Saturday 19 April 2008

The Matrix

One of my personal favourites. It stars Keanu Reeves as Neo. The latest recruit for alleged terrorist Morphius (Played by Lawrence Fishburn). Neo is taught a terrifying truth about the world he thought was real. He goes from small time computer hacker to the possible saviour of the world. Fantastic special effects and a fascinating storyline. This should be a definite addition to your DVD collection, and if you haven't yet seen it then what are you waiting for? It spinned two sequels which were no match for this original.

Cast Away

This one stars Tom Hanks and is about a Fed Ex manager travelling the globe. One one such journey his plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Hanks is left stranded and alone on a Desert Island. How will he survive? Will he be rescued? Will he ever get home? Worth watching to find out. Also stars Helen Hunt.

INDIANA JONES and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

The legend of Indiana Jones starts here. Harrison Ford plays the hero as an adventurous archeologist. The movie begins with probably one of the most famous scenes in cinema history. Indy is on a quest for an ancient relic and must bypass several booby-traps as well as deal with his untrustworthy allies. After overcoming the impossible, Indy loses the relic to an adversary and is lucky to escape with his life. The story then builds up to a quest for the lost ark of the convenant. (The Ark that Moses put the stone tablets in which contained the ten commandments). In a race with the Nazis this is one thrilling ride and this Indy film as well as the rest are in my all time personal favourites.

Trivia:- The role of Indiana Jones was actually intended for Tom Selleck, but due to a contract with the series 'Magnum', Selleck had to pull out.

Trivia:- Indiana Jones was created by George Lucas, the man behind The Star Wars films.

Borat

An absolute classic for me and one of my personal favourites. Borat tells the fictional story of the titled character. He travels from Kasakhstan to the United States of America for cultural learning. The movie is hilarious from one scene to the next and the people he interacts with are NOT actors. A fantastic comedy and a must see.

Trivia:- The actor who plays Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) is actually British. He shot to fame with his entertainment program 'Ali Gee'.

Thursday 17 April 2008

Dodgeball: A true underdog story

A hilarious comedy starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Very far fetched in places but purposely done for comical effect. It tells the story of 2 rival gymnasium owners. Global Gym, a multi-million dollar industry owned by Stiller and Average Joe's a small private gym owned by Vaughn. The latter is in lots of debt and on the verge of going bankrupt. In a desperate effort to save Average Joe's, a client suggests entering the Los Vegas Dodgeball competition which pays $50,000 to the winner. Well $50,000 would save the gym, so the team agree to give it a go and begin hopeless training to qualify for the finals. A fantastic comedy and well worth watching.

Escape from L.A

I have seen this movie many times. It is the 90's sequel to the hit 80's film "Escape from New York". It stars Kurt Russell and is set in a futuristic hell like world. Snake Pliskin (Kurt) is again blackmailed by the corrupt government to embark on a rescue mission. In which he has to retrieve a satellite E.M.P (Electro Magnetic Pulse) triggering device. Spiked with an alleged lethal virus he is in a race against time to accomplish his mission. Will he succeed? Well if you like Sci-fi then it's worth finding out.

Monday 14 April 2008

The Invasion

Starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. This is what I believe to be the THIRD remake of the 1950's classic 'Invasion of the bodysnatchers'. It doesn't quite have the eery effect of the 1970's Version starring Donald Sutherland, but does entertain. Worth a watch.

For me, the story was too short. I have no complaints with the ending of the movie or the pace of it, but it was just too short. It's like they rushed the film a little.

I AM LEGEND

I saw this one in the cinema, and although the explanation for the destruction of mankind was made more clear. I still preferred 'The Omega Man' which was a previous version of the same movie. The special effects seemed a little under done, and the movie was just too short without any major plot parts. Worth a watch though.

The story follows Doctor Neville (Will Smith) the last surviving human in New York. He fights desperately for the cure to the virus that has killed most of mankind and left the rest as zombies.

Apocalypto

Wow!!! What can I say about this movie? Well first of all, I am 99% sure that, if just prior to it's release. If Mel Gibson had not received such bad publicity, this film WOULD have won best picture at the Oscars. Due to Mel's behaviour it wasn't even nominated.

The cinematography is OUTSTANDING. This movie tells the story of Mayan Villager (Jaguar Paw), kidnapped by ruthless City Mayans and taken to their urban society for an unknown fate. I don't want to spoil it for you by saying anymore, but this movie should be top of your list in future films to rent. It's directed by Mel Gibson and is in Mayan with English Subtitles.

Sunday 13 April 2008

Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction is my personal favourite of the director Quentin Tarantino. The breakthrough for Tarantino came with Reservoir Dogs, a low budget 'Underworld' movie which was big on conversation. (I may mention that one at a later date.) Again, this movie is big on conversation and again tells an underground tale. It has several inter-twined stories that all meet up in one place or another. The ending to the film is when Bruce Willis rides off on a motorbike with his woman, but that part is featured about 3/4 of the way through. The actual ending of the film is set just prior to the start of the film and then blends in to a hilarious effect. I will forgive you for feeling confused but after following the entire movie from start to finish you will appreciate just what a rare piece of art this gem is. An all-star cast, if you haven't seen it then check it out.

Saving Private Ryan

Another fantastic Oscar winner starring Tom Hanks. Saving Private Ryan brings the fictional story of a group of Allied World War 2 soldiers. Their mission is to find and bring home the last remaining son of Mrs Ryan, the mother who has already lost 3 other sons. During their mission they encounter the enemy on several occasions and when they finally find 'Ryan' the film culminates with a breathtakingly realistic battle. An all-star cast and a must see!!!

Forrest Gump

Oscar winning movie Forrest Gump tells the fascinating make-believe story of a mentally challenged man. It starts with Forrest as a child and shows his relationship with friend Jenny. The film then progresses to his adult life where Forrest gets himself into many amazing adventures. It's a little 'over the top' but none-the-less a fantastic feel good movie which stars Tom Hanks. Definitely worth checking out if you're one of the few who has not yet seen it.

THEY LIVE

This is my all time favourite B-Movie. It tells the story of a drifter, who stumbles upon a sinister truth after finding a special pair of sunglasses. Although the acting leaves a little to be desired, the plot is fantastic and this film has become a cult classic. It stars Roddy Piper (formerly a WWF Wrestler).

The Terminal

The true story of Viktor Navorski. A man who was actually forced to live in a United States airport. Before seeing this film, I pondered the question - How can they make an entertaining movie with a story like that? Well they showed me how. Another 5 star classic with barrels of entertainment. It has great comedy value and is my number one feel good film of all time. If you have not yet seen it then I assure you that your 2 hours will be well spent. It stars Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta Jones (Or is it Catherine Zeta Douglas now???) Anyway who cares, the bottom line is that this is a must see movie.

Titanic

A disaster movie with a touch of romance. If you have not yet seen this film, then you are missing out big time. Over 2 hours of pure entertainment are on offer here with OUTSTANDING special effects. The story has 2 tales. 1. The true story of the rise and fall of the Titanic. (The ship classed as unsinkable). 2. A fable love story, where 2 people from different social classes fall for eachother. The main story is focused on the blossoming love between the previously mentioned duo, with the impending disaster slowly building up in the background. It climaxes with the sinking of the ship and captures the horror of how it must have been for the real people on the real ship. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. A 5 star classic and a MUST see!!!

Braveheart

Braveheart - This movie follows the life of William Wallace (Mel Gibson). A Scottish peasant who, after the murder of his Brother and Father by the evil English is taken away and brought up by his Nomad Uncle. After his travels and education he returns to his home village, where he meets his childhood love to whom he marries in secret. After a short romance, his sweetheart is also murdered by the English and this leads to the legend of William Wallace. He begins a rebellion against English which eventually triggers Victory for the Scottish over their English counterparts.
The battle scenes in this movie are extremley realistic and incredibly gory so be warned. The speech by Wallace given to his Scottish army just prior to the initial battle is so passionate that it will give you a shiver down your spine. It's no wonder this movie won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Trivia - Although this movie is a 5 star film. It is not entirely historically accurate. Wallace did meet the dreadful end portrayed in the Story but according to history, he fled Britain to Mainland Europe where he was eventually captured.