Monthly Archives: August 2011

Black Hawk Down (2001)

Directed by Ridley Scott, The true story of the United States’ involvement in Somalia during an ill-fated humanitarian mission. On October 3, 1993, U.S. soldiers entered Somalia on an exercise that was supposed to take less than an hour. The mission turned into a nightlong battle against thousands of heavily armed Somalians. Eighteen U.S. soldiers and more than 500 Somalians were killed as a result of this conflict.

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One to Another (2006)

Directed by Pascal Arnold and Jean-Marc Barr, This story is based on true events, Lucie is surrounded by four handsome young men sunbathing on the rocks, and a reticent voyeur several metres behind. We quickly learn, though, that she is not the object of everyone’s desires and dreams here: rather, the object is Pierre, her brother and occasional lover. He intersects with all of their lives, often sexually, always emotionally and even musically, as front man for their small-town rock band. He is a magnet for every character, but he himself is unstable and narcissistic. We soon skip through time and learn that he disappears, leaving the others yearning for him. Then, it is discoverd that he is dead.

Speed (1994)

Directed by Jan de Bont, Bomber terrorist’s elevator plan backfires, so he rigs a bomb to a LA city bus. The stipulation is: once armed, the bus must stay above 50 mph to keep from exploding, A morally ambivalent cop must remove a bomb planted under a bus that’s triggered to explode when its speed drops below 50 mph.

Red Riding Hood (2011)

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, Valerie is a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter, but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry. Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon, to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon’s arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon.

Extraordinary Measures (2010)

Directed by Tom Vaughan, A Portland couple have two children with Pompe disease, a genetic anomaly that kills most before a child’s tenth birthday. The husband, John, an advertising executive, contacts Robert Stonehill, a researcher in Nebraska who has done innovative research for an enzyme treatment. He has little money to fund his laboratory, and a thorny personality that drives away colleagues and funders. John and his wife Aileen raise money to help Stonehill’s research and the required clinical trials. John takes on the task full time, working with venture capitalists and then rival teams of researchers. Time is running short, Stonehill’s angry outburst hinder the company’s faith in him, and the profit motive may upend John’s hopes, A true story that was very well told.

The King and I (1956)

Directed by Walter Lang, Mrs. Anna Leonowens and her son Louis arrive in Bangkok, where she has contracted to teach English to the children of the royal household. She threatens to leave when the house she had been promised is not available, but falls in love with the children. A new slave, a gift of a vassal king, translates “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” into a Siamese ballet, expressing her unhappiness at being with the King. She attempts to escape with her lover. Anna and the King fall in love, but her British upbringing inhibits her from joining his harem. She is just about to leave Siam when she hears of the King’s imminent death, and returns to help his son.

Sin Nombre (2009)

Directed by Cary Fukunaga, Honduran teenager Sayra reunites with her father, an opportunity for her to potentially realize her dream of a life in the U.S. Moving to Mexico is the first step in a fateful journey, After murdering his gang’s leader, a teenager joins a family of Honduran immigrants making the dangerous journey across Mexico to the United States, avoiding a fellow gang member who has been sent to kill him along the way.

The American President (1995)

Directed by Rob Reiner, How does the widowed leader of the free world balance his many obligations to his country with the ordinary demands and everyday rites of courtship? When President Andrew Shepherd, quite unexpectedly, falls in love with Sydney Wade, an environmental lobbyist, he must overcome obstacles not faced by average citizens; he must worry that the public’s right to know will collide with the desire for personal privacy. He must contend with approval ratings, an inquiring press and an aggressive political opponent just to go on a date. The President’s advisors, chief of staff, domestic policy advisor, White House pollster and press secretary help him get through his busy schedule, deal with demands of congress and quell any global predicaments. But political crises are different than personal ones and somehow the American President alone must find a way to balance his love for his country with his love for an incredible woman.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Directed by Rupert Wyatt, “Rise of the Apes” is an origin story in the truest sense of the term. Set in present day San Francisco, the film is a reality-based cautionary tale, a science fiction/science fact blend, where man’s own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.

Whatever Works (2009)

Directed by Woody Allen, After the failure of his career, his marriage, and his suicide attempt, world-class grouch Boris Yellnikoff, spends his days insulting the small children unfortunate enough to study chess with him and irritating his still-loyal friends with his never-ending tirades about the worthlessness of absolutely everything. A former Columbia Professor and self-proclaimed genius who came close to winning a Nobel Prize for Quantum Mechanics, Boris fancies himself the only one who fully comprehends the meaningless of all human aspirations, and the pitch-black chaos of the universe. As he readily admits, Boris is not a “feel-good person.” Boris begins to mold the impressionable young girl’s worldly views to match his own. When it comes to love, “whatever works” is his motto, but his already perplexed life complicates itself further when Melodie’s parents eventually track her down.

Intimacy (2001)

Directed by Patrice Chéreau, She comes to his London pad late every Wednesday afternoon, only for sex, while her taxi waits outside. They don’t speak but something must pass between them because they stand together and lie down next to the table without a word. The following week at the same time, she is at the door, they immediately undress. He is no longer in the house but goes straight down to the basement that he cannot afford to furnish, where he has strewn a few blankets and quilts over the carpet. A room where everything is permitted except, apparently, clarity. If sex is how you meet and get to know people, what does he know of her? A failed London musician meets once a week with a woman for a series of intense sexual encounters to get away from the realities of life. But when he begins inquiring about her, it puts their relationship at risk.

As Good as It Gets (1997)

Directed by James L. Brooks, Melvin Udall is a sarcastic writer who lives alone in an apartment, eats at the same restaurant each day, is afraid of germs, and generally hates people. His neighbor, Simon, is a gay artist whose dog is constantly becoming entangled in Melvin’s life annoying Melvin and giving rise to much anti-homosexual sentiment on his part. Carol is a waitress at Melvin’s usual eating spot who is trying to take care of an asthmatic son and has to suffer Melvins obnoxious behavior. However, the door to Melvin’s self-awakening is opened by Simon’s dog who Melvin has to watch after Simon is brutally mugged. He comes to love the dog and respect Simon, and to see that Carol’s son receives much-needed medical care.

The Thin Red Line (1998)

Directed by Terrence Malick, In World War II, the outcome of the battle of Guadalcanal will strongly influence the Japanese’s advance into the pacific. A group of young soldiers is brought in as a relief for the battle-weary Marine units. The exhausting fight for a key-positioned airfield that allows control over a 1000-mile radius puts the men of the Army Rifle company C-for-Charlie through hell. The horrors of war forms the soldiers into a tight-knit group, their emotions develop into bonds of love and even family. As they attack a Japanese stronghold, the randomness of life and death in  wartime is made clear.

High Society (1956)

Directed by Charles Walters, Tracy Lord is a rich Rhode Island socialite whose romance with neighbor and jazz musician C K Dexter Haven has broken up. Now she is engaged to be married to the stuffy but appropriate George Kittredge. But when a dashing journalist arrives to cover the society wedding, Tracy’s initial desire to make life difficult for this interloper is complicated by her attraction for him. And things are made all the more complicated by Dexter Haven’s refusal to give up on Tracy.

The Mummy Returns (2001)

Directed by Stephen Sommers, Many years ago, in Ancient Egypt, the Scorpian Kind led a menacing army, but when he sold his soul to Anubis, he was erased from history. Now he is only a myth…or is he? Rick and Evelyn O’Connell is still discovering new artifacts, along with their 8 year old son Alex. They discover the Bracelet of Anubis. But someone else is after the bracelet. High Priest Imhotep has been brought back from the dead once again and wants the bracelet, to control the Scorpian King’s army. That’s not the only problem. Imhotep now has Alex and with the bracelet attached to him, doesn’t have long to live.

The Mummy (1999)

Directed by Stephen Sommers, An English librarian called Evelyn Carnahan becomes interested in starting an archaeological dig at the ancient city of Hamunaptra. She gains the help of Rick O’Connell, after saving him from his death. What Evelyn, her brother Jonathan and Rick are unaware of is that another group of explorers are interested in the same dig. Unfortunately for everyone, this group ends up unleashing a curse which been laid on the dead High Priest Imhotep. Now ‘The Mummy’ is awake and it’s going to take a lot more than guns to send him back from where he came from.

Wedding Crashers (2005)

Directed by David Dobkin, Divorce mediators John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey are business partners and lifelong friends who share one truly unique springtime hobby–crashing weddings! Whatever the ethnicity of the wedding party–Jewish, Italian, Irish, Chinese, Hindu–the charismatic and charming duo always have clever back stories for inquisitive guests and inevitably become the hit of every reception, where they strictly adhere to their proven rules of wedding crashing to meet and pick up women aroused by the very thought of marriage. At the tail end of another successful season of toasting brides and grooms, Jeremy learns that the daughter of Treasury Secretary William Cleary and his wife, Kathleen, is getting married in what is sure to be the Washington D.C. social event of the year. After infiltrating the lavish affair, John and Jeremy quickly set their sights on two bridesmaids, Claire and Gloria Cleary.

Run Lola Run (1998)

Directed by Tom Tykwer, Lola receives a phone call from her boyfriend Manny. He lost 100,000 DM in a subway train that belongs to a very bad guy. Lola has 20 min to raise this amount and meet Manny. Otherwise, he will rob a store to get the money. Three different alternatives may happen depending on some minor event along Lola’s run.

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Directed by George Nolfi, Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us? A man glimpses the future Fate has planned for him and realizes he wants something else. To get it, he must pursue across, under and through the streets of modern-day New York the only woman he’s ever loved. On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas - a woman like none he’s ever known. But just as he realizes he’s falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself – the men of The Adjustment Bureau – who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path…or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her.

Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)

Directed by John Sturges, The wife of marshal Matt Morgan is raped and murdered. The killers leave behind a distinctive saddle, that Morgan recognises as belonging to his old friend Craig Belden, now cattle baron in the town of Gun Hill. Belden is sympathetic, until it transpires that one of the murderers is his own son Rick, whom he refuses to hand over. Morgan is determined to capture Rick and take him away by the 9.00 train; but he is trapped in the town alone, with Belden and all his men now looking to kill him.

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, An intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. James behaves as if he’s indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James’ true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

Coming to America (1988)

Directed by John Landis, It is the 21st birthday of Prince Akeem of Zamunda and he is to marry a woman he never saw before. Now the prince breaks with tradition and travels to America to look for the love of his life. The Prince decides that Queens, New York is the appropriate place to search for a woman to share his throne.

A Perfect Murder (1998)

Directed by Andrew Davis, Millionaire industrialist Steven Taylor is a man who has everything but what he craves most: the love and fidelity of his wife. A hugely successful player in the New York financial world, he considers her to be his most treasured acquisition. But she needs more than simply the role of dazzling accessory. Brilliant in her own right, she works at the U.N. and is involved with a struggling artist who fulfills her emotional needs. When her husband discovers her indiscretion, he sets out to commit the perfect murder and inherit her considerable trust fund in the bargain.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Directed by Andrew Dominik, The last months of Jesse James’s life, from meeting Robert Ford, a 19-year-old who idolizes Jesse, to the day Ford shoots him. Jesse’s a wanted man, living under a pseudonym, carrying out a train robbery, disappearing to Kentucky, and reappearing to plan a bank holdup with Robert and Robert’s brother as his team. The rest of the gang is dead, arrested, or gone from Missouri. Whenever Jesse’s around, there’s tension: he’s murderous, quixotic, depressed, and cautious. Ford wants to be somebody and wants the reward. On April 3, 1882, things come to a head: Jesse is 34, Robert 20. Ford becomes famous.

Hum Aapke Hain Koun…! (1994)

Directed by Sooraj R. Barjatya, It tells the story of two lovers, Prem and Nisha. Their older siblings, Rajesh and Pooja get married. After Pooja has her baby, the elders decide to get Prem married with a girl like Pooja. Prem and Nisha slowly fall in love with each other. Prem tells his sister-in-law, Nisha’s older sister, Pooja, that he loves Nisha. Pooja binds the two with her blessings and a necklace. Before Pooja can tell anyone the good news, she falls down the stairs, and dies. Everyone feels they lost their life after Pooja dies, because she had a magic touch that even the dog, Tuffy, notices. Rajesh finds life hard without Pooja, and he finds it especially hard to raise their son. The parents decide to get Rajesh married to Nisha so that he won’t feel so lonely, and his son will get a mother. Nisha unknowingly accepts because she thinks that she is going to marry Prem.

Notting Hill (1999)

Directed by Roger Michell, Every man’s dream comes true for William Thacker, an unsuccessful Notting Hill bookstore owner, when Anna Scott, the world’s most beautiful woman and best-liked actress, enters his shop. A little later, he still can’t believe it himself, William runs into her again – this time spilling orange juice over her. Anna accepts his offer to change in his nearby apartment, and thanks him with a kiss, which seems to surprise her even more than him. Eventually, Anna and William get to know each other better over the months, but being together with the world’s most wanted woman is not easy – neither around your closest friends.

Airplane! (1980)

Directed by Jim Abrahams and David Zucker, Still craving for the love of his life, Ted Striker follows Elaine onto the flight that she is working on as a member of the cabin crew. Elaine doesn’t want to be with Ted anymore, but when the crew and passengers fall ill from food poisoning, all eyes are on Ted. Surely the only person capable of landing the plane is an ex-pilot afraid to fly. But don’t call him Shirley.

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Directed by David Silverman, Homer adopts a pig who’s run away from Krusty Burger after Krusty tried to have him slaughtered, naming the pig “Spider Pig.” At the same time, the lake is protected after the audience sink the barge Green Day are on with garbage after they mention the environment. Meanwhile, Spider Pig’s waste has filled up a silo in just 2 days, apparently with Homer’s help. Homer can’t get to the dump quickly so dumps the silo in the lake, polluting it. Russ Cargill, the villainous boss of the EPA, gives Arnold Schwarzenegger 5 options, forcing him to choose 4 (which is, unfortunately, to destroy Springfield) and putting a dome over Springfield to prevent evacuation. Homer, however, has escaped, along with his family. Can he stop the evil Cargill from annihilating his home town.

There’s Something About Mary (1998)

Directed by Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly, Ted was a geek in high school, who was going to go to the prom with one of the most popular girls in school, Mary. The prom date never happened, because Ted had a very unusual accident. Thirteen years later he realizes he is still in love with Mary, so he hires a private investigator to track her down. That investigator discovers he too may be in love with Mary, so he gives Ted some false information to keep him away from her. But soon Ted finds himself back into Mary’s life, as we watch it all unfold.

Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

Directed by Nancy Meyers, Harry Sanborn is a perennial bachelor who only dates women under the age of thirty. On what was to have been a romantic weekend with his latest infatuation, Marin, at her mother’€™s Hamptons beach house, Harry develops chest pains. Marin’€™s mother Erica Barry, a successful, divorced playwright, reluctantly agrees to help nurse him back to health. Once they are alone together, Harry is surprised to find himself drawn to Erica for all the right reasons. And despite her initial protestations about Harry, Erica finds herself rediscovering love. Romantic complications arise when Erica is also pursued by Harry’s charming 30-something doctor, Julian Mercer. Once recovered, Harry returns home and goes back to his old ways. However, when his feelings for Erica prove to be life altering, Harry must undergo a true change of heart–if he is to win her back.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Directed by Joe Johnston, After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

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