Paul Walker | pinartarhan.com

Holy Crap Paul Walker Died!

Posted on December 1, 2013 Written by ripitup

paul-walker-picture — Image via askmen.com.

I hate the fact that I had to write this post, but I couldn’t not write it. I really, really liked Paul Walker. I know as fans we didn’t really know him and all that. But some celebrities are appreciated more than others. To me, Walker was one of the much better ones.

I loved how he transformed his career from a regular soap opera gig to action stardom but didn’t neglect to put some less box-office friendly but seriously engaging films in between.

I loved how he had this humble attitude about him despite how traditionally good-looking he was. I loved that he didn’t shove his private life down our throats. I love I had no idea who he was dating when.

I love fast cars and fast action movies, but I never thought I’d sit through several action movies with fast cars and not get bored for a second. Yeah, there were plots, but I don’t remember much of it. Just that it was fast, furious and I had one hell of a good time during all.

I was looking forward to Hours, where he plays a dad trying to save his daughter despite all odds in an unlikely action/drama. I’ll still see it of course, but with a bit of heavy heart.

Now, it’s always sad when someone dies young. And to me, 40 is young. It’s young enough for a lot of things, and but it is damn too young to die. It’s sadder when you weren’t expecting it. He wasn’t sick, old, depressed and as far as I knew, not abusing any sort of thing. So the surprise element is huge.

My favorite Walker films are Timeline, The Death and Life of Bobby Z and my absolute favorite, The Lazarus Project. They might not be the most logical, but they had great casts, engaging plots and high level entertainment, though The Lazarus Project had a deeper, more psychological aspect.

So what can I say? I wish he didn’t die. Now all we can do is remember, feel sad and if there’s an afterlife, hope that he is already having a good time. From what I saw, he deserved it.

RIP, Paul Walker.

Top 10 Gerard Butler Movies

Posted on December 30, 2009 Written by ripitup

This is not about critics, imdb ratings or box office results. It is my favorites from one of my fav. actors. If you want to share your thoughts on Gerard, you are more than welcome to do it here.

1) Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

This movie is a wonderful thriller that makes you question a lot of things, including who the bad guys/good guys in the movie. I side with Gerard Butler’s Clyde on most of his avenging acts, despite a couple of things. This movie isn’t perfect but it is pretty damn good. If you like your story smart, your “hero” on the “darker” side and enjoy a good revenge story, do not miss it. For the ones who have seen it, here is a review:

http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/law-abiding-citizen-two-steps-short-of-perfection/

2) Butterfly on a wheel (2007)

I tend to like a movie more if it has some of the actors I love. This movie has 3: Pierce Brosnan, Gerard Butler and Maria Bello. A perfect marriage, a perfect kidnapping, an unpredictable criminal with strange requests. Or maybe the crime makes perfect sense and our “hero” Neil is not so perfect after all. No spoilers.

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/gerard-butler/

3) Please (1999)

Award-winning short film with Butler in the lead. My review on the film includes the youtube link where you can watch the whole movie:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/please/

4) The Ugly Truth (2009)

Men are cocky, superficial and all you need to get one is to be thin, own some hot lingerie and give blow-jobs. Women are hopeless dreamers who are equally supeficial. They want romance if it is provided by a handsome guy with a good job. Or maybe things aren’t just simple and the truth isn’t that ugly. This R-rated romantic comedy shows us some reality with hilarious scenes, likable characters and predictable yet enjoyable twists. For the review including screen shots:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/the-ugly-truth/

5) Dear Frankie (2004)

One modest sweetheart of a movie that wins you over with the acting and storytelling; not with the originality of the script. Frankie is a smart but deaf boy raised by his mother and grandmother. Their whereabouts are hidden from his violent father. His mother Lizzie does everything to protect him from the truth, so she writes to him as his father: a nice man, a sailor who can not be with them because of work. Of course a coincidence forces Lizzie to find a man to pose as the father. What she hasn’t planned on how this stranger (Gerard Butler) will connect both with her and Frankie:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/dear-frankie-2004/

6) P.S I love you (2007)

Holly (Swank) and Gerry (Butler) are a happily married couple and still madly in love. When Gerry suddenly dies, Holly has difficulty in coping. However Gerry has planned ahead: He has written to Holly that are to arrive at specific times after his death. Bittersweet romantic drama/comedy. For the trailer:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/p-s-i-love-you/

7) Attila (2001)

An epic TV film based on the life of Atilla, leader of the Huns. It has all the glory of an epic picture should have: nice battle sequences, love,loss,pain,treachery,lust…:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/attila-2001/

8 ) Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life (2003)

Sequel to the first Lara Croft. Is it just me or is Angelina Jolie the best actress to play a video game character ever? She has the looks and the stamina. And who better than Butler to provide the sexual tension? Check out the longer review with pictures:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/lara-croft-tomb-raider-the-cradle-of-life/

9) Timeline (2003)

A group of archeology students are forced to travel in time to save one of their friends’ father. It doesn’t help that they find themselves in France in the middle of the war with England, in 21st century. The fact that one of them is French doesn’t help. Paul Walker and Gerard Butler star. Funny, full of action and very romantic:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/timeline-2003/

10) Nim’s Island (2008)

A widower biologist father (Gerard Butler) and his daughter Nim live on a recluded Pacific island. Nim loves this life and reading adventure books by Alex Rover. What she doesn’t know that the real Alex is an agoraphobic female (Jodie Foster) – unlike the Indiana Jonesque Alex she imagined. All hell breaks loose when Alex needs to get out to save Nim from trouble…For more details and the trailer:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/nims-island/

Timeline starring Paul Walker, Gerard Butler & Frances O’Connor

Posted on November 18, 2009 Written by ripitup

Timeline with Paul Walker and Gerard Butler

I am not much of a history fan and I haven’t been that fond of archeology either. But I just love the idea of time travel. It is great to get your imagination juices flowing and wonder what your life could have been like in the past and of course you can always fantasize about the future. It is always fun to join in on another person’s imagination and share the ride, whether the concept is presented through a DeLorean (Back to the Future) or another form of time machine (referred as a human fax machine in Timeline). I have quite a fascination with this genre. Now I haven’t read Michael Crichton’s novel but I plan to. Naturally, not all the readers of the novel are pleased with this movie adaption but I don’t really care at this point. If you like entertainment, this movie provides it. The cast is impressive enough with Paul Walker and Gerard Butler, along with Billy Connolly in a supporting role. Some parts of the script may defy logic but then again, what is that logical about time travel in the first place?

The movie revolves around a group of archeleogy enthusiasts: Kate (Frances O’Connor), Andre (Gerard Butller), Josh (Ethan Embry) and François) and Chris (Paul Walker), who is much more interested in Kate than the science itself. The group is run by Chris’ father Professor Johnston (Connolly) who mysteriously disappears one day, leaving a note that asks for help. The strange thing about the note is that it has been written in the 14th century.

All the scientific tests prove this to be true, to all of their amazement. When they dig deeper, they find out that Johnston is working with a technology company, which has been funding his studies. They also find out that the company has invented a time travel machine and that the professor is indeed in the 14th century. Of course he is in trouble.

The company sends one of its employees to oversee the mission and the friends volunteer, apart from Josh. They don’t take any weapons or any other modern thing. They dress accordingly& take the medallions that are supposed to bring them back. The company guy takes two of him men and together they embark a bizarre journey. Of course it could have been a painless trip with beautiful scenery and a real-life study but they actually find themselves right in the middle of the on-going war between England and France: They run from English soldiers and eventually get captured. To make matters more compicated, they have met a French girl who warned them about the attack, adding one to the list of the people whose backs they have to watch and it is not very safe to travel around the English-invaded lands with a Frenchman…

Of course I have more than enough reasons to like the movie:

– Gerard Butler is one of my fav. actors and he is one of the leads.

– Director Richard Donner knows how to satisfy his audience. Do you want me to remind me of his other stuff? Does the Lethal Weapon series ring a bell? Or Conspiracy Theory?

– -Paul Walker always makes entertaining movies. Sometimes it has substance and originality (The Lazarus Project) or just lots of speed and adrenaline (Fast and Furious saga) but the result is you have fun. And yes, if you are a girl, it never hurts to have Butler and Walker playing the major roles. Plus, not only the men are cute and strong but they also play romantic and sweet roles.

– And boys, if you like girls pretty and petite, then you have Anna Friel (Lady Claire) and Frances O’ Connor (Kate).

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

All in all, Timeline is not going to play mind games with you. You are not going to question life or death. But it is a lovely combination of the modern and period piece. It has the 21st century and the 14th. It will put a smile on your face. Timeline is one of the movies I wish I could have been a part of; whether being behind or in front of the camera, not because artistically brilliant. But because it is definitely one of those movies where you can tell the whole crew had a blast makingit. If you want unexpected twists, character analysis and sophistication, do by all means stay away from this movie.