Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

Plot:A sexually repressed woman's husband is having an affair with her sister. The arrival of a visitor with a rather unusual fetish changes everything

Yes, "Sex, Lies and Videotape" is about sex, lies and videotape. And, while the sex is mostly served in dialogue-form and not a single shot of nudity is present, there is some graphic lying and some explicit videotape.
"Sex, Lies and Videotape" is Steven Sodenbergh's first film and it's not a bad one.The film takes about a quarter of an hour to kick in, yet once the character motivations become more clear it's quite an engrossing experience, a movie that unfolds rather like a novel.The situations in the film do create a fair amount of tension that moves the story along. But then, it'd be hard not to have some tension in a film about a woman whose husband is cheating on her with her sister, while she starts interacting with a stranger who is the husband's old college roommate and has a strange videotape fetish and may or may not be a pathological liar.
Clearly, these characters clash together. But it's not as heated or interesting as it was in later Sodenbergh's films like the spectacular "Traffic." The dialogues in "Sex, Lies and Videotape" range from good to incredibly awkward. But the real strength of the film is the actors. While James Spader clearly stands out - This is Spader at his very best, as you never saw him before, if you had noticed him before, that is. Although, when you look back, Spader always seems to have given his characters a little freaky edge (something about his dreamy look, or his slow drawl); one of my favourite scenes in this film is the one in which Graham explains his one-key theory to his one-time buddy over dinner, and you sense that they have really nothing in common any more. - Andie McDowell is phenomenal, Peter Gallagher playing the scummy, treacherous husband yuppie lawyer type is great and Laura San Giacomo as the vulgar sister / lover is fabulous. Their performances make the script work.
3/5

sydney aka hard eight(1996)

Philip Baker Hall, in a towering performance of professionalism is the title character of Sydney. He offers Jimmy a cigarette and a cup of coffee, and then finds out through the conversation his mother's passed on. He offers up an intricate, but rewarding, way of making money in a casino without laying down a card.Flash ahead two years later where Jimmy is with Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow, a good performance). Things seem to be going alright all around, except that Jimmy has a violent (shown off-screen, of course) run-in, and needs Sydney's help. But there's another secret that has yet to be told.

the picture rests entirely on Hall's shoulders, and he carries it admirably. His performance is nuanced and genuine, and he manages to ensnare the viewer even when we are not sure what his motives are.Reilly is equally good, in a turn that opened his way to becoming one of the most reliable character actors in Hollywood, and the same intensity emerges from Paltrow and samuel jackson.Even Philip Seymour Hoffman, who has a brief but memorable role as a cocky gambler, gets his opportunity to shine, showing beyond any doubt that Anderson has a great eye for casting. He also knows how to write: the dialogue flows freely and seamlessly between the players, spawning some of the most affecting, realistic conversations ever heard in a movie.
It's truly a remarkable, though minor key, film. Magnolia and Boogie Nights are epic, in a sense, but Hard Eight, with its slim plot and grim photography, is a sonnet of awful beauty.
Anderson, a natural born master at the craft of film-making, has impressed me greatly with Boogie Nights and Magnolia, and I'd never seen this.It has the same perfection in setting and mood, the same mixture of cold detachment and sad intensity, the same slow but steady and fixating pace as his later works. And as always, he left a lasting effect on me.
3.5/5
recommended

Black Christmas (1974)

Plot:A sorority house is terrorized by a stranger who makes frightening phone calls and then murders the sorority sisters during Christmas break.

A large house harboring the cheerful chatter of a sorority Christmas party, a few colorful holiday decorations and a snowy landscape make up the first images of this film.Now while this seems like a warm and friendly situation, it is anything but as we realize we're seeing this through the eyes of a stranger. This person proceeds to climb up an ivy trellis along the side of the house and enters through an open attic window. Minutes later, a sorority girl is dead.
Just as disturbing obscene phone calls suddenly ruin the joyous occasion, main character Jessica Bradford and her friend Phyllis decide to stay behind at the house for Christmas break to help out Barb,a lovable drunken mess of a girl who has no where to go. By this early point in the film, we already get a sense of the characters through their caring demeanor and even some well placed humor. The three actresses play their parts really well and prove likable, which helps the mounting tension build.
Within the horror genre, I think less is more and since most of the sinister elements of this film are kept under wraps and we're left with numerous questions, we can build fear from our own imaginations. We're never fully sure who this psycho is or what he's really after. We don't even know what he looks like. We're only given minor glimpses, one of which is his creepy bulging eye.he is insane, especially when he rants. His rants make no sense, making his intentions unknown. He just kills, not for revenge like most horror films.
The piano score by Carl Zittrer is simplistic and effective as well. The repetitive use of Christmas carols also add up to the tension.
Black Christmas is among the best slasher films to date.For any true slasher fan, this is a must see.
3/5

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Plot:On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence

Do the Right Thing is pitched at a feverish pace, and it's filled with enormous joy and, simultaneously, with enormous anger. This ambiguous mood is expressed most directly by the character Radio Rahim in a scene adapted from the Night of the Hunter, where Radio recites Robert Mitchum's "The Battle Between Love and Hate" speech. Immediately in the film we see that the races are capable of getting along. One black man is angry that Sal, who owns the local pizzeria, only hangs up pictures of Italian Americans on his wall, but no African Americans. Other African Americans find his objection somewhat ridiculous and respect Sal very much. Some African Americans object to a Korean couple who have successfully opened a grocery store on a certain corner, but others believe they are just savvy businessmen. On the other hand, there is a great amount of tension between the same races. Sal is basically a good man, but he has grown very hard and his temper is short.
African American, Latino, East Asian and Italian American cultures form the dynamics of the relationships that drive the story, and conflict is their medium. Drawing from two incisive but different comments on violence from Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, Lee extrapolates his story and the ideas he wants to explore by showing us characters that are as real as they are exaggerated and somewhat unpredictable events that they create, are swept into or actively or passively participate in. Although the point of the film is not really critique, nobody is left unscathed.
I am not going to tell you what the film says.Instead, I will simply give Do the Right Thing my highest recommendation.Superbly written, edited, directed and filmed.this is spike lee's best film ,better than malcolm x,inside man and the 25th hour.
3.5/5

Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (1986) (TV)

Plot:One dissenting juror in a murder trial tries to influence the verdict with his personal prejudices and biases

This is probably the best Hindi remake (The original is a fantastic Sidney Lumet movie, "Twelve angry men") I've watched. K. K. Raina is no Henry Fonda; but he's done a great job -- as has the rest of the very talented cast; and none more than the brilliant Pankaj Kapoor as the broken-hearted father/juror no 3 (played by Lee J. Cobb in the original) Ironically, what makes it work is the fact that it is such a complete plagiarism; it is guided entirely by Lumet's masterpiece in style and substance. The cast and the crew have done an excellent job with the execution; but they could have probably done it without the director. An interesting artifact of the plagiarism is that we have this movie about a hung jury -- when India doesn't have a jury system at all!
I give this 4/5 for being true to the original and not including unnecessary song sequences or deviations as seen in other remakes.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Plot:A young woman thinks her uncle may be a serial killer.

Wright plays a very young woman (19-ish) living with her family and sort of depressed and aimless.She is very warm, innocent and genuinely good-natured - completely unlike Hitchcock's usual icy blonds while Cotten is her namesake and favorite uncle, Charlie. Uncle Charlie has come to visit and brought good cheer to the entire family, but shortly after his arrival, young Charlie begins to discover that Uncle Charlie has some sinister secrets. As the clues begin to add up to a coherent conclusion, Wright's character is forced to decide what to do about her growing, troublesome, understanding.
Shadow is taut with sexual tension - the incestuous overtones of the mental affinity of niece and uncle Charlie, the lusty infatuations of Charlie's teenage friend Catherine, and Herb, who just happens to be around the corner where ever we see Charlie.
The cast is excellent, and the lead characters - played by Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright - are very well imagined, written and portrayed. Both characters called for sweeping and dramatic personality changes which Wright and Cotten pulled off convincingly.Hume Cronyn(Herbie Hawkins) & Henry Travers (Charlie's father) give the film the right touch of "black" comedy relief, as mystery novel buffs who are constantly trying to come up with the perfect way to kill someone. Macdonald Carey (Detective Jack Graham) & Patricia Collinge (Charlie's mother) are also well cast. Also look for Hitch's cameo, which has him playing cards, on the train to Santa Rosa.
Hitchcock's direction keeps the film moving at the right pace & brings you into story, as if you were living in Santa Rosa & watching all of this unravel from your front porch.Hitchcock is skillful at showing the contrast between the small-town life of young Charlie's family and Uncle Charlie's jaded big-city life of crime. But he doesn't condescend or patronize.Very good!
3.5/5

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Plot:A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.

This isn't a story about young love or lust, it's a story about a misfit refusing to fit - while fitting in with others like him.
Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) is the typical sad-sack, luckless loser that has permeated high schools for seemingly centuries. He has no friends, he's picked on by bullies, he has a somewhat-odd home life. Napoleon and his older brother Kip (Aaron Ruell) live with their grandmother, but at the beginning of the film she tells them she needs to take off for a couple days. Enter their Uncle Rico (Jon Gries), a self-starter who's living in 1982.Some of the funniest scenes in the film involve Napoleon's often-combative relationship with Uncle Rico; Rico is also bound and determined to return to those halcyon days of his youth via a time machine he's seen advertised on the Internet, and he enlists Kip to help him raise the funds.Napoleon befriends the new kid in school, Pedro (Efren Ramirez), who has a sweet bike, can talk to girls, and has an actual mustache. But like Napoleon, Pedro is a misfit. Both sometimes hang out with yet another taciturn student, Deb.
Jon Heder is perfectly cast as the gawky, dorky Napoleon.Mouth agape and with an awkward gait, Napoleon is about as odd a duck as you'd find in high school, and yet he still manages to survive with his dignity intact.
I think where the film ultimately succeeds, aside from the casting of Heder, is that it doesn't fall into the traps of predictability and stereotyping. Sure, it's a high school movie, and there are snobby pretty girls and arrogant jocks, but not much time is devoted to them. Sure, there's a big dance, but it doesn't necessarily turn out the way you'd expect it to. What you're left with, then, isn't a typical coming-of-age story, but rather a unique take on a rather mundane - albeit life-altering - time in a boy's life.
3.5/5

No Smoking (2007)

this was my second viewing and i wasn't disappointed.No Smoking is a puzzle. It is a maze through the uncharted territories in Hindi cinema. Kashyap has donned a David Lynch hat this time. He unpacks a bag of questions on the screen for you which you have to find answers for yourself. And that, he backs up with excellent technical support from all other departments, so that you are not distracted in your search for answers.
I'll be honest. I did not really understand the film but I guess that is the way Kashyap wants it to be. He wants me to unravel the layers of the film as and when I have time.
a) Is cigarette a metaphor for all the things we lust for which only destroy us at the end?
Is Paresh Rawal's character actually God? Is he the villain because he does not let us pursue our lust and plays by his rules - rules which cannot be bent or broken? c) In the end, does someone always have to really loose his soul and conscience?
The film is a technical accomplishment. The camera work, the set designs and graphics are all top notch.Music is in tune with the film and Gulzar, as always, has written lyrics that are sign-posts in this maze. Kudos also to Kumar Mangat and Vishal Bharadwaj for having the guts to produce such a film.Paresh Rawal shines in his role. It was a relief to see him at some place other than a mindless Priyadarshan muddle.
The director, Anurag Kashyap believes that the Indian audience is 'spoon-fed' and looking at reviews and people's reaction to 'No-Smoking', its no wonder that everyone wants to stay away from it. They would rather remain 'spoon-fed' than grow up.
No Smoking, no doubt, is at par technically with the best in the world but sadly enough, it has very little conventional entertainment value. It may be one of the milestones that Kashyap had to cross in his path to higher glories.
Overall its a delight for someone who looks for more than a story or a perfect ending in a movie.
3.5/5

Meet the Spartans (2008)

The only reason I saw this movie, was because I knew it was going to be bad. That's obviously not a good reason, but in retrospect, some really bad movies are funny when thought about later. I've had chuckles about how bad Epic Movie was, but this....this was different.after this ended I felt drained of my life.
"Meet the Spartans" has the sparse running time of 65 minutes (not counting the lengthy end credits), which was a blessing to the audience. The jokes all feel like ones that 9 year old boys would find hysterical, where everyone else would just hate them. Other than spoof jokes, every other joke is one involving pain. There were dozens of crotch hits and back breaks. There are also many gross out, vomit, sneezing, and boil bursting jokes. There was one joke that had me mildly chuckling, but then they killed the joke by over explaining it. It didn't need to be explained, a monkey could understand it. Repetitiveness was the only word that comes to mind when watching this. King Leonidas knocks a messenger in the hole, then his two men. Okay, not funny, but at least it's over....right? Nope. Then he knocks Sanjaya, Brittany Spears, Kevin Federline, The American Idol judges and Ryan Seacrest in the hole.
The two extremely untalented writers of this mess want to include every movie possible, and mention every celebrity they can, and include any show they can cram in. There are 3 instances of celebrity panels judging the Spartans in this, and it's not like it was a running joke either. It was just lack of ideas. Much of the celebrity humor was just the celebrities pointing out their character traits. Paris Hilton, who is in a few scenes, but ultimately disappears with no point, talks about her jail time. Brittany Spears acts crazy. Lindsey Lohan gets out of rehab.Tyra Banks shows her cellulite.To give away a mild spoiler and one of the dumbest scenes in the movie, Carmen Electra's character turns into Spiderman and she beats up the Sandman, who is then pooped on by a cat.
1/5

À l'intérieur aka inside(2007)

Plot:Still grieving over her recently deceased boyfriend, a pregnant woman becomes haunted by a mysterious woman.

the story is rather simple: Sarah (Alysson Paradis) is a young photographer who recently lost her boyfriend in a car crash and she is still grieving over her loss. It is now Christmas and she is alone and expecting a baby the next day. On Christmas Eve she is visited by a Woman in Black (Béatrice Dalle) who wants to get inside the house for reasons unknown. However, soon enough, she is in the house and her goal becomes crystal clear. She is after Sarah's baby and she will do anything to get it...absolutely anything.
There are moments so strong and deeply shocking (and one genuinely disturbing and unforeseeable moment) but those are drowned out by so many over-the-top (albeit extremely well done) acts of violence. Something like this where the premise is disturbing enough already would have gained more from drawing out the suspense and slowly building up the violence. By the time the film reaches its conclusion we've been so numbed and accustomed to the relentless violence that the end does not pack nearly as much punch as it could have and the deaths kind of blur into one another. The movie no longer becomes about a pregnant woman in peril. Over halfway in it feels more like a gore fest, preferring instead to go for well crafted shocks instead of hitting you with just a few but heavy acts of violence. To put it simply it blows its wad way too early.However there are moments here and there that emerge from amongst the splatter fest that point to two directors with great potential.Beatrice Dalle is great.A nameless character that could have become just another stock killer in the hands of the wrong actress feels alive in Dalle's hands while still retaining an air of mystery.
I recommend it...but reluctantly. I recommend it for sure to the gorehounds
P.S. The few CGI effects were terrible and should have been cut out altogether.
3/5

Malcolm X (1992)

Plot:The biopic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader.

Based on the best-selling autobiography by Malcolm X and Alex Haley,and with spellbinding direction by Spike Lee,it traces the story of Malcolm himself,from his days as a hustler and drug runner and hitting rock bottom during his imprisonment in the 1950's,he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation Of Islam under the guidance of the honorable Elijah Muhammad. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of black nationalism,self-determination and racial pride that continues to the day and within a new generation whom for the first time has witnessed a masterpiece of cimematic work. This is marked by strong performances throughout with powerful direction by Spike Lee,cimematopgrapher Ernest Dickerson,and riveting breathtaking performances by Denzel Washington,Angela Bassett,and most notably from Al Freeman,Jr. as Elijah Muhammad. The real centerpiece of the film is from Denzel Washington himself,whose convincing performance in the title role brings this film alive.
This movie has an epic sweep and scope and as a director Lee is up to the challenge. He is served well by being able to direct in several styles, one of which is almost cartoonish: witness the scene where Malcolm (Denzel Washington) and Shorty (played by Lee himself) go stepping out at the Roseland Ballroom, resplendent in their zoot suits. Some comic relief is welcome at times because otherwise the serious, heavy message of the picture might be overwhelming. For instance, the movie opens with a full-screen shot of an American flag while we hear a voice-over of one of Malcolm's most rousing, or inflammatory speeches, depending on how you look at it The flag begins to burn and eventually forms a flaming 'X' as the fiery rhetoric continues.
the downside:The movie could have been tighter, shorter.
That being said, it is a great movie and I'm glad I invested the three and a half hours to watch it.
first 90 minutes:3/5 next 100 minutes:4/5

The Kingdom (2007)

Plot:A team of U.S. government agents is sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.

It starts out well enough. The gripping opening montage documents the connection between the U.S.A. and Saudi Arabia and sucks you right into the story. The first act plays out as a very good depiction of terror in the middle east. In the second act the movie loses some of its pace and we get to know the characters a bit more. What's really off-putting is that the Americans come across as constantly joking, relaxed, but at the same time totally competent people. It's the old "cowboy"-image Hollywood has always tried to convey in its war movies from the 80's, that should really have been left behind by now. It's not a fatal flaw, but it definitely prevents the movie from becoming more than just an action flick set in the middle east.This becomes more apparent in the final act, which starts with a car crash and continues with countless shootouts. The movie goes way over the top from this moment on and turns into something Jerry Bruckheimer might have thought up.
this film would almost certainly be more interesting and entertaining if the whole idea about the FBI agents had been removed, and instead, we'd just been following the wily but unfailingly polite Colonel Al Ghazi and his loyal sidekick Sergeant Haytham as they tried to solve the crime.
the makers apparently did want to make some kind of statement and the last comment really hits home. Other than that you don't find much of a message in "The Kingdom".Just because the movie doesn't glorify the U.S.A. at any point, doesn't exactly make it critical. It's merely neutral, which is more than can be said about most American action movies dealing with terrorism.
In the end "The Kingdom" is a straightforward action flick with enough critical undertones to not be propaganda. It's a very exciting thriller to watch, but except for the final scene there's nothing really thought-provoking here.
3/5

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance(2002)

Plot:In Seoul, the deaf and dumb worker Ryu is very attached to his sister, who needs a transplantation of kidney...

Ryu is deaf and mute. His sister is dying. She needs a kidney transplant quickly or she'll die. Ryu, an intelligent sort of guy, gave up his education to work in a factory to pay for his sister's medical expenses.His girlfriend, Yeong-mi is a minor league anarchist.After conversation with his sister's unhelpful doctor, Ryu decides he'll turn to the black market to get his sister a kidney. But his transaction with the organ traffickers ends catastrophically, propelling him to get involved in the kidnapping of his boss's young daughter so that the ransom money can save his sister.
The director, Chan-wook Park, gives a story with no easy answers. In fact, it's debatable whether he's asked us any questions. He presents a group of characters in a certain set of circumstances and sets them loose. He never passes judgement over any of his creations, leaving the audience to judge for themselves. That's the mark of a masterful director who has faith in, and respect for, his audience. The actions of his characters take place in a moral vacuum, where there is no right or wrong, only choices and consequences. There is no divine or poetic justice, only revenge.
The title of the film relates to perhaps the only real question in the whole film - who do we sympathise with?
Both men do deplorable things. Both men become savage murderers. Both men are, ultimately, the 'Mr Vengeance' of the title.
The photography is beautiful, showing the beauty and the ugliness of South Korea in equal measures. There is no real soundtrack to speak of, only the background sounds of the city and the various locales within it. There's traffic, howling wind and trickling water, depending on where we are.
The acting in this film is of uniformly excellent quality, from the main characters to the smallest of walk-on parts.Ha-kyun Shin and Du-na Bae learned sign language for this film and give such effortless performances you'd believe they'd been doing it all their lives. Kang-ho Song's turn as Park is heart-breaking, particularly the scene where the camera stays on him and only him as he looks on in horror at his daughter's autopsy, complete with sounds of cracking bone and surgical saws.To sum up, this film is a solid gold masterpiece.
4/5

Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)

Plot:Kung Pow: Enter the Fist is a movie within a movie, created to spoof the martial arts genre.

Kung Pow is in a league of its own in terms of calibre. It's a slapstick 'chop socky' martial arts comedy full of silliness and ridiculous dialogue. Its vehicle is that it uses old footage of kung fu films such as Enter the Dragan and overlays its modern content onto them. Plus add intentionally bad dubbing and you have a movie which never for a second tries to be subtle, ingenious, or intelligent.Kung Pow is absolutely, 100% absurdity and it uses this to its fullest extent.
The plot, if that's what you'd call it, is a mocking of just about every martial arts classic which has a 'wrong fella decides to wreak revenge on the nasty sorts who ruined his life' style story.
Steve Oedekerk is 'The Chosen One' whose mission it is to get revenge on the bad folk in as amusing a way as he possibly can. Master Pain is his nemesis and the bad man directly responsible for the unspeakable acts against his family.The rest of the movie is purposefully disjointed and has no continuity half the time, but a masterclass in editing is not the point of this exercise. This is simply ridiculous fun, and assuming you switch off your brain completely and wreck any remaining braincells, you will be quite entertained.
As for how funny it is, well, that's quite subjective. Many of the gags are clearly forced.However, many do work and provide belly laughs. Sure, you'll not have tears rolling down your cheeks but if you're willing to stoop to the dumb level the movie demands of you, you will be at least amused.
the technical merits of the movie are pretty decent, in that the interpolation of old footage and new footage is actually rather seamless and you'll not spot it a lot of the time, except where you're supposed to.
As The Chosen One, Oedekerk seems to have a great time. It's a daft movie, so he indulges in stupidity as a matter of cause, and it works reasonably well.
2.5/5

Following (1998)

Plot:A young writer who follows strangers for material meets a thief who takes him under his wing.

Bill, Jeremy Theobald, is an inspiring writer who hasn't gotten anything published as of yet. Bill also has an odd and strange habit, he likes to follow people.Bill picks out some stranger in the streets diner or on the subway, metro, and follows them as if he were their shadow.Bill has a simple rule that he follows religiously when he follows someone : after you follow him or her to their home or place of work you stop.
One day Bill follows Cobb, Alex Haw, home and instead of following his rule of stopping he still keeps following Cobb. Bill will soon realize how right he was with that rule he set for himself in following people and at the same time how wrong he was by breaking it.
Amazingly good low-budget movie made by Christopher Noland in 1998 before he hit it big in Hollywood with his ground-breaking and original motion picture classic "Momento" some two years later that has already become a major cult movie."Following" is far more direct and devastating as compared to "memento" and you don't have to see it over and over to get just what it was trying to tell."Following" is a story within a story within a story with one of the most surprising as well as simply manipulated ending, if you watch the movie again and notice the clues, that you'll ever see.
Made with an unbelievably small budget of $6,000 with a no-name cast in black and white and just over one hour, 69 minutes, long.
Nolan is in my opinion, the next great and our first taste of Nolan doesn't contradict that.The script here is Nolan's finest. I had some doubts about his writing abilities, I all ways imagined that his brother Jonathon was the writing talent but he proves me wrong with Following. It is a thought provoking story which makes interesting observations of people and how they function. Cobb's assessments about burglarizing and how it can lead you to discover what makes people tick actually sounds plausible.
4/5 brilliant movie.

Eastern Promises (2007)

Plot:The film follows the mysterious and ruthless Nikolai, who is tied to one of London's most notorious organized crime families. His carefully maintained existence is jarred when he crosses paths with Anna, an innocent midwife trying to right a wrong, who accidentally uncovers potential evidence against the family. Now Nikolai must put into motion a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution.

In a wet and dreary pre-Christmas London, an anonymous, distressed, 14-year old Russian girl staggers into Trafalgar hospital, on the verge of giving birth, hemorrhaging badly and with obvious heroine tracks on her arms. Pediatric nurse Anna (Naomi Watts) tries in vain to save both mother and baby, but in the end, all that remains is the newborn, and a diary written in Russian in the girl's purse, that contains a business card for a Russian restaurant. Haunted by her own previous miscarriage, and determined that the baby girl not be sent to an orphanage, Anna attempts to have the diary translated in order to identify the anonymous girl's family. In so doing, she becomes embroiled in the dark, seething world of crime, drugs, and prostitution of the Russian Mob.
The acting in Eastern Promises is uniformly excellent. Mortensen's Nikolai, in particular, displays a still, coiled menace that is chilling and intense, which plays well against Vincent Cassel's portrayal of the feral Kirill, whose confused and tortured attempts to live up to his father's criminal expectations set the plot in motion, and Armin Mueller-Stahl's stunningly nuanced performance as the crime boss Semyon: Satan dressed up as your favorite uncle at Christmastime. As Anna, unwittingly tossed into this den of serpents, Naomi Watts manages to be simultaneously vulnerable and tenacious.
Cronenberg's no-nonsense approach to violence is still in evidence here, from the shockingly bloody opening scene, to one remarkably brutal fight sequence that deserves to be written down in the annals of film history.
3.5/5

Nayakan (1987)

plot:A small boy (Ratnavelu) from Tamilnadu sees his father, a labor leader, killed in cold blood by a policeman. He kills the policeman and runs away to the city of Bombay. From there, the story traces his ascent to become a mafia chief (Velu Naicker), the breakup and deaths in his family

This film is inspired by the true story of Mumbai based Tamil gangster of the 80s, Varadarajan Mudaliar.
this film is an out an out kamal hassan and Mani ratnam film, without Mani ratnam kamal would not have been able to display his magic, and without kamal, Mani would not have been able to show his magic. velu is a boy living in Tamil nadu. his father a labor leader is murdered by a ruthless police officer. velu decides to take revenge, and is supported by his friend, Sela(janagaraj). they both kill the police officer, and escape to Bombay, where they get shelter in a Muslim house hold.
The thing that comes to my mind is its background score.Composer Illayaraja enhances the beauty and power of each scene by his excellent background score.P.C.Sreeram and Maniratnam has done great team work in executing the scenes with visual treat for eyes.Balakumaran's dailogues is very apt and good.
It is impossible not to notice how much this movie is inspired from Godfather. The theme is similar, the movie follows the life of Velunayakan as he rises on to become an influential smuggler and fighter of people's cause in the slums of Dharavi (Bombay.) Nayakan is Indian version of Godfather both in its setting and its message.
Kamal had given one of his best performances in this movie, for which he rightfully won the National Award for Best Actor.
What I saw of Nayakan in the first half was an average movie, if only you sit through till the end do you realize how strong the movie is. The direction the acting and the story all begin to mature in the second half of the movie.It wass one of the movies selected by Time Magazine as "All-Time 100 Best Films.
A must watch movie, for anyone who hasn't seen it.4.25/5

Hitman (2007)

A gun-for-hire known only as Agent 47 hired by a group known only as 'The Agency' is ensnared in a political conspiracy, which finds him pursued by both Interpol and the Russian military as he treks across Eastern Europe.

A disturbing trend that seems to have no end in sight is the constant making of movies based upon video games. The fact of the matter is that these movies largely end up being horrendous misinterpretations of the source material.
The movie starts out with an Interpol agent returning to his home, 47 is there sitting in his chair. Aiming his gun at fearless Dougray Scott. The movie then keenly informs us that the bulk of the story takes place three months prior to this scene. 47 has been hired to take out the Russian prime minister Mikhail Belicoff. The hit goes off with seemingly no problem, but Diana, 47's handler for the Agency (called "The Organization" in this) informs him that there's a witness he needs to eliminate. The witness, Nika is played by the wonderful Olga Kurylenko, when 47 goes to eliminate Nika another hit-man from Agency arrives to kill 47 and Nika. 47 escapes and confronts Diana about how Nika wasn't a witness, and whether or not someone at the agency double crossed him. While this is happening the Russian police is sending in its crack squad of cops to capture or kill 47. Dougray has a problem with this as he wants 47 alive for questioning, as he's wanted for multiple hundreds of murders across the globe. How he was to establish it was only 47, I'll never know.
Suffice to say that I didn't exactly enjoy the story to the movie. It took far too many liberties with the character of 47, and far too much of it seemed implausible from the perspective of realism. Also there's the questionable choice in casting Timothy Olyphant as the cold steely eyed assassin: Mr. 47. I don't hate the guy, it's just that I think he's a highly inappropriate choice.
Overall the movie is a mediocre action film and is not worth the time to watch it.
2/5

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Plot:A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.

The film is presented to us as a flashback, with McCarthy explaining the take-over of his town to the extremely sceptical authorities. This is a brilliant device as, unlike with most flashback narratives (especially those in film noir), we don't know how the film will resolve itself.
Dr. Miles J. Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is called back to his small California home early from a conference because a number of his patients have been frantically asking to see him. But oddly, when he returns home, most forget about their unspecified needs. At the same time, it seems that a mass hysteria is building where residents believe that friends and loved ones are "not themselves", literally. One by one, Kevin Mcarthy and Dana Wynter are confronted by the loss of neighbors, associates, and friends. The horror of the loss of everything they new. Early on, when a boy thinks his mother isn't his mother, and a friend doubt's her uncle is who he says he is. Doctor Miles is confused and doesn't know what to believe. So he goes with common sense. His eyes see there is no problem. But The evidence piles slowly and precisely. Soon it is not only what to believe, but who to trust.
this is a plea for sanity and individualism, for creativity and artistic freedom. All that aside it is also an entertaining film that does what any great movie should do, it moves. The dialog is not stilted or full of clichés. It is original and insightful without becoming preachy.The movie is also a top notch thriller, as good as any Hitchcock.It easily remains one of the most gripping of these films with an excellent score by Carmen Dragon.
While the running time doesn't allow for much character development, it is a thrilling film, turning human beings into cold, unfeeling monsters.It built up it's terror with slow suspense, a sense of impending doom, and an atmosphere that was enhanced by the superb musical score.4.5/5 a masterpiece

Lions for Lambs (2007)

Plot:Injuries sustained by two Army ranger behind enemy lines in Afghanistan set off a sequence of events involving a congressman, a journalist and a professor.

Lions for Lambs is a current issue film that deals with several relevant topics. The central plot revolves around essentially three settings that don't directly affect each other through action. They do however affect each other through course of action presented in debate.Cruise plays Jasper Irving, a republican senator with a new plan of action for the war on terror. Streep is a veteran reporter who is interviewing him. Simultaneously, Redford is a college professor who has called a student into his office. A conflict in Afghanistan is taking place which is linked to the aforementioned plot lines.
Lions for Lambs surprised me with it's balance.The Cruise character could have been given irrefutable hatred material. He could have been caught in a scandal. He could have alienated others with religious furor. Instead he is real and forms educated arguments. He seems rational, and passionate.The left is represented by Redford's professor and Streep's reporter. Both are treated with rationale conviction.Both of these characters even go as far as to acknowledge the error in the ways of their side. If there is a message to the film, it is that we are being sheltered from reality.
this a dialog heavy film. Characters are pinned against their situations which cause them to restrain from a course of action both physically and metaphorically. The conversations are engaging.A few additional technical merits could have gone a long way. For example, the CGI of the Chinook helicopter was not up to par; a memorable score and unique cinematography are also absent. The screenplay is inherently foiled by remarkable coincidence; but there was no way around that.Lions for Lambs is quick to get to the point but it is over too fast.this is a thinking person's film that comes highly recommended.3.5/5

Death Sentence (2007)

Plot:Nick Hume is a mild-mannered executive with a perfect life, until one gruesome night he witnesses something that changes him forever. Transformed by grief, Hume eventually comes to the disturbing conclusion that no length is too great when protecting his family
James Wan, of 'Saw' fame, directs with a keen eye for breathless action sequences.During the opening credits we are introduced to the perfect family Nick Hume (Kevin Bacon) is the devoted father, Helen (Kelly Preston) his bright and loving wife, Brendan is the golden boy son with all the soccer laurels, and Lucas the younger 'also ran' son. The glitch in this family's happiness happens one night when, out of gas while driving home from a soccer game, Nick stops at a gas station and while Brendan is in the convenience store a gang comes in and murders the store owner and Brendan: the reason for the killing is not robbery but an initiation rite into a gang accomplished by young Joe Darley and the demand of his older brother Billy Nick witnesses the killing and when the lawyers and police work with him in the aftermath to 'arrange a deal' instead of a murder trial, Nick decides to take matters in hi s own hands.
The Darley brothers are part of a ruthless gang sponsored by their own father Bones Darley Nick stalks Joe Darley and murders him, and once the deed is done the terror begins. The gang is out to kill not only Nick but Nick's family also. How this pursued and pursuers game works out furnishes the remainder of the film.
When the film is dealing with the 'family' and the 'gang' the dialog sparkles, but when the police, headed by Detective Wallis (Aisha Tyler), become involved the aid from the police becomes as ludicrous as the dialog placed in their mouths. Kevin Bacon gives a bravura performance as the gentle father driven to murderous madness and Garrett Hedlund matches him as the ruthless and terrifying gang leader Billy.it is the wildly frantic camera action and directorial decisions by Wan that make this a horrifying and arresting film.3/5

Mean Creek (2004)

Plot:When a teen is bullied, his brother and friends lure the bully into the woods to seek vengeance.

George is the school bully. This seems like a cliché for a film that focuses on youngsters. But we soon learn that he is a kid with a lot of problems. After he beats up Sam, the time for George to be put in his place arrives. So Sam, along with brother Rocky, Clyde, and Marty, hatch a plan that will see George forced to jump in the river during a boat trip and have to run home naked. Another member of the group, Millie, played by the excellent Carly Schroeder, is reluctant to go along with the plan.
As the boating trip progresses, the group eventually see that George isn't the bully he appears to be. So the whole joke is called off, and we see them continue with the trip by doing what youngsters should do everyday of their lives, having fun and enjoying themselves.so before the rest of the group see the 'real' George, we feel sorry for the 'bully'. in the middle of the second act, the film takes a different turn. Marty himself is being bullied by his elder brother so decides to exact his wrath on George, even when the others are reluctant.
so the story becomes, Bully becomes victim, victim becomes bully, the tables are turned for both George and Marty, which is a genius turn from the film makers.
I was quite impressed and surprised with Scott Mechlowicz, who played the leader of the group. You may have seen him as Scotty in "Euro Trip" back in 2004. However, this is a much different role for him, and really shows off just what a terrific and compelling actor he really is.Rory Culkin does seem a little stiff in a key role.
"Mean Creek" had me going right up to its climax. But after that, I found the movie spiralled downward into a mainstream maelstrom of recrimination, guilt, and shoddy attempts at a cover-up. How many times in movie history have we seen this scenario play itself out, with predictable results? I had hoped, and indeed expected, that "Mean Creek" would offer something new and fresh.
3/5

30 Days of Night (2007)

Plot:After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires.

the movie's premise is vampires being allowed to run amok freely in Alaska during a 30 day period when there is no sun to force them into hibernation during the day.ts simple yet fresh enough to maintain your interest.
the story does not go into too much detail about the leading characters personal lives, nor does it go into too much detail about the vampires themselves.Its plunged strait into action and this lack of characterization, actually helps to strengthen this story.
Despite the Alaska angle the film and the story itself is nothing really original. Even the vampires themselves are nothing we haven't seen before. Black trench coats and a mouthful of fangs, speaking in a foreign tongue with an evil squeal. But it's okay.you've seen it before but that doesn't mean that it's not going to make the movie any less entertaining.
Where this movie is successful is in the fact that it's handled in a very realistic way. Evan; Josh Hartnett's character is a believable and very human sheriff. He doesn't do anything in this movie that doesn't seem plausible, in fact the film has very little cringe moments and hardy any cheesy dialogue.
From beheadings to animal violence, to the slaughter of children, to maniacal misuse of a snow plow, this douses you in blood and suspense.this is an extremely gory movie about vampires killing people and it's thrilling put together very well and does not not rely on cheap tricks to try and thrill the audience.
Some of the shots in this movie are incredible.There's an overhead shot that spans the entire town amidst all of the chaos of the vampire attack and I can honestly say it is breathtaking.
there are some missteps with the film's pacing and some huge leaps of logic in the amount of time that passes between events.for the shear originality of its central conceit, the intensity of the gore, and the haunting quality of many of its signature shots,this gets 3.5/5

25th Hour (2002)

Plot:Cornered by the DEA, convicted New York drug dealer Montgomery Brogan (Norton) reevaluates his life in the 24 remaining hours before facing a seven-year jail term.

Edward Norton stars as Monty Brogan, a man whose life decision, becoming a drug dealer, has left him facing a seven year prison term, "...with 84 days off with good behaviour." It's the morning before, and Monty has twenty-five hours left to examine his life, bond with his closest friends, say goodbye to family, find a home for his dog, and figure out a way to survive in the joint.Even though he has grown distant from them over the years, Monty chooses to spend his remaining hours with his closest friends from childhood, Jacob Elinsky (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Frank Slaughtery (Barry Pepper). Socially and economically, these are two of the most dissimilar people one is likely to see spending time together in a film. Their only real connection is the deeply entrenched devotion they feel to their friend.Norton's character also has a girlfriend, Naturelle, played by Rosario Dawson, whom he believes might have been the one who sold him out to the police. There's also his father, played by Brian Cox, a retired fireman who owns a bar on Staten Island which caters primarily to fire fighters. Each of these people, in their own way, blames them self for what is happening to Monty.
25th Hour is memorable for grappling openly with the aftermath of September 11th. Lee skillfully immerses it into the subtext of the story.memorable is the venomous diatribe by Norton into a bathroom mirror, where he verbally attacks every group in New York regardless of ethnicity, sexual preference or socioeconomic standing. Not even the church or JC himself, is safe from his tirade, which ends when Monty realizes the only person he has to blame for his predicament, is the one staring back at him in the mirror.
It's a smartly written, well-acted, character-driven drama that doesn't come along too often.
My score: 7.5 (out of 10)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Plot:A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.

We first meet Plainview in 1898 mining for silver in Arizona. After a nasty fall in which he breaks his ankle, he discovers oil in the shaft. After a few years, he has a crew and a few successful wells.One day, a fellow worker ­ there with his infant son (for some reason) ­is killed and Plainview adopts the boy, H. W. (Dillion Freasier) for no other reason than to have a cute face to show while he cons the public.These are some of the movie's best scenes, with Plainview - and H.W. in tow - visiting backwoods bergs and convincing a gullible populace into signing away land rights for a fraction of what they were worth.Several years later, a visitor tells Plainview about a ranch in California that is soaking in oil, so Pop and son head out there, under the pretense of hunting quail.There they meet the Sunday family, addled dad, Abel a few non-descript females and an Evangelist son, Eli.Plainview and Eli do not hit it off at all, and this is the conflict that sets up the second act. It doesn't take much to finagle Abel out of the Sunday Ranch, as well as the surrounding property, but several tragedies cause many in the town ­ especially the young preacher ­ to wonder if they made the right move in letting Plainview into their midst.When H.W. is rendered deaf in an explosion and disastrous fire, we wonder if the whole enterprise is worth it.
Daniel Day Lewis delivers a performance worthy of Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and other movie titans. His depiction of Daniel Plainview is simply outstanding, a man moved by greed and hatred.Paul Dano also gives a surprisingly mature performance, showing that he has come a long way since he played the silent teenager in Little Miss Sunshine. Paul Thomas Anderson shows noticeable excellence behind the cameras, giving the world a lot of unforgettable scenes.my rating for the first 90 minutes is 8.5/10 and the next 60 is 7.5/10.

Inside Man (2006)

Plot:A cop has to talk down a bank robber after the criminal's perfect heist spirals into a hostage situation.

A bank robbery in New York has gotten out of control, and it's up to police detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) to act as hostage negotiator and get the bank personal and customers out safely before things turn even worse than they already are. This turns out to be a tough case, since the leader of the bank robbers, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), turns out to be a very smart individual, who has everything planned to perfection, and who throws up surprise after surprise for Frazier and his men. But while the people around Frazier are slowly getting more and more nervous, he himself does not lose his mind, and begins a high stakes battle of wits with Russell. Things are further complicated, however, when the mayor of New York introduces a mysterious woman to Frazier. This woman (Jodie Foster) wants to protect something that is hidden in one of the safety deposit boxes inside the bank, and she will stop at nothing to force Frazier to let her inside the bank and make sure nothing happens to the contents.
Inside Man continually offers enough suspense and intrigue to keep you gripped throughout, but essentially deprives you of the last piece of the stylish puzzle until the very end.
Washington once again proved to be the man, he was brilliant in every way Clive Owen is on fire these days, one good performance followed by an even better performance.If you are a Jodie foster fan then you might be a little disappointed to know that she only had like a guest star sort of role, she has something like ten minutes of screen time thought she does makes good use of it.
Lee showcases an interesting way of directing thrillers. He ignores the usual build up even flashing forward several times, thus revealing some important developments before they have happened and this only serves to make Inside Man a movie that is more than your regular suspense movie.8/10

10,000 BC (2008)

Plot:A prehistoric epic that follows a young mammoth hunter's journey through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe.

as film technology grows, the storytelling ability of the movies shrinks.10,000 B.C. is the most convincing piece of evidence to this argument.Here is a movie that looks like it cost millions to make, but is saddled with a screenplay that looks like it came from the Dollar Store.
10,000 B.C. is short on spectacle, short on plot, and short on just about anything that people go to the movies for. There are characters and a love story to drive the bare bones plot, but this seems to be added in as an afterthought.I got the impression that Emmerich and fellow screenwriter, Harald Kloser had the idea for a couple cool scenes, then tried to add a bunch of filler material between them. They threw in some sketchy characters that hardly reach two dimensions to inhabit this filler, and called it a screenplay.
The plot, if it can even be called that, is set in the days of early man. The heroes are an unnamed tribal people who speak perfect English, all have the bodies of supermodels, and hunt mammoths for food. The two characters we're supposed to be focused on are a pair of young lovers named D'Leh (Steven Strait) and Evolet (Camilla Belle). Why they are in love, and why we should care about them, the movie never goes out of its way to explain. The rest of the villagers do not really matter. They exist simply to be captured when a group of foreign invaders come riding into their peaceful tribe.
10,000 B.C. probably would have worked better as a silent movie, or a subtitled one, as most of the dialogue that comes out of the mouths of these people are as wooden as the spears they carry.The evil invading tribe speak in subtitles, and sometimes have their voices mechanically altered and lowered, so that they sound more threatening and demonic.
There is a key ingredient missing in 10,000 B.C., and that is fun. This movie is not fun to watch at all. kept on waiting for something, anything, to happen. When something eventually did happen, it was usually underwhelming. I know of people who are interested in seeing this movie, because of the special effects, or because they think it looks enjoyably cheesy. To those people, I say please do not be drawn in by curiosity. This isn't even enjoyable in a bad sense. Your precious time is worth more than what any theater may be charging to see this movie.0/10

Dead Man's Shoes (2004)

Plot:A disaffected soldier (Considine) returns to his hometown to get even with the thugs who brutalized his mentally-challenged brother (Kebbell) years ago.

Paddy Considine plays Richard, a soldier fresh back from, what I can only assume to be, the horrors of Iraq and the Iraq war going on. But where road side bombs and ambushes have been erased, Richard is psychologically stuck with constant explosions going off in his mind – anger, rage, sadness and that lust for revenge when he learns his younger, more simple brother has suffered torment and bullying at the hands of the local drug dealers and young adults who have not matured enough to shake off that 'chav' mentality. Needless to say, he brings home the horrors of Iraq with him in all their bloody infamy in what could be one of the best post-war syndrome studies since Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. The film poster of said film on someone's flat wall perhaps hints at this.
The script is superb, and reminded me of Almadovar in that it squeezes an incredible amount of detail about the characters without any clumsy exposition. For example, to gauge the relationship between Richard (an astonishing portrayal by Paddy Considine) and his handicapped brother Anthony (played by Toby Kebbel with skill and sensitivity, and not a little sensuality) pay close attention to the conversation where they talk about a childhood football match. So much said about their characters, their relationship and the situation, in so few words.
A film as violent, aggressive and discomforting as this has no right to be as funny is it is, but it gets away with it. The gang upon whom Richard takes revenge are at times touching, farcical, disgusting, pitiable but ultimately human.
I am not going to spoil this film by going into the little twists and turns, the less you know about the plot the better. Although many of my reasons for being so impressed with this movie are personal, I think that the script, acting, cinematography, direction, editing and soundtrack are all brilliant.8/10.

On the Waterfront (1954)

Plot:An ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses.

The acting is definitely the film's strongest point. Marlon Brando gives and intense and realistic performance. It is not just because of the famous car scene, or the well-known scene in the bar with Saint, that makes his performance great. It is everything that he does throughout, in particular the facial expressions that he captures on his face. Towards the end there is a scene in which he stands alone and just stares at his fellow workers. His expression is unflinching without being unrealistic. Eva Marie Saint is quite good too, also giving off a performance in which her face is central.Lee J. Cobb is brilliant as Johnny Friendly, providing a fierce performance while not letting his character turn into a stereotype of evil. Then there is Rod Steiger, whose acting, after only one viewing of the film, I did not take much notice of. He is hardly there, and until the point when he instructed to talk with Brando, he does not have much to do. Indeed, Rod Steiger has very few good scenes in the film, however he is excellent in those scenes. It is incredibly realistic acting, the way he interacts with his brother, and the way he is torn between the mob and his family.
The sound recording is very realistic. The dock noises can often be heard, which helps to set up the waterfront atmosphere, and there is one scene in which the noise of a ship plays a key element in a conversation between Saint and Brando.
this is a drama about struggling against the restrictions of society, and of what it takes to stand up for what one believes in. However, I also see it as an exciting thriller about fighting corruption and the harshness of stevedore life in a community that is effectively run by gangsters. Perhaps it is about love and how relationships develop, and the events that help them to grow strong.
he end of "Raging Bull" is a homage to "On the Waterfront." The end of "On the Waterfront" will give you goosebumps.9/10

Pianiste, La aka the piano teacher(2001)

Plot:A young man romantically pursues his masochistic piano teacher.

It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? It's always the detached, the reserved and the remote who turn out to be the kinkiest.
The opening to The Piano Teacher sees Erika (Isabelle Huppert), a rather prim middle-aged woman, returning home only to be confronted by her mother. Her mother is outraged that she's late and she wants to know where she's been. She even grabs Erika's purse and checks her bankbook! Erika then grabs her mother by the hair while they call each other names. But after a brief tussle they're in each other's arms, apologising for their behaviour. These two people are highly dependant on one another. And in a weird way they're more like a married couple than mother and daughter; they even sleep in the same bed. Needless to say, it's not a particularly healthy domestic situation.
sex is where the real Erika comes out. In one scene she goes to a sex shop to watch hardcore porn. She even sniffs a pile of used tissues. But what's most telling is how the men in the shop react. Erika is completely comfortable. The men, though, are rather disturbed.
what's great about the film is that it doesn't judge Erika. We're not asked to laugh at her or consider her nothing more than an oddity. After all, it's probably easier to change the color of the sky than it is to change someone's sexual desires. No, what's disgusting is Walter's reaction to Erika. She begins to open up to him, to show some vulnerability, and rather than handle the situation like a man and say that he's not interested in that sort of thing, he humiliates her.And this of course leads to the savagely unhappy ending.
Huppert is superb here in the painful-to-watch film. She is carrying an incredible amount of psychological baggage, and it really affects her emotionless life. She is looking for love, but only finds seduction.She has a warped sense of S&M that she supposes is love but when faced with reality, she is shocked and cold.
7/10 great performances good direction

Black Sheep (1996)

Plot:A gubernatorial candidate hires a wormy special assistant whose only job is to make sure the candidate's well-meaning but incompetent brother doesn't ruin the election.


Farley's talent for physical comedy and Spade's trademark sarcasm generates some genuine amusement in this tale of Mike Donnelly (Farley), the well intentioned but generally clumsy younger brother of Al Donnelly (Tim Matheson), a man who really wants to win the race for Washington state governor. Mike comes along on Al's campaigns as an advertising assistant but always winds up making an embarrassing scene in front of potential voters. Under the recommendations of his campaign manager (Timothy Carhart), Al hires a campaign aide (Spade) to send Mike elsewhere on assisting with the campaign. Soon, Mike and Steve have some rather nightmarish experiences in a woodside cabin and run afoul of a war obsessed renegade (Gary Busey). Meanwhile, Al's opponent, Evelyn Tracy (Christine Ebersole) is corrupting the election so she can fool the voters and win a third term. Mike eventually finds out about this and hilariously sets out to expose her wrong doings.
After the enormous success of TOMMY BOY, it was expected that Chris Farley and David Spade would star in another movie together. What wasn't expected was that the two movies would be so similar. In TOMMY BOY, Richard Hayden (David Spade) must look after the sweet, but clumsy Tommy Callahan (Chris Farley) so he doesn't mess up the family business. In BLACK SHEEP, Steve Dodds (David Spade) is hired by Mike Donnelly's (Chris Farley) brother to look after the sweet, but clumsy Mike so he doesn't mess up an upcoming campaign.
The humor here is a little raunchier and rowdier than in "Tommy Boy" but not necessarily funnier. At times, the film is very predictable and the comedic punchlines occasionally fail. Still, it's OK.the acting was decent with the exception of Gary Busey's character, who I must admit was pretty stupid.
this gets 5/10

Saam gaang yi aka Three extremes (2004)

Plot:An Asian cross-cultural trilogy of horror films from accomplished indie directors.

CUT (Park Chan-Wook) - A film director who apparently lives the "ideal" life, is thrown into a hellish nightmare when he is confronted by one of his previous employees... 8.5 out of 10.Now this is one gruesome story, which revolves around a movie director (Lee) and a former extra of his that's gone completely insane and terrorizes the director and his wife at their home. Park's short story touches on adultery, relationships, regret, fame and childhood memories - as well as featuring amputation, torture, child abuse, and a crazy set - as Lee and his kidnapper spar until the shocking (but not altogether satisfying) end.This is the most graphic of the three stories, and the most brutal.

BOX..Takashi Miike Miike's entry in this Asian horror anthology was the most visually inspired, I thought. Very surreal imagery punctuates this tale of a young woman, Kyoko, who placed her twin sister, Shoko, in a box as a youngster which led to the girl's death and eventual haunting of the adult Kyoko.I had no idea what Box was saving itself up to be until halfway through and I was pleasantly surprised--up until that point where it all clicked, I thought it was just some J-horror ghost story. I should've known better with Miike. The goodness of this short paved the way for the loveliness that followed it. 8/10.

then there is Hong Kong director Fruit Chan's DUMPLINGS. A woman who feels old and ugly because of her adulterous husband will pay anything and do anything to look younger. She'll even knowingly eat dumplings filled with aborted fetuses. Oh, it's heinous! You see the abortions, the fetuses, and you hear all the slurping, chewing, and crunching. It's nauseating and twisted, but also says a lot about China's over-population and the resulting abortion culture. Fascinating.8/10

All in all, Three…Extremes is disturbing, disgusting, brilliant, and chilling.It's sick…in the best way possible.8.5/10

The Thing (1982)

Plot:Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills.

Taking place in the Antarctic in 1982, the movie focuses specifically on a group of American scientists. We are given no introduction to their mission, but are thrust into their existence when a pair of seemingly crazy Norwegians appears at their base camp, chasing an escaped dog. The Norwegians are killed, and the dog finds its way into the colony, which is when things really start to get crazy.

It is soon made quite clear that the "dog" is actually a shape-shifting alien organism, which manifests itself upon the physical form of its victims – in other words, it begins to eat the Americans, and imitate them so well that the remaining humans cannot discern the difference between their friends and enemies

The pack of scientists, led by MacReady (Kurt Russell), begin to fight for their own survival, using wits instead of brawn. If the Thing is indeed amongst them, then how are they to go about revealing it? How many Things are there? How can the Thing be killed? (Or can it be destroyed at all?)

The creature's origins in the film are explained easily: Thirty thousand years ago a spacecraft plummeted to Earth, and was frozen in the Antarctic ice. The Thing tried to escape, and was discovered in the ice by the Norwegians, who unknowingly released it from its natural prison.

"The Thing," the movie itself, is similar to Ridley Scott's iconic "Alien" (1979). Many comparisons have been made – the protagonists are stranded in a desolate area, stalked by a seldom seen foe that manages to kill them off one-by-one.
The idea of the Thing being able to adapt the physicality of anyone is what essentially makes this movie good.
Ennio Morricone's score is haunting.
One complaint--no one is given any distinctive personality traits. They actors just remain straight-faced and say their lines. That's annoying
a good movie but i liked carpenter's halloween more.7/10

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Plot:The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. Based on the hit Broadway musical.

Johnny Depp plays the title role, or should I say evolves into it. Initially, his character is named Benjamin Barker, and he's a happily married father in Victorian London.

But an evil judge named Turpin (Alan Rickman at his oil-slick smoothest) lusts after Barker's wife. So he wrongly sentences Barker to prison, seduces and poisoningly induces Barker's wife, and takes Barker's baby daughter as his "charge," to await the day when she is old enough to marry him.

Fifteen years later, Barker escapes from prison, returns to London, and adopts the persona of barber Sweeney Todd. At first, he intends only upon avenging Turpin. But he soon discovers he has an other-barberly way with a razor. And as it happens, Todd's landlady (Helena Bonham Carter), an unsuccessful baker, could use some fresh ingredients to sell her pies.

Oh, and this is a musical, too -- albeit the bloodiest musical ever, with shot after shot of Todd severing the necks of bourgeois customers whom he feels have it coming.

Johnny Depp's performance in this is one of his best by far. He stole every scene he was in. Helena Bonham Carter gives a great performance as Mrs. Lovett and she and Johnny make a great pair.The supporting cast is all amazing. Alan Rickman could make "High School Musical" entertaining. He is so deliciously evil in this movie, and you can tell his sidekick, Timothy Spall's Beadle Bamford, is having a great time with his sniveling character. Sacha Baron Cohen is, of course hilarious as Pirelli.

The dark humour is great, the look is stunning, Depp is gloriously unhinged while remaining believable.It's as tasty a cinematic pie as any filmmakers could have made out of the fearsome, poisoned stew of the story of the Demon Barber.
7.5/10

Yojimbo (1961)

Plot:A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.

Mifune creates a memorable character in the Ronin who decides the course of his life on the toss of a stick, and ends up risking his life to save a village full of peasants he finds revolting. It's possible to see "Yojimbo's" actions as either heroic or as the game of a bored warrior in need of amusement -- as often in Kurosawa's films, the fact that the characters' motives remain open to interpretation adds depth to the film.
One of the gangsters, Unosuke (Nakadai), is the only one in town; it seems, with a gun. At first Sanjuro(mifune) plays each side, but when he gets beaten roughly by whom he was "protecting", he realizes the fun's over, and it's time to fight back.
Much has been made about how Sergio Leone took Kurosawa's story and characters (most in particular being a rogue from out of town) and made them into his breakthrough Fistful of Dollars- Kurosawa even sued Leone over the story rights. But to those who wonder whether Yojimbo is 'better' than Fistful or vice versa need to remember one of two things- Kurosawa took the story from Dashiell Hammett's gangster novel Red Harvest, so neither filmmaker is making something really original
Kurosawa meticulously infuses every detail with meaning.His economy of style was never more amazing; watch as the samurai rides into town, and the director establishes the atmosphere with exactly one jaw-dropping shot. And the story is equally well-crafted, with no plot holes and no inconsistencies.
8/10

Dîner de cons, Le (1998)

Plot:Each week, Pierre and his friends organize what is called as "un dîner de cons". Everyone brings the dumbest guy he could find as a guest...

The wealthy editor Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhemitte) and his friends have a competition: every Wednesday, each one of them invites the dumbest jackass he can find for a dinner, where each one of the guests is invited to talk about himself as much as possible. Later, after the guests say goodbye, the group of friends makes fun and elects the more stupid and imbecile guest. Pierre invites François Pignon (Jacques Villeret), a man that works in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and makes "maquettes" of matches to forget his beloved wife, who had went away with a friend of him two years ago, for the dinner. However, a tough pain in one vertebra of his spinal column does not allow Pierre to meet his friends for the game and he stays alone with solicitous, but clumsy and stupid François in his apartment. Every attempt of François helping Pierre goes wrong, becoming the night of Pierre a terrible nightmare.
"Le Diner de Cons" is a witty theatrical movie, practically set in the room of an apartment.The work of Jacques Villeret as an authentic jackass, with a stupid grin and trying to help Pierre, is amazing.This should not mean that the other performances are not good, however: In fact, everyone does a good job, despite the fact that most actors perform very short appearances.
The dialogs and situations are very intelligent and hilarious.
Light and funny despite the slightly cruel nature of the plot, this film is well worth a watch. The humour is very much situation based and relies on plot devices to move it on, but it's quite fresh and amusing and makes for an enjoyable 90 minutes."LDdC" is a movie that will make you laugh, but in fact, it will also make you think; behind the fun, the film conveys a very humane and meaningful message.
7/10
p.s.:"BHEJA FRY"WAS A BLATANT RIP OFF.THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO MOVIES IS THEIR RESPECTIVE LANGUAGES.

AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007)

Plot:Warring alien and predator races descend on a small town, where unsuspecting residents must band together for any chance of survival.

Where to begin? I used to think that Blade 3 was the worst sequel ever, but AVPR has taken the top spot, with ease. These pretentious a-holes, the Brothers Suckwad(or whatever their names are) who "directed" this piece of trash should be shot, but before they're executed they should be forced to actually WATCH the movies that AVPR was based upon. It seems they neglected to do so before filming.
the acting was horrifying.All the fight scenes were barely visible.
I'm seriously confused here - why did the Predator run around erasing evidence with the "blue goo", and then kill a cop, skin him, and hang him from a tree? Also, in the original AVP, wasn't that temple they found under the ice like a training ground where Predators could test their skills against a multitude of Xenomorphs? So, why was this particular Predator having such a hard time dealing with a handful of the things? I can imagine he might have a bit of trouble with the "Predalien", but come on!!!they made the predalien too predator-like, it didn't make any sense.
I was literally pained to sit through this cliche-fest, we have the jiggly-assed blonde teen who of course dies in every movie, but not before we get to see her hot bod waggling around.The preppy little model hero who acts like a total badass? Wannabe Sigourney? Untouchable child in the middle of it all? Few ethnicities that exist dying from stupidity? My God, check to it all, I hope they never make another movie in any of the three series, just so I won't feel obligated to subject myself to this horrible bullshit again.
the only people I can think of that would enjoy this movie are those that enjoy laughing at bad movies, or preteen males who love gore and explosions with cheap CGI. I really don't know which is worse AVP:R or Alien³, one being so dark its unwatchable, and the other being so boring its also unwatchable.
2/10