The age-long argument and battle of power had gone for two rival countries which caused the lives of innocent civilians. May the cause be of power, money, religious beliefs or political beliefs, it had gone too far for people concerned which are their fellow country men. Based on actual bombing events in Saudi Arabia, the film The Kingdom displays the heroic tactics of four FBI agents that will attempt the search of those responsible of the civilian killings.
Based on actual events, the film is based on the Riyadh compound bombings which happened on May 12, 2003 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the Khobar Towers bombing on June 26, 1996 at the Khobar housing complex. The attack at the Khobar housing complex had killed 20 Americans and left 372 wounded by a car bombing. Next to this bombing is the Riyadh compound bombing which left 35 American civilians dead and more than 160 people injured which was caused by al-Qaeda.
As the film goes, four FBI agents are sent to Riyadh to capture those responsible for the bombings that caused their country men's death but they find themselves competing against rival intelligence agencies. For five days, theses agents find their expertise useless without gaining the trust of their Saudi counterparts. They no longer worry when Saudi Colonel Al-Ghazi helps them navigate royal politics and reveal secrets of the crime scene and workings of terrorists for destruction. The search for true justice continues as they battle with do or die confrontation.
The Kingdom is rescheduled to release on September 28 from original date April 20. Directed by Peter Berg, the film has been rated R by the MPAA for graphic brutal violence and language. Included in the film are stars Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Chris Cooper and Ashraf Barhom as Col. Faris Al-Ghazi.
Going retro has been one of the fad nowadays. It can be seen in the way people dress, the music that they listen, and in many more ways that point to the retro movement. Not only that, retro could also be seen in cinemas. Some films have retro as their theme nowadays. The movie entitled Across the Universe is the latest retro movie out in cinemas.
Across the Universe is the latest musical film as of this writing. Its world premiere happened at the Toronto International Film Festival on the 10th of September this year (2007). on the 14th of September, it was shown only in 27 selected cinemas. Then it was shown to 276 cinemas on 21 September 2007.
Across the Universe, set in the 1960s, is the story of a simple dock worker, Jude, from England who went to the United States to look for his estranged father, whom he never met in his lifetime. His father used to be part of the US Army, but have since then retired from active duty making his task a little harder.
Upon his arrival in the States, Jude befriended Max Carrigan. Jude's new friend is a rebellious kid from a wealth family. The two were billeted in an apartment in New York with other young individuals. Soon Max's sister, Lucy, joined them in their New York enclave. Jude and Lucy became friends. A relationship developed between the two. There was a budding romance.
As part of his duty as an American citizen, Max was drafted for war in Vietnam. Lucy soon found herself joining the anti-war protests. Jude, apathetic by nature, was soon convinced by Lucy to join her in their protests against the Vietnam war.
The film was directed by Julie Taymor and is distributed by Columbia Pictures. The movie was based on the Beatles album Across the Universe. The name of the characters are also based on the different songs of the Beatles. Somewhat the movie is just an adaptation of the call of the times during the hippies era, where the motto was “make love, not war.”
The movie has a total of six primary characters. These are Evan Rachel Wood as Lucy, Jim Strugess as Jude, Joe Anderson as Max, Dana Fuckes as Sadie, T.V. Carpio as Prudence, and Martin Luther McCoy as JoJo. Four people also appeared with cameo appearances. These are Bono as Dr. Robert, Eddie Izzard as Mr. Kite, Salma Hayek as the characters of the Bang Bang Shoot Shoot Nurses, and Joe Cocker as Tramp, Hippie, Tramp. Digital effects have something to do with the different characters of Salma Hayek and Joe Cocker.
Focusing on the main actress of the movie, Evan Rachel Wood, is rumored to be romantically involved with the rocker Marilyn Manson. This report is not confirmed yet. On the career side, she has a total of six films this year (2007). With this many films, there is no way but up for her both in showbiz and in the financial ladder. Not a bad thing for someone who just recently turned 20 years old as of this month of September.
Love stories either end up as magic or tragic. There seem to be nothing in between. Magical love stories happen when two sweethearts overcome all odds. Tragic love stories happen when the two aren't meant to be, when their paths lead to separate ways. Magic or tragic is the ending in the mainstream love story movies.
A unique love story will hit the the US theaters during the Christmas season, specifically on the 21st of December this year (2007). It would be real hard to classify it in the category of magic or tragic. Maybe its better to call it a love story of its own kind. Indeed, the movie PS, I Love You is a combination of both the elements of magic and tragic. But certainly it is not in between.
Based on the international bestseller novel by Irish Cecilia Ahern, the story is about the young Kennedy couple in Holly and Gerry. The Gerry passed away due to brain tumor, thus leaving his wife Holly all alone. At 30 years old, she is a young widow.
Widowed at a young age has its consequences. Holly was clearly devastated. In fact, she doesn't want to live anymore. Life is worthless without his husband because she was so emotionally attached to him. She became emotionally detached to everything.
Thinking that everything was over she just withdrew in her apartment, until one fateful day when she received a bundle of mysterious letters from her deceased husband. The bundle consists of 10 envelopes, each to be read every month. The purpose of these letters is for her to move on in life. Every month there was something new, except that all the letters ended with PS, I Love You. With the guidance of her best buddies, Holly tried to rediscover the life that lays ahead of her as stated exactly in these letters. Holly truly lived in Gary's letters and in the process discovered a new life ahead of her.
PS, I Love You is both magic and tragic. It is tragic because the husband died early. It is magic because, despite the death the husband still thought of doing good for her spouse, by the way of writing those letters before he died. Holly had an angel in Gary.
The movie is directed by Richard LaGravenese and distributed by the Warner Brothers and Summit Entertainment. The important cast in the movie are Hillary Swank as Holly Kennedy and Gerard Butler as Gerry Kennedy. By the way, in one filming episode Hillary Swank got a cut in the forehead upon watching Gerard Butler do the striptease, since his suspenders fell off and hit the forehead of Hillary. The injury required a couple of stitches. One report even gave the comment like it was worth getting the cut having seen one of the sexiest men do the striptease.
The film is just right for the Christmas season. This could lighten the hearts of the hopeless romantic, even just for a little while. Remember the movie 'Love Actually'? It was also shown a couple of Christmas seasons ago. It was a hit. Love during the Christmas season. This one will surely be also a hit. No doubt about that.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Legends are part of the celebrated folklore tradition in any culture. Children grew up having their own never dying folklore tradition, having been passed on from generation to generation. The Americans never run out of legends. There's Lewis and Clark, Casey Jones, The Jersey Devil, and the like. This article focuses on the ever popular Jesse James. In fact, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is out in US cinemas this September.
Jesse James is a legendary figure in inner America, more known in the older days as White America because it was dominated mainly by the descendants of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs). The real Jesse James existed from 1847 to 1882. Born in Clay County, Missouri he was from a well-off family. They owned a large piece of land, and at the same time they also have a number of black slaves.
Having vested personal interests (as mentioned in the previous paragraph), the James family sided with the Confederates during the American Civil War. So did Jesse James. The war went the other way though. In one incident, the Union Army visited the James' family farm. It was said that they were looking for Confederate guerrillas, but Jesse James claimed that he was beaten up by the Union Army. The second incident is that their land was grabbed by the Union Army. These two incidents led to the rise of a new Jesse James, the one who became the legend.
Jesse James is a product of his environment. His first robbery assassination was mainly to steal the family's land title from the bank, where the Union Army deposited it. But it was only the beginning. One thing led to the other. Soon Jesse James and his brother were robbing trains and other carriages. The law were hot on them. Jesse and his brother, Frank, had bounties as an incentive if they were captured.
Since the gang was a notorious entity, some of their comrades have already fallen to the police. A number died in shoot out and the others were captured. In his last stand, he was with his two most trusted men in Bob and Charley Ford. It happened in St. Joseph, Missouri where he was shot in the head by one of the Ford broods in Bob, also known as Robert.
The assassination of Jesse James is due to treason. It was reported that Robert was in connivance with the Governor of Missouri. He was sent to jail for a short time, only to be pardoned after and given part of the bounty tagged on Jesse James head.
The assassination made national headlines. It gained prominence throughout America. This made Jesse James a legend, a sort of America's Robin Hood, famous for being a class act bandit and a desperado.
The film was based on the novel of Ron Hansen, and directed by Andrew Dominik. It will be distributed under the license of Warner Brothers. The important cast includes Bread Pitt as Jesse James, Casey Affleck as Robert Ford, Mary Loise-Parker as Zee James, Sam Shepard as Frank James, and Brooklynn Proulx as Tim James among others.
The latest news suggest that the movie is a good pick, with most reviews having a positive tone regarding the movie. The good news have a multiplier effect, it also translates with the two leading actors in Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. For Brad Pitt, the adjustment part in his role for the movie was not a problem. Jesse James plays a moody character. Accordingly, Brad admits he has the problem of congenital sadness. But he's moving away from it, since his kids are really a big help to him. I think Brad's success is more on the family matters.
Casey Affleck's growth in showbiz is surely on the right path. He experienced a good rubbing under Brad Pitt. Some would say that he stole the show as Robert Ford. Well, not a bad start to distinguish him aside from being called “Ben Affleck's brother.” Another good news is that his wife is expected to deliver their second child anytime soon.
Good movie and good news to the actors. What can I say? Well, I guess its a series of very fortunate events. Not a coincidence, but purely something out of talent, hard work, and a little luck.
Summer time is over. Another academic year in progress for the students. For most of the bunch, its still the same grind. But for a special bunch, high school seniors, its gonna be a jump from preparatory schools to college. Adjustments have to be made over again for a new and brighter chapter in one's life.
Generally speaking, boys could adapt to the college condition better than women. The female sex usually have a hard time to cope up with these changes. After all, life in high school is far off removed from college. Eventually, every one should adjust to the call of the times. “Zeitgeist” as the Germans would call it.
This September (2007), a movie about adjustment from high school to college life is out in theaters. Specifically for college frosh, Sydney White gives the audience a perspective on how to deal with the new challenges and dilemmas that enters a girl's world once she becomes a fully pledged college student.
Distributed by Universal Pictures, the movie Sydney White is directed under the supervision of Joe Nussbaum. Accordingly, the movie was just shot in the State of Florida in the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the University High School in Orlando, which has in its vicinity one of Universal Studio's theme park. The cast of the movie includes Amanda Bynes as Sydney White, Sara Paxton as Rachel, Matt Long as Tyler, John Schneider as Paul White, and Jack Carpenter as Lenny to mention a few.
The movie's plot is quite simple. Sydney White, an up and coming college frosh, enrolled in the fictional Southern Atlantic University. The reason is because of blood line and succession. Her deceased mom, an alumni, is a member of the university's most prestigious sorority. Sydney is ready to be the next family sorority member.
Having passed through all the steps made for membership accession, Sydney discovered that the sorority is not what it used to be. In fact, it was the opposite of being prestigious. Though still influential, as a testimony to this claim the student body president in Rachel Witchburn is the student body president, the sorority is a sort of power status. Those who are in belonged, and those who aren't part are losers.
Deviating from the sorority, Sydney found her true friends from the most unexpected group in the university. A group of seven socially challenged guys, thereby called dorks, became her core group. In the process, she also found her love interest in the frat boy Tyler. The love blossomed between the these two love birds.
The frat boy and the seven dorks became close because of Sydney. Together they had worked for one goal, and that is to overthrow the sorority led student government. They wanted to change the student dynamics system in the university.
Movie reviews have mixed reactions about the film. Others would say the movie have no charm at all, like it does not reach the level of Mean Girls or Clueless. Others would praise it as a poor man's version of Cinderella and the Seven Dwarfs. The positive connotation of the previous sentence is that the movie is viewed on the level of a 1st year college girl. Its like bringing Cinderella down to the level of an earthly figure. Someone that most girls could really relate.
By the way, the selection for the leading actress in the movie was also excellent. Amanda Bynes, as the choice for the role, is the perfect fit for this type of films. She's just barely 21 years old. Also she is a good influence for the youth, not known to have any notorious records compared to most of her colleagues – with the likes of Lindsey Lohan or High School Musical's Vanessa Hudgens. From the business side of things, she recently was able to launch her own fashion line “Dear” under the license of Steve and Barry's, a fashion line that caters to mostly college students.
A college model for the frosh, who would you want? I'm sure with all the drug allegations Lindsey is up against, you would think twice. Nor you would want to have a topless role model in Vanessa Hudgens. Well, Amanda Bynes is all we need in the picture.
Teenage sex comedy movies have usually one common theme, and that is getting laid. Almost every movie of this kind usually point to sex and pleasure. Do you happen to know any movie that is opposite the common theme? Personally, I really don't know any movie that opposes the trend.
That is until I have read about the movie Good Luck Chuck. Released on the 21st of September this year (2007), the movie really deviated big-time from the recurring theme. Instead of getting laid, the movie's theme presented the other side of the coin – controlling one's sexual appetite despite the temptation from your most most treasured girl.
The movie Good Luck Chuck, produced by Tracey Edmonds, is directed by Mark Helfrich, and distributed by Lionsgate film productions. The movie casting is a bit diverse. Its stars Dane Cook as Chuck, Jessica Alba as Cam Wexler, Jodelle Ferland as Lila Carpenter, and Dan Fogler as Stu, among others.
The plot of the movie revolves around a certain guy named Chuck. In his childhood, he played a game of spin the bottle with a goth girl. Upon losing one round, he was dared to kiss this girl, but he refused. The goth girl then cursed him that every girl he sleeps with breaks up with him and find Mr. Right immediately.
Chuck is now fully grown up and is a successful dentist. Having observed the pattern, he hoped to have the opportunity of having new women every time. As for the women's part, many lined up in his clinic just to be able to hook up with this hot hunk. What happened is that both parties benefited from each other. The women got the chance to settle down. Chuck, on the other had, obtained sexual pleasures.
That trend continued until one day when he met the woman that would change his life. Chuck met a penguin trainer in Cam Wexler. She is single, love-able, and clumsy. Suddenly, Chuck realized the value of truly falling in love. The two dated exclusively together. In the process, she was trying to persuade him to have sex with her. Knowing the curse that affects him, he tried every step of the way to avoid sexual intercourse. Chuck simply doesn't want to lose Cam to another guy, deemed to be her Mr. Right. Chuck believes he is Mr. Right for her. He struggles both to let go of the curse and to be her keeper.
Different movie reviews mostly do not view the movie in a good light. Most say that it is offensive, expletive, tiresome, and insensible. In fact, there was one review that stated Good Luck Chuck is not good at all. Also it was classified as below par with movies released this year having the same genre.
Put the worry aside, the movie had a far more reaching influence on its cast. My focus turns to Jessica Alba. It was reported that she is now a major supporter of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW),an international organization advocating the mission to improve animal welfare by reducing commercial exploitation and abuse of animals.
The question that enters my mind is that, was she influenced by her role in the movie? I bet we don't need to debate about that one. Jessica Alba's intentions need not be known to all of us. The hanging question is whether she did it just for the show, or for real. Will she be the next showbiz ambassador for a great cause – like UNHCR's Angelina Jolie. All I could do is wonder, I just hope Jessica Alba's support for IFAW is genuine.
Life is always a progression. There is nothing constant in our lives. Along the way, we have only memories to cherish. These memories are either good or bad. There is no in between, no gray areas. Others would magnify their experiences by saying something like “we just had a rough childhood.” Still this line is a good way of saying, we had it bad.
For the people who had a rough childhood, I think the movie Mr. Woodcock is theirs for the taking. I believe this will refresh these people of the memories on the bad episodes in their childhood. But with a smile already since it has all been done. Past is past, nothing can be changed about it. All we could do is to smile.
Mr. Woodcock, released last 14 September 2007, stars Sean William Scott, Billy Bob Thornton as Mr. Jasper Woodcock, Susan Sarandon as Beverly Farley, Amy Poehler as Maggie Hoffman, and Ethan Suplee as Nedderman. The movie was written by Micheal Carnes and Josh Gilbert, produced by Bob Cooper and David Dobkin, and directed by Craig Gillespie. It runs for only around 87 minutes. Such a short movie, maybe even one of the shortest for comedy films.
The movie was set in a small town somewhere in Nebraska. It featured how little boys would handle the pressure under a sadist coach in Mr. Jasper Woodcock. Since then, the boys have grown up but the man in charge of the Physical Education classes never changes. He still is the same cruel PE teacher.
The boys have had different paths in life. One of them in John Farley went on to become a successful book author. His works are mainly on the inspirational materials that youngsters usually read. As an addition to his success, he is also a motivational speaker in line with the real life characters such as Coach K of Duke University, Stephen Covey, and the like.
As a tribute to his success, the town planned to award him with the honor bestowed to successful people from the area. Going back to the small town in Nebraska, the memories of his childhood returned to him. He remember the joys, and the sorrows too. The beating he got from Mr. Woodcock did not escape his memory.
Bad omen didn't escape John Farley. In fact, he learned of the worst thing upon returning to his hometown. His famous tormentor is dating his already-widowed mother. Yes, Mr. Woodcock is dating Beverly Farley. And not only that, they are scheduled to marry each other.
John, on his part, still has the ire over his coach. He can't seem to forget the way they were manhandled by their former coach. As a from of retribution, he tried every way so as to sabotage the upcoming wedding between his mother and former coach.
Friends may stand as our brothers or our sisters. In times of happiness and grief, these are the people that we want around us, and these are our so called alliance, or simply, friend. Fraternities and sororities are also another way of having acquaintances, it is firmly stated that “all for one and one for all.” But how far can friendship go? How big is a factor friendship to people? Will friendship dispute family, relationship, studies, career, hopes and dreams? Its always been claimed that friends come and go, and true friends are here to stay. Look at the bigger picture, we may have tons of friends but only real friends will surely count. The question is, “how far will you go for the sake of friendship?”
In 1960's there are four orphans called the December Boys, a title given because they were all born in the month of December in different years. The boys leave their orphanage for the reason that there hope getting adopted is most likely impossible to happen. The December Boys finally dropped this dream and swore to be by each others side no matter what. As they set off to the beach of Australia, they meet an old couple wanting to adopt a child. Facing the consequences brought by the holiday trip, all four boys compete among themselves as the bond of brotherhood breaks to gain a real family. As new alliances are made, their friendship is put to the test when long gestating feeling of rejection erupts to the surface. In the end, each boy learns and discover something about himself and his place in the world.
Rated PG-13 in the US and in Australia, December Boys is directed by Rod Hardy, produced by Richard Becker, written by Marc Rosenberg and based from the novel by Micheal Noonan it is set to be released in Australia on September 20 and September 14 in the US. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Maps, Lee Cormie as Misty, Christian Byers as Sparks, James Fraser as Spit and Jack Thompson as Bandy and more others to mention.
Suspense films have not always catered to the tastes of the youth. Teenagers would rather watch no-brain chick flicks rather than occupy themselves with movies that have a deeper storyline. Anyway, the movie that I am going to write about is suited for mature audiences. In a more vivid description, the movie I'm going to write is comparable to an old-aged wine. Only a few may know how it really tastes, but once you've tasted it, you know what class is all about.
The Brave One movie is not like any other suspense film. Yes, people would say that more than suspense it could be considered as a vigilante film. But if it is such, its not just any other vigilante movie. And what is the real difference? Its the twist that makes the movie different. The leading actor in this movie is a woman, contrary to most vigilante films that we have known about.
The Brave One, directed by Niel Jordan, is a crime and drama film produced by Susan Downey and Joel Silver. It was written by Roderick and Bruce Taylor, and Cynthia Mort. It was released just recently, 14 September 2007 to be exact. The important cast of the film includes Jodie Foster as Erica Bain, Naveen Andrews as David, Terrence Howard as Detective Mercer, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, and Jane Adams as Nicole.
The story is between two lovers who were about to get married but circumstances have avoided them to do so. The Lady, Erica Bain, is a late night radio talk show host, while her guy, David, is working in the hospital. On one fateful night, the soon to be couple strolled their dog Curtis in the dark streets of New York. Happily walking with each other, David suddenly throws the ball down a tunnel so that Curtis would chase after it. Curtis chased the ball but never came back.
The couple checked out the what took their dog so long inside the dark tunnel. Soon they encountered three thugs. These thugs have nothing but bad intentions for the two. Soon a struggle happened between the couple and the hoodlums. David got beat to death, while Erica got hospitalized and treated for more than a month after being beaten badly.
Upon regaining her consciousness, she was informed by what have happened to her. She was even shocked that her boy friend died after the incident. A few people have tried to help her, but she is still in the state of mind where she wants nothing but revenge. Taking the matter into her own hand, Erica Bain once again lived the normal life, but with a chip on her shoulder this time.
She had a solution to that one. And that is to take the law in her hands. By having that chip on her shoulder, she literally pursued for the killer of her boy friend. First she looked for a gun. Not having obtained it legally, she bought it from the black market. This was the beginning of her search. Along the way, she killed a lot of thugs before having found the killer of her boy friend. In the end, revenge became a pretty thing. She got the monkey off her back, and she was able to continue with her life.
What is a myth? What difference can it make to one's society when there are certain myths that has been passed on from one generation to the other? As a kid, these types of questions have entered my mind. It was a great help for me since it widened my imaginations and wanderings in life.
The common man would say that myths are a stuff of legends. These are legendary figures that we always look up as part of our culture's mystic past. I was raised having that thought in mind, and up to date these mythical stories somehow amazes me in one way or the other.
One of the riches cultures in the world belongs to the Koreans. Though they are currently ideologically divided into the North and South disciplines, the former being the communist and the latter democratic, they still have the same cultural beginnings. And yes, they share a common myth. Koreans believed in the myth of Haram.
As a proof that the Koreans believe and adore in such a mythical figure, the movie Dragon Wars was released just this year (2007). The director, producer, and writer of the movie are all Koreans by nationality. James Kang is the producer, Shim Hyung-Rae is both the writer and the director of this film. The movie casts include Jason Behr as Ethan, Amanda Brooks as Sarah, Robert Forster as Jack, and Aimee Garcia as Brandy, to mention a few.
Set in the city of Los Angeles, the movie talks about the reincarnation of the spirit of Haram, Narin, and Bukari and his men. Haram is the mythical ancient warrior that existed more that 500 years ago. Narin is the love in the life of Haram, whom he will fight for no matter what happens. Bukari on the other hand is an Imugi serpent, or more known nowadays as a mythical Korean dragon, measuring about 200 meters long. Bukari has a legion that includes monsters that are reptile-like in their physical appearance. These legion includes the Dawdlers, Bulcos, Atrox soldiers, and Shaconnes.
The is about a young boy in Ethan Kendrick, who is just curious as any kid out there would be, unexpectedly meeting an antique dealer named Jack. Ethan encountered the owner when he was window shopping inside the antique store. Ethan looked at the glowing Korean chest with a dragon scale. Upon seeing him, Jack recognizes that Ethan is the reincarnation of Haram's spirit.
Jack gave Ethan a pendant and told him the story of Haram. Jack's mission was to find who the reincarnation of the love of Haram's life in Narin, and together they should fight Bukari and his men. His mission was accomplished twenty years after the fateful day that he met the antique shop owner. And yes, just like the original Haram, Ethan fought tooth and nail against Bukari and his serpent-like army.
Indeed, this story is made for the ages. This has been part of the Korean oral tradition. Haram's story have been passed on from one generation to the other. This is the myth of an ancient warrior against a dragon and his legions.
The video game turned movie phenomena have not yet died down. The moviegoers have seen Mortal Combat, Street Fighter, and Final Fantasy just to name a few. There is one common denominator that stands out for these video-inspired movies – and sad to say it is that most of them are a flop in the big screen.
This does not stop brave producers from creating movies out of video games. One of the latest to be out in theaters this year (2007) is the last series installment of the popular game Resident Evil. Produced by Paul Anderson and directed by Russell Mulcahy, the movie will be out in the United States theaters on the 21st of September.
The cast of the movie includes the same notables from the previous Resident Evil movies, such as Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter. Milla Jovovich stars as Alice and is one of the most important character in the series. The other main star is Ali Larter playing the role of Claire Redfield. Other notable actors in this film are Ian Glen, Oded Fehr, Spencer Locke, Mike Epps, and Ashanti to name some of the more important cast.
The movie Resident Evil: Extinction is a loose adaptation of one of Resident Evil's video game series namely Resident Evil: Code Veronica. Somewhat the movie is a sequel of the events in the previous Resident Evil: Apocalypse movie. In the latter, Raccoon City was destroyed using nuclear means but it was not able to contain the spread of the T-Virus. Umbrella corporation tries to be the watchdog in the spread of the virus but the outbreak could never be really stopped.
Alice, one of Umbrella's agents, tried to contain it herself. But now she is alone – some of her comrades are dead already – left in the wastelands in the United States trying to desperately save the few people left not yet infected by the virus. She has become so powerful, with many years in the Umbrella, but at the same she has to contend with a lot of enemies. There are the zombie armies and the undead people infected with the T-Virus.
She was able to deceive her opponents, thus escaping to the confines of the Nevada desert. There she met fellow Raccoon survivors and the Raccoon's new found friends. She was able to accessed to a notebook that points to a place north of Alaska where it is to believed that it has not yet been reached by the T-Virus. They believed it was their sanctuary.
Together with the other survivors, Alice led the way in finding the means to go to the sanctuary. Along the way, they had many opponents, including the Umbrella. They fought with a purpose, and that is to save the whole of humanity.
Comedy movies have usually only one objective: to leave a smile on people's faces. People watch them in the cinemas and go home empty handed. These types of movies are made for purely laughs alone. They're made not to make you think at all, or even get a lesson out of the movie. Most of these movies are not connected to reality. It serves as a retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Have you heard of comedy movies that are not part of the mainstream line, as described in my previous paragraph? I bet there are only a number of comedic films that are somewhat connected to reality, may it be part of history or the current social era. One of them is the up and coming Virgin Territory movie. Indeed, this movie was made partly to put a smile on people's faces and also to learn something about one of the most significant event in western history.
Virgin Territory, directed by David Leland, is based on the book of Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. The book is a compilation of medieval allegory novels that spoke of the times where they mix the classical genre to the Christian culture. Just imagine mixing the thoughts of Plato or Aristotle to that of St. Peter or the higher ups in the Roman Catholic ladder. That is the picture of medieval allegory in a nutshell. The cast of the movie includes Mischa Barton, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Egan, Tim Roth, and Sylvia Colloca.
The Dark Ages of western civilization was when there are rampant wars, diseases, and the like. Mortality rates rise up like it could never be controlled. This is the period between the classical and the renaissance milieu. Also this is where the movie Virgin Territory was set. At this point in history, Florence in Italy was experiences the great plague phenomenon. A group of young people tried to avoid the diseases and the panic it caused so they agreed to get out of the city for a little while.
Upon having that little liberty, these group of young people shared a common life with each other. They had the same experiences, from the more refined ones to being a little sexy and erotic. What happened in the precious time that they were together need not to be expounded. If you are really interested, then check out the movie. I am sure you will surely enjoy the movie.
Comedy and history combined as one. There is no such word to describe it, but maybe “comistory” would fit that category. Well, its just in my imagination that such a word exist. Anyway, what is more important is for the audience to get something from history with a smile on their face. Laughter and learning could be synonymous after all.
Action and adventure movies may be portrayed with different time lines. They could be situated in the modern times or way back in the early part of the 1900s. Many films in this genre usually focus on the earlier 20th century era with the likes of the can't-miss Indiana Jones series. These films surely have a vintage look.
Take into consideration a much more older time setting, like maybe in the 19th century, and you will get somewhat a classic feel. Imagine watching an action and adventure movie with those cowboys in action and seeing a vast land free of all the modern infrastructures. Wouldn't that be real great? There's no need to worry. The movie 3:10 to Yuma has the feel of the vastly unoccupied 19th century America.
3:10 to Yuma is directed by James Mangold and a remake of the original 1957 film. Its main actors are Russel Crowe as the villain and Christian Bale as the protagonist. Set in the context of the progressive reform period in American history, the movie was shot in some parts of the state of New Mexico. It is about highway banditry and heroism on the part of a family-oriented cowboy.
The story revolves around Ben Wade and Dan Evans. It all started when the notorious Ben Wade, played by Russel Crowe, and his gang intercepted an armored carriage in the Southern Pacific Railroad in Arizona. Mr. Evans was affected by the incident since his cattle was used by Wade and his gang in doing their latest operation.
Though Wade was successful with the aforementioned operation, Evans was irked so he tracked him down where ever he could. He found Wade while the latter is making love with a waitress in one of the pubs. The good thing is that he was able to delay his escape until the police arrived to capture the notorious hold up suspect.
As Wade was about to be transferred to Yuma, the brave Dan Evans volunteered himself to be a volunteer guard in the transferring of Wade. Having been a veteran of the Civil War, he knows the consequences that goes with it. Along the way, Wade's group tried to rescue him so as to avoid the tribulation in court. With every offensive that Wade and his group makes, Evans have an answer. He never let his guard down until he's gonna drop dead.
In the end, 3:10 to Yuma is a battle of the determination and spunk between the king burglar and the simple living war veteran. Who won between the two? Well, its for you to know and for me to find out. I'm gonna watch this movie, will you follow suit?
Life's journey can take us from zero to hero, or vice versa. It all points out to the conclusion that life is uncertain, and that there are no definite givens in one's existence. Some people born with the silver spoon may end up in the poorer sector of society someday. Poor people may get out of their current state and become truly efficient economically. In the end, what matters are the decisions that we make throughout the process.
One of the hardest decision-making age is right after one's graduation in college. At this age and time, youngsters have to make choices that could most probably affect the rest of their lives. Some would think about their career undertakings. Others would focus on having the first job only for experience sake. A plethora of questions is waiting for the young person just barely out of college.
The Nanny Diaries movie is a good reflection of how every graduate should handle their situation. A fresh college graduate is basically equal to a question mark. This question mark is how s/he gonna be starting an independent life, or better known as “the life of their own.” The movie tries to show that rush judgment has its price, of course in a comedic way.
Written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, the movie is an adaptation of the 2002 Novel by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin. The cast includes the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, and Alicia Keys to mention a few.
The story revolves around a young lady in Annie Braddock who just recently graduated from the fictional Montclair State University in New York City. She was pressured in having a choice between following her mom's dream that she will have a position in the business sector and her own ambitions of being an anthropologist someday.
In one incident, she met Mr. & Mrs. X from Upper East Side Manhattan, the place where usually the rich people reside. She was tasked to be the nanny of their restless son. In the beginning she was excited to have the job, but in the process she learned that it was hard to be in the middle of a situation where the wife is spoiled and the dad does not pay any attention to the kid. Also she fell in love with some guy in the process, the neighbor of the X family, whom she calls “Harvard Hottie.”
All these experiences are written in a journal. This served as her diary for the nine months while working as a nanny for the X family. Somewhat the journey is kinda emotional, but also full of laughter, for a woman barely out of college and finding her niche in society.
The movie points to only one thing, which is to be very careful in one's decision-making processes. Also we should be enjoying the journey that we are taking. For all we know, what matters most in life is not the destination, rather it is the journey that we take in order to reach the aforementioned destination.
There's a saying which goes, “you have to save the best for last.” This could be applicable in any way people wanted. In my case, I think this is applicable in movies, especially in movie trilogies. A case and point would be the Bourne Trilogy. Basing on gross figures of the box office, the latest of the Bourne trilogy is the choice of the people as the best among the three movies. Indeed, Bourne Ultimatum made the exit of the Bourne character from the theaters a truly remarkable one.
The Bourne Trilogy kicked off in 2002 with Bourne Identity. Two years after (2004) it was followed by Bourne Supremacy. Then the last in the trilogy series – Bourne Ultimatum – was recently released this year (2007).
Watching the third and last of the trilogy series, the advantage goes to those who have watched the first two Bourne movies since all these three are constantly connected with each other. The actors who played important characters also remain the same. These are Matt Damon as Jason Bourne or Captain David Webb, Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons, Joan Allen as Pamela Landy, and David Strathairn as Noah Vosen to mention a few.
The start of Bourne Ultimatum is the ending of Bourne Supremacy, where David Bourne was able to elude the arrests of the Russian police. Now in France, Bourne resurfaced to tell Marie's brother of hear death. Soon after, he was headed to England to meet one journalist by the name of Simon Ross. The problem with this meeting is that the CIA was able to detect when the word “Blackbriar” was mentioned. The reason being is that this is the codename for the supposed assassination of Jason Bourne.
Once again, Bourne was able to escape from the hands of the CIA and its hired assassins with the purpose of solely targeting former agent David Webb aka. Jason Bourne. Still in search for his identity, Bourne was able to contact Nicky. He was given the idea to go to the Treadstone Facility to have some psychological tests. He was finally captured by the antagonists in the facility. Still he got away with it by jumping in the river.
Due to the incident at the facility, the “Blackbriar” mission was exposed and it was investigated by the government. The senate investigated the matter. It was never known if Jason Bourne was really alive after he jumped from the East River. Only it was shown in a flashback that he walked away from the river after some motionless moments.
Sports movies have been the trend for the past couple of years. From the top of my head, I can even mention more that five movies already. These are The Longest Yard, Gridiron Gang, Kicking and Screaming, Invincible, Blades of Glory, and Goal I & II, to mention a few. Usually these movies are either comedy or inspirational material. It is either for laughs alone or for motivational purposes.
The common recurring sports movies are usually the mainstream sports. These are football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and ice skating. The latter being somewhat the main recreation during the winter season. Little attention is given to other sports. Will this be the case all the time?
Good thing the movie Balls of Fury strays a little bit from the recurring stream. Though it is a sports movie, it focuses on a less popular sport. The featured game is table tennis, more popularly known as Ping Pong. The sport is popular to Asians but not that appealing to the Europeans and Americans.
Balls of Fury is another sports comedy movie directed by Reno 911's co-producer in Robert Ben Garant. The movie was written by the director himself and his Reno 911 colleague in Thomas Lennon. It is produced by Derek Evans, Ron Schmidt, and Toby Emmerich. The cast of the movie includes Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez, Thomas Lennon, Thomas Lennon, and Terry Crews to mention a few.
The movie's plot revolves around a former world great and table tennis Olympian Randy Daytona. Haunted by his loss in the 1988 Olympics, his skills were never the same after the meet. Retired from competitive playing, he found employment in a casino in Nevada with the use of his still-exceptional ping pong tricks.
As a matter of fact, this led to his discovery by an FBI Agent in Agent Rodriguez to sneak inside the operations of Master Feng, a notorious criminal leader. Daytona can infiltrate his lair by going back to his old self as one of the top ping pong players since Master Feng holds an annual underground ping pong tourney.
Having lost the edge that brought him to the Olympics, Daytona seeks for the help of Maggie Wong who is a true master of the sport. He underwent a rigorous training that included a match against a wonder kid 8-year old girl. That match became the turning point since it means that he was ready to enter the underground tournament, with the possibility of death if defeated by the opponent. Daytona's mission is once and for all completed.
The movie gives a new twist to the avalanche of sports comedy hitting the theaters. This gives the viewers a chance to know unpopular sports, such as table tennis. Also it gives them the chance to laugh themselves out, even just for a little while.
Halloween is up and coming. A little less that eight weeks from now and its once again time for the “trick or treat” tradition. Once again people will wear their scary costumes as part of the annual Halloween festival, celebrated during the All Souls Day and sometimes including the All Saints Day in other countries.
Halloween celebration is never complete without movies. The movie industry produces films on a yearly basis intended for the aforementioned festive event. One of the best picks for this year is Halloween. Released in the United States just in time for Labor Day Holiday, the movie is set to debut on the world stage in October.
Written, directed, and produced by Rob Zombie, this film is already set for financial success due to the director's credibility with horror films, having been the one who called the shots in the movies The Devil's Reject and House of 1000 Corpses. The cast comprises of not so popular actors and actresses with the likes of Malcolm McDowell, Sheri Moon Zombie, and Tyler Mane to mention a few.
Halloween movie is an adaptation of the original1978 Halloween film produced by John Carpenter. But unlike other film adaptations this movie was created uniquely. What remains the same are the characters of the old movie. The plot is different from the old movie, though the setting of the story remains the same in the fictional Haddonfield county in Illinois.
The movie started off on a Halloween day Deborah Meyers was called by Micheal's school principal. They noticed something abnormal in the way her son thinks since discovering Polaroid shots of dead animals in his school locker. With the consent of his mom, they made the Micheal take some psychological tests under the supervision of Dr. Loomis. On the same day Micheal Meyers went home and murdered his mother's boyfriend, sister, and the sister's boyfriend. Her mom arrived home, only to find out that everyone died except Micheal and his little sister. This incident marked the birth of a potential psychopath.
Micheal was charged with First Degree Murder and was sent in a sanitarium. He was cooperative while in rehab. All changed when he met a certain Ismael Cruz, who gave Micheal the advice to internalize himself so as to combat the emptiness of being left alone. Micheal then began to identify himself with the paper-mache masks. He killed a nurse attendant and was able to elude the sanitarium. The full pledged psychopath returned to his county and began the massacre spree, in search for his sister. People in the old neighborhood were killed successively. The killing was stopped when he attempted to murder his youngest sister. The sister shot her psychopath brother dead.
This movie is due for the Halloween season. Its a bit creepy but also mysterious at the same time. Sure the latest addition to the Halloween line is made especially for the season itself.
