Fireproof

"Never Leave Your Partner Behind. "

Director: Alex Kendrick
Writers:
Alex Kendrick (story)
Stephen Kendrick (story)
Release Date: 26 September 2008 (USA)
Genre: Drama
Cast:
Kirk Cameron as Caleb Holt
Erin Bethea as Catherine Holt
Ken Bevel as Michael Simmons
Stephen Dervan as Wayne Floyd, etc.

Plot:
Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. Inside burning buildings, it's his natural instinct. In the cooling embers of his marriage, it's another story.

After seven years of marriage, Caleb and Catherine Holt have drifted so far apart that they are ready to move on without each other. Yet as they prepare to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb's dad asks his son to try an experiment: The Love Dare.

While hoping The Love Dare has nothing to do with his parents' newfound faith, Caleb commits to the challenge. But can he attempt to love his wife while avoiding God's love for him? Will he be able to demonstrate love over and over again to a person that's no longer receptive to his love? Or is this just another marriage destined to go up in smoke?

- this movie is for those marriages at the brink of the cliffside..teaches a lot about needing Jesus to work out relationships.

Trivia:
*Kirk Cameron, a Christian evangelist, refuses to kiss any woman other than his wife. To film a scene in which his character in this movie kisses his wife, the filmmakers had to dress Cameron's real-life wife, Chelsea Noble, as the wife character (played throughout the rest of the movie by Erin Bethea) and shoot the kissing scene in shadow so the difference between Noble and Bethea would not be as evident on screen.

*Instead of a fee for starring in the film, Kirk Cameron accepted a donation to his charity, Camp Firefly.

Memorable quotes:
Caleb Holt: Marriage isn't fireproof.
Michael Simmons: Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand i

John Holt: Has she thanked you for anything you've done the last 20 days?
Caleb Holt: No! And you'd think after I washed the car, I've changed the oil, do the dishes, cleaned the house, that she would try to show me a little bit of gratitude. But she doesn't! In fact, when I come home, she makes me like I'm - like I'm an enemy! I'm not even welcome in my own home, Dad. That is what really ticks me off! Dad, for the last three weeks, I have bent over backwards for her. I have tried to demonstrate that I still care about this relationship. I bought her flowers, which she threw away. I have taken her insults and her sarcasm, but last night was it. I made dinner for her. I did everything I could to demonstrate that I care about her, to show value for her, and she spat in my face! She does not deserve this, Dad. I'm not doing it anymore! How am I supposed to show love to somebody over and over and over who constantly rejects me?
John Holt: [touches, then leans against cross] That's a good question.

Personal Rating: 6/10

*more at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129423/
*photo by http://moyer777.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/fireproof_desktop2_1600.jpg

GRAN TORINO

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers:
Nick Schenk (screenplay)
Dave Johannson (story)
Release Date: 18 February 2009 (Philippines)
Genre: Crime | Drama
Awards: Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations
Cast:
Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski
Christopher Carley as Father Janovich
Bee Vang as Thao Vang Lor
Ahney Her as Sue Lor, etc.

Plot:
*Walt Kowalski is a widower who holds onto his prejudices despite the changes in his Michigan neighborhood and the world around him. Kowalski is a grumpy, tough-minded, unhappy old man, who can't get along with either his kids or his neighbors. He is a Korean War veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 Gran Torino he keeps in mint condition. When his neighbor Tao, a young Hmong teenager under pressure from his gang member cousin, tries to steal his Gran Torino, Kowalski sets out to reform the youth. Drawn against his will into the life of Thao's family, Kowalski is soon taking steps to protect them from the gangs that infest their neighborhood. Written by alfiehitchie

I actually cried in this movie! no joke, hehehe. Wonderful! Very wonderful! You'd learn more about what Life and Death means.

Trivia:
* Clint Eastwood encouraged the Hmong actors to ad-lib in the Hmong language.

*The rifle Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) uses in the film is an American M1 Garand, a 9.5lb .30-06 gas operated rifle. It was first issued during WWII and was again issued in Korea before being phased out by the M14 selective fire .308 rifle. The pistol Kowalski uses is an M1911A1, a .45 ACP semi automatic handgun also issued during the Korean war. It would seem Kowalski's gun collection consists of the weapons he used in service.

*Clint Eastwood stated that this will be his last movie as an actor.

*Clint Eastwood's character's name, Walt Kowalski, is the real name of legendary wrestler, Walter "Killer" Kowalski.

Memorable quotes:
Walt Kowalski: [about Thao] I don't care about him.
Sue Lor: You hang out with him, you teach him to fix things, you saved him from that fucked cousin of ours.
Walt Kowalski: Watch your language, lady.
Sue Lor: And you're a better man to him than our own father was. You're a good man.

Walt Kowalski: You know, Thao and Sue are never going to find peace in this world as long as that gang's around.

Walt Kowalski: [to Father Janovich] I think you're an overeducated 27-year-old virgin who likes to hold the hands of superstitious old ladies and promise them everlasting life.

Walt Kowalski: You can keep the Gran Torino, on the condition you don't chop-top the roof like one of those beaners, don't paint any idiotic flames on it like some white trash hillbilly, and don't put a gay spoiler on the rear end like you see on all of the other zipperheads' cars, it just looks like hell.

Personal Rating: 8/10

*more at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205489/
*photo by http://masalamedia.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/gran-torino.jpg

Memoirs of a Geisha

Director: Rob Marshall
Writers:
Robin Swicord (screenplay)
Arthur Golden (book)
Release Date: 23 December 2005 (USA)
Genre: Drama | Romance
Awards: Won 3 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 28 nominations
Cast:
Suzuka Ohgo as Chiyo
Samantha Futerman as Satsu
Li Gong as Hatsumomo
Tsai Chin as Auntie
Kaori Momoi as Mother
Zoe Weizenbaum as Young Pumpkin
Michelle Yeoh as Mameha
Ken Watanabe as Chairman
Ziyi Zhang as Sayuri
Youki Kudoh as Pumpkin, etc.

Plot:
*In 1929 an impoverished nine-year-old named Chiyo from a fishing village is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto's Gion district and subjected to cruel treatment from the owners and the head geisha Hatsumomo. Her stunning beauty attracts the vindictive jealousy of Hatsumomo, until she is rescued by and taken under the wing of Hatsumomo's bitter rival, Mameha. Under Mameha's mentorship, Chiyo becomes the geisha named Sayuri, trained in all the artistic and social skills a geisha must master in order to survive in her society. As a renowned geisha she enters a society of wealth, privilege, and political intrigue. As World War II looms Japan and the geisha's world are forever changed by the onslaught of history.
Written by dumpster_cakes

- a very astounding movie! Zhang Ziyi was all so elegant and beautiful in this film.

Trivia:
*Ziyi Zhang was allergic to the contact lenses that she had to wear for her role as Sayuri.

*Neither 'Li Gong (I)' or Suzuka Ohgo could speak English at the time of filming.

*The film was banned in China because Chinese actresses play Japanese geisha. The national film board and the Office for the Administration of Radio, Film and Television claimed that it was banned because the storyline is "too sensitive".

Memorable quotes:
Mameha: [in voiceover] Remember, Chiyo, geisha are not courtesans. And we are not wives. We sell our skills, not our bodies. We create another secret world, a place only of beauty. The very word "geisha" means artist and to be a geisha is to be judged as a moving work of art.

Sayuri Narration: [as Chiyo watches the Chairman leave with geisha] In that moment, I changed from a girl facing nothing but emptiness, to someone with purpose. I saw that to be a geisha could be a stepping stone to something else... a place in his world.

Sayuri Narration:
You cannot say to the sun, "More sun." Or to the rain, "Less rain."
To a man, geisha can only be half a wife. We are the wives of nightfall.
And yet, to learn kindness after so much unkindness,
to understand that a little girl with more courage than she knew, would find her prayers were answered, can that not be called happiness?
After all these are not the memoirs of an empress, nor of a queen.
These are memoirs of another kind.

Personal Rating: 7/10

*more at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397535/
*photo by http://i23.tinypic.com/x7hnt.jpg

Transformers

"Their war. Our world."

Director: Michael Bay
Writers:
Roberto Orci (screenplay) &
Alex Kurtzman (screenplay)
Release Date: 28 June 2007 (Philippines)
Genre: Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller
Awards: Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 28 nominations
Cast:
Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky
Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes
Josh Duhamel as Captain Lennox, etc.

Plot:
An ancient struggle re-erupts on Earth between two extraterrestrial clans, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a young teenager. Will they ever save humankind and give them the freedom to choose for themselves?

Memorable Quotes:
Ironhide: Why are we fighting to save the humans? They're a primitive and violent race.
Optimus Prime: Were we so different? They're a young species. They have much to learn. But I've seen goodness in them. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings. You all know there's only one way to end this war: we must destroy the Cube. If all else fails, I will unite it with the spark in my chest.
Ratchet: That's suicide! The Cube is raw power, it could destroy you both!
Optimus Prime: A necessary sacrifice to bring peace to this planet. We cannot let the humans pay for our mistakes. It's been an honor serving with you all. Autobots, ROLL OUT!
Jazz: WE ROLLIN'!

Personal Rating: 7.5/10

*more at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/
*photo by http://chrischen.ca/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/transformers_movie_poster.png

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

"Life isn't measured in minutes, but in moments. "

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Eric Roth (screenplay and screen story)
Release Date: 8 January 2009 (Philippines)
Genre: Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance
Awards: Nominated for 13 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 50 nominations
Cast:
Brad Pitt as Benjamin Button
Cate Blanchett as Daisy
Taraji P. Henson as Queenie
Mahershalalhashbaz Ali as Tizzy
Jared Harris as Captain Mike, etc.

Plot:
This is the life story of Benjamin Button, who had a very rare disease called Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome which makes his body appear too old and deteriorating despite his young age. He was born wrinkled and with arthritis...died like a newly-born baby. You'll be wondering if such a disease actually existed. What would you feel if you were aging backwards, seeing other people suffer the demise of aging while you appear younger each year?

Trivia:
*From a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

*The second Hollywood feature film, after Denzel Washington's Deja Vu (2006), to film in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
*Brad Pitt stated it took 5 hours each day to complete the make-up required for the role.

*The look that David Fincher, visual-effects supervisor Eric Barba and special makeup-effects artist Greg Cannom devised for Benjamin as a child resemble the later stages of progeria, a condition technically named Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, a rare disease that makes its young sufferers appear aged. Those who didn't attend medical school may be most familiar with it from the Ralph Macchio TV movie _The Three Wishes of Billy Grier (1984) (TV)_. And Robin Williams had a fictional version of progeria in Jack (1996).

*The name of Benjamin's sailboat is Button Up.

Memorable Quotes:
Benjamin Button: Along the way you bump into people who make a dent on your life. Some are born to sit by a river. Some get struck by lightning. Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Some know buttons. Some know Shakespeare. Some are mothers. And some people...dance.

Benjamin Button: It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you.

Mrs. Maple: Benjamin, we're meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?

Captain Mike: You can be as mad as a mad dog at the way things went. You could swear, curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you have to let go.
Queenie: You never know what's comin' for ya.

Benjamin Button: Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.

Mr. Daws: Blinded in one eye; can't hardly hear. I get twitches and shakes out of nowhere; always losing my line of thought. But you know what? God keeps reminding me I'm lucky to be alive.

Benjamin Button: Momma? Momma? Some days, I feel different than the day before. Queenie: Everyone feels different about themselves one way or another, but we all goin' the same way.

Personal Rating: 8.5/10

*more at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421715/
*photo by http://www.axport.com/movies/2008-Hollywood-Movies/images/2008movies_BenjaminButton.jpg

Spymate

Director: Robert Vince
Writers:
Anna McRoberts (writer)
Anne Vince (writer)
Release Date: 14 January 2006 (Japan)
Genre: Adventure | Family
Cast:
Louie as Minkey
Chris Potter as Mike Muggins
Emma Roberts as Amelia Muggins
Richard Kind as Dr. Robert Farley
Pat Morita as Kiro
Michael Bailey Smith as Hugo Dulton
Musetta Vander as Dr. Claudette Amour
Debra Jo Rupp as Edith


Plot Summary:
*Minkey, a super-spy primate, and his partner Mike were the two best spies in the business. For years, they made every mission possible... But when Mike retired to raise his baby girl, Amelia, he never predicted that life would come full circle. Ten years later, Amelia -- who has invented a revolutionary chemical drill -- is kidnapped and whisked off to Japan by her hero, Dr. Farley, who is planning a highly dangerous experiment that could cause a massive earthquake and destroy the entire world. Mike and Minkey partner up one last time for their most important mission ever: saving Amelia -- and the world -- from the clutches of the evil Dr. Farley.
Written by Anna McRoberts

Good for families. Hilarious. Kids would love it!

Personal Rating: 4/10

*courtesy by http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367088/
*photo by http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000E8NRTO.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Slumdog Millionaire

"Love and money... You have mixed them both."

Directors:
Danny Boyle
Loveleen Tandan (co-director: India)
Writers:
Simon Beaufoy (screenplay) and
Vikas Swarup (novel)
Release Date: 23 January 2009 (USA)
Genre: Crime | Drama | Romance
Awards: Nominated for 10 Oscars. Another 49 wins & 29 nominations
Cast:
Dev Patel as Jamal K. Malik
Freida Pinto as Latika
Madhur Mittal as Older Salim
Anil Kapoor as Prem Kumar, etc.


Plot:
*A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.

A very wonderful movie! It depicts what true life in Mumbai could be, living in the slum areas with stray dogs and piles of garbage...yet, it also shows how one can survive such life. The movie isn't pretentious on how boldly a man can go through all the challenges to get through life still breathing, to be reunited with his childhood love and get to see his brother again. Who Wants to be a Millionaire could be the only escape, as Latika said. Well, it could be that winning the game has already been written.

Excellent music and sound editing! This could be the best cinematography of the year! No wonder they got the nominations and awards! A must-see! Two-thumbs up!

Personal Rating: 9/10

*courtesy by http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/#comment
*photo by http://www.rowthree.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/slumdog-onesheet.jpg

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Director: Peter Sollett
Writers:
Lorene Scafaria (screenplay)
Rachel Cohn (novel)
Release Date: 3 October 2008 (USA)
Genre: Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance
Awards: 5 nominations

Cast:
Michael Cera as Nick
Kat Dennings as Norah
Aaron Yoo as Thom
Rafi Gavron as Dev
Ari Graynor as Caroline
Alexis Dziena as Tris, etc.

Plot:
*High school student Nick O'Leary, member of the Queercore band The Jerk Offs, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and she asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes.

"Movies should be about the creation and expansion of a spark of magic--not about giving you exactly what you expect or want. The perfection of the movie lives in its imperfections." -Jobi14 from United States

Personal Rating: 6.5/10

*courtesy by http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0981227/
*photo by http://images1.fanpop.com/images/photos/1700000/Nick-and-Norah-s-Infinite-Playlist-michael-cera-1797463-385-572.jpg

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS

"Lines may divide us, but hope will unite us. "

Director: Mark Herman
Writers:
John Boyne (novel)
Mark Herman (screenplay)
Release Date: 14 November 2008 (USA)
Genre: Drama | War

Awards: 2 wins & 2 nominations

BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS 2008
Won:
Best Actress - Vera Farmiga

Nominated:
Best Director - Mark Herman
Most Promising Newcomer - Asa Butterfield

CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2008
Won:
Audience Choice Award - Mark Herman

Cast:
Asa Butterfield as Bruno
Vera Farmiga as Mother
Amber Beattie as Gretel
David Thewlis as Father
Jack Scanlon as Shmuel
Richard Johnson as Grandpa
Sheila Hancock as Grandma
Gábor Harsai as Elderly Jewish Man (as Gabor Harsay)


Plot:
*Set during World War II, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.

After the movie, I sat firmly and stared blankly in space. It's seemingly very stunning! With great minds from the author of the novel to the director's creativity and ingenuity comes a very exceptional movie on how a young boy loses his childhood innocence when he befriended an enemy.

Personal Rating: 9/10

*see more at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914798/
*photo by http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/2789432359_81ce91b517.jpg

WILD CHILD

"New Girl. New School. New Rules."

Director: Nick Moore
Writer: Lucy Dahl (written by)
Release Date: 8 May 2009 (USA)
Genre: Drama | Romance
Cast:
Emma Roberts as Poppy Moore
Lexi Ainsworth as Molly
Shelby Young as Ruby
Johnny Pacar as Roddy
Aidan Quinn as Gerry
Natasha Richardson as Mrs. Kingsley
Georgia King as Harriet, etc.


Plot:
*A rebellious Malibu princess is shipped off to a strict English boarding school by her father.

...there, she might learn her lesson well.
Hip, creative and hilarious...fit for teenage wild girls, hehehe.

Personal Rating: 5/10

*courtesy by http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1024255/
*photo by http://images.showhype.com/uploads/photos_large/2008/06/15/wild-child.jpg

MAKE IT HAPPEN

"Hear the music. Feel the beat."

Director: Darren Grant
Writers:
Duane Adler (screenplay)
Nicole Avril (screenplay), etc.
Release Date: 1 October 2008 (Philippines)
Genre: Drama

Cast:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lauren Kirk
Tessa Thompson as Dana
Riley Smith as Russ
John Reardon as Joel, etc.

Plot:
*Embarking on a journey to fulfill her dreams as a dancer, a young girl discovers a new style of dance that will prove to be the source of both conflict and self-discovery.

This movie will surely make you grip the edge of your seat to stop yourself from dancing...or you can opt to dance with them. Pick your choice. Either way, watching the film will keep your groovy moves checked.

Personal Rating: 6/10

*courtesy of http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822868/
*photo by http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:3OkP_f1sXhxxZM:http://www.impawards.com/2008/posters/make_it_happen.jpg

Scandal's Bride

Author: Stephanie Laurens

Avon Romantic Treasure
ISBN 0-380-80568-5

The 3rd Cynster Novel

Nominated for Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice -Best Historical Romance in a Series 1999

Excerpt:

"He will father your children..."

When Catriona Hennessy, honorable Scottish Lady of the Vale, received this prediction, she was exceedingly aghast. How could she unite with a rake like Richard Cynster--a masterful man with a scandalous reputation? More shocking still was her guardian's will that decreed she and Richard be wed within a week! Though charmed by his commanding presence, and wooed by his heated kisses, she would not--could not--give up her independence.

So she formed a plan to get the heir she needed without taking wedding vows.Richard was just as stunned by the will's command. Marriage had not previously been on his agenda, but lately he'd been feeling rather...restless. Perhaps taming the lady was just the challenge he needed. But can he have the rights of the marriage bed without making any revealing promises of love?

"4½ STARS, EXCEPTIONAL! - A TOP PICK! And a K.I.S.S. Hero! Get ready to have your heart stolen by another Cynster in this wonderfully written, delightful tale that sizzles with sensuality. Stephanie Laurens knows how to enchant readers, not only with her steamy love scenes, but with her wonderfully real and memorable characters, as well. Thanks goodness there will be more Cynsters and more breathtaking romances to come from one of the most talented authors on the scene today."
Romantic Times

*read more at http://www.stephanielaurens.com/Cynsters/03ScandalsBride.htm
*photo by http://images.contentreserve.com/ImageType-100/0293-1/{BD37297B-EEA6-492F-82B8-D0964256B913}Img100.jpg

AUGUST RUSH

"An incredible journey moving at the speed of sound."

Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Writers:
Nick Castle (screenplay)
James V. Hart (screenplay), etc.
Release Date: 21 November 2007 (USA)
Genre: Drama | Music | Romance


Cast:
Freddie Highmore as Evan Taylor - 'August Rush'
Keri Russell as Lyla Novacek
Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Louis Connelly
Terrence Howard as Richard Jeffries
Robin Williams as Maxwell 'Wizard' Wallace

A very inspiring movie! It will surely surface out the music in you. A must-watch for families!
No spoilers and synopsis. Get ready to be surprised and moved!

Personal Rating: 8/10

*courtesy by http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426931/
*photo by http://iesb.net/filmgeekz/images/stories/jreviews/527_AugustRush_1205198421.jpg

One Tree Hill quote

Charles Bukowski once wrote:

"There will always be something to ruin our lives. It all depends on what or which finds us first. We are always ripe and ready to be taken."

We all have problems on our own. Sometimes, we will think that ours are greater and more complicated than others, but then, others may think the same way too. Regardless on how heavy our burdens may be, they are there to challenge us, strengthen us, test our faith. Whatever yoke comes first, the only thing that can prepare us to face it is to believe in ourselves that we can overcome it, for God wouldn't provide us with a challenge in which we cannot handle ourselves. If it seems to be too much, then, our trust in God has been challenged. When we have come to believe in ourselves, then we should also learn to believe in God, for He is always there to help us, not forsake us. By then, when something heavy strikes us at the time when we are very much vulnerable, then we worry not anymore...for we have someone to whom we can lean on when we get caught up in a much stronger storm.