Whoa, This Is Heavy!

Cool Fan Art Site: Minion Factory

2013-02-15T01:17:00.000+08:00

Alright then, let me see if I can remember how this works...

Wow..... two months in the blogosphere wilderness. It feels like being in limbo from movie Inception [2010]. Not only have I been absent from blogosphere, but I've also been neglecting watching movies and even more so TV shows - one of my prime passions in life. So as a way of reigniting the fire, I'll be posting about one the most stellar ways of expressing passion..... FAN ART.

Here we have the site, Minion Factory which is run Phil Postma, and I have to say his work is one the best I've seen. Possibly even THE best. Here is just an example of what's in store when you visit the site. Running with the theme of fandom, I've included his work that combined more than one piece of geekdom... enjoy!!

Getting Excited For 2013

2012-12-19T05:34:00.000+08:00

So if the Mayans are to be believed, the world will come to and end this Friday. First thing when I wake on Saturday morning is to tweet "I'm still alive you Mayan suckers!!". Personally I'll be pissed if they got their prediction right as I didn't get to see Django Unchained [2012] (I'm already annoyed it's release date over here is the end of January. Early word around the Internet is it is awesome... this is Tarantino we're talking about if you need reminding). Plus that hoverboard from Back To The Future 2 [1989] which I've been saving my money on since a young age still hasn't been invented. Actually recent events in my life have made me realize the list doesn't stop there. There's still a galaxy of things to do. Here's looking forward to 2013.....

# Personal Life

Wow, its the 19th already and I've only had one post for December? Actually this is because a recent transformation I've made in my personal life has occupied a majority of my time. I've been actively trying to reignite the adventurous spirit of my youth. That spark slowly disappeared a few years ago when I entered the work-force, which meant long hours stuck behind a computer battling the constant threat of cyber-hackers (a career I'm not passionate about... it does impress people though, particularly chicks, especially when they hear my speech of: "I am the country's protector. I secure information. Information is knowledge, and knowledge is power! It is often said modern-era war is not an attack on a country's land or infrastructure but on it's information system. Bla, Bla, Bla". I also get a huge kick when I threaten to hack the email of the person who annoys me.... yeah right, like I'm anywhere that good). It was all work and no play. The only thing that increased was my waistline and weight. It didn't help that my friends lost this spirit even quicker than I did. It's like that quote from The Breakfast Club [1985]: "When you grow up, your heart dies".

So two and a half months ago I started working out again and managed to lose 14kg (30.8 pounds). I feel reinvigorated and like my competitive-soccer playing youth days. I want to do so many things now. The following might sound like a mid-life crisis, but although I'm still way too young for that (wonder if this is a very late coming-of-age instead of early mid-life crisis), I don't want to wait until I'm 40 or 50 to start crossing things off my bucket-list. The change starts now! My mind right now is conjuring-up the image of Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society [1989] saying "Carpe Diem!". Oh, 2013 can't come sooner enough!

Things to do: despite my general fear of heights, I've always wanted to go bungee jumping. I'll be doing that in two weeks time. I want to go sky-diving for real now and not just simulation. Run a marathon, my first in exactly 10 years. I want to do more traveling, there's so many countries to visit (places where iconic scenes from movies were filmed would be a bonus... hey, I forgot about comic-con!). Heck, I haven't even finished exploring my own country. I want to go swimming with the sharks (anyone have any suggestions for a real cool location?). I want to go watch Man Utd play at Old Trafford (how the hell has this not yet happened? It could be my life's biggest regret). Learn new languages. Finally play the guitar. The list is endless. Oh, yeah... change careers too.

The reason for this renewed vigor and inspiration? Like all ~~cliche~~ good stories its a girl. It always is. Hey, if John Lennon fell in the same trap, I'm in good company. Gosh, this post so far has been so cheesy. Isn't this supposed to be a movie blog? So on a more related note....

# 3 Best Movie Trailers For 2013

I'm fully aware that good trailers doesn't necessarily translate into entertaining movies (see Snow White And The Huntsman [2012] ), but I can't help but get pumped-up to watch these films based on the following 3 trailers:

Iron Man 3. Out May 3rd. I just know Shane Black will deliver.

Evil Dead. Out April 12th. Never a fan of remaking a classic, but this trailer is just so bad-ass!

Man Of Steel. Out June 14th. I picked the teaser trailer (preferred Russel Crowe's voice over Kevin Costner's) here instead of the full version... well, just because I liked it better.

# TV Shows

I really don't get to watch TV show regularly nowadays, but I'm just glad Suits will be returning in January! I'll make time for that. Plus, can't wait to see what happens on The Walking Dead once it returns.

# Looking Back At 2012

Here's compilation videos for the films of 2012. I always enjoy these. The first is Filmography 2012 from my regular favourite Gen I. The second is Cinemageddon 2012 by Christopher Sherwood.

# Blogging

With all these activities I've got in plan, I'm not sure how often I'll be able to blog. Its a shame too because I enjoy blogging and am currently getting around 1,000 to 2,000 daily views. I think that is decent for a blog which doesn't update regularly (3 times in a week... which doesn't happen much... is my current record) and only 16 months old. I'm going to think positively here and hopefully, if I'm having a blast in my personal life, I'll have plenty more inspiration to blog.

Anyways, that's it. Have a happy holidays people!

Review: The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey [2012]

2012-12-13T22:47:00.000+08:00

Background:

Release Date: 13 December 2012 (Malaysia), 14 December 2012 (USA)

Directed By: Peter Jackson

Written By: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo Del Toro, JRR Tolkien

Starring: Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, Andy Serkis, Manu Bennet

Duration: 169 minutes

In A Nutshell:

Bilbo Baggins (played by Martin Freeman) is recruited, rather unwillingly at first, by Gandalf The Grey (played by Ian McKellen) to join a quest of reclaiming the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. What was once a glorious dynasty, it has been conquered long ago by an unstoppable dragon called Smaug. Joining the two on the quest are 13 dwarfs led by the heir to Erebor's throne, Thorin son of Thrain (played by Richard Armitage).

Thumbs Up:

+ Characters and references to future events from The Lord Of The Rings (LOTR) trilogy. Serves as a nice expansion of the universe

+ Battle between stone-giants

+ The elves' dietary choices. Of course they are vegetarians (or at least seem to be)

+ The familiar score from Howard Shore

Thumbs Down:

- Horrifically slow pacing, and clocking-in at 169 minutes makes it extremely tedious

- Seems to lack a bit of focus. Lot's of stories seem to be going on, but nothing really exciting really happens. Some scenes aren't necessary.

- Talking trolls. I don't care if this is how it is in the book, it just seems off to me. Trolls are supposed to be beasts. These not only speak, but they don't even have monstrous voices (even the Uruk-Hais from LOTR had meaner voices).

- Lacking the overall grandiose feeling that an epic needs

The Verdict Is In:
Chronologically, both in terms of the story being told and the date the book was published, The Hobbit proceeds that other Tolkien novel, The Lord Of The Rings. But now I know why the latter was made into a movie first... it has a much, much superior and fascinating story to be told. Granted that this film is still only the first part of a trilogy, so far it just doesn't have that same level of excitement or emotional engagement. We just haven't yet felt that wondrous and exhilarating feeling that we got from our previous journey through Middle-Earth. Niether do we share that emotional burden that Frodo had to endure. As much as I enjoyed the expanded view of this mystical universe, the most excitement I had was whenever a familiar character (Galadriel is as enchanting as ever here... are we sure Cate Blanchett isn't a real elf in disguise?) or background story to the LOTR trilogy was made (finally we know why Gimli hates Elves).

As much as I enjoyed Gandalf revealing the story of the 5 wizards that exists on Middle-Earth (apparently there are a few more color-types for wizards other than grey and white... I feel enlighten) and then actually getting to meet Radagast The Brown himself, I felt that those scenes were among the many that should have been left for the Blu-Ray extras as to prevent this film from feeling overtly bloated and long. Oh yeah, right now I'm not feeling encouraged to know they'll be another two films after this. The pacing was incredibly slow and by the time an exciting action sequence took place, it was hard for me to shift from my (mildly-) bored emotional state. Of course, maybe this is because I'm a geek who bewilderingly enjoyed the LOTR trilogy. Would anyone new to this franchise enjoy this movie? My guess is, if they did, it won't be by much. For those craving for an epic adventure, this resembles more of exploring a local park than a journey through mythical and uncharted territories.
Rating:
6 out of 10

Express Reviews: Life Of Pi, Wreck-It Ralph, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

2012-11-29T21:51:00.000+08:00

This past week has been fabulous to me in terms of movie-watching. I got to see three fantastic films and no, none of them involved sparkling vampires against shirtless werewolves. It reminded me that although films come to my shores late during this period, the final quarter of the year always provides plenty of good movies. All three films are excellent and deserve their stand-alone reviews, but since I am ~~lazy and~~ busy, a combined post will have to suffice. As each credit rolled, I got that satisfying feeling of "this is why I love movies (especially at the cinema)". Definitely films that I'll be watching again plenty of times in the future (I might watch the first two below again in the VERY near future).

# Life Of Pi [2012]

Directed By: Ang Lee

Written By: David Magee, Yan Martel

Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain, Tabu, Ayush Tandon, Rafe Spall

The Story: Pi Patel (played by Irrfan Khan) tells the story to a writer (played by Rafe Spall) about his younger-self (played by Suraj Sharma) that survived a horrific storm and cast out at sea with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

The Verdict: Eat-your-heart-out Avatar [2009], this easily is the most visually mesmerizing film to date. The CGI animals look 100% authentic and everything just looks stunningly beautiful. Stories about people in isolation are always entertaining and Pi's adventure of being surrounded by nothing but sea along with Richard Parker is extremely captivating. Eat-your-heart-out (multiple by 5) Waterworld [1995].

p/s: It seems that Irrfan Khan has been made Hollywood's go-to-guy for Indian roles. It's almost like he's in everything!

Rating: 9 out of 10

# Wreck-It Ralph [2012]

Directed By: Rich Moore

Written By: Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee, Rich Moore, Jim Reardon

Voiced By: John C. Riley, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk

The Story: Wreck-It Ralph (voiced by John C. Riley) is the bad-guy character in an arcade game which is named after the good guy character, Fix-It Felix Jr. (voiced by Jack McBrayer). Ralph is unhappy and stressed about his mundane life and being under-appreciated. He hijacks a different arcade game, Hero's Duty in an attempt to win a medal and change his life. A series of events leads him to a kart-racing game called Sugar Rush where he meets Venellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman).

The Verdict: Even in a year where animated films has been very entertaining, Wreck-It Ralph emerges high above the rest. I always have my ego to maintain when watching movies and never let my friends see my eyes get misty, but man, it was hard holding them back on this one. Dare I say it, other than The Iron Giant [1999], this is the only non-Pixar animation with a high Pixar feel to it. Heck its even far better than the actual Pixar film released the year, Brave [2012], and I fully enjoyed that too. The ending had a couple of twists that made the story even more dazzling and is one of the many differences to other animations such as The Rise Of The Guardians [2012].

p/s: (1) Hey, I actually played some of the games before, like Tapper via 5" floppy-disk (my younger brother was amazed to hear games were played using that.. he' s never even seen a FD that size). (2) The animated short shown before the film, Paperman [2012] is super-cute and definitely worth coming early to check out.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

# The Perks Of Being A Wallflower [2012]

Directed By: Stephen Chobosky

Written By: Stephen Chobosky

Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Mae Whitman, Nina Dobrev

The Story: A coming-of-age film that focuses on Charlie (played by Logan Lerman) who is an introvert and is been taken under the wing of two seniors, Patrick (played by Ezra Miller) and Sam (played by Emma Watson).

The Verdict: My teenage years in high school was nothing like that of Charlie's, yet the film still managed to be emotionally resonating to me in very high dosages. In lots of ways it left me with the same emotional feeling I had when I first watched Almost Famous [2000]. And in my books, that is very high praise.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: Rise Of The Guardians [2012]

2012-11-23T04:53:00.000+08:00

Background:

Release Date: 22 November 2012 (Malaysia), 21 November 2012 (USA)
Directed By: Peter Ramsey

Written By: David Lindsay-Abaire, William Joyce

Voiced By: Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo
Duration: 97 minutes
In A Nutshell:

For thousands and thousands of years, all the hopes, beliefs, and imagination of the kids from around the world were depended and protected by a group of guardians consisting of: Santa Claus/North (voiced by Alec Baldwin), The Tooth-Fairy (voiced by Isla Fisher), The Sandman, and The Easter Bunny (voiced by Hugh Jackman). When an old enemy in The Boogeyman/Pitch Black returns to bring nightmares and fear to the world, the fates of The Guardians are in jeopardy as children has stopped believing in their (Guardians) existence. The Guardians need to recruit a fifth member to stand a fighting chance. Enter Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine).

Thumbs Up:
+ Stunning visuals... I might as well stop listing this for animation, we pretty much expect this already now
+ Initial premise and ensemble of characters is interesting
+ Thrilling action sequence
Thumbs Down:
- The final showdown seems like a cop-out
- In the end, the story went all-to-predictable

The Verdict Is In:

Question time: Has there been an animated feature in the past few years where its visuals has been anything short of stunning? I keep going to see them and thinking "this looks beautiful" and now realizing it has become standard issue for animation. Heck even Tim Burton films, which I always feel looks like animation, is visually gorgeous every time out. Something still not quite so common nowadays is the good use of 3D (Toy Story 3's version didn't look too different from its 2D version). Despite seeing the normal format, I have a feeling this film would look absolutely outstanding in 3D as the action sequences are genuinely thrilling and would make good use of the technology.

Moving on, the initial concept and premise of the story alone was interesting enough to get me hooked. What can I say? Ensemble characters always gets me excited (The Avengers [2012] or The Expendables 2 [2012] anyone?) even though this one is based on children's stories. However the longer the film went, the more the sense of predictability sunk in. A few scenes near the end seem like cop-outs to me... the ease of how they overturned adversity (Spoiler Alert: Examples: Frost repairing his staff, showdown with Boogeyman, resurrection of character). It was still overall enjoyable though!

In fact, 2012 has seen a lot of entertaining animated films, and this one is no different. However I do not believe Rise Of The Guardians [2012] will be a memorable one. But then again this might just be The Boogeyman trying to influence me.... score one to the bad guy then!
Rating:

7 out of 10

Parody/Short: Gotham High & Old School Vs New School

2012-11-18T16:41:00.000+08:00

Man, I don't remember the last time I've posted on a weekend. It must have been ages ago. But like it really matters because I'm not actually writing anything but just sharing two cool videos I've discovered. Here they are, enjoy!

#Parody: Gotham High

Now, this one is very clever indeed. A trailer made in the high-school comedy format for characters from the Batman films. It even has the smaller and less known roles like Gotham News reporter, Mike Engel (which was played Anthony Michael Hall) and Mayor, Anthony Garcia from The Dark Knight [2008]. The catch to this video is that it uses footage from the real actor's previous films, mainly 10 Things I Hate About You [1999], which is a movie I seriously need to see again. It is told from the perspective of Larisa Oleynik (what ever happened to her?) and try to guess what character she plays in this Batman universe. Some footage like Heath Ledger's Joker and Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle fits perfectly. The editing and voice-over is top-notch and I almost wish this trailer was true. I guess, with Disney owning Marvel something similar could really happen in the future (I know Batman isn't Marvel...). Made by Movie Trailers.

#Short Film: Old School Vs New School

Made by freddiew, this short film tells the story of the world being invaded by old-school style video game characters. It is left to the new-school video game characters to protect us. Despite being surrounded by hardcore video-gamers in my life, I've never been one myself, so I don't recognize some of the video games in the clip. Still enjoyed it though. Makes me even more anticipated for Wreck-It Ralph [2012] that finally opens in my country in a couple weeks time.

List: 15 Favourite LOTR Characters

2012-11-16T03:21:00.006+08:00

The year was 2001 and the Internet was still very much in its infancy. The fact that I don't live in a super-developed nation also meant that technology was a few years behind. Most internet users in Malaysia (where I call home) at that time used dial-up connection. Ah, those were the days. Unlike people these days who can view HD Youtube videos on their mobile phones, this was the time when even viewing a single crappy-resolution photo of an hot actress like Winona Ryder or Alyssa Milano took around 5 minutes to load.

Usually around the 4th minute, your mom or someone would pick-up the phone to call someone and your internet would be disconnected and you had to start all over again. Basically I meant to say that when I was curious about something, I didn't really rush to search about it on the internet like nowadays. In fact, I don't think Google was widely used yet (those who experienced search engines before Google would understand). Yup, it took me a very long paragraph to reach my point, and only half of it too, but bear with me still please ;P .

The FINAL part of my point is (finally!), that those were the days that I would frequently go into the cinema knowing nothing about the movie I was about to see. Add to the fact that I was culturally-ignorant enough not to be aware of the existence of any Tolkien novel, so The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings [2001] was a real unknown quantity to me. I though it would be some generic fantasy like... random pick here... The NeverEnding Story [1984] that me and a bunch of friends could enjoy. A month later and we've already seen it for a third time. Seriously! We weren't geeks for nothing. Same story for the other two installments, LOTR: The Two Towers [2002] and LOTR: The Return Of The King [2003] too.

So as the first of the prequel trilogy to the LOTR fanchise, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey [2012] comes out in a few weeks time, here are my 15(-ish) favourite LOTR characters.

******* MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD *******

#15 "Gandalf's Greatest Fear" ~ Balrog Of Morgoth

Played By: n/a
Movies: Fellowship Of The Ring [2001], The Two Towers [2002]

It takes a lot to put the fear of life into someone like Gandalf, and this demonic creature manages to achieve that. That scene at the Bridge Of Khazad-dum (along with the haunting score) in The Fellowship Of The Ring [2001] is vividly distinguished in my memory.

Selected Quote: Gandalf (to Balrog): "YOU... SHALL NOT... PASS!!!"

#14 "Wiseman Of The Forest" ~ Treebeard

Voiced by: John Rhys-Davies
Movies: The Two Towers [2002], The Return Of The King [2003]

This guy led the battle at Isengard and won. He deserves to be on the list just for that alone.

Selected Quote: "There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of men for this treachery"

#13 "His Grammar Is Worse Than Yoda's" ~ Gollum/Smeagol

Played By: Andy Serkis
Movies: Complete Trilogy

I know this obsessive little creature can be annoying to watch, but no LOTR list would be complete without him. Also, this role paved the way for Andy Serkis to now become Hollywood's motion-capture go-to-guy.

Selected Quote: "My preciouusssss...."

#12 "The Ring-Bearer With Enormous Burden" ~ Frodo Baggins

Played by: Elijah Wood
Movies: Complete Trilogy

Like I mentioned in my overtly-long intro, I didn't know much about the movie beforehand, but I knew I was interested the moment I saw the scene where Frodo and his friends first met (and hid) from the Nazghul. I knew I was in love in the movie when I saw how much burden exuded from Frodo's face and the tense scene when he was carried by Arwen to be chased by all nine Nazghuls.

Selected Quote: "No, Sam. I can't recall the taste of food... nor the sound of water or touch of grass..."

#11 "The White Wizard Of Isengard" ~ Saruman

Played By: Christopher Lee
Movies: Complete Trilogy

Quite simply, I find any wizard in a movie with long hair and beard, to look cool. Especially if he is evil and played brilliantly by Christopher Lee.

Selected Quote: "Against the power of Mordor, there can be no victory"

#10 "Halfling Bromance" ~ Merry & Pippin

Played By: Dominic Monaghan & Billy Boyd
Movies: Complete Trilogy

I know technically they are two separate characters, but I just cannot view them other than a pairing. Pippin is much more of a troublemaker between the duo though.

Selected Quote: Pippin: "But we'll see each other soon. Won't we?" Merry: "I don't know. I don't know what is going to happen"

#9 "Mean, Ugly, And Deadly" ~ Uruk-Hai Leader

Played By: n/a
Movie: The Fellowship Of The Rings [2001]

This is the guy who kills Boromir and nearly takes Aragorn's life too. Suffers an awesome death! If I had watched the movie as a kid, there would be no doubt this guy would be in my Childhood Nightmares List. I also recognize the fact that in most of the fight scenes we can barely recognize this character... because the Uruk-Hai all look the same. Now, that isn't a racial statement because, (a) Uruk-Hai aren't a real race (b) you can barely recognize the Autobots from the Decepticons in fight scenes of the Transformers movies (or most of the Ewoks in Return Of The Jedi [1983] too) and no one says that's racist.....

Selected Quote: n/a

#8 "Soft Yet Lethal" ~ Eowyn

Played By: Miranda Otto
Movies: The Two Towers [2002], The Return Of The King [2003]

Like most female members of Royal Families in the movies, Eowyn is soft and feminine yet tough when needed. She is actually the one who kills the Nazghul Witch-King. How uber-cool is that? Her feelings towards Aragorn are one-way. Thankfully, Arwen (whom Aragorn does fancy) is heavenly beautiful, otherwise we would think Aragorn suffered one too many blows to the head to have rejected Eowyn.

Selected Quote: "The women of this country learned long ago, those without swords can still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain"

#7 "The Enchanting Elvish Witch" ~ Galadriel

Played By: Cate Blanchett
Movies: Complete Trilogy

"I amar prestar aen. Han methon ne nen. Han methon ne chae. A han noston ned 'wilith" <---- Yup, I'm hypnotised too!

Selected Quote: ****see Elvish quote above****

#6 "Laser-Sharp Precision" ~ Legolas

Played By: Orlando Bloom
Movies: Complete Trilogy

I would have said that Legolas has an eye of an eagle, but that would be a huge understatement. Orlando Bloom is one of the few that went into the franchise as a relative unknown, and has had a successful career after it.

Selected Quote: "It is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it"

#5 "Leader Of The Nazgul" ~ The Nazgul Witch-King

Edited form image taken here

Voiced By: Lawrence Makoare
Movies: Complete Trilogy

The entire Nazgul sends chills down my spine. Just like the Uruk-Hai at #9, you can't really tell them apart, but basically this is the one that fights Eowyn in The Return Of The King [2003].

Selected Quote: "Feast on his flesh!"

#4 "The Most Loyal Of Companions" ~ Samwise Gamgi

Played By: Sean Astin
Movies: Complete Trilogy

Watch the trilogy back and you'll see that Sam, not Frodo, is the true hero of the story. I basically identify Sean Astin only from this franchise and also from The Goonies [1985]. Both his characters are stubbornly-determined, loyal friends, and lead an adventure.

Selected Quote: "I don't think they'll be a return journey Mr. Frodo"

#3 "Dwarfs Are Middle Earth's Greatest Creatures" ~ Gimli

Played By: John Rhys-Davies
Movies: Complete Trilogy

If you listen to him talk, you'd be forgiven to think that dwarfs are Gods and he is their king. But his ego and boasting along with his banter with Legolas are completely hilarious!

Selected Quote: "Its true you don't see many dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for dwarf men"

#2 "All Hail The King!" ~Arragon

Played By: Viggo Mortensen
Movies: Complete Trilogy

You just knew Aragorn was made to be a leader of men. And Viggo Mortensen whom initially wasn't cast for the role, was just made to play the King of Gondor.

Selected Quote: "I do not fear death!"

#1 "Eat Your Heart Out Dumbledore!" ~ Gandalf The Grey/White

Played By: Ian McKellen
Movies: Complete Trilogy

Not only is Gandalf the best character, he has the best lines too. How can you not love a wise character who arrives precisely when he means to, gets upgraded from grey to white, sleeps with his eyes open, and says cool things like: "Run Shadowfax! Show us the meaning of haste!"

Selected Quote: "Look to my coming on the first light on the fifth day, at dawn look to the east" <--- we should have trusted him when he said that a wizard is never late or early.

Stan Lee: Documentary And Movie Cameos

2012-11-09T04:22:00.000+08:00

Stanley Martin Lieber or better known to world simply as Stan Lee. The Man. The Legend. The Godfather of comic books and superheroes. No, this is not a birthday appreciation post. Although seeing that his 90th birthday (yes, NINE-ZERO!!) is late next month, I guess I can keep hold of this in draft. But no, I've been lazy and my last post was one full week ago while at the same time I'm feeling inspired after watching a documentary on him. This is the guy who along with George Lucas and Steven Speilberg help shaped my childhood. So to properly start things off, I'll use a phrase the great man might use himself: "EXCELSIOR!!"

# With Great Power - The Stan Lee Story [2010]

Lovely documentary showcasing his beginnings at Timely Comics during The Great Depression, his creation of iconic Marvel characters, his vision to bring comics to the mainstream (setting-up Marvel Animation and a few TV shows), right to his post-Marvel days right now. I'd say as a young man he was pretty good looking too.

The man himself is an entertaining character as he has a very animated (pun not intended) personality. He really is an inspiration as not only do we see how much he loves his work but also what a kind heart he has. He has been married to the same woman for 65 years and we get to see how much he is still deeply in love with his her. He also has nothing but the highest praise about everyone that worked with him especially for frequent callaborator, Jack Kirby, despite media reports of a previous fall-out.

Selected Quote: Reporter: "Stan you've been doing this for so long. You've been so successful, some people wonder, why don't you retire, and live permanently on exotic vacations? Why do you keep doing it?" Stan Lee: "The word 'retire' is a dirty word. You know most people when they retire, they say: 'at last I have a chance to do what I've always wanted to do', but I'm doing what I've always wanted to do. I'm working with artists, with writers, with directors, I'm working on creative things. I'm having fun. I mean... don't punish me by making me retire." <--- to me the best answer ever!!

# Movie Cameos

Try to guess what films these photos are from. One cameo isn't from a superhero movie. The answers are at the bottom. My favourite cameo of his so far is from the recent The Amazing Spider-Man [2012].

Answers (from top to bottom): # Captain America: The First Avenger [2011] # Iron Man 2 [2010] # Iron Man [2008] # Spider-Man 2 [2002] # Spider-Man 3 [2007] # Daredevil [2003] # Hulk [2003] # Fantastic Four [2005] # Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer [2007] # The Amazing Spider-Man [2012] # Spider-Man [2002] # The Avengers [2012] # The Incredible Hulk [2008] # The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement [2004] # Thor [2011] # X-Men 3: The Last Stand [2006] # X-Men [2000] # The Trial Of The Incredible Hulk [1989]

Review: Skyfall [2012]

2012-11-02T01:33:00.000+08:00

Background:

Release Date: 1 November 2012 (Malaysia), 8 November 2012 (USA)

Directed By: Sam Mendes

Written By: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan

Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Naomi Harris, Ben Wishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Berenice Marlohe, Albert Finney

Duration: 143 minutes

In A Nutshell:

An incident sees agent 007, James Bond's (played by Daniel Craig) life almost taken. He comes back but is nowhere at the best of his abilities. Bond's loyalty to M (played by Judi Dench) is put to test when MI6's headquarters is blown by a rogue former agent from her past named Silva (played by Javier Bardem).

Thumbs Up:

+ A hyperdrive amount of creepiness by Javier Bardem... BEST-FREAKING-BOND VILLAIN-EVER!!

+ Awesome action scenes and an equally intriguing story

+ Homages to previous Bond movies

+ Awkward yet amusing interrogation scene between Silva and Bond
+ Stunning cinematography

Thumbs Down:

- Not only is the name of the hot Bond-Girl humdrum compared to previous ones (come on, Severine seems out of place with the likes of Pussy Galore, Octopussy, Xenia Onatopp, or Holly Goodhead), but her scenes are also too few.

The Verdict Is In:
From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, it has been 50 years of shaken not stirred martinis, womanizing, and cool gadgets. For so long James Bond aka Agent 007 was the poster boy for super-spies. But then Matt Damon came and redefined the genre with The Bourne Identity [2002] and the subsequent two films. The persona of James Bond had to be redefined with Daniel Craig stepping up to the role. Both franchises made a return in 2012 but while recently released The Bourne Legacy [2012] underwhelmed, Skyfall [2012] manages to be one of the best action movie of the last few years.

Yes, this is one pulsating and thrilling movie that doesn't compromises on the story. Just to make one final comparison, The Bourne Legacy ended with a motorcycle chase scene that was reminiscent of Terminator 2: Judgement Day [1991] minus the thrills. Skyfall has a great motorcycle chase right at the beginning of the film that had them riding on rooftops and ending up on a moving train! That sets the tone for the rest of the movie as they climax at a mansion in Scotland. Now then, a friend of mine apparently didn't share the same enthusiasm as me as he said that final scene was beginning to be like Home Alone [1990]. I actually think it is more like the classic TV shows Macgyver and The A-Team where they didn't have fancy gadgets and had to be creative.

Another factor that makes a film great is memorable characters, particularly the villains. The super-talented Javier Bardem had already delivered to us such a character before via Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men [2007]. He succeeds to make lightning strike twice, as not only is Raoul Silva creepy but once again has terrible hair. I'm going to stick my neck out and say this has all the elements to be considered the best Bond film of all time. Happy 50th Anniversary James Bond!
Rating:
9.5 out of 10

TV: Halloween And New Shows

2012-10-30T01:08:00.000+08:00

So Halloween is in a couple of days but I won't be having a special post as I'm already done with my horror watching month and already did a post titled 10 Childhood Nightmares earlier this month along with a review of Sinister [2012]. So instead today I'll be writing about a few new TV shows that I've been watching and a special Halloween episode of a regular sitcom I follow.

# Modern Family: Open House Of Horrors (Season 4 Episode 5)

I written before in a post on how I wished my country celebrated Halloween and how great it would have been if I had experienced a childhood of Trick-or-Treating. Well Modern Family [2009-present] epitomes what I've always dreamed a Halloween celebration would be like. Each season their Halloween episode is just so imaginative and this year's special is no exception.

Gif photo taken from here

Despite winning three consecutive Emmys for Best Comedy Series (and dominating multiple other categories), people have said its second and third season hasn't been as strong as the first. I've enjoyed both of those mentioned seasons but in a way agree that the first one was just a level above. But now five episodes into the current one and I think it has shown the form that is level with that debut season. I mean I still can't stop laughing from episode 4's Phil's-osophy advices in life.

# Elementary

Cast: Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Lie, Aidan Quinn, Jon Michael Hill
Quote: "It has costs. Learning to see the puzzle in everything. They're everywhere once you start looking. Once you start looking, its impossible to stop. It just so happens that people, and all the deceits and delusions that inform everything they do, tend to be the most fascinating puzzles of all. Of course, they don't always appreciate been seen as such."

This is about Sherlock Holmes and his crime solving activities set in modern-day New York. I really like the idea of putting Holmes in the current era and actually before this had no idea that the BBC series, Sherlock also had the same concept. I might want to check that one out too now. Sherlock Holmes here is a recovering drug addict that has relocated to New York to help the NYPD. He is brilliantly played by Jonny Lee Miller, who of course, is mostly recognisable for his work as Sick Boy in the movie Trainspotting [1996].

The catch to this version is the character of Dr. Watson, who happens to be a female and played by Lucy Liu. She's being described as a former surgeon who now works as a sober companion for recovering addicts - in this case it is Sherlock. Apart from being extremely intelligent, Holmes is also sarcastic and arrogant - all ingredients to making a compelling character. Its has only been four episodes in and I'm already very hooked. Most of the negative reviews I found on this show seems to come from viewers in the UK and fans of the show, Sherlock. Just let it go folks, both can exist together...

Image taken from here

I've written before on great Opening Title Sequences, and Elementary's opening credits can easily be categorised as one of the best. You can interpret what the sequence represents how ever you like, but I see it as the process of Holmes' analytical mind in solving crimes (actually I took that thought from a comment on Youtube, but hey, great artists steal).

# Revolution

Cast: Billy Burke, Tracy Spiradakos, Giancarlo Esposito, Graham Rogers, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Lyon, Zak Orth
Quote:"There's a lot of men out there, okay? Sooner or later they're coming in. So we, are gonna Shawshank our asses outta here."

A post-apocalyptic future where electricity isn't functional thus rendering whatever that happens to use it (lemme see, that just about covers.... everything!) useless. Apart from Elizabeth Mitchell, I'm not familiar with any of the remaining cast but Billy Burke who plays the character of Miles Matherson makes a pretty bad-ass protogonist. New comer Tracy Spiradakos provides the eye-candy to the show (her acting isn't too bad, but a little rough around the edges). A lot of complaints have been on logical issues, but isn't that the case for most post-apocalyptic stories? I mean take zombies shows for example. They'd be no end to the logical issues on that one. Revolution won't be winning any awards but is just interesting enough to make me a follower so far.

# Arrow

Cast: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, Paul Blackthorne, Willa Holland, Colin Donnell, susana Thompson
Quote: Oliver: "Which one is she?" Tommy: "The one that looks like the chick from Twilight" Oliver: "What's Twilight?" Tommy: "So better off not knowing"

Based on the character of Green Arrow from DC Comics. For those unfamiliar with the world of superheroes and comics... you know how there seems to be similar characters in both Marvel Comics and DC? Of course you don't. If you did, you'd know who Green Arrow is. Silly me! Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway (consider this like a villain in movies self-indulgently monologging his plan to the hero). So, for Marvel's Sub-Mariner, DC has Aquaman. Marvel has Quicksilver, DC has The Flash. There's The Black Cat that lives in Marvel's universe, while Catwoman inhabits the realms of DC. Now, I'm guessing you've all seen The Avengers [2012] and are already familiar with the character Hawkeye right? Well, Green Arrow is DC's equivalent of that character.

They're trying to make the story similar with Bruce Wayne's in Batman Begins [2005] but honestly from the two episodes I've watched so far, there seems to be a bit of spark missing. If it wasn't for my love of superheroes I'd have already given up on it, but for now I'm wiling to give it a few more episodes.

Express Reviews: Ruby Sparks, Safety Not Guaranteed, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World

2012-10-24T01:55:00.000+08:00

For the first 3 quarters of every year I am lucky that I live in Malaysia. Movies are released relatively early here plus our time zone and the fact that opening day is on Thursday means that I get to see films before most of the world. But then comes October, a.k.a awards season and I start to get left behind. For instance my most anticipated film left for the year, Django Unchained [2012], will only be released sometime in mid January to mid March. WTF? The DVD might already be out by March! In the geek world that I live in that's like having the iPhone 4 you ordered arrive a month before the release of iPhone 5. Worthless! Okay, semi-worthless.

With Skyfall [2012] only opening next week, there was nothing truly interesting to me these couple of weeks (with the exception of the mind-blowingly awesome trailer for Iron Man 3 [2013] that is), I've decided to do Express Reviews of these wonderful indie movies instead.

# Ruby Sparks [2012]

Directed By: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

Written By: Zoe Kazan

Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Benning, Antonio Banderas

The Story: Calvin Weir-Fields (played by Paul Dano) is a novelist struggling with writer's block. He begins to write about his dream girl and gives the name Ruby Sparks to that character. Suddenly, Ruby (played by Zoe Kazan) appears in his life for real.

The Verdict: There are mainstream rom-coms and there are indie rom-coms. While the former has a reputation of being predictable chick-flicks, the latter are usually quite entertaining. Belonging to the second category, Ruby Sparks [2012] shows us how ridiculous the concept of the manic-pixie-dream-girl or perfect partner actual is. There's also the question of the danger that ultimate power can provide. As expected this is quirky, smart, funny, and one of the more entertaining features of the year!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

# Safety Not Guaranteed [2012]

Directed By: Colin Trevorrow

Written By: Derek Connolly

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Jenica Bergere

The Story: An ad in the newspaper put-up by a mysterious man named Kenneth (played by Mark Duplass) reads: "WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll be paid when we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED". Magazine writer, Jeff (played by Jake Johnson) brings along two interns, Darius (played by Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (played by Karan Soni) to investigate.

The Verdict: If there was the same ad in real life I would be interested to know the story behind it, so I found the premise of the film very appealing. Although the final part/reveal of the story doesn't really match my expectations, overall it does have enough charm to it plus a compellingly complex character in Kenneth. The very final scene is a real beauty!

Rating: 7 out of 10

# Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World [2012]

Directed By: Lorene Scafaria
Written By: Lorene Scafaria
Starring: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Rob Corddry, Connie Britton
The Story: As a gigantic asteroid heading for earth cannot be stopped, the world will come to an end in three weeks. Dodge (played by Steve Carell) is left by his wife on the night of the announcement. Depressed, he decides to spend the remaining days searching for his long lost highschool sweetheart. He is accompanied on the journey by his neighbor whom he has never talked to before, Penny (played by Keira Knigtley).
The Verdict: Steve Carell and Keira Knightley seems like an odd couple together, but although not having the best of chemistry, they do complement each others roles nicely. Before this I used to be indifferent with Steve Carell, but after seeing his performance here, I'd say he is very underrated. Despite the fact I think total mayhem would explode in real life if there was an impending apocalypse, I found this film to be entertaining and emotionally engaging. The music featured was very good too. This film's Rotten Tomatoes summary says it has a disappointing final act, which I completely disagree with. I actually think the ending was mesmerizingly beautiful and perfectly made.
Rating: 8 out 10

Review: Sinister [2012]

2012-10-19T00:57:00.000+08:00

Background:

Release Date: 18 October 2012 (Malaysia), 12 October 2012 (USA)

Directed By: Scott Derrickson

Written By: Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Clare Foley, Michael Hall D'Addario, James Ransone

Duration: 110 minutes

In A Nutshell:

Ellison Oswalt (played by Ethan Hawke) is a true-crime novelist who has passed his primed years ago. He moves into the house of a murdered family in preparation for his newest book. His wife - Tracy (played by Juliet Rylance), son - Trevor (played by Michall Hall D'Addario), and daughter - Ashley (played by Clare Foley) are not particularly fond of moving. Ellison discovers a box in the attic containing footage of not only the murder of the previous family but also those of connected murders. Strange things begin to happen in the house.

Thumbs Up:

+ Genuine scares, suspense, and tense moments. Watch out for the dead kids to appear, shit is just about to get serious.

+ Creepy musical score complements the scences nicely

+ Ethan Hawke does well in his role here... I've always found his face looking tensed-up and full of burden anyway

Thumbs Down:

- Some of the best scenes can be found in the trailer

- Quite a few jump-scares
- The climax could have carried more impact

The Verdict Is In:

Finally I remembered the main reason why I never really liked horror movies..... I'M CHICKEN! Perhaps not in real life, but my imagination always gets me immersed in the films that I'm watching that it doesn't take a lot to scare me. But that's why most of the horror films I've seen in my adult life have disappointed me... they didn't scare me! And this is where Sinister [2012] succeeds... I felt genuinely scared during a few scenes. Despite having already seen a few of the creepiest scenes in the trailer, the anticipation of something to happen managed to instil fear in me.

The film teases us with the mystery of whether the killings were done by a psychotic murderer or whether it was something supernatural. They also tried to give us another possibility - Ellison was drunk and imagined most of the things. But come on, who would have ever believed that possibility. Then again I have seen worse screenwriting in my life.

However, despite all my fear in anticipation, I felt the pay-off never really arrived. While the ending had a nice little twist, it felt like it didn't really climax. There was no powerful exit. It wasn't bad, but if it had the impact like the ending of, say, The Blair Witch Project [1999] or Paranormal Activity [2009], this would be a truly good horror movie (well from the perspective of someone who doesn't see much horror at least). I guess it is true that fear of the unknown is usually worse than the real thing.

Rating:

7 out of 10

Retro TV: My Two Dads [1987-1990]

2012-10-16T01:18:00.001+08:00

A few weeks ago I met up with a couple of friends from elementary school which I haven't seen in God knows how long. I became all nostalgic again as we reminiscence about the past. Among the many memories we talked about were the movies and TV shows we used to watch. I've always been very attached to my 80s childhood but I completed forgot about a favourite TV show we all shared: My Two Dads [1987-1990]. As I spent the last week re-watching a few episodes, I was reminded how much I enjoyed the show and 80s sitcoms in general.

My Two Dads tells the story of two guys with very different personalities - the "down-to-earth" Michael Taylor (played by Paul Reiser), a successful financial adviser, and the "head-in-clouds" Joey Harris (played by Greg Evigan), a struggling artist. They inherit the 12 year-old daughter of a woman that they both used to date. One of them is the biological father of that girl, Nicole Bradford (played by Staci Keanan), but it is never revealed and a Judge (played by Florence Stanley) rules that they have joint custody. I know, rather silly, but just play along. The Judge also happens to be their landlord and checks-up on them regularly.

If the show were made in the present day, it would be about a couple of gay dads. But considering its era, both dads happened to be straight. As was the nature of 80s sitcoms, each episode was family-friendly and carried a message/lesson-learned at the end. Shows from that time-period also carried a catchy theme song, and this was no different. This past week I've had You Can Count On Me (which was sung by Greg Evigan himself) on my music player loop. So what happened to the stars of the show?

Paul Reiser, who in my opinion was the funniest on the show, joined fresh from his appearance as the jerk in James Cameron's Aliens [1986]. After this show ended he starred in the hugely successful TV series, Mad About You [1992-1999] alongside Helen Hunt. He recently return with another show, The Paul Reiser Show [2011] which unfortunely didn't last too long.

Greg Evigan provided the sex appeal to the show. I've lost count of the times I've heard girls say how dreamy he was. He was good-looking but also a good actor as well. His IMDB page shows that he has had plenty of work since, but I don't think I've seen any of them.

When I list the many childhood crushes I used to have, most of them used to be grown-up actresses. So people ask me did I ever have one around my own age at that time? Well, the only one I could remember was Staci Keanan. I haven't seen her other work since but I'll say grown-up Staci is hot! Shockingly, when researching for this post I found out that she had passed away last year! Her IMDB, Wikipedia, and many other pages aren't aware of it and doesn't list it. A simple Google search will reveal a few articles of her death like this one here. I guess her name drifted away from the limelight so much that it wasn't newsworthy. Luckily further research shows she is actually still alive and kicking as she makes an appearance in this clip, which I believe was made recently. False alarm then. The TV show, Step By Step [1991-1998] was her other most notable work.

So, to the memories of My Two Dads, here's that catchy theme song:

List: 10 Childhood Nightmares

2012-10-10T00:54:00.000+08:00

Around this time last year, when my blog was still in its infancy, I decided to write this post: Happy Halloween: A Tribute To Horror Movies. In that post I wrote that I wanted to make a list of my favourite horror movies for Halloween. However I wasn't able to do so as I haven't seen much films from that particular genre. Now, it has been almost a year later and I still haven't seen an ample number of horror movies. What can I say? The genre just doesn't appeal to me a lot.

I think it gets worse with my current age as I don't get scared as much as I used to. I actually do believe in ghosts in real life, but watching most horror movies just doesn't give me enough thrills. It doesn't help that I find most of them predictable. Every now and then, there will be a movie that creeps me out, but those are very rare indeed. Instead I've dug deep into my memory to find movie characters that used to give the child version of me nightmares. Because of the particular age, some of these aren't even horror, and in fact are family-friendly films. I didn't get to see classic horrors like The Exorcist [1973] until my teens, so I'm leaving them out. This list is also in no particular order of preference.

p/s: until this very day I haven't seen a single film from the Scream franchise.

# "The Resident Quote Of My Childhood Nightmares" ~ Jerry Dandrige

Movie: Fright Night [1985]

Played By: Chris Sarandon

The original Fright Night [1985] is the first full horror movie that I can recall seeing. I might have seen a few scenes from other horror films before but never in its entirely. There's a scene in this movie where the vampire Jerry Dandrige is confronted by "Vampire Hunter" Peter Vincent (played by Roddy McDowell). Vincent shows the cross, but Jerry nonchalantly takes the cross while proclaiming: "You have to have faith for that to work on me!".

Since then every horrible creature in my childhood nightmares would repeat that same line instead of dying. I try to save a pretty girl by chopping off a zombie's head, "You have to have faith for that to work on me". I shoot a werewolf with a silver bullet, "You have to have faith for that to work on me". I run over a lion chasing another pretty girl with a huge truck, "You have to have faith...". I push a serial killer off a cliff. "You have to have faith...". I cut Darth Vader's hand off with my lightsaber. "You have to have faith...". I finish a 100m sprint in first place. "You have to have faith...(while taking away the gold medal)". What the f**k man!! Some doesn't make sense at all except for the purpose of annoying me. I don't remember ever waking-up to a happy ending. Darn you, Fright Night!!

Selected Quote: "Welcome to Fright Night!..... for real!!"

# "She Has An Army Of Flying Monkeys" ~ Wicked Witch Of The West

Movie: The Wizard Of Oz [1939]
Played By: Margaret Hamilton

While Fright Night was the first horror movie I remember seeing, Jerry Dandrige wasn't the first movie character to frighten me. That honour belongs to The Wicked Witch Of The West. That green face, voice, and army of flying monkeys basically traumatised me. It was the only downside to an otherwise extremely enjoyable movie. Of course she had one of the most stupid weakness ever. But even when dying she creeped me out with her squealing voice (see quote below). That stupid weakness didn't work in my nightmares however. You know the drill: "You have to have faith for that to work on me!".

Selected Quote: "You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world! what a world!".

# "The Tribute To Roger Moore" ~ Jaws & Baron Samedi

Movies: The Spy Who Loved Me [1977], Moonraker [1979]
Played by: Richard Kiel

Movie: Live And Let Die [1973]
Played by: Geoffrey Holder

As we now enter the month of October, Bond fever goes into hyperdrive stage. Sadly for me, Roger Moore is often placed at the bottom of favourite Bond actors. I actually quite like him. A major factor for that is because of the two villains above.

First of all, Jaws is utterly daunting. Not only does he have metal teeth, he is unequivocally gigantic. I swear he looks to be 13 feet tall!! The scary thing is I'm only half-exaggerating. Time-travel out of the way, he could easily be cast in a Jack And The Beanstalk movie during the pre-CGI era (before 1940s). Baron Samedi on the other hand is the guy who introduced me to vodoo. I might be wrong, but I think he is the only Bond villain who didn't die during the movies. Oops... spoiler alert!

Quote ~ Jaws: "Well, here's to us" (his only ever dialogue)

Selected Quote: ~ Baron Samedi: (At the end of the movie while sitting infront of moving train): "Hahahahahahaha....."

# "We All Need To Stay Awake Now" ~ Freddy Krueger

Movies: A Nightmare On Elm Street films [1984-1994]
Played by: Robert Englund

There's not much I remember about the Nightmare On Elm Street films. But I do remember it being darn scary, in particular this guy with the stripy red shirt and long razor claws.

Selected Quote: "This, is God!"

# "The Legend Of South-East Asia" ~ Pontianak

Movie: Misteri Rumah Tua [1987]
Played by: Noor Kumalasari

This is the ghost that I can relate to the most, as it comes from my culture. As I live in a part of the world that still heavily believes in the supernatural, the "Pontianak" is probably the most popular one. Its basically a female vampire, dressed in white with long hair and fangs. According to legend/myth, if men manages to put a nail to its neck, it would turn into a beautiful woman, and the men would then marry her. I know, creepy. But you do have to have faith for that to happen.... or maybe that's just me.

There are plenty of incarnations of Pontianak in my local movies, but the state of my local film industry is in VERY poor condition. The very first Pontianak movie made 1957 for example is lost forever as the studio owners threw the only remaining footage in a river after an argument (read here). So I went for a movie which was made by a callobration between Malaysia and Indonesia called Misteri Rumah Tua [1987]. That terrible image above is the only photo I could find on the Internet.

Selected Quote: (Translated) "Mr., do you believe in ghosts?"

# "That Crazy Girl From Sam Raimi's Cult Classic" ~ Linda

Movie: The Evil Dead [1981]
Played by: Betsy Baker

Believe it or not, a teacher showed this during primary school after we had finished exams. I believe most of us back then had only seen very few horror movies during our infant lives. All the boys tried to act all macho and cool in front of the girls. We all failed miserably with each girlie scream we (me) made. The character I feared the most was Linda, just because of her sinister laugh, singing, and her resemblance to a Pontianak.

Selected Quote: (singing): "We're going to get you. We're going to get you. Not another peep. Time to go to sleep"

# "Now This Is Supposed To Be A Children's Film?" ~ Gmork

Movie: The NeverEnding Story [1984]
Voiced By: Alan Oppenheimer

There's plenty of scary things in this film such as the giant turtle known as Morla/The Aged One. There's also the whole concept of "The Nothing" which can also be scary. But Gmork takes the nod for being the scariest.

Selected Quote: "If you come closer I will rip you to shreds"

# "Another One That Is Supposed To Be A Child's Movie?" ~ The Goblin King

Movie: Labyrinth [1986]
Played by: David Bowie

Confession: I used to be a conspiracy theorist (more like wild imagination) because for a long time I thought David Bowie really was a Goblin in real life. His rock star persona was just a cover-up. He entered my nightmare once with the "You have to have faith...." line. I answered with: "If someone as wimpy-looking as you have come to scare me in my sleep, I've already lost all faith".

Selected Quote: "I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I'll be your slave."

# "If Someone Asks If You Are A God, You Say: YES!" ~ Gozer

Movie: Ghostbusters [1984]
Played by: Slavitza Jovan

Gozer The Gozerian was pretty scary, but she emerged at one of the funniest moments of a truly great movie. Yes, the genius of Bill Murray does it once again.

Selected Quote: "Are you a God?"

# "Coulrophobia" ~ It

Movie: Stephen King's It [1990]
Played By: Tim Curry

Caulrophobia. Fear of clowns. I'm now actually amazed to find out that there are a lot of people who are afraid of clowns. As young kid I couldn't even imagine anyone being scared of them. Until I saw this film that is.

Selected Quote: "I'm every nightmare you've ever had. I'm your worst dream come true. I'm everything you were afraid of".

Review: Taken 2 [2012]

2012-10-04T05:08:00.000+08:00

Background:

Release Date: 4 October 2012 (Malaysia), 5 October 2012 (USA)

Directed By: Olivier Megaton

Written By: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen

Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Rade Shirbedzija

Duration: 91 minutes

In A Nutshell:
Taking-off from the last film, Taken [2008], the bodies of Kim's (played by Maggie Grace) kidnappers have arrived back in Trapoja, Albania to be burried. The family of these dead prostitution-syndicate members vow to take revenge. They are led by Murad (played by Rade Shirbedzija), who is the father of Marko, the guy who was not only killed but tortured by Bryan Mills (played by Liam Neeson). They get information that Bryan, his ex-wife, Lenore (played by Famke Janssen), and Kim are on holiday in Istanbul.

Thumbs Up:
+ Bryan Mills unearthing the kidnap location with the help Kim
+ Random bad guy chasing Kim on rooftop suffers stupid death. I'm sure it wasn't meant to be comic relief but I laughed-out loud at that one.
Thumbs Down:
- Now at 60 years-old even the mighty Liam Neeson is slow. The guy is mortal after all it seems.
- Uninspired action and lacking scenes with intensity and suspense

The Verdict Is In:
If I were to name just one guilty pleasure action movie outside of those made in the 80s (the zenith era for action heroes), it would be Taken [2008]. You can talk all you want about thin and illogical plot, or the current rotten 58% rating it has over at Rotten Tomatoes, to me that movie was uber-AWESOME!!! Why? It had the greatest telephone monologue in the entire galaxy (I don't think other planets use telephones, so lets change that to the greatest in cinematic history), it had the strikingly intense kidnap scene involving the alluringly hot Maggie Grace, and it also had great action sequences performed by a bad-ass Liam Neeson.

Ah yes, Liam Neeson. This is the guy who was Zeus and Aslan; he trained Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, Batman, and Bane; and as Col. Hannibal Smith, loves it when a plan comes together. If ever there was a guy worthy of those Chuck Norris meme jokes it was Liam Neeson (he's also a giant of guy... take a look at his hands when holding a cellphone. He looks like he's 11 feet tall... okay not really). But sadly, at 60 years-old, age has caught up with him. We can see that he is now notably slow during both the fights and chase sequences in Taken 2 [2012]. The fast editing does manages to conceal it a bit though.

But a slow Liam Neeson only contributes to half the problem. I might be too hard on Neeson, he of course could still easily kick my ass, but the action really was just average. It lacked the intensity and suspense the first one had. With that gone, what do we have left to enjoy? The story? Come on! I know I spent more time writing about the first movie and "Mr. Oskar Schindler" here, but truth be told is there's not much to talk about this meaningless sequel anyway. Oh, maybe that Maggie Grace plays a big part in rescuing this time instead of being rescued. Well at least I'm sure this will do much better than that other movie currently playing in cinemas which has a similar story (I think similar... don't care if I'm wrong) and title. In case you don't know it stars Nicolas Cage and is titled Stolen [2012].

Rating:
5 out of 10

Review: Looper [2012]

2012-10-01T05:03:00.000+08:00

Background:

Release Date: 28 September 2012 (USA)

Directed By: Rian Johnson

Written By: Rian Johnson

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Noah Segan, Jeff Daniels, Paul Dano, Pierce Gagnon, Piper Perabo, Garret Dillahunt

Duration: 118 minutes

In A Nutshell:

In the year 2072, time-travel has been invented but is been out-lawed and used only by the mob. It is also near-impossible to dispose of a body in this future, so when they want to get rid of somebody, that person is sent back 30 years to be killed by "Loopers". The mob has also sent back a representative, Abe (played by Jeff Daniels) to manage their affairs in this time period. Loopers will be paid silver for every person they kill but to close loose-ends, they will also have to kill the future versions of themselves before retiring. Joe (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) runs into problems when the future version of himself (played by Bruce Willis) escapes and plots to change his fate. The younger Joe's pursuit of his older self leads to him waiting at the house of a potential target of the future Joe, Sara (played by Emily Blunt), who lives with her son, Cid (played by Pierce Gagnon).

Thumbs Up:

+ One of the most engaging and unpredictable storyline in years

+ Great dialogues and solid performances from the cast

+ Child-actor, Pierce Gagnon is PERFECTLY casted for the role of cid

+ Extremely cool guns

Thumbs Down:

- The make-up (or is it CGI?) used on Joseph-Gordon Levitt to make him look like a young version of Bruce Willis... I find it slightly distracting.

The Verdict Is In:

As we enter the final quarter of the year (awards season), the more interesting films, story-wise at least, are being release. With elements of sci-fi, action, and thriller, Looper [2012] could have easily been made in the hands of a different director with extravagant special effects and action sequences. Instead director Rian Johnson didn't do anything over the top with those two elements and kept things focused on telling the story. Kudos to him for doing so, as I feel this film has one of the most interesting stories I watched on film in a while. After the movie, my friend who went to see this with me complained about noisy people a few rows behind us. I actually didn't notice as I was fully engaged on what was unfolding on screen. This of course is the movie lover's dream.... being transported momentarily into the realm of the film he is watching. There will be some questions of logic to certain aspects of the story, but as a massive fan of time-travel movies (take a look at this blog's header and title if you need a hint), there's nothing here that truly bothers me. You just get those in time-travel movies.

There are solid performances all around from the cast (even the supporting characters like Jeff Daniels as Abe and Noah Segan as Kid Blue) but I just have to make a special praise to Pierce Gagnon who plays the 10 year-old son to Sara (Emily Blunt), Cid. Without giving too much away, the character is reminiscent of what you would find in a few horror movies (and comic books too). Gagnon manages to play it with maximum creepiness.

This is my first exposure to the work of Rian Johnson. I am aware though that his debut feature, Brick [2006], (which also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is critically acclaimed. After seeing Looper, I might as well push that film to the front of my watching-list.

Rating:

9 out of 10

Honest (And Hilarious) Trailers

2012-09-28T05:34:00.000+08:00

I can't believe it to me so long to view these clips. I think I've heard and read of them, but this is the first time I've actually viewed these "Honest Trailers". Quite frankly they're hilarious and more entertaining than most of the movies I've seen lately. Screen Junkies apparently have created these trailer clips for these famous movies where they point out every bad thing about the movie. They even read-out the users' comments on their Youtube page in the trailer! The embedding for The Hunger Games [2012] trailer has been disabled. But you can check it out at their YouTube page. For the rest, you can take a look below:

*** CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIES***

# Transformers [2007]

# The Avengers [2012]

# The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 [2012]

# Avatar [2009]

# The Dark Knight [2008]

# Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace [1999 / 3D Version: 2012]

# Titanic [1997 / 3D Version: 2012]

List: Favourite Wes Anderson Movies

2012-09-25T01:25:00.000+08:00

Finally! After months of waiting and feeling left behind by the rest of the world, I finally got to see Moonrise Kingdom [2012] last week. To my delight I found the legend to be true... this really is a genuine contender for the best film of 2012. In the months while waiting to experience this masterpiece, I entertained myself by re-watching the previous works of this wonderful auteur known as Wesley Wales Anderson.

Alongside Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino, this director's films are the most uniquely identified with its creator. Just spend a few minutes watching and you'll know its his film that you're experiencing (perhaps with the exception of Bottle Rocket [1996] ). Anderson seems to create an alternate universe with his movies where we know the characters aren't real yet we still find them highly relatable. Its also interesting that each of his movies have multiple characters that all stand out and have great complexity. Furthermore, I believe the charm of his films are in re-watches. Truthfully there aren't much laugh-out loud moments. But unlike those type of humour which kinda lose its initial impact upon re-watches, we still get to experience the same amount of amusement every time we revisit a Wes Anderson film. Now here's how I rank all seven of his movies:

#7 "The Spiritual Journey Accross India" ~ The Darjeeling Limited [2007]

Starring: Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Amara Karan, Waris Ahluwalia

In terms of entertainment level, I found this to be just OK. I wasn't enamoured by it like some of Anderson's other work. But I do have to say that I completely love the twist & cameo it had. Usually twist comes late in a movie, but this one appears very early on and haves a massive impact! Its like we were supposed to follow a whole different movie if it wasn't for that twist & cameo (*uhuk..uhuk... Bill Murray*).

Selected Quote: "I wonder if the three of us would have been friends in real life. Not as brothers, but as people"

#6 "Let's Take A Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Shall we?" ~ The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou [2004]

Starring: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Willem Defoe, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldbum, Seu Jorge

I didn't fully get into this movie during its first half (or more), but then pirates came and the excitement levels went up drastically. The charm lies in Bill Murray's character and the quirky characters you would expect to be created by Wes Anderson

Selected Quote: "Don't point that gun at him. He's an unpaid intern"

#5 "The Full-Feature Debut" ~ Bottle Rocket [1996]

Starring: Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Robert Musgrave, Lumi Cavazos, James Caan

I somehow feel that this is the most different of all the Wes Anderson movies. It doesn't exactly have the style and quirkiness that the other films have. Perhaps, it has to do with this being his full-feature debut. Its still hilarious though, and Owen Wilson always seems at his best in his collaborations with Anderson.

Selected Quote: "Anthony! Bob's gone! He stole HIS car!"

#4 "The Crush On The Teacher" ~ Rushmore [1998]

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Olivia Williams, Bill Murray, Mason Gamble, Brian Cox, Sara Tanaka

I haven't seen much of Jason Schwarztman in movies by other directors, so I very much view him as a perfect personification of a Wes Anderson character. I just can't separate his name with that of the director. His portrayal of Max Fischer in Rushmore is my favourite from him so far.

Selected Quote: Rosemary Cross: "Has it ever crossed your mind that you're far too young for me?" Max Fischer: "It crossed my mind that you might consider it a possibility, yeah"

#3 "My Favourite Dysfunctional Family" ~ The Royal Tenenbaums [2001]

Starring: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Bill Murray, Danny Glover, Owen Wilson

I managed to catch this upon its initial release and at that time thought it was fairly average. For years after, it remained the only Wes Anderson movie I saw. During this time I kept hearing people proclaiming that this was a masterpiece while I kept thinking to myself that this movie was so overrated. Then on a very boring night in 2006 it was played on the telly. I couldn't sleep that night and with nothing to do, decided to give this another go. It was like I was watching a whole different movie. Suddenly it was brilliant!! It felt like the first time I watched this I "had eyes but cannot see". Multiple viewings since had conformed this as one of my favourite films. Plus, a very recent viewing had my wondering, what the hell happened to Gene Hackman?? I miss him!

Selected Quote: [Royal Tenenbaum's Epitaph]: Royal O'Reilly Tenenbaum. 1932-2001. Died Tragically While Rescuing His Family From The Wreckage Of A Destroyed Sinking Battleship.

#2 "Because I'm A Wild Animal" ~ Fantastic Mr. Fox [2009]

Starring (voices): George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Wallace Wolodarsky, Bill Murray, Eric Chase Anderson, Michael Gambon

Go through this blog and you'll discover that I'm a massive Pixar and animation fan. My favourite non-Pixar animations are The Iron Giant [1999], Tangled [2010] (I don't care what you say, I stand by this), and this masterpiece right here. The more times I see it, the more I'm in love with it. Special mention goes to the music score by Alexandre Desplat. Amazing!

Selected Quote:

Mrs. Fox: "Ash, I know what's its like to feel... different (*hands waving like in the photo above*)..." Ash: "But I'm not different... am I?" Mrs. Fox: "We all are... him especially (*points to Mr. Fox*). But there's something kinda fantastic about that, isn't there?"

#1 "The Innocence Of Young Love" ~ Moonrise Kingdom [2012]

Starring: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, France McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Keitel, Eric Chase Anderson

Believe the hype. It is that good. Two outcast 12 years old kids fall in love and decide to run away together. Charming and poignant, I truly believe this will be a future classic. Why, oh why did it only have limited release? I'll be furious if this doesn't land any major nominations come awards season.

Selected Quote: Sam: "I love you. But you have no idea what you're talking about" Suzy: "I love you too"

Review: Dredd 3D [2012]

2012-09-21T03:20:00.000+08:00

Background:

Release Date: 20 September 2012 (Malaysia), 21 September 2012 (USA)

Directed By: Pete Travis

Written By: Carlos Ezquerra

Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Wood Harris, Domhnall Gleeson, Warrick Grier

Duration: 95 minutes

In A Nutshell:

Set in the dystopian future of a mega-metropolis called Metro City One, the law is being upheld by "Judges" who combines all the powers of a judge, jury, and instant executioners. One the best of these Judges goes by the name of Dredd (played by Karl Urban). One day he is assigned to evaluate a rookie Judge named Cassandra Anderson (played by Olivia Thirlby) out in the field. This evaluation is needed because Anderson did not pass the normal qualifications of being a Judge but does posses superior psychic abilities. The duo go to investigate a report at the 200-story slum tower block called Peach Trees. While over there, a series of events sees them locked inside the tower block by the criminal lord of Peach Trees, Ma-Ma (played by Lena Headey) and being hunted down by the criminal gangs.

Thumbs Up:

+ Nice gritty action

+ Solid performances from Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, and Lena Headey

+ Excellent use of 3D, now that's a complete rarity

Thumbs Down:

- Although it made the 3D sequences look so much better, there was a little too much use of the slo-mo technique for my liking

- Not much character development, understandable for Judge Dredd, but the other characters could have used it

The Verdict Is In:

Although Dredd 3D will draw the inevitable comparisons in storyline to The Raid: Redemption (Serbuan Maut) [2012] which was released early this year, I'd have to say this is the far superior film. To be honest I wasn't fond of The Raid. It had jaw-dropping fight sequences, but the story and characters was uninteresting and it also had too many implausible elements for me too enjoy. Now that's not to say that Dredd 3D is very plausible (it is an action movie based on a comic book after all) while the story is thin but the difference here is that there's still enough in there for it to be engaging.

In fact the stripped-down story works in its favour as it gets straight down to business and delivers the great action (which are stunning in 3D). But we do get enough in the story to care about what is going on. Karl Urban performs well in his role as the no-nonsense title character and so does Olivia Thirlby. Lena Heady meanwhile is just menacing a villain. If I were to do a new list of Favourite Female Villains, she might just grab a spot.

Overall a solid and entertaing movie. In a time when everyone including me is complaining about remakes, I'm actually glad this one was produced. That being said, the bar was set very low by Sylvester Stallone's 1995 original version. No worries though because no one really remembers that movie.

Rating:

7 out of 10

Express Reviews: Death Of A Japanese Salesman & Ninja Kids!!!

2012-09-18T06:34:00.000+08:00

There was no interesting Hollywood movies opening at my local cinemas for the last couple of weeks. I didn't fancy going to Resident Evil: Retribution [2012] while The Master [2012] still hasn't got a release date in my country. The week before had movies I was even less interested in: The Cold Light Of Day [2012] and The Watch [2012]. Luckily there was a Japanese Film Festival being held for limited time at a few selected cinemas here. Out of the 12 films shown, I managed to catch only two, which will be reviewed here. I was actually quite surprised both was a full house.

# Ending Note: Death Of A Japanese Salesman (Endingu Noto) [2011]

Genre: Documentary

Directed By: Mami Sunada

The Story: A documentary which focuses on Tomoaki Sunada, who after working in the same company for 40 years retired at the age of 67. In 2010, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 abdominal cancer. His daughter records the final months of his life as he prepares his funeral and completes his of "To Do..." list.

The Verdict: I've always been fascinated with the concept of "Carpe diem", "Living life to the fullest", "Enjoying life's pleasures" and the such, although I rarely get to practice it now. The thing about death is it focuses one's perspective to the joy of life. We want to do what we've always desired to do. Interesting here is, most of Tomoaki's "To Do" list involves spending a lot of time with his family. The Japan Times named this 1 of the 10 Best Japanese Films in 2011, and it is very well deserved. This is a very heartfelt and touching feature. I don't think there was a single dry eye in the entire theatre by the end of the film.

Rating: 8 out of 10

# Ninja Kids!!! (Nintama Rantaro) [2011]

Directed By: Takashi Miike

Starring: Kato Seishiro, Kimuru Futa, Hayashi Roi, Miura Takahiro, Terajima Susumu

The Story: For generations, his family has been nothing but just low-ranking ninjas, so Rantaro (played by Kato Seishiro) is sent by his father to the Ninja Academy with the hope that he turns into the best ninja there is. The academy is full of eccentric characters and Rantaro strikes up a close relationship with Shinbei (played by Kimuru Futa) and Kirimaru (Hayashi Roi).

The Verdict: Based on the anime, Nintama Rantaro, and directed by Takashi Miike who is known for cult horror film Audition (Odishon) [1999] and also last year delivered the fantastic 13 Assassins (Jusan-nin no shikaku) [2011]. This film will probably distinguishably divide the camp that loves it with the ones that hate it. I actually experienced both feelings in abundance while watching it. The complete bizarreness and creepiness that only Japanese cinema can provide (see photo above for example) is sometimes too much for me to take. But then again there are plenty of hilarious moments and by large this is a very entertaining flick. Maybe the problem is I'm mostly not very used to the world of Japanese cinema and anime yet.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Movie Vault Review: Confessions Of A Superhero [2007]

2012-09-13T02:31:00.000+08:00

Background:

Year Of Release: 2007

Genre: Documentary

Directed By: Matthew Orgens

Starring: Christopher Dennis, Maxwell Allen, Jennifer Gehrt (Jennifer Wenger), Joe McQueen

Duration: 92 minutes

Thumbs Up:

+ Characters with very interesting personalities and back stories

+ The struggle to live the dream in Hollywood

Thumbs Down:

- Perhaps if there was a true conflict taking place, it would have taken this documentary up another notch

In A Nutshell / The Verdict Is In:

"Hollywood is a place where dreams are made and dreams are broken. Everybody and their mother wants that lead role," Christopher Dennis tells us early on. Well Confessions Of A Superhero is a documentary that shows us exactly that. Everyone that comes to Hollywood dreams of becoming a star but only a very few actually succeeds in doing that. Here we follow four people who dress-up as costumed characters (also known as "street performers") at Hollywood Boulevard and accepts tips for every photo taken by tourist with them. No one however actually is obliged to give them tips and the law prohibits them from charging people money for photos. The tips they receive can range from $5.95 a day to $200 or $300. They also cling on to the hope of making it big in Tinseltown by attending auditions every now and then.

Christopher Dennis, who resembles the actor who actually played Superman, Christopher Reeves is the unofficial leader of these street performers. He is a obsessed with The Man Of Steel and his house is full of Superman merchandises and posters, which he estimates is close to $1 Million in value. Christopher also considers himself a Superman historian and keeper of artefacts. We get to see that he is a heavy smoker when at home but keeps to a noble code of never doing so when in costume out in the public. He also claims to be the son of Oscar winning actress, Sandy Dennis. While Sandy's family acknowledges the fact that she was a very private and secretive person they do not believe she ever had a child. Also interesting about Christopher is that he lives with his girlfriend who is a PhD student in psychology.

Next we have a George Clooney look-a-like named Maxwell Allen, who dresses-up as Batman. This is a guy with anger management issues who keeps talking about a dark past doing dirty work for, in his words, "a very Italian" rich man in Texas. We get to see interviews from the other characters saying how hard it is for them to believe Max's stories. Even his own wife tells us that "his bark is worse than his bite" and perhaps only 50% of what he says is true. He boasts to having black belts in various martial arts and having weapons training. We then cut to a scene where he is attending a martial arts class and completely sucking at it. He also confesses to his therapist about leaving a huge body count in his past. I swear there was a moment where even the therapist carved-out a tiny smirk hearing Max's claims. In my opinion, anyone who has even little knowledge on body language can detect he is lying. Telling these stories while nervously touching ears, scracting hands, etc. How did he get out of his dark past? "Either you die or everybody else dies," he tells us. Apparently everyone else was killed and he was the last man standing. Suuuure.

We also have Jennifer Gehrt (now know as Jennifer Wenger), a former cheerleader who dresses-up as Wonder Woman. We get to see tension between her and her husband whom she married on a whim at Vegas. As this documentary progresses we get to see.... surprise, surprise... her move out of their house to live with her friend.

Finally we have Joe McQuinn, who puts on the costume of The Incredible Hulk. He arrived in Hollywood during the Rodney King riots and was homeless for four years. We get to see him get some good news as he is called to star in a movie called Finishing The Game: The Search For A New Bruce Lee [2007] directed by Justin Lin (whom of course now has recieved fame for Fast Five [2011] ).

Confessions Of A Superhero is a fascinating look into the lives of these flawed characters in Hollywood Boulevard. A quick look on Rotten Tomatoes shows only 12 reviews so far which means not many people have seen this. But it is interesting to mention that all 12 reviews list this as "Fresh" which results in an overall rating of 100%.

Selected Quote:

"Sure a doctor saves lives, but is he remembered? Is he there for all times, like, people are still talking about Marilyn Monroe. People are still talking about, you know, Elvis Presley. People in the entertainment business are forever here".

Rating:

7 out of 10

Movie Vault Review: A Few Good Men [1992]

2012-09-07T05:04:00.000+08:00

Background:

Year Of Release: 1992

Directed By: Rob Reiner

Written By: Aaron Sorkin

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Wolfgang Bodison, James Marshall

Duration: 138 minutes

In A Nutshell:

Two Marines, Lance Cpl. Harold Dawson (played by Wolfgang Bodison) and Pfc. Lowden Downey (played by James Marshall) are accused of the murder of a fellow Marine. Navy Lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee (played by Tom Cruise) is appointed to defend them. Kaffee is assited by Lt. Sam Weinberg (played by Kevin Pollak) and an Internal Affairs officer, Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Gallaway (played by Demi Moore). JoAnne is convinced that Dawson and Downey had acted under a "Code Red" order. This in turn results in their commanding officers, Colonel Nathan Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson) and Lt. Jonathan Kendrick (played by Kiefer Sutherland) brought into the picture. The prosecutor for the case is Kaffee's friend Capt. Jack Ross (played by Kevin Bacon).

Thumbs Up:

+ Some of the best dialogues and verbal sparring in cinematic history

+ Majestic performances from Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise which is backed by solid exploits from the supporting cast: Demi Moore, Kevin Pollak, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kevin Bacon

+ Engaging characters on display

+ Riveting story which brings up some pretty interesting questions for debate

Thumbs Down:

- The musical score could have been better <--- nitpicking at its grandest. I just needed an excuse for this section

The Verdict Is In:

Recently I have been completely obsessed with the legal show on TV, Suits [2011 - ] which has just completed its second season. One of the many aspects from that show that has me hooked is its characters constantly quoting and referencing various movies. One episode had two characters bonding (and feeling attraction) with each other after a few quote exchanges from this very movie that is being reviewed, A Few Good Men.

But that's exactly what this movie's strong point is... it's a quote-lover's heaven. Long before Aaron Sorkin wowed audiences with his verbal prowess in The Social Network [2010] or TV show, The West Wing [1999-2006], he wrote this powerful courtroom drama. To the regular readers here... yes the tiny handful of you, let's face it, this seems like a perfect match. Because, one, movie lovers like us just adore quotes, and two, as bloggers, we have an affinity with words.

The performances are genuinely amazing while the story compelling. It gets better after repeat viewings as we can see exactly how Tom Cruise's character provokes Jack Nicholson to explode. Yes, the Cruiser. No matter what controversy happens in his private life, I still regard him as one of the better actors when on screen. This performance is just one other evidence.

Rob Reiner has directed a lot of movies that I enjoyed like Stand By Me [1986], When Harry Met Sally [1989], Misery [1990] and The Princess Bride [1987]. Heck, I've even adored his recent feature, Flipped [2010]. But assisted immensely by Sorkin's screenplay and strong performance from the cast, A Few Good Men is Reiner's true masterpiece! Now, have I made myself clear? .....Crystal!

Selected Quote:

Rating:

9 out of 10

Express Reviews: Premium Rush, ParaNorman, The Pirates! Band Of Misfits

2012-09-03T22:06:00.000+08:00

I originally didn't want to review these following films but since the number of my monthly posts have been steadily declining, I decided to do a striped-down version (as if my reviews weren't already short enough... I believe in letting people know as little as possible before seeing a film) and combine three movies into one post.

# Premium Rush [2012]

Directed By: David Koepp

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez, Jamie Chung, Wole Parks

The Story: Manhattan bike messenger, Wilee (played by JosephGordon-Levitt) picks up an envelope but soon discovers that he is being pursued for the contains of that envelope by a guy named Bobby Monday (played by Michael Shannon).

The Verdict: Exhillarating and adrenalin-pumping feature that keeps us on the edge of our seats. Joseph Gordon-Levitt shows us why he is one of the most seeked-out actors working in Hollywood today. I'm pretty sure CGI was used to create the traffic action scenes, but it was barely noticeable, the way CGI should be. Director David Koepp does a nice job in visualising the way Wilee sees traffic and how he plays out various situations in his head. Predictable and illogical in some parts, but still acceptable. Oh, I hear there's an after-credits scene too. I missed it, but no, I don't think Nick Fury was involved!

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

# ParaNorman [2012]

Directed By: Chris Butler, Sam Fell

Starring (voice): Kodi Smith-Mcphee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Bernard Hill

The Story: Norman Babcock (voiced by Kodi Smith-Mcphee) is a young boy who can see and interact with spirits of the dead. Because of this he is marginalised by society, and to make matters worse, by his family too. His ability however is needed to save the town from a long standing curse.

The Verdict: Beautifully animated with a very interesting story. I particularly like the underlying message about being afraid of people that are different. Ghosts and curses are used to convey that message and provides the emotional core of the story. The final third however takes a turn in direction that I thought was unnecessary. I feel the jokes were supposed to be funny, but somehow I wasn't really laughing. I do suspect however this was largely contributed by me being dragged to see this after work despite feeling extremely exhausted and sleepy.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

# The Pirates! Band Of Misfits [2012]

Directed By: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt

Starring (voice): Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek

The Story: The Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) has always had one major dream: to win The Pirate Of The Year Award. He however is nowhere as good as rivals Black Bellamy (voiced by Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (voiced by Salma Hayek). But an encounter with Charles Darwin (voiced by David Tennant) gives him the opportunity to finally do so: by entering The Scientist Of The Year Awards.

The Verdict: Once again stunning use of stop-motion animation. This has to be one of the most funniest films I've seen so far this year, with Darwin's sidekick ape deserving a special mention. I love Brave [2012], but The Pirates! Band Of Misfits must be the favourite to win Best Animation at awards season it seems.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: The Possesion [2012]

2012-08-30T18:00:00.000+08:00

Background:

Date Of Release: 30 August 2012 (Malaysia), 31 August 2012 (USA)

Directed By: Ole Bornedal

Written By: Juliet Snowden, Stiles White

Starring: Natasha Calis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Madison Davenport, Matisyahu

Duration: 92 minutes

In A Nutshell:

Supposedly based on a true story. Clyde (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Stephanie (played by Kyra Sedgwick) are recently divorced and share responsibilities of taking care of their two daughters, Hannah (played by Madison Davenport) and Em (played by Natasha Calis). The youngest of the siblings, Em purchases an antique wooden box at a yard sale and soon after her behaviour starts to change and weird things begin to happen. It turns out that the box contains a dibbux, a trapped spirit that devours it's human host once released from the box.

Thumbs Up:
+ A few creepy moments
+ Doesn't rely (not heavily at least) on loud music and cheap shocks
+ Hey, I've actually seen most of those Youtube videos on exorcism that Jeffrey Dean Morgan researches (the first one I'm certain is from my country)
+ There's a scene that reminds everyone not to use your mobile phone while driving (unless hands-free). Nice Public Service Reminder. (the last two thumbs-up are unnecessary but I'm struggling for more positives)
Thumbs Down:
- Mostly predictable
- Nothing truly terrifying or menacing happens
- Despite clear intentions of adding depth to the characters, we don't really share their suffering
- Your cheerful, nerdy, and animal loving vegetarian daughter suddenly starts to look like the photos above and below, while also developing rage problems, and you just voice to someone else "do you notice something strange about Em?". Du-uh! Oh, right. I forgot. She's a teenage girl.

The Verdict Is In:
There's a few creepy moments to give you goosebumps but just when the tension starts to build, the scene ends without anything really terrifying happening. Victim of the PG-13 rating perhaps? Maybe in a way it could have benefited from having a cheap shock scene or two. I also found this flick rather predictable. At first I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt and put it down to me being an experienced movie-goer (yeah right!), but then again I haven't really watched many horror films.

I don't think its a bad movie, but in no way will it be a classic. Mind you, this is supposedly based on a true story. There was an actual dibbux box sold on eBay complete with its description and the horrific experience of the seller. You could read part of the story here. Whether true or not, I actually think that story is far more interesting, as is the title "Dibbux Box"
Rating:
6 out of 10

List: 10 Favourite Interrogation Scenes

2012-08-28T02:03:00.000+08:00

After a real hectic couple of weeks for me at both work and home, I finally got a break during the past few days to recharge myself. This also means that at long last I've managed to see a few movies and work on this particular post that I've had in mind for quite a some time. So here it is, My 10 Favourite Interrogation Scenes.

Since some films have quite a few numbers of interrogations, I'll be limiting my list to just one scene per movie. I'd like to say in advance that they'll be no scene from The Usual Suspects [1995] here since I'm from the minority of people that didn't enjoy the film. I predicted its "twist" very early on too. Furthermore, I regrettably confess to not yet seeing L.A. Confidential [1997], although I do hear that it has a good interrogation sequence.

#10 "You're Abusing This Exercise!" ~ The Recruit [2003]

CIA trainees at "The Farm" are put through an interrogation exercise by instructor Walter Burke (played by Al Pacino). "A good interrogator can also soften a subject", Burke says. "Knock 'em off balance, make 'em vulnerable. Never know what you might get. So... fire at will". He then pairs trainees Clayton (played by Colin Farrell) and Layla (played by Bridget Moynahan) together. Clayton who was still upset by being deceived by Layla the previous night at a club, asks some very damaging questions (see below):

Selected Quote: "You said you wanted to go home and have comfort sex. Did you?"

#9 "Hit The Pause Button, Quick!!" ~ Basic Instinct [1992]

Catherine Tramell (played by Sharon Stone) is a suspect for a murder. During the interrogation, she makes ~~one of~~ the most popular leg-crosses in cinematic history. Manipulative? Certainly. That's why she was in my 15 Favourite Female Villains list.

Selected Quote: John Correli: "Have you ever engaged in any sadomasochistic activity?" Catherine Tramell: "Exactly what did you have in mind, Mr. Correli?"

#8 "I Guess He Won't Be Having Children Then..." ~ Casino Royale [2006]

The captive and tortured James Bond (played by Daniel Craig) is being questioned by baddie, Le Chiffre (played by Mads Mikkelsen). To get Bond talking, Le Chiffre uses an *ahem* unconventional technique = whipping Bond in the balls!

Selected Quote: (Laughing) "Now the whole world will know you died scratching my balls"

#7 "Torture You? That's A Good Idea" ~ Reservoir Dogs [1992]

"I've already told you I don't know anything about any fucking setup. You can torture me all you want." <-- Extremely poor choice of words there. Left alone with the cop, that is exactly what Mr. Blonde (played by Michael Madsen) did. The cop lost a part of his body as Mr. Blonde enjoyed the tune of Steelers Wheel - Stuck In The Middle With You.

Selected Quote: "I don't give a good fuck what you know, or don't know. But I'm gonna torture you anyway, regardless. Not to get information. It's amusing, to me, to torture, a cop"

#6 "Weapon Of Choice? A Hammer!" ~ Drive [2011]

The first time I saw Drive [2011], I thought it was a completely awesome movie and also one of my favourites of that year. Having said that, my fondness for the film has grown with time and it is now in my best ever list. The unnamed driver (played by Ryan Gosling) is just so cool. In this scene he confronts middle-man, Cook (played by James Biberi) armed with just a hammer and single bullet.

Selected Quote: (Shows bullet) "Do you remember this?"

#5 "Oh, I'm Sorry. Did I break your concentration?" ~ Pulp Fiction [1994]

Come on, how many people are not familiar with this scene? With the many parodies and fan-arts, you're probably familiar with it even if you've never seen the film. Jules Winnfield (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) go to retrieve a briefcase from Brett (played by Frank Whaley) in his apartment. Leave it to Quentin Tarantino to come up with a scene like this.

Selected Quote: " 'What' ain't no country I've ever heard of. They speak English in 'what' ?"

#4 "Where Is The Rabbit's Foot?" ~ Mission: Impossible III [2006]

Extremely intense opening scene of the film. Owen Davian (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) threatens to kill Ethan Hunt's (played by Tom Cruise) newly-wedded wife, Julia (played by Michelle Monaghan). Knowing there's nothing he can do, Ethan starts by bargaining, then lying, then threatening, and then finally pleading. Awesome performance by both the always impressive Hoffman, and also by Tom Cruise.

Selected Quote: "Listen to me. Listen to me. I want to help you. I want to help you get whatever you want. But you got to do what's right. What you know is right"

#3 "You're Part Eggplant!" ~ True Romance [1993]

You've probably noticed a recurring theme on this list. Although this movie was directed by the late Tony Scott, it was written by none other than Quentin Tarantino. Not his first work on the list and also not his last (see #2). Consigned to defeat, Clifford Worley (played by Dennis Hopper) tells the story of how Sicilians were spawaned by niggers to Vicenzo Coccotti (played by Christopher Walken). Only Tarantino could have written what started out as an intense and brutal interrogation with lessons on lying into thoughts to ponder on. Great acting is on display as we watch the facial gestures on Walken as he reacts to the story.

Selected Quote: "Sicilians are great liars. The best in the world. I'm Sicilian. My father was the world heavy-weight champion of Sicilian liars. From growing up with him I learned the pantomime. There are seventeen different things a guy can do when he lies to give himself away"

#2 "Rats, Squirrels, & Delicious Milk" ~ Inglourious Basterds [2009]

Col. Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz) confronts Perrier LePadite (played by Denis Menochet) and his family in a calm manner. Once again excellent writing from the great auteur know as Quentin Tarantino while Christoph Watlz puts up a performance that completely dominated (deservedly so, too) at the awards season.

Selected Quote: "Monsier LaPadite, to both your family and your cows, I say: Bravo!"

#1 "I'm Just Ahead Of The Curve" ~ The Dark Knight [2008]

One of the best performances by any actor in history is on display here in the form of The Joker (played by Heath Ledger). First confronted by Commissioner Gordon (played by Gary Oldman) and then Batman (played by Christian Bale), The Joker shows that they have nothing to leverage him on. A truly majestic scene!

Selected Quote: "Don't talk like you're one of them. You're not! Even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak. Like me! They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out, like a leper! You see, their morals, their code, its a bad joke. Dropped at the first sight of trouble"

**********HONOURABLE MENTION**********

# "The Power Of The Force" ~ Star Wars: A New Hope [1977]

I'm a Star Wars geek so I just had to include this one. Confronted by stormtropers about the droids (R2-D2 & C-3PO) they were carrying, Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness) uses his Jedi mind-tricks on the stormtroopers, much to the amazement of the watching Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill).

Selected Quote: "These are not the droids you're looking for..."