In case you will ever get trapped in a parking garage and are kidnapped by a psycho on Christmas Eve, don’t count on 911 because they will put you on hold for at least five minutes. This is just one of many absurdities I counted in “P2,” a dreadful horror thriller in which the plot is painfully monotonous, suspense is conspicuously absent, and the characters…
À BOUT DE SOUFFLE
Michel Poiccard’s not a regular guy. He’s French, but he wish he was American. He likes the American way of life, at least the one he sees at the movies. The big cars, the money, the cool look, the careless attitude… With his hat and sunglasses, Michel’s almost unstoppable. Basically, he’s no gangster. He goes from place to place, robbing cars, meeting people, banging girls……
The Harry Potter saga
“That’s why you’re famous, Harry, that’s why everybody knows your name. You’re the boy who lived.” Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001, Chris Columbus)72 [ review ] “Of course! Phoenix tears have healing powers.” Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002, Chris Colombus)66 [ review ] “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on…
La saga ROCKY
Rocky (1976, John Avildsen) [ Les deux premiers actes de Rocky, c’est Paterson 40 ans avant l’heure. Sylvester Stallone est un poète. ] Rocky II (1979, Sylvester Stallone) [ Sylvester Stallone est toujours aussi charismatique en Rocky Balboa, mais la majorité du récit s’efforce à le transformer à nouveau en nobody qui a de la misère à gagner sa vie, ce qui est assez…
La Dolce Vita
Federico Fellini is a brilliant filmmaker who has a unique style. La Dolce Vita” is wonderfully crafted, with gorgeous black & white photography, exceptional direction of actors and unconventional but engrossing storytelling. One of the great things about this movie is how it reveals its themes only gradually, as you grow more and more involved in it. For most of this near 3 hour long…
2006 log (1)
(1 Jan) Amadeus (1984, Milos Forman)84 [ Part of the AFI list (#53) ] (2 Jan) MASH (1970, Robert Altman)27 [ Part of the AFI list (#56) ] (3 Jan) Hostel (2006, Eli Roth)[ review ]52 (4 Jan) François Girard en trois actes (2006, Mathieu Roy)80 [ Reviewed for Voir ] (9 Jan) Ballets Russes (2006, Dan Geller & Dayna Goldfine)71 [ Reviewed for Voir…
Chris Botti and Friends NIGHT SESSIONS: live in concert
As I was watching the first few numbers on this DVD, which was originally taped live at L.A.’s El Rey Theater in December 2001for DIRECTV, I kept wondering where I’d heard this sound before. Then on came Sting to lend his voice to Botti’s trumpet (he and Shawn Colvin are the “friends” who each guest for a couple of tunes) and I made the connection….
GOOD WILL HUNTING
Movie Infos Title: Good Will Hunting Rating: Year: 1997 Director: Gus Van Sant Matt Damon stars as Will Hunting, the closest thing to a kid from the wrong side of the tracks you could imagine. Abandoned, poor and abused, he has nothing on his side, except an unbelievable intelligence. The guy’s devouring book after book, and he learns at an amazing speed. And as far…
HARD BOILED
I first saw “Hard-Boiled” in the mid to late ’90s, in the defining period of my development as a cinéphile. I’ve always loved movies but as a kid, it was mostly mainstream Hollywood action flicks and comedies. Then came “Pulp Fiction”, which made me realize that film was an art form, not “just” entertainment. Thanks to Tarantino’s non-stop raving about his influences, this led me…
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder’s Screenwriting Tips (As told to Cameron Crowe): 1. The audience is fickle. 2. Grab ’em by the throat and never let ’em go. 3. Develop a clean line of action for your leading character. 4. Know where you’re going. 5. The more subtle and elegant you are in hiding your plot points, the better you are as a writer. 6. If you have…