The Flick:

Quigley down under is a pretty cool western, not to be confused with the great John Wayne or Clint Eastwood classics but this one came out in 1990 and I don’t believe it is claiming to be a classic. This movie stars Tom Selleck (a very underrated actor) and takes place in Australia’s Outback.  Selleck plays Quigley a sharp shooter who answers an ad in the paper to be employed to shoot dingo. But there’s a twist, his boss Elliot Marsten (Alan Rickman) wants him to kill off any and all Aborigines that step foot on his land. Quigley gets pissed that he was lied to and goes after Marsten, but his boys beat the shit out of Quigley and then dump him in the middle of nowhere in the outback beside a beautiful but crazy prostitute Cora (Lara San Giacomo).

The Aborigines get word of the man who tried to do right by them and take Quigley and Crazy Cora under their wing and that’s when the real battle begins. The good guys vs. the bad guys, here we go! There are a few sub plots (how Cora became crazy and why she keeps calling him Roy), a little romance and pretty cool gun slinging shoot em’ up scenes. The cinematography by David Eggby is gorgeous. It’s different seeing a western take place in Australia but pretty cool too. Selleck is one of the coolest actors that should’ve been a big time movie star a long time ago, but maybe that’s what’s even cooler about him. This is a very entertaining movie (a little long running at 120 minutes) but it has everything you need- action, romance, revenge and great scenery.

The Blu-ray

Special Features:

The Rebirth of the Western Documentary: Behind the scenes feature and interviews.

There are also, TV spots, a few other features, and a theatrical trailer.

Audio/Video

The video transfer is pretty impressive for a film now 22 years old. Blu-ray did it justice; I remember seeing this on VHS. The prairies and outback are as clear as day.

The sound is pretty bad ass, the dialogue is crisp and clear, the gun shots wrap around you and the sounds of the outback is set perfectly.

The Flick: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

It has now been 10 years since that fateful day and 10 years since this series has been a big part of my life. This day, the release of the final film has both excited me and saddened me. I was distraught when the final book came out, and I spent like 12 hours reading it. This marked that the end had come, however the ray of hope was that there were still a few films left to look forward to. Now that it is all ended, there is nothing left to look forward to. Has this film lived up to expectations? Was it the perfect ending? For this fan, yes it was.

It picks up directly where Part 1 left off, no time to prepare it just starts and we’re right back into the story and adventure. Harry and crew need to find the remaining horcruxes in order to destroy them and end Voldermort once and for all. Danger awaits them everywhere they turn, there is nothing that will stop Harry and Voldermort from having their showdown, but who will win? Well of course I will not say, but you get the idea. It has all come down to this, we’ve seen Harry, Ron and Hermione (as well as the actors who have played them) grow up before our eyes and it is time to put everything they’ve learned into use in order to survive and keep the wizarding world a safe place.

Knowing how it all ends really didn’t take anything away from the film itself, I knew what things were going to happen but now how that would all be translated to the screen. Most of it surprised me, and other scenes were just so emotional that I cried, much like I did when I read the book. It is a dark film in tone, maybe even more so than all of the previous films. Gone is the innocence of children attending school at Hogwarts, they are in their late teens and fighting for everyone’s survival. There is so much at stake, that if they fail in their mission everything they know will vanish.

The film really does try to tie up loose ends with all the characters who have made it this far, and it really worked. They didn’t have a whole lot of time obviously but the changes they made were made well. There were moments that I wanted to just stand up and applaud, because it was so fitting and just great to see put into motion. All of the main characters have developed over time, they’ve grown and this film really shows that. The franchise has seen different people tackle each film, but all through out the characters have been the constant, with the actors doing an amazing job portraying them in all of the different situations and ages. By this film, everyone can play their roles in their sleep, they are all outstanding up until the final frames.

I really loved this film, I thought it was a fitting ending to a fantastic series. Everyone involved did such a great job, props to director David Yates for making something so mature yet still have a soft side. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have all grown into fine actors and I hope they do find good life after the series. Alan Rickman has been fantastic as Severus Snape and his role in this film was just spot on, he truly is a great actor and perfect fit from day one for this role. Ralph Fiennes was again so good as Voldermort, I now really can’t imagine anyone else in that role. All of the rest did such a great job, it would just take forever to mentioned them all individually.

This film might just be one of the best of the series and a great close to a wonderful franchise. I can’t wait to go back and re-visit all of the books and films, again and again.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 opens on July 15th.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 opens on July 15th.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part II opens on July 15th.

Source: Yahoo Movies

“Part 1 begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort’s immortality and destruction—the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart.

Meanwhile, the wizarding world has become a dangerous place for all enemies of the Dark Lord. The long-feared war has begun and Voldemort’s Death Eaters seize control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting anyone who might oppose them. But the one prize they still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry Potter. The Chosen One has become the hunted one as the Death Eaters search for Harry with orders to bring him to Voldemort… alive.

Harry’s only hope is to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. But as he searches for clues, he uncovers an old and almost forgotten tale—the legend of the Deathly Hallows. And if the legend turns out to be true, it could give Voldemort the ultimate power he seeks.

Little does Harry know that his future has already been decided by his past when, on that fateful day, he became “the Boy Who Lived.” No longer just a boy, Harry Potter is drawing ever closer to the task for which he has been preparing since the day he first stepped into Hogwarts: the ultimate battle with Voldemort.”

USA Today dropped some wicked pictures from the upcoming film today, and they capture all Burton’s signature Dali-esque surrealism. Check them out over there. There’s a few that look absolutely gorgeous.

Source: USA Today

Is crazy just a choice? What defines crazy?  Is it worse to eat a dead person or eat a man alive?  These are the questions posed in Nobel Son.  This crime-based dramedy written by husband and wife team, Jody Savin and Randall Miller, is… strange.

Barkley Michaelson is a down-on-his-luck student struggling with his thesis on cannibalism and trying to catch the attention of the girl who recites her disturbing poetry at the coffee shop where he studies. Eli Michaelson, his father, is an egotistical, eccentric philanderer who has just won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, something he has always thought he deserved.  Coincidently, he gets something else he deserves.  On the morning he and his family are scheduled to jet off to receive his award, Barkley is kidnapped for $2,000,000 ransom.  Eli refuses to pay it and the family begins to unravel because of lust, greed, and revenge.

The acting in the movie is some of the best I’ve seen in a long time.  Alan Rickman as Eli really understood the character.  Pay attention to the details he throws in; it will make the whole movie worth watching.  He is the comedic relief, the character you love to hate, and the driving force. Shawn Hatosy plays the kidnapper, and he is successfully scary in this role.  Bill Pullman is a charmer as the lead detective on the case.  Bryan Greenberg (Barkley) and Eliza Dushku (City Hall, his love interest) have great chemistry.  She tests his limits, pushing him to see how much he will give, and you can probably assume that like any man confronted by a beautiful woman, he does indeed give.  The clinically-diagnosed crazy neighbor, George, is played by Danny DeVito.  He simultaneously provides important details to the case and complicates matters further with his severe OCD.  Each character has a unique, quirky characteristic.  They are all kind of insane actually.  Five stars for the actors’ performances.

I felt like the mood of the movie was kind of conflicting.  One second it was emotional and dark; the next it was sarcastic and very light-hearted, but not in a cohesive, fun, rollercoaster of emotion way.  It wasn’t really my style.

I also thought the end was unsatisfying.  There are so many events that lead up to what should have been a big dramatic finale, but instead, it is kind of incomplete, just sort of there, leaving you confused and a little uninspired.

The soundtrack really enhances the movie.  There is a nice combination of dramatic score and pumped-up techno beats.  The theme song, Nobel Son by Spitfire, will hopefully be added to my iPod for frequent playing soon.

Special features include two versions of the trailer, some boring deleted scenes, and commentary by the writers and actors, which is actually worth watching because it really helps you appreciate the detail and thought that went into the movie.

All in all, Nobel Son is very twisted and very funny.  Fans of 21 and The Perfect Score should definitely give it a chance.  The story surrounds a few very intelligent characters and is, therefore, a great way to expand your vocabulary and learn some random facts.  If you are ever confused about the true definition of crazy, watch this movie.  It will become clear by the end of the story, if not by the first scene.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars