What a cracking film! I was absorbed from start to finish. The film has a number of good twists to keep the audience interested. Tom Cruise stars, but he is NOT the hero. Instead he is a victim of circumstances. The attempts to escape by Cruise and his two offspring lead us through a world at risk and with no answer, as conventional weapons are useless against the machines. Tom Cruise is also powerless to stop them "taking over the world". It is only a quirk of nature that finally prevents this Armageddon! (You need to see the film or read the book - I do not want to spoil the ending).
The film's special effects are great and director, Steven Spielberg, builds up a wonderfully bleak landscape against which Cruise and his family dodge the machines. Dakota Fanning is superb as Cruise's wide-eyed and frightened daughter, while Tim Robbins puts in a wonderful cameo as a crazed ex-veteran hiding from the machines and planning ways of fighting them.
Spielberg has managed to breathe life into a story that has been filmed on cinema and TV (not forgetting Orson Welles' radio masterpiece) many times before. A must for science fiction fans, but also a great movie for a wider audience.
Based on the French film Nikita this is one Hollywood remake that is actually better than the original - its better made, has better acting and character development.
Bridget Fonda is Maggie, a girl who's made some bad choices and practically given up on life until it's about to be taken away from her. Forced to become a secret government assassin or face the death penalty she is codenamed Nina for her love of Nina Simone (the soundtrack led to me falling in love with Nina S too). Maggie/Nina begins a new life in Venice Beach. The filmography is spectacular here (and this is where the soundtrack really lifts off). Maggie falls in love with the first guy who is nice to her (the first guy who hasn't abused her or her situation) - JD, a photographer, but of course she has to keep up her missions, her secrets and the more she falls for him the harder it becomes for her. Maggie doesn't want to kill, but theres no going back.
The story appeals to both guys and girls and either sex will engage with the story.
Bridget Fonda gives the performance of a lifetime, I quickly fell for "Maggie". There are several high brow supporting actors, not least Gabriel Bryne, Anne Bankcroft and Harvey Kietel who all give great performances - Anne especially.
Buy or rent? = Buy. I've lost count how often I watched this now, but its one of those films that I still enjoy despite many repeated viewings, probably because it appeals on so many levels.
One of the best sitcoms produced in the States. The chemistry between all the cast works really well. The scripts are one of the best in recent years. Fair superior to Joey. Season two is even better.
This DVD was very interesting to see how we lived in the past and how things have moved on in these few years.We are very fortunate that these films were discovered before they were destroyed. the DVD is well documented and put together. Brilliant.
I don't watch horror films. They scare me. But recently I was on a long flight and this was the ONLY thing to watch, apart from news recorded in about 1894. And amazingly, I really enjoyed it. Impressive special effects, interesting plot, Keanu Reeves for the ladies, it was all good. And the reason I enjoyed it so much? I simply don't believe in angels and demons, in exorcism and in heaven and hell, and that's what Constantine is al, about. I didn't worry about all this happening to me (my usual downfall with horror) but just let the film do the driving.
Constantine IS a bit like a great drive; it's clever, it's fast, it's got twists and turns, it's modern AND it includes an anti-smoking campaign. There's a bit of suspense, a bit of horror, a bit of violence, and it's GREAT.
The ultimate chapter in the Star Wars Saga! Or so it should be. The beginning is explosive and the end is tragic, and I am referring to the poor dialogue in particular. It is a shame that a film with the heritage of the Star Wars' name has fallen apart due to George Lucas' poor script-writing skills, the redeeming points of this film are the action and acting of Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine, other than that it is a generic film, because of our memory of the original trilogy this film will be better than worse, but this is the case where the cover makes the book interesting.
This film version of the Douglas Adams classic book pays homage to the original BBC Series. There are cameo roles for some of the original cast, most notably, the original Arthur Dent and Marvin the Paranoid Android.
The script stays true to Douglas Adam's writing style, which is comic, rich and verbose. I think this is where the catch is, however. The Hollywood treatment is slightly at odds with the style of the books. I find myself constantly comparing this movie to the original TV series and the BBC Radio Series. It is not all unfavourable but, for me, it just doesn't quite excell.
This film is good but not great!
If you"re a Blade fan, then you won"t be disappointed by this final instalment to the trilogy. What constitutes its success in my opinion is the new blood they"ve drafted in to give this film a lighter feel than it"s predecessors.
I think the addition of new characters was not only good thinking, but necessary, because the eponymous character, Blade (Wesley Snipes) while always rather wooden in that obligatory superhero manner, has become seriously two-dimensional by this stage.
The real scene-stealer in Blade Trinity is Ryan Reynolds, whose deft comic timing adds a laugh-out-loud humour which was missing form the first two films, and works very well. (Plus, he"s got a body which doubles as a work of art, ladies!). Jessica Biel is as gorgeous as ever; making a count of two indisputably "beautiful people" as new cast members and let"s face it, the attractive are always good to watch!
Parker Posey makes an excellent villain. She"s had some interesting roles in her time, and I always prefer her playing nasty characters with that tongue-in-cheek edge she does so well (eg. Dazed and Confused) to lighter comic fluff. The rapport between her and Reynolds is very entertaining.
We"ve even got the stalwart Kris Kristofferson thrown in to the mix, to add some continuity to the trilogy.
I"d class this as very good entertainment. The mix of old and new blood works really well, a pleasant surprise, as it could easily have gone horribly wrong. What really makes this movie is the element of comedy thrown in to temper the darkness. It"s nice to see a finale which isn"t just a re-hashing of the first two films, a la the very disappointing Matrix Revolutions.
Fast paced. Exciting American drama. Based around Sydney Bristow's life as a spy.
Awful!
Well Over-rated!
The books are bad but this is atrocious
IT IS HILLARIOUS!
A MUST WATCH FILM!
You have to see Kevin James 'Albert' try to dance its the funniest thing i have ever seen.
There are numerous fantastic songs and Gene Wilder is awesome as the legendary Willy Wonka
Not many films can deliver as much critical acclaim as it does commercial success, but The Graduate is not like many films. The lead charcter (Ben) has just graduated and has returned home looking for direction and purpose in his life, not quite sure if the path he is following is the one he actually wants. Set against the backdrop of 1967 suburbian middle-class America, The Graduate tells a compelling story of a boy's graduation to manhood and all that it entails. Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft) uses Ben to alleviate the boredom in her own life, and in some small way recapture the essence of her lost youth. As with all great stories people change as do situationstoo, and when Mrs Robinson's daughter (Katherine Cross) comes onto the scene, Ben discovers clarity in his thoughts and a genuine purpose. Moments of great comedy intertwined with heartfelt drama and empathy of lives lost in direction, make this film a classic cinematic piece. Bubble-wrapped in a haunting Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack, this film defined a generation and set the benchmark for great comedy dramas.
Jez and Mark are two very strange individuals who have ended up sharing the same flat. Their collective oddness manifests itself in original and hilarious circumstances, at times so cringeworthy, that some viewers will be watching it through their fingers.
Jez is a wannabe popstar, whose delusions of grandeur are matched only by his absence of achievements in life. Mark is a man hopelessly bereft of social skills, whose time is almost entirely spent in pursuit of his ideal woman, work colleague Sophie.
This is comedy at its simplest, which unfortunately is lost on some. The rest, however, I gurantee will love it.
What can I say about this film that hasn't already been said. It's Brilliant, extremely Visual and very innovative (as Cocteau always is). It appears to be that Cocteau's adaptation of Beauty & The Beast is by far the best. The film starts off in a very dream like effect with the Broke Merchant and his 1 son and 3 daughters. One of the Daughters keeps getting badly used and mistreat by the other 2 daughters and when one day the merchant is out hunting, he discovers a strange castle in the distance and decides to enter it. He notices the owner of the castle is a 'Beast' and the Beast sentences him to death (as he has magical powers) but the ploy of the narrative is that the badly abused daughter risks her life for her dad and becomes involved with the beast. She realises that he is not as evil as he looks but more of a comforting and gentle creature that has been isolated and hidden from the world. Like most of Cocteau's films, they are very staged and have a strong dream like quality (which makes the fairy tale even more enchanting). Definately a 10/10. Ranks among the 'Classics' in the whole history of cinema.
One of the best horror/thriller films that you are likely to see. Unmissable!!! A simple concept of a film, which provides a thought provoking plot, an outstanding debut film by the directors on such a low budget. You have to have this in your dvd collection.
Rob Zombie's HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES starts promisingly, with a night time car journey through the desolate rural town of Rugsville for Jerry, Denise, Mary and Bill (Chris Hardwick, Erin Daniels, Jennifer Jostyn, and Rainn Wilson, respectively).
It"s October 30th and the crew stop at a gas station, run by Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) who ekes extra cash from passing motorists by serving them fried chicken and conducting tours via a "Murder Ride" in an adjoining "Museum of Monsters and Madmen" ("You like blood, violence, freaks of nature?"). The ride recounts the history of the region"s serial killers, who include Albert Fish, Ed Gein, and local psycho Dr. Satan who was hanged for maiming and killing hundreds of mental patients in an attempt to create a race of super-humans.
No sooner have they left Spaulding"s museum the foursome pick up a sexy hitchhiker called Baby (played by Zombie"s partner Sheri Moon), who asks for a lift to her nearby home in order to avoid getting drowned in the torrential rainstorm that has broken out. As they near Baby"s house, an unseen gunman blasts their car tyres, but the do-gooders simply mistake the gunshot as a blow out. Baby insists that they take refuge with her family in the house whilst her brother fixes the vehicle. Unfortunately her family, consisting of Mother Firefly (Karen Black), Otis (Bill Moseley), Grampa Hugo (the late Dennis Fimple), and Tiny (Mathew McGrory), turn out to be psychopathic serial killers, whose methods of murder are as twisted as anything served up in Spaulding"s museum. Will our heroes escape or overcome their tormentors?
The film's gory highlights are somewhat diluted by the director"s insistence at flaunting every camera-trick he can think of, gleaned from a series of workman-like music videos filmed for the likes of "Dragula" and "Superbeast", that include split-screen, jump cuts, the splicing in of both positive and negative camcorder footage, (much of it shot in the director"s own basement), scratching, double exposure, montage, slow motion and sped up footage.
Editing of the finished product is pretty haphazard; flashback sequences are thrust into proceedings at every turn, which have the effect of dispelling any build up of tension that the film may have achieved. The fear factor is also absent, primarily due to some dumb character interaction scripted by Zombie, and unchecked performances by the likes of Jennifer Jostyn, and Rainn Wilson resulting in the victims failing to engage audience sympathy.
Despite all this, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES isn"t a total disaster. The film contains some of the best set design that I"ve ever seen in a horror movie, and the sequences concerning Spaulding"s Murder Ride, and a black and white introductory segment involving fictional television horror host by the name of Doctor Wolfenstein (played by the film"s set designer, Gregg Gibbs), serve as a nostalgic trip back to the early 70s when carnival style horror houses, ghost trains, spook shows, and late night television genuinely thrilled audiences instead of just reeling in the bucks with scant regard for their relative entertainment factor. The cinematography by Tom Richmond and Alex Poppas is also to be congratulated, especially since many of the outdoor location shots involve darkened rain-filled skies, filming of which are notoriously difficult.
So, is the film worth seeing? Well, provided you don"t go expecting too much in the way of shocks, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES is the perfect Halloween accompaniment: pumpkins aplenty, continuous lightning storms, assorted spooky visuals, and Amanda Friedland"s fabulous costume designs, ensure the film, like Spaulding"s Murder Ride, is a fear-packed journey.
Fantastic film!!
Ricki Lake what can I say? She makes big beautiful!!
A MUST SEE!!
If I were to summarise 'Birth' in one word, it would be "appalling". Seriously, it's been a while since I've endured such an abysmal exuse for film-making.
I have no qualms with the basic premise of the plot, which I think showed huge potential. What a shame then, that it failed on such a grand scale.
Two of the most essential ingredients of any narrative are a good story and some convincing, engaging characters. 'Birth' failed to deliver on both these counts. Firstly, the narrative was turgid at best. A slow pace at times is acceptable in a good film which warrants our attention, such as many of Scorcese's. When it is simply drawing out a terrible film, it's just adding insult to injury.
Secondly I'll draw attention to what is, in my view, the most fundamental flaw in the film. The character of the young-boy-dead-husband-reincarnate (central to the film) was utterly unconvincing, thus rendering the rest of the narrative just as inconceivable. The character failed to convince on one major level; complete lack of emotion. Arriving on the scene and announcing in monotone 'I am your dead husband', coldly presenting evidence of this in the manner of a robot; these are not the actions of a man back from the dead trying to contact his beloved wife. Surely he would be filled with passion and emotion, unable to contain it?! We see the confusion and frustration of the child at times, but never a glimpse of the emotions of the man-ghost using his body.
This astonishing lack of emotion cannot be blamed on a bad performance from the actor Cameron Bright either, for we have seen his skills at work in both 'The Butterly Effect' and 'Godsend' (both excellent films by the way). So one can only assume that the Director actually intended for this bizarre characterisation. Inexplicable!
Poor Nicole tries her best, but there's really not much for her to work with in this film, and so it ends up being akin to 'Stepford Wives'; among her very worst work.
Anne Heche is a favourite of mine (especially in 'Return to Paradise' and 'John Q'), but again, there is no room for her character to develop to a point where we can care. Her role is as an ex-lover of the dead husband, but unfortunately for Heche this secondary plot is barely developed or explained, rendering it yet another example of how it's almost impossible to emotionally invest in any of the film's characters.
Given the numerous flaws in the narrative, the naked bathtub scene between the two leads seems both unneccessary and quite frankly disturbing.
If you want to watch a convincing portrayal of a husband back from the dead to seek out his wife, watch the hugely underrated 'Chances Are' featuring a young Cybil Shepard and Robert Downey Jr. This comedy/drama is entirely more lighthearted, yet, ironically, it manages to portray the sadness and poignancy of the scenario to great effect, where 'Birth's' attempts to do this end in bleak failure.
Utterley insane!
As long as you NEVER expect this to make sense you'll love it! I think it's great, I'm a huge fan of Bill Bailey anyway, and so was really glad to hear that he was actually going to be staring in this!
The episodes are great, out of three series I can't think of an episode that I don't like, which is quite an achievement, although I obviously do have favourites. The holiday being one of them! Also look out for some excellent cameos.
Some of the extras have to be seen to be believed, from outakes that show that all three actors are genuinely funny and prove that Dylan Moran (Bernard) isn't quite as miserable as he makes out. To the ultimately bizarre Black Dolls, in which an episode is enacted using little doll things!
I'd recommend this to anyone, so much so that despite owning my own copy, I'm now about to buy a copy for a boyfriend before he wears mine out!
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