Watched Scott Pilgrim vs The World a week ago very funny movie! I found out an interview with one of the characters in the movie. I just wanna share 'coz I kind of agree with what he is talkin' about.. How bout you?
Just watched recently "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Thought that the movie was a bore at first but I was mistaken. The plot, story and cinematography was superb. Now I'd like to share some quotes from the movie which I liked and somehow inspired me. Hope you too get inspired.
"For what it's worth, it was never too late, or in my case too early to be whoever you want to be, there's no time limit. Stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst time. I hope you make the best of it."
"You can be mad as a mad dog with the way things went. You can square and curse fate. But when it comes to the end you have to let go."
"Our lives depend on opportunities, even those that we missed."
"You'll never know what's coming for you."
"Life can only be understood backward. It must be lived forward."
TOP: L-R, Kurt Cobain; Ryan GoslingBOTTOM: L-R, Courtney Love; Scarlett Johansson
Shame on me! I'm starting to hate myself a little bit. How could I be so damn late in finding out that there's a movie coming out based on Kurt Cobain's biography. What kind of a hardcore fan am I?
Anyway, I know I can forgive myself for that in time. So according to the website where I found the information.
* The movie is based on Charles Cross's biography of Cobain, "Heavier than Heaven", which would likewise be the title of the movie. * Courtney Love, executive producer, has said she wants actor Ryan Gosling to play her late husband Kurt Cobain in a film. (Well for those who don't know her she's the widow of Kurt Cobain and the mother of their child Frances Bean Cobain) * Courtney who seems to be a fan of Scarlett Johansson wants that she portray her.
Well, I just hope Courtney, as executive producer won't make a trash out of this movie. But I SERIOUSLY DOUBT that the hardcore fans and loyalists would really appreciate the film, if up to now, the truth about Kurt Cobain's death has been a mystery for some and it's a fact that Love is being said to be involved in Kurt's death.
Now, based on Rollingstones Magazine pre-production has finally kicked-off, and the initial casts of the film aside from Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Gosling are:
Justin Long as Krist Noveselic, Nirvana's bassist Topher Grace as Dave Grohl, Nirvana's drummer Cate Blanchett as Eric Erlandson, served as Singer, guitarist, and songwriter forNirvanaJake Gyllenhaal as Axl Rose of the Guns 'N Roses Jack Black as King Buzzo, (Buzz Osbourne) Emile Hirsch as Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam Toni Collette as Kim Gordon, of Sonic Youth Ron Jeremy as Tad Doyle, of the band TAD
L-R: Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain and Krist Noveselic
Now, this isn't the first film about Kurt Cobain, if I am not mistaken i posted a review on some of them. Two of his films which was released internationally are "Last Days" in 2005, which is about a theory on how Kurt Cobain spent his last days, and "About a Son" in 2006 which basically tells a story of his childhood until he reached stardom.
I can't wait to see this new film!, and if ever I won't make it to the cinemas in time for it's showing, I promise you guys I'll commit suicide! Kiddin'! haha!!! ______________________________________________________ *Thanks to www.NME.com and Rollingstones.
I was invited yesterday to watch the "Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen(ROTF)" in Mall of Asia. My friend who's working in an Ad Agency who made the graphics to one of the posters of the movie in SM Malls, told me that the ticket was free and so I went. When we arrived at the cinema I found out that the free passes were VIP tickets. Now, since we have VIP tickets we didn't have to fall in line. We watched the movie on a premiere I-Max cinema along with the winners of the promos for the movie and some heads and staff of the sponsors and media partners. Aside from that we also had a free pictorial with Optimus Prime and a free snack exclusively for those who have VIP tickets. Now how cool was that huh?!
Now, I'd like to go straight to my review of the movie. Sorry there might be some spoilers..
What I liked about ROTF: 1. The new cars and trucks. More decepticons. More action. More guns. Lots of explosions. And the fact that there is War excites me. I'm not in a position to know what's good or bad about the animations and special effects, but for me it's okay. 2. Transformers themselves are cool as they stretch and expand into a more complex and lethal-looking metal monsters and start a "Robot Mayhem" 3. The fact that Michael Bay went back to ancient history is cool for me. It served as an opportunity to explain the origin of the Autobots and Decepticons. I wondered if there's a connection between the fact that western civilization started in the Nile River which is in Egypt too. But whether or not there is any, the choice of the Pyramids of Egypt as one of the locations of the film is a plus. 4. The hilarious scenes of Sam's Mom. Where do you see a mom so naive and stupid to eat marijuana leaves and run around her son's college campus. And as usual John Turturro's funny antics would really make you laugh out loud. 5. The soft-porn feel that Megan Fox puts into this movie, especially that motorcycle scene! "Broom-broom!!" Isabel Lucas was hot too! I don't know what's up with Michael Bay but even the pet dogs and that tiny decepticon robot sent to spy on Sam's girlfriend could not resist their libido.
And these are the ones I didn't like about ROTF: 1. The story line. It's Incoherent. Cluttered. It seemed like a convoluted or twisted treasure hunt for me. The relentless action along with the special effects did not quite support the plot. 2. Over-all acting of Shia Lebouf, though I like that part and the line he says to Megan Fox.
* Mikaela: How do you know? * Sam: .. Because I believe [Oh I love Sarcasm!!- Homer] 3. Again the acting of the Robots though funny are silly. 4. The fact that there are no unexpected twists. Maybe I won't be saying this if Michael Bay would have killed Bumblee Bee instead. But it's his movie so his call. Maybe he really wanted that there'll be less story and more action. 5. The movie's predictable. Michael should have made a little intellectual feel to it so that those "intelligent" people would have not been insulted. He could have made it less silly. 6. The suspense just leveled-up with the original and the thrills are diminishing.
Now, compared to the original was it better? Probably yes, if you just want to really have fun and relax. But if you're expecting to see a whole lot different movie from the original you'll never get it. What you'll get is more robots (so much for Hasbro's marketing their toys) and more lust-inviting and titillating scenes from Megan Fox and Isabel Lucas.
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is everything that made the original appear mediocre and awesome at the same time. Sort of a 'sweet revenge'. So quits lang.
Over-all it's entertaining and fun to watch, and probably and indisputably the best film thus far this 2009 for the Transformers aficionados.
Now will I recommend that you watch it? Well, Of course especially if you have VIP tickets. Haha!!
Have you watched the movie “Pay it Forward?” I’ve watched this for the first time I think in 2003 and no movie has ever surpassed it on my top movies of all time.
It’s a 2000 movie which stars Haley Joel Osment, yeah you’re right the kid from Sixth Sense. He is co-starred by Kevin Spacey. The movie centers on the assignment of young Trevor (Osment) given by his teacher played by Kevin Spacey. The assignment requires that the each student helps three people with the condition that the people they’ve helped would help three more. Trevor however touched a number of people more than he planned. The phenomenon ‘Pay it Forward’ went almost all throughout America which prompted a journalist to investigate. An interview with Trevor was conducted and it was even televised. Trevor became an instant celebrity. However, a very tragic event happened.
I think I’ve had enough of being a spoiler for those who have not watched it. Better rent a video or buy one if you haven’t watched it.
Now, I’d like to talk about the concept of ‘Pay it Forward’. The concept is so simple that if we could only try it for ourselves then this world would be a happier place. It’s as simple as ABC. You help three people and tell them that instead of paying it back, PAY IT FORWARD to three other people who in turn would also do the same. If I’d be asked, three would have been a little difficult and helping one person is more than enough. But it’s not about the numbers, it’s all about doing something great for others. A simple gesture say, giving a smile to someone could help him brighten up his or her day.
Helping others even through the smallest ways could not only be a rewarding feeling because somehow you’ve contributed to make this world a better place.
Now, have you helped someone today? Have you inspired someone to do some good deed for others? Well, I hope I did..
I rarely watch movies at the cinema. I think there are some movies which are ought to be watched through your de-be-de player at the comfort of your room. I thought movies like “Marley and Me” belongs to that category. Watched the movie last night and I never expected to get a little emotional with the ending. Yeah you heard me right I get emotional with a dog. The dog is so endearing despite it being incorrigible. Maybe it’s the first time I saw a film wherein the family was so attached with their pet that his death seemed to be very painful for them. Or maybe I just miss my Labrador dog Leone.
Alright, I guess most of you guys have watched the film already and you know who the characters and the plot of the story is, because I don’t intend to make a review here. But for those who haven’t watched the film, it’s all about a dog which two married couples bought which they named Marley. They had Marley right before they get their own child, basically to learn how to handle the responsibility of taking care of a child.
So I think you got a quick look of the story already. For a more in depth review click here.
Now, I’d like to go on with the purpose of this entry. I’d like to talk about our pet animals. I guess everyone of us have experienced having a pet. From the domesticated ones, like dogs, cats or rabbits to the undomesticated and untamed creatures like snakes, tigers, iguanas and others.
More often than not we give them pet names. Some wanted it unique and some settle for a common blacky, browny, whitey, pinky. etc. depending on their body color.
Usually we became pet owners from the time the animal is still young, sometimes just about the time they were born. From then on we feed them, play with them, and cuddle them.A bond is created. We became emotionally attached with the animal as if he is our best friend, a son, or daughter, brother or a sister, one who is truly a part of the family. That’s why when the time comes that our pet needs to leave us it’s disheartening.
Being a good companion when you’re sad. A confidante when there’s no one there to turn to. When a girl you really dig dumped you, your pet is there to cuddle you. When you feel like strolling around, your pet is there to jog or walk with you.
Your pet isn’t there as a toy. You don’t even own it just because you paid for him. Your pet is your responsibility once you have ‘adopted’ him. In return for the good things you have been giving him, he’s there to accompany you mostly in times when you needed someone. You don’t even have to ask. He knows when you need him. And he’ll be there as always, even if you don’t even need him, because the pet values you as much as you value him.
The life of a pet animal is relatively shorter than ours. But despite the short span of their existence, I think if only they could talk, they’d be more than thankful for making their life more valuable than any living animal in this world. More than thankful that you have treated him like any other human being.
I’ll leave you with John Grogan’s words at the end of the movie, “A dog don’t care if you’re rich or poor, clever, dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he’ll give him yours.”
Aim High, Shoot Low. These were the last words of Senator Chiz Escudero when he guested in IMo(In My Opinion) on ANC with Mo Twister a while ago. Senator Chiz doesn't fail to inspire me when he starts to talk. His eloquence and brilliance are impressive and one cannot even feel any arrogance in him. Lucky for us one good fellow has a seat in the Senate and I hope he gets the chance to continue his advocacies in the Malacañang Palace.
"Aim High, Shoot Low" is an archer’s creed. The bow and arrow are scientifically designed. Archers learn that wind resistance, trajectory, weight, and obstacles all come into play when making an effective shot. Arrows are agile. A well aimed shot can slice through a minuscule target. Knowing you can hit a target, despite constant variations of uncontrollable elements, requires a degree of skill and faith.
The same is true when we set our goals in life. We should set our goals high even if we aren't certain of success. Accepting disappointments when we fail would be easier because it's not a bad fall having set high aims. Don't get me wrong but I am not patronizing mediocrity. We still need to work our asses off to get everything done, maybe not as perfect as everyone did, but something that would give us contentment and a feeling of self-fulfillment. We need to muster enough courage, strength and faith to accomplish these goals, because along the way we will be facing a lot of obstacles. We don't need to be perfect. We don't need to be masters. We just need to believe. Believing that we are special or that we have something special in us that would help us achieve our goals.
We might have failed a few times or more but this should not be the reason to quit. When we start something, we actually have accomplished something. Starting alone is an achievement. It's part and parcel of accomplishing your goals. The books or the the vast resources in the internet would give us a list of people who have failed a lot of times but have become successful in their fields eventually. Truly, everything has its own time.
The Paper Chase. I thought I needed to get inspired again so I watched "The Paper Chase", a 1973 film based on John Jay Osborn Jr.'s novel, about a struggling law student(Hart) at Harvard Law School. He tries to balance lawschool and his relationship with a girl (Susan), who happens to be the daughter of his terror professor, Professor Kingsfield. He joined a study group which helped him to impress the strict professor. The group's objective of sharing notes and outlines weren't achieved as the other members of the group cannot go along. But this did not stop Hart from taking the exams seriously and even getting an A.
An incoming law student should watch this film. Aside from it being inspiring, it could give him a glimpse of how one should face law school. The Socratic method which is the method used by almost all law professors in the conduct of the recitations is shown and explained in the film. The crucial point in the study of law is to analyze, and this is likewise depicted in the film. In fact, one student in the film (Brooks) who has a photographic memory dropped out a week before their final exams, because he just cannot excel and catch up with their courses.
Maybe being a law student all boils down to the words of Senator Chiz Escudero. Aim High, Shoot Low. When we chose to enter Law School, we started to aim high, and that is to be a lawyer. We may not be as brilliant as everyone else, but when we set our mind to our goal, we will reach the finish line.
So why am I posting this? I don't know, maybe I just want to inspire myself by my own words when I get to read this again, and try to think back when I first stepped law school and realize where I am right now, and hopefully resolve this confusion in my head. Oh!, I guess you get inspired too.
Here's a video from the 2005 film "Last Days" by Gus Van Sant as inspired by Kurt Cobain's last days alive. Background music is "Death to birth" performed by Michael Pitt who also played Blake, the main character in the film. Here's a quick synopsis from imdb.com
Introspective artist Blake is buckling under the weight of fame, professional obligations and a mounting feeling of isolation. Dwarfed by towering trees, Blake slowly makes his way through dense woods. He scrambles down an embankment to a fresh spring and undresses for a short swim. The next morning he returns to his house, an elegant, if neglected, stone mansion. Many people are looking for Blake--his friends, his managers and record label, even a private detective--but he does not want to be found. In the haze of his final hours, Blake will spend most his time by himself. He avoids the people who are living in his house, who approach him only when they want something, be it money or help with a song. He hides from one concerned friend and turns away another. He visits politely with a stranger from the Yellow Pages sales department, and he ducks into an underground rock club. He wanders through the woods and he plays a new song, one last rock and roll blowout. Finally, alone in the greenhouse, Blake will look and listen--and seek release.
Here's the lyrics to the song "Death to birth":
From ripe To rotten Too real To live
Should I lie down Or stand up And walk around again
My eyes finally wide open up My eyes finally wide open shut
To find the found(fount) of sound That hears the touch of my tears Smells the taste of all we waste Could feed the others But we smother each other with the necter And pucker the sour A bittersweet weather
It blows through our trees Swims through our seas Fly's through the last gasp we left On this earth
Ohh Ohh Ohhhhh
It's a long lonely journey From death to birth It's a long long lonely journey From death to... It's a long lonely journey From death to birth Oh It's a long lonely journey From death to birth
Yeaaah...
Should I die again Should I die around The pounds of matter wheeling through space I know I'll never know Until I come face to face With my own With my own With my own With my own cold dead face With my own wooden case
Yeaaah...
Pucker the sour Sugar sweet weather Blows through our trees Swims through our seas Fly's through the last gasp we left On this earth
Ohhhhhh
It's a long lonely journey from death to birth It's a long lonely journey from death to birth
What should I die again Should I tell you when The pounds of matter wheeling through space I know I'll never know Unitl I come face to face
It's a long lonely journey from death to birth It's a long lonely journey from death to birth
I’ve watched “Into the Wild” awhile ago, an American Indie film directed by Sean Penn inspired by a true story. The movie actually is all about a fresh college graduate, played by Emile Hirsch (the guy in Girl Next Door) who just decided to walk away from his family and went into the Alaska wild without bringing with him money and food just himself and his stuffs. He is determined to take an adventure on his own. He practically did not want his family to know his whereabouts, that’s why he didn’t make any call nor leave any mark for them to have any information on him. Sounds rebellious, but the determination and goal he has could only prove otherwise. Sounds selfish for everything he has done just caused pain and anxiety to his family. But just a thought, what if he decided to separate himself with the life he had before he started his adventure only to figure what really is important in this fuckin' life. Well try to watch the film and be the judge.
After watching the movie, I’ve come to realized that there’s only one thing which a person needs to be happy, and it’s FREEDOM. Freedom to experience what this life has to offer. As what Chris (Alex) in the movie aptly put it, ‘the core of man’s spirit comes from new experiences. Joy does not come principally from human relationships. God places it in all around us, it’s in everything we can experience. People just need to change the way to look at those things..’
I wonder how I’ve survived the deprivation I have from this so called freedom. Self-imposed or not, depriving ourselves with the freedom to experience life will just make us regret a lot of things in the long run. I know I have lots of issues with my family and other people but what the heck am I doing? Why do I keep on letting those issues restrain me from doing what I want to do? Why do we keep ourselves be controlled by the expectations of other people, of the society? Why do we settle for something which we cannot even honestly say we're absolutely happy? I am studying Law, and under the Constitution, a citizen has been granted a lot of freedoms by the State, and no one could ever deprive one of those without due process of law. So if the State protects the enshrined freedoms of a citizen, who am I or any person to deprive myself of my freedoms. Well, I think one need not have a brain to say that every human being has the right to be happy. The freedom to get happy. The freedom to experience life to get happy. And I’ve come to realized that the difficulty in not getting happy arises when we don’t have this freedom. We need to free ourselves from whatever or whoever is taking away the very reason of our existence, to be happy.
Going back to the movie ‘Into the Wild’, I was inspired by one of the lines in the book Chris(Alex) was reading during the time he’s in the woods, which was actually highlighted in the film, basically because of his experiences with good people he met during his adventure. How lucky he was to meet those people along the way especially one Ron, an old man who actually thought of adopting him. The particular line says that “one could be happy when he becomes useful to people to whom it is easy to do good and who are not accustomed to have it done to them.”
I cannot agree more with that idea of happiness. Whoever the writer of that book was brilliant. Now I ask myself, when was the last time I did something useful to others and felt good about it. Yes, we do favors to others, but have we thought about whether the person for whom we did something is not accustomed on being it done for them. When was the last time we felt good about doing something useful to others?
Truly, the movie 'Into the Wild' made a huge impact on me, and I am so much attached to Chris' character and I can relate to some of his ideals and feelings to his family and the society.
I'd like to end this post with one of Chris' lines that made me had goosebumps: "HAPPINESS, ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED"
By the way I saw this on the net, one of Chris McCandless' most interesting quotes which comes from a letter he had written to a friend he had made while hitchhiking:
"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
For more info on the movie 'Into the Wild', here's the official website or you can check imdb.com.
Being an Edward Norton fan, I don't get bored watching his films over and over again. His awesome portrayal of his character which is usually a disturbed and maligned one, full of remorse and anger gives me goosebumps! Aside from my all time faves Fight Club and American History X, the movie 25th hour is something one should not miss! You got to watch the ending! It was brilliant! Here's a synopsis from imdb.com
Monty Brogan is about to start his last day of freedom before turning himself into the authorities and serving a seven-year term for drug dealing. He's a charming young man who had always dreamed of being a fireman, following in the working-class footsteps of his father, who has had to put up his bar in Queens as bond so that his son can stay out of jail until his sentence begins. Monty, named for Montgomery Clift, does not know how he managed to get himself into this predicament. It was easy money and it carried so many perks, and you'll feel more than a little sympathy for this young man who has managed to kill his own dream for courtside seats at Madison Square Garden. But before he goes to prison, Monty wants to have one last night out on the town with his two best friends. Frank Slattery is a bond trader, one of the best and most successful risk takers in a very risky business. The other is Jakob Elinsky, an English teacher who envies his friends' lifestyles but who has no intention of ever giving up his job for the easy money, despite the disillusionment of teaching high school students in a tough school. The three young men enjoy the night into the early morning as they eat, drink, and visit the hottest spots in town. It's a sad night for Monty, but he has a plan that neither Frank nor Jacob know about--and it makes for a shocking ending to this brilliant and disturbing story.
A quote from the movie: This life was so close to never happening.
Damn this monologue is awesome! This is from Norton's movie 25th Hour! Edward Norton's really the best!!
Here's the transcript! Monty: Yeah, fuck you, too. Monty's Reflection: Fuck me? Fuck you! Fuck you and this whole city and everyone in it. Fuck the panhandlers, grubbing for money, and smiling at me behind my back. Fuck squeegee men dirtying up the clean windshield of my car. Get a fucking job! Fuck the Sikhs and the Pakistanis bombing down the avenues in decrepit cabs, curry steaming out their pores and stinking up my day. Terrorists in fucking training. Slow the fuck down! Fuck the Chelsea boys with their waxed chests and pumped up biceps. Going down on each other in my parks and on my piers, jingling their dicks on my Channel 35. Fuck the Korean grocers with their pyramids of overpriced fruit and their tulips and roses wrapped in plastic. Ten years in the country, still no speaky English? Fuck the Russians in Brighton Beach. Mobster thugs sitting in cafés, sipping tea in little glasses, sugar cubes between their teeth. Wheelin' and dealin' and schemin'. Go back where you fucking came from! Fuck the black-hatted Chassidim, strolling up and down 47th street in their dirty gabardine with their dandruff. Selling South African apartheid diamonds! Fuck the Wall Street brokers. Self-styled masters of the universe. Michael Douglas, Gordon Gecko wannabe mother fuckers, figuring out new ways to rob hard working people blind. Send those Enron assholes to jail for fucking life! You think Bush and Cheney didn't know about that shit? Give me a fucking break! Tyco! Imclone! Adelphia! Worldcom! Fuck the Puerto Ricans. 20 to a car, swelling up the welfare rolls, worst fuckin' parade in the city. And don't even get me started on the Dom-in-i-cans, because they make the Puerto Ricans look good. Fuck the Bensonhurst Italians with their pomaded hair, their nylon warm-up suits, and their St. Anthony medallions. Swinging their, Jason Giambi, Louisville slugger, baseball bats, trying to audition for the Sopranos. Fuck the Upper East Side wives with their Hermés scarves and their fifty-dollar Balducci artichokes. Overfed faces getting pulled and lifted and stretched, all taut and shiny. You're not fooling anybody, sweetheart! Fuck the uptown brothers. They never pass the ball, they don't want to play defense, they take fives steps on every lay-up to the hoop. And then they want to turn around and blame everything on the white man. Slavery ended one hundred and thirty seven years ago. Move the fuck on! Fuck the corrupt cops with their anus violating plungers and their 41 shots, standing behind a blue wall of silence. You betray our trust! Fuck the priests who put their hands down some innocent child's pants. Fuck the church that protects them, delivering us into evil. And while you're at it, fuck JC! He got off easy! A day on the cross, a weekend in hell, and all the hallelujahs of the legioned angels for eternity! Try seven years in fuckin Otisville, Jay! Fuck Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and backward-ass, cave-dwelling, fundamentalist assholes everywhere. On the names of innocent thousands murdered, I pray you spend the rest of eternity with your seventy-two whores roasting in a jet-fueled fire in hell. You towel headed camel jockeys can kiss my royal, Irish ass! Fuck Jacob Elinski, whining malcontent. Fuck Francis Xavier Slaughtery, my best friend, judging me while he stares at my girlfriend's ass. Fuck Naturel Rivera. I gave her my trust and she stabbed me in the back. Sold me up the river. Fucking bitch. Fuck my father with his endless grief, standing behind that bar. Sipping on club soda, selling whiskey to firemen and cheering the Bronx Bombers. Fuck this whole city and everyone in it. From the row houses of Astoria to the penthouses on Park Avenue. From the projects in the Bronx to the lofts in Soho. From the tenements in Alphabet City to the brownstones in Park slope to the split levels in Staten Island. Let an earthquake crumble it. Let the fires rage. Let it burn to fuckin ash then let the waters rise and submerge this whole, rat-infested place. Monty: No. No, fuck you, Montgomery Brogan. You had it all and then you threw it away, you dumb fuck!
As promised there would be a part two of the filmfestival! So here are the films I've watched since part 1, and I guess there won't be a part 3, coz I think I had enough and its time that I read my books! hehe!!
39. K-Pax- 3.5 Stars 40. Goodfellas- 3 Stars 41. The Count of Monte Cristo- 3.5 Stars 42. Stock, Lock and two smoking barrels- 2 Stars 43. The thin red line- 3.5 Stars 44. Blades of Glory- 2 Stars 45. Presumed Innocent- 3 Stars 46. The Recruit- 3 Stars 47. The Bucket List- 3.5 Stars 48. Epic Movie- 1 Star 49. Insomnia- 3.5 Stars 50. Donnie Brasco- 3 Stars 51. Scarface- 4 Stars 52. To kill a mocking bird- 3.5 Stars 53. Being John Malkovich- 3 Stars 54. The Departed- 3 Stars 55. Kurt Cobain: About a Son- 3.5 Stars 56. The Rainmaker- 4 Stars 57. Heat- 3 Stars 58. The Bourne Identity- 4.5 Stars 59. The Bourne Supremacy- 4.5 Stars 60. The Bourne Ultimatum- 4.5 Stars 62. Rain Man- 4 Stars 63. Red Dragon- 4 Stars 64. The Graduate- 3.5 Stars 65. Iron Man- 3 Stars 66. The Kite Runner- 3 Stars 67. The Great Debaters- 3 Stars 68. Street Kings- 2.5 Stars 69. Forbidden Kingdom- 2.5 Stars 70. Forrest Gump- 5 Stars 71. What Happens in Vegas- 2.5 Stars 72. 21- 3 Stars
I'm quite surprised why I dreamt of Michael Mann. Actually as far as I recall from my dream, there was Al Pacino (who actually was Michael Mann in my dream) and another woman, whom I don’t know. A woman with curls and a blonde.
I've checked on the net who Michael Mann is and Ive found out that he was a critically acclaimed director. I've watched some of his movies and some of it were starred by Al Pacino.
Well maybe I dreamt of him because of my addiction with Pacino films. I don’t want to sound like I'm into unsolving some mystery, but it’s a little bit stranger to dream of a person whom I don’t really know and yet I’ve identified and really do exist.
By the way, his works include the following: The Inside and Heat, where Pacino both starred Aviator, Collateral, Miami Vice and Kingdom
I've watched the movie waking life and it is one brilliant movie sure to inspire everyone. it is actually an animated film and i think whether you like animated films or not, you can't ignore the movie from the very first scene. The movie's plot centers on the dream of a student, which dream is characterized by a series of meeting chance or otherwise with other people whose intelligent and thought-provoking words made him realize a lot of things in life. Waking life truly would make you wake up on a lot of things about life and realize that good things in life come to those who wake up.
Here's a plot summary from Jeff Mellinger {jmell@uclink4.berkeley.edu}
Dreams. What are they? An escape from reality or reality itself? Waking Life follows the dreams of one man and his attempt to find and discern the absolute difference between waking life and the dreamworld. While trying to figure out a way to wake up, he runs into many people on his way; some of which offer one sentence asides on life, others delving deeply into existential questions and life's mysteries. We become the main character. It becomes our dream and our questions being asked and answered. Can we control our dreams? What are they telling us about life? About death? About ourselves and where we come from and where we are going? The film does not answer all these for us. Instead, it inspires us to ask the questions and find the answers ourselves.
Long time ago I've decided not to meddle with my parent's businesses. I told myself that I would stand on my own, that's why I do have a hard time working with a group. It's just a common thing also for me that I always give my hand to anyone. It's not in my bones to be dependent on someone.
I even rarely ask for favors to my parent's and never request for expensive things. It's not about pride, it's just that I feel and think it's just not right. At my age, I should be working but instead I opted to enter law school, so I should be more concerned with my tuition fee rather some luxury.
Now, when I've watched Godfather, the character of Michael Corleone struck me. He portrays the youngest son of Don Vito, who happens to be indifferent wih respect to the mafia business of the latter. But in the end, with the death of his elder brother Sonny he took over the mafia business. I believe there's a certain touch of Michael Corleone in each one of us, usually when we are in our early adult life. The time when we are creating our own name and image and trying to be dependent.
I don't know whether I could live with my ideals when the time comes that my parent's retire. I don't know if I could stand up on my philosophies. But right now, I'm firm with my decision not to meddle with my parent's businesses.
I believe, somehow I am like Michael Corleone but I don't know whether I would be totally like him as what he have portrayed throughout the movie. But who knows circumstances might change the course of things.
I've been a huge fan of Al Pacino since like my childhood days, even if I barely know him. I was thrilled by his movies back then without even knowing who he was. But anyone would be, because he truly is one magnificent and brilliant actor! Now here's a quick biography of him from imdb.com:
Date of Birth 25 April 1940, New York, New York, USA
Birth Name Alfredo James Pacino
Nickname Sonny
One of the greatest actors in all of film history, Al Pacino established himself during one of film's greatest decades, the 70s, and has become an enduring and iconic figure in the world of American movies. Born on April 25th, 1940 in the South Bronx, New York, Pacino's parents (Salvatore and Rose) divorced when he was young. His mother moved them into his grandparents' house. Pacino found himself often repeating the plots and voices of characters who he had seen in the movies, one of his favorite activities. Bored and unmotivated in school, the young Al Pacino found a haven in school plays, and his interest soon blossomed into a full-time career. Starting on the stage, Pacino went through a lengthy period of depression and poverty, sometimes having to borrow bus fare to make it to auditions. He made it into the prestigious Actors Studio in 1966, studying under the legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg, creator of the Method Approach that would become the trademark of many 70s era actors. Making appearances in various plays, Pacino finally hit it big with "The Indian Wants the Bronx", winning an Obie award for the 1966-67 season. Gaining notoriety on the theater scene, Pacino then won the Tony Award for "Does the Tiger Wear a Necktie?". His first feature films made little departure from the gritty realistic stage performances that earned him respect: he played a junkie in The Panic in Needle Park (1971) after his film debut in Me, Natalie (1969). What came next would change his life forever. The part of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972) was one of the most sought- after roles in film history. Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, 'Ryan O'Neal (I)', Robert De Niro, and a host of others were bandied about for the role, but director Francis Ford Coppola had his heart set on the unknown Italian Pacino. From the studio, to the producers, to the cast on down, nobody else wanted Al Pacino. Though Coppola won out through slick persuasion, Pacino was in constant fear of being fired and replaced at any minute during the hellish shoot. But the role was a career- making hit, and earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Instead of taking on easier projects for money, Pacino threw his support behind tough important films, such as the true life crime drama Serpico (1973) and the tragic real life bank robbery film Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Pacino opened eyes around the film world for his brave choice of roles; and he was nominated three consecutive years for the "Best Actor" Academy Award. He faltered slightly with Bobby Deerfield (1977), but regained his stride with the law film _...And Justice for All (1979)_, for which he received another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. This would unfortunately signal one of the only bad points in his career, one that produced the flops Cruising (1980) and Author! Author! (1982). He took on another vicious gangster role and cemented his legendary status in the ultra-violent Scarface (1983), but a monumental mistake was about to follow. Revolution (1985) endured an endless and seemingly cursed shoot in which equipment was destroyed, weather was terrible, and Pacino became terribly ill with pneumonia. Constant changes in the script also further derailed an already terrible project. The Revolutionary War film is considered one of the worst films ever, gained Pacino his first truly awful reviews, and kept him out of movies for the next four years. Returning to the stage, Pacino has done much to give back and contribute to the theatre, which he considers his first love. He directed a film _Local Stigmatic, The (1989)_ but it remains unreleased to the public. His self-imposed exile lifted, he returned in striking form in Sea of Love (1989) as a hard-drinking cop. The film marks the second phase of Pacino's career, the first film to feature his now famous dark, owl eyes and hoarse, gravelly voice. Making a return to the Corleones, he made The Godfather: Part III (1990), and earned raves for his first comedic role in the colorful Dick Tracy (1990). This earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and, two years later, he was nominated for Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). He went into romantic mode for Frankie and Johnny (1991). In 1992, he finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his amazing performance in Scent of a Woman (1992). A mix of technical perfection (he plays a blind man) and charisma, the role was tailor-made for him, and remains a classic. The next few years would see Pacino becoming more comfortable with acting and movies as a business, turning out great roles in great films with more frequency and less of the demanding personal involvement of his wilder days. Carlito's Way (1993) proved another gangster classic, as did the epic crime drama Heat (1995) directed by Michael Mann. He returned to the director's chair for the highly acclaimed and quirky Shakespeare adaptation Looking for Richard (1996). City Hall (1996), Donnie Brasco (1997), and The Devil's Advocate (1997) all came out in this period. Reteaming with Mann and then Oliver Stone, he gave two commanding performances in The Insider (1999) and Any Given Sunday (1999). In his personal life, Pacino is one of Hollywood's most enduring and notorious bachelors, having never been married. He has a daughter, Julie Marie, with acting teacher Jan Tarrant, and a new set of twins with long-time girlfriend Beverly D'Angelo. His romantic history includes a long-time romance with Godfather co-star Diane Keaton. With his intense and gritty performances, Pacino was an original in the acting profession. His Method approach would become the process of many actors throughout time, and his unbeatable number of classic roles has already made him a legend among film buffs and all aspiring actors and directors. His commitment to acting as a profession and his constant screen dominance has established him as one of movies' legends.
Trivia
October 1997: Ranked #4 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
January 1961: Was arrested, charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
Son of Sal Pacino (insurance agent) and Rose Pacino (she died when Al was 22).
He has a daughter, named Julie Marie (b. 1989), with acting teacher Jan Tarrant.
Dropped out of school at the age of 17.
Turned down the role of Ted Kramer in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979).
Turned down Born on the Fourth of July (1989).
Turned down Apocalypse Now (1979).
Turned down the role of Han Solo in Star Wars (1977).
Turned down Pretty Woman (1990).
Turned down Crimson Tide (1995).
Originally asked for $7 million for The Godfather: Part III (1990), a figure that so enraged director Francis Ford Coppola that he threatened to write a new script that opened with Michael Corleone's funeral. Pacino settled for $5 million.
Father of twins Anton and Olivia (b. 25 January 2001), with Beverly D'Angelo.
His grandparents originate from Corleone, Sicily.
Was frequently refered to as "that midget Pacino" by producers of The Godfather (1972) who didn't want him for the part of Michael Corleone.
Francis Ford Coppola asked Pacino to play Captain Willard in his film Apocalypse Now (1979). Pacino politely turned down the offer, saying he'd "do anything" for Francis but he "woudn't go to war with him!"
1994: Stopped a two-pack-a-day smoking habit to protect his voice. In the mid-1980s he had been smoking four packs of cigarettes a day. He now only occasionally smokes herbal cigarettes.
Al was so much into character (playing a plain-clothes NYC cop) while filming Serpico (1973) he actually pulled over and threatened to arrest a truck driver for exhaust pollution.
Is an avid fan of opera.
Once worked as an usher at Carnegie Hall.
Larry King considers Pacino's appearance on his show "Larry King Live" (1985) in November 1996 as one of his personal all-time favorite interviews.
2002: His salary was around $10 million a picture.
One of the few Hollywood stars who has never married.
Despite the fact that he starred in "The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui" for Off- Broadway scale pay (the minimum salary allowed by Actor's Equity), the production had the highest ticket price in Off-Broadway history at $100 per ticket.
He is one of the eleven elite thespians to have been nominated for both a Supporting and Lead Acting Academy Award in the same year. The other ten are Barry Fitzgerald Fay Bainter, Teresa Wright, Jessica Lange, Sigourney Weaver, Emma Thompson, Holly Hunter, Julianne Moore, Jamie Foxx and Cate Blanchett. Pacino was the second male actor, after Fitzgerald, to have been nominated for both a Best Supporting Actor and a Best Actor Oscar in the same year; the third is Foxx, who was nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in 2005.
Won two Tony Awards: in 1969 as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?" and in 1977 as Best. Actor (Play) for "The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel."
Won his first Oscar twenty-one years after his first nomination.
He and Chris Sarandon improvised their scene on the phone in the film Dog Day Afternoon (1975).
Studied acting under his friend Charlie Laughton.
He is an avid William Shakespeare fan.
Was voted the Number 1 greatest movie star of all time in a Channel 4 (UK) poll.
For a short while, he was the only actor to be in the #1 Best and Worst Movie on IMDb: The Godfather (1972) and Gigli (2003).
In a "Playboy" magazine interview, he claimed that he was fired from his job as a movie theater usher while walking down the staircase and admiring himself in the mirrored wall.
He was voted the 41st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
Portrayed crime bosses in The Godfather Trilogy, Scarface (1983) and Dick Tracy (1990).
In 2004 he became the 18th performer to win the Triple Crown of Acting. Oscar: Best Actor, Scent of a Woman (1992); Tony: Best Supporting Actor-Play "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?: (1969) and Best Actor-Play "The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel" (1977); and Emmy: Best Actor-Miniseries/Movie, "Angels in America" (2003).
Read for Chazz Palminteri's part in The Usual Suspects (1995). Source: Director Bryan Singer, "Pursuing The Usual Suspects" documentary from UK DVD.
He was rejected repeatedly by studio heads while auditioning for the role of Michael in The Godfather (1972) but Francis Ford Coppola fought for him. This film was shot briskly because both the director and the leading actor were in constant fear of being fired. Ironically, it turned out to be a breakthrough for both.
He is the stepson of actress and make-up artist Katherin Kovin-Pacino.
He has four sisters: Josette, a teacher, twins Roberta and Paula, and a younger sister named Desiree, whom Pacino's father adopted whilst married to his fourth wife.
Was a longtime member of David Wheeler's Theatre Company of Boston, for which he performed in "Richard III" in Boston from Dec. 1972 to Jan. 1973 and at the Cort Theater in New York City from June 10 to July 15, 1979. He also appeared in their productions of Bertolt Brecht's "Aurturo Ui" at the Charles Theater in Boston in 1975 and later in New York and London, and in David Rabe's "The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel" at the Longacre Theater in New York in 1977, for which Pacino won a Tony Award. Wheeler also directed Pacino in Heathcote Williams' "The Local Stigmatic" for Joseph Papp's Public Theater in New York City in 1976. Pacino appeared in a 1989 film of "Stigmatic" (The Local Stigmatic (1990)) directed by Wheeler that was presented at the Cinémathèque in Los Angeles.
2001: Recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field".
Won the Best Actor Obie (awarded for the best Off-Broadway performances) for "The Indian Wants The Bronx" in 1968. Was also nominated for a Best Actor Obie for "Why Is A Crooked Letter" in 1966.
His performance in the Broadway play "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?" won him a Tony Award for Best Dramatic Supporting Actor, and a Drama Desk Award and Theatre World Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1969.
Turned down the lead role of Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
While Paramount brass dithered over whether to cast him as Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972), the role that would make him a star, a frustrated Pacino signed up for the role of Mario Trantino in The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971). When Paramount finally decided to offer him the role in "The Godfather", it had to buy him out of his contract with MGM. Ironically, the role went to Robert De Niro, whom The Godfather: Part II (1974) would make a star.
His favorite actress is Julie Christie.
He and Jamie Foxx are two out of the only three actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the same year. (Barry Fitzgerald did it first in 1945) Pacino was nominated in 1993 for Scent of a Woman (1992) and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) / Foxx in 2005 for Ray (2004/I) and Collateral (2004). Both men won the Best Actor award, and they both played blind men in their roles: Pacino as Frank Slade and Foxx as Ray Charles.
2005: Premiere Magazine ranked him as #37 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature.
Grew up in the South Bronx, New York City
Attended The High School of the Performing Arts until he dropped out.
Was John Schlesinger's original pick for Marathon Man (1976) but producer Robert Evans insisted that Schlesinger cast Dustin Hoffman instead.
Has a production company called Chal Productions. The "Ch" is in tribute his friend "Charlie Laughton" (not the actor Charles Laughton) while the "Al" is for himself.
Worked in the mail room of Commentary magazine.
Shares a birthday with Talia Shire, his co-star in The Godfather films.
His favorite color is black
Breifly worked as a stand-up comic early in his career
Early in his acting career, he considered changing his name to "Sonny Scott" to avoid being typecast by his Italian name. "Sonny" was his childhood nickname.
Alec Baldwin, who co-starred with Pacino in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) and Looking for Richard (1996), wrote a 65-page final thesis on Pacino and method acting for his degree at NYU.
Had been friends with John Cazale since they were teenagers. They starred together in Dog Day Afternoon (1975), The Godfather: Part II (1974) and The Godfather (1972).
He is only one of four actors to be nominated for an Oscar twice for playing the same role in two separate films. He was nominated as for The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974). The others are Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler (1961) and The Color of Money (1986), Bing Crosby as Father O'Malley in Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945), Peter O'Toole as Henry II in Becket (1964) and The Lion in Winter (1968) and Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I in Elizabeth (1998) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007).
During the making of The Recruit (2003), he met and became close friends with Colin Farrell. He went on to call Farrell the most talented actor of his generation.
Turned down the role of Richard Sherman for a remake of The Seven Year Itch (1955) which was never filmed.
Turned down role as Michael Corleone in the Godfather videogame.
2006: His performance as Sonny Wortzik in Dog Day Afternoon (1975) is ranked #4 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.
2006: His performance as Michael Corleone in The Godfather: Part II (1974) is ranked #20 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.
His performance as Tony Montana in Scarface (1983) is ranked #74 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
His performance as "Michael Corleone" in The Godfather: Part II (1974) is ranked #11 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains.
His performance as Frank Serpico in Serpico (1973) is ranked #40 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains.
Was director Bryan Singer's first choice for the role of "Dave Kujan" in The Usual Suspects (1995). Pacino passed on the role and has since stated that that is the role he regrets passing on the most.
10/16/97: Imprinted his hands and signature in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
Stated in an interview that the movie he most wanted to be in but couldn't get the role was Slap Shot (1977). Director George Roy Hill opted not to go with Pacino because he could not ice skate.
Revealed to James Lipton on "Inside the Actors Studio" (1994) for the first time ever that his father was born in Corleone, Sicily.
1970-75: Lived with Jill Clayburgh.
At one point, David Cronenberg was in line to direct the film The Singing Detective (2003), with Pacino in the lead.
6/7/07: Honored with the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Over the end credits of A Cock and Bull Story (2005) the two stars, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon compete at doing Pacino impressions.
Oscar-winning director John Schlesinger envisioned a cast of Pacino, Julie Christie and Laurence Olivier for Marathon Man (1976). Pacino has said that the only actress he had ever wanted to work with was Christie, who he claimed was "the most poetic of actresses." Producer Robert Evans, who disparaged the vertically challenged Pacino as "The Midget" when Francis Ford Coppola wanted him for The Godfather (1972) and had thought of firing him during the early shooting of the now-classic film, vetoed Pacino for the lead. Instead, Evans insisted on the casting of the even shorter Dustin Hoffman! On her part, Christie -- who was notoriously finicky about accepting parts, even in prestigious, sure-fire material -- turned down the female lead, which was then taken by Marthe Keller (who, ironically, became Pacino's lover after co-starring with him in Bobby Deerfield (1977)). Of his dream cast, Schlesinger only got Olivier, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Pacino has yet to co-star with Christie.
Has suffered from chronic insomnia.
His Oscar nomination for The Godfather (1972) marked his first of 4 consecutive nominations, a feat he shares with Jennifer Jones (1943-46), Thelma Ritter (1950-53), Marlon Brando (1951-54) and Elizabeth Taylor (1957-60).
Personal Quotes
The problem with me is, I guess, the way I express myself, you have to be with me 50 years before you can get a sense of what I'm talking about.
I can't say I've been sober though. I don't like that word. What does it mean? 'Sober! He's very sober'.
There are times when I have a temperament. Yes, my temperament is there ... but I hope I'm gentle. Yes, I think I am.
When I try to explain anything I always end up trying to be right usually, but not truthful necessarily. Trying to give the right answer or what I think is the right answer. It's a human instinct. You try to be as clever as you can be. You're trying to come off like you really know what the hell's going on, when you don't!
I'm single and I don't particularly like it. I'm certainly the kind of person who prefers ... it ... it ... It's good to have someone in your life that you're going through this thing with. It's good. That's a thing in life that I aspire to.
I like what Norman Mailer said about alcohol: 'Drink has killed a lot of my brain cells and I think I would have been a better writer without it, but it would be one less way to relax.'
Did you know I started out as a stand-up comic? People don't believe me when I tell them.
[on whether acting and his roles reflected who he is] In the end you're just playing a role.
I'll tell you something. And this is a fact. When I was doing Scarface (1983), I remember being in love at that time. One of the few times in my life. And I was so glad it was at that time. I would come home and she would tell me about her life that day and all her problems and I remember saying to her, 'Look, you really got me through this picture', because I would shed everything when I came home.
That's right! That's right! We know the best feeling in the world is the one between the second and third martini. That was my deal. I just enjoyed who I became when I was drinking, so that was something hard to break. I became much quieter, and funny. I must say, that kind of thing came out.
I hope the perception is that I'm an actor, I never intended to be a movie star.
I'm constantly striving to break through to something new. You try to maintain a neutral approach to your work, and not be too hard on yourself.
I guess you find yourself repeating certain motifs. But at the heart of it all, I'm an actor, always looking for a role. And then you try to make things fresh.
People always said that time, the '70s, was about pretty boys, and then I came along!
One hopes to find out about the [movie] you're in while you're doing it, not several years later, which is usually when I find out. I'm like, 'Wow, that was a dud! I didn't know, nobody would tell me!' I've done things for certain reasons, but it [comes from] thinking on your feet... Sometimes actors do things not because we have a great desire [for it], but because it's work, and I'm starting to wonder about that.
But I was just lucky. People like [Francis Ford Coppola] were making films, and I got opportunities.
[quoted by Robert Osborne in "Academy Awards 1974 Oscar Annual"] I couldn't exist just doing films. But on the other hand, there is the fame that comes with it, and the money. My problem is I still want to play Hamlet in some little theater somewhere, and time is running out.
[Presenting the Lifetime of Achievement Award to director Sidney Lumet at the 2005 Academy Awards] As an old village poet put it to me in the 1960s. [If you dig it, it's yours]. I dug Sidney Lumet back then. I dig him now because what he had to give, I took and made it mine. I'm forever grateful along with all the other actors and writers who have benefited from Sidney's genius.
[on his friend and Heat (1995) co-star Robert De Niro] We know each other's minds. We have shared some things that are personal to us, such as our roles. I know Bobby through his roles. But, then, I don't think we actually talked about the actual work of actors.
[on his friend and Heat (1995) co-star Robert De Niro] I remember seeing things that Bob had done in the past, and very recent times, and have been taken with the work so much that I even wrote [him] about it. Some of his great work -- which is plenty -- I was staggered by the subtlety of his portrayal and the warmth, which is what we often talk about with Bob among us actors who admire him so. It is the warmth and the way he approaches things.
[on doing Scarecrow (1973) with Gene Hackman] Gene and I are two people not very similar. We had to play a very close relationship, but I just didn't think we were as connected as we should have been. We seemed apart. We didn't have altercations, we didn't hate each other. But we didn't communicate, didn't think in the same terms. Gene and I were thrown together, but under ordinary circumstances we'd never cavort or be friends. It was two worlds - but I have to say that I was as much responsible as he was.
[On whether or not acting is still challenging for him] The challenge? It's always a challenge of a sort. It's a challenge to get up and go and leave your family and go out there in all different parts of the world and do a picture and try to make it come alive . . . You're still challenged for that. I mean, it's the same story. It's just not changed. It seems to be the same thing it always was. It's this effort. If you get excited about a thing then things are generally a little easier. If you get enthusiastic and you want to do something and you feel you are into something then things start to come. But usually to find the enthusiasm and the appetite, that's the challenge.
[On why his film Chinese Coffee (2000) has yet to be released] 'Coffee' is done, I got a couple of little important things to do about it, like little tiny things, and THEN I will unveil it. It's not a movie that you put in a . . . it needs a certain environment to flourish in. It's just the way it is. It doesn't make it better or worse than the picture. It's just the way it is, the nature of it.
I've always believed, I always hoped . . . I don't think I know what I'm saying when I say this, but I was hoping that we could have a museum where we had films. That there was a museum where films were, like, hung. Like paintings. And you went to the museum. I got the movie The Local Stigmatic (1990) that I made. It's 52 minutes and everybody has seen it now because I've personally got them in to see it, to show it to them and I paid them for it, too. But it's over at the Museum of Modern Art and I love saying . . . This is really pretentious of me, this is what I really like. I love to say: 'Oh, it's at the Museum of Modern Art. Isn't that great?' 'Have you released it?' 'No, I never did.' I love saying that, you know? 'How come?' 'Because I didn't feel like it.' It's fun to do that.
The actor becomes an emotional athlete. The process is painful -- my personal life suffers.
"You know what the problem with that film is? The real problem? Nobody wants to see Michael have retribution and feel guilty. That's not who he is. In the other scripts, in Michael's mind he is avenging his family and saving them. Michael never thinks of himself as a gangster - not as a child, not while he is one and not afterward. That is not the image he has of himself. He's not a part of the GoodFellas thing. Michael has this code; he lives by something that makes audiences respond. But once he goes away from that and starts crying over coffins, making confessions and feeling remorse, it isn't right. I applaud Francis Coppola for trying to get to that, but Michael is so frozen in that image. There is in him a deep feeling of having betrayed his mother by killing his brother. That was a mistake. And we are ruled by these mistakes in life as time goes on. He was wrong. Like in Scarface when Tony kills Manny - that is wrong, and he pays for it. And in his way, Michael pays for it." - On _Godfather: Part III, The (1990)_
My first language was shy. It's only by having been thrust into the limelight that I have learned to cope with my shyness.
I don't understand the hatred and fear of gays and bisexuals and lesbians...it's a concept I honestly cannot grasp. To me, it's not who you love...a man, a woman, what have you...it's the fact THAT you love. That is all that truly matters.
[When asked what romantic character he would want to be] [Pablo Picasso]. I love the idea that he used to just sit and stare at an empty canvas for as long as 12 hours straight. If you keep staring at the canvas, the hope is that something or someone will come to mind. That's a romantic notion in itself.
[When asked what a movie of his life would be called and who would play him] It would be called 'The Dustin Hoffman Story'. When we were starting out, [Robert De Niro], me and Hoffman were always sort of mixed up. People mistook us for each other.
In America most everybody who's Italian is half Italian. Except me. I'm all Italian. I'm mostly Sicilian, and I have a little bit of Neapolitan in me. You get your full dose with me.
[on The Godfather: Part III (1990)] You know what the problem with that film is? The real problem? Nobody wants to see Michael have retribution and feel guilty. That's not who he is. In the other scripts, in Michael's mind he is avenging his family and saving them. Michael never thinks of himself as a gangster - not as a child, not while he is one and not afterward. That is not the image he has of himself. He's not a part of the Goodfellas (1990) thing. Michael has this code; he lives by something that makes audiences respond. But once he goes away from that and starts crying over coffins, making confessions and feeling remorse, it isn't right. I applaud [Francis Ford Coppola] for trying to get to that, but Michael is so frozen in that image. There is in him a deep feeling of having betrayed his mother by killing his brother. That was a mistake. And we are ruled by these mistakes in life as time goes on. He was wrong. Like in Scarface (1983) when Tony kills Manny - that is wrong, and he pays for it. And in his way, Michael pays for it.
My dad was in the army. World War II. He got his college education from the army. After World War II he became an insurance salesman. Really, I didn't know my dad very well.
Here are some of the videos of his moving speeches in his movies I found in youtube:
Since the start of the semestral break I've decided to watch a couple of movies which I happened to miss, but guess what? instead of just watching those recent movies shown in the theatres last year I found myself downloading, renting and even buying the original copy of some classic and not-so-old movies, and stucked my ass off my seat and just watch the whole day. Now I'd like to have a run down of the movies so far I've watched,as of May 03, 2008. Some of these movies, I decided to watch again, either because I so damn love the movie or I was just plain lazy during the first time I watch it and didn't pay attention to it that much, so I forgot the plot, haha! I'll be updating this as soon as I've watched the other movies left on my 'unwatched list'. By the way, I've decided to give stars to the movies so that you'll have an idea if it's cool to watch the movie. 'Five stars' is the highest, 1 star the lowest.
1. Silence of the Lambs- 4.5 Stars 2. Pulp Fiction- 2.5 Stars 3. Stranger than fiction- 3 Stars 4. A few good men- 2.5 Stars 5. The Godfather trilogy- 5 Stars 6. Freedom Writers- 3 Stars 7. Cinderella Man- 2.5 Stars 8. Philadelphia- 2.5 Stars 9. Definitely Maybe- 1 Star 10. 88 Minutes- 3 Stars 11. American Psycho- 3.5 Stars 12. Hannibal Rising- 3 Stars 13. Proof- 2.5 Stars 14. The U.S. vs. John Lennon- 4.5 Stars 15. 1408- 2.5 Stars 16. Citizen Kane- 3.5 Stars 17. Anne Frank- 2.5 Stars 18. The Pianist- 4.5 Stars 19. The Greyzone- 2.5 Stars 20. Requiem for a dream- 3.5 Stars 21. Half-baked- 1 Star 22. The Thomas Crown Affair- 4 Stars 23. Waking Life- 4.5 Stars 24. Smokin' Aces- 2 Stars 25. Wicker Park- 2 Stars 26. Scent of a woman- 3 Stars 27. The Laramie Project- 3 Stars 28. The Shawshank Redemption- 5 Stars 29. Pretty Woman- 3.5 Stars 30. Blackhawk Down- 3 Stars 31. 300- 4 Stars 32. Gladiator- 4 Stars 33. Braveheart- 4 Stars 34. Lions for Lambs- 2.5 Stars 35. Flags of our fathers- 3 Stars 36. The Patriot- 3.5 Stars 37. Edward Scissorhands- 2.5 Stars 38. The Talented Mr. Ripley- 3.5 Stars
Harold Crick (Will Farrell) is an IRS auditor who almost compulsively measures, quantifies and rationalizes his life. Suddenly, he becomes aware of a voice narrating his life, "accurately and with a better vocabulary." The voice is that of a writer we learn is struggling with writer's block (Emma Thompson), mostly about the best way to make Harold die. When Harold overhears his impending doom, he takes action, and eventually makes his way to a professor of literary theory (Dustin Hoffman), who helps him understand the implications of the narrative life he is leading. The main story line seems to be around a woman he is auditing, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. Realizing he could die at any moment, Harold begins to break free of his limited, orderly life, and joins Gyllenhaal in a romantic relationship. He tracks down Thompson and confronts her with the truth: if she writes about his death, then he will die. But Hoffman is convinced the novel must be written as intended, and Thompson herself is ambivalent. Crick himself reads the novel and encourages her to keep the original ending, which would kill him.
Eventually, Thompson writes of the fatal accident, but makes the accident only near-fatal. "If you have someone who willingly, knowingly, goes to his death, well...isn't that the kind of person you want to keep alive?" In the end, there is an ode to Harold, Maggie, Dustin, and most of all, Harold's wristwatch.
I have never seen such a film so compelling and inspiring as the Freedom Writers. A true story about a highschool professor, Ms. Gruwell (played by Hillary Swank) who changed the lives of her students who are thought of as “unteachable,” “below average,” and “delinquents.” She changed their lives by changing their perspectives on life. The students' ideas on racial discrimination was radically changed.
She reinvented a way to help the students learn at the same time enjoy what they are doing. She had them write their thoughts on a journal which was even published in 1999.
She truly treated the students her kids, she devoted her time, money basically her full self to them, to the point that she even lost her husband.
She made them realize how valuable their lives are to just be put into waste. She helped them help themselves.
You better watch the movie! I have a copy just message me if you want..
I actually found through the internet the site of their foundation and there you can find their story and just about everything on them.
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TOP: L-R, Kurt Cobain; Ryan Gosling BOTTOM: L-R, Courtney Love; Scarlett Johansson
L-R: Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain and Krist Noveselic
