Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Sword Of Destiny (2016) - Michelle Yeoh , Donnie Yen

It can't be easy to create a follow up to an influential and critically acclaimed film. So when it was announced that there would be a sequel to Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I decided to keep an open mind, until I have seen the movie for myself.

 Set eighteen years after the end of the first Crouching Tiger, Yu Shu Lien who is thankfully still played by Michelle Yeoh has emerged out of hiding to once again protect the sword, Green Destiny, this time from an evil warlord. Michelle Yeoh still plays the part well, but there seems to be too much of a homage to the first film, so it is a little hard not to draw comparisons when the film is openly inviting you to do so with every turn. I'm not sure if this is coming from the source material, which is the novel where it is based on, but the reminders are a bit irritating and does not work at all. Take for example the character of Snow Vase played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo , it is obvious that she is meant to draw parallels with Jen Yu who was played by Zhang Ziyi in the original movie. For her first scene she actually walked in wearing similar clothes to Jen Yu.

That could have been handled better , instead of making her a Zhang Ziyi stand-in, she should have been allowed to stand on her own, Even if (and I'm assuming here) that she was meant to remind Yu Shu Lien of Jen Yu in the novel, they should have done it in a more subtle way. Because frankly her character was all over the place, by trying to be Jen Yu she falls flat.

None of the other supporting character fared any better. So many of them died , but you wind up not caring for them. I know that there is a limited screen time , but maybe lessening the ensemble cast would have allowed them to be more than just one dimensional characters. Then there is the main villain , Hades Dai played by Jason Scott Lee was a walking caricature. We had no idea what drove him , what he cared about, he was just simply there to be bad.
Another thing that bothers me about this movie is that it doesn't feel like a Wuxia film . I grew up watching movies of that genre and this one is too westernized. The fight choreography was okay, but there is something about how they paced it, and framed it on the screen that feels off. When you watch Wuxia films today from Hongkong, China or Taiwan , fight scenes are shot like a dance , and every frame is a painting. I can see that they attempted to do this, but failed in the nuance. The fights were well done brawls , but they aren't the aesthetically beautiful scenes that Asian cinema is so good at.

The worst mistake though that they did, is the addition of magic. There is nothing wrong with a dash of mysticism, in this film. A seer who spouts prophecy is fine, but the other magic stuff was wrong it felt like, how aliens was added to Indiana Jones, it ruined the continuity and was just ridiculous. Also the CGI , special effects was too much in your face that it looked really fake , again it should have been more subtle.
This movie is sort of entertaining, but really at the core it is bad. If you have seen the first Crouching Tiger, this would be a massive disappointment.It is the sort film that you tend to watch when you are bored and have nothing better to do.

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by: Yeun Woo-Ping

Michelle Yeoh as Yu Shu Lien
Donnie Yen as Silent Wolf
Harry Shum Jr. as Wei-Fang
Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Snow Vase
Jason Scott Lee as Hades Dai

Pjinstillers (Painkillers) (2014) - Gjis Blom

Pjinstillers or Painkillers in English is a dutch film about young student and pianist Casper Van Riel who dreams of becoming a composer. At the beginning of the film, he was able to succeed in his audition to join a youth orchestra, but this is dampened by him finding out that his mother who raised him as a single parent has cancer. This causes him to search for the father he has never known, to examine his life, and do whatever he can to keep his beloved mother alive.

 The movie starts out kind of slow, it is to be expected in films of this genre , but it felt like some things were unnecessary. Like the sideline story line of the girl that Casper likes who is just using him. It may have been better if they simply focused on him dealing with his mother, the orchestra , where the true love interest lies , and his search for his father. It felt like simply piling up on Casper for the sake of adding more drama when there is enough in the movie in the first place, although the added dimension of the girl's racist father was amusing it really was not needed.

 As for the performance, many of the supporting characters were pretty mechanical, but the main characters did deliver, Gjis Blom who plays Casper and Susan Radder who plays Anouk, a fellow orchestra member did inject life into the film. Gijs was able to portray sad and stoic without being boring, and Susan was a burst of sunshine in the scenes she was in. Birgit Schuurman who plays Marit , the cancer stricken mother of Casper showed just the right amount of pain , weakness, strength and fun that showed the different facets of her character in a short period.

 The second half of the movie is where things start to get good. When all the fillers were removed , and the film focused on the main story line , and the pace started picking up. It is also where Gijs performance goes from good to excellent. Obviously it may be due to the fact that their is more emotion in this part of the story, but if handled incorrectly it could wind up too melodramatic, it didn't. The last part was more raw and real, except for the cliche bicycle ride and journey to Prague that felt forced and out of place.

 The vague ending seemed useless somehow, a clear resolution to that part of the story may have been better. As a whole the film is actually a mess, and is somehow confused in what it tries to be, is it a drama. a comedy, a teen romance? It tries to be all of that and not wholly succeeding. It can be enjoyable if you get through the first part , since the second half is a delight, just don't expect too much out of it.

 Watch Trailer Here

 Directed by Tessa Schram

Cast
Gijs Blom as Casper Van Riel
Birgit Schurman as Marit Van Riel
Susan Radder as Anouk
Massimo Pesik as Pim
Raymond Thiry as Robert Van Laren
Tijn Docter as Felix

Mana (2014)

This was a movie that I really wanted to see, not only did it struck close to home as it was shot and told the story of my home province . The characters , the family in the film , even their old house , reminded me so much of mine . Of course there have been plenty of movies that revolved around the same topic like the grand epic "Oro Plata Mata " (look it up it's a great movie from the 80's,in fact one of the stars of Mana; Cherie Gil is the lead actress in that movie) , still this one is on a different path as it adds a certain supernatural element to the old class-tale that has been retold plenty of times in the small and big screen.

Mana tells the story of an old aristocratic family in the island of Negros who have gathered around their sick Matriarch. The children who now lead separate adult lives are arguing about a mysterious inheritance . While most arguments of this nature tend to be about someone wanting the inheritance, the children are actually fighting because not one of them wants it. Things take a dark turn as various mysterious events unfold, slowly revealing how truly dark the past of this family is.

Despite being an independent production , this movie was able to gather some very big veteran movie stars to play in the ensemble cast, which includes Cherie Gil known for her iconic villain roles and for uttering one of the most famous movie quotes in south-east asian cinema , her brother Mark Gil , a long standing movie star , Jaime Fabregas, Ricky Davao , Epy Quizon a well know character actor and the son of the legendary Dolphy , and Tetchie Agbayani who not had a long career in asian cinema but also starred in a few hollywood films in the 80's . Top performers all , and did they deliver? Oh yes , above and beyond. The acting was superb , every small nuances and movement provided tensions and foreshadowed the dark events unfolding . It was fairly refreshing , usually people who gather in big old houses on horror films are a bunch of horny good-looking screen teenagers who lack any sort of amazing theatrical capability . The cinematography and production design is to be applauded as well and added well to the eerie atmosphere. And on a personal side-note it was fun to see again so many people I know on screen on this movie . Watch this if you can , even if you are not a fan of the genre , their is enough family drama and and back story to entertain without it going to the level of a soap opera, besides the high caliber actors are good enough reason as I have said. Watch Trailer

Directed by : Gabriel Fernandez

Cast
Fides Cuyugan-Asensio
Tetchie Agbayani
Ricky Davao
Jaime Fabregas
Cherie Gil
Mark Gil
Jeffrey Quizon

Philomena (2014)

Philomena tells the true story of a mother searching for the whereabouts of her son who was forcibly taken from her 50 years ago by a group of nuns who believed that she had sinned. Despite all this Philomena remains a devout Catholic and would not speak ill of the nuns and kept her secret until she opens it up with her daughter 50 years later . In a chance meeting her daughter meets journalist Martin Sixsmith who is undergoing his own career crisis and convinces him to help her mother find her son. This starts their journey and the course of the entire film.

This movie has a lot of plot twists, so much so that if you never knew it was based on a true story you may end up convinced that it is a work of fiction. In fact the movie plays at this concept , where Philomena ; the title character and mother would often talk to Martin Sixsmith about the novel she has read and how she didn't see that plot twist in the novel coming . Creating a foreshadowing of things that they would discover. As usual the great Judi Dench is phenomenal as Philomena , oh I so love the way that she portrayed the character , and embodied the spirit of the real Philomena . You see I have a soft spot for little old ladies , my , my grandfather had six sisters , only one of them married and those who didn't, doted on me. Aside from that I grew up in a big old house owned by the widow of my grandfathers' cousin who had no children of her own , so you see I had a lot of great aunts around me. And of course , the sweet old lady in this movie reminded me so much of them , particularly since Judi Dench resembled the last of them who passed away. Anyway personal feelings aside , this movie would most likely strike a chord with anyone. And it is not just a simple drama it has hints of intrigue and mystery as well as social commentary on the side . The moments are quiet , but I got excited with every thread unravelling . If it was a novel it'll be a page turner in which you really can't wait to find out what happens next. It is really a beautiful tale , wonderfully acted , and a great movie to simply enjoy . Like Judi Dench, Philomena is phenomenal.

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by Stephen Frears

Cast
Judi Dench as Philomena Lee
Sophie Kennedy Clark as Young Philomena
Steve Coogan as Martin Sixsmith
Barbara Jefford as Sister Hildegarde
Kate Fleetwood as Young Sister Hildegarde
Mare Winningham as Mary Hess
Michelle Fairley as Sally Mitchell
Sean Mahon as Michael Hess

One Direction : This is Us

All right I have a confession to make, online and to the world. I like One Direction, I'm not a fan of them musically , their songs are okay I guess , although I'm a big Ed Sheeran fan and he did write some of their songs which I have listened to and like. I like them as people and celebrities , I saw them in an interview once and they were really funny , after that I saw several more and they were really entertaining and I thought to myself that if this guys ever made a movie or a reality show I'd most probably would watch it . I grew up in the 90's , the golden age of boybands and I have listened to some of them and they are blandly generic. Synchronized dances and with one guy singing and the rest just glorified back up singers , it's not really my cup of tea or coffee.

I'll be making this review mostly for the non-fans, if you are a One Direction fan you'll most likely like anything they do besides it's not like you need to read a critique anyway. The Documentary itself is entertaining , the camera work was good and it presented an intimate look behind the scenes of famous celebrities. I'm fond of reading biographies , mostly of movie stars obviously I'm obsessed with old Hollywood, it is very interesting to see who they are in a private setting . Yes , the Documentary presented some of this , but I don't think they presented enough and they most probably skirted a lot of topics. A documentary is meant to present as much as possible an unbiased look at it's topic , presenting the good and the bad. This movie felt more like a promotional video , I don't know if that is what the fans want , maybe they are just catering to that base . Anyways for those of you who are not fans , it is actually quite interesting. But mostly it is because of the boys themselves , they come along as quite genuine and as I have said in an interview setting they are very entertaining and quite funny. They are even more so in this documentary . This isn't just for girls, this guys will remind you of your closest boyhood friends so much, that you will forget that you are watching celebrities behind the scenes. And just simply laugh at their high jinx. I mostly skipped the concert parts , as I have said I'm not really a fan of their music , but from what I have seen it was well shot. And as I have said it is did not present enough for the behind the scenes look , I'm not saying they should have gotten full paparazzi mode and remove all sense of privacy but I think there were other angles and other aspects of their life that would have made for a great story . They could have expounded on their family life, and the bands' relationship with the crew . So with than in mind it is a good watch even for non-fans . Is it an excellent documentary ? No it really is not up that standard it's good not that good , and half of it is just another concert movie. But I guess that part is good for fans who don't get to see them live, you can skip that like I did anyway.

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by Morgan Spurlock

Cast
Niall Horan
Zayn Malik
Liam Payne
Harry Styles
Louis Tomlinson

Hugo (2011)

To say that Hugo is "magical" would be an understatement. This movie has more magic in it than all the syfy movie fantasy specials combined, but then again that is not too much of a stretch. No Hugo is not a fantasy film , but if you want to know what magic I'm talking about you really have to see it . Hugo is actually historical fiction , about a an orphan boy who lives in a Paris train station. I don't really want to give out too much of the synopsis , since it might spoil the "magic" of which I'm talking about. I prefer that you let the movie enfold you as you get to watch the stunning visuals , and experience the twist and turns of it's beautiful storyline. Asa Butterfield who wowed audience in his performance in " The Boy in the Stripe Pyjamas " delivered a performance that could put veteran actors twice his age to shame. Him playing Hugo was an excellent casting choice although I still find it funny why Parisians are always portrayed speaking in a British accent . Anyways the rest of the ensemble , although overshadowed by this young man , seriously even Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley was upstaged by Asa . Still they all delivered a magnificent performance. All characters no matter how small the screen time were all fleshed out . Is it any wonder that this movie won all those Oscars? Or were nominated so much in the year it came out ? Watch it , no matter your age this film would bring wonder to your eyes...

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by : Martin Scorcese

Cast
Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret
Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle
Ben Kingsley as Georges Méliès / Papa Georges
Sacha Baron Cohen as Inspector Gustave
Helen McCrory as Jeanne d'Alcy / Mama Jeanne
Michael Stuhlbarg as René Tabard
Jude Law as Hugo's father
Ray Winstone as Claude Cabret
Christopher Lee as Monsieur Labisse
Emily Mortimer as Lisette
Frances de la Tour as Madame Emile
Richard Griffiths as Monsieur Frick
Marco Aponte as a train engineer assistant
Kevin Eldon as policeman
Gulliver McGrath as young Tabard
Angus Barnett as a cinema manager
Ben Addis as Salvador Dalí
Emil Lager as Django Reinhardt
Robert Gill as James Joyce

Boy A (2007)

Many of us know Andrew Garfield as Spiderman. It is the role that made him a Movie Star but Boy A is the movie that made him a great actor and most probably brought him to the Spiderman gig.

The film is the story of a young ex-con incarcerated for killing a young girl , the story is told in flashback as he tries to live a normal life after leaving jail and for his own security assumes a new identity. This is a beautifully dark haunting tale told from a criminal's perspective . And it gripped me from start to finish, Andrew Garfield is perfect in his ability to project a young man coming to terms with the horror of what he did , and how to move on from it. You can actually see the pain from his eyes even at the most enjoyable moments of his new life . And really it gets you thinking , especially on how criminals are shown in the media and how we as a society treat them . Do we rehabilitate or do we punish ? Is someone who did something horrible in the past be beyond redemption? Do they not deserve a second chance? Of course each of us would have a different answer and our own opinion , but at the very least this movie gives us an insight and allows us to question our core beliefs . Which is what makes it a great movie and of course the performance of the cast led by Andrew Garfield . Well written, well acted and beautifully told this movie should not be passed up . Watch it when you get the chance.



Watch Trailer Here



Directed by John Crowley



Cast
Andrew Garfield as Eric Wilson / Jack Burridge
Peter Mullan as Terry
Siobhan Finneran as Kelly
Alfie Owen as Eric Wilson
Victoria Brazier as Teacher
Skye Bennett as Angela
Katie Lyons as Michelle
Taylor Doherty as Phillip Craig
Shaun Evans as Chris
Anthony Lewis as Steve

Ender's Game (2013)

I never read the book before I saw this movie. Although I have heard of it so many times, with me being such a big science fiction fan and to those of you who wants to know, I'm more into Star Wars than Star Trek but I do love both. Anyway basically Ender's game is the story of a young boy who goes to a special school for gifted kids, they play a sport where they fly around. Sounds familiar Well the novellete was written in the 70's so basically the concept is original and it won awards so there's that. Plus it's science fiction not magic it is set in a future earth, and the school which is a space station orbiting earth was built to train commanders who will remotely command fleets of warships into battle against an alien race of insects to protect the world . Here's the twist they're all kids , because apparently children have a different way of making decisions than adults.

I through that this was just another one of those young adult fiction novels turned movies with a lot of entertainment value on screen but with little real substance. Not to say that all of them are like that after all there are some really amazing exceptions. And I have to say that this movie is one of them. Led by Hugo's Asa Butterfield , this movie is more than just a great ride, it has a strong intellectual depth , which i think stems a lot from the novel which is very cerebral. But of course you can't bring that to life without an amazing cast and everyone from the kids up to the adults did their part well no matter how small . Sadly though, I don't know if we'll get a sequel since the movie did only moderately well in the box office and may not be enough to spawn a franchise. But regardless this movie can stand on it's own , a sequel isn't really necessary . The visuals , the soundtrack are all top notch and as I have said the acting is quality work . And it also got me to read the books , which I say is very interesting and you should check it out as well, after you enjoyed the movie of course...

Watch Trailer Here

Cast
Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin
Harrison Ford as Colonel Hyrum Graff
Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham
Hailee Steinfeld as Petra Arkanian
Abigail Breslin as Valentine Wiggin
Viola Davis as Major Gwen Anderson
Aramis Knight as Bean
Suraj Parthasarathy as Alai
Moisés Arias as Bonzo
Khylin Rhambo as Dink
Conor Carroll as Bernard
Anozie as Sergeant Dap
Jimmy Pinchak as Peter Wiggin
Stevie Ray Dallimore as John Paul Wiggin
Andrea Powell as Theresa Wiggin

Howl"s Moving Castle (2004)

I just realized that this is the first animation film I'll be reviewing, to think that I have watched a lot of those . The Lion King was my absolute favorite as a kid after all . But I'll be talking about an Anime film , which is a very different genre from a disney film.

Howl is a fantasy anime film , set in what I would refer to as a steam punk type of world, with magic of course. The story is not really japanese , it is based of a novel written by a British author . Which explains the very Victorian look of the setting. It tells the story of a young girl who accidentally meets a wizard and not the old wizened type , but a young handsome wizard named Howl. She gets embroiled in a short chase with strange shadow shape shifting type of creatures who were following Howl. He leads them away from her , and she goes on with her normal routine. But when she gets back to her store , she is confronted by the witch of the waste who as it turns out are the masters of this creatures . She is cursed to old age and to not have the power to speak about that curse . The witch then leaves her to her plight . Not knowing what to do , she leaves the next day in search of a solution to her problem and winds up inside the strange moving castle of Howl and this is where her actual journey begins .

This movie is brilliant , the plot and the strange twists in the story is enough to keep you on your seat . The animation is beautifully done , in this day and age where we are so used to Pixar type of rendering, this I have to say may actually be even more visually appealing than that. All the characters are well fleshed out, and defined . The characters don't really need to belt out into a song or depend on humor to get the movie going . Something that does not happen in western animated films . And you really have no idea where the story is going , there is no foreshadowing or a lead on . Which makes it even better . This is generally a great film, within and outside the genre of animation.

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Cast Japanese /English Dub

Sophie (young)... Chieko Baisho /Emily Mortimer
Sophie (old)... Chieko Baisho /Jean Simmons
Howl... Takuya Kimura /Christian Bale
Witch of the Waste... Akihiro Miwa /Lauren Bacall
Calcifer... Tatsuya Gashūin /Billy Crystal
Markl... Ryūnosuke Kamiki /Josh Hutcherson
Madame Suliman... Haruko Katō /Blythe Danner
Lettie... Yayoi Kazuki /Jena Malone
Honey... Mayuno Yasokawa /Mari Devon

Keith (2008)

This not the type of teen movie I haven't seen before. When I saw the first few minutes of the movie I already had an idea where it was leading up to . Keith is actually the story of a High school girl who seems to have everything figured out .

She is the perfect daughter , good grades , athletic scholarship is bound for Duke University, and a popular girl to booth . Her life turns upside down when she meets Keith as a lab partner , a boy who seems to be a genius but has no plans in life . Seeming content to just wing it . She of course initially does not care but he in his own way draws her in .

This movies' pacing was really slow for me . I was waiting for the plot that I know was going to happen to unravel. There were some interesting quips , I particularly liked how they play-acted some scenes pretending to create a scenario for the people around them. It helped to fill in some of the slow moments . The two leads were okay , they delivered a good performance especially pop star Jesse McCartney who played Keith. The rest of the cast though were stiff and were essentially nothing more but a background. This isn't really exceptional as a teen movie but may be worth watching because of the two leads, plus there is a twist in the end that may or may not surprise you . So if you have spare time , it is a nice watch just don't expect too much.

Watch Trailer Here

Cast
Jesse McCartney as Keith Zetterstrom
Elisabeth Harnois as Natalie Anderson
Ignacio Serricchio as Rafael Márquez
Margo Harshman as Brooke
Tabitha Brownstone as Cynthia Anderson

Catching Fire (2013)

I'm not a big fan of the Hunger Games . I haven't read the books, I'm not obsessed with the film , although I did think that the first movie was great it did not really wow me in anyway...

So Catching Fire is the second movie in the Hunger Games film franchise and we see heroine Katniss Everdeen and fellow Peeta Mellark go on with their lives after winning the previous Hunger Games feautured in the first film . Obviously they have stepped up with brand new houses and a celebrity status to boot. But it's not all glamour , there is a dark side to it , as they are nothing more but media pawns of the government . And they must follow , or have the people they love be in danger. Unfortunately for Katniss she becomes a symbol of resistance and revolution. Try as she did to stop this persona , she fails or succeeds in sowing the seeds of revolution . This prompts the tyrant dictator President Snow to issue a statement that in celebration of the 75 years of the Hunger Games the current crop of tributes or participants would be taken from each district's previous champions . This is in an attempt to suppress the following of the victors particularly katniss.

This movie is really good. And I think it might even be better than the first one. The first movie was more of an introduction and I don't think we were able to delve enough the underlying philosophy of the film franchise and book series with it. Here it's message about the modern society we live in is more pronounced. Such as the scripted hypocrisy of reality television of how media is used to alter our opinion . It says a lot about government suppression and the power of the people .Which is just beautifully presented without being too preachy. As always Jennifer absolutely shines , so does Josh Hutcherson who could stand up to the spotlight of the main character who is played by an academy award winner with an equally masterful performance . New cast member Sam Clafin who plays fellow victor Finnick Odair also brought in his acting chops . The only problem I had with any of the cast is that of Liam Hemsworth, who seemed nothing more but a prop for the whole thing . Everyone else brought their A-game except him, and amidst all those brilliant actors if you do just an ok performance it will come out bad, he needs to step it up after all there are still two movies to be made of the franchise. Except for that everything is great, the action , the story , the performances , the special effects all of it is amazing . This is not your typical teen fantasy/sci-fi movie it is a must see.

Watch Trailer Here

Cast
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy
Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket
Lenny Kravitz as Cinna
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee
Jeffrey Wright as Beetee Latier
Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman
Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow
Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith
Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair

Run (2013)

Sorry about not writing for a while. I have been a little busy cause you know I have a life outside of the internet . Alright this film Run is about a teenage kid who does parkour , he does it so he could steal stuff to keep him and his father alive while running away from the Mafia. Apparently his mom was the sister of the crime boss , and his dad is blamed for shooting her. So they have been on the run ever since hence the title of the movie, plus parkour involves a lot of running.

Don't be fooled by all the high profile names attached to this movie . The story is crap all the actors one-dimensional , and it has the cinematography of a home made family vacation video. The parkour action is all right and probably the only reason why you may end up watching this and sitting through it . The irony of that though, is the fact that the best parkour action you will see in this movie is in the end credit video . The end credit video is better than the whole movie , plus they used only one soundtrack for the entire movie , that by the end of it you'll still hear the same monotone house music in your head by the time you sleep at night. Not really worth it , unless you really like parkour then maybe by a small chance you may like it.

Watch Trailer Here

Eric Roberts ...Jeremiah
William Moseley ... Daniel Lombardi
Adrian Pasdar ... Mike Lombardi
Kelsey Chow ... Emily Baltimore
Craig Henningsen ... Mark Baltimore

My Top 5 Favorite Horror Movies of all time

I'm not really all that fond of horror movies . Which seems strange because I'm fascinated by the paranormal and I've always really loved ghost stories . But a buddy of mine, one of my best friends really loves watching horror movies so I always end up watching tons of this genre , when I'm alone I tend to watch those things when essentially nothing else is good and I have nothing better to do which happens a lot. This list was compiled with my personal opinion in mind, I rank it by how I like it.So without much further ado my Top 5 favorite horror movies of all time

5. The Conjuring Based on the true story of a couple that investigated paranormal activities during the 70's. The Conjuring may be the best horror film we've had in years. It scared me, not just because of the excellent story and performance of the cast , but also because it is based on a true story , how creepy is that?

4. Ringu (The Ring)
Considered by many as the premier Asian Horror film, The Ring tells the story of a cursed videotape, anybody who watches it ends up dying . This was remade in Hollywood, but I still think the japanese version is superior , plus it is their original idea and story . Absolutely creepy , anybody who has seen this film has had nightmares about the iconic image of Sadako coming out of the television with her extremely long hair. It is a unique idea , and the style of shooting and the story is amazing.

3. Pan's Labyrinth
I'm not sure if this can be categorized as a horror film it certainly touches on the paranormal though, and by the end of the film you're not even sure if that is true. But this is my list and I think it fits the bill. Plus this movie which tells the story of a young girl who may or may not be seeing actual fairies , during the time of the spanish civil war, is a great movie. Just because it is about fairies doesn't mean it's all light and fantasy , this movie is very dark and the fairies are kind of creepy and somewhat frightening , that is why this is on this list .And considering the genius behind the story , and the style of the special effects , and the form of shooting is just beautiful and well made. Is why I put it on number 3 ahead of some really good horror movies...

2. Carrie
The original was campy , but it delivered the goods . Telekinetic Carrie who uses her new found powers to terrorize her classmates who have made a mockery of her while drenched in pig's blood .Is a scene forever etched in iconic hollywood cinema This movie is a great classic and a masterpiece story from Stepehn King.

1. The Exorcist
You have been living under a rock if you haven't heard of this classic, and if you haven't this movie is about possession and obviously an Exorcist. I also remember this fondly because a classmate of mine in high school used to walk around the classroom, reenacting this one scene in the movie . Which scene? Let's just say he used to shout " fuck me! , fuck me !" during those times. Highly controversial for it's time , let's just say that this movie set the gold standard for any other horror film that followed. Sadly one movie that did not follow up on that standard is the absolutely awful sequel of this movie with the stupid flashing lightbulbs on the forehead.

Thor: the Dark World (2013)

Like everyone , I was really excited about this. Come on , another superhero flick from the marvel cinematic universe that is awesome . I'm not gonna waste my time and yours with a synopsis , more or less with this film's marketing you most probably already know what this will be about. It's simply Thor part 2 and he gets to kick ass that's what is important. But I was pleasantly surprised at how good this movie was , and I don't mean blockbuster "good" but cinematic gem. This movie is more than just a comic book superhero film , it is part fantasy , part sci-fi , and all epic. There is only one other superhero franchise I would attach the epic moniker to , and that would be the critically acclaimed Christian Bale-Batman series. There was so much depth in this movie . Chris Hemsworth we already know is great at being Thor, and here he goes unto another level, he was able to flesh out his character. But I have to give props to Tom Hiddleston who portrays Loki , his performance blew me away , I think he deserves an award for it. Plus there is the storyline, that was a great script , I think the story of Thor :The Dark World is so far the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise , I will even go so far to say that in my humble opinion that this is also the best film in the franchise.The Viking Funeral scene was so beautiful, it was a visual splendor , every screen cap felt like a painting , that was shot lovingly. And there were so many twists and turns , every character even in a short while were actually given a chance to shine. And the dramatic scenes did not felt like a nuisance to all the action like in most special effect films of this magnitude . It felt integral, and you actually felt for the characters instead of feeling detached and eagerly awaiting for the next explosion. This is a masterpiece among the large numbers of superhero films we have now . You won't just be enjoying yourself with a blockbuster , you'll also be viewing Art..it's that good.

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by Alan Taylor

Cast
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Natalie Portman as Jane Foster
Anthony Hopkins as Odin
Stellan Skarsgård as Dr. Erik Selvig
Idris Elba as Heimdall
Christopher Eccleston as Malekith
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Algrim
Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis
Ray Stevenson as Volstagg
Zachary Levi as Fandral
Tadanobu Asano as Hogun
Jaimie Alexander as Sif
Rene Russo as Frigga

Captain Philips (2013)

Tom Hanks is a great actor , I mean you have to be if you won two Academy Awards for best actor back to back. Not to say that all his roles after those subsequent wins were amazing, because really everybody has their off-days even if they are Two time Academy award winners. So is Captain Philips a dud or not?

Captain Philips is based on the true story of a container ship being hi-jacked by pirates from Somalia. Tom Hanks portray the commander of the ship Captain Philips , and the movie follows in the rescue attempt by the US Navy to save him. This movie kind of struck me , because my Uncle used to be a captain of one of those vessels , and I also have several cousins who work at various capacities on those kind of ships .I'm aware that of the level of piracy that occurs from Somalia , after all I'm a news junkie . And I've heard of this news before . Yes, the film does a good job in conveying the danger and the intensity of the situation. You could even say that this could be a good action film. What with all the gun-toting and military maneuvers going on. Is Tom Hanks good in this, well yeah but I have seen him do better. This is an average performance for him, I wasn't really wowed by it , or maybe it just the shadow of his former brilliant performances that causes me to set a too high expectation? I don't know , but this I can say , just don't expect a too brilliant movie. Just sit back and relax , the movie is very enjoyable , it is fun to watch . And it is worth the ticket you pay for it.

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by Paul Greengrass

Cast
Tom Hanks as Richard Phillips, Captain of the MV Maersk Alabama
Catherine Keener as Andrea Phillips
Barkhad Abdi as Abduwali Muse, pirate leader
Barkhad Abdirahman as Bilal
Faysal Ahmed as Najee
Mahat M. Ali as Elmi
Michael Chernus as Shane Murphy, First Officer of MV Maersk Alabama
David Warshofsky as Mike Perry, Chief Engineer, MV Maersk Alabama
Corey Johnson as Ken Quinn, helmsman, MV Maersk Alabama
Chris Mulkey as John Cronan, senior crew member, MV Maersk Alabama
Yul Vazquez as Commander Frank Castellano, Commanding Officer, USS Bainbridge
Max Martini as U.S. Navy SEAL Commander

The Special Relationship (2009)

I'm a political junkie. I watch a lot of news, read up on current events , as well as read the biographies of famous leaders. Although despite being distantly related to a lot of and I mean a lot of politicians , , and hearing about it all the time at dinner. I've always had this thought that campaigning was tedious , and all those backroom deals are annoying, and that being in the political limelight would put you up to mudslinging and may actually endanger your life. And that it may be better to just affect change from the outside , which is one of the reasons why I studied mass media plus my immediate family is more involved with religionwhich is actually more political than politics itself. So it is no surprise that I know a lot about Bill Clinton and Tony Blair .

A Special Relationships is the true story of the intimate relationship between two leaders Bill Clinton and Tony Blair , intimate in a political way, heaven forbid what people would say if those two got it on. But then that would be the ultimate power couple wouldn't it? Anyways we all know the new what happened during their days , after all it is a part of history and was always headline news . What I love about this movie is how they were able to present the private moments , and juxtapose it with actual news clips . It was incredible , sometimes you tend to wonder if this amazing story was actually a great fiction written for a movie by a genius author. Dennis Quaid and Michael Sheen delivered a top-notch performance. That is expected of Micheal Sheen who portrayed Blair twice before in The Deal and of course in the Oscar-winning movie The Queen. Both of which, where his acting was also great. But I have to give props to Dennis Quaid in this one , portraying a real person as iconic as Bill Clinton, not to say that Tony Blair is less iconic but let's face it Clinton is more of a "character". Which to say that any actor portraying him would have to face the danger of creating a caricature . Which Quaid faced, but thank goodness he was able to create an honest to goodness portrait of the former President, it was beautiful to watch. The rest of the cast did amazing work as well , this is a well oiled drama , you can even watch it , even if you are wholly ignorant of what happened in history , this movie will grab you. Really a great movie, I've seen the Queen and this one maybe I should get around to watching The Deal.

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by Richard Loncraine

Cast
Michael Sheen as Tony Blair
Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton
Hope Davis as Hillary Clinton
Helen McCrory as Cherie Blair

Summer in February (2013)

I'm a sucker for any period film set in the english countryside . No matter what the story is or how bad the review I don't care , there is something romantic about the english countryside in a bygone era.

Summer in February is a period film based on a true story about a love triangle that occurred between the famous british painter Alfred Munnings , his friend Captain Gilbert Evans and the girl they both loved , the beautiful but disturbed Florence Carter Wood who happens to be an aspiring painter. They all meet in the beautiful Cornish Coast in the Lamorna valley Estate , where a group of Bohemian painters have formed a community . The setting is beautiful, there is no denying that , and the cinematographers were able to capture it perfectly . The premise is interesting and the story is intriguing . Also Dominic Cooper who played Alfred Munnings, to whom I share a birthday as I later found out , was able to deliver a fine performance, he was a standout among the cast. But that is all that is good in this movie. Dan Stevens who play Gilbert Evans appeared to be really mechanical in this. I've seen him in Downton Abbey , he is good at playing the English Gentleman , but then it doesn't really require much to do that . A little bit of training and a dash of acting is all you need. He should really try to spread his wings and try to do more juicy roles. The other end of the love triangle ; Emily Browning is no better , in fact I found her performance rather annoying . You should really feel some sort of pity for her character , but you don't . This is a movie that you watch to pass the time , it can be sort of entertaining but don't expect anything great . Hey the scenery is amazing, there is that...

Watch Trailer Here

Cast
Dominic Cooper asAJ Munnings
Emily Browning as Florence Carter-Wood
Dan Stevens as Gilbert Evans
Hattie Morahan as Laura Knight
Mia Austen as Dolly
Shaun Dingwall as Harold Knight
Max Deacon as Joey Carter-Wood

The Last Emperor (1987)

I first saw the Last Emperor when I was still a child. And like many movies you watch when you were a kid , you tend to realize that when you watch it again as an adult that you actually had no fucking idea what was going on. That is exactly what happened when I decided to re-watch it again. Regardless certain scenes were embedded on my mind and I was able to recount them but then they were just images and no substance to them from my kid's viewpoint.

To those of you who have not heard of this film , The last Emperor is well the story of the Last Emperor of imperial China . I have read a lot about that era in Chinese history because I'm interested with the history of the Soong Family- Republican China's closest version of the Kennedys. Although I seldom touched upon the story of Pu-Yi the last emperor. A man who was raised to be an absolute ruler only to be turned into nothing more than a figurehead and a prisoner in his own palace. He never actually tasted power , by the time he was old enough to rule , China was already a Republic and he was nothing more ,but a symbol of the past. His life is tragic no denying that , but it does make for one compelling and dramatic story. The movie captured it beautifully , everything from the amazing cinematography , the lovely but sorrowful soundtrack and the great performance delivered by the cast , added to this gem of cinema . Trust me, even if this movie is close to three hours long, it is very entertaining and you won't feel that it is that long. It's like reading a great novel, the hours just pass by and you can't wait to turn one page after another. This is a masterpiece , hey and deserved all the Academy Awards it won back in the day. And the ending was bittersweet but oh so wonderfully done...

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci

Cast
John Lone as Puyi (adult)
Joan Chen as Wanrong
Peter O'Toole as Reginald Johnston
Ying Ruocheng as Detention Centre Governor
Victor Wong as Chen Baochen
Dennis Dun as Big Li
Ryuichi Sakamoto as Amakasu Masahiko
Maggie Han as Eastern Jewel (Yoshiko Kawashima)
Ric Young as Interrogator
Vivian Wu (credited as Wu Jun Mei) as Wenxiu
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Chang
Jade Go as Ar Mo
Fumihiko Ikeda as Colonel Yoshioka
Richard Vuu as Puyi (3 years old)
Tijger Tsou as Puyi (8 years old)
Wu Tao as Puyi (15 years old)
Fan Guang as Pujie (adult), Puyi's younger brother
Henry Kyi as Pujie (7 years old)
Alvin Riley III as Pujie (14 years old)
Lisa Lu as Empress Dowager Cixi
Hideo Takamatsu as General Hishikari Takashi
Hajime Tachibana as Japanese Translator
Basil Pao as Zaifeng, Prince Chun, Puyi's father
Henry O as Lord Chamberlain

Parkland (2013)

There is a reason why the Kennedys are considered America's Royal Family, it is not just the political offices that they have held, because there are after all many other families who have produced more politicians , and there are in fact a few families that have actually produced two Presidents. No , what the Kennedys have that the other clans don't is a certain elevated celebrity status. Something which all royal families in the world have within their own nations, whether they hold formal power or not. It is this public fascination that has brought upon us an endless parade of films, books and , television specials about the Kennedys.

Parkland is the story of what happened during JFK's assasination , with a lot of the focus on Parkland Hospital , where he was sent for medical attention . Plus of all the things that happened in the next three days . Which begs one to ask , what have we not heard or seen before? Does Parkland present anything new? The answer to that would be no. There is nothing new in this movie we have all heard of it before , watching this is like watching a movie where you have heard all of the spoilers. Some movies are actually able to transcend that, even if you know and have seen everything about the topic , they can still present a fresh take . This one failed that , and I was actually kind of bored watching this. Especially since the pacing is so slow . Although one actor was actually able to shine in this. The excellent James Badge Dale as Robert Lee Oswald , delivered a once again amazing performance in another film. The rest of the cast were forgettable , except for the mother of Robert and Lee Harvey Oswald. But I think it is more because of how the character was written, in contrast to any great acting skills. On that note this film may be, only worth seeing if you love anything Kennedy. Even then you may still find yourself yawning at some parts .

Watch Trailer Here

Cast
James Badge Dale as Robert Edward Lee Oswald, Jr.
Zac Efron as Dr. Charles James "Jim" Carrico
Jackie Earle Haley as Father Oscar Hubert
Colin Hanks as Dr. Malcolm O. Perry
David Harbour as James Gordon Shanklin
Marcia Gay Harden as Head Nurse Doris Nelson
Ron Livingston as James P. Hosty
Jeremy Strong as Lee Harvey Oswald
Billy Bob Thornton as Secret Service Agent Forrest Sorrels
Jacki Weaver as Marguerite Oswald
Tom Welling as Secret Service Agent Roy Kellerman
Paul Giamatti as Abraham Zapruder
Bitsie Tulloch as Marilyn Sitzman

Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

I've wanted to watch this film ever since it came out . But haven't really gone around to seeing it for no particular reason. Based on an autobiographical book by Austrian Mountain climber Heinrich Harrer about his experience on living in Tibet at a pivotal time in it's history , the movie weaves a fascinating story of adventure , drama and war mixed in with the almost magical essence of an isolated kingdom led by a young boy. To those of you living under a rock or have heard of it but know little about Tibet and the Dalai Lama . Essentially the Tibetans believe that the Dalai Lama is a reincarnation of the Bodhisattva of Mercy , a god-like entity and yes they worship him, before the chinese occupation he would have been the absolute spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet. Heinrich Harrer played by Brad Pitt , moves into Tibet to escape a prison camp in India. Being austrian and all , and this happened during world war II, since both countries were at war. He was in climbing expedition in British territory, thus he was captured.

In Tibet he begins to build a life for himself with fellow climber and escapee Peter Aufschnaiter . Being the only westerners and foreigners aside from the chinese diplomatic delegation , they acquire a certain curious celebrity status . This notoriety piques at the interest of the young Dalai Lama that he asks for a meeting with Heinrich , at first just wanting to know more about the western world , the two eventually becomes friends.

Most of the time , no matter how big a movie star Brad Pitt becomes , he is often underestimated as an actor. Most people get lost in the fact that he is good looking , most movie stars are good looking - but I guess Brad Pitt is way ahead of the pack on that department which makes it both a blessing and a curse for him. People don't really see when he displays his acting chops. Which is most probably why he has grown a beard for most of his roles in recent years .In this movie he is really good , he outshines everyone , not just because he is the star , because he performed really well. And the supporting cast in all fairness also did well in their roles , so it's not really a fluke. The story is already amazing , there is no doubt about that , but to translate it well onscreen is another matter. And the entire cast and crew were able to do that. This is an excellent film . It is long , but every scene was important , and it is very engaging and interesting . And yes it was one of Brad Pitt's best works..

Watch Trailer Here

Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud

Cast
Brad Pitt as Heinrich Harrer
David Thewlis as Peter Aufschnaiter
B.D. Wong as Ngawang Jigme
Mako as Kungo Tsarong
Danny Denzongpa as Regent
Victor Wong as Chinese 'Amban'
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė as Ingrid Harrer
Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk as Dalai Lama, 14 years old