Too big to fail?

Q: What happens when you have a project soooo good, that everyone wants to be in on it?

A: You make it an ensemble movie, try to give everyone equal billing, and hope against hope that all of those actors mesh, and the plot is thick enough to support the extra weight.

Hollywood has taken this approach numerous times. Has it worked? Or Has it failed? The answer is yes to both. Personally, I'd say they fail more often than not, but that's a debate for another day.

Today, I'm just listing 10 ensemble flicks. Nothing more, nothing less.

Read More

The World In Film

If you really look closely, you'll see that I've reviewed a lot of foreign (International/Non-American) films. There's a whole world out there and America does not have the monopoly on entertainment it once had. With impressively less budgets, and half the flair, other countries have been producing amazing films. Films deemed good enough for us to remake them and call them our own. [Because 'Murica!]

With that being said, if you have an interest in foreign movies, (or even if you don't) you might want to give these a shot. At the very least, they're definitely decent films.

Australia: 

• The Horseman (2008) - Christian, a divorced father and white collar businessman grieves over the complicated death of his daughter. When a video arrives anonymously in the mail, featuring his daughter heavily intoxicated and mistreated, Christian sets out on a reckless journey to find answers.

Brazil:

• Elite Squad [Tropa de Elite] (2007) - Captain Nascimento has to find a substitute for his occupation while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope comes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• City of God [Cidade de Deus] (2002) - Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer.

Canada:

• The People I've Slept With (2009) - A promiscuous woman who finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy and needs to figure out who the baby daddy is...NOW.
• Pontypool (2008) - A psychological thriller in which a deadly virus infects a small Ontario town. 
• Goon (2011) - Labeled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of under performing misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.

Chile:

• Mandrill (2009) - Antonio's parents were murdered when he was a child. As an adult, he is transformed into a relentless bounty hunter, code-named "Mandrill," with the sole aim of finding the murderer and avenging his parents.
• Mirageman (2007) - The raw story of a real-life superhero.

China:

• Ip Man (2008) - A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun.
• Detective Dee (2010) - An exiled detective is recruited to solve a series of mysterious deaths that threaten to delay the inauguration of Empress Wu.
• Fearless (2006) - This film tells the story of Chinese Martial Arts Master Huo Yuanjia, the founder and spiritual guru of the Jin Wu Sports Federation.

Dominican Republic:

• La Soga (2009) - A cop works against his country's corrupt government in order to find justice on a case.

Finland:

• Iron Sky (2012) - The Nazis set up a secret base on the dark side of the moon in 1945 where they hide out and plan to return to power in 2018.

France:

• District B13 [Banlieue 13] (2004) - Set in the ghettos of Paris in 2010, an undercover cop and ex-thug try to infiltrate a gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb.

Germany:

• The Wave [Die Welle] (2008) - A high school teacher's unusual experiment to demonstrate to his students what life is like under a dictatorship spins horribly out of control when he forms a social unit with a life of its own.
• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) - Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with a superior olfactory sense, creates the world's finest perfume. His work, however, takes a dark turn as he searches for the ultimate scent.

Hong Kong:

• Hard Boiled [Lat sau san taam] (1992) - A tough-as-nails cop teams up with an undercover agent to shut down a sinister mobster and his crew.
• FullTime Killer [Chuen jik sat sau] (2001) - Two very different hitmen find themselves to be in each other's way. They use all their skill to solve the problem.

India:

• Delhi Belly (2011) - Three struggling room-mates unknowingly become potential prey of a ruthless gangster.
• Singham (2011) - A humiliated gangster uses his influence and goon power to terrorize a newly transferred police officer.

Indonesia:

• The Raid: Redemption [Serbuan maut] (2011) - A SWAT team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.

Jamaica:

• Shottas (2002) - This movie is about crime connected to selling drugs and extortion, hence the title. The crimes which start off in Jamaica then move to USA.

Japan:

• Battle Royale [Batoru rowaiaru] (2000) - In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
• Ichi the Killer [Koroshiya 1] (2001) - As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.
• The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi [Zatôichi] (2003) - The blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda. 

Korea (South):

• The Host [Gwoemul] (2006) - A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and focuses its attention on attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.
• The Man from Nowhere [Ajeossi] (2010) - A quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug- and organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend. 

Mexico:

• A Day Without A Mexican (2004) - When a mysterious fog surrounds the boundaries of California, there is a communication breakdown and all the Mexicans disappear, affecting the economy and the state stops working missing the Mexican workers and dwellers.

Netherlands:

• Saint [Sint] (2006) - A horror film that depicts St. Nicholas as a murderous bishop who kidnaps and murders children when there is a full moon on December 5.

New Zealand:

• Black Sheep (2006) - An experiment in genetic engineering turns harmless sheep into blood-thirsty killers that terrorize a sprawling New Zealand farm.

Norway:

• Dead Snow [Død snø] (2009) - A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies.

Russia:

• Nightwatch [Nochnoy Dozor] (2004) - A fantasy-thriller set in present-day Moscow where the respective forces that control daytime and nighttime do battle.

Spain:

• REC (2007) - A television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.
• Intact [Intacto] (2001) - An enigmatic tale of four people whose lives are intertwined by destiny are subject to the laws of fate. They discover that luck is something they cannot afford to be without as they gamble with the highest stakes possible in a deadly game from which only one of them will emerge intact.
• The Devil's Backbone [El espinazo del diablo] (2001) - After Carlos, a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War, arrives at an ominous boy's orphanage he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets that he must uncover.
• The Orphanage [El Orfanato] (2007) - A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, where she opens an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.

Sweeden:

• Let The Right One In [Låt den rätte komma in] (2008) - Oskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire.

Thailand:

• Chocolate (2008) - An autistic girl with powerful martial art skills looks to settle her ailing mother's debts by seeking out the ruthless gangs that owe her family money.

The United Kingdom:

• Dorian Gray (2009) - A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty eternally, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all. 
• Triangle (2009) - The story revolves around the passengers of a yachting trip in the Atlantic Ocean who, when struck by mysterious weather conditions, jump to another ship only to experience greater havoc on the open seas. 

Read More

5 Scenes from...

John Woo has directed some of the most stylish action flicks in existence. You may not know his name, but you are definitely familiar with his work.


Here are five of his best scenes:

Face/Off (1997) - An FBI agent and a terrorist, assume the physical appearance of one another.

Red Cliff (2008) - A Story centered on a battle fought in China's Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.).

Hard Boiled (1992) - A tough-ass cop teams with an undercover agent to shut down a mob crew.

The Killer (1989) - A disillusioned assassin accepts one last hit, only to be double-crossed by his boss.

 

Hard Target (1993) - Van Damme stars as a homeless Cajun who helps a woman track down her father.

 

Read More

Director's Showcase #1

Guillermo Del Toro

Guillermo del Toro (born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. His films draw heavily on sources as diverse as weird fiction, fantasy and war.


Guillermo del Toro presents...
Is a label given to a series of foreign language films that would not be as noticed without his name attached. The man knows quality work and wouldn't attach himself to something he wouldn't feel, is worthy or something he wouldn't have made himself.


If he's not directing, he's "presenting" here are a few of his foreign films that may interest you:

Read More

They Died Too Soon...

***Editor Note: This list was done in 2010, and as much as I hated 2011 year in movies, I'm sure I'm missing at least one or two characters. Hit the comments, let me know your thoughts.***

King Leonidas - 300

Spartans are warriors and they always fight to the death. But it takes a special type of badass to defy the laws of his own country and lead a team of 300 men who nearly toppled the Persian Empire. Plus he kicked a dude into a bottomless pit and nearly speared Xerxes to death.

Angeline Jolie - Wanted

Honestly, I didn't like Wanted, but there is no denying that Fox was a bad ass assassin. True, some of her scenes were over the top, but the opening scene in which she fires a shotgun out of a moving car, during a high speed chase, while steering with her feet and shitting on the new guy, earned her the distinction of making this list.

Tony Montana - Scarface

One of Pacino's greatest performances. Tony Montana went from a penniless Cuban immigrant to a millionaire drug lord. He was badass even until the end, nearly taking out every one who stormed his house all while high as fuck. Cocaine is indeed a hell of a drug.

John Creasy - Man on Fire

What. A. Character. John Creasy marked Denzel's second foray into Badassery after playing Det. Alanzo Harris In Training Day. After the child Creasy is bodyguarding disappears, he tears through the Mexican mob in search of her. At one point, he even places a bomb in some poor dude's ass. Yep, it was a bad time for villainy when John Creasy was around.

Doc Holiday - Tombstone

Val Kilmer, like him or not, has played some awesome characters in his career. However, he will never top his portrayal of Doc Holiday in Tombstone. Dude got up from his deathbed, just to participate in the final gun brawl. I think that alone solidifies his place on this list.

Gunnery Sgt. Hartman - Full Metal Jacket

R. Lee. Ermy is a legit badass who has played many variations of that in his acting career. His most famous role was that of Gunnery Sgt. Hartman In Full Metal Jacket. He verbally destroyed the new recruits while simultaneously making himself a character we'd never forget.

Big Daddy - Kick-Ass

In a world w/o superheroes, one man took it upon himself to not only teach his daughter how to become a lethal killing machine, he also dressed up in costume with her and wrecked shop. I can forgive the fact that this was Nicholas Cage in a costume. Big Daddy was a legit character.

Juno - The Descent II

Juno led her crew on a spelunking expedition into a cave system that was previously undiscovered. When shit got real however, so did she. Little to no hesitation or remorse as she pick-axed, clawed, and fought they cave mutants.

Bill The Butcher - Gangs of New York

Daniel Day-Lewis is so selective with his roles that nearly every character he plays is badass in one way or another. While some may go with his oil baron in There Will Be Blood, I'm choosing, Bill the Butcher.

Colonel Miles Quaritch aka Colonel Gunz

When he's not benching 250lbs in a tiny wife beater, Colonel Gunz breathes badassery. Not only was he shot with two giant arrows, he pilots a mechanical suit while on fire, and pursues those eco pussies in a known toxic environment without even thinking of oxygen until his clip was empty. All. Man.

Read More

The BBC

BBC programs have been some of the better produced and higher quality shows in existence. Foreign entertainment in general, may be an acquired taste for some, but believe me when I tell you that there is some really good stuff overseas.

American Television has a way of stealing the works from other countries. Knowing that, I figure maybe you'll like the originals better. To that end, I've put together a small list of a few BBC shows that I've really enjoyed. Idk whether or not you're interested in things made outside of the States, but you should give these shows a chance.

Read More

Eye Candy Actresses - Addendum

What started as a list of spillovers in 2010, became a full list in 2012 as the names piled up. 

Read More

5 Asian women in american films

 Asia imports many things into the United States: Toys, Cars...robots. However one of their most valuable commodities is hot women. Holding about 1/4th of the world's population, there is no shortage either. The thing is, crossing oceans to prove yourself in the US film industry however, is no easy task.

With that in mind, here are five Asian imports who have made a name for themselves, in Hollywood:

Read More

Eye Candy Actresses: The Sequel

In Part One, I wrote about women who are more "Eye Candy" than actors. In part two, I'll provide you with a few who I feel are "on the bubble" so to speak. These actresses are hot, but their acting skills are in question.

Read More

3 Reasons You Suck...

 

...A-Team edition


1) Ridiculously over the top Action. Seriously, have you seen the
trailer? At one point, they are shooting down planes while falling
through the air in a tank. *sigh*

Read More

3 Reasons You Suck...

           (via)

...The Karate Kid (aka Karate Kid Black around here)

Read More