Happy Birthday: John and Pat

John Cusack - best roles were in Grosse Pointe Blank, Better Off Dead, and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Pat Morita - best know for his role in The Karate Kid.... did you know he did not have an accent?

Happy Birthday: The Awesome

First, happy birthday to Bob, one half of the blog...

and then to:

J.J. Abrams - Producer/director known for Lost, Alias, and Person of Interest. Of course my favorite work of his is the Star Trek reboot.

Isabelle Adjani - Versatile French actress. My favorite role of hers is Lucy in Nosferatu the Vampyre.

Tobey Maguire - Obviously best known as Spider Man, but had great performances in The Ice Storm and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

3 Little Known Facts: Apocalypse Now (1979)

- Martin Sheen had a heart attack during filming

- Coppola shot over 200 hours of footage

- The film was shot in 1976, but released in 1979

Happy Birthday: Long Duk Dong

the actor's name is Gedde Wantanabe

Happy Birthday:Chunk

Jeff Cohen - did a few bit TV parts, but best known for role as Chunk in the Goonies

Review: Unbreakable (2000)

People in the Movie: Bruce Willis, Samuel L Jackson, Robin Wright

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Pigeonhole: Drama / Suspense

The Basics: A man named David Dunn (Willis) walks away, literally unscratched, from a horrible train crash that claimed the lives of everyone else on board.  Soon after this incident, a somewhat strange man named Elijah Price (Jackson) approaches David telling him that he believes David is real life super-hero, like out of a comic book.  David, of course, shrugs off this idea as Price being crazy, but as the story progresses he comes to realize that his everyday life as a security guard was really meant for something different, and that he will soon be set on a different path.

Recommendation: This is very well done film, from the acting, to the story, to the costumes, to the scenes and filming.  It was tense at the right times, dramatic at other points, and I would highly recommend seeing it.  Fans of Shyamalan films (beyond just The Sixth Sense), fans of comics, and fans of the actors should really enjoy this one.  ‘PG-13’ rating is for violence, and violent-borderline-gory images.

My Take: This is a highly underrated film by Shymalan and coming on the heels of his excellent film, The Sixth Sense, audiences and critics likely created higher expectations for Unbreakable than if Sixth Sense had been just above average.  Initially, I thought that the idea of a “real life comic book hero” movie sounded somewhat adolescent, however, it is a very grounded film with very real-life themes.  The hero aspect is an element of note, for certain, but the movie, in my opinion, is more about a man who is in a strained relationship with his wife (for multiple reasons), and still trying to be a dutiful husband, as well as trying to be a good father to their son.  David seems to be struggling with his station in life and it is affecting his family, especially his wife Audrey (Wright) – and all roads eventually lead to the idea that he is, in fact, extraordinary, and that him accepting this fact will let all other things fall into place naturally. 

**spoiler alert** The back story on Elijah is that he was born with a medical condition that his bones are very brittle, so he was unable to play with other kids when he was a child.  His nickname was “Mr. Glass”.  He lost himself in the world of comic books, and now as an adult he owns a high-end comic gallery.  Elijah believes that since he is on one end of a physical spectrum, there must people in the world on the other end of spectrum – super humans- and he has spent some amount time searching for one of these people.  David walking away from the train wreck, of course, drew Elijah’s attention.

David, we learn, was interviewing for a job in New York and on his way back to Philadelphia when the train crashed.  It seems he and his wife are struggling in their relationship; they do not even sleep in the same bedroom.  But we also learn that in the past David gave up a possibly promising football career for his wife, because she hated the violence of it.  David is a security guard, which also intrigues Elijah; that David has an ingrained desire to protect people.  David has a son who looks up to him, and when Elijah informs David and his family about the possibility that David is comic-book-like hero, his son immediately buys into it, much to David and Audrey’s chagrin.    

To disprove Elijah and to attempt to let his son down from the idea he is a hero, David begins “testing” himself but quickly realizes that is extremely strong (a very cool scene), and that through some recollections he does not recall ever having been hurt or injured in his life.  David puts this final touch on his transformation by tracking a man who was holding a family hostage, torturing them, and had murdered the mother.  He frees the kids, and strangles the criminal.  David is also later seen that night reconciling with his wife, as well as “secretly” letting his son know next morning that he is the hero that Elijah had described, and that his son clearly wants to look up to.

The ending – without ruining it I will only say that it is a twist ending, that it fits the film perfectly, and that is yet another reason why I really like this movie, and recommend seeing it.

Final Thoughts/ Extras/ For Fun: Osteogenesis Imperfecta, the condition that Elijah had, is a real but very rare disease… This is reportedly Shyamalan’s favorite film (of his films)…

Happy Birthday: Peter and Mick

Peter Weller - not much in the personality department, but good roles in RoboCop and Leviathan

Mick Fleetwood - musican/songwriter, of Fleetwood Mac

Awesome movie quotes: The Sweetest Thing (2002)

"Maybe it's you. Did somethin' crawl up your poonani?"
"Hey! I have never had any complaints in the poonani odor department!"
"Yeah! Well neither have I, okay! "
"High five on the clean poonani! "
"Bitch!"

Happy Birthday: Joss and Selma

Joss Whedon - writer/ creator of the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse and Firefly, and the movies The Avengers and Serenity

Selma Blair - best roles in The Sweetest Thing and Hellboy

Happy Birthday: Graham Greene

best roles in Dances with Wolves and Thunderheart

Coming soon: Dredd (2012)

new version of Judge Dredd?  It looks grittier and less comic book-like than the Stallone version....

Link for the trailer:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343727/

Happy Birthday: Juliette Lewis

my favorite roles of hers are Natural Born Killers, and Strange Days

Awesome movie quotes: Scream 2 (1997)

Randy, mockingly: "Sarah Connor... yes?....boom "

Awesome movie quotes: Terminator (1984)

"Sarah Connor."
 "Yes?"
<kicks in door, and shoots Sarah multiple times>

Awesome movie quotes: Beetlejuice (1988)

"Don't mind her. She's still upset, because somebody dropped a house on her sister."

Happy Birthday: to 3

Danny Aiello - best roles in Do the Right Thing, and Leon: The Professional

Lionel Richie - singer/song writer, and music producer

Nicole Kidman - best roles in The Others, Eyes Wide Shut, and Malice

Happy Birthday: 3 ladies

Mia Sara - will forever be Sloane from Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Kim Walker - aka Heather Chandler from the movie Heathers

Poppy Montgomery - from TV's Without a Trace and Unforgettable

Happy Birthday: Isabella Rossellini

my favorite roles of hers are in Blue Velvet and Fearless

Quick Look: X-Files: Fight the Future (1998)

Being  a fan of the TV series, I made it a point to see this film the opening weekend it came out, and I was not disappointed. X-Files: Fight the Future premiered in the summer of 1998, in between the 5th and 6th seasons of the show.  Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny played their characters Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. Chris Carter, the show's creator, wrote the screenplay, and Rob Bowman one of show's directing vets and produces took the directing reigns for this adaption.  X-Files supporting cast "regulars" Mitch Pileggi, William B Davis, and John Neville reprise their continuing roles.
The movie centers around a conspiracy that an extra-terrestrial virus present on the Earth since the Ice Age is being held and cultivated by a shadowy group of powerful men, some of which have ties to the US government, and some even within the high ranks of the FBI.  Mulder and Scully are FBI field agents who were formerly assigned to the X-Files, an office the FBI that investigated paranormal occurrences, but the X-Files has since been shut down.  The two are currently investigating a bomb threat in the Federal Building in Dallas, which turns out to be legitimate, and the bomb goes off.  In the debris of the building some bodies are discovered which at first are thought to have been victims of the bombing, but upon further examination are discovered to have been dead prior to the bombing and were previously infected with an unidentifiable virus.  Mulder and Scully follow the clues towards this global reaching conspiracy and it puts both of their lives, as well as the balance of humankind in danger.  Settings of the movie include: Washington, DC, in Dallas, Texas, in the countryside of Texas, and in Antarctica.

While some people might think this is purely a 2 hour episode of the show, I would note the movie can stand alone (meaning you can watch this without having seen the TV show), but it does expand on the "alien mythology" story-line of the show, feeding the X-Philes interests, as well.  The story unfolded at a good pace; there was a decent mix of action sequences, and it was unpredictable enough to create a little tension throughout - all without being too overly intense.  It looked and felt like nice big budget summer block-buster, but stayed true to its X-Files story roots.  PG-13 rating is for violence and a little "alien" gore.    

Fun fact: Terry O'Quinn plays an FBI agent killed in the bomb blast in the movie, also played a police Lt. in an X-Files episode in Season 2, and played a shadowy conspirator in Season 9... plus he was a major supporting actor on Chris Carter's TV show Millennium...

Happy Birthday: Thomas Hayden Church

His best roles are in Sideways, and Spiderman 3

Review: Suspect Zero (2004)

People in the Movie: Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Carrie-Anne Moss

Director: E. Elias Merhige

Pigeonhole: Thriller / Mystery / Crime

The Basics: A disgraced FBI agent named Tom Mackelway (Eckhart) is reassigned (after a suspension for misconduct on a prior case) to the Albuquerque, NM field office.  There he becomes entangled in a strange case investigating some murders in which the victims turn out to have been criminals themselves.  Mackelway is contacted by the prime suspect Benjamin O’Ryan (Kingsley) via fax and mail about the cases, and is also sent a large number of missing person flyers, which seemingly are not tied to these murders.  The audience sees O’Ryan engaging in a strange ritual throughout the movie having strange visions while he listens to a tape recording of white-noise and a male voice droning hypnotic sounding instructions.  We later learn this ritual is called “remote viewing” and is an ability that O’Ryan had been trained to use to see other places, times, and events going on all over the world.  O’Ryan uses this ability to track serial killers, and for most of his life has tracked, but has been unable to catch, Suspect Zero, who may be responsible for hundreds of murders – which is why he is attempting to bring Mackelway into the cases – to help him catch this killer.   

Recommendation: It brings an interesting twist to the “hunt for a serial killer” type of film, and I recommend it for that.  Fans of Dexter and Millennium will like this movie.  ‘R’ rating is for violence, language and brief nudity.

My Take: Being a fan of Kingsley and Eckhart is what primarily drew me to see this, especially the idea of the hunt for a “super” serial killer.  This was the first movie for Moss after the Matrix trilogy, so it was nice to see her doing something new.  Harry Lennix, also from the 2^nd and 3^rd Matrix movies was in Suspect Zero, as well.  The film is very good at times, and really offers something new as far as tracking bad guys with O’Ryan’s character, and typically I prefer open ended or unresolved issues at the end of movies, but this time something seemed just a little off.

**spoiler alert** The movie opens with O’Ryan confronting a man in a diner, and eventually killing him, although we do not witness the murder on screen.  O’Ryan intentionally stages the victim’s body in his car just over the state line of New Mexico, so the FBI will get involved with the case, which is how Mackelway gets drawn in, except it appears O’Ryan has been “waiting” for him to arrive all along.  Mackelway then begins receiving mailed packages full of case information about the victim (plus more men which O’Ryan kills along the way), and receiving faxes of missing persons.  O’Ryan eventually reveals he is a “remote viewer” and was part of an FBI program called Project Icarus. He states that he is hunting the ultimate predator, a man who has possibly killed hundreds of kids across America.

Mackelway, with the assistance of his old partner Fran Kulok (Moss) build the case as if O’Ryan is the killer, and that he likely has mental issues – which, he does, but not the problems you might think.  Slowly, as the movie progresses Mackelway realizes O’Ryan is onto something, and that he is, in fact, assisting them, in more ways than one.  Things come full circle as O’Ryan tells Mackelway he has the same remote viewing ability O’Ryan has, and the two of them go to confront Suspect Zero to end his murderous spree of terror.   

Where things seemed just a bit off to me:

- Moss’ character did not seem to be used or developed completely.  It seemed like there was an implication of prior romantic interest or involvement (prior to events unfolding now), but it fell completely flat when it was introduced, plus she made no effort to really assist in the investigation other than to physically “be there”.  Very disappointing.

- O’Ryan’s remote viewing sessions were not explained until later into the film.  If you paid attention to the trailers of the Suspect Zero before seeing it, you would know what was going on, but if you came into the movie “cold” it might seem more like someone having a hallucination and might throw you off a bit.

- The ending – Mackelway kills Suspect Zero, then O’Ryan finally free of the burden of being haunted of the visions of the moment wants it completed with his own death – almost as if he was tied to fate.  Mackelway won’t do it, and Fran seeing a threatening exchange, and still not knowing if O’Ryan was truly a good guy, shoots him.  It did not seem “right” to me.  Plus there was no tie off about if Mackelway was going to assume the serial killer hunting duties with his own ability.  Note: On the DVD the “alternate ending” does tie this up a little better, but it makes no sense why that ending was not part of the theatrical release.

Final Thoughts: Kingsley absolutely drove the movie.  He played the tormented, burned out law enforcement type perfectly.  Yet, he was still able to portray a mentor figure to Mackelway.  He brought these moments to the screen that were just brilliant; there was a moment when he was taking down a particularly nasty individual who had begun to rape a girl, there was such a ferocious, controlled anger, you could feel your own blood boiling anticipating the criminal's demise.  Eckhart was believable, but Kingsley was just awesome.

With good tension at moments and an overall decent story, Suspect Zero is worth checking out.  The fact that the viewer did not actually know if O’Ryan could have been Suspect Zero until deep into the movie really is a credit to the direction.  Keeping the other critical points in mind, this is a film I felt could have had crucial scenes end up on the cutting room floor (whether true or not), for whatever reason, but could have really been improved to a whole other level with about 15-20 more minutes of background, development, and follow through. 

Final Thoughts/ Extras/ For Fun: The DVD has several nice features about “real life” remote viewing…

Happy Birthday: Doogie, Cube, plus 4

Ice Cube - remember when he used to be in NWA, and made movies like Boys in the Hood? ...now we are treated to films like Are We There Yet, and Are We Done Yet?... my favorites of his are Anaconda, Higher Learning, and Trespass

Neil Patrick Harris - when Doogie Howser grew up, he made some decent comedy films... my favorites of his are the Harold & Kumar movies

Helen Hunt - my favorites of hers are As Good As It gets, Twister, and What Women Want

Jim Belushi - good roles in Red Heat, and Gang Related

Anna Torv - lead from the TV series Fringe

Tanya Memme - host of Sell This House

Awesome movie quotes: Demolition Man (1993)

"John Spartan, you are fined five credits for repeated violations of the verbal morality statute."

Coming Soon: Rock of Ages

so who is going to go see this one?
admittedly the music is all stuff I grew up with, and still love, but I am fearful how the story may or may not unfold.



trailer and info links:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1336608/

Happy Birthday: Will and George

Will Patton - very good supporting actor.. my favorites roles of his are in Remember the Titans, The Mothman Prophecies, and Gone in 60 Seconds

Boy George - singer, song writer, best know as lead of the 80's band Culture Club

Awesome movie quotes: Tropic Thunder (2008)

"A nutless monkey could do your job. Now, go get drunk and take credit at all the parties."

Happy Birthday: Stellan, Malcolm, and twins

Stellan Skarsgard - excellent actor with a variety of roles on his resume... my favorites of his are Insomina, Good Will Hunting, Mamma Mia, King Arthur, and Exorcist: The Beginning

Malcolm McDowell - best roles in A Clockwork Orange, Caligula, and Halloween

Mary-Kate and Ashley - yes the Olsen twins... I would pay good money to see them killed in a slasher flick, but better money to see them become awesome tag team serial killers in a movie

Bob's Quick Look: Lo (2009)

The love of Justin’s life has been kidnapped by a demon and taken into the pits of Hell. To get her back, he uses a ritual found in an ancient book to summon the demon, Lo, to go into hell and bring her back. But when he arrives, Lo is…les than cooperative. Instead of following his orders, Lo takes Justin on a visceral journey to show him the truth of the woman he knows as April.
 *Spoiler alert* Writer/director Travis Betz was inspired to make this experimental horror/comedy after he saw a stage production of “Faust.” The film is shot against a completely black backdrop with Justin sitting center stage inside a pentagram circled by candles. Every once in a while, when Lo would show Justin one of Justin’s memories, a small, minimal set would pop up in the background. So in essence, the film is like watching a stage production, which I liked. The film carries the tag of horror primarily for the fact that it is a man vs. demon conflict, but at no point does the film try to be scary or intimidating. Humor is at the forefront from the beginning, with elements of tragedy moving in as the story progresses. It is obvious that the budget for this film was very limited, but seeing as how it is meant to resemble a stage production, this element works well. The cast also does a good job of bringing their characters to life and giving them thought and emotion in spite of the limits of their latex masks.
 Funny, dark, and emotional, this is another example of why I like indie films.

Happy Birthday: Jay

Jason Mewes - best known as the drug dealing slacker Jay from the Kevin Smith movies, and a favorite character of mine...

Awesomely disrespectful quote: Godfather, Part II

"It wasn't a miscarriage. It was an abortion. An abortion, Michael. Just like our marriage is an abortion."

Awesome movie qutoes: Urban Legend (1998)

"Please, Damon is the biggest practical joker I know. He once convinced a sophomore that he was the middle Hanson brother just so he could get laid."

Happy Birthday: to 3

Josh Jackson - good roles in Cursed, Urban Legend, and Shutter

Gene Wilder - great comedic actor.. my favorites of his are Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Young Frankenstein

Hugh Laurie - aka the now retired Dr. House

Review: Jade (1995)

People in the Movie: David Caruso, Chazz Palminteri, Linda Fiorentino

Director: William Friedkin

Pigeonhole: Erotic Thriller / Mystery / Suspense

The Basics: A San Francisco Assistant District Attorney named David Corelli (Caruso) catches a murder case involving a rich, politically connected businessman named Kyle Medford who was killed in his home.  The investigation uncovers a blackmail scheme involving friends of Corelli, as well as the highest office holder in the state of California.  The search for the truth leads to more secrets, a car chase through the streets of San Francisco, sex, and murder.   

Recommendation: If you like the thriller-mystery type movie, and you are familiar with the noted actors, then you will like Jade, it is an entertaining film in my opinion.  ‘R’ rating is for violence, sexuality, and language.  There is also an unrated version with more sex and on-screen gore.

My Take: There is a lot of negativity out there about this film, which in my opinion is not so much about the final product, but more about “failed expectations”.  This was a big budget film; the 3 lead actors were all marketable names; the supporting cast included Richard Crenna, Michael Biehn, Kevin Tighe, and Victor Wong (all successful seasoned actors); the director was a well-respected, award-winning vet; and the screenplay writer Joe Eszterhas had recent box office success in the same erotic thriller/ mystery genre, specifically with Basic Instinct and Sliver.  So all the elements seemed to be in place for this to be a huge success, and yet, it fizzled.  Many fingers were pointed at Caruso’s acting, which, to me, is absurd because he is essentially playing the exact same character he plays on CSI: Miami.  There was nothing “off” about his performance.  However, there are some items I will discuss which – along with these heightened expectations – could have led to the backlash.

**spoiler alert** The investigation leads Corelli and the police to discover that Medford was facilitating a high-end sex ring for rich people, but unbeknownst to his clients he was video-taping these liaisons (which were taking place at his beach house), and which he later intended to use as blackmail.  One of the men Corelli sees in some of Medford’s blackmail photos is the Governor of California, Lew Edwards (Richard Crenna).  This now makes the murder investigation politically charged, as the governor cannot be “mixed up in this”, and his aides work against the investigation.  The case also takes a personal turn as a discovered video tape shows a former lover of Corelli’s, Trina Gavin (Fiorentino), having sex with a man - not her husband.  Her husband, Matt Gavin (Palminteri), happens to be Corelli’s best friend, further complicating things.

As the story moves along, someone attempts to kill Corelli by cutting his brake line, and in San Francisco, you can imagine how dangerous that would be.  Several witnesses are questioned, but then 2 of them are killed, and pretty gruesomely I might add.  The investigation clues seem to point to one mysterious woman involved in the sex ring, who is known only as Jade.  She seems likely to be the killer - mostly by default since she is the only person not known or dead, yet.  When the reveal is made, and the movie is over, there was no big surprise.  All in all, still an enjoyable ride that does have pretty good tension at moments and in my opinion is way above the negative wrap that is out there about it.

So what were the problems?

- Even if you were not trying “to figure it out”, the killer is revealed fairly early.

- Corelli did more “street level” investigating than an ADA would have.  He was more like a detective/inspector, than an attorney… I have wondered about this, if he was supposed to originally be cop versus an ADA.

- It did not seem like Linda Fiorentino’s character was developed the way it should have been.  She is a Clinical Psychologist (which was an interesting element), but she is also Jade.  She was clearly not remorseful about having wild sex with many other men, and she even possibly knew Medford was making the recordings and continued with her encounters, but there was nothing as to “why” she was leading this double life, other than a brief mention of Matt cheating on her in the past.  So there was not enough development of the title character, which did not make much sense.    

- The theatrical cut truly seems like are “things” missing – like you walked into a movie 5 minutes late.  The ‘unrated’ version plugs up several plot holes which were not otherwise explained in the theatrical version, and even in the extended version, there were still some items left hanging (e.g. who actually killed the witnesses, and who cut Corelli's brake line).  I honestly felt like there could have been another hour of footage added that could brought everything in the movie full circle, as well as hiding the killer just a little better.

Final Thoughts/ Extras/ For Fun: Joe Eszterhas later noted that William Friedkin made so many changes to the story that he did not even want his name attached to the movie.  That makes me wonder how the story may have played out differently if the director would have stuck to the “original story”…

Little Known Facts: Face/Off (1997)

Nicholas Cage originally turned his part down, stating he had no interest in playing a villian.
When told he would actually be the "hero" for most of the movie, he accepted.

Happy Birthday: 3 lovely ladies

Jeanne Tripplehorn - my favorite roles of hers are in Basic Instinct and The Firm

Elizabeth Hurley - good comedy roles in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and Bedazzled

Gina Gershon - my favorite roles of hers are in Showgirls, Bound, and Face/Off

Happy Birthday: McFly, Dillenger, and Evey

Michael J Fox - even though he was older than the character was, he was great in the Back To The Future movies, plus a good role in The Secret of My Success

Johnny Depp - is a rare talent that seems to turn every movie he is in, into gold... my favorites roles of his are in From Hell, Sleepy Hollow, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and Public Enemies

Natalie Portman - quickly building a resume of great movies... my favorites of hers are Leon: The Professional, Beautiful Girls, Black Swan, and V for Vendetta

Quick Look: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)

This is the third installment of the Underworld series, and is a prequel to the original Underworld film.  It centers on the origins of the vampire/lycan (werewolf) feud that we have already been witness to in the two prior films.  The main characters are Lucian (Michael Sheen), Viktor (Bill Nighy), and Sonja (Rhona Mitra), and it takes place in the Dark Ages (it is not really more specific), mainly in and around Viktor's castle.  It is directed by Patrick Tatopoulos.
**Spoiler Alert**
The movie opens with Lucian being born to a captured female werewolf.  He is the first lycan that can switch from his human form to werewolf and back again.  But rather than kill him, Viktor imagines using Lucian and all his future kind as slaves to the vampires - both as daytime protectors and laborers.  The film cuts quickly ahead; Lucian is now an adult working as a blacksmith and is portrayed as the "Uncle Tom" of the lycans, almost gladly accepting his role as slave to the vampires.  We learn that the vampires protect the local human population from werewolf attacks in exchange for protection money, and that Sonja, Viktor's daughter, appears to be the fiercest warrior among the vampire clan.  Sonja and Lucian are also having a highly forbidden romantic relationship, which they have been keeping hidden from all others.  Sonja becomes pregnant, and Viktor condemns her death because "there can be no mixing of the bloodlines".  As a result of this and all the other prior abuse, Lucian escapes captivity, frees and leads the shape shifting slave lycans, as well as all the "werewolves of the wild" into a large battle against the vampire clan.
Having seen the prior two Underworld installments, this film's formula and plot were fairly predictable, but the on-screen product, as well as Nighy and Sheen's excellent performances, made this one very much worth seeing, in fact, I hold this one dead even with Underworld 2 as far as entertainment value.  Mitra, very much resembling Kate Beckinsale's Selene from the 2 prior Underworld's also holds her own as a good supporting actor to Sheen and Nighy.  The lack of guns and high tech weapons is made up for with better action sequences, great physical work from the actors, and attractive looking swordplay.  The dreary medieval era is illustrated well with good sets, costumes, and filming. Portraying Lucian as the hero-figure also gives very nice contrast to his character in the original Underworld.

I definitely recommend for fans of the Underworld series, fans of vampire and werewolf movies, and for fans of dark ages/fantasy type movies.  This movie also can easily stand by itself (meaning you would not have to see the two prior Underworlds to enjoy it). 'R' rating is for violence, and one scene of sexuality.

Happy Birthday: U.N. Jefferson

Bernie Casey - best roles in Revenge of the Nerds, and I 'm Gonna Git You, Sucka

Summer is upon us - who saw Prometheus this weekend?

leave some feedback, I want to hear about it...

Awesome movie quotes: Airplane! (1980)

"Stewardess... I speak jive."

Awesome movie quotes: Love, Actually (2003)

"Get a grip, people hate sissies. No one's ever gonna shag you if you cry all the time."

Awesome movie quotes: Love, Actually (2003)

"Life is full of interruptions and complications."

Happy Birthday: Liam & The Artist

Liam Neeson - has been in so many great films it is tough to narrow them down... My favorites are Love Actually, Michael Collins, Darkman, Batman Begins, and Kingdom of Heaven

Prince - musician, songwriter, dancer, and actor

Happy Birthday: Freddy Krueger, Pig Vomit, and Lucius

Robert Englund - all his other roles pale to Freddy Krueger

Jason Isaacs - of recent the recent TV show Awake... great movie roles in the Harry Potter series, The Patriot, and Event Horizon

Paul Giamatti - best know for his roles in Sideways and Private Parts ... my other favorites of his are in The Illusionist and Lady in the Water

Awesome movie quotes: Caddyshack (1980)

".. well, we have pond... we have a pool and a pond... pond would be good for you."

Awesome movie quotes: Scary Movie (2000)

"What's your favorite scary movie?"
"Kazaam! You know, the one where Shaq plays a genie."
"That's not a horror movie."
"Yeah, well, you've never seen Shaq act."

Awesome movie qutoes: Office Space (1999)

".. I'm gonna show her my "O" face .... oh! oh! Get it? Oh... hahahaha..."

Happy Birthday: Peter & Dirk

Ron Livingston - all time best role in Office Space, but good supporting part in Swingers

Mark Walberg - he has come a long way since his rapping days... my favorites of his are Boogie Nights, The Departed, and Max Payne

Awesome movie quotes: The Bone Collector (1999)

"There are five basic contaminants in a crime scene. I'll skip to the worse one. Other cops."

Happy Birthday: Angelina and Keith

Angelina Jolie - it seems she has made about every type of movie now and has come a long way from Hackers.. my favorites of hers are Salt, Taking Lives, and Gone in 60 Seconds

Keith David - very underrated actor who has an impressive body of work... my favorites of his are Platoon, Dead Presidents, Men at Work, and Pitch Black

Quick Look: The Number 23 (2007)

The film stars Jim Carrey, in one of his non-comedic roles, and is directed by Joel Schumacher.  This is a tale of obsession and a downward spiral to the discovery of a hidden truth about one's past.  Good script, very good direction, and an engrossing story make The Number 23 one to see.
**spoiler alert**
Walter Sparrow (Carrey) begins to read a book called The Number 23, given to him by his wife Agatha (Virginia Madsen) on his birthday.  The book is about a detective named Fingerling who comes across a woman obsessed with the number 23 who then murders her boyfriend and commits suicide.  The detective then also becomes obsessed, murders his girlfriend, and is ready to commit suicide himself - and all things seemed to be tied to the number 23.
At first Walter finds the book amusing noticing the similarities between himself Fingerling, but then becomes increasingly obsessed, himself, with 23 and noticing that he can find the number 23 attached to almost to almost every facet of his life.  His wife and son dismiss this, but Walter will not stop reading the book and driving himself into a paranoid state and soon fearing that he and/or his family is going to end up hurt or killed.
The story takes on a darker feel, and we soon realize Walter was not so paranoid, after all.  He is in fact tied to The Number 23 in ways which we maybe were not expecting.

Schumacher does a great job with the crescendo from beginning to end, and while I did not personally like the ending, it plays out very well.  I think Schumacher also did an excellent job with the camera work and environments to mount tension, seemingly giving us a glimpse through the eyes of Walter's increasingly paranoid mind.  Madsen, a highly underrated actor, does an outstanding job in this film.  I admit it was a little disjointing to see Carrey doing drama - you almost expect him to bust out with a comic sequence at times - but once you settle a few minutes in, you forget all about the Ace Ventura persona.  My problem with the ending stems from the fact that everything on the "screen" we are witnessing points to the inescapability of fate and human obsession.  It seems to be too "feel good Hollywood" for me, and ever so slightly incongruent, but not enough that I would have to add to the "worst movie endings" list.
I recommend see the expanded DVD version, and also checking out all the extras, including the alternate ending.  Carrey drives the movie well, and it was a very pleasant surprise to see him a role like this one.
'R' rating is for language, violence, and sexuality.

Awesome Movie Quote: The Underground Comedy Movie (1999)

"Things you'll never see: Supermodels taking a dump."

Awesome movie quotes: The Exorcist (1973)

"Especially important is the warning to avoid conversations with the demon. We may ask what is relevant but anything beyond that is dangerous. He is a liar. The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with the truth to attack us. The attack is psychological, Damien, and powerful. So don't listen to him. Remember that - do not listen."

4 Little Known Facts: The Exorcist (1973)

- The sound of the demon leaving Regan's body is actually the sound of pigs being led to slaughter.

- William Peter Blatty wrote the novel and screenplay based on a real incident involving a boy in 1949.

- Reverend William O'Malley a technical adviser, and who also played Father Dyer in the film has informed students he has subsequently taught, that 80 percent of the movie is true.

- Upon the films release there were towns in the UK which banned the film. Seeing the chance to capitalize -  "Exorcist Bus trips" sprang up that would take patrons to nearest town to see the movie.

Happy Birthday: Pedro Cerrano & Darry

Dennis Haysbert - better known for his TV roles in 24 and The Unit, but had great supporting roles in Heat and Major League

Justin Long - great roles in Jeepers Creepers and Dodgeball

Coming Soon: The Bourne Legacy

I thought the Matt Damon led Bourne series ended well...  I am going to give this one a try, too.
Jeremy Renner is a good actor, and with Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton supporting, I think this has some potential to be a very good action/spy/thriller.

Watch the trailer:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1194173/

Awesome movie quotes: The Seven Year Itch (1955)

"Good old Rachmaninov. The Second Piano Concerto. Never misses."

Happy Birthday: Norma Jean, and a former Electric Company star

Marilyn Monroe - actor and cultural icon, my favorite movies of her are The Seven Year Itch, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Morgan Freeman - one of my favorite actors - my favorite roles of his are in Unforgiven, Kiss the Girls, Se7en, and Glory