Movie Monday - Four Drastically Different Films!

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Phone Booth (2002)

[Colin Farrell; Kiefer Sutherland; Forest Whitaker; Radha Mitchell; Katie Holmes]

Stu answers a phone booth phone call and soon finds his life, and the lives of those around him, are all in danger.

This movie was better than I expected. The premise is a bit 'out there', but hey, it's fiction, right? It was interesting to see how Stu reacted to what was happening to him. And it was cool to see the cop slowly figure out what was going on.

Farrell and Whitaker are great, as usual. And Sutherland was great as the caller. His voice here reminded me somewhat of the actor Ray Wise.

Good flick, recommended if you like tense thriller type films.



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Homicidal (1961)

[Glenn Corbett; Patricia Breslin; Eugenie Leontovich; Alan Bunce; Richard Rust]

A strange young woman, Emily, wants to marry a stranger and then annul the marriage. Soon enough, murder is always on the agenda. Another young woman is happy her brother Warren and their old childhood nanny have come home from an extended stay in Europe. But Emily is also among them, as a companion for the old woman. Just what strange family secrets will be uncovered when all is said and done?

An interesting flick directed by William Castle, this one is unsettling and creepy at times. And that is good for a scary flick! Towards the end of the film, there is a "Fright Break", to give the audience time to prepare for the intense scares ahead. Funny now, but must have been kinda cool back then!

Recommended for fans of older, Psycho-era horror films.

Jump to 6:07 in the video below for "Homicidal"



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Stardust (2007)

[Claire Danes; Charlie Cox; Ian McKellen; Michelle Pfeiffer; Robert De Niro; Sienna Miller]

A young man, with a mysterious heritage he is unaware of, goes on a quest for a fallen star, believing it will prove to the girl he wants that he is worthy. What he finds upon reaching the star, and the adventure that follows, is beyond anything he could have imagined.

This film was recommended to me by a friend, who said that anyone who liked "The Princess Bride" would love this, as well. He was correct. This is a great fantasy tale, but with a wry sense of humor. Fun, exciting - just amazingly wonderful.

The performances are all superb, as is the writing and directing. The effects work well to enhance the story, and not overwhelm it. That is a big plus.

I knew this was written by Neil Gaiman, but I had never read it. I requested a copy from PaperBackSwap, can't wait to read it now.

Highly recommended, for fantasy, fairy tale fans, or just someone looking for a great film.



Neil Gaiman's Official Site - Stardust

Stardust the Movie Official Site

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Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep (2006)

[Charlie O'Connell; Victoria Pratt; Jack Scalia; Kristi Angus; Cory Monteith]

A boy witnesses his parents death by some undersea monster. Flash forward, he is now on a mission to get revenge on their deaths and hooks up with an archaeologist and her crew to find a legendary artifact. Complicating matters is a ruthless millionaire crime boss who also wants the artifact.

Sounds interesting, yes? Wish it played out that way. Seems like these movies are, more and more, following a cookie cutter plot. I picked who was going to die in the beginning of the flick and was proved right. Not much else in the way of surprises or worthwhile plot to speak of.

Ah well, guess they can't all be winners, right Cal? Would take the fun out of it all, I guess.

Recommended for other masochistic monster movie fans only.

Trivia: Kristi Angus, who plays Jenny here, played Adrienne in "Jason X" - she was the one who had her head smashed after Jason dunked it in a vat of liquid nitrogen.



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