‘Beowulf’ Download and Reviews
“Beowulf” Movie Details
Beowulf tagline: Pride is the curse.
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| Directors: Robert Zemeckis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 6.6/10 out of 56,059 votes |
“Beowulf” Movie Review
“Beowulf” Plot Summary
The warrior Beowulf must fight and defeat the monster Grendel who is terrorizing towns, and later, Grendel’s mother, who begins killing out of revenge.
Good but weird
It is a very strange sensation to watch a film where the cast comprises largely imitations of the people in the cast: watching Anthony Hopkins occupy a replica of himself is profoundly weird. The experience then becomes even weirder when the character inhabited by the larger than life persona of Ray Winstone isn’t Winstone! (despite his avowed intention of doing away with monstahs!) One also has to overcome the expectation that a cartoon film (if one can refer to a wholly CGI film as such) is aimed predominantly at the younger viewer: Beowulf contains some quite savage violence, not to mention some earthy humour, and is definitely not for youngsters.
It is a worthwhile effort, though. Taking some liberties with the ancient epic poem, it tells an exciting story, and always looks good. The cast are all excellent (even if, as noted above, they are somewhat distracting), and it is worth singling out Crispin Glover for his stunning performance as Grendel – he makes a barbaric murdering monster something deserving of sympathy.
I can’t comment on the 3D as I saw a flat copy, but I can imagine that it would have been very effective.
An interesting experiment, and one which was successful in artistic terms, even if perhaps not in commercial terms.
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‘Highlander’ Download and Reviews
“Highlander” Movie Details
Highlander tagline: He fought his first battle on the Scottish Highlands in 1536. He will fight his greatest battle on the streets of New York City in 1986. His name is Connor MacLeod. He is immortal.
 Highlander DVD Cover |
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Chief Murdoch |
“Highlander” Movie Review
“Highlander” Plot Summary
An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponent, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled “Prize”.
Great story told with heart
I can honestly say that Highlander is one of the most original and affecting stories I have ever had the pleasure of viewing, although sadly not in the cinema. The film has its flaws but the cumulative effect of all the various elements make this a film that is really like no other, and often imitated. There are many elements in the film that were experimental at the time, especially for a genre film. The editing style is much more painterly and nonlinear than what one normally expects. The integration of modern songs in a period setting was handled brilliantly, with the crowning achievement of the film being the ‘who wants to live forever?’ montage, which is an absolutely heartbreaking scene. Anyone who has ever truly loved someone will understand when you see it. One of the refreshing aspects of Highlander is that the movie is not just set up with an interesting concept and becomes a mindless action film from there, but that it actually comments on the questions posed by immortality. With Connor Macleod we are given a fantastic character who is brilliantly realized through Chrisopher Lambert’s complex performance. The change he goes through from young, innocent Scotsman to a sad, world weary antiques dealer is a wonderful achievement. I actually feel through his performance how lonely the life of an immortal must be, and how he keeps people at a distance whereas to not get too deeply involved. This film has it’s heart in the right place because it comments on the fact that when people lose everything they hold dear, in this case because Macleod will outlive everyone he cares about, they travel inward, cutting themselves off from the world in hopes that they will be spared the pain of seeing the ones they love die. From a story standpoint alone, this is a truly magnificent film, which isn’t to say it is lacking in other areas. The camera angles are very inventive and some of the transitions between time frames are jaw-dropping. The musical score by Michael Kamen is lush and romantic, while at the same time allowing for an integration with the songs by Queen that is a tremendously successful idea that in theory you’d never think would work right, but strangely it does so extremely well. There is a wide range of performance in the film ranging from Lambert’s subtle, understated interpretation of Connor, to Clancy Brown’s flamboyantly theatrical portrayal of the main Villain. Sean Connery also makes quite an impression as Connor’s mentor. He is both hilarious and charming, powerful and poignant. The female character’s are also handled very well with Conner’s first wife Heather being the standout. Highlander has a very odd sense of humor that seems to have come from improvisation from the actors. The entire film has a spontaneous energy that works very well because you never quite know what is going to happen next. This is not a perfect film, and sometimes it tends to fall back on genre stereotypes but the overall effect of the film more than makes up for it. Highlander is one of the more original films ever made, and sadly none of the sequels ever built on that. As far as the Highlander series goes; There can be only one, and this is it.
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‘The Maiden Heist’ Download and Reviews
“The Maiden Heist” Movie Details
The Maiden Heist tagline:
 The Maiden Heist DVD Cover |
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| Directors: Peter Hewitt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB Rating: 6.0/10 out of 2,117 votes |
“The Maiden Heist” Movie Review
“The Maiden Heist” Plot Summary
A comedy centered on three museum security guards who devise a plan to steal back the artworks to which they have become attached after they are transferred to another museum. add synopsis
An unusual comedy platter
Art shouldn’t just be for highbrow types. A painting can have special meaning. Even for an ordinary blue-collar Joe. At least that’s the message from director Pete Hewitt. This is knockabout comedy that might make Woody Allen fans affectionately recall Small Time Crooks, even though this film is very different to Allen’s caper and wears its point on its sleeve. ‘Great art is not solely the domain of the connoisseur,’ says Hewitt. ‘Anyone can be emotionally transported by a few paint smudges on a canvas.’ Hewitt (Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, Thunderpants) has here come up with a grand robbery that is for love rather than money. Three misfit security guards at the museum embark on a dangerous journey to save the things they hold dear
Decorated with a galaxy of stars, the Maiden Heist has been avidly awaited by fans worrying if it will see the light of day. In December 2008, the distribution arm of the Yari Film Group responsible filed for bankruptcy. Yari’s Emily Lambert e-mailed the Globe saying, ‘I don’t anticipate any screenings of The Maiden Heist in the near future,’ and producer Rob Paris went scrambling to find a new distributor. With a comparatively modest budget of $20 million, Paris feels he has got great value. ‘Our movie needed the scope the size of the Worcester Art Museum,’ he says. ‘It gave the film a look, a richness, that we otherwise wouldn’t have gotten.’ The WAM is used to establish the interior of the fictional Boston Art Museum (BAM) in which our story takes place. Scriptwriter Michael LeSieur had a top comedy actor in his previous hit (You, Me & Dupree) in the form of Owen Wilson. In The Maiden Heist, the chameleon-like talents of William H Macy first spring to mind as being suited to comedy, due to his Fargo fame, when he played the police story with subtle humour. Christopher Walken and Morgan Freeman are better known for their serious roles, but we should remember that Walken has also starred in comedy (Wedding Crashers, Hairspray), even if it is to play the straight man against the likes of Owen Wilson. Freeman has had brushes with his funny side in Bruce Almighty. Heading up the supporting cast is Marcia Gay Harden, who won an Oscar playing an artist (Lee Krasner) in the art biopic, Pollock. But it is probably fair to say that all these great stars are known primarily for their power to bring great depth to serious dramatic roles. There were moments in The Maiden Heist where I felt they were bumbling through the comedy rather than playing bumbling heisters. I found this a bit worrying as I have deep respect for their work. But maybe other viewers could find the apparent mismatch of seemingly inappropriate casting oddly rewarding
The big star of The Maiden Heist though is of course the central painting. Roger (Christopher Walken) stares at ‘The Lonely Maiden’ for years. First as a way to pass time, but now as a way to address or replace what is lacking in his life. The painting has become his passion. His obsession. Supplanting the passion he once felt for his wife. This particular artwork in the film was especially created by painter Jeremy Lipking. ‘When I first met with the director he opened up the Gabriel Weisberg book Beyond Impressionism: the Naturalist Impulse, (which is probably the most worn out book on my shelf) and said, ‘We need something like this.’ A painting in the manner of Naturalist painters George Clausen, Emile Friant and Jules Bastien Lepage. I had to finish the painting in 7 days. It normally would have taken me a month or longer to do something this size. I got artist model Toni Czechorosky help me out with the period costume.’ Macy’s character, on the other hand, is obsessed with a statue. Creating it involved photographing a naked Macy from a three-hundred and sixty degree perspective. (The photographs went to a sculptor in Los Angeles, who brought in another model and photographed him in the same fashion before creating a mould for the statue.)The Maiden Heist quickly sold out at its opening at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. It’s a light-hearted caper that makes for undemanding viewing. I don’t see audiences flocking to galleries as a result, but who knows? While Roger might find his wife has been his lonely maiden all along, many viewers may more identify with the bit where he flits to Florida with the missis. Missing out on the art appreciation stuff seems a convenient bypass. If this is the case, the film is somewhat hypocritical in its claim about art and the general masses. It uses the notion to entertain without encouraging us to seriously engage. LeSieur, who wrote the script as a film school thesis project, may well be an art enthusiast. But the idea that ordinary people don’t love art is a bit worrying to those of us that do. Shortly after I visited (during extensive bar-hopping) the beautiful Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, it was victimised by amateur thieves who posed as security guards. If you see me exit the Tate Modern with a naked William H Macy under my arm, please shoot me. Or take him back he is a high-value asset of the acting profession and should not be high-jacked. ‘But it was a maiden heist, officer. . .’
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‘Highlander II: The Quickening’ Download and Reviews
“Highlander II: The Quickening” Movie Details
Highlander II: The Quickening tagline: It’s a kind of magic.
 Highlander II: The Quickening DVD Cover |
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Doctor |
“Highlander II: The Quickening” Movie Review
“Highlander II” Plot Summary
In the future, Highlander Connor MacLeod must prevent the destruction of Earth under an anti-ozone shield. add synopsis
Thank God For This Work Of Art
I saw this film seven times in the theater and I wish I had payed to see it again and again. Not only was the directing the best yet but the acting left me speechless. I was so amazed at how Chris Lambert can act better than anyone who has ever acted before and Sean Connery’s ten minute scene seemed like a lifetime of great acting. This was the film of his career although he came close to acting better than this in The Avengers. This movie was so good it made the original look terrible. I own both the original video of this and the revised version. This film is so stimulating it even makes me cry. Anyone who says it is bad or even lower than pure exellence must be retarted or something.
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