Posts Tagged ‘england’
Reign of Fire (2002)Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 |
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In present-day London, twelve-year-old Quinn watches as his mother, a construction engineer, inadvertently wakes an enormous fire-breathing beast from its century-long slumber. Twenty years later, much of the world has been scarred by the beast and its offspring. As a fire chief, Quinn is responsible for warding off the beasts and keeping a community alive as they eke out a meager existence. Into their midst come a hotshot American, Van Zan, who says he has a way to kill the beasts and save mankind – a way Quinn’s never seen done. Fuses a medieval past with a post-apocalyptic future in this exciting tale of adventure and survival. |
Head in the Clouds (2004)Thursday, February 18th, 2010 |
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HEAD IN THE CLOUDS is a sweeping romantic drama set in 1930’s England, Paris, and Spain. Gilda Bessé shares her Paris apartment with an Irish schoolteacher, Guy Malyon, and Mia, a refugee from Spain. As the world drifts toward war, Gilda defiantly pursues her hedonistic lifestyle and her burgeoning career as a photographer. But Guy and Mia feel impelled to join the fight against fascism, and the three friends are separated – seemingly forever. |
The 007 World Is Not Enough (1999)Thursday, February 18th, 2010 |
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The 19th installment follows MI-6 Commander James Bond to a swiss bank in Bilbao, Spain where upon retrieval of three million pounds (British dollars) a siege takes place. James barely escapes the local police, leaving them questioning the mysterious shooting that occurred minutes ago. The next day, at the MI-6 Headquarters in London, Bond first greet Miss Moneypenny and gives her a nice souvenir: a cigar. Q then calls him in first to meet Sir Robert King then to report on the mission. It was then that the three million pounds was in fact, a bomb which destroys the Headquarters and kills King. Bond’s only suspect, who happens to be the woman from the swiss bank blows herself up form a hot-air balloon. He then meets Sir King’s daughter, Electra, who now own her father’s oil company. But Bond’s real mission has a new enemy named Renard a man who feels no pain whatsoever after a bullet was put into his head, who along with Electra and their henchmen plan to nuke Europe and everything in it’s path. Now with the help of Christmas Jones, a research scientist, James must foil the terrorists plan before the entire Easternmost countries are wiped out forever. The world is not enough for disasters. And the world is not enough for terrorists. The world is only enough for one man- one hero: James Bond 007! |
Love Actually (2003)Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 |
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Love is all around us. And that’s certainly true for all of these people. John (Martin Freeman) and Just Judy (Joanna Page) have fallen in love with each other while on the set of an erotically charged film. David (Hugh Grant) has just become the new Prime Minister. The second he steps into his office/home, he is smitten with Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), his catering manager who had already screwed up at the first minute. David’s sister is Karen (Emma Thompson), who’s married to Harry (Alan Rickman), who runs a local magazine. Harry is somewhat smitten by his secretary, Mia (Heike Makatsch), who is constantly hitting on him. Harry’s best editor is Sarah (Laura Linney), who has a brother in the asylum and a not-so-hidden crush on Karl (Rodrigo Santoro), who has a thing for her as well. Karen is friends with both Daniel (Liam Neeson), who has just lost his wife and has discovered that his stepson (Thomas Sangster) is in love with a young American girl, and Jamie (Colin Firth), whose girlfriend (Sienna Guillory) has just left him for his younger and more attractive brother (Dan Fredenburgh), forcing him to move to France to continue writing his novel while falling for Aurelia (Lúcia Moniz), a young Portuguese woman who can’t speak a lick of English or French. Juliet (Keira Knightley) has just married Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor), not realizing that his best friend Mark (Andrew Lincoln) has loved her since they first met. Colin (Kris Marshall) is desperate to have sex and believes that in order to do that, he should travel to Wisconsin because he thinks that American women will dig him for being British. And Billy Mack (Bill Nighy), an old rocker who is climbing back up the charts after battling his old heroin addiction, is on the radio and TV shows either bad-mouthing his new CD, insulting his manager, Joe (Gregor Fisher), or a hot new boy band, or calling Britney Spears the worst sex he’s ever had. Are you still following along? |
Elizabeth R (1971)Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 |
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When Elizabeth Tudor comes to the throne, her (male) advisors know she has to marry. Doesn’t she? Thus starts a decades-long political/ matrimonial game, during an age of high passions and high achievement. |
Bride & Prejudice (2004)Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 |
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Chaman Bakshi lives in Amritsar, India, with his wife, Manorama, and four daughters namely, Jaya, Lalita, Lakhi, and Maya. Manorama would like to get her daughters married to rich families so that they live comfortably. She is bitter because Chaman refuses to immigrate to London, England, when her brother wanted to sponsor them. She is pleased when she gets a proposal from the Bingley family for their son, Balraj. Balraj arrives with Caucasion friend, William Darcy, and gets to meet Jaya, and instantly likes her. They, along with William and Lalita, travel to Goa, where Lalita meets a young man named Johny Wickam. She likes Johny and invites him to their house. Manorama does not approve of William and Johny, and would prefer that Lalita marry Kohli from California. Then things take an unexpected turn, Balraj returns home; William offends Lalita; Kohli meets and marries Chandra Lamba; Lakhi is taken in by Johny Wickam. Quite upset at these turn of events, the Bakshis find consolation that they have been invited to Kohli’s wedding and they travel to California, with a stopover in London, so that they can meet with Balraj. They find Balraj is not available, and is in New York. Disappointed they travel to California that’s where William meets and proposes to Lalita. It is after this proposal that Lalita finds out why Balraj has broken contact with her family, and what William really thinks about India and the Bakshis, and it is these findings that will change her life forever. |
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 |
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You thought the last movie was happily ever after? You thought wrong! Bridget and Mark are now together but for how long? A jellyfish by the name of Rebecca, Bridget’s relationship paranoia, unusual horsemanship, magic mushrooms and a stint in prison are just some of the things Bridget has to face in The Edge of Reason. Add to that the return of Daniel Cleaver and you have the makings of one of the funniest films this year. Will they live happily ever after? Watch and find out. |
Vera Drake (2004)Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 |
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Vera Drake is a selfless woman who is completely devoted to, and loved by, her working class family. She spends her days doting on them and caring for her sick neighbor and elderly mother. However, she also secretly visits women and helps them induce miscarriages for unwanted pregnancies. While the practice itself was illegal in 1950s England, Vera sees herself as simply helping women in need, and always does so with a smile and kind words of encouragement. When the authorities finally find her out, Vera’s world and family life rapidly unravel. |
The Reckoning (2003)Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 |
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In 14th-century England, a young monk breaks his vow of chastity and flees the wrath of his bishop and fellow monks. A fugitive priest, he then witnesses the murder of a traveling performer—and subsequently, the mourning of actor by his fellow troupe members. He eventually becomes initiated into the troupe as a player, replacing the murdered man. They travel from town to town performing their standard morality play. They arrive in a town where a boy has been killed and a young deaf-mute girl has been imprisoned for the crime—sentenced to death for witchcraft and murder. Discarding the expected bible stories, the actors stage a performance based on the crime. Through the performance of the play, they discover that the townspeople know the young woman did not, in fact, commit the murder. The stage becomes a place where vital human truth is told. Thus, simultaneously, the fugitive priest comes to terms with his own crime and makes a powerful sacrifice, thereby redeeming himself. |
The Hours (2002)Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 |
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The film concerns three women each suffering from depression. Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) is starting to write her book ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ in 1923 England. She is coming to the realization of her lesbianism and fighting her pure despair of life and headaches. Virginia receives a visit from her sister Vanessa and Vanessa’s two sons and daughter. The daughter places a strong influence on Virginia’s emotions through the death of a bird. Eventually, Virgnia must face the decision to run away to London, stay with her beloved husband, or move to London where the doctors forbid her to go. Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), is a mother fearing her ability to be a mother again. She is reading ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ in 1951 Los Angeles. Laura is trying to throw a wonderful birthday party for her husband. The very pregnant Laura thinks she won’t be an adequate mother to her daughter and current baby on the way in a few months. Laura must make the decision to run away from it all or live miserably with her happy husband. Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) is a career publisher living in present 2001 New York. Her nickname, given by her poet-friend, Richard, who is dying of AIDS, is Mrs. Dalloway. Clarissa is also throwing a party but for Richard who is receiving an award for his poetry. Like Virginia Woolf, Clarissa is also a lesbian but also wonders if she is in love with Richard with whom she once dated. At the end, the whole plot twists and comes together. The basic theme of the film is wondering if it is better to live your life for your own happiness or others. |
Daredevil (2003)Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 |
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Fate deals young orphan Matt Murdock a strange hand when he is doused with hazardous waste. The accident leaves Matt blind but also gives him a heightened “radar sense” that allows him to “see” far better than any man. Years later Murdock has grown into a man and becomes a respected criminal attorney. But after he’s done his “day job” Matt takes on a secret identity as “The Man Without Fear,” Daredevil, the masked avenger that patrols the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen and New York City to combat the injustice that he cannot tackle in the courtroom. |
The Time Machine (2002)Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 |
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From Hell (2001)Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 |
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It is 1888 in London, and the unfortunate poor lead horrifying lives in the city’s deadliest slum, Whitechapel. Harassed by gangs and forced to walk the streets for a living, Mary Kelly and her small group of companions trudge on through this daily misery, their only consolation being that things can’t get any worse. Yet things somehow do when their friend Ann is kidnapped and they are drawn into a conspiracy with links higher up than they could possibly imagine. The kidnapping is soon followed by the gruesome murder of another woman, Polly, and it becomes apparent that they are being hunted down, one by one. Sinister even by Whitechapel standards, the murder grabs the attention of Inspector Fred Abberline, a brilliant yet troubled man whose police work is often aided by his psychic abilities. Abberline becomes deeply involved with the case, which takes on personal meaning to him when he and Mary begin to fall in love. But as he gets closer to the truth Whitechapel becomes more and more dangerous for Abberline, Mary, and the other girls. Whoever is responsible for the grisly acts is not going to give up his secret without a fight….will they be able to survive the avenging force that has been sent after them from hell? |
Elizabeth (1998)Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 |
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The story of Elizabeth’s ascendency to the throne, the plot of the movie is full of palace intrigues, attempted assassinations and executions. The movie starts with England divided by faith, Protestant vs. Catholic. The queen, Mary Tudor has no heir and her Catholic supporters fear the succession of her half-sister Elizabeth, a Protestant. They convince the queen to have Elizabeth arrested and put in the Tower of London but the queen hesitates and eventually refuses to sign her death warrant. It is announced that the queen is pregnant but it turns out to be a tumor and she dies of it a while later. Her Catholic supporters are forced to give the throne to Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s first few years are shaky as she is not versed with the art of realpolitik and “rules from the heart instead of the mind”. There is also the question of her succession as she is yet unmarried and her death without heir would mean the throne falling back into Catholic hands. She has many suitors but she eventually rejects them all. And aided by Sir Francis Walsingham she manages to kill all her enemies and ascends the throne as the “Virgin Queen”. |
Ali G Indahouse (2002)Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 |
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Ali G unwittingly becomes a pawn in the evil Chancellor’s plot to overthrow the Prime Minister of Great Britain. However, instead of bringing the Prime Minister down, Ali is embraced by the nation as the voice of youth and ‘realness’, making the Prime Minister and his government more popular than ever. |
The Lion in Winter (1968)Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 |
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In 1183 Henry II summonses his sons Richard, John, and Geoffrey to join him and his prison-bound wife Eleanor at Chinon for a family Christmas, along with King Philip II of France and his sister Alais, Henry’s mistress. Philip is insisting Alais now marries John as agreed years before else he wants her dowry, the lands of the Vexen, back. As Eleanor has already given the province of Aquitaine to Richard, the outcome of this may decide the very future of England. Everyone present except perhaps Alais are masters of double-dealing and deceipt, so it could be a lively Yuletide. Search keywords |
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)Saturday, July 11th, 2009 |
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The movie starts out with Arthur, King of the Britons, looking for knights to sit with him at Camelot. He finds many knights including Sir Galahad the pure, Sir Lancelot the brave, the quiet Sir Bedevere, and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot. They do not travel on horses, but pretend they do and have their servants bang coconuts to make the sound of horse’s hooves. Through satire of certain events in history (witch trials, the black plague) they find Camelot, but after literally a quick song and dance they decide that they do not want to go there. While walking away, God (who seems to be grumpy) come to them from a cloud and tells them to find the Holy Grail. They agree and begin their search… Search keywords |
The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971)Friday, June 5th, 2009 |
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Roman Polanski’s version of Shakespeare’s tragedy about a Scottish lord who murders the king and ascends the throne. His wife then begins hallucinating as a result of her guilt complex and the dead king’s son conspires to attack MacBeth and expose him for the murderer he is. |
The Italian Job (1969)Thursday, June 4th, 2009 |
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Charlie has just left prison, and now wants to do a ‘big job’. The job is to steal $4m of gold arriving in Italy from China. Charlie’s job needs financing, so he goes to Mr Bridger (a Mafia-type boss) who is in prison (Charlie has to break in !). In Italy, a clever plan is used to distract the authorities, while the raiders make their get-away in three Minis. This leads to an excellent car chase sequence through Italian streets, buildings, rivers, sewers, |
Vanity Fair (2004)Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 |
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The British Empire flowers; exotic India colors English imaginations. Becky Sharp, the orphaned daughter of a painter and a singer, leaves a home for girls to be a governess, armed with pluck, a keen wit, good looks, fluent French, and an eye for social advancement. Society tries its best to keep her from climbing. An episodic narrative follows her for 20 years, through marriage, Napoleonic wars, a child, loyalty to a school friend, the vicissitudes of the family whose daughters she instructed, and attention from a bored marquess who collected her father’s paintings. Honesty tempers her schemes. No aristocrat she, nor bourgeois, just spirited, intelligent, and irrepressible. Search keywords |



















