the ghost writer

Niente da fare, continuo a trovare Roman Polanski - che pur è sempre cooosì intellettuaaale - uno dei registi più sopravvalutati di sempre (salvo giusto Rosemary's Baby).

La pseudo-trama di The Ghost Writer (sciocco titolo italiano: L'uomo nell'ombra): un povero regista radical-chic non può neppure drogare e stuprare una bambina che subito EvilAmerika^® si accanisce contro di lui costringendolo ad una dignitosa fuga...

Oh no - quella deve essere la trama di un altro film. Riprovo: sembra che scrivere le (auto)biografie degli ex primi ministri d'Inghilterra sia un affare serio (come se qualcuno volesse leggerle...) e la cosa viene gestita con una sicurezza degna del proverbiale Fort Knox. Ahilui, il nuovo ghost writer ha l'ingrato compito di finire in fretta il lavoro lasciato a metà dal predecessore, che ha avuto il cattivo gusto di farsi uccidere (pardon: "farsi suicidare").
Ci metterà cinque minuti a scoprire che dietro c'è molto di più e che l'ex primo ministro ha tanto da nascondere, proprio mentre monta un caso polito internazionale, con il tribunale internazionale dell'Aia che vuole metterlo sotto accusa per crimini di guerra (suppongo il concetto qui sia: i tribunali sono buoni fintanto non incriminano te).

Trama inverosimile al di là di qualsivoglia sospensione dell'incredulità, nelle due ore e dieci del film non succede quasi nulla, e quando succede lo fa male.
Oltre ad esser quasi priva di logica, si segnalano un paio di deus ex machina davvero imbarazzanti (con tanto di bifolco che sa tutto, ma non viene ascoltato! Mai più senza! )
Scadenti gli attori: Pierce Brosnan ci delizia con un paio di facce spalmate sulla telecamera davvero notevoli, mente Ewan McGregor è espressivo quanto una spada laser.
Inutile la regia: niente di tragico, magari, ma mai un guizzo od un briciolo di personalità.

No, non salvo davvero niente in un film che puzza lontano un miglio di ripicchina contro il mandato di cattura internazionale del 2005, che al momento lo costringe a degli umilianti arresti domiciliari in una mega-villa. Povero caro, quanto ingiusto accanimento...
Detto ciò, di mio sono dispostissimo a valutare l'opera separatamente dalla merda d'uomo; il problema è che qui anche il film è pessimo.

Voto: 4-. Roman, va ai lavori forzati!
Tags: thriller, drammatico, politica, politico, Inghilterra, USA, CIA, intrigo, agente, primo ministro, scandalo, guerra, terrorismo, Roman 'mi piace lo stupro' Polanski, Pierce Brosnan, copertura, omicidio, sicurezza, tribunale internazionale, estradizione, patetica farsa.

^{McGregor, Ewan (I)}

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<sup>Nome di battesimo: McGregor, Ewan Gordon
Data di nascita: 31 March 1971
Altezza: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
Coniuge: Eve Mavrakis::(22 July 1995 - present) 3 children

Ultimi lavori:</sup>

• ^{Beginners (2011) .... [attore]}
• ^{Electric Slide (2011) .... Eddie Dodson [attore]}
• ^{Knockout (2011) .... [attore]}
• ^{The Raven (2011) .... [attore]}
• ^{W.E. (2011) .... King Edward VIII [attore]}
• ^{Jackboots on Whitehall (2010) .... Chris (voice) [attore]}
• ^{Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010) .... Mr. Green [attore]}
• ^{The Ghost Writer (2010) .... The Ghost [attore]}
• ^{The Last Word (2010) .... [attore]}
• ^{Amelia (2009) .... Gene Vidal [attore]}

<sup>Biografia:
Ewan Gordon McGregor was born 31 March 1971 in Crieff, Scotland. At 16, he left Crieff and Morrison Academy to join the Perth Repertory Theatre. His parents encouraged him to leave school and pursue his acting goals rather than be unhappy. McGregor studied drama for a year at Kirkcaldly in Fife, then enrolled at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama for a three-year course. He studied alongside Daniel Craig and Alistair McGowan among others, and left right before graduating after snagging the role of Private Mick Hopper in Dennis Potter's 1993 six-part Channel 4 series "Lipstick on Your Collar" (1993). His first notable role was that of Alex Law in Shallow Grave (1994), directed by Danny Boyle, written by John Hodge and produced by Andrew MacDonald. This was followed by The Pillow Book (1996) and Trainspotting (1996), the latter of which brought him to the public's attention. He is now one of the most critically acclaimed actors of his generation, and portrays Obi-wan Kenobi in the first three Star Wars episodes. McGregor is married to French production designer Eve Mavrakis, whom he met while working on the TV show "Kavanagh QC" (1995). They married in France in the summer of 1995 and have two daughters, Clara Mathilde and Esther Rose. McGregor has formed a production company with friends Jonny Lee Miller, Sean Pertwee, Jude Law and Sadie Frost. Called Natural Nylon, they hope it will make innovative films that do not conform to Hollywood standards.

Trivia random: According to Stunt Coordinator Nick Gillard, he picked up the light saber sword fighting style very quickly. In an interview on the DVD to The Phantom Menace, Gillard commented that Ewan was probably faster than anyone else who was working on the film, including the stunt department.
Citazione random: I fight cynicism. It's too easy. It's really boring. It's much harder to be positive and see the wonder of everything. Cynicism is a bunch of people who aren't as talented as other people, knocking them because they make them feel even more untalented.</sup>

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^{Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.}

^{Brosnan, Pierce}

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<sup>Nome di battesimo: Brosnan, Pierce Brendan
Data di nascita: 16 May 1953
Altezza: 6' 1½" (1.87 m)
Coniuge: Keely Shaye Smith::(4 August 2001 - present) 2 children, Cassandra Harris::(27 December 1980 - 28 December 1991) (her death) 3 children

Ultimi lavori:</sup>

• ^{Salvation Boulevard (2011) .... [attore]}
• ^{Vanilla Gorilla (2011) .... [attore]}
• ^{Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) .... Mr. Brunner / Chiron [attore]}
• ^{Remember Me (2010) .... Charles Hawkins [attore]}
• ^{The Ghost Writer (2010) .... Adam Lang [attore]}
• ^{The Greatest (2009) .... (executive producer) [produttore]}
• ^{Mamma Mia! (2008) .... Sam [attore]}
• ^{Butterfly on a Wheel (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]}
• ^{Married Life (2007) .... Richard Langley [attore]}
• ^{Seraphim Falls (2006) .... Gideon [attore]}

<sup>Biografia:
Pierce Brosnan was born in Navan, County Meath, Ireland on May 16, 1953 and lived in Navan, County Meath until he moved to England, UK at an early age (thus explaining his ability to play men from both backgrounds convincingly). His father left the household when Pierce was a child and although reunited later in life, the two have never had a close relationship. His most popular role is that of British secret agent James Bond. The death, in 1991, of Cassandra Harris, his wife of eleven years, left him with three children - Christopher and Charlotte from Cassandra's first marriage and Sean from their marriage. Since her death, he has had two children with his second wife, Keely Shaye Smith.

Trivia random: Met his Bond predecessor Sir Sean Connery for the first time at The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004) (TV), but only for a few minutes.
Citazione random: [about his deceased wife, Cassandra Harris] Cassie has made me the man I am, the actor I am, the father I am. She's forever embedded in every fiber of my being.
Salario massimo: $16,500,000, per Die Another Day (2002)</sup>

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^{Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.}

^{Polanski, Roman}

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<sup>Nome di battesimo: Liebling, Rajmund Roman
Data di nascita: 18 August 1933
Altezza: 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Coniuge: Emmanuelle Seigner::(30 August 1989 - present) 2 children, Sharon Tate::(20 January 1968 - 9 August 1969) (her death), Barbara Lass::(19 September 1959 - 1962) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:</sup>

• ^{The Ghost Writer (2010) .... (producer) [produttore]}
• ^{Caos calmo (2008) .... Steiner [attore]}
• ^{Chacun son cinéma ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s'éteint et que le film commence (2007) .... (producer) (segment "Cinéma Érotique") [produttore]}
• ^{Rush Hour 3 (2007) .... Detective Revi (uncredited) [attore]}
• ^{Oliver Twist (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]}
• ^{The Pianist (2002) .... (producer) [produttore]}
• ^{Zemsta (2002) .... Józef Papkin [attore]}
• ^{Hommage à Alfred Lepetit (2000) .... [attore]}
• ^{Castelnuovo (1999) .... (producer) [produttore]}
• ^{The Ninth Gate (1999) .... (producer) [produttore]}

<sup>Biografia:
Roman Polanski's parents returned to Poland from France just two years before the World War II began: both were taken later to concentration camps where his mother eventually died. Young Roman managed to escape the ghetto and learned to survive wandering through the Polish countryside and living with the different Catholic families. Though local people usually ignored cinemas where mostly German films were shown, Polanski seemed not very much concerned about patriotism and frequently went to the movies. In 1945, he reunited with his father who sent him to technical school, but young Polanski seemed to have already made his choice. In the 1950s, he took up acting, appearing in Andrzej Wajda's Pokolenie (1955) before studying at the Lodz Film School. His early shorts such as Dwaj ludzie z szafa (1958), Le gros et le maigre (1961), and Ssaki (1962) showed his taste for black humor and interest in bizarre human relationships. His feature debut, Nóz w wodzie (1962), was the first Polish post-war film not associated with the war theme. Though being already a major Polish filmmaker, Polanski yet chose to leave the country and headed to France. Being down-and-out in Paris, he befriended young scriptwriter, Gérard Brach, who eventually became his long-time collaborator. The next two films, Repulsion (1965) and Cul-de-sac (1966), made in England and co-written by Brach, won respectively Silver and Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festivals. In 1968, Polanski went to Hollywood, where he made the psychological thriller Rosemary's Baby (1968). However, after the brutal murder of his wife Sharon Tate by the infamous Manson gang in 1969, the director decided to return to Europe. In 1974, he again appeared with a US release of Chinatown (1974). It seemed the beginning of the promising Hollywood career, but after his conviction for the statutory rape of a 13-year old girl, Polanski fled from America to avoid prison. After Tess (1979), which was awarded several Oscars and Cesars, his work became intermittent and rarely approached the level of his better known films. The director also stretched his talents to include occasional work in theatre. He still likes to act in the films of other directors, sometimes with interesting results as it was in Una pura formalità (1994).

Trivia random: Roman and his father are Holocaust survivors. His father was Jewish, and his half-Jewish mother (who was murdered in Auschwitz) had been raised as a Roman Catholic.
Citazione random: Every failure made me more confident. Because I wanted even more to achieve as revenge. To show that I could.</sup>

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^{Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.}

^{Ghost Writer, The (2010)}

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<sup>Regista: Roman Polanski
Scrittore: Robert Harris, Robert Harris
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Valutazione: 7.9/10 (4828 voti)
Durata: Germany:128 min
Paese: France, Germany, UK
Lingua: English

Cast:</sup>

• ^{Ewan McGregor .... The Ghost}
• ^{Jon Bernthal .... Rick Ricardelli}
• ^{Kim Cattrall .... Amelia Bly}
• ^{Pierce Brosnan .... Adam Lang}
• ^{Tim Preece .... Roy}
• ^{James Belushi .... John Maddox}
• ^{Olivia Williams .... Ruth Lang}
• ^{Timothy Hutton .... Sidney Kroll}
• ^{Anna Botting .... SKY TV Newsreader}
• ^{Tom Wilkinson .... Paul Emmett}

<sup>Trama:
An unremarkable ghost-writer has landed a lucrative contract to redact the memoirs of Adam Lang, the former UK Prime Minister. After dominating British politics for years, Lang has retired with his wife to the USA. He lives on an island, in luxurious, isolated premises complete with a security detail and a secretarial staff. Soon, Adam Lang gets embroiled in a major scandal with international ramifications that reveals how far he was ready to go in order to nurture UK's "special relationship" with the USA. But before this controversy has started, before even he has closed the deal with the publisher, the ghost-writer gets unmistakable signs that the turgid draft he is tasked to put into shape inexplicably constitutes highly sensitive material.

Trivia random: When Roman Polanski was arrested September 2009 in Switzerland, post-production was never put on hold. He saw every step of the film and made all artistic decisions. He finished editing the movie while in a Swiss prison. In December 2009 Polanski was released on bail but placed under house arrest, where he remained when this movie was released. Link this trivia
Citazione random: Amelia Bly: Are you ill?
The Ghost: No, I'm aging. This place is Shangri-La in reverse.</sup>

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^{Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.}

^{Rosemary's Baby (1968)}

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<sup>Regista: Roman Polanski
Scrittore: Ira Levin, Roman Polanski
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 8.1/10 (47631 voti) [#196 nella top250]
Durata: 136 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:</sup>

• ^{Mia Farrow .... Rosemary Woodhouse}
• ^{John Cassavetes .... Guy Woodhouse}
• ^{Ruth Gordon .... Minnie Castevet}
• ^{Sidney Blackmer .... Roman Castevet}
• ^{Maurice Evans .... Edward 'Hutch' Hutchins}
• ^{Ralph Bellamy .... Dr. Abraham Sapirstein}
• ^{Victoria Vetri .... Terry Gionoffrio (as Angela Dorian)}
• ^{Patsy Kelly .... Laura-Louise McBirney}
• ^{Elisha Cook Jr. .... Mr. Nicklas (as Elisha Cook)}
• ^{Emmaline Henry .... Elise Dunstan}

<sup>Trama:
Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse move into an apartment in a building with a bad reputation. They discover that their neighbours are a very friendly elderly couple named Roman and Minnie Castevet, and Guy begins to spend a lot of time with them. Strange things start to happen: a woman Rosemary meets in the washroom dies a mysterious death, Rosemary has strange dreams and hears strange noises and Guy becomes remote and distant. Then Rosemary falls pregnant and begins to suspect that her neighbours have special plans for her child.

Trivia random: The devil costume that Anton LaVey was falsely rumored to have worn in the impregnation scene was later re-used in the film Asylum of Satan (1975). A small woman had difficulty fitting into the tiny suit. Link this trivia
Citazione random: Dr. Abe Sapirstein: Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! What did you say the name was? Machado?</sup>

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^{Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.}

diary of the dead

Impantanato chissà perché in una distribuzione da terzo mondo, tocca rivolgersi al solito generoso mercato inglese anche per Diary of the Dead.
Le recensioni non erano entusiastiche ed anche il pubblico reagì con freddezza; inevitabile quindi un minimo di sospetto verso l'ennesimo zombie-movie di zio Romero.
Ebbene, per quanto mi riguarda tutte le voci critiche si sono rivelate dead wrong.

Un vero e proprio reboot (concetto che di norma non amo), per aggiornare gli zombie ai giorni nostri: d'improvviso, senza alcuna motivazione, i morti si animano ed iniziano ad attaccare i viventi. Il panico è immediato e devastante: in brevissimo tempo l'intera società si sfalda; niente più sicurezza, né legge, né comunicazioni.
Un piccolo gruppo di studenti di cinema - che ovviamente stavano girando un horror - s'imbarcherà in un viaggio verso casa nella speranza di trovarvi ancora qualcuno vivo.

Concetto non dissimile da quello già esplorato in tutti gli altri della serie, la differenza qui la fa la modalità narrativa: il film è infatti presentato come se fosse il montaggio definitivo di una serie di spezzoni di riprese girate dagli studenti stessi - in particolare uno di loro, ossessivo nella sua mania di documentare quanto sta accadendo.
Come facilmente prevedibile il viaggio sarà tutt'altro che agevole, ed occasione tanto di sgraditi incontri quanto delle immancabili riflessioni romeriane (il già visto "siamo degni d'essere salvati/siamo poi così diversi da loro?" ma anche e soprattutto uno sguardo molto critico ai nuovi media ed ai nuovi modi di diffondere e fruire la comunicazione).

Romero dovrebbe stanare e uccidere tutti coloro che solo per questo hanno paragonato il suo lavoro a Cloverfield e The Blair Witch Project; sono sempre stato un detrattore dell'abuso della telecamera a mano, ma quel che davvero conta è cosa racconti, e Diary of the Dead nei suoi 95 densi minuti racconta molto e soprattutto lo racconta dannatamente bene.
Senza tralasciare il piccolo dettagli che - a differenza dei due titoli citati - questo film fa davvero paura, quando decide di farla.

Aveva tutti gli ingredienti per risultarmi alquanto sgradito (reboot, telecamera a mano, nuovo capitolo di una serie che sembrava aver detto tutto o quasi, l'addentrarsi in un campo non suo come l'utilizzo dei nuovi media, ...), ed invece ho finito con l'adorarlo, anche se la mia pare essere una opinione non così diffusa.

Voto: 9.5. Lo zombie che non ti aspetti!
Tags: horror, fantasy, thriller, zombie, Romero, George A. Romero, viaggio, studenti, reboot, telecamera a mano, metafilm, film nel film, montaggio, Internet, comunicazione, media, nuovi media, blog, filmato, youtube, chat, video, download, fucile, pistola, arco, frecce, parente, madre, padre, fratello, morte, cannibalismo, ospedale, università, facoltà, cinema, fuga, villa, camera di sicurezza, panic room, piscina, professore, suicidio, morti viventi, incidente, ambulanza, telecronista, amish, tomba, guardia nazionale, esercito, milizia, intestino, mummia, critica, mockumentary, bomba, falce.

Romero, George A. (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Romero, George Andrew
Data di nascita: 4 February 1940
Altezza: 6' 5" (1.96 m)
Coniuge: Christine Forrest::(1981 - present), Nancy Romero::(1971 - 1978) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Crazies (2010) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• ...of the Dead (2009) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• Deadtime Stories (2009) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Deadtime Stories 2 (2009) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Into the Dark: Exploring the Horror Film (2009) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The I Scream Man (2009) .... Earl [attore]
• Day of the Dead (2008) .... (motion picture "Day of the Dead") [scrittore]
• One for the Fire: The Legacy of 'Night of the Living Dead' (2008) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Diary of the Dead (2007) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• Il pianto della statua (2007) .... (short story "Passion and Extasy") [scrittore]

Biografia:
George A. Romero never set out to become a Hollywood figure; however, by all indications, he was very successful. The director of the groundbreaking "Dead" pentalogy was born February 4, 1940, in New York City. He grew up there until attending the renowned Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After graduation, he began shooting mostly short films and commercials. He and his friends formed "Image Ten Productions" in the late 1960s and they all chipped in roughly US$10,000 a piece to produce what became one of the most celebrated American horror films of all time: Night of the Living Dead (1968). Shot in black-and-white on a budget of just over US$100,000, Romero's vision, combined with a solid script written by him and his "Image" co-founder John A. Russo (along with what was then considered an excess of gore) enabled the film to earn back far more than what it cost, became a cult classic by the early 1970s and was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress of the United States in 1999. Romero's next films were a little more low-key and less seen including There's Always Vanilla (1971), The Crazies (1973), Hungry Wives (1972) (where he met his future wife Christine Forrest) and Martin (1977). Though not as acclaimed as Night of the Living Dead (1968), or some of his later work, these films had his signature social commentary while dealing with issues, usually horror-related, at the microscopic level. Like almost all of his films, they were shot in, or around, Romero's favorite city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1978, Romero returned to the zombie genre with the one film of his that would top the success of Night of the Living Dead (1968): Dawn of the Dead (1978). He managed to divorce the franchise from Image Ten, which screwed up the copyright on the original and allowed the film to enter into public domain, with the result that Romero and his original investors were not entitled to any profits from the film's video releases. Shooting in the Monroeville, Pennsylvania, Mall during late-night hours, Romero told the tale of four people who escape a zombie outbreak and lock themselves up inside what they think is paradise before the solitude makes them victims of their own, and a biker gang's, greed. Shot on a budget of just $1.5 million, the film earned over US$40 million worldwide and was named one of the top cult films by Entertainment Weekly magazine in 2003. The film also marked Romero's first work with brilliant make-up and effects artist Tom Savini. After 1978, Romero and Savini teamed up many times. Dawn of the Dead (1978)'s success led to bigger budgets and better casts for the filmmaker. First was Knightriders (1981), where he first worked with an up-and-coming Ed Harris. Then came perhaps his most Hollywood-like film, Creepshow (1982), which marked the first, but not the last, time Romero adapted a work by famed horror novelist Stephen King. With many major stars and big-studio distribution, Creepshow (1982) was a moderate success and spawned a sequel, which was also written by Romero. The decline of Romero's career came in the late 1980s. His last widely-released film was the next "Dead" film, Day of the Dead (1985). Derided by critics, it did not take in much at the box office, either. His latest two efforts were The Dark Half (1993), (another Stephen King adaptation) and Bruiser (2000). Even the Romero-penned, Tom Savini-directed remake of Romero's first film, Night of the Living Dead (1990), was a box-office failure. Pigeon-holed solely as a horror director and his recent films no longer achieving the success of his earlier "Dead" films, Romero has not worked much since, much to the chagrin of his following. In 2005, 19 years after Day of the Dead (1985), with major-studio distribution, he returned to his most famous series and horror sub-genre he created with Land of the Dead (2005), a further exploration of the destruction of modern society by the undead, that received both excellent and indifferent reviews and even topped the United States box-office in its first week of release. He still resides in Pittsburgh.

Trivia random: Was originally attached to write and direct Resident Evil (2002), but left the project in 1999 due to creative differences over the script.
Citazione random: If you have 60 people dress like zombies and you show them something that you like, you get 60 people doing the exact same thing. My opinion of a good zombie walk is to loll your head as if it's a little too heavy and the muscles have begun to atrophy.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Diary of the Dead (2007)

Le cronache dei morti viventi

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Regista: George A. Romero
Scrittore: George A. Romero
Genere: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller, Fantasy
Valutazione: 6.1/10 (16234 voti)
Durata: 95 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Michelle Morgan .... Debra Moynihan
• Joshua Close .... Jason Creed (as Josh Close)
• Shawn Roberts .... Tony Ravello
• Amy Ciupak Lalonde .... Tracy Thurman (as Amy Lalonde)
• Joe Dinicol .... Eliot Stone
• Scott Wentworth .... Andrew Maxwell
• Philip Riccio .... Ridley Wilmott
• Chris Violette .... Gordo Thorsen
• Tatiana Maslany .... Mary Dexter
• Todd Schroeder .... Brody (as Todd William Schroeder)

Trama:
While filming a horror movie of mummy in a forest, the students and their professor of the University of Pittsburgh hear on the TV the news that the dead are awaking and walking. Ridley and Francine decide to leave the group, while Jason heads to the dormitory of his girlfriend Debra Monahan. She does not succeed in contacting her family and they travel in Mary's van to the house of Debra's parents in Scranton, Pennsylvania. While driving her van, Mary sees a car accident and runs over a highway patrolman and three other zombies trying to escape from them. Later the religious Mary is depressed, questioning whether the victims where really dead, and tries to commit suicide, shooting herself with a pistol. Her friends takeg her to a hospital where they realize that the dead are indeed awaking and walking and they need to fight to survive while traveling to Debra's parents house.

Trivia random: Begins on the same day as Night of the Living Dead (1968), although the setting has been updated to the present day. The concept for the film evolved from an idea that director George A. Romero had earlier for a "Living Dead" TV series, which also would have begun on the same day as "Night of the Living Dead."
Citazione random: Debra: Everyone who dies, unless they get a bullet in the head, is gonna come back and try to kill someone else.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Blair Witch Project, The (1999)

The Blair Witch project - Il mistero della strega di Blair

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Regista: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Scrittore: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Valutazione: 6.2/10 (77240 voti)
Durata: 86 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Heather Donahue .... Heather Donahue
• Joshua Leonard .... Joshua 'Josh' Leonard
• Michael C. Williams .... Michael 'Mike' Williams (as Michael Williams)
• Bob Griffith .... Short Fisherman
• Jim King .... Interviewee
• Sandra Sánchez .... Waitress (as Sandra Sanchez)
• Ed Swanson .... Fisherman With Glasses
• Patricia DeCou .... Mary Brown
• Mark Mason .... Man in Yellow Hat
• Jackie Hallex .... Interviewee with Child

Trama:
Three film students travel to Maryland to make a student film about a local urban legend... The Blair Witch. The three went into the woods on a two day hike to find the Blair Witch, and never came back. One year later, the students film and video was found in the woods. The footage was compiled and made into a movie. The Blair Witch Project.

Trivia random: The working title was "The Black Hills Project."
Citazione random: Michael Williams: [sees dozens of stick-men hanging from trees] No redneck is this creative.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Ergo Proxy

Ergo Proxy non è certo un prodotto semplicissimo: ad una prima occhiata può sembrare l'ennesima storia ambientata in un futuro distopico, con qualche riferimento culturale e misteri in quantità. Man mano che la serie procede, però, il tocco di Dai Sato si sente sempre più ed entrano in scena numerosi elementi filosofici e psicologici. Se si aggiunge che il tutto è presentato in maniera a volte bizzarra, con episodi al limite della meta-animazione (a livello di trama più che di contenuti visivi), si capisce che probabilmente non piacerà a tutti e qualcuno finirà col trovarlo cervellotico e convoluto.
Inutile dire che a me è piaciuto fuor di misura.

Sul capitolo distribuzione, taglio subito la testa al toro dicendo che sul solito amazon.co.uk si trova il cofanetto completo (sei dvd) ad un prezzo inferiore a quanto si pagherebbe per due dischi della versione italiana.
Ribadisco un concetto a me caro: i distributori italiani non esistono. Punto.

Città-cupola di Rom-do: gli abitanti sono costretti a vivere in un ambiente protetto a causa della quasi inabitabilità della superficie terrestre, sconvolta da un antico cataclisma. All'apparenza tutto è perfetto, stretto nella morsa di un controllo pervasivo di un apparato che si occupa di tutto, dal gestire le nascite ad ogni piccolo aspetto della vita quotidiana.
La comparsa di un mostro, un Proxy, spingerà la giovane detective Re-l - già nipote del reggente della città - a porsi domande di cui non è bene conoscere la risposta.
Fin qui nulla di mai visto, non fosse che queste sono solo le basi per una serie di considerazioni ("pippe mentali", se non vi piace il genere) su ciò che muove le persone e molto altro. Iniziano infatti numerose introspezioni parallele, in cui ciscuno si rivolge ad altri alla ricerca della propria raison d'être.

Pur non mancando una decente quantità d'azione (di buon livello), dove davvero brilla è nella caratterizzazione dei personaggi: la già citata Re-l è affiancata da Vincent Law, giovane immigrato che mira a diventare cittadino modello; le sue aspirazioni si infrangeranno ben presto in una dura realtà che sfugge alla sua stessa comprensione. Con loro una piccola autoreiv (di fatto dei robot, totalmente asserviti al proprio padrone) che ha sviluppato un'anima in seguito ad una infezione da Cogito virus che sta creando non pochi problemi in città.
Numerose poi le figure di contorno, dallo scienziato geniale ossessionato da Re-l, al capo della sicurezza che inizierà ad agire per scopi personali per una serie di eccellenti motivi. Senza dimenticare alcuni autoreiv, che non si limiteranno certo a comportarsi da robot.
Alcuni di questi personaggi forse possono non piacere, e del resto in parte sono caratterizzati per risultare ambigui quando non esplicitamente antipatici, ma non si può negare che siano sviluppati magnificamente, con un ottimo livello d'approfondimento.

Sempre ottima la regia, che non disprezza di sperimentare in qua e in là; personalmente ho apprezzato molto il tratto e l'animazione - stupendi tutti gli autoreiv. La computer grafica è stata usata molto bene; il tutto è stato realizzato con un notevole dispendio di denaro, e si nota.
Perfette le musiche, a partire dalle sigle: bella la prima (e non lo dico spesso, quando si tratta di J-rock - anche se qui in realtà il gruppo è in parte madrelingua inglese), da standing ovation la scelta di Paranoid Android dei Radiohead come chiusura e menù dei dvd. Capolavoro assoluto.

Insomma: un anime in cui si chiacchiera davvero molto, e che non è affatto semplice da seguire; richiederà infatti più di una visione per cogliere tutti i dettagli di una sceneggiatura alquanto intricata e che spesso vive di cose non dette.
Come già accennavo, alcuni episodi possono poi risultare spiazzanti: prendere o lasciare - io li ho apprezzati, ma posso capire che a qualcuno possa scattare la molla "ma che cacchio sto guardando?!".

Per quanto riguarda le citazioni colte, c'è di che saziarsi per anni: si parte con Michelangelo, per passare ad un numero quasi imbarazzante di filosofi (più religioni varie ed antiche divinità), fino ad arrivare alle statue della cappella de' Medici a Firenze.
Per la letteratura, si va da autori seminali della fantascienza quasi sconosciuti a Douglas Coupland.
A livello visivo, si citano la corazzata Potemkin e Blade Runner, tra gli altri (e, come ambientazione della Comune, non mi si dica che qualcuno non ha letto Alita... )
E ne dimentico di certo altre decine, oltre al fatto che la protagonista ricorda parecchio la cantante degli Evanescence (solo, meglio, per quel che è il mio gusto).

Se lo chiedete a me, da vedere assolutamente.
PS: Pino miglior "bambina/personaggio carino di contorno" (ben poco di contorno, in realtà) della storia degli anime. Ma di gran lunga, eh...

Voto: 9.5. Forse più, ma ribadisco: non è roba per tutti.
Tags: animazione, avventura, crimine, mistero, fantascienza, anime, computer grafica, distopia, futuro, città-cupola, ordine, Proxy, Ergo Proxy, verità, indagine, attacco, omicidio, robot, autoreiv, entourage, reggente, intelligenza artificiale, virus, cogito virus, cartesio, cogito ergo sum, raison d'être, morte, memoria, perdita di memoria, sdoppiamento di personalità, amore, follia, vita, Terra, fuga, abbandono, felicità, incomprensione, odio, vendetta, sacrificio, creatore, dio, divinità, ribellione, distruzione, filosofia, introspezione, psicologia, resistenza, finale a sorpresa, steam-punk, deus ex machina, colpo di scena.

"Ergo Proxy" (2006)

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Regista: Shuko Murase
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Animation
Valutazione: 8.3/10 (695 voti)
Durata: 25::(23 episodes) min
Paese: Japan
Lingua: Japanese

Cast:

• Rachel Hirschfeld .... Pino (23 episodes, 2006)
• Liam O'Brien .... Vincent Law (23 episodes, 2006)
• Karen Thompson .... Re-l Mayer (23 episodes, 2006)
• Travis Willingham .... Iggy (11 episodes, 2006)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Sato, Dai (I)

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Ultimi lavori:

• Freedom Project (2006) (V) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Eureka sebun TR1: New wave (2005) (VG) .... (series creator) (as Dai Satoh) [misc]
• Casshern (2004) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex (2004) (VG) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• "Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex" (2002) .... (unknown episodes) [scrittore]
• "Kaubôi bibappu" (1998) .... (unknown episodes) [scrittore]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Burn After Reading

A costo di subire gli strali dei più, lo dico: i fratelli Coen sono radical-chic da paura e terribilmente sopravvalutati.
No scherzo, dai: è ovvio che sono io che non capisco e sono un bruto incolto... ma che vi devo dire? Fargo aveva un passo insostenibile, No Country for Old Men era di certo pregevole (ma quanti erano i meriti del testo originale, della fotografia e di Bardem? E comunque a mio avviso Before the Devil Knows You're Dead ed Eastern Promises sono su un altro pianeta).
Passando alla commedia, O Brother, Where Art Thou? era un piccolo gioiello, lo ammetto, mentre il tanto osannato The Big Lebowski mi ha lasciato perplesso: certo, ottimi personaggi, ma se dovessi adesso - a distanza di mesi dalla visione - fare un sunto della trama, sarei in serio imbarazzo.

Se il grosso dei film finora citati non mi ha esaltato (o mi è al più piaciucchiato), il vero fondo è stato toccato con Burn After Reading.
Una trama risibile (del tutto sconclusionata e priva di verosimiglianza) e dialoghi fiacchi finiscono per affondare tutto il film - comprese le buone prove attoriali, prima fra tutte quella di Brad Pitt deficiente da antologia purtroppo poco e mal sfruttato.
Qualcuno ha parlato di messaggio dirompente e di fine critica sociale; il messaggio che è arrivato a me è: "che culo che abbiamo ad essere così ben visti nei salotti buoni, che possiamo permetterci di campare qualunque vaccata noi si sforni..."

Un analista della CIA viene licenziato in tronco, inizia a scrivere le sue memorie di fuoco sull'agenzia, ma il CD con la bozza del testo - niente che abbia il minimo interesse, comunque - viene smarrito in una palestra dove alcuni cerebrolesi lo trovano e sperano di poterlo utilizzare come strumento di ricatto.
Nel mentre, tutti scopano tutti per scacciare i fantasmi delle rispettive crisi di mezz'età (oh, sì: proprio dirompente e radical-chic), ma in fondo in fondo sono dei bambinoni immaturi. La CIA si limita a pulire lo sporco più evidente.

Intrecci di vicende e corpi privi di senso, poche battute degne di una risatina a denti stretti e molte stupidaggini da "oh cavoli, ho proprio finito le idee, e adesso cosa facciamo capitare?" (il coinvolgimento dei russi, soprattutto).
Come è giusto che sia, tutto finirà in niente.

Poi intendiamoci: tra le numerose coppie di fratelli che tanto male hanno fatto al cinema, sono sicuramente tra i meno peggio, ma da qui ad osannarli ce ne passa.

Voto: 4.5. Cosa abbiamo imparato da Burn After Reading? Davvero niente...
Tags: commedia, crimine, satira, CIA, agenzia, spionaggio, deficienti, palestra, intervento, chirurgia estetica, omicidio, pistola, agente, sicurezza, morte, ricatto, memorie, libro, licenziamento, analista, divorzio, tradimento, sesso, incontro, anima gemella, allenamento, moglie, marito, George Clooney, John Malkovich, fratelli Coen, Brad Pitt, spia, ipod, estorsione, minaccia, pedinamento, delusione, noia.

Pitt, Brad

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Nome di battesimo: Pitt, William Bradley
Data di nascita: 18 December 1963
Altezza: 5' 11½" (1.82 m)
Coniuge: Jennifer Aniston::(29 July 2000 - 2 October 2005) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• Chad Schmidt (2010) .... Chad Schmidt/Himself [attore]
• Dirty Tricks (2010) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Marching Powder (2010) .... (producer) [produttore]
• World War Z (2010) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Fighter (2009) .... Dick Eklund [attore]
• Inglorious Bastards (2009) .... Lt. Aldo Raine [attore]
• Kick-Ass (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Peace Like a River (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Shantaram (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Brad Pitt was born in Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri. His mother's name is Jane Etta Hillhouse. His father, William (Bill) Pitt, worked in management at a trucking firm in Springfield. He has a younger brother, Douglas (Doug) Pitt and a younger sister Julie Neal Pitt. At Kickapoo High School, Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student government and school musicals. Pitt attended the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism with a focus on advertising. He occasionally acted in fraternity shows. He left college two credits short of graduating to move to California. Before he became successful at acting, Pitt supported himself by driving strippers in limos, moving refrigerators and dressing as a giant chicken while working for "el Pollo Loco."

Trivia random: Ranked #32 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Citazione random: I'm gonna design my own fleet of trailers. No! I'm gonna record an album like Jennifer Lopez. It'll be an acoustic version of KC & The Sunshine Band. Then maybe I'll design a line of clothes like [Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs] but all in synthetic fur.
Salario massimo: $30,000,000 ($10m salary + backend participations), per Ocean's Eleven (2001)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Coen, Ethan

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Data di nascita: 21 September 1957
Altezza: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Coniuge: Tricia Cooke::(2 October 1993 - present)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Yiddish Policemen's Union (2010) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Gambit (2009) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Hail Caesar (2009) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• A Serious Man (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Suburbicon (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Burn After Reading (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Chacun son cinéma ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s'éteint et que le film commence (2007) .... (segment "World Cinema") [regista]
• No Country for Old Men (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Paris, je t'aime (2006) .... (segment "Tuileries") [scrittore]
• Romance & Cigarettes (2005) .... (executive producer) [produttore]

Trivia random: Frequently includes kidnapping-plots in his films.
Citazione random: It's easy to offend people. People get uncomfortable, for instance, when the main character in a movie is not sympathetic in a Hollywood formula way. Our movies are loaded with things that aren't to everyone's taste. On the other hand, there's a scene in [O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)] where a frog gets squished that everyone seems to like. It's all right to do the frog squishing.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Fargo (1996)

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Regista: Joel Coen
Scrittore: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Valutazione: 8.3/10 (128214 voti) [#115 nella top250]
Durata: 98 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• William H. Macy .... Jerome 'Jerry' Lundegaard
• Steve Buscemi .... Carl Showalter
• Peter Stormare .... Gaear Grimsrud
• Kristin Rudrüd .... Jean Lundegaard
• Harve Presnell .... Wade Gustafson
• Tony Denman .... Scotty Lundegaard
• Gary Houston .... Irate Customer
• Sally Wingert .... Irate Customer's Wife
• Kurt Schweickhardt .... Car Salesman
• Larissa Kokernot .... Hooker #1

Trama:
Fargo is based on true events that occurred in Minnesota in 1987 with the names changed to protect the victims. Jerry works in his father-in-law's car dealership and has gotten himself in financial problems. He tries various schemes to come up with money needed for a reason that is never really explained. It has to be assumed that his huge embezzlement of money from the dealership is about to be discovered by father-in-law. When all else falls through, plans he set in motion earlier for two men to kidnap his wife for ransom to be paid by her wealthy father (who doesn't seem to have the time of day for son-in-law). From the moment of the kidnapping, things go wrong and what was supposed to be a non-violent affair turns bloody with more blood added by the minute. Jerry is upset at the blood shed, which turns loose a pregnant sheriff from MN who is tenacious in attempting to solve the three murders in her jurisdiction.

Trivia random: SPOILER: A total of 7 people were killed (Wade Gustafson, Jean Lundegaard, Carl Showalter, the state trooper the 2 passers-by,and the toll patrol)
Citazione random: Carl Showalter: [irately, over the phone] Alright, Jerry, I'm through fuckin' around. You got the fuckin' money?::Jerry Lundegaard: Yeah, I got the money, but... uh...::Carl Showalter: Don't you fuckin' fuck me, Jerry. I want you to get this money to the Dayton Radisson, top level, in 30 minutes, Jerry, we wrap this thing up.::Jerry Lundegaard: Yeah, but...::Carl Showalter: Hey, you're there in 30 minutes, Jerry, or I find you, Jerry, and I shoot you and I shoot your fuckin' wife and I shoot all your fuckin' children and I shoot them all in the back of their little fuckin' heads; you got it?::Jerry Lundegaard: Okay, now you stay away from Scotty, now.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Coen, Joel

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Nome di battesimo: Coen, Joel Daniel
Data di nascita: 29 November 1954
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Frances McDormand::(1984 - present) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• The Yiddish Policemen's Union (2010) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Gambit (2009) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Hail Caesar (2009) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• A Serious Man (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Suburbicon (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Burn After Reading (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Chacun son cinéma ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s'éteint et que le film commence (2007) .... (segment "World Cinema") [regista]
• No Country for Old Men (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Paris, je t'aime (2006) .... (segment "Tuileries") [scrittore]
• Romance & Cigarettes (2005) .... (executive producer) [produttore]

Trivia random: When an actor improvises a line on the set, he will almost invariably say something like, "That was great, but could you do it like it's written in the script?" Most Coen brothers films are the same (line for line) when released as they are on the page in the final draft of the script.
Citazione random: [Ethan Coen] had a nightmare of one day finding me on the set of something like The Incredible Hulk (2008), wearing a gold chain and saying, "I've got to eat, don't I?"

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Burn After Reading (2008)

Burn after reading - A prova di spia

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Regista: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Scrittore: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Comedy
Valutazione: 7.9/10 (10424 voti)
Durata: Canada:96::(Toronto International Film Festival) min
Paese: USA, UK, France
Lingua: English

Cast:

• George Clooney .... Harry Pfarrer
• Frances McDormand .... Linda Litzke
• Brad Pitt .... Chad Feldheimer
• John Malkovich .... Osborne Cox
• Tilda Swinton .... Katie Cox
• Richard Jenkins .... Ted Treffon
• David Rasche .... CIA Officer
• J.K. Simmons .... CIA Superior
• Olek Krupa .... Krapotkin
• Michael Countryman .... Alan

Trama:
A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.

Trivia random: Director Trademark: [Joel Coen] [kubrick] The sound emitted by the homing scanner from Bowman's space pod in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is heard in the opening titles. Harry Pfarrer's house number is 114, a nod to Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).
Citazione random: Osborne Cox: Give me the CD!::Chad Feldheimer: As soon as you give us the money, dickwad!

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Bardem, Javier

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Nome di battesimo: Bardem, Javier Ángel Encinas
Data di nascita: 1 March 1969
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) .... Juan Antonio [attore]
• Invisibles (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) .... Florentino Ariza [attore]
• No Country for Old Men (2007) .... Anton Chigurh [attore]
• Goya's Ghosts (2006) .... Lorenzo [attore]
• Collateral (2004) .... Felix [attore]
• Mar adentro (2004/I) .... Ramón Sampedro [attore]
• Variaciones 1/113 (2003) .... [attore]
• The Dancer Upstairs (2002) .... Agustín Rejas [attore]
• Los Lunes al sol (2002) .... Santa [attore]

Biografia:
Javier Bardem is the youngest member of a family of actors that has been making films since the early days of Spanish cinema.He got his start in the family business at age six when he appeared in his first feature, "El Pícaro" (The Scoundrel). During his teenage years he acted in several TV series, played rugby for theSpanish National Team, and toured the country with an independent theatrical group. Javier's early film role as a sexy stud in the black comedy_Jamón, jamón (1992)_ (Ham Ham) propelled him to instant popularity and threatened to typecast him as nothing morethan a brawny sex symbol. Determined to avert a beefcake image, he refused similar subsequent roles and has gone on to win acclaim for his ability to appear almost unrecognizable from film to film. With over 25 movies and numerous awards under his belt, it is Javier's stirring, passionate performance as the persecuted Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas in Before Night Falls (2000) that will longbe remembered as his breakthrough role. He received five Best Actor awards and a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a strong-willed man who survived censorship, imprisonment, and homosexual intolerance for the privilege to write freely, only to commit suicide at age 47 in New York, ending a battle with AIDS.

Trivia random: Says in interviews that he doesn't know how to drive.
Citazione random: I truly consider myself non-sexy, which is fine for me. I don't have any problem with that. Sometimes I would like to have Brad Pitt's body. But that's not something that obsesses me in a real way. And second, I truly believe that what I would like to portray on-screen or on stage are human beings, and human beings usually are not as handsome as movie stars. But most times being handsome on-screen or being handsome for real life, has to do much more with your vanity and your profound need to be liked by the rest of the people, be loved by the rest of the people.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Big Lebowski, The (1998)

Grande Lebowski, Il

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Regista: Joel Coen
Scrittore: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Comedy
Valutazione: 8.2/10 (129265 voti) [#152 nella top250]
Durata: 117 min
Paese: USA, UK
Lingua: English, German, Hebrew, Spanish

Cast:

• Jeff Bridges .... Jeffrey Lebowski - The Dude
• John Goodman .... Walter Sobchak
• Julianne Moore .... Maude Lebowski
• Steve Buscemi .... Theodore Donald 'Donny' Kerabatsos
• David Huddleston .... Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski
• Philip Seymour Hoffman .... Brandt
• Tara Reid .... Bunny Lebowski
• Philip Moon .... Woo, Treehorn Thug
• Mark Pellegrino .... Blond Treehorn Thug
• Peter Stormare .... Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel / 'Karl Hungus'

Trama:
When "The Dude" Lebowski is mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, two thugs urinate on his rug to coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. While attempting to gain recompense for the ruined rug from his wealthy counterpart, he accepts a one-time job with high pay-off. He enlists the help of his bowling buddy, Walter, a gun-toting Jewish-convert with anger issues. Deception leads to more trouble, and it soon seems that everyone from porn empire tycoons to nihilists want something from The Dude.

Trivia random: The lawyers that the dude mentions, are both real attorneys. Kuntsler, who died in 1995, was a self proclaimed radical lawyer. In 1983, he took on Ron Kuby, another radical lawyer, as a junior partner. Their claim to fame mainly came from defending numerous controversial defendants including suspected terrorist leaders and the daughter of Malcolm X.
Citazione random: The Dude: Uh, and then, uh, the music business, briefly.::Maude Lebowski: Oh?::The Dude: Yeah. Roadie for Metallica::Maude Lebowski: Oh.::The Dude: Speed of Sound Tour::Maude Lebowski: Mm-hmm.::The Dude: Bunch of assholes.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Brother, Where Art Thou?, O (2000)

Fratello, dove sei?

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Regista: Joel Coen
Scrittore: Homer, Ethan Coen
Genere: Comedy, Adventure, Crime, Music, Comedy
Valutazione: 7.8/10 (74509 voti)
Durata: 107 min
Paese: UK, France, USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• George Clooney .... Everett
• John Turturro .... Pete
• Tim Blake Nelson .... Delmar
• John Goodman .... Big Dan Teague
• Holly Hunter .... Penny
• Chris Thomas King .... Tommy Johnson
• Charles Durning .... Pappy O'Daniel
• Del Pentecost .... Junior O'Daniel
• Michael Badalucco .... George Nelson
• J.R. Horne .... Pappy's Staff

Trama:
Loosely based on Homer's 'Odyssey' the movie deals with the grotesque adventures of Everett Ulysses McGill and his companions Delmar and Pete in 1930s Mississipi. Sprung from a chain gang and trying to reach Everetts home to recover the buried loot of a bank heist they are confronted by a series of strange characters. Among them sirens, a cyclops, bankrobber George 'Babyface' Nelson (very annoyed by that nickname), a campaigning Governor, his opponent, a KKK lynch mob, and a blind prophet, who warns the trio that "the treasure you seek shall not be the treasure you find."

Trivia random: Stephen Root, who plays the radio station owner, also played a radio station owner in the TV show "NewsRadio" (1995).
Citazione random: Penny Wharvey McGill: Vernon here's got a job. Vernon's got prospects. He's bona fide. What are you?

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

black christmas! yo-yo-yo! miccette!

Dolore sempre vivo!
Black Christmas - remake dell'omonimo film del 1974, che non ho visto - è un film vergognoso ed insultante; insomma: perfettamente intonato a questo clima festoso.

Duuunque... ci sono queste 7 o 8 ragguardevoli figliole universitarie che trascorrono il natale nella loro bella congregazione.
Scopriamo ben presto con orrore che festini, droga, alcol e sesso sono passati di moda, e le allegre sorelline della sorority si limitano ad annoiarsi. Anche baciarsi tra loro non sembra essere cosa, e l'unica doccia è fin troppo casta e pudica. E già qui si capisce in che razza di horror siamo capitati.
A risollevarci il morale arriva però il buon Billy, ragazzo che abitava nella casa decenni prima, abusato dalla madre e per questo un tantino incattivito col mondo.
Inizia quindi l'insensato macello, che sfiora punte sublimi di ridicolo.

Regista e sceneggiatore, palesemente ebbro dei propri peti, fa un lavoro davvero notevole: nessuno dei personaggi risulta anche solo vagamente abbozzato (chiunque potrebbe essere scambiato con chiunque altro, per quel che vale), la trama ha buchi stile Emmental, la regia fa urlare di dolore.

Bei momenti: la sicurezza del campus che non è attiva durante le feste. La polizia che per due dita di neve risponde "saremo lì tra DUE ore". La gente che sfiorata dall'assassino sembra esplodere, viste le macchie di sangue che lascia. La stalattite di ghiaccio di 5 centimetri che cade e perfora un cranio da parte a parte.

Non è un trash artistico, ma di certo è pattume più che passabile per una serata divertente in cui fare qualunque altra cosa non sia il guardare il film.

Voto: 2. Trashometro^® 6/10:
Tags: horror, thriller, violenza, morte, serial killer, fuga, evasione, Natale, manicomio, incesto, ragazze, sorority, congregazione, campus, università, sesso, filmato, omicidio, doccia, soffitta, telefonata anonima, tradimento, controsoffitto, Babbo Natale, amicizia, parentela, sorella, neve, ghiaccio, stalattite, sacchetto, soffocamento, occhio, amputazione, trash.

Black Christmas (2006)

Black christmas - Un natale rosso sangue

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Regista: Glen Morgan
Scrittore: Glen Morgan, Roy Moore
Genere: Horror, Thriller, Horror
Valutazione: 4.4/10 (5547 voti)
Durata: 84 min
Paese: Canada, USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Katie Cassidy .... Kelli Presley
• Michelle Trachtenberg .... Melissa
• Kristen Cloke .... Leigh Colvin
• Mary Elizabeth Winstead .... Heather Fitzgerald
• Lacey Chabert .... Dana
• Andrea Martin .... Barbara 'Ms. Mac' MacHenry
• Crystal Lowe .... Lauren Hannon
• Oliver Hudson .... Kyle Autry
• Karin Konoval .... Billy's Mother
• Dean Friss .... Agnes - 16 & 22 Years

Trama:
A remake of the 1974 horror movie Black Christmas. The movie tells the story about Billy, a young boy who was abused by his mother as a child. While his mother was cheating on Billy's father, she eventually killed his father and kept Billy in the attic - for good, while she was with her lover and starting a "new" family. As Billy's mother fell pregnant with a daughter and treated her with love, which Billy had never experienced with his mother, Billy came out of the attic after years and brutally murdered his mother and her lover. Cut to present day, a group of eight sorority sisters consisting of Kelli (Katie Cassidy), Dana (Lacey Chabert), Lauren (Crystal Lowe), Megan (Jessica Harmon), Claire (Leela Savasta), Heather (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Megan (Jessica Harmon) and Melissa (Michelle Trachtenberg) and their house mother (Andrea Martin),who now live in Billy's childhood home, find themselves being harassed by threatening and intimidating mystery phone-calls during Christmas Break and as one of the girls goes missing, the girls begin being murdered one by one by no other than Billy...

Trivia random: In the beginning of the film Ms. Mac asks who is not present for the secret Santa gift exchange. Two of the names mentioned are Chelsea and Greer. Chelsea is the name of Glen Morgan's daughter from his marriage to Cindy Morgan who is also Kristen Cloke's stepdaughter. Greer is the name of Kristen Cloke and Glen Morgan's youngest child.
Citazione random: Lauren Hanon: [to Kelli] I realize you're an only child, so let me explain: Christmas is just Darwin, the weak get eaten.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Black Christmas (1974)

Natale rosso sangue, Un

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Regista: Bob Clark
Scrittore: Roy Moore
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Valutazione: 7.3/10 (4130 voti)
Durata: 98 min
Paese: Canada
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Olivia Hussey .... Jessica Bradford
• Keir Dullea .... Peter Smythe
• Margot Kidder .... Barbie Coard
• John Saxon .... Lieutenant Kenneth Fuller
• Marian Waldman .... Mrs. Mac
• Andrea Martin .... Phyllis Carlson
• James Edmond .... Mr. Harrison
• Doug McGrath .... Sergeant Nash (as Douglas McGrath)
• Art Hindle .... Chris Hayden
• Lynne Griffin .... Clare Harrison

Trama:
It's time for Christmas break, and the sorority sisters make plans for the holiday, but the strange anonymous phone calls are beginning to put them on edge. When Clare disappears, they contact the police, who don't express much concern. Meanwhile Jess is planning to get an abortion, but boyfriend Peter is very much against it. The police finally begin to get concerned when a 13-year-old girl is found dead in the park. They set up a wiretap to the sorority house, but will they be in time to prevent a sorority girl attrition problem?

Trivia random: When NBC showed the film during prime time (under the title "Stranger in the House"), it was deemed 'too scary' for network television and was pulled off the air.
Citazione random: Sergeant Nash: [after Sergeant Nash calls the sorority house] Is anyone in the house with you?::Jessica Bradford: Yes, Phyl and Barb are upstairs sleeping.::Sergeant Nash: Listen to what I am about to tell you. Dont ask any questions Ms. Bradford, just do what I say. O.k Put down the phone, walk to the door and get out of the house.::Jessica Bradford: Well, let me go get Phyl and Barb.::Sergeant Nash: No Ms. Bradford.::[Jess drops the phone]::Sergeant Nash: The calls are coming from inside the house! Get out! Ms. Bradford! Ms. Bradford!

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Morgan, Glen

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Coniuge: Kristen Cloke::(13 June 1998 - present) 2 children, Cindy Morgan::(? - ?) (divorced) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• Black Christmas (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Final Destination 3 (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Willard (2003) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The One (2001) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Final Destination (2000) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Wonder Cabinet (1999) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The Notorious 7 (1997) (TV) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• "The Commish" (1991) .... (producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]
• "Disney Presents The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage" (1991) .... (producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]
• "Booker" (1989) .... (unknown episodes) [scrittore]

Trivia random: Has 2 children: Winslow (b. 21 June 2002) and Greer Autumn Morgan (b. June 2004) with actress Kristen Cloke. Their names are in honor of his "Space: Above and Beyond" TV show's characters.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.