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Post by serin on Mar 29, 2013 5:53:42 GMT -5
COLLATERALWhat a mesmerising film.. So many mesmerising scenes.. I watched it again on TV last night (as if I dont have it in my collection!!).. Coyote scene Icon picture
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Post by serin on Sept 16, 2013 4:57:41 GMT -5
Fifteen Movie Star Moments that will warm your heart 5. Tom Cruise is Pretty Much a Superhero Maybe no one in Hollywood has been picked on more than action star and antisocial personality opponent Tom Cruise. It's a shame because not only is he reportedly a swell guy, but he regularly saves people from imminent death. His highlight reel includes saving a boy from being crushed by a crowd at the British premiere of "Mission: Impossible"; rescuing a group of sailors from a burning sailboat; coming to a woman's aid following a hit-and-run accident and paying her medical bill; saving an interviewer from "being decapitated" by falling debris; and protecting a young Dakota Fanning from being murdered by malevolent alien creatures — although that last one happened in "War of the Worlds," not in real life. www.nextmovie.com/blog/movie-star-good-will/
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Post by serin on Sept 26, 2013 5:15:59 GMT -5
Neil Jordan on vampire movies: 'It let me bitch about time and life'
Sep 24 2013, 15:09 BST | We're big fans of all things vamp here at Digital Spy, so when we got the chance to talk to the director of not one but two classic vampire movies we couldn't pass it up. Neil Jordan directed Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles back in 1994 and returned to the undead with this year's Byzantium. We asked him all about it. "I made two vampire movies that were kind of about people who didn't like being vampires, and that's what I liked about it really," Jordan said."That gave me an opportunity to bitch about time and life in general... They were actually about the question, 'If you did live forever, what would it be?'. "Would it be a great thing or a horrible thing? It turned out to be a horrible thing in both cases... and they allowed me to create some amazing images." Asked about returning to vampires after nearly two decades, he added: "It was interesting. It was strange and interesting, because these creatures were different. "In the script that was written by Moira Buffini there was the opportunity to make them different. They were women, so it was like revisiting the same territory from a totally different perspective in a way." .. He added: "Interview had a budget the size of whatever I needed and in this, basically, there was nothing! "But it was interesting creating a vampire horror-type film with so little. It was an exercise in minimalism, let's put it that way. "I didn't mind the contemporary aspect of the shoot, that was fine. You don't need money for that but for the period stuff you do, and that was a real struggle." Jordan said of the central relationships in the films: "The mother-daughter relationship was one of the reasons why I wanted to make Byzantium."I thought it was fascinating - the fact that the mother had turned her own daughter into a vampire." He added: "When I finished Interview with the Vampire I was asked by Warner Bros to write a script for the sequel for the next book The Vampire Lestat. "In that, Lestat turns his mother into a vampire. In that movie, Lestat's mother is dying - almost similar to what happens in Moira's script. "She's dying of cancer, or something like that, some incurable disease - he turns her into a vampire. "I suppose it's a natural progression of ideas in Interview with the Vampire that this kind of thing would happen at some stage. It's interesting that Moira did that." .. Asked whether any more films could be made from Anne Rice's vampire novels after the 2002 flop Queen of the Damned, Jordan said: "I don't know. "Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were such big stars, you'd need comparable stars to make it work. I don't know, they reboot things these days don't they? Three or four Batmans, a few Spider-Mans." Of whether he would ever make another vampire movie, he added: "Me? Not really, I don't think so. I think two of them is enough for anybody, isn't it?" Byzantium starring Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan is out now on Blu-ray and DVD > Kirsten Dunst has a dark part to her, says Neil Jordan Read more: www.digitalspy.co.uk
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Post by serin on Oct 5, 2013 10:09:07 GMT -5
Oliver Stone, Tom Cruise Honor Ron Kovic
The ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ veteran was honored in Santa Monica on the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21.
Santa Monica Boulevard On Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace, veteran and peacemaker Ron Kovic was honored at the Capshaw-Speilberg Center for Educational Justice in Santa Monica.
Kovic is a former U.S. Marine sergeant who was paralyzed from the chest down during his second tour of Vietnam. His bestselling autobiography, Born On the Fourth of July, was turned into a hit movie starring Tom Cruise and directed by Oliver Stone. For the past 40 years, Kovic has been a campaigner for peace.
Stone and Cruise offered video tributes applauding Kovic for his bravery and perseverance. Another video greeting came from former military analyst Daniel Ellsberg, famous for leaking the notorious Pentagon Papers to the press and sparking the 1972 Watergate scandal.
Frank Cavestani, Director of Operation Last Patrol honored Ron Kovic and described him as being, “One of the greatest orators of our time."
The evening's festivities included live music by New Roads Community Jazz Band and Stuart Pearlman, Prominent speakers including filmmaker Skip Blumberg, documentarian Loretta Smith and Joyce Sharman, wife of former Laker coach Bill Sharman. Sharman spoke of her late brother, who was killed in Vietnam, and of her close friendship with Kovic. She shared images of Kovic's art from her personal collection and talked about the annual Ron Kovic Peace Prize, awarded by Kovic each year at the MY HERO International Film Festival.
Robert Scheer, legendary journalist and editor-in-chief of Truthdig.com, concluded the evening by presenting Kovic with the first MY HERO Messenger for Peace Award. Scheer called Kovic "a great American hero."
Accepting his award, Kovic thanked the audience, saying, “My life his been a blessing in disguise, I refuse to see it any other way, I am a fortunate man, even though I have had to deal with a lot of hurt, I have been given so many gifts. Each and every one of you is what keeps me going, your love, your caring.”
He added, “No matter what obstacles we have before us, no matter how frustrating it may seem, no matter how many wars they may threaten to begin in this world, there are more peacemakers in this world then there are war makers. There are more opportunities for a more beautiful world right now....We are going to move forward and make this country and world a much better place.
Patch.com
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Post by serin on Oct 25, 2013 4:47:06 GMT -5
Standing Ovation: Philip Seymour Hoffman in 'Magnolia'
By Regan Hofmann | Posted Oct. 21, 2013, 10 a.m.
Robert Wilson"I know this sounds silly, like this is the scene in the movie where the guy’s trying to get ahold of the long-lost son, you know, but this is that scene. And I think they have those scenes in movies because they’re true, you know? Because they really happen. See, this is the scene in the movie where you help me out.”
No filmmaker in the world could use a line like this today without bracing for an onslaught of rotten tomatoes: It’s trite, it’s too clever by half, and it’s painfully self-aware. But in 1999, the combination of earnest hopefulness and hyperconsciousness that marks Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” was allowed to exist on its own merits.
That was a year when big-budget, commercial cinema was still allowed to have ideas, be weird, and employ intricate devices. From the pop detritus of the ’90s—the candy-colored rom-coms and TV remakes—came “American Beauty,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Being John Malkovich,” and “Fight Club.” It was before M. Night Shyamalan had played his one note too long and the twist ending of “The Sixth Sense” was a genuine surprise. And it was the moment Paul Thomas Anderson, coming off one Sundance Institute darling and one popular sensation (aided by a prosthetic penis), was given the freedom to write his own ticket. What he came up with was a three-hour discourse on child abuse, coincidence, and cancer, which just happened to feature the biggest movie star of the decade in a startlingly reprehensible role.
While Tom Cruise was the marquee name, the real casting coup was Philip Seymour Hoffman as Phil Parma, the male nurse who attends to Jason Robards’ Earl Partridge. At the time, Hoffman had been playing capital-C characters: blowhards and fools (in Anderson’s two earlier films), drag queens (in Joel Schumacher’s misguided “Flawless”) and butlers (“The Big Lebowski”). But in “Magnolia,” his direction was to be uncomplicated, caring, and good, a foil for the whirlwind of emotion that drives the film’s ensemble cast.
His scenes are almost always intercut with Cruise’s; the two sons of Partridge, one legitimate and abandoned, one adoptive and appreciated. It is in this juxtaposition that Hoffman’s ability shines; his scenes stand up to the Oscar-nominated manic loathsomeness of Cruise’s misogynist dating guru Frank T.J. Mackey, his gentle presence a welcome balm after the sociopathic assault of Cruise’s seminar.
Hoffman serves as equal parts surrogate for our own reaction to the film and oasis from its unbearable sense of looming disaster. When the pivotal rain of frogs begins, he looks out at it and, perplexed, asks, “How are there frogs falling from the sky?” at just the moment you are wondering if it could be possible this film has just thrown a biblical plague into the mix. His is the only character who isn’t connected to the larger map of pain that links the others.
His actions are small and simple, driven by what appears to be one beautifully modulated motivation: the almost canine impulse to accomplish the task before him out of pure, uncomplicated loyalty to his patient. But in that one driving force we see, variously, a man defined by his work, emotionally invested in the lives of others because of a lack in his own, someone who wants to believe he is indispensable but knows he’s not, who never quite manages to be the centerpiece of any scene he’s in. He is good in the face of his own unimportance. Wouldn’t we all like to be?
Regan Hofmann is a food writer and critic whose work has appeared in New York Press, FirstWeFeast.com, and the Village Voice, among others. She runs the audio-books division of eMusic.com.
BACKSTAGE.COM
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Post by serin on Nov 22, 2013 5:34:15 GMT -5
DAYS OF THUNDER SOUNDTRACK / Hans Zimmer
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Post by serin on Dec 6, 2013 6:37:18 GMT -5
Movie Review : LEGENDDec 2 Rating: PG Length: 89 minutes Release Date: April 18, 1986 Directed by: Ridley Scott Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Romance Stars: 3 out of 5 Modern film fans know Tom Cruise for his work in action films and blockbusters, but the actor wasn't always an action star. Though he got his start in films like "T.A.P.S." and "Risky Business," "Legend" was one of the films that helped launch his career. "Legend" tells the classic story of good vs. evil, which plays out as light vs. darkness. Darkness (Tim Curry, "IT") is a large red demon who looks more like Satan than he does a lower-level demon. He hopes to take over the world and spread his darkness over every continent, making the world over in his own image. Jack (Tom Cruise, "Top Gun") is the one man in the world who might actually have what it takes to help defeat the Darkness. The film opens with a short story that tells the history of the world. In the beginning, Darkness was in charge of everything. Though he ruled the world with an iron fist, lightness eventually won out, and the Darkness found himself banished to a small cave with a few of his servants. While he plots to take over the world, Jack spends time with his best friend Princess Lili (Mia Sara, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"). While out with Jack, Lili flippantly tosses her ring in the water and makes a proclamation that she'll marry the man who finds that ring. This sets off a chain of events no one can explain. The unicorns suddenly run for cover, their perfect world develops a sudden iciness, and everyone blames Lili for what happened. When a group of goblins kidnap Lili and take her underground, she learns that the Darkness wants her as his bride. As Lila struggles to find her way out of the underground caverns, Jack sets off on an adventure to track down a unicorn horn, which will bring light back to the world, and make Lili his own. "Legend" is one of the better fantasy films of the 1980s, but few fans know the backstory behind the film. Director Ridley Scott ("Blade Runner") wanted to create a dark film that would terrify and delight fans at the same time. Disney originally planned to make the film, but the company turned it down after seeing the dark elements. Universal Pictures later produced the film but cut Scott's budget, which led to him cutting some of the darker elements out of the film. Despite those early problems, Scott eventually released a film beloved by many. Cruise is the star of the film, and "Legend" gave him the chance to stretch his acting wings. The year after "Legend" was released, he starred in "Top Gun," which led to him becoming an action star. He does an admirable job as a man trying to save the world and the woman he loves. Mia Sara is even better in the film. She manages to have chemistry with both Cruise and Curry, which is a feat, given the prostheses that Curry wears throughout the film. When "Legend" landed in theaters, most fans knew Curry for his work in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." As the evil and villainous Darkness, few people even recognized the actor. Hidden behind red-and-black prostheses and makeup, he embodied the perfect demon. Many fans didn't realize Curry played the demon until the credits rolled. "Legend" required a number of skilled and talented people working behind the scenes, and Scott hired some of the best of the best. Released in 1985, the film still holds up well today in terms of setting and background elements. The only issue that some viewers might find is that the film is just a little too dark. When Scott introduces Lili and Jack, viewers want to believe that those characters live in a fairy tale world. Even though the director showed unicorns and other fantastical creatures roaming around, the film still feels dark and heavy. The scenes set around the Darkness should feel darker and a little more evil, but there are few differences between the world above ground and the world underground. That minor issue shouldn't stop anyone from seeing the film. The 1980s brought a number of fantasy films to the mainstream, but few of those films held up as well to the passages of time as "Legend" did. Fans will love seeing how young Cruise looks in the film as they enjoy this classic story of good vs. evil. Continue reading at NowPublic.com: Movie Review: "Legend" |
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Post by serin on Dec 17, 2013 5:50:44 GMT -5
Rain Man Cast - Where are they now ? 'Rain Man' Cast: Where Are They Now? Posted December 16th, 2013 "Rain Man" turns 25: The feel-good film about a selfish yuppie (Tom Cruise) who learns to be a better person thanks to his autistic savant brother (Dustin Hoffman) opened on December 16, 1988. It won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Hoffman. It was also nominated for cinematography, film editing, and score (Hans Zimmer's first in Hollywood). Although notoriously non-sentimental New Yorker critic Pauline Kael called it "a piece of wet kitsch," audiences ate it up. it was the highest-grossing film that year with $172 million and it's still ranked in IMDB's Top 250 films. The film might have looked very different: Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro both turned down the part and agents at CAA initially pictured Bill Murray as Raymond, with Hoffman as Charlie. Once cast, Hoffman spent time with the real savant who inspired Raymond, Kim Peeks. According to IMDB, Hoffman got to play Charlie anyway, since he and Cruise switched roles during rehearsal. The leads remain two of the busiest actors in Hollywood, but what's the rest of the cast been up to in the last 25 years? Gallery | news.moviefone.com/2013/12/16/rain-man-where-they-now/Moviefone
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Post by serin on Apr 14, 2014 4:33:15 GMT -5
FIVE OF THE BEST TOM CRUISE MOVIES
Tom Cruise is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, he’s acted in some of the greatest movies and has one of the largest fan bases. He’s starred in some of the most famous movies of the 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s. Here is a list of movies which we regard as Tom Cruise’s best:
1) Top Gun (1986)- This is perhaps Tom Cruise’s most famous movies ever, and is certainly one of his best. It’s about a fighter pilot named Lieutenant Pete Mitchell better known as Maverick, he’s reckless but gifted and is selected to attend the navy’s FighterWeaponsSchool also known as “Top Gun”. While at the school, Maverick starts a romantic relation with his instructor (who’s a lady named Charlotte Blackwood). Mavericks approach to flying is criticized by his colleagues and instructors yet they all secretly respect them, including Maverick’s biggest rival, Iceman. The movie doesn’t really have a plot, it just flows, it’s still amazing and is just one of those movies everyone has to watch.
2) The Last Samurai (2003)- Tom Cruise plays Captain Nathan Algren of the US army, he suffers from PTSD after fighting in wars against the Indians (not us, the Native Americans). Algren meets his former commanding officer who invites him to Japan to help train new Japanese army, they also are planning to strike a deal with the Japanese that their army would be supplied fully (and only by) the US. Algren is captured in a battle against the samurai who are opposed to the Westernization of Japan, he eventually sides with his captors. After Top Gun, this is Cruise’s best movie.
3) Mission Impossible (1996)- This movie is based on a TV show of the same name, it’s about a spy named Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) who has been framed for the murder of his team. He is an IMF agent, i.e. the Impossible Missions Force and not the International Monetary Fund. Hunt has to find out who framed him. This is one of the best spy movies of all time and has three sequels (though they weren’t as good, they were still watchable).
4) Knight and Day (2010)- As opposed to most of Tom Cruise’s hard core action/ thriller movies, this is an action- comedy, the best genre known to man. Tom Cruise plays Roy Miller a secret agent (he does a lot of secret agent roles when you come to think about it) and Cameron Diaz plays June Havens an innocent woman who gets caught up in a huge conspiracy after meeting Cruise. This movie is a mix between an action movie and a chick flick and thus appeals to everyone.
5) Valkyrie (2008)- In this movie, Cruise plays Colonel von Stauffenberg, it’s a historical thriller about Stauffenberg’s (along with several high ranking German officers) plot to kill Hitler (with a briefcase bomb) and bring World War 2 to an end. It’s a well made film and very intriguing even though everyone knows exactly what’s going to happen. Spolier: The plot fails and everyone involved is executed. Despite this fact, it’s still a movie worth watching at least three times.
India times
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I have posted this list because it has THE LAST SAMURAI, VALKYRIE and KNIGHT AND DAY !
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