Transformers – Destroy and Protect

January 27, 2010 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Their War. Our World.
Transformers - DVD Cover

Transformers DVD Cover

Actors:

Shia LaBeouf Sam ‘Spike’ Witwicky
Megan Fox Mikaela
Josh Duhamel Captain Lennox
Rachael Taylor Maggie
Tyrese Gibson USAF Master Sgt. Epps
Jon Voight Keller
Anthony Anderson Glen
John Turturro Agent Simmons
Michael O’Neill Banachek
Peter Cullen Optimus Prime
Charlie Bodin USAF Staff Sergent
Andrew Caldwell Cafe’ kid 1
Bryan Cox
Keith David Barricade
Frederic Doss Navy Petty Officer
Directors: Michael Bay
IMDB Rating: 7.4
out of 10 (166,258 votes)

“Transformers” 2007 by Michael Bay – Movie Review

If you think that good battle-robots Autobots and bad battle-robots Decepticons have landed on our dearest planet Earth in 2007 – you’re strongly mistaken. Because they came to our world in the times of the notorious Moscow Olympiad-80, when suddenly bubble-gum and coca-cola appeared in Moscow for the first time. Although the robots landed not in Moscow but in Japan. That is where these amusing robots-transformers were invented. They were the models of different automobiles which then could be transformed into battle robots.

Autobots

Autobots

The American toy company Hasbro got interested in these toys and bought the rights to produce them in the US. Interested in the American toy company Hasbro, and then bought the rights to their production in the States. Due to the fact that they approach marketing in the USA with all the possible seriousness. That’s why these nameless by the time auto-robots received their personal names. Which is more, they received a whole history explaining which planet they came form and what they do here. Well, and thirdly, the whole comics industry started hard work on creating the epci story of the planet Cybertrone on which the good robots Autobots under the leadership of brave General Optimus Prime (originally it was Prime Time but later reduced to simply Prime) are fighting against the bad robots Decepticons headed by an treacherous Megatron.

Thus, everyone was happy: Hasbro sold megatons of transformers, the Marvel company produced mountains of comics, and Sunbow Production crafted animated cartoons about the adventures of elusive Autobots behind the Decepticons’ enemy line. In the end Sunbow even produced full-length animated film “Transformers” in which Autobots and Decepticons arrive on Earth and start all kinds of battles, while a guy named Spike is helping our folks Autobots. But the movie was a failure. Why? Either due to the fact that there were too many robots and too few people, or due to the fact that the kids already got fed up with transformers – it is hard to say. After that the Transformers have almost disappeared – people lost interested in them. The new type of heroes has settled in the kids’ hearts – Spiderman, Pokemons and the like, resulting in the transformers being forgotten in the far corners of dusty garages. Nobody was interested in the fate of the planet Cybertron anymore.

Transformers Movie Screen Transformers Screen 2 Transformers Movie Screen 3 Transformers Girl Megan Fox
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However, in the mid-nineties Hasbro managed to revive the interest in the transformers. They invented a new concept: robots can now be transformed into animals. After that when the creators imagination started to blossom with new models, the kids’ interest woke up again, resulting in creating fan-communities which could fiercely argue upon which transformer is more cool – a hamster/crocodile or eagle/ram type.

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The Terminator – He’ll Be Back

January 20, 2010 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

The Terminator - Arnold Schwarzenegger's best role

The Terminator (1984)

Actors:

Arnold Schwarzenegger The Terminator
Michael Bien Kyle Reese
Linda Hamilton Sarah Connor
Paul Winfield Lieutenant Ed Traxler
Lance Henriksen Detective Vukovich
Bess Motta Ginger Ventura
Earl Boen Dr. Peter Silberman
Rick Rossovich Matt Buchanan
Dick Miller Pawnshop Clerk
Shawn Schepps Nancy
Franco Columbu Future Terminator
Bill Paxton Punk Leader
Brad Rearden Punk
Brian Thompson Punk
Directors:
James Cameron
IMDB Rating:
8.1 out of 10 (145,816 votes)

‘The Terminator’ 1984 – Review

It is no exaggeration to say that the Terminator is by all means a unique film. A rare example of the plot, directing, acting and cinematography – all lined up in a perfect harmony. But above all, the uniqueness of the Terminator is in the universality of the main character. Terminator, in fact, is the ideal movie hero. The machine combines all the necessary features for being and ideal action movie character.

Terminator as a real action hero. Moving towards the goal, he does not distract the viewer with such trifles as love scenes, psychological experiences and sufferings, and other nonsense.

Terminator as a dramatic character. His drama is in the hypertrophied sense of duty. And if in the first part of the movie (1984) his self-sacrifice can be attributed to the unreflecting incogitant implementation of the program, in the second movie (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) it is a real moral choice.

Terminator as an intellectual hero . He is laconic. But if he opens his mouth, then rest assured – a phrase articulated is worth to be cut in stone and quoted in ages.

Terminator as a self-ironic character . He is a stranger in this world, so he sometimes gets in ambiguous situations.

Terminator Screen 1 Terminator Screen 2 Terminator Thumb 3 Terminator Thumb 4
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In addition, the Terminator has all the necessary features of a true macho, which contributes to his popularity among female audiences.

Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator

Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator

Add the brutal charm of Arnold Schwarzenegger to all the above-mentioned – and get a character with a unique appeal of chrome metal. Not surprisingly, the audience identifies itself with the grim villain Terminator, and not with the hero played by Michael Biehn. “I think people are sympathetic to him because everyone has a little quivering demon sitting in the subconscious, which you would like to turn into for a minute or two to go to your boss and slap the door open with your foot,” – that’s how Schwarzenegger explained the phenomenon. By the way, the Terminator part is generally considered to be the best role of Arnold. Moreover, today with full confidence we can argue that Schwarzenegger is an actor of one role – the role of the cyber-killer.

Linda Hamilton as Sarah Conor

Linda Hamilton as Sarah Conor

“Terminator” has become a launching pad not only to James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Linda Hamilton, the leading female part, has also been receiving more visible parts since the Terminator movie. Adam Greenberg, who was little known before the “Terminator”, is now one of the most respected (multiple “Oscar” prize-winner) and paid cameramen in the world. Also discovered by the “Terminator” movie became a little-known composer Brad Fiedel, who wrote a truly original, mechanical-futuristic music, which became a fully fledged part of the image of Terminator.

But do not forget that the “Terminator” is first and foremost the child of James Cameron. He wrote the original script. Spent a lot of time and effort to get the project moving, to interest “Hemdale” studio in his story (and it was not easy: many of the major film studios immediately rejected such a crazy project), got the necessary budget, found suitable actors. Cameron, a staunch perfectionist, completely controlled the whole shooting process. That’s why this movie is so integrated and harmonious. Cameron managed to achieve perfect editing, so that the Terminator movie is still quoted as an action movie standard.

Terminator - Cyber-Killer From Future

Terminator - Cyber-Killer From Future

Curiously, the Terminator was a low-budget movie which turned out to be a box-office hit. At roughly $6.5 million, the film went on to gross more than $78 million worldwide. Cameron previously worked in the studio of Roger Corman and learned from the cheap movie guru how to make movies out of nothing. Every cent has been spent wisely. The modest but tastefully done special effects do not dominate the subject, but only slightly back it, which in no way detracts from the movie’s eye-catching entertainment.

Visual sequence of the movie is also perfect. Not trying to shake the viewer with impressive images of future or colorful action scenes (the first part of the “Terminator” in general is strictly minimalist), the director, shot by shot, weaves bleak atmosphere of despair, making the audience forget about the popcorn.

Moreover, Cameron has made the impossible – shot a sequel, which is nothing inferior to the original (and in terms of visual effects, even surpasses the original). Fantastic special effects used by the director in the second part of the “Terminator”, with full confidence can be called revolutionary. Once again, Cameron has proved himself to be the true professional, with a fine sense of proportion and style. He just knew what he (and the spectators) wants to see in the picture. Therefore, despite the huge budget (90 million dollars) and an abundance of special effects intrinsically related to the subject plot, there’s nothing extra or over-the-head in his movie – not a single meaningless frame, not a single unnecessary scene. All the special effects in his film are subject to a plot, rather than vice versa.

Needless to say, with what enthusiasm I was looking forward to get my eyes on the third Terminator movie. But hearing that Cameron has voluntarily left out of the project, that he had not only abandoned the directing chair, but also will not take part in writing the script, I’d prefer that the Terminator was left to be a dilogy. You cannot become a Terminator. You should be born a Terminator.

Terminator (1984) International Release Trailer

1980’s – times of pure action movies and real action heroes.

‘Osmosis Jones’ Download and Reviews

December 27, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Action, Animation, Comedy

“Osmosis Jones” Movie Details

Osmosis Jones tagline: He’s one cell of a guy.
Osmosis Jones - DVD Cover

Osmosis Jones DVD Cover

Actors:
  • Carlos Alazraqui
  • Molly Shannon
    Bill Murray
    Ben Stein
    Joel Silver
    Chris Rock Osmosis Jones
    Laurence Fishburne Thrax
    David Hyde Pierce Drix
    Brandy Norwood Leah
    William Shatner Mayor Phlegmming
    Ron Howard Tom Colonic
    Kid Rock Kidney Rock
    Kenny Olson Kidney Rock
    Jason Krause Kidney Rock
    Joe C. Kidney Rock
    Stefanie Eulinberg Kidney Rock
    Jimmie Bones Kidney Rock
    Uncle Kracker Kidney Rock
    Jonathan Adams Additional Character Voice
    Additional Character Voice
    Directors: Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly IMDB Rating: 6.1/10 out of 10,206 votes

    “Osmosis Jones” Movie Review

    “Osmosis Jones” Plot Summary

    A policeman white blood cell, with the help of a cold pill, must stop a deadly virus from destroying the human they live in, Frank. add synopsis

    Bloody Good Movie

    I think that this movie was horribly underrated in the UK, and it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. I saw the animated series before the movie, and got interested in watching it, but as I have a phobia of vomit, I was incredibly shocked when I saw Bill Murray throw up all over Molly Shannon with visual and graphic sounds. Still, I plucked up the courage to watch the rest of the movie, which I really enjoyed. However, to this day I have to skip the vomit scene on my DVD. I liked the fact that it was a classic ‘cop type’ story, with a baddie, a love interest, a rookie cop and a partnership too. I thought that David Hyde Pierce played the part of Drix brilliantly and Chris Rock was superb as Osmosis. I also like the fact that the movie teaches kids that it’s important to take care of yourself

    My friend and I still quote ‘You gotta get spiffy!’ all the time. I also really loved the soundtrack, I went frantic searching for the CD!

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    ‘Village’ Download and Reviews

    December 25, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Horror, Thriller

    “Village” Movie Details

    Village tagline: Their Days Of Peace Are Over (Denmark)
    Village - DVD Cover

    Village DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Bryce Dallas Howard Ivy Walker
    Joaquin Phoenix Lucius Hunt
    Adrien Brody Noah Percy
    William Hurt Edward Walker
    Sigourney Weaver Alice Hunt
    Brendan Gleeson August Nicholson
    Cherry Jones Mrs. Clack
    Celia Weston Vivian Percy
    John Christopher Jones Robert Percy
    Frank Collison Victor
    Jayne Atkinson Tabitha Walker
    Judy Greer Kitty Walker
    Fran Kranz Christop Crane
    Michael Pitt Finton Coin
    Jesse Eisenberg Jamison
    Directors: M. Night Shyamalan
    IMDB Rating: 6.6/10 out of 81,757 votes

    “Village” Movie Review

    “Village” Plot Summary

    The population of a small, isolated countryside village believe that their alliance with the mysterious creatures that inhabit the forest around them is coming to an end.

    Amazing movie, don’t listen to critics

    The Village is an excellent movie in all respects, possibly not Shyamalans best, but definitely up there. I really can’t imagine why reviewers gave it low scores, I don’t know anyone personally that dislikes the movie at all.

    The Village centers around a quaint 19th century village in the middle of nowhere. The inhabitants of the village are relatively happy, despite the constant fear of the horrible creatures in the woods surrounding the village.

    The characters are extremely believable and beautifully crafted. Granted, there is some broken dialogue, and it makes one cringe at one point or another, but it is not common and does not ruin the characterization. Joaquin Phoenix is excellent as usual, as is Bryce Dallas Howard, a new face in the cast of Oscar winning actors.

    The plot is a typical Shyamalan twist fest with a little romance added for good measure. This does not take away from the atmosphere at all, however, and is done very well. There are a couple parts that are quite chilling, but not SCARY per se. I definitely felt a tingle run down my spine a few times. The ending, if it hasn’t already been ruined for you or you don’t figure it out half way through the movie, will leave you in shock.

    Overall, this is an amazing movie, I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone; you will not be disappointed.

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    ‘Collateral’ Download and Reviews

    December 22, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Crime, Drama, Thriller

    “Collateral” Movie Details

    Collateral tagline: It started like any other night
    Collateral - DVD Cover

    Collateral DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Jamie McBride
  • Tom Cruise Vincent
    Jamie Foxx Max
    Jada Pinkett Smith Annie
    Mark Ruffalo Fanning
    Peter Berg Richard Weidner
    Bruce McGill Pedrosa
    Irma P. Hall Ida
    Barry Shabaka Henley Daniel
    Richard T. Jones Traffic Cop #1
    Klea Scott Fed #1
    Bodhi Elfman Young Professional Man
    Debi Mazar Young Professional Woman
    Javier Bardem Felix
    Emilio Rivera Paco
    Traffic Cop #2
    Directors: Michael Mann IMDB Rating: 7.8/10 out of 98,743 votes

    “Collateral” Movie Review

    “Collateral” Plot Summary

    A cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in LA. He must find a way to save both himself and one last victim.

    The Best thriller of 2004.

    Collateral combines star power, great performances, top notch direction, a fantastic soundtrack and what is a bona fide contender to be called the best action scene in years. Quite simply, I can not think of a movie released in 2004 that thrilled me quite as much as Collateral. Collateral has Tom Cruise (Who rivals Sean Penn to be called my favorite actor of the generation of 40-something year olds) as Vincent, a smart, precise hit-man in Los Angeles to kill five targets in one night. He hires cabdriver Max (Jamie Foxx, in a now Oscar nominated performance) for the night and they’re off. Max realizes that something is up around the time that Vincent leaves at the first stop and a dead body hits the roof of his cab. Upon his return, he replies that he didn’t kill him, ‘Bullets and the fall killed him.’ Over the course of the night they make more stops, most of which turn into great scenes, whether they’re going to a jazz club to off a guy or to a hospital to pay a visit to Max’s mom. The scene I was referring to the best action scene in years takes place in a night club where Max and Vincent, some cops who think Max is the killer, a thug belonging to Vincent’s employer who also thinks Max is the Killer, a cop who knows Max isn’t the Killer, club security, Vincent’s target and his bodyguards and a dance floor full of bystanders meet up. There is about five minutes of characters driving to the club that builds up tension beyond belief. When it goes down, it may be a flurry of gunfire, but with the setting of the club, the quality of Mann’s direction and the coolest piece of music I’ve heard in a movie this year(Paul Oakenfold- Ready Steady Go,) it adds up to the best action scene of at least this year, topping even the car chases of movies like The Bourne Supremacy, Which I loved, The Matrix Reloaded, Which I liked, and I, Robot, Which I didn’t care for. Collateral can be seen as an adrenaline pumping thriller, which it is, or as something more. For those of us who loved Mann’s 1995 epic Heat, Collateral is definitely the latter. Mann makes references to heat in several ways. For those who thought that the subway finale was a disappointment, check out Heat. The nod there is that Heat begins on a subway platform and ends at the airport, while Collateral begins in the LAX terminal and ends on the subway. That is just one of several nods. When people have been saying stuff about the best thriller of 2004, they are frequently mentioning Collateral, The Bourne Supremacy and The Manchurian Candidate. While I consider Collateral a clear victor, I certainly understand why someone would mention The Bourne Supremacy, but The Manchurian Candidate was murky all the way through, had a weak ending and was a major step down from the 1962 version, which is one of the best movies ever made. I’ll use the phrase that James Berardinelli uses on his favorite summer movies to wrap this up. When the dust settles, Collateral will be the best of this (Last) years summer movies. Sadly, Collateral only got two Oscar nods, Supporting Actor, Foxx, and Editing. However, that’s more than any other mentioned summer thriller got. ***1/2 (Out of ****)

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    ‘Sixth Sense’ Download and Reviews

    December 17, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Drama, Mystery, Thriller

    “Sixth Sense” Movie Details

    Sixth Sense tagline: I see dead people
    6th Sense - DVD Cover

    Sixth Sense DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Bruce Willis Dr. Malcolm Crowe
    Haley Joel Osment Cole Sear
    Toni Collette Lynn Sear
    Olivia Williams Anna Crowe
    Mischa Barton Kyra Collins
    Donnie Wahlberg Vincent Grey
    Peter Anthony Tambakis Darren
    Jeffrey Zubernis Bobby
    Bruce Norris Stanley Cunningham
    Glenn Fitzgerald Sean
    Greg Wood Mr. Collins
    Trevor Morgan Tommy Tammisimo
    Angelica Torn Mrs. Collins
    Lisa Summerour Bridesmaid
    Firdous Bamji Young Man Buying Ring
    Directors: M. Night Shyamalan
    IMDB Rating: 8.2/10 out of 219,101 votes

    “Sixth Sense” Movie Review

    “6th Sense” Plot Summary

    A boy who communicates with spirits that don’t know they’re dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist. add synopsis

    A surprising masterpiece!

    Sometime Bruce Willis can make some bad films, like HUDSON HAWK and MERCURY RISING. And other times he can make some films that change the film industry and blow the audiences away (i.e. DIE HARD triology, 12 MONKEYS, and PULP FICTION). Now Willis’ new film, THE 6th SENSE falls in the latter catageory, as a surprising masterpiece that will leave images stuck in your mind for quite sometime. Willis plays Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, who is quite good at his job, he has a loving wife named Anna (played by the beautiful Olivia Williams), and he just got awarded by the mayor of Philadelpia for his excellent work. Then one night, Malcolm gets a terrifying unexpected visit from one of his former patients. The visit is so terrifying, that it haunts Malcolm later on. Months later, Malcolm’s job is going downhill, and his marriage is falling apart. Then his life is changed around when he meets Cole, a eight year old boy who is considered a ‘freak’ by everybody but his mom. Cole is usually alone, scared, and has cuts and bruses on his body. The doctors and social workers think the injuries come from his mom, Lynn Sear (Toni Collette). But Lynn loves Cole too much that she wouldn’t even think of harming him. The truth is that the injuries that Cole has are from other people, people that Cole only sees, people that are dead. Cole sees dead people walking around with the living, and only Cole sees these ghostly figures. Malcolm tries to help Cole with his unique gift, and to also find out what these ghostly figures want with him. When I saw the trailers for this movie, it looked like a o.k. movie. Acutally, the preview didn’t have any effect on me at all, as for seeing this film. But when I saw this film, I was blown away on how excellent this was! This is a highly entertaining film that is scary, sad, funny, and even touching. The plot is brilliant, it has intellegence, and shows the personalities of the characters well enough that you feel like that you know them after the movie is over. The acting is also great, Willis does a good job as the doctor trying to help poor Cole. Toni Collette is also great as the suffering mom who’s very worried and protective over Cole. Oliva Williams is good as well as the suffering wife of the doctor who feels that she’s losing her husband more and more everyday. But the real surprise is Haley Joel Osment, who plays the little boy, Cole. For a child actor he’s excellent! He shows potential to becomming a great actor in years to come. He’s the next promising child actor that will hopefully do well like Elija Wood and Anna Panquin. Overall, THE 6th SENSE took me by surprised, and I ended up loving this film. I would have to place this film as one of the best films of the year, as well as for the summer films. And for a PG13 rated film, it’s quite scary! This is one film that no one should miss!!! ***** (out of five)

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    ‘Hancock’ Download and Reviews

    December 17, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Action, Comedy, Crime

    “Hancock” Movie Details

    Hancock tagline: There are heroes. There are superheroes. And then there’s…
    Hancock - DVD Cover

    Hancock DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Will Smith John Hancock
    Charlize Theron Mary Embrey
    Jason Bateman Ray Embrey
    Jae Head Aaron Embrey
    Eddie Marsan Kenneth ‘Red’ Parker Jr.
    David Mattey Man Mountain
    Maetrix Fitten Matrix
    Thomas Lennon Mike
    Johnny Galecki Jeremy
    Hayley Marie Norman Hottie
    Dorothy Cecchi Woman in Dive Bar
    Martin Klebba Convict #12
    Akiva Goldsman Executive #1
    Michael Mann Executive #2
    Brad Leland Executive #3
    Directors: Peter Berg
    IMDB Rating: 6.6/10 out of 93,445 votes

    “Hancock” Movie Review

    “Hancock” Plot Summary

    A hard-living superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who’s trying to repair his image.

    This deserves some credit

    Perhaps I’m being generous, but I think this movie deserves some credit. It’s a serious take on a dysfunctional superhero that isn’t based upon a Marvel Comics or DC Comics character. The special effects aren’t as good as a movie like Transformers, but at least you aren’t getting an animated CGI character hopping around like you do in Hulk and Spiderman. It appears that several elements of this movie may be inspired by the now defunct Broadway Comics. The classic scene of a car being skewered on a spire was depicted in the ‘Powers That Be’ comic and the dysfunctional marriage relationship in the movie is not unlike the ‘Shadow State’ comic by Broadway. Perhaps seeing similar depictions hit the big screen made me appreciate the movie more

    Will Smith and Charlize Theron do a great job. The hero is flawed, but he’s not a wimp. The movie’s biggest weakness is the pacing. Some of the special effects go by so fast that you don’t get to appreciate them. Some of the drama plays out so slowly that you might be wondering why they don’t rush it along. The movie is faithful to the trailer. It’s tough writing a spoiler-free review of this since there are some great twists in the plot.

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    ‘King Kong’ Download and Reviews

    December 10, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Action, Adventure, Fantasy

    “King Kong” Movie Details

    King Kong tagline: A Monster of Creation’s Dawn Breaks Loose in Our World Today!
    King Kong - DVD Cover

    King Kong DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Fay Wray Ann Darrow
    Robert Armstrong Carl Denham
    Bruce Cabot John ‘Jack’ Driscoll
    Frank Reicher Capt. Englehorn
    Sam Hardy Charles Weston
    Noble Johnson Skull Island nation leader
    Steve Clemente Witch King
    James Flavin Second Mate Briggs
    Walter Ackerman Reporter
    James Adamson Native child
    Van Alder Member of ship’s crew
    Ed Allen Native
    Frank Angel Reporter
    Roscoe Ates Press Photographer
    Ralph Bard Member of ship’s crew
    Directors:
    IMDB Rating: 8.1/10 out of 36,028 votes

    “King Kong” Movie Review

    “King Kong” Plot Summary

    A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star.

    Gods and monsters

    Forty years before Raquel Welsh, and a whole era before ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘King Kong’ was the world’s first dinosaur movie. But it wasn’t the dinosaurs it featured, but rather the eponymous giant ape, who became perhaps cinema’s most enduring icon. The recent death of Fay Wray, the film’s star, provides a good opportunity to re-evaluate this classic movie. The most remarkable thing is how exactly this film, made when talkies themselves were less than a decade old, defines the blockbuster to this day. All the elements are there: a ludicrous plot (among the many improbables we have to swallow is the fact that the discovery of living tyranousauri is regarded unremarkable by all); bad acting; a quasi-racist world-view, non-stop action tempered by a little love interest; and stunning special effects. The plot has a surprisingly mature structure, though, and unlike most of its successors, thankfully does not see the need for pyrotechnics right at the start, instead allowing the tension to build before the monster’s first appearance. The scene composition is also frequently truly brilliant, especially the scenes of Kong in New York, and also the scene where he bursts through the gates. It’s also interesting to catch certain cinematic conventions in an early state of evolution: one is that if characters are shot from a distance, we hear their voices more quietly. Also of note is the very static camera, pre-dating Orson Welles, of course, but additionally constrained by the need to accommodate the special effects: the scenes with the monster do feel more like a silent movie, or a primitive video game (indeed, the first computer game I ever owned was inspired by this movie, which, owing to a surreal Japanese spelling error, was known as ‘Donkey Kong’!). ‘King Kong’ is certainly no donkey of a film; but in some ways it’s a little disappointing to see how little the action adventure movie has advanced from its template in 71 years.

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    ‘Stir Crazy’ Download and Reviews

    December 10, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Comedy, Crime

    “Stir Crazy” Movie Details

    Stir Crazy tagline: Only these two pigeons could dress up as woodpeckers…
    Stir Crazy - DVD Cover

    Stir Crazy DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Cedrick Hardman
  • Gene Wilder Skip Donahue
    Richard Pryor Harry Monroe
    Georg Stanford Brown Rory Schultebrand
    Miguel ГЃngel SuГЎrez Jesus Ramirez
    Craig T. Nelson Deputy Ward Wilson
    Barry Corbin Warden Walter Beatty
    Charles Weldon Blade
    Nicolas Coster Warden Henry Sampson
    Joel Brooks Len Garber
    Jonathan Banks Jack Graham
    Erland van Lidth Grossberger
    Lewis Van Bergen Guard #1
    Franklyn Ajaye Young Man in Hospital
    Peter Looney Kicker #1
    Big Mean
    Directors: Sidney Poitier IMDB Rating: 6.6/10 out of 6,383 votes

    “Stir Crazy” Movie Review

    “Stir Crazy” Plot Summary

    Skip and Harry are framed for a bank robery and end up in a western prison. The two eastern boys are… add synopsis

    Classic Comedy

    Comedic Legends Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor have been paired together numerous times, but this is quite possibly the most memorable of all their comedies as a duo. The plot is actually quite simple, they both flee New York to find a small peaceful town, then while finding work they are framed for a bank robbery and placed behind bars, then in the thick of it all they plan an escape while Wilder’s character participates in the Prison Rodeo. All in all it is a classic comedic performance from both Wilder and Pryor. Wilder’s character brings probably some of the biggest laughs of all time. His film career is legendary, but these laughs are truly memorable from him. Pryor also is a very hilarious friend sort of character. This has truly the makings to go down as probably one of the greatest comedies of the 1980’s.10/10

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    ‘Taxi Driver’ Download and Reviews

    December 9, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Drama, Thriller

    “Taxi Driver” Movie Details

    Taxi Driver tagline: On every street in every city, there’s a nobody who dreams of being a somebody.
    Taxi Driver - DVD Cover

    Taxi Driver DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Brenda Dickson-Weinberg
  • Robert De Niro Travis Bickle
    Cybill Shepherd Betsy
    Peter Boyle Wizard
    Jodie Foster Iris Steensma
    Harvey Keitel ‘Sport’ Matthew
    Leonard Harris Sen. Charles Palantine
    Albert Brooks Tom
    Diahnne Abbott Concession girl
    Frank Adu Angry black man
    Gino Ardito Policeman at rally
    Victor Argo Melio
    Garth Avery Iris’ friend
    Harry Cohn Cabbie in Bellmore
    Copper Cunningham Hooker in cab
    Soap opera woman
    Directors: Martin Scorsese IMDB Rating: 8.6/10 out of 143,443 votes

    “Taxi Driver” Movie Review

    “Taxi Driver” Plot Summary

    A mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran works as nighttime taxi driver in a city whose perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge to violently lash out, attempting to save a teenage prostitute in the process.

    Best movie of the Seventies, and one of the greatest of all time.

    So much has been written and talked about ‘Taxi Driver’ that it seems almost redundant to add anything more. But watching it again the other night for the nth time I was, as I have been every single time I’ve seen it, struck by just how perfect this movie is. It is as powerful and disturbing now as it was twenty-five years ago. It has not only NOT aged, it gets better and more relevant every year. This is without doubt a modern classic, and one of the handful of truly great, timeless movies

    Scorsese and Schrader went on to make other great movies after this, both separately (‘The King Of Comedy’, ‘Light Sleeper’) and together (‘Raging Bull’, ‘The Last Temptation Of Christ’), but this is easily the best movie of their careers. And Robert De Niro’s too. He has yet to top his stunning performance here as the deeply disturbed and alienated Vietnam veteran Travis Bickle, cabbie and would be assassin. This character has not surprisingly entered movie legend. Scorsese surrounds De Niro with a first rate supporting cast, including small but effective roles from Harvey Keitel (‘Reservoir Dogs’), Peter Boyle (‘Hardcore’), the underrated Victor Argo (‘The King Of New York’) and Joe Spinell (‘Maniac’). Albert Brooks and Jodie Foster are also very good, and even Cybil Shepherd, the butt of many jokes, is fine as Bickle’s obsession

    When you combine these actors, Schrader’s outstanding script, and Scorsese’s brilliant direction, with the stunning cinematography (Michael Chapman) and haunting score (Hitchcock fave Bernard Herrmann’s final effort), you have yourself a truly unforgettable cinematic experience. If you haven’t seen ‘Taxi Driver’ I urge you to do so immediately. It is a masterpiece, pure and simple.

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