Only managed to squeeze in 10 movies in September due to an overly hectic schedule…

The Longest Yard (2005)

• Remake of a 1974 movie with the same name and premise. Adam Sandler plays Paul Crewe, a MVP football player under suspcision of fixing a game, and ends up getting jailed. There he will put together a football team of convicts and criminals to take on the prison guards…
• Typical Hollywood underdog vs superior team sports flick. Of course, with Adam Sandler, it’s also a comedy – but one with plenty of forgettable jokes.
• Watchable only if you enjoy watching American football films, but even then – this movie stretches believability to the limit. I honestly didn’t feel for any of the characters, and neither was it particularly inspiring. Passable.

Doomsday (2008)

• Another English production following the funky over-the-top action-filled fun similar to the Mad Max series. Plot wise, don’t expect anything original, but do brace yourself for some really in your face craziness.
• Doomsday pays homage to virus films like 28 days later with a hot zombie-mowing actress like Resident Evil, factions at war like Underworld, fantasy like LOTR, futuristic punk, mad car chases and fights, simply put – the ultimate hodge podge of awesomeness.
• *Spoilers* You will even appreciate the sick humour in the film via its many pointless violence and sarcasm. Imagine a bunch of cannibals roasting a human captive on a device with a welded sign stating “MediumRareKrispy”, or how as the good guys escape a medieval castle down the stairs and you catch a signboard at the side stating “Emergency Exit”. Imagine how the Prime Minister suddenly gets splattered with blood from an infected, and subsequently blows his brains out. That’s the sort of comedy you get here, and it rocks!
• Totally fun filled romp through sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comedy and more!

John Rambo (2008)

• John Rambo is back! This time, Sylvester Stallone not only helps write the script, but he’s the director too. Not too bad a job I might add.
• The plot is really simple.. old wrinkled Rambo tries to find peace in Thailand where he ends up helping a bunch of missionaries get into war torn Burma. Naive missionaries get killed / captured, and Rambo tags along with a bunch of mercenaries to rescue them (of course its all just an excuse to dish out some major hurt).
• The MOST violent movie I’ve ever watched. The MOST realistic violence too. Realistic in the sense that it doesn’t try to hide what REALLY happens when you get shot with a .50 caliber machine gun or a sniper rifle. You won’t see quite as many people getting dismembered, shot, chopped, stabbed, blown apart, mutilated, beheaded in your face compared to any other movie in history. It’s got an on screen body count of 236 (or average 2.59 deaths per minute)..
• If you are looking for an action movie style massacre – Rambo’s a no-brainer. I absolutely didn’t mind the ‘not so hidden’ message about pacifism and religion in the film either.

The Bank Job (2008)

• A bank heist movie based on what is supposedly a true cover up of a real bank job called The Baker Street Robbery in 1971. That case was never conclusively solved, with news coverage being silenced by a government imposed ‘D-Notice’ for reasons of national security. This movie is a fun filled, entertaining fictionalized account of the entire incident.
• British film, with some English humour. Well acted with lots of witty one-liners. Edge of your seat plot twisting circumstances, and a very tense ending as you wonder how the protagonists will ever make their way out of the mess they got themselves in. Very satisfying, well directed, well written movie – highly recommended.

The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)

• Yeah I know I’m watching this a bit late – considering the same producers and writers have gone on to release hits like Superbad and Knocked Up. So I eventually watched it on one of my bus trips down to Singapore. The title says it all – no need synopsis..
• Steve Carrell landed the perfect role as the poor guy that has to come to terms with his virginity, and his group of friends who are trying to get him laid. Most importantly, despite all the comedy – you actually do end up caring what happens to him..
• And it does have some classic scenes! It had a great mix of humour – slapstick, vulgar, racist and intelligent witty one liners. There were moments when I couldn’t help laughing and chuckling to myself on the bus.. Well, it was rated as the Best Comedy for 2005 by RottenTomatoes (84%) which is quite surprising for a raunchy film..

True Romance (1993)

• Wow oh wow – what a movie! A hooker falls in love with a comic bookstore owner, and through some of the strangest circumstances, come into possession of a suitcase filled with cocaine. Things get really hairy of course, when they try to sell the cocaine..
• The synopsis above doesn’t do this movie justice. The movie was written by the maestro Quentin Tarantino himself, except that he ended up not directing it. But it’s still got his trademark ultra memorable scenes etched all over it. You will remember the events in this film looong after you watch it. They do NOT make movies like this anymore.
• It’s got a superb cast list – filled with top names that don’t get more than 10 seconds worth of screen time. Samuel L Jackson dies within the first minute appearing, Brad Pitt doesn’t do anything at all in the film except being stoned, Val Kilmer’s face isn’t even visible! Oh yeah, and Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper delivers one of the most tense interrogation scenes in movie history. Let’s not forget that the two romance leads are played wonderfully by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette.
• Brutal, shocking, funny, tense and very entertaining. Super Underrated Awesome Movie.

Mr. Woodcock (2007)

• A comedy about a super stern and borderline abusive gym teacher and one of his students who underwent hell under him. Fast forward years later, the kid is now a successful ‘self-help’ author (played by Seann William Scott), goes back to his hometown, and discovers that same teacher dating his mom. There goes the self-help principles he preaches right out the window..
• Generally about 2 men competing for the affection of 1 woman, and about coming to terms with his past. However, the whole depiction is pretty shallow and aimless. Don’t expect to get any moral message in this movie.
• Billy Bob Thornton should stop accepting all these hard ass male roles.. his previous comedy Schools for Scoundrels wasn’t much to shout about either. Expressionless, uni-dimensional with forgettable humour. Eeck.

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (2007)

• A kid’s movie about a magical toy store ran by the eccentric and lovable Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman). Unfortunately, Mr. Magorium’s time is coming to an end, and he decides to hand the store down to his apprentice and shopkeeper Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman).
• Colourful, bright and young at heart movie, which is wonderfully acted – particularly by Dustin Hoffman with his nasally weird voice. Natalie Portman’s really sweet in this movie too – the only thing I disliked was her sticklike stiffy orchestrator performance at the very end of the film. Even Jason Bateman’s stoned acting was well placed in this movie as Henry Weston, the mutant accountant.
• Note that this is not an artistic movie, nor is it serious or does it try to break any norms. The storytelling is simple, divided into chapters like the book, and is filled with lots of funky toys, activities, sights and sounds that just doesn’t make sense, and only serves to either make you go “wow, I love that!” or “What the heck is this nonsense”.
• I’m fairly certain this movie will not appeal to everyone. You have to be very young at heart (loving all things odd, strange and cute) to fully appreciate the Wonder Emporium. I know I did – especially the depressive ugly monkey that just wants a hug.
• It’s got some good morals in it though, about how we should never lose faith in ourselves, and learn to look at the world in a little more carefree light. Through the eyes of a child, there is always wonder all around us. After all, as quoted by Mr. Magorium himself.. “even 37 seconds, well used, is a lifetime..”

Vantage Point (2008)

• The President of the United States gets assassinated by a sniper during a public summit. Moments later, bombs go off at the location. Vantage Point is an action suspense thriller that takes you through the entire event via 8 different people’s perspectives.
• Basically, the movie will unfold for about 10 mins, then rewind and restart all the way at the beginning again through someone else’s viewpoint. In total, you’ll see things through the eyes of a television news producer, secret service agents, an american tourist, the president himself, and .. I shall not spoil the movie for you. Think of it as about the same 20 minutes repeatedly being squeezed into 2 hours of movietime.
• The constant rewinding had it’s frustrating moments. I felt that it could have been done better – for one, lose the stupid clock timer. However, the way the story unfolded was great cinema writing (and cinematography planning), at the end everything comes together as though it was all due to fate or some higher power..
• Huge names dot this movie – Dennis Quaid, Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, William Hurt. Pretty decent performances from most of them.. (Matthew Fox is expressionless as ever). Action scenes were really choppy but effective. Music keeps you at the edge of your seat.
• Overall, not too bad an action movie to dig your heels into PROVIDED that you won’t get annoyed at constant repeats, how everything seems to be so convenient, plot holes and goofs aplenty (if you’ve got a sharp eye), a non existent background story and the wee bit of American propaganda.

The Hoax (2006)

• Based on the actual story of how an author by the name of Clifford Irving almost managed to pull off one of the biggest publication lies in history – faking an autobiography of billionaire Howard Hughes. For those who don’t remember, Howard Hughes is the eccentric recluse businessman depicted by Leonardo Dicaprio in The Aviator .
• Richard Gere gives one of the best performances in his career as Clifford Irving, as he falls ever deeper into his own web of lies. Forced to forge Howard Hughes writing, voice, and the way he thinks – Richard Gere clearly portrays how prolonged acts of impersonation can often lead to psychological distress.
• The movie was beautifully directed, with plenty of near miss suspenseful moments – just as you think the jig is up, Irving manages to pull off the impossible and keeps the lie going. These are the highlights of the film, as you just don’t know how it’s all going to unfold.
• What is it with movies about conmen – one can’t help marvel at their ability to fool everyone around them, yet there is still the constant dread that they will be caught eventually? Great drama with good pacing – definitely worth a watch.