Alien Resurrection – Beyond Salvation

January 14, 2010 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Alien: Resurrection taglines:Witness the resurrection. Pray you die first.
Alien 4 Resurrection - DVD Cover

Alien Resurrection DVD Cover

Actors:

Sigourney Weaver Ellen Ripley
Winona Ryder Annalee Call
Dominique Pinon Vriess
Ron Perlman Johner
Gary Dourdan Christie
Michael Wincott Frank Elgyn
Kim Flowers Sabra Hillard
Dan Hedaya Gen. Martin Perez
J. E. Freeman Dr. Mason Wren
Brad Dourif Dr. Jonathan Gediman
Raymond Cruz Vincent Distephano
Leland Orser Larry Purvis
Carolyn Campbell Carlyn Williamson
Marlene Bush Scientist
David St. James Surgeon
Directors: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
IMDB Rating: 6.1out of 10

(57,809 votes)

” Alien Resurrection” 1997 by Jean-Pierre Jeunet – Movie Review

Sci-Fi thriller “Alien: Resurrection” finalizes the quadrilogy of cult series about Aliens. In “Alien 4″ we bid farewell to Ripley so wonderfully impersonated by Sigourney Weaver. The final victory is won and the aliens will never be able to cause irreparable damage to the Earth and endanger the existence of humankind.

“Alien: Resurrection” Plot Summary

Auriga Research Facility

Auriga Research Facility

Ripley is successfully cloned from the eighth attempt, and the alien embryo is given new life with her. The military seem to be not able to abandon the crazy unrealizable idea of taming the aliens, turning them into creatures under human control. They do not want to recognize that this lethal weapon could destroy human civilization forever. Nobody can manage to breed the aliens in captivity, neither did anybody manage to train them. In “Alien 4″ Ripley gets a second life, but cloning has caused an unexpected effect of hybridization. She is extremely strong, has a highly developed instincts. Her blood like the blood of Aliens is capable to burn through metal. She calls herself ‘mother of the monster” and has the ability to feel the presence of monsters. She became much colder and sober-minded than she was in her real life.

The criminal military officials’ plans extend so far that they are willing to pay the pirates for kidnapping. The live cargo is going to be a ‘farm’ for breeding these extremely ‘attractive’ creatures. But Aliens do not doze for an extra minute, they spend great time spreading inside the research center. Although Ripley is perceived by the scientists as the production waste, she and the female android Annalee Call (Winona Rider) are to save the humankind from the invasion of the terrible Aliens.

Alien 4 - Aliens Swimming Under Water Alien 4 - Evil Scientist Kissing The Alien Alien 4 Thumb 3 Alien 4 Thumb 4
Click here for more Alien posters and other Alien Movie Goods

Read more

‘Star Trek’ Download and Reviews

December 20, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

“Star Trek” Movie Details

Star Trek tagline: The future begins.
Star Trek 2009 - DVD Cover

Star Trek DVD Cover

Actors:
Chris Pine Kirk
Zachary Quinto Spock
Eric Bana Nero
Simon Pegg Scotty
Winona Ryder Amanda Grayson
Zoe Saldana Nyota Uhura
Karl Urban Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy
John Cho Hikaru Sulu
Bruce Greenwood Christopher Pike
Ben Cross Sarek
Anton Yelchin Pavel Chekov
Leonard Nimoy Old Spock
Chris Hemsworth George Kirk
Rico E. Anderson Councilmember
John Bartlebaugh Klingon Prison Guard
Directors: J.J. Abrams
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10 out of 102,879 votes

“Star Trek” Movie Review

“Star Trek 2009″ Plot Summary

A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members. |

Fun

As someone with a longstanding fondness for most things Trek (I’ve seen most of the movies and quite a few of the shows), I have to say that JJ & Co did a fine job with this picture; the character dynamics were broadly satisfying, the action scenes entertaining and the set pieces well put together. Most of all I was impressed with the lightness of touch of the whole venture – it would be very easy to criticise the picture for making what could be considered significant changes to certain parts of Trek lore, but given that the changes were accomplished with such comfort and confidence makes them, in my view, perfectly acceptable.

With regards to the acting characterisation, everyone was pretty much solid, with perhaps the exception of Sulu, who I thought didn’t have much to do. Kudos, though, to Zoe Saldana’s loveliness as Uhura and also, especially, to Chris Pine as Kirk – I had always thought Spock was my favourite character, but it looks like I may have to reassess; Pine lives and breathes that Kirk moxie exquisitely and he’ll be great fun to watch in future instalments.

With regards to plot, it’s pretty good; there is a decent sense of internal logic to it, without it being too overwrought. True, there are a number of points where you might think, ‘Blimey, that’s serendipitous,’ but as I’d already suspended my disbelief to accept the possibility of time travelling green-blooded alien from the planet Vulcan, these things really didn’t bother me at all. Plus there were a number of points in the movie where they were saying, ‘We were pulling this kind of shtick 20+ years ago, and you loved it then; run with us on this one,’ and I was happy to.

Oh, and most importantly of all, the movie is fun; it has the good sense to not take itself too seriously, despite remaining well aware of that sense of pomp and importance that all great character dramas should have, and that isn’t a bad thing at all.

How this movie will bear up to repeat viewings, I’m not certain yet, but at the premiere, it was a blast.

Addendum: It’s a month plus since I originally wrote this and I have seen the film three times in total now – the opening ten minutes remain a manipulative marvel that the remainder of the film struggles to match, the coincidences and conveniences seem even more far fetched than ever and the jokes seem even more silly BUT I still fancy seeing it again, so I guess it must work for me.

Star Trek 2009 - Movie Still 1 Star Trek Movie Still 2 Star Trek 2009 Movie Image 3 Star Trek Screen Image
Click here for more “Star Trek” Posters and other “Star Trek 2009″ Movie Goods

Read more

‘A Scanner Darkly’ Download and Reviews

December 6, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Animation, Crime, Drama

“A Scanner Darkly” Movie Details

A Scanner Darkly tagline: What Does A Scanner See?
A Scanner Darkly - DVD Cover

A Scanner Darkly DVD Cover

Actors:
Rory Cochrane Charles Freck
Robert Downey Jr. James Barris
Mitch Baker Brown Bear Lodge Host
Keanu Reeves Bob Arctor
Sean Allen Additional Fred Scramble Suit Voice
Cliff Haby Voice from Headquarters
Steven Chester Prince Cop
Winona Ryder Donna Hawthorne
Natasha Valdez Waitress
Mark Turner Additional Hank Scramble Suit Voice
Woody Harrelson Ernie Luckman
Chamblee Ferguson Medical Deputy #2
Angela Rawna Medical Deputy #1
Eliza Stevens Arctor’s Daughter #1
Sarah Menchaca Arctor’s Daughter #2
Directors: Richard Linklater
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10 out of 38,974 votes

“A Scanner Darkly” Movie Review

“A Scanner Darkly” Plot Summary

An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.

Imaginative and original

At first glance, you’d think A scanner darkly was style over substance. That is very much wrong. If you peeled away the trippy layers of rotoscoping, you’d still have a very cool and original movie. The writing is really tight and builds up a great and paranoid setting

The characters are very varied. Keanu Reeves, who does a decent job, is a somewhat apathetic washout, a role that fits him well. For all the Keanu-haters out there, I can say that he is not the sole star of the movie. This movie is much more about his friends, a mixed bag of drug-addicts and dopers

Robert Downey Jr. does a fantastic role as the manic, phony-eloquent pseudo-intellectual Barris. He’s very believable and you can’t help get a bit annoyed by him even as you laugh. He has some great lines, and he delivers them superbly

Winona Rider’s Donna is a character we don’t get to see enough of. The scenes she’s in are good, and she certainly looks and acts like a burnout

Rory Cochrane is even more creepy as Freck, the worst case of the little group. You can feel your skin crawling as soon as he goes on-screen. For those who have read the book: Yes, the opening sequence is the same

Then there’s the under-appreciated Woody Harrelson, funny and realistic as Luckman. His burned-out logical jumps and paranoid outbursts are perfect

A benefit of the rotoscoping is that supporting roles can for once look like natural people. Think about it. In your average Hollywood flick, there are professional small parts actors and actresses. The same small group of people perpetually turning up as doctors, gas station attendants, brokers… how real does that feel? I’m sure Linklater doesn’t care anyway, but it just seems more natural with unknowns when they’re drawn. A small point but there might be something to it

The real benefit of the rotoscoping, of course, is that it looks good. Every frame is like a cutout from a graphic novel or some pop art. For a drug movie, you couldn’t ask for anything better. As tempting as it must have been, the animation team has however limited the really trippy sequences to where it matters. All in all, there are only two or three hallucinatory scenes. The general floatiness of the animation, however, gives the movie a fluid and slightly hallucinatory look in general

Combine all of the above and add a healthy dose of paranoid music by Radiohead and you’ve got a cult classic and a great piece of art. Not to be missed by those who appreciate film.

A Scanner Darkly - Movie Still 1 A Scanner Darkly Movie Still 2 A Scanner Darkly Movie Image 3 A Scanner Darkly Screen Image
Click here for more “A Scanner Darkly” Posters and other “A Scanner Darkly” Movie Goods

Read more

‘Edward Scissorhands’ Download and Reviews

December 1, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

“Edward Scissorhands” Movie Details

Edward Scissorhands tagline: His scars run deep.
Edward Scissorhands - DVD Cover

Edward Scissorhands DVD Cover

Actors:
  • John Davidson
  • Johnny Depp Edward Scissorhands
    Winona Ryder Kim
    Dianne Wiest Peg
    Anthony Michael Hall Jim
    Kathy Baker Joyce
    Robert Oliveri Kevin
    Conchata Ferrell Helen
    Caroline Aaron Marge
    Dick Anthony Williams Officer Allen
    O-Lan Jones Esmeralda
    Vincent Price The Inventor
    Alan Arkin Bill
    Susan Blommaert Tinka
    Linda Perri Cissy
    Host-TV
    Directors: Tim Burton IMDB Rating: 8.0/10 out of 93,822 votes

    “Edward Scissorhands” Movie Review

    “Edward Scissorhands” Plot Summary

    An uncommonly gentle young man, who happens to have scissors for hands, falls in love with a beautiful teenage girl.

    A must-see movie that you must see over and over again!

    Edward Scissorhands is heart-warming, poetic, tragic, and comedic. An all-in-one movie. The story about a half-made man named Edward, who has the misfortune of having scissors for hands, (Johnny Depp) is one of those rare creatures who’s soul is bigger than his heart. His outward appearance (the black and white face, the hands) is out of place in the colorful suburban neighborhood he was brought into, but so is his innocence, vulnerability, and compassion. Depp’s performance as Edward is one of his most original yet! It’s not just the character, its the background of the movie that makes it good also. THe underscore is haunting, and beautiful, it can alone bring tears to your eyes. The makeup is outstanding, and the way the camera captures the character’s emotion and state of being is just breathtaking. And of course, without the help of Tim Burton’s Gothic style, the movie wouldn’t have the same effect

    Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder) falls in love with this man, and their tragic romeo and juliet based romance makes the audience long for them to be together. You hate Jim (Anthony Michael Hall) for breaking them apart, and the rest of the community for that matter! All in all, the mixture of music, talent, and story plot make the movie a must-see that you must see over and over again! I give it a 9 out of 10

    Edward Scissorhands - Movie Still 1 Edward Scissorhands Movie Still 2 Edward Scissorhands Movie Image 3 Edward Scissorhands Screen Image
    Click here for more “Edward Scissorhands” Posters and other “Edward Scissorhands” Movie Goods

    Read more

    ‘S1m0ne’ Download and Reviews

    August 26, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

    “S1m0ne” Movie Details

    S1m0ne tagline: A star is… created.
    Simone - DVD Cover

    S1m0ne DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Christopher Neiman
  • Al Pacino Viktor Taransky
    Benjamin Salisbury P.A.
    Winona Ryder Nicola Anders
    Darnell Williams Studio Executive
    Steve Rash Studio Executive
    Ron Perkins Studio Executive
    Jay Mohr Hal Sinclair
    Catherine Keener Elaine Christian
    Evan Rachel Wood Lainey Christian
    Jeffrey Pierce Kent
    Jeff Williams Man in Suit
    Rachel Roberts Simone
    Mitzi Martin Premiere Audience Member
    Carole Androsky Premiere Audience Member
    Premiere Audience Member
    Directors: Andrew Niccol IMDB Rating: 6.2/10 out of 22,704 votes

    “S1m0ne” Movie Review

    “Simone” Plot Summary

    A producer’s film is endangered when his star walks off, so he decides to digitally create an actress to substitute for the star, becoming an overnight sensation that everyone thinks is a real person.

    Brilliant Movie

    I avoided this movie because the last comedy I saw Al Pacino in was ‘Scent of a Woman’ and despite his academy award performance, I didn’t enjoy the film. I was expecting this film to be one of those sad, embarrassing September-May romance movies where an aging 60-ish actor seduces a beautiful woman half or one-third his age

    I was immediately surprised that this film was totally different. It was laugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully weird. lt is not a romantic comedy, but a great satire on technology and fame. The woman that Pacino does romance is at least 45, so that aspect of the movie was handled with reasonableness and sensitivity

    In my opinion the film is also a satire on Christianity. Here, just as there, a made-up character becomes such a big star that masses of people believes more in that fictional person’s existence than their own

    Don’t miss it.

    Simone - Movie Still 1 S1m0ne Movie Still 2 Simone Movie Image 3 S1m0ne Screen Image
    Click here for more “S1m0ne” Posters and other “Simone” Movie Goods

    Read more

    ‘The Private Lives of Pippa Lee’ Download and Reviews

    August 24, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Drama, Romance

    “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” Movie Details

    The Private Lives of Pippa Lee tagline: The life you love may be your own.
    The Private Lives of Pippa Lee - DVD Cover

    The Private Lives of Pippa Lee DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Robin Wright Penn Pippa Lee
    Mike Binder Sam Shapiro
    Alan Arkin Herb Lee
    Winona Ryder Sandra Dulles
    Ryan McDonald Ben Lee
    Cornelius West Don Sexton
    Maria Bello Suky Sarkissian
    Arnie Burton Doctor
    Tim Guinee Des Sarkissian
    Drew Beasley Chester Sarkissian – Age 6
    Madeline McNulty Young Pippa – Age 7
    Beckett Melville Chester Sarkissian – Age 13
    Zoe Kazan Grace Lee
    Billy Wheelan Waiter
    Shirley Knight Dot Nadeau
    Directors: Rebecca Miller
    IMDB Rating: 6.7/10 out of 1,979 votes

    “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” Movie Review

    “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” Plot Summary

    After her much older husband forces a move to a suburban retirement community, Pippa Lee engages in a period of reflection and finds herself heading toward a quiet nervous breakdown. add synopsis

    Many roles, one good performance

    Robin Wright Penn first became famous for a starring role in a soap opera, ‘Santa Barbara.’ And here she is 25 years later in another one, made for the silver screen this time. Though this movie is from a novel by the director Rebecca Miller (who’s playwright Arthur Miller’s daughter) and adapted by her, it’s very much material for a soap of the old ‘Valley of the Dolls’ variety with desperate housewives, impossibly rich adulterous husbands, mysterious sexy losers, drugs, changed names, a shifting cast, people running off to begin a new life, and so on

    The cast is intriguing. ‘Race Matters’ author Cornel West and Monica Belluci appear in minor roles; doubtless other celebs are hidden here or there, and the venerable Shirley Knight plays a senior citizen neighbor. Maria Bello (replacing Maggie Gyllenhaal, who dropped out) plays a drug-addled mother in turbulent flashbacks; Winona Ryder (whose personal history is interesting, if not her acting) is a disloyal friend in the present when Pippa has been married for 25 years to a prominent publisher (Alan Arkin). In Seventies clothes, Julianne Moore (in flashbacks) is a lesbian who shoots bondage and discipline photos. Keanu Reeves is the mysterious sexy loser. Reeves, which may surprise some, gives the movie’s only interesting performance, one that’s subtle, understated and complex, that implies more than it says. All the others parts are written and acted to scream more than signify. Every so often Reeves does something like this. Why not more often?The flashbacks are in three segments: dysfunctional childhood; runaway dissolute youth; run-up to marriage. The young Pippa is played by two younger actors. When Penn’s costumed and made up in flashbacks to look young, she’s almost unrecognizable as the person in the present. Pippa’s father, with the strange and unexplained name of Des Sarkissian (Tim Guinee), is a minister. Over time, Pippa discovers that her devouring mom is a suburban speed freak; the daughter is the slave to her mother’s mood shifts and must run away. When she does she never goes back, but becomes a drug user herself, though the only scenes dwelt on are of a transitional time with an aunt((Robin Weigert), who turns out to be Julianne Moore’s lover — who, incredibly, is surprised to discover Pippa’s being posed in the B&D photos at the apartment. Finally the flashbacks reach the point where Pippa, now a pseudo-bohemian with weird hair and artistic clothing, is taken up by Herb (Arkin), discovered living in a modernistic white mansion by the sea and wearing a hair piece; he’s about 55, Pippa 25. He wants to get rid of his wife (Bellucci) but he doesn’t have to: she offs herself in front of them (and guests, and the cook, watching from the kitchen) at the lunch table. Some of the party scenes at the seaside pad, more languid than this moment, almost evoke Fellini. Belluci has replaced Ekberg, and we’re outside Stanford, not Rome

    Robin Wright Penn, poor thing, has said in an interview, breaking into tears, that this is the most meaningful role of her career. This is because she feels her character is depicted in so much detail. But this is naive. With good writing and acting, a character can be richly shown in scenes set over a few hours or days, while a turbulent back story can provide distraction without enlightenment. None of the lurid blasts from the past shed any particular light on Pippa’s present except to say that sometimes women with messy beginnings wind up in conventional and relatively serene marriages. All those melodramatic and colorful scenes mean nothing: they add no insight into the characters. With all the flashbacks, nobody seems real. How Pippa got to be in her present state of sedated uxoriousness with a feisty 80- year-old, what her 25 years of marriage to him were like, raising two grown children, Brian (Ryan McDonald), a young lawyer, and Grace (Zoe Kazan, Elia’s granddaughter), a photojournalist working on the front lines: or all this little is said, and less shown

    If this movie had a heart, it would be the present-time dying marriage with Herb (Arkin), whose heart is in shaky shape, though his ego is as robust as ever. At the outset the couple has just moved to a posh Connecticut retirement compound because Herb has recently had three heart attacks. Arkin has his now familiar feisty manner, but his character, still apparently active in publishing even nearing 80, is less simplistic and caricatural than the grandpa in Little Miss Sushine. There are signs that Herb may be losing his marbles, but it turns out to be Pippa who’s sleepwalking — and, new thing, sleep-driving her car to a convenience store where she’s rescued by Chris (Keanu Reeves), 35- year-old son of Shirley Knight and staying with her after a meltdown in his life out West. A gentle relationship with Chris develops. He’s a somewhat crudely limned Jesus figure, with Jesus actually emblazoned all over his (surprisingly flabby) chest, and a failed attempt to become a Jesuit in his background. But despite these outlines, his understated performance makes him the only person capable of surprising us

    This movie reminded me of the late Walt Stack, longtime president of San Francisco’s Dolphin South End Runners Club. ‘You’ve got to hand it to us turtles,’ he used to say at the start of a race. ‘We’re the ones who make you hotshots look good.’ You’ve got to hand it to lousy movies like ‘Pippa Lee’: watching them makes you appreciate the good ones.

    The Private Lives of Pippa Lee - Movie Still 1 The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Movie Still 2 The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Movie Image 3 The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Screen Image
    Click here for more “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” Posters and other “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” Movie Goods

    Read more

    ‘Mr. Deeds’ Download and Reviews

    August 10, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Comedy, Romance

    “Mr. Deeds” Movie Details

    Mr. Deeds tagline: Don’t let the fancy clothes fool you.
    Mister Deeds - DVD Cover

    Mr. Deeds DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Tom McNulty
  • Adam Sandler Longfellow Deeds
    Winona Ryder Babe Bennett/Pam Dawson
    John Turturro Emilio Lopez
    Allen Covert Marty
    Peter Gallagher Chuck Cedar
    Jared Harris Mac McGrath
    Erick Avari Cecil Anderson
    Peter Dante Murph
    Conchata Ferrell Jan
    Harve Presnell Preston Blake
    Steve Buscemi Crazy Eyes
    Blake Clark Buddy Ward, the Quarterback’s Father
    John McEnroe John McEnroe
    J.B. Smoove Reuben
    P.A./Gaffer/Extra
    Directors: Steven Brill IMDB Rating: 5.5/10 out of 37,478 votes

    “Mr. Deeds” Movie Review

    “Mister Deeds” Plot Summary

    A sweet-natured, small-town guy inherits a controlling stake in a media conglomerate and begins to do business his way.

    One of Sandler’s best roles yet!

    Adam Sandler in one of his greatest roles yet. The romantics between Deeds and ‘Pam Dawson’ were great. Keep your eyes on Emilio, he’s a very sneaky sneaky person. I don’t know how he does it. Steve Buscemi was great as Crazy Eyes. A definate must see for the whole family or as a night out with the girl/guy (gender pending).

    Mister Deeds - Movie Still 1 Mr. Deeds Movie Still 2 Mister Deeds Movie Image 3 Mr. Deeds Screen Image
    Click here for more “Mr. Deeds” Posters and other “Mister Deeds” Movie Goods

    Read more