Serenity

AKA:
Firefly (USA) (working title)
Firefly: The Movie (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Joss Whedon

Directed by:
Joss Whedon

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Nathan Fillion .... Mal
Gina Torres .... Zoe
Alan Tudyk .... Wash
Morena Baccarin .... Inara
Adam Baldwin .... Jayne
Jewel Staite .... Kaylee
Sean Maher .... Simon
Summer Glau .... River
Ron Glass .... Shepherd Book
Chiwetel Ejiofor .... The Operative
David Krumholtz .... Mr. Universe
Michael Hitchcock .... Dr. Mathias
Sarah Paulson .... Dr. Caron
Yan Feldman .... Mingo
Rafael Feldman .... Fanty

Plot:
River Tam and her brother Simon are hiding out from the totalitarian government that experimented with River's brain aboard the space-freighter Serenity. Captained by a down on his luck, no faith soldier, the crew of Serenity must take jobs (legal or not) while avoiding the Alliance, and keeping the Tams safe. But when things get out of hand with the true extent of River's powers, the Alliance sends a new Operative to make sure what River knows doesn't get out. How will the crew of Serenity deal with this new threat? And what exactly does River know that the Operative is willing to kill for? IMDB

Review:
I was very sceptical of this movie when we rented it. And while we were watching it, I was SO tired that I kept falling asleep.. But in and out of sleep, I was able to see some of the movie, and what I did see - I really liked.

We finally bought it a little while ago, and I got a chance to see the entire movie - and it was fantastic! A mix of The Matrix and Equilibrium. A great plot, great effects, great acting.. everything was perfect.

It was a serious movie, but still had that good, dry humor in it.
Everyone even needs to see it, even for the subtile message of what happens when trying to make a perfect world.

The Ghost

Original title:
Ryeong

AKA:
Dead Friend (International: English title)
The Ghost (International: English title) (Singapore: English title)

Written by:
Tae-kyeong Kim

Directed by:
Tae-kyeong Kim

Made in:
South Korea in 2004

Actors:
Ha-Neul Kim .... Min Ji-won
Sang-mi Nam .... Su-in
Bin .... Eun-seo
Yi Shin .... Mi-kyeong
Hie-ju Jeon .... Yu-jeong
Yun-ji Lee .... Eun-jeong
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ran Choi .... Su-in's mum
Ju-bong Gi .... Detective
Hae-suk Kim .... Ji-won's mum
Grina Park
Jin Ryu .... Park Jun-ho

Plot:
A teenage girl suffering from amnesia discovers that she is somehow connected to a group of people who are being killed off one by one by a vengeful ghost. IMDB


Review:
We bought this with the hope that it would be a decent movie, and it was! It has the typical Asian "scary" objects, like: water, long, black hair, etc...
But for some reason, this over-play of these movie characteristics aren't tiring me. Not like bad teen-movies.

This movie is very confusing. Not with flashbacks, but by plot. And it isn't too bad until the very end, like the last 10 minutes or so - it gets very confusing. If you are confused by the movie ending or check out the Internet Movie Database. But the movie is much easier to understand the second time watching it. So if you watched it once and wasn't convinced, I suggest to see it again!

It wasn't a perfect movie, there are some questions within the plot structure. But all-in-all I think this was an okay film.

Ocean's Twelve

Written by:
George Clayton Johnson
Jack Golden Russell

Directed by:
Steven Soderbergh

Made in:
USA & Australia in 2004

Actors:
Brad Pitt .... Rusty Ryan
Catherine Zeta-Jones .... Isabel Lahiri
George Clooney .... Danny Ocean
Ed Kross .... Bank Officer
Julia Roberts .... Tess Ocean
Don Tiffany .... House Painter
Anne Jacques .... Shop Owner
David Sontag .... Plainclothes Goon #1
Larry Sontag .... Plainclothes Goon #2
Andy Garcia .... Terry Benedict
Casey Affleck .... Virgil Malloy
Dina Connolly .... Virgil's Fiancée
Scott Caan .... Turk Malloy
Nelson Peltz .... Partygoer
Mini Anden .... Supermodel

Plot:
Three years after pulling an impossible heist of a three-casino vault Daniel Ocean's Eleven plus wife Tess have been found and fingered by Terry Benedict. Mr. Benedict has promised the provider of the information to show restraint and give the clan two weeks to repay him with interest to the tune of over $190 million. Without a job that can provide that kind of pay off, the gang must accept the challenge of premier thief Francois Toulour to see who can steal a famous work of art first and claim the title of greatest thief ever. IMDB

Review:
I didn't like this one. Boring, dull, bland, and not exciting in any way whatsoever.

I really enjoyed the first movie and I enjoy it each time I see it. But to me... this movie was very boring and pointless. Not a very exciting movie, and too much Julia Roberts. It drags and it seems like it takes forever for the movie to actually begin. Lots of weird side-story stuff..

I just didn't like it. Maybe I'm grabbing at things to dislike, but there was enough about it or to make me dislike it.

I hadn't planned on ever seeing it, and I wouldn't have if it wasn't on the movie channel and we were bored and had nothing else to watch.

Definately do not go out of your way to see it.

Ocean's Eleven

Written by:
George Clayton Johnson (1960 story) &
Jack Golden Russell (1960 story)

Directed by:
Steven Soderbergh

Made in:
USA & Australia in 2001

Actors:
George Clooney .... Danny Ocean
Cecelia Ann Birt .... Board Member #1 (voice) (as CeCeLia Birt)
Paul L. Nolan .... Board Member #2 (voice)
Carol Florence .... Board Member #3 (voice)
Lori Galinski .... Blackjack Dealer
Bernie Mac .... Frank Catton
Brad Pitt .... Rusty Ryan
Mark Gantt .... Bartender
Timothy Paul Perez .... Security Guard
Elliott Gould .... Reuben Tishkoff
Frank Patton .... Lockbox Carrier
Casey Affleck .... Virgil Malloy
Scott Caan .... Turk Malloy
Eddie Jemison .... Livingston Dell
Jorge R. Hernandez .... FBI Man #1

Plot:
Danny Ocean is a thief who has just been paroled from prison. He seeks out his partner, Rusty and he has a job. And it is to rob the vault that houses the cash of three casinos in Las Vegas. And he plans to rob it on a night when 150 million is in it. So they recruit nine guys and they begin to put Ocean's plan in motion. Everything is going well until Rusty discovers that Ocean's ex-wife, Tess is the main squeeze of Terry Benedict the (ruthless) owner of the casinos. Rusty asks him what is he going to do if he has to choose. But Ocean says that if his plan goes smoothly, he is going to be able to have his cake and eat it. IMDB

Review:
A perfect cast.
Dry, witty, funny, flows well and never boring or dull.

I'm not a George Clooney fan and I think he does a great job with this film. I'm not a fan of Julia Roberts either, but she isn't in the movie enough to make it annoying.

The movie is very well directed and produced.
A must-see!

Phone

Original title:
Pon

Directed by:
Byeong-ki Ahn

Made in:
South Korea in 2002

Actors:
Ji-won Ha .... Ji-won
Yu-mi Kim .... Ho-jeong
Woo-jae Choi .... Chang-hoon
Ji-yeon Choi .... Jin-hie
Seo-woo Eun .... Yeong-ju

Plot:
Soon after Ji-won gets a new cell phone, her friend's young daughter, Yeong-ju, puts it to her ear and immediately begins screaming in terror. When other strange things start happening in connection with the phone, Ji-Won does some investigating and discovers that of the people before her who had the same number, almost all of them died suddenly under unusual circumstances. As Yeong-ju's behavior becomes increasingly alarming, Ji-won digs deeper into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the number's first owner, a high school girl named Jin-hie. IMDB

Review:
What an incredible movie!
Asian horror is.. probably my most enjoyable genre. This one is one of the best!

It is very scary and creepy. The plot is excellent and the story flows well. The movie leaves you surprised and continuously guessing.

And the little girl is possibly the best child actor I have ever seen. No, she IS the best child actor I have ever seen.

A fantastic, must-see movie!

Language is in Korean, definately available with subtitles.
Make sure you buy this one so you can watch it over and over again!

Final Destination 3

Written by:
Glen Morgan
James Wong

Directed by:
James Wong

Made in:
USA in 2006

Actors:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead .... Wendy Christensen
Ryan Merriman .... Kevin Fischer
Kris Lemche .... Ian McKinley
Alexz Johnson .... Erin Ulmer
Sam Easton .... Frankie Cheeks
Jesse Moss .... Jason Robert Wise
Gina Holden .... Carrie Dreyer
Texas Battle .... Lewis Romero
Chelan Simmons .... Ashley Freund
Crystal Lowe .... Ashlyn Halperin
Amanda Crew .... Julie Christensen
Maggie Ma .... Perry Malowinski
Ecstasia Sanders .... Amber Regan
Jody Racicot .... Bludworth
Patrick Gallagher .... Colquitt

Plot:
After a high school senior, Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), has a fatal premonition of a disastrous roller-coaster accident that involves her and her friends, she warns everyone and luckily gets herself and many of her friends and others off the roller-coaster before it sets off, after they get off and the roller-coaster starts off, it crashes just like in her premonition, soon she teams up with a friend, Kevin Fischer (Ryan Merriman) as well as many other people, some including Erin (Alexz Johnson) and Ian (Kris Lemche) to try and cheat death. Will they succeed or will they learn a lesson that you just can't cheat death? IMDB

Review:
Probably the worst of the 3 Final Destination movies. The first is still by far my favorite. This one drags. The beginning is boring and drawn out. The characters are annoying, too. It is.. more for teenagers, this movie. In the first two movies, the characters see clues as to the next deaths, these clues are in pictures, and it is.. silly. The deaths are good and bloody and entertaining, especially seeing the two annoying females die in the tanning beds. But everything was foreseeable in the movie, nothing was left to be a surprise.

It wasn't enough.

Watch it if you have the chance, but don't go out of your way.

Phone Booth

Written by:
Larry Cohen

Directed by:
Joel Schumacher

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Colin Farrell .... Stu Shepard
Kiefer Sutherland .... The Caller
Forest Whitaker .... Captain Ed Ramey
Radha Mitchell .... Kelly Shepard
Katie Holmes .... Pamela McFadden
Paula Jai Parker .... Felicia
Arian Waring Ash .... Corky (as Arian Ash)
Tia Texada .... Asia
John Enos III .... Leon
Richard T. Jones .... Sergeant Cole
Keith Nobbs .... Adam
Dell Yount .... Pizza Guy
James MacDonald .... Negotiator
Josh Pais .... Mario
Yorgo Constantine .... ESU Commander

Plot:
A fiendish publicist finds himself being held hostage in a phone booth by an extreme moralist who watches his victim's every move through the scope of his high-power sniper rifle, while speaking to the publicist via the phone booth. The caller prides himself on using force to punish corrupt people by forcing them to admit all of their lies and sins through mental games, or killing them. At the same time, he eliminates other people as well; everyday people who are guilty of brutal dishonesty and/or corruption, such as a murderous street pimp and a pushy pizza man (all of which, if you look hard enough in the film, have a guilt link). The caller himself is corrupt, and uses it defeat other corruption. It is evil fighting evil in the phone booth IMDB

Review:
Katie Holmes: BAD.
When are casting directors going to realize this???

Besides her, the film is great! Considering it takes place in a phone booth. A short movie and very exciting.

Not perfect (not many films are), but I think for the type of movie it is, and the setting, and plot.. it isn't too bad.

The Truman Show

Written by:
Andrew Niccol

Directed by:
Peter Weir

Made in:
USA in 1998

Actors:
Jim Carrey .... Truman Burbank
Laura Linney .... Meryl Burbank/Hannah Gill
Noah Emmerich .... Marlon
Natascha McElhone .... Lauren/Sylvia
Holland Taylor .... Truman's Mother
Brian Delate .... Truman's Father
Blair Slater .... Young Truman
Peter Krause .... Lawrence
Heidi Schanz .... Vivien
Ron Taylor .... Ron
Don Taylor .... Don
Ted Raymond .... Spencer
Judy Clayton .... Travel Agent
Fritz Dominique .... Truman's Neighbor
Angel Schmiedt .... Truman's Neighbor

Plot:
In this movie, Jim Carrey is Truman, a man whose life is a fake one... The place he lives is in fact a big studio with hidden cameras everywhere, and all his friends and people around him, are actors who play their roles in the most popular tv-series in the world: The Truman Show. Truman thinks that he is an ordinary man with an ordinary life and has no idea about how he is exploited. Until one day... he finds out everything. Will he react? IMDB

Review:
I am a big fan of Jim Carrey and I think he does a great job in this role.

The film itself is very sad and emotional, it really pulls at the heart string. But it isn't mushy or extremely romantic.

Jim Carrey is funny in this film without going overboard, a glimpse of things to come in his later, more serious movies.

Almost Famous

AKA:
Something Real (USA) (working title)
Stillwater (USA) (working title)
The Uncool (USA) (working title)
Untitled Cameron Crowe Project (USA) (working title)
Untitled: Almost Famous the Bootleg Cut (USA) (director's cut (DVD title))

Written by:
Cameron Crowe

Directed by:
Cameron Crowe

Made in:
USA in 2000

Actors:
Billy Crudup .... Russell Hammond
Frances McDormand .... Elaine Miller
Kate Hudson .... Penny Lane
Jason Lee .... Jeff Bebe
Patrick Fugit .... William Miller
Zooey Deschanel .... Anita Miller
Michael Angarano .... Young William
Anna Paquin .... Polexia Aphrodisia
Fairuza Balk .... Sapphire
Noah Taylor .... Dick Roswell
John Fedevich .... Ed Vallencourt
Mark Kozelek .... Larry Fellows
Philip Seymour Hoffman .... Lester Bangs
Liz Stauber .... Leslie
Jimmy Fallon .... Dennis Hope

Plot:
William Miller is a 15 year old kid, hired by Rolling Stone magazine to tour with, and write about Stillwater, an up and coming rock band. This wonderfully witty coming of age film follows William as he falls face first to confront life, love, and lingo. IMDB

Review:
I like this movie, but it bothers me in a way.
It is funny, it is cute, it shows the life of roadies..
But I still sometimes feel like it is lacking something.
Maybe I just had higher expectations.

What really bothers me is that the girl (Penny Lane) is on the cover of the film... which.. I think is wrong. Sure, the kid likes her and has a crush on her, but I find her the least interesting and least important character of the whole film. But maybe that is just me..

What Women Want

Written by:
Josh Goldsmith
Cathy Yuspa

Directed by:
Nancy Meyers

Made in:
USA in 2000

Actors:
Mel Gibson .... Nick Marshall
Helen Hunt .... Darcy McGuire
Marisa Tomei .... Lola
Alan Alda .... Dan Wanamaker
Ashley Johnson .... Alexandra 'Alex' Marshall
Mark Feuerstein .... Morgan Farwell
Lauren Holly .... Gigi
Delta Burke .... Eve
Valerie Perrine .... Margo
Judy Greer .... Erin
Sarah Paulson .... Annie
Ana Gasteyer .... Sue Cranston
Lisa Edelstein .... Dina
Loretta Devine .... Flo the Doorwoman
Diana-Maria Riva .... Stella

Plot:
Nick Marshall, Playboy and Hot Shot in advertising, thinks he's God's gift to women. After a little accident, he discovers that he is suddenly able to hear what women really think. First, Nick is pretty disappointed when he discovers that his beloved macho behaviour does not exactly contribute to being desired. Then, his upcoming dream position in the company is being given to a new team member: Darcy, not only a woman, but a man-eating one, also is a very talented ad expert. So, Nick decides to sabotage his new boss by reading her thoughts and selling her ideas as his own. Unfortunately, love gets in his way. IMDB

Review:
A fun, cute movie.

I've lost a lot of respect for Mel Gibson, but he pulls it off in this movie. He is funny without being annoying.

Not a perfect movie, but a good romantic comedy. Very funny at times and it doesn't become dull or boring.

For its genre:

Man on Fire

Written by:
A.J. Quinnell (novel)
Brian Helgeland (screenplay)

Directed by:
Tony Scott

Made in:
USA, UK, & Mexico in 2004

Actors:
Denzel Washington .... Creasy
Dakota Fanning .... Pita
Marc Anthony .... Samuel
Radha Mitchell .... Lisa
Christopher Walken .... Rayburn
Giancarlo Giannini .... Manzano
Rachel Ticotin .... Mariana
Jesús Ochoa .... Fuentes
Mickey Rourke .... Jordan
Angelina Peláez .... Sister Anna
Gustavo Sánchez Parra .... Daniel Sanchez
Gero Camilo .... Aurelio Sanchez
Rosa María Hernández .... Maria
Heriberto Del Castillo .... Bruno
Mario Zaragoza .... Jorge Ramirez

Plot:
In Mexico City, the former CIA assassin and presently an alcoholic decadent man John Creasy (Denzel Washington) is hired by the industrialist Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony), with the recommendation of his old friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken), to be the bodyguard of his young daughter Pita (Dakota Fanning) and his wife Lisa (Radha Mitchell). Pita changes the behavior of the cold Creasy, making him live and smile again, and he feels a great affection for her. When the girl is kidnapped Creasy swears to kill each one responsible for the abduction. IMDB

Review:
I really didn't know too much about this movie before we watched it. But I was very pleasantly surprised. A good plot and great acting.. everything was well done. Lots of twists and turns, including lots of blood and gore. The story was well told without being overdone.

Drive-In Massacre

Written by:
George 'Buck' Flower
John F. Goff

Directed by:
Stu Segall

Made in:
USA in 1976

Actors:
Bruce Kimball .... Detective Larry (as Jake Barnes)
Adam Lawrence .... Detective Mike
Douglas Gudbye .... Germy
Verkina Flower (as Verkina Flowers)
Newton Naushaus .... Austin Johnson
Catherine Barkley .... Kathy
Norman Sherlock .... Orville
John Alderman .... Jim (as Frank Hollowell)
Valdesta .... Arlene
Michael Alden
Marty Gatsby .... David
Patricia James .... Lori
Tiffany Jones
Myron Griffith

Plot:
Two dim-witted police detectives try to catch a serial killer stalking a rural Texas drive-in theater and randomly killing people with a sword. IMDB

Review:
Really not that bad of a movie ... not for me at least.

It is.. a little odd.. the movie does okay until they introduce the mental patient, and then the movie goes downhill, cause then the plot is completely lost, and it ends suddenly, and.. yeah..

Easy to laugh at and a good one if you like old, bad horror movies.

Sling Blade

Written by:
Billy Bob Thornton

Directed by:
Billy Bob Thornton

Made in:
USA in 1996

Actors:
Billy Bob Thornton .... Karl Childers
Dwight Yoakam .... Doyle Hargraves
J.T. Walsh .... Charles Bushman
John Ritter .... Vaughan Cunningham
Lucas Black .... Frank Wheatley
Natalie Canerday .... Linda Wheatley
James Hampton .... Dr. Jerry Woolridge
Robert Duvall .... Frank Childers
Rick Dial .... Bill Cox
Brent Briscoe .... Scooter Hodges
Christy Ward .... Melinda
Sarah Boss .... Marsha Dwiggins
Kathy Sue Brown .... Theresa Evans
Wendell Rafferty .... Melvin
Bruce Hampton .... Morris (as Col. Bruce Hampton)

Plot:
Karl Childers, now a grown man, is released from a psychiatric hospital where he has been hospitalized since the age of 12 for the murder of his mother and her lover. He returns to his childhood town and although being mentally handicapped, gets a job fixing small motors at a local repair shop. Karl befriends a young boy, Frank, and is soon invited by Frank's mother, Linda, to move into the family's garage. As a strong relationship develops between Karl and Frank, a confrontation builds with Linda's abusive and sometimes violent boyfriend Doyle. IMDB

Review:
Quite a good movie!
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I've had it for awhile but never got around to watching it and I always heard so many good things about it. This is a very sad and emotional movie. And extremely well done. Very charming with great acting.

Mad Max 2

AKA:
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (USA)
The Road Warrior (USA)

Written by:
Terry Hayes
George Miller

Directed by:
George Miller

Made in:
Australia in 1981

Actors:
Mel Gibson .... 'Mad' Max Rockatansky/The Road Warrior
Bruce Spence .... The Gyro Captain
Michael Preston .... Pappagallo (as Mike Preston)
Max Phipps .... The Toadie
Vernon Wells .... Wez
Kjell Nilsson .... Lord Humungus
Emil Minty .... The Feral Kid
Virginia Hey .... The Warrior Woman
William Zappa .... Zetta
Arkie Whiteley .... The Captain's Girl
Steve J. Spears .... Mechanic
Syd Heylen .... Curmudgeon
Moira Claux .... Big Rebecca
David Downer .... Nathan
David Slingsby .... Quiet Man

Plot:
A former police officer is now a lone wanderer, travelling through a devasted Australia after a nuclear war looking for the now-priceless fuel of petrol. He lives to survive and is none too pleased when he finds himself the only hope of a small group of honest people running a remote oil refinery. He must protect them from the bike gang that is terrorising them whilst transporting their entire fuel supply to safety. IMDB

Review:
This is Mel Gibson at his best!
A very fun and classic movie. Of the three Mad Max movies, this one is my favorite. The acting is good and so are the effects. The story is fun and the movie isn't dragged out like most newer action movies.

This is one of my favorites.

What Dreams May Come

Written by:
Richard Matheson (novel)
Ronald Bass (screenplay)

Directed by:
Vincent Ward

Made in:
USA in 1998

Actors:
Robin Williams .... Chris Nielsen
Cuba Gooding Jr. .... Albert Lewis
Annabella Sciorra .... Annie Collins-Nielsen
Max von Sydow .... The Tracker
Jessica Brooks Grant .... Marie Nielsen
Josh Paddock .... Ian Nielsen
Rosalind Chao .... Leona
Lucinda Jenney .... Mrs. Jacobs
Maggie McCarthy .... Stacey Jacobs
Wilma Bonet .... Angie
Matt Salinger .... Reverend Hanley
Carin Sprague .... Best Friend Cindy
June Lomena .... Woman in Car Accident
Paul P. Card IV .... Paramedic
Werner Herzog .... Face

Plot:
Soul mates Chris (Robin Williams) and Annie (Annabella Sciorra) couldn't be happier, having married each other and had two wonderful children. Unforutnately, tragedy strikes when they lose them both in a car accident, and then again for Annie many years later when Chris is killed in another accident. What Chris finds is a Paradise unlike anything he ever imagined, where he is guided by Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.), the first doctor he interned under and is helped to see his children once again. Unfortunately, when Annie takes her life in despair, she does not venture to the same plane of existence. Taking it upon himself to rescue her, Chris ventures into the pit of Hell with Albert and a Tracker ('Max von Sydow' ) to save his wife from the damnation she doesn't even know she is forcing on herself. This is a beautiful story that reminds us that love is stronger than death. IMDB

Review:
This is one of my most favorite movies ever.

I am a fan of Robin Williams, but he isn't his comedic self in this movie. This is possibly one of his best serious performances ever.

The movie is so touching and beautiful.
I saw this movie after I studied Mythology at university and everything in this movie has such a strong symbolism. It is told well without being too pushy.

I cry all the way through this movie.
This movie really makes you think about fate and destiny, and finding your true soulmate.

I definately recommend this one.

Alien

AKA:
Alien: The Director's Cut (USA) (director's cut)
Star Beast (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Dan O'Bannon
Ronald Shusett

Directed by:
Ridley Scott

Made in:
UK in 1979

Actors:
Tom Skerritt .... Dallas
Sigourney Weaver .... Ripley
Veronica Cartwright .... Lambert
Harry Dean Stanton .... Brett
John Hurt .... Kane
Ian Holm .... Ash
Yaphet Kotto .... Parker
Bolaji Badejo .... Alien
Helen Horton .... Mother (voice)

Plot:
When commercial towing vehicle Nostromo, heading back to Earth, intercepts an SoS signal from a nearby planet, the crew are under obligation to investigate. After a bad landing on the planet, some crew members leave the ship to explore the area. At the same time as they discover a hive colony of some unknown creature, the ship's computer deciphers the message to be a warning, not a call for help. When one of the eggs is disturbed, the crew do not know the danger they are in until it is too late. IMDB

Review:
A classic!
A fun movie for everyone to see. A very thrilling film.

Even the bad effects and bad cuts/editing can't make this movie a bad one.

There isn't much that I can say - as there aren't many people who haven't seen it already.. so.. :)

Slashed Dreams

AKA:
Sunburst

Written by:
James Keach
James Polakof

Directed by:
James Polakof

Made in:
USA in 1975

Actors:
Peter Hooten .... Robert
Kathrine Baumann .... Jenny
Ric Carrott .... Marshall
Anne Lockhart .... Tina
Robert Englund .... Michael Sutherland
Rudy Vallee .... Proprietor
James Keach .... Levon
David Pritchard .... Danker
Randy Ralston .... The Pledge
Susan McCormick .... Susan

Plot:
A young couple decides to look up an old friend while vacationing in the woods of Northern California. While camping out, two strangers appear and briefly talk with the couple before leaving. Later that evening, the two strangers return to terrorize the young couple by subduing the man and brutally assaulting the woman. What other fiendish plans does the pair have in store for the innocent couple?

Review:
Maybe not as exciting as the plot outline that I took from the cover sleeve of the DVD. Robert Englund is in the movie for about 10 minutes at the end of the movie.

It really isn't that bad of a movie, but the beginning of the movie is much, much better than the 2nd part. The beginning is hilarious, very easy to make fun of.. and then it starts to drag a little.
The movie is very short, only about 76 minutes, but it could probably be about 30. :) The "terrorizing" scene lasts all of 2 minutes, nothing at all like I Spit on Your Grave.

Watch it if you have the chance, but not really anything to go out of your way for. Not really funny or scary or bloody or gory.. but some parts are amusing. :)

The music is hilarious, though! Pay attention to the lyrics. Some of the "traveling" music will bring back wonderful memories of Italian cannibal movies.

Graveyard Shift

AKA:
Stephen King's Graveyard Shift

Written by:
Stephen King (short story)
John Esposito (screenplay)

Directed by:
Ralph S. Singleton

Made in:
USA & Japan in 1990

Actors:
David Andrews .... John Hall
Kelly Wolf .... Jane Wisconsky
Stephen Macht .... Warwick
Andrew Divoff .... Danson
Vic Polizos .... Brogan
Brad Dourif .... Tucker Cleveland/The Exterminator
Robert Alan Beuth .... Ippeston
Ilona Margolis .... Nordello
Jimmy Woodard .... Carmichael
Jonathan Emerson .... Jason Reed
Minor Rootes .... Stevenson
Kelly L. Goodman .... Warwick's Secretary
Susan Lowden .... Daisy May
Joe Perham .... Mill Inspector
Dana Packard .... Millworker

Plot:
Based on Stephen King's short story about a Maine textile mill, where it's workers come into contact with something far more gruesome than anyone might expect. IMDB

Review:
Not a horrible movie, but that is by Hurly standards. :)

I don't find anything wrong with the acting, and it is a little humorous at times. A typical Stephen King adaptation. For me, the ending is awful, but most of them usually are.

Don't go out of your way to see it, but I think most people underrate it.

Swimfan

AKA:
Swimf@n (USA)
Swimfan85 (USA) (working title)
Tell Me You Love Me

Written by:
Charles F. Bohl
Phillip Schneider

Directed by:
John Polson

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Jesse Bradford .... Ben Cronin
Erika Christensen .... Madison Bell
Shiri Appleby .... Amy Miller
Kate Burton .... Carla Cronin
Clayne Crawford .... Josh
Jason Ritter .... Randy
Kia Goodwin .... Rene (as Kia Joy Goodwin)
Dan Hedaya .... Coach Simkins
Michael Higgins .... Mr. Tillman
Nick Sandow .... Detective John Zabel
Pamela Isaacs .... Mrs. Egan
James DeBello .... Christopher Dante (as James Debello)

Plot:
Ben Cronin has it all: the admiration of his many friends, a terrific girlfriend, and an appointment with swim scouts from Stanford. It's not easy; Ben must train for countless hours in the pool for a critical swim meet, work at the local hospital and find quality time with his high school sweetheart, Amy. His wonderful life is disrupted by the arrival of Madison Bell. The new girl in town quickly sets her sights on the impressionable Ben. While their first few meetings are innocent enough, the seductive Madison wants more. IMDB

Review:
Ehhh.. not a horrible movie. It could have been much, much worse!
It is decent for its genre. Unlike most movies like it, this one keeps me interested. It is a little different from other movies like it.
Even though everything works out in the end, it is an entertaining movie.

If you have the chance, watch it, but not something to go out of your way for.

Brokeback Mountain

Written by:
E. Annie Proulx (short story)
Larry McMurtry (screenplay)

Directed by:
Ang Lee

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Heath Ledger .... Ennis Del Mar
Jake Gyllenhaal .... Jack Twist
Randy Quaid .... Joe Aguirre
Anne Hathaway .... Lureen Newsome
Michelle Williams .... Alma
Valerie Planche .... Waitress
Graham Beckel .... L.B. Newsome
David Harbour .... Randall Malone
Kate Mara .... Alma del Mar Jr., Age 19
Roberta Maxwell .... Jack's Mother
Peter McRobbie .... John Twist
Anna Faris .... LaShawn Malone
Linda Cardellini .... Cassie
Scott Michael Campbell .... Monroe
David Trimble .... Basque

Plot:
A raw, powerful story of two young men, a Wyoming ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 sheepherding in the harsh, high grasslands of contemporary Wyoming and form an unorthodox yet life-long bond--by turns ecstatic, bitter and conflicted. IMDB

Review:
What a fantastic movie.
When I heard about it, I figured it would be an okay movie, and then everyone started saying how great it was, and that it was up for an Oscar.. Then I just had to see it.

And it is every bit as good as everyone says.
It is a beautiful, sad, heart-wrenching movie.
Possibly one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen.

I don't think I could say enough good things about this movie.
I definately recommend it. It will completely suck you into the story and you will feel every emotion and struggle these two lovers endure.

They couldn't have picked any better actors than Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger to bring out the full potential of this movie.

An absolutely brillant film that everyone needs to see.

In the USA this movie has a rated R (have to be 18), in Sweden it has a '7' .. which means 7 year olds are allowed to see it.
Banned in Malaysia. (But what isn't?)

Critters

Written by:
Stephen Herek
Domonic Muir

Directed by:
Stephen Herek

Made in:
USA in 1986

Actors:
Dee Wallace-Stone .... Helen Brown
M. Emmet Walsh .... Harv
Billy Green Bush .... Jay Brown
Scott Grimes .... Brad Brown
Nadine Van der Velde .... April Brown
Don Keith Opper .... Charlie McFadden (as Don Opper)
Billy Zane .... Steve Elliot
Ethan Phillips .... Jeff Barnes
Terrence Mann .... Johnny Steele/Ug
Jeremy Lawrence .... Preacher
Lin Shaye .... Sally
Michael Lee Gogin .... Warden Zanti
Art Frankel .... Ed

Plot:
A massive ball of furry creatures from another world eat their way through a small mid-western town followed by intergalactic bounty hunters opposed only by militant townspeople. IMDB

Review:
Not an awful movie.
A very typical 80's-we-wanna-make-something-as-good-as-Gremlins movie.

The acting is typical 80's, as well as the plot and everything else.. :/
It wasn't bad.. but it definately wasn't good.
It was a very, very difficult movie to pay attention to.. I don't know how many times I got distracted and completely lost interest in the movie and started doing something else. :/

Panic Room

Written by:
David Koepp

Directed by:
David Fincher

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Jodie Foster .... Meg Altman
Kristen Stewart .... Sarah Altman
Forest Whitaker .... Burnham
Dwight Yoakam .... Raoul
Jared Leto .... Junior
Patrick Bauchau .... Stephen Altman
Ann Magnuson .... Lydia Lynch
Ian Buchanan .... Evan Kurlander
Andrew Kevin Walker .... Sleepy Neighbor
Paul Schulze .... Officer Keeney
Mel Rodriguez .... Officer Morales

Plot:
When burglars break in to a newly-bought house expecting to find money, they find its owners sleeping upstairs. The odds are against the claustrophobic mother and her child with low blood sugar when they are locked into the Panic Room, a room where they are "safe" from criminals. Unfortunately, they are locked in with the very money that the burglars want...and the burglars threaten to come in...or make the family of two come out. IMDB

Review:
A very decent movie. Not really anything wrong with it. The only thing that does bother me is the.. lack of intelligence in 2 of the 3 burglars, which I find a little hard to believe. The acting is okay and the plot is decent. A great movie to see if you have the opportunity. Lots of things always happening; it doesn't get dull and boring.

Catwoman

AKA:
Untitled 'Batman Returns' Spin-off (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Bob Kane (characters)
Theresa Rebeck (story)

Directed by:
Pitof

Made in:
USA in 2004

Actors:
Halle Berry .... Patience Phillips/Catwoman
Benjamin Bratt .... Tom Lone
Sharon Stone .... Laurel Hedare
Lambert Wilson .... George Hedare
Frances Conroy .... Ophelia
Alex Borstein .... Sally
Michael Massee .... Armando
Byron Mann .... Wesley
Kim Smith .... Drina
Christopher Heyerdahl .... Rocker
Peter Wingfield .... Dr. Ivan Slavicky
Berend McKenzie .... Lance

Plot:
Catwoman is the story of shy, sensitive artist Patience Philips (Halle Berry), a woman who can't seem to stop apologizing for her own existence. She works as a graphic designer for Hedare Beauty, a mammoth cosmetics company on the verge of releasing a revolutionary anti-aging product. When Patience inadvertently happens upon a dark secret her employer is hiding, she finds herself in the middle of a corporate conspiracy. What happens next changes Patience forever. In a mystical twist of fate, she is transformed into a woman with the strength, speed, agility and ultra-keen senses of a cat. With her newfound prowess and feline intuition, Patience becomes Catwoman, a sleek and stealthy creature balancing on the thin line between good and bad. Like any wildcat, she's dangerous, elusive and untamed. Her adventures are complicated by a burgeoning relationship with Tom Lone (Benjamin Bratt), a cop who has fallen for Patience but cannot shake his fascination with the mysterious Catwoman, who appears to be responsible for a string of crime sprees plaguing the city. IMDB

Review:
What a God-awful movie. :/

We didn't start watching it until 20 minutes into the movie, and it seems that we missed absolutely nothing of the plot.. because nothing had happened yet. But technically.. nothing really happens in the movie at all...

I'm not a fan of Halle Berry, but she was absolutely awful in this movie. Not saying any of the other actors did any better, but I don't understand how a supposed serious actress could do something like this.

The plot was horrific.. and the acting was.. even worse.

We only watched it for.. not even 20 minutes, and it was possibly the worst 20 minutes of movie history. Even worse than You Got Served!!!

It is very difficult to watch, because of how stupid Halle Berry looks in this movie, trying to act like a cat.. Rubbing catnip all over her face.. it is just.. sad really.. :/

I would be so embarassed if I had any ties to this movie.

Please avoid this movie.. :/ The only reason we saw the 20 minutes of it is because we were going through the channels and found it on one of the movie channels. And we only stopped to watch just to see if it was as horrible as everyone says it is, and it only took about 2 minutes of watching to realize that it is..

Possibly one of the worst movies ever made. A very pathetic movie.

The Lord of the Rings

Original title:
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Written by:
J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)
Fran Walsh (screenplay)

Directed by:
Peter Jackson

Made in:
New Zealand / USA 2001-2003

Actors:
Liv Tyler .... Arwen
Karl Urban .... Eomer
Stephen Ure .... Gorbag
Hugo Weaving .... Elrond
David Wenham .... Faramir
Elijah Wood .... Frodo
Thomas Robins .... Deagol
Andy Serkis .... Gollum/Smeagol
Harry Sinclair .... Isildur
John Rhys-Davies .... Gimli
Dominic Monaghan .... Merry
Viggo Mortensen .... Aragorn
John Noble .... Denethor
Paul Norell .... King of the Dead
Miranda Otto .... Eowyn
Bruce Phillips .... Grimbold
Bernard Hill .... Theoden
Ian Holm .... Bilbo
Bruce Hopkins .... Gamling
Ian Hughes .... Irolas
Lawrence Makoare .... Witch King/Gothmog
Ian McKellen .... Gandalf
Cate Blanchett .... Galadriel
Orlando Bloom .... Legolas
Billy Boyd .... Pippin
Sean Astin .... Sam

Plot:
Read the book!

Review:
I decided to just review all three movies together ... I mean.. I don't think I could think of 3 different sets of things to say for three awesome movies that are supposed to be one long movie anyways.. :)

But.. If you haven't seen these.. then.. you need to!
And make sure you only see the director's extended versions. But make sure you fast forward through any part with Liv Tyler in it...... :/
She bothers me, and she really, really bothers me in these movies. I wish they would have picked anyone else for the part than her. Okay, enough about her, I could go on all day about her role in the movie....

The rest of the cast... they couldn't have picked a better cast.
And my female crush is my most favorite character in the movie... Miranda Otto as Eowyn! She is such a beautiful, strong character.

But anyways ... make sure you see it..! :)
Possibly one of the best directed movies ever. Can't say enough great things about how Peter Jackson handled these films. And if you have the chance, make sure you watch all the extra material on the DVDs.

Three of the best films ever made.

Saw II

Written by:
Darren Lynn Bousman
Leigh Whannell

Directed by:
Darren Lynn Bousman

Made in:
USA in 2005

Actors:
Donnie Wahlberg .... Eric Mathews
Shawnee Smith .... Amanda
Tobin Bell .... Jigsaw
Franky G .... Xavier
Glenn Plummer .... Jonas
Dina Meyer .... Kerry
Emmanuelle Vaugier .... Addison
Beverley Mitchell .... Laura
Erik Knudsen .... Daniel
Tim Burd .... Obi (as Timothy Burd)
Lyriq Bent .... Rigg
Noam Jenkins .... Michael
Tony Nappo .... Gus

Plot:
Jigsaw locks 8 or 9 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 that the Jigsaw has set in the shelter lead to death also. IMDB

Review:
I really, really liked this one. I almost prefer it over the first movie!
It has more gore, blood and scare than the first movie. The first movie was more about them figuring out clues and trying to get out. This second movie was more about death, etc.. I definately recommend the movie! I like the story, I like how it ends, and I like the way it was told. The only things I don't like were: the really dumb SWAT team members, and the way the Detective acted through the whole movie, he just made me mad. Maybe just bad acting on Wahlberg's part..?

Make sure you see it!

Mitt liv som hund

AKA:
My Life as a Dog (Canada: English title) (USA)

Written by:
Reidar Jönsson (novel)
Lasse Hallström

Directed by:
Lasse Hallström

Made in:
Sweden in 1985

Actors:
Anton Glanzelius .... Ingemar
Tomas von Brömssen .... morbror Gunnar
Anki Lidén .... Ingemars mamma (as Anki Liden)
Melinda Kinnaman .... Saga
Kicki Rundgren .... moster Ulla
Lennart Hjulström .... konstnären
Ing-Marie Carlsson .... Berit
Leif Ericson .... farbror Sandberg
Christina Carlwind .... Fru sandberg
Ralph Carlsson .... Harry
Viveca Dahlén .... tvättande kvinna
Arnold Alfredson .... Mannes farfar
Fritz Elofsson .... Mäster
Didrik Gustavsson .... Arvidsson, dying old man befriended by Ingmar
Jan-Philip Hollström .... Manne, the boy with green hair

Plot:
Ingemar lives with his brother and his terminally ill mother. He may have a rough time, but not as bad as Laika - the russian dog sent into space... He gets sent away to stay with relations for the summer. While there, he meets various strange characters, giving him experiences that will affect him for the rest of his life. IMDB

Review:
Many people have recommended this movie, saying how wonderful it is. But Fredrik always never liked it, so I never really had a chance to see it. I think Fredrik then discovered that he never liked it because as a teenager he was forced to watch it in school, so that made him dislike it.

It was shown on TV the other day, and it was a very, very good movie.
Very moving, very emotional, and very well done.

It is a fun movie, and even though so emotional, it is very funny at times, too.

I definately recommend this one. I recommend it for anyone over 18 years, because I think you need that mentality to fully understand everything the movie represents.

A very beautiful movie.

Language is in Swedish, but I know this one is pretty popular so it shouldn't be too difficult to find a copy with subtitles or even dubbed.

City of Angels

AKA:
Stadt der Engel (Germany)

Written by:
Wim Wenders
Peter Handke

Directed by:
Brad Silberling

Made in:
Germany & USA in 1998

Actors:
Nicolas Cage .... Seth
Meg Ryan .... Maggie Rice
Andre Braugher .... Cassiel
Dennis Franz .... Nathaniel Messinger
Colm Feore .... Jordan Ferris
Robin Bartlett .... Anne
Joanna Merlin .... Teresa Messinger

Plot:
Seth, an angel watching over Los Angeles, begins finding his job difficult as he falls in love with Maggie, a beautiful heart surgeon. She becomes interested in Seth, and soon his not-quite-mortal state seems a barrier rather than a gift. A choice must be made between celestial duty and earthly love. IMDB

Review:
I absolutely love this movie.
There is nothing in this movie that I would change, it is completely perfect how it is. I am not a huge fan of Meg Ryan, but she does a great job in this role along beside Nicolas Cage.

I cry all the way through this movie, it is one of my most favorite films. And the film has one of the best soundtracks ever made.

It is romantic, very romantic, but very, very good.
I do recommend the movie for most everyone. Females would probably enjoy it over males, because of the romantic aspects.

The movie has a big spiritual theme running through it, it contains a lot of mythology, but it is very beautifuly portrayed.

The ending is so sad, yet so perfect. Even though you know what is going to happen before it does, it is still so beautiful and so sad, and not overdone.

Raising Arizona

Written by:
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen

Directed by:
Joel Coen

Made in:
USA in 1987

Actors:
Nicolas Cage .... H.I. McDunnough
Holly Hunter .... Edwina 'Ed' McDunnough
Trey Wilson .... Nathan Arizona (Huffhines) Sr.
John Goodman .... Gale Snoats
William Forsythe .... Evelle Snoats
Sam McMurray .... Glen
Frances McDormand .... Dot
Randall 'Tex' Cobb .... Leonard Smalls
T.J. Kuhn .... Nathan Arizona Jr. (as T.J. Kuhn Jr.)
Lynne Dumin Kitei .... Florence Arizona

Plot:
Colourful and unconventional slapstick comedy. Ex-con Hi and ex-cop Ed meet, marry and long for a child in the wilds of Arizona. When Ed discovers she's barren the God-given solution is presented: to snatch a baby from a set of quins. Thus begins a series of kidnappings, capers and rum goings-on that revolve around the helpless yet universally-loveable child. Hi's convict friends, his boss, and even the Lone Biker Of The Apocalypse become involved in the ever-twisting plot in the quest to own the baby. IMDB

Review:
An absolutely hilarious movie! And a perfect role for Nicolas Cage.
Very fun and full of laughs.

You really feel sorry for the main characters in their attempt to have a child. Even to the point of reasoning out their kidnapping. :)
A great movie, I definitely recommend it!

Panic

Original title:
Bakterion

AKA:
Pánico (Spain)
Panic
Vivi invidieranno i morti, I (Italy)

Written by:
Víctor Andrés Catena
Jaime Comas Gil

Directed by:
Tonino Ricci

Made in:
Italy & Spain in 1976

Actors:
David Warbeck .... Kirk Dude
Janet Agren .... Jane
Roberto Ricci .... Professor Adams
José Lifante .... Sergeant O'Brien (as José R. Lifante)
Miguel Herrera .... Doctor Vince
Eugenio Benito .... Father Braun
Ovidio Taito
José María Labernié .... Colonel Rudrige (as José Maria Labernie)
Fabián Conde .... Borracho (as Fabian Conde)

Plot:
A scientist's experiment with a deadly bacteria goes awry and leaves him horribly deformed. The monstrous man then runs amok in his town. IMDB

Review:
A very, very bad movie!
But so easy to make fun of! It would be a perfect movie for MST, but unfortunately we had to think of our own funny things to say during the movie to make it not so painful while sitting through.
The location is supposed to be in England, and it is dubbed into English.

The acting isn't that bad, but very entertaining. There are some very pointless shots, and some bad editing.

There is a great cinema scene where there is complete darkness for about a minute, and you don't get to see anything that happens.. and there is a giant rat in a sewer that you see for a couple of seconds and it never shows up again ... and it seems that they want you to think that all the houses in England have large square holes in a wall in at least one room in each house that leads right to the sewer system.

A very, very strange movie, and it does well by jumping right into the main plot. But the movie drags a little too much.. :/ The entire movie probably could have lasted 30-40 minutes.. but instead it is 90 minutes.. :/

An easy movie to make fun of, but don't watch it if you are the least bit tired, I, myself, fell asleep about 3 different times near the end.. :/ :)

Pay It Forward

Written by:
Catherine Ryan Hyde (book)
Leslie Dixon (screenplay)

Directed by:
Mimi Leder

Made in:
USA in 2000

Actors:
Kevin Spacey .... Eugene Simonet
Helen Hunt .... Arlene McKinney
Haley Joel Osment .... Trevor McKinney
Jay Mohr .... Chris Chandler
James Caviezel .... Jerry
Jon Bon Jovi .... Ricky McKinney
Angie Dickinson .... Grace
David Ramsey .... Sidney Parker
Gary Werntz .... Mr. Thorsen

Plot:
Young Trevor McKinney, troubled by his mother's alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father, is caught up by an intriguing assignment from his new social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet. The assignment: think of something to change the world and put it into action. Trevor conjures the notion of paying a favor not back, but forward--repaying good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people. Trevor's efforts to make good on his idea bring a revolution not only in the lives of himself, his mother and his physically and emotionally scarred teacher, but in those of an ever-widening circle of people completely unknown to him. IMDB

Review:
This is a good movie, the first time you see it.
One of our movie channels showed this movie over and over and over and over and over ... to the point where I hated this movie.. :/

But watch it! Watch it only once, and it is a really, really good movie.
It is a simple, fun, good morale movie. A very emotional movie with a good cast.

I do recommend it, and it is a good movie, but it can still get annoying after awhile.. :/

American Beauty

Written by:
Alan Ball

Directed by:
Sam Mendes

Made in:
USA in 1999

Actors:
Kevin Spacey .... Lester Burnham
Annette Bening .... Carolyn Burnham
Thora Birch .... Jane Burnham
Wes Bentley .... Ricky Fitts
Mena Suvari .... Angela Hayes
Chris Cooper .... Col. Frank Fitts, USMC
Peter Gallagher .... Buddy Kane
Allison Janney .... Barbara Fitts

Plot:
Lester and Carolyn Burnham are on the outside, a perfect husband and wife, in a perfect house, in a perfect neighborhood. But inside, Lester is slipping deeper and deeper into a hopeless depression. He finally snaps when he becomes infatuated with one of his daughters friends. Meanwhile, his daughter Jane is developing a happy friendship with a shy boy-next-door named Ricky who lives with a homophobic father. IMDB

Review:
Such a fantastic movie.

I didn't want to see it when it came out, I didn't think I would like it.
But Fredrik wanted to see it and thought it would be an excellent movie.
I finally decided to rent it one night, and it ends up (like always), that I love the movie, and he thought it was "okay." :) That always happens.

It is such a simple movie, but holds a lot of depth.
A perfect cast that does a terrific job. I love Annette Bening, and she does such a good job in this movie.

I'm not sure if there is anything in this movie that could be made any better than it already is. The movie confronts many realistic struggles in normal day lives. Not a family movie, but definately something that every family member needs to see.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella

Written by:
Joseph Schrank (teleplay)

Directed by:
Charles S. Dubin

Made in:
USA in 1965

Actors:
Ginger Rogers .... Queen
Walter Pidgeon .... King
Celeste Holm .... Fairy Godmother
Jo Van Fleet .... Stepmother
Stuart Damon .... Prince
Pat Carroll .... Prunella
Barbara Ruick .... Esmerelda
Lesley Ann Warren .... Cinderella
Joe E. Marks .... Aide
Don Heitgerd .... The Herald

Plot:
Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical retelling of the classic fairy tale. Cinderella is a teenage girl forced to do all of the menial tasks in the home she shares with her coldhearted stepmother and homely stepsisters. One day when home alone, Cinderella shares a cup of water with a thirsty and handsome traveler, not realizing until he continues on his journey that he is the crown prince of the kingdom. Shortly thereafter, the king and queen invite every young maiden in the kingdom to a royal ball so that the crown prince can find a girl to marry. Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters go to the ball, leaving Cinderella behind to wish about how her life could be. While she is daydreaming, she is visited by her fairy godmother, who makes it possible for her wishes to come true. IMDB

Review:
This is one of my most favorite movies ever!
It is such a fun, simple Cinderella version. It is a classic and I think everyone should see it. Guys would probably think it silly and "gay." And most younger females might like it, and older females would probably think it is silly, too, I guess. I find it charming and romantic. I love the songs, it is such a great musical. And yes, I even end up crying through it. I grew up watching this, and I still sing along with all the songs. It is a fantastic movie! A true classic!

Flowers in the Attic

Written by:
Virginia C. Andrews (novel)
Jeffrey Bloom

Directed by:
Jeffrey Bloom

Made in:
USA in 1987

Actors:
Louise Fletcher .... Grandmother (Olivia)
Victoria Tennant .... Mother (Corrine)
Kristy Swanson .... Cathy
Jeb Stuart Adams .... Chris
Ben Ryan Ganger .... Cory
Lindsay Parker .... Carrie
Marshall Colt .... Father
Nathan Davis .... Grandfather

Plot:
After the death of her husband, a mother takes her kids off to live with their grandparents in a huge, decrepit old mansion. However, the kids are kept hidden in a room just below the attic, visited only by their mother who becomes less and less concerned about them and their failing health, and more concerned about herself and the inheritence she plans to win back from her dying father, to the point of murder... IMDB

Review:
I like this movie, but I think I am one of the few.
It isn't exactly like the book, but it is a series of 5 books, and you have to draw a conclusion somewhere in a movie. I think it is simple and as complex as it needs to be. I am almost finished with the book, still a few chapters left to go, and I definately recommend the book. I do think that the book is better than the movie, but I don't think the movie is bad.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Written by:
John Hughes

Directed by:
John Hughes

Made in:
USA in 1986

Actors:
Matthew Broderick .... Ferris Bueller
Alan Ruck .... Cameron Frye
Mia Sara .... Sloane Peterson
Jeffrey Jones .... Ed Rooney
Jennifer Grey .... Jeanie Bueller
Cindy Pickett .... Katie Bueller
Lyman Ward .... Tom Bueller
Edie McClurg .... Grace, the Secretary
Charlie Sheen .... Boy in Police Station
Ben Stein .... Economics Teacher
Del Close .... English Teacher
Virginia Capers .... Florence Sparrow
Richard Edson .... Garage Attendant
Larry Flash Jenkins .... Attendant's Co-Pilot
Kristy Swanson .... Simone Adamley

Plot:
Ferris is a street-wise kid who knows all the tricks. Today he decides to take the day off school. When Ferris takes the day off, so must his best friends, Cameron and Sloane. Cameron is reluctantly persuaded to borrow his father's Ferrari, and together they hatch a plan to get Sloane out of class. Suspicious dean of students Ed Rooney knows all about Ferris, but can never catch him. Ferris' sister Jeanie is also frustrated that Ferris always gets away with his tricks and she doesn't. Furthermore, Ferris is an 'angel' in his parents eyes. It's Ferris' day off, he's out to enjoy himself, and he does!. IMDB

Review:
A fun, adventurous movie! A classic and a must for every pre-teen and teen to watch while growing up. We still enjoy this movie, and I have a feeling that we always will. A perfect cast, a great plot, an absolutely hilarious movie!

One of the best in its genre.

Memorial Valley Massacre

AKA:
Valley of Death (USA) (video title)

Written by:
Robert C. Hughes
George Frances Skrow

Directed by:
Robert C. Hughes

Made in:
USA in 1988

Actors:
John Kerry .... George Webster
Mark Mears .... David Sangster
John Caso .... Hermit
Lesa Lee .... Cheryl
Jimmy Justice .... Deke
William Smith .... General Mintz
Cameron Mitchell .... Allen Sangster
Eddie D. .... Eddie
Charles Douglass .... Morie
Dan S. Fambeau .... Leon
Lyvingston Holmes .... Sara (as Livingston Holmes)
Dusty Woods .... Emily
Christina Sullivan .... Flo
Zig Roberts .... Tom
Michael Inglese .... Rick

Plot:
A new camp ground has opened up. The park rangers and campers are being terrorized by something or someone.

Review:
Horrible, horrible music! (Almost as good as Italian cannibal movies.)
And a great biker group, too!!
Unfortunately, the acting isn't bad enough to make it good.
And the group of 'cool kids' are really "cool."
And what is up with tarzan boy??

The movie is.. different. It isn't that bad, but it is definately not good. :/ It would have to have been much, much worse for it to have been an okay movie. The acting isn't bad enough, but the plot is. The plot is absolutely horrible.

I'd stay away from this one ... it isn't worth the effort. Not enough bad stuff to make it funny, and not enough good effects to make it gory.

Naked Massacre

Original title:
Born for Hell

AKA:
Né pour l'enfer (Canada: French title) (France)
...E la notte si tinse di sangue (Italy)
Hinrichtung, Die (West Germany)
Naked Massacre (USA)

Written by:
Fred Denger
Denis Héroux

Directed by:
Denis Héroux

Made in:
West Germany, Canada, France, & Italy in 1976

Actors:
Mathieu Carrière .... Cain Adamson
Debra Berger .... Bridget (as Debby Berger)
Christine Boisson .... Christine
Myriam Boyer .... Leila
Leonora Fani .... Jenny
Ely Galleani .... Pam
Carole Laure .... Amy
Eva Mattes .... Catherine
Andrée Pelletier .... Eileen

Plot:
Loosely based on the notorious Richard Speck murders, this is the grim tale of a disturbed Vietnam vet returning home via Belfast, who invades a house shared by eight nurses and proceeds to terrorize and murder them. IMDB

Review:
This was a very different movie, but not as good as other movies in the genre. This goes into the video nasty genre. It wants to be similar to movies like Last House on the Left and Last House on Dead End Street. It is very similar to these movies, but just not quite as good.
There are a few weird cuts in the movie, but nothing in it that doesn't make sense.
The movie drags, though. It is only 86 minutes, but it takes forever before he starts killing anyone. But it does really touch on the psychological aspects of a killer's mind. But if you're looking for a movie that is great for that, I recommend Peeping Tom.

Not sure what language the film was originally made in, but our copy was dubbed into English.

Not a bad movie, but very bloody and gory.

Thir13en Ghosts

AKA:
13 Ghosts (USA) (alternative spelling)
13 fantômes (Canada: French title)
Thirteen Ghosts (USA) (alternative spelling)

Written by:
Robb White (story)
Neal Marshall Stevens (screenplay)

Directed by:
Steve Beck

Made in:
USA & Canada in 2001

Actors:
Tony Shalhoub .... Arthur Kriticos
Embeth Davidtz .... Kalina Oretzia
Matthew Lillard .... Dennis Rafkin
Shannon Elizabeth .... Kathy Kriticos
Alec Roberts .... Robert 'Bobby' Kriticos
JR Bourne .... Benjamin Moss
Rah Digga .... Maggie Bess
F. Murray Abraham .... Cyrus Kriticos
Matthew Harrison .... Damon

Plot:
When ghost hunter Cyrus Kriticos is killed during a hunt, he leaves his house and fortune to his nephew Arthur and his children. Upon entering the house, they activate a machine that one-by-one releases the houses inhabitants: 12 very angry, and very deadly, ghosts. IMDB

Review:
I really like this movie. It is fun and scary and I like the plot. I've not seen the original, so unfortunately I can't compare the two. For the most part, I don't like remakes, but I like this movie on its own without ever having seen the original. (Which I hope to get to see sometime.) It is a simple movie with some good effects. No over-acting, not even by Matthew Lillard (who I thought did a pretty good job in this movie). To be honest, the movie is nothing special, but for some reason I really like it. Did I say that I like it?? This isn't much of a review, I know, but there isn't much to say about a movie unless you really hate it or really love it.

For the movie, how most people would view it:

A Christmas Story

Written by:
Jean Shepherd (novel)
Jean Shepherd (screenplay)

Directed by:
Bob Clark

Made in:
USA & Canada in 1983

Actors:
Melinda Dillon .... Mrs. Parker
Darren McGavin .... The Old Man (Mr. Parker)
Peter Billingsley .... Ralphie Parker
Ian Petrella .... Randy Parker
Scott Schwartz .... Flick
R.D. Robb .... Schwartz
Tedde Moore .... Miss Shields
Yano Anaya .... Grover Dill
Zack Ward .... Scut Farkus
Jeff Gillen .... Santa Claus
Colin Fox .... Ming the Merciless (scenes deleted)
Paul Hubbard .... Flash Gordon (scenes deleted)
Leslie Carlson .... Tree Man (as Les Carlson)
Jim Hunter .... Freight Man
Patty Johnson .... Head Elf

Plot:
Ralphie, a young boy growing up in the '40's, dreams of owning a Red Rider BB gun. He sets out to convince the world this is the perfect gift. But along the way, he runs into opposition from his parents, his teacher, and even good 'ol Santa Claus himself. IMDB

Review:
One of my absolute favorites!

This is a classic, and a must for every child to see. Great for adults and children. We always watched this at Christmas time in school. This is one of those movies that you have to watch every year, and Christmas just isn't the same without it.

Punch-Drunk Love

AKA:
Just Desserts (USA) (working title)
Punchdrunk Knuckle Love (USA) (working title)
The X-4 Project (USA) (working title)
Untitled P.T. Anderson Project (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Paul Thomas Anderson

Directed by:
Paul Thomas Anderson

Made in:
USA in 2002

Actors:
Adam Sandler .... Barry Egan
Emily Watson .... Lena Leonard
Philip Seymour Hoffman .... Dean Trumbell
Luis Guzmán .... Lance
Jason Andrews .... Operator Carter (voice)
Don McManus .... Plastic (voice)
David Schrempf .... Customer #1
Seann Conway .... Customer #2
Rico Bueno .... Rico
Hazel Mailloux .... Rhonda
Karen Kilgariff .... Anna (voice)
Julie Hermelin .... Kathleen
Salvador Curiel .... Sal
Jorge Barahona .... Jorge
Ernesto Quintero .... Ernesto

Plot:
Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is a small business owner with seven sisters whose abuse has kept him alone and unable to fall in love. When a harmonium and a mysterious woman (Emily Watson) enter his life, his romantic journey begins. IMDB

Review:
I am so in-love with Emily Watson.. And she does a fantastic job in this movie! And so does Adam Sandler. He puts himself on the map with this movie. This movie proves that he can be a serious actor, and he does an incredible job at that.

This movie ... it really gets you tense! The director did a great job of making the audience feel the same emotional stress and tension the main character feels.

It is really a beautiful movie. I wasn't sure what I expected out of it, but I know it wasn't much, it definately exceeded any expectation that I had.

I definately recommend this ... even (especially if!!) you are not an Adam Sandler fan.

It is romantic, full of charm, hilarious, sad, full of emotion.
It is a very fulfilling movie.

Take the time to see it!

House 2

Original title:
House II: The Second Story

Written by:
Ethan Wiley

Directed by:
Ethan Wiley

Made in:
USA in 1987

Actors:
Arye Gross .... Jesse
Jonathan Stark .... Charlie
Royal Dano .... Gramps
Bill Maher .... John
John Ratzenberger .... Bill
Lar Park-Lincoln .... Kate (as Lar Park Lincoln)
Amy Yasbeck .... Jana
Gregory Walcott .... Sheriff
Dwier Brown .... Clarence
Lenora May .... Judith
Devin DeVasquez .... Virgin (as Devin Devasquez)
Jayne Modean .... Rochelle
Ronn Carroll .... Deputy
Dean Cleverdon .... Slim
Doug MacHugh .... High Priest

Plot:
The new owner of a sinister house gets involved with reanimated corposes and demons searching for an ancient Aztec skull with magic powers. IMDB

Review:
Not the most perfect movie ever made, but full of laughs!
An okay, funny cast ... lots of comedy. And unlike the first movie, this one isn't scary.. at all. This one is only a comedy, and doesn't follow the first story at all. So, while this is a "sequal" .. it is only a sequal in name and not in plot.

An okay movie to watch if you have the opportunity, it does have its moments.

Ever After

AKA:
Cinderella (USA) (working title)
Ever After: A Cinderella Story (USA) (working title)
Untitled Cinderella Project (USA) (working title)

Written by:
Charles Perrault (1729 story)
Susannah Grant (screenplay)

Directed by:
Andy Tennant

Made in:
USA in 1998

Actors:
Drew Barrymore .... Danielle De Barbarac
Anjelica Huston .... Baroness Rodmilla De Ghent
Dougray Scott .... Prince Henry
Patrick Godfrey .... Leonardo da Vinci
Megan Dodds .... Marguerite De Ghent
Melanie Lynskey .... Jacqueline De Ghent
Timothy West .... King Francis
Judy Parfitt .... Queen Marie
Jeroen Krabbé .... Auguste De Barbarac
Lee Ingleby .... Gustave
Kate Lansbury .... Paulette
Matyelok Gibbs .... Louise
Walter Sparrow .... Maurice
Jeanne Moreau .... Grande Dame
Anna Maguire .... Young Danielle

Plot:
With the sudden death of her loving father, Danielle is made a servant by her new stepmother. She also has two new stepsisters, one quite kind but the other one really horrid. Still, Danielle grows up to be a happy and strong-willed young lady, and one day her path crosses that of handsome Prince Henry, who has troubles of his own at home. Luckily the nice Leonardo da Vinci is on hand to help all round. IMDB

Review:
A very sweet story.

I really, really like this one.
A more.. realistic take on the Cinderella story. And beautifully done with the most perfect cast.

Very fun and silly, but also romantic and serious.
Not only a "chick" movie.. It is very simply done and not too heavy on the romance. A movie that has a lot of emotion and depth. Very, very well done.

I definately recommend this one!