Movies

With this thrilling, must-see movie event, writer and director Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) completes the action-packed quest for revenge begun by The Bride (Uma Thurman) in Kill Bill Vol. 1! Having already crossed two names from her Death List, The Bride is back with a vengeance and taking aim at Budd (Michael Madsen) and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), the only survivors from the squad of assassins who betrayed her four years earlier. It's all leading up to the ultimate confrontation with Bill (David Carradine), The Bride's former master and the man who ordered her execution! As the acclaimed follow-up to the instant classic Vol. 1 - you know all about the unlimited action and humor, but until you've seen Kill Bill Vol. 2 you only know half the story!

How do you follow a bloody, though often slow at times, sword-fighting extravaganza? Any attempt to either recreate the magic of the first movie or go off in an entirely different direction would be very risky. It is even more risky to place the fate of your movie in the hands of David Carradine. To say that, for the most part, swords will stay sheathed and instead acting will rule the day in Volume 2 was an interesting move and had you told me ahead of time that it would be so, I would not have believed you. After the fact, I can say that David Carradine is a star.

After much deliberation, I feel that I liked Volume 2 better than Volume 1. There were no characters that I enjoyed in Volume 1, while I loved the introduction of both Pai Mei (the martial arts master) and Esteban Vihaio (Bill's Spanish-speaking father figure). The highlight, however, was Bill.

He is a charismatic man to whom it would seem everyone takes a liking. His scratchy voice, which borders on a whisper, somehow soothes and calms. No one should wonder how he, with his charm; inteligence; and martial arts ability, rose to his position of power. And yet based upon what we know about Bill's relationship with The Bride, it is no surprise that the series is titled "Kill Bill."

I never expected to be so impressed with the writing in a Quentin Tarantino film. The story, though cheesy, was well planned out and the dialogue was perfect for the feel and direction of the film. The plot of the first movie was like a bunch of boulders placed next to each other, and Volume 2 was the sand poured over them to fill in the gaps. Most of Volume 2 was the back story which was lacking from Volume 1, but not so noticeably absent that it was not entertaining. There were questions that went unanswered until the second installment, which is expected in a series.

Kill Bill Volume 2 added depth to the plot and the characters introduced in Volume 1. It featured martial-arts fighting scenes, but introduced more verbal sparring than its prequel. Uma Thurman is the headlining star of the Kill Bill series, but David Carradine stole the show when he breathed life into Bill while The Bride tried to take it away.

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Droz: It's tasteless, disgusting, and offensive. I love it.

1. The Usual Suspects

2. Primal Fear

3. Confidence

4. Fight Club

5. The Departed

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Prepare to enter a dazzling world of myth and magic as the first thrilling chapter of the Inheritance Trilogy takes flight! In a kingdom ravaged by darkness and tyranny, one small ray of hope emerges when Eragon (Ed Speleers) finds a mysterious blue "stone" that turns out to be the last dragon's egg in existence. From the moment the egg hatches, the fates of Eragon and the dragon Saphira are forever entwined, as they join forces to battle the evil King Galbatorix (John Malkovich). Packed with nonstop action, spectacular special effects and an inspiring story about believing in yourself, this "fantastical adventure" (USA Today) will fire up your imagination!

Eragon is a farm boy from a small town where life is simple, until one day he happens upon his destiny. While out hunting he comes across something which he mistakes for a stone, but is really an egg that hatches...a dragon. He then learns that he didn't find the egg, but rather the egg found him. A dragon will not hatch until it comes into the hands of the person it has chosen to be its Rider. As the next Dragon Rider, Eragon poses the greatest threat to the tyrannical king. And like it or not, Eragon was chosen to champion good against evil.

I know, I know. It's a kids movie. And it has dragons...and magic. So how good could it really be? But, for me, the reaction was more like: It has a dragon!!! And magic!!!

Call me crazy, but I loved it.

I cannot explain what it was that led me to stay perched at the edge of my seat in anxious anticipation of what would come next. Especially since, for the most part, I knew what was coming next. I have read the book, so I was familiar with the story. The movie is not 100% true to the book, but rather than picking apart the differences, I was able to enjoy this story, a different way, a second time around. While I enjoyed the book, it didn't come close to energizing me as much as the movie.

I just saw the movie and already I can't wait to see it again. I cannot recommend this movie to as many people as I wish I could. If you see it, I can only hope it gives you the same youthful excitement that it gave me.

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Max Fischer: I like your nurse's uniform, guy. Dr. Peter Flynn: These are O.R. scrubs. Max Fischer: O, R they?

The World's Fastest Indian

Academy Award Winner, Anthony Hopkins stars as Burt Munro, a man who never let the dreams of youth fade.

In the late 1960's, after a lifetime of perfecting his classic INDIAN MOTORCYCLE, Burt sets off from the bottom of the world, Invercargill, New Zealand, to clock his bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. With all odds against him, Burt puts his irresponsible "kiwi" spirit to the test, braving the New World on a shoestring budget. Burt's quest culminates in an unlikely conclusion and remains legendary within the motorcycle community to this day.

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Evey Hammond: Who are you? V: Who? Who is but the form following the function of what, and what I am is a man in a mask. Evey Hammond: Well I can see that. V: Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation, I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.

1. High Fidelity

2. The Blues Brothers

3. Almost Famous

4. Walk The Line

5. Hustle & Flow

(Honorable Mention: The Commitments, It's All Gone Pete Tong)

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Kira: What's writing? Jen: Words that stay. My master taught me.

C.I.A. agent, Billy Brown brings his wife home to meet his absurdly dysfunctional family. Only Billy's not really in the C.I.A., and his "wife," Layla is actually a young tap dancer he just kidnapped to impress his ridiculous and unloving parents. In reality, Billy's whole life is an empty lie. He's fresh out of prison and now on a deadly mission to hunt down and kill the Buffalo Bills kicker whose botched field goal he believes ruined his life. However, Billy's new hostage may ruin everything. Their crazy attachment blossoms into a desperate and oddly beautiful romance that may or may not be a sweet enough substitute for revenge. Vincent Gallo composed and performed the original music and also wrote, directed and stars in the film that The New York Times calls a "deadpan original."

This was a very strange movie which featured Vincent Gallo as Billy Brown. He is released from jail as the movie opens and then we go on a pretty wild ride as he kidnaps a girl who he needs to pose as his wife when he goes to visit his mother before his later plans to find the Buffalo Bills kicker and shoot him. Billy has no direction and he plans to take no responsibility for what happens after this night, until the woman he kidnapped says that she has fallen in love with him. I know what you are thinking, but no, this was not a Disney movie.

In my research on the film, many people seem to focus their reviews on how well Gallo captured the essence of life in Buffalo. I have never been to Buffalo, so I will have to find some other angle.

My story is a strange one. I came by this movie through a conversation that went something like this:

"...What about Mickey Rourke, do you like him?"
"Well, I can't say that I have seen him in much that I remember. I thought he was good in Sin City."
"Wow. Come on, he's great. Ummm...have you ever seen Buffalo '66?"
"No."
"Do it."

And so I did. And as The Bookie, Mickey Rourke has about 60 seconds of on-screen time. And while I agree that he was awesome for that one minute, I will have to find yet another angle.

I guess my focus will be on Vincent Gallo, which is mildly appropriate since he wrote, directed, starred in and composed (at least some of) the music for this movie. I thought he was brilliant in this role as he was held captive inside such a tormented mind. There were some incredibly deeply rooted problems from Billy's past to which were became privy one-by-one. At each confrontation with his parents a short flash-back clip is inserted to show us what happened and essentially how neglected Billy went as a child (I really enjoyed how this was done). He yells at everyone because that is the only way he saw his parents interact, with each other or with him. At the beginning of the movie Billy is a hollow soul full of anger and slowly over the course of the movie the perfect depth is added to his character. And while it doesn't make for the most heart-warming love story, it was somewhat endearing to see that Billy kidnapped the only person who may be crazier than he is.

We are given no indication about who Layla is; she was forcefully removed from her tap dancing class against her will by a man with whom she falls in love over a very short period of time. From what we know all they have is each other, but maybe that is enough for them to be happy.

Buffalo '66 is a movie I recommend, but not to everyone. If you are a student of film, either professionally or recreationally, I believe there was some impressive writing, organization and direction. This is also the type of movie I would recommend to my brother, but add the caveat that perhaps he should watch it one night when his wife has something else to do. There is very little harsh language, but there is a very negative cloud that hangs over this movie making it not attractive the optimists in the audience.

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XXXX: My name? If you knew that, you'd be as clever as me.

Kristoffer and Geir are as close as two friends can be. They live together, work together and get in trouble together and Kristoffer catches every highlight and many lowlights on his camcorder, which he never leaves behind. By accident he loses a few tapes from his bag and they end up in the hands of a local television station that decides to give them their own show. The premise is that they live their lives as usual and film things that happen as usual and the network would air some of the footage. It was all simple enough. And their lives were simple enough...at first. Fame, new women, old women and a paranoid roommate teach these two young men that maybe it is time to grow up a little.

This was a fun, but frustrating, Norse film about young people and their inter-personal relationships. I have seen my fair share of foreign films, but I have to guess this is my first from that part of the world. I would have never found it but for the power of recommendation. Buddy was suggested first as a "you might like this if you liked The Rage in Placid Lake." I did like The Rage in Placid Lake...and I did like Buddy.

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The Joker: Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil by the pale moonlight?

Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) is a young inner-city junior high school teacher whose ideals wither and die in the face of reality. Day after day in his shabby Brooklyn classroom, he somehow finds the energy to inspire his 13 and 14-year-olds to examine everything from civil rights to the Civil War with a new enthusiasm. Rejecting the standard curriculum in favor of an edgier approach, Dan teaches his students how change works -- on both a historical and personal scale -- and how to think for themselves.

Though Dan is brilliant, dynamic, and in control in the classroom, he spends his time outside school on the edge of consciousness. His disappointments and disillusionment have led to a serious drug habit. He juggles his hangovers and his homework, keeping his lives separated, until one of his troubled students, Drey (Shareeka Epps), catches him getting high after school.

From this awkward beginning, Dan and Drey stumble into an unexpected friendship. Despite the differences in their ages and situations, they are both at an important intersection. Depending on which way they turn -- and which choices they make -- their lives will change

Feel free to include me with those who probably would not have ever heard of this movie let alone seen it had Ryan Gosling not received the Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. So that is why I saw it and that comes with the expectation that the movie will be bad but the performance will be good. As the movie started I felt the exact opposite. The scenes were short and his character was yet undeveloped, but the plot pulled me in; I was very interested in where it would lead. As the movie progressed, the movie did a great job adding depth to Gosling though the plot went in a strange direction.

The adult language intensifies towards the end of the film, but the real reason to be wary of Half Nelson is the vivid drug-use scenes. Mr. Dunne's extracuricular chemical dependency is very important to his character and the movie and the creators did not shy away from it. This is not a child-friendly movie and while even I was uncomfortable a few times, I really liked it.

I think Ryan Gosling has really put himself on the acting map. This performance and obviously the nomination should really give him the opportunity to establish himself as one of the best young talents in the business. I would love to see him sustain this level of performance.

Half Nelson is not for everyone. There is drug abuse and abusive language. Ryan Gosling was deserving of his nomination, and you may become familiar with the name Shareeka Epps after her performance as well. I was hooked early by the story though I had to sort my thoughts out at the end before I realized how much I liked the movie. It had some impressive artistic merit and many good things to take away from it.

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