che sanctimonio!

Visto mille anni fa, avrei voluto scrivere una recensione di Sanctimony, film per la TV (preferibilmente rotta) del 2000.

Avrei voluto scriverla, perché si tratta di un film scritto e diretto da un Uwe Boll che dimostra di essere grande anche quando non si basa su un videogioco (ma... IDEA! Perché non basare un videogioco - ma che dico, una serie! - su un tale capolavoro?).

Avrei voluto scriverla, perché è un film che annovera nel cast monumenti dell'inespressività quali Casper Van Dien, Michael Paré, Eric Roberts, Jennifer Rubin e Catherine Oxenberg (moglie del fantasmino Casper!). Diamine, neanche a Stonehenge!

Avrei voluto scriverla, ma non ce l'ho fatta.
Inoltre, non potrei aggiungere altro a questa perfetta recensione che trovate su filmbrutti.com.

Voto: 1. Trashometro^® 8/10: È terribile. È terribile.
Tags: thriller, Uwe Boll, Casper Van Dien, Michael Paré, Eric Roberts, crimine, crimine contro il cinema, horror, ufficio, Wall Street, successo, affarista, rito, omicidio, assassino, polizia, detective, inseguimento, sparatoria, serial killer, sesso, perversione, filmato, discoteca, coltello, pistola, morte, guarda come recita bene quel macigno.

Jennifer Rubin

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La ricerca ha prodotto più di un risultato.

1. Rothschild, Jennifer
2. Dubin, Jennifer (II)
3. Tyler, Jennifer Robin
4. Aubin, Jennifer
5. Dubin, Jennifer (I)
6. Robinson, Jennifer (III)
7. Robinson, Jennifer (V)
8. Robinson, Jennifer (VI)
9. Robinson, Jennifer (II)
10. Robinson, Jennifer L.
11. Robinson, Jennifer (I)
12. Robinson, Jennifer (IV)
13. Bing-Canar, Jennifer
14. Gerbino, Jennifer
15. Derbin, Jennifer

Casper Van Dien

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La ricerca ha prodotto più di un risultato.

1. Van Dien, Commander
2. den Berg, Caspar van
3. der Loo, Casper van
4. van Bohemen, Casper
5. Jarnebrink, Casper
6. van Zantwuk, Casper
7. Van Davis, Casper
8. de Pavoordt, Kasper van
9. der Hoop, Robert van
10. van Dijk, Jasper
11. van Zantwijk, Casper
12. der Schalie, Jasper van
13. der Put, Jasper van
14. den Heuvel, Kacper van
15. Peters, Willy

Boll, Uwe

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

Ultimi lavori:

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

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

Trivia random: Challenged his critics in June 2006 to "put up or shut up". His production company issued a press release stating that Boll would challenge his 5 harshest critics each to a 10 round boxing match. To be eligible, the critic must have written two extremely negative reviews of Boll, in print or on the Web, in 2005. Footage of the fights will be included in his upcoming film Postal.
Citazione random: 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.

Paré, Michael

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

Ultimi lavori:

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

Trivia random: Unlike rumor has it, he was not the original choice to play the Punisher/Frank Castle in the 1989 film adaptation of the Punisher comic books.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Oxenberg, Catherine

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Data di nascita: 22 September 1961
Altezza: 5' 5½" (1.66 m)
Coniuge: Casper Van Dien::(8 May 1999 - present) 2 children, Robert Evans::(12 July 1998 - 21 July 1998) (annulled)

Ultimi lavori:

• Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (2008) .... Technician #1 [attrice]
• "I Married a Princess" (2005) .... (producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]
• Starship Troopers (2005) (VG) .... Female pilot [attrice]
• Premonition (2004) (TV) .... Kate Barnes [attrice]
• The Vector File (2002) (TV) .... Margaret [attrice]
• The Flying Dutchman (2001) (TV) .... Lacy Anderson [attrice]
• The Miracle of the Cards (2001) (TV) .... Marion Shergold [attrice]
• A Friday Night Date (2000) (TV) .... Forest Service Woman (as Catherine Van Dien) [attrice]
• Perilous (2000) (TV) .... Sasha [attrice]
• Sanctimony (2000) (TV) .... Susan Renart [attrice]

Biografia:
Award-winning actress Catherine Oxenberg was born in New York and raised in London. She is the daughter of HRH Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia and thus granddaughter of Prince Paul, the former Regent of Yugoslavia. Her first acting coach was Richard Burton. She was admitted to Harvard University. She made her debut as an ivy-educated model, her face graced the covers of Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Interview. She transferred to Columbia University and studied psychology, philosophy and mythology. She is a strong advocate for womens' issues and is passionate in her desire to improve the conditions of women who live in suppressive cultures. She is married to Casper Van Dien. They have two children together and their other 3 children also live with them!

Trivia random: 1/05: She and husband Casper Van Dien renewed their vows with his mother, Rev. Diane Van Dien, (an interfaith minister) presiding over the ceremony on the beach.
Salario massimo: 200,000.00, per Ring of Scorpio (1990) (TV)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Roberts, Eric (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Roberts, Eric Anthony
Data di nascita: 18 April 1956
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Coniuge: Eliza Roberts::(1992 - present)

Ultimi lavori:

• 4-Bidden (2009) .... Roman Tobias [attore]
• Shannon's Rainbow (2009) .... Mitchell Prescott [attore]
• The Spy and the Sparrow (2009) .... Robert Byrne [attore]
• The Cookie Thief (2008) .... Cookie Thief [attore]
• Cyclops (2008) (TV) .... Emperor Tiberius [attore]
• Dark Honeymoon (2008) (V) .... L.A. Guy [attore]
• The Dark Knight (2008) .... Salvatore Maroni [attore]
• Edgar Allan Poe's Ligeia (2008) .... Vaslov [attore]
• Kingshighway (2008) .... Frank Monviano [attore]
• Royal Kill (2008) .... Dad [attore]

Biografia:
One of Hollywood's more edgy, intriguing characters running around town for years, Eric Anthony Roberts started life in Biloxi, Mississippi, but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He began his acting career at age 5 in a local theater company called the Actors and Writers Workshop founded by his late father, Walter Roberts. After his schooling at Grady High, he studied drama at age 17 in London for two years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, then returned to the States and continued his studies at the American Academy in New York. He made his NY stage debut in "Rebel Women" in 1976 at age 20 and appeared in regional productions, once playing the newspaper boy in a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" starring Shirley Knight and Glenn Close. After appearing in such daytime soaps as "Another World" and "How to Survive a Marriage", his career began to shift fast forward when he copped a leading role in a major film. In King of the Gypsies (1978), based on Peter Maas' best seller about a fracturing dynasty of New York City gypsies, he made his debut alongside an intimidating roster of stars including Judd Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, Shelley Winters and Sterling Hayden. Young Eric held his own expertly (winning a Golden Globe nom) while his burning intensity and brooding charm marked sure signs of star potential. After this he won the lead opposite Milo O'Shea in the 1980 stage production of "Mass Appeal". He suffered serious injuries in a car accident during his nascent film career but lost no fans by the time he returned to co-star with Sissy Spacek as a small-town stranger in Raggedy Man (1981). It was, however, his stark and frightening portrayal of two-bit hustler Paul Snider, the cast-off boyfriend who slays Playmate-turned-movie starlet Dorothy Stratten (played by Mariel Hemingway) in Star 80 (1983) that really put him on the movie map and earned him a second Golden Globe nomination. A wide range of fascinating, whacked-out roles were immediately offered to him on a silver plate. He played another dangerous streetwise hustler type in The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) opposite fellow rebel Mickey Rourke; a cocky soda pop sales exec in the Australian comedy The Coca-Cola Kid (1985); appeared with more charm and restraint opposite Rosanna Arquette in the offbeat romantic comedy Nobody's Fool (1986) and topped his prolific period off with an Academy Award nomination as a young prison escapee hiding out with Jon Voight aboard an out-of-control train in the ultra-violent, character-driven action adventure Runaway Train (1985). Good things continued to happen when he was a replacement lead in the original run of "Burn This" and won a Theatre World Award for his 1988 Broadway debut. A risky, no-holds-barred actor, he was often guilty of overacting if given half the chance. His film career began to slide in the late 1980s, appearing in more quantity than quality pictures. A series of missteps led to unheralded appearances in such bombs as the karate-themed Best of the Best (1989); the NY urban thriller The Ambulance (1990); the action western Blood Red (1989), which took three years to release and is now solely remembered for being the only film Eric and superstar sister Julia Roberts appeared in together; and Rude Awakening (1989) when he filled in as a burned-out hippie opposite a Chong-less Cheech Marin. More underappreciated "B" filming came with the 1990s (Freefall (1994), Sensation (1995), The Nature of the Beast (1995), etc.), while also chewing the scenery with a number of mobster types in TV-movies, including one as Al Capone. He soon began appearing as flashy secondary villains and creepies that showcased other stars instead, such as Final Analysis (1992) starring Richard Gere, and Heaven's Prisoners (1996) toplining Alec Baldwin. Eric's undeniable, unconventional talent would occasionally mesh with the perfect role. At the Sundance Film Festival in 1996, he received critical applause for his starring role as a man dying of AIDS in the uplifting and emotional film It's My Party (1996) and earned more honors as a writer marked for murder in the mob-themed story La Cucaracha (1998). He was also perfectly cast as one of the cold-blooded killers in the Emmy-nominated TV adaptation of Truman Capote's chiller In Cold Blood (1996) (TV). Eric continued to appear sporadically on TV in such dramatic series as "Law & Order", while sometimes showing a fun side as well in comedy ("The King of Queens"). His own series work included "Less Than Perfect" (2002) and, more recently, in the cult program "Heroes" (2006/II) where promise for a longer participation ended with his character's death. Recovered from a long-standing cocaine problem, Eric wed, for the first time, actress/writer Eliza Roberts (nee Garrett). They have appeared in such films as Killer Weekend (2004) and Junior Pilot (2005) (V). His daughter from a former relationship, _'Emma Roberts' , is a newly popular and fast-rising "tween" actress from the series "Unfabulous" (2004) and has played youthful supersleuth Nancy Drew (2007) on film. Eric's unpredictable, volatile nature which works so mesmerizing on screen has also led to troubling times off camera; his relationship with younger sis Julia Roberts has been seriously strained for quite some time.

Trivia random: His left hand ring finger is permanently disfigured, as a result of a 1980s car accident.
Citazione random: "My life is going to kill me. We all get angry when we realize that. But the anger is fear."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Sanctimony (2000) (TV)

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Regista: Uwe Boll
Scrittore: Uwe Boll
Genere: Crime, Horror, Thriller, Crime
Valutazione: 2.9/10 (892 voti)
Durata: Australia:90 min
Paese: Germany, USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Casper Van Dien .... Tom Gerrick
• Michael Paré .... Jim Renart (as Michael Pare)
• Eric Roberts .... Lieutenant
• Jennifer Rubin .... Dorothy Smith
• Catherine Oxenberg .... Susan Renart
• Michael Rasmussen .... Dr. Fricke
• Tanja Reichert .... Eve
• David Millbern .... Peter
• Birgit Stein .... Sandra
• Michael Gelbart .... TV Director

Trama:
Tom Gerrick (Casper van Dein) is a Wall Street Whiz Kid. He's also a serial killer. Six victims have had their eyes cut out, six their ears cut off and three their tongues removed. By the time he gets to his fourth 'tongue' victim, Tom is getting sick of his success. He calls the police himself, claiming to have found the body of the sixteen year old girl on the street. He wants to get caught, but first he wants to play with his captures for a while. His initial sensitivity to the crime is soon replaced with a psycho-smirk and a high priced lawyer. By the time the police find out he is the killer he is on a shooting spree, first on live television during an interveiw on "the secret of success", then at his ex-fiances non-wedding party.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

il cavalierO oscuro

No, no, non ho sbagliato titolo, secondo la Planeta/DeAgostini e le sue traduzioni furenti (su cui mi guardo bene dal spendere soldi) si scrive davvero così...

Sono tra i pochi a cui Batman Begins aveva fatto piuttosto lezzo: trama poco avvincente e raccontata maluccio, scene d'azione di basso livello e dialoghi da prendere a schiaffoni chi li ha scritti.
Il Cavaliere Oscuro si piazza di sicuro su un altro pianeta, ma siamo ben lontani dal gridare al capolavoro come hanno fatto in molti.

Gotham City inizia ad avere speranza nel futuro: Batman è di certo un fuorilegge, ma nessuno nega stia portando ordine; la polizia si riorganizza ed Harvey Dent - il nuovo procuratore distrettuale - fa ben sperare.
Arriva però il Joker a ripiombare la città nel caos, con attentati, rapine e piani pro (e contro) la mafia locale.
Ci vorrà un po' per comprendere che non ci si trova di fronte ad un criminale canonico, ma a qualcuno con cui non si può trattare con mezzi convenzionali: il procuratore lo imparerà a proprie spese.

Trama lunga e complessa, che oggettivamente si poteva semplificare un poco, anche se resta comunque ben congegnata. Buoni (a tratti ottimi) i dialoghi, anche se qualche banalità in qua e in là c'è.
Le scene d'azione continuano a non farmi impazzire, ma siamo in netto miglioramento.

Buoni tutti gli attori, anche se Christian Bale non mi sembra si ammazzi di fatica, e Maggie Gyllenhaal non mi piace proprio (diamine, però c'è Eric Roberts! Che idolo! ).
Nolan a dirigere è sempre bravo (anche se a mio avviso lavora meglio su altri generi), ottimi gli effetti.
Tra le cose che ci si poteva risparmiare, va sicuramente citata la bat-moto...
A me poi ha fatto ribrezzo la voce di Batman ed ancor di più quella di Bruce Wayne: davvero mal impostata.

E poi c'è lui: Heath Ledger a fare il Joker. Personalmente abito a mille miglia dal perbenismo imperante che impone di leccare il culo ai cadaveri, anzi, per quanto mi riguarda le circostanze gli fanno guadagnare un miliardo di punti-coglionaggine... ma in questo film è perfetto. È il Joker. Fantastico per come si muove, cosa dice e come lo dice.
Il film sarebbe dovuto durare 30 minuti in meno, avere il triplo delle scene dedicate a lui, ed essere intitolato The Joker. Allora sì, che sarebbe stato un film memorabile.

Per concludere: un capolavoro? Proprio no, un discreto film, ma non scomodiamo simili termini; con un cast, regia e risorse del genere, era lecito aspettarsi di più. Ed il (temporaneo anche stavolta?) primo posto nella top250 di IMDb è senza dubbio una esagerazione.
Heath Ledger avrebbe meritato l'Oscar? Sì, senza dubbio.
Glielo darei, io? Cavoli no, la sua carriera non ne avrà grande giovamento, suppongo...
Glielo darà, l'Academy? Probabile.

Ultima nota: in Italia non è vietato, ma un VM14 ci stava tutto - il bel risultato è che ci si trova con la sala piena di cinnaglia non accompagnata, educata come Attila, che si esalta anche quando una comparsa si soffia il naso...

Voto: 7.5 (8+ alla seconda metà - ed ora tutti a picchiare mamma e sorella!)
Tags: azione, crimine, drammatico, fantasy, mistero, thriller, Batman, Gotham, batmobile, mafia, maggiordomo, procuratore distrettuale, Joker, Due Facce, omicidio, rapimento, tortura, ospedale, nave, salvezza, combattimento, sparatoria, rapina, caos, genesi, Hong-Kong, arresto, esplosione, avvocato, fucile a pompa, psicopatico, moneta, follia, caso, perdita, tratto da un fumetto.

Batman Begins (2005)

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Regista: Christopher Nolan
Scrittore: Bob Kane, David S. Goyer
Genere: Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller, Action
Valutazione: 8.4/10 (182778 voti) [#100 nella top250]
Durata: 140 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: Mandarin, English

Cast:

• Christian Bale .... Bruce Wayne / Batman
• Michael Caine .... Alfred
• Liam Neeson .... Henri Ducard
• Katie Holmes .... Rachel Dawes
• Gary Oldman .... Jim Gordon
• Cillian Murphy .... Dr. Jonathan Crane
• Tom Wilkinson .... Carmine Falcone
• Rutger Hauer .... Earle
• Ken Watanabe .... Ra's Al Ghul
• Mark Boone Junior .... Flass

Trama:
Eight-year-old Bruce Wayne falls into a cave where he encounters a swarm of bats. Bruce develops a fear of bats, and later urges his parents to leave an opera featuring bat-like creatures. Outside the theater, Bruce Wayne's parents are both killed in a robbery by mugger Joe Chill. Bruce blames himself for his parents' murder: had he not been frightened, the Waynes would not have encountered Chill. He is taken in by a mysterious instructor named Ducard and urged to become a ninja in the League of Shadows, but he instead returns to his native Gotham City resolved to end the mob rule that is strangling it.

Trivia random: Before the shooting began, Christopher Nolan invited the whole film crew to a private screening of Blade Runner (1982). After the film he said to the whole crew, "This is how we're going to make Batman."
Citazione random: [as Wayne Manor is burning down]::Bruce Wayne: What have I done, Alfred? Everything my family... my father built...::Alfred Pennyworth: The Wayne legacy is more than bricks and mortar, sir.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Bale, Christian

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Nome di battesimo: Bale, Christian Charles Philip
Data di nascita: 30 January 1974
Altezza: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
Coniuge: Sibi Blazic::(29 January 2000 - present) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• Killing Pablo (2009) .... Major Steve Jacoby [attore]
• Public Enemies (2009) .... Melvin Purvis [attore]
• Terminator Salvation (2009) .... John Connor [attore]
• The Dark Knight (2008) .... Bruce Wayne / Batman [attore]
• 3:10 to Yuma (2007) .... Dan Evans [attore]
• I'm Not There. (2007) .... Jack/Pastor John [attore]
• The Prestige (2006) .... Alfred Borden [attore]
• Rescue Dawn (2006) .... Dieter [attore]
• Batman Begins (2005) (VG) .... Batman / Bruce Wayne (voice) [attore]
• Harsh Times (2005) .... (executive producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
The 10th Anniversary issue of "Entertainment Weekly" crowned Christian Bale as one of the "Top 8 Most Powerful Cult Figures" of the past decade, citing his incredible and legendary cult status on the Internet. EW also calls Bale one of the "Most Creative People in Entertainment" after his brilliant turn as the psychopathic yuppie serial killer in American Psycho (2000). And "Premiere" lauded him as one of the "Hottest Leading Men Under 30". Christian Bale has garnered a huge international audience ever since he wowed critics with his devastating performance in Steven Spielberg's WWII epic Empire of the Sun (1987). Bale made his professional debut opposite British comedian Rowan Atkinson on the London West End stage. He auditioned with 4000 other kids for the coveted role of James Graham in Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987). Bale received a special citation for Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor from the National Board of Review -- an award specially created for his performance in "Empire". In the following decade, Welsh-born Bale has appeared in Shakespeare, dramas and comedies demonstrating a versatility, depth and range that has made him one of the best reviewed actors today and one of the most popular actors on the Internet. Bale is the youngest in a family of 3 older sisters (Erin, Sharon, and Louise Bale).

Trivia random: Was good friends with actor Heath Ledger.
Citazione random: He's a messed-up individual, as well. He's got all sorts of issues. He's just as twisted and messed-up as the villains he's fighting, and that's part of the beauty of the whole story. - on the character of Batman

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Nolan, Christopher (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Nolan, Christopher Johnathan James
Data di nascita: 30 July 1970
Altezza: 6' 0½" (1.84 m)
Coniuge: Emma Thomas::(1997 - present)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Dark Knight (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Prestige (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Batman Begins (2005) (VG) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Cinema16: British Short Films (2003) (V) .... [regista]
• Insomnia (2002/I) .... [regista]
• Memento (2000) .... (screenplay) [scrittore]
• Following (1998) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Doodlebug (1997) .... (writer) (as Chris Nolan) [scrittore]

Biografia:
Born in London in 1970, Christopher Nolan began making films at the age of seven using his father's super 8mm camera and an assortment of male-action figures. He graduated to making films involving real people, and his super 8mm surreal short 'tarantella' was shown on PBS' 'image union' in 1989. Chris studied English Literature at University College London while starting to make 16mm films at the college film society. His short film 'larceny' was shown at the Cambridge Film Festival in 1996, and his other 16mm shorts include a three- minute surreal film called 'doodlebug'.

Trivia random: Doesn't like CGI in movies and purposely avoided it when he made "Batman Begins"
Citazione random: We all wake up in the morning wanting to live our lives the way we know we should. But we usually don't, in small ways. That's what makes a character like Batman so fascinating. He plays out our conflicts on a much larger scale.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Ledger, Heath

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Nome di battesimo: Ledger, Heath Andrew
Data di nascita: 4 April 1979
Data di morte: 22 January 2008
Altezza: 6' 1" (1.85 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) .... Tony [attore]
• The Dark Knight (2008) .... The Joker [attore]
• I'm Not There. (2007) .... Robbie [attore]
• Candy (2006) .... Dan [attore]
• Brokeback Mountain (2005) .... Ennis Del Mar [attore]
• The Brothers Grimm (2005) .... Jacob Grimm [attore]
• Casanova (2005) .... Casanova [attore]
• Lords of Dogtown (2005) .... Skip [attore]
• Ned Kelly (2003) .... Ned Kelly [attore]
• The Order (2003) .... Alex Bernier [attore]

Biografia:
When a young, hunky 20 year old heart-throb Heath Ledger first came to the attention of the public in 1999, it was all too easy to tag him as a "pretty boy" and an actor of not much depth. He has spent the past five years trying desperately to sway this image away, but this has indeed been a double-edged sword. But that comes much later in his story. Heath Ledger was born on the fourth of April 1979, in Perth, Western Australia. As the story goes, in junior high it was compulsory to do one of two electives, either cooking or drama, and as Heath could honestly not see himself in a cooking class, he tried his hand at drama. Heath was talented, there was no denying that. However, the rest of the class did not acknowledge his talent, possibly out of jealousy. When he was 17, he and a friend, decided to pack up, leave school, take a car and rough it to Sydney. Heath believed Sydney to be the place where dreams are made, or at least, where actors can possibly get their big break. However, upon arriving in Sydney with a purported 69 cents to his name, Heath tried everything to get a break. His first real acting job came in a low budget movie called Blackrock (1997), a largely unimpressive cliché; a teen angst film about one boy's struggle when he learns his best mate raped a girl. He did not have a large part in this movie. In fact, it was a very small one. The only thing of notice in his role is you get to see him get his lights punched out. After that small role, Heath auditioned for a role in a TV show called "Sweat" (1996) about a group of young Olympic hopefuls. He got offered one of two roles, one as a swimmer, another as a gay cyclist. Heath accepted the latter because he felt to really stand out as an actor one had to accept unique roles that stood out from the bunch. It got him small notice, but unfortunately the show was quickly axed, which led him to look for other roles. He was in "Home and Away" (1988) for a very short period, in which he played a surfer who falls in love with one of the girls of Summer Bay. Then came his very brief role in Paws (1997). Paws was a film which existed solely to cash in on guitar prodigy Nathan Cavaleri's brief moment of fame, where he was the hottest thing in Australia. Heath played a student in the film, involved in a stage production of a Shakespeare play, in which he played "Oberon". A very brief role, this did nothing other than give him a small paycheck, but nothing to advance his career. Then came Two Hands (1999). He went to America trying to audition for film roles, showcasing his brief role in "Roar" (1997) opposite then unknown Vera Farmiga. He could not find any American roles but then Australian director Gregor Jordan auditioned him for the lead in Two Hands (1999), which he got. An in your face Aussie crime thriller, Two Hands (1999) was outstanding and helped him secure a role in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). After that, it seemed Heath was being typecast as a teen hunk, which he did not like, so he accepted a role in a very serious war drama The Patriot (2000). What followed was a stark inconsistency of roles, Ledger accepting virtually every single character role, anything to avoid being typecast. Some met with praise, like his short role in Monster's Ball (2001), but his version of Ned Kelly (2003) was an absolute flop, which led distributors hesitant to even release it outside Australia. Heath finally had deserved success with his role in Brokeback Mountain (2005), for which he was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA. Ledger was found dead on January 22, 2008 in his apartment in the Manhattan neighborhood of SoHo, with a bottle of prescription sleeping pills nearby. It was concluded weeks later that he died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs that included painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication.

Trivia random: Was considered for a role in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003).
Citazione random: "I don't have a technique. I've never been a believer in having one set technique on how to act. There are no rules and there is no rulebook. At the end of the day, it all comes down to my instincts. That's the one thing that guides me through every decision professionally. Socially, also. That's my technique. Yeah, you read through the script 100 times. I guess I have little characteristics about myself. Sometimes, most often than not, once we start shooting I won't look at the script at all until we finished shooting. It's kind of like it's been imprinted in my head during rehearsals. You just let it go." - Reel.com, May 2001
Salario massimo: $3,000,000, per A Knight's Tale (2001)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Dark Knight, The (2008)

Cavaliere oscuro, Il

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Regista: Christopher Nolan
Scrittore: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Action
Valutazione: 9.5/10 (124766 voti) [#1 nella top250]
Durata: 152 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Christian Bale .... Bruce Wayne / Batman
• Heath Ledger .... The Joker
• Aaron Eckhart .... Harvey Dent / Two-Face
• Michael Caine .... Alfred Pennyworth
• Maggie Gyllenhaal .... Rachel Dawes
• Gary Oldman .... Lt. James Gordon
• Morgan Freeman .... Lucius Fox
• Monique Curnen .... Det. Ramirez
• Ron Dean .... Detective Wuertz
• Cillian Murphy .... Scarecrow

Trama:
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker.

Trivia random: Matt Damon was Christopher Nolan's first choice for the role of Harvey Dent but turned it down. Before Aaron Eckhart was cast in the part, other actors considered included Hugh Jackman, Ryan Phillippe, Liev Schreiber and Josh Lucas.
Citazione random: The Joker: Are you the real Batman?::Batman Wannabe: No.::The Joker: No? Then why do you dress like him?::Batman Wannabe: He's a symbol... That we don't have to be afraid of scum like you.::The Joker: Ohh, you do Bryan, you *really* do!

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Roberts, Eric (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Roberts, Eric Anthony
Data di nascita: 18 April 1956
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Coniuge: Eliza Roberts::(1992 - present)

Ultimi lavori:

• 4-Bidden (2009) .... Roman Tobias [attore]
• Shannon's Rainbow (2009) .... Mitchell Prescott [attore]
• The Spy and the Sparrow (2009) .... Robert Byrne [attore]
• The Cookie Thief (2008) .... Cookie Thief [attore]
• Cyclops (2008) (TV) .... Emperor Tiberius [attore]
• Dark Honeymoon (2008) (V) .... L.A. Guy [attore]
• The Dark Knight (2008) .... Salvatore Maroni [attore]
• Edgar Allan Poe's Ligeia (2008) .... Vaslov [attore]
• Kingshighway (2008) .... Frank Monviano [attore]
• Royal Kill (2008) .... Dad [attore]

Biografia:
One of Hollywood's more edgy, intriguing characters running around town for years, Eric Anthony Roberts started life in Biloxi, Mississippi, but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He began his acting career at age 5 in a local theater company called the Actors and Writers Workshop founded by his late father, Walter Roberts. After his schooling at Grady High, he studied drama at age 17 in London for two years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, then returned to the States and continued his studies at the American Academy in New York. He made his NY stage debut in "Rebel Women" in 1976 at age 20 and appeared in regional productions, once playing the newspaper boy in a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" starring Shirley Knight and Glenn Close. After appearing in such daytime soaps as "Another World" and "How to Survive a Marriage", his career began to shift fast forward when he copped a leading role in a major film. In King of the Gypsies (1978), based on Peter Maas' best seller about a fracturing dynasty of New York City gypsies, he made his debut alongside an intimidating roster of stars including Judd Hirsch, Susan Sarandon, Shelley Winters and Sterling Hayden. Young Eric held his own expertly (winning a Golden Globe nom) while his burning intensity and brooding charm marked sure signs of star potential. After this he won the lead opposite Milo O'Shea in the 1980 stage production of "Mass Appeal". He suffered serious injuries in a car accident during his nascent film career but lost no fans by the time he returned to co-star with Sissy Spacek as a small-town stranger in Raggedy Man (1981). It was, however, his stark and frightening portrayal of two-bit hustler Paul Snider, the cast-off boyfriend who slays Playmate-turned-movie starlet Dorothy Stratten (played by Mariel Hemingway) in Star 80 (1983) that really put him on the movie map and earned him a second Golden Globe nomination. A wide range of fascinating, whacked-out roles were immediately offered to him on a silver plate. He played another dangerous streetwise hustler type in The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) opposite fellow rebel Mickey Rourke; a cocky soda pop sales exec in the Australian comedy The Coca-Cola Kid (1985); appeared with more charm and restraint opposite Rosanna Arquette in the offbeat romantic comedy Nobody's Fool (1986) and topped his prolific period off with an Academy Award nomination as a young prison escapee hiding out with Jon Voight aboard an out-of-control train in the ultra-violent, character-driven action adventure Runaway Train (1985). Good things continued to happen when he was a replacement lead in the original run of "Burn This" and won a Theatre World Award for his 1988 Broadway debut. A risky, no-holds-barred actor, he was often guilty of overacting if given half the chance. His film career began to slide in the late 1980s, appearing in more quantity than quality pictures. A series of missteps led to unheralded appearances in such bombs as the karate-themed Best of the Best (1989); the NY urban thriller The Ambulance (1990); the action western Blood Red (1989), which took three years to release and is now solely remembered for being the only film Eric and superstar sister Julia Roberts appeared in together; and Rude Awakening (1989) when he filled in as a burned-out hippie opposite a Chong-less Cheech Marin. More underappreciated "B" filming came with the 1990s (Freefall (1994), Sensation (1995), The Nature of the Beast (1995), etc.), while also chewing the scenery with a number of mobster types in TV-movies, including one as Al Capone. He soon began appearing as flashy secondary villains and creepies that showcased other stars instead, such as Final Analysis (1992) starring Richard Gere, and Heaven's Prisoners (1996) toplining Alec Baldwin. Eric's undeniable, unconventional talent would occasionally mesh with the perfect role. At the Sundance Film Festival in 1996, he received critical applause for his starring role as a man dying of AIDS in the uplifting and emotional film It's My Party (1996) and earned more honors as a writer marked for murder in the mob-themed story La Cucaracha (1998). He was also perfectly cast as one of the cold-blooded killers in the Emmy-nominated TV adaptation of Truman Capote's chiller In Cold Blood (1996) (TV). Eric continued to appear sporadically on TV in such dramatic series as "Law & Order", while sometimes showing a fun side as well in comedy ("The King of Queens"). His own series work included "Less Than Perfect" (2002) and, more recently, in the cult program "Heroes" (2006/II) where promise for a longer participation ended with his character's death. Recovered from a long-standing cocaine problem, Eric wed, for the first time, actress/writer Eliza Roberts (nee Garrett). They have appeared in such films as Killer Weekend (2004) and Junior Pilot (2005) (V). His daughter from a former relationship, _'Emma Roberts' , is a newly popular and fast-rising "tween" actress from the series "Unfabulous" (2004) and has played youthful supersleuth Nancy Drew (2007) on film. Eric's unpredictable, volatile nature which works so mesmerizing on screen has also led to troubling times off camera; his relationship with younger sis Julia Roberts has been seriously strained for quite some time.

Trivia random: Brother of Julia Roberts and Lisa Roberts Gillan
Citazione random: "I do like the idea of putting something comical into an intense drama, and being intense in absurd circumstances within a comedy."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Gyllenhaal, Maggie

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Nome di battesimo: Gyllenhaal, Maggie Ruth
Data di nascita: 16 November 1977
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Farlanders (2009) .... [attrice]
• South Solitary (2009) .... Meredith [attrice]
• The Dark Knight (2008) .... Rachel Dawes [attrice]
• High Falls (2007) .... [attrice]
• Monster House (2006) .... Zee (voice) [attrice]
• Paris, je t'aime (2006) .... Liz (segment 'Quartier des Enfants Rouges') [attrice]
• SherryBaby (2006) .... Sherry Swanson [attrice]
• Stranger Than Fiction (2006) .... Ana Pascal [attrice]
• World Trade Center (2006) .... Allison Jimeno [attrice]
• The Great New Wonderful (2005) .... Emme Keeler (segment "Emme's Story") [attrice]

Biografia:
Maggie Gyllenhaal made her debut in her father, Stephen Gyllenhaal,'s film Waterland (1992) and emerged as full-blown star in Secretary (2002). Her sweet looks and conduct has a deep on-screen subtle style that emerges from the characters she plays, large part or small. Gyllenhaal's career has already shown through her presence on screen. After attending Columbia University, Gyllenhaal resides in New York City. She earned her BA in English, which gave her theater experience during college in addition to her literary point. In London, she studied briefly at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Focusing on English, her stage experience led her to acting after graduation.

Trivia random: Her favorite actress is Gena Rowlands.
Citazione random: (While promoting Mona Lisa Smile (2003)) "I've realised that the only way to make movies that you're proud of, that don't fall into the sentimental bullshit that so many movies fall into, is to fight. You have to fight. So many people are willing to sleepwalk through things and fall into the not human, not interesting choice".
Salario massimo: $500,000, per World Trade Center (2006)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

[rec]

Partivo con speranze di Grande Trash, con [Rec]: l'horror spagnolo è spesso una garanzia, in tal senso (nonostante a qualcuno piaccia).
Aggiungetevi che Balagueró non è neanche lontanamente tra i miei registi preferiti, e che considero cazzate galattiche i film ripresi in soggettiva di telecamera a mano (e questo lo è dall'inizio alla fine).

La frittata sembrava inevitabile, ed invece... è un discreto film!

Visetto Innocentissimo di una emittente televisiva locale, sta girando un servizio sulla vita notturna della città; è il turno di seguire alcuni pompieri, anche se la routine è noiosa da far paura.
L'apice della serata è una chiamata da parte di alcuni condomini, che sentono rumori provenienti dall'appartamento dove una vecchietta si è barricata.
Sfondata la porta, la simpatica nonnina assale pompieri e poliziotti, mordendoli.
Buono per la TV locale, che ha qualcosa con cui fare il servizio, non fosse per un piccolo dettaglio: in contemporanea l'intero edificio viene sigillato dalle autorità sanitarie, supportate da squadre speciali pronte ad uccidere chi dovesse tentare la fuga.
Il perché lo si scopre in fretta: la nonnina miete qualche altra vittima, ed anche chi ha ricevuto dei morsi impazzisce/resuscita attaccando gli altri.
Ooops... i rapporti tra condomini (e poliziotti e pompieri) si fanno un tantinello più tesi, mentre si cerca di sopravvivere.
Parte della verità verrà fuori solo alla fine, come ovvio.

Continuo a trovare insopportabile la telecamera a mano, ma qui ha più senso che altrove ed è usata un poco meglio del solito (in teoria è un aggeggio serio ed è maneggiata da un professionista), mentre la regia fa un lavoro discreto ma di sicuro non eccelso - altri avrebbero fatto molto di meglio, col materiale a disposizione (alcune scene avrebbero potuto entrare nella storia dell'horror, ma qui sono un po' buttate via).
Dove brilla è nel delineare i rapporti tra i condomini, nel mostrare le loro paure e reazioni sconsiderate.
Pregevole il finale.

Insomma: uno dei rari horror recenti che in effetti spaventi e crei tensione, complice anche i neanche 80 minuti di durata.
Già in lavorazione il remake americano: non se ne sente davvero il bisogno, per un film del 2007, già degno così com'è.

Voto: 7.5
Tags: horror, Spagna, Madrid, condominio, pompiere, poliziotto, telecamera, telecamera a spalla, filmato, registratore, conduttrice, morte, follia, vecchia, morso, contagio, caduta, ferita, morte, ascia, martello, dottore, iniezione, isolamento, zombie, manette, fuga, paranoia, scale, pistola, corpo.

[Rec] (2007)

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Regista: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
Scrittore: Jaume Balagueró, Luis Berdejo
Genere: Horror, Horror
Valutazione: 7.8/10 (9983 voti)
Durata: Netherlands:85 min
Paese: Spain
Lingua: Spanish

Cast:

• Manuela Velasco .... Ángela
• Javier Botet .... Niña Medeiros
• Manuel Bronchud .... Abuelo
• Martha Carbonell .... Sra. Izquierdo
• Claudia Font .... Jennifer
• Vicente Gil .... Policía
• Maria Lanau .... Jennifer's Mother
• Carlos Lasarte .... Cesar
• María Teresa Ortega .... Abuela
• Pablo Rosso .... Marcos

Trivia random: During the filming of the scene where the young fireman falls from the stairs, not a single actor knew that was going to happen, so the reactions we see on the films were the real reactions of the actors themselves.
Citazione random: Cesar: There's something more to this place. Our cells don't work. Neither does the T.V. or radio. We're isolated.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Balagueró, Jaume

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Data di nascita: 2 November 1968

Ultimi lavori:

• Quarantine (2008) .... (motion picture "Rec") [scrittore]
• [Rec] (2007) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Películas para no dormir: Para entrar a vivir (2006) (TV) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Frágiles (2005) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• La Monja (2005) .... (story) [scrittore]
• Darkness (2002) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• OT: la película (2002) .... [regista]
• Los Sin nombre (1999) .... (associate producer) [produttore]
• Dr. Curry (1996) .... Padre Church [attore]
• Días sin luz (1995) .... (writer) [scrittore]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Velasco, Manuela

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Nome di battesimo: y Borja, Manuela Velasco Cobeaga
Data di nascita: 23 October 1975

Ultimi lavori:

• Untitled Hairy Tooth Fairy Sequel (2009) .... [attrice]
• El Dos de mayo (2008) .... [attrice]
• El Club de los suicidas (2007) .... Andrea [attrice]
• [Rec] (2007) .... Ángela [attrice]
• Atraco a las 3... y media (2003) .... [attrice]
• "Géminis, venganza de amor" (2002) .... Beatriz [attrice]
• Sant'Antonio di Padova (2002) (TV) .... [attrice]
• Comunicación (2001) .... Amiga [attrice]
• Gente pez (2001) .... [attrice]
• School Killer (2001) .... Patricia [attrice]

Trivia random: Daughter of Manuel Velasco.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

le morti di Ian Stone

Se l'idea era simpatica, la realizzazione di Le Morti di Ian Stone ha provveduto a stantuffare tutto nel cesso.

Ian un bel giorno muore, vittima di una strana creatura; immediatamente resuscita in un'altra vita, alquanto spaventato e con alcuni ricordi del precedente contesto. La faccenda lo preoccupa, anche perché si ripete alcune altre volte (la parte positiva è che è sempre pieno di fica ); inizia così ad identificare alcune costanti, tipo i cattivi ed una gentile signorina.

Inizia discretamente: benché i mostri siano uno zero d'originalità e tutte le scene spaventose siano telefonate 15 minuti prima, si passa il tempo cercando di mettere insieme i pezzi.
Poi la catastrofe: arriva il deus ex machina sotto forma di nonnetto che Ci Impara I Perché Ed I Percome^® della sgradevole situazione. Da lì in avanti si precipita in una scandalosa melassa di cliche sul bene e sul male, degni di un servizio di Studio Aperto.
Un secondo tempo davvero insostenibile manda in mona tutto il film.

Scadenti gli effetti speciali (triste che sia stato anche prodotto dal compianto Stan Winston), il vero punto debole sono una sceneggiatura banale condita con dialoghi fetenti come pochi.
In mezzo ad alcuni grandi momenti di overacting, Mike Vogel ci fa quasi la figura dell'attore; non discuto Dario Piana come regista di spot, ma se questi devono essere i risultati al cinema...

Voto: 4 (e sto abbondando parecchio). Trashometro^® 1/10:
Tags: horror, thriller, mostro, aldilà, morte, rinascita, orologio, tempo, omicidio, suicidio, paura, spavento, nutrimento, demone, droga, amore, dolore, tassista, ufficio, impiegato, hokey, Londra, treno, metropolitana, sacrificio, fidanzata, sesso, lama, ombra, fuga, iniezione, vendetta, immortale, trash.

Vogel, Mike

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Nome di battesimo: Vogel, Michael James
Data di nascita: 17 July 1979
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Coniuge: Courtney Vogel::(January 2003 - present) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• Across the Hall (2009) .... Julian [attore]
• Cloverfield (2008) .... Jason Hawkins [attore]
• Open Graves (2008) .... Jason [attore]
• She's Out of My League (2008) .... Jack [attore]
• The Deaths of Ian Stone (2007) .... Ian Stone [attore]
• Caffeine (2006/I) .... Danny [attore]
• Poseidon (2006) .... Christian [attore]
• Havoc (2005) .... Toby [attore]
• Rumor Has It... (2005) .... Blake Burroughs [attore]
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) .... Eric [attore]

Trivia random: In 2008, he served as chair of the VA National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans.
Citazione random: About his acting teacher Lynette Sheldon. "She's the greatest! Lynette is a miracle-worker - she accomplishes more in one month than most teachers do in years! She makes you strong - and she's tough in a good way."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Deaths of Ian Stone, The (2007)

Morti di Ian Stone, Le

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Regista: Dario Piana
Scrittore: Brendan Hood
Genere: Horror, Thriller, Horror
Valutazione: 5.8/10 (3483 voti)
Durata: 87 min
Paese: UK, USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Mike Vogel .... Ian Stone
• Jaime Murray .... Medea
• Christina Cole .... Jenny Walker
• Michael Feast .... Gray
• Charlie Anson .... Josh Garfield
• Michael Dixon .... Brad Kopple
• George Dillon .... Referee
• Marnix Van Den Broeke .... Harvester 1
• Andrew Buchan .... Ryan
• Bill Nash .... Terrified Man

Trama:
Ian Stone (Mike Vogel) is a working stiff, an American businessman who travels to England for business only to find himself trapped in a bizarre reality: every day he dies a horrific death at the hands of an unknown killer... only to wake up and murdered again and again. Can Ian get to the bottom of the mystery and break the recurring chain of death and resurrection? Citazione random: Ian Stone: The problem is that I'm remembering something that never happened. Maybe something's wrong with me, you know?::Medea: I don't know. Do you think something's wrong with you?::Ian Stone: No. I mean, I feel fine but you gotta admit, having memories of shit that never happened? Come on, that doesn't strike you as bizarre?::Medea: Nothing bizarre ever happens to you.::Ian Stone: I'm serious Medea, you don't think this is a little nuts?::Medea: Ian, you're speaking to a girl whose parents named her after a witch who killed her own children.::Ian Stone: That's right.::Medea: You'll forgive me if there's few things that strike me as being a little nuts.::Ian Stone: Something's not right.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Piana, Dario

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Ultimi lavori:

• The Deaths of Ian Stone (2007) .... [regista]
• "Sospetti 3" (2005) .... (story) [scrittore]
• "Amanti e segreti" (2004) .... (story) [scrittore]
• "Sospetti 2" (2003) .... (story) (teleplay) [scrittore]
• "Sospetti" (2000) TV series (story) (2000) .... [scrittore]
• Amiche davvero!! (1998) (TV) .... (story) (writer) [scrittore]
• "Doppio segreto" (1998) .... (writer) [scrittore]
• Sotto il vestito niente 2 (1988) .... (story and screenplay) [scrittore]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

fafner

Fafner of Azure (Soukyû no Fafner), serie di una stagione del 2004, calca le orme del sempreverde genere "adolescenti su robottoni".

Sull'isola di Tatsumiya la vita della nuova generazione scorre tranquilla, fintanto l'attacco di una serie di alieni non costringerà gli adulti a svelare loro il segreto della loro comunità isolata dal resto del mondo: l'isola è in realtà una fortezza attrezzata per combattere i simpatici mostri e proteggerne gli abitanti. Gli stessi ragazzi - su cui verrà rivelato molto di più - sono gli unici in grado di pilotare le macchine chiamate Fafner, ma al prezzo di disfunzioni emotive ed alterazioni genetiche.
Nel proseguire della serie, si scoprirà la natura degli alieni ed i difficili rapporti con il resto dell'umanità: l'intero pianeta, anni prima, era infatti stato attaccato, e la battaglia contro una delle teste di ponte dell'invasione - il Giappone canonico martire dell'apocalisse prossima ventura - aveva portato a conseguenze spaventose.

Parte lenta e senza tante spiegazioni, la serie inizia ad ingranare intorno al decimo episodio, per poi decollare sul finale. Superata la fase iniziale, i rapporti tra i personaggi iniziano a farsi interessanti, e la trama prende consistenza.

Molto ben scritto (con alcuni spunti davvero avvincenti), non è comunque una serie semplicissima da seguire: i personaggi sono una marea, moltissimi dei quali importanti. Discreta (senza eccedere) la regia, sul lato tecnico siamo di fronte ad un ottimo prodotto: personalmente non amo lo stile (ed il character design pecca un po' d'originalità e varietà), ma il disegno è senza dubbio buono, così come l'animazione. Pregevole la colonna sonora.

Tacciato d'essere l'ennesimo clone di Evangelion, forse la "critica" non è così infondata, pur con scopi e mezzi diversi. Anche qui c'è un buon lavoro d'approfondimento, anche se viene meno l'onanismo mentale di Eva che tanto abbiamo amato.
Sicuramente pregevole in sé, lo piazzo ben distante come valore complessivo dalla serie dei Gainax; diciamo che è un RahXephon che lascia meno cose non dette (ed in generale lo valuto migliore di quest'ultimo).

Un po' meno positivo il giudizio tecnico sui DVD distribuiti in USA dalla Geneon: non so come fosse l'originale, ma il video è in 4:3 e l'audio inglese è solo stereo... taccio poi sul fatto che tutti e sette i DVD siano singolo strato. Err...
Detto ciò, la qualità video è più che decorosa, quindi va bene anche così.

Voto: 8.
Tags: fantascienza, animazione, azione, robot, anime, mecha, adolescente, invasione, alieno, mistero, morte, distruzione, ingegneria genetica, fafner, pilota, coma, lotta, combattimento, conoscenza, scienza, isola, segreto, mistero, distruzione, sterilità, paura, contrattacco, introspezione, sacrificio, fuga, salvataggio, empatia, convivenza, perdita.

"RahXephon" (2002)

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Regista: Yutaka Izubuchi
Scrittore: Yutaka Izubuchi, Chiaki Konaka
Genere: Animation, Sci-Fi, Action, Animation
Valutazione: 8.2/10 (263 voti)
Durata: Japan:650::(26 episodes) min
Paese: Japan
Lingua: Japanese

Cast:

• Chris Patton .... Ayato Kamina (1 episode, 2002)
• Hiro Shimono .... Ayato Kamina (1 episode, 2002)
• Aya Hisakawa .... Haruka Shitow (1 episode, 2002)
• Monica Rial .... Haruka Shitow (1 episode, 2002)
• Houko Kuwashima .... Quon Kisaragi (1 episode, 2002)
• Kira Vincent-Davis .... Quon Kisaragi (1 episode, 2002)
• Mandy Clark .... Reika Mishima (1 episode, 2002)
• Maaya Sakamoto .... Reika Mishima (1 episode, 2002)
• Yu Asakawa .... Shinobu Miwa (1 episode, 2002)
• Christine M. Auten .... Elvy Hadhiyat (1 episode, 2002)

Trama:
Kamina Ayato lives an ordinary life. He goes to school. He lives with his mother. He has schoolmates. But all of that changes one day when massive machines, known as the Dolem, attack the city of Tokyo with their destructive vocal powers. Caught up in the chaos, Ayato meets a mysterious girl named Mishima Reika. She leads him to the sanctuary, resting place of the RahXephon, a giant humanoid being with powers to counter those of the Dolem. Upon its awakening, Ayato finds himself synchronising with the machine and it takes him to the world beyond Tokyo. It seems that Tokyo, more precisely called Tokyo Jupiter, has been cut off from the rest of the world. Those living within the boundaries of Tokyo Jupiter believe that the rest of the world has been decimated, when in fact they live in a world controlled by the Mu. Now, facing the truth, Ayato must come to terms with his new reality, for he is a central element in the fate of mankind.

Trivia random: In the opening song, tattoos are described as being "chiselled in". This refers to the traditional Japanese art of tattooing, irezumi, where the ink was in former times inserted into the skin not with a needle but with chisel-like implements.
Citazione random: Quon: Dress me, please.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Habara, Nobuyoshi

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Data di nascita: 21 June 1963

Ultimi lavori:

• "D.N. Angel" (2003) .... (unknown episodes) [regista]
• Ganso bakuretsu hunter (1996) .... [regista]
• "Kidô senkan Nadeshiko" (1996) .... (unknown episodes) [regista]
• "Mega Man" (1995) .... (director: title sequence) (unknown episodes) (title designer: main titles) (unknown episodes) [misc]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

"Soukyû no Fafner" (2004)

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Genere: Action, Animation, Sci-Fi, Action
Valutazione: 7.9/10 (40 voti)
Paese: Japan, South Korea
Lingua: Japanese

Cast:

• Ryoko Shiraishi .... Shokora (1 episode, 2004)

Trama:
The youth of Tatsumiya Island believed that they had ordinary lives... until the advent of the Festum, extraterrestrial intelligent life forms intent on assimilating all humans. Abruptly, their once peaceful island transforms into a high-tech military fortress to counter-attack the hostile aliens. Their shock intensifies when they learn that only they can pilot the Fafner, a class of humanoid-type robots that represent the final and only weapon against the Festums and their divine powers.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.