Coming Soon...my Halloween review for RRA'S CULT MOVIE REVIEW.....Leatherface or Redrum?

i don't know about nasfuratu...it was ok, and shreck was briliant as count orlak, but i wouldn't say its the best horror movie of all time.


i've saw lord of war over the weekend and i definatly have to say that it was a great movie. nicolas cage once again proves that when he wants to, he can actually be fine actor rather then a horrible action star.

Saw ** 1/2

Obsessed with teaching his victims the value of life, a deranged, sadistic serial killer abducts the morraly wayward. Once captred, they must face impossible choices in a horrific game of survival. The victims must fight to win their lives back, or die trying. I really enjoyed this movie in the theaters but since viewing it once or twice more it just doesn't have the same impact me as it did initially which makes me upset. The same thing can be said for High Tension. I loved these movies the first time around but after watching it another couple of times it's still good but not as enjoyable as it was the first time (makes sense I guess). Anyway, I basically just watched this movie because I'm going to see Saw II tomorrow in the theaters and wanted to treat myself to the original. Plus, this will be the only "horror/Halloween" movie I watch this weekend before Monday. In reference to the movie, it was very good for the budget and time frame they shot it in ($1.2 million over 18 days I believe). I also thought Cary Elwes and Danny Glover did good jobs. I hadn't seen them in years prior to this movie.

Kundun

Directed by Martin Scorcese, the story of Dalai Lama. His discovery till his final escape from Tibet due to chinese invasion. An educative film and quite a good one too.

Is he horrible as a cause of being an action star, or horrible as an action star? Like, does being an action star automatically rank an actor as horrible? Or are their specific attributes to befit when becoming one?

I'm not jumping on you or anything; just wanted an opinion on something I thought of myself when reading your post. I think Cage suffers from a common trait, that he tends to play only himself, and as a result is cast in safe, typecast roles. His best work is in Face/Off (1997); but I have Leaving Las Vegas ready to watch.

Thanks,
Mick

I actually loved him in Adaptation., which is also a personal favorite of mine. And I am dying to see The Weather Man.

------------------------

The Game (1997) - ***
Director: David Fincher
A middle-aged businessman must play to take control of his life when it is consumed by a game received from his black-sheep brother as a forty-eighth birthday present.

I have to be honest. I was ready to give this one three-and-a-half stars, maybe even four. The acting, camera work, premise, and everything inbetween was great. I'm not really sure what I was expecting. I had heard it was alot like Vanilla Sky, and it was, although I still feel Vanilla was slightly better... But similarities were present. Even the suicide scene at the end of both movies seemed to be done the same way.

-Warning: Spoilers below!-
But none of this bothered me. I wasn't expecting complete originality. The only thing that bothered me was the last scene. It ends with Nicholas (Michael Douglas) atop the roof of the CRS building, CRS being the company who runs the game. He holds a gun to Christine, a CRS employee and major character. She tells him it's all pretend, and not to shoot; she claimed his gun was real and all the other guns were fake. Behind the door leading to the roof, what is believed to be armed security guards attempt to bust through. She claims it is really his brother Conrad (Sean Penn) about to throw a surprise party for him. And naturally, when the door opens, and Nicholas instantly fires, he appears to have shot and killed his brother, holding a bottle of wine and cake in hand. Nicholas couldn't deal with it, and like his father years ago, approached the ledge of the building and jumped. Now, this wouldn't been fine with me. I liked this ending alot. And an ending is what I thought it was. But then, as Nick breaks through the glass dome atop of the building below him, and lands on a giant mat, he is at his own party. Conrad is alive and all is well. This bothered me. The whole scene on the roof was set up by CRS, and it looks like they were aided by Hollywood. How could CRS have known Nick would react as he did? If he had acted any differently, they could've really put someones life at stake. And how did they know he would jump off the building? And how did they know he would jump off the exact spot that he did? He could've jumped off any other spot, and died. It just looks like someone in Hollywood pushed for a far-fetched and unrealistic, but happy, ending. The only reason I give it three stars, is because everything leading up to this was great.

Ah, yes, I need to see Adaptation., LLC.

Regarding The Game, I was disappointed on initial viewing, and had the same problems as you. An interesting idea is bogged down by overlength and, surprisingly, a plot that becomes too outrageous for its own concept. Fincher will struggle to live up to Seven.

Mick

The Maltese Falcon #23 on the AFI Top 100 List ** 1/2

Sam Spade is a partner in a private-eye firm who finds himself hounded by police when his partner is killed whilst tailing a man. The girl who asked him to follow the man turns out not to be who she says she is, and is really involved in something to do with the `Maltese Falcon', a gold-encrusted life-sized statue of a falcon, the only one of its kind. I definitely liked Bogart more in this picture than I did in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and I also liked Peter Lorre who played Joel Cairo, and Sydney Greenstreet who played Kasper Gutman. I found the person who shot Bogart's partner to be predictable.

Yes, I honestly wish Fincher would've just kept the last five or ten minutes of the film on the cutting-room floor. The film seemed like classic Finch-material, with the exception of the last scene. Judging by Seven and Fight Club (Which, I know you didn't like, but it seemed to really lay down a unique style for him) he isn't exactly known for his happy endings...

And Adaptation. is a must see. It is arguably Kaufman's best work, alongside Eternal Sunshine. He is a good sport about poking fun at himself, and produces a very unique and original product. It's much of a rebel in todays film. For me, as an aspiring film-maker, it is much of an idol standard for me--and many others--to look up to for inspiration. It qualifies as one of the most inventive films I've seen, standing up to some pretty tough contender's.

High Fidelity (2000, Frears) ***

Jackie Brown (1997, Tarantino) ***

Malena (2000, Tornatore) ***

Really don't want to write up reviews, so I'll just say I liked each one very much.

The Exorcist - (William Friedkin;1973;USA) -
A young girl becomes possessed by a demon while a discouraged priest, and an elderly priest familiar with the demon try to save her.
This film is one of the more disturbing horror films I've seen. At the same time beneath the gore and shock value is a two-way look at the film. As Friedkin says, you can see it as evil existing in a horrible world, or how good can triumph over evil. I believe in the latter, although with the addition that not everything can come to a happy ending. There is evil and good, and both win at times, sometimes at the same time. The film didn't make me question my beliefs like some, but it was still a moving film horror film, which is ridiculously rare. Perhaps a little overrated over the years, but a great film.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - (Tobe Hooper;1974;USA) -
A group of friends fall victim to a family of cannibals.
Again, one of the few horror films that is actually disturbing. It may be low budget, but it's very effective. Right now I think this is better then Halloween as it proves to be more of a "horror" film. Leatherface has proven to be a memorable character, although he inspired several horrible sequels and an equally horrible remake, which lacked all of the punch this film had. The scenes themselves can be pulsating and the film's final image is haunting, and one of the most memorable in horror.

Fucking shit.

My downloaded version of Blue Velvet doesn't work.

I caught the first 10 minutes of Trainspotting last night on TV. It looked like a great movie but I just couldn't stay awake to keep watching.

It reminded me of A Clockwork Orange.

Trainspotting is brilliant, DVC. Try and catch it all sometime. Poignant, funny, fast-paced, well-acted.

Too bad Blue Velvet didn't download right.

Mick

Irrationelle, L'/The Irrational
2004, Amundlien, Nor 1st time
One-minute surrealist short dealing with a chicken, a gun, and a spider.
Evocative short inspired by Buñuel but also an apparent homage to José Bello.

Blinders
2004, Storm Heen, Nor 1st time
A young, creative boy is dragged to school and, at nine o'clock exactly, is drugged with educational information.
A short film all about how modern education reduces innovation to conformation; it could merit a serious feature film alone, but the short handles it well.

I guess that's what I get for trying to steal movies. :p

Who have seen:..
*-- Cinderella Man --* ???

It's a very nice Drama movie...

I went to Blockbuster today and rented Blue Velvet. I'll be watching it in a couple of hours.

This will be my first David Lynch film.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a good movie...

Based on a true stroy...

Only the ending is not from the true story...

Saw II ** 1/2

Jigsaw locks a few unlucky people in a booby trapped shelter and they must find a way out before they inhale too much of a lethal nerve gas and die. But they must watch out, for the traps Jigsaw has set in the shelter lead to death also. Not a bad sequel that gives the audience more story into the Jigsaw killer. It has a nice twist of an ending as the original and actually SPOILERS went back to the set of the original movie END OF SPOILERS Again it's not a bad sequel at all and if you're interested or curious at all about seeing it in the theaters, I'd say give it a shot. If you weren't too thrilled with the original than waiting until it comes out on DVD will probably be the option for you

That movie made me laugh. Funniest movie I have seen all year.

Blues Brothers 2000 (1998, Landis)

Dan Aykroyd originally wrote The Blues Brothers and it's sequel back in the late 70's, combined in-between phone book covers. While they took that huge script, and condensed it into The Blues Brothers, with nothing much else talked about the sequel.

So The Blues Brothers is released and it's instant success, becoming one of the all-time great musical comedies. So you would think a sequel would be in the works? Maybe, until a certain Blues Brother overdosed two years later. So a Blues Brothers sequel was out of the question?

Years later Aykroyd gets an itch to do this sequel, writing a whole different script with John Landis. The original cast is secured except for a few of the deceased, and you would think, hey man! This should be good! Ehh, maybe.

So here's the premise: Elwood is released from Prison 18 years after the famous events of the original. He is released, and is notified that his brother Jake has died. So after waiting a while he goes to work for Willy Hall, his old drummer. He meets Mack, the bartender. Mack becomes Elwood's partner. He also comes back to the Penguin, who sets him up to be a "mentor" to a young boy, Buster.

So Elwood is working and finds out Cab, who also has croaked, had a son, who ironically has become the Chief of the Illinois State Police. The club where Elwood was working has now been burnt down after an encounter with the russian mafia. What will they do now? HINT: "THE BAND, ELWOOD! THE BAND!"

So the "new" Blues Brothers; Mack and Buster, go off with Elwood to reunite the old band. So after nabbing the boys, much in the same way as the original, they set off to some "gigs." Of course, with the Illinois State Police on their tail, led by Cable Chamberlain, whom Elwood now calls a "brother." The rollers finally catch up with them, at a religious meeting feauturing the beloved Rev. Cleophus James! After a re-awakening by Cable (movie magic as John Landis would say), they set off, to a mysterious "Battle of the Bands" down in Louisiana.

As it turns out, it's at the mysterious Queen Mousetter's estate. After a just plain weird tryout, they get in. Their opponents? The Louisiana Gator Boys, an all star squad featuring B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Gary U.S. Bonds, Bo Diddley, Billy Preston, and more. Stiff competiton, eh? Well, after the cops catch up with them at the gig, Elwood and Buster flee. Where do they go? We don't know, we are left with a single shot of the Blues Brothers Cop Car and 50 Illinois State Police cars following it.

This film was decent, had a decent plot, and of course excellent music. It's definitley missing that gritty Chicago feel, which made the first film so great. The Blues Brothers just aren't the same. John Goodman looks un-comfortable singing, and J. Evan Bonifant is a little freakin' kid, both definitley don't fit as Blues Brothers. This film is dragged down by the gaping hole that is the absence of John Belushi. Through no fault of the film's own, of course, but John and Dan Aykroyd fit. This is not the case. The end also gives off too much of a fantasy type feel, which adds to the problem of the film losing it's edge. It tries to be like the original, with the Church scene as a shining example, and fails. Simply because there is something missing.

Imagine an Animal House sequel. Without Bluto Blutarsky, and D-Day. A decent film, maybe, but not the same.

I just saw 25th Hour for the first time last night. My first real viewing of a Spike Lee movie; I saw Jungle Fever a few years back but I wasnt into movies then like I am now.

25th Hour was great, Im sure most are familiar with its finer qualities, so I wont elaborate. Seems like one that could become one of my favorites with a couple rewatches.

I also saw Capote tonight, a good film, slow and quiet as hell, but if I sat through Broken Flowers and liked it, I did fine with this. Hoffman steals the show, and I was happily surprised to see Frankie Flowers from Traffic in a serious supporting role. Definite recommendation.

Its gonna be a good week, Ive got Good Night and Good Luck on wednesday, Jarhead on friday, and somewhere in between there I'm gonna watch Blow and Summer of Sam.

Psycho - (Alfred Hitchcock;1960;USA)
A woman steals money from her boss and drives away, spending the night at a motel run by a psychopath.
Not Hitchcock's best film but it is still a masterwork of the thriller genre. It has one of the greatest shock moments in cinema and has a great performance from Anthony Perkins. Hitchcock's direction is taut and Bernard Herrmann's score is classic itself.

Psycho - (Gus Van Sant;1998;USA)
A woman steals money from her boss and drives away, spending the night at a motel run by a psychopath. (nearly shot by shot remake)
There's only one thing to enjoy, and that is the opening shot the way Hitchcock wanted going from the air into the window without cuts. That's it, otherwise it's nearly the same thing as the original, only updated. Even Van Sant supposedly hates it from what I've heard. Vaughn is interesting, but not nearly as good as Perkins. The opening shot and the cast are the only good things about it. See the original, and watch Van Sant's other films.

Sin City (2005, Rodriguez/Miller/Tarantino) ***1/2

Well, I just don't know what to say. This was a damn good film. This one is based on Frank Miller's Comic Books (Fuck You, Graphic Novels.) about the corrupted criminal hellhole that is Basin City. Marv is a brutish animal, mudering his way to the truth and answers for teh death of his only true love, Goldie. Hartigan is a cop on the verge of retirement, wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn't commit. Dwight has killed a hero-cop and now needs to cover it up before it ruins Old Town, which is ruled by the Prostitutes, any trouble could bring back the mob and corrupt cops back to destroy their turf.

First of all, the visuals. From white blood to brilliant colors, this one is excellent in that department. I was critical at first, saying it looked a little too cardboard, but I was W-R-O-N-G. This film goes over the top in every way possible and gives justice to the comic book film, yet is still the second best of the year in the Comic department. Sin City is a dark and gritty place, and is captured excellently.

Though I felt Nick Stahl wasn't a great choice, he did decently enough. Elijah Wood, where do I start. He was C-R-E-E-P-Y, not P-I-M-P. Overrall the casting was pretty good all around.

I liked this film alot, and it pretty much covered my expectations as some members on the board have praised it. Was it a little overrated? Yeah. But it was still a damn good flick.

I can't wait 'till '06.

Wicker Man, The
1973, Hardy, GB
A policeman of mainland Scotland arrives on an island to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, and uncovers a pagan cult.
A wonderfully crafted tale which is often humorous in its bizarre surrealism; eerie, subtle and very effective.

Mick

Just think Capo...an American remake is coming, but of course set in America(which actually makes no sense) and starring Nicholas Cage!

Glad you dug it Capo.

Fantastic. I love the film; I love America; I love Cage. Who could play the Britt Ekland part? Paris Hilton, perhaps?

I can hardly wait.

Even your British-patented deadpan sarcasm can't stop the Rage of the Cage!

Still, WICKER MAN kicks ass. Glad you've discovered it yourself.

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005) - ****1/2 out of 5

Arguably the best damn movie of the year, underground filmmaking master David Cronenberg crafts yet another worthy gem of his career in what could ultimately bring several Oscar nominations for the well-endowed cast of Viggo Mortinsen, Ed Harris, and more.

Of course, lesser people that don't recognize Cronenberg's study of how violence influences us as human beings, and those around us, may revel in how "kuul" those violent action sequences are, but to the majority of us that get it, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is indeed what its title implies: "A Story" of violence, and how it disables a loving family.