it's heartwarming to note that SlowPokey is growing with me, day by day. there are a few categories added. and we are over 2,000-ish mark. so, to make it clearer, here are the descriptions for the Label:
Just Notes - anything worth mentioning about Slow-Pokey and me. Previously it was labeled as Musings.
Muvi Pact - movies that i promised to review. Jenuh nak mengabihkannya!
Suggestion - a post inviting viewers to suggest any related movie that they request me to review it
TSM - a post commenting any similar fact noted by me. it could be about actors/actress/storyline.
that's all. keep coming here for more Slow-Pokey-ish movie reviews :)
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
filmography 2011 by GEN I - Muvi Pact #1
memang best oh. some of the movies included in the clip does appear in SlowPoke. but a lot hasn't yet.
so there, dare i promise to do more riviu of those movies?
well, I'll TRY to do as much as I can. and hence, Muvi Pact is born!
Films in order of appearance:
00:00:21 Apollo 18
00:04:11 The Tree of Life
00:06:29 Melancholia
00:07:21 Hugo
00:09:06 Warrior
00:10:23 The Whistleblower
00:11:24 Shame
00:12:15 Margin Call
00:13:24 Beginners
00:14:18 Soul Surfer
00:15:06 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
00:16:03 I Am Number Four
00:17:28 Priest
00:18:25 My Week With Marilyn
00:19:19 Another Earth
00:20:15 Unknown
00:22:00 Hanna
00:24:13 Green Lantern
00:26:00 Super 8
00:27:10 Immortals
00:28:15 The Big Year
00:29:10 The Rite
00:30:00 Prom
00:31:00 Source Code
00:32:00 Limitless
00:36:00 In Time
00:37:00 Thor
00:38:13 Transformers: Dark of the Moon
00:39:16 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
00:40:00 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
00:40:20 The Beaver
00:42:06 Bad Teacher
00:43:08 Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - OK3
00:44:00 Burke and Hare
00:45:08 Carnage
00:46:00 X-Men: First Class
00:46:23 Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
00:48:01 J. Edgar
00:48:26 We Need to Talk About Kevin
00:51:08 Captain America - OK3
00:52:15 Real Steel
00:53:01 Your Highness
00:54:01 Colombiana
00:54:21 Sucker Punch - OK3
00:56:00 The Muppets
00:56:18 The Rum Diary
00:57:20 A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas
00:58:01 Moneyball
00:59:15 The Perfect Host
01:00:15 Footloose
01:00:27 Ceremony
01:01:13 The Green Hornet
01:02:00 Cars 2
01:02:17 Drive Angry 3D
01:03:06 Bunraku
01:04:02 Conan the Barbarian
01:04:16 The Three Musketeers
01:05:08 Something Borrowed - OK3
01:05:26 Big Mommas: Like Father like Son
01:06:15 Finding Joe
01:07:13 Season of the Witch
01:08:16 Mozart’s Sister
01:09:02 Arthur Christmas
01:09:21 Anonymous
01:10:21 Killing Bono
01:11:16 A Good Old-Fashioned Orgy
01:12:23 Zookeeper
01:13:17 Monte Carlo
01:15:27 Cowboys and Aliens
01:16:18 The Guard
01:17:06 Coriolanus
01:17:28 Attack the Block
01:22:13 The Hangover Part 2
01:24:07 Fast Five
01:26:11 Gnomeo and Juliet
01:26:26 The Ides of March
01:29:00 From Prada to Nada - OK3
01:30:12 The Darkest Hour
01:31:01 Machine Gun Preacher
01:31:10 Shark Night 3D
01:32:07 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
01:33:28 Circumstance
01:37:03 The Sitter
01:37:25 Diary of a Wimpy Kid
01:38:11 Dirty Girl
01:38:28 Mr. Popper’s Penguins
01:39:16 Just Go With It
01:41:07 I Don’t Know How She Does It
01:41:26 30 Minutes or Less
01:42:26 The Adventures of Tintin - OK3
01:43:23 Bridesmaids
01:44:16 Larry Crowne
01:45:13 Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer
01:47:21 Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
01:49:11 Happy Feet 2
01:50:23 Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
01:52:17 Jane Eyre - OK3
01:53:15 Hysteria
01:54:02 Winnie the Pooh
01:54:28 Hall Pass
01:56:16 The Art of Getting By
01:57:17 The Roommate
01:58:02 Skateland
01:59:06 Friends with Benefits
01:59:26 What’s Your Number? - OK3
02:00:28 Midnight in Paris
02:01:15 Cedar Rapids
02:02:04 No Strings Attached
02:02:25 Restless
02:04:04 Our Idiot Brother
02:04:25 Like Crazy
02:07:28 Red State
02:08:15 Crazy Stupid Love
02:11:02 The Dilemma
02:11:22 The Artist
02:12:08 Rio
02:13:17 Submarine
02:16:25 One Day
02:17:20 Paul
02:18:04 The Smurfs
02:19:04 Beastly
02:20:12 Tyler Perry’s Big Happy Family
02:20:28 Three
02:21:19 Win Win
02:23:12 Elektra Luxx
02:24:12 Young Adult
02:24:28 The Change-Up
02:25:13 Horrible Bosses
02:26:15 Atlas Shrugged
02:27:02 New Year’s Eve
02:27:23 Jack and Jill
02:28:05 We Bought a Zoo
02:28:22 The Descendants
02:29:08 Jumping the Broom
02:30:19 Bucky Larson
02:32:08 Johnny English 2
02:32:24 Born to be Wild
02:41:14 Flowers of War
02:43:28 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
02:44:23 A Dangerous Method
02:45:03 The Awakening
02:45:22 Don 2
02:46:17 The Help - OK3
02:47:02 Straw Dogs
02:47:22 Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
02:48:07 Tower Heist
02:49:13 Trespass
02:50:04 Outrage
02:51:07 The Mechanic
02:51:15 Drive
02:52:23 The Devil’s Double
02:55:05 The Eagle
02:55:20 Fright Night
02:56:04 The Double
02:57:14 Scream 4
02:57:24 Killer Elite
02:58:22 Hoodwinked Too
02:59:03 Abduction
02:59:10 Shaolin
03:00:09 Kill the Irishman
03:01:05 Final Destination 5
03:03:02 Courageous
03:04:06 Resistance
03:04:24 Rampart
03:07:17 Khodorkovsky
03:08:06 Catch .44
03:10:10 Rango
03:11:10 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
03:13:15 Hesher
03:26:22 Water for Elephants
03:27:22 Take Me Home Tonight
03:30:05 Tyrannosaur
03:38:06 Contagion
03:39:05 A Better Life
03:40:06 I Saw the Devil
03:43:04 The Grace Card
03:44:27 The Skin I Live In
03:45:22 Puncture
03:46:14 Sleeping Beauty
03:47:11 Stake Land
03:48:16 Texas Killing Fields
03:49:11 The Conspirator
03:53:01 Father of Invention
03:55:24 American: The Bill Hicks Story
03:57:02 Martha Marcy May Marlene
03:58:14 The Son of No One
04:00:29 Battle: Los Angeles
04:02:04 Hobo With a Shotgun
04:04:26 Red Riding Hood
04:05:23 Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1
04:08:17 Trust
04:10:04 A Separation
04:11:02 Answers to Nothing
04:11:29 Pariah
04:18:28 In the Land of Blood and Honey
04:22:01 50/50
04:23:12 I Melt With You
04:24:17 The Iron Lady
04:27:04 War Horse
04:28:02 Rise of the Planet of the Apes
04:31:04 The Bang Bang Club
04:32:16 Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
04:36:11 Janie Jones
04:38:28 Tomboy
04:40:21 Angels Crest
04:48:28 Dolphin Tale
04:53:06 Insidious
04:53:21 Albert Nobbs
04:59:08 The Lincoln Lawyer
05:00:09 Dream House
05:03:23 Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
05:09:09 Pina
05:10:09 The Adjustment Bureau
05:14:00 Take Shelter
05:16:11 The Thing
05:17:20 Mars Needs Moms
05:18:19 Kung Fu Panda 2
05:19:26 Chalet Girl
05:20:24 Paranormal Activity 3
05:22:05 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
05:22:24 Albatross
05:23:09 The Way
05:24:09 African Cats
05:24:28 Hop
05:25:23 Puss in Boots - OK3
05:26:24 The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
05:32:15 Being Elmo
btw, the one done will be occassionally updated as OK3.
phewww.. long way to go, peeps! and some of the movies, is a big hell-NO!
Monday, May 28, 2012
the Resident: tenants, BEWARE!
the Poster:
the Trailer:
the Plot:
Juliet Devereau (Hilary Swank), an emergency room surgeon, is apartment hunting in New York City after she separated from her longtime boyfriend, Jack (Lee Pace) due to his infidelity. After home-hunting, someone calls her to inform that an apartment is available and invites her to have a look.
Juliet went to look for the apartment and considered herself lucky for being able to rent an apartment from the owner, Max (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for just $3,800 as it was large and affordable, but with the nearby subway causing noise and vibrations, occasionally even causing objects to fall off from the table.
During her first night staying at the apartment, someone is stalking Juliet, watching her undressed, took a bath, and applied lotion. While Juliet is asleep, she hears footsteps, and she thinks someone is in her apartment. She gets up to investigate. She finds her door closed, but unlocked. She finds a bagful of basic tools at her door, and she thinks Max just came to drop her a present.
The next day, Juliet and her co-worker, Syndey (Aunjanue Ellis), talk about Juliet's previous relationship with Jack, whom she caught having an affair with another woman in their bed. She can't stop thinking about him and neither can he stop thinking of her. Sydney suggests that she should find another guy, and persuades her to come with her to a party.
Later, Juliet thanks Max, her landlord and owner of the building, for sending her the flowers, but he admits that the gift was not from him, instead it was from his grandfather.
Juliet then thanks August (Christopher Lee), Max's grandfather whom also lives at the building. August explains that he wanted to put himself in her shoes, living with complete strangers. He then states that he doesn't get much company. Juliet feels uncomfortable and leaves.
Later, at a party, Juliet bumps into Max and starts to flirt with him by asking him to walk her home.
Max and Juliet spend time talking together while Jack is stalking her from across the street.
Before saying goodbye, Juliet kisses Max. She quickly apologizes, seeming that she read the wrong signal. Max walks away, confused and unsure of himself.
Juliet and Max get along on a good start, and, after being encouraged by Sydney, she decides to ask Max out on a date, at her apartment. The date goes well. When the date ends, Max leaves but Juliet quickly tells Max to wait and she kisses him passionately, and they start making out.
The movie quickly rewinds, revealing that it was Max that was stalking Juliet at night. One day, Max brings August to the hospital, Max sees Juliet and sees her name on her nametag. Then he sees a paper, saying Juliet is looking for an apartment. So, Max makes an anonymous phone call, saying there's a apartment that is not rented yet. Max planned for Juliet to live in this particular room since Max was renovating it. He built a peep-hole and a one-way mirror to stalk Juliet. It also shows that Max has also been stalking her while she is jogging or going/leaving work. He followed her at the party and made it seem that he and Juliet bumped into each other.
Back to the present: Juliet does not go through with the sex because she still has feelings for Jack. Juliet apologizes to Max. Max, upset and agitated, brushes it off and leaves Juliet's room. The next day, Juliet and Max discuss about the previous night and Juliet decides they should just be friends, and their relationship is landlord/tenant. Max is not ok with that.
Max has constructed secret corridors, peepholes, and a one-way mirror, and uses these to observe her in secret. Also, in her absence he secretly enters her apartment to touch her clothes, use her toothbrush, and lie in her bath and masturbate. He also hides under her bed and licks her fingers while she sleeps.
Max is frustrated about the fact that Jack and Juliet reconcile and have sex in the apartment. He observes this from one of his peepholes, and since this makes Max jealous, he sedates her after Jack leaves, and touches and later rapes her while she is unconscious.
Because his grandfather August, who also lives in the house, criticizes and puts him down, Max kills him. Max follows Jack after he finishes his date with Juliet.
Near a subway, he throws Jack from a flight of stairs outside and thus injuring him.
Back at home, Juliet wakes up disoriented and feels horrified as she repeatedly overslept since living at the apartment. She tells Sydney that maybe it's her apartment that caused her being overslept. Sydney suggests that Juliet gets a new alarm clock instead. Feeling that something is not right at the apartment, Juliet gets someone to install CCTV that records her apartment.
Later at night, Max attempts to rape Juliet again, but she groggily wakes up. Max quickly sedates her before she can actually get a good look at him, and flees. The next morning, she oversleeps again but as she scans around the room, she finds a sedate cap under her bed.
Jack texts Juliet telling her they can have dinner at her place at 7. Jack goes to her place to place some champagne bottles. As he enters the apartment, Max is in Juliet's room masturbating over Juliet's gown. Taking Jack by surprise, Max comes up behind Jack and kills him.
Juliet has her blood and urine analyzed, which shows the sedation. She quickly runs back home, leaving Jack a message warning him not to go to her apartment. She gets home and finds her gown on her bed, which wasn't there before she left.
Moreover, when she checks the security video, Juliet witnesses the rape. She doesn't get a perfect view of the rapist, but it was Max alright. as she shakily absorbs the truth, Max knocks open her apartment door and casually greets Juliet with a drugged wine that Jack brought, but Juliet evades drinking it as she suspected Max to put some drug in it.
Undaunted and determined, Max then tries to sedate her, but when he stabs her with the needle, Juliet stabs Max with a small kitchen knife.
The chasing ensues around the apartment. After Max emerges from the one way mirror in the toilet, Juliet finally realises that there are peepholes and secret hallways that Max uses to spy on her. Max keeps chasing her around in the hidden corridors, but she defends herself with his nail gun and in passing discovers Jack's bloodied body. After failing to make Max cease harming her, Juliet finally kills him.
the Riviu:
it's hard watching a film that depicts someone that you really like as the beastly antagonist. Jeffrey Dean Morgan got me from the first grin as Denny Duquette in Grey's Anatomy. and though he was a flop in the Watchmen, I like him still. as for the Losers ?, hell yeah.
but unfortunately, this movie doesn't gel well with me. first of all, i these days choose my battles wisely. and watching a thriller, i somewhat reserve myself from being too connected emotionally with the protagonists/victims. in this movie, i don't have to. instead i felt inclined to be emotionally attuned to JDM's perverted character, Max. let me tell you, even that falls flat.
i disagreed with some of the scenes:
- a doctor won't be to0 easy to sacrifice the communication factor. i mean, as an ER surgeon, you probably need great phone reception in case you'll be called for emergency. Our Dr Juliet with no hesitation whatsoever sacrificed hers. mula la bila emergency takde line nak mintak tolong!
- at first Juliet used the fridge to block Max from entering thru the kitchen door. yet when she escaped thru the kitchen wall, she the puny miss can break the door, instead of Max the burly Alpha Male, pelik kan? power lebih plak minah ni, the perks of jogging regularly kah?
- Juliet manages to physically bring Max down by kicks, punches and whatnots. don't you realise that the puny Juliet can take Max down, twice her size? that is magic, really :sarcastic: quite effeminating Max as in person. plus, i don't understand why she had to run away everytime she knocks MAx down. hello, finish the job ok! or is it the way for the film producers to prolong the chasing scenes? dah la the nail gun isn't actually a practically death-causing tool. cuba la meat cleaver ke apa ke, no wonder Max keeps coming back like a never ending nightmare.
- how does Juliet know what antidote to take? dah kena sedation pun bleh ber-adrenaline lari ke sana ke mari.
- it is impossible to swallow the fact that not for once ever did that Juliet notices the visible movements of the bulky Max. i mean, he's behind every wall and practically under your bed, should have been easier to hear his breathing!
- when the toilet mirror breaks as Max attacks Juliet through it, not even one iota of the broken mirror hurt her. i mean, in real world, she must have at least be hurt by the glass shards and whatnots. but maybe that would be too horrendous, and thus nope, she's not hurt even in one bit.
- no plausible excuse is given to make us understand why Max is being the pervert he is. Except for the glimpse of the paper excerpt that his father killed his mother before committing a suicide, leaving him for years with his belittling, harsh, schizophrenic grandparent. adoi la. more reason please! that one only works for a teenager, not for grown Alpha Male who can just walk away and leave the house, hokay! this story is like a sinking Titanic times ten, too many waterholes.
last but not least, i feel the deal breaker was the fact that the movie doesn't pace itself well. i as one of the viewers felt that the plug was pulled so soon in revealing Max's true identity. perhaps the movie should linger on how good he is, his smiles oozing charms all the way back and more. but then the trailer had summed all the movie up. so... watch the trailer = watch the movie :)
yup, being generous: 2.5 star je. sori beb. not my kind of story.
the Trailer:
the Plot:
Juliet Devereau (Hilary Swank), an emergency room surgeon, is apartment hunting in New York City after she separated from her longtime boyfriend, Jack (Lee Pace) due to his infidelity. After home-hunting, someone calls her to inform that an apartment is available and invites her to have a look.
Juliet went to look for the apartment and considered herself lucky for being able to rent an apartment from the owner, Max (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for just $3,800 as it was large and affordable, but with the nearby subway causing noise and vibrations, occasionally even causing objects to fall off from the table.
During her first night staying at the apartment, someone is stalking Juliet, watching her undressed, took a bath, and applied lotion. While Juliet is asleep, she hears footsteps, and she thinks someone is in her apartment. She gets up to investigate. She finds her door closed, but unlocked. She finds a bagful of basic tools at her door, and she thinks Max just came to drop her a present.
The next day, Juliet and her co-worker, Syndey (Aunjanue Ellis), talk about Juliet's previous relationship with Jack, whom she caught having an affair with another woman in their bed. She can't stop thinking about him and neither can he stop thinking of her. Sydney suggests that she should find another guy, and persuades her to come with her to a party.
Later, Juliet thanks Max, her landlord and owner of the building, for sending her the flowers, but he admits that the gift was not from him, instead it was from his grandfather.
Juliet then thanks August (Christopher Lee), Max's grandfather whom also lives at the building. August explains that he wanted to put himself in her shoes, living with complete strangers. He then states that he doesn't get much company. Juliet feels uncomfortable and leaves.
Later, at a party, Juliet bumps into Max and starts to flirt with him by asking him to walk her home.
Max and Juliet spend time talking together while Jack is stalking her from across the street.
Before saying goodbye, Juliet kisses Max. She quickly apologizes, seeming that she read the wrong signal. Max walks away, confused and unsure of himself.
Juliet and Max get along on a good start, and, after being encouraged by Sydney, she decides to ask Max out on a date, at her apartment. The date goes well. When the date ends, Max leaves but Juliet quickly tells Max to wait and she kisses him passionately, and they start making out.
The movie quickly rewinds, revealing that it was Max that was stalking Juliet at night. One day, Max brings August to the hospital, Max sees Juliet and sees her name on her nametag. Then he sees a paper, saying Juliet is looking for an apartment. So, Max makes an anonymous phone call, saying there's a apartment that is not rented yet. Max planned for Juliet to live in this particular room since Max was renovating it. He built a peep-hole and a one-way mirror to stalk Juliet. It also shows that Max has also been stalking her while she is jogging or going/leaving work. He followed her at the party and made it seem that he and Juliet bumped into each other.
Back to the present: Juliet does not go through with the sex because she still has feelings for Jack. Juliet apologizes to Max. Max, upset and agitated, brushes it off and leaves Juliet's room. The next day, Juliet and Max discuss about the previous night and Juliet decides they should just be friends, and their relationship is landlord/tenant. Max is not ok with that.
Max has constructed secret corridors, peepholes, and a one-way mirror, and uses these to observe her in secret. Also, in her absence he secretly enters her apartment to touch her clothes, use her toothbrush, and lie in her bath and masturbate. He also hides under her bed and licks her fingers while she sleeps.
Max is frustrated about the fact that Jack and Juliet reconcile and have sex in the apartment. He observes this from one of his peepholes, and since this makes Max jealous, he sedates her after Jack leaves, and touches and later rapes her while she is unconscious.
Because his grandfather August, who also lives in the house, criticizes and puts him down, Max kills him. Max follows Jack after he finishes his date with Juliet.
Near a subway, he throws Jack from a flight of stairs outside and thus injuring him.
Back at home, Juliet wakes up disoriented and feels horrified as she repeatedly overslept since living at the apartment. She tells Sydney that maybe it's her apartment that caused her being overslept. Sydney suggests that Juliet gets a new alarm clock instead. Feeling that something is not right at the apartment, Juliet gets someone to install CCTV that records her apartment.
Later at night, Max attempts to rape Juliet again, but she groggily wakes up. Max quickly sedates her before she can actually get a good look at him, and flees. The next morning, she oversleeps again but as she scans around the room, she finds a sedate cap under her bed.
Jack texts Juliet telling her they can have dinner at her place at 7. Jack goes to her place to place some champagne bottles. As he enters the apartment, Max is in Juliet's room masturbating over Juliet's gown. Taking Jack by surprise, Max comes up behind Jack and kills him.
Juliet has her blood and urine analyzed, which shows the sedation. She quickly runs back home, leaving Jack a message warning him not to go to her apartment. She gets home and finds her gown on her bed, which wasn't there before she left.
Moreover, when she checks the security video, Juliet witnesses the rape. She doesn't get a perfect view of the rapist, but it was Max alright. as she shakily absorbs the truth, Max knocks open her apartment door and casually greets Juliet with a drugged wine that Jack brought, but Juliet evades drinking it as she suspected Max to put some drug in it.
Undaunted and determined, Max then tries to sedate her, but when he stabs her with the needle, Juliet stabs Max with a small kitchen knife.
The chasing ensues around the apartment. After Max emerges from the one way mirror in the toilet, Juliet finally realises that there are peepholes and secret hallways that Max uses to spy on her. Max keeps chasing her around in the hidden corridors, but she defends herself with his nail gun and in passing discovers Jack's bloodied body. After failing to make Max cease harming her, Juliet finally kills him.
the Riviu:
it's hard watching a film that depicts someone that you really like as the beastly antagonist. Jeffrey Dean Morgan got me from the first grin as Denny Duquette in Grey's Anatomy. and though he was a flop in the Watchmen, I like him still. as for the Losers ?, hell yeah.
but unfortunately, this movie doesn't gel well with me. first of all, i these days choose my battles wisely. and watching a thriller, i somewhat reserve myself from being too connected emotionally with the protagonists/victims. in this movie, i don't have to. instead i felt inclined to be emotionally attuned to JDM's perverted character, Max. let me tell you, even that falls flat.
i disagreed with some of the scenes:
- a doctor won't be to0 easy to sacrifice the communication factor. i mean, as an ER surgeon, you probably need great phone reception in case you'll be called for emergency. Our Dr Juliet with no hesitation whatsoever sacrificed hers. mula la bila emergency takde line nak mintak tolong!
- at first Juliet used the fridge to block Max from entering thru the kitchen door. yet when she escaped thru the kitchen wall, she the puny miss can break the door, instead of Max the burly Alpha Male, pelik kan? power lebih plak minah ni, the perks of jogging regularly kah?
- Juliet manages to physically bring Max down by kicks, punches and whatnots. don't you realise that the puny Juliet can take Max down, twice her size? that is magic, really :sarcastic: quite effeminating Max as in person. plus, i don't understand why she had to run away everytime she knocks MAx down. hello, finish the job ok! or is it the way for the film producers to prolong the chasing scenes? dah la the nail gun isn't actually a practically death-causing tool. cuba la meat cleaver ke apa ke, no wonder Max keeps coming back like a never ending nightmare.
- how does Juliet know what antidote to take? dah kena sedation pun bleh ber-adrenaline lari ke sana ke mari.
- it is impossible to swallow the fact that not for once ever did that Juliet notices the visible movements of the bulky Max. i mean, he's behind every wall and practically under your bed, should have been easier to hear his breathing!
- when the toilet mirror breaks as Max attacks Juliet through it, not even one iota of the broken mirror hurt her. i mean, in real world, she must have at least be hurt by the glass shards and whatnots. but maybe that would be too horrendous, and thus nope, she's not hurt even in one bit.
- no plausible excuse is given to make us understand why Max is being the pervert he is. Except for the glimpse of the paper excerpt that his father killed his mother before committing a suicide, leaving him for years with his belittling, harsh, schizophrenic grandparent. adoi la. more reason please! that one only works for a teenager, not for grown Alpha Male who can just walk away and leave the house, hokay! this story is like a sinking Titanic times ten, too many waterholes.
last but not least, i feel the deal breaker was the fact that the movie doesn't pace itself well. i as one of the viewers felt that the plug was pulled so soon in revealing Max's true identity. perhaps the movie should linger on how good he is, his smiles oozing charms all the way back and more. but then the trailer had summed all the movie up. so... watch the trailer = watch the movie :)
yup, being generous: 2.5 star je. sori beb. not my kind of story.
Monday, May 21, 2012
just notes #1
i've been actively reviewing films this month and posting it on Slow Poke. so it wasn't a surprise to note that viewership for the last month had risen to be a 4-digit number.
that much, huh?
thanks for dropping by and showing your support. perhaps you'd like to drop comments or going the extra mile by being a follower to this blog.
by the way, it's interesting to note that the following pieces hold the top number 3 spots as the post with most views:
hmmm, mash-ups of different genre. and again, i invite your suggestions for any movie that you would like to appear here. i swear, i'll try to do it less slowpoke-ish :)
that much, huh?
thanks for dropping by and showing your support. perhaps you'd like to drop comments or going the extra mile by being a follower to this blog.
by the way, it's interesting to note that the following pieces hold the top number 3 spots as the post with most views:
- the Clash of the Titans
- Zoolander
- the Adventures of Tintin
hmmm, mash-ups of different genre. and again, i invite your suggestions for any movie that you would like to appear here. i swear, i'll try to do it less slowpoke-ish :)
Sunday, May 20, 2012
the Mummy: BF's machismo and RW's sweet gumption :)
the Poster:
the Trailer:
the Plot:
In Egypt, 1290 BC, high priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) engages in an affair with Anck-su-Namun (Patricia Velasquez), the mistress of Pharaoh Seti I (Aharon Ipale).
When the Pharaoh discovers their tryst, Imhotep and Anck-su-Namun murder the monarch. Imhotep flees with his fellow Egyptian priests. Seti's guards, the Medjai then enter the room, to see only Ankh-sun-Amun and the dead pharaoh. Anck-su-Namun then kills herself, intending for Imhotep to resurrect her.
After Anck-su-Namun's burial, Imhotep breaks into her crypt and steals her corpse. He and his priests flee across the desert to Hamunaptra, the city of the dead, where they begin the resurrection ceremony. However, they are caught by Seti's guards before the ritual can be completed, and Anck-su-Namun's soul is sent back to the Underworld. For their sacrilege, Imhotep's priests are mummified alive, and Imhotep himself is forced to endure the curse of Hom Dai: his tongue is cut out, and he is buried alive with flesh-eating scarabs.
The ritual forces Imhotep to endure the agony of his wounds for all eternity. He is buried under high security, sealed away in a sarcophagus below a statue of the Egyptian god Anubis, and kept under strict surveillance by several generations of Medjai, for if Imhotep is ever released, the powers that made him immortal will allow him to unleash a wave of destruction and death upon the Earth.
In 1926, Cairo librarian and aspiring Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) is presented with an intricate box and map by her bumbling older brother Jonathan (John Hannah), who says he found it in Thebes.
After the pair discover the map leads to Hamunaptra, Jonathan reveals he actually stole it from an American named Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser), who is currently in prison.
Rick tells them that he knows the location of the city because his unit of the French Foreign Legion reached the fabled city, only to be overrun by hostile Bedouins three years ago. He makes a deal with Evelyn to reveal the location of Hamunaptra, in exchange for Evelyn saving Rick from being hanged. And Evelyn closed that deal by promising the jail warden (Omid Djalili) 25% of the treasure worth, rumored to be kept at Hamanuptra.
Rick leads Evelyn and Jonathan's small expedition to the city, where the group encounters a band of American treasure hunters, Burns (Tuc Watkins), Daniels (Corey Johnson) and Henderson (Stephen Dunham), led by the famed British Egyptologist Dr. Allen Chamberlain (Jonathan Hyde) and guided by Beni Gabor (Kevin J. O'Connor), a cowardly former Legion soldier and former comrade of Rick, who had hidden himself in Hamunaptra during the Bedouins' attack.
Shortly after reaching Hamunaptra, both groups are attacked by the Medjai, led by a warrior named Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr). Ardeth warns them of the evil buried in the city, but rather than heed his warning, the two expeditions continue to excavate in separate portions of the city.
Evelyn is looking for the Book of Amun-Ra, a solid gold book supposedly capable of taking life away, but unexpectedly comes across the remains of Imhotep instead.
The team of Americans, meanwhile, discover a box containing the black Book of the Dead, accompanied by canopic jars carrying Anck-su-Namun's preserved organs; Chamberlain takes the Book of the Dead while each of the Americans takes a jar as loot. Before opening the box, Chamberlain reads an engraving saying that any and all who open the box are cursed to mutilation of their flesh if Imhotep is awakened. The men ignore the warnings, but Beni refuses to assist them, and flees.
At night, Evelyn takes the Book of the Dead from the sleeping Chamberlain and reads a page aloud, accidentally awakening Imhotep.
The priest's resurrection awakens the camp and they search the pyramid for the cause of commotion.
Burns is found by Imhotep and his eyes and tongue are taken from him for Imhotep's use.
Although both groups return to Cairo, Imhotep eventually finds them with help from Beni, who bargained with Imhotep in exchange for fortune and his life. Imhotep finishes absorbing Burns and eventually absorbs Chamberlain and Henderson.
Rick, Evelyn, Jonathan, and Daniels head to the museum in search of clues to put Imhotep back to rest, only to find Ardeth speaking with the curator, Terrance Bey, who is also a Medjai. After Evelyn reveals that Imhotep referred to her as Anck-su-Namun at the pyramid, Ardeth and Terrance hypothesize that Imhotep is indeed seeking to resurrect his love once more and has chosen his sacrifice: Evelyn. Evelyn hypothesises that if the Book of the Dead brought Imhotep back to life, the Book of Amun-Ra can kill the high priest once again.
Shortly after discovering the location of the Book, Imhotep, now with an army of brainwashed slaves, corners the group, in the process absorbing Daniels and fully restoring his power. Evelyn agrees to accompany Imhotep if he spares the lives of the rest of the group. Rick reluctantly agrees to do so, only for Imhotep to go back on his word and order his slaves to kill them. Luckily, Ardeth discovers an entrance to the sewers and they escape. Terrance stays behind to hold off the horde of slaves to allow the rest to escape at the cost of his own life.
Imhotep, with Evelyn and Beni in tow, returns to Hamunaptra, pursued by Rick, Jonathan, and Ardeth.
Evelyn is rescued after an intense battle with Imhotep's mummified priests, and she reads from the Book of Amun-Ra. Imhotep becomes mortal, and Rick stabs him, forcing him into the River of Death. Rapidly decaying, Imhotep leaves the world of the living, vowing revenge with the same words he carved into his sarcophogus, Death is only the beginning. While taking his promised treasure from the pyramid, Beni accidentally sets off an ancient booby trap and is trapped by a swarm of flesh-eating scarabs as Hamunaptra begins to collapse into the sand. The heroes escape, although they lose the book of Amun Ra in the process, and ride off into the sunset on a pair of camels laden with treasure that Beni took earlier on.
the Riviu:
this movie is my cult movie back in the year 1999. the mix of Rick's machismo and Errol Flynnish attitude, Evie's sweet gumption and daring, Jonathan's comic timing and sheer good luck was the recipe that moves this movie into fan's heart.
Imhotep, the villain was antagonistic enough and though the legend of his power once resurrected was rumored to cause 10 plagues on Egypt, i was like disappointed to see that the plagues were quite limited. for example it is said that his power shall cover the whole Egypt into total darkness, still, the scene at the desert was done during a bright sunny day. and to think that his power only extends (or rather contained) to Egypt only, well, these people should just move out of Egypt. Settle masalah kan?
i much prefer the sequel "the Mummy Returns". that one is pure genius despite the CGI-ish look of the Scorpion King. but then, that's just me :)
4 star for this film, just because i love the chemistry shared by Rick, Evie and Jonathan. these 3 guys win my vote anytime of the day (^^,)v
the Trailer:
the Plot:
In Egypt, 1290 BC, high priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) engages in an affair with Anck-su-Namun (Patricia Velasquez), the mistress of Pharaoh Seti I (Aharon Ipale).
When the Pharaoh discovers their tryst, Imhotep and Anck-su-Namun murder the monarch. Imhotep flees with his fellow Egyptian priests. Seti's guards, the Medjai then enter the room, to see only Ankh-sun-Amun and the dead pharaoh. Anck-su-Namun then kills herself, intending for Imhotep to resurrect her.
After Anck-su-Namun's burial, Imhotep breaks into her crypt and steals her corpse. He and his priests flee across the desert to Hamunaptra, the city of the dead, where they begin the resurrection ceremony. However, they are caught by Seti's guards before the ritual can be completed, and Anck-su-Namun's soul is sent back to the Underworld. For their sacrilege, Imhotep's priests are mummified alive, and Imhotep himself is forced to endure the curse of Hom Dai: his tongue is cut out, and he is buried alive with flesh-eating scarabs.
The ritual forces Imhotep to endure the agony of his wounds for all eternity. He is buried under high security, sealed away in a sarcophagus below a statue of the Egyptian god Anubis, and kept under strict surveillance by several generations of Medjai, for if Imhotep is ever released, the powers that made him immortal will allow him to unleash a wave of destruction and death upon the Earth.
In 1926, Cairo librarian and aspiring Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) is presented with an intricate box and map by her bumbling older brother Jonathan (John Hannah), who says he found it in Thebes.
After the pair discover the map leads to Hamunaptra, Jonathan reveals he actually stole it from an American named Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser), who is currently in prison.
Rick tells them that he knows the location of the city because his unit of the French Foreign Legion reached the fabled city, only to be overrun by hostile Bedouins three years ago. He makes a deal with Evelyn to reveal the location of Hamunaptra, in exchange for Evelyn saving Rick from being hanged. And Evelyn closed that deal by promising the jail warden (Omid Djalili) 25% of the treasure worth, rumored to be kept at Hamanuptra.
Rick leads Evelyn and Jonathan's small expedition to the city, where the group encounters a band of American treasure hunters, Burns (Tuc Watkins), Daniels (Corey Johnson) and Henderson (Stephen Dunham), led by the famed British Egyptologist Dr. Allen Chamberlain (Jonathan Hyde) and guided by Beni Gabor (Kevin J. O'Connor), a cowardly former Legion soldier and former comrade of Rick, who had hidden himself in Hamunaptra during the Bedouins' attack.
Shortly after reaching Hamunaptra, both groups are attacked by the Medjai, led by a warrior named Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr). Ardeth warns them of the evil buried in the city, but rather than heed his warning, the two expeditions continue to excavate in separate portions of the city.
Evelyn is looking for the Book of Amun-Ra, a solid gold book supposedly capable of taking life away, but unexpectedly comes across the remains of Imhotep instead.
The team of Americans, meanwhile, discover a box containing the black Book of the Dead, accompanied by canopic jars carrying Anck-su-Namun's preserved organs; Chamberlain takes the Book of the Dead while each of the Americans takes a jar as loot. Before opening the box, Chamberlain reads an engraving saying that any and all who open the box are cursed to mutilation of their flesh if Imhotep is awakened. The men ignore the warnings, but Beni refuses to assist them, and flees.
At night, Evelyn takes the Book of the Dead from the sleeping Chamberlain and reads a page aloud, accidentally awakening Imhotep.
The priest's resurrection awakens the camp and they search the pyramid for the cause of commotion.
Burns is found by Imhotep and his eyes and tongue are taken from him for Imhotep's use.
Although both groups return to Cairo, Imhotep eventually finds them with help from Beni, who bargained with Imhotep in exchange for fortune and his life. Imhotep finishes absorbing Burns and eventually absorbs Chamberlain and Henderson.
Rick, Evelyn, Jonathan, and Daniels head to the museum in search of clues to put Imhotep back to rest, only to find Ardeth speaking with the curator, Terrance Bey, who is also a Medjai. After Evelyn reveals that Imhotep referred to her as Anck-su-Namun at the pyramid, Ardeth and Terrance hypothesize that Imhotep is indeed seeking to resurrect his love once more and has chosen his sacrifice: Evelyn. Evelyn hypothesises that if the Book of the Dead brought Imhotep back to life, the Book of Amun-Ra can kill the high priest once again.
Shortly after discovering the location of the Book, Imhotep, now with an army of brainwashed slaves, corners the group, in the process absorbing Daniels and fully restoring his power. Evelyn agrees to accompany Imhotep if he spares the lives of the rest of the group. Rick reluctantly agrees to do so, only for Imhotep to go back on his word and order his slaves to kill them. Luckily, Ardeth discovers an entrance to the sewers and they escape. Terrance stays behind to hold off the horde of slaves to allow the rest to escape at the cost of his own life.
Imhotep, with Evelyn and Beni in tow, returns to Hamunaptra, pursued by Rick, Jonathan, and Ardeth.
Evelyn is rescued after an intense battle with Imhotep's mummified priests, and she reads from the Book of Amun-Ra. Imhotep becomes mortal, and Rick stabs him, forcing him into the River of Death. Rapidly decaying, Imhotep leaves the world of the living, vowing revenge with the same words he carved into his sarcophogus, Death is only the beginning. While taking his promised treasure from the pyramid, Beni accidentally sets off an ancient booby trap and is trapped by a swarm of flesh-eating scarabs as Hamunaptra begins to collapse into the sand. The heroes escape, although they lose the book of Amun Ra in the process, and ride off into the sunset on a pair of camels laden with treasure that Beni took earlier on.
the Riviu:
this movie is my cult movie back in the year 1999. the mix of Rick's machismo and Errol Flynnish attitude, Evie's sweet gumption and daring, Jonathan's comic timing and sheer good luck was the recipe that moves this movie into fan's heart.
Imhotep, the villain was antagonistic enough and though the legend of his power once resurrected was rumored to cause 10 plagues on Egypt, i was like disappointed to see that the plagues were quite limited. for example it is said that his power shall cover the whole Egypt into total darkness, still, the scene at the desert was done during a bright sunny day. and to think that his power only extends (or rather contained) to Egypt only, well, these people should just move out of Egypt. Settle masalah kan?
i much prefer the sequel "the Mummy Returns". that one is pure genius despite the CGI-ish look of the Scorpion King. but then, that's just me :)
4 star for this film, just because i love the chemistry shared by Rick, Evie and Jonathan. these 3 guys win my vote anytime of the day (^^,)v
Shrek Forever After: the Final Chapter with a BANG!
the Poster:
the Trailer:
the Plot:
Before Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) and Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) rescue Princess Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) in the first film, desperate to lift their daughter's curse, King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews) meet with con artist Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohm), who wishes to become King of Far Far Away in exchange for helping them. But before the deal is contracted, the King and Queen learn that Fiona has been rescued. Rumpelstiltskin is then shown to have become washed up as a result and subsequently bitter towards Shrek for inadvertently ruining his plans.
In the present, Shrek has steadily grown tired of being a family man and celebrity among the local villagers, leading him to yearn for the days when he felt like a "real ogre". He takes his family to Far Far Away to celebrate his children's first birthday. Shrek gets annoyed when the three little pigs eat the kids' cake along with most of the other party food. A boy named Butterpants demands that Shrek roar. After he lets out a frustrated roar the entire crowd cheers, reinforcing his belief that no one considers him to be a true ogre. This coupled with the fact that the birthday cakes were decorated with a "cute" Ogre named "Sprinkles" finally makes Shrek snap and he smashes the new birthday cake in anger. He and Fiona argue outside about his reaction which ends with Shrek saying that he wished he had never rescued her.
After storming off, Shrek encounters Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpel, who had observed Shrek's angry outburst with Fiona, seizes his chance. He follows Shrek and arranges what appears to be an accident where he is trapped under his carriage. Shrek helps him and Rumpel being "grateful", gives Shrek a ride and a meal.
When Shrek voices his frustrations, Rumpel offers to give Shrek a day to live like a real ogre in exchange for a day from his childhood that he would not remember being erased. Shrek signs the contract and appears in a reality where he is still feared by villagers. He takes the opportunity to cause some light hearted mischief until he finds wanted posters for the ogress Fiona and his home deserted and desolate. He is kidnapped by witches and taken to Rumpelstiltskin, now the King of Far Far Away and possibly Emperor of a good deal more, which has become derelict and run down. Rumpelstiltskin uses ogres and some of Shrek's friends as slave labor.
Upon inquiry, Rumpelstiltskin reveals that the day he erased was the day that Shrek was born.
Therefore, Shrek never saved Fiona, never met Donkey, and consequently Rumpelstiltskin was able to get Harold and Lillian to sign their kingdom away, then cause them to disappear. When the day ends, Shrek will fade from existence. Shrek escapes Rumpelstiltskin's castle with Donkey.
Initially terrified of Shrek, Donkey decides to trust him after seeing Shrek cry over his lost past, something he had never seen an ogre do before. After Shrek explains the situation, Donkey helps him find a loophole: the contract will be nullified if Shrek and Fiona share true love's kiss. Shrek and Donkey first travel to the dragon's keep where Fiona was kept and find the place deserted. They soon encounter a band of ogres who are resisting Rumpelstiltskin.
The ogres are led by Fiona, who is still cursed after escaping from the tower where she was held captive, and keeps the retired and overweight Puss in Boots as a pet.
Shrek does everything he can to gain Fiona's love, but she is too busy preparing an ambush on Rumpelstiltskin. She is also bitterly cynical and disillusioned about the power of true love and throws herself into planning Rumpelstiltskin's capture. While sparring with her, Fiona begins to like Shrek, but stops short of kissing him. Shrek is discouraged, but Puss encourages him to continue pursuing Fiona.
During the ambush, the ogres are captured by the Pied Piper, though Shrek and Fiona managed to escape with the intervention of Puss and Donkey. Shrek insists Fiona kiss him, saying it will fix everything, but because Fiona does not truly love him it is ineffective. Upon hearing that Rumpelstiltskin is offering anything desired by the one who captures Shrek, Shrek surrenders himself in exchange for all the ogres being released. Fiona remains in custody because she is only an ogre by night (as Stiltskin himself points out).
Shrek and Fiona are to be fed to Dragon, but Donkey, Puss and the ogres raid Rumpelstiltskin's castle, allowing Shrek and Fiona to both subdue Dragon and capture Rumpelstiltskin.
As the sun rises, Shrek begins to fade from existence. But Fiona, having fallen in love with him, kisses him just before he disappears, thereby voiding the contract and restoring the world to just before Shrek originally lashed out at everyone. Shrek embraces his friends and family with a newfound appreciation for everything he has, truly living happily ever after.
the Riviu:
after over using all the fairy tales, left right front, and back for the 3rd Shrek movie installments, the fourth that is the Final Chapter of Shrek's happily ever after finally did it right, in a classic style as the first Shrek movie was.
the storyline is solid and believable. it was kinda sad really, that Shrek had to lose all that he hold dear: love, kids, friends, before he could really appreciate what he has.
but then things start to fall into their right places as Shrek struggled to nullify the contract, getting a true love kiss from Fiona with the help from his friends, the ever talkative Donkey and obese Puss.
heck. i'd rate it 4.5 just because of Puss' obese figure, hahahah..
the Trailer:
the Plot:
Before Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) and Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) rescue Princess Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) in the first film, desperate to lift their daughter's curse, King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews) meet with con artist Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohm), who wishes to become King of Far Far Away in exchange for helping them. But before the deal is contracted, the King and Queen learn that Fiona has been rescued. Rumpelstiltskin is then shown to have become washed up as a result and subsequently bitter towards Shrek for inadvertently ruining his plans.
In the present, Shrek has steadily grown tired of being a family man and celebrity among the local villagers, leading him to yearn for the days when he felt like a "real ogre". He takes his family to Far Far Away to celebrate his children's first birthday. Shrek gets annoyed when the three little pigs eat the kids' cake along with most of the other party food. A boy named Butterpants demands that Shrek roar. After he lets out a frustrated roar the entire crowd cheers, reinforcing his belief that no one considers him to be a true ogre. This coupled with the fact that the birthday cakes were decorated with a "cute" Ogre named "Sprinkles" finally makes Shrek snap and he smashes the new birthday cake in anger. He and Fiona argue outside about his reaction which ends with Shrek saying that he wished he had never rescued her.
After storming off, Shrek encounters Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpel, who had observed Shrek's angry outburst with Fiona, seizes his chance. He follows Shrek and arranges what appears to be an accident where he is trapped under his carriage. Shrek helps him and Rumpel being "grateful", gives Shrek a ride and a meal.
When Shrek voices his frustrations, Rumpel offers to give Shrek a day to live like a real ogre in exchange for a day from his childhood that he would not remember being erased. Shrek signs the contract and appears in a reality where he is still feared by villagers. He takes the opportunity to cause some light hearted mischief until he finds wanted posters for the ogress Fiona and his home deserted and desolate. He is kidnapped by witches and taken to Rumpelstiltskin, now the King of Far Far Away and possibly Emperor of a good deal more, which has become derelict and run down. Rumpelstiltskin uses ogres and some of Shrek's friends as slave labor.
Upon inquiry, Rumpelstiltskin reveals that the day he erased was the day that Shrek was born.
Therefore, Shrek never saved Fiona, never met Donkey, and consequently Rumpelstiltskin was able to get Harold and Lillian to sign their kingdom away, then cause them to disappear. When the day ends, Shrek will fade from existence. Shrek escapes Rumpelstiltskin's castle with Donkey.
Initially terrified of Shrek, Donkey decides to trust him after seeing Shrek cry over his lost past, something he had never seen an ogre do before. After Shrek explains the situation, Donkey helps him find a loophole: the contract will be nullified if Shrek and Fiona share true love's kiss. Shrek and Donkey first travel to the dragon's keep where Fiona was kept and find the place deserted. They soon encounter a band of ogres who are resisting Rumpelstiltskin.
The ogres are led by Fiona, who is still cursed after escaping from the tower where she was held captive, and keeps the retired and overweight Puss in Boots as a pet.
Shrek does everything he can to gain Fiona's love, but she is too busy preparing an ambush on Rumpelstiltskin. She is also bitterly cynical and disillusioned about the power of true love and throws herself into planning Rumpelstiltskin's capture. While sparring with her, Fiona begins to like Shrek, but stops short of kissing him. Shrek is discouraged, but Puss encourages him to continue pursuing Fiona.
During the ambush, the ogres are captured by the Pied Piper, though Shrek and Fiona managed to escape with the intervention of Puss and Donkey. Shrek insists Fiona kiss him, saying it will fix everything, but because Fiona does not truly love him it is ineffective. Upon hearing that Rumpelstiltskin is offering anything desired by the one who captures Shrek, Shrek surrenders himself in exchange for all the ogres being released. Fiona remains in custody because she is only an ogre by night (as Stiltskin himself points out).
Shrek and Fiona are to be fed to Dragon, but Donkey, Puss and the ogres raid Rumpelstiltskin's castle, allowing Shrek and Fiona to both subdue Dragon and capture Rumpelstiltskin.
As the sun rises, Shrek begins to fade from existence. But Fiona, having fallen in love with him, kisses him just before he disappears, thereby voiding the contract and restoring the world to just before Shrek originally lashed out at everyone. Shrek embraces his friends and family with a newfound appreciation for everything he has, truly living happily ever after.
the Riviu:
after over using all the fairy tales, left right front, and back for the 3rd Shrek movie installments, the fourth that is the Final Chapter of Shrek's happily ever after finally did it right, in a classic style as the first Shrek movie was.
the storyline is solid and believable. it was kinda sad really, that Shrek had to lose all that he hold dear: love, kids, friends, before he could really appreciate what he has.
but then things start to fall into their right places as Shrek struggled to nullify the contract, getting a true love kiss from Fiona with the help from his friends, the ever talkative Donkey and obese Puss.
heck. i'd rate it 4.5 just because of Puss' obese figure, hahahah..
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