tara

Tempo fa il mio medico mi aveva sconsigliato di continuare a vedere film con Tara Reid. Dopo Devil's Pond mi sento di dargli ragione.

Due novelli sposi trascorrono la luna di miele in una diroccata capanna in mezzo ad un lago, lontano da tutto e tutti. Dopo neanche 10 giorni lei si rompe un po' le balle e lui flippa; le impedisce di andarsene, la picchia e la incatena (se deve essere una punizione per le sue abilità recitative, è ancora poco...)

Doveva essere un thriller drammatico, ma di drammatico c'è solo la beffarda scelta di chi ha fatto il casting che, per un film in cui compaiono solo ed esclusivamente i due protagonisti, ha chiamato la Reid ed una faccia da pesce lesso come Kip Pardue.

Lezione imparata: nel 21esimo secolo, "l'ho fatto perché ti amo" è un valido sostituto per frasi quali "lo ha chisto lei", "a lei piaceva", "lei diceva 'no', ma in realtà era 'sì'".

Voto: 2. Trashometro^® 6/10:

Pardue, Kip

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Nome di battesimo: Pardue, Kevin Ian
Data di nascita: 23 September 1976
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Bobby (2006) .... [attore]
• Ripple Effect (2006) .... Tyler [attore]
• South of Pico (2006) .... Robert Spencer [attore]
• Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2005) .... Justin [attore]
• Chasing Fate (2005) .... [attore]
• Farewell Bender (2005) .... Mitch [attore]
• Glamorama (2005) .... Victor Ward [attore]
• Laura Smiles (2005) .... Chris [attore]
• Loggerheads (2005) .... Mark Austin [attore]
• Undiscovered (2005) .... Euan Falcon [attore]

Biografia:
Kip Pardue was born in Atlanta, Georgia on September 23, 1976. He grew up playing football and baseball and graduated from Dunwoody High School, located in Atlanta, Georgia in 1994. The next year he was recruited to play football by Yale University. He graduated in 1998 with a degree in Economics. Kip headed west afterwards and enjoyed a successfull career as a model for Abercrombie & Fitch and Polo. Soon after he next turned to acting and landed TV roles on "7th Heaven" (1996) and was cast as Josh Ford on the WB Hit "Popular" (1999) before the role was later re-cast. After making his film debut in the racy independent flick But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) and later Whatever It Takes (2000), Kip got his big break with his role in _Remember The Titans (2000)_ with Denzel Washington. He then starred as Sylvester Stallone's Indy racing protege in Driven (2001). Soon afterwards, Kip was named by Armani Exchange as one of the "Top 10 Upcoming Actors" and Variety claimed he was one of the "10 to Watch" for this year. With several new movies due out later, including The Rules of Attraction (2002), based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel, you can be sure his face won't be disappearing from the screen.

Trivia random: Was discovered by Molly Ringwald's publicist.
Citazione random: "I feel like I'm just doing a job. It's amazing to think that you affect other peoples' lives on such a grand scale. I'm so thankful for that, and I'm so lucky. It's hard to stop and think that people are interested in me."

Reid, Tara

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Data di nascita: 8 November 1975
Altezza: 5' 5" (1.65 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Land of Canaan (2006) .... Amy [attrice]
• Alone in the Dark (2005) .... Aline Cedrac [attrice]
• The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2005) .... Lola Byrne [attrice]
• Incubus (2005) .... [attrice]
• Silent Partner (2005) .... Dina [attrice]
• Knots (2004) .... Emily [attrice]
• Devil's Pond (2003) .... Julianne Olsen [attrice]
• My Boss's Daughter (2003) .... Lisa Taylor [attrice]
• Van Wilder (2002) .... Gwen Pearson [attrice]
• American Pie 2 (2001) .... Vicky Lathum [attrice]

Biografia:
Born in Wyckoff, New Jersey, USA on November 8, 1975. She got her career start at six, when she appeared on a children's game show called "Child's Play" (1982). Later, she appeared in commercials for Jell-O, McDonald's, and Crayola. She attended the Professional Children's School in New York City. Her classmates included Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jerry O'Connell, Macaulay Culkin, and Ben Taylor. After several career moves, she became known after her role as Bunny, in The Big Lebowski (1998).

Trivia random: Originally selected to play the part of "Dorothy" in the film "Valentine," but the film switched companies from Artisan to Warner Brothers and she was replaced.
Citazione random: "It would be the ultimate dream for me to win an Academy Award, be in love and have kids. Then I would say, 'Life is great! I have done everything I wanted.' I keep trying to get closer to that. I also think when that happens, people will finally leave me alone."

Devil's Pond (2003)

Heaven's pond - Il colpo perfetto

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Regista: Joel Viertel
Scrittore: Alek Friedman, Mora Stephens
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.6/10 (563 voti)
Durata: USA:92 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Kip Pardue .... Mitch
• Tara Reid .... Julianne Olsen
• Meredith Baxter .... Kate
• Dan Gunther .... Priest
• Guy Graves .... Kates husband

Trama:
What starts out as a romantic honeymoon on a deserted island turns into a horrible nightmare as Julianne discovers that her new husband is psychotic. Trapped on the island, he has no plans of ever returning to civilization, or even of letting her go. She slowly realizes that only one of them may ever leave the island.

Trivia random: A special Commendation Plaque was presented to Shari Hamrick from the State Of Montana, for her fire fighting efforts on the set of Devil's Pond, when a freak forest fire broke out.

il pianista

Temo di essere l'unico al mondo a non aver apprezzato Il Pianista. In alcuni momenti, nel raccontare le atrocità naziste, ho avuto l'impressione che stesse facendo la lista della spesa (e sì che il materiale drammatico non mancava, mi risulta). Poi non riesco a capire come si possa considerare bravo un attore come Adrien Brody, ma riconosco che questa è probabilmente una mia tara.

Boh. Mi ha lasciato a dir poco freddo; imparagonabile a Schindler's List.
Lo stesso Roman 'Mi Piace Lo Stupro' Polanski mi è sempre parso molto sopravvalutato: a parte Rosemary's Baby, fatico a trovare un altro suo film che possa essere considerato davvero memorabile (il che non vuol dire che facciano tutti schifo, anzi, ma da qui a considerarlo tra i più importanti registi viventi ce ne passa).

Voto: 5.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

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Regista: Roman Polanski
Scrittore: Ira Levin, Roman Polanski
Genere: Drama, Horror
Valutazione: 7.9/10 (15078 voti) [#233 nella top250]
Durata: 136 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• 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
• Elisha Cook Jr. .... Mr. Nicklas (as Elisha Cook)
• Emmaline Henry .... Elise Dunstan

Trama:
Rosemary and her new husband, Guy, move into a new apartment in New York, befriending an elderly couple who live near by. But when another girl in the block commits suicide, Rosemary starts getting more attention than she desires, from all the wrong people. And now with her (late) friend's warnings about witches in mind, she has a new problem - the protection of her forthcoming child. But it may not be the child that needs protection.

Trivia random: Mia Farrow actually ate raw liver for a scene in the movie.

Polanski, Roman

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Nome di battesimo: Liebling, 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:

• Oliver Twist (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Pianist (2002) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Zemsta (2002) .... Papkin [attore]
• Hommage à Alfred Lepetit (2000) .... [attore]
• Castelnuovo (1999) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Ninth Gate (1999) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Death and the Maiden (1994) .... [regista]
• Grosse fatigue (1994) .... Roman Polanski [attore]
• Una Pura formalità (1994) .... Inspector [attore]
• Back in the U.S.S.R. (1992) .... Kurilov [attore]

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 (his mother eventually died there). Young Roman managed to escape the ghetto and was learning survival while 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 50s he took up acting, appearing amongst the other films in Andrzej Wajda's Pokolenie (1955) before studying at the Lodz Film School. His early shorts such as Dwaj ludzie z szafa (1958), Gros et le maigre, Le (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 easily gained the reputation with the intelligent 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 in the USA with Chinatown (1974): that seemed to be the beginning of the promising Hollywood career. 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 best 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 Pura formalità, Una (1994).

Trivia random: He has said that his life's biggest regret was not being present at the house on Cielo Drive, Beverly Hills the night his wife Sharon Tate and four others were brutally murdered.
Citazione random: "I never made a film which fully satisfied me."

Pianist, The (2002)

Pianista, Il

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Regista: Roman Polanski
Scrittore: Wladyslaw Szpilman, Ronald Harwood
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, War
Valutazione: 8.5/10 (39808 voti) [#42 nella top250]
Durata: 150 min
Paese: France, Germany, UK, Poland
Lingua: English, German, Russian

Cast:

• Adrien Brody .... Wladyslaw Szpilman
• Thomas Kretschmann .... Captain Wilm Hosenfeld
• Frank Finlay .... Father
• Maureen Lipman .... Mother
• Emilia Fox .... Dorota
• Ed Stoppard .... Henryk
• Julia Rayner .... Regina
• Jessica Kate Meyer .... Halina
• Michal Zebrowski .... Jurek
• Wanja Mues .... SS Slapping Father

Trama:
A brilliant pianist, a Polish Jew, witnesses the restrictions Nazis place on Jews in the Polish capital, from restricted access to the building of the Warsaw ghetto. As his family is rounded up to be shipped off to the Nazi labor camps, he escapes deportation and eludes capture by living in the ruins of Warsaw.

Trivia random: In order to connect with the feeling of loss required to play the role, Adrien Brody got rid of his apartment, sold his car, and didn't watch television.

Brody, Adrien

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Data di nascita: 14 April 1973
Altezza: 6' 1½" (1.87 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Manolete (2006) .... Manuel Rodriguez Sanchez [attore]
• Untitled George Reeves Project (2006) .... Louis Simo [attore]
• The Jacket (2005) .... Jack Starks [attore]
• King Kong (2005) .... Jack Driscoll [attore]
• The Village (2004) .... Noah Percy [attore]
• The Singing Detective (2003) .... First Hood [attore]
• Dummy (2002) .... Steven [attore]
• The Pianist (2002) .... Wladyslaw Szpilman [attore]
• The Affair of the Necklace (2001) .... Count Nicolas De La Motte [attore]
• Love the Hard Way (2001) .... Jack [attore]

Biografia:
His mother is the Hungarian-born photojournalist Sylvia Plachy, and he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and High School for the Performing Arts. Adrien grew up an only child in Woodhaven, Queens, where he accompanied his mother on assignments for the Village Voice. He credits her with making him feel comfortable in front of the camera.Despite a strong performance in The Thin Red Line, the film's time constraints forced the director to edit out much of Adrien's parts and despite his later work with Spike Lee and Barry Levinson, he never became the star many expected he would become...until Roman Polanski called on him to play a celebrated Jewish pianist in the Nazi-occupied Warsaw. He pulled off a brilliant performance in "The Pianist" drawing on the heritage (and rare dialect) of his Polish grandmother.

Trivia random: Shares a birthday with Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Citazione random: [On his role as the village idiot in 'The Village'] "It just felt like it was the unconventional choice. It was the kind of role that I would have taken prior to the Academy Awards. A lot of actors tend to wait for the perfect role. And that perfect role may never come. I don't want to start changing the way that I view things and become precious."

Schindler's List (1993)

Schindler's list - La lista di Schindler

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Regista: Steven Spielberg
Scrittore: Thomas Keneally, Steven Zaillian
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Valutazione: 8.8/10 (114239 voti) [#6 nella top250]
Durata: 195 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English, Hebrew, German, Polish

Cast:

• Liam Neeson .... Oskar Schindler
• Ben Kingsley .... Itzhak Stern
• Ralph Fiennes .... Amon Goeth
• Caroline Goodall .... Emilie Schindler
• Jonathan Sagall .... Poldek Pfefferberg (as Jonathan Sagalle)
• Embeth Davidtz .... Helen Hirsch
• Malgoscha Gebel .... Victoria Klonowska
• Shmuel Levy .... Wilek Chilowicz (as Shmulik Levy)
• Mark Ivanir .... Marcel Goldberg
• Béatrice Macola .... Ingrid

Trama:
The true story of Oscar Schindler, a German businessman who owns a factory. He witnesses the horrifying visions of the Holocaust and the toll it takes on the Jewish people. Eventually, he creates a list of over 1100 Jews whom he saves from death.

Trivia random: Tim Roth was considered for the role of Amon Goeth.

stealth

Ero convinto che Stealth fosse brutto, ma non credevo fosse così brutto.

Nell'immediato futuro la marina degli Stati Uniti sta sperimentando un nuovo prototipo di caccia/bombardiere/caffettiera senza pilota.
Una ficata pazzesca: l'aggeggio è dotato di serie di vetri oscurabili, linea aggressiva, armamento futuribile e - tenersi forte - va a metano!!! Gran bazza per le giornate di stop del traffico...
Neanche a dirlo al comando c'è una intelligenza artificiale basata su una serie di paroloni ad effetto (genetic-neural-pital-next-gen) che gli conferiscono una personalità sbarazzina ed un fastidioso senso del dovere.

Per l'addestramento (eh, oh...) viene inserito nella squadriglia di punta della marina, così composta:

• Figaccione Vero Americano^®: scavezzacollo ma tecnicamente insuperabile, segretamente innamorato della...
• Strafiga, sopravvissuta al remake di Non Aprite Quella Porta e soprattutto al temibile Settimo Cielo; rompiballe piena di scrupoli morali (eh beh, brava soldatina!),
• Il nero, grande sciupafemmine, sempre buono per morire presto e fornire agli altri motivo di vendetta.

Va tutto bene e l'allegro gruppetto bombarda in qua e in là i nemici della democrazia fintanto non accade l'imprevedibile: il nostro eroico aeroplanino viene colpito da un fulmine (sì, non ci si crede...) e diventa malvagio.
Puttana scorreggia, lo sapevo che dovevano metterci la messa a terra...

L'empio veivolo inizia a ravanare tra i piani segreti del governo (saggio lasciarli su internet...) e decide che è ora di bombardare un po' i vecchi Boris del cazzo.
Parte dunque un'avvincente inseguimento aereo, con i buoni alla caccia del jet cattivo mentre gli alti papaveri di Washington sono impegnati ad insabbiare il tutto, anche a scapito della vita dei nostri eroi! Ah, stolti accecati dalla sete di potere! Peeentitevi!

Nel mezzo, tanto per non farsi mancare nulla, la sgnoccola precipita in Corea Del Nord (oh, ma tra tutti i posti sfigati del pianeta...) e ci si fa una capatina anche in Alaska, Tailandia, Kagikistan (o altro -stan equivalente) e Birmania (che mi rifiuto di chiamare Myanmar, e se non gli va bene che mi dichiarino pure guerra).
Va bene che vanno a metano e consumano poco, ma le prestazioni e l'autonomia dovrebbero risentirne. Questi cosi invece, da un calcolo approssimato, viaggiano a circa 6.000 km/h ed hanno dei bei bomboloni che gli consentono di fare forse anche 20 o 30.000 km senza scalo. Non male... prendo il modello coi cerchi in lega!

Sceneggiatura imbarazzante, i dialoghi più verbosi e farciti di frasi ad effetto della storia del cinema, regia fetente contribuiscono alla creazione di un trash ultra-moderno. Lo spettatore trascorrerà il 90% del tempo con le braccia alzate in segno di esultanza per le puttanate olimpioniche mostrate.

Lezione imparata: dotare di un arsenale un prototipo di cui neanche il progettista capisce appieno il funzionamente non è una grande idea.
E, per la serie forse non tutti sanno che...: gli USA hanno sparse nei cieli di tutti stati più merdosi del mondo delle mega-cisterne aviotrasportate senza pilota che girano in tondo in attesa che qualcuno venga a fare self-service.

Stupendo. Ah: finale con colpo di schiena! Guardate fin dopo tutti i titoli di coda!
Voto: 1. Trashometro^® 10/10:

Stealth (2005)

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Regista: Rob Cohen
Scrittore: W.D. Richter
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Valutazione: 4.7/10 (5863 voti)
Durata: 121 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English, Korean, Russian, Spanish

Cast:

• Josh Lucas .... Lt. Ben Gannon
• Jessica Biel .... Lt. Kara Wade
• Jamie Foxx .... Lt. Henry Purcell
• Sam Shepard .... Capt. George Cummings
• Richard Roxburgh .... Dr. Keith Orbit
• Joe Morton .... Capt. Dick Marshfield
• Ian Bliss .... Lt. Aaron Shaftsbury
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach .... Tim
• Michael Denkha .... Naval Controller
• Rocky Helton .... Master at Arms

Trama:
In the near future, the Navy develops a fighter jet piloted by an artificial intelligence computer. The jet is placed on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific to learn combat manuevers from the human pilots aboard. But when the computer develops a mind of its own, it's the humans who are charged with stopping it before it incites a war...

Trivia random: 500 gallons of gasoline were used for the explosion in the Alaska airfield sequence. NASA had to be notified of it in advance because it was so big.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The (2003)

Non aprite quella porta

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Regista: Marcus Nispel
Scrittore: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
Genere: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 6.0/10 (12612 voti)
Durata: 98 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Jessica Biel .... Erin
• Jonathan Tucker .... Morgan
• Erica Leerhsen .... Pepper
• Mike Vogel .... Andy
• Eric Balfour .... Kemper
• Andrew Bryniarski .... Thomas Hewitt (Leatherface)
• R. Lee Ermey .... Sheriff Hoyt
• David Dorfman .... Jedidiah
• Lauren German .... Teenage Girl
• Terrence Evans .... Old Monty

Trama:
A group of college kids, on their way back from scoring drugs in Mexico, run into a hitchhiker who has just survived a horrific massacre from the night before. They try to help the girl, but in the process end up falling prey to her mysterious fear. It happens to be wielding a chainsaw...

Trivia random: Katie Holmes was considered for the part of Erin.

"7th Heaven" (1996)

Settimo cielo

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Genere: Drama, Family
Durata: 60 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Stephen Collins .... Reverend Eric Camden
• Catherine Hicks .... Annie Jackson-Camden
• Barry Watson .... Matt Camden (1996-2002)
• David Gallagher .... Simon Camden (1996-2003, 2004-2006)
• Jessica Biel .... Mary Camden (1996-2002)
• Beverley Mitchell .... Lucy Camden Kinkirk
• Mackenzie Rosman .... Ruthie Camden
• Adam LaVorgna .... Robbie Palmer (2000-2002)
• Lorenzo Brino .... Sam Camden (1999-2006)
• Nikolas Brino .... David Camden (1999-2006)

Trama:
This weekly television series follows the Camden family as the minister father and stay-at-home mother deal with the drama of having seven children, ranging from toddlers to adults with families of their own. The friends, neighbors, and love interests of the various members of the family weigh heavily on the plot of the series, which seeks to address a real-life issue with each episode.

Trivia random: Before working on the show, the dog "Happy" was a stray that was abused by her former male owner. Even though she was later rescued "Happy" still has a fear of men. Before the taping of every new season Stephen Collins, Barry Watson, and other adult male actors on the show have to spend some time with Happy for her to get used to them being around when doing scenes together.

Biel, Jessica

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Nome di battesimo: Biel, Jessica Claire
Data di nascita: 3 March 1982
Altezza: 5' 7½" (1.71 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Illusionist (2006) .... Princess Sophie [attrice]
• Elizabethtown (2005) .... Ellen Kishmore [attrice]
• London (2005) .... London [attrice]
• Stealth (2005) .... Lt. Kara Wade [attrice]
• Blade: Trinity (2004) .... Abigail Whistler [attrice]
• Cellular (2004) .... Chloe [attrice]
• It's a Digital World (2004) .... Regrettal (voice) [attrice]
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) .... Erin [attrice]
• The Rules of Attraction (2002) .... Lara Holleran [attrice]
• Summer Catch (2001) .... Tenley Parrish [attrice]

Biografia:
Born in Ely, Minnesota, and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Jessica Biel has paid her dues in the Hollywood scene. A breakout star as Mary Camden on the WB's highest rated show, "7th Heaven" (1996), Jessica still manages to make a few appearances per season, even though she has left the show, in the midst of an exploding film career. Last fall she excited and terrified moviegoers with her portrayal of Erin, "Leatherface's" greatest nemesis to date, in New Line Cinema's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), a remake of the famous original. Having finished filming, Blade: Trinity (2004) in Vancouver with Wesley Snipes, Ryan Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson, she has recently transported her toned and trained body of a vampire hunter/killer to Australia to fill the uniform and project the integrity of one of filmdom's first female jet-fighter pilots in Columbia/Sony Pictures new film, Stealth (2005), starring Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx and Sam Shepherd, for director Rob Cohen. Jessica's film career began at age 14 when she played alongside Peter Fonda in his Golden Globe-winning performance in Ulee's Gold (1997). Her other film credits include I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998), Summer Catch (2001), Roger Avary's The Rules of Attraction (2002) and the recently completed Cellular (2004), which stars Chris Evans, Kim Basinger and William H. Macy. Few people know that this powerhouse of acting talent and versatility has a secret talent that has been put on hold for the past eight years, but surfaced last fall when she was offered lead roles on Broadway in "Rent" and "Beauty and the Beast." Demands from her film career took precedence, but hopefully, one of these days soon, we will get to experience just another aspect of this fascinating young woman.

Trivia random: Is of German, French, English and Native American (Choctaw) heritage.

Cohen, Rob (I)

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Data di nascita: 12 March 1949

Ultimi lavori:

• Stealth (2005) .... [regista]
• xXx: State of the Union (2005) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The Last Ride (2004/I) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Rammstein: Lichtspielhaus (2003) (V) .... (video "Feuer Frei!") [regista]
• xXx: A Filmmaker's Diary (2003) (V) .... [scrittore]
• Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) .... (special thanks) [misc]
• xXx (2002) .... [regista]
• The Fast and the Furious (2001) .... [regista]
• Ritual (2001/I) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• The Skulls (2000) .... [regista]

Trivia random: Ranked #95 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List.

Lucas, Josh

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Nome di battesimo: Maurer, Joshua
Data di nascita: 20 June 1971
Altezza: 6' 1" (1.85 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Glory Road (2006) .... Coach Don Haskins [attore]
• Poseidon (2006) .... John Dylan [attore]
• Empire Falls (2005) (TV) .... Max Roby (younger) [attore]
• Stealth (2005) .... Lt. Ben Gannon [attore]
• Under the Undertow (2005) (V) .... (producer) [produttore]
• An Unfinished Life (2005) .... Sheriff Crane Curtis [attore]
• Around the Bend (2004) .... Jason Lair [attore]
• Undertow (2004) .... Deel Munn [attore]
• Hulk (2003) .... Talbot [attore]
• Secondhand Lions (2003) .... Adult Walter [attore]

Trivia random: Dated Salma Hayek (2004)
Citazione random: [regarding moving so many times as a child] I would lie in bed the night before a new school and decide who I was going to be. It would usually be based on someone I admired from the school before.

Foxx, Jamie

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Nome di battesimo: Bishop, Eric Morlon
Data di nascita: 13 December 1967
Altezza: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Damage Control (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Dreamgirls (2006) .... Curtis Taylor Jr. [attore]
• Miami Vice (2006) .... Det. Ricardo Tubbs [attore]
• Jarhead (2005) .... Staff Sgt. Sykes [attore]
• Stealth (2005) .... Lt. Henry Purcell [attore]
• Breakin' All the Rules (2004) .... Quincy Watson [attore]
• Collateral (2004) .... Max [attore]
• ESPY Awards (2004) (TV) .... [scrittore]
• Ray (2004/I) .... Ray Charles [attore]
• Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (2004) (TV) .... Stan 'Tookie' Williams [attore]

Biografia:
Jamie's mother, Louise, was an adopted child. When her marriage to his father failed, his grandparents, Mark and Estelle Talley, stepped in and, at age 7 months, adopted him too. He says he had a very rigid upbringing that placed him in the Boy Scouts and the church choir. During high school, he played quarterback for his high school team and was good enough that he got press in Dallas newspapers. He studied music in college. He released a music album in 1994, "Peep This" and sings the theme song for his 1999 movie, Any Given Sunday (1999). However, in 1989, his life changed when a girl friend challenged him to get up onstage at the Comedy Club. In fact, he says he took his androgynous stage name because he learned that women got preference for mike time on open stage nights. That led to his being cast in "Roc" (1991) and "In Living Color" (1990) and ultimately to his own WB network TV series. He has a daughter, Corrine, born in 1995, who lives with her mother.

Trivia random: Invited to join AMPAS in 2005.
Citazione random: "CCH Pounder taught me one thing. She said, 'Characters are like putting on a coat. You put the coat on while you work, you take the coat off after it's over.' You need that freshness. I know people who stay in character, and it's the worst thing in the world. You can't go out. They're still in their character and the character residue is too much. I like to go do it, flip it on like a light switch and then flip it off. Then, when we come back in the next morning I flip it back on. That's what keeps things fresh for me."

eternal...

Sospetto di non essere il primo a far notare quanto eminentemente idiota sia il titolo italiano "Se Mi Lasci Ti Cancello", per Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Detto questo e nonostante ci siano alcuni attori che di norma non apprezzo molto (ma che qui si rivelano proprio bravi, Jim Carrey e Kate Winslet in primis), devo dire che il film è davvero molto bello.

[questo paragrafo contiene un leggerissimo spoiler, ma la trama è nota e tutto sommato prevedibile]
Joel è solitario e taciturno, Clementine allegra ed estroversa; si conoscono e si innamorano, ma presto le cose cominceranno ad andar male, fino al punto in cui Clementine decide di farsi rimuovere dalla memoria tutti i ricordi di Joel. A sua volta, Joel, prende atto d'averla persa, e si sottopone allo stesso procedimento che progressivamente gli azzererà la memoria di Clementine, partendo dai ricordi più recenti via via fino all'inizio della loro storia.
Ben presto capiranno che rimuovere i ricordi felici, assieme a quelli brutti, non è stata poi una grande pensata.

Originale e ben congeniato, gioca molto sul contrasto tra i caratteri dei protagonisti. Toccante e commovente, riesce però a non essere mai melenso ed anzi, viviseziona in maniera molto cruda gli alti e bassi della coppia.

Voto: 9.

/me pensa di aver visto troppe cose belle ultimamente e sente il bisogno di ricominciare tutta la serie dei Film Di Ninja^®...

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Se mi lasci ti cancello

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Regista: Michel Gondry
Scrittore: Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry
Genere: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Valutazione: 8.6/10 (66865 voti) [#35 nella top250]
Durata: 108 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Jim Carrey .... Joel Barish
• Kate Winslet .... Clementine Kruczynski
• Gerry Robert Byrne .... Train Conductor
• Elijah Wood .... Patrick
• Thomas Jay Ryan .... Frank
• Mark Ruffalo .... Stan
• Jane Adams .... Carrie
• David Cross .... Rob
• Kirsten Dunst .... Mary
• Tom Wilkinson .... Dr. Howard Mierzwiak

Trama:
A man awakes disheveled; impulsively, he skips work, heading instead to the shore. On this chilly February day, a woman in orange, hair dyed blue, chats him up: she's Clementine, he's Joel, shy and sad; by day's end, he likes her. The next night she takes him to the frozen Charles River. After, as he drops her off, she asks to sleep at his place, and she runs up to get her toothbrush. Strange things occur: their meeting was not entirely chance, they have a history neither remembers. Our seeing how the lacunae came to be and their discovery of the memory loss take the rest of the film.

Trivia random: Despite the fact that Charlie Kaufman's script and Michel Gondry's visual concepts were closely followed, the actors were allowed many chances to improvise. Elijah Wood and Mark Ruffalo improvised extensively, and much of the dialog between Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet resulted from videotaped rehearsal sessions during which the two actors became close by sharing tales of their real life relationships and heartbreaks.

Winslet, Kate

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Nome di battesimo: Winslet, Kate Elizabeth
Data di nascita: 5 October 1975
Altezza: 5' 6½" (1.69 m)
Coniuge: Sam Mendes::(24 May 2003 - present) 1 child, James Threapleton::(22 November 1998 - 13 December 2001) (divorced) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• Gnomeo and Juliet (2008) .... Juliet (voice) [attrice]
• All the King's Men (2006) .... Anne Stanton [attrice]
• Flushed Away (2006) .... Rita (voice) [attrice]
• Holiday (2006/I) .... [attrice]
• Little Children (2006) .... Sarah Pierce [attrice]
• Romance & Cigarettes (2005) .... Tula [attrice]
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) .... Clementine Kruczynski [attrice]
• Finding Neverland (2004) .... Sylvia Llewelyn Davies [attrice]
• Pride (2004) (TV) .... Suki (voice) [attrice]
• The Life of David Gale (2003) .... Bitsey Bloom [attrice]

Biografia:
Ask Kate Winslet what she liked about any of her characters, and the word "ballsy" is bound to pop up at least once. The British actress has made a point of eschewing straightforward pretty-girl parts in favor of more devilish damsels; as a result, she's built an eclectic resume; that runs the gamut from Shakespearean tragedy to modern-day mysticism and erotica.Born into a family of thespians - parents Roger and Sally were both stage actors, maternal grandparents Oliver and Linda Bridges ran the Reading Repertory Theatre, and uncle Robert Bridges was a fixture in London's West End theatre district - Kate came into her talent at an early age. She scored her first professional gig at 11, dancing opposite the Honey Monster in a commercial for a kids' cereal. She started acting lessons around the same time, which led to formal training at a performing arts high school. Over the next few years she appeared on stage regularly and landed a few bit parts in sitcoms. Her first big break came at age 17, when she was cast as an obsessive adolescent in Heavenly Creatures (1994). The film, based on the true story of two fantasy-gripped girls who commit a brutal murder, received modest distribution but was roundly praised by critics.Still a relative unknown, Winslet attended a cattle call audition the next year for Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (1995). She made an immediate impression on the film's star, Emma Thompson, and beat out more than a hundred other hopefuls for the part of plucky Marianne Dashwood. Her efforts were rewarded with both a British Academy Award and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Winslet followed up with two more period pieces, playing the rebellious heroine in Jude (1996) and Ophelia in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996).The role that transformed Winslet from art house attraction to international star was Rose DeWitt Bukater, the passionate, rosy-cheeked aristocrat in James Cameron's Titanic (1997). Young girls the world over both idolized and identified with Winslet, swooning over all that face time opposite heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio and noting her refreshingly healthy, un-emaciated physique. Winslet's performance also garnered a Best Actress nomination, making her the youngest actress to ever receive two Academy nods.After the swell of unexpected attention surrounding Titanic (1997), Winslet was eager to retreat into independent projects. Rumor has it that she turned down the lead roles in both Shakespeare in Love (1998) and Anna and the King (1999) in order to play adventurous soul searchers in Hideous Kinky (1998) and Holy Smoke (1999). The former cast her as a young single mother traveling through 1960s Morocco with her daughters in tow; the latter, as a zealous follower of a guru tricked into a "deprogramming" session in the Australian outback. The next year found her back in period dress as the Marquis de Sade's chambermaid and accomplice in Quills (2000). Kate holds the distinction of being the youngest actor ever honored with four Academy Award nominations (she received her fourth at age 29.)Off camera, Winslet is known for her mischievous pranks and familial devotion. She has two sisters, Anna Winslet and Beth Winslet (both actresses), and a brother, Joss. In 1998 she married James Threapleton, whom she met on the set of Hideous Kinky (1998); the pair had a daughter, Mia, in October of 2000. They divorced in 2001. She later married director Sam Mendes in 2003 and has since given birth to their son Joe.

Trivia random: Parents: Roger Winslet (actor) and Sally Bridges-Winslet.
Citazione random: In 2002 she had this to say about doing nude scenes: "I like exposing myself. There's not an awful lot that embarrasses me. I'm the kind of actress that absolutely believes in exposing myself."

Carrey, Jim

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Nome di battesimo: Carrey, James Eugene
Data di nascita: 17 January 1962
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Coniuge: Lauren Holly::(23 September 1996 - 29 July 1997) (divorced), Melissa Womer::(28 March 1987 - 11 December 1995) (divorced) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• Used Guys (2007) .... (in talks) [attore]
• The Number 23 (2006) .... [attore]
• Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) .... Joel Barish [attore]
• Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) .... Count Olaf [attore]
• Toy Mountain Christmas Special (2004) (TV) .... (special thanks) [misc]
• Bruce Almighty (2003) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Pecan Pie (2003) .... The driver [attore]
• Laughing Out Loud: America's Funniest Comedians (2001) (V) .... [scrittore]
• The Majestic (2001) .... Peter Appleton [attore]

Biografia:
The youngest of four children born to Percy (an accountant and aspiring jazz saxophonist) and Kathleen, Jim Carrey was an incurable extrovert from day one. As a child he performed constantly, for anyone who would watch, and even mailed his résumé to "The Carol Burnett Show" (1967) at age 10. In junior high he was granted a few precious minutes at the end of each school day to do stand-up routines for his classmates (provided, of course, that he kept a lid on it the rest of the day). Carrey's early adolescence took a turn for the tragic, however, when the family was forced to relocate from their cozy town of Newmarket to Scarborough (a Toronto suburb). They all took security and janitorial jobs in the Titan Wheels factory, Jim working 8-hour shifts after school let out (not surprisingly, his grades and morale both suffered). When they finally deserted the factory, the family lived out of a Volkswagen camper van until they could return to Toronto. Back on firmer ground, Carrey decided to strike out into the comedy club scene. He made his (reportedly awful) professional stand-up debut at Yuk-Yuk's, one of the many local clubs that would serve as his training ground in the years to come. He dropped out of high school, worked on his celebrity impersonations (among them Michael Landon and James Stewart), and in 1979 worked up the nerve to move to Los Angeles. He finessed his way into a regular gig at The Comedy Store, where he impressed Rodney Dangerfield so much that the veteran comic signed him as an opening act for an entire season. During this period Carrey met and married waitress Melissa Womer, with whom he had a daughter (Jane). The couple would later go through a very messy divorce, freeing Carrey up for a brief second marriage to actress Lauren Holly. Wary of falling into the lounge act lifestyle, Carrey began to look around for other performance outlets. He landed a part as a novice cartoonist in the short-lived sitcom "The Duck Factory" (1984); while the show fell flat, the experience gave Carrey the confidence to pursue acting more vigorously. He scored the male lead in the ill-received Lauren Hutton vehicle Once Bitten (1985), and a supporting role in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), before making a modest splash with his appearance as the alien Wiploc in Earth Girls Are Easy (1988). Impressed with Carrey's lunacy, fellow extraterrestrial Damon Wayans made a call to his brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans, who was in the process of putting together the sketch comedy show "In Living Color" (1990). Carrey joined the cast and quickly made a name for himself with outrageous acts (one of his most popular characters, psychotic Fire Marshall Bill, was attacked by watchdog groups for dispensing ill-advised safety tips). Carrey's transformation from TV goofball to marquis headliner happened within the course of a single year. He opened 1994 with a starring turn in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), a film that cashed in on his extremely physical brand of humor (the character's trademark was talking out his derrière). Next up was the manic superhero movie The Mask (1994), which had audiences wondering just how far Carrey's features could stretch. Finally, in December, he hit theaters as a loveable dolt in the Farrelly brothers' Dumb & Dumber (1994) (his first multi-million dollar payday). Now a box-office staple, Carrey brought his manic antics onto the set of Batman Forever (1995), replacing Robin Williams as The Riddler. He also filmed the follow-up to his breakthrough, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995), and inked a deal with Sony to star in The Cable Guy (1996) (replacing Chris Farley) for a cool $20 million--at the time, that was the biggest up-front sum that had been offered to any comic actor. The movie turned out to be a disappointment, both critically and financially, but Carrey bounced back the next year with the energetic hit Liar Liar (1997). Worried that his comic shtick would soon wear thin, Carrey decided to change course. In 1998, he traded in the megabucks and silly grins to star in Peter Weir's The Truman Show (1998). Playing a naive salesman who discovers that his entire life is the subject of a TV show, Carrey demonstrated an uncharacteristic sincerity that took moviegoers by surprise. He won a Golden Globe for the performance, and fans anticipated an Oscar nomination as well--when it didn't materialize, Carrey lashed out at Academy members for their narrow-minded selection process. Perhaps inspired by the snub, Carrey threw himself into his next role with abandon. After edging out a handful of other hopefuls (including Edward Norton) to play eccentric funnyman Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon (1999), Carrey disappeared into the role, living as Kaufman -- and his blustery alter-ego Tony Clifton -- for months (Carrey even owned Kaufman's bongo drums, which he'd used during his audition for director Milos Forman). His sometimes uncanny impersonation was rewarded with another Golden Globe, but once again the Academy kept quiet. An indignant Carrey next reprised his bankable mania for the Farrelly brothers in Me, Myself & Irene (2000), playing a state trooper whose Jekyll and Hyde personalities both fall in love with the same woman (Renée Zellweger). Carrey's real-life persona wound up falling for her too--a few months after the film wrapped, the pair announced they were officially a couple. By then, Carrey had already slipped into a furry green suit to play the stingy antihero of Ron Howard's How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). He plans to take a break from the limelight after the holiday flick (as he puts it, "I'm looking forward to getting out of America's face"). Is there another Carrey reinvention in the works? If so, he's not talking.

Trivia random: Many of his characters are ordinary men whose lives are changed by supernatural or otherwise unseen forces. As in The Mask (1994) (" (Ipkiss happens to find the mask), The Majestic (2001) (Appleton is unlucky and suffers amnesia), Liar Liar (1997) (His son's birthday wish comes true), Bruce Almighty (2003) (Divine intervention), The Truman Show (1998) (He finds his life is a TV show), and so on.
Citazione random: "I have no intention of giving up my Canadian heritage, and all those who loved and supported me. My upbringing in Canada made me the person I am. I will always be proud to be a Canadian."

star wars

Ogni tanto mi tolgo lo sfizio di vedermi in rapida successione (diciamo nell'arco di una settimana) Star Wars, episiodi IV, V e VI.

Questa volta, dopo almeno un paio d'anni (ripresomi almeno in parte dalle delusioni dei recenti prequel), in lingua originale da DVD. Qualità video e audio superba, devo dire.

Lo so che a misurarla col bilancino anche la saga originale non mancava di difetti (l'eccesso di Ewoks nell'episodio VI è sotto gli occhi di tutti ), ma tutte le volte l'amore ha il sopravvento, che ci posso fare?
Grandiosa, epica, avventurosa, pomposa. LA saga per definizione.

Voto complessivo: 10.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Impero colpisce ancora, L'

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Regista: Irvin Kershner
Scrittore: George Lucas, Leigh Brackett
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Valutazione: 8.8/10 (123619 voti) [#10 nella top250]
Durata: 124 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Mark Hamill .... Luke Skywalker/Echo Base Announcer
• Harrison Ford .... Han Solo
• Carrie Fisher .... Princess Leia Organa
• Billy Dee Williams .... Lando Calrissian
• Anthony Daniels .... C-3PO
• David Prowse .... Darth Vader
• Peter Mayhew .... Chewbacca
• Kenny Baker .... R2-D2
• Frank Oz .... Yoda (voice)
• Alec Guinness .... Obi-Wan Kenobi

Trama:
Fleeing the evil Galactic Empire, the rebels abandon their new base on Hoth. Princess Leia, Han Solo and the droids R2-D2 and C-3P0 escape in the damaged Millenium Falcon, but are later captured by Lord Darth Vader on Bespin. Skywalker, meanwhile, follows Ben Kenobi's posthumous command and receives Jedi training by Yoda on Dagobah. Will Skywalker manage to rescue his friends from the dark lord?

Trivia random: With the exception of being sucked out of a Cloud City window, Mark Hamill did all of his own stunts.

Star Wars (1977)

Guerre stellari

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Regista: George Lucas
Scrittore: George Lucas
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Valutazione: 8.8/10 (158246 voti) [#9 nella top250]
Durata: 121 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Mark Hamill .... Luke Skywalker
• Harrison Ford .... Han Solo
• Carrie Fisher .... Princess Leia Organa
• Peter Cushing .... Grand Moff Tarkin
• Alec Guinness .... Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Anthony Daniels .... C-3PO
• Kenny Baker .... R2-D2
• Peter Mayhew .... Chewbacca
• David Prowse .... Darth Vader
• James Earl Jones .... Darth Vader (voice)

Trama:
Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the Galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and dashing Captain Han Solo (Harrison Ford) team together with the lovable robotic duo, R2-D2 and C-3PO, to rescue the beautiful princess and restore justice in the Empire.

Trivia random: According to Mark Hamill, studio executives were unhappy that Chewbacca has no clothes and attempted to have the costume redesigned with shorts.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Ritorno dello Jedi, Il

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Regista: Richard Marquand
Scrittore: George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Valutazione: 8.2/10 (98698 voti) [#116 nella top250]
Durata: 134 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Mark Hamill .... Luke Skywalker
• Harrison Ford .... Han Solo
• Carrie Fisher .... Princess Leia Organa
• Billy Dee Williams .... Lando Calrissian
• Anthony Daniels .... C-3PO
• Peter Mayhew .... Chewbacca
• Sebastian Shaw .... Anakin Skywalker
• Ian McDiarmid .... The Emperor
• Frank Oz .... Yoda (voice)
• James Earl Jones .... Darth Vader (voice)

Trama:
Darth Vader and the Empire are building a new, indestructible Death Star. Meanwhile, Han Solo has been imprisoned, and Luke Skywalker has sent R2D2 and C3PO to try and free him. Princess Leia - disguised as a bounty hunter - and Chewbacca go along as well. The final battle takes place on the moon of Endor, with its natural inhabitants, the Ewoks, lending a hand to the rebels. Will Darth Vader and the dark side overcome the rebels and take over the universe ?

Trivia random: Chris Parsons played C-3PO in 3 or 4 scenes, including the part where 3PO was carried on the chair by the Ewoks.

(rivisto) the killer

John Woo, Yun-Fat Chow, pistole, colombe, ralenti e una chiesa: in fondo basta poco per fare un capolavoro come The Killer!

Jeffrey è un killer di professione che nel corso di una azione ferisce agli occhi una bella ragazza; da quel momento la sua missione diventa trovare il denaro per ridarle la vista. Avrà contro i suoi ex datori di lavoro e la polizia.

Stupenda la costruzione dei rapporti tra Jeffrey e gli altri protagonisti: il poliziotto che lo insegue e che in fondo non è molto diverso da lui, la ragazza vittima da salvare (sperando così di salvare anche se stessi) e l'amico e collega killer, che verrà costretto a tradirlo.

Superbe le sparatorie: armi a colpi infiniti, cumuli di cadaveri e pose maraglie. Ricordarsi di raccogliere la mascella da terra, una volta finite.
Indimenticabili anche le scene di stallo con le pistole puntate.

Un difetto? Beh, a parte Chow Yun-Fat, sono tutti uguali! Anche se a dire il vero i vari A Better Tomorrow erano anche peggio, sotto questo aspetto...

Voto: 10.

xue shuang xiong, Die (1989)

The Killer

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Regista: John Woo
Scrittore: John Woo
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Valutazione: 7.9/10 (10598 voti)
Durata: 111 min
Paese: HongKong
Lingua: Cantonese, Japanese

Cast:

• Yun-Fat Chow .... Ah Jong (as Chow Yun Fat)
• Danny Lee .... Insp. Li Ying/Little Eagle
• Sally Yeh .... Jennie
• Kong Chu .... Fung Sei
• Kenneth Tsang .... Sgt. Tsang Yeh
• Fui-On Shing .... Wong Hoi
• Wing-Cho Yip .... Wong Dung-Yu
• Fan Wei Yee .... Frank
• Barry Wong .... Chief Insp. Dou/Tu
• Parkman Wong .... Insp. Chan Bok

Trama:
A warm-hearted hitman (Chow Yun-Fat) is forced to look after a nightclub singer (Sally Yeh) when he accidentally blinds her during a gunfight. Meanwhile, a hot-shot detective (Danny Lee) and a ruthless mob is on his tail.

Trivia random: In the scene where the Killer arrives at the hospital with the injured girl, the hospital sign reads "Scared Heart" where it undoubtedly was to say "Sacred Heart."

Chow, Yun-Fat

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Nome di battesimo: Fat, Chow Yun
Data di nascita: 18 May 1955
Altezza: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
Coniuge: Jasmine Chow::(1986 - present), On-on Yu::(1983 - 1983) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• Pirates of the Caribbean 3 (2007) .... Captain Sao Feng [attore]
• The Aunt's Postmodern Life (2006) .... [attore]
• Autumn Remembrance (2006) .... Prince Ping [attore]
• Stranglehold (2006) (VG) .... Inspector Tequila [attore]
• Bulletproof Monk (2003) .... Monk With No Name (as Chow Yun-Fat) [attore]
• Wo hu cang long (2000) .... Master Li Mu Bai (as Chow Yun Fat) [attore]
• Anna and the King (1999) .... King Mongkut (as Chow Yun-Fat) [attore]
• The Corruptor (1999) .... Nick Chen (as Chow Yun-Fat) [attore]
• The Replacement Killers (1998) .... John Lee (as Chow Yun-Fat) [attore]
• StarCraft (1998) (VG) .... (thanks) (as Chow Yun Fat) [misc]

Biografia:
Charismatic, athletically built and energetic Asian born film star who first came to the attention of western audiences via his roles as in the high octane / blazing guns action films of maverick HK director John WooBorn in 1955 on the island of Lamma , near Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, Chow's family moved to Hong Kong in 1965 and in early 1973 Chow attended a casting call for TVB, a division of Shaw Bros. productions. With his good looks & easy going style, Chow was originally a heart throb actor in non demanding TV & film roles, however his popularity increased with his appearance as the white suited crime boss, Hui Man-Keung, in the highly popular HK film Shang Hai tan xu ji (1983).In 1985, Chow started receiving noted acclaim for his work, and scored the Golden Horse (Best Actor) Award in Taiwan, and another Best Actor Award from the Asian Pacific Film Festival for his performance in Dang doi lai ming (1983). With these accolades, Chow came to the attention of John Woo, who cast Chow in the fast paced gangster film _Ying huang boon sik (1986)_ (aka "A Better Tomorrow").The rest, as they say, is history......the movie was an enormous commercial success, and Chow Yun Fat's influence on young Asian males was not dissimilar to the adulation given to prior Asian film sensations such as Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. Nearly every young guy in Hong Kong ran out and bought himself a "Mark Coat" as they became known....long, heavy woolen coats as worn by Chow in the movie.....although actually very unsuited to Hong Kong's hot & humid climate!Further hard edged roles in more John Woo crime films escalated Chow's popularity even higher and fans all over the world flocked to see _Yinghung bunsik II (1987)_ (aka "A Better Tomorrow 2"), Die xue shuang xiong (1989), (aka "The Killer") and Lashou shentan (1992) (aka "Hard Boiled"). With the phenomenal global interest in the HK action genre, Chow Yun Fat was enticed to the United States and appeared in The Replacement Killers (1998) with Mira Sorvino, Corrupter, The (1999)_ with Mark Wahlberg, and for a change of pace, in the much loved romantic tale of Anna and the King (1999).Chow then returned to the Asian cinema circuit and starred in the critically lauded kung fu epic Wo hu cang long (2000) (aka "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"). His wide appeal can be seen in his "boy next door" type personality and his ability to play such a broad spectrum of roles from a comedic buffoon to a love struck romeo, through to a trigger happy killer. A highly entertaining and gifted actor with dynamic on screen presence, Chow continues to remain in strong demand in many film markets.

Trivia random: Tri-lingual, speaking Cantonese, Mandarin and English.
Citazione random: "If I can associate with the people very, very gently very, very friendly every day I'm happpy. If I don't pay them respect I feel terrible inside" - From an interview with Chow Yun-Fat in the Documentary Chow Yun-Fat goes Hollywood

Better Tomorrow, A

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La ricerca ha prodotto più di un risultato.

1. Ying hung boon sik (1986)
2. Ying hung boon sik II (1987)
3. Ying hung boon sik III (1989)
4. Sun ying hong boon sik (1994)
5. Better Tomorrow, A (1945)
6. Tomorrow Shall Be Better (1965)
7. Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)
8. Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow (2005)
9. Morgen gaat 't beter (1939)
10. Tomorrow Man, The (1996) (TV)
11. Ieri, oggi, domani (1963)
12. Zwischen gestern und morgen (1947)
13. Grandmothers of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1915)
14. Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow (2005)
15. "Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" (1989)
16. Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow (1986)
17. Eoje, oneul, geurigo naeil (1975)
18. Teach Me (1984)
19. Zwischengleis (1978)
20. Yesterday's Not Tomorrow (2004)

Woo, John (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Wu, Yusen
Data di nascita: 1 May 1946
Altezza: 5' 4½" (1.64 m)
Coniuge: Annie Woo Ngau Chun-lung::(1976 - present) 3 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Bloody Numbers (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Christmas Cargo (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Rainbow Six (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The War of the Red Cliff (2007) .... [regista]
• Espionage for Dummies (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• He-Man (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Metroid (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Red Circle (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run (2006) .... [regista]
• Stranglehold (2006) (VG) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Born in southern China, John Woo grew up in Hong Kong, where he began his film career as an assistant director in 1969, working for Shaw Brothers Studios. He directed his first feature in 1973, and has been a prolific director ever since, working in a wide variety of genres before Ying hung boon sik (1986) (aka "A Better Tomorrow") established his reputation as a master stylist specializing in ultra-violent gangster films and thrillers, with hugely elaborate action scenes shot with breathtaking panache. After gaining a cult reputation in the US with Die xue shuang xiong (1989) (aka "The Killer"), Woo was offered a Hollywood contract. He plans to stay working in the US.

Trivia random: John Woo is the first Asian director ever to make a mainstream Hollywood film (Hard Target (1993)).
Citazione random: "I like doves. They look so beautiful, like a woman. For me they represent peace and love and purity. And sometimes they're seen as the messengers of God, so they're important to me because I'm a Christian."

a busta mashin!

Nel 1988 - mentre un malinconico crepuscolo calava su un'epoca nella quale i robottoni erano Veri Robottoni e si componevano con i pezzi di cinque o sei altri veicoli (di cui uno dedicato al fare la sola faccia! sia mai che gli manchi la faccia!) ed avevano i cingoli sotto i piedi, pur passando metà del tempo a mezz'aria in pose epiche - arrivò Gunbuster, sei OAV da 30 minuti l'uno.

In un futuro prossimo l'umanità ha appena scoperto i viaggi a velocità ultra-luce, ed inizia ad andarsene a zonzo nella galassia. La cosa non va però a genio ad un branco di creature aliene, che subito iniziano a distruggere le navi umane, e si preparano ad attaccare la Terra.

Sul pianeta si stanno addestrando delle armate al combattimento su dei mech, nella speranza di contrastare gli invasori. Tra le allieve della sezione femminile c'è anche Noriko figlia del comandante della prima nave umana distrutta dagli alieni (sì, un'orfana; pare che fare figli sia la prima causa di morte tra i giapponesi... )

Il primo episodio può lasciare perplessi, con la presentazione delle protagoniste e poco altro; dal secondo però le cose si complicano: un oggetto sta viaggiando ad una velocità di poco inferiore a c in direzione del sistema solare. Viene organizzata una spedizione di ricognizione e, affiancato l'oggetto, si scoprirà con stupore che non si tratta di un alieno invasore...

La serie punta molto sullo sviluppo caratteriale dei protagonisti, ma abbondano anche gli elementi puramente fantascientifici usati, devo dire, davvero bene: viaggi a velocità luce (e loro conseguenze sullo scorrere del tempo), sviluppo di nuove armi e teorie sulla vera natura dei nemici.

Ovviamente per certi aspetti può spiazzare: ci sono i robottoni e c'è (ovvio!) IL robottone più fico di tutti (c'ha pure i cingoli ai piedi!), tutti aspetti che fanno davvero anni '80, quando non '70.
Però nel complesso risulta un'opera miliare nel genere, pur essendo per molti aspetti fuori dal genere, forse col difetto di essere troppo breve e di richiedere a volte uno sforzo eccessivo per accettare per buone alcune cose che meritavano un maggior spazio/approfondimento (che Noriko sia così dispiaciuta per quel che succede a Smith non appare molto verosimile, se si considera da quanto si conoscevano...)

La serie si distingue anche per una quantità di fan service (quasi) eccessivo, chiaro segno che ci ha lavorato quel maiale di Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.

Ah: è solo in giapponese sottotitolato in italiano; vuole la leggenda che i master originali con le tracce audio separate siano andati persi (complimenti a loro e a chi non ha voglia di rifarli).
La parte tragica è che, come noto, i giapponesi sono geneticamente impossibilitati a pronunciare correttamente i termini stranieri. Nonostante ciò si ostinano ad inserire decine di termini inglesi in ogni dove (sentire "coach" pronunciato come "coachie" fa un po' impressione...)

Voto: 8.

Top o Nerae! (1988) (V)

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Regista: Hideaki Anno
Scrittore: Hideaki Anno, Toshio Okada
Genere: Animation, Sci-Fi, Action, Drama, Short
Valutazione: 7.9/10 (169 voti)
Durata: 30 (6 episodes) min
Paese: Japan
Lingua: Japanese

Cast:

• Noriko Hidaka .... Noriko Takaya (voice)
• Rei Sakuma .... Kazumi "Oneesama" Amano (voice)
• Norio Wakamoto .... Kôichirô "Coach" Ôta (voice)
• Maria Kawamura .... Jung Freud (voice)
• Yuriko Fuchizaki .... Kimiko Higuchi/Takami Akai (voice)
• Masako Katsuki .... Reiko Kashiwara (voice)
• Tamio Ôki .... Tatsumi Tashiro (Captain of Excelion) (voice)
• Kazuki Yao .... Smith Toren (voice)

Trama:
In the future, Earth is under attack by gigantic aliens. Noriko Takaya, daughter of a famous captain in the battle against the aliens, enlists in the military to combat the aliens, but must struggle with her memories, the pressures of training, the ridicule of her classmates, and herself to make herself ready to be a mech pilot. She is eventually partnered up with her rival/idol, and given control of one of two Gunbuster mechs, Earth's most powerful weapon to combat the aliens. With the fate of the earth in her hands, Noriko flies off to meet her destiny...

Trivia random: Noriko's love interest, Smith Toren was named after Toren Smith, the president of Studio Proteus. He is acquainted with various members of the Japanese animation industry, and his company prepares English versions of Japanese comics.

Sadamoto, Yoshiyuki

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Data di nascita: 29 January 1962

Ultimi lavori:

• ".hack//Tasogare no udewa densetsu" (2003) .... [misc]
• .hack//Zettai houi vol. 4 (2003) (VG) .... (character designer) [misc]
• .hack//Akusei heni vol. 2 (2002) (VG) .... (character designer) [misc]
• .hack//Osen kazukai vol. 1 (2002) (VG) .... (character designer) [misc]
• ".hack//SIGN" (2002) .... [misc]
• .hack//Shinshoku osen vol. 3 (2002) (VG) .... (character designer) [misc]
• FLCL (2000) (V) .... (animator) (episode 4) [misc]
• Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijô-ban: Air/Magokoro wo, kimi ni (1997) .... (character designer) (layout assistant) [misc]
• Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijô-ban: Shito shinsei (1997) .... (animation director) (character designer) [misc]
• "Shin seiki evangelion" (1995) .... [misc]

...ma si pronuncia Fronkensteen!!!

Rinviato a più riprese, consci che questo avrebbe fatto davvero male, alla fine è giunto anche il turno di The Lab e, invero, ha fatto davvero male.

Nella città più lercia del pianeta (monnezza ovunque, l'interno più bello è una topaia), un esimio dottore prosegue da 200 anni i suoi esperimenti sull'immortalità mettendo insieme pezzi di cadaveri che fa rivere grazie alla bioingegneria. Se vi ricorda qualcosa (l'isola dei famosi a parte ) sappiate che il titolo originale di questo film per la TV (meglio se spenta) è Frankenstein.
Purtroppo questi "cadaveri diversamente abili" sembrano non essere proprio a posto di melone e si mettono a fare cose strane, tipo cercare di uccidere il buon dottore, cercare di suicidarsi, cercare un politico onesto e cose così.
Alcuni di questi strani cadaveri di cadaveri vengono rinvenuti dalla polizia che si mette d'impegno per sbrogliare la matassa; non ne ricaveranno in realtà un granché, salvo un scontro con un fortissimo, rochissimo e frankensteinissimoMichael Madsen che, per non perdere le sue sane abitudini, timbra il cartellino anche in questo fetentissimo film.

Il finale, aperto e in sospeso, appare come una minaccia di un seguito se non addirittura di una serie per la TV, auspicabile quanto una epidemia di dissenteria esplosiva.

Dal regista del remake di Non Aprite Quella Porta non ci si poteva proprio aspettare un filmone, ma una simile brodaglia assurda, noiosa e sconclusionata mi ha ricordato per certi versi lo stile di quelll'anti-cinema di Albert Pyun (autore di un buon numero di film di cyborg e di qualche titolone con Christopher Lambert, per dire il livello...)

Voto: 1. Trashometro^® 2/10:

Madsen, Michael (I)

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Data di nascita: 25 September 1958
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Coniuge: De Anna Morgan::(15 April 1996 - present) 4 children, Jeannine Bisignano::(? - ?) (divorced) (son: Christian), Georganne LaPiere::(198? - 198?) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• All In (2006) .... Seal [attore]
• Canes (2006) .... [attore]
• Hell Ride (2006) .... The Gent [attore]
• Inglorious Bastards (2006) .... Babe Buchinsky [attore]
• King of Sorrow (2006) .... [attore]
• L.A. Dicks (2006) .... Steven Miller [attore]
• Living & Dying (2006) .... Lind [attore]
• BloodRayne (2005) .... Vladimir [attore]
• Bob's Not Gay (2005) .... [attore]
• Chasing Ghosts (2005) .... Kevin Harrison [attore]

Biografia:
At 6' 2" and 190 lbs, Michael Madsen can portray heroic, as well as villainous characters. There's just something in the way Madsen delivers his lines with that underlying aggression masked behind his gravelly tones, that makes you feel very uneasy about his true intentions! Talented Madsen first learned his craft at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, where he worked under talented actor John Malkovich. He then broke through onto the screen in minor roles in Against All Hope (1982), Racing with the Moon (1984) and The Natural (1984). His work received considerable notice after his knife-edged performance as a deranged killer "Vince Miller" in Kill Me Again (1989) and then as Susan Sarandon's rough-edged boyfriend "Jimmy" in Thelma & Louise (1991). His real breakthrough, however, came as the sadistic jewel thief, Mr. Blonde, in Quentin Tarantino's low budget hit Reservoir Dogs (1992). Movie audiences were galvanized in their seats as Madsen playfully danced around a tied down & terrified police officer, cutting him with a knife and splashing gasoline all over the petrified man...all to the cheery tunes of "Stuck In the Middle With You." Not to be typecast, Madsen surprised all with his performance as foster parent Glen Greenwood in the hit family movie Free Willy (1993), before returning to another criminal role as bank robber Rudy Travis in the remake of the Steve McQueen heist flick The Getaway (1994), and then back again as Glen Greenwood in Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995). Madsen continues to put in edge of the seat performances as morally bankrupt individuals on the wrong side of the law. Witness his intense on screen showings in Donnie Brasco (1997), Mulholland Falls (1996), and High Noon (2000) (TV). In 2003, he teamed up again with indie director Quentin Tarantino to appear in both "volumes" of Tarantino's magnum martial arts/revenge opus of Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) as the coldly evil "Budd" (aka "Sidewinder"). In addition to his film work, Madsen has contributed dialogue to two of Sony PlayStations's biggest-selling games, Grand Theft Auto III (2001) (VG) and Driv3r (2004) (VG), as well as writing several books of his own poetry. Although uncomfortable with fame, Madsen's star continues to shine in Hollywood and his droll, yet captivating acting style is ensuring him a steady flow of work as one on the screen's favourite "heavies".

Trivia random: Has worn the same pinky ring in numerous movies.
Citazione random: "Kids are a great excuse for you to stop acting like one". (Men's Health, March, 2004)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The (2003)

Non aprite quella porta

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Regista: Marcus Nispel
Scrittore: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
Genere: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 6.0/10 (12474 voti)
Durata: 98 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Jessica Biel .... Erin
• Jonathan Tucker .... Morgan
• Erica Leerhsen .... Pepper
• Mike Vogel .... Andy
• Eric Balfour .... Kemper
• Andrew Bryniarski .... Thomas Hewitt (Leatherface)
• R. Lee Ermey .... Sheriff Hoyt
• David Dorfman .... Jedidiah
• Lauren German .... Teenage Girl
• Terrence Evans .... Old Monty

Trama:
A group of college kids, on their way back from scoring drugs in Mexico, run into a hitchhiker who has just survived a horrific massacre from the night before. They try to help the girl, but in the process end up falling prey to her mysterious fear. It happens to be wielding a chainsaw...

Trivia random: The remake saw is a Husqvarna 359 with a 28" guide bar. These saws are made today and were not available in 1973 Texas.

Lambert, Christopher

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Nome di battesimo: Lambert, Christophe Guy Denis
Data di nascita: 29 March 1957
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Jaimyse Haft::(6 February 1999 - present), Diane Lane::(October 1988 - March 1994) (divorced) 1 daughter

Ultimi lavori:

• Alpha Numeric (2006) .... [attore]
• Bord cadre (2006) .... [attore]
• Le Lièvre de Vatanen (2006) .... Tom Vatanen [attore]
• Metamorphosis (2006) .... Constantine [attore]
• Mortal Kombat: Devastation (2006) .... Lord Raiden [attore]
• Southland Tales (2006) .... Walter Mung [attore]
• "Dalida" (2005) (mini) .... Richard Chanfray, dit le comte de Saint-Germain [attore]
• Day of Wrath (2005) .... Ruy de Mendoza [attore]
• The Good Shepherd (2004) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• À ton image (2004) .... Thomas [attore]

Biografia:
Though born in Great Neck, Long Island, Christopher Lambert moved away when he was only two years old. His father was a United Nations diplomat assigned to Switzerland and, as a result, Chris was educated at private boarding schools in Geneva. Inspired through his having appeared in a play at age twelve, he went to the Paris Conservatoire where he remained for two years. After a few small parts in the French cinema, beginning in 1980, he successfully competed for the title role in Warner Brothers' Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). His co-stars included Ian Holm, James Fox and Ralph Richardson (in his final film performance). The movie was popular with Tarzan buffs for remaining faithful (in the first half at least) to Edgar Rice Burroughs' original story of the apeman. Two years later Lambert brought to the screen Gregory Widen's legendary 'Connor MacLeod', the literally immortal Highlander (1986) cult-figure, born in the Highlands of Scotland in 1518 and surviving into the futuristic Highlander II: The Quickening (1991) and Highlander III: The Sorcerer (1994). In recent years he has become a movie producer while continuing to act in mostly action/adventure films.

Trivia random: Dated Princess Stephanie of Monaco.

Nispel, Marcus

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Data di nascita: 1964
Altezza: 6' 5½" (1.97 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Alice (2006) .... [regista]
• Pathfinder (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Bad Boy's 10th Anniversary... The Hits (2004) (V) .... (video "Victory") [regista]
• Bone Thugs n Harmony: The Collection Volume 2 (2004) (V) .... (video "War") [regista]
• Frankenstein (2004/II) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The Very Best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection (2004) (V) .... (videos "Walking In Memphis" & "One By One [Dance Remix]") [regista]
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) .... [regista]
• Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael (1999) (V) .... (video "Killer/Papa Was A Rollin' Stone") [regista]
• Alleys and Motorways (1997) (V) .... (segment "Greedy Fly") [regista]
• Billy Joel: Greatest Hits Volume III (1997) (V) .... (video "Lullabye [Goodnight, My Angel]") [regista]

Frankenstein (2004/II) (TV)

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Regista: Marcus Nispel
Scrittore: Dean R. Koontz, John Shiban
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Valutazione: 5.0/10 (279 voti)
Durata: Argentina:90 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Parker Posey .... Detective Carson O'Conner
• Vincent Perez .... Deucalion
• Thomas Kretschmann .... Victor Helios
• Adam Goldberg .... Detective Michael Sloane
• Ivana Milicevic .... Erika Helios
• Michael Madsen .... Detective Harker
• Ann Mahoney .... Jenna
• Deneen Tyler .... Kathleen Burke
• Billy Louviere .... Jack Rogers
• Gordon Catlin .... Father Beaufort

Trama:
Detective Carson O'Conner (Parker Poisey) and her partner Detective Michael Sloane (Adam Goldberg) are investigating murders of a serial-killer that mutilates and removes the internal organs of the victims. When they meet the mysterious and macabre Deucalion (Vincent Perez), they are informed that Dr. Frankenstein is alive with a legion of followers, using the name of Dr. Victor Helios (Thomas Kretschmann).

Trivia random: The story for Frankenstein was originally created by 'Dean Koontz ' and collaborator 'Kevin Anderson' , and intended to become a series. When USA became the production company and distributor, Koontz signed on as screenwriter and executive producer. Martin Scorsese also signed on as executive producer, and a cast (most of which were in the final product) was assembled for what was intended as the pilot to a weekly series. Following creative disputes between USA and Koontz, both Koontz and Scorsese left the project (Scorsese subsequently returned). Koontz removed all affiliation with the project, but allowed USA to use the names of his characters.

Pyun, Albert

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Nome di battesimo: Pyun, Albert F.

Ultimi lavori:

• Infection (2005) .... [regista]
• Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon (2004) .... [regista]
• Final Examination (2003) (V) .... (producer) [produttore]
• More Mercy (2003) (V) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Ticker (2001) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Corrupt (1999) .... [regista]
• Urban Menace (1999) .... [regista]
• The Wrecking Crew (1999) .... [regista]
• Crazy Six (1998) .... [regista]
• Postmortem (1998/I) .... [regista]

Trivia random: Writers trademark: Character Brick Bardo, was used by Pyun in 7 of his earlier films.