Posts tagged movies
Best UFO Movies
Mar 31st
The best UFO movies are a great way to spend an afternoon, especially if you want to feel the thrill (and that faint sense of creepiness) of seeing the possibility of life on other planets. These films, all of which are some of the best films out there (and are as a result very well-made) are some of the most fascinating and chilling UFO movies.
- “Alien”-No list of the best UFO movies would be complete without mentioning this classic film, which set the standard for extraterrestrial horror movies. It also proved that Sigourney Weaver was one of the premier acting talents in Hollywood (and showed that she was good at kicking butt to boot). With its mix of thrills and chills, you’re certain to have a great time watching this movie.
- “District 9”-Part UFO movie and part social commentary, this film tells the story of a group of extraterrestrials who are stranded in South Africa and sequestered in ghettoes. However, when a human man begins to transform into one of the aliens, he threatens to upset the boundaries that the human authorities have set up. This film is incredibly thought-provoking and is just a genuinely great film.
- “Cocoon”-If you’re looking for a UFO film that is a little lighter in tone, then be sure to check out this classic, which tells the story of a group of elderly men and women who find themselves living next door to a group of aliens. Both incredibly touching and well-made, this is a UFO film that is a great watch for the entire family during an afternoon.
- “Pitch Black”-This thriller, which tells the story of a group of crash survivors and their attempts to survive on a hostile planet, is one of the best UFO films out there. In addition to some excellent acting (especially on the part of Vin Diesel), the film is also quite chilling, and the ending is one of the most surprising and disturbing in the history of science fiction films.
- “ET: The Extraterrestrial”-No list of the bets UFO films would be complete without mentioning this classic film from Steven Spielberg, which tells the story of a young extraterrestrial who befriends a human family in his attempts to return to his home. The scene with the flying bicycle has now become a hallmark of cinema, landing this film a firm place on the list of the best UFO films.
- “Alien vs. Predator”-This film, which tells the story of a long-awaited battle between two of the most famous extraterrestrials in the history of the cinema, is full of action and deaths. Although only one of the humans ultimately survives the bloodbath that takes place during the film, this is still an exciting and very-well done film about the dangers that humans face when they come face-to-face with the otherworldly.
- “War of the Worlds”-This adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells novel is a truly great example of filmmaking at its finest. Tom Cruise delivers a role that he seems to have been born for, as a father who struggles to survive an alien invasion of hostile Martians. The movie takes some liberties with the novel but remains fairly faithful, and is a great UFO movie.
From www.screenjunkies.com
10 Best 90′s Sex In Movies
Mar 30th
The 10 best ’90s sex in movies capture the decade of bold eroticism, late night trysts and passionate carnality of two strangers in front of audiences. The ’90s had some of the best sex-themed movies back when erotic thrillers, indy films and bold filmmaking choices ruled. The growth of the Internet and cable TV in the ’90s explained the many movies where the plot centered around illicit sex between main characters. These ’90s sex movies are now considered some of the best in displaying how that powerful aspect in human nature can drive some of the most compelling stories.
- “Basic Instinct” Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone star in the quintessential ’90s sex movie with more twists and turns than a crooked highway. A hardboiled detective investigates a murder that leads to a bisexual crime novelist as a prime suspect whom he has a dangerous, illicit affair.
- “Bound” The Wachowskis wrote and directed this ’90s twist on a mobster tale of betrayal, sex and dirty money. Gina Gershon plays an ex-con, Corky, who falls in love with Jennifer Tilly’s Violet, the wife of a known mobster named Caesar, and both plot to steal the money and blame it on him.
- “American Pie” The ’90s sex comedy in the “Porky’s” tradition brings a group of teenage boys who plan to lose their virginity before they graduate high school. Jason Biggs, Chris Klein and Alyson Hannigan go through the every conceivable romp from hot foreign exchange students to MILFs to band camp.
- “Poison Ivy” A high school outcast played by Sara Gilbert meets an alluring and carefree teen in Drew Barrymore’s Ivy. The young, sexy seductress plots her way into the lonely heart of her friend’s father in this memorable ’90s thriller.
- “Indecent Proposal” A down on their luck married couple during the ’90s recession get more than they bargained for in a Vegas trip. They accept a $1 million proposal from Robert Redford’s John Gage to have sex with his wife for one night, which leads to a whirlwind of guilt and wounded hearts.
- “Color of Night” Bruce Willis stars as a psychiatrist who takes over his murdered friend’s therapy group only to be a target of a serial killer. This typical ’90s erotic thriller has him involved with the mysterious Rose, Jane March, in a sexual affair amidst a rising body count.
- “Wild Things” Denise Richards and Neve Campbell work together to frame their high school guidance counselor for rape. This ’90s movie goes through every conceivable scenario from a sleazy FBI agent in Kevin Bacon to a lesbian affair to threesome sex.
- “Cruel Intentions” A pair of spoiled rich kids, Ryan Phillippe and Sarah Michelle Gellar, agree to a wager where Sebastian has sex with a virgin named Annette or lose his Jaguar. Things become complicated when Sebastian begins to fall in love with his target and he begins to have second thoughts.
- “Payback” Joan Severance, one of the ’90s sex goddesses, plays the waitress wife of a former prison guard who is the target of revenge by an ex-con in C. Thomas Howell. The two begin an intense affair where a fortune in hidden money from a dying prisoner rests in the balance between passion and greed.
- “The Dallas Connection” A group of assassins led by Julie Strain head out to prevent a man from handing over a computer chip to the IWAR organization. Christian Sedaris directed this ’90s movie of bombs, blood, boobs and plenty of sex in this over the top action movie.
From www.screenjunkies.com
Movies: Past, present and future
Mar 28th
He had a promising debut, a monster hit, a slight disappointment and a slightly larger disappointment. And in the last few weeks he’s become one of the more polarizing directors out there.
But now things really get interesting for Zack Snyder.
The provocative filmmaker will in a few months begin shooting “Superman: Man of Steel,” a reboot of perhaps the most beloved character in the history of movies (a point underlined Sunday with the news about Snyder’s choice of Amy Adams to play Lois Lane). But just where exactly do Snyder’s fan cachet, and box-office drawing power, lie in the wake of this past weekend’s “Sucker Punch”?
The helmer of “Dawn of the Dead” (the promising debut), “300″ (the monster hit) “Watchmen,” (the slight disappointment) and “Legend of the Guardians” (the slightly larger disappointment) unveiled his girls-with-guns action-adventure this weekend. The Babydoll vehicle evoked some harsh words from critics, which could set up a hurdle with at least one group for the 2012 release of “Superman,” albeit a group that doesn’t much figure into the marketing of a Hollywood tent pole.
Although the “Sucker Punch” box-office results showed that Snyder still has plenty of supporters — the movie opened to about $20 million, the second-lowest number of his career but a respectable figure that was in line with pre-release expectations — the film also caused divisions among fanboys and fangirls, with some naysayers taking the opportunity to assess Snyder’s “Superman” chops.
“Sucker Punch is a loud, gaudy, fetishistic, bombastic piece of cinema,” wrote Ain’t It Cool News contributor Ambush Bug. “It’s also hollow, remedial, and bereft of substance … as the minutes passed, bringing me closer to the time for the credits to roll, all I could think of was how wrong of a choice this director is for a Superman film.” (Overall, the movie garnered a decent if not overwhelming B- CinemaScore among general audiences.)
Snyder riles up film-goers the way few other directors do — it could be that some people really have their stomach turned by his movies, or it could just be that, like a sort of Comic-con version of “Dogtooth,” Snyder movies somehow began eliciting both love and hate early on, and the arguments now just perpetuate themselves. Not every superhero director can be Christopher Nolan.
It’s hard to say where the road turns next for Snyder. Warner Bros., which is behind both “Superman” and “Sucker Punch,” drew a distinction between the two films, with Jeff Goldstein, executive vice president of distribution, telling my colleague Amy Kaufman that “a film like ‘Sucker Punch’ brought out [Snyder's] core fan base, but he has a lot of potential, and with a bigger, broader title, he can attract a wider audience, as he has in the past.”
Much of the success of this mission will course depend on the quality (and, given one of the reviewer knocks on “Sucker Punch,” the narrative coherence) of “Superman: Man of Steel.” It should be noted that hardcore fans are often skeptical toward casting and filmmaker choices at first but come around when a movie opens. And plenty of directors, of both comic-book movies and every other genre, have managed to turn around even groups hard-wired to oppose them (see under: Oliver Stone and conservatives on “World Trade Center”).
Still, once a filmmaker loses currency with the fan community, it’s not always easy to get it back. That seems especially true for a property such as “Superman,” where even those storytellers who come in with buckets of goodwill can run into problems (just ask Bryan Singer). Snyder has his work cut out for him. It just may not be superhuman work, at least not yet.
– Steven Zeitchik
Twitter.com / ZeitchikLAT
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Critical Mass: “Sucker Punch”
Amy Adams brings experience, and a modern spin, to Lois Lane in “Superman: Man of Steel”
Photo: A promotional photo for “Sucker Punch.” Credit: Warner Bros.
From latimesblogs.latimes.com
Warner Bros. releases five more movies on Facebook
Mar 28th
Warner Bros. is broadening its experiment with digital movie distribution by releasing five more marquee movies for rent on Facebook.
As video stores die off and consumers become more comfortable watching digital movies, Warner Bros. and other studios are moving to capitalize on digital revenues through newfangled models such as the deal with Facebook. The social network movie rentals are also a way to bypass services such as Netflix, which is perceived as being increasingly powerful in digital movie distribution.
Warner Bros. Digital Distribution announced it will now offer five movies — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Inception, Life as We Know It and Yogi Bear — directly on Warner Bros. Entertainment’s Facebook Movie Pages. On March 7, Warner Bros. released Batman: The Dark Knight on Facebook as the first in a groundbreaking experiment.
Consumers in the U.S. will be able to rent films by clicking on the “watch now” icon and pay for the transaction with Facebook Credits, which is the social network’s new virtual currency. Users can buy Facebook Credits with real money sources such as credit cards.
It’s a small step, but it suggests that the experiment is going well. Thomas Gewecke, president of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, said that the new titles will appeal to a broad audience and that these particularly titles have a lot of fans on Facebook.
Fans can rent a film for 488 hours and have full control of it in terms of pausing, rewinding, fast forwarding and resuming. They can also post comments on the movie, interact with friends as they watch, and update their status.
Previous Story: Intellectual property theft fuels underground cyber economy
Companies: Facebook, Netflix, Warner Bros, Warner Bros Digital Distribution
People: Thomas Gewecke
From venturebeat.com
10 Great Quotes From Movies
Mar 26th
Great quotes are lines that we just can’t get out of our head, so let’s have a tribute to 10 great quotes from movies. These lines are timeless and unforgettable and perfectly summarize the movies that they come from as well as entire generations of moviegoers.
- “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” Don Vito assures his business partners in “The Godfather” that the deal will go through as promised. As for the un-refusable offer, a horses head in the bed got the job done. This is one of the most quotable lines of all time, and like most of Marlon Brando’s dialogue, it’s expertly delivered.
- “I coulda been a contender” Ex-prize fighter Terry Malloy recounts what could have been to his brother in this movie quote from “On the Waterfront.” Marlon Brando expertly delivers this line and pulls the audience in with him.
- “Go ahead, make my day” With a .44 magnum, Dirty Harry doesn’t let anything get in his way as he dares the baddies in “Sudden Impact” with this movie quote. This line perfectly exemplifies not only the character in the movie, but Clint Eastwood’s perceived persona in general as well.
- “May the Force be with you” This great movie quote defined a generation of sci-fi fans and is a stable of all six “Star Wars” films. All kinds of nerdom from all walks of live have recited this line for decades as their personal creed.
- “You talkin’ to me?” As Travis Bickle slides closer and closer to insanity, he delivers this intense soliloquy in front of a mirror in “Taxi Driver.” As he aimlessly wields a gun around the room, we get the sense that this man is on the verge of doing something drastic and nothing can stop him.
- “We all go a little mad sometimes” Another nut job, Norman Bates says this great movie quote with a chilling gaze in “Psycho.” His eyes, for only a moment, delve completely insane with the devilish look of the killer inside him, only to be submerged by the sweet and pleasant Norman.
- “Bond, James Bond” Perhaps the most quoted line on this list, just about everyone has substituted James Bond name for their own at point or another, a testament to the power of this movie quote. Nothing is sexier than seeing Bond introduce himself only to be followed up by an inventive kill while sipping a martini.
- “I’ll be back!” With his Austrian accent, Arnold Schwarzenegger provides this movie quote as the unstoppable robot killer in ‘The Terminator.” The line was unsuccessfully used in later Terminator movies—worst of all in “Terminator: Salvation”—but its power has nonetheless stuck around to today.
- “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” As a 25 foot shark circles the now puny Orca in “Jaws”, Chief Brody provides this great movie quote. In the middle of the ocean with a giant shark and a seemingly tiny boat, the three sailors going up against the man-eater surely have the odds stacked against them.
- “Say ‘hello’ to my little friend!” “Scarface” is full of great movie quotes, but none is as well known as this line given by Tony Montana at the films climax. The “little friend” in question is an AR-15 assault rifle with attached M203 grenade launcher. Be sure to say it with a fake Cuban accent for maximum affect.
From www.screenjunkies.com
Sexuality Movies
Mar 26th
Get ready for things to get hot and heavy with sexuality movies. Sexuality movies serve a dual purpose; they can get your heart pumping with some of the hottest sex scenes to grace the silver screen, but, they also have the ability to make you think about the relationship between love and the complications that they cause in our lives.
- “Romance” (1999)- Don’t let the title of this sexuality movie fool you. While there is a lot of sex in this movie, it is pretty light on romance in the traditional meaning of the word. The theme for this movie is frustration and trying to define the true meaning romance. After years of living together, a school teacher’s boyfriend refuses to have sex with her. To alleviate her frustration, she resorts to a series of dangerous sexual liaisons that leave her feeling hollow. This movie explores the relationship between romance, intimacy and quiet longing.
- “The Great Happiness Space” (2006)- This sexuality movie looks at the Host Boys of Osaka, Japan. Host Boys are groups of young Japanese men who are paid by women for companionship. While women from all sections of society use Host Boys, this movie focuses on a special kind of patron; prostitutes and call girls. When they’re done plying their trade at various clubs throughout the city, these women spend their money on the company of Host Boys. Most of the girls see Host Boys as nothing more than a good time while others spend with the intention of making their Host fall in love with them. It’s an interesting look at the emotional needs of the customers, the Hosts who service them and the difference between psychical and emotional prostitution.
- “An Affair of Love” (1999)- A film that was a bit ahead of its time, this sexuality movie takes a look at the budding hook-up culture that developed in the age of the internet. He and She meet online, and after exchanging a few emails, decide to meet in person for some naughty time. It would have been really easy for this movie to take a turn for a romantic drama as he and she continue an affair, but the fact that the pair decides to part ways just when it seems their relationship looks to take a turn for the serious makes it a compelling story about the sometimes positive possibilities of sex without the complications of love and relationships.
- “Lie with Me” (2005)- This sexuality movie looks at what happens when casual sex throws you a curve ball and asks for a relationship. Leila is a happily unattached woman who enjoys her sexual conquests. But when she beds a man who wants more of a commitment from her, their lives begin to get a little more complicated and not always for the better. It’s a hot and steamy look what we do when confronted with a choice between the emotional safety of casual sex and the risk of emotional attachment.
- “Sex and Breakfast” (2007)- Highlighted by a brilliant performance by Macaulay Culkin, this sexuality movie is the story of a young couple who has so little spark left in their love life. At their wit’s end, the pair go to a therapist who suggests that they visit a sex group. At first, the group is just hot, sweaty, sexy fun, but it doesn’t take long for the introduction of new partners to affect their relationship.
From www.screenjunkies.com
10 Best Chinese Movies With English Subtitles
Mar 26th
The 10 best Chinese movies with English subtitles are extremely entertaining, insightful and emotional. Because they have English subtitles, English speaking viewers can watch these movies to gain insight into Chinese culture. Whether dramatic, romantic or full of action, each of these Chinese movies shines.
- “Secret.” When a new student at a prestigious music university encounters a lovely girl playing the piano on his first day, he is stunned when she tells him that she cannot share the name or any information about the song with him. The two form a deep friendship, but he cannot leave the unknown music behind. “Secret” is one of the best Chinese movies with English subtitles.
- “Lust, Caution.” Set during World War II, this Chinese movie with English subtitles tells the story of a young woman who gets caught in the politics and games of a spy. Soon, it’s clear that her involvement might not have been random and that she might have more than her life at risk.
- “Blind Mountain.” When Bai finishes college she accepts a job harvesting herbs. But when she arrives in the remote village, she finds that she has actually been sold into slavery and tat she is expected to carry children. In a country where very few women remain, the most frightening aspect of this movie is the very same one that makes it so good: the possibility of it being a true. “Blind Mountain” is one of the greatest Chinese movies with English subtitles.
- “Curse of the Golden Flower.” When the Emperor unexpectedly returns home, it’s obvious that his explanation of wanting to spend time with his family is a lie. His return unravels a family that has been precariously based on lies, some as shocking as a sexual relationship between the Empress and her step son. The “Curse of the Golden Flower” tells the tale of the most powerful family in China as they struggle to acquire their desires, no matter what it costs their family members.
- “After This Our Exile.” After his mother’s death, a young son turns to stealing to support his alcoholic father. Still, though, he doesn’t give up on his desire to leave poverty behind him. The movie shows how family and desires are not always in accord, and how sometimes being selfish is necessary.
- “Shanghai Triad.” In this subtitled Chinese film, a young boy is recruited by his uncle to work as the assistant to a mob boss’s wife. As he grows up, he becomes more and more enmeshed in the criminal world, and more in love with the woman he is dedicated to serving.
- “To Live.” Following a Chinese family from 1940-1970, this movie shows what it means to live in the country during its most tumultuous times. Over the years the family turns from wealthy landowners to poverty stricken workers, forcing them to reevaluate the meaning of life.
- “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” This famous Chinese subtitled movie tells the tale of two warriors sent to find a criminal and the magical sword he stole. On their journey, however, one of the warriors falls in love with a unstable girl, her inability to return the warrior’s love threatens the journey’s success. Internationally acclaimed, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is a great Chinese movie with English subtitles.
- “A Girl from Hunan.” When a young girl travels to the countryside to be with her two year old betrothed, she isn’t surprised when she assumes the role of his nanny. What does surprise her, though, is the lives the other women in the village live; soon she finds herself reading and having an affair. When she discovers she’s pregnant, the fate that awaits her is either death or slavery. This touching film about a girl discovering what she thought was out of her grasp is one of the best Chinese films with English subtitles.
- “Temptress Moon.” When the patriarch of a family who turned his children into opium addicts dies, his daughter has no choice but to take over running the household. Being unsophisticated, however, she finds that the repercussions from her several mistakes could be more severe than she realized. “Temptress Moon” is a great English subtitled Chinese film.
From www.screenjunkies.com
10 Best British Comedy Movies
Mar 24th
The ten best British comedy movies offer a mix of witty dialogue and zany action. Many of them serve as parodies, making a mockery of everything from zombies to the adventures of King Arthur.
- “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” King Arthur gathers his men and embarks on an absurd hunt for the Holy Grail. The Monty Python gang, featuring comedians such as John Cleese and Graham Chapman, wrote and starred in this British comedy.
- “Monty Python’s The Life of Brian.” No subject is too taboo for Monty Python. This British comedy movie parodies the life and times of Jesus Christ.
- “Shaun of the Dead.” Shaun is an unlucky soul caught between dying relationships and an undead invasion. This British comedy isn’t afraid to poke fun at the horror movie genre.
- “Hot Fuzz.” Nicholas Angel is an efficient cop. In fact, he is too efficient. Jealous peers aim to bust his reputation. This British comedy movie pays homage to numerous action films. Can you catch the references?
- “Death at a Funeral.” The shameful secrets of a dead man threaten to pop up when an old friend approaches his family. In 2010, a remake of this British comedy movie landed on American shores.
- “A Fish Called Wanda.” This 1988 film follows the exploits of four backstabbing robbers. John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis head the colorful cast. “A Fish Called Wanda” won numerous awards for its acting talents and original screenplay.
- “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.” The comedic adventures of Wallace and Gromit, a man and his dog, continue in this short British comedy. This time, the duo tries to save a local vegetable growing contest from a horrifying creature.
- “Whatever Happened To Harold Smith?” Tom Courtenay plays Harold Smith, a love struck man who discovers that he has psychic powers. Peter Hewitt directed this 1999 British comedy movie.
- “The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins.” This British movie is actually comprised of a series of short, comedic stories, with each story revolving around one of the seven dead sins. Graham Stark directed this odd 1971 film.
- “Dr . Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb.” Stanley Kubrick directed this old, British comedy about nuclear holocaust. The film earned four Oscar nominations in 1965.
From www.screenjunkies.com
FOX 34 at the movies: ‘Rango’
Mar 24th
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While “Rango” performed a bit below expectations at the box office, it’s likely to hang around and rack up the ticket sales with good word of mouth – especially among adults. This animated movie isn’t just kids’ stuff, with most of the jokes and dialogue aimed squarely at grown-ups.
It is a wonderfully strange and smart film – the most inventive and mature animated tale this side of a Pixar movie.
It’s a movie deliriously in love with other movies – especially westerns – but not in the self congratulatory way of, say, the “Shrek” movies.
You’ll see a tip of the cowboy hat to everyone from John Ford to Clint Eastwood and even the Coen brothers with a “Raising Arizona”-flavored score.
Johnny Depp is vital to the movie’s energy as the title character, a pet lizard and aspiring thespian in a Hawaiian shirt – one of a couple fun shout-outs Depp’s mentor Hunter S. Thompson. And indeed, the movie feels like a tripped-out Thompson dream as our hero finds himself stranded in the Midwest desert and stumbling into the town of Dirt, which seems stuck in the 1800s.
Rango becomes sheriff of the town overrun by a variety of varmints voiced by a choice cast of character actors. He soon finds a severe water shortage is making the residents slaves, and the mayor may be to blame somehow.
The film plods a bit at times, working its way to a pat ending. But at least you’re never sure exactly where it’s headed.
It also might be the most beautifully animated movie I’ve ever seen, with the dust and dry landscape almost palpable, and the expressions on characters faces fully realized. Roger Deakins, nominated for his terrific work in “True Grit” is listed as a consultant here.
Director Gore Verbinski, best known for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, insisted his actors perform these scenes instead of simply standing in a booth with a mic.
That kind of outside the box creativity is all over “Rango,” the first must-see movie of the year.
EPPLER’S RATING: * * * *
Out of five stars.
From www.myfoxlubbock.com
Stream Bollywood movies using Intel Insider
Mar 24th
Intel has announced the launch of Intel Insider, a streaming service that will allow movie buffs to download and stream HD movies from Hungama.com for PCs powered by the second Generation Intel Core Processors.
Intel Insider technology also offers a “proactive queue” capability that will help consumer’s pre-download films ahead of the release date, and give them the ability to purchase those films, securely, even if they are not connected to the Internet. This will allow consumers to start watching their movies immediately on the release date without waiting to download during peak traffic times. The technology is available on all second generation Intel Core processor based PCs with built-in visuals.
Potentially the technology will work if Internet speed issues are sorted in our country, as HD content streaming demands high Internet bandwidth. This may also hamper many retail services as in India retail services dominate the market and there is no coherent streaming service in place on the lines of a NetFlix or Hulu.
Intel, in association with Hungama Digital Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, is making available a selection of famous Bollywood and international movies, including blockbusters from Yash Raj Films, Paramount Pictures, T-Series and Reliance Home Video.
When this technology is combined with Intel’s Wi-Di technology, which is a wireless display technology, The Intel Insider experience will get enhanced, as it would eliminate the need for HDMI cables and other connections. Everything will be handled wirelessly. While it will eliminate the various connections it will retain HD video quality.
From gadgets.ndtv.com
