stay away!

E piantiamo pure un altro chiodino nella cassa dei film tratti da videogiochi, che tanto ormai...
Questa volta però lo facciamo in maniera diversa: invece che comprare i diritti di una qualche serie da violentare sul grande schermo, Stay Alive si ispira in maniera generica ai survival horror tanto di moda negli ultimi anni.

Dei tizi ereditano da un loro amico morto in circostanze misteriose un videogioco indipendente; appena installato sulle loro belle postazioni alienware si accorgono che non si tratta di un semplice videogioco: è in realtà un videogioco brutto (ed il pomparlo a 3200x2400 non sopperisce alle altre carenze tecniche)!
Ma non è questo il punto: il punto è che il gioco narra la strana storia di questa contessa assassina del 17esimo secolo di cui francamente non ce ne potrebbe fregar di meno, non fosse per il fatto che evidentemente la vegliarda si è reinventata programmatrice, dato che chi muore nel videogioco dopo poco segue le orme del suo avatar...
I giovani dovranno quindi combattere per la loro vita, nel mondo reale e in quello virtuale!
Lo spettatore, nel frattempo, vorrebbe essersi tirato dietro un DS o una PSP.

Catastrofico da qualunque parte lo si guardi, nel marasma generale spiccano alcune tra le più esagerate interpretazioni mai portate da attore sullo schermo e, pare, la collaborazione di uno dei game designer peggiori dell'industria videoludica.
Se il gradino più alto è tuttora occupato dal purulento Alone in the Dark, questo si piazza di prepotenza tra i primi 3 film più atroci che siano stati tratti da videogiochi.

Quello che fa veramente accapponare la pelle, è il pensiero che il regista William Brent Bell possa unirsi a Paul W.S. Anderson e ad Uwe Boll al fine di dirigere il Film Tratto Da Videogioco Definitivo^®

Voto: 1. Trashometro^® 5/10: (ne uscirete come Pac-Man: gialli, inseguiti da fantasmi e bisognosi di pillole)
Tags: videogioco, horror, survival horror, omicidi, contessa, thriller, contessa, 17esimo secolo, cimitero, casa infestata, rete, morte, trash.

Stay Alive (2006)

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Regista: William Brent Bell
Scrittore: William Brent Bell, Matthew Peterman
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 4.1/10 (5308 voti)
Durata: Argentina:85 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Jon Foster .... Hutch
• Samaire Armstrong .... Abigail
• Frankie Muniz .... Swink
• Jimmi Simpson .... Phineas
• Wendell Pierce .... Detective Thibodeaux
• Milo Ventimiglia .... Loomis Crowley
• Sophia Bush .... October
• Adam Goldberg .... Miller Banks
• Billy Slaughter .... Rex
• Nicole Oppermann .... Sarah

Trama:
After the brutal death of a friend, a group of friends find themselves in possession of a video-game called "Stay Alive," a blood-curdling true story of a 17th century noblewoman known as the Blood Countess. After playing the game when they know they shouldn't, however, the friends realize that once they die in the game--they die for real. As their numbers begin dropping and as they begin dying in the ways they died in the game, the remaining friends realize they must defeat the Blood Countess or accept their fates.

Trivia random: Shot in 25 days.
Citazione random: [simultaneously reading]::Swink Sylvania, October Bantum, Phineus Bantum, Hutch O'Neill, Abigail, Miller Banks: Come to me, clouds. May you rise as an evil storm born to rip them open. Let the cover of night bear witness and destroy those who resist so they shall harm me not. Let the blood of many cleanse me, preserving beauty eternal, I pray you.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Alone in the Dark (2005)

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Regista: Uwe Boll
Scrittore: Elan Mastai, Michael Roesch (written by)
Genere: Action, Horror, Thriller
Valutazione: 2.2/10 (11590 voti)
Durata: USA:96 min
Paese: Canada, Germany, USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Christian Slater .... Edward Carnby
• Tara Reid .... Aline Cedrac
• Stephen Dorff .... Cmdr. Richard Burke
• Frank C. Turner .... Sam Fischer
• Matthew Walker .... Prof. Lionel Hudgens
• Will Sanderson .... Agent Miles
• Mark Acheson .... Captain Chernick (as Mark Atcheson)
• Darren Shahlavi .... John Dillon
• Karin Konoval .... Sister Clara
• Craig Bruhnanski .... 80's Sheriff (as Craig Brunanski)

Trama:
Edward Carnby (Slater), detective of the paranormal, unexplained and supernatural, investigates a mystery (the recent death of a friend) with clues leading to "Shadow Island" that brings him face to face with bizarre horrors that prove both psychologically disturbing and lethal, as he discovers that evil demons worshiped by an ancient culture called the Abskani are planning on coming back to life in the 21st century to once again take over the world... and only he and a young genius anthropologist with an incredible memory (and his ex-girlfriend), Aline Cedrac (Reid), stand in their way, at a gateway to hell. Standing in Carnby's way, however, is the impact that a brief encounter with an evil spirit called the Queen had upon his mind, as he slowly finds himself overpowered by the forces of darkness as they eat away at his very sanity...

Trivia random: The ending was different in the original script, but Uwe Boll felt it should be ambiguous.
Citazione random: Cmdr. Richard Burke: This doesn't make any sense.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Bell, William Brent

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Ultimi lavori:

• Stay Alive (2006) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• Sparkle and Charm (1997) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Nature of the Beast (1995) .... (key set production assistant) [misc]
• Payback (1995) .... (production assistant) [misc]
• Rave Review (1995) .... (set production assistant) [misc]
• Suspect Device (1995) (TV) .... (production coordinator) [misc]
• Aliens for Breakfast (1994) (TV) .... (assistant production coordinator) [misc]

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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]
• 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]
• The Sight (2000) (TV) .... (executive 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: Engaged to actress/model Milla Jovovich.
Citazione random: "_AVP: Alien Vs. Predator (2004)_ is not trying to be Alien (1979) or Aliens (1986), and it's not trying to be Predator (1987). Those are genius movies. The impact that these creatures had on audiences was immense. But 26 years on, and dozens of comic books later, everyone knows what the Alien looks like. You've got to do something different with it, and make a slightly different movie. So in a way we were definitely making an Alien and a Predator movie, but a different one from the one the other directors had made."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Boll, Uwe

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

Ultimi lavori:

• Alone in the Dark II (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Far Cry (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Tunnel Rats (2008) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• BloodRayne II: Deliverance (2007) (V) .... [regista]
• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Postal (2007) .... (executive producer) (producer) [produttore]
• Seed (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Alone in the Dark (2005) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• BloodRayne (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Heart of America (2003) .... (executive producer) [produttore]

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

Trivia random: Challenged his critics in June 2006 to "put up or shut up". His production company issued a press release stating that Boll would challenge his 5 harshest critics each to a 10 round boxing match. To be eligible, the critic must have written two extremely negative reviews of Boll, in print or on the Web, in 2005. Footage of the fights will be included in his upcoming film Postal.
Citazione random: When asked what he learned from his disastrous experience with Alone in the Dark (2005): "That a script matters."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

kissed

Serata fiacca? Necessità di sdrammatizzare un'atmosfera troppo tesa? Cercate un buon hobby con cui far bella figura al prossimo colloquio di lavoro? Difficoltà nel far bella impressione sui futuri suoceri?
La necrofilia è un tema che fa sempre fine e non impegna: butti lì l'argomento, ed in men che non si dica ti risolve la serata!

Avevo già visto Kissed, ma mi ero ripromesso di riguardarlo in un orario che non fosse da tombaroli (non che non fosse adeguato al tema...)
Una giovane ragazza un bel po' sbiellata, coltiva fin da piccola una insana passione nei confronti della morte; cresciuta, riuscirà a farsi assumere come imbalsamatrice in una camera mortuaria, dove potrà portare all'estremo la propria passione copulando coi corpi di giovanotti, coi quali sostiene di riuscire ad instaurare un rapporto che non sia solo mono-direzionale, ma che è anzi soddisfacente per entrambi.
Del resto lei lo capisce dalla loro aura e, come dice il proverbio, "tra moglie e perito non mettere il dito".

Se vi state chiedendo come possa funzionare, avete dato poco peso ad "un bel po' sbiellata". C'è poi anche da dire che se diam retta alle ultime improbabili statistiche, sembra che non le passi poi tanto peggio di quelle che se la fanno coi vivi...

Tornando a noi, la signorina incontrerà un ragazzo (stranamente ancora al mondo), che resterà totalmente affascianto dalle di lei pratiche; va da sé che la necrofilia è una di quelle piccole cose che alla lunga possono davvero mettere in crisi un rapporto - un po' come lasciare la tavoletta del water alzata - e tutto si complicherà.

Il tema raccapricciante è trattato in maniera adeguata, con tratti grotteschi derivanti paradossalmente dalla (quasi) normalità con cui viene presentato; non si può certo dire che la storia (con risvolti romantici, a suo modo) sia travolgente o che risulti "convincente", ma del resto un'ora e 20 sull'argomento sembrano già sufficienti.
A tratti presenta risvolti Gaimaniani: specie i riti praticati dalla protagonista da bambina ricordano molto nello stile le cerimonie della Necropoli di Litargirio descritta nella Locanda alla Fine dei Mondi.

E poi, diamine, un film che dall'MPAA riceve la valutazione rated R for aberrant sexuality and some language non può essere del tutto malvagio!

E ricordate: necrofilia significa non dover mai dire "basta che respiri..."

Voto: 6.5 (basta non trovarlo troppo persuasivo...)
Tags: dramma, romantico, amore, necrofilia, morte, imbalsamazione, pompe funebri, sesso, cadavere, luce, nudo integrale, gelosia, camera mortuaria.

Kissed (1996)

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Regista: Lynne Stopkewich
Scrittore: Barbara Gowdy, Angus Fraser
Genere: Romance, Drama
Valutazione: 6.4/10 (1206 voti)
Durata: 78 min
Paese: Canada
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Molly Parker .... Sandra Larson
• Peter Outerbridge .... Matt
• Jay Brazeau .... Mr. Wallis, Mortician
• Natasha Morley .... Young Sandra
• Jessie Winter Mudie .... Carol, Sandra's Best Friend
• James Timmons .... Jan, Mortuary Janitor
• Joe Maffei .... Biology Teacher
• Robert Thurston .... Detective
• Annabel Kershaw .... Mother Larson
• Tim Dixon .... Father Larson, Owner of Larson's Flowers

Trama:
Over the years, a child's romantic ideals about death blossom into necrophilia, the study of embalming and the most profound relationship of her life. Citazione random: Sandra Larson: It's like looking into the sun without going blind. I'm consumed.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Parker, Molly (I)

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Data di nascita: June 1972
Altezza: 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Coniuge: Matt Bissonette::(? - present) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• Swingtown (2007) (TV) .... [attrice]
• Hollywoodland (2006) .... Laurie Simo [attrice]
• Who Loves the Sun (2006/I) .... Maggie Claire [attrice]
• The Wicker Man (2006) .... Sister Rose/Sister Thorn [attrice]
• Break a Leg (2005) .... Kate [attrice]
• Nine Lives (2005) .... Lisa [attrice]
• The Good Shepherd (2004) .... Madeline Finney [attrice]
• Iron Jawed Angels (2004) (TV) .... Emily Leighton [attrice]
• Looking for Leonard (2002) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Marion Bridge (2002) .... Agnes [attrice]

Biografia:
Molly Parker, the extremely talented and versatile Canadian actress best known in the United States for playing the Western widow Alma Garret on the cable-TV series "Deadwood," was born on July 17, 1972, in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. Raised on a commune she described as "a hippie farm" in Pitt Meadows, B.C., Parker got the acting bug when she was 16 years old, after 13 years of ballet training. Parker's uncle was an actor, and his agent took her on as a client, enabling her to launch her career in small roles on Canadian television. She enrolled at Vancouver's Gastown Actors' Studio after she graduated form high school, and continued to act on TV in series and TV-movies while learning her craft at acting school.Parker began attracting attention when she appeared as the daughter of a lesbian military officer in the TV-movie "Serving in Silence". She earned a Gemini nomination (the Canadian TV industry's equivalent of the Emmy) for her performance in the TV-movie "Paris or Somewhere". However, it was her debut in theatrical films that gave her her big breakthrough, playing a necrophiliac in Lynne Stopkewich's 1996 film "Kissed". It was "Kissed that set Molly's career into overdrive.A friend got her an audition for the low-budget independent feature film, and she hit if off with the director, who not only cast her, but became her friend. As the character Sandra Larson, a poetic soul obsessed with death who engages in sexual congress with a corpse, Parker created a sympathetic character in a difficult role. The film garnered her rave revues and she won a Genie Award, the Canadian cinema's Academy Award, for her performance. She parlayed the accolades into a sustained career on film and in TV.On TV, Parker was part of the cast of CBC-TV's six-part sitcom "Twitch City", playing the girlfriend of Don McKellar, which enabled her to showcase her comedic skills. Other memorable TV roles was the female rabbi on Home Box Office's series "Six Feet Under", and of course, he regular role on HBO's "Deadwood". She has appeared in many ambitious films, including Jeremy Podeswa's "The Five Senses", István Szabó's "Sunshine", and Michael Winterbottom's "Wonderland" (1999). She also re-teamed with director Lynne Stopkewich for "Suspicious River."Parker made waves with another provocative film with sex as its subject, director Wayne Wang's "The Center of the World". In the movie, Parker played a San Francisco lap dancer who becomes a paid escort to a Silicon Valley nerd. For her performance, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. In 2002, she was nominated twice as best supporting actress at the Genies for her roles in the British/Canadian co-production "The War Bride" and "Bruce Sweeney's Last Wedding", winning for her appearance in the latter film.Parker's reputation as an outstanding actress is based on her assaying of strong, yet flawed, definitely complex women in character-leads and supporting parts in challenging films. Not only does she convey intelligence, but there is an unconscious elegance to her, a true inner beauty that radiates on-screen. She will be gracing the screen, both large and small, with her unique presence for many years to come.

Trivia random: Gave birth to son William Strummer Bissonette on 13 October 2006 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Gaiman, Neil

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Nome di battesimo: Gaiman, Neil R.
Data di nascita: 10 November 1960
Altezza: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Coniuge: Mary T. McGrath::(1985 - present) 3 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Coraline (2008) .... (novel) [scrittore]
• Beowulf (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Stardust (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• MirrorMask (2005) .... (story) (teleplay) [scrittore]
• The Last Dragon (2004) (TV) .... (creative consultant) [misc]
• A Short Film About John Bolton (2003) .... [scrittore]
• Neil Gaiman Live at the Aladdin (2001) (V) .... (poem) (short stories Chivalry, Babycakes, Being An Experiment Upon Strictly Scientific Lines, Locks and Price) [scrittore]
• Dogma (1999) .... (special thanks) [misc]
• Archangel Thunderbird (1998) (TV) .... Baal (voice) [attore]
• Mononoke-hime (1997) .... (English adaptation: US version) [scrittore]

Trivia random: Sandman #19 took the 1991 World Fantasy Award for best short story (making it the first comic ever to be awarded a literary award).
Citazione random: "It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

[combo] L.A. Confidential

Combo! Un film (ri)visto di recente, ed uno ad esso collegato da consigliare.

Visto: è sempre un piacere, rivedersi L.A. Confidential: un grande cast per un thriller noir-ma-non-troppo nella hollywood anni '50.
La polizia è brutale, corrotta e piena di opportunisti, eppure alcuni detective non esattamente ortodossi dovranno affrontare - ognuno a modo proprio - un caso che lega omicidi, squillo d'alto bordo e corruzione ai massimi livelli.

Voto: 8.

Combo: Scomodi Omicidi (Mulholland Falls), sempre a Los Angeles ma ambientato un decennio prima, un'altra squadra di poliziotti violenti indaga su un omicidio, quando il ritrovamento di alcuni filmati compromettenti complica le cose.
Poco amato da critica e pubblico, il buon cast e la discreta regia a mio parere risultano comunque in un noir torbido quanto basta da meritarsi la visione.

Voto: 7.

Tags: thriller, polizia, azione, crimine, noir, Los Angeles, anni '50, anni '40, corruzione, omicidio, prostituzione, Hollywood, potere, sesso.

L.A. Confidential (1997)

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Regista: Curtis Hanson
Scrittore: James Ellroy, Brian Helgeland (screenplay)
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Valutazione: 8.4/10 (96724 voti) [#56 nella top250]
Durata: 138 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Kevin Spacey .... Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes
• Russell Crowe .... Officer Wendell 'Bud' White
• Guy Pearce .... Det .Lt. Edmund Jennings 'Ed' Exley
• James Cromwell .... Capt. Dudley Liam Smith
• Kim Basinger .... Lynn Bracken
• David Strathairn .... Pierce Morehouse Patchett
• Danny DeVito .... Sid Hudgens
• Graham Beckel .... Det. Sgt. Richard Alex 'Dick' Stensland
• Paul Guilfoyle .... Meyer Harris 'Mickey' Cohen
• Ron Rifkin .... Dist. Atty. Ellis Loew

Trama:
1950's Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very different cops are all after the truth, each in their own style: Ed Exley, the golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead, except sell out; Bud White, ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes, always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime.

Trivia random: The fictional TV show "Badge Of Honor", of which Sgt. Jack Vincence is the technical advisor, is based on "Dragnet". Throughout the film, you can hear fellow officers teasing Jack by saying "Just the facts!" which is Sgt. Joe Friday's famous line from the series.
Citazione random: [to Ray Collins]::Ed Exley: They called you 'Sugar', 'cause you liked to give it out... so sweet.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Mulholland Falls (1996)

Scomodi omicidi

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Regista: Lee Tamahori
Scrittore: Peter Dexter, Floyd Mutrux (story)
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.8/10 (4557 voti)
Durata: 107 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Nick Nolte .... Max Hoover
• Melanie Griffith .... Katherine Hoover
• Chazz Palminteri .... Elleroy Coolidge
• Michael Madsen .... Eddie Hall
• Chris Penn .... Arthur Relyea
• Treat Williams .... Colonel Nathan Fitzgerald
• Jennifer Connelly .... Allison Pond
• Daniel Baldwin .... McCafferty
• Andrew McCarthy .... Jimmy Fields
• John Malkovich .... General Thomas Timms

Trama:
This film is about the adventures of a 1940's special anti-gangster police squad in Los Angeles, the infamous 'Hat Squad.' The four members of this squad are big, tough, no-nonsense cops who don't hesitate to break the law, if it suits their purposes. When a local woman is murdered, their investigation turns up the fact that she had been romantically linked to several prominent men and had secret films taken of her liaisons. Since one of those men is the powerful U.S. Army General at the head of the then-new Atomic Energy Commission and another is the (married) leader of the Hat Squad, complications ensue. The FBI even gets involved in an attempted cover-up.

Trivia random: Cameo: ['Rob Lowe' ] Hoodlum
Citazione random: General Timms: You're much more intelligent than you appear to be, Lieutenant. Must be a big advantage in your field. In my field, everyone was always so desperate to seem cleverer than they were.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

midnight mass

Mai bere acqua santa prima di cena. Specie se siete vampiri.
I sistemi di auto-protezione del cervello contro i traumi devono essere davvero efficienti, se a distanza di pochi giorni già non ricordo assolutamente nulla di La Notte Dei Vampiri (anche "Midnight Mass").

Già partiamo malissimo citando Romero ed i suoi annunci televisivi per introdurre e accrescere il senso di panico che si diffonde nel mondo al propagarsi della catastrofe. Con una botta di originalità senza precedenti abbiamo però qui dei vampiri, in luogo dei nostri amati zombie.
Per farla breve: i vampiri fanno "outing" e decidono che è giunta l'ora di diffondersi come lupi tra il gregge umano (very original); contro di loro una piccola comunità rurale (a cui tutti noi auguriamo una lenta e straziante morte ) si stringe attorno al giovane sacerdote - disperato e ad un passo dall'alcolismo, così come il pubblico - intenzionato a riprendersi la chiesa locale a suon di crocifissi e acqua santa.
Volendosi dare un tono psicologico-culturale, poi, il regista/scrittore ha anche la cattiva idea di introdurre estenuanti diatribe a sfondo religioso sul bene, il male, i vampiri e la cattiveria del mondo.

Pellicola che oserei definire minimalista, difettando in pratica di tutti quegli inutili orpelli che vanno sotto il nome di trama, sceneggiatura, dialoghi, regia e senso del ritmo (e della decenza).
Il fatto che pressoché nessuna delle persone implicate a vario titolo in questo filmone abbia poi più lavorato nel mondo del cinema, mi pare significativo: atroce sotto ogni punto di vista, è sconsigliato a chiunque non abbia gravissime colpe da espiare e sia momentaneamente privo di una vergine di ferro.

Col senno di poi sarebbe stato meno doloroso farsi una maratona di 72 ore ininterrotte di Walker, Texas Ranger. Al qual proposito vi ricordo che osservando attentamente il cappello di Trivette si possono trarre valide previsioni metorologiche e sulla vita amorosa.

Voto: 1. Trashometro^® 2/10: (se incontrate questo DVD piantagli un paletto di frassino nel cuore, prima che lui lo faccia a voi!)
Tags: horror, vampiri, chiesa, prete, alcolismo, croficisso, acqua santa, comunità, noia mortale, trash.

Mandile, Tony

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Ultimi lavori:

• Midnight Mass (2003) .... (co-producer) [produttore]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

"Walker, Texas Ranger" (1993)

Walker Texas Ranger

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Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Western
Valutazione: 4.7/10 (577 voti)
Durata: 60::(203 episodes) min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Chuck Norris .... Cordell "Cord" Walker / ... (94 episodes, 1993-2001)
• Clarence Gilyard Jr. .... James "Jimmy" Trivette / ... (94 episodes, 1993-2001)
• Sheree J. Wilson .... Asst. D.A. Alex Cahill (91 episodes, 1993-2001)
• Noble Willingham .... C.D. Parker (54 episodes, 1993-1999)

Trama:
Walker, a martial artist, and his partner Trivette are Texas Rangers. They make it their business to battle crime in Dallas and all around the State of Texas.

Trivia random: Jimmy Trevette's nickname for C.D. Parker was "Big Dog".
Citazione random: [after being beaten up by Walker]::Ranger Jimmy Trivette: I'm glad he's in a happy mood.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Romero, George A. (I)

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

Ultimi lavori:

• The Crazies (2008) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Day of the Dead (2007) .... (motion picture "Day of the Dead") [scrittore]
• Diamond Dead (2007) .... [scrittore]
• Diary of the Dead (2007) .... [scrittore]
• From a Buick 8 (2007) .... [regista]
• Brunch of the Living Dead (2006) .... (special thanks) [misc]
• Creepshow III (2006) .... (film "Creepshow") [scrittore]
• Night of the Living Dead 3D (2006) .... (1968 screenplay) [scrittore]
• Land of the Dead (2005) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green (2005) (VG) .... (special thanks) [misc]

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

Trivia random: Prior to Night of the Living Dead (1968), he was better known as an industrial film-maker, who created TV commercials, promotional featurettes and industrial training films. One of his assignments was to shoot short films that were used in the TV show "MisteRogers' Neighborhood" .
Citazione random: Yeah, I'm seen by the studios as a genre guy. I've made several non-genre films, but nobody went to see them. I guess I'll never be a member of that club.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Midnight Mass (2003)

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Regista: Tony Mandile
Scrittore: Tony Mandile, F. Paul Wilson
Genere: Horror
Valutazione: 2.3/10 (156 voti)
Durata: 98 min
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Julia Cornish .... Raven
• Elizabeth Vance .... Dakota
• Mariana Matthews .... 'Mickey' Edwards
• Pamela Karp .... Gwen Waters
• Rev .... Vichy #3
• St James .... Vichy #1
• Candice Leigh Bauman .... Blonde Woman
• Melissa Crawford .... Vampire--extra
• Larry Dane .... Newscaster 1
• David Dwyer .... Carl Edwards

Trama:
A group of people fight for their small town after vampires take over the world.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Gilyard Jr., Clarence

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Nome di battesimo: Jr., Clarence Darnell Gilyard
Data di nascita: 24 December 1955
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Coniuge: Kathy::(? - ?) (divorced) 2 children, Elena::(? - present) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005) (TV) .... Ranger James "Jimmy" Trivette (as Clarence Gilyard) [attore]
• Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002) (V) .... Pastor Bruce Barnes (as Clarence Gilyard) [attore]
• Left Behind (2000) .... Bruce Barnes (as Clarence Gilyard) [attore]
• Boondoggle (1999) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Orange Bowl Parade (1997) (TV) .... Host/Himself [attore]
• Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion (1994) .... Jimmy Trivette [attore]
• The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990) (TV) .... Roy Bryant [attore]
• L.A. Takedown (1989) (TV) .... Mustafa Jackson [attore]
• Die Hard (1988) .... Theo [attore]
• Off the Mark (1987) .... James B. White [attore]

Trivia random: He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

losing lost

Dopo averne perso una puntata una o due settimane fa, mi sa che rinuncerò a seguire Lost; non tanto perché la continuity stretta mi impedisca di riprendere il filo, quanto piuttosto per il contrario: il fatto che in una serie che presenta cinque colpi di scena ad episodio e tre stravolgimenti del quadro d'insieme a stagione si riesca a capire tutto pur avendo saltato un episodio (e mezzo: quello dopo l'ho ascoltato mentre facevo altro), mi fa scattare l'allarme "brodo freddo allungato".
Intendiamoci: la prima stagione era fica, anche se dopo un po' ci si assuefaceva al clima e l'inaspettato non era poi così sconvolgente.
Questa seconda stagione mi ha fatto un po' cadere le braccia: il conto alla rovescia grida "fuffa!" da qualunque parte lo si guardi, e la comparsa degli altri dispersi non ha aggiunto nulla di interessante, mentre ha sfilacciato le trame che vedevano protagonisti quelli del primo gruppo.
Taciamo poi di quell'insostenibile tappo di Michelle Rodriguez e della sua mania di tenere sempre gli occhi in su, che verrebbe voglia di tirarle degli sganassoni sul cranio a vedere se si rimettono a posto, stile slot-machine...

Dopo la catastrofe iniziale, ER si è invece ripreso abbastanza bene e - pur non raggiungendo mai l'ottimo - ha presentato anche nella dodicesima tagione qualche episodio interessante (buono quello con James Woods); siamo comunque lontani dai tempi d'oro, anche se un funerale ed una bella sparatoria al pronto soccorso è sempre quello che ci vuole per chiudere in bellezza una stagione.

Woods, James (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Woods, James Howard
Data di nascita: 18 April 1947
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Sarah Owen::(2 June 1989 - 1990) (divorced), Kathryn Morrison::(31 August 1980 - 1983) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• Surf's Up (2007) .... (voice) [attore]
• End Game (2006) .... Vaughn Stevens [attore]
• Scarface: The World Is Yours (2006) (VG) .... George (voice) [attore]
• Be Cool (2005) .... Tommy Athens [attore]
• Kingdom Hearts II (2005) (VG) .... Hades (voice) [attore]
• Pretty Persuasion (2005) .... Hank Joyce [attore]
• Ark (2004) .... Jallak (voice) [attore]
• The Easter Egg Adventure (2004) .... Grab Takit (voice) [attore]
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) (VG) .... Mike Toreno (voice) [attore]
• Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (2004) (VG) .... Hades (voice) [attore]

Biografia:
James Woods grew up in Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, where he graduated from Pilgrim High School in 1965 near the top of his class. Afterwards, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. He dropped out to pursue his acting career shortly before his scheduled graduation in 1969.

Trivia random: Quit smoking cigarettes in 1993.
Citazione random: "Achieving success as an actor has not been easy for me. My biggest, probably most irrational complaint has been that I've had to work harder for what I've gotten. I've seen other people with nepotism or wealth or cheesy good looks on their side who've had it easy, whereas I felt that I had to 'overprove' myself. No one ever went out of their way and said, 'Let's make Jimmy Woods a star.' With many frustrations and disappointments early in my career, I went into a deep depression. One time, I just sat in a chair for eighteen days. I worked my way out of that depressed state, but it took three years of therapy."
Salario massimo: $5,000, per Northfork (2003)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

"Lost" (2004)

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Genere: Adventure, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Durata: 42 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, French, Korean, German

Cast:

• Naveen Andrews .... Sayid Jarrah (60 episodes, 2004-2007)
• Matthew Fox .... Jack Shephard / ... (60 episodes, 2004-2007)
• Jorge Garcia .... Hugo 'Hurley' Reyes (60 episodes, 2004-2007)
• Josh Holloway .... James 'Sawyer' Ford (60 episodes, 2004-2007)
• Daniel Dae Kim .... Jin Kwon (60 episodes, 2004-2007)
• Yunjin Kim .... Sun Kwon (60 episodes, 2004-2007)
• Evangeline Lilly .... Kate Austen (60 episodes, 2004-2007)
• Dominic Monaghan .... Charlie Pace (60 episodes, 2004-2007)
• Terry O'Quinn .... John Locke (60 episodes, 2004-2007)
• Emilie de Ravin .... Claire Littleton (58 episodes, 2004-2007)

Trama:
A horrific plane crash leaves 48 passengers alive, and stranded on a remote island in the South Pacific. The survivors include doctor Jack, now freed prisoner Kate, one hit wonder rock star Charlie, Iraqi military vet Sayid, and a mysterious man named Locke. For a while their goal is simple survival, but they soon realize that it was far more than mere chance that brought them together, and each of them has a purpose that will help them unlock the island's secrets.

Trivia random: The first season depicts the first 44 days on the island. Locke mentions this when talking to Desmond inside the hatch.
Citazione random: Kate: You okay?::Sawyer: Never been better.::Kate: What the hell were you thinking?::Sawyer: [chuckles] I couldn't help myself. You just look so damn cute swingin' that pickaxe... Chain gang looks good on you, Freckles.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

"ER" (1994)

E.R. - medici in prima linea

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Regista: Brett Fallis
Scrittore: Sonya Steele
Genere: Drama
Valutazione: 7.9/10 (484 voti)
Durata: Netherlands:44 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Noah Wyle .... Dr. John Carter / ... (249 episodes, 1994-2006)
• Laura Innes .... Dr. Kerry Weaver (244 episodes, 1995-2007)
• Laura Cerón .... Nurse Chuny Marquez (193 episodes, 1995-2007)
• Deezer D .... Nurse Malik McGrath (186 episodes, 1994-2007)
• Anthony Edwards .... Dr. Mark Greene (178 episodes, 1994-2002)
• Goran Visnjic .... Dr. Luka Kovac (175 episodes, 1999-2007)
• Yvette Freeman .... Nurse Haleh Adams (173 episodes, 1994-2007)
• Eriq La Salle .... Dr. Peter Benton (168 episodes, 1994-2002)
• Maura Tierney .... Nurse Abby Lockhart / ... (161 episodes, 1999-2007)
• Alex Kingston .... Dr. Elizabeth Corday (157 episodes, 1997-2004)

Trama:
Michael Crichton has created a medical drama that chronicles life and death in a Chicago hospital emergency room. Each episode tells the tale of another day in the ER, from the exciting to the mundane, and the joyous to the heart-rending. Frenetic pacing, interwoven plot lines, and emotional rollercoastering is used to attempt to accurately depict the stressful environment found there. This show even portrays the plight of medical students in their quest to become physicians.

Trivia random: Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) was supposed to be brain-dead from a suicide attempt in the first episode, but the character was revived for the series. For the first episode, Margulies was credited as a guest star.
Citazione random: Malik: [examining a trauma patient] Check it out, swastikas.::Nurse Connie Oligario: I've got a "die n- die" here.::Nurse Lily Jarvik: [to the patient] How do you feel about Asians?

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Rodriguez, Michelle (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Rodriguez, Mayte Michelle
Data di nascita: 12 July 1978
Altezza: 5' 4" (1.63 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Battle in Seattle (2007) .... Lou [attrice]
• The Breed (2006) .... Nicki [attrice]
• BloodRayne (2005) .... Katarin [attrice]
• "IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix" (2005) .... Liz Ricarro (unknown episodes) [attrice]
• Sian Ka'an (2005) .... (voice) [attrice]
• Control (2004) .... Teresa [attrice]
• Driv3r (2004) (VG) .... Calita (voice) [attrice]
• Halo 2 (2004) (VG) .... Marine (voice) [attrice]
• S.W.A.T. (2003) .... Chris Sanchez [attrice]
• True Crime: Streets of LA (2003) (VG) .... Rosie Velasco (voice) [attrice]

Biografia:
Known for tough-chick roles, Michelle Rodriguez is proof that there is a cross between beauty and brawn. Born in Bexar County, Texas on July 12, 1978, Michelle always knew she was destined to become a star, she just didn't know how to get there. Michelle lived in Texas until the age of 8 when her family moved to the Dominican Republic where she lived for two years before moving to Puerto Rico. At 11, Michelle's family relocated for the last time to Jersey City, New Jersey. Although she has been working since 1999 as an extra in such films as Summer of Sam (1999) and Cradle Will Rock (1999), it only took a magazine ad announcing an open casting call in New York for Michelle to decide to finally step into the spotlight. The role was the female lead, the movie was Girlfight (2000). Despite the lack of experience in film and boxing, Michelle auditioned, along with another 350 girls. After various trials inside an actual boxing ring and five arduous months of training in Brooklyn's Gleason's Gym, she was finally chosen to portray the role of Diana Guzman. As soon as the independent film began making the rounds at various film festivals, Michelle began gaining critical acclaim for her performance earning her awards like the Deaxville Festival of American Cinema award for Best Actress and the Las Vegas Film Critics Society for Female Breakthrough Performance. As Girlfight (2000) continued to gain notoriety with its September 2000 release, Michelle was already hard at work with films like 3 A.M. (2001), the blockbuster hit The Fast and the Furious (2001), and Resident Evil (2002). With Hollywood calling her name, the future for this feisty Jersey girl is as strong as the punches she throws.

Trivia random: When interviewed to join the cast of "Lost" as tough LAPD cop, she insisted that she would only sign on for one year because she is a "nomadic spirit". The producers came up with a story line and sold the idea of the short contract to the network.
Citazione random: "I don't think it's narcissistic at all to love yourself and believe in yourself. I think some people are really scared to do that. I have to. If I don't, I would not succeed in what I do."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

ghost rider

Il fatto che un film sia "fortemente voluto" è di norma indice di catastrofe imminente; quando poi è "fortemente voluto" da un attore, le probabilità diventano quasi certezze.
Nicolas Cage ha fortissimamente voluto un film su Ghost Rider e, per andar sul sicuro, si è affidato allo stesso pseudo-regista di Daredevil.

Il giovane Johnny Blaze lavora nello show moto-acrobatico del padre, malato di cancro; per salvarlo stringe un patto con Peter Fonda (qui magistralmente interpretato da Mefistofele ) che - come ci si poteva pure aspettare - lo rispetta a modo suo.
Sorvoliamo sui diritti del consumatore ed i dieci giorni di diritto di recesso che a Johnny vengono negati, e saltiamo avanti nel tempo fino al momento in cui Johnny è padrone di un proprio show personale; sfiga vuole che sul più bello il patto col diavolo entri in vigore, trasformandolo nel Ghost Rider: l'esattore del demonio addetto al recupero crediti delle anime dannate.
Contro di lui si parerà niente meno che Blackheart, figlio del satanasso che conta di ereditare gli inferi tramite una so-ben-io-cosa leggenda; grazie al cielo, il poco acuto Johnny incontrerà più o meno per caso un simpatico vecchietto che gli spiegherà i perché ed i percome del suo ruolo.
In giro si vede pure una Eva Mendes sempre troppo vestita.

E pensare che con giusto una manciata di accorgimenti sarebbe pure venuto fuori un film (non dico "buono", dico "film" e basta): gli sceneggiatori potevano sbattersi un minimo per dare un corpo alla cosa, i dialoghi potevano essere meno banali e stucchevoli, la regia poteva essere affidata a chiunque avesse l'ABC del mestiere ed i vari ruoli a soggettoni meno mono-espressivi; pure gli effetti speciali (discrete le fiamme e la moto è maraglia quanto serve) non sono niente di mai visto anche in produzioni medio-piccole.
Ehi, a parte questo ha anche dei meriti: il teschio, ad esempio, è in fiamme...

Voto: 4.5.
Tags: azione, horror, fantasy, marvel, eroe, motociclista, stuntman, cimitero, leggenda, mefistofele, patto col diavolo, Ghost Rider, possessione, demoni, west, dannati, anima, amore, guarda-mamma-ho-il-teschio-in-fiamme.

Johnson, Mark Steven

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Data di nascita: 30 October 1964
Coniuge: Suzie Johnson::(? - ?)

Ultimi lavori:

• Ghost Rider (2007) .... (screen story) (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Elektra (2005) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Beyond Hell's Kitchen: Making 'Daredevil' (2003) (V) .... (special thanks) [misc]
• Daredevil (2003) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) .... Movie director (uncredited) [attore]
• Jack Frost (1998) .... (screenplay) (story) [scrittore]
• Simon Birch (1998) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Big Bully (1996) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• Grumpier Old Men (1995) .... (characters) (written by) [scrittore]
• Grumpy Old Men (1993) .... (written by) [scrittore]

Salario massimo: $300,000, per Grumpy Old Men (1993)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Fonda, Peter (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Fonda, Peter Henry
Data di nascita: 23 February 1940
Altezza: 6' 3" (1.91 m)
Coniuge: Portia Rebecca Crockett::(11 November 1975 - present), Susan Brewer::(8 October 1961 - 16 April 1972) (divorced) 2 children

Ultimi lavori:

• 3:10 to Yuma (2007) .... [attore]
• Ghost Rider (2007) .... Mephistopheles [attore]
• Japan (2007) .... Alfred [attore]
• Wild Hogs (2007) .... Damien Blade [attore]
• El Cobrador: In God We Trust (2006) .... X [attore]
• Supernova (2005) (TV) .... Dr. Austin Shepard [attore]
• Back When We Were Grownups (2004) (TV) .... Dr. Will Allenby [attore]
• Capital City (2004) (TV) .... President Bridgewater [attore]
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) (VG) .... The Truth (voice) [attore]
• The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004) .... Grandfather [attore]

Trivia random: Ex-brother-in-law of Tom Hayden.
Citazione random: [on why he prefers to be addressed as 'Peter']: "Whenever I hear 'Mr. Fonda', I look over at the door, figuring he's come back."
Salario massimo: $10,000, per The Wild Angels (1966)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Daredevil (2003)

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Regista: Mark Steven Johnson
Genere: Action, Crime, Fantasy, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.6/10 (32301 voti)
Durata: 103 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English, Greek

Cast:

• Ben Affleck .... Matt Murdock/Daredevil
• Jennifer Garner .... Elektra Natchios
• Colin Farrell .... Bullseye
• Michael Clarke Duncan .... Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin
• Jon Favreau .... Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson
• Scott Terra .... Young Matt
• Ellen Pompeo .... Karen Page
• Joe Pantoliano .... Ben Urich
• Leland Orser .... Wesley Owen Welch
• Lennie Loftin .... Nick Manolis

Trama:
He dwells in a world of external night--but the blackness is filled with sounds and scents, tastes and textures that most cannot perceive. Although attorney Matt Murdock is blind, his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness. By day, Murdock represents the downtrodden. At night he is Daredevil, a masked vigilante stalking the dark streets of the city, a relentless avenger of justice. For Daredevil justice is blind--and for the guilty, there's hell to pay. Written by Anonymous

Trivia random: The _Daredevil_ (qv) writers and artists referenced in the film: 'Stan Lee' (qv): _Daredevil_ (qv) co-creator makes his cameo as the man whom young Matt Murdock stops from crossing the street. Wrote _Daredevil_ (qv) (1964-1969). Kirby (Lab assistant played by 'Kevin Smith' (qv)): Comic book artist 'Jack Kirby' (qv) (assorted _Daredevil_ (qv) covers in 1964-1968). Father Everett: Shares his name with 'Bill Everett' (qv), _Daredevil_ (qv)'s co-creator (drew first issue of _Daredevil_ (qv) in 1964, then assorted covers between 1966 and 1972). Jose Quesada (the acquitted rapist) shares his last name with 'Joe Quesada' (qv), the editor in chief of Marvel Comics, as well as the one-time artist of _Daredevil_ (qv) (1998-2000). Colan (a boxer that won a bout that Jack Murdock fell asleep while watching), a reference to 'Gene Colan' (qv), another _Daredevil_ (qv) artist (1966-1974). John Romita (the boxer that Jack Murdock is supposed to dive against): Father and son artists 'Johnny Romita' (qv) (John Sr.) (1966) and 'John Romita Jr.' (qv) (1988-1990). Kane (a thug): Named after 'Gil Kane' (qv), _Daredevil_ (qv) cover artist between 1971 and 1978. Miller, Mack and Bendis (three other boxers that Jack Murdock previously "won" matches against), a reference to 'Frank Miller' (qv), writer/artist (1979-1983), David Mack, one of the artists (1999-2001), and 'Brian Bendis' (qv), the current writer of _Daredevil_ (qv), as of the time of the film's release (1999-present). 'Kevin Smith' (qv) wrote some _Daredevil_ (qv) comics (see _Daredevil_ (qv) Visionaries: 'Kevin Smith' (qv)), and he plays the lab assistant Kirby.
Citazione random: 'Kingpin' (qv): I grew up in the Bronx, Westley. This is something *you* wouldn't understand.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Cage, Nicolas

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Nome di battesimo: Coppola, Nicholas Kim
Data di nascita: 7 January 1964
Altezza: 6' 0¾" (1.85 m)
Coniuge: Alice Kim::(30 July 2004 - present) 1 child, Lisa Marie Presley::(10 August 2002 - 16 May 2004) (divorced), Patricia Arquette::(8 April 1995 - 18 May 2001) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• Amarillo Slim (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Crazy Dog (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Dance (2008) .... (executive producer) (producer) [produttore]
• Electric God (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Time Share (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Bangkok Dangerous (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Ghost Rider (2007) .... Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider [attore]
• Grindhouse (2007) .... Fu Manchu - segment 'Werewolf Women of the SS' [attore]
• National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) .... Ben Gates [attore]
• Next (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
The son of comparative literature professor August Coppola (a brother of director Francis Ford Coppola) and dancer/choreographer Joy Vogelsang, Cage changed his name early in his career to make his own reputation, succeeding brilliantly with a host of classic, quirky roles by the late 1980s.Initially studying theatre at Beverly Hills High (though he dropped out at 17), he secured a bit part in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) -- most of which was cut, dashing his hopes and leading to a job selling popcorn at the Fairfax Theater, thinking that would be the only route to a movie career. But a job reading lines with auditioners for uncle Francis' Rumble Fish (1983) landed him a role in that film, followed by the punk-rocker in Valley Girl (1983), which was released first and truly launched his career.His one-time passion for method acting reached a personal limit when he smashed a street-vendor's remote-control car to achieve the sense of rage needed for his gangster character in The Cotton Club (1984).In his early 20s, he dated Jenny Wright for two years and later linked to Uma Thurman. After a relationship of several years with Christina Fulton, a model, they split amicably and share custody of a son, Weston Coppola Cage (b.1992).

Trivia random: Close friends with Tom Waits.
Citazione random: "I'm sad about this, but we shouldn't have been married in the first place." - about his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley.
Salario massimo: $20,000,000, per Windtalkers (2002)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Mendes, Eva

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Data di nascita: 5 March 1974
Altezza: 5' 6" (1.68 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Cleaner (2007) .... [attrice]
• Ghost Rider (2007) .... Roxanne Simpson [attrice]
• Live! (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• We Own the Night (2007) .... Amanda Juarez [attrice]
• 3 & 3 (2005) .... Gabriella [attrice]
• Hitch (2005/I) .... Sara [attrice]
• Trust the Man (2005) .... Faith [attrice]
• The Wendell Baker Story (2005) .... Doreen [attrice]
• 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) .... Monica Fuentes [attrice]
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) .... Ajedrez [attrice]

Biografia:
Eva Mendes was raised in Los Angeles of Cuban-American heritage. In college she began acting, studying underneath acting coach Ivana Chubbuck. This led to her desire to appear in feature films. Though taking many smaller roles in movies, she was little known until playing the girlfriend of Denzel Washington's character in Training Day (2001). Since then she has been featured in a wider range of roles, from comedic to dramatic. These gave her the ability to work with many highly regarded directors, such as Robert Rodriguez (Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)), Carl Franklin (Out of Time (2003/I)), John Singleton (2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)), Antoine Fuqua (Training Day (2001)) and the Farrelly Bros. (Stuck on You (2003)).Most recently Eva has co-starred in an independent film, The Wendell Baker Story (2005) with Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson and Will Ferrell, with Luke Wilson directing. Before that, her biggest movie was Hitch (2005/I), a romantic comedy that had her playing opposite Will Smith.Eva is currently (2005) working on the sci-fi/comic book adaptation of Ghost Rider (2007), starring Nicolas Cage, directed by Mark Steven Johnson and planned for release in 2006.Along with acting, Eva is employed by Revlon Cosmetics as an international spokeswoman. She joins such elite actresses and models as Julianne Moore, Halle Berry and Cindy Crawford, who appear in Revlon's television and print ads. She is also a passionate supporter and active participant in Revlon's fight against breast cancer.Eva's goals are to improve her acting skills by working with such contemporary directors/filmmakers as Steven Soderbergh, Spike Jonze and Pedro Almodovar, and learning from such renowned directors as Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni.

Trivia random: Was the speaking voice....Welcome to Miami, Bienvenido a Miami....in Will Smith's song, "Miami".
Citazione random: "I don't go to premieres. I attend film openings I'm in, and that's about it. Fame and celebrity doesn't matter to me. The longevity of my career does."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Ghost Rider (2007)

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Regista: Mark Steven Johnson
Genere: Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.4/10 (13420 voti)
Durata: 114 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Matt Long .... Young Johnny Blaze
• Raquel Alessi .... Young Roxanne Simpson
• Brett Cullen .... Barton Blaze
• Peter Fonda .... Mephistopheles
• Nicolas Cage .... Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider
• Donal Logue .... Mack
• Tony Ghosthawk .... Team Blaze #1
• Hugh Sexton .... Team Blaze #1
• Marcus Jones .... Blaze Team #3
• Matt Norman .... Team Blaze #4

Trama:
In order to save his dying father, young stunt cyclist Johnny Blaze sells his soul to Mephistopheles and sadly parts from the pure-hearted Roxanne Simpson, the love of his life. Years later, Johnny's path crosses again with Roxanne, now a reporter, and also with Mephistopheles, who offers to release Johnny's soul if Johnny becomes the fabled, fiery Ghost Rider, a supernatural agent of vengeance and justice. Mephistopheles charges Johnny with defeating the despicable Blackheart, Mephistopheles's nemesis and son, who plans to displace his father and create a new hell even more terrible than the old one. Written by Kenneth Chisholm

Trivia random: 'Nicolas Cage' (qv)'s computer generated skull was made from a three dimensional x-ray taken of his actual skull.
Citazione random: 'Blackheart' (qv): My name is Legion. For we are::[inhales]::'Blackheart' (qv): many.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

GitS:SAC 2nd GIG

Godo!
Togliamoci subito il dente della parte pecuniaria: si sa che non ho particolare stima per i distributori italiani (no davvero).
Ovviamente tanto disamore ha un prezzo: il cofanetto con la seconda stagione (2nd GIG)) completa di Ghost in the Shell: Stan Alone Complex l'ho pagata su amazon.co.uk ben 49.50 euro (sì, già convertito in euro: cofanetto con 7 dvd, spese di spedizione - 4 giorni per la consegna - comprese). L'edizione italiana in corso d'opera si sviluppa su 6 dvd (meno extra? ricompressione video?) al modico prezzo di 24.90 euro per singolo dvd.
Lascio ai più brillanti matematici fare il conto di quanto ci ho rimesso; tralasciando il fatto che, per citare un noto spot, la soddisfazione di NON dare soldi a Lupoi... non ha prezzo!

Risolto il caso del Laughing Man nella precedente stagione la Sezione 9 si ritrova suo malgrado invischiata in una intricata lotta di potere ai massimi livelli che vede coinvolti la prima donna eletta primo ministro del Giappone, i servizi segreti, potenze straniere ed un gruppo terroristico. Terreno di scontro saranno i "rifugiati": milioni di persone immigrate in Giappone dal resto dell'Asia in seguito alle due guerre che hanno sconvolto il mondo; richiesti in passato come manodopera a basso costo, ormai rappresentano una zavorra per un paese in crisi economica. Abbandonati a loro stessi e minacciati di espulsione, troveranno in Hideo Kuze - già membro del gruppo terroristico "Individual Eleven" dagli obiettivi poco chiari e dai mezzi spettacolari ed inquietanti - un leader che promette di liberarli, portandoli all'indipendenza.
A fornire un (ulteriore!) antagonista alla Sezione 9 sarà la figura di Kazundo Gouda, capo di gabinetto dei servizi segreti, abile manipolatore e teorico delle dinamiche sociali con idee a dir poco peculiari su come dovrebbe girare il mondo.
Tanto Kuze quanto Gouda avranno motivazioni estremamente complesse ed articolate che richiederanno tutta la seconda metà della serie per venir esposte, maturare e mutare.

Di fronte a tanti gruppi decisi a portare al limite estremo l'escalation che sta montando nel paese, la minuscola Sezione 9 (un capo, sette membri, alcuni tachikoma ed una manciata di nuove reclute e personale di supporto) dovranno conciliare un senso di giustizia che può essere scambiato per debolezza (o banale difesa dello status quo) con la rabbia per le umiliazioni e le perdite subite, imbattendosi a più riprese in una brutale realtà: la Sezione 9 è ben poca cosa.
Sì, perché in questo sta la principale differenza tra le due stagioni: nella prima il Laughing Man eludeva più o meno da solo i suoi inseguitori, ma (anche tenendo conto del superbo twist finale) i ruoli erano ben definiti: c'era la preda e c'erano i cacciatori; per quanto dure fossero le battaglie restavano nette alcune sensazioni: in primis, di essere nel giusto; poi, di poter fare la differenza; infine, che le cose si sarebbero risolte per il meglio (a livello dei singoli episodi e complessivamente).
In questa seconda stagione questo non è più vero: si può forse ancora avere la convinzione di operare per un poco definibile bene comune, ma questa volta gli avversari sono fin da subito soverchianti in termini di numero, capacità, posizione nella catena di comando politico-militare e - soprattutto - in fatto di assoluta dedizione alla propria causa.
Incertezza, rabbia e paura accompagneranno per gran parte degli episodi la Sezione 9, che finirà col prendere numerose batoste. Prenderne tante. Tante da far male.

A livello di episodi, pur mantenendo una separazione tra episodi a sé stanti e connessi alla trama principale ("dividual/dual" episodes), i secondi sono in numero maggiore e più strettamente in continuità rispetto a quanto visto nella prima stagione. Qualitativamente tutte le sottotrame vanno dal molto buono all'ottimo; finalmente abbiamo alcuni episodi dedicati interamente ai personaggi (per così dire) "minori" della Sezione 9 ed alcuni interessanti scorci del passato che forniscono parte del quadro su come i membri si siano conosciuti e di quale sia lo scenario che ha portato il mondo nell'attuale situazione.
Immancabili le citazioni cinematografiche (a manate!), letterarie e storico-politiche; queste non sono mai comunque fine a sé stesse né sono soffocanti: al contrario forniscono un contesto solido e realistico dentro il quale inquadrare le vicende narrate.

Prodotto palesemente con una marea di soldi, lo studio Production I.G ci ha messo qualcosa che non si compra e che ancora oggi pochi hanno: talento e passione in quantità industriali. Pagando la giusta cifra al giorno d'oggi chiunque è in grado di produrre una buona grafica; tutt'altro discorso è trovare qualcuno che sappia scrivere le storie, girare scene di ogni tipo, utilizzare in maniera saggia la computer grafica e - banalmente - sappia dove piazzare una telecamera; in questo senso Kenji Kamiyama si dimostra estremamente bravo e persino molto maturato rispetto al passato.
Eccelso a livello di grafica e di animazione, la computer grafica è integrata molto meglio che in passato; sempre di buon livello la musica della solita Yôko Kanno.

I dvd: ottima la compressione video (anamorfico widescreen), eccellente il doppiaggio (adeguati i sottotitoli) e l'audio 5.1; gli extra consistono nella solita sequenza di interviste col cast: niente di che, ma ogni tanto qualcosa di interessante viene detto.

GitS:SAC 2nd GIG prosegue nel solco già tracciato dai predenti film e dall'altra stagione: classe e stile sono le parole d'ordine. Consideravo il 1st GIG un ottimo prodotto (votato 10/10) ed avevo totale fiducia nel 2nd GIG: la vera sorpresa è stato il trovarsi di fronte a qualcosa di nettamente migliore.
Grufolo di piacere^®!

Voto: 10. Capolavoro imprescindibile.
Tags: ghost in the shell, stand alone complex, animazione, fantascienza, rete, impianti neurali, terrorismo, tachikoma, section 9, Motoko Kusanagi, Batou, azione, spionaggio, Ishikawa, Daisuke Aramaki, Individual Eleven, cyberpunk, futuro, cyber-terrorismo, nano-tecnologia, Masamune Shirow, Kenji Kamiyama, Production I.G, armi nucleari, indipendenza, immigrati, rivoluzione, guerra, crimine, thriller, Giappone, violenza, rivolta.

"Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex" (2002)

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Regista: Kenji Kamiyama
Scrittore: Mary Claypool, Junichi Fujisaku
Genere: Animation, Action, Crime, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Valutazione: 8.8/10 (477 voti)
Durata: USA:25 min (52 episodes)
Paese: Japan
Lingua: English, Japanese

Cast:

• Atsuko Tanaka .... Major Motoko Kusanagi (2 episodes, 2003)
• Osamu Saka .... Chief Daisuke Aramaki (2 episodes, 2003)
• Akio Ôtsuka .... Batou / ... (2 episodes, 2003)
• Kôichi Yamadera .... Togusa (2 episodes, 2003)
• Yutaka Nakano .... Ishikawa (2 episodes, 2003)
• Toru Ôkawa .... Saito (2 episodes, 2003)
• Takashi Onozuka .... Paz (2 episodes, 2003)
• Taro Yamaguchi .... Borma (2 episodes, 2003)
• Mary Elizabeth McGlynn .... Major Motoko / ... (2 episodes, 2003)
• William Knight .... Chief Daisuke Aramaki (2 episodes, 2003)

Trama:
In a future Japan, Major Motoko Kusanagi operates as a key agent of Section 9 of internal security under Chief Aramaki. Together with her support crew and a group of quadraped enforcement droids who operate with childlike enthusiasim, they confront the numerous threats facing Japan. However, their opponents are predominately capable of using the advanced technology around them to their considerable advantage and it will take all the talents of Section 9 to stop them. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)

Trivia random: The show gets its title from the text at the beginning of the first episode, where it describes the psychology of some of those without cybernetic implants. Essentially, they have a "Stand Alone Complex"; they feel that they "stand alone" from the rest of humanity who have cybernetic implants, which allow those with them to communicate at any time with anyone who also has implants. This also is a reference to the stories, whether they refer to the ongoing Laughing Man investigations, "Complex", or whether they are not involved, or "Stand Alone"
Citazione random: [about the terrorist,Hideo Kuze]::'Batou' (qv): What the hell kind of delusions does this guy have?::'Major. Motoko Kusanagi' (qv): Frankly speaking, I guess you could call it world domination.::'Batou' (qv): Say what?::'Ishikawa' (qv): Got himself a serious case of megalomania, huh? Its not like you to let something like that get to you.::'Batou' (qv): Geez, you look like some teenager who's just met the man of her dreams.::'Major. Motoko Kusanagi' (qv): Right. But we know one thing for sure now. And that is although he has manifested symptoms of the Individual Eleven virus, his current actions are driven by the personal qualities and idiologies that he had before he was infected. His delusion might be a cliche, but the reason I can't laugh it off is that he genuinely believes he can bring peace to the world by becoming a dictator. Thats the sense I got from him. Plus, his adrenaline secretion levels were high enough to kill an ordinary man. I think we can assume he is already out of touch.::'Batou' (qv): What do you mean, out of touch?::'Major. Motoko Kusanagi' (qv): I'm sayin that he's becoming obsessed. Looking back on history, men like him have weilded unbelievable power. For instance, Che Guevara, Malcom X, and Cassius Clay are text book examples.::'Batou' (qv): You teling me that he's not the same as Hitler?::'Major. Motoko Kusanagi' (qv): He's the same in a certain sense, but ideologically, he's closer to Ghandi or Martin Luther King.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Kamiyama, Kenji

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Ultimi lavori:

• Blood: The Last Vampire (2008) .... (story) [scrittore]
• Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society (2006) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• "Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex" (2002) .... (unknown episodes) [regista]
• Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Jin-Rô (1998) .... (animation director) [misc]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Kanno, Y%F4ko

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Data di nascita: 19 March 1964
Coniuge: Hajime Mizoguchi::(? - present)

Ultimi lavori:

• Mind Game (2004) .... (composer: additional music) [misc]
• Escaflowne (2000) .... (lyricist: "Sora") (as Gabriela Robin) [misc]
• Jin-Rô (1998) .... (lyricist: "Grace - Jin-Roh - Main Theme - Omega") (as Gabriela Robin) [misc]

Trivia random: Began composing music in early childhood, writing a song for a boy she liked. She says Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy were her primary influences.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.