Friday, March 30, 2012

Unrest


2006 Independent Horror Film

Director: Jason Todd Ipson

Writer: Chris Billett & Jason Todd Ipson

Cinematography: Michael Fimognari

Running time: 88 minutes

Country: United States

Tagline: Don't Scream. You'll Wake the Dead.

Cast:
Corri English as Alison Blanchard
Marisa Petroro as Alita Covas
Ben Livingston as Ivan Verbukh
Abner Genece as Malcolm Little
Derrick O'Connor as Dr. Blackwell
Scot Davis as Brian Cross
Joshua Alba as Carlos Aclar
Jay Jablonski as Rick O'Connor
Reb Fleming as Dr. Saltz
Anna Johnson as Jennifer
J.C. Cunningham as Medical Records
Terence Goodman as Officer
Rhett Willman as Security

Plot
A young pathology med student suspects that the spirit of a dead cadaver in the hospital morgue where she works is killing off all those who handle or desecrate the body.

Awards:
  1. Jury Prize-Best Art Direction Alex Boynton-Austin Fantastic Fest
  2. Jury Award-Best Director Jason Todd Ipson-Chicago Horror Film Festival
  3. Jury Award-Best Feature Film Jason Todd Ipson- Chicago Horror Film Festival
  4. Horror Award-Best Actress Corri English-Phoenix International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival

Trivia 
The film was shot in a real morgue, where the cast experienced some haunting dreams. The trailer claims that real bodies were used. However, this is not the first film to use real bodies. In the 1982 film Poltergeist, in the scene where the mother falls into the pool and the skeletons attack her, the skeletons used were real, and were buried in the spot of the set. Likewise, in the 1987 Hong Kong film Men Behind the Sun, a genuine child's body was used for an autopsy scene.

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3 stars out of 5 stars




Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby


2006 American Comedy Film

Director: Adam McKay

Writer: Adam McKay & Will Ferrell

Cinematography: Oliver Wood

Running time: 108 minutes

Country: United States

Tagline: The story of a man who could only count to #1

Cast:
Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby
John C. Reilly as Cal Naughton Jr
Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard
Michael Clarke Duncan as Lucius Washington
Leslie Bibb as Carly Bobby
Gary Cole as Reese Bobby
Jane Lynch as Lucy Bobby
Amy Adams as Susan
Houston Tumlin as Walker
Grayson Russell as Texas Ranger
Andy Richter as Gregory,
Pat Hingle as Larry Dennit Sr
Greg Germann as Larry Dennit Jr
Ted Manson as Chip
Molly Shannon as Mrs. Dennit
David Koechner as Hershell
Ian Roberts as Kyle
Jack McBrayer as Glenn
Adam McKay as Terry Cheveaux
Rob Riggle as Jack Telmont

Plot
#1 NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. But when a French Formula One driver, makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.

Awards:
  1. CFCA Award-Most Promising Performer Sacha Baron Cohen- Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
  2. ESPY-Best Sports Movie-ESPY Awards
  3. MTV Movie Award-Best Kiss Will Ferrell & Sacha Baron Cohen-MTV Movie Awards
  4. Teen Choice Award-Choice Movie Actor: Comedy Will Ferrell-Teen Choice Awards
  5. Teen Choice Award-Choice Summer Movie: Comedy-Teen Choice Awards
  6. Taurus Award-Best Work with a Vehicle Steve Kelso, Doc D. Charbonneau &
    Paul M. Lane-
    World Stunt Awards
Trivia 
Cal, Ricky and Girard were all actually introduced during driver introductions at the 2005 UAW Ford 500 at Talladega. Ricky and Cal were cheered, but when Girard was introduced as a driver from France driving the Perrier car, the entire crowd started booing without any prompting. 

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3 stars out of 5 stars


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

S.W.A.T.


2003 Action-Crime-Thriller Film

Director: Clark Johnson

Writer: David Ayer & David McKenna

Cinematography: Stephen Goldblatt

Running time: 117 minutes

Country: United States

Tagline: You're either S.W.A.T. or you're not.

Cast:
Samuel L. Jackson as Sergeant Second Grade Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson
Colin Farrell as Police Officer Third Grade Jim Street
Michelle Rodriguez as Police Officer Third Grade Christina "Chris" Sanchez
LL Cool J as Police Officer Third Grade Deacon "Deke" Kaye
Josh Charles as Police Officer Third Grade T.J. McCabe
Jeremy Renner as former Police Officer Third Grade Brian Gamble
Brian Van Holt as Police Officer Third Grade Michael Boxer
Olivier Martinez as Alexander "Alex" Montel
Ken Davitian as Martin Gascoigne
Reg E. Cathey as Lieutenant Second Grade Greg Velasquez
Larry Poindexter as Captain Thomas Fuller
Page Kennedy as Travis
Domenick Lombardozzi as GQ
James DuMont as Gus

Plot
An imprisoned drug kingpin offers a huge cash reward to anyone that can break him out of police custody and only the LAPD's Special Weapons and Tactics team can prevent it.

Awards:
  1. ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films Elliot Goldenthal-ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
  2. COLA-Location Professional of the Year – Features Mark Benton Johnson-California on Location Awards
  3. Imagen Award-Best Supporting Actress in a Film Michelle Rodriguez-Imagen Foundation Awards
  4. MTV Movie Award-Best Colin Farrell in a Movie Colin Farrell-MTV Movie Awards, Mexico

Trivia 
As Alex Montel (Olivier Martinez) is being handcuffed by Jim Street (Colin Farrell), he is seen face down over Alex Trebek's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Alex Trebek also provides the (uncredited) newscast voice-over during this shot. 

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3 stars out of 5 stars

Monday, March 26, 2012

Race to Witch Mountain


2009 Science Fiction/Thriller Film and a Remake of the Original 1975 Fantasy Film

Director: Andy Fickman

Writer: Andy Fickman & Mark Bomback

Cinematography: Greg Gardiner

Running time: 98 minutes

Country: United States

Tagline: The Race Is On

Cast:
Dwayne Johnson as Jack Bruno
AnnaSophia Robb as Sara
Alexander Ludwig as Seth
Ciarán Hinds as Henry Burke
Carla Gugino as Dr. Alex Friedman
Tom Woodruff, Jr. as The Siphon
Garry Marshall as Harlan
Cheech Marin as Eddie Cortez
Chris Marquette as Pope
William J. Birnes, the host of UFO Hunters, in a cameo.
Whitley Strieber, author of Communion, in a cameo.

Plot
A Las Vegas cabbie enlists the help of a UFO expert to protect two siblings with paranormal powers from the clutches of an organization that wants to use the kids for their nefarious plans.

Awards: None

Trivia
Ike Eisenmann, Kim Richards:  The actors who played the children in the original movies both appear in this movie in the same scene. Eisenmann is "Sheriff Antony" in the bar, and Richards is "Tina" the waitress. In the original, their names were "Tony and Tia." 

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3 stars out of 5 stars

Friday, March 23, 2012

The Pacifier


2005 Comedy Film

Director: Adam Shankman

Writer: Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant

Cinematography: Peter James

Running time: 95 minutes

Country: Canada & United States

Tagline: Welcome to the infantry.

Cast:
Vin Diesel as Lieutenant Shane Wolfe
Faith Ford as Julie Plummer
Lauren Graham as Claire Fletcher
Brittany Snow as Zoe Plummer
Max Thieriot as Seth Plummer
Morgan York as Lulu Plummer
Kegan and Logan Hoover as Peter Plummer
Bo and Luke Vink as Baby Tyler Plummer
Chris Potter as Captain Bill Fawcett
Carol Kane as Helga
Brad Garrett as Vice Principal Dwayne Murney
Tate Donovan as Howard Plummer
Dennis Akayama and Mung-Ling Tsui as Mr. and Mrs. Chun
Scott Thompson as the play director
Jordan Todosey, Nikki Shah, Maria Georgas, and Emi Yaguchi-Chow as Fireflies
Kyle Schmid as Scott
Adam Shankman (uncredited) as Zoe's driving instructor

Plot
Disgraced Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe is handed a new assignment: Protect the five Plummer kids from enemies of their recently deceased father -- a government scientist whose top-secret experiment remains in the kids' house.

Awards:
  1. ASCAP Award-Top Box Office Films John Debney-ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards

Trivia
The scene where Lulu tells Shane that she thinks he's cute and Shane's embarrass response was based on a real life incident on set. Morgan York (the actress who plays Lulu), upon meeting Vin Diesel, actually said that to him and he awkwardly responded with a "thank you". The director thought it was so funny that he put it in the film. 

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3 stars out of 5 stars

Thursday, March 22, 2012

One Missed Call


2008 American Remake of a 2004 Japanese Horror Film

Director: Eric Vallette

Writer: Andrew Klavan

Cinematography: Glen MacPherson

Running time: 87 minutes

Country: Japan, United States & Germany

Tagline: What will it sound like when you die?

Cast:
Shannyn Sossamon as Beth Raymond
Edward Burns as Detective Jack Andrews
Ana Claudia Talancón as Taylor Anthony
Johnny Lewis as Brian Sousa
Azura Skye as Leann Cole
Ariel Winter as Ellie Layton
Rhoda Griffis as Marie Layton
Raegan Lamb as Laurel Layton
Meagan Good as Shelley Baum
Ray Wise as Ted Summers
Margaret Cho as Mickey Lee
Riley Smith as Brett

Plot
Several people start receiving voice-mails from their future selves -- messages which include the date, time, and some of the details of their deaths.

Awards: None

Trivia
While in preparation for the film, director Eric Valette never watched the original Japanese version One Missed Call, and asked the actors not to watch it either.

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3 stars out of 5 stars

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Madman


1982 Cult Classic Slasher Film

Director: Joe Giannone

Writer: Joe Giannone

Cinematography: James Lemmo

Running time: 88 minutes

Country: United States

Tagline: Deep in the woods, lurks a hideous evil... Don't even whisper his name!

Cast:
Gaylen Ross as Betsy (credited as "Alexis Dubin")
Tony Fish as T.P.
Harriet Bass as Stacy
Seth Jones as Dave
Jan Claire as Ellie
Alexander Murphy, Jr. as Bill
Jimmy Steele as Richie
Carl Fredericks as Max
Michael Sullivan as Dippy
Paul Ehlers as Madman Marz

Plot
At a summer camp for youths, cocky pre-teen calls out the name of mass serial killer "Madman Marz". Suddenly, counselors are being maimed and slaughtered in various ways by the backwoodsman who has returned when his name was called. 

Awards: None

Trivia
Paul Ehlers's son Jonathan Ehlers was born during the shooting of the movie. Paul received the news that his wife was in labor while filming a scene in full Madman Marz make-up. Paul went immediately to the hospital and held his newborn son for the first time while still wearing some of his Marz make-up and overalls covered with fake blood. 

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3 stars out of 5 stars

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Lady in White


1988 American Horror Film

Director: Frank LaLoggia

Writer: Frank LaLoggia

Cinematography: Russell Carpenter

Running time: 112 minutes

Country: United States

Tagline: The year is 1962. The place is Willowpoint Falls. Nobody talks about what happened in the school cloakroom 10 years ago. Now, in the dead of night, Frankie Scarlatti is going to find out why.

Cast:
Lukas Haas as Franklin J. "Frankie" Scarlatti
Len Cariou as Michael Phillip "Phil" Terragarossa
Alex Rocco as Angelo J. Scarlatti
Katherine Helmond as Amanda Harper
Jason Presson as Geno Scarlatti
Renata Vanni as Mama Assaunta
Angelo Bertolini as Papa Charlie
Joelle Jacobi as Melissa Anne Montgomery
Jared Rushton as Donald
Gregory Levinson as Louie
Karen Powell as Anne Montgomery

Plot
Locked in a school closet during Halloween 1962, young Frank witnesses the ghost of a young girl and the man who murdered her years ago. Shortly afterward he finds himself stalked by the killer and is soon drawn to an old house where a mysterious Lady In White lives. As he discovers the secret of the woman he soon finds that the killer may be someone close to him. 


Awards:
  1. Young Artist Award-Best Young Actor in a Horror or Mystery Motion Picture Lukas Haas-Young Artist Awards

Trivia
Rochester, New York, native Frank LaLoggia based the film on a popular and long-standing local urban legend known as "The White Lady." Legend has it that the White Lady had a daughter who disappeared at the hands of a predatory young suitor, and so the White Lady roams the lake front to this very day, searching for her missing daughter. The supposed residence of the White Lady is actually the base of a demolished hotel that was built in the 1800s. Known as the White Lady's Castle, it has become a popular tourist attraction and party site for teenagers. 

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3 stars out of 5 stars