Flightplan is another thriller which does not bore simply because it’s got an innovative plot. The movie follows the story of a mother whose daughter vanishes in a plane 38,000 feet in mid-air intercontinental flight from Europe to New York . The absurdity of it all – from the mother’s point of view – was that no one else in the plane remembered her daughter on board, thereby making the mother herself presuming that she’s delusional. Bordering already on insanity, the mother maintains her conviction that her daughter has really vanished and is on a distressed stage. The mother then embarks on an exclusive search for her daughter.

The Ring was called as such because it represents “the ring” that crosses our world to the world inside a video…yes, a video. In The Ring, a woman played by Naomi Watts stumbles upon a cursed videotape. When she plays the black-and-white videotape, the woman inside it crawls from the television set and bestows horror upon Naomi’s character and her companions. Now, this film is a very awkward version of the Japanese original. Japanese horror films are really quite scary but once you do a Hollywood makeover on them, they become corny. Nevertheless, with great acting by Watts , great directing by Gore Verbinski (who went on to helm the Pirates of the Carribean series) and a great musical score by Hans Zimmer.

Did this horror flick do well in the movie industry? Dig this, “The Ring” sold more than 2 million DVD copies in the USA alone in its first 24 hours of video release. It’s definitely one horror movie to remember.

Trivia:

When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 horror/thriller film starring Carol Kane and Charles Durning, directed by Fred Walton. The original music score is composed by Dana Kaproff.It is followed by the 1993 made-for-television sequel When a Stranger Calls Back. Tagline: Every babysitter’s nightmare becomes real…

This situation can actually happen to any one of us. If we receive an anonymous emergency call on our cell line, will we treat it as a prank or as a real one? If it is a real emergency, will we risk our lives to help a stranger out or left him/her in the cold? That is a real dilemma. Watch how this film turns out.

I especially remember this 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for two reasons: 1st) the presence of Jessica Biel; and 2nd) the movie’s producer is Michael Bay. With Michael Bay as the producer, you can surely watch out for unique camera angles throughout the film, as well as believable gory and action scenes. Then let’s delve on Jessica Biel. This movie is exactly the cause why Jessica was evicted from 7th Heaven. Jessica says she wants to take on more mature roles. And indeed she has, for Jessica here is very sexy, an extreme departure from her stint in 7th Heaven.

The first Texas Chainsaw Massacre was shot in 1973, and it reflected an era of violence in America. It kind of started the trend in unfounded slasher movies. Even then, the cinematography of the 1973 movie was great, and so this 2003 release had a tough act to follow. But it successfully surpassed all the cinematic challenges.

Chris Van Allsburg authored this wonderful book more than 2 decades ago, and it just goes to show that something really wonderful is never really outgrown by many. This is his legacy for the coming generations to enjoy. The power of imagination is endless, especially for kids. Come aboard the Polar Express, be elated, delighted, and enjoy the amazing artistry. It wouldn’t really hurt to buy the DVD, you won’t regret it. It can pretty much be a treasure to keep.

Trivia: This was the first mainstream film to be simultaneously released as a 3D IMAX presentation

Plot Outline: On Christmas Eve, a doubting boy boards a magical train that’s headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus’s home.

The tagline says “Journey Beyond Your Imagination”…well, damn right it is! This movie definitely came right on time during the holiday season of 2004, therefore it was rightfully dubbed as the holiday film event of the year.

Elastigirl is so interesting in this movie! Having kids does not prevent one to be cool. Stretching yourself to grab a falling bottle five yards away or eavesdropping a conversation also from that distance is awesome.

Mr. Incredible’s sagging belly (which he eventually had after retiring as a superhero) was one of the things that made his character so relatable.

But the character that I loved most in this movie was the feisty midget costume designer. I thought she’s cute and amusing, and damn filthy rich!

The Incredibles is an extraordinary family-oriented CGI film. It has great animation, great storyline, screenplay, and direction. Truly a Pixar masterpiece! Rated PG

I wonder how Roger Ebert (my idol movie critic) would react to his own review of Cars after the film went on garnering awards. He said Cars was the least beautiful of John Lasseter’s earlier works, Toy Story and A Bug’s Life. I tend to disagree since there are lots of factors that make this movie beautiful. First, the computer filmmakers excruciatingly put the once-glorious Route 66 into detail. To make the movie a comic relief, they cast Owen Wilson. Also, this is the very first movie that I saw which featured cars in lieu of animals as a fable. Even cows were replaced by tractors. Also, I like Paul Newman’s voice performance in this movie. He had really perfected his role as Doc Hudson, the old wise racing car.