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.....