Living in Oblivion Movie Review

Starring: Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener

Directed by: Tom DiCillo

---Spoilers included-------

This is one of the funniest films I have ever seen for a while.
Nick Reve, played by Steve Buscemi, is a low budget independent film director. Film opens with two dream sequences and both convey the same message i.e. many things can go wrong on shoot. After a restless night of dreaming of various problems that will plague him, he wakes up to go to the set. With a relatively easy shot due for the day, we will see how much can go wrong. Script was well written, well-acted, funny and very smart. The acting in this movie is superb, especially by Steve Buscemi and Catherine Keener. A must movie for independent movie lovers, especially if you can relate to film making, acting or directing. Director did awesome job. I need to watch more Tom movies.

Seom aka The Isle Movie Review

Starring: Jung Suh
Directed by: Kim Ki Duk

---Spoilers included-------

“The Isle", is a another good film by Kim Ki Duk, tells the story of mysterious young woman, played by Jung Suh, who operates a small boat & fishing huts on a vast lake from her old cabin providing transportation, delivery services, food and even sex for the men who rent the huts. As the plot unfolds we will see peculiar attraction developed between this young woman and a calm suicidal guy, played by Yoosuk Kim, who watches each across the misty waters & their love & lust & envy & anger etc. This beautiful cinematographed movie pace was very slow and you will see minimal dialogs & virtually no background music & top notch acting by Jung. However this movie is not for everyone in particular if you can not see explicit animal torture, scenes of self-mutilation. {warning: There are some really unwatchable scenes involving fishing hooks, very painful to watch & sit through.} The film explores a different depth of loneliness & mostly symbolic. A must movie for Kim Ki Duk fans & for art house fans.

Last weekend movies

Living in Oblivion(9/10)
A satiric & realistic look at independent film making. it’s well-done, well-acted, funny and very smart. As usual, Steve Buscemi (Mr. Pink) was wonderful.

First blood(2ed time)(8/10)

About a troubled Vietnam Special Forces commando gets plenty even with small town Americans for not appreciating his service to his country?

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama (7.5/10)
Good documentary about spiritual leader Dalai Lama & disappearing country & a culture.

Super Size Me (2004) (5/10)
Entertaining yet one of the ridiculous documentary movies I have seen in a while.

New additions to my DVD collection ( Classic Comedies Collection - Ghostbusters/Stripes/Groundhog Day )

Purchased Classic Comedies Collection - Ghostbusters/Stripes/Groundhog Day from deep discount for around $7.

Description:
GHOSTBUSTERS: When Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murrary) and his Columbia University colleagues (Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson) are kicked out of their prestigious academic posts, they start a private practice as professional ghost-catchers. etc. etc.

STRIPES: When John Winger (Bill Murray) loses his girlfriend, his job, and his apartment, he and his best friend (Harold Ramis) decide to join the Army.

GROUNDHOG DAY: Once again, for the fifth year in a row, TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is forced to cover the Groundhog Day ceremonies in Punxsatawney, Pennsylvania, an assignment he truly despises.

A must collection for Bill Murray fan.

Take The Money And Run (1969) Movie Review

Starring: Woody Allen, Janet Margolin

Directed by: Woody Allen

---Spoilers included-------

This film is presented as a documentary on the life of an incompetent, petty criminal called Virgil Starkwell but serves as a perfect vehicle for a selection of verbal gags, one-liners.
After a troublesome childhood, Virgil turns to robbing stores, banks as a means of earning an income, but his sheer ineptitude sees him sent to prison on various occasions. The bars of his jail cell, however, are never enough to contain Virgil's enthusiasm for breaking the law, and he conceives numerous daring strategies for escape (some prove successful, while others don't). Very funny but it seems somewhat incomplete & however we detect young Woody Allen slowly perfecting his craft. Following are very good scenes brings lot of laughs.

- The sight of Virgil playing cello in a marching band and his cello flying out a second-story window of his house.

- One attempt when Virgil discovers that the stolen pistol he uses in a holdup is actually a cigarette lighter. {So funny that he runs toward a dead end.}

- The failed heist in a pet store where he is chased by a gorilla. {Scene was very brief & very funny. We will see in desperation, young Virgil do anything for money. Setup for the scene is great.}

- First Virgil's failed escape attempt, when his self-made soap gun melts in a sudden rain storm.

- Another failed bank robbery attempt in the most-often quoted scene, when he hands over his scrawled note to tellers, but mis-spells his holdup note: Please put $50,000 into this bag and abt natural, because I am pointing a gub at you. {This scene alone worth the money.}

- His expressions in the prison when find a bra in the laundry

- The scene where robs & was arrested by his classmate, cop. (Simply brilliant.)

First Blood (1982) Brief movie review

Starring: Sylvester Stallone
Directed by: Ted Kotcheff, Conrad Palmisano

Few days back, I watched forth coming Rambo installment trailer. Felt like I need to watch the first part. When I was teenager, this movie was huge huge hit & I liked it a lot for its action. Brought the DVD from the library& watched it again. In one line, it is about a troubled Vietnam Special Forces commando gets plenty even with small town Americans, idiots?, for not appreciating his service to his country? I was shocked, surprised, to find that it was not an all out action movie but rather a drama & good commentary on the effects of Vietnam War with good dose of action. Like Rocky movie, subsequent sequels turned Rambo in to action machine but still I feel, Rambo 1st part was a classic with soul in it.

New additions to my DVD collection (Sony Pictures Classics 10th Anniversary Pack #2)

Purchased Sony Pictures Classics 10th Anniversary Pack #2
Description: This 4-DVD box set celebrates the first ten years of Sony Pictures Classics with four of their most successful films. Included in the box are four foreign language favorites: CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON (Special Edition DVD), ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, RUN LOLA RUN, and INDOCHINE. See individual titles for details.

Most of the retailers like Amazon, best buy were selling at 60+ where as deep discount selling this DVD set for less than $10. I already watched Run Lola Run & Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. There are good movies for $10.