movies i have seen...
Sunday, October 31, 2004
The Core (2003)
The Earth's inner core has stopped spinning, and scientist Josh Keyes (Aaron Eckhart) must discover the cause before the world literally falls apart. He and a group of brilliant researchers burrow deep into the Earth's center in a subterranean vessel piloted by Major Beck Childs (Hilary Swank) and Col. Robert Iverson (Bruce Greenwood). There, they'll detonate a device that they hope will get the world to turn again ... before it's too late.
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank
Director: Jon Amiel
Grease (1978)
John Travolta solidified his position as the most versatile and magnetic screen presence of the 1970s in this film version of the smash hit play. Recording star Olivia Newton-John made her American film debut as Sandy, Travolta's naïve love interest. The impressive supporting cast reads like a "who's who" in this quintessential musical about the fabulous '50s -- an energetic and exciting musical homage to the age of rock 'n' roll!
Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John
Director: Randal Kleiser
Possession (2002)
In present-day England, a scholar (Aaron Eckhart) discovers that Victorian-era poet Randolph Ash had a secret affair with lesser-known poet Christabel LaMotte -- the subject of another scholar's (Gwyneth Paltrow) studies -- even though Ash was married and LaMotte was a "chaste spinster." As the two scholars investigate the romance between their subjects, they find themselves wrapped up in the romance as well. ...
Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart
Director: Neil LaBute
The Prince and Me (2004)
College freshman Paige (Julia Stiles) is a force of nature (she likes to tear around on motorcycles). No sooner does she hit campus than she meets and sparks with one of her classmates, Eddie (Luke Mably). But she's clueless that he's actually a Danish prince spending a year hiding in America -- before having to perform his princely duties -- disguised as a regular guy. Martha Coolidge directs this winning comedy.
Starring: Julia Stiles, Luke Mably
Director: Martha Coolidge
Save the Last Dance (2001)
After her mother dies, Sarah (Julia Stiles) gives up her dreams of going to New York's famous Juilliard School. She must move to Chicago, live with her dad (who's virtually a stranger) and attend an urban school that's a far cry from the small-town atmosphere she's used to. Fortunately, Sarah befriends Chenille and Derek, who teach her not only how to hip-hop dance but also how to dream again.
Starring: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas
Director: Thomas Carter
The Accused (1988)
Jodie Foster won an Oscar for her portrayal of Sarah Tobias in this fact-based drama. After being raped by three men in a local bar, Sarah, enraged at the light sentence her attackers receive, persuades attorney Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) to press charges against the men who cheered on the attack. But it won't be easy: Sarah has a shady past that could be used against her in court.
Starring: Kelly McGillis, Jodie Foster
Director: Jonathan Kaplan
Notorious (1946)
This top-notch Hitchcock espionage thriller builds to an incredibly suspenseful climax. Government agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) recruits Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) to spy on her father's influential Nazi friends. As part of her cover, she marries ringleader Claude Rains, but finds she's falling in love with Grant. The 360-degree camera pan around a smitten Grant and Bergman ranks as one of the screen's hottest love scenes.
Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Steel Magnolias (1989)
A heady mix of comedy and drama, Steel Magnolias centers on a tight-knit group of Louisiana women who regularly meet at Dolly Parton's beauty salon. Oscar-nominee Julia Roberts stands out as a diabetic who risks her life to have a baby. Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis and Daryl Hannah co-star in this engrossing and endearing tearjerker.
Starring: Sally Field, Dolly Parton
Director: Herbert Ross
Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Teena Brandon wanted a new life, but her metamorphosis into wild boy "Brandon Teena" led to her tragic death. Hilary Swank's Oscar-winning performance as Brandon is an unforgettable portrait of one woman's voyage of transformation and self-discovery -- a new beginning sadly snuffed out in a monstrous act of violence. Based on a true story.
Starring: Hilary Swank, Chloe Sevigny
Director: Kimberly Peirce
Dead Man Walking (1995)
Scheduled to be put to death for brutally slaying two teens, Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) seeks the aid of activist nun Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon), a death-penalty opponent. She becomes Matthew's spiritual adviser and tries to halt the execution, even though Matthew's professed innocence is dubious. As the execution date draws ever closer, Sister Helen works to save Matthew's soul by getting him to confess -- and to ask divine forgiveness.
Starring: Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon
Director: Tim Robbins
Man on Fire (2004)
Creasy (Denzel Washington) is a former federal agent whose outlook on life is anything but sunny. While in Mexico City, he halfheartedly takes a job protecting the child (Dakota Fanning) of a couple whose lives have been threatened. The little girl begins to grow on Creasy, and the two form a bond that revives his trampled soul. But when she's kidnapped, Creasy's fury is unstoppable as he desperately tries to save her. Tony Scott directs.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken
Director: Tony Scott
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Billy Wilder's noir classic about Hollywood decadence remains as razor-sharp as ever. Norma (Gloria Swanson), a faded silent film star plotting her return, employs Joe (William Holden), a struggling screenwriter, to help edit a script that she has penned. As the work progresses, Norma draws closer to Joe, engulfing him in her fiery throes, but Joe wants out.
Starring: Gloria Swanson, William Holden
Director: Billy Wilder
Stalag 17 (1953)
For the Allied prisoners of Stalag 17, every escape attempt ends the same way -- in disaster. The cynical Sgt. Sefton (William Holden, in his Oscar-winning role) thinks they're all fools for trying … but soon his hectoring starts to raise suspicions that there's a German spy in the prison camp -- and that spy is him! Director Billy Wilder effortlessly mixes broad comedy and high-tension drama in this World War II classic.
Starring: William Holden, Don Taylor
Director: Billy Wilder
All the President's Men (1976)
The film that launched a thousand journalism school students, All the President's Men chronicles how reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) brought down Richard M. Nixon. The duo connected a Washington, D.C., hotel break-in with a Nixon "dirty tricks" team assigned to discredit Democratic rivals. Director Alan J. Pakula ratchets up the tension (no small feat, as the outcome is assured).
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
Tragedy is in the offing when widowed Eurasian doctor Han Suyin (Jennifer Jones) falls for dashing American war correspondent Mark Elliot (William Holden). Despite insurmountable obstacles -- Hong Kong's anti-miscegenation laws and the refusal of Mark's wife to give him a divorce -- Han and Mark's love deepens … till he's sent to cover the "police action" in Korea. The film chalked up multiple Oscars, including Best Song.
Starring: William Holden, Jennifer Jones
Director: Henry King
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
One of the most authentic portraits of warfare ever captured on film, Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket teems with howling madness, stark images and troubling questions about duty, honor and sacrifice. Raw recruits (including Matthew Modine) suffer the grueling ordeal of basic training and battle with the Viet Cong over the city of Hue during the Tet Offensive.
Starring: Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio
Director: Stanley Kubrick
There's Something About Mary (1998)
The Farrelly brothers nail the laughs in this hugely popular comedy about a hugely popular girl. Mary (Cameron Diaz) is the ideal girlfriend of every guy she meets, especially frustrated high school suitor Ted (Ben Stiller). But he's got plenty of competition from Matt Dillon and other unexpected rivals. This special edition disc includes the original theatrical version and a new extended version with 15 minutes of extra footage.
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller
Director: Bobby Farrelly
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Socialite Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn) prepares to remarry, but her ex (Cary Grant) and a tabloid reporter (Best Supporting Actor Oscar-winner James Stewart) have other ideas as they converge on her home for a fateful visit. The three stars form an incomparable romantic triangle in one of the most tantalizing screwball romances ever. Ace Hollywood women's director George Cukor adapts this urbane Broadway comedy with precision and wit.
Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant
Director: George Cukor
Along Came Polly (2004)
Reuben Feffer (Ben Stiller) believes that if you plan ahead and play it safe, you can have a pretty good life. When his wife of a few days (Debra Messing) dumps him on his honeymoon for their scuba-diving instructor (Hank Azaria), Reuben vows to keep things under an even tighter lid. But along comes Polly (Jennifer Aniston), a bright, buoyant and breathtakingly irreverent childhood friend who teaches him to live life on the edge.
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston
Director: John Hamburg
Look Who's Talking Too (1990)
Mollie (Kirstie Alley), James (John Travolta) and Mikey return for more baby time in this hilarious sequel -- and now, they've added a new baby girl named Julie to the mix. Although James and Mollie love their burgeoning family, things become stressful when the kids start to fight, Mikey resists potty training and Mollie's brother, Stuart, decides to move in.
Starring: John Travolta, Kirstie Alley
Director: Amy Heckerling
Food of Love (2002)
Ventura Pons wrote and directed Food of Love (adapting the novel The Tale of Love by David Leavitt), the story of a love affair between an 18-year-old man and his much older mentor. Paul (Kevin Bishop) is a music student working as an assistant for a classical pianist, Richard (Paul Rhys). The two meet in Barcelona and begin a passionate tryst -- but they must contend with the disapproval of Paul's mother and Richard's boyfriend.
Starring: Juliet Stevenson, Paul Rhys
Director: Ventura Pons
Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
At Wellesley College in 1953, the all-female student population may constitute the smartest and the best, but they're still measured by how well they marry. In comes professor Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) to challenge the status quo, which raises the ire of many administrators, some of the teachers and even a few of the students she dares to inspire. Co-stars Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Marcia Gay Harden and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Starring: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst
Director: Mike Newell
S.W.A.T. (2003)
Inspired by the 1970s action-packed TV series with the catchy theme song, this modern-day "S.W.A.T." stars Colin Farrell as Jim Street, an L.A.P.D. cop who joins the department's elite special weapons and tactics unit commandeered by Hondo (Samuel Jackson). They're up against a drug lord (Olivier Martinez) who's offering a million dollars to the first person who springs him from jail. Only the S.W.A.T. team can stop his plan.
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell
Director: Clark Johnson
Identity (2003)
Ten complete strangers are stranded at a remote desert motel during a raging storm and soon find themselves the target of a deranged murderer. As their numbers thin out, the travelers begin to turn on each other, as each tries to figure out who the killer might be. This spine-tingling thriller stars John Cusack, Jake Busey, Rebecca DeMornay, Clea DuVall and Ray Liotta.
Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta
Director: James Mangold
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Runaway Jury (2003)
In this drama based on John Grisham's best-selling novel, Nick Easter (John Cusack) gets himself on the jury of a landmark case against a gun manufacturer and, as the foreman, tries to influence the other jury members to vote a certain way. Meanwhile, Easter's girlfriend, Marlee (Rachel Weisz), tries to swindle the attorneys (Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman) to pay millions of dollars to have the jury return a verdict friendly to their clients.
Starring: John Cusack, Rachel Weisz
Director: Gary Fleder
