freakyfriend2001
http://www.flixster.com/user/freakyfriend2001
| Name | Ross Miller |
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| Gender | Male |
| I'm From | Newarthill, Scotland. |
| Member For | 724 days |
| Last Login | Thu. May 15 |
| Profile Views | 7994 |
| Age | 19 |
| MCT Score |
- Skins Created (45)
| Movie: | Pulp Fiction, Donnie Darko, Fight Club, Reservoir Dogs, Memento, Oldboy, City of God, Citizen Kane, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Taxi Driver, Psycho, Rear Window, Mulholland Drive, The Shawshank Redemption, Die Hard, Blue Velvet |
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| Actor: | Samuel L.Jackson, Christian Bale, Edward Norton, Robert De Niro, Kevin Spacey, Steve Buscemi, James Stewart, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt, Naomi Watts, Laura Dern, Al Pacino, Laura Linney, Denzel Washington |
| Director: | Quentin Tarantino, David Lynch, Alfred Hitchcock, The Coen Brothers, Stanley Kubrick, Takashi Miike, Chan-wook Park, Robert Rodriguez, David Fincher, Michel Gondry, Tony Scott, Tim Burton, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan |
| Quote: | "A feature film is twenty-four lies per second." - Michael Haneke |
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Hi and welcome to the profile of one of the world's avid film fans. I basically live for films. I watch them when and as often as I possibly can. I have loved them ever since I can remember and the passion has just grown more and more over the years as I have become more aware of what's out there.
I am a fan of all types of film; from emotionally impacting dramas such as The Shawshank Redemption, Taxi Driver and The Godfather to comedy masterpieces such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Annie Hall. I love action, thrillers, epics, horror, sci-fi, mystery, gangster films and almost every other type in existence. Over the past year or so I also have become passionate about foreign cinema, in particular Asian cinema, and recently have discovered all the great films from before the 70's of which without them we would not have what we have today. I am, always have been and most definitely always will be a devoted film fan. Please check out my list (My Favourite Movies) at the right of the page to see what my Top 100 movies of all time are. Let me know what you think. DVD Collection My movie review website - Movie World Top 10 Films of 2007 I also write for the following websites: Blog Critics Movie Film Review    |
Ross' Recent Reviews
Misery
R
"Stephen King's brilliant novel Misery seemed one that couldn't be adapted in any sort of satisfying way. The amount of precision and detail contained in the writing of it seem as though any attempt to transfer it onto the silver screen would be an exercise in disappointing futility. However, director Rob Reiner has satisfyingly and successfully adapted book to screen, resulting in one of the most thrilling and suspenseful movies out there."
Full Review Here
Eye For An Eye
R
"There are countless films available out there that have the same general premise, structure, and outcome as Eye for an Eye. Starting with how things go from silly to sillier to silliest, to the overacting and everything unremarkable in between, this film is, like a lot of movies, guilty of these crimes. But just because others are similar in nature doesn't excuse its wrongdoings."
Full Review Here
Speed Racer (2008)
PG
"There's no doubting the sheer visual wonder that Speed Racer has to offer. It's a kaleidoscope gone insane, from its opening frame of bright clothing and pin-sharp background to its colour-blur race sequences; it's a candy store for the eyes and brain. And although it took me a fair amount of the film's first half to get used to its overall mentality I must admit it eventually won me over."
Full Review Here
Doomsday
R
"Doomsday, from writer/director Neil Marshall, is the kind of film that is there to simply fill up an empty slot pre-summer blockbuster season, a film that takes a well trodden story, adds nothing much new to it and throws in a big-budget and a course of ridiculous scenes resulting a mediocre and throwaway couple of hours. "
Full Review Here
Iron Man
PG-13
"The calendar may still say it's spring but the summer blockbuster season has officially kicked off with the latest from the Marvel Universe Iron Man. Similar to other films based on characters from that world it looked great, from it's posters to it's well put together trailers. But unlike those which have previously disappointed and generally sucked; Iron Man delivers, even if it's not as you'd expect."
Full Review Here
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
R
"The Apatow comedy train left the station with the absolutely hilarious The 40 Year Old Virgin, stopping at the good but nothing overly great Knocked Up, the disappointing Superbad and the throwaway Drillbit Taylor. The next stop is Forgetting Sarah Marshall, an improvement on the last three efforts but not quite reaching the same level as the initial one."
Full Review Here
Ross' Favorite Movies
1.
Pulp Fiction
R
This is my favourite movie of all time. It has everything a movie should and more. Fantastic acting, directing, screenplay and greatly developed characters. I am an massive fan of Quentin Tarantino and he certainly delivers here. The movie contains some of the most memorable moments in movie history including the Ezekiel 25:17 speech given by Jules Winnfield played by the amazing Samuel L. Jackson and the well known Royale with Cheese quote. The cast of this movie is utterly fantastic and they work together like no other cast I have ever seen. You haven't lived if you haven't seen Pulp Fiction and I suggest you definetly do if you haven't already. This movie is in my opinion the greatest movie in history it would be lost without it. *Number 1 in my Top 100 list*
2.
Donnie Darko
R
Being that this is my second favourite movie of all time, of course I absolutely loved everything about it. There was just something that got me hooked the first time I saw it and ever since each viewing has just made it better and better, and you definitely don't feel as confused with it. Jake Gyllenhall plays someone who is a lot younger than he actually was in real life when he filmed it. But he pulls it off well and you don't for a second know that he isn't that age. And I must say he gives an utterly fantastic performance. He really does put across anger, innocence, confusion and ultimitely acceptance in his performance; things that I all felt at some point or other during the movie. Who'd have thought that a film about a six-foot tall bunny rabbit mysteriously causing someone to avoid his death then tell him that the world is going to end in a month would work; but it does. I have went over and over what the message or conclusion to the film is and I still cn't completely get it. But after watching it multiple times I have started to understand it a lot more. So Donnie Darko is my favourite film of all time (after Pulp Fiction of course). Richard Kelley does a fantastic job with his first ever film and I only wish him the best of luck with whatever he has lined up. Well done.
3.
Fight Club
R
This movie is utterly fantastic. Spectacular performances from Brad Pitt and Edward Norton and it contains one of the greatest plot twists in film history. It is directed by the fantastic David Fincher, director of Se7en and Panic Room. The movie is definetly a man's movie and is directed in a very gritty way which I couldn't see it being otherwise. If you want a great mind-bending, brutal and fantastically thrilling movie with a flabbergasting plot twist then you need to look no further than Fight Club.
4.
Reservoir Dogs
R
This movie was spectacular in my eyes. It was Quentin Tarantino's first movie that he wrote and directed, which suprised me because of how brilliant it is. The acting is fantastic and very believable even if the storyline is a bit farfetched at parts. The dialogue grips you at every word that is said and is accompanied with unique and gripping direction. This movie is definetly one of the best movies of all time in my book and definetly will be remembered.
5.
Memento
R
One of the most original and best films ever made. It's overwhelming demand to watch it a second time is very clear here. The first viewing is very confusing but you just know that it is something special. But as you watch it again (and again) it just gets better every time, you always get something new from it; you always notice something you didn't before. Guy Pierce gives us a fantastic performance as he takes us through his confusing but none the less amazing tale of a frustrating memory problem and tying to find his wife's killer. Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors working in cinema today and with such amazing following films as Batman Begins and The Presitge; he is a force to be reckoned with. Fresh, inventive and enthrolling; this film will have you in awe the whole and afterwards. It's backwards style is not only highly original and well executed; it strangely works better than most films that appear in the right order. Right up until the end you are left wondering what order everything happened in; then the end just ties it together and the story just 'clicks'; even if the end is the start (confusing I know) This is an interesting, fresh and original film on all accounts. Brilliantly executed and with a fantastic script and performances; this is one of the best films ever made. *Number 5 in my Top 100 list*
6.
The Shawshank Redemption
R
An absolutely masterpiece. Quite possibly one of, if not THE greatest film of all time. A spectacular accomplishment on all accounts. Never have I been so moved by a film in my whole life. The acting here is simply stunning; Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne to the very best of his ability and I don't think anyone else could have played this part. Morgan Freeman gives a phenominal performance as Andy's friend, Red. Utterly enthrolling withm his usual, ever listenable voice narrating the already wonderful film. The rest of the supporting cast is flawless; from Bob Gunton's steely and remorseless warden to Clancy Brown's evil prison guard. They got it spot on with the casting; they just seem to work so well together in making the film a brilliant one. I have never read the book by Stephen King in which this is based on so I have no point of referance when it comes to comparing. But this adaptation can't have been too far off the mark.
Ross' Movie Scrapbook
Ross' Talk
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Julie (Administrator)posted 2 days ago -
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I recommend you see...
Atonement
by GaryAfter hearing a few less than glowing reviews I was a bit jubious about this one, but it turned out to be pretty beautiful. An epic love story with some beautiful cinematography and solid acting throughout. Tragic and endearing in a very British way. Perhaps overrated and the sneaky ending was a very dirty trick, but the hopeless romantic in me saw past all that. And the Dunkirk scene.... WOW! Briony truly deserves to be one of the most hated characters in recent movie history. Wish I'd read the book first.
The Oscar contender that couldn't is actually a pretty amazing little British film that turns ageing romantics like me to mush.
More hardened viewers may find themselves looking at their watches alot.... Up to you!posted 3 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Hero
by JackThe first foreign film I've watched. And it certainly won't be the last.
Plot: In feudal China, the King of Qin is waging a bloody campaign to conquer the entire land. He has been made a target of three dangerous assassins: spear-wielding Sky, and the lovers Broken Sword and Flying Snow. One day word comes that he has nothing left to fear; a prefect known only as Nameless has killed all three assassins. Nameless is called to the palace and asked to recount the tale of how he accomplished this amazing feat. After he tells his story, however, the King notices some flaws in it.
Doesn't sound like a film I would enjoy, seeing the plot. But, the way it was performed was flawless.
A true masterpiece. Even if you do have to watch like a deaf person.Most of you on my friends list have seen this, and the review sucks. But whatever.
posted 3 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Iron Man
by IlyaIron Man (2008)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges"Tony Stark: [reading the newspaper] Iron Man? That's kinda catchy"Tony Stark is a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armour and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armour and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.
Iron Man was touted to be a good film from the start, but boy; I didn't expect it to be "that" good. It is primarily good because of its stunning special effects. Now, those who are familiar with Iron Man comic book or even those who have seen the TV series will know what I am talking about. For others who are not familiar with Iron Man, this film has a strong storyline that shows briefly how Tony Stark came up with the Iron Man suit and why did he actually decided to create it. You will also see a man who decided to change his life, in order to fight against evil and help all those innocent people from getting killed. Sounds familiar? Yes, the story is not original but it is well delivered.
The plot is a typical superhero story; a guy who uses his talent for doing something completely irrelevant or something that only makes his life better, (creating weapons of mass destruction and selling them worldwide in this case) but after a terrible situation that put his life in danger opened his eyes, and so he decided to use his knowledge by helping humanity and protecting civilians from the bad guys. Only one difference to most of the other super hero flicks: just like Batman, Iron Man doesn't have any super powers. He is a normal man, only he is extremely good at machinery and engineering. He is a genius. So, while Tony Stark has being attacked by terrorists, he was brutally injured by his own weapon during the attack. This made him realise that he wasted his life by creating something that takes lives of innocent people. After the incident, he constructs a suit which will help him escape from his kidnappers an later on; he will create a much better version of this suit, in order to protect people around the world. But unfortunately for Tony, there is someone that wants to stop him from helping people, someone who only wants to earn money by causing other people deaths, and therefore Tony Stark must face this person and stop him from killing him and everyone else.
Robert Downey Jr. Plays Tony Stark. A thing about playing a superhero in the movie like Spider-Man or X-Men is that people will remember you for your role, no matter how well or bad you performed in this movie. Robert most certainly will be remembered as one of the best actors to play a superhero. He did ever so great; he acted as a typical jackass millionaire at the start of the movie, but later on he changed, he became more responsible and grateful for things he could have achieved if he was using his knowledge in a good way. He was witty, hilarious and the way he said all of his dialogues, all that was fantastic. He handled the role well, even though he is older that Tony Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow played Tony's fiancé Pepper Potts. She and Robert had a lot of mixture between them, they looked great together and their dialogues were often hilarious yet romantic. Terrence Howard played James Rupert Rhodes, a close friend of Stark and his future superhero partner War Machine. Terrence were good in his role, even though at times he looked a bit out of place, he was generally fine and even funny at times. Even though we don't get to see him as War Machine, we get a hint that he will definitely use the suit in the next Iron Man movie. Finally, Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane, Tony's business partner and later his primal enemy of this film, Iron Monger. Jeff is extremely good as a bad guy, I can guarantee that you will dislike his character after the first time you see him in the movie.
Most of the superhero movies are famous for its special effects but this one had more than that. The dialogues were really good; they are brilliant throughout the whole movie. Cinematography is great, the light mixture is good and it is easy to watch the whole movie without moving your eyes away from the screen.
Overall, Iron Man movie is a pleasure to watch, especially on the big screen. While most of the superhero movies don't have what it takes to be called "super", Iron Man rose beyond expectations and quite easily became one of this year's best superhero movies. A massive credit to John Favreau for creating this stunning film that can be truly remembered as one of the best in its category.
Review Date: 11th of May, 2008.Hey, you all probably seen this by now,and so have I (about a week ago), but I didn't had time to do a review straight away, and so i only finished it now. Definitly the best superhero I have seen so far, after Batman Begins of course. My mate at the ciname said after the film finished : " surely there is no film better than Iron Man in its category", on which I replied: " just you wait until The Dark Knight"...
posted 4 days ago -
Hey Freaky, been a long time since talk.
I was simply reviewing Blue Velvet wich I just saw and I saw it was in your favorites.
Exellent film!posted 4 days ago -
I recommend you see...
27 Dresses
by GaryCheesy, girly and very sickly sweet. As romantic comedies go, it's nothing special and seems to drag a bit at times. The laughs are scarce and while there are lots of beautiful people to look at, it never truly engaged me (no pun intended). Heigl is gorgeous and really does show some glimmers of a natural, fresh and thoroughly delightful comedic talent. And even she couldn't stop me feeling ever so slightly nauseous throughout. So cute and fluffy, it was bound to be less than substantial. Absolute chick flick and guys.... you have been warned.
Well, you get what you expect. Anyone with at least one testicle might have a hard time tolerating this. Even MY wife thought it was too girly. Nuff said!
posted 6 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Golden Compass
by GaryWhat's going on?!?!? Seriously! Since LOTR, these fantasy rip offs have been spawned pretty regularly and this one won 'Best Visual Effects'? Okay, there are lots of effects and it shows. Looks nice, but sadly, that's at the expense of story, character development, acting and well .... almost anything interesting. Dakota Blue Richards was great in the lead and the bears were nice to look at, but one of my favorite genres is slowly being killed by vague adaptations of only moderately memorable novels. Sorry, it looks nice, but that's all.
I should probably start a conversation on this (since I feel a bit strongly about it), but why did this win 'Best Visual Effects'?
'Pirates 3' and 'Transformers' were equally impressive, and they had something that resembled a story!
Looks nice, but in my humble opinion, the best effects are those you don't notice. These effects scream "Give Me An Award!!!".posted 6 days ago -
I recommend you see...
I Am Legend
by GaryWent into this one a little cold. Managed to avoid spoilers and had only a little knowledge of the book, or Hestons 'Omega Man' as prior knowledge and I absolutely loved this one. The first two thirds are incredible. Will Smith builds tension and sympathy for his character, and the action scenes are pretty damned amazing. Some questionable CGI aside, the overall atmosphere was simply intense. The third act fell a bit short and had a rather awkward ending, but the thrills far outweighed a few minor flaws. Maybe going in cold is a bonus sometimes. (Just a thought).
Yeah, I know I'm probably the last to catch this, but here's my 5 cents worth.
Don't bother replying if you disagree, the beauty of film is that it's subjective.
And if you haven't seen it yet... run to the DVD store!posted 8 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Iron Man
by DuncanOther reviews I've read have been mixed, so I was worried that my eager anticipation of this movie was unwarranted. Thankfully, Iron Man turned out to be a rather enjoyable experience for me.
Robert Downey Jr. is excellent as the movie's protagonist: genius inventor and weapon's tycoon Tony Stark. He starts off as snarky and arrogant, but he undergoes a change of heart (both figuratively and literally) after he's captured by terrorists who use weapons he's manufactured to do their dastardly deeds. He escapes, thanks to a bitchin' suit of armor he built on the fly, and vows to use his technology for the betterment of mankind rather than it's destruction. He returns to America, retires to his fancy seaside condo, and begins work on a second prototype of that same suit of armor.
As I mentioned before, Downey's performance was fantastic. The supporting cast was pretty good overall as well, particularly Gwyneth Paltrow as Stark's perky assistant Pepper Potts (alliterative names are so fun, aren't they?). The only chink in the armor, as far as the cast is concerned, is Terrance Howard. He seems like he's going through the motions, like a high school freshman who doesn't want to be in the play, but his parents forced him to audition for it. His role isn't that big, thankfully, so his lackluster performance is tolerable.
My one and only gripe, and one I'll probably get flack for, is that there's not enough action. I like superhero movies with an engaging story and dynamic characters, and Iron Man's characters and plot are well rounded. But more emphasis is put on plot development than blowin' shit up, rahter than finding a balance between the two. Spider-Man and Batman Begins are movies that have successfully found this balance, which is what made them so great.
That doesn't mean Iron Man is terrible. In fact, it's far from it. The action that IS there is beautifully orchestrated, the special effects are top notch, and the script is well-written. Throw in the best cameo by Stan Lee since Mallrats, and you have yourself a great superhero movie.
Not a bad way to start the summer...If you haven't seen it yet, and you plan on seeing it in the theater, wait through the credits. Not only will your ears be treated to Tony Iommi crankin' out sweet riffs, but there's an extra scene that'll be worth the wait...
posted 9 days ago -
I recommend you see...
If you thought 'Iron Man' was the newest amazing hero, just wait 'till you see 'Iron Pussy'!!!!!!
Seriously.....posted 11 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Introducing the Dwights (Clubland)
by GaryI'll watch Brenda Blethyn in anything. Her comedy usually brightens up even the bleakest film and in this little gem, she has to work hard. This delightful little insight into a broken Australian home is interesting and quite tragic. Blethyn has some great moments , but ultimately, this is a hard hitting drama thanks to an exceptional young Aussie cast. Bring the tissues and don't expect a comedy. Powerful and heartbreaking, but with a few light moments too. Marketed as "Clubland" here 'down-under'.
Brenda Blethyn fans will find plenty to love, but this is a drama with moments of comedy, not a comedy with moments of drama.
Amazing Aussie support cast. Give it a look!posted 11 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Millions
by IlyaMillions (2004)
Directed by Danny Boyle
Starring Alex Etel, Lewis McGibbon, James Nesbitt, Daisy Donovan"[first lines]
Damian Cunningham: [voiceover] The French have said au revoir to the franc, the Germans have said auf wiedersehen to the mark, and the Portuguese have said... whatever to their thing."Millions tells the story of 7-year-old Damian, whose family moves to the suburbs of Manchester after the death of his mother. Soon after the move, Damian's "hermitage" is obliterated by a bag of money flung from a passing train. Damian immediately shows the money to his brother, Anthony, and the two begin thinking of what to do with it. Anthony, the selfish one, wants the money only for himself and his entertainment.
Damian, the kind-hearted and religious of the two, had recently overheard three Latter Day Saint missionaries lecture other members of the community on building foundations of rock rather than foundations of sand, an old Christian principle which dictates that self-worth should be based on spirituality rather than worldly things like money and wealth. The lecture inspires Damian, who is particularly enamoured with the missionaries because of the name of their church; Damian is obsessed with saints, studying their biographies and even seeing them in his day-to-day activities as visions. He immediately begins looking for ways to give his share of the money to the poor.
Very underrated and really unknown, but in fact this film is a real gem. The story is perfect, the acting is great and I really loved the idea that we were meant to receive after we have seen this movie. It's a typical family film; two boys find a box of money and they both are trying to spend the money, each their own way. The older one spends it on sweets, cloth and many other different items. The younger one though is a typical dreamer; he believes in god, he prays, he studies bible and he reads about all the different missionaries. He also has a really good imagination; he always seems to talk to different people who in fact, do not exist. So as he receives the money, he decides to give it to the poor ones. But who are the poor ones these days? Obviously, that the young kid like him has no idea what poor people look like and basically, he follows his own mind and gives out the money to everyone who he thinks would really need them.
Typically, if any of us would have received this kind of money, we would have probably spent it on every single thing we wished for at this point of our life. This movie lets us see our imagination transfer into reality of this film, some of us will find the stuff that kids buying absolutely ridiculous, but some of us will often smile when they see what kids purchased or how they spend it. This film tells us what's right and what's wrong, why money is so important in our lives and why we usually spend something that by accident becomes ours, but in fact it wasn't earned by us in the first place. The scene before the very last one is very sad, yet beautiful. It shows that someone who has absolutely no idea what money can make to people decides to leave them out of his own life. It makes us think: is money really that important? Yes, today's world depends on money, but there are much more important things in this world such as: love, family, and happiness. If you can be happy with no money in your life, you are indeed a very lucky person. Truth is though, that there is hardly anybody that is happy in this world, even with money in their lives, not talking about people without them.
Alex Etel is amazing as Damian Cunningham. He really is a very young and talented actor and I absolutely loved his performance in this film. Lewis McGibbon plays his older brother, and he also does really well. James Nesbitt and Daisy Donovan played a perfect couple. Nesbitt is great as Damian's father Ronnie. He is a natural actor and he looks really experienced. Daisy Donovan is also good and she is kind of funny when she first appears in Damian's school.
This film is not that famous I must admit, but if you get hold of it, you will be really surprised when you see it because it shows us a very good example of something, that we should never forget.
Review Date: 4th of May, 2008.Hey, you should really see this!
really great. I recommend.posted 11 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Salon Kitty (Edited Version)
by ZackYou analyze Caligula closely and see Tinto's genius hidden under Bob Guccione's almost atrocious editing over the lavish big budget 1979 epic.
Tinto said he wanted to make a film about the "Orgy of Power" and he said they wanted to make a movie about "The Power of the Orgy".
You can question that considering the large amounts of sex in other of Tinto's movies but despite that Salon Kitty is both the Power of the Orgy and the Orgy of Power.
This movie has it all. Countless sex, political humor and even the power of song!
To make it even better it's based on a true story about a Salon lead by Kitty Schmidt (renamed Kitty Kellermann in the film) that is taken over by the Nazi organization, the SD to have members of their own party and various other people be monitored by concealed microphones planted in rooms for espionage purposes. Kitty is made an offer she can't refuse when they tell her to corporate or else she'll be put in a concentration camp. The idea was that customers can buy a room and a woman and in the midst of their desire they may reveal certain personal opinions about Hitler and Nazi Germany that many threaten the party.Yes, I am aware that i tend to have a taste in movies other people find to be tasteless, shameful, appalling, and doltish cinema trash.
But Tinto has a genius and I think you can see it in this movie.posted 11 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Iron Man
by Gary
Very impressive. I was cursed with high expectations for this and they were well met. Favreau's vision and commitment to the origin story is amazing and the story manages to show the evolution of the suit without becoming totally bogged down in narrative. The cast are consistently great and the action scenes are truly mind-blowing. Most of all it will satisfy Marvel fanboys (like myself) in part due to one of the best closing lines in the history of Marvel movies. Simply dripping in 'cool'. Check it out on the big screen!
WOW!!! Great fun for everyone and even hardcore Marvel fans will find little to screw their noses up at. Very, very cool!
posted 12 days ago -
I recommend you see...
The Hillz
by ZackAll i remember is poor dialogue and a scene where a transvestite is shot in the head while giving a blowjob to a guy who at first believes this guy to be a chick.
Sorry...I just had to.
posted 13 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Total Recall
by IlyaTotal Recall (1990)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin, Ronny Cox, Michael Ironside"Douglas Quaid: I don't remember you.
Melina: What are you talking about?
Douglas Quaid: I don't remember you. I don't remember us. I don't even remember me."The story is set in the year 2084. Douglas Quaid is a construction worker who has been experiencing dreams about exploring the planet Mars with a sexy brunette. After seeing an ad from Rekall, a company that sells imaginary adventures by implanting memories, he decides to buy a "vacation" on Mars from them, one in which he will take a vacation from himself by becoming a spy. Rekall calls it an "ego trip." Before buying the vacation, Quaid is cautioned by a co-worker that Rekall are "lobotomizing people", in reference to failed memory implants which caused the recipients to suffer permanent brain damage. Quaid hesitates, but disregards this warning.
Total Recall is a nice action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid/Hauser the main protagonist of this film. He plays typical action hero, he know how to kill people effectively, he can shoot like a real soldier, he can even drive a car; he can do all that but the big problem is: he doesn't really know anything about himself. The whole storyline looks simple at first, but it's far more complicated than you can even think of. It twists and turns and by doing so, it leads us to an ultimate twist towards near the end of the movie. It is a typical Arnold Schwarzenegger movie but it is certainly a good thing because it makes the whole difference here. We know that Paul Verhoeven can create a really good action movie and once again he proved that by making this movie.
The acting was great: Arnold was as good as ever: he did lots of shooting and lots of fighting and he said some really bad ass lines that won't disappear from your head for a while. Sharon Stone played Quaid's wife - Lori Quaid. She was ok, even though it wasn't the best performance of her career but it was still not bad at all. The rest of actors did well too; Rachel Ticotin was good as Quaid's fiancé; Ronny Cox and Michael Ironside both playing bad guys and they look good in their roles.
Special effects were great too. The shooting scenes, the fighting scenes, car chasing: it was all well made and it was a pleasure to watch. The amount of blood and violence is really high but that is what makes this a true action movie.
Overall, Total Recall is a great film to watch, sometimes maybe it is hard to understand what's going on but you can still enjoy the movie. If you are a big fan of action movies and you enjoy watching Arnold Schwarzenegger doing what he is really good at (by that I mean acting), then this film is definitely for you.
Review Date: 2nd of May, 2008.Hey, you should really see this!
pretty goodposted 13 days ago -
I recommend you see...
Lust, Caution (Se jie)
by SarahDirector:Ang Lee
Released: 2008
Stars: Joan Chen, Tony Leung Chi Wai, Tang Wei
Genre:Drama, Romance, War
Country:China/Taiwan/Hong Kong/USA
Frustrated in his attempts to assassinate Yee, who is an important official in Japanese-ruled Shanghai, Old Wu, who has lost his wife and two sons as well as two women who had attempted to seduce Yee, now recruits Kuang, Mai Tai Tai, and their troupe of drama students from Hong Kong University in yet another attempt to do away with Yee. Mai Tai Tai is chosen to befriend Yee, which she does by posing as the wife of Mak, befriending Yee's wife and her female friends, and then eventually befriending Yee himself
Well I waited a gone long while to see Ang Lee's latest film after being albeit slightly disappointed with Brockback Mountain. Lust,Caution however blew me away. My expectations were slightly shortened because of the many dissapointing reviews I read both in newspapers her ein the UK and reviews on here. To be honest I don't quite know what film they were watching. Utterly compelling and kept me on tender hooks throughout.
As most of my friends on here know I tend to watch a lot of Asian cinema and that Tony Leung is one of my top 5 favourite actors, so I just had to see this. The narrative of the film is incredibly orginal and also because it deals with the subject of Japanese occupied Shanghai, something not familiar to Western audiences. I must admit that I wasn't 100% clear about the background to the story but as time went on it didn't seem to matter as it was inevitably about one character. The film is long but for a reason. It's depicting a story which is incredibly complex and just isn't going to be told in 1 and a bit hours. There are so many sides to the story that you don't envisidge at the first part of the film.
I love the way Lee switches narrative as we see the end of the story at the beginning. This means that we are able to see the full backdrop of the characters and understand their motives, feelings and of course the realtionship with one another. By this I mean Wong and her Dram clas friends who are part of the Resistance. This is an example of superb storytelling, which to be honest I haven't seen for a good few months. What is great is that the 2 and a bit hours just flew by and suddenly I realised the film is almost over. As I've said before just utterly mangnificent.
Oddly, this being a part USA film, this received no Oscar nominations but luckily us Brits awarded some BAFTA nominations. Believe me it so deserves it and it just depicts the story so so well. Being an art house film lover aswell, the story was paced so so well. This is partly due to the superb script writen by American James Schamus who brilliantly writes quick, informative dialogue that imeadialty gets you hooked from the start. Again....utterly amazing. Still can't get over the snobbery at the Oscars these days. As many of Lee's films, Lust caution is ipeccably photographed throughout it's length time. From the gorgeous sceney to the lush lanscapes of Shaghai.
The acting in Lee's film is fantastic. Tony Leung, who I will never say a bad word about, brilliantly plays two sides of Yee; charming and albeit slightly callous. This meant that as a viewer you liked him one minute and hated him the next. Leung is utterly amazing and deserves more credit by Western audiences. I hope he gains some sort of way into Western cinema soon. Tang Wei, who gained a BAFTA rising Star nomination was equally brilliant playing the naive yet incredibly strong Wong who eventually completely turns Mak(chi-Wai) around from this cold hearted man to a man who is left helpless at the end of the film. Their relationship is depicted strongly in the conterversial sex scenes, which were heavy publisied in the USA and that it was awards an NC-17 rating. Which is ridiculous. The sex scenes look so real and depict this up and down relationship betwen the two charactersl for instance the several sexual posistions and the more "harder" scene and a more emotive one. This I think is a reason why a lot of people didn;t get this film. I think because it's very "arty" and not exactly your more mainstream film.
Overall a stunning masterpiece which might very well be one of my favourite films as I could watch this again. Lust,Caution is seriously UNDERATED and deserved far more credit. It's offical Ang lee is on of the great story tellers our there.
Highly recomend and one of Lee's very best films.
10/10So good I've written a whole essay about it....go and rent it now!
posted 13 days ago -
I recommend you see...
There's a lot more to this NC-17 rated drama then sex. The MPAA need to grow a set of balls.
posted 13 days ago
by Gary
