‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ Download and Reviews

December 28, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Biography, Crime, Drama

“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” Movie Details

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford tagline: Beyond the myth lies America’s greatest betrayal.
The Assassination of Jesse James - DVD Cover

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford DVD Cover

Actors:
Brad Pitt Jesse James
Mary-Louise Parker Zee James
Brooklynn Proulx Mary James
Dustin Bollinger Tim James
Casey Affleck Robert Ford
Sam Rockwell Charley Ford
Jeremy Renner Wood Hite
Sam Shepard Frank James
Garret Dillahunt Ed Miller
Paul Schneider Dick Liddil
Joel McNichol Express Messenger
James Defelice Baggagemaster
J.C. Roberts Engineer
Darrell Orydzuk Ukranian Train Passenger
Jonathan Erich Drachenberg Young Train Passenger
Directors: Andrew Dominik
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10 out of 52,256 votes

“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” Movie Review

“The Assassination of Jesse James” Plot Summary

Robert Ford, who’s idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the reforming gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.

An epic masterpiece. Thoughtful, philosophical and profoundly existential

With a title almost as long as the 160-movie it names, regular movie-goers might be forgiven for thinking that The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford is worth a miss. Too, even, that a title basically giving away the central hub of the film’s plot makes it hard for studio execs to sell the film as a sassy, gun-toting western with shlocky shoot-em-ups and angel eyes Brad Pitt darling it up in the lead role. This was all many were expecting after several re-edits, one being a but-numbing 3? hour cut, were made to a film that actually wrapped up filming in 2005. But what Chopper director Andrew Dominik has delivered, in only his second film, is an beautiful, epic, meditative poem of a western, that once again transforms the genre, once such a stable for conservative normality, by dissecting the myths that created it

Brad Pitt is uber-outlaw Jesse James, co-founder of the James-Younger gang, primarily specialising in train robberies. Casey Affleck is Robert Ford, a clumsy, awkward upstart, who is entranced by Jesse James to the point of obsession. He views him like a celebrity, studying his life, his robberies, his voice and even his mannerisms. He is so entranced that at one point whilst attempting to engage his idol in a conversation during one of James’ tin bath sessions, James very coldly utters to Ford ‘Do you want to be like me? Or do you wanna be me?’.Ford is constantly teased by his fellow thieves and gunmen, taunted for his love and idolisation of the gang ringleader. As the title suggests (or rather gives away), it leads to a tragic conclusion, a conclusion revealed so that the whole film may operate on a level far more complex than mere formulaic convention. Since we know the fate of the hero, it is not about where the journey ends, or indeed how it ends. But rather what the journey is, and how the characters deal with it. James seems to flirt with the idea of death, having been rendered a stalinesque paranoia-case after losing faith in all of his gang members. Towards the end of the film, he relies only on the help of the Ford brothers Charlie and Robert, not being able to trust any one else. He would be proved right, when Robert is the one to pull the trigger

The Assassination of Jesse James is a majestic western. It is beautifully shot in a way that doesn’t just please the eye, but utterly renders both the icy mood and bitterly cold temperature of the film it colours. The acting is first rate, with Brad Pitt playing the cold psychopath that is Jesse James with a subtle viciousness beneath his icy blue eyes. But Casey Affleck is the man who walks away with the film. Every scene he is in, he steals. His Robert Ford is brilliantly balanced between the enthusiastically enthralled and gawkish pathos. His obsession with James is understandable, given the legend of the outlaw that has spun a million myths in its wake, but it is reminiscent, at least to a modern audience, of a Mark Chapman the man who shot John Lennon. In fact one of the many themes running throughout Andrew Dominik’s film is that of the obsession with a myth. He is known as the ‘coward’ but is it to be a coward? Ford idolises James like many people do modern celebrities. When James reveals his spiteful and altogether psychotic edge to Ford, the myth is dispelled, and everything Ford had invested in him becomes crushed. All Ford could do to redeem himself, he felt, would be to kill James, and end the charade. But alas, all that did was strengthen the legend further

Perhaps in another world, it would be pleasant to know that The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford gets all the credit it deserves, but it appears to have split many people up the middle. Some people think it is pretentious, and write sniffy articles about the film’s languidness. Others think it is too long and obscure. I am at the point now when it really doesn’t matter when dealing with a film of this magnitude, because it was a profoundly affecting experience, one reminiscent of the beautiful epics Terrence Malick used to make. If you find a better film this year, I would very surprised.

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‘15 Minutes’ Download and Reviews

December 27, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Action, Crime, Drama

“15 Minutes” Movie Details

15 Minutes tagline: America likes to watch
15 Minutes - DVD Cover

15 Minutes DVD Cover

Actors:
  • David Alan Grier
  • Robert De Niro Detective Eddie Flemming
    Edward Burns Jordy Warsaw
    Kelsey Grammer Robert Hawkins
    Avery Brooks Detective Leon Jackson
    Melina Kanakaredes Nicolette Karas
    Karel Roden Emil Slovak
    Oleg Taktarov Oleg Razgul
    Vera Farmiga Daphne Handlova
    James Handy Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Declan Duffy
    Darius McCrary Detective Tommy Cullen
    Bruce Cutler Himself
    Charlize Theron Rose Hearn
    Kim Cattrall Cassandra
    Mugger in Central Park
    Directors: John Herzfeld IMDB Rating: 6.1/10 out of 24,332 votes

    “15 Minutes” Movie Review

    “15 Minutes” Plot Summary

    A homicide detective and a fire marshall must stop a pair of murderers who commit videotaped crimes to become media darlings. add synopsis

    I LOVED IT

    I haven’t read the critic’s reviews but I heard that they didn’t love it…however I did. Furthermore, I don’t like or always trust most critics. Anyway, back to the matter at heart.’15 Minutes’ is a graphic, often disturbing, roller-coaster ride of a film which basically depicts how sleazy the media can be. The acting is SUPERB and the characters are very believable. DeNiro gives an outstanding performance as a famous local cop who is obviously well respected and good at what he does. Ed Burns is the local fire marshall who also does a wonderful job of acting humble to DeNiro’s somewhat flamboyant character. The men who play the killers are INCREDIBLE actors who play sociopaths at their finest. Kelsey Grammar does a wonderful job as the sleazeball journalist who will do anything for a good story. While I didn’t like his character, I loved to hate him, which is always a good thing

    There is a lot of graphic violence in this movie, which didn’t bother me but may bother some. It is definitely not a movie for kids. The only problem I had with this film was it’s cliched message. I mean, we already know that the media is sleazy, but what makes ‘15 Days’ special is the way in which Grammar gets a hold of his sleazy footage. That, to me, was unique

    If you’re a DeNiro fan don’t miss this one.

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    ‘Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron’ Download and Reviews

    December 25, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Adventure, Animation, Family

    “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” Movie Details

    Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron tagline: The spirit of the Wild West lives on
    Spirit - DVD Cover

    Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Matt Damon Spirit
    James Cromwell The Colonel
    Daniel Studi Little Creek
    Chopper Bernet Sgt. Adams
    Jeff LeBeau Murphy/Railroad Foreman
    John Rubano Soldier
    Richard McGonagle Bill
    Matt Levin Joe
    Adam Paul Pete
    Robert Cait Jake
    Charles Napier Roy
    Meredith Wells Little Indian Girl
    Zahn McClarnon Little Creek’s Friend
    Michael Horse Little Creek’s Friend
    Donald Fullilove Train Pull Foreman
    Directors: Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook
    IMDB Rating: 6.6/10 out of 7,911 votes

    “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” Movie Review

    “Spirit” Plot Summary

    As a wild stallion travels across the frontiers of the Old West, he befriends a young human and finds true love with a mare.

    Great.

    Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is an overall wonderful movie. The blending of animation types is unique, the storyline is amazing, and the music is wonderful

    The drawn animation is a special thing about many animations. How they expressed the characters, especially the horses, through their animation are spectacular especially. While the way horses communicate through body language is easy to understand, many young children and people who haven’t studied horses might not understand. Without words, I would imagine it would have to be challenging to express them through the features. Because of this, I understand the ‘eyebrow’ they added to the horses (while real horses don’t have those thick lines). One of the few things I noticed about horse habits that might have been portrayed strangely is that Spirit lead his mother’s herd. In wild horse herds, the lead stallion usually chases the young colts out

    Also, while some people might think portraying the white army officers as the ‘bad guys’ is stereotyping, think of all the movies in which the Native Americans have been portrayed as that. Sometimes back then; they did treat mustangs very poorly. For example, in real history, the Appaloosa breed was almost wiped out due to the Army officers. Imagine what would have happened to one of the worlds best loved riding breeds if the Native Americans had not saved them

    I think it’s amazing how the realism wasn’t subtracted by making the horses talk to each other. Spirit’s feelings were expressed by a little bit of narration, but mostly through the music (by Bryan Adams). The songs express the story really well, and Hans Zimmer and Bryan Adams did a great job telling the story through melodies and lyrics

    The emotion I got when watching the movie, whether the first time or the twentieth (yes, I’ve watched it that much), you wouldn’t believe. Some of the scenes take your breath away, while others seem to force tears into your eyes. The opening sequence, showing Spirit’s homeland, puts you right into the spectacular action right away

    I don’t understand at all why some people are so hateful of this brilliant movie. Overall, I rate it a 10/10 – a must watch.

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    ‘Deja Vu’ Download and Reviews

    December 13, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Action, Romance, Sci-Fi

    “Deja Vu” Movie Details

    Deja Vu tagline: If you thought it was just a trick of the mind, prepare yourself for the truth.
    Deja Vu - DVD Cover

    Deja Vu DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Denzel Washington Agent Doug Carlin – ATF
    Paula Patton Claire Kuchever
    Val Kilmer Agent Paul Pryzwarra – FBI
    James Caviezel Carroll Oerstadt
    Adam Goldberg Dr. Alexander Denny
    Elden Henson Gunnars
    Erika Alexander Shanti
    Bruce Greenwood Agent Jack McCready – FBI
    Rich Hutchman Agent Stalhuth
    Matt Craven Agent Larry Minuti – ATF
    Donna W. Scott Beth
    Elle Fanning Abbey
    Brian Howe Medical Examiner
    Enrique Castillo Claire’s Father
    Mark Phinney Agent Kevin Donnelly – ATF
    Directors: Tony Scott
    IMDB Rating: 7.0/10 out of 61,118 votes

    “Deja Vu” Movie Review

    “Deja Vu” Plot Summary

    An ATF agent travels back in time to save a woman from being murdered, falling in love with her during the process.

    Washington and Brokheimer, a winning combination

    Deja Vu is a high-action, crime-drama, sci-fi, thriller which is exactly what you would expect from Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of such action-adventures as ‘Con Air,’ ‘Enemy of the State,’ ‘National Treasure,’ ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ and another Denzel Washington favorite, ‘Remember the Titans.’ The story opens with an explosion on board a New Orleans Ferry, and takes the audience back through an unfolding of events that leads up to the tragic scene. Even the most modern technology hasn’t gone as far as the storyline takes us. The premise is thrilling and the implications stimulate the imagination. For example; ‘how would altering the past impact people and events of the present?’ The acting is superb, with Denzel Washington and Paula Patton as romantic leads. James Caviezel does an extraordinary job as the villain, which is a departure from his role as Jesus in ‘The Passion of the Christ.’ There is plenty of action and some of it violent. Be prepared to see a few corpses like those on television’s ‘CSI’ or ‘Crossing Jordon.’ There are gun fights, but with a minimum of blood. While the movie is certainly intense, much of the severe action is implicit and takes place off camera. For an action packed, PG-13 movie, I was particularly impressed with the limited amount of rough language. I imagine with Denzel and James in the cast, there was an effort to keep it ‘clean.’ This is one of the few remaining Touchstone Pictures releases. Parent company, Walt Disney Studios is committed to producing action movies that appeal to a wider family audience. We’re awarding ‘Deja Vu’ the Dove Family-Approved Seal at for audience members over age 12.(www.dove.org) Parents should look over the violent content issues before deciding whether to bring tweens along.

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    ‘The Invasion’ Download and Reviews

    December 10, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

    “The Invasion” Movie Details

    The Invasion tagline: Do not trust anyone. Do not show emotion. Do not fall asleep.
    The Invasion - DVD Cover

    The Invasion DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Nicole Kidman Carol Bennell
    Daniel Craig Ben Driscoll
    Jeremy Northam Tucker Kaufman
    Jackson Bond Oliver
    Jeffrey Wright Dr. Stephen Galeano
    Veronica Cartwright Wendy Lenk
    Josef Sommer Dr. Henryk Belicec
    Celia Weston Ludmilla Belicec
    Roger Rees Yorish
    Eric Benjamin Gene
    Susan Floyd Pam
    Stephanie Berry Carly
    Alexis Raben Belicec’s Aide
    Adam LeFevre Richard Lenk
    Joanna Merlin Joan Kaufman
    Directors: Oliver Hirschbiegel
    IMDB Rating: 6.0/10 out of 26,570 votes

    “The Invasion” Movie Review

    “The Invasion” Plot Summary

    As a Washington psychiatrist unearths the origin of an alien epidemic, she also discovers her son might be the only way it can be stopped.

    Don’t even bother to find fault with it

    I don’t always listen to film critics but when three reasonably reliable ones all give this movie a 2/4, I should take heed. Why did I watch it then? I am a Nicole Kidman fan. Sure enough, Kidman was in every scene, if not every frame. But that was about it

    I won’t even bother finding fault with this movie because it is so formulaic that it gives you everything you expect, which isn’t much. If you watch close to 200 movies a year (granted not all of them Hollywood), you have seen them all divorced professional mother with young (ten-ish) son and good-guy boyfriend, mass hysteria in which you just don’t know which one is a sinister ‘them’, just to name the two key elements. There is really nothing seriously wrong about this movie that a woman and her son have become the only people among thousands in the city that are unaffected is something that Hollywood expects you to accept without as much as a blink. Nor is the split-personality change (of the movie, I mean) from a dark, sinister suspense into a chaotic havoc of wild chases anything that you should really criticize because you’ve got to have these things in the movie. By the way, this movie is a sort of a partial remake of ‘Invasion of the body snatches’, if you don’t already know and whether it’s the fourth or the fifth depends on who you talk to

    Yes, there are some good, damned good actors in the caliber of Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam and Jeffrey Wright but in this movie they may as well be props. A terrible waste, you say, but these people got to have a paycheck every now and then too. So in the end, there’s just Kidman. This isn’t exactly her bid for another Oscar, but she does a fine job here, limited scope notwithstanding.

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    ‘X-Men’ Download and Reviews

    November 21, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

    “X-Men” Movie Details

    X-Men tagline: Evolution Begins.
    X-Men - DVD Cover

    X-Men DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Hugh Jackman Logan
    Hugh Jackman Wolverine
    Patrick Stewart Professor Charles Xavier
    Ian McKellen Eric Lensherr
    Ian McKellen Magneto
    Famke Janssen Jean Grey
    James Marsden Scott Summers
    James Marsden Cyclops
    Halle Berry Ororo Munroe
    Halle Berry Storm
    Anna Paquin Rogue
    Anna Paquin Marie D’Ancanto
    Tyler Mane Sabretooth
    Ray Park Toad
    Rebecca Romijn Mystique
    Directors: Bryan Singer
    IMDB Rating: 7.4/10 out of 114,422 votes

    “X-Men” Movie Review

    “X-Men” Plot Summary

    Two mutants come to a private academy for mutants whose resident superhero team must oppose a powerful mutant terrorist organization. add synopsis

    An Amazing Movie–Magneto is Da Bomb!

    Enter Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Enter Ian McKellen as Magneto. Enter Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier. Enter Halle Berry as Storm. With a cast like that, how could any movie go wrong! The answer: IT CAN’T! I fell hook-line-and-sinker for this movie the moment I saw how awesome Magneto’s metal-warping powers were portrayed. This movie doesn’t limit his powers at all, allowing him to snatch hundreds of bullets out of thin air simultaneously and use a small metal plate to cross huge open chasms! Last but certainly not least is the fact that Magneto is portrayed by, as far as I am concerned, one of the greatest actors of all time–Ian McKellen. While McKellen’s masterful role as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings was undoubtedly his crowning achievement, McKellen’s portrayal of Magneto is a close second. He is charismatic, domineering, and yet has a shed of humanity left in him–a remnant of what he once was. I don’t mean to spend so much time on Magneto (and I normally don’t like villainous characters that much), but there is just no way around it. Magneto made the movie. Certainly, Patrick Stewart as Professor X and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine contributed greatly as well, and Halle Berry’s portrayal of Storm was flawless. Overall, this movie is the whole package. Don’t miss it!

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    ‘Over the Hedge’ Download and Reviews

    November 6, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Adventure, Animation, Comedy

    “Over the Hedge” Movie Details

    Over the Hedge tagline: Nuts!
    Over the Hedge - DVD Cover

    Over the Hedge DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Bruce Willis RJ
    Garry Shandling Verne
    Steve Carell Hammy
    Wanda Sykes Stella
    William Shatner Ozzie
    Nick Nolte Vincent
    Thomas Haden Church Dwayne
    Allison Janney Gladys
    Eugene Levy Lou
    Catherine O’Hara Penny
    Avril Lavigne Heather
    Omid Djalili Tiger
    Sami Kirkpatrick Bucky
    Shane Baumel Spike
    Madison Davenport Quillo
    Directors: Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick
    IMDB Rating: 7.1/10 out of 33,932 votes

    “Over the Hedge” Movie Review

    “Over the Hedge” Plot Summary

    A scheming raccoon fools a mismatched family of forest creatures into helping him repay a debt of food, by invading the new suburban sprawl that popped up while they were hibernating…and learns a lesson about family himself.

    Sometimes the simplest stories make the best films

    My low expectations were floored by a great adventure a la DreamWorks a simple adventure about survival in which a raccoon ‘accidentally’ steals and loses all provisions belonging to a ferocious bear, whom then threatens him and demands he replenish every item of food lost within one week or else he will suffer the consequences. Over the Hedge thus sees RJ the raccoon (Bruce Willis) scour the environment in search for goods, a mission that is facilitated when RJ comes across a mismatched family of forest creatures whom he convinces to help him gather the food he needs from the Suburbian residences just over the hedge

    The film opens with RJ on a scrat-like adventure after that-one-piece-of-food and he suffers all the detours and diversion that this mission entails. As is the meticulous animation style of DreamWorks, it lacks the rewarding simplicity of Blue Sky Studios (Ice Age) and does not quite achieve the same level of hilarity and laughter that the latter effortlessly elicits. It even mimics the possum playing dead from Ice Age: The Meltdown which evokes more raised eyebrows than anything. At this point I am also noticing that Willis’ voice is much too muzzled and unremarkable to be lent to a protagonist. Although, Nick Nolte makes for a fine bear villain

    Soon ‘Over the Hedge’ thankfully abandons mediocrity and completely stuns me with layered humour and an energy that it begins to apply to all aspects in the film, the hyper-active ADHD squirrel Hammy most of all. It spirals into an enjoyable romp evenly peppered with 1) goofy light laughs for kids (courtesy of Hammy the squirrel), 2) balanced gags-for-all such as the hilarious zealot exterminator who botches his way through the tracking down of the pesky vermin and 3) sophisticated humour and interwoven references from Citizen Kane, A Streetcar Named Desire and Dr Phil. It is a perfect amalgam of different sorts of comedy and blends and balances its content with deft strokes. Granted, the story neatly ticks off cliches from a formula but it does so skillfully

    Indeed there is a surprising amount of sophistication to be found when you weed through all the standard spoofs. Specifically the film directs social commentary on humans’ and animals’ eating habits as RJ remarks how ‘We eat to live. Humans live to eat.’ It juxtaposes these lifestyles when the forest family teams up to assault the neighbourhood in which larger-than-life boxes and packets of nachos, donuts and popcorn are abundant and the shiny silver fridge is Mecca. In the midst of the food-heists there is much action to be found in the form of vibrant, kinetic chases, shooting rockets and acrobatic stunts over the hedge. It is even a bit chaotic toward the end but a great slow-motion capture ties the pacing together

    The aforementioned render ‘Over the Hedge’ a very alive film and its action alone rightfully vaults it into ‘Great Animated Comedies’ status. It is no Shrek, but it’s extremely enjoyable. Like Shrek however, DreamWorks provides for the crisp, aesthetically-intoxicating animation of nature whose every screenshot is so picturesque that you just want to snap a picture of, frame and hang in on your wall. What’s more is that its heist-oriented core with its mandatory sense of immediate danger tingling in the air is something of what Mike Tyson was the boxing in the 1980’s: A safe bet.8 out of 10

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    ‘Monsters, Inc.’ Download and Reviews

    October 26, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Adventure, Animation, Comedy

    “Monsters, Inc.” Movie Details

    Monsters, Inc. tagline: Monsters, Inc. : We Scare Because We Care
    Monsters, Incorporated - DVD Cover

    Monsters, Inc. DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Jack Angel
  • John Goodman James P. “Sulley” Sullivan
    Billy Crystal Mike Wazowski
    Mary Gibbs Boo/Mary
    Steve Buscemi Randall Boggs
    James Coburn Henry J. Waternoose III
    Jennifer Tilly Celia
    Bob Peterson Roz
    John Ratzenberger Yeti
    Frank Oz Fungus
    Dan Gerson Needleman/Smitty
    Steve Susskind Floor Manager
    Bonnie Hunt Flint
    Jeff Pidgeon Bile
    Samuel Lord Black George Sanderson
    Additional Voice
    Directors: Pete Docter and David Silverman IMDB Rating: 8.0/10 out of 103,181 votes

    “Monsters, Inc.” Movie Review

    “Monsters, Incorporated” Plot Summary

    Monsters generate their city’s power by scaring children, but they are terribly afraid themselves of being contaminated by children, so when one enters Monstropolis, top scarer Sulley finds his world disrupted. add synopsis

    My personal favorite Pixar movie

    Pixar. With only seven movies you’ve built yourself a reputation as the greatest current animation studio of them all. Dreamworks has made some good ones and 20th Century Fox’s movies have made me chuckle a bit, and Disney has gone downhill in recent years. But you can consistently produce quality work with almost no stain on your track record (except A Bug’s Life, the one Pixar movie I did not enjoy). But I’ve lost track of my thoughts

    I’m here to talk about Monster’s Inc., my personal favorite Pixar movie

    I’m a doodler myself, and wan’t to be an animator someday. And I love drawing monsters. Weird looking, many armed, strange-eyed creatures. That may have been the 1st reason Monster’s Inc. appealed to me. So many of these creatures looked like something I would draw, and I spent much of my movie time looking at the creatures in the background

    I also was captivated by the world that was created in Inc. A big problem for me in Pixar’s newest movie Cars was lack of real explanation for their universe, like how they built their buildings. In Monster’s Inc. the monster world is explained so much more in depth, and we really believe this world could exist. There’s a beauty in watching the thousands of closet doors zoom around and I always get goosebumps from watching the ’scare montage’, because I now know the mechanics of the world these creatures live in. The characters in the world are also incredibly well realized. Mike and Sully both are easily relatable to, and even small characters have feelings and motivations we can understand. ‘Boo’ actually behaves like a young child would, and that helped me believe she had real emotions. But the creature Randall is what stole the show for me. With his many arms, chameleon-like ability and sheer voice presence, it was hard for me to keep my eyes off of him. But what really made me love this movie so was the characters. When it comes time for the ’sad part’ of this movie, I was sad. I was actually seeing an animated cartoon that managed to make me feel for these animated creatures without being emotionally manipulative. And I’m not afraid to admit that I cry 4 out of 5 times at the ending

    So, in the end, I can’t recommend this film enough. I think this stands above all other Pixar productions and is definitely one of the best animated films I’ve had the pleasure of seeing.

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    ‘Heat’ Download and Reviews

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

    “Heat” Movie Details

    Heat tagline: A Los Angeles crime saga.
    Heat - DVD Cover

    Heat DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Tom Noonan
  • Al Pacino Lt. Vincent Hanna
    Robert De Niro Neil McCauley
    Val Kilmer Chris Shiherlis
    Jon Voight Nate
    Tom Sizemore Michael Cheritto
    Diane Venora Justine Hanna
    Amy Brenneman Eady
    Ashley Judd Charlene Shiherlis
    Mykelti Williamson Sergeant Drucker
    Wes Studi Detective Casals
    Ted Levine Bosko
    Dennis Haysbert Donald Breedan
    William Fichtner Roger Van Zant
    Natalie Portman Lauren Gustafson
    Kelso
    Directors: Michael Mann IMDB Rating: 8.3/10 out of 134,566 votes

    “Heat” Movie Review

    “Heat” Plot Summary

    A Los Angeles crime saga, “Heat” focuses on the lives of two men on opposite sides of the law – one a detective; the other a thief.

    One Of The Best Crime Films Ever

    I really believe this is one the great crime movies of all time. It has some drawbacks that wouldn’t make me recommend this for family viewing – tons of f- words by Al Pacino and a few bloody scenes, but as far as a fascinating crime story: wow!This movie made modern-day history because it was the first time two of the great actors of this generation – Pacino and Robert De Niro – finally acted together in the same film. Those two didn’t disappoint, either. They were great to watch and one of the huge highlights of the film, to me, was when they faced each other in a simple conversation over a cup of coffee. That conversation has always fascinated me, no matter how many times I’ve heard it. It was such a ‘landmark’ scene that It’s even the subject of a short documentary on the special-edition DVD.As with the conversation scene, the shootout segment in the streets of Los Angeles still astounds me no matter how many times I see it. The other action scenes are intense and memorable, too, and the cast in here is deep. This isn’t just Pacino and De Niro. It’s Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Jon Voight, Diana Venora, Natlie Portman, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenamann, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Mykelti Williamson, on and on. Put that fabulous cast under Michael Mann, one of the best directors in business, add a great soundtrack and interesting camera-work and you have a great film. At three hours long, it never bores one and at same time, doesn’t overdo the action, either. I read one critic criticize this film because of the time taken to examine the personal lives of the main characters, but you can’t have three hours of nothing but action. The only scene I felt went on a bit too long was the ending chase at the airport, but that’s nitpicking considering the film as a whole

    This is just one of those movies where a great cast and director live up to their billing.

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    ‘Bowfinger’ Download and Reviews

    October 6, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Comedy

    “Bowfinger” Movie Details

    Bowfinger tagline: A desperate plan for a desperate man
    Bowfinger - DVD Cover

    Bowfinger DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Claude Brooks
  • Steve Martin Bobby Bowfinger
    Eddie Murphy Kit Ramsey/Jiffernson ‘Jiff’ Ramsey
    Heather Graham Daisy
    Christine Baranski Carol
    Jamie Kennedy Dave
    Adam Alexi-Malle Afrim
    Kohl Sudduth Slater
    Barry Newman Hal, Kit’s Agent
    Terence Stamp Terry Stricter
    Robert Downey Jr. Jerry Renfro
    Alejandro Patino Sanchez
    Alfred De Contreras Martinez
    Ramiro Fabian Hector
    Johnny Sanchez Luis
    Freddy
    Directors: Frank Oz IMDB Rating: 6.4/10 out of 31,994 votes

    “Bowfinger” Movie Review

    “Bowfinger” Plot Summary

    When a desperate movie producer fails to get a major star for his bargain basement film, he decides to shoot the film secretly around him. add synopsis

    Entertaining Comedy

    was actually surprised that BOWFINGER got a mere average rating of 6.4 on this site because the IMDb is full of wannabe film makers who are gonna love a movie satirizing the Hollywood studios , a film both cruel and amusing in turn and it would be very interesting to see how the votes panned out . I’m sort of guessing here that the wannabees awarded it very high marks while the typical Eddie Murphy fans , casual film goers and those people who claim THE MUMMY RETURNS is the greatest film ever ( And no I’m not criticising anyones opinions and tastes ) would have given it relatively low marks . I’m guessing that it’s a possibly a film that unfortunately went above a lot of headsFirst off is the title BOWFINGER . What sort of image does that conjure up ? Possibly a James Bond spoof ala AUSTIN POWERS with lots of slapstick ? If you enjoy that sort of schoolboy humour you’ll be very disappointed . Likewise if you’re an Eddie Murphy fan because Murphy’s dual performance is very restrained here and all the better for it . It also has an opposite effect for people who don’t like Eddie Murphy ( Or for that matter Steve Martin ) very much but are people not keen on either Murphy or Martin going to watch this in the cinema ? I was very happy that the movie did relatively well on its initial release in 1999 because it certainly had the potential to be a flop at the cinema The premise is very simple: Film producer Bobby Bowfinger ( Martin ) has a knock back from Hollywood star Kit Ramsey ( Murphy ) so Bowfinger decides to secretly film him anyway and edit it into his movie . Thankfully the screenplay of BOWFINGER is developed well enough for maximum comic effect , Bowfinger is making a sci-fi movie so Kit finds himself facing aliens at one point and yes he genuinely believes they are real aliens . Bobby Bowfinger himself seems to have been based on the infamous Ed Wood while watching Kit attend the MindHead classes one is perhaps reminded of John Travolta or Tom Cruise and I don’t care what the critics say – Some of the gags like the scene with the dog in the underground car park are laugh out loud funny without ever going OTT All in all a fairly amusing satirical comedy that enjoys taking pokes at the American film industry and certainly one of the better films that have either starred Martin or Murphy

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