paranormal activity

Paranormal Activity funziona così: un aspirante regista e sceneggiatore non ha una idea che sia una, così decide di fare qualcosa che hanno già tentano in diecimila prima di lui, quasi tutti senza alcun successo.
Prende un paio di protagonisti, una manciata di comparse, una telecamera semi-professionale ed inizia a girare il suo finto dcumentario: una allegra ma-non-troppo coppietta si trasferisce in una nuova casa, dove il fantasma/entità/demone/agente_del_fisco di turno che perseguita la signorina fin dall'infanzia tornerà a rompere le scatole (forse indispettito dal pessimo gusto per l'arredo).

Il film alterna scene di una noia mortale - decine e decine di minuti stile Sleep di Andy Warhol - ad altre da mal di mare (suggerimento: le telecamere a mano non vanno usate come delle maracas).
Di tanto in tanto qualcuno ha anche il cattivo gusto di parlare, ed allora l'ilarità è assicurata - diamine, c'è pure il fantasmologo della mutua!
Vaghi e vani tentativi di montare una tensione che non si concretizzerà mai, con i soliti rumori, urla e bassi sparati a palla.
Noia.

Costato meno di 15.000 dollari e distribuito in qualche festival ed un numero ridotto di sale, il film deve la sua notorietà all'essere capitato tra le annoiate mani di Steven Spielberg, e lo ha terrorizzato.
Nel momento in cui ha realizzato di aver tirato nel cesso un'ora e mezza della sua vita, si suppone.
Per fortuna di Spielberg, le sue notevoli risorse gli hanno consentito di vendicarsi del torto subito, rifilando la stessa fregatura a tutto il resto del mondo: per trasformare la merda in oro gli è bastato dichiarare lo spavento suscitato in lui dalla visione di tale gioiello (suppongo che nella versione integrale dell'intervista dichiari di aver rivisto, lo stesso giorno, anche Il Mondo Perduto, e che gli è piaciuto proprio un sacco... )

Insomma, ridefinisce il termine "fregatura" e - come è giusto che sia - è già in lavorazione il seguito.

Voto: se fosse un film, gli darei 1, ma non lo è; davvero: non basta che sia stato ripreso con una telecamera e proiettato in un cinema, per farne un film.
Trashometro^® 1/10: (non vale niente neanche come trash)

Tags: horror, thriller, notte, demone, fantasma, telecamera, finto documentario, filmato amatoriale, fotografia, possessione, sonnambulismo, casa, sovrannaturale, tavola ouija, televisione, luci, camera da letto, cucina, sesso, fuoco, talco, entità, convivenza, paranormale, noia mortale, truffa, vaccata, la protagonista è una balena, Spielberg se la fa sotto con poco.

Sleep (1963)

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Regista: Andy Warhol
Valutazione: 4.4/10 (154 voti)
Durata: 321 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• John Giorno .... Himself

Trama:
Footage of John Giorno sleeping for five hours.

Trivia random: The film was shot on Memorial Day weekend in 1963 in the apartment of poet John Giorno, Andy Warhol's lover at the time. Giorno woke up to find Warhol watching him sleep and Warhol asked him if he'd like to be a movie star.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

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Regista: Oren Peli
Scrittore: Oren Peli
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 6.8/10 (40857 voti)
Durata: 86 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Katie Featherston .... Katie
• Micah Sloat .... Micah
• Mark Fredrichs .... The Psychic
• Amber Armstrong .... Amber
• Ashley Palmer .... Diane - Girl on Internet

Trama:
After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban 'starter' tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.

Trivia random: Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat were reportedly paid just US$500 each for their performances. But due to the success of the film, the director, Katie and Micah are now renegotiating the amount.
Citazione random: Micah: Look, babe, can we talk about this? I mean, I'm in control, I've been making progress, and...
Katie: No, you haven't been making progress, and you're *not* in control. *It* is in control, and if you think you're in control, then you're being an idiot! Not a single thing you've done has helped, and I'm sorry, I don't mean to burst your bubble, but the camera hasn't helped and the stupid footprints haven't helped; do you think that thing would have left footprints if it didn't want to? No! It did it because it wanted to! It wanted you to find my photo, it can be anywhere, it can hear what we're saying right now.
Micah: Hey, hey! How the fuck do you know?
Katie: You are absolutely powerless!
Micah: That... that's not true, and you know it.
Katie: Well, get over it.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Spielberg, Steven

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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:

• Interstellar (2013) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Untitled Third Tintin Film (2013) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• "The Talisman" (2012) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Cowboys and Aliens (2011) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Real Steel (2011) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• "Rebuilding Ground Zero" (2011) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Transformers 3 (2011) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Hereafter (2010) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• "The Pacific" (2010) .... (executive producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]

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 (#1.1)" (1971). 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 Reece's 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: He is an Eagle Scout and was on an advisory board for the Boy Scouts of America. He left this position because he did not agree with the fact that the Boy Scouts of America discriminated against homosexuals.
Citazione random: I think that the Internet is going to effect the most profound change on the entertainment industries combined. And we're all gonna be tuning into the most popular Internet show in the world, which will be coming from some place in Des Moines. We're all gonna lose our jobs. We're all gonna be on the Internet trying to find an audience.
Salario massimo: $250,000,000 (gross and profit participations), per Jurassic Park (1993)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (1997)

Il mondo perduto: Jurassic Park

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Regista: Steven Spielberg
Scrittore: Michael Crichton, David Koepp
Genere: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Sci-Fi
Valutazione: 6.0/10 (72690 voti)
Durata: 129 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English, Spanish

Cast:

• Jeff Goldblum .... Dr. Ian Malcolm
• Julianne Moore .... Dr. Sarah Harding
• Pete Postlethwaite .... Roland Tembo
• Richard Attenborough .... John Hammond
• Vince Vaughn .... Nick Van Owen
• Arliss Howard .... Peter Ludlow
• Vanessa Lee Chester .... Kelly Curtis Malcolm
• Peter Stormare .... Dieter Stark
• Harvey Jason .... Ajay Sidhu
• Richard Schiff .... Eddie Carr

Trama:
After a small girl is attacked by a small group of compsognathus, Ian Malcolm discovers that there is a second island full of a variety of dinosaurs. Dr. John Hammond decides to send four adventure to monitor the dinosaur's lifestyle before INGEN move forward in controlling the island. Ian Malcolm doesn't like the idea and wants to contact the other three members, but before he can contact them, he finds out that his girlfriend, Sarah Harding is already on the island. Now, what was supposed to be a natural viewing of the incredible creatures in their habitats, has turned into a rescue mission with everyones life at danger.

Trivia random: Director Steven Spielberg had to attend an early screening for Swingers (1996) in order to give approval for the use of the Jaws (1975) theme. There he was so impressed by Vince Vaughn that he offered him a part in this film.
Citazione random: [Chasing dinosaurs on the game trail]
Roland Tembo: You're coming up on a...
[flips through his dinosaur guide]
Roland Tembo: A Pachy... a pachy... oh, hell. Uh, the fathead with the bald spot. Friar Tuck!

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Peli, Oren

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Coniuge: ?::(? - present)

Ultimi lavori:

• Area 51 (2010) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Paranormal Activity (2007) .... (producer) (uncredited) [produttore]
• NFL Xtreme (1998) (VG) .... (programmer) [misc]

Trivia random: Emigrated to the US from Israel at the age of 19.
Citazione random: No one can have the resources to do that on their own without the infrastructure and the funds of a studio. -- on filmmakers' need for studios or distributors to get their film in theaters

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Warhol, Andy

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Nome di battesimo: Warhola, Andrew
Data di nascita: 6 August 1928
Data di morte: 22 February 1987
Altezza: 5' 11" (1.80 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe (2007) .... (source: photographs) [misc]
• Cinema16: American Short Films (2006) (V) .... [regista]
• "15 Minutes" (1985) .... (producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]
• Cars: Heartbeat City (1984) (V) .... [regista]
• "Andy Warhol's TV" (1983) .... (producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]
• Portfolio (1983) .... [attore]
• Blank Generation (1980) .... (associate producer) [produttore]
• Cocaine Cowboys (1979) .... (producer) [produttore]
• "Fashion" (1979) .... (producer) [produttore]
• An Unmarried Woman (1978) .... (art works) [misc]

Biografia:
The son of Ruthenian immigrants, Andy Warhol studied art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He worked as an advertising designer before becoming, in effect, the Father of Pop Art with his silk-screened pictures of Campbell's Soup cans and distorted images of Marilyn Monroe. He started directing films in 1963, if "directing" is the right word - most of his early work simply consisted of pointing the camera at something (a man asleep, the Empire State Building) and leaving it running, often for hours. His films gradually grew more sophisticated, with scripts and soundtracks, although they were generally performed by members of the Warhol "factory" - assorted groupies with little acting talent. After a near-fatal shooting by an unstable fan on June 3, 1968, Warhol retired from direct involvement in filmmaking, and under former assistant Paul Morrissey, the Warhol films became increasingly commercial. Warhol spent the 1970s and 1980s as a major pop culture figure, constantly attending parties and providing patronage to younger artists. He died in 1987 after a routine gallbladder operation at age 58.

Trivia random: Influenced the movement of 'The New Russian Classicism'. Visited St. Petersburg, Russia and presented his 'tomato cans' to Timur Novikov and Sergei Bugayev.
Citazione random: Business art is the step that comes after art. I started as a commercial artist, and I want to finish as a business artist. After I did the thing called "art" or whatever it's called, I went into business art. I wanted to be an Art Businessman or a Business Artist. Being good in business in the most fascinating kind of art.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

vacancy

Marito e moglie, sull'orlo del divorzio in seguito alla morte di un figlio, sono di ritorno da un viaggio quando restano in panne in una zona speduta; unico segno di civiltà, un pulcioso motel gestito da un ometto all'apparenza non proprio sanissimo ma innocuo.
Giunti in camera, troveranno nel videoregistratore alcune videocassette snuff con efferate violenze compiute proprio in quella camera. Troppo tardi per scappare: sono loro, le nuove vittime.

Nessuna concessione all'originalità, nelle premesse e nella realizzazione di Vacancy, eppure il film risulta nel complesso più che gradevole: la tensione è sempre molto alta, e tutto sommato nessuno fa cose del tutto stupide o del tutto improbabili.
Discreta la regia (e che nome fichissimo, Nimród!), saggia anche nel non tirare troppo in lungo una trama che si limita all'essenziale.
"Simpatico" il personaggio del direttore del motel.

Dovendo fare la vittima non è del tutto un male, ma il fratello di Owen Wilson è un attore tragico.
Capitolo a parte per Kate Beckinsale, che è sempre un bel vedere: qui sfoggia pure un faccino innocentissimo.
Da ricordare le sue ultime dichiarazioni alla stampa, che ormai raggiungono il livello di quelle di Scarlett Johansson: prima di tutto, interesserà sapere al mondo che chiama la sua patatina "La Tomba Del Faraone" (ouch! ) e che chi l'ha vista la considera ME-RA-VI-GLI-O-SA - in che senso, mi chiedo? C'ha l'aria condizionata? Sulle pareti si possono ammirare pregevoli pitture rupestri? Sa di miele? Cosa? Cosa?!?!
Poi, in seguito alla gravidanza, convocò una conferenza stampa al sol fine di informare tutti che le sue tettine erano ad altissima pressione, consentendole un getto di latte continuo con una gittata fino a 4 metri! Wow! Torna utile per sedare sommosse popolari!
Santi numi, le dichiarazioni di certe attrici sono imperdibili...

Tornando al film, molto simpatici i filmati snuff inseriti tra gli extra del dvd (anche versione noleggio).

Voto: 7-. Horror semplice, ma simpatico - warning: tettine ad altissima pressione; maneggiare con cautela.
Tags: horror, thriller, motel, auto, guasto, notte, camera, snuff, videocassetta, cunicolo, omicidio, serial killer, direttore, pompa di benzina, cabina telefonica, morte, coltello, accoltellamento, fucile, revolver, pistola, polizia, telefono, finestra, inseguimento, fuga, nascondiglio, telecamere, gang.

Johansson, Scarlett

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Nome di battesimo: Johansson, Scarlett I.
Data di nascita: 22 November 1984
Altezza: 5' 4" (1.63 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Spirit (2009) .... Silken Floss [attrice]
• He's Just Not That Into You (2008) .... Anna [attrice]
• Mary Queen of Scots (2008) .... Mary, Queen of Scots [attrice]
• New York, I Love You (2008) .... [regista]
• The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) .... Mary Boleyn [attrice]
• Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) .... Christina [attrice]
• The Nanny Diaries (2007) .... Annie Braddock [attrice]
• The Black Dahlia (2006) .... Kay Lake [attrice]
• The Prestige (2006) .... Olivia Wenscombe [attrice]
• Scoop (2006) .... Sondra Pransky [attrice]

Biografia:
Johansson's performance as Grace in The Horse Whisperer (1998) earned her a Hollywood Reporter Young Star award. And previously her Manny & Lo (1996) role received a nod by the Independent Spirit Awards. Scarlett has an older brother and sister and a twin brother. She divides her time between New York with her dad, and Los Angeles with her mother. Her acting career was launched in the off-Broadway production of 'Sophistry' with Ethan Hawke.

Trivia random: Was featured as #63 in Maxim Magazine's "Hot 100 of 2002" supplement. (2002)
Citazione random: I have an obsessive character. I manicure my nails at three in the morning because nobody else can do it the right way. Maybe that's the secret to my success.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Wilson, Luke (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Wilson, Luke Cunningham
Data di nascita: 21 September 1971
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Tenure (2009) .... [attore]
• Henry Poole Is Here (2008) .... Henry Poole [attore]
• 3:10 to Yuma (2007) .... Zeke [attore]
• Blades of Glory (2007) .... Sex Class Counselor [attore]
• Blonde Ambition (2007) .... Ben [attore]
• Terra (2007) .... Lt. James Stanton (voice) [attore]
• Vacancy (2007) .... David Fox [attore]
• You Kill Me (2007) .... Tom [attore]
• Hoot (2006) .... Delinko [attore]
• Idiocracy (2006) .... Joe Bauers [attore]

Biografia:
The native handsome Texan, Luke Cunningham Wilson was born in Dallas in Texas in 1971. The son of an advertising executive and a photographer, he was raised with two brothers, Owen Wilson (the middle one) and Andrew Wilson (the eldest one). The three would all go on to make their careers in film, with Luke Wilson discovering his love of acting while a student at Occidental College. In 1993, the brothers Wilson collaborated with Wes Anderson to make Bottle Rocket (1994), which was initially a 13-minute short. The gleefully optimistic story of three Texans who aspire to become successful thieves, Bottle Rocket (1994) premiered at the 1993 Sundance Festival, where it attracted the attention of director James L. Brooks. With Brooks' help, the short became a full-length feature film released in 1996 under the same name, Bottle Rocket (1996). Afterwards, Wilson moved to Hollywood, setting up house with his two brothers and Anderson and the same year, Wilson also appeared in the coming-of-age drama Telling Lies in America (1997). After large roles in three 1998 comedies, Best Men (1997), Bongwater (1997), and Home Fries (1998) (the latter two co-starring Drew Barrymore), Wilson went on to star in another three comedies the following year. The first, Dog Park (1998), was a Canadian film directed by "The Kids in the Hall" (1988) alum Bruce McCulloch and featured Wilson as one of a group of twenty-something's undergoing the trials and tribulations of love. Blue Streak (1999) starred the actor as the sidekick of robber-turned-policeman Martin Lawrence, while Kill the Man (1999) (which premiered at the 1999 Sundance Festival) cast him as the owner of a small copy centre competing with a large chain store across the street. Though he would stick closely to comedy through 2001 with roles in Charlie's Angels (2000) and Legally Blonde (2001), Wilson took a turn for the sinister in the thrillers Preston Tylk (2000) and Soul Survivors (2001) before reteaming with his brother Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson to give one of his most memorable performances as Richie in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). In 2003, Wilson reprised two past roles, appearing in both Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003). That same year, he also scored a hit as one of the stars of Todd Phillips' Old School (2003). The year 2004 saw Wilson embark on The Wendell Baker Story (2005), a film he starred in, co-directed with brother Andrew Wilson. Although he made his film debut in the acclaimed independent film Bottle Rocket (1996), he initially got more recognition for his real-life role as Drew Barrymore's boyfriend than for his acting. Fortunately for Wilson, his onscreen talents outlasted his relationship with Barrymore, and he has enjoyed steady employment and increasing visibility through substantial roles in a number of films

Trivia random: Father was a PBS executive.
Citazione random: I went back to my high school in Texas about a month ago. I ended up spending five, six hours at the school meeting different kids. It was really fun because it made me think, "Wow, people are actually seeing these movies that I make!" When you're in Los Angeles, nobody bats an eye, they're so used to seeing actors, they just act really cool. But these kids were crazy. They had lots of questions, from "What was it like kissing Cameron Diaz?" to the little studious kids who said, "I really enjoyed The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Owen Wilson

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La ricerca ha prodotto più di un risultato.

1. Wilson, Owen (I)
2. Wilson, Owen (II)
3. Wilson, Gwen
4. Davis, Mike (VI)
5. Wilson, Jennifer (I)
6. Wilson, Wendy (IX)
7. Wilson, Wendy Dawn
8. Barrie-Wilson, Wendy
9. Wendelken-Wilson, Charles
10. Wilson-Hoss, Wendy
11. Wilson, Wendy (I)
12. Wilson, Wendy (II)
13. Wilson, Gwenda
14. Wilson, Wendy (III)
15. Wilson, Wendy (IV)
16. Wilson, Wendy (VI)
17. Wilson, Wendy (VII)
18. Wilson, Gwendolyn M.
19. Wilson, Wendell
20. Wilson, Wendy (VIII)

Antal, Nimród

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Data di nascita: 30 November 1973

Ultimi lavori:

• Armored (2008) .... [regista]
• Vacancy (2007) .... [regista]
• Kontroll (2003) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Posztkatona (2003) .... [attore]
• Öcsögök (2001) .... [attore]
• Balra a nap nyugszik (2000) .... Megbízó [attore]
• Közel a szerelemhez (1999) .... Gyuri [attore]
• Roarsch (1999) .... Roarsch [attore]
• Biztosítás (1998) .... [regista]
• Bohóclövészet (1994) .... [regista]

Trivia random: His first son was born in August 2005.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Beckinsale, Kate

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Nome di battesimo: Beckinsale, Kathryn Bailey
Data di nascita: 26 July 1973
Altezza: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Coniuge: Len Wiseman::(9 May 2004 - present)

Ultimi lavori:

• Nothing But the Truth (2008) .... Rachel Armstrong [attrice]
• Whiteout (2008/II) .... Carrie Stetko [attrice]
• Winged Creatures (2008) .... Carla Davenport [attrice]
• Snow Angels (2007) .... Annie [attrice]
• Vacancy (2007) .... Amy Fox [attrice]
• Click (2006/I) .... Donna Newman [attrice]
• Underworld: Evolution (2006) .... Selene [attrice]
• The Aviator (2004) .... Ava Gardner [attrice]
• Van Helsing (2004) .... Anna Valerious [attrice]
• Tiptoes (2003) .... Carol [attrice]

Biografia:
Kate Beckinsale was born on 26 July 1973 in England, and has resided in London for most of her life. Her mother is Judy Loe, who has appeared in a number of British dramas and sitcoms and continues to work as an actress, predominantly in British television productions. Her father was Richard Beckinsale, born in Nottingham, England. He starred in a number of popular British television comedies during the 1970s, most notably the series "Rising Damp" (1974), "Porridge" (1974) and "The Lovers" (1970). He passed away tragically early in 1979 at the age of 31. Kate attended the private school Godolphin and Latymer School in London for her grade and primary school education. In her teens she twice won the British bookseller W.H. Smith Young Writers' competition - once for three short stories and once for three poems. After a tumultuous adolescence (a bout of anorexia - cured - and a smoking habit which continues to this day), she gradually took up the profession of acting. Her major acting debut came in a TV film about World War II called One Against the Wind (1991) (TV), filmed in Luxembourg during the summer of 1991. It first aired on American television that December. Kate began attending Oxford University's New College in the fall of 1991, majoring in French and Russian literature. She had already decided that she wanted to act, but to broaden her horizons she chose university over drama school. While in her first year at Oxford, Kate received her big break in Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (1993). Kate worked in three other films while attending Oxford, beginning with a part in the medieval historical drama Prince of Jutland (1994), cast as Ethel. The film was shot during the spring of 1993 on location in Denmark, and she filmed her supporting part during New College's Easter break. Later in the summer of that year she played the lead in the contemporary mystery drama Uncovered (1994). Before she went back to school, her third year at university was spent at Oxford's study-abroad program in Paris, France, immersing herself in the French language, Parisian culture and French cigarettes. A year away from the academic community and living on her own in the French capital caused her to re-evaluate the direction of her life. She faced a choice: continue with school or concentrate on her flourishing acting career. After much thought, she chose the acting career. In the spring of 1994 Kate left Oxford, after finishing three years of study. Kate appeared in the BBC/Thames Television satire Cold Comfort Farm (1995) (TV), filmed in London and East Sussex during late summer 1994 and which opened to spectacular reviews in the United States, grossing over $5 million during its American run. It was re-released to U.K. theaters in the spring of 1997. Acting on the stage consumed the first part of 1995; she toured in England with the Thelma Holts Theatre Company production of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull". After turning down several mediocre scripts "and going nearly berserk with boredom", she waited seven months before another interesting role was offered to her. Her big movie of 1995 was the romance/horror movie Haunted (1995), starring opposite Aidan Quinn and John Gielgud, and filmed in West Sussex. In this film she wanted to play "an object of desire", unlike her past performances where her characters were much less the siren and more the worldly innocent. Kate's first film project of 1996 was the British ITV production of Jane Austen's novel Emma (1996) (TV). Her last film of 1996 was the comedy Shooting Fish (1997), filmed at Shepperton Studios in London during early fall. She played the part of Georgie, an altruistic con artist. She had a daughter, Lily, in 1999 with actor Michael Sheen.

Trivia random: Ranked #21 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.
Citazione random: "It's the only time my education has come in remotely handy." -on using her Russian literature studies for copying her "Van Helsing" script into Russian to acquire a Slavic accent.
Salario massimo: $200,000, per Pearl Harbor (2001)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Vacancy (2007)

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Regista: Nimród Antal
Scrittore: Mark L. Smith
Genere: Horror, Thriller, Horror
Valutazione: 6.3/10 (17319 voti)
Durata: 85 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Kate Beckinsale .... Amy Fox
• Luke Wilson .... David Fox
• Frank Whaley .... Mason
• Ethan Embry .... Mechanic
• Scott G. Anderson .... Killer
• Mark Casella .... Truck Driver (as Mark Cassella)
• David Doty .... Highway Patrol
• Norm Compton .... Snuff Victim
• Caryn Mower .... Snuff Victim
• Meegan Godfrey .... Snuff Victim (as Meegan E. Godfrey)

Trama:
David and Amy Fox find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. Luckily, they come across a motel with a TV to entertain them during their overnight stay. However, there's something very strange and familiar about the Grade-Z slasher movies that the motel broadcasts for its guests' enjoyment. They all appear to be filmed in the very same room they occupy! Realizing that they are trapped in their room with hidden cameras now aimed at them filming their every move, David and Amy desperately find a means of escape through locked doors, crawlspaces and underground tunnels before they too become the newest stars of the mystery filmmaker's next cult classic!

Trivia random: Shipped to theaters under the name "Temporary Arrangement."
Citazione random: Amy Fox: [about the room] We've had our tetanus shots... right?

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

JCVD

Mai stato un grande fan del Gian-Claudio; certo, ho visto qualche suo film, ma non si può dire che lo abbia mai ammirato a morte (né disprezzato, del resto).
Non ci si poteva però far scappare un biopic meta-film come JCVD - ed in effetti sarebbe stato un grave errore.

Jean-Claude Van Damme è nel bel mezzo di una causa per l'affidamento della figlia; la vita che fa ed i film che interpreta naturalmente non lo aiutano a far valere le sue ragioni.
Torna quindi in Belgio, alla ricerca di un po' di pace; per coprire alcune necessità economiche, si reca allo sportello bancario di un semplice ufficio postale, dove verrà però coinvolto in una rapina.
Tanto per peggiorare ulteriormente le cose, le circostanze faranno sì che tutti si convincano che sia lui in persona, a capo della banda di rapinatori.

Film a (lunghi) tratti geniale, che sviscera tutte i temi che ci si può aspettare da un meta-film su un attore specializzato in pellicole d'arti marziali a bugdget medio-basso, e molto di più.
Dove davvero si distingue è nella meticolosa realizzazione, davvero perfetta nonostante (o forse grazie al fatto che) una parte significativa dei dialoghi siano stati improvvisati. Funziona la parte d'azione (o parodia d'azione), la parte divertente (fantastico come viene tirato in ballo Steven Seagal), la meta-storia semi-biografica e - numi - tutto sommato funziona anche come thriller drammatico.

Di tutto rispetto la regia di Mabrouk El Mechri, che ci delizia con un eterno (di nuovo: meta-) piano sequenza d'azione fin dai titoli di testa, così come la sceneggiatura ed i dialoghi. Ottimamente gestita poi, la line temporale non lineare.
Tutto sommato degni tutti gli interpreti, ovviamente Van Damme svetta e compie qualcosa che somiglia ad un miracolo cinematografico. Recita. O forse no, ma comunque lo fa bene.

[piccolo spoiler che non svela nulla della trama]
E poi a metà film c'è uno dei più grandi monologhi della storia del cinema: quasi 6 minuti di faccia-a-faccia con Van Damme che sfonda il quarto muro e si confessa.


Voto: 8.5. Notevole, sul serio. PS: "Jean-Claude Van Damme sta rapinando l'ufficio postale: mi servono rinforzi!"
Tags: azione, drammatico, biopic, biografico, meta-film, meta-cinema, Jean-Claude Van Damme, JCVD, Van Damme, Belgio, polizia, ufficio postale, ostaggi, rapina, soldi, negoziatore, medico, assalto, sparatoria, morte, omicidio, complici, telefono, star, attore, divorzio, affidamento, causa, processo, soldi, fallimento, nervosismo, taxista, videonoleggio, rapinatore, errore, telecamere, riprese, televisioni, avvocato, agente, denaro, prigione, thriller, piano sequenza, confessione, primo piano, monologo, quarto muro, parodia, film indipendente.

JCVD (2008)

JCVD - Nessuna giustizia

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Regista: Mabrouk El Mechri
Scrittore: Mabrouk El Mechri, Frédéric Benudis
Genere: Drama, Crime
Valutazione: 7.4/10 (13907 voti)
Durata: 97 min
Paese: Belgium, Luxembourg, France
Lingua: French, English

Cast:

• Jean-Claude Van Damme .... J.C.V.D.
• François Damiens .... Bruges
• Zinedine Soualem .... L'homme au bonnet
• Karim Belkhadra .... Le vigile
• Jean-François Wolff .... Le trentenaire
• Anne Paulicevich .... La guichetière
• Liliane Becker .... Mère JCVD
• François Beukelaers .... Père JCVD
• John Flanders .... Prosecuting attorney
• Saskia Flanders .... J.C.V.D.'s daughter

Trama:
Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are hard times for the action movie star who finds that even Steven Seagal has pinched a role from him! In JCVD, Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to the country of his birth to seek the peace and tranquility he can no longer enjoy in the United States.

Trivia random: Jean-Claude Van Damme actually has a son, but it was to changed in the movie to a daughter for legal reasons. Mabrouk El Mechri claims the daughter's name, Gloria, came to him because he was listening to the Van Morrison song of the same name.
Citazione random: Policier: Central to Unit 27. Jean-Claude Van Damme's robbing a post office. I need back-up.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

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' 9" (1.75 m)
Coniuge: Gladys Portugues::(25 June 1999 - present), Darcy LaPier::(3 February 1994 - November 1997) (divorced) 1 child, Gladys Portugues::(3 January 1987 - 1992) (divorced) 2 children, Cynthia Derderian::(24 August 1985 - 1986) (divorced), Maria Rodriguez::(25 August 1980 - 1984) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Tower (2010) .... (story) [scrittore]
• The Eagle Path (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009) .... Luc Deveraux [attore]
• JCVD (2008) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The Shepherd: Border Patrol (2008) (V) .... Jack Robideaux [attore]
• Until Death (2007) .... Anthony Stowe [attore]
• Second in Command (2006) .... Cmdr. Samuel 'Sam' Keenan [attore]
• Sinav (2006) .... Charles [attore]
• The Hard Corps (2006) .... Phillippe Sauvage [attore]
• Narco (2004) .... Jean-Claude Van Damme fantasmé par Lenny [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. Norris gave Van Damme a small role in the movie Missing in Action (1984), 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 (1986). 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 led to a role in Bloodsport (1988). But the movie, filmed in Hong Kong, was so bad when it was completed, it was shelved 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. Shot on a meager 1.5 million dollar budget, it became a U.S box-office hit in the spring of 1988. It made about 30 million worldwide 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). In 1994, he scored with his big breakthrough $100 million worldwide hit Timecop (1994). But in the meantime, his personal life was coming apart. A divorce, followed by a new marriage, followed by another divorce. It began to show up in his career when his projects began to tank at the box office - The Quest (1996), which he directed; Maximum Risk (1996) and Double Team (1997). The three 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: Was a European Middle Weight Champion in Karate in his late teens.
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 directing of the movie. All those fast cuts.
Salario massimo: $6,200,000, per Street Fighter (1994)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

El Mechri, Mabrouk

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Coniuge: Audrey Dana::(? - ?)

Ultimi lavori:

• "Maison close" (2010) .... (rumored) [regista]
• 5 à 7 (2009) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• La loi de Murphy (2009) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• JCVD (2008) .... (adaptation and dialogue) (scenario) [scrittore]
• Gomez vs. Tavarès (2007) .... Rachid [attore]
• Stand Up! (2006) (V) .... [regista]
• Virgil (2005) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Concours de circonstance (2003) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Génération cutter (2000) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Mounir et Anita (1998) .... (writer) [scrittore]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Seagal, Steven

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Nome di battesimo: Seagal, Steven F.
Data di nascita: 10 April 1951
Altezza: 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Coniuge: Kelly LeBrock::(5 September 1987 - 1996) (divorced) 3 children, Miyako Fujitani::(December 1974 - 1987) (divorced) 2 children

Ultimi lavori:

• A Dangerous Man (2010) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Born to Raise Hell (2010) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Machete (2010) .... Torrez [attore]
• Against the Dark (2009) (V) .... Tao [attore]
• Driven to Kill (2009) (V) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The Keeper (2009/I) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Kill Switch (2008) (V) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Pistol Whipped (2008) (V) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Onion Movie (2008) .... Cock Puncher [attore]
• Flight of Fury (2007) (V) .... (executive producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Steven Seagal is a striking and somewhat boyishly handsome looking (often with ponytail) and usually impeccably dressed action star who burst onto the martial arts film scene in 1988 in the fast-paced Warner Bros. film Above the Law (1988). The enigmatic Seagal commenced his martial arts training at the age of seven under the tutelage of well-known karate instructor and author Fumio Demura, and in the 1960s commenced his aikido training in Orange County, CA, under the instruction of Harry Ishisaka. Seagal received his first dan accreditation in 1974, after he had moved to Japan to further his martial arts training. After spending many years there honing his skills, he achieved the ranking of a 7th dan in the Japanese martial art "aikido" and was instructing wealthy clients in Los Angeles when he came to the attention of Hollywood power broker Michael Ovitz. Ovitz saw star value in the imposing-looking Seagal. The high-octane action movie genre was in full swing in the late 1980s, and Seagal's debut movie, "Above the Law", was wildly received by action fans and actually received some complimentary critical reviews. He followed up "Above the Law" with another slam-bang thriller, Hard to Kill (1990), as a cop shot in an ambush by the mob who revives from a coma to take his revenge. The movie also starred Seagal's wife at the time, leggy Kelly LeBrock, who was married to him from 1987 to 1996 and is the mother of three of his children. His next outing was battling voodoo-using Jamaican drug "posses" in the hyper-violent Marked for Death (1990), before returning to fight psychotic mob gangster William Forsythe in the even more punishing Out for Justice (1991). Seagal was by now enormously popular, and his next movie, the big-budgeted Under Siege (1992), set aboard the battleship USS Missouri and also starring Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, was arguably his best film to date, impressing both fans and critics alike. Seagal's fighting style was rather different from that of other on-screen martial arts dynamos such as Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme, who were predominantly fighters from striking arts background such as karate or tang soo do. However, aikido is built around using an opponent's inertia and body weight to employ various locks, chokes and holds that incapacitate him. Seagal carries himself differently, too, and often appears wearing Italian designer clothes and usually favors an all-black outfit, generally with a three-quarter-length coat with an elaborate trim. Additionally, Seagal's on-screen characters were often seemingly benign or timid individuals; however, when the going gets rough they reveal themselves to be deadly ex-CIA operatives, or retired Special Forces soldiers capable of enormous destruction! As his box-office drawing power grew, Seagal began to infuse his film projects with his personal and spiritual beliefs, especially concerning the abuse of the environment. He appeared as an oil fire expert who turns against his corrupt CEO (played by Michael Caine) in On Deadly Ground (1994) to save the Eskimo population from an oil disaster; in Fire Down Below (1997) he plays an environmental agency troubleshooter investigating the dumping of toxic waste in Kentucky coal mines, and in the slow-moving The Patriot (1998) he plays a medical specialist trying to stop a lethal virus unleashed by an extremist group. Action fans struggled to come to terms with social messaging being built into bone-crunching fight films; however, Seagal's box-office clout remained fairly strong, and more traditional chopsocky projects followed with the "buddy cop" film The Glimmer Man (1996), then almost a cameo role as a Navy SEAL alongside CIA analyst Kurt Russell before Seagal is sucked out of a jet at 35,000 feet in Executive Decision (1996). In 1999 Seagal took a different turn in his film projects with the surprising genteel Prince of Central Park (2000), about a child living inside NYC's most famous park. He returned to more familiar territory with further high-voltage, guns-blazing action in Exit Wounds (2001), Half Past Dead (2002), Out for a Kill (2003) (V) and Belly of the Beast (2003) (V). Unbeknownst to many, in 1997 Seagal publicly announced that one of his Buddhist teachers, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, had accorded Seagal as a tulku, the reincarnation of a Buddhist Lama. This initial announcement was met with some disbelief until Penor Rinpoche himself gave a confirmation statement on Seagal's new title. Seagal has repeatedly discussed his involvement in Buddhism and how he devotes many hours studying and meditating this ancient Eastern religion. While his box-office appeal has somewhat declined from his halcyon blockbusters of the mid-'90s, Seagal still has a very loyal fan base in the action movie genre and continues to remain a highly bankable star.

Trivia random: Father of Kentaro Seagal and Ayako Fujitani.
Citazione random: Action films are great, but an action film that has characters that are compelling and a story that people can care about is something even better. We love to see action heroes that are vulnerable, that are sensitive, that are family people, that are accessible.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

hitman

Jet Li è sempre bravo (e ginnico ): in Hitman (anche Contract Killer) riesce - assieme all'ottimo e grasso Eric Tsang (I) - a reggere da solo tutto il film.

L'Angelo della Morte, un killer che uccide grandi nomi del crimine organizzato, fa secco un importante uomo di (mal) affari giapponese. I suoi eredi indicono una gara tra killer a pagamento per l'identificazione ed eliminazione dell'Angelo; tra questi il nostro Li, killer che non ha mai eliminato il proprio bersaglio, sponsorizzato dal gioviale Eric.

Film che non si prende molto sul serio, con gag e situazioni più o meno comiche in buon numero; eppure la trama c'è e viene narrata bene. Un certo numero di sparatorie e qualche combattimento a mani nude, ma meno di quante fosse lecito aspettarsi. Discretamente girate, comunque.
Non mancano alcuni personaggi simpatici e ben delineati.

Un buon prodotto, da vedere senza aspettarsi il capolavoro.

Voto: 7+.
Tags: azione, commedia, Jet Li, Hong Kong, giapponese, omicidio, hitman, killer, assassino, mentore, sponsor, ceneri, rivalità, gara, fondo d'investimento, polizia, interpol, pistola, spada, combattimento, sparatoria, omicidio, debito, denaro, computer, informazioni, amore, pattinaggio, inseguimento, fuga, irruzione, luna park, filmati, telecamere.

Sat sau ji wong (1998)

Contract Killer

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Regista: Wei Tung
Scrittore: Hing-Ka Chan, Kam Fu Cheng
Genere: Action, Comedy, Action
Valutazione: 6.0/10 (1675 voti)
Durata: 103 min
Paese: Hong Kong
Lingua: Japanese, Cantonese, English

Cast:

• Jet Li .... Fu
• Eric Tsang .... Ngok Lo
• Simon Yam .... Officer Chan Kwan
• Gigi Leung .... Kiki (as GiGi Leung)
• Keiji Sato .... Eiji Tsukamoto (as Sato Keiji)
• Paul Rapovski .... Tall Guy - Eiji's Bodyguard
• Kwong Kim Yip .... (as Ip Kwong Kim)
• Hideri Meiken .... (as Hidari Meiken)
• Timmy Ho
• Chi Hung Ng .... Father at Amusement Park (as Ng Chi Hung)

Trama:
Financially troubled, a newbie hitman reluctantly takes the job of finding the plotted killer of a Japanese tycoon, but things complicate when the tycoon is killed and he is forced to ally with a misfortunate hitman to find the "King of the Hitman."

Trivia random: The "ashes" of the main villain's grandfather was actually sugar
Citazione random: Kwan: [sipping some coffee] What's this?::[a secretary says it's decaf]::Kwan: Decaf? What the hell's the point of that?

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Eric Tsang (I)

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La ricerca ha prodotto più di un risultato.

1. Joe Smith, American (1942)
2. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
3. American Gypsy: A Stranger in Everybody's Land (1999)
4. Maverick... Lluvia de sangre (1991)
5. Tango Americano (2001)
6. américain à Tanger, Un (1993)
7. Eric Clapton: Nothing But the Blues: An 'In the Spotlight Special' (1995) (TV)
8. American Indian Graffiti: This Thing Life (2003)
9. Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert: A Benefit for the Crossroads Centre at Antigua (1999) (TV)
10. American Ballet Theatre in San Francisco (1985) (TV)
11. America's First Horse: Hidalgo and the Spanish Mustang (2004) (TV)
12. Buried in the Sand: The Deception of America (2004) (V)
13. Dear America: A Line in the Sand (2000) (TV)
14. Short Film About the Indio Nacional, A (2006)
15. America's Favorite Cars: The Complete Mustang (2004) (V)
16. Call of the Blood (1948)
17. Eric Sykes Shows a Few of Our Favourite Things (1977) (TV)
18. Esoteric Entanglements (1999) (V)
19. Gigerl und Konzertsängerin (1908)
20. Richard Galliano & Tangaria Quartet: Live in Marciac 2006 (2007) (V)

Li, Jet

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Nome di battesimo: Jie, Li Lian
Data di nascita: 26 April 1963
Altezza: 5' 6½" (1.69 m)
Coniuge: Nina Li Chi::(19 September 1999 - present) 2 children, Qiuyan Huang::(1987 - 1990) (divorced) 2 daughters

Ultimi lavori:

• The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) .... Monkey King / Lan Cai He [attore]
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008) .... Emperor Han [attore]
• Tau ming chong (2007) .... General Ma Xinyi [attore]
• War (2007) .... Rogue [attore]
• Huo Yuan Jia (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Danny the Dog (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) .... Su [attore]
• Rise to Honor (2003) (VG) .... Kit Yun (voice) [attore]
• Ying xiong (2002) .... Nameless [attore]
• Invincible (2001) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Jet Li was Wushu (a martial art) world champion several times. He got his first part as a shaolin disciple in the film Shaolin Temple. He first attempt at directing, Zhong hua ying xiong (1986) (Born to defend), met with failure. But, it was good film regardless. Because it was the first time Jet directed and had more realistic fight scenes.

Trivia random: Has played both real life legend Huo Yuan Jia (in Huo Yuan Jia (2006)) and his semi-fictional student Chen Zhen (in Jing wu ying xiong (1994)).
Citazione random: I stepped into the martial arts movie market when I was only 16. I think I have proved my ability in this field and it won't make sense for me to continue for another five or 10 years. Huo Yuan Jia (2006) is a conclusion to my life as a martial arts star.
Salario massimo: $5,000,000, per Kiss of the Dragon (2001)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

brain-dead or alive

La serie di videogiochi iniziata nel lontano 1997 con Dead or Alive (1997) (VG), che ha visto numerosi seguiti e pure un beach volley coi suoi protagonisti, è universamente nota e stimata per due fondamentali motivi: è piena di figa ed ha una trama paragonabile a quella di Tetris.
Credo sia chiaro a chiunque che il primo punto è esclusivamente il sottoprodotto di faticosissimi studi volti ad implementare un motore fisico realistico, comprensi sballonzolamenti vari.
Il secondo punto invece credo dipenda dal fatto che la trama di un picchiaduro medio si riassume in "ahhh... tu, mariuolo bastardo! Hai assassinato il mio (maestro|amico|padre|amante|sacerdote|fratello|compagno di sbronze), che in realtà era un illustrissimo esponente della scuola {arte marziale inesistente a piacere}! Benché io sia un gondoliere veneziano che combatte con un remo mentre ciacolo in dialetto e tu un 800enne cinesino coi baffi lunghi un metro che maneggia uno spadone da 150kg, sappi che quando ci incontreremo al {mega-torneo che si svolge ogni 10000 anni e che casualmente inizia domani e fa partecipare chiunque abbia voglia di menarsi a mani nude, con armi bianche o lancia-granate che sia} TE LA FARÒ PAGAREEE!

Ora... date simili premesse non è che le speranze nel film di DOA: Dead or Alive (2006) fossero chissà che, ma era giusto dargli una chance: un po' perché se ne ha voglia Corey Yuen è uno che le scene di lotta le sa girare, un po' per completezza (avendo già visto pressoché ogni film tratto da videogiochi) ed un po' per gli sballonzolamenti, diciamolo.
Questi ultimi non mancano: signorine mediamente più che discrete (sicuramente "piatte" per gli standard del videogame, ma credo si sia preferito non sfidare le leggi della fisica...); tutto il resto sì.
La trama deve essere caduta in un buco nero: c'è il solito torneo e la gente si mena mentre si scopre chi sono i buoni ed i cattivi, punto e basta; quel che delude di più è il fatto che anche le scene d'azione sono quasi tutte girate molto male, senza fantasia e con un uso sterile di trucchi tecnici, movimenti di telecamere e computer grafica.
Tra i produttori il film annovera lo stimatissimo Paul W.S. Anderson, che tanto amore (non corrisposto) ha dato ai videogiocatori cinefili di tutto il mondo.

Ho già detto degli sballonzolamenti?
Ah, e c'è pure la partita di beach volley! Mai più senza...

Voto: 2. Trashometro^® 3/10:
Tags: videogioco, azione, arti marziali, torneo, avventura, volley, principessa, wrestler, combattimenti, furto, tag-team, trash.

DOA: Dead or Alive (2006)

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La ricerca ha prodotto più di un risultato.

1. Burns, Pete
2. Lever, Tim
3. Percy, Mike
4. Coy, Steve

Dead or Alive (1997) (VG)

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La ricerca ha prodotto più di un risultato.

1. Burns, Pete
2. Lever, Tim
3. Percy, Mike
4. Coy, Steve

Yuen, Corey

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Nome di battesimo: Kwai, Corey Yuen
Data di nascita: 1951

Ultimi lavori:

• Rogue (2007/I) .... (choreographer) [misc]
• DOA: Dead or Alive (2006) .... [regista]
• Ching din dai sing (2005) .... (action choreographer) [misc]
• Le Transporteur II (2005) .... (martial arts choreographer) [misc]
• Fa dou daai jin (2004) .... (as Cory Yuen) [regista]
• Bulletproof Monk (2003) .... (additional fight choreographer) (additional fight director) [misc]
• Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) .... (martial arts choreographer) [misc]
• Rise to Honor (2003) (VG) .... (action choreographer) [misc]
• Chik yeung tin si (2002) .... [regista]
• The Transporter (2002) .... (as Cory Yuen) [regista]

Trivia random: He usually speaks Cantonese during a recorded behind the scenes of a movie he was involved in such as Romeo Must Die, Kiss of the Dragon, The One and etc. mainly because he does not speak English fluently or very well.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Anderson, Paul W.S.

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Nome di battesimo: Anderson, Paul William Scott
Data di nascita: 4 March 1965
Altezza: 6' 3" (1.91 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Driver (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Man with the Football (2008) .... [regista]
• Necropolis (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Castlevania (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• DOA: Dead or Alive (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Dark (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]
• AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) .... (screen story) (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Resident Evil (2002) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Paul W.S. Anderson gained a fair bit of notoriety in his native England when he directed the ultra-violent Shopping (1994) (which he also wrote), starring Jude Law and Sean Pertwee in a story about thieves who steal by ramming a car into storefronts. The film was banned in some cinemas in England, and became a direct-to-video slightly edited release in the United States.Shopping (1994) allowed Anderson to get the chance to direct Mortal Kombat (1995), an adaptation of the hit video game, which showcased his directorial trademarks - visually stunning scenery and quick cut editing. The film did well enough for him to choose his next project, which was _Soldier (1998)_ with Warner Bros., with Kurt Russell in the lead. Unfortunately, Russell decided at the time to go on hiatus, pushing the release date of that film into 1998. In the meantime Anderson directed Event Horizon (1997) from a script by Philip Eisner, which featured Anderson regulars Sean Pertwee and Jason Isaacs. The science fiction/horror film, a gothic horror version of Solyaris (1972), was stylish and scary, but was critically panned and did not do well in the box office, which Anderson blamed on studio-enforced cuts to the story. (Anderson has promised a Director's Cut, though none has been announced as of yet.)_Soldier (1998)_ didn't fare well with critics and box office either, and Anderson's planned 2000 remake of Death Race 2000 (1975) was cancelled. This forced him to think smaller, which led to The Sight (2000) (TV), a supernatural mystery movie that was a minor hit. He then resurfaced to direct another video game adaption, Resident Evil (2002). Long rumored among fans to be a choice comeback vehicle for zombie grandfather George A. Romero, the writing and directing credits eventually transferred to Anderson. He next was given the helm for the long-awaited film adaption of the popular Dark Horse comic book, _AVP: Alien Vs. Predator (2004)_ .

Trivia random: Constantly mentions plans to release director's cut editions of all of his movies on DVD. To date the only one that has surfaced is AVP: Alien Vs Predator (2004).
Citazione random: "I don't think it would be possible for me to respect people like Ridley Scott or James Cameron more than I already do. They're gods of filmmaking."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.