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The 24th Day starring James Marsden and Scott Speedman

Posted on October 22, 2009 Written by ripitup

The 24th Day starring James Marsden and Scott Speedman

For a lot of people, James Marsden is best known for his role as Cyclops in the X-men series. He has also proven that he can sing and be funny in movies like Hairspray and Enchanted. He could also pull-off regular romantic in 27 Dresses. But if there is a movie that proves what a good actor Marsden is, it is this one. This movie doesn’t have special effects, a strong ensemble cast or expensive production. Here he has one equally talented co-star (Scott Speedman- who we also remember from expensive productions such as the Underworld movies, where he plays a vampire/werewolf hybrid), inside of a small flat as location and probably a small camera crew. With lesser actors, the movie could be a disaster. After all we are talking about a drama/thriller that takes all of its excitement from the twists of the story and the strength of the actors.

Tom (Speedman) and Dan (Marsden) meet in a bar and they get along. They end up going to Tom’s apartment. What we expect to happen is some flirting and a one night stand. Instead, Tom starts to act strange. Dan doesn’t remember it but they have been in his apartment before. They had sex before. Dan is weirded out by Tom’s behavior and wants to leave but is knocked unconscious. When he wakes up, he is tied up in a chair. Then Tom reveals the reason behind his behavior. He has found out he has AIDS 24 days ago. Since Dan is the only guy he has ever been with, he is sure he got it from him. So it is simple, really: Tom is going to get Dan’s blood tested. If Dan doesn’t have it, he will walk. If he does, Tom is going to kill him.

After that, we have mind-games, power-plays, plot-twists. The story is slow, but never boring until the moment Tom takes Dan hostage. After that, it is one hell of a ride.

The script is based on a play by the play the director/screenwriter himself (Tony Piccirillo). It is intense and gripping. It is also one of the most interesting low-budget movies I have seen. Give it a shot.

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Surrogates starring Bruce Willis, Rosamund Pike & Radha Mitchell

Posted on September 29, 2009 Written by ripitup

3682866912_1fa0e8d78c — Bruce Willis in Surrogates

Directed by Jonathan Mostow, the movie stars Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell and Rosamund Pike. It is set in our world, not in an alternate reality. It is set in today. Due to a technology developed over a decade ago, people are now able to live life through surrogates. Surrogates are the perfected robot versions of humans. People don’t even have to leave their homes. All they do is to sit back, stay connected to their surrogates and control them. Surrogates go to work, fight crime, have sex. There hasn’t been a real crime-one that hurt a real person-until now. A very expensive and higly complex weapon has been developed. It does not only destroy the surrogate; but also kills its operator as well. And who better to suspect than the human rebels who are governed by their leader The Prophet and are passionately against this whole concept that they find unnatural and disgusting?

The movie involves a dramatic sub-story as well. FBI agent Greer (Bruce Willis) is not all that happy with his surrogate life. He is upset that he lives under the same roof with his wife yet she never leaves her room and only her surrogate communicates with her husband. He longs for their human selves to spend time together and when his surrogate is suspended due to “its” violation of the “only humans” territory, he decides to go out into the world and investigate the crime.

The movie has been adapted from a graphic novel and of course there is the same old debate going on about how the movie hasn’t done the novel justice. On the other hand, people who have liked the movie are usually the people who haven’t read the novel. The movie is not without its faults. Some plot twists feel rushed and the dramatic elements seem to overshadow the action at times. But overall, it is a solid movie. You do not have to be a science fiction fan to enjoy it. The world created is not that big of a stretch of imagination. There are millions of people who stay in their homes and spend most of their days playing interactive computer games and prefer to live in a fantastic world with their desired personas. The difference in the movie is that the personas live in the real world. But the result is pretty much the same.Alienation, detachment and numbness. People no longer take care of themselves. Who needs to bother when your good-looking, fit and healthy image can roam the streets? The movie is efficient in making you feel that numbness.

Bruce Willis also delivers a great performance. As the tagline of the movie suggests he is the only real thing outside in the real world- he is out there in all his vulnerability and he is brilliant as the humane FBI agent/husband.

The movie may not be perfect, but it is certainly powerful, and a lot of fun! Recommended.

The Crow: Buildings burn, people die. But an amazing movie is forever.

Posted on August 19, 2009 Written by ripitup

-” Buildings burn, people die but real love is forever…”

Above is the real quote that inspired the title from. It is from the 1994 movie The Crow. If you haven’t seen it, please do yourselves a favor and do. Not the lame sequels but the real thing. The one with Brandon Lee.

crow_ver2 — Brandon Lee as Eric Draven in The Crow. So do you? Believe in angels?

It has supernatural elements, of course. The myth is that sometimes a soul can not rest and a crow will guide him back to this world, till he can do whatever he needs to do to find peace. So a year after rocker Eric Draven was killed and his fiancé was raped and tortured to death, Eric rises from his grave. Confused and clueless, he follows the crow. As he finds his way back into his old apartment, he remembers everything. This is where the movie really starts.

Revenge:

Of course we have seen lots of movies about avengers- people avenging their loved ones, people taking justice into their own hands. We like to see the good guy win. So we pretend it is plausible that a guy can finish off tens of men by himself and gets away with it. But the best part of Eric is, he is already dead. So it is much more satisfactory watching the bad guys try to kill him ; in vain, and go nuts in the process. The poetic justice is that he kills everyone in their own “specialty/interest”- so if a guy is good with knives…..or if the guy is a junkie…….You get the point. And he always leaves a crow shaped- signature…His revenge, our satisfaction.

Love:

There are actually two love stories here: One is the romantic one, the heart of the story. Then there is the love Sarah-our storyteller- has for her two great friends. Sarah is about 12 or so and has a drug addict mom dating one of the gang members. So when Eric and Shelly are gone, Sarah is left all alone. Sarah is delighted to have Eric back, but Eric has one thing in mind- to avenge Shelly as soon as possible, so he can be dead with her…

Eric and Shelly’s relationship are shown through flashbacks and you just see how strong and lovely it is. It is pure and intense. It is fun and passionate. They are best friends and lovers. A combination we all want to have and well, seems impossible to find…

Action:

Where there is revenge,….I mentioned Eric doesn’t die. So bullets fly around, swords are swung and Eric just has a laugh. You can send 40 people after him and it just makes his day. Of course things will get complicated. Even Eric has a weak point. But hey, every scene with Eric fighting is worth watching.

It is definitely in my top 3 of best movies ever. There is something magical about this movie. It is dark, gloomy, romantic,has kick-ass action, the best avenging scenes and brilliant dialogue. I have seen it for about 10 times and I can recite the lines before the characters do. If you haven’t seen it, trust me you are missing a lot!

The rock and the goth:

No, I am not talking about Marilyn Manson or EMOs. No. I am talking about this dark, rainy,gloomy background in the film. Eric’s tight black costume that he wore on his quest- a costume he probably wore on stage. The hard-rock sountrack. The way Eric takes a guitar and plays a wonderful electric solo on the roof of a house…

crow_brandon_lee_5

The popularity:

The movie is a cult. Alex Proyas, the director, is considered to be a director with a distinct style and I am not sure many knew his name before this movie.

Brandon Lee is the Crow. The Crow is Brandon Lee. I don’t even know how people can stand the sequels. This is not Lethal Weapon or Die Hard. I know the movie is a comic book adaptation but when something gets so big- and comes with a tragedy-, the following stuff will just be crushed under it.

I think it is a sick joke of life to die while portraying a dead guy but there is nothing we can do about it. About 8 days or so were left for the movie to be completed and Lee died on the set. An accident,as some call it. Some have interesting theories that involve his father Bruce Lee. But Brandon Lee had only played in not so good action movies before and The Crow just showed what a great and talented actor he was. Brandon was 29 when he died. Whether it was truly a set accident with the guns or someone wanted Lee dead, The Crow owes a part of its mysterious aura to his death.

I think I saw this movie 10 times. I can recite lines. I own the soundtrack. Because long after the credits role, the movie stays with you…

Knowing starring Nicolas Cage

Posted on July 23, 2009 Written by ripitup

Knowing movie poster starring Nicholas Cage — Apparently, nothing everything with Nicolas Cage features some cool action or an intelligent script.

Knowing (2009)

(Beware of spoilers!!!)

So I have a tendency to follow Alex Proyas’ work. How can I not? The guy shot The Crow. And although not as great as that, Dark City was in its element. Both movies were gloomy and questioning; yet they were not without a glimpse of hope. Having come right out of the theatre of after seeing Knowing was very disappointing, even if you do not compare it to the two cult classics. I like Nicolas Cage, and I do like to see some supernaturalism on the screen. Alex & Cage should have equaled greatness. Instead, what we got was… I truly don’t know. The movie was quite OK during the first half. Then, suddenly it turned into a weird combo of Dark City, The last Indiana Jones movie and The Day The Earth Stood Still. OMFG. I am no movie critic; I am merely a movie fan so I will honestly the say the ending crushed me. Here are the questions that fail to be answered:

Why those two kids? Why two rabbits? What was with the Stones? Why wait 50 years? Why all the religious references then to make a cliché of a spaceship? Why let everyone else die? Cage’s character wasn’t so bad either. A smart, loving guy…So why get rid of him? So the fans will come with different answers but I don’t get why the makers of the movie bothered…Fine. So worse movies have been made. But the guys in dark coats, white expressionless faces…resembling Spike from Buffy? Or maybe Silas from The Da Vinci Code?

I ’ll just keep watching The Crow and Dark City, then…

Do you want to watch a fun Nicholas Cage movie? Great. Watch The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Or pretty much any other Nicolas movie. Just not Knowing. Rated 6.4 on IMDB.

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