#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)

#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.

#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..."

#401: Batman Returns (1992)

Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer & Christopher Walken



Batman has got his handful in the second film of the franchise. Selina Kyle, the executive assistant to the corrupt businessman Max Shreck, discovers confidential files in the office. Shreck attempts to kill her, but instead transforms her into the sexy and dangerous Catwoman. At the same time, a mysterious disfigured man is discovered to be living in the sewers of Gotham City among a flock of penguins. This man, only known as The Penguin, threatens to expose Shreck of his crimes unless he assists in transforming the deranged man into a local hero.

Today, the Batman films are more gritty and nearly realistic gangs. In comparison, the Penguin has two gangs: one looks like a celebration of Día de los Muertos, while the other is a flock of penguins. If a flock of birds were to be used in any action movie today, the audience would not know what to make of it. This film isn’t even twenty years old, and that’s how much the industry has changed. What makes it heartbreaking is that this film has stood remarkably to the test of time, but audiences have moved on anyway.

The visuals on this movie are classic Burton. The dark colors of Batman, Catwoman and The Penguin juxtaposed with the bright colors of the Día de los Muertos gang, his duck vehicle and Shreck’s smiley cat logo is shocking. This blends perfectly with Danny Elfman’s genius score. The music of this film is one of Elfman’s finest, and it is not surprising in the least that he has provided scores not only to Tim Burton’s films, but also to many superhero films (the Spiderman, Hulk, Hellboy, Terminator and Men in Black franchises).

Of all the performances in the film, two stood out quite clearly: Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito. Pfeiffer’s transformation scene from lonely secretary to leather-clad sex vixen is disturbing – and awesome. Meanwhile, DeVito has never fit a character so flawlessly. Aside from his hideous makeup, his character is just so filthy that you have to hate him. When the two have scenes together, it is clear why they were chosen to be the villains together: they are perfectly opposite. While one attracts everyone, the other repulses; what other animals could better be represented to be opposites than a cat and a bird?

I have to also note that this film brings together pieces of Burton’s repertoire, more so than any of his other films. Actors who appear in this film as well as others by Burton include Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice), Danny DeVito (Big Fish), Christopher Walken (Sleepy Hollow) and Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure). Another familiar appearance is the Penguin’s duck vehicle (which is very similar to a toy duck being built in The Nightmare Before Christmas). The Día de los Muertos gang is also very similar to a dream sequence from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.

Burton’s most remarkable ability in his films is to be able to turn a story into something representative of a dream – a technique that has been lost since this film was released, lost both by the industry as well as by Burton himself. I will be a happy man the day Burton returns to his former glory.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Christopher Walken's character is named Maximillian Shreck. In addition to the fact that "schreck" is the German word meaning "terror," the actor Max Schreck played the first-ever vampire depicted on film in the silent-era classic Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).
• Sean Young very much wanted the role of The Catwoman. During preproduction she arrived at the studio in a Catwoman costume to confront the makers of the movie. She used other people scouting the studio grounds, using walkie-talkies to communicate, to track down the producers. Tim Burton hid behind his desk so as to avoid seeing her. Young had been cast as Vicki Vale in Batman (1989) but was replaced after she broke her collarbone during filming.
• The first film made in Dolby Digital.
• The crew had a hard time getting the shot where the monkey delivers the letter from Batman to the Penguin. Evidently, Danny DeVito's make-up terrified the animal.

#404: RoboCop (1987)

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Cast: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith & Ronny Cox

The crime rate in a futuristic Detroit has gone sky-high, in particular a string of murders of policemen. The police commissioner has decided that it's time to do something about it. The most promising option is a robotic policeman who will patrol day and night without rest. The first test of the robot goes horribly wrong, but fortunately one man has an idea. He needs to blend the robotics with a human to create a cyborg in order to keep the robot from going ballistic. Soon after, Officer Murphy is the latest to be killed by the gang responsible for the police murders. His body is used to create the cyborg, which slowly begins to remember its former life.

This is a hugely representative film of its time, which is enforced by the fact that it is severely dated. On top of the extremely 80's special effects, script and music, it also continues the trend of films about robots that went wild that decade - I'll call it the RoboBoom. In this time, some of the most well-known robot movies were created: Blade Runner (1982), The Terminator (1984), D.A.R.Y.L. (1985), Short Circuit (1986), and batteries not included (1987), along with a slew of others. RoboCop was not at all original in its creation, having been inspired directly by Blade Runner (and even using the Terminator theme song in the trailer).

Still, this film differs from the others because this robot is made of human parts, rather than built to replicate them. On top of this, as my good pal Roger Ebert pointed out, we realize that Murphy was in fact more mechanized in mentality before he was turned into a robot, and only once he has died and become machine he treasures the few memories he has of his family.

Quintessential 80's, and not a terrible watch.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The RoboCop suit was so hot and heavy that Peter Weller was losing 3 lbs a day from water loss. Eventually, an air conditioner was installed in the suit.
• The police cars were modified Ford Tauruses. One of the main competitors of the Taurus at the time was the Pontiac 6000. The car the villains use is the 6000 SUX, a not-so-subtle jab at the Pontiac 6000.
• In Sacramento, California a robbery suspect fled into a darkened movie theatre to escape pursuing police. He became so engrossed in the movie playing on screen, Robocop, that he failed to notice that police had evacuated all other patrons from the theatre. When the lights flipped on, the stunned man was taken into custody.

#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).

#409: Men in Black (1997)

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones & Linda Fiorentino

NYPD Agent James Darrel Edwards III encounters a very odd person of interest who warns him that the world will end. Soon after, while being interrogated about the incident, a man named K walks into his cell, changing his life as he knows it. He is inducted into the organization called the Men in Black. His new job is to keep secret the knowledge of extraterrestrial life in the USA, particularly in Manhattan. The job gets risky when a farmer from upstate is killed by an alien 'bug', and his body is used as a disguise in his efforts to destroy the universe.

The special effects in this flick are great, partially because of how absolutely ridiculous they got. The designers of the aliens were not asked to create one monster, but loads of them in various shapes and sizes, and many of them in ludicrous disguises. Sonnenfeld clearly had a ball finding as much about New York to poke fun at, which really makes this film a gem.

The plot is a little bit fuzzy, but let's face it: this is a summer blockbuster, not a Best Film nominee. The acting is on the good side - nothing phenomenal, due to its lack of depth. But, Will Smith is at his best here, Tommy Lee Jones puts on a great straight-face with a touch of sadness towards the end, and Linda Fiorentino has a similar role to her leading spot in Dogma, Bethany. It's unfortunate that Fiorentino's career never really took hold, apparently due to a lack of variation in her character - but she puts on a great business-like, cynical, independent woman.

Watch it for a good laugh and a good dose of action.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• During the shoot, there was a script revision which changed the role of the 'Universe' in the movie. Fortunately, some creative tricks could be used to avoid having to re-shoot several scenes. For instance, the dialogue between Rosenberg and the tall man in the diner was originally in English (and they were adversaries), but their lines were simply dubbed in an alien language that could be subtitled with the desired explanation. New lines were also written for Frank, the talking dog, whose scenes had to go through post-production anyway. Director Barry Sonnenfeld could be heard on the DVD bonus material jokingly advising fellow directors to include a talking dog into every movie, which makes it easy to change the plot while filming.
• After Linda Fiorentino "won" her role in Men in Black in a poker game with director Barry Sonnenfeld, he warned her that she would not be in any nude scenes.
• The MIB headquarters are located in the ventilation tower of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, which connects Manhattan with Brooklyn.
• David Schwimmer was asked to play the role of J before Will Smith, but turned it down.

#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.

#421: Lethal Weapon (1987)

Director: Richard Donner

Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey & Mitch Ryan

Two cops are put together to solve the latest case. One is Sgt. Roger Murtaugh, a family man who has just had his 50th birthday, and is concerned about the grey hairs growing on his chin. The other is Sgt. Martin Riggs, whose mental stability has been in question ever since his girlfriend died in a car crash. The two are caught in shootouts, hostage scenarios - the whole works - but you never quite know if Sgt. Riggs is going to just snap.

The two unlikely cops becoming buddies storyline is completely overdone. There are two pieces of information that make this film just a step up from the rest. First off, nobody's sure what Riggs's next moves will be, being the mullet-headed loose cannon that he is. Secondly, the storyline that unravels with the case is actually easy to follow, and overall makes sense - a feature that doesn't present itself often enough in shooter films.

There's no great filmmaking asides from the good characters and plot. All I've got to say is that Richard Donner knows how to pick a script (The Omen, Superman, Superman II, The Goonies, Scrooged, Radio Flyer, Conspiracy Theory...).

Oh! And how could I forget. If you ever want to see Mel Gibson playing a character almost as crazy as himself in real life, with a mullet, and bare-assed... this is the film for you.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• One sequence shows a theatre marquee advertising The Lost Boys (1987), a film Richard Donner was producing at the time.
• Franco Zeffirelli reportedly decided to offer Mel Gibson the role of Hamlet after seeing his suicide contemplation scene in this film.
• According to a June 2007 Vanity Fair article, Bruce Willis was considered for the Riggs role.

#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.

#429: Danger: Diabolik (1968)

Director: Mario Bava

Cast: John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Piccoli & Adolfo Celi

A super criminal with the code name 'Diabolik' is capable of stealing millions as easily as a blink of an eye. He does it all for his girlfriend, Eva Kant. The chaos and anarchy he stirs up has gotten people fired from the government for their inability to stop Diabolik's crimes. Inspector Ginko realizes he needs help from people on the other side of society, bribing crime lord Ralph Valmont to help him capture Diabolik.

I'm at a loss for words on this one. At first, I shrugged this one off as a campy 60's comic-to-film. The music by Morricone is insane, with trumpets and saxophones blaring over cymbals crashing and sitars wailing -- with the occasional cutesy bassoon solo. The color and camerawork are performed to be as dynamic as possible. And the strangest thing I noticed was its lack of dialogue. I wouldn't be surprised if Diabolik had a running total of about 15 lines.

I decided to research a bit beyond RottenTomatoes, Wikipedia and IMDB on this one, because some people are just crazy for this film. This article from blogger DVD Savant helped me to understand a bit better why this film has become a bit of a cult classic. Of course this film is dated - it's a comic super villain story from the 60's, what should I have expected?

The color and angles are a fantastic way of going about making the film closer to the comic book. In fact, Tim Burton cited director Mario Bava as one of his greatest influences, which many people lead to believe that this film was an influence on the Batman films. Rather than dialogue, this film focuses on visuals, which is exactly what comic books are all about. And it's undeniable that some of these visuals will stick in your mind, especially its iconic image of Diabolik making love to Eva on a rotating bed absolutely littered in cash.

A part of the reason this film never hit it as big in America as it did in Europe is the American focus on both dialogue and special effects. It took me a few minutes to figure that one out, but it's true. Nearly all films coming out of America are focused on special effects (take a look at any blockbuster for evidence) or dialogue (take a look at the Academy Awards last year: Doubt, Revolutionary Road, The Reader). It seems that European audiences have more of an eye for visuals and the artistic merit of film, which has come across through this film. While Diabolik became a classic in Europe, trailers in America focused on gadgetry and (limited) dialogue, which just wasn't the film's fortes, leading to limited theatrical releases and negative reviews.

It's an interesting film to see from a historical perspective, but far too outdated for my tastes. A lot of people say it's a great, fun film to watch even today, so give it a chance if you're interested in the psychadelic, super-suave crime scene.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The movie is based on "Diabolik", one of the longest running - and most successful - Italian comic strips. It was created by Angela Giussani and Luciana Giussani, two Milan sisters who built a small and very profitable publishing empire out of the "King of Terror"'s success. In the paper version, "Diabolik" is much more sinister than its cinematic counterpart - he's a criminal fighting evil with evil, often resorting to murder to "punish" the evildoers he meets. The movie was made assuming some knowledge of the comic strip, thus explaining the negative reaction it gets outside Italy.
• DIABOLIK was designed by producer Dino De Laurentiis (later responsible for the infamously mammoth remakes of KING KONG and HURRICANE), and enabled Bava to work with a much larger budget ($3,000,000) and a more prestigious cast than he was accustomed to, but he remained true to his principles, relying on imagination rather than money, and brought the film in massively under budget at a mere $400,000. De Laurentiis was so thrilled, in fact, that he offered Bava the opportunity to make a sequel with the left over money, but Bava had by then tired of working with the producer and decided to pass.

#430: Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Director: John Carpenter

Cast: Kurt Russell, Dennis Dun, Kim Cattrall, Carter Wong & James Hong

A gamble held in San Francisco's Chinatown doesn't end well for Wang, who owes trucker Jack Burton over $2000. He doesn't have the money on him, but a girl he met and is in love with does. The girl is coming to California today from China - she's the only Chinese girl with green eyes he's ever met. Jack drives Wang to meet her at the airport. At the terminal, a woman catches his eye. Before you know it, some ninja-style gangsters are attacking Jack, kidnapping Wang's love. On the chase, Jack and Wang are caught in a street fight between two Chinese gangs -- whose fight gets interrupted by sorcerers using "Chinese Black Magic". The adventure that ensues just gets crazier and crazier, involving ninjas, myths and monsters, never failing to surprise you.

This movie is AWESOME. From what I gather, people in our generation are pretty much oblivious to this film aside from its title. And there's absolutely no reason why this should be so. It's The Goonies for adults! I kept thinking to myself, I usually go for Kung Fu movies when I'm home sick - but this would be the absolute perfect flick for a day in. It has everything, from kung fu to comedy to everything else in between.

John Carpenter has directed two films that are still widely known, those being this and Halloween. What I've already written about Halloween that made the film so remarkable is that he created an entirely new style of thriller. What makes Big Trouble so genius is how ahead of its time it was - despite how dated it looks. The blend of genres is a very early example of its kind, later evolving into the likes of the Rush Hour films. Also, the decision to have Jack as the "hero" is a jab at stereotypical casting, having the strong and brash male taking the center stage. However, Jack is completely out of his element, while his "sidekick" Wang has everything needed for an action film hero, though he constantly gets shoved to the side.

Despite its sheer awesomeness, the movie didn't hit it big when it reached theaters. It only grossed $11.1m, less than half of the film's budget of $25m. The critics also didn't seem to quite understand the satire in the film, complaining that there was no character development. The negative feedback ended up turning Carpenter off of the Hollywood scene, continuing his career exclusively in independent films. However, since its sad start, the film has become a cult classic, reaching up to 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The plot is absolutely absurd, but it really just doesn't matter when you're having as much fun as you certainly will when you're watching this. If this post doesn't convince you to go see this, keep in mind that this is the first film I bought online after watching it for the blog. It was just that good. If you want to make a movie party of it with me, just let me know - I will certainly be willing!

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The Chinese characters in the main title translate to "Evil Spirits Make a Big Scene in Little Spiritual State".
• According to John Carpenter and Kurt Russell in the DVD Commentary, the story was originally written as a western but Carpenter decided to set it during modern times. They even mention that instead of Jack Burton's truck being stolen, it was originally his horse.
• The Mortal Kombat characters Shang Tsung and Raiden were inspired by the characters of David Lo Pan and the 'Storm' called Lightning, respectively.
• The rivalry between the Chang Sing and Wing Kong Tongs is analogous to the famous rivalry between the Hip Sing and On Leong Tongs (even the names rhyme) in early 20th century New York.

#431: Electra Glide in Blue (1973)

Director: James William Guercio

Cast: Robert Blake, Billy Green Bush, Mitch Ryan, Jeannine Riley & Elisha Cook Jr.

John Wintergreen, a cop with an altitude deficiency, has been on his bike in the desert pulling over speedsters for a good long while. John's got a good heart, which is a commodity in this area where most cops have a superiority complex. John's desperate to move on in his career and become a homicide detective, but never gets the opportunity, until he finds a body in a hut one day. A reclusive man had been shot in the chest, and the detective waves it off as suicide. John uses this event as a way to boost his career, all while hiding the fact that he had slept with his partner's girlfriend.

Ugh. UGH. This film was pretty terrible. The script was one of the worst things I have ever heard. Each character just talks for hours on end without much dialogue at all. The acting is overdone by everyone except Robert Blake (as John Wintergreen). All this could probably be blamed on director J.W. Guercio. This was Guercio's directorial debut... and finale. Considering he'd won 36 Grammys with bands Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears, he probably should've stuck to his guns and stayed in the music business.

The story had some promise. The question of whether the case was a suicide or homicide is never really answered, leaving us to speculate that John had taken advantage of the unknown circumstances and unfairly pinned somebody as the murderer. We can also speculate whether this action was conscious or unconscious. The problem with the story? I don't think many people really care. And with no conclusion at the end, it doesn't really matter.

There are some huge fans of this film, saying it's one of the best motorcycle films in history. Considering how during the chase scenes I felt like I was watching a bad drivers ed movie, I'm going to have to disagree.

If you like film... you probably shouldn't see this movie.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• First time director James William Guercio wanted the great Conrad L. Hall to photograph this film, but it was not in the budget. Guercio reduced his own salary to one dollar so he could secure Hall as the cinematographer.
• The cover for the LP-soundtrack of this movie consists of one large picture, showing 7 tall Motor Officers and 1 short one (Robert Blake). Exactly the same picture is hanging on the wall of the office of captain Frank Furillo (Daniel Travanti) in the TV-series "Hill Street Blues".
• Bassist and lead vocalist for the group "Chicago", Peter Cetera, plays a character named "Bob Zemko". A real actor who plays a bit part is also in the cast. His actual name was Bob Zemko. He died a year after making this, his only film.

#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.

#437: Spiderman (2002)

Director: Sam Raimi

Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe & James Franco

Peter Parker was an average science geek finishing up high school when a bizarre twist of fate altered his plans for the future. While on a school trip, he gets bitten by a "genetically enhanced" spider whose venom alters Parker's genes to become a superhero with spider-like abilities. Soon after he gains his abilities, his uncle is killed in a hijacking, teaching Peter a valuable lesson in responsibility. Peter trains his abilities to fight a madman who is destroying the city, all while being the secret admirer of Mary Jane, the girlfriend of Peter's best friend, Harry.

Today, this film is just another blockbuster to watch on TNT when nothing else was on. But do you all remember how big of a deal it was when it came out? It was a return of comic book heroes to the silver screen... aside from the awful Batman films that were coming out in the late '90s. But even more important than that, it was a return of the good guy. Even Batman, with all his good intentions, has a very dark side. Peter Parker, on the other hand, is all about goodness, and there's really no other actor than Tobey Maguire to represent a good guy.

Maguire had some really intense training to get the body he needed for this role, and he really ends up perfect for the role in both acting and physique. James Franco is also a great addition to the film - it's unfortunate that he hasn't had any big breakthrough performance, because he is actually quite talented. Kirsten Dunst, on the other hand... well, let's just say she's done what we'd expect of her.

The lessons Peter learns along the way are good, albeit now cliché from the comic book world, so there's not really a whole lot else to say about this film or its sequels, besides the fact that they're loads of fun.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• The Green Goblin was chosen as the film's main villain since Sam Raimi felt the father-son theme (Norman and Harry Osborn and Peter Parker) would make the film deeper.
• Several Spider-Man costumes were created at a cost of up to $100,000 each. Four were stolen from the set in early April of 2001 and Columbia Pictures posted a $25,000 reward for their return. The costumes were not returned.
• One of the chief difficulties that Tobey Maguire experienced in the now-famous upside-down kissing scene was that his sinuses kept filling up with water as it was performed in driving rain.
• In order to come up with the look of the high school kids, the costume department sent disposable cameras to schoolteachers in New York City and had them distribute them among their students to take pictures of each other.
• Color costume considerations meant that Spider-Man was shot in front of a green screen, while the Green Goblin was shot in front of a blue one.
• The original trailer for the movie depicted a theft of a bank, with the robbers making a getaway in a helicopter. A close-up of the helicopter was shown, until the helicopter stopped, apparently caught in mid-air. As the camera zoomed out, it was shown that the helicopter was caught in a spider web, suspended between the two towers of the World Trade Center. After the attacks on the towers 11 September 2001, however, the trailer was changed.
• David Koepp's fourth screenplay to hold the opening weekend box office record. The others are Jurassic Park (1993) (June 1993),Mission: Impossible (1996) (May 1996) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) (May 1997).
• The scene in which Peter Parker catches Mary Jane's lunch on the tray involved no CGI. With the help of a sticky substance to keep the tray planted on his hand, Tobey Maguire eventually (after many takes) performed the stunt exactly as seen.
• During the conversation outside the library, Uncle Ben quotes to Peter the famous words, "With great power comes great responsibility." This well-quoted line actually came from a 1962 published issue, so it debuted there 14 years before a short story by Isaac Asimov which later was made into the movie Bicentennial Man (1999), which some attribute wrongly as the source of this phrase.
• The diner that Mary Jane Watson worked at is the same diner (at least the exterior) where Monica worked in the early seasons of"Friends" (1994).

#439: Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Director: George Armitage
Cast: John Cusack, Minnie Driver & Dan Aykroyd

Martin Blank is a professional assassin whose latest assignment is in his hometown. The twist? It’s the same weekend as his 10^th high school reunion. Nobody in his hometown has known where he’s been since he vanished on the night of the prom, and nobody has wondered where he is more than his high school sweetheart, Debi. When they meet up again, Blank attempts to explain, but he’s really a much better conversationalist when it comes to assassinations. Meanwhile, another assassin has apparently been assigned the same target as Blank, and he’s also trying to coerce Blank into joining his new union for professional hit men.

The only thing that makes this film stand out from others is its script. It’s really two basic films combined (and combined well) with a quirky script tying it all together. Each character delivers great lines. Here are a few to give you an idea:

Marcella: You know, when you started getting invited to your ten year high school reunion, time is catching up.
Martin Q. Blank: Are you talking about a sense of my own mortality or a fear of death?
Marcella: Well, I never really thought about it quite like that.
Martin Q. Blank: Did you go to yours?
Marcella: Yes, I did. It was just as if everyone had swelled.

Marty: I'm a professional killer.

Paul: Do you have to do postgraduate work for that?

Debi: Everybody's coming back to take stock of their lives. You know what I say? Leave your livestock alone.

All in all, it’s a fun movie. Not much to it, though. I put it in the same category as Mickey Blue Eyes, but better. One thumb up.

Fun Trivia (Stolen from IMDB):

• Four of the Cusack siblings are in this movie. John, Joan, Ann and Bill
• Just after Martin has put on his neck tie to go to the reunion there is a poster on the wall for The Clash's "Out Of Control" tour. The score is credited to Joe Strummer of The Clash. Also, as Martin rounds the bend while headed to his locker, there is a banner on the wall "The Future is Unwritten", a Bio-Documentary about Joe Strummer's life released in 2007.
• When Marcella tells Martin about the offer in French about taking out a Greenpeace boat, it's a reference to the 1985 sabotage of the Greenpeace yacht 'Rainbow Warrior' in New Zealand by two French Secret Service agents. The yacht was to lead a fleet to protest French nuclear tests in the Pacific before it was destroyed by the French agents. One Greenpeace photographer died aboard the ship during the sabotage mission.