The Usual Suspects (1995)

How do you get your hands on an amazing script, a whole stable of great actors and also have a reasonable budget in 1995 for your directorial debut?

The answer is, you have to be Bryan Singer.

For the life of me, I don't know why I have only watch this movie NOW!!!

Everything is delivered!

There is absolutely, positively not wrong with this movie (well there are some goofs, but as far as story, acting and editing is concern), NOTHING. This movie is categorise as a mystery and boy is it ever!!!

Bryan Singer, is still showing alot of directors, how it is done, with this little gem!!

I cannot recommend this movie enough!!

Like always, My Two Sen.

Yeah loh... slow loh...

I DO love L.A. Confidential.

I wonder what happened to the people who wrote those scripts??

They just off and left Hollywood????!

Oh wait:

Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects 1995) did
Jack Reacher (2012) Like very much
Jack the Giant Slayer (2012) it's okay
and his latest work is Tom Cruise's Edge of Tomorrow (2014).

Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential 1997) has larger pool of work

Conspiracy Theory (1997) Like
The Postman (1997) Meh
A Knight's Tale (2001) Like
Blood Work (2002) Like
Man on Fire (2004) Like
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) Like
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009) eh... he wrote this??? and a few other stuff

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Sep 16 2013, 05:29 PM

Tremors (1990)

... This movie actually has MORE budget then The Usual Suspect!!

Ron Underwood the director has actually done several movies I like Heart and Souls (1993) [One of my favorite Robert Downey Jr. movie], Mighty Joe Young (1998) and surprisingly, several TV Series I like, Boston Legal, Eli Stone, Reaper, No Ordinary Family, Necessary Roughness, Burn Notice, Castle etc, etc!!

Kevin Bacon (Valentine McKee) and Fred Ward (Earl Bassett) actually have good chemistry!! [The more modern term is Bromance]

I was actually surprise to see Michael Gross (the father in TV series, Family Ties) in this. His character Burt Gummer a red neck nuclear apocalypse believer.

This movie is tongue in cheek and is actually quite fun.

The perfect movie for a lazy Sunday afternoon if you have not watched it already!!

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Sep 17 2013, 06:25 PM

Terror Train (1980)

After Jamie Lee Curtis became a silver screen scream queen in Halloween (1978), many an offer came to her. The Fog (1980) & Prom Night (1980) comes to mind.

A lesser much know movie is this one.

The highlight of this movie... surprisingly isn't Jamie Lee Curtis, but.... wait for it... Mr. David Copperfield.

Guess what character he played. He played the role of a.... wait for it... Magician!!

Pre Uni kid, all trap on a train after their finals... There are chick, booze, rock and roll or, and magic show!!

I remember watching this or RTM (that is right folks, before TV8, before NTV7, even before TV3, we ONLY had RTM) many MANY years back!!! They censored the heck out of it!!

Nothing else worth while to say except Jamie Lee Curtis is probably pretending that she never was involve with this movie...

My Two Sen.

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Sep 16 2013, 09:46 PM

J.J. Abrams... don't mess with anfieldude

Hmmm...

I remember liking the production design (very organic), but not so much the storyline...

It did not make sense...

Correct, story is by Will Smith and screenplay is by Gary Whitta & M. Night Shyamalan.

M. Night Shyamalan is currently in a rut... I believe after Lady in the Water, he no longer makes movies he wants to see himself, but has bend to the will of studios (The Last Air Bender (2010) anyone, the cast selection) and now big name actor (Will Smith...)

It is very frustrating. He is a good writer and director...

Like the Hong Kong/Thailand's Pang Brothers (who wrote the script for The Eye (2002)), he spent at least 10 years on The Sixth Sense (1999) script... Now he is reduced to "regurgitating" what Will Smith wrote while he is probably in the loo...

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Sep 19 2013, 10:15 AM

The Croods (2013) Addendum

For my original review, please goto The Croods Review

This is now release on bluray and would like to add, it is probably one of my favorites CGI animation of the year. The other being Monster University (2013). Frankly, I like this a bit more because it is an original. Having said that, Monster University has a dash more... heart!!

Imaginative story telling. Good taking on the Neanderthal (Grug) vs Cro Magnon (Guy). I'm sure some would even argue that Grug is Cro Magnon and Guy is modern man, but the point is moot. Because you don't have to be specific to enjoy this movie...

But the splitting of the supercontinent Pangaea thing, is pushing it because the separation happen 200 million years ago and modern man only existed... again never mind. Not important to enjoy the movie.

So in short ENJOY the movie

PQ is BREATHTAKING.
AQ is really good

My Added Two Sen

Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996)

Apparently, Kevin Bacon's character got married and wasn't interested in a get together for this...

Fred Ward's character is the lead and Christopher Gartin's character makes a poor replacement for Valentine McKee...

This time, Earl Bassett figures out a way to kill Graboids.

Buy mounting dynamites to RC car and having Graboids swallow them and then kaboom!!!!

Michael Gross is also back and am not sure I care for the "evolving" Graboids...

My Two Sen

Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)

The more things change, the more things remain the same.

This is definitely true with this movie.

It take place again in the little town, Perfection.

Michael Gross is now the lead!!

This time with sidekick Shawn Christian.

The old casts from the first movie, returns (with the exception of Victor Wong & Kevin Bacon & Fred Ward...)

Movie is okay, but again not quite sure about the evolution part again...

My Two Sen

Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004)

This is more of a prequel rather then a sequel and I like it!!

The cast consist of many ethic group and each one gets their time to shine!!

Michael Gross is back to lead again, playing the great grand father of his previous role!!!

Is actually fun again and not bad.

Give this a spin if you have not already on a lazy Sunday afternoon why don't cha...

My Two Sen

Psycho II (1983)

Sometimes being a hit, is a curse.

For Psycho, the curse it two folds...

Anthony Perkins is pigeon hole to the Norman Bates character...

And any sequel is... doom... still born even.

If you notice the year this movie was release 23 years after the original...

The writers used that as the time Norman Bates was locked up in a Mental Asylum... and after 22 years... the doctors decided the Norman is sane...

They also managed to persuade Vera Miles to reprise he role as Lila Loomis (the sister of the victim in the original movie).

And that is where the intrigue of this movie ends...

Because Alfred Hitchcock so masterfully made the first the is absolutely not way anyone can equal... let alone surpass his in an sequels...

They start the movie but cutting in the shower scene from the first, trying to remind the audience what Norman did...

And then any chance they get, they re-shoot all the good bits in the original but with the new characters....

I need to permanent save this line, the more things change, the more things remain the same. Even the twist at the end...

As I had said, doom even at the beginning...

Universal had alot of hopes for this movie... and based on the strength of the original, this movie made USD 35 million (it cost them USD 5 million to make) and have to add, this movie you would watch and just as soon forget...

It pales in comparison to the original...

So as I had stated above, cursed...

And then Universal went ahead and made 3,4,5...

My Two Sen.

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Sep 22 2013, 10:01 AM

The Thief of Bagdad (1924)

This is really REALLY old movie. Not only is it black and white, it is also silent!!

Quite dedicatedly restore and the background orchestration recorded!!

This has all the elements of an Arabian night story.

A beautiful princess and cheek and handsome rouge thief who has the audacity to dream he could win the princess!! Flying carpet, magic apples dangerous quest!!

Also very interesting to see, the transition from traditional theater to cinema, which Douglas Fairbanks, whose movements were exaggerated trying to make sure the person at the back of the cinema hall can see that he is happy, sad etc...

If you are into silent movies, give this a go!!

Bring on Nosferatu!!

My Two Sen

Virtuosity (1995)

Before The Matrix (1999), before CGI was the goto technology for Special Effect, there was this little gem...

It introduces Russell Crowe to people outside of Australia and also the concept of virtual reality to the general public!!

Looking at it now... the story is still passable with some decent CGI effects!!

Densel it seem always plays the decent guy who is caught in a complex situation...

Also remember this is the early days of email adoption, so things that we take for granted now, was actually high tech then!!

This beats tech movies from the same period Sandra Bullock's The Net (1995), Angelina Jolie's Hackers (1995) and gosh even the much later Ryan Phillippe's Antitrust (2001) out of the water.

Please note this is R Rated so there are some... skin.

My Two Sen

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters (2012)

I not sure if many a person knows about Jeff Dunham in Malaysia.

I was introduced to his work in Friday by a friend and I have to say... HE IS FUNNY!!

Okay before I get ahead of myself, his is a standup comedian/ventriloquist. What is a ventriloquist?? Er... people who throw their voice to their hand puppets without moving their mouth, the the best way I can explain this.

This I believe is his fifth TV special and it is good.

He usually performs with Bubba J, Jose the Jalapeno on a Stick, Walter, Achmed the Terrorist and Achmed, Jr. (A.J.)

I have to say by far my favorite is Achmed the terrorist...

And yes, some of his work will be considered offensive to some people... (racist jokes)

He has several other TV Specials as well, Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself (2006), Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity (2007), Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special (2008) & Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos (2011).

I have to say to date, his Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity (2007) is probably his best work.

Like always... My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Sep 23 2013, 11:23 AM

Glad to hear.

Trek Nation (2010)

Before I begin, this is a documentary, and if you feel is should not be in this thread, let me know and I'll remove it.

Anybody who had watched anything Star Trek would know who Gene Roddenberry is, he is the creator of the Original Star Trek series.

This documentary convey to us, Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, Jr.'s journey to discover his father (Gene Roddenberry), through his father's work, Star Trek.

Apparently, when Gene pass away (stroke), Roddenberry, Jr was only 17 years old. He admits to be a bits of a rebel during his younger age, and never really "click" with his father.

In this documentary, Roddenberry, Jr interviewed many a people who had worked with Gene (bitter sweet was how many people describe their working relationship with Gene). Majel Barrett (she was the nurse in the original Star Trek. She is also Deanna Troi's mother and computer's voice in Star Trek TNG), Gene's wife and mother to Roddenberry, Jr who by all account, a very out spoken person, is strangely subdued here....

Quite impressive also, was Roddenberry, Jr were able to interview JJ. Abrams, George Lucas and Rob Zombie for this!!

The more interesting part is how Roddenberry, Jr recognised that as imperfect he is, his father was also imperfect... and that the character Wesley Crusher (played by Wil Wheaton) was Gene idealised version of his young self and also in a way, his idealised version of a son... A really sad thing to hear about yourself I assure you...

Interesting enough documentary, if you like Star Trek.

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Sep 24 2013, 12:24 PM

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)

Wow, apparently, the small screens is where all the good scripts go to nowadays!!

This is a join venture between BBC and HBO.

Very original story, inventive really!!

Kinda like, Dude, Wheres My Car meets... time traveling.

You have to really enjoy English stuff (English as in England) to enjoy this.

Mainly English actor but with American Girls (Anna Faris)!!

I like it. Original!!

My Two Sen

The Fugitive (1993)

Okay, let's get THIS out of the way... The one arm man did it!!

This movie had been shown on RTM, TV3 etc so many times I don't think it matters!!

Director, Andrew Davis has directed 3 movies I like, namely, Under Siege (1992), A Perfect Murder (1998) and this. Out of the 3, the remake of Dial 'M' for Murder (1954), A Perfect Murder (I love the BEAUTIFUL camera work) is my favorite.

Okay, in 1993, Harrison Ford was on top of the movie making game. Tommy Lee Jones' work, was surprisingly, just getting notice. Sela Ward was in full bloom (I keep mixing her up with Ashley Judd). Julianne Moore had a small but pivotal role here.

When this first came out, Dolby was showing off it's capabilities (in Stereo). It was considered reference (the train wreck) for sound.

I truly believe Harrison Ford got this role because he had proved he can do roles like this in Frantic (1988) for Roman Polanski (It is my opinion, the movie Unknown (2011) paid this movie a lot of flattery by ripping off it, shamelessly).

This movie is pretty well made.

It is also VERY realistic. A white and respected doctor, even with a team of lawyers, was found guilty of murder by a jury of his peers, and is give the death penalty, in America.... Realism at it's best...

If you can get through that, it is actually a pretty entertaining movie.

So much so, that a sequel (of sorts) was made and it is called U.S. Marshal (1998), where the fugitive is a "African American", Wesley Snipes.... is chased by Tommy and gang. THAT ladies and gentleman, is realism...

It's late, forgive me if I'm offensive...

Good nite.

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Sep 27 2013, 12:54 AM

Er... There was a remake of Nightmare on Elm Street... A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)