Matteo Garrone bases his film on Roberto Saviano's book, and neither misses the mark. A world is presented that is devoid of grace and mercy, and there is little or no prospect of redemption or escape for the people caught in the slums of Naples. Criminality reigns, and anyone who dares challenge its rule is swiftly exited.

Nothing here of the romantic notion non-Italians have of Naples; no views of the picturesque bay with a smoking Vesuvius in the background, no trips over to Capri, no pizza, no mama's special tomato sauce with its secret recipe handed down over generations. This is the Naples of labyrinthine, concrete apartment blocks, stuffed full of heaving, struggling, oppressed humanity, with squalor at every turn.

The corruption and brutalisation of youngsters is sickening, as the bosses bring on another generation of hands that have no option but to give themselves to criminalisation. Life is cheap and the rewards can be as high as the punishments are low.

The opening execution scene takes the audience by surprise, creating a false sense of ease and security, pleasure even. Then four men are mercilessly blown away. The juxtaposition of the violent act with a leisure setting is shocking.

Despair is the order of the day. There is the hint of the possibility of another life, but it will be far away, and only for those with imagination, conscience and maybe a bit of money or other assistance from outside. Roberto is drawn in to a business that looks fine and legitimate on paper, but under the surface lurks a sinister, dangerous trade. He is repulsed and gives up the possibility of what could be very lucrative rewards. The last we see of him he is walking away from his boss, following an empty, deserted road. Does he wander into a new and pleasant life or do they catch up with the deserter? We don't get the answer. The possibility of something else is only vaguely suggested.

I caught a late night viewing of Gomorrah in a cinema in Belfast. Walking out into the deserted street near midnight was a fitting end to the film that helped to bring home the edge of danger and the sense of helplessness, and reminded me strongly that the story of Naples is different from the stories of other cities, including Belfast, only by degree.

This ingeniously weaved story follows Matthew Harris (Paul McGann) , a hospital orderly who knows considerably more medical knowledge than some of the new interns. Matthew admires one doctor in particular, the young and successful Simon Hennessey. One night after a trip to the swimming baths Matthew comes out to discover a terrible crash, as he rushes out to aid the passengers of this car accident he realises that the driver of the car was the object of his admiration Simon Hennessey, and for him time has just run out. As an orderly Matthew is charged with clearing out Simon's room, the doctor opting to reside on hospital property. While cleaning out his things, Matthew discovers a letter offering Simon an interview for a position in a distant hospital, foolishly Matthew responds to the letter saying that he will turn up for the interview, and then posing as the deceased doctor. Much to Matthew's amazement he interviews well and secures the post, maybe his intention was just to test his knowledge, but bored with his own life it seems that the opportunity to fill the shoes of Simon Hennessey is too much of a temptation to pass Matthew by. A little common sense in the medical world is one thing, but with minimum real practical knowledge, a unqualified person is surely a dangerous thing to have around?

Paper Mask works really well because it's a very British thriller, rather than being straight up on the tense aspects of a thriller it blends a combination of chills and humour seamlessly together, the humour is not overstated its just subtle. What the movie does do is raise a really worrying question? And that is could someone really get away with this even temporarily. To be honest, the results are rather frightening, you see Matthew discarding everything that would identify him to his true identity, then assuming the role of Simon Hennessey, its delivery is fairly detailed and you realise that this is something that really could happen.

In full cover as Hennessey you see Matthew go on shift for the first time, literally learning how to be a doctor on the spot. Packed with his charm, and his proven ability to act as a chameleon however he is not on his own for long, making a friend and eventual lover of Nurse Christine Taylor (Amanda Donohoe) who also believes Matthew is Hennessey assuming his weaknesses and lapses in knowledge are simply down to being fresh into the job and a little wet behind the ears.

Of course the movie goes out to prove that despite ease of assuming a false identity it's not such an easy job to keep up such a task, and soon a mistake on dosage finds that the new Hennessey has caused the death of his first patient. It's at this point that things get far more serious, not only does Matthew have to keep up his cover, but preserve his identity too, hospitals under the NHS are all closely linked and it's not long before people from the past begin to turn up.

Paper Mask tells a great deal of story in its 100 minute running time, there are several transformations in the plot, and enough small issues to keep Matthew on his toes, as well as the viewer wondering as to what is going to happen next. There are times near the end that the movie goes darker than you ever expected from looking at the movie from its offset.

There are some sterling performances from the cast, while both McGann and Donohoe act to the best of their abilities; Tom Wilkinson (who has since carved a career in Hollywood) adds some extra spice to the mix as the rather augmentative and rightfully distrusting Dr. Thorn. Familiar 60's actress Barbara Leigh Hunt best known as one of the victims in Hitchcock's Frenzy plays the delightful wife of Dr. Mumford played by Frederick Treves, an actor best known for his dithering elderly roles, who delivers a similar performance here.

Paper Mask has a really earthy realistic feel, the performances in the movie are all very natural particularly by both Donohoe and Mcgann, Donohoe I often find to be a little hit and miss in her performances just shines here.

The sad fact of Paper Mask, is that despite being one of Channel Four's best movies, it's one of the most forgotten, while 99% of the movies by Film Four (the brand name given to Channel Fours movies) are all available to buy, Paper Mask has been unavailable since 1991 on any format, as a result is seldom seen on television and usually old found in the form of old videotapes on the likes of Ebay. Also worth a mention is that of all Film Four's movies, Paper Mask does seem the most dated, for a movie made just 18 years ago (at the time of writing), the movie looks like a product of the earlier 80's, its colours washed out, its fashions dated. But this only strengthens the wonder of this little seen movie, and if you get the chance to see it, it's something I'd suggest you looked at.

This movie was released in January, 2008.  One Missed Call is a remake of the Japanese film, Chakushin Ari which came out in 2003. 

One Missed Call was directed by Eric Valette.  Eric Valette also directed a bunch of foreign films, such as Malèfique, which came out in 2002.  The screenplay portion was written by Andrew Klavan.  This playwrighter also wrote A Shock To The System, which came out in 1990.  One Missed Call is based on a novel written by Yasushi Akimoto.  Chakushin Ari 1 and 2 were novels that Yasushi wrote. 

The tagline of this movie is, "What will it sound like when you die?"  Sure that is an eerie tagline, but it makes for an interesting plot. 

Imagine getting a phone call from someone who has already died.  They leave a voicemail with the date and time of your pending death, and if you listen closely it is your voice calling.  Between the time of the call and the time of death, you see distorted images and faces, as well as things that are peculiar and unusual.  Those that die are left with a piece of hard candy, in the color red.  The story behind the hard candy comes later on in the storyline.

The movie starts off with the mysterious death of Shelley, played by Meagan Good.  Later on, at a party, Leann (Azura Skye) gets a call on her cell phone from Shelley's number, and it dated ahead of time.  When Leann listens to the voicemail she hears herself screaming. 

Note: all phone calls leading to the deaths take place on the death holders cell phone. 

Before each of her friends died, Beth (Shannyn Sassamon) heard the noise of an inhaler.  The inhaler becomes apparent later on in the movie as well. 

After Leann, her ex boyfriend Brian (Johnny Lewis) gets the death call, followed by Taylor (Ana Claudia Talancòn).  Taylor is freaked out by the call and goes through an 'exorcism' that would be televised.  Needless to say, an exorcism could not save her. 

Then Beth herself gets the call, but by this time Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) is there to help her.  They try to trace back to where the calls first started.  Jack's sister also received the call.  In fact, she is the one that called Shelley in the beginning of the movie.  This news was able to help them to trace it back to the Layton family.  While the youngest Layton daughter was in the St. Lukes Hospital, it burnt down, and Beth was concerned that this was where it all started.  The mother had abusive issues, so the detective and Beth thought that she was the one the started the calls. 

Now the question is, was the mother the one that started it all?  To find out the answer, you will have to watch the movie for yourself.  The movie is well worth the watch.  It is one of those great thrillers, that will keep you guessing till the very end, and that is a rarity in movies these days.

The director, John Carpenter has made several versions of Halloween movies since 1978. The most popular ones being Halloween (1978), Halloween 4 and Halloween H20.

It revolves around a teenage girl called Laurie strode. The role is played by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Laurie strode is study's at college with her friends. She has a brother who is handicapped and was sent to the mental hospital for murdering his elder sister on Halloween night, twenty years before the leap. He was a young, disabled boy and a joker.

He likes playing Halloween games on people. With blank, death calls and killing people by stabbing them after a little hide and seek.

A psychopathic, kleptomaniac, necrophagous thief and killer whose name is Michael Myers. A kleptomaniac, necrophagous thief. Knives and other sharp objects are stolen by his hands in his mission to complete the killing of his sister Laurie.

Both him and Laurie are the most important characters in the story. If he is not around, the movie would not have gone very well. There would not be a scary complication for the actors to solve. Everything would become boring.

Secondly, Laurie is the flag on top of the mountain, and if that flag falls off and is destroyed, the movie would be over.

There would be nothing else to solve. Even Michael wouldn't have to do anything else except kill more people if they interfere in his business.

Laurie is the main character in the plot. Therefore, she has to stay alive in the film and not die even I the worst circumstances, trials and tribulations.

But at last, she was killed on Halloween Resurrection (2002) which ended the series of 25 years!

Now, we have a new generation of this movie which released on 31 st August 2007.

However, it is a remake of the first movie and there is no rumour that the director of the new version will continue the movie into a sequel. Many people have said that the original movie is much better than this new version. I will be happy if anyone commented here about the new and old movie and the difference between the two.

The exposition of the story begins when Michael, who at first, is a 6 year old boy, spies on his sister Judith Myers.

He eventually follows her into her bedroom wearing a red, nosed clown mask. He murders her and gets caught by his parents outside their house.

The evidence here was that he was crying a long, sharp blooded knife at the end of his fingertips. He was then sent to the mental asylum for the rest of his gloomy life which is a total shame.

He has no heart but only a rock. And this is the cause for the darkness of his own soul. He has no feelings whatsoever. Instead, he has the devil's eyes.

20 years later, after the horrific events of the past, Michael escapes the mental asylum very cleverly by leaping onto the vehicle and scaring the heart out of an innocent women who luckily escapes out the car in a quick hurry for survival.

He jumps into the car and escapes to Haddonfield for his mission to murder Laurie.

By the end of the movie, all of Laurie's friends are dead and she is all alone. Dr loomis arrives just in time to see Laurie's death but he prevents it by shooting Michael out the window and making him fall onto the ground outside with a loud thud.

But this was not the end. He left Laurie for the slight moment by accepting defeat. However, he makes a comeback for more nemesis. Not accepting defeat until his task is over.

And that is how it went. His undefeated games, lead to a shocking, stunning and absolute success when he finally murdered Laurie in Halloween Resurrection.

A sad ending was shocking to everyone when she died. Leaving me stunned and heartbroken when I saw the instant stabbing which lead to the end.

Pierre's overwhelming thought in his state of illness is that there are so many people around him who are living out their lives and stories, and as each of those stories unfolds the viewer is brought back for an update on Pierre's plight.

All around the dying man are an assortment of characters living out their lives: the university professor entertaining inappropriate thoughts about one of his students, two brothers whose father dies, a couple becoming parents, people with jobs, people with plans, and they all have one thing in common - mortality. Pierre isn't the only one who's living under a death sentence, but he's the only one aware of it.

But there's one exception to the rule: Paris.

Paris in all her glory remains eternal, universal. She lives and breathes and is the context in which everyone else lives out their little lives.

Binoche and Duris are both superb, but Paris scores by just being herself. Even Binoche's ever-increasing beauty is put in the shade by the atmospheric cityscape that is Paris.

A very appropriately named film.

The movie goes through the band's meteoric rise to fame after starting out in the small industrial city of Sheffield, England. It also goes through the private struggles of guitarist Steven Clarke with alcoholism and the near fatal car crash that took drummer Rick Allen's arm. Through it all Rick bounced back and returned full time as Def Leppard's drummer. If that's not determination, I don't know what is.

The band that calls themselves "working class heavy metal" has seen more than it's share of tragedy,hardship,and adversity, and still they persevere. After the death of their guitarist Steve in 1991, Vivianne Campbell stepped in. In my opinion Steve was the best electric guitarist on the planet. Some people may disagree and that is fine, but in my opinion, although Vivianne Campbell may be talented in his own right, he cannot, and will never, replace Steve.

With that said, if you want to see a movie that has it all, Tragedy,drama,great music, tribulation and triumph, I suggest you watch "Hysteria:The Def Leppard Story"

When unexplained happenings and connections started to come into play that affected the actors after they ended production well, someone had to ask.

Power One

When news hit that our beloved Heath Ledger was taken before his time, we were all perturbed. It was so surprising to so many people. How can these people lead such secretive lives when their working lives are so out in the open?

It was terrible to think that Ledger had some sort of disorder or conflict that led him to this point.

As time went on, information started to rear its ugly head. It was said in the news that Heath had gotten so enthralled in his role as the "Dark Knight", that he brought his work home with him. He was unable to sleep, eat, or even think coherently. Ultimately the stress of the situation led to his death. So we believe!

Power Two

Do you remember a movie by the name of "American Psycho"?

Christian Bale just happens to have been the leading role. He was a high power businessman that ruled the industry by day and murdered innocent women by night. He was said to bully the other lead actors out of playing the role because he said he was born to play it. He was sick of others saying Leonardo Dicaprio was a bigger star so he wouldn't get the part.

"I kept saying I was going to play the lead and people wondered if I was losing my mind. It reached the point where the film studio said about me, 'don't mention his name again.'

Christian Bale's acting merits ultimately led to his role in "Batman Begins" in 2005. I loved this movie. It wasn't filmed with an over exaggeration on weapons and gadgets but, the skills of the character.

However, when the second installment of the Batman movies wrapped, Christian was left with a bad taste in his mouth. There was so much attention on the recent demise of Heath Ledger that it took away some of the spotlight for him.

However, the spotlight was not skewed for long. While the movie was destroying box office records, Bale was in London, where his mother and sister reportedly leveled assault allegations against Bale.

Christian spent 4 hours in jail but, he was not charged; at least not yet.

And so the darkness surrounding "The Dark Knight" continued.

Power Three

In the 2005 installment of Batman Begins, Morgan Freeman had actually fashioned the Batman suit in this movie. It was one of his most secret inventions at the Wayne Corporation.

He was a voice of reason and a mentor to Christian while he was on the set.

Every opinion of Morgan Freemen that I have ever had has been an optimistic one. I've never heard of any antics on set or negative press associated with him.

However, after the filming of "The Dark Knight", the Academy Award winner was seriously injured in a car crash.
Freeman was traveling East on Highway 32 when his car skidded off the road and flipped several times.
Freeman was catapulted from the vehicle and then airlifted to a hospital in Memphis where he is still in serious condition.
Undisclosed accidents on the set

There were also unusual circumstances that had occurred during the filming.

A technician on the film died when the truck he was in reportedly struck a tree following a test run. It was also said that one of the actresses was set on fire as well.

I am sure there is one missing that would prove the aspect of Power of 3 but, the press has not released any information.

Another example of the Power of Three

Just the other day, I noticed that my Triond account had an odd amount of funds in it within a few hours. I was excited and skeptical at the same time.

On the same day, I lost my keys on campus and spent 2 hours looking for them. Did I mention my skirt was tucked into my red bikini underwear at the same time?

Not only did I have a humiliating day but, Triond took the money back which is what I expected.

If you put the humorousness aside about my story, you would realize that there were 3 dreadful things that happened to me that day.

This goes to show you that the Power of 3 is alive and affecting others all over the world.

 

Don't get me wrong-there are scenes in Grizzly Man that almost wrought tears from my cynical eyes. But in moments like Treadwell's spiel on wishing he were gay (“Gay guys? No problem! They go to restrooms and truckstops and perform sex; it's like so easy for them and stuff.”), the audience begins to question his state of mind. Along this same thought, the viewer has to wonder where the line between “dedication” and “mental stability” lies upon witnessing the enthusiasm Treadwell exhibits over discovering a pile of a bear's excrement. “Oh my gosh! The bear, Miss Chocolate, has left me her poop! It's her crap! It was just inside of her and it's still warm! This is a gift!”

There were times at which I was certain I was just being an opinionated jerk-laughing rather than allowing myself to identify with the man on the screen before me. I found myself touched, at times, by Treadwell's dedication, and considered some of the interviewees through the film who spoke ill of his efforts to be idiots. But I never could say that I fully supported Treadwell's cause; at least, not the way he went about pursuing it. It was made clear from the beginning, and especially in the scene where his parents were interviewed, that Treadwell thought his home to be among the bears. His sense of place told him that he belonged with them, not in the human world. Despite this, the end results of Treadwell's efforts to be a bear were more than predictable.

Ultimately, while Grizzly Man was obviously a film made with the intention of spurring thought, I found that the comedic moments heavily outweighed the sincerity of the film. To note this, I will end by describing my favorite scene from the movie: Werner Herzog visits Treadwell's ex-girlfriend and listens to the audio tape that was taken at the scene of Treadwell's death. After telling the woman to stop the tape, Herzog leans forward and melodramatically murmurs a caution: “You must never ever listen to this. You must destroy this.” Not to say that this sentiment should be applied to the film itself, only that a person should be careful in choosing their company while watching this film if she does not want her friends to think her insensitive.

Body Count: 836

This is a pretty good movie if you are into fantasy and magic. It is not recommended for young viewers for obvious reasons.

Body Count: 600

This movie screams gore. If you have not seen it you should, as it is very cool nonetheless.

Body Count: 468

Good, once again, if you are into the series.

Body Count: 310

I have not seen this movie, but from the reviews I have read it is really gory.

Body Count: 307

If you like kung-fu action movies with a lot of fighting, this is sure to have the right amount of death and violence for you.

Body Count: 305

I have not seen this movie and I couldn't find any good reviews, but the title pretty much says it all.

Body Count: 255

This is a really good war movie and it has a couple of heart-warming moments, but a lot of really good fighting scenes too.

Body Count: 236

This movie is about a utopian society gone wrong, and is a really good and suspenseful movie. If you like movies like the Italian Job, then you're sure to appreciate this one.

Body Count: 214

Another movie I have not seen but the reviews I have read confirm that it is comparable to other war movies.

Body Count: 199

This is the sequel to a movie I have not seen, so I wouldn't know much too much about this one. Still, the body count is pretty high.

The movie is based on real events, and it shows some of the things soldiers go through while at war, and how hard things are when they return home.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this movie, since I usually don't like war movies. In The Valley Of Elah isn't really a war movie. I really hit home on telling the story of a single family dealing with the loss of life during a war. It shows us how messed up war can be; not only during combat, but having to deal with life once they return to the United States.

It made me realize how much our soldiers are sacrificing for our country, on a war that should not even be going on.

I'm not going to get into the politics of the war in Iraq, all I am going to say is I disagree with why our men and women are over there. Watching this movie just brings it all into prospective. All I can say is, if you have not seen this movie, take the time and watch it.