Cameron Diaz | pinartarhan.com

4 Good Movies with Awesome Soundtracks: Shoot ’em up, Jerry Maguire, Reality Bites and Vanilla Sky

Posted on April 16, 2010 Written by ripitup

Both movies and music have been my addictions. It is always great fun to watch a good movie or a solid album. But sometimes, these two come together to double the pleasure. Below are some of the best soundtracked-movies.

Shoot ‘Em Up (2007)

Shoot 'Em Up starring Clive Owen, Monica Belluci and Paul Giamatti — Shoot ‘Em Up starring Clive Owen, Monica Belluci and Paul Giamatti. Sex, guns and rockn’roll! Image from: http://www.firstshowing.net

Not one of the most serious movies you will watch. It is non-stop action but it is so cool in its irrational and impossible scenes. But it works. Clive Owen at his best form as the mysterious Smith. Co-starring Monica Belluci. Wondering what the movie is about? Here’s the review. Wondering more about the soundtrack?

Featuring:

Kickstart my heart by Motley Crue

Ace of Spades, Motorhead

Breed, Nirvana

If you want blood, you got it- AC/DC

Oh of course, this isn’t it. They are just the songs I have loved long before the movie. Yes, the soundtrack is all about rock: grunge, rock, hard rock, alternative and classic rock. More on the movie and trailer: https://pinartarhan.com/blog/shoot-em-up/

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Jerry Maguire starring Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr. Co-starring Kelly Preston and Jay Mohr. Watch out for the most adorable kid on screen: Jonathan Lipnicki. Image from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/

Tom Cruise has been one of my favorite actors. Because more often than not, I know I can trust him to make good movies. And Jerry Maguire is my absolutely favorite Tom Cruise. It is also one of my favorites in general. It is funny, poignant, emotional, original and just lovely!!! Which reminds me I haven’t done an individual post on J.M. Shame on me.

Soundtrack featuring:

Pocketful of Rainbows, Elvis Presley

Oh Well, Fleetwood Mac

World on a String, Neil Young

Magic Bus, The Who

Freefallin’, Tom Petty

Burning Sky, Bad Company

And my absolute favorite: Bruce Springsteen’s Secret Garden. The video is below. Includes scenes from the movie.

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx_x6jMCxAY[/pro-player]

Movie Trailer:

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFs-E-FSkJU&feature=related[/pro-player]

Reality Bites (1994)

Delightful romcom, smelling 1990s. I love the 90s, the movie and well, obviously the ost. Now this movie id delightful in its own little way with characters trying (or refusing) to fit in. Ethaw Hawke’s character is singing in a band so there are also songs sung by him. More on the movie and photos: https://pinartarhan.com/blog/reality-bites-always/

Featuring:

Rock’n’ Roll Part II, Gary Glitter

Locked Out, Crowded House

Story Of My Life, Social Distortion

Something So Strong, Crowded House

School’s Out, Alice Cooper

All I Want is You, U2

Absolute favorite: My Sharona by The Knack. The video is below:

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1T71PGd-J0[/pro-player]

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Another Tom Cruise movie and just like it written and directed by Cameron Crowe.

Too complicated to tell the story (again one of my fav. Cruise-its post will come) but in a nutshell:

David Aames (Cruise) is handsome, rich and in demand and despite to the inconvenience to the board members, he is the head of the business he inherited from his parents. And he has a friend with benefits- hot Julie (Cameron Diaz). But something remarkable happens to David when he meets Sofia (Penelope Cruz) at a party and falls head over heels. Of course this doesn’t go down with Julie -who has wanted David to be more than her bed buddy. An accident ruins David’s face and psychology. From that moment on, the audience has a lot to digest and interpret. Based on the Spanish movie also starring Penelope Cruz. But I dare say, this one is better. Great movie, great soundtrack.

Featuring:

Everything In Its Right Place, Radiohead

Vanilla Sky, Paul McCartney

All the Right Friends,REM

Last Goodbye, Jeff Buckley

Sweetness Follows, REM

Fourth Time Around, Bob Dylan

I Might Be Wrong, Radiohead

Wild Honey, U2

Absolute favorites: Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys and Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel

Movie trailer:

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHtF8PADoN0[/pro-player]

The Box starring James Marsden, Cameron Diaz & Frank Langella

Posted on March 30, 2010 Written by ripitup

The Box with Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. Frank Langella gives creepy and mysterious a whole new meaning. So what would you do to get $1.000.000?

1976. A black box is dropped at the house of Norma and Arthur Lewis (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden), a happily married couple with a kid. They have the house, the car, the careers and things seem quite perfect in their front. Well, there are some problems. NASA employee Arthur fails to get his chance to become an astronaut and the private school Norma is teaching at -and their son goes to school to- cuts off his scholarship. And there is the almost life-long disability that has been bothering Norma, her constant limping due to her 4 cut-off toes. What comes in the form of a suggestion however is something they never could have anticipated.

A mysterious old man – Arlington Steward – with an extremely disfigured half-face appears at the door. Norma invites the man in, both shocked and intrigued. As it turns out, this is the man who dropped the mysterious black box at their door and he has come with a proposition. The box has a red button. If the couple presses it within 24 hours, someone they don’t know will die. And they will receive $1.000.000, if she and her husband don’t tell anyone. He leaves Norma shocked. Arthur doesn’t really take it seriously. But after a while, “what if” questions start to surface. What if that man is serious? What if they will actually be paid $1.000.000? Are they ready to be responsible to be responsible for someone’s death?

Eventually, money and financial troubles win over conscience and the button is pushed.

It turns out Arlington meant everything he said. But will their act have other consequences? Who the hell is Arlington Steward? Why are there so many people around them acting weird? Where does the money come from? Will they ever be safe?

Now, this movie has one of the most interesting premises I have ever run into. I found myself glued to the screen, wondering about Arlington, the money and feeling shocked at the fact that both Norma took the man seriously and easily pushed the button. How could a seemingly good person be that reckless of someone else’s life? The movie is slowly-paced, intending to build the tension and curiosity. While I can’t say I was bored, I couldn’t find the exciting explanation I was waiting for in the end. What happened and why will be shown to you to a certain extent. However a lot will left to your imagination and interpretation.

The screenplay is based on a short-story by Richard Matheson, called Button, Button. The movie is written for the screen and directed by Richard Kelly, writer and director of the cult hit Donnie Darko. While Darko is better-paced, I was more intrigued by The Box.

I am looking forward to read Matheson’s story and see how much/what Kelly left out.

I should say it is always good to watch Marsden and Frank Langella really crept me out.

6.0 on IMDB. I guess I can say 6.5-7 for some parts and 6.0 for other.

Favorite Line

Norma Lewis: What happens now? Will you make the offer to someone else?

Arlington Stweard:Yes, Mrs Lewis. And you can be sure it will be made to someone you don’t know.

Favorite Scene

Last conflict for the Lewises. My favorite part of the whole movie.

allure of the older guy: part 4

Posted on October 19, 2009 Written by ripitup

Dermot Mulroney (46)

I remember watching My Best Friend’s Wedding at the theaters in 1997. I can honestly say that I went to see the movie for Julia Roberts, her being my favorite actress at the time and all. And it was Julia Roberts who made the movie entertaining. I mean yeah, Dermot Mulroney and Cameron Diaz were lovely but it was a Robert’s movie. And I had thought Dermot was just an OK looking guy. Remember him from 12 years ago?

wedding1

A couple of years ago though he starred as a male escort in the romantic comedy called the Wedding Date. He was 42 and he was just..sexy as hell.

A great dancing scene from The Wedding Date

Yep, I pretty much prefer the Dermot in his 40s to the Dermot in his 30s. He has grown up quite nicely. What do you think?

My Sister’s Keeper and Why Books’ Readers Should Be Kept Separate

Posted on August 23, 2009 Written by ripitup

I went to see My Sister’s Keeper yesterday and I loved the movie. I hadn’t cried during a movie since Braveheart and that came out in 1995, so you can conclude that I don’t cry very often. I did not read the book. My friend was reading it but she told me the movie was coming soon and that Cameron Diaz was going to be in it so I waited for the movie instead.

I usually avoid dramas. Especially dramas that include cancer-stricken people. Cancer is a horrible, horrible disease. It can happen to anyone. As life is problematic and painful as it is, I prefer to use movies as a way of avoiding reality, thank you very much. Sure, great stories are told in dramas: Friendships, families, love stories, tragedies…But again movies that talk about and show cancer….You get my point. But this movie has a plot that hooked me- the moment I heard about who Anna was and what she was trying to do, I knew I had to know the whole story.

my_sisters_keeper_poster-692x1024

Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) is a very smart 11-year-old. She has an older brother and sister, both teens. However she is different from them. Her older sister Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) has had cancer since she was very little. She would need transplants and blood and eventually a kidney from a perfect match. So her parents Sara (Cameron Diaz) and Brian (Jason Patrick) make a tube-baby: genetically engineered to be Kate’s match. So since Anna has been “used” to help her sister since she was born, she decides to draw the line at losing her kidney. She goes to see a lawyer (Alec Baldwin) so that she can make her own medical decisions. Although she loves her sister very much, it doesn’t feel good to have had serious operations from day one. Her mother is furious- and as a former lawyer-she will fight at court, against her daughter and her lawyer to be able to save her other daughter…

The story is told in several point of views: Anna’s, Sara’s, Brian’s, Jesse’s (the brother), Kate’s and the lawyer’s. It is hard to judge everyone when everyone seems to be right in their own right. Sara has let go of her career and everything else so she can take better care of Kate. Anna feels overwhelmed that if her sister hadn’t had cancer, she wouldn’t have been born and feels like her life means less. Jesse also seems to be drifting away…

Yeah, I cried. You have to see the movie to know what I mean. For a drama, it has an original plot and some good twists. The actors are really good. I am used to seeing Cameron more in comedies but she definitely can do an emotinally challenging role. Abigail and Sofia excel as the healthy and sick sisters.I like Alec Baldwin in small roles. Although he does seem to be playing the same person in different movies, I kow his lines are going to be interesting.

So as the credits are rolling and my friend and I are wiping off the tears, a guy comments on what a horrible movie it is. Now I had heard the same guy complain earlier but as the movie struck me completely and hear him comment again, loudly and rudely-all I can think is “What a jerk!What an insensitive jerk!” I also wondered if we had seen the same movie. Of course he has the perfect excuse not to like it. He has read the book. He thinks that a lot has been left out. OK-now, that brings us back to the arguement we all have when a book adaptation comes out to theaters. Most readers will hate it, some will think it is OK and some will actually like it. And the people who haven’t read the book and liked the movie will argue that both art forms should be judged in their own merits. I have been there. I loved Cold Mountain the movie. After I tried to read the book and I was disappointed. I read John Grisham’s Runaway Jury. I absolutely hated the movie. I didn’t like John Cusack as the lead (normally I like him but he just wasn’t the Nick in my head.), I hated the script and the changes and went on about how I should be the one making Grisham adaptations…

So what I am suggesting is- maybe a little unrealistically but only half-jokingly- the people who have read the book should be in a different theater and others in a different one. This will prevent both sides from giving spoilers, fighting over what’s good or bad and so on. Oh, of course the forums will be waiting for the discussions. But at least experience itself- the duration of the movie will be shared by people who have similar expectations. So you won’t have to dry your tears next to someone who is shouting “What a disaster!”….