Awesome movie quotes: Airplane! (1980)

"You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital."

"A hospital? What is it?"

"It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now."

Happy Birthday: a trifecta

J.K. Rowling - she wrote some books about a guy named Harry Potter, ever hear of him?

Michael Biehn - very underrated actor, who has had some great roles in some of my favorite films of all time, including The Terminator, Aliens, and Tombstone

Wesley Snipes - my favorite roles of his are in Blade, Demolition Man, New Jack City, and One Night Stand

Happy Birthday: to a lucky 7

Arnold Schwarzenegger - body builder, actor, governor... his best roles are in The Terminator, Predator, and Conan the Barbarian

Laurence Fishburne - highly underrated actor who has had some excellent supporting roles... my favorites of his are in The Matrix, Apocalypse Now, Searching for Bobby Fisher, Higher Learning, Hoodlum, and What's Love Got to Do With It.

Chris Nolan - excellent writer and director who is making his lasting mark in Hollywood ... my favorites of his are Inception, Following, Memento, Batman Begins, and The Prestige

Lisa Kudrow - will always be known as Phoebe from Friends, but has had several funny roles on the big screen, mt favorite is Romy & Michele's High School Reunion

Christine Taylor - very funny comedic actor, my favorite roles of hers are in Dodgeball, The Wedding Singer, and Zoolander

Hilary Swank - I have not seen all of her films, but my favorites (to date) are The Reaping, 11:14, and The Black Dahlia

Jean Reno - excellent international actor, who has been in some great American films... my favorites of his are Leon: The Professional, Ronin, and The Da Vinci Code

The Hobbit - a trilogy

So it was announced that The Hobbit will be split into a trilogy.
I am not sure how I feel about this, as far as attempting to squeeze too much out of too little.  But, a good story is there, and Jackson has proven his mettle.

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni33075544/

Happy Birthday: Stephen Dorff

my favorites roles of his are in Blade and FearDotCom

Happy Birthday: Elizabeth Berkley

Star of the cinematic masterpiece Showgirls.  How was this movie passed over for awards?

Quick Look: Paranormal Activity (2007)

Paranormal Activity is a found-footage style indie horror film that was produced in 2007 but not widely released until 2009. The story focuses on Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat), a couple living in a suburban California home, who are experiencing strange supernatural occurrences in their household. The film is an excellent crescendo from small events - footsteps and items being moved, to animal-like growling and a ouija board catching fire, to the (perceived) violent ending.

**spoiler alert** 
Paranormal Activity has a very simple plot, there are only the 2 characters who drive the entire movie (there are 2 other ultra-minor appearances of 2 other people), the dialogue was improvised (but guided by an outline and direction), and the cinematography was presented as the home videos shot by Micah. The audience does not actually see the demon at any point in the film, and we do not witness any actual violence. What this film does, is brings the scares "inside the house" in a believable way. If a demon can violate the sanctity of your home (as opposed to being in a haunted house which people voluntarily enter, or in the woods which people voluntarily trek to) then in theory, no one is safe. Micah plays the skeptical male perfectly, even going so far as to taunt the demon (big mistake), and Katie plays the believer, who is slowly deteriorating under the stress and "attacks" from the visitor. We also learn that the demon is not, in fact, there by coincidence.
While not groundbreaking, this film is great example of "what to do" when making a POV/found-footage style movie. This movie definitely has that ability to make you question those sounds you hear when you are lying in bed at night. I recommend watching it at night, with the lights out.
'R' rating is for language.

 - There have been 2 prequels made, to date, with Paranormal Activity 4 on the way this fall.
- The film was shot 10 days for approximately 11000.00- 15000.00 dollars.
- The entire film was shot in writer/director Oren Peli's own home.

Delayed opening: Gangster Squad

This film's opening was delayed due to the shootings in Aurora, CO.
In addition, it now appears that Warner Bros. is going to re-shoot, cut, or re-do a scene in which a shooting took place in a movie theater.

I somewhat understand holding the opening, but it is worth noting the opening wasn't until September.  I guess there is no prescribed "healing time", but I also do not see where this would have led to backlash for the studio releasing a film that has absolutely no relation in any way, shape, or form to the Aurora tragedy.
Taking it a step further, I do not understand why they are re-shooting the scene.  This movie is about cops vs. the mob in the1940's and 50's.  It is not about an individual opening fire on a crowd in a movie theater in 2012.
I feel there is showing respect for the dead by not attempting to profit from glorified violence in entertainment, but then there is this - which, in my opinion, is taking the sensitivity a little too far.  But, that's me.

  

http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2012/07/27/gangster_squad_released_date_postponed_to_change_mass_theater_shooting_scene_after_dark_knight_theater_shooting.html

Awesome movie quotes: PCU (1994)

"Well, there's no publicity, so there's no people... Gutter never showed up, so there's no beer... our instruments just blew out, so there's no band, and I think Raji and Deege may be dead."

"Wait a minute... no beer? Well, where the hell's Gutter?"

Happy Birthday: to 3 fellas

Kevin Spacey - one of the all-time great actors of his generation... my favorites of his are The Usual Suspects, LA Confidential, American Beauty, and The Life of David Gale

Stanley Kubrick - great American director... my favorites of his are A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut

Jeremy Piven - best roles of his are in Grosse Pointe Blank, PCU, and Very Bad Things

happy birthday: Brad Renfro

great parts in Apt Pupil and Bully

Awesome movie quotes: Serenity (2005)

"We're gonna explode? I don't wanna explode!"

Happy Birthday: 3 lovely ladies

Anna Paquin - best known as the star of True Blood on HBO, but has had good roles on the big screen, my favorites are Darkness and X-Men

Summer Glau - another TV star with great roles on Firefly, Dollhouse, and The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and vrey good role in the movie Serenity

Lynda Carter - former model and star of the TV show Wonderwoman

Bob's Quick Look - The Amazing Spiderman (2012)

(Reminder: I tend to wait a week or so, give or take depending on the hype, before I see a movie in the theater. Okay, moving on…)
By now, everybody should know the story of Spiderman. A teenager with a 180 iq is bitten by a genetically engineered spider and becomes a super hero.

*spoiler alert* In this installment we learn that Peter’s father was a scientist and his work on cross-genetic research (or whatever they called it) was a.) what made him have to leave Peter with Aunt Mae and Uncle Ben and b.) linked to what gave Spiderman his abilities. Mr. Parker’s former colleague is working on developing the cross genetic serum for Oscorp because it’s founder, Norman Osborn (nudge nudge, wink wink) is in a bad state of health and needs a cure. Dr. Connors, at the threat of being shut down, tests the serum on himself. His missing arm grows back, and he becomes a giant lizard, and it’s Spidey to the rescue in the middle of his moral conundrum. 


For the most part this was a pretty good movie. The action was done practically as much as possible instead of doing everything on a computer, which I liked. The film moves pretty well, only slowing down in a couple of places. The casting choices were all pretty much spot on with nobody trying to “steal” the scene, which has a way of killing movies for me. 
I did have one question about this movie; is it a reboot or a remake? I thought I was having deja-vu when watching this film until I realized that the story, much of overall theme, and the pacing were very similar to Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spiderman film. They are both, for the most part, coming of age tales focusing on responsibility with a bit of romance on the side. But, in my opinion, this movie does a slightly better job showing Peter Parker’s growth as a person and as a hero. 
Many of the differences between the two films are small, yet important. Many fans were put of by the fact that Peter Parker was able to spin webs naturally, which he was not able to do until much later in the comic books. This movie goes back to the original idea of Peter Parker building artificial web shooters, which shows the level of his technical expertise. Also, this movie goes to the original story lines in his love interest, ie Gwen Stacy rather than Mary Jane, who came in much later. These difference would be unimportant to the casual fan, but were much more appeasing to the die hard fans. I did like the idea of the web shooters versus natural ability. The idea of Peter falling for the daughter of the cop who is out for Spidey’s head made for good conflict, but getting down to it, Emma Stone could have played either role, and it would have been better than Kirsten Dunst (she’s done good stuff, but her performances as Mary Jane were…lacking.) 
The one thing I missed in this movie was the Daily Bugle and the character of J. Jonah Jameson, but I understand he cannot come in until Peter is out of high school and shooting for them. Maybe in the sequel?
This is a pretty good summer flick. In a lot of ways, I like this better than the 2002 version, but like I said, they are very similar.

Happy Birthday: Slash, Daniel, and Woody

Slash - one of the all-time great rock n roll guitarists

Daniel Radcliffe - not much else to the resume besides Harry Potter - yet

Woody Harrelson - great parts in no Country for Old Men and Natural Born Killers

Awesome movie quotes: Young Guns (1988)

"He ain't all there, is he?"

"He's there enough to be dancing with a pretty girl while we're sitting around pulling our tallywhackers."

Happy Birthday: Green Goblin, General Zod and 2 more

Willem Dafoe - great roles in Platoon, The Boondock Saints, and Spiderman

Terence Stamp - best roles in Superman II, The Adjustment Bureau, and Young Guns

Danny Glover - my favorites roles of his are in Lethal Weapon, Saw, and The Color Purple

Rob Estes - TV star, series regular on the new 90210, Melrose Place, and my favorite of his - Silk Stalkings

Review: Whiteout (2009)

People in the Movie: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt

Director: Dominic Sena

Pigeonhole: Thriller / Mystery / Comic Book

The Basics: U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko (Beckinsale) finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation in the most unlikely of places – Antarctica.  Not only is the outside environment as deadly as the killer lurking the shadows, but Carrie is also fighting against the clock.  The research base that all the suspects and potential victims are located at is about to close for 6 months for the winter, and once off Antarctica, the killer will likely escape.

Recommendation:  Sena really made the Antarctic environment its own character (and rightfully so) with great visuals and tailoring the action when the actors were out “in it”.  Even watching this movie in the hot summer, your mind really believes how bitterly cold Antarctica would be.  On this idea alone, the movie is worth a viewing.  ‘R’ rating is for violence, language, some gory images, and very brief nudity.

My Take: The film was adapted from a small run comic book series of the same name.  The movie plays out like a typical cop drama, and the ending is somewhat predictable, but Sena kept the pace moving well enough not to get boring, plus there were enough believable scenarios to “keep you guessing” about several plot points until the end.  Alex O’Laughlin also has a small supporting role, so the film has some decent star power, as well.

**spoiler alert** The movie opens with the audience witnessing a Soviet military plane crash in 1957– a result of the crew killing each other over a crate on board the plane.  Fast forward 50 years to a US research base on Antarctica, where we see the ‘residents’ celebrating, as it is time to leave because winter is coming.  Carrie and her friend Doc (Skerritt) are talking about going back to the US, both with somewhat reserved anticipation.  Carrie is soon dispatched to check on a possible dead body, far off the base.  (Most of the travelling we notice appears to be done via small hopper-type planes and snow cats.)  The body is quickly identified as a US geologist and brought back to base where they realize this man was murdered – but not where they found his body.  Doc seems as if he going to let the incident go – meaning to not pursue the investigation any further- to insure he and Carrie are able to leave by the winter deadline flight out.  Carrie hesitantly agrees until she is contacted by one of the possible suspects at another research base.  She flies out to meet this person, finds him bleeding out from the throat, and is attacked by another masked man and subsequently injured.  A UN Investigator named Pryce (Macht) mysteriously appears at the research base after Carrie has regained consciousness, claiming he was dispatched there to aid in the murder investigation.  Carrie and Pryce, following some clues, discover the wrecked Soviet plane and realize something was taken out, and their two dead researchers were clearly  involved in whatever it is that is happening.  The two must now work fast to catch the suspect before he kills again or leaves with the missing cargo.

The rest of the movie plays out as a cat and mouse type crime thriller, with the unforgiving Antarctic environment playing into all the scenery and as its own dangerous character.  As the investigation proceeds we also see several flashbacks of why Carrie chose to take an isolated assignment like the one she now has in Antarctica.  Fighting injury, time, the cold, and trust issues, Carrie has to dig deep to solve the case and survive.       

As I am often fond of saying, I would like to have seen what hit the cutting room floor, because I feel a little more development of the characters, and a little more time building tension through the investigation, could have made this movie “that” much better.  As it stands, it is a tense little crime film, and while it’s not award winning by any means, it is certainly worth a rainy day afternoon viewing, mostly because it is nice to see a murder mystery take place somewhere other than New York or Los Angeles.  The ending, lacking the aforementioned development, seemed to be bit ho-hum to me, but as I noted above, at least it kept me guessing.

Final Thoughts/ Extras/ For Fun: Production of this movie completed in 2007, but did not release until 2009, which is never usually a good sign… The DVD did not really have any good extras, which was kind of a let-down… 

Happy Birthday: Robin, Edward, and Josh

Robin Williams - best roles in Good Morning Vietnam, Good Will Hunting, and The Birdcage

Edward Herrmann - credited with over 100 TV and films, mostly supporting - my favorites of his are in The Lost Boys, and TV's Gilmore Girls

Josh Harnett - best roles in The Black Dahlia, 30 Days of Night, and The Faculty

In memorium - Aurora, CO

This is a re-posting from a Facebook image...
Simple, and nice.

Aurora, CO

Thoughts and prayers for the victims of this tragedy, as well as all the public safety personnel who will see this through to the end.

To everyone else - worry about the fingerpointing and the political grandstanding another day.

Little Known Facts: Top Gun (1986)

- Val Kilmer did not want to be in the movie, he was contractually obligated

- Sean Penn, Tom Hanks, Nic Cage, John Cusack, Matthew Broderick, Michael J Fox, Emilio Estevez, and Patrick Swayze all turned the role of Maverick, and several other big names were considered...
(Somehow Ferris Bueller as a Naval pilot just would never have worked...)

Happy Birthday: Gilbert

Anthony Edwards - best known for his role on the TV show ER, but good roles in  Revenge of the Nerds, Zodiac, and Top Gun

Awesome movie quotes: Basic Instinct (1992)

"You know I don't wear any underwear, don't you... Nick."

Happy Birthday: Vin & Paul

Vin Diesel - best roles in The Fast and the Furious, and the Chronicles of Riddick films

Paul Verhoeven - director, best films are RoboCop, Basic Instinct, and Total Recall... Showgirls does hold a special place in my heart, though

Bob's Idea for a movie: The Phantom of the Opera

I know what you’re probably saying; “They made that movie already.” What was released in 2004 was a movie based on Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical, but you already knew that. The thing I hate about that movie and the musical on which it is based is that it makes people forget that Phantom of the Opera was a BOOK. Written by Gaston Laroux, it was published in 1910. Weber’s version debuted in London in 1986, and yet I have heard a number of people refer to this as the “original.” I would very much like to see a new film made which is faithful to the source material. To date, the closest film adaptation was the silent film starring Lon Chaney as the phantom, which is a movie I highly recommend everyone see. One idea I had is for Chris Nolan to make the movie with Cilian Murphy as the phantom. Something to that caliber.
At any rate, I would like to see a movie with more of the shroud of mystery and darkness the novel contained. Include the character from the book called “The Persian,” who was a figure in the phantom’s past and join Raoul in his mission to save his love. And, have the phantom’s entire face disfigured as it is described in the book, not just a quarter of in as in the musical.
These are just my ideas.

Happy Birthday: Donald and David

Donald Sutherland - father of Kiefer ... great movie roles in JFK, Animal House, Backdraft and MASH

David Hasselhoff - where would the world be without Knight Rider and Baywatch?

Movie Trivia - The Bad News Bears (1976)

What famous person was the basis of Buttermaker?


Answer: Burt Lancaster


From imdb.com - Bill Lancaster's screenplay was based on his experiences with his father, Burt Lancaster. Buttermaker was based on Burt, who was known for his grumpiness and the character of Amanda was based on himself. Burt Lanacster would later be cast as an aged version of early 20th Century ballplayer, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham in Field of Dreams.

Happy Birthday: 2 of the 80's favorites

Corey Feldman - 1/2 of the "2 Coreys"... best roles in The Goonies, License to Drive, The Lost Boys,a nd Stand by Me

Phoebe Cates - another 80's star, with her best roles in Gremlins, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Quick Look: Wanted (2008)

If you like car chases, gun-play, some good stunt work, and a little mix of dark comedy, then you will like Wanted.  This film stars James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie in the leads, with Morgan Freeman in an interesting supporting role.

**spolier alert**

Wesley (McAvoy) is an accountant in a dead end job, whose girlfriend cheats on him with his "best friend", and he has minor panic attacks to boot.  This all changes when Fox (Jolie) grabs him out of a pharmacy a micro-second ahead of an assassin's bullet, and the action commences.  We quickly learn Fox is a member of an elite group of assassins called the Fraternity, and Wesley is going to be the newest recruit.  Sloan (Freeman) is the head of this crew, and he doles out the hit contracts, which are supposedly sent to the Fraternity by Fate, to "keep things in balance".  Wesley learns his father, who was one of the best assassins of the Fraternity, was killed by another "rogue assassin" named Cross, so of course, Wesley wants to eliminate Cross, himself.  The deceptions unfold, and the bullets fly.  Not too many people are left standing by the end of this one.
I really liked the action scenes - they make this totally worth seeing - especially the way they can bend their bullet's paths.  The members of the Fraternity are almost super-human, because of their ability to control their flow of adrenaline, which in turn allows them to engage in almost comic-book-like stunts, and not-so coincidentally, Wanted is based on a comic book.
The real "problem" of the movie, in my opinion, is a gaping plot transition between when Wesley had trained to hone his assassin skills and gone out on his first missions, to when he goes to Europe to engage Cross.  There were great action sequences as Wesley pursued Cross, especially the fight that ensues on the train, but when Wesley shoots Cross and he quickly reveals that Cross is, in fact, Wesley's father, it was somewhat of a let down.  Just before Wesley left for the Cross hit, Sloan had handed Fox a contract for Wesley,  so it seemed "something" was just not right.  These 2 items in and of themselves were not the problem, it just seemed like whole idea of the Fraternity, or Sloan more specifically, being "evil" was just thrown at us, and then there was a slam-bam-bang ending, and then that was it.  I think if there would have been an any attempt to develop the idea that Sloan was the rogue element and develop the lead into Wesley discovering Cross was his father, this would/could have been a great movie (as opposed to just a decent action flick).  And as many of my criticisms often note, there is no way to know what may or or may not have hit the cutting room floor - as far as those development /transition issues.
'R' rating is for violence, language, and sexual situations.  Watch for the action, check out Angelina's cool tattoo's, but don't get too hung up on the plot and you will enjoy.      

    

Awesome movie quotes: Major League (1989)

"Bartender, Jobu needs a refill."

Movie Trivia - The Bad News Bears (1976)

Here's a summertime trivia question: In the film "The Bad News Bears," Walter Matthau's character, Coach Morris Buttermaker was based on which well know real life person?

 Answer will be revealed in a few days.

Happy Birthday: Forest, Lolita, and Brigette

Forest Whitaker - best roles in Good Morning Vietnam, The Crying Game, Platoon, and Phone Booth... I also liked his role on the Criminal Minds spin off, but of course it got cancelled.

Lolita Davidovich - good roles in Raising Cain, Mystery Alaska, and Intersection

Brigitte Nielsen - best roles in Beverly Hills Cop 2, Cobra, and Rocky 4

Happy Birthday: Jackie and Joel

Jackie Earle Haley - best roles in the Nightmare on Elm St reboot and Watchmen

Joel Silver - producer extraordinaire - some if his best films are The Matrix films, the Lethal Weapons films, Predator, Die Hard, V for Vendetta, and the 2 recent Sherlock Holmes films

Happy Birthday: Indiana Jones & Professor X

Harrison Ford - best roles in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Presumed Innocent,  Blade Runner and The Fugitive

Patrick Stewart - best known for his role on Star Trek the Next Generation, but had a good role in the XMen movies

Jason is off but you have to check out these 13 picks for Friday the 13th

scroll down and check out the picks for Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th, pick 13 of 13: American Psycho (2000)

Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, Christian Bale portrays Patrick Bateman, and Wall Street VP who goes on a killing spree in New York City - maybe a fantasy, maybe not.
Jason Voorhees would have been proud of Patrick's body count.
Not a horror film per se - but one of my favorite films - excellent direction, excellent acting, excellent soundtrack...

Trivia:
- Bret Easton Ellis received several death threats after the book was published
- Bale was warned the taking the role would kill his career, which made want to do it all the more
- The single biggest cost for the film was purchasing the rights to the songs played throughout

Friday the 13th, pick 12 of 13: Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)

I do not know what it was about this installment in the Hellraiser series, but I found it very entertaining.
The move does not really play out like the first several Hellraiser films, and maybe that is what was entertaining.
A dirty cop comes across the now infamous "puzzle box" and unlocks his own hell.  Pinhead does appear several times, but is only on screen for a few minutes, tops.
Craig Sheffer does a very good in the lead role.

Friday the 13th, pick 11 of 13: High Tension (2003)

This is a great French horror film about a crazy killer slaughter people "in the way" of a relationship...

The film does a great job of hiding the killer's identity, and has a great mix of tension, splatter, and terror.
A must see.

Trivia:
- there is shot where blood splatters onto the camera - it was an accident, but the director left in the footage, he liked how it looked

Friday the 13th, pick 10 of 13: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

This is plainly a classic horror movie.  Leatherface is as much a figure of movie culture as Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees.
A group of 5 friends happen across a family of cannibals, one of which is a chainsaw wielding crazy.
The movie is a fast crescendo of splatter and insanity, you would have to see to believe.

Trivia:
- contrary the narrative, this is not a true story.
- only one person is actually cut on-screen by the chainsaw - Leatherface

Friday the 13th, pick 9 of 13th: Dead Snow (2009)

Nazi zombies terrorize a group of people on a ski vacation.
Come on - how many movies can you say you saw Nazi zombies?

A nice little splatter fest zombie movie that takes place in Norway, and the spoken language is Norwegian.  It's really a must see for any zombie fan.
  

Friday the 13th, pick 8 of 13: House of the Dead (2003)

Based on the video game... A group of people go to party on an island overrun with zombies and the body count quickly piles up. The director had some "video game cam" style shots. The whole movie is very big tongue-in-cheek comedy cliche about horror video games and the horror movie genre. I would almost call it a spoof film.

Trivia:
- this is one of the lowest rated movies on all of IMDb, which makes it worth seeing, just for that designation

Friday the 13th, pick 7 of 13: Boogeyman (2005)

Based on the legend of the creature that terrorizes kids from the closet...
I would say there are several pretty scary moments, and the pace is good enough to keep this little horror thriller moving along.  Rather than in your face gore, this movie relies on tension and letting your mind scare you with what you do not see.

Friday the 13th, pick 6 of 13: Hostel (2005)

Not really much to say, other than this is a slaughter-fest, and falls into the torture-porn genre.
It highlights lessons learned from Crystal Lake - don't drink, do drugs, and have intercourse with people in a different country, or you will be killed.

Trivia:
- over 150 gallons of blood were used
- the slaughterhouse scenes were filmed in a mental hospital in Prague built in 1910, and was really "that creepy"

Friday the 13th, pick 5 of 13: Exorcist: The Begining (2004)

I think this movie got a very bad wrap, and I do not really understand why other than it being a sequel.  Of the The Exorcist sequels, I feel this is the best, most because of Stellan Skarsgard's performance.

The concept is good - A church in the African desert is found buried in the sand, and later revealed to be the place where Satan fell to earth after the battle in heaven.  Basically, as more story and more of the church is revealed, the more "evil" spreads to the people in the area.  Not as purely scary as the original, but still an entertaining movie.

Trivia:
- this movie is actually a re-shoot of a movie called Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, which was later released.
- Liam Neeson was originally cast as Father Merrin

Friday the 13th pick 4 of 13: Wrong Turn (2003)

The cannibalistic inbred mountain men who terrorize the city-folk in this movie could possibly be related to Jason Voorhees.  Ok, just a theory of  mine ... 

Pretty good mix of gore and violence in this one, and although Eliza Dushku is a little but whiny for my liking, it will definitely make you think twice about taking a back country road.

Trivia:

- Eliza Dushku did a lot of her own stunts

- there was very little promotion done for this, as most of the trailers were "too intense" according to the MPAA

Friday the 13th pick part 3 of 13: The Ring (2002)

The American remake of the japanese movie Ringu.
If you watch a videotape, in 7 days you will die... great premise, great camera work, nice tension, and a creepy "bad guy".  A great pick for a Friday the 13th.

Trivia
- is the highest grossing horror remake
- this movie paved the way for several other japanese horror movie remakes (or butcheries in some cases)

Friday the 13th pick 2 of 13: Alien (1979)

Lost in the hype of Prometheus coming out this summer is the film that started that franchise, Alien.  It is a tense horror thriller, with sci-fi elements.  Great acting, great scenes and sets, great direction and great music all melded into this classic.

Trivia:
- the script called for sex scene with Ripley and Dallas that was never shot
- the "directors cut" is a misnomer. Scott's vision of the film was the theatrical cut. Someone found 100 boxes of footage in a London vault in 2003, so there was a decision made to add more footage to the original.

Friday the 13th pick 1 of 13: Candyman (1992)

I am not sure who would win in a fight between Candyman and Jason Voorhees, but it would be entertaining.

Candyman is urban legend... he is rumor.. he is a killer with a hook for a hand and he appears when he is called by the victim who says his name 5 times looking into a mirror...  This is great horror film, the story is by writer Clive Barker.  Tony Todd is perfect as the character. 

Trivia:
- Virginia Madsen was allegedly hypnotized for several scenes in the film
- the phrase "sweets to the sweet" is originally from Shakespeare's Hamlet  

Crystal Lake seems a little quiet...

It's Friday the 13th, which is a perfect time to watch a scary thriller.  Since I already went through the Friday the 13th movies back in April, I will recommend 13 different films today, any of which would be a perfect viewing for a special day like today.
Happy viewing....

Shh shhh shh shhh ka ka ka ka ka 

Happy Birthday: to 3

Charlie Murphy - brother of Eddie, and actor on the Chappelle Show

Michelle Rodriguez - best roles in The Fast & Furious, Avatar, and Resident Evil

Bill Cosby - comedian, and creator of multiple TV shows

Awesome movie quotes: Weird Science (1985)

"..ok you die, she walks outta here with a severe limp."

Awesome movie quotes: Back to School (1986)

"Me and Standish and Redding, we're having an "anti-pep rally"... violent ground acquisition games such as football are, in fact, a crypto-fascist metaphor for nuclear war."

Quick Look: The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Vin Diesel returns as the anti-hero, Richard Riddick, in the follow up to Pitch Black.  There was also a brief animated feature called Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury that was released right before this movie came out as a kind of promo, but I still consider this the second film and second part of the series.  Where Pitch Black used great characters, tension, and a decent script to drive its story, Chronicles uses pure action and some special effects as its main ingredients.     
**spoiler alert**  It is 5 years after the events of Pitch Black and Riddick finds himself still escaping bounty hunters, as well as dispatching anyone who is stupid enough to attempt to confront him.  A group -actually more of a technologically advanced cult - called Necromongers (goofy name, I know)  is now making its way world to world conquering and/or killing all in their path.  They give their potential victims a choice, to submit and convert to the Necromonger group, basically as slaves, or to be killed.  The Necromongers are led by a half-alive/half-dead being called the Lord Marshal (he has a few good moments as the bad guy).  Riddick escapes his initial run-in with the Necromongers, but inevitably ends up having to battle the Lord Marshal in the end, and I don't want to ruin anything - but Riddick wins.
I would call The Chronicles of Riddick some decent mindless fun.  It is very predictable, so much so that you spend most if the movie trying to guess who Riddick is going to beat up or kill next.  Almost comically.  Since this was a bigger budget summer film, there are some good effects and scenery on the different planets, in addition to the good sci-fi effects that help drive some of the action.  The dialogue is shaky at best, and the plot is thin, but again this is action film that is about Riddick kicking the bad(er) guys butts.  Diesel does a serviceable job, no one else was very noticeable.  I highly recommend getting the unrated version, there is about 15 extra minutes of background to the story and Riddick mythology.  The on screen violence is the only warning of note.  If you like Vin Diesel, and a sci-fi action story, you will like this.

    

Vacation reboot? Really? I wonder what Cousin Eddie would say...

Reports of a Vacation reboot... yikes.

I vaguely recall Robin Williams attempting to do a Vacation style movie, RV  I beleive(?),  and it clearly flopped.
Don't mess with a movie like Vacation.


http://www.imdb.com/news/ni31852604/

Happy Birthday: D-Day & Lex

Bruce McGill - best know as D-Day from Animal House ...

Michael Rosenbaum - best known for his role as Lex Luthor on Smallville, but had a great part in Urban Legend

Quick Look: The Runaways (2010)

This is a great indie film and semi-biographical look about the all girl punk/rock band from the 70's.  It is also probably my favorite movie of actors Kristen Stewart (who plays Joan Jett), and Dakota Fanning (who plays Cherie Currie).  The Runaways is directed by Floria Sigismondi, and Joan Jett was one of the producers.

If Oliver Stone's The Doors was about psychedelic fun, glamour, and the 60's rock and roll lifestyle- The Runaways is 180 degrees opposite.  It looks and feels dirty and raw, and does a great job giving the audience a glimpse about how these teenage girls, pioneers in their genre, clawed their way through nasty clubs; were essentially exploited by their manager; and how eventually (and rather quickly) Cherie Currie succumbed to drug addiction and mental breakdown leading to the breakup of the band.

If there was one downside to this film, I would say that it spent too much time focused on Cherie and Joan and not enough time looking at the other members of the band, but the flip side to that is that Stewart and Fanning both did outstanding jobs in their roles.  Also, this is considered biographical, but some facts were glossed over a bit, the original bassist, Jackie Fox, refused to let her name be used.

This is a must see for fans of rock and roll history, fans of the band, and fans of these actors.  'R' rating is for language, sexual content, and drug use.

   

Awesome movie quotes: The Eagle Has Landed (1976)

"Colonel, there's no such thing as 'death with honor'. Just death."

happy birthday: to 4

Tom Hanks - my favorites of his are Dragnet, Splash, Saving Private Ryan, and Catch Me if You Can

Nigel Lythgoe - producer of TV shows So You Think You Can Dance, and American Idol

Dean Koontz - excellent horror author whose many books have been ruined on TV or the big screen

Jimmy Smits - better know for his TV roles, but had good parts on the big screen in Star Wars Ep 2 & 3, and Running Scared (the funny one)

Quick Look: Pitch Black (2000)

This is nice little action movie that I was initially a little weary of my first viewing, but with the subsequent movies and video games, Pitch Black, also known as The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black (that came after the sequels were released) is a film worth checking out.
The basic story goes like this: a space flight carrying a group of passengers gets 'interrupted' by a meteor strike.  The ship crash lands on an unknown planet, with multiple casualties.  Several people are still alive, including a very dangerous criminal named Riddick (Vin Diesel); the bounty hunter bringing him in named Johns (Cole Hauser); a crew memeber named Fry (Radha Mitchell); a holy man (Keith David); a kid named Jack; plus several other various people.  
Riddick quickly escapes after the crash, and the group is tense as Johns has explained that Riddick is a killer.  Searching the area for water and shelter, the group comes upon an old settlement that seems to have been abandoned years ago.  One of the party is killed, and the group quickly blames Riddick - but the audience sees that it was not him.  He is recaptured and the initial thought is to kill him, but cooler heads prevail and the greater danger is discovered.  There are lizard-like, flying aliens hiding underground on this planet that are carnivorous, and ready to eat all of the remaining characters.  The good news is that the will not come out into the sunlight and that a small spaceship has been discovered at the settlement, so there may be a way to escape.  The bad news is that a long eclipse is quickly approaching and that will spell certain doom for the humans, unless they can get the spaceship up and running.  The body count rises, and the lines between good guy and bad guy are very fuzzy throughout this film, and obviously with the sequels, Riddick is one of the survivors.
On my first viewing, I was initially somewhat negative about this film because the alien creatures looked like a cross between a hammerhead shark and the aliens from the 'Alien' franchise, and I did not find it very imaginative.  However, the special effects - highlighted by Riddick's "in the dark vision", as well as the creatures "point of view" camera shots are entertaining, and create a fun watching experience, plus the images and set work of this barren desert-like planet were done very well.  The story is basic, but works in enough action to keep the pace moving, and the characters are not completely predictable.  Hauser and Diesel were both very good characters in this movie, and make it worth a look in and of itself.  I was happily surprised with the ending, and sets up the future films well.
 I recommend the DVD/ Blu-Ray, it has a good amount of extras that feed into the Riddick mythology, plus a few extra minutes of footage.  'R'/unrated versions are for language, and violence.
The sequels are: The Chronicles Riddick: Dark Fury (an animated short film), and The Chronicles of Riddick, both were out in 2004.  Another Chronicles of Riddick movie is supposed to be coming out in 2013.     

Awesome movie quotes: Natural Born Killers (1994)

"I realized my true calling in life."

"What's that?"

"Shit, man, I'm a natural born killer."

Happy Birthday: Kevin Bacon

has done lots of great films, some of my favorites are Animal House, Stir of Echos, Wild Things, and Flatliners

Awesome movie quotes: Airplane! (1980)

"What was it we had for dinner tonight?"

"Well, we had a choice- steak or fish."

"Yes, I remember, I had lasagna."

Happy Birthday: to 4

Janet Leigh - actress and mother of Jamie Lee Curtis... Janet's best roles were Psycho and The Fog

Sylvester Stallone - actor, writer and director ... my favorite roles of his are in Rocky, Rambo: First Blood Part 2, Cobra, and The Expendables

Geoffrey Rush - best roles in The Pirates of the Caribbean movies, House on Haunted Hill, and Munich

George W Bush - best role was as the President of the United States for 8 years

Awesome movie quotes: Swingers (1996)

".. I'm going to find me two waitresses and I'm gonna pull me a Fredo.."

Awesome movie quotes: Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

".. no that ain't me, I'm from Buffalo..."

Happy Birthday: Tom x2

Thomas Gibson- best known for his roles in Dharma & Greg and Criminal Minds

Tom Cruise - my favorite roles of his are in Collateral, Tropic Thunder, Top Gun, and Eyes Wide Shut

Happy Birthday: Elwood, Arwen, and Cameron

Dan Aykroyd - best roles in Ghostbusters, The Blue Brothers, Dragnet and Grosse Pointe Blank

Liv Tyler - daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, best film roles in The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Alan Ruck - has made his way onto about every TV show in the last 20 years doing guest spots... best roles in Ferris Beuller's Day Off and Speed