Alien (1979) Review

“In space, no one can hear you scream”

Director:

Ridley Scott

Producer:

Gordon Carroll, David Giler & Walter Hill

Cast:

Tom Skerrit as Dallas

Sigourney Weaver as Ripley

Veronica Cartwright as Lampbert

Harry Dean Stanton as Brett

John Hurt as Kane

Ian Holm as Ash

Yaphet Kotto as Parker

Bolaji Badejo as Alien

Music:

Jerry Goldsmith

Story:

A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.

Review:

What a movie!

Did not expect it to be so good. The visual effects and the Alien and ts accompanying elements designed by H.R. Geiger was just magnificent.

This movie is a perfect blend of Science Fiction and Horror. There have been many movies of homicidal Aliens running about targeting a group people. This movie stands out. This is a truly wonderful movie with “The Sci-Fi Queen” Sigourney Weaver in the lead role. In those days no one would have expected Sigourney to be playing the lead.

The other actors also acted very well. The story was also well written. The movie keeps the audience on their toes. That’s because the alien attacks from any where. The end was awesome when the alien is in the escape pod. I thought that after throwing the cat, it would have left the escape pod. This is a true classic Sci-fi movie.

If you love horror and sci-fi then this is the movie for you!

Final Verdict: 

9/10

**Note: I have planned to watch the whole Alien Anthology in one day i.e. 14th April 2012. The  reviews may arrive late.. 🙂

Midnight Feature #1 — Fight Club

Tyler Durden: “Welcome to Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club!Third rule of Fight Club: someone yells “stop!”, goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. Fourth rule: only two guys to a fight. Fifth rule: one fight at a time, fellas. Sixth rule: No shirts, no shoes. Seventh rule: fights will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.”

Director:

David Fincher

Producer:

Cean Chaffin, Ross Grayson Bell & Art Linson

Cast:

Edward Norton as The Narrator/ Jack’s Body parts.

Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden

Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer

Meat Loaf as Bob/ Robert Paulson

Music:

The Dust Brothers

Bases on the novel of same name by Chuck Palahnuik.

The Story:

An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that transforms into a violent revolution.

The Review:

The movie is amazing from start to finish. The acting of the three leads was also marvelous. David Fincher has done a great job of captivating the audiences with visual effects and background score.

It was awesome seeing it at 12:00 AM on 6th April with my cousin Karthik in Hyderabad, just an hour or so after I arrives in Hyderabad. This was one of three “Midnight Features” (Four, if you take Grindhouse to be two movies).

The movie was fun and so were the characters. The movie had a very unexpected twist at the end for those who haven’t read the book. The movie had some goof ups, like the boom mike visible and the face of the stunt man being seen.. But that was only because I read about it on IMDb.

Final Verdict:

8.5/10

Drive

Driver: [on phone] There’s a hundred-thousand streets in this city. You don’t need to know the route. You give me a time and a place, I give you a five minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that and you’re on your own. Do you understand?

Director:

Nicholas Winding Refn

Producer:

Gigi Pritzker, Adam Siegel, Michel Litvak & John Palermo

Cast:

Ryan Gosling as The Driver

Carey Mulligan as Irene

Bryan Cranston as Bernie Rose

Oscar Issac as Standard Gabriel

Ron Perlman as Nino

Kaden Leos as Benicio

James Biberi as Cook

Music:

Cliff Martinez

Based on the novel of the same name by James Sallis

The Story:

A mysterious Hollywood stuntman, mechanic and getaway driver lands himself in trouble when he helps out his neighbour.

The Review:

The movie had slow start, but slowly it built up to an awesome story, Ryan Gosling acted very well, though he didn’t have much of a speaking part in the movie. The background score was also amazing. It suited the movie perfectly. The movie had some Quentin Tarantino-ish styles. The movie also payed homage to Taxi Driver. I thought the movie was wonderfully made with an awesome ending. Apparently the sequel book ‘Driven’ is being released soon, after which, it probably would be made into a movie.

Final Verdict:

Enjoyable movie. 7.75/10.

Another quote I loved from the movie:

Shannon: I know a lot of guys who mess around with married women, but you’re the only one I know who robs a place to pay back the husband.

The Artist

DIRECTOR:

Michael Hazanavicius

PRODUCER:

Thomas Langmann

CAST:

Jean Durjadin as George Valentine

Bérénice Bejo as Peppy Miller

Uggie as Jack The Dog

James Cromwell as Clifton

John Goodman as Al Zimmer

Penelope Ann Miller as Doris

MUSIC:

Ludovic Bource

THE PLOT:
Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

THE REVIEW:
The movie was just brilliant. The background score was just awesome. It’s only the second Silent movie I’ve seen, the other being the Sci-fi Masterpiece “Metropolis” by Fritz Lang.
I’m ready to see it a few more times. As Natalie Portman said while revealing the nominees for the Oscar for Best Actor for Jean Durjadin (which he won), thought Jean spoke only two words throughout the movie, George Valentine spoke volumes through his marvellous acting. And the dog. What a dog! Uggie should have been nominated for best supporting actor. The acting of Bérénice Bejo was also just beautiful.
The director has done a fantastic job.
The movie won the following Oscars:
Best Actor for Jean Durjadin
Best Costume Design for Mark Bridges for The Artist
Best Director for Michael Hazanavicius
Best Background Score for Ludovic Bource
Best Movie for The Artist.
It truly deserved all these awards.
Apparently it’s the only silent movie to win an award for best movie.

FINAL VERDICT:
A phenomenal movie. 9/10.