‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Download and Reviews
“2001: A Space Odyssey” Movie Details
2001: A Space Odyssey tagline: Let the Awe and Mystery of a Journey Unlike Any Other Begin
 2001: A Space Odyssey DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Poole’s mother |
“2001: A Space Odyssey” Movie Review
“Two Thousand and One: A Space Odyssey” Plot Summary
Mankind finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, artifact buried on the moon and, with the intelligent computer HAL, sets off on a quest.
Magnificent and deliberately mysterious
Spoilers ahead.2001: a Space Odyssey is without a doubt the most challenging and successful film by the late Stanley Kubrick. This is not a film that you watch in order to be entertained or amused. Instead it provides you with a banquet of food for thought, images that linger in the mind’s eye long after the movie itself is over. It is a film that you could meditate on
The film intentionally offers us more questions then it can answer, it is made to puzzle and mystify, but leaves the viewer nevertheless with a sense of awe and reverence (that is allowing that he has engaged himself in the process of viewing it, enjoyment of this film requires some effort on the viewers part) the questions that it does pose are large and ominous, concerning the genesis and destiny of the human race, it’s ultimate place in the cosmic design and the existence or lack of some creative intelligence behind the structure of the universe itself
The first of the films Four Quartets gives us a distinct view of the species past. We see our distant ancestors, half-ape half human, in a state of near starvation. The climate has destroyed most of the plant life and the vegetarian beasts are near starvation. An extra-terestial object, a perfectly smooth and angular black monolith, appears and the animals are simultaneously inspired by it’s presence to tool-making and violence. They are transformed overnight into carnevores, and when two tribes encounter each other near a water source, the tribe that has developed tool making capacity, as well as beligerence, soundly destroys the neighboring tribe. The new chief of the winning tribe, empowered by the first vestiges of technology triumphantly throws the bone that he used as a weapon in the air. We see the bone transformed into a floating satellite, which contains nuclear weapons. We soon learn that the world is torn apart by nuclear paranoia. The characteristics inspired by the monument’s appearance that once helped us to survive now threaten our very existence
Once again humanity is in crisis, once again the unearthly presence represented by the black monolith will step in to aid humanity in the next step in it’s development. On an exploration of the Moon a monolith identical to the earlier one we have seen is discovered. The governments of the world, normally mortal enemies, have come together in secret to discuss the implications. A mission is arranged. the monument has been engaged in some kind of radio communication with Jupiter. A few men will travel to the destination of the transmission. Most of them will, for most of the time, be kept in a state of suspended animation. The pilot of the spacecraft will be HAL a super computer who has been programmed to imitate all of the traits of human beings
The film has many outstanding sequences. As usual for Kubrick the use of classical music is outstanding. Most memorable are ‘Blue Danube’ and ‘Also Spake Zarathustra’ (particularly appropriate given the film’s theme of transcending ordinary consciousness.) The cinematography is particularly excellent as well, after a single viewing the film’s final 30 minutes will haunt you for the rest of your life
The character of HAL is the most important from the view of the film’s central thesis. In imitating all the characteristics of human beings he comes to have their negative traits as well. The paranoia he develops which almost leads to the mission’ s ruin is an exact mirror of the paranoia that has allowed the political situation back on earth to reach a point of desperate crisis. The film suggests that these are the traits that we must leave behind if we are to proceed to the next phase in our evolution
The architecture of the film is also meaningful. The designs of many of the spacecraft are intended to suggest reproductive organs and the process of birth and rebirth, the central motif of the movie. The ending of 2001 is the most spectacular and triumphant ever filmed
This movie takes a view of life similar to that presented in the poetry of William Butler Yeats and James Joyce’s novel Finnegan’s Wake. It posits a pattern to history and human evolution that is cyclic, yet progressive, repeating the same events at large intervals, yet with the human race as developing according to the will of a being with a larger purpose in mind. Though we never learn what this purpose is, the film assures us that the human race is not meant for failure, it’s destiny is grand beyond it’s capacity to imagine. It continues to amaze me that in spite of this film many people continue to regard Kubrick as a misanthrope
This is a religious film, not in the conventional sense of adhering to any specific creed, but because of it’s invocation of wonder at the vast panorama of existence and it’s involvement with the deepest and most vital questions of purpose and truth. In the hands of any other director, this would all be perhaps a little too much. Hollywood’s view of life is too puny, usually to encompass the grandeur and intensity of a vision such as this one. But Kubrick was a visionary, he directs with utter confidence, not only that he can handle material of this kind, but that he is the only one to do it. The process of making this film used all of his creative resources. The writing partnership with Arthur C Clarke is the most fruitful in cinematic history. Kubrick had to invent some of the special effects that were used in the movie’s astounding climax. The resources to bring his vision to life did not exist at the time, so he brought them into existence.2001 is a absolutely unique movie experience. Those who miss out on it do so at the detriment of their own intellectual and imaginative capacities.
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‘I’m Not There’ Download and Reviews
“I’m Not There” Movie Details
I’m Not There tagline: All I Can Do Is Be Me Whoever That Is
 I'm Not There DVD Cover |
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| Directors: Todd Haynes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 7.1/10 out of 21,263 votes |
“I’m Not There” Movie Review
“I’m Not There” Plot Summary
Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician’s life and work.
Beautiful, Unique & Full of Life
Todd Haynes (‘Velvet Goldmine’, ‘Far from Heaven’) created a non-linear, truly original film, that must be seen by every Bob Dylan lover. Haynes’s tapestry is ‘inspired by the music and lives of Bob Dylan’ – he introduces us to 6 different Dylans: Jack Rollins (Christian Bale), Woody Guthrie (Marcus Carl Franklin), Jude Quinn (Cate Blanchett), Robbie Clark (Heath Ledger), Billy the Kid (Richard Gere) and Arthur Rimbaud (Ben Whishaw), interweaving their stories in a groundbreaking narrative slightly similar to Todd Solondz’s unsettling, caustic ‘Palindromes’ (2004), in which several very different actresses (and a boy) play a 13 year-old pregnant girl. While ‘Across the Universe’ illustrated The Beatles’ fantastic songs with simple, adorable characters in a psychedelic rhythm, but with little character development (not that I’m complaining: I absolutely love to see visual masters like Baz Luhrmann or Julie Taymor on fire, since their self-indulgence creates wonderful sensorial pieces), ‘I’m Not There’ is much more complex: it’s deeper than conventional biopics (‘Ray’, ‘Walk the Line’), and much smarter than exploitative flicks (the atrocious ‘Factory Girl’). Haynes crafted a unique film that’s a feast for the eyes (thanks to cinematographer Ed Lachman, ‘The Virgin Suicides’, who also co-directed the disgusting ‘Ken Park’ with Larry Clark), ears (Dylan’s music is always a pie in the sky) and mind (it’ll make you admire the man even more, and it doesn’t even need to be an ass-kissing biopic to succeed on that). The cast is heterogeneous and solid, but I think critics are overrating Cate Blanchett for the sheer fact that she’s playing a man (which makes things more challenging for her, indeed), when she’s not really better than most of the cast; a good performance for sure, but I was much more impressed by Christian Bale and the young revelation Marcus Carl Franklin. Julianne Moore, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Michelle Williams play some important women from Dylan’s life, and the always underrated Bruce Greenwood has a small but interesting part. All in all, this isn’t a film that will enjoy big commercial success, and it’s probably too artsy (although, not in a bad way) to get the Academy’s top prize (even though Blanchett’s performance and, maybe, Haynes’s magnificent directing/writing, will probably be remembered), but it’s a real gem for those who want to see something really exciting and original. As for myself, I’m thankful to Haynes and his audacious, faithful producer Christine Vachon (this woman rocks, and in a perfect world, she’d have all the money that a certain Jerry Bruckheimer possesses), who always dare to blow us away – something rare, these days. Fascinating. 10/10.
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‘Johnny Mnemonic’ Download and Reviews
“Johnny Mnemonic” Movie Details
Johnny Mnemonic tagline: The future’s most wanted fugitive.
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| Directors: Robert Longo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 4.9/10 out of 19,680 votes |
“Johnny Mnemonic” Movie Review
“Johnny Mnemonic” Plot Summary
A data courier, carrying a data package literally inside his head too large to hold for long, must deliver it before he dies from it.
I love any and all Sci-Fi anything.
I like this film. The ending was lame but most are in my opinion. I like Sci-Fi movies from the rubber suited aliens to the ‘control’ lights flashing madly for no apparent reason except for effect. Let’s face it, in any given year there are few Sci-Fi movies made. Look at the long lists of movies made and there might be a Sci-Fi movie amongst them. Horror does far better with at least three or four a year. Sci-Fi has been a subjective genre and will probably remain so. After all, the future-present seems so dull, mundane and exploited when you’re living in it (planes, cars, tanks, computers, internet).
Specifically about this movie I like the stark opening on the Main Character. He desperately, angrily, wants the money to get his memories back and do it right. The perfect setup for the risk he decides to take. The exposition dialogue on this point could be better but it got the point across (again and again) what was at stake and why. He was so desperate that he was willing to risk his life to obtain HIS goal
Then we have the usual introduction of characters and the running, fighting and hiding. Each step of the way he is always closer to getting that thing out of his head and renewing his childhood memories
I agree with the other comments regarding the Main Character’s desires whil e standing on a garbage heap and his life looks like garbage — he will never live to enjoy his childhood again, nor the physical comforts he thinks he wants
The lo-techs vs. the corporate is an old theme with maybe another angle. It sets the backdrop for the overall story, the good and the bad fighting for control. The corporate side I liked. The lo-tech side was the usual, nothing new
What I liked about the corporate side was the ancient use of the god-like conscience represented by the woman in the computer. The one who nags the corporate head to help the lo-techs for his absolution in the memory of his dead daughter
The god-like conscience character is rarely used in American drama, but heavily honored by Asians. I have always liked this dramatic element even when demonstrated in the classical Greek. How can we define good and evil when it is beyond our control and understanding? Thus is an Asian view, as well as the ancient world, of the meaning of life. The doll white face and the near obliteration of any human features just as in the face masks worn in the ancient Greek dramas or in the ancient art of Kabuki
Like I said, I like all Sci-Fi. It is too rare. As I illustrated above there were plenty of good dramatic elements and shots to make the movie enjoyable. Even the lame stuff has its own entertainment just as good as rubber suited aliens.
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‘Apocalypto’ Download and Reviews
“Apocalypto” Movie Details
Apocalypto tagline: When the end comes, not everyone is ready to go
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| Directors: Mel Gibson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 7.9/10 out of 76,384 votes |
“Apocalypto” Movie Review
“Apocalypto” Plot Summary
As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, the rulers insist the key to prosperity is to build more temples and offer human sacrifices. Jaguar Paw, a young man captured for sacrifice, flees to avoid his fate.
Amazing to watch Brutally brilliant!
Mel Gibson’s ‘Apocalypto’ is not a normal movie but a big make-up movie From the moment the film starts to the moment it ends you feel you are transported into the ancient Mayan civilization, seeing full body tattoos, body art, multiple piercing and jewelry It is a very exciting motion picture to look at, so strange to watch It has the esthetic that began to appeal and it fills you with wonder Our hero Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) is a cunning hunter whose father requests him not to tell of what he saw in forest today He is warned to strike fear from his heart and not to bring it into the villageHis wife, Seven (Dalia Hernandez) is pregnant, and their small son, Turtles Run (Carlos Emilio Baez), live modestly in a village surrounded by a tranquil rain forest… After a night of frivolity, the peaceful existence of this small community of hunters collapses when savage outsiders begin torching and burning everything in sight killing most and taking away dozens left Going undetected, Jaguar Paw hides his wife and child in a deep, waterless well promising to return when the attack has passed However when he is captured by his fearsome aggressors, he is tied to a pole and marched with his friends and fellow villagers to a forsaken land, stone-built, where the earth bleeds A fortuitous switch provides Jaguar Paw with an unexpected opportunity to escape and get back to his family in peril But for that he has to make his way home through a killing field and a dangerous jungle, racing against sadistic captors hot on his trail ‘Apocalypto’ transports the viewers to a strange and unreachable world, to a civilization in decline, to an infernal vision of a city and its inhabitants, to shocking images of human barbarism which has always existed throughout the ages
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‘Donnie Darko’ Download and Reviews
“Donnie Darko” Movie Details
Donnie Darko tagline: Life is one long insane trip. Some people just have better directions.
 Donnie Darko DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Sean Smith |
“Donnie Darko” Movie Review
“Donnie Darko” Plot Summary
A troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes, after narrowly escaping a bizarre accident.
One of the greatest cinematic achievements
Donnie Darko tells the story of a delusional teenager who begins to see visions of a a man in a blue bunny suit, who orders him to do certain tasks through suggestive clues and voices, to which he insists he MUST do, or the world will end
Now, really, this is a movie you must see to get the plot, if I were to give the full, detailed, complex plot it would take far too long (And will probably you leave you more stumped) to which reveals the majestic brilliance of Donnie Darko; which is that their are endless amounts of theories and interpretations, making it one of the most thought-provoking fantasy of recent years
The acting is superb (Maggie Ghyllenhal, Jake Ghyllenhal and Drew Barrymore to name a few), the music is perfect, subtle and atmospheric and the fantastic direction, coupled with a roller-coaster ride of a storyline will leave you of utmost interest and intrigue like no other movie. Not only that, but you will find yourself watching it more than a few times, as it will stick in your mind until you reveal your own personal interpretation (To which you may experience a Donnie Darko ‘phase’ which I did, warning: It WILL take up a sizable chunk of your life).
But adding to the already deep and complex storyline, there are also a vast amount of underlying themes, most noticeable the character Patrick Swayze plays, in which it represents a false ’superior’, referring clearly to religion
Donnie Darko is truly a classic, one of my favorite films and I recommend it to anyone. Incredible.
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‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ Download and Reviews
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” Movie Details
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels tagline: Nice guys finish last. Meet the winners.
 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels DVD Cover |
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English Sailor #1 |
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” Movie Review
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” Plot Summary
Lawrence and Freddie are con-men; big-time and small time respectively. They unsuccessfully attempt… add synopsis
Timeless Comedy
A wonderfully structured comedy, with a great cast and solid script
Michael Caine is the best con man in town, until Steve Martin turns up and challenges his superiority. They decide that the first one to con money out of Miss Janet Colgate will have the right to the towns many easy targets
With the deal done the con is on, and its a battle of wits, between the two men, with a very surprising winner! Hilarious and fresh as the day it was made
A classic comedy treat 8/10 also watch Heartbreakers, its has a similar theme and is just as good.
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‘George of the Jungle’ Download and Reviews
“George of the Jungle” Movie Details
George of the Jungle tagline: Watch out!
 George of the Jungle DVD Cover |
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| Directors: Sam Weisman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 5.3/10 out of 18,516 votes |
“George of the Jungle” Movie Review
“George of the Jungle” Plot Summary
George grows up in the jungle raised by apes. Based on the Cartoon series. add synopsis
Absolutely positive:)
I’ve seen this film for about 5 times and I still laugh every time I see it. It’s not the usual Cake-in-the-face humor, but it’s somewhat more sophisticated, and with a bit of sarcasm, I pretty much does the trick. From the beginning to the end, it was a very enjoyable bit, and if it comes again, then I’ll probably watch it. The actors were quite nice in their parts, and the animals fitted into the picture, too. If I had to find anything not-so-good about the movie, it would probably be the computer graphics, but otherwise the scenery was beautiful. The whole film was positive. It was quite naive, but in a sweet kind of way:)
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‘Payback’ Download and Reviews
“Payback” Movie Details
Payback tagline: No More Mr. Nice Guy
 Payback DVD Cover |
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Fairfax Bodyguard #1 |
“Payback” Movie Review
“Payback” Plot Summary
Porter is shot by his wife and best friend and is left to die. When he survives he plots revenge. add synopsis
Brilliant on Its Own
I’d go further than the rest of the posts and say two things: This is a brilliant story, full stop; and it may be one of the cinema’s precursors to another brilliant new bit of thug caper genre, ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.’ This film stands on its own against ‘Point Blank’, a delightful film in its own right. You do not need to know any of the previous film references to make this story work and it stands up just fine on its own, thank you very much
Others have commented on Gibson’s portrayal versus Marvin’s, but consider the context in which each film was made: Without taking anything away from Marvin’s performance I would argue that Gibson delivers the goods in just as satisfying a manner. Gibson’s portrait is more of a twenty-first century graphic novel’s character approach to justice than Marvin’s 1967 nod to cool spy culture and a bad-ass anti-hero’s approach to injustice
The author/director clearly worked this story until it was a lean, mean fighting machine, ruthlessly taking out what didn’t serve the story so that the overall effect is amazing pacing and audience satisfaction by turns of curiosity and empathy with this anti-hero. You cannot make this stuff up from brilliant inspiration, only very hard work can make a story this simple and elegant hang together with such artful complexity
I admit I am a fan of Gibson’s work, but not all of his ‘oeuvre’ is worth watching. This one definitely is, no matter what you think about his personal biases, love life, etc
And although this film is not outwardly credited (as far as I can tell) with having inspired Guy Richie, you can clearly see that this film and ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ are part and parcel of a similar vision of late nineties’ heroism, combined with very clever cinematography, excellent direction and muscular storytelling.
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‘Is Anybody There?’ Download and Reviews
“Is Anybody There?” Movie Details
Is Anybody There? tagline:
 Is Anybody There? DVD Cover |
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| Directors: John Crowley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 6.9/10 out of 1,441 votes |
“Is Anybody There?” Movie Review
“Is Anybody There?” Plot Summary
Set in 1980s seaside England, this is the story of Edward, an unusual ten year old boy growing up in an old people’s home run by his parents…
Caine at his most able
I heard this film was moving so I prepared myself for some spillage. Within ten minutes, I was teary – not hose-pipe teary – but I became aware that the tap of emotion was being slowly turned on by the gentle yet persistent hand of pathos. It was during the second scene, when Michael Caine’s eyes spewed forth the wretchedness of despair like an urn pours forth water, that I realised that this performance was Caine at his most able; I fumbled for my hanky and decided to ignore the prickle of anguish just for the privilege of seeing his performance
If Michael Caine was a piece of jewellery, he would be a 24-carat-gold antique ring encrusted with rubies, diamonds, sapphires and emeralds; each element perfectly contrasting with its neighbour; a unique mixture of the most precious and luminous stones; never losing their appeal yet probably taken a bit for granted; and only really appreciated by few
In this role, the subtle yet overwhelming brilliance of Caine’s portrayal of a man suffering with dementia allows all the dimensions of his talent to shine. This film is the jeweller and his cloth, and Caine is the multi-talented gemstone, in all his mournful glory, at the heart of it
There’s no denying that the story is grim. The characters are sad; there is death, decay and dementia in equal measure. It is a bleak yet compelling landscape. The background to the landscape is equally dreary. It’s the 80s in an unremarkable backwater outside Hull; the weather is dull; 90 per cent of the film is set in an old people’s home; our protagonist has dementia; and his best friend is obsessed with the afterlife (to the extent of recording the dying wheezes of the clients). Not really a crowd pleaser, eh? But believe it or not, this film has a lot of humour running through it. Okay, so it’s blacker than Newgate’s knocker but it’s there in spades. Caine’s best mate, Edward, a 10-year-old oddball is as compelling to watch as His Majesty as his hose-pipe gets turned on more than once, and very effectively indeed. He sensitively portrays a maudlin misfit not that dissimilar to the talent bud, Nicholas Hoult’s Marcus in ‘About a Boy’.This film is a really great example of British film-making at its finest – a good script and fine talent – nothing more nothing less. It is also a great reminder that a low budget does not mean you have to compromise on enjoyment. With this film, you get two superb beacons of light radiating out from a good support cast and a true-to-life story about the reality of old age and all the regret that can accompany it. Powerful stuff.
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‘Hannibal’ Download and Reviews
“Hannibal” Movie Details
Hannibal tagline: Break The Silence
 Hannibal DVD Cover |
Actors:
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Matteo Deogracias |
“Hannibal” Movie Review
“Hannibal” Plot Summary
Hannibal returns to America and attempts to make contact with disgraced Agent Starling and survive a vengeful victim’s plan.
Pretty intense and disturbing
Hannibal, the follow up to Silence of the Lambs, is pretty good. Now, I just have to say, Julianna Moore cannot replace Jodie Foster, but she sure did a good job, and came close to being on par, its just that her character isn’t the same because its not Jodie Foster. That being said, the film is pretty good, better than I expected actually. Anthony Hopkins as always gives an outstanding performance. He is so creepy and bizarre, its just great. Ray Liotta also does good, but that actually goes for most of the cast in the movie. Its a great thriller and good follow up. However, unlike silence of the lambs, which was more subtle with the outright violence, this is much more gruesome and cringe worthy, especially one scene (sure to shock viewers). A must see in for anyone who liked Silence of the Lambs or a fan of thrillers. I rate this 7/10. Rated R for Strong gruesome violence, some nudity and language
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