ZaC #4: Resident Evil

Title: Resident Evil

Year Released/Rating: 2002 R

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, James Purefoy

Directed By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Written By: Paul W.S. Anderson

Genre: Horror, action

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: I own it!

Trivia:

Like in the games, after something is switched on/off, something else happens elsewhere. When the Red Queen is deactivated for the first time, all doors elsewhere are opened.
Milla Jovovich's character's name, Alice, is only revealed during the credits.
When Matt's arm begins to mutate there are no digital effects until the very end.
The pass code for opening the door in dining hall B, the one Kaplan has trouble remembering, is 04031965. Writer/Director Paul W.S. Anderson was born on 04 March 1965.
Milla Jovovich did all of her own stunts except the pipe jump in the sewer scene. She used a stunt double in that scene, because her agent thought she would get strangled by the hanging wires.
The crew had a hard time dealing with the dogs who kept licking the blood and meat off themselves.
All the minor cuts and bruises on Milla Jovovich's character are real. No make-up was applied.

Summary: A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.

Review:

I know this movie is super cheesy, but I love it so much. It's a great adventure ride with twists and turns, zombies and monsters, and even some human monsters. The first appearance of the zombies in the "cafeteria" is very scary and jumpy. I love it! The movie starts to fall apart a little with the appearance of the "lickers." I know that that zombies mutant in the video games, but these were a bit cheesy looking. Even with that, I love this movie way too much.

Best Bits:

Red Queen: You're all going to die down here.
[Alice points her gun at Rain] Rain: I'm not dead yet. [Rain takes the gun from Alice] Rain: I think I'll take this back. Alice: I could kiss you, you bitch!
Red Queen: I've been a bad, bad girl.
Rain: All the people that were working here are dead. Spence: Well, that isn't stopping them from walking around.
Red Queen: I can give you the code, but first you must do something for me. Alice: What? Red Queen: One of your group has been infected. I require her life for the code.

ZaC #3: Land of the Dead

Title: Land of the Dead

Year Released/Rating: 2005 R

Starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento

Directed By: George A. Romero

Written By: George A. Romero

Genre: Horror

Star Rating: 3/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix instant

Trivia:

George A. Romero was so impressed with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead that he asked them to appear in this, the fourth part of his "Dead" series, and they appear as the photo-booth zombies in the carnival/bar-room sequence. They also feature prominently in the artwork for the unrated directors' cut.
This is the first film of George A. Romero's "Living Dead" series which uses digital effects.
Asia Argento (Slack) is the daughter of noted Italian horror filmmaker Dario Argento, who was the co-producer and co-composer of one of the previous entries in George Romero's zombie series, Dawn of the Dead.
George A. Romero's daughter appears in the film. She is the soldier who shoots the zombie on the electrified fence.

Summary: The living dead have taken over the world, and the last humans live in a walled city to protect themselves as they come to grips with the situation

Review:

Definitely not as cheesy as Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, but not all that great. I am not a big fan of this movie. I know it's Romero, but I feel like he crossed a line with the adapting zombies. They have become too comical, not really that crazy at all. So, I think with this movie, I am done with the Romero series.

Best Bits:

[from trailer] Kaufman: Zombies, man. They creep me out.
Riley: Make sure she doesn't hurt herself. Slack: I can take care of myself, ok? Riley: Fine. Charlie, make sure she doesn't hurt anyone else.
Foxy: [Cholo is bitten by a zombie and Foxy hold a gun aimed at him] It's your call man. Cholo: [hesitates then shakes his head no] Nah, I always wanted to see how the other half lives.

ZaC #2: Dawn of the Dead

Title: Dawn of the Dead

Year Released/Rating: 2004 R

Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer

Directed By: Zack Snyder

Written By: George A. Romero, James Gunn

Genre: Horror

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: I own it

Trivia:

The WGON traffic copter makes an appearance. The WGON traffic copter was the main transportation for the survivor in the original Dawn of the Dead.
The mall scenes of the film as well as the rooftop scenes were shot in the Thornhill Square Shopping Centre in Thornhill, Ontario and the rest of the scenes were shot in the Aileen-Willowbrook Neighborhood of Thornhill, and the Township of Caledon East, Ontario. The set for Ana and Louis's bedroom was constructed in a back room of the mall. The mall was defunct, which is the reason the production used it; the movie crew completely renovated the structure, and stocked it with fictitious stores after Starbucks Coffee and numerous other corporations refused to let their names be used (two exceptions to this are Roots and Panasonic). Most of the mall was demolished shortly after the film was shot.
Shot in chronological order.
Most of the zombie makeup was modeled after real and gruesome forensic photos.
The two zombies with missing limbs (the jogger missing an arm and the legless zombie in the parking garage) were both played by actual amputees. The same thing was done for one of the first zombies seen in the original Dawn of the Dead.
The production had a blood cart on set all day due to the excessive amounts of fake blood being used.
Zack Snyder said that the reason his zombies run at full speed is because he wanted to avoid the inherent comic impression given by slow, shuffling undead.
The group in the mall had named the two parking shuttles; the first one, holding Nicole, CJ, Michael, and Ana was named The Pinta, the one carrying Terry, Kenneth, Steve, Glen and Monica was named The Santa Maria.

Summary:

A nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman, and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.

Review:

This doesn't have the same slow creepiness as the original, but it does have its fair share of "gotcha" moments. It gore filled and crude at times, but overall I really enjoy Snyder's take on the zombie apocalypse. Plus, he added so many nods to the original trilogy that I just have to love it. The characters are interesting. I loved Ana and Michael. But even the villans are sufficiently interesting to keep my attention. My big complaint with the movie is with the colorization. Everything is super saturated and it somehow looks off.

Best Bits:

Michael: Truck's not gonna make it to Fort Pastor. Steve: No, forget the truck. That place is fucked, man. Bloodbath city. Kenneth: How do you know? Norma: We just came from there. Kenneth: Is everyone there dead? Steve: Or dead-ish. Kenneth: [more firm tone] Is everyone there dead? Steve: Yeah, in the sense that they all, sort of, fell down, and then... got up and... started eating each other.
CJ: [after everyone enters an elevator to escape the zombies] I like this song.
Michael: I want you to see this. [shows how the chainsaw goes through the truck walls] Michael: When those things are on the side of the bus, this'll get them off. Cool, huh? Ana: Wow. That might be the most romantic thing anyone's ever shown me. Michael: I'm trying here.
Steve: I have an idea. While we're at it, why don't we drop by the marina, hop in my boat and take it for a pleasure cruise, you jackasses! Ana: Wait, that's a good idea. There's islands out there. There's not many people on them. Steve: I was kidding.
Ana: [everyone has run to the roof to watch the BP truck racing around the mall parking lot] What are we gonna do about that truck? CJ: We're not gonna do anything about that truck! Ana: There's people in there! CJ: Yeah, and how do you know they're not all fucked up like everybody else out there? Ana: Well, for one thing, they're driving a truck. [gunshots coming from truck] Ana: Oh, and shooting guns.
Kenneth: You sure you wanna do this? Michael: Yeah. I think I'll just stay here awhile. Enjoy the sunrise.
Michael: [Everyone is sitting down to dinner] Before that I worked in a stationary store. And I drove a snowplow. Fixed copiers. Steve: God, it's such a shame that this whole "end of the world" thing's holding you back.

ZaC #1: Night of the Living Dead

Title: Night of the Living Dead

Year Released/Rating: 1968

Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea, Karl Hardman

Directed By: George A. Romero

Written By: John A. Russo, George A. Romero

Genre: Horror

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Library loan

Trivia:

Bosco chocolate syrup was used to simulate the blood in the film.
When the zombies are eating the bodies in the burnt-out truck they were actually eating roast ham covered in chocolate sauce. The filmmakers joked that it was so nausea inducing that it was almost a waste of time putting the makeup on the zombies, as they ended up looking pale and sick anyway.
In the scene where Ben is nailing wooden boards to the door, small numbers can be seen on them. These were written on the backs of the boards so they could be removed and replaced in between shots, preserving continuity. Some numbers are visible because some of the boards were nailed on backwards.
The film's first scene, the initial cemetery attack on Barbara and Johnny, was the last filmed, in November 1967. The actors had to hold their breath to avoid visible condensation in the frosty autumn air.
Actor/co-producer Karl Hardman (Harry Cooper, the father in the basement), also served as makeup artist, electronic sound effects engineer, and took the still photos used for the closing credits.
The house used for this film was loaned to the filmmakers by the owner, who planned to demolish it anyway, thereby ensuring that they could do whatever they wanted to the house.
Readers Digest tried to warn people away from watching the film in 1968 by claiming if it's ever watched, it will inspire cannibalism.

Summary: A group of people hide from bloodthirsty zombies in a farmhouse.

Review:

I'm starting my Zombies and Candles week with the classic: Night of the Living Dead. Of course, I hard to start at the beginning and the best. This movie is a classic. We jump right into the action. I love the scene in the cemetery with Johnny taunting Barbara before being attacked. The characters all act like I think they would during a zombie apocalypse. I read that Romero was pressured to reshoot the ending and make it a happy one. I'm glad that he didn't; the ending is appropriate for the storyline. I'm going to skip Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead. I've seen both many times and they are just too cheesy. Plus, I don't own them and they aren't on Netflix instant. Instead I'm going to move to the Dawn of the Dead remake.

Best Bits:

Johnny: They're coming to get you, Barbara, there's one of them now!
Newscaster: It has been established that persons who have recently died have been returning to life and committing acts of murder. A widespread investigation of funeral homes, morgues, and hospitals has concluded that the unburied dead have been returning to life and seeking human victims. It's hard for us here to be reporting this to you, but it does seem to be a fact.
[last lines] Sheriff McClelland: Good shot! OK, he's dead; let's go get 'im. That's another one for the fire.
[to Harry Cooper after having been locked outside] Ben: I ought to drag you out there and FEED you to those things!
Sheriff McClelland: All right, Vince, hit him in the head, right between the eyes.

NMF #28: Star Trek: First Contact

Title: Star Trek: First Contact

Year Released/Rating: 1996 PG-13

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner

Written By: Gene Roddenberry, Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore

Directed By: Jonathan Frakes

Genre: Action, adventure, scifi

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

At the end of filming, actor/director Jonathan Frakes got the nickname: "Two takes Frakes" because of the efficiency of his style.
The Enterprise-E is a Sovereign class starship. The previous ship, the Enterprise-D, was a Galaxy class starship.
Captain Picard is likened to "Moby Dick" character Captain Ahab for his obsession with destroying the Borg, as Ahab was obsessed with killing the white whale. Patrick Stewart, who portrays Picard, later portrayed Ahab in Moby Dick. Thus, Patrick Stewart became the first actor to have quoted "Moby Dick" as the Captain of a vessel in more than one series.
In this film, the EMH says "I'm a doctor, not a doorstop". This is a nod to Dr. McCoy from Star Trek the original series. Whenever McCoy was given a non-medical task, he would say "I'm a doctor, not a... (bricklayer, moon shuttle conductor, escalator, etc.)"
Alice Krige suffered much discomfort throughout the film. Her costume was too tight, causing blisters, and the silver contacts she had to wear were so painful they could only be kept in for four minutes at a time.

Summary: Captain Picard and his crew pursue the Borg back in time to stop them from preventing Earth from initiating first contact with alien life.

Review: I've seen the original cast Star Trek movies, but none of the newer ones (except the newest J.J. Abrahms movie). J figured that I was far enough into the series (ST:TNG S4) to start watching some of the movies. This one is really good. I enjoyed this movie. It's like a good episode, just longer. We get the initial idea, references to past episodesnew characters, and even some old characters. The pacing kept me entertained throughout. Although I did find the scenes aboard the Enterprise much more interesting than those set on Earth. Overall, a very enjoyable movie night.

Best Bits:

[Quoting "Moby Dick"] Captain Jean-Luc Picard: And he piled upon the whale's white hump, the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would have shot his heart upon it.
Lily Sloane: Jean Luc, blow up the damn ship! Captain Jean-Luc Picard: No! Noooooooooo! [Smashes glass and model ships with his phaser] Captain Jean-Luc Picard: I will not sacrifice the Enterprise. We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And *I* will make them pay for what they've done. Lily Sloane: You broke your little ships.
Lily Sloane: Borg? Sounds Swedish.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Reports of my assimilation have been greatly exaggerated.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Mr. Worf, do you remember your zero G combat training? Lt. Commander Worf: I remember how it made me sick to my stomach.
Lieutenant Commander Data: [about the Borg Queen] She brought me closer to humanity than I ever thought possible. And for a time, I was tempted by her offer. Captain Jean-Luc Picard: How long a time? Lieutenant Commander Data: 0.68 seconds sir. For an android, that is nearly an eternity.
Cmdr. William Riker: Mr. Worf, you do remember how to fire phasers?
[the Vulcans have landed to meet Cochrane] Vulcan: Live long and prosper. Dr. Zefram Cochrane: Thanks.
Emergency Medical Hologram: Please state the nature of the medical emergency. Dr. Beverly Crusher: Twenty Borg are about to break through that door. We need time to get out of here! Create a diversion! Emergency Medical Hologram: This isn't part of my program! I'm a doctor, not a doorstop. Dr. Beverly Crusher: Well, do a dance! Tell a story! I don't care! Just give us a few seconds! [the Borg break in as Crusher and her people escape through an airduct] Emergency Medical Hologram: Ahem, according to Starfleet medical research... Borg implants can cause severe skin irritations. Perhaps you'd like an analgesic cream?
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Mr. Worf... I regret some of the things I said to you earlier. Lt. Commander Worf: "Some"? Captain Jean-Luc Picard: As a matter of fact, I think you're the bravest man I have ever known. Lt. Commander Worf: Thank you, sir.
Cmdr. William Riker: [looking up at the moon] Wow! Look at that! Dr. Zefram Cochrane: Don't tell me you've never seen the moon before. Cmdr. William Riker: It's just looks a lot different, that's all. There are 50 million people living on the moon in my time.

NMF #27: The War Bride

Title: The War Bride

Year Released/Rating: 2001

Starring: Anna Friel, Brenda Fricker, Aden Young

Written By: Angela Workman

Directed By: Lyndon Chubbuck

Genre: Drama, Romance

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Summary: WW2: In London, Lily marries a Canadian soldier who goes off to war. She and her newborn daughter are invited to come and live with his family in Canada, where conditions are not as splendid as he had described. And nobody knows if and when he will return.

Review: One of those random choices from Netflix and it was a cute one. A little bit of drama, a little bit of romance, we journey with Lily from the uncertainty of wartime London to the uncertainty of the plains of Canada. I've decided that I really like Anna Friel. She's just adorable in everything I've seen her in. And "Betty" and "Sylvia" round out a great cast of women. If you like a bit of period romance, pick it up.

NMF #26: The Bourne Legacy

Title: The Bourne Legacy

Year Released/Rating: 2012 PG-13

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton

Written By: Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy, Robert Ludlum

Directed By: Tony Gilroy

Genre: Action, adventure, mystery

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Redbox rental

Trivia:

Before this movie was seriously considered, director Paul Greengrass jokingly suggested to make a fourth Bourne movie called "The Bourne Redundancy".
Shipped to theaters under the code name "Marcher". This was also the fake title filming took place under.
The message scrawled on the mirror in the hotel room, 'No More', is an anagram of the fake surname Cross gives to Marta, 'Monroe'.
Daniel Craig visited his wife Rachel Weisz during their shoot in Manila. Producer Frank Marshall was glad to see them together, saying: "It was pretty cool to have James Bond on the 'Bourne' set with Aaron Cross. We had a great time. It was really fun."

Summary: An expansion of the universe from Robert Ludlum's novels, centered on a new hero whose stakes have been triggered by the events of the previous three films.

Review: I enjoyed this volume way more than the previous Bourne movie. The shaky cam was limited to the last action sequence. The plot line was a nice change of pace. The characters were decent. I loved seeing Jeremy Renner as the "new Bourne." It was a thoroughly fun ride. Great little action film to enjoy some night.

Best Bits:

[last lines] Dr. Marta Shearing: Are we lost? Aaron Cross: No, I was just looking at our options. Dr. Marta Shearing: Oh, I was kinda hoping we were lost.
Drone Spec: What kind of weapon system is this guy operating? Dita Mandy: He's probably got a rifle. [Drone operators exchange incredulous glances] Byer: It's a high-powered rifle.
Aaron Cross: [to Dr. Shearing] Now, I've got a plan, and it's just not that complicated. What I'm going to do is wait for the next person to show up to kill you. Maybe they can help me.
Dr. Marta Shearing: You've been shot! Aaron Cross: It's all right.

NMF #25: Hysteria

Title: Hysteria

Year Released/Rating: 2011 R

Starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce

Written By: Stephen Dyer, Jonah Lisa Dyer, Howard Gensler

Directed By: Tanya Wexler

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Redbox rental

Trivia: Dr. Granvilles electromechanical vibrator was portable but had a wet cell battery that weighed about 40 pounds.

Summary: The truth of how Mortimer Granville devised the invention of the first vibrator in the name of medical science.

Review: This has been on my list for awhile. The movie did not disappoint. It's something like a romcom but set in the 1880s. We see a man and woman come from very different perpectives who grow to appreciate each other. In the process, the man helps invent the vibrator. Sounds like one fun ride. It was entertaining and delightful. Maggie Gyllenhaal is awesome like always. Hugh Dancy plays a great bumbling doctor. And Jonathan Pryce shines as the slightly backwards physician. Loved it!

Best Bits:

Molly: What do you call that little thing? Edmund Smythe: I was calling it the feather duster. Molly: Well I'd think of something quick, so that a girl knows what to ask for.
[first lines] Mrs. Bellamy: I truly don't even know why I'm here, doctor. [pen scraping] Well, of course it's difficult running a large household by oneself. And raising four children is exacting, but they're wonderful, wonderful children. And my husband, he's a good man. A very hard worker. Um... Ahem. Well, there is just one thing. Sometimes at night, when he comes to me, I imagine myself splitting his fat bald head with a great large ax.[pen scraping]
Charlotte Dalrymple: I'm fine. I have lots of friends in prison.

NMF #24: Magic Mike

Title: Magic Mike

Year Released/Rating: 2012 R

Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Olivia Munn

Written By: Reid Carolin

Directed By: Steven Soderbergh

Genre: Comedy, drama

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Redbox rental

Trivia:

The film is loosely based on Channing Tatum's experiences as a male exotic dancer before hitting it big as a movie star.
Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer allegedly did not get along on set.
In the scene where Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) finally strips, there is a point where he rolls away from all of the women holding his crotch. This is because the extras got a little bit too excited and accidentally ripped his g-string. Instead of stopping the dance, he just incorporated it in.

Summary: A male stripper teaches a younger performer how to party, pick up women, and make easy money.

Review: One of those movies that I just had to see for myself. I finally Redboxed it. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. I actually enjoyed it. The dance scenes are pretty cringe-worthy, but the character driven scenes are good. I loved seeing the dancers in the rest of the our lives. We get an interesting story. Soderbergh does well here.

Best Bits:

Dallas: [to The Kid] You are the husband they never had! You are that dreamboat guy that never came along!
Paige: Entrepreneur/stripper? Stripper/entrepreneur? Mike Martingano: Either one. Paige: I was hoping this was all a joke. Mike Martingano: It is pretty funny.
Mike Martingano: I have, like, $13,000 saved. Paige: Wow. That's a lot of ones. Mike Martingano: There are some fives in there. Paige: Oh, ok. No twenties? Mike Martingano: Oh, you don't wanna know what I have to do for twenties.

NMF #23: Battlestar Galactica

Title: Battlestar Galactica (TV mini series)

Year Released/Rating: 2003

Starring: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff

Genre: Science fiction

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: On the server

Trivia:

The hand held camera shot of Secretary Roslin being sworn in as the new President of the Twelve Colonies is a direct reference to the historic photograph of Vice President Lyndon Johnson taking the oath of office aboard Air Force 1 following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Commander Adama's final speech to his crew (including his repeated use of the phrase "So say we all!" to rally them to action) was largely improvised by Edward James Olmos.
Ragnar Anchorage, the hidden supply dump, is named for Ragnarok, the Norse legend of the final battle at the end of the world.
The humans live on 12 planets and moons known as "The Colonies of Kobol", whose names are taken from Zodiac signs. During Season Two, Laura Roslin mentions that the Zodiac signs are the "ancient" names of the colonies: Aerelon, Tauron, Gemenon, Canceron, Leonis, Virgon, Libron, Scorpia, Sagittaron, Caprica, Aquaria and Picon. At the end of the miniseries, Cmdr. Adama mentions a 13th colony called Earth. These references were influenced by the religious beliefs of series creator Glen Larson: The Twelve Tribes of Israel, the 13th is a group of Israelites who migrated to North America. "Kobol" is a misspelling of "Kolob," according to Latter-day Saints, is a place near the throne of God.
Tricia Helfer based her performance on Daryl Hannah's Priss in Blade Runner. Edward James Olmos, who co-starred in the film, gave her a copy to watch.

Summary: A re-imagining of the original series in which a "rag-tag fugitive fleet" of the last remnants of mankind flees pursuing robots while simultaneously searching for their true home, Earth.

Review: J has been bugging me about watching this series for years now (we don't speak of the ending...). So, we decided to start with the mini series tonight. Man, what a ride! It was nonstop from beginning to end. An amazing storyline, amazing space battles, amazing characters. I loved every minute of it and couldn't wait to keep watching. This is such a great show.

Best Bits:

Laura Roslin: I don't know why I have to keep telling you this, but the war is over. Adama: It hasn't begun yet.
[first spoken lines in the show] Number Six: Are you alive? Boxey's Father: Yes. Number Six: Prove it.
Baltar: So now you're telling me, um, now you're telling me you're a machine? Number Six: I'm a woman. Baltar: You're a machine. You're a synthetic woman, a robot. Number Six: I've said it three times now. Baltar: Well, forgive me, I'm having the tiniest little bit of trouble believing that because the last time anybody saw the Cylons they looked more like walking chrome toasters. Number Six: Those models are still around. They have their uses.
[looting the display Viper Mk.2s from the museum for combat duty] Starbuck: You sure they'll fly? Tyrol: Well, the reactor's still hot, so all we have to do is pull the rad buffers from the engine, refuel it, load the ordnance, and you're ready to go. The biggest problem is getting them over to the port launch bay. Starbuck: Why can't we use the starboard launch? Tyrol: It's a gift shop now. Starbuck: Frak me.
Apollo: [both of their Vipers are attached together while trying to land on the Galactica] We're coming in a little hot, don't you think? Starbuck: [lying] No, not really.

NMF #22: Special

Title: Special

Year Released/Rating: 2006 R

Starring: Michael Rapaport, Paul Blackthrone, Josh Peck

Written By: Hal Haberman, Jeremy Passmore

Directed By: Hal Haberman, Jeremy Passmore

Genre: Drama, Fantasy

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Amazon streaming

Summary: A lonely metermaid has a psychotic reaction to his medication and becomes convinced he's a superhero. A very select group of people in life are truly gifted. Special is a movie about everyone else.

Review: An interesting little action drama indie flick. The idea of a man who claims to have superpowers is intriguing. I love the slow progression into madness, or is it? The way we experience the movie, I can never really tell and that's just awesome. It's even shot like a dream making it much more interesting to the audience. I enjoyed this random little movie.

Best Bits:

Jonas Exiler: That was exciting. You have a genuine flair for making a scene, don't you, Les?
Les: [has just run full-speed into a wall] I'm, uh, I'm not like most people. Cop #1: Yeah, I can see that.
Les: Your force field is good; my teleporting is better.

NMF #21: Explorers

Title: Explorers

Year Released/Rating: 1985 PG

Starring: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Bobby Fite

Written By: Eric Luke

Directed By: Joe Dante

Genre: Adventure, Scifi

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia:

As the boys look through the junkyard for the pieces for their ship, Rosebud (the sled from Citizen Kane) can be seen sitting at the top of a pile.
When the helicopter pilot looks at the newspaper, one of the headlines says "Kingston Falls 'Riot' Still Unexplained". Kingston Falls was the town where the events in Gremlins(also directed by Joe Dante), took place.
The film was never finished, and was released as a work in progress when the studio decided to move up the release date and release the film as it was, telling director Joe Dante that he was finished and they were going to go ahead and release what he had at that point.
Wolfgang's "talking" rat is named Heinlein, after science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, who wrote many stories about young boys experimenting with spaceflight.
Inside Wolfgang's basement, the toy monkey from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, can be seen.
Feature film debut for both Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix.
River Phoenix, who had grown up in communes in South America, was somewhat unfamiliar with popular culture and slang words. During rehearsals it became a running joke when he would attempt scripted well-known words and phrases and usually pronounce them incorrectly.

Summary: Ben Crandall, an alien-obsessed kid, dreams one night of a circuit board. Drawing out the circuit, he and his friends Wolfgang and Darren set it up, and discover they have been given the basis for a starship. Setting off in the ThunderRoad, as they name their ship, they find the aliens Ben hopes they would find... but are they what they seem?

Review: This is a great movie. I feel like I would've completely fallen in love with this movie if I had watched it during childhood. Even watching it during my 30s, I really enjoyed the movie. We get three precocious children making contact with an alien race. There are enough science fiction references to keep the adult geek in me entertain. Plus, we get some awesome 80s-ness. I think we need to introduce the boys to this movie during the summer. Something tells me they would love it!

Best Bits:

Wak: Look, I know I must look weird to you but how do you think you look to me? Listen, I watched four episodes of "Lassie" before I figured out why the little hairy kid never spoke. I mean, he rolled over, sure, he did that fine but, I don't think he deserved a series for that.
Ben Crandall: [stuttering, astounded at the violent film footage] But thi - see, this isn't real! A-a-and we don't really kill people! Well, we do, b-but n-not aliens, 'cause we haven't met any!
Ben Crandall: I've waited all my life to say this. Darren Woods: Be my guest. Ben Crandall: We come in peace.
Heinlein the Mouse: [pressing buttons] I would like... cheese... go... to... hell...
Ben Crandall: What's that? Wak: Uhh... Space Pirates.

NMF #20: Love's Kitchen

Title: Love's Kitchen

Year Released/Rating: 2011 PG-13

Starring: Dougray Scott, Claire Forlani, Michelle Ryan

Written By: James Hacking

Directed By: James Hacking

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia:

Given a limited initial release (4 screens) in the UK, it famously took just £121.00 during its opening weekend.
Claire Forlani and Dougray Scott are married in real life.

Summary: Rob Haley (Dougray Scott), an up-and-coming chef and restaurateur in London, is grief-stricken when he loses his wife. With encouragement from his infamous friend and real life TV Chef Gordon Ramsay, Rob decides to spice up his life by turning a run-down country pub into a gourmet restaurant. His food catches the eye - and taste buds - of beautiful American food critic Kate Templeton (Claire Forlani) and they soon both write a recipe for love that leaves both their hearts - and their stomachs - in full.

Review: I was expecting a run of the mill silly romantic comedy, but this was a pleasant surprise. The characters seemed realer. The gimmicks were few and far in between. The setting was fun (love the restaurant idea). The overall feel of the movie was nice. I couldn't really find anything to complain about. It was a great little romantic movie.

NMF #19: Mega Shark Vs. Crocosaurus

Title: Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus

Year Released/Rating: 2010 R

Starring: Jaleel White, Gary Stretch, Sarah Lieving, Robert Picardo

Written By: Micho Rutare, Naomi L. Selfman

Directed By: Christopher Ray

Genre: Action, horror, scifi

Star Rating: 1/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia: The ship in the beginning of the movie, the USS Gibson, is a battleship. At present there are no battleships serving in any navy, including the United States Navy.

Summary: Do I really need one? Shark vs. croc, huge size, enough said.

Review: The sequel to Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus. I didn't think it was possible to get worse than the first one, but the sequel accepted that challenge and passed with flying colors. This is just horrid. The CGI is bad. The acting is horribly over dramatic. The plot line is ludicrous. And the dialogue is just plain unbelievable.

NMF #18: The Warrior's Way

Title: The Warrior's Way

Year Released/Rating: 2010 R

Starring: Dong-gun Jang, Kate Bosworth, Geoffrey Rush

Written By: Sngmoo Lee

Directed By: Sngmoo Lee

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Western

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia:

The painting in the saloon is a parody of Edouard Manet's famous "Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe" (itself a copy of Raimondi's engraving "The Judgment of Paris"), with the setting changed to the prairies, and buffaloes and tepees in the background.

Summary: A warrior-assassin is forced to hide in a small town in the American Badlands after refusing a mission.

Review: A very strange movie, but I liked it. A master swordsman in the Old West. Cowboys versus ninjas, just an awesome, interesting idea. The movie is just gorgeous. I love the settings and the overall look of the movie. It has a surreal quality. The side characters are all way too fun, especially Eight-Ball. There are some beautiful shots in this movie. A definite must see.

Best Bits:

Lynne: [throwing knives blindfolded] You dead? Yang: Not yet.
Yang: We are called sad flutes because when you cut the throat, the last sound is like a sad flute. Lynne: Dang! Skinny, you sure know how to throw a dang cat in a party room, don't cha.
Lynne: By saving me we've ruined every new thing you've found here. Yang: This new world without you, not so new.
Ronald: You've done good on this garden - for a laundry man. Yang: You do good shooting - for a drunken man.

NMF #17: Aziz Ansari: Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening

This isn't a movie per se, but I needed some comedy tonight and we couldn't easily find a comedy I hadn't seen. So we turned to Netflix and I do like Ansari on Parks and Rec.

Title: Aziz Ansari: Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening

Year Released/Rating: 2010

Starring: Aziz Ansari

Written By: Aziz Ansari

Directed By: Jason Woliner

Genre: Comedy special

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Review: Helped me momentarily forget how crappy I feel today. Basically he is acting as Tom from Parks and Rec, but that's okay. He's funny just the way he is. Plus, the bit about sheet thread count left me breathless.

Best Bits:

Aziz Ansari: I like living in L.A. One thing I don't like about living here is driving. I always get bored when I'm driving, and when I get bored, I go on the Internet on my Blackberry. So I'm gonna die! And whenever they go through the wreckage, they'll find my phone and be like, whoa, that's what he looked up right before he died? Gonna be so sad. It'll be like: Comedian Aziz Ansari was killed in a car accident today. He was struck by another vehicle while using IMDb to see if Val Kilmer was, indeed, in the film "Willow." A representative for Mr. Kilmer confirmed he was, indeed, in the film and hopes this will prevent future tragedies of this nature. This is the third "Willow"-related death this year.

NMF #16: Immortals

Title: Immortals

Year Released/Rating: 2011 R

Starring: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans,

Written By: Charley Parlapanides, Vias Parlapanides

Directed By: Tarsem Singh

Genre: Action Fantasy

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia:

Director Tarsem Singh described the film as being "done in Renaissance painting style".
Luke Evans plays Zeus - he appeared a year earlier as Zeus' son Apollo in Clash of the Titans.

Summary: Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.

Review: The story and characters aren't anything spectacular, but I must say it is pretty. Singh knows how to make a movie look real and unreal at the same time. It's just beautiful. The play of light and shadows set the right tone for the movie. It was an entertaining two hours spent while job searching. I guess that's really all I can ask for in a movie: it entertained me.

Best Bits:

Zeus: It's not living as such that's important, Theseus. It's living rightly.
Phaedra: To those whom much is given, much is taken away.

NMF #15: Seven Samurai

Title: Seven Samurai

Year Released/Rating: 1954

Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima

Written By: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni

Directed By: Akira Kurosawa

Genre: Action, Drama

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

Toho pulled the plug on the project several times when it ran over budget, forcing director Akira Kurosawa to go back and personally argue with the board of directors who were convinced they were making a flop.
First use of a scene which is now commonplace in cinema: The approaching horde coming into view as they crest a hilltop, specifically when Kikuchiyo sees the mounted bandits approaching.
Akira Kurosawa did not get along well with actor Yoshio Inaba, (Gorobei), deriding and yelling at him for most of the shoot. Although Inaba worked once more appeared in a minor role in Kurosawa's Throne of Blood, Inaba apparently found the experience of shooting Seven Samurai so stressful that he limited the amount of film work he did after it.
Akira Kurosawa's ancestors were samurai, roughly up to a hundred years before he made this film.
Kurosawa designed a registry of all 101 residents of the village, creating a family tree to help his extras build their characters and relationships to each other.

Summary: A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.

Review: This movie is shot beautifully. Every scene is stages exactly with lighting, scenery, and blocking. Kurosawa even adds the quiet still shots to give us a scope of the film. Each of the characters has a sense of history and purpose, even the village extras. This isn't just a story of the seven samurai, but an entire culture. We see the struggles and triumphs of the people. I'm glad I finally watched this movie (J's been bugging me for ages). It is truly a cinematic masterpieces. Kurosawa was the Orson Welles of his day and place.

Best Bits:

Gisaku: Find hungry samurai.
[on taking Katsushiro as a student] Kambei Shimada: You embarrass me. You're overestimating me. Listen, I'm not a man with any special skill, but I've had plenty of experience in battles; losing battles, all of them. In short, that's all I am. Drop such an idea for your own good. Katsushiro: No Sir, my decision has been made. I'll follow you sir. Kambei Shimada: I forbid it. I can't afford to take a kid with me.
Kikuchiyo: You fool! Damn you! You call yourself a horse! For shame! Hey! Wait! Please! I apologize! Forgive me!
Gisaku: What's the use of worrying about your beard when your head's about to be taken?

NMF #14: The Black Hole

Title: The Black Hole

Year Released/Rating: 1979 PG

Starring: Maximillian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster

Written By: Jeb Rosebrook, Bob Barbash, Richard H. Landau, Gerry Day

Directed By: Gary Nelson

Genre: Action Adventure

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

To film the special effects, Disney originally wanted to rent the Dykstraflex camera system that was created for Star Wars (the first computer-controlled camera) from Industrial Light & Magic. However, the price and rental terms were unacceptable so Disney created its own version instead. What resulted was Disney's A.C.E.S. (Automated Camera Effects System), which was radically superior to the Dykstraflex system; the Mattescan system, which enabled the camera to move on a matte painting (that was previously impossible); and a computer-controlled modeling stand.
Dr. Reinhardt's ship was originally called the Centaurus. It was renamed Cygnus after the constellation where the first known black hole was discovered in 1964.
At the time of its release, the movie featured the longest computer graphics sequence that had ever appeared in a film: the "green grid" sequence that appears under the opening titles.
Almost all of the dialog in the film was re-recorded by the cast during post-production looping (ADR) - with the exception of only a couple of lines.
This was regarded as the last big special effect production to be made under the "old studio system." All of the elaborate special effects were created within the Disney studio and not farmed out to outside special effects companies.

Summary: A research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole.

Review: This is one of those movies that J was amazed that I haven't seen. Of course, we had to rectify that tonight. This is a treasure. I loved the story, the design, the effects, the actors. For 1979, this just looks amazing. Dr. Reinhardt is a mix between a James Bond villain and Captain Nemo. In fact, the entire Nemo is a lot like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but in space. The rest of the crew are fun and very logiacl in their behavior. Plus the dialogue is a lot of fun. And the sets look great for the year. There is a great consistency to the universe. I can't believe I've never seen this.

Best Bits:

Dr. Hans Reinhardt: Some cause must have created all this, but what caused that cause?
Lieutenant Charles Pizer: Vincent, were you programmed to bug me? V.I.N.CENT: No, sir, to educate you.
Kate McCrae: If there's any justice at all, the black hole will be your grave!
[after first seeing the black hole] Lieutenant Charles Pizer: Every time I see one of those things I expect to spot some guy dressed in red with horns and a pitchfork. Dan Holland: It's a monster, all right. V.I.N.CENT: A rip in the very fabric of space and time.
Lieutenant Charles Pizer: When I volunteered for this mission, I never thought I'd end up playing straight man to a tin can.
Dan Holland: It's only dinner. V.I.N.CENT: Said the spider to the fly.
V.I.N.CENT: A wolf remains a wolf, even if it has not eaten your sheep.
Dr. Hans Reinhardt: Maximilian, the time has come to liquidate our guests.

NMF #13: Angel

Title: Angel

Year Released/Rating: 2007

Starring: Romola Garai, Sam Neill, Michael Fassbender, Lucy Russell

Written By: Elizabeth Taylor, Francois Ozon, Martin Crimp

Directed By: Francois Ozon

Genre: Drama, Romance

Star Rating: 3/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia:

The outdoor scenes were shot in bitterly cold weather. The camera would freeze after two minutes of shooting, and had to be taken inside and warmed up with hot towels before taken outside again. The actors did not mind this as they too could warm up between takes.
First English-speaking movie of French director François Ozon.

Summary: The rise and fall of a young eccentric British writer, in the early 20th century.

Review: One of those fairly throw away historical romances. I am reminded of Danielle Steele's novels. Angel is thoroughly unlikable. She's overbearing, egotistical. I just couldn't like her at all. At least the side characters are more interesting. Michael Fassbender's Esme is an interesting rouge. The world of Angel is almost garish in it's coloring, but for some reason that works for this story.