April 15, 2008

Juno

Juno DVD The movie is about a year in the life of Juno MacGuff, a witty 16 year old girl who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant. The father is a classmate by the name of Paulie Bleeker. She initially plans to undergo an abortion but changes her mind while at the abortion clinic. When Juno decides to have the baby, her friend suggests searching for potential parents in the Penny Saver ads. They come across an ad put out by an affluent young couple. For a young girl who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, it is amazing how confident and unphased Juno seems to be throughout most of the movie. A young girl who suddenly finds herself having to make very adult decisions, Juno stays poised and confident refusing to play the role of helpless young victim. Its characters are out of the ordinary in this sense. For example, her boyfriend and baby's father Paulie Bleeker is a jock, but about the most un-jock like jock you've probably ever seen. A coming of age movie with an unexpected plot and characters, a lot of the movie's charm comes from the characters, especially Juno played by Ellen Page. The movie won an Oscar in the original screenplay category.

April 9, 2008

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood DVD Loosely based on 1927 novel Oil! authored by Upton Sinclair, the movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview. While digging for silver, Plainview instead finds crude oil. Starting as a one man team, the movie depicts Plainview's rise to become a very rich oil man. The movie is somewhat similar to The Aviator which stars Leonardo Dicaprio in that both of the main characters are very intense characters who seem to exhibit some signs of mental instability. The story itself is merely a depiction of one fictional person's life. The characters themselves such as Plainview and the show man preacher Eli are what make the movie interesting to watch. For example in the scene when Eli is fervently praying out the arthritis ghost out of a woman's hand, threatening to bite the ghost with his teeth...it's interesting to watch Eli as well as Plainview's reaction to it. As for the intense dislike which Plainview seems to have towards preacher Eli, not sure what this was all about or why it's in the movie but it did make it entertaining. A scene with Plainview and Eli where Eli uses a straw and milkshake as an analogy to a drill and oil is strange, ridiculous, but funny. This scene where Plainview bullies Eli with the words "Drainage!!", I for one personally found this humorous to watch. Daniel Day-Lewis' acting is intense as usual. Perhaps because of the gang leader character which Lewis played in Gangs of New York, I was expecting parts of this movie to suddenly erupt into bloody shootouts. After all the title of this movie is There Will Be Blood. One final note of interest, the movie seems to use sound effects which are very similar to ones used in the TV series Lost.

April 1, 2008

Lust, Caution (色，戒)

Lust, Caution DVD Based on the 1979 novel Lust, Caution authored by Eileen Chang, the movie is directed by Ang Lee known for his other movies such as Eat Drink Man Woman, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and Brokeback Mountain. The movie starts off in 1942 Japanese occupied Shanghai China. The main female character played by Tang Wei is a young college student who gets involved in a plot to assassinate a member of the pro-Japanese collaboration government. For this goal, she attempts to seduce and win the affections of the man whom she eventually wants to see dead. In her pursuit of this endeavor however, she seems to genuinely feel affection for this man. Torn, she is forced to make a very tough decision. The movie is okay to watch however I kind of missed the part when she starts to feel affection for this man. It's not depicted in the most obvious way and so kind of comes as a surprise.

March 12, 2008

American Gangster

American Gangster DVD Movie starts off in Harlem, New York in the year 1968. A central character in the film is Frank Lucas, a drug dealer who cuts out middlemen, buying heroin directly from a source in Southeast Asia. During the chaos of the Vietnam war, Frank Lucas enlisted corrupt army personnel to transport illegal narcotics back to the states using US military transport vehicles. The heroin was sold under the brand name of "blue magic". It was not only more pure but also cost less than what was then available. An interesting aspect of the movie was its depiction of what seemed to be rampant corruption among those in the army, as well as those who were supposed to uphold the law. The movie shows corrupt cops who instead of looking to arrest Frank Lucas, saw Lucas as a cash cow from whom money could be extorted. Against this corrupt setting, detective Richie Roberts is the good cop, untouchable and honest who would lead the investigation of Frank Lucas. In one scene, Richie Roberts surrenders a million dollars of unmarked cash as opposed to keeping any of it for himself. His partner at the time is seriously concerned that such an act of "boy scout" honesty will mark them as pariahs to their fellow officers...the assumption here is that many of their fellow cops are corrupt. According to the movie, detective Richie Roberts' work led to the conviction of three quarters of New York City's Drug Enforcement Agency. The NYC DEA at the time seems to have been more a recruiting ground for middle men who made their money from colluding with drug dealers, as opposed to being an agency that fought narcotics crime. How disappointing. Against such a setting, detective Richie Roberts' integrity and drive to pursue the investigation against Frank Lucas seems that much more remarkable. One cannot help but ponder what motivates people like Richie Roberts to risk their lives, to go against the tide and to select the difficult road?

February 12, 2008

Transformers

Transformers DVD Transformers more than meets the eyes. The Autobots are the good, human-friendly group of robots led by Optimus Prime. The Decepticons are the evil counterparts intent on taking power for themselves and who care little for human life. The Decepticons are led by Megatron. The two fight each other in a race to seize a powerful cube called The All Spark. The movie diverged on several points from the original cartoons. For example in the movie Megatron transforms into a jet as opposed to a gun as in the original cartoons. And how could they leave out Soundwave who was Megatron's right hand man? That was disappointing. The biggest disappointment about this movie was the lack of an interesting plot. This often made the movie drag without any purpose or story. For example at Sam's house why is it that the scene where Sam searches for his grandfather's glasses must last a lengthy 10 minutes? It's 10 minutes worth of no action but lots of unfunny verbal exchanges between Sam, the Autobots, and Sam's parents. It's like the screenwriters did not have a story so maybe felt compelled to fill up the movie with something, anything even. And at the end of the movie when the Autobot Bumblebee finally speaks, why in the world does he have the voice of an English butler!? It's so ridiculous. And it's so far fetched how the Decepticon who at the start of the movie single handedly wiped out an entire army, gets wiped out in the end by a mere handful of soldiers with rifles. Get a story please!!...and at least try and make it somewhat credible. Disappointing.

February 4, 2008

The Godfather

The Godfather DVD The movie's setting seems to be post World War II era around 1945 or 1946. It is regarding an underground mob family in New York headed by Don Vito Corleon played by Marlon Brando. Don Corleon's son is Michael Corleon played by Al Pacino. Considering this film was made in the early 1970s, Al Pacino is so young in this film that I could not even recognize it was him until the ending credits started to roll. Don Corleon is an influential mob boss who controls many of the city's corrupt politicians and police. One day a fellow crime boss who makes money in narcotics requests Don Corleon's assistance with the city's politicians and police, in exchange for a cut of the narcotics profits. Don Corleon seems to have an inherent dislike for narcotics while seeing such things like gambling as an harmless vice. So Don Corleon refuses to take up the narcotics trade offer. Soon thereafter an attempt is made on Don Corleon's life in what seems to be an effort by fellow crime syndicates to break the monopoly influence the Corleon family has on the city's politicians. This of course causes the Corleon brothers to seek vengeance for their father and consequently we see the rise of Michael Corleon into the role of head of the Corleon crime family. The movie is okay but I personally preferred Goodfellas. The Godfather is based on the book by Mario Puzo The Godfather. Same writer also co-authored the screenplay for this movie.

December 27, 2007

Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow DVD Based on the book The Legend of Sleepy Hollow authored by Washington Irving, this movie stars Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane and stars Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel. Ichabod Crane is a constable sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate recent murders which occurred there. A man who prides himself on rational and scientific thinking, Ichabod Crane is dumbfounded when he comes across the supernatural being known as the Headless Horseman who is behind these murders. The movie goes into the origins of the Headless Horseman, who was a Hessian mercenary who himself was beheaded.

December 15, 2007

The Lake House

The Lake House DVD From the dog paw prints, a day when it unexpectedly snows, to Alex's catching a cold just as Kate predicts, this Hollywood remake starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock contain many similarities with the original film from which it is based Il Mare. For example the main male characters in both films have troubled relationships with their famous architect fathers. The overall story is extremely similar but there are some differences. In the original, the main female character loses a walkman which she uses to practice her voice actress skills. In The Lake House obviously this would not make sense as Sandra Bullock's character is not a voice actress but an ER physician, so instead she loses a copy of Jane Austen's Persuasion which happens to be her favorite book which happens to be about lovers who must part ways. In the original, the lake house was named Il Mare which means the sea in Italian. In the remake the lake house is not given a name, but the two main characters do plan to meet up together at a popular Chicago restaurant which happens to be called Il Mare. In the Hollywood remake, there are more frequent encounters between the two main characters. In fact so much so that it is kind of hard to believe Sandra Bullock's character is not able to recognize Keanu Reeves' character when they meet yet again. Another notable difference was that the original Il Mare film depicted a woman who loses an opportunity at new love due to her failing to find closure with a past love. The remake does not have this element. In the remake there is no past love. The overall story is pretty much the same as the original but The Lake House does seem to be a bit more of a rosier, happier story.

December 9, 2007

Il Mare (시월애)

Il Mare DVD This movie was made in year 2000 and it is regarding a love which transcends time. The main female character, played by Jun, Ji-hyun, is a voice actress who also works part time at a comic book store. Two years ago her boyfriend at that time asked her to accompany him to the US where he was going off to study. She chose not to as she wanted to pursue her training to become a voice actress. After their separation, the relationship ended when the boyfriend found new love in the States. She seems pained by this and seems unable to get over her lost love. The main male character in this movie is someone who studied architecture during college but gave that up suddenly to work as a construction laborer. His father seems to be a famous architect and perhaps the strained relationship which he had with his father had something to do with his sudden change of career plans. Both characters have experienced troubles with love, whether that be a lost boyfriend or strained relationship with one's father, and so both characters live lonely lives as represented by the lakehouse which at times can seem very isolated and lonely. Movie was okay and kind of entertaining. Hollywood's remake of this movie is titled The Lake House and stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock

November 11, 2007

The Insider

The Insider DVD A very interesting movie which provides insights into the events of Jeffrey Wigand, former vice president of scientific research at Brown & Williamson Tobacco. Brown & Williamson was the third largest tobacco operations in the US holding about 10% of the US cigarette market. Its brands included Kool, Lucky Strike, and GPC. In 2004 it merged with R.J. Reynolds. Wigand gets fired for "poor communication skills" after internally raising concerns about the company's use of chemicals such as ammonia and known carcinogenic substances to heighten the effect of nicotine in cigarettes, a practice referred to as "impact boosting". After being fired Wigand started to talk with Lowell Bergman a producer for the CBS News show 60 Minutes. Wigand is attacked with an array of measures including a lawsuit and death threats warning him to shut up. The actions of Brown & Williamson against Wigand is foreseeable. What was truly an eye opening and unexpected revelation is the movie's look into the debate and process of self-censorship which the 60 Minutes organization was going through internally. The movie reveals how the pending Westinghouse CBS merger influenced CBS attorneys to advise against airing the full Wigand interview, resulting in the self-censored version which was aired on November 12, 1995. It reveals how even in a democracy, vested interests can result in censorship of what is often believed to be the free press. The movie's portrayal of Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes shows a reporter who caves into pressure, choosing to follow the corporate line.

November 3, 2007

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

Escape from the Planet of the Apes DVD It is the year 1973 when colonel Taylor's spaceship which had been missing for the past two years is found floating in the water off southern California. When the US military brings the ship to shore and opens the hatch, three beings in astronaut suits emerge from the ship. The military leader starts to salute the astronauts but then has to stop himself when he is surprised to see that the three are apes. The three who emerged from the ship are none other than three chimpanzee intellectuals Zira, Cornelius, and Dr. Milo. It is soon revealed that Dr. Milo was a chimpanzee scientific genius way ahead of his time. Dr. Milo was able to salvage and repair the spaceship which had previously brought Taylor to their ape world. The three apes had escaped from their world using the spaceship just before their earth saw its demise in the previous sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes. When they left their world, the year was 3,955 A.D. What is so good about this movie is once again the fascinating story. Particularly interesting is Cornelius' revelations from the apes prehistory concerning the rise of apes and the start of the fall of human kind. While sympathetic to Zira and Cornelius, the movie does a good job in showing how humans in 1973 would be shocked and disturbed by the visiting apes' revelations of a future where apes rule, and humans are primitive animals who are experimented on and hunted for sport, and how the earth comes to an end. Consequently, the movie's characters are not black and white one dimensional good and bad people. Is Dr. Hasslein a cruel evil person who wants to eliminate the apes, or is he merely protecting the humans from a cruel and tragic future?

October 20, 2007

Mission Impossible 3

Mission Impossible 3 DVD When Ethan Hunt comes down from the Vatican wall using the same rope trick as was seen in the first Mission Impossible, first thoughts which rise to mind are, seen it already and totally gratuitous. In the first movie, Hunt had to come down with his body in a horizontal position as it was crucial that he not make contact with the floor in order to avoid triggering an alarm. However here in this third mission, all he is doing is landing on the ground outside, so it's more natural to land on your feet. Why does he bother landing horizontally, merely to eventually stand on his feet. It's like the makers of the film needed to prove again that they can do the same old trick even if it doesn't fit, is totally unnecessary, and makes things look ridiculous. At the Vatican, how the mask of the villain Owen Davian was built was absolutely ridiculous and unbelievable. Ethan Hunt's team seems to be endowed with an endless array of super unbelievably powerful secret tools which they keep popping out of their batman utility belts. Whatever the danger or problem to overcome, expect some new device to pop out which can overcome it. What team could ever defeat Ethan Hunt's team? So why even bother making a movie when we know Ethan Hunt's got some super device which can overcome it at the last second. The summary of this movie can be "been there, seen that".

October 17, 2007

Bullet in the Head (喋血街頭)

Bullet in the Head DVD After watching this my reaction was "awesome, wow". This is a great action film directed by John Woo, who would eventually go on to later direct Broken Arrow, Face Off, and Mission Impossible 2. Movie begins in 1967 Hong Kong introducing the audience to three extremely close friends Ben, Frank, and Paul, all from working class families barely getting by. Paul dreams of one day being able to drive a Mercedes Benz. On Ben's wedding night the three friends go into hiding after Ben and Frank kill a local gang member during a vicious fight. The three eventually find their way to Saigon, during the time of the Vietnam War. As expected Vietnam is in the middle of war and the place is chaotic and the three almost get killed soon after arriving there. They start to make a living off petty theft, until one day when they decide to strike a blow against a gang leader. The scene is a melee of bullets, machine guns, and explosions. In their attempt to runaway and return to Hong Kong, the three get captured as prisoners by the Vietcong who mistakenly believe the three may be working for the CIA. In the makeshift Vietcong prisoner of war camp, the three witness the Vietcong soldiers amusing themselves by torturing the prisoners of war. The three again almost get killed. Basically the story is wild, lots of new things happening here and there, and well executed action scenes everywhere. It's great.

October 12, 2007

Beautiful Boxer (บิวตี้ฟูล บ๊อกเซอร์)

Beautiful Boxer DVD The movie is based on the true life story of Nong Toom, a professional male kickboxer who felt trapped in a man's body. Nong Toom eventually became a woman after undergoing surgery. Born as a boy to farmers in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Nong Toom seems to show an interest in makeup, flowers, and playing with the neighborhood girls. Somehow he also gets into the very fierce sport of Muay Thai kickboxing. He becomes a promising kickboxer, good enough to gain himself opportunities to fight bouts in Bangkok's Lumpini Stadium. The crowds embrace Nong Toom who is vicious in the ring yet fights with make up on. At the same time however some fellow Thai see him as a disgrace to his nation and the sport of Muay Thai. The movie shows footage of his trip to Japan's Tokyo Dome where he fights against a Japanese female wrestler named Kyoko Inoue, who plays herself in this movie. The movie is unique and out of the ordinary in that its story is about a very paradoxical character who pursues the very violent sport of kickboxing, yet dreams of becoming a woman.

October 5, 2007

Ballad of a Soldier (Баллада о солдате)

Ballad of a Soldier DVD The setting of this 1959 black and white Soviet era film is World War II when the Russians fight to defend their motherland against Nazi Germany's blitzkrieg invasion. During one battle a young 19 year old Soviet soldier, private Alyosha Skvortsov manages to take out two German tanks on his own. For this deed Alyosha is recognized as a hero and manages to obtain for himself 6 days leave so that he can go back to visit his village in Sosnovka and see his mother before returning to the front for battle. He hopes that he'll have enough time to go back and fix the leak in the roof for his mother. It is wartime however and the travel from the front to his home village seems to take longer than expected. Alyosha's journey to make a last visit to his mother before going off to war composes the largest chunk of this movie. Alyosha comes across several people on his way home including a devoted married wounded soldier, a concerned father who is awaiting the return of his son from the war front, as well as a girl named Shura who sneaks on the train Alyosha happens to be on. During these encounters there is a lot of character build up and the audience gets to witness Alyosha's youthful cheeriness, his genuine concern for even strangers, and in his encounter with the stowaway girl Shura the audience witnesses the possibility of Alyosha one day being with a girl he falls madly in love with. In the final scenes when he finally arrives in his home village of Sosnovka, we see the mother running through the fields to see her beloved son after hearing of his arrival home. The meeting is cut short however due to Alyosha's having to return to the war front. As the audience knows that Alyosha will never be returning to his home again the farewell between mother and son is ever more dramatic and sad.

September 28, 2007

Sky High

Sky High DVD Towards the end of the movie the main character Will Stronghold says something along the lines of "Having super powers alone does not make you a hero, sometimes having super powers just makes you a jerk", which felt so very Walt Disney Pictures. Will Stronghold is the son of two superhero parents who are known as The Commander and Jetstream. Due to the legendary status of his parents people have high expectations for Will as he starts his freshman year at Sky High, a high school for future superheroes. However there's one problem and that is Will Stronghold does not seem to have inherited any of his parents superabilities making him just a normal everyday boy. On the first day of Sky High, the students are segregated into two main categories based on their powers - hero and sidekick. Will Stronghold is marked as a sidekick, grouped together with a boy whose power allows him to melt, a girl who can turn into a gerbil, and yet another boy who can glow in the dark. One day however when Will's powers kick in his life seems to change along with his priorities and the friends he hangs out with. The movie is decently entertaining and okay to watch once.

September 22, 2007

Shinobi

Shinobi DVD It is the year 1614 and the Tsubagakure of the Iga, and Manjidani of Kouga are two Shinobi clans who have 400 years of hostility between them. The Shinobi are people who have superhuman powers, like the mutants in the X-Men. The main female character Oboro, played by actress Yukie Nakama, possesses what's termed as a "piercing eyes" technique, the main male character Kouga Gennosuke seems to have some super speed or ability to slow down time ability, not sure which. Other Shinobi fighters include the ability to breath poison, another is a beast-like Shinobi character, yet another is a seemingly immortal Shinobi character who keeps coming back to life after being killed, and many other interesting characters. At some point in time, the fighting ceases with a pact between the two clans. Tokugawa Ieyasu who is shogun of Japan starts seeing the Shinobi with their superabilities as a threat to his power. In Machiavellian fashion, Ieyasu ends the peace pact between the two Shinobi clans and holds a contest where the best 5 fighters from each of the two Shinobi clans will fight each other to the death, until only one fighter remains. Blinded by their centuries old mutual animosity, the two clans anxiously start the battle amongst themselves. Only Gennosuke and Oboro, the two young star crossed lovers seem to maintain enough reason to question the underlying intentions of Ieyasu's contest. The movie is based on 1950's novel Kouga Ninja Scrolls authored by Futaro Yamada. That novel seems to have inspired a series of animation as well including the animation series Basilisk. The gullibility of the Shinobi characters seems far fetched but the action scenes which are numerous are pretty well done. The movie's setting is breathtakingly beautiful and overall movie wasn't bad, but the star crossed lovers plot is getting a bit old.

September 2, 2007

The Paper Chase

The Paper Chase DVD Thinking of going to law school? This movie is a classic and many lawyers, prospective, current, and past law students will be familiar with this movie. The movie is based on the book The Paper Chase, written by John Jay Osborn Jr. who was a 1970 graduate of Harvard Law School. The movie and the book is regarding a first year Harvard law student and his experiences with a stern and demanding law professor - Professor Charles Kingsfield. As law students know the first year at law school is especially demanding and critical as the first year's grades sets the foundation for the opportunities one will have as a summer associate, making law review, and chances to work as a judicial clerk, and so the first year eventually sets the groundwork for what professional opportunities one will have after law school. This movie shows the first year law student's attempts to do well in his class, to the extent that he sneaks into a library in order to read works by Professor Kingsfield. The movie is not all about academics however. To his surprise the first year law student learns that the girl he's seeing happens to be Professor Kingsfield's daughter. The movie will be of particular, perhaps exclusive interest to prospective law students. However don't base your academic and future career decisions based on just this movie as after all the movie is quite old, released in 1970's and in the end it's just a movie.

August 16, 2007

Harold and Kumar go to White Castle

Harold and Kumar go to White Castle DVD Something like American Pie but very different in the sense that it stars two ethnic minorities. Kumar is a bright Indian American post college graduate, 22 years of age with perfect MCAT scores and strong academic abilities. Kumar's father expects his son to follow in his footsteps and apply to medical school. Kumar however has no interest in applying to medical school and in fact shows disdain for the idea of him becoming yet another stereotypical nerdy Indian guy who becomes a doctor. What is he interested in? He seems intent on smoking as much pot as possible and taking part in as much partying as possible. Kumar's roomate and close friend is Harold Lee who is a Korean American young man who works as a junior analyst at an investment bank. Harold is bright and hard working but no one seems to recognize him nor pay attention to him at work except as someone whom they can push their work on. Harold is also somewhat shy and never seems to get the courage up to talk to a girl named Maria who lives in the same floor as he does. The movie is regarding one wild night the two share on the way to a White Castle for some late night snacks. The various adventures which the two go through are unpredictable, wild and some scenes such as the one with the racoon are silly but at the same time just laugh out loud funny. Movie was more than I had expected and worth a viewing. Special guest star by Neil Patrick Harris who plays himself. You may recall that he is the actor who starred as Doogie Howser, M.D., the TV show about the genius prodigy who became a doctor at like the age of 13. Other guest stars include guys from American Pie and Ryan Reynolds of the Van Wilder movie series.

August 11, 2007

Scream 2

Scream 2 DVD Sidney Prescott the hero from the original Scream movie is back in this sequel, along with many of the gang from the original Woodsboro incident. In this sequel Sidney is a student attending Windsor college. Her seemingly blissful and tranquil life as a college student seems to change abruptly when one day two Windsor college students get stabbed to death by a murderer wearing a skeleton mask. What's more, the murders take place during the showing of a movie called Stab which happens to be a horror flick based upon the Woodsboro murders centering around Sidney. Although there were many people in the audience they believed it was a publicity stunt staged by the theatre so they merely watched the murder in amusement. The news of the murders is at first a bit disturbing to Sidney but soon grows to be a full blown nightmare for her, as well as Dewey and reporter Gale Weathers when they realize that they seem to be dealing with a copy cat murderer who seems intent on carrying out a real life replay of the Woodsboro murders. The movie keeps you guessing about who could be the murderer behind the white skeleton mask. Overall movie is okay but nothing really new or different from the first movie so a little disappointing but still entertaining overall.

August 2, 2007

Final Destination 3

Final Destination 3 DVD Remember Flight 180 from the first Final Destination, where just as a group of students board a flight to France, one student has a premonition that the plane is going to explode? In a panic the main character and six other passengers get out of the plane before it takes off. That was a great movie and this third sequel to the original is yet again another very entertaining movie. This time it's a group of high school seniors on a class outing to an amusement park. The main character Wendy played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead has a premonition much like all the other main characters in the previous two sequels. Scene where Wendy sees herself in a premonition falling down from a roller coaster was done in a very cool way. The viewer not only sees her terror but hears her gasping for breath as she's falling. Much like the two sequels before it, this movie has great special effects and action which keeps you captivated and in suspense throughout the film. The DVD has an option where during various parts of the movie, the viewer can select one or another option to see an alternate outcome of the movie. For example while standing in line to go on a roller coaster Kevin tosses a coin up in the air to decide who will get to sit up front. At this point the DVD asks the viewer heads or tails? Depending on what you choose a different version of the movie is shown. Kind of neat, but then I realized that alternate versions may be more easily seen when the DVD presents it as a simple list as is typically done. Having to go through the entire DVD in order to see all the alternate versions of Final Destination 3 was somewhat laborious. The movie itself rocks however.

July 26, 2007

The 300 Spartans

The 300 Spartans DVD In 480 BC a massive Persian force led by King Xerxes attempts to subdue the group of independent Greek states. In what has become known as the Battle of Thermopylae King Leonidas of Sparta leads a small group of Greeks to hold off the vastly larger invading Persian force off for three days. This was until a local Greek resident named Ephialtes betrays the Greeks by revealing to the Persians the location of a hidden pass through which the Persians could break through the Greek lines. Although the Persians manage to defeat the Greek force and gain control of Thermopylae, the Persians sustain massive damage in the process. It's interesting to watch and compare the differences between this 1962 version with that of Frank Miller's 2007 movie version 300. In both the 1962 version as well as Frank Miller's 2007 version, there is mention of a prediction from the Delphic Oracle, as well as use of the quotes "Our arrows will blot out the sun" to which the Greeks reply "Then we will fight in the shade". Obviously the 1962 version has less special effects and much of the 1962 version is regarding the Spartan King Leonidas' efforts to build consensus and mobilize a united pan-Greek force to resist the invading Persian Army, so more dialogue there. In comparison, Frank Miller's 2007 version definitely puts more emphasis on entertainment value where much of the movie seems like animation with huge grotesque monsters, and excellent fight scenes. So in terms of just watching a really entertaining movie, Miller's 300 cannot be beat however the 1962 version The 300 Spartans is not bad either.

July 7, 2007

Ditto (동감)

Ditto DVD A movie about a young girl's sweet and innocent first love. Mix in a little time travel communication between the year 1979 and the year 2000 and you have this movie titled Ditto. It is the year 1979 and So-eun is a female student enrolled as a junior in Shilla University. She is a sweet and innocent girl who has a crazy crush on one of the male students who attends her university. As she describes it to one of her girlfriends, when he speaks to her she feels her heart pounding, blood seems to rush to her head, and her body twitches all over. One day she starts talking on a ham radio with a guy named In. When the two learn that they are both students at Shilla University, they agree to meet each other the next day at the university's clock tower. A sidenote here, I guess movies dealing with time travel or inter-time communications love to add in scenes concerning a clock tower. As you may be aware, the movie Back To the Future also had major scenes concerning a lightning striking the clock tower. Anyway back to Ditto, the next day the two miss each other. When the two talk again on their ham radios, both insist that they were at the clock tower waiting for the other. When So-eun mentions that the weather was sunny for her, In knows something's wrong because it was raining all day long. Soon enough when So-eun mentions that it is the year 1979 for her, In thinks that this must be a joke as he knows that the current year is 2000. The movie has some nice plot twists, such as the revelation that In's parents are alumni of Shilla University. And the actress Kim, Ha-neul (whose name means 'sky' as in "Sky Kim") who plays So-eun is absolutely beautiful. She plays her role perfectly. The DVDs special features contains bonus material regarding the making of this film. In it you see the actors and actresses filming on a college campus and as expected you see the real students yelling out and eagerly awaiting autographs from the actors.

June 30, 2007

Lost - The Complete First Season

Lost Season 1 DVD Experience the first chapter in ABC's critically acclaimed new action packed mystery thriller hit Lost from J.J. Abrams, creator of Alias. Join an ensemble cast of 48 crash survivors who must fight for survival on an island laden with secrets as they discover they may be their own worst enemies. Lost Flashbacks - All new unaired flashbacks reveal additional secrets. "Welcome To Oahu: The Making Of The Pilot" - Behind the scenes Featurette on Lost's Premiere Episode. "The Genesis Of Lost" - Series creators tell how the show was conceived. "Designing A Disaster" - Exciting insights into the look of Lost. "Before They Were Lost" - Audition tapes and personal stories from the cast. Audio Commentary, Behind The Scenes Featurette, Blooper Reel, Deleted Scenes. The DVD box set includes all 24 episodes of the first season of Lost. Episodes include

1. Pilot - Part 1
2. Pilot - Part 2
3. Tabula Rasa
4. Walkabout
5. White Rabbit
6. House of the Rising Sun
7. The Moth
8. Confidence Man
9. Solitary
10. Raised by Another
11. All the Best Cowboys Have
12. Whatever the Case May Be
13. Hearts and Minds
14. Special
15. Homecoming
16. Outlaws
17. In Translation
18. Numbers
19. Deus Ex Machina
20. Do No Harm
21. The Greater Good
22. Born to Run
23. Exodus - Part 1
24. Exodus - Part 2

June 24, 2007

War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds DVD Movie stars Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. It is the story of the madness which ensues when hostile alien invaders start to exterminate humans. The arrival of the invaders is accompanied by lightning and EMP, electric magnetic pulse which blacks out the city as well as cars, watches, and anything electrical. Thanks to changing the solenoid on a minivan, Ray and his kids have the only working car which they use to drive out of the city. They take refuge in Ray's ex wife's house located in the suburbs which seems to be safe. Soon enough however Ray learns that there is more than one alien tripod and that the scope of the invasion is much larger than he had originally thought. The story based on the novel War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells is well known. Besides this 2005 version, other movies such as Independence Day starring Will Smith have been based loosely on that novel as well. The good thing about this Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg version is that it focuses on the fear and helplessness which one family feels in trying to find some kind of refuge, for example the part when their minivan gets raided by a mass of people in panic. The movie's focus on the hysteria and mass panic, along with its amazing special effects make this movie very enjoyable to watch. In contrast, Will Smith's Independence Day was just ridiculous and childish, for example when they tie up a nuclear missile to a crop spraying plane to successfully attack the alien spaceship. Even worse what I really felt made Independence Day bad was the fact that the aliens' demise came about due to the fact that apparently, the aliens could not afford to pay $19.95 for a virus protection program. Unlike that childish ridiculousness of a movie this 2005 remake starring Tom Cruise stays truer to the original story and is worth a viewing.

June 12, 2007

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete First Season

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Complete First Season DVD This DVD collection contains the entire first season consisting of the first 12 episodes of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Something's wrong in Sunnydale, California, something more than the usual bad hair day. As long as there have been vampires, there has been the Slayer. One girl in all the world to find them where they gather and stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. In this generation, she is Buffy Summers, 16 years old and a new student at Sunnydale High. Her experiences at her last school persuaded Buffy to try to resume the life of a normal teenager. But it is no coincidence that Buffy has come to this town at this time. The area is a center of mystical energy, and all the signs point to an iminent, crucial upheaval. If you're really into Buffy, check out the book version of Buffy sharing the same title as one of the season 1 episodes Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Harvest or you can also get the line by line script to the tv series as well as the writers' insights in Buffy The Vampire Slayer The Script Book Season One Vol. 1. As for this Season 1 DVD the episode list follows:

1. Welcome to the Hellmouth - Buffy Summers, a high school sophomore, faces her destiny as a slayer of the undead.
2. The Harvest - Buffy and her friends encounter a powerful vampire bent on opening a portal to a dimension inhabited by demons.
3. Witch - A witch attempts to eliminate Buffy from a cheerleading competition.
4. Teacher's Pet - Buffy's biology teacher is killed by a giant praying mantis that assumes the form of a beautiful substitute teacher.
5. Never Kill a Boy on the First Date - While Buffy awaits the arrival of a warrior vampire, she dates a boy who is attracted to her exciting lifestyle.
6. The Pack - Xander and several other students are possessed by the spirit of a demonic breed of hyenas that wreak havoc at the high school.
7. Angel - Buffy discovers Angel's horrifying secret.
8. I, Robot, You, Jane - Willow unwittingly unleashes a powerful demon that takes refuge on the Internet.
9. The Puppet Show - Buffy suspects that a ventriloquist's dummy may be harvesting organs from classmates performing in a talent show.
10. Nightmares - Buffy and her friends discover that their worst nightmares have become reality.
11. Out of Mind? Out of Sight - As the May Queen election approaches, an invisible force attacks Cordelia's closest friends
12. Prophecy Girl - Giles discovers an ancient book foretelling Buffy's death at the hands of the Master

June 3, 2007

Peppermint Candy (박하사탕)

Peppermint Candy DVD From the acting, cinematography, to the way the movie is depicted in reverse chronological order, Peppermint Candy is a masterpiece and an absolutely great film. First heard of this film while reading an article on the Korean actress Kim Yun-jin who is cast in the TV series Lost. Supposedly back around 1999 she had wanted to be cast in this movie Peppermint Candy but was turned down for the role. This movie is absolutely fine work and is directed by Lee Chang-dong whose latest film Secret Sunshine received the best leading actress award from the Cannes Film Festival. When Peppermint Candy starts it is the spring of 1999, in the woods somewhere near a creek and a railway bridge not far away. Kim Yong-ho is a 40 year old man who seems to be at the end of his rope, with a deep burden of regrets. It seems not too long ago he lost all his money through a combination of stock market losses, to loan sharks, and a friend turned business partner who cheated him of his money. He is also divorced from his now ex-wife and as unfortunate as that seems, even when they were married it seems to have been a loveless marriage. It's interesting to note that this film was released in 1999 when Asia including South Korea was still suffering in the midst of the Asian Financial Crisis which had started in 1997. In the spring of 1999 we see Yong-ho as a distraught man empty of hope with plans to take his own life. Before ending his life however, a chance encounter with his first love of 20 years ago leads our main character to look inside himself and examine the past 20 years of his life, and to recall what really is important. The movie is atypical in that it progresses in reverse chronological order. We first see the main character's present fallen state. Then the movie progresses backwards in time, going back piece by piece through when the main character was a young man 20 years of age. Back then we see him falling in love with his first sweetheart, on an outing with friends, and he has aspirations to be a photographer. The movie is cut into various pieces of this man's life and between each transition we see a train moving backwards in time. In one way the movie is a portrait of one man's choices, decisions, and events which shape him into the tragic end he has become. However it is also a depiction of the sometimes turbulent changes which South Korea has undergone in just the last few decades. In order to truly appreciate the movie, the viewer should have some understanding of recent Korean history. For example one defining moment in the main character's life takes place when he is a soldier thrust into what is now known as the Kwangju massacre of May 1980. The movie is regarding one man's slow and tragic fall from grace, his loss of innocence, and the steps which lead to the hardening of his heart and the loss of his humanity. Towards the end of the movie in the autumn of 1979, which is really the beginning of this man's life, we see the main character at the same location in the woods, near a creek and a railway bridge where the audience now knows he will one day return in tragic fashion. In this 1979 setting we see the main character having a moment of deja vu where he reflects on how strange it is that this place seems so familiar to him despite the fact that he's never been here before. His first sweetheart at that time replies jokingly that he must have seen it in a dream. Knowing the tragic fate which awaits him, one cannot help but wish that everything yet to take place could indeed be but a bad nightmare from which the main character could wake up from, for a fresh start in life. The way the movie is shot in reverse time order makes the events and choices yet to take place ever more poignantly tragic, and cinematically it is masterful. This movie is a fine fine piece of work. It is not just a movie but a masterful work of cinematic art.

June 2, 2007

Harakiri (切腹)

Harakiri DVD With the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the early 1600's, peace ensues in Japan and unfortunately for the samurai, this effectively lowers their value as they find themselves unemployed and masterless. These unemployed and masterless samurai became known as ronin. The story of this movie Harakiri aka Seppuku starts off in May of 1630 when a ronin named Hanshiro Tsugumo walks into the House of Iyi requesting a place to carry out seppuku. The literal translation of seppuku is "cut stomach" in which the samurai kills himself by cutting his stomach open. Seppuku was a ceremonial ritual of suicide as practiced by samurai ensuring an honorable death. It was a painful way of dying which was sort of an act of atonement for the samurai. This ronin named Hanshiro Tsugumo is given audience with Kageyu Saito the senior counselor of the House of Iyi. Hanshiro Tsugumo explains that he was a former retainer of the Fukushima Clan in Hiroshima. Unfortunately with the end of his clan, he became an unemployed samurai forced to meek out a poverty struck living. Rather than continue to endure such poverty struck and shameful conditions, he has chosen to end his own life in the honorable samurai tradition of seppuku. There is some action in the movie but what makes this movie so good is its fine story telling. The movie is regarding a challenge which one man makes, challenging authority and tradition, questioning the so called samurai code of honor which he and his loved ones are expected and indeed forced to abide by silently and unquestioningly despite the changing times which has forced him to meek out a desperate life of poverty. Motome Chijiiwa being forced to carry out harakiri using a bamboo knife, with which piercing the skin was almost impossible and ever more painful, is symbolic of this unrealistic expectation. Forced by fate into a life of poverty where one by one he sees everyone he has ever cared for die off, Hanshiro Tsugumo raises the point that even a samurai is a man with flesh and blood who "cannot live on air alone". Three samurai of the House of Iyi who had been self-righteous sticklers to the samurai code of honor turn out to be cowardly hypocrites when unexpectedly there comes a time when they themselves should carry out seppuku. Instead of choosing seppuku however, the three feign illness and cowardly attempt to hide out in their homes. Unfortunately a bigger tragedy may be that in the end the one man's courageous efforts to challenge authority seems to all be in vain as the evidence is erased and history rewrote by the victor, the victor here being defined as Kageyu Saito representing the House of Iyi, as well as the Tokugawa shogunate, as well as the so called samurai code of honor.

May 27, 2007

Proof

Proof DVD Adapted from David Auburn's play titled Proof, this movie stars Gwyneth Paltrow as Catherine daughter to brilliant mathematician, Anthony Hopkins as Robert the genius mathematician, Jake Gyllenhaal as Hal doctoral candidate whose adviser was Robert, and Hope Davis as Claire older sister to Catherine. Robert was a genius mathematician and professor at the University of Chicago who made brilliant contributions to mathematics but later in life suffered from schizophrenia. After becoming mentally ill, his youngest daughter Catherine quits school to take care of her father who is often no longer coherent and unable to take care of himself. Against the wishes of her older sister Claire, Catherine refuses to allow their father to be institutionalized and chooses to take care of her father herself, letting him stay in his own house. This goes on for about five years after which Robert passes away. During the five years, there is one year when her father seems to recover becoming almost fully lucid. However as Catherine describes, except for that one year when her father's illness went into remission, her father would talk to himself, be convinced that aliens were trying to communicate with him in code using the dewey decimal numbers on library books, scribble nonsense into notebooks, and stink due to the fact that he would refuse to bathe. Obviously it was a very tough five years for a daughter to watch the father who she loved deteriorate. After the father's passing, Claire her older sister comes to visit Catherine and to attend her late father's funeral. Not long after the funeral, one day when Catherine reveals to Claire and Hal that she is the author of a proof for a complex mathematical theory having to do with prime numbers, both Claire and Hal do not believe this and insist that the proof must have been written by their late father. Although they are aware that Catherine is a great mathematician in her own right, they cannot believe that such complex and advanced work could have been written by Catherine. For her part, Claire the older sister fears that Catherine is losing her mind. The older sister becomes concerned that the same tendencies for mental illness which were exhibited by their late father may have been inherited by her younger sister Catherine. Despite Catherine's pleas, both Hal and her own sister demand some proof. The movie takes place on a university campus and the movie is reminescent of a similar movie titled A Beautiful Mind. This current movie goes beyond academic mathematical proofs and delves into the topic of personal relationships, and the proof of love, proof of trust, and that often it is the choosing to believe that is truly important as there cannot be absolute proof on some things.

May 13, 2007

In the Name of the Father

In the Name of the Father DVD Directed by Jim Sheridan, this movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Gerry Conlon and Pete Postlethwaite as Guiseppe Conlon. Movie starts out in British occupied Belfast Northern Ireland in the early 1970s. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the role of Gerry Conlon a young Irish man from a modest working class family. Rebellious by nature, Gerry and his friends tend to engage in small time theft and burglary. One day while attempting to flee pursuing English soldiers, Gerry and friends end up causing a small riot. Fearing for what trouble their son may eventually end up in, Gerry's father Guiseppe sends his son off to England to live with his aunt Annie, away from the chaos involving the English occupation forces and the IRA resistance movement. Once in England, Gerry and his schoolmate buddy Paul Hill decide to stay at a hippie commune where they spend their time in idle bliss. One night when a bomb goes off at a pub located in Guildford, England, 5 people are killed and many others injured. Under intense pressure to catch the terrorists, the police wrongly arrest Gerry and some of his hippie friends. Tortured, Gerry and friend Paul Hill both sign a statement confessing to the bombing despite their non-involvement. The British legal system would eventually sentence what became known as the "Guildford Four" as well as Gerry's father to jail terms ranging from 4 years to life. Being a young male Irish from a working class family with a criminal record, Gerry fits the profile whom British police have sketched in their minds as being the perpetrator of the pub bombing. Although indeed Gerry did commit some wrongs, his real crime is being at the wrong time and the wrong place, and being Irish. The movie is based on Gerry Conlon's autobiography titled In the Name of the Father: The Story of Gerry Conlon of the Guildford Four, it was earlier published by the title of Proved Innocent. On the night of Oct 5, 1974 two pubs frequented by British soldiers is bombed, killing 5 and leaving many others injured. The pubs were located in Guildford, a small town outside of London. Following this bombing more bombings ensued. In their fervor to catch the perpetrators the British police cast a wide net and end up wrongly arresting and convicting Gerry Conlon, his friends and family. On November 28, 1974 when the British government enacts the Prevention of Terrorism Act, this grants British police with sweeping powers one of which is the right to arbitrarily detain people for 7 days and 7 nights without needing to charge them with any crime. The movie depicts how Gerry's ill father is arrested as an accomplice in the bombings. Gerry's father suffering from pulmonary thrombosis would eventually die in jail after serving 15 years. He would be buried in Milltown Cemetery, Belfast. The movie shows how the police seem to be preoccupied with engaging themselves in a witch hunt as opposed to trying to find out whether or not Gerry is the real perpetrator. Indeed in 1987 it's revealed that the police headed by Robert Dixon actually suppressed evidence which seemed to exonerate Gerry. In 1989, the convictions of the Guildford Four is overturned. Unfortunately none of the British police are convicted of having done any wrong, an eternal black mark tainting the professionalism and integrity of the British police as well as the British legal system. It is outrageous how Robert Dixon as portrayed in the movie seems to be totally focused on getting Gerry and his family convicted of the Guildford pub bombings despite being presented with evidence to the contrary. In the face of evidence pointing to the contrary as well as an admission of guilt by Joe McAndrew, the real perpetrator of the Guildford pub bombing, the inability of the British legal system and its police force to face the truth and admit its own guilt in its scapegoat convictions of innocent people is outrageous, frustrating, almost incredible, and makes this a great fantastic revealing movie.