30 Eylül 2012 Pazar

The Seventh Seal (1957)

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Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Max Von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstand, Bengt Ekerot, Nils Poppe, Bibi Andersson
Certificate: 8.3
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Awards: None

The Seventh Seal is a Norwegian film that takes place during the black plague. A Knight from the crusades returns home where he meets death and challenges him to a game of chess. If he wins, he gets to live. During the breaks in their chess game, he and his squire meet other characters who all have their own views on life and death. The knight is anxious to know if god exists before his time is up.

The Seventh seal is very symbolic and shows how you cannot win against death and that it is not fair. A lot of it probably went straight over my head as it is very philosophical. But unlike The Tree Of Life, it has a story to go with it. The film has great characters with a wide array of personalities. There is a sense of humour in parts which stop it from getting too depressing. Death strikes a very powerful character, dressed all in black. I would have liked to see more of him in the film all the best scenes have his character looming over the other characters.

This is a film to watch. Definitely. It's still known as a brilliant film today- more than fifty years later. I would like to watch it again to understand it better.

****Good

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

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Director: Stephen Herek
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin
Certificate: PG
Genre: Comedy, Sci Fi
Awards: None

Bill S Preston (Winter) and Ted Logan (Reeves) are two school slackers who dream of creating a band - even though neither of them know how to play an instrument. What they don't know is that they will become prophets in the future. Due to this, a man from the future named Rufus (Carlin) goes back in time in order to give them his time machine so that they can past their history test - because if they don't pass their test, the future can never come true as Ted will be sent to military school.

Most of Bill and Ted's comedy is focused on the two main characters. The way they speak and act in different scenarios make the film extremely amusing. The characters are surfer dudes who are not very bright. The portrayal of all the different famous people in history is also rather funny.

****Good

Fargo (1996)

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Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Starring: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
Certificate: 18
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Awards: Best actress McDormand, Best original screenplay

Fargo is the Coen brothers's dark comedy. Jerry Lundegard (H. Macy) is a shoddy car salesman who needs money. He therefore hatches a plan where he hires two men (Buscemi, Stormare) to kidnap his wife so that his father-in-law will pay the ransom and therefore give him the money he needs. But the plan goes wrong when the hired kidnappers end up murdering people, calling in heavily pregnant, homicide cop Marge Gunderson (McDormand).

Fargo paints a pitch black picture but adds humour, Mostly from Steve Buscemi. Buscemi steals the show as loudmouth criminal Carl. He breaks the dark moments of the film with outbursts of genius dialogue. This is definitely my favourite Coen brothers film so far.

*****Brilliant

Apocalypse Now (1979)

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Director: Frances Ford Coppola
Starring: Martin Sheen, Sam Bottoms, Frederic Forest, Robert Duvall, Albert Hall, Laurence Fishburne, Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Harrison Ford
Certificate: 15
Genre: War
Awards: Best Cinematography, Best Sound

Apocalypse Now follows Captain Benjamin Willard (Sheen) who has been assigned to assassinate an insane colonel Kurtz (Brando) during the Vietnam war. On his way to the madman, he encounters others who are fighting the war and questions whether Kurtz is more insane than anyone else.

Apocalypse Now seems like a road trip from hell. It's eerie atmosphere and sickening colours makes it look like a drug induced dream. It has a feeling of horror and despair entwined within the multiple characters and scenarios. Plus it has a brilliant soundtrack of The Doors and The Rolling Stones.

To be blunt, Apocalypse Now is one of the weirdest films you will ever see. I find it is a film that you appreciate more than enjoy. It is amazingly made and has enormous talent. But it is just so strange...

****Good

The Sorcerers Apprentice (2010)

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Director: Jon Turteltaub
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Nicholas Cage, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Toby Kebbell
Certificate: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure
Awards:  None

When Dave (Baruchel) was just a kid, he met a wizard named Balthasar (Cage) and accidentally trapped him and his mortal enemy for ten years. The event scarred him for life and - when he finally gets over the ordeal - the wizards return and now he is the only one who can stop the evil Morgana from returning. Now he has to get the girl and save the world...

Despite the formulaic plot, The Sorcerers Apprentice pulls it off by adding humour to the mixture. This film is genuinely funny - mostly thanks to Baruchel's wit and Kebbell's stupidity. It's by no means perfect. The plot is predictable but Nicholas Cage does well as a grizzled wizard who has seen it all. If you want a light hearted action flick, give this one a go.

****Good

29 Eylül 2012 Cumartesi

Blue Moon Spectacular

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In case you haven't heard, August 2012 is Blue Moon Month. The first full moon occurred on August 1, 2012 and the next full moon (the actually blue moon) will appear on August 31, 2012. The next year of double blue moons is coming up in January and March of 2018.

Another definition of blue moon is seasonal.If a season has four full moons, then the third full moon may be called a Blue Moon. The next blue moon by this definition will fall on August 21, 2013.

The term "blue moon" actually refers to the rarity of multiple full moons within a single month or year. Hence the term, "once in a blue moon." You can find more information about blue moons below:


  • Infoplease: Blue Moon Myths, Facts History, and Dates
  • Sky and Telescope: What's a Blue Moon?
  • Washington Post: Blue moon and Sturgeon moon in August 2012


Review: Trinity Blood (2005)

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Trinity Blood (2005) is a Japanese science fiction anime that takes place in a futuristic setting where there is peaceful co-existence between vampires (Methuselah) and humans (Terrans) in the post-Armageddon era. This show contains 24 episodes.

The Methuselahs are a major political and military force who continue to wage war on the "Terrans," as they call the human inhabitants of Earth. The Vatican, based in Rome, is a major military power determined to protect humans from major enemies. The Methuselahs have their capital in Byzantium, which is surrounded by a field of particles to filter out UV radiation, thus protecting the Methuselah population.

In order to protect the humans from the Methuselah, the Vatican has to rely on other allies to counter the situation. The protagonist, a priest called Peter Abel Nightroad, travels through the countries as a representative for the Vatican. However, he is also part of "Ax", a special operations group controlled by the Cardinal Catherina. Abel's secret identity is feared among the vampire population: he is a Crusnik, a genetically-engineered vampire who drinks the blood of other vampires.

Meanwhile, an unknown rising power, the Rozen Kreuz, threatens to disturb the peaceful co-existence and bring about another apocalypse. When an independent kingdom loses their beloved Queen, actions are taken quickly to find the "Star of Hope" who can restore order and peace between the Terrans and Methuselahs. Abel's encounter with a young girl called Esther and his quest to find his missing twin brother, Cain, will also determine the future of Earth.

Many years ago, I was excited to watch this series on television stations like Cartoon Network (aka Adult Swim). But somewhere long the way I got busy with schoolwork and had to set aside this show. Fast forward almost six years later, I have finally finished this anime. Trinity Blood is both entertaining and mysterious. The creator used extensive research to develop a future that weaves smoothly both religion and the supernatural.

The idea of a vampire that feeds on other vampires is a new concept. Abel, who wants to atone for his sins from the Armageddon era, has the absent-minded professor appearance but can turn into a blood-sucking intimidating power in his Crusnik form. As a representative for the Vatican, Abel is able to use his position to search for the Star of Hope and investigate the whereabouts of his missing twin brother, Cain. The action is intense and filled with religious metaphors. Nevertheless, I thought the ending seemed incomplete because Abel never found happiness. His journey still continues...to defeat Cain.

I still recommend this anime for fans who like a science fiction twist about vampires. When the author, Sunao Yoshida, died unexpectedly of a lung blockage in 2004, his friends and family pushed for this popular story to become an anime adaptation. Their efforts paid off very well. The music is also fantastic (BUCK-TICK also sang the opening theme for Nightwalker: Midnight Detective.) Enjoy the show!


Opening Theme: "Dress (BLOODY TRINITY MIX) by BUCK-TICK


Ending Theme: "Broken Wings" by Tomoko Tane