Check it out the new official theatrical poster for writer-director-star George Clooney's "The Monuments Men" here,  based on the book The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel, the film will concern the story of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, an Allied group, tasked with saving pieces of art and other culturally important items before their destruction by Hitler during World War II, courtesy of Yahoo! Movies. Check it out below!

Co-written by Grant Heslov, The Monuments Men also stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and John Goodman. Look for it in theaters December 18.

Read More »

Please Recommend Us On

Check it out the new trailer for "uwantme2killhim?", a drama-thriller film based on true events in the UK in 2003, uwantme2killhim? is the story of the dangers of the internet, the new crime scene of the 21st century. Directed by Andrew Douglas and produced by X-Men director Bryan Singer. The film features Jamie Blackley and Toby Regbo in the lead roles and premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where the two actors won the Best performance in a British feature film award.

uwantme2killhim? is in theatres on 6 September and you can check out the new trailer right here:

Official Synopsis:

"When 16-year-old Mark, a handsome and popular boy, meets local girl Rachel on the Internet, he quickly finds himself in an intense online relationship. Besotted, he will do anything for her - even befriend and defend her bullied, loner brother, John. When Rachel, who is trapped in an abusive relationship, is murdered, Mark and John are determined to avenge her death. Their actions draw the attention of a female MI5 agent as they unwittingly stumble into an ongoing operation. Soon, Mark is recruited to commit a devastating crime, one that made British legal history."

Read More »

Please Recommend Us On

Brian De Palma returns to the sleek, sly, seductive territory of Dressed To Kill with an erotic corporate thriller fueled by sex, ambition, image, envy and the dark, murderous side of PASSION.  The film stars Rachel McAdams (Midnight In Paris, Sherlock Holmes, Mean Girls) and Noomi Rapace (Prometheus, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) as two rising female executives in a multinational corporation whose fierce competition to rise up the ranks is about to turn literally cut-throat.

Hit the jump to watch 4-Minutes extended trailer and 20 high-quality images for your desktop.

Read More »

Please Recommend Us On

On the occasion of Stanley Kubrick’s 85th birthday, Nick Wrigley explores the director’s favorite films and viewing habits with the help of Kubrick’s right-hand man, Jan Harlan. Nick Wrigley, with the help of Jan Harlan, Kubrick's producer and brother-in-law, have explored the director's list of favorite 10 films. What did one of the greatest directors of all time think were the greatest films of all time?

The first and only (as far as we know) Top 10 list Kubrick submitted to anyone was in 1963 for a fledgling American magazine named Cinema (which had been founded the previous year and ceased publication in 1976). Here’s that list:

1. I Vitelloni (Fellini, 1953)

2. Wild Strawberries (Bergman, 1957)

3. Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)

4. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (Huston, 1948)

5. City Lights (Chaplin, 1931)

6. Henry V (Olivier, 1944)

7. La notte (Antonioni, 1961)

8. The Bank Dick (Fields, 1940)

9. Roxie Hart (Wellman, 1942)

10. Hell’s Angels (Hughes, 1930)

In an early interview with Cahiers du cinéma in 1957, Kubrick said:

“Highest of all I would rate Max Ophuls, who for me possessed every possible quality. He has an exceptional flair for sniffing out good subjects, and he got the most out of them. He was also a marvelous director of actors.”

Also in 1957, Kubrick considered Elia Kazan:

“…without question the best director we have in America. And he’s capable of performing miracles with the actors he uses.”

In the 1960s, Kubrick said:

“I believe Bergman, De Sica and Fellini are the only three filmmakers in the world who are not just artistic opportunists. By this I mean they don’t just sit and wait for a good story to come along and then make it. They have a point of view which is expressed over and over and over again in their films, and they themselves write or have original material written for them.”

Read More »

Please Recommend Us On

While there have been hardly any major recent films in the classic “film noir” genre since the early 1990s, even so it’s had a substantial effect on other genres. The films do look different than the traditional classics; the trademark black and white cinematography with its dark lighting is gone, as are the rain slicked city streets and the fedora and trench coat. These films more often than not include both thematic and visual rudiments suggestive of film noir. But the psychological depth of the movies with its disorientation, anxiety, desperation, obsession, cynicism, and alienation remains.

Newer, more present-tense ideas and threads involved in neo-noir films comprise identity-related predicaments, problems of memory and subjectivity, and most significantly,stories still have the underlying element of the crime with the femme fatale being updated as the post-feminist woman who has all of the sexuality and deviousness. There's something cold about the stylishness of these films. Watch them. They're all great in their own way.

10. Indigo (2013)

Release Date: 5 November 2013

Director: John Hawthorne Smith

Writer: John Hawthorne Smith

Cast: Skyler Pinkerton, Dana Pelevine, Nicholas Brendon.

The upcoming La Mancha Films feature "Indigo" staring Skyler Pinkerton, Dana Pelevine, Madeleine James, and Nicholas Brendon as "Gary." Directed by John Hawthorne Smith D.P. - Aidan Schultz-Meyer.The story of Eli Casey, a photographer and recovering addict, struggling to create a masterpiece portfolio. Desperate to find 'a curve-ball,' Eli follows this couple through Central Park. When his pregnant girlfriend, Cathy, comes over to help him look at the pictures, he discovers that, hidden in the background of one of the pictures, is a murder taking place.

9. The Suicide Theory (2013)

Release Date: 02 December 2013

Director: Dru Brown

Writer: Michael J. Kospiah

Cast: Steve Mouzakis, Nicholas G. Cooper, Matthew Scully.

"The Suicide Theory" is an upcoming Australian film Directed by Dru Brown, The Suicide Theory is a a darkly comedic yet poignant neo noir. Starring  Steve Mouzakis, Nicholas G. Cooper, Matthew Scully. The story is about a suicidal man hires a demented killer to assist him in suicide, but for some reason, miraculously survives each attempt on his life.

8. Doctor Mabuse (2013)

Release Date: 27 April 2013

Director: Ansel Faraj

Writers: Ansel Faraj, Norbert Jacques.

Cast: Jerry Lacy, Nathan Wilson, Kathryn Leigh Scott.

An upcoming independent film, "Doctor Mabuse", written and directed by Ansel Faraj, has been announced for a world premiere on April 27, 2013, at the Coronado Village Theater in San Diego, California. The film stars Jerry Lacy as Dr. Mabuse, with his Dark Shadows co-stars Kathryn Leigh Scott as Madame Von Harbau, Lara Parker as Madame Carrozza, Nathan Wilson as Inspector Carl Lohemann, and Linden Chiles as Inspector Von Wenk. The film is an original story inspired by the character of Mabuse, and is not a sequel or remake of any previous Mabuse films. The plot follows a Criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse returns from exile to begin a new reign of terror, and only young Inspector Carl Lohemann stands in his way.

7. Rebel City Rumble (2013)

Release Date: 09 June 2013

Director: Stephen Lourdes

Writer: Stephen Lourdes

Cast: Stelio Savante, Tara Lynne Barr, Mhairi Calvey.

"Rebel City Rumble" is an upcoming romantic thriller Neo-Noir film directed by Stephen Lourdes, starring Stelio Savante, Tara Lynne Barr, Mhairi Calvey. After an almost-failed bank robbery, Ryan loses his what's-left loot to the cops of Rebel City then goes after them, at the same time falling in love with 24/7 DVD café owner RK Keane, girlfriend to local gangster Dylan. Will he get killed trying to go for both?

6. Red Herring (2013)

Release Date: 09 July 2013

Director: Ousa Khun

Writers: Joshua A. Cohen, Joshua A. Cohen.

Cast: Brenda Whitehead, Holly Valance, Vincent Pastore.

"Red Herring" is an upcoming movie aptly named and based on the thriller genre by an independent director, Ousa Khun and writer-producer Joshua Cohen. Red Herring is described as a "Neo-Noir Murder Mystery," and involves Detective Jack Adamson (Robert Scott Howard) hunting for a killer within the Las Vegas movers and shakers. With a name like Red Herring, we can assume there are some plot twists and turns with a red herring or two along for the ride!

NEXT 5

Read More »

Please Recommend Us On

Why were these movies ahead of their time? These movies are judged as being ahead of their time originally  because of their technical aspects, unique and influential story telling and visual effects achievements. Most of these became the staple for referencing great visual effects when they were released. It's not necessarily that their subject matter or content was not well received until years later.

I have seen thousands of movies throughout my life and I am one of those guys who enjoys movies from every single genre. But some will be works of art that continue to challenge, enlighten, or amaze me long after I turn them off. These 10 as the greatest examples of movies ahead of their time when they came out.

Note: The list contains movies which were released before 1980s.

10. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

***A Classic Tale On Real Life Criminals And Fabulous Entertainment***

"Bonnie Parker: What would you do if some miracle happened and we could walk out of here tomorrow morning and start all over again clean? No record and nobody after us, huh?

Clyde Barrow: Well, uh, I guess I'd do it all different."

The 1960s was when motion pictures were starting to get realistic, and I mean that with every sense of the word. This picture, Bonnie and Clyde, is one of the first to depict violence in a graphic matter while telling the life and death story of one of America's most notorious bank robbers of the 1930s.

Both Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway did an impressive job with their characters, as they seemed to fill every attribute of the real Bonnie and Clyde themselves. I found this love story a little different due to Clyde's hesitation and display of emotions, but it was something different that I found somewhat interesting.

If you're offended by films that change history for their own gain then you might not be too partial to the film, but if you could care less then just sit back and enjoy Bonnie and Clyde.

9. Psycho (1960)

***Timing, Technical Excellence And Hitchcock Made It Special***

"The picture you MUST see from the beginning... Or not at all!... For no one will be seated after the start of... Alfred Hitchcock's greatest shocker Psycho."

 

"It Is _Required_ That You See Psycho From The Very Beginning!"

"Psycho" is the most astounding, daring, and successful scary film ever made on multiple personality disorder... Hitchcock uses pure cinema to arouse audience's emotions.

  

Janet Leigh plays Marion Crane, a respectable 30-year-old spinster steals $40,000 from her workplace and takes off on a solo car journey to nowhere. She makes the fateful mistake of staying overnight at the Bates Motel and her conversations with its owner, Norman Bates, and ends with her murder in the famous shower scene. If there was any doubt by the time this movie was made, `Psycho' once and for all proved that Hitchcock was, indeed, the Master of Suspense. There have been many imitators before and since, but all of them, good and bad alike, only serve to point out that nobody does it better than Hitchcock.

8. 8 ½ (1963) 

***An Exhilarating Cinematic Experience And Frederico Fellini's Masterwork*** 

"Guido: My Dears, Happiness consists of being able to tell the truth without hurting anyone.

Guido: All the confusion of my life has been a reflection of myself! Myself as I am, not as I'd like to be.

Guido: The truth is: I do not know... I seek... I have not yet found. Only with this in mind can I feel alive and look at you without shame." - Some of the greatest Philosophical Quotes.

"8 ½ a.k.a Otto e Mezzo" is of the most original and spellbinding films I know of. One of the beauties of cinema is to merge the artist's memory and fantasy; Fellini certainly utilized this magic to present his story and characters that embody both humanity and mystery.

The film is about a film director who finds himself unable to complete the process of creating the ultimate masterpiece, a movie that is designed to represent his will to the world. The movie title symbolizes a miscarriage, because, unlike a mother, who, after 9 months of pregnancy, gives birth to her child, Guido is unable to finalize his project and kills himself when feeling at odds with the people around him and his own creation.

Time has not lessened its impact in any way. It remains a tour de force work of cinema magic that merits comparison to Welle's Citizen Kane. "8 1/2" is as good as it gets.

7. Jaws (1975)

***An Intriguing, Extremely Tense Spielberg's Masterpiece***  

"Mayor Vaughn: Martin, it's all psychological thing. You yell barracuda, everybody says, "Huh? What?" You yell shark, we've got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July."

"Jaws" is one of the best Spielberg films of all time. Everything from the opening title sequence to the credits is non-stop brilliance, the acting for one is immense, Shieder's Brody is edgy and paranoid but endearing and charismatic.

The story is set on the fictitious Amity Island in the mid 70s. The film focuses on a series of shark attacks and a subsequent shark hunt. Jaws is based on a bestselling novel by Peter Bentley, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. The groundbreaking 1975 film has won Academy Awards for Film Editing, Music, and Sound. Its cast is full of talented actors, including Roy Schneider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss.

This one here is great entertainment with plenty to love about it. A must-see film, not only for genre and creature-feature but for movie fans in general. Highly recommended.

6. Alien (1979)

***Technical Brilliance And Scott's Crowning Achievement***

"Dallas: I haven't seen anything like that except, uh, molecular acid.

Brett: It must be using it for blood.

Parker: It's got a wonderful defense mechanism. You don't dare kill it."

Almost thirty three years have passed since Alien made its first appearance, becoming an instant classic, opening the doors of Hollywood director Ridley Scott and starting one of the best-known franchises to have ever graced the screen. The movie is still as fresh, brilliant and scary as it was back in 1979, perhaps because no other film (except James Cameron's superb sequel, Aliens) has yet been able to match its claustrophobic mood and moments of sheer, unadulterated dread.

"Alien" is a landscape in horror survival where it plays like a silent motion picture where we don't know what's going to happen next. It's creepy, very effective, and it's the kind of film you don't want to watch in the dark.

5. Jason and the Argonauts (1968)  

***A Special Stop-Frame Animation Master Of Its Time***

"Zeus: The gods are best served by those who need their help the "least".


"Argos: Pray to the gods, Jason!

Jason: The gods of Greece are cruel! In time, all men shall learn to live without them."

"Jason and the Argonauts" is a tale of love and betrayal, friendship and fortune. It is nearly 40 years old but it still holds up as one of the semi-classic mythological fantasy which provides a framework for some splendid stop-frame animation. "Ray Harryhausen" is the man of the moment here, and his stop-go animation of miniatures has never encountered serious competition. Each work is a perfect artistic miracle of painstaking attention to detail. The giant guardian statue of Kalos is particularly well suited to his technique.

I would recommend the movie to anyone who likes cinema that's enjoyably superficial like "The Lord Of The Ring Trilogy". It's the cinematic equivalent of eating your dessert without having to eat your dinner. The movie never feels weighed down by the romance or the melodrama, it's mostly just all about transporting you to the fantasy world.

4. King Kong (1933)

***Perhaps The Best Ever In Early Special Effects***

"Jack Driscoll: What do you call that thing?

Carl Denham: Something from the dinosaur family.

Jack Driscoll: Dinosaur, eh?

Carl Denham: Yes, Jack; a prehistoric beast."

One of the most imaginative, creative, and spectacular action/horror films ever made. It was decades ahead of its time in many ways. It influenced Spielberg, Jackson, you name it; a whole generation of filmmakers. As a kid in pre-Star Wars days, it was breathtaking to watch on TV.

This 30s Hollywood twist on the Beauty and the Beast story starts when a pretty young girl is picked to star in the next film producer of Carl Denham, known for his exotic locations and animal photography. This film has been so successful that a couple remakes have been made, and it has spawned a few video games. The scene where Kong climbs the Empire State Building is probably one of the most memorable and classic moments in cinema.

3. Star Wars (1977)

***One Of The Most Enduring Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time***

"Obi-Wan: There was nothing you could have done, Luke, had you been there. You'd have been killed too, and the droids would now be in the hands of the Empire.

Luke: I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."

What can I say about George Lucas's "Star Wars" that hasn't already been said? It's one of the most authentically shot films, the great things about "Star Wars" is the visuals, the opening shot where the Star Destroyer flies over while chasing the Rebel Blockade Runner is amazing. The music is also fantastic, it evokes early epic movie scores by the likes of Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Miklos Rozsa and also hearkens back to Classical music in the romantic period, especially to Wagner and Holst.

Lucas also studied motifs of Greek mythological creatures to design the aliens, sets and robotic character shots of many of the fictional characters. Therefore, these styles of thematic elements were carried into many other space action creations that Lucas has directed in future films, including the Star Wars Trilogy.

2. Metropolis (1927)

***One Of The Most Influential Film That Presents a Futuristic View***

"Maria: There can be no understanding between the hand and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator."


"Maria: "We shall build a tower that will reach to the stars!" Having conceived Babel, yet unable to build it themselves, they had thousands to build it for them. But those who toiled knew nothing of the dreams of those who planned."

"Metropolis" is a fantastic futuristic view of the fight of classes in society. When "Metropolis" was shot, it was a romantic revolutionary period of mankind history, with socialist movements around the world. Fritz Lang directed and wrote the screenplay of this masterpiece certainly inspired in this historical moment and defending a position of agreement and understanding between both sides, showing that they need each other. I wonder how this great director was able to produce such special effects in 1927, with very primitive cameras and equipment.

t is a landmark film and an ignition for the evolution of the science fiction/fantasy film genre. The story itself is simple,a Biblical allegory, about how people with a vision should share that vision in order to make it happen. The film is anything but simple. It is immense, and a rich legacy that director Fritz Lang has left us.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

***Stanley Kubrick's Unmatched Accomplishment***

"Dr. Dave Bowman: Well, he acts like he has genuine emotions. Uhm, of course, he's programmed that way to make it easier for us to talk to him. But as to whether or not he has real feelings is something I don't think anyone can truthfully answer."

Hands down, and without a shadow of a doubt, So much has been said about "2001: A Space Odyssey" and how revolutionary it is. Even if something similar is attempted today, it will inevitably still be streets behind Stanley Kubrick's influential masterpiece. After making a name for himself with classic films such as Paths of Glory (1957), Lolita (1962) and Dr. Strangelove (1964), Kubrick bolstered and cemented his reputation as one of the greatest and influential filmmakers ever to grace our planet with the release of 2001, at a time when space exploration looked real and promising.

"2001: A Space Odyssey", triumphant film that asks a lot out of you. You are asked to accept lengthy scenes of apes, long scenes of spacecraft and classical music, and many other drawn-out sequences. I loved every second of it.

Honorable Mentions: 

As you know, the list contain movies which were released before 1980s. There were so many that I had to include at least a few honorable mentions (random selection)...

Solaris (1972), Forbidden Planet (1956) , Jurassic Park (1993), The Fifth Element (1997), Starship Troopers (1997), The Matrix (1999), WarGames (1983), Tron (1982), Blade Runner (1982), A Scanner Darkly (2006), The Fountain (2006), Children of Men (2006)...

Read More »

Please Recommend Us On

Christmas movies are so common that its value is little or nothing nowadays, but movies that revolves around New Year's Eve are slightly less frequent. We’re just few days away from ringing in a new year, so what are you going to do to celebrate? If you're staying home on New Year's Eve, here are some astonishing movies that have some scenes about New Year's Eve. I’ve put together a list for you, with the 10 best and entertaining New Year’s Eve movies ever made. Pop some popcorn, enjoy the champagne, curl up together, and enjoy these movies that feature celebrations of all things ending and aging.

1. The Gold Rush (1925)

***One Of The Best Silent Classic Starring Chaplin***

"In 1998, the American Film Institute chose “The Gold Rush” as one of the 100 greatest films ever made. Chaplin referred to the film as “the picture that I want to be remembered by.”

"The Gold Rush," perhaps more than any other Chaplin film, best captures that elusive moments, sad quality about the little tramp that penetrate so many of his films.

"The Gold Rush" set in the year 1898, during the gold rush of the time, Chaplin portrays as a silly-witty prospector, one of the many who have bravely come up to face the harsh climate conditions of Alaska, in search for pure gold. After struggling through a blizzard, he comes across a cabin. From there, much lies ahead for him. He experiences being abandon in the cabin with a fellow prospector named Big Jim McKay, and also falls in love with a woman he meets in Alaska named Georgia, and attempts to win her heart.

I strongly recommend Chaplin films to anyone who is quite interested in early cinema but is turned off by the idea of silent pictures. He's so expressive and so fun to watch that I promise you you will forget that you're watching a silent film.

2. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

***A Fascinating,Unusual And The Dark Side Of Hollywood***

"Joe Gillis: You're Norma Desmond. You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big.

Norma Desmond: I am big. It's the pictures that got small."

"Sunset Boulevard" right up there with "All About Eve" as one of the best written and best performed films of the 1950's.

Gloria Swanson plays Norma Desmond who is a lonely insecure once famous silent film actress living in isolation with her servant in a lavish, but neglected Hollywood mansion from the 1920's. William Holden plays the role of Joe Gillis, a down on his luck B film Hollywood writer who accidentally discovers her mansion. she watches her past films in her own theater. She dreams of making a comeback, writing a ridiculous script, and hoping to send it to Cecil B. DeMille and make him direct it.

The plot was also suspenseful when you have two people like Swanson and Holden working together on opposite sides. The idea of having a "Norma Desmond" in "Sunset Boulevard" gave it more mystery and made it more interesting. Everybody should watch this movie at least once in their lifetime.

3. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

***A Delightful And Beautiful Romantic Comedy Film***

"Harry Burns: I have been doing a lot of thinking, and the thing is, I love you.

Sally Albright: What?

Harry Burns: I love you.

Sally Albright: How do you expect me to respond to this?

Harry Burns: How about, you love me too.

Sally Albright: How about, I'm leaving."

Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) meets Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) in 1977 when they need someone to share a drive with to New York after graduating college in Chicago. The film shows how, after a couple of bad starts, they begin and develop a friendship, which stays constant throughout their turbulent romantic lives. However, the film raises the question, 'Can men and women ever be just friends?'.

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan have this unbelievable chemistry on-screen together that is so apparent in this film. It truly works with the witty dialogue about the crucial observations of relationships and the differences of gender.

This film can bring tears to those who watch it every time. It is film like this that give hope to people that one day, they will find that one person who challenges them, and loves them for exactly who they are. "When Harry Met Sally" is the perfect film to watch for people of all ages. Highly recommended.

4. Sleepless in Seattle (1993) 

***A Film Filled With Hope, Love, Pain And Fun***

"Annie Reed: Destiny is something we've invented because we can't stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental."

"Sleepless in Seattle" a charming tale of fate and soul mates. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are perfect as Sam and Annie who are made for each other. The story is simple, remade from Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr's 1957 classic "An Affair to Remember" and it's impossible to describe how good this movie makes you feel even if you've seen it countless times like I have!.

This movie is one of Nora Ephron's best. Tom Hanks couldn't be more charming and the story, though very simple, is about as sweet as they get. I won't give away the ending, but the nature of fate and location collide in a way that you won't forget.

5. Trading Places (1983) 

***A Thoroughly Enjoyable And Well Crafted Comedy***

"Billy Ray: Merry New Year!

Beeks: That's 'happy.' In this country we say 'Happy New Year.'

Billy Ray: Oh, ho, ho, thank you for correcting my English which stinks!"

"Trading Places" is a movie that deals with Louis Winthorpe III( Dan Aykroyd ) who is a successful New York commodity broker with a mansion in Philadelphia and Billy Ray Valentine( Eddie Murphy ) who is a hustling beggar, but they traded places. Jamie Lee Curtis is good in it playing Ophelia, Paul Gleason is also good in it as an F.B.I. Agent, and Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche are good, too as those two brothers who are rich.

Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd in their prime. Both are funny, neither are silly and useless, and both portray the best of character's fit for a movie. Both will keep you laughing until you cry.

It's engaging and entertaining with a strong story, amusing material, good performances and good all round delivery. Not a classic as some would suggest but certainly a very enjoyable comedy.

6. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

 ***A Witty, Well Performed And Coen Bothers Perfect Comedy***

"Amy Archer: Norville Barnes, you don't know a thing about that woman. You don't know who she really is. Only a numbskull thinks he knows things about things he knows nothing about."

"The Hudsucker Proxy" story of this film is simple. Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) who is a college graduate gets a job in the mail room of the hugely successful Hudsucker Industries. On his first day on the job the chairman of the Hudsucker industries commits suicide. Board of Directors led by Sidney J. Mussberger (Paul Newman) decides to lower the companies stock by hiring an idiot in his place, then taking advantage of lowered stock price. Barnes is that innocent idiot.
 
Only the Coen Brothers could take a tired holiday format and inject into it a measure of surrealism and a large amount of humor. People who found this too arty or the comedy too black really missed the point - it is in fact a traditional family holiday movie.

7. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

***Highly Original And Definitely Has It's Moments***

"Bridget: It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces."

Renee Zellweger plays the titular Bridget, a 32 year old single woman in London who is sick of her lonely lifestyle and boring job at a publishing company. Not long after starting to keep a diary, she begins a passionate affair with her serial-cad sex-god boss Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) but things don't go quite as well as she planned. But is she destined to end up with Daniel or nice-but-dull Mark Darcy (Colin Firth)?

Renee Zellweger fits the bill perfectly for the part of Bridget Jones and she didn't do badly with the British accent. Hugh Grant plays a different character to what we're used to when in romantic comedies, but it is definitely a good thing.

8. About a Boy (2002)

***A Charming, Brilliant Story And Modern Morality Tale***

"Fiona: Will, am I a bad mother?

Will: No. No, you're not a bad mother. You're just a barking lunatic."

"About A Boy" is actually quite simple story: we have Will, a guy who has never done anything at all significant in his life and has thus never really grown up, and he meets Marcus, a poor 12-year-old who has grown up to quickly without really realizing it, is bullied at school, he's killed a duck with a loaf of bread and his mother has just attempted to kill herself. Bizarrely the two end up reluctant friends, and manage to give each other a healthy dose of some much needed thoughtful ideas

The acting is delightful. Grant gives the performance of his lifetime. Toni Collette is fabulous. And Hoult is also good. All in all this movie is charming and funny. I would recommend it to anyone with a heart and sense of humor.

9. Strange Days (1995)

***A Violent, Disturbing And Sizzling Sci-Fi Action Thriller Film***

"Talk radio host: Now, just so the, the rest of us know how much time is left, when is the rapture supposed to hit exactly? Is it midnight New Year's Eve?

Lori: That's right.

Talk radio host: Aha. Is that midnight L.A. time or, or Eastern Standard Time, or what? I mean, what timezone is God in anyway?"

"Strange Days" set in a futuristic world, the black market virtual reality is all the rage. Ex-Cop Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) is the guy you go to for all your virtual dreams. He can get you anything from the ultimate vacation to porno and everything in between. Nero's world is soon to be turned upside when on the New Year's Eve of the millennium, he receives a video tape which contains the murder of someone he knows.

Many people don't know this, but "Strange Days" was actually written by the Director, James Cameron, shortly before he did Titanic.

The lead actor Ralph Fiennes is fantastic and is just bad enough to not be considered a hero, however the bad performances of the other actors by comparison, the happy ever after ending and hits violent nature lets this film only just escape from being a masterpiece.

10. 200 Cigarettes (1999) 

***A Hardcore And Rocking New Year Party Time***

"Lucy: You need to find somebody that likes you the way you are.

Kevin: And who would possibly like me the way I am?

Lucy: I have no idea."

"200 Cigarettes" is described as an episodic film. It revolves around a number of people on New Years Eve of 1981 and climaxes at one big rock party. These people seem to miss each other, yet also go through their own problems to try and understand themselves and their part in life. Some of them realize the truth about themselves, while others of them simply continue to go on as they were.

Courtney Love and Christina Ricci the standouts, while Kate Hudson shows real promise as a comic actor. It is true that although there was a lot of talent in this film, most of the acting was mediocre. This seems to defy explanation. Somehow though, I forgave all of them since I so thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Request: If You Have Any Suggestion Regarding The Movies Related To New Year's Eve. Drop Your Comments.

Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year!

Read More »

Please Recommend Us On