Confessions of a Closet Film Critic

Favourites Movies in 2008, 25 Most Memorable Performances and Quotes

2008-12-31T23:47:00.002+08:00

Top 10 FAVOURITE Movies in 2008 ( in order of preference )

10. Atonement (B+)
9. Persepolis (A-)
8. Seven Pounds (A-)
7. Le Scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) (A-)
6. WALL.E (A)
5. Away From Her (A)
4. The Duchess (A)
3. Bolt (A)
2. Gone Baby Gone (A)
1. The Kite Runner (A+)

Great Expectations 3

2008-12-20T09:15:00.001+08:00

The hype. The publicity stunts. The buzz of good word-of-mouth. The accolades and the controversies. The follow-up to Great Expectations 2.

EW's The Cult 25: The Essential Left-Field Movie Hits Since '83

2008-08-30T23:46:00.002+08:00

EW's Movie Musicals: The 25 Best of All Time

2008-07-14T22:19:00.002+08:00

The Contenders: EW's Early Oscar Hopefuls

2008-07-11T12:49:00.001+08:00

Favourites Movies in 2007, 25 Most Memorable Performances and Quotes

2007-12-31T21:40:00.000+08:00

Top 20 FAVOURITE Movies in 2007 ( in order of preference )

20. The Pursuit of Happyness (B+)
19. Elizabeth: The Golden Age (B+)
18. Eastern Promises (B+)
17. Zodiac (B+)
16. Môme, La (B+)
15. Babel (B+)
14. Hairspray (A-)
13. Across the Universe (A-)
12. In the Valley of Elah (A-)
11. Hot Fuzz (A-)
10. Bushi no ichibun (Love and Honour) (A-)
9. Lust, Caution (A-)
8. Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) (A-)
7. Notes on A Scandal (A-)
6. Bobby (A)
5. Ratatouille (A)
4. Sicko (A)
3. Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids (A)
2. El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) (A)
1. Letters from Iwo Jima (A)

Nuovo cinema Paradiso 3

2007-12-15T08:57:00.000+08:00

Previously on Nuovo cinema Paradiso 2, the A-list movies are ...

Cinderella Man, Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas), King Kong, Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Memoirs of a Geisha, Jarhead, Transamerica, Munich, The Da Vinci Code, Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, Cars, Superman Returns, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, The Prestige, The Nativity Story, Blood Diamond, The Queen, Pan's Labyrinth, Bobby, Notes on a Scandal, Letters from Iwo Jima, Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others), Bushi no ichibun (Love and Honour), Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids, Hot Fuzz, Hairspray and Sicko

The Contenders: EW's Early Oscar Hopefuls

2007-11-11T08:47:00.000+08:00

Check out last year's EW's list here.

Entertainment Weekly's 50 Best High School Movies

2007-11-10T00:02:00.000+08:00

EMPIRE's The 20 Greatest Comic Books Movies

2007-11-08T22:29:00.000+08:00

The Observer's 50 Best Comedies Ever

2007-11-08T22:16:00.000+08:00

AUGUST's 20 Movies' Most Stylish Men

2007-09-02T16:47:00.000+08:00

EW: 20 Fall Movies We Can't Wait to See

2007-09-01T23:34:00.000+08:00

Entertainment Weekly's 50 Best Movie Tearjerkers Ever

2007-08-10T23:43:00.000+08:00

Click here for source.

Sneakers - Season Two

2007-07-28T08:46:00.000+08:00

The second season to Sneakers.

Entertainment Weekly's The 25 Greatest Action Films Ever!

2007-06-30T10:22:00.000+08:00

Click here for source

THE TIMES critics choose their 20 favourite scenes of romantic passion

2007-06-20T11:05:00.000+08:00

Source: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article1927445.ece

PRIEMRE's 25 Best Movie Posters Ever

2007-05-30T15:28:00.000+08:00

source: http://www.premiere.com/best/3573/the-25-best-movie-posters-ever.html

Men's Journal's "The 50 Best Guy Movies Of All Time"

2007-05-19T16:36:00.000+08:00

source: http://www.mensjournal.com/feature/0312/guymovies.html

The Visual Effects Society Unveils “50 Most Influential Visual Effects Films of All Time”

2007-05-16T22:33:00.001+08:00

Kids with Cameras: Born Into Brothels

2007-05-13T17:14:00.000+08:00

source: http://kids-with-cameras.org/home

Summer 2007: Of webslingers, pirates, wizards and more

2007-04-30T23:45:00.001+08:00

Take Heart, Eddie: Premiere Magazine's The 20 Worst Post-Oscar Career Choices

2007-03-03T08:59:00.000+08:00

Asia Weekly's 100 Greatest Chinese Films of the 20th Century

2007-02-20T01:40:00.000+08:00

The latest issue (December 19, 1999) of Asia Weekly [Yazhou Zhoukan] selected the "100 Strongest Chinese Films of the 20th Century". The magazine consulted with 7 film experts from two shores and three locations (Beijing Film Academy professor Huang Shixian, Guangzhou Sun Yat Sen University professor Li Yizhuang, Taipei National Film Archive chief Edmond Wong (Huang Jianye), Taiwan veteran film critic Liang Liang, Hong Kong International Film Festival planner and experienced film culture professional Law Kar, Hong Kong Film Critics Society chair Freddie Wong and Hong Kong veteran film critic Reeve Wong) to come up with the list.

Dreamoscars

2007-01-27T19:22:00.000+08:00

Favourites Movies in 2006, 25 Most Memorable Performances and Quotes

2007-01-01T00:02:00.000+08:00

Top 20 FAVOURITE Movies in 2006 ( in order of preference )

20. Good Night, and Good Luck.
19. Match Point
18. Walk the Line
17. North Country
16. In Her Shoes
15. The Departed
14. Jarhead
13. Blood Diamond
12. Superman Returns
11. Memoirs Of A Geisha
10. The Queen
9. Munich
8. The Da Vinci Code
7. The Prestige
6. An Inconvenient Truth
5. Cars
4. Transamerica
3. Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
2. The Nativity Story
1. Little Miss Sunshine

Road to Oscars 2007

2006-12-16T09:16:00.000+08:00

EW's picks for the three best bets, the possibles and the long shots in all major Oscar races

2006-11-26T06:33:00.000+08:00

Sports Illustrated's "The Greatest Sports Movies"

2006-10-29T00:03:00.000+08:00

Ever since part-time boxer Elmo Lincoln became the screen's first Tarzan, in 1918, the movies have been linked with sports, reaching the heights of Olympia and the depths of Space Jam. But which are the best? Our process was democratic and unscientific. We solicited nominations from our staff, then lateraled them back and forth in meetings, in e-mails and around the Goobers dispenser until reaching consensus -- which, naturally, provoked more debate.Our top 10 selections are revealed below.To see which flicks round out the rest of the Top 50, pick up a copy of the Aug. 4, 2003, issue of Sports Illustrated.

EW's 20 Scariest Movies

2006-10-22T23:03:00.000+08:00

O, The Oprah Magazine's "50 Greatest Chick Flicks of All Time"

2006-10-22T18:27:00.000+08:00

THE MIGHTY CHICK FLICK
By Karen Durbin

Women's pictures used to be guilty pleasures: No more! Now they're kicking butt, getting respect, and grossing huge. From frothy romances to whale-riding adventures, these films show us who we are, where we've been, what we can take, and better yet, what we can dish out. Take a look at these 20! If you don't find all your own favorites here, old and new, that's for a happy reason: A truly inclusive list would be four times as long and growing fast. In the meantime, enjoy!

Videodrome - Season Five

2006-10-19T22:54:00.000+08:00

Previously in the Season Four of Videodrome, the more memorable movies are ...

4 Little Girls (1997); Divorce American Style (1967) And Divorce Italian Style (Divorzio All'italiana) (1961); The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants (2005); The China Syndrome (1979); Control Room (2004); The Bad And The Beautiful (1952); 12 Angry Men (1957); Rope (1948); The King Of Comedy (1983); Birdman Of Alcatraz (1962); All The King’s Men (1949); Capturing The Friedmans; The Deer Hunter (1978); Roman Holiday (1953); Mississippi Burning (1988); The Phantom Of The Opera (2004); Somewhere In Time (1980); The Champ (1931); The Body (2001); 老莫的第二个春天 (1984); The Sound Of Music (1965); "The American Experience"The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996); 家在台北 (1970); 父子关系 (1986); One Day In September (1999)

EW: "No, silly. It's never too early to start thinking about the Academy Awards"

2006-09-06T23:55:00.000+08:00

EW's 25 Most Controversial Movies of All Time

2006-07-03T05:38:00.000+08:00

It's a Cruel, Cruel Summer

2006-05-04T09:26:00.000+08:00

Good Night, and Good Luck ... at the Oscars

2006-02-02T22:17:00.000+08:00

Oscar Race Intensifies ... As EW Predicts the Nominees

2006-01-28T23:51:00.000+08:00

Nuovo cinema Paradiso 2 - L'uomo delle stelle

2006-01-28T18:53:00.000+08:00

From the previous episode, the A-list movies are ...

Mean Girls, Spider-Man 2, Aileen: Life And Death Of A Serial Killer, Fahrenheit 9/11, The Notebook, Open Water, Les Choristes, Imelda, Evil (Ondskan), Lilja 4-Ever, Before Sunset, De-Lovely, Blood And Bones, Kung Fu Hustle, Nobody Knows, Kinsey, Closer, The Woodsman, Finding Neverland, Million Dollar Baby, Inside Deep Throat, Downfall and Mysterious Skin.

(Previously created on 14/10/05)

Videodrome - Season Four

2006-01-28T18:50:00.000+08:00

In the previous season, I still remember fondly these movies ...

Down With Love; Shutter; Nuts; Cellular; Conspiracy; THX 1138; The Celluloid Closet; My Teacher, Mr Kim; Assault On Precinct 13; Cyrano De Bergerac, The Firemen's Ball (Horí, Má Panenko), All About Eve and It Happened One Night.

Not many, I know. Hopefully, this will not repeat in this season.

(previously created on 14/11/05)

Sneakers

2006-01-02T22:36:00.000+08:00

Before they even show it in the cinemas, get a loadful from apple - trailers.

They are made to draw you into the cinemas. You will generally get two kinds of feelings. The good and the so-so. The former is a ... good sign and the latter is simply bad.

Rating the movie and its trailer can be very very different. Editing a movie is tough but editing for a trailer is ten-fold tougher. I see trailers as the shortest of short films. They can even be better than the movie itself. Much better.

(previously created on 8/10/04)

Great Expectations 2

2006-01-01T14:12:00.000+08:00

The hype. The publicity stunts. The buzz of good word-of-mouth. The accolades and the controversies. The sequel to Great Expectations.

Favourites Movies in 2005, 25 Most Memorable Performances and Quotes

2005-12-20T15:03:00.000+08:00

Top 20 FAVOURITE Movies in 2005 ( in order of preference )

20. Millions
19. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
18. Oliver Twist
17. In My Father's Den
16. Kakushi-ken: oni no tsume (The Hidden Blade) (in Japanese)
15. Crash
14. Sin City
13. Finding Neverland
12. Closer
11. La Marche de l'empereur (March of the Penguins) (in French)
10. Der Untergang (Downfall) (in German)
9. Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
8. Kinsey
7. Mysterious Skin
6. Million Dollar Baby
5. The Woodsman
4. Cinderella Man
3. Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) (in French, German, English and Latin)
2. Inside Deep Throat
1. King Kong

Oscar's Golden Crystal Ball

2005-12-13T23:51:00.000+08:00

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe slowly.

Oscar Race is officially open with the announcement of Golden Globe's nominations. It is the barometer of Oscars and I dare you to say this year is not one hell of a stiff competition.

With a year packed with Oscar-calibre movies, I bet even a fortune-teller cannot see who will be the ultimate winners but things should be slightly clearer, now that the crystal ball (i.e. the Golden Globe) has spoken.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

2005-12-12T13:09:00.000+08:00

With L.A. Film Critics announcing their choice of this year's bests, many pre-Oscars awards will be rolling out soon and they will be signposts pointing to Kodak Theatre where the big Oscar party is.

So, follow the Yellow Brick road and see who will go home with the yellow bald men.

Gold Rush

2005-11-23T19:29:00.000+08:00

If you ask me, I think it is going to be a very exciting year at the Oscars.

Though there is still no clear forerunner for Best Picture, there are already numerous pictures that have the critics hailing as Oscar-worthy material.

Entertainment Weekly (#850, Nov. 18, 2005) leads the rush with their annual gathering of the possible contenders running for Oscar's top six trophies comes next year.

Allow me to make my bold predictions for the five Best Pics...

Oscar Watch

2005-09-04T08:46:00.000+08:00

In the 22nd July issue of Entertainment Weekly, they predicted the big players in next year's Oscar race. Too early for predictions? Don't doubt these guys. Their predictions can be very eerily accurate. They dare to predict the nominees for the major awards and easily get 3 out of 5 correct.

So read on to get ahead of your usual movie crowd and impress them with your early talk of some of the most talked-about movies in town come this Oscar season in late February 2006.

Start the clock clicking ...
(excerpts and pictures taken from imdb.com)

ALL THE KING'S MEN
Who's starring: Sean Penn, James Gandolfini, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, Patricia Clarkson, John Lovett, Mark Ruffalo, Kate Winslet
Who writes: Steven Zaillian based on a novel by Robert Penn Warren
Who directs: Steven Zaillian
What's it about: Based on the Robert Penn Warren novel. The life of populist Southerner Willie Stark, a political creature loosely based on Governor Huey Long of Louisiana.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Who's starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid, Michelle Williams
Who writes: Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana based on a short story by E. Annie Proulx
Who directs: Ang Lee
What's it about: A raw, powerful story of two young men, a Wyoming ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 sheepherding in the harsh, high grasslands of contemporary Wyoming and form an unorthodox yet life-long bond--by turns ecstatic, bitter and conflicted.

BROKEN FLOWES
Who’s starring: Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Tilda Swinton, Julie Delpy
Who writes: Jim Jarmusch
Who directs: Jim Jarmusch
What’s it about: As the devoutly single Don Johnston (Murray) is dumped by his latest girlfriend (Delpy), he receives a anonymous pink letter informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. The situation causes Don to examine his relationships with women instead of moving on to the next one, and he embarks on a cross-country search for his old flames who might possess clues to the mystery at hand.

ELIZABETHTOWN
Who's starring: Kirsten Dunst, Orlando Bloom, Susan Sarandon, Judy Greer, Jessica Biel
Who writes: Cameron Crowe
Who directs: Cameron Crowe
What's it about: During an outrageous memorial for a Southern patriarch, an unexpected romance blooms between a young woman and man.

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK
Who’s starring: David Strathairn, Robert Downey Jr., George Clooney, Frank Langella, Ray Wise, Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels
Who writes: George Clooney, Grant Heslov
Who directs: George Clooney
What’s it about: It chronicles the real-life conflict between television newsman Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. With a desire to report the facts and enlighten the public, Murrow, and his dedicated staff - headed by his producer Fred Friendly and Joe Wershba in the CBS newsroom - defy corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist 'witch-hunts'. A very public feud develops when the Senator responds by accusing the anchor of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, the CBS crew carries on and their tenacity will prove historic and monumental.

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
Who’s starring: Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Maria Bello, William Hurt
Who writes: Josh Olson based on the graphic novel John Wagner and Vince Locke
Who directs: David Cronenberg
What’s it about: An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.

JARHEAD
Who’s starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, Lucas Black, Chris Cooper
Who writes: William Broyles Jr. based on a book by Anthony Swofford
Who directs: Sam Mendes
What’s it about: Based on former Marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling 2003 book about his pre-Desert Storm experiences in Saudi Arabia and about his experiences fighting in Kuwait.

MATCH POINT
Who’s starring: Woody Allen, Brian Cox, Matthew Goode, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, James Nesbitt, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
Who writes: Woody Allen
Who directs: Woody Allen
What’s it about: At a turning point in his life, the former tennis pro Chris (Rhys-Meyers) falls for Nola (Johansson), a femme fatal type who happens to be dating TOM (Goode), Chris's nemesis and soon-to-be brother-in-law.

MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
Who’s starring: Zhang Ziyi, Ken Wantanbe, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Yuki Kudo, Koji Yakusho, Karl Yune, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Who writes: Akiva Goldsman, Ron Bass, Robin Swicord based on a novel by Arthur Golden
Who directs: Rob Marshall
What’s it about: Based on the international best-seller by Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha is an epic story of Nitta Sayuri who transcended her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.

THE NEW WORLD
Who’s starring: Colin Farrell, Christian Bale, David Thewlis, Christopher Plummer, Noah Taylor, Q'orianka Kilcher, Michael Greyeyes, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, Raoul Trujillo, Yorick van Wageningen, Will Wallace
Who writes: Terrence Malick
Who directs: Terrence Malick
What’s it about: A Terrence Malick-scripted drama about explorer John Smith and the clash between Native Americans and English settlers in the 17th century.

THE PRODUCERS
Who’s starring: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Will Ferrell, Roger Bart, Gary Beach, Uma Thurman
Who writes: Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan
Who directs: Susan Stroman
What’s it about: Bringing the Tony-Award Winning musical back to the big screen -The Producers tells the story of a down on his luck producer (Lane) and his accountant (Broderick) and their get rich quick plan.

RENT
Who’s starring: Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Tracie Thoms
Who writes: Chris Columbus, Steve Chbosky based on a play by Jonathan Larson
Who directs: Chris Columbus
What’s it about: This is the film version of the Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical about Bohemians in the East Village of New York City struggling with life, love and AIDS, and the impacts they have on America.

SYRIANA
Who’s starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper, Tim Blake Nelson, Amanda Peet, Christopher Plummer
Who writes: Stephen Gaghan
Who directs: Stephen Gaghan
What’s it about: A first-person account of the CIA's false confidence concerning the future of Middle East after the end of the Cold War.

MUNICH
Who’s starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Geoffrey Rush, Mathieu Kassovitz, Hanns Zischler, Ciar án Hinds
Who writes: Tony Kushner, Eric Roth
Who directs: Steven Spielberg
What’s it about: In the tragic aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics, a Mossad agent (Bana) tracks Palestinian terrorists who assassinated Israeli athletes.

WALK THE LINE
Who’s starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Who writes: James Mangold, Gill Dennis
Who directs: James Mangold
What’s it about: A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

THE CONSTANT GARDENER
Who’s starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Pernilla August, Danny Huston, Hubert Kounde
Who writes: Jeffrey Caine based on a novel by John Le Carré
Who directs: Fernando Meirelles
What’s it about: When Justin Quayle's (Fiennes) wife is brutally murdered, everyone assumes the mild-mannered, retiring man will go on with his unassuming life. Instead Quayle surprises them all. Determined to uncover the truth, Quayle launches himself into a world of intrigue and conspiracy. Haunted by remorse and jarred by rumors of his wife's infidelity Quayle is determined to "finish what she started," placing himself at the center of a dangerous odyssey.

CINDERELLA MAN
Who’s starring: Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko, Bruce McGill, Paddy Considine
Who writes: Cliff Hollingsworth, C. Gaby Mitchell, Akiva Goldsman
Who directs: Ron Howard
What’s it about: The story of Depression-era fighter and folk hero Jim Braddock, who defeated heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 15-round slugfest in 1935.

CRASH
Who’s starring: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Ludacris, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate, Nona Gaye
Who writes: Paul Haggis, Bobby Moresco
Who directs: Paul Haggis
What’s it about: A car accident brings together a group of strangers in Los Angeles.

PROOF
Who’s starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis, Jake Gyllenhaal
Who writes:David Auburn, Rebecca Miller based on a play by David Auburn
Who directs: John Madden
What's it about: The daughter of a brilliant but mentally disturbed mathematician, recently deceased, tries to come to grips with her possible inheritance: his insanity. Complicating matters are one of her father's ex-students who wants to search through his papers and her estranged sister who shows up to help settle his affairs.

Videodrome - Season Three

2005-03-14T22:09:00.000+08:00

In the previous season, these are the memorable titles:

Bring It On, Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Fisher King, All the President's Men, Superman II, Searching For Bobby Fischer, The Mosquito Coast, Ordinary People, A Cry in the Dark, Project A, Truimph of the Will, 50 First Dates, Dial M for Murder, The Towering Inferno, The Producers, Along Came Polly, American Graffiti, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, Justice, My Foot, The Candidate, The Powerpuff Girls Movie, Sex In A Cold Climate.

A new chapter is about to begin...

Favourites Movies in 2004, 25 Most Memorable Performances and Quotes

2004-12-29T05:31:00.000+08:00

Top 20 FAVOURITE Movies in 2004 ( in order of preference )

20 The Incredibles
19 Open Water
18 In America
17 De-Lovely
16 Monster
15 Dare mo shiranai (Nobody Knows) (in Japanese)
14 Something's Gotta Give
13 Lilja 4-ever (in Swedish)
12 The Notebook
11 The Passion of the Christ (in Aramaic and Latin)
10 Mean Girls
9 Spiderman 2
8 Fahrenheit 9/11
7 Blood and Bones (in Japanese)
6 Imelda
5 Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
4 Ondskan (Evil) (in Swedish)
3 Les Choristes (in French)
2 Kung Fu Hustle (in Mandarin)
1 Before Sunset

The Flight of the Oscar Bumble Bee

2004-11-17T20:48:00.000+08:00

Ok who will be nominated? Yup, you hear me right!
My beloved Entertainment Weekly has boldy predict the possible Oscar nominees... way before the Golden Globe indication.
Some are far-fetched but some are sure a lock. So read on and see what they have to say ... Let the Oscar Bumble Bee free. Buzz Buzz Buzz ...

Videodrome - Season Two

2004-10-06T22:19:00.000+08:00

Previously from the first season, here are some of the memorable movies.

Grave of Fireflies, Gattaca, Educating Rita, Osmosis Jones, The Poseidon Adventure, Good Morning Vietnam, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Serendipity, Seven Samurai, Rashomon, The Bridge on River Kwai, The Kingdom and the Beauty, The House of 72 Tenants, The Perfect Storm, Superman, Liar Liar, Agnes of God, Peking Opera Blues, The Planet of the Apes, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Vertical Limit, Dumbo and A Better Tomorrow.

Now, the sequel.

Nuovo cinema Paradiso

2004-07-11T01:14:00.000+08:00

This blog title is the Italian name for CINEMA PARADISO. I will always be like the little boy in the projectionist room. Wide-eyed and awe-inspired.

It is magical feeling I have for movies since I was a toddler. My dad has a big part to play.

Going to the movies may not be akin to going to a paradise (you must not count those bad movies) but it is akin to meeting my one true love.

It is always a different woman each time. The tough kick-ass action adventure tomboys, the lovey-dovey romance cupcakes, the serious Amazon epic queens, the foreign language-speaking exotic mademoiselle, the hair-raising scary horror chicks, the funny blondes, the indie debutantes.

First the buzz, then the posters, the trailers and finally the reviews. There is one more thing left to do! Date her for real... I mean watch the movie for real!

Pulp Fiction

2004-06-21T13:01:00.000+08:00

With documentaries like Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Super Size Me making waves, I am wondering if there are more going around.

I have seen The Last Days, Columbine, The Living Sea and Winged Migration in the cinemas and I am very fascinated. They really change my perspective on documentaries.

But these kind of documentary films are very very hard to find in Singapore, even at major stores.

So, I check for more such award-winning documentary films at amazon.com and I was stuck surfing for more than two hours. In the end, my cart is so full that I practically had to shut down the computer to get over the impulse from clicking the 'Confirm Order' button.

Here are the documentary films in my cart... (see 3rd comment)

Videodrome - The First Season

2004-06-16T07:47:00.000+08:00

Like a boy who likes to read and walks into a public library, I made a little vow to watch all the good movies at the DVD collection at library@esplanade.

In fact, I have started to fulfil this vow since the end of last year. Some of the movies I've seen so far:
Xi Yang Jing (Shadow Magic), Beaches, The Nutty Professor, The House of Mirth, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Apostle, Pollock, Teaching Mrs Tingle, Truly Madly Deeply, Grumpy Old Men, The Birds, Orange County, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, *batteries not included, A Taste of Cherry, The Vanishing, Zhui Ai, Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, Galaxy Quest, M, Nosferatu, Babette's Feast, Baran, Love and Death on Long Island, Dick, La cage aux folles, Private Benjamin, Cactus Flower, Clockwise, Gandhi, For the Boys, Apt Pupil, Mother, Terms of Endearment, Central Station, Rat Race and Dancing at Lughnasa.

Read on for the reviews of my current loan.

Great Expectations

2004-06-10T09:42:00.000+08:00

Alrighty, this will be my must-see list and my expected ratings.

Nothing beats the sheer joy in anticipation of a good movie. Well until they are proven otherwise.

For a start, ...

Favourites Movies in 2003, 25 Most Memorable Performances and Quotes

2004-06-09T14:29:00.000+08:00

Top 20 FAVOURITE Movies
in 2003 ( in order of preference )

20 Good bye, Lenin! (in German)
19 The Good Girl
18 Chicago
17 Infernal Affairs II (in Mandarin)
16 Walking on Water
15 About Schmidt
14 Far From Heaven
13 Rabbit-proof Fence
12 Tasogare Seibei (in Japanese)
11 El hijo de la novia (Son of the Bride)(in Spanish)
10 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
9 Seabiscuit
8 15 (in Mandarin and Hokkien)
7 The School of Rock
6 The Magdalene Sisters
5 Cidade de Deus (City of God) (in Portuguese)
4 Bowling for Columbine
3 Together (in Mandarin)
2 Finding Nemo
1 The Emperor's Club

Click on 'comments' for 25 most memorable performances and 20 most memorable quotes.

Favourites Movies in 2002, 25 Most Memorable Performances and Quotes

2004-06-09T14:23:00.000+08:00

Top 20 FAVOURITE Movies in 2002 ( in order of preference )

20. Unfaithful
19. Insomnia
18. Minority Report
17. Lantana (Australian Film Festival)
16. What Time Is It There?
15. Gangs of New York
14. Nirgendwo in Afrika (German Film Festival)
13. Infernal Affairs
12. Kaze no tani no Naushika (Goethe-Institut screening)
11. Shallow Hal
10. Panic Room
9. Double Vision
8. Ping Pong
7. Changing Lanes
6. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: The 20th Anniversary
5. My Sassy Girl
4. About a Boy
3. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2. Apocalypse Now Redux
1. One Hour Photo

Click on 'Comments' to view this year's 25 most memorable performances and 20 most memorable quotes.

Favourites Movies in 2001 and 25 Most Memorable Performances

2004-06-09T14:19:00.000+08:00

20. Il Mare
19. Memento
18. La Salarie de la peur (Wages of Fear) (a screening by SFS)
17. Der Tunnel (opening film of German Film Festival 2001)
16. Tailor of Panama
15. The Others
14. Thirteen Days
13. Quills
12. A.I.
11. Requiem of a Dream
10. Traffic
9. Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
8. Sugar & Spice
7. Battle Royale
6. Bridget Jones's Diary
5. Ikiru (screened at Japanese Film Festival)
4. Moulin Rogue
3. Joint Security Area
2. Rang-e khoda (Colour of Paradise) (screened at Asian Children's Film Festival)
1. Beijing Bicycle

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Confessions of a Film Enthusiast

2004-06-09T12:21:00.000+08:00

This is my first day of my job. I love movies. This is an understatment. I know it is more than that. My relationship with movies is liken to a happy marriage that lasted for more than a decade. There is no blind over-the-top passion or stifling boredom.

It seems like it can still go a long way and I am just get better at handling the relationship. I know my expectations of the relationship, there is no 'we' here. I am going to watch all the good movies. Again this is an understatement. What I am trying to say is I admire and respect good movies and I see them as a piece of beautifully crafted artistic expression.

But what are good movies? Well, I am not so sure too. I think that is the magical part of the relationship. I like certain movies which not many people will like. Movies speak to individuals differently. Judging a film professionally is like seeing them as products with flaws.

There is always a limitation of expressions to attempt to explain why certain movies are better than others. The mood the movie induce, the entertainment values, the plot, the characters, the actors, the message, the lines, the director's vision and ambition etc etc You can explain possibly aspect by aspect and thus conclude it is a good movie. The most accurate judgment is when the credits start rolling, what is the grade that will roll up in your head.

A film Critic? Most likely not in a professional way. I am more than a movie goer, film freak etc. Many will see movies as an entertainment but to me, I am proud to say that my passion in movies actually made some of my friends and colleagues to respect the art form.

So this is end of my confessions and as they always say... "Let the show begin...."