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City Lights
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The officials of a city unveil a new statue, only to find The Tramp sleeping on it. They shoo him away and he wanders the streets, destitute and homeless, and is soon tormented by two newsboys. He happens upon a beautiful Flower Girl (Virginia Cherrill), not realizing at first that she is blind, and buys a flower. Just when she is about to give him his change, a man gets into a nearby luxury car and is driven away, making her think that the Tramp has departed. The Tramp tiptoes away.
That evening, the Tramp runs into a drunken Millionaire (Harry Myers) who is attempting suicide on the waterfront. (It is later mentioned that his wife has sent for her bags.) The Tramp eventually convinces The Millionaire he should live. He takes the Tramp back to his mansion and gives him a change of clothes. They go out for a night on the town, where the Tramp inadvertently causes much havoc. Early the next morning, they return to the mansion and encounter the Flower Girl en route to her vending spot. The Tramp asks The Millionaire for some money, which he uses to buy all the girl's flowers and then drives her home in the Millionaire's Rolls-Royce.After he leaves, the Flower Girl tells her Grandmother (Florence Lee) about her wealthy acquaintance. When the Tramp returns to the mansion, the Millionaire has sobered and does not remember him, so has the butler order him out. Later that day, the Millionaire meets the Tramp again while intoxicated, and invites him home for a lavish party. The next morning, having sobered again and planning to leave for a cruise, the Millionaire again has the Tramp tossed out.Returning to the Flower Girl's apartment, the Tramp spies her being attended by a doctor. Deciding to take a job to earn money for her, he becomes a street sweeper. Meanwhile, the Grandmother receives a notice that she and the girl will be evicted if they cannot pay their back rent by the next day, but hides it. The Tramp visits the girl on his lunch break, and sees a newspaper story about a Viennese doctor who has devised an operation that cures blindness. He then finds the eviction notice and reads it aloud at the girl's request. He reassures her that he will pay the rent. But he returns to work late and is fired.As he is walking away, a boxer persuades him to stage a fake fight, promising to split the $50 prize money. Just before the bout, however, the man receives a telegram warning him that the police are after him. He flees, leaving the Tramp a no-nonsense replacement opponent. Despite a valiant effort, the Tramp is knocked out.Some time later, he meets the drunken Millionaire who has just returned from Europe. The Millionaire takes him to the mansion and after he hears the girl's plight, gives the Tramp $1,000. Unbeknownst to the Millionaire and the Tramp, two burglars were hiding in the house when they entered. Upon hearing about the cash, they knock out the millionaire and take the rest of his money. The Tramp telephones for the police, but the robbers flee before they arrive, and the butler assumes he stole the money. The Millionaire cannot remember the Tramp or giving him the $1,000. The Tramp narrowly escapes and gives the money to the girl saying he will be going away for a while. Later, he is arrested in front of the newsboys who taunted him earlier, and jailed.Months later, the Tramp is released. Searching for the girl, he returns to her customary street corner but does not find her. With her sight restored, the girl has opened up a flourishing flower shop with her Grandmother. When a rich customer comes into the shop, the girl briefly wonders if he is her mysterious benefactor. But when he leaves with no acknowledgement, she realizes again she is wrong. While retrieving a flower from the gutter outside the shop, the Tramp is again tormented by the two newsboys. As he turns to leave, he finds himself staring at the girl through the window. His despair turns to elation and he forgets about the flower. Seeing that he has crushed the flower he retrieved, the girl kindly offers him a fresh one and a coin. The Tramp begins to leave, then reaches for the flower. When the girl takes hold of his hand to place the coin in it, she recognizes the touch of his hand and realizes he is no stranger. "You?" she says, and he nods, asking, "You can see now?" She replies, sobbing, "Yes, I can see now." The Tramp smiles shyly at the girl as the film ends.
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dramatic, comedy, entertaining, romantic, melodrama
|
tt0021749
|
Dillinger
|
DILLINGERNewsreels are being shown to an audience in a theater. At the end of the film, a master of ceremonies introduces to the crowd the person you have been wanting to see. An older man of countrified appearance and manner introduces himself as the father of John Dillinger. He says that John had a normal childhood and adolescence, but soon after he left his small town to seek fortune elsewhere.In a manner reminiscent of Orson Welles Citizen Kane, the rest of the film shows crucial scenes in the life of John Dillinger.A young man, John Dillinger and his date are having drinks at a booth in a bar. The girl says she wants two more drinks. The waiter insists that the drinks must be paid for in advance. John evidently does not have the money, tries to pay by check, is refused, and angrily wants to drag the girl somewhere else. The girl refuses to leave. John walks out of the bar and holds up a candy shop, pretending to have a gun in his pocket, and takes the cash from the till. In his room, later, he counts the money to be seven dollars and twenty cents.In the next sequence, John goes to see a movie. On the way in he is attracted to the girl at the box office, who returns his glances with interest. On his way out, he sees the girl counting money. Once again pretending to have a gun, he takes all the cash. He is caught by police but the box office girl does not want to finger him from the police lineup, despite the fact that she had identified him from a photograph.John is taken to a jail, where an older man is his cell mate. After initial friction, they strike up a relationship, and the older man, also a holdup robber, introduces him to four others of his gang. They become pals of sorts. Johns jail sentence is relatively short, and he promises to spring the others free after he first comes out of jail.In a sequence of economically filmed scenes, John frees his friends, they become bank robbers, and pull a long series of robberies, each more daring than the rest.In the course of time, he replaces the older robber Specs Green who had been his cell mate as the leader and brain of the operations.When things get too hot, they hole up in a remote country inn where one of the gang had grown up, raised by a kindly couple.At one point, flush with money, John goes back to find the girl that he liked from the movie house, seduces her with expensive gifts, such as a diamond bracelet priced at eight thousand dollars, and brings her to the farm hideout as an additional member of the gang.John is caught and sent to jail. While in prison, he buys from a man in the next cell a piece of wood and a whittling knife, with which he fashions a wooden replica of a hand gun. Using the replica hand gun, he manages to escape by tricking the guard.Some time later, the gang is so well known that they decide it is too risky to keep holding up banks, so they hold up a train that is carrying a load of money instead.Eventually the police authorities sniff out where they are hiding and are about to surround and storm the farm hideout. The tremendous pressure turns the gang members against each other. John shoots and kills Specs Green, and also the kindly couple who have been hiding them, when John finds them trying to phone for help. When the girl plans to leave the farm in the car with a younger gang member, John intercepts the gang member and axes him to death, successfully escaping from the inn with the girl.Because posters offering 15000 dollar reward for his capture are everywhere, John and the girl remain in hiding for months. The girl gets very tired of their existence, says she wants to have fun. John has grown a mustache so she says he will not be recognized. But they are running out of money.The girl decides she has no future, contacts the police and eventually gets John to take her to a movie. She is wearing a red dress so the police will recognize her. As they leave the movie house, she says she wants to buy some candy and leaves John alone. The police move in, and John is killed in a shootout.The policemen examine his pockets as he lies dead, and find seven dollars and twenty cents in his pocket.
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revenge, murder, violence, flashback
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tt0037644
|
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
|
The opening crawl reveals that the Trade Federation, led by its Viceroy Nute Gunray, has blockaded the planet of Naboo in hope of resolving a galactic trade dispute. Chancellor Valorum (Terence Stamp) of the Galactic Republic, sends Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) on a secret mission to meet with the Trade Federation to settle the crisis. Unknown to them, the Trade Federation is in league with the mysterious Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who orders them to invade Naboo with their immense droid army and also to kill the two Jedi. Following a failed attempt to force their way into Gunray's command center, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan escape and flee to the surface of Naboo, where they meet local Gungan outcast Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best). As Jar Jar brings them to an underwater Gungan settlement, the Trade Federation captures Naboo's leader, Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman). Through a Jedi mind trick, Qui-Gon secures a submarine, which he, Obi-Wan, and Jar Jar use to reach the capital of Naboo and rescue Queen Amidala and her escort. The group departs for Coruscant, the Galactic Republic's capital planet, to seek help from the Senate.During the escape, the ship is attacked by the Federation blockade, forcing R2-D2, one of the ship's droids, to fix the shields. The attack damages the ship's hyperdrive, forcing the party to land on the desert planet of Tatooine for repairs. While searching for needed parts, Qui-Gon and a handmaiden named Padmé befriend young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), a nine-year-old human slave gifted in piloting and mechanics. Qui-Gon senses a strong presence of the Force in Anakin, and feels that he may be the "Chosen One" an individual the Jedi believe will fulfill a prophecy by bringing balance to the Force. At Anakin's insistence, Qui-Gon enters Anakin into the Boonta Eve Podrace in a bid with Anakin's master, Watto, to gain the needed parts as well as Anakin's freedom. Anakin eludes several obstacles including rival racer Sebulba to win the race, gaining his freedom and bankrupting Watto. After hesitation, Anakin leaves his mother and his droid, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), behind on Tatooine to go with the Jedi. As the group prepares to depart, they are attacked by the Sith apprentice Darth Maul (Ray Park), who battles Qui-Gon until the heroes escape.On Coruscant, Qui-Gon informs the Jedi Council of the mysterious, well-trained attacker. The Council becomes concerned that this may indicate the reappearance of the Sith, an opposing order that followed the dark side of the Force and had long ago disappeared. Qui-Gon informs the Council about Anakin, hoping that he can be trained as a Jedi. After testing the boy the Council refuses, worried that he is too old for training and that the fear and anger that he harbors will cloud his future. Meanwhile, Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) of Naboo persuades Amidala to call a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum. The vote removes Valorum from power and leads to Palpatine's nomination for the position, which Amidala considers too late to be effective. To stop the Federation invasion by herself, the Queen decides to return to Naboo with her security team, the two Jedi, R2-D2, Anakin, and Jar Jar.On Naboo, Padmé reveals herself as Queen Amidala and forms an alliance with the Gungans for the battle against the Trade Federation. The Gungans march into battle to divert the Federation army away from the capital, allowing the others to infiltrate the palace. Once inside the palace hangar, the Jedi free several Naboo pilots, who regain their starfighters and assault the Federation droid ship. As they make their way to the throne room, the infiltration team is confronted by Darth Maul. Qui-Gon and Obi Wan engage Maul while the others take an alternate route. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan duel with the Sith Lord amongst the catwalks of a massive power-generating reactor core. Obi-Wan is briefly delayed, separating him from Qui-Gon and Maul. Meanwhile, Queen Amidala and her forces fight their way into the palace and capture Nute Gunray, Viceroy of the Trade Federation. Anakin - who inadvertently joined the dogfight in space - destroys the droid-control ship's reactor with proton torpedoes, which deactivates the droid army in the midst of taking Gungan prisoners. In the reactor core, Qui-Gon re-engages Darth Maul singlehandedly, but is mortally wounded. Obi-Wan catches up with and defeats Maul in another intense lightsaber battle. With his final breath, Qui-Gon instructs Obi-Wan to train Anakin to become a Jedi.In the aftermath, the newly elected Chancellor Palpatine congratulates Queen Amidala on her victory and promises to watch Anakin's career with great interest. Meanwhile, the Jedi Council promotes Obi-Wan to the level of Jedi Knight, and Yoda reluctantly accepts Obi-Wan's request to train Anakin as his padawan. During Qui-Gon's funeral, Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Yoda (Frank Oz) agree that Maul was killed by Obi-Wan. However, because there are always two Sith at any given time (a master and an apprentice), they believe that another Sith still exists, although who is that Sith is uncertain. A large celebration is held on Naboo to celebrate the world's liberation and the newborn alliance between the Naboo and the Gungans.
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good versus evil, cult, fantasy, action, boring
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tt0120915
|
Ballot Box Bunny
|
Yosemite Sam runs for mayor of a small town, and in his campaign speech, he makes several empty promises like "There's enough fresh air and sunshine in this great country of ours for everybody - and I'll see to it that you'll get your share!" As the speech continues, we see that Bugs Bunny is drinking carrot juice beneath Sam's podium. When Sam pledges to make good on a previous promise "to rid this country of every last rabbit", Bugs decides that the best way to fight him is to run for mayor against him. Bugs soon tries to win the townspeople over with Theodore Roosevelt's famous quote "I speak softly, but I carry a big stick!", which leads Sam to declare "I speak LOUD and I carry a BIGGER stick, and I use it too!".Sam has several tricks up his sleeve, but Bugs finds a way to answer every one. When Sam steals Bugs' cigar stand, Bugs switches the "Smello" cigars he had been selling for five-cent "Atom" explosive cigars (the box includes the slogan "You Will Get A BANG Out of This"). Sam gives a cigar to a man, but after the cigar explodes, the man punches Sam in the face. Sam then sends a box full of "assorted" picnic ants to steal all of the food at Bugs' picnic, which leads Bugs to hide a stick of dynamite in a watermelon being stolen.Sam rigs up a cannon at the front door of Bugs' headquarters, then turns up at the back door greeting Bugs in a friendly manner. When he taps his foot on the floor, he suggests that someone is knocking at the front door, and Bugs leaves Sam and goes to answer it, but this plan backfires when Bugs tells Sam that it was someone for him, and she said to mention St. Louis, which leads Sam to think that a pretty girl named Emma is there. Sam runs to the front door, opens it and gets shot by his own cannon.Sam's next challenge is to ask Bugs if he can "play the pi-anna". Bugs accepts, so Sam rigs an explosive in a particular piano key, and presents the piano to Bugs with a sheet of music containing the tune "Those Endearing Young Charms". When Bugs plays the tune, he deliberately hits a sour note that avoids the explosive key. When Bugs gets the note wrong a second time, it infuriates Sam, who shows Bugs how to play the tune correctly, and falls for his own trap by playing the note that sets off the explosion.After this, Sam and Bugs engage in a short pursuit through the streets of the town, which ends when they come across a parade that celebrates the newly-elected mayor - a chestnut horse who rides in a car bearing a sign that says "Our New Mare" - a literal "dark horse" candidate. This leads Bugs to make the odd suggestion to Sam to play a game of Russian Roulette and hand a gun to Sam. Sam agrees to the game, points the gun to his head, closes his eyes, pulls the trigger and hears the click of an empty barrel. Sam then passes the gun to Bugs, who points it to his head, closes his eyes and pulls the trigger as the film irises out into black in the middle. We hear the sound of a gunshot, then the film irises in on the left hand side to reveal a ducking Bugs, who holds a smoking gun as he says "I missed". A second iris appears on the right hand side to show Sam, who appears scorched and is missing his hat as a result of being hit in the face by Bugs' wayward shot. After Sam says "I hate that rabbit!", both sides of the film iris out for good.
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psychedelic
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tt0043315
|
Quella villa accanto al cimitero
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A young woman (Daniela Doria) in an old abandoned house is looking for her boyfriend Steven who has taken her there for sex. The young woman discovers her boyfriend's horribly mutilated dead body when she gets stabbed through the back of her head with a sharp kitchen knife by an unseen person. The killer drags the woman's body through a door leading to the cellar.New York City, several months later. A young boy named Bob (Giovanni Frezzi), and his parents Norman and Lucy Boyle (Paolo Malco and Catriona MacColl) are preparing to move to a new house in New England just outside Boston previous occupied by Normans ex-colleague, Dr. Peterson, who recently murdered his mistress before committing suicide. The Boyles are to spend six months at the house, whilst Norman finishes his research project of old houses at the request of his employer Professor Muller (director Lucio Fulci). As his mother packs, Bob looks at the photograph of a sinister-looking old house, hanging on the Boyles wall. In it, he sees a young girl warning him to stay away.In New Whitby, Boston, Bob waits in his parents car while they pick up their house keys at the estate office. He makes further contact with the girl in the photo, who this time appears across the street. Despite the distance between them, Bob and the girl (Silvia Collatina), who introduces herself as Mae, can hear each other without opening the car windows. Mae again warns Bob to stay away. In the real estate office, the friendly Mrs. Gittelson (Dagmar Lassander) is annoyed with her laconic colleague Harold, who hands the couple "the Freudstein keyes." "It's Oak Mansion, Harold," she insists. She seems to recognize Dr. Boyle and asks him if hes been to New Whitby before. Norman says that he hasn't. Accompanying the family to Oak Mansion, Mrs. Gittelson promises to arrange for a babysitter to drop by. Lucy is struck the by the resemblance between the house in the photograph and their new home. But Norman seems strangely disinterested.Inside, the old house is spacious, but in a poor state of repair. They notice in the kitchen that the cellar door is locked and nailed shut. As they start unpacking, a strange young woman arrives and introduces herself as Anne the babysitter (Ania Pieroni). That night, Norman hears noises and on rising to investigate, finds Anne unblocking the cellar door. The next day, Norman goes to the local library to look over Dr. Petersons materials. Mr. Wheatley the librarian (Carlo De Mejo) also seems to recognize him and asks if he's been to the town before. Norman again replies that he has not. The assistant librarian Daniel Douglas (Giampaolo Saccarola) informs Norman that Dr. Peterson has conducted private research at the old house. Hed been studying records of disappearances in the area over the last several years as well as medical reports and death certificates, none of which has any relevance to his official studies.In the wild undergrowth around the house, Mae shows Bob a tombstone bearing the name of Mary Freudstein and says that the woman is not really dead. Indoors, Lucy finds a tombstone set into the floor. It bears the name Jacob Tess Freudstein. Scared and confused by her discovery, she hears noises emanating from all over the house and breaks down screaming. When Norman returns home, he reassures his distraught wife that its quite normal for some old houses in the region to have indoor tombs, because of the hard wintery ground. Producing a set of keys and a flashlight, Norman opens the cellar door and proceeds to walk down the stairs only be attacked by a large bat, which sinks its teeth into his hand and proves incredibly hard to get off. Norman stabs at its loasome pulpy body over and over in which the things oozes globs of blood before dropping dead to the kitchen floor. Now completely spooked, the family drives down to the estate officce where they demand to be rehoused. Their demands are met with exaggerated yawns from Harold. They are told they will have to wait just a few more days before they can move somewhere else. "That Freudstein place" he intones as they leave.The next day while the Boyles are at the hospital to look over Norman's injury caused by the bat, Mrs. Gittelson arrives at the house to tell the family that a property has been found for them. When no one answers her knock, she lets herself in. When she casually stands on the Freudstein tombstone, it cracks apart, grinding her ankle. As she struggles to free herself, an apparently cadaverous figure (unseen except for a normal left arm and a rotting right forearm) emerges from the cellar and attacks her with a fireplace poker, stabbing her repeatedly in the neck. Mrs. Gittelson bleeds to death when blood jets from her multiple wounds and she's dragged to the cellar.The next morning, Lucy finds Anne scrubbing up a huge bloodstain on the kitchen floor leading to the closed cellar door. When asked what she is doing, Anne is noncommittal and eludes Lucy's attempts to talk. At a local coffee shop in town, Norman tells Lucy that he's discovered that the mysterious Dr. Freudstein was a turn-of-the-century surgeon with a penchant for illegal experiments. Norman tells Lucy that he will be traveling back to New York for more research on Dr. Freudstein, telling Lucy that he will be away until well after nightfall. On the way, Norman drops by the library and finds a cassette recording of Dr. Peterson, whos deranged ramblings explain the horrific circumstantial which drove him to suicide. He was not the killer of his mistress and children, but the ghoulish Dr. Fredustein was.Back at the house, Anne goes down into the cellar looking for Bob, when she is attacked and decapitated by the still-unseen Dr. Freudstein. Bob goes down to investigate, when he sees Anne's severed head come rolling down the metal stairs and runs back screaming, just in time to avoid being shut in with the monstrous denizen. Lucy at first refuses to believe the frantic Bob's wild tale about Anne being killed. However, Lucy cannot find any trace of Anne anywhere in the house. That evening, after his mother has gone to bed, Bob returns to the cellar with a flashlight to look for Anne. The door behind him slams shut, and glowing eyes peer at him from the darkness.Lucy is woken up by Bob's frenzied shrieks for help, and she tries to open the cellar door. The key snaps. Lucy tries using a knife as jimmy, but it too snaps. As Lucy panics, Norman arrives back and attacks the cellar door with an axe. On the other side, the rotting hands of Dr. Freudstein (Giovanni De Nava) appear and hold Bob's head to the wooden panels. Normans axe blows come dangerously close to Bob's head, missing his son by a fraction of an inch. One blow chops off the monster's left hand, and he staggers away in pain from the door, dragging the unconscious Bob with him.At last, the cellar reveals its secrets opening up in full view to reveal a charnel house of mutilated bodies, its shadowy recesses dotted with surgical equipment and a gore-streaked pathology slab. The horribly deformed Dr. Freudstein is shown as a rotting living corpse with shrunken in eyes, and rotting flesh. As the couple ventures into the cellar to rescue their son, Norman breathlessly fills Lucy in on the details of his find. The 150-year-old Freudstein has apparently discovered a way of keeping himself alive by using the hacked up body parts of his victims to regenerate his blood cells. Norman attempts to attack Freudstein, but the revolting-looking ghoul twists the axe from Norman's grip. Norman then grabs a knife off the surgical tray and rams it into Freudstein's gut releasing a sickening stew of maggots and corrupted blood. Although wounded, the monstrous Freudstein continues to attack. Lucy and Bob watch in horror as Freudstein picks up Norman and literally ripps his throat out with his one rotting hand. Lucy and Bob spot a metal ladder in the corner of the basement which leads up to the cracked tombstone in the living room floor. With the ghastly monster standing between them and the cellar door, their only hope is to climb up the metal ladder and try to push apart the two stone segments to escape. Lucy strains desperately to shift the stone, but her ankle is grabbed by the perusing Dr. Freudstein. As Bob clings to the topmost rung, he sees his mother pulled down, her head battered by each metal step down. Freudstein finishes off Lucy by ramming her head into the concrete cellar floor, splattering it like a melon. As Freudstein advances up the metal latter to the helpless Bob, the little boy strains to escape by forcing his head through the jagged aperture. At the last minute, as Freudstein clutches the boy's ankle, Bob is yanked up and out of reach by unseen hands to find Mae standing before him. But with Mae is the 19th Century figure of her mother, Mary Freudstein (Teresa Rossi Passante), who gently urges them to leave for other people will no doubt drop in for her husband's continuing research for eternal life. Mrs. Freudstein leads Mae and Bob away from the house and down the wintery grove into a netherworld of ghosts and sadness.Quote from Henry James: "No one will ever know whether children are monsters, or monsters are children."
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cruelty, grindhouse film, murder, cult, violence, horror, flashback, insanity, sadist
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tt0082966
|
Dead End
|
On his way to Christmas dinner at his mother-in-law's, Frank Harrington (Ray Wise), driving on an unknown road with his family, falls asleep and almost crashes into another car going in the other direction. Miraculously nobody is hurt and the other car is nowhere to be seen. Back on the road, Frank sees a woman in white (Amber Smith) with a baby in the surrounding woods. He drives back and finds no one there. However, while he is looking, the Woman in White appears at his window. He asks her if she is fine as it is apparent that she is in shock and wounded on her forehead. He asks Brad (Billy Asher) to check if he can use his mobile phone to call 911 but these is no signal on the network. Frank invites the woman to have a ride in their car because on the way they spotted a cabin not far away. Marion (Alexandra Holden) decides to give her seat to the woman and walk to the cabin as she is suffering from traveling sickness.The rest of the family on the car try to talk to the woman, but she does not respond and they assume she is in shock. Frank then stops at a roadside cabin. Richard (Mick Cain) leaves to go and masturbate in the woods, and Frank and Laura (Lin Shaye) enter the cabin, leaving Brad alone with the woman in the car. She starts to talk to him, then reveals that her baby is dead. Brad screams and Frank and Laura rush back to the car, only to find that the woman and Brad have disappeared. While the rest of the family are looking for him, Marion, still on her walk, sees Brad in the back window of a black hearse which slowly drives by. Marion runs to her parents to tell them that Brad has been taken, and they go after the car. However, they are forced to stop again because they go over a bump in the road. They find out that the bump is Brad's dead body and Marion faints upon seeing him in his gruesome state. The others carry her into the car and start driving again.Laura announces that her watch stopped at 7:30 P.M., and that all of the other clocks they have also stopped at that time. Richard seriously suggests the possibility of alien activity, but his idea is dismissed. The family then sees a black baby carriage in the road and they stop. Richard gets out to investigate, and plays a joke on his parents, peering in the carriage and pretending that something in there is eating him. Frank and Laura start fighting and Richard tries talking to Marion, who is in shock and does not respond. Richard realizes that the carriage is back in the road and tells his parents, who assume he is playing another joke. Frank moves the carriage once more and resumes driving. He and Laura begin another heated argument, and Marion suddenly announces she is pregnant. This is followed by Richard confessing that he is doing drugs. On their next stop, Richard heads into the forest to smoke and encounters the Woman in White. They begin to kiss, but the woman suddenly rips Richard's lower lip off. Richard then says he loves her, and the woman lets her dress slip off to reveal herself nude, and Richard is suddenly taken aback in horror by the sight.While fixing the car, the family sees Richard in the back of the same slow, black car from before and runs after it. Realizing this is fruitless, they start to chase after the vehicle in their own car, but encounter yet another bump in the road. They stop and see that it is Richard's burnt dead body. Laura, devastated, reveals that Richard was not Frank's son, but was the result of an affair she had in the past. Nevertheless, they put the body in the back of the car, Frank stating that Richard was still his son.Back on the road, Laura begins to show signs of insanity, acting childishly and even drawing a picture of Brad's dead body. Frank sees a sign for a destination called "Marcott". He believes this is a naval base, and that they are on a military road which does not appear on the map.In the car, while Laura is sleeping, Frank tells Marion about a story from his childhood: A family in a car encountered a little girl with a school book on the side of the road. They picked her up, but while they were driving, they heard a scream in the back of the car and saw that the girl had disappeared. All that was left was her school book and that book had the last name "Rose". They remembered that everyone in the Rose family had died in a car accident. Frank thinks this connects to their situation, but Marion dismisses his story as folklore.When Laura awakes, she has to vomit, so they stop the car again. She sees a gun in the car, which was going to be a Christmas present for her "gun-obsessed" brother. In her childish, confused state, she believes that the gun is a toy and threatens her husband and daughter with it. Frank angers her by telling her that Richard is dead and she must accept reality, so she shoots him in the leg. However, Marion cleans the wound and they go on the road again with Marion now driving. Laura claims she can see faces outside of the window, but that they all "look so sad". She sees a friend of hers who is dead, and tells Frank to stop the car so that she can see her. Frank refuses, so Laura opens the car door and jumps out. Frank and Marion stop and see that Laura is taken by the hearse. Frank shoots at it, causing it to stop. Laura stumbles towards them. She says she is fine but that her head hurts. Feeling it, she realizes that the back of her skull is split open. She then starts rubbing her brain and relives a night with Alan, the man she had an affair with, and her telling her father she made the cheerleading squad before dying. Frank, distraught, closes her eyes and puts her in the back of the car.Marion and Frank think it is hopeless. Frank puts the gun to his chin, but Marion stops him and they begin to drive on the road again. On their way to Marcott, Frank explains to Marion that Alan was a friend of his back in Detroit. He tells her that Alan had come to him for advice about a married woman he had been having an affair with, wanting to know whether or not to continue with it. Frank encouraged him, reminding him he only lived once. The last time Frank saw Alan was when he told him that the married woman (Laura) wanted to end the affair because she now had a little girl (Marion).Frank starts drinking from a bottle of whiskey, another family Christmas present. His drinking angers Marion, who throws the bottle out of the car window. Growing tired of driving on the endless highway, Frank says they must now try to escape through the woods as it is clearly the only way. However, after passing through it, they find they have gone full circle and are back at the car. They start driving again, and Frank makes a list of things he'd like to do when the ordeal is over, but doesn't show them to Marion.Eventually, they are forced to stop. Frank realizes that the road loops, and they are back at the cabin from the beginning. Angered, and convinced that "someone" is playing with them, he goes inside and lights a match. The Woman in White is suddenly behind him, and blows it out. Frank grabs one of the many tools off the walls and begins swinging it around the pitch black room. Marion hears the noise and rushes inside with the flash-light, taking her father out of the cabin. They walk towards the car and now Frank, like Laura, shows that he too is beginning to go insane. He asks Marion for his bottle of whiskey, but she tells him she threw it away. He starts beating her until she is unconscious, and when Frank realizes what he has done, he puts Marion in the car too. He then sees the woman in white going in the forest and advances on her with the gun. He begins to shoot and scream in the forest, but the swishing of a bladed weapon is heard and it is obvious Frank has also now been killed.Marion, unconscious, has a bizarre dream in which the car finally runs out of gas and she must accept that she too will now die. Outside, she sees the bodies of her family all lined up in body bags, and the hearse suddenly appears beside her. Marion assumes it has come for her, but the Woman in White walks past her, saying, "He's not here for you," before getting into the hearse herself.Marion then wakes up in the car in time to see Frank falling asleep at the wheel and colliding with an oncoming car, driven by the woman previously seen dressed in white. In the car also is her baby daughter. The accident claims the lives of everyone in the vehicles but Marion. She suddenly wakes up in a hospital bed, and a female doctor with the name-tag "Dr. Marcott" is at her bedside.A charming man dressed in black is at the hospital, who says he is the one who found Marion and called the accident in. Dr. Marcott explains to him that all the people in the accident were killed but this one girl Marion. The man and the doctor go into the parking lot and off towards their separate cars, but when the doctor's car will not start, the man offers her a lift in his own vehicle; a black hearse. The doctor is impressed by the vintage car, and the man tells her he is a collector.The credits are followed by an extra scene, in which two road-sweepers are cleaning up after the violent car crash. One finds a piece of paper and reads it; it is Frank's note, which reads: 1) Buy an Atari, 2) Be the coolest Grandfather ever.This wipes out the possibility that it was all a dream, but the road-sweeper throws the note in with the rest of the garbage.
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mystery, comedy, horror, stupid
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tt0308152
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Un prophète
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Malik El Djebena, a 19-year-old French youth of Algerian descent, is sentenced to six years in prison for attacking police officers. Alone and illiterate upon his arrival, he falls under the sway of Corsican mobsters, led by César Luciani, who enforces a brutal rule.
The prison is divided between two main factions: the Corsicans and the Muslims. Malik keeps to himself. When Luciani forces him to be the unwilling assassin of Reyeb, a Muslim witness in a trial, Malik gains the protection of the Corsicans in spite of his Arab origin. Malik serves as a low-level servant to the Corsicans, who treat him with disdain. All the while, he is haunted by visions of the murdered Reyeb. When the bulk of the Corsicans are transferred or released, Luciani is forced to give Malik more responsibility. Having secretly learned Corsican, Malik acts as Luciani's eyes and ears in the prison. When Malik earns the privilege of day-long furloughs outside the prison, Luciani relies on him to conduct his criminal business outside.
Ryad, a Muslim friend, teaches Malik to read and write, and the two become close. Ryad teaches Malik about his own heritage, introducing him to two other Muslims, Tarik and Hassan, and increasing his power within the prison. Malik also becomes involved with a prison drug dealer, Jordi. When Ryad gains an early release due to testicular cancer, the three partners organize a drug-running enterprise to sell hashish. But when Ryad is kidnapped by the drug dealer Latif, Malik tracks down Latif's relative inside the prison. He kidnaps the relative's family and forces Latif's gang to release Ryad.
When Luciani discovers that Malik is using his day-releases for his own personal enterprise, he punishes him. Malik is sent to meet Brahim Lattrache in Marseille, another Muslim, who is involved in a deal between Luciani and the Lingherris, an Italian mafia group. Lattrache is bitter toward the Corsicans for the murder of Reyeb and holds Malik at gunpoint. When Malik spots a deer warning sign, he remembers a recent dream of deer running in the road. He tells his kidnappers that they are in danger of hitting wild animals, and they suddenly strike a deer. Lattrache is impressed by Malik, calling him a prophet and agreeing to do criminal business with him instead of Luciani, even though Malik admitted that he killed Reyeb.
Luciani believes there is a "mole" in his organization and decides to use Malik to assassinate Jacky Marcaggi, the Don of the Corsican mafia, for secretly dealing with the Lingherris. But Malik and Ryad have their own plan for Marcaggi: they kill his bodyguards and dump him in a van with his Corsican enemy Vettori, Luciani's henchman. Malik takes refuge at Ryad's house with his wife and young son. Ryad's cancer has returned; his decision against more chemotherapy leaves him just six months to live. He gets Malik to promise to take care of his family when he's gone.
Upon Malik's return to the prison, he is placed in solitary for returning late - putting him out of reach of Luciani's retribution while Marcaggi uses his influence to wipe out much of Luciani's faction. Once back in general population, Malik joins the Muslim faction in the yard. When a now powerless Luciani tries to approach him, two Muslims intercept and beat him.
On the day of his release, Malik is met by Ryad's wife and son outside the prison. They walk off together, followed by a vehicle convoy carrying Malik's new associates.
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psychological, realism, murder, violence, flashback, revenge
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tt1235166
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Unstoppable
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After panning across some idling diesel locomotives under the opening credits, the film begins with scenes at two rail yards in different regions of Pennsylvania run by the Allegheny and West Virginia Railroad (AWVR). In the Fuller yard in northern Pennsylvania, children arrive for a school field trip on rail safety. Meanwhile, in the southern Pennsylvania town of Stanton, Will Colson (Chris Pine) gets up for work, stopping to surreptitiously watch his wife put their son on the school bus. He calls her but she refuses to even answer.Arriving at work, Colson, a conductor, gets his orders for the day and learns he will be working with engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington), with whom he has never worked before. He goes to a group of older workers, with whom he has some barbed words over their age differences, and finds Barnes among them. While he goes to punch in, the other older workers complain about being displaced by Colson, who they say got his job through family connections in the union.Meanwhile, in Fuller, the yardmaster yells at a pair of hostlers who have been standing idle near a train to get it moved so the schoolchildren's excursion train can get out of the yard. In a hurry, one of them, Dewey (Ethan Suplee), decides to forego connecting the air hose between the locomotive and the rest of the half-milelong (1 km) train. This, the other hostler reminds him, means the train's air brakes will not be working, but Dewey says they will hook them up after parking the train on another track.Barnes and Colson meet by their locomotive for the day, where Barnes, a 28-year employee, finds out that Colson, who will be in charge of the train, is only four months out of training. He reminds Colson that if there's anything he doesn't know, he should just ask. They take the locomotive out across a bridge to where they will attach their train for the day. Colson learns that a court hearing that morning did not, as he had hoped it would, end with the lifting of a restraining order preventing him from seeing his wife and son.In the locomotive cab at the Fuller yard, Dewey turns the throttle to its highest setting (idle) to enable the train's dynamic brakes. As it approaches a switch, Dewey sees it is not set to the right track and, against the advice of the other hostler, jumps from the slow-moving train to line it properly. While he does, inside the train, the throttle sets itself into highest speed. When he tries to reboard the train, it has picked up speed and he falls to the ground trying. It leaves the yard for the main line unmanned.After some slight setbacks at the yard due to Colson's inexperience, including taking on more cars than they had in their orders, the two leave Stanton for a zinc plant. In Fuller, the hostlers let yardmaster Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson) know that they have a runaway train headed into opposing traffic on the main line. Assuming the dead man's switch will trigger the brakes and it will be a "coaster" that stops a few miles from the yard, she calls Ned, a welder for the railroad and tells him to meet the hostlers where they can get in his truck, catch the train and stop it.By the time they get there, they realize the train is under power and going too fast to catch. Connie and the dispatchers work to get every train on the main line onto sidings. The train carrying the schoolchildren narrowly avoids a head-on collision. Michael Galvin (Kevin Dunn), Connie's superior, calls her and asks her what's happening and what she's doing about it. She hasn't figured out yet how to stop the train and begins calling the state police to make sure the grade crossings on the line are secured, since some of the tank cars on the runaway have molten phenol, a hazardous material.On their train, Barnes and Colson hear the dispatcher's order to pull into a siding. Barnes says they can't use the siding assigned since the train is too long for it. He asks instead if a RIP track further down the line is clear.Galvin overrules Connie's suggestion to derail the train in an area of lightly populated farmland, since it would be too costly and it is still possible to stop the train. An emergency meeting of railroad executives approves another plan, but Galvin will not tell Connie what it is. The train's odyssey becomes a media event, followed by helicopters with continuous coverage on television and reporters at crossings in small towns. The train, picking up speed, smashes through a horse trailer caught on the tracks at one junction.The company's plan, to have a lashup of two locomotives go on the line ahead of the runaway and slow it down while another employee attempts to board the runaway's locomotive from a helicopter, fails and leads to the death of another veteran engineer. The police abort another plan, to trigger the safety switch on the locomotive's side with close-range shotgun blasts at a grade crossing, when they realize the switch's proximity to the fuel tank. A state trooper's radar gun shows the train's speed to be 71 miles per hour (114 km/h). Barnes and Colson make into the RIP track in the nick of time, as the runaway smashes through the back of their consist.As it passes, Barnes sees that the coupling on the last car of the runaway is open. He decides to put the locomotive in reverse and catch the runaway. Colson, at first reluctant, joins him. Galvin insists that Connie stop them, but she refuses.Another attempt to stop the train with derails in a small town fails because the train is too heavy and too fast. Evacuations begin as the train approaches Stanton, where it crosses the town on an elevated curve where it will derail at its current speed. If it does, it could fall into a fuel oil tank farm, causing a major environmental disaster.Barnes and Colson catch up with the runaway. After Colson manually couples their locomotive to the train, severely injuring his foot in the process, they begin slowing it down with their own brakes but not enough. Barnes goes out onto the train and begins setting each car's brakes manually, slowing the train enough to get it past the curve without derailing. In the process the locomotive's brakes blow out and the train begins to pick up speed again.Ned the welder catches up to the train, and Colson jumps into the back of his truck. Driving at high speed they make it to the locomotive, where Colson is finally able to get into the cab and stop the train.In a short epilogue it is revealed that Barnes was promoted and retired, that Colson got back together with his wife, Connie was promoted to Galvin's job, and Dewey "is working in the fast-food industry".
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suspenseful
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tt0477080
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The Wolverine
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On 9 August 1945, in a WWII prison camp near Nagasaki, Japan, from a guard tower, a young Japanese officer Yashida (Ken Yamamura) watches a pair of B-29 bombers appear over tranquil Nagasaki. Air Raid alarms sound; Yashida sounds an alarm and hurriedly descends from his watchtower at the POW camp. While other Japanese officers prepare for death, Yashida quickly breaks open prison cells, freeing dozens of captured American soldiers. He lastly comes to a peculiar-looking cell, which looks like a tank turret securely welded over a well, chained securely to the ground: a hyper-secure prison cell. Inside is Logan (Hugh Jackman), who (while suspended by his bone claws) watches as all the inhabitants of the camp run for their lives. Yashida cuts the chains from Logan's cell and tells him to run. Each Japanese officer kneels in line and ceremonially commits seppuku (ritual suicide), but Yashida cannot bring himself to die immediately. As he prepares, Logan stops him. Yashida ultimately watches the bomb fall from one of the bombers, and Nagasaki is consumed by a massive fireball. Yashida tells Logan to escape, but Logan tells Yashida to climb down into the pit, as he'll stand a better chance of surviving the nuclear blast below. He makes up his mind and jumps into the pit, followed by Logan. Logan grabs a metal door and covers Yashida with it. Seconds later a wall of fire sweeps into the well, and Logan is consumed by it and horrifically burned. Yashida survives the bombing with only a small burn on his cheek, and watches in horror as the third-degree burns on Logan's body heal before his eyes.Logan awakens in the modern day. He's in bed with Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), and she asks him what dream it was this time. "Nagasaki" he responds. Logan has bad dreams every night, it seems. The two cuddle, and Logan professes his undying love for her and swears that he'll never harm anyone else. Jean says, "It's too late." Logan is horrified to see his claws are embedded in her lower chest and fresh blood is pouring out of her stomach. Logan screams in horror, and awakens from his dream-within-a-dream in a cave in the Yukon.Since Jean's death when the X-Men made their last stand, Logan has lived a primitive, solitary lifestyle. It appears that he lives in the woods like a wild animal, and hasn't bathed or shaved in a while. His small cave has only the basic necessities: empty whiskey bottles and an old radio which is losing battery power. Logan dresses and exits the cave, walking through the wilderness to the nearest town. Along the way he sees a bear's claw mark on a tree and slashes across it with his own claws. Moments later he crosses paths with a mammoth grizzly bear who, for all appearances, is friendly with Logan. Logan comes to the general store, buys some batteries, and watches as a small group of drunk hunters prepares to go up into the mountains. They're green; one of the hunters nearly shoots his foot off as he goofs around with his hunting rifle. Logan is annoyed.Logan returns to his cave and sleeps. Cries of agony ring out and he goes to investigate -- he finds the hunters' campsite destroyed. He sees evidence of a bear attack. He follows bear prints in the fresh mud and comes upon the same bear he'd seen earlier, with an arrow sticking out of its back. The grizzly is still alive and in terrible pain. The bear looks to Logan with tear-filled eyes and Logan is forced to put it out of its misery.Logan plucks the arrow from its' hide and sniffs the tip; it's coated in poison. He stalks into to the town and walks into the local bar (observed by a slight, young red-haired Japanese woman), where he finds the sole surviving hunter recounting the attack. The grizzly killed his companions; he was lucky to escape with his life. Logan, angry at the hunter, asks who shot the bear with illegal poisoned arrows -- because the poison was too low of a dose, the bear went on a rampage instead of dropping dead. The hunter denies using poison-tipped arrows, but Logan continues his accusations. Logan drives the arrow through the leader's hand pinning it to a table, explaining that it was the one he pulled from the bear's back; if it was not poisoned, then the hunter has nothing to worry about.The hunter's friends square off, ready to attack Logan, who is prepared to fight them all, when he is persuaded to stop by Yukio (Rila Fukushima), the red-haired Japanese woman carrying a samurai sword. She teases the hunters, and shows them her sword, explaining that it is hundreds of years old and is called "Danzan", "The Separator", because its purpose is to separate heads and limbs from bodies. She slices the sword through the air, nearly killing the other hunters in the process, frightening them all, and leaves. Logan leaves with her and climbs into her rental car. Logan asks who she is and why she's been looking for him. She explains that she has been sent by Yashida, whose elderly body is being ravaged by cancer. Yashida wishes to speak with Logan before he dies, and thank him for saving his life 70 years earlier. Logan is reluctant to go to Tokyo, but can't ignore this personal obligation.Logan and Yukio fly to Tokyo and arrive at Yashida's palatial residence. Logan is turned away by Yashida's American oncologist (Svetlana Khodchenkova) and by Yashida's grieving granddaughter Mariko (Tao Okamoto). They insist that Logan's caveman-like state could prove infectious to the elderly, dying Yashida. Logan is unwillingly thrown into a bathtub and cleaned and shaved until he is less offensive and more presentable. Logan is finally allowed to speak to Yashida (Hal Yamanouchi), who presents Logan with the same sword he bestowed on him 70 years earlier. Yashida has summoned Logan because he believes his cutting-edge company has the technology to present him with a unique opportunity: they can make Logan mortal, and will transfer Logan's life-giving mutation into his own body. Logan is upset by Yashida's request and argues that no one should want his power. As he begs Yukio to fly him home, he observes as Shingen (Hiroyuki Sanada), Yashida's son and Mariko's father, coldly and angrily slaps his distraught daughter. Heartbroken, Mariko aims to throw herself off the nearest cliff, but is saved by Logan, angering Shingen. Yukio persuades Logan to stick around for another day or two, and finds a room for him to stay in.As he sleeps, Logan dreams of Jean who climbs into bed with him and kisses him. As the dream ends, Jean becomes Yashida's oncologist, Dr Green. Her snake-like tongue presses deep into Logan's throat and deposits something causing a green vapor to flow from his mouth. He struggles and is knocked out. Logan awakens, having heard a commotion outside his room. He exits to find paramedics running through the estate. Seconds later, Yashida's dead body is carted to the entrance. Mariko cries and Shingen hurriedly prepares the funeral.Days later, Yashida's funeral is held in the center of Tokyo. Logan arrives with Yukio, and shakily makes his way through the funeral procession. Shingen is especially disgusted with Logan and tells him to go home. Logan and Yukio enter the funeral and stand at the back of the crowd. The ceremony is watched by a lone archer, who quietly whispers to the spirit of Yashida that he will protect Mariko. Mariko is ushered up to the front of the funeral by a pair of traditionally-dressed priests. Logan notices that the priest's arms are heavily tattooed with what are certainly Yakuza markings. Logan impulsively bursts through the crowd, angering Shingen, Mariko, and Mariko's distant fiancé Noburo (Brian Tee). He spots a gun-shaped bulge under one of the priests' robes and within seconds guns are drawn and Logan is shot in the chest. He experiences more devastating pain than usual. All the priests shed their robes, revealing Yakuza tattoos and clothing. The Yakuza grab Mariko and flee the funeral. Logan chases after them. He's shot multiple times, and struggles greatly to regain his stamina; his healing ability is severely impaired. Arrows come soaring into the funeral, laying-out dozens of Yakuza members. The archer, Harada (Will Yun Lee), takes out many of the Yakuza and chases after Logan and Mariko as they flee the funeral temple.Logan takes Mariko deep into the city whilst being chased by the Yakuza. Mariko tries to dismiss Logan from accompanying her, but Logan follows. They board a bullet train and Logan pleads for understanding of what just happened. Mariko explains that in three days time, her grandfather's will is to be read, which will name her (not her father) as the new head of the Yashida corporation. The Yakuza are desperate to kidnap her because it will mean a huge ransom. Logan disappears into the train's bathroom and examines the wounds on his chest; they aren't healing. He shakily exits the bathroom and is met by four Yakuza soldiers who shoot and stab him. Logan retaliates, killing two of the men and ripping a hole in the side of the train. The remaining soldiers are sucked out onto the side of the train, along with Logan, and the three battle one-another at bullet train speed. Logan defeats the Yakuza and returns to his seat in the train. He asks where Mariko is headed. Her family has a home at "the end of the line". Logan infers that if there were Yakuza on the train, there are sure to be some waiting for them at their destination. Mariko agrees and the two exit the train well ahead of their destination. The pair walk through the city, in search of a safe place that Mariko is familiar with, but Logan stops her, and explains that they need to find a place to stay where nobody will look for her. Logan finds a seedy-looking hotel and drags Mariko inside. It's a "love-hotel", a pay-by-the-hour establishment. Logan thinks it's perfect, because it's the last place the Yakuza would look for them. They pick a "Mars-themed" room and hurry upstairs. While Mariko sleeps, Logan stands watch on the balcony. He dreams of Jean, and passes out. Mariko awakens and runs to his aid. Logan awakens in a veterinarian's office. The son of the hotel's manager is stitching up Logan's wounds. He nervously backs away from Logan as he stirs, and gestures to the fresh slashes on his face and arms, all caused by Logan. Logan is stitched-up and in better form than he was the night before, but he's still far from immortal.Dr Green sneaks her way through a seedy back-alley. Her blonde hair draws cat-calls from middle-aged perverts who expect her to be a prostitute. She takes one by the collar and spits green acid in his face, blinding him. She continues through the alley and finds Harada, impatiently waiting for her. She's two hours late and he's angry. She demands to know where Mariko and Logan are. Harada's men are still searching, but Mariko hasn't appeared in any of her usual spots. Green, a mutant who now identifies herself as 'Viper', tells him that they have less than three days to find her.The following morning, Yukio calls Mariko and pleads to know where she and Logan are hiding. Mariko refuses to say, despite her closeness to Yukio, but promises that Logan is being good and is caring for her. Mariko and Logan make their way to Yashida's long-forgotten home in Nagasaki. She doesn't expect anyone to follow them there, because the house is old and in disrepair. They buy groceries and Mariko cooks for Logan. Mariko explains that her engagement to Noburo is an arranged marriage; for powerful and political reasons she must go through with it. She also explains about the solitary archer who she grew up with and has wanted to marry since she was 12. She asks him who Jean is, as Logan tends to repeat that name in his sleep. Logan explains the relationship he had with Jean, how he loved her and why he killed her.They go for a walk, and Logan sees something familiar in the distance: the location of the prison camp, and the well in which he saved Yashida, which has long since been capped. Logan helps some locals chop wood, and begins to shed his gruff exterior, a trait that Mariko finds appealing about her guardian. The two return home and eventually make love. The following morning, Logan wakes and can't find Mariko anywhere. He hears her screaming outside. The Yakuza have found them and kidnapped Mariko. Mariko is thrown into their car and Logan runs after them. One of the soldiers shoots Logan, slowing him down, but Logan manages to pull him from the vehicle. He presses the man to the ground and tortures information of Mariko's whereabouts out of him.Yukio arrives, having followed the Yakuza to Nagasaki, and the pair of them go after the only lead they have: Noburo, Mariko's fiancé. Yukio explains to Logan that she has a gift of second sight or the ability to see death, and that she has seen Logan die with his own heart in his hand. Logan tells her than many have tried to kill him before and that he's still around. They find Noburo in his apartment with a pair of western prostitutes. Logan threatens Noburo, who admits that he and Shingen had an agreement to kill Mariko, and that Shingen has her. Logan throws Noburo off a balcony and into a swimming pool. Yukio and Logan head back to Tokyo. On the way, she tells Logan that she's had a vision in a dream that showed her Logan severely injured and bleeding to death.Mariko arrives at the Yashida estate, where her father is waiting for her. Shingen explains that he has worked his entire life to take over the Yashida corporation once the elderly Yashida dies. When he discovered that Mariko, not himself, would be inheriting the corporation, he conspired with the Yakuza, by way of her fiancé Noburo, to have her killed before the will was read. Had Logan not intervened on the night of her grandfather's death, and allowed Mariko to jump to her death, Shingen would have inherited the company immediately. Shingen, along with his small army of Yakuza, will now find a way to have Mariko killed while keeping his own hands clean.Suddenly, black-suited ninjas descend upon the compound and secretly dispatch the Yakuza. The ninjas are led by Harada and Viper. Shingen is cornered by the ninjas and Viper explains that there are greater forces at work than the Yakuza and him. She spits in his face, severely disfiguring it, and tosses him into a pool. Viper, Harada, and his men take Mariko and disappear.Logan and Yukio arrive and find evidence of the massacre. They make their way into Yashida's private room, filled with high tech medical equipment and x-ray scanners. Logan climbs into Yashida's MRI machine and guides the x-ray over his body and discovers, shockingly, a metallic parasite attached to his heart, implanted by Viper days earlier. The device has impaired his healing ability. Logan, against Yukio's pleas, cuts open his chest with one of his claws and reaches for his heart. Shingen, who had survived Viper's acidic attack, appears dressed in traditional samurai armor. He seeks to kill Logan, and swings his sword at him. Yukio saves Logan, and battles Shingen while Logan reaches further into his chest. Ultimately Logan manages to grab, extract and destroy the robotic parasite, but loses consciousness. He lays on Yashida's bed, with a giant open wound on his abdomen. Shingen bests Yukio, knocking her sword away from her, and aims to cut her in two when Logan's clawed hand suddenly appears, blocking the blow; Logan has healed and gets to his feet and goes after Shingen. Shingen skewers Logan's body with multiple swords, but is unable to kill him. Logan gets within arm's reach of Shingen, but decides to let him live, arguing that he should live knowing that he tried to kill his own daughter. As he walks away Shingen runs after him, running his sword through him. Logan stabs Shingen through the throat, killing him instantly. Logan returns to Yashida's room where Yukio has found Mariko's whereabouts -- a Yashida facility built in the village where he grew up. She also discovers strange robotic designs strewn about the room. Logan takes a Yakuza motorcycle parked out front and heads to the Yashida facility.The facility is high in the mountains. Logan drives into the village and watches as dozens of locals citizens flee to their homes. Seconds later Harada appears, and tells Logan to leave. Logan refuses, so Harada slashes at him. Harada watches in disbelief as Logan's fresh wound heals. Harada orders his ninja-clad men to kill Logan. All at once, arrows attached to ropes come streaming in from the adjacent rooftops, and within seconds Logan is impaled dozens of times. Harada, having dipped the heads of his arrows into Viper's venom, launches them at Logan, weakening him considerably. Logan finally passes out.Logan awakens inside the facility, strapped into a stock, forcing his hands forward and away from his body, unable to move. Viper appears, and congratulates Logan on removing her parasite. Logan hears Mariko screaming his name, and sees a massive, metallic mechanical samurai sitting to his left. To his shock, the mech gets to its feet and walks over to Logan. Viper explains that Yashida had been stockpiling adamantium in recent years, having been obsessed with Wolverine's adamantium skeleton. He built this suit of armor out of the material, and with it, Wolverine can be killed. Viper angers Logan and goads him into extending his claws. As soon as he does so, constraints are clasped onto his hands, preventing him from retracting the claws. Wolverine watches in horror as the giant, mechanical, adamantium samurai approaches him and draws an 8-foot long flaming sword. It positions itself to cut off his claws. Mariko struggles with Harada and stabs him. She runs to Logan's side and distracts the samurai, who slashes Logan's restraints open, allowing him to escape. Yukio, who had followed Logan, arrives at the back door of the facility and sneaks inside. She battles Viper while Logan deflects blows from the much larger and stronger Samurai. The Samurai cuts the claws off of one of Wolverine's hands, revealing bone underneath the adamantium. Logan battles the Samurai one-handed, wrestles its massive sword away from it and slashes the Samurai's helmet off. The out-of-control mechanical samurai slashes open the side of the facility, and pushes Logan out through the hole. Logan dangles hundreds of feet over the ground and hastily climbs back into the facility.Meanwhile Yuriko is battling Viper and losing. Harada, seeing that his actions have been dishonorable, makes a last effort at redemption, killing Viper and himself.Suddenly the samurai's sword comes swooping over Logan's head, cutting his other hand's claws clean off, and the pilot of the mechanical samurai is revealed to be Yashida, the old man thought dead. Yashida explains that his life's goal since meeting Logan was to prolong his own life, at whatever cost. When Logan refused to go through with the procedure at his estate, he faked his own death with the assistance of Viper and kidnapped Mariko, knowing that it would lead Logan to him. Yashida (in the samurai suit) grabs Logan's wrists and six drills come out of the suit's forearms. The needles drill into Logan's exposed bone-claws, straight into the marrow. Within seconds, Logan begins to grow old and Yashida, by way of the interconnected suit, becomes young again. Yashida laughs as he siphons the life from Logan. Mariko has freed herself from Harada and sees and hears her Grandfather's plan. Suddenly one of Logan's separated claws comes flying through the air and lands in Yashida's skull. Mariko confronts her grandfather and stabs him in the head again. Logan is freed from the suit's drills, his life returns to his eyes, and he instantly grows back his bone claws. Logan stabs Yashida, and pushes Yashida, and the suit, out of the facility. It crashes on the rocks below.Yukio, who had survived her encounter with the Viper, joins Logan on an airport runway. The biggest news of the day is that Mariko Yashida has inherited her grandfather's corporation. Mariko kisses Logan on the runway and hints that he should come back to see her soon, but the two agree that they have separate paths to follow. Logan boards the plane and Yukio follows. She gleefully tells Logan to consider her his bodyguard and asks Logan where he would like to go. Logan gives her an indefinite response, but he's happy that she's with him.CREDITS SPOILER:Two years later, Logan (minus Yukio) is walking into an Airport Security checkpoint and asks for the pat down. An overhead TV shows a commercial for 'Trask Industries', and Logan pays little attention to it. Suddenly the coins, watches, and pens in the X-ray machine begin to float. Logan, aware of this magnetic anomaly, immediately ejects his bone claws and spins around to see Magneto (Ian McKellen) behind him. Magneto freezes Logan in place, and urges Logan to lower his defenses. He tells Logan that his mission is a peaceful one, and that he hasn't come alone. Logan turns away from Magneto and watches as everybody surrounding them freezes in place. A wheelchair silently weaves through the sea of frozen bodies, and in its' seat is Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). Logan is speechless at seeing Xavier alive. Magneto and Xavier explain they need Logan to save all of mutant-kind.
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suspenseful, murder, violence, flashback, good versus evil, humor, revenge
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tt1430132
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Demonia
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Sicily, 1486. A mob of villagers drag five screaming and struggling nuns into a cavern beneath their convent, built atop a steep hillside. They are tortured and nailed to five of the many wooden crosses in the underground chamber.
Toronto, Canada, present day 1990. A séance is in progress. A young woman named Liza (Meg Register), has a vision of the crucified nuns and falls screaming onto the floor. She is taken home where her boyfriend Professor Paul Evans (Brett Halsey), a noted archaeologist and her former college professor, comforts her.
Several months later. Liza and Professor Evans are surveying Ancient Greek ruins on a site near the small town of Santa Rosalia, Sicily. With them is a team of assistants who are meant to be helping, but spend most of their time drinking. Liza is distracted by the beautiful, but ominous ruin of a monastery which overlooks the dig. Professor Evans chides her for exhibiting a morbid interest in the rumors surrounding the ruins history. The include tales of unspeakable practices conducted there in medieval times. He reminds her that she is supposed to be avoiding any involvement with the supernatural since her mental breakdown back in Canada months earlier.
At the quayside, the professor talks to Porter (Al Cliver), a colleague on his sailboat all about the ruins history in which Porter persuades him to avoid the ruins and concentrate more on the Greek ruins. Also hanging around the dig is Turi De Simone (Lino Salemme), the hot-tempered local butcher, who voices the town's hostility to the strangers. He follows Liza into the ruined building and warns her not to go any further, but she continues after he leaves. In the monastery crypt, Liza becomes convinced that there is another chamber behind a wall and attacks it with a pick-axe. Sure enough, she discovers a cavern containing the charred remains of the five nuns hanging on wooden crosses.
Liza runs outside in horror and bumps into Professor Evans. He seems intent on browbeating her into suppressing all mention of what she found. But the opening of the crypt has apparently freed the spirits of the five nuns, putting into motion a series of supernatural events. That evening, Porter is killed on his boat when he is shot with a harpoon gun by a ghostly nun, who then disappears.
The next day, the people in the village are feeling so irate against the outsiders near their community that the young butcher, Turi, can openly discuss murdering the visitors. Meanwhile, Liza pursues her investigation into the monastery by checking the local church records at the local library, but discovers a huge sheaf of pages missing. A strange-looking woman (Carla Cassola) appears in the dusty corridors and invites Liza to meet her the following day at her apartment to hear the whole story.
That evening, two of the archaeologists, Irishmen Sean (Grady Thomas Clarkson) and Kevin (Pascal Druant), get blind drunk and decide to wander the ruins. They hear giggling female voices and see flittering shadows. Following them, Sean and Kevin are killed when they fall through a weak floorboard and land into a pit of metal spikes. The following morning, Inspector Carter (Lucio Fulci) from Interpol arrives to investigate the deaths, and to question Professor Evans on his knowledge of the area.
The next day, Liza meets with the old woman as arranged in her apartment. The old woman tells Liza about what happened at the ruins centuries ago. The nuns practiced witchcraft and held orgies there as well. Local youths wound be invited there for sex, then murdered as they reached orgasm. The nuns would drink their blood in a satanic frenzy. If any one of the crazed nuns would become pregnant, they would carry their unwanted babies to full term, then throw them onto a fire after giving birth to them.
Meanwhile, the police investigation into the dig becomes more urgent when Inspector Carter arrives at the marina looking for Evans' colleague Porter, whose severed head is found impaled on the anchor of his yacht. In town, the old woman is the next victim when she is attacked by her pet cats and she is clawed to death, her eyes scratched out. When Professor Evans makes a casual remark to Inspector Carter, he puts suspicion on Turi the butcher. But that evening, Turi is killed as he is closing up his shop when an unseen figured dressed in all white attacks him in his walk-in freezer. The figure stabs him with a meat-hook though his neck, and his tongue is nailed to the chopping board. Inspector Carter arrives later that night with the local police to investigate when Turi's wife has called them to report her husband's disappearance. Carter finds Turi's dead body locked in the freezer. Carter also finds a piece of torn clothing clutched in Turi's right hand which apparently belonged to his killer.
Suspicion on Turi's murder first falls on Professor Evans who reacts by announcing that the dig will be abandoned, but Liza, acting more and more strangely, refuses to leave.
The next morning, news of the death of Turi has incensed the townspeople who mount an attack on the haunted ruins. Professor Evans tries to get his team clear, but he can't find Liza, who had wandered off during the night. John (Ettore Comi) and Susie (Christina Engelhardt), a married couple on the team, realize their young son Robby has gone missing too. John runs through a nearby woods looking for Robby, while Professor Evans goes off to look for Liza. Meanwhile, Robby is being dragged through the woods by a white-robed, faceless nun. The little boy pulls free and runs through the woods back to camp. Then, Robby inexplicably discovers his father tied by the ankles between two bent saplings. Running to help, the boy trips a rope, the trees spring upright, and John is literally ripped in half down the middle. The blood-splattered Robby returns to the archaeology camp, too traumatized to speak to his screaming and hysterical mother when she finds him covered in blood.
Professor Evans runs towards the ruins looking for Liza who appears dressed in a white robe, obviously possessed by the leader of the evil nuns. With a huge mob of townspeople advancing not far behind him, Professor Evans runs into the ruins after Liza who turns around and stabs him in the stomach with a butcher knife, and then disappears like a ghost. The mob of townspeople charge into the ruins, running past Professor Evans lying severely wounded on the ground. The mob converge on the hidden chamber and Liza reappears, foaming at the mouth on one of the crosses. The mob sets her and all the skeletal remains of the nuns afire. The wounded Professor Evans staggers into the cavern, pushing the mob members out of his way, to see Liza materialize at the foot of the burning crosses, no longer possessed but dead.
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violence
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tt0094997
|
La môme
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As a small child, Edith Piaf is crying on a stoop, near some other children on the streets of Paris. Her mother stands across the alley singing, panhandling for change. Edith's mother writes a letter to her child's father, the contortionist, who is in the trenches of World War 1. She explains that she's dropping Edith off at her mother's so she can pursue the life of the artist.He returns to Paris and scoops up Edith, covered in insect bites and sores, from under the blanket of a bed in a delapidated house. He drops her off at his mother's house, a bordello madame in Brittany.There, Edith is adopted informally by Titine, a young troubled redhead who sings to Edith, plays with her, and walks the streets of their small town. Titine and another prostitute are Edith's closest friends and they are repeatedly demeaned and abused by brothel customers. Screams of pain ring out one night, as Titine rushes down the hall to help her friend, who explains, "I let him play doctor and use his instruments on me." Edith enters the room, saying she cannot see. A doctor identifies it as keratitis, an inflammation of the eyes, and her eyes are wrapped in cloth. Titine and her visit St. Therese at Liseux, pray for vision. Later, as the members of the brothel pin up laundry in the backyard, Edith slowly pushes off her banage and reveals her eyes, and blinks up at the sky.Edith's father is discharged from the WW1 forces and takes Edith to live with him, at loud protests by Titine, who must be held back while he bundles Edith into a cart. Her father works in the circus as a contortionist. He cannot stand the manager, so they leave, performing on the streets of Paris. At one point a passerby asks if she is part of the show, and with prompting by her father to "do something," she sings the Marseillaise. More crowds gather around her and are obviously moved.She makes a friend from a factory job, Mômone, and they wander the streets, glugging from a bottle of wine, and Edith occasionally sings for their supper, quite literally. After singing a few songs and getting a meal in a bistro, her mother approaches her for some change. When Edith gives her a centime (or something that small), her mother yells at her that her daughter will never help her either. She also continues to yell "I am an artiste!" Her mother is grabbed by the waiter, and Edith and her friend quickly leave.Edith and Mômone go to a local bar and pay Albert, a slick dark haired pimp, cash and receive warnings that if she doesn't pull in more money he will "have her open her legs like the rest of my women."Singing on the street in the Montmartre neighborhood, a man approaches her and introduces himself- he is Pere Leplee, who has a lower and upper class nightclub.
She sings for him the next day, and his gay lover, bartendress, and other workers at her club are instantly appreciative of her skills, though the bartendress is quite jealous. Pere LePlee changes her name to Piaf, a colloquialism for Sparrow, because her original name is too long and off-putting. He introduces her at his show a week later, with new clothes, and a new song. His audience is also appreciative, and he introduces her to the president of the radio in Paris. She leaves the club quickly, despite the acclaim, and goes to the local bar where she passes Albert a large bundle of cash, and he returns one bill.Mômone is still in her entourage, and on New Years', 1935, she meets her next Pygmalion-esque manager, yet she does not follow up with him at all, simply pockets his business card. She and Mômone drink buckets of champagne and are rude and loud to almost everyone in their milieu. When one woman approaches to compliment Edith, she responds, "Your face is like a bag!"Afterwards, Pere Leplee is shot, and everybody thinks it is Edith's role in introducing him to the mafia, namely, the pimp Albert, that causes his murder. She is interviewed at a raucous cafe with a ton of paparazzi. She tries to sing at a low grade cabaret with Albert accompanying on accordion but she is shouted off the stage.In utter despair, she finally meets up with her next savior, and she meets a jewel of her career- Marguerite, a talented songwriter and accompanist. He discovers her "beautiful hands," and teaches her to gesture with them while singing. He also emphasizes enunciation, formal wear, and comportment. Before their first concert at a music hall, "Not a cabaret," the manager intones, she has a fierce bout of stage fright and is huddled in the dark in her dressing room, thirty minutes after curtain call. He advises her finally to "stand up," and she manages to shake off this fright. This performance is a resounding success.She is in a large flat in Paris with her entourage, reading a Cocteau play, and joking with Mômone who is dressed as a man in this scene. She puts off the conductor of the orchestra despite the performance being in "48 hours," she invites in a Corporal who asks if she will perform his song. She listens and immediately embraces it, performing it the next night. (This is the trailer)She travels to New York for more performances. She meets Marcel, a fellow French national boxer competing for the World Champion title abroad. They first dine at his "local spot" a diner where she gets a pint of beer and a pastrami sandwich. She teases him that this is not a date, and they end up at a very fancy restaurant, where she orders the wine and entrees. He reveals that he has a pig farm, to which she laughs very loud, and it is run now by his wife and three children. She is quiet, but is quickly falling in love, she reveals to Mômone that night. He attends her performance, and she attends his bouts for the championship, which he wins. They are led through a fire escape of her hotel, where she reveals, "I'm beginning to like this city. There are the stars!" and they have their first night together.At a party in her suite, she babbles to her maid and secretary Ginou that she doesn't mind he is married, she knows he loves his family. Mômone is annoyed that Edith talks about Marcel all the time. Edith calls Marcel, inducing him to fly to New York from Paris tonight. Mômone threatens to leave Edith during the phone call.The next morning Edith wakes up to Marcel, who is in a suit lounging on her bed. She rushes off to get him coffee, joking with Mômone and Louis who are glumly ash faced, standing in the suite in different rooms. She rushes off to get his present- a watch- and gets irritated that she can't find it. Ginou comes to the door with a very sad expression and exasperated, Edith asks what is wrong with everyone. Louis, her manager, takes her aside and tells her that Marcel died in the plane crash. Edith hysterically searches for the ghost of Marcel that was lounging on her bed just a moment before.Her mourning consists of seeking fortune tellers, cutting her hair and performing.There were many flash forwards to a small aged-looking Edith with frizzy red hair, sitting in a chair by the lakeside. She can barely move, and fights with her nurse about drinking carrot juice. Another set of flash forwards depict Edith with short curly hair, plastered to her face like she is feverish, singing on stage and collapsing every other song. She is taken back to her green room, only to be yelled at by Louis to stop performing, as she is conducting her "suicide tour." She gets more shots of morphine and continues to perform. Later that night, she asks to ride with "The American," to drive 400 miles to another town to "catch some air." She tells him to turn around, and in his bad French he questions her, then gets into a car accident. We learn in another flash forward that she has broken two ribs and must be hospitalized, explaining the earlier flash forwards, of her convalescence in Grasse, with the carrot juice fights.In another flash forward, she is hosting a large party at a Parisian bistro. She toasts to Marguerite who saw her "as a princess," before anyone else did. She flirts with the waiter, and topples a bottle of champagne, not due to drunkenness, but her arthritis. She finally sees the owner of the restaurant and implores him to get her a gift. She asks for a ring, with tons of diamonds on it. Louis, quietly tells him to simply replace the champagne she spilled. The next morning Louis opens her bedroom door to a small Edith on the large bed, with curtains drawn. He offers her breakfast but she tells him no, she is expecting someone. A young man comes in the room and lounges on her bed. Louis leaves, sitting outside the door. Time passes and he re-enters the room. Five or so bloody syringes are on the bed and both Edith and her young man are lying there with their eyes open, in relatively the same position.She travels to California after her first convalescence and is married to a man- the first husband- and driving around with Ginou and some others, in a car. Ginou is carsick and Edith takes the small break as an opportunity to drive the car, which she does, into a cactus. She jokes that she will now hitchhike.She sits with her husband at the side of a pool and is offered a strange fruity martini drink. She wonders if he will divorce her now. In the next scene, they are at a doctor's office, in America. She explained that she has been using since the plane crash. Before the doctor can tell her how the shots have been affecting her health, her husband says he wants her to go into rehab. She says she wants to change.A small, tiny hunched Edith slowly pads into her living room. Her entourage is crowded, concerned, on the other side of the room. She determines that it is impossible, for obvious reasons, to perform the Olympia. Her long time arranger Bruno Coquatrice is told to cancel it. A new songwriter and arranger shows up wtih a song- "Je ne regrette rien," and Edith explains this is her life, this is what she lives for, and tells Bruno that she will perform the Olympia.She sits in her dressing room and searches for her cross, that she always wears. She sends her maid and secretary out to get it, and at that point has a series of flashbacks. When she returns with the cross, Edith places it on and shuffles out onto the stage. She begins singing "Je ne regrette rien," to more flashbacks.A sunny day, in the south of France. She walks out to the beach with her knitting. This is a smaller, red-haired Edith with an obvious stoop. She waves at the lifeguard and sits near the breakers. A young woman with a purse and bag approach and introduces herself. She is there for an interview. She asks Edith simple questions- what is her favorite color, her favorite food "Pot roast." and then more questions. What is the most important thing for an adult to know? "To love." For a woman? A child? A baby? All answers: "To love."Louis carries a bundled up Edith into her bedroom and tucks her into bed. The subtitle reads that this is the date of her death. She is afraid. She says she cannot remember things. She flashes back to small moments, her mother recognizing that they have similar features, but odd eyes. Her father giving her a Japanese doll that she longed for.She remembers her child, Marcelle, that she had with Louis when she was a street performer. She remembers how he yelled at her for taking Marcelle out on the street. She was singing in a cabaret when Louis came to tell her Marcelle was in the hospital. They arrive, and Marcelle has already died.Edith dies.
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sentimental, murder, historical, flashback
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tt0450188
|
The Wyvern Mystery
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The story opens with the child Alice, newly orphaned and taken under the wing of Squire Fairfield unaware that he is the man responsible for her father's death. As she grows up to be a beautiful woman, Squire lusts after her and desires her to be his bride, but she is attracted to his older son, Charles. No sooner does he propose than the gallant Charles spirits Alice to a church for preemptory nuptials. Charles' brother, Harry, assists. The couple hide out in a family house Carwell Grange from Squire who pursues them, where life is bliss-notwithstanding the dispirited housekeeper, the wing with rooms painted entirely in black, and Charles' increasingly strange behavior and frequent reference to "old soldier" in whispered conversations with Harry. Soon Alice is pregnant and although fed up with having to hide away she is very much in love with her husband and she discovers and hidden and neglected part of the house with signs of a recent inhabitant, she becomes embroiled in the family's dark past and afflicted with nightmares. These become terrifying real one night when a madwoman bursts through the wall, threatens Alice with a knife, and then stabs Charles while claiming she is his wife.Alice, shocked into labor by the incident with the deranged Vrau, delivers a boy and takes him to the dying Charles to strengthen his will to live. A doctor advises that he be sent out of the house as Charles has developed a infectious fever, against Alice's protests. Harry arranged for his friend Claire Shaw to look after the baby and Alice nurses Charles, who unfortunately dies. At the same time she receive the devastating news that her baby has also died of an infection. At the time of the funeral Squire indicates to Harry that he regrets the death of his son and what has happened, Harry told Alice that his father was no friend to her father, but rather hastened his death, Alice turns on Squire when he tries to be reconciled and offer her a home, Alice is devastated, and, following a blistering confrontation with Squire, cuts off all ties with Wyvern Manor.Five years later, Alice quietly pays her annual visit to her baby's grave. Stopping briefly at her childhood home, she encounters Squire, a visibly broken man, murmuring incoherently. Shaken, she meets Harry, who now controls the family estates. She also encounters Claire Shaw and her suspicions are aroused when she and Harry deny that Claire ever had a child of her own, which they told her when she first met Claire. Alice does some investigating into Claire and into her son's death and suspects Harry of having murdered him. She find out more from the mad Vrau who is chained up and looked after in the house still. Vrau reveals that the boy is alive and lures Alice into unlocking her chains. Alice traces her son to the Archdales who been looking after the boy for payment. She runs off with him and confronts Harry, who mocks and sneers at her claims, but almost immediately after he is murderd by Vrau who has killed her keeper and escaped. Alice's son inherits Wyvern, which they let out and go to live in her first childhood home nearby.
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insanity, revenge, gothic, murder, plot twist
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tt0237934
|
The Karate Kid Part II
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The opening of the story recaps events from the end of the previous film: Daniel LaRusso squares off against Johnny in the final match of the All-Valley Karate Tournament and wins the match and the tournament when he plants his mentor's, Mr. Miyagi's, signature move, a "crane kick" to Johnny's chin. Following the match, Daniel is showering and suggests to Miyagi that they perhaps go on tour to different karate championships. Miyagi kindly says that Daniel should consider "early retirement". Daniel humbly agrees.As they walk out to the parking lot, Daniel is congratulated by the tourney's announcer and referee on his win. Kreese, Johnny's sensei and owner of the Kobra Kai dojo, stalks past, pushing people angrily out of his way. He finds his students in the lot and berates Johnny for not winning the tourney. The scene turns ugly when Johnny talks back, telling his teacher that he's sick in the head. Kreese suddenly grabs Johnny in a headlock and backhands Jimmy, another of his students. Miyagi tells Daniel to wait by their truck and confronts Kreese, ordering him to let Johnny go. When he doesn't Miyagi frees Johnny himself. Kreese furiously tries to punch Miyagi, who easily dodges the blow. Kreese's fist breaks a car window. When he tries to hit Miyagi again, he breaks another car window when Miyagi sidesteps again. Miyagi forces Kreese to his knees and prepares to deliver a seemingly deadly strike to Kreese, growling Kreese' own words about showing an enemy no mercy. He gives a huge yell but stops short of landing the blow and instead honks Kreese's nose and drops him to the ground. Miyagi explains to Daniel that Kreese will have to live with the shame of being publicly humiliated, which is far worse than death.Six months later an angry Daniel arrives at Miyagi's house. The car that Miyagi gave him, a 1948 Ford Super De Luxe, is having mechanical trouble and Daniel, dressed in a tuxedo, is talking angrily about how badly his prom went: his girlfriend, Ali, had borrowed his car and had caused the mechanical trouble. Daniel also grouses about how Ali has found a new boyfriend. To make matters worse, Daniel tells Miyagi that his mother has accepted a temporary transfer to Fresno for the summer and Daniel will have to go with her. Miyagi quickly fixes Daniel's car and takes him to the back of his house where he seems to be constructing a new room. He persuades Daniel to calm down and focus with his breathing technique and shows Daniel how to drive nails with a single shot. Daniel soon feels better and asks Miyagi what the addition to the house is for. Miyagi tells Daniel that the room is for a "refugee" from Fresno -- he'd talked to Daniel's mother, who'd agreed to let Daniel stay in Los Angeles with Miyagi for the summer.A few minutes later, the mail carrier shows up and gives Miyagi an overseas letter. The letter is from Miyagi's former girlfriend in Okinawa -- Miyagi's father is dying. Miyagi has to travel to Okinawa to see his father before he dies. Miyagi also tells Daniel more of the story about his leaving Okinawa: he'd fallen in love with a young woman named Yukie who was betrothed to his best friend, Sato. Miyagi talks about how he was young and foolish and had told the entire village that he was going to marry Yukie despite her parents wishes. Sato, whose karate teacher was also Miyagi's father, challenged his friend to a duel to the death. Miyagi chose to leave rather than fight his best friend.When he's about to board his plane, Daniel suddenly shows up, having persuaded his mother to accompany Miyagi on the trip. Miyagi is reluctant and Daniel tells him he'd used his savings to buy the ticket. Miyagi agrees and they both fly to Okinawa. On the plane Daniel studies a book on Okinawan history and is strangely unable to locate Miyagi's village on the map.When they arrive they are met by a young man a few years older than Daniel, Chozen, who has a car waiting for them. Before Daniel gets in the car, Chozen shakes hands with Daniel, menacingly crushing Daniel's hand. Chozen and his driver take the two to a warehouse near the airport. They are met by Sato, who still holds a grudge against Miyagi and reminds him of his actions years ago. Miyagi refuses to fight Sato. Sato and Chozen leave Miyagi and Daniel to find their own way to town.In a taxi, they stop at the US Air Force base, which Miyagi remembers being the location of his village, called Tomi. An Air Force officer tells them that the village was moved years ago when the base expanded. Arriving at Tomi, Miyagi goes immediately to his father's house. He and Daniel are met by a young woman about Daniel's age, Kumiko, and Miyagi's former love, Yukie. Yukie is happy to see Miyagi and reveals that after Miyagi had left, she hadn't married Sato & hadn't ever married. Later, Miyagi's father requests that both his son and Sato see him. He joins their hands together, asking them to make peace between them right before he dies. Sato grants Miyagi three days to mourn and funeral his held.Miyagi takes Daniel on a tour of Tomi. They arrive at the fishing house where Miyagi used to work. Miyagi shares a story about how he was distracted when a large net of fish came in and he was almost impaled on the net hook. To demonstrate, he releases one of the hooks and swivels at the hips and knees, just barely avoiding being killed. Miyagi calls it the "drum technique", which is reminiscent of the ceremonial drum of the local villagers. Daniel asks to try himself and is forced to jump off the pedestal and falls into the water. Miyagi announces an end to the lesson, however Daniel tries again, releasing a hook on his own and successfully dodging it. Miyagi agrees with Daniel that it was a stupid thing to do.Meanwhile, Daniel has run afoul of Chozen, who is Sato's nephew and seems intent on harassing Miyagi in his uncle's name. Daniel catches Chozen cheating the villagers for food with fake scale weights. Chozen also seems jealous of Daniel's budding relationship with Kumiko, and harangues him often. When Kumiko sees Daniel practicing the "drum" technique he'd learned from Miyagi, she tells him it looks like an ancient Japanese dance called "o-bon". Chozen shows up, drunk, and teases Daniel. The confrontation turns violent and Chozen beats Daniel. While on a date with Kumiko, they go into a bar full of locals and American servicemen who, despite their obvious ignorance of martial arts, are trying to karate chop thick sheets of ice for money. None of them have made it through more than two sheets. Daniel explains to Kumiko what they're doing wrong and one of the Americans drops a challenge. Chozen suddenly appears offering 3-to-1 odds that Daniel can't break six sheets. Miyagi steps in, having been found nearby by Kumiko, and takes Chozen's wager. Sato is there too and covers Chozen's bet. At Miyagi's suggestion, Daniel meditates for a few moments and easily breaks all six sheets. Miyagi gives Daniel his share of the money. Later that night, Daniel goes with Kumiko to a 1950s sock hop. Chozen is there and begins to beat on Daniel and takes the money he'd lost back. Daniel hits Chozen in the crotch and gets his money back, retreating with Kumiko.Miyagi meets with Sato at Sato's house. There he finds Sato practicing on a large wood plank. Miyagi knows the plank is the same one they found on the beach as friends. Miyagi appeals to Sato, saying he still doesn't want to fight his old friend. Sato scoffs and walks away. Miyagi also reconciles with Yukie, saying he's sorry for leaving her. She tells him that she'd never married because of Miyagi's conflict with Sato. Daniel and Kumiko later see Miyagi and Yukie engaged in an ancient tea ceremony where they declare their love for each other.When Miyagi's three days of mourning have passed, Sato and Chozen show up at Miyagi's home. When they are unable to find Miyagi, Sato leaves, telling his nephew to "leave a message" for him. Daniel is awoken by their voices and goes downstairs to the courtyard and is immediately grabbed by Chozen's friends. Chozen threatens Daniel with spear, using it to get him in a choke hold while his friends tear up the courtyard garden. Miyagi appears and orders Chozen to let Daniel go. Miyagi then engages all three boys in a short fight, defeating them all, including Chozen who tries to use the spear. Miyagi wrests it away and stops short of stabbing Chozen with it, eventually breaking it in half. He takes Daniel in the house while the boys leave, telling his student they'll leave tomorrow.The next day Sato has part of the local's gardens bulldozed. Miyagi confronts Sato again, telling him that he'll fight him on one condition: no matter who wins, the deed for the land the village sits on will be turned over to the residents forever. Sato scoffs but agrees when Miyagi tells him that it's a small price to pay.Miyagi later talks to Daniel, telling him he's willed the house in Los Angeles and all it's contents to Daniel should he die in the fight. Miyagi goes off to prepare. Daniel passes by a small chapel where he sees Sato meditating. As he walks past, he sees Kumiko sitting alone in another house. When he joins her, he sees that she's prepared a tea ceremony for them both. When the ritual is complete, the two of them kiss. Suddenly a tropical storm kicks up and they're forced to find shelter in an old concrete bunker left over from World War II. Miyagi is there already and he and Daniel see the chapel that Sato was meditating in suddenly collapse. They both run over to find Sato pinned under a thick beam. While Sato yells about Miyagi taking advantage of his helplessness, Miyagi strikes the beam, breaking it in half. They free Sato and take him to the shelter. Daniel breaks off from them to help the little girl who was on a small tower ringing the town's emergency bell. Daniel brings her down from her perch and struggles to reach the shelter. Sato orders Chozen to help Daniel, but he refuses, ashamed. Sato runs out and helps Daniel out. When he makes it back to the shelter, he tells Chozen that he's dead to him. Chozen runs off into the storm.The next day, as the villagers are cleaning up, Sato joins them and hands the deed to the land over to Miyagi. Daniel approaches him and asks if they can hold an o-bon at the ruins of an old temple near the ocean. Sato agrees. The dance is held that night. One of the events has Kumiko performing a traditional solo dance. Shortly after she begins, Chozen suddenly slides down on a lantern rope and grabs her, holding her hostage and challenging Daniel to fight him. Daniel accepts and crosses the small bridge, throwing it into the moat. The two fight, seemingly to a draw. Suddenly Miyagi and the other spectators begin using their small drums. Chozen is distracted and Daniel begins to hit him repeatedly, having learned the counter punch of the technique. Chozen is beaten and Daniel tweeks his nose in the same manner that Miyagi used on Kreese. The film ends with Miyagi smiling and Daniel holding Kumiko.
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dramatic, revenge, inspiring, violence
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tt0091326
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Thelma & Louise
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As the film opens, we meet Louise (Susan Sarandon), a waitress in a diner-style restaurant. She phones her friend Thelma (Geena Davis) and makes reference to a vacation they are about to take together where they will retreat to a friend's rural cabin for the weekend. Thelma is married to a moronic hothead named Darryl (Christopher McDonald), and she is too timid to even tell Darryl that she is going away for the weekend. Instead, she waits until Darryl leaves for work and then writes a note. Louise is unmarried, although she does have a boyfriend named Jimmy (Michael Madsen). Her relationship is not the type that she has to explain anything to Jimmy; it is clear that Louise is an independent and headstrong woman, while Thelma is passive and naive. Perhaps out of fear of being in the woods with no man around, Thelma brings along Darryl's handgun. Together, the two friends set out in Louise's 1966 Thunderbird convertible.Before they have reached their destination, Thelma wants to stop at a roadhouse and have a few drinks. Although Louise does not want to do this, she warily agrees, seeing as it is Thelma's vacation, too. While there, the two women meet a man named Harlan (Timothy Carhart), who takes an interest in Thelma and flirts with her all evening. After Thelma has had too much to drink, Harlan sneaks her away from Louise and takes her out to the dark parking lot, where he attempts to have sex with her. When Thelma protests, Harlan becomes violent and attempts to rape her. He is interrupted by Louise, who appears brandishing the gun. Harlan tries to explain that they were just having fun, Louise warns him that when a woman protests a man's sexual advances, "she isn't having any fun." Although she is able to get Thelma safely away from Harlan, he claims that he wishes he had raped Thelma after all, and Louise immediately shoots him dead. Horrified, Thelma ushers Louise into the car and they drive away.Harlan's body is soon discovered, and it does not take the authorities long to connect Harlan to Thelma and Louise, since many people in the bar saw them together. The waitress who served them says she doesn't think they were the type to commit murder. A state police investigator named Hal Slocumb (Harvey Keitel) is assigned to the case and immediately seems sympathetic to Thelma and Louise; something about the incident does not add up, and he seems to suspect already why Harlan was shot.Thelma and Louise check into a motel and regroup, still in shock over the incident. Thelma feels that what happened was not their fault, and she wants to go to the police, but Louise is convinced that nobody will believe her side of the story and will charge her with homicide, particularly since Harlan wasn't threatening them any longer when she shot him. She is also cynical about how Thelma's story of attempted rape would be received; she knows they were seen drinking and dancing with Harlan, and she feels this would make others feel that Thelma led Harlan on. Unwilling to cooperate with authorities, Louise decides instead to contact Jimmy. She tells him she's in trouble and she needs money; she asks Jimmy for a loan that matches her life savings, to be repaid later, and Jimmy agrees. She asks him to wire the money to her in Oklahoma City. Although she doesn't tell Jimmy any details, she plans to stay on the run and cross the border into Mexico. Thelma is confused when Louise tells her that she doesn't want to go through Texas to get to Mexico, but Louise becomes furious about it and insists that Thelma find another route.At a gas station, Louise asks Thelma to call Darryl, and when she does he refuses to even listen to her; he orders her to return home immediately, at which point Thelma curses him and hangs up. Before leaving the station, Thelma strikes up a conversation with a handsome hitchhiker. Thelma is especially interested in him, and eventually she convinces Louise to offer him a ride. His name is JD (Brad Pitt), and he immediately charms Thelma. Louise is wary of him from the very beginning, at first refusing to give him a lift but then relenting when they happen upon him again by chance. Along the way to Oklahoma, Louise narrowly avoids being spotted by state police, alerting JD to the fact that something is going on with them.They stop at another motel, where Louise has arranged to pick up Jimmy's wire transfer. Instead she finds Jimmy himself waiting for her; her strange behavior has made him anxious to see her in person. Jimmy rents a separate room for Thelma, and Louise entrusts her to guard the cash, which is in a large envelope. After Louise leaves for her own room, JD reappears and Thelma invites him in. The two of them make love, and JD reveals to her that he is a semi-professional thief who makes his living holding up small convenience stores. He delights Thelma by running through the speech that he uses to hold up his victims, and Thelma remarks how polite he is about the whole thing.Meanwhile, Louise and Jimmy have a soul-baring conversation about their relationship. Jimmy is infuriated when Louise refuses to tell him what is going on, and he awkwardly proposes to her. Louise is conflicted; although she is touched at Jimmy's interest in marrying her, she knows that her circumstances prevent it, and she isn't even sure she wants to marry Jimmy. The matter remains unresolved; in the morning, she sees Jimmy off from the hotel's coffee shop, both of them knowing that it may be the last time they see one another. Immediately after Jimmy leaves, Thelma appears, noticeably giddy and dazed. Louise is amused that Thelma has enjoyed a night of sex with JD, until Thelma reveals that she has left him alone in the hotel room with the money. They rush back upstairs to find both JD and their money gone.Louise is devastated, since now it seems as if she will have no choice but to surrender. Without money, she and Thelma have no other options. Thelma, however, seems galvanized by the experience. She takes charge and orders Louise to get her belongings together and they leave the hotel.Meanwhile, Hal Slocumb has visited Louise's apartment, and since he feels the women may have left the state, the FBI is called in. Hal and several FBI agents stake out Darryl's house, tapping the phone in anticipation of Thelma eventually calling home.JD is picked up and brought to Hal for questioning, and Hal speaks privately with him. Even though he knows Thelma and Louise are fugitives, he is furious with JD for interfering with their security by taking their money, and JD apparently cracks and tells him everything he knows. JD has a brief confrontation with Darryl, who is also at the police station, and is furious with him for sleeping with Thelma. Slocumb and the others are amused by Darryl's ridiculous antics.Shortly after leaving the hotel, the women pull up alongside a small gas station with a convenience market. Louise is still so shaken up over their latest setback that she can hardly speak; Thelma borrows her sunglasses and goes inside. After only a few minutes, she comes running out of the station, screaming for Louise to start the car, and the two of them speed off; Thelma has robbed the gas station, making off with an undetermined amount of money. Louise is shocked, and wonders how Thelma did it.Immediately we cut to Darryl's house, where Darryl, Hal, and the other FBI agents watch the security camera video of Thelma robbing the market; they are stunned at how cool and professional she seems, unaware that she is reciting JD's robbery speech almost verbatim. Louise decides they need to find out if the authorities are onto them, so she tells Thelma to call Darryl. "Hang up if it seems like he knows anything," she tells her. When Darryl greets her with a cheery "Hello", Thelma immediately hangs up, saying "He knows." Louise thinks for a moment and then dials the number again; when Darryl answers, she asks to speak to whoever is in charge, and Hal talks to her. She speaks bluntly to him, which Hal seems to admire. Hal informs them that they're not wanted for murder, only for questioning, although Thelma is now wanted in Oklahoma for armed robbery. Louise hangs up before the call can be traced. While driving away, Thelma recalls the incident with Harlan and asks Louise again about Texas; Thelma is sure Louise was raped there. But Louise is adamant, and icily tells Thelma that she won't talk about it, and to never ask her about it again.Later, Louise is pulled over for speeding by a state policeman. When the cop takes her into his car and tries to call in Louise's registration on his radio, Thelma appears and puts the gun to his head. She tells Louise to take his gun and shoot out his radio, then they lock him in the trunk of his cruiser and speed off. After leaving the state, Louise calls Slocumb again at Darryl's house. She tells him that the whole thing was an accident, and Hal believes her, but since she is unwilling to return for questioning, he informs her that they will be charged with murder. He also makes a shocking statement to Louise: he knows what happened to her in Texas. Thelma hangs up the phone, worried that Louise has been on too long. Sure enough, the FBI has traced the call, and they try and head off without Hal to bring the women in. Hal convinces them to bring him along anyway, feeling some sort of connection to the incident, especially to Louise.Thelma has a moment where she embraces her new life; she worries that Louise will make a deal with Slocumb in order to return to her old life and possibly reconnect with Jimmy. Thelma herself feels that she can never go back to the way she used to live, not now that she has tasted freedom. Louise vows that she is not considering any deals, and that the two of them will stay together.Throughout the film, the women have encountered an obnoxious male trucker while on the road. The man has made obscene gestures at them and lewdly tried to suggest some kind of sexual activity with them. At this point, they see him again and decide to take care of him once and for all. They tell him to pull over for some fun, then they confront him about his behavior and demand that he apologize. When the man becomes indignant, they fire on his rig's gas tank, blowing his truck and trailer sky high in a huge explosion. The man calls them "bitches from Hell" and collapses in disbelief.With the burned out rig as a very noticeable indicator of their presence, the women are soon spotted by highway patrol and pursued by many cars. After a high speed chase, Louise manages to briefly shake the entire brigade by driving under a very low pipeline overpass. The Thunderbird barely makes it, but the police cars are trapped behind the pipeline. Momentarily alone, Louise and Thelma seem to realize that they cannot escape from the police, and they find that their only path leads them upwards into a mountainous region. They find themselves trapped when they reach the top, which offers no escape; they are on the brink of an enormous canyon.The state police and the FBI are right behind them; a large helicopter appears in front of them, one of the passengers being Hal Slocumb himself. The police dig in behind the Thunderbird, forming an impassable barrier. All of the troopers and FBI agents draw their weapons and train them on the Thunderbird. Hal is upset, understanding that this much firepower is unnecessary to confront these two women. Inside the Thunderbird, Thelma and Louise have a discussion. Louise says that she refuses to surrender, and Thelma once again realizes that she will now lose the freedom that she so briefly experienced. She tearfully suggests to Louise that they "keep going", gesturing at the canyon. Louise realizes that Thelma is suggesting that they die together, and she seems to agree. Overcome with emotion, she embraces Thelma and kisses her in friendship, and she slams on the gas pedal, driving full speed ahead. Hal realizes what they are doing and runs after them, but he is too late. As Louise and Thelma hold hands in defiance, the car flies off the edge of the cliff. The frame freezes as the car flies through the air, then fades to a white screen. As the credits start to roll, various scenes of Thelma and Louise's past few days "flash before our eyes."
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murder, dramatic, cult, violence, action, tragedy
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tt0103074
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Flight of the Phoenix
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Flight of the Phoenix is a remake of the 1965 film The Flight of the Phoenix starring James Stewart. Captain Frank Towns (Dennis Quaid) pilots a C-119 cargo plane full of oil workers who are returning home after shutting down an oil field in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. The plane is overloaded on take off, and soon they hit a violent sandstorm that causes them to crash. They are now stranded over 200 miles off-course and in the harsh desert terrain. Frank must maintain order and ration the little food and water among the survivors and wait for someone to rescue them. As time goes by, they realize their chance of being rescued is zero. An odd man named Elliott (Giovanni Ribisi) who caught a ride with them suggested that they build a new plane out of parts from the undamaged cargo plane. He just happens to be a plane design engineer. They think he is crazy, but what else can they do. Under Elliott's command, the survivors begin to construct the plane, which they name the Phoenix. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)
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murder
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tt0377062
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Why Did I Get Married?
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Four couples, who are also best friends, converge on a house in the mountains for a week-long retreat that has become their ritual of sorts to help work out their marital problems and ask the question "Why did I get married?". Though the couples have committed to being physically present for the week, some of them have not been emotionally present in their respective marriages for quite some time. The week is not planned out in a well-programmed sequence, so the events unfold somewhat spontaneously, beginning with their "adventures" in getting up to the mountain retreat. The first couple, Diane (Sharon Leal) and Terry (Tyler Perry), drives up together and argues most of the way because Diane refused to leave her job at the office and constantly gets calls on her blackberry or makes calls instead of talking to Terry. The other couple Angela (Tasha Smith) and Marcus (Michael Jai White)takes public transportation. Angela constantly argues with Marcus and with anyone who dares to interrupt them. Sheila (Jill Scott) is left to deplane (because of her weight and the requirement to purchase two seats) and drive the long distance in the snow, while her husband Mike (Richard T. Jones) continues on the flight with Sheila's single friend, Trina. Patricia (Janet Jackson) and Gavin (Malik Yoba) arrive by limo cab. Their journey is not documented, however, right before they leave to go to the retreat, Gavin shows up to pick up Patricia at a lecture she was giving (she is the author of a book called "Why did I get married?") and artlessly dodges a question about their marriage.Diane falls asleep not long after arriving with her blackberry close at hand, and when her secretary calls while she is asleep, Terry tells the woman not to call them while they are on their vacation. When Patricia arrives, she goes up to wake Diane at once while the men bond over the wine that Terry had poured for his wife.The sound of arguing signals the arrival of Angela and Marcus.When Mike arrives without Sheila, the other wives berate him and Trina, for having left Sheila to drive alone. Sheila's husband shows clearly that he does not care for her at all. Her friends try to reach Sheila by phone but get her voice mail only. Sheila is persistent to get to the retreat because she wants to make her marriage work. Providence leads her to Sheriff Troy's (Lamman Rucker) office and that is where she spends the night in a jail cell, because that is the only accommodation available to her because of the snowstorm. That same night, Mike tiptoes, not unseen by Angela to Trina's bedroom.
Sheila arrives at the retreat house the following morning with Troy in tow. She introduces Troy to the others and tells them she has invited him to breakfast. Troy fast becomes a threat to Mike, Sheila's husband, not because of Sheila but because of Trina, with whom he is being unfaithful to Sheila. Breakfast is a noisy affair with the arguing couples throwing words for each other or Angela throwing words for Trina, the only single woman on the retreat, whom she instantly disliked.Throughout the few days spent on retreat, there are spontaneous revelations. The infidelity of two of the husbands leads to a discussion by the men of the 80-20 rule. This rule states that most men get 80% of what they need from a marriage yet they tend to go after the 20% that someone outside can provide for them because it appears to be more to them when it really isn't.The secrets that come out in their heated discussions lead the couples toward a path where they can either choose to reconcile or to separate and the latter is what happens to Sheila and Mike. Mike makes it clear he is not attracted to his wife any longer and when it is revealed he is being unfaithful, he simply tells her he wants a divorce. The vacation is cut short when all the secrets come to light, as the couples suddenly decide they cannot stay in the house any longer. Sheila checks into a local hotel to recover from the shock of her divorce and the realisation that Mike has drained her bank account. She is in a depressed state when Troy goes to visit her. He takes her up to a mountain where she cries and mourns the loss of her love and the only life she knew.The other couples head back home. Patricia and Gavin are barely speaking to each other-he called her stupid because she didn't strap their son in and he died in an accident - but he eventually forces her to face the situation, and she breaks down emotionally in his arms, they reconcile.
Angela and Marcus are still fighting, especially when Keisha (Marcus' baby-mama, played by Kaira Whitehead) shows up at Angela's salon and disrespects Angela. Marcus finally stands up to both his wife and his ex, and then frightens Angela into realizing she is wrecking their life with her constant arguing by not showing up for a couple of days.
Diane and Terry fight again right before they leave the mountains because he had a paternity test done on their daughter. They fight again on Terry's birthday at their home because Diane forgot about his birthday on top of the other things she did like tie her tubes without telling him. Terry tells her he is moving out.
Patricia meets up with Diane and Angela moping over their husbands and gives them the counseling they need to get back on track telling them to make a list of the good things and the bad things their husbands have done. The men drown their sorrows in the bottle.In the mountains, Sheila is settling into a new life working for Troy in the general store his father owned and getting to know Troy and realizing her own self-worth. The two of them bond.Angela cooks dinner for her husband when she is finished with her list, but he suspects she is trying to poison him. Eventually she explains, they make up and set conditions of the new order.Diane goes to see Terry and begs him to come back after crying over her list. He plays with her head a little to get back at her, but they eventually reconcile too and all the couples converge on the gala celebration for an award that Patricia has received for her work. Diane, Patricia and Angela are shocked when Sheila introduces Troy as her husband. Ex-husband Mike, although he is still with Trina, is very jealous of Sheila's newfound bliss and tries to weasel his way back into her good graces but she tells him to go enjoy his "20", referring to the 80-20 rule.
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cruelty
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tt0906108
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Mindhunters
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The titular Mindhunters are a group of young FBI students who are undergoing training as profilers. Their instructor, experienced profiler Jake Harris (Val Kilmer), employs a highly realistic training approach by assigning the group variants of real investigations, including elaborate sets, props, and FBI actors to play out each scenario.
The students include Bobby (Eion Bailey), a young man with a talent for fixing things; Vince (Clifton Collins Jr.), a wheelchair-using ex-cop who goes nowhere without his gun; Nicole (Patricia Velásquez), a smoker who is attempting to quit; Sara (Kathryn Morris), a talented but insecure profiler who is terrified of drowning; Rafe (Will Kemp), a very intelligent, caffeine-powered British investigator, Lucas (Jonny Lee Miller), a supposedly fearless man whose parents were killed when he was a child; and J.D. (Christian Slater), their leader and Nicole's lover. Nearing the end of their training, the group's over-all morale is high, though Vince discovers that neither he, nor Sara, will make the rank of "Profiler" after secretly reading their training evaluations.
The group travels with their instructor to a small island off the coast of North Carolina to complete their final training exercise. At the last minute, they are joined by Gabe (LL Cool J, listed as James Todd Smith), an outside observer who has requested to see Harris' teaching methods in action. The island, used by the Navy to train for hostage rescue and outbreak scenarios, has an existing "population" of target dummies, vehicles on mechanical rails, and small town storefronts. Similar to their earlier training scenarios, Harris plans on using the town for their final exam, tracking a serial killer calling himself, "the puppeteer." The team settles down for the evening and practice their profiling skills on each other and Gabe, who reveals that he is also a skilled profiler in his own right. Sara and Lucas briefly bond over losses in their families; Sara reveals that her sister was murdered and drowned, creating her persistent fear of water, while Lucas shares that his parents died when he was 10. The two resolve to use the scenario to confront their personal fears.
The following morning, during the initial investigation of the "puppeteer" scenario, J.D. dies after triggering a clock mechanism that causes a tank of liquid nitrogen to freeze him instantly. Convinced that J.D.'s death is neither accidental, nor part of the training simulation, the group heads to the dock to leave the island; but the boat explodes. After returning to base, the group realizes that broken watches and clocks found at each scene point to the fact that there is a real serial killer on the island, who has co-opted the training exercise and is now hunting them down. The killer's M.O. indicates that he or she plans to kill someone at a time designated by the broken clocks. After a thorough search of the island reveals no other personnel, the group concludes that the killer is one of them.
At first, suspicions seem to point to Gabe, as Lucas found maps and documents of the island; however, before the group finishes confronting him, they each pass out, realizing that their coffee was drugged. They awaken to discover that the killer murdered Rafe while they were unconscious, and suspicions again return to Gabe. He temporarily deflects these suspicions when he saves Vince from another trap involving broken water pipes and lights electrocuting the water. However, Bobby is killed by a secondary trap when he goes to turn off the water. Sara, meanwhile, deduces that the traps are based on their strengths, talents, and weaknesses; and the remaining profilers elect to stick together, to keep an eye on each other. After more clues are discovered, suspicion shifts to Sara, who insists that she's being framed. Nicole, suspicious that the killer is among the group, leaves to be alone; but she becomes the next to die after she smokes a cigarette laced with acid.
Unexpectedly, the island's speakers begin to broadcast a taunting message from Harris, making them realize that he did not leave the island, though he led the profilers to believe that he had; convinced that Harris has been the killer all along, the remaining profilers search for him. Vince refuses to join the search party and stays behind at the lab. Sara, Gabe and Lucas find Harris and two other FBI agents next to him, all dead; Harris has been strung up to wires from the ceiling as a sort of marionette, just like the fake "puppeteer" crime scene that they were to investigate. The three turn on each other after triggering another trap, and Lucas is shot during the ensuing gun battle. Vince finds himself trapped in a freezer after he tries to reload his empty gun, but he escapes although he dies when his gun backfires on him in the elevator.
Sara finds Vince's body, but she is ambushed by Gabe, and the two struggle physically and mentally to profile the other, each believing the other person is the killer. Gabe manages to overpower Sara but is then attacked by Lucas, and the two of them get into a protracted fight. Sara eventually recovers and hits Gabe over the head with a fire extinguisher. Lucas reveals that he had been wearing a bullet-proof vest, allowing him to survive getting shot on the street. With Gabe subdued, he expresses doubt that there's enough evidence to prove that Gabe was the killer. Sara, however, reveals that she found a way to get one step ahead of the killer. Knowing that the killer was relying on timed mechanisms and remotes, as well as enjoying watching their anxiety under pressure, she changed one of the clocks to appear slow by fifteen minutes, and covered it in a powder that glows phosphorescently under blacklight. Reasoning that the killer would not be able to resist setting the clock to the correct time, she grabs a black light to scan Gabe's hands and reveal him as the killer. Sara instead finds the marking powder on Lucas' hands instead of Gabe's. Lucas confesses that his parents did not die in an accident, but that he killed them. Struggling ever since to find more thrilling targets to kill, he joined the FBI and planned to kill his brilliant fellow profilers, the only people he thought would be "worthy prey." Lucas tries to drown Sara, but she manages to kick him into the water. The two both manage to recover their weapons underwater, but Sara manages to shoot Lucas first.
Lucas recovers and begins to taunt her about the evidence he planted blaming her until Gabe reappears: he is the last witness. In a last desperate effort, Lucas attempts to regain his weapon, forcing Sara to kill him, shooting him through the top of the head as he bends down to retrieve his weapon. The following day, Gabe and Sara flag down the U.S Navy helicopter to leave the island, determining that they've sufficiently secured the scene.
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entertaining, violence, murder, flashback
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tt0297284
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UHF
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George Newman ("Weird Al" Yankovic) is a daydreamer whose hyperactive imagination keeps him from holding a steady job. The opening sequence is one of George's daydreams as a spoof of the opening scene of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' with George as Indiana Jones venturing to a temple to steal a gold Academy Award statue and being chased, run over and flattened by a giant boulder. Awaking from his daydream, George and his best friend and roommate Bob (David Bowe) are working at a Big Edna's Burger World, a local fast food eatery in the small Midwest town where they live. When George makes a disparaging remark about Big Edna and she hears it, both George and Bob are fired and litteraly thrown out onto the street.George's inablity to keep a steady job puts a strain on his long-suffering girlfriend Teri (Victoria Jackson) who tolerates his antics to a limit. George and Teri go to his uncle and aunt's house for a party where his compulsive gambling uncle Harvey Bilchik (Stanley Brock) wins the deed to a nearly bankrupt UHF television station in a poker game. After prodding by his wife, Harvey gives control of Channel 62 to George so he can manage the place.The next morning, George and Bob arrive at the station and meet the Channel 62 staff which is made up of the receptionist and wannabe reporter Pamela Finklestein (Fran Drescher), dwarf photojournalist and cameraman Noodles MacIntosh (Billy Barty), and eccentric engineer Philo (Anthony Geary). George attempts to introduce himself to the rival VHF network Channel 8 station but its owner, the mean and cynical R.J. Fletcher (Kevin McCarthy), chases him out angrily. On his way out of the station he encounters janitor Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards), a mentally challenged man who was recently fired by Fletcher. George offers him a job at Channel 62 as the head janitor.Seeing that Channel 62 airs mostly old re-runs of classic TV shows such as Mr. Ed and the Beverly Hillbillies, George sees that the station can use a lot more talent. Though George creates new shows (including the kid-friendly but poorly named "Uncle Nutzy's Clubhouse"), the workload and bad debt of the station get to him. Amid the stress he forgets Teri's birthday, causing her to break up with him over the incident. A despondent George turns "Uncle Nutzy's Clubhouse" over to Stanley so he and Bob can go out for a drink. Arriving at the bar, they find that all the patrons are excitedly watching Stanley's antics on Channel 62. Realizing they have a hit on their hands, George and Bob are revived and inspired. They come up with ideas for more original shows in Channel 62's lineup, all spearheaded by the newly retitled "Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse."Throughout the film, there are cutaway scenes that are comic homages to popular shows of the time, through either George's imagination or shows specifically for Channel 62. For example, a dream sequence includes a music video for Yankovic's "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" in both the audio and visual style of the Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing", and fake commercials for 'Plots 'R Us Mortuary Service', 'Crazy Eddie's Car Lot', and 'Spatula City', as well as fake commercials for Channel 62's new TV series such as 'Gandhi II', 'Conan the Librarian', 'Bowling for Burgers', an exercise show called 'Stay Fit', a game show called 'Strip Solitaire' hosted by Noodles, 'Practical Jokes and Bloopers', and 'Celebrity Mud Wrestling'. Kuni (Gedde Watanabe), a local and eccentric Karate instructor, becomes the host of the odd game show "Wheel of Fish". Philo becomes host of his own talk show series "Secrets of the Universe". George sets up a re-vamped talk show called "Town Talk" with him as a Gerraro Reveria-type host seeking controversial talk subjects. Raul (Trinidad Silva) is hired for an animal show called "Raul's Wild Kingdom" where he talks to (and abuses) animals that he keeps in his apartment.As Channel 62's popularity grows, Fletcher becomes furious that a UHF station is getting better ratings than his network's programming. He learns that Harvey Bilchik is the owner of the station and has just gambled away $75,000 at the horse races and has only two days to pay off the debt. Fletcher makes Harvey the offer of covering his debt to his unseen bookie, Big Louie, in return for ownership of Channel 62, which he would then only too happily shut down (legally he cannot own two stations in the same town). George learns of the deal and calls his aunt, who forces her husband to hold off and allow George time to raise the money Harvey owes by selling investment stock in Channel 62 through a 48-hour telethon.The telethon starts off successfully led by Stanley's boundless energy, but Fletcher sends his goons to kidnap Stanley. Without Stanley, the telethon grinds to a halt. George then leads a group to infiltrate Channel 8 and rescue Stanley. Philo sets up a hidden camera in Fletcher's office hoping to find something to nail him on. When he sees Stanley trying to escape, he alerts George who attempts to rescue Stanley, while imaging himself as Rambo in a long fantasy spoof of 'Rambo: First Blood Part 2' with features George (as Rambo) who attempts to rescue Stanley from Fletcher's private army. Kuni and his school of Karate students also step in to complete the job and beat up all of Fletcher's henchmen.George and his group return in time to successfully finish the telethon just before Harvey's debt comes due, saving the station and making it a publicly owned company. Fletcher on the other hand finds out that the penny he mockingly gave to a beggar earlier was a rare 1955 doubled-die cent worth thousands, which the beggar sold and used to purchase $2,000 worth of Channel 62 stock. Fletcher also discovers that a slanderous conversation of his contempt for his station's viewers was secretly recorded and rebroadcast by Philo and that Channel 8 failed to file paperwork to renew its broadcast license with the FCC. The FCC revokes his license and takes the station off the air. Phil is secretly revealed to be an alien and seeing that his work for Channel 62 is complete, teleports away unnoticed to his home planet.As the film ends George and Teri rekindle their relationship (in a spoof of the Rhett-Scarlett farewell speech from the movie 'Gone With The Wind'), while the rest of the employees and fans of Channel 62 celebrate.
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absurd, cult, psychedelic, satire
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tt0098546
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The Terminal
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Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) arrives at JFK International Airport, but finds that he is not allowed to enter the United States. While he was en route to the US, a revolution was started in his home nation of Krakozhia. Due to the civil war, the United States no longer recognizes Krakozhia as a sovereign nation and denies Viktor's entrance to the US. Unable to leave the airport or return to Krakozhia, Viktor instead lives in the terminal, carrying his luggage and a mysterious Planters peanut can.Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Head Frank Dixon (Stanley Tucci) wants Navorski removed from the airport. Navorski collects money for food by retrieving vacant baggage trolleys for the 25-cent reward from the machine, until Dixon prevents this. He then befriends a catering car driver named Enrique (Diego Luna) who gives him food in exchange for information about a female Customs and Border Protection officer (Zoë Saldana), who Enrique is infatuated with. With Viktor's help, Enrique and Dolores eventually marry each other. He meets flight attendant Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who asks him out to dinner, but he tries to earn money in order to ask Amelia out instead. He finally gets an off-the-books job as a construction worker at the airport earning $19 an hour.Viktor is asked to interpret for a desperate Russian man with undocumented drugs for his sick father. Viktor claims it is "medicine for goat," barring the drug from confiscation and resolving the crisis. Under pressure and the watchful eye of the Airport Ratings committee, who is evaluating Dixon for an upcoming promotion, Dixon has a falling out with Viktor. Though Dixon is advised that sometimes rules must be ignored, he becomes obsessed with getting Viktor ejected from the airport. An airport janitor, Gupta Rajan (Kumar Pallana), exaggerates the "goat" incident to his fellow co-workers and as a result, Viktor earns the respect and admiration of all of the airport staff.One day, Viktor explains to Amelia that the purpose of his visit to New York is to collect an autograph from the tenor saxophonist Benny Golson. It is revealed that the peanut can Viktor carries with him contains nothing more than an autographed copy of the "Great Day in Harlem" photograph. His late father was a jazz enthusiast who had discovered the famous portrait in a Hungarian newspaper in 1958, and vowed to get an autograph of all the 57 jazz musicians featured on the photograph. He succeeded in obtaining 56, but died before he could finish his collection.A few months later, the war in Krakozhia ends, but Dixon will still not allow Viktor to enter the United States. Amelia reveals that she had asked her 'friend' actually a married government official with whom she had been having an affair to assist Viktor in obtaining permission to travel within the US, but Viktor is disappointed to learn she has renewed her relationship with the man during this process.To make matters worse, Dixon needs to sign the form granting Viktor the right to remain in the United States, but refuses. He instead blackmails Viktor into returning to Krakozhia, or he will have Enrique fired for allowing Viktor into the restricted food preparation area and deport Gupta back to his native India, where he is wanted for assaulting a corrupt police officer. Upon hearing this, Gupta runs in front of Viktor's plane and asks Viktor to go anyway. The plane is delayed, giving Viktor enough time to go into the city and obtain the autograph. With the blessing of the entire airport staff, Viktor leaves the airport after receiving a uniform coat from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Assistant Port Director and hails a taxi. Dixon, watching Viktor leave the airport, decides not to pursue him. As Viktor prepares to take the taxi to a Ramada Inn where Benny Golson is performing, he observes Amelia exiting from a cab, where she gives him a wistful smile. He has a short conversation with the cab driver, telling him how to avoid traffic on the way to the hotel and that he is from Krakozhia. The driver tells Viktor that he is from Albania and arrived earlier that week. He attends the show and collects the autograph, finally completing the collection. Afterwards, Viktor leaves and hails a taxi, telling the driver, "I am going home."
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comedy, boring, dramatic, psychedelic, humor, romantic, entertaining
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tt0362227
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Carrie
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In the opening scene, set in the year 1995, there is the White household where we hear Margaret White (Julianne Moore) screaming in pain. The shot pans the upstairs floor where Margaret is crying out to God in agony. We see a puddle of water that has splattered a Bible and numerous droplets of blood. Margaret is writhing on the bed in agony thinking she has been afflicted with a cancer, and begs for gods mercy as she is taken. Her body contorts a few times as she screams and she looks up waiting to die. But she doesnt. She realizes she is still alive and there is something underneath her nightdress. She looks between her legs and finds a baby. She had been pregnant and didn't know it. Margaret nods. "It's a test," she says, and reaches for scissors, ready to slay her newborn daughter. She almost stabs the baby, when something stops her at the last second. She puts the scissors down and cradles her newborn daughter.Cut to present day. Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz), now age 17 or 18, is a meek, shy young girl at her high school located in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. Considered an outcast by everyone, she sneaks into the background hoping she will not be noticed. After school, during the gym game of water volleyball, the ball lands in front of her and she is asked to spike to ball. She accidentally hits Sue Snell (Gabriela Wilde) in the head which makes everyone, including Carrie laugh. Sues friend, Chris Hargensen (Portia Doubleday) tells Carrie to "eat shit" so everyone starts laughing at her instead.After gym, Carrie starts to take a shower alone when she notices blood. She races to the girls for help, not understanding what is going on. The girls, led by Chris, realize Carrie is having her first period and doesn't understand it. Instead of helping, they throw tampons at her and chanting: "plug it up." Chris even films it on her iPhone. Even Sue joins in with the chanting and taunting. The gym teacher, Ms. Desjardin (Judy Greer) finds them and in an effort to calm her down, slaps Carrie to keep her from screaming. Ms. Desjardin yells for everyone to get out. As the girls file out, a light shatters. Sue looks at Carrie with deep regret and guilt.Carrie is taken to the principal's office with Ms. Desjardin as they try to explain what has happened (with the principal, a man, severely uncomfortable with it). The Principal tells Ms. Desjardin to handle the punishment of the girls that participated in the incident. The principal and Ms. Desjardin tell Carrie that they have called her mother to pick her up. Carrie goes completely white, begging them not to call her mom. Ms. Desjardin says they know the school has problems with her mother since they forced her out of home schooling but it will be okay. Carrie starts hyperventilating and a nearby water cooler shatters. Carrie leaves the office.Margaret comes to pick up Carrie. Nearby, Sue, Chris and her rough boyfriend Billy Nolan (Alex Russell) sit. Chris shows everyone the video of Carrie. Sue looks on at Carrie, and her face betrays more guilt.On the way home Carrie apologizes to her mother for making her come to school.When they get home, Carrie wants to talk to Margaret about why she didn't explain to her about her period. "I thought I was dying," Carrie says. Margaret is evasive and tells her to come inside. Carrie tells her mother she won't; she wants to talk about what happened. As Carrie sits in the car, a local boy rides around it on his bicycle and calls her "Crazy Carrie." Carrie apparently uses her powers to makes him fall off his bike, which scares him into fleeing.Inside the house, Carrie finds her mother banging her head on the wall. Carrie tells her to stop and just talk to her. Margaret however, is more concerned with praying for forgiveness and creates her own bibles verses on a whim to suit her needs. When Carrie objects to her mothers prayers, Margaret knocks her in the head with a bible. As their argument heads downstairs to the kitchen, Margaret calls her a sinner. "I did not sin," Carrie says. Margaret opens the "Prayer Closet" and tells Carrie to get in. Carrie refuses so her mother throws her in and latches the door, telling her to pray for forgiveness. Carrie bangs on the door, begging to be let out. "GOD, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Carrie screams, and then suddenly a crack is formed through the middle of the door to both their surprise. Carrie looks at a sculpture hanging on the wall of Jesus nailed to the cross. It begins to bleed to her horror.Meanwhile, Sue and her boyfriend, Tommy Ross (Ansel Elgort) are having sex in a jeep, though Sue's mind is somewhere else. They get dressed, and Sue talks about her guilt about what happened to Carrie and how she initially helped. Tommy relates he once beat a bully that had tormented him. He says the guy had it coming. "What did Carrie White ever do you?" Tommy asks.At the same time, Chris and Billy, along with another girlfriend, named Tina, hang out at her house. Chris is unrepentant about what she has done, and on a whim, decides to upload the video to YouTube, humiliating Carrie even further.Back at the White household, Margaret is making clothes and singing bible songs. She eventually opens the closet and finds Carrie sleeping. She wakes her up and asks if she said her prayers. Carrie says yes, and Margaret becomes a loving mother again. They exchange" I love you"s.The next day, Ms. Desjardin lays down the law with Chris, Sue, and all the other girls that participated in Carries shaming. Ms. Desjardin asks about Chris and Sues dates for the prom and tells Sue she wouldve voted her Prom Queen but not anymore. Ms. Desjardin tells them it was a "very shitty" thing they did to Carrie and they are going to pay for it. They will be doing suicide sprints after school for a week. Anyone who refuses the punishment is suspended and cannot go to prom. "While you run, I want you to think long and hard about what it has to be like for Carrie White," Ms. Desjardin says.After a while, Chris calls "bullshit" on the whole punishment, saying Ms. Desjardin can't do it. Sue tries to tell her to take the punishment and let it go but she wont. Chris refuses, so Ms. Desjardin suspends her and revokes her prom privileges. Ms. Desjardin mentions that apparently someone took a video of the incident, looking at Chris as she is pretty sure that she did it. Chris says Ms. Desjardin cant take away prom from her and tries to rally the other girls to go with her. One by one, they refuse, including Sue, the only one who shows any true remorse. They continue to run while Chris screams: "This is not over!"Meanwhile, everyone snickers at Carrie, having seen the video. She goes in the bathroom and concentrates on the mirror. After a moment, she is able to smash it to her shock. Looking at the pieces she makes them levitate for a moment until another girl shows up. Carrie grabs her bag and leaves.Carrie goes to the library and looks to the web and numerous books about telekinesis.In class, Carrie looks at the flag outside the window, and makes it move. She grins.Carrie is called to the front of the class and reads a favorite poem. It is quite dark, but well written and people pay attention to her. The teacher is amazed she has talked at all, and asked if she has something else to say after scaring the classroom. "You asshole," Tommy mutters under his breath. The teacher asks what he said. Tommy said the poem was "awesome" and asks the teacher if he thought the same thing. Carrie looks at Tommy shyly and smiles.Meanwhile, Margaret is seen working at dry cleaner/seamstress store. Someone calls out for help and it turns out to be Mrs. Snell, Sues mother. She is picking up Sues prom dress. Mrs. Snell tries to apologize for Sues behavior and commends Margaret on the work she did. Meanwhile, Margaret is cutting herself on the leg with a needle, making herself bleed. "These are godless times," Margaret says before returning to her work.Chris gets a meeting with Ms. Desjardin and The Principal with her arrogant lawyer father to try and overturn her suspension and revoked prom privileges. Chris tries to play the victim, but Ms. Desjardin plays better hardball than her, saying there was a video uploaded and if Chris just proves it isn't on her phone, then she can have her prom after all. Her father tells her to give up the phone, but Chris refuses to and storms out, thus indirectly admitting her complicity and making sure her suspension and punishment stay active.Sue and the prom committee work on turning the gymnasium into the prom. Chris storms in and asks why the girls didn't back her up. She then asks why Sue didn't. Sue says because she deserved the punishment, they all did. Ms. Desjardin was right; they did a shitty thing to Carrie. Chris balks and says Carrie deserved it. "What has Carrie White ever done to you?" Sue asks her soon to be former friend. Chris tells Sue that she is not being high and mighty because she feels bad; its because she wants to go to prom with Tommy then have sex with him in the hotel she already booked. "You don't give a shit about Carrie White," Chris sneers, leaving.We see Sue at home, looking at her prom dress lovingly.Back at the White household, Carrie is in her room making books move, testing her powers. She eventually makes several levitate including her bed. Margaret hears the noise and takes a butcher knife to investigate. When she gets to Carrie's room, Carrie has fooled her, turning out the lights. Margaret puts the knife down and says she will never let anyone hurt her little girl. Carrie then accidentally causes the knife to stick into the floor, shocking Margaret.The next day, Sue watches Tommy play Lacrosse. Sue comes up to Tommy and asks for a favor; she wants him to take Carrie to the prom. Tommy is shocked, saying he wants to take her, but Sue wants to do something. "I'm trying to fix what I did," she says. Tommy tries to convince her, but Sue says she can't go and begs him to help her make things right.Tommy finds Carrie at lunch and shocks her by talking to her. Tommy asks her about prom and if she would like to go with him. Carrie runs off without responding. Tommy tracks her down and asks again, but Carrie thinks it is a joke. "Stop trying to trick me," Carrie says. "I'm not," Tommy replies. Carrie doesn't believe him however, and runs off.Carrie cries in the locker room when Ms. Desjardin finds her. Ms. Desjardin thinks the girls did something again but Carrie says she got invited to prom. Ms. Desjardin says thats a happy thing and asks who asked her. Carrie says Tommy Ross. Ms. Desjardin, realizing something is up, stays neutral saying he is a cute boy. Carrie says she knows he dates Sue Snell and thinks this a big joke to him. "They're going to trick me again," Carrie says. Ms. Desjardin says maybe not. Carrie ponders why Tommy would want to go with her. Ms. Desjardin directs Carrie to the mirror telling her she sees a beautiful girl and with the right dress and the tiniest dash of makeup she can stun everyone speechless.Ms. Desjardin confronts Sue and Tommy thinking they are planning something. "If the two of you are planning some kind of joke on a poor, lonely girl..." Ms. Desjardin warns them. However, Sue says she is trying to do a good thing for Carrie; allow her one good night and a chance to be social. Tommy says it doesn't matter since Carrie said no, but Sue tells him to try again. Ms. Desjardin tries to appeal to Tommy saying he will look weird with Carrie on his arm, but Sue says this is a private matter and they don't care how they look doing it.Tommy drives over to Carrie's house and tells her he is not leaving till she says yes to prom. Fearful her mother will see them, Carrie says yes but that she will have to be home by 10:30 pm. Tommy says he will pick her up at 7:00 pm. Carrie smiles.Carrie goes into town and sees a dress shop. She looks at one in the store front and her body reflected onto it. Going inside, she sees that they are too pricey for what she can afford. She sees some fabric and stares at awe at the potential. From across the street, Chris and her friends see Carrie at the store and Chris seethes in rage.That evening, Carrie walks home seeing her mom waiting for her in the front yard. Margaret is livid since she didn't know where she was. Carrie says she went into town to buy fabric to make herself a gown. Margaret says she is not allowed to go anywhere but school and home. Carrie then tells her the news; she's been asked to prom. Carrie tells her that she knows she is scared and she is too. However, the kids laugh at her and think she is weird. She doesn't want to be weird; she wants to be normal and thinks prom may be her final chance. "I have to try and be a whole person before it is too late," Carrie says. Margaret is livid and tells her to go to her closet and repent before it is too late. Carrie asks why she can't be happy for her. But the insane Margaret refuses to listen and orders Carrie to go to her closet. Carrie then has an episode and makes everything in the living room jump up. Margaret falls to the floor in shock and starts to pray. Carrie tells her mom to get up and when she doesn't, she raises her with her powers. Margaret calls Carrie a devil, but Carrie says she has powers and others have them too. Carrie states that her grandmother may have had them and it's possible that they skipped a generation to Carrie. Carrie places her mother down and her mother says she thought she was a cancer when she was born. Carrie tells her that is a horrible thing to say and levitates her again. She tells her she is going to prom, she will not stop her, and they are not talking about it anymore. Carrie then releases her.Meanwhile, Chris, Billy and a few others are at a pig farm. Billy crushes a pigs head and Chris slits the throat to collect the blood.The next day, Sue is working on the prom decorations when she feels sick. She runs to the bathroom and throws up. Shock hits her face; she thinks she is pregnant.We see Carrie make her prom dress. Chris and Billy break into the gymnasium and rig the pail with the pig blood. Billy tells Chris she can drop it on Carrie.Sue puts her dress away, committing to her decision.We see a montage of the students get ready and dressed for prom. We see Carrie put her dress on and apply some light makeup. She has fully transformed herself into the beautiful woman she was meant to be.Margaret tells her she looks like a deviant. Carrie, having enough of her mother's overly religious quotes, asks that for once that her mom could be happy for her. Margaret says they are going to laugh at her, but Carrie says to stop it. Tommy is a nice boy and everything is going to be fine. As Tommy shows up, Margaret tells her daughter that she was conceived by what was basically marital rape and how she tried to kill her as a baby. Carrie, finally losing all her patience, force-chokes her mom. "There will be a judgment Carrie", Margaret says. Carrie opens the closet and looks her mother in with powers, saying she will be back at 10:30 pm as promised. She then melts the door lock so her mother can't get out.Carrie goes outside to meet Tommy. "Do I look okay?" Carrie asks. "You look beautiful," Tommy says, meaning it.They drive to prom in a limo. Carrie requests a moment, thinking about the other students. Tommy tells her despite what she thinks they aren't all bad. Calming her down, they go in, where she is introduced to Tommy's best friend and his girlfriend, who goes to another school. The other girl compliments Carrie on her dress, and is pleasantly surprised to find out that Carrie made it herself.Carrie begins to loosen up. Tommy asks if she wants to dance but they agree to wait till a slow one comes on. Ms. Desjardin sees Carrie and tells her how beautiful she looks. While they talk, Tommy texts Sue, telling her that everything is okay, Carrie is enjoying herself and that he misses her. Sue smiles, content that she is making it right.A slow song comes on and Tommy convinces Carrie to dance with him. He teaches her how to slow dance and quickly learns. Carrie puts her head on his shoulder then backs away. Something crosses Tommy's face when that happens; while he is still obviously loyal to Sue, he is starting to grow some feelings for Carrie due to her being such a sweet person. Carrie, still unsure about his intentions asks why he asked her to prom. Tommy says that he wanted to, and is having a good time with her and hopes she is feeling the same way. Carrie nods yes. Tommy then says they will enjoy their time here then they can go to an after party and he will have back home on time. Carrie smiles, agrees, and notes that she can maybe stay out till 11.Thanks to a friend, Billy and Chris break into and sit in the rafters waiting. They hand off ballots to their friend.The voting for Prom King and Queen begin. Carrie questions voting for herself but Tommy tells her it isn't much to it, and she should have one chance to be in the spotlight. Carrie notes that the crowns are beautiful. "Devil with false modesty," Tommy says. Carrie is convinced so they vote for themselves. Meanwhile, Chris friends switch out the ballots to rig them in Tommy and Carries favor.Chris texts on her cell phone to Sue while Sue is getting out of the shower. She says "Your girl looks good. She wont be for much longer." Horror watches over Sues face; she knew Chris was vindictive but not to this extent. Sue races to prom to try and stop her.Chris seems to have second thoughts for a moment. Billy reminds her that what they are doing is criminal assault, and they need to bail the second they are done.Meanwhile, Sue gets to the building but can't get in. She sees someone open the door and sneaks in.The "ballots" are counted. Tommy and Carrie win. Carrie is stunned but happy. They walk up to the podium with everyone applauding.Sue looks around and sees Chris in the rafters. Chris sees Sue see her. She hesitates momentarily, but Billy goads her on to pull the rope. Ms. Desjardin sees Sue and misconstrues her reasons for being there and throws her out of the building without hearing her warning.Chris pulls the rope and the pig blood cascades down and drowns Carrie in it. Complete and utter silence follows. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Tommy yells at everyone, having and wanting no part in this unbelievable act of cruelty. Chris then hacks the video monitors and plays Carries period video. Most can't help but laugh but Ms. Desjardin among with a few others, are in complete shock. Ms. Desjardin goes to Carrie but Carrie pushes her back with her powers, startling everyone.Chris and Billy rig the rope and begin to flee but Chris wants to stick around and see Carrie squirm. The rope however gives and the pail that held the blood cracks Tommy on the back of the head, killing him instantly. Carrie turns back around and cradles his head her lap, absolutely devastated that the only boy that ever treated her kindly has been killed. Carrie looks up in the rafters and recognizes Billy's sunglasses. She knows who is responsible. Something snaps in her mind. She turns to the guests, as the blood on her body starts to levitate off it. A few see this and try to flee in horror but it is no use.Carrie finally loses control and force-pushes the entire crowd back, people hitting tables and each other. Carrie shuts all the doors of the gym so no one can get out. One of the girls, Heather, is force-thrown across the room and has her head smashed into a closed door. Jack and a few other guys try to escape by climbing the bleachers, so Carrie collapses them, gorily crushing Jack to death. As a boy films her, she throws a table at him, the force of the hit killing him. Carrie then trips the sprinkles leaving the whole room wet. As she sees the twin girls Nicki and Lizzy, friends of Chris, flee she forces-pushes them to the ground and lets them be trampled to death. She then takes electrical wires and whips another one of Chris' friends, Tina, which catches her dress sets it on fire, causing Tina to burn to death. As flames envelop the room, Ms. Desjardin tries to calm Carrie down but Carrie catches her in a force-choke hold and considers electrocuting her. However, her reasoning returns momentarily and she spares Ms. Desjardin as she was one of the few people that were ever nice to her. Carrie then levitates herself out of the building.By now the entire school is in flames. While people some escape, many don't. Carrie sees Chris and Billy's red car. Her rage returns.Chris asks Billy what they should do as their little prank is now responsible for at least a dozen deaths. Billy tells her they will leave town and never come back. Chris agrees reluctantly. As they drive off, Carrie is behind them. She stomps the ground and causes it to cave out ahead. Billy turns the car around and speeds back. Chris sees Carrie and despite everything, will not give up her vendetta. "RUN HER DOWN. KILL HER!" Chris snarls. Billy says he has it under control and charges Carrie. Carrie however is waiting for him and stops the car with her power, the force causing Billy to hit the steering wheel hard, breaking his nose. Chris comes to a few minutes later, and realizes Billy is dead from the impact. She cries but when she sees Carrie, she reaches for the keys and backs up, still hell-bent on killing her. When she charges again, Carrie pulls the car up high in the air, and then throws into a gas station pump. The force of the throw causes Chris' face to go through the windshield making shards of glass embed all around her face. Carrie watches as Chris breathes her last. As an extra precaution and because Chris deserved it, Carrie causes the leaked gas to spark, causing an explosion that guarantees Billy and Chris demise.Back at the burned gym, Sue sees Ms. Desjardin and they both sob at the destruction.Carrie begins to walk home, destroying everything in her path. When she gets inside, she sees her mom had forced a hole from the crack in the door and has escaped from the closet. Carrie calls out to her but gets no response. Her mother is hiding in the shadows.Carrie gets into the bathtub and cleans off all the blood, changing into a blue nightgown. She finds Margaret and tells her she was right about everything. They hug and Margaret suggests they pray. As they pray, Margaret takes her butcher knife and stabs Carrie once in the back. Carrie then pushes her mother back as she falls down the stairs. Their fight continues in the kitchen as Carrie begs her mother to stop what she is doing. "You know a devil never dies. You gotta keep killing it," Margaret says, manic. They struggle and she slices Carrie on the leg and arm. When she tries to stab Carrie in the face, Carrie stops the blade with her powers and then pulls up numerous sharp objects and points them in her mother's direction. Telling her she is sorry, Carrie lets them fly, and they impale her mother to the wall as if in a crucifix-like pose.Carrie, horrified by what she is done, releases the blades that pin her mother to the wall. Margaret dies moments later in Carrie's lap. Carrie cries at the loss.Moments later, Sue arrives at the house. Carrie is angry with her saying she just killed her mother and she wants her back. "Why couldn't you leave me alone?" Carrie asks. Sue says she tried to help her. Carrie puts Sue in a force choke-hold as the house begins to collapse around them due to her powers becoming uncontrollable. "Don't hurt me Carrie," Sue pleads. "Why not?" Carrie snarls. Then, Carrie puts Sue down. Sue tries to reach for Carrie so they can escape. Carrie places her hand near Sue's stomach. "It's a girl," Carrie says. Sue looks at her in shock. "You don't know?" Carrie asks. Carrie pushes her out of the house. Sue watches as rocks come out of nowhere and fall directly on the house, collapsing it on itself. Carrie holds her mother and kisses her forehead as the house finally falls down on the both of them. Sue looks on in horror and gingerly touches her stomach.An undisclosed time later, Sue is giving a deposition in front of the whole town (As to her pregnancy subplot, it is very unclear whether Sue is still pregnant or not and/or she kept the baby). The man interviewing her asks if what she saw happen could've been a natural accident. Sue however, stands by her story. Carrie was just a normal girl with normal hopes and desires like everyone else, and they pushed her and when people get pushed, eventually they break. They broke Carrie White.We see Sue at the graveyard where Margaret and Carrie are at a joint plot. Someone has spray painted "CARRIE WHITE IS IN HELL" on the gravestone with an arrow pointing down. Even in death, someone still had to be heartless to the poor, lonely girl who only wanted to be accepted. Sue lays a white rose at the grave and leaves. A moment later a force comes up from the ground, cracking the tombstone down the middle. In the middle, a crater forms in the shape of a heart. Carrie's ultimate fate is left ambiguous.
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suspenseful, cruelty, murder, violence, psychedelic, revenge
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tt1939659
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Autism: The Musical
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Henry, the son of Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills and Nash), relates to the world through a near encyclopedic knowledge of dinosaurs. Fourteen-year-old Lexy, on the cusp of adolescence, has a new interest in boys. Wyatt, precociously verbal and terrorized by bullies, has a passion for orchids. Adam taught himself to play blues harmonica before he was two, and has currently taken up the cello. In addition to their interests and activities, all of these kids also have some form of autism.Director Tricia's Regan's riveting documentary follows five different families, participating in The Miracle Project (a theatre program created specifically for children with special needs) as their kids write and perform their own musical production. The film is as much about the parents of autistic kids as it is about the kids themselves. How does one communicate with a child who won't speak? What do you do when your kid only sleeps two hours per night? How do you cope with a world that has little use or compassion for kids that are so different? These are only a few of the questions that the parents must deal with, questions illustrated by a series of almost painfully honest and blunt encounters. Perhaps the most surprising of the kids profiled is Neal, the son of Elaine Hall, who founded the Miracle Project. Profoundly autistic, he hardly speaks, and is prone to violent tantrums, but when he is finally fitted with a keyboard voicebox, a sweet, intelligent personality is revealed. A complete triumph!
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violence, romantic, home movie
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tt0481580
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Mrs. Doubtfire
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Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is a cartoon voice actor in San Francisco who quits his job at a local TV studio after a dispute with the director. As a father, Daniel is extremely passionate about his 3 children: 14-year-old Lydia, 12-year-old Chris, and 5-year-old Natalie. However his wife, Miranda (Sally Field), is frustrated with his lack of discipline. With Miranda still at work, Daniel hires a mobile petting zoo and throws a wild block party for Chris' 12th birthday, despite Chris being grounded for a bad report card. The party creates a major disturbance in the neighborhood. Miranda arrives, having been notified of the incident by a neighbor, and is furious with Daniel for planning and throwing the party behind her back. The couple have a heated argument which leads to a divorce. At their first custody hearing, the judge acknowledges that Daniel is a devoted father, but is currently unemployed with no place to live, so Miranda receives full custody of the children. Daniel's visitation rights are limited to Saturdays; however, the judge tells him that if he can find a steady job and residence within three months, he will consider a joint-custody arrangement.
With the help of a court liaison, Daniel gets a menial job at his old TV station. When Miranda seeks a housekeeper/nanny to spend time with the children, Daniel uses his voice-acting skills to "respond", having changed the phone number on Miranda's wanted ad. He calls several times pretending to be undesirable candidates before calling as an elderly Scottish-accented widow, referring to himself as Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire and presenting strong credentials. Miranda is impressed and asks Mrs. Doubtfire to come for an interview. Daniel enlists his brother Frank, a makeup artist, and his partner Jack to transform him into a 60-year-old woman.
Miranda hires Mrs. Doubtfire on the spot. The children initially struggle adjusting to their new nanny, but soon come around and thrive, while Miranda is able to become closer with them. Daniel learns several household and parenting skills as part of the role. One day, Chris accidentally walks in on him in the bathroom and sees what appears to be Mrs. Doubtfire standing to urinate. Alarmed, Chris reveals what he saw to Lydia and they panic until Daniel reveals the truth, telling them the only reason for the Mrs. Doubtfire persona is to spend more time with them. They are happy to have their father back, but Daniel warns them to make sure Miranda does not find out, and also not to tell Natalie, who is too young to understand.
Soon, Miranda becomes reacquainted with an ex-boyfriend, Stuart "Stu" Dunmeyer (Pierce Brosnan). As Miranda and Stu become closer, Daniel begins to resent Stu, especially after Stu calls Daniel a "loser". While working at the station, Daniel is seen by CEO Jonathan Lundy playing with toy dinosaurs on the set of a children's show. Impressed, Lundy invites Daniel to dinner to hear more of his ideas. Meanwhile, Stu invites the family, including Mrs. Doubtfire, out for Miranda's birthday at the same place, date, and time as the dinner with Lundy. Unable to reschedule and unwilling to let the family down, Daniel attempts to rotate back and forth between the two commitments, alternately changing his persona back and forth between himself and Mrs. Doubtfire.
After many drinks at both tables, Daniel becomes intoxicated; puts cayenne pepper, which Stu is allergic to, on his entree; and returns to Lundy's table still dressed as Mrs Doubtfire. He covers by introducing Mrs. Doubtfire as the host for a new children's show, impressing Lundy. At that moment, Daniel notices Stu choking on his dinner, has a change of heart, rushes over, and administers the Heimlich maneuver. Daniel is able to resuscitate Stu, but the top of his mask comes off, revealing his true identity, to Miranda's horror.
At their next custody hearing, Daniel explains that he has a suitable job and home, and gives a heartfelt explanation for his behavior. The judge is touched by Daniel's explanation, but disturbed by his actions, and grants Miranda full custody, with Daniel limited to supervised visitation every Saturday, much to his dismay. Without Mrs. Doubtfire, Miranda and her children become depressed, recognizing how much Mrs. Doubtfire improved their lives. They are surprised when the local station starts airing a new children's show, "Euphegenia's House" hosted by Daniel as Mrs. Doubtfire. The show becomes a hit and is syndicated across the country.
Miranda visits Daniel on set and admits that everything he did as Mrs. Doubtfire was enough to convince her that the children need to have their father back in the picture. Soon after, a joint custody agreement is reached, allowing Daniel to see the children every day after school. As Daniel takes the children out, Miranda watches an episode in which Mrs. Doubtfire answers a letter from a young girl whose parents have separated, saying that no matter what arrangements families have, love will prevail.
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comedy, bleak, dramatic, cult, suspenseful, entertaining
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tt0107614
|
Toki o kakeru shôjo
|
Makoto Konno finds herself running late for school on 7/13. Her entire day seems to be one bad incident after another: she fails a surprise test; singes her hair from a cooking class accident; ends up being knocked over by two guys horsing around.After being on clean-up duty in class and assigned to return text manuals, she makes her way into a science lab after hearing some movements in it. To her bewilderment, no one is there. Intrigued by a small object on the floor, she is momentarily startled and falls on her back when someone enters the room. As her left arm lands on the object, a series of strange images fly past in her mind, before she eventually finds herself lying on the ground alone. She hangs out with her best two buddies in class and tells them of the incident. Neither the ridicules from the playful Chiaki nor the concerning words from the kind Kosuke removes her doubts.After school, Makoto goes to see her Aunt at an art museum. However, the brakes on her bike give out as she races down a hill, and she ends up hitting a guard-rail, flying into the path of an passing train.However, instead of dying, Makoto finds herself lying several yards on the way to the train crossing, and watches as the same train goes by. Makoto eventually makes it to her Aunt's workplace, and explains the strange incident. Her Aunt calmly explains that Makoto experienced a 'Time Leap', which allowed Makoto to leap back in time several seconds before the accident that would have killed her.Makoto finds it hard to believe, and spends the rest of the evening pondering this. Leaving the house, she attempts to leap off the edge of a shallow riverbed...and finds herself having gone back a full day (to the date 7/12). Makoto then stays with the timeline, and lives out day 7/13 again...only this time, making it a perfect day. She arrives early to school, aces her surprise test, and has a classmate named Takase take her place at one of the cooking class stations. This causes him to reap the misfortune that she had previously.Makoto now starts to exploit more personal gains using her new power, such as turning a one-hour karaoke session with Kosuke and Chiaki into ten hours, and leaping back to have her favorite meal. Just when she feels to be at the top of the world, an unexpected awkward event occurs. At a moment when she is alone with Chiaki, the boy asks if they should be a couple. Embarrassed by the question, Makoto chooses to time leap to unsay his words, and starts to avoid Chiaki in school. Her cowardice gives the opportunity for Chiaki's admirer, Yuri from the same class, to get close to the boy.Makoto tells her Aunt that she regards Chiaki as a freind, but her Aunt cautions her to be careful with her powers. Makoto soon finds that her actions definitely have an effect on others. Takase has been bullied ever since the cooking class misfortune, and at the height of his rage, he tosses a fire extinguisher at Makoto. Chiaki's brave intervention forces Makoto to time leap to rescue him. To her shock and horror, that only changes the victim to be Yuri. Soon Chiaki starts dating with Yuri, leaving Makoto and Kosuke alone at their usual after-school baseball exercises. Makoto finally realizes she cares about Chiaki and regrets missing the previous chance to accept his confession.Makoto notes a number tattoo on her arm that appears to decrease over time. Looking at a beautiful, mystical painting restored by her aunt, Makoto tells her that she will no more play with other people's feeling by time leaping. She soon gets a chance to redeem her selfish acts by using time leap to other people's benefits - setting up Kosuke with a shy girl named Kaho. After several failed attempts, Makoto leaps all the way back to 7/13, manages to get Kaho to meet with Kosuke, but the incident leaves Kaho with a sprained ankle. Makoto is however satisfied that she finally achieves something good, while noticing the number tattoo has changed to '01', indicating one remaining leap.Realizing the date, Makoto goes back to the science room, hoping to figure out who entered the room that day. However, her attention is diverted when she gets a message from Kosuke, who borrows Makoto's bike to take Kaho to his Dad's clinic. This fills Makoto with dread, because she recalls how she nearly got killed by the failed brakes of that bike last time.Makoto rushes to the same train crossing, but doesn't find Kosuke or Kaho there, to her temporary relief. An unexpected call from Chiaki delays her plan to warn Kosuke by phone. When Chiaki suddenly asks her if she has been time leaping, the shocked Makoto uses her last leap to undo his question. As she finishes the call, Kosuke and Kaho ride by, and Makoto chases after them in a mad panic, watching as Kosuke struggles to brake, before both he and Kaho hit the guard rail, flying into the path of the oncoming train.Makoto shuts her eyes in desperation, pleading for time to stop. Opening her eyes, she sees the world is frozen in time, and Chiaki is there to meet her, with her bike in hand. Chiaki then explains that he can time leap as well, and that he took Makoto's bike to save Kosuke and Kaho. Chiaki then explains that he is from the future, and that he originally travelled back in time to see a destroyed painting, but has been kept waiting as it was being restored. Meanwhile he has met Kosuke and Makoto and find their company hard to desert. Chiaki mentions that the strange object that Makoto saw on the floor in the science lab was a charger. This gave Makoto the ability to time leap. Each charged person has a specific number of time leaps (the tattoo on Makoto's arm is a counter regarding how many leaps are left). Makoto has used all hers up, and upon saving Kaho and Kosuke, Chiaki has as well. Because of this, he has no way to return to the future, and because he has revealed these secrets, he tells Makoto he has to disappear. When time unfreezes again, Makoto finds Chiaki has vanished.The next day at school, Chiaki doesn't show up for class, and many speculate what has happened to him. Kosuke talks this over with Makoto, who is now in deep sorrow that she seems to have made a mess of everyone's life, and that Chiaki is gone forever.That night, Makoto looks at the tattoo on her arm, and is amazed to see that it has been restored to '01'. Chiaki's time leap cancelled out her last leap the previous day! Enlightened and enpowered, Makoto makes a big leap back to 7/13 to correct her wrongs once and for all. Makoto tells Yuri how she really likes Chiaki. She tells Kosuke to invite Kaho and her friends to join their baseball practices, and also warns him not to use her bike. Finally, Makoto meets with Chiaki, and confirms that he still has one leap left, as well as explaining what she knows from him. She promises to preserve the painting for Chiaki to see in the future.Now his cover blown, Chiaki has to return to the future. Makoto never gets to hear his confession again, and is heartbroken to see him go. Chiaki whispers to her that he will be waiting for her in the future, to her great joy.
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dramatic, psychedelic, cute, atmospheric, romantic
|
tt0808506
|
Open Season 3
|
One spring morning, Boog awakens after hibernation and plans an annual guys trip to spend time with his male best friends. Unfortunately, Elliot has distanced himself from Boog since he had started a family with Giselle. They are now the parents of three children: Gisela, Giselita, and Elvis (with Boog now being the adoptive uncle). Boog is disappointed since everyone else wants to spend time with their families, which makes him go on the guys trip by himself with Dinkleman; however, this soon leads him to a Russian traveling circus called the Maslova Family Circus.
While in the circus, Boog meets Doug, a lazy, self-centered, mean, scruffy grizzly bear who is tired of performing in the circus on the sidelines. He craves recognition as a full-fledged king of the forest, the ruler of wildlife. Thinking up a plan, Doug lies to his best friend Alistair that he won't forget his help and convinces Boog to switch his life in the forest for Doug's place at the circus. Boog accepts the offer, but the whole thing turns out a scam because all Doug really wanted to do was escape.
Meanwhile, Boog falls madly in love with Ursa (who thinks that he is Doug), a female grizzly bear who was born in Russia and can effortlessly walk on a tightrope, juggle, and dance (which Boog finds to be "bearvana"), but has no luck convincing her that he isn't Doug. When the couple begin working together, they obtain much more as a harmonious duet than it might seem at first glance. Meanwhile, Doug arrives at the forest and disguises himself as Boog by pushing his scruffy fur back with mud.
However, Gisela and Giselita get suspicious when they notice "Boog" treating the wilds like slaves, so they report to Serge and Deni and request they find Giselle for help and they do so. Afterwards, when Boog's best friends find out about Boog's disappearance when Doug's cover is accidentally exposed, they (as well as Mr. Weenie, a reformed Fifi, Roberto, and the other pets) put aside their differences and hatch a rescue mission to save Boog.
That night, the wilds arrive at the Maslova Family Circus. They want Boog to return home, but he doesn't want to leave Ursa. Suddenly, a reformed Doug arrives, apologizes to Boog for tricking him, and reunites with Alistair. While Doug performs the circus acts for the audience, Elliot tells Boog he can stay at the circus if he wants to. Boog doesn't want to leave Elliot or Ursa, so he convinces Ursa to go live in the forest with them.
The next morning, Ursa enjoys life in the forest and becomes Boog's girlfriend, Gisela, Giselita, and Elvis' adoptive aunt, and Elliot and Giselle's sister-in-law. Finally, Boog, Elliot, and their male best friends go on the guys trip and sing part of Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again." In a post-credits scene, Doug and Alistair reveal a slideshow of them enjoying their tour around the world.
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comedy
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tt1646926
|
Repo! The Genetic Opera
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The film opens with a series of comic-book panels that explain how an epidemic of organ failures devastated the planet in the future ("Depraved Heart Murder at Sanitarium Square"). Out of the tragedy, GeneCo, a multi-billion dollar biotech company, emerged. GeneCo provides organ transplantation for profits. In addition to financing options, GeneCo reserves the right to implement default remedies, including repossession. For those who can't keep up with their organ payments, collection is the responsibility of "organ repo men", skilled assassins contracted by GeneCo. Repo men are ordered to recover GeneCo's property by any means necessary. One such Repo Man stalks and kills a client whose heart is then repossessed ("Genetic Repo Man").The president of GeneCo, Rotti Largo (Paul Sorvino), learns that he is dying, while Shilo Wallace (Alexa Vega), a 17 year-old girl with a rare blood disease that she's been told she inherited from her deceased mother, sneaks through underground tunnels to her mother's mausoleum ("Things You See in a Graveyard (Part One)").Shilo follows a bug out of the mausoleum in an attempt to catch it, and in the process, runs into GraveRobber (Terrance Zdunich), who is busy digging underground. They flee from GenCops and enter a massive underground graveyard ("21st Century Cure").After passing out from blood-pressure problems, Shilo wakes up ("Shilo Wakes") to her overprotective father, Nathan Wallace (Anthony Head). He has been keeping her locked in their house for 17 years due to her disease. Shilo is bitter towards her deceased mother for giving her this disease ("Infected"). Nathan, upset, gets ready for work as the head Repo Man for GeneCo ("Legal Assassin"). He takes great pride in his work, but knows that he can never reveal it to Shilo in fear of breaking her trust.Rotti's children, Luigi Largo (Bill Moseley), Pavi Largo (Nivek Ogre), and Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton), meet at a GeneCo warehouse for inventory and the two brothers begin to bicker over who will be chosen to inherit GeneCo after Rotti dies ("Mark It Up"). Rotti, however, begins to take an interest in Shilo ("Things You See in a Graveyard (Part Two)"), whom he invites to GeneCo's Genetic Opera ("Limo Ride"). Nathan, meanwhile, repossess a defaulted intestine and uses the victim as a puppet ("Thankless Job").Luigi kills two of his subordinates ("Largo's Little Helpers") while Genterns successfully attach a new face to Pavi ("Genterns"). The two siblings get on the nerves of Blind Mag (Sarah Brightman), a famous pop-opera singer who sings for GeneCo. When she tells them to behave, they argue back. Amber joins in and begins to harass Mag about being her replacement ("Luigi, Pavi, Amber Harass Mag"). Rotti then introduces Mag to Shilo ("Seeing You Stirs Memories"), who Mag thought died at birth.Nathan, while working and repossessing a spine, calls Shilo, who is at Sanitarium Square being guarded by Rotti's henchgirls while he's busy ("Inopportune Telephone Call"). GraveRobber arrives and helps Shilo slip away from the henchgirls ("GraveRobber and Shilo Escape"). Rotti, meanwhile, announces that Blind Mag will be performing her final song. He also announces that his daughter, Amber, will be the spokesperson for the newly revealed Zydrate Support Network, a rehabilitation center for those addicted to the powerful painkiller Zydrate ("Zydrate Support Network").Shilo watches as GraveRobber explains Zydrate, harvested from the brains of corpses and peddled to addicts. Those who are addicted to surgery, including Amber, need Zydrate to ease the pain. Amber arrives and gets a shot of it, explaining in the process that she will be replacing Blind Mag after Mag's eyes, which she got from GeneCo, get repossessed after her final song ("Zydrate Anatomy"). GenCops arrive and everyone scrambles to escape, except for Amber and her two valets, who hold her up as she passes out in a drug-induced haze.Nathan delivers the repossessed spine to Rotti, and he gives Nathan his next target - Blind Mag. Nathan refuses ("Who Ordered Pizza?"). Rotti, Pavi, and Luigi follow Nathan as he kills another victim, trying to guilt him into repossessing Blind Mag's eyes ("Night Surgeon"). He still refuses, and leaves once done with the victim.Later, Rotti sends his henchgirls to accompany Blind Mag to Shilo's house, where Blind Mag reveals to Shilo that she is Shilo's godmother, having been good friends with Shilo's mother Marni before she died. Blind Mag was sent by Rotti to convince Shilo to come to tonight's Genetic Opera. However, she also warns Shilo about GeneCo ("Chase the Morning"). Nathan arrives and, mad at Mag, starts an argument before kicking her out of his house ("Come Back!"). After trying to tell her dad that a Repo Man will take Blind Mag's eyes, Nathan tells her that there's no such thing as Repo Men and sends her to bed. When she argues, he asks what she, a seventeen year old, could possibly do ("What Chance Has a 17 Year Old Girl?"). Shilo retorts that it's better than being forty ("Seventeen").Amber, meanwhile, complains to her father that her latest surgery was botched, ruining her face. Rotti explains that he told her not to get so many surgeries. However, he eventually tells her that he'll take care of it ("Happiness is Not a Warm Scalpel"). After she leaves, Rotti voices his opinion that the only persistent thing in the world is gold and signs his will, which shows Shilo as his sole benefactor.Nathan discovers GenCops in his basement whose mission is to find the "rogue Repo Man" ("Nathan Discovers Rotti's Plan"). After realizing that Shilo isn't home, Nathan discovers that the GenCops have stolen Marni's body from the basement ("Tonight We Are Betrayed").Everyone gets ready for the Genetic Opera (Nathan puts on his Repo Man gear, Blind Mag walks through the cemetery on the way to the opera house, Amber picks up a last hit of Zydrate before the show, etc.) ("At the Opera Tonight"). GraveRobber, meanwhile, believes that there will be a bloodbath at the Genetic Opera, and that whoever survives it will inherit GeneCo ("Bloodbath!").The stories intertwine as everyone arrives at the GeneCo Genetic Opera, where the performance begins ("We Started This Op'ra Shit!"). Amber takes the stage for her premier as a singer, but her solo song is cut short when she trips and her face falls off ("Blame Not My Cheeks"). Mag begins singing her final song, ending it by gouging out her own eyes, stating that she'd rather be blind ("Chromaggia"). The cords suspending her in the air begin to snap "accidentally", dropping and impaling Mag on metal rods of a fence, killing her ("Mag's Fall"). Rotti insists that it's part of the performance and convinces the audience to stay by saying that he will cure Shilo's illness ("Pièce De Résistance").Shilo attacks Nathan in his Repo Man gear by hitting him in the head with a shovel, as Rotti instructed her to do earlier. Shilo realizes that the Repo Man is her father ("Let the Monster Rise"). Rotti then reveals Nathan to be the man who's been making Shilo sick by giving her poisonous "medication" ("The Man Who Made You Sick"). Nathan explains that he was only doing so to keep her away from the world, which he knew to be a terrible place. Rotti then tells Shilo that if she kills her father, she will inherit GeneCo ("Cut the Ties"). When she refuses, Rotti uses the last of his strength to shoot Nathan ("Shilo Turns Against Rotti"). Rotti then dies, on-stage, from his disease. Shilo and Nathan say goodbye to each other before Nathan dies from his wound ("I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much"). Shilo leaves, free from her genetic destiny ("Genetic Emancipation").The following day, GraveRobber reads about Shilo turning down the inheritance of GeneCo ("Epitaph"). Amber takes control over GeneCo in her place, and auctions off the face that fell off to her brother Pavi.
Provided by Wikipedia.com.
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dark, cruelty, gothic, murder, cult, violence, flashback, insanity, sadist
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tt0963194
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Et mourir de plaisir
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The ancestral von Karnsteins were rumored to be vampires. So strong was that belief that the peasants revolted in 1765 and, led by the village priest, invaded the Karnstein cemetery, drove stakes through the hearts of all the inhabitants and burned every corpse."One survived," Carmilla von Karnstein [Elsa Martinelli] tells the story while pointing to a portrait hanging on the wall. "Don't you think I look like her?" The lady in question is Millarca von Karnstein, saved on the eve of the massacre by her cousin and lover Ludwig von Karnstein who swore undying love for Millarca. But Ludwig proved to be unfaithful. Over their lifetimes, he became engaged to three women. Each of them died shortly before the wedding."If Millarca were to return, how do you think she would feel about me?" asks Georgia Monte Verdi [Annette Vadim], fiancée of Carmilla's cousin Leopoldo von Karnstein [Mel Ferrer]. "After all, doesn't (Leopoldo) resemble Ludwig von Karnstein? Will she kill me like the others?""Maybe this time she has come back for Ludwig," says Carmilla.Leopoldo breaks in. "Carmilla, enough," he says, "you are frightening Georgia. You play the game too well."Whether it is a game or whether Carmilla believes the story, it is obvious that she is in love with Leopoldo, so much that she arrives late to his engagement party. She also arrives in Millarca's white wedding dress, much to the dismay of all who know the Karnstein history. When fireworks set off from the deserted family cemetery accidentally ignite ammunition left by the Germans, Carmilla is drawn to Mircalla's unearthed crypt. An exchange of souls seems to take place. The sight of Carmilla now makes animals frightened, flowers wither in her cold hands, she recognizes 17th century music, the sun hurts her. Each night Carmilla goes to Millarca's grave to rest. One night she is spotted by one of the hired hands. The next morning, a young servant is found dead. Talk of vampirism begins, and suspicion falls on Carmilla.When the wedding plans are suddenly moved from the family estate to Venice, Carmilla seems to snap. The next morning, Georgia awakens with two bites on her neck and memories of Carmilla attacking her. That afternoon, as the army detonates the remaining ammunition left by the Germans in the Karnstein cemetery, Carmilla is blown off a cliff and becomes staked on a tree branch. The diagnosis is that Carmilla escaped into a dream world where she became Mircalla and that she hoped, by killing Georgia, to become the one loved by Leopoldo.Georgia and Leopoldo finally marry and, as the honeymoon jet carries them from Rome to Paris, Millarca narrates. No one suspects that Georgia is dead and that her body now belongs to Millarca. As proof, the rose in Georgia's hand withers. [Original synopsis by bj_kuehl.]
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psychedelic, haunting
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tt0053802
|
Super 8
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The film starts in February of 1979, at a steel plant in Lillian, Ohio. Elizabeth Lamb (Caitriona Balfe) has been killed in an accident. Though their family and friends are sad for her husband, Deputy Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler), their main concern is Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), Elizabeth and Jackson's son. Joe was more attached to his Mom than his Dad, who was never really been there for his son.Later at the Lamb's house, Louis Dainard (Ron Eldard) pays a visit. Jackson blames Louis for his wife's death, and forces him out of the house and puts him in his squad car. As Joe watches his father take Louis away, his gaze shifts to a silver locket in his hand.Four months later, the local Middle School lets out for the summer. Joe's friend Charles (Riley Griffiths) has been shooting a Super 8 film for a film festival in Cleveland. Charles has rewritten the the story so that the detective now has a wife. Joe is unsure about this last-minute rewrite, but when Charles tells him that he has gotten Alice Dainard for the part (Elle Fanning), he becomes less-concerned. The two then promise to rendezvous later that night to film their scene, with plans for Alice to drive them.Arriving home, Joe meets up with his Dad who takes him out for dinner. Jackson Lamb wants his son to attend a baseball camp for the summer, but Joe explains that he wants to help Charles finish his film. Both reach a impasse, having little more to say on the matter.Later that evening, Joe goes to meet Charles and the rest of their crew: Cary (Ryan Lee), Preston (Zach Mills), and Martin (Gabriel Basso). When Alice shows up in her Dad's Buick Skylark, she's concerned that 'the Deputy's Son' knows she's driving without a license. Joe promises not to tell, and Alice reluctantly allows him along for the ride.The group arrives at the Lillian Train Station, where Charles intends to shoot a scene with Martin as the detective of his story, trying to get his wife (aka Alice) to leave because of a zombie infection.
Joe is smitten with Alice, who shocks the guys when during the rehearsal, she delivers a performance that brings her to tears. The boys are snapped out of their shock by the sound of an approaching train. Charles demands they start filming again ASAP so they can put the train into their film and increase the 'production value.'As they film the scene of the train thundering past the station, Joe catches sight of a white truck turning onto the tracks. The truck hits the train, causing a massive (and explosive) derailment. The gang runs for cover, and luckily survive the ordeal. Joe hears something pounding loudly on one of the derailed train cars right before the door flies off.Surveying the wreckage, they come across some strange white cubes (Joe takes one), and find the wreckage of the truck. Inside, they find the body of one of their local science teacher, Dr Woodward (Glynn Turman). Joe removes a map from the doctor's hand. Everyone is shocked when he starts talking to them. Pulling a gun, he threatens them and tells them that they are not to tell anyone what they saw.Suddenly, the sound of men approaching the wreck catches their attention. Fearful of being caught, they recover Charles' Super 8 camera, and quickly drive off. In the car, everyone is panicked about what just happened, and Alice says her coming was a mistake.Analysis of the camera the next day reveals that it the lens is broken; however, Charles and Joe drop off the film for development. Joe insists he will help Charles finish the film, offering his Dad's video camera. However, Charles believes that Alice will most likely not want to help them after the night before.Joe goes over to Alice's house to convince her to help them finish the film. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Alice's father. He demands that Joe stay away from the family's home and Alice. Seeing that her father is somewhat drunk, she agrees to help Joe and his friends.The gang then goes out to the scene of the train-crash, this time using it as background for their filming. During the filming, Joe notices that the train features Air Force insignia. Later at a restaurant, he peruses over the map that Dr Woodward had in his possession, noting a red line drawn in, snaking across the country. The group is still unsure why Woodward did what he did, but some are of the persuasion it was a failed suicide attempt.Meanwhile, Jackson Lamb has come to the train-wreck site looking for answers. However, none of the clean-up crew or their superior, General Nelec (Noah Emmerich), are willing to tell him anything, other than the cargo and clean-up is not hazardous. Jackson notes the government men picking up strange little white cubes, and making plaster casts of some tire tracks in the ground.The next day, the town devolves into a state of crisis, as Sheriff Pruitt (Brett Rice) goes missing. His wrecked vehicle is found near a gas station, with its windows smashed in and the attendant also missing. Jackson also receives reports of missing people, dogs and electrical equipment. While some report missing household items like microwaves, the oddest thing are missing electrical lines and engines straight out of vehicles!Jackson soon grows concerned when the Military begins to roll into Lillian. Still not receiving answers as to their presence in the town, he receives word from one of the townspeople about a radio frequency that seems to be picking up Military transmissions. Jackson has the other officers tune their radios into the frequency, and soon hears word of something codenamed "Operation: Walking Distance."Shortly after hearing the transmission, Jackson encounters Alice's father Louise, who tells Jackson to keep Joe away from Alice. Upset at hearing this, Jackson tracks down Joe, and takes back his movie camera as well. Jackson finds the Military moving stuff out of Dr Woodward's home. Finding General Nelec at the site, Jackson again demands answers. When he doesn't get any, he mentions 'Operation: Walking Distance.' This causes Nelec to agree to meet with Jackson later on that evening at a nearby airfield.Taking him home, Jackson demands that Joe keep away from the Dainards, but Joe claims that Alice isn't like her father, and that she's nice. The two once again reach a wordless impasse, before Jackson storms out of the house. He then goes to the airfield to meet with General Nelec, only to be placed under arrest and locked away.Joe heads over to the cemetery after this, where he sits at the headstone of his Mother's grave. While there, he hears some loud scraping and noises coming from a garage near the tombstones. Returning to his room later on, he is surprised when Alice appears. As they sit and talk, Alice asks Joe about the locket she's seen him carrying around. He claims it belonged to his Mother, and they retrieved it after her accident. Alice also finds Joe has a projector set up, and sees he has been watching home movies of his Mom from when he was younger. Alice tells Joe that she is sorry for the pain her Dad caused, and feels he really is not all bad. Joe tells that he also does not feel any ill will towards her Dad, when their attention is drawn to the strange white cube Joe picked up at the crash site. As they watch, it begins to vibrate, before shooting through a nearby wall, leaving a hole behind!Alice then heads home, only to find her father drunk and smoking in their living room. Disgusted by her father's behavior, she rushes out and gets on her bike. Louis drunkenly follows in his car, but ends up crashing it. As Alice is unsure what to do, a she turns to see a large creature that causes her to scream. Louis attempts to get free of his wrecked car, but finds Alice and the creature gone!The next day, Joe and Charles go to pick up the developed Super 8 film, but Charles is rather upset and cryptic towards Joe. When they finally get to Joe's place and watch the film, Charles explains that he is upset that Joe and Alice seem to be getting along and liking each other. The reason Charles cast Alice in the film, was because HE actually liked her. As they examine the film, their thoughts become turned when they see parts of a strange creature emerging from one of the wrecked train cars. As they wonder what it was they just saw, air raid sirens begin to go off.They emerge outside to find the town being evacuated, with everyone being asked to report to the local Military base. Word is that a dangerous fire is headed towards Lillian, and could cause terrible damage if it reaches the town's chemical plant. Joe and Charles get on a bus, and are transported to the base. There, Charles is reunited with his family, while Joe goes to look for his Dad. However, he instead finds Louis, who tells Joe that he saw Alice being taken away by a creature, but nobody believes him.Joe then rounds up Charles and their friends, with the intent to get back into town and rescue Alice. Bribing the town's camera-store owner to helping them, he manages to get them into town. They first go to the Middle School. Dr Woodward had a specially padlocked storage area behind the school where he hid confiscated items from his class. Joe assumes that there may be additional information as to his past, and the group finds numerous films, tapes, and records stored in there as well, that could help them find out more about the creature and how to possibly defeat it.Breaking into the school, they use a film projector in one of the classrooms. Through the materials, they learn that the creature is sub-terranean, and mainly wants to just go home. However, General Nelec was more intent on keeping the creature for Army purposes. They also found its ship contained technology that when disassembled, 'shattered' into the little white cubes that the group saw at the crash site. Due to Woodward's interactions with the creature, he was able to gain a telepathic link to it, and notes in his findings that due to the hostilities directed towards it, it has grown hostile in nature to humans as well. The boys soon hear noises in the school, and are soon found by Nelec and his men. The group confiscate the items, as well as Joe's Mom's locket.The boys are put on a Military bus and are headed back to the base when the creature attacks the bus. The boys manage to escape while the creature attacks the other Military Officers and kills General Nelec. In the aftermath, Joe is able to obtain his Mom's locket.Meanwhile, Jackson has managed to escape his captors, and after creating a diversion, gets to the other base where the townspeople are being kept. He finds one of Joe's friends there, and after hearing of Joe's plans to rescue Alice, finds her father and takes him along. On their journey to the town, Louis explains that he came to the Lamb's house after the funeral to apologize. Jackson also admits that he knows that Louis is sorry, and quietly forgives him.The boys meanwhile, have made it back into town, but suddenly find themselves in the middle of a war zone, as tanks and other Military weaponry are going haywire, firing random shots and destroying property. As the boys attempt to escape, Martin is injured. Charles stays behind to tend to his wounds, as Joe and Cary rush off to the cemetery.Joe tells Cary about the strange things he saw and heard from the garage. Breaking down a door, they find a large hole, dug down several stories deep. Climbing down, they see it leads up into several other places. Eventually, they come across the creature's lair under the town's water tower, which houses all sorts of mechanical parts, including the missing items from the townspeople. As they watch, they see several people strung from the ceiling, including the missing Sheriff, as well as Alice! Before they can rescue her, they catch a glimpse of the creature, who is eating the limb of another human!Fearful that Alice might be next, Joe directs Cary to create a distraction using the fireworks in his backpack. This causes the distraction that Joe needs as the creature heads down the tunnel towards the loud sounds. Joe manages to save Alice, as well as the Sheriff and a woman with rollers in her hair. As they rush to find a way out, they encounter Cary, who thought he was heading towards an exit. Suddenly, the creature comes up behind them, snatching the Sheriff and the other woman into the darkness.Joe, Alice, and Cary run, but are soon at a dead end. The creature has them cornered, but Joe stands before it, reasoning with it. The creature acts hostile at first, but even in the face of its bizarre appearance, Joe does not react hostile like the previous treatment it has known. Suddenly, a sound is heard deep in the cave near the creature's lair, and it puts Joe down before returning.The three return to the surface, and congregate near the water tower. As they do, all sorts of mechanical objects in the area become magnetized to the water tower's top area.Truck trailers nearby that also contained the recovered white cubes burst open, and the cubes begin to form around the edges of the water tower as well.During the spectacle, Jackson and Louis come across their children, and both families reconcile as the creature ascends the watertower. As they watch, the locket in Joe's pocket attempts to fly away. Joe catches it, and we see what was inside it the whole time: a picture of Joe's Mom and him as a baby. Joe finally 'lets go' of his Mom, and the locket flies up to the magnetized watertower, where he metallic objects and the white cubes morph into a spaceship. The creature climbs aboard, as the top of the water tower disappears, raining down its watery contents on the people below.Everyone watches as the ship ascends into the sky. As they do, Joe and Alice hold each other's hands. They and their families have reconciled over their past differences, but who knows what the future will bring?*Extras over the Film Credits*Over the film's credits, we see that Charles has completed his movie, titled 'The Case.' The Super 8 film consists of a detective investigating a rash of zombie appearances that seem linked to a company called 'Romero Chemicals.' The head of the company denies any wrong-doing, but the detective feels something is amiss. He attempts to send his wife away to keep her safe, but she refuses. While at the train station, they witness a train derailment (the footage captured on their camera replaced by model trains from Joe's collection). The detective soon encounters a doctor who has an antidote to the zombie disease, but only enough for one person. As he attempts to administer it to a captured zombie, the detective watches as the zombie bites into the doctor.After killing the zombified Doctor, the detective returns home, only to find his wife has become a zombie! He stabs her in the neck with the antidote. It appears that it has not worked, and he prepares to kill his wife. However, suddenly she returns to normal, and the two embrace.A final shot shows Charles in a suit and smoking a pipe, thanking the audience for watching, and considering them for the Cleveland film festival...before Alice pops into frame in her zombie make-up, 'terrorizing' the camera lens.
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murder, home movie
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tt1650062
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Nightcrawler
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It's late at night in the city of Los Angeles. Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) has broken into a train yard to try and break off a chain link fence. An officer approaches him and demands to see some ID. Lou keeps his cool and shows it to him, and then he attacks the man and kills him. Lou later takes the broken up fence to a scrapyard and sells the fence to the yard's owner while trying to negotiate a higher price. He then asks the owner if he is hiring, since he can start immediately. He uses his motto, "If you want to win the lottery, you gotta have the money to buy a ticket." The owner rebuffs him and says he won't hire a thief.A few cop cars pass Lou on the road. He pulls over to see what they're investigating. A car is on fire, and people are inside. A van of nightcrawlers - guys who record violent incidents at night for profit - pull up, led by Joe Loder (Bill Paxton). Lou sees Loder filming while two men pull a woman from the vehicle. Lou approaches Loder and asks about the job. Loder says it's a "flaming asshole of a job." Lou asks him if they're hiring and Loder says no.Lou steals a bike on the beach the next day and goes to pawn it off. The shop owner will only go as far as $700, but Lou asks for $800 in store credit so he can get a camcorder and a police scanner. Using these, he listens to reports of incidents in the area. He pulls up to multiple crime scenes and is told to leave by the police. He manages to get good graphic footage of a man who was shot to death after a carjacking. The police turn Lou and another nightcrawler away, the latter who angrily curses Lou out for ruining his shot. Lou follows the man as he calls his employer and overhears how much the man is set to make off the footage.Lou goes to the Channel 6 news station and meets news director Nina Romina (Rene Russo). He shows her and another station producer, Frank Kruse (Kevin Rahm) the footage, with good shots of the man dead and paramedics trying to revive him. Lou only makes $250 off the footage, despite trying to go way higher. He once again tries asking for a job or an internship position to no avail.Lou interviews a young man named Rick (Riz Ahmed) for an internship position, making it seem like he's heading some big news station. Rick is practically homeless and struggling to find work, and he has little experience in this sort of field. Lou simply asks him if he has a phone with GPS, and Rick says yes. Lou hires him on the spot and tells him he'll get paid $30 a night.Lou makes Rick read off directions to him as they go looking for incidents. Lou drives like a maniac and makes Rick nervous. He accidentally gives him wrong directions, and they arrive to the scene of a home fire too late, as paramedics have already wheeled the victim away. Lou is furious with Rick.People are gathered around a shooting in a suburban home. Lou sneaks in through the back and into the kitchen where he rearranges pictures on the fridge to focus on the bullet holes and a shot of the neighbors talking to police. Nina loves the footage but Frank says it looks like Lou broke in. She still uses it.Eventually, Lou and Rick are able to get a lot of new footage of horrifying incidents (with headlines like "toddler stabbed" and "drunk mom hits biker"), which Lou continues to sell to Nina. He gives her an impassioned speech about how he's come up with his business plan and how he has hoped to make a name for himself, which seems to almost move Nina.Lou stands by Nina when two anchors from her station are set to report on one of the incidents that Lou got on camera. He mentions a Mexican restaurant and invites Nina to go with him. Nina declines, as she doesn't want to compromise their professional relationship, but Lou implies that he'll stop giving her good footage if she says no.Loder finds Lou and offers him a spot on his team to deliver them some good footage. Lou turns him down, even as Loder persists. However, Lou very firmly rejects him, to Loder's anger.Nina joins Lou at the Mexican restaurant. He makes it clear he wants more than a professional relationship but she says this is just a courtesy date. He reminds her that the station is the lowest rated station in the area, and she needs him just as much as he wants her.Lou and Rick fail to arrive in time for another incident as Loder and his team beat him to the punch, leaving Lou with weak footage of a stabbing in Corona. Nina is pissed at him. Loder's coverage hits Channel 2 in all its glory. Lou smashes his bathroom mirror in fury. He goes to Loder's house and cuts the brakes on his van. This later leads to Loder crashing the van into a pole. Lou and Rick arrive in time for Lou to film Loder being wheeled away in a gurney, choking on his own blood.A big break comes when Lou and Rick happen upon a shooting/break-in at a large mansion. Lou sees two men fleeing the scene. He enters the house and films the dead bodies in each room. One victim is on the ground gasping for breath as Lou walks around him. He delivers the graphic footage to Nina, at which point he makes a demand for $15,000 for the footage, and not a cent lower, and he also wants the anchors to give him credit as Video Production News, and for him to be recognized as a credible news source. He makes it abundantly clear to Nina that he's calling the shots now. The anchors at the station report on the footage while Nina tells them what to say.Two detectives, Frontieri and Lieberman (Michael Hyatt and Price Carson), arrive at Lou's door to question him about the footage and if he saw the two men. He doesn't give a clear description of the men but he tells them that they were driving an SUV.Lou brings Rick to catch the killers and phone the cops. Rick demands a raise if he's going to keep tagging along on these sorts of missions. He meekly asks for $75 a night when Lou states he could've gone higher. Together, they find the killers and follow them to a restaurant. Lou phones the cops and says one of them has a gun. Two cops arrive and enter the place. Two more show up, and the killers begin to shoot at them. The cops shoot the larger killer dead while the other one gets away. Lou and Rick follow them in an intense chase. The cop car is hit by another car. Another cop car catches up to the killer and they crash. Lou stops the car and goes to get his shot. He tells Rick that the killer is dead. Rick goes to film the killer, only to find him alive and with a gun. He shoots Rick three times before crawling out. The killer aims his gun at the cops and is shot dead. Lou films his corpse and then films a dying Rick. Rick says Lou knew the killer was alive, and Lou implies that he did this since Rick threatened to compromise this whole operation. Rick dies.Lou brings all of this to Nina, who is enchanted by all the gruesome imagery. Detective Frontieri comes to the station and demands to have the footage as it is evidence, but Nina refuses to surrender the tapes. Frontieri later interrogates Lou, knowing he withheld information from them since he knew what the killers looked like. Furthermore, he remains unmoved by Rick's death, but he sticks by his word without flinching, and he is left free to walk.Frank approaches Nina and says the break-in at the mansion was really a drug robbery since there were multiple bags of cocaine found in there. He says this is the real story but Nina is focusing on the car chase and accident. Frank tells her she sounds like Lou, to which she replies that Lou has inspired them to reach higher.Now, Lou has established Video Production News with news vans and three interns. He gets then ready with their tasks, and adds that he won't make them do anything he won't do himself. With that, he guides them into the night to snap more footage of what the people really want to see.
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dark, mystery, neo noir, murder, violence, satire
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tt2872718
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Killer Joe
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The film opens with drug dealer Chris Smith arriving at a trailer on a late rainy night. He pounds on the door until Sharla, his step mom, answers. Chris is there to see his father Ansel. Sharla and Chris argue and there is a small physical confrontation. Then Ansel and Chris get into it. Dottie, Chris' young sister, listens to the commotion from her bedroom.Sooner or later, Chris and Ansel leave the trailer and go to the strip club. Chris tells Ansel that he owes money to some people who will kill him if he doesn't pay. He talks about his mom, Adele, who has a fifty thousand dollar life insurance policy. Chris then tells Ansel about a police detective named Joe Cooper, who moonlights as a hitman. In the event of Adele's death, all the money would go to Dottie. Ansel needs some convincing, so the two get to talking about Adele and how badly she treats everyone around her, including her new boyfriend Rex. Ansel agrees.Joe Cooper arrives at the trailer one morning to meet Chris. Instead, he meets Dottie and the two make small talk. Joe tells a story about a man who lit his genitals on fire to teach his girlfriend a lesson about cheating on him. Dottie tells a story about how her mom Adele tried to kill her once when she was a baby. The phone rings: it's Chris for Joe. Chris tells Joe to meet him at an abandoned building. Joe tells Chris not to change plans on him again.Joe, with the assistance of Dottie, reaches the building where Chris and Ansel are. Inside this building, Joe instructs Chris and Ansel on his rules for if he was to kill Adele for them. Joe names his price: twenty-five thousand dollars in advance. Chris says he can't give Joe the money prior to the murder but he can give him a cut of the life insurance. Joe repeats: "No exceptions."Joe is about to leave when notices Dottie outside happily spinning around in front of a church. Joe then tells Chris that they never discussed the possibility of a retainer. Then he leaves. Ansel doesn't understand and Chris has to spell it out for him: Joe wants Dottie until he can be paid.The movie shifts to Sharla, who works at a run down pizza parlor. She is talking on the phone with an unknown man. She holds in her hand naked pictures of this man and jokes that his face can't be seen in them. Dottie appears behind her and asks for some money for dinner, Sharla pretends the person the phone was one of her old friends. She hangs up and goes to sit with Dottie. Sharla tells her that there will be a guest for dinner that night. Dottie knows its Joe. Ansel arrives and he tells Dottie he's gonna give her some money so she can buy something nice to wear. Then, he and Sharla talk privately. Sharla's mad at Ansel because he as yet to tell Dottie that she and Joe will be the only ones at the trailer.That night, when Dottie finds out the situation, she acts very strange and locks herself in her room. Joe arrives and doesn't get angry. He tells her that she doesn't have to come out of her room if she doesn't want to. After Joe tells another story, Dottie comes out of her room and the two have dinner. Dottie says that she had a dress she was gonna wear, but she decided against it. Joe said he would've loved to see it. At a certain point in the evening, Joe asked Dottie to put on the dress in front of him. Soon after that, the two have sex. Chris, from outside, sees the lights in the trailer go out.In another part of town, the same night, a yellow sports car is parked at a cheap motel. A man in a cowboy hat knocks on the door to one of the rooms. Sharla answers and lets the man in.Shift to the daytime. Chris is betting on some horses for money. He loses. As he walks outside, two big men stand in front of him. He starts to run away but he doesn't get very far and the two big men, on motorcycles, run him down. A big truck pulls up and Digger Soames gets out. This is the man Chris owes money to. Digger tells Chris that he better pay him soon. Digger leaves and the two big men beat Chris to a pulp.Chris has a conversation with Joe the next day. He doesn't want Joe around Dottie anymore. Joe says all Chris has to do is say the word and he will leave right now. Chris still wants his mom dead.That night, at the police station, Killer Joe gets ready. He grabs his gun, his gloves, his hat and walks outside. Chris is waiting for him and tells him he has second thoughts about going through with the murder. Joe tells Chris to get in his car.The two drive along ways to a closed restaurant. Joe goes to the trunk of his car and opens it. Chris looks inside... Adele's body is lying there. Joe has already killed her. Chris helps Joe dispose of the body in a way that makes it look like an accident.Days pass. Ansel and Sharla go to collect the insurance money while Dottie and Chris wait in the restaurant. When Sharla returns to the restaurant, she and Ansel are extremely mad.The family walks down the street. Ansel pushes Chris up against the wall and tells him that Dottie is not the beneficiary of the $50,000. Rex, Adele's boyfriend is the beneficiary. It is here where it is revealed that Rex is not only the one that told Chris about the life insurance, but is also the one who told Chris about Killer Joe. Chris, having nothing to pay either Digger or Killer Joe, decides to flee the country. He wants Dottie to go with him to Peru, but she says she wants to see Joe first.The yellow sports car drives down the street. It is pulled over by Killer Joe's police car. The driver of the sports car gets out. Here, it is revealed that the man in the cowboy hat (from the motel) is Rex.That night, Sharla and Ansel return to the trailer with some KFC. Joe is there and asks to have a chicken leg. Joe approaches Sharla and asks her about Rex. She says she doesn't really know him. Joe asks if she was gonna get a cut of the money. Ansel says he was gonna let her have a cut cause Sharla is his wife. Through some smart interrogation and trickery, Joe gets Sharla to reveal that life insurance was actually worth $100,000. Because Adele's death was ruled an accident, the life insurance doubles. Sharla was the only one who knew that out of the family. Joe then shows Ansel two things: a check made out to Rex for 100 grand, and the naked pictures of Rex that Sharla had on her person.In the most talked about scene of the movie, Joe punches Sharla, breaking her nose. Then he takes the chicken leg from KFC and lowers it in front of his waist. He forces Sharla to suck on the leg like it is his member. As this happens Joe says that since he will not be paid in cash, the retainer, Dottie, belongs to him now. He says he knows Chris is going to come over to attempt to take Dottie with him. Killer Joe states that "If this family allows Chris to leave this trailer tonight, I'll slaughter all of you like pigs."In the film's finale, Chris returns to the trailer. Dottie, Ansel, Sharla, and Joe all wait for him at the dinner table. Chris sits down and everyone eats together for a short while. Then, Joe stands and announces that Dottie has agreed to marry him. Chris is anything but happy. He tells Joe he can't let him have Dottie. Chris tells Dottie to go get her stuff. Joe tells Dottie to stay seated. Chris pulls out a gun and points it at Joe. Sharla grabs a knife from the table and stabs Chris in the shoulder. Joe tackles Chris and the gun slides in front of Dottie.Joe holds Chris in front of the refrigerator and bashes his face in with a can of pumpkin filling. Ansel grabs Chris legs so he can't run away. Sharla bashes a beer bottle of Chris' head. Everyone has taken their eyes off of Dottie, who has finally snapped. She picks up the gun and shoots it all over hell. Joe, Ansel, and Sharla, all go motionless.Dottie fires first at Chris, shooting him in the chest. He falls dead. Then Dottie shoots Ansel in the stomach, he screams in pain as he goes to his knees. Dottie then aims at Joe. Joe looks at her and asks her to put the gun down. She responds, "I'm gonna have a baby." She puts her finger on the trigger again.The final shot of the film is Killer Joe smiling in excitement.
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comedy, neo noir, cruelty, murder, violence, storytelling
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tt1726669
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This Is England
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In 1983, 12-year-old Shaun gets into a fight at school with a boy named Harvey after he makes an offensive joke about his father, who died in the Falklands War. On his way home, Shaun comes across a gang of young skinheads led by Woody, who feels sympathy for Shaun and invites him to join the group. They accept Shaun as a member, and he finds a big brother in Woody, while developing a romance with Michelle, also known as Smell, an older girl who dresses in a new wave style.
Combo, an older skinhead, returns to the group after a prison sentence, accompanied by a knife-wielding moustachioed man called Banjo. A charismatic but unstable individual with sociopathic tendencies, Combo expresses English nationalist and racist views, and attempts to enforce his leadership over the other skinheads. This leads the group to split, with young Shaun, the belligerent Pukey, and Gadget, who feels bullied by Woody for his weight, choosing Combo over Woody's apolitical gang.
Shaun finds a mentor figure in Combo, who in turn is impressed by and identifies with Shaun. Shaun goes with Combo's group to a National Front meeting. After Pukey expresses doubt over their racist and nationalistic politics, Combo throws him out of his group and sends him back to Woody. The gang then engages in bigoted antagonism of, among others, shopkeeper Mr Sandhu, an Indian shopkeeper who had previously banned Shaun from his shop.
Combo becomes depressed after Lol, Woody's girlfriend, rejects him when he admits that he has loved her since they had sex years before. To console himself, Combo buys cannabis from Milky, the only black skinhead in Woody's gang. During a party, Combo and Milky bond while intoxicated, but Combo becomes increasingly bitter and envious when Milky shares details of his many relatives, comfortable family life and happy upbringing, everything that Combo lacked. Enraged, Combo enters a frenzied state and brutally beats Milky unconscious, while Banjo holds down Shaun, and Meggy watches them on in horror. A pissed-off Combo throws Shaun out of his flat after defending Milky, then slams the door hard. When Banjo attempts to hit Milky as well, Combo violently beats him and evicts him and Meggy from the apartment. Horrified at the realisation of what he has done, a remorseful Combo weeps over Milky's body. Shaun and Combo later take Milky to a nearby hospital.
The film cuts forward to Shaun, who's looking at a picture of his dad who died in the Falklands in his bedroom contemplating the incident and brooding about what has happened, with his mother Cynthia assuring Shaun that Milky will be all right. Shaun is then shown walking near the beach and throwing his St George's Flag, a gift from Combo, into the sea.
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murder, realism, violence, atmospheric, brainwashing, suspenseful, storytelling
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tt0480025
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Caniche
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Están recogiendo caracoles y metiéndoles en una bolsa de lona. Hay fragmentos de partes del cuerpo, un caracol sin concha, y la fachada de una casa medio destartalada.Un hombre y una mujer van en un coche;´él, Bernardo (Ángel Jové) conduce y se queja de que le duelen las muelas. Ella, Eloísa (Consul Tura) le dice que le pida dinero a Tía Lina (Sara Grey) , ya que si es para el dentista sí qeu se lo dará. Él dice que quiere que se muera de una vez, para poder heredar. La pareja lleva a Dany (), un perro caniche, en el coche.Corte a una carrera de perros. La mujer no presta atención, y murmura que seguro que él ha perdido todo el dinero.De regreso a la casa, Dany sale corriendo por la finca. Eloísa sale corriendo detrás de él, casi parece presa del pánico. Bernardo, que está limpiando un pequeño estanque de ramas podridas y animales muertos, lo sujeta. Eloísa le dice que no se pase, que le está haciendo daño, a lo que Bernardo responde que debería vigilarolo más y no dejarlo salir de la casa. Eloísa bate la comida y también le pone la comida al perro, y deja todos los cacharros en el fregadero para fregar más tarde. Mientras los perros comen, Eloísa se corta las uñas de los pies y se pinta las uñas; Bernardo toca el piano y se pone una de las cremas del perro en el pie. a Eloísa eso le parece asqueroso, pero él le dice que si a Dany le viene bien, a él también le funcionará.Más tarde, con todo desordenado, Dany se pone a alisquear la ropa interior usada de Eloísa. Eloísa y Bernardo se están vistiendo para ir a visitar a la tía Lina. Bernardo no quiere cambiar la hora de la visita, pero tampoco quiere ir a verla. Eloísa comenta que necesitan el dinero de Lina para vivir. Eloísa detecta un parásito en Dany, y Bernardo se lo quita con unas pinzas de depilar. Eloísa le dice que no mate al bicho y que limpie las pinzas. Barnardo estruja a la pulga, o lo que fuese, y después simplemente pasa las pinzas por debajo del grifo abierto.Bernardo en el dentista (Marcelo Íbero), que le da recuerdos para Eloísa. Después, visitando a Lina, hay bronca a gritos. Ella le dice que son manías suyas, y que debería trabajar. Bernardo se queja de que no les da suficiente dinero, y que por eso la tienen que visitar continuamente. Tía Lina se mete con la madre de Bernardo, lo que enfurece a Bernardo. Cuando se acalora, Lina se agobia y no da respirado. Tienen una cuidadora, Marta (Isabel Heredia), que le pone un respirador en la boca. Bernardo no se cree nada: él siempre recuerda a tía Lina medio enferma.De vuelta a casa, conduciendo por la noche, Bernardo se para en mitad de la carretera para llamar a un perro abandonado. Una vez en casa, Eloísa ve la tele en cama, abrazada al caniche. Bernardo está disecando a un animal, y afuera se oyen aullar a unos perros.Bernardo no aparece al día siguiente. Eloísa le pone el colirio en el ojo al perro, y tiene que limpiar el sitio donde el caniche se ha meado. Saca carne de la nevera y se la va dando a comer a trocitos. Bernardo sigue limpiando la piscina, ahora medio vacía, y para ello usa un cuadro viejo.En el cine, Bernardo y Eloísa ven una película en la que aparecen muchos perros. Al acabar, un presentador habla de una nueva urbanización que está proyectada para que vivan perros. Dos ejecutivos (Carlos Martos y Miguel Avilés) intentan vender la idea a los inversores, gente que parece de clase media. A la salida, unas azafatas reparten panfletos. Eloísa estaría encantada de contribuir al proyecto, pero no tiene dinero. El veterinario, el doctor Alberto Agal (Cruz Tobar) pregunta a Eloísa por la salud de Dany, y le recomienda que le haga comer verduras, pero ella dice que no las traga.De regreso a casa, Eloísa y Bernardo tienen una bronca, porque ella les daría dinero para que llevasen a cabo el proyecto si lo tuviese, mientras que Bernardo piensa que todo son tonterías. En la bronca, se deduce que no son un matrimonio, sino hermanos, - nacidos de la misma madre. Bernardo se cabrea tanto que decide andar el resto del camino, a pesar del frío. Ve unos perros en una casa que le gruñen, y él se entretiene chasqueándoles los dedos, hasta que la gente de la casa se despierta y va a ver que pasa. Por el camino también se encuentra a unos perros abandonados que están comiendo los restos de la basura; improvisa un collar a uno de ellos y se lo lleva. Mientras Eloísa ya está en casa, calmando a Dany porque una tormenta ha estallado, Bernardo vuelve andando y se va empapando. Desde su ventana, Eloísa ve a Bernardo - que se protege con un plástico - y al nuevo perro. Bernardo tiene que tirar de él para hacerle andar. Se oye ladrar al nuevo perro, pero no se ve qué pasa. Mientras tanto, Eloísa se unta miel en su sexo y atrae a Dany hacia ella.Más tarde, Bernardo bebe, ya sin que se vea al nuevo perro, y mientras tanto, Eloísa está sientiendo placer sexual por las caricias de Dany, supuestamente al lamerle la miel. Bernardo oye sus gemidos y se mete en la habitación de al lado. Dany duerme con Eloísa, que lo abraza.Al día siguiente, Bernardo toca el piano mientras Eloísa le corta las uñas a Dany. Operan a la tía Lina de urgencia, aunque es difícil saber si se salvará. A Eloísa le asustan los cambios, pero su hermano sólo se preocupa de donde van a ir a cenar.Bernardo va a buscar a otro perro a un criadero o a la perrera municipal. Escoge lo que parece un mastín negro, y lo encierra en el maletero.Corte a un sacerdote (Buenaventura Martínez), que está bendiciendo al cuerpo de Lina, ya en un ataud. Durante la bendición, se oye los gemiditos que lanza Dany, a quien Eloísa ha colado en la iglesia metido en un bolso de mano.El agua de la piscina parece ahora más limpia; las cacerolas roñosas han dejado sitio a una olla exprés reluciente; la batidora es nueva y moderna; todo parece más limpio; la montaña de platos nuevos y relucientes, de porcelana, antes no estaba; Bernardo viste con un conjunto de pantalones cortos de tenis nuevos; hasta hay más cantidad de carne para Dany: se nota que han cobrado la herencia de la tía Lina. Vestida con un traje más elegante, Eloísa se mete en un coche recién comprado con elevalunas eléctrico. Eloísa deja a Dany sujeto a un palo en el jardín para que el cesped amortigüe el dolor de las patitas. Dany mete el perro dentro de la casa, donde se le escapa, ante la mirada del nuevo criado de la casa. Mientras va a buscarlo, Bernardo dice que a Dany no le gusta quedarse a solas con él.Como Bernardo tiene ahora su propio coche nuevo, coge a Dany y se van los dos. Sin embargo, le chilla, gritando que antes él estaba mejor y más cómodo. Bernardo dice que él también quiere a Eloísa, pero que ella lo prefiere a Dany. Tanto él como su hermana han ido a buscar más perros. Un domesticador alemán (Werner Delil) enseña lo muy educados que están sus perros. Carmen (Marta Molins) le prepara tres cachorros a Eloísa, mientras que su empleado (Francisco Rodríguez) se pregunta qué demonios hacen con tantos perros. La señora Carmen le dice que no haga preguntas.Eloísa lleva a los cachorritos a la cocina: dice a su hermano que no quiere perros de la perrera porque podrían pasarles cualquier enfermedad. Bernardo se ha comprado una caja de ritmos en lugar del viejo piano. Se supone que Eloísa mata y cocina a los perros. Esa tarde-noche, Alberto viene a cenar con ellos, invitado, y dice que Eloísa cada vez cocina mejor. Dany come con ellos a la mesa. Alberto les explica cómo va el proyecto en el que han invertido tanto dinero, pero Bernardo se levanta, diciendo que no tiene apetito y que no se encuentra bien. Ahora tienen hasta un pequeño cien en casa, y la nevera vuelve a estar abarrotada de carne cruda. Mientras los demás se quedan ablando en la sobremesa, Bernardo sale en la noche a la perrera a coger algún perro, y de hecho vuelve con un perro nuevo a casa.Al llegar, ve a Eloísa ofreciéndose a Alberto, y a éste meterle mano a ella, que al finay al cabo está mucho más arreglada y mejor vestida. Alberto se va, quedando con ellos al día siguiente a las 11 de la mañana. Después, los hermanos discuten. Eloísa quiere hacer una visita de obras con Alberto, pero Bernardo, cada vez bebiendo más, se niega a ir. Bernardo destroza un pastel de bodas sin empezar que había en la casa - ni idea de por qué - y luego se va a vomitar al jardín, ahora mucho más arreglado y el césped igualadísimo. Eloísa se toma una pastilla para dormir y obliga a Dany a tomar otra.Eloísa y Alberto visitan el cementerio de perros. Los ejecutivos son también amables con ella al saber que es una de las accionistas. Alberto le regala la tumba para Dany en el futuro. Bernardo no se comunica con nadie, enfurruñado. Una réplica cutre del retrato de la duquesa de Alba que antes estaba en la casa de Lina está ahora en la habitación de Eloísa. Ella lleva a Dany a la ópera, mientras que Bernardo sigue enfurruñado. Alberto recomienda a Eloísa que se separe un poco de él cuando ella le dice que está celoso de él y del perro.Bernardo se ha ido y está acariciando a un perro. Cuando su hermana llega a casa, como de costumbre él no oye como lo llama. Su hermana entra y lo descubre penetrando sexualmente al perro, al que le ha atado las patas. A pesar de los gritos de su hermana, no pasa, así que ella acaba golpeándole con un palo. Se caen los dos al suelo y él parece desmayarse. Eloísa llora sobre su pecho y le dice que no pueden seguir así. Poco a poco, él parece reaccionar. Sin embargo, sigue teniendo temblores, o un ataque de algún tipo. Eloísa le da una de sus pastillas a su hermano, pero éste no quiere tomarla; tampoco quiere ver a Dany, lo que aún hace llorar más a Eloísa. Esa noche, Eloísa duerme en un sofá con el caniche en sus rodillas.Esa noche, Bernardo se levanta y le mete la cabeza entre las piernas a Eloísa. Cuando ella se despierta, a él le da otro ataque. Al final, ella llama a Alberto, pero no está en casa. Sin embargo, Bernardo da andado por su propio pie, aunque en un estado febril. Acorrala a Dany en la cocina, y cuando la dueña lo busca, lo encuentra aterrorizado, escondido en un rincón. Bernardo anda como sonámbulo por el jardín de la casa, mientras que Dani se queda encerrado en el baño y con la bañera echando agua. Bernardo se dedica a jugar al escondite y Dany intenta buscar una salida, ya que Eloísa lo ha dejado encerrado en el baño. El perro grande ladra, lo que atrae la atención de Eloísa. Febrilmente, Bernardo se está comportando con un perro, pero cuando su hermana se le acerca, intenta tener relaciones sexuales con ella. Ella llora, aunque hay momentos en que llama por su nombre a su hermano, y otras, a su perro.El caniche sigue dando vueltas y vueltas intentando salir. El teléfono suena, pero entre los ladridos del perro, la bomba del agua, ni Bernardo ni Eloísa lo oyen. Él la penetra por detrás.Al día siguiente, muy de mañana, Alberto se decide a visitarlos. Nadie le abre la verja, ´pero se oyen los ladridos del perro grande a lo lejos, así que se la salta y entra en la casa. Abre la puerta a Dany, que sale corriendo de la casa y su finca. Guiado por los ladridos del perro grande, aún atado a una estantería, Alberto se encuentra a los dos hermanos dormidos uno al lado del otro, alla medio desnuda. Hay sangre por todas partes, y ella parece muerta. El perro grande sigue ladrando.Alberto sale de la casa, se mete en el coche y se va.Primer plando de la piscina, ahora relucientemente limpia, y del cielo azul.Tráfico en una calle de Madrid. Dany baja corriendo un montón de escaleras. Se mete entre el tráfico y la gente, llegando a ocasionar un accidente. Es un día lluvioso. Dos señoras (Asunción ruiz y Natalia soler-Nou) mayores recogen a Dany y se lo llevan, probablemente a casa.--- resumen hecho por KrystelClaire
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absurd
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tt0078934
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La ragazza che sapeva troppo
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Nora Davis (Leticia Roman) is a young, sexually frustrated American woman who journeys to Rome, Italy to visit her elderly Aunt Edith. On the flight from New York to Rome, Nora is befriended by a young man sitting next to her on the plane who offers her a cigarette, and she accepts. He gives her his pack as a token of appreciation. Upon arrival at the airport, the man is arrested for smuggling drugs by custom officials who recognize him as a infamous drug smuggler.Upon arrival later that afternoon at her aunt's apartment, Nora is greeted by Dr. Marcello Bassi (John Saxon). Marcello tells Nora that her aunt is very ill and that she needs absolute quite and rest. After giving her instructions in case of an emergency, the doctor leaves. Nora is obviously smitten with him.Later that same night, as a violent thunderstorm rages, Nora checks on her aunt who suddenly dies of a heart attack. After trying to phone Marcello at his house in which there is no answer, Nora flees from her aunt's apartment. On the street, Nora is attacked by a sailor-dressed purse snatcher. In the ensuing struggle with the thief, Nora is knocked unconscious. A few hours later, she is awakened by a woman's scream. To her horror, Nora looks up to see a young woman collapsing to the ground a few yards from her with a knife in her back. She also sees a strange man crouching over the dead woman's body. Nora then faints.The next morning, the soaked and unconscious Nora is discovered by a passing stranger, who attempts to awaken her by giving her some whisky. Noticing a policeman approaching, the stranger flees. The policeman notices the unconscious Nora and successfully revives her. But upon smelling liquor on her breath, the policeman immediately thinks that she's a drunk sleeping off a binge. Ranting a raving about seeing a woman killed, Nora is shocked when she sees that there is no body anywhere. With no identification on her, Nora is locked away in a hospital's lunatic asylum where she is diagnosed by a doctor an intern residents as suffering from "delirium tremors". Nora is soon rescued by Marcello, who happens to notice her while on his rounds.After she is released from the hospital, Nora tries to tell Marcello about what she saw. But he is skeptical, thinking that it was an hallucination brought on by double shock of her aunt's death and the subsequent attack by the purse snatcher. Convinced that she witnessed a murder, Nora plots not to give up and find the murder victim and the killer.At her aunt's funeral, Nora meets with Laura Craven-Torrani (Valentina Cortese) who introduces herself as a friend of her aunt's and she takes Nora to her house for some coffee. As she is going out of the country to visit her husband for a few days, Laura asks Nora to stay and look after her house. Nora is initially reluctant, but accepts the offer.During her first night at the house, Nora discovers a collection of old newspaper clippings. Among the articles is a story about Laura's sister, who had been brutally killed. The murder took place in the same area where she herself was attacked. The article also states that the crime was the latest in a string of so-called 'Alphabet Killings' (the first victim's last name began with the letter 'A', and then the letter 'B', and so on). Nora meets with Marcello the next day to tell him of her find and comes to two theories: first since no body was found, Nora thinks that she had a psychic vision of the killing. She might not have seen an actual killing, but the killing of Laura's sister in her mind's eyes. Second: since the last victim was named Craven, she realizes that the next victim will be somebody whose last name starts with the letter 'D', and her surname is Davis. Marcello again skeptically assures Nora that shes fretting over nothing.Meanwhile, Nora begins to receive crank phone calls. Afraid that her life is in danger, she rigs a crude burglar alarm by setting up a web of strings all along the entrance to the house. That night a policeman, who has been asked by Laura to stop by to see if everything is all right, enters and is attacked by Marcello who has been standing guard outside. The ensuing scuffle ends with the love-struck doctor falling on the burglar trap and breaking his left forefinger.Seeking to distract her from her worries, Marcello takes Nora on a trip to the various tourist sites in Rome. At the end of their day, they return to the Craven house where Nora gets another phone call. The anonymous caller tells her to go to a particular address. That evening, Nora goes to the address, which is a run-down boarding house, and is guided to a vacant room by the sound of a voice. Without realizing it, Nora has been followed by Marcello, and when he suddenly reveals himself, she hurts him once again by scratches his face, thinking him to be the killer. Together, they discover the voice to be emanating from a tape recorder. It warns Nora to leave Rome before she meets the same fate as Laura's sister. Nora and Marcello investigate and discover that the room is leased to a man named Andrea Landini (Dante Di Paolo), whom Nora recognizes as the author of the newspaper article regarding the Alphabet Killer.After several unsuccessful attempts to locate Landini, Marcello and Nora go to the beach for relaxation. Marcello's desires finally erupt and he practically forces himself on Nora. But Nora stops him by telling him that although she is interested in him too, she encourages him to wait for a more appropriate time to consummate their relationship. Upon their arrival back at the Craven house, they are shocked to discover a stranger sitting in the living room. It is Andrea Landini, who had been informed that they were inquiring about him. Landini explains that he became obsessed with finding the Alphabet Killer, and that he collaborated with the police while writing a series of articles about the killings. When the police arrested and convicted a man whom Landini knew to be innocent, he kept on writing articles, using them as a opportunity to criticize the police for jumping to the wrong conclusions. He soon lost his job at the newspaper, but he continued to investigate the matter. Landini also explains that he was the one who tried to revived with her whisky, and he believes her to be the mostly likely target for the killer. Because of this, he has been following her ever since. Though Marcello is distrustful of him, Nora agrees to collaborate with Landini. Nora's teaming with Landini finds them venturing across Rome inquiring about the first two alphabet victims and of their connection to one another. But the results only lead to dead ends.The following day, Nora goes to meet with Landini at his apartment. She is perplexed to find that the apparent sounds of typing are actually emanating from Landinis tape recorder. When she finds a photo of herself labeled 'Fourth Victim', she becomes convinced that he is the killer. However, the matter seems to resolve itself when she finds Landinis body, an apparent suicide, with a note of confession by his side.That same day, Laura returns to Rome from her trip abroad. Nora and Marcello plan to go to America the following morning, and she agrees to spend one more night in the Craven house. Then Nora reads the daily newspaper where the body of a young woman was found, and she recognizes it as the murdered woman she saw that night. After identifying it at the morgue, Nora begins to realize that she may have indeed witnessed the killing after all.That night, when Laura is apparently out, Nora notices that the study door is open. Especially since Laura had earlier remarked on her husband instance that the room be locked at all times. Nora cannot resist the temptation to enter the room. In the study, Nora notices an adjoining door, and s sliver of light shining thought the bottom. Upon opening the door, she sees a man rising uncomfortably from his chair. Nora recognizes him as the same man standing over the dead body of the woman from that night. He then walks towards Nora, and collapses to the floor with a knife in his back. Nora attempts to flee, but is prevented by Laura. No longer acting like the good-natured woman as previously seen, the crazed and wild-eyed Laura confesses to the killings and explains that she just stabbed her husband because of his attempts to turn her over to the police. Laura reveals that the alphabet system is all a hoax meant to cover up the real motivation: the desire to steal her sister's money compelled her to murder. The trill of killing has apparently warped her mind, and Laura is now completely deranged. Before she can kill Nora, Laura is suddenly shot dead by her husband through the study door.In the final comic scene, Nora is happily reunited with Marcello. Marcello asks Nora for a cigarette, but after she gives him one, she is reminded of an important incident. The pack of cigarettes that Nora accepted on the plane to Italy in the opening scene were laced with a marijuana and cocaine combination. On the night of her aunt's death, Nora smoked a few of these cigarettes, and consequently she had interpreted the situation incorrectly. Though she witnessed an actual killing, her blurred memory confused the facts. The man she saw at the scene was Laura's husband, but he was not the killer. He was merely disposing of the body of the woman that Laura stabbed. When Nora comes to realize this, she takes the lighted cigarette away from Marcello and crushes it, saying that it's about time they both gave up smoking. She takes the pack of cigarettes and pitched it over the balcony where they are. The tainted pack of cigarettes are picked up by a passing priest who takes one out to light it up.
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insanity, murder
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tt0057443
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Fatal Beauty
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Detective Rita Rizzoli (Whoopi Goldberg) an undercover narcotics police officer,stages an undercover buy with drug dealer Tito Delgadillo. During the bust she sees her friend and informant Charlene being dragged out of the bar by her pimp and runs to her aid, thus alerting Delgadillo of her being an undercover cop. After saving Charlene and shooting the pimp, Rizzoli notices all the money used for the buy is missing. Delgadillo retreats to a warehouse in Los Angeles where a family of Asian immigrants is preparing plastic envelopes of imported cocaine stamped with the gang's brand name "Fatal Beauty". One worker, however, has been sampling too much of the drug and, in his intoxicated state, prepares envelopes with a fatally high concentration of cocaine and a misaligned stamp. Delgadillo discovers the error but before they can correct it, the house is attacked by two small-time hoods, Leo Nova and Earl Skinner (Brad Dourif and Mike Jolly) who kill everyone within including Delgadillo and steal the lethal product.
Back at the police station, Rizzoli is chewed out by her boss, Lt. Kellerman (John P. Ryan), for ruining the bust.He receives a call saying Rizzoli is needed at the warehouse where the drugs were being made. At the warehouse Rizzoli identifies Delgadillo (the only victim authorities weren't able to identify because his face was mutilated during the attack)by pointing out the diamond pinkie ring on his finger bearing his initials that he showed Rizzoli earlier that evening. Rizzoli also discovers traces of "Fatal Beauty"and Charlie Dawson's body, which was stuffed in a van labeled "Kroll Enterprises". The next morning Rizzoli receives a call from Charlene, asking for money. When Rizzoli refuses, Charlene offers some information about the drug-related murder the previous night, hoping to sway Rizzoli to give her the money. Charlene tells Rizzoli that there is a goon squad looking for the killers. She also tells her that the person, to whom all the drugs belonged, drove a "Rolls." That prompts Rizzoli to pay a visit to Conrad Kroll (Harris Yulin), whom she accuses of drug dealing.
After leaving Kroll's home, Rizzoli hears a call for assistance over the scanner involving a police standoff. Realizing that Charlene lives there, she immediately rushes to the location. At the location a man who is hopped up on drugs emerges from Charlene's house and is shot several times but doesn't go down right away. After the man finally falls to the ground and dies, Rizzoli runs into Charlene's house, where she attempts to resuscitate her with no success. Rizzoli is told by a boy at the location that both Charlene and the man who was shot, "Big Bubba" were both taken out by the new drugs and that they got it from Charlene's new pimp, "Jimmy". Rizzoli and her partner Detective Jimenez (Ruben Blades) find him in a restaurant, where Rizzoli places him under arrest; when he tries to escape, she shoots him in the buttocks. After hanging him up in the freezer and threatening more bodily harm, Rizzoli gets him to reveal that he purchased the drugs from a buy house from a man named Rafael. Rizzoli heads to the buy house the pimp told her about and is greeted by a man named Epifanio, who tells her he will get her what she wants. She is able to get Epifanio to take her to Rafael, but a hood from the night she staged the bust with Delgadillo recognizes her as a cop and immediately alerts Nova and Skinner. Rizzoli is able to get locked in a room with Rafael, where she gets Rafael to admit he is fronting for Nova and Skinner right as two of his crew members shoot their way inside. Rizzoli dives for safety, but Rafael is killed in the crossfire. Rizzoli shoots down one of the thugs, but the other gets the drop on her, but she is saved by the timely arrival of Mike Marshak, Kroll's bodyguard (Sam Elliot) who shows up at the buy house to help Rizzoli, and admits that he has been following her around since the night before by using a transmitter concealed under her bumper. After taking out the rest of Rafael's gang, Rizzoli and Marshak come close to apprehending Nova and Skinner when a section of the a roof collapses on Rizzoli; Marshak immediately runs to her aid, letting Nova and Skinner escape.
Rizzoli is taken to a nearby hospital, Vista Verde where Marshak goes to visit her. Upon walking into Rizzoli's room, Marshak sees Rizzoli and Jiminez going over the mug shots of Nova and Skinner and Jiminez immediately leaves after Marshak's arrival. When Jiminez goes toward the elevator he notices Nova from the mug shot carrying a package and orders him to freeze. Nova pulls out a shotgun from the package and fires at Jiminez, missing him. After getting into an argument about what Marshak's boss Kroll is allegedly doing, Rizzoli agrees to let Marshak drive her home. Rizzoli notices her cat on the roof and explains to Marshak about her cat's fear of heights and her front door being open. They both go into her residence see Zack Yeager (James LeGros) asleep. Yeager tells Rizolli that all his friends have died from using Fatal Beauty. This is further confirmed when he, Rizzoli and Marshak arrive at the home of one of the kids who threw the party and finds them all lying dead in the living room. Yeager tells Rizolli he got the drugs from his mother, Cecille (Jennifer Warren). When Rizzoli goes to Cecille in an attempt to get information about where the drugs came from, the two get into a physical altercation until Marshak arrives to break it up and takes Rizolli home. At home Rizzoli invites Marshak into her house for some coffee and receives a phone call that four young children had died from using Fatal Beauty; Rizzoli then has a breakdown and tells Marshak that she is a recovering drug addict, having quit after her daughter got into her drug stash and drowned in a swimming pool. Rizzoli takes a shower, during which she receives a call and notices Marshak has left, and that he went through her police files of the suspects she was after. At the point Rizzoli learns that Kroll had sent Marshak not to protect Rizzoli, but to spy on her to find out who ripped him off.
Rizzoli receives a call from Cecille learning that Zack had cut his wrist and was in the hospital. Cecille asks Rizzoli to meet her at the hospital where she reveals who she bought the drugs from and that her supplier, Denny Mifflin, will be making a pickup from his suppliers Nova and Skinner at Kroll Plaza. Rizzoli and Jiminez head to Kroll plaza and are spotted by Kroll's security team. Rizolli and Jiminez are watching Mifflin and Rizolli orders Jiminez to get the drugs away from some kids that they spotted Mifflin selling to. When Jiminez gets the drugs from the kids he is knocked out by one of Kroll's security men. When Kroll is alerted to Rizzoli's presence, Marshak who is with Kroll notices Nova and Skinner entering the plaza. Kroll orders one of his men to take out Nova and Skinner and then orders Marshak to take out Rizzoli. Rizzoli meanwhile notices Nova, Skinner, Mifflin and his bodyguard, Frankenstein meeting together in a mall store to discuss drug distribution and follows them into the store. Rizzoli is followed into the store by Kroll's security team with their guns drawn. Just as Rizzoli is about to bust Nova, Skinner, Mifflin and Frankenstein she is accosted by Marshak who warns her it is a wipeout in which all five of them are going to be killed. Rizzoli then punches Marshak, which frightens Nova, Skinner, Mifflin and Frankenstein. When running in the store, Frankenstein is grabbed by one of the security guards. He then stabs him in the stomach. The security guard falls to the ground knocking over a rack of clothes. Frankenstein then is grabbed by Kroll's bodyguard, Eddie and is shot three times in the stomach. Frankenstien slashes Eddie's arm with his switchblade, forcing him to back off, but dies seconds later while calling to Mifflin for help. Rizzoli then shoots Mifflin after he fires at her. Rizzoli and the security guards pursuit Nova and Skinner, who open fire in the mall, killing several guards and Eddie, and then retreat into a sporting goods store, followed by another of Kroll's men and three surviving guards. Nova and Skinner race to the back of the store and shoot the fuse boxes, cutting the main power to the store lights (but the emergency lights come on seconds after). Rizzoli cautiously makes her way through the store, but the security guards get the drop on her, but she is inadvertently saved by Nova and Skinner when they gun the guards down. A short gun fight ensues between Rizzoli and the two men, but she runs out of ammunition. Nova and Skinner try to move in and finish her off, but she manages to give them the slip long enough to break into a gun cabinet and get a shotgun and some bullets. After Rizzoli kills Kroll's other bodyguard who was poised to ambush her from above and takes his gun, the shelf he was standing on collapses on her and Skinner prepares to kill her; at the last minute, however, Marshak appears and guns him down. Nova wounds Marshak before he, in turn, is wounded by Rizzoli, and retreats from the store. Rizzoli pursues Nova and runs into Kroll, who is about to kill her when Nova jumps out of a hiding place and kills him. Rizzoli follows Nova into a parking garage and shoots him several times, apparently unable to injure him. After Nova reveals to Rizzoli he was wearing a bullet-proof vest this whole time Rizolli pulls out a gun she stole from the dead guard and shoots Nova in the throat, killing him.
Rizzoli meets the paramedics outside the plaza, where Jiminez is waiting along with Marshak, who muses to Rizzoli that he might be going to jail for a long time because of his connection to Kroll. Rizzoli agrees, but tenderly tells him that she'll be waiting for him when he gets out. She then gives him a kiss and tells him with a smile that he'll be fine.
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violence, murder
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tt0093011
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The Thin Man Goes Home
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Nick and Nora visit Nick's parents (Lucile Watson and Harry Davenport) in Nick's hometown, Sycamore Springs, in New England. The residents are convinced that Nick is in town on an investigation, despite Nick's repeated denials. However, when aircraft factory employee Peter Berton (Ralph Brooks) seeks out Nick and is shot dead before he can reveal anything, Nick is on the case.
An old childhood friend, Dr. Bruce Clayworth (Lloyd Corrigan), performs the autopsy and extracts a pistol bullet. Then, when Nick searches Berton's room for clues, he is knocked unconscious by Crazy Mary (Anne Revere), a local eccentric.
Nora's innocent purchase of a painting for Nick's birthday present turns out to be the key to the mystery. When she shows it to her husband, it brings back unpleasant memories for him, so she donates it to a charity bazaar. When Edgar Draque (Leon Ames) offers Nora a large sum for the painting, Nick wonders why it is so valuable. Nick learns that Draque's wife Helena (Helen Vinson) bought the artwork, but she is knocked out and the painting disappears. Nick discovers that Crazy Mary is Berton's mother and goes to see her, only to come across her lifeless body. Nick and Nora's dog Asta finds the painting in her shack.
Nick puts the pieces together and has the police bring all the suspects to his father's house. (Early on, it is revealed that Nick's father, Dr. Bertram Charles, has never been overly impressed with his son's unusual career choice, so this gives Nick an opportunity to change his father's mind.) Using Dr. Charles's fluoroscope, Nick shows that there is a blueprint hidden underneath the paint. Several people identify it as part of the specifications for a new aircraft propeller worth a great deal to a "foreign power". Berton had copied the blueprints and concealed the copies under five paintings. He had a change of heart and was going to confess all to Nick, but was killed by the spies he was dealing with. Nick has a souvenir World War II Japanese sniper rifle belonging to Dr. Clayworth's brother brought in, and claims it was the murder weapon. Then, after proving that the Draques are members of the spy ring, Nick reveals the identity of its leader: Dr. Bruce Clayworth. Clayworth's first slip was the bullet he showed Nick. Nick knew a handgun bullet would not have the power to penetrate as far into Berton's body as the real one went. Clayworth grabs the rifle. He confesses to the murder, and also to a deep hatred for Nick for always being better than him in their youth. He tries to shoot his nemesis, only to find that Nick had taken the precaution of removing the firing pin. Nick's father is very impressed.
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murder
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tt0037365
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Sex and Death 101
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Roderick Blank (Simon Baker) is a successful young businessman with a great job as an executive for "Swallows", a high end fast food restaurant chain, and a beautiful fiancée, Fiona Wormwood (Julie Bowen). On the day of his bachelor party, he is e-mailed a list of all the women he has slept with. Strangely, while the list has 101 names, his fiancée is only number 29. He assumes the list is a prank, courtesy of his best friends Zack (Neil Flynn) and Lester (Dash Mihok)—until he meets number 30, Carlotta Valdez, who is the stripper at his bachelor party. After sleeping with Carlotta, he realizes the list does, in fact, comprise all of his sexual partners, both past and future.
Roderick cancels his upcoming wedding and begins to sequentially bed all the people on the list. Although he makes a connection with some of the women, he is unable to settle down and is compelled to continue until he has crossed all names off the list. His friends become concerned for his mental well being and convince him to bury the list. Before he does that, he sees only part of the next name, including "Dr." and the first few letters. He falls for Lester's charming and quirky veterinarian (Leslie Bibb), after believing she is the next name on the list and finding they have much in common, only to discover that she does not return his feelings, and wants to be "just friends". He digs up the list and discovers she was not listed, after which she has an untimely accidental death. He continues on his mission.
Throughout all this, a female vigilante, nicknamed by the media "Death Nell" (Winona Ryder), has been taking revenge on men who she feels have taken sexual advantage of women. She seduces these men and then drugs them to induce a coma, leaving them behind along with a line of feminist poetry spray painted on the wall or ceiling. But after her most recent conquest, she accidentally leaves behind her drivers license, exposing her real identity, Gillian De Raisx, to the world.
Roderick's precarious mental state is compromised when he realizes the last name on his list is Gillian's. With twenty more names left on the list, he decides to abandon it altogether and takes up various hobbies to keep him from giving in to temptation. After an accident during a bike ride, he is found by a group of female students (all virgins) from a Catholic college who believe that he has been "divinely delivered" to deflower them. Roderick is unable to resist and catapults himself from number 82 through number 99 in the space of an afternoon. He realizes only one woman is left, and then he remembers the girls' bus driver was number 100.
Knowing that Death Nell is the last person on his list (and that he may not survive a night with her) Roderick tries to change his destiny, first by becoming a shut in, and then by tracking down another Gillian de Raisx in Sydney, Australia. But when he learns that the Agency are close to catching Death Nell, he has a sudden change of heart. Guilt-stricken over his treatment of his previous conquests, he decides to face the consequences.
Roderick and Gillian meet in a diner, where they share a meal and conversation. Gillian reveals that she was a Poetry/Chemistry student who married young and was forced to perform degrading sexual favors with her husband, who also physically abused her. After his death, which was inadvertently caused by Gillian, she realized that she could dish out similar punishments to other men who treated women badly. Gillian reveals that she is exhausted from the whole ordeal and unsure if she has the conviction to continue. Roderick and Gillian connect, and agree to each take the sedative together. They take the pills simultaneously, and spend the night together, with "The End" spray painted on the wall behind them.
The epilogue reveals that Roderick and Gillian survived the pills, and that Gillian's name was not the last on the list because of impending death but rather because Roderick decides to remain monogamous with her. They are happily married and have a son. Death Nell's comatose victims are revived and a brief scene at the Agency suggests that Roderick and Gillian's union was fated.
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pornographic
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tt0497972
|
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
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The film begins with a body that seems to be falling from the sky, referencing jumpers from the World Trade Center on September 11. Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) is introduced as the son of German American Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks). At Thomas' funeral Oskar complains that the coffin does not make sense, since it is empty.In a flashback Thomas and Oskar play a scavenger hunt that gives Oskar the task of finding ordinary objects throughout New York City. The scavenger hunt begins at a swing set in Central Park, where Thomas recalls swinging when he was a child, and demonstrates the fun of jumping off. Oskar, however, is scared of swings, even without jumping off. The games require communication with other people, providing practice for Oskar. They are not too easy: "if things were easy to find, they wouldn't be worth finding".On September 11, Oskar is let out of school early while his mother Linda (Sandra Bullock) is at work. When Oskar gets home, he finds five messages on the answering machine from his father, saying that he is in the World Trade Center on the 105th floor of the North Tower. Oskar soon learns of the Twin Towers attack by seeing footage on the TV news, and hides underneath his bed. When Thomas calls for the sixth time Oskar hears the phone ringing, but he is too scared to pick it up. The machine records a sixth message, which stops when the building collapses, and Oskar knows that his father has been killed. He never tells his mother about the calls, and replaces the answering machine by an identical one secretly so that his mother will never find out.A few weeks after what Oscar calls "the worst day", he confides in his German grandmother and they become close throughout their time of depression following Thomas's death. Oskar's relationship worsens with his mother since she can't explain why the World Trade Center was attacked and why his father died. Oskar tells his mother he wishes it had been her in the building rather than his father, and she responds, "So do I.", after which Oskar says he did not mean it, but his mother answers that he did.A year later, as Oskar explores his father's closet, he knocks over a blue vase and inside it finds a key in an envelope that is labeled with the word "Black". He ponders whether the key was left to him or his mother, but he vows to find what the key fits. When he looks up the name "Black" in the New York phone book and sees that there are about 216 addresses, or 472 people with the last name Black, Oskar vows to meet each of them to see if they knew his father. One day, Oskar realizes that a man has moved in with his grandmother. Oskar's grandmother tells him that the man is a stranger.When Oskar visits the first "Black", he meets Abby Black (Viola Davis), who has recently divorced her husband. She tells Oskar that she didn't know his father. When Oskar goes looking for his grandmother one day, he stumbles upon the stranger (Max Von Sydow) who does not talk because of his childhood trauma of his parents' death in the World War II bombing of Dresden, and communicates with written notes and his hands with "yes" and "no" written on them. As they become friends and go together on the hunt to find what the key fits, Oskar learns to face his fears, such as those of public transport and bridges.As their search continues, Oskar becomes discouraged and wants to stop until he notices that the stranger is like his father and concludes that the stranger is his grandfather. Oskar plays the answering machine messages for the stranger, despite the stranger's discomfort. Before playing the sixth and last message, the stranger cannot bear listening any longer, and stops Oskar. Later on, the stranger moves out and tells Oskar not to search anymore, leaving Oskar to conclude that the man is indeed his grandfather. Eventually, when Oskar looks at a newspaper clipping that his father gave him, circling the words "notstop looking" in an article, he turns over the clipping and finds a phone number that is circled. He dials the number and reaches Abby, whom he met earlier and who now wants to take Oskar to her ex-husband, who may know about the key. When Oskar meets Abby's ex-husband, William, (Jeffrey Wright), it is revealed that William had been looking for the key for a long time. William had sold the vase to Oskar's father, who intended to give it to his wife as an anniversary gift. Thomas never knew that a key was in the vase. William's father left the key inside, and it fits a deposit box at a bank, where William's father left something unknown for him. Disappointed that the key does not belong to him, Oskar goes home angry and sad, not interested in the contents of the box.After Oskar destroys everything that had to do with the search for the lost key, his mother reveals that she knew Oskar was contacting all the Blacks in New York City. After the first few visits she visited every Black that he would meet and informed them that Oskar was going to visit and why. In response, the people Oskar met knew ahead of time why he was coming and usually treated him in a friendly manner. Oskar then makes a scrapbook of his scavenger hunt and all the people he met along the way and entitles it "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." At the end of the scrapbook there is an animation where the body that was falling in the beginning is falling up instead of down, as if time is reversing.
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tragedy, sentimental, flashback
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tt0477302
|
Patriot Games
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Jack Ryan (Ford) is on a "working vacation" in London with his family. He has retired from the CIA and is a Professor at the US Naval Academy. He is seen delivering a lecture at the Royal Naval Academy in London.Meanwhile, Ryan's wife Cathy and daughter Sally are sightseeing near Buckingham Palace. Sally and Cathy come upon a British Royal Guard, and Sally tries to get the guard to react by doing an improvised tap dance in front of him. She's impressed when the guard, trained to ignore distraction, doesn't react at all, and they leave.As Sally and Cathy walk away from the guard, en route to rendezvous with Ryan, they walk by a stolen cab, in which sit three Ulster Liberation Army terrorists: Kevin O'Donnell, the driver, as well as Sean Miller (Sean Bean) and his younger brother Patrick. The three are loading bullets into their guns as they prepare to carry out a scheduled ambush on Lord William Holmes, British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and a distant member of the British Royal Family (the cousin of the Queen Mother). As they finish loading their weapons, another terrorist, Annette, radios to them that Lord Holmes is leaving the palace with his wife and son.As Lord Holmes's car leaves the palace, the terrorists' car falls in line behind him. They follow the car, headed for the ambush point. As they drive, O'Donnell and the Miller brothers don ski masks.Meanwhile, Ryan is about to cross the street to meet with his wife and daughter. He arrives at the same time that Lord Holmes's car is passing through the area.Suddenly, another cab, parked on the side of the road, driven by Annette, pulls out and swerves in front of Lord Holmes's vehicle. Simultaneously, O'Donnell's vehicle swerves to a stop behind the car. The Millers and another accomplice jump out and quickly plant a bomb underneath the chauffeured car's engine. Ryan sees what's going on and hastily gets his family to cover just as the bomb is detonated. Moments later, Sean and another accomplice begin shooting into the car, riddling Lord Holmes's driver and bodyguard with bullet. The onslaught of bullets does not kill Lord Holmes, who is currently using his body to shield his family. Sean marches over to the rear door and orders Lord Holmes out of the car at gunpoint. Ryan, unable to stand being just a bystander, immediately breaks cover, runs up behind Miller, and disarms him. As Ryan grabs Sean's pistol, he gets shot in the left shoulder by another terrorist. He shoots one of the other terrorists in the shoulder. Patrick attempts to flee, but Ryan fatally shoots him in the chest. Seeing two of the royal guards racing towards the scene, the remaining terrorists quickly get back in their cars and drive off, leaving Sean to be captured when the authorities arrive. They retreat back to a warehouse, where they change out license plates.While recovering, Ryan is called to testify against Miller as a witness. Subsequently, Miller is convicted on all charges and sentenced to life in prison. Ryan is awarded the order of Knight Commander of the Victorian Order, and eventually returns to the United States.On the possibility that Miller's ULA comrades might try to liberate him, the authorities take no chances. To that extent, they set up decoy convoys on the day that Miller is to be transferred to Albany Prison on the Isle of Wight. However, someone manages to tip off the ULA as to which convoy is carrying Miller. Miller's motorcade is in transit when it comes to a stop at a drawbridge. The raised bridge, however, is a trap meant to block them in. Moments after the convoy comes to a stop, Miller's comrades attack, using rocket launchers to blow up the cars at the front and rear of the convoy. They then march up to the prison van and order the guards out at gunpoint by taking the bridge operator hostage and threatening to shoot him. One of the guards hesitates and is shot fatally. The other officer and the inspector are pulled out, thrown on the ground and forced to lie on their stomachs. O'Donnell hands Miller a pistol, with which he coldly executes both officers and the bridge operator by shooting them in the backs of their heads. They then depart the scene.Miller and his companions flee on a cargo ship from Britain to Libya, to prepare for their next kidnapping attempt on Lord Holmes. Miller however, cannot shake his anger towards Ryan for killing his younger brother and persuades several members of his entourage to accompany him to the United States on a short mission targeting Ryan and his family.Miller travels to the United States, accompanied by Annette, comrade Ned Clark, and a fourth henchman. Annette and Clark travel to the United States Naval Academy to ambush Ryan as he's leaving work. Ryan notices Clark idling nearby. Clark casually walks away, but Ryan clearly unnerved, then gets even more nervous as he hears a car engine starting. His suspicions are well warranted-as he continues walking down the street, he looks in the reflection of a parked van's rearview door and sees that Clark, and the stolen car driven by Annette, are following him. Ryan pretends not to see them until he's walking past a parked panel truck, at which point he ducks behind the truck. Clark draws a silenced pistol and prepares to corner Ryan, but Ryan attacks him first. Clark quickly gets the upper hand and throws Ryan to the curb. He grabs his pistol and is about to shoot Ryan when he's shot dead himself by a US Marine sentry. Annette quickly drives away in her Jeep. Ryan, realizing that Miller is going to target Cathy and Sally, jumps into his car and drives off.Simultaneously, Miller and the other henchman follow Cathy as she picks up Sally from school, with Miller riding shotgun. They prepare to follow the two, but are temporarily held up by a crossing guard. Once the crossing guard clears, they pursue her to US Highway 50. Ryan tries to frantically call Cathy on his car phone, but she is busy answering phone calls from the hospital. As he's trying to connect with her, Miller and his henchman recklessly weave in and out of traffic to catch up with Cathy. Ryan eventually gets through to Cathy and tells her to get off the highway and find the nearest police station. Unfortunately, just as the call ends, Miller's van comes charging up on her using the left shoulder. Miller moves to the backseat of the van, grabs a submachine gun, and slides open the door. Another car momentarily delays him, but once he has a clear aim, Miller opens fire, spraying Cathy's car with bullets. A multicar pileup ensues as Cathy loses control of her car and crashes head-on into a concrete barrier. Ryan, who has found himself stuck in traffic headed in the other direction, sees the smoke from the crash and realizes the worst.Cathy and Sally are airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Enraged over the near-loss of his family, Ryan decides to go back to work for the CIA, having earlier rejected the appeal of his former superior, Vice Admiral James Greer (James Earl Jones).Ryan's tireless work leads him to conclude that Miller has taken refuge in a training camp, one of many located in Libya. He also determines that a recent new arrival at the camp may be one of O'Donnell's English informants, Dennis Cooley. Ryan makes his recommendations to his superiors at the CIA. Greer invites Jack to a live feed of an SAS strike team attack on the camp. Everyone in the camp is eliminated but unbeknownst to the CIA and Ryan, Miller and his companions have already fled the camp and are on their way to the US to stage their next attack on Lord Holmes.Lord Holmes decides to visit Ryan at his home to formally present his KCVO. With the aid of Lord Holmes' traitorous assistant, Miller's group tracks Holmes to this location, kills the Diplomatic Security Service agents and Maryland state troopers guarding the house, and attempts once more to kidnap Lord Holmes. Ryan leads Holmes and his family to safety while he attempts to lure Miller and his companions away from his home.The FBI Hostage Rescue Teams are scrambled to pick up Holmes. Upon realising that Ryan is leading them away from Holmes, Miller's companions try to persuade Miller to turn around, but an enraged and deranged Miller kills his terrorist companions and continues his pursuit of Ryan. Ryan and Miller fight hand to hand; Miller is killed when Ryan impales him backward on a boat anchor, and his body is obliterated in the subsequent explosion of the craft.Credits roll just after Caroline Ryan learns the gender of the child she is going to have, and before she tells Jack and Sally.
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suspenseful, mystery, murder, violence, cult, good versus evil, revenge
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tt0105112
|
Sink the Bismarck!
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The movie opens with actual German newsreel footage of the battleship Bismarck's launching in September 1939. Adolf Hitler looks on rapturously as the hull of the gigantic, modern ship glides down the launch ramp into the sea, awaiting completion.The action shifts to London in May 1941. Broadcaster Edward R. Murrow delivers a grim radio message about Germany's surging fortunes on land, at sea, and in the air. The Third Reich is at high tide, and gallant Britain is holding on by her fingernails. Hitler controls most of the European continent, German bombers are still pounding British cities, and both U-boats and surface raiders are sinking enormous tonnages of British shipping.At the Admiralty, Royal Navy Captain Shephard (Kenneth More) reports to his new command as Director of Operations in the underground War Room. He is soon introduced to WREN (Women's Royal Naval Service) officer Anne Davis (Dana Wynter). It quickly becomes obvious that Captain Shephard is a stern, no-nonsense disciplinarian, and he is shocked at the informal atmosphere within the War Room. Shephard's previous command was at sea, and he makes it known that he would prefer to be in command of a ship again.Shephard is just settling in when an urgent message arrives stating that two large German warships have been sighted passing through the Baltic Sea, en route for the open waters of the North Atlantic. The prospect that it could be a breakout attempt by the Bismarck alarms the British Admiralty. Once in the Atlantic, the powerful Bismarck and her escort vessel could wreak havoc on British convoys at sea.A British agent in southern Norway is alerted to take up watch along the coast, and he soon observes Bismarck and the cruiser Prinz Eugen steaming westward. He returns to his cabin and gets off a partial telegraph message before a German patrol traces his signal and shoots him. But he has sent enough to confirm the worst British fears. A Spitfire reconaissance plane is dispatched to find the ships and manages to photograph them in a Norwegian fjord, but the German vessels sneak out unseen under the cover of foul weather.Now the British must further spread their thin naval forces in order to block all three major passages into the Atlantic. In the end, the Germans steer for the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland. The famous battle cruiser HMS Hood and the brand new battleship Prince of Wales lie in wait. Prince of Wales has been pressed into service so quickly that civilian shipyard workers are still aboard.Early in the morning, the two German ships emerge out of a swirling mist and are surprised to find the heavy British naval units awaiting. Hood opens fire, followed by Prince of Wales. The German ships respond and several salvoes are exchanged. Suddenly, the Hood explodes in a gigantic fireball, breaking in two and sinking in a matter of seconds. A well-aimed German salvo had plunged down through the Hood's thin deck armor and ignited a magazine. The stunned men aboard Prince of Wales have only a few seconds to absorb the unspeakable tragedy before both German ships shift their fire to her. Prince of Wales is quickly mauled and forced to withdraw from the battle. But Prince of Wales has also hit the Bismarck, inflicting damage that reduces her ability to continue on with commerce raiding. The Bismarck's captain, Lindemann, wants to pursue the crippled Price of Wales and finish her, but he is overuled by Fleet Admiral Gunther Lutjens, who is aboard as overall commander of the mission. Lutjens doesn't want to further jeopardize his ships in a costly engagement with British naval units.Only three British sailors survive from the Hood's complement of 1,500 men. It is a great victory for Nazi Germany, one that must be avenged. Prime Minister Winston Churchill orders that the Bismarck be hunted down and sunk at all costs. Captain Shephard's son is serving as an aerial gunner aboard the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, based at Gibraltar. The ship is immediately ordered into the fight. Meanwhile, Prinz Eugen is successfully detached from the Bismarck to proceed independently.A torpedo strike is launched from another aircraft carrier, HMS Victorious, but it fails to seriously damage the Bismarck. Bismarck maintains her speed and soon slips away from the British ships shadowing her. An air search is initiated from the Ark Royal, with Captain Shephard's son aboard one of the Swordfish torpedo bombers involved. Back at the Admiralty, Captain Shephard receives a telephone call with the heartbreaking news that his son's plane ran out of fuel and failed to return to the ship. Devastated, the emotionally remote Captain opens up and tells Anne that his wife had been killed when a German bomb destroyed their home. Their son is all that he has left.It is determined that Bismarck is now on a course for the French port of Brest, where she can make repairs and perhaps join up with the twin German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau to form a devastating armada. The mighty German battleship is now only hours away from the protective cover of German U-boats and land-based aircraft from France. The British must slow her down somehow, and their big ships can't catch up in time. A torpedo strike from the aircraft of Ark Royal represents their last opportunity.The frail, aging Swordfish biplanes take off from Ark Royal and manage to locate Bismarck. Despite intense anti-aircraft fire, the determined pilots press the attack. One torpedo strikes the stern of the Bismarck and permanently jams her rudder. It is a stroke of luck for the British. Bismarck is now unable to steer, allowing her desperate pursuers to close the distance.At the Admiralty, Captain Shephard receives wonderful news. His son has been rescued from a life raft and is safely aboard a destroyer. Alone in his office, Shephard loses control and breaks down in tears. Anne allows him a moment of privacy before entering to inform him that the pursuing British battleships have come within range of the Bismarck. The final act is about to begin.HMS King George V and HMS Rodney open the battle with their 14- and 16-inch guns, pounding the German ship. Admiral Lutjens is determined to fight to the last shell, and the Bismarck is soon a raging inferno. One by one, her gun turrets are put out of action. Another big shell destroys the bridge, killing Lutjens and Lindemann.The British battleships, now critically low on fuel and ammunition, break off the engagement and head for home. Destroyers are left to fire torpedos into the battered hulk. Only a relative handful of survivors are rescued. Hood is avenged.Back in London, Shephard is congratulated on a job well done. He looks at his watch and asks Anne to join him for dinner, believing it to be nine o'clock in the evening. She accepts, and as they emerge from the depths of the Admiralty building, they are greeted by morning sunlight. Their dinner plans are changed to breakfast plans as they stroll across Trafalgar Square.
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romantic, historical
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tt0054310
|
The Asphyx
|
Two police officers run to the location of a car crash. The lethal accident threw two people through the windshields of each car, instantly killing the, but one of the people involved miracously survived. One of the police officers pulls one man out from under the car.Cut to title credits.19thC carriage and clothes. English country squire Sir Hugo Cunningham (Robert Stephens) arrives to his manor house, where his two sons -one adopted, Giles (Robert Powell), the other one being Clive (Ralph Arliss)- and one daughter, Christina (Jane Lapotaire) are already waiting for him. The three children are grown-ups now. He introduces to them his fiancée, Anna Wheatley (Fiona Walker), whom he intends to marry the following Saturday. The father also announces that he's brought with him a special camera.At the manor house library, Hugo explains to Anna that he enjoys taking photographs of dead people. He is not alone on this weird passtime, as his friend Sir Edward Barrett (Alex Scott) also enjoys so.We see a slide presentation in front of a small audience. Edward and Hugo explain that they found a dark romboidal stain in photographs of people who had just died. They think they have photographed the souls of the people who died leaving the body. Hugo tries to explain to Clive - who looks like his favourite son - that with power comes responsibility when the son comments on Hugo's generosity towards the waiting servant. He also says that death is the last change. Hugo still misses his late wife.It's March at the manor house during Hugo and Anna's visit, and it's freezing cold. He insists to record everybody soaring on a boat. First, it's Giles and Christina, then Clive and Anna. Clive's oar gets stuck in the mud, which causes him not to see a branch of a tree. A sharp pointed part of the tree stings him, who falls to the muddy river. Anna also falls to the water. Giles tries to rescue them but the water is so muddy that he can't see anything. Clive and Anna's muddy body will appear later on during the night.Two weeks later, Hugo checks on the motion picture. There appears the same black stain, so he decides to photograph the two-week old corpse of Clive.Giles is worried about Hugo's unhealthy obsession, because it causes him to disregard himself. Hugo starts thinking about the Asphyx, a spirit which appears near people who are about to die. Hugo starts looking a bit out of his mind, even asking Giles to photograph him while drinking a cup of poison.There is going to be a public hanging the following day, says Edward. Hugo wants to photograph the execution.Hugo kills a mouse so that the Asphyx appears and he can imprison it in a kind of laboratory tube with strange liquids. With a strong lamp, Giles has captured in in the halo of light. Christina appears to question what the racket was about.Later, Christina goes on her own and takes the guinea pig out. She wonders at the strange box at his father's laboratory. Hugo -with Giles at his tail as usual- goes to visit a home for the paupers. There, one of the homeless men (Terry Scully) is severely ill.Christina questions Giles about what she saw at the laboratory. Giles is worried for Hugo but can't explain it all to her because he swore to secrecy. Christina tries to console Giles even though he can't confide on her. Hugo gives the sick man home, food and shelter. The bump is so sick that he'll only live one or two days more, says the doctor. The homeless man coughs and coughs. When he is about to die, the Asphyx appears, and Hugo captures it with the strong focus light. However, in his last moments, the dying man picks up the acid which Hugo had shown Giles before, and he splashes mit all over Hugo's face. He will be left with the scar for the rest of his life. Christina has been woken up by the acute shrieks of the Asphyx, so she arrives to the laboratory to see it all.Hugo has the idea of electrocuting himself in an electric chair while Giles traps the Asphyx. Christina appears and panics, but Giles slaps her and she is the one who moves the light to trap the Asphyx inside the coffin-shaped box. Giles and Christina put the Asphyx inside of a safe box. That night, Christina is woken up by something in her bedroom: it's the guinea pig she's let loose before. She takes the mouse outside of the house and releases it just outside the door. It looks like the mouse prefers to stay inside, where he is safe and has food, water and shelter without having to survive by itself!So Hugo recovers from the electrocution. He has not died.From that moment on, Hugo behaves weirdly. He wants Anna to marry Giles -is that even possible legally?- so that they have children and the lineage goes on forever. Christina doesn't like his father's plans, but she finally obliges. Hugo wants to make them immortal, the same as him. First goes Christina. Hugo wants to trap the Asphyx when it appears to claim her. They are going to cut her head with a gillotine. But the mouse she released appears to bite off the pipe which carries the water to make the lights work. The light goes out, in the panic Hugo causes Giles to release the guillotine, and Christina dies because her head was severed off.Giles feels guilt of Christina's death. Hugo wants to die now: he wants to join his children. Giles puts the mouse inside the lamp, and doesn't allow Hugo to check it before attempting to catch the Asphynx again. Giles has thought about the way: he will be enclosed in a plastic box and then Hugo will put gas in through a pipe. When Giles is about to die and the lamp doesn't work, Hugo has time to put oxygen in. But Giles wants to die, so he takes a match out. He softly whispers "Christina", and lights the match. That causes an explosion. At that moment, Hugo realises that he has killed his two remaining children. Hugo is not alone though: he has as a companion... the mouse.BACK TO MODERN TIMESA man - Hugo with a completely disfigured head - caresses a mouse. He steps onto the road from the sidewalk getting in the way of two cars which are about to collide.
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insanity, gothic, flashback
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tt0069738
|
Erik the Viking
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The film is based largely upon Norse mythology. In the film's opening scene Erik (Tim Robbins), a young Viking, discovers that he has no taste for rape and pillage, and suffers guilt over the death of Helga (Samantha Bond), an innocent woman.
Erik learns from the wise woman Freya (Eartha Kitt) that Fenrir the wolf has swallowed the sun, plunging the world into the age of Ragnarök. Erik resolves to travel to Asgard to petition the gods to end Ragnarök. Freya informs him that to do so he must seek the Horn Resounding in the land of Hy-Brasil. The first note blown upon the Horn will take Erik and his crew to Asgard, the second will awaken the gods, and the third will bring the crew home.
Keitel Blacksmith (Gary Cady) and his underling Loki (Antony Sher) are opposed to Erik's plan, because peace would end the demand for Keitel's swords. Keitel joins Erik's crew to sabotage Erik's plans. Halfdan the Black (John Cleese), afraid that peace will mean the end of his reign, sets sail in pursuit.
Arriving at Hy-Brasil, Erik and crew are astonished to find it a sunlit land whose people are friendly (if musically untalented). Erik promptly falls in love with Princess Aud (Imogen Stubbs), daughter of King Arnulf (Terry Jones). During one of their romantic encounters, Erik hides from Arnulf using Aud's magic cloak of invisibility.
Aud has warned the Vikings that should blood ever be shed upon Hy-Brasil, the entire island would sink beneath the waves. Erik and his crew defend Hy-Brasil against Halfdan's ship. In gratitude for Erik's having saved Hy-Brasil, King Arnulf presents him with the Horn Resounding, which is much larger than Erik had imagined. Loki steals the Horn's mouthpiece, without which it cannot be sounded, and persuades Keitel to throw it in the sea. Snorri, one of Erik's men, catches them in the act, and Loki kills him. A single drop of the man's blood falls from Loki's dagger, triggering an earthquake that causes the island to begin sinking.
Erik's crew, joined by Aud, prepare to escape in their ship with the Horn safely aboard, but Arnulf refuses to join them, denying that the island is sinking up to the very moment he and the other islanders are swallowed by the waves. Aud, who was able to recover the mouthpiece by chance, sounds the first note on the Horn. The ship is propelled over the edge of the flat Earth and into space, coming to rest upon the plain of Asgard. Erik sounds the second note to awaken the gods, and he and his crew approach the great Hall of Valhalla.
Erik and the crew encounter old friends and enemies slain in battle. The gods are revealed to be petulant children who have no interest in answering mortal prayers. Odin persuades Fenrir to spit out the sun, but tells Erik that the end of Ragnarök will not bring peace to the world. Odin then informs Erik that he and his crew cannot return home. Nor may they remain in Valhalla, since they were not slain in battle; instead they are to be cast into the fiery Pit of Hel. Some of the Vikings who were killed in the sea-battle with Halfdan attempt to save them, but even as they are drawn into the Pit, they hear the Horn Resounding's third note, which flings them clear.
Erik's crew, including the formerly dead men, immediately find themselves back in their home village. They are dismayed to find that Halfdan and his soldiers have arrived before them and are holding the villagers captive. Halfdan and his men are crushed to death by Erik's ship as it falls out of the sky with Harald the Missionary (Freddie Jones) aboard. As the villagers celebrate Erik's return and Halfdan's defeat, the sun rises, ending the age of Ragnarök.
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cult, satire, romantic
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tt0097289
|
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
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The opening titles set the film in "North America – 1991." Armando (Ricardo Montalbán) explains that in 1983 (ten years after the end of Escape from the Planet of the Apes, which was set two years ahead of its theatrical release date), a disease killed the world's cats and dogs, leaving humans with no pets. To replace them, humans began keeping apes as household pets. Realizing the apes' capacity to learn and adapt, humans train them to perform household tasks. By 1991, American culture is based on ape slave labor (just as Cornelius described would happen in the previous film). It is also suggested that the North America of the 1990s is at least partly a police state, as apes and humans are being watched at all times.
Armando and Caesar (Roddy McDowall), a young chimpanzee horseback rider in Armando's circus, distribute flyers around a large city to advertise the circus' arrival. Armando warns the chimpanzee to be careful....should anyone learn his identity as the son of Cornelius and Zira, it would mean their deaths. They see apes performing various menial tasks, and are shocked at the harsh discipline on disobedient apes. Seeing an ape being beaten and drugged, Caesar shouts "Lousy human bastards!" Quickly, Armando takes responsibility for the exclamation, explaining to the policemen that it was he who shouted, not his chimpanzee. The surrounding crowd becomes agitated, and Caesar flees.
Hiding in a stairway, Armando tells Caesar he will go to the authorities and bluff his way out of the situation. Meantime, Caesar has to hide among his own kind (in a cage of orangutans) and soon finds himself being trained for slavery through violent conditioning. He is then sold at auction to Governor Breck (Don Murray). Breck allows the ape to name himself by randomly pointing to a word in a book handed to him and the chimpanzee's finger rests upon the name "Caesar", feigning coincidence. Caesar is then put to work by Breck's chief aide MacDonald (Hari Rhodes) who sympathizes with the apes to the thinly veiled disgust of his boss.
Meanwhile, Armando is being interrogated by Inspector Kolp (Severn Darden), who suspects his "circus ape" is the child of the two talking apes from the future. Kolp's assistant puts Armando under a machine, "The Authenticator," that psychologically forces people to be truthful. After admitting he had heard the name Cornelius before, Armando realizes he cannot fight the machine. A guard comes in to force him to continue the interrogation, but Armando struggles and jumps through a window falling to his death. Learning of the death of his foster father, the only human that cared for him, Caesar loses faith in human kindness and begins plotting a rebellion.
Secretly, Caesar teaches combat to the other apes and has them gather weapons. While doing an errand with Caesar, MacDonald expresses concern for the rising problems and wished he could communicate with Caesar. Caesar exposes himself as the lost circus ape and tells MacDonald of his plans to depose Breck. MacDonald, while understanding of Caesar's intent, has his doubts about the effectiveness of revolution, as well as Caesar being dismissive of all humans. Meanwhile, Breck learns from Kolp that the vessel which supposedly delivered Caesar is from a region with no native chimpanzees. Suspecting Caesar is the ape the police are hunting, Breck's men arrest Caesar and electrically torture him until he speaks. Hearing him speak, Breck orders Caesar's immediate death. Caesar survives his execution because MacDonald lowers the machine's electrical output well below lethal levels. Once Breck leaves, Caesar kills his torturer and escapes.
Caesar begins his revolution with the first objective to capture Ape Management. The apes are victorious after killing most of the riot police. After bursting into Breck's command post and killing most of the personnel, Caesar has Breck marched out to be executed. MacDonald, whose ancestors had been slaves, begs Caesar not to succumb to brutality and show mercy to one's former masters. Caesar ignores him and in a rage declares:
Where there is fire, there is smoke. And in that smoke, from this day forward, my people will crouch, and conspire, and plot, and plan for the inevitable day of Man's downfall. The day when he finally and self-destructively turns his weapons against his own kind. The day of the writing in the sky, when your cities lie buried under radioactive rubble! When the sea is a dead sea, and the land is a wasteland out of which I will lead my people from their captivity! And we shall build our own cities, in which there will be no place for humans except to serve our ends! And we shall found our own armies, our own religion, our own dynasty! And that day is upon you NOW!
As the apes raise their rifles to beat Breck to death, Caesar's love interest Lisa (Natalie Trundy) voices her objection, "NO!" She is the first ape to speak other than Caesar. Caesar reconsiders and orders the apes to lower their weapons, saying:
But now... now we will put away our hatred. Now we will put down our weapons. We have passed through the night of the fires, and those who were our masters are now our servants. And we, who are not human, can afford to be humane. Destiny is the will of God, and if it is Man’s destiny to be dominated, it is God’s will that he be dominated with compassion, and understanding. So, cast out your vengeance. Tonight, we have seen the birth of the Planet of the Apes!
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violence, suspenseful, alternate history, murder, sci-fi
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tt0068408
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Spice World
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The film begins with the Spice Girls performing "Too Much" on Top of the Pops, but they become dissatisfied with the burdens of fame and fortune. Meanwhile, sinister newspaper owner Kevin McMaxford (Barry Humphries) is attempting to ruin the girls' reputation for his newspaper's ratings. McMaxford dispatches photographer Damien (Richard O'Brien) to take pictures and tape recordings of the girls. Less threatening but more annoying is Piers Cuthbertson-Smyth (Alan Cumming), who stalks the girls along with his camera crew, hoping to use them as subjects for his next project. At the same time, the girls' uptight manager, Clifford (Richard E. Grant) and his sympathetic assistant Deborah (Claire Rushbrook), are fending off two over-eager Hollywood writers, Martin Barnfield and Graydon (George Wendt and Mark McKinney), who relentlessly pitch absurd plot ideas for a feature film for the Spice Girls.
Amid this, the girls must prepare for their live concert at the Royal Albert Hall in three days, the biggest performance of their career. At the heart of it, the constant practices, traveling, publicity appearances, and other burdens of celebrity affect the girls on a personal level, preventing them from spending much time with their pregnant best friend, Nicola (Naoko Mori), who is due to give birth soon. Throughout the busy schedule, the girls attempt to ask Clifford for time off to spend with Nicola and relax, but Clifford refuses after talking with the head of the girls' record label, the cryptic and eccentric "Chief" (Roger Moore). The stress and overwork compound, which culminate in a huge argument between Clifford and the girls. The girls suddenly storm out on the evening before their gig at the Albert Hall.
The girls separately think back on their humble beginnings and their struggle to the top. They reunite by chance outside the now-abandoned café where they practiced during their childhood years, they reconcile, and decide to take Nicola out dancing. However, Nicola goes into labor at the nightclub and is rushed to the hospital in the girls' bus, giving birth to a healthy baby girl. When Emma notices that the delivery "doctor" has a camera, the girls realize that he is Damien, who runs off with the girls in hot pursuit, only to hit his head after accidentally colliding with an empty stretcher. When Damien sees the girls standing over him, he tells them that they have made him see the error of his ways, and he goes after McMaxford, who is subsequently fired in a "Jacuzzi scandal".
After noticing the girls' bus driver, Dennis (Meat Loaf) is missing, Victoria decides to take the wheel. It becomes a race against time as Victoria drives like a maniac through London. While approaching Tower Bridge, the bridge begins to raise to let a boat through the River Thames. Victoria drives up the bridge and over the gap. The bus finally lands safely on the other side, but when Emma opens a trapdoor in the floor, she discovers a bomb, and the girls scream before Emma slams the trapdoor shut again.
The girls finally arrive at the Royal Albert Hall for their performance and run up the steps. However, the girls have one more obstacle to overcome: a London policeman (Kevin McNally) charged the girls with: "dangerous driving, criminal damage, flying a bus without a license, and frightening the pigeons". Emma pushes forward and tells the policeman that she and the other girls were late for their performance at the Albert Hall. Emma smiles at the policeman, and he lets the girls off for their performance. The film ends when the girls perform their song "Spice Up Your Life" at the start of their Royal Albert Hall concert broadcast live on television around the world.
The supporting cast later talk about the girls' film during the closing credits. Mel C breaks the fourth wall and tells the other girls that the outgoing audience is watching them. The girls talk to the audience, commenting on "those two in the back row snogging" and on one's dress, and discuss their film, just minutes before the bomb in their bus explodes.
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humor
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tt0120185
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The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It
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written by KrystelClaireA young boy, Max (Alex Winzenread), feels terrified: he can't sleep in his room because everything scares him, from the twigs tapping on the window to the door of his walk-in wardrobe. He constantly calls for his mum and dad, and consequently, they can't sleep at all. Finally, Dad/Jack Keller (John Hawkinson), promises him to buy his longed-for videogame if he sleeps quietly on his own. The young boy promises to try, but then, the door to his closet opens up again. He leaves bed to close it up, but then, a green hand appears. The boy screams and his parents come once again. This time, we can see it was his sister Cassie Keller (Emily Osment)The film now focuses on Cassie. She is a fifteen-year-old teenager Goth full of angst. She dresses as if it were Halloween all year around, and her mother Eileen (Michelle Duffy) can't convince her of wearing even one of the pretty clothes she has bought for her teenaged daughter. Back at her new high school the following morning, she tries to talk with the boy she likes, attractive but dumb Sean (Cody Linley). Priscilla Wright (Brittany Elizabeth Curran) is the most popular girl in school, and she expects to be crowned Pumpkin Queen in the approaching high school ballroom. Priscilla humilliates Cassie by throwing food over her in the school canteen, as she wants to mark her territory with Sean. He will go to the ball with Priscilla because she has offered to do a class assignment for him.In frustration, Cassie wants to buy a new Halloween outfit, although Mum tells her she is too old to go trick-or-trading. Cassie finds a new costume shop at the end of a corridor. The weird shop assistant, (Tobin Bell), tells her that he only opens in Halloween. Cassie buys the only book on store, entitled The Evil Thing. The first page clearly states DO NOT READ ALOUD. Cassie becomes more aggresive, and she spoils Priscilla's moment when, after having been crowned as Pumpkin Queen, she tears open a piñata and worms fall on her.Cassie has to baby-sit Max while their parents are away. He insists on being read a horror story, something which Cassie doesn't want to do at first because she knows that Max will have nightmares later on. Max insists and he turns her computer off, making her lose the horror Hollywood story she has been writing for some time. Cassie is angry. A noise is heard outside: she goes to look what happens, and a witch doll falls on her. She screams, and suddenly, Priscilla and Sean appear from the shadows: she has told him to record Cassie's terrified screams, and the next day, all high school will see the video and laugh about Cassie. Angry, Cassie reads The Evil Thing aloud and then tells Max to wash his teeth and go to sleep.A huge monster appears. theoretically, it only appears if you believe on it. It has two heads, with one it sucks blood and with the other one it tears flesh out to eat it. It also picks people and puts them into coccoons until its children are born and eat the humans.The monster captures Max, the pizza guy and Priscilla. It's Cassie and Sean's turn to do something. Cassie remembers the shop assistant, but he doesn't want to help her. He explains that his shop appears at Halloween for one day and disappears the rest of the year. He says that he opens the shop close to the home of the child who wants to scary everybody the most, and this year, Cassie has won over the other "contestant", a ten-year-old who loves Halloween as well. He tells her to use two heads instead of one. Sean finds a solution: make one head of the monster eat the other one.Cassie and Sean go to the gutter where the monster is nesting. The eggs are about to hatch. They find Max easily, and they free him, but the monster appears. It's Max who has to throw blood all over the monster. When Cassie encourages him, Max can eventually carry out the plan. The monster attacks itself and the babies are easy to kill.Priscilla, freaking out because she is covered in slimy goo, gets angered at Sean, but seems to be cleverer that what everybody thought, but not quite. The pizza guy invites Cassie, Sean and Max for pizza, but Priscilla wants to walk home on her own in the night.Back and safe at home, Cassie burns the book in the chimney. Her parents come back, and they find Cassie and Max hugging each other, so they are contented. Jack sees something in the chimney - it's the book The Evil Thing. He reads it aloud, and the monster wakes up once again.
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horror, gothic, prank
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tt0905994
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Cellular
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The film opens with Jessica Martin, a high school biology teacher, talking to her son Ricky, while escorting him to the school bus. After she returns home, mysterious assailants enter her home through the back door, kill her house maid, kidnap her and confine her in the attic of their safe house. Ethan, the gang leader, smashes the only telephone in the attic to prevent her from contacting anyone. She has no idea who the kidnappers are or what they want. She pieces together the broken phone to randomly make a connection. She finally reaches the cell phone of Ryan who has just been dumped by his girlfriend for being too irresponsible. He takes it as a joke, but Jessica persuades him to go to the police. At the police station, Officer Mooney tells him to go to the detectives on the fourth floor. He begins to lose the signal in the stairwell, and must turn back to avoid losing the connection.Meanwhile, Ethan returns to the safehouse and asks Jessica about something she doesn't know. When Jessica tells him that she doesn't know, he tells her that he is going to get her son. Ryan, who overhears them, realizes how serious the kidnapping situation is. After Ethan leaves, she tells Ryan to get to her son's school before they do. Unfortunately, he is too late and her son, Ricky, is kidnapped and he quickly chases them by stealing a car owned by a school security officer. Because his cell phone's battery is dying, he drives to a shop for a charger. After being repeatedly redirected from counter to counter, he uses a gun from the security vehicle to hold up the store at gun-point to obtain the device.Sgt. Mooney, meanwhile, decides to check on the kidnapping claim that he received. He uses the Department of Motor Vehicles records to find the address of Jessica, but when he comes to her house, a woman meets him, telling him that she is Jessica and that everything is fine. Believing it to be a false alarm, he leaves. It is revealed that the woman is Dana Bayback, an accomplice of the kidnappers.Ethan returns to the safe house and asks Jessica for the location of a place called "The Left Field", where her husband, Craig, was. Ethan then shows that he has imprisoned Ricky in the garage and threatens to kill him if Jessica does not tell him what this this information means. She tells him that Left Field is a bar in the LAX airport. As he leaves, she tells Ryan that they have gone to get her husband. Suddenly a cross-connection between phone lines threatens the carrier signal. A lawyer talking to his mother breaks in. Ryan is able to find the lawyer and steal his car and phone, since his phone was cut off from Jessica's and the security car was just destroyed by an oncoming vehicle. She tells him to head for LAX and find her husband. At the airport, he tries to stop the kidnappers by planting the security firearm in the bag of one of them as they go through security, but when they are apprehended, they reveal that they are cops. This causes Ryan and Jessica to realize that Ethan and his gang are dirty police officers. Ryan then finds a man that apparently matches Jessica's description of her husband Craig, but this mistake in identity permits the kidnappers to apprehend the real Craig.On exiting the airport, he finds that the lawyer's car has been impounded. Meanwhile, a series of bizarre incidents have snaked their way into the news, including the one about a gunman who took a mobile charger and overpaid for it and an interview with the lawyer who states that his car was stolen by a man claiming it was to rescue a woman named Jessica Martin. Mooney sees the news and identifies Ryan. He calls Jessica's home and gets the voice mail, but this time notices that Jessica's voice on the answering machine is very different from the accented voice of the woman who claimed to be her.Craig is brought into the attic and forced to reveal the location of a videotape. He tells them that it is at Centurion Bank in his safe deposit box, but that they need him to retrieve it. Before they leave, Jessica acts a little fanatical to whisper in secret to Craig that he will have help at the bank. Ethan and his friends Dimitri and Deason go with Craig while another kidnapper stays on guard. Ryan also reaches the bank. The kidnappers retrieve the video-camera, but Ryan knocks down Dimitri, takes the camera, and flees to roof alone after failing to take Craig with him. However, he accidentally drops the lawyer's cell phone off the roof, smashing it to pieces. He manages to escape in a taxi-cab, telling the driver to go to the LAPD Auto Impound. In the cab, he checks out the camera. He sees that when Craig was taking some video footage of houses for his realtor job, Craig accidentally shot footage of Los Angeles Police Department Detectives Ethan, Mad Dog, Dimitri, Bayback, Deason, and Jack Tanner, a friend of Mooney, robbing and murdering drug dealers (which is a good thing that Ryan left the police station when he did, as the detective that Mooney was sending him to was in fact Tanner). After getting off at the impound lot and sneaking in while the receptionist is distracted by the lawyer trying to get his car back without paying a fee, Ryan steals the lawyer's car again and gets back his own cellphone, relieved to find that Jessica's call is still on hold.Mooney returns to the Martin residence, where Bayback shoots at him, injuring him. He retaliates and kills her, but learns to his dismay that she was a cop, too. Meanwhile, Mad Dog stumbles upon the phone line Jessica is using from the downstairs phone, and Jessica is forced to kill him by cutting his brachial artery before he could kill her causing him to bleed out in seconds. She attempts to escape with her son, but Ethan returns with Craig as a hostage and stops her. He is angry with her, wanting to know who that kid at the bank was. Before Ethan can do anything, Ryan uses his cell phone's memory to contact Ethan and makes a deal directly over the phone: the video tape in exchange for the Martin family. Upon learning of the meeting, Tanner convinces Mooney to delay his trip to the hospital for stitches, so that he can identify Ryan, who Mooney still thinks of as a prime suspect.The deal goes down at the Santa Monica Pier. Ryan tries to handle it his way in disguise, but his ex-girlfriend accidentally exposes him, after which Mooney is able to finger him. While Tanner sends Dimitri to help Mooney get needed medical attention, he takes Ryan to Ethan. Ethan destroys the video recording and Tanner radios the order to kill the Martins, although Deason in the van suggests to wait until they get to the safe house. However, Mooney overhears the radio transmission from Dimitri's radio and he realizes that Tanner is one of the kidnappers. Ryan escapes following a distraction from his friend Chad, while Dmitri attempts to kill Mooney, but Mooney overpowers and handcuffs him. Tanner and Ethan confront Ryan in a boathouse, where Ryan knocks out Tanner with a surfboard, but Ethan beats him up with his superior fighting skills until Mooney intervenes. After a brief cat and mouse game, Ryan, wounded, notices that Ethan has circled behind Mooney, and helps Mooney by calling Ethan's cell phone (revealing that Ryan's phone somehow was not water damaged after jumping into the river). The ring of the cell betrays Ethan's hiding place, and Mooney promptly shoots him dead. As Ethan falls, he looks dumbfoundedly at Ryan ... and then at Ryan's cell phone, the "weapon" that got him killed just before passing away.While this was going on, Jessica manages to strangle Deason with her handcuff chain from the rear of their van, then free her husband and son. But Deason was merely stunned, and aims his gun at them. Then Ryan suddenly intervenes and smashes him around till he's unconscious.While Ryan and Mooney are being treated by medics, Tanner is also exposed, because Ryan had made a copy of the videocam recording onto his cell phone, and the Martin family is set free. Jessica finally gets to meet the man who has risked his life saving her and her family. Ryan jokingly requests for her is never to call him again, and they laugh.
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mystery, murder, violence, action, claustrophobic, suspenseful
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tt0337921
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Nerve
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Venus "Vee" Delmonico (Emma Roberts) is a high school senior living on Staten Island. She surfs the web and gets a Facebook notification from her crush, J.P. (Brian Marc), who tagged her in a photo that she took. Vee gets a Skype chat invitation from her friend Sydney (Emily Meade). Syd mentions a game called 'Nerve' that is about to launch for the next 24 hours. The game involves "watchers" and "players" - the players are given dares to do in exchange for money, while the watchers pay to watch everything happen. Syd has signed on to play and encourages Vee to join her, but she declines.Vee wants to go away for college but is worried about leaving her mom Nancy (Juliette Lewis) behind all by herself. It's been years since Vee's brother died, and neither of them have really gotten over it.At school, Vee takes photos for the yearbook, but most of them feature J.P. She joins her friends Tommy (Miles Heizer), Liv (Kimiko Glenn) and Wes (Marc John Jeffries) at a pep rally. Syd gives Liv her phone to record her dare. She joins her fellow cheerleaders and moons the entire school. Her dare is complete.The gang later goes out to eat. Syd keeps trying to get Vee to join Nerve since Vee never takes risks. They see J.P. sitting with his buddies. Syd decides to go over and talk to J.P. for her. She asks him if he would be interested in going out with Vee, but J.P. says she's not his type. Upset, Vee leaves and goes home. She logs onto Nerve and is told the rules before she makes a move. Dares must be recorded on the players' phones, and if they bail or fail, they lose their money. Also, nobody can snitch on Nerve, or it'll end very badly. Vee decides to become a player. Immediately, Nerve starts to obtain all of Vee's personal information.Vee calls Tommy to take her to a diner for her first dare. She must kiss a stranger for five seconds to get $100. The clock is ticking as she hesitates to pick someone. She spots a guy named Ian (Dave Franco) reading her favorite book, Virginia Woolf's "To The Lighthouse". Vee kisses him while Tommy records. The dare is done. Vee goes over to Tommy, who is more annoyed than anything (he secretly likes Vee). When she turns around, Ian is gone. He is then spotted going all around the diner singing and putting on a grand performance as part of his dare. He goes to Vee's table, and she is dared to go to the city with him for $200. Although uncertain at first, Vee joins Ian on his motorcycle, leaving Tommy behind.Vee and Ian make it into the city and part ways. She then gets a new dare to try on a couture dress. Vee tries it on and then finds Ian in the same store trying on a suit. When they go back into their dressing rooms, they find all of their stuff is gone. The next dare for both of them is to leave the store. They remove their clothes and leave in their underwear. A bunch of watchers record them as they leave. They find the clothes from the store on Ian's motorcycle for them to keep. Their phones then buzz for the next dare. Before they head out, a player named Ty (Machine Gun Kelly) passes them and comments on their dares, and he also implies that he personally knows Ian.Tommy stays at the diner and decides to watch what Vee is doing. He gets in touch with his hacker friend Azhar (Samira Wiley) and asks for "a ticket to Aruba". Azhar thinks it's risky, but she sends him a code for access to a site called Aruba. Tommy discovers past videos of Ian playing Nerve a year earlier. He stole the motorcycle and was hanging from a crane with two other guys.Syd is going around the city with Liv and Wes to continue her dares while gaining more followers. She becomes displeased when she learns Vee is catching up to her watcher count.Vee and Ian go to a tattoo parlor. Ian draws a secret tattoo for Vee to get. It turns out to be a lighthouse as a nod to her favorite book.Nancy then notices that money is being transferred into her and Vee's joint account. She calls Tommy to ask what's going on. Tommy, unable to snitch, says Vee got a job and is having money transferred to her account.Vee and Ian then ride a carousel. Syd and her friends watch at a house party. Vee talks about joining Nerve to get Syd off her back, claiming that she always makes it look like Vee is insecure when it's really Syd that is insecure, and how she always has guys come over when her parents are away. Hurt, Syd seeks out a new dare. She encounters Ty at the party, who suggests that she team up with him. Syd declines. Ian then suggests to Vee that they go to the party.Syd gets really drunk and is then dared to walk across a ladder from one apartment to the next. It's especially terrifying for Syd because she's afraid of heights. After making it halfway, Syd slips and drops her phone. She bails out of Nerve.Vee and Ian arrive at the party. Syd takes the chance to call Vee out on what she said, leading to a huge fight between them, leaving Syd humiliated. Vee decides to complete Syd's dare and she walks across the ladder almost effortlessly. When she goes back to make up with Syd, she finds her making out with J.P. Vee then learns that Ian was dared to go to the party to get Vee and Syd to fight. Angered, Vee decides to tell the cops. Ian runs after her and pleads with her not to do that, but she doesn't listen. Vee sees a cop and tells him about Nerve, but he does nothing. Nancy then calls Vee and says all the money in their account has been taken. Now alone, Vee comes across Ty, who says he has to win the game, and he knocks her out cold.Vee wakes up in a freight container with "SNITCHES GET STITCHES" painted on the walls. A TV in the container turns on with a computer voice telling Vee that because she snitched, Nerve now controls her life, family, and future. The only way for her to escape is to win the game. She gets out of the container and is told to get on the ferry. She runs into Ian, who explains to her that like him, she is now a prisoner of the game. For Ian, it happened a year earlier when he, Ty, and a third guy named Robbie were dared to hang from a crane. Robbie slipped and fell to his death. Ian and Ty went to the cops, but Nerve ruined their lives and took away his money and his father's job. Ian says he will do a dare that places him ahead of Ty so that he and Vee can make it to the finals.Vee meets up with Tommy and Syd, where she reconciles with both of them. They get in touch with certain people as part of a plan. Meanwhile, Ian takes a dare in which he must hang from a crane with one hand for five seconds. He succeeds and advances to the final. Vee goes through the city and must pick up a package, which turns out to be a loaded gun.Vee and Ian make it to an arena in front of over a hundred watchers for the final round. Tommy and Syd meet up with Azhar to hack into Nerve's server, and Nancy meets with them there to watch the final round. The dare involves Vee and Ian having to shoot each other. Ian tells Vee to shoot him so she can win. Vee refuses. Ty appears and says he will shoot one of them. The watchers cheer him on. Vee decides to take the shot over Ian. As everyone records, she calls everyone out on wanting to watch someone die for the sake of their entertainment. Nerve then decides to put Vee's life to a vote. The majority votes YES for her to get shot. Ty fires the gun, and Vee goes down in Ian's arms. Every watcher then has their names exposed and a message notifying them that they are accessories to murder, with the option to sign out. Everyone does, allowing Azhar to crash Nerve's server and shut it down for good. Vee then reveals she was alive, having orchestrated the whole thing with Ty involved (he fired a blank).Everything goes back to normal, and Azhar makes it so that Vee and Nancy get their money back. Vee and Ian (who says his real name is Sam) decide to pursue a relationship. They share a kiss as the sun rises on a new day.
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revenge, suspenseful, romantic
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tt3531824
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Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead
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Immediately after his apparent demise at the end of Phantasm II, a new Tall Man emerges from the white room dimension fork. During this time, the hearse driving Liz and Mike carries on and explodes. Reggie, who was attacked by the Alchemy/Tall Man creature, rushes over and finds Liz dead and a dwarf devouring her face. After killing a few dwarfs with his 4-barrel shotgun, the Tall Man appears, apprehending Reggie and an unconscious Mike but leaves when Reggie threatens to detonate a grenade. Stating that he wants Mike in one piece, the Tall Man leaves with Liz's head in hand claiming to return for Mike when he's well again.After apparently spending two years comatose in a hospital, Mike has a near death experience, in which his brother Jody appears and tells him he's not ready to cross over into the light. Mike walks on but the Tall Man stands in his way causing him to wake up. Just as Reggie arrives, Mike is attacked by a demon nurse but fights her off. A sphere emerges from her head and crashes out through the window. Back at home, Jody appears again to warn Mike but the Tall Man arrives via dimension fork, fights off Reggie and Jody (now forcibly transformed into a charred flying sphere) and draws Mike through the gate with him.The next morning, Reggie (with the Jody-sphere) travels to the small town of Holtsville, which turns out to be deserted. Reggie is captured by three looters who lock him in his Cuda's trunk and drive on to another house. There they are attacked and killed by a little boy named Tim, who also releases Reggie.After they have buried three looters in the yard, Tim tells Reggie how the Tall Man took his parents and destroyed the town. In the morning, Reggie and Tim find the three graves empty and their pink hearse gone. Setting out to find the Tall Man, Reggie wants to leave Tim with a woman looking after orphans but the boy hides in the trunk and comes along.Reggie enters the Holtsville mausoleum and is confronted by a sphere. Before he can destroy it, he is assaulted and subdued by two young black women, Tanesha and Rocky. Reg tries to warn them but the sphere kills Tanesha, as well as damaging Rocky's nunchaku. Tim appears and shoots it out of the air with his pistol. The three join forces and drive on, looking for a town called Boulton, which contains a large mortuary. On their way the come across a convoy of hearses driven by gravers and follow them.As they camp outside, the Jody-sphere floats over to Reggie. In a dream, Jody appears and leads Reggie to the Tall Man's lair, where Mike is imprisoned in a small cell. The two free him but the Tall Man reappears and pursues the three. Jody is transformed back into a sphere and Reggie awakes. Jody appears again, opens another gate and Mike emerges. The Tall Man tries to emerge as well but Reggie manages to shut the gate just as he was about to reach through, cutting off the Tall Man's hands. They manage to fight off the small creatures the hands morph into and also later the pink hearse containing the three comically-zombified looters.They reach Boulton mortuary, where they come across a cryonics facility, which reminds Mike that the Tall Man dislikes cold. While Reggie, Rocky and Tim are separately attacked by the looters, Mike consults with the Jody-sphere, who explains that the Tall Man is amassing an army to conquer dimensions. He also shows him in a dream what the Tall Man does with the dwarf creatures he has created from the dead: he removes the sapient part of the brains to create the spheres, turning the body into a drone and the mind into a killer. The Tall Man senses their presence and before they can leave, and paralyzes Mike. Surrounded by hundreds of spheres, the Tall Man reaches for Mike, who wakes up and finds himself strapped to the table. The Tall Man grabs and subdues the Jody-sphere and welcomes Mike. Soon after, two of the looters, Rufus and Henry, wheel in Tim. Mike tries to give a message to the boy, saying "There are thousands of them", but is paralyzed beyond speech by the Tall Man.Rocky meanwhile manages to shake off her attacker and goes on to fight off Reggie's. Cut free by the Jody-sphere, Tim runs into the remaining looters who are killed by the Jody-sphere and Reggie's 4-barrel shotgun. The trio crash into the embalming room, where the Tall Man has begun operating on Mike. Rocky impales the Tall Man with a spear dipped in liquid nitrogen, causing his flesh to begin melting. Rocky and Reggie lock him into the refrigerator room. A golden sphere breaks out of his head, crashes outside and chases through the corridors. Surprised by the golden sphere, Reggie catches it with a plunger and is almost overpowered by it. With help from Rocky and Tim, he submerges the sphere in the nitrogen tank neutralizing it.In the meantime, Mike climbs from the table and sees yellow blood issuing from his wound. He looks into a mirror and sees a golden sphere in his own head, concealed his torn skin. Just after the Tall Man's sphere has been dumped into the nitrogen, Mike appears, showing silver eyeballs, complaining of the cold and walking outside. Reggie chases after him but Mike warns him to stay away. Jody leaves as well telling Reggie that they'll be in touch.Reggie suggests searching the mortuary but Rocky leaves having had enough of dealing with the undead. Reggie and Tim go back inside and Tim reports that Mike said that "There are thousands of them." Unknown to them, dozens of spheres are hovering above them.In the next room, Tim finds the poles of the dimension fork and the nitrogen tank overturned. He goes back to find Reggie pinned to the wall by force of the spheres. Tim tries to get his gun but a new Tall Man reappears and watches as Tim is pulled through a window by a creature followed by the sound of him getting torn apart and killed... continuing the films' trademark ending.
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good versus evil, paranormal, cult, comedy, violence
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tt0110823
|
The Princess Diaries
|
Teenager Mia Thermopolis lives with her artist mother, Helen, and her black and white cat, Fat Louie, in a remodeled San Francisco firehouse. A somewhat awkward and unpopular girl, she is terrified of public speaking and often wishes to be "invisible". She has a crush on the popular Josh Bryant, but is frequently teased by both him and his cheerleader girlfriend, Lana Thomas. Mia’s only friendships are in the form of the equally unpopular Lilly Moscovitz and Lilly's brother Michael, who secretly has a crush on Mia.
Just before her 16th birthday, Mia learns her paternal grandmother, Clarisse, is visiting from (the fictional) Genovia, a small European kingdom. When Mia goes to meet her at a large house (later revealed to be the Genovian consulate), Clarisse reveals she is actually Queen Clarisse Renaldi, and that her son, Mia’s late father, was Crown Prince of Genovia. Mia is stunned to learn she is a princess and heir to the Genovian throne. In shock, Mia runs home and angrily confronts her mother, who explains she had planned to tell Mia on her 18th birthday, but that her father’s death has forced the matter. Queen Clarisse visits and explains that if Mia refuses the throne, Genovia will be without a ruler (a subplot involves a scheming baron and his unsightly baroness quietly rooting for Mia's downfall). Helen persuades a hesitant Mia to attend "princess lessons" with the Queen, telling her she does not have to make her decision until the upcoming Genovian Independence Day ball.
Mia is given a glamorous makeover, the use of a limousine and a bodyguard (the Queen’s head of security, Joe). This and Mia's frequent absences for the lessons make Lilly suspicious and jealous, so she accuses Mia of trying to be like the popular girls. Mia breaks down and tells Lilly everything, swearing her to secrecy. However, the San Francisco Chronicle learns that Mia is the Genovian Crown Princess after hairdresser Paolo breaks his confidentiality agreement (so his work would be known), causing a press frenzy, and a sudden surge in popularity at school for Mia. In a craven urge for fame, many of her classmates (mostly Lana) bluff that they are friends of the princess to reporters.
At a state dinner, Mia embarrasses herself with her clumsiness, delighting her rivals for the crown. However, all is not lost as the situation amuses a stuffy diplomat, and the Queen tells Mia the next day she found it fun. Deciding it is time the two bonded as grandmother and granddaughter, the Queen allows Mia to take her out in Mia's late 60s Ford Mustang convertible for the day to the Musée Mécanique, an amusement arcade. The day almost ends terribly when Mia's car stalls a hill and rams backward into a cable car, but Queen Clarisse saves the day by "appointing" the attending police officer and the tram driver to the Genovian "Order of the Rose" (something she clearly made up on the spot), flattering them into dropping any charges. Mia sees this and is impressed with her grandmother.
Later, Mia is delighted when Josh Bryant invites her to a beach party, but her acceptance hurts Lilly and Michael, with whom she had plans (the former wanting Mia to appear on her self-made cable show, and the latter wanting her to watch his band perform). Things go wrong when the press arrive, tipped off by Lana. Josh uses Mia to get his 15 minutes of fame by publicly kissing her, while Lana tricks her into changing in a tent, pulling it away as the paparazzi arrive, giving them a scandalous shot of her in a towel. She breaks down into tears in her mother's arms when she gets home. The photos appear on tabloid covers the following day, leaving Queen Clarisse furious at Mia. A humiliated Mia tells her that she is renouncing the throne, feeling she is nowhere near ready to be a true princess. Joe later reminds the Queen that although Mia is a princess, she is still a teenager and her granddaughter.
Back at school, Mia attempts to rescue her friendships with Lilly and Michael by inviting them to the Genovian Independence Day Ball, gets back at Josh for humiliating and using her by hitting a baseball into his groin during gym class, and finally stands up to Lana when she is cruel to Lilly’s friend Jeremiah, publicly humiliating her by smearing ice cream on her cheerleader outfit and telling her that while she (Mia) might grow out of her proclaimed odd ways, she (Lana) will never stop being a jerk; the teachers do not interfere, knowing Lana deserved it. While Lilly is excited at the prospect of attending a royal ball, Michael, brokenhearted over Mia's initial feelings for Josh, turns her down. Clarisse apologizes to Mia for being furious at her over the beach incident, and states that she must publicly announce her decision to become princess of Genovia. Mia, terrified at this large responsibility placed upon her, plans to run away. However, when she finds a letter from her late father, his touching words make her change her mind, and she makes her way to the ball. Mia’s car breaks down in the rain, but she is rescued by Joe, who had suspected she was going to run.
When they arrive, a drenched and untidy Mia voices her acceptance of her role as Princess of Genovia. Mia gets dressed up and accompanies Clarisse to the ballroom, where she is formally introduced and invited to dance. Michael, accepting an apologetic gift from Mia (a pizza with M & M candies cleverly topped to say "sorry"), arrives at the ball, and after a quick dance, they adjourn to the courtyard. Mia confesses her feelings to him, stating that even when she was constantly teased and embarrassed at school, he liked her for who she truly was. Mia shares her first kiss with Michael, while Clarisse and Joe are seen holding hands. In the final scene Mia is shown on a private plane with Fat Louie, writing in her diary, explaining she is moving with her mother to Genovia, just as the beautiful royal palace and landscape come into view below.
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romantic, comedy, flashback
|
tt0247638
|
Spider
|
Opening in the East End London in the 1950s, a deeply disturbed boy, named Dennis Clegg, nicknamed Spider (Bradley Hall), 'sees' his father (Gabriel Byrne) brutally murder his mother and replace her with a prostitute, Yvonne (Miranda Richardson). Convinced they plan to murder him next, Spider hatches an insane plan, which he carries through to tragic effect.Many years later, an adult Dennis 'Spider' Clegg (Ralph Fiennes) is released from a local mental institution and is given a room at a local halfway house catering to mentally disturbed persons. Clegg receives little care or attention from the landlady Mrs. Wilkinson (Lynn Redgrave). Clegg, in his new abode, starts piecing together or recreating in his memory to try to remember an apparently fateful childhood event. During the days, he roams the nearby derelict urban area and the local canal and starts to relive or visualize a period of his childhood with his mother and his father.A shift takes place in the child's psyche when he witnesses his mother groping with his father in the garden and, subsequently, when he sees his mother in a silky night gown she wore for his father. The son, as a grown man seems to recreate in his memory the buildup to his father's murder of his mother with the passive support of a prostitute he is involved with, who then moves into the house and is presented as his mother. The young son then kills the mistress by gassing her in the kitchen. After that memory he attempts late one night to kill the landlady whom he sees alternatively as the mistress and his mother, but backs away after she says, "What have you done Mr. Clegg?" In the final scene, Clegg is arrested by the authorities and taken back to the asylum.
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mystery, murder, flashback, insanity, psychedelic, revenge, storytelling
|
tt0278731
|
Le voyage dans la lune
|
At a meeting of the Astronomic Club, its president, Professor Barbenfouillis, proposes a trip to the Moon. After addressing some dissent, five other brave astronomers: Nostradamus, Alcofrisbas, Omega, Micromegas, and Parafaragaramus agree to the plan. They build a space capsule in the shape of a bullet, and a huge cannon to shoot it into space. The astronomers embark and their capsule is fired from the cannon with the help of "marines" (most of whom are played by a bevy of young women in sailors' outfits). The Man in the Moon watches the capsule as it approaches, and it hits him in the eye.Landing safely on the Moon, the astronomers get out of the capsule (without the need of space suits) and watch the Earth rise in the distance. Exhausted by their journey, they unroll their blankets and sleep. As they sleep, a comet passes, the Big Dipper appears with human faces peering out of each star, old Saturn leans out of a window in his ringed planet, and Phoebe, goddess of the Moon, appears seated in a crescent-moon swing. Phoebe causes a snowfall that awakens the astronomers, and they seek shelter in a cavern where they discover giant mushrooms. One astronomer opens his umbrella; it promptly takes root and turns into a giant mushroom itself.At this point, a Selenite (an insectoid alien inhabitant of the Moon, named after one of the Greek moon goddesses, Selene) appears, but it is killed easily by an astronomer, as the creatures explode if they are hit with force. More Selenites appear and it becomes increasingly difficult for the astronomers to destroy them as they are surrounded. The Selenites capture the six astronomers and take them to the palace of their king. An astronomer lifts the Selenite King off his throne and throws him to the ground, causing him to explode.The astronomers run back to their capsule while continuing to hit the pursuing Selenites, and five get inside. The sixth astronomer, Barbenfouillis himself, uses a rope to tip the capsule over a ledge on the Moon and into space. A Selenite tries to seize the capsule at the last minute. Astronomer, capsule, and Selenite fall through space and land in an ocean on Earth, where they are rescued by a ship and towed ashore.The final sequence depicts a celebratory parade in honor of the travelers' return, including a display of the captive Selenite and the unveiling of a commemorative statue bearing the motto "Labor omnia vincit".
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psychedelic, satire
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tt0000417
|
Carnival of Souls
|
While out for a drive, three girlfriends get into a car race with two boys. As the car chase takes them down backroads, they come to a bridge. Trying to get across it, the girls car ends up crashing through the side and the car sinks into the water.Some time afterward, a search party is brought out, but after several hours, there appears to be no sign of the car. However, things take a turn for the surprising, when one of the girls, Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss), emerges from the water, cold and shaken. Some people ask her questions, but she does not give any answers at that time.Some time afterward, Mary gets a job as an organ player in Utah. Before she leaves, she stops by the organ factory in town, and places on their organ for them. The place she is going to has an organ made from the same factory as well. When the Factory owner requests that Mary come back some time to play for them again, she claims she will not be returning.Mary then takes off on her trip. As she nears Salt Lake City, Utah, her vision is drawn to a dark pavilion lying back a ways towards the horizon. As she glances out the passenger side window, she is shocked to see a man staring in at her! Mary turns away and looks back, but the figure is soon gone. However, Mary is shocked again when the same figure appears on the road in front of her, causing her to drive off the road. Collecting herself, Mary gets back on the road, and heads towards Salt Lake City.Mary rooms at a residence, presided over by a woman named Mrs Thomas (Frances Feist). There is another person rooming at the house, a rather slimy warehouse worker named John Linden (Sidney Berger).After putting her things in her new residence, Mary goes off to the church to meet the Minister (Art Ellison). She practices on the organ, but after some time, stops and sits by a window to contemplate. The Minister asks her if she would like to take a ride with him to an appointment. Mary also makes a request that since the appointment is outside of town, if they could drive by the pavilion she saw on the way in.The Minister agrees, and they drive up to the entrance. The Minister explains that the place is gated off to keep people out. Mary seems curious to go in, but the Minister says he won't, given that there are rules forbidding people to enter.Returning back to the apartment, Mary takes a bath, but is interrupted when John knocks on her door. He offers to buy her dinner, but she refuses. After John has left, Mary walks out and looks over the railing, only to see the man she saw before standing in the 1st floor foyer! As he walks towards the stairs, Mary returns to her room and bolts the door. Sometime afterwards, Mrs Thomas comes up with a sandwich and some coffee. When Mary inquires about the man she saw, Mrs Thomas claims she didn't see anyone on the way upstairs. Mary insists she saw someone, but the landlady claims that Mary's mind must be playing tricks on her.Mary soon after attempts to go to sleep, but her mind finds itself drifting away to the pavilion.Waking up, Mary finds a knock on the door, and John enters offering homemade coffee. As they talk, Mary then explains to John her job as being an organist for a church in town. John thinks that Mary must be a very religious girl, but she explains that she doesn't care either way, and that she plays just so she can get paid. Mary thanks him for the gesture, and then goes out to shop for clothing.Going into a Department Store, she tries on a dress, and then changes back into her own clothes. However, upon exiting the dressing room, Mary is surprised when it seems that the sound of the world has stopped around her, and nobody can hear or see her! Wandering out of the store and into a nearby park, she breathes a sigh of relief when she hears some birds chirping, and the sounds of the world seem to start up again.Going over to a drinking fountain, Mary stops to drink, but upon seeing a black suit in front of her, Mary looks up and panics! Rushing over to a nearby man, she insists that the man by the drinking fountain is the one she's been seeing...but it soon appears she was in error, even though Mary insists it was him.The man she rushed to is a Doctor. Intending to calm her down, he takes her to his office nearby, and listens to everything Mary has to say. The Doctor assumes that the appearance of this apparition to Mary may have something to do with the trauma she experienced after surviving the car crash. When pressing Mary to see if the figure resembles anyone she knows, Mary insists she's never seen the man before. Feeling that the man may have some connection to the abandoned pavilion outside of town, Mary decides to go there, cutting off the Doctor in mid-analysis.Mary soon arrives at the abandoned pavilion, and begins to walk around. Strange things happen here and there, but she soon calms as she walks around.Returning back to the house, she meets up with Joe who again offers to take her out to dinner. Mary claims she already ate, but when Joe offers to pick her up after her organ practice at the church, Mary agrees, claiming she doesn't want to be alone.Mary then goes to the church, but as she plays the organ, something strange comes over her, and she finds herself playing a strange, and eerie melody on the organ. As she plays, a vision comes to her of a group of people inside the pavilion's enormous ballroom area, dancing. Each of them resembles the man with pale skin, and dark areas around their eyes.Suddenly, the Minister's hands press down on Mary's, ending the song. The Minister is shocked at the music that Mary has chosen to play, and orders her to resign from her post. At these words, Mary quietly gathers her things and leaves.Outside, she runs into John, who eagerly takes her to a club. John keeps trying to be sociable to Mary, but she just seems distant and unable to respond, even though she claims she likes being with him.Going back to the house, John attempts to get intimate with Mary, but she does not seem to welcome any of his advances. As she goes over to her dresser with a mirror on it, John walks up behind her, but to Mary, the reflection is that of the eerie man she's seen before! Mary then yells for John to stay away from her, and John leaves, as Mary pleads that she doesn't want to be alone.The next day, the doctor whom Mary had met previously shows up. Inquiring to Mrs Thomas, she explains that Mary was moving furniture in her room around all night, and would not let her in in the morning. The Doctor claims he gave Mary advice, but Mrs Thomas claims to the Doctor that she doesn't want Mary lodging with her any longer. The Doctor then assures the landlady that Mary intends to leave soon.Sometime afterwards, Mary packs her suitcases, and quietly leaves the house, not saying a word to Mrs Thomas when she speaks to her.Mary's car gives her transmission trouble, and she ends up going to a local service station. When the station attendant asks her if she wishes to get out of the car, Mary refuses. She stays in the car as it is lifted into the air on the service station's platform. As a customer pulls in for gas, the attendance leaves Mary alone in the garage.As she waits, she hears the sound of a door open, and heavy footsteps. A hand then turns the release valve for the lift, and the car slowly lowers to the ground. Mary has the doors locked, but as she hears something that makes her back towards the passenger door, it suddenly flies open!Mary runs for her life down the street. As she does so, suddenly she finds that like in the Department Store, she has become invisible to people, as well as the sound of the world cuts off.Rushing into a bus station, she finds tries to buy a ticket, but the attendant will not listen. Suddenly, a loud speaker blares of a bus leaving from gate 9. Mary rushes from the gate and quickly rushes onto the bus...only to be met with the wide-eyes stares of the apparitions she saw dancing in the pavilion's dance hall! They smile and chase her off the bus as Mary runs for her life, calling out and pleading for someone to hear or see her!Mary returns to the park from the day before, and just like the day before, she hears birds chirping and the sounds of the world start back up again. Mary then rushes to the Doctor's office, requesting that he help her,feeling that she is really going crazy. The Doctor's chair has been turned away from her, but as it turns around, she finds the man from before sitting in it! Mary lets out a scream--and wakes from her daydream, still in her car in the garage (though the lift is now down instead of up). Mary quickly throws the car into reverse, and heads out of town, back to the pavilion.Going into the abandoned ball room, she soon finds the same apparitions she has seen in her dream (as well as on the bus). Slowly, they start to dance. Mary watches, and as the music begins to turn eerie and the beat of the organ fills her ears, she cries out and runs off, with the apparitions in pursuit. They chase her all over the pavilion grounds. Mary tries to escape but falls and lies screaming as the dead-eyed figures close around her.Sometime afterward, a search party looking for Mary finds her car at the Pavilion's gates. Searching the grounds, they find her foot prints rushing off into a sandy area, and an imprint on the ground where her body was, but no sign of her.Back in Kansas, the search party has finally recovered the car that fell into the lake. After pulling it out of the water, we see that not only are the other two girls still in the car, but so is Mary's body as well!
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cult, psychedelic, atmospheric, gothic, haunting
|
tt0055830
|
Love Bites
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Dwight Putnum [Roger Rose] has just asked Kendall Gordon [Kimberly Foster]
for the 10th time to marry him, but Kendall is still unwilling to commit. She has
this idea that the perfect man for her is still out there. Vampire Zachary Simms [Adam Ant]
has just awakened in his coffin from a 100 year sleep in the crypt under
Kendall's house and comes out through the secret door in her fireplace to
face the brave, new world. When the two meet, it isn't quite love at first
bite, but Zachary spends the next day in her bed anyway, which really
angers Dwight when he tries to put the make on Zachary, thinking that the
lump under the covers is Kendall.It doesn't take long before Kendall and Zachary become friends, and
Zachary tells her how he came to be a vampire. He was born in England in
1660 and moved to Boston in 1675. In 1688, he was bitten by a vampire
named Nerissa, and they lived together for 100 years before she suddenly
decided to run off with a Washington politician. Zachary pined for Nerissa
for the next 100 years and finally decided to sleep it off. Unfortunately,
he forgot to wake up until another 100 years had passed.And, oh, how the world has changed. Zachary is entranced by such
devices as refrigerators, electric lightbulbs, and cars that talk. Zachary
is also entranced by Kendall, and before long, they are a twosome. Zachary
decides to end his existence as a vampire and asks Kendall to help him in
'reviving his digestive system' so that he can eat human food. Before
long, Zachary is slurping down spaghetti and munching on pizza. When he
finds that he has a blood pressure, can go outside in the daytime, and
drinking blood makes him gag, he proclaims himself 'rehumanized.'
Everything is going great, until 1) Zachary lands a job with Dwight's
insurance firm, 2) Dwight hires Vinnie Helsting [Philip Bruns] to do a little detective
work on Zachary, and 3) Nerissa [Michelle Forbes] shows up wanting Zachary back.Zachary starts working the night shift in the data entry department.
One night he discovers $1,300,000 that has been moving from department to
department in small increments. Dwight rewards him for his find by making
him an executive vice president and giving him a company car. Within a
short time, Zachary is using his bloodthirsty skills to put the bite on
potential clients, proving that he can make a killing in the business.
Unfortunately, he's spending less and less time with Kendall and becoming
more and more of a yuppie. When Zachary suggests to the board of directors
a plan that will increase their profits 30% each year for 100 years, they
make him chief executive officer of the company, which effectively puts
Dwight out of a job.While Zachary is rapidly moving up the ladder, Helsting can't find
anything on him. No birth certificate, no credit cards, no paper trail, so
he begins tailing Zachary wherever he goes, taking photographs, and casing
the house Zachary shares with Kendall. One night, when no one is home,
Helsting enters the house, notices the secret door in the fireplace, and
discovers the crypt and Zachary's coffin. While there, he overhears
Zachary's message machine taking a phone call. 'Hello. I can't come to the
phone right now. I'm dead.' Then Nerissa comes on, warning Zachary to be
careful so that Dwight doesn't find out what Zachary really is. Helsting
puts two and two together and figures it out...Zachary is a vampire.It looks like Zachary is about to be defanged. Dwight wants his
business back. Kendall says Zachary was more human when he was a vampire
and wants him out of her life. Nerissa says that the only solution is to
'revamp' him, so she gets the process started by biting him on the neck.
Dwight takes back his business, setting up Zachary as a consultant with a
perpetual income that will make him rich for centuries. Kendall informs
Zachary that she is pregnant with his baby and agrees to allow him to
'vampirize' her when the baby is old enough to understand. Nerissa agrees
to become the baby's godmother and buy her pretty dresses or take her to
Mets nightgames. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]
|
adult comedy
|
tt0107448
|
Young Adult
|
Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a divorced, alcoholic 37-year-old ghost writer of a series of young adult novels, who is on deadline with her editor to finish the last book of the soon-to-be-cancelled series. Mavis receives an e-mail with a picture of the newborn daughter of her high school boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) and his wife Beth (Elizabeth Reaser). Believing this to be a sign she and Buddy are meant to be together, Mavis leaves Minneapolis and returns to her hometown of Mercury, Minnesota, to reclaim her life with Buddy, under the pretext of overseeing a real estate deal.
Upon arriving after listening to "The Concept" by Teenage Fanclub on repeat from an old mixtape Buddy gave her in high school, Mavis arranges to meet him the next day at a local sports bar, for old times' sake. In the interim, she goes alone to a different bar, Woody's. There she reconnects with a former classmate she barely remembers, Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt), who became disabled after being beaten by jocks who erroneously assumed he was gay. Matt tells Mavis that her plan to destroy Buddy's marriage is irrational and selfish, but she ignores him.
The following day, Mavis meets Buddy at the sports bar, where they run into Matt, the bar's bookkeeper. On their way out, Buddy invites Mavis to a performance of Beth's "mom rock band". In the interim, Mavis spends another night getting drunk with Matt, who distills homemade bourbon in the garage of the house he shares with his sister Sandra. When Mavis attends the concert of Beth's band, the other moms are resentful of Mavis, whom they remember as the "psychotic prom queen bitch". When Beth's band performs, the lead singer dedicates their opening song to Buddy from Beth; much to Mavis's dismay, it is "The Concept".
Beth wants to stay out longer, so Mavis offers to drive the drunk Buddy home. On the lawn they share a kiss that is quickly broken up when the babysitter opens the front door to greet them. The next day, after an awkward encounter with her parents, Mavis is invited to Buddy's daughter's naming ceremony. She later goes out drinking with Matt again, during which Matt tells Mavis to grow up. The following day, Mavis attends the party, where she declares her love for Buddy, but he rebuffs her. Everyone at the party is called out to the lawn to await a surprise Buddy has prepared for Beth. Mavis, who has been drinking at the party, collides with Beth, who accidentally spills punch on Mavis's dress. Mavis insults her, and in a profanity-laced tirade tearfully reveals she became pregnant with Buddy's baby years ago, but had a miscarriage after three months.
Buddy, who has been preparing a drum-set gift for Beth in the garage, opens the garage door and belatedly learns what has transpired. Mavis asks him why he invited her. He reveals it was Beth's idea, as she feels sorry for Mavis. Humiliated, Mavis leaves the party and visits Matt, where she breaks down in tears and, later, initiates sex. The following morning, while Matt sleeps, Mavis has coffee in the kitchen with Sandra, who still idolizes her. Mavis talks about needing to change herself, but Sandra says Mavis is better than the rest of Mercury and should not change. Mavis says she agrees, and prepares to return to Minneapolis. Sandra asks to go with her but Mavis declines and leaves alone.
In a diner on her way home, Mavis writes the last chapter of the book, in which the main character graduates high school, quickly leaves her past behind and looks forward to the future. Afterward, in the parking lot, Mavis contemplates her crumpled car.
|
dramatic, comedy, satire, dark, depressing
|
tt1625346
|
Sherlock
|
Series 1Wounded Afghan veteran Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) meets brilliant consulting detective Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and moves into a flat on 221B Baker Street with him. Their landlady, Mrs. Hudson (Una Stubbs), acts as a de facto housekeeper for them. Sherlock's first case, "A Study in Pink", sees him apprehend cabbi-turned-serial killer Jeff Hope (Phil Davis). Their confrontation escalates to the point that John, who's followed Sherlock unnoticed to the scene, shoots the cabbie out of fear for Sherlock's life. However, Sherlock manages to extract from the dying cabbie that he was being sponsored in his crimes by a figure called Moriarty, who is apparently a "fan" of Sherlock's.The case seals Sherlock and John's friendship. In their next case, "The Blind Banker", they uncover a Chinese smuggling ring, which is again implied to have been linked to Moriarty."The Great Game" sees Sherlock being baited into solving a series of "puzzles" by Moriarty, who is as yet unseen. Each puzzle involves solving an undetected crime, with the additional incentive being that failure to solve the crime within a set time will lead to the death of an innocent bystander. Simultaneously, Sherlock works on recovering the missing Bruce-Partington Plans for his older brother Mycroft (Mark Gatiss), who is a powerful figure in the British government. The series ends with Sherlock encountering Moriarty (Andrew Scott) by a swimming pool, where Moriarty warns Sherlock that he will destroy him.Series 2Moriarty's pool-side encounter with Sherlock ends abruptly when Moriarty receives a cellphone call from dominatrix Irene Adler (Lara Pulver). In "A Scandal in Belgravia", Sherlock is assigned by Buckingham Palace to recover some damaging photographs in Irene's camera phone. Sherlock meets Irene but is outwitted and fails to retrieve her phone. She becomes "the Woman" in his mind.Months later, Irene meets Sherlock once more and tricks him into decoding a message for her, which turns out to be a matter of national security. Irene passes on the message to Moriarty and then blackmails Mycroft into granting her a list of demands or face Sherlock's exposure as a security leak. However, at the last moment, Sherlock figures out the password to her camera phone and crushes her bargaining power. The defeated Irene fakes her death once more with Sherlock's help to escape the wrath of the British government and enter a life of anonymity.Sherlock and John travel to Dartmoor in "The Hounds of Baskerville" to solve the mystery of a gigantic hound that apparently caused the death of client Henry Knight's father years ago. The "Hound" turns out to be a hallucinogenic drug that was being secretly developed as a chemical weapon at the nearby military base of Baskerville. The man responsible, Dr. Frank Mortimer, is killed in a land mine explosion.
|
murder
|
tt1475582
|
Snow Cake
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When the eccentric drifter Vivienne Freeman gets a ride from a reluctant recluse Alex Hughes (Alan Rickman), she is killed by a transport truck side ramming the car, while Alex only gets a nosebleed. Everybody agrees that it is not Alex's fault. He visits Vivienne's mother, Linda (Sigourney Weaver), to deliver Vivienne's gifts and to provide support. She has been informed about her daughter's death a few hours before Alex's visit, but does not show any signs of grief. However, she has a cleanliness mania which involves her constantly making sure everything in her home is neat, and prevents her from touching garbage bags. Her problem is finding someone who will put the garbage outside to be collected, as this was always something done by her daughter. Linda insists that Alex stay a few days so that he can do it for her. He agrees and also arranges Vivienne's funeral.
During his stay he begins a relationship with one of Linda's neighbors, Maggie (Carrie-Anne Moss), who Linda mistakenly thinks is a prostitute. A local policeman warns Maggie of Alex's intentions because he has just served time for a man's murder. Maggie does not confront Alex about the matter, but instead waits until he brings the subject up himself. Alex reveals that he killed the man who caused his son's death in a car crash while his son was on his way to meet Alex for the first time — Alex had only recently learned about his existence, the result of an affair a long time ago.
Linda dislikes Maggie to the point where she initially refuses her help. But after Alex leaves to see the mother of his son, she allows Maggie to come into her home and help her.
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psychedelic, cute
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tt0448124
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Very Bad Things
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Kyle Fisher (Jon Favreau), days away from his wedding, welcomes his bachelor party weekend as a chance to break free from his control-freak, Bridezilla fiancée Laura (Cameron Diaz). Along with his best friend Charles (Leland Orser), his friends Michael (Jeremy Piven), and Boyd (Christian Slater), and Michael's brother Adam (Daniel Stern), they celebrate in a Las Vegas hotel room complete with drinking, drugs, and a stripper (Kobe Tai).However, trouble begins when Michael accidentally kills the stripper in the hotel bathroom after paying her extra money to have sex with her. Michael, in his sexual aggression, accidentally flings her across the bathroom and she hits the back of her head against a towel hanger, killing her instantly.A hotel security guard shows up to respond to complaints about the noise from the party. He starts to leave after the guys promise to quiet down but spots the hooker's body in the bathroom. He prepares to call the police but is killed by Boyd who stabs him with a corkscrew and prevents him from leaving the bathroom until he dies. Boyd takes charge of the group and devises a plan to dispose of the bodies by burying them in the desert. Everyone grudgingly goes through with the plan, but soon guilt and nerves begin to destroy the group.Upon returning from Las Vegas, during Kyle and Laura's rehearsal dinner, Adam cracks under the pressure, leading to a confrontation between Adam and Michael in the parking lot. The rest of the group breaks up the fight, convincing Michael to leave, but instead he decides to crash his Jeep into Adam's beloved minivan. Seeing his brother's intentions, Adam darts in front of the Jeep at the last moment and is crushed in the collision.At the hospital, Adam whispers something to his wife, Lois (Jeanne Tripplehorn), before he dies. Soon afterward, Lois calls everyone over to her house. Lois states that Adam mentioned that something had happened in Vegas, but died before he was able to tell her. Seeing Michael in a state of despair, Lois prods him for information, threatening to call the police if she is not told the truth. As Michael is about to crack, Kyle quickly makes up a story about Adam having sex with a prostitute in Vegas. Lois appears to believe him, and the group leaves.After dropping Kyle, Michael, and Charles off at a nearby bar, Boyd returns to Lois' house, where a violent fight ensues after Lois realizes that Boyd intends to kill her. After they struggle, it is implied that Boyd succeeds in killing Lois. Immediately afterwards, Boyd calls Kyle, telling him that Lois wishes to speak to Michael. Kyle and Charles then take Michael to Lois' house, and, moments after Michael goes inside the house, a loud noise is heard and Boyd enters the car without Michael. Boyd then concocts a false love triangle story to explain Lois and Michael's deaths, in case any of the remaining three friends are questioned by the police.The next day, Kyle and Laura discover that they have been awarded custody of Adam and Lois' two disabled children and their dog. This angers Laura, but even more so after they learn that Adam's life insurance policy is only worth $14,223. This new stress proves to be too much for Kyle, who confesses to Laura what happened in Vegas. Instead of being horrified at the confession of the murders, Laura is enraged that there is yet another distraction from her wedding, dismissing his confession.On the day of the wedding, Boyd confronts Kyle about the Adam's insurance money. Kyle attempts to tell Boyd that there was no money, but Boyd attacks and begins strangling him, only to be bludgeoned from behind by Laura, knocking him unconscious. During the wedding, it is discovered that Boyd had the rings for the ceremony. Charles goes to retrieve them as Boyd is crawling up the stairs towards the wedding hall, leading Charles to inadvertently knock Boyd down the stairwell. Reaching into Boyd's coat for the rings, Boyd once again wakes and grabs his hand. However, he quickly loses consciousness and dies, as Charles retrieves the rings and rejoins the ceremony, which ends without further incident.Later, Kyle attempts to talk to Laura about his confession and is horrified to hear that she wishes more loose ends were tied up, ordering Kyle to kill Charles. She also orders him to kill Adam's children and their dog to rid her of her responsibilities towards them. Kyle takes Charles, the dog, and a suitcase containing Boyd's body back out to the Vegas desert. After burying Boyd, Kyle appears to be preparing to bludgeon Charles with his shovel, however, the next scene shows them all driving back from the burial site. On the way back, Kyle loses focus while daydreaming, crashing head-on into an oncoming car.Some time later, Laura is scrubbing and cleaning her house, living the life she always detested. Kyle, Charles, the dog, and Adam's children are now all disabled in some way and rely on Laura to take care of them. (Kyle has lost both of his legs and is now a paraplegic; Charles is a quadriplegic; and the family the dog now has only three legs and one eye) Laura, distraught over the pressures of all her unwanted responsibility, runs out into the street and falls down, crying and shrieking in anguish at this fate worse then death that she has landed into for the rest of her miserable life.
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violence, comedy, dark, murder
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tt0124198
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Arrival
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The film starts with the voice of Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) speaking to someone. We see moments of Louise with her daughter Hannah, from her birth, through her childhood years, up until her death at a young age from a fatal disease.Louise is a linguist and language professor. She begins her lecture to a small class when the students' phones go off. One student asks Louise to turn on the news. It is reported that in at least 12 sites around the world, there are enormous extraterrestrial vessels touching down.Louise is visited in her office by Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) to utilize her linguistic skills to attempt to communicate with the aliens. At night, Weber shows up in a chopper to escort Louise to the base. She joins them and meets a theoretical physicist named Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner).The team arrives at the Montana landing site, while the other 11 sites around the world have bases set up as well and are continuously updating each other on any progress. Louise, Ian, and several others are brought up to the top of the pod, where the lack of gravity allows them to stand before the barrier that keeps the aliens back. They are surrounded by a mist and they appear as large tentacled creatures (later called "heptapods"). Louise attempts to communicate with them by writing "human" on a board. One of the creatures emits a black cloud that forms a circular symbol. In a bold move, Louise removes her hazmat suit, attempting to gain their trust. She presss her palm to the barrier. One of the creatures extends a limb and presses it against the barrier in an imitation of Louise's gesture. After Ian shucks his hazmat suit, he decides to call the two aliens "Abbott and Costello."Tensions rise around the country as uncertainty in the heptapods' intentions has sparked panic, causing people to loot and riot.As the sessions go on, the team records the symbols produced by the heptapods to determine which symbols are translations of the words that Louise has been teaching them ("love", "time", etc.). Later when Louise "touches" them again, she starts to see visions of Hannah.China's General Shang (Tzi Ma) doesn't trust the aliens and has his team deviate from the set plan by not having the Chinese site communicate their intelligence to the other sites. The Chinese site attempts to communicate with the heptapods through a game of mahjong.Louise starts to experience dreams in the alien language, while still seeing memories of Hannah as a child showing Louise a drawing of her parents in a TV show she made up. Hannah asks Louise if it's her fault that her father left, but Louise assures her that's not the case. In the present, Louise questions the aliens as to who this girl is.The aliens deliver a message that is translated to "Use weapon", which generates even greater tension among the other sites. The Chinese deliver an ultimatum to the aliens - they have 24 hours to leave, or the military will initiate a strike. Several other sites gear up to do the same thing, while the sites all disconnect from each other. Louise tells Weber that they need to make sure the aliens know the difference between a weapon and a tool.Louise and Ian go up into the vessel by themselves, unaware that some of the soldiers placed a C4 bomb in there. As they try to communicate with the heptapods, Abbott starts to create a message with hundreds of tiny symbols scattered all over the place. As the bomb is ready to detonate, Abbott drops Louise and Ian from the vessel as it explodes.Louise awakens in the base camp. With a strike set to happen, she and Ian race to decode Abbott's message. Ian deduces that many of the symbols for "time" are scattered, but he can't exactly determine what it all means. Agent Halpern (Michael Stuhlbarg) then tells the others about how severe the situation is since Russia has reportedly executed one of their own in order to keep their secrets.Louise rushes toward the vessel, which sends down a small pod to allow her to go up to the ship. She comes face-to-face with Costello, who tells her that Abbott is dying from the explosion. Costello emits more black symbol smoke, causing Louise to remember Hannah again. Costello then helps Louise to realize that the heptapods' language is meant to be their tool, or rather, a gift to the humans. By understanding their language, they are able to see into the future. This means that all of Louise's memories of Hannah weren't flashbacks, but flash-FORWARDS. Costello explains that they were sent to give humans their language so that they may help the aliens in 3,000 years time.18 months into the future, Louise and Shang will meet face-to-face, and he will express gratitude for her work and efforts, which ended up convincing him just what the alien's true intentions were. Louise takes Halpern's phone and contacts Shang to his personal number. She and Ian lock themselves away as she tries to send a message in which she tells Shang his wife's dying words.The Chinese military decides to stand down as reports start flooding in from all over the world. The vessels all rise from the ground and leave Earth in a cloudy mist. Louise and Ian watch them leave. Ian says that the biggest thing about the whole process wasn't meeting the aliens, but it was meeting Louise. Louise then sees more visions of herself with Hannah, but this time with Ian in the picture. They are to become a couple that will eventually become parents to Hannah. In the present, Louise and Ian embrace, and she tells him she forgot what it was like to be held by him.
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flashback
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tt2543164
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Serpico
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Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) covered in blood and slumped in the backseat of a police car as it races to a hospital with lights and sirens blaring. He has just been shot in the face. The rest of the movie tells the story of Serpico's career up to this moment, starting with him becoming a police officer in 1960. He is very idealistic and believes in non-brutal methods to catch criminals. Serpico also refuses to join in on police corruption, specifically that which involves shaking down and taking payoffs from gambling and drug dealing organizations. His refusal to take bribes earns him the suspicion of his fellow officers throughout the majority of the precincts to which he is assigned. Additionally, Serpico finds trouble fitting in due to his embrace of the counterculture of the 1960s: He moves to Greenwich Village, grows his hair and beard long to the point where he must maintain a plainclothes appearance, and associates with a more left-wing crowd that is distrusting of the NYPD.At first Serpico tries appealing to his bosses about the corruption, but gets nowhere. He enlists a highly-connected fellow officer, Bob Blair (Tony Roberts) in his fight against corruption, but not even he can crack the city administration's general indifference. His campaign and the resulting complications and harassment within the department take a toll on his mental health and his relationship with fiancee Laurie (Barbara Eda-Young), who ultimately leaves him. After meeting a sympathetic police inspector who agrees to assist him with both disrupting the gambling rackets and later calling attention to the problem by going to the New York Times, he is transferred to narcotics, as he has always wanted. However, he finds himself in an even more corrupt and hostile atmosphere than before, where he has mostly enemies and almost no allies due to the reputation he has garnered. As a result, he is shot in the face during a raid on a heroin lab due to his fellow officers' reluctance to come to his aid. After being left for dead and eventually discovered by two uniformed officers, the story takes over from the beginning and shows a recuperating Serpico being tended to by his family and few remaining friends as well as being anonymously harassed with hate mail.At the end of the film, Serpico testifies to the Knapp Commission on police corruption. The film ends with him waiting to board a ship; despite being promoted to detective (a lifelong ambition of his) and being decorated by the department for "conspicuous bravery in action" (along with the two officers who abandoned him during the drug raid) he resigns from the NYPD and emigrates to Switzerland.
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dark, neo noir, violence, atmospheric, flashback, romantic
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tt0070666
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There's Always Vanilla
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There's Always Vanilla follows the life of Chris Bradley (Raymond Laine) a former U.S. Army soldier who has become a drifter and makes money by various means, from pimping to guitar playing. Chris returns to his home city of Pittsburgh and visits his father who owns and operates a baby food factory. After an evening out with his father of drinking at a local bar, and visiting an old girlfriend named Terri Terrific (Johanna Lawrence), Mr. Bradley wants Chris to abandon his bohemian lifestyle and do what was agreed upon when he separated from the military; return to the family business, but Chris refuses.
At a local train station, Chris meets Lynn (Judith Ridley; billed as Judith Streiner) a beautiful young woman who works as a model and actress in local TV commercials. Chris charms his way into Lynn's life and moves in with her. At first their relationship is a pleasant escape from daily life, but when Lynn starts to resent supporting the freeloading Chris, she motivates him into getting a steady job. Lynn learns that she's pregnant and, knowing how irresponsible he is, decides to get an abortion without telling Chris.
Chris lands a job at a small advertising firm but when he's given an account to advertise enlistments for the U.S. Army, he quits out of his resentment of his military past. Meanwhile, Lynn cannot bring herself to have an abortion, she abandons Chris, and moves in with a high school boyfriend who agrees to marry her and raise the baby as his own.
His romance with Lynn ruined and his lifestyle destroyed, Chris swallows his pride and moves back in with his father, still unable to decide what to do with his life, but believing he ultimately must accept the old values like his father has. Chris has more encouragement after a talk at dinner at a Howard Johnson's with his father where he tells Chris that life is like an ice cream parlor, and that of all of life's most exotic flavors to choose from, there's always vanilla to fall back on.
The film's final scene shows a very pregnant Lynn living in a suburban house with her new husband. A large packaged box arrives at their house addressed to Lynn with Chris' home address on it. Upon opening the box on the front lawn of their house as instructed on the box, helium-filled balloons float out of it and float away into the bright blue sky. On the bottom of the box is a note from Chris addressed to Lynn telling her to always remember the care-free time they had together.
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satire
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tt0166843
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Dalkomhan insaeng
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Kim Sun-woo (Lee Byung-hun) is a high ranking mobster and enforcer for Kang (Kim Yeong-cheol), a cold and calculating crime boss to whom he is unquestionably loyal. The two share concerns over business tensions with Baek Dae-sik (Hwang Jung-min), a son from a rival family, which is when Kang assigns Sun-woo what is perceived to be a simple errand while he is away on a business trip — to shadow his young mistress, Hee-soo (Shin Min-ah), whom he fears is having an "affair" with another man, giving Sun-woo the mandate to kill her (and her paramour) if he manages to discover it. As he performs his duty — following Hee-soo, and escorting her to a music recital one day — he becomes quietly enthralled by the girl's beauty and innocence as glimpses into his lonely, empty personal life become more prevalent. When he does come to discover Hee-soo's lover directly in her home, he fiercely beats him and prepares to inform Kang, but his attraction to her causes him to hesitate. He thus spares the two on the condition that they no longer see each other again, earning him Hee-soo's enmity.
Meanwhile, Sun-woo continues to be embroiled in personal business with Baek Dae-sik over having beaten up several of his henchmen earlier for overstaying their welcome at the hotel. He is then threatened by one of his enforcers to apologize, but he adamantly refuses, fueled by his frustrations over Hee-soo. As he relaxes in his apartment later one night, he is suddenly kidnapped by Baek's men to be tortured, but before they can do so they receive new orders via phone call and he is abruptly carried off to Kang, who has returned from overseas and has found out about his attempted cover-up of Hee-soo's affair. Kang's men torture him into confessing why he lied until he is left alone to think about his answer. A daring but messy escape follows, after which Sun-woo plans his revenge.
Help from one of Sun-woo's loyal men provides him with money and new clothes to go about his plan: he secretly delivers Hee-soo a gift to make amends and sets up a meeting with some local arms dealers, but as they are affiliated with Kang's organization he ends up killing them over a deal to buy a handgun — this incurs a vendetta with the brother of one of the dealers, who promptly sets out to find Sun-woo. He then goes on to set up a veiled rendezvous with Baek Jr. and kills him after a brief conversation, but he is viciously stabbed in the process. Bleeding, his violent shooting spree leads directly to Kang amidst one of his business meetings, where he vents bitterly over how badly he has been treated despite his seven years of service. Kang does not answer, and instead asks if Sun-woo's actions were directly because of Hee-soo. Sun-woo then shoots him, prompting a shootout with Baek Dae-sik's henchmen, who had quickly picked up his trail.
Sun-woo emerges as the only survivor of the battle with the arms dealer's brother finally catching up to him in the same room. Now dying from multiple gunshot wounds, he calls Hee-soo and pauses to reminisce on his only day with her, when he had escorted her to her music recital; in his memory, as he watches her play her cello, he finds himself overwhelmed with emotion and, in a rare moment of contentment, he smiles for the first time in the entire film. As he sheds a tear over this memory, the brother of the arms dealer executes him.
The film ends with a continuation of an earlier scene of Sun-woo looking out of a window at the city below him. After making sure he's alone, he begins to shadowbox his reflection in the glass, looking very happy.
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revenge, violence
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tt0456912
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X-Men: Apocalypse
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Nile Valley, 3,600 B.C.The people of Egypt are bowing down and chanting the name of En Sabah Nur (the ancient Egyptian language for 'Apocalypse'), a powerful being. He is brought into his pyramid by his Four Horsemen - Pestilence (Warren Scherer), Famine (Rochelle Okoye), Death (Monique Ganderton), and War (Fraser Aitcheson). They are set to begin a process to transfer En Sabah Nur's consciousness into the body of a younger successor (Oscar Isaac). As the sun hits the top of the pyramid, the process begins. Outside, the citizens of Egypt turn on their leader and send massive pillars sliding down into the pyramid to kill En Sabah Nur and the Horsemen. The Horsemen fight back against the other Egyptians as the pillars begin to destroy the pyramid. Death manages to form a protective shield on the successor before she and everyone else is crushed. The process is complete, but En Sabah Nur remains trapped beneath the rubble.We jump to Ohio in the year 1983. A high school classroom is discussing the events of 10 years earlier when Erik Lensherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender) attacked the peace summit in Paris, and Raven Darkholme/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) stopped him. One student, Scott Summers (Tye Sheridan), complains that his eyes are hurting. A classmate mistakes it as him winking at his girlfriend. The teacher tells Scott to report to the principal's office but he retreats to the bathroom and hides in a stall. The classmate enters and threatens to beat him. Scott then opens his eyes and releases a powerful blast that knocks the other kid against the wall and causes significant damage to the walls and ceiling.In West Berlin, a bunch of people are gathered in a secret location to witness the mutant Angel (Ben Hardy) fighting a large fat mutant (possibly Blob). After taking him out, Angel prepares for his next challenger. Some men bring in the challenger locked inside a box. He is Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Nightcrawler is able to teleport as far as he can see, but within the cage where they fight is an electrical lining that prevents him from escaping. Meanwhile, Raven has made it in and she increases the voltage in the cage. Nightcrawler manages to take Angel down and pin him against the cage, frying Angel's wings. With Raven's help, Nightcrawler escapes the place.Lensherr now lives in Poland under the name Henryk Gorzky. He works at a metal foundry and has a wife, Magda (Carolina Bartczak), and a daughter, Nina (T.J. McGibbon). Erik tells Nina a bedtime story that he heard from his parents. She asks him what happened to them, and Erik explains how his parents were taken from him.Scott's brother Alex/Havok (Lucas Till) takes him to Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters with bandages over his eyes to prevent another incident. Scott meets Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), who is now a teacher, and then bumps into Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), a telepathic mutant. Alex brings Scott to Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). Scott removes his bandages to hit a target, but he ends up splitting a tree that Charles's grandfather planted. Highly impressed, Charles says Scott is enrolled.Meanwhile, Raven brings Nightcrawler to a location where a mutant named Caliban (Tomas Lemarquis) is helping other mutants create fake IDs and passports. Nightcrawler gets his picture taken so that Raven can take him to the U.S.In Egypt, an archeologist named Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) discovers a hidden underground chamber that leads to the resting place of En Sabah Nur. A group of his followers recite a chant that revives him in his fully powered Apocalypse form. The followers are buried by the ensuing explosion, while Moira manages to get out. The explosion triggers an earthquake that can be felt throughout most of the continent and in Europe, including in Erik's workplace, where a large vat of molten metal falls and nearly crushes a man but Erik manages to manipulate it to save the man.At night, the students at school feel that something is wrong. Charles tells them all to stay in their rooms. He goes into Jean's room where he finds she's trembling and moaning. Charles looks inside her head and sees what she is dreaming of: she sees visions of chaos and destruction. Jean awakens and claims she saw the end of the world. She fears her powers, but Charles assures her that her power is great.Back in Egypt, Ororo Monroe/Storm (Alexandra Shipp) uses her power of weather manipulation to create a brief sandstorm that allows her to rob two men. They chase after her, which Apocalypse sees after witnessing her power. He follows the men as they prepare to cut off her hand. Using his own power, Apocalypse decapitates three other men with sand, while he traps the last man within a nearby wall.Elsewhere, Erik tells Magda that they need to leave after feeling he has been exposed. They call for Nina, but she is not in her room or in the yard. Erik hears a noise in the woods, which he and Magda follow. Nina is being held by an officer leading a group of other officers. They confront Erik regarding the incident at the factory, as well as his attack on the White House a decade earlier. He confesses to it and pleads for Nina to be let go. She is released and goes back to her mother. Erik joins the other officers, but Nina yells at the men to not take her father away. The sound of her voice (she's a mutant) causes the birds flying up above to attack the officers. One officer with a bow and arrow accidentally releases it, impaling both Nina and Magda. Erik runs to his family and cries. He takes off Nina's necklace and uses as a high-powered projectile to kill all the men.Charles and Hank go to Cerebro to find out what happened with the earthquake. He locates Moira in Egypt, clearly still in love with her. Charles and Alex take a trip to Langley at the CIA headquarters to visit Moira. She doesn't remember knowing Charles since he wiped her memories, but she still knows who he is. Moira explains that she was investigating En Sabah Nur's whereabouts and history, going into detail about his motives and followers, the Horsemen, and how he would give them special powers to aid him in destroying whatever they wanted.Ororo then brings Apocalypse to her home. She has a poster of Mystique, whom she considers to be her hero. Apocalypse places his hand on the TV to catch himself up on the last few thousands of years. Based on what he's seen, he determines that man has lost his way, and the world must be cleansed in order to be saved. He places his hand on Ororo and gives her powers added strength.Raven brings Nightcrawler to the school. He meets Jubilee (Lana Condor), Jean, and Scott (who now has red-tinted crystal eyeglasses that help him see without hurting anyone). They decide to hang out at the mall and watch "Return of the Jedi."Apocalypse and Storm then go to Caliban's facility to look for more powerful mutants. Caliban draws his gun on Apocalypse, but he turns it and the bullets to dust. As they step closer, Caliban is defended by Psylocke (Olivia Munn), a mutant with her own metal sword and a psychic katana. Clearly impressed, Apocalypse gives her an upgraded power.Psylocke leads Apocalypse and Storm to their next recruit. They find Angel in an abandoned building, where he is drinking and blasting Metallica, clearly not the same fighter he was before. Apocalypse turns his wings into metal with bladed feathers.Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver (Evan Peters) is watching a news report on Magneto. His mother comes downstairs and he pretends to have been playing the video game Mrs. Pac-Man. She knows what he was really watching and why he was watching it.Erik returns to the factory to confront his co-workers since they spoke to the police. He prepares to kill them all until Apocalypse, Storm, Psylocke, and Angel emerge. Apocalypse sinks the men beneath the ground and brings Erik to Auschwitz where he first used his powers and where he lost his family. Apocalypse encourages him to manipulate the metal in the earth, and to use his anger to fuel his energy. Erik begins to destroy the other buildings around him as Apocalypse vows to build a better world.Charles brings Raven, Hank, Alex, and Moira down to Cerebro to locate Erik. Charles finds him as Magneto once again, now having joined Apocalypse and the Horsemen. As Magneto speaks to Charles, Apocalypse sees the opportunity to link his mind to Charles's, which also lets him get into Cerebro and connect to anyone he wants. Apocalypse manipulates officials around the globe to launch all of their nukes into space so that no one, human or mutant, can stop him. Charles is overwhelmed by Apocalypse's power. He orders Alex to destroy Cerebro, which he does. The others pull Charles out of the room, only to encounter Apocalypse and the Horsemen appearing before them. Magneto pulls Charles in his chair and takes him. Alex releases a blast that causes a powerful explosion. Outside, Quicksilver arrives in time to do a power run through the school and evacuate everyone before the entire school is destroyed. However, he failed to save Alex, which Scott finds out about just as he and his friends return. He breaks down at the revelation.A chopper then descends to the ground. Moira approaches them, thinking they are part of another agency, until the leader steps out and removes his mask. It's William Stryker (Josh Helman). His men fire a sonic blast that incapacitates everyone, except for Scott, Jean, and Nightcrawler. Jean manages to keep them hidden by manipulating the mind of one of Stryker's men. Stryker captures Raven, Moira, Hank, and Peter. Nightcrawler teleports himself, Scott, and Jean into their chopper, but he cannot get anyone out because of the electrical lining within.Stryker takes everyone to his facility and traps Moira and the mutants in a room. Hank has re-mutated to Beast since he left his meds at home. Scott, Jean, and Nightcrawler sneak by the guards until they are spotted, forcing Nightcrawler to teleport them again. Simultaneously, Apocalypse brings Charles and the Horsemen to his old home and uses Charles to send a message to everyone on the planet, but Charles manages to get a hidden message to Jean to help her.In the cell, Peter admits to Raven that Magneto is his father, and he was hoping to be able to tell him.The three then come across a room with a chamber that has something locked up, angry and growling. As the guards approach, Jean opens the chamber, unleashing Weapon X ...aka WOLVERINE (Hugh Jackman). He gets his metal claws out and slaughters all the guards until he reaches an exit. Jean stops Wolverine and gently removes his brainwashing mechanism. She taps into his mind and gives him back the memories she could reach. Without a word, Wolverine retreats outside. The three then reach the cell, and Scott blasts the cell door open to release Moira and the mutants.Apocalypse destroys part of Egypt to recreate his own pyramid, and then gets Magneto to manipulate the magnetic poles to cause global destruction. Apocalypse then tells Charles he has the most important role in his plan. He wants to transfer his consciousness into Charles so that he can control everyone on the planet.Moira and the mutants fly toward Cairo to rescue Charles and defeat Apocalypse. Raven tells the others about her old team, and how she and Hank are the only ones left. Jean tells Raven she's a hero, but she doesn't see herself that way.The team reaches Cairo for the showdown. Beast and the young trio prepare for battle while Quicksilver and Raven (morphing into her natural Mystique form) head toward Magneto. She urges the trio to not hold back on their powers. Mystique and Quicksilver reach Magneto in the middle of his destruction, trying to convince him to fight for the good, with Mystique assuring him he has more family than he realizes. Quicksilver is about to tell Magneto of their relation, but he holds it back.Storm, Angel, and Psylocke come down and fight. Storm hurls lightning toward Scott, which he deflects with his beams. Psylocke uses her blades against Beast. Angel goes for a rematch with Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler traps Angel and heads into the pyramid to get Charles out in the middle of the transfer process. They and the other heroes make it back into their jet, but Angel and Psylocke reach them and try to break in. Nightcrawler gets everyone out of the jet as it crashes to the ground, killing Angel while Psylocke jumps to safety.An infuriated Apocalypse catches Quicksilver as he uses his super-speed to get some punches in, but Apocalypse traps his foot in the ground and breaks his leg. He orders Psylocke to execute him. Psylocke uses her katana to slash Apocalypse's throat. He grabs her by the neck, revealing Mystique in disguise. Storm watches as Apocalypse is killing her hero.The others are in a building for safety. Charles realizes he is still connected to Apocalypse and decides to fight him in their shared consciousness. Charles initially appears to have the upper hand, but Apocalypse overpowers him and starts trying to kill him. Magneto then turns on Apocalypse after realizing what side he's meant to fight on. As he holds Apocalypse off, Charles reaches Jean and gets her to tap into the fight with her mind. She manages to unleash her full Phoenix Force power to overwhelm Apocalypse. As he weakens, he tries to escape, but Storm uses her lightning to prevent him for leaving. Apocalypse's form deteriorates until he is finally disintegrated. After the battle, Psylocke quietly walks away.The team returns home. Erik and Jean help rebuild the school to its original form. Ororo asks Peter if he'll tell Erik he is Erik's son. He says he will eventually. He and Ororo decide to stick around.Although Charles asks Erik to stay, he chooses to leave, but he remains friends with Charles. Charles then goes to the Danger Room where Mystique is about to train Scott (now Cyclops), Jean, Storm, Quicksilver, and Nightcrawler into becoming true X-Men. A simulation then begins in which the students must battle Sentinels.After the end credits, a team of agents are at Stryker's facility. One man takes a sample of Wolverine's blood and puts it in a briefcase... which belongs to the Essex Corporation.
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suspenseful, murder, paranormal, cult, violence, flashback, good versus evil, psychedelic, tragedy, revenge, alternate history
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tt3385516
|
La chambre des morts
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While on a joyride with the headlights turned off, two men hit and kill another man carrying a satchel full of money. The two men decide to take the money and throw the body into a pond and bury the money in a coal hill. The next morning the police discover the body of a kidnapped 12-year blind girl, Melody, in a warehouse near the site of the hit-and-run. They determine that the kidnapper saw the girl's father bringing the ransom to him and also witnessed the hit-and-run and the men stealing the ransom. The kidnapper kills the girl but poses her body with an odd smile and in clothing that resembles a popular doll. The autopsy reveals that the girl was gently strangled and had cedar chips in her shoes and wolf hair on her nightgown. Her scalp was also damaged apparently from someone constantly brushing her hair. The kidnapper left finger prints but with no ridges for identification.Two days later, another 12-year old girl is kidnapped. She is diabetic and only has enough medicine for 40 hours. The profiler thinks the kidnapper is the same man and is deriving some kind of pleasure from what he's doing.
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revenge, flashback
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tt0990361
|
Children of the Corn
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In an attempt to save their failing marriage, Burt and Vicky, a bickering couple, are driving to California for vacation. As they drive through rural Nebraska, they accidentally run over a young boy who ran onto the road. Upon examination of the body, Burt discovers the boy's throat had been slit and he was bleeding to death before he was hit. After opening the boy's suitcase, they find a strange-looking crucifix made of twisted corn husks. Knowing they will have to report this to the authorities, they place the body in their car's trunk. After arguing over where to take the body, Burt decides to go to Gatlin, a small, isolated community which is right down the road. Vicky wants to take the body to Grand Island (which is 70 miles away), but Burt argues that it would not be a good idea to take the body so far away.
When they finally arrive in Gatlin, it appears to be a ghost town. As they explore the town and visit a gas station and an empty lunchroom, the couple notice that many things about the town are out-of-date, such as gas prices and calendar dates. Vicky starts to get a bad feeling about the town and wants to leave, but Burt insists that they keep going until they find the police station. When they finally reach the center of town, they find no one there either.
Burt then sees a church with a recent date on the sign out front. In stark contrast with the rest of Gatlin—which has been neglected for years—the church is reverently cared for. After telling Vicky he's going to have a look inside, they get into another argument. After Vicky threatens to drive off and leave him stranded in Gatlin, Burt grabs her purse, and takes out her car keys. Vicky, on the verge of hysteria, begs him to leave Gatlin and find another place to call the police. He ignores her and walks away.
Inside, Burt finds that someone has torn the lettering off the walls and created a strange mosaic of Jesus behind the altar, as well as ripping out the keys and stops of the pipe organ and stuffing its pipes full of corn husks. At the altar, Burt finds a King James Bible (with several pages from the New Testament cut out), and a ledger where names have been recorded, along with birth and death dates. While reading the ledger, he notices that twelve years ago all names were changed from modern to Biblical ones, and that everyone listed as deceased died on their 19th birthday. Burt comes to the horrifying realization that twelve years ago the children of Gatlin killed the town's adults and that members of their community are sacrificed on their 19th birthday.
After hearing Vicky sound the car's horn, Burt runs from the church to find that a gang of children dressed in Amish-style clothing and armed with farm tools have surrounded the car. Vicky tries to fight back, but the children drag her out of the car and slash holes in all of the tires. Burt tries to intervene, but one of the children (a teenaged boy with red hair) throws a kitchen knife at him, stabbing Burt in the arm. The teenager then attempts to claw Burt's eyes, but he pulls the knife out of his arm and stabs the teenager in the throat, killing him. The children step back in shock. Burt then realizes that Vicky is gone. When he asks where she is, one of the children holds up a knife and makes a slashing motion.
Burt then is chased into an alley. Managing to outrun them, Burt ducks into the corn field and hides while his attackers search for him. He notices several odd things: there are no animals or weeds anywhere in the cornfield, and that every stalk of corn is free of any blemishes. As the sun begins to go down, Burt becomes lost and wanders around until he stumbles onto a circle of empty ground in the middle of the cornfield. There he discovers Vicky's dead body. She has been tied to a cross with barbed wire, with her eyes ripped out, and her mouth stuffed with corn husks. Gatlin's previous minister and police chief, who are now skeletons, have also been crucified. As Burt starts to flee, he notices that every row in the cornfield has closed up, preventing him from escaping. Burt soon realizes that something is coming for him. Before he can do anything, he is killed by a giant red-eyed monster that comes out of the cornfield. Shortly thereafter, a harvest moon appears in the sky.
The next day, the children of Gatlin (all members of a cult that worships "He Who Walks Behind the Rows", a wrathful deity that inhabits the cornfields that surround the town) meet where Burt and Vicky were slain. Isaac, their nine year old leader, tells them that He Who Walks Behind the Rows is displeased with their failure to kill Burt, an act that the deity was forced to commit on its own, as it did with the former minister and police chief. As punishment for their failure He Who Walks Behind the Rows commands that the age limit be lowered to eighteen years old.
As night falls, Malachi (the killer of the boy that Burt and Vicky ran over) and all of the other eighteen-year-olds walk into the cornfield to sacrifice themselves to He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Malachi's pregnant girlfriend, Ruth, waves goodbye to him and begins to weep. It is revealed that she has a secret hatred for He Who Walks Behind the Rows and dreams of setting the cornfield on fire, but is afraid to actually do so because He Who Walks Behind the Rows can see everything, including the motives inside human hearts. The story ends with the simple statement that the corn surrounding Gatlin is pleased.
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violence, murder
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tt1290135
|
Marked for Death
|
Chicago DEA agent John Hatcher returns from Colombia, where drug dealers killed his partner Chico. As a result of Chico's death and years of dead end work, John retires and heads to his family's home in suburban Chicago. He visits the local school to meet his old friend and former U.S. Army buddy Max (Keith David) who works there as a football coach and physical education teacher.
As John and Max celebrate their reunion, a gunfight breaks out between local drug dealers and a Jamaican gang at the bar where they celebrate. The gang, known as the Jamaican Posse, is led by a notorious psychotic drug kingpin named Screwface (Basil Wallace) full of West African Vodun and sadism. John arrests one of Screwface's henchmen as the gunfight ends. News that Posse crimes occurring in Chicago and across the United States spread as the Posse increases their crime and members. The next day, Screwface and his henchmen do a drive-by shooting on the house where John, his sister Melissa, and Melissa's 12-year-old daughter Tracey live. Tracey is injured and hospitalized in critical condition.
John encounters a gangster named Jimmy whom he is forced to kill. A Jamaican gangster named Nesta arrives and is subdued by John, who asks about Screwface. Nesta gives information but tells him to go after Screwface alone and jumps out the window to his death. The next day, John discovers a strange symbol engraved on a carpet, and with the help of Jamaican voodoo and gang expert Leslie, a detective for the Chicago Police Department, he learns that it is an African blood symbol used to mark their crimes. John decides to come out of retirement to join Max in a battle against Screwface.
At the same night of their rendezvous, John gets a phone call from Melissa, which is cut short when Screwface and his men invade the Hatcher household, but they leave upon his arrival. The next day, John and Max encounter another batch of Screwface's henchmen which results in a car chase wherein one of the henchmen is killed. The henchmen's car crashes into a mall wherein they are subsequently killed by the duo amidst the chaos of shoppers fleeing the scene. During a meeting with Leslie, John realizes that the only way to stop the Jamaican Posse is to bring down Screwface. That evening, Screwface ambushes John under the guise of a construction crew; John escapes and survives after Screwface plants a molotov cocktail in his car.
The two team up with Charles, a Jamaican-American detective of the Chicago police, who has been trailing Screwface for five years, and trying to get to the root of the drug problem in the city. They acquire weaponry from a local weapons dealer, and, after testing the arsenal, they head for Kingston, Jamaica to find Screwface. Upon arrival, Max and Charles ask people in the streets information about Screwface's and his hideout. A Jamaican local presents them a photo of a woman who is acquainted with Screwface. John meets her in a nightclub, and she describes hanging out with Screwface, his drug business, and his hideout. The woman also informs John of a cryptic clue: the secret of Screwface's power is that he has two heads and four eyes.
By nightfall, John, Max, and Charles (disguised as members of the Posse) head for Screwface's mansion, where there is a party in progress. Secretly infiltrating the premises through a nearby plantation, John assassinates three henchmen on the balcony with a silenced sniper, plants a bomb at a nearby power station and infiltrates the inner grounds by climbing across roofs. While Max and Charles keep a lookout, John detonates the bomb, causing the party to erupt in violence and gunfire. With Max and Charles opening fire on the ambushing Posse gang, John enters the building and disposes of many henchmen. He finds a sacrificial area but is captured by Screwface and his remaining henchmen. John manages to break free and kills every henchman before decapitating Screwface in a sword fight.
Upon returning in Chicago, the trio displays Screwface's severed head to the Jamaican Posse to get them to end their crimes and leave. However, Screwface's identical twin brother, who runs the Chicago Posse crime business, arrives and kills Charles, causing the gang (as well as the audience) to think that Screwface has returned from the dead. At this point, it is revealed that the twin brother was the real mastermind of all Posse crimes in Chicago and the entire United States while the real Screwface supplies him with drugs and money. The meeting erupts in chaos, and the gang members open fire on the duo.
During the gunfight, Max holds off the henchmen despite being shot in the leg while John kills more gang members before he engages Screwface's twin brother in a sword fight. The fight moves to a nightclub owned by the twin himself wherein Hatcher gives him more fatal injuries by gouging his eyes and breaks his spine before dropping him down an elevator shaft, impaling the twin in the process. With both the Screwface brothers dead, the surviving Posse members are presumably arrested by law enforcement.
The final scene shows John carrying Charles' body with Max limping next to him before ending with Jimmy Cliff's song "John Crow" being played in the credits.
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comedy, neo noir, murder, cult, violence, humor, revenge
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tt0100114
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Yip Man
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This is the story of Ip Man, a legendary Wing Chun Kung Fu master from Fo Shan, China. The film is set in Japanese occupied Fo Shan following Japan's invasion of China during World War II. It recounts specifically one man's opposition the occupying Japanese forces.Ip Man is set in the 1930s in Foshan, a hub of Southern Chinese martial arts, where various schools actively recruit disciples and compete against each other. Although the Wing Chun master Ip Man is the most skilled martial artist in Foshan, he is unassuming and keeps a low profile. As an independently wealthy man, he feels no need to accept any disciples and instead spends his days training, meeting with friends, and spending time with his family. However, his wife is often resentful of the time he spends training and discussing martial arts with friends and colleagues. Though not a professional martial artist, Ip is respected in Foshan due to the abilities he displays in friendly, closed-door competitions with local masters. Ip's reputation is further enhanced when he defeats an aggressive, rude, highly skilled Northern Chinese martial arts master, Jin Shanzhao, thus upholding the regional pride of fellow Southern stylists and others in Foshan.The Japanese invasion in 1937 adversely affects the life of everyone in Foshan. Ip's house is claimed by the Japanese and used as their Foshan headquarters. Ip and his family lose their wealth and are forced to move into a decrepit house. Desperate to support his family, Ip accepts work as a coolie at a coal mine. The Japanese General Miura, who is a Karate master, establishes an arena where Chinese martial artists compete with his military trainees. The Chinese earn a bag of rice for every match they win. Li Zhao, a former police officer and Ip's acquaintance, is now working as a translator for the Japanese and is making the offer to the martial artists working as coolies. Ip at first declines to participate in the matches. However, when his friend Lin goes missing, he agrees to take part in order to investigate. He is enraged when he sees a fellow Foshan master (Master Liu) mercilessly executed for picking up a bag of rice from a prior victory after giving up in a second match against three karateka. He also comes to understand that Lin was killed in an earlier fight. Barely able to contain his rage, Ip demands a match with ten karateka at once. Despite having not practiced Wing Chun since the invasion began (in order to conserve what little food his family had to survive), he proceeds to mercilessly crush each of them with a brutal yet efficient barrage of his martial art mastery, showing barely any of the restraint he exhibited in previous engagements. His skill arouses the interest of Miura, who seeks to learn more about Ip and see him fight again.Ip visits his friend Chow Ching-chuen, who owns and runs a cotton mill in Foshan. Chow tells Ip that a highway robbery gang led by Jin Shanzhao is harassing his workers and extorting money from them. Ip trains the workers in Wing Chun for self defence. Meanwhile, Miura grows impatient when Ip does not return to the arena and sends men to find Ip. These men harass Ip's family, and Ip incapacitates them. Ip and his family then go into hiding at Li Zhao's house. Meanwhile, the robbers return to the cotton mill to demand money. The workers fight back using the techniques that Ip taught them. Just then, Ip appears and defeats Jin Shanzhao, warning him never to harass the workers again.The Japanese soldiers eventually find Ip at the cotton mill. Miura tells Ip that his life will be spared if agrees to instruct the Japanese soldiers in martial arts. Ip refuses and challenges Miura to a match, which Miura accepts, both because of his love for martial arts and because refusing the challenge would be a humiliation to the Japanese. The match between Ip and Miura is held in public in Foshan's square. At first, the two fighters seem equally matched, but Miura becomes overwhelmed and is unable to fend off Ip's attacks as he effortlessly uses him as a Wooden Dummy, inflicting a severe beating on him and clearly winning.As the beaten general lies down after his defeat, Ip looks over to the crowd and hears the Chinese cheering him; within the crowd, he spots his wife and child with Chow. Just then, Miura's deputy Sato shoots Ip. This sparks a scuffle between the Chinese audience and the Japanese soldiers. During the scuffle, Li Zhao kills Sato with Sato's own gun. Ip is taken away amidst the chaos. It is revealed that he survives and escapes to Hong Kong with his family. There, Ip establishes a Wing Chun school, where his students come to include Bruce Lee.
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murder, violence, flashback, good versus evil, action, inspiring, sadist
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tt1220719
|
Foul Play
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Gloria Mundy (Goldie Hawn) is attending a party in a town across the bay from San Francisco. From a conversation with a friend we learn that she is recently divorced and is shying away from dating men to avoid getting her heart broken again. Her friend urges her to become more social and for a few seconds she considers getting to know a stranger at the party played by Chevy Chase. Deciding he is a klutz and a bore she drives back to the city alone. As the opening credits roll we see her driving down the gorgeous Marlin County coastline in her yellow VW convertible as Barry Manilow sings the song "Ready to Take a Chance Again."When Gloria passes a handsome stranded stranger with broken down car, she decides to take a chance and pulls over to help. The stranger, Bob Scott (Bruce Solomon) asks her to drive him back to the city. On the way Scott notices that they are being followed by a black limo and decides to slip a cigarette pack, containing a spool of film, into Gloria's purse asking her to meet him at a movie theater later that evening. When she drops him off, we see two men jump from the limo and pursue him.When Scott finally reaches the movie theater, he sits down and we see he is hurt and bleeding badly. He dies shortly after whispering to Gloria "Beware of the dwarf!" She runs from the theater and gets the manager, but by the time they get back to her seat, the body is gone.Gloria tells this story to her elderly landlord Mr. Hennessey (Burgess Meredith), a retired anthropologist who keeps a ten foot snake as a pet, then heads upstairs to go to bed. The next day when she goes to work at the public library she also tells this story to her girlfriend, Stella, (Marilyn Sokol) who is convinced the whole thing is a hoax by a sex-crazed man, and insists the Gloria protect herself by carrying a portable alarm and a can of mace in her purse.As she is closing up the library that evening Gloria finds herself alone with an albino stranger (William Frankfather) who tries to kidnap her. She flees the building with the albino and another swarthy character, The Turk (Ion Teodorescu) in pursuit. Running into a bar she picks up Stanley Tibbets (Dudley Moore) and without telling him whats going on, asks him to take her to his apartment. There, Stanley misreads her intentions and prepares for a wild evening of sex, while she is distracted watching her pursuers out the window. When she finally turns around and sees Stanley in his underwear she is shocked and he is embarrassed. She heads home while Stanley mutters his apologies.Gloria is later assaulted at her apartment by a man with a scar on his face (Don Calfa), who demands she give him whatever was passed to her by Scott. He takes the cigarettes, and then attempts to strangle Gloria, but she stabs him with a pair of knitting needles (The cigarettes fall out of his pocket and lay hidden under a plant). Thinking she has killed him she calls the police, but as she turns around he is up again staggering toward her with murderous intent. The albino suddenly appears at the window and uses a throwing knife to kill the man with the scar and Gloria faints.She awakes to see the face of Chevy Chase's character, who we find is police Lt. Tony Carlson. Gloria tells him her story, but again the body has disappeared. Carlson's partner, Fergie, (Brian Dennehy) thinks she is nuts, but Tony is attracted to her and invites her to the station during her lunch hour.When she leaves the library to meet Tony for lunch she is kidnapped by the albino and the Turk. Waking up locked in a room she uses the portable alarm to get the Turk into the room and then maces him. She then climbs down the fire escape in the pouring rain and jumps to safely. Later she shows up at Tony's office, soaked to the skin and he takes her home.The next day Tony and Fergie check out the room where Gloria was held and find out that it was rented to someone named "Stiltskin." When Tony gets back to police headquarters he is informed that Stiltskin is the name of an assassin whose nickname is the "The Dwarf" and Scott was working undercover trying to find the name of the target. Suddenly Gloria's strange story makes sense and Tony heads out to her apartment to make sure she is okay.In the meanwhile Gloria has a visit from salesman J.J. MacKuen (Billy Barty). As he is a midget, she is terrified and misunderstanding his offer to connect her with eternity pushes him out the window, where he falls into a trash barrel and goes rolling down the hilly San Francisco street. When Tony arrives they open MacKuen's case to find he was an innocent Bible salesman.Gloria, Tony and Fergie head out to the residence of Archbishop Thorncrest, whose limo has been identified as the one used in kidnapping Gloria. The Archbishop (Eugene Roche) and his assistant Delia Darrow (Rachel Roberts), are busy preparing for a visit by the Pope and claim the car has been missing, taken by the chauffer, The Turk. When Gloria and party leave we find out that the Archbishop has been replaced by his identical brother. He and Darrow, Stiltskin, the albino and the Turk are part of an anti-religious conspiracy to kill the Pope.To keep Gloria safe Tony takes her to his house overnight: a fancy houseboat in Sausalito where they become romantically involved. The next day he takes Gloria home where Fergie is supposed to keep an eye on her while Tony heads out to look at where they found scarface's body. Fergie never shows up at Gloria's but she gets a mysterious call from him asking her to meet him at a deserted building next to a "massage" parlor. Stiltskin (Marc Lawrence) and company have kidnapped Fergie and forced him to make the call to trap Gloria. At the last moment Fergie yells a warning and Gloria escapes into the massage parlor hiding in one of the rooms where she again runs into Stanley. Stanley is mortified, but Gloria begs him to call the police and have the house raided. He finally does this, but Gloria is captured anyway while Stanley is hauled off to the police station.When Gloria and Fergie disappear, Tony decides to search the Archbishop's house with the help of Mr. Hennessey. Tony finds Fergie in the basement and a fight erupts between him and Stiltskin were Stiltskin is killed. Tony is captured and taken upstairs where he is tied up with Gloria. The archbishop imposter informs them that even with Stilskin dead, the albino, the backup assassin, will do the job by shooting the Pope from one of the organ bays during that evening's opera. Mr. Hennessey suddenly attacks and the archbishop imposter is knocked cold as a martial arts contest unfolds between the elderly Hennessey and the middle-aged Delia Darrow with the tied up Tony and Gloria watching. Hennessey finally wins and Tony and Gloria are released to make a hair raising race across the city (wrecking several vehicles in the process) to the opera house.They check the first organ bay and it seems empty, so Tony leaves Gloria there while he and the other police leave to check the other side. The albino comes out from where he has been hiding, however, and kidnaps Gloria, dragging her up into the catwalks above the stage while the opera continues below. The albino manages to shoot a pursuing policeman who tumbles over the edge and gets caught in the rigging of a sailing ship "flying" setpiece in the rafters of the theater. The albino is then shot by Tony, falls and is caught in the same way. The set suddenly drops down out of the ceiling at the end of the opera with the two dead men caught in the rigging. The whole theater sits in shock at this until the Pope, apparently thinking this is the way the opera is supposed to end, starts clapping and everybody else joins in. Tony and Gloria find each other and embrace while the crowd cheers. Down the orchestra pit we see the conductor is Stanley, who blanches at seeing Gloria, and slips on a pair of sunglasses hoping to avoid another embarrassing encounter with her.
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murder
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tt0077578
|
Ookami kodomo no Ame to Yuki
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Hana is enrolled in a university, while working part-time as a dry cleaner, and living a single life alone in her apartment. She saw a boy in her class writing down notes, but with no textbook, and whom she had never seen before in any classes. Wolf man was his name, and he never intended on meeting anyone, nor a girl at this time. He wasn't enrolled in school, just there to learn and read. Hana noticed one day that he never signed his sheets, so she chased him to get him to sign them, but he refused and tells her why. After that hana becomes more interested in wolf man and wants to know who he is. Wolf man works for a moving company, mostly for apartments, and is set out to buy an apartment of his own, where he can keep his books and call it his own. After some time hana asks him to move in with her. Soon hana finds out that wolf man isn't normal, wolf man is a wolf. She isn't truly frighten, but yet scared a bit. Soon they have a child, but they give birth at home with no one around because they don't know if it will be a puppy, or a baby. It's a beautiful girl named yuki. Through this story, yuki will narrate the liveschool and hana is going to go get her, but ams decides to leave for the forest. Hana leaves for him and forgets about yuki, and goes after ame. And this brings them all together in a way that a family loves each other. That's the story of wolf children.
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romantic, fantasy
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tt2140203
|
Red: Werewolf Hunter
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Virginia, modern-day descendant of Little Red Riding Hood, brings her fiancé, Nathan, home to meet her family. Virginia's brothers, Marcus (Greg Bryk) and Jake (David Reale), are quick to welcome Virginia back, fondly calling her "Red", a family nickname of the first daughter in every generation. After the arrival of both people, Nathan finds a man staggering up the driveway half dead. The dying man says the name "Gabriel" before Nathan runs for Virginia. When they return, the man is already ashes. The sheriff arrives and contains the situation, much to Nathan's dismay. Virginia takes Nathan inside and explains that they hunt werewolves. Nathan, not believing her, goes for a walk at sunset. He is attacked and bitten by a werewolf who reveals his name to be Gabriel (Stephen McHattie). The next day, while preparing for a hunt, Nathan asks if they had ever turned a werewolf back. Virginia tells him that the only way to break the curse is to kill the werewolf who turned the person, before the newly bitten werewolf kills a human. Shortly after, they go hunting in town where Nathan kills a werewolf. After the wolves are dead, they find a girl locked in their car's trunk. She tells them that the wolves are planning on a "Game" that no human survives. Later that night, while setting up camp, Nathan transforms into a werewolf for the first time. Desperate to protect him, Virginia insists on locking him up for the night. Nathan awakens the next morning in a cell. With the curse over for the night, he is released for the day, to help hunt Gabriel. Back in town, Marcus and Jake are taken captive for the new "Game". When the night comes to an end, it is revealed that the brothers were killed.
The next day, the family prepare for a final battle, and Gabriel seizes the moment to kidnap Virginia. Nathan finds the brothers shortly before finding Virginia. The couple return home and finish preparations for the full moon. As the sun goes down, the battle begins. Nathan is locked in his cage with the grandmother watching him. Red kills several of the werewolves who enter the house, before confronting Gabriel. Meanwhile, the grandmother tries to shoot Nathan as he turns into a werewolf. Upon escaping from the cell, Nathan, in werewolf form, kills the grandmother. Upstairs, Virginia is pursued by Gabriel. Smearing her blood stained hand in silver paint, she smears it on Gabriel, who falls over the rail, two stories. Virginia jumps after him, plunging a silver headed harpoon into his heart. As he dies, Virginia hears the howl of a werewolf. Fearing the worst, she flees to the basement to see Nathan, but finds her grandmother dead. Grabbing a red cloak, Virginia runs to the woods to find Nathan. Werewolf Nathan attacks Virginia, knocking her out. In the morning, Virginia discovers she's been bitten. Several feet from where she fell was a trail of blood leading to an old ruined building. Inside, Nathan is human again. He pledges his love to Virginia, saying he wants a life with her. As he hugs her, Virginia stabs him with a silver knife, swearing she'll always love him. With his death, the curse on Virginia is broken. The film ends with her reading the story of Little Red Riding Hood to her daughter as a wolf howls in the distance.
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violence
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tt1626201
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Girl 6
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In Manhattan, New York City, Judy, also known as Girl 6 (Theresa Randle), is at a very awkward audition with Quentin Tarantino. Judy seems to grin and bear it. Tarantino reveals that the film Judy is auditioning for is "the greatest romantic, African-American film ever made. Directed by me, of course." However, Judy grows suspicious of the audition, when "Q.T.", tells her that "Wesley, Denzel, and Fishburne" are signed up to play supporting roles. Judy seems to keep her cool until it is requested that she remove her blouse so "Q.T." and his assistant can see her breasts. She reluctantly complies, but not for long. She walks out on the audition.Her agent (John Turturro) is furious. Having worked hard to get Judy her audition with such a prestigious director, he quickly and angrily drops her from his roster of clients. Her melodramatic acting coach (Susan Batson) is also extremely displeased. When Judy tells her why she did not go through with the audition, the acting coach still does not see any reason why Judy should have walked out. This, topped with the fact that Judy has not paid her rent in a very long while, forces her to drop Judy from her roster of clients as well.Now unable to secure acting work, Judy must find a way to make ends meet. She tries a number of jobs: passing out fliers, waiting tables at a club, etc. At one point she agrees to be an extra on a movie set. However, it is cold and unpleasant, as is the director. Judy is sick with a cold, and still trying to secure work. While reading a newspaper, she sees an ad for a "friendly phone line", as well as one with the headline, "mo money, mo money, mo money". She circles them both.This brings her to a meeting at a phone sex office. She meets the boss (Jenifer Lewis), who seems to be an assertive but friendly woman. The two click and the "audition" goes over just fine. The boss, now known as Lil, says that although she can't promise anything, she'll put in the good word for Judy. Judy also goes to another meeting, but the boss there wants her to do more visually related work, so she declines. Then, she attends another meeting, at a strip club/phone sex line with a relaxed boss (Madonna). She would take the job, but the content allowed for on-line discussion is a bit too heavy for her taste. She decides to stick to her original application with Lil.We now look in on Judy's dissolved relationship with her kleptomaniac ex-husband (Isaiah Washington), as well as her relationship with her baseball-memorabilia obsessed best friend, Jimmy (Spike Lee). Jimmy is reliant on his collection for money, but until it accumulates enough age to be worth money, he gets his rent money from Judy.Throughout the film, the phone sex line, having been secured at Lil's company, begins to take its mental toll on the newly christened Girl 6. She trusts her clients too much at times, and is therefore tricked repeatedly. She even agrees to meet one of her callers at one point, but he thinks she is a white girl, and when he walks toward her, he sees she is African American, so he just walks by her as though he were someone else, leaving her on a bench alone. It is visible to everybody, especially Lil and Jimmy, that Judy is having a breakdown. The movie culminates in a dark sequence in which she enters a snuff fantasy with a caller (Michael Imperioli). It becomes serious when she discovers the caller knows where she lives. Running upstairs for shelter with Jimmy, she decides that it is time to leave the phone sex career behind and get her acting career in motion. Finally reconciling with her ex, she decides to move to Los Angeles.Oddly enough once in California, Judy attends another audition in which she experiences the same problem as the one with "Q.T." She again walks out. However, it is clear that Girl 6 has reclaimed her dignity, and will find work sooner or later. On that hopefull note, the film comes to a close.
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pornographic
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tt0116414
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Angel
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The movie opens with 15 year-old honor student Molly Stewart (Donna Wilkes) attending her private prep school in the Los Angeles area. When she gets home, however, with some makeup work and a change in wardrobe she becomes Angel: the mini-skirted, high-heeled street prostitute working Hollywood Blvd. As she weaves her way through the evening avoiding vice-cops and interacting with potential customers, we meet the members of her street family: the aging movie cowboy Kit Carson (Rory Calhoun), street performer Yoyo Charlie (Steven M. Porter) transvestite Mae (Dick Shawn) and fellow hookers Crystal (Donna McDaniel) and Lana (Graem McGavin).Despite the carnival-like atmosphere of the Hollywood streets after dark, all is not well as hookers are being killed by a psycho-necrophiliac (John Diehl) that likes to dismember the girl's bodies when he is done. Police Lt. Andrews (Cliff Gorman) has been assigned to the case, but has no leads. Tragedy strikes Angel's group of friends when Crystal, who has a budding romantic relationship going with Yoyo Charlie, picks up the killer and winds up a victim.The next day at school the arrogant jock Ric Sawyer (David Underwood) makes a play for Molly which she pointedly rejects. She then goes to see teacher Patricia Allen (Elaine Giftos) who is concerned about Molly's lack of extra-curricular activities. Molly explains that her mother has been paralyzed by a stroke and she needs to go home immediately after school every day to take care of her.The next evening a crowd, including Angel, gathers outside the motel room where Crystal's body was found. Lt. Andrews advises the girls to work in pairs. Later that evening Angel is working with partner Lana when they see a potential client across the street. Lana takes him to a motel room she and Angel share. A couple hours later when Angel shows up at the room with a client of her own, she finds the naked, bloody body of Lana in the shower where the killer left it.This makes Angel the only person who can identify the killer. Based on a description she gives the police, a sketch is made and the killer is brought in for a lineup. Angel recognizes him, but he escapes by grabbing an officer's gun and shooting his way out of the police station.Andews takes Molly/Angel home and demands to speak with her parents, then finds out the truth: Molly's father left her mother nine years ago and her mom abandoned Molly three years ago. Molly keeps up the fiction of her mother being around so that she will not be sent to a foster home. She believes someday her father will return for her and wants to be waiting for him at their old apartment, so since the age of 12 she has paid the rent by prostitution.Despite Andrews' warnings to stay off the street, Angel/Molly purchases a small pistol and goes back to work. That night schoolmate Ric Sawyer and pals see her on a street corner and force her into their car, but Molly uses the gun to escape. However, her secret is out now and her whole school knows she spends her evenings as a Hollywood hooker.The next day, Mae is playing cards with Molly's ill-tempered landlord, Solly (Susan Tyrrell), when teacher Allen, who has heard the stories circulating around the school, comes by insisting on seeing Molly's mother. Mae sneaks up to Molly's apartment to try and pretend he is Molly's mother, but Allen sees through this subterfuge. Mae is still at Molly's apartment a few minutes later when the killer, trying to murder Molly, shows up. He and Mae fight till Mae is stabbed. After the killer flees, Mae is still alive long enough where he dies in Solly's arms.Andrews and Molly return to her apartment to find Mae dead. While Andrews is on the phone to call for backup, Molly goes to Solly's room and gets her gun (a huge, long-barreled .44 magnum) and heads out on the streets to avenge Mae. Andrews goes looking for her and enlists Kit Carson to help in the search. The killer, dressed up as a Hara Krishna, sneaks up behind Molly with a knife, but a warning from Yoyo Charlie saves her and starts a chase though the streets with Molly using the huge gun to blast away at the killer while Andrews ties to catch up with them both. In a dead-end alley the killer jumps Molly and gets her gun and is about to turn it on both her and Andrews when Carson - having put real bullets into his cowboy/show guns - arrives just in the nick of time to fill the killer full of lead. Molly, Andrews and a wounded Carson walk off together as the scene fades to black.
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cult, murder
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tt0086896
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The Babadook
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Amelia Vanek is a troubled and exhausted widow who has brought up her six-year-old son Samuel alone after her husband Oskar's death from a car accident that occurred as he drove Amelia to the hospital during her labour. Sam begins displaying erratic behaviour: he becomes an insomniac and is preoccupied with an imaginary monster, against which he has built weapons to fight. Amelia is forced to pick up her son from school after Sam brings one of the weapons there. One night, Sam asks his mother to read a pop-up storybook: Mister Babadook. It describes the titular monster, the Babadook, a tall pale-faced humanoid in a top hat with pointed fingers who torments its victims after they become aware of its existence. Amelia is disturbed by the book and its mysterious appearance, while Sam becomes convinced that the Babadook is real. Sam's persistence about the Babadook leads Amelia to often have sleepless nights as she tries to comfort him.
Soon after, strange events occur: doors open and close mysteriously by themselves, strange sounds are heard and Amelia finds glass shards in her food. She attributes the events to Sam's behaviour, but he blames the Babadook. Amelia rips up the book and disposes of it. At Sam's cousin Ruby's birthday party, Ruby bullies Sam for not having a father, in response to which he pushes her out of her tree house and breaks her nose in two places. Amelia's sister Claire admits she cannot bear Sam to which Amelia takes great offence. On the drive home, Sam has another vision of the Babadook and suffers a febrile seizure, after which Amelia makes a successful plea for sedatives to a paediatrician.
The following morning, Amelia finds the Mister Babadook book reassembled on the front door step. New words taunt her by saying that the Babadook will become stronger if she continues to deny its existence, containing pop-ups of her killing her dog Bugsy, Samuel and then herself. Terrified, Amelia burns the book and runs to the police after a disturbing phone call. However, Amelia has no proof of the stalking, and when she then sees the Babadook's suit hung up behind the front desk, she leaves. Amelia starts to become more isolated and shut-in, being more impatient, shouting at Samuel for 'disobeying' her constantly, and having frequent visions of the Babadook once again.
One night, Amelia sees a vision of Oskar, who agrees to return if she gives him Sam. Fleeing, Amelia is stalked by the Babadook through the house until it takes over her and finally possesses her, breaking Bugsy's neck, and attempting to kill Sam. Eventually luring her into the basement, Sam knocks her out. Amelia awakens, tied up in the basement, with a terrified Sam nearby. When she tries to strangle him, he lovingly caresses her face, causing her to throw up an inky black substance, an action which seemingly expels the Babadook. When Sam reminds Amelia that "you can't get rid of the Babadook", an unseen force drags him into Amelia's bedroom. After saving Sam, Amelia is forced by the Babadook to rewatch a vision of her husband's death, to her utter despair. She then furiously confronts the Babadook, and is then able to make the beast retreat into the basement, where she locks the door behind it.
After the ordeal, Amelia and Samuel have managed to recover. Amelia is attentive and caring toward him, encouraging him with the weapons he makes and being impressed at Sam's magic tricks. They gather earthworms in a bowl and Amelia takes them to the basement, where the Babadook resides. She places the bowl on the floor for the Babadook to eat. However, as the beast tries to attack her, Amelia calms it down, and it retreats to the corner taking the earthworms along with it. Amelia returns to the yard to celebrate Sam's birthday.
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dark, psychological, mystery, paranormal, allegory, atmospheric, entertaining
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tt2321549
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Diarios de motocicleta
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In 1952, a semester before Ernesto "Fuser" Guevara is due to complete his medical degree, he and his older friend Alberto, a biochemist, leave Buenos Aires in order to travel across the South American continent in search of fun and adventures. While there is a goal at the end of their journey - they intend to work in a leper colony in Peru - the main purpose is tourism. They want to see as much of Latin America as they can, more than 8,000 kilometers (5000 miles) in just a few months, and also bed as many Latin American women as will fall for their pick-up lines. Their initial method of transport is Alberto's ancient and leaky but functional Norton 500 motorcycle christened La Poderosa ("The Mighty One").Their route is ambitious. They head south, aim to cross the Andes, travel along the coast of Chile, across the Atacama Desert and into the Peruvian Amazon and reach Venezuela just in time for Alberto's 30th birthday, April 2. Due to La Poderosa's breakdown, they are forced to travel at a much slower pace, and make it to Caracas in July.During their expedition, Guevara and Granado encounter the poverty of the indigenous peasants, and the movie assumes a greater seriousness once the men gain a better sense of the disparity between the "haves" and "have-nots" of Latin America. In Chile, the pleasure travelers encounter a couple forced onto the road because of their communist beliefs. In a fire-lit scene, Ernesto and Alberto admit to the couple that they are not out looking for work as well. The duo accompany the couple to the Chuquicamata copper mine, and Guevara becomes angry at the treatment of the workers. There is also an instance of recognition when Ernesto, on a river ship, looks down at the poor people on the smaller boat hitched behind. Ernesto's connection to people in need is visceral and tactile throughout the film. It shows in the way he smoothes the forehead of a terminally ill woman who cannot afford a proper doctor.However, it is a visit to the Incan ruins of Macchu Picchu that inspires something in Ernesto. He wonders how the highly advanced culture gave way to the urban sprawl of Lima. His reflection is interrupted by Alberto, who shares with him a dream to peacefully revolutionize modern South America. Ernesto quickly responds: "A revolution without guns? It will never work."In Peru, they volunteer for three weeks at the San Pablo leper colony. There, Guevara sees both physically and metaphorically the division of society between the toiling masses and the ruling class (the staff live on the north side of a river, separated from the lepers living on the south). Guevara also refuses to wear rubber gloves during his visit choosing instead to shake bare hands with startled leper inmates.At the end of the film, after his sojourn at the leper colony, Guevara confirms his nascent egalitarian, anti-authority impulses, while making a birthday toast, which is also his first political speech. In it he evokes a pan-Latin American identity that transcends the arbitrary boundaries of nation and race. These encounters with social injustice transform the way Guevara sees the world, and by implication motivates his later political activities as a revolutionary.Guevara makes his symbolic "final journey" that night when despite his asthma, he chooses to swim across the river that separates the two societies of the leper colony, to spend the night in a leper shack, instead of in the cabins of the doctors. This journey implicitly symbolizes Guevara's rejection of wealth and aristocracy into which he was born, and the path he would take later in his life as a guerrilla, fighting for what he believed was the dignity every human being deserves."Wandering around our America has changed me more than I thought. I am not me any more. At least I'm not the same me I was."
~ Guevara at film's endAs they bid each other farewell, Alberto reveals that his birthday was not in fact April 2, but rather August 8, and that the stated goal was simply a motivator: Ernesto replies that he knew all along. The film is closed with an appearance by the true life 82-year-old Alberto Granado, along with pictures from the actual journey and a mention of Che Guevara's eventual 1967 CIA-assisted execution in the Bolivian jungle.source:Wikipedia
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avant garde, murder, stupid, dramatic, inspiring, romantic
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tt0318462
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13 Going on 30
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On May 26, 1987, Jenna Rink, a gawky girl, yearns to be popular, but the only way she can get the ruling clique - the "Six Chicks," led by the arrogant Lucy "Tom-Tom" Wyman - to attend her upcoming 13th birthday party is by doing their homework. Jenna's best friend, the geeky boy Matty Flamhaff, (with the horrible nickname of Beaver because he looks like the star of "Leave It To Beaver") arrives early to the party to give her a bright pink, dream dollhouse that he built for her. He sprinkles his second gift, a packet of glittery "magic wishing dust." on its roof.
The Six Chicks soon show up with the cutest boys in class and make Jenna play "Seven Minutes in Heaven" While Jenna waits, blindfolded, in a dark closet, thinking a popular boy she has a crush on is about to enter, the Six Chicks vanish with all the boys, half the food and Jenna's completed homework. It's Matt who walks into the closet, to Jenna's horror. She locks herself in the closet and cries, wishing to be 30; above her, the glittering wishing dust from the dollhouse gently rains down.
The next morning, Jenna awakens in a gleaming Fifth Avenue apartment. Jenna's dream has come true: It is now 2004, and Jenna, at first utterly baffled, particularly by the handsome hunk in her shower, realises she's magically turned thirty overnight, with no idea of what happened in the intervening seventeen years.
Jenna discovers that she works for Poise, her favourite fashion magazine. Tough-as-nails Lucy is her co-editor and best friend, but the magazine itself is in serious trouble, having been scooped by a rival magazine named Sparkle so often that the editor-in-chief believes someone inside Poise is tipping them off. Jenna, freaking out like the frightened teen she still is, wants only to find Matty. She gets his address and races down to the Village where the now-grown Matt (Mark Ruffalo) is a struggling photographer. To her confusion, he's distant and cold, and can't even fill Jenna on much of her missing past, because she became head of the "Six Chicks," and never spoke to Matt again. She even became Prom Queen - and Lucy, her only friend, is actually the original "Tom-Tom' after plastic surgery.
While delighting in her freedom and great clothes, Jenna stumbles through a grown-up world, learning enough of life to advise other 13-year-olds whom she actually prefers to hang with. But her slowly-emerging past reveals she was nothing like the sweet, shy girl she'd been the day before: this grown-up Jenna stole ideas, refused to speak to her parents, has office sex with the husband of a co-worker. After Jenna overhears her supposed best friend Lucy badmouthing her, in a plan to save the magazine behind her back, she resolves to fix the sins of the past she can't remember.
She returns to her hometown in New Jersey and weeps in the same basement closet. Her parents find her there, and they hug. She gets back in touch with Matt, gingerly apologises and hires him to do the photography on her own new plans for Poise, which is a huge break for him. Even though Matt has a fiancée in Chicago who's eager for him to move there, Jenna and Matt begin to fall for each other.
Everyone loves Matt's photos and Jenna's new plans to save the magazine, but when Sparkle shows up yet again with this exact material, including Matt's own photographs, and with Lucy as their new head, Poise folds. Outraged, Jenna confronts Lucy for stealing, but Lucy scornfully tells her that Jenna was the one sabotaging her own magazine all along; Lucy merely found out about it and did the same thing.
Matt, wounded by what he thought was Jenna's betrayal of him, is getting married the next day. Jenna rushes out to the leafy suburb on his wedding day, hoping to convince Matt that she wasn't the person she'd seemed to be, that he'd marry her if he could see who she really was, but Matt, already in his tux, says the past can't come back and hands Jenna her pink homemade dollhouse, which he'd kept all these years. While the wedding begins in the background, Jenna leaves in tears, closing her eyes and clinging to the dollhouse—on which a few bits of wishing dust still remain.
When Jenna opens her eyes, she's back in 1987, on that same 13th birthday night. This time, when Matt finds her huddled alone in the closet, she kisses him. They run upstairs together, bumping into Tom-Tom on the way, Jenna rips up the homework in Tom-Tom's hands and Jenna and Matt run out of the house, emerging as a wedding couple on the other side of the door, and, as credits roll, they're moving into a bright pink house just like the dollhouse that started it all.
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romantic, comedy, feel-good, prank
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tt0337563
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Into the Woods
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The film begins by introducing several characters in quick succession, all singing about something they want. Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) cleans her stepmother's house as she sings about her wish to go to the king's festival. Young Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) wishes his cow would give milk. The Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt) wish they could have a child. Cinderella's stepmother (Christine Baranski) and stepsisters Florinda (Tammy Blanchard) and Lucinda (Lucy Punch) mock her for wanting to go to the festival. Jack's Mother (Tracey Ullman) wishes her son had more sense and she had more money. Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) goes to the Baker's shop wishing for some bread and treats for her grandmother; though she has no money to pay for them, she eats many pastries while she skips around the bakery.Cinderella's stepmother pours a bowl of tiny lentils into the fireplace and tells Cinderella she can go to the ball if she can pick up every last one. Cinderella calls on her bird friends to help her with the task and they fly down the chimney. Meanwhile, Jack's mother says that because her milk has gone dry they have to sell the cow (Tug), who he calls Milky White and treats as a friend.Little Red continues collecting food in the bakery, gathering more and more for herself. The Baker's Wife is sweet and loving towards her but the Baker calls her a thief; he isn't much of a parental type. Little Red continues on, into the woods to her Grandmother's house.When the lentils are back in their pot, Cinderella tells the birds to fly back to the sky, then goes to help her stepsisters prepare for the ball. One stepsister slaps Cinderella after she ties her hair too tight.There is a knock at the bakery door; they have run out of bread (after Red Riding Hood's visit) but the patron doesn't care and blows the door off. It's the Witch (Meryl Streep) who lives next door; she promises the Baker's Wife she will be able to bear a child if she follows her orders.The Witch tells them that when the Baker was a child, his father would sneak into her garden and steal greens to appease his pregnant wife's cravings (which is part of the Rapunzel fairy tale).In a flashback, the Witch catches the Baker's father in her garden; she promises to take his wife's unborn child in exchange for the stolen vegetables, revealing to the Baker that he had a sister (later revealed to be Rapunzel, although they never interact). She tells them that the reason she is cursed with ugliness is because the Baker's father also stole magic beans from her garden, which she promised her mother to never let out of her sight. When their baby is born, she steals the child and hides her away; the Witch also curses the Baker to have a barren family tree (which is why his wife cannot get pregnant). She reminds the Baker that when his mother died, his father deserted him.Jack's Mother sends him to the next village to sell the cow since everyone in their village knows that the cow's milk has dried up. He is told not to come back with less than five pounds. He, too, goes into the woods.The Witch tells the Baker and his wife that if they want the curse reversed, they have to bring her some ingredients for a potion: a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. She needs these things by midnight in three days time when the blue moon will come, which only happens every 100 years. If they can bring her the ingredients, she promises them a child.Having completed her chores and picked up the lentils, Cinderella asks her stepmother if she can go to the three-day festival but is told she is too dirty and that the prince is looking for a wife, not a scullery maid. She sets off with her daughters in their coach.The Baker's Wife tries to get her husband to take his father's old coat but he refuses; six magic beans spill out and he takes them. They debate about whether the Wife should come along; he wants to do it alone but isn't very good at remembering the four items he needs to collect. Nearby, Cinderella decides to visit her mother's grave. Now the Baker, Cinderella, Jack, and Red Riding Hood all venture into the woods.Cinderella visits the grave of her mother, where she has planted a branch, which watered by her tears has grown into a huge willow tree. Cinderella tells her mother about her wish and her mother appears in the tree. She transforms Cinderella's rags into a ball gown and her shoes into gold slippers.Now Little Red is spotted in the woods by a Wolf (Johnny Depp). He sings "Hello, Little Girl," salivating over her. She blows him off, having been told to not be misled by her mother and telling him she's on her way to her grandmother's house. Red admits to having eaten all the treats and half the loaf of bread so she picks flowers to balance out the missing treats.Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy) sings a lovely soprano song, trapped in her tower, which catches the attention of a handsome prince (Billy Magnussen).Meanwhile, the Baker sees Red Riding Hood in her cape. The Witch appears and tells him to take the cape. The Baker manages to remove the cape from Little Red but she responds by screaming at the top of her lungs for a long while. The Baker rushes back to her and returns the cape. He has trouble remembering all of the items he needs to collect but is reminded by his Wife, who has ventured into the woods to help. They argue again about whether she should go with him. They stop abruptly when they see Jack with his cow. They try to convince Jack to give them his cow but they have no payment except for the six beans in the Baker's pocket. The Wife tells Jack they're magic beans, worth a pound each, and tells him there are five of them (she keeps one). Jack happily trades the cow for the five beans, on the condition that he be allowed to buy Milky White back if he ever has the money. The Baker sends his Wife back to town with the cow.Rapunzel is visited in her tower by her mother the Witch, letting down her hair on command. The prince watches this and prepares to try the same. At her grandmother's cottage, Little Red enters to see the Wolf in her grandmother's bed, wearing her nightgown. She tells him he has big ears and he quickly eats her up. The Baker continues into the house, in pursuit of the cape, and discovers the Wolf. He slices him open, rescuing Little Red and her grandmother, who were swallowed whole. The grandmother complains that the Baker isn't helping her skin the wolf to make into a coat; he tells her he's a Baker, not a hunter. Little Red sings "I Know Things Now" about how foolish she was for trusting the Wolf, and how much she's learned ("nice is different than good"). There's a flashback to how she was eaten (shown as a sort of Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole). She gives the Baker the red cape for his help, saying that her grandmother is going to make her a new one from the Wolf's skin.At home, Jack's mom chastises him for being stupid and selling the cow for beans. She throws the beans into the dirt and they all shoot out a spark -- and sends Jack straight to bed.Cinderella rushes home from the ball, chased by another prince (Chris Pine) and his steward. She runs into the forest and hides from him, meeting the Baker's Wife, now with Milky White. Cinderella explains she's running from the prince and the Baker's Wife is surprised shes running from royalty. When the prince arrives, Cinderella hides and the Baker's Wife sends him in the wrong direction. She asks Cinderella about the prince, who she is in awe of. Cinderella sings "A Very Nice Prince," explaining that she fled because she isn't quite sure how she feels about him. The Baker's Wife tells her she would give anything to be in Cinderellas shoes and then realizes she is wearing gold slippers. She tries to take them but then Milky White rushes off and she is torn between the cow and the slippers. Cinderella hurries away and the Witch appears and tells the Baker's Wife that the first of three midnights has passed. She tells her to get the cow but Milky White has disappeared into the woods; the Baker's Wife has gone from having one item (and almost two) to having none.In the morning, Jack's Mother wakes up to a giant beanstalk growing in her backyard. Jack rushes into the woods and finds the Baker again. He sings "Giants in the Sky," explaining that he has come back with five (giant-sized) gold coins that he stole from a giant. He gives them to the Baker, expecting he can take his friend, Milky White, back. The Baker tells him he can't sell Milky White so Jack, thinking the payment is not enough, promises to come back with more riches from the Giant's kingdom. He sets off to climb the beanstalk again.The Baker and the Baker's Wife reunite. He excitedly tells her he has the cape so now they have two of the items; she confesses she lost the cow. They argue about this and the Witch appears and tells them to find the cow. The Baker tries to give her the one item they do have, the cape, but she tells him she can't touch the items or the spell won't work (this is why she is having them find them for her). The Baker and his wife apologize to each other and he sends her back to the village. On her way, she stumbles upon the two princes, revealed to be brothers, who both talk of their new loves (one loves Cinderella; the other Rapunzel, who he has now visited several times). They sing "Agony" while splashing around a waterfall, each boasting about how hard their lives are, having fallen in love with unobtainable women. The Baker's Wife watches in awe, attracted by the handsome princes. When Rapunzel's prince mentions loving a girl in a tower with hair as yellow as corn, she sets out to grab a new ingredient.At the tower, the Baker's Wife asks Rapunzel to let down her hair; Rapunzel asks if it is the prince and the Baker's Wife responds affirmatively, in a low voice. Rapunzel loops her hair over a hook at the top and lowers it below. The Baker's Wife cuts Rapunzel's thick braid by sawing it against some ironwork on the tower wall. A piece comes off and she rushes away with it.The Baker's Wife runs into Cinderella again and grabs at her shoes again. Cinderella runs off. The prince rides by and the Baker's Wife tells him she was trying to hold the girl for him. Meanwhile, the Baker stumbles upon the stepsisters in their carriage. He pulls an ear of corn from his bag and asks to compare it to their hair; they shove him away and he falls on a large white rock that turns out to be Milky White. His wife stumbles upon him and now, with Rapunzel's hair and Little Red's cape, they have three of the items. He tells her that together, they can surely get the slipper pure as gold. The Baker's Wife is touched that he is including her and they sing "It Takes Two" about him becoming a better husband. Jack arrives with a golden egg and tells them about a hen that lays golden eggs, that lives at a palace in the clouds, which he visited via the beanstalk. He attempts to buy Milky White back, but the cow suddenly dies. The second midnight passes and now they are two items short -- the cow and the slipper -- and there's only one more day.The next day, the Witch is spying on Rapunzel's tower when Rapunzel's Prince arrives. She creates a thicket; the prince's horse is startled by the thorns and he is thrown off, straight into the branches, blinding him. When the witch climbs the tower, she is furious with Rapunzel, who confesses her new love. The witch tries to get her to stay loyal to her, singing "Stay With Me" with its refrain of "children must listen." Rapunzel reveals her wish to go out and see the world. To punish Rapunzel for wanting to abandon her, the witch cuts off her hair and banishes her to a deserted island in a swamp.Jack runs into Red Riding Hood, now wearing a coat made of a wolf's skin and more wary of strangers as she carries a knife for protection. He tells her about the kingdom of the giants and the harp that sings the giant to sleep. She doesn't believe him so Jack tells her he will return with the harp to prove he is telling the truth.Jack rushes down the beanstalk with the harp, pursued by the Giant. He hurriedly chops down the beanstalk, killing the giant as the stalk topples over.The Baker sets out into the next town to buy another cow with the gold coins Jack has given him. The Baker's Wife sets out to find Cinderella again, so she can secure her golden slipper.That night, Cinderella returns home from the final night of the ball, pursued by the prince for the third time. But he has spread pitch on the stairs so that her feet get stuck and she cant run. Time slows to a halt him frozen at the top of the stairs as she sings "On the Steps of the Palace," trying to debate whether to stay and become a princess or go back to her own life where she can at least retain her identity and doesn't have to pretend to be someone shes not. She settles for something in between, leaving behind a slipper as a clue. She rushes off into the woods; the prince doesn't immediately pursue, telling his steward she cant get far with just one shoe.In the woods, Cinderella runs into the Bakers Wife again. She desperately tries to convince Cinderella to give up her slipper, offering her the last magic bean in exchange. Cinderella tosses the bean aside, calling it nonsense it sparks fire like the ones outside Jacks house. The Baker's Wife tells her she needs the shoe to have a child; she doesn't have time to explain further as the prince is approaching. The Baker's Wife convinces Cinderella to take her shoes so she can run faster; Cinderella does and finally gives the Baker's Wife her gold slipper in return.The prince gets to Cinderella's house and asks the stepsisters to try on the slipper. Florinda's foot is too big so the stepmother cuts off her big toe to make it fit. She is accepted as the mysterious girl he fell in love with at the ball but then the steward points out the blood in the shoe. They move on to Lucinda, whose foot is also too big, so the stepmother cuts off her heel; she promptly faints from the pain. He asks if there is another girl that resides there; they try to talk him out of seeing Cinderella but when she arrives, he recognizes her and takes her away to be his bride. As punishment for their cruelty, Cinderella's birds peck out the stepsisters' eyes, blinding them.Rapunzel cowers on the deserted island to which the Witch banished her. She sings to herself, and her prince, who is riding around, blindly, on horseback, hears her and calls for her. She wades through the snake-filled swamp to reach him. See his wounded, blind eyes, she cries; teardrops fall into his lashes and he can see again. He praises her haircut.It is almost midnight as the Blue Moon begins to emerge. The Baker runs into his Wife; he has a white cow he got in the neighboring village. They now have the cape, hair, slipper, and cow. The Witch appears but is discontent, revealing the cow is not white; the Baker has covered it in flour. The Baker points out they had a real white cow but she died. The Witch tells him she can bring her back to life. They lead her to Milky White. Jack's Mother joins the group, reuniting with her son. The Witch resuscitates Milky White and tells them to feed the other items to the cow. Milky White eats the gold slipper, the red cape, and a piece of Rapunzel's hair. Jack tries to milk the cow but she's dry. The Witch says they must have the wrong ingredients. The Baker's Wife goes over the ingredients, admitting she took the hair as yellow as corn from a maiden in a tower; the Witch realizes that it is Rapunzel's hair and she has touched it, rendering it unusable. To substitute, Jack suggests using the hairy corn silk from the ear of corn they've brought for comparison. It works and Milky White produces milk. The witch drinks it and transforms into a younger version of herself with blue hair; the Baker's Wife becomes very pregnant immediately.Everyone seems to have a happy ending: the Witch reversed her curse and is young and beautiful; Cinderella marries her prince; Jack and his mother are wealthy after selling the golden egg; the Baker and his Wife have a baby boy.But at the wedding of Cinderella and her prince, the earth shakes and everyone falls to the ground. The prince tells the crowd that it's just an earthquake and they should all return to their villages. But as they go into the woods to return home, the paths have all been altered from the quake. The Baker and his Wife can't find their way home; they run into Red Riding Hood who says that her village collapsed and her mother is missing. She is going to live with her grandmother but can't find anything familiar. They tell her they'll help her find her way; the wife hands her baby off to her husband who seems to have issue with being a father.The steward appears in the woods with the stepmother and stepsisters. The castle has been destroyed and the kingdom is under attack. They decide to go back to the village but then another earthquake happens. They realize that it's actually a giant woman causing the ground to shake. The Giantess demands they deliver the boy who cut down the beanstalk and killed her husband. Jack's Mother arrives then, looking for Jack. She is told the giant's widow is looking for him, too. Jack's Mother begins arguing with the Giantess, telling her to leave her son alone. The Giantess begins to stomp her feet, putting them all in danger. The steward holds Jack's Mother back; she trips and falls, knocked unconscious. The steward and stepsisters convince the Giant that Jack is hiding in the steeple tower. The Giantess sets off to find him. The Baker encourages them to stick together but the step family say they're not cut out for battle and they leave. The Witch tells them the village has been destroyed, only leaving a handful of beans in her garden. She convinces them to find Jack to keep the Giantess from killing everyone.The Witch makes her way to Rapunzel's tower, now a pile of rubble. Rapunzel is there with her prince and she doesn't recognize her now transformed mother. She agrees to go away with the prince and the Witch tries to punish her with some magic and then realizes a side-effect of her transformation: she can no longer cast spells. The prince recognizes her as the woman who blinded him; Rapunzel points out the Witch locked her in the tower. Rapunzel says she never wants to see her again and rides away with the prince. The Witch sings "Children Will Listen."The Baker and his Wife wander through the woods, searching for Jack. They decide to go in different directions, counting 500 steps to keep from getting lost. They leave their son with Red Riding Hood.The Baker's Wife runs into Cinderella's prince and asks if he's there to slay the giant. He doesn't even know about the giant and instead is fixated on seducing her (despite her mentioning her husband). He points out the giant could crush them at any time. She is reluctant to accept his advances given they both are married to others. They begin to kiss as Cinderella's birds watch.Meanwhile, the Baker stumbles upon Cinderella at the grave of her mother, disguised in her old rags so she could escape the palace unescorted. The tree has been destroyed by the earthquake and now Cinderella can no longer communicate with her mother. The Baker tells her about the giant and convinces her to stay close with him for safety.Cinderella's prince kisses the Baker's wife. She is excited that she has been kissed by a prince but feels guilty for cheating on her husband. She sets out to return to the group but hears the giant coming. She runs for safety but falls off a cliff.The Baker, Little Red, and Cinderella wait for the Baker's Wife to return. The Witch appears with Jack, who has the Baker's scarf with him, revealing he found the Baker's Wife (dead) at the bottom of a cliff. The Baker blames Jack for the giant's presence and the ensemble sings "Your Fault," in which they blame each other for the predicament they're in (Red Riding Hood dared Jack to go back up the beanstalk; Jack went up, attracted the Giant's attention by stealing his harp, and then killed him; Cinderella threw away the magic bean that created a beanstalk which allowed the Giant's widow to come down; and so on). The Witch hushes them, singing "The Last Midnight." She tells them if they want to place blame they can blame her, but just give her the boy (so he can be sacrificed to the Giant's widow and save everyone else). They refuse and she mocks them for being nice ("you're not good, you're not bad, you're just nice" -- harking back to one of the lessons Red Riding Hood learned in "I Know Things Now"). She's not nice, she's not good, she sings, but she's right. Near the end of the song, she throws the remaining beans to the ground where they spark; losing them means that the youthful spell will be reversed. The ground swells and swallows her into a sinkhole.Jack, Little Red, and Cinderella admit they are partially to blame. The Baker is bitter towards them and leaves, handing his baby to Cinderella. He says the child will be much happier raised by a princess than by him. Deeper in the woods, now alone, he meets the ghost of his father, who admits that he abandoned him because of guilt and then points out the Baker is doing the same thing to his own child. The Baker breaks down and cries.Little Red, Cinderella, and Jack begin to scheme on how to kill the Giantess. The Baker returns. He helps them devise a plan to use Jack as bait to lure the Giantess into a trap. Some birds land on a branch and tell Cinderella about her prince's infidelity.They all set out; Cinderella's prince rides by on horseback. She tries to hide her face (she's still disguised in her rags) but he recognizes her. She asks him why he strayed. He tells her he was raised to be charming, not sincere. She tells him her father's house was a nightmare, his palace was a dream, and now she wants something in-between. They say they will always love each other and then go their separate ways.They make it to a tar pit and Jack climbs up a tree. Little Red Riding Hood tells Cinderella she thinks her mother and grandmother would be upset with her if they knew she was going to kill someone. Cinderella tells her they're only hurting a giant who's done a lot of harm but Little Red points out the giant is a person, too, and they should show forgiveness. Cinderella sings "No One Is Alone." Simultaneously, the Baker tells Jack that his mother died after an accident with the steward. Jack says he will kill the steward in revenge. The Baker sings "No One Is Alone," as well, to Jack. Cinderella and the Baker become surrogate parents for the two newly orphaned children.The Giantess approaches and they point out Jack, who's perched in a tree. But when she tries to attack him, she is stuck in the tar pit. Jack and the Baker hit her with stones in slingshots. Cinderella's birds peck at her. She lunges at Jack but he dodges her; she falls and lands with a thud, just like her husband, and dies.They've defeated the Giantess but have no home to return to. Jack and Little Red Riding Hood suggest moving in with the Baker. Jack invites Cinderella. She agrees, saying she can help clean the house, which she actually enjoys. The Baker takes his baby and sings that maybe he wasn't meant to have children. His Wife's spirit appears as she sings "Children Will Listen" to him. The Baker tells the story of Into the Woods to his child while the Witch sings, too. They walk through the newly altered forest, to the destroyed village, as they all sing "Children Will Listen." The final line is the Witch's: "Careful the tale you tale, that is the spell, children will listen."
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fantasy
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tt2180411
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Django Unchained
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In 1858, Django (Jamie Foxx), a slave, is chained to a bunch of other slaves and being marched to his new owner's estate in Texas by the Speck brothers. At nightfall, a German man in a dentist cart pulls up and hails the Speck brothers. He introduces himself as Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz).Schultz is clearly more intelligent and enlightened than the Specks. He says he is looking for a slave who can identify a band of wanted fugitives known as the Brittle brothers. Django announces that he knows the Brittle brothers and can identify them. Schultz offers to buy Django, but his polite and educated manner rubs the ill-mannered Specks the wrong way, and Ace Speck threatens to shoot him with his shotgun. In response, Schultz lowers his lantern, whips out a revolver, and shoots Ace, then Dicky's horse, causing Dicky to fall off his horse. The horse carcass then lands on and crushes Dicky's leg, leaving him screaming in pain. Crippled, he agrees to sell Django, and Schultz pays the man (for both Django, and the dead Speck's horse), gets an official title to Django, and prepares to ride off.Before Schultz leaves, however, he frees the remaining slaves (clearly, Schultz finds slavery abhorrent) and says that they may either carry the remaining Speck brother back to town, or shoot him and flee. As Django and Schultz ride off, we hear Speck pleading for his life. We hear a gunshot and can see blood splatter as Dicky's brains are blown out.Django and Schultz arrive in the small town of Daughtrey near El Paso. As they travel through the streets, townspeople stop to stare in disbelief at the sight of a nigger on a horse, much to Schultz's confusion. As Schultz ties his cart down at a hitching post, he checks some papers to make sure he's in the right place. The two then walk into a saloon despite the fact that Django is forbidden from doing so because he is black due to the South's segregation laws. When Schultz insists on being served, the barkeep runs out of the saloon, Schultz calling after him to specifically bring the sheriff, not the town marshal.While they wait, Schultz pours beers for himself and Django and leaves money on the bar. He explains that he is no longer a dentist, but a bounty hunter in search of the Brittle brothers who are wanted dead or alive. He admits that although he knows the general location of the brothers, near Gatlinburg, they have adopted aliases, and he needs somebody who can identify them. Schultz tells Django that if he helps him bring in the Brittle brothers, Schultz will give him his freedom, pay him a $75 share of the reward, and let him keep his horse. Django immediately agrees, when, as if on cue, Schultz sees the sheriff coming down the sidewalk.The sheriff enters the saloon, shotgun in hand, and tells Schultz and Django to leave. The two comply, and exit out the swinging doors. We see that a number of townspeople are watching the spectacle unfolding as the sheriff asks them why they are coming into his town and showing themselves with the sole purpose of causing trouble. Schultz is silent, then steps forward. A spring-mounted Derringer pops up in his right hand, and he shoots the sheriff in the stomach. The townspeople are stunned as the sheriff stumbles to the ground, moaning in pain from the bullet wound. Schultz walks around the wounded sheriff, aims his Derringer, and shoots him in the head, killing him. The townspeople immediately run for their lives. Schultz looks up and tells the bartender that now is the time to fetch the marshal. The bartender runs off while Schultz and Django go back into the saloon to wait.The town marshal and most of the town arrive and train rifles on the front door of the saloon. Schultz hears that he has 100 rifles aimed at his head, and gets the marshal to agree to not have him shot dead like a dog in the street when he comes out. Schultz then exits, hands raised over his head, and a paper in his hand. He announces to the marshal and to the assembled townsfolk what has really happened: that the dead man the people of Daughtrey saw fit to elect as their sheriff, who went by the name of 'Bill Sharpe', is a wanted cattle rustler named Willard Peck, with a $200 bounty on his head. Schultz suggests that the marshal pay him the $200 fee.Later, while camping, Django admits to Schultz that what he wants to do once he is liberated is buy freedom for his wife, a slave girl named Broomhilda von Shaft (Kerry Washington) who had been a servant of a German mistress before being sold into slavery in the U.S. Their owner Carrucan (Bruce Dern) was cruel and disapproved of their marriage, so the pair attempted escape. They were caught by the Brittle brothers, who tortured and branded them both with the mark of a runaway, a small "R" on their right cheeks. Carrucan then directed the Brittle brothers to sell the pair to separate owners, and to take the lowest price for Django.Django and Schultz eventually develop a plan to infiltrate an estate near Gatlinburg where they suspect that the Brittle brothers reside and for Django to identify them. Django is to play-act as a freed slave who has been hired as Schultz's valet. They arrive at the plantation owned by Spencer "Big Daddy" Bennett (Don Johnson). Schultz states he is looking to buy one of Bennett's slave girls for an exorbitant price. As he and Bennett talk business, Django is given free range to look around the estate.Django asks Betina, his escort, if she knows of the Brittles. Betina admits that she doesn't know them, leading Django to suspect that the Brittles are using an alias name. At this, Betina reveals that three overseer brothers known as the Schaeffers did arrive in the past year. She points out the first one in the field. Django looks through his telescope and sees that it is Ellis. Seeing Ellis causes Django to have a lengthy flashback over running away with Broomhilda and pleading with Big John to spare Broomhilda from the whip, unsuccessfully. The flashback ends with Big John saying, "I like the way you beg, boy."Snapping out of his flashback, Django learns that Big John and Little Raj are on a different part of the plantation, about to whip a young slave girl for breaking eggs. The two have tied her to a tree by the arms and Big John is about to use the whip on her when Django appears and shouts Big John's name. Big John turns, stunned to see Django, who suddenly produces a Derringer similar to Schultz's and shoots him through a Bible page glued to his shirt. He looks down at his bullet wound, stunned, as Django tells him, "I like the way you die, boy," and Big John pitches forward, dead. Little Raj attempts to grab his revolver, but Django grabs Big John's whip and uses it to beat him unconscious. He then takes the gun and unloads it into Little Raj, just as Schultz comes racing in. Django tells Schultz that Ellis is already galloping away across the cotton field. Schultz tracks Ellis through his sniper rifle, and once Django says he is sure he is right, Schultz fires. Blood sprays the cotton flowers as Ellis falls off his horse, a bullet in his chest. Though Bennett is incensed when he arrives, he is forced to let them go once Schultz explains they are legally authorized to kill and collect these men.That night, out for revenge, Bennett calls out all the fellow white men of the plantation to kill Django and Schultz, spotting their dentist's cart camped outside of town. The men make their charge over the hill in KKK style masks, and surround the small campsite. The scene then changes to earlier, when Bennett is giving instructions to the other Klansmen to not shoot Django or Schultz unless they are shot at. He puts his bag hood on, and a funny scene ensues as Bennett finds he is unable to see through the eye holes in his mask. Everyone else starts to bicker about how badly made their masks are, which ends with Willard, whose wife Jenny spent all afternoon making masks for them, giving up and riding away, furious. Eventually, the Klansmen get their act together.As they surround the cart, one of the men spots what he thinks is Django and Schultz hiding under the cart. He peeks under, only to find that the 'bodies' are actually bedrolls. Bennett wonders where the two bounty hunters actually are. In response, the scene cuts to Django and Schultz hiding in a tree a short distance away, Schultz carrying a rifle. Schultz says, "auf wiedersehen," and fires at the cart, setting off a bundle of dynamite hidden in the tooth on the roof of his cart. It blows up and kills most of the Klansmen. Bennett manages to survive the detonation and begins riding away. Schultz sees this and hands the rifle over to Django, letting him do the honors. Django tracks, and then fires, hitting Bennett and shooting him off his horse. Schultz realizes that Django is a formidable natural sharpshooter.King asks what Django will do now that he is officially free, and Django says he will locate his wife (believed to be in Mississippi) and try to purchase her freedom. King, who has bonded with Django and is impressed by both his intelligence and marksmanship, proposes to help Django rescue his wife if Django will work with him over the winter in collecting bounties. King is also impressed with Broomhilda's name (and her ability to speak German), telling Django the German legend of Siegfried and Brunhilde. In the legend, the beautiful Brunhilde is captured and imprisoned in a tower on a mountainside that is guarded by a dragon and surrounded by hellfire. Her lover, Siegfried, rescues her, facing the mountain and dragon simply because he is brave, but also overcoming the hellfire out of his love for Brunhilde. Django is quite taken with the tale.Django agrees to King's proposal, finding him to be a deeply honorable man in spite of his line of work. King trains Django to not only be an expert with a gun, but also how to read and present himself in public. On one mission, Django and King perch themselves on a hill overlooking a small farm where Django hesitates to kill a man who is now peacefully working on the farm and has a son. King explains that before the man owned this farm and started a family, he murdered several people while robbing stagecoaches, and that he has a $7,000 bounty on his head. King explains that it is this own man's actions in a dirty world that has brought the bounty hunters to his door. Hearing this, Django shoots and kills the man in front of his son. King tells him to keep the wanted poster, as a bounty hunter's first successful poster is good luck. Throughout the winter, Django imagines he and Broomhilda free and happy.Jumping forward to March 1859, once winter passes, the two head back to the South in search of Broomhilda. King discovers that she was sold to a man named Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the owner of a plantation known as 'Candie Land'. Candie is famous for breeding "mandingos"--slaves who are bred to fight each other to the death (bare-knuckle) for their owner's amusement (and for betting purposes). King says that he will pose as a wealthy European who seeks to purchase one of Candie's mandingos to take to fight in Europe, and that Django is his business partner and talent evaluator.That evening, Django and King arrive at a Candie's Cleopatra Club and they meet Candie's lawyer, Leonide Moguy (Dennis Christopher), who explains that Candie is obsessed with French culture (although Candie, unlike the actually cultured King, does not speak French). The two are brought upstairs where they watch a mandingo fight, which is very brutal and fatal for the loser, who gets his eyes gouged out by the winner. As Candie congratulates his winning mandingo, the owner of the dead mandingo, an Italian businessman named Amerigo Vessepi (Franco Nero, the star of the original 'Django' in a suprise cameo) frets over the loss of his fighter and retires to the nearby bar for a drink. Django introduces himself to Vessepi before he walks out (a clear homage and wink-to-the-audience of the two Django actors in the same scene in the only time in this movie). It turns out that Candie is boorish and clearly arrogant and ignorant despite his wealth and high upbringing. Django is incredibly offensive to Candie and his guests, talking back to all the white men. Candie finds Django's rude and defensive behavior amusing and King to be charming. King and Django state that they are willing to pay an exorbitant amount ($12,000) for one of Candie's better mandingos and they arrange to return with him to his estate.The next morning, the group travels in a convoy to the Candieland ranch. Django continues to act defiantly, insulting both slave and white man alike, and displays his intelligence. When King asks Django why he is so belligerent, Django says he is playing his role in this dirty world. Candie states that he believes one in 10,000 black men are exceptional, and believes Django to be one of those rare few.At one point on the travel into Candyland, they see one of Candie's slaves chased up a tree by some of Candie's white trash work-men and their vicious hounds. It turns out the slave, D'Artagnan (named by Candie after the hero from The Three Musketeers, a book written by Frenchman Alexandre Dumas, whom Candie admires), is a mandingo who was caught running away. Candie convinces D'Artagnan to come down from the tree where D'Artagnan pleads he can't handle any other fights despite having won three in a row. Candie states that his slaves can't retire from fighting until they have won at least five matches in order for him to recoup his $500 investment in them, and that D'Artagnan must be killed. Schultz suddenly offers to pay Candie $500 to spare D'Artagnan's life, but Django, realizing such odd behavior would blow their cover, loudly declares that D'Artagnan isn't worth a single penny. Schultz, coming to his senses, agrees not to pay for D'Artagnan, and Candie has the slave ripped to pieces by the hounds as they all look on. Django glares at Candie, but imagines himself reunited with Broomhilda to keep his anger suppressed.A little later, they all arrive at Candie Land and meet Candie's widowed older sister Lara Lee (Laura Cayouette) and his loyal house-slave and foreman trustee Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson). It is clear that Stephen is appalled that Django is free and riding on a horse into the estate along with his master and other white men. Django also takes an instant dislike to Stephen.Stephen informs Candie that, while he was gone, Broomhilda also attempted to escape and is now locked in the Hot Box, a metal pit in Candie's field. Schultz says he wants to meet Broomhilda, saying he heard legend of her German-speaking abilities. Candie, wanting to please his guest, orders Broomhilda to be cleaned up and sent to Schultz's room. Once there, Schultz explains to Broomhilda (in German) that he and his "friend" are here to rescue her. He then signals Django to come into his room, and Broomhilda faints with happiness upon seeing her husband. Schultz, impressed with Broomhilda's intelligence, begins the next phase of his plan.That evening at dinner, Broomhilda serves Candie and his many guests - including Schultz and Django. Lara notes that Broomhilda seems to be attracted to Django. This piques Stephen's curiosity (we see that Stephen is clearly invested in Candie's success, and forces the other slaves to call him "Sir," or "Mister Stephen" as though he were their master) and he begins to interrogate Broomhilda in a back room. Broomhilda denies knowing Django, but Stephen knows that she is lying because she bears the same small 'r' brand (for "runaway") on the right side of her face as Django does.Meanwhile, Schultz, despite Django's "objections," offers to buy Candie's third-best mandingo for $12,000. They agree that Schultz will return to the estate in five days with a lawyer to complete the transaction. Candie, clearly thrilled at this windfall, is then asked by King whether he can also purchase Broomhilda and take immediate possession of her (King claims he is interested in her ability to speak German, though Candie is convinced Schultz is simply sexually attracted to her).Before Candie can accept the deal, Stephen interrupts and asks to speak to his master in another room. Once there, Stephen (who is drinking brandy) tells Candie that he is convinced that Django and Broomhilda know each other and that Schultz and Django intend to buy her, leave the property, and never return for the mandingo. Candie is incensed and returns to the dining room with a small bag containing the skull of an old slave of his plantation, Ben. He then explains that he collects the skulls of his dead slaves and, invoking the pseudoscience of phrenology, has determined that the reason they don't rise up and kill their masters, despite easily outnumbering the whites, is that their brains are predisposed to subservience whereas white brains are built for dominance and ingenuity. Candie then reveals he knows that they want Broomhilda, and unless they immediately pay him $12,000 for her, he will kill her and examine her skull in front of them. King immediately agrees to these terms, and Candie tells Django that he is not exceptional after all.Schultz pays the $12,000 and Candie has his lawyer, Leonide Moguy, begin drawing up the papers transferring ownership of Broomhilda to King. Candie gloats about his victory and intelligence, and Schultz begins to think of D'Artagnan's brutal death. The papers are signed, but before they leave, King insults Candie's intelligence, noting how especially stupid Candie is, since he names his slaves after characters in novels written by Dumas even though Dumas was a black man.Candie, seeking to humiliate Schultz and recognizing that Schultz finds him to be a disgusting human being, says he will not allow the travelers to leave with Broomhilda unless King shakes his hand, a Mississippi & Southern tradition. This is more than Schultz can take. As he stretches out his hand to shake Candie's hand, the spring-loaded pistol he used on the sheriff of Daughtrey pops into his right hand and fires through the flower on Candie's lapel. Candie looks down at the bullet wound, clutches his chest, staggers backwards and falls over, dead. Stephen screams, "No!" and rushes to Candie's side. Butch Pooch, Candie's bodyguard, turns around. Schultz apologizes to Django for being unable to resist temptation, and then Pooch fires his shotgun. The bullet hits Schultz with enough force to throw him back into a bookcase, dead.Just as Schultz's body hits the ground, all hell breaks loose as Django grabs the distracted Pooch's revolver and shoots him. Moguy tries to run, screaming for help, but is shot multiple times as he tries to enter the foyer. Django then is thrown back into the foyer, and a shootout ensues as he trades fire with numerous white ranchers. Blood flies everywhere and bodies fall left, right and center. Despite taking several losses, several reinforcements of white ranchers arrive, armed with repeating rifles, where they use ladders to scale the second floor of the house to gain access and take position atop the second floor balcony where they open massive return fire against the lone Django who is forced to take cover under some furniture. The shootout ends when Django runs out of ammo, while Stephen and Billy Crash capture Broomhilda and threaten to kill her unless Django surrenders. Feeling that he has no other choice, Django does surrender and he is brutally beaten by Candie's crew.When Django awakens several hours later, he is naked and tied upside down in a shack. Billy Crash is preparing to castrate him with a red hot knife. Stephen enters and tells the man that the plans have changed, and Django is no longer slated for castration. After the man leaves, Stephen explains that Django would have died too quickly if he had been castrated. Stephen, wanting Django to suffer, has arranged to sell him to the LeQuint Dickey Mining Company as a slave, where Django will spend the rest of his days.En route to the mining company, Django is able to get the attention of one of the transporters (a group of Australians, including a cameo by director Quentin Tarantino). He tells them that he is a bounty hunter, not a slave, and that he was tracking a man worth $7,000 before he was captured. He promises that if they free and arm him, he will give them the lion's share of the reward. They find the bounty notice (from Django's first kill) on his person and also question the other slaves, who admit that Django is a bounty hunter and rode in to Candie Land with a white man on a horse. The transporters unwisely free Django, give him a pistol and he immediately kills them all and frees the other slaves bound for the mine. He takes a horse, guns, and dynamite and heads back to Candie Land.Django first stops and massacres the men (trackers) who had hunted down the escaped D'Artagnan with their hounds, killing them all in D'Artagnan's name (the masked female tracker is played by Zoe Bell, and another tracker is played by Tom Savini). He then finds King's dead body in a stable with the freedom papers for Broomhilda still on him. After he takes the papers, Django swears that his next act of vengeance will be in honor of King.Django sneaks back onto the estate and finds and frees Broomhilda. He has her wait outside Candie Land while he engages in further preparations. That evening, Candie's family and friends return from Candie's funeral, Django is there waiting and shoots them all, even Lara; despite that she is unarmed, one can conclude that because she suggested (with the help of Stephen) that Django be sent to the LeQuint Dickey Mining Company, so Django eliminated her. He then shoots Stephen in the kneecaps, stating that, in the 9,999 slaves Stephen has likely betrayed while working for Candie, he has never met one like Django. Stephen defiantly cries out that Django will be hunted down and killed by bounty hunters for his crimes, and that the South will never die. Django lights a fuse, and walks out on Stephen. The explosion utterly destroys Candie's mansion.Django meets his wife, who waits for him with two horses outside the estate. The two are finally reunited, and ride off into the night to face whatever destiny awaits them. Django is destined to become a legend, just as Siegfried before him did.After the end credits, we cut to the slaves Django freed from the mining company transporters. They remain seated where Django left them, still in awe of what they witnessed. Then, one asks what the name of that black man was (suggesting Django may not yet become a legend).
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suspenseful, murder, western, dramatic, sadist, violence, storytelling, flashback, historical fiction, humor, action, romantic, revenge, entertaining, blaxploitation
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tt1853728
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Piranha Part Two: The Spawning
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Off the coast of a Caribbean island, a young couple flee the hotel in the middle of the night to have sex in the sea. But they swim into a sunken wreck which is also a piranha lair and they are both killed and eaten by the unseen piranha.The next day, a group of tourists, including Tyler Sherman (Steve Marachuk), are taking the diving courses provided by Anne Kimbrough (Tricia O'Neil), an employee of the Hotel Elysium. One of her divers swims into the wreck, which she has strictly forbidden to her divers. Leaving Tyler to take over and lead the others to the surface, she discovers almost immediately that her 'missing' student has swam into the wreck and been killed there when his badly chewed up body is found.Anne's estranged husband, Steve (Lance Henriksen), a police officer, refuses to listen to Anne about her wanting to have a look at the body, because she needs to know what happened. The death does not seem to match the attack pattern by any of the marine life in this area, which she knows better than anyone. For her not to know what killed a diver is a dangerous sign. Steve intercepts Aaron (Aston S. Young), a dynamite fisherman, and his son, and threatens to confiscate their boat, but as Aaron explains, Steve, Anne, and he, are old friends.Meanwhile, as the guests begin to flirt with each other (a middle-aged widow, named Bevelry, flirts with a younger man, named Leo, who is a dentist), a pair of women, named Jai and Loretta, arrive on a large sailboat. By their own admission, they are sea bandits. One sneaks into the kitchen to steal food, but is intercepted by Mal (Arnie Ross), a cook. She flirts with him, and he offers instead to make her a wonderful dinner. But as he goes to their boat with the meal, they take the meal and then undock, letting the boat drift. They try to convince him to jump, and he tries, and fails, so they mock him and sail off. That night, Jai and Loretta sail too far out, and are attacked by the piranha, who have developed the power to fly. Jai is attacked and her throat ripped out while Loretta falls into the water and gets eaten alive by the fish in the water.Worried about what's going on, Anne finds that she is being frequently bothered by Tyler Sherman, and so she takes him with her to the morgue to get a look at the body. It is revealed there that she became a marine biologist before she married Steve, and so she begins taking pictures. There, she finds that the body of the tourist has been eaten in many parts. A nurse comes in, kicks them out, and ends up quickly dead, for a piranha was hiding in the body and escaped in it. Armed with the power to fly, it kills the nurse by bitting her throat out and escapes out a window into the night.In her hurry, Anne left her credit card behind at the scene. Anne and Tyler have a one night stand back in her room. But the next morning, while he sleeps, she begins to study the pictures, and is horrified by what she discovers. Steve arrives, throwing the card at her, angry first that she went to the morgue in defiance of him, and secondly that she has man in her bed. She tries to warn him of what she's discovered, but he ignores her and thinks she's a murderess.Anne tries to tell Raoul (Ted Richert) the pompous hotel manager, that she's cancelling the dives because it isn't safe. Raoul at first pretends to be concerned, but swiftly fires her, thinking she is crazy. Attempting to capture one for further study, or at the very least take some pictures so she can prove what she's trying to tell Steve and the manager, she is intercepted by Tyler, who swiftly informs her that he is a biochemist and member of a team which has developed the ultimate weapon: a specimen of genetically modified piranha, with some other fish's genes intermixed, capable of flying. Earlier, and unfortunately, the team mistakenly deposited (or lost) a cylinder full of these fish when a cargo ship was sunk the water where the dead couple were found.Aaron provides the proof Anne needs to Steve, calling him and showing him, not merely some flying piranha he's recently caught, and never seen before, but also that they're a serious danger, because they're turning on each other. This is a sign that they're running out of food and will soon attack whatever they come near, including humans.At a meeting, Anne tries her best to reason with Raoul, to no avail. Steve surprises her, standing up for her and proving her case for her by throwing the body of a dead piranha onto the table. Steve tells her that she can't trust Tyler, because the army says he's crazy. She argued that Tyler's just been using her to get the message of the piranha out for him, to protect both himself and the residents of the hotel.Later that evening, a piranha attacks Gabby's son and kills him in his shack, leaving a bereft Gabby to vow revenge by killing the fish in the wreck they hide in. Anne tries to dissuade him, but it's too late. Having ignored Anne's advice, Raoul hosts a nighttime fish party to capture grunion, who come up to the beach to spawn at this time, making them easy prey for humans to capture and kill. Unfortunately for the residents, the piranha are also partially grunion and share the same instinct. During the fishing party promoted by the resort, the piranhas fly out of the water and attack the guests on the beach and at the hotel's courtyard pool. Anne leads those who survive into hotel, where they shut the doors and windows. Aaron tries to attack them, but they overwhelm and kill him as well.In the morning, the piranha withdraw, for Anne had discovered that they are not fond of daylight. Tyler and Anne decide to undertake Aaron's plan, and blow up the ship to destroy the predators. Meanwhile, the situation gets even tenser, for not merely can the piranha fly, but Anne and Steve's teenage son Chris (Ricky G. Paull) has been hired, against their wishes, by a local ship 'Captain', and his lovely daughter Allison (Leslie Graves). Chris and Allison sail away, and strand themselves on an island, leaving them vulnerable to piranha attacks that never actually happen. Getting lost at sea, they try to set sail again, heading straight toward the wreck.When Chris and Allison are stranded in a raft above the shipwreck, Annie and Tyler arrive in a motorboat and don scuba gear to dive down to the wreck to plant the timer charges that Aaron left behind. With only 10 mintues to get out of the wreck before the bomb explodes, Anne and Tyler are trapped in one of the sunken ships rooms by the murderous piranha who all return to the wreck. On the surface, Steve, piloting a police helicopter, ditches the chopper and swims to Anne and Tyler's motorboat where Chris and Allison are. With minutes left to spare before the bomb explodes, Steve powers up the boat and takes off. Down in the wreck, Tyler sacrafices himself to allow Anne to escape out of a porthole and to tie a survival rope around her waste allowing herselt to be pulled away by the motorboat on the surface. At the last second, Anne gets clear and the bomb detonates, destroying the sunken ship and the piranha with it. With all the murderous fish dead, Anne swims to the surface and is picked up by Steve and the two kids in their boat.
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horror, violence, mystery
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tt0082910
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The Jacket
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The film opens with Adrien Brody as an active soldier in the Gulf War in 1991. His voiceover tells us he was 27 the first time he died. While on duty, a young boy ambushes him and he is shot in the head.We move forward a year and he is clearly a loner. We see him hitch-hiking along a snowy road. He encounters a broken-down pick up truck with a young mother (Kelly Lynch), clearly under of the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, and a young girl, about eight or ten years old.The mother is too strung out to know what's going on, stumbling around in the snow near the truck intermittently vomiting.The girl meanwhile, is happy to talk to Brody, who offers to try to fix the truck. The girl sees his army dog tags attached to his bag and asks what they are. He says they're dog tags with his name on them, so he won't get lost. The girl asks can she have them and he gives them to her.After tinkering around with the engine, he asks the girl to try the ignition and the truck starts. At this point, the mother comes to, and, in her stoned reverie, becomes enraged, deciding that Brody is some kind of pervert, despite the girls protestations that he fixed the truck. She bundles the girl into the car and they drive off.Brody continues to walk, and is later picked up by a man in a car some miles from the Canadian border.After a few minutes of driving, the car is pulled over by a policeman. We don't see what happens at this point in the narrative, but next thing we know, Brody is on trial for the murder of the cop, and cannot remember anything from the day in question apart from the mother and the young girl, who the authorities have been unable to trace.Brody is found guilty but insane and sent to an asylum run by Kris Kristofferson.Jennifer Jason Leigh also works in the asylum. We later see that she is attempting to offer occupational therapy for the disabled son of a friend, but her success is minimal. This takes place in her home, and is not information Brody is privy to.One night, Brody is pumped full of drugs by the staff, placed in a straight jacket and put in a mortuary drawer. Here, he experiences several, rapid-cut flash backs to his past, including the war and the incident with the policeman, but not enough to assist piecing together what happened.The next time they try to put him in the drawer, he feigns acquiescence to lull the staff into a false sense of his co-operation, but then assaults Kristofferson, striking him in the face and injuring his cheek.In his next session, he finds himself transported to outside a diner late on Christmas Eve. Keira Knightley leaves work in the diner, pulls up and offers him a lift, explaining that he won't get a cab on Christmas Eve standing there.She takes him home and it is apparent that she drinks heavily and lives an isolated life. While she takes a bath, Brody rummages around in the fridge and ends up making them some toasted sandwiches.Knightley tells Brody that her mother died some years before, having passed out with a cigarette in her hand and subsequently burned to death.Looking around her place, Brody discovers his dog tags and asks her how she got them. Knightley becomes concerned when Brody tries to explain that they are his. Up to this point, we have no idea what year we are in, but a cursory glance at some bank statements reveals that Brody is now in 2007.Unable to explain to himself how this has happened, but completely convinced that he has somehow shot forward in time and met the grown-up girl, Brody tries to explain to Knightley who he is.Attempting to convince her by giving details about the day he met her and her mother with the pick-up truck (information which, as he says, there's no way he could know by just looking at the dog tags), an incredulous Knightley is adamant that he can't be who he claims to be, as he died on January 1st, 1993 as a result of a head wound, although she has no further information on this.Already emotionally unstable, Knightley becomes hysterical and demands he leave.Brody does so, and wakes up, back in the drawer in 1992.Brody now needs to get into the drawer on a nightly basis, in order to piece together what's going to happen to him on January 1st, six days away.Returning to 2007, Knightley now believes him, and agrees to help him. Brody needs to find out what happened to him, so (in order to explain the uncanny similarity to his own self from fifteen years earlier) he poses as his own nephew, and visits Jennifer Jason Leigh with Knightley.During this visit, he learns of her use of electro-shock therapy on the boy she looked after, but they learn nothing of the circumstances in which he died.While at the hospital, Brody encounters a patient who had been an orderly there when he was undergoing the jacket/mortuary drawer treatment, and who is now suffering from dementia.Knightley and Brody have sex, but Knightley wakes up alone the next morning, Brody having been sucked back to 1992 by his removal from the drawer.During one of his episodes in the drawer, we see what happened the day the policeman was killed. Pulled over by the cop, the driver of the car shoots him. Brody gets out of the car, incredulous. As the cop slumps back in the snow, he fires a shot which strikes Brody by accident. The driver continues to fire at the cop, killing him. He then wipes his gun clean and throws it into the snow near the now unconscious Brody, before driving away. Brody is incriminated and sent to the asylum.On his next visit to the future, Brody confronts Kristofferson, now an old man, convinced that he knows what became of him on January 1st, 1993, but Kristofferson cannot help.Brody asks Knightley what her address was in 1992, i.e. when he met her as a child on the roadside, and she tells him. Driving away, Brody disappears from the back seat of Knightley's car and returns to 1992.Back in 1992, Brody manages to convince Jennifer Jason Leigh that he has seen the future by telling her that she told him she used electro-therapy on the young boy. She doesn't believe him, as she says that such practices would not be used on so young a patient, but he says that she will eventually come to realise that this is the only way to help the boy. Brody explains that the boy is effectively in a constant fit, and that Leigh just hasn't realised this yet.Due to her lack of success with the boy up to this point, she takes a chance on Brody's assertion as to the electro-therapy. She applies a very low-frequency, short burst to the boy, which has instant success.Now that she believes Brody, she agrees to his request to deliver a letter to Kelly Lynch. Leigh smuggles him out of the asylum to drive him out to Keira Knightley's childhood home (i.e. where she lived in 1992/1993).Arriving at the house, the girl recognises him from the day he fixed the truck. He asks to speak to her mother.Having already learned that Kelly Lynch will pass out one day with a cigarette in her hand, and burn to death from the resulting fire, Brody gives her a letter warning her of this.Returning to the asylum with Jennifer Jason Leigh that evening, Brody slips on ice and hits his head, causing his fatal head wound. Asylum staff place him into the drawer before he dies, allowing him to return to 2007.As he is standing outside the diner, Knightley pulls up in a VW Beetle and offers him a lift (we assume that she recognises him, although in the altered future he would not have explained to her how he is to be there, completely unaged 14 years from the last time they met (all the previous experiences never happened for Knightley after Brody handed her mother the letter)). As they are driving away, Knightley's mother calls her on the phone. In this altered future, having (we assume) been convinced by Brody to believe the contents of the letter, Lynch (presumably) has cleaned up her act, so that in the improved 2007, she is still alive and it is apparent that she has a strong relationship with her (no longer dysfunctional) daughter.Knightley asks Brody "how long do we have?", and they drive off together to the strains of "We Have All The Time In The World".
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romantic, alternate history, murder
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tt0366627
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The Crazies
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In the town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa, local sheriff David Dutten (Timothy Olyphant) is enjoying a baseball game when it is interrupted by a local resident (known as the town drunk) Rory Hamill, who enters the outfield with a shotgun. David attempts to dissuade Rory, but is forced to kill him when he raises his weapon. David and his wife Judy (Radha Mitchell), the community doctor, begin to notice other town residents exhibiting bizarre behavior, including listlessness and repetitive speech. The next night, a local farmer Judy had seen just that morning for his behavior locks his wife and son inside their house and burns it down.
Learning of a pilot's body found in a swamp, David and his deputy Russell Clank (Joe Anderson) investigate it. They discover a military aircraft that crashed into the river a few days before. Suspecting a link between the contaminated water to the residents' odd behavior, David attempts to have the town's water supply shut off, but is denied.
Soon after, all communication services are lost in town and David realizes they are in trouble. He begs his wife to leave and go to her parents' house, but she refuses. Soon after, soldiers arrive to take all residents to quarantine at the high school. Everyone is examined for symptoms of infection. Judy does not pass the examination and is separated from David. David escapes evacuation and heads back to his office, encountering Russell. The two head for the school to free Judy. At the school, the infected townspeople breach the perimeter, and the military personnel evacuate, abandoning the civilians. Judy wakes up strapped to a gurney, and helplessly watches as a crazed school director kills quarantined people one by one. David and Russell save her in time, and also find Becca (Danielle Panabaker), a hospital assistant.
Unable to find a working vehicle, the four make their way out of town on foot. They encounter Becca's boyfriend, Scotty, at his farm. Soldiers raid the farm, shoot Scotty and his mother, and burn the bodies. They learn that the soldiers have been ordered to shoot all civilians. The group repair an older patrol car in David's garage, and are ambushed by the infected family of Rory. After a struggle, Russell furiously shoots the infected multiple times. This greatly disturbs Judy, who argues with David about Russell's state of mind. On the road, they are spotted by an attack helicopter and drive into a car wash for cover. The workers attack the car and drag Becca out with a wrapped hose, breaking her neck. When the rest of the group leaves the car to help her, the helicopter destroys the car.
Russell disables a passing government car with a police spike strip. The driver reveals the cargo plane contained "Trixie," a "Rhabdoviridae prototype" biological weapon. It was en route to Texas to be destroyed when the plane crashed. Enraged, Russell shoots the driver and threatens Judy and David. When confronted about his behavior, Russell realizes he is infected and, after being disarmed, begs to go on with Judy and David. At a roadblock, Russel volunteers to distract the soldiers so that Judy and David can sneak past. He calls out the soldiers on their actions and gets killed.
David and Judy arrive at a truck stop to search for a vehicle, discovering that the military have also executed those who were evacuated. Fending off three infected, they escape in a semi-truck. As they drive away, a massive explosion destroys Ogden Marsh and causes a shock wave that flips over their vehicle. As the couple walk towards Cedar Rapids, a view from a military satellite highlights first the couple, then the city, and the words "Initiate containment protocol" appear, signifying a new containment attempt.
In the credits, Bruce Aune, a real newscaster from KCRG-TV 9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa reports that an explosion originating from the Dakon Pendrill chemical plant started a massive fire in Ogden Marsh. He says a perimeter has been set and civilians are not being allowed into the area. A Trixie-infected individual appears on camera just before the signal is lost.
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mystery, murder, cult, violence, insanity, revenge
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tt0455407
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Conan the Destroyer
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Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his companion, the thief Malak (Tracey Walter), are confronted by Queen Taramis (Sarah Douglas) of Shadizar. She tests their combat ability with several of her guards. Satisfied, she tells Conan that she has a quest for him. He refuses her, but when she promises to resurrect his lost love, Valeria, Conan agrees to the quest. He is to escort the Queen's niece, Jehnna (Olivia d'Abo), a virgin, who is destined to restore the jeweled horn of the dreaming god Dagoth; a magic gem must first be retrieved that will locate the horn. Conan and Malak are joined by Bombaata (Wilt Chamberlain), the captain of Taramis's guard. Bombaata has secret orders to kill Conan once the gem is obtained.
Because the gem is secured in the fortress of a powerful wizard, Conan seeks the help of his friend, Akiro (Mako), the Wizard of the Mounds. Akiro has been captured by a tribe of cannibals, and must first be rescued. Afterward, the adventurers encounter Zula (Grace Jones), a powerful bandit warrior being tortured by vengeful villagers. Freeing Zula at Jehnna's request, Conan accepts the indebted warrior's offer to join their quest.
The adventurers travel to the castle of Toth-Amon (Pat Roach) where the gem is located. As they camp for the night, the wizard takes the form of a giant bird and kidnaps Jehnna. The others wake in time to see the bird enter the castle. Sneaking in through a water gate, they search the castle, but Conan is separated from the group and the others are forced to watch him battle a fierce man-beast. Conan mortally wounds the creature, which is revealed as another form of Toth-Amon. With the wizard's death, the castle begins to disintegrate, forcing the group's hasty retreat. They are ambushed by Taramis's guards, but drive them off. Bombaata feigns ignorance about the attack. The gem reveals the location of the jeweled horn. Jehnna expresses romantic interest in Conan, but he rebuffs her and declares his devotion to Valeria.
They reach an ancient temple where the horn is secured. Jehnna obtains it while Akiro deciphers engravings. He learns that Jehnna will be ritually sacrificed to awaken Dagoth. They are attacked by the priests who guard the horn. A secret exit is revealed, but Bombaata blocks the others' escape and seizes Jehnna. Despite this treachery, Conan and his allies escape from the priests and trek to Shadizar to rescue Jehnna.
Malak shows them a secret route to the throne room. Conan confronts Bombaata and kills him in combat. Zula impales the Grand Vizier (Jeff Corey) before he can sacrifice Jehnna. Because Bombaata and the Vizier were "impure sacrifices", the rising Dagoth (André the Giant) becomes distorted from a beautiful human form into a monstrous entity. Dagoth kills Taramis, then attacks Conan. Zula and Malak join the fight, but are effortlessly swept aside by the entity. Akiro tells Conan that the horn is the monster's power source, Conan leaps onto it's back and tears out Dagoth's horn, weakening the creature enough to kill him.
Afterwards, the newly crowned Queen Jehnna offers each of her companions a place in her new court: Zula will be the new captain of the guard, Akiro the queen's advisor, and Malak the court jester. Jehnna offers Conan marriage and the opportunity to rule the kingdom with her, but he declines and departs to find further adventures and his own place in the world.
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murder, cult, fantasy, alternate history, violence
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tt0087078
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V: The Final Battle
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Picking up several months after the events of the first miniseries: Earth has been subjugated by an alien species known as the Visitors, who have arrived on Earth in giant floating saucer-shaped ships that hover over major cities. Initially the Visitors state they have come in peace and need to utilize Earth's chemical manufacturing industry to create a compound to combat environmental problems on their own planet, which orbits the star Sirius. Shortly after their arrival, the Visitors impose martial law when a growing resistance movement exposes the aliens' hidden nature: they are in reality a reptilian species that wears human-looking skin. After beginning a totalitarian occupation of the Earth, they plan to steal all of the planet's water and kidnap every human being with then intention of using them for food. Many humans have willingly collaborated with the Visitors, some of them even turning in family members as traitors. Scientists and anyone whom are curious about the aliens' biological or genetic makeup have been captured and tortured, eliminated or simply persecuted. These scientists form a growing resistance movement to combat the alien occupiers and find any weaknesses. They are aided by a small group of Visitors who have formed a secretive "fifth column" among the fleet. They are led by a friendly Visitor named Martin. The Visitors' fleet is commanded by John, who holds a rank of admiral, and his second-in-command, Diana, who heads the Visitors' science division and has a reputation for ruthless action.On board one of the Visitors' motherships, a news cameraman, Mike Donovan, runs through the brightly-lit hallways with his son Sean. They are chased by Visitor shock troopers, who repeatedly fire at them with laser pulse-rifles. Sean quickly falls when hit by a blast and Mike is cut down moments later as he holds his son.Mike suddenly awakes from sleep, having dreamed the whole incident. His son was captured by the aliens months earlier and still hasn't been located.The Resistance, holed up in the Toluca light rail station in Los Angeles, plans to assault a nearby Visitor-occupied factory. They discover to their horror that the plant is being used to process humans before they are taken to the mothership for storage. The plant is overseen by the Visitors' head of security, Steven. The Resistance is quickly stopped and they retreat, losing several of their numbers.The Resistance members have set up an intricate spy system for themselves: Ruby Engels, a retired actor, poses as a cleaning woman at the Visitor "friendship center" in LA. Another woman, Maggie, has taken up with Daniel Bernstein, carrying on a sexual relationship with him. Daniel, a collaborator and member of the Visitor Youth program, lets it slip to Maggie that an important media event will be held at a local hospital and attended by the aliens' leader, John. The Resistance leader, Julie Parrish, and her top advisers plan to infiltrate the party and expose John on camera to the world. The announcement comes later that the Visitors plan to share an effective treatment to cure all forms of cancer. Security will be very tight and all guests must present specialized passes that will be issued at the last possible minute. Mike Donovan believes he can get one to use for forgery from his mother's house -- Donovan's mother, Eleanor, has become an unofficial ambassador of sorts to the Visitors. Elias and a former cop, Mark, both come up with the name of LA's best forgery expert, Pascal. They get the stolen card to Pascal who is able to make a few copies of it. On board the mothership, Martin and Barbara are able to reconfigure computers in the control room to keep the broadcast going.While they prepare their mission, Robert Maxwell's daughter, Robin, notices serious changes in her physiology. She had been impregnated by a Visitor lieutenant, Brian, as part of an interspecies experiment concocted by Diana. Robin notices that she has a green patch spreading on her neck. While helping Julie in her lab, she spots a Resistance sympathizer, Willie, lying on a table with his scaly back exposed. Robin panics, telling Julie and her father that her baby's father is Brian and that she wants the baby aborted. Julie sneaks Robin into a hospital where she and a friend, Fred King, examine her child in utero. They find that the child is contained in a fibrous sac unlike a human fetus and that cords have been threaded throughout Robin's womb and are tapping into her vital organs. When they attempt to abort the baby by cutting one of the fibers, Robin's vitals drop rapidly. Robin will die before they can terminate the pregnancy and they decide to wait it out.At the big hospital event the resistance members gain entry with the phony passes. Kristine Walsh, the Visitors' foremost media spokesperson, heads the broadcast. John announces that his people's cure for cancer will be given to the population of the Earth. While Julie rushes him, Elias, Robert Maxwell and a new member, Father Andrew, hold the guards present at bay. Julie announces to the cameras that the Visitors are vicious, conquering aliens who plan to destroy the Earth and enslave the human race. To prove her point further, she tears John's mask off, revealing part of his true face. The Visitors are able to respond quickly, sending the Resistance into retreat. On hand for the event, Diana charges Kristine Walsh with making an announcement that the broadcast was a hoax by the Resistance. Kristine suddenly shifts her rhetoric on camera and tries to tell the world that what they witnessed was real. Enraged, Diana executes her.Everyone else makes it out uninjured, however Fred King is killed while trying to rush the barriers outside in a stolen ambulance and Julie is captured by Diana and Steven. The Resistance victory is mostly Pyrrhic; Julie is captured and will be interrogated and the Visitors rebroadcast the event, this time with John making an uninterrupted announcement and the audience being coerced into applauding while shock troopers hold pulse rifles on them.On board the LA mothership, Julie is subjected to Diana's "conversion" process: a form of extreme sensory overload and hypnosis, to convince Julie that her greatest fears surround her and that Diana is the only being she can trust. Julie proves to be highly resistant to the process, despite Diana's efforts. Julie also possesses a congenital heart defect and rather than see her die and lose a potential spy, Diana stops the procedure. Diana plans to set Julie free to infiltrate the Resistance.On the ground outside the Resistance's hideout, a shady man watches the entrance, taking pictures. He's found by Sancho and Mark on patrol. The shady man's partner easily surprises and disarms Sancho and Mark, who are forced to take the two men to Mike Donovan. Mike recognizes the shady man, a mercenary named Ham Tyler. Tyler, very gruff and seemingly unfriendly, tells everyone that the Resistance is larger than they know and that he has a new type of ammunition; coated with Teflon, the bullets can easily penetrate the Visitors' armor and their skin. He also informs them that the Visitors now know where their hideout is, having got the location from Pascal. An attack begins outside and Ham and his compatriot, Chris, are able to plant explosives and kill several shock troops with their new ammo. They blow up the remainder of the hideout and retreat with Donovan.The new Resistance HQ is set up at an abandoned movie ranch. They plan to free Julie when Ruby Engels, while still working in disguise at the Visitors ground HQ, overhears that Julie is being brought back down from the mothership. Martin plans to aide them in freeing Julie. Ruby is able to disable lighting and security systems. Julie is freed and they retreat, however Daniel finds Ruby and recognizes her behind her disguise. He shoots her on the spot. The Resistance later holds a small memorial service for Ruby at the movie ranch hideout.Julie struggles with her conversion: she seems to prefer using her left hand instead of her right and she believes she'll be a danger to her comrades. Mike convinces her that she's still human. The Resistance formulates a new plan to destroy a large water intake plant near a lake that the Visitors are draining and storing aboard their massive ships. Mike and Julie, using stolen uniforms and a new device provided by Ham Tyler that reverberates a human's voice to sound like the aliens, case the plant and are able to find weaknesses in the structure. The plan will be very dangerous since security will be tighter than ever and the main tunnel they'll use to infiltrate is protected by a massive laser system that instantly disintegrates anything that comes in contact. The system will be shut down for a short period while power is routed to a new source. Tyler's partner Chris has been working on an experimental explosive that is stable only between 60 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The teams will have to work quickly to avoid detection and escape before the explosives overheat. Before they leave on the mission, Mike and Julie begin a romantic relationship and Maggie and her boyfriend, Mark, reconcile -- Mark had been very jealous of Maggie's tryst with Daniel Bernstein but he comes to understand her duty for the greater good.At the plant, the laser security system is shut down in the tunnel and the Resistance, led by Tyler, sneaks into the plant and places their explosive charges. Before long, they are spotted and begin to shoot their way out of the plant. The explosives reach the threshold of temperature stability but the Resistance members make it back to the tunnel. Mark is hit by a laser blast and stays behind to hold off the Visitor shock troops while the rest escape. He's killed and the beams activate, killing the shock troopers. The explosives go off and the plant is destroyed and the water still contained in the plant cascades out, drowning Visitor guards and flows back into the reservoir.Diana and John formulate a new plan to bring Donovan out of hiding. They find and free his son from his hibernation chamber and broadcast a message saying Sean had been found wandering alone. An exchange is set up at a tunnel; Mike turns himself over to Diana and Sean goes with the Resistance. On board the LA mothership, Mike is met by a Visitor Fifth Columnist, who tells him that Diana has developed a very powerful truth serum that Mike won't be able to resist. Knowing that Mike will not only reveal the location of the Resistance but also the Fifth Columnists in the Visitor ranks, he prepares to give Mike a suicide capsule but is shot when Diana bursts into the room. With Martin accompanying him, Mike is fastened to an interrogation chair and is given the drug. When asked who his Fifth Columnist contact is, Mike says it's Martin, who quickly draws his sidearm and kills Diana's guard. He misses the chance to kill Diana herself, who escapes. He takes Mike through the ventilation tunnels of the ship, to a vent that opens on the ground below. Near the vent are parachutes for evacuation. Mike is reluctant to jump but Martin forces him to. On the ground, Mike rejoins the Resistance and is finally reunited with his son.While Mike was gone, Robin had gone into labor. The delivery is tough on her and she bears a human baby. When the baby is presented to Robin, it hisses and flicks a reptilian tongue, making Robin scream in horror. Willie takes charge of the infant and Robin is quickly sedated. Suddenly, Julie says that Robin is going to deliver another baby but recoils in fear when the baby crawls out of Robin's womb on it's own: the child is reptilian in appearance, with blue human eyes.Julie has her suspicions about Sean, wondering if he'd been put through Diana's conversion process. Sean doesn't seem interested in activities he'd enjoyed before his capture, especially baseball. Julie shares her belief with Mike who refuses to believe that his son would act as a spy, but he slowly comes to realize the truth.In Julie's infirmary, Robin's human child, who she's named Elizabeth, is growing at a rapid rate. She is the size of a toddler after only a few weeks and molts her skin like a reptile. The Visitor baby, however, is gravely ill and kept in an isolation chamber. It dies soon after and Julia and Robert study it's blood to find the cause. The baby had a form of bacteria that Elizabeth and humans are immune to. Robert and Julia quickly begin to culture the bacteria into a red powder, believing it can be used as a weapon, however they'll need a test subject. Knowing from Maggie's surveillance of Daniel that he reports often to Brian, Caleb and Tyler break in on Daniel at his parent's house when he is celebrating his promotion. Brian is captured and Daniel is left for the authorities when Caleb calls and tells them that Daniel had set Brian up in the hopes of ascending to his position. Brian is brought back to Resistance HQ and kept in an isolation chamber. Robin visits him at night and introduces him to Elizabeth. He tries to persuade Robin to leave with him and bring Elizabeth but Robin, seeking revenge, opens his prison long enough to thrown in the toxin that Julie and her father had cultured. It quickly becomes gaseous and suffocates Brian. When Julie, Tyler and Mike arrive on the scene, they debate if it's poisonous to humans. Julie settles the debate by locking herself in the chamber and breathing deeply. The bacteria is not toxic to humans. Julie and Robert also begin the process of developing an inoculation for any Fifth Column members who will assist them. Martin meets with Mike Donovan and warns him of a doomsday weapon that Diana invented that will turn any mothership into a thermonuclear bomb that could destroy the Earth.A trait that soon becomes apparent in Elizabeth is a predatory nature. She incapacitates Robin's younger sister with venom that she spits from her mouth. Robert is repulsed by his granddaughter. Father Andrew, fearing for Elizabeth's safety, takes her to Diana. Diana is fascinated by the child, believing her to be more than just a bridge between the two species and she begins to teach her Visitor customs and history. Father Andrew also gives Diana a copy of the Holy Bible. After reading it, Diana cruelly kills the priest, telling him that the Bible showed her that she has vulnerabilities that can never be revealed.A new plan of attack is formulated. Knowing that Sean Donovan is acting as an unwitting spy, the Resistance leadership holds a meeting to work out the details of the attack: they plan to steal fighter jets from Edwards Air Base and use them to spray the red dust into the atmosphere. Sean overhears and reports back to his grandmother and Steven. The Resistance has an alternate plan to use hot air balloons. The plan is structured to introduce a small quantity of the red dust into the atmosphere for the bacteria to multiply and infest the Earth.On the morning of the final battle, Steven has his security forces waiting at Edwards. The LA Resistance begins a battle on two fronts: at the Visitors ground HQ where the red dust is launched by mortars and on the LA mothership, where a stolen tanker is used to pump the dust into the ventilation system while another team tries to reach the control room to stop Diana from using the doomsday weapon. Diana, realizing that the Resistance has beaten her demands that John assist her in activating the doomsday weapon. John resists and she shoots him to gain his key. She activates the weapon just as Donovan, Julie, Martin & Barbara enter the room. Diana is held at gunpoint by Julie while the others frantically try to shut off the bomb. Diana is able to draw on Julie's conversion and convince her of their friendship. Diana is able to slip away before Julie can shoot her. Martin and Mike are unable to deactivate the bomb and in desperation, Martin pilots the ship away from Earth, knowing that it will do little to stop Earth's destruction. Elizabeth steps up to the control panel and a strange energy surges from her body and disarms the bomb. The world celebrates the departure of their occupiers and Martin steers the ship back to Earth.
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brainwashing, violence, murder
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tt0086823
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The Great Gatsby
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The film starts with a shot of the flashing green light in East Egg, Long Island, as Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) says how his father told him to always see the good in others. He is seen in the Perkins Sanitarium talking to a doctor, whose records indicate that Nick is there due to his alcoholism, among other things. Nick adds that there was only one person who he saw good in: Gatsby.Nick takes us back to the previous spring in 1922, where Wall Street was booming, and bootleggers were in business due to the alcohol ban. Nick moves to a cottage on Long Island in West Egg, saying he was full of ambition as he started working as a bond broker for Wall Street after originally wanting to be a writer. This cottage was next door to Gatsby's mansion.Nick goes across the bay to visit his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and her blue blooded husband Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), who went to Yale with Nick. Daisy introduces Nick to Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki), a golfer. Over dinner, we learn that Tom is pretty arrogant and racist, remarking on the rise of the colored empire. He gets a phone call, and Jordan tells Nick that Tom is having an affair. Later, Nick walks with Daisy, who says she has become cynical lately. Nick asks about her daughter, and Daisy mentions she is glad she had a girl and hopes she can be a fool, because, in her words, that's the best thing a girl in this world can be. Nick returns home and notices a figure standing on the pier and looking and reaching toward the green light, and Nick believes this is Gatsby.The doctor at the sanitarium convinces Nick to write a novel about his experience. He continues the story by writing about the Valley of Ashes, a desolate part of New York featuring a billboard with two eyes watching over everybody, said to be the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. Nick and Tom are headed to the Yale Club when they get off the commuter train and head to a car repair garage run by George Wilson (Jason Clarke). Tom chats with him over business matters, and George's wife Myrtle (Isla Fisher) comes downstairs. It becomes obvious that she is Tom's mistress. She mentions her sister is coming to New York and wants to introduce her to Nick.Later, at an apartment, while Tom and Myrtle are going at it in the bedroom, her sister Catherine (Adelaide Clemens) comes in with two other friends. They begin to have a party, and Nick remarks that this is only the second time he's ever been drunk. At night, he watches from the window and looks upon the people in the town, saying he finds himself within and without the world he is in. Myrtle comes out of the bedroom shouting Daisy's name, enraging Tom and causing him to smack her hard across the face.Nick wakes up in his home and says he has no memory of how he got back. He opens front door to find that he has received an invitation to a party at Gatsby's, saying he was the only one who has ever gotten a direct invitation, as all the other wealthy people in New York just come to his mansion and indulge themselves. He goes to the party, which is extravagant, and asks around for Gatsby, but nobody has seen him. He runs into Jordan, who is also curious to find him. They hear rumors such as Gatsby being a German spy or an assassin. Eventually, Nick happens to encounter the man himself, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Nick tells Jordan that he imagined Gatsby to be older and fatter. A man comes by and tells Jordan that Gatsby wishes to speak with her in private. A while later, as the party comes to an end, she comes out telling Nick that she just heard something very shocking. Before she can say anything else, she is pulled away by a snobby rich man.The next morning, Gatsby shows up at Nick's cottage in his Duesenberg and takes Nick on a trip, describing to him "God's truth" about himself. He claims to have come from a wealthy family that are now all dead, and later attending Oxford and going on to become a decorated WWI veteran. He takes Nick into the city to meet with his business partner Meyer Wolfsheim (Amitabh Bachchan). They go into a bar beneath a barbershop where bootlegged alcohol is being sold. We learn that Wolfsheim is rumored to have rigged the 1919 World Series, and Gatsby considers setting Nick up for a business with them. Tom Buchanan shows up, at which point Gatsby vanishes.Nick has lunch with Jordan, who tells him what her conversation with Gatsby was about. Through a flashback, we learn from Jordan that five years earlier, Gatsby and Daisy were romantically involved while living in Louisville, Kentucky when Gatsby was a war officer. When he is called away, she waited for him, but then eventually met Tom and was set to marry him. Before their wedding, however, she got a letter from Gatsby, causing Daisy to nearly get cold feet, but she went on to marry Tom. Gatsby also intentionally bought his mansion across from Daisy's home, hoping to see her. Jordan tells Nick that he wants him to invite Daisy over for tea. He approaches Gatsby that night and says he will do it.The following morning, a bunch of people fix up Nick's lawn and home, and it's clear that Gatsby intended to have tea at Nick's place instead of his. They fix it up and make it look nice, but Gatsby starts getting nervous. He almost leaves until Daisy comes in. Nick brings her inside, but Gatsby has fled. She is amazed at all the flowers in the living room, and then Nick hears a knock at the door. It is Gatsby, dripping wet from the pouring rain outside. He enters, and Daisy sees him, and they both comment on how glad they are to see each other again. The tea time is awkward, until Nick decides to leave them alone by saying he is going into the city. When he gets back to his house, Gatsby decides to take them to his place, and they spend some time at the beach before coming back to his home. He shows Daisy a variety of shirts he possesses, and while she is excited, she starts crying. Nick knows it's sudden for her after five years, but she won't admit that.Nick tells some truth about Gatsby. His real name is James Gatz, and that he came from a poor family of farmers from North Dakota. He did not see himself as part of that family and as he got older, he set off to accomplish more. While riding his boat, he encountered a yacht sailed by a man named Dan Cody (Steve Bisley). The young James Gatz rescued him from a storm and went on to sail with him, adopting some of Cody's customs like using the term "old sport" (which he frequently calls Nick). After Cody died, he did not receive his inheritance because of Cody's family, so Gatsby went on to make himself a wealthy man.Gatsby throws another party, this time having Daisy and Tom show up. She and Gatsby retreat to a nearby location where they begin to kiss passionately. Daisy says she wishes they could run away together. Gatsby is pulled away by his butler to settle a business dispute. After the party is over, Gatsby believes Daisy did not have a good time. He tells Nick that he needs her to tell Tom she doesn't love him so they can go back to Louisville and get married. Nick tells him he can't repeat the past, but Gatsby insists he can. He notes the first time he kissed Daisy when they first met, and Gatsby felt he had already married her. Before leaving, he tells Nick he is wrong about the past.Gatsby stops throwing parties for a while. One day, which happens to be the hottest day of the summer, he invites Nick, Daisy, Tom, and Jordan over for lunch. Gatsby tries to hold Daisy's hand, but she panics and claims she is bored and wants to go into the city. Tom notices that she is feeling something for Gatsby, so he agrees to go into the city. Gatsby and Daisy drive off in his car while Tom takes Nick and Jordan. They stop for gas at George Wilson's garage, and he has learned of Myrtle's infidelity, but not that she's sleeping with Tom.The group meets up at a hotel where a man is cutting up a large block of ice to pass around because of the heat and for drinks. Tom starts to slowly antagonize Gatsby, hoping for a confrontation. He mocks his use of "old sport", claiming he lied about Oxford, and accuses him of bootlegging with Wolfsheim. Gatsby hits back by saying Daisy loves him and not Tom, putting her in an uncomfortable position. As Tom continues to egg him on, Gatsby snaps, throws the alcohol and grabs Tom, screaming at him and nearly hitting him. This frightens Daisy and Jordan. She and Gatsby leave. Tom decides to open a bottle of liquor and offers Nick some. He remarks that he just remembered that day was his birthday.At night, Myrtle is being abused by George as he asks her where she got her pearls. She runs out into the street as she sees the Duesenberg coming, thinking it's Tom. The car speeds as Gatsby grabs the wheel, trying to swerve, but the car strikes Myrtle and kills her instantly. Tom, Nick, and Jordan drive by the scene and discover Myrtle's corpse as the police are on the scene. Tom is visibly distraught but denies having known her well. He goes to George, who is grieving. Tom tells him that the car that hit Myrtle was driven by Gatsby.The Buchanans go back to their place. Jordan invites Nick inside, but he refuses. As he leaves, he hears Gatsby calling to him. He tells Nick that Daisy was driving after leaving the city to ease her tension, but although he tried to move the car, they were unable to stop from hitting Myrtle. Nick walks away, seeing Tom and Daisy talking, apparently having reconciled.Nick meets up with Gatsby later as he is fixing up the Duesenberg and covering it. He learns more about Gatsby - the whole truth. Gatsby was always after Daisy and hoped she would wait for him after he came back from the war. Although he was penniless, he wanted to come back to her, but she had already married Tom. Nick realizes Gatsby truly loved Daisy, and he only threw the parties in the hopes that she would show up for one of them. That morning, Gatsby's gardener comes in and says he is to drain the pool before the leaves fall. Gatsby decides to take a swim before that and asks Nick to join him but he declines. Before finally leaving, Nick tells Gatsby that the Buchanans are rotten people and that Gatsby is worth more than them. They share a friendly wave before departing.At work, Nick is too distracted and hopes Gatsby will call him with good news. At the same time, we see Daisy looking at her phone as she considers calling Gatsby. The phone rings at his place, and Gatsby hears it, excited. However, he does not see George Wilson behind him, who shoots him in the back. He falls into his pool, dead, just as George turns the gun on himself. We also see that it was Nick, not Daisy, who was calling, and he panics as he heard the gunshots.After Gatsby's death, the media blamed him for the affair with Myrtle, as well as her death. Nick is upset that he could not tell them the truth. His place is bombarded with reporters who ungraciously huddle over his open casket. Nick tries to get in touch with Daisy, but she and Tom are leaving with their daughter, packing up everything and having their butler tell Nick they are gone. Nick adds that virtually nobody attended Gatsby's funeral except him. He would later go on to leave New York and go back to the Midwest, completely disillusioned. He also muses that Gatsby could not see that his dream of being with Daisy was behind him.Nick completes his novel, simply titling it "Gatsby". He takes another look at the cover page and writes something extra, now calling it "The Great Gatsby".
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tragedy
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tt1343092
|
The Driller Killer
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New York City. Reno Miller, a scruffy young artist, enters a small Catholic church in Spanish Harlem where he walks to the front where an elderly bearded man is kneeling and chanting "pity the sinners" over and over. Reno seems to recognize the man as his long-lost father, whom is now apparently a derelict. The old man unclasps a hand and grabs Reno's hand. Reno runs, grabs his girlfriend Carol, who accompanied him to the church, and leaves. They ride in a taxi towards downtown, and Reno calls the man a "degenerate" and a "bum". Evidently, the derelict had a piece of paper with Reno's name and phone number and requested a meeting at the church to talk to him. Reno, despite knowing that the derelict was his father, denies knowing him to Carol. Reno and Carol go to pick up Pamela, their other roommate, who is in a local bar watching a punk rock band perform.The next morning, Reno hears Pamela trying to drill a hole in the door, and he does it for her since Pamela is constantly spaced out being an ex-junkie. Reno, Carol, and Pamela all live together in a seedy apartment in the Union Square area of Manhattan and are struggling to get by. Reno complains about the bills for the utilities they get from the water, to the electricity, and to the telephone bill and of the long distance, hour-long, phone calls that Pamela and Carol made in the past month. In frustration, Reno throws the phone out a window.Later, Reno has a dream about the mysterious bearded man and about the power drill that he used earlier. Reno hates his neighborhood where homeless derelicts reside on the streets around his apartment building. Reno goes to see Dalton, a flamboyantly gay art gallery owner and tells him that he is currently working on a masterpiece painting (which is a giant painting of a buffalo against a multi-colored landscape). Reno says that he needs another week and asks for a loan of $500 to pay for his rent. But Dalton refuses, saying that he had lent enough money to Reno this past year from a variety of reasons from medical bills to urtilty bills, to Reno's artwork which includes paint and numerous canvases. But Dalton tells Reno that if he finishes the painting in one week and if he likes it, he will buy it and give Reno whatever money he needs to financially help him out.Strapped for money, since neither Reno or Pamela have bank accounts, Carol writes a check for $500 for the rent and gives it to the grumpy landlord Al, which she claims that it is her alimony check that her ex-husband gives her. The landlord takes the check, but tells Carol that they are still a month behind on the rent, and in a few days, on the 1st of the month, they will be two months behind and he wants the rest of the money soon.The following day, Tony Coca-Cola and the Roosters, a punk rock band that Pamela hangs around, move into an apartment nearby Reno's and soon begin practicing their music. The loud music from the band drives Reno more unnerved and frustrated. That night, Reno, Carol, and Pamela watch TV since they have no money and cannot go out since Reno has to spend what little money he has on utilities, and Pamela apparently squanders what money she makes on drugs. During the commercials, they watch a TV advertisement for a Porto-Pack, a battery pack with allows a person to walk around with electrical appliances.At 2:00 AM in the morning, while trying to work on his painting, Reno becomes more agitated from the loud music that Tony and his band continue to play. He sees an image of himself saturated in blood, and goes outside into the dark streets for a walk. At the foot of a garbage-strewn alley, Reno sees an elderly derelict sleeping, and stands him up. It seems that Reno is going to accost the man, but he ducks into the alley with him when they see a group of teenage gang members chasing another bum in the street and run right past them. Reno drops the bum to the ground and walks off, vowing that he will not end up like him or his derelict father.The next day, Carol gets a letter from her ex-husband Stephen, who sends her a photo of them together as well as a $100 note, saying that he misses her and wants her to return to him. Meanwhile, Reno becomes more angry and agitated when Tony and his band continues to play their music day and night and complains to the landlord about the loud music. But the landlord refuses to do anything because Tony and his band doesn't bother him, (which implies that the band pays their rent and probably bribe money, whereas Reno doesn't). However, the landlord gives Reno a gift of a skinned rabbit for dinner to show that there are no hard feelings. Reno takes the carcass of the rabbit home to his apartment, and while preparing it for dinner, repeatedly stabs it with a knife (shades of 'Repulsion').The next day, Reno eyes the Porto-Pack sitting in the window at a small hardware store on sale for $19.95. After checking to see if he has enough money on him, which apparently he does, Reno goes inside the hardware store and purchases the Porto-Pack. Later that afternoon, a troubled Reno tries to sleep when the band finally stops playing loud music for a short while, but he hears voices calling out his name, and he sees an image of Carol with her eyes cut out. That night, Reno takes the Porto-Pack and goes out, with the drill attached to it. Reno sees another homeless bum sleeping inside an abandoned building, and he drills the bum in the chest, killing him.The following evening, Reno, Carol, and Pamela have tickets to see Tony Coca-Cola and the Roosters at a local nightclub. At the club, Pamela hangs out with the band, while Reno and Carol talk about where they stand with their relationship and Carol tells him that her ex-husband has been writing to her asking her to come back to him. A little later, while Reno plays a pinball machine, Pamela asks Reno about the painting that he's working on and suggests that in attempt to get more money for the rent and bills, Reno have sexual relations with Dalton. Reno shrugs it off with slight disgust. The band finally gets to play, where Reno quickly becomes more agitated from the loud music and the crowd around him. Reno leaves the club unnoticed while Carol and Pamela dance and make out with each other.Driven to the edge, Reno returns to his apartment, grabs the drill with the battery pack, and goes out on a "drilling spree". All night long, Reno runs through the streets killing one homeless bum after another, first starting with a bum sleeping on the sidewalk, then another bum in a subway station, then a drinking derelict on the street. Reno passes a small bus stop where he sees a weird and spaced out bum hanging around and harassing two men waiting for a late-night bus. When the men board the passing bus, leaving the bum alone, Reno attacks the bum, drilling him in the back. Reno further attacks two more bums, drilling one and chasing the second down the street, and drilling him in the back. He ends his killing spree by approaching a derelict asleep in a pile of garbage bags, and drills the man in the forehead. Reno returns home for the night to sleep.Sometime later, Tony visits Reno at this apartment where the spaced out rock star comments on his paintings and asks Reno to paint a portrait of him. After Tony reluctantly agrees to pose for Reno's demand of $500 (rent money), he says that they need to start right away.The next morning, Carol reads the newspaper which has one article of a man killed with a power drill. Reno sees an image of his initial drill killing and his own bloody image, and he snatches the paper away from Carol and accuses of her trying to drive him crazy. Later, Pamela brings home a take-out pizza for dinner. As Carol and Pamela eat their plain cheese slices, they watch with slight disgust as Reno gobbles down slice after slice of pizza with green peppers on it like some famished animal. While scarfing down his fourth pizza slice, Reno tells Pamela to ask Carol if she wants some pizza with green peppers on it (even though Carol is sitting right beside him). Carol angrily throws a slice of pizza in Reno's face and leaves. Carol goes out to a nearby payphone and calls Stephen and tells him about wanting to leave Reno. Carol returns to the apartment to find a silly picture proclaiming "I'm sorry".Reno paints Tony has he poses, and at various times, plays his guitar and even makes out with Pamela who shows up. Nearby, a bum in a nearby alley, restless and indigent due to all the noise Tony made, is attacked by Reno who drills his hands to a wall in a crude crucifix pose and then kills him. Afterwards, Reno goes to work on his painting and after nearly all night of working, he approaches the sleeping Carol and Pamela in bed together and tells them that his painting is finally finished.The next day, Reno and Carol show the completed buffalo painting to Dalton. But Dalton declares the work of art "unacceptable", and leaves. Carol then yells at Reno for she is angry that he just sat in his chair with a blank expression on his face while Dalton yelled at him. The next morning, Reno awakes to an empty bed, and he chases Carol as she walks down the street with her suitcase, saying that she is finally leaving him and going back to her ex-husband. Reno tries to talk to her, and even grabs the suitcase away, but she keeps on walking. Pamela is devastated that her best friend and part-time lover has left, but Reno is beside himself with rage. He tries calling Carol and talks to her on the phone, but he is only talking to a dial tone.That evening, Reno, now completely demented, calls Dalton and invites him to come on over for he has something else to show to him, and Dalton (mistaking thinking that Reno is coming onto him) agrees to be there later with some wine. Dalton arrives at the apartment that evening, while Tony and his band are continuing to play their loud music, and Reno, dressed in all black clothing with his face pasty white and wearing blood-red lipstick, drills Dalton to death. A little later, Pamela returns to the apartment after hanging around Tony's band when she sees a bloody drill bit in the door and a dead Dalton hanging from it on the inside. Pamela backs away screaming, but Reno grabs her.Across town, Carol is back with Stephen at his apartment and while she goes to the bathroom to take a shower, Stephen prepares some tea. Reno sneaks into the apartment and drills Stephen in the back, and hides his body behind the counter. Carol, done showering, walks to the bedroom where Reno is lying under the bed covers. She turns out the lights, gets into bed, and tells "Stephen" to "come here..."
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cruelty, grindhouse film, murder, cult, horror, violence
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tt0079082
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Justice League: War
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A series of strange abductions have occurred in Gotham City, Central City, Coast City and Metropolis among others. Video footage suggests that Batman, a wanted, costumed vigilante, is behind the incidents. When a mysterious, burly, cloaked kidnapper abducts a woman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) arrives to confront the kidnapper and saves the woman when she is dropped from above. Green Lantern then attacks the kidnapper, revealing it to be a monstrous Parademon. The creature defeats Green Lantern soundly, and as he is about to be killed, Batman appears and attacks the Parademon, trying to interrogate it. The Parademon then attacks both heroes. They escape from the city's police and chase the creature into the sewers, where it charges a Mother Box and explodes. Batman and Green Lantern examine the box, deduce that it is of extraterrestrial origin, and decide to ask Superman for an answer. Another Mother Box, supplied by The Flash (Barry Allen) is being studied at S.T.A.R. Labs. Doctor Silas Stone, father of Vic Stone, deliberately misses his son's football game so he can study the box. Arriving in Metropolis, Batman and Green Lantern fight Supermanwho has fought a Parademon previously and believes the heroes are working with it. The battle spreads over a portion of the city; it finally stops when Batman calls Superman "Clark". Superman uses his x-ray vision and recognizes Batman as billionaire Bruce Wayne. The three heroes then begin to collaborate. On planet Apokolips, Darkseid orders Desaad to begin an invasion of Earth in response to the superheroes' discovery of his plans.Vic arrives at S.T.A.R. Labs and argues with his father Silas, who believes that football has no importance in a world that is changing with the appearance of metahumans, and states that he will never come to one of his son's football games due to his devotion his own work. At the Daily Planet, Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern realize the invasion has begun when the box activates and several Boom Tubes appear throughout the world, including S.T.A.R. Labs. While Vic is holding the Box being study by his father during their argument, it activates and explodes, creating a Boom Tube. The explosion fuses the technology inside the Box to Vic's fatally wounded and mutilated body. With several Parademons attacking, Silas is forced to take Vic to an emergency room to save him. Silas loads Vic into a technologically advanced medical bed and uses experimental nano mechanical and tissue grafting technologies on Vic in desperation, though this seems to fail when his heartbeat flatlines. Countless Parademons appear around the world, attacking everyone on sight. The box's technology spliced with Vic's body fuses itself with the various technologies, as well as computers, around the room, transforming Vic into Cyborg, with a body now made from technology capable of transforming and adapting itself and obtaining new features, such as weapons. Just as the Flash arrives to save the scientists, Cyborg's systems reveal details of Apokolips, Darkseid, and the invasion plan. He sees that the Parademons are actually the inhabitance countless worlds conquered by Darkseid. The inhabitance are captures and spliced with Darkseids technology, allowing it to control and repurpose their genetics and physical makeup, transforming them into mind controlled monsters and together serve as highly expendable army for conquering other planets. Vic's was affected by the same technology but it had not been programmed to create a Parademon and fused with other materials and instead. At his foster home, teenager Billy Batson sees a Parademon outside and mystically turns into the superhero Shazam. Air Force One is attacked in the air, but is saved by the Amazon princess Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) and Superman. After the heroes gather, Cyborg reveals that the invasion is a prelude to the terraforming of Earth. Darkseid arrives and proves to be a powerful opponent who defeats each hero effortlessly.Darkseid uses his Omega Beams while fighting Flash and Superman, with the latter being unable to outmaneuver the beam and is hit, incapacitated and captured by a Parademon. Batman stops Green Lantern from going after them on his own, as his ego has caused him to charge at Darkseid without thinking and be quickly defeated and injured to the point where his arm breaks. Batman then persuades him to think about the many lives at stake rather than his own image as a hero and to help the heroes work together after he unmasks himself and reveals that his parents's murders were what motivated him to fight evil. Wayne deliberately allows himself to be captured to save Superman. Green Lantern, acting as a leader, assembles everyone and decides that to defeat Darkseid they must destroy his eyes first, stripping him of his power to use his Omega Beams. He is taken through a portal and arrives on Apokolips, proceeding to escape the Parademon and stop Desaad from turning Superman into a Parademon. Because of a brainwashing process being done on him using Darkseids technology, Superman becomes unstable and highly aggressive, resulting in him crushing Desaad to death and attacking anything insight, including other Parademons and Batman. Batman reasons with Superman, helping him reassert his own personality. On Earth, after Darkseid's eyes are disabled, Cyborg connects with the Mother Box to reopen the Boom Tubes and send the tyrant and his army back to their home world. Though the Parademons are gone, Darkseid remains. Superman and Batman arrive and together they force the tyrant into the portal. With the world saved, the once-maligned superheroes gain the public's trust and are honored at the White House. The President of the United States asks whether they have a name. Shazam abruptly announces the name "Super Seven", to which the others object. After a short debate the team of superheroes agree to take the name of The Justice League.In a post-credits scene, an Atlantean ship emerges from the ocean and Ocean Master appears carrying the dead body of his king, possibly killed when the Parademons assembled in the sea during Darkseids arrival on Earth. He believes that the surface dwellers on Earth are responsible for his death, calling it an act of war from the surface, for which he vows retribution.
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good versus evil
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tt3060952
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The Taking of Pelham 123
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A man calling himself Ryder hijacks Pelham 123, a New York City Subway 6 train that departed from Pelham Bay Park station at 1:23 p.m. Ryder is accompanied by three other heavily armed men: Bashkim, Emri and former train operator Phil Ramos. They uncouple the front car from the rest of the train and take the passengers hostage. MTA employee Walter Garber is working the Rail Control Center as a train dispatcher and receives a ransom call from Ryder, who demands $10 million in cash be paid within 60 minutes. Ryder warns that every minute past the deadline they force him to wait, he will execute a hostage.
Bashkim kills a plainclothes Transit Police officer who approaches him after recognizing that something is amiss. He and Ramos then allow all the passengers not in the front car to be released except for the motorman. Garber reluctantly negotiates with Ryder and develops a rapport, while Ramos and Emri set up Internet access in the tunnel. Ryder uses his laptop to watch the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunge nearly 1,000 points during the next hour in response to the hostage-taking. One of the passenger's laptops also connects to the Internet, and the computer's webcam is activated. The webcam allows the people in the control center to observe Ryder and Ramos. Lieutenant Camonetti of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit enters the RCC to take over negotiations and Garber is ordered to leave the premises. The change infuriates Ryder, who shoots and kills the train's motorman in order to force Camonetti to bring Garber back. Garber blames Camonetti for the motorman's death.
Camonetti learns that Garber is being investigated for allegedly accepting a $35,000 bribe over a contract for new subway cars. Ryder also discovers the allegations through online news reports after Ramos told Ryder that Garber was a "big-shot" at the MTA and should not be dispatching trains and forces Garber to confess by threatening to kill a passenger. Garber explains that he was offered the bribe while deciding between two companies for a train contract, but also tells Ryder that he used the money to pay for his child's college tuition and insists that he would have made the same decision without the financial offer. Ryder expresses his admiration for Garber's willingness to risk himself to save a stranger. Meanwhile, the Mayor agrees to deliver the ransom money to Ryder and orders the NYPD to deliver it. On the way to the delivery point, the police are involved in an accident and fail to get the money there in time. Garber attempts to bluff Ryder by telling him the money has been dropped off, unaware that Ryder has been monitoring events on his laptop and knows he's being lied to. An enraged Ryder threatens to execute one of the children hostages and the child's mother. Another hostage, a former soldier, sacrifices himself to save the mother and child and is killed. A short gunfight erupts after an NYPD ESU sniper is bitten by a rat and accidentally discharges his weapon, killing Ramos.
Based on clues that Garber receives during his conversations with Ryder, the NYPD discover that Ryder's real name is Dennis Ford. He was a manager at a private equity firm before being sentenced to prison for investment fraud. Ford had agreed to a plea bargain for a three-year sentence, but was instead sentenced to ten years by the judge. One of the Mayor's aides mentions the extreme drop in the major stock indexes in response to the train hijacking, and the Mayor deduces that Ryder is actually attempting to manipulate the market via put options. Ryder demands that Garber himself deliver the ransom money, and Garber is given a pistol and flown to the terminal to make the drop. Ryder brings Garber aboard and orders him to operate the train to the next station, where he and the hijackers exit the train during a brief stop. Ryder then uses a device to rig the train to go on without them. Garber manages to separate himself from Ryder at a railway crossing and then follows him as he escapes to the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Ryder parts from Bashkim and Emri, who are later shot dead after being surrounded by police and provoking the NYPD to use deadly force on the two in an apparent suicide-by-cop.
The train comes to a halt safely, and police learn that Ryder is no longer on board. Ryder hails a taxi while Garber follows him in a truck. Ryder checks his laptop and finds that his scheme has amassed a $307 million profit. He leaves the cab on the Manhattan Bridge and takes the bridge's pedestrian walkway but Garber catches up to him. Garber holds Ryder at gunpoint, and Ryder gives him a 10-second ultimatum to pull the trigger. In the final seconds of the countdown, Ryder pulls out his gun and forces Garber to shoot him. As he lies dying, Ryder tells Garber that he considers him a hero. Afterward, the mayor thanks Garber for saving the hostages and reassures him about his bribery charges. The film concludes with Garber walking into his home carrying a bag of groceries, including a half-gallon of milk he promised his wife, Theresa, he'd bring home earlier in the film.
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violence, boring, murder
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tt1111422
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They Live
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George Nada (Roddy Piper) is a homeless laborer who arrives in Los Angeles looking for work. He listens for some seconds to some rambling street preacher (Raymond St. Jacques), but he dismisses his message and leaves when he notices that the police are coming. He eventually finds work on an L.A. construction site. One of the workers, Frank Armitage (Keith David), takes him to a local shantytown where most of the workers live. After eating at the soup kitchen and spending the night, he notices odd behavior at the small church across the street. Investigating, Nada discovers that the church's soup kitchen is a front: inside, the loud "choir practice" is a recording, scientific machinery fills a back room, and cardboard boxes are stacked everywhere, including some in a secret compartment that he stumbles across. The leader of the group (Peter Jason) is aware that Nada is onto them. The Street Preacher is also there. Now Nada notices that he's blind. In fact, although the Street Preacher discovers Nada gossiping around, when he notices that Nada has got rough hands because of rough handiwork, he lets Nada go free.That night, the police arrive and surround the church, forcing the inhabitants to flee. The police then turn on the shantytown, destroying it with bulldozers and beating the blind minister of the church to death. Nada, Frank, and most of the inhabitants flee. Nada returns to the site the next day and investigates the church again, which has been emptied. He takes one of the boxes from the secret compartment and opens it in an alleyway. Expecting to find something valuable, he is a little dissapointed to find it full of cheap-looking sunglasses. He keeps one pair and hides the rest in a garbage can.When Nada later dons the glasses for the first time as he walks down a sidewalk on Rodeo Drive, he discovers that the world appears in shades of grey, with significant differences. He notices that a billboard now simply displays the word "Obey"; without them it advertises that Control Data Corporation which is "creating a transparent computing environment." Another billboard (normally displaying "Come to the Caribbean" written above a lovely woman lying on a beach) now displays the text "Marry and Reproduce." He also sees that paper money bears the words "This is your God." All printed matter around him contains subliminal advertising from "Obey", "Consume", "Sleep", "No Independent Thought", and "Do Not Question Authority". While he stares disbelievingly at a magazine containing the subliminal messages, a man walks up. When Frank looks at him he sees a strange humanoid with bulging eyes and mottled skin. When Nada removes the glasses, the man looks like a white, male human.Nada soon discovers that many people are actually aliens. Most of the aliens are wearing expensive clothing resembling wealthy-looking businessmen and women. When Nada enters a local grocery store and insults one of the aliens, the elderly lady speaks through her wristwatch, muttering about his location and the face that he "can see." Nada runs out of the store and into an alley where two alien policemen suddenly arrive. The two alien policemen ask where Nada got the sunglasses and he refuses to answer them. Aware that they intend to kill him, Nada escapes, killing both alien policemen. He steals a police shotgun. While evading the police, he accidentally stumbles into a local bank filled with aliens. Realizing that the jig is up, he proclaims, "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum." A shooting spree ensues as Nada opens fire, killing all the aliens that he sees. After killing many of them, one of the aliens sees him and disappears after twisting a dial on his wristwatch. Fleeing the bank and into a nearby parking garage, he forces a woman (Meg Foster) at gunpoint to take him to her house in the Hollywood Hills.At the woman's house, Nada takes off the glasses to rest. He remarks: "wearin' these glasses makes you high, but, oh, you come down hard." Nada tries to convince the woman, whose name is Holly Thompson, about what is happening, but she remains skeptic. When Nada lets his guard down after Holly tells him that she's an executive at a local TV station, she tricks him into turning on the TV set where she pushes him through her window, nearly killing him. He leaves behind his pair of sunglasses, however, for her. Without putting them on, Holly calls the police.The next morning, Nada returns to the construction site to talk over with Frank what he discovered. Seeing Nada as a wanted man for the shooting spree, Frank is initially uninterested in his story. Now a fugitive with no one to turn to, Nada returns to the alley where he disposed of the rest of the sunglasses. Nada recovers the box by breaking into a garbage truck that carries it away. Just then, Frank shows up with money to give to Nada to make him leave town. Seeing that Frank is human, Nada tries to persuade him to put on a pair of the sunglasses, but Frank refuses. Then, the two of them engage in a long and violent hand-to-hand fight as Nada attempts to convince and then force Frank to put on the sunglasses. When Frank finally puts on the glasses, he sees the aliens around him as well. Nada states: "Partner, life's a bitch... and this one's in heat!"Frank joins Nada as they check into a local fleabag hotel and get in contact with the group from the church. They learn that a meeting is being held at a local community center later that evening. The community group listens to a seminar in the background introducing radical ideas. For example, the aliens are blamed for increased carbon dioxide and methane emissions "They are turning our atmosphere into their atmosphere" and quickly using up the planet's resources. Holly returns, claiming to now believe Nada, and delivers some information to the rebels about a possible location to where the aliens are broadcasting the subliminal messages.At the meeting, they learn that the aliens' primary method of control is a signal being sent out on television, which is why the general public cannot see the aliens for what they are. An unknown but brilliant inventor has created a lens called the Hofmann lens. The lens shows the world as it really is. The sunglasses, which are also available as contact lenses, interfere with the aliens' hypnotic signal.Nada then has a talk with Holly who tells him that after their encounter when he left behind his sunglasses, she put them on and hid them which is how she now believes him. Suddenly, Nada and Holly's conversation and the meeting place is raided by the police, who shoot to kill. Some of the resistance members flee outside while the police (a combination of both human and aliens) are gunning people down indiscriminately.Nada and Frank escape into an alley behind the building and get away with the help of one of the wristwatch devices that teleports them to a mysterious underground facility. They find themselves in a network of underground passages under the city that link hidden parts of the alien society including a port for space travel. Through the passages they find the aliens are throwing a party for their human collaborators. Nada and Frank meet one of the homeless drifters (George 'Buck' Flower) whom they previously met in the workers shantytown, whom is one of the many human collaborators with the aliens. Thinking that they have been recruited as he has, the Drifter shows them around the underground facility which leads them to the studio offices of a local TV station.The Drifter leads Nada and Frank to the basement of a local TV station, Cable 54, and the source of the aliens' signal. Nada and Frank pull out their weapons and kill all the alien guards, intending to shut down the hidden signal the aliens are using. But the Drifter gets away by teleporting himself and sounds the alarm. Arming themselves with assault rifles off the dead guards, Nada and Frank decide to get to the roof of the building to shut down the signal to make the world aware of the aliens among them. But aware that they will not survive, even if they succeed in shutting down the signal, Nada and Frank know that this is a suicide mission.Nada and Frank engage in a gun battle with the guards in the studio hallways and offices they are at. Holly, who works at the station, is found by Frank and Nada and she leads them up to the roof of the building where the dish is broadcasting. Making it to a stairway, Nada runs up to the roof expecting that Holly and Frank are behind him. Suddenly, Holly pulls out a gun, presses it against Frank's temple, and kills Frank. Through the special contact lenses that he is wearing, Nada notices the broadcasting antenna. Holly gets to the roof, then takes aim at Nada. Nada finally realizes that Holly is yet another human collaborator with the aliens (and possibly the one who led the police to the rebels hiding spot). Then, a police helicopter appears where the aliens aboard order Nada to step away from the broadcasting antenna.Aware that he is a dead man no matter what, Nada uses a hidden sleeve pistol and kills Holly. Nada then turns his attention back to the broadcasting antenna. Nada is shot and fatally wounded by alien police marksmen in the hovering helicopter, but manages to get one final shot from his small pistol and destroys the broadcasting antenna in the process. As a last dying defiant act, Nada gives the aliens in the hovering helicopter "the finger" as he lies dying on the roof of the building next to Holly's dead body, and the ruins of the broadcasting dish.With the signal now destroyed, people around L.A. and the rest of the country are surprised to discover aliens in their midst... seeing them on TV, chatting with them at the bar, meeting with them at the office... and even having sex with them.
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murder, allegory, cult, violence, clever, good versus evil, psychedelic, humor, satire, action, brainwashing, suspenseful, sci-fi
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tt0096256
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Standing Up
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Two kids, Howie (Chandler Canterbury) and Grace (Annalise Basso), are stripped naked and left stranded together on an island as victims of a vicious summer camp prank. But rather than returning to camp to face the humiliation, they decide to take off on the run together. Grace does not know how to swim, so she holds onto a broken tree branch as Howie swims across the lake.
They are soon washed onto a shore near a cottage. Howie goes to the lake and spots three men headed toward the shore in a boat. He decides to take a camera and a notepad to keep track of everything they steal in order to return it to its rightful owner along with an explanation of why it was taken. They continue of their journey and encounter a group of teenagers partying and drinking near a beach. Howie grabs some money out of one of the trucks, much to Grace's disapproval. They take a break on a family beach where they purchase a hot dog and a bag of chips. They also devise a plan to steal some new clothes. As they are walking through town later that day, they spot one of their camp counselors handing out pictures of them to the locals as well as the police. They get on a bus that is rounding up a group of children for a different camp.
Their cover is almost blown when two girls Tiwana (Alexus Lapri Geier) and Lydia (Deidra Shores) confront them about taking their seats; however, Calvin (Adrian Kali Turner) convinces the girls to take other seats. Once they arrive at the camp, Howie and Grace attempt to run away, but Calvin and Tiwana catch them and convince them to spend the night at camp. Tiwana and Calvin befriend and defend Howie and Grace during their time at camp, and Tiwana makes Grace promise to call her mother (Radha Mitchell).
The next night, Howie and Grace manipulate their way into a hotel room. They decide to hitchhike their way back to camp. Unfortunately, they encounter shady sheriff's deputy Perry Hofstadder (Val Kilmer) who lies to them and locks them in his truck. When he gets out to make a phone call, the children try to drive away. They go in the wrong direction and are forced to jump off a cliff into a lake. Grace again calls her mother who reveals the truth about Howie, saying that he's in foster care. After the phone call, Howie and Grace get into an argument. Lockwood (Frank Hoyt Taylor) informs the police about which direction the kids went. Grace spots her mother, and they run to greet each other as Howie watches in the distance. Some time later, when Grace is back home, She receives a package from Howie containing a letter and pictures of their time together. She says that Howie was adopted by a family in Connecticut, yet they still keep in touch, having seen each other the next summer to see cut-out people at a museum and going to NASA.
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prank
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tt1905042
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Big Trouble
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In a high-school game of Killer (in which a student must shoot another with a squirt gun) Matt Arnold has to "shoot" classmate Jenny Herk, and decides to sneak up on her at home. By coincidence hitmen are also there to kill Arthur Herk, who has secretly embezzled money from his company. When the fake assassination attempt crosses paths with the real one, police officers Monica and Walter are called out to the resulting disturbance. Eliot Arnold, Matt's father, who was contacted by Matt's friend, Andrew, immediately feels a mutual attraction to Anne Herk (Jenny's mother), as Matt and Jenny begin to feel attracted to each other as well. The Herks' Mexican housemaid Nina, meanwhile, falls in love with a young man named Puggy, who lives in a tree on their property, after she runs from the shootings and he saves her from the hitmen.Realizing that he is the intended victim, Arthur visits arms dealers, for a weapon, but ends up with suitcase nuclear bomb. Escaped convicts Snake and Eddie, who were previously kicked out of a bar called the Jolly Jackal for disorderly conduct, hold up the bar and kidnap Arthur and Puggy (who is an employee there) for the suitcase, not knowing its contents.Meanwhile, Matt tries to "kill" Jenny in a mall parking lot, but a security guard thinks that Matt's gun is real. After the guard opens fire on them, Matt and Jenny run to the Herk house, followed by Monica and Walter, who stumble across the confusion. Eliot is called over as well.The convicts force Arthur to return to his home, where they capture everyone and tie them up. Taking Puggy and kidnapping Jenny, they leave (with the suitcase) for the Airport. Nina, who was hiding in her room, frees everyone except for Monica and Arthur (who were handcuffed to a heavy brass etagere). Shortly after, the house is visited by two FBI agents who are tracking the bomb. They free Monica and have her lead them to the airport (leaving Arthur, as he was poisoned by a hallucinogenic toad, causing him to think that his dog is possessed by Martha Stewart).The criminals reach the plane still holding Jenny hostage. Puggy manages to escape, but the bomb is enabled when going through security; as a condition of them being let through. They made security believe it was a garbage disposal. The FBI agents tell everyone that unless the bomb is retrieved soon, the plane must be shot down. They find Puggy who leads the group to the criminals' plane, which Eliot sneaks onto.Meanwhile, the two hitmen get out of the traffic jam (caused by Snake and Eddie) and reach the airport. They bump into Officer Romero, and Special Agents Greer and Seitz, knocking the hitmen's Remington Sniper Rifle out of their golf bag in the process. The FBI agents, having more serious problems, leave this to Romero since it's her "jurisdiction." Romero grabs the rifle, and removes its bolt, rendering it useless. She then tosses the rifle down, saying: "gentlemen" and leaves. Henry Desalvo remarks to Leonard that Miami sucks...but the cops are kinda nice.Eliot, having sneaked onto the plane, attacks the criminals by knocking Eddie out with a fire extinguisher and blasting the extinguisher at Snake. After being told the suitcase must be gotten off the plane, Eliot hurls it out of the now open plane door, only for Snake to leap after it. In a memorable feat of dumb luck, Snake manages to cling onto some steps still coupled to the plane. Despite Eliot's persistence in trying to convince Snake to release the suitcase, Snake shoots at him, and is then told by the pilot that the suitcase is a bomb, prompting Eliot to pull an emergency lever, decoupling said stairs. Snake (in a nod to the stubborn as a mule tale) plunges into the ocean with a defiant smile, still clinging to the bomb, which explodes safely in the water. Eliot is congratulated by the FBI, promised he will receive presidential cowboy boots and a hat, and told the events that took place will never be acknowledged.The last scene reveals what happens to the main characters: After chasing down a plane, subduing two criminals, and saving Miami from a nuclear disaster, Eliot finally won Matt's respect. Anne and Eliot get married, a week after Anne gets divorced from Arthur. Walter, after a forced strip search by idiotic ariport guards, becomes a male stripper. The two hitmen manage to get on a plane out of Miami after a series of very weird events. They claim their Miami job was the lowest point in their careers. However, they're surrounded by the fans of Florida Gators on their plane home; which was a constant joke in the film and unfortunately are delayed on the tarmac due to an obstruction on the runway which happened to be the goats that got released during the traffic jam caused previously by Snake and Eddie. Eddie goes back to jail in a prison outside of Jacksonville, but becomes friends with another dimwitted inmate who shares the same affinity for...crude jokes as Eddie does. Arthur is last seen still handcuffed and tormented by his dog.
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cult, comedy, violence, flashback
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tt0246464
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Chemical Wedding
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Jack Parsons was a brilliant chemist and inventor of the rocket fuel used for the US space flight to the moon. He was also a fanatical believer in the Magic of Aleister Crowley the aging occultist who considered himself 'The Beast' incarnate.In 1947 Jack Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard were performing Crowley's mystic rituals in a house in Pasadena, California. Parsons wrote excitedly to his occult leader, Crowley.'I have had the most devastating experience of my life. I have been in direct touch with One who is most Holy and Beautiful as mentioned in your 'Book of the Law'. First instructions were received through Lafayette Ron Hubbard the seer. I have followed them to the letter. There was a desire for incarnation. I am to act as an instructor, guardian, guide for nine months; then it will be loosed on the world...'Crowley wrote despairingly to a disciple about Parsons:It appears that he has given away both his girl and his money to this writer of science fiction and is now invoking the ritual to produce a MOONCHILD. I am fairly frantic...'Nine months later while being visited by two students from Cambridge, Crowley died of cardiac degeneration. Missing from his personal possessions was his pocket-watch. His funeral took place in the Chapel of the Brighton Crematorium. The final rites were performed by the novelist Louis Marlowe reading extracts from Crowley's 'Book of the Law'. The Brighton Echo denounced the whole ceremony as a Black Mass. In 1952 Jack Parsons was blown up in his laboratory in Pasadena. L. Ron Hubbard died on his yacht as leader of the controversial Church of Scientology.But did the issue end with these three deaths? Would Crowley, as he claimed, ever return from death to rule the world? Why did US astronauts name a crater on the moon after Jack Parsons? Is L. Ron Hubbard really dead? What had been generated by the ceremony in California that seemed to signal Crowley's demise? And what happened to the missing pocket-watch?Unanswered questions till, late in the twentieth century, when Dr. Joshua Mathers brought a 'state of the art' interactive suit from Cal Tech California to Cambridge in England to be hitched up to the Z93, the biggest super-cooled, super-conductive computer in the world.
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cult
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tt0974536
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Do You Like My Basement
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Do You Like My Basement? is a dark, comic horror film with a unique voyeuristic approach to fear and a subtle commentary on actors and filmmakers. The story begins with a cameraman entering a middle-class home, he introduces himself as: "Stanley Farmer - a filmmaker." As he unpacks the contents of his rather large bag, he is disturbed by a noise at the front door. It immediately becomes obvious that he is an intruder. After the clinical disposal of an unfortunate couple, Stanley transforms the apartment, particularly its dank basement, into a homemade studio and places several hidden cameras around the space.Soon Chad, a cheerful actor, arrives at the house for a casting session and is surprised when Stanley films everything he does. When questioned about his approach, Stanley explains he is attempting to: achieve a sense of unequaled realism." It's only when we are midway through the first of his auditions that we realize what a truly original film this will be.Stanley creates a spontaneous, dark, comic, narrative, spun from the auditions of innocent actors who arrive at his apartment and agree to play along with his homemade horror project. We are sucked into his film-within-a-film as we bear witness to the actors candid interviews that evolve into terrifying basement auditions. The unfortunate timing of innocent callers heightens the tension as Stanley juggles the devilish drama in the basement with home improvements and nosy neighbors, all while still wielding his camera to create an improvised cinematic masterpiece.
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comedy
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tt2280302
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North Country
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Josey's life leaves much to be desired when we see her waiting by the Christmas tree with her pre-adolescent son and younger daughter, alone in the house. Her husband drives up. And we next see her lying on the floor bloody after hes beaten her. At that point, she wastes no time packing up her stuff into her pick up truck and moving herself and the kids out of there never to return. They move to her parents home in northern Minnesota. This living arrangement is not much better. At the very least, she and the kids are safe from her husband. But the minute her father observes her face, he has to ask her if the husband caught her with another man. He clearly has no respect, whatsoever for his daughter. Her mother, more nurturing (played by Sissy Spacek), encourages her daughter to reconcile with her husband and take him back, without regard for the fact that he is abusive. Neither parent has a clue or any respect for her.Josey works temporarily washing hair in a local salon when she runs into an old acquaintance, Glory (Frances McDormand), who informs her that there are some good paying jobs available to women at the iron mines. Knowing that her father works there, Josey realizes that applying and working there will not go over well with him. But Glory informs her that she would be making as much as he makes. Realizing she doesnt have too many options, that the iron mine job pays 6 times what she makes washing hair, she has kids to feed and she cannot live with her parents forever, her choices are pretty clear. So she goes and applies.Of course, before they can hire her, they have to do a pelvic exam in order to prove that she is not pregnant. She and the kids move in with Glory and her husband after she's applied for the job. Next, we see her and the other women at their orientation. Her supervisor makes it very clear that he does not approve of women doing the type of work that they are hired to do. And he answers the very obvious question of why, in that case, does he hire them in the first place? He clarifies to them that the Supreme Court mandates that the company hires women whether he likes it or not. And given that the guys are forced to let the women work with them, we can clearly see that they are determined to make their working environment unbearable all the while they are there. The first thing that is revealed is the reason why the company requires the pelvic exam for all women before they start. The supervisor all but spells out that it is completely unrelated to any medical protocol.When the women start working, they get introduced to their shift leader who is clearly relishing the opportunity to abuse and sexually harass them. And Josey looks at his face and remembers he is Bobby Sharp, her old high school boyfriend. She also remembers an old teacher she had many years ago who observed the two of them together.When the women start working, they see pictures and profanity with their names written on the walls. The guys talk filthy and intimidate them. And they discover obscene surprises in their lunch boxes and lockers.Josey goes and talks to the supervisor about the unacceptable working conditions. But he clearly states to her that nobody wants her there and nothing is going to change. So what can anybody do?It looks like not many people intend to quit. What other jobs pay enough to live on in a town like that in the 80s? Josey finds herself making enough to get a home loan, buy a house and provide all the stuff that her kids want and need.There is an uphill battle for the company to provide porta-johns for the women. Glory explains to management that it takes women longer to use the bathroom than it does men since they must pull down their overalls and cannot simply whip it out within seconds. And as soon as there is a porta-john for women, a worker named Sherry goes to use it. They guys stand around and inform her that they have taken a big dump in it before she enters. When she goes in, they surround it and tip it back and forth. And they knock it over with her in it. The filth spills all over and she is hurt and very traumatized. But what can she do about it?At that point, Josey is determined to do whatever it takes, including taking a day off work to drive into the city for a formal meeting with the owner, Mr. Pearson. He tells her he will "help" her by arranging for her immediate resignation. But she protests that she does not intend to quit. Hearing that, Pearson concludes in that case, she needs to spend less time stirring up her female co-workers, less time in the beds of her married male co-workers, and more time developing her job performance. These are the accusations that not only the company charges her with. But all over town, rumors go around that shame and disgrace her in front of her kids, parents, friends and co-workers. Her son tells her she is a whore and disrespects her. He is only responding to what he hears about his mother.One day, things get way out of hand at work. The women are all called to clean up a big filthy mess which looks like defecation on the wall. And Bobby calls Josey to do a job for him. She goes with him to a private place and he attacks her. At that point, she announces that she quits. She goes and finds a lawyer she's met through her friends (Woody Harrelson). She tells him she wants to file sexual harassment charges against the company. He tells her that he does not want to get involved in it. Although he is not disputing anything she says, he warns her that she will be ripped apart in the courtroom and they are not likely to win. But he later reconsiders and asks if she can get the other women to corroborate her story so they can file a class action suit. At first nobody wants to help her. Glory, who at that point, is in the hospital, dying from Lou Gehrig's disease and not able to work anywhere anymore, is not about to help her and she demands Josey leave her alone. Josey, then asks Sherry who asks Josey what if they lose? She will have to go back there and face those sons-of-bitches. She knows they can get away with doing whatever they want. The others conclude the same thing, realizing its easy for Josey to make noise since she no longer has to work there. But one night, Josey enters a town meeting with her lawyer. All the guys are sounding off about the false charge shes made against Bobby. The women are also at the meeting and none are arguing. But Josey demands they let her talk. And lo and behold, her father comes to her defense after hearing the way these people are trashing his daughter. And he gets up and announces although he's worked with them for his entire life, he is disgraced by them and very proud of his daughter.Josey and her lawyer start the court hearing even though they are presently alone. Her former co-workers are all present in the courtroom after having been asked to sign affidavits that she is lying. Pearson has hired a woman lawyer who does not hesitate to rip Josey apart, asking her about her sexual history and the fact that nobody else believes what she is alleging happens at the mine. Yet the lawyer has privately warned Pearson that he may not win his case. All it takes is 3 plaintiffs to bring charges against him and new sexual harassment laws will be in effect all over the nation. Throughout most of the trial, nobody speaks up except Josey. The lawyer has even subpoenaed her old teacher with whom she has been accused of having a sexual relationship when she was 16. She realizes the only witness of her involvement with the teacher is Bobby Sharp, since he was her previous classmate, present right before the teacher raped her. Bobby obviously knew what happened yet did nothing. And to this day, he affirms that she was not raped. She chose to have sex with the teacher. But others know better. Josey's father suddenly stands up and goes to physically attack the teacher for raping his daughter. And he gets removed from the courtroom for his outburst. Josey's lawyer finally coerces Bobby into admitting that he had witnessed Josey's rape and had run away as he was too afraid to stand up for her. Josey's lawyer then makes a speech that a courageous person stands up for what is right, even if they are alone, like Josey. At that point, Glory suddenly motions, from her wheelchair, in the back row of the court-room, that she backs Josey. Josey's lawyer reminds the judge that they only need three plaintiffs to file the class action. And they now have two. At that point, Sherry stands up. Then the woman beside her stands. Then we see many people all over the courtroom standing including both men and women at the mines and Josey's parents. Next, we see her life back on track. Her teenage son plays hockey with her lawyer and he wants his rich mom to buy him a car. She reminds him that he is still too young to drive. But when she is driving him home, she decides she will teach him to drive. It looks like she is finally living a life of quality and being respected.
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romantic, flashback
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tt0395972
|
Stage Fright
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Tiny, a dog trainer, hides with his dogs in a wicker basket on the stage of an abandoned vaudeville theater. He emerges to have them practice a trick, attacking a tattered straw boater hat on command. When a second man, Arnold Hugh, emerges menacingly onto the stage, Tiny fearfully backs away from him and falls into the orchestra pit, getting his clothes snagged on a broken plank.
Years earlier, Tiny had found one of his dogs missing while performing his trained-dog act in the theater. Even though he fears that the crowd no longer likes the act, his friend Daphne encourages him to go on with the show. He is booed off the stage in favor of a silent movie, which stars Arnold and Daphne and features the missing dog, taken by Daphne. Arnold pressures her not to tell Tiny about the theft and goes on to make a string of successful movies with Daphne and the dogs.
Tiny trains the dogs to jump up and place a boater on his head at his command. When Arnold uses this trick in one of his movies, though, it fails because he is taller than Tiny; he angrily confronts Tiny and threatens to torture the animals unless they can reach his height. Angered, Tiny re-trains them to attack instead, prompting Arnold to leave the studio for the confrontation seen at the beginning of the film. Daphne decides that she no longer wants to work with Arnold and follows him to the theater.
Daphne swings a sandbag across the stage, knocking Arnold down, and confesses her involvement to Tiny. Arnold gets up and begins to strangle Daphne, but Tiny delivers his attack command and the dogs advance menacingly toward him. Arnold pulls a metal latch off the wall to use as a weapon, triggering the movie screen to come down on his head and kill him.
Daphne sees no sign of Tiny when she turns back to the orchestra pit, but he is lifted into view on the organ that had been used to provide background music for Arnold's movies. It now glows white, being played by a spectral organist; Tiny climbs off, unhurt, but Arnold's spirit rises from his body and steps on at the organist's beckoning. The organ swiftly drops out of sight, carrying a terrified Arnold down to hell. As the theater begins to collapse, Daphne persuades Tiny to overcome his fear of rejection and leave with her. They and the dogs exit into the light of the outside world.
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murder
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tt2190838
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Drona
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Drona is the compelling modern tale of one man's spectacular voyage through the labyrinths of mystic myths and legendary legacies. As good and evil clash in this contemporary fantasy fable, a breathtaking journey beckons you into a world of mythic heroes and malicious magicians, of cunning curses and absolute innocence.A world, where spells can turn live-flesh to cold stone. A world, whose whispers lay closely guarded in a land of mirages. A world thriving with thrills, a world of mystical magic, a world where adrenalin bursts out into a riot of colours. A world of audacious adventures, a world of fantastical folklores.Drona is a slick, twenty first century tale that travels across continents but is profoundly and proudly Indian.Plot OutlineFrom the times, when time itself was a newborn baby, the universe has kept one secret carefully camouflaged within its folds. A secret, which if unraveled, could unlock the destruction of mankind and the entire cosmos.Today, only one man can protect the universe's precious secret and thus, save the human race from absolute annihilation.DRONARooted in the vibrant tapestry of Indian mythology, Drona is the compelling modern tale of one man's spectacular voyage through the labyrinths of mystic myths and legendary legacies. Of a journey that will force him to face his fears and make him the hero he was born to become.As good and evil clash in this contemporary fantasy fable, a breathtaking journey beckons you into a world of mythic heroes and malicious magicians, of cunning curses and absolute innocence. A world, where spells can turn live-flesh to cold stone. A world, whose whispers lay closely guarded in a land of mirages. A world thriving with thrills, a world of mystical magic, a world where adrenalin bursts out into a riot of colours. A world of audacious adventures, a world of fantastical folklores.The world of Drona!
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good versus evil
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tt1060249
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Beverly Hills Cop
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Reckless but talented Detroit policeman Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) conducts an unauthorized sting operation, using a truck full of cigarettes (seized by the police as evidence in another case) to attempt to bust two hustlers (Frank Pesce and Gene Borkan). The 'deal' is interrupted by two patrolmen, resulting in one criminal fleeing on foot and the other escaping in the truck, with Axel trapped in the back. After an extensive chase, causing widespread damage, the truck crashes and the other man runs off, leaving Axel empty-handed. At the police station, he is severely reprimanded by his ill-tempered boss, Inspector Todd (Gilbert R. Hill), who informs Axel that if he conducts any further unapproved operations, he will be fired and brought up on charges.Axel goes home to find his ex-con best friend Mikey Tandino (James Russo) in his apartment, fresh from a job he got in Beverly Hills working for their mutual childhood friend, Jenny Summers. Mikey shows off some German bearer bonds he "borrowed" from his employers, which momentarily concerns Axel, but he is more interested in catching up with his old friend. After a night of drinking, Axel and Mikey return home and are accosted outside Axel's apartment by a burly man Mikey recognizes as Zack (Jonathan Banks). Zack knocks Axel unconscious before he sees anything. He then confronts Mikey about the bearer bonds, then shoots him twice in the head. After the police respond, Axel asks Inspector Todd to be let in on the case, but Todd flatly refuses. Deciding to secretly root around from a different angle, Axel asks for and is granted two weeks' vacation time.Axel then drives his "crappy blue Chevy Nova" all the way to Beverly Hills, California and, masquerading as a reporter for magazine, manages to check into a suite at the high-end Beverly Palm Hotel. He then meets up with his old friend Jenny (Lisa Eilbacher), who tells Axel that she (and Mikey) work for international-British-born art dealer Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff). Axel finagles his way into Maitland's office, where Zack is revealed (to the viewers) to be the art dealer's right-hand man. Axel presses Maitland for answers about Mikey, but Maitland has his bodyguards throw Axel out - literally through a glass window on the main floor.Outside, Axel is confronted by the Beverly Hills police over a report of disturbing the peace. Finding his gun, they arrest him for possessing a concealed weapon, as he cannot afford to identify himself as a police officer. At the police station, he is questioned by Sergeant John Taggart (John Ashton) and Detective Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold). Taggart takes issue with Axel's irreverence and punches him in the stomach. Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil (Ronny Cox) steps in to reprimand Taggart and presses Axel further, adding that he has spoken to Inspector Todd back in Detroit, who hints that Axel will be fired if he finds out that Axel is investigating Mikey's death.Jenny bails Axel out, and takes him back to the hotel, tailed all the while by Taggart and Rosewood, who have been assigned to watch him. As the detectives watch and wait across the street from the hotel in an unmarked car, Axel places a late supper order with room service to be delivered to them. He then coaxes a waiter to give him some bananas from a party tray, which he stuffs into the unmarked car's tailpipe while Rosewood and Taggart are distracted by the room service waiter. When Jenny and Axel leave the hotel, Taggart and Rosewood try to pursue, but their vehicle stalls, thanks to the bananas in the tailpipe.Axel and Jenny sneak into one of Maitland's warehouses, where they observe two of his men removing bearer bonds from a crate. Axel also discovers some coffee grounds around some of the crates. Axel then has Jenny follow the two men to a loading dock, where he sneaks in alone, noticing that the crate that formerly contained bearer bonds is placed among other crates waiting to be processed. When he crosses paths with a security guard, Axel passes himself off as a Customs inspector, demanding to see the records for all the crates in the warehouse.When Axel returns to the hotel, he spots Taggart and Rosewood still sitting in the unmarked car, waiting for him. Axel sneaks into the car, startling both men, who are irritable because they lost two days pay over his antics. Axel offers a truce of sorts, by letting them escort him to "someplace classy." "Someplace classy" turns out to be a stripper bar. While there, Axel notices two men entering the club wearing trench coats. Immediately suspicious because it is June (too hot for coats) he deduces that the men intend to rob the place. Axel's suspicions prove true, and the men produce shotguns from under their coats. Axel and Taggart successfully disarm the would-be robbers, leading to a new sense of respect between them. Later, Axel lies to Bogomil that Taggart and Rosewood had tailed him to the strip club and that they deserve all the credit for the collar, but Taggart and Rosewood admit to Bogomil that they had accepted Axel's invitation to the establishment and that Axel had initiated the take-down. Though thankful that Axel had prevented the robbery, Bogomil is fed up with Rosewood and Taggart's seeming incompetence and assigns two other detectives, Foster (Art Kimbro) and McCabe (Joel Bailey) to tail Axel. Axel gently reprimands Taggart and Rosewood before he leaves, pointing out the lie he told about their actions was working.The next day, Foster and McCabe catch up to Axel, who is loitering outside Maitland's gated mansion. When Maitland's car emerges from the compound, Axel jumps into his Nova and follows, with the detectives on his tail. Axel artfully loses Foster and McCabe and follows Maitland to a high class country club. He cons the maitre d' into letting him into the banquet hall, where he directly accuses Maitland of killing Mikey. Zack grabs Axel, who counter-throws him into the buffet, which brings the police to the venue. Axel is arrested again.At the police station, Bogomil demands answers, which Axel finally gives at what he knows; Maitland is smuggling bearer bonds into the country and he had Mikey killed because he stole some of the bonds. Axel also accuses Maitland of trafficking drugs, thanks to the coffee grounds that Axel found in the warehouse; Bogomil acknowledges that drug traffickers sometimes pack cocaine in piles of coffee grounds to throw off drug-sniffing dogs. Bogomil finally sympathizes with Axel, and is intrigued by the theories he presents, but admits that he cannot arrest Maitland on pure speculation. To make matters worse, the no-nonsense Police Chief Hubbard (Stephen Elliott) has ordered Axel to leave Beverly Hills, having heard of his numerous indiscretions throughout the city. Bogomil, under orders from Hubbard, tells Rosewood to escort Axel to the city limits.Axel mentions to Rosewood that Maitland has another shipment due, which he decided not to tell Bogomil once he realized Bogomil couldn't or wouldn't help. Rosewood takes him to see Jenny at the art gallery, where Axel asks for her warehouse key, but she insists on coming along. Rosewood waits in the unmarked car, not being able to go in until Axel and Jenny establish the presence of evidence, otherwise it would be an illegal search. Sneaking into the warehouse, Axel opens a crate that turns out to contain large bags of cocaine hidden inside coffee grounds. Suddenly, Zack and his men appear and take Axel and Jenny at gunpoint. Outside, Rosewood watches helplessly as Maitland and more of his men enter the warehouse. Axel and Maitland exchange words, and Zack admits to Axel that he killed Mikey. Maitland and Zack then leave with Jenny as their hostage, leaving Axel to the mercy of their men. Rosewood finally decides to enter the warehouse and helps Axel to escape. On their way to Maitland's mansion, Rosewood contacts Taggart, telling him about the drugs in the warehouse and to not tell Bogomil about anything. Taggart tells Foster and McCabe to check out the warehouse, then rushes to meet up with Axel and Rosewood.Axel, Rosewood and a reluctant Taggart sneak in to the mansion's grounds, but are soon pinned down by gunfire from Maitland's men. Back at the station, Bogomil is puzzled by the absence of the four detectives, then hears about a call of shots fired. When he discovers that the address is Maitland's, Bogomil calls for all cars to descend on the mansion.At the mansion, the police temporarily gain the upper hand, shooting down several gunmen. Axel tells Rosewood and Taggart to cover him as he enters the mansion. Inside, Zack has his weapon drawn and is hunting Axel. The cat-and-mouse game ends with Axel shooting Zack dead. Savoring his victory for a moment, Axel takes a large caliber bullet in his arm, courtesy of Maitland. Bogomil and a fleet of police officers arrive at the compound and arrest Maitland's surveillance and security teams. Inside the mansion, Axel confronts Maitland, who is holding his gun to Jenny's head. Neither man moves, until Bogomil appears behind Axel with his gun pointed at Maitland. Jenny takes advantage of this distraction to escape from Maitland, and Axel and Bogomil empty their guns into Maitland, killing him.When the smoke clears, Hubbard shows up, demanding answers. Bogomil makes up a story, insisting that he himself had led the investigation into Maitland's activities, thanks to Jenny and Axel's tips, and that Axel was merely an observer at the scene. Skeptical, Hubbard asks Taggart to confirm the story, which he does, having learned his lesson from the strip club incident. Finally, Hubbard decides to accept Bogomil's version of the events. Axel begs Bogomil to talk to Todd in Detroit, saying that if he lost his job in Detroit, he would move to Beverly Hills permanently and work as a private detective. Bogomil promises to clear everything up.That evening, Axel prepares to check out of the Beverly Palm when Rosewood and Taggart arrive. They tell him that Bogomil insisted that they personally escort him to the city limits. When Axel's tab is produced, Taggart informs the desk clerk that the Beverly Hills Police Department will pick it up. Axel is moved by the gesture and "gives" each detective a hotel bathrobe (also paid for by the police department). Once outside, Axel offers to share a drink with his new friends; Taggart, who originally touted doing things "by the book," decides that one drink "won't kill us" and he and Rosewood follow Axel, who says that they will be going to "the perfect place; you guys'll love it. Trust me."
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comedy, murder, violence, cult, humor, action, revenge, entertaining
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tt0086960
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Princess of Thieves
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The film picks up years after the "known" events of the Robin Hood legend, centering on Robin's daughter, Gwyn, played by Knightley. As Maid Marian has died and Robin Hood (Stuart Wilson) is perpetually away battling in the Crusades, Gwyn has lived much of her life alone. She has grown up to be a strong-willed young woman with a talent for archery, much like her father. Her only friend is the sweet but plain Froderick (Del Synnott), who clearly is in love with her. Upon the death of King Richard the Lionheart, Robin returns to see that the proper man takes Richard's place as King of England. However, Robin is quickly foiled and imprisoned by his enemies, the Sheriff of Nottingham (Malcolm McDowell) and Prince John (Jonathan Hyde).It is then up to Gwyn to save the day. She must complete Robin's mission to find and protect the young Prince Philip (Stephen Moyer), who has just returned from exile in France to claim the throne not an easy task since he has decided to forsake his true identity and is travelling anonymously under his valet's name (who died en route protecting his prince). Though she does fortuitously cross paths with the prince, she is not aware of his identity for much of the film. With a romantic spark budding between them, they must find the Merry Men and join forces to free her father from the tortures of the Tower of London before the evil Prince John ascends to the throne and brings England to ruin. After freeing her father, Gwyn along with her father and Prince Philip stop the coronation of Prince John.In the end when Philip is about to be crowned as king, Gwyn with a heavy heart tells him that she can only serve and work for him and they cannot be together. Robin later explains that he stayed out of Gwyn's life to protect her from the life he leads, but it didn't make any difference because she grew up to be just like him anyway. He then proposes a partnership between the two of them to serve Philip, with the only condition being that she take her orders from him (Robin) alone. She agrees, and at the end they are seen together leading Robin's Men, side by side.
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good versus evil, cult, action, murder
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tt0272790
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Transporter 2
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Frank Martin (Jason Statham) has relocated from southern France to Miami, Florida. As a favor, he becomes a temporary chauffeur for the wealthy Billings family. The marriage of Jefferson (Matthew Modine) and Audrey Billings (Amber Valletta) is under great strain due to the demands of his high-profile government job. Frank bonds with their son, Jack (Hunter Clary), whom he drives to and from elementary school in his new Audi A8 W12. Later, a somewhat drunk Audrey shows up at Frank's home and tries to seduce him, but he tactfully sends her home.
Frank prepares for the arrival of Inspector Tarconi (François Berléand), his detective friend from France, who has come to spend his holiday in Florida with Frank.
When Frank takes Jack for a medical checkup, he realizes barely in time that impostors have killed and replaced the doctor and receptionist. A lengthy fight erupts between villains, led by Lola (Kate Nauta), and the unarmed Frank; which results in the death of one of the fake doctors. Frank escapes with Jack. Just as they arrive at Jack's house, he receives a phone call. The caller informs him that he and Jack are in the sights of a sniper capable of penetrating the car's bulletproof glass. Frank is forced to let Lola into the car; they speed away with Jack, shaking off many pursuing police cars.
They arrive at a warehouse, where Frank meets Gianni (Alessandro Gassman), the ringleader of the operation. Frank is ordered to leave without Jack. He discovers an explosive attached to the car and succeeds in removing it prior to detonation. Jack is returned to his family after the payment of a ransom, but unknown to them and Frank, Jack has been injected with a deadly virus that will eventually kill anyone who the child breathes on.
Suspected by everyone except Audrey of being one of the kidnappers, Frank tracks down the remaining fake doctor, Dimitri (Jason Flemyng), with Tarconi's assistance. Frank pretends to infect Dimitri with the same virus, then lets him escape. Dimitri panics and hurries to a lab to get the cure, with Frank following behind. In his panic, Dimitri kills Tipov, another of Gianni's men, in his attempt to force the scientist in charge of the lab to give him the cure. Frank arrives and kills first another henchman, then Dimitri (after revealing the Dimitri wasn't infected after all); but when Frank refuses to bargain with him, the scientist hurls the only two vials containing the antidote out of the window into traffic. Frank manages to retrieve only one vial intact.
Frank sneaks back into the Billings home and tells an already ailing Audrey what is happening. He uses the antidote on Jack. Meanwhile, a coughing Jefferson, the director of National Drug Control Policy, addresses the heads of many anti-drug organizations from around the world at a conference; infecting all of them in the process.
Frank drives to the house of Gianni, who has decided to inject himself with the remaining supply of antidote as a precaution. After dispatching Gianni's many henchmen, Frank has the archvillain at gunpoint. Gianni explains that a Colombian drug cartel is paying him to get rid of its enemies; and that Frank cannot risk killing him, for his death would render the antidote unusable (inconsistency: as Jack has the antidote in his body as well, Gianni could just have been killed at this or any later point in the movie). An armed Lola shows up, leading to a standoff. Gianni leaves Lola to deal with Frank; which results in Frank finally killing her by kicking her into a wine rack with sharp metal points.
Frank tracks Gianni, who is making an escape in his helicopter to a waiting jet. Using a Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster from Gianni's garage, Frank speeds to the airport and boards Gianni's jet by driving onto the runway and climbing onto the jet's nose gear. After killing the co-pilot; Frank gets into the interior of the plane and confronts Gianni, who pulls a gun on him. When they wrestle for it, a round kills the pilot and the plane crashes into the ocean. Frank incapacitates Gianni by paralyzing him (rendering him immobile while preserving the antidote in his system), then pushes his captive and himself out of the sinking plane. Boats converge to pick them up.
The Billings are given the antidote. When Frank visits them in the hospital, before entering their room, he sees them with Jack, who is joking with them. He silently walks back to his car, where Tarconi is waiting. He drops his friend at the airport. Alone, Frank receives a call from a man who needs a transporter.
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violence, action, psychedelic, murder
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tt0388482
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How to Make an American Quilt
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In the present day 26 year old history graduate student Finn contemplates marriage. She decides to return to Grasse, California for the summer where eight members of a quilting group, some of whom she is related to, are sewing a free-form crazy quilt for her wedding.
=== The Flower Girls ===
Sisters Glady Joe and Hy (short for Gladiola Josephine and Hyacinth) are sisters who live together now that they are both widowed. Glady Joe was married to Arthur Cleary, but as the years wore on they discovered that they had more of a platonic friendship and the two stopped having sex.
In their 50s, James Dodd, Hy's husband, became ill with ALS. He soon needs to be confined permanently to a hospital. Hy finds herself thinking that she hopes he will die soon and becomes frustrated with herself, abruptly leaving the hospital. She calls Glady Joe's husband Arthur and orders him to drive her as far out of town as possible. Watching her take a nap Arthur is struck by her similarity with his wife and kisses her. Hy awakens and the two have sex. They then return to Glady Joe's home where she immediately realizes what has happened and becomes infuriated with her husband, smashing things and throwing them at her husband. She then begins to tile the walls with the objects she has smashed. Finally feeling she cannot forgive her sister Glady Joe goes to the hospital intending to tell James about the affair but seeing him and her sister together she has a change of heart and decides to forgive Hy and Arthur.
=== Sophie Darling ===
When she is 17 and diving at a public pool Sophia Darling is spotted by Preston Richards, a young college student. He asks her out on a date and she takes him to a quarry where he watches her dive and then the two have sex. Preston believes that he has fallen in love with her and tells Sophia he wants to be a geologist while she dreams of travelling with him and swimming all around the world. However Sophia is impregnated after her first sexual encounter and the two settle down in Grasse and both have unhappy lives, never able to travel the way they wanted to. The couple have three children; Duff, who wants to go to school and have a career, Preston junior who is very close to his mother, and Edie, who, when she is 16 also conceives a child. Sophia tries to force Edie to marry the father of her child but when she refuses she sends her away to have the child and then give it up for adoption. In her 9th month Edie runs away to live with Duff who now works in Chicago.
=== String of Pearls ===
Constance Saunders is solitary woman who married her husband Howell in her early 30s. Accustomed to being alone she was happy when they had no children and moved around because of Howell's job as a travelling salesman. When the couple moved to Grasse Howell eventually retired and stayed at home and while Constance was initially annoyed she later came to enjoy this period of their life. However Howell died shortly after leaving Constance alone. Dean, Em's husband, began to stop by her house after Howell's death, initially on the pretext of helping her with things around the house but later just to reminisce as they were both born and raised on the East Coast and missed the changing of the seasons. Though the entire quilting circle believes they are having an affair they do not, however one night as Dean is going home he turns on his car radio and hears the song String of Pearls and dances with Constance in the street, whereas she realizes she misses physical affection and backs away from Dean for a brief period.
=== Umbrellas Will Not Help at All ===
Em Reed is eaten up by jealousy believing that Constance is having an affair with her husband Dean though her friends in the quilting circle try to reassure her. Unbeknownst to them Dean, who is a painter, repeatedly had affairs throughout their marriage, at first with one of the students at the community college where he taught and then with some other women. The second time he had an affair Em left him only to discover she was pregnant. Dean pursued her throughout her pregnancy and they reunited when she was seven months pregnant. Unable to bear the thought of him having another affair with Constance, Em decides to finally leave but before she goes she enters Dean's studio which she has never entered before. She comes across portraits of herself throughout the years and realizes she cannot leave a man who understands her so thoroughly.
=== Outdoors ===
Corrina Amurri and Hy Dodd have their firstborn children, two boys, within weeks of each other. The boys, Laury Amurri and Will Dodd, grow up like brothers. Corrina, who married her husband Jack just before the Second World War is proud of her son, but upset, when he goes to fight in the Vietnam War. Will, inspired by Dean Reed, defers to go to college as an art student. Away at school Will begins to call Corrina. Jack meanwhile begins sleeping outdoors as his son being at war is giving him residual PTSD. Laury goes MIA and Jack tells Corrina he hopes that he is not taken prisoner as that would be the worse thing. Corrina goes to dinner with Hy where Will is home on vacation. Though his parents disapprove of him and think he is on drugs Corrina thinks they are lucky to have him at home and alive. When Corrina becomes overwhelmed she goes out to the garden where Will tells her that he feels as if he is missing his better half now that Laury is at war and he calls Corrina because he misses him so terribly. Corrina decides to leave the party and walk home. She and Jack later learn that their son was killed in action.
=== Tears Like Diamond Stars ===
Anna Neale is a mixed raced child of black and white parentage who is raised by her aunt Pauline who works as a domestic for a wealthy couple during the 1930s. Pauline has a family quilt which shows the history of the family which is called The Life Before. The Mrs of the house covets the quilt but Pauline refuses to sell it to her. She eventually caves when Anna is a teenager as she wants to buy her a telescope to foster her interest in astrology. Anna is horrified and Pauline comes to regret her choice, especially as the Mrs has the quilt mounted and Pauline must look at it every day as she cleans. When Anna is 16 she takes the quilt and runs away.
Anna goes to work for wealthy ranchers. When their young son who is Anna's age comes to visit he is enamoured of her and the two sleep together resulting in Anna becoming pregnant. Knowing that, because he is white, the rancher's son will never marry her she leaves again. She goes to Grasse where the Reubens take in "wayward girls" until they can have their children and give them up for adoption.
The Reubens have two children, Glady Joe and Hy. Glady Joe tries to befriend Anna and eventually succeeds, reading her Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, which Anna enjoys, and other works by white authors like Henry Miller and Leo Tolstoy which Anna does not. Pauline begins sending Anna stories by Zora Neale Hurston and other black writers and Anna reads them to Glady Joe.
Anna has her baby, Marianna, and does not give her up. She gets a job working as an accountant but is bored. When Glady Joe marries and has children she asks Anna to come to work for her and the two eventually form the quilting circle with Anna as the head quilter. Years later as they are looking at old family pictures together Anna regrets not allowing herself to be photographed more as she realizes that, despite her reluctance, she has come to be heavily involved with Glady Joe and her family.
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romantic, flashback
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tt0113347
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Fireflies in the Garden
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The story moves back and forth between the adolesence and present of successful author Michael Taylor (Ryan Reynolds) and his extended family: domineering father, English professor Charles (Willem Dafoe), his mother Lisa (Julia Roberts), his sister Ryne; as well as Lisa's much younger sister Jane (Emily Watson) (just older than Michael, act more like cousins since childhood), her husband Jimmy (George Newbern), their son Christopher (Chase Ellison) and daughter Leslie (Brooklynn Proulx). Included in the family mix is Michael's alcoholic ex-wife Kelly (Michael has only told Jane about the breakup).
Charles and Michael had, and still have, a strained relationship, with both pushing the other. In a flash-back to a boyhood road trip, the younger Michael claims to have lost his glasses, knowing he has them in his pocket; Charles makes Michael walk home in the rain as a punishment. This tit-for-tat and rule-breaking continues with Charles imposing on all around him, including Jane, who is staying with them as Lisa is expecting a baby (Ryne). She, too, hates Charles' domineering nature and sides with Michael against him. When Michael embarrasses Charles in front of his colleagues by falsely claiming to have written a poem, Fireflies in the Garden by Robert Frost, he is punished by having to hold his weighted arms horizontal. Later, unable to lift his aching arms, Jane feeds him. The conflicts escalate, with Michael eventually intervening in a quarrel between his parents, attacking Charles and forcing him to the ground.
Events in the present are driven by a catastrophe. While college senior Ryne picks up Michael at the airport, Charles and Lisa are driving hurriedly to Jane's house for a party in honor of Lisa's college graduation. Charles swerves to avoid colliding with Christopher, retrieving a ball in the road, and their car hits a tree, killing Lisa and injuring Charles. Ryne and Michael arrive moments later.
Michael attempts to cheer up Jane's children, telling them "Before your mother was a mom, she was my best friend." He takes them "fishing", exploding the caught fish with firecrackers, as he had done with Jane growing up. Concerned with what Charles and Jane will think, he encourages the children to lie to their mother about the firecrackers. Jane lovingly chastises Michael for making her kids lie, while Charles angrily chastises him for nearly everything he does. Michael having noisy sex with Kelly, who was notified by Jane about the funeral, does not help matters.
Christopher's guilt and anxiety over the accident cause him to run off one day. Michael sees him running through a field and assures him that he is not to blame for "Aunt" Lisa's death. Christopher insists on walking home alone after their talk. Christopher remains missing for several hours, Jane again blaming Michael, though he eventually deduces that Christopher is at the gravesite. More revelations and recriminations ensue, as Michael discovers that his mother was having an affair with her younger professor Addison, and had planned to leave Charles following her graduation. Jane learns from Kelly that she is pregnant (explaining her recent sobriety) and that Michael doesn't know. Michael and Kelly reconcile and they announce their news to the family before they leave. While discussing baby names with Ryne and Kelly, Michael mentions that he likes the name Max for a boy, the name Lisa intended if Ryne had been a boy.
The title of the film derives from the Frost poem, which Michael has also used for the draft of his upcoming book about his childhood. The book includes revelations of the implied sexual misconduct between Charles and Jane during Lisa's pregnancy. Charles' grief over the loss of Lisa, Michael's joy over his pending fatherhood, the happiness captured in a rare home movie with pregnant Lisa enjoying time with Charles, Michael and Lisa help Charles and Michael begin to reconcile. No longer wanting to extend the harmful tit-for-tat with his father, Michael destroys the manuscript for his book.
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dramatic
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tt0961108
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Killers
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After a break-up with a spontaneous boyfriend, an overly cautious Jennifer "Jen" Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) travels to Nice with her parents (Tom Selleck and Catherine O'Hara). While going into an elevator to go to her hotel room, she meets Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher). Spencer asks her to dinner and she accepts. The scene then changes to Spencer sneaking onto a boat, putting a cellphone-triggered bomb on the bottom of a helicopter, then taking out a guard. He then swims back and goes on the date with Jen.After a night of drinking, Jen reveals that she's not the spontaneous person she's been pretending to be and in return Spencer bluntly tells her that he's an assassin, albeit unhappy about being one. Unfortunately she's already passed out and hasn't heard. In spite of this, Spencer decides that Jen's the woman he's been looking for and decides to marry her. When Spencer tells his boss, Holbrook (Martin Mull), his plan, the response is that quitting is not an option. Spencer is defiant and goes ahead with his plan.Three years later, they are settled into their new normal life. After Spencer surprises Jen with a remodeled office, she gives him a birthday surprise: tickets to Nice to celebrate his birthday and their three years. Because of his dubious connections to Nice, Spencer is less than enthusiastic. When her friends ask about his reaction, they take it as signs of that he might be getting bored and fill her head with doubts.Meanwhile, Spencer gets a postcard from his old boss and the ultimatum to take another assignment. While trying to refuse him long distance, Jen's father shows up to take Spencer to dinner, so Spencer hangs up the phone, prompting suspicion in Mr. Kornfeldt. This is fueled further when Jen's dad sees the postcard and quizzes him about the XOXX (hugs and kisses), being odd coming from a former boss. Stopping home to change, Spencer finds that the dinner invitation is just a detour to bring him to a surprise party. While Spencer navigates drunken friends, Jen's friends continue to fill her head with doubts over Spencer's lack of enthusiasm for the Nice trip. This is further irritated, when the following morning, despite her attempts to be physical with him, Spencer rushes Jen off on her business trip.A little while later, Jen comes back (without having gone on her trip) to find Spencer being tossed around their house by Henry (Rob Riggle), Spencer's friend and co-worker. Spencer screams for her to get his gun (of which she was unaware) and she shoots the attacker in the arm. While interrogating the attacker, he reveals that there is a $20 million bounty on Spencer's head. An unidentified sniper takes shots at them, and Spencer and Jen flee. After escaping, they go to a hotel room where Spencer's old boss is staying, but find that someone has already killed him. Jen demands that they go to her dad for help, but Spencer disagrees. In the middle of their argument Jen vomits, and declares that she might be pregnant.Heading back to his office for Jen to take a pregnancy test, Spencer is attacked by his secretary (Katheryn Winnick) and realizes that there are others who know about the contract. Jen then reveals that she is pregnant and is leaving Spencer. Left alone, Spencer is attacked by a UDE driver, who is killed by Olivia (Lisa Ann Walter), Henry's wife and another killer vying for the contract. She then attacks Spencer and is killed by an explosion, after Jen rams her car. The two discuss their possible future and return to their neighborhood, which is holding its annual block party. When they first arrive they are attacked by two assailants. They escape and head to the block party. As they walk through the block party they receive many suspicious looks from neighbors. They enter their house to retrieve guns and their passports. Spencer is grabbing the guns when he is attacked by two assassins who he eventually kills.Meanwhile, one assassin, Kristen (Casey Wilson), one of Jen's best friends, holds Jen's mother as a hostage in a Mexican standoff with Jen. Jen's father arrives and kills Kristen. He then explains that he was the one who put out the bounty on Spencer. He knew of Spencer's previous work, and hired the neighbors and co-workers three years before in case Spencer started working for his old boss again, who Jen's father says had "gone dirty." After seeing the postcard from Holbrook in Spencer's office, he came to the conclusion that Spencer had re-accepted his old job and activated the assassins. He reveals that he had been an operative as well, and that he was actually the target Spencer was supposed to kill in Nice three years earlier.Wanting to prove that he really did get out of the business and had no desire to kill her father, Spencer drops his gun. Jen, now convinced, turns on her father and reveals her pregnancy. Realizing that he will be a grandfather, Jen's father also puts down his gun and the family makes peace. The movie ends showing Spencer and Jen's father working on some wires near Spencer and Jen's baby's crib. Spencer and Jen then leave to let Jen's mom and dad babysit. They all leave the room and when they close the doors lasers turn on to protect the baby.
|
boring, murder, flashback
|
tt1103153
|
(500) Days of Summer
|
(500) Days of Summer is presented in a non-chronological format, each scene being introduced by which of the 500 days it is. The plot as given here has been rearranged in chronological order. It is important to note cinematographically that the film opens with day 488, the scene where Tom and Summer are seated at a bench and the audience sees Summer's ringed finger as the two hold hands.Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) works at a greeting card company as a card writer. He has a few friends and is seemingly happy with his life. One day at a meeting, Tom's boss (Clark Gregg) introduces the board room to Summer (Zooey Deschanel), his new assistant. He is immediately taken by Summer's beauty.Tom talks to his friends about how much he likes Summer. While at first he plays things cool, he is convinced she is "the one" after an exchange in the elevator over their mutual love of the Smiths. He spends two weeks pining over her and executing awkward attempts to initiate conversation, but can't hit a chord. An opportunity arises when Tom's best friend tells him that the entire office is going to a karaoke bar the following evening.Tom arrives at the bar as his best friend is singing. He sees Summer and she seems happy to see him. Summer goes up and sings while Tom drinks with his friend and watches Summer. Summer then gets Tom a little drunk and has him sing karaoke. Afterwards, the three sit together and talk about relationships and love, during which Tom and Summer argue over whether or not love is real, with Summer saying it isn't while Tom says it is. The two agree to disagree.While helping Tom's friend to a cab, Tom's friend blurts out that Tom likes Summer and the two are left on the sidewalk. Summer asks if it is true and Tom, after some coaxing from Summer, says that he likes her (but adds "as friends"). Summer calls him "very interesting" and leaves Tom standing there on the sidewalk. The next day at work, she kisses him in the copy room. Once Summer's copies are finished, she simply ignores Tom and leaves the copy room.Summer and Tom go out and have fun in the city. As they spend more time together, they become closer. Summer shares her most intimate thoughts and stories with him, while Tom takes her to his favorite spot in the city and tells her about how he was studying to become an architect before he ran out of money and was forced to work for the Card Company to sustain himself. As the two walk around Ikea, they joke about living as a married couple in the store's demonstration rooms, but as they're about to kiss on a bed in a store, Summer makes it clear that she isn't looking for anything serious.They return to Tom's bedroom and start to make out on his bed. He goes into the bathroom and convinces himself that it's just casual fun, reminding himself to just take it slow. As he walks out, however, he sees her lying naked on the bed. They presumably make love, although it is never shown.He walks out the next morning, dancing and upbeat. He's in love with Summer and on top of the world. After a singing and dancing scene, Tom arrives at work and starts suggesting high quality slogans for cards, all the while thinking of Summer.Things go well for a few weeks. However, one night in a bar, a random guy starts hitting on Summer. She makes it clear she isn't interested, but he won't believe she's with Tom. After taking some more insults, Tom stands up and punches the guy. He awkwardly smiles at Summer before the guy gets up and beats him down. She takes Tom to her apartment and yells at him since she thought he was not acting cool at all and did it for his own sense of self. Tom starts fighting back. He yells that everything they are doing isn't a friendship, and that even though she doesn't want to label things, he thinks that they're in a relationship because Summer isn't the only one who gets a say. He storms out.The two go to bed. Tom contemplates calling her, but doesn't. She comes to his apartment and apologizes. The two have a heart to heart and share their past relationships. She tells him about her bisexual experience, her first relationship and her relationship with "The Puma". The two seem happy.Weeks pass. Summer and Tom go out and see a film. She starts crying as she sees the ending of The Graduate, as Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross escape a wedding and their looks of joy and excitement slowly vanish. Summer tells Tom that she's exhausted and wants to sleep, but Tom convinces her to go get pancakes with him. Whilst waiting for their order, Summer blurts out that she thinks they should stop seeing each other. Tom is taken aback and asks why if they were so happy. Summer says that she isn't happy. As the pancakes arrive, Tom stands up and leaves. Summer tells him not to leave because he is still her best friend.Tom's friends call his little sister, Rachel, who bikes to his apartment. Tom is upset and she makes him explain what happened. He recounts the break up. He is adamant that he doesn't want to get over her, but get her back. His depression worsens and begins to affect his work. His boss calls him in and he asks if Tom's performance is related to Summer leaving. Tom tries to play it off, but his boss tells him that everyone knows. It is made clear that Summer also quit her job at the card company.Months pass. One of Tom's co-workers is getting married. He takes the train to go to the wedding and sees Summer on the way to his seat. He tries to hide, but she sees him and approaches. They talk and go get a coffee. The entire weekend is spent together. At the wedding, he asks her to dance and they have a very romantic night together. She invites Tom to a party on at her place. Tom is hopeful.Tom's expectations for the night are to make his dreams a reality. However, as he arrives at the party, the differences between his dream night and that night are hauntingly apparent. He barely talks to Summer and finds comfort with the bottle. He then sees Summer showing off her ring and her fiance. Tom loses it. He leaves without a word, angry and hurt that Summer would treat him like this.Tom spends the next 2 days in a catatonic state. He leaves the apartment once to buy orange juice, Twinkies and Jack Daniel's. He eventually returns to work, just in time for the weekly presentations. His best friend reminds him that today is the day they present their pitches for new cards. Halfway through the presentation, Tom decides that his beliefs of love, fate, and relationships were wrong. He gives the board a passionate speech about how their company is comfortable feeding people lies and that they are the reason people have such unrealistic expectations. He quits and leaves. The board is left stunned as his best friend awkwardly claps at his friend's departure.Tom is seen struggling with his depression. He slowly begins to take steps to help himself. Rachel tells him that he should take a second look at Summer and Tom's relationship and stop ignoring the bad. He realizes that there was always something Summer was holding back and kept her from truly being "in" the relationship. He begins to take up architecture again. He trashes his apartment and begins drawing on the walls and designing. He slowly builds up a portfolio and makes a list of firms to present his work at. One by one he is rejected. Once the firms dwindle to a handful, Tom begins to lose hope.Tom goes to the bench at his favorite part of the city. He's gazing down at some of the buildings when Summer calls out to him. She compliments his looks and tells him she knows he's angry. She also tells him that she's happy to see he's doing alright. Tom confesses that he now realizes that all his ideas about love were wrong.Summer points out that they weren't. The girl who didn't want to be anyone's girlfriend was now someone's wife. She tells him that with her husband, she knew what she was never sure of with Tom: that she was in love with him and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She also tells Tom that if there's no destiny, she might have easily never randomly met him in a deli. She tells Tom he was right, but just not about her. She holds his hand and squeezes before telling him that she needs to go. Tom tells her he's happy that she's happy, but makes a point not to congratulate her on her marriage. She smiles and leaves Tom.Tom is on his way to a job interview. As he sits there, waiting to be interviewed, a girl across the waiting room calls out to him and asks if they've met. She tells him that she's seen him sitting on a bench in Tom's favorite spot, which is coincidentally her favorite spot as well. Tom says he's never seen her before, so she replies he probably was not looking.Tom jokes that since she's the competition he hopes she doesn't get the job. She returns the wish. The interviewer calls Tom in, but as he's walking he turns back and asks the girl to get some coffee afterwards. She tells him that she is meeting someone. However, as Tom turns around, she agrees and says they'll work it out.Tom smiles and introduces himself. She smiles and introduces herself. Her name is Autumn.Then, on the screen, it reads "Day 1", signifying that this is the first day of his relationship with Autumn.
|
boring, depressing, stupid, cult, cute, magical realism, flashback, psychedelic, humor, inspiring, romantic, entertaining, home movie
|
tt1022603
|
Your Friends & Neighbors
|
Set in an unnamed American city, two urban, middle-class couples deal with their unhappy relationships by shamelessly lying and cheating in their quest for happiness. Jerry (Stiller), is a theater instructor who is married to Terri (Keener), a writer who is alienated and unfulfilled with his love-making skills. Jerry and Terri have dinner with Mary (Brenneman), a writer friend of Terri's, and Mary's husband Barry (Eckhart) a business executive who is oblivious to his wife's unhappiness. During dinner, Mary talks about writing for a local newspaper column about bickering couples and their troubles, while Barry does not think that other couple problems are anyone else's concern. After dinner, Jerry discreetly asks Mary out on a date. Mary, out of frustration, accepts.
The next day, Terri, visiting a local art gallery, meets and begins a secret romance with Cheri (Kinski), a lesbian art gallery worker. Terri feels satisfied with their lovemaking and enjoys the quiet of it compared with Jerry's performance.
Meanwhile, Cary (Patric), a doctor friend of Barry's, is a devious and narcissistic sexual predator who picks up and seduces naïve and emotionally vulnerable young women, and quickly dumps them for his cruel pleasure of watching them cry. Aware of the distance between Barry and Mary, Cary tries to persuade Barry to leave his wife for the swinging, non-monogamous lifestyle that Cary has built for himself. Barry thinks that his marriage can be saved.
During Jerry and Mary's rendezvous at a local hotel, Jerry fails to get aroused during foreplay. As a result, he takes out his frustrations on Mary, believing that she has made him impotent. Angry and offended by Jerry's misogynist outburst, Mary abruptly ends their "affair." She feels more miserable a few days later when Barry unwittingly takes her to the very same hotel room to rekindle their romance. Mary realizes that Jerry had told Barry about being in the room. Barry fails to understand Mary's unhappy attitude and thinks he might somehow be responsible for it.
Jerry, Barry, and Cary get together to work out at the local gym and, in the steam room, Barry tries to get them to reveal their best sexual experiences. Barry tells them that he only feels satisfied with himself. Cary then tells a disturbing story about his best sexual experience: partaking in a gang rape where he and a group of friends forcibly sodomized a male high school classmate on the floor in the locker room at his boarding school when he was a teenager. Both Barry and Jerry are stunned but fascinated by Cary's sordid and evil story. When Barry tries to persuade Jerry to reveal his best sexual experience, Jerry refuses. After being goaded in the locker room, Jerry angrily responds that his best sexual experience was with Barry's wife. He then leaves, with Barry too stunned to respond. Cary, also caught off-guard, says: "that beats my story."
After returning home from the gym, Barry confronts Mary over dinner about her affair with Jerry just as Terri accidentally finds out about Jerry's indiscretion and eventually confronts him too while they are shopping at a local bookstore. Mary and Jerry are both unapologetic for their unfaithfulness and express dissatisfaction to both of their spouses. Terri accidentally reveals her own lesbian romance with Cheri, but does not display any guilt for her infidelity. Jerry soon confronts Cheri at the art gallery over his wife's affair with her. Cheri also shows no remorse or regret for her relationship with Terri, or with interfering with Jerry and Terri's troubled marriage. Cheri tells Jerry that Terri can do much better than being with him.
As the film comes to an end, both of the married couples split up. Terri moves in with Cheri, although she quickly finds her emotional neediness irritating. Jerry continues his philandering lifestyle with his female theater students. Barry becomes miserable all by himself because he is no longer able to give himself an erection during masturbation. Mary is revealed to have moved in with Cary, who treats her as coldly as all the other women in his life even though she is pregnant with his child. The film closes on Mary and Cary in bed, as Mary realizes that she is even more unhappy in her new relationship with the catty and heartless Cary than she had been with her clueless husband Barry.
|
comedy, cruelty, satire
|
tt0119517
|
Glitter
|
In the nightclub scene of the 1970s New York City, a multiracial young girl, Billie, born to a Caucasian father and an African-American mother, is taken away from her alcoholic, lounge singer mother after she is deemed irresponsible to raise her and Billie's estranged father wants nothing to do with either one of them. Billie spends the rest of her teenage years in an orphanage.Years later (in 1983), the 19-year-old Billie (Marah Carrey) works as a nightclub dancer along with her foster-care friends Louise and Roxanne. They meet Timothy Walker (Terrence Howard), a record promoter who offers the three of them a contract as backup singers/dancers to the singer Sylk. Initially, Billie refuses, hoping to achieve stardom on her own terms. After pestering from her friends, Billie relents and the three are contracted. They record the hit single, "All My Life" but Sylk's vocal is sub-standard. To maximize sales based on the sex appeal of Sylk, Timothy asks Billie to sing while Sylk lip-syncs.Later at a nightclub, Billie sings Sylk's song which gets her noticed by the club DJ, Julian "Dice" Black, during the public debut of "All My Life". Dice, knowing that Sylk is an indifferent singer, is shocked by the arrangement, but goes backstage to congratulate Billie for singing the song. Sylk insults her backup singers in front of a photographer and Billie, not wanting to take the verbal abuse, exposes Sylk by singing "All My Life" a cappella in front of Dice. Impressed, he wishes to produce her, but Billie turns him down, thinking that he wants to exploit her talent. When Billie relents after Dice pesters her, she raises concerns about her contract with Timothy. Dice threatens to not play any more artists from Timothy in his nightclub unless Timothy surrenders Billie and her friends' contacts. Timothy eventually agrees on the provision that Dice pays him $100,000.Billie and Dice start working on songs: the first being the hit underground single, "Didn't Mean to Turn You On". Dice advises Billie to play off record companies to secure a bigger deal. Ultimately they sign with Guy Richardson of a major record label. With success in their hands, Dice asks Billie to dinner. Later, he asks her up to his apartment and they sleep together.Billie's first major single, "Loverboy" is a success. The music video originally features Billie, Louise, and Roxanne. However, the director, dissatisfied with the results, orders Billie to wear more revealing clothing and replaces Louise and Roxanne with professional semi-nude male dancers. When the male dancers are then ordered to dance closely to Billie, this frightens her. Dice intervenes on her behalf, and they leave the set before the music video can be finished.Dice is denied permission to produce songs on Billie's debut, including "Reflections", which Billie wrote about her mother. Billie is called to perform at the USA Music Awards, where she meets singer/songwriter Rafael. Later at the party, they meet again, and Rafael suggests they write a song. Dice orders Billie and her friends to leave, accusing Rafael of sexual advances towards Billie. Louise and Roxanne give Billie an ultimatum: them or Dice, but leave before she can choose. Billie cries, but is comforted by Dice as she laments "If you didn't believe in me, none of this would have ever happened."The reconciliation is short-lived as Billie gets a threat from Timothy concerning the 100K debt that Dice failed to pay. Billie tells Dice that Timothy was at their apartment about his debt and her contract. She is confused because she thought he had handled her contract properly. She admits to Dice that Timothy threatened her and Dice, in a rage, puts Timothy in the hospital. In the middle of the beating, Dice is arrested, causing Billie to leave her appearance on Late Night Live to bail him out. Billie, upset about how Dice lied about her contract and his arrest, argues with and leaves him. With nowhere to go, she goes back to live with Roxanne and Louise.Billie tries to deal with the pain by creating the single "Want You", with Rafael, which is a hit, but her emotional pain leads her to solo songwriting. Dice also misses Billie, and also begins writing a song. Billie goes to Dice's apartment in an attempt to reconcile. He's not home, but the music he has written is and Billie realizes they wrote the same song: "Never Too Far". She kisses the sheet music, leaving a lipstick imprint, which Dice later discovers. Dice plans a reconciliation, but is shot dead by Timothy. Billie's management and support crew see a report of the murder on television. They wonder if Billie was with him, they see that she is there and has seen the report. Billie onstage commands the band to stop playing "Loverboy," tells the crowd never to take someone for granted, and that if you love them, you should tell them, because you might never have the chance to tell them how you really feel. She then starts to sing "Never Too Far".Afterwords, Billie reads a note Dice had left her, where he tells of his love for her, his plan to see her perform and that he has found Billie's mother. Billie's limo takes her to the secluded rural property where she is united with her mother once again.
|
cult, murder, sentimental
|
tt0118589
|
Subsets and Splits
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