alpha dog

Tratto abbastanza fedelmente da un recente fatto di cronaca, Alpha Dog ripercorre la storia di quello che credo sia il più stupido rapimento di tutti i tempi.

Johnny Truelove è a capo di una piccola gang di giovani delinquenti che si ritrova contro un pazzo filonazista. Per ritorsione gli rapiscono il fratellino quindicenne che abita coi genitori e viene costretto ad una vita fin troppo morigerata.
Va da sé che - trascinato a feste piene di alcool, droga e ragazze - il giovanotto prende piuttosto bene il proprio ruolo di ostaggio ed anzi diventa amico di molti membri della gang.
Sfortunatamente la polizia non è dello stesso avviso e le ricerche sempre più pressanti mettono il fiato sul collo alla banda, che non agirà molto lucidamente...

Ben diretto da Nick Cassavetes, il film ripercorre una serie di tragici errori commessi da tutte le parti in causa e che sfoceranno nelle più tragiche conseguenze; pregevole e ben realizzata l'idea di inserire note dal successivo processo, per dare un'idea di docu-drama che presenta i fatti, senza voler aggiungere un proprio giudizio.
Tutti bravi gli interpreti, in particolare sono rimasto molto stupito da un Justin Timberlake perfettamente nella parte.
In ruoli minori anche Sharon Stone e Bruce Willis.

Voto: 8.
Tags: drammatico, crimine, gang, tratto da una storia vera, Los Angeles, California, fratelli, droga, rapimento, ostaggio, omicidio, ragazzi, festa, ragazze, sesso, fuga, spacciatore, cannabis, sepoltura, docu-drama.

Cassavetes, Nick

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Nome di battesimo: Cassavetes, Nicholas David Rowland
Data di nascita: 21 May 1959
Altezza: 6' 5½" (1.97 m)
Coniuge: Isabelle Rafalovich::(8 September 1985 - ?) (divorced) 2 children, Heather Wahlquist::(? - present)

Ultimi lavori:

• God Is a Bullet (2009) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Kentucky Rhapsody (2008) .... [scrittore]
• Alpha Dog (2006) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• The Notebook (2004) .... [regista]
• The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie (2003) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Whatever We Do (2003) .... [scrittore]
• John Q (2002) .... [regista]
• Blow (2001) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Panic (2000) .... (uncredited) [attore]
• The Astronaut's Wife (1999) .... Capt. Alex Streck [attore]

Trivia random: Is a gifted speed-reader.
Citazione random: "We watch violent images on TV, we revere violence, but we're not raised violently."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Timberlake, Justin

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Nome di battesimo: Timberlake, Justin Randall
Data di nascita: 31 January 1981
Altezza: 6' 1" (1.85 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Shrek the Third (2007) .... Artie (voice) [attore]
• Alpha Dog (2006) .... Frankie Ballenbacher [attore]
• Black Snake Moan (2006) .... Ronnie [attore]
• Southland Tales (2006) .... Private Pilot Abilene [attore]
• Edison (2005) .... Josh Pollack [attore]
• NSYNC'S Challenge for the Children (2004) (V) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Justin Timberlake: Down Home in Memphis - One Night Only (2003) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• On the Line (2001) .... Make-up Artist (uncredited) [attore]
• 'N Sync & Britney Spears: Your #1 Video Requests... And More! (2000) (V) .... (executive producer: 'N Sync) [produttore]
• Longshot (2000) .... Valet [attore]

Biografia:
Justin Randall Timberlake was born to Lynn Harless and Randy Timberlake on January 31, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee. At the age of 11, he appeared on the show "Star Search" (1983), and even though he didn't win, it didn't dampen his ambitions. He also appeared on "MMC" (1989), where his costars included Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, Keri Russell, Christina Aguilera and future band-mate J.C. Chasez. At age 14, Justin became a member of the boy band *NSYNC. In 1998, the group released their self-titled debut album. They became a big hit with fans and made a place for themselves in the music world with a succession of big-selling albums. In the beginning of 2002, Justin spent time working on and writing songs for his debut solo album. During this time, he broke up with his longtime girlfriend, Britney Spears. The release of the solo album, titled "Justified", came in November of 2002. Songs from his solo album include: "Like I Love You", "Cry Me A River" and "Rock Your Body".

Trivia random: Won a Grammy for Best pop Male for "Cry Me A River" [Febuary 8, 2004].
Citazione random: Pretty is cool, but it's not really about looks for me. It's more about personality. I like a girl with a good sense of humor, who's humble and sensitive. - On who he would date.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Stone, Sharon (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Stone, Sharon Vonne
Data di nascita: 10 March 1958
Altezza: 5' 8½" (1.74 m)
Coniuge: Phil Bronstein::(14 February 1998 - 29 January 2004) (divorced) 1 child, Michael Greenburg::(18 August 1984 - 20 January 1987) (divorced), George Englund Jr.::(? - ?) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• Dirty Tricks (2008) .... Katharine Graham [attrice]
• Never Change (2008) .... [regista]
• If I Had Known I Was a Genius (2007) .... Gloria [attrice]
• Rockett (2007) .... Jane Rockett [attrice]
• When a Man Falls in the Forest (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Alpha Dog (2006) .... Olivia Mazursky [attrice]
• Basic Instinct 2 (2006) .... Catherine Tramell [attrice]
• Bobby (2006) .... Miriam [attrice]
• Broken Flowers (2005) .... Laura [attrice]
• Wassup Rockers (2005) .... (executive producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Sharon Stone was born and raised in Meadville, a small town in Pennsylvania. Her strict father was a factory worker and her mother was a homemaker. She was the second of four children. At the age of 15, she studied in Saegertown High School, Pennsylvania and, at that same age, entered Edinboro State University of Pennsylvania, and graduated with a degree in creative writing and fine arts. She was a very smart girl, became a bookworm, and once was told that a suitable job for her (and her brains) was to become a lawyer. However, her first love was still the black-and-white movies, especially those featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. So, the 17-year-old Sharon got herself into the Miss Pennsylvania beauty contest and won it. From working part-time as a McDonald's counter girl, she worked her way up to become a successful Ford model, both in TV commercials and print ads. Finally, in 1980, she made her debut in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980) as "pretty girl on train". Her first speaking part, though, was in Wes Craven's horror movie, Deadly Blessing (1981). She struggled through many parts in B-movies, notably in King Solomon's Mines (1985), and Action Jackson (1988). She was also married in 1984 to Michael Greenburg, the producer of "MacGyver" (1985), but they divorced two years later. She finally received her big break with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall (1990) and also posed nude for Playboy, a daring move for a 32-year-old actress. But it worked; she accepted a breakthrough role as a sociopath novelist, "Catherine Tramell", in Basic Instinct (1992) with Michael Douglas. Her interrogation scene has become a classic in film history and her performance captivated everyone, from MTV viewers, who honored her with Most Desirable Female and Best Female Performance Awards, to a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. After she got famous, she didn't want to be typecast, so she played a victim in Sliver (1993) and, in Intersection (1994), she was the aloof, estranged wife of Richard Gere. These movies didn't "work", so she got herself again into more aggressive roles, such as The Specialist (1994) with Sylvester Stallone and The Quick and the Dead (1995) with Gene Hackman. But, it wasn't until she played a beautiful but drug-crazy wife of Robert De Niro in Casino (1995) that she got far more than just fame and fortune--she also received the acknowledgment of the movie industry for her acting ability. She received her first Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. She did a couple of films after wards, teaming up with Isabelle Adjani in Diabolique (1996), and as a woman waiting for her death penalty in Last Dance (1996). In 1998, she married a newspaper editor, Phil Bronstein. She also received her third Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress that year for The Mighty (1998), a film that her company, "Chaos", also co-executive produced. The next year, she entered her first comedic role in The Muse (1999), which starred and was directed by Albert Brooks and gave her another Golden Globe nomination. Sharon Stone, a diva who thoroughly enjoys her hard-won stardom, is now a mother of an adorable baby boy, Roan Joseph.

Trivia random: adopted a son, Laird Vonne Stone, who was born "to unknown and unrelated parents" in Texas on May 7, 2005. [11 May 2005]
Citazione random: "At 47, you have thoughtfulness and dignity and spiritual elegance...You have something to say. It's not just, Hi! I look terrific in a bathing suit.'"
Salario massimo: $13,600,000, per Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Alpha Dog (2006)

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Regista: Nick Cassavetes
Scrittore: Nick Cassavetes
Genere: Crime, Drama
Valutazione: 6.8/10 (12871 voti)
Durata: Germany:118 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Bruce Willis .... Sonny Truelove
• Matthew Barry .... Interviewer
• Emile Hirsch .... Johnny Truelove
• Fernando Vargas .... Tiko 'TKO' Martinez
• Vincent Kartheiser .... Pick Giaimo
• Justin Timberlake .... Frankie Ballenbacher
• Shawn Hatosy .... Elvis Schmidt
• Alex Solowitz .... Bobby '911'
• Alec Vigil .... P.J. Truelove
• Harry Dean Stanton .... Cosmo Gadabeeti

Trama:
1999, Claremont, California. Middle-class kids, in their 20s, talk trash, wave guns, hang out in a pack. Johnny Truelove, drug dealer and son of a underworld figure, threatens Jake Mazursky, an explosive head case who owes Johnny money; Jake responds by breaking into Johnny's house. On impulse, Johnny and a couple pals kidnap Jake's 15-year-old brother, Zach. Zach's okay with it, figuring his brother will pay the debt soon. Johnny assigns his buddy Frankie to be Zach's minder, and they develop a brotherly friendship. Zach parties with his captors as things begin to spin out of control. Group think, amorality, and fear of prison assert a hold on the pack. Is Zach in danger?

Trivia random: To prepare for his role in this movie, actor Ben Foster asked one of his friends who was an ex-crystal meth addict for guidance. The friend introduced him to a group of people who gave Foster an all-access pass into the lifestyle.
Citazione random: Sonny Truelove: You wanna' know what this is all about? You can say this about drugs or guns or bad decisions, what ever you like. But this whole thing is about parenting. And taking care of your children.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Willis, Bruce

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Nome di battesimo: Willis, Walter Bruce
Data di nascita: 19 March 1955
Altezza: 5' 11¾" (1.82 m)
Coniuge: Demi Moore::(21 November 1987 - 18 October 2000) (divorced) 3 children

Ultimi lavori:

• The Last Full Measure (2009) .... [attore]
• Morgan's Summit (2009) .... [attore]
• Assassination of a High School President (2008) .... [attore]
• Grindhouse (2007) .... Lt. Muldoon (segment "Planet Terror") [attore]
• Live Free or Die Hard (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Nancy Drew (2007) .... Bruce (uncredited) [attore]
• Perfect Stranger (2007) .... Harrison Hill [attore]
• Planet Terror (2007) .... Lt. Muldoon [attore]
• 16 Blocks (2006) .... Det. Jack Mosley [attore]
• Alpha Dog (2006) .... Sonny Truelove [attore]

Biografia:
Bruce Willis grew up mainly in Penns Grove, New Jersey, and graduated from high school there before going to New York to become an actor. He waited tables and tended bar for a living until he began to get roles in plays. While tending bar one night he was seen by a casting director who liked his personality and needed a bartender for a small movie role.

Trivia random: Appeared on "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) to advertise for Demi Moore's Striptease (1996) by doing his own undressing act. [1996]
Citazione random: I am a sensitive guy. People think they know the real me, but they don't. And then they write things that make me sound like such a jerk.
Salario massimo: $100,000,000 (salary, gross and video participations), per The Sixth Sense (1999)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

uwe's blackwoods

Blackwoods, dato in mano a qualcuno che non fosse un mentecatto del cinema, avrebbe anche potuto essere un film semi-degno. Tipo da 6 o addirittura 6.5.
I più acuti lettori avranno già capito che l'avere Uwe Boll alla regia, significa brutalizzare con un martello pneumatico il precedente periodo ipotetico.

Un tale è in viaggio con la sua presunta nuova ragazza, diretti verso casa di lei, sperduta tra i boschi di Non So Dove.
Incontrerà strani personaggi come lo sceriffo locale (Michael Paré! Ma c'è un pessimo attore con cui Boll non abbia mai lavorato?!) ed l'erotomante gestore di un laido motel (il sempre grande Clint Howard).
Ben presto verrà attaccato da un tale armato di ascia, mentre la sua femmina si volatilizza (ma lui non se ne cura più di tanto, forse perché si era già svuotato e/o perché ha una eccellente mano destra ); la situazione precipita in fretta, finché non verrà catturato da una strana famiglia che vuole vendicarsi di lui: in passato avrebbe infatti ucciso una ragazza, in un incidente di cui non ricorda quasi nulla.
Durante un improvvisato processo, i ricordi affioreranno pian piano, e la situazione prenderà una piega inaspettata.

Niente di terribilmente originale, ma la storia in sé aveva del potenziale, e poteva essere rappresentata in maniera decorosa: il continuo affinarsi dei ricordi, con la realtà che cambia di continuo, era un buono spunto.
Ahinoi, i primi due terzi del film sono puro pattume, con zio Uwe che ci delizia con una regia degna di Lucignolo; sul finale, invece, Boll fa qualcosa di impensabile: azzecca una ripresa (può anche essere stato un caso )
Giuro: c'è una scena girata bene. L'avrà fatta l'aiuto regista, dai...

Atroci come da contratto gli interpreti (anche se Keegan Connor Tracy si difende, ed ha anche un bel visetto), fetenti i dialoghi.

Non so se sia mai arrivato in Italia; la versione in venditata su Amazon non ha sottotitoli e l'audio in presa diretta rasenta il catastrofico, in certe situazioni.

Voto: 4. Trashometro^® 3/10:
Tags: thriller, ascia, incidente, processo, drammatico, famiglia, inseguimento, rapimento, segregazione, ubriachezza, vino, alcool, motel, sceriffo, auto, autoradio, gestore, flashback, verità, Uwe Boll, Michael Paré, Clint Howard, sesso, morte, punizione, ospedale, idee tirate nel cesso.

Paré, Michael

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Nome di battesimo: Pare, Michael Kevin
Data di nascita: 9 October 1958
Altezza: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
Coniuge: Marjolein::(1992 - present) 1 child, Marisa Roebuck::(1986 - 1988) (divorced), Lisa Katselas Paré::(1980 - 1982) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• Alone in the Dark II (2009) (V) .... Willson [attore]
• David (2009) .... Eric Fuller [attore]
• Room and Board (2009) .... [attore]
• 100 Feet (2008) .... Mike Watson [attore]
• Dark World (2008) .... Harry [attore]
• Direct Contact (2008) .... Clive Connelly [attore]
• Far Cry (2008) .... Paul Summers [attore]
• Ninja Cheerleaders (2008) .... Victor Lazzaro [attore]
• The Perfect Sleep (2008) .... Officer Pavlovich [attore]
• Road to Hell (2008) .... Cody [attore]

Trivia random: Has made a lucrative living appearing on the side in Japanese commercials and in print ads.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Tracy, Keegan Connor

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Nome di battesimo: Armstrong, Tracy
Data di nascita: 3 December 1971
Altezza: 5' 3" (1.60 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Women (2008/I) .... Dolly Dupuyster [attrice]
• Dark Storm (2006) (TV) .... Sam [attrice]
• Her Fatal Flaw (2006) (TV) .... Brooke [attrice]
• The Net 2.0 (2006) (V) .... Z.Z. [attrice]
• The Perfect Suspect (2006) (TV) .... Erin [attrice]
• Chaos (2005/II) .... Marnie Rollins [attrice]
• White Noise (2005) .... Mirabelle Keegan (as Connor Tracy) [attrice]
• Final Destination 2 (2003) .... Kat Jennings [attrice]
• Mob Princess (2003) (TV) .... Patti [attrice]
• A Problem with Fear (2003) .... Vicky [attrice]

Biografia:
Born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Tracy attended Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, where she orginally studied business. She later switched to psychology. She spent a year in Europe working in Dublin, Paris and Nice, where she was supposed to be completing her 4th year of study. She later returned to WLU to finish her degree. She moved to Vancouver, B.C. where she has had all of her acting jobs.

Trivia random: Fluent in Parisian French, Various Dialects (Irish, Russian, Spanish etc. with 2 years in Europe), Martial Arts (Pankration), Snowboarding Winner of a 2002 LEO Award for Best Supporting Female Performance
Citazione random: "I'm always playing extremes, either the vulnerable girl or the vixen."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Boll, Uwe

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Data di nascita: 22 June 1965
Altezza: 5' 8" (1.73 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Zombie Massacre (2010) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Alone in the Dark II (2009) (V) .... (producer) [produttore]
• BloodRayne 3 (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Sabotage 1943 (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Stoic (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Far Cry (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Tunnel Rats (2008) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• BloodRayne II: Deliverance (2007) (V) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Postal (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
As a child, he produced a number of short films on Super 8 and video before beginning his studies as a film director in Munich and Vienna. He also studied literature and economics in Cologne and Siegen. Uwe graduated from university in 1995 with a doctorate in literature. From 1995-2000, he was a producer and director with Taunus Film-Produktions GmbH. Boll is currently Chief Executive Officer of Boll Filmproduction and Distribution GmbH which he founded in 1992. In 2000 he founded Boll KG and continues to direct, write and produce feature films.

Trivia random: Challenged his critics in June 2006 to "put up or shut up". His production company issued a press release stating that Boll would challenge his 5 harshest critics each to a 10 round boxing match. To be eligible, the critic must have written two extremely negative reviews of Boll, in print or on the Web, in 2005. Footage of the fights will be included in his upcoming film Postal.
Citazione random: On fighting (and winning) against all of his critics in a boxing ring: "You see what happens when people get hit in the head? They like my movies!"

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Howard, Clint

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Nome di battesimo: Howard, Clinton E.
Data di nascita: 20 April 1959
Altezza: 5' 7" (1.70 m)
Coniuge: Melanie Howard::(29 October 1995 - present), ?::(1986 - 1987) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• Ashley's Ashes (2009) .... Ricks [attore]
• London Betty (2009) .... Narrator (voice) [attore]
• Sleeping with the Lion (2009) .... Jerome [attore]
• Fold (2008) .... [attore]
• Foreign Exchange (2008) .... Long Larry [attore]
• The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2008) .... Joe Cthulu [attore]
• Holyman Undercover (2008) .... Roy Sr. [attore]
• The House of Good and Evil (2008) .... (in talks) [regista]
• Play the Game (2008) .... Dick [attore]
• Senior Skip Day (2008) .... Lionel Huffer [attore]

Trivia random: Appeared, in 1966, as a child actor in the third filmed episode of "Star Trek" (1966) with William Shatner in the lead role of Captain Kirk ("The Corbomite Manuver"). In 2002, appeared as a Ferengi in the latest Star Trek series, "Enterprise" (2001) ("Aquisition").
Citazione random: "People don't realize that doing a horror movie is hard work. You're out there all day screaming your lungs out, breathing in toxic make-up fumes, rolling around in the dirt, getting your eyebrows burned off - it's not like doing a sitcom."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Blackwoods (2002)

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Regista: Uwe Boll
Scrittore: Robert Dean Klein, Uwe Boll
Genere: Thriller, Drama, Thriller
Valutazione: 2.4/10 (1224 voti)
Durata: USA:90 min
Paese: Canada, Germany
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Patrick Muldoon .... Matt Sullivan
• Keegan Connor Tracy .... Dawn / Molly
• Will Sanderson .... Jim
• Michael Paré .... Sheriff Harding
• Clint Howard .... Greg / Motel Clerk
• Anthony Harrison .... Tall Man / Dr. Kelly
• Matthew Walker .... Pa Franklin
• Janet Wright .... Ma Franklin
• Sean Campbell .... Jack Franklin
• Ben Derrick .... John Franklin

Trama:
Matt (Patrick Muldoon) is haunted by the death of a girl from a car accident he caused years ago. Matt was drunk and as he reached for the car radio, he struck the girl as she crossed the road. The guilt that he feels has altered his sense of reality, making Matt's life a mystery full of shadows and phantoms. Now, years later Matt goes away for weekend with his new girlfriend Dawn. After a wild session of lovemaking, Dawn goes for a walk. While she is away a strange man with an axe comes into the motel room and attacks Matt. After that incident Matt goes into the woods, looking for Dawn. There he encounters Dawn's family who tie him down and put him on trail for the murder of the girl years before. They find him guilty and he is sent back into the forest to be hunted down by the family. The deeper Matt runs into the forest the farther his mind is lost to the Blackwoods.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

indy 4

Lo dico subito: niente spoiler.

Dopo una attesa tale che ormai non ci si sperava quasi più, è arrivato anche Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Un bel po' di anni dopo l'ultima avventura, l'archeologo Indiana Jones si ritrova coinvolto nell'ennesima caccia al tesoro; questa volta si metterà alla ricerca di alcuni teschi di cristallo dai poteri leggendari, sulle cui tracce sono anche i sovietici.

Moltissima carne al fuoco, nelle due ore del film.
Tirando le somme, funziona perfettamente come esercizio di puro intrattenimento: tutto è spettacolare ed in stile con la serie; certo, alle volte si ha la sensazione che si abbia voluto esagerare e non sempre il susseguirsi degli eventi è entusiasmante come dovrebbe (ma non ci si annoia mai, per carità!).
La sceneggiatura sarebbe anche buona (David Koepp in questo senso è sempre una garanzia), al netto del fatto in film del genere tutta la sceneggiatura che serve è quella necessaria a garantirti un bel giro sulla giostra.
Pecca invece un po' nei dialoghi: troppo spesso le battute sono prevedibili e "chiamate", non sempre all'altezza della saga. Il doppiaggio italiano, mi è parso poi particolarmente poco ispirato.

Nel complesso, la prima metà è una vera goduria, con un Indiana vecchio trascinato di nuovo sul campo; qui le citazioni dal resto della saga e da altri film si sprecano e rasentano il genio puro (un soldino a chi ha colto quella videogiochistica, pur castrata dalle necessità del doppiaggio). Nella seconda metà la trama si complica e, pur apprezzandola nel complesso, finisce con l'ingabbiare un po' la libertà d'azione dei protagonisti, tutti intenti a raggiungere la meta attraverso il maggior numero possibile di inseguimenti.

Se sembra una recensione in parte negativa, è solo perché adoro la prima trilogia; in realtà si tratta di un eccellente film di intrattenimento, sicuramente piacevole da vedere più e più volte. Certo, forse dopo 19 anni si poteva quasi sperare di più, ma forse si tratta solo di un giudizio a caldo.

Molto bello sotto ogni aspetto tecnico, Steven Spielberg alla regia è sempre un manico, mentre devo ancora capire quale sia stato il ruolo di Georges Lucas (che non riesco ancora a stabilire se si tratti di un genio o di un pirla dal clamoroso successo per meriti altrui )

Harrison Ford fa ancora qualcuna delle sue mitiche facce, anche se è chiaro che non è più quello di una volta; sempre brave Karen Allen e Cate Blanchett (qui in un ruolo molto taglia con l'accetta per esigenze di copione, a dire il vero). Per la prima volta non ho trovato del tutto futile Shia LaBeouf (il che non lo rende un buon candidato per raccogliere il testimone di Indy... ma quel fesso di River Phoenix doveva proprio accopparsi? )

Voto: 8-. Un gran bel giro di giostra come se ne vedono pochi di questi giorni, pur non a livello del primo e del terzo capitolo.
Tags: indiana jones, fantasy, azione, avventura, rapimento, archeologia, archologo, Peru, Cuzco, museo, teschio, cristallo, Area 51, New Mexico, sovrannaturale, maccartismo, unione sovietica, morte, formiche, frusta, conquistadores, el dorado, humor, indagine, FBI, CIA, militari, eroe, professore, cascate, inseguimento, spada.

Allen, Karen (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Allen, Karen Jane
Data di nascita: 5 October 1951
Altezza: 5' 7" (1.70 m)
Coniuge: Kale Browne::(1 May 1988 - 1997) (divorced) 1 son

Ultimi lavori:

• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) .... Marion Ravenwood [attrice]
• Poster Boy (2004) .... Eunice Kray [attrice]
• When Will I Be Loved (2004) .... Alexandra Barrie [attrice]
• Briar Patch (2003) .... Butcher Lee [attrice]
• The Root (2003/I) .... [attrice]
• Where Are They Now?: A Delta Alumni Update (2003) (V) .... Katy Schoenstein [attrice]
• In the Bedroom (2001) .... Marla Keyes [attrice]
• My Horrible Year! (2001) (TV) .... Belinda Faulkner [attrice]
• Shaka Zulu: The Citadel (2001) (TV) .... Katherine Farewell [attrice]
• World Traveler (2001) .... Delores [attrice]

Biografia:
Born in rural southern Illinois, Karen spent her first 10 years traveling around the country with her mother, her FBI agent father, and two sisters. At 17, after graduating from high school, Karen moved to New York to study art and design. She later attended the University of Maryland and spent time traveling through South and Central America. In 1974 Karen joined a theatre group and 3 years later moved back to New York and studied with the Lee Strasberg Institute. In 1978, she made her major film debut in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) and Hollywood took notice. Her next big break came in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) where she created the role of "Marion Ravenwood". Karen also debuted on Broadway in 1982 in "Monday After the Miracle, The". After a few small films, including the underrated Until September (1984), directed by Richard Marquand, and other stage appearances, she made the successful science fiction movie Starman (1984). After that her movie career waned as she preferred to work on the stage. She married Kale Browne in 1988 and had Nicholas, her first child in 1990. Since the birth of Nicholas, Karen has done smaller film roles and TV movies to concentrate on raising Nicholas.

Trivia random: Voted one of the most beautiful women in the world by the readers of Harpers Bazaar Magazine in 1983.
Citazione random: I don't know if I've ever played a character who's close to me. There have been some elements of myself in different roles. Sometimes, I show one side of myself and then completely conceal the other.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Phoenix, River

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Nome di battesimo: Bottom, River Jude
Data di nascita: 23 August 1970
Data di morte: 31 October 1993
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Silent Tongue (1994) .... Talbot Roe [attore]
• Dark Blood (1993) .... Boy [attore]
• Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) .... Pilgrim (uncredited) [attore]
• The Thing Called Love (1993) .... James Wright [attore]
• Sneakers (1992) .... Carl Arbegast [attore]
• Dogfight (1991) .... Eddie Birdlace [attore]
• My Own Private Idaho (1991) .... Mike Waters [attore]
• I Love You to Death (1990) .... Devo Nod [attore]
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) .... Young Indy [attore]
• Little Nikita (1988) .... Jeff Grant [attore]

Biografia:
His father John had been a carpenter, his mother Arlyn was a secretary in the Bronx. They met in California in 1968 where they worked as itinerant fruit pickers. By the time River was two, they were members of the Children of God, living in South America, where John was the sect's Archbishop of Venezuela. In 1977, they moved to Los Angeles, and changed their last name to Phoenix. His parents encouraged all of their children to get into movies and, by age ten, River was acting professionally on TV. His film debut was in Explorers (1985), followed rapidly by box-office successes with Stand by Me (1986) and The Mosquito Coast (1986), and as young Indiana in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). His role as Danny Pope in Running on Empty (1988) earned him an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. His best role was probably Mike, the hustler in My Own Private Idaho (1991). He died at age 23 outside the Viper Room, Johnny Depp's Los Angeles club.

Trivia random: The 1994 R.E.M. album "Monster" is dedicated to River in the liner notes--he was friends with lead singer Michael Stipe.
Citazione random: I would never, never do anything unless I believed in it.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

LaBeouf, Shia

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Nome di battesimo: LaBeouf, Shia Saide
Data di nascita: 11 June 1986
Altezza: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Transformers 2 (2009) .... Sam Witwicky [attore]
• Eagle Eye (2008) .... Jerry [attore]
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) .... Mutt Williams [attore]
• New York, I Love You (2008) .... Jacob [attore]
• Disturbia (2007) .... Kale [attore]
• Surf's Up (2007) .... Cody Maverick (voice) [attore]
• Transformers (2007) .... Sam Witwicky [attore]
• Transformers: The Game (2007) (VG) .... Sam Witwicky (voice) [attore]
• Bobby (2006) .... Cooper [attore]
• A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) .... Young Dito [attore]

Biografia:
Shia Saide LaBeouf was born June 11, 1986, in Los Angeles, California, to Jeffrey LaBeouf and Shayna Saide, and is an only child. His parents are divorced, and he lives with his mom in Los Angeles. He started his career by doing stand-up comedy around places in his neighborhood, such as coffee clubs. One day, he saw a friend of his acting on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (1993), and wanted to become an actor. Shia and his mom talked it over, and the next day he started looking for an agent. He searched in the yellow pages, called one up, and did a stand-up routine in front of him. They liked him and signed him, and then he started auditioning. He's well known for playing Louis Stevens in the popular Disney Channel series "Even Stevens" (2000) and has won a Daytime Emmy for his performance.

Trivia random: Plays the drums.
Citazione random: I was billed as the ten-year-old kid with the 50-year-old mouth. I knew if I wanted to work in the business, funny would be good because I looked like Garry Shandling.
Salario massimo: $500,000, per Transformers (2007)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Lucas, Georges (II)

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Ultimi lavori:

• La Candide madame Duff (2000) .... [attore]
• Vidange (1998) .... Le vieux juge [attore]
• Alliance cherche doigt (1997) .... Le loubard #1 [attore]
• Bonsoir (1994) .... Albert Bouasse [attore]
• Le Mari de Léon (1993) .... Montbojon [attore]
• Béruchet dit la Boulie (1988) .... Le garagiste [attore]
• Une nuit à l'Assemblée Nationale (1988) .... L'agent de l'Assemblée nationale [attore]
• Le Miraculé (1987) .... Le miraculé Dulac [attore]
• Les Oreilles entre les dents (1987) .... [attore]
• Léon Blum à l'échelle humaine (1986) (TV) .... [attore]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Spielberg, Steven (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Spielberg, Steven Allan
Data di nascita: 18 December 1946
Altezza: 5' 7½" (1.71 m)
Coniuge: Kate Capshaw::(12 October 1991 - present) 5 children, Amy Irving::(27 November 1985 - 2 February 1989) (divorced) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• When Worlds Collide (2010) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Interstellar (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Jurassic Park IV (2009) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Lincoln (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• "The Pacific" (2009) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Tintin (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Transformers 2 (2009) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Eagle Eye (2008) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) .... [regista]

Biografia:
Undoubtedly one of the most influential film personalities in the history of film, Steven Spielberg is perhaps Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. Spielberg has countless big-grossing, critically acclaimed credits to his name, as producer, director and writer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1946. He went to California State University Long Beach, but dropped out to pursue his entertainment career. He gained notoriety as an uncredited assistant editor on the classic western "Wagon Train" (1957). Among his early directing efforts were Battle Squad (1961), which combined World War II footage with footage of an airplane on the ground that he makes you believe is moving. He also directed Escape to Nowhere (1961), which featured children as World War Two soldiers, including his sister Anne Spielberg, and The Last Gun (1959), a western. All of these were short films. The next couple of years Spielberg directed a couple of movies that would portend his future career in movies. In 1964 he directed Firelight (1964), a movie about aliens invading a small town. In 1967 he directed Slipstream (1967), which was unfinished. However, in 1968 he directed Amblin' (1968), which featured the desert prominently, and not the first of his movies in which the desert would feature so prominently. Amblin' also became the name of his production company, which turned out such classics as E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg had a unique and classic early directing project, Duel (1971) (TV), with Dennis Weaver. In the early 1970s Spielberg was working on TV, directing among others such series as Rod Serling's "Night Gallery" (1970), "Marcus Welby, M.D." (1969) and Columbo: Murder by the Book (1971) (TV). All of his work in television and short films, as well as his directing projects, were just a hint of the wellspring of talent that would dazzle audiences all over the world. Spielberg's first major directorial effort was The Sugarland Express (1974), with Goldie Hawn, a film that marked him as a rising star. It was his next effort, however, that made him an international superstar among directors: Jaws (1975). This classic shark attack tale started the tradition of the summer blockbuster, or at least he was credited with starting the tradition. His next film was the classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), a unique and original UFO story that remains a classic. In 1978 Spielberg produced his first film, the forgettable I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), and followed that effort with Used Cars (1980), a critically acclaimed but mostly forgotten Kurt Russell\Jack Warden comedy about devious used-car dealers. Spielberg hit gold yet one more time with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), with Harrison Ford taking the part of Indiana Jones. Spielberg produced and directed two films in 1982. The first was Poltergeist (1982), but the highest-grossing movie of all time up to that point was the alien story E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg also helped pioneer the practice of product placement. The concept, while not uncommon, was still relatively low-key when Spielberg raised the practice to almost an art form with his famous (or infamous) placement of Rieces Pieces in "E.T." Spielberg was also one of the pioneers of the big-grossing special-effects movies, like "E.T." and "Close Encounters," where a very strong emphasis on special effects was placed for the first time on such a huge scale. In 1984 Spielberg followed up "Raiders" with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), which was a commercial success but did not receive the critical acclaim of its predecessor. As a producer Spielberg took on many projects in the 1980s, such as The Goonies (1985), and was the brains behind the little monsters in Gremlins (1984). He also produced the cartoon An American Tail (1986), a quaint little animated classic. His biggest effort as producer in 1985, however, was the blockbuster Back to the Future (1985), which made Michael J. Fox an instant superstar. As director, Spielberg took on the book The Color Purple (1985), with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, with great success. In the latter half of the 1980s he also directed Empire of the Sun (1987), a mixed success for the occasionally erratic Spielberg. Success would not escape him for long, though. The late 1980s found Spielberg's projects at the center of pop culture yet again. In 1988 he produced the landmark animation/live action film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). The next year proved to be another big one for Spielberg, as he produced and directed Always (1989) as well as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Back to the Future Part II (1989). All three of the films were box-office and critical successes. Also in 1989 he produced the little known comedy-drama Dad (1989), with Jack Lemmon and Ted Danson, which got mostly mixed results. Spielberg has also had an affinity for animation and has been a strong voice in animation in the 1990s. Aside from producing the landmark "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", he produced the animated series "Tiny Toon Adventures" (1990), "Animaniacs" (1993), "Pinky and the Brain" (1995), "Freakazoid!" (1995), "Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain" (1998), "Family Dog" (1993) and "Toonsylvania" (1998). Spielberg also produced other cartoons such as The Land Before Time (1988), We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993), Casper (1995) (the live action version) as well as the live action version of The Flintstones (1994), where he was credited as "Steven Spielrock." Spielberg also produced many Roger Rabbit short cartoons, and many Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs and Tiny Toons specials. Spielberg was very active in the early 1990s, as he directed Hook (1991) and produced such films as the cute fantasy Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991). He also produced the unusual comedy thriller Arachnophobia (1990), Back to the Future Part III (1990) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). While these movies were big successes in their own right, they did not quite bring in the kind of box office or critical acclaim as previous efforts. In 1993 Spielberg directed Jurassic Park (1993), which for a short time held the record as the highest grossing movie of all time, but did not have the universal appeal of his previous efforts. Big box-office spectacles were not his only concern, though. He produced and directed Schindler's List (1993), a stirring film about the Holocaust. He won best director at the Oscars, and also got Best Picture. In the mid-90s he helped found the production company DreamWorks, which was responsible for many box office successes. As a producer he was very active in the late 90s, responsible for such films as The Mask of Zorro (1998), Men in Black (1997) and Deep Impact (1998). However, it was on the directing front that Spielberg was in top form. He directed and produced the epic Amistad (1997), a spectacular film that was shorted at the Oscars and in release due to the fact that its release date was moved around so much in late 1997. The next year, however, produced what many believe was one of the best films of his career: Saving Private Ryan (1998), a film about World War Two that is spectacular in almost every respect. It was stiffed at the Oscars, losing best picture to Shakespeare in Love (1998). Spielberg produced a series of films, including Evolution (2001), The Haunting (1999) and Shrek (2001). he also produced two sequels to Jurassic Park (1993), which were financially but not particularly critical successes. In 2001 he produced a mini-series about World War Two that definitely *was* a financial and critical success: "Band of Brothers" (2001), a tale of an infantry company from its parachuting into France during the invasion to the Battle of the Bulge. Also in that year, Spielberg was back in the director's chair for Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001), a movie with a message and a huge budget. It did reasonably at the box office and garnered varied reviews from critics. Spielberg has been extremely active in films there are many other things he has done as well. He produced the short-lived TV series "SeaQuest DSV" (1993), an anthology series entitled "Amazing Stories" (1985), created the video game series Medal of Honor set during World War Two, and was a starting producer of "ER" (1994). Spielberg, if you haven't noticed, has a great interest in World War Two. He and Tom Hanks collaborated on Shooting War (2000) (TV), a documentary about World War II combat photographers, and he produced a documentary about the Holocaust called A Holocaust szemei (2000). With all of this to Spielberg's credit, it's no wonder that he's looked at as one of the greatest ever figures in entertainment.

Trivia random: Attended the funeral of Princess Diana with friends Richard Attenborough, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Tom Hanks. [September 6, 1997]
Citazione random: Before I go off and direct a movie I always look at 4 films. They tend to be: "Seven Samurai" (Shichinin no samurai (1954)); Lawrence of Arabia (1962); It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and The Searchers (1956).
Salario massimo: $250,000,000 (gross and profit participations), per Jurassic Park (1993)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Indiana Jones e il regno del teschio di cristallo

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Regista: Steven Spielberg
Scrittore: David Koepp, George Lucas
Genere: Action, Adventure, Action
Valutazione: 8.1/10 (8065 voti)
Durata: USA:124 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English, German, Hebrew, Nyaneka

Cast:

• Harrison Ford .... Indiana Jones
• Cate Blanchett .... Irina Spalko
• Karen Allen .... Marion Ravenwood
• Shia LaBeouf .... Mutt Williams
• Ray Winstone .... 'Mac' George McHale
• John Hurt .... Professor 'Ox' Oxley
• Jim Broadbent .... Dean Charles Stanforth
• Igor Jijikine .... Dovchenko
• Dimitri Diatchenko .... Russian Suit #1
• Ilia Volokh .... Russian Suit #2 (as Ilia Volok)

Trama:
Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

Trivia random: Shia LaBeouf revealed the movie's official title during his appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards 2007 (2007) (TV).
Citazione random: [from trailer]::Mutt Williams: You're a *teacher*?::Indiana Jones: Part time.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Ford, Harrison (I)

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Data di nascita: 13 July 1942
Altezza: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
Coniuge: Melissa Mathison::(14 March 1983 - 6 January 2004) (divorced) 2 children, Mary Marquardt::(18 June 1964 - 1979) (divorced) 2 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Crossing Over (2008) .... Max Brogan [attore]
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) .... Indiana Jones [attore]
• Firewall (2006) .... Jack Stanfield [attore]
• AFI Tribute to George Lucas (2005) (TV) .... (speaker) [misc]
• Water to Wine (2004) (V) .... Jethro the Bus Driver (as Jethro the Bus Driver) [attore]
• Hollywood Homicide (2003) .... Sgt. Joe Gavilan [attore]
• K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• What Lies Beneath (2000) .... Dr. Norman Spencer [attore]
• Random Hearts (1999) .... Sergeant William 'Dutch' Van Den Broeck [attore]
• Six Days Seven Nights (1998) .... Quinn Harris [attore]

Biografia:
His father was Irish, his mother Russian-Jewish. He was a lackluster student at Maine Township High School East in Park Ridge Illinois (no athletic star, never above a C average). After dropping out of Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he did some acting and later summer stock, he signed a Hollywood contract with Columbia and later Universal. His roles in movies and TV ("Ironside" (1967), "The Virginian" (1962)) remained secondary and, discouraged, he turned to a career in professional carpentry. He came back big four years later, however, as Bob Falfa in American Graffiti (1973). Four years after that he hit colossal with the role of Han Solo in Star Wars (1977). Another four years and Ford was Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Four years later and he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his role as John Book in Witness (1985). All he managed four years after that was his third starring success as Indiana Jones; in fact, many of his earlier successful roles led to sequels as did his more recent portrayal of Jack Ryan in Patriot Games (1992). Another Golden Globe nomination came his way for the part of Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive (1993). He is clearly a well-established Hollywood superstar. He also maintains an 800-acre ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Trivia random: Scared director Steven Spielberg and the crew during Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) when, without warning, he ran out across the rope bridge used in the film's climax to test its safety.
Citazione random: I'm very disturbed about the direction American foreign policy is going. I think something needs to be done to help alleviate the conditions which have created a disenfranchised and angry faction in the Middle East. I don't think military intervention is the correct solution. I regret what we as a country have done so far.
Salario massimo: $25,000,000 + 20% of the Gross, per K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Blanchett, Cate

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Nome di battesimo: Blanchett, Catherine Elise
Data di nascita: 14 May 1969
Altezza: 5' 8½" (1.74 m)
Coniuge: Andrew Upton::(29 December 1997 - present) 3 children

Ultimi lavori:

• As Bees in Honey Drown (2009) .... (rumored) [attrice]
• The Dangerous Husband (2009) .... (rumored) [attrice]
• The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) .... Mrs. Fox (voice) [attrice]
• North of Cheyenne (2009) .... (rumored) [attrice]
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) .... Daisy [attrice]
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) .... Irina Spalko [attrice]
• Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) .... Queen Elizabeth I [attrice]
• Hot Fuzz (2007) .... Jeanine (uncredited) [attrice]
• I'm Not There. (2007) .... Jude Quinn [attrice]
• Babel (2006) .... Susan [attrice]

Biografia:
Cate Blanchett graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1992 and, in a little over a year, had won both critical and popular acclaim. On graduating from NIDA, she joined the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls", then played Felice Bauer, the bride, in Tim Daly's "Kafka Dances", winning the 1993 Newcomer Award from the Sydney Theatre Critics Circle for her performance. From there, Blanchett moved to the role of Carol in David Mamet's searing polemic "Oleanna", also for the Sydney Theatre Company, and won the Rosemont Best Actress Award, her second award that year. She then co-starred in the ABC Television's prime time drama "Heartland" (1994) (mini), again winning critical acclaim. In 1995, she was nominated for Best Female Performance for her role as Ophelia in the Belvoir Street Theatre Company's production of "Hamlet". Other theatre credits include Helen in the Sydney Theatre Company's "Sweet Phoebe", Miranda in "The Tempest" and Rose in "The Blind Giant is Dancing", both for the Belvoir Street Theatre Company. In other television roles, Blanchett starred as Bianca in ABC's "Bordertown" (1995) (mini), as Janie Morris in "G.P." (1989) and in ABC's popular series Police Rescue (1994). She made her feature film debut in Paradise Road (1997), and, in 1998, she played the title character in Elizabeth (1998), winning numerous awards for her performance, including the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama. Cate was also nominated for an Academy Award for the role but lost out to Gwyneth Paltrow. 2001 was a particularly busy year, with starring roles in Bandits (2001), The Shipping News (2001), Charlotte Gray (2001) and playing Elf Queen Galadriel in the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy.

Trivia random: Was set to play "Portia" in Michael Radford's adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (2004), thus re-uniting with actor Joseph Fiennes, her co-star from the blockbuster Elizabeth (1998), but had to drop out after discovering her pregnancy. This also would have reunited her with Ian McKellen, with whom she appeared in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, who would have played "Shylock". He too ultimately left the project.
Citazione random: On the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy" "I had never done anything with blue screen before, or prosthetics, or anything like that. "Lord of the Rings" was like stepping into a videogame for me. It was another world completely. But, to be honest, I basically did it so that I could have the ears. I thought they would really work with my bare head."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Koepp, David

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Data di nascita: 9 June 1963
Altezza: 6' 3" (1.91 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Ghost Town (2008/II) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• War of the Worlds (2005) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• All Falls Down (2004) (V) .... [regista]
• Secret Window (2004) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Suspense (2003) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Big Trouble (2002) .... Annoyed Sports Radio Host (voice) [attore]
• "Hack" (2002) .... (executive producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]

Trivia random: Brother of Stephen Koepp.
Salario massimo: $4,000,000, per Panic Room (2002)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

kickboxer 3

Ouch! Che cosa tremenda iniziare un nuovo anno con tantissimi brutstupendi filmoni in arretrato dal 2006; meglio iniziare con qualche recensione, prima che la memoria di tali fantastiche pellicole vada persa, come urina nella tazza del cesso...

Degno candidato per una esecuzione Saddam-style è di certo Kickboxer 3: The Art of War; brillante esponente della serie "Kickboxer", simpatica e tenace come un tumore in fase di metastasi, vede qui il dinamico duo Sasha Mitchell (che sostituì Jean-Claude Van Damme dal secondo episodio fino al quarto, per poi passare a sua volta il testimone a Mark Dacascos... per dire il livello! ) e Dennis Chan in una avventura brasilera.

Il campionissimo di kickboxer David Sloan è in Brasile per partecipare al mega-torneo-intergalattico o quel che è, accompagnato dal suo Maestro^® (che non muore, e già questo è segno di quanto sia schiappa) Xian Chow.
Non avendo niente di meglio da fare si prendono a mano una adolescente ed il suo fratellino, entrambi Made In Favelas^®; sorvolando sui loro mai chiariti intenti sessuali, ai due viene dato un assaggio di bella vita, presumibilmente prima di rispedirli a calci nella loro merda (se non è cattiveria questa...)
Sfortuna vuole che le loro strade si incrocino con quella di un malavitoso locale che vuole introdurre la bella giovinetta nel suo bordello; al che i nostri due eroi più bambozzo al seguito si disinteressano del torneo nel quale - caso strano! - è invischiato pure il malvagio, con un suo campione ed un giro di scommesse clandestine.
Giù botte e sparatorie finché, quando tutto sembrava volgersi al meglio, ecco l'inaspettata caduta dell'eroe nelle mani del cattivo, che lo costringerà a fiaccarsi al fine di fargli perdere l'incontro finale. Quel che l'empio figuro non sa è che il Maestro^® prepara del doping che Pantani gli fa una pippa.

Brutto, ma brutto-brutto: trama patetica, regia e recitazione inesistenti, dialoghi squallidi; c'è una quantità minima di kickbox, il resto sono sparatorie e botte alla Bud Spencer.

Cose imparate: per fare il Vero Beverone^® si possono usare indifferentemente rarissime erbe cinesi o quel che si trova in un qualsiasi boschetto di una zona residenziale del Brasile; la polizia Brasiliana "vorrebbe-ma-non-può".
Forse non tutti sanno che... la Icon di zio Mel "gli ebrei sono la feccia del mondo ma fintanto mi dan soldi per i miei film va tutto bene" Gibson è implicata nella produzione e distribuzione di cotale monnezza.

Voto: 2. Trashometro^® 6/10:
Tags: kickboxer, azione, Brasile, prostituzione, combattimenti, scommesse, torneo, pol izia, rapimento, arti marziali, maestro, trash.

Van Damme, Jean-Claude

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Nome di battesimo: Van Varenberg, Jean-Claude Camille François
Data di nascita: 18 October 1960
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Coniuge: Gladys Portugues::(25 June 1999 - present), Darcy LaPier::(3 February 1994 - November 1997) (divorced) 1 child, Gladys Portugues::(1986 - 1992) (divorced) 2 children, Cynthia Derderian::(1985 - 1985) (divorced), Maria Rodriguez::(1978 - 1984) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• Until Death (2007) .... Anthony Stowe [attore]
• The Hard Corps (2006) .... Phillip Sauvage [attore]
• Second in Command (2006) .... Sam Keenan [attore]
• Sinav (2006) .... Charles [attore]
• Narco (2004) .... Jean-Claude Van Damme fantasmé par Lenny [attore]
• Wake of Death (2004) .... Ben Archer [attore]
• In Hell (2003) .... Kyle [attore]
• Derailed (2002) .... Jacques Kristoff [attore]
• The Order (2001) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• Replicant (2001) .... Edward 'The Torch' Garrotte/Replicant [attore]

Biografia:
Born on Oct 18 1960, Jean-Claude Van Damme is the son of Eugene Van Varenberg and Eliana Van Varenberg. "The muscles from Brussels" originally known as Jean-Claude Van Varenberg, started martial arts at the age of 11. His father Eugene Van Varenberg introduced him to martial arts when he saw his son was physically weak. Jean-Claude started with Shotokan Karate and later studied Kickboxing, Taekwon-Do, and Muay Thai. He won the European professional karate association's middleweight championship as a teenager, and also beat the 2nd best karate fighter in the world. His goal was to be number one but got sidetracked when he left his hometown of Brussels.He came to Hong Kong at the age of 19 for the first time and felt insured to do action movies in Hong Kong. So in 1981 Van Damme left Hong Kong and moved to Los Angeles, where he was trying for 5 years. He took English classes while working as carpet layer, pizza delivery man, limo driver, and thanks to Chuck Norris he got a job as a bouncer at a club. He gave Van Damme a small role in the movie 'Missing in Action', but it wasn't good enough to get anybody's attention. Then in 1984 he got a role as a villain named Ivan in the low-budget movie _No Retreat, No Surrender (1985)_ .Then one day, while walking on the streets, Jean-Claude spotted a producer for Cannon Pictures, and showed some of his martial arts abilities which gave him the leading role in Bloodsport (1988). But the movie, filmed in Hong Kong was so bad; when it was completed they shelved it for almost two years. It might have never been released if Van Damme did not help them to recut the film and begged producers to release it. They finally released the film, first in Malaysia and France and then into the U.S. and at last the miracle happened. 'Bloodsport', shot on a meager 1.5 million dollar budget, became a U.S box-office hit in the spring of 1988. It made about 30 million world and audiences supported this film for its new sensational action star Jean-Claude Van Damme.His martial arts assets, highlighted by his ability to deliver a kick to an opponent's head during a leaping 360-degree turn, and his good looks led to starring roles in higher budgeted movies like Cyborg (1989), Lionheart (1990), Double Impact (1991) and Universal Soldier (1992). It was 1994 when he scored his big breakthrough $100 million worldwide hit Timecop (1994). But in the mean time his personal life was on the edge.It began to show up in his career when all the anticipated projects from him began to tank in the box office like _Quest, The (1996/I)_ (which he directed), Maximum Risk (1996), Double Team (1997); and the thre e films made less than $50 million combined. In 1999 he remarried his ex-wife Gladys Portugues and restarted his lost career to attain new goals. With help from his family he faced his problems and made movies like Replicant (2001), Derailed (2002), and In Hell (2003) which did averagely in box office terms, but he tried to give his fans the best, his acting in those movies got better, more emotional and each movie was basically in different action tones.

Trivia random: On July 10, 2000, Van Damme was sentenced to a 90 day anti-drunk-driving class, $1,2000 fine, 3 years probation and a 90 day revocation of his license after pleading no contest in Beverly Hills for a September 23, 1999 DUI arrest.
Citazione random: "Ten, 15 years ago, Sly, Arnold, those guys, were well-built; of course, they had to act and find good scripts, but today action heroes don't have to be Mr. Muscles. What really helps a guy to become an action hero today is the direc ting of the movie. All those fast cuts."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Kickboxer 3: The Art of War (1992)

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Regista: Rick King
Scrittore: Dennis A. Pratt
Genere: Action
Valutazione: 2.2/10 (450 voti)
Durata: 92 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Sasha Mitchell .... David Sloan
• Dennis Chan .... Xian
• Richard Comar .... Lane
• Noah Verduzco .... Marcos
• Alethea Miranda .... Isabella
• Milton Gonçalves .... Sergeant
• Ricardo Petráglia .... Alberto
• Gracindo Júnior .... Pete
• Miguel Orniga .... Marcelo
• Leonor Gottlieb .... Margarida

Trama:
Together with his trainer Xian, Kickbox champion David Sloan arrives in Rio de Janeiro for a show figh t. Soon he's confronted with the darker sides of the city, when pocket picker Costa tries to steal his camera. He takes him and his beautiful sister Isabella under his wings and to his fight. There Isabella gains the attention of a ruthless white-slave agent, who happens to be his opponent Martin's manager. Not long until David needs to use his fighting skill also outside the ring. Citazione random: Martine: It's you I want, you. Next week you'll die.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Dacascos, Mark

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Data di nascita: 26 February 1964
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Coniuge: Julie Condra::(5 January 1998 - present) 3 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Alien Agent (2007) .... Rykker [attore]
• Code Name: The Cleaner (2007) .... Eric Hauck [attore]
• Stranglehold (2007) (VG) .... (voice) [attore]
• Final Approach (2006) .... Kato [attore]
• The Hunt for Eagle One (2006) (V) .... Lt. Matt Daniels [attore]
• The Hunt for Eagle One: Crash Point (2006) (V) .... Marine Lt. Daniels [attore]
• Nomad (2005/II) .... Sharish [attore]
• Only the Brave (2005) .... Steve "Zaki" Senzaki [attore]
• Solar Strike (2005) (TV) .... Lucas Foster [attore]
• Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) .... Ling [attore]

Trivia random: 1980 -- Hamburg Kara te Championships -- First Place -- Junior

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Chan, Dennis (I)

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Ultimi lavori:

• Chek law dak gung (2002) .... Mr. Chan [attore]
• Knock Off (1998) .... Choy/Eddie Kid [attore]
• Long zai jiang hu (1998) .... Judge [attore]
• Dui bat hei, doh je nei (1997) .... Kwong [attore]
• Jilao sishi (1997) .... Stephen [attore]
• Tou tou ai ni (1996) .... Eric [attore]
• Wang zi duo qing (1996) .... Wong [attore]
• Heung gong fa yuet ye (1995) .... Leung Ping [attore]
• Jushi shengun (1995) .... Uncle Lam [attore]
• Mei you lao gong de ri zi (1995) .... Museum Guard [attore]

Trivia random: He is the younger brother of 'Philip Chan Yun Kin' .

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Gibson, Mel (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Gibson, Mel Columcille Gerard
Data di nascita: 3 January 1956
Altezza: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
Coniuge: Robyn Moore::(7 June 1980 - present) 7 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Sam and George (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Under and Alone (2008) .... William Queen [attore]
• Apocalypto (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (2005) .... (executive producer) (producer) [produttore]
• "Clubhouse" (2004) .... (executive producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]
• Evel Knievel (2004) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Paparazzi (2004) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Passion of the Christ (2004) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Family Curse (2003) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The Singing Detective (2003) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson was born on January 3, 1956, in Peekskill, New York, USA as the sixth of eleven children to parents Hutton Gibson, a railroad brakeman, and Ann Gibson, who was born in Australia and died in December of 1990. Though born in the US, Mel and his family moved to New South Wales, Australia. After high school, Mel studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, performing at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts alongside future film thespians Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush. After college, Mel had a few stints on stage and starred in a few TV shows. Eventually, he was chosen to star in Mad Max (1979) and in a movie called Tim (1979), co-starring Piper Laurie. The small budgeted movie Mad Max (1979) made him known worldwide, while Tim (1979) garnered him an award for Best Actor from the Australian Film Institute (equivalent to the Oscar). Later, he went on to star in Gallipoli (1981), which earned him a second award for Best Actor from the AFI. In 1980, he married Robyn Moore and, as of today, they are still together and have seven children. In 1984, Mel made his American debut in The Bounty (1984), which co-s tarred Anthony Hopkins. Then in 1987, Mel starred in what would become his signature series, Lethal Weapon (1987), in which he played "Martin Riggs". In 1990, he took on the interesting starring role in Hamlet (1990/I), which garnered him some critical praise. He also made the more endearing Forever Young (1992) and the somewhat disturbing The Man Without a Face (1993). 1995 brought his most famous role as "Sir William Wallace" in Braveheart (1995), for which he won two Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. From there, he made such box office hits as The Patriot (2000), Ransom (1996), and Payback (1999/I). Today, Mel remains an international superstar mogul, continuously topping the Hollywood power lists as well as the Most Beautiful and Sexiest lists. His $25 million paycheck for The Patriot (2000) is the latest milestone for actor's salaries.

Trivia random: Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars" in fil m history (#37). [1995]
Citazione random: [on his drunk driving relapse]: "I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry. I have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Mitchell, Sasha (I)

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Data di nascita: 27 July 1967
Altezza: 6' 3" (1.91 m)
Coniuge: Jeannette Denise::(1989 - 1997) (divorced) 4 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) .... Angry Driver [attore]
• The Failures (2003) .... Reflexor [attore]
• Slammed (2001) .... Slammer [attore]
• Gangland (2000) .... Derek [attore]
• Luck of the Draw (2000) .... Buddy [attore]
• ABC Sneak Peek with Step by Step (1994) (TV) .... Cody [attore]
• Class of 1999 II: The Substitute (1994)< /a> .... John Bolen [attore]
• Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor (1994) .... David Sloan [attore]
• Kickboxer 3: The Art of War (1992) .... David Sloan [attore]
• Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991) .... David Sloan [attore]

Biografia:
Sasha Mitchell will forever be known for 2 particular roles. From 1990-1993, he took over for Jean-Claude Van Damme in the Kickboxer series, ending it with the 4th installment, Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor (1994). A black belt in taekwondo, Sasha was once an amateur kickboxing champion and it helped him land the role of a boxer in 1988's Spike of Bensonhurst (1988). He also worked as a model. In 1991, Sasha got the role of Cousin Cody Lambert on the popular TV series, "Step by Step" (1991). He played Cody from 1991-96 and after some personal problems, returned for its final season in 1998. In 2000, Sasha made his return to films with Gangland (2000), directed by Art Camacho. Now even more beefed up, he is the proud father of two daughters and continues to make movies.

Trivia random: Calvin Klein blue jeans model studied acting at the National Improvisational Theater in NYC [1988]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.