The Good, The Bad and The Ugly : Review

Posted by Syed Aamir Zaheer

Directed by an Italian, shot in Spain and starring only three English speakers The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is somehow the greatest western ever made. Sergio Leone’s final instalment of his Fist Full of Dollars trilogy is a step up in class and it leaves anything John Wayne has done in it’s wake. As it is European made, Leone’s efforts are outside the remit of the American produced Westerns and so avoids all the usual clichés (and look, no Indians!).
The story follows The Good (Eastwood), The Bad (Van Cleef) and The Ugly (Wallach) as they go in search of a stash of gold stolen from the army. The three shady characters double-cross and fight their way across deserts, abandoned towns and through the brutal American Civil War before arriving at the graveyard where the treasure has been hidden.The climactic graveyard scene is the most perfect of film events. Close the curtains, turn the volume all the way up and let the fusion of epic score, masterful camerawork and escalating tension give you goosebumps. The rest of the film is also a film technician’s dream with long panoramic shots of desolate deserts, Ennio Morricone’s memorable score and grand civil war battle scenes.
Clint Eastwood is at his moody, silent best as he casually struts around in his trademark poncho, looking and acting as cool as ice, and Lee Van Cleef is excellent as the snarling bad guy who’s easy to root for. Eli Wallach steals the show as the lovable thief-rapist-murderer-bigamist cowboy turned treasure hunter. The rest of the cast are made up of an international menagerie of comically dubbed cannon fodder but they snarl and then die and do their job ably.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly : Review

Rear Window: Review

Posted by Syed Aamir Zaheer

Hot-shot photographer L. B. Jeffries – or “Jeff”, as he’s known to his chums – is at a bit of a loose end. You see he’s stuck in a wheelchair, having broken a leg in a car accident whilst working on a Grand Prix circuit (perhaps a bit of a touchy subject considering Grace Kelly’s in the cast). So, passing the time in the only way he can think of, he’s started spying on the neighbours through his big ol’ telephoto lens.

The trouble is, Jeff’s hobby becomes more like an obsession when he starts to suspect the silver-haired bloke across the street (Raymond ‘Perry Mason’ Burr) of murdering his wife. Is his idle mind playing tricks on him, or is poor Mrs Thorwald really buried underneath the family flowerbed?

James Stewart dumps his trademark “aw shucks” demeanour and takes on a notably darker persona as the crime-sniffing cripple in this absolute masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock. Jeff’s visitors – nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter), ladyfriend Lisa (Kelly), sceptical police ‘tec Tom (Wendell Corey) – at first have him down as little more than a sticky-beaking nosey parker, but as the evidence becomes tougher to ignore, so too does Hitchcock up the suspense levels.

If you’re after an example of textbook Hitchcock, this is without a shadow of a doubt the film to watch. Instead of attempting to scare us with repeated shock tactics, the film builds up in tension until, by the time it reaches its one climactic pay-off, it’s become almost too much to watch. Yet, at the same time, it’s virtually impossible to take your eyes off the screen. This is quite simply sheer cinematic brilliance. Hats off to you, Alfred.

Rear Window: Review

The Godfather: Review

Posted by Syed Aamir Zaheer

Marlon Brando is Vito Corleone, also known as “The Godfather”, who is head of one of the most powerful mafia families in America. Don Vito is a fair but ruthless man who runs much of his business by doing favours and expecting favours in return. The Corleone family are drawn into a bitter and violent war with other mafia families over their refusal to participate in the lucrative but dangerous drug trade. Don Vito is shot but the attempt on his life does not succeed – he is seriously injured rather than killed. While Don Vito is in hospital, control of the family passes to his eldest son Sonny (James Caan). Sonny is a hot-head, and with his contributions the war continues to escalate.

Don Vito's youngest son is Michael (Al Pacino). He has stayed outside the family business, and his father had aspirations of him holding some legitimate position of power, perhaps through politics. When Don Vito is shot, however, Michael returns home to do what he can to help the family through the crisis. He protects his father against the killers trying to finish what they have started. Michael starts to show promise in this violent world. He takes his revenge against those trying to kill his father, shooting them during a meeting at a restaurant. Ultimately, Sonny is shot and now it is Michael who finds himself with all the responsibility.

It may not be possible for a film to be faultless, but this certainly comes close. The ensemble cast are wholly convincing, and there are a string of well-known names involved who weren't at all familiar until this film. The story progresses at perfectly measured pace, moving almost gently between moments of calculated violence. The cinematography and direction are picture-perfect, with immaculate attention to detail. Every aspect of life in those turbulent times is faithfully recreated with great accuracy. “The Godfather” is a credit to all involved.

The Godfather: Review

2012- Wouldn't you rather die?

 *Spoiler alert*

So i sat through the entire 2 hr 38 min long movie. Yes! that is loooong!... But surprisingly it was only after the movie ended and i looked at the time did I realise how long I had actually been staring at the screen, sitting at the edge of my seat, scared out of my wits thinking about what the end of the world would actually be like!
Did i like the movie?... Im not sure...
Yes..even though it held my interest throughout, afterwards I was left wondering what exactly was I interested in? I wouldn't say that it isn't worth watching though. Go ahead.. Watch it.. Gasp, cringe, clap!
And after you're done talk about how unrealistic it was.. The whole ark thing at the end? Isnt everyone supposed to die when the world ends? The day of judgement and all that!...The ark thing has already happened once.. Do we really need to repeat history ALL the time??
But getting to the actual title of my post.. I wondered if I was in such a situation would I actually want to struggle my way to this "ark" that I have no idea how I would get on, even if I do reach it, while the whole world is collapsing around me... or would I prefer to die with the rest of the world..? And let that be the end of my suffering? And I came to the conclusion... I would DEFINITLY want to die!! And even if I did somehow have a place on the "ark" and i knew I could live while the world is completely destroyed.. Would I actually want to start building the WORLD again???? All the comfort I know in this world is gone.. Back to the beginning of time.. back to 0001!!!! Maybe i give up too easily.. But I really do like my comforts!.. The whole its-the-people-you-are-with-that-is-important-and-not-the-place.. I really dont believe in it.. Yes people are extremely important!! and yes they probably are more important than places.. But the place and things matter as well!!.. Afterall it is the little THINGS that make a life!!.. Starting all over must be hard!!! And I hate change as it is..
But is that just me?... Would the rest of the world actually struggle through this:

and this:

To get to these really ugly arks:

And then build the entire world from scratch!!
Or is there somebody else out there who, like me, would just simply die than go through all that?

2012- Wouldn't you rather die?

Poll #1

 Which of the following do you think has been the most disappointing film of 2009 so far?

Dead Man Running - 0 votes (0%)
Funny People - 0 votes (0%)
G.I. Joe - 6 votes (66%)
Imagine That - 0 votes (0%)
Land Of The Lost - 0 votes (0%)
Love Happens - 1 vote (11%)
Surrogates - 0 votes (0%)
The Taking Of Pehlam 123 - 0 votes (0%)
Terminator Salvation - 0 votes (0%)
Transformers 2 - 2 votes (22%)
The Ugly Truth - 0 votes (0%)
Year One - 0 votes (0%)


Result: Most disappointing film of 2009 is G.I. Joe

Poll #1

Romantic Comedies - My Top 5

Posted By Aleena Malik

Probably every movie lover makes a favourite film list at one time or another. Making a top 5 list was tricky. But here are my choices:


1. One Fine Day(1996)



2. Notting Hill(1999)



3. Sabrina(1995)



4. Pretty Woman(1990)



5. My Best Friend's Wedding(1997)




Now these arent necassarily the best romantic comedies ever made. But what good is a movie that you don't enjoy watching? And i trully enjoyed these films.
Whats on your list?

Romantic Comedies - My Top 5

Book vs. Movies: Is the book always better?

Posted By Aleena Malik

People who read frequently rarely like the movie version of their favourite books. There have been some great movies made from books, but typically they tend to disappoint the readers by not being "just like the book". A film made from an adapted screenplay simply does not have the same results as reading the book.
Books and films are different entities. While films leave little to the viewer's imagination, when you read, you are creating you own movie in a sense. The creative process undergone while reading a book is distinctly different from viewing a film.
The casting directors don't always give you what you want. As many would agree that casting Tom Hanks to play the role of Robert Langdon in Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons was a significant mistake. Highly elaborate sets may be wonderful but they may not be a faithful portrayal of your interpretation. You may find yourself disappointed by movie versions that don’t live up to your imagination.
Some might theorize that perhaps we like that which we knew first (which in most cases is the book)- You read the book, you love it, you find out it has been made into a movie, you watch the movie and end up disappointed. The problem, however, with this theory is that it should work in reverse as well i.e. if you watch the movie first, you should prefer it over the book. This does not happen nearly as often. Sure, the movie first leaves a lasting impression of how the characters look but it is usually fine to imagaine them that way when you go ahead and read the book. The details in the book end up enriching the story you already know and you still come away saying the book was better.
A perfect casepoint is the recent release Angels and Demons, an adaption of a popular work of fiction by Dan Brown. I loved the book, couldn't put it down. The movie on the other hand was a complete disaster.
Had i only watched the movie without reading the book beforehand I might have come to the conclusion that I do not wish to read such a mediocre book.
Of course there are exceptions to the every rule. There have been occasions where a filmmaker has taken a great book and managed to make an even greater movie. A few films that I considered were better than the book are:
1. The Searchers
2. Ben-Hur
3. Psycho
4. Jaws
5. Gone With the Wind
6. The Shawshank Redemption
7. The Godfather
8. Blade Runner
9. Stand By Me
10. The Princess Bride

Book vs. Movies: Is the book always better?

Vatican calls New Moon 'deviant'

Posted By Aleena Malik
 
The Vatican, which previously had softened their stance on certain recent blockbusters-approving the most recent Harry potter film and calling Angels and Demons "harmless entertainment", has blasted the Twilight sequal by calling it "deviant" and a "moral vacuum". The Roman Catholic Church criticised New Moon for its supernatural references.
"This theme of vampires in Twilight combines a mixture of excesses that, as ever is aimed at young people and gives a heavy esoteric element," complained the Vatican's culture council leader, Monsignor Franco Perazzolo.
He added, "This film is nothing more than a moral vacuum with a deviant message and as such should be of concern."

Vatican calls New Moon 'deviant'

November 2009 Releases

Posted By Aleena Malik

Disney's A Christmas Carol(PG)

Theatrical Release: November 6, 2009
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Jim Carrey, Cary Elwes, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robert Wright Penn

'Disney's A Christmas Carol' is a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award winner filmmaker Robert Zemeckis which captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event.Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late.



The Box(PG 13)

Theatrical Release: November 6, 2009
Directed by: Richard Kelly
Cast: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, Basil Hoffman, Gillian Jacobs

What if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you a million dollars...but simultaneously take the life of someone you don't know? Would you do it? And what would be the consequences? The year is 1976. Norma Lewis is a teacher at a private high school and her husband, Arthur, is an engineer working at NASA. They are, by all accounts, an average couple living a normal life in the suburbs with their young son...until a mysterious man with a horribly disfigured face appears on their doorstep and presents Norma with a life-altering proposition: the box. With only 24 hours to make their choice, Norma and Arthur face an impossible moral dilemma. What they don't realize is that no matter what they decide, terrifying consequences will have already been set in motion. They soon discover that the ramifications of this decision are beyond their control and extend far beyond their own fortune and fate.


2012(PG 13)

Theatrical Release: November 13, 2009
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Cast: John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover, Woody Harrelson

Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments. "2012" is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors.




The Twilight Saga: New Moon(PG 13)

Theatrical Release: November 20, 2009
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Cam Gigandet, Jackson Rathbone, Taylor Lautner

In "New Moon", Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested.


The Princess and The Frog(G)

Theatrical Release: Novermber 25, 2009
Directed by: Ron Clements, John Musker
Cast: Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Jenifer Lewis, John Goodman, Oprah Winfrey

When the free-spirited, jazz-loving Prince Naveen of Maldonia comes to town a deal with a shady voodoo doctor goes bad and the once suave royal is turned into a frog. In a desperate attempt to be human again, a favor in exchange for a fateful kiss on the lips from the beautiful girl, Tiana, takes an unexpected turn and leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana to the banks of the almighty Mississippi and back in time for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. An unforgettable tale filled with music, humor and heart where two frogs—along with the help of a 200-year-old voodoo priestess, a love-sick Cajun firefly, and a trumpet-playing alligator—discover that what they want isn’t as important as what they need.


Brooklyn's Finest(R)

Theatrical Release: Novemeber 27, 2009
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin

The story surrounds three Brooklyn cops from varying sides of the force who unknowingly converge together at a hot crime spot.

(Note: The movie is rated R due to bloody violence throughout, strong sexuality nudity, drug content and pervasive language.)

November 2009 Releases