Bernhard Movie Mania

Recent Movie Viewing

2008-02-01T14:30:00.000-06:00

Hi,

It's been awhile since anyone has posted on this blog, so I thought I would write briefly about some recent movies that we've seen...

1. Atonement. A well-made, sweeping love story with lots of interesting plot twists. The cinematography is wonderful and the soundtrack is terrific.

2. Charlie Wilson's War. Fine cast in an amazing behind the scenes look at American politics, diplomacy and foreign policy. Tom Hanks is excellent as Charlie Wilson and Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers another incredible characterization. Definitely my vote for best supporting actor!

3. Away From Her. An exceptional and sensitive Canadian film dealing with Alzheimer's. Julie Christie gives a very strong performance as a woman afflicted with the disease and Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent as her husband is excellent. This was especially moving to me in light of what mom must have gone through with dad's dementia.

4. Juno. A witty, relevant movie about a teenage girl's pregnancy and the choices she makes. Excellent cast!

5. The Kingdom. A good action thriller that is respectful of Muslims. Fine cast includes Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jennifer Garner.

6. Michael Clayton. George Clooney is terrific as the fixer for a large law firm. Tim Wilkinson as Arthur gives another strong supporting actor performance. Tilda Swinton is also strong as the in-house counsel for the large company.

7. Rush Hour 3. Horrible! Didn't even finish watching it. Humor was forced and dialog was uninspired.

8. Enchanted. Charming and very funny satire of early Disney animated films. As usual, the music by Alan Menken is great! Amy Adams is adorable as Giselle.

9. 3:10 to Yuma. A very good remake of this classic Western. Russell Crowe is always multi-dimensional and interesting to watch. Christian Bale is good as the farmer. The essence of the the original movie with Van Heflin and Glen Ford is there but this remake is much darker and graphic. Good score!

10. Ratatouille. Wonderful, funny and wildly entertaining! Loved it!

Top Grossing Films of All Time

2007-09-28T13:22:00.000-06:00

All-Time Worldwide Box office
Rank Title Worldwide Box Office
1. Titanic (1997) $1,835,300,000
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1,129,219,252
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) $1,060,332,628
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) $968,657,891
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) $958,302,628
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) $931,555,714
7. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) $922,379,000
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) $921,600,000
9. Jurassic Park (1993) $919,700,000
10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) $892,194,397
11. Spider-Man 3 (2007) $885,430,303
12. Shrek 2 (2004) $880,871,036
13. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) $866,300,000
14. Finding Nemo (2003) $865,000,000
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) $860,700,000
16. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) $848,462,555
17. Independence Day (1996) $811,200,000
18. Spider-Man (2002) $806,700,000
19. Star Wars (1977) $797,900,000
20. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) $789,458,727
21. Shrek the Third (2007) $784,106,665
22. Spider-Man 2 (2004) $783,577,893
23. The Lion King (1994) $783,400,000
24. The Da Vinci Code (2006) $757,236,138
25. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) $756,700,000

The Simpsons Movie

2007-08-11T22:25:00.001-06:00

Hilarious!

Stardust

2007-08-11T22:20:00.000-06:00

Cool fantasy movie with Michelle Pfieffer as an evil witch and Robert DeNiro as a swishy pirate.

2007-05-29T13:46:00.000-06:00

Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip "Thou Shalt always Kill"

Example You Cant Rap

Example Vile

The Color of Paradise

2007-05-28T20:18:00.000-06:00

Mohammad, a boy at Tehran's institute for the blind, waits for his dad to pick him up for summer vacation. While waiting, he realizes a baby bird has fallen from its nest: he chases away a cat, finds the bird, climbs a tree, and puts it back. His father finally comes and takes him to their village where his sisters and granny await. The lad is a loving student of nature and longs for village life with his family, but his father is ashamed of him, wanting to farm the boy out to clear the way for marriage to a woman who knows nothing of this son. Over granny's objections, dad apprentices Mohammad far from home to a blind carpenter. Can anything bring father and son together?

Today I finally had a chance to watch this beautiful Iranian film. The performances were all excellent--especially Hossein Mahjoub as the Father, Salameh Feyzi as Granny and, of course, Mohsen Ramezani as Mohammed, the blind son. The cinematography was beautiful and I also enjoyed the film score by Alireza Kohandairy. I was looking on the Internet Movie Database Site and it said the young boy playing Mohammed is actually blind. I love this quote from the movie: Mohammad: [crying] "Our teacher says that God loves the blind more because they can't see. But I told him if it was so, He would not make us blind so that we can't see Him. He answered "God is not visible. He is everywhere. You can feel Him. You see Him through your fingertips." / Now I reach out everywhere for God till the day my hands touch Him and tell Him everything, even all the secrets in my heart."

Charlotte's Web--2006 Version

2007-05-27T20:04:00.000-06:00

Janae, Erik, Jocelyn and I watched the new "Charlotte's Web" with Dakota Fanning last night. It was excellent with great voice over work by several fine actors and Dakota was terrific as Fern. Highly recommend! I also recommend the film score by Danny Elfman.

Pulp Muppets

2007-05-23T16:11:00.001-06:00

Paradise Now--Trailer & Review

2007-04-21T19:06:00.000-06:00

Janae and I watched "Paradise Now" this afternoon--an excellent Palestinian film. The film deals with two young Palestinian friends who decide to become suicide bombers for the Palestinian cause against Israel. The movie does a great job of exploring the issues and gives a fresh perspective on a very difficult situation. It was interesting to see things from the Palestinian point of view. Highly recommend this thought-provoking film! The acting and directing are excellent.

2007-04-09T12:22:00.003-06:00

One of my favorites

Doctor Who

2007-04-05T09:50:00.001-06:00

2007-03-26T12:37:00.001-06:00

Nae nae loves this

2007-03-19T15:55:00.000-06:00

Something we can all like a Simpsons Planet of the Apes Chuck Heston parady with Rap in it

Sweeet.

Lost Scene From Planet Of The Apes REVEALED

2007-03-17T02:17:00.000-06:00

Let that last pic be a warning to you!

300--Entertainment Weekly Review

2007-03-11T20:57:00.001-06:00

The Spartans' paltry number against the massive forces of King Xerxes' Persian army provides the eye-candy comicbook epic 300 with its title. But it's impossible to tote up the liters of blood that spill in luxurious slow motion, the plasma arcing through the air like tracer fire. Viewed against the copper-tinged landscape and spurting from the wounds of muscular men whose preferred fighting wardrobes are bronze helmets, crimson serapes, and leather BVDs, the gore is brilliant indeed — the ancient battle of Thermopylae, by way of 21st-century digital technology and ab-toning techniques. King Leonidas (Scottish actor Gerard Butler), the revered leader of ancient Greece's most fearless, born-to-raise-hell warrior city-state, is blessed with perfect teeth, great gams, and a thrusting dark beard. When he bellows ''Spahhhhrr-TANZ!'' in a ripe hybrid Greco-Anglo-Spago accent, attention must be paid. For his part, Xerxes (Brazilian star Rodrigo Santoro) takes himself deadly seriously as a god. He is a vision in ancient bling and eyeliner, with the plucked eyebrows of a nefarious club impresario.

I linger over the surfaces of 300, which is closely based on the vivid graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City) and Lynn Varley, because surfaces, most of them computer-generated, are all this newfangled sword-and-sandals epic is about. The experience is chilly in its blankness. Sin City, after all, is a comic book of the most extreme order, a futuristic reverie of ultra-noir lawlessness, and even a skeptic like myself can appreciate the artistry of experimentation in translating Miller's cultish on-the-page imagery to the screen. But 300 has a real historical basis. And the story of the outnumbered Spartans who fought to their deaths (thereby inspiring the rest of Greece to unite in defeating their invaders) is as awesome as any in the history of warfare and nation-building.

When watching Leonidas and his men outwit their ferocious adversaries, it's inevitable to think of Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, Letters From Iwo Jima, or, for that matter, The Lord of the Rings or Gladiator — any high-concept battle pic in which the charge is thrilling and the toll guaranteed to be terrible. It's also inevitable to wish there were some Mel Gibsonian madness in this gleaming techno-chess game of a production. Director and co-screenwriter Zack Snyder, who did such a snazzy job reconstituting George Romero's Dawn of the Dead three years ago, ramps up his snazz quotient here, excited by the challenge of adding a third dimension to Miller's strong 2-D style using little more than actors, a bluescreen, and a massive, computer-based post-production army. But in the controlled artfulness of every scene, no ragged breath of real, ugly, human consequence escapes. This is dazzle for the head, not the heart.

Which is not to say there aren't moments of beauty and sensuality pleasurable on their own pop-sexy graphic terms. When, at Leonidas' request, a porn-princess oracle is consulted by the ghoulish Ephors (like a senior center full of scabrous Voldemorts), she rouses from a kind of drug state in a sinuous orgasmic dance, essentially naked unless you call wet, transparent gossamer fabric a cover-up. She's a dirty delight — and a close approximation of Miller's original drawings. At home in bed before committing to battle, Leonidas and his powerhouse wife, Queen Gorgo (The Brothers Grimm's Lena Headey, a tough beauty), mix serious political pillow talk with serious sexy time — the other reason, aside from operatic violence, for the movie's R rating. What's not to like?

There will be those who enjoy the way a man's head is severed from his body in a neat, Boar's Head ham slice of a gesture. Others will dig the scene in which the Spartans create a tactical optical illusion out of a pile of enemy dead — that is, they pile 'em high, crouch behind the stack, and then topple the deceased on the heads of the advancing living. (Still more will appreciate the sight of The Wire's Dominic West in pageboy hair and leather girdle, playing a political weasel who advocates capitulation, and Lord of the Rings' David Wenham as Leonidas' most faithful soldier.)

Look, but don't be touched: There is much to see but little to remember in this telling of a battle we are meant never to forget. And in the emptiness that lurks at the edges of this spectacle, there is this movie lover's fear that impersonal computer elegance is the strategy of the future, both for studios and soldiers. B

For Your Consideration--Trailer

2007-03-10T16:36:00.000-06:00

Janae & I just watched "For Your Consideration"...another biting satire by Christopher Guest. This time, Guest attacks all the "Oscar Buzz" and self-promotion that occurs in Hollywood. "The Road to Purim" starts as a small indie film that gets caught up in the Oscar buzz. The principal actors in the film are considered to be leading candidates for Academy Award nominations and as the buzz about the movie heightens, the screenwriters are asked to tone down the "Jewishness" of the film and eventually the film gets renamed "Home for Thanksgiving". In typical Guest fashion, there is a lot of dark humor that sometimes borders on mean-spiritedness, but overall it is a very funny and perceptive film. All of the Guest film regulars are in the movie but Catherine O'Hara is particularly funny as Marilyn Hack.

Great line from the movie: Lane Iverson--"You can't throw the baby out with the bathwater because then all you have is a wet, critically injured baby."

Teenage Mutant Nija Turtles forgotten gem?

2007-03-08T14:56:00.000-06:00

Watch how into the the music the they are in front of the camera.

Greatest and Most Intense Man On TV.

2007-03-04T16:01:00.000-06:00

CSI MIAMI best thing on tv.. wink wink

300

2007-03-04T11:48:00.000-06:00

MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIE for me this year

Babel--Club Scene

2007-03-04T09:17:00.000-06:00

Janae and I watched "Babel" last night. A good movie that shows a variety of people across the world that are the victims of circumstances beyond their control and eventually we see how all their lives are interconnected. The lack of real communication is another important theme in this movie. There several excellent performances. Some slow pacing in spots. The film score was very good.

The Departed--Best Movie of the Year

2007-02-28T19:48:00.000-06:00

Randy's review--Janae and I finally got a chance to see "The Departed" (just before the Academy Awards). It was an excellent movie. The editing & pacing of the movie were incredible. The acting was terrific. Jack Nicholson was excellent in his multi-layered performance. I really enjoyed both Matt Damon and Leo Dicaprio too. It was interesting to see Damon in a villain role. Mark Wahlberg was strong in his role of the tough, foul-mouthed Sarge. I also enjoyed Martin Sheen's performance as the Captain. The young lady who played the Psychologist was appealing. As with many of Scorsesse's films, there was a lot of gritty language and violence.

Zodiac--Trailer

2007-02-28T19:45:00.000-06:00

This looks like a good one opening--89% fresh so far on Rotten Tomatoes.

Nana & Grandpa and the Oscars

2007-02-26T09:23:00.000-06:00

Last night I felt very nostalgic and missed Mom & Dad terribly as we watched the Academy Awards. I have such fond memories of watching the "Oscars" with them each year. It was always such a big deal in our family and we always made it a point to watch them. We would all make our projections about who would win the various awards. We would critique the special musical numbers and the job the master of ceremonies had done. And, of course, Mom would always point out the dresses she liked best.

I am happy that tradition has carried on and that our kids still make it a point to watch the Oscars and make their own predictions. Mom & Dad have left us with so many wonderful memories and fun family traditions!

Kurt's Misses

2007-02-26T00:07:00.000-06:00

14 out of 24 :)

I missed a few. However, I'd argue they were political moves (Pan's not winning the best foreign and little miss sunshine winning best original screenplay? C'mon? :)

Best actor in supporting role, supporting actress, best animated feature film, film editing, best foreign film, original song, picture of the year, animated short, live short, and original screenplay.

Randy's Oscar Results

2007-02-25T21:24:00.000-06:00

16 of 24 Right!

Misses: Best Supporting Actor, Animated Short, Costume Design, Feature Animated Film, Best Foreign Film, Best Original Score, Original Screenplay, Best Picture.

Whoops! I did pick the right song! I thought I had selected the "Cars" song but I just checked and I did pick the "Inconvenient Truth" song. :)

My Picks

2007-02-24T16:01:00.000-06:00

Performance by an actor in a leading role:

Forest Whitaker

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:

Eddie Murphy

Performance by an actress in a leading role:

Helen Mirren or Penélope Cruz

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:

Rinko Kikuchi

Best animated feature film of the year:

Cars

Achievement in art direction:

Pan’s Labyrinth

Achievement in cinematography:

Pan’s Labyrinth

Achievement in costume design:

Marie Antoinette

Achievement in directing:

Martin Scorcese (he deserves at least ONE people!)

Best documentary feauture:

I haven’t seen any of these, but I’m going to go with An Inconvenient Truth

Best documentary short subject:

Umm… your guess is as good as mine. The Blood of Yingzhou District?

Achievement in film editing:

Babel

Best foreign language film of the year:

Pan’s Labyrinth

Achievement in makeup:

Pan’s Labyrinth

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original score):

Babel

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song):

Dreamgirls (One of em’ )

Best motion picture of the year:

Letters from Iwo Jima

Best animated short film:

Maestro

Best live action short film:

Once again, your guess is as good as mine. Binta and the Great Idea?

Achievement in sound editing:

Letters from Iwo Jima

Achievement in sound mixing:

Dreamgirls

Achievement in visual effects:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Adapted screenplay:

The Departed

Original screenplay:

Pan’s Labyrinth

Kurt and Jared Buddy Movies

2007-02-24T04:46:00.000-06:00

I have to admit.
Over the Years Kurt has demonstrated great taste in film, the following are some of his best or imfamous movies we watched together.

HARD BOILED

CASINO

PULP FICTION, we were a couple of dorks

SCARFACE, Heidi finds it unwatchable

KAFKA

Croupier
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?ei=UTF-8&p=croupier&b=0&oid=51f0d85b6b97f4ec&rurl=www.in-movies.co.uk&vdone=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.yahoo.com%2Fvideo%2Fsearch%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3Dcroupier

The Danish Poet--Nominated Animated Short

2007-02-23T23:30:00.001-06:00

Water--Nominated Best Foreign Language FIlm

2007-02-23T23:18:00.001-06:00

The Lives of Others--Best Foreign Language FIlm

2007-02-23T23:09:00.001-06:00

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's movie debut focuses on the horrifying, sometimes unintentionally funny system of observation in the former East Germany. In the early 1980s, the successful dramatist Georg Dreyman and his longtime companion Christa-Maria Sieland, a popular actress, are big intellectual stars in the socialist state, although they secretly don't always think loyal to the party line. One day, the Minister of Culture becomes interested in Christa, so the secret service agent Wiesler is instructed to observe and sound out the couple, but their life fascinates him more and more...

Days of Glory--Nominated Best Foreign Language Film

2007-02-23T23:07:00.001-06:00

After the Wedding--Nominated Best Foreign Language Film

2007-02-23T23:03:00.000-06:00

The Blood of Yingzhou District--Nominated Doucmentary Short

2007-02-23T23:01:00.000-06:00

Deliver Us From Evil--Nominated Documentary

2007-02-23T22:57:00.000-06:00

Maestro--Nominated Animated Short

2007-02-23T22:51:00.001-06:00

Binta y la gran idea--Nominated Live Action Short

2007-02-23T22:45:00.001-06:00

The Saviour--Nominated Live Action Short

2007-02-23T22:43:00.001-06:00

The Saviour, a 19-minute Australian feature, deals with Malcolm, a Mormon evangelist who carries his message door to door. Turns out that Malcolm is visiting one household for the wrong reason, leading to a meeting with the potential for disaster. The performers in this intimate feature are strong, and the film is subdued, but highly expressive. Nice work.

Eramos Pocos--Nominated Live Action Short

2007-02-23T22:35:00.001-06:00

West Bank Story--Nominated for Live Action Short

2007-02-23T22:26:00.001-06:00

ACADEMY AWARDS!

2007-02-23T21:01:00.000-06:00

NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY - 79TH ACADEMY AWARDS
WHO WILL WIN???? My Choices are in Italics :)

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL

Best animated feature film of the year
CARS
HAPPY FEET
MONSTER HOUSE

Achievement in art direction
DREAMGIRLS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
PAN'S LABYRINTH
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in cinematography
THE BLACK DAHLIA
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE ILLUSIONIST
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE PRESTIGE

Achievement in costume design
CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
MARIE ANTOINETTE
THE QUEEN

Achievement in directing
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
THE QUEEN
UNITED 93

Best documentary feature
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

Best documentary short subject
THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT
RECYCLED LIFE
REHEARSING A DREAM
TWO HANDS

Achievement in film editing
BABEL
BLOOD DIAMOND
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
UNITED 93

Best foreign language film of the year
AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER

Achievement in makeup
APOCALYPTO
CLICK
PAN'S LABYRINTH

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
BABEL
THE GOOD GERMAN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS
"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS
"Our Town" - CARS
"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS

Best motion picture of the year
BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN

Best animated short film
THE DANISH POET
LIFTED
THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL
MAESTRO
NO TIME FOR NUTS

Best live action short film
BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)
ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)
HELMER & SON
THE SAVIOUR
WEST BANK STORY

Achievement in sound editing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Achievement in sound mixing
APOCALYPTO
BLOOD DIAMOND
DREAMGIRLS
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Achievement in visual effects
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST
POSEIDON
SUPERMAN RETURNS

Adapted screenplay
BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
CHILDREN OF MEN
THE DEPARTED
LITTLE CHILDREN
NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Original screenplay
BABEL
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE QUEEN

2007-02-23T19:56:00.000-06:00

not sure how Kurt did it, he must have went back in time, learned German, got some sweet shades, discover hair gel and tried rapping.... again. If you dont believe me check out this damning footage newly discoverd.

Rocky Horror Picture Show

2007-02-23T18:41:00.001-06:00

Everyone... lets do the time warp again....

2007-02-23T18:38:00.001-06:00

This clip reminds me of how kurtie argues his points

2007-02-23T18:26:00.000-06:00

This is a new show thats ment to look like a 80's show here in england. IT IS THE BEST SHOW ON. cept for star trek.

Blade Runner

2007-02-23T18:21:00.001-06:00

Not sure but mayby my favorite sci fi flick

For Bronwyn

2007-02-22T18:42:00.001-06:00

Too-Rah-Loo-Ra-Loo...

Never on a Sunday--Melina Mecouri

2007-02-22T13:14:00.000-06:00

"Pote tin Kyriaki" ("Never on a Sunday") 1960
llia is Piraeus's most popular person: an energetic prostitute, full of life and good humor. Every day, she swims at the pier, entertaining the dock hands. Sundays she has an open house with food, drink and song. Homer Thrace, an amateur philosopher from Middletown, Conn., arrives in town to find out why Greece has fallen from ancient greatness. He decides Illia is a symbol of that fall, so he sets out to study and to save her. Unknown to Illia, he gets the money for the books and all else he gives her from Mr. No Face, the local vice boss who wants Illia retired because her independence gives other whores ideas. Whose spirit is stronger: Homer's classical ideal or Illia's?
This movie featured Melina Mecouri in the role of Ilia for which she was nominated for an Best Actress Academy Award. The score by Manos Hadjidakis received an Academy Award and the title song became a big hit.

Le Hussard sur le Toit (Horseman on the Roof)-Trailer

2007-02-20T21:42:00.000-06:00

In 1832, cholera ravages Provence (South of France). After several misadventures, Angelo, young Italian officer hunted by the Austrian secret police, meets Pauline de Theus, a young lady. After a second accidental meeting, both will start the search of Pauline's husband in a chaotic country.
This is a fantastic movie--highly recommend! Stars Juliette Binoche.

The Sea Hawk--Scene

2007-02-19T18:13:00.001-06:00

Goofs for The Sea Hawk (1940)

* Boom mike visible: When what's left of Captain Thorpe and his men are coming back to their ship after being ambushed by the Spanish, you can see the shadow of a boom mike on the upper right portion of the ship on the screen.

* Revealing mistakes: Captain Ortiz opens a door towards the end of the movie when he is running away from Thorpe and a string is visible, attached to the door. A sword slides down the string to give the impression that it is thrown at Ortiz and barely misses him.

* Continuity: When the crew intercept a shipment of gold in the Panama forest, they fire multiple shots from muzzle loading flintlocks without reloading.

Singin' in the Rain--"Make 'Em Laugh"

2007-02-18T16:46:00.000-06:00

When deciding to give Donald O'Connor a song, originally it was "The Wedding of the Painted Doll". However, learning that O'Connor had a bag of tricks that he used in vaudeville, they decided to use a song for O'Connor's comical background: Make 'Em Laugh (Which the melody is supposedly from "Be A Clown" from The Pirate (1948)).

The Jerk--That's All I Need

2007-02-17T10:19:00.001-06:00

Trivia for The Jerk (1979)

* Originally entitled "Easy Money".

* The song that Navin and Marie sing as they walk along the beach, "Tonight You Belong To Me", was a hit in the '50s for sister duet Patience and Prudence.

* Steve Martin's favorite scene involves M. Emmet Walsh, shooting the cans at the gas station.

* The mansion shown in the film is the infamous Sheik Al-Fassi mansion in Beverly Hills. The tacky rooms shown in the film were actually shot in the mansion thanks to its cavernous size rooms. The mansion also had its own basement Disco where the dance scene was filmed. The 38-room mansion no longer exists; it was torched by an arsonist in 1980.

* Hartoonian's EZ Serve is on Hurtado Street

* The tag number for the blue coupe (a Chevrolet Monte Carlo) was J3S 762

Raging Bull--Scenes

2007-02-17T01:35:00.000-06:00

To Ulysses From Papa Pirate

2007-02-16T19:02:00.000-06:00

2007-02-16T09:03:00.000-06:00

Ulysses wanted to post this, Its CHEESE.

2007-02-16T09:01:00.000-06:00

Watch for Kurtie in this one.

2007-02-16T08:59:00.001-06:00

GREATEST TREK EVER!!!!!

2007-02-16T08:54:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite movies, this is the trailer

The Great Race--"I Hate You"

2007-02-15T18:46:00.000-06:00

Memorable quotes for The Great Race (1965)
[On a melting iceberg]
Max: We gotta do something.
Professor Fate: Oh, don't worry. Before this iceberg melts and we drown like rats, we're going to do plenty.
Max: Yeah? What?
Professor Fate: We're gonna starve!

[On a melting iceberg]
Leslie: You better keep it to yourself.
Fate: Oh, of course I'll keep it to myself.
[to himself]
Fate: Until the water reaches my lower lip, and then I'm going to mention it to *somebody*!

Max: Red sky. Gonna be a storm.
Professor Fate: What are you babbling about?
Max: Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning.
Professor Fate: Why, you simple-headed gherkin, do you know the chances of a storm in this part of the world at this time of the year?
Max: No, what?
Professor Fate: Hundred to one.
[a great thunderclap; it begins to pour rain]
Max: Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning!
Professor Fate: Why you idiot!

Prince Hapnick: You! You're the cause of it all! It was your idea!
General: No, no your highness... Baron von Schtupp
Prince Hapnik: I don't care, I don't care! You're banished. I'm getting a new tucker-inner! Banished, banished, banished!

The Baron: He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. So, until another day, Mr. Leslie.

Max: Rise and shine, Professor.
Professor Fate: Rise and shine?! Rise and shine?!! When you rise! You shine!

[repeated line]
Professor Fate: Push the button, Max!

Maggie DuBois: You mean amazing because I'm a woman.

[on the iceberg]
Fate: You're wasting your time!
Leslie: Perhaps.
Fate: We're melting!
Leslie: Slowly.
Max: We're gonna sink!
Leslie: Eventually.
Fate: Then you're wasting your time!

Prince Hapnik: Course there is one good thing, when one was young, one could play along the corridors. I used to ride my pony up and down this corridor when I was young, then I grew up, got drunk, and fell off!

[gets hit in the face with a pie]
Prince Hapnick: [tastes pie] umm... brandy! Throw more brandy, throw brandy! More brandy! Brandy!
[gets hit again with a pie]
Prince Hapnick: umm... rum! I never mix my pies!

Cowboy: He's lucky Texas Jack ain't around... he'd gun that dude for sure!
Professor Fate: Pardon me, Mr. Pahd-nuh, who is this Texas Jack?
Cowboy: WHO'S TEXAS JACK?
Professor Fate: Who?
Cowboy: The roughest, toughest gunslinger in these parts... Lilly's his girl!
Professor Fate: Whoo, hoo, hoo... Lilly's his girl.
Max: Terrific...

Baron von Stuppe: Well, Mr. Leslie. I had expected to see you again, but... eh... Not with a sword in your hand. Are you partial to the foil?
Leslie: Not particularly. It happened to be convenient.
Baron von Stuppe: I presume you know how to use one.
Leslie: I hope that won't be necessary.
Baron von Stuppe: I'm sure you do.
Leslie: Will you release Ms. Dubois and the others?
Baron von Stuppe: No...
Leslie: I'm afraid this will be necessary.
Baron von Stuppe: You're being very foolish, Mr. Leslie.
Leslie: That's an assumption, Baron. You make me the victim even before we start!
Baron von Stuppe: [shrugs] It's your life...
Leslie: [gestures with sword] You're assuming again.

Professor Fate: Leslie escaped?
General: With a small friar.
Professor Fate: Leslie escaped with a chicken?

Leslie: Are you a native of Burracho?
Lily Olay: I ain't no native, I was born here!

Leslie: Minutes have made the difference in survival, Miss DuBois.

Professor Fate: The eternal struggle takes time, Max.

[repeated line]
Professor Fate: [shouts] Maaaax!

Fate: I am professor Fate!

Professor Fate: I'd like to see the great Leslie try that!

Alfred Hitchcock Movie Quiz - Answer Key at Bottom Of Page

2007-02-15T17:03:00.000-06:00

1. Grace Kelly starred in three screen vehicles for Hitchcock. Which of the following was
NOT one of her acting assignments for the director?
a. Rebecca
b. Rear Window
c. Dial M for Murder
d. To Catch a Thief

2. In the new version of Psycho, Anne Heche plays a thief who makes a fatal mistake by
taking refuge at the Bates Motel. In the 1960 original, starring Anthony Perkins as
Norman Bates, it is _________who plays Marion Crane.
a. Vera Miles
b. Kim Novak
c. Tippi Hedren
d. Janet Leigh

3. Which actor plays Max de Winter in Hitchcock’s first American-made film Rebecca?
a. David Niven
b. Laurence Olivier
c. Richard Burton
d. Clark Gable

4. Christopher Reeve reworked Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller Rear Window and starred as
the lead Who plays the lead role in the original film?
a. James Stewart
b. Cary Grant
c. Farley Granger
d. Gregory Peck

5. Which of his own movies did Hitchcock remake in 1956, twenty-two years after the
original film was released?
a. The Trouble with Harry
b. To Catch a Thief
c. The Man Who Knew Too Much
d. The Wrong Man

6. For which movie was Hitchcock NOT nominated for Best Director by the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
a. Rebecca
b. Psycho
c. Lifeboat
d. The Birds

7. In which film does Hitchcock make his famous cameo appearance wearing a cowboy
hat?
a. Psycho
b. The Birds
c. Marnie
d. Strangers on a Train

8. Which model made her film debut in Hitchcock’s 1963 suspense picture The Birds?
a. Julie Harris
b. Tippi Hedren
c. Lee Remick
d. Piper Laurie

9. In how many Hitchcock pictures did James Stewart star?
a. six
b. four
c. three
d. five

10. Michael Douglas plays the murderous husband in A Perfect Murder, a remake of
Hitchcock’s 1954 film Dial M for Murder. Who plays the male lead in the original
version?
a. Cary Grant
b. James Stewart
c. Henry Fonda
d. Ray Milland

11. Who plays Alicia Huberman in Hitchcock’s 1946 spy-thriller Notorious?
a. Ingrid Bergman
b. Joan Fontaine
c. Teresa Wright
d. Marlene Dietrich

12. Which Hitchcock movie did Universal restore in 70 millimeter and re-release
thirty-eight years after the original’s debut?
a. Marnie
b. Vertigo
c. Rear Window
d. Rope

13. Who played Roger Thornhill in Hitchcock’s espionage-mystery North by Northwest?
a. James Stewart
b. Sean Connery
c. Gregory Peck
d. Cary Grant

14. Who is the only other actress besides Grace Kelly to starred in three Hitchcock films?
a. Janet Leigh
b. Ingrid Bergman
c. Tippi Hedren
d. Marlene Dietrich

15. Kim Novak was not Hitchcock’s first choice to play the complex role of
Madeleine/Judy in the highly acclaimed Veritgo. Novak was selected after another
actress was forced to resign the role because of her pregnancy. Who was this actress?
a. Doris Day
b. Anne Baxter
c. Vera Miles
d. Ava Gardner

16. Which was the first picture Hitchcock filmed in color?
a. Rope
b. Under Capricorn
c. Stage Fright
d. Spellbound

17. Which film was shot in the East End of London near Hitchcock’s boyhood home?
a. Blackmail
b. Number Seventeen
c. Torn Curtain
d. Frenzy

18. Which Hitchcock silent film was based on the story of Jack the Ripper?
a. Easy Virtue
b. The Pleasure Garden
c. Downhill
d. The Lodger

19. Hitchcock and Carole Lombard were close friends. However, she starred in only one
of his film. What was the name of this film?
a. Suspicion
b. Mr. and Mrs. Smith
c. Jamaica Inn
d. Rebecca

20 Which was Hitchcock’s last picture? It was filmed in 1976.
a. Topaz
b. Torn Curtain
c. Frenzy
d. Family Plot

ANSWERS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE

The Great Race - The Pie Fight

2007-02-15T15:10:00.001-06:00

The Great Race - The Royal Waltz

2007-02-15T15:05:00.000-06:00

2007-02-15T13:41:00.000-06:00

Hey Rand,

What kind of equipment do you have to have to be able to cut from DVD's and post to this site? I think I have Movie Maker on my computer, but I've never used it.

What a great site idea.

Gary

Hi Gary! Follow the instructions above that Kurt has posted. All of these video clips are coming from the "youtube" website. I know there are other sites that have video clips that you can embed (google, for instance), but none have as large a selection as youtube. Glad you have signed-on.

Rand

Gleaming The Cube - For Heidi and Erik

2007-02-15T11:21:00.001-06:00

The Critic - Rabbi P.I.

2007-02-15T11:17:00.001-06:00

Paradise Now

2007-02-15T11:09:00.000-06:00

We're screening this film next month. I would recommend checking this movie out:

Family Guy - Gregory Peck

2007-02-15T11:06:00.000-06:00

I'm kind of losing my savor for The Family Guy, but this is a pretty funny scene:

Personal Quotes of Gregory Peck

"You made the right choice, kiddo!" - Peck's tongue-in-cheek response when he discovered that his second wife, the French journalist Veronique Passani, had passed up an opportunity to interview Albert Schweitzer at a lunch hosted by 'Jean Paul Sartre' in order to go out on a date with Peck.

On his 1962 Oscar-winning role in To Kill A Mockingbird (1955)_ : "I put everything I had into it - all my feelings and everything I'd learned in 46 years of living, about family life and fathers and children. And my feelings about racial justice and inequality and opportunity."

"They say the bad guys are more interesting to play but there is more to it than that - playing the good guys is more challenging because it's harder to make them interesting."

"I just do things I really enjoy. I enjoy acting. When I'm driving to the studio, I sing in the car. I love my work and my wife and my kids and my friends. And I think, 'You're a lucky man, Gregory Peck, a damn lucky man.'"

"Gregory Peck is the hottest thing in town. Some say he is a second Gary Cooper. Actually, he is the first Gregory Peck."

"It just seems silly to me that something so right and simple has to be fought for at all." (On gay rights)

"I'm not a do-gooder. It embarrassed me to be classified as a humanitarian. I simply take part in activities that I believe in."

"I don't lecture and I don't grind any axes. I just want to entertain."

"You have to dream, you have to have a vision, and you have to set a goal for yourself that might even scare you a little because sometimes that seems far beyond your reach. Then I think you have to develop a kind of resistance to rejection, and to the disappointments that are sure to come your way."

"I am a Roman Catholic. Not a fanatic, but I practice enough to keep the franchise. I don't always agree with the Pope . . . there are issues that concern me, like abortion, contraception, the ordination of women . . . and others. I think the Church should open up."

Asked what he thought about the John Holmes porn trial: "You know, someone once asked me that and I said the day that Laurence Olivier drops his pants on the screen is the day that I will support adult actors, and then I saw the movie The Betsy (1978)."

"Robert Bork wants to be a Supreme Court justice. But the record shows he has a strange idea of what justice is. He defended poll taxes and literacy tests, which kept many Americans from voting. He opposed the civil rights law that ended 'whites only' signs at lunch counters. He doesn't believe the Constitution protects your privacy. Please urge your senators to vote against the Bork nomination. Because, if Robert Bork wins a seat on the Supreme Court, it will be for life. His life ... and yours." (1987)

"Faith is a force, a powerful force. To me, it's been like an anchor to windward - something that's seen me through troubled times and some personal tragedies and also through the good times and success and the happy times."

"He impressed me more than any other man I've ever met and I've met a lot. My wife and I happened to be seated on one of the aisles, and the Pope came right down and he saw me and smiled. The smile was genuine, not a politician smile, the practiced smile. He shook my hands with me and went on. And then Carter said, 'Hello, Gregory, what are you doing here?' and I said, 'Well, Mr. President, you invited me.' He said, 'Just a minute' - and damned if he didn't run after the Pope, grabbing him by the arm and pulled him back. He said, 'Your Excellency, this is one of our best-known, most-beloved American film actors.' And he looked at me, ah! There was a glimmer as if somehow he must have seen me in a movie. His eyes widened and he took me in his arms. And he sort of grabbed me by the elbow and said, 'God bless you, Gregory. God bless you in your mission.' And he went on." - On meeting Pope John Paul II at the White House in 1978

"We felt we were brave pioneers exploring anti-Semitism in the United States - today, it seems a little dated." - On Gentleman's Agreement (1947)

The Royal Tenenbaums - Knife Scene

2007-02-15T10:59:00.000-06:00

I've always thought this scene was funny -- good movie.

Taxi Driver Trailer

2007-02-15T10:52:00.001-06:00

Rashomon

2007-02-15T10:44:00.000-06:00

We'll be screening this film tonight at the International Cinema:

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World--Gas Station Demolition Scene

2007-02-14T19:32:00.000-06:00

During filming of the infamous "gas station" destruction, Jonathan Winters was accidentally left on stage and completely bound in thick tape. Hours later, when the cast returned from lunch, they found that he had not even been able to free his arms from the chair. In retaliation, Winters gave a three-hour lecture to Arnold Stang and Marvin Kaplan on forced potty training.

Special Post for Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T19:06:00.000-06:00

You've Got Mail--Final Scene

Shop Around the Corner--Final Scene

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest--Scenes

2007-02-14T17:23:00.001-06:00

The Lady from Shanghai--Hall of Mirrors Scene

2007-02-13T23:32:00.000-06:00

Famous scene with Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth.

Gaslight--Several Scenes

2007-02-13T23:18:00.000-06:00

My Neighbor Totoro

2007-02-13T22:55:00.000-06:00

This is a scene from my favorite Japanimation "My Neighbor Totoro." Sorry, I couldn't find one with subtitles, but the visuals are fantastic anyways :) In this scene the forest spirit Totoro is helping seeds grow. Enjoy!

New Maltise Falcon Case!

2007-02-13T21:20:00.000-06:00

Police probe new Maltese Falcon mystery
POSTED: 3:47 p.m. EST, February 13, 2007
Story Highlights
• "Maltese Falcon" statue stolen over the weekend
• Thieves also took 15 vintage books
• John's Grill offering $25,000 reward
• San Francisco bar was hangout for Dashiell Hammett

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Police are searching for clues to solve the case of the missing Maltese Falcon, which was apparently stolen from one of San Francisco's most famous restaurants.

The owners of John's Grill are offering a $25,000 reward for the recovery of the coveted replica of the original statues used in the 1941film starring Humphrey Bogart as detective Sam Spade.

John Konstin, the restaurant's owner, said a thief pried open the display case late Saturday or early Sunday and made off with the plaster bird as well as at least 15 vintage books, including signed copies of the Dashiell Hammett novel on which the film was based,

Police were investigating the scene of the crime and looking for clues, Konstin said.

The two original Maltese Falcon statues used in the 1941 film remain safe in the hands of their owners.

John's Grill, which bills itself as "Home of the Maltese Falcon," was a favorite haunt of Hammett and his fictional detective Sam Spade.

Favorite Charlton Heston FIlm--For Jared

2007-02-13T20:54:00.000-06:00

What is your favorite Charlton Heston film? (click an item to vote)

Ben Hur
The Planet of the Apes
El Cid
The Ten Commandments
The Big Country
Touch of Evil
Soylent Green
The Omega Man
The Agony and the Ecstasy
55 Days at Peking

Review of Word Play

2007-02-13T20:07:00.000-06:00

Janae and I recently watched the excellent documentary "Word Play" about the world of crossword puzzles. Will Shortz, who is the NY Times Crossword Puzzle Editor, narrates much of the movie. Believe it or not, it is actually a very engrossing movie that gives you a much greater appreciation for what goes into constructing high quality crossword puzzles and contains fascinating portraits of the people that love to solve them. The last part of the film focuses mostly on the annual national crossword puzzle competition that Will Shortz started in the 1970's. You begin to really care about the people involved in the competition and it almost feels like you are watching an exciting and competitive sporting event. In the end, you sincerely believe that this is a genuinely nice and supportive group of people. Highly recommend!

Favorite John Wayne Movie--In Honor of Grandpa John

2007-02-13T17:35:00.001-06:00

What is your favorite John Wayne movie? (click an item to vote)

The Searchers
True Grit
Red River
Stagecoach
The Quiet Man
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Rio Bravo
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Fort Apache
El Dorado

High Noon--Scenes

2007-02-13T16:40:00.000-06:00

Pan's Labyrinth - The Pale Man

2007-02-13T00:32:00.001-06:00

Volver Trailer - See it :)

2007-02-13T00:26:00.000-06:00

Girl On The Bridge - French Film Worth Seeing

2007-02-12T23:34:00.000-06:00

American Psycho Spoof Trailer - Funny If You've Seen The Movie

2007-02-12T23:26:00.000-06:00

The Shining Trailer Spoof - Hilarious

2007-02-12T23:19:00.001-06:00

The Color of Paradise - Beautiful Iranian Film

2007-02-12T23:14:00.000-06:00

Platoon--Trailer

2007-02-12T22:52:00.001-06:00

To Kill a Mockingbird--Atticus Stands Up to the Mob

2007-02-12T20:58:00.001-06:00

Twelve O'Clock High--Disorderly Officer Scene

2007-02-12T20:50:00.000-06:00

Crash--Opening Scenes

2007-02-12T20:47:00.001-06:00

Patton--Speech

2007-02-12T20:43:00.000-06:00

All About Eve--Bette Davis Scene

2007-02-12T20:37:00.000-06:00

The Best Years of Our Lives--Homecoming

2007-02-12T20:33:00.000-06:00

A Streetcar Named Desire--Stella!

2007-02-12T20:26:00.001-06:00

The Office--The Foreman Grill

2007-02-12T18:26:00.000-06:00

It Happened One Night--Hitchhiking Scene

2007-02-12T18:03:00.001-06:00

Wuthering Heights (Set to "Crash Into Me")

2007-02-12T17:56:00.001-06:00

Rebecca--Scene

2007-02-12T17:54:00.000-06:00

Zorba the Greek--Zorba's Dance

2007-02-12T17:48:00.000-06:00

Amadeus--Mozart & Salieri Scene

2007-02-12T17:35:00.000-06:00