martes, 22 de marzo de 2011

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, 1993

Director: Kenneth Branagh 
Writers: Wiliam Shakespeare and Kenneth Branagh 
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson and Keanu Reeves 
Plot: Young lovers Hero and Claudio are to be married in one week. To pass the time, they conspire with Don Pedro to set a "lover's trap" for Benedick, an arrogant confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice, his favorite sparring partner. Meanwhile, the evil Don Jon conspires to break up the wedding by accusing Hero of infidelity. In the end, though, it all turns out to be "much ado about nothing."
Much ado about nothing trailer 

Recommendations: If you liked this film you should see some other films of Shakespeare like Romeo and Juliet, 1996, Hamlet, 1996 and As You Like It, 2006.

lunes, 21 de marzo de 2011

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, 1952

Director: Stranley Donen and Gene Kelly 
Writers: Adolph Green and Betty Comden 
Stars: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds 
Plot: In 1927, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a famous on-screen romantic pair. Lina, however, mistakes the on-screen romance for real love. Don has worked hard to get where he is today, with his former partner Cosmo. When Don and Lina's latest film is transformed into a musical, Don has the perfect voice for the songs. But Lina - well, even with the best efforts of a diction coach, they still decide to dub over her voice. Kathy Selden is brought in, an aspiring actress, and while she is working on the movie, Don falls in love with her. Will Kathy continue to "aspire", or will she get the break she deserves?

Singin' in the rain trailer 
Recommendations: Here you have some other musicals: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 1954, All That Jazz, 1979 and West Side Story, 1961.
Singin' in the rain is probably the best musical of ever.

HAIRSPRAY, 2007

Director: Adam Shankman 
Writers: Leslie Dixon and John Waters 
Stars: John Travolta, Queen Latifah and Nikki Blonsky 
Plot: Tracy Turnblad, an overweight teenager with all the right moves, is obsessed with the Corny Collins Show. Every day after school, she and her best friend Penny run home to watch the show and drool over the hot Link Larkin, much to Tracy's mother Edna's dismay. After one of the stars of the show leaves, Corny Collins holds auditions to see who will be the next person on the Corny Collins show. With all of the help of her friend Seaweed, Tracy makes it on the show, angering the evil dance queen Amber Von Tussle and her mother Velma. Tracy then decides that it's not fair that the black kids can only dance on the Corny Collins Show once a month, and with the help of Seaweed, Link, Penny, Motormouth Maybelle, her father and Edna, she's going to integrate the show.....without denting her 'do!  

Hairspray trailer 

Recommendations: Here you have some other good musicals: Moulin Rouge, 2001, Grease, 1978, Chicago, 2002 and Cabaret, 1972.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, 1946

Director: Frank Capra 
Writers: Francesc Goodrich and Albert Hackett. 
Stars: James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore 
Plot: George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George's modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, George's Uncle Billy loses the business's $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Potter finds the misplaced money and hides it from Billy. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, their young children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in a gentle angel named Clarence coming to earth to help George.
It's a wonderful life trailer 
Recommendations: If you liked this film, you should see La vita è bella, 1997, one of the best films ever.

WAR GAMES, 1983

Director: John Badham 
Writers: Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes 
Stars: Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy and John Wood 
Plot: A young computer whizz kid accidentally connects into a top secret super-computer which has complete control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal. It challenges him to a game between America and Russia, and he innocently starts the countdown to World War 3. Can he convince the computer he wanted to play a game and not the real thing? 

War games trailer 
 
Recommendations: Primer, 2004 is another good flim about computers.

TOTAL RECALL, 1990

Director: Paul Verhoeven 
Writers: Philip K. Dick and Ronald Shusett 
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside 
Plot: Douglas Quaid is haunted by a recurring dream about a journey to Mars. He hopes to find out more about this dream and buys a holiday at Rekall Inc. where they sell implanted memories. But something goes wrong with the memory implantation and he remembers being a secret agent fighting against the evil Mars administrator Cohaagen. Now the story really begins and it's a rollercoaster ride until the massive end of the movie.

Total recall tailer 

Recommendations: Minority Repor, 2002 is as amazing as Total Recall.

NORTH BY NORTWEST, 1959

Director: Alfred Hitchcock 
Writer: Ernest Lehman 
Stars: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason 
Plot: Middle-aged Madison Avenue advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent by a gang of spies. He gets involved in a series of misadventures and is pursued across the States by both the spies and the government whilst being helped by a beautiful blonde.

Recommendations: Other awesome films by Alfred Hitchock: Rear Window, 1954, Psycho, 1960 and Vertigo, 1958.

SOME LIKE IT HOT, 1959

Director: Billy Wilder 
Writer: Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond 
Stars: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon 
Plot: Two struggling musicians witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and try to find a way out of the city before they are found and killed by the mob. The only job that will pay their way is an all girl band so the two dress up as women. In addition to hiding, each has his own problems; One falls for another band member but can't tell her his gender, and the other has a rich suitor who will not take "No," for an answer. 
Some like it hot trailer 



















Recommendations: I hope you enjoy this other film like Some like it hot. One, two, three (1961)

FRONT PAGE, 1974

Director: Billy Wilder
Writer: Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur
Stars: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Susan Sarandon
Plot: Hildy Johnson is the top reporter on a Chicago newspaper during the 1920s. Tired of the whole game he's determined to quit his job to get married. His scheming editor, Walter Burns, has other plans though. It's the day before guilty (but insane) murderer, Earl Williams, is due to go to the gallows and Burns tempts Johnson to stay and write the story.

Front Page Trailer

Recommendations: There are three versions of this film, this one is the third.
The Front Page, 1931 and His Girl Friday, 1940 are the others.

domingo, 20 de marzo de 2011

MONSOON WEDDING, 2001

Director: Mira Nair
Writer: Sabrina Dhawan  
Stars: Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey and Shefali Shetty 
Plot: A story set in the modern upper-middle class of India, where telecommunications and a western lifestyle mix with old traditions, like the arranged wedding young Aditi accepts when she ends the affair with a married TV producer. The groom is an Indian living in Texas, and all relatives from both families, some from distant places like Australia, come to New Delhi during the monsoon season to attend the wedding. The four-day arrangements and celebrations will see clumsy organization, family parties and drama, dangers to the happy end of the wedding, lots of music and even a new romance for the wedding planner Dubey with the housemaid Alice.
Trailer Monsoon Wedding


















Recommendations: If you liked this film, you will like Bend It Like Beckham, 2002.

CRASH, 2004

Director: Paul Haggis.
Writers: Paul Haggis
Stars: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock and Thandie Newton.
Plot: The movie consists of several stories that interweave during two days in Los Angeles involving a collection of inter-related characters, a black police detective with a drugged out mother and a thieving younger brother, two car thieves who are constantly theorizing on society and race, the distracted district attorney and his irritated and pampered wife, a racist veteran cop (caring for a sick father at home) who disgusts his more idealistic younger partner, a successful black Hollywood director and his wife who must deal with racist cop, a Persian-immigrant father who buys a gun to protect his shop, a Hispanic locksmith and his young daughter who is afraid of bullets, and more.
Trailer Crash

Recommendations: Magnolia (1999), is another film that involve connections of people during a short time.