Reviews by Lexi

''There are places in this world that aren't made out of stone. That there's something inside... that they can't get to, that they can't touch. That's yours.''

Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

Tim Robbins: Andy Dufresne

Morgan Freeman: Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding

The Shawshank Redemption(1994) is a rare occurrence in storytelling that truly transcends film itself to become a soulful and memorable venture. Based upon a short story by Stephen King "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption", and then brought to life for the big screen by Frank Darabont. Audinces will watch in awe as the story touches our heart and captivates our mind. Polished performances, dazzling direction, relentless atmosphere, beautifully suffocating cinematography. All the pieces gel and mould a totally human struggle to our eyes. This is worth more than just a second or third viewing; this a masterpiece of the 20th century for film.



There are so many sides and humanitarian adoration captured within this film and story. So many messages that transcend mere words at times. Melting your heart with it's mesmerizing vision of a human bond that is so untouchable it sings out and rings inside you.
There is indeed a great sense of inspiration to be found at the center of The Shawshank Redemption, and that's a story of hope.
Everything that life thrusts upon you, all the despair put forth into your midst, there is always a glimmer of hope coming through like a ray of sunshine breaking dark cloud.
We go on a journey with these characters, and their stories remain with us long after proceedings come to a close. Andy's attempt to maintain hope and Red's struggle to allow the thought of it back into his life and routine, is a powerful story to be told; Highlighted by the fantastic performances from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.

A film should assault all of your senses and again Shawshank qualifies instantly. It will make you laugh, make you cry, have you humming with joy, or feeling desperate and low at it's bad points.
The music adds to the mix in a wondrous way that is another key element to this films soul. The Original Music by Thomas Newman compliments the Cinematography by Roger Deakin(director of photography).
What else is it but storytelling transitioning into art? If a film can reach out beyond the limits of cinema and become larger than basic prison based stories, something more than a movie to be entertained by, can it be considered art? Shawshank crowned Frank Darabont's first venture into the worlds of Stephen King (The Green Mile and The Mist would follow), and it arguably remains his best and most accomplished effort to date. His ability to set the tone and create this isolated prison atmosphere instantly grabs your attention and never relinquishes the award of doing so.

That ultimate conclusion, where everything comes together like a newly formulated jigsaw will fill and satisfy.
Two friends reunited on a breathtaking scape or Andy Dufresne standing with outstretched arms in the relentless rain.
The Shawshank Redemption is a deeply moving picture that has to be experienced, not observed. Felt, not merely seen. It tells an intricate story of extreme magnitude, leaving in it's swirling path a poignant tale of hope and freedom overcoming fear and imprisonment via physical walls. Allow yourself to be taken where films rarely go, the tragic beauty of it all is nearly overwhelming. A sweeping work of grandeur and glory of hope conquering all, to remind us that above all else, when all seems to be lost, never give up on hope. As Andy tells Red, hope is a good thing. Hope never dies.

Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.

''No, I never wanted to go to war. I just wanted to fly.''

A US Fighter pilot's epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War.

Christian Bale: Dieter

Written and directed by Werner Herzog Rescue Dawn tells the inspired by true events story of Dieter Dengler, an American Pilot shot down while flying a secret operation over Laos. We see a charismatic Bale flesh out Deiter as he begins his venture, he's happy, bright and full of vibrant energy with his work mate pilots. We see them all watching a training video, with one of them, sarcastically jokes over it's contents, while the others revel and bask in the humour. We also see Dieter ask for some much needed essentials to be made use of in the field, in case of any ground work. We know this happy bubble he's in to begin with on the docking station ship isn't going to last, as we proceed to see Bale and company in their planes, bombing an enemy installation(More of a hut). The enemy fire back and Dieter's plane is taken out by the firing onslaught of Lao Soldiers. Despite him trying to escape on foot from these assailants in the jungle environment he is captured while drinking from an underground cavern river type place. At first these Lao Vietgong types don't seem so bad but it soon goes from bad to worse. Dieter is taken to a man who expects him to sign a letter condemning America's actions and the whole war.
Obviously Dieter refuses and then he's thrown into a hell of havoc. Dragged by a bull and hung up for hours, eventually he's taken to a P.O.W. camp, that turns out to be a living nightmare.

There he meets some unlikely friends and some dangerous new foes, most of them having been their for years, have clearly lost their minds.
Steve Zahn as Duane becomes Dieter's closest friend in this nightmare while the others all help too for some time.
Steve Zahn has produced the performance of his career in Rescue Dawn. A best supporting actor nod is most certainly in his future for the portrayal of a man broken only held from falling to pieces by his friends in captivity. He wears sullen eyes filled with an empty 1000 mile stare, his motions are like that of a dog beaten by his master for inhaling the same air he breathes. He is a trapped mouse in a room full of starving cats. Zahn is stunningly on form in this film.
Lack of food and torture is well shown in Rescue Dawn, while the conditions and feeding techniques are harshly depicted in vicious doses of equaled measure.

''I love America. America gave me wings.''

This is a film not just about survival of the body, but survival of the mind. When Dieter is brought to his prison with bamboo walls he meets his fellow cap-tees and it is obvious they have been there for some time. They thirst for news of the outside world like it was bread on the table for their empty stomachs. Gene(Jeremie Davies) and Duane introduce Dieter to his jailers and teach him what he needs to understand in order to live. These are two actors who have committed themselves with no reservation to their roles. Davies looks no more then 115lbs, he plays his character with a gaunt worn disposition that shows the only reason he has lived as long as he has is the false notion that release is eminent.

The film on a whole didn't really get to me until about 30 minutes into proceedings. It starts with footage of aerial bombings over the jungle with Klaus Badelt's(Pirates: Curse of the Black Pearl, Constantine) melancholy score bringing a rich sadness to the real life events depicted. Later, as hunger and desperation take hold of the prisoners, his music weaves in and the movements change to underline the dastardly situation that will put you on edge like a mosquito buzzing in your ear at night.

''When I was uhh... five or somethin', I was looking out the window, with my brother... and we see this fighter plane was coming right at us. I was not scared. I was mesmerized! Because for me, this pilot was this all-mighty being from the clouds. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be him. I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to be a pilot.''

Christian Bale, a game and athletic actor who lost 63 pounds for the film The Machinist (but not a handful to deal with like the legendary Klaus Kinski) said something similar. In Rescue Dawn, Bale as Dieter appears to eat live worms at one point; struggles with a wildly writhing six-foot snake and strips it with his teeth. And the jungle locations in which this film were shot were no picnic. The landscape, as always in Herzog, is intense and omni-present.
The result is stripped down, authentic, and appallingly gritty but not as suspenseful as some other prisoner-of-war classics. A couple of the most shocking events go by so fast you hardly have time to absorb them. Christian Bale is fine in the lead, conveying his character's real life determination and upbeat spirit but also his wile. His raging grin is Dieter-esquire. However, he might have looked a bit more haggard toward the end given all his character's been through: look at a real photo of Dengler at that stage. But the jungle struggle is marvelously, spectacularly, repellently vivid. The emotional heart of the film is the relationship between Dieter and Duane.

Rescue Dawn equals a refreshingly truthful patriotic adventure in which Dengler himself espouses some of the most profound reasons why many Americans still love America for what it is. Dengler illustrates that, even when engaged in an unjust conflict, America IS its people and their spirit of liberty, not a government and not merely it's military muscle. Dengler is a true American hero not because he saves lives or fought expertly but because of his will to survive, to help those deserving of his help, and his desire to come home to the country he loved.

''Empty what is full. Fill what is empty. Scratch what itches.''

''As a species we're fundamentally insane. Put more than two of us in a room, we pick sides and start dreaming up ways to kill one another. Why do you think we invented politics and religion?''

A freak storm unleashes a species of blood-thirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole-up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.

Thomas Jane: David Drayton

Let's start by saying Frank Darabont can do no wrong when faced with bringing any novel to our eyes in a whirlwind of cinematic bliss, in a movie adaptation. He wonderfully brought The Green Mile to life, as well as one of the greatest film adapt efforts in film history; The Shawshank Redemption.
The Mist(2007) is relievedly not another excuse for a gore fest or predictable slasher effort. Granted it has its fair share of gruesome violent happenings but it is the signature way in which King develops his characters and focuses on human nature; That turbulent emotion that allows The Mist to succeed and flourish.
As a novella, The Mist is like most of King's work; pulpy, scary, and compelling. The film, Screenplay written and directed by Frank Darabont, is a stunning adaptation that manages to capture the slow burn of dread and desperation that permeates the novella. And while there is an uncanny titular similarity to John Carpenter's The Fog, this is an altogether different beast of bereavement.



The premise is of a simple nature; A brutal storm blasts through a small community. Movie poster artist David Drayton and his son, Bill(Nathan Gamble) head into town for supplies, accompanied by Norton(Andre Braugher), their argumentative neighbour. Once they arrive at a small shopping plaza, a thick menacing mist descends upon them, capturing a large number of people inside a grocery store. The utter randomness of these proceedings is enough to make anyone sane puzzled yet I was glued to the screen in intrigued abandon, it turns out there are prehistoric-looking monsters waiting in the shrouded mystery and the inhabitants of the store become increasingly desperate for survival against the creatures that lurk out in the unknown...

''It appears we may have a problem of some magnitude.''

What transpires in The Mist has perhaps certain parallels to George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, a B movie whose guerrilla fearlessness and intellect pushed it into legitimacy and cult legend proportions. The Mist is as much about enigmatic happenings that go bump in the night styling as the way in which trapped humans respond to such a fantastic dilemma. Similarly to Living Dead the breakdown of social order and martial law is addressed and analyzed, the role of the military comes into focus, religious fundamentalism is embodied by evil self proclaimed visionary Mrs. Carmody(Marcia Gay Harden), a fire-and-brimstone type who becomes a macabre, sacrifice-minded beacon to the store's desperate denizens whom in the end turn to her when things appear hopeless. In an era where most of today's horror crowd expects Hostels or SAWs every time they walk into a cinema, Darabont's script is built on a principle of logic and authentic human action (even when characters do things we know are unwise, their rationality is convincingly displayed for us to understand) as opposed to manipulative twists and anti-climaxes. The ending is at once ballsy, depressing, and righteous.
The Mist is less about otherworldly monsters, but more about mankind's uncanny ability to be the monster, to do evil upon each other.

That being said, The Mist of course also works as well as a traditional horror film, with several genuinely scary sequences involving mutant hybrids of prehistoric looking pterodactyls, infectious houseflies, and acid spewing spiders. The CG is well-utilized and the sharp editing keeps it from being overdone. Darabont transforms the creatures—which are essentially '50s B-movie fodder—into absolutely convincing visions of hell. This film jolts current horror trends by actually scaring the audience instead of merely repulsing them.
Interestingly enough to finish off, The Mist is the opposite of The Shawshank Redemption in one crucial way. The Shawshank Redemption was about hope, friendship and life, The Mist is about hopelessness, despair and fear. One thing that they do have in common, in relation to each other, is an astonishing conclusion true to Stehphen King's novels. The Mist is a true psychological horror film in the sense it gives us a realistic ending of regret and shock; Not a glossed over Hollywoodised happy conclusion, but one that is believable. That in itself is inspirational.

''Don't go out there! There's something in the mist!''

''We'll sleep in shifts. We'll ration our food, and then we'll figure out the next step. We have two advantages - we know this town, and we know the cold. We live here for a reason; because nobody else can.''

After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires.

Josh Hartnett: Sheriff Eben Oleson

30 Days of Night took 70 days to film, as scheduled. What dazzling results we get from the end product.
Writer Steve Niles originally conceived and pitched the story as a film for some years, but it was turned down by studios and thus reworked as a comic book. Eventually one of the producers who had rejected the original pitch worked on the movie adaptation.
According to the DVD commentary, Josh Hartnett was sick with mono for two weeks of film. During that two week period, he had to fly to Venice, London, New York and Los Angeles for the premieres of The Black Dahlia(2006).
Josh Hartnett did all his own stunts in 30 Days, and Melissa George did most of Stella's driving.
The scenes where characters are driving on the road out of town at night were actually shot during the day while most of the night shots were actually shot during the day, using the day-for-night process.

So as night descends upon the people of 30 Days of Night, for its thirty day bewitching over a small Alaskan outpost village, an assortment of mutated superhuman strong vampiric beings come to visit, a feast for the senses, in David Slade's adaptation of the graphic novel, 30 Days of Night. Ever since the sophisticated Interview with the Vampire, these beings of the darkness have been depicted as pale, handsome and seductively dangerous. Recently the idea of becoming a vampire is like becoming a goth or emo type. In 30 Days of Night the vampires are nameless, cunning, animal-like blood hunters and far from mindless creatures. Finally, vampires are shown in film as monstrous merciless enemies, to be feared and to be avoided at all costs, for your survival.

Sheriff Eben Oleson: Hell of a day.
The Stranger: Just you wait.

30 Days Of Night snares you from its opening shot of a lone man walking through a desolate snow covered landscape. Director Slade wisely avoids many of the trappings of recent horror films. Sure, there are the prerequisite quick cuts in the chaotic scenes of carnage, but there are also haunting wide-angled shots and one expertly executed bird's-eye-view crane shot when the vampires first begin dragging people out of their houses into the street. While successfully adapting some of the great imagery from the graphic novel, Slade is fully aware that this is still a film and shies away from using too much CGI and overly stylized lighting and effects that would detract from the sense of realism necessary in a far-fetched horror film.

Slade also makes good use of his cast. Danny Huston is perfectly menacing and merciless in equal measure as the vampires enigmatic leader. Josh Hartnett, who is typically miscast sometimes and emotionless, actually fits well the role of a wooden Sheriff of a remote Alaskan town. Ben Foster, who always overacts, is used effectively here in a bit role as an over-the-top Reinfield-like character who ushers the vampires' arrival in town. Melissa George is pretty and sympathetic as Hartnett's estranged wife. Like many serious horror films of recent memory, the film attempts some character development that is often TV Soap standard but mostly never overplays its hand.

''When man meets a force he can't destroy, he destroys himself. What a plague you are.''

Aside from being superiorly directed and better acted than your run-of-the-mill horror flick, 30 Days of Night is also fantastically gory. Decapitation appreciators will especially rejoice at proceedings. Refreshing, too, is the way it takes its gore and action dead seriously. There are no silly one-liners or graphic sight gags. The characters are deeply affected by what they witness and what they have to do to survive. This is pure horror, and it's relentless.
Yes, there are some missteps with the film's pacing and some huge leaps of logic in the amount of time that passes between events. However, for the shear originality of its central conceit, the intensity of the gore, and the haunting quality of many of its signature shots, David Slade's 30 Days of Night is the most exhilarating horror film since Danny Boyle's original 28 Days Later and the best vampire film since Francis Ford Coppola delivered Bram Stoker's Dracula back in 1992.

Overall 30 Days of Night is not just about brutal vampire killing and massacring, but about sacrifice and protecting loved ones regardless of the dangers. Particularly powerful scenes continually arise as the struggling survivors are forced to cede to unbearable situations to ensure the survival of others. Eben too must make difficult choices to provide leadership for the group and to preserve his fragile relationship with his wife Stella. While it's difficult to judge authentic reactions to a vampire outbreak, the characters all perform honestly and emotionally to any event that is thrown at them.

From beheading to animal violence, to the slaughter of children, to maniacal misuse of a snow plow, 30 Days of Night immerses you in blood and thrilling suspense. A few minutes into the film we are immersed in quick, gritty violence and intensity and it never lets up until the climactic conclusion. Never has a film been so white-knuckle thrilling and jaw-dropping shocking from start to finish. As a horror film, 30 Days of Night succeeds admirably due to its fast-paced, stunning visuals, and explosive action. Plus the ending isn't a typical Hollywood drenched happy ending, it's a more realistic venture that hits home and stays faithful to the Novel it's based upon.

''There is no escape. No hope. Only hunger and pain.''

''You'll come to see that a man learns nothing from winning. The act of losing, however, can elicit great wisdom. Not least of which is, uh... how much more enjoyable it is to win. It's inevitable to lose now and again. The trick is not to make a habit of it.''


A British investment broker inherits his uncle's chateau and vineyard in Provence, where he spent much of his childhood. He discovers a new laid-back lifestyle as he tries to renovate the estate to be sold. Love, passion and a whole new world open with new possibilities...

Russell Crowe: Max Skinner

Marion Cotillard: Fanny Chenal

Being that Kingdom Of Heaven was the last film i saw by Ridley Scott and Gladiator the one i saw with his muse Russel Crowe i wasn't sure what to expect with A Good Year.

What it gave me was Ridley's most personal, a most human study and tale of unstrained proportions. With it's lovely setting in Provence in contrast to the cold blues of London it instantly warmed my heart.

Russel Crowe's character Max and his transition through the film is a beauty to behold. Marion Cotillard also i was so pleased to see again as the love interest and yet again she captivates whenever she is on screen oozing vibrance and a delicate gorgeousness.

This film will definitely make you happy, smile and laugh throughout.

The music and sounds add to the feel and the flashbacks with the younger Max and his Uncle, played wonderfully by Freddie Highmore and Albert Finney, is a nice added touch.

Was expecting a film solely about wine what i got was a story that has been done before but never tires, a tale larger than life.

Pending Full Review...

''Ain't nobody likes the Middle East, buddy. There's nothing here to like.''

Roger Ferris uncovers a lead on a major terrorist leader suspected to be operating out of Jordan.

Leonardo DiCaprio: Roger Ferris

Well Director Ridley Scott tackles the issue of the old Middle East Terrorism and also a look at how intelligence agencies and their respective Agents act. Body Of Lies has been unfairly attacked by critics on the basis that other films have done the same thing and executed the same problem. These attacks are unjust and unfair mainly because alot of Horror & Romantic films always emulate the same recurring aspects for example some not coming under scrutiny. Some of the other films which have addressed Middle East, Terrorism, and Counter measures and Agencies attempting to thwart the former, are in my memory...Rendition, Syriana(Also starring the wondrously talented Actor Mark Strong),The Kingdom, Three Kings, all films set in the middle East that add to this specific genre, this battle with terror and religious fanaticism yet also a stab at the mistakes and moral leanings of Western Powers and the murky cloudiness of diluted intelligence twisted round.
Body Of Lies should be considered to be among these interesting looks at the Eastern situation or war on terror, whatever you prefer to view the state of going ons.



''You Americans are incapable of secrets because of your democracy.''

Interestingly enough Body Of Lies begins with an imminent explosion in Manchester UK with some Terrorists loyal to Al-Saleem (Alon Aboutboul). This sets the ball rolling and at the same time keeps us the audience glued and straining to keep up with the intense intelligent dialogue which educates as well as entertains us.
Before the main titans appear on screen we know Ridley Scott has all the strings to pull and cards up his sleeves to reveal. So when Leonardo comes on screen with his unshaven appearance and brown contacts in, we can fully believe he is an Agent undercover doing his hard pressed job, he knows disguises, can speak fluent Arabic. Roger Ferris is made into a fully three dimensional character by Leonardo DiCaprio.
My other fascination among many, was Russel Crowe as Ed Hoffman, who really shows his age with his plump aged self. I mean this is the man that was the young heroic actor of Gladiator, or the determined protagonist of the recent American Gangster. Here we have a family man, fat Crowe playing a US Operative who's only interested in his own loyalties and affiliations to his government.
What I really loved in this is that he is always doing his work 90% of the time, in phone conversations with Ferris while he is at home with the wife and kids, or watching his daughter's soccer game, even helping his son brush his teeth and pee. This is a man, this Hoffman is detached yet enveloped in the proceedings but from afar, its a genius scenario that really shows what it must be like in the field. Succeeding in being a book adaptation and also a realistic venture of sorts, showing a situation that needs to be addressed.

Mark Strong as Hani really was one of the favourite scorchingly talented inspirations I came out with, with Body Of Lies. He's just a treasure to watch every second, his screen-time has a resonance about it that stays memorable. British Actor plays Hani, the Jordan Ally of Ferris with finesse and believability, coming across with a charismatic aura that had me smiling. Whether it be RocknRolla or the fun Star Dust, Mark Strong always makes the film that little bit sweeter merely with his esteemed presence.

''This is unusual. Your Ed Hoffman would rather have less information than share what he has with me.''

A certain romantic aspect is explored with Golshifteh Farahani playing Aisha, a romance that blossoms out of a chance meeting between Aisha & Ferris at a clinic. This relationship they share, informatively helps us see also the lack of freedom women have in the Middle Eastern world. As Ferris and Aisha share a drink outside a coffee establishment notice how the men sneer and look down at them, even the old man serving them, seems to disagree with their shared presence.
Another scene in which they talk, after Ferris meets her sister for approval and her two boys, the talk outside ends with Ferris going to shake her hand. Then we notice everyone above including her sister is watching, disapproving. For this is how it is in their world. It's frozen in time, bound to tradition, when it changes, ironically only God knows that answer, and I can say it wont change anytime soon.

So the film's screenplay by William Monahan & David Ignatius who wrote the Novel, seem to have given Ridley Scott the material and story necessary for a great piece of educational entertainment and a dazzling array of characters.
Interestingly enough for the beginning, I discovered that the Manchester scenes (filmed on actual streets in the USA), any overly "American" curbside items (like certain fire hydrants) were hidden by dropping bottom-less slatted metal trash cans over them and then adding prop "English" rubbish; however, extras and crew unaware of this subtle artful touch continuously filled the apparently-normal-looking receptacles with their own trash. Between filming sessions, rueful set dressers would have to remove a foot-high layer of discarded plastic water bottles (and then reset and fluff the "official" rubbish).

Roger Ferris: I can't do this anymore.
Ed Hoffman: Yes you can. Now you go home, get a few hours sleep and you call me when you're thinking straight.
Roger Ferris: Your know what, I AM thinking straight, alright, you're not, you can't 'cause you're a million fuckin' miles away.

Body Of Lies maintains a class and favourable conclusion for me and a great example of how sometimes the critics can be wrong on films, on books or on music. End of the day, it's something that I've always said after missing out on some impressive films critics have slated, and because I've been dissuaded from seeing it from what I've read. I learnt a long time ago that it's sometimes best to make up your own mind and come to your own conclusions. To conclude Body Of Lies is a web of deceit and characters who all end up lying to themselves as well as each other. The heroes all seem to be after the same fanatic nemesis, yet they don't trust each other. Would of liked more emphasis on the romance side of things, but the ending leaves things pretty much to the viewers respective imaginations, which I liked. Musically, visually, I was engrossed by this tense thriller and also woken up to aspects of ideology to religion to trust. All important, all up for discussion and to be thought upon. Body Of lies ironically succeeds in portraying alot of truth to our Modern present, now let's do something for the future.

''Nobody's innocent in this shit.''

Dutch:[the Predator pulls off his mask] You're one... ugly motherfucker!

A team of commandos, on a mission in a Central American jungle, find themselves hunted by an extra-terrestrial warrior.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: Dutch

Strangely enough most of the film was shot under the original title Hunter, it was only later when the creature design was changed that the movie evolved the name Predator. The clapperboards showing the original title can be seen in the outtakes on the special edition DVD.

So Predator will always have a special spot reserved, from being one of the best horror/sci-fi films of 80s fare, it's also a huge childhood favourite of mine. Despite the fact that I've seen it dozens of times as a kid, Predator functions as a macho action film, gory horror and intriguing sci-fi, and despite it's short running time of just 100 minutes, it somehow manages to find room for all three. The fact that it stars action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger ensures that the film will always be favourably recounted. He's not a good actor, but Arnie always manages to bring that extra something to his movies. The plot is deliciously simple and follows a group of commandos that go off into the jungle on a secret mission. However, things go awry when it turns out that they aren't the only ones with weapons there. Finding the skinned bodies of the last group of men that entered the jungle is about to become just the tip of the ice berg...

''When I was little, we found a man. He looked like - like, butchered. The old woman in the village crossed themselves... and whispered crazy things, strange things. "El Diablo cazador de hombres." Only in the hottest years this happens. And this year, it grows hot. We begin finding our men. We found them sometimes without their skins... and sometimes much, much worse. "El cazador trofeo de los hombres" means the demon who makes trophies of men.''

The jungle makes for a great setting for an action sci-fi adventure, becoming almost a character in itself.
These sorts of films tend to be set in space, so experiencing the action down on earth is a fresh approach; and the fact that it's set in the jungle, with it's dense foliage, cements the fact that Die Hard director John McTiernan is able to clock up the suspense, just like in the Vietnam war; the soldiers are dealing with an unknown enemy, a kind of guerrilla warfare visage. The atmosphere really is excellent, and the special effects help to create a futuristic tone, while the suspense builds and makes sure that the audience are on the edge of their seats at all times. Predator was released hot on the heels of the success of James Cameron's amazing Aliens but don't be thinking this film is merely a rip off following a trend, Predator has more than enough up it's sleeve to ensure that isn't the case. The action is great, and director McTiernan clearly knows what he's doing. It's fast and furious, and the amount of weapons on display ensures that the film is sure to delight fans of macho action films. The fact that the lead actor is a monster of a man doesn't exactly hurt matters either.
Arnold Schwarzenegger lost over 25 pounds before filming began in order to better fit the role of a special warfare operative, who would be lean as well as muscular.
Also is the third film in which Arnold Schwarzenegger wears a Seiko model H558-5009 diver's watch. Since nicknamed "The Arnold", it is highly sought-after by collectors and regularly trades for values in excess of its original retail cost. Its distinctive black collar and stainless steel fittings suitably complements Schwarzenegger's exaggerated arm muscles in his early films.

Blain: You lose it here and you're in a world of hurt.

According to an interview with director John McTiernan, the "hole in the jungle" appearance of the Predator was played by Jean-Claude Van Damme in a "blue screen" (actually red) suit. Van Damme quit after two days, unhappy with being cast as an uncredited special effect. The alien was scrapped, redesigned and was eventually played by 7'2" Kevin Peter Hall.

Two of the actors portraying commandos besieged by the Predator have been elected to state governorships: Jesse Ventura (Independent) was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican) was elected Governor of California in a hotly-contested recall election in 2003. In addition, Sonny Landham (Republican) ran an unsuccessful campaign for Governor of Kentucky in 2003.
A bold attempt was also made to get shots of the Predator swinging from tree to tree using a monkey in a red special-effects suit. However, the monkey kept removing the suit and the idea was abandoned.

Now, Arnold Schwarzenegger may well be a standardly predictable actor but it doesn't matter because it's his screen presence, not his acting ability, that makes his performances what they are. At times he's cringe-worthy, but it's hard to deny his prowess when it comes to the action sequences, and that is all a film of this nature needs. Arnie isn't the only big man in the film either, as an assortment of muscle men, including ex-wrestler Jesse Ventura, and Carl Weathers, Rocky's Apollo Creed, among other B-movie actors, join him. The man himself also finds himself a very worthy ally, in the form of the movie's central alien. The Predator may not be as beautiful and graceful as the creature from Alien, but it's just as inventive and sports a different kind of intelligence. Here we have an extra terrestrial that isn't merely trying to breed, or to phone home, but one that is actually there to hunt humans for sport, for fun.
Aside from being ingenious, the idea also borders on the insanely frightening. The gore here is gratuitous, but never goes over the top and on the whole, Predator is a film that never really got the credit it deserves. It's mindless fun yet entertaining and inspiring despite some dated effects.

Interesting Goofs

Revealing mistakes: When Mac removes the scorpion from Dillon's shoulder, a gray adhesive can be seen holding the scorpion when Mac holds up the knife.

Continuity: When Arnold is swinging through the trees trying to get the predator to follow him into the trap, there is a clip where he his hugging the tree and his hair is messy. There is a pan of the forest then back to Arnold but now his hair is all neat and tidy.

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Poncho climbs the rope to check out the chopper, the hook on the rope's end is lifted by his clothes. When it drops back onto the chopper there is no metal sound.

Crew or equipment visible: When Poncho is hit with the log the Predator just shot, you can see the ramp that flings Poncho into the air right under him.

Factual errors: It is not possible to fire a mini gun, which Blain carries, without some power source, which he does not carry; the pack on his back only contains ammunition. Further more, if a human were to fire a mini gun with live ammunition, one would be propelled backwards by the recoil.

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Dutch is running from the Predator, and trying to lead the beast into the small tunnel which contains the "trap", a quick cut-away shot of the trap mechanism appears to be a photo of the trap, as opposed to "live" footage, and even appears to be a bit out of focus.

The Predator: Anytime.

Mr. Earl Brooks: [about Mr. Smith] Maybe I should drive over there and pick him up.
Marshall: No, just honk. Maybe he'll get killed crossing the street. Save us the mess of doing it.
[Both start laughing. Then, Mr. Brooks honks the horn and Mr. Smith nearly gets hit by a car while crossing]
Mr. Earl Brooks: Almost.

A psychological thriller about a man who is sometimes controlled by his murder-and-mayhem-loving alter ego.

Kevin Costner: Mr. Earl Brooks

According to interviews with Kevin Costner, this wonderful Mr Brooks is the first installment in a mysterious thrilling trilogy.
The prayer Mr. Brooks states throughout the movie is interestingly called "Serenity Prayer" written by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. This prayer is in use in Alcoholics Anonymous since the early 1940s. Mr. Brooks visits AA-meetings to curb his morbid addiction.
Strangely enough Zach Braff was originally cast as Mr. Smith, although it could of been quite pleasing for him to do this role, in some ways.

When I viewed Mr Brooks I wasn't sure what to look out for or make an assessment as to what it would be like. It had some other elements to it such as Kevin Costner's thought process and his family. The idea of putting William Hurt in this movie was incredible and very creative casting him as Kevin Costner's dual mind. This was very original in many ways and displayed something different and unique that has not been really shown before.
The way they filmed certain parts in the car sequences really hits home into the deep psychological shots conveying both sides of a split persona.

''I don't enjoy killing, Mr. Smith. I do it because I'm addicted to it.''

The best part of this movie was Kevin Costner's miraculously changing performance. His performance was probably the most unique and different compare to other serial killer movies, making his character realistic. The movie was mostly based and revolved around him it allowed for his character to develop and open up. He showed something that I would never expect from Kevin Costner. He was perfect fit because he displayed exactly how many psychopaths are: intelligent, calm and precise. He also fit perfectly because it actually made sense that someone with a personality and status like Costner's could actually be like a Jack the Ripper sort of person. He displayed how he is fighting himself(William Hurt) on whether he should kill or not. But like most psychopaths it eventually becomes repetitive and automatic. He had this obsessive compulsion of just killing people. Costner shows how he is in constant pain and just cannot escape his temptations and paranoia. It was really amazing watching him and William Hurt together. I think the ending perfectly illustrated his performance.

What really ruined this movie was Demi Moore. She just did not bring anything at all to this story. She did not seem into the character and was just too average. Dane Cook was just the same diluted out of place shadow as Moore. When I look at him I think smiles and happy happenings. He was not convincing and more out of place than comedic.
Danielle Panabaker plays the daughter of Mr. Brooks and Mrs. Brooks (Marg Helgenberger). Panabaker's younger sister, Kay Panabaker plays the recurring role of Lindsey Willows, the daughter of Catherine Willows (also played by Marg Helgenberger) on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000) for CBS.

Mr. Earl Brooks: Would it bother you to kill a woman?
Mr. Smith: No. No, an asshole's an asshole.

Overall Director Bruce Evans does a wonderous job at the core of proceedings, providing a fast paced psychological thriller helped out by clever dialogue, and one of the most intelligent characters portrayed on film since Hannibal Lecter in Mr. Brooks. It's almost unreal even surreal, how resourceful, cunning and clever Costner's character is. Another thing I liked, as mentioned, was the symmetry between Costner and Hurt. The actors carry a lot of the same mannerisms into their characters, and with the help of Evans, it looks great. There are times where they will do the same movement at the exact same time. Mr. Brooks is a first rate thriller that any fan of the genre should enjoy. The plot has its twists and turns before the grand finale, which reminds the viewer that...Mr. Brooks isn't too be under-estimated or caught out...

Interesting Goofs

Revealing mistakes: When Detective Tracey Atwood's head is stitched it is a visibly huge and nasty head wound which would normally need some bandaging in addition to the stitches. However, in subsequent scenes there are no bandages visible nor is her hair shaved.

Continuity: As Earl is getting out of a taxi, he walks with a cane held with his right hand for a short distance. When he reaches his car, he hooks the cane over his left arm. In the next shot, he's holding the cane in his left hand by its shaft.

Continuity: When Mr. Brooks kills the first couple, the lamp inside the room is turned on. However, after he kills the couple, the room is dark and the lamp is off. The lamp later appears turned on in the photograph. The reflection of the lamp which appears turned off can also be seen right after the couple gets killed.

''Before I was the Thumbprint Killer, Mr. Smith, I killed a lot of people in a lot of different ways.''

Murray: Is it true what they're sayin', he's some kinda vampire?
Clarice Starling: They don't have a name for what he is.

A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.

Jodie Foster: Clarice Starling

Anthony Hopkins: Dr. Hannibal Lecter

The events in this film occur after the events in Manhunter(1986). Although there are several characters common to both films, there are only two actors who appear in both movies. Both actors play different characters in both movies. Frankie Faison plays Lt. Fisk in Manhunter and Barney in Silence of the Lambs, and Dan Butler plays an FBI fingerprint expert in Manhunter and an entomologist in Silence of the Lambs.
The film originally was going to be released in the fall of 1990. However, Orion pictures, which distributed the film, decided instead to delay its release until January 1991 so that it could concentrate all their efforts in promoting Dances with Wolves (1990) for Oscar consideration.
Silence of the lambs is one of the masterpieces of the last decade. And does it have its reasons. First of all, it's entirely dependent on the terror that gnaws all the way to the mind of the viewer. The decline of the Human Being is magnificently chiseled with one liners that amusingly depict the killers and psychopaths state of mind and approach us carefully into a nature that is deformed, evil and sick of the Man's putrefaction.

The main spectacle is drawn between Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. Both entirely relevant to the movie, they produce a bright contrast and with their performances they nail the feelings right and expose one of the best duels on movie history. This duel, although, is not conventional. Clarice Starling will use Hannibal Lecter's profound knowledge of the criminal mind to capture the infamous Buffalo Bill. But Hopkins will play a game in which their personalities will engage in a retroactive combination, in a "quid pro quo" mind spar: she will have to expose her most profound, hidden secrets to Lecter, so he can also dispatch on his pleasure of analyzing the suffering of others. Both of them reveal all of their character's whole personality with their eyes: Foster is in constant pressure, scared but facing hell with courage and Hopkins shows human emptiness in his eyes, windows to what is a world full of deprivation.
In preparation for his role, Anthony Hopkins studied files of serial killers. Also, he visited prisons and studied convicted murderers and was present during some court hearings concerning serial killings.
Anthony Hopkins described his voice for Hannibal Lecter as, "a combination of Truman Capote and Katharine Hepburn."

Hannibal Lecter: Why do you think he removes their skins, Agent Starling?
[sarcastically]
Hannibal Lecter: Enthrall me with your acumen.
Clarice Starling: It excites him. Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies from their victims.
Hannibal Lecter: I didn't.
Clarice Starling: No. No, you ate yours.

Ted Levine is truly scary. You get the impression that he is the true Buffalo Bill, twisted and perverse. He shows absolutely no human, recognizable aspect. He is a terrible villain.
Buffalo Bill is the combination of three real life serial killers: Ed Gein, who skinned his victims; Ted Bundy, who used the cast on his hand as bait to make women get into his van; and Gary Heidnick, who kept women he kidnapped in a pit in his basement. Gein was only positively linked to two murders and suspected of two hers. He gathered most of his materials not through murder, but grave-robbing. In the popular imagination, however, he remains a serial killer with uncounted victims.

Easily one of the best and most sophisticated crime thrillers I've seen, The Silence of the Lambs is a masterful stroke of a movie. To begin, the performances are what really shine here. Both Foster and Hopkins are award-worthy. Jodie Foster is completely believable in her role as the intelligent heroine, and really has the audience sympathizing with her. On the other hand is Lecter, wonderfully played by Hopkins - his character is one scary guy, I definitely wouldn't want to be near him. Their chemistry in the film is amazing, and the conversational scenes between them, both of them separated by bars or a glass wall, are tense and brilliantly acted. The performances all around are simply top-notch.

Hannibal Lecter: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

The plot itself is an intriguing one at that, and I liked the relationship that was formed between the FBI agent and the serial killer - it's all really interesting. Then, there's the serial killer that is the sole reason that Clarice has any relation to Lecter - because Lecter has information that could help her. The gender-bending Buffalo Bill is shown throughout the movie, kidnapping women, and the viewers get an insight into his bizarre world, mostly shown in his underground "chamber" under his house, where he skins and stores his victims, dead and alive, and wears their skins. The finale in the pitch-black basement/lair between Clarice and Buffalo Bill is genuinely terrifying, and will surely have you on the edge of your seat.

Interesting to know also the inspiration for the Silence of the Lambs was the real life relationship between University of Washington criminology professor and profiler Robert Keppel and real life serial killer Ted Bundy. Bundy helped Keppel in his investigation of the Green River Serial Killings in Washington. While Bundy was executed 24 January 1989, the Green River Killings went unsolved until 2001 when Gary Ridgway was arrested. On 5 November 2003, Ridgway pleaded guilty to 48 counts of aggravated first degree murder in a King County, Washington (Seattle) courtroom.

A last concluding note: Lecter's mention of having consumed a victim's liver with "some fava beans and nice chianti". Liver, fava beans, and wine all contain a substance called tyramine, which can actually kill you if you're also taking a certain class of antidepressant drugs known as MAO inhibitors. MAO inhibitors were the first antidepressant drugs developed, and were used primarily on patients in mental institutions. Lecter both worked in, and was committed to, a mental institution.

Interesting Goofs

Factual errors: A forensics expert's opinion of the autopsy scene: over 8 errors were made. Among them: the body was fingerprinted without collecting evidence under the victims fingernails, and the ink would have destroyed the evidence. You cannot get fingerprints off a body if it is in that condition.
Miscellaneous: In flashbacks, young Clarice Starling has brown eyes. However, when she is older, Agent Starling's eyes are pale blue.
Revealing mistakes: As the forensics come to take photos of the victim's body, the "corpse" visibly blinks as the hands touch its face.

''Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?''

''I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of god. I have seen too much religion in the eyes of too many murderers. Holiness is in right action, and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves, and goodness. What god desires is here
[points to head]
and here
[points to heart]
and what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man - or not.''

Balian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.

Orlando Bloom: Balian de Ibelin

The first cut of Kingdom Of Heaven presented to the Fox executives was 186 minutes long. This had been taken from a 280 minute assembly edit (in the assembly, the actual siege itself was 45 minutes long). The main thing the executives questioned was the subplot involving Sibylla's son, as they felt this was Balian's story, and his story didn't need that particular plot line. Indeed, even during pre-production itself, executives had ordered writer William Monahan to write a version of the script without the Baldwin V plot, and Ridley Scott shot the film in such a way that the plot could be easily cut.



Several alternative endings were shot for the film. Orlando Bloom's preferred ending was as Balian rides past the pilgrims as they leave Jerusalem, he doesn't see Sibylla (Eva Green), but returns to France alone and resumes his life as a blacksmith. In another, version, he does see her, and they speak and ultimately take one another hand's, and the film ends with them walking away into the desert with the other pilgrims. In another version, he sees her, they talk, and then we cut to him arriving in France alone.

Balian of Ibelin: What is Jerusalem worth?
Saladin: Nothing.
[walks away]
Saladin: Everything!

The movie was not cut on film but was instead cut using a Digital Intermediate (the first time either Ridley Scott or editor Dody Dorn had ever used a DI). Originally, the plan was for only the siege to be cut via DI, but due to the level of complexity in the editing and due to the fact that so many things were changing so often, it was felt prudent to cut the film using a DI rather than the original negative.
After the team arrived in Morocco, an article appeared in the Daily Telegraph on January 20th, 2004 claiming that the film "panders to Osama Bin Laden". However, the writer of the article was quickly exposed as not having seen the screenplay. Subsequently however, a copy of the screenplay was leaked to the world's press, and provoked a strong reaction in terms of its depiction of Muslims. In an article on August 12, 2004 Professor Khaled Abu el-Fadl wrote, "I believe this movie teaches people to hate Muslims. There is a stereotype of the Muslim as constantly stupid, retarded, backward, unable to think in complex forms". This new sway in criticism greatly concerned King Mohammad VI, who came to fear for director Ridley Scott's safety, and as such, Mohammad provided Scott with four bodyguards.

After the pitching of this film, studio marketing executives took it to be an action-adventure hybrid rather than what Ridley Scott and William Monahan intended it to be: an historical epic examining religious conflict. 20th Century Fox promoted the film as an action movie with heavy elements of romance, and in they advertising campaign, they made much of the 'From the Director of Gladiator' slogan. When Scott presented the 194 minute version of the film to the studio, they balked at the length and studio head Tom Rothman ordered the film to be trimmed down to two hours, feeling people wouldn't go to see a three hour movie. Ultimately, Rothman's decision backfired as the film gained mixed reviews and under-performed at the US and UK box office.

The French village at the start and end of the film was constructed in Huesca, a small village in northern Spain. The castle seen in these scenes is a real crusade castle built in 1076, Castillo de Loarre. As he would do in Morocco when building Ibelin, production designer Arthur Max decided to use traditional building techniques and local craftsmen. In Galicia, he found craftsmen who still did slate roofs, thatching and stone dry-walling, and these men were employed to build the village set.
The chainmail for the film was made by the Weta Workshop, who also made the chainmail for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Ridley Scott even offered the small role of Richard I to Russell Crowe, but due to scheduling conflicts, Crowe was unable to do it. The part eventually went to Iain Glen.

Both director Ridley Scott and writer William Monahan felt that the unnamed character played by David Thewlis was an embodiment of God, or at the very least, an angel on a mission from God. This is not at all apparent in the theatrical cut, but in the Director's Cut, there are two scenes which strongly hint at it - one where the character seemingly disappears after a conversation with Balian (Orlando Bloom), the other where he seems to 'resurrect' Balian after being attacked by three assassins.

The screenplay originally began with Balian (Orlando Bloom) awakening after the shipwreck. Writer William Monahan had wanted to begin the story with the death of Balian's wife in France, but had feared that that would make the screenplay too long. When Ridley Scott became interested in the project, he told Monahan not to worry about length and to begin the screenplay where he wanted to begin it.

The reason Jeremy Irons' character was renamed Tiberias (as opposed to his 'real' name, Raymond III of Tripoli) was because the studio felt audiences would get confused with two major characters both having names beginning with R (the other being Raynald de Chatillon (Brendan Gleeson), and so they ordered writer William Monahan to change the name of one of them.
After being cast as the Hospitaler in the film, David Thewlis visited the Hospitalers' Museum at St. John's Gate in London, near where he lives. Whilst there, he discovered that his flat was actually built on the remains of the old priory of the Hospitalers' headquarters.
After being cast in the role of Godfrey, actor Liam Neeson realized he knew nothing about the Crusades and began his research with The Complete Idiots Guide to the Crusades by Paul L. Williams, a book Neeson calls "extremely informative".

Two practical trebuchets were built for the film. The arms could pivot 56 feet and fire loads of 100 pounds some 400 meters. During filming, the arms of one of the trebuchet towers snapped due to the extreme temperature changes which dried the wood in the arm. The snapping of the arm can be seen in the behind the scenes footage on the 4-Disc Director's Cut DVD.

As he had done in Huesca, production designer Arthur Max used a real kasbah when constructing Ibelin, and simply built an 'extension' onto the existing structure. The set was built primarily by local craftsmen using traditional building techniques (eg mud bricks were made on-site from local earth and straw, doors and window frames were hand-carved from local palm trees, roofing tiles were hand-thrown and hand-fired).
Most exterior filming took place in Ouarzazate, Morocco, where Ridley Scott had also filmed Gladiator(2000) and Black Hawk Down(2001). A massive replica of Jerusalem was constructed in the desert; the set contained 28,000 square meters of wall and used 6000 tons of plaster. The front of the set was 1,200 feet long, and the walls were 56 feet tall.

Interesting Goofs

Factual errors: When the Muslims are praying near Jerusalem they are praying towards the setting sun, west, not towards Mecca which is to the south south east.
Factual errors: A few times during the movie, the Muslims are shown praying while the prayer call is being delivered. The prayer call precedes the prayer.
Continuity: At 2:08:09 surrender of Jerusalem, the scar to left and below Bloom's eye disappears.
Anachronisms: During the movie, flags from Castilla y Leon kingdom are shown several times. At that time Castilla and Leon were separate kingdoms. They became one in 1230.
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Guy stabs Saladin's messenger in the throat with a small dagger. When the messenger falls, Guy is holding a bloody sword, rather than his dagger. This is corrected in the Director's cut, where Guy proceeds to behead the messenger with his sword.

Balian of Ibelin: What could a king ask of a man like me?
Godfrey of Ibelin: A better world than has ever been seen. A kingdom of conscience. A kingdom of heaven.