This 1997 film takes us first to the past, back to 1914 in Egypt where scientists discover something miraculous. They discovered a fifth element, an element said to be used against evil. Because of the discovery, robotic beings, mondoshawan, come to retrieve the stones of the elements, saying to a priest that they are not safe anymore because evil is coming and asked for him to pass his knowledge onto the next generations.
300 years later, in the 23rd century, we find Cornelius, a priest with the knowledge of the fifth element, who tells the president there is only one thing that can defeat the great evil, the fifth element. When the Mondoshawans from the beginning are destroyed by the Mangalores, Cornelius now thinks they are hopeless.
In South Brooklyn, New York, an ex military man, Korben Dallas, is in his apartment. Around his room is a cat, a machine that limits his cigarettes to five per day, and with a press of a button he can hide his bed. The scene shows that this future is much different then our today. Over 10 years have passed since this movie came out and our technology hasn't even show a hint of the idea of this future; especially the hover cars.
The military finds one survivor in the Mondoshawan wreakage; technically just a few cells of an arm. They use a machine to reassemble the body with the few cells they have. The DNA chain is the same as human beings but only multiplied. One of the doctors says, "the cell is perfect". Thing is, what is perfect? Is there a right and wrong for what a woman or man should look like to be PERFECT? I don't think there is such thing as perfect or even NORMAL for that matter. What is normal to me can be abnormal to someone next to me. What is perfect for me is completely different then any one I know.
The doctors start the machine with the bones, then the tissue, then the skin. They think that what will come out is a man, when in fact it is not. They find themselves face to face with a redheaded, pale skinned woman. She speaks, but not English, something foreign. It surprises me with how smart she is the moment she is born: she knows a language, knows how to walk, and run away from the police. She does the CRAZIEST thing ever: leaps from the building. She falls down and down and lands in the back of a cab driven by Korben Dallas.
Their first eye contact is so powerful. I can just feel the instant attraction they have. She tries to explain what happened recognizing that he won't hurt her. The only word that makes sense to him is the "boom". From there is the well-known phrase, "Big badda boom". If I ever forget the title, I just say, "big badda boom" and my family knows what I am talking about.
When the police find his cab she tries to think of a way to communicate with him. She sees a poster about helping an orphan. On the poster it says, "Please help". Somehow she figures out how to say the word even though she doesn't know the English language at all. I think that is crazy because she does not know what the letter sounds are and what they make together. I just honestly feel that that would have been impossible even for the fifth element. Unless, of course, she knew the language before but has to review. I do not think that is the case though. Korben soon feels terrible and takes off, dismissing the police order, and uses his last point on his licence.
Two policemen who are at a drive-thru at McDonald's get a call of the escape but they dismiss it. I think that is the stereotype for cops: always just sitting around not taking anything seriously, doing nothing. Also, the women working there look like strippers. What has this world become!? Their cleavage is hanging out and their hair and make-up are done all pretty. Another strange bit is that the woman calls the meals, "Golden Menus". This name change is a good idea of a change for the future.
When Korben takes her to Cornelius, the priest's, apartment Korben does a silly thing: he kisses her. She wakes up and points a gun at him and says something in, what the priest calls, the divine language. He finds out in a bit from Cornelius that it translates to, "Never without my permission". He then exchanges names with her. She says her name and it nearly took 5 seconds just to say her name. He asks for a shorter name and she says, Leeloo. When Korben goes back home his boss calls and he tells him about, "A big fair" that fell in his lap.
She puts some powder on a plate and puts it in the microwave and a few seconds later a big chicken dinner comes out. It's funny because I have had powdered food and food that astronauts eat but nothing like that. I think of Ramon noodles when I see that; but instead of noodles with water we get the real deal chicken.
Mangalore take a case with the stones to Zorg, an evil being, and he opens the case and finds it is empty. When Leeloo tells the priest where the stones are, Fhloston Paradise, the priests comes up with a plan to get on that plane to go there.
The military reports to the President telling him that the stones are with a demon, Diva Plavalaguna an opera singer, who will be singing at Floston Paradise.
Korben's mother calls saying he won a trip to Fhloston Paradise and nags about how he should take her. After he gets off the phone the doorbell rings and it is a military man telling him he will take Major Iceborg, a fat unattractive woman as his wife to Fhloston Paradise. Another ring at the door: Leeloo. He shoves the three military people in the fridge and answers the door. Cornelius is there too to get the tickets. Korben has to hide them because the police are they looking for Korben but find his name tag on someone else's door and take the other guy captive. Funny because that is the same guy who stopped by his place earlier that day trying to rob Korben.
As Korben and Leeloo are about to board the plane a flight attendant takes Korben to meet Ruby Rhod for an interview on his talk show. Ruby, an eccentric man who, when I was young, I thought was a woman. His hair and his outfits make him look either: like a woman or like a cross-dresser. The only indicator that he was a man was that he hit on the flight attendants and even fooled around with one as the plane took off. He asks his groupies how the show was and they say "green". Green only means two things to me: the color and a term for money. I don't understand really why they picked "green" to be the word for good or great.
At Diva Plavalaguna's concert, her singing is amazing. She has a 4 and a half octave range. Her operatic voice is smooth and wonderful. As she sings, the Mangalores attack her troupe and find the case of which they think the stones are in. Leeloo is there and takes on the group of Mangalores herself. Some of Leeloo's moves go along with the rhythm Diva sings. They both end at the same time with a glorious finish. Just as Leeloo takes the case a Mangalore tells the rest of the Mangalores that it was an ambush and they shoot the Diva and scare the audience and kill some. Also, Leeloo is found by Zorg, and is shot by him in the air vent.
Korben tries to help Diva Plavalaguna and asks where the stones are and she says they are in her. As this is happening Zorg opens the trunk and finds the stones are not there again! Korben digs his hands inside her wound and finds the stones. This whole time, Ruby is reporting the events through the talk show of which is actually being reported to the President. Ruby's hair is ridiculous in this scene. His hair is in ball forms on his head. Also, his scream is hilarious when the bomb goes off!
When they come to a point where the Mangalore are holding people hostage, including Cornelius, they have to negotiate. Korben's way of negotiating is shooting the leader square in the head. Classic. Ruby and Cornelius soon find a countdown and figure out it is a bomb. Ha funny that no one else noticed that thing counting down before. If I saw something like that on the wall I would be curious enough to ask someone, especially if some ugly beasts were attacking the ship.
Korben takes Zorg's ship and says, "It's like driving a cab". Haha I can't believe he compared them. It's like comparing a car to a motorcycle.
Zorg stops the countdown for the bomb. But shortly after, a Mangalore starts up a different one and says, "for the honor". This is interesting because they honor their beliefs just as our military and society honor our beliefs.
Leeloo makes a great point when she says that everything we create is used to destroy. Korben tries to tell her that there is more then just danger and destruction; there is love. But she searches "war" on the computer and sees dreadful pictures.
Bad news. A ball of fire is headed toward earth and is said to hit in less then two hours. When they get to Egypt they set the stones and try to figure out how to "open" them. Korben asks Leeloo and she says, "the wind blows, fire burns...". You would think they would use that information to think about what she meant by that. Easy. Each stone needs the particular element to "open" it.
They finally figure it out when David accidentally starts his up. "Water for water, fire for fire, earth for earth", Korben instructs them all to start theirs up.
He wakes Leeloo up and tells her that there is a lot worth saving. She wants to give up but he tells her love is worth saving. She doesn't know love though, she was built to protect not to love. But who isn't built to love? We are all meant to protect ourselves and our children but also to love. Love is our greatest emotion. Love is equal to hate but when it comes to which is stronger in the end love overpowers hate.
Just before the fire ball reaches the Earth's atmosphere a big light comes from Leeloo and that kills the fire ball 62 miles from impact.
At the end they are in a reactor kissing and happy. In love.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Internet Problems
For the past three days I have been without internet. I didn't stop blogging! I have actually used that time to brainstorm a few ideas for movies to blog about next. So far I have seven movies planned but I will only reveal two now. The Fifth Element starring Bruce Willis and Better Off Dead starring John Cusack. I hope anyone reading this hasn't thought I quit early. I have not! Technical difficulties won't stop me. Thank you for reading!
Christina
Christina
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Woman on Top
Men. Most of them think they need to "wear the pants" in the relationship. Always be the one to mow the lawn, fix the car, drive, and even be on top during sex. This movie starts off with a woman, Isabella Oliveira, who was born with a massive case of motion sickness. Yemaja; the ocean, the essence of motherhood, and a protector of children; had given young Isabella the gift of cooking. She soon met Toninho, the handsome young singer, and they fall madly in love. They are married and the only problem he has is that she always has to lead. Because of her motion sickness she has to lead when dancing, has to drive, and even always be on top during sex. The only way he can reclaim his manhood was to cheat. One night she heard him leave and followed and caught him on top of another woman having sex. She leaves and goes to San Fransisco to stay with her best friend, Monica, a cross-dresser.
She starts as a teacher at a cooking school and finds out she can't cook at all without thinking of her love, Toninho. So she gets a recipe/spell from a woman back home from Brazil and makes a dish and sprinkles ashes from a photograph and sends the platter out to the sea for Yemaja. The next day she takes off her ring and feels like a new and beautiful woman and COOKS! The scent of her cooking leaves the apartment and enters through the nostrils of many people including a producer for a television network, Cliff Lloyd. She leaves the house to go to cooking school and behind here is a crowd of admirers. At the same time she is at school guess who shows up in San Fransisco... Toninho.
This movie teaches women not only to not take crap from men, but to be a free spirit. Do what you want when you want. The only way to get what you want is to be yourself and maybe use a few of your "talents" to get what you want. "If you got it, flaunt it" (from The Producers).
Her first show called Passion Foods LIVE, was SPECTACULAR! She was sexy and used sexual innuendos unintentionally which made people gawk, even at a bar. A bar of which Toninho entered and got in a bar fight defending the honor of his wife, Isabella. Then he finds her and says he wants her back and she dismisses his request. He follows her secretly and then sneaks into the building where they shoot her show and goes behind her and starts singing. Ridiculous. But the thing is, the audience loved him. So they got Isabella's permission and he was now part of the show. Gosh can't men just take a hint!? She obviously didn't want him there and even threw food at him after they were done with the show he barged in on.
Monica teaches Cliff how to dance and how to FEEL Brazil in order to get Isabella to like him. He thinks it will work. But no.
During a commercial break Isabella tells Toninho that she wants a divorce and when the show is back LIVE he freaks out on her. They have to cut the show and it is a classic food fight between Toninho and Cliff. Toninho asks Monica for advice and she tells him to be a friend to Isabella. So he tries. He truly loves her, and I think that is so adorable. If this had happened to me I would do the same thing: be friends.
She tries to get over Toninho by getting physical with Cliff and the phone rings and answering machine picks up. It is Toninho and he plays a song for her as Cliff still is trying to keep going. Isabella tips Cliff off the bed so she is on top but then he stops her and says he can't because she "still has his hooks in her".
The next show she does, executives show up to see if she can go national or not. They make her wear a ridiculous dress because the executives want her to wear something less ethnic. How dare they! Less ethnic!? They want to Americanize every little bit of American networks. I think she was sexy with her red dresses on and hair down for the show. Just before the show she finds out he quit the show. A minute before they go on LIVE her peppers are not there, they are replaced with Tabasco. Also the lights are bright, not dim, the way she likes. They want to change everything. They even want to get rid of Monica! She gets mad at Cliff because he says that this show is her dream when it really is his. So she quits.
Toninho comes that night from downstairs and screams that he wants her to lead! He just wants her back. So sweet and loving. But the thing is will he truly feel that way until they die? Can he live that way? He sings a beautiful song to her just like he did before they were married. She says it is too late but they kiss anyway but like she said, "It's too late." Then it hits her: she loves him.
She tries to reverse the spell she cast. But because of the loss of Toninho and the show she lost her art of cooking again. A big wave hits her hard and knocks the food/spell right out of her hands; a sign that what she has done can not be undone by a spell. She wakes up on the shore later.
When she returns to the building where she had done her show, Toninho was there. He asks if they can cook once more. And as it used to be, they cooked together. My heart skipped a beat when I saw this scene. The scent of their cooking disperses through the windows and to Cliff and Monica's place and they go outside and smile at each other! Gay? Bisexual!? I hope so!
As Isabella is taking a bite with her eyes closed the scene cuts back to the restaurant in Brazil and the fish disappear at the same time as it thunders. The scene cuts back to Isabella and Toninho and the sprinklers go off and it tastes like the sea! Isabella finally confesses she loves him! They go back to Brazil together and in the final scene she is on top! Both of them enjoying themselves as they passionately make love.
Also, one thing I think is weird is that I think the trailer seems like a preview for a totally different movie.
She starts as a teacher at a cooking school and finds out she can't cook at all without thinking of her love, Toninho. So she gets a recipe/spell from a woman back home from Brazil and makes a dish and sprinkles ashes from a photograph and sends the platter out to the sea for Yemaja. The next day she takes off her ring and feels like a new and beautiful woman and COOKS! The scent of her cooking leaves the apartment and enters through the nostrils of many people including a producer for a television network, Cliff Lloyd. She leaves the house to go to cooking school and behind here is a crowd of admirers. At the same time she is at school guess who shows up in San Fransisco... Toninho.
This movie teaches women not only to not take crap from men, but to be a free spirit. Do what you want when you want. The only way to get what you want is to be yourself and maybe use a few of your "talents" to get what you want. "If you got it, flaunt it" (from The Producers).
Her first show called Passion Foods LIVE, was SPECTACULAR! She was sexy and used sexual innuendos unintentionally which made people gawk, even at a bar. A bar of which Toninho entered and got in a bar fight defending the honor of his wife, Isabella. Then he finds her and says he wants her back and she dismisses his request. He follows her secretly and then sneaks into the building where they shoot her show and goes behind her and starts singing. Ridiculous. But the thing is, the audience loved him. So they got Isabella's permission and he was now part of the show. Gosh can't men just take a hint!? She obviously didn't want him there and even threw food at him after they were done with the show he barged in on.
Monica teaches Cliff how to dance and how to FEEL Brazil in order to get Isabella to like him. He thinks it will work. But no.
During a commercial break Isabella tells Toninho that she wants a divorce and when the show is back LIVE he freaks out on her. They have to cut the show and it is a classic food fight between Toninho and Cliff. Toninho asks Monica for advice and she tells him to be a friend to Isabella. So he tries. He truly loves her, and I think that is so adorable. If this had happened to me I would do the same thing: be friends.
She tries to get over Toninho by getting physical with Cliff and the phone rings and answering machine picks up. It is Toninho and he plays a song for her as Cliff still is trying to keep going. Isabella tips Cliff off the bed so she is on top but then he stops her and says he can't because she "still has his hooks in her".
The next show she does, executives show up to see if she can go national or not. They make her wear a ridiculous dress because the executives want her to wear something less ethnic. How dare they! Less ethnic!? They want to Americanize every little bit of American networks. I think she was sexy with her red dresses on and hair down for the show. Just before the show she finds out he quit the show. A minute before they go on LIVE her peppers are not there, they are replaced with Tabasco. Also the lights are bright, not dim, the way she likes. They want to change everything. They even want to get rid of Monica! She gets mad at Cliff because he says that this show is her dream when it really is his. So she quits.
Toninho comes that night from downstairs and screams that he wants her to lead! He just wants her back. So sweet and loving. But the thing is will he truly feel that way until they die? Can he live that way? He sings a beautiful song to her just like he did before they were married. She says it is too late but they kiss anyway but like she said, "It's too late." Then it hits her: she loves him.
She tries to reverse the spell she cast. But because of the loss of Toninho and the show she lost her art of cooking again. A big wave hits her hard and knocks the food/spell right out of her hands; a sign that what she has done can not be undone by a spell. She wakes up on the shore later.
When she returns to the building where she had done her show, Toninho was there. He asks if they can cook once more. And as it used to be, they cooked together. My heart skipped a beat when I saw this scene. The scent of their cooking disperses through the windows and to Cliff and Monica's place and they go outside and smile at each other! Gay? Bisexual!? I hope so!
As Isabella is taking a bite with her eyes closed the scene cuts back to the restaurant in Brazil and the fish disappear at the same time as it thunders. The scene cuts back to Isabella and Toninho and the sprinklers go off and it tastes like the sea! Isabella finally confesses she loves him! They go back to Brazil together and in the final scene she is on top! Both of them enjoying themselves as they passionately make love.
Also, one thing I think is weird is that I think the trailer seems like a preview for a totally different movie.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
David's Birthday
This fantastic romance drama in Italian puts me in "watch only" mode. Because the actors in this movie generally speak Italian, I have to actually watch the movie the whole time. I am kind of like my mother, I do more then one thing at a time: multi-tasking. Of course, like most dramas, this starts off slow.
Two couples go on vacation by the beach in Italy in the summer and one brings their daughter along and the other's son is to be coming soon. The daughter is young, about 8 or 9, and is adored by her father, Matteo, and mother, Francesca.
I must say, in the beginning, when all four of them were at the Opera, I found it hard to follow. This usually happens with foreign movies for me though. They were all chit-chatting during the show and then Shery spotted her brother in another Opera box. During intermission she goes over there and chats and invites him to the summer house.
When at the summer house, they all get comfortable and hang out together on the beach. The women do what women do: chat about famous men they want to have an affair with.
Soon the other couple's son, David comes. David is in college and is the typical hot guy: tall, dark, and handsome. He goes to school in New York and unfortunately, his father, Diego, barely knows him. Diego and his wife, Shery, had gotten together and separated a few times since they were married. This couple acts like the typical husband and wife we see today though: argues a lot, one understands the son and one doesn't, two different ideas of what their son should and shouldn't do, etc. He is friendly and plays with Matteo's daughter. When her daughter leaves to go to the mountains where she can be with children her own age, Matteo starts to observe David more.
Matteo and David's relationship had never been big before David's birthday. In my idea, Matteo was too scared to confront David with his feelings toward him. David had posed as a model for underwear and it suited him very well. Their first "togetherness" started when David asked Matteo if he wanted to go for a ride on a motorcycle he found in the garage. When Matteo had his arms outstretched while on the back of the bike, David took his arm and placed it on his own stomach. Then Matteo tightened his leg grip on David's legs. From there, Matteo started to get jealous because of the girl that was hanging around David, Aurora. But he soon overcame that jealousy when he saw David swimming, he went straight up to him and gave him his beer. The way he gave it to him and the way David drank it, it was sensual and semi-romantic.
The sex scene was just as sexy and sensual as it would be if it were a man and woman. Just because they are men doesn't mean they feel any different and I support that.
What I thought was interesting was the very end when Matteo's wife catches Matteo and David having sexual intercourse. She didn't know what was coming, she was locked out of the house from the downstairs and had picked something up for David's birthday and heard noises from a room and found the most surprising sight in her life. She ran off and Matteo ran to catch her while being completely nude. Before he could reach the bottom of the stairs he hears a screech of wheels and a HIT! His wife was hit by a car; killing her.
Towards the beginning, Matteo would go back to work where he was a therapist. He had asked his patient, "Do you lie?". She said she didn't lie she "omits", which means you leave something out. So at the end at dinner, after Matteo's wife died, Shery asked him where he was when she was hit. He just starts sobbing and that is the end of the movie. I thought that was great. Very significant. In a way, this was foreshadowing.
Two couples go on vacation by the beach in Italy in the summer and one brings their daughter along and the other's son is to be coming soon. The daughter is young, about 8 or 9, and is adored by her father, Matteo, and mother, Francesca.
I must say, in the beginning, when all four of them were at the Opera, I found it hard to follow. This usually happens with foreign movies for me though. They were all chit-chatting during the show and then Shery spotted her brother in another Opera box. During intermission she goes over there and chats and invites him to the summer house.
When at the summer house, they all get comfortable and hang out together on the beach. The women do what women do: chat about famous men they want to have an affair with.
Soon the other couple's son, David comes. David is in college and is the typical hot guy: tall, dark, and handsome. He goes to school in New York and unfortunately, his father, Diego, barely knows him. Diego and his wife, Shery, had gotten together and separated a few times since they were married. This couple acts like the typical husband and wife we see today though: argues a lot, one understands the son and one doesn't, two different ideas of what their son should and shouldn't do, etc. He is friendly and plays with Matteo's daughter. When her daughter leaves to go to the mountains where she can be with children her own age, Matteo starts to observe David more.
Matteo and David's relationship had never been big before David's birthday. In my idea, Matteo was too scared to confront David with his feelings toward him. David had posed as a model for underwear and it suited him very well. Their first "togetherness" started when David asked Matteo if he wanted to go for a ride on a motorcycle he found in the garage. When Matteo had his arms outstretched while on the back of the bike, David took his arm and placed it on his own stomach. Then Matteo tightened his leg grip on David's legs. From there, Matteo started to get jealous because of the girl that was hanging around David, Aurora. But he soon overcame that jealousy when he saw David swimming, he went straight up to him and gave him his beer. The way he gave it to him and the way David drank it, it was sensual and semi-romantic.
The sex scene was just as sexy and sensual as it would be if it were a man and woman. Just because they are men doesn't mean they feel any different and I support that.
What I thought was interesting was the very end when Matteo's wife catches Matteo and David having sexual intercourse. She didn't know what was coming, she was locked out of the house from the downstairs and had picked something up for David's birthday and heard noises from a room and found the most surprising sight in her life. She ran off and Matteo ran to catch her while being completely nude. Before he could reach the bottom of the stairs he hears a screech of wheels and a HIT! His wife was hit by a car; killing her.
Towards the beginning, Matteo would go back to work where he was a therapist. He had asked his patient, "Do you lie?". She said she didn't lie she "omits", which means you leave something out. So at the end at dinner, after Matteo's wife died, Shery asked him where he was when she was hit. He just starts sobbing and that is the end of the movie. I thought that was great. Very significant. In a way, this was foreshadowing.
Pet's Sematary
This Steven King classic scares the bageebees out of me every time I watch this horror film. I was with one of my best friends and her boy friend in my upstairs TV room cozy with the lights off, not so cozy with the loud thunder and bright lightening coming through the windows, but still having a great night.
The beginning music always creeps me out too. I listen to it with my eyes wide open watching the camera go through the pet's "sematary".
Did you know that Steven King, himself, is in all of the movies from the books he writes!? In this particular horror film he is the priest at Gage's (the son) funeral. He always plays a very small part: a pizza guy, hick, priest, etc.
The Creed family had just moved to the country side from Chicago where Louis, the father, has a job as a doctor there in Maine. Their property is right on the side of a busy highway where the company, Orinco, had semi-trucks on a route.
One thing I have to say is that every time Ellie, the daughter, is frustrated or cries she sounds fake. She isn't a very good actress, in my opinion. When she runs to the couch and cries, she honestly sounds as if something painfully TERRIBLE is happening to her.
Jud Crandall has to be one of my favorite characters in this movie. Honestly, he gets everything he deserves after he tells Louis where the Indian Burial ground is. His death is pretty gruesome and bloody but it is funny that a "little tike", Gage, did all of it. Jud's knowledge of the burial ground and love of beer reminds me of a typical grandfather from the country: overalls, tall, the voice, etc.
Every time I watch this movie I cry. When Gage is hit by the truck, the second his shoe hits the ground I start to tear up. Then I realize that he turns ultimately evil very soon. His evil chuckle creeps me out. I also tear up when you hear his cry when his father puts the needle in his neck to have him "go to sleep".
"Rachel!" - ZELDA (Rachel's sister) *shivers* When she says this, I get goosebumps. I have a friend named Rachel and I remember when we were at Cheer practice sometimes I would say that and creep the others out as well. I think the director and actress did a good job with this character specifically.
Missy Dandridge was an interesting character, even though she was only in the movie for a few scenes. She was troubled and needed help. Funny thing is, she was the one helping the Creed family while they were moving in with laundry and such. She even taught Ellie a few obscene things. Of all the suicides she could do she did the one that would 1. leave a mark, 2. last almost the longest with the most pain. If she had slit her wrists or electricuted herself, I think it would of been less painful and lengthy. That, there, is the point though. I feel she WANTED the extra pain because the cancer she had would of only cause more pain then the "quick" way. Her stomach pains she explained she had were from the cancer she had.
Poor, poor Pascow. First he dies from being hit by a car when running, then dies in the hospital and miraculously wakes up and warns Louis about the Indian burial ground. Pascow says the ground is sour and that the "soil of a man's heart is stonier". If I were told what Pascow told Louis, I would stay FAR AWAY from that burial ground.
After Gage dies when hit by a semi-truck, Louis starts to go crazy. You can tell every time something happens to him: his eyes go wide, face looks tired, and he talks strange. When he digs up his son from the cemetery he holds him in his arm. He holds his DEAD CORPSE. Talk about gross. Even if my son had died I would never dig him up to try and resurrect him.
This is a great movie, again, because almost everyone dies. All of the main characters, besides Ellie, die. This makes this film amazing because you sit there thinking, "He wouldn't bury his son.....oh he does..." and then you say, "He wouldn't bury his wife after all of that!...... oh....." Ridiculous.
The beginning music always creeps me out too. I listen to it with my eyes wide open watching the camera go through the pet's "sematary".
Did you know that Steven King, himself, is in all of the movies from the books he writes!? In this particular horror film he is the priest at Gage's (the son) funeral. He always plays a very small part: a pizza guy, hick, priest, etc.
The Creed family had just moved to the country side from Chicago where Louis, the father, has a job as a doctor there in Maine. Their property is right on the side of a busy highway where the company, Orinco, had semi-trucks on a route.
One thing I have to say is that every time Ellie, the daughter, is frustrated or cries she sounds fake. She isn't a very good actress, in my opinion. When she runs to the couch and cries, she honestly sounds as if something painfully TERRIBLE is happening to her.
Jud Crandall has to be one of my favorite characters in this movie. Honestly, he gets everything he deserves after he tells Louis where the Indian Burial ground is. His death is pretty gruesome and bloody but it is funny that a "little tike", Gage, did all of it. Jud's knowledge of the burial ground and love of beer reminds me of a typical grandfather from the country: overalls, tall, the voice, etc.
Every time I watch this movie I cry. When Gage is hit by the truck, the second his shoe hits the ground I start to tear up. Then I realize that he turns ultimately evil very soon. His evil chuckle creeps me out. I also tear up when you hear his cry when his father puts the needle in his neck to have him "go to sleep".
"Rachel!" - ZELDA (Rachel's sister) *shivers* When she says this, I get goosebumps. I have a friend named Rachel and I remember when we were at Cheer practice sometimes I would say that and creep the others out as well. I think the director and actress did a good job with this character specifically.
Missy Dandridge was an interesting character, even though she was only in the movie for a few scenes. She was troubled and needed help. Funny thing is, she was the one helping the Creed family while they were moving in with laundry and such. She even taught Ellie a few obscene things. Of all the suicides she could do she did the one that would 1. leave a mark, 2. last almost the longest with the most pain. If she had slit her wrists or electricuted herself, I think it would of been less painful and lengthy. That, there, is the point though. I feel she WANTED the extra pain because the cancer she had would of only cause more pain then the "quick" way. Her stomach pains she explained she had were from the cancer she had.
Poor, poor Pascow. First he dies from being hit by a car when running, then dies in the hospital and miraculously wakes up and warns Louis about the Indian burial ground. Pascow says the ground is sour and that the "soil of a man's heart is stonier". If I were told what Pascow told Louis, I would stay FAR AWAY from that burial ground.
After Gage dies when hit by a semi-truck, Louis starts to go crazy. You can tell every time something happens to him: his eyes go wide, face looks tired, and he talks strange. When he digs up his son from the cemetery he holds him in his arm. He holds his DEAD CORPSE. Talk about gross. Even if my son had died I would never dig him up to try and resurrect him.
This is a great movie, again, because almost everyone dies. All of the main characters, besides Ellie, die. This makes this film amazing because you sit there thinking, "He wouldn't bury his son.....oh he does..." and then you say, "He wouldn't bury his wife after all of that!...... oh....." Ridiculous.
Monday, May 23, 2011
8213: Gacy House
This 2010 serial killer horror film, even though seems like a B movie; had relatively good actors. None of them were well-known in the movie world but MOST of them seemed to know how to act, unlike some well-known actors that do NOT (won't mention any names). After I watched the movie I looked at reviews and boy did I feel dumb. The movie wasn't a reenactment of real footage it was suppose to BE real footage. Nope totally fake.
My brother and I were looking for a movie to watch on Netflix and he remembered this scary movie that he thought I would like. I indeed did like the movie, a lot.
Gacy House has a "Blair Witch Project" feel. The filming is all by hand and most of the time the only light is the light from the cameras they carry. I watched the movie Cloverfield and thought the handheld camera was too much for my head to handle. For this movie I thought the camera kept pretty steady for most of the part other then when the camera person ran up or down the stairs.
As I watched the movie, I looked up the background story about John Wayne Gacy Jr., the man who killed and raped 33 young men in the 70's. I read terrible things that had happened when he was younger; his father beating him, a family member molesting him, and when he was 11 was hit in the head with a swing and didn't know he had a blood clot in his brain until he was 16 (his dad always thought he was lying). Those tragic events led to his demonic ways. From my research most of his victims had been his employees at his self-owned construction company. Weird thing is, he was not only married once but twice! And before his first marriage he had gone to a business college and went up from a management-trainee position to the vice-president of the Springfield chapter for Jaycees. He had lived in Iowa for a while which is CRAZY to think about because I live in southern Minnesota. He got off early from his 10-year sentence to prison for sodomy and soon was engaged and married another woman with two daughters. The family moved into his home where in the basement, in a crawl space, he hid his victims' bodies. EW! Also one was under the floorboards in his dining room! It is sad though to think that 8 of the young boys' bodies were unidentified. I guess either the families didn't care or they didn't know.
On a better note, sort of, the scary parts of the movies were typical but sometimes drawn out. They do a seance to communicate with John Gacy and all of a sudden BOOM!, something scary happens. It was great. I was pretty scared a few times; yelling at them to get out, curling up in a ball, and squealing a few times.
My favorite character was the man in charge of the paranormal investigation at Gacy's house, Mike Lewis. His facial expressions and in-charge attitude made me laugh quite a bit.
One scene I felt not necessary was when two of the investigators "got it going" in Gacy's bedroom. I thought the scene was not needed and quite awkward especially because they thought the camera in that room was broken, but instead, it started working when their shirts were off and things were becoming heated in the bedroom. Who can get in the mood in a dead pedophile's house!?
They use many cameras in all different rooms. Hmm I recall another film by The Global Asylum, Paranormal Activity, used cameras in all rooms and every so often a scene would be of all the shots of what the placed cameras had shown at the time.
Another strange part was when the psychic, Janina Peslo, was casting a protection spell, paranormal activity started occurring and her blouse opened and her bra was gone and there they were, her BARE breasts. They were so big they almost took up the whole screen (sarcasm). I always wondered what really happened to her.
Funny fact: they did not actually go to Gacy's house to "investigate". They also say that it is real footage all of the time... when it truly is not. Although it was fake, still it was a mostly well done paranormal movie.
A great reason why I love this movie is because NO ONE MAKES IT! Well, one girl was never found, but most are DEAD! It is great. I love movies like this. Mike dies from hypothermia and all the others die from asphyxiation or cardiac - pulmonary sarcoidosis.
One last note. The clown thing at the end was stupid.
My brother and I were looking for a movie to watch on Netflix and he remembered this scary movie that he thought I would like. I indeed did like the movie, a lot.
Gacy House has a "Blair Witch Project" feel. The filming is all by hand and most of the time the only light is the light from the cameras they carry. I watched the movie Cloverfield and thought the handheld camera was too much for my head to handle. For this movie I thought the camera kept pretty steady for most of the part other then when the camera person ran up or down the stairs.
As I watched the movie, I looked up the background story about John Wayne Gacy Jr., the man who killed and raped 33 young men in the 70's. I read terrible things that had happened when he was younger; his father beating him, a family member molesting him, and when he was 11 was hit in the head with a swing and didn't know he had a blood clot in his brain until he was 16 (his dad always thought he was lying). Those tragic events led to his demonic ways. From my research most of his victims had been his employees at his self-owned construction company. Weird thing is, he was not only married once but twice! And before his first marriage he had gone to a business college and went up from a management-trainee position to the vice-president of the Springfield chapter for Jaycees. He had lived in Iowa for a while which is CRAZY to think about because I live in southern Minnesota. He got off early from his 10-year sentence to prison for sodomy and soon was engaged and married another woman with two daughters. The family moved into his home where in the basement, in a crawl space, he hid his victims' bodies. EW! Also one was under the floorboards in his dining room! It is sad though to think that 8 of the young boys' bodies were unidentified. I guess either the families didn't care or they didn't know.
On a better note, sort of, the scary parts of the movies were typical but sometimes drawn out. They do a seance to communicate with John Gacy and all of a sudden BOOM!, something scary happens. It was great. I was pretty scared a few times; yelling at them to get out, curling up in a ball, and squealing a few times.
My favorite character was the man in charge of the paranormal investigation at Gacy's house, Mike Lewis. His facial expressions and in-charge attitude made me laugh quite a bit.
One scene I felt not necessary was when two of the investigators "got it going" in Gacy's bedroom. I thought the scene was not needed and quite awkward especially because they thought the camera in that room was broken, but instead, it started working when their shirts were off and things were becoming heated in the bedroom. Who can get in the mood in a dead pedophile's house!?
They use many cameras in all different rooms. Hmm I recall another film by The Global Asylum, Paranormal Activity, used cameras in all rooms and every so often a scene would be of all the shots of what the placed cameras had shown at the time.
Another strange part was when the psychic, Janina Peslo, was casting a protection spell, paranormal activity started occurring and her blouse opened and her bra was gone and there they were, her BARE breasts. They were so big they almost took up the whole screen (sarcasm). I always wondered what really happened to her.
Funny fact: they did not actually go to Gacy's house to "investigate". They also say that it is real footage all of the time... when it truly is not. Although it was fake, still it was a mostly well done paranormal movie.
A great reason why I love this movie is because NO ONE MAKES IT! Well, one girl was never found, but most are DEAD! It is great. I love movies like this. Mike dies from hypothermia and all the others die from asphyxiation or cardiac - pulmonary sarcoidosis.
One last note. The clown thing at the end was stupid.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Thumbelina
So here I am, watching Thumbelina on a late Saturday night alone to send myself back to childhood. Oh! Jacquimo is so wonderful! But I must say he reminds me a LOT of Henri the Pigeon from An American Tail. Especially the similar songs: "Never Say Never" from An American Tail and "Nothing is Impossible" from Thumbelina. These two songs have, pretty much, the same meaning. Plus they are both the same type of character; the carefree, independent foreign bird. It really makes me wonder if they weren't the same company. Fortunately, I had to look it up, I found Thumbelina is from Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc. and An American Tail is from Universal Studios. Jacquimo is always optimistic and that is why he is loved and remembered by young children.
On a different note. I think it is pretty interesting that Prince Cornelius falls in love with her just by hearing the sound of her voice. This happens in many children's stories such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Prince Cornelius is a handsome 16-year-old boy whose only drive is to take the young Thumbelina as his wife. The song "Let Me Be Your Wings" gets me in tears everytime. The song is so beautiful and the lyrics are powerful. Well in my mind they are. :D His voice gets me in a state that makes me wish I were a girl no bigger then your thumb.
One of my favorite scenes is when Thumbelina wakes up in a small boat owned by "Mama" the toad and her three sons. I am a bit biased because I am part Hispanic. I love Mama's attitude. Typical Hispanic woman: exciting, fast-talker, gaudy fashion attitude. Her pink hair tops off the scene with the two red dots as blush. The song livens up things and makes Thumbelina have hope. After the song, she feels wonderful and loved. Then as usual in movies such as this, the story takes a turn: Thumbelina being told she has to marry a toad.
Beetle, the singer/dancer at the Beetle Ball, tries to sweet talk Thumbelina into joining his group. Instead she becomes humiliated in front of the crowd because she wasn't of their KIND. Thumbelina goes between feeling beautiful and feeling ugly throughout the whole movie. Back and forth between the two she becomes more confused and loses hope to finally get home. Thankfully Jacquimo always comes along and cheers her back up to give her confidence in herself and her future husband.
The little bugs in the story are so adorable and, in a way, brave. They come across the ugly toad and the beetle. They also are the ones who fill Prince Cornelius on Thumbelina's status and defrost him towards the end.
My next favorite scene is when Thumbelina wakes up in Miss Fieldmouse's underground home. This woman thinks she is so innocent: claiming to know her and making soup and giving her something warm to drink. She is actually very inconsiderate and never thinks about what she is saying. She is only helping Thumbelina for money and even sets her up with Mr. Mole, convincing Thumbelina to MARRY Mr. Mole with a delightful song: "Marry the Mole". Apparently money is better then love according to Miss Fieldmouse.
This silly and romantic animation takes you quickly from happy to sad back to happy again many times. Her decision-making problem reminds me of when I was growing up from a young teenager to a young woman. Jacquimo is like an optimistic best friend on steroids. He dodges dying from a thorn in his wing, flies great distances to find the Vale of the Fairies, and does everything in his power to keep Thumbelina from giving up. When she receives her wings I feel as if I have earned my wings for making it through this wondrous family film
On a different note. I think it is pretty interesting that Prince Cornelius falls in love with her just by hearing the sound of her voice. This happens in many children's stories such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Prince Cornelius is a handsome 16-year-old boy whose only drive is to take the young Thumbelina as his wife. The song "Let Me Be Your Wings" gets me in tears everytime. The song is so beautiful and the lyrics are powerful. Well in my mind they are. :D His voice gets me in a state that makes me wish I were a girl no bigger then your thumb.
One of my favorite scenes is when Thumbelina wakes up in a small boat owned by "Mama" the toad and her three sons. I am a bit biased because I am part Hispanic. I love Mama's attitude. Typical Hispanic woman: exciting, fast-talker, gaudy fashion attitude. Her pink hair tops off the scene with the two red dots as blush. The song livens up things and makes Thumbelina have hope. After the song, she feels wonderful and loved. Then as usual in movies such as this, the story takes a turn: Thumbelina being told she has to marry a toad.
Beetle, the singer/dancer at the Beetle Ball, tries to sweet talk Thumbelina into joining his group. Instead she becomes humiliated in front of the crowd because she wasn't of their KIND. Thumbelina goes between feeling beautiful and feeling ugly throughout the whole movie. Back and forth between the two she becomes more confused and loses hope to finally get home. Thankfully Jacquimo always comes along and cheers her back up to give her confidence in herself and her future husband.
The little bugs in the story are so adorable and, in a way, brave. They come across the ugly toad and the beetle. They also are the ones who fill Prince Cornelius on Thumbelina's status and defrost him towards the end.
My next favorite scene is when Thumbelina wakes up in Miss Fieldmouse's underground home. This woman thinks she is so innocent: claiming to know her and making soup and giving her something warm to drink. She is actually very inconsiderate and never thinks about what she is saying. She is only helping Thumbelina for money and even sets her up with Mr. Mole, convincing Thumbelina to MARRY Mr. Mole with a delightful song: "Marry the Mole". Apparently money is better then love according to Miss Fieldmouse.
This silly and romantic animation takes you quickly from happy to sad back to happy again many times. Her decision-making problem reminds me of when I was growing up from a young teenager to a young woman. Jacquimo is like an optimistic best friend on steroids. He dodges dying from a thorn in his wing, flies great distances to find the Vale of the Fairies, and does everything in his power to keep Thumbelina from giving up. When she receives her wings I feel as if I have earned my wings for making it through this wondrous family film
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