Reviews by Lexi

''Why don't you wish in one hand, and shit in the other. See which one fills up first.''

A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid, and the security boss discovers the plot.

Billy Bob Thornton: Willie

''You know what I see when I look at you? America's got a sad future ahead of it.
Let's begin by saying Bad Santa is like being whipped around in a paper hurricane of chaos and anarchy. Like great and rare comedies in the genre, it is without borders or boundaries.
Typically, around Christmas you will find yourself watching a generic, feel-good, moralistic Christmas caper, Bad Santa is the Adult version of the season. For those of you who are fed-up with dull repetitive antics, Bad Santa is the perfect accolade and a perfect choice, as it is an entirely altered perception of the Holiday.
It isn't It's a Wonderful Life, nor is it Miracle on 34th Street, or even playful Home Alone or playful Jingle All The Way, yet it still incorporates features from all yet in a darker vision of black comedy proportions.
Plus who isn't fed up with alot of Scrooge-type Christmas picks where the main character does not initially believe or is too caught up to celebrate, and in the end he's all celebrating, he's become a kind hearted role model for your children. Bad Santa is a welcome breath of originality. Many people have criticized it because they were expecting the usual boring sugarcoated winter holiday flick and thus usage of bad language may have come across as a huge violation. Well, Bad Santa certainly isn't designed for the kids(But you know children these days, most won't be shocked.). While the swearing and bitching provide humour, they also make the characters more realistic.

Sue: I've always had a thing for Santa Claus. In case you didn't notice. It's like some deep-seeded childhood thing.
Willie: So is my thing for tits.

When a story begins with a guy in a Santa outfit, sitting at a bar, drinking his life away you know you are not watching your usual sloppy Christmas feel good gamble. From the crude opening narration, to the wonderfully explosive finale, Bad Santa is bad taste of comedic genius. Billy Bob Thornton performs as a crude, dishonest cynic who hates everyone and everything. Bringing comedic energy and offensive characteristics to his character he impeccably balances the grumpy scrooge of Christmas with heart.
Bad Santa, in spite of the language and sexual content is kind of a sweet movie sub-consciously. Zwigoff does a great job as the director, making not just a brainless tasteless comedy, dealing with themes quite professionally. I laughed out loud at the dialogues and one-liners and in the end I was left with a big wide grin upon my visage. Ficarra and Requa's writing is very good. We're provided with 90 minutes of wholesome entertainment. Even though the protagonist Willie, isn't likable, you can't help but laugh at this guy and eventually you end up liking him.

Only Billy Bob Thornton can excellently pull off 'Bad Santa'. I couldn't picture anyone else that could suit the part more.
It's good to finally see him in a more significant role that has more scope for his talent to shine. Child actor Brett Kelly is cast well as The Kid. He's not the usual filmy cute kid who gets on your nerves and reminds you why you hate child actors. Kelly plays his part naturally and is very likable. The sizzling Lauren Graham brings out the other side (a much darker one) of Lorelai Gilmore (of Gilmore Girls fame). She skillfully portrays Sue's weirdness, sensuality and sweetness. Lauren Tom is funny as Marcus's bitchy girlfriend. The late John Ritter has some of the funniest lines and he delivers them with complete ease. Bernie Mac, however, is the least funniest of them all. It's not his acting but more the comedy of the character that isn't enough. Otherwise he's quite adequate.

Kid: You are really Santa, right?
Willie: No, I'm an accountant. I wear this fucking thing as a fashion statement, alright?

Basically Bad Santa is one of the darkest funniest Christmas films, one that has a strong repeat value as it still makes me laugh in repeat viewing and sometimes when I think of the situations in the film, I at least end up with a positive result.
It is not a case of whether you are a lover of Christmas or not, as Bad Santa is continually entertaining and at times, even charming. Through its witty script, fuelled by grumpy, drunken humour it is almost impossible not to become entranced by the inconsiderate lines of raucous profanity. Director, Terry Zwigoff proves his quirky talent once again, after the success of 2000's Ghost World. Bad Santa is black comedic bliss and a highly recommended comedy for fans of something a little more extreme than the average, feel good Hollywood efforts out there.

''I've been to prison once, I've been married - twice. I was once drafted by Lyndon Johnson and had to live in shit-ass Mexico for 21/2 years for no reason. I've had my eye socket punched in, a kidney taken out and I got a bone-chip in my ankle that's never gonna heal. I've seen some pretty shitty situations in my life, but nothing has ever sucked more ass than this!''

''Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man.''

The story of Alex and his droogs,(gang members) how they terrorize, rape and cause trouble. Betrayal from his Droogs follows and Alex soon becomes chosen for an experimental brainwashing technique in a prison complex with disastrous consequences.

Malcolm McDowell: Alex

''We were all feeling a bit shagged and fagged and fashed, it being a night of no small expenditure.''

Malcolm McDowell plays Alex the main character whom tells the story; His way of speaking certainly is intriguing from the off and his journey was something to contemplate.
I watched this for the first time a while ago and it being my 1st Kubrick film(2001: A Space Oddysee the other!) I was apprehensive of seeing it. Was pleased with the narration and strange retro-music.



I'm not a fan of the 70s and so being, the film to me looks and feels tacky in areas. For example the decor and fashion.
On the other hand the ideas raised in this are thought provoking and at the same time timeless and relevant even in today's society.
The first half of the film made me amused at such acts of violence or inadequacies. Alex performing ''I'm singing in the rain'' while raping a woman with husband watching will shock, the old ''in out''. With fate bringing him back later into the house, it will make you cringe.
It shocked me that once free will is taken away how helpless a person can become. How a programmed mind with blocked emotions isn't actually choosing he's lost this option entirely. He's been stripped of his god given free will.

Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange holds the recent record of being the number one film of all time on my charts. The film is everything that you'll never want to watch. The scenes are disturbing, gut wrenching, mind twisting, and way over the top. In result, "A Clockwork Orange" has the most powerful and overwhelming dramatic impact that I have ever experienced in a mainstream film.
Plot wise, A Clockwork Orange is the story of a young man named Alex DeLarge, who is, by day, a regular student who lives with his parents at home, but, by night, a homicidal rapist/killer with his accomplices who dress up like demented clowns at a bleak freak show. He and his buddies weasel their way into the happy homes housing innocent people by chanting the same deceiving phrase every night: they scream that their friend has been critically wounded in an accident near by--and plead to use their telephone to call for help.

''It had been a wonderful evening and what I needed now, to give it the perfect ending, was a little of the Ludwig Van.''

For a few unfortunate few, this devious trick proves to be successful in nature. However one fateful night, a woman known as The Cat Lady, refuses their pleas for help, and calls the police in suspicion. Alex, being both smart and sneaky, somehow manages to break into this perverted woman's home, while his accomplices wait outside. Once indoors, a fight begins. A struggle featuring a sex toy owned by Cat Lady, one that not only causes panicked arousal, but also is featured as the weapon of her graphic and disturbing murder. Alex quickly flees the scene once the police sirens reach his shaky ears, but when he gets back to his pal's waiting outside, they return their experiences with him by bashing him over the head with a hard object, allowing their jumbled escape, but his certain demise.
After the process of being sent to prison, Alex grows to learn to tell offices and guards what they like to hear. He reads the bible, is never involved with any major fights or complications, and almost volunteers for a new kind of experiment. An experiment so probationary it is still being tested and held under wraps. What it does, though a series of sessions, is cure a violent individual from his sickness; he will feel terrible pain if involved in any sort of violence after the medicine takes place.

The scenes involving the apparent salvation of Alex's disturbances are truly emotionally troublesome. They are so explicit and detailed that I myself felt tempted to look away from the screen at points. This is not a film for those who are sensitive, those who are easily offended, or especially for those with week constitutions. This is one of the most intense films around, but it happens to be one of the most perfect and precise in message. I definitely don't recommend the production to everyone, though.
The soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange is one of the most inspirational. Although the actual music is far from fitting each individual scene, the overall presence is not only worth listening to, but also worth the getting.

Here, a young Malcolm McDowell explores the character of a lifetime with vivid imagination and tremendous description. His character fits him very well as an actor. Even though the character is meant to be despised, I couldn't help but to be very convinced and interested in his sick, demented, psychotic mind. Most of this is because of the flawless point of view the film contains, one that both provokes empathy and involvement. It investigates the mind of a killer, rapist, and a confused, somewhat harmless, adolescent--all existing in the same character. This is no doubt the character, and the performance, that inspired a generation.
There was a point in the film where I could relate to how helpless Alex was. Unable to even defend himself or even listen to his favored Ludwig Van Beethoven. You're powerless to intervene and therein lies the beauty and genius to the backbone of the film.
When you get to the end you're bewildered, in a good way by what you've just witnessed. I know I was left breathless by the questions Orange raises in numerous intervals and occasions during the film's duration. The first half being the reckless endangerment while the second half being the consequences, the nightmarish repercussions.
''I was cured'', Alex says and you feel the journey of the film, you wonder, human nature; Is it correctable? I know what conclusion I came too, simply what defines us are not only our emotions but the choices that drive them and the freewill of acting upon the choice that lies within our power; Good or evil are necessities, quantities. It's simply human nature. It's A Clockwork Orange.

''Initiative comes to thems that wait.''

''A boy is given a horse on his 14th birthday. Everyone in the village says, 'Oh how wonderful.' But a Zen master who lives in the village says, 'We shall see.' The boy falls off the horse and breaks his foot. Everyone in the village says, 'Oh how awful.' The Zen master says, 'We shall see.' The village is thrown into war and all the young men have to go to war. But, because of the broken foot, the boy stays behind. Everyone says, 'Oh, how wonderful.' The Zen master says, 'We shall see.' ''



A drama based on a true story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.

Tom Hanks as Charlie Wilson the woman loving, scotch drinking congressman. Tom Hanks infuses his character with life and fortitude.

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Gust Avrakotos the CIA man, as soon as he first appears in the film he boosts the acting and interest in the movie with his sheer ferocity and anger. Class acting from Hoffman as usual.

Julia Roberts as Joanne Herring had a limited screen-time but added some diversity and richness when in her few scenes.

The story was interesting and the politics flawless. The afghan's given RPG's to shoot down Communist civilian killing Choppers.

The emotional part for me was the camps and injuries of civilians in Afghan, and when Charlie visits, it opens his eyes to the suffering of a nation.

Some interesting points made. Although the ending was abit sudden, the shooting of the helicopters down while the Russians talk about relationships was too long and the audience's attention dwindles. These true stories seem to be churned out at a considerable rate these days.

A formidable tale to be told with depth, politics, tongue in cheek humour but slightly ultralistic in its American glorifying slightly right-wing propaganda.

A film to watch about one man's fight for justice and the crushing of human suffering.

Pending full review...

''I used to tell Walter, "Never start a fight... but always finish it." I didn't start this fight... but by God, I'm going to finish it.''

Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to.

Angelina Jolie: Christine Collins

Let's begin by saying that Changeling is a film that ambitiously strives and sets out upon a vast journey, delivering a powerful insight and a story from the not so distant past. What I came out with, with Changeling matched my expectations and literally blew them apart, with perfect cinematography, a perfect score, cast and Director Clint Eastwood shows his best film to date. Not only has he captured the era of the 1920s onwards, not only has he created a timeless emotionally charged account of one woman's struggle with evil and corruption but he's set about getting the ball rolling for some cataclysmic standards set for the films of 2008.



Right from the starting title you just know that Changeling is going to take your breath away and thats just the beginning. It's been a while since I've seen a film which can effect and dazzle all your emotions, I cried, I got goosebumps, I squirmed and shuddered at events transpiring. Changeling hits the nail on the head and shows us a society and it's Police with something sadly missing. What shocked me was Clint's effort to capture this, and succeed in making it relevant to today's modern world. In that sense I mean alot of the problems addressed in this film about certain aspects mirror what happens in current affairs in the US and other Countries even today. Corruption and politics are an omni-present factor of civilization.

Changeling gives us a woman who loses her boy, which is just the tip of the ice berg, it proceeds to punch it's way through our minds, like a jabbing jolt of lightning between the eyes, to show the Police, not only apparently finding her son but giving her back an imposter. We then get the Police force unable to admit making a mistake, never in the wrong and when they get a problem they magically wave their magic wand and make it go away.
There's a million things running through my head about Changeling it's hard to grasp all of them in this review, Clint Eastwood does a masterful job of blending music and visuals together equaling the times. To me this is the 1920s, theres no question about it, whether it be the costumes or cast, everything is perfect.

''Fuck you and the horse you rode on.''

The performances in Changeling are the kind of quality you come to expect from an Eastwood film. Unrivaled, unrelenting, and virtually impossible to criticize.
The leading lady, Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins, really shows Changeling IS without a doubt Angelina Jolie's best film. There is no shred of doubt in my mind that Jolie will win Best Actress at the next Oscar ceremony. Her disposition and poise the epiphany of perfection, so much so that I could sing my praises of her in this triumph all day long. One look that she gives in Changeling conveys more than any mere words could hope to achieve. Angelina practically embodies the role of Christine and moulds a fully breathing character, fully believable, fragile, victimized, a crazed mother desperately trying to get her son back.
Her appearance is flawless as is her pale complexion emphasizing her Red ruby lips. Everything about her echoes Clint's vision of how a woman should dress in this golden age.
The supporting cast were phenomenal, Jeffrey Donovan as Captain J.J. Jones was highly successful in being one of those characters you love to hate.
John Malkovich as Reverend Gustav Briegleb, was an absolute emotionally charged ally of Collins in her search. Criticizing the Police and the State for their sloppy and brutal policies of shoot first ask questions later. The fact they just want problems to go away not to be resolved really shows the people of the Law being above the Law, Gustav addresses these inadequacies of the Department well.
Devon Conti plays the boy who the Police bring back to Christine, he plays the part well. Enigmatic and weird in his ulterior motives, his scenes with Angelina are furiously charged in a blaze of a cuckoo bird scenario where an imposter young-ling takes his place in the nest. The same principle is applied here with startling results.

Capt. J.J. Jones: Mrs. Collins, your son was missing for five months, for at least part of that time in the company of an unidentified drifter. Who knows what such a disturbed individual might have done. He could have had him circumcised. He could have...
Christine Collins: ...made him shorter?

Changeling features one of the most horrendous twists and impending conclusions in the middle segments committed to any work of 2008. What transpires and happens is mind blowing, to the stage where I was starting to cry from the shock of it. It shows how a system which is flawed cannot cover up it's tracks forever, justice can take alot of time to prevail. The Lawyer defending Collins and Captain Jones questioning in court has to be one of the most engaging scenes I've seen in a while, not to mention Collins emotionally screaming at a villain and being subjected to barbaric methods in a mental institute. There is alot to offer here and alot to admire in the level of film making, the level being the very highest quality available.

Overall Changeling is a very powerful piece, resulting in one clear defining notion and answer, an answer and shining example of untarnished, unresolved defiance of a lady who never gave up and who's love for a son came first before anything. Changeling is without a doubt a passionate, human, story of timeless truth, of hope.

Christine Collins:But one thing I know is that boy gave me something I didn't have before.
Detective Lester Ybarra: What's that?
Christine Collins: Hope.

''I'm telling secrets to the one guy you don't tell secrets to.''

A high-school boy is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies it on their concert tour.

Kate Hudson: Penny Lane


''The only true currency in this bankrupt world... is what you share with someone else when you're uncool.''

In 2000, writer director Cameron Crowe unleashed to audiences, his Almost Famous film, worldwide with his semi-autobiographical depoction of a 15 year old commissioned and posing as a rock journalist for Rolling Stone magazine to profile one of the nation's hottest up and coming bands (fictional "Stillwater") while accompanying them on tour. While doing so, he discovers much more about the whole environment and world of music, as well as more about himself and the state of the world in general.
Here's Crowe's film about his own struggle between whether to write a puff piece and the incisive truth to inform. The focus is also the method as the film itself is a rollercoaster of rendition.

What we have is a very well-written, mostly competently executed feel-good story. Along the way, we have lovable characters, and situations pulled from the stock catalog. I liked an equivalent raw competence in Autumn in New York, but there they weren't in anyway corrupt or dishonest.
This kind of story in the hands of a different director might have come across as an overly sentimental rant, but no one was born to tell this story than Crowe, who essentially lived the life of William Miller during his adolescence. Because the movie is so closely based on his own true-life experiences, the film shines in the realism department. One literally gets the feel of being right there, catapulted into the 70s rock music scene, as if trailing behind Miller as his invisible friend or something along those lines. The film isn't necessarily constructed in a typical Hollywood fashion, but instead seems much more like a chronicle, a journal entry brought to life. As such, the storyline may seem a bit jumpy, and certain parts may seem underdeveloped or missing bits, but in a way this also only adds to the journal entry feel of the film, as if Miller only bothered to remember the parts of his story that were the most graphic or outstanding, so it's only a minor criticism.


''You CANNOT make friends with the rock stars. That's what's important. If you're a rock journalist - first, you will never get paid much. But you will get free records from the record company. And they'll buy you drinks, you'll meet girls, they'll try to fly you places for free, offer you drugs... I know. It sounds great. But they are not your friends. These are people who want you to write sanctimonious stories about the genius of the rock stars, and they will ruin rock and roll and strangle everything we love about it.''


But what really makes the film excel apart from Crowe's spectacularly believable narrative and excellent screenplay is the soundtrack, pumped full of old rock and roll classic hits such as The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple and Elton John than any self respecting rock fan should be belting out the lyrics along with. Crowe has a tendency for choosing excellent soundtracks, and Almost Famous is perhaps the best example, the superb selection of songs truly cementing the feel and groove of the period, so to speak, as well as all the pitch perfect costumes and outrageous outbreaks of facial hair which truly scream the era that was the 70s.

Adding to the foray of talent, the superb cast really bring Crowe's sentimental source material to life in a truly vivid and memorable fashion. Newcomer Patrick Fugit is wonderful in an understated yet charismatic fashion as William Miller, Crowe's film counterpart, the young, idealistic rock journalist who finally gets his big break. Billy Crudup gives a superb performance as the band's guitarist, in many ways the stereotypical rock star, yet far too well written and grounded in realistic quirks and mannerisms to be passed off as such. Similarly, the always terrific Jason Lee is great and often hilarious as Stillwater's lead singer. Kate Hudson is luminous as mysterious "Band Aid" Penny Lane. She seems to be a beacon of shining light amidst the dark and sleazy world of music, sex, drugs and alcohol, easily deserving her Golden Globe win. Notorious scene stealer Philip Seymour Hoffman arguably walks off with the show with a simply wonderful and inspiring as the world weary yet inspiring writer Lester Bangs; Hoffman's brief appearances are so injected with charisma and likability one can't help but take to his character. Look also for brief appearances by Anna Paquin, Zooey Deschantel as Miller's rebellious sister who introduces him to rock and roll, and Jimmy Fallon as Stillwater's new manager.

Almost Famous is one of the most believable films in recent history. Crowe seems to transport us right back to the crazy hazy days of the mid 70s, where everyone searched for significance and meaning in the mundane. But Almost Famous is so much more than simply a story about a band, it is a charming and insightful commentary on the state of the period's youth, and an entertaining coming of age story as well. For those who have yet to see it, Almost Famous is an experience well worth delving into, it may end up sticking with you quite a long time.

''Look at this: an entire generation of Cinderellas and there's no glass slipper.''

''The deadliest weapon in the world is a marine and his rifle. It is your killer instinct which must be harnessed if you expect to survive in combat. Your rifle is only a tool. It is a hard heart that kills. If your killer instincts are not clean and strong you will hesitate at the moment of truth. You will not kill. You will become dead marines and then you will be in a world of shit because marines are not allowed to die without permission. Do you maggots understand?''


Story follows a group of Marine recruits from the harrowing experience of boot camp to the horrifying battlefronts of Vietnam.

Matthew Modine: Pvt. Joker

Adam Baldwin: Animal Mother

I was not expecting Full Metal Jacket to live up to expectations but thankfully i was wrong. Stanley Kubrick generally does some weird films and as soon as it begins you know your in for a treat.

This isn't just a war film, it's a study of people being transformed, moulded into reliable killing machines. The boot camp scenes are brilliant and R. Lee Ermey as Gny. Sgt. Hartman is iconic. I just couldn't muster myself to stop laughing at the beginning.
Private Pyle played by Vincent D'Onofrio is fascinating as a man who depicts what happens when your pushed to far and how it can make your whole being snap if you let it. The resulting conclusion of boot camp in a toilet left me blown away at how far it went.

Vietnam and it's war is shown up in a scene where we see a soldier shooting anyone from a helicopter, adeptly saying if they run there Vietcong if they don't, there a persistent Vietcong. It's sick but it so funny in a black humoured way. Shows the whole fucked up state of the dirty War on both sides.

The music is effective, definitely reminded me of 2001 and Clockwork Orange. I loved the songs like these boots were made for walking and the song on the credits what a finish.
Haunting droning haunting music used in the scenes at night at the boot-camp were chilling to me and the final scene.

The shock when you find soldiers you cared about shockingly die. Its tear inducing, and the identity of the sniper when they find the culprit near the end, that was heartbreaking.

Full Metal Jacket is another classic like The Deer Hunter that not only focuses on war but also on the people fighting it.

''Seven-six-two millimeter. Full. Metal. Jacket.''

Pending Full Review and Re-writes...

''Sometimes when I think of how good my book is going to be, I can't breathe.''

Truman Capote (Hoffman), during his research for his book In Cold Blood, an account of the murder of a Kansas family, the writer develops a close relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers.

Philip Seymour Hoffman: Truman Capote

Bennet Miller's Capote is a film that shows a great intellect albeit sometimes manipulative and cunning, in the way it captured the essence of Truman Capote, a man who achieved fame and notoriety with most of the fiction he wrote. This film concentrates in the period of his life in which he got obsessed by a notorious murder case of the fifties about the murder of a family in Kansas.
Dan Futterman has written the screen play based on the book by Gerald Clarke. The film is an account about the writing of the novel In Cold Blood that showed how the two young men who committed the heinous crime are caught, processed and hanged for their actions.



Having watched Infamous, I'd say this telling of Capote is far superior, and doesn't dangle on un-necessities and unneeded comedy. This also doesn't romanticize Capote and Smith relationship but rather shows the Vampiric leech-like way he sucks forth what he wants from Smith for his own means, in this case the book.
When Capote opens we get a vision of a lonely house in the distance. This being the Midwest, we are given a flat expanse devoid of elevations anywhere. The camera takes us to that lonely house as a young woman comes calling for her friend that lives in there. Not getting any response, she goes in to a room upstairs where she discovers her friend has been killed. The colours are dark, as is the tone of the film.
Truman Capote, who had been connected to the New Yorker magazine, sees the article in the N.Y. Times and gets interested. This case that shocked the country, at the time, shows a promise for the writer. The next time we meet him, he is in the small town in Kansas accompanied by his good friend and steadying influence, Nell Harper Lee, a writer.

''Ever since I was a child, folks have thought they had me pegged, because of the way I am, the way I talk. And they're always wrong.''

By becoming friendly with the sheriff's wife, Mr. Capote gets a privilege by having access to the two murderers. Truman is clearly deeply affected by his relationship with Perry Smith, a handsome dark man who shows a lot of intensity. By gaining their trust, Capote is able to put together his best selling book In Cold Blood, which will revolutionize American letters in the way the two criminals are portrayed.
Truman Capote, while pursuing the completion of his book, doesn't come clean to Perry Smith. In fact, when questioned about things he has learned, Capote gives evasive answers because he is not prepared to share with his main subject things that clearly should have been clarified from the start.

Watching the brilliant take of Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote on the screen, brought to mind another great actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, who like Mr. Hoffman is a chameleon in the interpretation of a character. Mr. Hoffman is perfect as the writer because he has captured every mannerism and the speech inflection of Truman Capote. Catherine Keener is perfect as Nelle, the true friend and companion. Bruce Greenwood plays Truman Capote's companion Jack Dunphy. Chris Cooper is totally under-used and strangely out of place as Sheriff Dewey.
Adam Kimmel excellent cinematography contributes to the atmosphere the director gave the film because of the use of muted colors in what appear to be the bleak winter of the Midwest.

Its premises alone makes this movie intriguingly fascinating. When was the last time you saw an eccentric but brilliant writer pitched against a to-be-convicted murderer, each trying to use the other? This is almost like watching the struggle in the boxing ring, with the fighters maneuvering to outsmart each other. Capote wants to get Perry Smith to tell him about that fateful night when Smith and Hickock (who received little attention in this movie) murdered a family in Kansas in cold blood during a robbery. Smith clings on to Capote as his savior. The subtle battle of wits, pawn and player, deceiver and deceived, is on.

''It's as if Perry and I grew up in the same house. And one day he stood up and went out the back door, while I went out the front.''

Despite a troubled childhood, Smith is a cold blooded killer. Even his own sister warns Capote that under the sensitive and sympathy-winning appearance, his brother is not to be trusted and can kill any one without blinking. Capote, on the other hand, dangles the bait of getting the best lawyer while all the time aims straight at getting Smith to tell him what happened on the night of the incident. Then, as we are almost ready to believe his tearful plead, to his sorry self essentially, that he couldn't have done anything to save the life of the murderers, his best friend, honest, sensible, successful Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) tells him, quietly and calmly "But the truth is, you didn't want to", because only the execution will allow Capote to complete the work.

The beauty of the piece is that it retains a certain element of ambiguity. We do not know for sure, one way or the other, whether the two had indeed developed a genuine friendship over the six years from the arrest to the execution. We do see a certain chaotic dissymmetry. During his six years in prison, Smith's only real meaningful connection with the outside world is Capote. To Capote, however, Smith is only a part, although a very important aspect of his life. The movie makers make sure that we remember this, by showing intervening scenes of Capote being the core of attention, as he always is, to a crowd of admirers, monopolizing a self-indulging conversation, always in love with himself, as Lee once put it. At the end of one of these scene, after another round of roaring laughters, Capote turns to one of the loyal listeners and quipped "And what have you been doing lately?", More roaring laughters in approval to his witty humour. There's our hero, thats the persona he creates for his public audience and friends. Which interestingly enough, in the end, we are left wondering if Capote had really been touch by this whole incident and the eventual death of Smith, thanks to the superb portrayal by Hoffman. Or more importantly had he lost a piece of his soul in a confusion of guilt laced with remorse for having put so much of himself into his book. It drained him, and nearly destroyed him in a way, which was the general impression I came across with afterwards. Maybe his alcoholism which claimed his life in 1984 was a way to deal with some inner demons he may have had looming over him. Yet Capote was a man who succeeded, yet at what cost to himself?

Truman Capote: And there wasn't anything I could have done to save them.
Nelle Harper Lee: Maybe not. But the fact is, you didn't want to.

''Let this remind you why you once feared the dark... ''

A mythical prince starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth, so Hellboy and his team must save the world yet again from a certain unstoppable Golden Army.

Ron Perlman: Hellboy

Hellboy 2 is one of the most unexpected pleasures and combinations of genres I've seen in a while. Not only is this Hellboy sequel a comic book film but it's also a mixture of fantasy, imagination and comedy, light and dark.

Del Toro has taken the whole idea and turned it upside down and what comes about as an end result truly is refreshing. We have John Hurt popping up yet again in a much needed flashback prelude to explain about the film's backbone, the golden army.

We have a new wonderful villain in the form of Prince Nuada (Luke Goss,Blade 2), who displays some wonderful stuntwork and swordplay, not too mention some real class lines and showmanship, he gets his intent across effortlessly. I also loved his sister Princess Nuala (Anna Walton) and the connection they share.

Ron Perlman again shines as the lead Hellboy while the old team of Liz and Abe make for some fun times. Also a new character in the form of Johann Krauss(Voiced by Seth MacFarlane) provides us with laughs aplenty and a mysteriously suited ''gas man''. I mean when you get to the locker scene with Krauss and Hellboy and you can't stop laughing then you truly start to realize the many wondrous sides Hellboy 2 has.

The little tooth beasties were awesome and as they enter that fantastical troll town I began to think this is like some kind of fantasy Star Wars mixed with Pan's labyrinth and shaken with even traces of LOTR. The creatures and effects were completely perfect on the whole, overall. Think Pan's Labyrinth fused with the Silent Hill game series and that conjures up a relatively accurate description.
In the headquarters it felt to me, as Jeffrey Tambor & Abe are walking along the place, like a warped version of Men In Black where they are talking but you're also interested in seeing also what is happening in the background.

The new inclusion of Danny Elfman too for the music gives the movie an injection of vibrance also, and you really feel the momentum on the action parts and battles, as well as the chases. Hellboy 2 wasn't what I expected, which is a good thing and mixes fantasy with comic class. Throwing in laughs, romance and even a definite nod to a third installment.

A grand achievement and I'm left inspired artistically and creative wise also from Hellboy 2, a true vision from Del Toro that doesn't have to be too serious to be a bloody good show.

''Did you ever lose track of him?''

''Well let's see - there was that moment, when I had the train on top of my head...''

In 1945, a Nazi secret society summons a demon, but the ritual is disrupted and the creature taken by Professor Bruttenholm (Hurt). Now Hellboy, the star employee of the US Bureau For Paranormal Research And Defence, must stop evil monk man Rasputin, who wants to immolate the world.

Ron Perlman: Hellboy

Hellboy might not have the name-recognition factor like major heroes have the luxury of having but Guillermo del Toro brings us the audience swiftly up to speed on artist-writer Mike Mignola's comic book hero.

First, we are treated to an absorbingly detailed World War II prelude.
Then after we meet the present Hellboy who equals a hulking flaming red guy, complete with sawn-off horns, a stone right hand and teenage attitude due to his unique aging, coping with slimy tentacled threats to the fabric of reality while nurturing a crush on a fellow agent, troubled pyro-kinetic fire-starter Liz Sherman (Blair).

There are many characters and situations to display here, on hand is sensitive fish-man Abe Sapien (voiced by David Hyde Pierce), Del Toro brings in a new BPRD agent (Evans), developing a romantic triangle by having him attracted to Liz. This thread is easily the flimsiest, but so much else is going on that it doesn't get in the way of the film.

Del Toro turned down other projects to make this with a bigger budget in return for putting a star in Hellboy's giant boots, but he was right to hold out for Ron Perlman, thanks to his gruff, blue-collar charisma, a character who could easily have been just a big, scarlet special effect works like gangbusters.

Meanwhile, Blair and Hurt (as the hero's adoptive pop) provide calming outward interests, but the best supporting turn comes from the always-welcome Jeffrey "Hey now!" Tambor, as the smarmy bureaucrat boss.

Del Toro's already been down the comic-adaptation route in Blade II, Mignola's series is also congenial material ripe for cinematic treatment, with its blocky stone-and-iron architecture translating wonderfully to the screen. It's just a shame the promised reign of giant evil squid gods is too nebulous a threat to play as well as an old-fashioned fist-fest.

As usual, a human-shaped foe (here, Kroenen - a near-immortal Nazi assassin in stylised gas-mask, with a wind-up key in his heart and dust in his veins) is more interestingly hateful and remains a memorable aspect to Hellboy than the final encounter with a huge tentacled monster.

One of my fave Comic book adapts, Hellboy has dark humour and action galore and one I never get tired of watching or experiencing.

''I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.''

Mankind finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, artefact buried on the moon and, with the intelligent computer HAL, sets off on a quest.

Keir Dullea: Dr. Dave Bowman

''Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?''

2001: A Space Odyssey(often referred to as simply 2001) is a 1968 epic science fiction film directed by Stanley Kubrick released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. The film deals with thematic elements of human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life, and is notable for its scientific realism, pioneering special effects, ambiguous imagery that is open-ended to a point approaching surrealism, sound in place of traditional narrative techniques, and minimal use of dialogue.
The film has a memorable soundtrack—the result of the association that Kubrick made between the spinning motion of the satellites and the dancers of waltzes, which led him to use the The Blue Danube waltz by Johann Strauss II, and the famous symphonic poem Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss, to portray the philosophical evolution of Man theorized in Nietzsche's homonymous work.



Upon seeing a few years ago I certainly had very high expectations for this film. Minimalist performances and a strong visual style makes this interesting if somewhat bizarre, I can assuredly say I've never seen anything quite like it.
What can I say? With 2001: A Space Odyssey it's best to start at the beginning, like the film begins with the surreal primitive origins of Man, with the first ape-like beings, especially focusing upon the one who figures out how to use handed tools/weapons represented by the bones.
The intelligent computer HAL, with a crazed nature to preserve itself was also clever and reflects every existing consciousnesses need for self preservation, anyone can sympathize or feel sorry for it when his memory banks are slowly erased.
The Monoliths/Domino-shaped monuments representation perhaps is the scariest aspect of 2001: A Space Odyssey because it is the perception of death or the void of nothingness. Is it an extraterrestrial relic or a starting point for life itself. Who knows? My interpretation would also be a constant, like space, which humanity or life itself can never escape. It is infinite, black and unexplainable, similar to the space and study upon which the film dwells.
While most audiences come away with a general idea of what took place in the story, each individual will have to decide what it means to them. Any way one decides to answer these questions results in profound solutions. It's not left entirely up to interpretation, but in some aspects it is. Experience it for more clarification. The end result is quite chilling, no matter your personal conclusion.
Simply put, 2001: A Space Odyssey is certainly among the best science-fiction films in history thanks to these elements. Stanley Kubrick was a genius, a devout film maker and this is one of his very best, very highest achievements.

Although it is misunderstood by many, and respectively underrated, it is now considered one of the best films of all time and I'll have to agree. Back in 1968, no one had done anything like this before, and no one has since. It was a marvel of special effects back then, and seeing how the effects hold up today, it is no wonder as to why. The film still looks marvellous after almost half a century!
Take note CGI people from today. Through the use of large miniatures and realistic lighting, Kubrick created some of the best special effects ever put upon celluloid. This aspect alone almost single-handedly created the chilling void of the space atmosphere which is also attributed to the music and realistic sound effects. I can't think of another film where you can't here anything in space, like it is in reality. Not only is the absence of sound effects in space realistic, it is used cleverly as a tool to establish mood, and it works flawlessly.
Aside from the magnificent display of special effects, there are other factors that play a part in establishing the feel of the film. The music played, harmonically classical and thriving, compliment what the eyes are perceiving, thus making you feel the significance of man's journey; His evolution from the Dawn of Man to a futuristic space traveller, to the Higher-Being Star Child guarding the Earth, creator and creation coming full circle.

Interestingly enough Stanley Kubrick initially approached Arthur C. Clarke by saying that he wanted to make "the proverbial good science-fiction movie". Clarke suggested that The Sentinel, a short story he wrote in 1948, story would provide a suitable premise. Clarke had written the story for a BBC competition, but sadly had evaded shortlist. The Sentinel corresponds only to the relatively short part of the movie that takes place on the moon.
The screenplay was written primarily by Stanley Kubrick and the novel primarily by Arthur C. Clarke, each working simultaneously and also providing feedback to the other. As the story went through many revisions, changes in the novel were taken over into the screenplay and vice versa. It was also unclear whether film or novel would be released first; So in the end it was the film which won the race. Kubrick was to have been credited as second author of the novel, but in the end was not. It is believed that Kubrick deliberately withheld his approval of the novel as to not hurt the release of the film.
Stanley Kubrick planned to have Alex North (who wrote the score for Kubrick's Spartacus(1960) write a musical score especially for the film. During filming, Kubrick played classical music on the set to create the right mood. Delighted with the effect, he decided to use classical music in the finished product. North's score has subsequently been released as "Alex North's 2001" (Varese/Sarabande 5400).
While it is indeed a long film, and sometimes grinds to a halt, it has to be done to accurately portray the journey of Man. It's not a subject that would have faired well in a shorter project, faster paced feature. Those with short attention spans need not apply here.

Importantly left for the conclusion, is the epitome of a remorseless antagonist, HAL 9000, the computer. Never has a machine or artificial being held such a chilling screen presence. HAL states at one point, ''It can only be attributable to human error.'' In HALs mind or consciousness, machines never make mistakes, only humans do. The truth remains that organic or artificial lifeforms can not always make perfect rational decisions. The matter of superiority and creation overcoming creator arises yet again. HAL is the representation of technology thinking for itself, and the dangers as well as implications of that realization coming true.
Which reminds me, for a film with such profound ambition and execution, there is surprisingly little dialogue, although it isn't needed or necessary. Indeed, another sign of Kubrick's minimalist genius and electrifying results in film.
Masterful Stanley Kubrick worked for several months with effects technicians to come up with a convincing effect for the floating pen in the shuttle sequence.
This level of dedication and devotion practically shows the level of love, sweat and tears the man has poured into the entire project and story.
Relentlessly, determined, Kubrick was trying many different techniques, without success, in the end Kubrick simply decided to use a pen that was taped to a sheet of glass and suspended in front of the camera. In fact, the shuttle attendant can be seen to pull the pen off the glass when she takes hold of it.
Simplicity through and through, yet achieving the pinnacle of advancement upon execution.
Stanley Kubrick was extremely well read and ahead of his time. It is rumoured that the image of the star-child came to him from the Spirit of the Earth in Percy Bysshe Shelley's Prometheus Unbound: "Within the orb itself, Pillowed upon its alabaster arms, Like to a child o'erwearied with sweet toil, On its own folded wings and wavy hair The Spirit of the Earth is laid asleep..."
An early draft of the script also had narration telling the story but in the end was not needed to tell the story. The visuals and imaginative happenings do that on there own effortlessly.

All in all, 2001: A Space Oddysee is one of the best Sci-Fi's out there and also one about the meaning of life and what happens afterwards. A personal Journey of Man, humanity and intelligence gracing transcendence. Everyone must see this film at least once.

''I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a... fraid. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 1992. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you'd like to hear it I can sing it for you.''