Gamer

Se, dopo aver visto i trailer, vi volete ancora così male da andare a vedere Gamer, vi consiglio di portarvi dietro una ampia collezione di aghi da infilare sotto le unghie: ne avrete bisogno.

Gerard Butler di mestiere fa il carcerato nel braccio della morte - carriera breve ma non priva di soddisfazioni (e fa sempre curriculum).
Entra in scena Dexter - qui nel ruolo del genio del compiutter - che ha creato una serie di mondi virtuali nei quali gli utenti possono comandare delle persone in carne ed ossa (a dire il vero più "culi e tette" che altro, da quando viene mostrato ) grazie a solito artifizio narrativo impiantato nel cervello a suon di jibba-jabba hi-tech privo di senso.
Ultimo parto della sua geniale quanto empia testolina, un mondo dove i detenuti combattono a suon di armi fichissime, morendo a carriolate. Premio per chi sopravvive a 30 battaglie: la libertà ed un set di pentole in acciaio inox.
Butler ed il ragazzino che lo controlla sono quasi al traguardo, ma qual losco piano si dipana dinnanzi a loro! Ah, perché non ci è dato vivere in un mondo di oneste regole?! Perché?! Perché?! Boh, chissene...

Se avete una vaga sensazione come di "già visto un triliardo di volte", vi state sbagliando: questo non è come i mille film che hanno già sfruttato idee analoghe - è infatti scandalosamente peggio.
Girato dalla solita scimmia col parkinson, ha escogitato un affascinante stratagemma tecnico per nascondere le piccole imperfezioni: coprirle con una colossale esplosione. Il fondale fa schifo? Mettiamoci un'esplosione! Serve un stacco di scena tra due location separate? Esplosione! La trama ha un buco che sembra un cratere? Esplosione!
È bellissimo e molto facile, provateci anche voi: esplosione!

Sorvoliamo sui dialoghi, i concetti triti-e-ritriti, l'overacting costante ed una insultante supponenza che permea tutti i suoi 95 minuti.
Ha però anche alcuni meriti: oltre a settare un nuovo standard negativo per i filmacci d'azione (e non c'è neanche Jason Statham, incredibile), ha procurato una ciotola di cibo a Milo Ventimiglia e John Leguizamo. In tempi di crisi, non è poco.

Voto: 1 - fa intrattenimento quanto un'epidemia di vaiolo.
Trashometro^® 7/10:
Tags: azione, fantascienza, thriller, invereconda porcata, esplosione, esplosioni, esplosioni!, ancora esplosioni!, criminale, mondo virtuale, detenuto, fuga, armi, sparatoria, morte, combattimento, auto, resistenza, hacker, intrusione, Gerard Butler, John Leguizamo, moglie, prostituzione, vendetta, trash.

Statham, Jason

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Data di nascita: 12 September 1972
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Gnomeo and Juliet (2011) .... [attore]
• The Brazilian Job (2011) .... Handsome Rob [attore]
• 13 (2010) .... Jasper [attore]
• Blitz (2010) .... [attore]
• The Expendables (2010) .... Lee Christmas [attore]
• The Killer Elite (2010) .... [attore]
• The Mechanic (2010) .... [attore]
• Crank: High Voltage (2009) .... Chev Chelios [attore]
• Transporter 3 Special Delivery: Transporters in the Real World (2009) (V) .... Frank Martin [attore]
• Death Race (2008) .... Jensen Ames [attore]

Biografia:
Born in 1972, Jason Statham has done quite a lot in a short time. He has been an Olympic Diver on the British National Diving Team and finished 12th in the World Championships in 1992. He has also been a fashion model, black market salesman and finally of course, actor. He got the audition for his debut role as Bacon in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) through French Connection, for whom he was modeling. They became a major investor in the film and introduced Jason to Guy Ritchie, who invited him to audition for a part in the film by challenging him to impersonate an illegal street vendor and convince him to purchase fake jewelery. Jason must have been doing something right because after the success of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) he teamed up again with Guy Ritchie for Snatch. (2000), with co-stars including Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and Benicio Del Toro. After Snatch. (2000) came Turn It Up (2000) with US music star Ja Rule, followed by a supporting actor role in the Sci-Fi film Ghosts of Mars (2001), Jet Li's The One (2001) and another screen partnership with Vinnie Jones in Mean Machine (2001) under Guy Ritchie's and Matthew Vaughn's SKA Films. Finally in 2002 he was cast as the lead role of Frank Martin in The Transporter (2002). Jason is also in the summer 2003 blockbuster remake of The Italian Job (1969), The Italian Job (2003), playing Handsome Rob.

Trivia random: Offered the role of Agent 47 in Hitman (2007/I) after Vin Diesel was dropped from the project. Timothy Olyphant eventually took the role.
Citazione random: "You ain't ever gonna get an Academy Award for doing Crank (2006) and you certainly won't for doing all the other movies I've done."
Salario massimo: $750,000, per The Transporter (2002)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Gamer (2009)

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Regista: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Scrittore: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
Genere: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Valutazione: 5.7/10 (23986 voti)
Durata: 95 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Gerard Butler .... Kable / John Tillman
• Amber Valletta .... Angie
• Michael C. Hall .... Ken Castle
• Kyra Sedgwick .... Gina Parker Smith
• Logan Lerman .... Simon Silverton
• Alison Lohman .... Trace
• Terry Crews .... Hackman
• Ramsey Moore .... Gorge
• Ludacris .... Humanz Brother (as Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges)
• Aaron Yoo .... Humanz Dude

Trama:
Set in a future-world where humans can control other humans in mass-scale, multi-player online gaming environments, a star player from a game called "Slayers" looks to regain his independence while taking down the game's mastermind.

Trivia random: The opening montage of time-lapse shots and other scenes of the world where we see ads for Kable and/or graffiti of Ken Castle overlaid on buildings or walls are mostly taken from Ron Fricke's wordless film Baraka (1992), for example, the shots of the Giza Pyramids, India, homeless man sleeping under a bridge among others.
Citazione random: Simon: This is unbelievable. Kable, listen. This is the last game. You're gonna end up dead, and I'm going to look like a total asshole if you don't pull your balls together man!

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Leguizamo, John

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Data di nascita: 22 July 1960
Altezza: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Coniuge: Justine Maurer::(5 July 2003 - present) 2 children, Yelba Osorio::(27 August 1994 - November 1996) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Spanish Harlem Project (2011) .... Ray [attore]
• Tlatelolco: Mexico 68 (2011) .... Jesus (rumored) [attore]
• Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) .... Paul [attore]
• Gamer (2009) .... Freek [attore]
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) (VG) .... Sid (voice) [attore]
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) .... Sid (voice) [attore]
• Rage (2009/I) .... Jed [attore]
• The Ministers (2009) .... Dante/Perfecto [attore]
• Miracle at St. Anna (2008) .... Enrico [attore]
• Nothing Like the Holidays (2008) .... Mauricio Rodriguez [attore]

Biografia:
Fast-talking and feisty-looking John Leguizamo has continued to impress movie audiences with his versatility: he can play sensitive and naïve young men, such as Johnny in Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991); cold-blooded killers like Benny Blanco in Carlito's Way (1993); a heroic Navy SEAL, stopping aerial terrorists in Executive Decision (1996); and drag queen Chi-Chi Rodriguez in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995). Arguably, not since ill-fated actor and comedian Freddie Prinze starred in the smash TV series "Chico and the Man" (1974) has a youthful Latino personality had such a powerful impact on critics and fans alike. Born July 22, 1964, in Bogotá, Colombia, Leguizamo was four when his family emigrated to the United States. He was raised in Queens, New York, attended New York University and studied under legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg for only one day before Strasberg passed away. The extroverted Leguizamo started working the comedy club circuit in New York and first appeared in front of the cameras in an episode of "Miami Vice" (1984). His first film appearance was a small part in Mixed Blood (1985), and he had minor roles in Casualties of War (1989) and Die Hard 2 (1990) before playing a liquor store thief who shoots Harrison Ford in Regarding Henry (1991). His career really started to soar after his first-rate performance in the independent film Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991) as a nervous young teenager from the Bronx out for a night in brightly lit Manhattan with his buddies, facing the career choice of staying in a supermarket or heading off to college and finding out that the girl he loves from afar isn't quite what he thought she was. The year 1991 was also memorable for other reasons, as he hit the stage with his show Mambo Mouth (1991) (TV), in which he portrayed seven different Latino characters. The witty and incisive show was a smash hit and won the Obie and Outer Circle Critics Award, and later was filmed for HBO, where it picked up a CableACE Award. He returned to the stage two years later with another satirical production poking fun at Latino stereotypes titled Spic-O-Rama (1993) (TV). It played in Chicago and New York, and won the Drama Desk Award and four CableACE Awards. In 1995 he created and starred in the short-lived TV series "House of Buggin'" (1995), an all-Latino-cast comedy variety show featuring hilarious sketches and comedic routines. The show scored two Emmy nominations and received positive reviews from critics, but it was canceled after only one season. The gifted Leguizamo was still keeping busy in films, with key appearances in Super Mario Bros. (1993), Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Spawn (1997). In 1998 he made his Broadway debut in Freak (1998) (TV), a "demi-semi-quasi-pseudo-autobiographical" one-man show, which was filmed for HBO by Spike Lee. Utilizing his distinctive vocal talents, he next voiced a pesky rat in Doctor Dolittle (1998) before appearing in the dynamic Spike Lee-directed Summer of Sam (1999) as a guilt-ridden womanizer, as the Genie of The Lamp in the exciting Arabian Nights (2000) (TV) and as Henri de Toulouse Lautrec in the visually spectacular Moulin Rouge! (2001). He also voiced Sid in the animated Ice Age (2002), co-starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Collateral Damage (2002) and directed and starred in the boxing film Undefeated (2003) (TV). Afterward, Leguizamo starred in the remake of the John Carpenter hit Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) and George A. Romero's long-awaited fourth "Dead" film, Land of the Dead (2005). There can be no doubt that the remarkably talented Leguizamo has been a breakthrough performer for the Latino community in mainstream Hollywood, in much the same way that Sidney Poitier crashed through celluloid barriers for African-Americans in the early 1960s. Among his many strengths lies his ability to not take his ethnic background too seriously but also to take pride in his Latino heritage. He has opened many doors for his countrymen. A masterly and accomplished performer, movie audiences await Leguizamo's next exciting performance.

Trivia random: Was voted "Most Talkative" in high school.
Citazione random: "Marriage is wild. I thought it was this perfect land of happiness and joy. Wrong! After you say you do, you don't for a long time."
Salario massimo: $2,000,000, per Spawn (1997)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Hall, Michael C. (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Hall, Michael Carlyle
Data di nascita: 1 February 1971
Altezza: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
Coniuge: Jennifer Carpenter::(31 December 2008 - present), Amy Spanger::(1 May 2002 - 2006) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• East Fifth Bliss (2010) .... Morris Bliss [attore]
• Peep World (2010) .... Jack [attore]
• Gamer (2009) .... Ken Castle [attore]
• The Edge of Things (2009) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Mysteries of the Freemasons (2006) (TV) .... Narrator [attore]
• "Hitler's War" (2005) TV series (narrator) (2005) .... [misc]
• Bereft (2004) (TV) .... Jonathan [attore]
• Paycheck (2003) .... Agent Klein [attore]

Biografia:
Michael C. Hall is a North Carolina native and graduate of NYU's Master of Fine Arts program in acting. His most recent performance was on Broadway as the emcee in "Cabaret." Hall has previously starred in nearly a dozen major off-Broadway plays, including "Macbeth" for the New York Shakespeare Festival, "Cymbeline" for the New York Shakespeare Festival at Central Park's Delacorte Theater, "Timon of Athens" and "Henry V" at the Public, "The English Teachers" for Manhattan Class Company, "Corpus Christi" at the Manhattan Theatre Club, and "Skylight" at the Mark Taper Forum.

Trivia random: Attended Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina, the same school attended by actress Emily Procter, actor William Joyner, and editor Hughes Winborne.
Citazione random: I think Dexter is a man who, a part of himself is very much frozen, or arrested in a place that is pre-memory, pre-conscious, pre-verbal. Something very traumatic happened to him, he doesn't know what that is. And I think on some level he wants to know. He denies his humanity, he describes himself as someone who is without feeling, and yet I think that he maybe suspects - in a way that maybe isn't even conscious yet when we first meet him - that he is in fact a human being.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Butler, Gerard

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Nome di battesimo: Butler, Gerard James
Data di nascita: 13 November 1969
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Burns (2010) .... Robert Burns [attore]
• Coriolanus (2010) .... Tullus Aufidius [attore]
• How to Train Your Dragon (2010) .... Stoick (voice) [attore]
• The Bounty Hunter (2010) .... Milo Boyd [attore]
• Untitled Comedy (2010) .... Chaun [attore]
• Gamer (2009) .... Kable / John Tillman [attore]
• Law Abiding Citizen (2009) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Tales of the Black Freighter (2009) (V) .... The Sea Captain (voice) [attore]
• The Ugly Truth (2009) .... Mike Chadway [attore]
• Nim's Island (2008) .... Jack Rusoe / Alex Rover [attore]

Biografia:
Born in Paisley, Scotland, to Margaret and Edward Butler, Gerard Butler was raised along with his older brother and sister in his hometown of Paisley, Scotland. He also spent some of his youth in Canada. His parents divorced when he was a child, and he and his siblings were raised primarily by their mother, who later remarried. He had no contact with his father between the ages of two and 16 years old, after which time they became close. His father passed away when Gerard was in his early 20s. Butler went on to attend Glasgow University, where he studied to be a lawyer/solicitor. He was president of the school's law society thanks to his outgoing personality and great social skills. His acting career began when he was approached in a London coffee shop by actor Steven Berkoff, who later appeared alongside Butler in Attila (2001/I) (TV), who gave him a role in a stage production of Coriolanus. After that Butler decided to give up law for acting. He was cast as Ewan McGregor's character Renton in the stage adaptation of [i]Trainspotting[/i]. His film debut was as Billy Connolly's younger brother in _Mrs. Brown (1997)_. While filming the movie in Scotland, he was enjoying a picnic with his mother, near the River Tay, when they heard the shouts of a young boy who had been swimming with a friend who was in some trouble. Butler jumped in and saved the young boy from drowning. He received a Certificate of Bravery from the Royal Humane Society. He felt he only did what anyone in the situation would have done. His film career continued with small roles, first in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and then Russell Mulcahy's Tale of the Mummy (1998). In 2000, Butler was cast in two breakthrough roles, the first being Attila the Hun in the USA film Attila (2001/I) (TV). The film's producers wanted a known actor to play the part but kept coming back to Butler's screen tests and decided he was their man. He had to lose the thick Scottish accent, but managed well. Around the time Attila was being filmed, casting was in progress for Wes Craven's new take on the Dracula legacy. Also wanting a known name, Butler wasn't much of a consideration. His unending tenacity and drive drove him to hounding the producers. Eventually, he sent them a clip of his portrayal of Attila. Evidently they saw something because Dracula 2000 (2000) was cast in the form of Butler. Attila's producers, thinking that his big-screen role might help with their own film's ratings, finished shooting a little early so he could get to work on Dracula 2000 (2000). Attila ended up being the second highest-rated TV movie ever. Following these two roles, Butler developed quite a fan base, an Internet site and began appearing on lists everywhere. Since then he has appeared in Reign of Fire (2002) as Creedy and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003) as Terry Sheridan, alongside Angelina Jolie. The role that garnered him most attention from both moviegoers and movie makers alike was that of Andre Marek in the big-screen adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel Timeline (2003). Butler played an archaeologist who was sent back in time with a team of students to rescue a colleague. Last year he appeared in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera (2004), playing the title character in the successful adaptation of the stage musical. It was a role that brought him much international attention. Other projects include Dear Frankie (2004), The Game of Their Lives (2005) and Beowulf & Grendel (2005). In 2007 he starred as Spartan King Leonidas in the Warner Bros. production 300 (2006), based on the Frank Miller graphic novel, and Butterfly on a Wheel (2007) co-starring Pierce Brosnan and Maria Bello, which aired on network TV under the title Shattered. He most recently starred in P.S. I Love You (2007) with Academy Award-winner Hilary Swank . In 2007, he appeared in Nim's Island (2008) and RocknRolla (2008), and recently completed the new Mark Neveldine / Brian Taylor film Gamer (2009). His latest film The Ugly Truth (2009) co-starring Katherine Heigl began filming in April 2008.

Trivia random: Was once rumored to be the next James Bond (after Pierce Brosnan). [April 2001]
Citazione random: Sometimes I finish a movie and I get used to a certain lifestyle and when that stops I get a bit lost for about a week. 'No one is bringing me lunch anymore - I've got to go do that myself?' I lose the main point of my focus. Often all I want to do is travel and just get the hell out of there. But I'm actually boring really.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Ventimiglia, Milo

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Nome di battesimo: Ventimiglia, Milo Anthony
Data di nascita: 8 July 1977
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Order of Chaos (2010) .... Rick [attore]
• "Ultradome" (2010) .... (executive producer) (unknown episodes, 2010) [produttore]
• Armored (2009) .... Eckehart [attore]
• Dave Knoll Finds His Soul (2009) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Gamer (2009) .... Rick Rape [attore]
• High-Five Hollywood! (2008) (V) .... [attore]
• Pathology (2008) .... Ted Grey [attore]
• "It's a Mall World" (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• "Winter Tales" (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Intelligence (2006/I) .... Colin Mathers [attore]

Biografia:
Nurturing an impressive body of work that encompasses film and television, Milo Ventimiglia is positioning himself as one of Hollywood's most promising young talents as his career continues to evolve with exciting and challenging projects. Ventimiglia will next be seen starring in Tom Fontana's new WB Series "The Bedford Diaries" (2006), which focuses on a group of college students in a human sexuality class. Ventimiglia quickly garnered attention when he joined the cast of the critically acclaimed television drama "Gilmore Girls" (2000), as the quiet and complicated 'Jess.' Last year Ventimiglia joined the cast of another critically acclaimed show, NBC's "American Dreams" (2002). He portrayed a 60's war radical and helps bring the show into the 70's. He was also a recurring character on David. E. Kelley's drama "Boston Public" (2000). Before joining "Gilmore Girls" audiences became familiar with Ventimiglia when he starred in the Fox series "Opposite Sex" (2000) which secured him a holding deal with Warner Brothers. His other television credits include guest starring roles on prime time series such as "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990), "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000), "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (1996) and "Promised Land" (1996). Segueing effortlessly between the big and small screen, Ventimiglia's passion for the art of acting keeps him drawn to both studio and independent features. Ventimiglia recently starred in the Wes Craven/Kevin Williamson thriller Cursed (2005) and next up is the indie film Dirty Deeds (2005). His other film credits include Winter Break (2003) and Massholes (2000). Additionally he starred in the short films Nice Guys Finish Last (2001) and Must Be the Music (1996), which debuted at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. Ventimiglia currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys skateboarding, snowboarding and wake boarding. He also has a passion for restoring vintage muscle cars.

Trivia random: He has a great interest in directing.
Citazione random: On the WB holding deal: ... They said, 'Here's a lot of money and don't work for anybody else. We don't have anything for you, so you're going to be sitting for a while.' That was an interesting thing.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Eastern Promises

Intanto, complimentoni a chi ha tradotto "Eastern Promises" con "La Promessa dell'Assassino".
Detto questo, sono rimasto alquanto soddisfatto dall'ultimo film di Cronenberg.

Una ragazza dell'est muore di parto; quel cuore d'oro di Naomi Watts cerca di farsi tradurre il diario della giovane, nella speranza di rintracciarne i parenti.
Si imbatterà in una famiglia della mafia russa nella quale zio Viggo si sta facendo strada: partito come autista, punta a conquistarsi la fiducia del capo.

Film potente, pur con un passo lento (ma la tensione non viene mai meno) che si regge su una sceneggiatura davvero ottima. Crudo al limite della brutalità, non ci si fa mancare proprio nulla: violenza sessuale, prostituzione, sgozzamenti, accoltellamenti, omicidi a mani nude e tutto il repertorio.
Brava la Watts e Cassel buono giusto per il ruolo di depravato ubriacone; bravi gli altri, anche se tutti scompaiono di fronte al più forte Viggo Mortensen di tutti i tempi: sono certo che potrebbe sconfiggere a rutti financo il ben più acculturato Dolph Lundgren.
Il vero guaio è che se Viggo fa ripetutamente intravedere il Piccolo Viggo^®, la Watts sta tutto il tempo in maglione.

Dopo la delusione di A History of Violence, ed un film pesante (pure non brutto) come Spider, mi sento in parte riconciliato con Cronenberg.
Certo, non è più il regista della carnaccia che abbiamo adorato.
È un Cronenberg ripulito, con più soldi, una ottima fotografia ed una regia precisa e misurata; lo si amava di più prima, ma va bene anche così.

Voto: 8+. Avercene.
Tags: drammatico, thriller, crimine, mafia russa, Russia, Londra, sgozzamento, vendetta, stupro, minorenne, parto, morte, morte di parto, abbandono, autista, omicidio, occultamento di cadavere, amputazione, droga, alcol, cena, compleanno, infermiera, zio, ubriacone, infiltrato, figlio, tatuaggi, sauna, accoltellamento, FSB, polizia, moto, nudo maschile, nudo femminile, prostituzione, lotta.

Eastern Promises (2007)

Promessa dell'assassino, La

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Regista: David Cronenberg
Scrittore: Steven Knight
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Valutazione: 8.0/10 (19076 voti)
Durata: 100 min
Paese: UK, Canada, USA
Lingua: English, Russian, Turkish

Cast:

• Josef Altin .... Ekrem
• Mina E. Mina .... Azim
• Aleksandar Mikic .... Soyka
• Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse .... Tatiana
• Lalita Ahmed .... Customer
• Badi Uzzaman .... Chemist
• Naomi Watts .... Anna
• Doña Croll .... Nurse (as Dona Croll)
• Raza Jaffrey .... Doctor Aziz
• Sinéad Cusack .... Helen

Trama:
The mysterious and charismatic Russian-born Nikolai Luzhin is a driver for one of London's most notorious organized crime families of Eastern European origin. The family itself is part of the Vory V Zakone criminal brotherhood. Headed by Semyon, whose courtly charm as the welcoming proprietor of the plush Trans-Siberian restaurant impeccably masks a cold and brutal core, the family's fortunes are tested by Semyon's volatile son and enforcer, Kirill, who is more tightly bound to Nikolai than to his own father. But Nikolai's carefully maintained existence is jarred once he crosses paths at Christmastime with Anna Khitrova, a midwife at a North London hospital. Anna is deeply affected by the desperate situation of a young teenager who dies while giving birth to a baby. Anna resolves to try to trace the baby's lineage and relatives. The girl's personal diary also survives her; it is written in Russian, and Anna seeks answers in it. Anna's mother Helen does not discourage her, but Anna's irascible Russian-born uncle Stepan urges caution. He is right to do so; by delving into the diary, Anna has accidentally unleashed the full fury of the Vory. With Semyon and Kirill closing ranks and Anna pressing her inquiries, Nikolai unexpectedly finds his loyalties divided. The family tightens its grip on him; who can, or should, he trust? Several lives - including his own - hang in the balance as a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution reverberates through the darkest corners of both the family and London itself.

Trivia random: To prepare for his role, Viggo Mortensen traveled alone to Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Ural Mountain region of Siberia, spending weeks driving around without a translator. He studied the gangs of the vory v zakone (thieves in law), read books on Russian prison culture and the importance of prison tattoos as criminal résumés, and perfected his character's Siberian accent and learned lines in Russian, Ukrainian and English. During filming, he used worry beads made in prison from melted-down plastic cigarette lighters and decorated his trailer with copies of Russian icons.
Citazione random: Semyon: Soyka had brothers.::Nikolai Luzhin: Kirill has me.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Watts, Naomi

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Nome di battesimo: Watts, Naomi Ellen
Data di nascita: 28 September 1968
Altezza: 5' 5" (1.65 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• The Birds (2009) .... Melanie Daniels (rumored) [attrice]
• Kicked, Bitten and Scratched (2009) .... [attrice]
• Need (2009) .... [attrice]
• Angels & Demons (2008) .... Vittoria Vetra [attrice]
• The International (2008) .... [attrice]
• Eastern Promises (2007) .... Anna [attrice]
• Funny Games U.S. (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Inland Empire (2006) .... Suzie Rabbit (voice) [attrice]
• The Painted Veil (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Ellie Parker (2005) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Born in Shoreham, England and raised in Australia, Naomi Watts has been working actively in the film industry for 15 years. After she moved to Hollywood, she worked regularly, acting in small roles in film projects she was less than enthusiastic about. Finally, her big break came when she was contacted to audition for a coveted spot in David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. (2001). Her star-turning performance in the dual role of Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn has garnered an array of critic's awards and the attention of some major players in Hollywood and beyond. Watts is now enjoying greater choice of film roles and played (with great success)the lead in Gore Verbinski's remake of the Japanese horror classic The Ring (2002). She also starred opposite Kate Hudson in Merchant/Ivory's adaptation of the Diane Johnson novel Divorce, Le (2003). Subsequently, Watts' creative acting abilities have continued to grow and deepen. She has been cast in an array of films with only the best directors and actors and continues to stun critics and amaze filmgoers with her versatility and range.

Trivia random: Her brother Ben Watts is a well-known photographer. He's been living in the US since 1994.
Citazione random: When I had dark hair I definitely felt that I was more anonymous.
Salario massimo: $5,000,000, per King Kong (2005)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Harold, Erika

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Trivia random: Miss America 2003.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Cassel, Vincent

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Nome di battesimo: Crochon, Vincent
Data di nascita: 23 November 1966
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Coniuge: Monica Bellucci::(1999 - present) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• L'Ennemi public n° 1 (2008) .... Jacques Mesrine [attore]
• L'Instinct de mort (2008) .... Jacques Mesrine [attore]
• À Deriva (2008) .... [attore]
• Eastern Promises (2007) .... Kirill [attore]
• Ocean's Thirteen (2007) .... François Toulour [attore]
• Sa majesté Minor (2007) .... Satyre [attore]
• FBI Zoo (2006) .... Walt le sexy (voice) [attore]
• Sheitan (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Derailed (2005/I) .... LaRoche [attore]
• Agents secrets (2004) .... Brisseau [attore]

Biografia:
Blue-eyed Vincent Cassel was born in Paris to a leading French actor father, Jean-Pierre Cassel and a journalist mother. Often labeled as a tough guy because of his roles, eclectic choices and talent have made of him a star of European cinema. First in Haine, La (1995), the young actor, actually coming from upper classes, succeeded to express the despair of a social class living in the suburbs of towns, breaking totally with his personal life. Then the success of The crimson rivers, where he plays a young French cop alongside Jean Reno, made of him "the man to count on." He never hid his taste for rap music, break dance, Capoeira, Brasil and his endless energy, but Vincent is also a family man, married to Monica Bellucci, his Italian co-star from Appartement, L' (1996) (aka The Apartment); and recently a father. Now a rising international star, Cassel could easily become the idol of many.

Trivia random: Half-brother of Cécile Cassel. Vincent also had a sister named Olivia.
Citazione random: The day after I had my licence to drive I made Paris/Nice at 230 km/hour.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Lundgren, Dolph

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Nome di battesimo: Lundgren, Hans Dolph
Data di nascita: 3 November 1957
Altezza: 6' 5¼" (1.96 m)
Coniuge: Anette Qviberg::(27 February 1994 - present) 2 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Tokyo Suckerpunch (2008) .... Chaka (rumored) [attore]
• Tumbling Dice (2008) .... (attached) [regista]
• Diamond Dogs (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Missionary Man (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• L'Inchiesta (2006) .... Brixos [attore]
• The Mechanik (2005) .... (story) [scrittore]
• The Defender (2004) .... [regista]
• Direct Action (2004) .... Frank Gannon [attore]
• Fat Slags (2004) .... Randy [attore]
• Retrograde (2004) .... John Foster [attore]

Biografia:
Dolph Lundgren attended the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. He received a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1982, and the next year was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT. In New York City, he met drama coach Warren Robertson and decided to try his luck as an actor in action movies. His film The Shooter (1995) was shot mainly in Prague, Czech Republic. Lundgren has a second-degree black belt in karate and is aiming for his third-degree black belt.

Trivia random: He was the first actor cast for the 1987 cult sci-fi film Masters of the Universe (1987).
Citazione random: I was turned down at my first audition for Rocky IV for being too tall. I was 6ft 5in and you were supposed to be 6ft 3in maximum. I didn't know what the casting call was for and I just showed up, they asked me how tall I was, I said 6ft 5in and they said NEXT!
Salario massimo: FRF 15,000,000, per The Shooter (1995)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Mortensen, Viggo

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Nome di battesimo: Jr., Viggo Peter Mortensen
Data di nascita: 20 October 1958
Altezza: 5' 11" (1.80 m)
Coniuge: Exene Cervenka::(8 July 1987 - 13 March 1998) (divorced) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• Poe (2009) .... Edgar Allan Poe (rumored) [attore]
• Appaloosa (2008) .... Everett Hitch [attore]
• Good (2008) .... Halder [attore]
• The Road (2008) .... Father (rumored) [attore]
• Eastern Promises (2007) .... Nikolai [attore]
• Alatriste (2006) .... Diego Alatriste y Tenorio [attore]
• A History of Violence (2005) .... Tom Stall [attore]
• Hidalgo (2004) .... Frank Hopkins [attore]
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) .... Aragorn [attore]
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) .... Aragorn [attore]

Biografia:
Since his screen debut as a young Amish Farmer in Peter Weir's Witness (1985), Viggo Mortensen's career has been marked by a steady string of well-rounded performances. Critics have continually recognized his work in over thirty movies, including such diverse projects as Jane Campion's The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Sean Penn's The Indian Runner (1991), Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way (1993), Ridley Scott's G.I. Jane (1997), Tony Scott's Crimson Tide (1995), Andrew Davis's A Perfect Murder (1998), Ray Loriga's Pistola de mi hermano, La (1997), and Tony Goldwyn's A Walk on the Moon (1999). Born in New York to a Danish father and an American mother, Mortensen spent the early part of his childhood in Manhattan. His family traveled a great deal and he spent several years living in Venezuela, Argentina and Denmark. He began acting in New York, studying with Warren Robertson. He appeared in several plays and movies, and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where his performance in "Bent" at the Coast Playhouse earned him a Drama-logue Critic's Award. Mortensen is also an accomplished poet, photographer and painter.

Trivia random: Although their divorce only became final in 1998, he and his former wife, Exene Cervenka, separated in late 1990/early 1991 after less than 3 years of marriage but remain close friends often working together and co-parenting their son.
Citazione random: On the role of an actor in film: "It comes down to the fact that you supply the blue, and they supply the other colors and mix them with your blue, and maybe there's some blue left in the painting and maybe there isn't. Maybe there wasn't supposed to be any there in the first place. So have some fun and make a good blue and walk away."
Salario massimo: $2,000,000, per Hidalgo (2004)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Cronenberg, David

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Nome di battesimo: Cronenberg, David Paul
Data di nascita: 15 March 1943
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Coniuge: Carolyn Zeifman::(1979 - present) 2 children, Margaret Hindson::(1970 - 1977) (divorced) 1 child

Ultimi lavori:

• Drone (2008) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Chacun son cinéma ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s'éteint et que le film commence (2007) .... (segment "At the Suicide of the Last Jew in the World in the Last Cinema in the World") [regista]
• Eastern Promises (2007) .... [regista]
• A History of Violence (2005) .... [regista]
• Spider (2002) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Jason X (2001) .... Dr. Wimmer [attore]
• The Judge (2001) (TV) .... Det. Stobel [attore]
• Camera (2000/III) .... [scrittore]
• Resurrection (1999) .... Father Rousell [attore]
• eXistenZ (1999) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
David Cronenberg, also known as the King of Venereal Horror or the Baron of blood, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1943. His father was a journalist, and his mother was a piano player. After showing an inclination for literature at an early age (he wrote and published eerie short stories, thus following his father's path) and for music (playing classical guitar until he was 12), Cronenberg graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Literature after switching from the science department. He reached the cult status of horror-meister with the gore-filled, modern-vampire variations of Shivers (1975) and Rabid (1977), following an experimental apprenticeship in independent filmmaking and in Canadian television programs. Cronenberg gained popularity with the head-exploding, telepathy-based Scanners (1981) after the release of the much underrated, controversial, and autobiographical The Brood (1979). Cronenberg become a sort of a mass media guru with Videodrome (1983), a shocking investigation of the hazards of reality-morphing television and a prophetic critique of contemporary aesthetics. The issues of tech-induced mutation of the human body and topics of the prominent dichotomy between body and mind were back again in The Dead Zone (1983) and The Fly (1986), both bright examples of a personal filmmaking identity, even if both films are based on mass-entertainment materials: the first being a rendition of a Stephen King best-seller, the latter a remake of famous American horror movie. With Dead Ringers (1988) and Naked Lunch (1991), the Canadian director, no more a mere genre movie-maker but a fully realized auteur, got the acclaim of international critics. Such profound statements on modern humanity and ever-changing society are prominent in the provocative Crash (1996/I) and in the virtual reality essay of eXistenZ (1999), both of which well fared at the Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals. In the last two filmic projects Spider (2002) and A History of Violence (2005), Cronenberg avoids expressing his teratologic and oniric expressionism in favour of a more psycological exploration of human contradictions and idiosyncrasies.

Trivia random: Brother of costume designer Denise Cronenberg.
Citazione random: We've all got the disease - the disease of being finite. Death is the basis of all horror.

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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.

kickboxer 3

Ouch! Che cosa tremenda iniziare un nuovo anno con tantissimi brutstupendi filmoni in arretrato dal 2006; meglio iniziare con qualche recensione, prima che la memoria di tali fantastiche pellicole vada persa, come urina nella tazza del cesso...

Degno candidato per una esecuzione Saddam-style è di certo Kickboxer 3: The Art of War; brillante esponente della serie "Kickboxer", simpatica e tenace come un tumore in fase di metastasi, vede qui il dinamico duo Sasha Mitchell (che sostituì Jean-Claude Van Damme dal secondo episodio fino al quarto, per poi passare a sua volta il testimone a Mark Dacascos... per dire il livello! ) e Dennis Chan in una avventura brasilera.

Il campionissimo di kickboxer David Sloan è in Brasile per partecipare al mega-torneo-intergalattico o quel che è, accompagnato dal suo Maestro^® (che non muore, e già questo è segno di quanto sia schiappa) Xian Chow.
Non avendo niente di meglio da fare si prendono a mano una adolescente ed il suo fratellino, entrambi Made In Favelas^®; sorvolando sui loro mai chiariti intenti sessuali, ai due viene dato un assaggio di bella vita, presumibilmente prima di rispedirli a calci nella loro merda (se non è cattiveria questa...)
Sfortuna vuole che le loro strade si incrocino con quella di un malavitoso locale che vuole introdurre la bella giovinetta nel suo bordello; al che i nostri due eroi più bambozzo al seguito si disinteressano del torneo nel quale - caso strano! - è invischiato pure il malvagio, con un suo campione ed un giro di scommesse clandestine.
Giù botte e sparatorie finché, quando tutto sembrava volgersi al meglio, ecco l'inaspettata caduta dell'eroe nelle mani del cattivo, che lo costringerà a fiaccarsi al fine di fargli perdere l'incontro finale. Quel che l'empio figuro non sa è che il Maestro^® prepara del doping che Pantani gli fa una pippa.

Brutto, ma brutto-brutto: trama patetica, regia e recitazione inesistenti, dialoghi squallidi; c'è una quantità minima di kickbox, il resto sono sparatorie e botte alla Bud Spencer.

Cose imparate: per fare il Vero Beverone^® si possono usare indifferentemente rarissime erbe cinesi o quel che si trova in un qualsiasi boschetto di una zona residenziale del Brasile; la polizia Brasiliana "vorrebbe-ma-non-può".
Forse non tutti sanno che... la Icon di zio Mel "gli ebrei sono la feccia del mondo ma fintanto mi dan soldi per i miei film va tutto bene" Gibson è implicata nella produzione e distribuzione di cotale monnezza.

Voto: 2. Trashometro^® 6/10:
Tags: kickboxer, azione, Brasile, prostituzione, combattimenti, scommesse, torneo, pol izia, rapimento, arti marziali, maestro, trash.

Van Damme, Jean-Claude

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Nome di battesimo: Van Varenberg, Jean-Claude Camille François
Data di nascita: 18 October 1960
Altezza: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Coniuge: Gladys Portugues::(25 June 1999 - present), Darcy LaPier::(3 February 1994 - November 1997) (divorced) 1 child, Gladys Portugues::(1986 - 1992) (divorced) 2 children, Cynthia Derderian::(1985 - 1985) (divorced), Maria Rodriguez::(1978 - 1984) (divorced)

Ultimi lavori:

• Until Death (2007) .... Anthony Stowe [attore]
• The Hard Corps (2006) .... Phillip Sauvage [attore]
• Second in Command (2006) .... Sam Keenan [attore]
• Sinav (2006) .... Charles [attore]
• Narco (2004) .... Jean-Claude Van Damme fantasmé par Lenny [attore]
• Wake of Death (2004) .... Ben Archer [attore]
• In Hell (2003) .... Kyle [attore]
• Derailed (2002) .... Jacques Kristoff [attore]
• The Order (2001) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• Replicant (2001) .... Edward 'The Torch' Garrotte/Replicant [attore]

Biografia:
Born on Oct 18 1960, Jean-Claude Van Damme is the son of Eugene Van Varenberg and Eliana Van Varenberg. "The muscles from Brussels" originally known as Jean-Claude Van Varenberg, started martial arts at the age of 11. His father Eugene Van Varenberg introduced him to martial arts when he saw his son was physically weak. Jean-Claude started with Shotokan Karate and later studied Kickboxing, Taekwon-Do, and Muay Thai. He won the European professional karate association's middleweight championship as a teenager, and also beat the 2nd best karate fighter in the world. His goal was to be number one but got sidetracked when he left his hometown of Brussels.He came to Hong Kong at the age of 19 for the first time and felt insured to do action movies in Hong Kong. So in 1981 Van Damme left Hong Kong and moved to Los Angeles, where he was trying for 5 years. He took English classes while working as carpet layer, pizza delivery man, limo driver, and thanks to Chuck Norris he got a job as a bouncer at a club. He gave Van Damme a small role in the movie 'Missing in Action', but it wasn't good enough to get anybody's attention. Then in 1984 he got a role as a villain named Ivan in the low-budget movie _No Retreat, No Surrender (1985)_ .Then one day, while walking on the streets, Jean-Claude spotted a producer for Cannon Pictures, and showed some of his martial arts abilities which gave him the leading role in Bloodsport (1988). But the movie, filmed in Hong Kong was so bad; when it was completed they shelved it for almost two years. It might have never been released if Van Damme did not help them to recut the film and begged producers to release it. They finally released the film, first in Malaysia and France and then into the U.S. and at last the miracle happened. 'Bloodsport', shot on a meager 1.5 million dollar budget, became a U.S box-office hit in the spring of 1988. It made about 30 million world and audiences supported this film for its new sensational action star Jean-Claude Van Damme.His martial arts assets, highlighted by his ability to deliver a kick to an opponent's head during a leaping 360-degree turn, and his good looks led to starring roles in higher budgeted movies like Cyborg (1989), Lionheart (1990), Double Impact (1991) and Universal Soldier (1992). It was 1994 when he scored his big breakthrough $100 million worldwide hit Timecop (1994). But in the mean time his personal life was on the edge.It began to show up in his career when all the anticipated projects from him began to tank in the box office like _Quest, The (1996/I)_ (which he directed), Maximum Risk (1996), Double Team (1997); and the thre e films made less than $50 million combined. In 1999 he remarried his ex-wife Gladys Portugues and restarted his lost career to attain new goals. With help from his family he faced his problems and made movies like Replicant (2001), Derailed (2002), and In Hell (2003) which did averagely in box office terms, but he tried to give his fans the best, his acting in those movies got better, more emotional and each movie was basically in different action tones.

Trivia random: On July 10, 2000, Van Damme was sentenced to a 90 day anti-drunk-driving class, $1,2000 fine, 3 years probation and a 90 day revocation of his license after pleading no contest in Beverly Hills for a September 23, 1999 DUI arrest.
Citazione random: "Ten, 15 years ago, Sly, Arnold, those guys, were well-built; of course, they had to act and find good scripts, but today action heroes don't have to be Mr. Muscles. What really helps a guy to become an action hero today is the direc ting of the movie. All those fast cuts."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Kickboxer 3: The Art of War (1992)

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Regista: Rick King
Scrittore: Dennis A. Pratt
Genere: Action
Valutazione: 2.2/10 (450 voti)
Durata: 92 min
Paese: USA
Lingua: English

Cast:

• Sasha Mitchell .... David Sloan
• Dennis Chan .... Xian
• Richard Comar .... Lane
• Noah Verduzco .... Marcos
• Alethea Miranda .... Isabella
• Milton Gonçalves .... Sergeant
• Ricardo Petráglia .... Alberto
• Gracindo Júnior .... Pete
• Miguel Orniga .... Marcelo
• Leonor Gottlieb .... Margarida

Trama:
Together with his trainer Xian, Kickbox champion David Sloan arrives in Rio de Janeiro for a show figh t. Soon he's confronted with the darker sides of the city, when pocket picker Costa tries to steal his camera. He takes him and his beautiful sister Isabella under his wings and to his fight. There Isabella gains the attention of a ruthless white-slave agent, who happens to be his opponent Martin's manager. Not long until David needs to use his fighting skill also outside the ring. Citazione random: Martine: It's you I want, you. Next week you'll die.

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Dacascos, Mark

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Data di nascita: 26 February 1964
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Coniuge: Julie Condra::(5 January 1998 - present) 3 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Alien Agent (2007) .... Rykker [attore]
• Code Name: The Cleaner (2007) .... Eric Hauck [attore]
• Stranglehold (2007) (VG) .... (voice) [attore]
• Final Approach (2006) .... Kato [attore]
• The Hunt for Eagle One (2006) (V) .... Lt. Matt Daniels [attore]
• The Hunt for Eagle One: Crash Point (2006) (V) .... Marine Lt. Daniels [attore]
• Nomad (2005/II) .... Sharish [attore]
• Only the Brave (2005) .... Steve "Zaki" Senzaki [attore]
• Solar Strike (2005) (TV) .... Lucas Foster [attore]
• Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) .... Ling [attore]

Trivia random: 1980 -- Hamburg Kara te Championships -- First Place -- Junior

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Chan, Dennis (I)

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Ultimi lavori:

• Chek law dak gung (2002) .... Mr. Chan [attore]
• Knock Off (1998) .... Choy/Eddie Kid [attore]
• Long zai jiang hu (1998) .... Judge [attore]
• Dui bat hei, doh je nei (1997) .... Kwong [attore]
• Jilao sishi (1997) .... Stephen [attore]
• Tou tou ai ni (1996) .... Eric [attore]
• Wang zi duo qing (1996) .... Wong [attore]
• Heung gong fa yuet ye (1995) .... Leung Ping [attore]
• Jushi shengun (1995) .... Uncle Lam [attore]
• Mei you lao gong de ri zi (1995) .... Museum Guard [attore]

Trivia random: He is the younger brother of 'Philip Chan Yun Kin' .

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Gibson, Mel (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Gibson, Mel Columcille Gerard
Data di nascita: 3 January 1956
Altezza: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
Coniuge: Robyn Moore::(7 June 1980 - present) 7 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Sam and George (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Under and Alone (2008) .... William Queen [attore]
• Apocalypto (2006) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (2005) .... (executive producer) (producer) [produttore]
• "Clubhouse" (2004) .... (executive producer) (unknown episodes) [produttore]
• Evel Knievel (2004) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Paparazzi (2004) .... (producer) [produttore]
• The Passion of the Christ (2004) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Family Curse (2003) (TV) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• The Singing Detective (2003) .... (producer) [produttore]

Biografia:
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson was born on January 3, 1956, in Peekskill, New York, USA as the sixth of eleven children to parents Hutton Gibson, a railroad brakeman, and Ann Gibson, who was born in Australia and died in December of 1990. Though born in the US, Mel and his family moved to New South Wales, Australia. After high school, Mel studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, performing at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts alongside future film thespians Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush. After college, Mel had a few stints on stage and starred in a few TV shows. Eventually, he was chosen to star in Mad Max (1979) and in a movie called Tim (1979), co-starring Piper Laurie. The small budgeted movie Mad Max (1979) made him known worldwide, while Tim (1979) garnered him an award for Best Actor from the Australian Film Institute (equivalent to the Oscar). Later, he went on to star in Gallipoli (1981), which earned him a second award for Best Actor from the AFI. In 1980, he married Robyn Moore and, as of today, they are still together and have seven children. In 1984, Mel made his American debut in The Bounty (1984), which co-s tarred Anthony Hopkins. Then in 1987, Mel starred in what would become his signature series, Lethal Weapon (1987), in which he played "Martin Riggs". In 1990, he took on the interesting starring role in Hamlet (1990/I), which garnered him some critical praise. He also made the more endearing Forever Young (1992) and the somewhat disturbing The Man Without a Face (1993). 1995 brought his most famous role as "Sir William Wallace" in Braveheart (1995), for which he won two Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. From there, he made such box office hits as The Patriot (2000), Ransom (1996), and Payback (1999/I). Today, Mel remains an international superstar mogul, continuously topping the Hollywood power lists as well as the Most Beautiful and Sexiest lists. His $25 million paycheck for The Patriot (2000) is the latest milestone for actor's salaries.

Trivia random: Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars" in fil m history (#37). [1995]
Citazione random: [on his drunk driving relapse]: "I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry. I have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Mitchell, Sasha (I)

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Data di nascita: 27 July 1967
Altezza: 6' 3" (1.91 m)
Coniuge: Jeannette Denise::(1989 - 1997) (divorced) 4 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) .... Angry Driver [attore]
• The Failures (2003) .... Reflexor [attore]
• Slammed (2001) .... Slammer [attore]
• Gangland (2000) .... Derek [attore]
• Luck of the Draw (2000) .... Buddy [attore]
• ABC Sneak Peek with Step by Step (1994) (TV) .... Cody [attore]
• Class of 1999 II: The Substitute (1994)< /a> .... John Bolen [attore]
• Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor (1994) .... David Sloan [attore]
• Kickboxer 3: The Art of War (1992) .... David Sloan [attore]
• Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991) .... David Sloan [attore]

Biografia:
Sasha Mitchell will forever be known for 2 particular roles. From 1990-1993, he took over for Jean-Claude Van Damme in the Kickboxer series, ending it with the 4th installment, Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor (1994). A black belt in taekwondo, Sasha was once an amateur kickboxing champion and it helped him land the role of a boxer in 1988's Spike of Bensonhurst (1988). He also worked as a model. In 1991, Sasha got the role of Cousin Cody Lambert on the popular TV series, "Step by Step" (1991). He played Cody from 1991-96 and after some personal problems, returned for its final season in 1998. In 2000, Sasha made his return to films with Gangland (2000), directed by Art Camacho. Now even more beefed up, he is the proud father of two daughters and continues to make movies.

Trivia random: Calvin Klein blue jeans model studied acting at the National Improvisational Theater in NYC [1988]

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

sin city

Da uno dei più grandi autori di fumetti di sempre e da una idea geniale di due dei più brillanti registi contemporanei, aspettarsi un film perfetto era obbligatorio e - per fortuna - il risultato non delude.

Partendo dall'eccezionale materiale di Frank Miller (straconsigliato a chiunque), Robert Rodriguez e Quentin Tarantino portano sul grande schermo non solo la trama e l'atmosfera ma persino la tecnica di Miller, realizzando qualcosa di semplicemente spettacolare. Chroma-key a manetta per riprodurre alla lettera stile e inquadrature di uno dei fumetti più hard-boiled di tutti i tempi, un cast fenomenale e perfetto nei rispettivi ruoli e - soprattuto - tanto tanto amore per il fumetto e per il cinema.

Rivisto in lingua originale merita ancora di più.
Non resta che da portare sullo schermo i rimanenti albi.


Voto: 10.
Tags: hard-boiled, azione, noir, drammatico, thriller, omicidi, violenza, prostituzione, polizia, serial-killer, sedia elettrica, cardinale, arti marziali, senatore, spogliarellista, fumetto.

Rodriguez, Robert (I)

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Nome di battesimo: Rodriguez, Robert Anthony
Data di nascita: 20 June 1968
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Coniuge: Elizabeth Avellan::(1990 - present) (separated) 5 children

Ultimi lavori:

• Sin City 3 (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Grindhouse (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Sin City 2 (2
  007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Ten Dead Men (2007) .... (inspiration and love to the works of) [misc]
• In the Headlights (2006) (V) .... (special thanks) [misc]
• The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005) .... (written by) [scrittore]
• Broken (2005/I) .... (special thanks) [misc]
• Curandero (2005) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Nice Guys (2005) .... Mr. Lewis [attore]
• Sin City (2005) .... [regista]

Biografia:
Of all the people to be amazed by the images of of John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi parable, Escape from New York (1981), none were as captivated as the 12-year-old Tejano boy who sat with his friends in a rowded cinema. Many people watch films and arrogantly proclaim "I can do that." This young man said something different: "I WILL do that. I'm gonna make movies." The young man in question is Robert Rodriguez and this day was the catalyst of his dream career.Born and raised in Texas, Robert was the middle child of a family that would include 10 children. While many-a-child would easily succumb to a Jan Brady-sense of being lost in the shuffle, Robert always stood out as a very creative and very active young man. An artist by nature, he was very rarely seen sans pencil-in-hand doodling some abstract (yet astounding) dramatic feature on a piece of paper. His mother, not a fan of the "dreary" cinema of the 1970s, instills a sense of cinema in her children by taking them on weekly trips to San Antonio's famed Olmos Theatre movie house and treats them to a healthy dose of Hollywood's "Golden Age" wonders, from Sergio Leone to the silent classic of Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton.In a short amount of time, young Robert finds the family's old Super-8 film camera and makes his first films. The genres are unlimited: action, sci-fi, horror, drama, stop-motion animation. He uses props from around the house, settings from around town, and makes use of the largest cast and crew at his disposal: his family. At the end of the decade, his father, a salesman, brings home the latest home-made technological wonder: a VCR, and with it (as a gift from the manufacturer) a video camera.With this new equipment at his disposal, he makes movies his entire life. He screens the movies for friends, all of whom desperately want to star in the next one. He gains a reputation in the neighbourhood as "the kid who makes movies". Rather than handing in term papers, he is allowed to hand in "term movies" because, as he himself explains, "[the teachers] knew I'd put more effort into a movie than I ever would into an essay." He starts his own comic strip, "Los Hooligans". His movies win every local film competition and festival. When low academic grades threaten to keep him out of UT Austin's renowned film department, he proves his worth the only way he knows how: he makes a movie. Three, in fact: trilogy of short movies called "Austin Stories" starring his siblings. It beats the entries of the school's top students and allows Robert to enter the programme. After being accepted into the film department, Robert takes $400 of his own money to make his "biggest" film yet: a 16mm short comedy/fantasy called Bedhead (1991). Pouring every idea and camera trick he knew into the short, it went on to win multiple awards.After meeting and marrying fellow Austin resident Elizabeth Avellan, Robert comes up with a crazy idea: he will sell his body to science in order to finance his first feature-length picture (a Mexican action adventure about a guitarist with no name looking for work but getting caught up in a shoot-'em-up adventure) that he will sell to the Spanish video market and use as an entry point to a lucrative Hollywood career. With his quot;guinea pig" money he raises a mere $7,000 and creates Mariachi, El (1992). But rather than lingering in obscurity, the film finds its way to the Sundance film festival where it becomes an instant favourite, wins Robert a distribution deal with Columbia pictures and turns him into an icon among would-be film-makers the world over.Not one to rest on his laurels, he immediately helms the straight-to-cable movie _Roadracers (1994)_ (TV) and contributes a segment to the anthology comedy Four Rooms (1995) (his will be the most lauded segment). His first "genuine" studio ef
fort would soon have people referring to him as "John Woo from south-of-the-border". It is the "Mariachi" remake/sequel Desperado (1995). More lavish and action-packed than its own predecessor, the movie--while not a blockbuster hit--does decent business and single-handedly launches the American film careers of Antonio Banderas as the guitarist-turned-gunslinger and Salma Hayek as his love interest (the two would star in several of his movies from then on). It also furthers the director's reputation of working on low budgets to create big results. In the year when movies like Batman Forever (1995) and GoldenEye (1995) were pushing budgets past the $100 million mark, Rodriguez brought in quot;Desperado" for just under $7 million.The film also featured a cameo by fellow indie film wunderkind, Quentin Tarantino. It would be the beginning of a long friendship between the two sprinkled with numerous collaborations. Most notable the Tarantino-penned vampire schlock-fest From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). The kitschy flick (about a pair of criminal brothers on the run from the Texas Rangers, only to find themselves in a vamp-infested Mexican bar) became an instant cult favourite and launched the lucrative film career of "ER" (1994) star George Clooney.After a two-year break from directing (primarily to spend with his family, but also developing story ideas and declining Hollywood offers) he returned to "Dusk till Dawn" territory with the teen/sci-fi/horror movie The Faculty (1998), written by _Scream (1996)_ writer, Kevin Williamson. Although it's developed a small following of its own, it would prove to be Robert's least-successful film. Critics and fans alike took issue with the pedestrian script, the off-kilter casting and the flick's blatant over-commercialization (due to a marketing deal with clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger).After another three-year break, Rodriguez returned to make his most successful (and most unexpected) movie yet, based on his own segment from Four Rooms (1995). After a string of bloody, adult-oriented action fare, no one anticipated him to write and direct the colourful and creative Spy Kids (2001), a movie about a pair of prepubescent Latino sibs who discover that their lame parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are actually two of the world's greatest secret agents. The film was hit among both audiences and critics alike.After quitting the Writers' Guild of America and being introduced to digital filmmaking by George Lucas, Robert immediately applied the creative, flexible (and cost-effective) technology to every one of his movies from then on, starting with an immediate sequel to his family friendly hit: Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002) which was THEN immediately followed by the trilogy-capper Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003). The latter would prove to be the most financially-lucrative of the series and employ the long-banished movie gimmick of 3-D with eye-popping results.Later the same year Rodriguez career came full circle when he completed the final entry of the story that made brought him to prominence: "El Mariachi". The last chapter, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), would be his most direct homage to the Sergio Leone westerns he grew up on. With a cast boasting Antonio Banderas (returning as the gunslinging guitarist), Johnny Depp (as a corrupt CIA agent attempting to manipulate him), Salma Hayek, Mickey Rourke, Willem Dafoe and Eva Mendes, the film delivered even more of the Mexican shoot-'em-up spectacle than both of the previous films combined.Now given his choice of movies to do next, Robert sought out famed comic book writer/artist Frank Miller, a man who had been very vocal of never letting his works be adapted for the screen. Even so, he was wholeheartedly convinced and elated when Rodriguez presented him with a plan to turn Miller's signature work into the film Sin City (2005). A col
lection of noir-ish tales set in a fictional, crime-ridden slum, the movie boasts the largest cast Rodriguez has worked with to date. Saying he didn't want to mere "adapt" Miller's comics but "translate" them, Rodriguez' insistence that Miller co-direct the movie lead to Robert's resignation from the Director's Guild of America (and his subsequent dismissal from the film John Carter of Mars (2006) as a result). Nevertheless, he has looked back on his decision with no regrets.Playing by his own rules or not at all, Robert Rodriguez has redefined what is and is not for a film-maker to do. Shunning Hollywood's ridiculously-high budgets, multi-picture deals and the two most powerful unions for the sake of maintaining creative freedom are decisions that would (and have) cost many directors their careers. Robert Rodriguez has turned these into his strengths, creating some of the most imaginative works the big-screen has ever seen. Where will his career lead him
next ? It's hard to say. He's too busy making movies to think about a time when he can't make them anymore.

Trivia random: His adult-oriented movies always feature a fictional brand of beer called "Cerveza Chango". Chango is the Orisha (a deity as in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria - an amalgam of African tradition and Catholocism) of fire, lightning and dance. Chango is renowned for the way he avenges crimes against the innocent, a recurring theme in Rodriguez-movies in which the fictional beer appears.
Citazione random: "I didn't want Frank [Miller, creator of the comic "Sin City" and co-writer on the film] to be treated just as a writer because he is the only one who has actually been to 'Sin City'. I am making such a literal interpretation of his book that I'd have felt weird taking directing credit without him. It was easier for me to quietly resign because otherwise I'd have been force to make compromises I was unwilling to make, or set a precedent that might hurt the guild later on." -- March, 2004 in response to why he left the Directors' Guild of America just before the filming of Sin City (2005)

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Tarantino, Quentin

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Nome di battesimo: Tarantino, Quentin Jerome
Data di nascita: 27 March 1963
Altezza: 6' 2½" (1.89 m)

Ultimi lavori:

• Inglorious Bastards (2008) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Grinder (2007) .... (very special thanks to) [misc]
• Grindhouse (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Hell Ride (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Hostel: Part II (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Killshot (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) .... Ringo (rumored) [attore]
• Freedom's Fury (2006) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Reservoir Dogs (2006) (VG) .... (screenplay) (story) [scrittore]
• Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (2005) (TV) .... (special thanks) [misc]

Biografia:
In January of 1991 a film titled Reservoir Dogs (1992) hit the Sundance Film festival. The writer-director was a first-timer by the name of Quentin Tarantino. The film garnered critical acclaim and the director became a legend in the England, UK and the cult film circuit. Three years later he followed up 'Dogs' with the film Pulp Fiction (1994). 'Pulp' premiered at the Cannes film festival, where it won the coveted 'Palme D'Or' the virtual equal of the Best Picture at the Academy Awards. At the '93 Academy Awards, 'Pulp' was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, in addition Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, among others. Tarantino and writing partner Roger Avary came away with the award only for Best Original Screenplay. (Where Roger uttered his now famous line, "I've gotta go pee".) In 1995, Tarantino directed one fourth of the Anthology Four Rooms (1995) with friends and fellow auteurs Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Allison Anders. That film was released on December 25th in the United States to very weak reviews. This is mainly due to the heavy cutting of the first two segments and the introduction which make much of the plotline unintelligible, and creates a complete mess out of the second segment, directed by Alexandre Rockwell. The best two segments of the film are Robert Rodriguez's and Tarantino's. Tarantino's next film was From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), a crime/vampire film which he wrote and co-starred with George Clooney. The film did fairly well theatrically.

Trivia random: Often references numerous attributes of the works of Jean-Luc Godard, particularly in Pulp Fiction (1994). The disjointed structure of Pulp Fiction (1994) may itself be an homage to Godard's use of jump cuts in À bout de souffle (1960) (Breathless), the film that launched the French New Wave of cinema.
Citazione random: "If you want to make a movie, make it. Don't wait for a grant, don't wait for the perfect circumstances, just make it." - Giving advice to young aspiring filmmakers at the 1994 Independent Spirit Awards

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.

Miller, Frank (II)

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Data di nascita: 27 January 1957
Altezza: 6' 1½" (1.87 m)
Coniuge: Lynn Varley::(? - ?)

Ultimi lavori:

• Sin City 3 (2008) .... (graphic novels) [scrittore]
• 3
  00 (2007) .... (executive producer) [produttore]
• Sin City 2 (2007) .... (producer) [produttore]
• Ten Dead Men (2007) .... (inspiration, thanks and love to the works of) [misc]
• Elektra (2005) .... (comic book characters) [scrittore]
• Knight of the Living Dead (2005) (V) .... (special thanks) [misc]
• Sin City (2005) .... (graphic novels) [scrittore]
• Rats: A Sin City Yarn (2004) .... (graphic novel) [scrittore]
• Daredevil (2003) .... Man with Pen in Head [attore]
• The Men Without Fear: Creating 'Daredevil' (2003) (V) .... (special thanks) [misc]

Biografia:
Frank Miller was a big comics writer/artist in the 70s and 80s. He wrote and penciled the Marvel series "Daredevil" for a long time. Friend Klaus Janson inked. He also wrote two spinoffs about the character Electra and did a miniseries about the "X-Men" character Wolverine. His hit miniseries "Ronin" was published by DC in the mid-eighties. His greatest success came with DC's character Batman. In 1980, he wrote the acclaimed "Batman" story "Wanted - Santa Claus - Dead or Alive!" for DC Comics. In 1986, his most notable comic-book work, the groundbreaking "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns," an alternate history story about Batman in a grim future, was published by DC. Miller wrote and penciled, In 1988, he wrote
the acclaimed "Batman: Year One," about Batman's first year on the job, for DC. In 1996, he wrote "Spawn versus Batman," a one-shot issue published by DC and Image Comics. Miller also co-created the Robocop character. He wrote the major motion pictures _Robocop 2 (1990)_ and RoboCop 3 (1993) and did the "Robocop" comic series for a little while.

Trivia random: In mid-2003, a comic book company called Avatar is publishing a comic book series adapting his original screenplay for _Robocop 2 (1990)_ , which allegedly had enough subplots and material for several movies.
Citazione random: "I realized that I was about to turn 30, and Batman was permanently 29. And I was going to be damned if I was older than Batman."

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Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.