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May 03, 2024, 03:04:43 AM |  Paul |
Year: 2011
Director: Greg Mottola
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman
Overview: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite as sci-fi geeks taking a pilgrimage to America's UFO heartland. There they meet a smart-ass alien, Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), who takes them on an insane road trip. As they struggle to return Paul home, the little green man might just take the outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes.
From the director of Superbad, Greg Mottola, with a stellar supporting cast including Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio Sigourney Weaver, PAUL is a must-own comedy adventure not to be missed!
Watched: 10th Jun 2011
My Thoughts: A fun, enjoyable comedy. As to be expected there were loads of references to other sci-fi films, I know I got some but probably missed quite a few as well. The best one for me was the classic line spoken by Lt. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from Aliens - "Get away from her you bitch!" - used in this film against The Big Guy (Sigourney Weaver).
My Rating: A very enjoyable 4
(From Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews on June 18th, 2011)
Member's Reviews
Rope, a review by Jon
Rope (1948)
4 out of 5
Farley Granger and John Dall play two friends who have committed an audacious murder in their own apartment, shortly before a party with several friends and relatives of the recently deceased David, who is hidden inside a chest which they have made the centre-piece. Amongst the guests is James Stewart, the moral but unwitting inspiration for the plan.
In Rope, Hitchcock set himself a challenge by using a single set (the apartment) and one camera. He also intended to use one take, but as Achim already mentioned, was limited by 10 minute reels. But you have to look for the joins to spot them and they are very clever. Far from a mere experiment, Rope is a dark little moral tale that’s great fun to watch unfold.
So overall, it feels like a play, though far more dynamic and Hitchcock doesn’t waste a second. The screenplay (by Hume Cronyn) and actors are so good that the story would have worked if the camera was static, but he moves it around like an invisible guest, treating the chest with the body inside like an axis. Every time it is in shot the tension is tightened, none more so than when the maid starts to clear it towards the tail end of the evening.
The screenplay is brilliant at following two broad themes: the murderers getting a thrill from hiding David and the others considering David’s role in their lives and where he could be, subconsciously turning detective between them. The camera works to smoothly switch the emotional focus between the discussions and uses the chest to twist the audience’s perceptions.
Key to this is Rupert (James Stewart in his first Hitchcock role). While there are scenes similar to earlier films like Lifeboat, which overlap dialogue, he is the only one who can join in on both sides, especially as he has the least connection to David. He wonders where he is, but can consider all the evidence rationally, and it’s his own theories Brandon (John Dall) has used as inspiration for the murder; that it is ones moral right to kill someone inferior. So it is he who makes the link between his hosts’ strange behaviour and the possibility of a crime. Rupert is the closest character for the viewer and probably the director himself. While the subject could become pompous, he is a safety net for the audience in more ways than one. He enjoys the idea of murder, but could he actually go that far? Stewart is fantastic, quickly establishing himself as an intelligent, but rather manipulative and mischievous character (the discussion about Grant and Bergman is particularly funny).
The rest of the cast are excellent too, but Granger and Dall are particularly good because they are so different. They sort of represent each other, with Dall enjoying the thrill and Granger falling apart, while only hinting that they share the emotions. Interestingly it is Granger that actually did the throttling.
Rope is an excellent example of cinema and demonstrates how well all the elements can blend. Acting, writing and direction have to balance for a film like this to work. By restricting the action to one set, there’s no room for prevarication or indulgence, yet it is so much fun.
I thought it a nice touch that all the credits were centred on the most important character: David’s friends, David’s Aunt, David’s this, etc.
(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on July 20th, 2009)
Member's TV Reviews
Tom's Time-Travel Movie Reviews, a review by Tom
 | The Triangle (2005/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia
| [tom]5060049147864.4b.jpg[/tom] |
Stars:
Eric Stoltz as Howard Thomas
Catherine Bell as Emily Patterson
Lou Diamond Phillips as Meeno Paloma
Bruce Davison as Stan Lathem
Michael Rodgers as Bruce Geller
Plot:
Billionaire Eric Benireall (Sam Neill) is losing his cargo ships and their crews at a frightening pace - and he wants answers. His bemused, hand-picked team of a subject-specific experts include: sceptical tabloid journalist Howard Thomas (Eric Stoltz), ocean resource engineer Emily Patterson (Catherine Bell), scientist/adventurer Bruce Geller (Michael Rodgers), and psychic Stan Latham (Bruce Davison). Recruited with the promise of unlimited funding for their research and the chance for once-in-a-lifetime riches, the team sets out to solve this most daunting of puzzles.
Awards:
Won:
| Saturn (2005) | Best Television Presentation |
| Saturn (2005) | Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series (Sam Neill) | |
| Saturn (2005) | Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series (Catherine Bell) |
Extras:
- Featurettes
- Interviews
My Thoughts:
A three-part miniseries about a group of people investigating the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. The story plays with time-travel and alternate reality. I enjoyed this series. I liked the first part the most, but also the ending was nice.Rating:
(From Tom's Time-Travel Movie Reviews on April 13th, 2013)