Pictures of Movies in 2008

Memorable moments of movies. The year in pictures.

The Shining (1980)

"Herrre's Johnny!" roars Jack Torrence as chops through a door in one of the most iconic quotes in celluloid history. The Shining is one of the most creepy movies around. Most of the book gets lost in translation, but if the movie is this good, the book is even better. Still, the woman in the bathtub and the final scenes are still very memorable.

Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) and Wendy (Shelley Duvall) decide to stay with their son, Danny, in the supposedly haunted Overlook Hotel....alone...in the winter. Egad! Danny isn't quite normal though seeing as he talks to his finger which sometimes takes over. Yeah, it is kind of strange, but in the book it is quite different. Anyway, as the snow piles up around them, Jack's mind begins to deteriorate and crazy events begin to happen.

The only problem I have with the movie is how the book was adapted. If it's a Stanley Kubrick movie, it's going to be good, but maybe there's a reason why the rest of his movies are original scripts. Stephen King places a lot of really scary stuff in the book such as moving topiaries and a different ending that somehow didn't quite make it into the movie. For a more faithful version, look no further than the satisfying miniseries of the same name.

The movie is so famous that just about every seen is memorable. My favorite scene actually does not even appear in the book which I have praised so much. The blood flowing out of the elevator is such a shocking image that it sticks in one's mind. Also, I love the end, but of course I love the end. Who doesn't like seeing Jack Nicholson chop down doors?

Stanley Kubrick has adapted the novel well, but it could have been better. Hey, we still have a great movie here even though I can't stand Shelley Duvall's teeth. Watching the movie still gives me the chills and the lady in the bathtub still scares me. To tell any more about the movie would be a crime, so enjoy a good scare. Watch The Shining! REDRUM!

Movies You Shouldn't See: Mamma Mia! (2008)

It's too bad this film is bad because it looked really good. Unfortunately, the star studded cast wasn't even close to enough. Some of Mamma Mia's scenes were fun, but some were just energetic and boring. I will commend the film for Amanda Seyfried, but I will not commend it for making the musical into something much worse than it deserves.

Personally, I can't understand why you would make a movie anyway, but...there's Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a girl who isn't sure which one of her mother's (Meryl Streep) three bedmates is her father. She then decides to invite the fathers (Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, and Colin Firth) to her wedding. Definitely Maybe, anyone?

The casting for the movie is very spotty. It ranges from Seyfried who is the upcoming big actress of 2009 to Pierce Brosnan who should never sing. When he opens his mouth to sing, it makes me want to scream. They could have at least done what West Side Story did and dub his voice! Meryl Streep is so so, but it is hard to believe she had operatic training.

The biggest problem I have is that the movie is overly peppy and somewhat exhausting to even watch. You watch one musical number and you're just tired from watching it. All the women are all just so peppy to the point where it is annoying. The guys are barely in half the movie, but when they are it is just disastrous.

Mamma Mia is a blockbuster, but I honestly don't know why. Maybe because it has ABBA music in it, but I'm not sure. Surely one of the worst letdowns of last year, Mamma Mia makes me want to just hit one of those overly energized women in the movie who randomly break out into song. Believe me, I don't care about that usually, but it just doesn't make sense!

Trailer Park 2

9: Based on the Academy Award winning short, the movie is a feature length fantasy. I'm not really sure what it's about, but it does look good. It is produced by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) and Tim Burton. The only test it has to stand is the length of the movie since the 10 minute short already felt a bit drawn out. A-

Watchmen: The amazing Alan Moore graphic novel comes to the screen and looks fantastic. Dark and violent, the movie seems to have lots of gripping action and looks really interesting. To me, it seems to be along the lines of V For Vendetta as our heroes are actually the villains. If there's one thing for sure it has to be better than Heroes. A

The Last House on the Left: The remake makes me feel split about it. The hokiness of the old one has been taken away, but the brutality of it remains. The only thing is that it looks very average, but we'll see what the reviews are like. C

Lesbian Vampire Killers: This actually looks funny! It looks like a fake trailer from Grindhouse and the narration on it is perfect. He says "What is the title of this movie? What else were we going to call it?". Seems pretty good. B-

Franklyn: After reading a summary for this movie, I'm still not sure what it is about, but it does look quite good. Though Eva Green is the only big name star in this British film, it seems like an enthralling fantasy. With action and intrigue, Franklyn seems good. B+

Marathon Man (1976)

"Is it safe?" asks villain Christian Szell, one of the best in cinematic history. Marathon Man is the kind of movie you just can't watch once, but you have to see it again and again. There are many scenes that stick in your mind such as the tooth drilling scene. Great acting and a pretty good adaptation of William Goldman's book make this movie as famous as it is today.

Marathon Man is about Thomas Levy (Dustin Hoffman), a student in college who suddenly becomes entangled in mystery. Soon after he meets a foreign girl who seems strange, his brother (Roy Scheider) warns him against her. Not too soon later, there is a death and Thomas comes face to face with Szell (Laurence Olivier), an evil dentist who is in pursuit of something and will do anything to get it.

It really is the acting that makes us remember this movie. Olivier as Szell is perfection when he drills into Hoffman's teeth. To some the scene may come off as corny, but really it is the acting that makes it all too real. Roy Scheider also is good even though he has a smaller part.

The movie may come off as hokey now, but in the 70's it was great. Yes, the blood is way too red and yes, there are gaping plot holes, but still Marathon Man is a fine masterpiece. William Goldman's story is beautifully adapted to the big screen in a memorable way. One of the best New York movies remains in my memory. Not only this, but it is also one of the best to come out of that decade.

Movies You Shouldn't See: Step Brothers (2008)

Well, when I saw the Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly collaboration, I wasn't thrilled. Then again, Walk Hard wasn't too bad and neither was Anchorman. Only differnce between Step Brothers and those two is that this one is awful. Step Brothers is a disjointed mess that follows no plot whatsoever and doesn't even attempt to. Its type of humor is so strange that I don't even think it for anyone, not even a die hard Will Ferrell fan.

The stupid storyline follows Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly who are united as step brothers when their parents marry. They hate each other at first (of course) and are both 40. After only 10 minutes, they decide they need a job. The plot changes just about every 10 minutes so it is pretty free form.

I think the thing I hated the most about this R-rated comedy was that it made no sense! Comedies are for people who are not as intellectual as somebody who would see foreign French movies. So if I don't have the mental capacity to understand the random time jumps (until the very end in which the writers decided to give a title card), then who can? That is a question I cannot answer.

The other thing I REALLY hated about this movie was how crude it was. I understand that comedies were meant to be crude, but not this much. There is a scene where Will Ferell places his testicles, which are so obviously fake, onto a drum set. Not only this, but the camera lingers on it hoping to squeeze a laugh out. Well, the only thing the squeezed out was a disgusted face.

If you like crude and odd movies, this is one for you. If you have a hope of seeing a good comedy, this is NOT a movie for you or anybody else. It seems like Ferrell has lost his funny and Reilly could do so much better. What agent chose this movie for them? The answer would be a very bad one.

Don't Look Now

Let me just tell you what to expect first. The movie is an eerie, strange, and erotic venture into horror. This may not be many people's thing, but it was right up my alley. Don't Look Now is a movie many people do not know. It is extremely strange and creepy mostly for its bloody finale.

Adapted from Daphne DuMaurier's short story, Nicholas Roeg's movie is the tale an unlucky couple, Laura (Julie Christie) and John (Donald Sutherland) who are still mourning the death of their daughter who has recently drowned. The two visit a psychic who seems to have visions of their daughter. John is not impressed until he begins to see his daughter walking around Venice and begins to wonder what is truth and what is fiction.

There are many reasons this movie is a cult classic, but one of them is the memorable sex scene. People today continue to wonder if it is real and not actually faked. I think there is a possibility that it might be real considering that Warren Beatty, who was currently dating Julie Christie, attempted to have it pulled from the movie. It is extremely explicit and lasts about ten minutes. Again, this isn't a movie for everyone.

To reveal the end would be a crime, but what it turns out to be is shocking and unbelievable. The finale is relentless and brutal and one begins to ponder why they had even seen the film in the first place. I mean that in the best way possible of course! It spooked me so bad that I couldn't stop thinking about for a few days. It still gives me shivers.

Don't Look Now is a strange and very scary horror movie. The reason that the 70's horror movies are so good is because, unlike now, the movies are well paced and know how to fill out two hours. Though the criticism is that they are too violent, but Don't Look Now is violent, but it is very paced which is what causes it to work. This movie is a new, odd venture into horror for many. I would suggest this to Lynch fans.