#382: Caché (2005)

Director: Michael Haneke

Cast: Daniel Auteuil & Juliette Binoche

Georges, a public television personality and his wife Anne are being terrorized by an unseen observer. They receive video tapes of their own front door, taken from a distance. The tapes are wrapped in sheets of paper with disturbing, childlike drawings, each with a streak of red across the subject of the image. The couple tries to continue lives as normal, but paranoia begins to eke its way into their personalities.

It's hard to imagine that Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a roll in the making of this film. It's so up his alley that it almost seems like it's 50 years too late in the making, though at the same time has a modern feel to it. I suppose the fear of the unknown is timeless.

Now, some spoilers.

The end of the film at first seemed like one of the most lame ways to go that I could imagine - you don't find out a single thing. You don't know who was watching them, you don't even know the full intention of why a man had killed himself. Majid, whose parents worked for Georges' parents when they were kids, may have killed himself out of guilt or out of pure anger for the way Georges treated him in his childhood. Basically, everything was left open, and you realize there may have been no threat whatsoever to Georges and Anne besides the threat posed by their own fears.

But then! What a surprise I got when I found out that there was a subtle inclusion at the very end of the film that tells us that we haven't half of the story. Majid's son, who played a very minor role in the film, is seen with Georges' and Anne's son amidst a crowd of students waiting to be picked up from school. These two characters have no reason of knowing each other, and who knows what they could be discussing, or what plots are possibly being made by Majid's son.

There are no cheap tricks with this film, and coming out of it is initially disappointing, but this one has stuck with me for days now. While I might not recommend it to everyone off the bat, it's worth a shot.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

In the scene right after the main character leaves Hajid's apartment and hides in a movie theater we can see posters of several European successful films. One of them is "La mala educación" by Pedro Almodóvar, another one is "Les choristes" (2004) directed by Christophe Barratier.

Voted "Best Film of the Noughties" by UK newspaper The Times.

#383: Serenity (2005)

Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau, Sean Maher, Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Jewel Staite, Adam Baldwin, Morena Baccarin & Chiwetel Ejiofor



The crew continues their adventures on the outer rim of Joss Whedon’s visions of the future, where China and the United States merged to become the powerful Alliance. The mentally unstable and psychic River Tam is being hunted down by The Alliance because she might have obtained top-secret information from while she was being studied in the government’s laboratories. Luckily, River has been under the protection of Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his crew, who have evaded both The Alliance and the mysterious, murderous monsters known as Reavers. The ship directs its ways through the ‘verse to discover what dark secret is being hidden by the authorities.

Whedon’s imagination of the future is so colorful, it’s got so much to take in. Aside from the fusion of Western cultures with Chinese, the lingo used is witty and smart with a great dose of comedy. No character overlooked – each has a highly distinct style in appearance, speech and attitude.

Whedon’s style is very distinct, using a very high level of contrast in color. For example, the characters will be plunged into shadows until a brilliant white light is shot directly on to them. Not only was there contrasts in the color used on set, but it’s clear that they raised the contrast during the editing process as well, making the characters appear in a comic books style.

BEWARE: SPOILERS AHEAD

As far as plot, there is not much that I can complain about as far as the film goes. However, there were some disheartening choices when seen in the context of the entire franchise. The Firefly series hinted at a very colorful history to Shephard Book, but not only did he have an extremely small role in the film, but he was killed off while there is so much more to answer. Another major character, Wash, was killed off almost unnecessarily at the end of the film as well. It makes me think that Whedon was running out of time, had too many ideas, and tried to squeeze it all together.

A must see for all Firefly fans, nonetheless, and probably one of the best films to be made based on a television series.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• There is an inside joke printed on some of the crates in the cargo bay. Some of the crates have the message "Reusable Container: Do Not Destroy" printed on them (they are visible behind River after the Reaver has been shot). The original set for the ship, from the show "Firefly" (2002) was destroyed (even though creator Joss Whedon swore he'd make use of it again), and therefore could not be reused for the movie (the set had to be rebuilt from scratch).
• This is the first film to be released by Universal on HD-DVD (High Definition DVD).
• Among the buildings shown in the opening sequence (where voice-over narration describes the "terraforming" process) are the Emirates Towers, key features of the skyline of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. A skyscraper in the foreground of the same shot is based on designs by Sir Norman Foster (Lord Foster), including the Commerzbank headquarters in Frankfurt and the HSBC building in Hong Kong.
• The key phrase, that Dr. Simon Tam uttered to put River to sleep, "Eta Kooram Nah Smech!" in Russian means literally "this is for hens to laugh", meaning "this is very ridiculous".(presumably also as it is so random a sentence as to never be spoken by accident)

#390: 2 Days in Paris (2007)

Director: Julie Delpy
Cast: Adam Goldberg & Julie Delpy



The American Jack and his girlfriend, the French Marion, are on vacation throughout Europe. For the last leg of the trip, they are staying with Marion’s parents in Paris for two days before they fly back to the States. In Paris, their relationship is tested by the unconventional French conventions that Jack can’t begin to understand.

The best part about this film is that it’s not about French customs seen through an American’s eyes, but through the eyes of the English-speaking French who understand what the American sees and try to make him understand. The problems the couple face are not at all unheard of, but it is still completely unpredictable as a foreigner.

The cinematography and choices of location are perfect. The film captures the contemporary Parisian style flawlessly, and it brought back many memories for me that I probably wouldn’t have remembered otherwise. Delpy also manages to poke fun of French culture in a very endearing way, and it made me understand and love the French culture just a little bit more.

Amazing film, though I’d be interested to see what people think if they’ve never been to France. I may just buy the DVD, so if you’ve never been to Paris, and you’re reading this, hit me up.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The characters of Marion's parents are played by Delpy's real life parents, Albert Delpy and Marie Pillet.
• Marie Pillet, Julie's mother, was actually one of the '343 salopes' back in 1971.

#391: Mulholland Drive (2001)

Director: David Lynch
Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring & Justin Theroux

While being driven down Mulholland Drive, a woman is about to be murdered. Just as the man in the front seat is about to pull the trigger, a car crashes head-on into their limo. The woman is the only survivor, but she has lost her memory. She finds refuge in an apartment whose owner just left with some suitcases. The next day, however, the aspiring actress Betty shows up. It is her aunt’s house, and she assumes that the woman is a friend of her aunt’s. When the truth is discovered, the two put any clues they can find together to discover the woman’s identity.

I’ve seen bits of this film before, but other than that, I’ve never had any experience with David Lynch. Based on this film, I get the feeling that his style requires that you really relax your mind, though on first instinct you want to analyze everything. Everything is very dream-like, and has its own sense of logic.

I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t impressed by anything at all in this movie but the style. Acting was not so hot, the soundtrack was boring with an overload of synthesizer, and even the cinematography doesn’t stand out. But this film does provide a lot to talk about, having a very loose ending which can be interpreted in a million different ways.

It’s a conversation topic. Not a whole lot else.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The film is dedicated to Jennifer Syme, a young actress whose story is startlingly similar to that of the character of Betty - but who in fact died after the bulk of the film was completed.
• ABC executives rejected the original pilot version of the film because, they thought Naomi Watts and Laura Harring too old to be television stars, among other reasons.

You may have noticed that I have skipped a film (#392 - Paris, Texas). It was on my Netflix Queue since #500, and the day that it got to first in line, Netflix removed it from their available DVDs. I decided to skip it for now, because Netflix also said it will be available online "soon". So, when that day comes, I'll jump back.

#393: Garden State (2004)

Director: Zach Braff
Cast: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman & Peter Sarsgaard



Andrew Largeman returns home to New Jersey for the first time in years to attend his mother’s funeral. His trip unexpectedly turns his life for the better. While in the waiting room to check on a headache problem, he meets the life-loving, ever-optimist Sam. She’s a compulsive liar, but she’s cute, and they have a connection right off the bat. He spends his few days at home with her and his old classmates who have all gone on to bigger and weirder things (one invented silent Velcro, another digs graves, you get the idea).

It’s so unfortunate what kind of reputation this film has nowadays. It’s completely linked with the hipster movement, and it’s almost shameful to say that I’m a fan today. But it was chosen to be an iconic film for those types for good reasons. It’s got a great quirky sense of humor, it’s got loads of color to keep your eye on the screen, and it has a wonderful message overall.

Though Portman is a bit over-the-top in her half-glass-full attitude, she’s still a sight for sore eyes. After the first viewing of the film, she might be a bit annoying, but I’d love to know somebody that happy with life. Zach Braff is also pretty good, but he’s been outshined. Fortunately, his directing made up for it – and with his debut film!

But most importantly, the soundtrack is one of the best I’ve ever heard. It brought The Shins to fame, but used their music so well with the overall mood of the film. Honestly, it might be the best soundtrack I’ve ever heard.

Oh, and I’ve totally been to the restaurant that Largeman works at in the beginning of the film (it’s not Vietnamese, but a Thai restaurant called “Sea” in Williamsburg). Woot!

A good movie for a rainy day.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The cue for the seeing eye dog to mount was, "Love 'em up," while the cue for the dog to start humping was, "Who's your bitch?"
• The motorcycle is a Russian/Ukrainian Dnepr.
• During the swimming pool scene (when Andrew cannot swim) the fog was not there for effect. The site was originally chosen because the Manhattan Skyline was clearly visible but it just happened to be incredibly foggy on the day of filming.
• The Vietnamese restaurant in Los Angeles in the beginning is actually a Thai restaurant - Sea in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. Walking through the kitchen the background voices can be heard conversing in Thai, not Vietnamese.

#394: Cloverfield (2008)

Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Michael Stahl-David, T.J. Miller, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas & Odette Yustman



A going-away party for Tokyo-bound Rob Hawkins is abruptly interrupted when a Godzilla-like creature attacks New York City. Through the handheld camera being held by Rob’s best friend Hud, we witness the initial emergence of the creature, the escape routes from the city that prove worthless, and Rob’s heroic attempt to save his girlfriend who is stuck in what appears to be Trump Tower at Columbus Circle.

The talk about this film before its release was electric – figuratively, and literally. The initial trailer for the film (which I can’t find online, unfortunately) showed only one scene in which the head of the Statue of Liberty comes to a screeching halt on a New York street, with no title or information on the film shown. As its release date came closer, more trailers were released, and multiple websites were created to spur on talk about what exactly the creature was.

The anticipation was worth it. The handheld camera makes the action oh-so-much more intense. Its effect on the overall style of the film is profound, but is brought even further to reality by Reeves’ small choices throughout the film on the reaction of the New Yorkers. The greatest example must be when the Statue of Liberty’s head falls into the street, very few are looking at the iconic image directly – most are looking at it through their camera-phones.

The film has a perfect amount of comedy weaved into the thrilling action, and this comedy is best acted out through Lizzy Caplan, playing Marlena, the sarcastic barely-acquaintance of Rob, and Hud’s love interest. Overall, the cast is good, though nothing particular. It’s really the work behind the scenes that made this film phenomenal.

Get some popcorn and watch this if you haven’t done so already. It’s so worth it.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The title "Cloverfield"; initially just a codename for the movie, is named for the boulevard in Santa Monica where the Bad Robot offices were located during the making of the film.
• The decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty in the street is inspired by the poster for John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981), which depicts the head of the Statue of Liberty lying in the middle of the street.
• Images from King Kong (1933), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), and Them! (1954) are hidden within the film. Each image is seen extremely briefly, for only a single frame, during a camera edit. The "Them!" picture is shown at 00.24.06, the "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" picture is shown at 00.45.27, and the "King Kong" picture is shown at 1.06.55. A brief clip of Rob and Beth at a train station is seen with the "King Kong" image at 1.06.51.
• According to Neville Page, creature designer - the monster is a baby in a new environment - "spooked" and looking for its mother.

#396: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Director: Andrew Dominik
Cast: Brad Pitt & Casey Affleck



Jesse James was one of the greatest outlaws of American history. After he and his brother Frank fought as Confederate guerillas in the Civil War, they started one of the greatest gangs ever to exist. They became living legends in the 1870’s, when they robbed banks, trains and stagecoaches. After many members of the gang were killed in 1876, they recruited new members, including the young Robert Ford. Robert idolized Jesse in childhood, but his view of the great antihero begins to change shape while living in the James household, and decides to kill his former idol to collect a state reward.

The premise of the film is wonderful, studying Robert Ford rather than the more infamous Jesse James. Of course, we know what happens to James from the outset. It is Affleck’s portrayal of Ford that really makes the film interesting. Ford’s view of James is carefully analyzed, showing how legends can often be far from the truth.

However, this was one boring movie. It doesn’t help that I couldn’t understand about half of what the characters were saying with their greatly slurred Southern accents. I also found the narrator’s voice one of the most lulling performances in recent history. It was really only the last 10 or 15 minutes of the film that really stood out to me, describing what happened once Jesse James was killed.

Certainly a good choice for history buffs. Otherwise, meh.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• When Jesse goes looking for Jim Cummins he introduces himself as "Dick Turpin". Dick Turpin was a legendary English rogue and famous historical highwayman romanticized in English ballads and popular theatre of the 18th and 19th century. Dick Liddil introduces himself as "Matt Collins", which is actually a play on the name of Liddil's wife, Mattie Collins.
• According to Andrew Dominik, Brad Pitt had it put in his contract that the name of the movie was not to be changed.

#400: The Incredibles (2004)

Director: Brad Bird
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Spencer Fox, Sarah Vowell & Jason Lee



After a string of lawsuits against the superheroes of the world, they’ve been forced to remain in their secret identities. Among them, the former Mr. Incredible works in an insurance agency to support his wife (the former Elastigirl) and his three kids, two of which have already shown signs of superpowers while the third is still an infant. An unexpected message is found in his home offering him a job in which his powers are required. The chance to perform at his best once again is too tempting, but he soon discovers that he is in fact working for who used to be his biggest fan who is now bent on killing all superheroes, especially Mr. Incredible himself.

What makes The Incredibles especially stand out is beyond the exterior of a great action/comedy animation is its use of themes inspired directly from Ayn Rand. The moment this connection is made, the viewer will never quite see the movie the same way again. But first, let me give a brief summary of Ayn Rand.

Rand was a Russian-born American writer and the founder of objectivism. This philosophy puts emphasis on the individual, demanding that one strives to be the best, and talent should always be promoted. She also rejected altruism, believing that it supports those who have no reason to be supported. Spreading her philosophy through her two greatest novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, she became one of the most controversial characters in American literature.

The Incredibles takes all of the greatness from Atlas Shrugged and takes only the good stuff from objectivism. Throughout the film, various characters make the statement that if everyone is special, then nobody is. With superheroes representing talented people, we see that some people are special, and their work should be appreciated, not brought down to mediocrity. However, the film rejects Rand’s disdain for altruism and family ideals (of which there is no sign in the characters of Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead). Family is one of the most important themes in the film, and of course altruism is a must for any good guy in a superhero flick. Also, in true Randian flare, a great visual reference is made when Mr. Incredible is holding up a gigantic spherical robot on his shoulders, paying tribute to the classic image of Atlas holding the world on his shoulders, which was the cover of Atlas Shrugged.

But I simply can’t end with my praise for the Randian themes. The film has got both flesh and blood, so now let’s talk about what we see outwardly. The characters are each so colorful, and the voice acting is second to none. The action is thrilling; nobody will get through this movie without wanting to run as fast as Dash, who finds himself so fast that he can run across water. And the action is enhanced greatly by the jazzy score by Michael Giacchino, whose music references back to the classic James Bond scores. Other references to 60’s action films are made throughout, such as the googie architecture (see the trivia section below), and most especially the montage of interviews with some of the main heroes just before they were forced underground.

This is one of Pixar’s best thanks to its highly original animation style, its energetic soundtrack, and its – ahem – incredible story. The film is undoubtedly the most action-packed of all Pixar films, and it’s a great watch, no matter how many times you watch. I’m hoping this first step into the top 400 is a sign that the horrible choices Empire had made are coming to an end…!

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Syndrome's zero-point energy beam is based on an actual physics concept, the zero-point field, demonstrated in 1948 via the Casimir Effect and essential to Stephen Hawking's theory that black holes eventually evaporate. Harnessing the zero-point field would be quite a feat, as it would yield a truly infinite source of energy.
• The unusual architecture in the film was based on a distinctive style of 1950s space-age futurism known as Googie, most often seen in coffee shops and bowling alleys of the era. Tiki architecture, another 1950s pop style and often considered a form of Googie, is also exemplified in many of the island sets.
• In the whole movie, you can see 35 explosions, 189 buttons being pressed, and approximately 640 gunshots.
• Edna, the costume lady, is based on Edith Head, who worked as a studio costume designer on hundreds of movies over more than fifty years.
• Samuel L. Jackson was cast as the voice of Frozone because Brad Bird wanted the character to have the coolest voice.
• The name of the island that Mr. Incredible is summoned to, Nomanisan Island, is a reference to the well-known book title: "No Man is an Island", written by Thomas Merton, in turn a reference to John Donne's Meditation XVII, 'The Bell': "No man is an island, entire of itself..."

#402: Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Directors: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
Cast: Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Paul Dano & Alan Arkin



Uncle Frank comes to live with his sister Sheryl’s family after a suicide attempt. On the same day, Sheryl’s daughter Olive gets news that she’s been accepted to the Little Miss Sunshine contest in Redondo Beach, her husband Richard is trying to sell a self-help book, Richard’s father is snorting cocaine while coaching Olive, and Olive’s brother Dwayne is refusing to talk. Because of Nietzsche. It’s decided that the only way Olive can participate in the contest is if the whole family piles into the VW bus and they make the drive together.

It is frightening how much talent is featured in this film. While Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin are veterans of the film industry, Steve Carell was a relative unknown when he was cast for this role. It was only during production that he became famous through both NBC’s The Office and The 40 Year Old Virgin. Meanwhile, this film boosted the careers of both Paul Dano and Abigail Breslin, both of whom were relatively unknown (despite Breslin’s large role in M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs at the age of six).

The entire film balances on the shoulders of young Olive, who is learning the complexities of life. Sheryl and Richard constantly argue over how much information Olive should be given; should she know that her uncle attempted suicide? Should she know that he’s gay? Should she eat ice cream? With these choices of parenting, how will she end up? Is it safe to always tell the truth, or to cover it up? Once the film is over, we can have a nice big sigh of relief, because in the end, we learn that it’s best to just relax.

This is one of the most refreshing comedies that have been released in the recent past, and possibly one of the best of all time. Oh, and the soundtrack is pretty awesome too.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Abigail Breslin wore a fat suit for the part of Olive.
• Originally written as an East Coast road trip movie from Maryland to Florida, it was shifted to a journey from New Mexico to California due to shooting issues.
• On July 25, 2006 Fox Searchlight Pictures invited VW bus owners to a screening of Little Miss Sunshine (2006) at Vineland Drive-In theater in City of Industry, California. 65 VW buses were present at the event.
• All of the girls acting as participants in the "Little Miss Sunshine" beauty pageant, except Abigail Breslin, were veterans of real beauty pageants. They wore the same costumes, including hair and makeup, and performed the same talent routines as they had in their real-life pageants.
• The production crew made sure Abigail Breslin really was listening to music in her headphones to keep her from hearing Alan Arkin's profanity-laced scenes.
• Though they are supposed to be mother and son, the difference of age between Toni Collette and Paul Dano is just 12 years.

#406: Iron Man (2008)

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow & Jeff Bridges

Tony Stark is a genius, engineering all of the top weaponry used in the US military forces. And he's not even a nerd! When not working in his underground laboratory in his Malibu mansion, he's mackin' it with the ladies. This routine takes a major hit, however, when he is abducted by terrorists in Afghanistan. The terrorists demand that he builds one of his killer gadgets (in a literal sense). Instead, Stark secretly builds a suit of robotic armor with the aid of a fellow hostage. He escapes the cavern prison, but his armor is destroyed in the process. After his rescue, he builds another suit. When Stark learns that his company has been supplying the terrorists with weapons without his knowledge, Stark puts his new toy to good use, jetting to Afghanistan to disarm the enemy.

One moment stuck out to me in this movie more than anything, and it happens to be the very last line. So if you haven't see it, prepare yourself for a spoiler right off the bat. As Stark prepares for a press conference, his personal assistant and love interest Pepper Potts gives all the information Stark needs to know about his false alibi to keep his identity as the Iron Man a secret. When he goes out there, however, he gives up the pretense and says bluntly "I'm Iron Man."

This departs from every other comic hero that has been brought to the screen. Being so forward about it makes Stark way more bad-ass than any other superhero to date. While Batman and Spiderman continue their with their emo behavior, Superman is simply an alien who just wants to be a dork. And while the X-Men are publicly known, they are all assisting each other in gang-like fashion. Stark is all alone (Stark Naked to the elements?? Yuk yuk yuk...), and he simply doesn't give a damn.

Aside from that, the film is just a great time. While it can be classified as just-another-blockbuster, it was 100% bad ass.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The script was not completely prepared when filming began, since the filmmakers were more focused on the story and the action, so the dialogue was mostly ad-libbed throughout filming; Jon Favreau acknowledged this made the film feel more natural. Some scenes were shot with two cameras to capture lines improvised on the spot; Robert Downey Jr. would ask for many takes of one scene since he wanted to try something new.Gwyneth Paltrow, on the other hand, had a difficult time trying to match Downey with a suitable line, as she never knew what he would say.
• During the highway battle with Iron Monger, a building can be seen in the background with a Roxxon logo. In the Marvel Universe, Roxxon is a notorious conglomerate known for illegal activities, agents of which were responsible of the death of Stark's parents.
• According to Paul Bettany, he did not know which film he was working on; he merely did the job as a favor for Jon Favreau, whom he worked with on Wimbledon (2004).

#411: Spiderman 2 (2004)

Director: Sam Raimi

Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco & Alfred Molina

Spiderman returns to the big screen, swinging into combat against a machine-gone-wild, transforming inventor Dr. Otto Octavius into the evil Doc Ock. Meanwhile, Pete continues to struggle in his relationships with the lovely Mary Jane Watson, as well as continuing to conceal the fact that he had killed the father of his best friend, Harry.

Sorry it's taken me so long to write this one, but there really isn't a whole lot to say about these blockbusters. The fight sequences are great - but nowadays, most are, so that's not a whole lot to say about a film.

The acting is mediocre - Tobey isn't at his finest here, Dunst is at her average (which is equivalent to her best, from what I've seen), and Franco is fine. And I'm still surprised that Molina took this role - he seems to have been making some fine films until this one came out, and I haven't really seen him since.

But to top it all off, Spiderman is unmasked to the public in this film. Peter seems not to care whatsoever if he's found out, standing on top of buildings with his mask off, saving runaway trains with his mask off... it just doesn't fit with the story. Lame lame lame.

Eh, it's only a film to see on the big screen, nothing more.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Tobey Maguire's participation was in doubt at one point because he was suffering severe back pains. Jake Gyllenhaal, was lined up to play Spider-Man and had already begun preparation, but Maguire decided to take part after all. However, according to the DVD commentary, the "My back!" joke after Peter falls from the roof was purely coincidental, as it was written into the script before Maguire's problem arose.
• Danny Elfman, who did the film score (for this and several other films by Sam Raimi) had some sort of falling out with the director during the course of this film, and has been quoted saying "To see such a profound negative change in a human being was almost enough to make me feel like I didn't want to make films anymore." He has stated that they'll never work together again.
• The phone number on Peter's helmet for Joe's Pizzeria is to a real NY Pizza place. 212-366-1182. Evidently they love the publicity.

#413: Finding Nemo (2003)

Directors: Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich
Cast: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres & Alexander Gould

Marlin is a father who is extremely cautious over the safety of his son, Nemo, after Nemo’s mother was attacked while expecting multiple children. Nemo was the only one to survive the attack. On Nemo’s first day of school, Marlin anxiously watches the class head off on a field trip. After discovering that the class is exploring the dangerous ‘drop-off’, Marlin chases after them, only to witness Nemo get kidnapped. With the aid of Dory, who suffers short-term memory loss, Marlin hunts down the kidnappers and plans to save Nemo before he’s flushed down the toilet.

Oh, did I not mention? Nemo’s a fish.

Needless to say, this film covers some pretty intense material for a kids movie. With Marlin’s back story being given immediately is shocking for adults let alone kids, and the emotional roller coaster he endures is remarkably deep. Not gonna lie, this is the one cartoon that can give me shivers.

The animation for Finding Nemo surpasses all of Pixar’s films to date. That’s right, even WALL-E. There was just so much to work with, from the anatomy of many species of underwater life to the light coming through the water. The opening scenes are absolutely dazzling, and the quality never fails throughout.

The voice acting is also extraordinary. Albert Brooks, though he has admitted that he didn’t enjoy making this film, gives a wonderful tenderness to Marlin. But the star voice actor of the film, no doubt, is Ellen DeGeneres. Dory could have been one of the most irritating characters of all times, but Ellen just made her fun, care-free, and extremely loving.

And the music! Thomas Newman at his best. It’s unfortunate that this Newman has been put to the side for so many years to make room for his cousin Randy, though the tides are turning, with such huge titles under his belt as WALL-E, Revolutionary Road, Jarhead, Cinderella Man and The Good German.

Accessible for adults, kids, and everything in between. Absolutely wonderful.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The seagulls ("Mine, mine") were modeled after the penguins in the claymation Wallace and Gromit short Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers (1993).
• Afraid that kids would try releasing their pet fish by flushing them down a drain, a company that manufactures equipment used by water filtration and sewage treatment plants released a warning the Thursday after the film came out saying that, even though drains do eventually reach the ocean, before it got there the water would go through equipment which breaks down solids, and went on to say that in real life the movie would more appropriately be called "Grinding Nemo".
• As "research" the key figures of the production crew had to get SCUBA certification and go to the Great Barrier Reef on the insistence of John Lasseter.
• 'Bruce' the great white shark was named after 'Bruce' the animatronic great white that was used in making the movie Jaws (1975).

#417: Lords of Dogtown (2005)

Director: Catherine Hardwicke

Cast: Victor Rasuk, John Robinson & Emile Hirsch

Three friends, Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta and Jay Adams, have to find a new sport to replace surfing when the waves stop coming to the pier. Because of the draught that year in the 1970s, pools were emptied. Tony, Stacy and Jay take up skateboarding, eventually becoming some of the first members of the group called The Z-Boys. Soon afterwards, the three become famous in the skating world, but the fame brings the three on separate paths.

This true story is depicted with brilliance, giving an incredible sense of the culture in Venice, California. The colors are so bright, nearly bleached by the sun. I honestly felt like I was going to need to put on sun block just by watching this film.

I honestly thought the acting was good - and nothing more. However, Heath Ledger is praised like woah for this film. He plays the creator of Z-Boys, Skip Engblom, who worked at a surf board shop until the draught, and who acts as the boys' manager until he proves himself unable to carry out the task. His character was incredibly flamboyant, but this is said to be a perfect description of the real Skip Engblom. It's hard to believe some of the characters from California actually exist.

If you have any interest at all in skating and the punk/skater culture that was brought about by the Z-Boys, this movie is a must-see. I'd recommend it for anyone into sports films.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Many parts of the dilapidated pier set (e.g. the big dipper) were added using CGI to keep costs down. However, the derelict ferris wheel was real and had been purchased on eBay for a few thousand dollars.
• While filming a scene in an empty pool, director Catherine Hardwicke fell and was knocked unconscious for two minutes. Many of the cast and crew thought she had died. When she came to, the pro-skaters there said "Now you know how it feels. Welcome to the club."
• To prepare for his role as young Jay Adams, Emile Hirsch flew to Hawaii to spend time with Jay Adams who had just been released from jail for assault and drug charges and had just gotten married.

#418: V for Vendetta (2005)

Director: James McTeigue

Cast: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving & Stephen Rea

After the fall of the United States, England is taking extraordinary measures to maintain civility. All people of non-English (and non-hetero) background have become outcasts. A curfew is set, but young Evey needs to visit her friend Deitrich and risks it. She is soon stopped in an alley by two threatening corrupt policemen. She is saved by a stranger in a Guy Fawkes mask presenting himself as "V". He brings her to the top of a building to hear what he calls a concert, which turns out to be the bombing of the Old Bailey, with the 1812 Overture blasted through the streets through the government's city-wide PA system.

Evey becomes the target of the government, being caught on CCTV. At her office, the TVs stop their normal broadcast, and Evey sees V once again on the screen. He announces that the government must be stopped, and calls for the people of England to march on Parliament on Guy Fawkes Day in one year to bomb the building, as Guy Fawkes planned centuries ago. When the broadcast is over, government officials enter Evey's office. She narrowly evades their 'black bags', being saved once again by V, who brings her back to his underground hiding place. Meanwhile, Inspector Finch discovers disturbing information while investigating V's past, leading him to doubt everything he led to believe about the government he serves.

There is no doubt that this is Natalie Portman's best performance of her career. Her emotional breakdown is remarkable, and I've never seen somebody cry more convincingly on screen. I would really love to see her in a slasher flick - she would definitely add a huge sense of dread through her absolute terror.

The representation of Britain in this film is absolutely disturbing, especially due to how believable it all is. The use of CCTV all over London in real life is already considered highly invasive, though there's no end of its use in sight. The election of BNP members to the EU Council is also a step towards the London represented in the film, with their discrimination against non-English peoples.

This film has hit home for Americans as well as the British. Though most Americans can't relate to the issues going on abroad, this film is probably the first to really push on the possibility that the fall of the World Trade Center could have been planned by the US Government itself. Of course, this will probably never be proven, but this film shows how and why it could have been done.

It's clear that this film did something right. How many Americans do you think knew who Guy Fawkes even was before this film came out? And how many Facebook statuses did you see this year on November 5 reading "remember, remember the fifth of November"?The film deserves its wide recognition, and I hope McTeigue keeps his career going (though his second, very recent film release - Ninja Assassin - isn't getting much praise).

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Natalie Portman looked forward to shaving her head totally bald for the role of Evey Hammond during the torture scenes, stating that she has wanted to do it for a long time. For the shaving scene, the crew and the shaving guys had only one take to do it.
• The Houses of Parliament destroyed in the film are not the same buildings which Guy Fawkes planned to destroy in 1605. The original Parliament buildings were destroyed in a fire in 1834. The current buildings are built on the same site and took 30 years to build, finishing in 1870. They were largely destroyed again in World War Two and rebuilt to the original design in the late 1940s.
• The scenes near the end that take place in an abandoned London Underground station were actually filmed at Aldwych, a branch from the Piccadilly line that was closed in 1994. The branch still has its tracks and current rails, allowing an operational train to be used in the scene.
• V's pseudonym, "Rookwood", is the last name of another conspirator at the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, as are the names of Rookwood's friends "Percy" and "Keyes".
• In the original graphic novel, V's cause was anarchy, not freedom. Alan Moore was specifically and harshly critical of the movie for changing what he called the "anarchy vs. fascism" structure of his graphic novel into what he saw as an exploration of "American neo-liberalism vs. American neo-conservatism" that should have been thusly set in the U.S. instead of Britain.
• The name Evey is pronounced EV, with E being the fifth letter of the alphabet, V being five in Latin and Y being the 25th letter (5 squared)
• On a clock that has an hour hand and a minute hand, the time 11:05 makes a V. These two numbers, 11 and 5, where 11 is November, and 5 is the day of November, spell out: the fifth of November. "Remember, remember the 5th of November."
• The building used for the wide-angle shot of Evey on the balcony actually exists, although certain architectural details were digitally modified. It is located at 1 Cornhill, London, and is just across the street from the Bank of England.
• All of V's dialogue was recorded via ADR. Initially, a mask was designed with a small microphone inside it and another mike was designed to sit along the hair line of actor Hugo Weaving, but neither worked very well.

#423: Kill Bill, Vol. II (2004)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen & Daryl Hannah

(Contains spoiler from Kill Bill, Vol I ... if you haven't seen that, I don't know what's wrong with you)

The Bride continues her quest for revenge. Having dispatched O-Ren Ishii and Vernita Green, she is set to finish off the rest of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad: Elle Driver, Budd, and - most importantly - Bill. The twist (as discovered in Vol. I)? She never learned that the child she was holding when she was attacked at the Twin Pines Chapel was still alive.

What sets this film apart from all other 'sequels' is that it in fact is not a sequel. Kill Bill was originally written as one solitary film, but it ended up simply too long. Tarantino did not have the story simply continue through this film. Tarantino has described the two films as the first volume drawing outlines for the characters, but the second volume fills in the lines.

The characters in the story have much more substance in this film. We finally see the tender side of The Bride, as well as an unexpected tenderness in Bill. We also see more of the interactions between Bill, Bud and Elle.

The script is one worth study. The lines aren't written as if they were being told in the real world. They sound more like they are lines being told from a story around a campfire (hopefully voiced by David Carradine). The script - as well as other aspects of the film - gives homage to classics from both Spaghetti Westerns and Kung-Fu flicks. Many of the songs throughout the film are borrowed from Spaghetti Westerns, and many of the characters are drawn directly from classic Kung-Fu films.

The cinematography, like Vol. I, continues to dazzle the audience, but in a completely different way. Leaving the pristine settings of Vernita's house in Pasadena and O-Ren Ishii's Tokyo joint, we find ourselves getting gritty out west, setting kung-fu fights in the confines of a trailer, as well as at the gritty resting place of the unknown character of Paula Schultz.

The film is completely different than its predecessor, but there have never been two films that complement each other so well, leading to sheer awesomeness. If you've never seen these films, I really recommend that you get yourselves on Netflix immediately.

Oh, and read some of the trivia below, there's some pretty cool stuff.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The chapter "Yuki's Revenge" was cut from filming to accommodate a new chapter, "Massacre at Two Pines" that details the attack on The Bride. An outline of the chapter was to have Yuki Yubari, Gogo's sister seek vengeance on the Bride for killing her sister, Yuki was to be played by Kou Shibasaki who co-stared with Chiaki Kuriyama (who plays Gogo in Vol.1) in the Japanese movie Batoru rowaiaru (2000).
• The reason that The Bride no longer has the "Pussy Wagon" in Vol. 2 is because in the original script that included the character of Yuki Yubari, Go-Go's sister, Yuki had destroyed it soon after the killing of Vernita Green.
• The character Pai Mei appears in several Shaw Bros Kung Fu films from the 1970s-80s including Hong Wending san po bai lian jiao (1980) (Clan of the White Lotus). Pai Mei means "White Eyebrow". Ironically, Gordon Liu (Chia Hui Liu), who stars as Pai Mei in this film, starred as the protagonist in Clan of the White Lotus and fought Pat Mei/Bak Mei (played by legendary Shaw Brothers studio actor Lo Lieh).
• Quentin Tarantino originally intended to only have Pai Mei's lips speaking Cantonese, while his voice would be in English, imitating a bad dub job. Tarantino was going to provide the voice himself. In the end, Tarantino abandoned this idea and Pai Mei's voice is that of the actor, Chia Hui Liu.
• The Bride never actually says anything to Budd.
• Robert Rodriguez scored this movie for $1. Quentin Tarantino said he would repay him by directing a segment of Rodriguez's project Sin City (2005) for $1.
• Bill's apartment in Mexico is number 101, the same as Neo's in The Matrix (1999). The fights in both films were choreographed by Woo-ping Yuen. In addition, room 101 is a reference to George Orwell's "1984", the room where the thing you fear most resides.
• In the scene where Uma Thurman is being buried alive, the master shot has the pickup's headlights illuminating the graveyard. On the right of the screen, the exhumed body's gnarled hand casts a bunny-shaped shadow on its coffin.

#425: Wonder Boys (2000)

Director: Curtis Hanson

Cast: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes & Frances McDormand

Prof. Grady Tripp has been struggling to complete his second publication, which colleague Terry Crabtree has been anticipating to read for the past seven years. Upon Terry's arrival with his tuba-playing transvestite girlfriend, Prof. Tripp evades Terry's questions on the book. Tripp is also going through a divorce while sleeping with the married chancellor, who has suspicions about student Hannah Green, who is renting a room from Prof. Tripp. While Tripp may be struggling for inspiration for his book, student James Leer certainly isn't. A troubled youth, Leer has just finished writing his first novel, despite his troubles at home.

I'm surprised this film hasn't become better known. It's gotten many great reviews, though not that many seats taken in the audience.

The greatest thing about this movie is its mellow attitude towards some crazy events. With sex, drugs and transvestites (sorry, not that much rock-n-roll in this flick), you would expect some wacky, over-the-top characters yelling and screaming. Instead, the events are portrayed in a way that seems much more plausible on the university campus. Everyone takes these events in stride, focusing on what's most important at the end. In this case, that end is the publication of a great book.

Great performances are made by all, particularly Robert Downey Jr. His character could so easily have been absolutely over-the-top, but his nonchalance makes the character superb.

Oh, and the music is pretty fantastic as well. I hadn't known beforehand, it actually won an Oscar for Best Song with Bob Dylan's 'Things Have Changed'.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a fun but relaxing time.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• All key scenes feature a bridge in the background, either one of the bridges of Pittsburgh, or on a painting.
• The film was originally released in February of 2000 to almost universal praise (especially for the performance of Michael Douglas) but with very little fanfare. Paramount, the film's distributor, decided to re-release the film that November with a different marketing campaign that highlighted its strong supporting cast, and hopes that it would garner some Oscar nominations, despite Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Friedman's acknowledgment that no studio had ever successfully re-released a picture that initially flopped.
• Bearing in mind the film's interest in Marilyn Monroe, the character of Miss Antonia Sloviak - a tuba-playing transvestite - may be a nod to Monroe's film Some Like It Hot (1959), in which two men disguise themselves as women and pose as members of an all-female band. (One of the men was played by Tony Curtis, which may have been the inspiration for Antonia's real name Tony.)

#426: Enduring Love (2004)

Director: Roger Michell

Cast: Daniel Craig, Rhys Ifans & Samantha Morton

Lovers Joe and Claire are enjoying a day out in the sun, having a picnic in a field outside of Oxford. Their time together is interrupted suddenly when a hot air balloons descends from the sky, one of its passengers dangling from the basket being dragged along the field. Joe, and others who witness the crash from the road, run after the balloon and bring it to a halt. However, before the man's young son gets out, the balloon takes off again with Joe and the other helpers holding on. One by one, the helpers let go of the basket, while one holds on too long. The men watch the balloon drift away, and finally the last man falls down to his death. Joe is traumatized by what he witnesses and can't seem to let it go. Soon after, one of the helpers calls his flat. This man, Jed, tells Joe that there is something they must discuss. When they meet, Jed is very off-putting, never stating quite what he means to say. Joe soon finds himself struggling to disentangle himself from Jed, as well as the balloon accident.

In my view, the genre of this film itself alters completely about halfway through. In the beginning, it posed moral questions to the audience. Who is at fault for the man's death? Why did the man hold on for so long? Halfway through, though, we seem to forget all of this as all of a sudden we find ourselves in the midst of a thriller. Personally, I feel that this is just a bad decision to make, and I suppose I must blame Ian McEwan, author of the novel. There's no question that this simply wasn't his best novel (though I haven't read it myself).

Aside from that, this film is quite well done. The cinematography is phenomenal, especially the scene of the balloon accident. The acting is very good, as well. Daniel Craig flawlessly portrays the devolution of a man's character after a traumatic experience.

The reaction to the film seems to be mixed. Among the audience, many have criticized the film as negatively portraying both the mentally troubled as well as homosexuals. I have to agree, I found that there was absolutely no sympathy for our antagonist, which I believe is simply something that shouldn't be done aside from evil maniacs in fantasy stories.

Overall, I'm pretty ambivalent.

No Fun Trivia, once again, folks. IMDB is failing on us.

#432: X-2: X-Men United (2003)

Director: Bryan Singer

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen ...

The President of the United States is attacked by a mutant seeking equality for his kind. The X-Men are searching for the unknown mutant. During their search, the Academy is attacked by a military force being controlled by William Stryker, a figure from Wolverine's muddled past.

Great cast, amazing special effects. I don't really know what else to say about another Blockbuster hit, aside from the fact that this is the first of the X-Men films where the morals become very apparent. It's most obvious in a scene at Iceman's home, when his parents ask "Can't you try not being a mutant?"

I'm quickly coming to realize that blockbusters are fun and all.. but I'd rather just save them for the big screen when I'm looking for some entertainment. Luckily for me, I've got a while until the next big blockbusters pop up on the list (#411).

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Professor Xavier's wheelchair from the first movie was bought by a lawyer (who also works for the same law firm as Patrick Stewart's attorney). When production began, the studio realized they had no chair anymore, so the lawyer rented it back to the studio - as Stewart said in an interview - "for a significant sum".
• The fight between Wolverine and Yuriko took three weeks to film.
• When Wolverine is in the kitchen in Bobby Drake's parents' house, and he is surprised by the cat, he lets it lick his claws - seemingly a very cute moment. But if you listen closely when he hears someone come in and retracts his claws, you hear the sound effect of Wolverine's claws extending (if you listen closely, you can tell the difference, as the retracting sound is the same as the extending sound, but played in reverse), and then the cat crying out. This was an unintentional moment of comedy which was going to but cut but the last minute decision was made to leave it in.
• On "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992), Hugh Jackman related a story about something that happened during the filming of the Weapon X flashback scene: while he was filming the corridor run (in which he is nude and backlit), he turned the corner and saw the female cast members, including James Marsden's mother, waiting for him, hooting and waving dollar bills.
• The ice wall separating Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Stryker (Brian Cox) in the mansion scene where they meet for the "first time" was real ice and weighed 3,500 lbs.
• When Jean is hearing people's thoughts in the Science Museum, one of them is "To the shelter!" This line was said by one of the Secret Service during Nightcrawler's attack on the Oval Office in the previous scene, thus adding/alluding to Jean's growing psychic abilities. Other lines Jean hears are "No!" shouted by Wolverine when he later is separated from General Stryker by Iceman's wall of ice and "They're gonna kill him." which is what Rogue later says to Iceman and Pyro in the tunnel pleading for them to go back and help Wolverine.