‘The Last Samurai’ Download and Reviews

December 24, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Action, Adventure, Drama

“The Last Samurai” Movie Details

The Last Samurai tagline: In the face of an enemy, in the Heart of One Man, Lies the Soul of a Warrior.
The Last Samurai - DVD Cover

The Last Samurai DVD Cover

Actors:
  • Shintaro Wada
  • Shin Koyamada
    Ken Watanabe Katsumoto
    Tom Cruise Nathan Algren
    William Atherton Winchester Rep
    Chad Lindberg Winchester Rep Assistant
    Ray Godshall Sr. Convention Hall Attendee
    Billy Connolly Zebulon Gant
    Tony Goldwyn Colonel Bagley
    Masato Harada Omura
    Masashi Odate Omura’s Companion
    John Koyama Omura’s Bodyguard
    Timothy Spall Simon Graham
    Shichinosuke Nakamura Emperor Meiji
    Togo Igawa General Hasegawa
    Satoshi Nikaido N.C.O.
    Young Recruit
    Directors: Edward Zwick IMDB Rating: 7.8/10 out of 99,087 votes

    “The Last Samurai” Movie Review

    “The Last Samurai” Plot Summary

    An American military advisor embraces the Samurai culture he was hired to destroy after he is captured in battle.

    Laughable

    Well, during all the movie Samurais are depicted as a warriors’ elite that studied and practised the art of war for centuries. Nevertheless we see that it’s very easy for an American alcoholic to equal them in the art of katana handling in just some months of training (this samurais must be dumb, as they practise katana since they are children !!). What about tactics ? After centuries of continuous warfare, they need a foreigner to teach them to feign a retreat and then to counterattack. And what about the final scene in which the captain arrives just when the pact is being signed and the Emperor changes idea ? I laughed to tears. I thought The Gladiator was unrivalled, but Hollywood never cease to amaze me. I’ll seek comfort in Kagemusha or Gohatto.

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    ‘The Boondock Saints’ Download and Reviews

    December 20, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Action, Crime, Drama

    “The Boondock Saints” Movie Details

    The Boondock Saints tagline: Brothers. Killers. Saints.
    The Boondock Saints - DVD Cover

    The Boondock Saints DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Layton Morrison
  • Willem Dafoe Paul Smecker
    Sean Patrick Flanery Connor MacManus
    Norman Reedus Murphy MacManus
    David Della Rocco David Della ‘Roc/Funny Man’ Rocco
    Billy Connolly Il Duce
    David Ferry Detective Dolly
    Brian Mahoney Detective Duffy
    Bob Marley Detective Greenly
    Richard Fitzpatrick The Chief
    William Young Monsignor
    Robert Pemberton Macklepenny
    Bill Craig McGerkin
    Dot Jones Rosengurtle Baumgartener
    Scott Griffith Ivan Checkov
    Vladdy
    Directors: Troy Duffy IMDB Rating: 7.9/10 out of 77,268 votes

    “The Boondock Saints” Movie Review

    “The Boondock Saints” Plot Summary

    Fraternal twins set out to rid Boston of the evil men operating there while being tracked down by an FBI agent.

    A wonderful movie,

    …albeit a little too proud of itself. I waited a long time before actually watching this film, then an ex-girlfriend loaned it to me telling me I wouldn’t be disappointed. And I wasn’t. Boondock Saints looks and feels like a fan film, and it is well done. The actors, I felt, were carefully chosen, did a wonderful job, and composed themselves well. The only real annoyances were Willem Dafoe’s character being a know-it-all, and David Della Rocco who screams his head off throughout the whole movie. Its rare that a movie of this genre has a gratifying ending, and when the credits started rolling, I was a little sad that there wasn’t more. This movie kept me entertained thoroughly, and I was happy that I finally watched it. For those who haven’t seen it, sit back and enjoy the violent ride, for it’s a fun one.

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    ‘Indecent Proposal’ Download and Reviews

    December 2, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Drama, Romance

    “Indecent Proposal” Movie Details

    Indecent Proposal tagline: A husband. A wife. A millionaire. A proposal
    Indecent Proposal - DVD Cover

    Indecent Proposal DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Robert Redford John Gage
    Demi Moore Diana Murphy
    Woody Harrelson David Murphy
    Seymour Cassel Mr. Shackleford
    Oliver Platt Jeremy
    Billy Bob Thornton Day Tripper
    Rip Taylor Mr. Langford
    Billy Connolly Auction M.C.
    Joel Brooks Realtor
    Pierre Epstein Van Buren
    Danny Zorn Screenwriter
    Kevin West Screenwriter
    Pamela Holt David’s Girlfriend
    Tommy Bush David’s Father
    Mariclare Costello David’s Mother
    Directors: Adrian Lyne
    IMDB Rating: 5.3/10 out of 18,259 votes

    “Indecent Proposal” Movie Review

    “Indecent Proposal” Plot Summary

    A married woman agrees to have sex with another man for $1,000,000. add synopsis

    Explores what love really means

    Warning, may be some spoilersIndecent Proposal is a film that knows exactly how someone feels when it comes to jealousy. There is a great line in the film after Demi Moore comes back from her encounter with gazillionaire Robert Redford. Her husband, played perfectly by Woody Harlesson, is asking her questions that don’t need to be answered. Because if they are, it will put a damper in their marriage. But he persists and finally Demi shouts out to him, ‘ If I tell you he wasn’t any good then I’m a liar. If I tell you that he was then I’m a whore. ‘ What a brilliantly written line and it is one that lends a perfect ear to what the film is about in most senses. Jealousy is a powerful emotion but being broke and in love is just as powerful on the other end of the scale. What is so great about this film is that is makes us all question what we would do in that exact same situation. Would you let your wife sleep with a man for one million dollars? Could you look at it and say that it was only one night and you can deal with it? Would you say that your marriage is strong enough to overcome something so meaningless? And that is the key issue right there. Is it really that meaningless? If you are married and in love ( if you are together in a monogamous relationship), is there ever a time when sex is meaningless enough to overlook, even if all of your financial problems are solved in the aftermath?Indecent Proposal is a great film in almost every sense. The actors are great, especially Oliver Platt who has a cameo as their lawyer and he gets all the laughs. The direction is great as it never gets anywhere close to pornographic, and it lets the audience decide for themselves what happened on that fateful night. When you look at the whole concept of the film, you know it could get cheesy if handled poorly and irresponcibly. But it never does. It stays on course and delivers the goods. I highly recommend this film and I think it is good to watch it with someone that you love. It will invoke some very interesting conversations after words. But don’t watch it with them if you are afraid of the answers that you might get. That, to me is good film making. Something that leaves you discussing it long after it is over. Indecent Proposal does that.

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    ‘Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events’ Download and Reviews

    November 26, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Adventure, Comedy, Family

    “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” Movie Details

    Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events tagline: On December 17, Christmas cheer takes a holiday.
    Lemony Snicket - DVD Cover

    Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Jane Adams
  • Jim Carrey Count Olaf
    Liam Aiken Klaus
    Emily Browning Violet
    Kara Hoffman Sunny
    Shelby Hoffman Sunny
    Jude Law Lemony Snicket
    Timothy Spall Mr. Poe
    Justice Strauss
    Billy Connolly Uncle Monty
    Meryl Streep Aunt Josephine
    Luis GuzmГЎn Bald Man
    Jamie Harris Hook-Handed Man
    Craig Ferguson Person of Indeterminate Gender
    Jennifer Coolidge White Faced Woman
    White Faced Woman
    Directors: Brad Silberling IMDB Rating: 6.9/10 out of 48,382 votes

    “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” Movie Review

    “Lemony Snicket” Plot Summary

    Three wealthy children’s parents are killed in a fire. When they are sent to a distant relative, they find out that he is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune.

    The Marvellous Movie

    It was wonderful. I’m sorry, skeptics, but it really was

    The costumes were really unique. I liked how they seemed to draw inspiration from several different time periods

    I really loved Liam Aiken and Emily Browning as Klaus and Violet Baudelaire- even though they didn’t fit my mental images of the characters, they proved themselves over and over again throughout the course of the film. Emily Browning has a history of doing excellent films, and after seeing her in the comparatively small role of Ned Kelly’s sister I had a lot of faith in her. I wasn’t quite as sure about Liam Aiken because I hadn’t seen any of his work, but I was pleasantly surprised

    Sunny Baudelaire (as played by Kara and Shelby Hoffman) was just done perfectly. Everybody in the cinema laughed at the subtitles. I seriously didn’t think that it was possible for two-year-olds to be good at acting, but the Hoffman twins convinced me otherwise

    The musical score was brilliantly done and the sets were, in a word, epic. I felt *dizzy* whenever there were panoramic shots of Lake Lachrymose, for heaven’s sakes! There were some scenes which were not in the books- such as the theme of sanctuary, the spyglasses, the lost letter from the Baudelaire parents. As a Lemony Snicket obsessive I expected to fume at these scenes, but they worked wonderfully

    Keep an eye out for the hilarious ‘Littlest Elf’ sequence at the beginning and the amazing animated credits (complete with a song from the film ‘The Addams Family’, possibly a nod to Barry Sonnenfield, who is credited as a producer).

    I am giving this film a 9 out of 10 simply because I am a fan of the books and there were a couple of story details I felt could have been communicated better

    Excellent stuff! If there are any sequels, they can only improve.

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    ‘The X Files: I Want to Believe’ Download and Reviews

    October 21, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Crime, Drama, Horror

    “The X Files: I Want to Believe” Movie Details

    The X Files: I Want to Believe tagline: Believe Again
    The X Files 2 - DVD Cover

    The X Files: I Want to Believe DVD Cover

    Actors:
    David Duchovny Fox Mulder
    Gillian Anderson Dana Scully
    Billy Connolly
    Adam Godley
    Denis Krasnogolov Alex – Young Russian Assistant
    Spencer Maybee Blair Finch
    Mitch Pileggi Walter Skinner
    Callum Keith Rennie
    Steve Stafford FBI Helicopter Pilot
    Xzibit
    Marci T. House Tow Truck Driver
    Amanda Peet Dakota Whitney
    Directors: Chris Carter
    IMDB Rating: 5.9/10 out of 33,386 votes

    “The X Files: I Want to Believe” Movie Review

    “The X Files 2″ Plot Summary

    Mulder and Scully are called back to duty by the FBI when a former priest claims to be receiving psychic visions pertaining to a kidnapped agent.

    Good movie.

    There is a difference in reviewing bad film-making as opposed to personal taste. Frankly, I argue this movie more from personal taste, although X-Files – I Want to Believe is certainly not bad film-making. In all honesty, I was very nervous about X-Files I Want to Believe. Ever since Star Wars the Phantom Menace, I have learned to lower my expectations when venturing into Hollywood movies (although lowering your expectations to nothing could not save the Star Wars Prequels). Nothing is worse than a huge let-down. Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull comes to mind the quickest. With X-Files, I Want to Believe, I went in with no expectations whatsoever and was thoroughly entertained. It made me pine for the old television series I loved to watch in the 1990’s (at least until Seasons 8 and 9). Dr. Dana Scully is working at a Catholic Hospital, fighting for a young boy who has little to no chance of surviving. She pushes herself hard, not giving up hope in the wake of despair. She fights for Alexander (the son she lost). The FBI comes to her, asking for help in tracking down Fox Mulder. They want his help in a baffling case. An FBI agent has disappeared. The only link is an unusual psychic. Not only does he have scant visions, he also is pedophile priest under house arrest. Of course, Mulder wants to believe this man. Scully, however, does not. This not only stems from her usual scientific mind, but also her moral outrage at his crimes. As this psychic leads them to various clues, a case slowly uncovers. Some strange, bizarre, twisted scheme of harvesting organs for nefarious purposes arises. Mulder of course ventures closer, putting himself in peril. Scully, balks, wondering if she can continue in Mulder’s dark world. Believe it or not, this one works. In fact, I liked it better than Fight the Future. While Fight the Future was inserted in the ongoing mythology of government conspiracies and alien extra-terrestrials, this one works more as a stand-alone movie, much like the episodes of the same flavor. I admit I liked the latter episodes better. So for the X-Philes who liked the conspiracy episodes better, you may want to stick to Fight the Future. That gets me to wonder if this movie will find new fans for the 15-year-old franchise, or only appeal to X-Philes. Only time can tell on that one. What makes this work for me, though, is that it is in the spirit of the original television series. It does not rely on paranoid delusions, government conspiracies, and alien extra-terrestrials. Instead, it relies more on a potentially dangerous and real situation with surrealism in the background. Just like some of the stand-alone episodes of X-Files, the outcome is not predictable. Also, by the end, the surrealism takes a back-seat to the suspense of catching the antagonists. It also unfolds slowly, not giving us a full glimpse into the nefarious plot finally revealed in the end. Just like the series, the antagonists goal is evil and eerie–pushing the envelope of imagination and fear. Just like the series, the plot is also based on real fringe scientific experiments. Both the movie, and the reality sent a shiver up my spine. By the way, leave the kids at home on this one. Kids younger than 11 or 10 might get some nightmares from this one. This paves the way for one thing X-Files television series did well: lacing messages of philosophy, religious allegory, and faith. Some of the best stuff comes when Fox and Dana converse with each other. Scully fears being with Mulder because his world brings around so much darkness, and she fears that. She also doubts her own faith. Mulder must ask himself questions in regards to his relentless search of the ‘truth.’ Another warning must go out that this movie is not an action movie. It works more like a thriller and a suspense movie instead of lacing itself with shootouts, car chases, and outlandish stunts. It also is not scary, but rather suspenseful. I think if Cris Carter were a better director, it might have found a little more suspense, and possibly a little more fright. That being said, I still think this movie works–at least for me.

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