300

USA 2007. Directed by Zack Snyder. Actors: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Rodrigo Santoro, Andrew Tiernan.  

Story:

  Based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel, this film takes place during the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BC where an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian army in the mountain pass of Thermopylae. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the enemy in one of the most famous last stands of history. Persian King Xerxes lead an army of well over 100,000 men to Greece and was confronted by 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians and other Slave soldiers. Xerxes waited for 10 days for King Leonidas to surrender or withdraw left with no options he moved. The battle lasted for about 3 days and after which all 300 Spartans were killed. The Spartan defeat was not the one expected as a local shepherd named Ephialtes defected to the Persians and informed Xerxes of a separate path through Thermopylae, which the Persians could use to outflank the Greeks……….. 

Evaluation: 

 A very good movie, but it comes across even better if you watch it in cinema cause of the much bigger screen and the sound. I believe, never before a war or battle had been more artfully packed into a movie than this one. Sometimes it seems as if the movie had been painted, as it convinces with pictorial pictures. Conclusion: bloodily but great to watch.

The Contract

USA 2006, directed by: Bruce Beresford. Actors: John Cusack, Morgan Freeman, Mircea Monroe 

Story:  

The movie follows Ray Keene (Cusack), a father who tries to redeem himself in the eyes of his son, while trying to bring Cordell (Freeman), a world-class assassin to justice. All the while, he must protect his son and evade the assassin’s team who are methodically hunting them down in the wilderness……… 

Evaluation: 

 The movie was ok – a thriller, nothing special. The reason why I wanted to see it was John Cusack cause I usually like the movies he acts in.  

Blades of Glory

USA, 2007. Directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck. Actors: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Amy Poeler and Jenna Fischer.

 Story: 

 At the 2002 World WinterSport Games, rival world-class men’s singles skaters Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) compete fiercely for the gold. When they tie for first place, an argument between the two begins, which develops into a no-holds-barred fight. Having disgraced their sport, they both are stripped of their gold medals and banned from the sport for life. Now, three-and-a-half years on, they’ve found a loophole that will allow them to compete: if they can put aside their differences, they can skate together – in pairs’ figure skating………… 

Evaluation:

 I have to say in advance, that I am an easily entertain able person, meaning that I can laugh about almost everything. So I liked the movie. It was fun watching it and during parts of the film I even laughed my ass off. Another thing to say is that Ben Stiller was one of the producers, whom I really like. Whoever is looking for an entertaining evening and likes comedies, should borrow this movie from the DVD store.

The Hills have Eyes II

USA 2006. Direction: Martin Weisz, written by Wes Craven and Johnathan Craven. Actors: Jessica Stroup, Michael McMillian, Daniella Alonso, Lee Thompson Young

 Story:  

What started with the Carter family, clearly didn’t end with the Carter family. Some time later, as part of a routine mission, a unit of National Guard soldiers stop at a New Mexican outpost only to find the isolated research camp mysteriously deserted. After spotting a distress signal in a distant mountain range, the team decides to commence a search and rescue mission into the hills. Little do they know that these are the very hills that the ill-fated Carter family once visited, and that a tribe of cannibalistic mutants lies in wait. And this time, there is an even larger force of evil at work that is intent on the soldiers’ very destruction. Systematically they are hunted down and murdered in the most gruesome ways imaginable……….  

Evaluation:

To be honest, I couldn’t watch this one. I was told about the story, so I knew what to expect. I really tried, but I switched off the DVD-player before the first cruel, ugly, shocking, scary scene even started. I just can’t stand these type of movies. But for fans of the horror genre this one is almost a guaranteed must, I have been told! This film gets under your skin and stays there……….

Die Fälscher – The Forgers

Austria / Germany 2006, Direction: Stefan Ruzowitzky. Actors: Karl Markovic, August Diehl, Devid Striesow, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Marie Bäumer, Regisseur: Stefan Ruzowitzky. 

Story:

Berlin 1936: Life is a game for Salomon Sorowitsch, the necessary money to support his lifestyle is printed by himself – the King of money-forgers. But one day he gets arrested and brought straight to the concentration camp „Mauthausen“. In 1944, when he is transferred to Sachsenhausen, he becomes the key figure in a huge money forging business of the „Nazis“. Supported by handpicked professionals, Sorowitsch should print foreign currency on a grand scale to weaken the Allies economy. He and his co-forgers now have to ask themselves, whether to co-operate with their hangmen and thus support a prolongation of the war or even a victory of the Germans. They would – maybe – save their own lives, but jeopardise those of their fellow sufferers………Based on the memories of one of the last contemporary witnesses alive, producer Stefan Ruzowitzky picturized with “The Forgers” the dramatic events of “Operation Bernhard”.

Evaluation:

I happened to see the movie at the Wiener Neustädter Summer Cinema. So I didn’t know what the movie was about. But I find it was a really great movie cause it provided an insight into other machination of the Nazis. It was a brutal film but realistic and well acted at the same time!

Alpha Dog

USA 2006  Directed by: Nick Cassavetes, Actors: Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, Ben Foster, Anton Yelchin.

The movie is based on the true story of the kidnapping an dmurder in 2000 in California of 15-year-old Nicholas Markowitz, represented by the character Zach Mazursky (Anton Yelchin) and the alleged involvement of Jesse James Hollywood, represented by the character Jonny Truelove (Emile Hirsch), a young drug dealer.

 Story:

They grew up together in the suburbs of LA, living their own verson of the American dream, where every day was a blur of partying and looking for the next best thrill. Jonny (Emile Hirsch) was the leader in their sordid world of drugs, power, greed and privilege. But when he is double-crossed by another dealer, things quickly begin to spiral out of control and an impulsive kidnapping leads to a shocking conlusion………

Evaluation:

I liked the movie. I have to admit that Justin Timberlake is one of the best artists in the movie. He plays his role well and brings across the image of a “small town mug”.The movie as such is kind of tragic, if you look at the way the juveniles live their lives and the parents who completely neglect their education. The film shows that a lot of parents nowadays don’t have a clue of what their children are doing in their spare time. If you carefully watch the movie and disregard the parties and drug-taking-scenes, you will find that it’s a quite valuable movie.Trailer: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?vid=112655

My Leader – the truest truth about Adolf Hitler

Germany 2006 – Direction: Dani Levy – Actors: Helge Schneider, Ulrich Mühe, Sylvester Groth, Adriana Altaras, Ulrich Noethen, Stefan Kurt, Lambert Hamel

 Story:

December 1944: The war is practically lost, but Goebbels doesn’t wanna give in that easy . On New Years Day the Leader should once again inspire the masses with a battlesome speech. But there is a rub in it:  The Leader can’t. Ill and depressed he is avoiding the public. There’s only one who could help now, his former acting teacher Adolf Grünbauer, a Jew. Goebbels sends for him and his family straight out of the concentration camp “Sachsenhausen” to the imperial chancery. Time is running, in only five days the Leader has to be in top form…………

 Evaluation:

Those who like the actor Helge Schneider, probably will be disappointed after having watched this movie. Its not only that you can’t identify him, his amusing character was missing also. I expected more, but a few funny sequences revalue the movie again.

My Movie Center

Hello everybody!

I love movies, so I thought it would be a good idea to start blogging about the latest DVD’s available.

Since my boyfriend is working in a movie store, I have access to every genre and all movies at hand there. But my focus will be on novelties. From now on I’m gonna inform you 3 times a week about the content and my personal opinion on the latest DVD’s.

I would appreciate reading about your opinion on the movies I chose to introduce to you.