has created a planet that is aging too rapidly to be habitable. The same effect is also advancing Spock's development and David and Saavik conclude that they must escape the planet before it destroys itself and to halt Spock's rapid aging. Spock is also experiencing a biological process called "pon farr", transformational periods that occur every seven year in which a Vulcan male develops into an adult. Saavik is able to soothe the painful process for Spock.Later, the three are captured by Kruge and is crew. Kruge tells them of his intention to seize the Genesis research, despite David's insistence that it doesn't work. Kruge, of course, intends to use it as a weapon. The renegade commander is called back to his ship when the Enterprise arrives at Genesis. Kruge orders the cloaking device engaged and they wait for Enterprise to close the distance for attack. On board the Enterprise, Chekov loses a signal on his sensor as the Bird-of-Prey cloaks. The crew looks closely at the viewscreen and Kirk notices a shimmering distortion. As Kruge orders his ship de-cloaked and prepares to fire, Sulu identifies it and Kirk orders the firing of photon torpedoes. The Bird-of-Prey is hit directly and begins to tumble, but quickly recovers, having suffered minimal damage. Kirk orders the Enterprise's shields to be raised, but Scotty reports that the ship's systems are malfunctioning due to the unexpected battle, and before the crew can do anything else the Klingons fire a torpedo at the ship's warp engines, causing devastating damage which destroys the Enterprise's main systems, leaving the ship a lifeless hulk.Kirk hails the Klingon ship and demands to know why they are there and why they attacked. Kruge realizes that he has the advantage, since Kirk would have just destroyed the Bird-of-Prey if the Enterprise was capable, and demands that Kirk surrender, saying that the very possession of Genesis by the Federation brands them as warlike. He also reveals that he is holding Saavik, David and Spock prisoner. He allows communication with them and Saavik tells Kirk that Spock is with them. David tells Kirk that the planet will self-destruct and that Spock must be taken off immediately. Kruge, to show his intentions are sincere, orders one of his prisoners executed. One of the Klingons draws a dagger and prepares to kill Saavik, David intervenes and fights with the Klingon, who stabs David to death. Kirk is overwhelmed by the death of his son. After a few moments, he invites Kruge to send over some of his crew to retrieve them and the Genesis materials. He orders McCoy and Sulu to the transporter room, leaving himself, Chekov and Scotty on the bridge. The three activate the Enterprise's self-destruct sequence and leave for the transporters. They beam down to the planet just as Kruge's men arrive. They find the bridge and discover the timer counting down; Kruge's order to beam them back comes too late and the Enterprise explodes. On the planet, Kirk and his friends watch as the Enterprise falls out of orbit and burns up in the Genesis atmosphere. Kirk asks "My God, Bones, what have I done?" McCoy replies "What you always do: turn death into a fighting chance at life."Kirk and his team find Saavik and Spock just as Spock, in a rage of pain, throws one of his Klingon captors, possibly killing him. Kirk kills the second guard. Saavik tells Kirk that the Genesis effect will kill Spock if they don't leave the planet immediately. Just then Kruge beams down and holds them all at gunpoint. He orders his crew to beam up everyone but Kirk and Spock. Kruge demands Genesis; Kirk says he'll give it to him if he beams Spock up, which Kruge refuses. The two fight, hand-to-hand while the ground shifts and rumbles with earthquakes around them. They battle to the edge of a cliff, part of which falls away under Kruge's feet, leaving him dangling over a chasm of molten rock. Kirk offers to pull the Klingon up; when he does, Kruge tries to pull Kirk down with him. Kirk kicks Kruge several times in the face, finally dislodging him; Kruge falls hundreds of feet and burns up in the extreme temperatures below. Kirk runs back to Spock, grabs Kruge's communicator and, imitating the Klingon's voice, calls for beam-up. He and Spock arrive safely on the Bird-of-Prey, which has been commandeered by Kirk's comrades. The speed off as Genesis explodes.The ship arrives on Vulcan where Sarek has made preparations at Mount Seleya. Spock's body is brought up to an altar on the mountain where the high priestess, T'Lar, awaits with Sarek. Sarek asks for the ancient ritual of "fal-tor-pan", the "refusion" of Spock's katra with his body. T'Lar warns that the ritual has "succeeded only in legend". She also warns McCoy that the ritual carries as much danger for him as it does Spock. McCoy agrees to participate.An indeterminate amount of time passes while T'Lar performs the ceremony. The Enterprise's crew waits anxiously until McCoy walks down from the altar, apparently fine. Kirk asks Sarek if the ritual was successful, to which Sarek replies "only time will tell." Spock, clad in a white robe, descends, at first oblivious to Kirk's and his old friends' presence, however, he stops and recognizes Kirk. He asks "ship out of danger?" to which Kirk says that he saved them all. Spock, a note of recognition in his face, says "'Jim.' Your name, is 'Jim'." Kirk and his friends are overjoyed. | cult, revenge, murder | train | imdb | The even numbered "Star Trek" movies (parts 2, 4, 6, 8) have turned out to be the best in the series while the odd numbered ones (parts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) are the weaker films even though some of the odd numbered ones are pretty good.
"Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" is, in my opinion, the best odd numbered movie in the series to date.
Leonard Nimoy made his directorial debut with "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and did a very good job (he did an even better job on the next film "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home").
I doubt true Trekkers would have it any other way.After Spock's sacrifice in the previous "Wrath of Khan", it only stands to reason that if there was a glimmer of hope to bring him back that his friends would seize the opportunity...which they indeed do in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock", leading the Enterprise crew on their most risky "Trek" of all.Upon urging from Spock's father Sarek (Lenard, great as always), Admiral Kirk (Shatner) gathers up Bones (Kelley), Sulu (Takei), Chekov (Koenig) and Scott (Doohan) race for the slowly degenerating Genesis planet to find their friend.This being the "Star Trek" universe, however, intrigue abounds as a group of treacherous Klingons (headed by the suitably villainous Lloyd) also head to the planet to find its secrets.
Instead they find Lt. Saavik (Curtis), Dr. Marcus (Butrick)...and a young Vulcan boy.As directed by Leonard Nimoy himself and penned by Harve Bennett, this film plays much like a Greek tragedy, with loss, great drama and pathos played out against a backdrop of galaxies, heroes, villains and hope itself: the greatest power in the universe.The acting is right on note as is the action, neither of which pushes the story any further than it will go.
Picking up where "The Wrath of Khan" left off, McCoy seems to be going mad, the Enterprise is being retired, Kirk mourns the loss of Spock and his son Dr. David Marcus is off exploring his newly created Genesis planet with the lovely Vulcan vixen Saavik (exit Kirstie Alley, enter Robin Curtis).
Kirk then finds out from Sarek (Mark Lenard, who had a brief, unrecognizable role in the opening of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" as an ill fated Klingon Commander and played a Romulan before playing Spock's dad) catches up with Kirk and tells him that there's a chance at resurrecting Spock, who's mind and spirit are housed in McCoy's brain while his body is on Genesis.
Feeling obligated to return the favor for saving them all at the end of #2, Kirk and the gang hijack the Enterprise and rush towards the Genesis planet to rescue Spock "in whatever form he may still be alive." Meanwhile, a bodily resurrected and rapidly re-aging Spock has been found by Saavik and David and they are stranded on Genesis after their ship is destroyed by Klingon Commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) and he comes looking for them in hopes of unlocking the secrets of the Genesis project, which he thinks could be used as a weapon against his people.
As a bit of trivia, Saavik apparently engaged in sexual intercourse with Spock while he was going through his aging phases and, as part of an idea never utilized in the films or even in the spin off series, Saavik became pregnant with Spock's child, which was originally why she was supposed to stay on Vulcan in "Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home"..
Only a vulcan ritual can make everything right, but first the crew has to retrieve Spock's body from Genesis, and in doing so they encounter the evil Klingon commander Kruge (Lloyd).The special effects on this film were subpar, particularly the fight scenes on the exploding Genesis planet; I've seen better special effects with fire on a soap opera.
That's acceptable, however, since when the film came out, we needed Spock to return to the living, though today's audiences wouldn't understand the significance of having killed him off at the end of II.To those who don't know, when Kruge says "I come all this way for Genesis, and this is what I find," Lloyd is in the character of Reverend Jim from Taxi, and the theater I was in exploded in laughter at the time; this joke would be lost on anyone who hasn't seen that series.
It is what it is folks, it's a good honest Star Trek story, it beats a real emotive heart and although some may decry the lack of blistering space battles, or end of the universe peril scenarios, it's an essential film for dealing with the protagonists we know and love.Into the mix here we have our favourite alien enemies The Klingons (led by the oddly cast Christopher Lloyd), Spock's father, Sarek, who adds grace to the story, and crucially Kirk gets an emotional kicker.
While elsewhere hardcore fans get a big surprise with the beloved Enterprise.It's of course merely a set up for the next (and delightfully great) instalment of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, but on its own terms this stands up as one of the better character pieces in the series.
The film talks the veteran crew of the Enterprise NC1701 piloted by James T.Kirk (Wililam Shatner) arrives in spacial station for repairing their starship but they quickly must set out to search Spock (Leonard Nimoy) who's found on planet Genesis .
This Star Trek is principally the follow-up to ¨Wrath of Khan¨ that finished with death of Khan (Ricardo Montalban) and Spock sacrificing his life to save his friends .The storyline is concentrated on characters as well as thrill-packed action and special effects although there're numerous of that too .
3.5 out of 10Star Trek III, naturally entitled The Search for Spock, should have been an exhilarating adventure that lauded the bonds of friendship and honor, but instead, it comes off as a hokey, boring journey lacking in imagination and exciting conflict.
Even the movie's key scene, the destruction of the Enterprise, is delivered in ho-hum fashion.It turns out Spock is still alive, mind-melded into the doctor's body while his own physical state is currently regenerating on the planet Genesis (why Spock would do this without knowing his body would be regenerated is pretty harsh, considering the schizoid mental problems McCoy begins to suffer from).
There seems to be nowhere near as much substance to this film unlike its wonderful predecessor, however again the intelligent dialogue from the second Trek film is also present here and it was wonderful to see the return of another character from the original series played by the same actor, this time Mark Lenard as Spock's father and Vulcan Ambassador Sarek.The special effects are turned out well even though the seemingly endless Genesis planet gradually disintegrating scenes started to grate after a while.
One oddity that just did not work however was the change of actress for Vulcan Lt Saavik whilst the Commander of the Klingon vessel was just a plain loon.There where some great comedy moments, McCoy in the bar trying to perform a Vulcan neck pinch, the whole USS Excelsior debacle with one of the best stutters and stops I have ever seen and Kirk's wonderful riposte to the Klingon Commander from the Genesis planet after the Enterprise has been destroyed along with most of the Klingon crew cest la vie!All right but not one of the best, still watchable none the less..
A Good Search It Is. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) *** (out of 4)After the events in the previous film, Kirk (William Shatner) risks his career by stealing the Enterprise to go to a restricted planet in hopes of finding Spock's body who they feel might be alive.
Leonard Nimoy was a good director, it's too bad he didn't have a better script to make this movie a great like Wrath of Khan.
Meanwhile Klingon Commander Kruge learns the secrets of Project Genesis and sets out to use it against the Federation.If you believe what you read on the internet then Spock's death at the end of the first Star Trek sequel was because Nimoy wanted to avoid a revamp of the TV show that was rumoured to be in the pipeline.
Yes, Star Trek III is as bad as you've heard, which is very disappointing for me in particular, as its predecessor is one of my all-time favorite films.I won't get into what's right about "The Wrath of Khan".
The Starship crew have defeated Khan, but in the process, Spock died, McCoy (Kelley) is beginning to go insane, and Admiral Kirk (Shatner) and the rest of the team have lost control of the Starship Enterprise, but when Spock's father visits unexpectedly, they steal the ship back and thus beginning the search for Mr. Spock, with the evil Klingons right behind them.
Movie Review: "Star Trek: The Search for Spock" (1984)After a finale furioso with "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" in the movie summer of 1982 beyond belief with highly inventive still-standing pictures as "Tron" directed by Steven Lisberger, "Blade Runner" directed by Ridley Scott or even visually-splendid "E.T.-the-Extra-Terrestrial" directed by Steven Spielberg, comes this "Star Trek" movie of succession directed by initial 1960s-television star-actor Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015), who enjoys the benefit of a high-end Hollywood production produced by Harve Bennett (1930-2015), who keept close ties to distributing Paramount Pictures, a Los-Angeles-based studio major since cornerstones of 1912, which can be proud of this 1984 summer release.Even though "The Search for Spock" marks the shortest of all "Star Trek" movies with shy off 100-Minutes-Cut by film editor by Robert F.
"Bones" McCoy, portrayed with utmost convictions and retrieving years of comfort in his alterego actor DeForest Kelley (1920-1999), when actor James Doohan (1920-2005) as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott steals the show by preparing a major steal of a life-time in high-jacking an already-damaged "Enterprise NNC-1701" from the main near-earth all-new "Federal Space Station" in order to bet into a notorious race toward the secret artificially-made "Planet Genesis" at the far side of the Galaxy only to have an historic stand-off between "Enterprise" and a Klingon "Warbird", led by close-to "Khan" viciousness-playing, yet all-too-ambition Commander Kruge, given face by actor Christopher Lloyd in high-quality nevertheless former-feel of analogy and then overthrown make-up-effects by Wes Dawn (1938-1990) and assciates, benefiting of a high-contrast, hot-spot to dark-ambience indulging cinematography by Charles Correll (1944-2004).This "Star Trek" movie becomes highly-recommended as a dramatic as "Enterprise" challenging centerpiece in a three-part viewing experience, if any spectator can afford a full running-time of approximately 315 minutes, alongside "The Wrath of Khan" (1982) and "The Voyage Home" (1986) to witness stunningly written character arcs by a consortium of writing filmmakers involved, including producer Harve Bennett, actor Leonard Nimoy and also-directing Oscar-nominated writer Nicholas Meyer, who given into familiar as emotional human conditions of rise, fall, struggle and risen again, especially with regard to the extraordinary friendship captured between "Kirk & Spock".© 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend
Having been one of the shows that was part of my childhood and growing up, the original 'Star Trek' still holds up as great and ground-breaking, even if not perfect.'The Search for Spock' is not the 'Star Trek' franchise at its worst (marginally better than 'The Motion Picture' and much better than 'Final Frontier' for the films based on the original series).
Nimoy proves why Spock is such an interesting and well-loved character, while William Shatner is more understated than usual and the rest of the original series crew have expanded screen time and make good impressions, DeForest Kelley having some really meaty moments.
If you've never watched the Star Trek films and want to do so then I highly suggest you to watch Wrath of Khan before you watch The Search for Spock so you will know what is going on...
I can say that this film concerns a Klingon named Commander Kruge and his crew, the planet Genesis and, duh, Kirk and crew searching for Mr. Spock.Once again, another outstanding movie that fell in love with as a pre-teen and I find it quite "fascinating" today.
As a direct sequel to the legendary "The Wrath of Khan", "The Search for Spock", though far from the greatness of the preceding film, is more than serviceable, and is overall quite a good emotional story which wraps up the loose ends from "Khan" admirably well, though clumsily on occasion.
Still mourning his friend and comrade Mr. Spock, Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) discovers Spock's sealed-off cabin occupied by "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley), himself occupied by Spock's "katra," or spirit."Climb the steps of Mount Seleya," a tranced-out McCoy tells Kirk, kicking off a new journey for the Enterprise.No doubt the "Star Trek" production team, buoyed by the great success of their prior film but now stuck with a gaping, pointy- eared hole, saw its repair as job one.
Bringing Spock back to life thus becomes the focus of the film, and the only thing that it gets right.A series of decent if lully setpieces that awkwardly cohere into a larger story, "Star Trek III" feels stuck in orbit from first to last.
THE PLOT: Kirk and Co. disobey Federation orders by stealing the Enterprise from space dock (!!) and heading for the forbidden Genesis Planet (created in the previous film) to retrieve Spock's body and clash with Commander Kruge, a Klingon bent on claiming the secrets of the Genesis Project for his own destructive purposes.
Unfortunately, a group of rogue Klingons have gained knowledge of the Genesis device and seek it's secret for its destructive properties.THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK isn't as good as STAR TREK II, but it's still better than THE MOTION PICTURE.
This film is the crucial second part of the "II/III/IV" trilogy of Star Trek movies, handling the brutal cliffhangers left behind by "The Wrath of Khan" with very talented direction by Leonard Nimoy.
Even though it's not exactly as action-packed as its spectacular competition, the STAR WARS movies, STAR TREK III is still splendid entertainment, and maybe one of the best entries in the series."Search for Spock" continues the events from the previous film ("Wrath of Khan").
The plot is pretty simple, straightforward and there is nothing really interesting going on: the fact is that Spock was supposed to be dead from the last movie and the fact is that Star Trek should have ended its film series featuring the old cast in the last movie, the movies that followed were increasingly terrible.
William Shatner is great as always, but that isn't a good enough reason to see STAR TREK 3: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK..
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is much different from the previous two films, and something feels a bit off.
The third film in the original "Star Trek" franchise, STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, picks up where the second film's tragic conclusion, in which Spock (Leonard Nimoy) seemingly sacrificed himself for the good of his good friend Kirk (William Shatner) and the rest of the crew of "Enterprise" after Khan Singh's vengeful detonation of the Genesis Device threatened to annihilate the ship.
Torn between being an obedient veteran of Starfleet and the duty he feels to Spock, Kirk chooses the latter; but he faces, among other things, the megalomaniacal ambitions of a Klingon commander (Christopher Lloyd) who wants the Genesis device for his own people.With a fairly robust, humor-filled screenplay by producer Harve Bennett, special effects work by the Industrial Light & Magic team, and another fine James Horner score, STAR TREK III proved to be probably the best of the sequels to the 1979 original (which, unlike many IMDb viewers, I like an immense deal).
The Search for Spock is the third movie of the series and the second part of the trilogy started by The Wrath of Khan and ended with the Voyage Home.
After thirty years the effects show their age, but it should be remembered that ILM (still one of the best in special effects) were behind this movie, so this was not a second level house making FX as in Star Trek V.Even though the movie is called The Search for Spock, this movie is more an exploration of Kirk search for sense in life and grief facing after the Enterprise crew struggles with Khan.
On Genius, Lt. Saavik (Robin Curtis) and Kirk's son David Marcus (Merritt Butrick) investigate the planet for signs of life as a Klingon Commander (Christopher Lloyd) sees the Genius Device as a power shifting weapon.In comparison to Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock is not as strong on a thematic level or with its sets/special effects: but makes for it by simply being a fun adventure.
When Dr. McCoy starts acting strangely, Kirk is forced to steal his old ship back and fly across space to a lonely planet to save a friend.Search for Spock is underrated as far as Star Trek films are concerned.
The Klingons with a leader named Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) wants to learn the secrets of Genesis to use it as a weapon.Co-starring Meritt Butrick and Robin Curtis, this is a nice installment of a loose three part trilogy that started with "Wrath of Khan" then ended with "The Voyage Home" is quite a good one.
The film is going on 25 years in age; we've had an entirely new generation of both film and televisual Star Trek crews, not to mention a reboot, so much so that to spoil what to many is the best in the early series of films for the franchise in Wrath of Khan and to reveal why it is the search for Spock is on is perhaps forgivable.
Kirk.While I feel huge Star Trek fans will be disappointed with the Search For Spockk,they will still get a good kick out of him and wont be entirely unimpressed.Captain Kirk (William Shatner) heads off with his crew on the Enterprise to the Genesis planet to save Spock (Leonard Nimoy,who also directs),who may still be alive.. |
tt0099253 | Child's Play 2 | In 1990, two years after Chucky was destroyed by the Barclays and detective Mike Norris, the killer "Good Guy" doll Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) is rebuilt from scratch by the Play Pals company to prove there is no fault with the dolls. As a result of Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) blaming Chucky for the murders committed, the company has suffered. One of the men working on Chucky is killed via electrocution; as a result, the CEO of the company Mr. Sullivan (Peter Haskell) orders his assistant Mattson (Greg Germann) to cover the accident and get rid of Chucky.
Meanwhile, Andy is now in foster care, due to his mother being in a mental hospital for supporting his story about Chucky. Andy is adopted by Phil (Gerrit Graham) and Joanne Simpson (Jenny Agutter). In his new home, Andy meets his new foster sister Kyle (Christine Elise).
After work, Mattson goes to a corner store and while he leaves his car, Chucky uses the car phone to ring Grace Poole (Grace Zabriskie), the manager of Andy's foster center. He claims to be a relative of Andy's in order to get his new address. He then carjacks the car and orders Mattson to drive outside the Simpson household at gun point. Chucky then kills him by suffocating him with a plastic bag. In the house, Chucky accidentally activates "Tommy", another "Good-Guy" doll, and destroys him with Joanne's ornament. Chucky then buries the doll in the garden and takes his place as "Tommy". Phil punishes the children believing one of them broke the ornament. After Andy spends the rest of the day with Kyle, Chucky waits for nightfall and ties up Andy in order to possess him. However, Kyle, who snuck out, arrives and the ritual is interrupted. After Andy claimed Chucky tied him up, Phil throws Chucky in the basement.
The next day, Chucky hitches a ride on the bus to Andy's school. Andy's teacher Miss Kettlewell (Beth Grant) discovers an obscenity Chucky wrote on his worksheet. Believing Andy was responsible, she forces Andy to stay in the classroom as punishment, and locks Chucky in the closet. Andy escapes, and Chucky beats Miss Kettlewell to death with a yardstick. After Andy insisted Chucky got him in trouble, Phil considers taking him back to the foster center.
That night, Andy tries to kill Chucky with an electric knife in the basement, but Chucky attacks him. Phil goes to investigate the commotion but he is killed by Chucky who trips him and throws him to the floor, snapping his neck. Joanne, onvinced that Andy killed him, sends him back to the foster center. Later, Kyle discovers the buried doll in the garden and realizes Andy was telling the truth all along, and rushes in to find Joanne dead. Chucky attacks Kyle and orders her to take him to the center. There, during a false fire alarm, he kills Grace and orders Andy to take him to the PlayPals "Good-Guy" factory for the transfer.
Kyle follows Chucky and Andy to the factory. After knocking Andy unconscious once again, Chucky fails to possess the boy, since he spent too much time within the doll's body. Enraged, Chucky decides to kill Andy and Kyle instead. Chucky murders a factory worker. He then loses one of his hands, which he replaces with his knife, and his legs, but still goes after the two. Kyle and Andy then pour molten plastic over him before inserting an air hose in his mouth, which causes his head to explode and finally defeating him. Andy and Kyle leaves the factory for "home", with Andy asking where "home" is and Kyle responding that, in truth, she doesn't know. | comedy, gothic, violence | train | wikipedia | I think I liked Child's Play 2 more than most people, given the reviews that I've read and the movie's low voter rating on the IMDb. A cute kid's doll is once again the unlikely home of Charles Lee Ray, notorious serial killer, again feeding off of the surrealism created by seeing a kid's doll screw it's face into expressions of the purest rage and spouting all manner of profanities.
It's difficult enough trying to figure out why it's even there WITHOUT having to watch this mental giant grab Andy by the arm and ask him what on earth is the matter.There are some funny moments in the film, such as when Chucky smashes the head of the innocent Good Guys doll, buries it, and takes its place in the house, and my favorite, when Chucky is later addressed by a doting adult, Chucky responds by saying in his cute doll voice, 'Hi!
Waste not, want not, I guess.At any rate, Chucky comes back in a fresh plastic body (too bad he can't be transferred to a human as easily as he can be transferred from one doll body to another), and once again resumes his quest for Andy's soul.
This would have made the movie much more interesting and added another level of originality; my guess is they just didn't have the budget for something that big.Nevertheless, even though the first sequel in the Child's play series comes dangerously close to falling into that sophomore sequel chasm of falling flat because of obviously feeding off the success of its predecessor without having much of anything to add to the story, Child's Play 2 escapes into the world of moderately acceptable horror sequels, kind of like Psycho II, which had no hope of matching its predecessor but at least was able to justify its own existence.
I think it's easy to be put off by the conclusion of Child's Play 2, but I was pretty impressed with the toy factory setting, if only because it created such a great atmosphere for Chucky to make his hunt and Andy and his foster sister Kyle to try vainly to escape.
There was some pretty clever stuff in the final act of the film, not including, however, the scene where Kyle and Andy run around completely lost, making the factory seem like a maze by editing together a lot of clips of them clearly running around the same corner half a dozen times or so.
Child's Play 2 picks up not long after where its infamous predecessor left off, and straight into the film, the original Good Guy doll housing the spirit of the Lakeshore Strangler is being fixed up and Good Guys are back in action.
From there, the typical mayhem follows, with plenty of doll-style murders, witty lines from Chucky and a great finale at the Good Guy doll factory.While the original Child's Play is a terrifying classic, part 2 is somewhat of a step down, only because one knows what to expect, for the most part.
The not-so-innocent movie about a child's doll continues with Andy Barkley (Alex Vincent) being sent to live in a foster care home while his mom is recovering from a mental hospital.
Nobody believes Andy's story about Chucky the killer doll, but that soon changes when the doll returns, possessed once again by serial killer Charles Lee Ray. It goes on another rampage, this time trying to free his evil soul from the doll and transfer into Andy's body.The plot's pacing, script, and music score work fine in this movie, with a some good humor and suspense, and some creepy moments.
And, guess what, Andy Barclay is top of his 'hit list.' Brad Dourif returns to voice the killer doll, Chucky, and he gets it right on the mark again.
Young Alex Vincent reprises his role from the original as Andy Barclay, the boy who in this movie goes to live with foster parents while his mother seeks psychiatric help (from the events in "Child's Play").
Chucky, the sweet-faced lovable little doll filled with the soul of a voodoo loving serial killer, is back in his second feature, aptly if not originally named Child's Play 2.
The only other member of the cast of the original film to return is the young Alex Vincent as the boy Chucky must kill so as to not permanently be imprisoned in the body of the doll.
Knowing that he has to get out this body, Chucky goes about trying to locate Andy, so he can transfer his soul into his body.The lovable, foul-mouthed good guy doll is back at it again in this far from surprising sequel spawned by the original's success.
If you have actually seen the film you may say that 'Child Play 2' surpasses the cult classic original in 3 ways.
first, it skips the murder mystery (not saying that the mystery is bad in the original its just that the cover shows Chucky with a knife and all the sequels tell you he is real) and gets strait to the horror.
Second, it has a nice foster sibling sub plot that is not just interesting, but something you nearly never see in films, especially horrors, And thirdly, the creative one liners and weapons propel Chucky into the slasher big leagues and are blue prints for the One line spouting Chucky we all know and love today.
With interesting characters, Quotable quips, A good child actor, Brad Dourif's Haunting voice, and a satisfying bloody end to Chucky.
This movie was great because it knew exactly what it wanted to be,a fun slasher film.First,the good,the characters,just like in the first one they're well written,acted,and feel real.The kills,they were suspenseful and very creative.The music was great,and I loved the climax,it was very fun,fit the tone perfectly.Last pro,Chucky,he was hilarious,creepy,and you could feel all of his anger.Now the cons,I feel like the movie,well super fun,should've been slower,and it feels like a soap opera in some scenes in the beginning.My last con is that some plot holes were a bit too noticeable,and very stupid,just like in the first one.Child's Play 2 is a wildly entertaining movie with some pacing issues..
It seems that the creative team behind "Child's Play 2" sought to not only create an effective sequel, but also build the character of Chucky into the sort of thing that legends are made of.
Does it work?And the answer to that question: Sort of, I guess.Following a wild opening in which Chucky (voiced by the fantastic Brad Dourif) is re-constructed in a way that I actually found quite intriguing, he escapes and sets off to find his old target- young Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent), who is in the process of being placed into a new foster home.
And so a sort-of deadly game begins, as Chucky infiltrates Andy's new home, and toys with him, causing him distress and picking off the people around him, leading up to a final confrontation that I can only describe as epic in scope and quite satisfying.Returning screenwriter Don Mancini seems more at home this time around (after some apparent drama with the first film going into rewrites), and relishes in the chaos of the storyline.
Some of the performers aren't up to snuff (despite the main cast being great), some of the deaths are bizarre and weak, and some moments just seemed silly, or went on for far too long.If the film could have gone through just a little bit more trimming and re-editing, I think it could easily have matched the quality of the original.But still, as it stands, "Child's Play 2" is highly enjoyable, albeit flawed.
Rated R for Violence and Language I have seen all the Chucky films except for Bride Of Chucky.This film is a continuation of the first film.Andy is now older and with a foster family but Chucky has followed him and tries to kill him so he can take over his body.The only person who later believes and helps him is the other foster child.I haven't seen this one in a while but I remember there being one funny scene in the film.I find this is foreshadowing for the series becoming a horror/comedy.Its not as good as the first Child's Play or Seed Of Chucky but its worth a look if you saw the first one.Its better than Child's Play 3..
Then we have the real wench of the movie, Andy's 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Kettlewell, play by Beth Grant (Too Wong Foo, Donnie Darko).The film also stars many wonderful practical animatronics by the master of puppets, Kevin Yagher (Tales from the Crypt, A Series of Unfortunate Events).
I wrote a review "Chucky is made of extra cool nightmares on wax" over a decade ago on the original movie under my other username Cadillac_ghost In this second installment of the Child's play franchise.
Karen Barclay from the first movie was taken to a psychiatric hospital as described by one executive who is later killed by Chucky and led to track down eight year old Andy settled with foster parents (Garrett Graham, and Jenny Agutter from American werewolf in London) in the middle class west side of Chicago and his nightmare is relived, it is up to adopted teenage older sister Kyle (Elise from Beverly Hills 90210) to come to the rescue like a Karen Barclay surrogate mother to protect him.This is more of a fun house ride and more comedic lines and scenes than the original, some of the scenes is funny (watch out for the wonderful Beth Grant from Donnie Darko as another witchey poo Teacher role and Grace Zabriskie from Servants of Twilight, the photocopy death scene was being ripped off by many action movies in its day) the special effects on Chucky are at best here, I liked the way he moves in this movie and really seemed demonically possessed for real, and his catchphrases are superb.
Child's Play 2 seems to have one of your basic 1st horror sequel plan: Up the gore, up the scares, up the fun- but the paper thin characters with no interesting qualities really make this film boring.
this was a alright follow up of the original child's play movie it's more violent and the language is rough.chucky the killer doll is rebuild and he decides to track down his target Andy Barclay so he can steal his soul.
Christine Elise is also very strong as the Kyle character as is Jenny Agutter as the foster mom.While I can't recommend the film to the squeamish, I can safely say that if you are a horror fan and you're in the mood for a truly sick and wild gorefest of a slasher film, CHILD'S PLAY 2 is definitely a must-see.
The original Child's Play was constructed like Jaws, the monster (or monster doll in this case) was kept in the shadows until the last half hour, which was good filmaking on the part of both directors.
In doing so, they also bring the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray back to life.Andy soon find out that chucky is back and up to no good, of course he tell in his forester parents that doll is alive, yet again now one believes him, There some deaths scene that not gory and not even little bit scary and two of death scene are off-screen.
Everything about this movie is so boring and deaths scene could not even save the movie, I would say this is the Worst Child's play movie in the series, I would say fast forward to last 7 minutes of the movie, as it the only worth watching part of movie, to see chucky getting killed off yet again..
If there is anything good to say about the film it's that it retains the originality of the first, only to be ruined by your typical worse-than-Hell horror movie sequel formula.
A real surprise here is the presence of Jenny Agutter (the nurse in "An American Werewolf in London") and Gerrit Graham (Beef in "Phantom of the Paradise") as Andy's foster parents, particularly with what Chucky does to the dad on the staircase leading to the basement.Yes, it is a sequel, so it's even harder to take seriously than the original was, but this is truly a good time.
i don't like child's play 2 the plot was gone not good for a sequel.
A surprisingly effective sequel, "Child's Play 2" succeeds primarily by focusing on the continuing story of Andy (Alex Vincent), now in a foster home as Chucky (voiced by the always-frightening Brad Dourif) continues to terrorize him.
And the movie, I think, flows way better than the first one, where first Andy knows about Chucky, then the mother, then the police officer.
And, guess what, Andy Barclay is top of his 'hit list.'It's nice to see the little boy who plays Andy come back and, in terms of child actors, he's actually quite good (still!).
2 years after Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) was attacked by his Good Guy doll Chucky (Voiced by Brad Douriff) and traumatized by the murders that happened.
Chucky is once again on the loose killing off anyone that gets in his way to transfer his soul into Andy.A thrilling and exciting sequel to the 1988 horror classic is a sequel that surpasses the original!
The film may not have the most original story of the movie but it manages to be more energetic and tense than the first film, just because an adopted child occupies the position of protagonist of the film, which makes things reasonably more tense, And also mentioning the performance of Alex Vincent who also steals the scene for him.
I really believed that my mom's doll will come alive and try to get me like Chucky tried to get Andy and put his soul in it.
Just like the film producers resurrected Jason back to live in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and I love this slasher film, It is really dark, creepy and scary enough.Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon did not return for this sequel and also Tom Holland did not return to direct this film, but it was directed by John Lafia who also helped to write the script for the first film and I think he did a good job directing it.
I love the chemistry between Andy and Kyle I love character Andy Barclay to death.The plot is about Andy's mother is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the young boy is placed in foster care, and Chucky is resurrected and he is back, determined to claim Andy's soul.This movie is fast paced, intense, scary well executed and entertaining well done horror flick from the 90's.
So this movie had a flair for chucky once again it was real good for a sequel i was amazingly impressed at this second movie of the child's play series my rating for this great and gory sequel is 6 or 7 out of 10.
I have to be honest though this movie has the exact same storyline as the first film, just a different setting and different characters.Its Chucky going out to find the little boy Andy (who is now older and slightly smarter) to steal his soul.
Which is the same as its original film, despite this its much better than first in almost every way.Acterly Childs play 2 wouldn't be a bad remake but its probably much better as a sequel.
Charles "Chucky" Lee Ray, our favorite little profane puppet, is back for more murderous mayhem and to hunt down his nemesis Andy Barclay (and his little soul too!) in this, the second of the increasingly bizarre "Child's Play" films.'Child's Play 2' is in no way a bad movie, however, as Ebert pointed out in his review, you are likely to walk away from it feeling conflicted.
But it really doesn't matter with "Child's Play 2", because even though it doesn't reach the potential like the original, it generally works very well, where the viewer can become distressed because of what Chucky does to poor Andy in this one.Overall, a great sequel that has it's dark and disturbing moments.8/10.
So bottom line, this movie is pretty bad, but hey, it's better than what the producers did to chucky in the OTHER sequels..
Child Play, starring the good guy doll, Chucky, who has the soul of a killer stuck in him, is what makes it original and very scary!
After the events of CHILD'S PLAY,Andy Barclay(Alex Vincent)was sent to live with foster family,The Simpsons,Joanne(Jenny Agutter),Phil(Gerrit Graham)and Kyle(Christine Elise).Andy fits in soon,but all that is about to change,because CHUCKY(Brad Dourif)is resurrected by the same company who made him and now he just isn't after Andy,but to kill and harm those around him.Because this time it's not play-time,but death-time.
This is a very good sequel to the hit CHILD'S PLAY with a big change.More screen time for CHUCKY.Making not only look,but you can feel his evilfulness and hate he has on the world.Don Mancini was close to bringing a film better than his first one.Just close,but this is a very good sequel to it..
It has action, it is more like an action horror to me.My favorite part was when Chucky's head exploded, that was so grusome!This is an enjoyable movie, you wanna scare your girlfriend, get it out immediatly, and have a good time!.
I'm doing a review on THIS movie right now so...If you liked Child's Play you will love this smash hit!
Overall Child's Play 2 was a very good movie..
Child's Play is the only horror series I've seen completely, so I should know the goods and bads of all of them.
Child's Play Was The Second Best Chucky Movie!!!
This film also had a great score to it that fit the scenes of the "Good Guy" toy factory.....I give this movie a B+ |
tt3097204 | The Inbetweeners 2 | Will, Neil and Jay's girlfriends have all broken up with them since the events of the last film, and Simon is unhappy with his girlfriend Lucy, who has become obsessive and abusive. Simon and Will are depressed and ostracised at university; Neil is working in a bank; and Jay is taking a gap year in Australia. He emails Neil, claiming that he is now a top DJ at a popular night club, lives in a luxury mansion, and has daily sex with multiple partners. This convinces them to visit him in Australia for their Easter holidays. Once they arrive at the club they find that Jay in fact only works as a toilet attendant and lives in a tent in his Uncle's front garden, while Will meets Katie, an old friend from his private school days, who is backpacking, and she persuades him to join her.
The next day, the four travel to a youth hostel in Byron Bay, as Will wants to follow Katie there. He attempts to become friends with one of the backpackers, Ben, but is unsuccessful when the backpackers quickly deduce that he is a tourist, rather than a "traveller". Will struggles to fit in with the 'spiritual' activities of the travellers and discovers that Katie is seeing multiple people at once, launching him into one of his foul-mouthed tirades towards them, which leads Katie into having sex with Ben.
The boys and the backpackers visit a water park, where Jay intends to find his ex-girlfriend, Jane. The park staff tell Jay that Jane has found a new job in the vast Outback, which leaves Jay feeling very dejected. Neil pays for a swimming with dolphins session and this quickly turns sour when Neil's dolphin dies from being fed junk food that Neil smuggles in his wetsuit.
Jay gets Simon into trouble whilst walking to the Lazy River, because Jay deliberately blurted out that Simon was a paedophile in front of a passing family and he then deliberately nudged Simon into the water and he landed head-first into the lap of a child using a rubber ring, consequently leading to the child's father and another male beating him up. Neil gets into trouble by pooing down a water slide due to an attack of irritable bowel syndrome which proceeds to land into Will's face, Will consequently vomits everywhere, leading to everyone screaming and running away and the park being closed down; he berates Neil because Will was arrested.
Lucy tells Simon via Skype that Jane is working on a stud farm in the remote settlement of Birdsville, and the boys intend to drive there. Their car runs out of petrol in the middle of the desert. The group hold hands together as they realise that they will most likely die, but are rescued by Jane and her co-workers. She realises how far Jay came to win her over again, and although she is touched by the gesture, she does not take him back. Back at Jay's uncle's house, the boys find that their parents have travelled to find them after hearing of their near-death experience. The boys are shocked to find Mr Gilbert (their old head of sixth form and Will's nemesis) there too, and Will's mother announces that she and Gilbert are in a relationship, to the abject horror of Will and amusement of the other three friends. Over Skype, Lucy breaks-up with Simon because she is now in a relationship with his university 'best friend' Pete, which Simon responds to by cheering and abruptly hanging-up on her.
The four boys decide to travel to Vietnam in a montage during the film's credits. As they return to the United Kingdom, Neil begins a relationship with one of the travellers while Will's mother reveals that she and Gilbert are engaged. Will attempts to run back to the plane, but is wrestled to the ground by security. | comedy | train | wikipedia | As a inbetweeners fan of the series and first movie I was looking forward to this movie and cant say I was diappointed but then on the other hand I cant say it was anything else than OK.There were enough gags in their as you'd expect and one or two are worth the money on their own but the script seems very contrived to fit in certain characters or in creating a reason for the movie in the first place.The real thing that let this down was after 90 minutes of chasing trying to achieve their goal the whole movie is wrapped up in 2 mins and then it finishes apart from some Hangover-style end credit scenes.This movie did all the classic inbetweeners things to the extreme , I'm not sure what they could do if they ever made a 3rd movieAll in all an OK movie but I wont be too sad it thats the last we see of them.
Just got back from the first screening of this and, on the whole, found it to be a decent film, albeit not as good as the first one.The plot is bit weak, but there are plenty of laughs along the way to keep you giggling like the inner school child that you are.I wonder if the boys are too old now to be acting like kids, and if this will in fact be their last outing as the Inbetweeners?
What a disappointment.Distinctly average film with some laugh out loud moments, but mostly cringe and not funny jokes.
Its cringe toilet humor had worked and I was in tears at several moments.The whole film was embarrassing to watch just like the original Inbetweeners.
even well before the time a piece of Neil's poo slides down a water-slide and hits will in the face, it's clear that the inbetweeners are utterly finished and this is the cast members trying to stretch one more pay day out of a low budget, presumably after the failure of their follow-up series 'chickens.' If you're a fan of the inbetweeners and want to keep cherished memories of them going forward, for the love of god stay away from this film.
We have had time to watch every season of the inbetweeners and let the jokes and type of humor marinate for years before the release of this film.If this movie was just a standalone item, I would probably give this a 5/10.
The Inbetweeners was a great TV series, it was followed by a movie spin-off that was pretty good considering how those types of things usually are and now we have a sequel.
The story to The Inbetweeners: Movie 2 is basically about Neil, Simon, and Will join Jay on his gap year in Australia.If your not a fan of these sex jokes and these dick jokes or your not a fan of the series, then this is not the movie for you, but if you are then this movie will make you laugh and smile.
In fact one plot point took up a good percentage of the film just to lead to a unfunny predictable joke and made me feel as if my time was wasted.
Only far, far ruder – which is why it has a 15 rating slapped on it.Featuring (for the second blockbuster this year) the song 'The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face' – this time sung by Will (Simon Bird), it was as you imagine
A possessive girlfriend who cuts Simon's (Joe Thomas) trademark hoodies; Jay's (James Buckley) The Wolf On Wall Street spoof tour of life down under (minus the drug intake), and Neil's (Blake Harrison) usual, well special Forrest Gump behaviour – plus much more, overall it is great fun!Although now all in their late 20's and early 30's, the boys are back (for another 93 minutes at least anyway) Yet producers (Damon Beesley & Iain Morris) and Inbetweener actors alike have all stated that they would 'never again' come back to relive the characters and that this will in fact be the last outing
but knowing the trend of recent films expect a reunion in about 12-15 years from now.Yes – the fwrends' are back and easily provide several of this year's funniest movie moments so far, confirming why they are quickly becoming the UK's most successful comedy show.
Yes, it's still not as 'punchy' as the shorter-length episodes, but I found it generally funnier overall than its predecessor.Basically, if you already know what sort of humour you'll be subjected to in 'The Inbetweeners' movies then you should like this.
There are a lot of obvious and cold jokes that are very scripted and don't flow, although i love The Inbetweeners sitcom and the first movie, this wasn't half as good as the first due to the whole motivation for the film probably being the success of the first.
However, in this second big screen outing for the boys it feels like the crude scenes are simply added for the sake of it and lack the real comedic and situational backing they need to generate laughs.
Many of the supporting cast from the series also return, but they seem to have been forced into the movie simply for the sake of it.The only redeeming feature of the movie is the high joke count and although most wont raise too much more than a giggle, there are a handful of genuinely funny scenes that keep the film's head above water.
In the end for the viewer the film will likely be a huge disappointment, even for big fans(like myself) of the previous Inbetweeners work, this movie feels like a cash grab while the popularity of the series is still high..
With The Inbetweeners Movie (2011) storming to box-office and critical success, it was never going to be the last time we saw Will (Simon Bird), Jay (James Buckley), Neil (Blake Harrison) and Simon (Joe Thomas) on the big screen.
Simon is convinced by old school friend Katie (Emily Berrington) to join her and her backpacking mates to see the 'real side of Australia', naturally with a detour to a water park, and the four tag along where embarrassment and uncomfortable sexual adventures await them.While Australia is vast and beautiful, we see very little of it here, favouring youth hostels and tourist hotspots that, if anything, makes it look like were watching a feature-length episode on E4.
The water park scene (which I won't spoil) is full of hilarity.Although, it's by no means perfect; Neil (Blake Harrison) is a lot more stupid in this film than usual, Simon (Joe Thomas) is underused - but when he is used, he's brilliant - Jay (James Buckley) is still Jay, I guess and Will is typically sensible and "boring" but in a way feels different.
I am a huge fan of the television show and the movie released in 2011 so I had huge expectations and this was even my most anticipated film of the year.The Inbetweeners 2 lived up and beyond my expectations it was a comedy masterpiece every joke was perfect and worked so well.
Everything about the film just worked for me and would highly recommend this film to everyone as I really want this film to do brilliant at the box office just like the first film as this film definitely deserves it!All in all the The Inbetweeners 2 was a comedy masterpiece fans of the show and the first film will love this and all movie goers looking for a good laugh will also love this film.
With Simon being hounded by his possessive girlfriend back home, Will striking up a relationship with a girl he knew before and Neil not doing very much as usual, they find themselves helping Jay track down his girlfriend from the first film, which takes them on their usual wild trials.They swore a second film would never happen, but with a three year gap since the last film and a four year gap since the show finished, the Inbetweeners boys find themselves back on the big screen for this second instalment of the film franchise.
Acts 1 - 3 are great just the end doesn't seem as solid.Overall I was very impressed with the film; I was worried that it would be too 'big' and not stick to the roots of the series but thankfully it still manages to keep all the characters personalities very much the same without going overboard with jokes.
When I left the cinema feeling rather cathartic back in 2011, I was fairly sure that there wasn't much room for success left for characters Will, Simon, Jay, Neil and writers Iain Morris and Damon Beesley.The formula is the same second time round, only now they're even further away in Australia.
It was predictable that a film would follow but it was surprisingly good- some brilliant jokes, likable (new) characters and a happy ending.
It was a brilliant end to a brilliant film and TV series.The characters are all as funny as ever, the script is great, some old banter and jokes were thrown in, and overall it is absolutely hilarious.I did have my doubts when I saw the trailer but honestly I think whoever made the official trailer was against the film being successful or something because they showed hardly any of the funny bits!So don't not see it if you were disappointed by the trailer!The whole cinema laughed on more than several occasions, a lot more than I expected.
With that said i do feel like this film had some flaws and being a big fan of the series as well as the first film i was kind if disappointed by this entry to the franchise.So at the beginning of the film we find that will is at university and Simon and Neil have come to visit him.
If they were to make a third film then i would watch it i just hope that they tone Neil's character down a bit and have more dialogue based jokes which are what made the inbetweeners in the first place7/10.
The story follows the boys on their journey exploring Oz, all dealing with their own agendas, apart from Neil who seems to just be there for the ride.The characters, played very well as usual by the four mains, deliver many a laugh and brilliant toilet gag that we have come to expect from the series.
The opening scene set the tone for this dismal flop......harry potter need I say more.Same with the first film there was no real story line, will is a lap dog to identical blonde clones........simon still acts like a wimp with his love interest........jay is still the pathological liar and neil is still neil.......and he was the stand out in the film and that's saying something.scenes such as the stuck in the desert scene seemed so pointless just something added to fill screen time.
what they failed to remember is their target audience is now that bit older, so their characters should have grown slightly to fit that.in my personal opinion these actors left the inbetweeners thinking they would be break out stars.......subsequently this hasn't happened and they have gone back to this franchise for financial gain, the love and effort in the beginning has gone and sadly I se this becoming a never ending franchise such as saw.I personally would not like any more films, but with this being the biggest British movie of the year there will be more to come unfortunately..
The plot, which effectively involves Will trailing a woman around Australia, becomes quite tedious but is finally brushed aside towards the last act of the film - where it's the four lads together.The whole film is jam packed with classic cringe-inducing Inbetweeners moments - including a certain scene on a water slide, but it's ultimately the chemistry between the four leads that carry the film forward.It may disappoint if you go in with high expectations, but for a quick laugh, I can't complain..
The boys go down underStarring Simon Beard, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas.Written by Damon Beesley and Iain MorrisDirected by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris.I must admit I have a soft spot for the Inbetweeners.I'm a bit of a closet fan of the series and the movies and this one was no disappointment.
The sequel certainly dosen't live up to its predecessor, the end of the first Inbetweeners movie see's the four main characters grow and truly become men, but this film contradicts any of that established character arch and brings them back the same position they were in the television series, it simply felt like a unnecessary sequel that ruins the pitch perfect finale of the first one.
A lot of the humour is immature and certainly not the clever, well written comedy that I've come to expect from the Inbetweeners, it's much less British, with jokes about child abuse, indigestion and self harm, it's much more tasteless than the series or the first film ever was.
It's a disappointment, simple as that, if you are an Inbetweeners fans then you'll watch it, you will laugh a load, but you'll be left feeling unfulfilled, The Inbetweeners 2 has plenty of good moments, but it's a mediocre adventure, with little heart or plot, for this likable foursome.
the film is gud and easy to watch really enjoyable if you are a fan of inbetweeners series and the film franchise.the film is as good as the first one or even better.in this movie characters are getting more depth in their roles the film consists of lot of funny moments and talks.the story starts when the friends are going to meet jay who is doing a gap year in Australia.all the main actors are done justice to their roles and the film is a really a good one to watch my ratings 7 of off 10.Iam looking forward for the next part.In this film will and si are at their universitie and neil is working at a bank .tyhe film starts frome there.its really a gud watch.Damon Beesley and Iain Morris done a terrific job as directors in this film..
Even the teaser trailer that came out has me laughing my head off.The Inbetweeners Movie 2 sees the immature and socially inept quartet from the show reunite for this sequel which includes Will McKenzie (Simon Bird), Jay Cartwright (James Buckley), Neil Sutherland (Blake Harrison), and Simon Cooper (Joe Thomas).
Will bumps into an old friend Katie (Emily Berrington) who he claims was his first love, she persuades him to go to Byron Bay where Will meets a rival for her heart Ben (Freddie Stroma) a guitar playing, trust fund inheriting, dreadlock rocking douchebag, type of person you want to fail at life.As the film unravels, we find out Jay has an ulterior motive for moving to Australia, he has his own little "side mission" shall we say, leading him to have some extremely memorable scenes.
I was surprised when I heard that they were making a second Inbetweeners film as I was unsure where scriptwriters Beesley & Morris would take the characters of Neil, Jay, Simon, and Will.
Neil isn't given quite as much to do here as Simon, Jay and Will, but that didn't bother me as his character probably got the most laughs out of me.Like the Series and the first film, the humour is crude at times, but that isn't a problem for me.
Alas, unlike the superior first movie, this time it's only the fans of the show who'll find the latest adventure of the quartet - Will (Simon Bird), Jay (James Buckley), Neil (Blake Harrison) and Simon (Joe Thomas) - somewhat amusing.Having run rampant in the Greek islands after finishing high school in the first film, this time the boys head down to Australia for a vacation during their university break.
The inevitable sequel arrives, and this time the makers have gone all holiday on the buses Mach 2, and sent the lads to meet Jay in Australia to join him one his gap year.Of course, his legendary lies irk the boys somewhat, as his palace and D.J job are nothing more than a tent and a stint as a toilet attendant.So they meet up with some pseudo bohemians, and go a travelling....The roaring success of the first movie was always going to warrant a sequel, because if a movie makes £40 million plus in the U.K., it'd be daft not to.The first time I saw the original movie, I didn't like it one bit, I thought it was a cash in, and made so much money because it was released just as the target demographic were coming off the depicted holidays and getting ready to go to Uni, and had a connection.So I wasn't looking forward to this, but to prep myself, I saw the three series and the film again (which is better third time along), and just took it for what it was, four lads bonding with added gross out jokes.And apart from the awful gross out jokes that haven't been funny in over fifteen years, I found the film to be quite endearing, and its a marked improvement on the original.The plus points: The best parts if the film are when the four are just talking about life and their fantasies, the scenes in the car are brilliant, and really hark back to the original series.Also, the way the travellers are depicted, total morons who think because they have dreads and can play an instrument have some sort of one up-man ship on every one else.
The first Inbetweeners movie was great and the characters of Will, Jay, Simon and Neil really shone through.
Okay, it's not quite as good as the first film, and nowhere near as original as the TV series, but I'm always going to be somewhat sympathetic to this franchise*.I've been with The Inbetweeners since the beginning, when as a sixth former myself I laughed my head off at the antics of Will, Simon, Jay and Neil, as they muddled through a uniquely British adolescence that we could all see reflections of ourselves in. |
tt0082114 | The Bunker | An American captain wants to see the infamous bunker of Hitler. The Russian guard lets him head into the bunker. Water covers a good deal of the floors. Here is where Hitler lived his last 105 days.Flashback. January 16, 1945. The Americans are at the Rhine River in Germany. Hitler goes to his bunker in Berlin. Bormann checks the place out and comments, "What have we come to? Reports come in that the Russians are raping all German women. Goebbels arrives. Reichsminister Albert Speer, Hitler's architect and industrial production man, arrives. Speer wants to try to talk Hitler out of his plan to destroy all Germany. Speer gets his private audience, but Hitler is absolutely committed to his plan of utter annihilation of Germany as a punishment for betraying him.Speer talks with Dieter Stahl, Chief of the Munitions Division, about the possibility of assassinating Hitler by introducing into the bunker a new poison gas that is said to be able to penetrate any air filter. Stahl tells him that it is too risky of a gas and that mustard gas would be better. Speer asks Stahl to get him some of the gas and Stahl agrees.Hitler is in conference with his generals. He is furious with them saying that the generals have let him down. One of the generals strenuously objects and the only thing that Hitler does to him is to tell him to go on six weeks of sick leave.Bormann speaks with Speer and asks him why he has not carried out Hitler's plan for total annihilation of German towns and villages. Speer says that there have been administrative problems. He then has to speak with Hitler about the subject. Hitler tells him that he has read Speer's long memorandum on the subject but says there will be no reconsideration of his policy. He becomes extremely mad at Speer when the architect dares sits down: "How dare you sit in my presence?" Speer is then dismissed. He later learns that he has been replaced with Bormann as head of the annihilation plan.The next time Hitler speaks to Speer he tells him that he must believe that the war is not lost. But Speer says the war is lost. Then Hitler retreats a bit and says "If you could just hope we will win" that would be enough to satisfy me. Speer feeds Hitler some other lines and Hitler announces his victory with "I knew I could rely on you".Goebbels reports to Hitler that the American president, Franlin Delano Roosevelt, has died. The minister of propaganda is absolutely ecstatic. That happiness, however, is offset by the message that Vienna has fallen.Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress, arrives. The head of the German Air Force, Goering, arrives followed by head of the secret police Himmler. Himmler is secretly negotiating with Count Bernadotte of Sweden about peace.Berlin is now closed on three sides. Hitler tells his generals to send General Steiner in with his Panzer corps, but Steiner only has 11,000 men. Hitler demands to know who was responsible for not stopping the Russians in their latest move. It's the 56th Panzer of General Wielding. Hitler tells his staff to have the general executed. Hitler goes outside and praises the kids who are now serving as German soldiers.Goebbels calls his wife and tells her that the time has come. That is code for the situation is so bad that it is time to bring the children to the bunker to commit suicide with Hitler and Eva. The Goebbels believe that a world without Hitler would be simply unbearable.Bormann asks Hitler to move to greater safety in Bavaria, but Hitler answers with a definite no. Two of Hitler's secretaries come in to tell Hitler that they want to stay with him through the bombardments. Hitler nods in agreement. Magda Goebbels and her six children arrive.Conferring again with his generals, Hitler learns that General Steiner has been captured. Hitler goes into a rant saying that the army has betrayed him, that his orders have not been carried out. He finally admits: "I'll die in Berlin. The war is lost."Eva Braun's brother-in-law Colonel Fegelein is brought by force into the bunker. The man has been absent for three days and was about to leave Berlin. Hitler chooses to be lenient and tells his staff to release him. But then Hitler is told that Himmler has offered to surrender the western German armies to Eisenhower. Hitler then even gets madder when he learns that Goering in a message to von Ribbentrop said that he will take over in Germany after Hitler's death. Speer has come to say good-bye to Hitler because he is leaving, but Hitler is too angry to give him much notice. But Hitler has time enough to tell Bormann to execute Fegelein.Hitler and Eva Braun have afternoon tea and crumpets. Hitler is distracted with his worries, so Eva asks him if they can tell the secretaries the good news. She gets the okay and she tells the women that they will be married. There is only about 48 hours left until the arrival of the Russians at the bunker.Hitler asks General Mohnke, who is in charge of the defence of Berlin, if he can hold out until May 5, the anniversary of Napoleon's defeat. The general tells him that he can give no assurances as to any particular date.There is a farewell dinner for Dr. Goebbels. Hitler learns that Mussolini and his mistress have been executed and their bodies hung upside down in the public square.The end has come. Hitler and Eva Braun say good-bye to their staff. They then retire to their private chamber where they both bite down on cyanide capsules. Almost simultaneously Hitler shoots himself in the head with his revolver. Their bodies are taken outside the bunker and burned. Now it is the turn of the Goebbels. In their beds, Magda makes all six children bite down on cyanide capsules. They are quickly dead. Magda and Joseph go outside and repeat the actions of Hitler and Eva Braun.The staff now leaves the bunker with the exception of the engineer in charge of operating the electrical generator. Only six of the staff that left were able to avoid capture by the Russians. Two of Hitler's secretaries were captured by the British. Bormann's body was finally discovered in 1972, a suicide committed at the time of the fall of Berlin. Albert Speer was captured and served 20 years in prison. | violence | train | imdb | As a military historian, I've probably seen every film depicting Hitler and the last days of the Third Reich there is.
But as slow and downright melodramatic as this film is, I think that Anthony Hopkins' Hitler is right on the money, A superb acting job with a difficult role.
It's not hard to play the classic Hitler with fits of rages and dour looks, but there is a lot more to it, and Hopkins pulls it off magnificently.
In bearing, size and demeanor Lonsdale captures the essence of Hitler's right hand man He kept in the background most of the time, but was nonetheless an extremely powerful figure in the Third Reich and his power comes over very well.
A good script and well directed, this film is well worth watching, especially now that it is readily available, uncut, on DVD..
An Inside Look At The Last Days Of Hitler And The Third Reich.
That insanity increased as time went on, and this movie offers a pretty good look at its last days, as Hitler and his entourage hole themselves up in a bunker underneath the Reich Chancellory and act as if they're actually accomplishing something, even as Germany is being systematically overrun by Allied armies.Of most interest are the various performances and the manner in which the various personalities are portrayed.
Anthony Hopkins' work as Adolf Hitler was very good - especially considering the difficulties involved in playing such a complex and controversial subject.
I thought Hopkins nailed the emotional complexity of the man - deliberately hiding himself from the realities of the War, calmly sitting down to tea with his secretaries one minute, then launching into a deranged tirade against his generals the next, addicted to drugs administered by his personal physician.
Where I thought Hopkins missed the mark a bit was in Hitler's physical state.
Aside from some trembling, Hopkins' Hitler actually looked pretty healthy.
Other actors have to be looked at as well though, because this movie isn't really about Hitler - it has more to do with how the various personalities involved interacted with Hitler.Much of the movie revolved around Nazi architect Albert Speer.
Richard Jordan handled the part well, although the portrayal of Speer was interesting - probably unavoidably so, since Speer was almost as complex a character as Hitler.
In the movie, Speer comes across as basically a good guy, fighting against Hitler's insane plans.
In fact, that's accurate, because above everything else, Bormann's main preoccupation was with power - whether represented by Hitler or someone else.Largely missing from this account of these last days in the bunker (although it does pop up in the end) is the rather morbid and completely unreal question of who would succeed Hitler - as if there was going to be anything to succeed to.
I particularly liked the last scene, when the machinist Hentschel (Martin Jarvis) throws papers in disgust at the radio when it announces Hitler's heroic death, "fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism," when Hentschel knew full well that Hitler had cowardly committed suicide and left everyone else to fend for themselves.
There is so much 'dross' being released, yet this minor masterpiece with excellent performances from Hopkins remains locked away!
Another similar 1974 film exists with Alec Guiness playing the Fuhrer; "Hitler, the last ten days".
The Alec Guiness film was spoiled slightly by a series of strange comments from Hitler in his sealed room moments before he and Eva Braun commit suicide (obviously there were no witnesses to record this!).
I consider this one of Anthony Hopkins best 'early' performances.
In a review it was said after a typical Hitler tirade, Hopkins was so 'into' the role, he would have the room cleared so he could be alone and compose himself!
Especial kudos to Richard Jordan as Albert Speer, Hitler's 'adopted' protege'.
This film adaptation may be as close as we will come to what really happened in Hitler's bunker at the end of World War II..
Unless you understand the psychological make up of the German People and can clearly understand the German language it is hard to understand the absolute Charisma of Adolph Hitler or how the Third Reich came into being.
The film chronicles the last 105 days of the life of Hitler and his inner circle from the moment he descends to the bunker in January 1945 until his death on April 30th of that year.
Between the make-up and the acting of Anthony Hopkins you might well believe that Hitler was alive again, so compelling his performance.
The late Richard Jordan gives one his finest performances as Reichsminister Albert Speer, Hitler's architect and later minister of munitions during the war.
And to answer the carping critique of another commentator, everything I have read in history, which as it is my college major, is considerable, points to Speer's becoming a voice of reason and having a change of heart about the German Empire toward the end of the war.
Two other outstanding performances were Michael Lonsdale (Moonraker) as Martin Borman and Piper Laurie as Magda Geobels, wife of Hitler's propaganda minister.
What went on in the last days of the Third Reich in Adolf Hitler's bunker?
Anthony Hopkins is one of our acting icons like Olivier.
He portrays Hitler as a drug addicted shell of a man who was once invincible and he captures him at the end when all was lost.
The most frightning scene in the film is where he explodes in rage at Albert Speer when he tells him that the war is lost.
Hopkins captures all of the rage and madness that was Adolf Hitler, a demon in human form.
They talk in this film about how Albert Speer tried to assassinate Hitler in the final days of the Third Reich.
Excellent TV rendition about the last days of Hitler with exceptional performance from Anthony Hopkins.
The story of Hitler's last days in an underground bunker gives insight to his madness.
It's well played by Anthony Hopkins who won an Emmy prize for his excellent acting.
Other adaptation about this historical character are : ¨Hitler(1962)¨ by Stuart Heisler with Richard Basehart, ¨Hitler : The last days(1973)¨ by Ennio De Concini with Alec Guinness and the best is ¨The Downfall¨ by Oliver Hischbiegel with Bruno Ganz.The picture is correctly based on real events, adding more details , the deeds happened of the following manner : ¨Fuehererbunker¨(Leader's Bunker)is the subterranean headquarter below the Chancellery and its garden in Berlin where Hitler (Anthony Hopkins) spent his last days, from April 20 to 30, 1945.
This area had seventeen rooms , all small, cramped , and uncomfortable : Hitler's suite of three rooms, a map room used for conferences, the dressing room and bedroom of Eva Braun(Susan Blakely), the bedroom of Dr Paul Joseph Goebbles(Cliff Gorman) and wife(Piper Laurie),the rooms of Dr Ludwig, lavatories and bathrooms, an emergency telephone exchange, a drawing room, guardroom, cloakroom and a dog bunker for Hitler's Alsatian bitch named Blondi, with her four puppies.
Albert Speer (Richard Jordan) his minister of Armaments and War Production , refused to carry out his orders for a scorched-earth policy.
Good performances, slow-moving film..
The supporting performances, especially by Piper Laurie and Richard Jordan, also drive this intensely psychological take on the last days of the Third Reich.
I am someone who loves history and have and always will be fascinated with what went down in World War II especially the last days of Hitlers life.
However Anthony Hopkins performance is very laughable I could not take him seriously, when he went into his tirade I could not understand a thing he was saying.
If you want to see a real movie based on Hitlers last moments Downfall is that movie, it is in German which you can not ask for anything more.
All performances who have tried to act as Hitler have failed, Bruno Gants is the only actor that needs to play Hitler.
Anthony Hopkins performance makes Hitler into a raging, comical maniac where as, Bruno Ganz plays Hitler as delusional, hateful and cruel man -- but also human..
And what a splendid job they all do in this description of Hitler's last days in the fortified bunker far beneath the Chancellery as World War II was closing in all around the Führer and the remains of his staff.
And not one of the actors tries to fake a German accent.Anthony Hopkins gives the finest portrayal of a living dead man that I've seen.
He seemed put out when I charged him ten cents for the tutoring.The central conflict here is between Hopkins and Albert Speer, his Minister of Arms and War Production.
Speer was a brilliant architect and industrialist, a relatively young handsome officer played here by Richard Jordan.
Speer develops a plan to introduce poison gas into the vent that supplies air to the underground bunker, which will kill everyone inside, including Hitler.
The plan is dropped and Speer remarks that he'll not try another because "I think I only had one in me." Speer decides instead to agree to the destruction of Germany but will prevent it by bureaucratic stalling and by wrapping the process in red tape.There are scenes between Hopkins and Jordan that are truly touching.
But if the viewer needs the usual clichés, they're available in occasional dissolves followed by flashbacks to better times, when Hitler and Speer first met, before Germany became a sewer, before the death factories began to churn out their product.
The camera lingers on the faces of his children, some barely old enough to sing the heroic song, and all of whom he and his wife Magda will shortly kill by cyanide poisoning.There have been a number of films about Hitler's last days, both feature films and documentaries.
Anthony Hopkins played the character of Adolf Hitler magnificently .
its the first movie which shows that Adolf Hitler was human being you may disagree with his deeds and his philosophy.but he was true lover of Germany.
he lived for Germany and he died for Germany.All the other characters played their part really nicely.film also shows how desperate Adolf Hitler was in his last days of great war.Germany was going to lose was and he was feeling pressure.Its really a master work and movie lovers must give that a chance you will feel nice after viewing that movie and u will appreciate the performance of Anthony Hopkins ..
A truly good performance here for Anthony Hopkins.
I you closely Watch footage film showing the dictator, the real one, you'll notice that his hair - at least in the last years of his life - did not fall on his forehead, the left side.
And curiously, in all films - I must admit although that I don't exactly remember the Bruno Ganz portray - Hitler is shown with his hair falling on the left side of his forehead.
Anthony Hopkins becomes yet another actor to portray the German dictator.
The films covers the period of Hitler when he ascends into his Berlin bunker up to and a little while after his suicide.
Anthony Hopkins displays a commanding presence as Hitler in this TV-made version of Hitler's final days in his underground Berlin bunker.
Albert Speer, played by Richard Jordan, somewhat rivals him in prominence.
The film writers put a major focus on Hitler's scorched earth policy of the final days, to destroy civilian infrastructure and life staples of the German people as enemy armies advanced.
He came to the Bunker on April 22, about 10 days before Hitler's death, and left shortly before it.
If it did, one might question Hitler's compassionate response.As evil as he was, Hitler's hypnotic effect on all German people is a reality, and this remained until the days of his death.
We even see Speer considering the logistics of a poison attack on the Bunker as an alternative to letting the resistance to Hitler's scorched earth policy come to a head (another thing questioned by historians).
I got annoyed with the non-moderated British accents all over the place, but on the part of the supporting cast only (Hopkins' accent as Hitler, like that of Alec Guiness in "Hitler: The Last Ten Days," is not as bad as Robert Carlyle's in "Hitler: The Rise of Evil").
I have noticed that Bunker films after all, this is the movies tend to portray the German women as quite glamorous, and Eva Braun (Susan Blakely) and Magda Goebbels (Piper Laurie) are eye Candy, along with other ladies.
Maybe the real Speer did not want to liquidate all German civilians, but Jordan's portrayal does too much kindness to a creepy guy.
No worries, for Hopkins as Hitler is the focal point, and any human feelings he shows are superseded by the obvious incarnate evil he represents..
Yet as much as I liked the German films : The last 10 days of Adolph Hitler and Downfall and as much as I love Anthony Hopkins as an actor, Hopkins played a flat footed Hitler.
Hopkins is too English to be Hitler.
Hopkins' performance would have played better in THE PRODUCERS.If Hitler orated the way Hopkins delivered an authentic AH speech at the end of this film, would Hopkins have revv-ed 61 million Germans up to march in step, commit atrocities and fight 250 million Russians and 250 million Americans at the same time?
Hopkins was not a very good Hitler.At the end of the TV movie, there was a credit to the Trevor Roper book The Last days of AH.
I didn't see it mentioned in these pages.Like most in the AH genre the film does not mention Hitler's double alluded to in the Toland work..
Then, Anthony Hopkins as Adolph Hitler?
Hopkins performance was a parody of Hitler.
It makes you feel you were right there in the bunker in the final days.
Good performance by Hopkins..
In some way this film becomes the story of Albert Speer rather than Hitler.
So Richard Jordan as Speer is as important a character as Hopkins.
The effect is to have us believe there was some rational thought in these last days of the Third Reich.Yet another TV rewrite of history but at least it gives Jordan one of his best roles....
The movie attempts to depict the final days of the charismatic leader Hitler in his bunker.
Whether Hitler truly was, is a matter of debate best left to historians, biographers and auto-biographer.It goes without saying that Anthony Hopkins is completely miscast.
In an attempt to integrate Anthony Hopkins with Hitler he ends up a character who seems to be as result of genetic experiment gone wrong.
So you will three personalities to a character namely Hitler, Anthony Hopkins and a third which I seriously hope who never was..
Hopkins is superb and Hugh Trevor Roper said last year it was the most accurate to date i wont argue.Hopkins played late 44 early 45 Hitler perfect, Gans was good but inaccurate and made for German/Austrian cinema so very watered down.This is superb and worth watching for anyone a fan of the era.Long live Hopkins and long live this part of history.The only downfall is the English accents but like i said the Gans version is wholey commercial and the Goebboels is a dreadful look alike.Hitler will go down as one of the great vilans along with stalin, Blair, Polpot and Bush but the Fueher did it the best.Seig!.
This film is poorly scripted and the actors are left stuck with weak characters who seem very rational at times yet laughable at others, in particular the performance of Anthony Hopkins is a mixture of babble and ranting .
The general setting is far too calm, too sterile for this time and the film is historically not entirely accurate as certain people who were there and played key roles in Hitler's wartime life and final days were not portrayed at all!.
But some like Martin Bormann played here quite eerily by Michael Lonsdale wanted Hitler to go to his mountain retreat of Berchtesgarden and conduct a resistance of attrition from there.
Anthony Hopkins as Hitler in a mad show of bravado won't do it.
Hopkins is a mesmerizing and total Hitler.
Hitler is also seen in the small things, playing with Joe and Magda Goebbels children, playing house with Eva Braun, and caring for his faithful retriever Blondi whom in the end he poisoned.
But according to Albert Speer's post war memoirs, Magda Goebbels never sat home and let the grass grow under her feet.
According to Speer The Bunker also gets it right about Eva Braun.
Susan Blakely plays her just like Speer describes her, just a power groupie before that term was invented without a political thought in her head.
The Bunker is one of the best made for television films ever done.
A very good insight into the last days of 'Der Fuhrer' and his chums, charting the atmospheric goings on, in the bunker.
(I.e: Richard Jordan as Speer and the Goebbels one).Though it has to be said, Anthony Hopkins gave another of his outstanding performances as Hitler.
A comparative favourite of mine is 'Hitler, the Last Ten Days' which I still believe to be superior, though there are those who don't agree on here, on this review.
Told in large part from the viewpoint of "Albert Speer" (played by Richard Jordan) this film recounts the final months of "Adolf Hitler" (Anthony Hopkins) and his Third Reich as the Russian army steadily advances upon Berlin.
Of particular interest is the performance of Laurie Piper (as "Magda Goebbels") whose dedication to Hitler was both fascinating yet scary at the same time.
Also worth mentioning is the manner in which Anthony Hopkins managed to portray Hitler during this time when the Fuhrer's health and reason were failing him.
All in all then, I thought that this was a very good film and for that reason I recommend it for those who enjoy movies of an historical nature. |
tt0099487 | Edward Scissorhands | An elderly woman tells her granddaughter the story of a young man named Edward who has scissor blades for hands. As the creation of an old Inventor, Edward is an artificially created human who is almost completed. The Inventor homeschools Edward, but suffers a fatal heart attack before he can fasten hands on Edward.
Some years later, Peg Boggs, a local Avon door-to-door saleswoman, visits the decrepit Gothic mansion where Edward lives. She finds Edward alone and offers to take him to her home when she realizes he is virtually harmless. Peg introduces Edward to her family: her husband Bill, their young son Kevin, and their teenage daughter Kim. They are initially fearful of Edward but come to see him as a kind person.
The Boggs' neighbors are curious about their new house guest, and the Boggs throw a neighborhood barbecue welcoming Edward. Most of the neighbors are fascinated by Edward and befriend him, except for the eccentric religious fanatic Esmeralda and Kim's boyfriend Jim. Edward repays the neighborhood for their kindness by trimming their hedges into topiaries. This leads him to discover he can groom dogs' hair, and later he styles the hair of the neighborhood women. One of the neighbors, Joyce, suggests that she can help Edward open a hair salon. While scouting for a location, Joyce attempts to seduce him, but scares Edward. Joyce tells the neighborhood women that he attempted to seduce her, reducing their trust in him. The bank refuses to give Edward a loan for the salon as he does not have a background or financial history.
Jim, jealous of Kim's attraction to Edward, suggests Edward pick the lock on his parents' home to obtain a van for Jim and Kim. Edward agrees, but when he picks the lock, a burglar alarm is triggered. Jim flees and Edward is caught by the police. The police discover through psychological examination that his period of isolation has left Edward without any sense of reality or common sense. Edward takes responsibility for the robbery, telling a surprised Kim he did it because she asked him to. Edward is shunned by the neighborhood except for the Boggs.
During Christmas, Edward carves an angelic ice sculpture modeled after Kim, the ice shavings being thrown into the air and falling like snow, a rarity for the neighborhood. Kim dances in the snowfall. Jim arrives and calls out to Edward, which surprises him, accidentally cutting Kim's hand in the process. Jim accuses Edward of intentionally harming Kim, but Kim, fed up with Jim's jealousy, says she is breaking up with him. Edward runs off in a fit of rage, destroying his works until he is calmed down by a stray dog. Kim tells her parents what happened, and they set out to find Edward. Edward returns to the Boggs home to find Kim and Kevin there. Kim tries to apologize for Jim's behavior and asks him to hold her, but Edward is afraid he will hurt her again. Jim returns in a drunken rage and nearly runs over Kevin, but Edward pushes Kevin to safety, inadvertently scratching him. Jim tells those witnessing the event that Edward is attacking Kevin, and he tries attacking Edward. Edward defends himself, cutting Jim's arm, and then flees to the mansion.
Kim races after Edward, while Jim obtains a handgun and follows Kim. In the mansion, Jim corners Edward and fights him; Edward refuses to fight back until Jim slaps Kim as she attempts to intervene. Enraged, Edward stabs Jim in the stomach and pushes him from a high window, killing him. Kim confesses her love to Edward and kisses him before she departs. As the police and neighbors gather, Kim states that Jim and Edward both fell to their deaths, and brandishes one of the spare scissor blades as proof of Edward's death.
The elderly woman finishes telling her granddaughter the story, revealing that she is Kim and saying that she never saw Edward again. She prefers not to visit him because decades have passed and she wants him to remember her as she was in her youth. She thinks that Edward is still alive, immortal because he is artificial, and because of the "snow" which Edward creates by carving ice sculptures that scatter shavings over the neighborhood. | comedy, fantasy, gothic, dark, cult, magical realism, flashback, psychedelic, satire, romantic, revenge, entertaining, storytelling | train | wikipedia | He thinks completely outside the box and doesn't just resort to what Hollywood wants, he knows his audience and doesn't insult their intelligence, he brings us a charming story about Edward Scissorhands.An elderly woman tells a story to her granddaughter of a man with scissors for hands named Edward, the creation of an inventor.
Wither it's destroying his reputation or putting him in danger, Edward was never prepared for this harsh world when he was given the kindest heart.From the acting, Johnny Depp's first real leading role in a movie, he's so young and so incredibly talented.
Edward Scissorhands is truly a masterpiece and in my opinion will always remain a treasured classic, because all in all this is one of the most beautiful movies of all time.10/10.
Like eveything I've seen by Tim Burton, this film is at one and the same time, warm and frightening, tender and heart-wrenchingly evil, uplifting and dark.
Created by an inventor who dies before finishing his creation, and so leaving him with razor-sharp shears as hands - Edward Scissorhands (JOHNNY DEPP) isn't like other people.
It's an ironic contrast too, as both of these 'worlds' reflect feelings and thoughts that should not associated with them - as Edward is a good-hearted person, whereas the people of the suburbs are unkind and intolerant.When Edward arrives there he is welcomed and loved, due to the way in which he can sculpt hedges, dogs and hair into amazing works of art.
Poignant and bittersweet, it is hard to forget quickly.Johnny Depp is outstanding as Edward Scissorhands, showing a kind of curious and bemused innocence within in the character, but at the same time a restrained passion.
Tim Burton is a brilliant visual director but with Edward Scissorhands he managed to combine these talents with pure, classic storytelling Scissorhands is his best overall film, abandoning the slight characterizations and special effects-driven spectacle of the (albeit hugely enjoyable) Batman and serving up a convincingly detailed left-of-center fairytale romance.The story is fairly basic, being the standard Frankenstein-esque tale of alienation and the empowerment of love.
Edward (Johnny Depp) is a lonely man with scissors for hands, crafted by an eccentric inventor (magnificently played by Vincent Price in flashbacks) prior to his death.
You can literally "feel" the vibe of this picture, its heart pulsing black blood.The movie was a childhood project of Burton, who drew sketches of Edward as a boy and used to alienate himself from his hostile surroundings by taking refuge in fictional stories involving the scissor-handed hero.
The tale does not grow old because the values are timeless.Edward Scissorhands, despite its occasional flaws, finally gave Burton the chance to unleash his talents as a visual filmmaker along with a pretty solid story mold the result being a sublimely dark rom-com-drama that never conforms to the typical genre clichés and becomes quite a unique film in its own little world.4.5/5.
I would have to say that Edward Scissorhands is by far one of the best films done by Tim Burton.
This movie was the reason that I fell in love with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.
Johnny Depp shows his great talent as an actor and Danny Elfman's music for the movie is some of the most beautiful you're ever likely to hear.
And then, I heard of many times and I wanted to know what it was about.It was a terribly sad movie which could bring tears to anyone's eyes.Kim (Winona Ryder), Edward's (Johnny Depp) girlfriend told the story to her grandchild as a bed time story saying Edward was left incomplete when his beloved creator (Vincent Price)died from old age.
And coming to the end of the film, as Kim spoke when she told her grand daughter the story of Edward Scissor Hands.
It means that one cannot look for ordinary human motivations and actions in his stories: in this film, for example, a small American town lies in the shadow of a Gothic castle which not one of its inhabitants has ever visited until a cosmetics saleswoman dares to make a call; and at many subsequent turns, the actions of the characters just don't square with what anyone real would actually do if confronted with a boy with scissors for hands.
"Edward Scissorhands," often cited as Burton's most personal work, transcends its fairy-tale origins to become something far greater, like a mature cinematic masterpiece.
As for director Burton, he indulges in his usual cinematic weirdness (is there any other kind?), but it's given a strong emotional and human touch with a light dose of comic fare, which manages to separate it from earlier substance works like "Beetlejuice" or "Batman." He focuses mainly on the characters, and their reaction to the misunderstood outsider, and his reluctant acceptance, more or less, into their world.
"Batman" remains my favorite Burton piece, but "Edward Scissorhands" is probably the best film he's made so far (from a fan's perspective).
Speaking of weirdos, Winona Ryder, who was Depp's real-life girlfriend during this time, is the only one who truly understands poor "Edward" in this wacky New Age-preachy film.
I think Tim's movies have always the same kind of "goin back sort of thing" When you look at Edward you can't stop thinking of "well, i was kinda dumb too when i was young"...you go back to your childhood every time, not in a sad way i must say.
Edward Scissorhands.The title says it all really.This film is amazing.In my opinion it is my favourite film, not only because it is directed by Tim Burton who is of course a genius but it has such innocence and darkness compelled in such different ways to other films.Depps almost silent acting is breathtaking, his character seems so fragile.Kim is an adorable character how she falls in love with Edward is really sweet and unpredictable.And of course there are elements of comedy in this film.
Edward mows their garden, cuts their trees in marvelous shapes of animals and humans, cuts their hair among so many other things that attract the neighbors, but soon he faces difficult obstacles where these people turn against him and things only get so much worse that even Peg's and Kim's efforts to save him hardly seem to succeed...Burton tells this wonderful story beautifully.
This is, however, a love story: a love which can never be, two people drawn to each other, who can never be together because society won't let it happen.In this film, the Avon lady (played by Dianne Wiest) takes it upon herself to have Edward move in with her and her family.
Between him and the nosy neighbors, they push Edward to the brink.I could not help but think of another Burton film (Frankenweenie) while watching this movie.
It chronicles the story of an artificial 'boy' named Edward (an understated Johnny Depp) with shears for hands, as he tries to fit in with the denizens of a 1950s pastel vision of suburbia; the townsfolk embrace the outcast, who carves out immense topiary and gives lonely canines and housewives haircuts; the weak conflict comes in the form of Anthony Michael Hall, as a single-dimensioned goon who clings to the object of Edward's affection (virginal suburban daughter Winona Ryder).
In American film 'Edward Scissorhands', director Tim Burton has questioned the curious attitudes of a small section of American society.
Rating-9/10Edward Scissorhands, a Tim Burton movie boasting heart, humour and Gothic design, not exactly one film that isn't unique.
This is the kind of film that really tugs on the heart but in a way that isn't really sad, Edward is just so sweet(even though he looks kind of dangerous), but the whole point here is that we shouldn't judge based on what someone looks like, a nice message and one I feel Burton gets across well.The story actually doesn't move that fast, and although things happen, the location is pretty much just one street all the way through.
With the others in this movie none shine more than Depp which works well as he is the star, the acting isn't all top notch but the cast such as Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, and Alan Arkin give it a good go and all work together well with Depp and the awkward personality he gives off.Tim Burton is truly the man behind this and near all the credit for this needs to go to him, he writes it well but directs it even better, he seems to know exactly what he needs to do and his eye on this is perfect.
I think the trademark style of Gothic design coupled with the just overly dark/light juxtapositions make for an interesting watch, it's the kind of movie that is fairly interesting to look at, it should make most enjoy it, but if not, at least engaged.The emotion that flows through this is very high, I mean Edward isn't exactly the sweetest character ever but it is hard not to like him and he is an extremely intriguing creation too.
This film was directed in 1990, and we can find : Johnny Depp who plays Edward, Winona Ryder as Kim Boggs, Dianne Wiest as Peg Boggs, Alan Arkin as Bill Boggs, Robert Oliver as Kevin Boggs, Anthony Michael Hall as Jim and Vincent Price as the inventor.
Edward Scissorhands was the fourth feature film collaboration between the director Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman.
We see some similarities between some of Tim Burton's movies, for example, the house of the hero is often isolated as in Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice and Batman..
Director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp would go on to collaborate on more movies ever since, but Edward Scissorhands remains as a masterpiece for both of them.Score: 99/100Recommendation: Anyone.
Like every good film, "Edward Scissorhands" made me to feel concern about characters.
Just like the creations that Scissorhands creates in the film, every element of this movie is hauntingly beautiful - artistically pleasing, with undertones of hurt and pain.Edward Scissorhands is the creation of a brilliant inventor, who successfully created a fully functional human from machine parts.
It is not until a curious Avon representative, Peg, goes to the castle and meets Edward that he becomes integrated into her pastel-perfect community - finally finding the human interaction he so craved...unfortunately although things start off looking good, it doesn't quite end so well."You can't touch anything without destroying it," is one quote that really stuck with me in this movie.
my only hobby except of women is watching movies in cinema,i go to the most of them,maybe 3 or 4 times a week!I saw this film when i was around 10 years old and i can say that i believed that whenever it snows its him!What can i say for this movie?For me is the best fairytale i have seen and i will never forget it...the soundtrack or this masterpiece is by Danny Elfman and is one of the best i know yet,the director(Tim Burton) deserves an Oscar for this movie and Danny Elfman(music composer) too !The movie contains drama,fantasy and romance and is fully recommended by me to all the movie fans cause it is the first movie i cry.Everyone who see this masterpiece will cry and believe me i am a horror and fantasy fan the most...!Thats all!
I genuinely think this is my all time favourite movie, I absolutely adore Johnny Depp, his work is amazing, I love Tim Burton and how his imagination brings him to these sorts of productions.
I love this film due to the actors and actresses that were chosen for the roles, the directing by Tim Burton, the amazing story line to it and the thoughts and effort that physically went into the production.
This kind of approach could've been fluffy and condescending, but Burton and screenwriter Caroline Thompson's maturity prevails over all.The film tells the story of Edward (Johnny Depp), a young boy who lives in a mountaintop Gothic mansion with the man who invented him.
The case of conformism and being your own person is amplified so differently here just by the choice of character and supporting characters that it creates an astonishingly working blend of craft.Edward Scissorhands is, in fact, Burton's masterwork, clearly personal, richly detailed, and aesthetically beautiful in many regards.Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Weist, and Anthony Michael Hall.
The story follows a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who was created by an inventor (Vincent Price, in one of his last roles) who died before he could give the poor creature a pair of human hands.
Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman) are visual spectacles with elements of fantasy, but Edward Scissorhands is more tender and personal than the others.
I admit I have a weakness for characters that are outsiders, or (to borrow from Heinlein) "strangers in a strange land", but what Tim Burton and Johnny Depp did with this scissor-handed man was nothing short of magical.
Tim Burtons film- Edward Scissorhands.
I just saw this movie for the second time and it's amazing.It's a story about human emotions, about our society that even if somebody does some good deeds, there is always somebody to destroy everything nice and beautiful.The music is well put together forming an incredible atmosphere that connects you totally with the movie.Johnny Depp is amazing, his so natural in this movie, he simply is Edward!Even if this movie is a drama, in the end it will make you feel very good :) This movie is an art movie full of music and visual effects,to bad they don't do movies like this anymore....
The cast is great with Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands and Vincent Price as his creator (and also in his last role ever).
I don't like to see him play roles that are ordinary and close to the usual, but I see him so eager to play roles that have something abnormal.The vision of Tim Burton, the acting of Johnny Depp and the soundtrack of Danny Elfman ensure that this is the family film that you can watch on Christmas Day. Every time, it leaves a warm feeling that won't escape you!.
It's tough now, to look back and imagine a time when Tim Burton was a gothic indie darling and Johnny Depp an enigmatic underexposed young actor, but indeed once they were - and Edward Scissorhands is probably the apex of that time in both their careers.
Sad both in terms of the actual plot and when viewed against the triumvirate of misfires Burton would direct, the lost years of Winona Ryder's career and the eventual overexposure of Depp; "Edward Scissorhands" is imperfect but beautiful.
Continuing my plan to watch every Johnny Depp movie in order, I come to Edward Scissorhands (1990)The movie that started the long-running Tim Burton/Depp collaboration.
What's did a DVD in ours lives,l had watched a little portion of this movie in the past on TV and didn't able to give my vote,so yesterday l watched it in plenty way and found it wonderful,the genius of Tim Burton is really endless,he created a modern fairy tale to all ages,touching using a boy without malice,indeed a pure heart,when he meets a people he wants make part of a mankind,but the time will prove who really are this normal people....Burton reachs the target in this fabulous that seems the Beauty and the Beast........great in a dark atmosphere!!Resume:First watch: 1994 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 8.5.
"Edward Scissorhands", by contrast, ends poignantly and is inward-looking, with all the action taking place in one small community.This was probably the film which made Johnny Depp a major star, and in my view it remains one of his best performances.
Edward Scissorhands in my view is the best film of Tim Burton, has a very good and beautiful story, the film moves, the soundtrack is good, the visual is dark, and the face of Burton same, the cast is great, Johnny Depp this great, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, etc., the film also has some funny moments, the costumes it's great, the picture is great, the script is very good, has a few problems, the pace is also good, the film flies by, more is not a film that everyone will enjoy, I believe that many people will not like because of the tone at times, more Edward Scissorhands is a beautiful film, has excellent scenes and an ending that may thrill some people .
When Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have worked together on a film, its never a disappointment.
Directed by Tim Burton, has a screenplay by Caroline Thompson and counts on the participation of Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder.This film is a modern Christmas tale and, for a decade, was very broadcast on televisions around this time of year.
The theme of the movie is about being different; trying to fit in; and the way people can use you for good and bad reasons.A romance blossoms between Edward and Pegs daughter; Kim; played by the wonderful Winona Ryder; and oh gosh; its like a modern fairy tale.Its incredibly sweet and full of charm.
Tim Burton directs one of his most iconic films, a story about a man named Edward (Johnny Depp) who was created by a scientist who left him unfinished, leaving Edward a near-complete man with scissors for hands.Edward lives in isolation in a mysterious, dark castle on top of a mountain, which overlooks a quiet, simple, Utopia-like suburb.
Edward Scissorhands is a film that benefits from Tim Burton's creative mind.
Also notable in the cast are Dianne Wiest, Peg, the Avon lady who brings Edward out of the mansion and Winona Ryder, who plays Peg's daughter Kim.What Tim Burton is able to do extremely well is to create movies that speak to the viewer on some level.
go and rent it or buy it you simply have to see this movie it's Tim Burtons and Johnny Depps best collaboration yet and probably the greatest film of all time. |
tt0040068 | Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein | Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) makes an urgent phone call from London to a Florida railway station where Chick Young (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur Grey (Lou Costello) work as baggage clerks. Talbot tries to impart to Wilbur the danger of a shipment due to arrive for "McDougal's House Of Horrors", a local wax museum. The crates purportedly contain the remains of Count Dracula (Béla Lugosi) and the Frankenstein Monster (Glenn Strange). However, before Wilbur can understand, a full moon rises and Talbot transforms into a werewolf. He proceeds to destroy his hotel room while Wilbur is on the line. Wilbur thinks the call is a prank and hangs up. Meanwhile, the museum owner, McDougal (Frank Ferguson), has arrived to claim the shipments. When Wilbur badly mishandles the crates, McDougal demands that the boys deliver them to his museum so his insurance agent can inspect them.
Chick and Wilbur deliver the crates after hours. They open the first one and find Dracula's coffin. When Chick leaves the room to retrieve the second crate, Wilbur reads aloud the Dracula legend printed on an exhibit card. The coffin slowly creaks open. Wilbur is so frightened that his attempts to call Chick result in helpless sputtering. Before Chick returns with the second crate, Dracula climbs unnoticed out of his coffin and hides in the shadows. Wilbur claims that the coffin opened, but Chick shows him that it is in fact empty. While the boys open the second crate containing the Monster, Chick leaves the room to greet McDougal and the insurance agent. Dracula now hypnotizes Wilbur and re-animates the Monster. They both leave, and by the time McDougal, the insurance agent, and Chick enter, both crates are empty. McDougal accuses the boys of theft and has them arrested.
That night, Dr. Sandra Mornay (Lenore Aubert) welcomes Dracula and the Monster to her island castle. Sandra, a gifted surgeon who has studied Dr. Frankenstein's notebooks, has seduced Wilbur as part of Dracula's plan to replace the Monster's brutish brain with a more pliable one--Wilbur's.
Wilbur and Chick are bailed out of jail. They assume that Sandra posted bond, but Joan Raymond (Jane Randolph), an undercover investigator for the insurance company, did so. Joan also feigns love for Wilbur, hoping he will lead her to the missing "exhibits." Wilbur invites Joan to a masquerade ball that evening. Meanwhile, Lawrence Talbot has tracked Dracula and the Monster from Europe and has taken the apartment across the hall from Wilbur and Chick. Talbot asks Chick and Wilbur to help him find and destroy Dracula and the Monster. Wilbur believes, but Chick remains skeptical.
That night Wilbur, Chick and Joan go to Sandra's castle to pick her up for the ball. Wilbur answers a telephone call from Talbot, who informs them that they are in fact in the "House of Dracula". Wilbur reluctantly agrees to search the castle with Chick, and soon stumbles upon a basement staircase that leads to a boat and dock. Chick insists they search for Dracula and the Monster to prove to Wilbur that they do not really exist. Behind a revolving door, Wilbur experiences a few close calls with the monsters; whenever he tries to get Chick's attention, the monsters have disappeared. Meanwhile, Joan discovers Dr. Frankenstein's notebook in Sandra's desk, and Sandra finds Joan's insurance company employee ID in her purse.
As the men and women prepare to leave for the ball, a suavely dressed Dr. Lejos (a.k.a. Dracula) introduces himself to Joan and the boys. Also working at the castle is the naive Prof. Stevens (Charles Bradstreet), who questions some of the specialized equipment that has arrived. After Wilbur admits that he was in the basement, Sandra feigns a headache and tells Wilbur and the others that they will have to go to the ball without her. In private, Sandra admits to Dracula that Stevens's suspicions, Joan's credentials, and Wilbur's snooping in the basement have made her nervous enough to put the experiment on hold. Dracula asserts his will by hypnotizing her and biting her in the neck. (In a continuity error, Dracula's reflection is visible in a mirror. Vampires do not have a reflection, as stated in "Dracula" (1931).)
Everyone is now at the masquerade ball. Talbot arrives and confronts Dr. Lejos, who is in costume as Dracula. Lejos easily deflects Talbot's accusations and takes Joan to the dance floor. Sandra lures Wilbur to a quiet spot in the woods and attempts to bite him, but Chick and Larry approach and she flees. While Talbot, Chick and Wilbur search for Joan, Talbot transforms into the Wolf Man and stalks Wilbur. Wilbur escapes, but the Wolf Man attacks McDougal, who is also at the ball. Since Chick's costume includes a wolf mask, McDougal accuses Chick of attacking him out of revenge. Chick escapes, and witnesses Dracula hypnotizing Wilbur. Chick is also hypnotized and rendered helpless while Dracula and Sandra bring Wilbur and Joan back to the castle. The next morning, Chick and Talbot, both fugitives, meet up in the bayou. Talbot confesses to Chick that he is indeed the Wolf Man. Chick explains that Dracula has taken Wilbur and Joan to the island, and they agree to work together to rescue them.
Wilbur is held in a pillory in the cellar. Sandra explains her plan to transplant his brain into the Monster. When she and Dracula leave him to prepare the Monster for the operation, Chick and Talbot sneak in set Wilbur and Stevens free. Dracula and Sandra return to the cellar and find Wilbur missing; Dracula easily recalls Wilbur, and he soon finds himself strapped to an operating table in the lab. The Monster is on an adjacent table, receiving electric shocks. As Sandra brings a scalpel to Wilbur's forehead, Talbot and Chick burst in. Talbot pulls Sandra away from Wilbur, and Chick unintentionally knocks her out while fending off Dracula with a chair. Chick flees the lab pursued by Dracula. Talbot is about to untie Wilbur when he once again transforms into the Wolf Man. Dracula returns to the lab and engages in a brief tug of war with the Wolf Man over Wilbur's gurney. Dracula flees and the Wolf Man gives chase. Chick returns to untie Wilbur just as the Monster, now at full power, breaks his restraints and climbs off his gurney. Sandra attempts to command him, but the Monster picks her up and tosses her out the lab window to her death. Chick and Wilbur escape the lab and run from room to room with the Monster following them.
Dracula, while fighting with the Wolf Man, attempts to escape by transforming into a bat. The Wolf Man leaps, catches the bat, and tumbles off a balcony onto the rocks below. Presumably, both are killed. Joan abruptly wakes from her trance, and is rescued by Stevens. The boys run out of the castle to the pier, with the Monster still in pursuit. They climb into a small row boat while Stevens and Joan arrive and set the pier ablaze. The Monster wheels around into the flames, succumbing as the pier collapses into the water.
Wilbur scolds Chick for not believing him. Chick insists that now that all the monsters are dead, "there's nobody to scare us anymore." They suddenly hear a disembodied voice (provided by an uncredited Vincent Price) and see a cigarette floating in the air. The voice says, "Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping to get in on the excitement. Allow me to introduce myself--I'm the Invisible Man!" The boys jump out of the boat and swim away while the Invisible Man laughs. | gothic, murder | train | wikipedia | This is probably the best horror comedy ever made.While it doesn't make fun of the monsters it does have some fun with them.Just love the Frankenstein monster's initial reaction to Lou Costello.Lugosi truly shows how wrong Universal was to treat him so badly over the years.He gives a wonderful perfomance with nice comedic touches.Chaney is excellent in "his baby" the Wolf Man.Strange is given a bit more to do as the monster rather than just lie around until the last five minutes.Great fun for everybody!.
The alternative view, which I hold, is that this movie is a classic comedy-horror, perhaps the best example of that hybrid sub-genre until John Landis' 'An American Werewolf In London' emerged in 1981.'A&CMF' warrants classic status because it is probably the best Universal horror film since 'The Wolf Man' (1941); certainly it has a much stronger narrative thread, not to mention a better reason for the three monsters coming together, than either 'House Of Frankenstein'(1944) or 'House Of Dracula'(1945).
'Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein', by having The Wolf Man pursuing Dracula and the Monster, and also having Dracula plan to put Lou Costello's brain into the Frankenstein Monster (with the help of the duplicitous Dr. Mornay) provides an extremely satisfactory reason for the various characters coming together.As for the acting, it has often been pointed out that this film works because the monster actors (Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr & Glenn Strange) play it straight, and this is very true, with Chaney's tortured soul act contrasting well with Lou Costello's one-liners (especially the famous 'you and twenty million other guys' joke).
Now it's up to Bud Abbott and Lon Chaney Jr. to save Lou and stop Dracula before Lou literally loses his mind!This is my absolute favorite Abbott & Costello film, sweet and witty but also dark and spooky, with plenty of nice, Gothic sets filled with full moons, flapping bats, cobwebs and lab equipment.
Lon Chaney Jr. as the lycanthropic Lawrence Talbot, Bela Lugosi in his final appearance as Dracula and Glenn Strange as the Monster all play their roles perfectly straight as Bud and Lou stumble around them.
It looks good enough, though it seems whatever Lon Chaney may have gained in comfort from Bud's less time-consuming makeup, he had to trade-off any facial mobility as his face looks fixed in the same expression throughout the film.Bud and Lou's misadventures unloading McDougal's crates is a great mix of laughs & chills where we get to see a variation of the "moving candle" bit, Dracula reviving the monster, and for the first time in any Universal picture the camera doesn't move or cut away as the vampire exits from his coffin.
And Glenn Strange, looking rather gruesome in Westmore's best makeup work, seems creakier than ever before as the monster.I have to mention one of my personal favorite Bud/Lou moments when they make their first trip to the island with Joan Raymond: Lou tells Bud in reference to Joan "she's mine too" then proceeds to dab his mouth with Bud's necktie.While the mere presence of Abbott and Costello in this picture may turn the stomachs of many "horror purists", it's obvious that great care was taken by the filmmakers not to ridicule the monsters.
Not only that, we get two of the original actors who actually played those roles: Lon Chaney (wolf man) and Bela Lugosi (Dracula).The special-effects are terrible but, hey, the film is close to 60 years old.
It's also nice to think, with all the personal sadness and cinematic dreck he was forced to go through, that Bela Lugosi managed to bat 1.000 in playing his greatest role, as he only played the Count in two film classics, this and "Dracula."Playing the monsters straight probably was the best idea the filmmakers had, but there's other good stuff here.
It's really funny and dramatic, drawing on the best of the old Monster actors (Lon Chaney Jr. in particular, but Bela Lugosi, too), and on the truly comic genius of Bud Abbott (the short one).
This move is the funniest move I have ever seen and the second best Universal Monster Movie(second only to Frankenstein.)The movie stars the comedic pair as baggage carriers and come across the body of Frankenstein(Glenn Strange) and the remains of Dracula( Bela Lugosi in his final part for a major studio.) They delver it to McDougal's House of Horrors where the two come to life and Dracula teams up with Costello's girlfriend Sandra(Lenore Aubert) to replace the monster's brain with Costello's!
Universal Studio's three most popular classic monsters (Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man, and Count Dracula) are brought together one final time in a fitting swan song tribute where they're treated with more respect and are better woven together into the plot than they had been in either one of their last two serious vehicles, "House of Frankenstein (1944)" and "House of Dracula (1945)".Bud and Lou are two comical baggage clerks working in Florida who deliver two crates to a local Chamber of Horrors attraction.
Unable to convince his cynical partner Abbott of the strange goings-on, Costello gains an ally when Lawrence Talbot the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney) arrives on the scene to inform the comic duo he's hot on the trail of the monsters and that Dracula intends to restore Frankenstein's creation to full power.
Which is why, sometimes, you can't do any better than romp around with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, and their meeting with Frankenstein (and friends) is arguably the most purely joyful escapist fun any of their monster mashes have to offer.
Bela Lugosi (amazingly, in his only time reprising Count Dracula!) is as good as they come, slinking around with eerie-eyed menace undercut by a hefty undercurrent of silky charm, Glenn Strange makes for a fantastically gruesome, shambling Frankenstein's monster, while Lon Chaney Jr.'s wooden melancholic delivery as the world-weary Lawrence Talbot wins almost as many laughs as the headliners, just as his snarling, contorting Wolf Man is as fearsome as ever.
Dracula's castle also makes for a sumptuously Gothic set piece, and its labyrinth of secret swivelling wall panels, cobblestones and stockades makes for the perfect playpen for Bud and Lou. You pretty much get what it says on the tin with Abbott and Costello - and Meets Frankenstein, by privileging big recurring gags over zingers, isn't even their sharpest work in their oeuvre - so those aspiring for smarter or more substantial screwball frivolity would do best to bolt for the door (ideally screeching "CHIIIIIIIIIIICKKKKKK!!!" like Costello).
This is another awesome bud Abbott and Lou Costello film and because of all the same reasons it has awesome comedy in it it has an awesome story line to it the acting is good in it the actors in it are good and also all the classic villains are back in it Bela Lugosi once again does a great Dracula, Glenn strange once again does a great Frankenstein's monster, and Lon Chaney Jr. once again does a great wolf man.
It took the British Hammer Film Studio to revive the genre in the Fifties with some more up to date special effects.Bud and Lou are a couple of delivery men, working for what I guess was UPS at the time and they lose a couple of crates consigned to Frank Ferguson's Amusement house of horrors.
Fun Universal monster mash movie, with some classic horror characters and actors and of course Bud Abbott and Lou Costello..
All the ingredients to make this is a good and fun movie are already pleasant; the two comical actors Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and the classic horror movie stars Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr. and Glenn Strange.
This in many ways is the best vehicle every developed for Bud & Lou. They got a great cast to work with with all the major monster actors from the Frankenstein/Wolfman/Dracula films.
Glenn Strange as the Monster has more screen time in this film than the Houses of Frankenstein and Dracula combined and his portrayal has to be the most brutish and inhuman of those performed by the various actors who took on the role at Universal.
Luckily for them, the Wolf Man Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) shows up to help stop Dracula.This one has just about everything you could want if you are a fan of Abbott and Costello or the classic Universal horror films.
Bela Lugosi as Dracula and Lon Chaney Jr. as Wolf Man made a number of straight sci-fi horror films before this time.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) **** (out of 4) One of the all-time greats has Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) asking Wilbur (Lou Costello) to help him destroy Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange) but Chick (Bud Abbott) tries to convince him that there's not such a thing as monsters.If you read the production history of this film and how it came to be, you have to think it was a miracle that it turned out so well.
Lenore Aubert, Jane Randolph and Frank Ferguson are also very good in their supporting parts.ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN takes two classics, the comedians and the monsters, blends them together and somehow it works.
Bud & Lou mix genres perfectly with Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., and Glenn Strange in Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.
I started it by watching one classic team-Laurel & Hardy-in The Live Ghost and ended it with another-Abbott & Costello-in which they meet Frankenstein (the monster) along with Dracula and the Wolf Man. Seven years after penning their haunted house comedy Hold That Ghost, Robert Lees & Frederic I.
Then we have Dracula, Wolf Man and Frankenstein Monster in one film and they are very well treated here and a joy to watch(the characters also featured in House of Dracula but it's nowhere near as good a film and Meet Frankenstein uses them far better).Bela Lugosi is suave, imposing and aristocratically evil as Dracula(like Dracula should have and traits that Lugosi nailed in a way few other actors portraying Dracula did) but also has a ball with the comedy.
Abbott & Costello play two freight handlers named Chick Young & Wilbur Grey, who get mixed up with McDougall's House Of Horrors, which has recently gained possession of Dracula(Bela Lugosi) & Frankenstein(played by Glenn Strange) The Wolf Man(Lon Chaney Jr.) is close behind, as he warns the boys of the threat, but is too late, since Dracula revives the monster and plans to give him a new brain with the help of lady scientist Sandra Mornay(played by Lenore Aubert) who has selected Wilbur as the best candidate.
Of those 36 pictures I have now seen over half of them and nowhere in any of those other films does the comical rapport work as well as it does here in "Frankenstein".The script, the characters, the comedy, the horror, and all of the other essential elements that make for memorable filmmaking, all come together so wonderfully well (as a near-perfect whole) here in "Frankenstein".Abbott & Costello play characters Chick Young and Wilbur Grey (respectively), a pair of bumbling freight handlers at a Florida railway station.When Chick and Wilbur are given the task of delivering 2 casket-sized crates to McDougal's House of Horrors museum that's when all hell breaks loose as our bewildered boys are not only confronted by Dracula and the Frankestein monster, but, by the Werewolf, as well.And, at this point, boy, do things get wild and crazy for Chick and Wilbur.This movie is really a whole lot of good fun.
This film takes the classic Universal Movie Monsters, already reduced to so much camp in the awful mash-up sequels (Frankenstein meets the Wolfman, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, House of Pancakes.) I give Lugosi and Chaney credit for playing their characters straight.
They are so frightened when they see Frankenstein's Monster that they run and collide with each other; their bones fly in all directions and form the movie's actual title: BUD ABBOTT LOU COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.Of course Frankenstein means his monstrous creation, not the scientist himself.
One of the great horror comedies of all time, this monster mash-up proves to be tremendous fun.Legendary comedy team Abbott and Costello play baggage handlers Chick and Wilbur (respectively), who come into possession of crates containing Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and the Frankenstein Monster (Glenn Strange) that are intended to go to a house of horrors.
The title of the film is misleading, since it really is 'Abbott and Costello Meet Dracula.' Fortunately for us, the Frankenstein monster is not the main attraction, but rather it's Bela Lugosi instead who is given a major role as he seeks to revive it by transplanting Lou's brain into the monster's body.
A&C keep the laughs coming at a rat-a-tat speed (with variations of some of their classic routines), while Lon Chaney as the Wolfman, Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula, and Glenn Strange as the Frankenstein Monster (subbing for Boris Karloff, who had vacated the damaging typecast) provide the necessary shudders and goose bumps, wisely playing it serious as the stalking creatures.
It was innovative in its day for poking fun at Universal's established movie monsters (whose movie careers, like that of the comedy duo, had declined considerably over the previous five years), something that had never been done before but, apart from a couple of one-liners ("You and 20 million other guys," says Lou after wolfman Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney) explains how he turns into a wolf every night when the moon is full), the quality of the gags is nothing special.
Too much time is spent on Lou pulling those faces of his, and then trying to convince Bud that he isn't imagining all the spooks that mysteriously disappear when the straight man finally appears on the scene.The storyline has Bud and Lou playing a couple of railway baggage attendants who are instructed to deliver a couple of crates which contain Dracula (Bela Lugosi who got the role when the producers discovered he wasn't dead after all) and Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange).
The story is muddled and revolves around a reincarnated Dracula attempting to revive the Frankenstein Monster; he's opposed by the Wolfman and Abbott and Costello, who bumble their way through much of the proceedings.The comedy is definitely the most dated aspect of the movie, and to a modern audience much of the humour seems laboured or obvious.
i must've seen this movie maybe 60 times,as a kid in jersey they used to run this on TV all the time.Abbott and Costello star as shipping clerks who get tangled up with count Dracula(Bela Lugosi)Frankenstein monster(Glenn strange)the wolfman(Lon Chaney Jr)and a femme fatale(Lenore Aubert)its played for laughs,of course.Boris Karloff was originally approached to play Frankensteins monster but refused because he did'nt want to see Frankensteins monster mocked and played for laughs.this was made in 1948 towards the end of the monster cycle.
its a hilarious spoof of the universal monster movies it must be seen to be appreciated.Abbott and Costello also met up with the mummy,Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and the invisible man in later films.10 out of 10..
horror/comedy isn't exactly a highly respected genre, although there have been several classics in it since (Young Frankenstein, An American Werewolf in London, etc).The story starts when a couple of crates arrive in the US, to an office manned by Chick Young (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur Grey (Lou Costello).
But it turns out they have bigger worries -- Dracula has chosen Wilbur's brain to transplant into the Frankenstein monster in order to revive him ...Since the Universal horror franchise had stopped taking itself seriously several years previously, it made sense that the final movie should just go the whole hog and be a comedy.
I don't think it would really scare anyone over 10 years old, so it is a great one to watch as a family.Bela Lugosi is fantastic, as is Lon Chaney Jr. They hold the monster story line together and make it work as a continuation of the universal monster film series, with a comedic twist.
Baggage handlers Chick (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur (Lou Costello) are instructed to deliver and unpack two crates containing the coffin of Count Dracula and the body of Frankenstein's monster, which are destined to be attractions at a museum of horrors.
Then there's the little matter of it's trio of classic monsters—but while it's nice to see Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange), Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and the Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr.) together again, this silly caper simply doesn't do them justice, the creatures proving so inept that they can't even catch a bumbling buffoon like Lou Costello.
Dracula (Bela Lugosi) wants to transfer the brain of Wilbur (Lou Costello) into Frankenstein (Glenn Strange) but Lawrence Talbot, the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney), is out to stop him.This isn't as bad as the title suggests.
Not only Glenn Strange's Frankenstein Monster, but also Bela Lugosi's Count Dracula and Lon Chaney, Jr.'s Wolf Man play a joint Margaret Dumont to the frowns and scowls of Bud and Lou. Regardless, the script is practically out to lunch, plotting an obligatory amount of time in which one must endure the compulsory formula strains.
Abbott and Costello meet the original Dracula - Bela Lugosi and the original Wolfman - Lon Chaney Jnr. Glen Strange plays Frankenstein's monster faithfully and Vincent Price makes a brief addition to the film as the voice of the Invisible Man. The film has one other gimmick and that is a female mad doctor.
The comedy / horror film known as Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein will never be considered an old movie.
This is a cool movie, with Bud and Lou as freight handlers who get mixed up in Dracula's (Bela Lugosi) scheme to give Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange) a new brain, while the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) tries to stop him. |
tt0080923 | Inferno | Rose Elliot (Irene Miracle), a poet living alone in New York City, discovers an ancient book called The Three Mothers. It tells of the existence of three evil sisters who rule the world with sorrow, tears, and darkness. The book, written by an architect named Varelli, reveals that the three dwell inside separate homes that had been specially designed and built for them by the architect in Rome, Freiburg, and New York. Rose suspects that she is living in one of the buildings and writes to her brother Mark (Leigh McCloskey), a music student in Rome, urging him to visit her. Using clues provided in Varelli's book as a guide, Rose searches the cellar of her building and discovers a hole in the floor which leads to a water-filled ballroom. After accidentally dropping her keys into the water, she enters the flooded room. Swimming under the surface, she sees a portrait bearing the words "Mater Tenebrarum" and is able to reclaim the keys. A putrid corpse suddenly rises from the depths, frightening her. She escapes, although a shadowy figure watches her leave the basement.In Rome, Mark attempts to read Rose's letter during class. He is distracted by the intense gaze of a beautiful student (Ania Pieroni). When the class ends she leaves suddenly; Mark follows, leaving the letter behind. His friend Sara (Eleonora Giorgi) picks up the letter, and eventually reads it. Horrified by the letter's contents, she takes a taxi to a library and locates a copy of The Three Mothers. While looking for an exit, Sara is attacked by a monstrous figure who recognizes the book. She throws the book to the ground and escapes. Later that night, she seeks the company of a neighbor named Carlo (Gabriele Lavia) and both are stabbed to death by a gloved killer. Mark discovers the bodies and two torn fragments from Rose's letter. After the police arrive, he walks out of Sara's apartment and sees a taxi slowly driving by. In it is the music student, staring at him intently once again.Mark telephones Rose but is unable to hear her clearly. He promises to visit just before the connection fails. Cut off, Rose sees two shadowy figures preparing to enter her apartment. She leaves through a back door, but is followed. In a decrepit room, she is grabbed from behind by a clawed assailant and brutally murdered.Upon arriving in New York, Mark meets some of the residents of Rose's building, including a nurse (Veronica Lazar) who is caring for the elderly Professor Arnold (Feodor Chaliapin, Jr.), a wheelchair-bound mute. Mark learns from the sickly Countess Elise (Daria Nicolodi) that Rose has disappeared. Elise explains how Rose had been acting strangely. After the two find blood on the carpet outside Rose's room, Mark follows the stains. He suddenly becomes ill and falls unconscious. Elise sees a black-robed figure dragging Mark away, but the figure suddenly stops and gives chase to Elise. She is attacked by dozens of cats, who bite and claw at her flesh. The hooded figure then stabs her to death. Mark staggers to the house's foyer where the nurse and caretaker (Alida Valli) put him to bed.The next day, Mark asks Kazanian (Sacha Pitoëff), the antique dealer who sold Rose the Three Mothers book, about Rose. However, the man provides no information. That night, Kazanian drowns several cats in a Central Park pond and accidentally falls into the water. Hundreds of rats from a nearby drain crawl all over him, gnawing his flesh. A hot dog vendor hears Kazanian's cries and rushes over. The man kills Kazanian with a knife.Carol, the caretaker, discovers the horribly mutilated corpse of Elise's butler (Leopoldo Mastelloni) in the Countess' apartment. Shocked, she drops a lit candle which starts a fire. Attempting to put out the flames, she becomes entangled in burning draperies and falls from a window to her death.Meanwhile, Mark uses a clue from Rose's letter to discover that beneath each floor is a secret crawl space. He follows the hidden passages to a suite of rooms where he finds Professor Arnold. The old man reveals, via a mechanical voice generator, that he is in fact Varelli. He tries to kill Mark with a hypodermic injection. During the struggle, Varelli's neck becomes caught in his vocal apparatus, choking him. Mark frees him, only to be told by the dying man, "Even now you are being watched." Mark follows a shadowy figure watching him from the doorway to a lavishly furnished chamber, where he finds Varelli's nurse. Laughing maniacally, she explains to him with growing intensity that she is Mater Tenebrarum. She suddenly transforms into Death Personified. However, the fire that has consumed much of the building enables Mark's escape from the witch's den. As the structural integrity of Tenebrarum's home fails, debris crashes down on the fiend, destroying her. | dark, gothic, murder, violence, cult, horror, atmospheric, suspenseful, sadist | train | imdb | null |
tt0069536 | Zanna Bianca | Yukon Wilderness, 1896. When Charlie (Daniel Martin) a Native American fur trader, discovers that his young son Mitsah (Missaele) is attempting to befriend a wolf, he scares the beast away, believing it to be too wild and dangerous. Unknown to him, his son persists. Mitsah names the animal White Fang because of the ivory-white teeth the beast sprouts. That night, Charlie changes his mind about the animal when it arrives at his hut barking furiously. Mitsah, while strolling through the woods at night to meet his friend, falls through the ice of a frozen lake and the animal, a wolf/dog cross breed, raises the alarm.Mitsah is saved by his father and canine friend, but falls seriously ill with hypothermia after his plunge into the icy water. Charlie decides to take his son for medical treatment at the nearest settlement. While carrying Mitsah down a mountainside, he meets an old friend named Kurt Johnson (Raimund Harmsdorf) a fellow fur trapper who agrees to help Charlie carry the barely conscious Mitsah. Kurt tells them the nearest town is a place called Dawson City, in which he informs them that it is not safe there. But Charlie tells them that he must get medical attention to his son or he will die. The group, after arriving at a riverside port below the snow line, are introduced to Jason Scott (Franco Nero), a writer traveling to Dawson City in search of a story. Once they arrive in town on a riverboat steamer, they meet with Sister Evangeline (Virna Lisi) a nun who has recently arrived in Dawson City to set up a hospital mission. Jason and Kurt soon discover Dawson City is like an American Wild West frontier town that is a hotbed to business corruption and barely suppressed lawlessness. Sister Evangeline has already encountered corruption in the form of the town's alcoholic priest Father Oatley (Fernando Rey), whose interest in her money is highly suspect. Father Oatley is under the thumb of Dawson City's richest and most powerful resident, Beauty Smith (John Steiner). Smith has bought his way into overall control of the settlement, with some cash and lots of promissory notes he gives to the residents in exchange for gold. He surrounds himself with a posse of thugs wherever he goes and lords it up around town like a dandified 'artisto'. Smith is also romantically involved with Father Oatley's attractive daughter Krista (Carole Andre), who works as a singer and dancer in Dawsons City's notorious bar while her father conceals his paternity connection to her in shame.Sister Evangelina takes care of the sick Mitsah at the hut she plans to turn into a hospital, while outside, Scott, Kurt, and Charlie are threatened by Hall (Rick Battaglia) one of Beauty Smith's henchmen plus a few others, demanding money for keeping Mitsah in town as well as for the hospital sign they put up. Scott and Kurt beat up Hall and all of Beauty Smith's henchmen single handedly, which Smith himself watches with both anger and admiration for their courage.A little later, Charlie is threatened by Smith's henchman who make racial slurs as him as well as demand money as well as the fur pelts that he brought with him. A fight is provoked by between White Fang and Smith's champion hound he uses for dogfight gambling bets. White Fang is victorious, killing the opposing dog. Beauty Smith, seeing the whole thing, approaches Charlie and offers the Indian trader a large sum of money for his dog. Charlie refuses to sell White Fang. Furious at this one humiliating failure of his attempt to wield cash power, Smith stalks off for a muttered conference with his lackeys. As Smith walks away, Charlie is surrounded by the jostling gang and fatally stabbed to death. Scott and Kurt arrive on the scene just as Smith's henchmen disperse where the assembled townspeople, gripped with fear of retribution, claim to have seen nothing. White Fang is captured by Smith's henchmen and put to service, earning money in a public fight against a captured, wild bear chained to a post. White Fang is severely injured before Scott and Sister Evangelina arrive to rescue him. Returning the wolf-dog to Mitsah, who is staring to recover, they suppress any news of the death of his father until he is physically recovered. In the meantime, Scott takes a parental interest to the youngster.Soon, everything starts to go wrong for Beauty Smith as karma catches up to him. Smith tries to persuade Krista to accompany him away from Dawson City for he is planning to skip town with his ill-gotten money, trailing unpaid promissory notes behind him. A frantic tussle erupts where Smith accidentally shoots Krista, killing her. Father Oatley, arrives on the scene and sees what Smith has done. Enraged, Oatley runs out onto the streets shouting Smith's secret to the startled townsfolk. Smith immediately decides to start packing to move onto Nome, Alaska where more gold has recently been discovered and set up shop there. Oatley's outburst blows the lid off the secret as the whole town prepares to move on to the newly discovered gold deposits.Meanwhile, Chester (Daniele Dublino), the Smith assassin who murdered Charlie, is freed from his jail cell by a corrupt Mountie (Janos Bartha). On Smith's orders, Chester sneaks into Jason Scott's quarters and almost succeeds in killing him. But White Fang leaps in through a window and savages Chester. Beauty Smith and one his henchmen, Hall, then sneak into the mission hut and take Mitsah hostage, and shoots Father Oatley as he attempts to stop them. Scott, White Fang, and a horde or irate villagers give chase. Smith attempts to sweep away his pursuers by blowing up a dam. But White Fang jumps upon Smith and saves the day by gnashing at the villain's wrist. But as Scott drags Beauty Smith back to face justice, the dynamite explodes, sweeping away Smith, Hall, and White Fang.The following day, the remainder of the townspeople, including Scott, Kurt, Sister Evangelina, and Mitsha sail away from the abandoned town down the river in a steamboat as a tearful Mitsah is distraught over the loss of both his father and beloved hound. But at the last minute, White Fang reappears, swimming from the riverbank after the departing boat and is soon with Mitsah once again. | murder | train | imdb | null |
tt2975578 | The Purge: Anarchy | In this indirect sequel to the first Purge film, set in Los Angeles on March 21, 2023 one year after the previous film.... just less than 2.5 hours before the Annual Purge commences where all crime will be legal for 12 hours. The employees of a diner are nervously waiting to be dismissed by their boss. They briefly discuss what they plan to do on the evening of the Purge. One of the waitresses, Eva (Carmen Ejogo), goes home to her father Rico (John Beasley) and teenage daughter Cali (Zoe Soul). Cali is watching a video online of a man named Carmelo Jones (Michael K. Williams), who seeks to rally followers against the New Founding Fathers and their heinous acts against the poverty stricken population. Rico hates the Purge and wants to hear nothing about it for the night. He leaves, and Cali asks Eva if her boss gave her a raise. She tells her daughter that it's not in the cards at the moment.Meanwhile, a man named Leo (Frank Grillo) is arming up before the commencement. He hears a knock on the door. It's a woman named Janice (Chad Morgan). She sees newspaper clippings on his wall of a man that was let go from trial, knowing why he plans to go out that night. Although she urges him not to go through with his plans, Leo sends her away.Elsewhere, a couple named Shane (Zach Gilford) and Liz (Kiele Sanchez) are out driving. There is obvious tension between them. After their trip to a store, Liz tells Shane they have to tell his sister about something. They are briefly spooked by a punk with face paint and a cross drawn on his forehead. He retreats and joins his other masked/face-painted punk friends. A man in a mask with "God" written on it waves at the couple. As they hit the road again, we learn that they are separating, and this is what Shane is hesitant to tell his sister. Suddenly, their car breaks down in the middle of the street, not long before the start of the Purge. They look under their car and see that the wires were cut. The punks ride up close to them, with the "God" punk stepping out with a blade. The couple knows they cut the wires and they make a run for it.As the clock nears 6:00 p.m., Eva and Cali prepare dinner, while Shane and Liz try to hide from the punks, and any other Purgers. The sirens go off, signaling the start of the Purge. Leo goes out in his armored car with his guns in tow. A truck with psychos drives through the streets. They pass a couple armed with machetes, looking to "release the beast". From inside the truck, a man known as Big Daddy (Jack Conley) takes out a machine gun and kills the couple. Leo passes a man getting beaten to death, while not noticing a burning bus flying behind him moments later.Cali goes to find Rico to have dinner. She finds a note that she shows to Eva, where Rico discloses that he is already dying, and is going to the home of a rich family for them to purge on him. In return, they supply money to Eva's account to provide support. As the women mourn their inevitable loss, they hear commotion outside. They look out the window to see a SWAT-like team of men coming toward their building. The ladies then hear a loud banging noise. Their lecherous neighbor Diego (Noel Guliemi) comes in with a shotgun, planning to rape and kill the women. He grabs Eva's throat and licks her face, when another banging is heard. Diego is shot to death by the armed men, who then take Eva and Cali to be purged by Big Daddy.Leo drives by the ladies' building to see the men trying to force them into their truck. Leo mutters to himself just to drive by and ignore this, but, seeing the ladies fight back, he chooses to get out of the car and shoot the men down. With his back turned, Shane and Liz sneak into his car to hide. Big Daddy emerges from inside the truck, and Leo shoots him in the face. He turns to walk back to his car, but then offers Eva and Cali to join him. They follow and all three of them are startled to see Shane and Liz in the back of the car. Leo draws his gun on them, but they assure him they're unarmed and are not looking to purge. They then see Big Daddy standing to his feet, and the punks on their bikes not far behind. Reluctantly, Leo takes everybody with him as Big Daddy opens fire with his machine gun.Leo's car also happens to break down, leaving everybody stranded in the outskirts of town. Eva offers to get Leo a new car from her friend and co-worker Tanya (Justina Machado) if he promises to get them to her place safely. He agrees and hands everyone guns to protect themselves.On their trek to Tanya's home, Shane gets his foot caught in a trap. Purgers from every corner appear and try to shoot at the group, but Leo manages to fire back and kills most of the attackers. Shane shoots the cable and breaks himself free. As a running group of Purgers chase after the five, they run down by a subway tunnel. While walking, Cali tries to talk to Leo and convince him that whatever reason he had for being out at night is wrong. He just ignores her. Another group of Purgers rides in, wielding a flamethrower and more guns. The five run again while the Purgers kill other bystanders that were hiding. Shane and Liz shoot back at the Purgers while Leo, Eva, and Cali run. Shane gets shot in the shoulder, but he and Cali manage to shoot the driver and then hit the flamethrower's tank, blowing all the Purgers up.The group finally makes it to Tanya's house. She and her mother, along with her sister Lorraine (Roberta Valderrama), set up dinner for the group. They are joined by Tanya's father and brother-in-law Roddy (Niko Nicotera). The ladies treat Shane's bullet wound, while Leo prepares to take the car and head out again. Eva admits that there isn't a car and that she needed Leo to get them there safely. He decides that one way or another, he is going to get to his destination. He also doesn't trust Tanya, as she is clearly drunk and has been making comments about purging should she choose to. Moments later, Lorraine comes in with a gun and shoots Tanya to death, after finding out that she and Roddy were having an affair. Lorraine draws her gun on Roddy, but he grabs Liz and holds her at gunpoint to call Lorraine's bluff. Leo shoots Roddy in the side and then shoots Lorraine. The five run out (again) and try to escape. Unfortunately, Big Daddy and the armed men are outside waiting to get Leo, Eva, and Cali. The group tries to find another way out, but once they get outside, they are captured by the biker punks.The punks take the group to a facility where they are paid to bring the people in as victims for an organized Purge. The five are brought before an audience of rich people that gleefully bid on killing them. After a group of seven Purgers are selected, the five are put in a dark room for the Purgers to hunt them down. As the Purgers say their thankful "prayer" of sorts, Leo devises a strategy to get himself and the others out of there. He sneaks by the Purgers and takes down one man, killing him and taking his night vision goggles and weapon. He kills three more and takes their weapons, to the horror of the rich audience watching. Leo shoots at them to frighten them, but the bullet-proof window protects them. He brings the weapons to the group, where they kill one more Purger before the other two escape. The elderly rich woman organizing the event calls in for back-up. The group, knowing they may not make it out, sits in fear. Shane apologizes to Liz for everything, and she tells him she loves him, just seconds before the back-up Purgers arrive and shoot Shane to death. Liz cradles his body in her arms and cries. Then, an explosion is heard. Since explosives are prohibited here, the Purgers sense trouble. The back-up Purgers are shot to death by the Stranger (from the first film that the Sandin family helped). He brings in an army, led by Carmelo. They fire at the other Purgers, and then offer to help out the group. They give Leo, Eva, and Cali a chance to escape, but Liz chooses to stay behind and purge to avenge Shane. Carmelo and his men vow to guard Liz. In the parking garage, Leo finds the woman that organized the event and carjacks her at gunpoint, where she begs Leo not to shoot her. He lets her leave.The morning comes, and the Purge is nearly over. Leo drives to the home of a man named Warren Grass (Brandon Keener). It is here that Leo tells them that Warren Grass was a man who accidently killed Leo's son in a drunk driving accident several months ago. Since it did not happen during the Purge, Warren was arrested and charged with drunk driving and manslaughter of a child, but he was let go on a legal technicality despite his blood-alcohol level being very high. Cali pleads with Leo not to go through with this, but he ignores her and breaks into the man's home, just five minutes before the Purge is over. He goes into Warren's bedroom and wakes him and his wife up. He holds Warren at knifepoint and reminds him of what he did to his son. Warren apologizes and acknowledges his wrongdoing, and then a scream is heard...Leo walks out of the home, and is then shot twice. The shooter is Big Daddy, who looms over Leo, stating that he shouldn't have saved Eva and Cali, as they were his to kill. He adds that The Purge is no time or place to be a hero. Before he kills Leo, Big Daddy is shot in the head by Warren, whom Leo chose not to kill after all. The armed men led by Big Daddy come running up to the house, while Eva and Cali run out with their guns. And then the sirens go off, signaling the end of the Purge. Eva then urges Warren to get his car so that they can take Leo to the hospital.On the ride to the hospital, Cali thanks Leo for saving them, also happy that he didn't kill Warren. They make it to the hospital, with Eva and Cali carrying Leo inside, while the news and police helicopters fly over the city, slightly devastated by the events of the evening.Before the credits begin, a final text comes up proclaiming 364 days left until the next Purge. | revenge, suspenseful, satire, murder, violence | train | imdb | The 2013 movie "The Purge" left a bad taste in all of our mouths as nothing more than a pseudo-slasher with a hamfisted plot, poor pacing, and a desperate attempt at "horror." Upon seeing the first trailer for "The Purge: Anarchy," my first and most immediate thought was "we really don't need another one of these." The first film was self-contained and didn't leave any opening for a reasonable sequel.
Instead of trying to be a Horror movie, it becomes a fantastic Thriller/Action film set in a pseudo-apocalyptic future about a group of people trying to survive on a night where it's all-out war on the streets.A lot of themes are explored -- Human Nature, Fear, Anger, Revenge, Heroism -- in ways that many other movies don't really explore it.
Every moment you think is safe leads directly into the next moment of pressure for the main characters, and you can't help but sympathize for the characters who (all but one) don't even want to be stuck out here on this horrid night.I very highly recommend this film to anyone who likes thrillers or action films with a little bit of psychological horror thrown in.And a little bit of a tip?
The first movie had an average vote of 5.6 while its sequel had an average vote of 6.5 along with many of the comments stating just how different it was from the original film , a film which incidentally could hardly have been called original itself The only real criticism I can level at TPA is that it's rather derivative and owes a lot to Anabasis by Xenophon , a very old story that Walter Hill made a career out of reworking and which recent Brit thriller '71 made use of .
A good story never grows old whether you're a Greek army trapped behind enemy lines in 400 BC or a young couple trapped in a city centre where the laws of the jungle are about to be enforced the dilemmas facing the protagonists remain the same I had to double check a couple of times to check if there were two different writer/directors called James DeMonaco because I had hard task to believe the film maker who wasted so much potential in the first movie was the same one who crafted this heart stopping thriller .
There is no security system, minimal defense and there is little hope.Despite being marketed as a horror film The Purge Anarchy feels more like a thriller.
The film presents a decently told story, sympathetic characters, and, yes, a pretty unsettling look at what things would probably be like if this were to actually happen.
From the trailers, The Purge Anarchy showed some more bite than it's predecessor, as this time the danger was taken out of the isolated home and on to the wild streets of the most deadly night of the year.
My scores for the Purge Anarchy are as followed:Action/Horror/Thriller: 7.5 Movie Overall: 6.5.
A storyline showcasing that all the money in the world couldn't protect them from The Purge
But in all honestly, could the average horror viewer relate to that situation or anyone for that matter?This is where the sequel comes in to blow the roof off the first film.
Very rarely do I get scared once a movie is over, but I was a hot mess on the way home especially coming down from the adrenaline high from being visually anxious for almost 2 hours straight!There were so many things I loved about this film.
Despite that The Purge Anarchy is much better than its predecessor, it still is a flawed film full of horror clichés and unimaginative characters.
Soon the stranger gets involved by the four survivors and helps them during the dangerous night."The Purge: Anarchy" is better and better than the first movie since it is an action film in the style of "Warriors", "Escape from New York" and "Hostel".
I've heard it said often: "I've never seen a bad movie make a good sequel." Well, I'll bet my entire life savings that the reason why is because you never gave the sequel a chance after seeing the first film.
In 2013,we got the purge and the idea was that all crime was legal for 12 hours.Which sounded very interesting but all we got was another home invasion movie.when they said were going to make another way,they also wanted to listen to the fans.they did,sort of.What I liked about anarchy was the building up to when the purge was starting and also the beginning of it but besides that the story became weak.you don't care about any of the five character.Their acting wasn't so great also.Only frank grillo character was the best(sergeant).Over all it was an okay movie but if you know what you are watching and know how it is,it can be enjoyable.If they do make a third one,which they will.i saw make it focused on the people who purge..
It's one of those films that left me with no real lasting impressions, good or bad.If you watched the first 'Purge' film, you'll know that crime has pretty much been eradicated in the America of the near future.
Now we get a second round, this time with no big names, and even more stupidity.Like the dumbest idea for a movie was not enough (to legalize crime for a day), now we are adding more propaganda elements, like the word "Anarchy", and linking it to chaos, terror and a bunch of hooligans going around smashing and destroying things.What's even more sad is that at the moment this "movie" has done a 28 million box office, and is rated as 7.1/10 from 2.7k users...
I didn't like the film The Purge mainly because of two reasons: first, I'm already tired of the "domestic invasion" sub- genus; and second, it was impossible for me to swallow the ridiculously absurd premise of one night a year when the laws are suspended, and the government authorizes the people to do anything they want, kill or steal anyone they want, without any legal consequences.
In conclusion, The Purge: Anarchy is an atrocious horror film, and I definitely recommend you not to waste your time or your money in this piece of junk..
Surprisingly good low budget flick not so much a horror film as it is like The Running Man in a sense.The tension is more or less consistent and the story moves relatively quickly.But in the last third it takes a turn.
If 1979's "The Warriors" were remade today into a good movie, it would be something completely different."The Purge: Anarchy" is that rare instance when the writer/director comes back to do the sequel and the sequel seems as if it were written and directed by someone who had heard of the original, but had never seen it.
Where the delightfully simplistic premise of "The Purge" concerned a family fighting to survive a home invasion on the one night a year where all crime (including murder) is legal, "Anarchy" expands on the original "there's a killer in my house" horror premise, by taking it to the streets; this time following five people from all walks of life, attempting to survive the night.Like I said, the first half is basically "The Warriors", where a group of people must survive the night by getting from point A to point B, whist being chased by gangs of killers (one of which holds a strong resemblance to members of the rap group Odd Future) which, in a pitch meeting, I'm sure sounded great.
When they weren't entrenched in that nonsense the movie was entertaining, but mocking the conservative movement and painting them as racists by repeating "the new founding fathers" 100 times makes anyone with a brain want to pull their hair out.I bought the "purge bundle" on iTunes and the first one was okay except for it's mostly veiled references to political message of "rich white people are preying on the poor and minorities".
If you enjoy watching bad costumes with masks, religious references, dumb lines like "stay safe" or better yet lets stop in the middle of all the killing and introduce each other by asking for names, then watch this.I can not believe people gave this pile of trash good reviews.
Well it is not new in Hollywood that we get to see such awful shows, but what makes me wonder about the movie makers is that they really don't learn and after all the education process they go through in order to be movie makers, they simply fail to understand the most basic necessities in movie making, we are living in 2014 and we love to call ourselves modern and civilized but when a piece of crap like this is made, it makes me feel the people responsible for this anarchy should go back to primary school to get another chance to learn some basics of life as I have no doubt in my mind they are uncivilized brutes who reached to that level by cheating and corruption.
I've made YouTube reviews for a good majority of the Children of the Corn movies, and then reviewed all of the Hellraiser movies.I'm a Franchise Man.Tonight, I went with a few friends to see The Purge: Anarchy, and, to my surprise, I really enjoyed the film, even at its most shockingly stupid moments (specifically anything the daughter of one of the characters says is a slap in the face of the number one rule of thumb for writing anything: Show, don't tell).
This time round, we get a bit more in depth with how the rich typically treat the Purge nights, and it's pretty interesting, in my opinion.Needless to say: if you hated the first film, you'll hate this one, as well--even if it is a bit better (by my own standards).The actors do their very best with what they are given in this script, but the daughter I mentioned earlier needs to be removed from the screenplay.
Yet, this is just as much of a popcorn summer movie as the original flick.The Purge: Anarchy was a very fun, worrisome, other-side-of-the-coin film compared to the first film, and I must say that I had a good time.
'THE PURGE: ANARCHY': Four Stars (Out of Five) Sequel to the 2013 hit horror flick about an annual 12 hour period of time when all crime is legal.
While the original purge was a more enclosed terror, this movie like most sequels is bigger and filled with more action.The original had more depth to the situation, having us try to feel more sympathy with an upper middle class family who made money off the Purge and then became victims of it themselves.
Those rich kids in mask from the original may seem scary, but it was really disturbing watching conversations about how easy going regular people can be about their right to rape and murder one day of the year.Another good sequel for 2014.
In This World it Seems that the Ultra-Rich and the Ultra-Poor are the Ones Who Play, eh, Purge.This is a Class War Study and the Heavy Handed Story is Made Entertaining, and Yes Cathartic, Watching This Wish While Saying All Along..."It's only a Movie".
I watched the original Purge movie and enjoyed the concept, the original was a decent house siege film.
The movie The Purge has performed a public service in acting as a shocking warning and it is essential that all who watch the news each day and fear the future see the film to grasp what is to come..
Contrary to most horror films and thrillers nowadays, "The Purge: Anarchy" has a cast full of amiable and realistic characters, and the performances (Frank Grillo, Zoë Soul, Kiele Sanchez...) are more than adequate..
The runtime is overlong.Pros: Interesting story fast pacing, and good acting by Frank Grillo and Michael Kenneth WilliamsCons: The story is messy and sloppy, unused potential when it comes to the premise, bad acting, and an overlong runtimeOverall Rating: 4.2P.S. I did not enjoy the first Purge that much but had heard that the second Purge film was a lot better.
Purge Anarchy ditches a lot of horror elements that the filmmakers presented in the first movie and went directly to an all-out action flick with revenge sub-plot.
A lot of people really disliked the first "Purge" movie, though I thought it had a few good things here and there.
For starters, it's clear that some effort was made to differentiate itself from the original movie; though it takes place on another "purge" night, the action isn't confined to one location, and it brings in on a regular basis new characters with different motives.
Such questions include; what happens to people who are caught outside unwillingly on the streets on the scariest 'holiday' in America, what happens to the people who cannot afford to protect themselves the same way the rich can, and just how far are good people willing to go for vengeance?Unlike the original Purge, director/writer James DeMonaco decides to do what every good director would have done with a story idea like this, and that is multiple-character narratives that eventually intersect.As the evening is coming to an end and the 12 Hour Purge period begins, the world that DeMonaco created does not seem as far away from our own as we are introduced to an array of different relatable characters.
Purging could easily be compared to practically every holiday we experience where people are animals on the road and on the streets, but perfectly behaved citizens in their homes and within the walls of church halls and religious centres and perfectly adequate images in social settings.I believe DeMonaco has crafted a story idea and made a film that is a lot deeper and more complex than people would like to admit.
Luckily, they eventually choose to seek refuge in the back seat of a car belonging to tough vigilante Sergeant (Frank Grillo), who takes time out from seeking retribution for the death of his son to protect the frightened couple, along with mother and daughter Eva and Cali (Carmen Ejogo and Zoë Soul), whom he saves from a gun-toting gang of killers.OK, so the idea behind The Purge movies may seem a little far-fetched and logic might take a back seat for the duration (this is a Michael Bay production, after all), but I have enjoyed both films equally and would happily watch a third.
Perfect for teenagers who want mindless violence, a film lacking depth with no real great storyline cast around the characters.The Purge occurs once a year, where people are allowed break the law for one night as a way of cleansing America, saving the government money and allowing people the opportunity to settle scores through violence.
Pretty shocking to me because it seemed like the average horror movie with the same twists and turns as any other film that people rave about, regardless of whether or not crime was legal.
Like most films these days, courtesy of the latest technology, cameras and the rest, The Purge: Anarchy looks good.
Ejogo, Gilford, Soul, and Sanchez are basically in Gilford's reluctant hands and just trying to survive, resorting to defensive violence only when forced to, especially at the hands of rich, upscale Beverly Hills purgers who use them for target practice in a ritual seemingly inspired by both the 1933 classic THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, and the 2011 film THE HUNGER GAMES; and then it comes down to the climax outside the house of the man that Grillo was after in the first place.Whereas the original film took inspiration from a lot of different sources, including "siege" films such as ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, THE BIRDS, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and STRAW DOGS, by extending it out into the streets and involving Purgers of all kinds, from ethnic gang-bangers to those with the original film's "ghoul" masks (a premise borrowed from A CLOCKWORK ORANGE), DeMonaco takes inspiration for THE PURGE: ANARCHY from such films as COLORS, DARK BLUE, and THE WARRIORS.
The action of the second movie in the series, 'The Purge: Anarchy', which I saw now, made in 2014, takes place in the America of 2023.
The film's heroes, a few people surprised by the yearly Purge on the streets, or who are thrown by circumstances in the midst of violence, will try to survive the night.James De Monaco, the creator of the series (three feature films and now also a television series) and the director of the film, wanted to create a good action thriller whose story is taking place in the near future.
"The Purge: Anarchy" is a Thriller - Horror movie and the sequel of "The Purge" in which we watch three groups of people trying to survive the purge night in Los Angeles.
The Purge Anarchy is a good movie, one of the best thrillers I saw lately.
It wasn't completely unwatchable with a couple of reasonable performances and decent production values but was so tension and suspense-free and full of irritating characters, illogical character behaviours, a dull pace, a cheesy script and tired clichés.Had seen and heard numerous times people saying that 'The Purge: Anarchy' was a much better film.
Am in complete agreement with those saying that this is the far superior film, while thinking that it was still flawed and not too great.'The Purge: Anarchy' has a lot of good things.
Just as with the first film, there's no way anyone can watch this movie without wondering what they would do during one of these horrible annual purges.
Unlike The Purge, which trifled away original idea on completely unoriginal realization and ended up as disappointing movie, Anarchy is quite a decent and pretty much suspense action drama, that somewhat corrects errors of it's predecessor, adds some depth and meaning to the story and in every aspect is a better movie, but still fails to break away from the framework of mediocrity.6/10. |
tt0367495 | Anbe Sivam | The film begins with ad film-maker Anbarasu (R. Madhavan)- who prefers that his name is mentioned in the abbreviation of A. Aras rather than his full name, arriving at the Bhubaneswar airport in Orissa, India. He is about to board a flight back to Chennai for his own wedding. However, he learns at the airport that his flight is cancelled due to the bad weather in the state where heavy floods and torrential rain due to the wet season have affected air traffic. While waiting for further announcements, Aras watches a television news of a terrorist threat at an airport in Mumbai, making him suspicious when he sees a limping man carrying an old sack on his hands. He informs the authorities, who find out that the man only has a cucumber in that bag and nothing else.The man, a physically disabled man named Nallasivam a.k.a Nalla (Kamal Hassan) introduces himself to Aras and both of them get to know each other. However, Aras underestimates Nallasivam, ignoring his advice and friendly acquaintance, resulting in some comical events in the airport itself. Announcements are finally made that the flights would not board on that day and Aras will have to reserve place in nearby hotels to put up the night. Aras realizes that the five star hotel that he was staying in before is now fully booked, leaving him optionless. Nallasivam however helps him find a place in a two star hotel nearby, in which both Nalla and Aras have to share the same room. Aras' resentment of Nalla makes him act selfishly in trying to get rid of Nalla but at every juncture, Nalla does him a favor which leaves Aras with a heavy heart. The next morning, Aras takes a taxi without waking Nalla in order to find his own way to Chennai. However, Aras realizes that the floods have blocked most of the roads and even the train station is covered by high levels of water. He gets mugged by a thief in the station who offers to help Ars with his luggages, and loses all his money. Nalla however comes to the station and helps Aras retain the wallet, sans the money. It is then revealed that Nalla is a trade unionist and is travelling with a cheque worth Rs. 30 lakh to be delivered to some people after fighting a court cases for some union workers. The comical and misunderstanding events continue as the pair make it to a different train station. There, Nalla decides to tell the story of his own past, but a tired Aras falls asleep and walks away as he is about to begin.The film then flashes to few years back when a perfectly good looking Nalla performs in street theatres protesting against the industrialisation process which is marginalizing labor force. He often gets into trouble due to this. Nalla is also a painter, and a very talented one at that. He is fighting mainly against the town's biggest business tycoon, the manipulative Kandasamy Padayachi (Nassar), whom he satirically imitates during many of his shows. However, an interesting turn of events sees Nalla and Kandasamy's own daughter Bala (Kiran Rathod) fall in love with each other. Realizing Kandasamy's power would be too much to bear if they want to get together, Nalla and Bala decide to elope, but while Nalla is on a bus on his way to meet Bala, the bus meets with a horrible accident at a hillside which leaves Nalla badly injured, which subsequently leads him to be paralyzed. Bala is told by her father that Nalla is dead, while Nalla suffers from inferiority complex on his new, paralyzed look and starts wondering about doing social work and still fighting for union causes. Nalla is also shown as a communist believer.The film returns to present times, as Aras and Nalla board the train for which they have been waiting, but as the train arrives, they get into an argument about communism, Karl Marx, and so on. Nalla accuses Aras as an agent for Western and rich manipulation, while Aras defends himself and criticises communism as a whole, referring that the Soviet Union doesn't exist anymore. Nalla argues that the idea of communism wouldn't die. The argument turns heated and sensitive, causing a short-tempered Aras to punch Nalla. After initially looking calm, Nalla punches Aras back even harder, causing Aras to bleed. As a result, Aras deceives Nalla into buying water for him and locks the train door, leaving Nalla stranded. On the train, Aras meets a good-looking corporate individual who shares the same interests as Aras (Yugi Sethu), who asks Aras to throw away a pack of biscuits Nalla gave to Aras and instead take his own whisky offering. As Aras wakes up the next day, he realizes that he has been conned again and the corporate man is a thief, and has stolen all of Aras' belongings. The train comes to a halt because a train which travelled on the track before had an accident and it has to be cleared up first. There, Aras witnesses a slew of dead bodies and suffering people, causing him to suffer emotionally. To his surprise, he meets Nalla again at the treatment camp nearby. He apologizes to Nalla, who forgives him. Nalla proposes that he donate blood to a dying boy in need of AB- blood, while Aras mentions that he is bloodsick. Nalla manages to convince him finally, and Aras donates. Aras also retrieves his belongings as he finds that the thief is also around the camp. Nalla proposes that Aras travels with him in an ambulance which will be carrying the injured boy on its way to Chennai.While on the journey, the boy passes away, finally causing Aras to cry as he calls God 'unjust' for giving the boy hope in the form of Aras' blood, and then take away his live. Nalla, who doesn't believe in God externally, tells Aras, that Aras himself is God, that his tears after the boy dies is the nature of God itself. Aras also comes to terms with using his full name Anbarasu (derived from the full Tamil name Anbarasan - literally 'King Of Love'), a name he previously despised under the reason that he doesn't like 'anbu' (love). Both of them go their separate ways in Chennai, but Aras realizes that Nalla's union cheque is with him and returns to the address Nalla had given him.He realizes that Nalla had lied to him previously when he told that he has a wife and son named 'Sangu'. The address is a place where injured labourers from Orissa camp while waiting for their legal funds (the money fought for them by Nalla). 'Sangu' is the name of Nalla's dog. After giving the cheque, he goes to the nearby shop to meet Nalla, and scolds him for not telling the truth. He asks Nalla to come with him for his marriage, but Nalla says he will 'come later'. In an emotional moment, Aras recounts the story of how his brother died from a freak accident when he was young (a story he already told to Nalla before). He says that Nalla is his new-found brother and should stay with him as long as life permits. A clearly emotional Nalla immediately accepts the invitation.However, at the marriage, Nalla realizes that the girl Aras is about to marry is Bala. He takes this opportunity to appear in front of Kandasamy and threaten that he will stay on and make Bala realize what a cheat her father is unless Kandasamy signs all related documents for pay increment and bonuses for his company's labourers. Sacrificing himself for the workers, Nalla leaves after Kandasamy signs, leaving behind a letter for his 'brother' that he has missions to complete in this world, and that he'd rather travel as a free bird than to be caged and tied at one particular place. He thanks Aras for the love shown. Kandasamy meanwhile orders his assistant (Santhana Bharathi) to kill Nalla. As Nalla walks away, the assistant approaches and Nalla, telling that he cant fight like he used to do, is ready to accept death. However, the assistant drops his weapon, weeps, and apologizes to Nalla. He tells Nalla that because he did all the dirty work for his boss, the God has punished him by taking away his beloved daughter from him. He tells Nalla that he has done enough sins, and doesn't want to bear any more sins on behalf of his boss. He asks Nalla to leave and that God will protect Nalla. Nalla refutes, saying that the assistant himself is God. He says that there is no greater God than to be able to apologize and change an original intent of killing.The film ends with Nalla walking away with his dog, Sangu.Thanks to Wikipedia | romantic, flashback | train | imdb | dialogs by madan is too good and small roles like "Poun Kunju" and that of villain Nasser uttering praising lord siva and the co incidence of saying it in the end is brilliant.if don see this movie u r missing some thing.
I watched the movie because of the stars - Kamal Hasan and Madhavan.
I do not understand Tamil, yet the movie has been so well made that at times you do not feel that you need the dialogs.In brief, the movie shows two extremely different characters who are forced to spend time together due to circumstances.The movie tends to slow down in the middle, when it goes into the flashback of Kamal Hasan's life.
The story is as simple as that but the associated scenes,dialogues and the lessons learnt reverberate through your mind for a long time.Be it the floods,train accident or the little boy's death it is Madhavan who breaks down and get shattered.
The first half with some lighter moments, the middle with some interesting dialogues and the last with some really shaking scenes Anbe Sivam stands tall amidst other usual Tamil movies.
Love is God. I happened to see this film which was a perfect blend of philosophy, realistic acting and the fine art of film making.
But ever so often, Kamal makes me admit ( albeit grudgingly ) that he is the best at what he does.The philosophy of the film is best explained by the words of the title song, ...
In the last scene, as Kamal walks away into the horizon, we are left with no option but to stand up and salute the indomitable spirit of a man from whom life has taken away so much but still manages to smile.I wouldn't describe anything more about the story because any words that I can conjure up here wouldn't be enough.
The film tells a philosophy that is best seen and understood.When Love lives in your mind, you are God..
Kamalhasan is known for his extraordinary performances in Indian cinema but this movie is something special for him for he has not acted but lived as Nallasivam .
I can compare this movie with any Hollywood drama for it has got everything love, philosophy, emotion, action above all an excellent way of telling the story.
As always with good art films, the movie didn't do very well at the box office but made an impact all the same.
The best part of this movie is actually the depth of characterization in Kamal and Madhavan, they lived as Nalla and A.
I consider "Anbe Sivam" as the best movie of all time.
Fabulous story, exceptional screenplay and apt comedy make this movie a treat to watch.
The way the change of heart occurs for Anbu is perfectly done through the screenplay.Kamal at his best throughout the movie and well supported by Madhavan, Naser and others.
Hats off to Kamal Hassan...Watch this movie.
Madhavan and Kamal Hasan have done a great job in playing their part in the film.
A crisp narration and very good acting from the protagonists, this movie makes for an interesting watch.
This movie is about two different persons - Nalla(kamal) and Arsh(madhavan) who meet together and how their life changes after that.Kamal Hassan - The God of Tamil Cinema has once again proved his talent in acting.
The life of a disfigured person can never be such remarkably portrayed by anyone than kamal hassan in this movie.
If you want to see GOD, Love every single life on earth and there you are; in front of the mirror, seeing GOD.A Must Watch Movie for Everyone.
"Anbe Sivam" is an appropriately titled story of Nallasivam (Kamal Haasan), an idealist, social activist and communist, whose past is poignant and present moving.
His sense of humor that remains with him through his ups and downs is the strong point of the character.Nallsivam and Anbarasu meet each other at the Bhubaneswar airport on a rainy night and fate throws them together for the next three days before they reach Chennai."Anbe Sivam" was another milestone in Madhavan's career.
Anbe Sivam is an absolute classic and it is really unfortunate that this film did not do well commercially.KamalHassan proved again he is the best Indian actor of all time....
Highly recommend anyone with liking for a good movie to watch this one!
thanks to all the people involved in the making of this movie especially kamal haasan I would say that this movie had the right elements, be it music be it the story line or be it acting, it was just too good....
This movie shows the thin line between copy and inspiration.If anyone who can't shred a tear after watching Kamal's performance in climax they might have rock solid heart.
Wow what a amazing experience this movie is.The title song is sung by Kamal Hasan and his voice has as much depth as the meaning of song has.
This is the only movie Kamal has worked with music director Vidyasagar.The melody song while painting room also good one.If we come to performances i am not getting words to describe Kamal's performance(some of my friends who don't like Kamal also appreciated his performance).
Nasar and Santhana Bharathi are simple good.I don't want to brag about story here but i want tell how much i enjoyed watching two people's journey while discussing life and ideologies.
It is just the amazing story line, unparalleled acting by actor Kamal and Nazer (pls excuse if actors' names are wrongly spelled), fantastic theme and concept that makes it one of the most irresistible movie.
Wonderful acting, Background score, Songs, Story, Direction, Dialogue, Screenplay, Art work totally whole film is fantastic..
It is one of the best Indian Films and Kamal Hassan and Madhavan done their roles perfectly especially Kamal, who also done the Screenplay for this movie.The dialogs were impeccable and lovely.
Must Watch movie to flood peace in world although It didn't did great in Box office but One for Life medicine.
This is the second film that I have seen in recent times (the other being Ikiru) that has the power to change the course of the life of its viewer, for the better.
Watching this is a penance that Hindi movie watchers who have berated Kamal Haasan as an overrated actor should perform, at least once.
This is not a movie,its an experience of a lifetime,an experience for Kamal,Madhavan,Nasser and even a dog.This movie takes you on a journey that may change your lives forever.The story is simple,two people meeting each other under certain circumstances that takes them on an unusual journey across India from Bhubaneshwar to Chennai.Madhavan who plays Anbarasu AKA Ars a modern day youth.Kamal who plays Nallasivam a matured experienced man with a rather disfigured character and has gone through a lot in his life.What happens when these two meet each other?
The rest of the story unfolds on how these two get along with each other.The highlight in this movie is the chemistry between the characters played by Kamal and Madhavan ,how do they change along this Topsy-tourney journey.Madhavan learns a lot from the well experienced Kamal.Kamal is a person who understands the part and puzzle of life and takes every incident,even the worst in the best way possible,he sees love in and God in love.How did he get this maturity?The story moves to a flashback,where Kamal is communist who does not believe in God,loves a capitalist's(Nasser) daughter.He goes against Nasser regarding less salary as a worker.As her father is against their relationship,they plan to elope to Kerala,the bus meets in an accident which was cause by a dog but she was not in,Kamal was injured and subsequently became the incident that made his body disfigured.Nasser meets him and speaks in a rude manner that hurt him even badly.Kamal sees God in the nurses(sister) that helped him through his recovery and many other people who show love.After his recovery,he went to meet Nasser for meeting his daughter,Nasser states that his daughter is married to a foreign groom and Kamal walks away in disappointment.Then the story returns to present time,where a train derails on the way and a boy is on the verge of dying who is in the same blood group as Madhavan,Madhavan donates blood to the boy,eventually the boy dies,Madhavan starts crying and scolding God on this situation,Madhavan asks Kamal''You don't believe in God,don't you?''.Kamal replies''I do believe in God''.''Which God?''Madhavan asks.''You,a person who is crying for someone you do not know,that is God''Kamal replies.This shows the maturity of Kamal along the development of his character in this movie.When Madhavan asks if Kamal has a child,he says yes,then he finds out the child is actually a dog,the dog that caused the accident that Kamal was disfigured.There are many scenes in this movie that will touch your heart,amazing dialogs that come along with it.Cinematography is awesome.The music by Vidyasagar is purely brilliant.The title soundtrack ''Anbe Sivam'' will certainly gave me goosebumps all the way.I am nobody to rate this movie because I've learnt a lot from this movie,to give respect even if you are not given so.Final say,a person who wants to learn the part and puzzle of life must definitely watch this movie.Learn to live,learn to love,Love is God..
I'd like to begin this review by saying that although the movie is loosely "inspired" from "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (i.e just the basic premise of two very different strangers chancing to meet and using this as a plot device to let the story flow), the rest of the movie has absolutely nothing to do with the Steve Martin classic, and stands on its own as a masterpiece of film-making.
Anbarasu, with the help of Nalla Sivam (brilliantly played by Kamal Hassan, who also wrote the movie) finds himself lost in a place affected by floods and heavy rain, which acts as a purgatory of sorts for him to discover his own humanity.
Hence the title of the movie, that translates in English to "Love is God".
The movie which is better related to as an experience will leave you awestruck in every possible way.The story is about a journey shared by two people - Nalla Sivam aka Nalla(Kamal Haasan), an experienced, physically challenged, middle aged guy and Anbarasu aka A.Aras ( R.
Nalla's heart touching flashback, the words he utters to show his brotherly love to Aras, and the way their stories converge, are few of the many brilliant moments this movie has to offer.
Why is Anbe Sivam regarded as the best movie in the history of Tamil cinema by many?
Why is Anbe Sivam regarded as the best movie in the history of Tamil cinema by many?
No. Anbe Sivam is an experience, not only for one Madhavan but for another few thousands, who care to learn quite a lot of things and feel conceited about themselves, but fail miserably to confront the vagaries of life.
No. Anbe Sivam is an experience, not only for one Madhavan but for another few thousands, who care to learn quite a lot of things and feel conceited about themselves, but fail miserably to confront the vagaries of life.
An experienced matured man and a squeamish, egotist but tender hearted youth (a typical modern day youth) traveling together from Bhubaneshwar to Chennai(East coast of India).Fate hinders their journey in all possible ways which Madhavan initially considers exasperating but later reveres as an experience of a lifetime.
An experienced matured man and a squeamish, egotist but tender hearted youth (a typical modern day youth) traveling together from Bhubaneshwar to Chennai(East coast of India).Fate hinders their journey in all possible ways which Madhavan initially considers exasperating but later reveres as an experience of a lifetime.
The story is as simple as that but the associated scenes,duologue's and the lessons learned reverberate through your mind for a long time.Be it the floods,train accident or the little boy's death it is Madhavan who breaks down and get shattered.
The story moves into the flashback of Kamal,a communist, who loves the daughter of a capitalist, Nasser, whom he opposes as a worker regarding wages.
The story moves into the flashback of Kamal,a communist, who loves the daughter of a capitalist, Nasser, whom he opposes as a worker regarding wages.
Kamal sees god through the sister and sees it subsequently in quite a lot of people who propagate love.His outlook changes completely.
Kamal sees god through the sister and sees it subsequently in quite a lot of people who propagate love.His outlook changes completely.
The first half with some lighter moments, the middle with some interesting duologue's and the last with some really shaking scenes Anbe Sivam stands tall amidst other usual Tamil movies.
Finally, I'm sure it would not take any effort for anyone who has seen this movie to say 'I love you Dr.Kamalhaasan' for such an excellent story and screenplay..
Finally, I'm sure it would not take any effort for anyone who has seen this movie to say 'I love you Dr.Kamalhaasan' for such an excellent story and screenplay..
This movie is about 2 characters Anbarasu (Satyanand in Telugu) and Nalla Sivam (Sada Sivam in Telugu).There is lot to speak about this film but I will put it all succinctly and I would like everyone to watch this film.
But love is a feeling Nala Sivam (Kamal Hassan): So do the communism, It felt to many, but Marx only wrote it.
This Movie is a Real Peace Teaching Movie for all, In Tamil Nadu and other Southern Indian states where this movie is released and the result is not Good BTW i felt bad on those who reviewed as Bad. This is really a Good and Tremendous Appreciable movie, whenever i watch the Video of the Title Song Yaar Yaar Sivam, i will get at least a few drops of tears in My Eyes.
Anbe Sivam is my all time number one favorite.A movie that I strongly recommend.
Hats off to Kamal for this movie.It gets into you, deep down your heart, the feeling, the message, the acting which you won't forget in the near future.I can honestly say, it's the best movie I've ever seen.
And when Mr Shivam walked away into the Madras monsoon in the end you felt you had lived a full life and the Spirit of man.It movies enrich our lives then this one does.A non Tamil following ,single time viewer possibly cant understand what all the fuss is about.Probably they don't make ones like this anymore..
The story is not so new, but the screenplay and acting surpasses everything.Anbarasu(Madhavan) is a posh guy who like to be called A.Ars. While looking for a shooting location just 4 days before the marriage in Orissa, he is left stranded there because of the rains and floods.
Nasser asks his right hand (Santhana Barathi) to kill Sivam who does not do that because of humanitarian reasons.The story ends there.The theme "Love is God" is perfectly brought out through this movie.
Music rendered by Vidhyasagar is worth a mention, particularly the title song "Anbe Sivam" and the duet "Poo Vaasam".For the People who love Good cinema, this is a MUST SEE!!:).
There are lot of signs this movie is classic and timeless as the story is more into emotional side of humans plus life.
The movie seemed to be on about love, but it ended up saying about not loved-Loneliness, which is a classic progression.The story plot is simple,it's purely into character of Kamal and Madhavan.Madhavan and Kamal have done great job on their role.Madhavan is advertisement film maker and Kamal is communist theater actor,with artistic talent and simple human whose life is entirely an example of humanity.
And not to miss mentioning is actor Nasser performance, especially when he says "sethu PO" will be all time best hardcore villain dialogue(Can watch this piece when you are let down by life and life's people to get empowered to live well and confidently against the oppositions of life).
one main lesson that is learnt by madhavan(in the movie) but not shown explicitly is when at first scene kamal tells madhavan that nowadays good looking, learned people commit crimes more than the not-so-good looking ones...
a Kamal film like this still does not get, if not better, equal hype to Rajini's movies...
It must be a heart break for some but this film has its "one line" plot from a Hollywood movie called "Trains planes and automobiles" but except the fact that 2 different people are made to travel together due to circumstances and one of them is narrating a story...
The idea of atheist, practical, matured man who starts liking the emotional, finicky guy, nasser and kiran's character and also the train scene etc are kamal's own making and the underlying concept of the society is itself very fresh ...
script was made in such a way that title tells you the story, theme, etc....Anbe Sivam - "Love is God" Love is God theme is portrayed thro.
journey between two, Kamal and Madhavan.when there is love in you then you are the GOD.
Each time i watch the scene in which Nassers assistant instead of killing Kamal, explaining the problems he's facing with his child, I cry.
Watch this movie to understand what is life..
Anbe Sivam is a film that tamil cinema will get once in a blue moon.
The film blends both comic and emotional elements so well that one moment we are on the verge of tears after the death of a child, then we get goosebumps as Kamal says it is the humanity and compassion within a person that makes them god, then we are laughing as he says something cheeky.
i can sense that the story line was inspired from a Hollywood movie named Flights trains and bus, but the execution of the social message is the best part of this movie.Kamal Hassan has added entertainment with education . |
tt0974959 | Beta House | In this direct sequel to 'American Pie: Naked Mile', Erik Stifler and Mike "Cooze" Coozeman arrive at the University of Michigan as freshmen. Upon arriving at his dorm, Erik meets a girl named Ashley while she is taking a shower in the co-ed bathrooms. He then meets his new roommate Bobby and his girlfriend Margie while they're having sex. Erik eventually reunites with his cousin, Dwight Stifler, the leader of the Beta House fraternity, who invites Erik, Cooze, and Bobby to a Beta House party. They learn how they can gain eligibility to pledge for the Beta House and meet Wesley, the rush chair of the Beta House who experiences blackouts after drinking alcohol. Erik and Ashley begin dating, but on their first date at a restaurant, Erik accidentally spills hot soup on his legs, so Ashley brings him to her room to clean up. As Ashley rubs lotion on Erik's thigh, he develops an erection and accidentally ejaculates over her possessions. Erik apologizes and explains to Ashley that his girlfriend Tracy broke up with him, and he has not had sex in four months.Meanwhile, Cooze falls in love with Ashley's roommate Denise, however, she is nervous to show him her genitalia and have sex with him, so she instead gives Cooze a handjob. After talking with Erik, Bobby, and Dwight about Denise, Cooze develops suspicions that Denise might have a penis, so Dwight encourages Cooze to find out. Alongside two other pledges, Erik, Cooze, and Bobby complete fifty tasks to pledge the Beta House, including getting their posteriors signed by a stripper, having sex with a professor, marrying a male friend in Canada, and placing a live ostrich in the Geek House.After they complete their final task, Edgar, the president of the Geek House, challenges the Beta House to the 'Greek Olympiad'; a series of outrageous events that had been outlawed by the university. Beta House alumni Noah Levenstein (Jim's Dad) returns to campus to officiate the competition. The first competition is won by Beta House as Dwight and Edgar compete in removing girls' bras. Geek House win the next two competitions: a light saber duel and catching a greased pig.Beta House win the fourth and fifth competitions: a Russian roulette challenge between Dwight and Edgar with aged horse semen, and a drinking competition won by Wesley. Dwight learns from Rock that Edgar previously had sex with a sheep, so Beta House uses his wool fetish against him in the final striptease challenge with Margie wearing a sheep costume, resulting in the Geek House losing the Greek Olympiad.The Beta House host a climatic toga party, while Erik comes up with the idea of a new pledge task for the Beta House: having sex in a movie theater, and he does so with Ashley. Meanwhile, Cooze and Denise finally sleep together, and Cooze discovers that Denise was actually hiding the fact the she ejaculates during sex, much to his excitement.The following morning, Wesley wakes up after a blackout and discovers that he had sex with the Geek House bodybuilder. In a post-credits scene, Edgar instructs a stripper at Silver Dollar to dance with the headpiece of the sheep costume. | revenge | train | imdb | null |
tt0483726 | Man of the Year | Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) is a comedian of a satirical talk show who is able to tap into people's frustrations with the sharply divided, special interest-driven political climate. Specifically, he makes fun of the American two-party system. During his warm-up act, an audience member suggests that he run for president. At first, Dobbs laughs off the idea, but following a popular groundswell of support, later announces on the air that he will stand as a candidate. Through his efforts, he gets on the ballot in 13 states and participates in one of the national debates with the Democratic incumbent, President Kellogg, and Republican U.S. Senator Mills.
A parallel plot follows Eleanor Green (Laura Linney), who works at a voting machine company in California called Delacroy. According to a television commercial in the movie, the entire United States will be using Delacroy voting machines for the Presidential election. Shortly before the elections, Eleanor notices that the voting system does not work correctly and alerts the head of the company, James Hemmings (Rick Roberts) via e-mail.
Initially, Dobbs approaches the campaign seriously – perhaps too seriously, to the chagrin of his staff, especially his manager Jack Menken (Christopher Walken). That turns around the night of the presidential debates, when, fed up with the other candidates' posturing, Dobbs shifts back into comedian mode, managing to keep the audience laughing and make serious points simultaneously. From then on, he resumes his showman persona, thoroughly shaking up the political landscape. Dobbs surges in polls after the debates, but remains a distant third to Kellogg and Mills.
Election Day arrives, and polls show Dobbs at 17% with Kellogg and Mills tied in the 40s. Early returns show Kellogg beating Mills everywhere. Eleanor says that this is part of the error in the voting systems. Suddenly, Dobbs starts winning states. He soon stands at 146 electoral votes, and the media report that if he wins the remaining states whose ballot he is on, he will become president. Soon afterwards, results show that Tom Dobbs has indeed won the Presidential race, beating out Kellogg and Mills. Eleanor tells James Hemmings that the election results look like they are due to the error she found earlier, but his aide Stewart (Jeff Goldblum) drives her away. Dobbs is extremely shocked – like the rest of the world. While Dobbs and his crew move from shock to celebration, Eleanor is attacked in her home and forcefully given an injection. The next day at work she is extremely anxious. Her erratic behavior draws attention and concern. She is sent to the hospital, where a toxicology report reveals high levels of illegal drugs. While recovering in the hospital, she is visited by her work mate, Danny, who has just been promoted by Delacroy (which she thinks is an effort to buy him off). He tries to convince her that she has a drug habit and that no one will believe her. She decides that the person who will believe her is Dobbs. The company uses her toxicology report as a pretext to fire her.
Eleanor eventually makes her way to Jack Menken's birthday party. There, she unconvincingly impersonates an FBI agent in order to talk with Dobbs. Thinking that she needs a job, Dobbs gives her his phone number. She is unable get to the point about the election before Dobbs is pulled away. Later, the two dance, but Eleanor is still unable to tell Dobbs. That night, Danny calls her cell phone, asks if she has told Dobbs, and tries to convince her to let it go. Later, Dobbs tries to get back in contact with Eleanor by calling Delacroy's headquarters. James Hemming tells Dobbs that Eleanor has a drug problem. While watching Wheel of Fortune, Eleanor figures out the flaw in Delecroy's vote counting system. It favors candidates whose names contain double letters, with preference given to the double letters that come earliest in the alphabet, so that Dobbs beats Kellogg, which beats Mills. Eleanor calls Dobbs and he whisks her off to a paintball fight. She leads up to telling him about the election, but he interrupts to tell her he already knows about her drug problem. She denies having a drug problem, but is interrupted and then pulled along to Thanksgiving dinner. At dinner, she finally gets him alone to tell him that the election vote count was wrong, then leaves. Dobbs wrestles with the idea that he should not have been elected as president. He calls and tells Eleanor, who calls and tells Danny, who provides the information to Stewart, that Dobbs plans to break the news to the public at 11am the next day. Delacroy pre-empts Dobbs' public announcement with one of their own, stating that Eleanor was caught attempting to throw the election for Dobbs, but that her efforts had no impact on the polls. Dobbs' team turns against Eleanor, but Dobbs doesn't. Eleanor sees the news and becomes increasingly concerned, a feeling that is soon justified as Delacroy agents break into the hotel room where she is staying and take her computer.
Desperate, Eleanor first flees. Needing to charge her phone so she can call Dobbs, she goes to a mall, where she is followed and apprehended by a Delacroy agent but escapes. Later that night, she calls Dobbs from a pay phone. She manages to reach him but is not able to communicate much before the Delacroy agent drives his truck into the phone booth. She escapes just before the collision but is injured and hospitalized a second time. Dobbs goes to the scene and talks with Eleanor, although he cannot understand her logic about double letters. Later, as he is about to board his private plane at BWI, he sees Delacroy's private plane on the tarmac. During the Weekend Update segment of the sketch comedy TV show Saturday Night Live, he finally announces to the public that the vote counting were flawed and that he should not be president. Dobbs declines to accept victory in a phony election, and another election is held with Dobbs choosing not to participate. President Kellogg wins a second term, and, perhaps due to Dobbs, has a better second term. Dobbs returns to his career as a talk show host, with Eleanor as his producer and later as his wife. The Delacroy executives are arrested. The last seconds of the film shows a mock TIME magazine cover with Dobbs chosen as Person of the Year. | comedy, humor, satire | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0120613 | A Walk on the Moon | Pearl Kantrowitz (Diane Lane) and her husband Marty (Liev Schreiber) are a lower middle class Jewish couple in New York City, where Marty is a television repairman. The movie begins with the couple and their family including their teenage daughter Alison (Anna Paquin) and young son Danny (Bobby Boriello) and Marty's mother Lillian (Tovah Feldshuh) going to their summer camp retreat, Dr. Folger's Bungalows, which they attend each summer.
Marty is forced to work away from home and hence, he only visits the family on weekends. This leaves Pearl feeling lonely and isolated. Pearl got pregnant at the age of 17 and she feels she missed enjoying her youth. With the absence of Marty, Pearl is attracted to the new "Blouse Man" Walker Jerome (Viggo Mortensen). Meanwhile, Alison is neglected and she experiences her first period, her first date, and her first kiss as she enters a relationship with another boy at the camp, Ross Epstein.
Marty is unable to visit the family because he has to repair more TV sets than usual, due to the impending moon landing. While the whole town celebrates the historic moonwalk, Pearl has sex with Walker. Marty's mother Lillian learns of the affair and tries to persuade Pearl to break it off. The affair continues when Marty cannot get up to visit on the weekend because of the traffic jam caused by the Woodstock festival, which is within walking distance of the bungalow colony. Pearl goes to the festival, and unbeknownst to her, Alison goes as well with Ross and her friends despite her mother previously forbidding it. Alison becomes upset after seeing Pearl and Walker carousing while on LSD.
Marty learns of the affair and confronts Pearl while Alison confronts her mother in an emotional scene. Pearl is forced to deal with her love of her family and her conflicting yearning for marital freedom.
Pearl finally makes her decision to stay with Marty and tells Walker she cannot go away with him. Walker says he understands. The final scene shows Pearl and Marty dancing together, first to Dean Martin's "When You're Smiling" and then to Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze", after Marty changes the station. | anti war | train | wikipedia | Listen to the lyrics in this movie...apply them to how Pearl, Diane Lane's character is feeling...
Set in upstate New York in the summer of '69 the movie focuses on the choices and the resulting consequences made by a young woman who feels trapped in her role as wife and mother.
A WALK ON THE MOON as written by Pamela Gray ("Music of the Heart") and directed by actor Tony Goldman conjures up more atmosphere for the year 1969 than any film to date.
It is all faithfully created here as the background for a lovely little sentimental tale about family and fidelity.The Kantrowitz family - Pearl (Diane Lane), Marty (Liev Schreiber), Alison (Anna Paquin), Daniel (Bobby Boriello) and Marty's mother Lilian (Tovah Feldshuh) - are spending their usual summer away form New York in a Catskill settlement bungalow along with other Jewish families of the same ilk.
A hippie blouse salesman Walker Jerome (Viggo Mortensen) peddles his wares to the settlement and casually but inevitably Pearl feels an attraction to Walker, the man of adventure who represents all the lost dreams of becoming a mother and wife at the too early age of 17.
This crisis event affects the family's unity and the way Pearl faces her moment of indiscretion with Marty and her children builds to a terrific climax.Diane Lane, Viggo Mortenson, Liev Schreiber and Tovah Feldshuh completely inhabit these simple characters and pull us into accepting all aspects of the predicament of this family crisis.
As others have said in this forum, the main point at the end of the movie is that she was misunderstood by a caring husband, her needs weren't satisfied (we never mention his), and ulimately he'll have to forsake his matured take on life if he's ever going to have his wife back.It was the equivalent of watching Dharma and Greg with explicit adultery, where once again the responsible spouse has to pick up the pieces and try to understand their act-before-thinking partner.
...But forget about the moon thing for a moment and let's get back to the late 60's Earth.Summary: Pearl and her husband Marty take their family on a vacation in the summer of 1969 near Woodstock where all their friends are too, but Marty can only stay on the weekends because he has a job repairing TV sets, which takes up most of his time, especially because people want to see the walk on the moon.
I also felt sorry for Marty, who was subjected to his wife's affair, and for the both of them I thought it was sad to see how 2 people's lives were destroyed over a mistake of not using protection which lead to the kids and their dreams left shattered, but I do think that both of them were lucky to get that sort of a wake up call in their lives and yet they still found a way to work things out.I rate this 8/10.
Tovah Feldshuh as Lillian is excellent, she realizes something is amiss with Pearl and lets her son know, calling him in Brooklyn.The Moon walk itself is secondary to the actual story of America in the turbulent 1960's, Woodstock, and social unrest, but the story is not heavy handed.Nor is it a complete miss like the faint hearted "1969" film with Robert Downey Jr., which attempts to address the same time period in America, and misses the point.
Entirely.Pearl Kantrowitz, well portrayed by Diane Lane feels something is missing, she has married too young, and subsequently meets Walker Jerome, a hippie who is known as the "Blouse man" (announced over the intercom by Julie Kavner's unmistakable voice ), when he brings his bus of clothing and jewelry to the camp site.
Liev Schreiber as Marty Kantrowitz is sympathetic and funny, attempting to dance to Jimi Hendrix at the end of the film.The story is memorable without cheap sentiment, and a rare thing we see from Hollywood deserves praise.
Diane Lane stars as a wife and mother who turns to the "blouse man" for affection when her husband can't get out of the city and spend any time with his family.
Anna Paquin plays her teenage daughter who comes into her own during this time and needs her mother's emotional stability, which isn't there.The first thing I ask myself is the reality behind this film.
It's a nice film based on a time when things were a little simpler, but I don't think the director gave very much opportunity for any of the stars to "give it their all," especially co-star Viggo Mortensen.
The movie is really about the cultural clash when a young couple trying to live out the 1950's ideal realize that time has passed and they adopt to the new world of personal growth, peace, Moon landings and Woodstock Festivals.
The love scenes were incredibly truthful and believable, and I just thought this movie was absolutely flawless in it's portrayal of what would have really happened between "Marty" and "Pearl".
I thought Diane Lane was awesome, as well as the understated acting feel of the beautiful and beyond sexy, Viggo Mortensen.
Diane Lane stars as Pearl Kantrowitz, a thirty-one year old mother of two, the oldest of whom, Alison (Anna Paquin), is fourteen; her husband, Marty (Liev Schreiber), is a square shooter who loves his wife and family and provides for them by working long hours in a shop repairing television sets.
It's the summer of 69, and while on the family's extended vacation-- during which Marty must return to work for the week-- Pearl falls into discontent, and with Woodstock about to happen a mere stone's throw from the campground/resort at which they are staying, she soon succumbs to the siren's song of the 60s: The inhibition, freedom and free love-- all of which have been denied her since giving birth to her daughter at age seventeen.
Perhaps it's because, though there is much about Pearl with which to identify, her story is just too familiar; her situation is far from being unique, and she has a decent, upper middle-class life, with a loving husband and two great kids.
The supporting cast includes Viggo Mortensen as Walker Jerome, the traveling salesman with whom Pearl attempts to reconcile her lost youth; Tovah Feldshuh (Lilian Kantrowitz); Bobby Boriello (Daniel); Stewart Bick (Neil); Jess Platt (Herb); Star Jasper (Rhoda) and Julie Kavner (Voice of the Social Director).
There are some poignant moments in Goldwyn's film, and it does generate a certain sense of loss and longing; but overall, `A Walk On the Moon' is at best a momentary diversion that comes across like a finger painting on an impressionist's canvas.
Any movie that portrays the hard-working responsible husband as the person who has to change because of bored, cheating wife is an obvious result of 8 years of the Clinton era.It's little wonder that this movie was written by a woman..
I missed a few seconds of the title credits so had no idea Viggo Mortensen starred in it and thought possibly it might be a cheap TVM , certainly the opening with the mawkish Pearl and Marty taking their kids to a Summer camp has that sort of made for TV feel though the brightly lit ( Too brightly lit ) cinematography seemed to suggest this was a cinematic film and it wasn`t until the appearence of Viggo Mortensen as hippy guy Walker that I realised this was a cinema release , after all someone of Mortensen`s stature wouldn`t star in a TVM , I mean that`s like a legend like Robert DeNiro appearing in a straight to video film .
Mind you a lot of people took LSD in those days so I guess that explains itI feel the major problem of A WALK ON THE MOON comes down to the fact it`s a romantic drama at heart ( Just like you`d expect in a TVM ) with several cloying coming of age scenes so why include a fairly explicit sex scene ?
I say possibly because the movie also seems to aim at a teeenage market with the coming of age scenes and those teenagers will probably be bored with the historical and social context of man walking on the moon and Woodstock .
At no time did I ever feel sympathy for Diane Lane or Anna Paquin in their troublesome middle-class care free life, nor did I feel for the emasculated Liev Shrieber.
After two children, Pearl, who appears to be sexy and with a high libido is ready for some extra marital fun.That is the basic premise for the film, which becomes a soap opera when the young daughter, Alison, decides to play hooky and go to the Woodstock festival nearby where, horror of horrors, she witnesses her own mom making out with the blouse salesman!
Well, stay tuned for the grand finale when all the parties are happily reunited by the little son's bedside when he is stung by wasps and the salesman comes to apply some home remedy, and daddy is called from the city, after knowing about Pearl's betrayal with the younger stud.Poor Diane Lane, she went to make "Unfaithful" later on, which is the upscale version of this dud.
Anna Paquin plays the rebellious Alison and Tovah Feldshuh is the unhappy Nana, who would like to have stayed in the city watching her soap operas instead of witnessing first hand one that is playing in her own backyard!Watch it at your risk, or pop the DVD in the telly when you have a fun crowd at home and you really want to have a laugh, or two dishing the film..
The second fatal flaw is the casting, Diane Lane just didn't work for me here, and Viggo Mortensen is not the right man for the job, believe me.
If you've never in your life wanted to walk out on a film, give this one 35-40 minutes, the only thing worth staying for is Anna Paquin, if you can stomach the fact that you'll find your mind drifting to whether or not you took out the garbage before you left home, which is probably where you should have stayed in the first place if you're off to the movies to see this one.
These excellent performances are complemented by an outstanding ensemble cast consisting of the mother-in-law, the two children and Pearl's lover,What could have been a syrupy, predictable situation involving the stereotyped bored housewife is beautifully rendered with Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon in 1969 as a backdrop for Pearl's(Lane)emotional and spiritual crisis.
If this was the first movie where a woman felt trapped by her times (allegedly) and decides to explore what else is out there, we might forgive the director/writer for skimping on some details - but if you're telling the 2-millionth version of this cliche, please let us understand why she decided to make this decision.Especially when you decide to make the husband a good guy who has to work long hours to support his family (on screen - when he's not with them, he's shown working) - we don't gain much sympathy for the woman.
And it's pleasures are very much in the detail, not just in the summing up of the seismic changes happening in American society at the time but in the smaller day-to-day things that affect the nuclear family at the centre.Here it benefits considerably from a quartet of superb performances from Diane Lane and Liev Schreiber as the couple whose marriage (in haste and with regrets on both sides) could so easily end on the rocks, from Anna Paquin as their daughter in the throes of growing up and from Tovah Feldshuh as the Jewish mother-in-law with a gift for observation bordering on second sight.
The posters for "A Walk on the Moon" show Diane Lane and Viggo Mortensen, two attractively talented people working in the movies today, lying in a grassy field, arms around each other, hinting at a deep romance and longing for each other.
Lane is going through the motions of her up-down life, when she starts an affair with a local blouse salesman (Mortensen) and, as you would expect, things start to come crashing down.The movie has good intentions; to deny that would be foolish.
They have two sex scenes together, the second one more ludicrous than the first, and just as lacking in eroticism.The best performance in the movie is by the underrated Liev Schreiber, as Lane's husband.
And as I was watching him act in this picture, I wasn't thinking about his character or what he must have been thinking during the inevitable discovery-of-betrayal scene (I don't think anybody walking in will not see this from a mile away) but instead of what a great actor like him was doing in a picture this limp.
These include their young daughter's emerging sexuality, how the father's workaholic absenteeism contributes to his wife having an affair with a goyisher traveling salesman, incidently related to the historic even of "Man's first walk on the moon," which becomes a kind of metaphor on the theme of "realizing the impossible dream." While no doubt with a different ambition, the "Woodstock" mentality is presented in all its banality, hedonism, tribalism, abandonment and irrationality, as unintentionally observed through the experience of both mother and daughter.
As for the ending, it isn't what I expected and probably wouldn't happen in real life but still saves the movie from an all out depressing story and delivers some hope.
In the movie, every time the husband leaves, she sneaks off to have a full blown steamy roll-around with the new hot guy in her life, guilty-knowing (but not much caring) what she's doing to her family.
If I found myself watching a movie of a summer camp full of people who were all, say, Catholics, I would be compelled to wonder what the reason the screenwriter had in mind: This question is never answered in A Walk On The Moon.
I have to admit that my first reason for watching this film was the presence of the gorgeous Viggo Mortensen, but I thoroughly enjoyed all the performances, especially (as many others have noted) Anna Paquin, who was flawless at playing that "difficult" age.
But what is the cost to her and her family...A well made, lovingly crafted and sexy film with great period details and exceptional performances, especially DIANE LANE who was to tread similar ground in the sexy infidelity thriller Unfaithful..
Liev Schreiber just gets better and better, Viggo Mortensen chooses a 'less is more' posture that works great and Diane Lane, always spectacular, just shines in every scene..
The film's great saving grace, however, is sharp performances throughout from Liev Schreiber, Diane Lane, Tovah Feldshuh, Viggo Mortenson, and Anna Pacquin..
Well after having watched this, and heard some great Janis Joplin and Woodstock tunes, I checked up dates on the Moonlanding (1967) and Woodstock (1969) and I also checked up Janis Joplins death date for good measure (1970), but it just seems to me that the event of the landing and the summer of love Concert (Woodstock) did not happen in the same summer as it seems to be depicted here, with the Pearl character leaving the camp and joining the "blouse man" at Woodstock, and isn't that Anna Paquin playing her daughter, a good bit of casting she is excellent.
Also the man playing the husband who's name I can never remember is a good actor, and the Bubbe who is the tarot card reader who has premonition's was an excellent lady in the part she played, all of this film and many on the sixties reall interest me i was born in '65 and pretty much raised in the Wonder Years and Brady Bunch era so a good movie can be very entertaining to say the least Like Now and Later was with Rosie Odonnel.
The film takes place in 1969, a time where many, including his character wife, Pearl, played by Diane Lane, had a child at a young age.
Liev Schreiber, Diane Lane, Tovah Feldshuh, and Viggo Mortensen all score high on the relative to Anna Paquin acting ability chart.
Diane and family vacation at Catskills resort in the late 60's, Lane the satisfied wife and mother -- until she runs into free-spirit blouse salesman Mortensen.
Diane Lane and Viggo Mortensen have done movies lately, but I believe that Anna Pacquin, Liev Shrieber and especially Joe Perrino are extremely underrated.
NO, not that every blouse man will look, sound and seduce like Mortensen who is almost a diety physically and mentally at the art of seduction in this film, but that a housewife who married very young could be easily seduced to "test the waters."Pearl's performance hit un-nervingly close to home, as did the nice-guy husband.
The movie is about Diane Lane whom with her family including her husband and his mom.
It's a story about a young mother (Diane Lane), and her family in the late 60's Woodstock era.
The main problem with it was that all the characters were TOO nice, TOO understanding.Good performances all around, and anyone who can take his eyes off Diane Lane likely needs some kind of laser surgery..
The nicest thing about this film is that you like everyone, and at the end, the Bubby, husband, son and daughter all come to understand the attraction of "The Blouse Man"..
Paquin and Schreiber are the best, Diane Lane is good, while Viggo Mortensen is good looking but shallow as the blouse man.Grade: B.
The love affair between a bored, sexually frustrated housewife and a charming travelling salesman who takes her on her own walk on the moon is moving and always believable.I was sad at the end for the character portrayed by Diane Lane (who is outstanding in the part) - but left hopeful too that things could change even in the most unlikely situation.
I love Liev Schreiber and Viggo Mortensen, and they're really bringing the best to this movie. |
tt0097138 | Cyborg | "First there was the collapse of civilization...anarchy, genocide, starvation...then we got the plague." Cyborg is about the post-apocalyptic struggle for survival of an urban ninja named Gibson (Jean-Claude Van Damme). The movie opens with a man and woman in jumpsuits fleeing sociopathic pirates (they have a boat) led by Fender (Vincent Klyn), a buff-looking guy wearing chainmail and sunglasses. The jumpsuited-man tries to hold off the pirates while his counterpart escapes. He is quickly killed by the feral pirate horde. Apparently the jumpsuited woman, named Pearl (Dayle Haddon), is a CYBORG and has obtained the cure for the plague in New York and is storing it in her brain/hard drive. Fender wants the cure for himself, so he commands his crew to capture the CYBORG.Pearl gets trapped in an alley by a trio of pirates, but they are quickly dispatched by the agile Gibson who happens upon the scene. She tries to hire him to take her back to the last group of doctors in Atlanta, who originally tasked her with finding the cure. They are interrupted by a pirate sniping at them with a crude-looking gun and Gibson is forced to run into a wood structure, which collapses on him. Fender takes possession of Pearl and heads back to his ship, destined for Atlanta.Gibson punches his way out of the rubble and follows Fender to the harbor. He finds a burning village and Fender already gone. While staring at the fire he notices movement in the shadows and throws an unknown projectile, hitting someone. The person turns out to be a villager that survived Fender's attack, named Nady (Deborah Richter). While waiting for her to awaken, he has a flashback to a previous family that hired him to get them out of New York. It shows Gibson leading them to a house in the country and then violent images involving Fender. Gibson waits for Nady to wake up and then he leaves. She offers to help him rescue Pearl, but all he cares about is getting Fender. They set off on the road to Charleston.Gibson and Nady stop for information in a shantytown where he talks with his friend Maize (Jophery C. Brown), who tells him where he can catch Fender's boat. It is revealed that Gibson had settled down with the family he rescued and given up his previous life.After leaving the shantytown, Gibson and Nady are ambushed by highwaymen. Gibson disappears into the woods and Nady flees to a nearby decrepit building. Gibson kills two of the men while in the woods and runs to the building, where Nady is being held at knife-point. Gibson, using his gun and boot-shiv, takes out the rest of the highwaymen and rescues Nady.The heroes finally reach the ocean where Fender must land and continue inland to Atlanta. Nady takes the opportunity to bathe and Gibson follows suit. While warming up around the campfire, Nady offers herself to Gibson, who declines and seems distracted. He then flashes back to a love scene between Gibson and the oldest girl of the family he rescued. As they lay sleeping on a bed, Fender and his pirates are seen standing at the window.The next morning the heroes find Fender's boat and follow him to an abandoned industrial complex. An intense gun and knife battle takes place, resulting in the death of more pirates and Gibson getting wounded by Fender. Gibson must flee with Nady after Pearl refuses to be rescued, relying on the forces in Atlanta to destroy Fender. Gibson enters the sewer and is followed by the pirates. He stops to kill the biggest pirate (Ralf Moeller) and then exits the sewer onto a field, where he and Nady begin frantically running. The pirates catch up to them and Gibson kills a few before being overpowered. Nady takes out one pirate but is knocked out (again). Fender proceeds to beat Gibson to a bloody mess and then nails him to the mast of a beached boat, leaving him to die.While hanging from the mast, Gibson flashes back for the last time to his adopted family in the country. He and the oldest girl and her little brother are tied up with barbwire hanging over a well. Fender gives the barbwire to the younger sister Haley (Haley Peterson) and tells her if she can hold it, her family will live. The wire rips through her hands and the family falls into the well. Gibson manages to climb out of the well, but the girl and her brother have died. Hanging on the mast, Gibson recognizes Haley as being Fender's woman now. Summoning his rage, Gibson breaks the mast with his heel and falls to the ground, where he is cut free by Nady.Fender and Pearl enter Atlanta and reach the center of the city by nightfall. In the rain, Gibson and Nady prepare for their ambush. Gibson gives Nady a knife and she runs to hide. Gibson fires a single arrow at Fender as he approaches. The arrow lands at his feet and Fender orders the remnants of his pirates to attack. Gibson deals with them while Nady sneaks up and takes out the two pirates guarding Pearl. Nady fends off the last pirate as Gibson and Fender commence their final showdown. Halfway through the fight, Haley yells at Fender to stop and he goes after her instead. Nady prevents Fender from killing Haley, but is slashed by his knife in the process. Gibson recovers and stabs Fender, finally kicking him onto a large hook which kills him. Gibson, Haley, and Pearl then mourn Nady's death.The trio arrive at the Atlanta facility and Pearl asks Gibson and Haley to stay, but alas they belong on the streets where they can help others. They leave as Pearl enters the facility and the armored door closes behind her. | cult, action, murder, violence, flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt0452637 | Lady in the Water | Maintenance man Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) tries to keep up with the needs of his many tenants. He comes to realize someone is swimming in the pool after 7 p.m., which is not allowed. The pool cleaner also brings to his attention that there seem to be globs of some sort of hair in the pools filter that have accumulated in just one day. One night, when he is very tired, he hears splashing in the pool and thinks that at last he will catch the mystery swimmer. But when he goes to the pool, there is no one there, not even footprints. As he walks around the pool, he hears someone splashing in the water at that very moment. He thinks all he has to do is wait, and they will surface soon enough. He picks up a brush and walks around the pool, takes a bad step, falls, hits his head and rolls into the pool.In the next scene we find Heep laying on his own couch, and a nude young woman is sitting across from him. There is water on the floor. He asks if she brought him here, but she only nods that she did. He gives her a shirt to wear. She clings to him, saying that she is too scared to go outside. So there he sits, with a young woman in his lap clinging to him who then falls asleep. He is clearly uncomfortable and tries to wake her. He decides he should take her outside for some fresh air, and then he will walk her home. Once outside, however, he is confronted with a growling creature which sends them both screaming back into his house.Heep needs to know who she is and what the creature is. We learn that her name is Story and that there is a creature hunting her. She is somehow prohibited from telling him who she is or what is happening, but she does tell him that she is a Narf. Heep begins asking his tenants if they have ever heard of a character called a Narf. Upon asking a young Asian student named Young-Soon Choi (Cindy Cheung), she says she has heard of a Narf as part of a bedtime story that was told long ago to her mother, but she doesn't remember much about the story.Heep continues doing his repairs, and we are introduced to many of the tenants. Between tasks, Heep tries to catch Young-Soon when she is with her grandmother, so he can ask more questions about the story. Though she has no idea why he is asking all these questions, she is happy to do what she can for this oddly curious man. Her grandmother, however, is suspicious as to why a grown man is so interested in a bedtime story.Frustrated at only getting bits and pieces of the story here and there, he arranges to be invited into the apartment of Young-Soon and her grandmother. Young-Soon tells him to try and act more like a curious child than a man, and it will help to bring out the grandmother's softer side so she will tell him more about the story of Story. After wiggling, eating cookies and dribbling milk down his face, the grandmother is amused and tells him the story.Meanwhile, Story is walking through his apartment, marveling at various objects. She notices a different-looking book and takes it down and reads it. The book is actually a journal, one that Heep wrote following the tragic loss of his family. When Heep discovers her reading the book, he asks her not to tell anyone of his past; no one there knows the story or that he used to be a doctor. He also needs to check with Story that what he has learned so far is accurate. Though Story cannot actually say, she makes a sign when he makes a correct statement.It seems Story is a Narf, here to motivate a great writer to complete his work that will have a tremendous positive effect on the future, at which point a giant eagle will come and take her home. But there is a creature called a Scrunt who will try to kill her before she can complete her task. There are many people who live in the apartment comple, besides the writer, who will unknowingly play different parts in helping Story. Heep believes himself to be her "guardian", the one who can protect her from the Scrunt. In a scene that starts out suspenseful but becomes rather light, Heep tries to face down and battle the Scrunt, being coached by Story via walkie talkie, but it soon becomes apparent that he is not the guardian when the Scrunt attacks him. The attack is interrupted by an arrogant movie critic just in the nick of time.But now Heep has an idea of what he needs to help Story get home. He must cast the roles needed to complete the task from the diverse people that live in the apartment complex. It is such a complex undertaking that he decides to consult the latest addition to the complex, the arrogant movie critic, to help him root out some of the characters described to him. Heep finally concocts a plan, but it is misguided. When it fails, the Scrunt seizes hold of Story and tries to drag her away, but Heep manages to grab hold of her. It is now apparent they have the wrong people for the roles, and they need to rethink them fast.The pivotal character to find is the "symbolist", who can "read" the situation, giving a much better description of the characters needed and what they all must do. At last, most of the correct people are found, all but the guardian. They all encircle her hoping to protect her long enough for the eagle to arrive. But the Scrunt is patient and wily and finds a way to get close to her unseen.Finally, the guardian appears and stares the Scrunt down. We hear the eagle and Heep says goodbye to Story. He realizes she has saved him from hiding himself away, and then she is gone. | fantasy, storytelling, stupid | train | imdb | It's got some great scares but overall it will be enjoyed more if you know ahead of time your not going to be sitting on the edge of your seat.The theme of "finding your purpose" definitely is poignant in this day and age, I love all the self reflexive humor as far as story structure goes too.SFX were decent, not awe inspiring but good for what was required.
The reason why our ancient ancestors sat around fires and told them, and their ability to inspire and save souls.There isn't anything truly new about it (it has roots in the classic fairy tales and epic poems of antiquity), other than the fact that it dares to be a great film made in the mondern era in spite of being littered with elements of the now despised classical story (which apparently isn't good enough for modern film makers anymore).The thing about these classic stories and the one that Shaymalan is attempting to tell is that they have a purpose, and strive to inspire society and humanity as a whole.
They lead people to do great things, and make us all feel better in the end, where most modern 'stories' feel more like egotistical attempts of "artists" to make themselves feel great and leave us in awe of their great greatness.Christopher Doyle lends some excellent shots to this film, which some how manage to make a scene of an every day loser frigthenedly warding off a were-wolf type monster with a pool skimmer seem exceptionally epic.
They, ironically, claim that he was being arrogant, completing unable to fathom that their own presumptions about why he cast himself in that role could in fact be a good deal more arrogant...I'll have to admit that I've been the jaded film critic before, but one I came out of this one I remembered why I've always loved stories, and why they don't' always have to be new and fit into some silly sense of "reality"..
Not all movies are going to be liked by everyone, but given the chance Lady in the Water will find its following and make them feel a little bit better after seeing it..
To start off with, I actually liked this movie, and at first I couldn't understand why some many people hated, but upon reflection i can see what some people reacted to so harshly.One thing I liked about the film is the simple story, or more accurately, the atmosphere.
M. Night has always been better at creating a mood than fleshing out a story, but the premise of Lady in the Water works for me: It about people reacting to a fairy tale happening in real life.
Picture a blonde version of The Black Crows with even less talent ripping through and f*(^king up a version of Dylan's "Maggie's farm".Those few things aside, the rest of the cast was great, I thought the story was simple and decent enough, the "film critic" part with Bob Balaban was funny, but M.
Although most of them are one- dimensional, they are no less than endearing in their own way, like those in Cocoon or Batteries Not Included.I love the superb acting by the main leads of Paul Giamatti, who's fast becoming one of my favourite character actors, and in here, provided his character Cleveland Heep with much emotional baggage, pain and that almost natural stammer when nervous, and Bryce Dallas Howard, her Lady in the Water, name Story, is so beautiful, yet so enchantingly vulnerable.
There's another cheeky reference too at romances in the rain, which I thought perhaps cinematographer Doyle would have found it amusing given his work on Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love and 2046 (citing these 2 as I've recently watched the former).But those aside, thank you M Night, for sharing with us a wonderful bedtime story, which I think will be repeated at bedtime to many children around the world.
When I got to see Lady in the Water, I gave him a chance and I said to myself: "How bad can it be?"The story, based on a bedtime story written by Shyamalan, was quite interesting, but kind of short for a two hour film.
The whole movie takes place in an apartment complex so there aren't many sets, the visual effects are very few and look kind of cheap and the film doesn't have any stars to say that they asked for a big salary.
And yet, in true Shyamalan fashion, the movie commands viewer respect in spite of its flaws.Shyamalan credits the movie's plot to a bedtime story he created to entertain his children, but instead of conveying a simple story, the tale unfolds as a muddled new age fable that never really goes anywhere or accomplishes anything.The movie's greatest strength is the casting of Paul Giamatti as Cleveland Heep, the stuttering schlep caretaker of a Philadelphia apartment complex known as The Cove.
Giamatti's everyman quality makes it easy for the viewer to quickly get sucked into the story, which involves Heep's discovery of a mysterious woman (Bryce Dallas Howard) one night in the complex's pool.
Watching the film doesn't help as Shyamalan never bothers to explain why the Scrunts are out to kill his heroine, much less the grand importance of her mission.In the decade that's passed since Shymalan burst onto the scene with his brilliant The Sixth Sense, the director has cultivated an equally proportioned number of fans and detractors.
The whole experience actually left me wishing for a twist that would turn the movie on its head and make me feel like everything I'd spent the last two hours watching was much more than the sum of its ambiguous parts.Still, for all its numerous flaws, The Lady in the Water is still a compelling film.
The acting as usual was very good, shyamalan is able to get the most out of his actors.There's a kind of twist in the end, which i really liked, though at first i wasn't able to interpret it but when i though for a minute or two i understood the beauty of the twist.I will surely recommend this movie to everyone because once you will watch it only then can u understand the intense or warmth of the movie..
This is so awesome." Rarely in the history of modern movies has a director's hubris gone to such lengths and taken an audience down with them.And the shameful thing too is that the little merit that came with Shyamalan's previous film, seriously flawed The Village, was in his abilities as someone who could direct well enough up to a point.
Shyamalan cooks up some incoherent mythological 'fairy tale' (originally meant for his kids, usually not a good idea) involving Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti), a maintenance man at an apartment complex, one night finds a very strange, petrified girl in the pool, and soon he finds out a) her name is 'Story', and she's b) called a 'narf' based on an old tale told to him by a Chinese lady, not to mention c) she needs to leave this place before these weird moss-covered dog creatures called 'scrunts' come after her, so d) practically all of the attendees at the apartment complex will somehow play a role in her getting safely away on the talons of an eagle.So you can imagine what could be attained from this material, which is nothing.
Other usually dependable character players like Jeffrey Wright and particularly Bob Balaban also become cannon fodder for Shyamalan's own twisted dealings, with Balaban playing a movie critic who finds there are no original stories left in movies...and then has to shamelessly comment on his own demise when it's met with a scrunt.And there's Shyamalan here, too, for the first time giving himself more than just the hapless cameo role that he's done in past films.
Go see Lady in the Water because it is a remarkable film with a great story, fine acting and incredible originality..
Cleveland convinces the tenants to help and protect Story.M. Night Shyamalan is like a star with an intense bright that dies in a short time.
It's ironic, then, that this is the very thing that M Night Shyamalan - hitherto one of the most innovative and imaginative of modern day storytellers - seems to have forgotten in his latest film, "Lady in the Water," the first truly disappointing movie the young writer/director has made to date (and, no, I'm not forgetting "The Village," which I liked much more than most people did).
Unlike, say, the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy or the "Star Wars" films, in which the filmmakers allow us to see and enter into the fantastical and mythological worlds they've created, in "Lady in the Water" the characters spend most of their time DESCRIBING rather than showing us the imaginary world of their story, resulting in a static, talky film that fails to engage the viewer in any truly meaningful way.The wonderful Paul Giamatti stars as Cleveland, the sweet-natured, milquetoast-y manager of a multi-storied apartment building on the outskirts of Philadelphia.
The film looks as if it were shot at two entirely different locales, and that Shyamalan was unable to meld them into anything even remotely approximating a seamless whole.And that seems to be the biggest problem with "Lady in the Water." It always feels incompletely formed and half-baked, a thing of bits and pieces rather than a wholly rounded and fully developed work of art.
Bryce Dallas Howard was fantastic in The Village and she is good as an actress, but while like Giamatti she tries her best her character is nowhere near as poignant or as interesting as that of hers in The Village.
Jeffrey Wright and Bob Babalan are wasted, and Shyamalan himself makes an appearance that feels very thrown in and at the end of the day is just a form of annoyance.Scripting-wise Lady in the Water all feels very contrived and overly-silly, the pacing becomes increasingly sluggish in the second half which further suffers from trying to do too much and the characters consist of either stereotypes(the film critic tenant, the kid who could decipher codes from cereal packets and the philosopher of future importance) or fantasy "mythological" clichés with grass-haired werewolves for scrunts and twig monkeys for the tarturic that have no depth to them.
Night Shyamalan tried to put all kinds of deeper meanings to the story and characters in it, about believing in stories and making your own and everyone and everything has a purpose in life but absolutely nothing about it works out.
M. Night Shyamalan obviously tried to make a star out of Bryce Dallas Howard, after already have cast her in his previous movie "The Village" but he instead almost single handedly ruined it, by making her character extremely boring and give her absolutely nothing interesting to do.
But many people have forgotten that this is a fairy tale, and when Night wants to be in awe of the original story, and trust him on its many twists and turns, he will make those moments very charming.
For those who can see the eternal and profound real-world significance of the political and philosophical aspects of Lucas' Star Wars saga, this film should be amply rewarding and a pleasure to watch.The story unfolds more like a fable of Aesop rather than a 'scary movie', and shows the interconnectedness of people based upon their separate and unique abilities.
I think much of the film's lack of success with audiences is due to the expectations people may have had going into this movie.
It does seem like a story he made on the fly which somehow made sense in the context of the tale.It's also a beautiful picture that puts you right in the atmosphere of the apartment complex that it hardly departs from, imaginative angles and the intriguing dialogue is something I've come to expect from his films.
Director's have egos, some have vast vanity projects, and people need to understand why thats interesting not insulting.I really do feel like watching the movie again, I would think it'd be better the second time around.
Sometimes maybe he's just the crossword-lovin' freak in Apartment 2B.Perhaps this won't be everybody's cup of green tea (now with ginseng), but you gotta give the man credit - he's still coming up with original ideas, making the movies he wants to, ignoring what his critics say, and putting it out there for the people to judge.I also like the cast of characters.
The scene where Giamatti attempts to convince a Korean woman that he's child-like is particularly hysterical.I don't want to say too much about the story elements because as in all of Shyamalan's movies, the less you know the better (though there are no huge Sixth Sense-esquire twists).
He calls it a bedtime story, and it is definitely different than his other movies in that it seems more like a children's ferrytale that actually happens in real life.
Night Shyamalan made a movie about ominous signs, so he probably should have detected one when Walt Disney Co. executives told him they couldn't understand his script for Lady in the Water.
But, as Thomson said, "...we no longer think of his characters as mere slaves of the narrative but mazes unto themselves." Thomson was merely open-minded enough to watch the movie with different eyes than he watched Shyamalan's previous films ...
This is a real sleeper of a film."Paul Giamatti is really as the hotel manager "Cleveland Heep" and Bryce Dallas Howard is believable, if you will, as "Story, the "sea nymph." As long as those two dominated the screen, the movie was great.Then - wham - just like that, it got stupid.
This is to say, Shyamalan could be a great director, if he would use someone else's script.Lady in the Water: The technical directing extolled above, is no where to be found in this movie.
I have liked all of Shaymalans movies and the trailers for Lady in the Water looked very good.
Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water, a fairy tale about a mysterious young lady (Bryce Dallas Howard) who surfaces at a motel swimming pool, carrying with her the myths children grow up with about a nether world of sea nymphs, monsters who pursue them, and trolls who guard her.It's up to handyman Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) to save her from her enemies and himself from his own tragic past.
The world needs change, and this movie shows that it is in every individual's power to help make that change happen.The cast is amazing, the characters Shyamalan has created are spectacular, and the story is clever and inspiring.
you will notice right away that she was the blind girl from M.Nights other truly excellent movie "The Village".Paul Giamatti who plays the main character of Cleveland Heep also gives an award winning performance as the apartment maintenance man and Storys caretaker.
You get the idea that Shyamalan thought he was really good for thinking this stuff up, but the truth is it's been done a hundred times better before and this turns out to be his worst film yet..
Night Shyamalan; a controversial figure in contemporary cinema, who came to public attention with his third feature, the global blockbuster The Sixth Sense (1999), before turning down the likes of Harry Potter and the Batman franchise to direct strange, beautifully crafted, often earnest (to the point of invoking jeers) genre movies that express his own individual feelings on human relationships, death, fear and community.As with many of Shyamalan's previous films, Lady in the Water blends contrasting elements of comedy, drama, fantasy and the supernatural to tell the story of Cleveland Heap, a middle-aged maintenance man unable to connect with the world around him.Like Signs (2002) and The Village (2004), it's essentially a film about a character scarred by tragedy, the severity of which has left him unable to communicate (both verbally and emotionally) and barely existing behind the concrete walls of a low-rent apartment complex where he now works as caretaker and general repair man.
Night Shyamalan's attention to detail and unique vision.You cannot go into this movie expecting what you've seen in the past (as MOST will expect something like Signs or The Sixth Sense).
M. Night Shyamalan is doubtless a new thinker and has produced some original and interesting films (none of which equal the promise of his first one THE SIXTH SENSE) and LADY IN THE WATER has some very good aspects.
I have often called him the preacher who whispers but with this film i think he finally shouted all he has been trying to say with his previous films.The story of this movie is brilliant to say the least and carries a powerful and moving message that we all can learn from that each has a purpose, that everything happens for a reason, that hope is not a stupid thing to have and above all life is a wonder.I love the way Shyamalan dares us to believe in the extraordinary, it is a challenge he throws us almost like a man on a mountain shouting, come all who dare!
I want to say this because I think "Lady in the Water" is the film that people will finally realize this man is not perfect.The story revolves around a woman from another world who comes to find a writer who will be inspired to write a story.
Of course the movie is also a "screw you" to film critics who hated some of Shyamalan's other movies like the awful "The Village".
All in all, I still think that Shyamalan's other movies aren't very good, but with that said, this is one bedtime story that you will not want to miss out on..
But the negative reviews of the film seem far out of proportion with what I watched.Lady in the Water was well acted, had a decent screenplay, and told a great story. |
tt0285742 | Monster's Ball | Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton), a widower, and his son, Sonny (Heath Ledger), are corrections officers in a prison in Louisiana. They reside with Hank's ailing father, Buck (Peter Boyle), a bigoted retired corrections officer whose wife committed suicide.
Hank is a deputy warden. He oversees the execution of convicted murderer, Lawrence Musgrove (Sean Combs). As explained to Sonny by Hank, at the diner bar the night before, a "Monster's Ball" is what the execution team calls that night's get-together. The proceedings prove too intense for Sonny, who, as he is leading Lawrence to the electric chair, vomits and then collapses.
Hank confronts Sonny in the jail's bathroom afterwards and slaps him for being so "soft" and for "ruining a man's last walk". At home, Hank attacks Sonny in his bed and tells him to get out of the house. Sonny grabs a gun and threatens his father, who backs off. The confrontation ends in their living room with Hank at gunpoint, lying on the carpet, and Sonny in Buck's customary chair. Sonny asks his father if he hates him. After his father calmly confirms that he does, and always has, Sonny responds, "Well I always loved you," and then shoots himself in the chest, dying instantly.
Hank buries Sonny in the back garden with an abbreviated funeral because, as Buck comments, "He was weak." Hank subsequently quits his job, burns his uniform in the backyard, and locks the door of Sonny's room.
During the years of Lawrence's imprisonment, his wife, Leticia (Halle Berry), has been struggling while raising their son, Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun), who has inherited his father's artistic talent. She abusively berates the boy regarding his obesity. Along with her domestic problems, Leticia struggles financially, leading to the loss of the family car and, worse, an eviction notice on her house. In desperate need of money, Leticia takes a job at a diner which is one frequented by Hank.
One rainy night, Leticia and Tyrell are walking down a soaked highway when Tyrell is struck by a car. Hank happens to be driving along and sees Leticia and Tyrell. After some hesitation, he drives Leticia and Tyrell to a hospital, but Tyrell dies upon arrival. At the suggestion of the authorities at the hospital, Hank drives her home.
A few days later, Hank gives Leticia a ride home from the diner. They begin talking in the car about their common losses, and she invites him in. Hank finds out that Leticia is Lawrence's widow, though he does not tell her that he participated in her husband's execution. They drown their grief with alcohol and have sex.
Leticia stops by Hank's home with a present for him, but he is not there. She meets Buck, who insults her and implies that Hank is only involved with her because he enjoys sex with black women. Leticia, hurt by the remarks, refuses to interact with Hank. The incident proves to be the last straw for Hank, who decides to send his father to a nursing home.
Leticia is evicted from her home for non-payment of rent, and Hank invites her to move in with him. She later discovers Hank's involvement in her husband's death when she finds a drawing of Hank done by Lawrence as he awaited execution. She erupts, but is there waiting for him when he returns from town with ice cream. The film ends with the two of them eating ice cream together on the back porch, content with each other. | tragedy | train | wikipedia | The result is a powerful and disturbing film that walked off with a boatload of awards, not the least of which was a best actress Oscar for Berry.Director Marc Forster conjures a forceful presentation with stark sets, next to nothing in the way of props and other set decoration, and a non existent soundtrack.
Forster could have done better at character development and the ending is nebulous and unsatisfying, but these shortcomings can be partially forgiven for the films many assets.This is an actors' showcase, with outstanding performances all around.
Billy Bob Thornton delivers his best performance since `Sling Blade' with a complex character torn between his prejudices and his attraction to Leticia (Halle Berry).Of course the big story here is Halle Berry.
"You must love him very much," reassures an attendant to the character who replies, "No I don't, but he is my father
"The character, Hank, is played by Billy Bob Thornton, who makes his Academy Award-winning performance in "Sling Blade" look like SNL material.
I've seen steamier moments such as Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger going at it in the non-rated version of "The Getaway." Overall, this a rough film in spots but I think it is a solid, underrated drama that offers far more than the "celebrated" sex scene.
It's very rare, but occasionally a film comes along that plays out so realistically that it doesn't even seem like you're watching a movie, but participating-- albeit as an observer-- in this particular drama of life that is unfolding around you.
It's a film that says so much about the way we respond to one another, as well as certain situations, and why; in short, it's about the world that we, as a society, have created and must live in together-- right or wrong, good or bad, black or white.
There to make their final visit is Musgrove's wife, Leticia (Halle Berry), and their son, Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun), while veteran corrections officer Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton) oversees the proceedings.
It takes a number of elements to make a truly great film, of course, and in this one they all come together beautifully-- especially in the performances, beginning with Billy Bob Thornton, who is without question one of the best leading men/character actors in the business.
What really takes this film to a higher level, though, is the extraordinary performance by Halle Berry as Leticia, in whom she creates a finely layered, three-dimensional character that is singularly effective and entirely believable and real.
When you come away from this film, it's with the indelible images of Leticia and Hank burned into your memory, thanks to the talents of Berry, Thornton and Forster.
But both Thornton and Berry rise above their characters' limitations - Hank's not the devil he might think he is, and Leticia isn't the angel that a lesser actress might make her out to be.It's also worth mentioning that each of the two leads has something shocking and powerful happen to them near the beginning of the film, before they really meet.
By the movie's end, he has come to grips (a little) with his failures and his shortcomings.Berry and Thornton have a great supporting cast in Boyle and Ledger.
Billy Bob Thornton gives an electrifying performance as a man grappling with his demons and wanting his better self to emerge victorious.This movie is a study in ambiguity.
Hank's son played by Heath Ledger fulfills the adage that no good deed goes unpunished, and it's never clear that anyone truly gets whats coming to them.I'm not sure one should read too much into this movie as a study of attitudes towards race in today's America, but as a portrayal of human frailty and the continuing quest for hope and optimism, Monster's Ball is a can't-miss film experience..
"Monster's Ball" is presented by Director Marc Forster as a dark, dreary film-noir like drama involving the role of fate in bringing together two different but distraught people from different races.The film opens as preparations are underway for the execution of Lawrence Musgrave (Sean Combs).
Two of the prison guards are Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) and his son Sonny (Heath Ledger).
But what if she finds out that Hank had a part in executing her husband?Berry deservedly won the 2001 Academy Award as best actress for her role as the tragic Leticia.
Calhoun evokes pity and sorrow as Leticia's son and the old Puffmeister, Combs gives a good low key performance as the doomed convict.An excellent film but be forewarned that there are a couple of graphic sex scenes in the movie.
A black prisoner is about to be executed and the middle and younger Grotowski ( Hank and Sonny respectively ) are looking after him and these scenes are amongst the most feel good moments of the story !
Billy Bob Thornton is probably best remembered as " one of the men who married Angelina Jolie " but is also one of America's underappricated actors ( His screen writing abilities are also overlooked ) who manages to rise above the sometimes inconsistent material while Halle Berry what can I say ?
Well regarded character actor and acting guru Peter Boyle might be disappointing as Hank's reactionary father but since his character spends most of his time sitting in a chair slowly dying from respiratory failure he's not given much to do But it should be pointed out once again that this is a very sad and melancholy film that won't have anyone dancing in the aisles I did appreciate the good performances but I doubt I'll be watching it again in a hurry.
HOW MUCH MORE if he grows up to be a good and handsome young man with a good job and he looks up to and admires his father so he even follows his career.We are supposed to believe that the star of the movie could be so evil that he tell his son he has always hated him and could then watch his son commit suicide and never shed a tear and then tell everyone he was glad he was dead!These kinds of things never happen in reality.
A slow, plodding drama with rumbling racial undercurrents, the film tells a simple story, though not uneventful, with finely nuanced performances, especially by Berry who earned her keep and kudos.
When a film's finest performance comes from Puffy, you know you're in trouble.I've never racism, poverty, murder, and guilt so maudlinly handled without a second of truth.I'll just list why I hated this movie:1.
Billy Bob, in the stiffest performance EVER, manages to recover from his life-long racism because Halle Berry's hot.2.
Here the main characters find redemption through personal relationships and provide hope.While some in the audience complained it was too slow, the original script by Milo Addica and Will Rokos feels like an expansion of a short story, as the outlines of the plot are fairly simple and not all the back story is explained, and riddled with coincidences barely made feasible by taking place in a small town.
Director Marc Forster finds a way to visually communicate the difference between sex and intimacy.But the actors fill the spaces of inarticulate characters with complex performances, not just award-winning Halle Berry (a long way from "X Men").
Billy Bob plays the same character he does in every single movie (although at least some of those are interesting in one way or another).You know you're in trouble when the performance in the movie is by rapper Sean P-Diddy Combs!Basically, if you're horny for Halle Berry, than you'll enjoy her sex scenes.
There is no better example of this than "Monster's Ball".Halle Berry's performance was fine, but there are some issues with her being cast in a role like this.
So, I was conflicted as to whether BBT's character finally saw the errors of his ways and now loves black folk, or whether Halle Berry was so hot, he couldn't resist her.These are just some of the many issues with this film.
Ironically Hank is a prison guard working on Death Row who executed Leticia's..." Oh please- nothing but a white male erotic fantasy movie.....a 'po' lonely black woman "falls" for a redneck inbred and it's called "love"????
It is unsparing in its depiction of all the light and dark sides of the human psyche, from racism to passion to insularity and even corpulence, mounting these on a platform so stark and unambiguous that the audience is not left with many choices - the reactions evoked are exactly the ones intended to be evoked, oscillating between disgust, outrage, sympathy, tenderness and occasionally, even a surreptitious smile.Most of the characters in the movie suffer somewhat from a lack of complexity, which is compensated for by casting them into circumstantial conflict to create the dramatic tension (a husband is electrocuted, a child dies, another child sends a bullet through his heart and into the couch behind, and so on).
No simple explanation seems satisfactory - and the credit for this questioning, this need for deconstruction, goes to Billy Bob's nuanced performance.All in all, beside the fact that some of the scenes may unsettle the squeamish, and that some promising characters like that of Grotowski's dispirited, conflicted son Sonny (played by Heath Ledger) were knocked off too early, the picture satisfies most norms for a good cinema experience - it makes you think, weep, squirm, analyze, rationalize, everything but walk out before it is over.
This movie does little to explain how this could occur and the fact that Hallie Berry needs to bare a LOT of boobs and butt and do her best to act like a porn queen should tell you all you need to know about the value of the script.
When I first heard that Halle Berry was getting publicity over a film called "Monster's Ball", a movie I had never even heard of, I was a little skeptical.
Billy Bob Thorton is as strong as he's ever been as Hank Grotowski, a selfish and racist prison guard who lives with his vicious and hateful father, Buck (Peter Boyle), and his sweet and utterly decent son Sonny (Heath Ledger).
Halle Berry is a deadbeat African-American mom of an overweight son (Coronji Calhoun) with a husband (Sean Combs) who is on Death Row. Unforseen tragic events bring these seemingly unmatchable people together, and their mutual hurt and sadness climaxes in one of the most powerful and emotional love scenes in film history.
And for a real laugh check her out trying to act like an actual southern struggling black woman in the drunk/first-time-with-Billy-Boy scene.
Well, I probably completely missed the point and I probably simply didn't get it, but it is pretty amazing Halle Berry got an Oscar for this movie !
I found myself watching the clock several times, and literally forcing myself to finish the movie, which is extremely rare for this film addict, and when the conclusion finally occurred, I was left completely empty.The performances were fine, but Halle Berry certainly was not Oscar worthy.
Monster's ball is a real and excellent drama.The plot it has and the execution of it are very intense.The level of intensity it has is really weird to see in a movie.The film is very realistic and it tells dramas of people without falling in the cheap sentimentalism.The cinematography is another great element of this movie.The performances are simply extraordinary.Halle Berry has the Academy Award very deserved.Billy Bob Thornton gives a perfect level of intensity to his character.Heath Ledger brings an excellent performance.The great Peter Boyle has an excellent and realistic performance.He plays so well his character of a bad guy that I hated his character.This is(no doubt)one of the best films of 2001..
Halle Berry's intense insecurity mixed with a murky but strong sense of personal pride anchored this film, but Billy-Bob Thornton's brilliance gave it wings.
All for the good of the movie.So now then, onto the review.Monsters Ball is a story about an excecution guard who falls for the widow of a man he recently excecuted(P Diddy??
what the...?) Her son just recently died as well so we are supposed to feel sympathy for her when she indulges in gratuitous sex with Billy Bob.The movie is NOT that well acted.
And after Halle Berry won the award over GOOD actresses like Renee Zellweger and Nicole Kidman, she further pushes the injustice by making such a racist speech, so swamped with tears that had we acknowledged this, we would be considered heartless.The sex in the movie is long and unnecessary.
Who knows where this character would end up in the hands of another actor, but I can't think of one that would have left me feeling the same way.For those of you who don't get this movie--be it for the lack of attention to certain strings of logic in what appears to be a real small town; or for its refusal to spell out for you what somebody may be thinking from moment to moment, let alone from day to day...well, I'm sure the next Matrix is gonna be real good, too.
After overseeing the execution of a black man (Sean 'Diddy' Combs) a couple of tragedies compel the father, Hank (Thornton), to meet the struggling ex-wife of the executed man (Halle Berry).The cast, locations, score and directing are all excellent.
The spare and sophisticated screenplay (by Milo Addica and Will Rokas) is about institutionalized bigotry passed down in a womanless family of prison guards (father Peter Boyle, son Billy Bob Thornton and grandson Heath Ledger) and how extreme emotions come to resolve the ambiguity associated with such hatred--the characters, in their search for release from hatred's grip, become better men by taking the actions they take.
The late Heath Ledger is also very good as Sonny, desperately trying to live up to his father's unrealistic expectations of him.Roger Ebert said of "Monster's Ball" that "The movie has the complexity of great fiction" and considered it the best film of 2001.
And that's why I think Monster's Ball is an outstanding film: it's an unusually bold excursion into the personal and social dynamics of shame, which are inherently intertwined.Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton) plays a Mississippi `corrections' officer, who has the job of escorting death row inmates to the electric chair.
But "Monster's Ball" is so slow and intense and ignores all of the standard "drama issues" you have to think for yourselve what this is all about.For me it's about love, hate, hope, racism, father-son/mother-son relationships, escaping from your past life, death, depressions, failures and many other things.
The father son relationship between Billy Bob Thornton and Heath Ledger is particularly emotional and feels very real.
I certainly understand why Halle Berry was awarded her Oscar; like I said before, the acting was superb.
Though Halle Berry was the only performer from this film recognized by the Academy, I do not feel that she was the only actor deserving praise.
Iv just finished watching this film and it left me SO disappointed as I had really high expectations.First off Halle Berry is brilliant in the movie and you really buy into her character and her emotions and heart-break, she's effortless in what appears to be her comfort zone.
The oral sex scene again felt totally un-necessary and just took away from the drama and emotion in the film.I found myself relieved when it ended after a very weak ending that left me wondering why I wasted my time watching the movie, damn high expectations!
Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry are fantastic as they keep the viewer mesmerised throughout a film that could be described a slow at the best of times.
There are a few powerful moments of high drama in this film, but in general they are too few and far between to really save this rather weak story that gets surprisingly good ratings.There are decent performances from Halle Berry as Leticia, whose husband has just been executed in prison and Billy Bob Thornton as Hank, the head guard at the prison.
it stars Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry and Heath Ledger.
Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Leticia Musgrove This was a wonderful non-fiction film with great acting.This is a fabulous film but it did not do very well at the box office.
And screenwriters should study it, just to view it's character studies.Like in the final moment of the film, Monster's Ball left me speechless, and it is now, a year after that I'm able to put in words, how much this movie moved me..
The man in question is Hank Grotowski (Billy Bob Thornton) and the woman he falls for is Leticia (Halle Berry).
I've always been a fan of Billy Bob Thornton's abilities and this movie is no exception - his taciturn, stoic nature plays beautifully into the role of Hank, a man used to repressing his emotions under the harsh rule of his father (with whom he still lives).
Of course, this is the tabloid view, forgetting the fact that this is a superior film, at the heart of which is a simple and beautiful love story.This is the best work that the aforementioned Ms. Berry has ever done, and her Oscar was well deserved.
There was not enough of either actor in this film.There is nothing I can say about Peter Boyle and Billy Bob Thornton.
I find it amazing that Billy Bob Thornton for this film, in the same year as his astounding performance in the Coen Brother's `The Man Who Wasn't There', was not even nominated for Best Actor.
Monster's Ball is subtle, brutal and hopeful; a fine piece of film making.Billy Bob Thornton plays Hank who heads the killing team in a Georgian prison in early 1990's America.
Who knows, but those few minutes made me think about her like very few other movie character I can remember.Billy Bob Thornton throws also a very good performance. |
tt1027718 | Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps | In 2001, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is released from prison on parole after serving eight years behind bars for insider trading and mail fraud. He leaves the prison hoping to find a car waiting for him but there is no one. He's alone.Seven years later in June 2008 during the time of the great USA financial collapse, Jacob "Jake" Moore (Shia Lebouf) is awakened in his apartment by his girlfriend, Winnie (Carey Mulligan). Jake turns on the television and there is an interview with Gekko on television. Gekko has become an author and a lecturer promoting his new book, 'Is Greed Good?' Winnie gets upset and throws the remote at the TV after Jake doesn't turn it off. Winnie is Gekko's estranged daughter and wants nothing to do with him. Jake drives Winnie to the airport on his motorbike and she goes off to gather investors for her online political magazine.Jake goes to work at Keller Zabel Investments, a Wall Street banking institution. He tries to raise more money for a fusion research project which will be a viable source of alternative energy down the line but the rest of the board doesn't agree with him. Jake is one of the firms top brokers and the protégé of its managing director, Louis Zabel (Frank Langella). Zabel has become disillusioned with the industry and doesn't understand how he can be told a loss is a profit. He gives Jake a $1.5 million bonus and tells him to spend it and keep the economy going. Zabel also encourages Jake to marry Winnie and have a kid since he knows that growing old isn't for the weak in this business and that Jake needs her.Jake goes out to celebrate with his best friend and buys Winnie a diamond ring. He mentions that Winnie doesn't really support marriage, given the outcome of her parents divorce, but Jake knows that she loves him and he loves her. His friend asks about rumors that Keller Zabel is in danger, but Jake brushes it off.The next day the company's stock starts crashing. Zabel doesn't come in to work so Jake goes and finds him walking his wife's dog in the park. Jake asks him if Keller Zabel is going to go under, but Zabel just tells him that he's asking the wrong question. The right question is: "Who isn't going under?"Zabel meets with the chairmen of the US Treasury at the Federal Reserve. He tries to arrange a bailout but he is blocked by Bretton James (Josh Brolin), a former businessman that Zabel had crossed eight years prior when his company was going under. James insults Zabel by offering to buy Keller Zabel stock at $3 a share (against its $75 trading value from a week prior).The next morning, Zabel wakes up and kisses his wife after breakfast. He goes to a news stand and picks up a bag of Lays chips and a newspaper. As the train pulls in, Zabel pushes towards the front of the line and jumps on the tracks.Jake hears the news on the television of Zabel's suicide as Winnie returns from her trip. She hugs him and consoles him before he proposes to her. She agrees to marry him.A few weeks later, Jake attends a lecture at Fordham University given by Gordon Gekko and hears what Gekko has to say about the current financial crisis. Gekko reveals that in his opinion the unrestrained speculation will cause a financial cataclysm, even though everybody is euphoric about the current financial bubble. After the lecture ends, Jake approaches Gekko and tells him that he's about to marry Winnie. They ride a subway train together and Gekko explains that his daughter won't speak to him because of her brother Rudy's suicide a few years prior over Gekko's imprisonment and social shunning over his father. Jake sees that Gekko has a photo of Winnie as a toddler and asks if he can have it. Gekko tells him that he will trade Jake for a more recent photograph of Winnie. Gekko gives him the photo and his card so that Jake will find him later on. He also tells Jake that Keller Zabel was in trouble the minute someone started rumors about them and that Jake should look for whoever profited from Keller Zabel's collapse. From now on, Gekko and Jake agree to make a "trade", so that Jake would enable Gekko to communicate with his estranged daughter, and, in return, Gekko would help Jake collect secret information to destroy Bretton, who ruined Jake's mentor. Thus Gekko reveals his characteristic philosophy of life, where every deal that he makes in return for something is nothing but a trade.With the help of Gekko, who is very resourceful, Jake does some digging and realizes that Bretton James profited from the Keller Zabel collapse. In order to get his attention, Jake spreads false rumors about the nationalization of an African oil rig that Bretton's company owns. The company loses $120 million and Bretton asks for a meeting with Jake. At the meeting, he tells Jake that he is impressed and offers Jake a job, making it clear that if Jake doesn't accept he will have a lot of trouble being hired anywhere else. Determined to take Bretton out and avenge Zabel, Jake accepts.Winnie and Jake go out to Long Island to meet with Jake's mother (Susan Sarandon), a real estate agent in financial trouble. She asks for $200,000 to float her properties. Jake gives it to her but Winnie tells Jake in private that she's only going to waste her chance again. She asks him to take her very expensive ring back because she isn't comfortable wearing something so expensive.Jake pretends that he called Gekko to have dinner and ask his approval so he and Winnie go to have dinner with him. During their re-introductions, Gekko sees an important business man and introduces himself, only to be brushed off as a nobody. Winnie realizes that Gekko hasn't changed his greedy ways and leaves the restaurant upset. Jake pursues her and she tells him that if he goes back, Gekko will destroy them.A few days later, Jake visits Gekko again at his apartment and gives him the photo of Winnie that he promised. Gekko tells Jake that his research pointed out that the Locust Fund, a private offshore hedge fund was betting against Keller Zabel. Jake explains that he was offered a job by Bretton James and Gekko tells Jake that he suspects it was James's testimony which got him sent away for eight years (more time than a murderer). Jake is confused, having assumed that it was Bud Fox who put Gekko after Fox's 1985-1986 insider trading trial. Gekko explains that Bud Fox got him on insider trading but that was nothing compared to some of Gekko's other activities that he was convicted of. He and Bretton had a falling out back in 1988 and, though he doesn't know for sure, he suspects that Bretton was behind it. Gekko asks for another trade: he wants to have a face to face with his daughter.At work, Jake is put on the sideline so that Bretton's point woman can take over a pitch to the Chinese businessmen. They are unimpressed with her pitch, stating that they are looking for the next big thing in energy. Jake swoops in and presents them with the fusion research he has been supporting. Bretton is impressed by Jake's initiative and is glad that the firm has made more money. However, the firm is in trouble but Bretton doesn't want anyone to know. The economy is slowly starting to crumble. Bretton hosts a fundraiser and invites Jake and Winnie. Gekko asks Jake to front him $10,000 so that Gekko can also attend and have another chance to reconcile with Winnie.Wandering around the party, Gekko ends up bumping into Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen, in a suprise cameo). Apparelty Fox did his time in prison and went on to build Bluestar Airline into one of the premier airlines in the country after his father's retirement and death. Fox sold the company and retired a multi-millionaire. He wishes Gekko well and tells him to stay out of trouble.Gekko approaches Winnie and Jake at Bretton's table but Winnie leaves when Gekko arrives. Gekko and Bretton exchange a tense conversation where Gekko implies that he has proof that Bretton is responsible for putting him away. Bretton gets uncomfortable but points out that Gekko is no one. Gekko leaves him to find Winnie. Bretton tells Jake that the Chinese are going to invest $150 million in the fusion research Jake has been supporting.Outside of the building, Gekko finds Winnie outside on the steps and they have an intense conversation. He tells her that she's all he has and she's his gal until the day that he dies. She hugs him and Jake watches them have their moment. Jake calls the head researcher and tells him that the money is on its way.Over the next few months, the USA economy collapses. The stock market loses billions during September-October 2008.Jake is at his apartment and tells Winnie that the world as they know it is over. Winnie tells him that is unacceptable because she is pregnant. Jake is floored but excitedly happy and kisses her.Numerous companies around the country are failing. Bretton calls Jake into his office and Jake takes a helicopter to meet Bretton at his estate in upstate New York. The two participate in a motorcycle race against each other and Jake beats Bretton. Bretton tells Jake that the money the Chinese invested is going into fossil fuels instead of fusion research. Jake gets angry knowing that Bretton is trying to sink the fusion research since it is not profitable, even though it would benefit the entire world. Bretton would be unable to control the source once the technology becomes known, unlike with the oil industry. Jake quits and tells Bretton to go fuck himself.Jake tells Gekko about what happened and Gekko reveals that there is a solution: Winnie has a trust fund account in Switzerland with $100 million which Gekko set up in the 1980s when she was born. He told her that once he was out of jail, he would need that money to reassert himself but Winnie reneged when Rudy died. While she has always considered giving it to charity, she hasn't. Jake could use that money to fund the research and save the company. But since Winnie never declared it, she could go to jail for tax evasion. Gekko tells Jake that he can embezzle it with his old contacts. Jake believes him and goes to talk to Winnie.At Winnie's office, Jake asks why she never mentioned the money. Winnie is shocked that he knows but Jake gets enthusiastic about the fusion research and tells her that this is her chance to make a difference. She agrees and the two fly to Switzerland. She signs the money over to Jake. Jake then entrusts the money to Gekko so that he can legitimize the funds for the investment in the fusion research company.A few hours after returning to New York, Jake gets a call saying that the money never arrived. He gets frantic but his mother interrupts him before he goes to deal with Gekko. She asks for $100,000 because of the collapse of the housing industry, but Jake gives her $30,000 and tells her that he cannot afford to waste any more money on her ridiculous real estate deals. He goes to Gekko's apartment and finds it empty: he's gone.Jake tells Winnie what happened and that he's been talking to Gekko for a while. She breaks off their engagement and tells Jake to leave: she no longer trusts him or feels safe around him. He leaves bitterly and tracks Gekko to England, where Gekko is running a financial company again with the $100 million he stole from Winnie and Jake. Jake propositions him for one last trade: Winnie gets her $100 million back and Gekko gets a grandson. Jake shows him the ultrasound of his son but Gekko, despite being moved, cannot let go of being someone of importance. He tells him that its not about money; its about the game. Gekko says that giving the money away is a "trade he cannot make." Jake leaves.Over the next few weeks, by using the previous information collected by Gekko about Bretton, Jake begins piecing together everything from Keller Zabels collapse to the economic bailouts being issued for Brettons company. Jake points out that Bretton owns the Locust Fund (www.locustfund.com) and puts the pieces together in one large information packet. He gives it to Winnie, telling her that it will put her website on the map for good as a legitimate source of information and that he misses her like crazy. He then leaves.Winnie runs the story and Bretton James is exposed. The board of directors kicks him out of the company and Bretton is forced to testify to his crimes in front of the Congressional Committee, who note that they previously had Brettons cooperation in the Gekko investigation. Bretton's career is over and he's left to the sharks. Bretton's board of directors, led by the elderly banker Julius Scherhart (Eli Wallach) goes to Gekko in order to start doing business with him in view of the new credibility Gekko gained through his London firm's astounding success. He speaks to his materialistic business clients in the language they understand and respect: by correctly predicting the coming financial collapse, Gekko sold the market short and turned the 100 million that he stole from his daughter into the incredible sum of $1 billion dollars. He proudly looks at his account assets; Gekko is a billionaire again.Jake sees the very pregnant Winnie walking to her apartment and helps her carry her things. Their son has been kicking and keeping her up at night. Jake feels his sons kicks and Winnie thanks him for the help but they do not reconcile. Gordon appears and tells them that he deposited the $100 million in to the fusion researchers account anonymously. Now that Gekko attained his aim of becoming a billionaire by using the money he stole from his daughter, he finally returns that relatively small sum. He tells them that they make a good couple and that hed like to be there for them as their father and a grandfather. He walks away saying, "What? Can't you believe in a comeback?"Jake kisses Winnie and they reconcile before the birth and, one year later, they celebrate their son's first birthday with a party, at which Gordon Gekko is also present. | boring | train | imdb | It almost looks like he doesn't want much hassle with his films after they come out.Wall Street 2 is such a disappointment I don't know where to start.
Jake bumps into Gekko at one of his speeches (the films finest scene) and the two form a mentor-protégé relationship that irks Winnie but allows Jake to benefit by plotting revenge from Bretton James (Josh Brolin, the films principle villain), suspected of being responsible for the suicide of Louis Zabel, a close friend and confidant of Jake.If the film sounds like a mess of relationships, then it is.
Also, during the ending Gekko's daughter's character consistency is shot to hell and she appears as venal as the characters against whom she rails.Those moments are especially disappointing because I believed that this movie had the potential to be Stone's best film ever.
I was looking forward to seeing what Oliver Stone & the ensemble he got together could do with an updated version of an even greedier Wall Street that was gambling with obscene amounts of money & making their own rules that the S.E.C. didn't do anything about or even try to understand it seems.I was very disappointed.
And I think the movie spent way too much time on the Jake & Winnie relationship played by Shia LaBeouf (wasn't that Glenn Campbell's name in the original "True Grit", well....maybe it was LaBeef) & Carey Mulligan.
Seeing Michael Douglas reprising his role as the infamous Gordon Gekkos is pleasing and putting his character in these modern times is interesting, as he is now no longer a huge name on Wall Street, and there are now crooks way more greedy than he ever was.
Even the music, aside from a few of the Eno/Byrne songs, was horrible; and the few "good" songs previously mentioned were used inappropriately over dialogue, etc.Whereas the first film was about morality, truth, the human soul and actual characters, this mess is quite literally about Wall Street and the financial crisis without being humanistic at all.
But it didn't work.A big chunk of this seemed more like a soap opera than anything else, as Jake (Shia LaBeouf) tries to reconcile his fiancé Winnie (Carey Mulligan) with her dad - none other than Gordon Gekko himself, once more played by Michael Douglas.
Stone has cast his movie well with Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin and Carey Mulligan to attract younger viewers, and Michael Douglas' return as Gekko can't help being a major lure.The story settles quickly on young proprietary trader Jake Moore (LaBeouf), who just happens to be in love with Winnie Gekko (Mulligan), Gordon's estranged daughter.
Background score is scintillating.To conclude, I would just say that go for it to experience Gordon Gekko after 23 years and of course the class of Stone in a movie on finance, thrill and banking and the brilliant camera-work!My Rating: 8/10Thanks & Regards.
Langella added steel and is a classy actor.Eli Wallach was embarrassing, and Charlie Sheen was comedic.Oliver Stone has clearly lost it, and his cameo at the computer screen probably highlights this.Overall, one of the worst sequels, and probably movies, I've ever seen..
The movie also reaches a logical climax and ending almost 30 minutes before the film's actual end, and then reaches another, then another, eventually leading the audience to wish for an actual end to the film and completely destroying any sense of satisfaction or closure that might have been achieved by tying off the film sooner.The story is fractured, the message trite and unimaginative, the camera-work is at times questionable, and Gordon Gecko is a mere shadow of the Academy Award winning character from the original.
Wall Street: Money Never SleepsThe reason money doesn't sleep, like the rest of us, is because it's too busy counting itself.And while the greedy investor in this financial drama slept in prison, he likely did so on his back.After doing 8 years for insider trading, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) finds himself released into a world where his former motto "Greed is Good" has proliferated into the markets' mantra – which explains why it's teetering on collapse.Meanwhile, Jake (Shia LaBeouf), a young trader, wants Gekko's help to solve his mentor's (Frank Langella) murder.
To end my comments on a positive note, Wall Street 2 does have one redeeming quality: in a down economy hitting Hollywood studio movies particularly hard, this sequel provided jobs to a lot of actors and craft people..
In WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS Oliver Stone delivers one of the top Rotten Tomato movies of the year.
There is so little story to tell throughout this 134 minute endless mess of a film that the viewers must resort to just ignoring the fact that we are being drowned in WallStreetSpeak and settle instead for watching the skills of such fine actors as Michael Douglas, Carey Mulligan, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon (for a brief moment), Eli Wallach, and Frank Langella (one wonders why they ever signed on to this film if they read the script).
But watching the prison release of Gordon Gekko (Douglas) and discovering that his angry, unforgiving daughter Winnie (Mulligan) has taken up with a bright lad Jake (LaBeouf) who in many ways is like the father she loathes, then in a smarmy manner climbing back into the money game only to destroy any seed of conscience that might have grown from his incarceration and in doing so drive a wedge between Winnie and Jake is hardly the stuff of which memorable movies are made.
Why was Charlie Sheen in this as a cameo - it was like they wanted to parody his original character.Oliver Stone this is not your finest hour.Bad movie.
In 1987, Oliver Stone directed and co-wrote "Wall Street" with Michael Douglas as a super-confident corporate raider Gordon Gekko ("Greed is good") and Charlie Sheen as his young acolyte.
Other talent on show includes Frank Langella and Josh Brolin and even a 95 year old Eli Wallach.This is a glitzy production that includes another hard-hitting speech by Gordon Gekko ("Money is a bitch that never sleeps!") - this time savaging the irrational exuberance that leads to speculative bubbles in over-complex and opaque financial markets.
So a bit ironic then that Money Never Sleeps was screened there first, for audiences in Norway (although with around 14.000 professional guests, including several international stars, the audience was perhaps not predominantly Norwegian).The soundtrack to this film is excellent, the visual style is pure perfection and very stylish, and the throwbacks to the first film are an utter thrill (if you've seen the first film recently, or several times earlier, like myself, you will notice them all, and love them).Of course, having been in politics and the financial industry, it's hard for me to tell how this movie experience will be for someone who knows little about either.
Stone's movie introduced audiences to a world that was largely alien to many-, a world hidden inside the Ivory Towers of our financial institutions- and more significantly, to the people behind these institutions whom his lead character Gordon Gecko represented."Greed is good!" said Gordon, a by-now iconic line that no doubt inadvertently served as inspiration for stock traders since then.
More than twenty years after Wall Street (1987), director Oliver Stone brings Gordon Gekko back to the big screen.
Michael Douglas reprises his screen-stealing role as Gekko, and is one of many talented actors who make up the strong cast, which include Carey Mulligan (An Education, 2009), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon, 2008), Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men, 2007), and Shia LeBeouf (Transformers, 2007).
Charlie Sheen, who played Bud Fox, a lead character in Wall Street, also makes a cameo appearance.Money Never Sleeps is, in my view, a more entertaining picture than its prequel, which is occasionally quite dull although it remains to be an important film.
In a way, Money Never Sleeps could be described as a conventional love story set in the backdrop of the recent global financial meltdown that left many fuming over the unethical behavior of (mostly Western) big-shots who handle and trade greenbacks for a living.In Wall Street, Gekko was the epitomized figure of greed, played with charismatic vigor by Douglas.
Back in 1987, director Oliver Stone's financial drama WALL STREET turned out to be a very prescient critique of the Reagan era's legacy of greed and excess, personified in the character of corporate raider extraordinaire Gordon Gekko, played to an Oscar-winning tee by Michael Douglas.
Twenty-three years later, Stone returned to the world of high-stakes finance for his first-ever honest-to-goodness sequel, WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS; and he and Douglas have resurrected Mr. Gekko.
Though there's a little bit of the old Gekko in him, Douglas is more intent on getting revenge on Brolin, while at the same time attempting to save LeBeouf from going to prison, and getting back on good terms with Mulligan.Stone's commitment to character and plot, redolent in all of his best films from PLATOON through the original WALL STREET to JFK, NIXON, and WORLD TRADE CENTER, is very evident here in MONEY NEVER SLEEPS; and as he shows, the high-stakes casino that Wall Street was in the Reagan era has now grown into a high-tech monster that, in 2008, was threatening to swallow all of America whole.
LeBeouf and Mulligan do good turns here, as does the legendary Eli Wallach in a prominent cameo role (amusingly, LeBeouf's cell phone rings with the theme from THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, the legendary 1967 Sergio Leone spaghetti western in which Wallach played a bandido).Just like the original, WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS will likely be seen as emblematic of its time--a film that saw America's hubris bite the nation and the world on its behind, but where a couple of decent people did the right thing to avoid the ultimate financial abyss..
"
greed, for lack of a better word, is good." The classic line delivered by the wicked financial wizard Gordon Gekko in Oliver Stone's 1987 classic Wall Street has become immortalised as one of the most popular movie quotes in the history of American cinema.
Unfortunately, there is nothing memorable in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is out of federal prison, following eight years of incarceration for insider trading.
I will tell you why.Firstly, Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas always said they were amazed that Gordon Gekko was an inspiration for many a man to take up a job on Wall Street.
Instead, this is a fictionalized fable of love, loss, and vengeance that is nicely interwoven within the contemporary financial meltdown.The movie actually has little connection to the first Wall Street, besides the character Gekko and thus should not be seen as a sequel but rather as a story onto itself concerning the recent financial crisis's affect on the elite financiers.
After a 23-year wait Oliver Stone has made his first sequel ever to his 1987 film Wall Street.
With recent events involving the banking crisis, sub-prime mortgages and toxic debt a film with Gordon Gekko is timely.Set in 2008 just before and during the financial crisis Jacob Moore (Shia LaBeouf) is a ambitious young trader who specialised in investing alternative energy.
And well, Brolin has been a strong actor for a years and his performance was good.Stone had an interesting approach to directing this film: the camera work that Rodrigo Prieto used was effective, moving at the camera at just the right time to reflect an emotion or keep a scene of continuity.
I liked the original Wall Street very much, mainly because of its energy and its strident critic against the personal and professional excesses from the North American financial leaders, but I could not understand some elements from the screenplay very well, due to the fact I am not very familiarized with economic issues.The financial jargon in the sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, is more comprehensible (at least in my case), because it revolves around the worldwide economic crisis from 2008, which keeps being felt to nowadays.Besides, I have to say I liked this fascinating sequel a bit more than the original film.I generally like the work of director Oliver Stone very much, but I have been disappointed by some of his movies.In his most "mature" (translation: bland) works, such as Nixon, Alexander and W., I did not find any traces of the maniac energy and aggressive style from his best films (which are, in my humble opinion, JFK, Natural Born Killers and The Doors).Fortunately, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps shows us to Stone in a much better shape, which is relentless but precise and perfectly modulated, at the same time he is able to hypnotize us with almost every scene, and to keep us in suspense with the help of sharp dialogs full of meaning and emotion.I think the best elements from Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps are its intelligent screenplay and great performances.Michael Douglas brings an extraordinary work, because he perfectly shows us the multiple facets from his character on a credible way.Shia LaBeouf had left me impressed with his performance in the film A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, and he also brings a perfect performance in here.And I also liked the performances from Josh Brolin and the great Frank Langella very much.I will refuse to mention the message from this film in here.Suffice to say is that the moralist angle is well mixed with the experiences from the characters and their intense emotions, so we never feel that we are being given ethic lessons.The only thing I can say against Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is that I found the scenes with Susan Sarandon to be a little bit unnecessary.Nevertheless, that does not avoid me from enthusiastically recommending this excellent movie, because this is definitely first-class entertainment, something we are unfortunately not very used to find in modern cinema..
She too has taken up the Gekko Gospel of Greed Is Good and takes a tumble for her efforts.Oliver Stone has done what some consider impossible and made a successful sequel to a classic film with Money Never Sleeps.
There were many instances with the release of Gordon from his jail sentence, where his second career as a writer/sought after speaker (only in America folks) brought about opportunities for the character to serve as a mouthpiece of caution in today's world.There's a new protagonist in the film in Jake Moore, played by Shia LaBeouf, who's very much into alternative energy markets and has a hand in the investment and development of one such nuclear fusion farm.
Unfortunately the investment bank he works in goes belly up causing the demise of his much respected mentor Louis Zabel (Frank Langella), Jake swears revenge against Josh Brolin's Bretton James, another head honcho banker in a rival firm, and if you've not been listening attentively, or are not remotely familiar with the financial terms being mouthed around, you're more than likely to find it hard pressed how this link was made to position Jake and Bretton as rivals.Gordon Gekko enters the picture because of Jake's fiancé Winnie (Carey Mulligan), Gekko's daughter, and through a potential in-law relation, both men who see so much similarities in each other, especially the older in the younger's fire in the belly, forge a trade of sorts where Gekko provides much needed inside research and knowledge to Jake in exchange for opportunities set up to reconcile with his estranged daughter.
Rounding up the star studded billing is Susan Sarandon as Jake's mother, a real estate agent caught up with multiple housing mortgages and serving as the precursor to inevitable trouble.Rumoured to have had its ending edited after reactions in Cannes, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps hit plenty of right spots in delivering a relevant followup film on the financial markets of today.
When Zabel commits suicide, Jake's world is thrown into chaos, but he's overlooking one thing, his fiancé Winnie (Carey Mulligan) is the daughter of recently released former Wall Street hot shot Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), who's out to rise back to the top by whatever means.You would have to have been living on planet Mars for the last few years not to have been hearing and reading about the global recession that's seen the world plunged into financial meltdown and seen many homes and businesses re-possessed.
Life and Debt this film is not.Douglas plays an aged Gordon Gekko pretty much straight down the line.Shia LaBeouf as Jake Moore is fine in terms of performance, but script-wise a Wall Street guy working to save the planet through clean energy is a hard sell.
It seems likely that Michael Douglas would reprise the role that won him an Oscar, but being so long away from the role you wonder how can he get back into character, well i guess it is like riding a bicycle.Jake Moore(Shia LaBeouf) is a Wall Street traitor, engaged to Winnie Gekko(Carey Mulligan) Gordon's daughter, she wants nothing to do with, cause she believes his lust for greed destroyed the family.
The much anticipated sequel to the 1987 original has Oliver Stone back in the director's seat and one of the most iconic characters in movie history, Gordon Gekko, being released from prison.
In Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps an effort is made to humanize Gordon and though I found some of his actions out of character, the idea that people can change seems to be a big message behind the film.
Craig Armstrong's Music is good.Acting Wise, 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps' belongs to Michael 'Gordon Gekko' Douglas from start to end.
'Money Never Sleeps' is a sequel to the earlier film, and this time, Stone sets the story against the backdrop of the actual financial crisis of 2008.
Michael Douglas has another go as Wall Street crook Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps" from 2010, directed by Oliver Stone. |
tt0101757 | Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead | Sue Ellen Crandell (Christina Applegate) is a 17-year-old high school dream teen who looks forward to the summer when her divorced mother will be in Australia all summer. Sue Ellen tells her friends at the clothing shop about her thoughts of a fun-filled summer of freedom in the rural Los Angeles suburbs while the rest of her friends are planning a trip to Europe. After arriving home, Sue Ellen's dreams are then abruptly curtailed upon the arrival of elderly Mrs. Sturak (Eda Reiss Merin), whom Mrs. Crandell (Concetta Tomei) has hired as a live-in babysitter for Sue Ellen and her younger siblings: 16-year-old Kenny (Keith Coogan), a heavy metal-loving stoner; 12-year-old Zach (Christopher Pettiet), a romantic ladies' man; 10-year-old Melissa (Danielle Harris), an athletic tomboy; and eight-year-old game show addict Walter (Robert Hy Gorman).Mrs. Sturak reveals her true colors the moment Mrs. Crandell departs: an iron-fisted, whistle-blowing, no-nonsense disciplinarian. That evening, Sue Ellen inspires her siblings to rise up against Mrs. Sturak and end her reign of terror. The moment they move in to confront her, however, they discover Mrs. Sturak dead in her chair. The Crandells panic and debate calling the police, or their mother in Australia, but Sue Ellen realizes that doing so jeopardizes any chance for summer fun for their mother will no doubt return and unfairly blame them for Mrs. Sturak's death. They finally decide to seal Mrs. Sturak's body in a trunk, and drop it off anonymously at the local morgue with a note reading: "Nice old lady inside. Died of natural causes."More panic ensues when the kids realize that all the cash their mother left them for the summer was in an envelope that Mrs. Sturak kept about her person at all times. The Crandell kids now have no money, but Sue Ellen decides all she needs is a job. Unfortunately, the only place that hires her is Clown Dog, a fast-food restaurant, where she performs grunt labor in miserable conditions. Despite meeting Bryan (Josh Charles), a handsome and supportive co-worker who becomes her boyfriend, Sue Ellen quickly gets fed up with Clown Dog and quits.Sue Ellen then forges the résumé of a mid-level fashion executive and poses as a 28-year-old as she applies at General Apparel West, a downtown L.A. clothing manufacturer, for an open receptionist position. Although scorned by Carolyn (Jayne Brook), the rude and sarcastic receptionist due for a promotion, Sue Ellen's résumé garners the attention of Rose Lindsey (Joanna Cassidy), the senior vice president of operations at GAW, who offers an executive administrative assistant position to her.Sue Ellen struggles to keep the truth about her double life hidden from Bryan and GAW. But things become more complicated after Sue Ellen learns that Bryan is the younger brother of Carolyn the receptionist who quickly sees through Sue Ellen's charade and she teams up with her equally cynical and sneaky boyfriend Bruce (David Douchney) to try to prove that sue Ellen is a phoney to the skeptic Rose.After learning about office money called petty cash, Sue Ellen "borrows" enough for groceries. She convinces herself that she will be able to pay back the money she stole, but on her first payday, she sees that her paycheck is only $730, for nearly half of her pay is taken away for taxes and her siblings used even more petty cash, totaling over $3,000, to purchase nonreturnable items such as Zach purchasing a huge stereo TV and sound set.Compounding her distress is bad news from Rose: the company is going under because GAW's dowdy fashions aren't selling amid their buyers, and soon all of them will be out of a job. In a moment of epiphany, Sue Ellen goes out on a limb for GAW by designing high-end fashions on her own for GAW. She convinces Rose and the other senior staff members that her hip clothes could pull GAW back out of bankruptcy. Rose is impressed and wants to hold a gala event-type show to reveal GAW's new fashion line to their buyers. Realizing there isn't enough petty cash to rent a hall, Sue Ellen convinces Rose to hold the fashion show at the Crandell house.Working together with her siblings and friends, they use the remaining petty cash to spruce up the house and host the event themselves. The evening goes off swimmingly, with the audience loving the new GAW clothing line. Right at the show's finale, however, Bryan shows up unexpectedly, quickly followed by a furious Mrs. Crandell, back early from Australia (having not heard from the kids over their refusal to take her phone calls).Overwhelmed by her lies, Sue Ellen announces the truth to everyone and apologizes to Rose, but Rose assures her that the buyers loved the new fashions and don't care about Sue Ellen's personal life. With GAW's future secured, Rose gladly offers the "real" Sue Ellen another position at GAW, but Sue Ellen declines in favor of pursuing college first.With the party ended and the guests departing, Mrs. Crandell begins to lose her temper, but is quickly calmed down by a now more-mature Sue Ellen, as well as the suttle Kenny, Zack, Melissa and Walter. Mom walks around the house, impressed and suspicious by the cleanliness, expensive new furnishings, and the behavioral turn-around of all her children. As Sue Ellen and Bryan embrace and kiss, Mrs. Crandell asks about the whereabouts of Mrs. Sturak.The end credits then begin to roll as the film cuts to a scene at the local cemetery, where the two morgue attendants are visiting Mrs. Sturak's grave and saying how nice it was of her to leave them all her money which they squandered on gambling trips to Las Vegas. Her tombstone simply reads: "Nice Old Lady. Died Of Natural Causes." | cult | train | imdb | Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate) is the oldest of 3 brothers- Kenny (Keith Coogan), Walter (Robert Gorman), Zach (Christopher Pettiet) , and 1 sister- Melissa (Danielle Harris).
Excited about her mom leaving for Australia on vacation, Sue Ellen is expecting to have a great summer- that is until she discovers she is going to be "babysat" by the evil Mrs. Sturak- a mean, grumpy old hag who gives you book reports instead of letting you watch television in the evening.
Then, Mrs. Sturak dies- leaving Sue Ellen and her four siblings to survive the summer, prompting her to get a job to support her brothers and sister, put food on the table, and learn the true meaning of responsibility.
The oldest one is 17 year old Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate)and she easily gets an executive position (just like real life, right?) at a fashion agency and, naturally, is incredible at her job.
And her brothers and sisters learn values from her example...Sounds horrible, but it's well-acted (especially Applegate and a drop dead gorgeous Joanna Cassidy), it moves quickly, is very funny, has a great soundtrack of new AND old songs and I enjoyed every minute of it!
No longer will you find movies like this.if you see this review without seeing the movie then find the movie watch the movie the acting directing scripts are all innocently and well directed making this one of the most delightful movies ever made.comparing it to movies of today this movie gets an easy 10 out of 10 for just pure fun.
But it was fun, and I enjoyed it.Christina Applegate especially impressed me, which is noteworthy as -- at the time -- I really disliked her as a result of really disliking "Married With Children." She was not only good in her role but, I have to say, pretty much won me over.
I can't say that the film made me wish I had siblings or a dead babysitter, but it did entertain me, and it made me smile to remember it watching this review, which has got to be worth something..
Each character has their own stereotype- Walter the youngest: a handful, Melissa: the disobedient tomboy, Kenny: the headbanging rocker drop-out, Zachary: the calm, but sneaky love struck teen and Sue-Ellen: the responsible, yet hip mother of her siblings.
I remember watching this film when I was growing up, I loved it then and I still love it.Despite the fact it's obviously predictable, it's a fun film that's well acted and directed and has a great soundtrack.Christina Applegate is quite impressive as Sue-Ellen, as is the rest of the cast.Most of the characters are quite black and white with the obvious "baddies" getting their comeuppance towards the end of the film.
His acting was great don't get me wrong, but I think it's safe to say Bryan wouldn't be MY type!If anything else, this fun film is easy to watch and will remind most people in their mid 20's of their adolescents..
However, we get to see shades of Wayne's World-esquire Generation X teen movie, especially in the character of Rob, and unfortunately the short-lived genre of 'kids acting in grown-up situations and delivering ever-so-amusing grownup lines.' John Hughes was the master of this style of film-making, and there's definitely shades of his work in here, most noticeably the setting of a film largely within a family house.First of all - the pitch.
The plot then follows Sue Ellen as she stumbles her way into a job and up the corporate ladder (the script is devoid of jokes at this point, but I kept watching because Christina Applegate is a surprisingly good actress.) Everything from this point is a misjudgment - it's virtually scrawled across the screen that Sue Ellen is getting some life lessons and becoming a young adult.
Kenny must throw away his carefree existence if he wants to become a man.Sure, this film has faults like pearls on a string - the annoying smaller children who eat up screen time and contribute nothing but an unbearable cuteness (and they're not even that cute: they steal money from their mom's purse - twice.) Sue Ellen's corporate life is shown as patronizingly simple, but that's a fault of all movies in general, you can't have clever successful people as the heroes because the audience feels intimidated.
That's the beauty of it, and that's why Christina Applegate is an actress!There are so many quotes that I would like to add to my "comments," but as most of you have probably seen it, you don't likely need a commentary; so instead I'll just get back to the QED Report so Swell can have it to New York by this afternoon.It's too bad she and young Brian are married now -- I used to watch the grunion run with him.
If you want that go watch a three hour Ingmar Bergman film but if you want a breezy, silly comedy with good performances and a snappy pace than this is for you.The whole setup is preposterous but so are many 80 & 90's comedies, Adventures in Babysitting, Home Alone etc, but once this one gets past its bumpy intro scenes it actually becomes a more focused story of a young girl finding her way through unexpected responsibilities.It helps a great deal that the cast headed by two very good actresses.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge movie critic and have all sorts of favorite top-notch movie that this may not compare to (Lord of the Rings for instance)--but when I watched "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" I absolutely loved it!
When I was watching, I dreamed of being in that family with the Crandells (Sue Ellen "Swell", Kenny, Melissa, Zach and Walter) spending my "summer vacation" with them 'cuz they looked like they were having a BLAST!
That would have been awesome if they were all a family in real life today, yes, even in 2004, 'cuz they were a perfect 5!Let's get to the notable lines....check this out, out of all the movies I've seen in life, this one really stood out with the character lines....some were funny and very memorable..
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is a very good movie that has an original plot and great acting.The story is very good and original,a mom goes on a vacation for 2 months and leaves her kids home for the summer with a babysitter that soon dies.basically 20 minutes after the babysitter dies,that part of the story is excluded from the film,since the babysitter isnt mentioned til the end of the movie.The actors gave very good performances in this film.The movie is intended to be a comedy,but really there isnt much comedy in the film,but that shows how good the movie is because the film doesnt need the comedy to be good.The ending was funny though.Long story short,Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is a very good movie that gets in my number one list for best movie of 1991.10 out of 10..
It also shows how easy someone can get away with something for a least a while like Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate).
I'm pleased that it gets a sizable enough positive response here from viewers, because a film like this can easily be dismissed as a typical formula comedy from a certain era, but unlike many films of its time it retains a very nice appeal, thanks in large part to Christina Applegate.
Anyone who loved "Married with Children" and the acting by Christina Applegate in that series will surely like this film, which revolves around her persona.The plot is simple: Single mother goes on a month's vacation leaving all the kids in care of an elderly babysitter, who promptly dies from natural causes.
The kids don't want mum back at once, so they dispose of the old lady in a fitting manner - accidentally taking all the housekeeping money with her to the mortuary.So the kids ends up with no money and no one to turn to, but they somehow manage till mom comes back.The acting by all the kids is superb, Christina Applegate not least,and the rest of the cast is beyond reproach, too!
Joanna Cassidy as Applegate's boss (long story :-)!) is just perfect, as is John Getz as Joanna's sometime lover (although he seem to run after anything in a skirt).There are many moral lessons from this lighthearted story, not least that circumstance can force you to do things you never dreamed of doing, and that the sad fact is that money makes the world go around!I liked it the first time I saw it and I even liked it more the second time round!.
"Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" is an all-time comedy great.
When Sue Ellen, Walter, Kenny, and Melissa's mother goes to Australia for the summer they are left home with a babysitter.
The fish-out-of-water scenario at work rapidly transforms into a realization of how restricting an adult life can be.Despite plot holes and a too rapid chain of events (this film will never join any good "classic videos" collection) that make everything too convent, this is a good movie for generation X.
Featuring a great cast of actors such as Joanna Cassidy and Keith Coogan ("Adventures in Babysitting"), "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead" is a grown-up version of "Home Alone" for teens.
I really enjoyed this movie,, very funny, lot's of humor,, you have an old grandma, who looks 90, acts like a drill sergeant towards the kids,, the boy is totally reckless, clueless and lazy,, the teen girl actually shows ambition, and wants to earn money,, not like today's teen girls that's for sure..
With their mother away on holiday in Austrailia for 2 months Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate) and her siblings are looking forward to a summer of no rules, no curfews and no nagging, that is until they discover their mom has arranged for a babysitter for the duration of her vacation.
When the babysitter dies, they decide not to tell their mother and spoil her vacation.Sue Ellen soon realises that she needs to get a job and support her siblings, but she soon learns that being an adult is not all that easy.With a fine performance from Christina and good support from the rest of cast this turns out to be a really enjoyable film that is effortlessly funny throughout.6/10.
Christina Applegate is a gem and this movie is funny and sweet all at the same time.
She was the sexy sister in that show but in this movie she's much less of a party girl and is the responsible kid in the family, keeping everything together after their mom leaves town and the babysitter passes away.
The kids, led by 17 year old Sue Ellen or "Swell" (Christina Applegate), decide they can take care of themselves.
With little help at home from her siblings, a new boyfriend, a failing company, and co-workers out to get her, Swell's got her hands full if she's to successfully navigate her Summer.I don't think I've seen Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead in something like 20 years.
Another thing I really enjoyed while watching Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead were all the late 80s / early 90s trappings.
When the kid's mom goes on a two month summer vacation to Australia and leave the kids with a sadistic old lady, much to Christina's (Sue Ellen, Sue El, Swell; her name shortened) protest, we get a ten minute long tops session of the babysitters scenes before she dies.
Then, after a couple more amusing bits of the kids leaving a trunk with her body in it with message "nice old lady inside, died of natural causes" at the funeral home, and then too late realizing that they left the money on the dead babysitters person, they are all stuck and broke with almost two more months before mom comes home.
But I guess Kenny was needed to stay home and watch the little ones, even though he doesn't do a good job of that, getting stoned with his buddies in his room while one of the little ones plays on the roof, falls off and breaks his leg.
It's a fun movie for all ages to watch!Swell & Kenny dropped the coffin off at the funeral home, and drove away.
There is one problem, someone has to get a job, and that ends up being Sue Ellen "Swell" Crandell (Christina Applegate) the oldest.
"Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is one of the most funniest movies of it's time.
the cast was outstanding, I think Christina Applegate was just like her role as Kelly Bundy on Married With Children.
This is one cool teen movie which ranks amongst such films as Serial Mom and Wayne's World for great light-hearted Saturday Night entertainemnt.
The great thing about this film is it's cheery funny and has many things you can relate to.Otherwise it's just another fun and easy to watch movie, The first time I saw it I thought it was a bunch of garbage but then my friend bought it over and made us watch it, And I loved it.
it isn't good.i didn't find it funny at all.i did find it boring and stupid,though,so i guess that's something.not something good,but still something.i couldn't finish the whole movie,i was so bored.in the 45 minutes i watched,i never laughed once.i figured if the movie wasn't good by then,it wasn't gonna get any better.the premise is an interesting one,but the execution falls flatter than than a pancake.somewhere between page and scree it falls apart.the average rating here is 5.3/10 and i would have to disagree with that rating.for me,Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead into the awful category with a 3/10..
I'm sure if you've seen it you enjoyed it, the humor of sue Ellen's boss (rose), The innocent romance between sue Ellen and Bryan, the coming of age and stepping up to your responsibilities from Kenny.....a recipe for success.You could even be blind and love it.....i am not blind and i could see its potential.But alas as long as the scornful eyes of others tarnish a perfectly good/great comedy then i say "i pity you fools"...your loss and more fun for me.SERIOUSLY YOU LOVE AND YOUR IN DENIAL........I KNOW YOU ARE....." yeah she like 200 years old"....did you hear clip from spinal tap when she gets the petty cash?.
I guessed it was a very bad movie; nevertheless after seeing Christina Applegate as Swell I thought it was quite good.
Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead is a good likeable comedy from the early 90's.
Yes, the plot is quite dumb, but this movie is still really good with okay performances from everyone involved, including Christina Applegate..
DTMTBD makes Home Alone look like Gandhi.Avoid this movie at all costs.Seriously.Christina Applegate should have been run out of Hollywood, never to return, for participating in this piece of garbage..
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is a good film that has a good cast which includes Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, John Getz, Josh Charles, Keith Coogan, Concetta Tomei, David Duchovny, Kimmy Robertson, Jayne Brook, Eda Reiss Merin, Robert Hy Gorman, Danielle Harris, Christopher Pettiet, Chris Claridge, Jeff Bollow, and Michael Kopelow!
If you like Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, John Getz, Josh Charles, Keith Coogan, Concetta Tomei, David Duchovny, Kimmy Robertson, Jayne Brook, the rest of the cast in the film, Comedy, Dramas, and interesting films then I strongly recommend you to see this film today!.
Christina Applegate is really beautiful and all things considered I thought this movie gave a good picture of how it is like to make it on your own without the support of grownups.
Sue Ellen's boyfriend is almost Holden Caulfieldian in his outlook on life and all in all this movie is a great view into a time before the home computer got customary, internet, cell phones and so forth.
We loved her on Married with Children, but the only thing she has done since that is worthwhile is to play Amy on Friends.Want a babysitter movie?
"Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead" was successful at the box office and before long it was not only on VHS but even on television (Fox 11 aired this film owing to the fact its star Christina Applegate was a cast member in their hit show "Married With Children".) Applegate portrays Sue Ellen Crandell, the spoiled daughter of a single mother (Concetta Tomei) who takes off on much needed three-month vacation for the summer.
I loved this movie, even now, 10 years later, I think it's great.The movie starts with the main character, Sue Ellen crowing to her friends about how she's going to be on her own this summer, because her mother is going on a 2 month vacation, but to her surprise, the mother does not trust her 17 year old daughter to be in charge for 2 months, and hires a babysitter, who turns out to be an evil 80 year old nazi, and the kids immediately despise her.Lucky for them, she dies fairly soon, and they pretty much drag her body to a funeral home, ring the doorbell and run.
This movie's objective was to entertain, not make any sort of political statement.Anyway, it was fun, it had a cute ending, and I thought Christina Applegate did a swell job acting in this one..
While "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" is no masterpiece, it's 5.5 rating is a bit harsh for this early 90s movie that I remember watching during High School.
Here Christina Applegate who never really launched in the movie-world, holds her own pretty well, although she doesn't quite cut-it believable as a 17 year old.
Applegate (Married with Children) plays teen, Sue Ellen who wants to enjoy her last summer vacation.
Then again, if she did, the movie would be over.There are some good characters, like the one played by Keith Coogan. |
tt1855199 | End of Watch | Police officers Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhall) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) are close friends and partners in the Los Angeles Police Department. Taylor is filming their police activities for a film project, attaching small cameras to his and Zavala's uniforms and carrying around a camcorder, much to the dismay of their peers and superiors. After shooting two suspects following a high speed chase, the shooting is declared justified by the D.A. and the officers are commended for their actions. Taylor and Zavala's antics are met with scorn by fellow officer Van Hauser (David Harbour).The officers respond to a call regarding a man, Mr. Tre (Cle Shaheed Sloan) scaring off a mailman while intoxicated. Upon arrival, Tre hurls racist insults at the Hispanic Zavala, who responds by accepting a fight, to Taylor's approval. Zavala beats him soundly and arrests him, but wins the man's respect for both fighting fair and not mentioning the fight in the report (which may have sent Tre to prison for life due to Three Strikes). Later that night, Tre and his friends are shot at by a group of Latino gang members and one of his friends is killed. The officers find the now-burnt vehicle used in the drive-by the next day, but are shooed off the scene by homicide detectives as well as Van Hauser, who warns them they will get screwed over by the LAPD someday.Responding to a missing persons report, the officers discover two children bound and locked away in a closet and arrest the distressed mother and her drug-addict husband.The cops arrive as a group at a loud outdoor party, the Hispanics from the drive by shooting are celebrating. The cops and partiers verbally joust and Brian sizes up the gang leader, Big Evil (Maurice Compte). The cops depart telling them to keep the noise down.Taylor begins dating Janet (Anna Kendrick) and feels Janet is the only girl he's dated who can connect with him on an intellectual level. Zavala, who is married and expecting a child, offers him relationship advice.Investigating the South Central area, Taylor has a hunch and determines to scope out the home of the mother of a known gang member and sees an expensive pick up truck in the driveway. A woman walks out of the house and delivers a large soup saucepan with lid to the man in the truck. As the truck drives away, the officers follow and then pull over the man in the truck, ostensibly for having CD hanging off the mirror and illegally obstructing the front view, which is minor traffic violation in California per VC 26708 . As Zavala approaches the driver's window to make contact, the driver suddenly draws a gun and fires, and Zavala deflects the man's arm just in time to avoid being shot. After arresting the driver, the officers find an ornately-decorated, compact .45 Colt automatic pistol, a gold-plated AK-47 rifle, and a large amount of money in his truck (hidden in the soup pot). As revealed later, the money and firearms are connected to a Mexican drug cartel operation in the South Central area as well as the gang that did the drive-by on Tre and others.Days later, the two officers are first responders at a house fire that has trapped children on the second floor. Zavala and Taylor enter the house and rescue two young children and are nearly overcome by heat and smoke. When the mother informs them that a third child remains inside, Zavala to rushes to the aid of the remaining child as Taylor reluctantly follows, barely making it out alive. The two are commended and receive the Medal of Valor for their actions, but Taylor has mixed emotions about the situation. Using the house fire incident as leverage, Taylor convinces Zavala to further investigate the South Central incident, to Zavala's chagrin. Arriving at the house, Taylor and Zavala notice suspicious behavior from outside and enter. They arrest another man, who is also in possession of several ornate firearms: a .45 Colt automatic similar to the first one found at the traffic stop, and a Walther PPK. Investigating further, Taylor discovers a hidden stash of Mexican and Asian prisoners, indicating that they have just stumbled upon a human trafficking case. Upon exiting the building, they are accosted by the suddenly arrived federal officers of the ICE department, informed that the man had been a person of interest with possible leads to the cartel, and strongly urged to "lay low" due to possible cartel reprisals. Taylor is left confused and agitated.Soon after, Zavala's wife Gabby (Natalie Martinez) gives birth to the couple's first child, Mike Zavala Jr.One night, the two receive an 'officer needs help' call from Sook (Kristy Wu), Van Hauser's probationary partner. She fails to give the address and is unable to communicate their location effectively before she screams and the call is cut off. Urgently responding to the call, the two find Van Hauser calmly waiting in front of a building with a knife stabbed into his right eye, warning the two of a large criminal around the corner. Taylor and Zavala grab a shotgun from their car and investigate, finding the man brutally beating Officer Sook. Instead of using deadly force, Taylor orders the suspect to stop, who, surprisingly, immediately stops the assault and surrenders without any sort of resistance. The suspect is detained by Zavala, while Taylor calls for an ambulance and attends to the rookie officer, whose face has been badly injured. The Sarge, wonders why Brian didn't kill the man, and mentions Sook turned in her badge, resigning from the Dept.Taylor later marries Janet and, after a night of celebration, Zavala drunkenly, though earnestly, tells Taylor that, should anything happen to him, he will take care of her.After deciding to respond to a more easygoing call the next day, the officers go to investigate a welfare check from an elderly woman. After receiving no response, the officers break down the door and discover the dead homeowner along with a number of dismembered corpses, tortured, and killed by the cartel.Elsewhere, an unknown observer (heavily implied to be someone from an unnamed federal agency) records footage of a cartel member speaking on the phone to put a kill order on the officers, and the LA gangsters from the earlier drive-by begin plotting their assassination. While Taylor and Zavala receive no warning from the LAPD or the federal agency that recorded the conversation, Tre, having a higher level of respect for Zavala after the earlier fight, warns them of rumors that they are now hot targets for the cartel, but they disregard his comments, saying "We're cops, everyone wants to kill us."The two cops are followed by Big Evil and his gang, they realize they need a good plan.Janet becomes pregnant shortly after the marriage.After a short pursuit with a reckless minivan one night, the officers chase the driver into an apartment complex, where the gangsters have set up an ambush to kill them. The officers are fired upon with AK-47 assault rifles and Officer Taylor is shot in the hand, destroying his radio. Taking refuge in a small apartment, Taylor decides that they are going to have to gun their way out. The two open fire, suppressing the gunmen, and end up killing a shooter on the way out of the complex. Awaiting backup outside, the two are fired upon once more and Taylor is shot in the chest. Zavala kills the shooter, desperately attends to Taylor, and cries out for backup, but Taylor remains unresponsive. Zavala begins to believe Taylor is dying and cries in mourning, while frantically calling for backup. Realizing that the gangsters from inside the apartment have approached behind him, Zavala reaches for his firearm, but is repeatedly shot in the back. As a last-ditch effort to save his partner, he throws his body over the seriously wounded Taylor, protecting him from further injury, at the cost of his own life. Backup eventually arrives and a brief shootout ensues. The gangsters, including "Big Evil", are shot and killed when they refuse to drop their weapons and spray shots at the backup officers.Zavala is killed in his effort to save Taylor, but Taylor miraculously survived the encounter, albeit heavily injured. A funeral is held for Officer Zavala, during which Taylor tearfully declares that Zavala was his brother, before breaking down in tears among his wife and Zavala's family. The screen fades to black. In an epilogue scene, a clip is shown from earlier in the day of the shooting, during which Zavala details hiding under his then-newlywed wife's parents' bed while the parents had sex. Taylor and Zavala both laugh heartily, before going off to "fight crime or some shit". | comedy, neo noir, murder, violence, flashback, tragedy, prank | train | imdb | null |
tt0087332 | Ghostbusters | The film opens within the New York Public Library, where a librarian (Alice Drummond) is first gathering books, before heading downstairs to a remote and empty section. She places a book back on the shelf, not noticing that the books behind her are levitating across the aisle. Later, she passes the card catalogue shelves as they open behind her and suddenly begin to hurl their contents into the air. Frightened and screaming, she runs through the room before being stopped by an unseen ghost, which scares her terribly. This leads into the title card.After the opening title shot, the film continues in the Paranormal Studies Dept. of Columbia University, where Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) is conducting a test on ESP with a nerdy male student (Steven Tash) and an attractive female student (Jennifer Runyon). Venkman continually flirts and lies about her abilities, while enjoying administering electric shocks to the male student. Having finally had enough, the male student departs, and Venkman continues to flirt with the young woman. Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) enters, and frantically begins to tell Venkman about the sighting at the library, insisting they leave at once to check it out. Venkman makes a date with the student, and follows Stantz out.Upon arriving at the library, Venkman and Stantz meet up with Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and Venkman proceeds to ask a series of personal (and cynical) questions about her medical and social history, before the three head down to the area the ghost supposedly inhabits. While down there, the three men collect ectoplasmic residue, discover a tall "symmetrical stacking" of books from floor to ceiling, and narrowly escape a falling bookcase.Turning the same corner as the librarian, they see the ghost: a transparent form of an elderly lady (Ruth Oliver), reading a book. Having no idea what to do, Venkman begins to talk to the ghost as if it were a lady in a bar. She shushes him, before Stantz proclaims he knows what to do. They stealthily approach the ghost, before Ray yells, "Get her!" and the ghost mutates to a ghoulish, skeletal apparition, scaring the hell out of the trio, who run screaming from the library. They ignore the library administrator (John Rothman) in their frantic way out.After they've calmed down a bit, they walk back to the university. Venkman mocks Ray's idiotic plan, and Egon announces that based on his readings, they now have a "good change of actually catching a ghost and holding it indefinitely." However, once they get back to the school, they meet the dean (Jordan Charney) who tells them that their grant has been terminated due to their shoddy and highly suspect findings, research, and methods.Peter and Ray sit drinking on campus, and Ray mopes about their bleak prospects, before Peter suggests this turn of events happened so that they could go into business for themselves, as the world's first firm for paranormal investigations and eliminations.Peter convinces Ray to take out a mortgage on his childhood home, and use it for startup capital. The trio checks out an empty firehouse to use as a headquarters, and while Egon enumerates the many problems with the building itself, Ray is beside himself with excitement at the prospect of living and working there, specially with the fire-fighter pall in the middle of the hall.At 55 Central Park West, classical musician Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) arrives home with groceries. Her neighbor, übernerd and accountant Louis Tully (Rick Moranis), stops her in the hall, telling her that her television had been left on. Louis badgers her about an upcoming party he's hosting, and Dana finally brushes him away and enters her apartment. As she is putting away her groceries, she notices that her eggs are now leaping out of their shells and cooking themselves on her countertop. She then hears a growl coming from her refrigerator, opens it, and sees an otherworldly temple, and a doglike creature that growls the word "Zuul" (voiced by Ivan Reitman), before Dana frantically slams the door shut.Back at the newly christened Ghostbusters headquarters, Ray pulls up, shocking Peter with the new business car, an old beat-up ambulance that needs a lot of work. Peter goes back inside, makes small talk with their new secretary, Janine (Annie Potts), and waits around for business.Dana arrives seeking an explanation for the events in her kitchen. Peter flirts vigorously with her, while Egon and Ray examine her briefly, and speculate as to what may be the cause of her encounter. After deciding on a plan of action, Peter insists on going with Dana back to her apartment, where he haphazardly looks around, but mostly flirts with her. He looks in the kitchen, and sees the eggs on the counter, but nothing else out of the ordinary. Dana is annoyed, but Peter continues to beg her for a date, pledging to solve her problems in an effort to impress her.Later, the Ghostbusters sit around enjoying dinner, when Janine finally gets a call about a ghost. Peter, Ray, and Egon quickly dress, and race out of their headquarters, to the Sedgwick Hotel, where the manager (Michael Ensign) informs them of a ghost on the 12th floor. They've always had problems, he tells them, but lately it's gotten out of hand. The Ghostbusters assure him they'll take care of it, and head up to the 12th floor. Egon and Ray worry about their equipment, which Peter describes as an unlicensed nuclear accelerator, and decide that they'll ignore the danger for now. They make chitchat conversation with a guest (Murray Rubin) outside the elevator, and they tell him they are going to kill a cockroach, to which the guest answers, "That's gotta be some cockroach." He takes the next elevator.Almost immediately after the Ghostbusters exit the elevator, a maid startles them, and they nearly kill her with their proton packs. The three split up, and Ray eventually sees the ghost: a rotund, green blob, eating everything on a room service cart. Ray tries to hit it with his proton pack but misses, and it flies away, frightened. Ray calls Peter on his walkie-talkie, and Peter, who is now face-to-face with the ghost, is suddenly attacked by it. Ray runs to Peter, and finds him on his back, covered in green slime, but otherwise OK. Egon calls them and informs the other two that the ghost went into the hotel's ballroom.They calm the hotel manager, and then set to work on containing the little green ghost. While shooting their weapons all over the room, Egon suddenly warns the others not to cross their streams, because to do so would result in the destruction of "all life as you know it." After destroying much of the ballroom with their seriously unstable proton packs, the Ghostbusters finally trap the ghost, and burst triumphantly from the ballroom, before the anxious manager and a host of guests burst in. The Ghostbusters haggle with the manager over the bill for a moment, and then head back home, victorious.There is a montage of a series of missions, news spots, newspaper clippings, and stories about the Ghostbusters' new fame and success. There are even interviewed by Larry King and Joe Franklin (themselves).Peter briefly meets with Dana after her orchestra practice, and flirts a bit with her before telling her about Zuul, whom he has discovered is associated with an ancient Sumerian god of destruction, Gozer. He tells her that he'll go over it in more detail over dinner, and finally, she agrees to a date.The Ghostbusters soon hire a fourth man, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), a black, blue-collar type guy, who is just looking for a job. Hired immediately by Ray and Peter, Winston is handed a couple of traps and led off by Ray to learn about getting rid of the ghosts, while Peter is informed that there is a man from the EPA waiting for him.Walter Peck (William Atherton), the pompous EPA delegate, condescendingly talks to Peter, refusing to acknowledge that Peter is, in fact, a PhD, and therefore, Dr. Venkman, and briefly questions him about the possible environmental impact of their business, and specifically, their custom-built storage facility. He demands to see it, but Peter just patronizes him for a bit before throwing him out.Ray shows Winston how they unload the ghosts they've trapped into the storage facility, while Egon tells them that his latest research indicates that the city is experience a colossal increase in paranormal activity, comparing it to a 600-pound Twinkie. Peter joins them, mentioning the EPA, and memorably asks, "What about the Twinkie?"A brief shot on the top of Dana's building shows that dog-like gargoyle statues atop the roof are breaking apart and real animals are underneath the stone.Back inside, Dana arrives home, and is once again accosted by Louis who is raving about his party. He is disappointed when Dana tells him she has a date. She gets rid of him again, and goes into her apartment, undressing and talking on the phone. She sits in an armchair for a moment before noticing the same growling sounds from the kitchen. Before she can react, three arms burst from the chair and hold Dana down as she is dragged through her kitchen door to one of the Terror Dogs. Another shot on the roof shows that the gargoyles on the roof have completely broken apart, and whatever was in them is loose.Louis' party continues as he rambles on about the price efficiency of his hosting a party. Two guests show up, hand Louis their coats, and he throws them -unnoticing- on the terror dog sitting at his desk. It roars, and bursts through the door, apparently only after Louis. He runs out of the apartment, through Central Park, before being cornered and attacked outside Tavern on the Green.Meanwhile, Peter arrives at Dana's apartment, stepping over the carnage of Louis' party, and knocks on the door. Dana opens it, dressed in a slinky red dress, and asks, "Are you the Keymaster?" Peter says no, so she angrily slams the door in his face. He knocks again, and enters after answering her question "yes". Dana says that she is Zuul, and they must prepare for the coming of Gozer, The Destructor. Peter talks to her and resists the possessed Dana's aggressive advances, before requesting to speak with the real Dana. At first, Dana coyly replies "There is no Dana, there is only Zuul," trying to kiss him but Peter, still trying to get through to the real Dana Barrett, restrains her. The possessed Dana now becomes visibly annoyed at his persistence, as Peter once again inquires about the real Dana; she replies in an unearthly demonic voice "There is no Dana, only Zuul!" Peter sarcastically dismisses her and gives her to the count of three to talk to the real Dana. With each count, Dana presents further signs of her possession: at first demonically rolling her eyes, then panting like an animal, and finally roaring like a demonic beast and magically floating above her bed. She turns over in midair, to face down at Peter whom asks her to please come down. Dana roars fiercely at him, finally frightening him.Louis, looking disheveled and generally abused, runs out from Central Park rambling, and asks a hansom cab horse if he is the "Gatekeeper". The driver (Danny Stone) chases him off, so he runs away, screaming about a sign of Gozer's arrival.The NYPD arrives at the Ghostbusters headquarters, to drop off Louis, who's been captured and rejected by both the city jail and Bellevue's psych ward. Egon looks at him briefly, and takes him inside. Louis reveals his name is Vinz Clortho, Keymaster of Gozer. He goes on about the history of Gozer, how the god assumes various forms and would mean the destruction of the civilization he targets. During the exam, Peter calls, and tells Egon about the developments with Dana, who is now lies heavily sedated on the bed next to him. Egon tells Peter in return about Louis' psychic transformation, and insists Peter come back to headquarters.Winston and Ray are driving back to the office, Winston driving while Ray examines the "very odd" blueprints of Dana's apartment building. Winston asks Ray about his belief in God, and speculates that the reason they've been so busy lately is because the dead have been rising from the grave, as it was foretold in the Book of Revelations, as a precursor to judgment day, and the end of the world. Ray ponders this.Back at headquarters, Walter Peck has returned with a court order, a cop, and a Con Edison worker (Larry Dilg), intent on shutting down the storage facility. Egon tries to talk them out of it, and Peter arrives just in time to antagonize Peck some more, before the cop intervenes and the Con Ed guy shuts off the power grid. A warning buzzer sounds, and everyone clears the building, as the storage facility rumbles and begins to destroy the basement.A supernatural light show occurs, as all kinds of paranormal energy bursts through the building and shoots out of the roof. Across town, Dana, immediately wakes up from her sedation, and walks toward her living room window. Louis is excited, claiming this is the sign he was waiting for. Ray and Winston arrive, and Egon attacks Peck, getting everyone arrested.Ghosts run rampant through the city, but most of the energy seems to run directly to Dana's building. Dana growls at the energy, ripping out the wall of her apartment in a small explosion.Sitting in jail, Ray shows Egon and Peter the blueprints of Dana's apartment building, pointing out highly unorthodox methods and materials, especially near the roof. Egon tells them that the building, he's discovered, was designed by an insane architect/surgeon named Ivo Shandor. In the 20's, Shandor was evidently so disgusted by the First World War, that he decided he would try to bring about the end of the world with a secret society of Gozer worshippers. They performed rituals atop Dana's building, and the roof itself was meant to be the gateway to allow Gozer into our world. A guard arrives (Reginald VelJohnson), and tells the Ghostbusters that the mayor wants to meet them, to deal with the rash of ghosts and other unbelievable phenomenon happening throughout the city.Louis arrives at Dana's demolished apartment, and they share a passionate kiss before slowly making their way up to the roof via a mythical staircase behind the wall where Dana's fridge used to be as lightning flashes ominously.The four men and Peck are brought before the Mayor (David Margulies) both arguing their sides. Peck claims the Ghostbusters are con artists and use nerve gases to force people to hallucinate and have visions of ghosts. Winston steps up and defends the things he's seen as real. Ray reveals that the city is headed for a disaster of "biblical proportions", and Venkman finally appeals to the possibility that the mayor could be responsible for saving the lives of millions of registered voters. The Mayor throws Peck out of his office and offers whatever support he can to the Ghostbusters.People have gathered all around the apartment building, which has clearly become the center of the entire mess. They cheer as the Ghostbusters arrive, and Peter mugs for the crowd. The four men put on their proton packs and are prepared to enter, but a sudden earthquake seems to swallow them beneath the street. Eventually, they emerge unharmed to the continued cheers from the crowd. They band together and head inside.Once inside, they must climb the stairs to Dana's 22nd floor apartment. Dana and Louis lie on a large stone table. Dana seductively wakes up, followed by Louis. They stare in awe at the large Temple in front of them then walk toward the opposite stone pedestals where the Terror Dog statues once stood. The Ghostbusters arrive to find Dana's apartment burned out and more or less destroyed. They see the staircase in the kitchen and go up.Dana and Louis raise their arms to the sky and are suddenly struck by bolts of lightning, redirecting the lightning bolts toward the temple door, causing it to open and signaling the arrival of Gozer the Gozerian. With the temple doors finally open, Dana and Louis now absorb their full power as the Ghostbusters arrive just in time to see the lightning converge on the demonic couple in a huge blast, transforming them back into the monstrous Terror Dogs, who now turn and roar menacingly at the Ghostbusters before leaping towards the side of the Temple doors.Gozer appears in the form of an exotic female with a tall, dark flattop and blood red eyes (Slavitza Jovan). Egon points out that she's not really a woman, but rather, takes the shape of whatever it wants. Peter goads Ray into talking to her. Ray very formally requests that Gozer returns to her place of origin, but she responds by asking if he is a god. He says no, and Gozer responds by shooting lightning from her fingers and nearly hurling the Ghostbusters off the roof.They regroup and decide to attack Gozer, but she nimbly jumps clear of their streams and lands behind them. Another attack proves fruitless as she disappears rather than being caught in the streams. Believing they are victorious, the Ghostbusters begin to celebrate, but it is short-lived as Gozer's booming voice is heard above the city demanding that they "choose the form of the Destructor".Peter tells everyone to clear their minds, and think of nothing, so no form will be taken, but it is clearly too late. Ray admits he did his best, but something just popped in his mind, something he thought could never harm anyone. "It's the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man."A 10-story, white, puffy marshmallow man begins to walk the streets of the city, crushing everything underfoot. When he is close enough, the Ghostbusters open fire, setting Mr. Stay Puft ablaze, as he begins to climb the building, King Kong style.Running for cover, the Ghostbusters appear out of ideas, until Egon suggests that they cross the streams, in an effort to close the door, and destroy Gozer's portal. Realizing this will probably mean their doom, the Ghostbusters go ahead with the plan, and set off to finish the god.Crossing the streams does indeed result in a catastrophic explosion, destroying the temple and incinerating the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, raining molten marshmallow all over the street, including an onlooking Walter Peck.Back on the roof, the Ghostbusters have survived, and slowly emerge from the rubble, covered in marshmallow. Peter finds the roasted carcasses of the Terror Dogs, and believes Dana dead. Behind him, though, her fingers crack through the hardened ruins of the animal, and the Ghostbusters quickly break apart the rest, freeing her and Louis. They leave the roof, and Winston exclaims, "I love this town!"As the closing credits roll, the Ghostbusters return to the street to the roaring cheers of the crowd. Peter and Dana kiss in front of everyone, Louis is helped into an ambulance, and as they drive off, the green ghost from the hotel roars toward the camera as it fades to black. | comedy, fantasy, mystery, paranormal, cult, haunting, humor, action | train | imdb | I laugh every time I observe a gag or a quip that I somehow missed the other 20 times I viewed a scene; "Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head, remember that?" "That would have worked if you hadn't stopped me", or, to the driver of a van from a loony bin, "Dropping off or picking up?" Brilliant.Not only is Ghostbusters funny, it manages to include some truly scary scenes.
Nowadays I love it for the same reasons, but now that I'm older I find myself appreciating the dialog which is some of the funniest committed to a film, the oddball humor, like Venkman's line about dogs and cats living together and the in jokes, like Slimer being the ghost of John Belushi and Venkman rubbing his hand at glee at the thought of the money to be made from the merchandising of the ghostbusters brand.
My cousin who is five years old has developed a love for the whole Ghostbusters thing, showing that this is truly worthy of being branded one of the most successful films ever made.Unlike many of today's blockbusters which are humorless and pompous thinking that they are serious films and forgetting about any sense of fun along with the complicated visual effects, Ghostbusters is funny and a fun paranormal movie.
The set pieces are superb as we see the Ghostbusters going up against Slimer, Gozer and, undeniably the classic movie moment of the 80's, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. For a film made in 1984 the climax is very well done and looks exceedingly realistic, without any hint of clues as to the fact that it is a special effect.
Bill Murray, one of the finest comedy actors to grace the screen, is superb as Peter Venkmen who gets the best lines in the film as well as the funniest moments.
As well as Murray, we have co writers Dan Akyroyd and Harold Ramis sharing the spotlight as the fellow Ghostbusters, Sigourney Weaver making a wonderful damsel in distress, Rick Moranis is almost scene stealing as her nerd of a neighbor who becomes possessed himself, while Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts both put in wonderfully sardonic supporting roles who get their chances to shine.Add to this one of the best theme tunes and a truly apocalyptic finale, it is no surprising that this was the biggest film of 1984.
There is a lot to like about ghostbusters , like bill Murrays constant and always funny wise cracks, the films constant shift from a light hearted comedy to intense ghost busting thriller and of course , the technically flawless attack of the marsh mallow man that is probably one of my favorite parts of this film.In this day and age of computer generated fx wizardry the completely analogue special effects still look great ( especially the stay puft marsh mallow man , its rampage through the city looks incredibly real !
I know the story is ludicrous and I don't believe for one second in ghosts so I ignore the "theology" and just laugh at Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts and Ernie Hudson.
Very rarely can you pull off a successful blend of two separate movie genres,but the makers of Ghostbusters were overwhelmingly so.On the one hand,you have the comedic charm of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd,and on the other,a genuine ghostly spookiness that makes you want to hide under a blanket.I recently bought a copy and watched it for the first time in several years,and it's still just as fresh as it was in it's initial release in 1984.It has a great supporting cast for Murray and Aykroyd,including the always great Sigourney Weaver,Rick Moranis,Ernie Hudson,and Harold Ramis,who is just as talented behind the camera as he is in front of it.Watch it with your family,but keep an eye on younger children,as the spookiness may be more than they can handle.
Ghostbusters was nominated for numerous awards including Oscars for best song (Courtesy of Ray Parker Jr.) and special effects, which are now slightly dated but possibly work even better with the wacky style being consistent with the rest of the movie.
Murray worked live for a few years before -- like those prior to him him -- gradually making his way into the film world.I like all of the comedians in "Ghostbusters," come to think of it.
It was Aykroyd, after all, who is primarily responsible for "The Blues Brothers." And Harold Ramis, who later became a director, with an impressive resume of such films as "Vacation," "Groundhog Day," and "Analyze This."Then there's also Rick Moranis, a meek nerd character who is very underrated and very funny, a sort of Woody Allen Lite.
They become so popular, in fact, that they are joined by Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson), another down-on-his-luck city guy looking for a good-paying job.However, Walter Peck, EPA (William Atherton) doesn't believe that the Ghostbusters are really ridding any ghosts at all, so he has them thrown in jail.
The scene that everyone remembers it the finale involving the giant marshmallow Stay Puff'd Man, and whenever I think of Aykroyd's performance in this film, I think of that scene."Ghostbusters" is a very famous comedy, and for good reason.
He said of the three main guys that, Bill Murray was the 'mouth' or the smart ass of the film, while Dana Barrett says of Dr Venkman, ' you're more like a game-show host' and I have to agree with that, Dan Akroyd was the 'hands', meaning the person who was very hands-on when came to the ghostbusting, and finally Harold Ramis was the 'Brains' or the smartest one of Ghostbusters.
The Venkman line at the end of the scene is priceless as he says 'we came, we saw, we kicked its ass!' Throw in scenes with the monsters that run around New York terrorising people, the unlocking of ghosts by the Environmental Protection jerk and the Marshmallow Man are all hilarious parts to a movie that is full on from start to the finish.
This movie is what it is, a perfect 10, because it takes the vision of one of the most imaginative directors on Earth, and realizes them almost perfectly with all the tools that fit the task -- actors, stunts, puppetry, models, and CGI.Ghostbusters (1984) is the best classic original spectacular supernatural masterpiece from Ivan Reitman!
It features an outstanding performance from Bill Murray, great showings by Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis and one of the last documented instances of Dan Aykroyd being funny on film (he was blown by a ghost!).
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film, directed and produced by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.
10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Columbia Pictures, Black Rhino Delphi Productions Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, William Atherton, Ernie Hudson Director: Ivan Reitman Producer: Ivan Reitman Screenplay: Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis Rated: PG Running Time: 1 Hrs. 45 Mins.
The dialogue in itself makes me laugh every time I watch this movie, and on the DVD if you turn on the extras you will see how many things are adlibbed right then and there by the actors.Bill Murray undoubtedly delivers his stellar performance as Venkman, and Harold Ramis is perfect as Egon.
They both have a wonderful deadpan manner, especially in a library scene very early on in the film.Dan Akyroyd is the naive mistake maker Ray Stanz, as his thoughts bring on the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and Ernie Hudson rounds out the cast as Winston Zedmore, who is the last Ghostbuster to join up but is necessary.With Sigourney Weaver as Venkman's gorgeous love interest and Rick Moranis as her yuppie neighbor, this movie is a classic for anyone and definitely one of the best comedies EVER filmed!.
Although I personally did not really like the end of the movie, and some special effects were a bit bad; I found the film simply wonderful, very funny, with good characters, good actors and a great soundtrack that we know.
The original movie stars Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Harold Ramis.
After losing their university grant, paranormal scientists Dr Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) set up business as Ghost Busters, professional exterminators for those with supernatural pests, unaware that New York is soon to become plagued by spooks as an ancient Sumerian God named Gozer prepares to enter our realm.When Ghost Busters was originally released, way back in 1984 (bloody hell, that's a quarter of a century ago!!!), cinema audiences went wild for the supernatural adventures of spook wranglers Venkman and Co.: the film was the definition of an 80s, crowd-pleasing blockbuster, with an impressive cast of hot comedy names, a script packed with witty one liners, bucket-loads of flashy, state-of-the-art special effects, and, of course, a catchy theme song that couldn't fail to please.So this afternoon, I sat down to re-live the magical experience with my children (aged 6 and 8), but to my disappointment, discovered that the film really hasn't aged that well.
Despite some classic moments of dry humour from Bill Murray, the impressive sight of a Godzilla-size Mr. Stay Puft trashing New York, and the even more impressive sight of Sigourney Weaver's lovely, long legs, the film just isn't as great as my memory had led me to believe: it's rather cheap looking at times, with shonky props, unconvincing sound-stage sets, and crowd-scenes of, oh, at least 50 people; the effects that once dazzled now look embarrassingly bad, with iffy stop motion animation, crap matte work, random flashy lights, and Richard Edlund's Oscar nominated 'ink in water' clouds looking just like...
I am indeed a fan of Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver, but honestly, this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.Sure, the effects were state-of-the-art for 1984, with all of those hideous monsters, but that was simply just a way to cover up the absolutely awful screenplay.I'm not sure where all of this acclaim comes from.
But it is a fun little movie, if a little bit over-rated, featuring a solid cast and a good story.Everyone does a good job of treating the material seriously enough to make this funny, and pretty much everyone (with the possible exception of Rick Moranis) seems to be playing this "straight." I suppose one of the weaknesses I see with this movie is just that - everyone's too much of a "straight man." The end result was that I smiled a lot during the movie, and chuckled a few times, but never really burst out laughing at anything.The major stars (Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, etc.) all moved on to other projects over the ensuing years and, in my opinion, to better performances as well.
Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis were likewise good and memorable in their individual roles."Ghost Busters" is an enjoyable movie that you can watch again and again, just don't cross the streams..
It was written Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis (Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Spaceballs, Strange Brew) and is directed by Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters Franchise, Up in the Air, No Strings Attached).Ghostbusters follows three scientists: Peter (Bill Murray), Ray (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon (Harold Ramis) as they start their own ghost catching business and their biggest job yet is in a musician named Dana's (Sigourney Weaver) own refrigerator.
This hilarious movie is carried by is fun characters brought to life by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis.
The film stars Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as a trio of nerdy parapsychologists in New York, after being dismissed by the university, they initiate a service knows as Ghostbusters to deal with the more and more frequent paranormal activities in the city, things then trace back to Gozer, a Sumerian amorphous god of destruction, who is going to wreck havoc on the city, with the aids of its two servants, Zuul the Gatekeeper and Vinz Clortho, the Keymaster, two ferocious dog- shaped demigods.The core trio (later joined by Ernie Hudson as the fourth member to appear politically corrected) predates the current trend of brain-is-the-new-sexy, Peter Venkman (Murray) more or less is a philanderer and particularly disarming in his aloof attitude to the gravitas of their cause.
The special effects are very much 1980s, but they are also the brainchild of a genuinely extraordinary creation, massively uproarious in its pokerface seriousness (not to mention its contagious theme song by Ray Parker Jr. The wacky script written by Aykroyd and Hamis is the mainstay of its distinctiveness, Murray's iconic personification of his on-screen image is droll to watch, Weaver is beguilingly titillating after the possession and Moranis's loquacious improvisation slightly overstays its welcome, but appropriately dovetails itself into the demigod.Very rarely a comedy can blend well with its spectral fodder and family-friendly closeness, GHOSTBUSTERS is far from being a perfectly executed masterpiece, or a cutting-edge cinematic pioneer, but its common-or-garden stance effectively boosts the "everyone can be a hero" message, no wonder it has been an enormous crowd-pleaser and bred into a beloved franchise since the inception.
Everything from his one-liners, his gestures, and his exchanges with Sigourney Weaver who is truly a sport while sparring with him, growing to like him as the film progresses, and Rick Moranis plays his nerdy part so well, it's hard not to start laughing every time he jumps in the scene.
Bill Murray is funny when he is uncontrollable just like he was in Groundhog Day as well , I think the top five comedians of our time have to be Charlie Chaplin , Bill Cosby and Mel Brooks , The Little Rascals ; sorry Three Stooges and the other comedy teams of that time , I always thought the Little Rascals or Our Gang were the best , and now Bill Murray , along with Dan Aykroyd , Rick Moranis , Harold Ramis and the ever beautiful Sigourney Weaver reminded me of an older version of the Little Rascals , they're very familiar .
But we went for new year's eve with all the family and it was an incredible time as the movie has everything an audience can ask: an original idea, a respect for paranormal even we don't stop laughing, amazing special effects, staying score and songs and for sure, deep, well defined characters played by an incredible cast !
"If someone asks you if you're a god, you say 'Yes'!"Murray of course gets all the best lines, delivered in his signature deadpan style, like "Back off, man, I'm a scientist" or "Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance." Director Ivan Reitman leaves Murray plenty of space in-between the special effects to establish a "Ghostbusters" voice; even if to me it seems at times more of a collection of catch phrases, I see Reitman giving the film enough shape and subtlety to make those catch phrases click.Yes, the effects are dated, and there are odd moments that don't connect (Ray being seduced out of nowhere by a ghost, for example).
As it was well written with smarts and wit still the funny one liners and comedic parts are often overshadowed by the well remembered ghosts(green ghost slimmer) and monsters(the stay puff marshmallow man) of the film.Also well directed by Ivan Reitman the plot is pretty good as it is set in New York City and it features three college professors of parapsychology named Dr. Venkman(Bill Murray)Dr. Stanz(Dan Aykroyd) and Dr. Spengler(Harold Ramis)who all of a sudden find themselves out of a job as the university starts to downsize as they have cut their study department due to lack of interest and the mid 80's recession of the bad economy.
Well remembered film at a time that features the comedy trio of Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis in their prime and in top form and the lovable and cute ghost like green slimmer and stay puff are very memorable images of joy and fun.
Combining big-budget special effects with irony and sarcasm-laden dialog, "Ghostbusters" is a one-of-a-kind sci-fi fantasy comedy as entertaining as it can get.The movie stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, three graduates from the great schools of "Saturday Night Live", "SCTV" and "National Lampoon", as three "scientists" whose specialty is to detect and hunt down ghosts of all kinds.
And let's not forget the eponymous theme song from Ray Parker, Jr. that will play in the heads of people long after they've seen the film.So, twenty-five years later, we can still watch "Ghostbusters" without telling ourselves that this picture comes from another era.
Well, I can say that I enjoyed this film.I liked the characters - how they acted, it was funny and entertaining.I also enjoyed that the city was under attack by a powerful force, and it was up to the Ghostbusters to stop the evil.And yes, the classic music that everyone already knows, is still catchy to this day.My final thoughts: This was a fun movie and I think you would like it.
Groundhog Day >>>>>>>>>> Ghostbusters (1 & 2)Seriously, that's a MUCH better Bill Murray movie you should check out - whole lot better story, plot, comedy, characters, idea, directing, and film-making!
First of all the casting for this movie is brilliant bill Murray as the sarcastic one Dan akroyd as the cheery one Harold ramis the smart one and Ernie Hudson as the one who only wants a check one and rick moranis who is an annoying neighbour for Sigourney weaver and the when he gets locked out sequences are classic and no one could ever forget the classic theme by Ray Parker Jr and this will forever be the best ghostbusters movie because the sequel didn't have the same impact as the first one it was still good though. |
tt1465522 | Tucker and Dale vs Evil | The film begins with a news reporter and her camera man investigating a crime scene much further than what was already given, ala The Blair Witch Project. They walk in an abandoned mill, hoping to find more clues only for the news reporter to be suddenly struck on the head. The camera man gets frightened and runs off before being struck as well, dropping his camera and dying moments later. You then get a glimpse of a disfigured man smiling into the camera.Three days earlier, Allison (Katrina Bowden) and her friends, Chad (Jesse Moss), Jason (Brandon Jay McLaren), Chloe (Chelan Simmons), Naomi (Christie Laing), Chuck (Travis Nelson), Mitchell (Adam Beauchesne), Mike (Joseph Allan Sutherland), and Todd (Alex Arsenault), are out on a road trip, hoping to find a good time in the woods to party and smoke weed, before they rush in front of a truck belonging to Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine). The two catch up with the college students, giving them dirty stares for cutting them off and speeding, which was misinterpreted by the students as a threat. Naomi says they forgot to bring the beer and the college students panic and stop at a store.At the store, Chad and Allison walk inside to see Tucker speaking with the store clerk and the two give each other a stare off, with Chad and Allison believing they are intimidating them, but in reality, the two hillbillies were intimidated by them. Allison browses the store and catches Dale on the other side of a shelf, who becomes frightened and turns around. Chloe then comes and confesses to Allison that the place is "creepy" and she agrees. After the two leaves and Chad purchases beer, Tucker and Dale, who are both munching away at pickled eggs, are putting their supplies in their truck. Dale, who has an inferiority complex, begins staring at the college girls, particularly Allison, and feels that girls like them cannot mix well with a guy like himself. Tucker tries to uplift his friends spirit and advises to go talk to the girls, telling him to just smile and laugh when he gets nervous. Taking the advice, Dale, while holding a bush-whacking scythe, approaches the girls and attempts to strike up a conversation, laughing nervously while doing so. This easily terrifies the girls, which makes Chad step in and scare off the nervous hillbilly.The college students continue on their road trip while Tucker and Dale drive to their newly-acquired vacation home, which the two were dreaming of getting, all the while Tucker continues giving advice to Dale, that "Life is short, you gotta go after what you want." He then drops beer upon his lap and Dale goes down to clean it up. Suddenly, a cop car is following them, which Tucker slightly panics and pulls over, with Dale struggling to get free, finally pulling himself up without his shirt on as the cop reaches their window. Tucker hands him his temporary license, as he lost his and a new one is being delivered via mail. The cop begins interrogating the two and asks where they are headed. Tucker states they are heading to their new vacation home in the woods. The cop warns them to stay away from that place as dangerous things happened there and tells them they have a busted tail light before leaving.The two finally reach their old cabin, which they call a "fixer-upper", seemingly impressed by the shoddy wooden house. The two go inside to see bones hanging from the ceiling, which Tucker assumes belonged to an archaeologist, and newspaper clippings on a wall, all of which connected to the Memorial Day Massacre, but ignored by the two friends as they caught eye of a coupon instead. The cabin is obviously falling apart, as when Tucker leans on a pillar, it creaks and a beam of wood with nails poking through the end of it, falls. Dale saves Tucker from being impaled through the head and the two agree to fix that as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the college students set up camp and are sitting around a campfire. Chuck asks if they all want to hear a scary story, which they all verbally reply "No." Chad then comes in and asks if they want to hear a real scary story, in which the others comply.He begins taking his inhaler (he has asthma) and starts with the Memorial Day Massacre, which occurred twenty years ago at the very woods they are camping on. Six college students were out partying on the woods until two psychotic hillbillies approach them menacingly. One of them holds a saw blade, which he scratches the back of his neck with, and flings it at one of the male students, which cuts through the middle of his head. The second comes in and approaches a girl, who backs away to a tree, and stabs her throat. A blonde girl goes running through the woods and falls down a hill. Crawling away and hiding behind a log, she is found by one of the killers and watches as the weapon comes down.The flashback ends with Chad saying there no bodies were found and only one lone survivor lived to tell the story. The whole group looks mortified and terrified until Mike comes in and says that there is a lake nearby and asks if they wanted to go skinny dipping. Relieved by the dramatic tension, they all agree. It gets dark and Tucker and Dale is shown fishing on a boat out on the lake. Dale and Tucker reach in their cooler to see that there is only one beer left, in which Dale gives to Tucker, who then advises him to "stand up for himself" after calling him hopeless. Allison prepares to go skinny dipping and hears a noise. Turning around, she sees that it is Chad scaring her with an axe. She is easily turned off by it but it approached by the drunk Chad, who begins to tell her to "drop the act" of pretending to be better than everybody. He then confesses that he's glad the two get to spend time together before trying to kiss her. Allison backs away, telling him he's drunk, which he says is a good thing as it lowers his "inhibition." He then tries kissing her again which makes Allison push him away again before leaving.The rest of the students take off their clothes and drop into the lake, which captures the attention of Tucker and Dale, who can easily see from a distance a topless Chloe. Dale is immediately put off at the thought of being near them while Tucker tries to row the boat closer to get a better look. Dale attempts to row the other way until Tucker catches glimpse of Allison taking off her clothes, save for her bra and panties, on top of a rock. Dale looks away and tells Tucker to row the boat and calls him a Peeping Tom. Allison begins climbing down the rock until Dale accidentally shouts Tucker's name, which prompts her to turn around and slip in fear, hitting her head as she falls down into the lake. Tucker and Dale briefly argue before they realize she isn't getting back up. The two row their boat to the spot where she fell and Dale dives in to save her. From a distance, Chloe sees Dale bringing up an unconscious Allison to their boat and screams out in terror. Tucker calls out to the college students, "We got your friend!" Taking this as a menacing threat, the students run away, which confuses the two hillbillies. Deciding to take the unconscious Allison back to their cabin, hoping that her friends will come by and pick her up in the morning, the two row away.Chad is shown again, drunk, back at the campsite, throwing his axe at a tree as target practice. The frightened students tell Chad that they saw the two hillbillies take Allison away. He picks up his axe and runs to the shore, but it is too late as the two hillbillies carry the girl off into the fog. Next morning, Allison wakes up with a bandage wrapping around her head, dazed and confused upon looking inside the cabin. She spots the bones and a mean-looking, one-eyed dog across the room. Dale then comes in, which terrifies the young girl, and panics the shy hillbilly, who only came in to give her pancakes. Assuming she didn't like them, he goes back to make something else. Meanwhile, the college students are discussing what they thought they saw when Allison was being carried away, with Chuck saying that it looked like "one of them was eating her face", an obvious misinterpretation of CPR. Naomi then suggests calling the police, which Chad disagrees with, seeing it as a chance to fight evil without any rules or regulations, remarking "it's us against them." Chuck volunteers to take his father's truck to find help, which Chad is put off by but says he can leave if he wants to. Chuck runs off much to Chloe's dismay.Jason spots the cabin around the corner and alerts his friends. They all fear approaching the cabin, save for Mitchell who claims that they may not be psycho killers. Chloe then suggests he should just walk up and knock on their door, which Mitchell snarks at but reveals he is also afraid. Back in the cabin, Dale returns with eggs and bacon and gives it to Allison. The two talk for awhile, in which Dale says the cabin is Tucker's new vacation home, introduces himself, and the mean, one-eyed dog, named Jangers, who is actually sweet and tender. He tells her she hit her head after she slipped into the lake and Tucker and Dale rescued her from drowning. He then says her friends ran off, which he takes it as an immediate reaction to a sudden crisis, and hopes they'll return to pick her up. Throughout their conversation, Dale shows his anxiety from talking to a high-class woman and attempts to clean the place up. Allison asks if there is anything fun to do in the meantime, which Dale suggests a board game, Trivi-Up.Back to the college students, Chad, Mitchell, Mike, and Todd play rock, paper, scissors to send of their own to the cabin to investigate. Mitchell loses. He fearfully approaches the cabin while Tucker prepares a chainsaw to cut through some wood. He looks up and spots Dale and Allison playing the board game and having fun, which he enviously claims "Damn Romeo." He begins cutting through the wood, not knowing a bee hive is hiding within, which he accidentally cuts through. The bees swarm Tucker, which prompts him to swing his chainsaw madly and run from them. Mitchell spots this and mistakes this as being attacked. He yells at his friends to run before running off into the woods himself, with Tucker following. The two run deep until they both turn to briefly look at each other before Mitchell runs straight into a large tree branch, which impales him through his gut. Tucker continues running away from the bees. A dying Mitchell spots a lone bee hovering near him and has a look of realization before dying.Meanwhile, Allison and Dale continue their game of Trivi-Up, where Dale reveals that he has a weird brain, in which he's extremely dumb but can remember everything he hears. Allison remarks that he isn't dumb and that makes him quite brilliant, telling him there is a difference between education and intellect. She tells Dale that she plans on getting a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. She admits that it's a dumb dream but Dale professes that dreams aren't dumb and supports her. Tucker then comes in, swollen-faced and angry at Dale for not helping him. He goes to the cooler to wash his face with beer as Dale goes to take out the stingers. He tells Allison that he saw her friend out there, running away, which he assumed must be because he was allergic to bees. Allison tries to go out there and find them but Dale tells her to rest and that both Tucker and himself will find them.The college students find Mitchell's body hanging from the branch and see it as a warning from the hillbillies to stay out of their woods. This provokes Chad even further into insanity by breaking Chloe's phone and throwing his axe, which nearly hits Jason. They then hear Tucker and Dale approaching and hide behind a tree. They listen in on a conversation of Dale beating Allison at a game of Trivi-Up and mistakes it as him torturing their friend. Tucker then calls out "College kids!" which terrifies them. He repeatedly calls them out louder, until the two decide to leave them a message with Chad's axe in case they return. Dale engraves a message on to the log and leaves behind the axe. When the coast is clear, the college kids walk up to see the message: WE GOT UR FREIND.At the cabin, Tucker is chipping away wood via the wood chipper while Dale digs a hole for the outhouse. Allison, who re-fashioned Dale's clothes to fit her, approaches him and volunteers to help out, which Dale refuses, but is surprised to see the high-class college girl able to dig at an outhouse hole. She confesses she grew up on a farm and had to work there. The college students return, hiding behind some bushes and see Allison digging away at a hole while Dale watches in amazement. They quickly assume she is digging her own grave. Todd holds his spear, Chad readies his axe, and Mike prepares his pocket knife, and they split up into three groups, with Mike, Chloe, and Naomi going after Tucker, Todd going after Dale, and Chad and Jason remain where they are. Once they all get into position, Chad makes his call to charge, which catches Dale's attention and sees Chloe and Naomi from a distance. He calls out to them as Allison hears Todd charging at Dale with a makeshift spear. She calls out Dale's name, which makes him turn to see Todd before accidentally knocking Allison out with his shovel and slipping into the outhouse hole next to an unconscious Allison. Todd then trips on a branch, flings the spear next to Dale and falls onto it.As this is occurring, Mike sneaks behind Tucker, who is still casually throwing wood into the wood chipper and takes out his pocket knife. He flings forward, preparing to stab him, but timed it wrong when Tucker bent down to pick up another log and falling head first into the wood chipper. Tucker panics as blood spurts out and splatters all over Chloe. He grabs hold of the legs and tries to pull Mike out but to no avail. The machine shuts down and a frightened Tucker ignorantly asks "Are you okay?" before frustratingly kicking the machine.Dale, covered in Todd's blood, runs into the cabin with an unconscious Allison and panics at what he just saw. Tucker follows, covered in Mike's blood. The two panic and contemplate that the college students must be some sort of psychotic suicide pact and runs around the woods killing themselves. They hide all the sharp objects in hopes of avoiding anymore needless deaths. Dale suggests calling the cops but Tucker claims that it will only bring more trouble as it can label the two as killers, adding that only a moron would believe college kids are killing themselves in their property. Tucker then suggests hiding the bodies.The college kids regroup, with Chloe desperately trying to light a cigarette while covered in Mike's blood and Naomi asking why didn't they go for help before, all the while Chad is casually sharpening his axe. They all agree to go get help except for Chad, who wants to continue his survival game. He remarks that it is "us against them" and says that they must destroy evil in order to live and anyone who tries to run deserves to die, which disgusts Jason. Suddenly, they hear sirens from the distance. Chuck is inside the passenger seat of the cop car, the same one that pulled Tucker and Dale over, and brakes upon seeing Chloe approach them. Naomi, Chloe, and Jason hurry into the back with Chad cursing at them from afar and running off on his own.Tucker and Dale, in the meantime, try to get Mike's lower half out of the wood chipper, which makes Dale very queasy. The successfully take it out and drag it out only to see the cop car stop in front of them. The sheriff tells the kids to stay in the car while he goes and takes care of business. He then begins to interrogate the two hillbillies, with Tucker doing most of the talking. Without a proper excuse, Tucker merely comes out with the truth: that the college kids are psychos and are killing themselves all over their property. An afraid Dale begins to blabber out that Allison, who is inside their bedroom, unconscious in their cabin, can tell him, which frustrates Tucker and makes the sheriff that much more suspicious. The two lead him into the cabin which makes the college kids panic.Inside, the sheriff investigates Allison's conditions and says she's not braindead and will recover. He then tells the two that he warned them about the woods and told them to stay away. The sheriff confesses that the two could be taken in for involuntary manslaughter, if they are lucky, and as he is saying this, he leans on the weak wooden pillar, which Tucker and Dale both warn him about, but is too late as the beam comes flying down with the nailed board and impales the sheriff through the head. Still alive and managing to step outside, the sheriff lugs to his car as Tucker, Dale, and the college kids look on in fear, and attempts to call for help via radio before falling dead. Dale and Tucker argue over fixing that beam while Naomi, Chloe, and Jason panic from the back as they are locked inside. Chuck, from the passenger seat, spots the sheriff's gun and runs outside to shoot at the two hillbillies. Seeing that the gun isn't firing, Dale, in panic, suggests that the safety might still be on and Chuck stupidly turns the gun around for the safety and points the barrel towards his head, accidentally pulling the trigger as he turns off the safety. Goodbye Chuck.Tucker yells at the kids to be more careful as Chad comes in from behind, picks up the gun and starts shooting at them. Dale and Tucker run inside and lay on the ground in order to avoid the gunshots. Tucker blames Dale for the situation they're in and Dale responds by saying that they shouldn't have gone fishing, which he confesses to hate. This hurts Tucker's feelings. More shots are fired until they hear a dog bark outside. Tucker asks where Janger is which makes Dale panic, crawl towards the window, and see that Chad is holding the dog hostage, with the other three, now freed from the car, watching. Tucker then comes up with a plan to have Dale use the nail gun to create a distraction while Tucker himself goes outside and frees Janger. The two make their move as Dale shoots the nail gun close to the kids but not at them. Tucker runs around from behind and uses camouflage to reach Janger. As both Dale and Chad shoot at each other, Tucker successfully reaches Janger as Chad runs out of bullets and threatens Dale's dog. Tucker frees Janger but is caught by the ignorant college kids.Tucker runs into the woods in fear and is chased by the kids. He hides behind a log, much like the woman in the Memorial Day Massacre, and attempts to camouflage. It works until Chad spots him and knocks him out with a punch. Moments later, Tucker wakes up to see himself dangling upside down from a tree. He remarks to them "what the hell is wrong with you kids?" which provokes Chad, who tells Jason to hold him steady, and says that Tucker is pure evil before proceeding to chop off his finger for their fallen friends.Back in the cabin, Allison wakes up to see Dale wiping her head and covered in blood. She asks what happened and Dale cannot seem to tell her, crying in shock and anxiety. She comforts him and calms him down. Dale then asks if her friends are crazy before telling her that they have been killing themselves, then tried to kill Tucker and himself, before trying to kill his dog. She then remembers Todd running at them with a spear and begins to look confused. Dale says that her friends seem to enjoy killing and panics when the door starts banging. She tries to calm him down by saying her friends would never hurt anybody but then hears Chad scream "Die hillbilly!" from the outside. She goes out to check and sees the corpses of the sheriff and her friends and is repulsed. She looks down to see a bloodied cloth on the doorstep. Allison comes back in and Dale recognizes the cloth to belong to Tucker's shirt. They unwrap it to see two bloody fingers and a note. The note says: NOW WE GOT YOUR FRIEND. TRY AND GET HIM BACK.Dale musters up his courage and decides to go out and save Tucker. He grabs a machete and prepares to walk out. Allison tries to stop him saying they shouldn't instigate things and defends her friends by saying that they must be trying to protect her. Dale gets offended and asks why they would think such things. Allison confesses it is because he is a hillbilly, and both her and her friends misjudged him. Dale seems to accept this and depresses him. Before he departs, he asks Allison to tell her friends he is harmless and never wanted to hurt anybody.Dale goes out into the woods, calling out Tucker's name and holding his machete. He comes across puddles of blood and Tucker's hat and sees the corpse of Mitchell, still dangling from the branch. Shaken, Dale presses onward when he hears Tucker respond to his calls. He sees Tucker dangling upside down and approaches him. As he's walking, Tucker tells him it's a trap and Dale accidentally sets it off. Thankfully, he stood still and the makeshift spear only cut through his pants leg. He cuts down Tucker, who falls headfirst onto the ground and comments that their vacation sucks.Night comes, and Chad and Naomi sneak into the cabin, looking for Allison. They creep in and see her standing in the bedroom and whispers to her. When they are notified that nobody else is home, they calm down and speak normally. Chad asks her what they did to her, which she replies that she is perfectly fine and all this has been a huge misunderstanding. Chad ignores this and proceeds to burn the cabin down. Allison yells at him to stop and that it is their vacation home. Chad becomes enraged and tries to persuade Allison that Tucker and Dale are evil men and that he was trying to save her. She retorts by saying they saved her life. Naomi makes a comment that Allison developed Stockholm Syndrome, which angers Chad. He questions Allison on whether if she has truly fallen in love with Dale. He lunges at her with his axe until Tucker and Dale rush in to save her. They both prepare to lunge at each other with their weapons until Allison comes between them and sways them both to calm down, sit, and drink tea (which Tucker makes a sarcastic remark that he'll bring out the finger sandwiches).She sits Chad on one end of the table and Dale on the other and begins serving them tea. Chad asks her if it's Chamomile Tea and says that he cannot drink it if it is as it'll harm his asthma. She says it's Earl Grey. After serving tea, she begins the therapy session. She will allow both sides to tell their sides of the story and to consider their perspective. Chad complies and begins way back before he was born, twenty years ago, during the Memorial Day Massacre.His parents were among the partying college kids who were killed by the two hillbillies. His mother, revealed to be the blonde woman who ran away into the woods only to be caught by one of them, was the lone survivor of the massacre. She was brought back to camp, where she lied next to her lover, Chad's father, who didn't know she was pregnant with Chad, and reached for a knife in the toolbox next to her. With it, she tried freeing him. When one of the hillbillies tried grabbing her, she stabbed him in the leg and escaped. This caused the hillbillies to throw Chad's father into an incinerator and watched him burn to death. The woman eventually birthed Chad and had to be institutionalized afterwards. He heard the story from his grandmother.As the flashback ends and Chad explains why he holds deep hatred towards hillbillies, Dale defends himself and Tucker by saying they were much too young to be part of such an event and says that he's harmless, saying he can't even hurt a fish. Outside, Jason and Chloe sneak around to a window, claiming that if Chad and Naomi had not returned in fifteen minutes, the two of them would charge in. Allison asks how both of them feel after telling their stories, Dale admits he feels better. Suddenly, Jason barges in with a weed whacker and charges towards Tucker, who narrowly dodges the spinning blades. Jason accidentally strikes Naomi's face and begins mutilating her. Chad throws the table forward onto Dale and tries hacking him with an axe only to be punched by Tucker. Chad grabs a lit lamp and throws at the two, but misses and accidentally hits Jason's leg. He catches on fire and begins to panic, with Tucker and Dale advising him to stop, drop, and roll. Chloe grabs a jar and tries to douse the fire only to ignite Jason even further. He flings himself around madly and finally falls over, burning to death, and igniting the gasoline Chad was pouring moments earlier. Shocked, Chloe lights a cigarette next to piles of gasoline cans, which Dale admits that he should've moved those earlier. Tucker, Dale, and Allison make a run for it, followed by Chad but is held by Naomi, who is begging for his help. The cabin explodes as the three narrowly make it out, killing Jason, Chloe, Chad, and Naomi. Tucker and Dale stare shocked at their vacation home incinerating and Allison states that she is a terrible therapist, which Dale disagrees with. Just as things calmed down, Chad emerges, half of his body burned. The three run to the pickup truck and try to start the truck as Chad slowly limps to them, axe in hand. They finally get it started and drive away. As Dale mocks the college kids, he loses his focus and drives into a tree.Dale wakes up with Janger licking him and sees that Allison is missing and Tucker lying beside a tree, bleeding heavily. He approaches his friend and tries to help him. He tells Dale that Chad took Allison away and to go after her, much to Dale's dismay. He admits to him that he was always better at everything and he sees the way Allison and Dale look at each other. Proclaiming their friendship, Dale promises to return for Tucker and runs off with Janger, who can lead him to Allison.Come sun rise, Dale and Janger reach an abandoned lumber mill. He leaves behind Janger and presses on alone. Chad tied Allison up to a log next to a saw, ala a classical Western villain. He says that she turned hillbilly on him and if she begs and apologizes, he will let her go, and kisses her. Feeling that the kiss wasn't right, he decides to give her a second shot and licks her face. He hears banging from outside and smiles. Outside, Dale breaks open the tool shed and straps himself up with various weapons. He equips himself with a welder's mask and a chainsaw before charging in. Inside, Allison gets frightened by Dale's appearance and he reveals himself to her. Using a knife, he attempts to cut the ropes, while Chad starts the intercom and begins making threats to Dale and Allison. The machine starts and the log Allison is tied slowly begins to saw it vertically in half. Dale continues to struggle with the ropes until Chad appears and attacks Dale. He throws his axe at him but misses and the two fight each other, Chad with a metal pipe and Dale with his chainsaw. Chad gains the upper hand until Dale stabs him in the leg with a knife strapped to his boot and elbows him in the stomach, reaches forward, grabs the axe, and with a lucky throw, cuts Allison's ropes loose. With the girl away from danger, Chad and Dale continue their fight. Dale throws his chainsaw at him to keep him off-balance.Allison and Dale run upstairs and locks the door behind them. Dale looks around for something to stab Chad with while something catches Allison's eye. Allison calls out to Dale as he looks at a box of Chamomile Tea and shows him an old newspaper. The headline states that one of the killers of the Memorial Day Massacre was caught by some policemen, one of them happening to be the same sheriff back at the cabin. The killer bared strong resemblance with Chad. It is revealed through the article that the survivor was tortured and raped before being freed.Chad suddenly emerges with the chainsaw and threatens the two. Dale is knocked to the ground and just as when Chad prepared for the killing blow, Dale shows him the newspaper article and says that he too is hillbilly. Refusing to accept this, Allison remarks that he is indeed "half hillbilly." Just as Chad is occupied with the newspaper article, Dale attempts to grab hold of the box of Chamomile Tea. Chad grows angry and proclaims that "everything is a lie" and lunges forward. Dale grabs some of the tea powder and flings it at Chad. His asthma begins to act up and Dale reveals that he won't be harmed just as Chad steps backwards through a window and falls to the ground. Allison and Dale look down and sees Chad presumably dead.Night comes as a squadron of cops investigate the mill. The reporter and her cameraman that appeared in the beginning of the film report a mass suicide of college students and a deranged killer that is responsible for it remains at large. Tucker watches this as he recovers from a hospital. Dale comes in, clean and well-groomed, and sees how his friend is doing. Tucker reveals he got his fingers back, and high from prescription medication, realizes that one of his fingers look different. It appears as though they got Chloe's finger with a red painted nail and mistook it as Tucker's and sewed it onto him. Dale brings his friend cold beer with a bendy straw and reveals that he is going out bowling with Allison. Tucker congratulates his friend for overcoming his fear of women.At the bowling alley, Allison proves to be a fantastic bowler. One of Dale's friend, BJ, who seeks advice on how to get women such as Allison to like him, asks Dale for help, who gives him the same advice Tucker gave him a few days earlier. He directs BJ to go talk to one of the young woman playing with her friends not so far away. As he leaves, Allison and Dale are left by themselves. Dale gives Allison a gift: a pink helmet that suits her accident-prone nature, and the two confess love for each other before kissing. In the back, BJ accidentally knocks out one of the women and starts to carry her but the two continue kissing. | comedy, cult, violence, clever, flashback, absurd, satire, romantic, entertaining | train | imdb | The movie sets a course at the beginning and you know where you're headed in the first five minutes-- but Craig's the captain of the ship and this journey is filled with surprises and wonderfully subtle moments that give the film a fun trajectory and a brisk pace.
So I was lucky enough to get to see this as my first movie at my first festival ever, the Dallas International Film Festival(DIFF) Honestly, this movie was a genius comedy, parodying classic horror to levels that could be considered even better then the likes of Shaun of the Dead.Truly it is a perfect Indie movie, and the fact that it is only on the festival circuit is a shame.
I thought this would be "just another" horror comedy you would forget instantly after leaving the cinema, but with the fantastic acting of Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine, the funny story and great effects, it works as well with the backwood slasher genre as "Shaun of the Dead" did with zombies.
I saw this film a few days ago for the first time and the copy i saw wasn't even finished yet (workprint) and i have still rated it a ten star film, if i had seen a finished version i would probably want to give it at least a twelve star rating.I have since watched this film four times now and it just doesn't get any less funny.This is the funniest film iv seen since step brothers (a film which i love) but i laughed a lt more and a hell of a lot harder watching this, i actually had tears flowing down my face a few times during the movie, especially at the wood-chipper incident.Everyone should see this film at least once, you wont regret it.An absolute gem..
Eli Craig did a masterful job in presenting the best horror comedy since "Suck." Playing on the tried and true "Flinstones Plot" of miscommunication that may drive some viewers crazy, Craig brings the gore and the humor with great special effects and wonderful acting.
Best of all, of course, the story is solid with an interesting and poignant antagonist development that is extremely impressive.Better still, the laughs aren't cheap and silly.And if you live in the southern United States and hate how "southern folk", "backwoods families" and "hillbillies" are exploited for horror purposes, you'll love this tremendous twist on such a overused and ill-conceived cliché.This is one of the greatest horror comedies ever presented on film..
But after a misunderstanding at a roadside store with some college kids, who think Tucker & Dale are hillbilly psychopaths, the wheels are set in motion for a bloody battle for survival
.but who for?!In 1996 Scream came slashing forward to inject witty life into a fading horror genre, with freshness and inventive splinters from the slasher formula, Wes Craven's movie rocked the horror faithful's world.
Tucker & Dale vs Evil will not have the same impact, it's limited release and low budget worth ensured it never had a chance of being a big thing, but still it's the freshest horror/comedy to have come out since Scream made its bloody bow at the box office.It's such a simple idea at the core, you have to wonder why it wasn't thought of before?
So many funny sequences light up the picture, with a chainsaw scene one of the finest moments to have ever graced a horror comedy movie, but the dialogue, too, is not found wanting in the fun and charming department.
I admit, I didn't watch this movie when it first came out because it looked like a stupid un-funny comedy.
'Tucker & Dale vs Evil' even goes a step further as to making the film look like a 'bad rough cut' where even the special effects haven't been applied, the storyboard drawings and production notes appear on screen.Eli Craig's creative thinking is impressive.
I could watch this movie a hundred times, and never find a single flaw.Best friends Tucker and Dale are a couple of lovable and kind-hearted backwoods hillbillies, working on fixing up an old creepy, cabin and making it they're vacation home.
Hilarity, mayhem, and dismemberment ensue, as the college kids set out to "save" the girl from her "captors."If you are looking for an original film with great characters, a bit of well executed gore, and laugh-out-loud moments, this is definitely the movie for you.
If you're a seasoned viewer of backwoods horror and, even after all that you have seen, can still buy into the idea that not all hillbillies are out to rape you in the ass, gut you like a pig or wear your face like a mask, then Tucker & Dale vs Evil will prove to be one hell of a funny film, an ingenious, very witty and delightfully gory take on all of those movies in which good looking teens wind up suspended from a meat-hook in a dilapidated shack littered with human remains and chicken feathers.Despite looking like inbred psychos, pals Tucker and Dale (Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine) are actually a pair of well-meaning, beer-swilling good ol' boys who have at last realised their dream of owning a vacation home in the woods where they can rest their weary bones after a hard day's fishing; to the group of college kids camping nearby, however, they embody everything they have ever learnt about rednecks from countless slasher films—uncouth, uneducated, drooling inbred half-wits in dungarees who more than likely feast on the flesh of city-folk.When the teens decide to go skinny dipping one night (clearly having not paid THAT much attention when watching horror films), their worst fears appear to be justified when they witness one of their number—sexy blonde Allison (Katrina Bowden)—seemingly being abducted by Tucker and Dale in their rowboat.
In reality, the pair have just rescued the girl from drowning, and are taking her to their cabin to recuperate, but convinced that they mean to do harm to their friend, the campers decide to fight back with disastrous and bloody results.With such an inspired yet simple set-up, Tucker and Dale could so easily have become a stale one-joke movie, but thanks to likable performances from Tudyk, Labine and Bowden and a consistently amusing and sometimes downright hilarious script that gives affectionate nods towards old genre favourites, takes a neat turn towards the end by introducing a real psycho, and even includes messages about prejudice and self belief, Tucker and Dale is a hugely satisfying, strangely heartwarming horror parody and a refreshing change from all those bloody remakes and sequels..
EVIL is equal parts comedy and horror movie in a perfect balance of the two genres from director Eli Craig (who hasn't really got much else under his belt, directing-wise).
A hilarious story about two seemingly dumb but sweet hillbillies who come across some preppy over-dramatic college students who become convinced Tucker and Dale are deranged serial killers.This move is like your typical hillbilly slasher flick if everyone was totally stereotypical and dumb.This movie was full of fun, gore and a super hilarious script all while totally being original and unique to any other horror film I have seen.
The other actors and actresses get the job done in their respective parts.Lest you think this is a straight comedy, Tucker and Dale vs Evil packs all the gore you want in a hard R-Rated horror movie.
If you're a little squeamish, this movie isn't on the level of torture porn but its far from PG-13 material (there are good PG-13 horror movies, but you must go one direction or the other, Tucker and Dale vs Evil isn't one that's up in the air).Most importantly for a horror/comedy, this movie is hilarious from start to finish.
I'm almost surprised this film hasn't existed before (not to say there haven't been critical analyses of horror conventions in horror comedies going back years, Student Bodies and of course the first couple of Scream movies come as good examples).
Because here, not only are the roles reversed - the couple of hicks who have a cabin (and many sharp objects) who are suddenly the target of paranoid and freaked-out college kids - but it goes through a deconstruction of certain tropes in general.In a way it almost goes into romantic comedy territory in small bursts, as Dale (Tyler Labine, a much needed boost after drek like Good Ol' Fashioned Orgy) saves a young girl named Allison from drowning who was part of the college pack, and, being a genuinely friendly and nice guy (if not the best at approaching them, as we see early on), gets closer to her...
I kept thinking 'where could they go from here?' with how crazy it gets with the kills, which to one side are the maniac murders of Deliverance-folk and to the other side as the psychotic goals of a bunch of kids with a suicide pact(!) And yet with all of the beautiful set- ups and pay-offs of the gags, or the randomness of the VERY bloody violence (I appreciated that, and it really made it gut-bustingly funny, just for how long they would show things), it's still believable core characters that keep it going.I loved seeing Tucker and Dale as an on-screen buddy team, though it's hard to see this going past this one movie (maybe Tucker and Dale's Chainsaw Massacre is up next?) Tudyk and Labine drive their friendship to the audience right from the start, and their humor is much more natural than what one would expect even from a more broad parody.
Imagine a horror movie where all of the young kids who serve as the film's victims die gruesome deaths but where you don't have to feel guilty about enjoying the killings because the kids are the aggressors and are either too stupid or too evil to live anyway.
Evil," a very funny horror comedy that upends the psychotic-hillbilly motif that's played so straight in so many other movies by having the hillbillies be sweet, lovable guys who don't understand why a bunch of preppy college kids are attacking them.Not only is the movie funny, but it's surprisingly sweet and smart, with two terrific performances at its center and some clever writing throughout that prevents what could have been a one-note joke from imploding.And I'm going to start including "frat bitch" as part of my standard vocabulary.Grade: A.
The killings are part of the comedy, so they don't play as they would in a horror film - think Shaun of the Dead or Evil Dead.Katrina Bowden (30 Rock) and Tyler Labine (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) were the shining stars, and one certainly wants to see more of them.Bring it, frat bitch!.
It's not a mainstream movie, but this pseudo-parody of 'hillbilly horror' (think Deliverance or Wrong Turn 2) does a good job paying respect to the genre while also poking a lot of fun at it.
I will better focus on the movie itself, which despite not being something great by my point of view, is a very satisfactory and entertaining horror comedy.To start with, the screenplay from Tucker and Dale vs.
Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk make a perfect couple as Tucker and Dale, and their performances are so good that the friendship between their characters feels absolutely honest from the beginning to the end.
Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil starts like any other backwoods hillbilly horror movie.
Well i do like to be entertained when watching a film and this hits the spot~Very funny ~ never dull and lots of silly deaths etc and the two main actors are great~You should have already decided by the poster if this is your sort of movie and if it is then i doubt you will be disappointed because the script and plot are perfect~Shame there wasn't a bit more flesh on show in my humble opinion~I thought it brought a new lease of life to the rather overcrowded and often disappointing horror/comedy genre~.
'TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)Backwoods hillbillies horror spoof which uses popular B slasher film clichés and gimmicks to turn expectations completely around on the viewer.
One misunderstanding leads to another as the college kids begin attacking the shocked hillbillies and continue to accidentally kill themselves in the process, thus furthering their belief that Tucker and Dale are insane killers after them.The movie is packed with big laughs like I said and you do get the gore as well, it's just that it's almost all accidental deaths (played out in very dark comedic ways).
The first time I watched Tucker & Dale vs Evil, I cried and cried and cried with laughter.I absolutely love horror and never been a true fan for comedy horror, but this, this has broke than boundary.So cleverly made and very well directed.
They get a scare along the way, however, when they run into two deranged hillbillies at a convenience store.And that's where the typical slasher film ends and Tucker & Dale begins.This movie is gory, funny, and original, putting a spin on the conventional slasher film.
Tudyk and Labine never miss a beat as the tragically (and hilariously) confused Tucker and Dale, and it's damn near impossible to tear your eyes away from Katrina Bowden (as the "damsel in distress," Allison).Do yourself a favor and watch this movie AT LEAST once.
The heroes of this movie are Tucker and Dale, two best friends who bought a cabin in the woods, where they want to spent their vacation fishing and enjoying themselves drinking beer and doing nothing.
This is probably one of the best movies of this genre i have seen in years, probably not since braindead (the late 90's movie from New Zealand, also had another name, but i forgot).The characters and the script was great, cannot really fault anything about it, Alan Tudyk and Co did a good job, the laughs were coming fast and thick.I'm not sure why good movies like this are not promoted better, when there is crap like "The Last Airbender" got so much TV ad time.I won't really say anything else except, GO WATCH THIS MOVIE NOW!
What followed completely took me by surprise.The movie plays on the clichéd plot of a group of college kids going camping in the woods and then being killed off one by one by deranged hillbillies - only this time the hillbillies are completely innocent, good-natured people and all the bloody killings that ensue are just unlucky accidents.What sounds like an amusing idea that's most likely to become a joke that well-overstays its welcome for 90 minutes, was turned into an uplifting movie that's genuinely funny from the first minute to the last.
Mostly, that's thanks to the great cast: From the wonderful team of Tyler Labine (Dale) and Alan Tudyk (Tucker) all the way to the hero-turned-villain played Jesse Moss these actors have a great chemistry together and perfect comedic timing.
(Just do yourself a favor and don't spoil it for yourself by watching the trailer.) What's best of all is that this isn't just a parody of any particular horror movie, but a standalone comedy that works without the usual nods and homages to well-known classic.I really hope "Tucker & Dale vs.
You could say that "Tucker & Dale vs Evil" is a real spoof of the genre and does a good job at it, while also still being original on its own, despite the presence of all of the familiar clichés.This is also where the movie draws all of its comedy from.
Rednecks Dale (Tyler Labine) and Tucker (Alan Tudyk) are going to the country to work on their summer house when they run into a group of college kids.
Movies like this often don't present themselves much, Tucker and Dale vs Evil takes a spin on the horror genre and presents something genuinely funny, twisted, and just plain out enjoyable.The movie presents itself clearly, developing it's humor early.
Laughter and likability continues all throughout the movie, right until the very end.It's carried by strong acting by Tucker and Dale is perfection, which play a quintessential cult classic hillbillies role.
You take a pinch of classic mid-80's horror movie, throw in a dash of dark, twisted comedy, and top it off with wonderful characters, and voilà, you have "Tucker & Dale vs Evil".The story is very good and interesting.
And from there on, things escalate and become hilarious."Tucker & Dale vs Evil" have just the right amount of gore, blood, sick comedy and funny situations in it to make it all work so well.
I grew so attached to Dale that I actually wished he could be protected from having to witness the senseless, and extremely funny, violence around him.Combine an evening of Behind The Mask with some Tucker and Dale VS Evil and you will laugh your ass off, and maybe think a bit differently when looking at the bad guy in any classic horror movie..
It's more like a horror romcom with a feel good ending to die for.I laughed throughout Tucker and Dale.
Tucker and Dale vs Evil was a great movie.
Their attempt to save one of them from drowning is misconstrued as kidnapping, and the kids end up killing themselves in hilarious ways while trying to "rescue" their friend.Tucker and Dale really is a funny movie, with a lot of the death scenes being especially comic.
I especially liked how it made fun of the stereotypical hillbilly horror flicks and the cliché way it's perceived in most films and sort of made a homage of it and it's really funny.
This movie is a comedy must, if you like laughing watch this..
"Tucker and Dale VS Evil" is basically the long-feature horror movie equivalent of all those pretty lame comedy sitcoms that my mother always watches
You know, the ones where every single episode is exactly the same. |
tt0111686 | New Nightmare | Just as the first Nightmare film opened with the creation of Freddy's infamous glove, New Nightmare opens with the creation of an updated, more sinister and sleeker looking glove. As the maker of the claws appears to chop off his own hand in preparation for attaching the claws to his own wrist, the other people on the set wince, and the director, Wes Craven, encourages the effects specialists to pump more blood. Soon he yells, "Cut! Print that Gretchen!" Heather Langenkamp, her husband, Chase, and their son, Dylan, are wandering around the set of the new Nightmare on Elm Street movie.Presently the claw, which was only a prop a minute ago, comes to life and starts maiming and killing the special effects crew. Dylan is now gone, and as the claw advances to attack Chase, Heather screams waking up in her own bed in her own house with Chase, during an earthquake in Los Angeles. After the earthquake dies down Chase has a couple of scratches, which are the very same as he had received in the dream. This causes Heather to wonder if they were sustained in the earthquake or during the dream. Heather reveals she has been receiving harassing phone calls from "someone who sounds an awful lot like Freddy", but they've stopped for the last couple weeks until now.Heather is a guest on a morning talk show the very same day, where they discuss the 10th anniversary of the "Nightmare" films. Also, as part of the talk show line-up, Robert Englund as himself tears through a screen dressed up as Freddy Krueger to surprise Heather, Heather is slightly disturbed by this. Producer Bob Shaye asks Heather to visit his office at New Line Cinema, and explains that Wes Craven is working on a script for the new and final "Nightmare" film. Heather is asked to reprise her role as main character "Nancy", but decides against it with her own recent nightmares, disturbing phone calls, and disgruntlement over her son's change in behavior. Bob explains that her husband Chase Porter is also working on the film and he is creating a scary new glove for Freddy, much to Heather's dismay.When she gets home, her son has an episode during which he warns her in a voice not of his own, "Never sleep again!" Worried, Heather asks Chase to come home, however Chase falls asleep at the wheel on the way and dies supposedly in a car crash. When Heather goes to identify the body, it seems to her that there may have been more than meets the eye to the "crash", as was made apparent by the claw-like marks on his chest. Dylan, now also grief stricken, continues acting even more strangely.She enlists Wes Craven's help for making sense of what's been happening. Craven explains that he does not know much more than she does. He dreams a scene or two each night and wakes up and writes them down. Craven goes on to tell her that in the script he's been writing, pure evil can be temporarily defeated if its essence is effectively captured in a work of art that is able to allow evil to express itself. Craven explains that the evil has taken the form of Freddy Krueger because it is a familiar one. "Freddy" sees her as the gatekeeper who holds Freddy at bay, since Heather's character Nancy defeated Freddy in the first movie who in turn eliminated Nancy in the third, but still couldn't be released. To Freddy it is Heather that gave the character of Nancy her fortitude. Freddy is attacking her at her weakest points, trying to break her down before confronting her, prompting her to leave just as confused as when she arrived.After a short sleep in Dylan's room, Heather wakes to discover Dylan is gone, she goes downstairs and finds Dylan in another episode. Heather finally takes Dylan to the hospital, there a doctor asks if Dylan said anything during his trance, Heather says "No" but the doctor later gets it out of her that Dylan has been doing Freddy-like actions and singing Freddy's theme. Later, Julie (Dylan's babysitter) shows up at the hospital and tells Heather she had a nightmare about him. Soon, two nurses want to sedate Dylan, but Julie had been instructed by Heather to not let Dylan fall asleep while she goes home to get Rex. Julie ends up punching a nurse and threatening another with a needle (cameo appearance by Wes Craven's daughter), and locks the door. Meanwhile, Heather tried to leave but had been stopped by security guards to be questioned by the doctor, the doctor suspects Heather is insane, and tries to get her to agree to foster care. Next, Dylan drifts to sleep, Freddy appears in the locked hospital room and brutally slays Julie.(ironically in the same fashion as Tina Gray in the first film) The nurses unlock the doors, and discover the murder in progress. They run, but Heather is concerned where Dylan went, the doctor realizes Heather is right. Heather soon remembers home, (previously she comforted Dylan by telling him their home is right across the freeway from the hospital). She discovers a giant Freddy dangling Dylan from above traffic. She arrives home and finds Dylan, but Freddy begins to manipulate the world around her, causing her to become Nancy and her house to become the house on Elm Street. By forcing Heather to accept the role he wants her to play, Freddy rises out from Dylan's bed and is fully in the real world. Heather runs inside and into Dylan's room only to find him gone, and the toy dinosaur Dylan believed was protecting him totally eviscerated by Freddy.Heather takes sleeping pills to join in on a lucid dream, final showdown with Freddy to save an already captured Dylan. It occurs in a hot, steamy and water-logged dreamscape ruin, apparently Freddy's home turf. Dylan finds Heather, only for them both to be attacked by Freddy, Heather is knocked out, Dylan is left in a state of defenselessness.Freddy lures Dylan into a trap and tries to attack him vigorously, Heather discovers the battle and fights off Freddy, but Freddy makes his tongue extend and wrap around her face. Dylan gets out of the trap to save Heather by taking a large kitchen knife that she brought in with her, stabbing Freddy's tongue and making it go back to its previous size. The two succeed in killing Freddy, by locking him in a lit furnace where upon catching on fire, (in a Hansel and Gretel-like ending) his true visage is shown amidst a fiery blast, all the while Dylan & Heather flee said inferno, escaping back to reality, where they find the script of the film Craven has been working on, waiting for them. Dylan asks his mother to read some of it to him, which she does: "We open on an old wooden bench. There's fire and tools, and a man's grimy hands building what's soon revealed as a gleaming set of claws. And the claws are moving now as if awakening from a long and unwanted sleep...." | fantasy, murder, cult, alternate reality, violence, intrigue, good versus evil, psychedelic, suspenseful | train | imdb | New Nightmare is a 10.year anniversary of Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) which that also counts in this film and it is mentioned in here!I like what they did hear what it would be like if Freddy was in the real world Freddy had a makeover he looked bad ass to me I thought this was some sort of re imaging Wes Craven try to do something different with Freddy but that's my opinion.
heather Langenkamp did the best job portraying her self and getting back to the roots of Nancy Thompson!I always have enjoyed this film, Wes did a solid job directing this horror slasher movie , I really feel terrible for his family and I can't believe a tragedy strike him and his family!
Ten years after writer and director Wes Craven ("Scream," "The Hills Have Eyes") brought his personal nightmares to the movie screen as Freddy Krueger in "A Nightmare on Elm Street," the horrifying child killer returns, stepping out of his celluloid world to haunt the life of the actress who first defeated him on film.
This seventh film in the Nightmare on Elm Street series has the cast starring as themselves in a wicked spin as key players from earlier installments are terrorized by Freddy Kreuger and his razor-fingered glove.
Anyway I love this film and I am giving a 10 because this film deserves it and it is my third best favorite Elm Street horror slasher film!Wes Craven's New Nightmare is a 1994 American slasher meta film written and directed by original Nightmare on Elm Street creator Wes Craven.10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: New Line Cinema Starring: Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp, Miko Hughes, John Saxon, Sam Ruben Director/Writer: Wes Craven Producers: Wes Craven, Robert Shaye Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 42 Mins.
It turns out that Freddy is in fact real, some kind of ancient evil that took the form of Freddy Krueger and could only be contained through storytelling, IE: the Nightmare On Elm Street movies.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare features Heather Lengankamp, who played Nancy in the first and third films, living a normal life with her husband and son.
All of the people involved with the original films appear as themselves, including Heather Lengenkamp, John Saxon, Robert Englund, and Wes Craven.
The best part about it is that in this film, Freddy isn't a wise cracking killer...He's an all business violent and brutal killer.This movie features the best acting for a slasher movie I've ever seen, but then again, almost every actor in the movie plays themselves, so it would be pretty hard to screw that up.Overall, this movie is on a par with the original, and I'd recommend it to any horror fan.8/10.
His New Nightmare stars Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund playing themselves in a movie within a movie written by Wes Craven playing himself writing the script as it unfolds.
Now that the series of movies has ended, this entity has started invading her dreams as Freddy - and it thinks if it kills "Nancy" it will be unleashed for real.So that's the good news.
Now I am against child actors at the best of times, but when this bug-eyed little squirt starts screaming and yelling about Freddy, you'll just want to give him a kick.The climax to the movie is pretty similar to every other film in the Nightmare series, which is somewhat disappointing.
Wes has taken the story and turned it around on the characters, instead of having Heather as Nancy, she's playing herself, just as is the rest of the cast, only now they're in trouble with Freddy.Heather Langenkamp is a huge star in the horror movie world, but she's now a happily married woman with her son, Dillain.
As the movies went on, Freddy lost his edge and looked liked a bad stand up comic with horrible one liners.Freddy seemed dead with the sixth film of the series, but Wes Craven brought him back from his rut and made him someone to fear again.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare was the best Freddy flick to come along since Dream Warriors, the third installment.
Heather has a young son (Miko Hughes, the go to little tyke of the 90's), Englund is relaxing and trying out the artist's life, and Craven, also playing himself, has big bold ideas for the Nightmare franchise.
Nowadays, it's nearing the 10th Anniversary of the picture 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and one of the protagonists , (Heather Langenkamp) starts to be haunted in their nightmares by scar-faced and dream-hunting Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund now fits likes a glove) , a kind of spectre with awful burns , in stripy jumper and large knives.
It's all acceptable scary fun .The series initiates itself from original entry title ¨A Nightmare on Elm Elm Street¨ directed by Wes Craven with Heather Langenkamp , Johnny Depp , Amanda Wyss and John Saxon .
that and it seemed to be the ending that the series Truly needed, since "Freddy's Dead; the final Nightmare" didnt quench our thirst for closure....this one Came through at full tilt!!!although 6 was still a "Fun" movie..this one delved back into the thoughts of the first film...and made it a scarefest..and not just a Gorefest...If this had come out after 4, I think it would have done better...
This movie is nearly perfect,I'll talk about the cons first,there isn't enough Freddy,and the cinematography makes it feel like a Lifetime movie.The good,the tone,it is dark and sinister and Freddy is actually scary.The characters,I cared about them,and the acting was great,the child actor did pretty good.The messages about children and horror movies were cool.The homages to the original were great.I loved the meta parts of the movie,they did a great job commenting on horror movie franchise,everything that was said was true.The kills were awesome,even though there was less than 5.The best part though,the concept,it is brilliant and terrifically executed.New Nightmare is the best sequel in the franchise..
But things might be looking up, as she is informed that director Wes Craven has began work on a seventh installment in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise, and wants her to return as the star.
This was the first nightmare I saw , I am clad I did is it has Killer in there and it also has Earthquakes in this in movie as I am a fan of both kind movies and to have them in one it's awesome.This movie Heather the girl who played Nancy's Elm Street 1/2 is back in this.Heather is at her home with her son ,someone is making prank phones to heather, while town getting hit by earthquakes, Heather soon find's out that Freddy is trying enter the real world, She has to stop him and save her son from Freddy in the real world.This movie was amazing, Some of scenes was creepy and one scene did make me jump/ Freddy is back, I mean he really is back, not the Freddy we saw Elm Street 4,5 or Freddy dead (how bad was that movie), Freddy look a lot more scary in this movie then looked in Elm street one.Outstanding acting from the cast and Great end to series.
Rated R for Violence/Gore and Language.The Nightmare On Elm Street series is one of my favorite horror film series.The films are fun mixing tons of gore with humor(except this and the first film which were fairly dark).There have been a total of seven films in the series(eight including Freddy Vs Jason).They are all good in my opinion.This sequel does not disappoint.For those who didn't like the comedy route the series was taking, this film goes back to pure horror and no comedy.Its directed by Wes Craven who directed the first film and has most of the original cast from the first film(except Johnny Depp who was by now a big star).This film takes place in the real world,Heather Lagenkamp, the woman who was in Nightmare On Elm STreet 1 or 3 returns and she plays herself.So do most of the cast members.Robert Englund plays both himself and Freddy Kruger.Basically the plot of this film is about there being a demon who represents Freddy Kruger.Angry that they killed of Freddy in the last film, he decides to get revenge on the actress Heather Lagenkamp who has a son named Dylan.Freddy Kruger looks much darker and different than in the previous films.New NIghtmare is a very entertaining film that is most like the original..
That is why this film has only a limited appeal and the reason that this movie almost did not turn a profit.With that all said I will go into why this movie rules, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Wes Craven, and the immortal Robert Englund are the reason this movie is the best it can be.
Had a single one of them not returned this movie may have turned to crap, put with them back together again and in good form, especially since Englund had had a couple of years away from the character, thank god, they were able to pull off the best retrospective comeback ever, even better than the long gestated Freddy vs Jason ten years later.
That one, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, saw the return of Heather Langenkamp to the series as Nancy Thompson and Elm Street creator Wes Craven contributing the screenplay.
Fans of Wes Craven and the original Elm Street film will probably like it more than those expecting a movie full of Freddy eviscerating teenagers while making bad puns..
This was an interesting concept with real-life actors from the "Nightmare On Elm Street" horror series playing themselves (Robert England, Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, etc.) but then caught up in another "Freddy" story.
The 1984 "Nightmare on Elm Street" was a reasonably good and original horror movie and not one of the five direct sequels ever lived up to the quality of Wes Craven's original.
In 1984, horror director Wes Craven created "A Nightmare on Elm Street." It was acclaimed as one of the scariest movies ever made and made unknowns like Robert Englund, Johnny Depp, and Heather Langenkamp huge stars.
Freddy has always been the true star of the Elm St. series and Wes Craven attempts to create new horror with a monster we don't see.
The story is starts out were is on a film set and Wes Craven is directing A New Nightmare On Elm Street film.
later Heather goes to New Line Cinema in which producer Robert Shaye ask her if she would like to be in A New Nightmare On Elm Street film that Wes Craven is written and directing and she declines.
heather reads this script the beginning od the first a Nightmare On Elm Street film, that is how it ends.I love the movie to death, it is a good movie I can't say is better than 1 and 3.
What carries this entire movie on a high-level wasn't only just Craven's genius idea to have the actors play themselves in a reality-based environment, but was also Heather Langenkamp, who gives by far the best performance in this entire series.
The original 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' is still to me one of the scariest and best horror films there is, as well as a truly great film in its own right and introduced us to one of the genre's most iconic villains in Freddy Krueger.
It is always difficult to do a sequel that lives up to a film as good as 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' let alone one to be on the same level.After the 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' series showed signs of severe fatigue, that it was suggestive of the series being completely dead, original director Wes Craven makes a welcome return and brings new, fresh life to the series.
Wes Craven returns as a director/writer/actor in this film and saves the franchise, restoring the respect and fear to Freddy Krueger as in the first film.The idea for the plot is quite clever: Heather, the real-life actress who plays Nancy in the first movie, now (fictionally) married and with a 6 year old son, starts having nightmares about Freddy, as well as her son.
In turn, Wes Craven is preparing a new plot for a new movie with Freddy, based on the belief that his own nightmares tell him that a demonic force uses the Freddy icon to break free in the real world and that the only way to preventing it is by having Heather to interpret Nancy again and fight it back into the underworld to which it belongs, or in other words, put the genie back in the bottle.Some of the killings were a repetition of previous movies, so it lacks a bit imagination on that department.
Freddy in this film is actually more threatening and scary, not playing so much with his victims as in the first movie with the evil jokes, which makes him a much more direct and imminent threat.To me, the first "Nightmare" and this, both by Wes Craven, are really the only worthy ones..
Next time I watch the films It will be a Quadrilogy of A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984, Freddy's Revenge, Dream Warriors and Wes Craven's New Nightmare.I will use the "A Beautiful Dream" Fan theory that may require the viewer to have seen 1, 3 and NN before.
Heather Langenkamp, the actress who played Nancy in the original film, is now a married mother, and she is contacted by Wes Craven to be in the definitive final Nightmare on Elm Street film.
The film was released in October of 1994.In this film, Freddy is depicted as closer to what Wes Craven originally intended, being more menacing and less comical, with a greatly updated attire and attendance.The film does features various people from the motion picture industry and this film does stars Robert Englund, David Newsom, Miko Hughes, John Saxon, Tracy Middendorf and Heather Langenkamp.The story is just beautiful and I really like it.
The film was released in October of 1994.In this film, Freddy is depicted as closer to what Wes Craven originally intended, being more menacing and less comical, with a greatly updated attire and attendance.The film does features various people from the motion picture industry and this film does stars Robert Englund, David Newsom, Miko Hughes, John Saxon, Tracy Middendorf and Heather Langenkamp.The story is just beautiful and I really like it.
The lead actors of the original Nightmare on Elm Street, on it's 10th Anniversary, are terrorized by a Freddy Kruger like entity that wants Heather Langenkamp and her son dead.The seemingly outrageous bloody opening is quickly defused as a fitting dream sequence and new ground is broken as we discover the actors are playing themselves.
With a strong supporting cast (mainly those ones who don't play themselves) including Miko Hughes as Dylan Porter Heather's on screen son gives a solid mixture of Poltergeist/Exorcist-like performance.It may have benefited from a more natural looking production, less film- like to emphasis the realness in contrast to the movie world and Nightmare sequences.
After the embarrassing mess Nightmare On Elm Street 6 was, it took Wes Craven to bring back Freddy in a fresh new way.
No longer a comedic act, Krueger is once again the terrifying presence portrayed on A Nightmare on Elm Street.Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp play themselves in Wes Cravens New Nightmare.
That's right, Heather Langenkamp who humiliated him as Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street.With a plot like that, you can't go wrong!This movie was just as scary, just as creative, and just as intelligent as the original.
"Wes Craven's New Nightmare," the seventh film in the "Elm Street" series, is one of the most unique, intelligent, and masterful horror films of all time.
Heather is called to New Line Cinema where film producer Robert Shaye (himself) say's director Wes Craven has been working on a new Elm Street script & that her character Nancy is the star.
The acting is alright, Langenkamp is OK but lets face it outside the Elm Street films she hasn't done anything, Robert Englund is back as himself & Freddy while John Saxon also returns from the original.New Nightmare is a film with a great premise & takes the Elm Street franchise in a completely different direction but it's just not that great a film, it's not much fun to watch, at almost two hours it's overlong & the lack of any real horror means this gets dumped in the wasted potential drawer never to be seen again..
Wes Craven, a hack scare-film director if there ever was one, returns to the sinister icon that made him famous, Freddy Krueger, in this weird in-joke featuring Heather Langenkamp, the heroine of the original NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, as herself.
After the disappointing "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare," New Line Cinema decided to make another "Nightmare on Elm Street" movie and return the series to its creator, Wes Craven, who here manages to infuse the long-running franchise with a breath of fresh air: Turning the concept of horror sequelization on its head, the movie features the original cast members playing themselves in a new Freddy Krueger movie only to find themselves under siege in their personal lives by the wisecracking demon.
Actually, it's hardly another movie of the series, rather it's a film based (and quite freely) on characters of the original Nightmare, thus good old Wes let himself some space to spread his ideas and not just repeat that narrow line of the story about children afraid of falling asleep who finally find enough courage to fight Freddy back in their dreams.
New Nightmare (1994, Dir. Wes Craven) It's nearing the 10th Anniversary of the film 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and one of the stars, Heather Langenkamp is being scared by a voice on a phone, sounding very similar to the film's villain, Freddy Krueger. |
tt0037166 | Passage to Marseille | Titles against pictures of tramp steamer. Music includes Marseillaise and Marche Lorraine.Titlepage: "This is the story of a Free French air squadron. It is also the story of France. For a nation exists, not alone in terms of maps and boundaries, but in the hearts of men. To millions of Frenchmen, France has never surrendered. And today, she lives, immortal and defiant, in the spirit of the Free French Air Force, as it carries her war to the skies over the Rhineland."Current events.Title: "Somewhere in Germany." Bomber planes are flying. German anti-aircraft defences fire at them. The bombers' insignia is the cross of Lorraine. Bombs away. Target hit. On the way home, one bomber makes a detour over the town where Paula Matrac (Michèle Morgan) listens for them with her small son (Peter Miles). Bomber gunner Jean Matrac (Humphrey Bogart) drops a message: "To my wife. Till we meet again."Title: "Somewhere in England." Background music Hearts of Oak. War correspondent Manning (John Loder) is escorted by an RAF officer Lt Hastings (Mark Stevens) to the Free French air base. It looks like an ordinary farm. He is introduced to the liaison officer between the RAF and the Free French, Captain Freycinet (Claude Rains).
The airmen are sent on a mission. Manning exclaims, "Good Heavens! What is this? Planes being pulled out of barns? A haystack for a control tower?" as the farm is converted to an airfield, fences removed, etc. One of the airmen is Matrac. Freycinet goes to him. Matrac asks for permission to divert as it is his son's birthday. Freycinet gives it. The planes take off. Freycinet tells Manning that the planes are going on a pathfinding mission to Berlin. 2,000 bombers will attack. Manning asks about Matrac. Freycinet: "I could tell you a story about him I've never told to anyone. Would you care to hear it?"Flashback level 1. Freycinet's account to Manning.At the outbreak of war Freycinet takes passage on the Ville de Nancy, under Captain Malo (Victor Francen), bound for Marseilles with a cargo of nickel ore. There are three cabin passengers, including a French army officer, Major Duval (Sydney Greenstreet). They discuss the position of France in the war. At Panama they receive news of the fall of the Maginot Line.Two days out of Colon they pick up a small boat containing five men "pretty far gone." They are Matrac, Renault (Philip Dorn), Marius (Peter Lorre), Petit (George Tobias), and Garou (Helmut Dantine). Matrac says that they have been without food for twenty days, without water for five.Duval believes that they are fugitives from Devil's Island, 1,500 miles away. Captain Malo questions them. They claim to be French workers from Venezuela trying to get back to France to fight. Duval is sceptical.Freycinet warns the five men that Duval believes them to be escaped convicts. He himself also believes that, but is sympathetic. They confess that they have indeed escaped from Cayenne, but insist they only want to fight for France. They start to tell their stories. Renault says that Petit was a farmer whose land was confiscated and his protests led to his being transported for life to French Guiana.Flashback level 2a. Renault's account of Petit's story to Freycinet.French Guiana. Petit is among the convicts building a road, known by the convicts as Route Zero, because it will never exist. "Already it has been under construction for more than half a century, and for that there is exactly 16 miles to show. And for those 16 miles, there is one dead convict for every yard." Garou is there. "Formerly a mechanic and a professional racer of motor cars, he has killed his sweetheart during a lovers quarrel. In certain circles it was considered crude of him to have accomplished this end with an axe." A convict (Anatol Frikin) goes berserk and runs. He is shot down in the swamp. Alligators come.End of flashback level 2a. Return to level 1.Marius tells his own story. He was a safecracker and pickpocket. Renault tells his own story. He was a deserter in WW1. Ashamed, he went to Morocco to join the Foreign Legion, but was arrested.Flashback level 2b. Renault's account of his own story to Freycinet.At the Caserne Infanterie Coloniale (Colonial Infantry Barracks) Renault meets Grandpere (Vladimir Sokoloff) who has served his sentence and is allowed freedom within the colony, but is not allowed to leave. He catches and sells butterflies, saving the proceeds towards an escape. Sensing that they are patriots, he recruits Renault, Marius, Petit, and Garou to join his escape plan. Marius says they should recruit Matrac, a greater patriot than any of them. He says, "Matrac knows the ocean. He escaped once in a canoe from Venezuela." Renault says, "In 1938, during the Munich crisis . . ."Flashback level 3. Renault's account of Matrac's story to the convicts.Matrac is covering the Munich conference for La Verité Francaise, a newspaper that he publishes. He phones his story to his Paris office, where Paula takes it down. The resulting headline reads "Infamy at Munich. I accuse Daladier!" The paper sells out, but a gang of thugs storms the office and wrecks the presses. Police look on and do nothing.Matrac and Paula retreat to the country (Arly). He proposes and they marry. A café singer (Corinna Mura) sings Some day I'll Meet You Again.Paula sees a newspaper report that Matrac is wanted for murder of a newsman. She tries to persuade him to flee the country. At first he wants to go to trial to confront his accusers, but finally agrees.As they try to escape, Matrac is arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to 15 years in Guiana.End of flashback level 3. Return to level 2b.The escape plotters want to recruit Matrac but he is in solitary. Voice over by Renault: "Here on St Joseph's Isle is a building like nothing else in the world. One can go mad in this place. Nothing to see except blank walls. Nothing to think about except escape." Guards taunt Matrac. He retaliates and is beaten with a club. Marius contacts him.Matrac is released from solitary. The night of the escape another convict, Bijou (Frederic Brunn), overhears their plans and wants to join them. Voiceover by Renault: "We waited in the semi-darkness. Nine oclock. Nine-thirty. Five minutes to ten." They douse the only light and escape from the barrack room. When guards enter, Bijou is lying dead.As the escapees make their way through the jungle, one says, "Wheres Bijou? I dont see him." Matrac replies "He changed his mind." They make their way down stream by raft. At the coast, there is room for only five in the boat. Grandpere volunteers to stay and insists that they make a patriotic vow. They set sail.End of flashback level 2b. Return to level 1.Freycinet agrees to help the men.Captain Malo summons the crew and reads them a wireless message he has just received. "June 23. France, under the leadership of Marshal Petain, has signed an armistice with Germany." That night Captain Malo tells Freycinet that he is secretly altering course for England.Freycinet talks to Matrac, who says he wants to get back to Paula.Voiceover by Freycinet: "Imperceptibly we swung northward." "On the morning of June 26 I was awakened by the profound silence which had settled on the ship." Duval and his followers had taken control of the ship in order to take it on to Marseilles, believing that their duty is to support the Vichy government.A fight breaks out. The patriots overcome the Vichy supporters, but before they can stop him, the wireless operator radios their position to France. Petit overpowers him.A German bomber attacks the ship and causes much damage, but eventually Matrac shoots it down.Music: Marche Lorraine. Marius dies of wounds received in the attack. The German airmen have survived, and climb onto their floating aircraft. Matrac shoots them. Capt. Malo: "What are you doing? You cannot assassinate helpless men!" Matrac: "Look around you, Captain, and see who are the assassins."End of flashback level 1. Return to current events.Freycinet tells Manning that Matrac drops letters to his wife in France. Manning asks what became of the other escaped convicts. Freycinet points out Garou in the hangar welding and Petit working a crane. Freycinet tells Manning that Renault is the pilot of Matrac's plane.Planes return one by one, except V for Victor, which has been hit and is limping home on two engines. Renault tells Matrac that they cannot divert to his home town, but must fly straight back to base.Paula and her son wait. It is his birthday tea. They think they hear a plane, but none appears.At the UK airbase they wait. They hear a plane. V for Victor lands. Matrac is dead. Freycinet removes the message to Paula from his jacket.Matrac is given a military funeral. Freycinet reads the message that Matrac had written for his son. It is a stirring call to patriotic duty.THE END | murder, flashback | train | imdb | (Remember how Claude Rains threw away the bottle of Vichy water in Casablanca?) So we have to view this film in the context of the times.Bogey plays his character just like Bogey.....no attempt at a French accent which probably would have been disastrous anyway and the cast is a melting pot of nationalities.
They could make an educational film about the building and maintenance of an internal combustion engine interesting!The flashbacks are not hard to follow, and although a rather awkward story telling method in this particular film, don't really take that much away from the screenplay.Bogey's actions surrounding the survivors of the downed German plane were a bit surprising but hey, it was war.
The entire fight on the ship against the Germans was the best part of the film.Michele Morgan had absolutely nothing to do in this film which is too bad as she was a wonderful actress with a haunting beauty but this is basically a man's movie.
Wartime heroics never seemed exploited in quite so complex a fashion as "Passage to Marseille," directed by Michael Curtiz
Bogart, a French journalist framed for murder because of his political views and sent to Devil's Island during World War II, escapes from his penal hell with four other convicts and winds up on a French freighter bound for home
Hoping to rejoin the fighting Free French resistance movement, the men, all fiercely loyal patriots, become involved in preventing a takeover of the ship by Fascist sympathizers
This relatively simple plot line is then surrounded by a series of extraneous plots and subplots which were related in a series of single, double, and even triple flashbacks, making any semblance of coherency virtually impossible
Bogart's characterization is equally vague and complicated as he maintained an opposing balance of virtue and vice
At one moment he is the picture of idealistic moral righteousness fighting against a callous system, and the next he debased his human nature as he brutally machine-guns some defenseless enemies
His moral platitudes do not balance his immoral behavior, making for ambiguity and confusion...The most important saving grace of "Passage to Marseille" is the supporting cast headed by Bogart's "Casablanca" co-stars Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre, who all turned in strong character portrayals.
Humphrey Bogart and George Tobias were from New York (the accents prove it), Philip Dorn from the Netherlands, Helmut Dantine from Austria, Peter Lorre from Hungary, Victor Francen from Belgium, Vladimir Sokoloff from Russia, and Claude Rains, John Loder, Sidney Greenstreet from England.
Humphrey Bogart stars as a patriotic French convict who escapes from his island prison and journeys thousands of miles to help his country fight in the war.
The ship's captain and Claude Rains' character had plotted a course to England in defiance of their now Nazi-controlled government's orders.As the free French loyalists retake control of the ship, a traitorous radio operator broadcasts their position which is picked up by a patrolling Nazi bomber.
While much has been made of the flashback within a flashback utilized in the movie, one shouldn't overlook the great action sequences, particularly towards the end, that have you cheering on the French heroes in the film.
In an effort to capitalize on the film that they produced that won the Best Picture Oscar the previous year, the Brothers Warner united as much of the original cast of Casablanca as they could find to tell the tale of convicts from Devil's Island returning to fight the Nazis.Passage to Marseille might have been a better film if it been done with a straight forward narrative, or only one flashback, from the Humphrey Bogart character.
An arrogant militarist, he definitely finds the Nazi dominated Europe more to his liking.Michele Morgan is Bogart's wife and the only one in the film who is actually French among the principal players.
Pretty cool WWII story, told mostly through flashbacks, about French convicts led by Humphrey Bogart who escape from Devil's Island to go help their country fight the Nazis.
The men are picked up by a freighter bound for home and must deal with slimy Sydney Greenstreet, who isn't particularly opposed to the idea of a Nazi-occupied France.Reunites Casablanca costars Bogart, Rains, Lorre, and Greenstreet with director Michael Curtiz.
Claude Rains, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, George Tobias, Helmut Dantine, John Loden, Philip Dorn, among others, do excellent work under Mr. Curtiz's direction.
By the way, even though Lorre was an odd looking little guy, in real life he was one of Bogie's best friends thanks to his boozing and then losing money in card games.Some of the battle action at sea is interesting but as phony as phony can be--it's quite obvious those scenes were shot in a gigantic bath tub on the Warner lot.Incidentally if a reader hasn't visited Hollywood and taken a tour or two through the studios,allow me to tell you this as my wife and I were aboard a tram touring Universal Studios.
This film was a great document for the resistance of France during Nazi occupation in France during WWII in 1940 and the courage of Charles Degaulle after his refuse for the decision of general Philip Bataan the president of Vichi french government under occupation in 1940 and he went to England at the time of Primier Churchill that he supported Degaulle in his resistance to give France her liberty under (Le Croix Lorinne) the cross of (Joan of Arc) during her resistance against English occupation in France in 15th century.Degaulle used this cross in the french flag of the (French Free government) that was presented by him in england and after this way that was transported in Tchad and Algeria to make a collection for the different departments of French army to make the french Independence by their shoulders.That,s the end of final massage at the end of this film that Boggy sent with his corpse a massage for his son to complete with his friends and partners the french dream of making liberty to France under the spiritual leading by Degaulle the (Taste of freedom) after that in 1944 that made a liberty of France by french shoulders by the allies of England , U.S.A , soviet union but the under french responsibility in (Normandi) to be French forever..
Considering that the cast is headed by Humphrey Bogart,Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre--and that it is backed by a good Max Steiner score with its patriotic French themes--PASSAGE TO MARSEILLE is a disappointing film in the final analysis.
The storyline pits the French freedom fighters against the Vichy major (Sydney Greenstreet) who opposes their patriotism to France during the German occupation.If you can overlook the clumsy story structure and stay with it beyond the extensive opening exposition, you may find compensation in the performances Michael Curtiz has wrung from every cast member--including Helmet Dantine, George Tobias, Philip Dorn, Victor Francen, John Loder and French actress Michele Morgan.
With the French resistance theme as well as the presence of Bogie, Claude Raines, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, and even Helmut Dantine (Garou), who had a small part in Casablanca, it couldn't be anything other than a movie capitalizing on Casablanca's success.
It was a film for its time and yet contains poignant and timeless truths about character and patriotism.Bogart's elimination of the Nazi air crew is understandable in the context of the situation.
Always a pleasure to watch the Casablanca quartet of Bogart, Rains, Greenstreet, and Lorre, who made much more of their characters than their cheesy lines deserved.
"Passage to Marseille" is a Warner Brothers film starring the usual Warner Brothers stellar cast: Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, and Claude Rains, and also featuring Michele Morgan, George Tobias, Helmut Dantine, Philip Dorn, and John Loder.
Though no one seems to like the comparison with "Casablanca," it does seem to be trying to cash in on that film's huge success when one considers the cast and Bogie's conflicted character.
But "Passage to Marseille" is a good film on its own, despite the obvious comparisons.The story is told in flashback, and also in a flashback within a flashback.
Turns out that Bogart, Lorre, Tobias, Dantine, and several other men are Devil's Island escapees who were picked up by a ship, Ville de Nancy, which is on its way to Marseille.
The focus is mainly on his character; he has left a wife (Michele Morgan) and a little boy he's never seen.Some very exciting scenes in this entertaining and often poignant film, sturdily directed by Michael Curtiz, with excellent performances.
This film follows the story of a French Newspaper Reporter who is framed for a murder and sent to prison, he then escapes along with four others and sets about trying to help the French resistance take their country back from the Nazis.
Wallis reunited the same director, Michael Curtiz, and many of the same actors, Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Helmut Dantine, and even the cabaret singer, Corinna Mura, from the prior-year's Oscar winner.
The pot was stirred with a script based on a Nordoff and Hall novel, and the result was "Passage to Marseille." While "Passage to Marseille" is often an entertaining film, the 1944 movie is no "Casablanca." Although much has been made of its complex nest of flashbacks within flashbacks, the structure is not difficult to follow, especially for modern audiences accustomed to movies that utilize fractured time or stories that are told in reverse.
The credibility may have been stretched a bit, however, because, after the cruel and unjust treatment that Bogart and his fellow prisoners suffer at the hands of French authorities, their desire to fight for France is difficult to comprehend.However, despite credibility problems, a flawed and contradictory central character in Jean Matrac, and a structure that reportedly is difficult for some to follow, "Passage to Marseille" is solid entertainment in the World War II morale-booster genre.
Of course any film with Bogart, Rains, Lorre, and Greenstreet is worth seeing, but one that has also been expertly helmed by Michael Curtiz, strikingly photographed by James Wong Howe, and scored by Max Steiner has to be several cuts above other movies from the period.
Passage to Marseille (1944) *** (out of 4) Big-budget Warner war film about a group of Devil's Island escapees who join up with the French to battle Germans.
The film has an all-star cast that not only has Bogart and Lorre but we also get Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, George Tobias, Philip Dorn, Michele Morgan, John Loder and several other familiar character actors from the studio.
The performances by the entire cast are very good but the film clearly belongs to Bogart who once again proves he was one of the all-time great tough guys.
One thing really weird about this film is how it represents France around 1938...True Daladier who was then Prime Minister let the Nazis grab half of Tchecoslovaquia but he hardly could do anything else : all major powers(Germany , Italy , Great Britain , Poland (!) , Ungary) urged him to do so while USSR and the USA were clearly showing their no interest of the problem...But all those pacifists were certainly not pro-nazis as they all rush (with the notable exception of the Communist Party) to arms and declare war to Hitler on September 3,1939..Also very laughable is the attack of the Humphrey Bogard's newspaper...Nearly all of major newsmen in France understood the terrible consequences of the Munich treaty and if a lot of people were against the socialist and the middle of the road parties who were ruling France then, no one could express any sympathy to Germany ,the all-time enemy !....The Movie also seems to infer that France in 1940 were short of fighting soldiers...it isnt true..120.000 french soldiers were killed in action in 6 weeks prior to the Petain Surrender..this number shows definitely than French people in their huge majority were never pronazis...
It begins in England where Freycinet (Claude Rains) tells reporter Manning (John Loder) about meeting Matrac (Humphrey Bogart) and the other escapees from French Guiana after they are picked up by a ship bound for Marseilles.
It is a Chinese box of flashbacks explaining how the hero, Humphrey Bogart, got from crusading anti-Fascist newspaperman to prisoner on Devil's Island to escapee with several other prisoners (including Peter Lorre, George Tobias, and Philip Dorn) to Free France patriot.
Another scheme to trick "Casablanca" fans into the theater by including favorite actors from that film in a war story with an exotic setting, this idiotic mess has a famously convoluted structure involving flashbacks within flashbacks that renders it virtually unwatchable.
Designed as war propaganda, the movie is often ostentatiously obvious, most notably in the rah-rah score and in things like the little French boy screaming Viva le France!
Much of this was probably very stirring at the time, but it doesn't age well.The film also has a lot of typical Hollywood nonsense, like the way a movie in which everyone is French has major characters speak English while minor characters speak French and accents are whatever the actors walked in with.
I like Humphrey Bogart and even enjoy WW II movies so full of US propaganda here praising the Free French whose best exploits were a matter of theatre.This is in effect a remake of the 1942 film Pacific Passage with a french accent.
This time instead of the Bwanna who has gone native, Greenstreet is a French Major a martinet who wants to go Vichy.Then throw in Humphrey Bogart with the Papillion character called Jean Matrac framed for murder.
That was the purpose of these war propaganda films, some better than others, but some of the best coming out of Warner Brothers.Michael Curtiz gets an almost perfect gem with four of his "Casablanca" cast members providing outstanding performances.
Michael Curtiz's Passage to Marseille (1944) has a different story than most war movies but still in my eyes the story was very good and very interesting at the same time.
The movie stars Humphrey Bogart as Jean Matrac a convict who after serving 15 years in solitary confinement has bitter memories of hating France because of being found guilty of a murder he didn't commit to one of his co-workers, then after his sentence is completed he and his other convict friends (played by Peter Lorre, George Tobias,etc.) plan to go out to sea in order to help the French army with the WWII effort but at first in order to join they had to tell their convict life story from before they got to the ship to Captain Freycinet (played by Claude Rains) who was one of the few soldiers who trusted them along with the ship's Commanding officer, and there was a particular soldier who didn't like them which was Major Duval (played by Sydney Greenstreet)who thought they enlisted just to continue their criminal lifestyle for which he was proved wrong.
An above average, if inexpensive, Warner Brothers war-time movie about the Free French in England.
There is an action scene near the beginning, in which Free French flying fortresses bomb occupied France and fight off German planes, but most of the film is taken up with the journey made by the convicts from Cayenne to the French airfield in the English countryside.The film is studio bound and the maritime scenes are tank bound, but art direction is up to Warners' standards and sometimes looks better than the real thing.
One of several attempts to recapture the magic of Casablanca, Passage to Marseille brings back a number of the principals but fails to live up to its potential.We begin with a journalist's visit to a Free French air base in Britain during the Second World War from which we flash back to story of Matrac (Humphrey Bogart) a gunner on one of the bombers about leave on a mission and how he came to be there.
The French officer being interviewed by the journalist is played by Claude Rains and the flashback introduces both Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre.
***SPOILERS*** Clumsy follow-up to the award winning "Casablanca" with Humphrey Bogart as crusading French newspaper editor Jean Matrac who finds himself framed for a murder that he didn't, but what pro Munich sell out Frenchmen did, commit and sent to Devil's Island to spend the next, if he survives, 15 years in that living hell.
Directed by Michael Curtiz, reuniting several actors from Casablanca (1942), with a screenplay by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt that was based on a novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, this somewhat confusing war drama adventure recognizes the contributions of the Free French in Europe during World War II.Per an armistice signed with Germany, France and its people were divided - the Vichy were friendly with Adolph Hitler and the German Nazi party.
This film tells a fictional story of five prisoners in France's Devil's Island who escape to fight for their country's freedom by joining a Free French bomber force, whose base of operations was in England.
A microcosm of the conflict in Europe plays out aboard the Ville de Nancy, including an attack by a German bomber that leads to Matrac's controversial killing of some (so called) 'innocent' plane crash survivors.The movie actually opens with a nondescript bombing run over the Rhineland, during which Matrac drops a love note to his wife Paula (Michele Morgan), followed by a journalist-war correspondent named Manning (John Loder) being escorted to the hidden Free French base in England.
Manning then learns the story behind the Free French operation, and some of its men, from Freycinet which includes this aforementioned "passage to Marseille" via flashback.
(Warner DVD rates 10 out of ten).COMMENT: This is the film that is determined to go backwards, what with its flashback within a flashback within a flashback, plus its war- time propaganda and its violent anti-German and anti-Vichy French sentiments. |
tt0091778 | Poltergeist II: The Other Side | One year after the events of Poltergeist, Cuesta Verde, the Freelings' neighborhood from the first film, is being evacuated and turned into an archaeological paranormal dig centered around the spot where the Freelings' home stood before it imploded. The excavation leads to the discovery of an underground cave by a ground crew. Its existence is revealed to psychic Tangina Barrons (Zelda Rubinstein), who tells a friend of hers, Taylor (Will Sampson), a Native American shaman. After investigating the cave for himself, Taylor realizes that Rev. Henry Kane (Julian Beck), a deceased, insane preacher, has located Carol Anne and goes to defend her.
The Freeling family—Steven (Craig T. Nelson), Diane (JoBeth Williams), Robbie (Oliver Robins), and Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke)—has relocated to Phoenix, Arizona and now live in a house with Diane's mother, "Grandma Jess" (Geraldine Fitzgerald). Having lost his real estate license, Steven is reduced to selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door while filing repeated insurance claims to cover the missing home. Grandma Jess is highly clairvoyant, and says that Diane and Carol Anne are clairvoyant as well. Grandma Jess later dies from natural causes, but not before telling Diane one last time that she'll always "be there" if she needs her.
Taylor shows up as Kane begins his first assault on the home. Unable to get in through the television as the family has removed all television sets from the home, Kane's minions are forced to find another way in, this time through Carol Anne's toy telephone. The attack fails, and the family gets out of the house quickly. Taylor introduces himself and convinces them that running would be a waste of time since Kane would only find them again, and they return to the house, which Taylor has made safe for the time being.
Kane himself shows up at the home one day in human form and demands to be let in, but Steven stands up to him and refuses. Taylor congratulates him for resisting Kane, and then takes Steven to the desert and gives him the "Power of Smoke", a Native spirit that can repel Kane. Tangina shows up at the house and helps Diane to understand Kane's history and how he became the Beast that is now stalking the family. Reverend Henry Kane led his followers into the cave because he believed the end of the world was coming, then left them to die after the date he predicted came and went. Because he was so evil, Kane became a monster after death. Taylor warns the family that Kane is extremely clever and will try to tear them apart.
One night, Steven lets his guard down and gets drunk, swallowing a Mezcal worm that is possessed by Kane, who then temporarily possesses him. He attacks and tries to rape Diane, who cries out that she loves him. Steven then vomits up the worm possessed by Kane, which grows into a huge, tentacled monstrosity. In this form, Kane attacks Steven from the ceiling, but Steven uses the smoke spirit to send him away. The Beast then decides on another assault, and this time, the family decides to confront the Beast on his own turf, the Other Side.
The Freelings return to Cuesta Verde and enter the cavern below their former home, where Kane pulls Diane and Carol Anne over into the Other Side. Steven and Robbie jump in after them through a fire started by Taylor. On the Other Side, Steven, Diane, Robbie, and Carol Anne unite, but Kane (now a horrifying, gigantic monster) grabs Carol Anne. Taylor gets a charmed Native lance into Steven's hands, and Steven stabs Kane with it, defeating the monster and causing him to fall into the afterlife. Carol Anne nearly crosses over into the afterlife as well, but Grandma Jess' spirit appears and returns her to the family. The Freelings then return safely and thank Taylor and Tangina. | paranormal, cult, haunting, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1844624 | American Horror Story | Created by Ryan Murphy, of Glee and Popular, American Horror Story is an FX original series. Described as an anthology series, AHS chronicles fictionalized haunted locations, the living and the dead who interact within them. Each season has its own self-contained storyline and characters and it has been posed that each season will introduce a new location as well as new characters and storylines. Premiering in October 2011, the first season focused its sights on a struggling family of three who move into a new house in LA. Each of them soon learn the house's demonic secrets as well as the violent and selfish spirits within its walls. American Horror Story: Asylum begins in 1964 at the fictional mental institution, Briarcliff Manor, following the stories of the staff and inmates who occupy it, and intercuts with events in the past and present.Returning cast members from the previous season of the series include: Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Dylan McDermott, Evan Peters, Zachary Quinto and Lily Rabe.The season garnered seventeen Primetime Emmy Award nominations, more than any other show. The performances of Jessica Lange, James Cromwell, Zachary Quinto, Sarah Paulson, and Lily Rabe were particularly praised. Cromwell won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, as well as Quinto and Paulson winning their respective supporting categories at the 3rd Critics' Choice Television Awards.The third season primarily follows the antics and events of a Coven of Salem descendants who reside within a boarding school, Miss Robichaux's Academy, centered in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Academy is run by headmistress Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson), who has always lived in the shadow of her mother, Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange). Fiona is the Coven's "Supreme", a witch born every generation who embodies countless gifts and magical abilities, namely, the Seven Wonders of Witchcraft; the Supreme is the head of the Coven. Danger lurks inside the Academy's past due to the mysterious butler Spalding (Denis O'Hare) and his relationship with Fiona. The entire Coven is assessed and evaluated by the Council of Witchcraft, which includes Fiona's old rival and Cordelia's mother figure, Myrtle Snow (Frances Conroy).The season is set in Jupiter, Florida in 1952,[7] centered around one of the few remaining freak shows at the time, as its members do anything to keep the business alive.[8] The season focuses on the conflict between the freaks and the "evil forces" who do not understand them.[9] | paranormal, magical realism, murder | train | imdb | American horror story is a great if you're into this kind of horror, people that are into slasher movies/shows will probably not like this.Overall AHS has its low seasons and high seasons, every season is very different and that's why most people aren't into all the seasons.
Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates for example are incredible actors/actresses that never disappoint in this show.I personally think its genius how Ryan Murphy managed to make every season very different from the ones before but still manages to connect all of them.My opinions on the seasons;1.
5. Hotel: 6.5/10 Not a very beloved season by most, but to me it was watchable and I dont feel like I wasted my time watching it.
The season felt like a haunted-House horror movie but longer.
7. Cult 7/10 Before the season started I was really scared I wasn't gonne like this, politics, clowns and Evan as the villian, but after watching it I actually enjoyed it.
I found the first episode to be awesome, great suspense and has a really eerie/scary feeling to it., Definitely not your typical haunted house plot, i think the writing is very creative and very well thought out,.
This show has everything and more all us horror fans need these days.OVERALL The show utilizes both shock and psychological terror to frighten, Absolutely loved it, exceeding my expectations like nothing else.
It might be a problem with the time constraints of a 90 minute or 2 hour movie, it's hard to completely capture the audience and slowly twist the perceptions.Another thing forgotten in recent horror movies is the fact of NOT explaining everything within 5 minutes of it happening, it's more entertaining and spooky to speculate why someone sees something or what actually happened in a particular scene.
People forget that in some of the best horror pictures like "Psycho" the real horror came from the suspense and the wondering of what was going to happen and that the violence was secondary.The dialogue between characters is actually impressive especially in a couple scenes that you will be able to easily pick out.
It's rare to writers like this who aren't afraid to jump around from genre to genre fearlessly.It's hard to describe many aspects of this show without giving away to much so I must refrain from describing the plot as it appears so far.The day after I viewed the pilot episode I was shocked to see all the negative feelings towards the content of the show.
I plan to watch every week and enjoy the series fully, since it is honestly very rare to see a show do better in it's genre then most recent films.American Horror Story arrived a couple weeks ago on the great FX network that also houses two of my favorite shows: "Sons of Anarchy" and "Justified"..
The story is somewhat like the Manson murders but more politically charged against Trump etc/ AHS took a turn for the worst in this season buy using politics and senseless murder for the "Cult" (manson) .
Initially I was left wondering how - what essentially is a short horror movie - could be made in to a long running TV series, but after a few episodes I started to realise that it's the Ryan Murphy magic that is sustaining this outstanding show.Much like Nip/Tuck, you have to suspend your belief and see this as purely entertainment.
There's so many open ended narratives that are slowly unfolding and although at times the show verges on the edge of cliché, a single episode could easily match the brilliance of such horror classics like The Amityville Horror and The People Under the Stairs.At the end of every episode I feel shocked that 40 minutes have gone by, which is a sure sign that this show is pure, unadulterated, entertainment..
American HORROR STORY, where the only thing more terrifying than a haunted house laden with secrets that rip people to shreds, are the secrets and lies infesting the lives of one family that threaten to rip THEM to shreds.When a tragic miscarriage and an even more shattering act of infidelity threaten to tear apart their tenuous marriage, Ben Harmon (THE PRACTICE'S Dylan McDermott) and his wife Vivien (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS' Connie Britton) take their teenage daughter, Violet (Taissa Farmiga) and move away from their "house of horrors" to find a new start somewhere...ANYWHERE that they can put the noxious past behind them and at least try to have a go at tending to their gaping emotional wounds.The place they choose - or maybe that chooses THEM - a run-down manse on the outskirts of L.A., turns out to be a real bargain, and though irredeemably creepy, does have an antiquated charm...if you're into murals that would give even Hieronymous Bosch nightmares.In no short order, unsettling and strange characters - as much as the house itself is - begin to materialize and insinuate themselves into the Harmons' lives, whether they want them to or not: next-door neighbor Constance (Jessica Lange in a brilliant turn), whose demeanor suggests a deadly combo of Blanche DuBois, Norma Desmond and Gale Sondergaard's Black Widow; Frances Conroy (Ruth Fisher from SIX FEET UNDER) as the mysterious housekeeper, Moira, who appears to the rest of the family as one persona, while tempting Ben's weakness for "a taste of strange" with another more lascivious presence, (played by Alexandra Breckenridge); Larry Harvey (TRUE BLOOD alum Denis O'Hare), a horribly burned man who seems to be stalking Ben, and who has his own deadly history with the house and what lives there, and Constance's daughter, Adelaide, (Jamie Brewer), with Downs' Syndrome, yet who seems to have it more together - and knows more about the house - than anyone else around her.Even Ben's practice as a psychologist is fraught with peril, with the introduction of a teen patient named Tate Langdon (Evan Peters), who has an easier time picking apart and savaging the weaknesses in Ben's emotional armor than Ben does in probing his inscrutable and infuriating new charge's troubled mind.
Not to mention that his growing fascination/infatuation with Violet doesn't help things one little bit.Many people have cried fowl about the show's penchant for relying heavily on old horror tropes and clichés, without even paying attention to how it has been taking said clichés and twisting them into newer and even more unsettling shapes than today's average hot mess passing itself off as a 'horror film.' Leave it to FX to allow Murphy and his team - much as they did with NIP/TUCK - the freedom to push the boundaries of where a horror-infused series can go, without the constraints that hog-tied many of the like-minded series that came before it, such as the ground-breaking TWIN PEAKS or American Gothic, (which wasn't anywhere near as well-written as this).Two episodes in and I am already intrigued, grossed-out and frankly spooked by what I have seen so far.
It. Such a disappointment when you wait forever for the new season to air and it's so boring/stupid that you don't ever care to keep watching it.
Firstly, this is an anthology series, which makes it a little bit more difficult in judging it as a "whole" series, since each season is, essentially, a mini-series in its own right.Overall I find this series to be "good", but this is not showing the picture clearly enough because the seasons do vary, and they vary greatly in my opinion.Season 1 – Murder House is "Very Good" with 9/10 Season 2 – Asylum is "Exceptionally Good" with 10/10 Season 3 – Coven is "Fine" with 7/10 Season 4 – Freak Show is "Underwhelming" with 6/10 It is worth mentioning that Murder House set the standards quite high while Asylum delivered above and beyond, where it truly was an American Horror Story.However, without going into much detail about the latter two seasons, I believe where the writers and/or producers have gone slightly wrong, is that they focused more on attaining characters for the actors to play rather than actors for the characters to be played by.
where only the "American" part was more or less true.This is not to say that Coven and Freak Show were bad "mini-series", they were both watchable, the former more so than the latter but they were not well produced, despite the potential.(UPDATE) Season 5 – Hotel is "Substandard" with 5/10 Unfornatunely, the latest instalment of the AHS, Hotel, did not reclaim the past seasons' former standards, worse still, this season, was even poorer than its previous predecessor, as I personally feel, hence the overall rating from me for AHS will now go to 7/10 as just "okay".
remained fine – not the best but certainly not the worst, the rest that comes with making a series seriously lacked almost everything.The story, which ironically the series boasts in its very title, lacked tremendously; once again it felt incoherent, inconsistent, insipid and this time had even more plot-holes than even a patient viewer, such as myself, can allow to pass.
There were so many things wrong with the design of the characters – some of them felt so extremely "forced", as in, it felt like they didn't really fit into the "story" (if you want to call it that) but the producers pushed them in just so that they can get the actor/actress from the past involved, after looking back that's seriously a big issue.It's actually rather difficult to put into words how bad this season is, and while I can barely understand why it may still appeal to some, it is safe to say that the majority of us will agree that this was not the best of AHS.I think the people behind this show may be allowing their "success" get into their heads; it seems the fact that AHS is quite popular and the fact that it is an anthology series makes them a little more careless, as if to say
"if we f*** up we can forget this season because it's an anthology and plus we are popular anyway".
It picked up later in the season and there were some good ideas but after watching the last episode you realise that the whole season has been a waste of time, the ending was a major disappointment and a big writing cop out.
The first 3 series are great but at this point there are more bad series than good ones, freak show felt pointless and the musical numbers incredible forced, hotel was okay but dragged on for far too long and became a confusing mess, roanoke was a disaster with the exception of the terrible underused Kathy Bates and Cult started off with promise but again ended up in its own backside, I've no hope for this new series..
As far as Pilots go, no matter how entertaining or thrilling American Horror Story's Pilot was, the Pilot for The Walking Dead was better, masterful in every way.
And the fact that it takes itself too seriously sort of dampens the fun one should be having with it, simply because its writing isn't strong enough to stretch out its story lines (like the two best TV shows on air, Mad Men and Breaking Bad, do).
American Horror Story is better for these reasons- each episode by itself is exciting, it's always moving, and instead of trying to slow things down and makes its flaws more apparent, it even overdoes things on purpose.
The second season of American Horror Story was excellent, but the last (third) is one of the worst I've ever seen!
But this is not it, it is just bad, the only part I like is season 6 it going back to the murder house and all the old characters, it really has the ahs feel to it.
I am just cant feel good about it and giving up on AHS, I loved the first few seasons but it has run its course and it's just not even scarey, creative or interesting anymore, its just weird and evil,not scarey.
Completely stupid biased Prejudiced and absolutely not scary the most illogical and most absurd television series I have ever seen completely uninteresting and has no plot motive or Story characters are playing boring and even intrusive the series needs to be cancelled the leading and took it off the air YouTube's Netflix and the Webb.
I'll keep this short, if you are thinking of investing time in this series i would highly recommend the first two seasons but don't waste your time with the third or fourth as they are totally different and a real let down considering the strong start.
I love horror genre especially with twisted stories, but while the first few seasons were great, the last several are down right incoherent.
Far from even coming close to being original storytelling, this ludicrous "I-See-Dead-People" TV series repeatedly used the tactics of mercilessly clubbing the viewer over the noggin with one ghost-story cliché after another.With the most contrived skeletons hanging in just about everybody's closet, it soon became pretty clear to me that the producers of American Horror Story (AHS, for short) had absolutely no respect for the intelligence of its targeted audience.Disappointing, oppressive, annoying, erratic, AHS's heavy-handed approach to its trendy tales of terror, far too often, got itself so bogged down with gloom & doom that it quickly began to grate on my nerves like you wouldn't believe.Underhandedly using sexual situations and brief glimpses of nudity (both male & female) as a means of spicing up its less-than-frightening scenarios, AHS was a decidedly dull-edged TV program that, otherwise, frequently hit absolute rock-bottom in the realm of terror.I am completely baffled by the rave reviews and solid 8-star ratings that AHS has collectively garnered for itself.And, finally - I think that Jessica Lange should retire from performing in front of a camera.
Less a stand-alone narrative than a sequel to Murder House, Hotel, and especially Coven, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's American Horror Story: Apocalypse makes explicit what fans have implicitly known since Pepper (Naomi Grossman) was committed to Briarcliff towards the end of Freak Show - each season takes place in a shared universe (as well as being a sequel to the three aforementioned seasons, Apocalypse also features oblique references to Asylum, Freak Show, and Roanoke).
Aside from Langdon and Cordelia, there's the Harmons, Vivienne (Connie Britton), Ben (Dylan McDermott), and Violet (Taissa Farmiga); the Langdons, Constance (Jessica Lange), Tate (Even Peters), and Beauregard (Sam Kinsey); Moria O'Sullivan (Frances Conroy); Billie Dean Howard (Sarah Paulson); Elizabeth Short (Mena Suvari); Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga); Myrtle Snow (Frances Conroy); Misty Day (Lily Rabe); Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts); Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe); Nan (Jamie Brewer); Stevie Nicks (playing herself); Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett); Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates); Papa Legba (Lance Reddick); and, James Patrick March (Evan Peters).Many of the previous seasons of American Horror Story have begun strong only to fall off towards the end.
In an era when TV has degenerated into a plethora of cooking shows, "lifestyle" programming and "Honey Boo Boo" reality, anything scripted--albeit crudely in this case--seems like an event of great importance by comparison.Like all cable TV series, "American Horror Story" excels at taking seven minutes of whisper-thin plot and dragging it out to pad a full episode's runtime.
1. Despite its unlikable characters and muddled plot threads, MURDER HOUSE kicked off "American Horror Story" to a unique and macabre start, thanks to its enticing direction, campy tone, and atmospheric tension.
It seemed to tick all the right boxes and had some very solid performances and characterisation from several of the actor/esses So I started watching it looking forward to the next episode and was wondering quite what would happen next in this adult series that was also well produced.However, it did start to become predictable in that if you thought...
If you really want to watch something scary, this isn't for you.It's a series of poorly strung together recycled horror plots.
It wouldn't bother me how much they borrow if they had an original twist on the stories or actually made them scary.They have some great actors, and some interesting characters, but the plot is all over the place.
I will start off by stating I have liked American Horror Story.
That's my fault for continuing to watch even though it was pretty clear that there would be no satisfying end or any interesting development.My bad.I suppose Jessica Lang was kind of born to play her roles in the series.
I am a big fan of the show since the start in 2011, it's such a brilliant idea to have the 'same' fantastic and beautiful cast in different story lines every new season.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't total garbage, but I was also a little frustrated by the end of the first season.American Horror Story, as many of the negative reviews have already said, falls victim to incorporating too many of the ideas of movies and books that already exist.
The episodes that dealt mostly with the Harmon family were very boring, more like a soap opera than a horror series.
In the beginning I was completely unaware that the show was an anthology series, so was incredibly confused when season 2 started in a different setting with a new story but the same cast playing different characters.
Overall, I would still recommend the first two seasons of AHS to anyone that was thinking of watching, but cut your losses after that because you're bound to be disappointed like I was..
To me, her presence indicates that the whole series is becoming more about style than substance.Then yesterday I started watching Bates Motel and suddenly realized what a good horror show looks like.
But the season really has a down fall in the last episodes, becoming more a comedy than a horror, I also didn't like the ending.
I loved all other seasons because they had likeable characters & interesting horror stories but this last season was NOTHING Like their prior seasons. |
tt0068457 | Dead of Night | In Vietnam, US soldier Andy Brooks is shot by a sniper and falls to the ground. As he begins to die, he hears his mother's voice calling out, "Andy, you'll come back, you've got to, you promised." The voice becomes sinister and muffled as Andy's eyes close. Sometime later, his family receives notice of his death in combat.Back home, Andy's father, Charles, and sister, Cathy, begin to grieve, but his mother, Christine, becomes irate and refuses to believe that Andy has died. Hours later, in the middle of the night, Andy arrives at the front door in full uniform and apparently unharmed; the family accepts the notice of his death as a clerical error and welcomes him back with joy.Over the next few days, Andy displays strange and erratic behavior, dressing in an unusually concealing matter and spending his days sitting around the house listless and anemic. Meanwhile, local police investigate the murder of a local trucker, who was found with his throat slashed and his body drained of blood after telling diner patrons that he'd picked up a hitchhiking soldier.Charles attempts to confront Christine about Andy's erratic behavior, which only leads to tension between the couple as Christine insists that Charles was too withholding and authoritarian a father and Charles telling Christine that she's made Andy too sensitive by smothering him. Andy continues to display unusual behavior, attacking a neighborhood boy who attempts to demonstrate his karate skills and then attacking the family dog when it tries to protect the child. At night, Andy becomes inexplicably lively and animated, wandering the town and spending time in the local cemetery. It ultimately becomes apparent that Andy has returned as some kind of vampire, and has been draining people's blood in order to reinvigorate himself, injecting it into his own decaying body with syringes.On a double date at the drive-in with his high school sweetheart Joanne along with his sister and best friend, Andy begins to die from a lack of blood and attacks first Joanne, then his friend. They are both killed during the attack. The other drive-in patrons witness the last attack and panic. This causes Andy to flee before he can infuse himself with his friend's blood. The police pursue Andy, the chase ultimately ending at the graveyard where Andy has been spending his free time. There they discover Andy, finally dead and reduced to a skeleton, lying in a shallow grave that he has been progressively digging for himself beneath a crudely fashioned tombstone. Christine, looking at her son's body, gravely tells the police "Some boys never come home." | cult, grindhouse film, murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0198781 | Monsters, Inc. | The city of Monstropolis in the monster world is powered by energy from the screams of human children. At the Monsters, Inc. factory, skilled monsters employed as "scarers" venture into the human world to scare children and harvest their screams, through doors that activate portals to the children's bedroom closets. It is considered dangerous work, as human children are believed to be "toxic". Energy production is falling because children are becoming less easily scared, and company chairman Henry J. Waternoose is determined to find a solution. James P. "Sulley" Sullivan is the organization's top scarer, but his chief rival, chameleon-like monster Randall Boggs, is close behind.
One day, Sulley discovers that Randall has left a door activated on the scare floor, and a small girl has entered the factory. After several desperate failed attempts to put her back, Sulley conceals her and takes her out of the factory. He interrupts his best friend Mike Wazowski's date with his girlfriend Celia, and chaos erupts when the child is discovered. Sulley and Mike manage to escape with the child before the Child Detection Agency (CDA) quarantines the restaurant, and back at their home, discover that she is not actually toxic after all. Sulley grows attached to her and calls her "Boo", while Mike is just anxious to be rid of her.
When they smuggle her back into the factory disguised as a baby monster in an attempt to send her home, Randall discovers her and tries to kidnap her, but mistakenly kidnaps Mike instead. He straps Mike to a large machine called "The Scream Extractor", which he intends to use to revolutionize the scaring industry and solve the monster world's energy problems by forcefully extracting screams from kidnapped human children, though not without harming them in the process. Before Randall can use the machine on Mike, Sulley intervenes and reports Randall to Waternoose. Waternoose, secretly in league with Randall, instead exiles Mike and Sulley to the human world in the Himalayas. The two are taken in by a Yeti, who suggests they travel to a nearby village to return to the monster world. Sulley prepares to leave, but Mike angrily refuses to go with him. Meanwhile, Randall is preparing to use the Scream Extractor on Boo, but Sulley arrives and saves her. Randall and Sulley fight, and after Mike returns and the two reconcile, they overpower Randall, take Boo and flee.
Randall pursues them to the giant door vault, and a wild chase ensues among the millions of doors as they move in and out of the storage vault on rails to the factory floor. Boo's laughter causes all the doors to activate, allowing the chase to pass in and out of the human world. Randall attempts to kill Sulley, but Boo overcomes her fear and attacks him. Sulley and Mike trap Randall in the human world, where two residents at a trailer park beat him with a shovel, mistaking him for an alligator. Sulley and Mike then trick Waternoose into revealing his plot with Randall, while Mike secretly records the entire conversation. The CDA then arrests Waternoose, and Sulley and Mike say goodbye to Boo and return her home before her door is shredded to prevent any more contact with her.
With the factory temporarily shut down, Sulley is named the new CEO of Monsters, Inc. Under his leadership, the energy crisis is solved by harvesting children's laughter instead of screams, as laughter has been found to be much more potent. Mike takes Sulley aside, revealing he has rebuilt Boo's door, and only needs one final piece, which Sulley took as a memento. Sulley enters and joyfully reunites with Boo. | comedy, fantasy, cute, cult, clever, humor, satire, entertaining, sentimental | train | wikipedia | null |
tt4094724 | The Purge: Election Year | In 2022, a masked purger taunts a young woman (Christy Coco) and her entire family. He then tells them they are going to play one final Purge game, called "Mommy's Choice." When she refuses, the man moves slowly towards the family as they struggle.
In 2040, two days before the Purge, riots break out all over Washington, D.C., claiming that the totalitarian New Founding Fathers are using the Purge to help their economic agenda. The events make a great effect on the upcoming Presidential election. Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), a Senator, is gaining ground over the NFFA's candidate, Minister Edwidge Owens (Kyle Secor). It is revealed that she is the young woman from the beginning, and that she alone was spared by the masked purger. The NFFA, headed by Caleb Warrens (Raymond J. Barry), view Roan as a threat to their rule and plan to use the upcoming Purge to eliminate her from play. Meanwhile, Roan and Owens attend a debate and, while Owens states how America's crime rates are lowering, Roan gets a standing ovation after she declares the Purge only serves to eliminate the poor and benefit the rich and powerful, after which she then breaks security protocol, by stepping into the audience. At a convenience store, owner and proprietor Joe Dixon (Mykelti Williamson), his assistant Marcos (Joseph Julian Soria), and their friend EMT Laney Rucker (Betty Gabriel), watch the coverage on television.
On March 20, the day before the Purge, the NFFA revokes the Purge rule that protects government officials with a 10 ranking, appearing to attempt to regain public favor, but the move is actually a front for an attempt to kill Roan. That same day, Joe and Laney confront a teenage shoplifter named Kimmy (Brittany Mirabile) and her friend (Juani Feliz), who relent because Laney used to be queen badass of the neighborhood. Later, an enraged Joe discovers that his Purge insurance premium has been raised beyond his affordability, prompting him to stake out and guard his store. Roan decides to wait out the Purge from her unsecured home in order to secure the popular vote of the common people. Her head of security, former police sergeant Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), initially disagrees with the idea, but accepts her reasons. He then revamps security and has Roan's house re-secured with new barricades and surrounded by secret service agents and SWAT snipers standing watch outside, with his partners Chief Couper (Ethan Phillips) and Eric Busmalis (Adam Cantor) as well as three more secret service agents partly supervising the event from indoors. Meanwhile, a group of South African tourists at Dulles Airport are interviewed by a news anchor wherein their response is to join the Purge. News of airports across America flooding with more tourists traveling to the United States to witness or join the Purge make the press dub them as "Murder Tourists."
After Purge Night commences, Joe and Marcos repel an attack by the teenage shoplifters, injuring Kimmy. Laney and her partner Dawn (Liza Colón-Zayas) patrol the city in a heavily modified ambulance, rendering medical care to the wounded. Roan and Barnes are betrayed by Couper and Busmalis, who signal a Neo-Nazi paramilitary force led by Earl Danzinger (Terry Serpico) and secretly let them into the household, having killed all the secret service agents and SWAT snipers. As the troops assassinate the three remaining secret service agents, Barnes manages to get Roan to safety, but is wounded in the process. He detonates a bomb in the house, killing Couper, Busmalis, and a few troops. Navigating through the hostile streets of Washington D.C. to seek safer shelter, Roan and Barnes are ambushed and taken captive by a group of Russian Murder Tourists. While the group taunts them, Marcos spots the commotion, prompting him and Joe to leave the store's roof and rescue the duo. They shoot the group dead, and take Barnes and Roan to Joe's store. Roan converses with the two while Marcos tries to tend to Barnes' wound. As Barnes and Joe get into a light argument, Marcos then witnesses the teenage shoplifters returning in two groups, causing Joe to call Laney and Dawn for backup, who cannot respond immediately as they are treating a teenage boy named Rondo (Jared Kemp). As Barnes, Roan, Joe, and Marcos prepare to defend themselves, Laney and Dawn arrive and run over Kimmy and her friend with their ambulance. Laney then guns down the other shoplifters before finishing off a heavily wounded Kimmy with a point-blank headshot. The group then leave the store for a safer hideout.
With all seven safe in the ambulance, the group is ambushed by a helicopter piloted by Danzinger, who ends up killing Rondo. The surviving six then seek refuge underneath a highway overpass wherein Barnes deduces they were found because the bullet in his chest is a tracker. After he extracts the bullet, the group is confronted by members of the Crips, but when Joe gives the gang's trademark whistle call "(revealing that he was once their member)," the Crips calm down. Their leader asks the group to tend to his heavily injured "boy," to which the group agrees. In return for the group's actions, the Crips plant the bullet in another area to trick the paramilitary forces after telling the former to leave. When two of Danzinger's ground team members find the bullet, the Crips emerge from hiding and eliminate them.
Barnes, Roan, Joe, Laney, Dawn, and Marcos are led to a hideout beneath a hospital protected by anti-Purge rebels led by Dwayne Bishop (Edwin Hodge) where volunteer doctors and nurses administer to wounded Purge victims while other professionals supply food, water, and medicines. Joe, Marcos, and Laney decide to go back to the store, but are forced to turn back after spotting several NFFA death squad trucks heading to the hideout, prompting Laney to report to Dawn. Meanwhile, Roan discovers the rebels are planning to assassinate Owens and tries to dissuade them, as she wants to win the election fairly. They are forced to flee as Dawn alerts the entire hideout of death squad forces arriving. Barnes and Roan survive the hostile alleyways, and they meet up again with the ambulance. However, before the group can escape the city, the ambulance is rammed by Danzinger, and Roan is captured.
The senator is delivered alongside a drug addict named Lawrence by Danzinger to an NFFA-captured Catholic cathedral where Owens presides over a midnight Purge mass, while Barnes and the others give chase. The group meets up with Bishop and his team wherein they formulate a plan to rescue Roan by infiltrating the cathedral through a tunnel system. Meanwhile, at the cathedral, Owens has his friend Harmon James (Christopher James Baker), another NFFA loyalist, stab Lawrence as a cleansing ritual for his longtime vice. As he invites the high-ranking members of the NFFA to the altar to sacrifice Roan with Warrens to lead them in the purging, the group and Bishop's team both reach the cathedral wherein Barnes and his team stealthily eliminate the NFFA Secret Service Agents and take position in the choir loft.
As Warrens begins to slit Roan's throat, Marcos assassinates him from the choir loft, instigating a chaos that signals Bishop's team to invade the cathedral. As the entire congregation begins to disperse and flee in panic, the group fires into the fleeing crowd, killing a vast number of them and leaving only a few, including Owens and James, to escape. A second horde of NFFA secret service agents attempts to eliminate the group but are gunned down by Bishop's team. After the rebels untie Roan, the group heads to the cathedral's crypt to find Owens. Bishop captures Owens and contemplates killing him, to the protests of Roan and Barnes, while Owens goads him on to kill him. Bishop refrains, realizing that killing Owens would be taking part in the Purge and would make him no better. As Barnes knocks Owens unconscious with Joe watching, the group also discovers a large number of bound and gagged Purge mass sacrifice victims that Owens had stashed in the crypt.
Bishop and his men decide to secure transport to leave the cathedral while Barnes, Roan, Joe, Laney, and Marcos attempt to untie the captives. However, they are soon ambushed by Danzinger and his mercenaries, leaving the rebel team killed and Bishop wounded. Barnes rushes out to help him, leaving Roan in the care of Laney and company. Bishop manages to dispatch the remaining mercenaries, but is fatally gunned down by Danzinger. Seeing this, Barnes engages Danzinger in a vicious melee combat wherein the former gains the upper hand, killing the latter. As Roan frees some of the last of Owens' imprisoned victims, James emerges from hiding and fires at the group, killing one of the newly freed victims. After incapacitating Laney and wounding Marcos, he targets Roan, but Joe steps in and engages in a furious crossfire with James, finally killing him with a headshot. Before succumbing to his injuries, Joe urges Roan to win the election and tells Marcos and Laney to take care of his store.
On May 26, two months after the Purge, Roan defeats Owens in the presidency by a landslide while Barnes is promoted to head of Secret Service while continuing his service as her chief of security. Marcos and Laney renovate the store and continue to run it in Joe's honor while they watch the news of Roan's victory, and another report indicating that outlawing the Purge has become Roan's top priority. Further reports state that many NFFA supporters have reacted to the election results with violent protests in the streets as Marcos looks at an American flag hanging outside the store. | comedy, suspenseful, murder, violence, flashback, insanity, brainwashing, revenge, sadist | train | wikipedia | This doesn't mean that The Purge: Election Year is a very good film, but at least, it offers a more interesting and fluid story, supported by a relevant message...
The ridiculous exaggeration employed by director and screenwriter James DeMonaco in every aspect of the movie barely surpass the reality; 3 years ago, when the original film was released, the Purge looked like a distant fantasy, but we are currently so close to that social collapse that an even more extreme screenplay is needed in order to return to the fiction field.
In conclusion, I wasn't left very satisfied by The Purge: Election Year, but it didn't bore me and I found it superior to the previous two films, so I can give it a slight recommendation, mainly to the followers of this saga and public servers searching for spiritual peace because they aren't as evil as the ones portrayed in this movie..
Yeah the promos did feature some very topical satire about a female Senator and a right wing nutjob battaling for the future of America but seemed a little too obvious The bad news is that's exactly how THE PURGE ELECTION YEAR plays out .
Everyone is good or bad with no in-between and no ambiguity involved Being positive about this at least the dichotomy of the characterisation means no one is going to confuse the noble and genuine Senator Charlie Roan with any female politician running for President in 2016 so at least the film can't be accused of being cheerleaders for present American party politics .
The sole returning character from the second movie is Barnes (played by Fred Grillo), who now has become the head of security and trusted right-hand man of Senator Roan (played by Elizabeth Mitchell, still best known for her role in the TV series Lost).
Political considerations aside, the movie does a good job of raising the tensions but for me the movie is also too predictable and frankly a bit too long."The Purge: Election Year" opened wide this weekend (to coincide with July 4, of course).
So I'll start off by saying that I actually liked the original Purge, I know many people were expecting it to be a bit bigger and to expand more on the premise but I still enjoyed it and thought it was a pretty fun Horror/Thriller.
Then the second Purge (which really wasn't a sequel, more of just a separate movie set in the same universe apart from one little tie in) came out and I enjoyed that one as well, however I thought it was a bit more cheesy than the original and it was really more of an Action/Thriller than a horror movie.
I was pretty set with those two, I didn't think there was any need to continue on with the franchise, but we rarely ever get big release horror movies anymore so I decided to just suck it up and give The Purge: Election Year a chance.So the premise was actually pretty interesting, a Senator whose family was slaughtered in front of her on Purge night is running for president in an effort to stop the Purge.
The villains weren't much better, at one point they try to pass off a group of obnoxious teenage girl as villains, the scenes with these girls were drawn out and extremely irritating, these characters belonged in a teen comedy not a R rated "Horror" film.All in all I thought this was a lousy sequel and that the Purge Franchise would have been better after just being two films.
Even though the first two 'The Purge' movies weren't all that great I still had a fun time seeing it and was interested in what this newest installment in the series could bring.The movie starts off with an uninspired news broadcast that sets up the story about a senator running for presidency whose goal is to abolish the annual purge (an event where for one night all crime is legal).
The current government or 'The New Founding Fathers' want nothing of this and would prefer to have this senator out of the way.In the beginning of the movie the director uses some interesting lighting techniques whenever new characters were introduced where the way their faces were lit gave an indication on their moral standpoint is on the purge*.
Often times lines are delivered in an almost laughable manner, although with a script like that you can't really ask much from the actors.Overall the movie was incredibly boring to watch and is a worthy contender for worst movie of the year (although I think Independence Day: Resurgence will claim that 'trophy').
At the same time, the film, like the others in a way succeeds in bringing the audience into an adventure that revolves around the characters / protagonists as they are forced through the horrifying events that follow the entirety of the purge.
The movie is an obvious political message with absolutely unreal characters and situations that would never exist in real life.Innocent minorities that want to help civilians and their blonde female candidate (who is good) VS evil Nazis lead by the REpublican candidate.
Election Year's plot brings us further down the rabbit hole as to the point of the Purge and fills into those pot holes left at the end of the second movie.
the first purge film wasn't bad great idea, but why they feel the need to keep making theses films every year, the story lines get worse and worse , this film has some truly terrible acting in it.
Some good ideas with the ''tourismurder'', actually concludes on a scene that isn't bad, with people who behave more like in the 2nd movie.
It helps that Frank Grillo reprises his role from Anarchy, but it's a different story altogether.A senator is running for president on the idea that she would fight to end the purge and her body guard, Leo Barnes believes in her cause.
It's an exaggerated reflection on society, but still its like looking into a mirror of what people would do if they could get away with it.I felt the movie was pretty even on every side of what the purging does: the poor get eliminated, the rich get richer, and Election Year adds those who are poor who fight back and those who see it as a religious day.
Although Election Year comes dangerously close to repeating or even remaking the first follow-up 2014's The Purge: Anarchy we're once again out on the streets close to the action but this time in Washington DC, (weirdly filmed in Providence, Rhode Island) as opposed to Los Angeles, though at this it could really be 'Anycity, USA' as our heroes try to find safety.
The added wrinkle here is that the rule protecting governmental people has been relaxed, and the New Founding Fathers have not only paid off a chunk of her security detail, they've also sent a mercenary to take her out, because they enforce a new rule that will now make government officials of ranking ten vulnerable for the night, so now the New Founding Fathers will kill everybody who is involved.Set two years after the merciless killings in The Purge: Anarchy (2014) Leo Barnes (Grillo) who is now head of security for Senator Charlie, he and his employer has to survive as they put it "one last purge." This film takes you right into the action something that the first one failed to do now The Purge: Anarchy was actually better than the first although this despite all its craziness and its terrible scripting it is a very entertaining end to the trilogy, although not what you might have thought it was because writer/director James DeMonaco keeps the same style as he did in the previous it unfortunately fails to deliver one thing and that is an actual story, it just continues as a psycho killer film and all though it has pretty good action and good acting from Frank Grillo and Mitchell and fortunately down have to go down the romance route – no time for love when you're on the run from a skull-emblazoned drone., it fails to deliver in everything else.
Weirdly enough in the first two government officials ranking above ten weren't affected during the Purge night, but now in this one everyone is affected but that's basically nobody wants Charlie Roan as the President so the killers try to make a killing to get rid of her, but don't quite succeed.Amongst the anguish and pain it decides to take a religious turn but instead of praying it makes it turn out that the people who don't kill are sinners as the film puts it, and although that idea is original it really wasn't needed in a film that was already cold hearted but this adds even more cold heartedness.
2016 marks the second time the GOP is lead by a candidate mainly known for his accomplishments as a businessman, the third time with a candidate named Clinton heading the Democratic ticket – and the third time for a story about an annual 12-hour period at the beginning of spring during which all crime is legal – even murder.As many questions as have been raised by the first two iterations in "The Purge" film franchise, writer-director James DeMonaco (accomplishing the rare feat of creating three movies in a single horror series) manages to find even more questions to ask in "The Purge: Election Year" (R, 1:45).
Some of the characters are over-acted, parts of the script are unnecessarily crude and there's a distracting amount of blood and gore, but "The Purge: Election Day" gives Movie Fans plenty of engaging action and biting social commentary.
I liked the way they portrayed the purgers in this movie, because they had the most personality out of all the previous movies, and they demonstrated how evil people really enjoy their work (of purging, especially).But it also shows how a cast of people from so different backgrounds could work together for a common good, and how our differences mean so little when we stand together for something good and right and just..
As an avid lover of both the first and the second instalment of The Purge movies, I read the reviews before watching The Purge: Election Year thinking it was going to be less of a horror film and more of a politically driven plot.
Once again (like the previous two movies) the film has been (mostly) well received by critics and viewers alike; I really enjoyed it as well.Grillo reprises his role as Leo Barnes; a former police sergeant, that almost murdered the man who accidentally killed his son (on a previous 'Purge' night).
Barnes and Roan end up on the streets, banding with other survivors, in order to try to make it through the night (alive).The movie has a lot of the same creepy (and highly disturbing) thrills, and high-energy action scenes, as the previous two films.
This makes for an action-packed ride with a lot of fun splatter horror, but not as much substance as the concept leaves room for.My main problem with the film would be the way it tries very hard to make the purge seem like a plausible occurrence for America while simultaneously showing some very implausible scenarios.
This third film in the franchise paints a much larger picture, depicting the power struggle between the New Founding Fathers, instigators of The Purge, and those who want the yearly night of violence abolished, believing (quite rightly) that the event was created by the rich and powerful as a means of culling the poor.Elizabeth Mitchell plays Senator Charlie Roan, leader of the political opposition to the Founding New Fathers, who finds herself running for her life after the current administration decide to use The Purge for a spot of 'spring cleaning', targeting their rivals.
I do, however, feel that, like the protagonists of Election Year, it is finally time to call it a day on The Purge: I'd rather leave matters as they are than see the series go rapidly downhill as the makers begin to scrape the barrel for ideas..
The Only Thing that could be more Compelling to Motivate Americans to Vote other than this Third Installment of "The Purge" Series is perhaps someone like a "Donald Trump" as the Republican Nominee for President...Wait...So if Trump is Elected on November 8th, and You didn't want that, and You didn't Vote, there is No Blame to be Blamed on this Movie, because although many have Proclaimed the Premise of this Franchise to be a Belief that Cannot be Suspended...Ha!
DeMonaco evolves its subversive franchise satisfactorily, the third installment of "The Purge" is concentrated in please the bloody craving of the public and the delight critical about socio-economic problems of movie critics, as well, it takes advantage of the political event shakes to the country, currently, and makes use of the popular July 4th for its pre-release.Despite carry one theme in common, James DeMonaco has emphasized to give own personality to every film and apparently, "Election Year" goes beyond in a nuanced plot and an absorbent atmosphere; It integrates new ideas such as criminal tourism, lack of legal protection to governmental personalities and, of course, the emphasis on the political and human atmosphere.Frank Grillo resumes his character from "Anarchy", the former sergeant, Leo Barnes, who leads the Special Security Group of the controversial presidential candidate, Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), who proclaims and longs for the permanent suspension of the annual purge.
As horror movie is predictable and regularly is transform in a Eli Roth's gore, nevertheless, it works pretty well like a sociopolitical thriller film, corresponding with these dates perfectly (election period, Hollywood has it all carefully timed).
I only watched The Purge: Election Year because I kinda liked the other two, well at least I thought if I remember good.
the first movie played off like a traditional home invasion film, the 2nd explored outside of the realm of the purge, and Purge Election Year examined the politics behind the film.This film is very similar to Purge Anarchy, however there are only 2 main story lines that intersect.
This is all similar to Anarchy but they explore the concepts more.The film also plays out like a horror movie at some points with a Spring Breakers style montage with girls with chainsaws and some unnecessary kill montages, though the film might be the least gory of the series.The final sequence was a little anti-climatic, but leading up to the point was pretty fun and there were some good sequences that weren't formulaic enough that I enjoyed the ride..
Even though some say these movies are silly, the two characters bring a serious tone.What I personally didn't enjoy all that much was how it toned itself down from the last purge film.
Hoping this is the last chapter of Purge i loved Purge Anarchy so much i Found It So Worth Watching Frank Grillo That What Really Interest Me to movie it was like Puinsher Mixed with Judgement night it had a lot of action to it.
some of action scenes were worth watching Frank Grillo Character Leo still kicking a lot of ass in movie killing Purges (Edwin Hodge) Dwayne AKA Stranger from first 2 Purge Movies he is not in it as much still stopping Purge the villain i liked (Terry Serpico)Earl Danzinger White supremacy group that wants to take out Sentor villain kinda reminds me of villain in Puinsher Comic Book villain.
there was some stupid bits in movie a lot silly moments like candy bar girls, people coming from another country's are there to Purge come on don't they have better things to do ?
The only dull thing i found watching this flick was how small security forces of USA leaders in that world are - literally.Overall, if you didn't liked previous movies (especially second part) before, you can skip "Election Year", as basically it is as the second part with a bit more gunfights.
Overall, The Purge: Election Year is more of the same as its predecessor, crazy people doing crazy things, view that as bad or good is entirely up to you.
having enjoyed the two predecessors, i was looking forward to it in the hope it would rekindle the series however there was still a very linear plot and little character development.To be fair, if you take it for what it is, the purge election year is entertaining with some twists and suspense but i cant help feel a lost opportunity to do something original.
I have watched all the 3 films, they have great stories but I couldn't grasp the emotions and idea that people are allowed to kill for 1 night a year, it was very unreal!
Senator is considered a high target due to the fact that she wants to eliminate the Purge, something that every other Presidential candidate uses in order to be elected.Since I had already watched the two previous movies I was expecting something more from it.
Some other interpretations that have to be mentioned were Elizabeth Mitchell's who played as Senator Charlie Roan, Betty Gabriel's who played as Laney Rucker and Mykelti Williamson's who played as Joe Dixon.To sum up, I have to say that "The Purge: Election Year" is a nice movie to watch, it has a good plot, decent direction, and some interesting interpretations.
A-Z Horror Movie of the Day..."The Purge: Election Year" (R - 2016 - US)Genre: Slasher/Crime
Overall, I was never bored by "The Purge: Election Year" and was in fact quite entertained, but I still feel like the film should have been scarier, with more horror elements, and although it did delve more into the subtext of the series original premiss, it felt like it was playing things too safe.
Disappointed & way too political nothing like the first two purge movies..
The purge was a pretty unrealistic movie that I didn't like that much,Anarchy though was a very very well made creepy film that should've stood out on its own. |
tt1496422 | The Paperboy | Anita (Macy Gray), the chain smoking black maid of the Jansen family, recounts to an unseen reporter the events of the summer of 1969, when idealistic reporter Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey) came back to his fictional hometown of Lately in Moat County, Florida, to investigate the events surrounding a murder in an effort to exonerate a man on death row, Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack). In 1965, swamp-dwelling alligator hunter and small-time criminal Van Wetter has been jailed for the murder of a violent and unscrupulous local sheriff, Thurmond Call. Four years later, Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman), a woman from Mobile, Alabama whom Van Wetter has never met but who has fallen in love with him after exchanging correspondence, is now determined to prove his innocence and have him released so they can marry.
Charlotte requested the help of Ward and his colleague, Englishman Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo), who are both investigative reporters from The Miami Times. Ward's younger brother, Jack Jansen (Zac Efron), is hired as their driver. Ward has mixed feelings about returning home to his estranged father, who runs a local newspaper and distributes The Miami Times in their town. Both Jansen brothers dislike their father's latest girlfriend, Ellen. Jack now works as a paperboy for his father's business after having been expelled from college for vandalism, ending his prospective career as a professional swimmer. His only real friend is Anita, who brought him and Ward up after their mother left them.
The evidence against Van Wetter is inconsistent and Ward and Yardley are confident they can expose Van Wetter as a victim of redneck justice. Meanwhile, Jack has fallen in love with Charlotte, who only desires Van Wetter. During a day at the beach, Jack gets stung by a jellyfish and has a life-threatening allergic reaction. Charlotte saves his life by urinating on him, an embarrassing circumstance that his father promptly exploits for an article on his newspaper. Anita realizes that Jack can never stop thinking of Charlotte as she is his first true love.
Van Wetter is hostile to the reporters at first, and contrary to the romantic portrayal he had painted of himself in his letters to Charlotte, he reveals himself to be a sexist and rude man with anger issues. One day, after finally acquiring some useful information from Van Wetter, the Jansens travel to meet Van Wetter's uncle Tyree. The man is the only one who can corroborate Van Wetter's alibi, since, according to Van Wetter, the two men were stealing sod from a golf course in Ormond Beach the night of the murder. Tyree, who lives in pitiful conditions in the middle of the swamp with his "white trash" family, is initially ill-disposed and wary of admitting his own crime to save his nephew's life, but finally caves in. In the meantime, Yardley and Charlotte have visited the golf course to verify that side of the story; Yardley comes back claiming to have tracked the developer who bought the sod stolen by Hillary and Tyree, but the man only agreed to talk upon the promise to remain anonymous, so Yardley refuses to disclose his name even to Ward. Satisfied with his findings, Yardley goes back to Miami to start writing the article.
Suspicious of Yardley's motives, Ward decides to go check the truth in Ormond Beach himself, with Jack and Charlotte in tow. During the trip, Ward gets drunk, approaches two black men in a bar, and take them to his motel room. During the night, Charlotte wakes up Jack after hearing alarming sound from Ward's room, and the two finds Ward tied up, after being raped and tortured by the two men. As Ward is taken to the hospital, Jack does not resent him for secretly being a homosexual or for being into violent, self-destructive practices, but just for keeping from him this side of his adult life.
While Ward's still in the hospital, Jack goes to Miami to try and convince Yardley not to publish the article in his brother's name without checking all the facts first. During the confrontation, Yardley reveals he's actually an American pretending to be English to escape discrimination. He also reveals he had given Ward sexual favors in the past, which was the beginning of Ward's guilty, self-hating infatuation with black men.
After the article is published, Van Wetter obtains a pardon and is released from prison. He takes Charlotte away to the swamp to live with him. Months later, she is unhappy with the demeaning lifestyle she has to endure, and sends a letter to Jack telling him she now realizes she made a mistake and plans to reunite with him at his father and Ellen's wedding reception. However, Jack only finds out about the letter one month later, at the very day of the wedding, when Anita, who's been fired from the Jansen household, gives the letter to him, revealing Ellen decided to hide it from Jack.
Since Charlotte is not there, a worried Jack leaves the party to go find her, followed by Ward, who has lost an eye due to the incident at Ormond Beach and is now an alcoholic after Yardley left for New York with a deal to write a book on the Van Wetter case. When Jack and Ward confront Van Wetter, Charlotte has already been killed after Van Watter refused to let her leave to attend the wedding. A fight ensues, and Van Wetter kills Ward as well, by slashing his throat with a machete (the same weapon the sheriff was murdered with), but Jack manages to evade Van Wetter by diving into the swamp; the next morning, he retrieves Ward and Charlotte's bodies and leaves on the boat in which they came.
Anita finishes narrating by revealing Van Wetter was later convicted for the murders of Ward and Charlotte and sent to the electric chair, yet the identity of the sheriff's murderer was never ascertained. Jack would later meet his mother at Ward's funeral, but he would never get over Charlotte. | romantic, dark, murder | train | wikipedia | He's quite good here in an ultra adult film, as is everyone else, all playing against type: Kidman as a slut, McConaughey as a sexually troubled man, John Cusack as a backwoods maniac, and Macy Gray as a lovable servant.My wife hated the movie but couldn't take her eyes off of it.
The Paperboy is one of those films that has a fine cast, a director with a track record (Lee Daniels, Oscar nominated for Precious) and an interesting plot, but will be rarely seen and largely forgotten by year's end.
Essentially, The Paperboy is a dialogue-driven film about an idealistic reporter, Ward Jansen (Mathew McConaughey), who returns to his hometown in the backwaters of the red-necked American south to investigate the conviction of a man on death row convicted of murdering a sheriff.
When Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman), the infatuated pen-friend of Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack), the murderer in question, approaches Ward for help, he recruits his bother Jack (Zac Efron) and colleague Yardley (David Oyelowo) and sets about investigating ineptitude and corruption surrounding the case.It isn't a pretty story, it doesn't race along at breakneck speed and it isn't a film that haunts the viewer long after the credits have rolled.
Each has secrets or sides to their characters they try to hide and each is capable of damaging another willfully and yielding or ignoring their conscience after the event in their own self-harming manner.Efron shows signs of shaking off his teenybopper roots and it is encouraging to see him take a long and effective step away from such pulp as last year's predictable The Lucky One. At last we see something of a character developing from him, and Jack's relationship with the maid, Anita (Macy Gray), who also narrates much of the story, gives a hint of warmth to an otherwise cold and twisted collection of characters.Both McConaughey and Kidman stepped away from the 'beautiful' roles sometime ago, though there is still a feeling of them playing 'against type' here, which isn't fair as both are very fine actors with some startling performances in recent years.
Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) is on death row for the crime but the reporter believes he is innocent and drags his younger brother (Zac Efron) and a trashy woman (Nicole Kidman) into things.
The cast features Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, David Oyelowo, Scott Glenn and Macy Gray all playing against type in unusual roles (for each actor).
I agree with the criticisms but still feel like I have to give it a lot of respect and credit for what it does manage to accomplish.The film revolves around a man named Hillary Van Wetter (Cusack) who's on death row for the murder of a local sheriff in a small Florida town.
The Jansen's maid Anita (Gray) is Jack's only friend and she narrates the story.The movie is sleazy and trashy pulp like the films of yesteryear.
The cast is all fantastic; Cusack is very strange and creepy, McConaughey seems to be playing a character like many others he's done before but he does take a sharp character twist, Efron is good as the shy yet determined heart of the film and Kidman is fantastic as the sex obsessed vixen.
It's not quite as funny or bleak as the similarly southern-fried Killer Joe, but I do believe that The Paperboy has a more humanist agenda than William Friedkin's film, basically emerging on the side of people, broken as they often become.Like Precious, this is a film containing difficult individual scenes, and a troubling ambivalence about whether we're investing in a set of real characters or peering at them through museum glass.
Indeed, this is one of the films strengths as it pulls no punches at being explicit wherever possible, which garnered extremely mixed reviews when it was screened at Cannes last year.The acting pedigree of the film is high with Matthew McConaughey and Zac Effron playing the two brothers, with Nicole Kidman excelling in her role as the troubled Miss Bless.
Zac Efron is decent in his protagonist role, Matthew McConaughey does fairly good work, but the true star is Nicole Kidman.
There are a lot of characters in it, all of them ugly, trashy people and played by the likes of Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey and John Cusack, but I never knew whose story this was or through whose point of view this story was being told.
The film is really more of a character story then it is a southern noir narrative-a coming of age story somehow mixed up with a southern Gothic noir-but the plot is pretty irristiable if you're a fan of films like "Night of The Hunter" or much more on the mark comparison wise "The Gingerbread Man" (a much better film i think this might make an interesting companion piece to sometime down the line) The plot (for those of you who don't already know) essentially is Matthew McConaughey is a reporter who returns home to write a story about a convicted sheriff killer John Cusack--there seems to be a story involving the question of his actual guilt.
When Zach Efron first sets his eyes on her--he falls head over heels in love with her--and things develop somewhat senselessly from there.I just want to state that everyone here is severely miscast with the exception of Macy Gray as the maid to the family the two brothers are from-if you have a film with these actors in it and the most effective performance comes from someone who's not known for being an actor--that's a major sign that something's not working right here.
Its nice that Cusack and Kidman were given the chance to play someone so 180 degrees from their normal screen persona yet neither really seems to impress in their role (Kidman makes the most of her character's trashiness--and there are some turns in the later half that Kidman does her best to sell but the film almost completely lets her down in terms of character development....Cusack however is terrible here--he's supposed to be someone so hard headed and mean but when you first see him on screen you don't see the man the characters are seeing...you see Cusack--i suppose director Lee Daniels was hoping to use Cusack's past screen performances here in order to sucker punch the audience with how much of a brute his character is--but this really only works against the film in that I kept asking myself "Is he supposed to be like some of Cusack's prior characters or is this just something that wasn't intended?") It actually would have made more sense if Cusack and McConaughey had switched roles and Cusack was the embittered reporter and McConaughey had been the southern brute because then at least the casting would have made some sort of sense.
Efron is all right enough but i don't feel he especially offers any insight into what the character might be thinking or feeling--it all seems to be what's on the page in the script, and he's just playing that....but at least he doesn't take you out of the movie--in fact one of the best things I can honestly say about this movie is that nothing really takes you out of the movie--the narrative does a good job of pushing through whatever plot obstacles the writing and performances seem to throw in its way and its that kind of pacing that helps keep the movie nicely watchable even when what your watching doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.The movie is again fairly well paced--and you won't be bored watching what happens--you may have some questions and be rather disappointed where it all ends up--having not read the book i can't say whether or not the ending was effective there, but the ending of this film felt so tacked on and so arbitrary, it was almost as if the screenwriter was just throwing up his hands and saying i guess i have to end this somehow.
The movie is also plot and character and acting aside nicely visualized--Lee Daniels really does a fine job putting a visual stamp on Efron's obsessive lust for Kidman's character and the atmosphere of the southern swamps where Cusack's character lived as an alligator skinner (resulting in a really gross scene where you see an alligator being skinned and its innards fall completely out in complete close-up--its actually kind of awesome) Daniels' seems to be trying to go for a real 70's like atmosphere here style wise--and I would say he pulls it off quite nicely--some of the jittery jump cuts of Kidman or the gauzily lit ways Efron day dreams of Kidman are presented--and the soundtrack is nicely handled too.So when all is said and done you have a halfway watchable movie here, but one that is almost so completely bogged down by plot questions, sketchy characterizations, and some pretty bad casting decisions, that it almost feels like it was trying so hard to impress and be a wonderfully sleazy classic for the ages that they let some of the more important and basic things a movie needs to nail down slide by without checking to see if these movie basics actually work.
This movie has the power to make you feel uncomfortable watching it.In fact all the characters in the movie have an hidden agenda and disturbing behaviours.It reminded me Blue Velvet by David Lynch.The set and the soundtrack are perfect, really recreating the late 60s atmospheres.The characters are excellently played - Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Macy Gray and Matthew McConaughey especially.I also appreciated the courage of Nicole Kidman and Matthiew McConaughey in taking difficult roles, distant from what their fan base are usually expecting.Highly recommended if you're not easily disturbed..
Zac Efron's 'coming-of-age'movie starts with a brutal killing, develops into a love-triangle-cum-family saga and then, like every other film set in the Everglades, explodes into an orgy of Gothic violence.
I always find movies about the Deep South disturbing because of the racism and the way that people treat each other, which was why I kind of knew what to expect from the film, but I was very surprised with how deep the director went into each characters personalities and he really pushed it to the extreme.
I realised, whilst watching the bonus bits on the DVD, that The Paperboy is a famous book which was why the actors wanted to do the movie, so maybe I should read the book to have a deeper look into each character.Budget: $12.5milliom Worldwide Gross: $1.5million (Deserved much more.)I recommend this movie to people who like there deep dramas set in the Deep South about a man on Death Row. 7/10.
The colored house maid seems the best integrated, though still treated as a servant from time to time, but nevertheless grown in her role as a substitute mother.When a film like this one does not even try to be interesting, with no story whatsoever and a lot of over-acting, I see no purpose in taking the trouble to provide examples of why I hate (nearly) all of it.
The setting is Florida in 1969 in a Podunk town where two brothers Ward Jansen (Matthew McCounaghey) and Jack Jansen (Zac Efron) work in the town's newspaper run by their father (Scott Glenn): Jack is an ex-champion swimmer whose fallen on bad times and Ward is a gay reporter who returns to the town with his boyfriend Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) to help a trashy woman Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman) who is habituated to distant love affairs with men in the penitentiary to release an innocent prisoner Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) from jail with whom she exchanges letters, after he was convicted of the killing of a sheriff, and now awaiting his execution.
While the investigation goes on course, the young Jack is hopelessly in love by the much older Charlotte, and nothing is what is seems as things progress between both the panorama of skewed relationships and between the leads found about the night of the sheriff's murder and the alleged criminal alibi.The film takes us through racial epithets, a sadomasochistic sexual encounter between Ward and some black hustlers, a lot of bizarre frank physical behavior and coarse sexual encounters, bigotry/racism, swamp derring-do including the evisceration of an alligator - all of which somehow fit well into the mood that Director Daniels wants to convey his story.
There are exceptional performances from Kidman, Efron (who is developing into a very fine young actor), McCounaghey (in a new type of role for the lady killer), Cusack (believably smarmy and psychotic), and Macy Gray.
We knew what Ward was trying to do, but what we get are sub plots that get in the way of the mission and we are left with a director shocking his audience with a dual masturbation scene in the prison visitor room, slutty behavior of Charlotte (Nicole Kidman), paperboy Jack (Zac Efron) running around in his underwear who is in love with Charlotte, disgusting and sex-crazed obsessive behavior from Hillary, and a shocking secret about Ward.
I also hated the way that the film was narrated in some scenes trying to explain everything to the viewer like if we were stupid and needed everything pointed out at us (yes, we can all understand that Efron's character was in love with Nicole Kidman because of his abandonment issues with his mother, there was no need to tell us that through voice over).
The story is narrated by the house maid, Anita (Macy Gray).The film does succeed in bringing the hot and steamy Florida weather on the screen and only watching the characters move make us feel hot and sweaty as well.
Having never reviewed movies on line before,i felt compelled to try and save some other poor soul from wasting 2 hours of their life.I don't always take on board what reviews say,because everyone's tastes are very different,but usually if you read between the lines,you can form a realistic opinion.My opinion is that this movie is a waste of an evenings movie slot.Considering how many movies are out there,to watch a bad movie,is like going to a restaurant and getting a terrible meal.From the first 5 minutes the movie is rambling and confusing and just gets worse.The dialogue is garbled,the plot is all over the place,it's even hard to understand the narrative,which is helping to explain the plot.Usually i use the rewind button, if i am attempting to understand what has been happening,but after 20 minutes, i was past caring.I only finished the movie,because,like a lot of us,i was waiting for the movie to get better.A movie,ultimately is about entertainment,which is why i gave it a 1.I wasn't entertained on any level.If i went back in time to watch it,i would knock it off after 20 minutes.I know some people won,t agree that this is a bad movie,but don,t say i didn't warn you..
Although the word getting around that this is "that one where Nicole Kidman pisses on Zac Efron" was perhaps an early indication, it is nevertheless fair to say that 'The Paperboy', with its rather innocuous title and its poster headed by popular, bankable stars, is probably not the film you expect.It really isn't!
Co-written and directed by Lee Daniels, who drew a lot of attention with his harrowing sophomore film 'Precious', this is another often tough-to-take story of an investigative journalist, Ward, returning to his Florida hometown to look into the case of a potentially innocent death row inmate.
I'm not sure why the maid is the narrating voice for the story - and it was hard to interpret what her relationship really was with Jack (Zac Ephron).Matthew McConaughy (sp?) was way out of his usual type in this film but for me, it wasn't hard to interpret fairly early on what his 'bent' was.Nicole Kidman is recognizable in the early parts by her particular actions and then when you know, it's obvious.Just compelling..
The Paperboy is a gritty, artistically craft but crude and sometimes deliberately repugnant drama about two brothers (Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron) who investigate the circumstances surrounding a convicted murderer (John Cusack) based on information provided by a down and out lush (Nicole Kidman).
I don't really even know what the movie was fully about after watching it, I guess the story of Cusack's character and the murders...?
From his highly acclaimed efforts in the 2009 picture 'Precious', you would expect Daniels to uproot something with powerful cinematic efforts, especially for an A-list cast starring Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, David Oyelowo, and John Cusask.
His big brother Ward (Matthew McConaughey), an investigative journalist, returns to their small town with his African-American friend (David Oyelowo) to look into the case of Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack), who was convicted of killing a vicious local sheriff.Director Lee Daniels shoots the film in a style that is quite gritty, and more so independently, but in truth could best be described as grubby or even scuzzy.
It begun on a good level, kept its course in a good way then it went all downhill, getting worse each frame, each scene went by.Intriguing and seen before multiple times before, this tells the story of two brothers (Matthew McCounaghey and Zac Efron), who work in the town's newspaper run by their father (Scott Glenn) who are helping a young woman (Nicole Kidman) to release an innocent prisoner (John Cusack) from jail of whom she exchanges letters, after he was convicted of the killing of a sheriff, and now he waits days go by until his execution.
I don't know what it is about The Paperboy, whether it be the performances or the way the film is built and played out, but it is a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed and would watch again multiple times..
Despite several negative criticisms I have read elsewhere, I also liked Charlotte as a movie character and the acting performance of Nichole Kidman.. |
tt0367882 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | In 1957, Indiana Jones and his partner George "Mac" McHale are kidnapped in New Mexico by Soviet agents under Colonel Dr. Irina Spalko. The Soviets infiltrate a warehouse labeled "Warehouse 51" and force Jones to locate a mummified alien corpse, recovered ten years earlier. Upon its discovery, Mac reveals he is a double agent working for the Soviets. Jones escapes and unsuccessfully attempts to retrieve the body. After a fight with Spalko's sadistic henchman, Colonel Antonin Dovchenko, Jones escapes to Doomtown (a model town), at the Nevada Test Site, minutes before an atomic bomb test, and takes shelter in a lead-lined refrigerator. Jones is rescued, decontaminated, and apprehended by FBI agents, who suspect him of working for the Soviets; and though freed on the recommendation of General Ross, who vouches for him, he is put on indefinite leave of absence from Marshall College. His leaving also causes the dean's resignation to keep Indiana's job at the college.
Jones is approached by greaser Mutt Williams, who tells him that Harold Oxley had found a crystal skull in Peru, suffered a mental breakdown and was later kidnapped. Jones tells Mutt about the legend of crystal skulls found in Akator. Mutt gives Jones a letter from his mother, who is also held captive, containing a riddle written by Oxley in an ancient South American language. KGB agents attempt to capture them, but Jones and Mutt evade them and reach Peru. At the local psychiatric hospital, Oxley's scribbles on the walls and floor of his cell lead them to the grave of Francisco de Orellana, a Conquistador who has searched for Akator. They discover the skull at the grave, with Jones reasoning that Oxley had returned it there.
Jones and Mutt are captured by Mac and the Soviets and taken to their camp in the Amazon jungle, where they find Oxley and Mutt's mother, Marion Ravenwood, who reveals that Mutt is Jones' son, Henry Jones III. Spalko believes that the crystal skull belongs to an alien life form and holds great psychic power, and that finding more skulls in Akator will grant the Soviets the advantage of psychic warfare. Spalko uses the skull on Jones to enable him to understand Oxley and identify a route to Akator. Jones and his four allies escape with the skull, but Marion and Jones get caught into a dry sandpit, to be recaptured by the Soviets. On their way to Akator, Mac tells Jones he is a CIA double-agent to regain Jones' trust, and Jones' team fights its way out of the Soviets' clutches, while Dovchenko is devoured by giant ants. Jones and his allies survive three waterfalls in an amphibious vehicle, while many of the Soviets fall from a cliff while trying to pursue them. Jones and Oxley identify a head-like rock formation that leads them to Akator, unaware that Mac lied about being a CIA agent, is still loyal to Spalko and has been dropping transceivers to allow the surviving Soviets to track them.
The adventurers escape the city's guardians, gain access to the temple, and find it filled with artifacts from many ancient civilizations, identifying the aliens as extra-dimensional "archaeologists" studying the different cultures of Earth. They find and enter a chamber containing the crystal skeletons of thirteen alien beings, one missing its skull. Spalko arrives and presents the skull to its skeleton, whereupon the aliens reanimate and telepathically offer a reward in ancient Mayan through Oxley. A portal to their dimension becomes activated, and Spalko demands knowledge equal to the aliens'. The thirteen beings fuse into one, and in the process of receiving the overwhelming knowledge, Spalko is disintegrated and sucked into the portal. Jones, Marion, Mutt, and Oxley–who has regained his sanity–escape, while the remaining Soviets are also drawn into the portal. Mac is caught in the vortex while trying to scrounge some of the treasure, and even though Jones offers him his whip to pull him to safety, he willingly lets go and is sucked in. Jones and the others escape and watch as the temple walls crumble, revealing a flying saucer rising from the debris and vanishing, while the hollow in the valley floor left by its departure is flooded by the waters of the Amazon.
The following year, Jones is reinstated at Marshall College and made an associate dean, and he and Marion are married. As the wedding party leaves the chapel, a gust of wind blows Indy's brown fedora off the coat rack and deposits it at Mutt's feet. Mutt picks it up and is about to don it before Jones snatches it from his hands and puts it on with a grin. | comedy, mystery, murder, stupid, cult, plot twist | train | wikipedia | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) isn't a bad film -- there are a few dazzling sequences, and a couple of good performances -- but the unprecedented blend of comedy and action that made the movies so much more fun than any other adventure series is mostly gone.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will may not be the greatest film of all time, or bad ass like Riders and The Last Crusade but it is still a good film, it is the weakest entry but still a worthy sequel.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull finds Indy (Harrison Ford) trying to outrace a brilliant and beautiful agent (Cate Blanchett) for the mystical, all-powerful crystal skull of Akator.
Teaming up with a rebellious young biker (Shia LaBeouf) and his spirited original love Marion (Karen Allen), Indy takes you on an action-packed adventure in the exciting tradition of the classic Indiana Jones movies!In regards to the "nuking the fridge" scene, the thing about Indiana Jones is that there are not some good things in all of the previous three Indy films, especially Temple of Doom, so it's not fair to criticize Crystal Skull for having aliens or the fridge nuke scene without also acknowledging all the dumb stuff in the original trilogy, such as Indy either flying off a cliff on a tank and walking away from it without a scratch, or dropping out of a plane on a rubber raft and sliding down a mountain slope without sustaining any whiplash.
I mean, Indy has dealt with ghosts that come out of an ark and spontaneously melt people's faces, voodoo dolls, beating hearts being ripped out of chests through use of magic, and a seemingly immortal knight from the 12th century guarding the Holy Grail, but it's not OK to have aliens?Also, everyone seems to forget what the Indiana Jones franchise was originally about in the first place; it was created as a tribute to old b-movies and adventure serials.
This is defiantly my least favorite out of all of the Indy films but its still a lot of fun even though the cgi was kind of bad and although I was kind of interested in the whole alien I thought the ending was kind a stupid when they show the flying saucer but overall I really like it.Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a 2008 American science fiction adventure film.
After the Last Crusader Indie should have been able to hang up his trademark hat and whip and ride into the sunset as an unforgettable movie icon.Sadly the greedy folks in Hollywood wouldn't allow that, there was money to be made and a legacy to taint.Crystal Skull got a lot of flack and rightly so, it just doesn't feel like an Indie movie and reeks of cashgrab and desperation.With the awful Shia LaBeouf in tow Ford sells out unforgivably in a movie that couldn't hold a candle to the original cult trilogy.Awful on every level and simply should never have been made..
I mostly agree with all the ones who found it disappointing, I can see why the Michael Bay-loving GTA-generation could give this a '10', however: Lots of CGI, fake green-screen action and style over substance.For me - a die hard Indiana Jones fan, who grown up attending premieres for the first three - this was a big letdown, primarily because of the script, which could have been written by a 11 year-old.
A lot of Indiana Jones fans all over the world are probably scratching their heads these days, wondering why a script (Darabonts) which Spielberg called "the best he has read since Raiders", was scrapped by Lucas.
(Well, there was also the fact that Lucas' dialogue SUCKED.) Here, the stunts and action sequences and in-jokes keep us feeling entertained during the course of the film, but when we walk away, we wonder where was the real story.Indiana Jones is a homage to 1930s serials about treasure hunters.
I actually think it's a little unfair to present this new type of film under the great Indiana Jones reputation, and however smart marketably I believe this, and the lack of understanding and inaccurate expectations on the audience's behalf will ultimately lead to the film's demise.The film itself is well written, and well made with only a few exceptions.
Beyond that, the plot, characters and acting all fit with this new kind of Indy film.The cinematography is not the 80s style we'd probably all like, but it's not bad.
Here he returns to the basic fundamentals of the lost arts of practicality and just plain good old fashioned genuine storytelling (something that's solely lacking in today's CGI-heavy world) helped along by the big guy himself Harrison Ford along with witty and charming Shia LaBeouf as a newcomer to the franchise with George Lucas lending some support to cinematography.
YES this is another great adventure from Indiana Jones.Harrison Ford is simple the greatest hero and leading man of the past 30 years and this movie cements that even at his age of 65, he still jumps, runs and punches with the same energy as the past three movies and he's joined by a new rising star in Shia LaBeouf as Mutt Williams who has some great action scenes as well and let me tell you the action is top notch and it's classic action with break neck set piece after set piece.The plot is classic Indy with the mystery of the Crystal Skull but with a new twist that some may like and others will not but the simple fact is they don't make movies like this anymore so go see it in the cinema while you can because it will be the greatest adventure you will go on this year..
This Indy movie tries hard to approximate what went before--and even brings KAREN ALLEN back for a few laughs--but the story is a dismal thing about the desperate search for a Crystal Skull that gives the possessor all the knowledge he'll ever need.
I wanted to like it because I miss a good Indiana Jones story as much as anyone--but this isn't it.CATE BLANCHETT remains one-dimensional throughout, although her make-up is good and she looks the part of a Russian adventuress.
And then we have JOHN HURT wearing a wild-eyed stare and the year's messiest male hairdo in what might have been an interesting role if we could figure out what he's all about.HARRISON FORD is still afraid of snakes and there's a bonus scene where he has to hang onto one if he wants to get out of quicksand, but other than a few reminders of the Indy of past films, he looks a bit hardened and tired, lacking the zestful playfulness that characterized his earlier way with the part.
i know the title of my review is strange, but personally i think that maybe the reason the movie is getting some negative reviews from younger users (yes, most IMDb users are usually teens/20 somethings) is because they want "badass" hero these days and not the triumphant wisecracking teacher hero like Indiana Jones.
As in all Indy movies, there is a long and spectacular signature chase sequence, this time a multi-vehicle chase through the jungle with the heroes jumping on the full speed from one car to another, two characters engaged in the sword fight standing on the parallel moving jeeps, the Crystal Scull of the title falling back and forth from the good guys to the bad ones.
Raiders of Lost Ark,Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were three excellent adventure films because they were exciting and hugely entertaining.ButIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull is a genuinely crappy film.The movie does not only have a very poor screenplay...the action scenes produce zero excitement and the movie easily bored me.Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull is the worst disappointment I received since The Phantom Menace.The old films never fell on ridiculous elements and they were very entertaining.The Kingdom of Crystal Skull is full of ridiculous elements.Let's forget Indiana Jones is invulnerable on extreme situations...after all,it's an adventure film and I totally understand it may be unrealistic on some occasions.But,as absurd elements I'm talking about the moments in which the film seems to be laughing at the spectator(Aliens?
Give me a break.).A very important fail from this crappy movie is that the action scenes lack of emotion and they could never produce impact on me,so that scenes were very cold and I did not care for the characters when they were in danger.Harrison Ford is not bad on his role but I found Shia LaBeouf very irritating on his role.I think there was bad casting in there.Ray Winstone and the great John Hurt are two excellent actors but they are both totally wasted in here.One of the few positive elements from this movie is Cate Blanchett on her villain role.She always shows credibility on every movie she participates and she's one of the few pros in here.Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull is a mercenary movie.It was done with the only intention of making money.I do not recommend this crappy adventure film,which bores and does not produce any excitement on the spectator..
With "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", undiscussed geniuses Spielberg, Lucas and the other classic Indy filmmakers accomplished the challenge of realizing an Indy movie of the 1950s in all senses, yet enclosing the complete Indiana Jones style.The light sparkling adventure style is all there, as well as the multiple references to the older movies - even more than ever, since the return of Marion from "Raiders".
There are even the classical references to other Lucas/Spielberg movies, this time very interesting.The peculiarity of this movie is that we are in the 50s, so instead of Nazi we got Russians (Cate Blanchett is too sexy and fun with short black hair and a USSR suit), and the movie encapsulates all the essential topics that historical period, including cold war and McCarthyism (not by case one of the new characters is called Mac).
Yet, just as in the tradition of the older movies, you get an adventure revolving around an artifact, which is important for the religion of an ancient civilization; and the main characters tie together when facing enemies, tombs, horrible animals and other perils.The Indy/50s style fusion is everywhere, from the set production (traditional archaeological sites and university, but also Harley-Davidson motorbikes and diners) to the photography (intentionally a bit in lighter tone); from the special effects (real sets and stunt-men, but digital for determinate scenes, just as the revolutionary visual effects in the "Raiders" finale) to the music: to classical themes like Marion's and the one of Indy's father, Williams adds new themes for the Russians and the Crystal Skull, and scherzos in the chasing scenes in style similar to "The Last Crusade".As for Indy's physical limits due to his older age, Spielberg chose a right compromise between realism and the traditional Indy cartoon-like style: if in the beginning you see lots of Indy action but also auto-irony, as the movie progresses part of the acrobatic action is moved to other characters, and for the tombs Indy uses more brain than muscles - Ford, to use his words, wanted to show that Indy is not only an action hero.
Luckily, Shia went a little crazy and said some bad things, so he never became the new Indiana Jones type character, but unfortunately, this movie seemed to put all of its eggs in that particular basket.
Not only were these scenes present, but I had trouble at times figuring out if I was indeed watching the new film or one of the older ones.The first three Indiana Jones movies worked because they all teeter-tottered on the line of reality and fiction.
I like to say that the whole Indiana Jones series without Spielberg and Ford will never be the same, there is a spirit in those movies that the director and the main actor gives to the movie this spirit will not be there if Shia LAPouf replaces Harrison Ford in Indy5 (if there is Indy5), I am sorry to say that there is NO one who can give that Charmaine's and attraction to the character of Indiana Jones but Harrison Ford, its a chemistry, or like they say in "Shekespere in Love" ...."its a Mystrey", personally, I wish to see the same couple, Spielberg and Ford in Indy5 without the new kid, the only comment on Indy4 that there is some scenes which is longer than it deserves/expected, if we make a simple comparison between Indy4 and Indy2 you will find that the old one has very short scenes in a lot of different locations and each of them has a different kind of adventure, from the casino to the car to the air to the mountain to the water to the palace to the tunnel to the Cliff....
After seeing this film at a drive-in they all looked at me and said at once, "dad, that was the stupidest movie we have seen in a long time".Luckily, Iron Man played at the drive right after Indiana Jones and the evening was saved!
Cliché lines, predictable effects, bad acting, was there a plot?....My family and I are just going to try to pretend the movie never existed and continue watching our boxed DVD set of the previous Indiana Jones films.
Before I go on, I would just like to say that Indiana Jones IS my favourite film series, and that Last Crusade is my all time favourite movie of all time.
Of course if this wasn't a Spielberg movie and this wasn't the longest most anticipated movie sequel of all time and if the Indiana Jones character was a completely new one to the world, very little people would complain about this movie and actually without doubt call it one of the most entertaining movies of this decade.
It can't stop making references to previous Indiana Jones entries which at times makes this movie feel like an homage to the good old days was something completely new and hot.
Indy, who's known Oxley since his own college years, agrees to go with Mutt to the Amazon to find him and discover the mysteries surrounding his obsession with the legend of the crystal skulls.The same look, style, and attitude is nostalgic to the previous films every time you see Indy on screen, whether he's in a close-call escape, fighting one-on-one with a soviet thug, arguing with a mistrusting Mac (Ray Winstone) or the giddy Marion (Karen Allen), or just simply being professor Henry Jones, Jr. Marion Ravenwood returns to the screen, bringing not only her debating charm, but a few new surprises for Indy, as well.
Newcomers to the series are the greaser Mutt, the delusional Professor Oxley, the deceptive Mac, and of course, the mysterious and intimidating femme fatale Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), each with their own unique personality that has Indy spinning in a whirlwind of problems.There are plenty of action sequences (some FAR more ridiculous than others), but that is precisely what makes the adventure in any Indiana Jones film.
Yet I couldn't stop thinking about how he looks like he belongs in a nursing home growing old with Marion Ravenwood."Crystal Skull" is there for curious fan of ROTLA, but I can't recommend it as an introduction to the Indiana Jones character for those younger people who might have never seen the original.
I saw it with my fiancée last night, and as the end credits were rolling, we both said "I want to see it again!" We laughed, we oohed and aaahed, we gripped the armrests during tense moments, we cheered when bad guys bit the dust, applauded when Marion appeared, gasped at the spectacular moments - we did everything we expected to do,and wanted to do, during an Indiana Jones movie, and we had a damn good time doing it.This film starts off slow, throws in a couple of unnecessary (but very fun) sequences, and then ramps up with a vengeance.
This time they are after a Crystal Skull that has mysterious powers just like the three previous artifacts that Indy discovered.The opening scene is incredible, as we return to the warehouse last seen at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Here we see Indiana Jones for the first time since Last Crusade.
What Spielberg did this time around was have an Indy that is more in the role of Henry Jones Sr from Last Crusade.In a way, we have watched Indiana grow up over the course of the four films.
Spielberg tried too hard to make another Raiders of the Lost Ark, which condemned this movie.I had so many expectations for this movie---and I'm not the typical Indiana Jones fan who has watched the original trilogy 100 times---but I walked away from the movie disappointed.1) The Jokes were OK.
The story could of been better, but it is not bad.My likes; Harrison Ford still has it, He looks Great, and got back into the character of Indiana Jones quite well.The pacing was good and about the same as Raiders in that regard.Nice to see Karen Allen again on the screen.
When it comes to reviewing a movie like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the hardest thing to do is to keep expectations intact and not expect a film that will blow Raiders of the Lost Ark out of the water. |
tt0083944 | First Blood | John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is a former member of an elite United States Army Special Forces unit and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War in which he was also a prisoner of war (POW). The film begins 10 years after Rambo left the war, in the American Northwest in 1980. Rambo is searching for one of his friends from his unit, Delmar Berry. Rambo soon learns from Delmar's mother that he has died a few months earlier from cancer due to Agent Orange exposure. Although not yet revealed to the audience, Rambo knows he is now the last surviving member of his unit. He leaves the picture of his unit with Berry's mother and walks away, obviously saddened.The scene fades to Rambo entering the small town of Hope, Washington State on foot. With his longish hair and military-style coat, he is quickly spotted by the town's overzealous and paranoid sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) who quickly drives Rambo out of town, noting his strong distaste for "drifters." A defiant Rambo heads back toward town immediately, to the dismay of Teasle who arrests him for vagrancy and for carrying a large combat knife as a concealed weapon.Rambo stands his ground against the officers at the station and is brutalized and harassed by Art Galt (Jack Starrett), the sheriff's cruel head deputy and closest friend. Rambo is ordered to strip and Galt and his deputies, Ward (Chris Mulkey) and Mitch (David Caruso) are astonished to see his chest and back are covered with horrible scars. Galt viciously hits Rambo in the lower back with his police baton without provocation. A third officer sprays him with a fire hose to clean him up. When they attempt to dry-shave him with a straight razor in preparation for his court appearance, Rambo has a flashback to being tortured in a North Vietnamese POW Camp and loses control, instinctively using his military training to beat Galt and his comrades. He fights his way out of the station, retrieving his large knife. He assaults several more officers, pulls a civilian off a motorcycle, steals it, and is pursued into the nearby mountains. Teasle chases him into the wilderness but ends the pursuit when his car overturns. Further up the mountain, Rambo spills the cycle he stole and runs up past the treeline. He finds an old sheet of canvas, making a tunic for himself. He ventures further up the mountain, into the forest.The deputies are eventually forced to search for Rambo on foot and he climbs down onto a steep cliff to elude capture. After spotting Rambo from a helicopter, Galt blatantly disregards procedure and attempts to shoot him in cold blood. Rambo drops off the cliff into a mass of trees and cornered, throws a rock at the helicopter in self-defense. The helicopter, struck by the rock thrown by Rambo and due to strong updrafting, pitches, causing Galt to fall to his death. Teasle, who did not see Galt's attempt to kill Rambo, vows to avenge his friend's death. After tending to a deep cut in his upper arm, Rambo attempts to surrender, he's shot at by Teasle's men and retreats into the woods.Teasle leads his deputies into the forest to capture or kill Rambo. The deputies are inexperienced and bicker, particularly after learning over the radio about Rambo's combat experience, and that he's a Green Beret and a war hero. Rambo quickly disables the small, disorganized team using guerrilla tactics and booby traps, severely wounding, but not killing, all the deputies and takes one deputy's walkie-talkie. In the chaos, Rambo, wearing heavy natural camouflage, isolates and confronts Teasle, holding his knife to the sheriff's throat and saying, "Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go..." he warns before disappearing into the woods.A base camp is assembled near the site and the National Guard is called in. Just after the National Guard informs Rambo that he is surrounded by their forces, United States Special Forces Colonel Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna) arrives, taking credit for training Rambo and telling the sheriff that Rambo has been trained to survive in harsh environments and has been taught to engage superior numbers in combat. He is surprised to find any of the deputies still alive and warns that it would be safer to let Rambo go and find him a few days after the situation has calmed down, suggesting that Rambo can be apprehended without a fight. Fueled by a mixture of scorn and pride, the hot-headed Teasle refuses to heed his advice. Knowing that Rambo had stolen a CB radio from one of his men, Teasle allows Trautman to talk to Rambo. Trautman tries to convince Rambo to give himself up, however, Rambo refuses in his response, citing his deplorable treatment by Teasle and his men. Trautman suggests that Rambo shouldn't have fought back so harshly, to which Rambo states "They drew first blood, Sir." Rambo switches the radio off. By the time the conversation ends, Teasle's men have triangulated Rambo's location on the mountain.Rambo is eventually cornered by the National Guard troopers in a mine entrance, where he has taken refuge. The novice guardsmen fire a M-72 LAW's rocket at him, collapsing the entrance and trapping him inside. They assume Rambo is dead. Unbeknownst to his pursuers, Rambo has escaped into the tunnels of the mine. Rambo finds some old fuel and makes an improvised torch. After wading through waist-deep water and fighting off rats, Rambo cleverly uses the flame of the torch (as an indicator of air flow in the tunnels) to find an escape to the surface.Rambo hijacks a passing U.S. Army M135 2.5 ton cargo truck, throws out the driver, crashes through a roadblock and returns to town, crashing it into a gas station. He blocks the highway to anyone in pursuit by igniting the spilled fuel on the road, also destroying the stolen truck. Armed with an M-60 machine gun, Rambo then goes on a shooting spree in town as the residents flee. Rambo, using his experience at guerrilla tactics, takes out power transformers, blacking out part of the town. Rambo shoots up and destroys a sporting goods shop and a few other businesses in an attempt to confuse Teasle as well as identify his position before spotting him on the roof of the police station.After shooting up the building, Rambo carefully enters the police station. Aware of Teasle's presence on the roof, Rambo darts under the skylight to draw fire as bait to reveal his exact location. Teasle immediately fires at Rambo who notes his position and returns fire through the ceiling with the M-60, injuring him. Teasle falls through the skylight onto the floor. Rambo steps over him, prepared to kill him. Before Rambo can shoot Teasle, Colonel Trautman appears and tells him that there is no hope of escaping alive. Rambo, now surrounded by the police, rages about the horrors of war in Vietnam and the difficulties he has faced adapting to civilian life. He's tired of being misunderstood, and how in the Army he was a war hero but back in America he could not even be trusted to work "parking cars." He weeps as he recounts a particularly gruesome story about witnessing his friend dying by having his legs blown off by a booby-trapped shoeshine box planted by a Viet Cong child operative. Rambo then turns himself in to Trautman and is arrested. The credits roll as he and Trautman exit the police station. | suspenseful, cruelty, murder, anti war, cult, violence, dramatic, flashback, action, tragedy, revenge, sadist | train | imdb | Sylvester Stallone co-write the script and started and the men can act, he is an action hero on screen in my opinion his best film.
"First Blood is a realistic film portrayed about John Rambo a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam veteran who saw hell in the Vietnam War and he is hunted by the past.
Sylvester Stallone plays the character of John Rambo very convincingly and Director Ted Kotcheff brings out the story to an effective scale allowing us to see the action through the character's eyes..
The best thing about "First Blood" is that we know that John Rambo was in the Vietnam War and was trained to kill, yet, he doesn't kill a single human in the film on purpose.
"First Blood" is the best of the Rambo series mine personal favorite action film .
Stallone was immensely popular back in the 80's and if it is true that he hated the first cut of the film, then one can only say that he is lucky that he didn't get his wish to scrap the entire thing.John Rambo is first introduced to us as he is walking into a small town to look for a friend of his that he served in Vietnam with.
In my opinion Stallone shouldn't make comedies, but when it comes to action movies (Rambo, Rocky, Cobra, etc.) he's definitely one of the best!
This film has Sly showing off his acting ability (which is saying something for an actor with such little capability of "acting") as the iconic John Rambo in the film that sparked off the eponymous film franchise, whilst the sequels were heavily classified as flops, 'First Blood' is a daring and thrilling survival adventure that follows a Vietnam Vet and the post-war trauma he suffers from.
". Sylvester Stallone achieved amazing heights during the 80's, along with Arnold Schwarzenegger, especially as a movie character synonymous with the muscled guy who is a pure fighting machine
In Ted Kotcheff's "First Blood," John Rambo (Stallone) is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who was trained specifically as a killing machine
He has come to a quite little town in Oregon, only to visit one of his platoon buddies
He was told that his friend has died, last summer, of cancer
Disheartened, Rambo continues to walk the streets of Hope when he is annoyed by the local Sheriff (Brian Dennehy), and booked for vagrancy and resisting arrest
Beaten, kicked all over, treated like trash, and pushed too far by the other cops in the Sheriff's office, Rambo is taking back to traumatic flashbacks, to the enduring torture in POW camp
Rambo, by that point, fights his way out and wages a one-man war against the police force that escalates out of control...
Rambo is seen as a one man army overpowering all the sheriff's deputies and escaping into the surrounding woods
"First Blood" communicates the rage, the depression, the frustration and the psychological wounds of one Vietnam soldier that fought for his country and was then hassled by it upon his return
But what makes Rambo such a dangerous hero is Brian Dennehy being incredibly efficient as the cruel officer who doesn't like the looks of Stallone...
He actually begins the movie as a fairly nice chap, someone we can sympathise with, and it's his unnecessarily rough treatment at the hands of small-town sheriff Dennehey and his crew that is likely to shift audience sympathies firmly in the direction of the 'misunderstood' Vietnam vet.
The character of John Rambo became more popular in films such as "Rambo:First Blood,Part II" and "Rambo III".The character were treated like a comic book hero spawning action figures and a short lived animated series which lasted only a short while.There are not that many people who has heard of the Rambo character.He's well known through out,but today's generation would have been lucky to catch him on VHS or DVD.Back in 1982 when the character of John Rambo was introduced to movie screens,filmgoers were dealing with a character that was not displayed as an action icon,but a man who had a lot of demons within him.The best thing about "First Blood" is that John Rambo is not portrayed as an action hero.He is portrayed more as a man.A man who is haunted by memories of the Vietnam War.Sylvester Stallone plays the character of John Rambo very convincingly and Director Ted Kotcheff brings out the story to an effective scale allowing us to see the action through the character's eyes.Violence in films are the main aspects in film today.Or at least one of.It's fun to watch a violent film,but the violence in this film was not filmed to thrill the audience,but to make us understand what John Rambo is going through.I have these memories of first watching this film twenty years ago when I was twelve."First Blood" doesn't deal with CGI nor does it deal with special effects.It deals or tries to deal really hard on what is real.I like "First Blood" because I understand the character.He feels that society is against him and he is angry.A lot of films there is only one villain where as in this one society is the villain.That is according to Rambo.Actually,there is one villain named Sheriff Teasle played by Brian Dennehy.He and Rambo seemed to clash against each other and Ted Kotcheff let's us experience these two men go at it.I liked how the film shows Rambo trying to survive out in the woods while the guards are in hunting him when in turn he is hunting them creating these traps putting these officers in painful situations.The best thing about "First Blood" is that we know that John Rambo was in the Vietnam War and was trained to kill,yet,he doesn't kill a single human in the film on purpose.The killing of Galt was accidental and was deserving according to my eyes.This film is the best in the Rambo series because I understand the character and I understand why he is acting violent."First Blood" doesn't bring us John Rambo,the action hero but John Rambo,a regular man with a lot of demons he must face."First Blood" is the best of the Rambo series..
you have Stallone's John Rambo, Dennehy's Sheriff Teasle, and Richard Crenna's Colonal Trautman.Brian Dennehy hasn't missed a beat in his entire career; he's been a superb character actor since i've been watching movies, and - like Michael Caine - he always puts everything into each performance.
As said by another reviewer,"First Blood" is a classic.Based off of the 1972 novel by David Morell,"First Blood" is about a former green beret of the Vietnam War,John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone).
The only thing that I can say about this movie is that it is great and you will never forget it and you will want to watch it over and over again and here are the reasons why: The storyline is great the actors and acting is really good it has lots of action in it The cast is really good such as Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, Richard Crenna as col.
Cosmatos's 1982 action film, Rambo First Blood, is seen by most as a classic bare bones shoot em up action movie, but in reality tells a commentary on the dehumanizing effect warfare can have on the men and women forced to kill or be killed.
'First Blood' follows John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a green beret who had a successful and violent career in Vietnam but has terrible memories from the war that plague his life.
Engrossing action thriller about John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a Vietnam vet and Medal of Honor recipient, who is now a drifter haunted by his experiences in the war.
As a manhunt is underway to capture Rambo, his mentor and former commanding officer Colonel Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna) shows up to try and prevent a bloodbath.Probably the best Stallone movie behind the first Rocky.
But Rambo is slowly planning his personal revenge to the sheriff as well.Directed by Ted Kotcheff (North Dallas Forty, Uncommon Valor, Weekend at Bernie's) made an tough action drama that become One of Stallone's best films.
John Rambo (BAFTA winner Sylvester Stallone) is a fairly reserved and sensitive guy, a man who has seen and lived the horrors of the Vietnam War. He returns to the good old United States of America to find his only friend has died.
John Rambo's character, played by Sylvester Stallone, is that of a volcano under layers of snow until somebody 'pushes' it to erupt.This is more than just a thriller action film.
John Rambo is a Vietnam war veteran (a former Green Beret) who arrives at a small picturesque mountain town to find an old friend but then gets into trouble with the local sheriff's department.
While the next two Rambo movies do not have such a psychological factor, they do succeed as the greatest action films of all time..
But if you want to see explosions, guns and killings, which is what first brought me to this film, then you can't find many better.Stallone dispatches of the 'bad guys' using every inch of his Rambo's training, and yes, from the start you know the cops don't have a hope.
Don't get me wrong First Blood was definitely a good movie but lets face it, whenever we think of Rambo we picture Stallone's character killing terrorists and blowing stuff up with his compound bow..
Unlike the similarly themed action films that proceeded First Blood, Rambo does not actually kill anyone intentionally (Galt (Jack Starrett) falls from a helicopter after a rock hits it, only because he unfastens his seat belt), which actually adds corners to an otherwise one-dimensional character.Rambo's final outburst of violence is directed at the buildings of the small town.
In First Blood Sylvester Stallone introduced his second enduring screen character John Rambo, Vietnam veteran of the Special Forces.
He injures about six cops breaking jail and Dennehy's hot to get this guy no matter what it costs.The best I can say for the rest of the film is that Sly makes them pay plenty.Richard Crenna was Rambo's colonel in Vietnam tries in vain to tell the local and later the state law just what they're up against.
Sylvester Stallone stars as John Rambo: a lonely, alienated, and troubled Vietnam vet just trying to move on with his life until he gets unlawfully provoked over a misunderstanding, and finds himself in a war against a sheriff's department and the national guard.
Locations for the shoot were in British Columbia.John Rambo (Stallone), ex Vietnam war veteran, wanders into small town Oregon and is met with hostility by Sheriff Will Teasle (Dennehy).
I hate dumb action movies and Sylvester Stallone often stars in them, but "Rambo First Blood" is an exception to the rule.
That's unusual, but when you have seen the actionscenes you will understand why."Rambo First Blood" is a thrilling action movie with great acting in it.
This film tells the story of one of those soldiers.For a basic plot summary, "First Blood" focuses on John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), a returning 'Nam vet who gets hassled by a small-town sheriff (Brian Dennehy) for no more offense than looking like a drifter (with his scraggly beard, beat-up army coat, and knapsack).
Though the audience never knows exactly what Rambo did or saw in Vietnam, by the time the film concludes it is very much apparent the type of man/soldier he was and thus why he "snaps" under pressure from the sheriff.The acting in "First Blood" is also first-rate, with Sly Stallone turning in arguably his best ever on- screen performance, despite not uttering more than a handful of lines the entire movie (though his impassioned plea to Col. Troutman ranks up their with Jack Nicholson's "You can't handle the truth!" speech in A Few Good Men).
First Blood was an adaptation of the 1972 book of the same name, but lets be honest we know the movie, which as action films go is awesome, grounded and open the career of Stallone to the action genre ,no some say that was wrong , but the volume of amazing flick born of that decision like Demolition Man ,Cop Land ,Tango & Cash and Ants, makes me think was worth it.So to the uninitiated the film follow John Rambo, a Vietnam veteran who tries to find his comrades from his platoon, but when the police mistreats him ,he is forced to fight back and unfortunately for the cops, a trained green beret is better than some police officers.
The important thing however is not the intense scene, which are really good (bonus fact: the movie was made with only 15 million dollars!), it is that Rambo wasn't looking for trouble, he only wanted to be left in peace and the reaction of the society forced him in the defense.That fact is very real for the veterans coming back for literally the other side of the world and after the pain of war brinks ,they are called names (not the nice ones) and put on the side by their countrymen for whom it was said to them they were fighting.
American film 'First Blood' concerns the fight of an innocent man against a corrupt system.It describes how corrupt practices continue to prevail within certain American police stations who would abuse their powers in order to discriminate against people whom they choose to term as outsiders.The pace of the film is fast and no time has been wasted to convey the message that a powerful innocent person would retaliate with ferociousness once he is challenged by thugs.By making 'First Blood',Director Ted Kotcheff has been successful in showcasing the frustrations of a former Vietnam war veteran whose strength was underestimated by brutish police force in a small American town.It is true that 33 years after its making,this film continues to be praised as one of the best action films.However,there are other reasons to watch 'First Blood' as it was also instrumental in revealing Sylvester Stallone's acting abilities.Lastly,the survival of a former army veteran in harsh nature is one of the unique facets of First Blood.This is something which has not been depicted by many action films..
"First blood" is the second most awesome movie of Sylvester Stallone after rocky.The film features a Vietnam soildier fighting for his right and all.
As the manhunt begins Rambo is in his element preparing himself for a ONE MAN WAR.This film stars: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna & Brian Dennehy.
The final scene where Rambo breaks down and recalls violent tragedies while in war gives the audience a sense of how hard it must have been to return from Vietnam to civilian life.One of Stallones best movies..
John Rambo is a troubled Vietnam war veteran, who comes to look for a friend from his unit only to find out he has died.Rambo is now the last surviving member of his unit.The town's sheriff, Will Teasle notices Rambo and his long hair and military-style coat.He arrests him from drifting.After being mistreated by the deputy Art Galt, he escapes.In the woods he knows how to survive, better than the cops chasing him.United States Special Forces Colonel Sam Trautman knows this.He knows they can't beat Rambo.No one can.Rambo: First Blood (1982) is directed by Ted Kotcheff.Its producers include Mario Kassar and Andrew G.
Vajna.It's based on David Morrell's novel.Jerry Goldsmith is behind the music.The movie got three sequels, the last one happening in 2008.It's hard to imagine anyone else playing the part of John Rambo than Sylvester Stallone.He is an iconic action star, who really nails the part of this anti-hero.Richard Crenna is terrific as Colonel Sam Trautman.Brian Dennehy is perfect as the nasty Sheriff Will Teasle.Bill McKinney is great as State Police Capt.
Rambo does not have that much action but it certainly does tell a great story.This is about a Vietnam War vet who is trying to find old friends of his.
This film is more of an emotional drama, that being said, it's still entertaining as crap, and definitely worth checking out.John Rambo, (Sylvester Stallone) is a former Vietnam Green Beret who returns to the states to find that all his friends from the war have died.
The original Rambo film before he became known as a one man army as shown in the sequels, Sylvester Stallone plays John Rambo who is a Vietnam veteran who gets pushed too far by a deputy sheriff who hates drifters coming into the small town.
Starring the one and only Sylvester Stallone, "First Blood" introduces the world to the legendary action hero John Rambo, in the first of four confusingly titled films.
Directed by Ted Kotcheff ("Weekend at Bernie's") and co-starring Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna and a young David Caruso, the film is as notorious for its extensive action scenes as it is for the intense and iconic performance put forth by Stallone, who is also credited for writing the screenplay.Ex-Green Beret and Vietnam War veteran John Rambo is passing through a small town after learning of the death of a member of his unit, and all he wants is something to eat.
And this is the rare case where the movie is actually better than the book.For those not familiar with the story, "First Blood" revolves around a Vietnam veteran named John Rambo, who after being unfairly treated and discriminated by the local police force, who have arrested him for vagrancy, unleashes his rage, escapes into the woods, and after inadvertently causing a police officer's death, becomes the target of a massive manhunt led by the enraged sheriff played magnificently by Brian Dennehy.
Richard Crenna is great, he plays the colonel, serious dude but sarcastic and humorous with his comments towards the police officers that are trying to catch Rambo.If you have not seen the film i will give you a rough idea of the story line.Rambo goes to a small town in America somewhere, to visit an old war buddy, a close friend from Vietnam.
Titled 'First Blood', but more commonly known as 'Rambo', this film tells the story of ex-Vietnam Greet Beret, John Rambo who starts his own personal war with a local sheriff after being picked up for vagrancy. |
tt0120338 | Titanic | In 1996, treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his team aboard the research vessel Keldysh search the wreck of RMS Titanic for a necklace with a rare diamond, the Heart of the Ocean. They recover a safe containing a drawing of a young woman wearing only the necklace. It is dated April 14, 1912, the day the ship struck the iceberg. Rose Dawson Calvert, claiming to be the person in the drawing, visits Lovett and tells of her experiences aboard the ship.
In 1912 Southampton, 17-year-old first-class passenger Rose DeWitt Bukater, her fiancé Cal Hockley, and her mother Ruth board the Titanic. Ruth emphasizes that Rose's marriage will resolve the DeWitt Bukaters' financial problems. Distraught over the engagement, Rose considers committing suicide by jumping from the stern; Jack Dawson, a penniless artist, convinces her not to. Discovered with Jack, Rose tells Cal that she was peering over the edge and Jack saved her from falling. Cal is indifferent, but when Rose indicates some recognition is due, he offers Jack a small amount of money. After Rose asks whether saving her life meant so little, he invites Jack to dine with them in first class the following night. Jack and Rose develop a tentative friendship, though Cal and Ruth are wary of him. Following dinner, Rose secretly joins Jack at a party in third class.
Aware of Cal and Ruth's disapproval, Rose rebuffs Jack's advances, but later realizes that she prefers him over Cal. After rendezvousing on the bow at sunset, Rose takes Jack to her state room and displays Cal's engagement present: the Heart of the Ocean. At her request, Jack sketches Rose posing nude wearing it. They evade Cal's bodyguard and have sex in an automobile inside the cargo hold. They later visit the forward deck, witnessing a collision with an iceberg and overhearing the officers and designer discussing its seriousness.
Cal discovers Jack's sketch of Rose and a mocking note from her in his safe along with the necklace. When Jack and Rose attempt to tell Cal of the collision, he has his butler slip the necklace into Jack's pocket and accuses him of theft. He is arrested, taken to the Master-at-arms' office, and handcuffed to a pipe. Cal puts the necklace in his own coat pocket.
With the ship sinking, Rose is desperate to free Jack. She flees Cal and her mother, who has boarded a lifeboat, and rescues him. They return to the boat deck, where Cal and Jack encourage her to board a lifeboat; Cal claims he can get himself and Jack off safely. After Rose boards one, Cal tells Jack the arrangement is only for himself. As her boat lowers, Rose decides that she cannot leave Jack and jumps back on board. Cal takes his butler's pistol and chases Rose and Jack into the flooding first class dining saloon. After using up his ammunition, Cal realizes he gave his coat and consequently the necklace to Rose. He later boards a collapsible lifeboat by carrying a lost child.
After braving several obstacles, Jack and Rose return to the boat deck. All the lifeboats have departed and passengers are falling to their deaths as the stern rises out of the water. The ship breaks in half, lifting the stern into the air. Jack and Rose ride it into the ocean and he helps her onto a wooden panel only buoyant enough for one person. Holding the edge, he assures her that she will die an old woman, warm in her bed. He dies of hypothermia but she is saved.
With Rose hiding from Cal en route, the RMS Carpathia takes the survivors to New York. There she gives her name as Rose Dawson. She later learns that Cal committed suicide after losing everything in the 1929 Wall Street Crash.
Lovett abandons his search after hearing Rose's story. Alone on the stern of the Keldysh, Rose takes out the Heart of the Oceanin her possession all alongand drops it into the sea over the wreck site. While she is seemingly asleep in her bed, photos on her dresser depict a life of freedom and adventure, partly inspired by Jack. A young Rose reunites with him at the ship's Grand Staircase, applauded by those who perished. | comedy, dramatic, suicidal, violence, atmospheric, historical fiction, action, romantic, melodrama, tragedy, revenge, historical, sentimental | train | imdb | null |
tt0079135 | Fascination | 1905. April in Paris. All the fashionable Parisian ladies partake of the current cure for anemia by stopping at the abattoir [slaughterhouse] for their therapeutic glass of ox blood. Some ladies, however, have taken the cure to a higher level. Somewhere near Paris, Mark [Jean-Marie Lemaire] (a thief trying to escape from four other thieves who want the gold coins he is carrying to London) takes refuge in a castle currently inhabited by two lesbian chambermaids, Elisabeth [Franka Mai] and Eva [Brigitte Lahaie], who are awaiting the arrival of the marchioness and her servants. Elisabeth feels an immediate attraction to Mark but, while the gang of thieves lay outside the castle awaiting the chance to kill him, Mark is seduced by Eva, much to Elisabeth's chagrin. When the marchioness and her servants arrive, they hold a party in which Mark (the only male) is showered with attention. When midnight comes, however, everything changes. The women are revealed as "vampires" who want Mark's blood. Elisabeth helps Mark to escape, while the four servants sate their bloodlust on Eva. When Mark confesses to Elisabeth that he is also in love with her, Elisabeth changes her mind, decides that she never really loved Mark, and shoots him. It is Elisabeth and the marchioness who go into the sunrise together. | pornographic, murder | train | imdb | Beautiful French countrysides, gorgeous (frequently nude) women, old castles and erotic horror are what to expect from this exploitation film with aspirations of art.
His plan to stay until nightfall seems to be easily achievable when he finds out the home owners have no desire for him to leave.From this simple premise Rollin creates his most engrossing work with the thief coming to realize that his greatest threat may not be the crooks outside the house but the ladies within.
Though slow moving this film ratchets up the tension as midnight approaches and a mysterious ceremony is soon to begin.Strong performances abound with special mention to frequent Rollin star Brigitte Lahaie who has never looked (or acted) better.
Once again Rollin indulges in his fondness for lesbian sex scenes but they don't overpower the film like they do in some of his other works.For anyone who has not yet seen a Rollin film, either this one or 'Grapes of death' would make excellent starters although, obviously, keep the kids away..
Yup, it's another lesbian vampire movie (from a decade that produced quite a few!) but Rollin, like Jess Franco, puts his own original touches to it which make it truly unforgettable.
This is the seventh Rollin film I've watched, after THE IRON ROSE (1973; still his finest work), THE DEMONIACS (1974; the least among his vintage efforts), LIPS OF BLOOD (1975; another good one), THE GRAPES OF DEATH (1978; not bad), THE LIVING DEAD GIRL (1982; one of his most compelling) and Fiancée' OF Dracula (2002; an unsatisfactory hodgepodge of ideas).
This unusual 'lesbian vampires' film of which the director made quite a few, though the only other such title I'm familiar with is the above-mentioned (and slightly superior) LIPS OF BLOOD evokes much of the same atmosphere, not only of Rollin's work but of that of Jess Franco as well.
In fact, the scenes depicting a scantily-clad Brigitte Lahaie walking the castle grounds (albeit armed with a scythe!) in search of victims brings to mind Lina Romay in the Spaniard's own (rather dismal) FEMALE VAMPIRE (1973)!
Having the jaded aristocracy of another era indulge in odd rites (such as drinking ox's blood to treat anaemia!) is an intriguing notion a group of depraved female members, then, decide to take the cure one step further and periodically resort to the intake of human blood (the revelation isn't all that surprising, but nicely handled just the same).An 'unexpected' development results when it's time to do in with the young man (his criminal associates, who were actually pursuing him after he ran away with the stash of gold, had already been swiftly dealt with by Lahaie's scythe).
The thief pleads with his savior to flee the cursed place together but, on relating to him their back-story, she realizes that the 'call of blood' is too strong for her to ignore
Inevitably, the film has all the trademarks of Rollin's style (and, by extension, the whole "Euro-Cult" vibe): lethargic pace, an effective score and it goes without saying plenty of naked women (even if, save for Lahaie's unmistakable looks, most prove interchangeable due to the film's essential dearth of characterization!).
A thief(Jean Marie Lemaire),on the run from fellow gang members,takes refuge in a château populated only by two young women—Eva (Brigitte Lahaie)and Elisabeth (Franka Mai).The man is seduced and lured to stay for a forthcoming soirée,while the young ladies-themselves indulging in lesbian encounters—turn out to be initiates in a cult of bourgeois women addicted to drinking human blood.Jean Rollin's "Fascination" is simply an awesome lesbian vampire flick.The pace is pretty slow,but there is plenty of sleaze and beauty to enjoy.The film is loaded with stunning visuals for example the image of a nude Brigitte Lahaie with nothing but her impossibly statuesque figure,cape and scythe moving down the bridge and over the moat to the castle or truly surreal scene of Eva and Elizabeth dancing on the bridge in matching white gowns while an old-style phonograph plays classical music.Overall,I deeply enjoyed this one and you should too,if you liked "The Living Dead Girl" or "Lips Of Blood"..
Sooner or later anyone doing the rounds of horror is confronted with Rollin; the sensually paced, purely ephemeral wanderings around mansions or cemeteries, at least in his better films, pale naked skin dripping with blood, almost always.
It is relatively easy to deal with them, with none of the hard anchors in story or characters one either concedes to dream with him or not.So yes, largely nonsense in conventional terms, here about a man who is stranded in a secluded château with a host of beautiful women who are waiting for midnight to perform a mysterious ritual, but attached to a poetry of images.The frequent comparison is to Jess Franco; but whereas Franco at his best intuited feverish images that always seemed to zoom at the verge of cacophony, Rollin exhibits painterly control over his.
When a band of criminals arrive from London and attempt to take them hostage, though, the men get more than they bargained for.Like many of the European vampire films of this era, "Fascination" is richly atmospheric and loaded with bizarre and haunting visuals.
Plot-wise, the film does run a bit thin, but the goal here was ostensibly to craft a mood piece, and with that in mind, the film works very well.The performances are decent, if not a bit kitschy, but the female leads Franca Maï and Brigitte Lahaie make a formidable duo here, as Rollin has them seducing and slashing with equal measure.
Though the pacing is leisurely, the last act offers some phenomenally eerie murder sequences and an unexpected conclusion.All in all, this is one of the better European vampire films of its era, and is much more an exercise in atmospheric horror than it is an outright sapphic erotica like many of its counterparts.
He ends up taking shelter in a castle where he soon meets Eva (Brigitte Lahaie) and Elisabeth (Franca Mai).
The two women come off as incredibly strange but they keep referring to a party later that evening that Marc can't see.Jean Rollin's FASCINATION is without question one of the director's better films, although the final act does take a bit too long to get where it's going.
If you're not a fan of Rollin's work then I'd probably recommend that you start with THE LIVING DEAD GIRL or one of his vampire films but once you're used to his work this film will have so many of the director's touches.As you'd expect, there's all sorts of sexuality between both the two women as well as their seduction scenes with Marc.
This entire sequence is perfectly directed and contains both the sexuality and violence that you've come to expect from Rollin.Speaking of Lahaie, she easily steals the film with her raging beauty that just leaps off the screen.
Jean Rollin is famous for his 'erotic' vampire movies, and for me Fascination is the fifth that I've seen.
The surreal atmosphere is well felt, however, and the director does a good job of ensuring that his film always feels like it is taking place in a dream world, which helps the erotic side of the movie.
However, for a film about vampire lesbians; Fascination isn't very erotic at all, as Rollin films the sex with little or no feeling.
Overall, this movie is bound to delight fans of Rollin's other vampire films, as it's essentially more of the same; but personally, I don't think I'll see any more vampire films from the sleazy French director..
Oh yes, I have said some bad things about Jean Rollin in the past but with this movie he shows he's also capable of creating an actual good movie!
But what do I know, right!And you could say it's an erotic movie but more one that becomes one through its sexual tension and atmosphere, that is constantly in the air, rather than with its actual nudity or sex scenes.
It's a beautiful shot movie, that is slowly being told by French genre expert Jean Rollin.
"Fascination" is the second Jean Rollin film I watched in one week (the other being "Night of the Hunted"), and the second time that I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome!
"Fascination" superficially appears to be just another umpteenth and uninspired lesbian vampire flick – like Rollin already made too many of – but there actually are a couple of welcome assets in the screenplay, like an homage to the legendary Countess Bathory and passionate liaison between the female lead characters.
In a strange and inexplicable way, the sight of Brigitte Lahaie rampaging around with a scythe whilst dressed in only a black cape is one of the sexiest things I ever beheld
Still, regardless of these isolated moments of sheer beauty, you still have to endure a whole lot of tedious footage, wooden acting performances, imbecilic dialogs and the completely lack of coherence.
Eva(Brigitte Lahaie) and Elisabeth(Franca Mai) are living in a castle on the water, complete with a mote and stone bridge providing beautiful background scenery.A man escaping fellow thieves is on the run and winds up at the castle to hide.
It's an ok gore scene with the scythe, although what's really special is how erotic Lahaie looks, naked underneath that cloakThen night falls and Lahaie and Mai's blood-drinking female pals arrive and the fun really starts.There are a couple of plot twists to the ending which I won't reveal but suffice it to say that this isn't one of my favorite Rollin films, although it does have it's erotic moments.
It seems the French trailer has even more nudity and pubic hair being shown than the actual film does, especially when they're chomping down on Lahaie's blood in the nighttime scene from the bridge.
He's warned to get away before other guests come.It's slow, but there's a fair amount of blood and boobs, and that's pretty much what one expects from a Jean Rollin film, in a sort of colorful fantasy world.The title's a bit odd.
I am no expert on Jean Rollin but I have seen a number of his horror movies, all of which I have enjoyed, and this one is probably the best.
It is also beautifully filmed, great use is made of it's main location, giving a nice dream-like gothic look.
It's also a tribute to a French magazine that explored eroticism in art.In 1905, a group of wealthy women wait for bulls to be slaughtered so that they can drink their supposedly curative blood.A gang of thieves pursues Mark, who is trying to leave France for London with a bag of gold coins.
This erotic horror film, set in 1905, tells the story of a thief who seeks refuge in a castle owned by two women, Eva (Brigitte Lahaie) and Elizabeth (Franca Mai).
good stuff.The style is all Rollin, and the plot is surprisingly better than some of his other work, not just relying on pointless lesbian vampire sex scenes.
I cannot (yet) claim to be an expert on Jean Rollin's films, and, so far, neither can I claim to be a big fan of what I've seen.
While "Fascination" of 1979 has its qualities, I do not quite understand the enthusiasm that of some of my fellow Eurohorror / cult-cinema fans seem to have about Rollin in general and this film in particular.
One of Rollin's many erotic vampire films, "Fascination" certainly is a nice exercise in elegantly delirious style, and furthermore profits from an incredibly sexy female cast (above all cult-siren/pornstar Brigitte Lahaie), and yet it is undeniable that it is overall a confused and virtually plot-less film that has its lengths in spite of a running time of only 80 minutes.Sometime in the early 20th century, the robber Marc (Jean-Marie Lemaire) seeks refuge in an eerie mansion in rural France.
He meets two seductive beauties, Eva (Brigitte Lahaie) and Elisabeth (Franca Mai), who are as fascinating and erotic as they are mysterious.
The film is also enjoyably bizarre, and, as mentioned above, Brigitte Lahaie and her fellow female cast members are nice to look at.
In regard of that, again, it is amazing that the film never really gets boring.Overall "Fascination" is watchable for my fellow Eurohorror / Cult-cinema fans, though I cannot share some people's enthusiasm.
Inside he finds two young attractive women, Eva (Brigitte Lahaie) & Elisabeth (Franca Mai) who just happen to be lesbians.
While I respect other people's opinions that Rollin's films are artistic, dream like & visually stunning I don't think that about Fascination at all.
Don't get me wrong there are some very nice shots & imagery in Fascination, Eva wandering around with a long robe & scythe being a particularly memorable scene, the pigeon loft scene is visually unusual & the Gothic Château setting is impressive & adds a great deal to the film, but overall I just felt it was cheaply filmed with Rollin lingering on shots & keeping his camera rolling for far too long, as a consequence at times this slows Fascination down to a virtual stand still.
The one area that I do agree with the general opinion is that Rollin isn't particularly interested in story telling or a coherent plot which is a shame because if he put some of the effort that he puts in his visuals into a decent entertaining film than he'd have a winner on his hands.
There is a lot of gorgeous looking women in this so the eye candy is great especially Eva. It only has a couple of flaws to it, The plot is at times confusing and the big twist is a little predictable but still it's very creative and refreshing, and a lot of fun to watch.
There isn't a plot as such, just a series of weird visual images directed in Jean Rollin's inimitable style.
But the film works best when concentrating on some truly unique images - the best being the scene where a black-clad Lahaie goes on a killing spree with a scythe, quickly slaying those who stand in her way.
Rollin's obsessive view of lesbian eroticism is perverse in just the right way, his camera loves everything about women, titillating us with glimpses of flesh seen here and there, all juxtaposed amidst the finest fairy tale like setting one could imagine.
Sure, there are a few nice shots in this 80-minute movie, but not nearly enough to justify sitting through the rest of it.Arrogant thief Marc (Jean-Marie Lemaire) double-crosses a few people, takes the lone female as a hostage and runs off with a bag full of gold coins.
Inside, Marc encounters two young women; Elisabeth (Franca Mai) and Eva (Brigitte Lahaie)...
Suave and cocky thief Mark (a solid and charming portrayal by the handsome Jean-Marie Lemaire) seeks refuge in a remote castle inhabited by beautiful and beguiling servant girls Eva (the stunningly gorgeous Brigitte Lahaie) and Elizabeth (the absolutely delectable Franca Mai).
Jean Rollin does his customary masterful job of crafting a supremely eerie and erotic dreamy atmosphere that's both chilling and intoxicating in equal measure: The deliberate pace adds immensely to the film's hypnotic attraction, there's a wealth of striking poetic images (the sight of Lahaie in a flowing open black cape wielding a giant scythe is particularly startling and unforgettable), and Rollin handles the expected nudity, soft-core sex, and lesbianism with admirable class, taste, and restraint.
Moreover, Rollin offers a fresh, interesting, and even believable non-supernatural take on the standard fright film premise of vampirism (the strange cult drinks blood as a means to cure anemia).
Walking around the castle in Rollin's distinctive dresses, Franca Maï and Brigitte Lahaie both give incredibly sensual,chilling performances as the enticing Eva and Elisabeth,which leads to Fascination being a truly fascinating experience..
This film has probably the most striking opening of any from French Director Jean Rollin – two young women dressed in white dancing together on a bridge walkway over a picturesque stretch of water, followed by a well-to-do group entering a cadaver-strewn abattoir for a genteel blood-tasting ceremony.
Blood is a cure for anaemia, apparently – its taste is very 'fashionable'.This is followed by scoundrel Marc (Jean-Pierre Lemaire) who has just double-crossed his band of robbers and takes refuge in an ornate mansion, where he meets Eva and Elisabeth who claim to be preparing the property for when the owners return.
Indeed, Eva seems particularly stricken with him.Although I loved the use of stark black and white in Rollin's 'Rape of the Vampire', the colour and lighting here is beautiful.
This intriguing piece of work from the French cult director Jean Rollin is deliciously erotic, although the uninitiated should be warned that the horror elements on hand only come into play for the final portion of the picture. |
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