Hurly's movie review

The Prestige

2007-08-07T15:02:00.000+02:00

Written by:
Jonathan Nolan
Christopher Nolan

Directed by:
Christopher Nolan

Made in:
USA & UK in 2006

Actors:
Hugh Jackman ... Robert Angier
Christian Bale ... Alfred Borden
Michael Caine ... Cutter
Piper Perabo ... Julia McCullough
Rebecca Hall ... Sarah
Scarlett Johansson ... Olivia Wenscombe
Samantha Mahurin ... Jess
David Bowie ... Tesla
Andy Serkis ... Alley
Daniel Davis ... Judge
Jim Piddock ... Prosecutor
Christopher Neame ... Defender
Mark Ryan ... Captain
Roger Rees ... Owens
Jamie Harris ... Sullen Warder

Plot:
A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences. From the time that they first met as young magicians on the rise, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden were competitors. However, their friendly competition evolves into a bitter rivalry making them fierce enemies-for-life and consequently jeopardizing the lives of everyone around them. Set against the backdrop of turn-of-the-century London. IMDB

Review:
This movie was unbelievably great. It will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time, trying to figure everything out.

I could easily watch this movie over and over again.

A superb cast, excellent directing, and what can I say.. Two Christian Bales are better than one!

Requiem for a Dream

2007-08-07T14:55:00.000+02:00

AKA:
Delusion Over Addiction

Written by:
Hubert Selby Jr.

Directed by:
Darren Aronofsky

Made in:
USA in 2000

Actors:
Ellen Burstyn ... Sara Goldfarb
Jared Leto ... Harry Goldfarb
Jennifer Connelly ... Marion Silver
Marlon Wayans ... Tyrone C. Love
Christopher McDonald ... Tappy Tibbons
Louise Lasser ... Ada
Marcia Jean Kurtz ... Rae
Janet Sarno ... Mrs. Pearlman
Suzanne Shepherd ... Mrs. Scarlini
Joanne Gordon ... Mrs. Ovadia
Charlotte Aronofsky ... Mrs. Miles
Mark Margolis ... Mr. Rabinowitz
Michael Kaycheck ... Donut Cop (as Mike Kaycheck)
Jack O'Connell ... Corn Dog Stand Boss
Chas Mastin ... Lyle Russel

Plot:
Requiem for a Dream exposes four paralleled individuals and their menacing addiction to heroin, cocaine, and diet pills (speed). Taking place in Brooklyn amidst the waning Coney Island, the drugs are very easily obtained and keep each main character in its cycle of dependence. The protagonist Harry Goldfarb is your typical heroin junky with an ambitious plan of "Getting off hard knocks," with help from his cocaine crazed girlfriend Marion and his long time friend Tyrone. Meanwhile his widowed mother is obsessed with the glamor of television and eventually finds her way to a dietitian who pushes her into the cycle of drug induced enslavement. IMDB

Review:
I have a few issues with this movie. I didn't really know what to expect going into it. But I wasn't very impressed by the end. The movie dragged, greatly. It took a very long time for anything to get started with the plot. And the best part of the film was by far the mom and the nemisis refrigerator.

The film was too predictable and not very accurate when it came to the hospital/police stuff. The story with the son wasn't interesting until his arm troubles.

If you are looking for a drug movie, watch Trainspotting instead.

House of the Dead

2007-08-07T14:50:00.000+02:00

Written by:
Mark A. Altman
Dan Bates

Directed by:
Uwe Boll

Made in:
Canada, USA & Germany in 2003

Actors:
Jonathan Cherry ... Rudy
Tyron Leitso ... Simon
Clint Howard ... Salish
Ona Grauer ... Alicia
Ellie Cornell ... Jordan Casper
Will Sanderson ... Greg
Enuka Okuma ... Karma
Kira Clavell ... Liberty
Sonya Salomaa ... Cynthia
Michael Eklund ... Hugh
David Palffy ... Castillo
Jürgen Prochnow ... Capt. Victor Kirk (as Jurgen Prochnow)
Steve Byers ... Matt
Erica Durance ... Johanna (as Erica Parker)
Birgit Stein ... Lena

Plot:
This film is a prequel to all of the The House of the Dead video games. Set on an island off the coast, a techno rave party attracts a diverse group of college coeds and a Coast Guard officer. Soon, they discover that their X-laced escapades are to be interrupted by zombies and monsters that attack them on the ground, from the air, and in the sea, ruled by an evil entity in the House of the Dead... IMDB

Review:
Ouch!
What an awful film.
I love zombie movies and I'll accept most anything as a plot. The worse the actors, the better.

This movie is just horrific. I'm not sure what they were thinking. The plot, I can live with. The actors, are bad, but not bad enough to be good. These actors are just stupid. The worst with this film is the directing and the editing. The producer should be shot.

I've given this movie 2 chances .. and it was worse the second time.. :/

Avoid at all costs.

Hot Fuzz

2007-07-19T14:50:00.000+02:00

Written by:
Edgar Wright
Simon Pegg

Directed by:
Edgar Wright

Made in:
UK & France in 2007

Actors:
Simon Pegg ... Sergeant Nicholas Angel
Martin Freeman ... Met Sergeant
Bill Nighy ... Metropolitan Chief Inspector Kenneth
Robert Popper ... "Not" Janine
Joe Cornish ... Bob
Chris Waitt ... Dave
Eric Mason ... Bernard Cooper
Billie Whitelaw ... Joyce Cooper
Nick Frost ... PC Danny Butterman
Peter Wight ... Roy Porter
Julia Deakin ... Mary Porter
Tom Strode Walton ... Underage Drinker #1
Troy Woollan ... Underage Drinker #2
Rory Lowings ... Underage Drinker #3
Bill Bailey ... Sergeant Turner

Plot:
Nicholas Angel is the finest cop London has to offer, with an arrest record 400% higher than any other officer on the force. He's so good, he makes everyone else look bad. As a result, Angel's superiors send him to a place where his talents won't be quite so embarrassing - the sleepy and seemingly crime-free village of Sandford. Once there, he is partnered with the well-meaning but overeager police officer Danny Butterman. The son of amiable Police Chief Frank Butterman, Danny is a huge action movie fan and believes his new big-city partner might just be a real-life "bad boy," and his chance to experience the life of gunfights and car chases he so longs for. Angel is quick to dismiss this as childish fantasy and Danny's puppy-like enthusiasm only adds to Angel's growing frustration. However, as a series of grisly accidents rocks the village, Angel is convinced that Sandford is not what it seems and as the intrigue deepens, Danny's dreams of explosive, high-octane, car-chasing, gunfighting, all-out action seem more and more like a reality. It's time for these small-town cops to break out some big-city justice. IMDB

Review:
Fantastic movie!
One of the best comedies that I have ever seen.

If you liked Shaun of the Dead, then you will LOVE this!
(Doesn't that sound like an opening for a Rob Schneider film??)

Hilarious movie with a great plot. We laughed the whole way through the movie. The movie was completely developed and not an empty moment without sarcasm or jokes.

Make sure you see this one!

Primal Fear

2007-07-06T23:28:00.000+02:00

Written by:
William Diehl (novel)
Steve Shagan (screenplay)

Directed by:
Gregory Hoblit

Made in:
USA in 1996

Actors:
Richard Gere ... Martin Vail
Laura Linney ... Janet Venable
Edward Norton ... Aaron Stampler
John Mahoney ... John Shaughnessy
Frances McDormand ... Dr. Molly Arrington
Alfre Woodard ... Judge Miriam Shoat
Terry O'Quinn ... Bud Yancy
Andre Braugher ... Tommy Goodman
Steven Bauer ... Joey Pinero
Joe Spano ... Capt. Abel Stenner
Tony Plana ... Martinez
Stanley Anderson ... Archbishop Richard Rushman
Maura Tierney ... Naomi Chance
Jon Seda ... Alex
Reg Rogers ... Jack Connerman (as Reg Rodgers)

Plot:
Courtroom thriller about a slick, hotshot lawyer (Richard Gere) who takes the seemingly unwinnable case of a young altar boy (Edward Norton) accused of murdering an eminent catholic priest. IMDB

Review:
A classic.

If you haven't seen this already, then you need to! I don't want to ruin anything, but it has one of the best endings ever made.

Slugs

2007-07-06T23:05:00.001+02:00

Original title:
Slugs, muerte viscosa

AKA:
Slugs (Philippines: English title)
Slugs: The Movie (USA)

Written by:
José Antonio Escrivá
Ron Gantman (screenplay)

Directed by:
Juan Piquer Simón

Made in:
Spain & USA in 1988

Actors:
Michael Garfield ... Mike Brady
Kim Terry ... Kim Brady
Philip MacHale ... Don Palmer
Alicia Moro ... Maureen Watson
Santiago Álvarez ... John Foley
Concha Cuetos ... Maria Palmer
John Battaglia ... Sheriff Reese
Emilio Linder ... David Watson
Kris Mann ... Bobby Talbot
Kari Rose ... Donna Moss
Manuel de Blas ... Mayor Eaton
Andy Alsup ... Officer Dobbs
Frank Braña ... Frank Phillips
Stan Schwartz ... Ron Bell
Juan Maján ... Harold Morris

Plot:
People are dying mysteriously and gruesomely, and nobody has a clue what the cause is. Only health worker Mike Brady has a possible solution, but his theory of killer slugs is laughed at by the authorities. Only when the body count begins to rise and a slug expert from England begins snooping around does it begin to look like Mike had the right idea after all. IMDB

Review:
I'm not sure if this was originally in Italian, but some of the actors are dubbed while others aren't... So, I'm not sure what that is about..

This movie is... it is... a very strange movie.

It starts out well! If you like bad movies, this is the way to go.. the first hour is pretty good: over-acting, an unbelievable plot ... it has everything. And the special effects are actually very decent, though.

But after everyone believes them that killer slugs are taking over the town, like in every other similar movie, the story, action, excitment goes downhill. It is still very easy to make fun of, but we just got a little tired of it.

If you like other movies like it, then I definitely suggest it!

Run, Lola, Run

2007-07-06T22:55:00.000+02:00

Original title:
Lola rennt

AKA:
Run, Lola, Run (Australia) (USA)
Lola Runs (USA) (literal English title)

Written by:
Tom Tykwer

Directed by:
Tom Tykwer

Made in:
Germany in 1998

Actors:
Franka Potente ... Lola
Moritz Bleibtreu ... Manni
Herbert Knaup ... Vater
Nina Petri ... Jutta Hansen
Armin Rohde ... Herr Schuster
Joachim Król ... Norbert von Au
Ludger Pistor ... Herr Meier
Suzanne von Borsody ... Frau Jäger
Sebastian Schipper ... Mike
Julia Lindig ... Doris
Lars Rudolph ... Herr Kruse
Andreas Petri ... Sanitäter
Klaus Müller ... Croupier
Utz Krause ... Casino-Manager
Beate Finckh ... Casino-Kassiererin

Plot:
The film explores the events that fate alone controls and displays the constant "what if's" that occur every moment and that can easily change the happenings of the next. The film follows the events between a woman, Lola, and her boyfriend, Mani, who she desperately tries to save from death by helping him obtain a huge amount of money he carelessly lost. It takes you on three different journeys with Lola, all controlled by fate, showing you what would happen in each, and all the "what if's" that provide the foundations for each outcome. IMDB

Review:
Great movie!

I haven't seen that many German movies, but this one is a lot of fun! It definitely keeps you on your toes. A well developed plot, likeable characters, and a bit of an adrenaline boost! :)

I didn't really know what to expect, but it was worth the watch!

Black Christmas

2007-07-01T16:44:00.000+02:00

AKA:
Black X-Mas (USA) (promotional abbreviation)

Written by:
Glen Morgan
Roy Moore ´

Directed by:
Glen Morgan

Made in:
Canada & USA in 2006

Actors:
Katie Cassidy ... Kelli Presley
Michelle Trachtenberg ... Melissa Kitt
Mary Elizabeth Winstead ... Heather Fitzgerald
Lacey Chabert ... Dana Mathis
Kristen Cloke ... Leigh Colvin
Andrea Martin ... Ms. MacHenry
Crystal Lowe ... Lauren Hannon
Oliver Hudson ... Kyle
Jessica Harmon ... Megan Helms
Leela Savasta ... Clair Crosby
Kathleen Kole ... Eve Agnew
Karin Konoval ... Billy's Mother
Robert Mann ... Billy Lenz - Age 20/35
Dean Friss ... Agnes Lenz - Age 16/22
Cainan Wiebe ... Billy - Age 5/12

Plot:
A remake of the 1974 horror movie Black Christmas. The movie tells the story about Billy, a young boy who was abused by his mother as a child. While his mother was cheating on Billy's father, she eventually killed his father and kept Billy in the attic - for good, while she was with her lover and starting a "new" family. As Billy's mother fell pregnant with a daughter and treated her with love, which Billy had never experienced with his mother, Billy came out of the attic after years and brutally murdered his mother and her lover. Cut to present day, a group of eight sorority sisters consisting of Kelli (Katie Cassidy), Dana (Lacey Chabert), Lauren (Crystal Lowe), Megan (Jessica Harmon), Claire (Leela Savasta), Heather (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Megan (Jessica Harmon) and Melissa (Michelle Trachtenberg) and their house mother (Andrea Martin),who now live in Billy's childhood home, find themselves being harassed by threatening and intimidating mystery phone-calls during Christmas Break and as one of the girls goes missing, the girls begin being murdered one by one by no other than Billy... IMDB

Review:
No! No! No! No! No! No!

Bad, bad movie. Very bad.

Silly, stupid, a bad excuse to ruin a perfectly wonderful plot.

The original is a classic, a must-see. This horrible junk should not have been allowed! The plot is slow and dragging, missing some of the best points from the original film (the stupid cop, the missing girl). The special effects were bad (true eyeball size??!!).

The running time is only 1 hour 10 minutes - that doesn't even count as a movie.

The actresses are silly, stupid, and it is impossible to take them seriously. I would not have a problem of a remake of this movie (unlike most many other movies) - but do it well! It has potential to be adapted into now-time movie that could be a good horror/thriller/suspenseful film.

This movie is silly and I got tired of watching it after about 3 minutes. We have the whole history of the killer which is completely left out of the original for a very good reason. Imagination! Not everything needs to be completely explained and clarified within the sitting time.

Just pass this one up.

Pan's Labyrinth

2007-06-30T23:10:00.000+02:00

Original title:
Laberinto del fauno, El

AKA:
Pan's Labyrinth (International: English title)
The Labyrinth of the Faun (International: English title) (informal literal title)

Written by:
Guillermo del Toro

Directed by:
Guillermo del Toro

Made in:
Mexico, Spain, & USA in 2006

Actors:
Ivana Baquero ... Ofelia
Sergi López ... Capitán Vidal
Maribel Verdú ... Mercedes
Doug Jones ... Pan/Pale Man
Ariadna Gil ... Carmen Vidal
Álex Angulo ... Dr. Ferreiro
Manolo Solo ... Garcés
César Vea ... Serrano
Roger Casamajor ... Pedro
Ivan Massagué ... El Tarta
Gonzalo Uriarte ... Francés
Eusebio Lázaro ... Padre - Father
Francisco Vidal ... Cura - Priest (as Paco Vidal)
Juanjo Cucalón ... Mayor
Lina Mira ... Mayor's Wife

Plot:
In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she's a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again. IMDB

Review:
Fantastic movie!

The plot is very strong and lively. I definitely recommend this one. The actors are great, especially the young girl (Dakota Fanning doesn't even come close).

The movie has a little bit of everything: history, creepiness, fantasy, etc..

Worth the money to see!

Serenity

2006-07-19T09:35:00.000+02:00

AKA:
Firefly (USA) (working title)
Firefly: The Movie (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Joss Whedon

Directed by:
Joss Whedon

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Nathan Fillion .... Mal
Gina Torres .... Zoe
Alan Tudyk .... Wash
Morena Baccarin .... Inara
Adam Baldwin .... Jayne
Jewel Staite .... Kaylee
Sean Maher .... Simon
Summer Glau .... River
Ron Glass .... Shepherd Book
Chiwetel Ejiofor .... The Operative
David Krumholtz .... Mr. Universe
Michael Hitchcock .... Dr. Mathias
Sarah Paulson .... Dr. Caron
Yan Feldman .... Mingo
Rafael Feldman .... Fanty

Plot:
River Tam and her brother Simon are hiding out from the totalitarian government that experimented with River's brain aboard the space-freighter Serenity. Captained by a down on his luck, no faith soldier, the crew of Serenity must take jobs (legal or not) while avoiding the Alliance, and keeping the Tams safe. But when things get out of hand with the true extent of River's powers, the Alliance sends a new Operative to make sure what River knows doesn't get out. How will the crew of Serenity deal with this new threat? And what exactly does River know that the Operative is willing to kill for? IMDB

Review:
I was very sceptical of this movie when we rented it. And while we were watching it, I was SO tired that I kept falling asleep.. But in and out of sleep, I was able to see some of the movie, and what I did see - I really liked.

We finally bought it a little while ago, and I got a chance to see the entire movie - and it was fantastic! A mix of The Matrix and Equilibrium. A great plot, great effects, great acting.. everything was perfect.

It was a serious movie, but still had that good, dry humor in it.
Everyone even needs to see it, even for the subtile message of what happens when trying to make a perfect world.

The Ghost

2006-07-19T09:22:00.000+02:00

Original title:
Ryeong

AKA:
Dead Friend (International: English title)
The Ghost (International: English title) (Singapore: English title)

Written by:
Tae-kyeong Kim

Directed by:
Tae-kyeong Kim

Made in:
South Korea in 2004

Actors:
Ha-Neul Kim .... Min Ji-won
Sang-mi Nam .... Su-in
Bin .... Eun-seo
Yi Shin .... Mi-kyeong
Hie-ju Jeon .... Yu-jeong
Yun-ji Lee .... Eun-jeong
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ran Choi .... Su-in's mum
Ju-bong Gi .... Detective
Hae-suk Kim .... Ji-won's mum
Grina Park
Jin Ryu .... Park Jun-ho

Plot:
A teenage girl suffering from amnesia discovers that she is somehow connected to a group of people who are being killed off one by one by a vengeful ghost. IMDB

Review:
We bought this with the hope that it would be a decent movie, and it was! It has the typical Asian "scary" objects, like: water, long, black hair, etc...
But for some reason, this over-play of these movie characteristics aren't tiring me. Not like bad teen-movies.

This movie is very confusing. Not with flashbacks, but by plot. And it isn't too bad until the very end, like the last 10 minutes or so - it gets very confusing. If you are confused by the movie ending, e-mail me or check out the Internet Movie Database. But the movie is much easier to understand the second time watching it. So if you watched it once and wasn't convinced, I suggest to see it again!

It wasn't a perfect movie, there are some questions within the plot structure. But all-in-all I think this was an okay film.

Ocean's Twelve

2006-06-16T16:29:00.000+02:00

Written by:
George Clayton Johnson
Jack Golden Russell

Directed by:
Steven Soderbergh

Made in:
USA & Australia in 2004

Actors:
Brad Pitt .... Rusty Ryan
Catherine Zeta-Jones .... Isabel Lahiri
George Clooney .... Danny Ocean
Ed Kross .... Bank Officer
Julia Roberts .... Tess Ocean
Don Tiffany .... House Painter
Anne Jacques .... Shop Owner
David Sontag .... Plainclothes Goon #1
Larry Sontag .... Plainclothes Goon #2
Andy Garcia .... Terry Benedict
Casey Affleck .... Virgil Malloy
Dina Connolly .... Virgil's Fiancée
Scott Caan .... Turk Malloy
Nelson Peltz .... Partygoer
Mini Anden .... Supermodel

Plot:
Three years after pulling an impossible heist of a three-casino vault Daniel Ocean's Eleven plus wife Tess have been found and fingered by Terry Benedict. Mr. Benedict has promised the provider of the information to show restraint and give the clan two weeks to repay him with interest to the tune of over $190 million. Without a job that can provide that kind of pay off, the gang must accept the challenge of premier thief Francois Toulour to see who can steal a famous work of art first and claim the title of greatest thief ever. IMDB

Review:
I didn't like this one. Boring, dull, bland, and not exciting in any way whatsoever.

I really enjoyed the first movie and I enjoy it each time I see it. But to me... this movie was very boring and pointless. Not a very exciting movie, and too much Julia Roberts. It drags and it seems like it takes forever for the movie to actually begin. Lots of weird side-story stuff..

I just didn't like it. Maybe I'm grabbing at things to dislike, but there was enough about it or to make me dislike it.

I hadn't planned on ever seeing it, and I wouldn't have if it wasn't on the movie channel and we were bored and had nothing else to watch.

Definately do not go out of your way to see it.

Ocean's Eleven

2006-06-08T16:22:00.000+02:00

Written by:
George Clayton Johnson (1960 story) &
Jack Golden Russell (1960 story)

Directed by:
Steven Soderbergh

Made in:
USA & Australia in 2001

Actors:
George Clooney .... Danny Ocean
Cecelia Ann Birt .... Board Member #1 (voice) (as CeCeLia Birt)
Paul L. Nolan .... Board Member #2 (voice)
Carol Florence .... Board Member #3 (voice)
Lori Galinski .... Blackjack Dealer
Bernie Mac .... Frank Catton
Brad Pitt .... Rusty Ryan
Mark Gantt .... Bartender
Timothy Paul Perez .... Security Guard
Elliott Gould .... Reuben Tishkoff
Frank Patton .... Lockbox Carrier
Casey Affleck .... Virgil Malloy
Scott Caan .... Turk Malloy
Eddie Jemison .... Livingston Dell
Jorge R. Hernandez .... FBI Man #1

Plot:
Danny Ocean is a thief who has just been paroled from prison. He seeks out his partner, Rusty and he has a job. And it is to rob the vault that houses the cash of three casinos in Las Vegas. And he plans to rob it on a night when 150 million is in it. So they recruit nine guys and they begin to put Ocean's plan in motion. Everything is going well until Rusty discovers that Ocean's ex-wife, Tess is the main squeeze of Terry Benedict the (ruthless) owner of the casinos. Rusty asks him what is he going to do if he has to choose. But Ocean says that if his plan goes smoothly, he is going to be able to have his cake and eat it. IMDB

Review:
A perfect cast.
Dry, witty, funny, flows well and never boring or dull.

I'm not a George Clooney fan and I think he does a great job with this film. I'm not a fan of Julia Roberts either, but she isn't in the movie enough to make it annoying.

The movie is very well directed and produced.
A must-see!

Phone

2006-05-21T15:29:00.000+02:00

Original title:
Pon

Directed by:
Byeong-ki Ahn

Made in:
South Korea in 2002

Actors:
Ji-won Ha .... Ji-won
Yu-mi Kim .... Ho-jeong
Woo-jae Choi .... Chang-hoon
Ji-yeon Choi .... Jin-hie
Seo-woo Eun .... Yeong-ju

Plot:
Soon after Ji-won gets a new cell phone, her friend's young daughter, Yeong-ju, puts it to her ear and immediately begins screaming in terror. When other strange things start happening in connection with the phone, Ji-Won does some investigating and discovers that of the people before her who had the same number, almost all of them died suddenly under unusual circumstances. As Yeong-ju's behavior becomes increasingly alarming, Ji-won digs deeper into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the number's first owner, a high school girl named Jin-hie. IMDB

Review:
What an incredible movie!
Asian horror is.. probably my most enjoyable genre. This one is one of the best!

It is very scary and creepy. The plot is excellent and the story flows well. The movie leaves you surprised and continuously guessing.

And the little girl is possibly the best child actor I have ever seen. No, she IS the best child actor I have ever seen.

A fantastic, must-see movie!

Language is in Korean, definately available with subtitles.
Make sure you buy this one so you can watch it over and over again!

Final Destination 3

2006-05-02T15:19:00.000+02:00

Written by:
Glen Morgan
James Wong

Directed by:
James Wong

Made in:
USA in 2006

Actors:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead .... Wendy Christensen
Ryan Merriman .... Kevin Fischer
Kris Lemche .... Ian McKinley
Alexz Johnson .... Erin Ulmer
Sam Easton .... Frankie Cheeks
Jesse Moss .... Jason Robert Wise
Gina Holden .... Carrie Dreyer
Texas Battle .... Lewis Romero
Chelan Simmons .... Ashley Freund
Crystal Lowe .... Ashlyn Halperin
Amanda Crew .... Julie Christensen
Maggie Ma .... Perry Malowinski
Ecstasia Sanders .... Amber Regan
Jody Racicot .... Bludworth
Patrick Gallagher .... Colquitt

Plot:
After a high school senior, Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), has a fatal premonition of a disastrous roller-coaster accident that involves her and her friends, she warns everyone and luckily gets herself and many of her friends and others off the roller-coaster before it sets off, after they get off and the roller-coaster starts off, it crashes just like in her premonition, soon she teams up with a friend, Kevin Fischer (Ryan Merriman) as well as many other people, some including Erin (Alexz Johnson) and Ian (Kris Lemche) to try and cheat death. Will they succeed or will they learn a lesson that you just can't cheat death? IMDB

Review:
Probably the worst of the 3 Final Destination movies. The first is still by far my favorite. This one drags. The beginning is boring and drawn out. The characters are annoying, too. It is.. more for teenagers, this movie. In the first two movies, the characters see clues as to the next deaths, these clues are in pictures, and it is.. silly. The deaths are good and bloody and entertaining, especially seeing the two annoying females die in the tanning beds. But everything was foreseeable in the movie, nothing was left to be a surprise.

It wasn't enough.

Watch it if you have the chance, but don't go out of your way.

Phone Booth

2006-04-18T13:45:00.000+02:00

Written by:
Larry Cohen

Directed by:
Joel Schumacher

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Colin Farrell .... Stu Shepard
Kiefer Sutherland .... The Caller
Forest Whitaker .... Captain Ed Ramey
Radha Mitchell .... Kelly Shepard
Katie Holmes .... Pamela McFadden
Paula Jai Parker .... Felicia
Arian Waring Ash .... Corky (as Arian Ash)
Tia Texada .... Asia
John Enos III .... Leon
Richard T. Jones .... Sergeant Cole
Keith Nobbs .... Adam
Dell Yount .... Pizza Guy
James MacDonald .... Negotiator
Josh Pais .... Mario
Yorgo Constantine .... ESU Commander

Plot:
A fiendish publicist finds himself being held hostage in a phone booth by an extreme moralist who watches his victim's every move through the scope of his high-power sniper rifle, while speaking to the publicist via the phone booth. The caller prides himself on using force to punish corrupt people by forcing them to admit all of their lies and sins through mental games, or killing them. At the same time, he eliminates other people as well; everyday people who are guilty of brutal dishonesty and/or corruption, such as a murderous street pimp and a pushy pizza man (all of which, if you look hard enough in the film, have a guilt link). The caller himself is corrupt, and uses it defeat other corruption. It is evil fighting evil in the phone booth IMDB

Review:
Katie Holmes: BAD.
When are casting directors going to realize this???

Besides her, the film is great! Considering it takes place in a phone booth. A short movie and very exciting.

Not perfect (not many films are), but I think for the type of movie it is, and the setting, and plot.. it isn't too bad.

The Truman Show

2006-04-18T13:41:00.000+02:00

Written by:
Andrew Niccol

Directed by:
Peter Weir

Made in:
USA in 1998

Actors:
Jim Carrey .... Truman Burbank
Laura Linney .... Meryl Burbank/Hannah Gill
Noah Emmerich .... Marlon
Natascha McElhone .... Lauren/Sylvia
Holland Taylor .... Truman's Mother
Brian Delate .... Truman's Father
Blair Slater .... Young Truman
Peter Krause .... Lawrence
Heidi Schanz .... Vivien
Ron Taylor .... Ron
Don Taylor .... Don
Ted Raymond .... Spencer
Judy Clayton .... Travel Agent
Fritz Dominique .... Truman's Neighbor
Angel Schmiedt .... Truman's Neighbor

Plot:
In this movie, Jim Carrey is Truman, a man whose life is a fake one... The place he lives is in fact a big studio with hidden cameras everywhere, and all his friends and people around him, are actors who play their roles in the most popular tv-series in the world: The Truman Show. Truman thinks that he is an ordinary man with an ordinary life and has no idea about how he is exploited. Until one day... he finds out everything. Will he react? IMDB

Review:
I am a big fan of Jim Carrey and I think he does a great job in this role.

The film itself is very sad and emotional, it really pulls at the heart string. But it isn't mushy or extremely romantic.

Jim Carrey is funny in this film without going overboard, a glimpse of things to come in his later, more serious movies.

Almost Famous

2006-04-18T13:34:00.000+02:00

AKA:
Something Real (USA) (working title)
Stillwater (USA) (working title)
The Uncool (USA) (working title)
Untitled Cameron Crowe Project (USA) (working title)
Untitled: Almost Famous the Bootleg Cut (USA) (director's cut (DVD title))

Written by:
Cameron Crowe

Directed by:
Cameron Crowe

Made in:
USA in 2000

Actors:
Billy Crudup .... Russell Hammond
Frances McDormand .... Elaine Miller
Kate Hudson .... Penny Lane
Jason Lee .... Jeff Bebe
Patrick Fugit .... William Miller
Zooey Deschanel .... Anita Miller
Michael Angarano .... Young William
Anna Paquin .... Polexia Aphrodisia
Fairuza Balk .... Sapphire
Noah Taylor .... Dick Roswell
John Fedevich .... Ed Vallencourt
Mark Kozelek .... Larry Fellows
Philip Seymour Hoffman .... Lester Bangs
Liz Stauber .... Leslie
Jimmy Fallon .... Dennis Hope

Plot:
William Miller is a 15 year old kid, hired by Rolling Stone magazine to tour with, and write about Stillwater, an up and coming rock band. This wonderfully witty coming of age film follows William as he falls face first to confront life, love, and lingo. IMDB

Review:
I like this movie, but it bothers me in a way.
It is funny, it is cute, it shows the life of roadies..
But I still sometimes feel like it is lacking something.
Maybe I just had higher expectations.

What really bothers me is that the girl (Penny Lane) is on the cover of the film... which.. I think is wrong. Sure, the kid likes her and has a crush on her, but I find her the least interesting and least important character of the whole film. But maybe that is just me..

What Women Want

2006-04-18T13:28:00.000+02:00

Written by:
Josh Goldsmith
Cathy Yuspa

Directed by:
Nancy Meyers

Made in:
USA in 2000

Actors:
Mel Gibson .... Nick Marshall
Helen Hunt .... Darcy McGuire
Marisa Tomei .... Lola
Alan Alda .... Dan Wanamaker
Ashley Johnson .... Alexandra 'Alex' Marshall
Mark Feuerstein .... Morgan Farwell
Lauren Holly .... Gigi
Delta Burke .... Eve
Valerie Perrine .... Margo
Judy Greer .... Erin
Sarah Paulson .... Annie
Ana Gasteyer .... Sue Cranston
Lisa Edelstein .... Dina
Loretta Devine .... Flo the Doorwoman
Diana-Maria Riva .... Stella

Plot:
Nick Marshall, Playboy and Hot Shot in advertising, thinks he's God's gift to women. After a little accident, he discovers that he is suddenly able to hear what women really think. First, Nick is pretty disappointed when he discovers that his beloved macho behaviour does not exactly contribute to being desired. Then, his upcoming dream position in the company is being given to a new team member: Darcy, not only a woman, but a man-eating one, also is a very talented ad expert. So, Nick decides to sabotage his new boss by reading her thoughts and selling her ideas as his own. Unfortunately, love gets in his way. IMDB

Review:
A fun, cute movie.

I've lost a lot of respect for Mel Gibson, but he pulls it off in this movie. He is funny without being annoying.

Not a perfect movie, but a good romantic comedy. Very funny at times and it doesn't become dull or boring.

For its genre:

Man on Fire

2006-04-17T12:42:00.000+02:00

Written by:
A.J. Quinnell (novel)
Brian Helgeland (screenplay)

Directed by:
Tony Scott

Made in:
USA, UK, & Mexico in 2004

Actors:
Denzel Washington .... Creasy
Dakota Fanning .... Pita
Marc Anthony .... Samuel
Radha Mitchell .... Lisa
Christopher Walken .... Rayburn
Giancarlo Giannini .... Manzano
Rachel Ticotin .... Mariana
Jesús Ochoa .... Fuentes
Mickey Rourke .... Jordan
Angelina Peláez .... Sister Anna
Gustavo Sánchez Parra .... Daniel Sanchez
Gero Camilo .... Aurelio Sanchez
Rosa María Hernández .... Maria
Heriberto Del Castillo .... Bruno
Mario Zaragoza .... Jorge Ramirez

Plot:
In Mexico City, the former CIA assassin and presently an alcoholic decadent man John Creasy (Denzel Washington) is hired by the industrialist Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony), with the recommendation of his old friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken), to be the bodyguard of his young daughter Pita (Dakota Fanning) and his wife Lisa (Radha Mitchell). Pita changes the behavior of the cold Creasy, making him live and smile again, and he feels a great affection for her. When the girl is kidnapped Creasy swears to kill each one responsible for the abduction. IMDB

Review:
I really didn't know too much about this movie before we watched it. But I was very pleasantly surprised. A good plot and great acting.. everything was well done. Lots of twists and turns, including lots of blood and gore. The story was well told without being overdone.

Drive-In Massacre

2006-04-17T12:35:00.000+02:00

Written by:
George 'Buck' Flower
John F. Goff

Directed by:
Stu Segall

Made in:
USA in 1976

Actors:
Bruce Kimball .... Detective Larry (as Jake Barnes)
Adam Lawrence .... Detective Mike
Douglas Gudbye .... Germy
Verkina Flower (as Verkina Flowers)
Newton Naushaus .... Austin Johnson
Catherine Barkley .... Kathy
Norman Sherlock .... Orville
John Alderman .... Jim (as Frank Hollowell)
Valdesta .... Arlene
Michael Alden
Marty Gatsby .... David
Patricia James .... Lori
Tiffany Jones
Myron Griffith

Plot:
Two dim-witted police detectives try to catch a serial killer stalking a rural Texas drive-in theater and randomly killing people with a sword. IMDB

Review:
Really not that bad of a movie ... not for me at least.

It is.. a little odd.. the movie does okay until they introduce the mental patient, and then the movie goes downhill, cause then the plot is completely lost, and it ends suddenly, and.. yeah..

Easy to laugh at and a good one if you like old, bad horror movies.

Sling Blade

2006-04-05T14:02:00.000+02:00

Written by:
Billy Bob Thornton

Directed by:
Billy Bob Thornton

Made in:
USA in 1996

Actors:
Billy Bob Thornton .... Karl Childers
Dwight Yoakam .... Doyle Hargraves
J.T. Walsh .... Charles Bushman
John Ritter .... Vaughan Cunningham
Lucas Black .... Frank Wheatley
Natalie Canerday .... Linda Wheatley
James Hampton .... Dr. Jerry Woolridge
Robert Duvall .... Frank Childers
Rick Dial .... Bill Cox
Brent Briscoe .... Scooter Hodges
Christy Ward .... Melinda
Sarah Boss .... Marsha Dwiggins
Kathy Sue Brown .... Theresa Evans
Wendell Rafferty .... Melvin
Bruce Hampton .... Morris (as Col. Bruce Hampton)

Plot:
Karl Childers, now a grown man, is released from a psychiatric hospital where he has been hospitalized since the age of 12 for the murder of his mother and her lover. He returns to his childhood town and although being mentally handicapped, gets a job fixing small motors at a local repair shop. Karl befriends a young boy, Frank, and is soon invited by Frank's mother, Linda, to move into the family's garage. As a strong relationship develops between Karl and Frank, a confrontation builds with Linda's abusive and sometimes violent boyfriend Doyle. IMDB

Review:
Quite a good movie!
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I've had it for awhile but never got around to watching it and I always heard so many good things about it. This is a very sad and emotional movie. And extremely well done. Very charming with great acting.

Mad Max 2

2006-04-05T13:53:00.000+02:00

AKA:
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (USA)
The Road Warrior (USA)

Written by:
Terry Hayes
George Miller

Directed by:
George Miller

Made in:
Australia in 1981

Actors:
Mel Gibson .... 'Mad' Max Rockatansky/The Road Warrior
Bruce Spence .... The Gyro Captain
Michael Preston .... Pappagallo (as Mike Preston)
Max Phipps .... The Toadie
Vernon Wells .... Wez
Kjell Nilsson .... Lord Humungus
Emil Minty .... The Feral Kid
Virginia Hey .... The Warrior Woman
William Zappa .... Zetta
Arkie Whiteley .... The Captain's Girl
Steve J. Spears .... Mechanic
Syd Heylen .... Curmudgeon
Moira Claux .... Big Rebecca
David Downer .... Nathan
David Slingsby .... Quiet Man

Plot:
A former police officer is now a lone wanderer, travelling through a devasted Australia after a nuclear war looking for the now-priceless fuel of petrol. He lives to survive and is none too pleased when he finds himself the only hope of a small group of honest people running a remote oil refinery. He must protect them from the bike gang that is terrorising them whilst transporting their entire fuel supply to safety. IMDB

Review:
This is Mel Gibson at his best!
A very fun and classic movie. Of the three Mad Max movies, this one is my favorite. The acting is good and so are the effects. The story is fun and the movie isn't dragged out like most newer action movies.

This is one of my favorites.

What Dreams May Come

2006-03-25T13:15:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Richard Matheson (novel)
Ronald Bass (screenplay)

Directed by:
Vincent Ward

Made in:
USA in 1998

Actors:
Robin Williams .... Chris Nielsen
Cuba Gooding Jr. .... Albert Lewis
Annabella Sciorra .... Annie Collins-Nielsen
Max von Sydow .... The Tracker
Jessica Brooks Grant .... Marie Nielsen
Josh Paddock .... Ian Nielsen
Rosalind Chao .... Leona
Lucinda Jenney .... Mrs. Jacobs
Maggie McCarthy .... Stacey Jacobs
Wilma Bonet .... Angie
Matt Salinger .... Reverend Hanley
Carin Sprague .... Best Friend Cindy
June Lomena .... Woman in Car Accident
Paul P. Card IV .... Paramedic
Werner Herzog .... Face

Plot:
Soul mates Chris (Robin Williams) and Annie (Annabella Sciorra) couldn't be happier, having married each other and had two wonderful children. Unforutnately, tragedy strikes when they lose them both in a car accident, and then again for Annie many years later when Chris is killed in another accident. What Chris finds is a Paradise unlike anything he ever imagined, where he is guided by Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.), the first doctor he interned under and is helped to see his children once again. Unfortunately, when Annie takes her life in despair, she does not venture to the same plane of existence. Taking it upon himself to rescue her, Chris ventures into the pit of Hell with Albert and a Tracker ('Max von Sydow' ) to save his wife from the damnation she doesn't even know she is forcing on herself. This is a beautiful story that reminds us that love is stronger than death. IMDB

Review:
This is one of my most favorite movies ever.

I am a fan of Robin Williams, but he isn't his comedic self in this movie. This is possibly one of his best serious performances ever.

The movie is so touching and beautiful.
I saw this movie after I studied Mythology at university and everything in this movie has such a strong symbolism. It is told well without being too pushy.

I cry all the way through this movie.
This movie really makes you think about fate and destiny, and finding your true soulmate.

I definately recommend this one.

Alien

2006-03-24T23:03:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Alien: The Director's Cut (USA) (director's cut)
Star Beast (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Dan O'Bannon
Ronald Shusett

Directed by:
Ridley Scott

Made in:
UK in 1979

Actors:
Tom Skerritt .... Dallas
Sigourney Weaver .... Ripley
Veronica Cartwright .... Lambert
Harry Dean Stanton .... Brett
John Hurt .... Kane
Ian Holm .... Ash
Yaphet Kotto .... Parker
Bolaji Badejo .... Alien
Helen Horton .... Mother (voice)

Plot:
When commercial towing vehicle Nostromo, heading back to Earth, intercepts an SoS signal from a nearby planet, the crew are under obligation to investigate. After a bad landing on the planet, some crew members leave the ship to explore the area. At the same time as they discover a hive colony of some unknown creature, the ship's computer deciphers the message to be a warning, not a call for help. When one of the eggs is disturbed, the crew do not know the danger they are in until it is too late. IMDB

Review:
A classic!
A fun movie for everyone to see. A very thrilling film.

Even the bad effects and bad cuts/editing can't make this movie a bad one.

There isn't much that I can say - as there aren't many people who haven't seen it already.. so.. :)

Slashed Dreams

2006-03-24T22:46:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Sunburst

Written by:
James Keach
James Polakof

Directed by:
James Polakof

Made in:
USA in 1975

Actors:
Peter Hooten .... Robert
Kathrine Baumann .... Jenny
Ric Carrott .... Marshall
Anne Lockhart .... Tina
Robert Englund .... Michael Sutherland
Rudy Vallee .... Proprietor
James Keach .... Levon
David Pritchard .... Danker
Randy Ralston .... The Pledge
Susan McCormick .... Susan

Plot:
A young couple decides to look up an old friend while vacationing in the woods of Northern California. While camping out, two strangers appear and briefly talk with the couple before leaving. Later that evening, the two strangers return to terrorize the young couple by subduing the man and brutally assaulting the woman. What other fiendish plans does the pair have in store for the innocent couple?

Review:
Maybe not as exciting as the plot outline that I took from the cover sleeve of the DVD. Robert Englund is in the movie for about 10 minutes at the end of the movie.

It really isn't that bad of a movie, but the beginning of the movie is much, much better than the 2nd part. The beginning is hilarious, very easy to make fun of.. and then it starts to drag a little.
The movie is very short, only about 76 minutes, but it could probably be about 30. :) The "terrorizing" scene lasts all of 2 minutes, nothing at all like I Spit on Your Grave.

Watch it if you have the chance, but not really anything to go out of your way for. Not really funny or scary or bloody or gory.. but some parts are amusing. :)

The music is hilarious, though! Pay attention to the lyrics. Some of the "traveling" music will bring back wonderful memories of Italian cannibal movies.

Graveyard Shift

2006-03-16T11:40:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Stephen King's Graveyard Shift

Written by:
Stephen King (short story)
John Esposito (screenplay)

Directed by:
Ralph S. Singleton

Made in:
USA & Japan in 1990

Actors:
David Andrews .... John Hall
Kelly Wolf .... Jane Wisconsky
Stephen Macht .... Warwick
Andrew Divoff .... Danson
Vic Polizos .... Brogan
Brad Dourif .... Tucker Cleveland/The Exterminator
Robert Alan Beuth .... Ippeston
Ilona Margolis .... Nordello
Jimmy Woodard .... Carmichael
Jonathan Emerson .... Jason Reed
Minor Rootes .... Stevenson
Kelly L. Goodman .... Warwick's Secretary
Susan Lowden .... Daisy May
Joe Perham .... Mill Inspector
Dana Packard .... Millworker

Plot:
Based on Stephen King's short story about a Maine textile mill, where it's workers come into contact with something far more gruesome than anyone might expect. IMDB

Review:
Not a horrible movie, but that is by Hurly standards. :)

I don't find anything wrong with the acting, and it is a little humorous at times. A typical Stephen King adaptation. For me, the ending is awful, but most of them usually are.

Don't go out of your way to see it, but I think most people underrate it.

Swimfan

2006-03-16T11:25:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Swimf@n (USA)
Swimfan85 (USA) (working title)
Tell Me You Love Me

Written by:
Charles F. Bohl
Phillip Schneider

Directed by:
John Polson

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Jesse Bradford .... Ben Cronin
Erika Christensen .... Madison Bell
Shiri Appleby .... Amy Miller
Kate Burton .... Carla Cronin
Clayne Crawford .... Josh
Jason Ritter .... Randy
Kia Goodwin .... Rene (as Kia Joy Goodwin)
Dan Hedaya .... Coach Simkins
Michael Higgins .... Mr. Tillman
Nick Sandow .... Detective John Zabel
Pamela Isaacs .... Mrs. Egan
James DeBello .... Christopher Dante (as James Debello)

Plot:
Ben Cronin has it all: the admiration of his many friends, a terrific girlfriend, and an appointment with swim scouts from Stanford. It's not easy; Ben must train for countless hours in the pool for a critical swim meet, work at the local hospital and find quality time with his high school sweetheart, Amy. His wonderful life is disrupted by the arrival of Madison Bell. The new girl in town quickly sets her sights on the impressionable Ben. While their first few meetings are innocent enough, the seductive Madison wants more. IMDB

Review:
Ehhh.. not a horrible movie. It could have been much, much worse!
It is decent for its genre. Unlike most movies like it, this one keeps me interested. It is a little different from other movies like it.
Even though everything works out in the end, it is an entertaining movie.

If you have the chance, watch it, but not something to go out of your way for.

Brokeback Mountain

2006-03-15T09:17:00.000+01:00

Written by:
E. Annie Proulx (short story)
Larry McMurtry (screenplay)

Directed by:
Ang Lee

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Heath Ledger .... Ennis Del Mar
Jake Gyllenhaal .... Jack Twist
Randy Quaid .... Joe Aguirre
Anne Hathaway .... Lureen Newsome
Michelle Williams .... Alma
Valerie Planche .... Waitress
Graham Beckel .... L.B. Newsome
David Harbour .... Randall Malone
Kate Mara .... Alma del Mar Jr., Age 19
Roberta Maxwell .... Jack's Mother
Peter McRobbie .... John Twist
Anna Faris .... LaShawn Malone
Linda Cardellini .... Cassie
Scott Michael Campbell .... Monroe
David Trimble .... Basque

Plot:
A raw, powerful story of two young men, a Wyoming ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 sheepherding in the harsh, high grasslands of contemporary Wyoming and form an unorthodox yet life-long bond--by turns ecstatic, bitter and conflicted. IMDB

Review:
What a fantastic movie.
When I heard about it, I figured it would be an okay movie, and then everyone started saying how great it was, and that it was up for an Oscar.. Then I just had to see it.

And it is every bit as good as everyone says.
It is a beautiful, sad, heart-wrenching movie.
Possibly one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen.

I don't think I could say enough good things about this movie.
I definately recommend it. It will completely suck you into the story and you will feel every emotion and struggle these two lovers endure.

They couldn't have picked any better actors than Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger to bring out the full potential of this movie.

An absolutely brillant film that everyone needs to see.

In the USA this movie has a rated R (have to be 18), in Sweden it has a '7' .. which means 7 year olds are allowed to see it.
Banned in Malaysia. (But what isn't?)

Critters

2006-03-15T09:12:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Stephen Herek
Domonic Muir

Directed by:
Stephen Herek

Made in:
USA in 1986

Actors:
Dee Wallace-Stone .... Helen Brown
M. Emmet Walsh .... Harv
Billy Green Bush .... Jay Brown
Scott Grimes .... Brad Brown
Nadine Van der Velde .... April Brown
Don Keith Opper .... Charlie McFadden (as Don Opper)
Billy Zane .... Steve Elliot
Ethan Phillips .... Jeff Barnes
Terrence Mann .... Johnny Steele/Ug
Jeremy Lawrence .... Preacher
Lin Shaye .... Sally
Michael Lee Gogin .... Warden Zanti
Art Frankel .... Ed

Plot:
A massive ball of furry creatures from another world eat their way through a small mid-western town followed by intergalactic bounty hunters opposed only by militant townspeople. IMDB

Review:
Not an awful movie.
A very typical 80's-we-wanna-make-something-as-good-as-Gremlins movie.

The acting is typical 80's, as well as the plot and everything else.. :/
It wasn't bad.. but it definately wasn't good.
It was a very, very difficult movie to pay attention to.. I don't know how many times I got distracted and completely lost interest in the movie and started doing something else. :/

Not even a Hurly.. :/

Panic Room

2006-03-15T09:07:00.000+01:00

Written by:
David Koepp

Directed by:
David Fincher

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Jodie Foster .... Meg Altman
Kristen Stewart .... Sarah Altman
Forest Whitaker .... Burnham
Dwight Yoakam .... Raoul
Jared Leto .... Junior
Patrick Bauchau .... Stephen Altman
Ann Magnuson .... Lydia Lynch
Ian Buchanan .... Evan Kurlander
Andrew Kevin Walker .... Sleepy Neighbor
Paul Schulze .... Officer Keeney
Mel Rodriguez .... Officer Morales

Plot:
When burglars break in to a newly-bought house expecting to find money, they find its owners sleeping upstairs. The odds are against the claustrophobic mother and her child with low blood sugar when they are locked into the Panic Room, a room where they are "safe" from criminals. Unfortunately, they are locked in with the very money that the burglars want...and the burglars threaten to come in...or make the family of two come out. IMDB

Review:
A very decent movie. Not really anything wrong with it. The only thing that does bother me is the.. lack of intelligence in 2 of the 3 burglars, which I find a little hard to believe. The acting is okay and the plot is decent. A great movie to see if you have the opportunity. Lots of things always happening; it doesn't get dull and boring.

Catwoman

2006-03-15T08:39:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Untitled 'Batman Returns' Spin-off (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Bob Kane (characters)
Theresa Rebeck (story)

Directed by:
Pitof

Made in:
USA in 2004

Actors:
Halle Berry .... Patience Phillips/Catwoman
Benjamin Bratt .... Tom Lone
Sharon Stone .... Laurel Hedare
Lambert Wilson .... George Hedare
Frances Conroy .... Ophelia
Alex Borstein .... Sally
Michael Massee .... Armando
Byron Mann .... Wesley
Kim Smith .... Drina
Christopher Heyerdahl .... Rocker
Peter Wingfield .... Dr. Ivan Slavicky
Berend McKenzie .... Lance

Plot:
Catwoman is the story of shy, sensitive artist Patience Philips (Halle Berry), a woman who can't seem to stop apologizing for her own existence. She works as a graphic designer for Hedare Beauty, a mammoth cosmetics company on the verge of releasing a revolutionary anti-aging product. When Patience inadvertently happens upon a dark secret her employer is hiding, she finds herself in the middle of a corporate conspiracy. What happens next changes Patience forever. In a mystical twist of fate, she is transformed into a woman with the strength, speed, agility and ultra-keen senses of a cat. With her newfound prowess and feline intuition, Patience becomes Catwoman, a sleek and stealthy creature balancing on the thin line between good and bad. Like any wildcat, she's dangerous, elusive and untamed. Her adventures are complicated by a burgeoning relationship with Tom Lone (Benjamin Bratt), a cop who has fallen for Patience but cannot shake his fascination with the mysterious Catwoman, who appears to be responsible for a string of crime sprees plaguing the city. IMDB

Review:
What a God-awful movie. :/

We didn't start watching it until 20 minutes into the movie, and it seems that we missed absolutely nothing of the plot.. because nothing had happened yet. But technically.. nothing really happens in the movie at all...

I'm not a fan of Halle Berry, but she was absolutely awful in this movie. Not saying any of the other actors did any better, but I don't understand how a supposed serious actress could do something like this.

The plot was horrific.. and the acting was.. even worse.

We only watched it for.. not even 20 minutes, and it was possibly the worst 20 minutes of movie history. Even worse than You Got Served!!!

It is very difficult to watch, because of how stupid Halle Berry looks in this movie, trying to act like a cat.. Rubbing catnip all over her face.. it is just.. sad really.. :/

I would be so embarassed if I had any ties to this movie.

Please avoid this movie.. :/ The only reason we saw the 20 minutes of it is because we were going through the channels and found it on one of the movie channels. And we only stopped to watch just to see if it was as horrible as everyone says it is, and it only took about 2 minutes of watching to realize that it is..

Possibly one of the worst movies ever made. A very pathetic movie.

The Lord of the Rings

2006-03-10T19:46:00.000+01:00

Original title:
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Written by:
J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)
Fran Walsh (screenplay)

Directed by:
Peter Jackson

Made in:
New Zealand / USA 2001-2003

Actors:
Liv Tyler .... Arwen
Karl Urban .... Eomer
Stephen Ure .... Gorbag
Hugo Weaving .... Elrond
David Wenham .... Faramir
Elijah Wood .... Frodo
Thomas Robins .... Deagol
Andy Serkis .... Gollum/Smeagol
Harry Sinclair .... Isildur
John Rhys-Davies .... Gimli
Dominic Monaghan .... Merry
Viggo Mortensen .... Aragorn
John Noble .... Denethor
Paul Norell .... King of the Dead
Miranda Otto .... Eowyn
Bruce Phillips .... Grimbold
Bernard Hill .... Theoden
Ian Holm .... Bilbo
Bruce Hopkins .... Gamling
Ian Hughes .... Irolas
Lawrence Makoare .... Witch King/Gothmog
Ian McKellen .... Gandalf
Cate Blanchett .... Galadriel
Orlando Bloom .... Legolas
Billy Boyd .... Pippin
Sean Astin .... Sam

Plot:
Read the book!

Review:
I decided to just review all three movies together ... I mean.. I don't think I could think of 3 different sets of things to say for three awesome movies that are supposed to be one long movie anyways.. :)

But.. If you haven't seen these.. then.. you need to!
And make sure you only see the director's extended versions. But make sure you fast forward through any part with Liv Tyler in it...... :/
She bothers me, and she really, really bothers me in these movies. I wish they would have picked anyone else for the part than her. Okay, enough about her, I could go on all day about her role in the movie....

The rest of the cast... they couldn't have picked a better cast.
And my female crush is my most favorite character in the movie... Miranda Otto as Eowyn! She is such a beautiful, strong character.

But anyways ... make sure you see it..! :)
Possibly one of the best directed movies ever. Can't say enough great things about how Peter Jackson handled these films. And if you have the chance, make sure you watch all the extra material on the DVDs.

Three of the best films ever made.

Saw II

2006-03-09T14:16:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Darren Lynn Bousman
Leigh Whannell

Directed by:
Darren Lynn Bousman

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Donnie Wahlberg .... Eric Mathews
Shawnee Smith .... Amanda
Tobin Bell .... Jigsaw
Franky G .... Xavier
Glenn Plummer .... Jonas
Dina Meyer .... Kerry
Emmanuelle Vaugier .... Addison
Beverley Mitchell .... Laura
Erik Knudsen .... Daniel
Tim Burd .... Obi (as Timothy Burd)
Lyriq Bent .... Rigg
Noam Jenkins .... Michael
Tony Nappo .... Gus

Plot:
Jigsaw locks 8 or 9 unlucky people in a booby trapped shelter and they must find a way out before they inhale too much of a lethal nerve gas and die. But they must watch out, for the traps that the Jigsaw has set in the shelter lead to death also. IMDB

Review:
I really, really liked this one. I almost prefer it over the first movie!
It has more gore, blood and scare than the first movie. The first movie was more about them figuring out clues and trying to get out. This second movie was more about death, etc.. I definately recommend the movie! I like the story, I like how it ends, and I like the way it was told. The only things I don't like were: the really dumb SWAT team members, and the way the Detective acted through the whole movie, he just made me mad. Maybe just bad acting on Wahlberg's part..?

Make sure you see it!

Mitt liv som hund

2006-03-09T13:58:00.000+01:00

AKA:
My Life as a Dog (Canada: English title) (USA)

Written by:
Reidar Jönsson (novel)
Lasse Hallström

Directed by:
Lasse Hallström

Made in:
Sweden in 1985

Actors:
Anton Glanzelius .... Ingemar
Tomas von Brömssen .... morbror Gunnar
Anki Lidén .... Ingemars mamma (as Anki Liden)
Melinda Kinnaman .... Saga
Kicki Rundgren .... moster Ulla
Lennart Hjulström .... konstnären
Ing-Marie Carlsson .... Berit
Leif Ericson .... farbror Sandberg
Christina Carlwind .... Fru sandberg
Ralph Carlsson .... Harry
Viveca Dahlén .... tvättande kvinna
Arnold Alfredson .... Mannes farfar
Fritz Elofsson .... Mäster
Didrik Gustavsson .... Arvidsson, dying old man befriended by Ingmar
Jan-Philip Hollström .... Manne, the boy with green hair

Plot:
Ingemar lives with his brother and his terminally ill mother. He may have a rough time, but not as bad as Laika - the russian dog sent into space... He gets sent away to stay with relations for the summer. While there, he meets various strange characters, giving him experiences that will affect him for the rest of his life. IMDB

Review:
Many people have recommended this movie, saying how wonderful it is. But Fredrik always never liked it, so I never really had a chance to see it. I think Fredrik then discovered that he never liked it because as a teenager he was forced to watch it in school, so that made him dislike it.

It was shown on TV the other day, and it was a very, very good movie.
Very moving, very emotional, and very well done.

It is a fun movie, and even though so emotional, it is very funny at times, too.

I definately recommend this one. I recommend it for anyone over 18 years, because I think you need that mentality to fully understand everything the movie represents.

A very beautiful movie.

Language is in Swedish, but I know this one is pretty popular so it shouldn't be too difficult to find a copy with subtitles or even dubbed.

City of Angels

2006-03-04T13:29:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Stadt der Engel (Germany)

Written by:
Wim Wenders
Peter Handke

Directed by:
Brad Silberling

Made in:
Germany & USA in 1998

Actors:
Nicolas Cage .... Seth
Meg Ryan .... Maggie Rice
Andre Braugher .... Cassiel
Dennis Franz .... Nathaniel Messinger
Colm Feore .... Jordan Ferris
Robin Bartlett .... Anne
Joanna Merlin .... Teresa Messinger

Plot:
Seth, an angel watching over Los Angeles, begins finding his job difficult as he falls in love with Maggie, a beautiful heart surgeon. She becomes interested in Seth, and soon his not-quite-mortal state seems a barrier rather than a gift. A choice must be made between celestial duty and earthly love. IMDB

Review:
I absolutely love this movie.
There is nothing in this movie that I would change, it is completely perfect how it is. I am not a huge fan of Meg Ryan, but she does a great job in this role along beside Nicolas Cage.

I cry all the way through this movie, it is one of my most favorite films. And the film has one of the best soundtracks ever made.

It is romantic, very romantic, but very, very good.
I do recommend the movie for most everyone. Females would probably enjoy it over males, because of the romantic aspects.

The movie has a big spiritual theme running through it, it contains a lot of mythology, but it is very beautifuly portrayed.

The ending is so sad, yet so perfect. Even though you know what is going to happen before it does, it is still so beautiful and so sad, and not overdone.

Raising Arizona

2006-03-04T13:18:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Directed by:
Joel Coen

Made in:
USA in 1987

Actors:
Nicolas Cage .... H.I. McDunnough
Holly Hunter .... Edwina 'Ed' McDunnough
Trey Wilson .... Nathan Arizona (Huffhines) Sr.
John Goodman .... Gale Snoats
William Forsythe .... Evelle Snoats
Sam McMurray .... Glen
Frances McDormand .... Dot
Randall 'Tex' Cobb .... Leonard Smalls
T.J. Kuhn .... Nathan Arizona Jr. (as T.J. Kuhn Jr.)
Lynne Dumin Kitei .... Florence Arizona

Plot:
Colourful and unconventional slapstick comedy. Ex-con Hi and ex-cop Ed meet, marry and long for a child in the wilds of Arizona. When Ed discovers she's barren the God-given solution is presented: to snatch a baby from a set of quins. Thus begins a series of kidnappings, capers and rum goings-on that revolve around the helpless yet universally-loveable child. Hi's convict friends, his boss, and even the Lone Biker Of The Apocalypse become involved in the ever-twisting plot in the quest to own the baby. IMDB

Review:
An absolutely hilarious movie! And a perfect role for Nicolas Cage.
Very fun and full of laughs.

You really feel sorry for the main characters in their attempt to have a child. Even to the point of reasoning out their kidnapping. :)
A great movie, I definately recommend it!

Panic

2006-03-04T13:00:00.000+01:00

Original title:
Bakterion

AKA:
Pánico (Spain)
Panic
Vivi invidieranno i morti, I (Italy)

Written by:
Víctor Andrés Catena
Jaime Comas Gil

Directed by:
Tonino Ricci

Made in:
Italy & Spain in 1976

Actors:
David Warbeck .... Kirk Dude
Janet Agren .... Jane
Roberto Ricci .... Professor Adams
José Lifante .... Sergeant O'Brien (as José R. Lifante)
Miguel Herrera .... Doctor Vince
Eugenio Benito .... Father Braun
Ovidio Taito
José María Labernié .... Colonel Rudrige (as José Maria Labernie)
Fabián Conde .... Borracho (as Fabian Conde)

Plot:
A scientist's experiment with a deadly bacteria goes awry and leaves him horribly deformed. The monstrous man then runs amok in his town. IMDB

Review:
A very, very bad movie!
But so easy to make fun of! It would be a perfect movie for MST, but unfortunately we had to think of our own funny things to say during the movie to make it not so painful while sitting through.
The location is supposed to be in England, and it is dubbed into English.

The acting isn't that bad, but very entertaining. There are some very pointless shots, and some bad editing.

There is a great cinema scene where there is complete darkness for about a minute, and you don't get to see anything that happens.. and there is a giant rat in a sewer that you see for a couple of seconds and it never shows up again ... and it seems that they want you to think that all the houses in England have large square holes in a wall in at least one room in each house that leads right to the sewer system.

A very, very strange movie, and it does well by jumping right into the main plot. But the movie drags a little too much.. :/ The entire movie probably could have lasted 30-40 minutes.. but instead it is 90 minutes.. :/

An easy movie to make fun of, but don't watch it if you are the least bit tired, I, myself, fell asleep about 3 different times near the end.. :/ :)

Pay It Forward

2006-03-02T14:22:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Catherine Ryan Hyde (book)
Leslie Dixon (screenplay)

Directed by:
Mimi Leder

Made in:
USA in 2000

Actors:
Kevin Spacey .... Eugene Simonet
Helen Hunt .... Arlene McKinney
Haley Joel Osment .... Trevor McKinney
Jay Mohr .... Chris Chandler
James Caviezel .... Jerry
Jon Bon Jovi .... Ricky McKinney
Angie Dickinson .... Grace
David Ramsey .... Sidney Parker
Gary Werntz .... Mr. Thorsen

Plot:
Young Trevor McKinney, troubled by his mother's alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father, is caught up by an intriguing assignment from his new social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet. The assignment: think of something to change the world and put it into action. Trevor conjures the notion of paying a favor not back, but forward--repaying good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people. Trevor's efforts to make good on his idea bring a revolution not only in the lives of himself, his mother and his physically and emotionally scarred teacher, but in those of an ever-widening circle of people completely unknown to him. IMDB

Review:
This is a good movie, the first time you see it.
One of our movie channels showed this movie over and over and over and over and over ... to the point where I hated this movie.. :/

But watch it! Watch it only once, and it is a really, really good movie.
It is a simple, fun, good morale movie. A very emotional movie with a good cast.

I do recommend it, and it is a good movie, but it can still get annoying after awhile.. :/

American Beauty

2006-03-02T11:54:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Alan Ball

Directed by:
Sam Mendes

Made in:
USA in 1999

Actors:
Kevin Spacey .... Lester Burnham
Annette Bening .... Carolyn Burnham
Thora Birch .... Jane Burnham
Wes Bentley .... Ricky Fitts
Mena Suvari .... Angela Hayes
Chris Cooper .... Col. Frank Fitts, USMC
Peter Gallagher .... Buddy Kane
Allison Janney .... Barbara Fitts

Plot:
Lester and Carolyn Burnham are on the outside, a perfect husband and wife, in a perfect house, in a perfect neighborhood. But inside, Lester is slipping deeper and deeper into a hopeless depression. He finally snaps when he becomes infatuated with one of his daughters friends. Meanwhile, his daughter Jane is developing a happy friendship with a shy boy-next-door named Ricky who lives with a homophobic father. IMDB

Review:
Such a fantastic movie.

I didn't want to see it when it came out, I didn't think I would like it.
But Fredrik wanted to see it and thought it would be an excellent movie.
I finally decided to rent it one night, and it ends up (like always), that I love the movie, and he thought it was "okay." :) That always happens.

It is such a simple movie, but holds a lot of depth.
A perfect cast that does a terrific job. I love Annette Bening, and she does such a good job in this movie.

I'm not sure if there is anything in this movie that could be made any better than it already is. The movie confronts many realistic struggles in normal day lives. Not a family movie, but definately something that every family member needs to see.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella

2006-03-02T11:41:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Joseph Schrank (teleplay)

Directed by:
Charles S. Dubin

Made in:
USA in 1965

Actors:
Ginger Rogers .... Queen
Walter Pidgeon .... King
Celeste Holm .... Fairy Godmother
Jo Van Fleet .... Stepmother
Stuart Damon .... Prince
Pat Carroll .... Prunella
Barbara Ruick .... Esmerelda
Lesley Ann Warren .... Cinderella
Joe E. Marks .... Aide
Don Heitgerd .... The Herald

Plot:
Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical retelling of the classic fairy tale. Cinderella is a teenage girl forced to do all of the menial tasks in the home she shares with her coldhearted stepmother and homely stepsisters. One day when home alone, Cinderella shares a cup of water with a thirsty and handsome traveler, not realizing until he continues on his journey that he is the crown prince of the kingdom. Shortly thereafter, the king and queen invite every young maiden in the kingdom to a royal ball so that the crown prince can find a girl to marry. Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters go to the ball, leaving Cinderella behind to wish about how her life could be. While she is daydreaming, she is visited by her fairy godmother, who makes it possible for her wishes to come true. IMDB

Review:
This is one of my most favorite movies ever!
It is such a fun, simple Cinderella version. It is a classic and I think everyone should see it. Guys would probably think it silly and "gay." And most younger females might like it, and older females would probably think it is silly, too, I guess. I find it charming and romantic. I love the songs, it is such a great musical. And yes, I even end up crying through it. I grew up watching this, and I still sing along with all the songs. It is a fantastic movie! A true classic!

Flowers in the Attic

2006-02-27T09:53:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Virginia C. Andrews (novel)
Jeffrey Bloom

Directed by:
Jeffrey Bloom

Made in:
USA in 1987

Actors:
Louise Fletcher .... Grandmother (Olivia)
Victoria Tennant .... Mother (Corrine)
Kristy Swanson .... Cathy
Jeb Stuart Adams .... Chris
Ben Ryan Ganger .... Cory
Lindsay Parker .... Carrie
Marshall Colt .... Father
Nathan Davis .... Grandfather

Plot:
After the death of her husband, a mother takes her kids off to live with their grandparents in a huge, decrepit old mansion. However, the kids are kept hidden in a room just below the attic, visited only by their mother who becomes less and less concerned about them and their failing health, and more concerned about herself and the inheritence she plans to win back from her dying father, to the point of murder... IMDB

Review:
I like this movie, but I think I am one of the few.
It isn't exactly like the book, but it is a series of 5 books, and you have to draw a conclusion somewhere in a movie. I think it is simple and as complex as it needs to be. I am almost finished with the book, still a few chapters left to go, and I definately recommend the book. I do think that the book is better than the movie, but I don't think the movie is bad.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

2006-02-27T09:47:00.000+01:00

Written by:
John Hughes

Directed by:
John Hughes

Made in:
USA in 1986

Actors:
Matthew Broderick .... Ferris Bueller
Alan Ruck .... Cameron Frye
Mia Sara .... Sloane Peterson
Jeffrey Jones .... Ed Rooney
Jennifer Grey .... Jeanie Bueller
Cindy Pickett .... Katie Bueller
Lyman Ward .... Tom Bueller
Edie McClurg .... Grace, the Secretary
Charlie Sheen .... Boy in Police Station
Ben Stein .... Economics Teacher
Del Close .... English Teacher
Virginia Capers .... Florence Sparrow
Richard Edson .... Garage Attendant
Larry Flash Jenkins .... Attendant's Co-Pilot
Kristy Swanson .... Simone Adamley

Plot:
Ferris is a street-wise kid who knows all the tricks. Today he decides to take the day off school. When Ferris takes the day off, so must his best friends, Cameron and Sloane. Cameron is reluctantly persuaded to borrow his father's Ferrari, and together they hatch a plan to get Sloane out of class. Suspicious dean of students Ed Rooney knows all about Ferris, but can never catch him. Ferris' sister Jeanie is also frustrated that Ferris always gets away with his tricks and she doesn't. Furthermore, Ferris is an 'angel' in his parents eyes. It's Ferris' day off, he's out to enjoy himself, and he does!. IMDB

Review:
A fun, adventurous movie! A classic and a must for every pre-teen and teen to watch while growing up. We still enjoy this movie, and I have a feeling that we always will. A perfect cast, a great plot, an absolutely hilarious movie!

One of the best in its genre.

Memorial Valley Massacre

2006-02-27T09:23:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Valley of Death (USA) (video title)

Written by:
Robert C. Hughes
George Frances Skrow

Directed by:
Robert C. Hughes

Made in:
USA in 1988

Actors:
John Kerry .... George Webster
Mark Mears .... David Sangster
John Caso .... Hermit
Lesa Lee .... Cheryl
Jimmy Justice .... Deke
William Smith .... General Mintz
Cameron Mitchell .... Allen Sangster
Eddie D. .... Eddie
Charles Douglass .... Morie
Dan S. Fambeau .... Leon
Lyvingston Holmes .... Sara (as Livingston Holmes)
Dusty Woods .... Emily
Christina Sullivan .... Flo
Zig Roberts .... Tom
Michael Inglese .... Rick

Plot:
A new camp ground has opened up. The park rangers and campers are being terrorized by something or someone.

Review:
Horrible, horrible music! (Almost as good as Italian cannibal movies.)
And a great biker group, too!!
Unfortunately, the acting isn't bad enough to make it good.
And the group of 'cool kids' are really "cool."
And what is up with tarzan boy??

The movie is.. different. It isn't that bad, but it is definately not good. :/ It would have to have been much, much worse for it to have been an okay movie. The acting isn't bad enough, but the plot is. The plot is absolutely horrible.

I'd stay away from this one ... it isn't worth the effort. Not enough bad stuff to make it funny, and not enough good effects to make it gory.

Naked Massacre

2006-02-27T08:58:00.000+01:00

Original title:
Born for Hell

AKA:
Né pour l'enfer (Canada: French title) (France)
...E la notte si tinse di sangue (Italy)
Hinrichtung, Die (West Germany)
Naked Massacre (USA)

Written by:
Fred Denger
Denis Héroux

Directed by:
Denis Héroux

Made in:
West Germany, Canada, France, & Italy in 1976

Actors:
Mathieu Carrière .... Cain Adamson
Debra Berger .... Bridget (as Debby Berger)
Christine Boisson .... Christine
Myriam Boyer .... Leila
Leonora Fani .... Jenny
Ely Galleani .... Pam
Carole Laure .... Amy
Eva Mattes .... Catherine
Andrée Pelletier .... Eileen

Plot:
Loosely based on the notorious Richard Speck murders, this is the grim tale of a disturbed Vietnam vet returning home via Belfast, who invades a house shared by eight nurses and proceeds to terrorize and murder them. IMDB

Review:
This was a very different movie, but not as good as other movies in the genre. This goes into the video nasty genre. It wants to be similar to movies like Last House on the Left and Last House on Dead End Street. It is very similar to these movies, but just not quite as good.
There are a few weird cuts in the movie, but nothing in it that doesn't make sense.
The movie drags, though. It is only 86 minutes, but it takes forever before he starts killing anyone. But it does really touch on the psychological aspects of a killer's mind. But if you're looking for a movie that is great for that, I recommend Peeping Tom.

Not sure what language the film was originally made in, but our copy was dubbed into English.

Not a bad movie, but very bloody and gory.

Thir13en Ghosts

2006-02-24T07:59:00.000+01:00

AKA:
13 Ghosts (USA) (alternative spelling)
13 fantômes (Canada: French title)
Thirteen Ghosts (USA) (alternative spelling)

Written by:
Robb White (story)
Neal Marshall Stevens (screenplay)

Directed by:
Steve Beck

Made in:
USA & Canada in 2001

Actors:
Tony Shalhoub .... Arthur Kriticos
Embeth Davidtz .... Kalina Oretzia
Matthew Lillard .... Dennis Rafkin
Shannon Elizabeth .... Kathy Kriticos
Alec Roberts .... Robert 'Bobby' Kriticos
JR Bourne .... Benjamin Moss
Rah Digga .... Maggie Bess
F. Murray Abraham .... Cyrus Kriticos
Matthew Harrison .... Damon

Plot:
When ghost hunter Cyrus Kriticos is killed during a hunt, he leaves his house and fortune to his nephew Arthur and his children. Upon entering the house, they activate a machine that one-by-one releases the houses inhabitants: 12 very angry, and very deadly, ghosts. IMDB

Review:
I really like this movie. It is fun and scary and I like the plot. I've not seen the original, so unfortunately I can't compare the two. For the most part, I don't like remakes, but I like this movie on its own without ever having seen the original. (Which I hope to get to see sometime.) It is a simple movie with some good effects. No over-acting, not even by Matthew Lillard (who I thought did a pretty good job in this movie). To be honest, the movie is nothing special, but for some reason I really like it. Did I say that I like it?? This isn't much of a review, I know, but there isn't much to say about a movie unless you really hate it or really love it.

For the movie, how most people would view it:

And since I like it because it deals with people who were once horrible, horrible murderers:

A Christmas Story

2006-02-20T17:29:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Jean Shepherd (novel)
Jean Shepherd (screenplay)

Directed by:
Bob Clark

Made in:
USA & Canada in 1983

Actors:
Melinda Dillon .... Mrs. Parker
Darren McGavin .... The Old Man (Mr. Parker)
Peter Billingsley .... Ralphie Parker
Ian Petrella .... Randy Parker
Scott Schwartz .... Flick
R.D. Robb .... Schwartz
Tedde Moore .... Miss Shields
Yano Anaya .... Grover Dill
Zack Ward .... Scut Farkus
Jeff Gillen .... Santa Claus
Colin Fox .... Ming the Merciless (scenes deleted)
Paul Hubbard .... Flash Gordon (scenes deleted)
Leslie Carlson .... Tree Man (as Les Carlson)
Jim Hunter .... Freight Man
Patty Johnson .... Head Elf

Plot:
Ralphie, a young boy growing up in the '40's, dreams of owning a Red Rider BB gun. He sets out to convince the world this is the perfect gift. But along the way, he runs into opposition from his parents, his teacher, and even good 'ol Santa Claus himself. IMDB

Review:
One of my absolute favorites!

This is a classic, and a must for every child to see. Great for adults and children. We always watched this at Christmas time in school. This is one of those movies that you have to watch every year, and Christmas just isn't the same without it.

Punch-Drunk Love

2006-02-20T14:06:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Just Desserts (USA) (working title)
Punchdrunk Knuckle Love (USA) (working title)
The X-4 Project (USA) (working title)
Untitled P.T. Anderson Project (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Paul Thomas Anderson

Directed by:
Paul Thomas Anderson

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Adam Sandler .... Barry Egan
Emily Watson .... Lena Leonard
Philip Seymour Hoffman .... Dean Trumbell
Luis Guzmán .... Lance
Jason Andrews .... Operator Carter (voice)
Don McManus .... Plastic (voice)
David Schrempf .... Customer #1
Seann Conway .... Customer #2
Rico Bueno .... Rico
Hazel Mailloux .... Rhonda
Karen Kilgariff .... Anna (voice)
Julie Hermelin .... Kathleen
Salvador Curiel .... Sal
Jorge Barahona .... Jorge
Ernesto Quintero .... Ernesto

Plot:
Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is a small business owner with seven sisters whose abuse has kept him alone and unable to fall in love. When a harmonium and a mysterious woman (Emily Watson) enter his life, his romantic journey begins. IMDB

Review:
I am so in-love with Emily Watson.. And she does a fantastic job in this movie! And so does Adam Sandler. He puts himself on the map with this movie. This movie proves that he can be a serious actor, and he does an incredible job at that.

This movie ... it really gets you tense! The director did a great job of making the audience feel the same emotional stress and tension the main character feels.

It is really a beautiful movie. I wasn't sure what I expected out of it, but I know it wasn't much, it definately exceeded any expectation that I had.

I definately recommend this ... even (especially if!!) you are not an Adam Sandler fan.

It is romantic, full of charm, hilarious, sad, full of emotion.
It is a very fulfilling movie.

Take the time to see it!

House 2

2006-02-20T14:03:00.000+01:00

Original title:
House II: The Second Story

Written by:
Ethan Wiley

Directed by:
Ethan Wiley

Made in:
USA in 1987

Actors:
Arye Gross .... Jesse
Jonathan Stark .... Charlie
Royal Dano .... Gramps
Bill Maher .... John
John Ratzenberger .... Bill
Lar Park-Lincoln .... Kate (as Lar Park Lincoln)
Amy Yasbeck .... Jana
Gregory Walcott .... Sheriff
Dwier Brown .... Clarence
Lenora May .... Judith
Devin DeVasquez .... Virgin (as Devin Devasquez)
Jayne Modean .... Rochelle
Ronn Carroll .... Deputy
Dean Cleverdon .... Slim
Doug MacHugh .... High Priest

Plot:
The new owner of a sinister house gets involved with reanimated corposes and demons searching for an ancient Aztec skull with magic powers. IMDB

Review:
Not the most perfect movie ever made, but full of laughs!
An okay, funny cast ... lots of comedy. And unlike the first movie, this one isn't scary.. at all. This one is only a comedy, and doesn't follow the first story at all. So, while this is a "sequal" .. it is only a sequal in name and not in plot.

An okay movie to watch if you have the opportunity, it does have its moments.

Ever After

2006-02-20T13:55:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Cinderella (USA) (working title)
Ever After: A Cinderella Story (USA) (working title)
Untitled Cinderella Project (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Charles Perrault (1729 story)
Susannah Grant (screenplay)

Directed by:
Andy Tennant

Made in:
USA in 1998

Actors:
Drew Barrymore .... Danielle De Barbarac
Anjelica Huston .... Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent
Dougray Scott .... Prince Henry
Patrick Godfrey .... Leonardo da Vinci
Megan Dodds .... Marguerite De Ghent
Melanie Lynskey .... Jacqueline De Ghent
Timothy West .... King Francis
Judy Parfitt .... Queen Marie
Jeroen Krabbé .... Auguste De Barbarac
Lee Ingleby .... Gustave
Kate Lansbury .... Paulette
Matyelok Gibbs .... Louise
Walter Sparrow .... Maurice
Jeanne Moreau .... Grande Dame
Anna Maguire .... Young Danielle

Plot:
With the sudden death of her loving father, Danielle is made a servant by her new stepmother. She also has two new stepsisters, one quite kind but the other one really horrid. Still, Danielle grows up to be a happy and strong-willed young lady, and one day her path crosses that of handsome Prince Henry, who has troubles of his own at home. Luckily the nice Leonardo da Vinci is on hand to help all round. IMDB

Review:
A very sweet story.

I really, really like this one.
A more.. realistic take on the Cinderella story. And beautifully done with the most perfect cast.

Very fun and silly, but also romantic and serious.
Not only a "chick" movie.. It is very simply done and not too heavy on the romance. A movie that has a lot of emotion and depth. Very, very well done.

I definately recommend this one!

Mean Girls

2006-02-19T08:42:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Untitled 'Queen Bees and Wannabes' Project (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Rosalind Wiseman (book)
Tina Fey (screenplay)

Directed by:
Mark Waters

Made in:
USA in 2004

Actors:
Lindsay Lohan .... Cady Heron
Rachel McAdams .... Regina George
Tina Fey .... Sharon Norbury, Math Teacher
Tim Meadows .... Principal Ronald Duvall
Amy Poehler .... Mrs. George
Ana Gasteyer .... Betsy Heron, Cady's Mom
Lacey Chabert .... Gretchen Wieners
Amanda Seyfried .... Karen Smith
Lizzy Caplan .... Janis Ian
Daniel Franzese .... Damian

Plot:
Raised in the African bush country by her zoologist parents, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) thinks she knows all about the "survival of the fittest". But the law of the jungle takes on a whole new meaning when the home-schooled 15-year old enters public high school for the first time. Trying to find her place between jocks, mathletes, and other subcultures, Cady crosses paths with the meanest species of all - the Queen Bee, aka the cool and calculating Regina George (Rachel McAdams), leader of the school's most fashionable clique, The Plastics. When Cady falls for Regina's ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels (Jonathan Bennett), though, the Queen Bee is stung - and she schemes to destroy Cady's social future. Cady's own claws soon come out as she leaps into a hilarious "Girl World" war that has the whole school running for cover. IMDB

Review:
Like most teen movies - this movie is awful..

It might not have been so bad if every bad Saturday Night Live actor that can't manage to do anything else wouldn't have been in the movie.

The plot, I can deal with the plot.. even though a teenager who has lived in Africa for the last 12 years (even though she has a perfect American dialect.....) wouldn't know what a "hallpass" is and that you have to ask permission to go to the bathroom.....
The acting, the acting wasn't THAT bad..
And unfortunately there was some funny stuff here and there.
But the movie dragged.. and dragged.. and draaaaagggggeeeddd..

And.. the writer, Tina Fey (one of the worst SNL failures), wrote herself into almost every scene of the movie. And of course she was the saving grace of the movie and because of her the main character became a good person again.. *VOMIT*

It was a typical movie, very much follows any bad teen-movie mold.
They showed it on TV here, otherwise I wouldn't have gone anywhere near this movie.

Being nice, it receives:

A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica

2006-02-12T16:37:00.000+01:00

Written by:
--

Directed by:
Adam Dubin

Made in:
USA in 1992

Actors:
Kirk Hammett .... Himself (Guitarist) (as Metallica)
James Hetfield .... Himself (Guitarist/Vocalist) (as Metallica)
Metallica .... Themselves
Jason Newsted .... Himself (Bassist) (as Metallica)
Bob Rock .... Himself
Lars Ulrich .... Himself (Drummer) (as Metallica)

Plot:
Metallica documentary.

Review:
If you're a Metallica fan, then you should take the time to watch this!

It is a lot of fun, and some really great music, too. :))

Eegah

2006-02-12T16:12:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Eegah! (USA) (poster title)
Eegah! The Name Written in Blood

Written by:
Arch Hall Sr. (story)
Bob Wehling (screenplay)

Directed by:
Made in:
USA in 1962

Actors:
Arch Hall Jr. .... Tom Nelson
Marilyn Manning .... Roxy Miller
Richard Kiel .... Eegah
Arch Hall Sr. .... Robert Miller (as William Watters)
Clay Stearns .... Band Member
Bob Davis .... Band Member
Deke Lussier .... Band Member
Ron Shane .... George
Addalyn Pollitt .... George's Wife
Bill Lloyd .... Kruger (as William Lloyd)
Ray Dennis Steckler .... Mr. Fishman (as Ray Steckler)
Bill Rice .... Chef

Plot:
While driving through the desert, a teenage girl is frightened by a seven-foot giant which appears in her path. After escaping, she returns to the site with her boyfriend and her father in an attempt to find the giant. They do, and it proceeds to terrorize them and the rest of Palm Springs, California. IMDB

Review:
The sad thing is that this is actually not that bad of a movie..!

We watched it with MST3000, and that was pretty good, like always.
But the movie really wasn't that bad. And when you watch MST, you expect a really, really bad movie. :))

The acting was decent, and the plot was okay. There was no over acting and the script wasn't horrible.

Not saying the movie was "good." But it wasn't horrible. :)

Make sure you see it (with MST) if you have the chance.

The Puma Man

2006-02-12T15:58:00.000+01:00

Original title:
L'Uomo puma

AKA:
The Puma Man
The Pumaman (USA)

Written by:
Luigi Angelo
Alberto De Martino

Directed by:
Alberto De Martino

Made in:
Italy in 1980

Actors:
Walter George Alton .... Prof. Tony Farms/Puma Man
Donald Pleasence .... Kobras (as Donald Pleasance)
Miguel Ángel Fuentes .... Vadinho (as Miguelangel Fuentes)
Sydne Rome .... Jane Dobson
Silvano Tranquilli
Benito Stefanelli
Guido Lollobrigida
Peter Cellier .... Martin
Geoffrey Copleston .... Board Member (as Jeffrey Coppleston)

Plot:
Professor Tony Farms discovers that he is really Puma Man, a superhero who is descended from the gods. Together with an Aztec priest, they try to thwart the plans of Kobras, who is in possession of the sacred puma mask, and plans to hypnotize government leaders with it and take over the world. Puma Man spends most of the movie flying awkwardly and jumping around, leaving the Aztec priest to perform all the physically demanding tasks. IMDB

Review:
Donald Pleasence?!?!!?

This movie....
I'm not sure where to start. :/
We were lucky to watch it with MST3000, but it was still so difficult to watch. It was very, very painful.. :/
It was very diffcult for them to come up with some good things to say, but they did do a good job of making fun of the movie.

The movie is absoutely awful. :/ The effects were just.. scary.. :/
And the plot.. Oh my God...

It was funny because it was so bad, but definately not worth watching. If you have it, watch it, but otherwise, avoid it.. :/

A Hurly because it is MST.

Space Mutiny

2006-02-11T17:45:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Maria Dante

Directed by:
David Winters
Neal Sundstrom (co-director)

Made in:
South Africa & USA in 1988

Actors:
Reb Brown .... Dave Ryder
John Phillip Law .... Flight Cmdr. Elijah Kalgan
James Ryan .... MacPhearson
Cameron Mitchell .... Cmdr. Alex Jansen
Cisse Cameron .... Dr. Lea Jansen
Graham Clark .... Capt. Scott Devers
Billy Second .... Lt. Lemont
Rufus Swart .... Steve Godell
Arthur Hall .... Mortuary keeper
Norman Anstey .... Joseph Enforcer
Rick Skidmore .... Chief Engineer
Guy Pringle .... Kalgan's bodyguard
Claudia Jacobs .... Female lieutenant
Evan J. Klisser .... Mohawk
Chip Mitchell .... Blake

Plot:
A starship that looks a lot like, but has nothing to do with, the Battlestar Galactica, finds itself embroiled in crisis when the Enforcers (the ship's security crew) attempt to take over the vessel. This they do by Saran-wrapping their enemies and chasing each other around on floor polishers. Fortunately, the crew are aided by a coven of priestesses endowed with mental powers, who distract the Enforcers by dancing suggestively. IMDB

Review:
This movie is rated R in the USA?!?! Why???!!!

An absolutely awful movie. :/ I can't believe it is from 1988. :/ The acting is SO hilarious, though!! :D

We watched this with MST3000, and I wouldn't watch it otherwise...

So, if you can watch it with MST, make sure you do! It is hilarious, especially during the part where they keep laughing.

The plot is so silly and so badly done.
It is really, really an absolutely horrible movie!

But it is going to receive a Hurly, because it was priceless with MST!

Man on the Moon

2006-02-09T23:57:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Andy Kaufman (USA) (working title)
Mondmann, Der (Germany)

Written by:
Scott Alexander
Larry Karaszewski

Directed by:
Milos Forman

Made in:
UK, Germany, Japan, & USA in 1999

Actors:
Jim Carrey .... Andy Kaufman/Tony Clifton (also as Tony Clifton)
Gerry Becker .... Stanley Kaufman
Greyson Erik Pendry .... Little Michael Kaufman (as Greyson Pendry)
Brittany Colonna .... Baby Carol Kaufman
Leslie Lyles .... Janice Kaufman
Bobby Boriello .... Little Andy Kaufman
George Shapiro .... Mr. Besserman
Danny DeVito .... George Shapiro
Budd Friedman .... Himself
Tom Dreesen .... Wiseass Comic
Thomas Armbruster .... Improv Piano Player
Pamela Abdy .... Diane Barnett
Wendy Polland .... Little Wendy
Gerry Robert Byrne .... 'Taxi' AD/Stage Manager
Cash Oshman .... Yogi

Plot:
Man on the Moon is a biographical movie on the late comedian Andy Kaufman. Kaufman, along with his role on "Taxi," was famous for being the self-declared Intergender Wrestling Champion of the world. After beating women time and time again, Jerry Lawler (who plays himself in the movie), a professional wrestler, got tired of seeing all of this and decided to challenge Kaufman to a match. In most of the matches the two had, Lawler prevailed with the piledriver, which is a move by spiking a guy head-first into the mat. In one of the most famous moments in this feud was in the early 80s when Kaufman threw coffee on Lawler on "The Late Show with David Letterman," got into fisticuffs with Lawler, and proceeded to sue NBC. IMDB

Review:
This is really a special movie.

I was an Andy Kaufman fan way before this movie, and it was a great tribute to him.
Jim Carrey did such a good job of portraying his character.

The movie is hilarious and it really catches the essance of Andy Kaufman.
A very simple but very fulfilling movie.

I definately recommend it!

Mystic River

2006-02-09T23:46:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Dennis Lehane (novel)
Brian Helgeland (screenplay)

Directed by:
Clint Eastwood

Made in:
USA in 2003

Actors:
Sean Penn .... Jimmy Markum
Tim Robbins .... Dave Boyle
Kevin Bacon .... Sean Devine
Laurence Fishburne .... Sgt. Whitey Powers
Marcia Gay Harden .... Celeste Boyle
Laura Linney .... Annabeth Markum
Kevin Chapman .... Val Savage
Tom Guiry .... Brendan Harris (as Thomas Guiry)
Emmy Rossum .... Katie Markum
Spencer Treat Clark .... Silent Ray Harris
Andrew Mackin .... John O'Shea
Adam Nelson .... Nick Savage
Robert Wahlberg .... Kevin Savage
Jenny O'Hara .... Esther Harris
John Doman .... Driver

Plot:
Childhood friends Jimmy Markum (Penn), Sean Devine (Bacon) and Dave Boyle (Robbins) reunite following the death of Jimmy's oldest daughter, Katie (Rossum). Sean's a police detective on the case, gathering difficult and disturbing evidence; he's also tasked with handling Jimmy's rage and need for retribution. IMDB

Review:
Directed by Clint Eastwood?? I'm impressed!

Fredrik wanted to buy this, so we went ahead and got it ... and when we watched it, I didn't have much background on the movie, so I didn't have any expectations. Which is sometimes the best way to go into the movie. With low or no expectations.

And I must say, that this is an excellent movie.
I was pleasantly surprised.
The acting and plot are superb. You couldn't pick a better cast of characters to work together to make this movie as great as it is.

Very sad and emotional.
A must-see.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

2006-02-09T23:32:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Ray Bradbury

Directed by:
Jack Clayton

Made in:
USA in 1983

Actors:
Jason Robards .... Charles Halloway
Jonathan Pryce .... Mr. Dark
Diane Ladd .... Mrs. Nightshade
Royal Dano .... Tom Fury
Vidal Peterson .... Will Halloway
Shawn Carson .... Jim Nightshade
Mary Grace Canfield .... Miss Foley
Richard Davalos .... Mr. Crosetti
Jake Dengel .... Mr. Tetley
Jack Dodson .... Dr. Douglas
Bruce M. Fischer .... Mr. Cooger
Ellen Geer .... Mrs. Halloway
Pam Grier .... Dust Witch
Brendan Klinger .... Cooger as a Child
James Stacy .... Ed, The Bartender

Plot:
Can two young boys overcome the worst the devil himself can deal out? Wishes are granted, but twisted as only the esteemed Mr. Dark can make them. Based on the Ray Bradbury novel. IMDB

Review:
I absolutely love this movie! One of my most favorites.
A good movie for a child, and even an adult.
Very entertaining, scary and fun.

I've not read the book, but I'm sure it is very good. I've bought it, but haven't gotten to reading it.

Really reminds me of Needful Things.

Very creepy and a must see!!

Hostel

2006-02-08T23:30:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Eli Roth

Directed by:
Eli Roth

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Jay Hernandez .... Paxton
Derek Richardson .... Josh
Eythor Gudjonsson .... Oli
Barbara Nedeljakova .... Natalya
Jan Vlasák .... The Dutch Businessman
Jana Kaderabkova .... Svetlana
Jennifer Lim .... Kana
Lubomir Bukovy .... Alex
Jana Havlickova .... Vala
Rick Hoffman .... The American Client
Petr Janis .... The German Surgeon
Takashi Miike .... Miike Takashi
Patrik Zigo .... Bubble Gum Gang Leader
Milda Jedi Havlas .... Desk Clerk Jedi
Martin Kubacák .... The Scarred Cab Driver

Plot:
3 backpackers are in Amsterdam where they get locked out of their youth hostel. they are invited into a mans house where he tells them of a hostel somewhere in eastern Europe where the women are all incredibly hot and have a taste for American men. when they get there everything is so to good to be true the hostel is "to die for" IMDB

Review:
What a horrible, awful movie. Personally, I think it was a piece of junk.

I have a big opinion about this movie, only because it... it could have been an awesome movie, but it.. it is worth absolutely nothing. The 20 minutes taht the movie actually has a plot isn't enough to carry the rest of the movie.

The beginning starts out like any other bad teen movie. Typical American males in movies giving bad influence to real American males.
And one thing that really bothered me.. the first thing I said to myself, "There is no way their cell phones would work in Eastern Europe......." Something that obvious needs some kind of an explanation...

Most of the movie is about the annoying males trying to get laid ... and that consumes every part of the movie. I can accept this part of the plot, but the attitude of the males was what distrubed me the most. Like these 30+ year old actors trying to be guys in their early 20's would be looking at bare chested women and acting as if they've never seen boobs before... much less be fluent in German.

After about 5 minutes into the movie, I knew it was going to be a typical let's-try-to-show-as-many-naked-females-as-possible movie.

Only about two-thirds of the way into the movie do they get into the main plot. And I'm sorry to say that the gory, nasty parts of the movie were really, really good. Which makes me mad, because the rest of the movie should have been just as good.

I do not recommend this movie. Only if you wanna see something cheesy like American Pie. I really hope that some European director remakes the movie and makes it the way it should have been.
Like some Swedish men in their 50's going to Thailand and get sucked into the same dilemma ... that would be much, much more believable.

I almost tried to pull a SouthPark when the boys tried to get their money back from Mel Gibson after seeing The Passion of the Christ.

For the movie:

For the 20 minutes that could have become an awesome movie:

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

2006-02-08T23:17:00.000+01:00

AKA:
The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (USA) (working title)
Untitled Scott Derrickson Project (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Paul Harris Boardman
Scott Derrickson

Directed by:
Scott Derrickson

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Laura Linney .... Erin Bruner
Tom Wilkinson .... Father Moore
Campbell Scott .... Ethan Thomas
Jennifer Carpenter .... Emily Rose
Colm Feore .... Karl Gunderson
Joshua Close .... Jason
Kenneth Welsh .... Dr. Mueller (as Ken Welsh)
Duncan Fraser .... Dr. Cartwright
JR Bourne .... Ray

Plot:
A young girl (Jennifer Carpenter) dies under the care of her parish priest (Tom Wilkinson). While attending college, Emily believed she became possessed. After medical care ceases to work, she turned to her faith. In the care of her priest she dies and he goes on trial for her death. He is represented by a career-minded and driven lawyer (Laura Linney) who does not believe in God. Thus is the story of Emily Rose, told by those in the trial and the priest who watched her through her possession. IMDB

Review:
Fantastic movie!

I really wasn't expecting much, as I didn't know too much background behind this movie, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised and fell in love with the movie.

I think it was perfectly presented, with a wonderful cast.
It was both scary and intense.

I definately recommend it!

Dirty Dancing

2006-02-08T23:11:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Eleanor Bergstein

Directed by:
Emile Ardolino

Made in:
USA in 1987

Actors:
Jennifer Grey .... Frances 'Baby' Houseman
Patrick Swayze .... Johnny Castle
Jerry Orbach .... Dr. Jake Houseman
Cynthia Rhodes .... Penny Johnson
Jack Weston .... Max Kellerman
Jane Brucker .... Lisa Houseman
Kelly Bishop .... Marjorie Houseman
Lonny Price .... Neil Kellerman
Max Cantor .... Robbie Gould

Plot:
Baby is becoming a young woman in the summer where she meets Johnny Castle who teaches dance at a family Summer Camp and in his off hours Dirty Dances with the other dancers. She learns a routine so that one of the women can recover from an abortion and becomes Johnny's lover. As the summer winds down, Each must come to grips with responsibility and love and others' expectations. IMDB

Review:
A classic!!

Everyone needs to see this movie. If anything, just for the music.
Lots of over acting, but very, very charming and fun! Never get tired of it.

Nightmare On Elm Street 2

2006-02-08T23:02:00.000+01:00

Original title:
A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge

AKA:
A Nightmare On Elm Street: Part 2 (USA) (closing credits title)

Written by:
David Chaskin (written by) and
Wes Craven (characters)

Directed by:
Jack Sholder

Made in:
USA in 1985

Actors:
Mark Patton .... Jesse Walsh
Kim Myers .... Lisa Webber
Robert Rusler .... Ron Grady
Clu Gulager .... Ken Walsh
Hope Lange .... Cheryl Walsh
Marshall Bell .... Coach Schneider
Melinda O. Fee .... Mrs. Webber
Tom McFadden .... Mr. Webber (as Thom McFadden)
Sydney Walsh .... Kerry
Robert Englund .... Freddy Krueger
Edward Blackoff .... Biology Teacher
Christie Clark .... Angela Walsh
Lyman Ward .... Mr. Grady
Donna Bruce .... Mrs. Grady

Plot:
A new family moves into the house on Elm Street, and before long, the kids are again having nightmares about deceased child murderer Freddy Krueger. This time, Freddy attempts to possess a teenage boy to cause havoc in the real world, and can only be overcome if the boy's sweetheart can master her fear. IMDB

Review:
I think most people don't like this sequal to Nightmare on Elm Street. I think most people just skip this one and go right on to the 3rd movie. I really don't have a problem with it, though. Maybe just because I am just such a fan, that I really like this one, too. It is very much like the first movie, maybe that is why so many don't like it??

But I do, and that is all that matters.. ;)

Bad acting, bad plot, but that is the charm! :) I think it could have been much, much worse.. :/ :))

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

2006-02-08T22:58:00.000+01:00

Written by:
C.S. Lewis (novel)
Ann Peacock (screenplay)

Directed by:
Andrew Adamson

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Georgie Henley .... Lucy Pevensie
Skandar Keynes .... Edmund Pevensie
William Moseley .... Peter Pevensie
Anna Popplewell .... Susan Pevensie
Tilda Swinton .... White Witch
James McAvoy .... Mr. Tumnus, the Faun
Jim Broadbent .... Professor Kirke
Kiran Shah .... Ginarrbrik
James Cosmo .... Father Christmas
Judy McIntosh .... Mrs. Pevensie
Elizabeth Hawthorne .... Mrs. MacReady
Patrick Kake .... Oreius
Shane Rangi .... General Otmin

Plot:
Based on the classic novel by CS Lewis. Four London children are sent to a professors country home in order for protection during World War II. There they find a magic wardrobe which leads to a mystical land called Narnia, which is being ruled by an evil witch. To defeat the Witch, they must join forces with Aslan, the lion God of Narnia, and the great battle between good and evil. IMDB

Review:
A fantastic, beautiful movie.
Definately needs to be viewed by children as well as adults.

Kept my attention throughout the entire movie.
The acting, the effects.. I think everything was pretty perfect!

Cabin Fever

2006-02-07T15:38:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Eli Roth
Randy Pearlstein

Directed by:
Eli Roth

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Rider Strong .... Paul
Jordan Ladd .... Karen
James DeBello .... Bert
Cerina Vincent .... Marcy
Joey Kern .... Jeff
Robert Harris .... Old Man Cadwell
Arie Verveen .... Henry (The Hermit)
Hal Courtney .... Tommy
Matthew Helms .... Dennis
Richard Boone .... Fenster
Tim Parati .... Andy

Plot:
An offbeat horror tale about a group of five college friends on vacation at a remote mountain cabin when one contracts a flesh-eating virus. As it spreads among the friends, their true feelings and personalities emerge as they struggle to survive the virus and each other. IMDB

Review:
A surprisngly good film! I wasn't expecting too much out of this even though everyone always says it is really good.

The plot was good and the acting was pretty good, too. The characters were believable, much more believable than anything in Hostel, and a very fun movie. More believable than most movies like it.

Very bloody, which is why it gets the Hurly.

A very good movie, definately worh the time to see. And lots of funny stuff, too!
This movie takes you back to the good-old days of movies like The Evil Dead.

The Skeleton Key

2006-02-07T15:10:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Ehren Kruger

Directed by:
Iain Softley

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Kate Hudson .... Caroline Ellis
Gena Rowlands .... Violet Devereaux
John Hurt .... Ben Devereaux
Peter Sarsgaard .... Luke
Joy Bryant .... Jill
Maxine Barnett .... Mama Cynthia
Fahnlohnee R. Harris .... Hallie (as Fahnlohnee Harris)
Marion Zinser .... Bayou Woman
Deneen Tyler .... Desk Nurse
Ann Dalrymple .... C.N.A.
Trula M. Marcus .... Nurse Trula (as Trula Marcus)
Tonya Staten .... Nurse Audrey
Thomas Uskali .... Robertson Thorpe (as Tom Uskali)
Jen Apgar .... Madeleine Thorpe
Forrest Landis .... Martin Thorpe

Plot:
A young woman helping care for an invalid in New Orleans finds herself caught in the middle of morbid going-ons centered around a group of Hoodoo (Not Voodoo, it's different. Hoodoo is an old African American magic that only works if you believe in it.) practitioners. IMDB

Review:
Not a bad movie. It wasn't exactly "scary" but it had a lot of mystery. It was pretty easy to follow, too.

It wasn't spectacular but worth viewing if you have the opportunity.

Harry Potter 4

2006-02-07T14:52:00.000+01:00

Original title:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Written by:
Steven Kloves (screenplay)
J.K. Rowling (novel)

Directed by:
Mike Newell

Made in:
UK & USA in 2005

Actors:
Eric Sykes .... Frank Bryce
Timothy Spall .... Wormtail
David Tennant .... Barty Crouch Junior
Daniel Radcliffe .... Harry Potter
Emma Watson .... Hermione Granger
Rupert Grint .... Ron Weasley
Mark Williams .... Arthur Weasley
James Phelps .... Fred Weasley
Oliver Phelps .... George Weasley
Bonnie Wright .... Ginny Weasley
Jeff Rawle .... Amos Diggory
Robert Pattinson .... Cedric Diggory
Jason Isaacs .... Lucius Malfoy
Tom Felton .... Draco Malfoy
Stanislav Ianevski .... Viktor Krum

Plot:
Harry's fourth summer and the following year at Hogwarts are marked by the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, in which student representatives from three different wizarding schools compete in a series of increasingly challenging contests. However, Voldemort's Death Eaters are gaining strength and even creating the Dark Mark giving evidence that the Dark Lord is ready to rise again. In the unsuspecting lives of the young wizard and witches at Hogwarts the competitors are selected by the goblet of fire, which this year makes a very surprising announcement: Hogwarts will have two representatives in the tournament, including Harry Potter! Will Harry be able to rise to the challenge for the Tri Wizard Tournament while keeping up with school or will the challenges along with Voldemort's rebirth be too much for the young hero? IMDB

Review:
I have a lot of strong opinions about this movie.

All in all, I thought the movie itself was good.
But when you put it alongside the book, it was terrible. :/

The acting is perfect, the effects are great, but there is just so much missing in the movie.

The movie is 2½ hours long, but I would have rather watched a 6 hour completed version than what they made of the book. The movie is very chopped up and really jumps around too much with little explanation. I feel sorry for those that paid to see it and hadn't read the book yet, because it doesn't do it justice. The movie works as a good aside to the book, but only as a visual for certain specific spots.

There isn't too much in the movie that isn't in the book. Only a few things here and there, but only one major change to the plot.

I'm hoping that the director's version will have a lot more to it. And I am anxious to see the next movies.. I don't think they will be as choppy as this one, because the plots aren't so complex and drawn out.

For the movie itself:

For what it could and should have been:

Stand and Deliver

2006-02-07T14:38:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Ramón Menéndez
Tom Musca

Directed by:
Ramón Menéndez

Made in:
USA in 1988

Actors:
Edward James Olmos .... Jaime A. Escalante
Estelle Harris .... Estelle (Principal Molina's secretary)
Mark Phelan .... Cop
Virginia Paris .... Raquel Ortega
Mark Eliot .... Tito
Adelaida Álvarez .... Sexy girl
Will Gotay .... Pancho
Patrick Baca .... Javier Perales
Ingrid Oliu .... Guadalupe 'Lupe' Escobar
Carmen Argenziano .... Mr. Molina (principal, Garfield High)
Richard Martinez .... Heavy metal boy
Mark Everett .... Heavy metal boy
Tyde Kierney .... Joe Goodell
Rosanna DeSoto .... Fabiola Escalante (as Rosana De Soto)
Bodie Olmos .... Fernando Escalante

Plot:
Jaime Escalante is a mathematics teacher in a school in a hispanic neighbourhood. Convinced that his students have potential, he adopts unconventional teaching methods to try and turn gang members and no-hopers into some of the country's top algebra and calculus students. IMDB

Review:
One of my favorites. This is a common Sunday afternoon movie in the States. Or it was when I was growing up.

Definately a good movie. The acting is well done and believable.
It is a fun story, very entertaining, and very uplifting.

A good movie for teenagers.

The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre

2006-02-07T00:14:00.000+01:00

AKA:
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (USA) (reissue title)

Written by:
Kim Henkel
Tobe Hooper

Directed by:
Kim Henkel

Made in:
USA in 1994

Actors:
Renée Zellweger .... Jenny (as Renee Zellweger)
Matthew McConaughey .... Vilmer
Robert Jacks .... Leatherface
Tonie Perensky .... Darla (as Tonie Perenski)
Joe Stevens .... W.E
Lisa Marie Newmyer .... Heather (as Lisa Newmyer)
John Harrison .... Sean
Tyler Cone .... Barry
James Gale .... Rothman
Chris Kilgore .... Rothman's Chauffeur
Vince Brock .... I'm Not Hurt
Susan Loughran .... Jenny's Mother
David Laurence .... Jenny's Stepfather
Grayson Victor Schirmacher .... Grandfather
Jeanette Wiggins .... Woman Eating Chocolates

Plot:
A group of prom-going teens take a fatal detour into the Texas woods and get into an accidental car crash. Stranded with no place to go, they seek help in Darla, a seemingly innocent insurance agent whose office is located near by. After Darla calls for help, they set out back to the scene of the crash, and are found and terrorized by Leatherface, his crazy brother, Vilmer, and are taken to an old farmhouse where they meet the rest of the cannibalistic clan. IMDB

Review:
A few well known faces in this film.

Not for everyone, not even TCM fans. :/ :)

It follows the story of TCM with the "crazy, psycho family," but it is definately not like any of the 3 previous movies.

I wouldn't recommend it to most viewers, unless you know what you're getting yourself into. It is pretty easy to make fun of the movie, but not really high on the scare and gore levels.

Banned in: Sweden and Iceland. (Although I can't figure out why.)

Campfire Tales

2006-02-07T00:05:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Martin Kunert
Eric Manes

Directed by:
Matt Cooper
Martin Kunert

Made in:
USA in 1997

Actors:
Jay R. Ferguson .... Cliff (segment "The Campfire")
Christine Taylor .... Lauren (segment "The Campfire")
Christopher Masterson .... Eric (segment "The Campfire") (as Christopher Kennedy Masterson)
Kim Murphy .... Alex (segment "The Campfire")
Ron Livingston .... Rick (segment "The Honeymoon")/RV Driver (segment "The Campfire")
Jennifer MacDonald .... Valerie (segment "The Honeymoon")/RV Passenger (segment "The Campfire")
Hawthorne James .... Cole (segment "The Honeymoon")
Alex McKenna .... Amanda (segment "People Can Lick Too")
Devon Odessa .... Katherine (segment "People Can Lick Too")
Jonathan Fuller .... 'Jessica'/Internet Man (segment "People Can Lick Too")
Glenn Quinn .... Scott Anderson (segment "The Locket")/Paramedic #1 (segment "The Campfire")
Jacinda Barrett .... Heather Wallace (segment "The Locket")
James Marsden .... Eddie (segment "The Hook")
Amy Smart .... Jenny (segment "The Hook")
Rick Lawrence .... Rockin' Rob (segment "The Hook")

Plot:
A group of teens, stranded in the woods after a car accident, entertain themselves by telling classic horror stories. What follows is a series of eerie tales that include monsters, psychopaths, and ghosts, and that remind you that things aren't always what they seem. IMDB

Review:
A pretty good film. I wasn't expecting much, but it ended up being pretty good! Lots of recognizable faces. There are about 3-4 short urban ledgend tales and the yare very well presented. Scary enough and very entertaining.

Dark Harvest

2006-02-06T23:49:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Paul Moore
Paul N. Moore

Directed by:
Paul Moore

Made in:
USA in 2004

Actors:
Don Digiulio .... Sean
Jeanie Cheek .... Darcy
Jennifer Leigh .... Angela
B.W. York .... Bryan
Amiee Cox .... Jessica
Jessica Dunphy .... Alex
Paul Bugelski .... Elijah
J.P. Linkous .... Sheriff
Ralph Baber .... Store Owner
Booty Chewning .... Maggie
Mike Murdock .... Justin
Jen Diciccio .... Felicia
Jeff Wilson .... Deputy
Paul Moore .... Hargrove
Jason Eldridge .... Scarecrow #1

Plot:
--

Review:
What a bad, horrible movie!!

Not sure what I was thinking when I rented this one. Annoyingly and sadly it is from 2004!! (We were figuring from the early 80's.) And what is even worse.. is that there is a sequal (Dark Harvest 2).

It is horrible. The plot. The "actors." The scrpit. Not sure what they were thinking with this one.

Please avoid it!
Possibly one of the worst movies ever made.

Dark Water

2006-01-31T21:03:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Kôji Suzuki (novel)
Hideo Nakata (film Honogurai mizu no soko kara)

Directed by:
Walter Salles

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Jennifer Connelly .... Dahlia
John C. Reilly .... Mr. Murray
Tim Roth .... Jeff Platzer
Dougray Scott .... Kyle
Pete Postlethwaite .... Veeck
Camryn Manheim .... Teacher
Ariel Gade .... Ceci
Perla Haney-Jardine .... Natasha/Young Dahlia
Debra Monk .... Young Dahlia's Teacher

Plot:
Dahlia Williams is starting a new life; newly separated with a new job and a new apartment, she's determined to put her relationship with her estranged husband behind her and devote herself to raising her daughter, Ceci. But when the strained separation disintegrates into a bitter custody battle, her situation takes a turn for the worse. Her new apartment--dilapidated, cramped, and worn--seems to take on a life of its own. Mysterious noises, persistent leaks of dark water, and strange happenings cause her imagination to run wild, sending her on a puzzling and mystifying pursuit to find out who is behind the endless mind games. As Dahlia frantically searches for the links between the riddles, the dark water seems to close around her. But one thing trumps all others in Dahlia's world: no matter what it is that's out there, she'll stop at nothing to find it. IMDB

Review:
This movie was very hyped and it made me want to see it. I thought it would be a pretty decent scary movie, like The Ring, The Grudge, etc.., but it was actually pretty bland. It was completely missing a plot. The acting was great but it was only just a little scary - but not really what I was expecting. It was an okay movie, not something I would go out of my way to see, and not something that I'd really want to see again.

I haven't seen the Japanese original, Honogurai mizu no soko kara (AKA Dark Water), but I hope that it is much better than this.

Asylum of the Damned

2006-01-31T20:43:00.000+01:00

Original title:
Hellborn

AKA:
Asylum of the Damned (USA)

Written by:
Matt McCombs

Directed by:
Philip J. Jones

Made in:
USA in 2003

Actors:
Bruce Payne .... Dr. McCort
Matt Stasi .... James Bishop
Tracy Scoggins .... Helen
Julia Lee .... Lauren
Tommy 'Tiny' Lister .... Smithy (as Tom 'Tiny' Lister)
Gregory Wagrowski .... Hadley
Bill McKinney .... Gas Station Attendant

Plot:
James Bishop is a young psychology resident, excited about his new job at St. Andrews Mental Hospital and the chance to help severely ill patients. The excitement changes to puzzlement, concern and finally terror as some of those patients mysteriously die and James' efforts to find the cause results in increasingly strange behavior from the St. Andrews staff. Things begin to clarify when James finally encounters the Harvester... IMDB

Review:
Not that good of a movie. :/ :D
The actors can't act but the plot really isn't that bad. They take the movie very seriously and they are definately trying to make this be a good movie.

Some flaws include the Satan-monster-demon costume thing.. That was a little funny.. :/ :)

It wasn't horrible, I've definately seen worse, but it would have been better if it was an 80's movie.

It works for me, but most will hate it.

Night of the Living Dead

2006-01-09T16:41:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Laugh Track: Night of the Living Dead (USA) (video title (redubbed comic version))
Monster Flick (USA) (working title)
Night of Anubis
Night of the Flesh Eaters
Night of the Living Dead: 30th Anniversary Edition (USA) (recut version

Written by:
Dean Lachiusa
George A. Romero

Directed by:
John A. Russo
George A. Romero

Made in:
USA in 1968

Actors:
Duane Jones .... Ben
Judith O'Dea .... Barbara
Karl Hardman .... Harry Cooper
Marilyn Eastman .... Helen Cooper/Bug-eating zombie
Keith Wayne .... Tom
Judith Ridley .... Judy
Kyra Schon .... Karen Cooper/Upstairs body
Charles Craig .... Newscaster/Zombie
S. William Hinzman .... Cemetery Zombie (original and new scenes) (as Bill Heinzman)
George Kosana .... Sheriff McClelland
Frank Doak .... Scientist
Bill 'Chilly Billy' Cardille .... Field reporter
A.C. McDonald .... Zombie/Posse Member
Samuel R. Solito .... Zombie/Posse Member
Mark Ricci .... Washington scientist

Plot:
Chaos descends upon the world as the brains of the recently deceased become inexplicably reanimated, causing the dead to rise and feed on human flesh. Speculation rests on a radiation-covered NASA satellite returning from Venus, but it only remains a speculation. Anyone who dies during the crisis of causes unrelated to brain trauma will return as a flesh-eating zombie, including anyone who has been bitten by a zombie. The only way to destroy the zombies is to destroy the brain. As the catastrophe unfolds, a young woman visiting her father's grave takes refuge in a nearby farmhouse, where she is met by a man who protects her and barricades them inside. They both later discover people hiding in the basement, and they each attempt to cope with the situation. Their only hope rests on getting some gasoline from a nearby pump into a truck that is running on empty, but this requires braving the hordes of ravenous walking corpses outside. When they finally put their plans into action, panic and personal tensions only add to the terror as they try to survive. IMDB

Review:
This is another one of those movies that I grew up watching.
I love this movie and I think everyone should see it!
It is a classic, and not only for the genre. Very well made and very exciting. Very scary and I never get tired of the ending.

I remember staying up when I was really young and watching this on "Big Chuck and Little John!" A perfect movie to watch if you are staying up late.

House

2006-01-08T18:30:00.000+01:00

AKA:
House: Ding Dong, You're Dead (USA) (video title)

Written by:
Fred Dekker (story)
Ethan Wiley (screenplay)

Directed by:
Steve Miner

Made in:
USA in 1986

Actors:
William Katt .... Roger Cobb
George Wendt .... Harold Gorton
Richard Moll .... Big Ben
Kay Lenz .... Sandy
Mary Stavin .... Tanya
Michael Ensign .... Chet Parker
Erik Silver .... Jimmy
Mark Silver .... Jimmy
Susan French .... Aunt Elizabeth
Alan Autry .... Cop #3
Steven Williams .... Cop #4
James Calvert .... Grocery Boy (as Jim Calvert)
Mindy Sterling .... Woman in Bookstore
Jayson Kane .... Cheesy Stud
Billy Beck .... Priest

Plot:
Roger Cobb is a Vietnam vet. Whose career as a horror novelist has taken a turn for the worse when his son Jimmy mysteriously disappears while visiting his aunt's house. Roger's search for Jimmy destroys his marriage and his writing career. The sudden death of his aunt brings Roger back to the house where his nightmares began. The evil zombies in the house force Roger to endure a harrowing journey into his past, at the end of which he find his son. Desperate to escape from the tortures of the house, Roger must battle the evil forces which have haunted him for a lifetime in order to save himself and his son from certain death. IMDB

Review:
A very decent movie. This is one of these that I grew up watching, so I have a close attachment to it.

Most will probably find it cheesy, but I think it has a good essence of horror and suspense. Also funny in many parts.
Not a perfect movie, but I like it!

Saw

2006-01-08T17:32:00.000+01:00

Written by:
James Wan
Leigh Whannell

Directed by:
James Wan

Made in:
USA in 2004

Actors:
Leigh Whannell .... Adam
Cary Elwes .... Dr. Lawrence Gordon
Danny Glover .... Detective David Tapp
Ken Leung .... Detective Steven Sing
Dina Meyer .... Kerry
Mike Butters .... Paul
Paul Gutrecht .... Mark
Michael Emerson .... Zep Hindle
Benito Martinez .... Brett
Shawnee Smith .... Amanda
Makenzie Vega .... Diana Gordon
Monica Potter .... Alison Gordon
Ned Bellamy .... Jeff
Alexandra Bokyun Chun .... Carla (as Alexandra Chun)
Avner Garbi .... Father

Plot:
Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) wake up chained to pipes at opposite ends of a dirty utility room. They soon learn that they have become the victims of the Jigsaw, a serial killer who devises intricate situations to get his victims to kill each other. Pitted against the clock and each other, the two must work to outwit their captor and save Gordon's family, who have been taken hostage by the killer. IMDB

Review:
A very good movie. I definately recommend it. Not a very scary movie, but tons of suspense. Very well thought out and lots of fun!

The Thing

2006-01-08T16:53:00.000+01:00

Written by:
John W. Campbell Jr. (story)
Bill Lancaster (screenplay)

Directed by:
John Carpenter

Made in:
USA in 1982

Actors:
Kurt Russell .... R.J. MacReady
Wilford Brimley .... Dr. Blair (as A. Wilford Brimley)
T.K. Carter .... Nauls
David Clennon .... Palmer
Keith David .... Childs
Richard A. Dysart .... Dr. Copper (as Richard Dysart)
Charles Hallahan .... Vance Norris
Peter Maloney .... George Bennings
Richard Masur .... Clark
Donald Moffat .... Garry
Joel Polis .... Fuchs
Thomas G. Waites .... Windows (as Thomas Waites)
Norbert Weisser .... Norwegian
Larry J. Franco .... Norwegian passenger with rifle (as Larry Franco)
Nate Irwin .... Helicopter pilot

Plot:
An American scientific expedition to the frozen wastes of the Antarctic is interrupted by a group of seemingly mad Norwegians pursuing and shooting a dog. The helicopter pursuing the dog crashes leaving no explanation for the chase. During the night, the dog mutates and attacks other dogs in the cage and members of the team that investigate. The team soon realises that an alien life-form with the ability to take over other bodies is on the loose and they don't know who may already have been taken over. IMDB

Review:
One of our favorite movies.
Besides there being some humor in it (always calling the Norwegians Swedish) it is filled with suspense. A great cast and story. Very simple but very effective.

I wish they could all be this good!

Slumber Party Massacre IV

2006-01-08T15:51:00.000+01:00

Original title:
Cheerleader Massacre

Written by:
Lenny Juliano

Directed by:
Jim Wynorski

Made in:
USA in 2003

Actors:
Tamie Sheffield .... Ms. Hendricks
Charity Rahmer .... Parker Jameson
Erin Byron .... Angela Caruso
Lenny Juliano .... Buzzy (as Leonard Johnson)
Bill Langlois Monroe .... Sherrif Murdock (as E. Eddie Edwards)
Samantha Phillips .... Officer Phillips
GiGi Erneta .... Deputy Adams
April Flowers .... Tammy Rae (as Elizabeth Short)
Nikki Fritz .... Debbie
Tylo Tyler .... Ryan
Brad Beck .... Mark
Summer Williams .... Shelley
Brinke Stevens .... Linda
Melissa Brasselle .... Det. DeMarco
Julie Corgill .... Dina

Plot:
Five high school cheerleaders, their coach and a couple of adolescent sex-crazed guys travel to a cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway only to be killed off one by one by an unseen maniac. IMDB

Review:
This doesn't really fall under the "Slumber Party Massacre" theme. And it really doesn't have much to do with cheerleaders, besides the horrible jumping around that they did in the gym in the beginning of the movie.

20-30 year olds playing high schoolers.
And the script...!! A 5 year old could write better dialogue about a turtle than this junk. :/

The suspense is.. well... there really isn't any suspense.
The movie is a sorry excuse to show fake boobed females naked.
Cheesy actors, who really shouldn't be able to call themselves actors.. :/ :)

But the acting is so bad, and the dialogue so forced and fake, that I love it. :D
I love watching this movie. It is SO easy to make fun of.
Especially since it looks like it was filmed with a personal, hand-held video camera. Looks like it should be from the 80's.. but from 2003.... :/ :D And I think that they only took one shot of each scene.. that is what it looks like at least. ;)
Fredrik cries when I put this in, but it is fun to watch.

Not really for everyone, it is a very badly made film.

Harry Potter 2

2006-01-08T01:48:00.000+01:00

Original title:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

AKA:
Incident on 57th Street (UK) (fake working title)

Written by:
J.K. Rowling (novel)
Steven Kloves (screenplay)

Directed by:
Chris Columbus

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Daniel Radcliffe .... Harry Potter
Rupert Grint .... Ron Weasley
Emma Watson .... Hermione Granger
Richard Griffiths .... Uncle Vernon
Fiona Shaw .... Aunt Petunia
Harry Melling .... Dudley Dursley
Toby Jones .... Dobby the House Elf (voice)
Jim Norton .... Mr. Mason
Veronica Clifford .... Mrs. Mason
James Phelps .... Fred Weasley
Oliver Phelps .... George Weasley
Julie Walters .... Molly Weasley
Bonnie Wright .... Ginny Weasley
Mark Williams .... Arthur Weasley
Chris Rankin .... Percy Weasley

Plot:
Harry Potter is in his second year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is visited by a house-elf named Dobby and warned not to go back to Hogwarts. Harry ignores his warning, and returns. He is still famous, although still disliked by Snape, Malfoy, and the rest of the Slytherins. But then, strange things start to happen. People are becoming petrified, and no-one knows what is doing it. Harry keeps hearing a voice.. a voice which seems to be coming from within the walls. They are told the story of the Chamber of Secrets. It is said that only Salazar Slytherin's true descendent will be able to open it. Harry, it turns out, is a Parsel-tongue. This means that he is able to speak/understand snakes. Everyone thinks that it's him that has opened the Chamber of Secrets because that is what Slytherin was famous for. IMDB

Review:
A fantastic movie!
A great adaptation from the book.

I do recommend reading the books before seeing the movies, though.
The movie is fun and very adventureous. Very well done!

Scary Movie 3

2006-01-08T01:43:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Scary Movie 3: Episode I - Lord of the Brooms (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Shawn Wayans
Marlon Wayans

Directed by:
David Zucker

Made in:
USA in 2003

Actors:
Pamela Anderson .... Becca
Jenny McCarthy .... Kate
Marny Eng .... Tabitha
Charlie Sheen .... Tom
Simon Rex .... George
Jianna Ballard .... Sue
Jeremy Piven .... Ross Giggins
Anna Faris .... Cindy Campbell
Timothy Stack .... Carson Ward (as Tim Stack)
Elaine Klimaszewski .... Elaine
Diane Klimaszewski .... Diane
Camryn Manheim .... Trooper Champlin
Drew Mikuska .... Cody
Regina Hall .... Brenda Meeks
Darrell Hammond .... Father Muldoon

Plot:
Roving reporter Cindy Campbell sets out to find a hard news story in the middle of television sweeps. She soon uncovers an outrageous onslaught of globe-threatening developments including alien invaders, killer videotapes, freaky crop circles, prophecies of The One, eerie-eyed children, ambitious white rappers and even a run-in with Michael Jackson. Faced with conspiracies of massive proportions, and a crew of very strange people following her around, Cindy must fight to stop evil from taking over the world yet again. IMDB

Review:
Not a bad movie.
It starts out well, and then around the funeral scene, it just.. dies. But then after that it picks up again, and it ends up being pretty funny. I wouldn't go out of my way to see it, but it is pretty good. A lot of good laughs.

Slumber Party Massacre III

2006-01-07T19:29:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Slumber Party Massacre 3 (USA) (trailer title)
Stab in the Dark (USA)

Written by:
Catherine Cyran

Directed by:
Sally Mattison

Made in:
USA in 1990

Actors:
Yan Birch .... Weirdo
Brandi Burkett .... Diane
Hope Marie Carlton .... Janine
Keely Christian .... Jackie Cassidy
Maria Claire .... Susie
Alexander Falk .... Davis
Maria Ford .... Maria
Brittain Frye .... Ken
Wayne Grace .... O'Reilly
David Greenlee .... Duncan
Garon Grigsby .... Michael
Michael Harris .... Morgan (as M.K. Harris)
Devon Jenkin .... Sarah
Marta Kober .... Pizza Girl
David Kriegel .... Tom

Plot:
After a hard day of volleyball at the beach, a teen whose parents are away decides to have a slumber party with her girlfriends. Their boyfriends predictably show up to scare them, but a stranger from the beach is also seen lurking around the house. Soon the group begins experiencing an attrition problem. IMDB

Review:
Ehhhh... No!!
This isn't one of those movies that are so bad that they are good (or charming). This is just bad. Like all the other movies in the collection. This is much worse than the two before it.

Horrible actors and acting.
The movie that never ends.

King Kong

2006-01-07T16:20:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Fran Walsh
Philippa Boyens

Directed by:
Peter Jackson

Made in:
New Zealand & USA in 2005

Actors:
Naomi Watts .... Ann Darrow
Jack Black .... Carl Denham
Adrien Brody .... Jack Driscoll
Thomas Kretschmann .... Captain Englehorn
Colin Hanks .... Preston
Andy Serkis .... Kong/Lumpy
Evan Parke .... Hayes
Jamie Bell .... Jimmy
Lobo Chan .... Choy
John Sumner .... Herb
Craig Hall .... Mike
Kyle Chandler .... Bruce Baxter
Mark Hadlow .... Harry
Geraldine Brophy .... Maude
David Denis .... Taps

Plot:
Set in the 1930s, this is the story of a young and beautiful actress Ann Darrow from the world of vaudeville who finds herself lost in depression-era New York and her luck changes when she meets an over-ambitious filmmaker Carl Denham who brings her on an exploratory expedition to a remote island where she finds compassion and the true meaning of humanity with an ape Kong. The beauty and the beast finally meet their fate back in the city of New York where the filmmaker takes and displays the ape in quest of his fame by commercial exploitation which ultimately leads to catastrophe for everyone including a playwright Jack Driscoll who falls in love with Ann and plays an unlikely hero by trying to save her from Kong and her destiny. IMDB

Review:
I don't like King Kong movies ... and I wasn't really interested in seeing this one as well. But I was more curious than anything.

So I went into the movie with no expectations.

And I really, really liked it!
They told the story well, so that it wasn't boring or annoying.
A lot of the movie was extremely drawn out, the movie is shy 3 hours long, and it probably could have been about 2 hours.
But the time went by quickly and it wasn't difficult to sit the 3 hours to watch it.

The actors did a great job (especially Jack Black), and most of the effects look pretty good.

I do think it is worth taking the time to see, even if you aren't too interested in the movie!
I wasn't expecting the deep emotional pull into the movie that it affected me with. I was surprised to see how they could show the emotional connection btwn Kong and Ana.

It was a pretty good movie.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3

2006-01-07T15:58:00.000+01:00

Original title:
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

AKA:
Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (USA) (video box title)
TCM 3 (USA) (short title)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (USA)

Written by:
Kim Henkel
Tobe Hooper

Directed by:
Jeff Burr

Made in:
USA in 1990

Actors:
Jennifer Banko .... Little girl
Ron Brooks .... T.V. Newsman
William Butler .... Ryan
Miriam Byrd-Nethery .... Mama
David Cloud .... Scott
Beth DePatie .... Gina
Tom Everett .... Alfredo
Ken Foree .... Benny
Kate Hodge .... Michelle
Toni Hudson .... Sara
R.A. Mihailoff .... Leatherface
Viggo Mortensen .... Tex
Joe Unger .... Tinker
Duane Whitaker .... Kim
Michael Shamus Wiles .... Checkpoint Officer

Plot:
A couple encounters a perverted gas station attendant who threatens them with a shotgun. They take a deserted path in Texas to seek help, but only meet up with a cannibalistic clan interested in helping themselves to fresh meat. IMDB

Review:
I love these movies!
This is what a movie is supposed to be like. :)

I love the acting, I love the plot.
It is serious, but doesn't take itself too serious (which is important to me with a genre like this).

Very fun and nasty.
The movie keeps with the same TCM theme, but introduces new people into the story.

Most people probably won't like this, but this is my type of movie.

Banned in: Iceland, Finland, and UK.

House 3

2006-01-07T15:37:00.000+01:00

Original title:
The Horror Show

AKA:
Horror House
House 3 (Australia) (video title)
House III (USA) (working title)
House III: The Horror Show (UK) (video title)

Written by:
Alan Smithee
Leslie Bohem

Directed by:
James Isaac

Made in:
USA in 1989

Actors:
Lance Henriksen .... Detective Lucas McCarthy
Brion James .... Max Jenke
Rita Taggart .... Donna McCarthy
Dedee Pfeiffer .... Bonnie McCarthy
Aron Eisenberg .... Scott McCarthy
Thom Bray .... Peter Campbell
Matt Clark .... Dr. Tower
David Oliver .... Vinnie
Terry Alexander .... Casey
Lewis Arquette .... Lt. Miller
Lawrence Tierney .... Warden
Alvy Moore .... Chili Salesman
Zane W. Levitt .... Executioner

Plot:
Detective Lucas McCarthy finally apprehends "Meat Cleaver Max" and watches the electric chair execution from the audience. But killing Max Jenke only elevated him to another level of reality. Now Lucas' family is under attack, his sanity in question, and his house haunted. Aided by a disreputable college professor, can Lucas reclaim his mind, house, and family? Features Lance Henriksen as the Lucas McCarthy and Brion James as Max Jenke. One of the few movies featuring these actors as main characters. IMDB

Review:
Many recognizable faces in this movie.
A lot of over acting and a very, very bad plot.

I know cellars/basements are scary and so are fernaces, but this movie, is horrible.

Some parts are "decent," (decent as expected) but then it just.. becomes over produced and over acted.

Not something I would recommend. :/ The worst of the "House" movies.
And for some reason, it really follows Nightmare on Elm Street with a lot of aspects.
Lots of flashbacks and horrible dialogue.

Try to avoid this. :/ But it is easy to make fun of.

Oh yeah - and the "kid" that plays the younger brother, was born in 1969..... the movie was made in 1989... so he is 20 years old!!!!!! :/

Sliding Doors

2006-01-06T00:45:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Peter Howitt

Directed by:
Peter Howitt

Made in:
UK & USA in 1998

Actors:
Gwyneth Paltrow .... Helen Quilley
John Hannah .... James Hammerton
John Lynch .... Gerry
Jeanne Tripplehorn .... Lydia
Zara Turner .... Anna
Douglas McFerran .... Russell
Paul Brightwell .... Clive

Plot:
Arriving at work one morning, Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) discovers that she had been unjustifiably sacked from her PR job. She is returning home when an amazing thing happens, time reverses itself for a few seconds and a second version of herself is created. In one reality Helen catches the tube train, meets James (John Hannah) and arrives home to find her loathsome lothario lover Gerry (John Lynch) cheating on her with his ex-girlfriend Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn). In the other reality, Helen misses the tube train, gets mugged, goes to hospital and eventually arrives home to find Gerry alone in the shower. The two realities move forward in tandem; in one Helen leaves Gerry and forms a happy, new, loving relationship with James; in the other Helen's live becomes more and more wretched as she takes on two jobs to support her worthless, cheating boyfriend as he supposedly writes his novel but in fact carries on a torrid affair with Lydia. IMDB

Review:
I really love this movie!

I am not into romantic movies, I just don't like them. Even though this is a romantic movie, it still isn't "romantic." It isn't too over-the-top and annoying. It is a sweet, beautiful movie, with a wonderful plot and perfect cast.

I defiantely recommend it and wouldn't change anything about it.
It really makes you think about the chance or fate thing!

Dr. Z

2006-01-05T23:52:00.000+01:00

Original title:
Zaat

AKA:
Attack of the Swamp Creatures (USA) (bootleg title)
Blood Waters of Dr. Z (USA) (intended reissue title)
Dr. Z (USA)
Hydra (Canada: English title) (video title (bootleg title))
Legend of the Zaat Monster (USA)

Written by:
Ron Kivett
Lee O. Larew

Directed by:
Don Barton

Made in:
USA in 1975

Actors:
Marshall Grauer .... Dr. Kurt Leopold
Wade Popwell .... The Monster
Paul Galloway .... Sheriff Krantz
Gerald Cruse .... Marine Biologist Rex
Sanna Ringhaver .... INPIT Agent Martha Walsh
Dave Dickerson .... INPIT Agent Walker Stevens
Archie Valliere .... Deputy Sheriff
Nancy Lien .... Girl camper

Plot:
A shuffling, evil marine biologist/janitor who speaks only in voice-overs develops a process to turn people into super-powerful amphibious sea creatures. Once he transforms himself, however, he seems to lose focus, as he starts Windexing a nearby pond. Only later does he vaguely start chasing after nubile women so that he can transform them as well, mate, and produce a race of super beings which will RULE THE WORLD!! IMDB

Review:
WoW!! Possibly one of the worst movies ever made.

We watched this with MST and it was completely impossible to watch. It was actually painful. :/

MST even had a very difficult time even coming up with funny things to say about the film. :/

The plot was horrific, the acting was even worse ... It was easy to laugh at a lot of things, but more than anything - it was painful.

If you do watch it, please: only with MST!

The Breakfast Club

2006-01-05T23:40:00.000+01:00

Written by:
John Hughes

Directed by:
John Hughes

Made in:
USA in 1985

Actors:
Emilio Estevez .... Andrew 'Andy' Clark
Anthony Michael Hall .... Brian Ralph Johnson
Judd Nelson .... John Bender
Molly Ringwald .... Claire Standish
Paul Gleason .... Principal Richard Vernon
Ally Sheedy .... Allison Reynolds
John Kapelos .... Carl the Janitor

Plot:
When five high school students, Andrew, John, Allison, Brian, and Claire, meet in detention one day. The principal wants them to write an essay, and they think they are in for a boring 8 hours of doing nothing. At first, they argue and hate each other, but after smoking some marijuana, they pour their hearts out to each other, and tell about their fears, secrets, and their deepest emotions, and problems. IMDB

Review:
This is another one of those coming-of-age movies that every teen needs to see.
A fun and serious movie, that teaches you a lot about being a teen.

Definately a classic.

House on Haunted Hill (remake)

2006-01-05T21:50:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Robb White (story)
Dick Beebe (screenplay)

Directed by:
William Malone

Made in:
USA in 1999

Actors:
Geoffrey Rush .... Stephen H. Price
Famke Janssen .... Evelyn Stockard-Price
Taye Diggs .... Eddie Baker
Peter Gallagher .... Donald W. Blackburn, M.D.
Chris Kattan .... Watson Pritchett
Ali Larter .... Sara Wolfe
Bridgette Wilson .... Melissa Margaret Marr
Max Perlich .... Carl Schecter

Plot:
When an eccentric millionaire offer a group of opposites $1,000,000 to spend the night in a so called "Haunted House" with a murderous past, they figure it is a quick way to get quick money and leave. All of them are sure it is some made up story just to mess with their heads a little and test their courage. But, once they stay in the house they start to think about the mistake they made in coming there when mysterious things start to happen. IMDB

Review:
This isn't too bad of a movie. Not the original, but it is charming in its own little way. I like it up until the end - when the house comes to life or whatnot. It is good until that point. Has good scare appeal, but just not the original.

Groundhog Day

2006-01-05T21:36:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Danny Rubin

Directed by:
Harold Ramis

Made in:
USA in 1993

Actors:
Bill Murray .... Phil Connors
Andie MacDowell .... Rita
Chris Elliott .... Larry

Plot:
A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again. First he uses this to his advantage, then comes the realisation that he is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in the same place, seeing the same people do the same thing EVERY day. IMDB

Review:
A fun-loving movie that is extremely entertaining.
Very funny, very witty, definately worth watching.

The Devil's Rejects

2006-01-05T21:29:00.000+01:00

AKA:
House of 1000 Corpses 2 (USA) (working title)
The Devil's Rejects: House of 1000 Corpses 2 (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Rob Zombie

Directed by:
Rob Zombie

Made in:
USA & Germany in 2005

Actors:
Sid Haig .... Captain Spaulding
Bill Moseley .... Otis
Sheri Moon .... Baby (as Sheri Moon Zombie)
William Forsythe .... Sheriff Wydell
Ken Foree .... Charlie Altamont
Matthew McGrory .... Tiny
Leslie Easterbrook .... Mother Firefly
Geoffrey Lewis .... Roy Sullivan
Priscilla Barnes .... Gloria Sullivan
Dave Sheridan .... Officer Ray Dobson
Kate Norby .... Wendy Banjo
Lew Temple .... Adam Banjo
Danny Trejo .... Rondo
Dallas Page .... Billy Ray Snapper (as Diamond Dallas Page)
Brian Posehn .... Jimmy

Plot:
Sequel to 'House of 1000 Corpses' is set some months later with the Texas State Police making a full-scale attack against the murderous Firefly family residence for the 1,000+ murders and disappearances of the past several years. But three of the family members escape, including Otis, Baby Firefly and Baby's father Captain Spaulding. The evil trio go on a road trip, leaving dozens of mangled bodies in their wake. Evading a massive Texas Rangers dragnet as well as a group of equally murderous bounty hunters led by Ken Dwyer (the brother of a policeman Mamma Firefly killed in 'House of...') who's obsessed with finding the deadly killers, the surviving Firefly clan gather at a run-down amusement park owned by Captain Spaulding's half-brother, Charlie Altamont, whom offers them shelter and a new base of operations for their killing spree as Sheriff Dwyer, the Texas Rangers, the FBI and others slowly close in. IMDB

Review:
Very comedic, entertaining, fantastic movie - just like House of 1000 Corpses.

The sequal to House of 1000 Corpses, it definately lives up to the original, and even surpasses.

A pleasant homage to Last House on the Left, as well.

The movie is soothing in so many ways. I love the music. And it is so emotional.
How often do you get to see the point-of-view of a loving, murderous, pyscho family? And see how much they love each other, and that they, too, can be normal and silly.

The ending is priceless, one of the best ever!!

House of 1000 Corpses

2006-01-05T21:08:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Rob Zombie

Directed by:
Rob Zombie

Made in:
USA in 2003

Actors:
Sid Haig .... Captain Spaulding
Bill Moseley .... Otis Driftwood
Sheri Moon .... Baby Firefly
Karen Black .... Mother Firefly
Chris Hardwick .... Jerry Goldsmith
Erin Daniels .... Denise Willis
Jennifer Jostyn .... Mary Knowles
Rainn Wilson .... Bill Hudley
Walton Goggins .... Deputy Steve Naish
Tom Towles .... Lieutenant George Wydell
Matthew McGrory .... Tiny Firefly
Robert Allen Mukes .... Rufus 'R.J.' Firefly Jr. (as Robert Mukes)
Dennis Fimple .... Grandpa Hugo Firefly
Harrison Young .... Don Willis
William Bassett .... Sheriff Drake Huston (as William H. Bassett)

Plot:
Jerry, Bill, Mary, and Denise are two couples out on the road in hopes of writing a book on offbeat roadside attractions. When the four meet Captain Spaulding, they learn of the legend of Dr. Satan. When the four take off in search of finding the tree that Dr. Satan was hung from, they pick up hitchhiker Baby. When their car breaks down, Baby invites them into her house. This is where the two couples meet the Firefly family, a murderous clan of bizarre people. As the family attacks the unsuspecting couples, Jerry and his friends try to survive the house of 1000 corpses and it's dark secrets. IMDB

Review:
This is a fantastic movie!!
I love the characters and the plot.
If you love Texas Chainsaw Massacre, then you will love this movie. Everything concerning this movie is owing tribute to TCM.
One of the main characters is even in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre II movie!

Extremely entertaining and very bloody and gory.

Göta kanal

2006-01-01T15:35:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Göta kanal eller Vem drog ur proppen?
Who Pulled the Plug?

Written by:
Hans Iveberg

Directed by:
Hans Iveberg

Made in:
Sweden in 1981

Actors:
Kim Anderzon .... Lena
Janne 'Loffe' Carlsson .... Janne (as Janne Carlsson)
Stig Ossian Ericson .... Sigurd
Yvonne Lombard .... Rut
Nils Eklund .... Rune
Stig Engström .... Björn H:son Larsson
Magnus Härenstam .... Peter Black
Rolv Wesenlund .... Ole
Per Oscarsson .... Ulf Svensson
Georg Rydeberg .... Gustav
Peter Harryson .... Policeman
Svante Grundberg .... Canoer
Lars Amble .... Leif Andersson
Marie Göranzon .... Astrid Ohlsson
Frank Andersson .... Man in Boat

Plot:
To get an order for 1000 yachts to a middle-east sheik, two boat companies have to race 'Göta Kanal', a canal from the Swedish east coast to Gothenburg. The winner gets the order and there are no rules in this game. IMDB

Review:
We've been trying to see this movie for some time now, but they finally showed it on TV right before Christmas.

It is a hilarious movie, too! Definately worth the time to see.
It is difficult to rate it, though, because it is funny - and I really doubt it could be any better than what it is, but how to compare it to other movies like it is challenging.
It is a good comedy, and that is saying a lot since it is Swedish. :)

Definately worth watching! The beginning is a little boring, but once they get on the water, it is a blast. :)

Not sure about the translated title (Who Pulled the Plug) .. makes no sense whatsoever. :/ :) The "Göta Kanal" is a canal in Sweden that runs from Norrköping to Göteborg (Gothenburg).

This is a Swedish classic.

Language is in Swedish, probably available with subtitles somewhere.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

2006-01-01T15:21:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Roald Dahl (book)

Directed by:
Mel Stuart

Made in:
USA in 1971

Actors:
Gene Wilder .... Willy Wonka
Jack Albertson .... Grandpa Joe
Peter Ostrum .... Charlie Bucket
Roy Kinnear .... Mr. Henry Salt
Julie Dawn Cole .... Veruca Salt
Leonard Stone .... Mr. Sam Beauregarde
Denise Nickerson .... Violet Beauregarde
Nora Denney .... Mrs. Teevee (as Dodo Denney)
Paris Themmen .... Mike Teevee
Ursula Reit .... Mrs. Gloop
Michael Bollner .... Augustus Gloop
Diana Sowle .... Mrs. Bucket
Aubrey Woods .... Bill, candy store owner
David Battley .... Mr. Turkentine
Günter Meisner .... Mr. Slugworth

Plot:
The world is astounded when Willy Wonka, for years a recluse in his factory, announces that five lucky people will be given a tour of the factory, shown all the secrets of his amazing candy, and one will win a lifetime supply of Wonka chocolate. Nobody wants the prize more than young Charlie, but as his family is so poor that buying even one bar of chocolate is a treat, buying enough bars to find one of the five golden tickets is unlikely in the extreme. But in movieland, magic can happen. Charlie, along with four somewhat odious other children, get the chance of a lifetime and a tour of the factory. Along the way, mild disasters befall each of the odious children, but can Charlie beat the odds and grab the brass ring? IMDB

Review:
One of my most favorite movies of all time!
Enjoyable for children as well as for adults.
I think this is a classic that every child needs to grow up watching.

The songs are so fantastic. It is so much fun to sing along with the film.
Fun-loving, a great plot, perfect cast.. no one is better than Gene Wilder for Willy Wonka.

Hannibal

2006-01-01T15:00:00.000+01:00

AKA:
The Silence of the Lambs 2 (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Thomas Harris (novel)
David Mamet (screenplay)

Directed by:
Ridley Scott

Made in:
UK & USA in 2001

Actors:
Anthony Hopkins .... Dr. Hannibal Lecter
Julianne Moore .... Clarice Starling
Giancarlo Giannini .... Inspector Rinaldo Pazzi
Gary Oldman .... Mason Verger
Ray Liotta .... Paul Krendler
Frankie Faison .... Barney Matthews (as Frankie R. Faison)
Francesca Neri .... Allegra Pazzi
Zeljko Ivanek .... Dr. Cordell Doemling
Hazelle Goodman .... Evelda Drumgo
David Andrews .... Clint Pearsall
Francis Guinan .... FBI Director Noonan
James Opher .... DEA Agent Eldridge
Enrico Lo Verso .... Gnocco
Ivano Marescotti .... Carlo Deogracias
Fabrizio Gifuni .... Matteo Deogracias

Plot:
Part three in the Hannibal Lecter Trilogy. Having escaped the asylum in "Silence of the Lambs," Dr Lecter goes into hiding in Florence, Italy. Back in America, Mason Verger, an old victim of the doctor's, seeks revenge. Disfigured and confined to a life-support system, he plans to draw Lecter out of his hiding place, using the one thing he truly cares for: Clarice Starling. IMDB

Review:
This is an okay movie. I don't think it is anything spectacular. :/
There are a few things with this movie that I don't really like. Especially parts concerning Lecter's obsessive lusting over Clarice. But luckily they cut out the worst of those parts, which are available on the DVD.

I don't think I'll be going out of my way to be seeing this movie again. Compared to the other Lecter movies, this one is a dud.

The Goonies

2006-01-01T14:31:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Steven Spielberg (story)
Chris Columbus (screenplay)

Directed by:
Richard Donner

Made in:
USA in 1985

Actors:
Sean Astin .... Mikey Walsh
Josh Brolin .... Brand Walsh
Jeff Cohen .... Lawrence 'Chunk' Cohen
Corey Feldman .... Clark 'Mouth' Devereaux
Kerri Green .... Andy Carmichael
Martha Plimpton .... Stef Steinbrenner
Jonathan Ke Quan .... Richard 'Data' Wang (as Ke Huy Quan)
John Matuszak .... Lotney 'Sloth' Fratelli
Robert Davi .... Jake Fratelli
Joe Pantoliano .... Francis Fratelli
Anne Ramsey .... Mama Fratelli
Lupe Ontiveros .... Rosalita
Mary Ellen Trainor .... Harriet Walsh
Keith Walker .... Irving Walsh
Curtis Hanson .... Elgin Perkins

Plot:
A group of west coast kids facing their last days together before a development paves over their homes stumble onto evidence of pirate's treasure, which attracts the attention of a family of criminals. IMDB

Review:
A classic!
This is a movie that every child needs to see. (And the original version, not the Disney horribly-cut version.)
This is a coming-of-age movie that every child needs to see. And I still love it to this day!

Fun-loving, adventureous, romantic, silly.. everything a movie needs to be.

The Descent

2005-12-31T23:35:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Crawlspace (UK) (working title)

Written by:
Neil Marshall

Directed by:
Neil Marshall

Made in:
UK in 2005

Actors:
Shauna Macdonald .... Sarah
Natalie Jackson Mendoza .... Juno (as Natalie Mendoza)
Alex Reid .... Beth
Saskia Mulder .... Rebecca
MyAnna Buring .... Sam
Nora-Jane Noone .... Holly
Oliver Milburn .... Paul
Molly Kayll .... Jessica

Plot:
After a tragic accident, six friends reunite for a caving expedition. Their adventure soon goes horribly wrong when a collapse traps them deep underground and they find themselves pursued by bloodthirsty creatures. As their friendships deteriorate, they find themselves in a desperate struggle to survive the creatures and each other. IMDB

Review:
I don't think that I could say enough good things about this film.
It is extremely refreshing! And I'm anxious to watch it for a second time.

It is sorta difficult to watch, with all the tight spaces.
Very thrilling, exciting, and scary. Very refreshing plot. The ending leaves for plenty of interpretations.

Definately take the time to see it!!!

Fahrenheit 9/11

2005-12-31T23:19:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Michael Moore

Directed by:
Michael Moore

Made in:
USA in 2004

Actors:
--

Plot:
In this film, muckraker Michael Moore turns his eye on George W. Bush and his War on Terrorism agenda. He illustrates his argument about how this failed businessman with deep connections to the royal house of Saud of Saudia Arabia and the Bin Ladins got elected on fraudulent circumstances and proceeded to blunder through his duties while ignoring warnings of the looming betrayal by his foreign partners. When that treachery hits with the 9/11 attacks, Moore explains how Bush failed to take immediate action to defend his nation, only to later cynically manipulate it to serve his wealthy backers' corrupt ambitions. Through facts, footage and interviews, Moore illustrates his contention of how Bush and his cronies have gotten America into worse trouble than ever before and why Americans should not stand for it. IMDB

Review:
I love Michael Moore's work.
Not because he is a democrat (because he isn't - he is an independent).

This is a fantastic documentary.
Those who are supporters of Bush will probably not watch or like this film. But I strongly recommend it for everyone. Even if you don't like Michael Moore, watch it for those who have gone to Iraq.

I cry from start to finish of this film.
I wish everyone could see it.
We have a wonderful DVD copy, and I recommend buying it.
Not only do I recommend this, but I recommend all of Michael Moore's work.

Banned in Kuwait.

Equilibrium

2005-12-31T22:58:00.000+01:00

AKA:
Cubic (Europe: English title) (video title)
Librium (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Kurt Wimmer

Directed by:
Kurt Wimmer

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Dominic Purcell .... Seamus
Christian Bale .... John Preston
Sean Bean .... Errol Partridge
Christian Kahrmann .... Officer in Charge
John Keogh .... Chemist
Sean Pertwee .... Father
William Fichtner .... Jürgen
Angus Macfadyen .... Dupont
David Barrash .... Evidentiary Storage Officer
Dirk Martens .... Gate Guard
Taye Diggs .... Brandt
Matthew Harbour .... Robbie Preston
Maria Pia Calzone .... Preston's Wife
Emily Siewert .... Lisa Preston
Emily Watson .... Mary O'Brien

Plot:
In a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric John Preston (Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. Whe he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it. IMDB

Review:
Possibly one of the best movies ever made. No kidding!

Christian Bale at his best and sexiest. ;) hehehe

The puppy/dog scene is one of the best ever!!

A movie that makes you think. A movie that will make you cry and cheer. Beautifully acted and directed. A must-see!! I could watch this movie every day and not blink.

Especially with two of the most beautiful actors ever (Christian Bale and Emily Watson), how can you not see this film??

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

2005-12-27T19:26:00.000+01:00

Original title:
Raiders of the Lost Ark

AKA:
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (USA) (video title)

Written by:
George Lucas
Philip Kaufman

Directed by:
Steven Spielberg

Made in:
USA in 1981

Actors:
Harrison Ford .... Indiana Jones
Karen Allen .... Marion Ravenwood
Paul Freeman .... Dr. Rene Belloq
Ronald Lacey .... Major Toht
John Rhys-Davies .... Sallah
Denholm Elliott .... Dr. Marcus Brody
Alfred Molina .... Satipo
Wolf Kahler .... Colonel Dietrich
Anthony Higgins .... Gobler

Plot:
Renowned archeologist and expert in the occult, Dr. Indiana Jones, is hired by the U.S. Government to find the Ark of the Covenant, which is believed to still hold the ten commandments. Unfortunately, agents of Hitler are also after the Ark. Indy, and his ex-flame Marion, escape from various close scrapes in a quest that takes them from Nepal to Cairo. IMDB

Review:
A classic.
Probably not many who haven't seen any of these three movies.

But still a must-see!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

2005-12-27T19:02:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Douglas Adams (book)
Douglas Adams (screenplay)

Directed by:
Garth Jennings

Made in:
USA & UK in 2005

Actors:
Bill Bailey .... The Whale (voice)
Anna Chancellor .... Questular Rontok
Warwick Davis .... Marvin
Mos Def .... Ford Prefect
Zooey Deschanel .... Trillian
Su Elliot .... Pub Customer (as Su Eliott)
Martin Freeman .... Arthur Dent
Stephen Fry .... Narrator/The Guide (voice)
Richard Griffiths .... Jeltz (voice)
Dominique Jackson .... Fook
Simon Jones .... Ghostly Image
Thomas Lennon .... Eddie the Computer (voice)
Mark Longhurst .... Bulldozer Driver
Kelly Macdonald .... Reporter
John Malkovich .... Humma Kavula

Plot:
Everyone has bad mornings. You wake up late, you stub your toe, you burn the toast...but for a man named Arthur Dent, this goes far beyond a bad day. When he learns that a friend of his is actually an alien with advanced knowledge of Earth's impending destruction, he is transported off the Earth seconds before it is exploded to make way for a new hyperspace motorway. And as if that's not enough, throw in being wanted by the police, Earth II, an insane electronic encyclopedia, no tea whatsoever, a chronically depressed robot and the search for the meaning of life, and you've got the greatest adventure off Earth. IMDB

Review:
Fun, silly, and one of my favorites!
Starts out exactly like the book, and then the plot takes a different turn.
You'll laugh the whole way through the movie!
I love the point-of-view gun. :) And the depressed robot is super cute.

Romper Stomper

2005-12-27T18:25:00.000+01:00

Written by:
Geoffrey Wright

Directed by:
Geoffrey Wright

Made in:
Australia in 1992

Actors:
Russell Crowe .... Hando
Daniel Pollock .... Davey
Jacqueline McKenzie .... Gabe
Alex Scott .... Martin
Leigh Russell .... Sonny Jim
Daniel Wyllie .... Cackles
James McKenna .... Bubs
Eric Mueck .... Champ
Frank Magree .... Brett
Christopher McLean .... Luke
Josephine Keen .... Megan
Samantha Bladon .... Tracy
Tony Lee .... Tiger
John Brumpton .... Magoo
Don Bridges .... Harold

Plot:
Nazi skinheads in Melbourne take out their anger on local Vietnamese, who are seen as threatening racial purity. Finally the Vietnamese have had enough and confront the skinheads in an all-out confrontation, sending the skinheads running. A woman who is prone to epileptic seizures joins the skins' merry band, and helps them on their run from justice, but is her affliction also a sign of impurity? IMDB

Review:
An amazing movie.
We picked this up a long time ago, Fredrik said it was very good, and it is an incredible movie!

I am not a Russell Crowe fan, but I could tolerate him for this movie.
Definately a movie worth seeing. Very much like American History X.
Very entertaining.

After being romantically involved with Romper Stomper co-star 'Jaquline McKenzie', Daniel Pollock (a heroin addict) threw himself under a train after filming was finished.

Once banned in Finland and South Korea.