The Incredible Shrinking Man

Directed by Jack Arnold in 1957, this movie tells the story of Scott Carey, who starts to shrink due to an exposition to the combination of radiation and insecticide. The films main topic is the problems he has adapting to his new situation, which forces him to constantly change his point of view of the world. 

It stars Grant Williams as Scott and Randy Stuart as his wife Louise and it was written by Richard Matheson. 

The incredible Shrinking Man is considered a B science ficcion movie that appeared due to the horror that the atomic bombs from Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the cold war had awakened in the population. Personally I don't think it's a B movie. I think it manages in a magistral way isuses such as discrimination and the inherent fear of change that human beings have, these two isues being still characteristic for our society.

The main actor does a damn good work managing to capture the atention of the viewer through half of the movie in which he's completly alone. His adventures get more and more Robinson Crusoesque after he falls down a flight of stairs and is trapped in the cellar of his own home, facing giant monsters and curious threats. 

The ending of the movie is rather surprising and it invites the viewer to think, being very good for those same reasons. A lot of the greatness of this ending is due to the good work of Rochard Matheson, the writer of this movie. 

Matheson was an US writer who wrote a lot of science-fi, fantasy and horror books. He's also the writer of 'I'm a Legend' [1954], a book - please ignore the fact that Will Smith tryed and failed in doing a movie about the book - with an equally surprising ending and some impressive depth. 

For a low-budget 50s movie, the edition and visual effects are rather impressive. Obviously the inocence of some of them can be funny for now-a-days-viewers. 

Attentions aracnofobics: the main enemy of Scott in this movie is a huge tarantula. Maybe you would like to watch this with someone who can tell you when the thing is gone or you can use the music to guide you, so you may know when the spider is appearing and leaving the screen. 

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN TRAILER

All in all this is a very recommendable movie, with an itneresting plot and a modern view of the world and the human condition. The developement of the characters is very interesting and the effects clean and very well done.

Snow White: A Deadly Summer

Released in 2012 and directed by David DeCoteau, this movie tells the story of a troublesome teenager who is sent to a disciplinary camp by her evil stepmother. Once there she has to discover who's killing all of her fellow campers before the killer kills her. 

Starring Shanley Caswel, Maureen McCormick and Eric Roberts, Snow White: A Deadly Summer actualices the classic tale of Snow White giving it a 'horror' touch. 

There's no doubt that this is a B movie without great ambitions other than to entertain the viewer in an hour and a half. The tale is acctually coherently set into an actual context, taking the recent news about abuses in some american disciplinary camps. It also makes an effort to put in all the simbology of the traditional tale. 

I think that the main problem with this film is the ending, with a mayor 'plot device' in the last five minutes. Other than that the script is pretty consisten and not badly acted. The characters, even without a very extended developement - as is usual for this sort of movie - are somewhat round. 

Another problem is the ilumination of the main character's house. As I said in my Neverland review, the ilumination is what gives essence to a movie; what differentiates  the video of your vacation in Albuquerque from a super-production. The ilumination of the main character's house resembles more the video of your vacation in Albuquerque. The ilumination of the rest of the movie improves a little bit, but not a lot. 

As a curiosity: the main actress, Shanley Caswel - who could do a much better work - has a keen resemblance to Kristen Stewart.

SNOW WHITE: A DEADLY SUMMER TRAILER

All in all, this is an entertaining horror movie without any pretenses and with less horror. The actors could be better, but they're not all that bad and the references are well hidden. 

The Three Caballeros

In 1944 Norman Ferguson and Clyde Geronimi directed this Disney movie in which Donald Duck gets a series of birthday gifts that include traditional gifts and information about Brazil and México. 

The main voices star Clarence Nash  as Donald Duck, Joaquin Garay as Panchito, a mexican rooster; and José Oliveira as José 'Zé' Carioca, a  brazilian parrot. 

The movie is divided in foru parts: the two firts tell short traditional stories - the first one about a penguin that wants to live in a warmer place and the second about a winged donkey. The third part is where Donald Duck and 'Zé' Carioca discover Brazil, while the forth centers around Mexico, hosted by Panchito. 

It's a visually very tireing movie, with a load of visual 'imputs'. The scenes are very quick and brightly colored acompanied with very quick music. It's full of explosions, bright reds and greens - specially when Panchito first appears.

There's no doubt that the animation in The Three Caballeros is spectacular and very recomendable. It's very interesting how they mix and combine 'real humans' with the animation. 

The worst thing is the story - or lack of it. The first half is - as I've already said - pretty interesting with the traditional short stories. The second half is - regretfully and as Nostalgia Critic eloquently says - 'Donald Duck trying to get laid'. 

The music is traditional Brasilian and Mexican musica and, if you like that style, it's pretty good. 

THE THREE CABALLEROS TRAILER

This can be interesting to get to know certain aspects of the Brazilian and Mexican culture, the animation is really good and the music's not all that bad. But in my opinion it's one of Disney's worst.

Cinderella

In 1997 Disney released this race-friendly musical retelling of the clasic tale directed by Robert Iscove and starring Brandy Norwood, Bernadette Peters, Paolo Montalban and Whoopi Goldberg.

I believe you all know the story of a beautiful and tender girl whose stepmother forces into working for her and her evil stepsisters as a maid and who ends up falling in love with the prince during a ball. She looses a shoe and he looses his mind. And everybody ends living happilly ever after. 

Well there isn't much to say about this other than it completly ignores the genetic - at least where the Prince's Family is concerned and that even though it starts off ok, the levels of corniness reach a level towards the midle of it, that turns watching this into a BIG torture. 

It's actually your typical Disney Channel movie, with a load of mache and shinny  props and over-the-top dresses that don't contemplate the era in which this is supposed to be. The songs suck... most of the time, but you have to give the actors credit, they don't sing badly. 

CINDERELLA TRAILER

If you feel the urge to puke rainbows you can check this out in youtube. Some people have posted it whole in one single one and a half hour video that will make you wish to cut your eyes out or go in a killing spree.

The Princess and the Goblin

Directed by József Gémes in 1991, this animated fantasy movie is a coproduction of Japan, UK and France based on a book by the same title.It tells the story of the adventurous Princess Irene and her friend Curdie. Together they have to fight an evil plot designed by the Goblin Queen and the goblin prince, Froglip. 

It stars the voices of Sally Ann Marsh as Princess Irene, Peter Murray as Curdie, Claire Bloom as Great Great Grandmother Irene; Peggy Mount as the Goblin Queen and Rik Mayall as Prince Froglip. 

The story seems to be set in Russland. At least judging from the disign of the Great Great Grandmother Irene, who's a ghost that helps Irene find 'her own magic'. 

The animation is OK, but the drawings aren't very beautiful. The story, on the other hand, is well balanced, and interesting, holding the viewers atention even though it's a little bit predictible.

Remarcable is the song sung by Curdie.

THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN TRAILER

If you want to check it out, you can watch it whole in youtube. It's not all that good, but it can be interesting and nice to watch for your children.

Cats don't Dance

In 1997 Mark Dindal directed this animated comedy about Danny, an ambitious cat that wants to become a filmstar in Hollywood, where he immediately disscovers that he has no future in a tiranised industry. 

It stars the voices of Scott Bakula as Dany, Ashley Peldon as the tyranic Darla Dimple, Jasmine Guy and Natalie Cole as Sawyer's speaking and singing voice respectively.

 It is a very funny movie, very recommendable for both children and adults. It has a lot of references to other movies - e.g. Danny dresses with the same clothes as the main character of the movie Mask [1994] during one of the musical numbers. Max, Darla Dimple's butler seems inspired in the character by the same name of Sunset Boulevard

Darla Dimple is one of the most evil children in a movie I've ever seen and she's just great. Everything from her design to her voice are from a dual nature. She can be the sweetest little child and the next second a total bitch. One of the best things from the movie.

CATS DON'T DANCE TRAILER

A great animation movie, with a very cool enemy, this movie is worth watching only for Darla's sake and the loads of references. 

Four Lions

Released in 2010 and directed by Christopher Morris, this movie is either a dramatic comedy or a funny drama that tells the story of four incompetent British jihadist set out to train for and commit an act of terror.

It stars Kayvan Novak as Waj, Nigel Lindsay as Barry, Riz Ahmed as Omar and Adeel Akhtar as Faisal. 

The fact that this movie addresses the isue of religious terrorism nowadays is both the dramatic and the funny aspect of this movie. The caracters should be fearsome: hell, they're terrorists, they speak 90% of the movie of blowing people up. And yet te viewer grows fond of them seeing their life outside the jihad.  

The leader of the group, Omar, is married and has a son to whom he tells variations of the sotry "The Lion King". An occidental viewer would expect that either the family has no knowledge about the terrorist aspirations of the father or that they're somehow against them. Yet both woman and child are completly supportive of the man blowing himself up.

Another strange fact about this movie is that Omar's brother seems a lot more radical than Omar, refusing to enter a room in which there's a woman and growing his beard to a certain length.  And yet he's not related to the jihad andbhas nothing to do with the radicalism of his brother. 

 I think that's one of the best things about the movie: it forces you not to judge somebody by their appearences. For Omar seems the more integrated and less radical of the brothers and it is him who wants to blow things up. 

I'd say that the worst thing about this movie is the slang. The characters's thick accent and constant use of slang makes it very difficult to understand everything the characters say.  And this movie's jokes are mostly related to what the characters say.

Other than that, it's a very good movie. The jokes are very funny and the controversy of the main topic keeps you on the edge wondering constantly how it's going to end. 

Remarcable is also the stellar appearence of Benedict Cumberbatch as a negotiator and the Waj, a somewhat retarded jihaidist, and the failure at the training of crows for terrorism 

FOUR LIONS TRAILER

Original, fresh, well acted, funny, dramatic... there are so many reasons to watch this movie.....

The Great Mouse Detective

This Disney movie was directed in 1986 by Ron Clements and Burny Mattinson and tells the adventures of Basil of Baker Street, a mouse that investigates crimes, who has to stop his archennemy: Professor Ratigan. 

The voices star Vincent Price as Professor Ratigan, Barrie Ingman as Basil and Val Bettin as Dr. David Q. Dawson. 

This movie is Disney's take on the popular character of Arthur Connan Doyle: Sherlock Holmes. Basil happens to live in the very same building as the victorian detective and uses methods that are pretty much the same. Obviously Dr. David Q. Dawson is also the rodent version of Dr. John Watson, both characters are doctors that come back to London from war and get stuck with this mad detective. 

I think that this version is more likeable in his eccentricities than the pedantic genious that appears in most versions. Don't get me wrong, this mouse is full of himself and ignores everyones feelings just as the original. But maybe because he's an animated character or because he's a mouse, it's rather bearable. 

Most of the symbols of this well known books appear in the movie, which also adds to the depth and background as well as broadening the children's knowledge.

One of the best things of this movie is without any doubt Professor Rattigan, dubbed by Vincent Price. The rat's just pure evil, and has a lot of fun being evil. Plus Vincent Prices' work is - like allways - impecable. Something I find surprising is the fact that Basil has a protrait of Professor Rattigan in his living room and I'd love to know why. 

The animation of The Great Mouse Detective is very good. And it's also the first Disney movie that combines traditional animation with computer generated animation. 

The final battle, that takes place inside the Big Ben is one of the best Disney battles I've seen and I can't stop laughing in the 'death trap scene'.

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE TRAILER

A very good movie with nice animation and a funny script beautifully doubled. Very recommendable.

Angels and Insects

Directed by Philip Haas, this movie was released in 1995 and it's based on a book by A.S. Byatt that was published two years before. It tells the story of William Adamson a poor naturalist who marries in the 1800s into the Alabaster family, a family of British aristocrats that has taken him in after a shipwreck. 

It stars Mark Rylance as William Adamson, Kristin Scott Thomas as Matty Crompton, Patsy Kesit as Eugenia Alabaster Adamson and Douglas Henshall as Edgar Alabaster, elder brother of Eugenia. 

Angels and Insects is a very interesting film, done with extreme care. The setting is spectacular, and the atrezzo and dresses are extremely beautiful. The worst thing is the hairstyles, but I asume that's how women did their hair, so...

The main character, William Adamson is a sweet little man, who understands where he comes from without letting the discrimination of the aristocrats disturb him. He's a good man who marries Eugenia Alabaster without malice or second intentions, but because he loves her. His interest relay heavily on the study of insects and, together with Matty Crompton, tutor to Eugenias younger sisters, he starts writing a book on red ants. 

Matty Crompton is an intelligent woman, more true to William's heart than Eugenia, who's atraction resides heavily on her beauty. Towards the middle of the movie, William starts discovering his interest for Matty. 

The sexual pulls of the different characters are one of the main points in this movie. It doesn't shun of that topic, but it embraces and it shows the conflicts that sex provoques in that society. 

Other than that there doesn't happen much in the movie. It's rather long and there isn't much action, but the beauty of the images and the well used music makes each scene flow in such a way, that you're not bored any single moment. It relays heavily on the script and consistence of the acting, which is great. 

The flow of time is also very well achieved. Usually a movie based on a very long book that tells a story that developes through a long period of time, doesn't really give the sensation of pass of time, or it makes such great jumps, that the viewer gets lost. Maybe it's because the movie is set in a country house, or that the time isn't really important, but while watching this movie the time seems frozen, markt only by Eugenias pregnancies. 

ANGELS & INSECTS TRAILER

Angels & Insects is one of those movies that want only to show an age, and a way of life that's lost to us now. The conflict appears late, but the movie isn't boring at all. The acting is exceptional, the script consistent, the dialogues meaningful and the setting, dresses and make up, very beautiful. 

Priest

This movie was directed in 2011 by Scott Charles Steward and tells the story of a priest who disobeys church law to track down the vampires who kidnapped his daughter. 

It stars Paul Bettany - who also played Michael in the movie Legion [2009] - in the leading role; Cam Giganet as Hicks and Maggie Q as Priestess. 

There's nothing much to say about the movie. It's an action movie with a strange view on religion that has the pretension of being critic with the religious autocracy; very similar to Legion. 

The disign of the city is chaotic and ugly, whereas the country around the city is a dessert. All is dominated by the color brown, black and grey. 

The vampires are in this movie a completly different species that's hunted down by priests - which are humans with special powers of speed, strength and precision. They're rather ugly and slimy and nasty looking, eliminating all the beauty of the mythological creature.

The plot of the movie is predictible and stupid. The reasons given by the Priests bosses seem weak, a mere excuse for making the guy a fugitive. The action scenes are a little bit exagerated, but not too much, so they're still enjoyable. 

PRIEST TRAILER

All in all it's not that bad. But if you want to watch a religious themed movie, go and check Legion out. It has the same main actor, angels with wings, better designed fiends, and a somewhat better plot and dialogues - not a lot better, but still... 

Gigi

Directed by Vincente Minnelly, this musical was releasedd in 1958 and tells the story of a rich french playboy and a youthful courtesan-in-training who enjoy a platonic friendship which isn't going to stay platonic for long. 

It stars Leslie Caron as Gigi, Maurice Chevalier as Honoré Lachaille, the narrator of the story and uncle of Gaston, and Louis Jourdan as Gaston Lachaille, Gigi's platonic friend.

For a musical I think it has very few songs, and I didn't like most of them, yet the singers do a good job and, specially Leslie Caron has a beautiful voice. 

The story isn't really very original, but the relationship between Gaston and Gigi is interesting and manages to hold the atention of the viewer through the whole movie. 

I think the best thing about this movie is the ambientation. The whole thing is set in 1900, and the dresses and houses are very good decorated. It also shows the life of the parisian mistresses in a new light: from the point of view in which it's not a critic, but something that happens and of which neither women nor men are ashamed. Of course this being an American movie and from the 50s it has a happy ending with a big wedding between the sweethearts.

It reminds me a little bit to "the Lady of the Camellias", only without the whole tragic turn and the death and stuff. 

The collors are worth mentioning too. Every shot looks like a watercolor painting. The light is soft and the palette very bright. 

GIGI TRAILER

A nice and entertaining movie, worth watching. 

Opera

Also known as "Terror at the Opera", this movie was directed in 1987 by Dario Argento and tells the story of a young opera singer who's stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself. 

It stars Christina Marshillach, Ian Charleson and Urano Barbeini. 

This movie doesn't make any sense. The characters are as flat as a table, the main character's reactions are incomprehensible and the motives behind the killings very loosely explained. 

But the killings are very nasty and gore. Most of the violence is done off screen or with closeups to something else. But it's the fact that the killer forces the opera singer to watch every  murder by gluing needles beneath her eyes. It has a lot of reference to the eyes which is kind of really creepy.

I think the idea wasn't bad, but it wasn't well developed. 

OPERA TRAILER

If you're a fan of horror movies, you could check this one out, but I don't really recommend it to you. There are loads of better horror movies around. 

Franklyn

Directed by Gerald McMorrow in 2008, this movie is a split narrative set simultaneously in contemporary London and in a future metropolis ruled by religious fervor. It's the story of four lost souls, divided by two parallel worlds, on course for an explosive collision when a single bullet will decide all their fates.  Starring Ryan Phillippe, Sam Riley, Bernard Hill and Eva Green.

I really love this movie. It starts off as four unrealted stories that have little to do with each other. One can connect two of those - Eva and Sam's stories because they've crossed paths once or twice, but Ryan Phillippe's and Bernard Hill's stories are completly unrelated, the second once moreso, as it's set in a dark steampunkish world. Yet the action developes in such a way, that at the ending one understands completly the relation between all of them. 

The script has some very very good scenes in it. This is a movie made so that the viewer thinks and reflects over what happens to every character. It's very rich in character developement and every one of them turns out to be really interesting. 

The future world is a very crude view of the modern world pushed to the extreme. I love how McMorrow uses the religion to criticise the void in the modern world in which everything can be named god. "These days, you can form a congregation simply based on washing-machine instructions." It has also a very cool light - all in dark brown gold and black. 

I don't really like the one used in the present London, but the other one is melancholic and nearly clasic, very beautiful.  

FRANKLYN TRAILER

I can't recommend this movie enough. It's not only a ferocious critic to the actual society, but as also some very nice action scenes, a big explosion and a very good script. 

The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Directed by Robert Fuest, this B horror movie was released in 1971 and tells the story of a doctor, scientist, organist and biblical scholar, Dr. Anton Phibes, who seeks revenge on the nine doctors he holds responsible for his wife's death.

It stars Vincent Price as Dr. Phibes, Joseph Cotten as Dr. Vasalius, the chief doctor; and Peter Jeffrey as Inspector Trout. 

This is a pretty interesting movie. The plot isn't very original, but the way it's been developed makes it funny to watch and interesting. It reminds heavily to the Saw movies, and could have been an inspiration to that saga. 

Vincent Price is superb, and really creepy at parts. He has to relay heavily on the script and corporal movements to interpret Dr. Phibes as he hasn't facial expresion due to the fact that his face is actually a mask. 

Phibes lair is some high tech two leveled place, that imitates a restaurant in which he and his pretty asistant - where she comes from no one really knows - dance a little bit.

The beauty of this movie doesn't really realy on the coerence of the script, which has some mayor holes in it, but in the precision of every shot, the colors and the inventiveness whith which Phibes kills the nine doctors. 

The comic relieve comes with the police, who manages to always arrive a tad too late. Their comments and playfull banter is actually funny. 

ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES TRAILER

All in all the movie isn't as bad as it could have been for a B movie. The acting is good, the scenography beautiful and the script funny. Yet, don't try to make much sense of it. You won't be able to. 

Phantom of the Opera

This animated version of the Phantom of the Opera was directed in 1988 by Al Guest and Jean Mathieson and it stars Aiden Grenell, Collette Proctor and Daniel Reardon. 

It tells the story of Gaston Leroux's book of a opera singer who's torn between the man she loves and her tutor, a disfigured man who poses as her Angel of Music. 

Same old story. The good thing is that it quotes parts directly from the book. the bad things are pretty much everything else. The animation - the only reason I watched this - sucks big time. You can't really begin to imagine how much it sucks. The arms of the characters are generally too short and don't stop getting longer and shorter with each movement. The Phantom's movements are constant and get on one's nerves from minute one. I've only watched one thing worsely animated than this and it was Hercules - not to be confused with Hercules

The voice of the Phantom isn't bad, and the one of Raoul is pasable, but Christine's wailing pirce your brains. 

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA TRAILER

If you want to watch it, you can find it in youtube with Portuguese subs. 

Darkman

Directed in 1990 by Sam Raimi, this movie tells the story of Peyton Westlake, a hideously scarred scientist who seeks revenge against the crooks who made his lab explode. 

It stars Liam Neeson in the leading role, Frances McDorman as Peyton's girlfriend, Julie; and Colin Friels as their nemesis, Louis Strack Jr.

The plot isn't original at all, it's like your average "avenger-movie", the music is hardly worth mentioning and the dialogues are pasable. 

The acting is not bad. Liam Neeson is pretty credible and the evil guys are really evil. 

The camera work is rather original as are the editing and special effects. A little bit too psychedelic for my taste, but interesting and cool to look at. 

DARKMAN TRAILER

The best thing about this movie is the make up they used to make Liam Neeson's disfigurement. It's love it, it's one of the nasties I've seen, and it appears a lot of times in the movie.

Other than that there isn't much to say about the movie. It's worth checking int out if only for seeing the psychodelic editing, and the make up work. 

The Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge

Directed by Richard Friedman in 1989, this movie tells the story of Melody Austin, a young girl that starts working in a newly opened shopping mall and suspects that her dead boyfriend is still alive and haunting the mall.
Melody is played by Kari Whitman, Eric by Derek Ryndall and the handsome Peter Baldwin is played by Rob Estes.

As you can probably guess from the poster, this is also a Phantomy movie. I seem to be only reviewing phantom related movies lately. But well, nothing can be done now.

Phantom of the Mall is not a bad movie, which doesn't mean it's a good one either. It starts off pretty well with some nasty murder in a shadowy place, and a not badly ingeneered presentation of the characters.

Melody - the Christine of this movie - is portraited as a nice girl, still in love with her dead boyfriend. She's a hard, levelheaded worker, in oposition to her friend Suzie - played by Kimber Sissons - , who's more the impulsive type. They are also friends with a guy called Buzz - played by Pauly Shore - who's the comic relieve of the movie, playing stupid pranks on Suzie to get her to notice him. The Raoulesque character is Peter Baldwin, a reporter who takes an interest in Melody. Their relationship is hindered by the fact that Melody still thinks of her dead boyfriend and starts to think he's alive.
Eric - who is alive and hiding in the mall - stalks Melody through half the movie, which proves to be of some use for the main female character. He's been disfigured in the fire that was supposed to kill him, so he wears a mask to conceal the deformity. Why the hell he didn't go to her and let her believe he was dead is kind of a mystery.
The characters are not bad for a 80s teenage movie. They're kind of consistent, up until the last 20 or so minutes, where Melody and Eric decide to go ooc and against all that they had said during the resto of the movie and just be total and incoherent jerks.

The music is 80s pop music, with a not bad main theme.

The make up is cool too, very well done. I don't get why it only covers half his face as he was exposed whole to the fire, but it's way better than other disfigurements I've seen.

PHANTOM OF THE MALL SPANISH TRAILER

The trailer is in spanish this time, as I couldn't find it in english. But the dub is so bad and the voice in off is just hilariously serious compared to the images. Plus the title is completely wrong.

All in all, the movie is acceptable. I don't really recommend it to you, but if you stumble across this movie one satrudray night and there's nothing better on, you can keep it on and just disconect the brain. There are a lot of beautiful fire and blood scenes.

The Godfather

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1972, this movie is based on the homonym novel by Mario Puzo. It tells the story of the ageing patriarch of an organised crime dynasty who transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son. Its main characters are played by Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan. 

There isn't much I can say about this master piece. 

The action is pretty good balanced so that, even it's a pretty long movie - it's nearly 3 hours long - the viewer doesn't get bored of it. 

The dialogues are very cool. And Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone has some really creepy lines. The characterisation of is really well done and his acting before dying is awesome. 

Also the whole camera work is really good. Plus the lighting is really cool. Specially how it gets darker around Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino as the whole movie progresses. At the beginning, when all his mafia family are dressed in black tux, he's the only one that dresses in green, with his uniform. He starts off as a young man who rejects the crime empire his father is the head of. And then, slowly he  starts wandering into the darkness, and in every scene he's less and less lit, the colours surrounding him turning dark and opaque, until the last scene.

I really love the last scene between Michael and his wife. And it portraits the characters very well, how they've evolved from the first scene in which the main character trusted her with all the dark family secrets. 

The part I liked less of the movie is when Michael is sent to Italy for a whole year. Yet it's beautifully acted and the scenery is very beautiful.

THE GODFATHER TRAILER

The acting, the camera, the light and the music, everything in this movie is worth being checked up. But you'll better don't be very tired, for it is rather long and every second of it demands full attention.

Ye ban ge sheng

Also known as "The Phantom Lover", this Chinese movie was directed by Ronny Yu in 1995 and tells the story of a nearly bankrupt drama troupe that starts performing in a burned-out theatre where the great actor Song Danping was killed. The leading actor of the troupe, Wei Quing, hears the story of Danping from his former employee, Ma, who is now the caretaker of the theatre.

Leslie Cheung plays Song Danping, Lei Huang is Wei Qing and the female leading role, Yun-Yan is played by Chien-Lien Wu. 

This movie is considered the Chinese version of the Phantom of the Opera, but it's only loosely based on the original Leroux novel. 

I 've been meaning to watch this movie for some time now and got only yesterday to it. Again, this movie was in V.O., so I had to watch it subtitled. The subs were completely and utterly desynchronized, so I had to make great efforts to understand everything as I don't know any Chinese.

The second worst thing of this movie is the music. The main song is supposed to belong to the opera "Romeo and Juliet", although it was specially composed for the movie. The song is not bad at all, but it's repeated so often through all the movie, that at the end you end up a little bit sick of it.

Other than that I find this movie very cool and interesting.
The lighting and colours differentiates the flashback - with it's brilliant reds, and golds and blacks - from the 'present' - which is nearly monochromatic, full of brown. The past is presented like a dreamworld, a place cherished and beautiful in a rather crude present.

The make up work is very nicely done. Danping's disfigurement is not the best I've seen, but it's pretty  realistic. 

The camerawork is actually very cool. Towards the end, when Yun-Yen reappears as a mad woman, the camera work is very very impressive, with new angles and movements. I really love that part, it gives a sense of desolation and sadness, plus it's creepy as hell.
The whole technical aspects of this movie are original and fresh.

The politic background of this movie is very strong in the Phantom Movie, showing the evilness of the corrupt political system that kills every dissident with or without a political reason. 

************************ATTENTION: MILD SPOILERS AHEAD********************

As a "Phantom movie", "Ye ban ge sheng" has a somewhat new story: Christine isn't the Phantom's secret love - it isn't even a she. Christine's role is taken by Wei Qing, whom the Phantom teaches to sing in order to help the bankrupt troupe. Actually this is more a Romeo and Juliet movie, than a Phantom one, but...
The politic background of this movie is very strong in the Phantom Movie, showing the evilness of the corrupt political system that kills every dissident with or without a political reason.
The Phantom isn't some evil, murderous, punjabing freak, but a nice actor, who haunts the theatre he built in order to keep his promise to Yun-Yen.

Yun-Yen is a mix between Christine - without the whole singing and in-love-with-someone-else part and Juliette. She's brilliantly interpreted by Chien-Lien Wu, and pretty much every shot of her are worth of a poster.

Her maid, who should have been the comic relieve of the movie, turns into a very tragic and sweet  character, whose loyalty should be praised above everything else. I really like her.

*********************************BIG SPOILER AHEAD************************

I love the fact that this movie has a somewhat happy ending. I think this is the only Phantom movie in which both Phantom and Christine - Yun-Yen in this case - end up riding into the sunset. 

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I really liked this movie, and I recommend it to you. It is original, romantic and sad, so you would like to invest in some handkerchiefs. The acting is pretty good and the directing neat, the camera work is really worth the effort of the badly synchronised subtitles.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall

This performance was directed by Nick Morris and Laurence Connor in 2011 and sold as a DVD for the 25th anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most famous musical: "The Phantom of the Opera". It tells the story of a disfigured musical genius hidden away in the Paris Opera House, who terrorises the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young protegee whom he trains and loves. 

It stars Ramin Karimloo as Erik [the Phantom], Sierra Boggess as Christine Daae and Hadley Fraser in the role of Raoul the Chagny. 

Again this may be a little bit long - yet not nearly as long as the Love Never Dies review.

Well as some of you may know by now, the Phantom of the Opera is one of my favourite musicals. And movies. And books... and everything else too. So, the very moment I saw the DVD of the 25th Anniversary I had to buy it. I had seen the 2004 version directed by Joel Schumacher and I had also seen it live on Broadway. Yet my memories of those pale before the magnificence of this production. 

With the excuse of their 25th anniversary, the producers 'threw the house out of the window' as we say in Spain. 120 actors take part in this grand production, instead of the 50 actors who normally form the crew of the Phantom of the Opera on the West End and Broadway. Among them was Sergei Polunin - one of the best dancers in the British Royal Ballet. In order to show him off, the meddling of the Managers in the ballet scene at the beginning of the musical was cut short, replaced by a beautiful ballet led by Polunin.

As he title says, this was filmed live at the Royal Albert Hall, which is a concert hall and not a theatre. Other anniversary productions of musicals, like Les Miserables 10th and 25th anniversary concerts where also staged in the Royal Albert Hall. The difference between those and this production is that Les Miserables was staged as a concert, and the Phantom as the musical.

The main change there had to be made was the fall of the chandelier, which is a key point in any 'Phantom movie'. Normaly the chandelier would plunge down to the stage, nearly gracing the audience. Yet this couldn't be done for fear that the chandelier plunged actually ontop of some poor fellow of the audience. So they made a pretty shiny explosion instead. It's not really bad, but it's not the same as seeing the thing falling down. 

Another problem for the staging is the lack of the basic infrastructure as for example a decent backstage, orchestra pit and props. The second point forced the use of screens as backgrpund images. They make a  rather decent substitute except for a few moments. I don't really like how it looks in the short shots. But it's acceptable. The screens helped giving the audience that was watching the musical live close ups on the phantom - for example in the Masquerade scene, which is pretty cool and considerate for those sitting far away from the stage.


They also did a great job with the location of the orchestra. The background was divided in two section and between both sat the orchestra, so tath you can see the conductor in all general shots. Plus they put some beautiful shots of the muscicians. I really love those shots as they are proof that the music isn't just played on a CD but live. In the DVD of Love Never Dies, you can't see neither the orchestra nor the audience, and it sort of gives the sensatione that it's been faked.

Anyway, another great thing about this production is the cast.
The Phantom is played by Ramin Karimloo, Christine is Sierra Boggess and Raoul is Hadley Fraser.
As I've said before, this is my favourite phantom cast. And yes I've listened to the original cast with Michel Crawford, Sara Brightman and Steve Barton.

I think that Ramin's interpretation is just badass rock'n roll and his screaming-singing voice gives me shudders. Plus his acting in 'Point of no Return' and 'The Final Lair' are both so full of feeling, that one can only feel pitty for the poor fellow. Take notice of how his hands tremble, it's just cute.
The makeup of the phantom is the same used in Broadway and the West End and it's pretty impressive. It only covers half the face of the actor - instead of all the face as it is described in the book, but it looks nasty as hell and waaaay better than the 2004 version, which isn't worth the bother.

Moving on we get to Sierra Boggess. The actress has the hell of a strong voice and a believable scared face. She's very pretty too. I love her as Christine in both this movie and the sequel. The best song in the whole production  is sung by Boggess: 'Whishing you where somehow here again', which gets one whole minute ovation. The longest ovation during the   whole performance.

As I said Raoul de Chagny is played by Hadley Fraser, who played Tiernan in The Pirate Queen. He has a sweet air about himself that makes him automaticly likeable. I think he's interpretation is really close to the image that appears in the book. I like his voice alright. I like Steve Barton's voice better, but I think that  Fraser's pitch is more suitable to Bartons in this role.  [I'd like to remember everybody that my knowledge of music is close to null, so don't light your torches yet].

Carlotta Guidiclli is played by Wendy Ferguson, and she's very, very cool. Her acting is good, and at least in this version one understands the lyrics of Notes and Prima Donna', which is something that can't be said from the 2004 version in which it's all a strange cacophony of very loud and high notes. Ferguson's faces show plainly what she's thinking all the time. And her expression at the las "once more" at he end of 'Prima Donna'.

Other characters I really like are Monsieur Firmin (played by Barry James) and Monsieur André (by Gareth Snook).  The comic relieve is very accomplished, and I really liked in some of their scenes. And a very big plus is the lack of French accent in Madame Giry, played by Liz Robertson.

The camera work is very nice, it really shows off the great stage, the big effort put in all sets and costumes and acting, without neglecting showing some shots into the orchestra and the audience.
The costumes and make up alone are worth the whole two plus hours of this movie.

Finally I'd like to say a few words about the story and the songs. Altough I love the Phantom of the Opera, I have to admit that the book is not one of the best written ones and that the musical is most deffinitively not the best one. The plot has some nice holes in it. The music is rather repetitive - if you've listened to the first act, you pretty much know every song that comes in the second one. The whole thing relays heavily on the sentimantalism and shinny presentation rather than on a good script.

All in all I love this movie, this musical and this story. I really recomend it to you, you should deffinitively check it out. And if you have some doubts between wathching this or the 2004 version, I really, really encourage you in watching - if you really must - first the 2004 version. If you watch this one and then the 2004, you're up to a mayor disappointment.
You've been warned.

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