When I first saw Se7en, I was blown away by how dark the ominous the story had become. By the end, the plot and characters were so intense that it was truly captivating. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman pull off their best performances in this mystery thriller.
The story centers around Detectives Mills (Brad Pitt) and Somerset (Morgan Freeman) as they investigate a trail of murders. The crime scenes are always very strange and seem to resemble one of the seven deadly sins. With these clues, the detectives track down the real killer but he gets away in a gripping chase. Throughout the sequences, Mills and Somerset build on the relationship between one another and there are some heart warming moments to balance out the horrifying ones. Eventually, the killer reveals himself to the police covered in blood. Can the two detectives survive the killer's final trap? I won't spoil the ending but it is definitely worth watching and is considered a classic in shocking endings.
Kevin Spacey plays the murder and, in my opinion, it was his greatest role in a long time. He was calm, cool, and collected which made him absolutely terrifying whenever he had something to say. You'll really learn to hate this guy quickly, and Spacey does such a good job of achieving it. The twist was good upon itself, but Kevin Spacey definitely made in ten times better.
I always end up watching this movie a few times a year to refresh myself in a deep and compelling narrative. However, I definitely won't recommend it to anyone with a weak stomach.
Most are familiar with Stephen King as an author of chilling stories, often adapted into movies. The correlation between his films and their easy adaptability to the big screen is no surprise considering King's own admission:
"My books are the movies I see in my head, that's all. I write them down, and some producer says, 'Hey! This'd make a pretty good movie!' because in a way it already is one." - Stephen King
Of his masses of books and short stories adapted for the big screen I want to discuss King's self proclaimed favorites.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Based on the short story "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by King published in 1982, The Shawshank Redemption, tells the story of an innocent man, Andy Dufrense, imprisoned for the murder of his wife and her lover. Directed and written by Frank Darabont, it is true to King's original story, adapting an almost entirely internal monologue to a beautiful film.
Interestingly, the narrator of the story is not the main character, Andy, but a man he meets in Shawshank prison, Red. Although most screenwriters would cringe at using a narrator, it works in Shawshank because the source material is so heavy- and because Red is played by Morgan Freeman. Who doesn't want to listen to Morgan Freeman talk? Red calls himself "the only guilty man in Shawshank." This line is straight from King's writing as are many others. Like this one:
Stand By Me (1986)
Based on the short story "The Body" by King, published in 1982, Stand By Me is a tale of childhood and innocence lost. Directed by Rob Reiner, known at the time only for Spinal Tap (1982), who later directed another King flick, , this story isn't the kind of movie to give you nightmares but it does have the contemplative, almost philosophical tone that all Stephen King stories have in one way or another.
The boys - played by River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Cory Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell - embark on a quest to find a dead body. King has an affinity for writing about young people who've lost something while keeping their childlike view of people and the world in tact.
The two main boys, Gordie and Chris are dealing with very adult problems, and throughout the story they are written as complex people who are not only sad but can laugh. Gordie LaChance, played by Wil Wheaton, is dealing with the death of his older brother and being alienated by his parents. Chris, played by River Phoenix, has a bad reputation around town earned by his family, which he is struggling to either live up to or denounce. Despite all four boys personal problems they support each other and still manage to be preteen boys.
Bonus: From youtuber Zefrank's True Facts series, True Facts About Morgan Freeman
Yes you did not misread the title, this is a post about "The Lego Movie". There is a film coming out in February 2014, about legos. Right off the bat, it made me think of "Wreck it Ralph" except this time it is Legos and not video games.
Every single thing in this movie was rendered to look just like Legos. Things like the water, smoke and other effects are actually legos (lasers in the film are the lego rods used in any Lego lightsaber sets). Their isn't a whole lot known about the film at this point. One thing we do know is that this film is packed with A, B and C List celebrities from all corners of the business. The lead, Emmett, is played by Chris Pratt (Moneyball, Parks and Rec, etc). He is surrounded by actors such as Will Ferrel, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeso, Elizabeth Banks, Channing Tatum, Will Arnett and many many more. There is not a single unknown quantity in this film, every single name is one that the audience should know. This film is being directed by Phil Lord (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street, producer How I Met Your Mother) and Chris Miller (same credits).
At this point only the basic plot of the film is known. Emmett is mistaken to be the "MasterBuilder", which seems to be some sort of destiny that renders him very powerful. He is pulled onto a journey where he must go up against a villain who is trying to "glue the universe together". In my mind I see this either being incredible or horrible. We will see...
It's still a few months away, but I'm looking forward to watch this years Academy Awards as I do every year. I love watching the Oscars because it's an opportunity to see films at their best. Audiences get to see the best in the industry from Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Score, Best Original Screenplay, etc. I also love seeing the celebrities and how they come to support fellow actors/actresses and to watch the show. It's always a spectacular show to watch.
This year, comedian actor Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show, and the motion picture Ted) will be hosting the 85th annual Academy Awards and I predict it will be a great show as usual.
The first Academy Awards were given in 1929 at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood, California. The awards have changed for the decades and the awards currently are given to over a dozen categories and include various types of films. Annually, the Academy awards is televised in more than 100 countries, and is the oldest award ceremony in media.
Douglas Fairbanks
Wings
Again the first Academy Award ceremony took place on Thursday May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The First host was actor Douglas Fairbanks. Fairbanks was known in Hollywood for his roles in The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mask of Zorro.
The First Motion Picture to win the award for best picture was the film Wings. Wings was a silent film about World War 1 fighter pilots.The first Academy Award ceremony I remember seeing as a kid was in 2004 when Million Dollar Baby took home the Best Picture award. I loved the experience of it especially watching Chris Rock host the show. Some awards that were given that night were Jamie Foxx for Best Actor for his role in Ray, Hilary Swank for Best Actress in Million Dollar Baby, Morgan Freeman for Best Supporting Actor in the film Million Dollar Baby, Cate Blanchett in The Aviator, Clint Eastwood for Best Director of Million Dollar Baby, The Incredibles received Best Animated Film, and Robert Richardson for Best Cinematography in the film The Aviator.
A lot of great awards have been given over the years and I look forward to seeing which movies take home the awards this upcoming year in February. Some films predicted to be in the Best Picture Category include: Lincoln, Life of Pi, Les Miserables, Argo, The Master, Anna Karenina, and Flight.
