Director: Vincenzo Natali
Year: 1997
Six people awake to find themselves in a giant puzzle made up of thousands of rooms each exactly like the other; a perfect cube. On every face of a cube room there is a crawl space that leads to another room. Sounds simple enough but the people quickly find out that a bulk of the the rooms are booby-trapped. Each person has a unique skill (cop, math whiz, doctor, etc..) and the group must work together to find a way through the maze of rooms. They don't know where they are or why, don't know where to go, don't have any food or supplies.
There are several Cube films to date and really I only enjoy the first one. The others are ok and have similar stories, but Cube was the first. It is one of the most unique SciFi films that I can watch over and over. Usually mystery type films lose their touch after you know the punch lines but not Cube. Give it a try.
Vincenzo Natali's CUBE (1997)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
022 - Masters of the Universe
Director: Gary Goddard
Year: 1987
Live action He-Man.... that's all you need to know.
Following Skeletor's war with the world of Eternia, Castle Grayskull is now under evil control. Skeletor and his forces hold the Sorceress captive while day by day she is drained of her power. Skeletor is now waiting for the moon of Eternia to align with a great Eye of the Universe that will make him god-like and grant him the power of the Universe. It is up to He-Man and his freedom fighters to stop Skeletor.
The story is a little goofy, but what can you expect from an 80s sci-fi film? Laser guns, strange beats, keys unlocking gateways to other worlds, a goofy midget, the best one-liner in any film, and He-Man!!! Awesome cartoon turned live action. You also have to love Dolph Lundgren (Russian in Rocky 4) as He-Man. Luckily for us Dolph studied up on his English in the two years since Rocky. It is still strange to hear He-Man with an accent but oh well.
And last - I don't know why but every time Lubic tells Charlies to "Ahh shut up" I but up laughing. Three words... that's all it is and it has to be one of the best lines ever. So go out and find this classic.
Good Journey.
Gary Goddard's MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1987)
Year: 1987
Live action He-Man.... that's all you need to know.
Following Skeletor's war with the world of Eternia, Castle Grayskull is now under evil control. Skeletor and his forces hold the Sorceress captive while day by day she is drained of her power. Skeletor is now waiting for the moon of Eternia to align with a great Eye of the Universe that will make him god-like and grant him the power of the Universe. It is up to He-Man and his freedom fighters to stop Skeletor.
The story is a little goofy, but what can you expect from an 80s sci-fi film? Laser guns, strange beats, keys unlocking gateways to other worlds, a goofy midget, the best one-liner in any film, and He-Man!!! Awesome cartoon turned live action. You also have to love Dolph Lundgren (Russian in Rocky 4) as He-Man. Luckily for us Dolph studied up on his English in the two years since Rocky. It is still strange to hear He-Man with an accent but oh well.
And last - I don't know why but every time Lubic tells Charlies to "Ahh shut up" I but up laughing. Three words... that's all it is and it has to be one of the best lines ever. So go out and find this classic.
Good Journey.
Gary Goddard's MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1987)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
021 - Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever
Director: Wych Kaosayananda
Year: 2002
With this post I am trying to not only give some credit to a film that is not too popular but also defend it from all of the haters out there. Ballistic is the number one worst movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes "Worst of the Worst" list and on IMDB the film has a 3.4 rating. I agree this film is not a Citizen Kane or a Star Wars but the worst movie of all time!?
Ballistic is about a retired FBI agent named Jonathan Ecks who must join forces with his enemy, rogue Agent Sever, to fight Robert Gant. Gant has developed a micro-device that can be injected into victims in order to kill them. This device is injected into Gant's son who is kidnapped by Sever. Sever and Ecks, who at first fight each other, use Gant's son against him and join force to take down Gant.
Ok yeah the story isn't the best thing in the world. Two enemies join forces to fight a bigger enemeny. It's been done before but who cares. It is rare if you can find a turly original plot these days. But lets at least examine some of the positive aspects about this film.
- Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu make for cheesy but at least a respectable performance
- Special agents against the worlds always means huge gun battles
- A small love story. Gant's wife is/was Ecks's wife. Ecks believe she was killed in an explosion.
- Solid performances from secondary cast members
- A $70 million budget at least can turn out an okay cast, nice special effects, and a believable story
So yeah.. not the best film ever but there is no way this is the worst movie ever! Nothing can be worse then all of the recent spoof films out there.
Wych Kaosayananda's BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER (2002)
Year: 2002
With this post I am trying to not only give some credit to a film that is not too popular but also defend it from all of the haters out there. Ballistic is the number one worst movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes "Worst of the Worst" list and on IMDB the film has a 3.4 rating. I agree this film is not a Citizen Kane or a Star Wars but the worst movie of all time!?
Ballistic is about a retired FBI agent named Jonathan Ecks who must join forces with his enemy, rogue Agent Sever, to fight Robert Gant. Gant has developed a micro-device that can be injected into victims in order to kill them. This device is injected into Gant's son who is kidnapped by Sever. Sever and Ecks, who at first fight each other, use Gant's son against him and join force to take down Gant.
Ok yeah the story isn't the best thing in the world. Two enemies join forces to fight a bigger enemeny. It's been done before but who cares. It is rare if you can find a turly original plot these days. But lets at least examine some of the positive aspects about this film.
- Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu make for cheesy but at least a respectable performance
- Special agents against the worlds always means huge gun battles
- A small love story. Gant's wife is/was Ecks's wife. Ecks believe she was killed in an explosion.
- Solid performances from secondary cast members
- A $70 million budget at least can turn out an okay cast, nice special effects, and a believable story
So yeah.. not the best film ever but there is no way this is the worst movie ever! Nothing can be worse then all of the recent spoof films out there.
Wych Kaosayananda's BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER (2002)
Saturday, June 12, 2010
020 - Surf Ninjas
Director: Neal Israel
Year: 1993
It seems most of the world does not care for this movie as it gets a 4.3 on IMDB. I can agree that the film needs a bad rating but I have to argue that it is still a good film. How could a film with Rob Schneider, Leslie Nielsen, Kelly Hu, and the pizza guy from Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze be bad? It simply can't!!
Surf Ninjas is about two brothers from LA who ultimately find out they are crown princes of an Asian kingdom named Patusan. The brothers are reluctant to follow their destinies; to dethrone the evil colonel ruling over Patusan.
That's enough about the story... the film has so much more than the story of Asian-American brothers fighting ninjas. On top of the already mentioned amazing cast it not only references the Sega Game Gear but makes the hand-held part of the story. Yes, a portable game console is a plot device in a movie. The younger brother Adam finds out his Game Gear can control the evil soldiers they face along the way as well as dictate the outcomes of their battles.
So we have the best cast ever, a magical Game Gear, sweet ninja fighting action, and oh yeah, a fight where a man uses chop-sticks as a weapon. Awesome!
Neal Israel's SURF NINJAS (1993)
Year: 1993
It seems most of the world does not care for this movie as it gets a 4.3 on IMDB. I can agree that the film needs a bad rating but I have to argue that it is still a good film. How could a film with Rob Schneider, Leslie Nielsen, Kelly Hu, and the pizza guy from Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze be bad? It simply can't!!
Surf Ninjas is about two brothers from LA who ultimately find out they are crown princes of an Asian kingdom named Patusan. The brothers are reluctant to follow their destinies; to dethrone the evil colonel ruling over Patusan.
That's enough about the story... the film has so much more than the story of Asian-American brothers fighting ninjas. On top of the already mentioned amazing cast it not only references the Sega Game Gear but makes the hand-held part of the story. Yes, a portable game console is a plot device in a movie. The younger brother Adam finds out his Game Gear can control the evil soldiers they face along the way as well as dictate the outcomes of their battles.
So we have the best cast ever, a magical Game Gear, sweet ninja fighting action, and oh yeah, a fight where a man uses chop-sticks as a weapon. Awesome!
Neal Israel's SURF NINJAS (1993)
019 - Good Dick
Director: Marianna Palka
Year: 2008
It is unfortunate independent films such as this do not receive more publicity. I had never heard of the film until it was suggested to me as a film I needed to see.
FYI - I honestly do not remember names being thrown around for the main characters so I decided to look up the film online to see if I could find names to use in this post. It seems that every site just calls the characters "Woman" and "Man" so from here on out I will refer to the actor's name when describing a character: Marianna and Jason.
Marianna (Woman) is a troubled young woman who keeps herself isolated and lives a very unsocial reclusive life. Jason (Man) is a random guy who works at a video store with his buddies. Jason encounters Marianna when she enters the video store to rent several adult films and immediately falls for her. Jason is persistent in his attempts to befriend Marianna and draw her out of her isolated world. Jason moves into Marianna's apartment and the two become closer as the film goes on but Marianna's defenses put up quite a fight.
When you stop and look at the film at the surface there certainly is not a lot there. It's about a man who falls in love with a woman who doesn't love him back. Only after thinking about the film for a bit did I realize how much more there was to the story. Good Dick, to me, is an original love story that depicts the powers love can have on a person. In most films today, love and especially sex are depicted as something that simply occurs but in this film it is love that breaks down Marianna's barriers put in place because of her sexually abused childhood. Jason's love for Marianna slowly chips away at her reclusive lifestyle. In the beginning of the film their relationship, if you can call it that, always ends with Marianna yelling at Jason to stop bothering her and to go away, but throughout the film we see Marianna become more trusting of Jason and ultimately go back to him after confronting her father. It is amazing to watch Marianna's transformation throughout the film.
Marianna Palka's GOOD DICK (2008)
Year: 2008
It is unfortunate independent films such as this do not receive more publicity. I had never heard of the film until it was suggested to me as a film I needed to see.
FYI - I honestly do not remember names being thrown around for the main characters so I decided to look up the film online to see if I could find names to use in this post. It seems that every site just calls the characters "Woman" and "Man" so from here on out I will refer to the actor's name when describing a character: Marianna and Jason.
Marianna (Woman) is a troubled young woman who keeps herself isolated and lives a very unsocial reclusive life. Jason (Man) is a random guy who works at a video store with his buddies. Jason encounters Marianna when she enters the video store to rent several adult films and immediately falls for her. Jason is persistent in his attempts to befriend Marianna and draw her out of her isolated world. Jason moves into Marianna's apartment and the two become closer as the film goes on but Marianna's defenses put up quite a fight.
When you stop and look at the film at the surface there certainly is not a lot there. It's about a man who falls in love with a woman who doesn't love him back. Only after thinking about the film for a bit did I realize how much more there was to the story. Good Dick, to me, is an original love story that depicts the powers love can have on a person. In most films today, love and especially sex are depicted as something that simply occurs but in this film it is love that breaks down Marianna's barriers put in place because of her sexually abused childhood. Jason's love for Marianna slowly chips away at her reclusive lifestyle. In the beginning of the film their relationship, if you can call it that, always ends with Marianna yelling at Jason to stop bothering her and to go away, but throughout the film we see Marianna become more trusting of Jason and ultimately go back to him after confronting her father. It is amazing to watch Marianna's transformation throughout the film.
Marianna Palka's GOOD DICK (2008)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
018 - Murderball
Director: Henry Alex Rubin
Year: 2005
Murderball is the name given to quadriplegic rugby. In the sport, quadriplegics of varying degrees of severity play a form of full-contact rugby from their wheelchairs.
The film follows the US rugby team from the 2002 games in Sweden to the 2004 games in Athens. While following the team, the documentary takes time to focus on some of the players, their families and of course the story behind the wheelchair. We get to meet a good few of the players as well as learn about the sport itself. On top of that we meet a former team member who quits the team to coach the Canadian team against the US.
Yes, the film is a heartwarming documentary depicting men who don't let their wheelchairs bring them down, but the best part of this film is how serious the sport is to the players. This is not a Special Olympics as one player states and in the words of another player; the team is not going for a hug. We're going for a fucking gold medal. Parts of you want to feel sympathy for the men playing in wheelchairs but then you realize that some of these guys would just as easily kick your ass. The film gives viewers a look into the gritty world of quad rugby and is a great sport documentary. Rent it, Netflix it, just go find it.
Henry Alex Rubin's MURDERBALL (2005)
Year: 2005
Murderball is the name given to quadriplegic rugby. In the sport, quadriplegics of varying degrees of severity play a form of full-contact rugby from their wheelchairs.
The film follows the US rugby team from the 2002 games in Sweden to the 2004 games in Athens. While following the team, the documentary takes time to focus on some of the players, their families and of course the story behind the wheelchair. We get to meet a good few of the players as well as learn about the sport itself. On top of that we meet a former team member who quits the team to coach the Canadian team against the US.
Yes, the film is a heartwarming documentary depicting men who don't let their wheelchairs bring them down, but the best part of this film is how serious the sport is to the players. This is not a Special Olympics as one player states and in the words of another player; the team is not going for a hug. We're going for a fucking gold medal. Parts of you want to feel sympathy for the men playing in wheelchairs but then you realize that some of these guys would just as easily kick your ass. The film gives viewers a look into the gritty world of quad rugby and is a great sport documentary. Rent it, Netflix it, just go find it.
Henry Alex Rubin's MURDERBALL (2005)
Sunday, June 6, 2010
017 - Equilibrium
Director: Kurt Wimmer
Year: 2002
At some point in future a third World War destroys much of the world and mankind realizes that is may not survive another. To prevent any further self destruction, the world falls under control of one man called the Father. Under his rule all forms of art and emotions are outlawed. Books, paintings, music, and luxury are all outlawed and destroyed, and to eliminate emotions citizens are force to take a called Prozium on a daily basis.
Things seemingly are going fine until a John Preston, a Cleric, or a solider who's job it is to hunt and down both outlawed media and arrest "Sense Offenders", stops taking his Prozium. John, immediately ruled as a Sense Offender, tries to continue his line of work while hiding the fact that he is "feeling". He begins to sympathize with those captured and killed by the government and decides to join the resistance. This ever-building resistance's only goal is to take out the Father and bring down the totalitarian government. The question is, can John help the resistance before he is discovered by his fellow Clerics.
This was another random Netflix find. Christian Bale plays John Preston so I at least had hope that the movie would be relatively well done and have decent acting and Equilibrium did not disappoint. It is intriguing to watch John as he changes from the cold hearted highest ranking Cleric who watched his own wife be killed for being a sense offender to a man trying to find his humanity by aiding the resistance. Definitely worth a viewing.
Kurt Wimmer's EQUILIBRIUM (2002)
Year: 2002
At some point in future a third World War destroys much of the world and mankind realizes that is may not survive another. To prevent any further self destruction, the world falls under control of one man called the Father. Under his rule all forms of art and emotions are outlawed. Books, paintings, music, and luxury are all outlawed and destroyed, and to eliminate emotions citizens are force to take a called Prozium on a daily basis.
Things seemingly are going fine until a John Preston, a Cleric, or a solider who's job it is to hunt and down both outlawed media and arrest "Sense Offenders", stops taking his Prozium. John, immediately ruled as a Sense Offender, tries to continue his line of work while hiding the fact that he is "feeling". He begins to sympathize with those captured and killed by the government and decides to join the resistance. This ever-building resistance's only goal is to take out the Father and bring down the totalitarian government. The question is, can John help the resistance before he is discovered by his fellow Clerics.
This was another random Netflix find. Christian Bale plays John Preston so I at least had hope that the movie would be relatively well done and have decent acting and Equilibrium did not disappoint. It is intriguing to watch John as he changes from the cold hearted highest ranking Cleric who watched his own wife be killed for being a sense offender to a man trying to find his humanity by aiding the resistance. Definitely worth a viewing.
Kurt Wimmer's EQUILIBRIUM (2002)
Friday, June 4, 2010
016 - Whip It
Director: Drew Barrymore
Year: 2009
Barrymore's first movie... could be terrible could actually be good. Personally, I was really surprised by this film.
Whip It follows a girl named Bliss who is stuck between her dead-end job and her mom who pushes her into beauty pageants. Bliss hates the beauty pageants and basically takes life day by day until she finds a poster advertising a Roller Derby league. Bliss, or Babe Ruthless, joins a team and loves every minute of it. Throughout the journey Bliss has issues with her best friend, falls in love with a musician, and pisses off her parents. Everything is going well until her parents find out about the league and try to put a stop to Bliss's fun.
The ups and downs of her life give viewers an entertaining story all while enjoying chicks on roller skates kicking each others asses. Luckily for viewers this isn't another crappy "Rollerball" movie. The film is well done and although I am not a huge Ellen Page fan, she does a good job. She sells the character. It is easy to side with Bliss against her parents and in the end you want her to beat her parents and continue in the derby league.
I Netflixed this film randomly a few months ago and have watched it a couple times since then. It is one of those perfect movies you can put on and not 100% concentrate but rather have it on in the background.
Drew Barrymore's WHIP IT (2009)
Year: 2009
Barrymore's first movie... could be terrible could actually be good. Personally, I was really surprised by this film.
Whip It follows a girl named Bliss who is stuck between her dead-end job and her mom who pushes her into beauty pageants. Bliss hates the beauty pageants and basically takes life day by day until she finds a poster advertising a Roller Derby league. Bliss, or Babe Ruthless, joins a team and loves every minute of it. Throughout the journey Bliss has issues with her best friend, falls in love with a musician, and pisses off her parents. Everything is going well until her parents find out about the league and try to put a stop to Bliss's fun.
The ups and downs of her life give viewers an entertaining story all while enjoying chicks on roller skates kicking each others asses. Luckily for viewers this isn't another crappy "Rollerball" movie. The film is well done and although I am not a huge Ellen Page fan, she does a good job. She sells the character. It is easy to side with Bliss against her parents and in the end you want her to beat her parents and continue in the derby league.
I Netflixed this film randomly a few months ago and have watched it a couple times since then. It is one of those perfect movies you can put on and not 100% concentrate but rather have it on in the background.
Drew Barrymore's WHIP IT (2009)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
015 - Sunshine
Director: Danny Boyle
Year: 2007
This is same Danny Boyle that made 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire so you have to at least give this film a chance.
50 years into the future mankind's extinction is threatened because the Sun starts to die. Its warming strength is fading and Earth is beginning to freeze. In order to kick start the Sun a team of astronauts is sent on a mission to, in a nutshell, set off a bomb inside the Sun but the team fails and communication is lost. Seven years later another team is sent on the same mission.
As with every Armageddon-type film, the missions has some issues and oversights that lead to team members dying. I wont go into the details but eventually the second team meets up with the lost first team only to find something still aboard the ship.
This film was a random Netflix find. I was surprised to find out that Boyle directed this and yet I had never heard of it. But nonetheless the story is entertaining and the film has a good cast. Now, of course since it's an Armageddon film there is a laundry list of cliches that you have to put up with:
- One guy's goof puts the entire mission in danger
- "Advanced" computer AI that disobeys humans and ultimately is worthless
- Poor ship design. Example: Overrides to things in areas that get you killed
- One person has to stay behind and push a button or hit a switch
- Everyone makes illogical decisions or jump to conclusions
BUT with all of that said, the film is still entertaining and worth a watch.
Danny Boyle's SUNSHINE (2007)
Year: 2007
This is same Danny Boyle that made 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire so you have to at least give this film a chance.
50 years into the future mankind's extinction is threatened because the Sun starts to die. Its warming strength is fading and Earth is beginning to freeze. In order to kick start the Sun a team of astronauts is sent on a mission to, in a nutshell, set off a bomb inside the Sun but the team fails and communication is lost. Seven years later another team is sent on the same mission.
As with every Armageddon-type film, the missions has some issues and oversights that lead to team members dying. I wont go into the details but eventually the second team meets up with the lost first team only to find something still aboard the ship.
This film was a random Netflix find. I was surprised to find out that Boyle directed this and yet I had never heard of it. But nonetheless the story is entertaining and the film has a good cast. Now, of course since it's an Armageddon film there is a laundry list of cliches that you have to put up with:
- One guy's goof puts the entire mission in danger
- "Advanced" computer AI that disobeys humans and ultimately is worthless
- Poor ship design. Example: Overrides to things in areas that get you killed
- One person has to stay behind and push a button or hit a switch
- Everyone makes illogical decisions or jump to conclusions
BUT with all of that said, the film is still entertaining and worth a watch.
Danny Boyle's SUNSHINE (2007)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
014 - Heavy Metal 2000
Director: Michael Coldewey
Year: 2000
First things first, this is not a film about music. The movie has some kick ass music in it, but it's not the main topic.
Heavy Metal 2000, a sequel to Heavy Metal, is about a magical crystal shard that grants whoever touches it immortality. This crystal also causes whoever touches it to be come crazy and power hungry.
The film starts out with a space miner named Tyler who finds the shard, becomes crazy, and starts killing everyone. He wipes out a colony and kidnaps a young women as he journeys through space. The film then follows the woman's sister as she tracks Tyler done.
Neither Heavy Metal film is the best movie ever but both have such a unique animation style. Oh yeah, this movie is an anime. The animation is really crisp and clean all which make the violence in the film that much more enjoyable. Yes, both Heavy Metal films are known for their graphic violence, nudity, language, and cheesy stories but both are worth a watch.
Michael Coldewey's HEAVY METAL 2000 (2000)
Year: 2000
First things first, this is not a film about music. The movie has some kick ass music in it, but it's not the main topic.
Heavy Metal 2000, a sequel to Heavy Metal, is about a magical crystal shard that grants whoever touches it immortality. This crystal also causes whoever touches it to be come crazy and power hungry.
The film starts out with a space miner named Tyler who finds the shard, becomes crazy, and starts killing everyone. He wipes out a colony and kidnaps a young women as he journeys through space. The film then follows the woman's sister as she tracks Tyler done.
Neither Heavy Metal film is the best movie ever but both have such a unique animation style. Oh yeah, this movie is an anime. The animation is really crisp and clean all which make the violence in the film that much more enjoyable. Yes, both Heavy Metal films are known for their graphic violence, nudity, language, and cheesy stories but both are worth a watch.
Michael Coldewey's HEAVY METAL 2000 (2000)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
013 - Doomsday
Director: Neil Marshall
Year: 2008
I forget if there is a year thrown around, but lets just says in the not too distant future a virus spreads throughout the British isles. This virus kills thousands and thousands of people and to contain the threat vast areas of England are quarantined and sealed off from the world.
Years later the virus resurfaces and a team is sent into the quarantine to find a cure that is to believed to reside in the blood of a few survivors found in the hot zone. Once over the walls the team has to find the cure and get out while fighting off a crowd of crazies that inhabit the quarantined area.
Being shut off from the world for so long has turned the survivors into a primitive society that brings back memories of the Mad Max films. Think 28 Days later meets Mad Max... thats Doomsday. Limited supplies, no food, no contact with the outside world, and a madman controlling the crowds all boils down into an interesting film that has something for everyone. Cars, explosions, romance, a sprinkle of knights and swords, and zombies. Check it out.
Neil Marshall's DOOMSDAY (2008)
Year: 2008
I forget if there is a year thrown around, but lets just says in the not too distant future a virus spreads throughout the British isles. This virus kills thousands and thousands of people and to contain the threat vast areas of England are quarantined and sealed off from the world.
Years later the virus resurfaces and a team is sent into the quarantine to find a cure that is to believed to reside in the blood of a few survivors found in the hot zone. Once over the walls the team has to find the cure and get out while fighting off a crowd of crazies that inhabit the quarantined area.
Being shut off from the world for so long has turned the survivors into a primitive society that brings back memories of the Mad Max films. Think 28 Days later meets Mad Max... thats Doomsday. Limited supplies, no food, no contact with the outside world, and a madman controlling the crowds all boils down into an interesting film that has something for everyone. Cars, explosions, romance, a sprinkle of knights and swords, and zombies. Check it out.
Neil Marshall's DOOMSDAY (2008)
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