Topic: Tom's Random Reviews

[Tom]

Title: Grease
Year: 1977
Director: Randal Kleiser
Rating: PG
Length: 110 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital TrueHD, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish

Stars:
John Travolta
Olivia Newton-John
Stockard Channing
Jeff Conaway
Barry Pearl

Plot:
GREASE IS THE ONE THAT YOU WANT!

Go back to school with Pink Lady Sandy (Olivia Newton John), leader of the bad-boy T-Birds, Danny (John Travolta) and a rockin' and rollin' all-star cast. Now available for the first time as a remastered Special Edition Blu-ray Disc and featuring rockin' bonus materials, Grease: Rockin' Edition is the word!

Awards:

Academy Award	1978	Nominated	Best Music, Song	"Hopelessly Devoted To You": John Farrar (Music/Lyrics)
AFI	1978	Won	100 Years of Musicals (2006)
AFI	1978	Nominated	100 Years... 100 Movies (1998)
AFI	1978	Won	100 Years... 100 Passions (2002)
AFI	1978	Nominated	100 Years... 100 Songs (2004)	"Song": Hopelessly Devoted To You
AFI	1978	Won	100 Years... 100 Songs (2004)	"Song": Summer Nights
AFI	1978	Nominated	100 Years... 100 Songs (2004)	"Song": You're The One That I Want
Golden Globe	1978	Nominated	Actor in a Leading Role - Musical or Comedy	John Travolta
Golden Globe	1978	Nominated	Actress in a Leading Role - Musical or Comedy	Olivia Newton-John
Golden Globe	1978	Nominated	Original Song	"Grease": Barry Gibb (Music/Lyrics)
Golden Globe	1978	Nominated	Original Song	"You're the One That I Want": John Farrar (Music/Lyrics)
Golden Globe	1978	Nominated	Picture - Musical or Comedy	Allan Carr, Robert Stigwood

Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Interviews
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Sing-Along Track.
Trailers

My Thoughts:

I love the "Summer Nights" song, but the rest of the movie I find rather boring. It doesn't help that all actors look at least 10 years too old for their roles.

Rating:

[Dragonfire]

Most of the cast was about 10 years older than the parts they were playing..if I remember right, most of them were in their late 20s.  A couple of the more minor characters were the right age..One of the Pink Ladies and maybe someone else.  I can't remember which one now.  Stockard Channing was the oldest at like 33 or 34 I think it was.

[Tom]

Title: Day Watch
Year: 2006
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Rating: 15
Length: 146 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.35
Audio: Russian: Dolby Digital TrueHD, Russian: DTS 5.1, English: DTS 5.1, French: DTS 5.1, German: DTS 5.1
Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Swedish

Stars:
Konstantin Khabensky
Maria Poroshina
Vladimir Menshov
Galina Tyunina
Victor Verzhbitsky

Plot:
Only one thing stands between peace and Armageddon: the supernatural agents of Day Watch, who fight to control the armies of light and darkness.

Like The Matrix Day Watch combines cutting-edge digital effects and mind-blowing action to create a stunningly original world, taking you on an even wilder ride with more intense thrills and incredible effects.

Awards:

European Film Awards	2005	Nominated	The Jameson People’s Choice Award for Best European Director	Timur Bekmambetov
Saturn	2007	Nominated	Best International Film

Extras:
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

This is the sequel to Night Watch. A little confusing at times. Especially the beginning. It gets better toward the end, but for some reason I never really warmed up to this movie. Also I am unsure if I like the end:

(click to show/hide)

Which essentially resets both movies.

Rating:

[Achim]

Also I am unsure if I like the end:

(click to show/hide)

Which essentially resets both movies.

What confused me about the ending is, why they insist this should be a trilogy. I think it works very well as a two-parter (BTW; I didn't mind the ending...).

[DJ Doena]

What confused me about the ending is, why they insist this should be a trilogy. I think it works very well as a two-parter (BTW; I didn't mind the ending...).

Because they are based on a four-part book set?

Night Watch (Russian: Ночной дозор, Nochnoy Dozor) is a fantasy novel by a popular Russian writer Sergei Lukyanenko published in 1998.

The novel is first in a tetralogy that continues with Day Watch (Dnevnoy Dozor, Дневной дозор), Twilight Watch (Sumerechny Dozor, Сумеречный дозор) and Final Watch (Posledniy Dozor, Последний дозор).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Watch_%28Russian_novel%29

[Achim]

Because they are based on a four-part book set?

Well, yeah, there's that.

Well, you know what I mean. Not having read the graphic novels I had the impression that they modified the ending to make it a two parter. Either way, the movies are supposed to become a trilogy, then why not a quadrilogy like the books???

[DJ Doena]

Don't ask me. I've neither read the books nor watched the movies.

[Tom]

Fanaa (2006/India) IMDb | Wikipedia Alive, Rapid Eye Movies (Germany) Director: Kunal Kohli Writing: Shibani Bathija (Story By), Shibani Bathija (Screenwriter), Kunal Kohli (Screenwriter) Length: 168 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hindi: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: German

Stars:
Aamir Khan as Rehan Qadri
Kajol as Zoomi Ali Beg
Rishi Kapoor as Zulfikar Ali Beg
Tabu as Malini Tyagi
Kirron Kher as Nafisa Ali Beg

Plot:
Choices- to choose between right or wrong is simple, but what defines one's life is the decision between the greater of two goods or the lesser of two evils. This is the advice that Zooni Ali Beg (Kajol) receives from her father just as she is about to venture out into the world on her own for the very first time. Little does she know that these very words will shape her life.

Zooni, a blind Kashmiri girl meets Rehan Qadri (Aamir Khan), a local tour guide and an incorrigible flirt who goes from city to city exploring their architecture as also the women. Her friends warn her against this good-for-nothing roadside-romeo, but she chooses to ignore them. She is not one to be protected. It is now her time to discover life, and love. Is this really the right choice?

Rehan is fascinated by Zooni. He truly wants her to see life as it should be seen, in its many colours, and as he promises her, the time spent with him will be the most precious in all her life. Zooni sees Delhi, life and love like she never has before, because of Rehan.

What Zooni doesn't know is that Rehan has another side of his life that he has kept from her, something that can not only change her life but can also destroy it...

Awards:
Won:

Filmfare Awards (2007)		Best Actress Award (Kajol)
Filmfare Awards (2007)		Best Lyricist Award ("Chand Sifarish": Prasoon Joshi)
Filmfare Awards (2007)		Best Male Playback Award ("Chand Sifarish": Shaan, Kailash Kher)
IIFA Awards (2007)		Best Male Playback (Shaa)

Nominated:

Filmfare Awards (2007)

Best Music Director Award (Jatin-Lalit)

Extras:

• Music Videos
• Scene Access

My Thoughts:

This movie is Kajol's comeback movie after her baby break. I really enjoyed the first half of the movie, where Aamir Khan's character (Rehan) meets the blind Zoomi (Kajol) and they slowly fall in love.

(click to show/hide)

After they finally get together, Zoomi gets her eyesight back, just before Rehan is killed in a terrorist bombing.
As it turns out, this was just a ruse set up by him, to be able to remove himself from her life. Because he is a terrorist who made the mistake to fall in love. Seven years later they meet again by chance (she of course doesn't recognize him at first, because she has never seen him before).
As Aamir Khan's character is really ruthless in his missions, it was clear that this movie cannot have a clean-cut happy end. Though I am a sucker for happy endings, this really wouldn't have fit this movie, so am glad there wasn't really one.

Kajol and Aamir Khan had great chemistry, and I am happy that we get the chance to see further movies with her.

Rating:

[Tom]

Taare Zameen Par (2007/India) IMDb | Wikipedia Alive, Rapid Eye Movies (Germany) Director: Aamir Khan Writing: Amole Gupte (Writer) Length: 156 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hindi: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: German

Stars:
Darsheel Safary as Ishaan
Aamir Khan as Nirumbh Sir
Tanay Cheda as Rajan
Sachet Engineer as Yohan
Tisca Chopra as Mother

Plot:
Eight-year-old Ishaan's world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. Adults are more interested in things like homework and marks. And Ishaan just can't seem to get anything right in class. When he gets into more trouble than his parents can handle, he is packed off to boarding school to 'be disciplined'... New Art teacher, Nikumbh, soon realizes that something is wrong and sets out to discover why. With time, patience and care, he ultimately helps Ishaan find himself.

Awards:
Won:

Filmfare Awards (2008)		Best Director Award (Aamir Khan)
Filmfare Awards (2008)		Best Lyricist Award ("Maa": Prasoon Joshi)
Filmfare Awards (2008)		Best Movie Award
Filmfare Awards (2008)		Best Story Award (Amole Gupte)
Filmfare Awards (2008)		Critics Award for Best Performance (Darsheel Safary)

Nominated:

Filmfare Awards (2008)		Best Actor Award (Darsheel Safary)
Filmfare Awards (2008)		Best Supporting Actor Award (Aamir Khan)
Filmfare Awards (2008)		Best Supporting Actress Award (Tisca Chopra)

Extras:

• Deleted Scenes
• Scene Access
• Trailers

My Thoughts:

An enjoyable 2 1/2 hour movie. It is the first time, that Aamir Khan did direct a movie (and also stars in it), and he did a fine job. Especially considering that he had to direct a lot of children. Story-wise I found it too predictable though. Hardly any surprises at all. But good performances all-around make up for this. Also some great songs are in this movie.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Drop Dead Fred
Year: 1991
Director: Ate de Jong
Rating: 12
Length: 95 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo, French: Dolby Digital Stereo, German: Dolby Digital Stereo, Russian: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish

Stars:
Phoebe Cates
Rik Mayall
Marsha Mason
Tim Matheson
Carrie Fisher

Plot:
Rik Mayall (The Young Ones, The New Statesman) gives a typically manic "Bottom"-style performance in this rip-roaringly funny comedy. This hilarious film also starts Phoebe Cates (Princess Caraboo, Gremlins 2), Bridget Fonda (A Simple Plan) and Carrie Fisher (Star Wars). When Elizabeth (Cates) returns to her mother's home when her marriage breaks up, she recreates her imaginary childhood friends, Fred (Maypall), to escape from the trauma of losing her husband and her job. In between the chaos and mayhem that Fred creates, Elizabeth desperately attempts to win back her husband and return to normality, with comical results.

Awards:
Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:

Phoebe Cates is awfully cute as always. Too bad that she stopped doing movies so early. Even though this movie looks like a children's movie, I wouldn't recommend to youngsters. The DVD rating is 12 and that sounds about right. It has some nice performances by Rik Mayall as Drop Dead Fred, but overall this movie could have been more. For Phoebe fans this is a nice little movie to watch.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Legally Blonde
Year: 2001
Director: Robert Luketic
Rating: FSK-0
Length: 92 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: German

Stars:
Reese Witherspoon
Luke Wilson
Selma Blair
Matthew Davis
Victor Garber

Plot:
Boldly going where no blonde has gone.

She's a California sorority girl who'll do anything to keep her man. Even if it means going all the way... to law school! Reese Witherspoon (Election) stars with Luke Wilson (Charlie's Angels), Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions), Matthew Davis (Pearl Harbor) and Victor Garber (Titanic) in a knock-out comedy with a heart of gold - and hair to match!

Elle Woods (Witherspoon) is a California blonde with couture clothes, fabulous friends and the hottest boyfriend on campus. So when Warner Huntington III (Davis) suddenly dumps her and heads for Harvard Law School, Elle takes matters into her own perfectly manicured hands. She enrolls too! Now getting Warner back should be a snap, right? Wrong! Elle's about to begin the toughest fight of her life - for love, honor, justice and respect for blondes everywhere!

Awards:

Golden Globe	2001	Nominated	Actress in a Leading Role - Musical or Comedy	Reese Witherspoon
Golden Globe	2001	Nominated	Picture - Musical or Comedy	Ric Kidney, Marc Platt
MTV Movie Awards	2002	Won	Best Comedic Performance	Reese Witherspoon
MTV Movie Awards	2002	Nominated	Best Female Performance	Reese Witherspoon
MTV Movie Awards	2002	Nominated	Best Movie
Teen Choice Awards	2001	Won	Film - Movie of the Summer

Extras:
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Music Videos
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

I haven't watched this movie for years, but it was still very enjoyable. Usually in movies, the beautiful blonde sorority girl is the bad guy and the plain looking ones are the good ones. This time it's the other way around.
Also some new familiar faces are to be seen here, which I didn't know when I have watched the movie the last time.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Some reason I always put off Legally Blonde.... I guess it just didn't sound good to me. I may have to give it a chance one of these days.

[DJ Doena]

Some reason I always put off Legally Blonde.... I guess it just didn't sound good to me. I may have to give it a chance one of these days.

The first one is really funny in its very own blonde/pink/orange way. The second one is a usual sequel that can't keep up with its predecessor.

[Rogmeister]

I don't see how you could avoid seeing Legally Blonde...every cable channel in America seems to take turns showing it again...and again...and again!  I enjoy the first one but I have never seen the second one...I heard the sequel was painfully bad.

[Dragonfire]

The sequel wasn't as good...it was ok.  I really haven't wanted to see it again.