Stardust, The Air I Breathe, Playing by Heart, The Good Shepherd, Hairspray & He’s Just Not That Into You: 6 Good Movies with Brilliant Casts

Posted on April 10, 2010 Written by ripitup

If you are anything like me, you have some actors whose projects really entertain you. But sometimes those actors come together to star in a film. So for instance what’s better than seeing Michelle Pfeiffer acting with Robert De Niro? Adding Mark Strong to the list. And you provide the comic relief with Ricky Gervais. Beauty? Siena Miller. New talent? Charlie Cox. Before you know it, you have one hell of a cast. Here’re my 6 favorite ensemble casts:

1) STARDUST

Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Siena Miller, Charlie Cox, Ben Barnes, Ricky Gervais, Mark Strong and Henry Cavill.

Magical, thrilling, romantic and visually wonderful story of a young man (Charlie Cox) after a star (Claire Danes), the star co-operating so that she can go home, princes after a crown necklace and the witches after the star’s heart. For many more details, photos and trailer of Stardust:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/20-reasons-to-love-stardust/

2) Playing By Heart

Playing by Heart starring Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Phillippe, Gillian Anderson, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Dennis Quaid. There’s also Ellen Burstyn and Jay Mohr. I love this movie and the cast. Photo: http://www.moviegoods.com

Starring:Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery, Dennis Quaid, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Gillian Anderson, Gena Rowlands, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr, Ryan Phillippe.

It is romantic, sweet and at times really funny. You can check out the plot here.

3) The Air I Breathe

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker, Julie Delpy, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Emile Hirsch, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

If you like any of these actors and enjoy intersecting stories, you will enjoy this one. Sure, the undertone is very dramatic and it is slightly depressing but it is hopeful. Love, hatred, depression, anger, revenge, fun, loyalty,….. You name the emotion and you will find the story. No event is unrelated here. Andy Garcia is the villain. Kevin Bacon plays a really nice guy. Refreshing, right?

4) The Good Shepherd

Starring: Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Lee Pace, William Hurt, John Turturro, Billy Crudup and Alec Baldwin.

1960s. CIA agent Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) is faced with a crisis as some crucial information might be leaked to enemies. As the agents try to figure out who is responisble and who the info was given to, we start learning about Edward’s past with flashbacks going into the late 30s. We learn about what made he who he is from his childhood to his days at Yale, from the ww2 and onward. The cast is by far one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. It might be due to the fact that De Niro is the director. Great film. It is a drama thriller.

5) He’s Just Not That Into You

Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johannson, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long

Don’t wait by the phone, don’t make excuses. If he is not calling you, he is just not that into you. Based on the refreshing relationships book by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo. Extendend review for both the movie and the book can be found here.

6) Hairspray

Hairspray starring John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes. Fun, colors, the hair and more fun…Photo: drkruznutty.files.wordpress.com

Now, you may have watched an Hairspray film made in 1988, written and directed by John Waters. And it is not that its cast is unknown, featuring names like Sonny Bono and Deborah Harry. However, you might realize that it was rated 6.8 votecd by over 8.000 people. However the Hairspray film that I’ll brag about I from 2007 and it is rated 7.2, voted over 40.000. So yes, we are facing a remake rated higher than the original.And I have no intentions of seeing the original.

Because John Travolta is a terrific actor and a singer and he is playing a woman! The wife of Christopher Walken! Absolute hilarity! And you have seen the cast, right? Yes, Michelle Pfeiffer makes a kick-ass bitch. James Marsden is a great actor, yeah- but here he shows us that he is an amazing singer too. And br ready to forgive Zac Efron for the Highschool Musical series. Yeah he still plays a guy in high school but the guy can sing rocknroll. Just forget about his pop idol/teenage-girl magnet reputation. If a guy can sing rocknroll well, he will have my respect. I also vote for the jet black hair.

If you aren’t entertained by this film-regardless of how you feel about musicals- I am sure what will put a smile on your face. Directed by Adam Shankman (A Walk to Remember).

Feel free to add your favorite ensembles. In the meantime, here’s a list of posts on these actors:

ANGELINA JOLIE:

Beyond Borders

Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life

The Most Gorgeous Women in Haollywood

Lee Pace:

Possession

The Fall

Soldier’s Girl

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

James Marsden:

Julie Delpy:

Bradley Cooper:

Yes Man

Zac Efron:

17 Again

Actor Musicians and Musician Actors, part 2: John Travolta and Bruce Willis

Posted on October 28, 2009 Written by ripitup

Some people are multi-talented and well, it’s annoying. While us the normal folks struggle our way through a karaoke song, they can act and SING (and/or make music). I mentioned Jon Bon Jovi, Kevin Bacon and Keanu Reeves in my previous post. Now it’s time to talk about John Travolta and Bruce Willis.

BRUCE WILLIS

Maybe I shouldn’t write much about his acting skills and how popular his movies are. I should just name a couple of his movies. Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, The Sixth Sense, The Whole Nine Yards. But to top all that, he can sing. He seriously has a really cool rocknroll voice. He can also play the harmonica. Back when Jon Bon Jovi was doing his solo album Destination anywhere in 1997, he shot a short film in which Demi Moore starred. Back then Demi and Bruce were still married and Jon became good friends with them both. So we know that Jon can sing, play the guitar and the piano. Bruce can sing and play the harmonica. Jon always talks about what a blast they had singing and playing all the time. Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Willis partying together…That’s sight I wish I could see. He is so much fun. Oh, I almost forgot. His nickname is Bruno. And here is a song from him:

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDXkd2NyCCE[/pro-player]

Bruce Willis as Bruno...

JOHN TRAVOLTA

John Travolta in Pulp Fiction

Now with John, things are a bit more complicated. He made it big in movies with Saturday Night Fever, where he showed all his disco dancing skills. Then he played in Grease, which became even a bigger hit. And we already knew h was a talented singer and a dancer. Of course when you play in such big hits consecutively when you are 23 and 24, your later movies aren’t likely to be just as successful. But he did manage to make two comebacks. One with Look Who’s Talking in the late 80s and one with Pulp Fiction in 1994. Acting always came first for him but since his most popular movie has him singing, people don’t have trouble taking him seriously as a singer. I mention Grease as his most popular flick, because it is what put on the map, the DVDs still sell 31 years later and it has been known my generations. Bu t I like his bad guy roles even more. I know it is a weird way to compliment someone but I mean it affectionately: he makes a wonderful psycho. Broken Arrow, anyone? Half of Face Off?

Remember a time when John was young and skinny?

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4n0la_k-DU[/pro-player]

John Travolta as Danny Zuko in Grease

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The Deal with Christian Slater: Christian Slater Tribute and The Deal Movie Review

Posted on September 7, 2009 Written by ripitup

Christian, growiing up nicely — Christian Slater is growing up nicely,

I’m so living in the 90s when it comes to movies. I believe that’s when most of the great movies have been made. Feel free to disagree but for me that was a time when movies were at their best, especially when it came to entertainment; whatever the genre. That was also an era when I had many actors to follow the filmographies of. Christian Slater was denifinitely one of them. His name still draws me to the movie. I know I can trust him to make a good one. I know I will have fun.

Yes, I believe him to be cute. But we are not talking about hot, hot, hot. We are talking about a sort of unique, maybe quirky but totally appealing attractiveness. He carries on anger and angst very well,just as well as he plays the bad boy/bad guy. When he does get to play romantic, we girls feel lucky. He has that innocent, boyish charm- and he can be sexy at the same time. It is a dangerous and irresistable combination. Have you seen “Untamed Heart” ?

He skillfully plays a clueless, highly sensitive and an unintentionally reclusive young guy; who is in love with his co-worker (Marisa Tomei).

Bed of Roses (1996) with Mary Stuart Masterson

Or “Bed of Roses” ? Too romantic for your taste? But, hey- Christian has the ability to make you forget about your cynical side.

He is not a big guy, but he is nicely built and he sure can carry an action film. I absolutely love the John Woo flick “Broken Arrow”. Christian versus a psychotic John Travolta… What a team. Good vs. Evil, nuclear weapons…The works.

I don’t want to forget Basil, where he is the guy of my nightmares. Murder in the First is an excellent legal thriller/drama where he plays the dedicated lawyer of the abused Kevin Bacon…The list goes on so let’s come to this century, shall we?

I still watch the movie if Christian is in it. Yesterday I saw the 2005 ‘s : “The Deal”.

thedeal2005 — The Deal starring Christian Slater and Selma Blair

A thriller about big companies, oil deals and how far people will go to get what they want. Strategies, lies and deceptions – nicely written, beautifully acted: right up my alley.

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The Deal with Slater is that he can play the lead and be in a supporting role. He is in his 3rd decade of movies. He doesn’t mind getting ugly for a role (please check out “He was a quiet man” and you will know what I mean).

He can pull off any genre. But I guess because he is a bad boy in real life (I forget how many times he got arrested), when he plays a romantic role; he is at his best. Add some action to the mix. We have a talented and good-looking actor who can kick ass.

christian500

All I can say to Chris is : Cheers and keep up the good work…

Other Christian Slater posts:

The Forgotten starring Christian Slater

Job Security? What Job Security?

ALIAS

My Own Worst Enemy

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