Monday, June 05, 2006

Curtain: Poirot's Last Case


"...When i spoke of a crime to be committed, i was not always referring to the same crime. I told you that I was at Styles for a purpose. I was there, I said, because a crime was going to be committed. You were surprised at my certainty on that point. But I was able to be certain---for the crime, you see, was going to be committed by myself..." -Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, Curtain: Poirot's Last Case

Poirot then goes on to justify why he did it; why he, Hercule Poirot, who values human life, has ended his career by committing murder. He explains to Hastings that there was simply no other way to bring the murderer to justice. In Poirot's own words, "by no ingenuity that I could think of could he be defeated any other way"

If by now you're thinking that this person must have been an almost perfect criminal for Poirot to personally kill him himself, you're right. For this was the perfect criminal--murder's were committed because of him and yet, he couldn't be blamed for them because he didn't actually do anything.

"...and the art of X was this: not to suggest the desire to commit murder, but to break down the normal decent resistance....X knew the exact word, the exact phrase, the intonation even to suggest and bring cumulative pressure on a weak spot....it was done without the victim ever suspecting..."

This man X could not be touched by the law because he made people kill other people simply by suggesting it. Poirot realized this because X had been involved in 5 other cases. He was certain that another murder was going to be carried out at Styles and even indefinitely after that unless he did something.

Probably feeling guilty about killing a fellow human being, Poirot, whose health wasn't good decided to let death take him.

"...I have moved the amyl nitrite ampoules (his medication) away from my bed. I prefer to leave myself in the hands of the bon dieu. May his punishment or his mercy be swift..."

And so the most brilliant detective ever (perhaps more than Sherlock) met his end.

Hercule Poirot, the internationally famed Belgian detective with the large moustache, became the only fictional character ever to be given an obituary on the front page of the New York Times newspaper.

Dame Agatha Christie is the undisputed Queen of Crime. She is the author of over 70 novels and plays which have sold over 2 billion copies worldwide. Her books have also made widely viewed adaptations in film and tv.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

The Chronicles of Narnia: A Beautiful Movie


This adaptation from the book by C.S Lewis is the perfect movie for your child; fairy-tale-loving or not. Its packed with important lessons delivered quite nicely.

It's all about four kids who are sent to London for refuge by their mother during world war 2. The professor they're sent to live with happens to have a curious wardrobe that transports you to the woods of the mystical woods of Narnia.

With loads of adventure, the youngsters discover that the woods are run by a tyrannical witch, and find out that they are prophesised to save and become the ones to bring peace back to Narnia. Their journey will keep you on the edge of our seat. A standing ovation for this beautiul movie goes without saying.

This movie (british based, i think) has talented child actors who will blow you away. The movie satisfies both visually as well, receiving an Oscar for Best Achievement in make up and and nominations for Best Visual Effects and Achievement is sound. I strongly felt that it should have taken the latter because the movie more than does justice to your speakers (especially when the lion roars)

Monday, May 29, 2006

Wolf Creek (2005): Movie review

Need a break from “Neighbours” andHome and Away” but still watch something Australian? Wolf Creek is the movie for you.

This kinda gory Australian horror/thriller movie is about three young people (Liz, Kristy and Ben) who decide to go hiking at a place called Wolf Creek. They park their car and begin hiking around the eerily deserted area. When they've had enough, they decide to leave, but when they head to their car, it won't start.
Then comes Mick Taylor who just happens to be passing around. They think they're safe when he agrees to tow their car back to civilization....their troubles begin there. Mick just happens to be a ruthless killer who kills for (sport?)

It’s good to see that there are movies outside Hollywood that can achieve similar effects. This was my first South Australian horror and i realy loved it. Since the cast are unknown and they're all given equal attention in the movie, you have absolutely no idea who will survive and who will die--so you end up
fearing for every one of them throughout the movie; which is exactly how horrors should be.

Ya.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

MI:3 Movie Review


If you're an MI:3 fan like i am, have no worries spending that 8 bucks on a ticket (not that anyone should). This movie delivers to near orgasmic levels.

Ethan (Tom Cruise), who had apparently quit his job as an operative, is called back in for a mission to save one of his protegees (Keri Russel). In the process, he gets in too deep and pisses off the main antagonist (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) who in turn captures his wife and plans to kill her.
Ethan then discovers that there was a mole inside his agency and that Keri was actually set up.
He begins following it up as a result we get the hottest action thriller of the year!!

Other worthy mentions in the movie are Laurence Fishburne (Morpheus-TheMatrix), Maggie Q, Johnathan Rhy Meyers, Ving Rhames and Michelle Monaghan (who plays Tom's wife).
Now with that kind of cast, JJ Abrams on the director's seat, and the winner of the Best Actor this year Phillip Seymour (Capote), it's impossible to go wrong.

Your life means nothing until you have watched this installment. Trust me, it beats the previous two.

Ya.

Frailty (2001): Movie Review


This Thriller/horror Starring Matthew McConaughey is about a man who walks into The FBI claiming that he has information about a couple of mysterious killings happening in the area. He says his father formed a group called God's hand and included him and his brother.
In flashbacks, we see the father getting lists of people to kill from 'God', and he uses an axe to kill them right infront of his sons saying that some day that task will fall on them.
One of the son's however, the one who goes to the FBI agent, is reluctant and like everyone else watching the movie, sees something wrong with the picture of killing people that his dad calls demons.
He ends up doing in his dad.

(at present) he tells the FBI agent that his brother continued killing people and he lures the agent to where the buried bodies are as proof.
A strange twist is introduced towards the climax of the movie: the man who walks into the FBI station is actually the other brother who continued with his father's task.

The most disturbing twist though is that he wasn't crazy like we are led to believe. He actually saw the evil in people....it turns out that he really was doing God's work. The agent had killed his own mother earlier, so his death was justified when he was axed.

If one is ever digging in the recent past for an Okay thriller, i'd recomend this one.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

X-men 4 pointers

After watching X-men The Last Stand, there should be no doubt in your mind that another installment will follow.

Here are a couple of pointers that will be addressed in the next sequel:
Case 1: Rogue
We saw Rogue go to the clinic to get the cure because her powers weren't allowing her to get in physical contact with her boyfriend, or anybody else for that matter.
We didn't see her get in.
She didn't explicitly say that she took the cure.
For all we know, she probably learned to control herself.

When Logan was having a nightmare in X-men 1 and he stabbed Rogue, she made contact with him to rejuvenate. This it what ensued later on…

Logan: I thought she was going to kill me

Xavier: if she held on any longer, she could have…

It appears Rogue is the only one with the power to Kill Logan who is otherwise indestructible. If anyone were to finish off the X-men, they’d have to kill Logan, and to kill Logan they’d have to get rogue on their side.

If Magneto still has his powers, Rogue probably still has hers as well. Now assuming that Magneto is pissed at the X-men (Logan in particular) for taking away his powers, he would obviously make them his enemies and want to kill them. This is where Rogue would come in.


Case 2: Storm

Charles made it clear that Storm, not Cyclops would take his place when the time came (a clear indication in the movie that Charles was soon to die and also that Scott would have a similar fate).
We'll get to see Storm as the new leader.
This is just speculation, but I see a relationship between Storm and Beast.

Case 3: Logan

Logan has no memory before 15 years of his life. Xavier tells him about his amnesia that “sometimes the mind needs to discover things for itself”.

He has no idea how the indestructible metal alloy which restricts aging and gives him healing powers got into his body structure.
Logan's past is still blurry both to him an us as well.


Magneto: You haven't told him (logan) about his past, have you?

Xavier: His mind is still fragile

I believe that X4 could finally answer those questions. From X2 with Striker, it was clear there was something that happened to him that only Magneto, Striker and Charles knew about. When Charles was talking to Logan about blocking Jeans mind, Charles said, "I don't have to explain my actions, least of all to you". Jean also hinted that there is something hidden when she told Logan that Charles was also in his mind (probably controlling his unconscious mind too).


Case 4: Magneto
This is what will spark the next installment. Magneto just slightly moved the iron pawns when playing chess--a clear indication that his powers weren't completely suppressed. That little bit of hope could bring back the old magneto.
Now if this is possible with magneto, why not with Mystique and Rogue?

More:

-And by the way, Cerebro still exists. With Jean and Xavier dead, who’ll be able to control it?

-Stryker is presumably killed in the X2 explosion. If he resurfaces, which i'm almost certain he will, he'll try and attack Kitty Pride

Friday, May 26, 2006

X-men Delivery Succesful

X-men: the last stand opened in theatres today and was everything it was meant to be.

The movie revolved around a cure that was developed to cure mutants 'from their disease' and turn them into normal humans. An outraged Magneto rounds up an army of mutants to rebel against this cure. So in the end, a war began with Magneto and his 'pawns" on one side, and the X-men and a couple of humans on the other

Spoiler alert ahead! You've been warned!!

Jean Grey literally emerged from the depths with new-found powers that can only be compared to god. Her alter personality known as Dark Phoenix was the mot powerful mutant ever to be (class 5) while Charles and Eric remain only at class 3.
Charles met his end while trying to get Jean back into the light side, magneto needed her help for the war and she, being evil now, joined his side.

Mystique, in an attempt to save Eric's life took a shot for him which happened to be that antidote. Magneto abandoned her because she apparently had become one of them.

Rogue, still troubled by her powers and not being able to be with her boyfriend decided to go for the antidote.

Storm, if there'll be another X-men will be the new headmaster of the school. Xavier made it clear that she would take his place when the time came (a clear indication that he would soon die).

Logan is practically an immortal, nothing could happen to him. He was the one who stopped Jean from widespread anihilation while all others were disintegrated.

All in all the movie was excellent, the ending opened a door to possibly another sequel.