Avatar: The Way of Water Review

Avatar: The Way of Water

Release Date: 15th December 2022 - Australia

Production Companies

20th Century Studios

Lightstorm Entertainment

TSG Entertainment (made in association with)

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 192 minutes

Budget: $460,000,000

Box Office Gross: $2,320,250,281 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Now living in Pandora,

Jake Sully has formed

a family with Neytiri

and is doing everything

to stay together. When a

familiar threat resurfaces,

Jake and his family

leave their home to keep

themselves safe and

explore a new region

where they settle in the

islands and learn new

ways. However, Jake

must defend his new

home with the help of

Neytiri and the army of

the Na'vi race from the

humans if they are to

finish where they had

previously started.

Cast

Sam Worthington - Jake Sully

Zoe Saldana - Neytiri

Sigourney Weaver - Kiri/

Dr. Grace Augustine

Stephen Lang - Colonel Miles Quatrich

Kate Winslet - Ronal

Cliff Curtis - Tonowari

Joel David Moore - Dr. Norm Spellman

C.C.H. Pounder - Mo'at

Edie Falco - General Ardmore

Brendan Cowell - Scoresby

Jemaine Clement - Dr. Garvin

Jamie Flatters - Neteyam

Britain Dalton - Lo'ak

Trinity Jo-Li Bliss - Tuk

Jack Champion - Spider

Bailey Bass - Tsireya

Filip Geljo - Aonung

Duane Evans Jr. - Roxto

Giovanni Ribisi - Parker Selfridge

Dileep Rao - Dr. Max Patel

Matt Gerald - Recom Lyle Wainfleet

Robert Okumu - Ta'unui Olecthan

Jennifer Stafford - Ta'unui Tsahik

Keston John - Tarsem

Kevin Dorman - Recom Mansk

Alicia Vela-Bailey - Recom

Zdinarsik

Sean Anthony Moran - Recom Fike

Andrew Arrabito - Recom Prager

Johnny Alexander - Recom Ja

Kim Do - Recom Zhang

Victor Lopez - Recom Lopez

Maria Walker - Recom Walker

Phil Brown - Stringer

Jocelyn Christian - Bio Lab Tech

Joel Tobeck - Neuroscientist

Chloe Coleman - Young Lo'ak

Jeremy Iwan - Young Neteyam

Moana Ete - Female Med-Tech

Phil Pendleton - Male Med-Tech

Jamie Landau - Metkayina Warrior

Jim Moore - Mako Sub #1 Pilot

Benjamin Hoetjes - Mako Sub #1 Gunner

Nikita Tu-Bryant - Mako

Sub #2 Pilot

Anthony Ahern - Mako

Sub #2 Gunner

Shane Rangi - Matador Co-Pilot

Rick Lucas - Kestrel Pilot

Tanya Drewery - Neurotech #1

Ava Diakhaby - Neurotech #2

Isaac Te Raina - Sea Dragon First Mate

Eric Farmer - Crabsuit Pilot

Philip Mtambo - Skel Trooper

Cruz Moir - Young Spider

Alex Lucas - Toddler Spider

Scarlett Fernandez - Young Kiri

Crew

Based on Characters/Story/

Screenplay/Producer/Editor/

Director - James Cameron

Story/Screenplay - Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver

Story - Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director - Maria

Battle-Campbell

Associate Producer/UPM:

New Zealand - Brigitte Yorke

Executive Producer/Virtual

Second Unit Director/Visual

Effects Supervisor: Lightstorm - Richard Baneham

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

David Valdes

Producer - Jon Landau

Casting Director - Margery Simkin

Creator: Na'vi Language - Paul R. Frommer

Creator of Na'vi Sign Language - CJ Jones

Dialect Coach - Carla Meyer

Movement & Performance Coach - JoAnn Fregalette Jansen

Production Designers - Dylan Cole and Ben Procter

Lead Creature Designer - Zachary Berger

Creature Designers - Ian Joyner and

Constantine Jerkis

Lead Character Designer - Joseph C. Pepe

Character Design Supervisor: Legacy Effects -

John Rosengrant

Key Character Designers: Legacy Effects -

Scott Patton, Glen Hanz, Simon Webber

and Jared Krichevsky

Supervising Art Directors - Luke Freeborn,

Aashrita Kamath and Kim Sinclair

Art Directors - Rudie Schaefer,

Stephen Christensen, Sarah Delucchi,

Steven Light-Orr, Simon Bright, Ben Milsom,

Alister Baxter, Rob Bavin, Andy McLaren,

Ken Turner and Andrew Chan

Concept Art Directors - Fausto De Martini,

Jonathan Bach and Steven Messing

Design Art Director: Weta Workshop - Stephen Crowe

Na'vi Costume Art Director & Supervisor -

Flo Foxworthy

Concept Artists - John Park, David Levy,

Saiful Haque, Jonathan Berube, Joseph Hiura,

Nick Gindraux, Annis Naeem and Daphne Yap

Concept Artists: Weta Workshop -

Jeremy Hanna, Rebekah Tisch, William Bennett,

Adam Anderson, Iona Brinch, Thomas Oates,

Greg Tozer Tahiwi Trenor-Hunt, Adam Middleton,

Yoojin Seong, Gus Hunter, Joshua Damian,

Ken Samonte, Qingyi Li, Vaughan Flanagan,

Jerome Morris, Russell Lu, Paul Tobin,

Leri Greer, Lindsey Crummett and

Andrew Baker

Creative Lead: Weta Workshop - Richard Taylor

Head of Manufacture: Weta Workshop -

Rob Gillies

Project Supervisors: Weta Workshop -

Joe Dunckley, Mona Peters, Jake Evill,

Brad Cunningham and Jack Taylor

Construction Supervisor - Neil Kirkland

Set Decorator - Vanessa Cole

Property Master - Brad Elliott

Head Armourer - Gunner Ashford

Costume Designer - Deborah L. Scott

Head Makeup & Hair - Sarah Rubano

Director of Photography - Russell Carpenter

2nd Unit and Additional Photography - Richard Bluck

Underwater Cinematographer - Peter Zuccarini

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Garrett Warren

Assistant Stunt Coordinator - Steve Brown

New Zealand Stunt Coordinator - Stuart Thorp

2nd Unit Stunt Coordinator - Steven John Brown

Performance Free Diver Instructor -

Kirk Krack

Supervising Dive Master - John Garvin

Spider Physical Fitness Coach - Josh Murillo

Live-Action Special Effects Supervisor -

Steve Ingram

Special Effects Supervisor: Performance

Capture - J.D. Schwalm

On Set Coordinator - Richard Schwalm

Special Effects Offset Coordinators -

Karl Chisholm and Darian Lumsden

Co-Supervisors: Legacy Effects - J. Alan Scott,

Lindsay MacGowan and Shane Mahan

Model Shop Supervisor: Legacy Effects -

Dave Merritt

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor - Joe Letteri

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta FX -

Eric Saindon

Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta FX -

R. Christopher White, Wayne Stables, Mark Gee,

Nick Epstein, Sergei Nevshupov, Ken McGaugh,

Stephen Unterfranz, Pavani Rao Boddapati

and Dan Cox

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - David Vickery

Head of FX: Weta FX - Jonathan Nixon

Associate Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta FX -

Sam Cole and Francois Sugny

Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Jan Maroske

Visual Effects Producer - Walter Garcia

Visual Effects Producers: Weta FX -

Lena Scanlan and Nicky Muir

Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Led Briggs

VFX Production Manager: ILM - Rachel Cohen

Virtual Production Producer - Richard E. Hollander

Virtual Production Supervisor - Ryan Champaney

Virtual Production Supervisor: Weta FX -

Dejan Momcilovic

Senior Animation Supervisor: Weta FX -

Daniel Barrett

Animation Supervisors: Weta FX - Eric Reynolds,

Stephen Clee, Anneka Fris, Sidney Kombo,

Todd Labonte, Ignacio Bayardo Peńa and Nick Stein

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Kiel Figgins

Pre-Production Supervisor: Weta FX - Marco Revelant

CGI Supervisors: ILM - Steve Ellis,

Will Gallyot and Miguel Perez Senent

Facial Motion Supervisor: Weta FX - Stuart Adcock

Environmental Supervisors: Weta FX -

Dean Lewandowski and Motoki Mark Nishii

Head of Creatures: Weta FX - Gios Johnston

Sequence Supervisors - Steve Deane,

Andrew Moffett, AJ Briones, Ben Shupe,

Paolo Joel Ziemba and Mark Nelson

Supervising Stage Operator - Dan Fowler

Stage Operators - Buffy Bailey,

Jerry Zigounakis, Connor Gartland,

Ian Adams, Shéa W. C. Melville and

James Turner

Motion Edit Supervisor - Don De Castro

Simulcam Supervisor - Casey Schatz

Editors - David Brenner,

John Refoua and Stephen E. Rivkin

Additional Picture Editors - Jason Gaudio

and Ian Silverstein

Re-Recording Mixer/Supervising

Sound Editor & Sound Designer -

Christopher Boyes

Supervising Sound Editors - Dick Bernstein

and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

Sound Designers - Dave Whitehead

and Dave Chirastka

Production Mixers - Julian Howarth

and Tony Johnson

Re-Recording Mixers - Michael Hedges

and Gary Summers

Additional Re-Recording Mixer -

Alexis Feodoroff

Music - Simon Franglen

Original Avatar Themes - James Horner

Review

More than 12 years after the release of Avatar, it became the all-time highest-grossing film at the box office and revolutionised 3D movies. The whole world has eagerly awaited the prospect of the sequel THE WAY OF WATER, which is now in cinemas as they promised for a lifetime. However, the novelty of the original has worn off, but it didn't stop everyone from seeing the latest chapter before they can trash it or at least admire its visual splendour. Like its predecessor, THE WAY OF WATER got held in development longer than anyone had ever imagined. James Cameron has his hands full developing its concept while pushing the limits of mo-cap technology even further by shooting scenes underwater. It's been a long time since Cameron churned out anything fresh. Yes, this is the same former visual effects artist turned filmmaker who brought us the Terminator series (and nearly killed it), Aliens, The Abyss, True Lies and Titanic.

Despite the movie being three hours long and the plot isn't groundbreaking (an ongoing flaw of the original), the visuals blew me out of the water (no pun intended) with its technical achievements, even more so than the first instalment. Still, it is nice to revisit the alien world of Pandora after 13 years of experiencing it for the first time. We finally got to see more of it to the point where the world-building began, a common aspect in most sequels, and James Cameron has made sure of that promise to gain the audiences' expectations. Surprisingly, he had not leaned into that territory for almost 30 years when he directed Terminator 2. It proved that he was still at the top of his game. I was fascinated by the island and underwater settings, which fit right into the movie and helped that those landscapes are way more breathtaking than the rainforests of Pandora.

Sigourney Weaver looks young when portraying the adopted teenage daughter of Jake Sully, which seems like the oddest decision to cast her, given her age. But then again, it has all to do with the digital wizardry of performance capture and gives her finest acting compared to her stiff, awkward performance in the first Avatar movie. There's even a human character raised on Pandora, and other humans killed off in the original came back to life as Avatars.

I don't care what some people think of THE WAY OF WATER. It's one of the top movies of 2022 and is third only to The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick. It proves to be an immense visual experience that may stun them as it happened more than a decade ago with the first movie. Time will tell if the third instalment will happen along with the fourth and if the second will prove as successful as the first.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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In Memory of Kirstie Alley (1951-2022)

Kirstie Alley (1951-2022)

Actress Kirstie Alley died on 5 December 2022 after a short battle with colon cancer. She was 51 years old. The actress was well-known for her roles in the TV series "Cheers" and "Veronica's Closet", as well as movies like "Look Who's Talking" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous".

Born in 1951 in Kansas, Alley's career began in 1982 with a role as a Vulcan officer on "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". Throughout the 80s, she appeared in other movies like "Champions", "One More Chance", "Blind Date", and "Runaway", which did little to boost her prospects. In 1987, the same year that she starred in the comedy film "Summer School", which was a box-office success. Kirstie was to become part of the cast and enter her breakout role on the hit sitcom "Cheers". She remained on the show for six years until its end in the eleventh and final season. She co-starred with John Travolta in "Look Who's Talking", which grossed over $295 million worldwide and was a huge hit. They re-teamed and went on to make two sequels, "Look Who's Talking Too" and "Look Who's Talking Now".

Alley appeared in more films like Woody Allen's "Deconstruction Harry" and "Drop Dead Gorgeous" and starred in her sitcom "Veronica's Closet". In later years, Alley appeared on several reality shows, including the US version of "Dancing With The Stars" (in which she came out in second place). She has also appeared in Ryan Murphy's comedy series "Scream Queens" in 2014 and 2015.

Here's a clip that showcases her performance in "Look Who's Talking".

 

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Music Review

Music

Release Date: 14th January 2021 - Australia

Production Companies

Landay Entertainment

Atlantic Films

Crush Pictures

Pineapple Lasagne Productions

Warner Music Entertainment

Distribution

StudioCanal Australia

Genre: Drama/Musical

Rating: M

Runtime: 107 minutes

Budget: $16,000,000

Box Office Gross: $645,949 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Zu is a free-spirited woman who recently went sober and

is trying to find her

place in the world when

she receives the news

that her grandmother

has died. She is about

to become the sole

caretaker of her half-

sister, Music, a young girl

on the autism spectrum.

Cast

Kate Hudson - Zu

Maddie Ziegler - Music

Leslie Odom Jr. - Ebo

Braeden Marcott - Nassir

Beto Cavillo - Felix

Blair Williamson - Abel

Mary Kay Place - Millie

Hector Elizondo - George

Eric Davis - Police Officer

Brandon Soo Hoo - Tanner,

the Boxer

Juliette Lewis - Evelyn

Kathy Najimy - Evelyn's Mom

Ben Schwartz - Rudy

Sarah Zinsser - Woman at AA Meeting

Sia - Popstar Without Borders (Cameo)

Crew

Music's World Creator/Story/

Screenplay/Additional Music/

Producer/Director - Sia

Screenplay - Dallas Clayton

Writer - Metin Bati

Executive Producers - Len Blavatnik, Danny Cohen, Jonathan Daniel, Julie Greenwald

and Craig Kallman

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Will Weiske

Producer - Vincent Landay

Co-Producer - Jason Baum

Casting - Rachel Tenner and Charlene Lee

Choreographer - Ryan Heffington

Production Designer - Tracy Dishman

Production Designer: Additional Photography/

Art Director - Leigh Poindexter

Set Decorator - Amanda Hallberg

Costume Designer - Christine Wada

Director of Photography - Sebastian Wintero

First Assistant Director: Additional Photography -

Paula Case

Stunt Coordinator - Steven John Brown

Special Effects Coordinator - Elia P. Popov

Visual Effects Supervisor - Janelle Croshaw

Film Editors - Matt Chesse,

Curtiss Clayton and Dana Congdon

Additional Editor - Brad Besser

Additional Editor: Musicals - Loran Askill

Re-Recording Mixer/Sound Designer -

Leo Marcil

Sound Designers - Sylvain Lasseur

and Wylie Stateman

Re-Recording Mixers - Lindsey Alvarez

and Eric Hoehn

Score - Craig DeLeon

Additional Music - Labrinth

Review

I didn't care much about the pop star Sia, though I'm not into her songs. She's proven controversial when this film inaccurately depicts autism as stereotypical and offensive. Many autistic people were insulted by this portrayal, especially with Sia casting a neurotypical actress like Maddie Ziegler as the titular character with severe autism. The restraints in the film proved harmful and dangerous, which isn't a good sign. I'm disappointed with how MUSIC turned out, especially its story when there's not much of a storyline. While the film has good intentions, it lacks the human qualities needed to represent those in a world of cultural diversity. The musical numbers are silly and pointless and do not contribute to the film. From what I've learned, this film was written as a non-musical until the producers convinced Sia to add musical numbers.

Maddie Ziegler seemed miscast as the titular character, and honestly, I don't care if she's as terrible as other people said about her acting in this movie. Since Maddie was her frequent collaborator in her music videos, it was the director. Maybe she should have chosen a different young actress with some autism. While Kate Hudson and Leslie Odom Jr.'s performances were incredible, their roles weren't enough to compensate for the film's failures. Also, Sia's cameo is redundant.

MUSIC fails to deliver good value for a filmgoer's buck. As much as I want to admire this film, I can't because it's disappointing. I would probably not want to see it again. In recommendation, this movie is not worth viewing for the second time, and you would steer clear of it.

Star rating: (3/10) Disappointing

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It: Chapter Two Review

It: Chapter Two

Release Date: 5th September 2019 - Australia

Production Companies

New Line Cinema (presents)
RatPac-Dune Entertainment (in association with)
Vertigo Entertainment
Lin Pictures
KatzSmith Productions

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Horror

Rating: MA15+ (Not Suitable for Young Children)

Runtime: 169 minutes

Budget: $79,000,000

Box Office Gross: $473,122,525 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Six members of the "Losers" club are all grown and reunited after being called back to Derry for something they should have done 27 years ago when people started to disappear all over town. Now, the Club must confront their deepest fears and make one final stand to defeat the evil clown Pennywise once and for all.

Cast

James McAvoy - Bill Denbrough

Jessica Chastain - Beverly Marsh

Bill Hader - Richie Tozier

Isaiah Mustafa - Mike Hanlon

Jay Ryan - Ben Hanscom

James Ransone - Eddie Kaspbrak

Andy Bean - Stanley Uris

Bill Skarsgård - Pennywise

Jaeden Martell - Young Bill Denbrough
Sophia Lillis - Young Beverly Marsh
Finn Wolfhard - Young Richie Tozier
Chosen Jacobs - Young Mike Hanlon

Jeremy Ray Taylor - Young Ben Hanscom
Jack Dylan Grazer - Young Eddie Kaspbrak
Wyatt Oleff - Young Stanley Uris
Nicholas Hamilton - Young

Henry Bowers

Tristian Levi and Torian

Matthew Cox - 4-Year-Old

Mike Hanlon

Joan Gregson - Mrs. Kersh 

Teach Grant - Henry Bowers

Jackson Robert Scott - Georgie 
Denbrough

Javier Botet - Hobo/The Witch

Xavier Dolan - Adrian Mellon

Taylor Frey - Don Hagarty

Stephen Bogaert - Alvin Marsh

Molly Atkinson - Myra/Sonia Kaspbrak

Luke Roessler - Dean

Stephen King - Shopkeeper (Cameo)

Peter Bogdanovich - Peter - Director (Cameo)

Will Beinbrink - Tom

Jess Weixler - Audra Phillips

Martha Girvin - Patty

Ryan Kiera Armstrong - Victoria
Fuller

Jake Weary - Webby

Katie Lunman - Chris Unwin

Kelly Van der Burg - Victoria's Mom

Jason Fuchs - Richie's Manager

Joe Bostick - Mr. Keene

Megan Charpentier - Young Gretta

Juno Rinaldo - Gretta

Neil Crone - Chief Borton 

Jake Sim - Belch Huggins
Logan Thompson - Victor Criss
Owen Teague - Patrick Hockstetter

Ry Prior - Connor

Ari Cohen - Stanley's Dad

Kate Corbett - Dean's Mom

Shawn Storer - Dean's Dad

Janet Porter - Richie's Mom

Crew

Director - Andy Muschietti 

Based on the Novel "It" - Stephen King

Screenplay/Executive 
Producer - Gary Dauberman

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Marty P. Ewing

Executive Producers - Richard Brenner, 
Seth Grahame-Smith, David Katzenberg 
and Dave Neustadter

Producers - Roy Lee, 
Dan Lin and Barbara Muschietti

Co-Producer - Victoria Palmeri

Co-Producer/Script Revisionist (Uncredited) -

Jason Fuchs

Choreographer - Roberto Campanella

Production Designer - Paul D. Austenberry

Original Set Design - Claude Paré

Concept Artists - Vicki Pui, Aaron Sims,

Michael Pecchia, Carlos Haunte and

Vincent Proce

Art Director - Nigel Churcher

Set Decorator - Shane Vieau

Property Master - Christopher Geggie

Costume Designer - Luis Sequeira

Makeup Designers and Creators: Pennywise -

Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.

Shop Supervisor - François Dagenais

Prosthetics Supervisor/Department Head -

Sean Sansom

Hair Designer - Stephanie Ingram

Director of Photography - Checco Varese

First Assistant Director - Michael Lerman

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Travis McConnell

Second Assistant Directors: Second Unit -

Adam Bocknek and Lauren Cowley

Third Assistant Directors: Second Unit -

Andrew Pritchard and Abel Erazo-Ibarra

Second Unit Director - William Waring

Stunt Coordinator - Jamie Jones

Special Effects Supervisor - Christy Hollidge

Special Effects Coordinator - Warren Appleby

Visual Effects Supervisor - Nicholas Brooks

Visual Effects Producers - Randy Starr

and Jimmy Uddo

Editor - Jason Ballantine

Additional Editor - Peter S. Elliott

Sound Designers - Erick Ocampo and

Randy Torres

Supervising Sound Editors - Bill R. Dean

and Nancy Nugent

Re-Recording Mixers - Michael Keller

and Tim LeBlanc

Music - Benjamin Wallfisch

Review

IT: CHAPTER TWO is an awaited conclusion of Stephen King's original story and is much bigger and more ambitious than the first movie (click here). While its predecessor exceeded expectations from those who read the novel, this film comes close in succession. It doesn't come as much of a shock for audiences who opted for the second part of IT to be superior to the miniseries version. The pacing is, at times, slow, the running time is nearly three hours long, and there are much weaker scares than those in the predecessor. Still, I appreciated the movie for its themes and loyalty to the source material, and there are terrifying moments like the infamous Hall of Mirrors scene, which haunt you and put shivers down your spine.

James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader deliver great performances to the sequel that nearly captures the fright and suspense of the original. Bill Skarsgård is still as terrifying as Pennywise. Keep an eye out for the author. He has a cameo as the shopkeeper in the film.

Not quite as scary nor good as the first movie, IT: CHAPTER TWO remains a solid conclusion with a surprise waiting for moviegoers and is for everyone who has seen the previous instalment.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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In Memory of Robbie Coltrane (1950-2022)

Robbie Coltrane (1950-2022)

Hello moviegoers, we've just lost someone famous that happened quite recently. Scottish-born actor Robbie Coltrane, best known for portraying the lovable half-giant Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" series, died on 14 October 2022. He was 72 years old. Coltrane was only a stage name when the actor got it from the inspiration of his favourite jazz musician, John Coltrane. Before gaining international fame, Coltrane dabbled in comedy on the theatre stage and in 1980, he made his film debut in "Flash Gordon" in a minor role as a man at the airfield. The following year, Coltrane became a regular on the comedy "A Kick up the Eighties" and landed an iconic role in the Comic Strip's "Five Go Mad in Dorset" by playing a female shopkeeper and a male gypsy. He even appeared in a short-lived sketch TV series, "Alfresco", with English actors Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson.

In 1987, while the actor was becoming reasonably well-known on television, he made his big break when cast in the lead role in the six-part heartwarming rock 'n' roll drama series "Tutti Frutti". It reunited him with Thompson, earning him his first British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Actor. After "Tutti Frutti" came a few movie roles for him, including "Nuns on the Run" and "The Pope Must Die". In 1993, Robbie would land a lead role as a troubled criminal psychologist in the dark and hard-hitting drama series "Cracker", which won him three BAFTAS and ran for three seasons, with two subsequent specials. Coltrane continued to thrive extensively on television and cinema, especially when he appeared as a former KGB operative, Valentin Zukovsky, in the James Bond movies with Pierce Brosnan, "GoldenEye", and "The World Is Not Enough".

In 2001, he received a natural role in the "Harry Potter" franchise when J.K. Rowling was desperate to cast him as the bearded half-giant gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid. Naturally, Coltrane accepted it as his children urged him to do it. Starring in all eight movies, this impacted a new audience of younger fans for Coltrane that helped to re-energise his career, particularly on British TV. In 2016, he returned to the small screen with an edgy drama "National Treasure", where he played a TV actor accused of sexual abuse. Coltrane appeared less frequently in films and television, especially in later years when health issues started to plague him. However, he returned for an interview in HBO Max's "Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts", where the aging actor recalled his time in the movies and Hagrid's impact.

Goodbye, Robbie and thank you for playing the character that impacted younger generations. Here is the clip of his iconic role in a pivotal moment that introduced Hagrid and utters the famous line to Harry about who he is.

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In Memory of Angela Lansbury (1925-2022)

Angela Lansbury (1925-2022)

The acclaimed actress of stage, film and television, Dame Angela Lansbury, has died two weeks short of her 97th birthday. She has starred in films such as "Beauty and the Beast" and the television series "Murder, She Wrote".

She was born Angela Brigid Lansbury in London on 25th October 1925, the daughter of an Irish stage actress and a career politician. Her father died when she was 9, and not long after, she fled to New York City with her family during the beginning of World War II to avoid the bombings by Germany during the London Blitz. During her time in New York City, Lansbury studied to become an actress, and at her mother's urging, she soon moved to Los Angeles to be in the movies. She debuted opposite Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer in the paranoiac classic "Gaslight", playing a role as a maid. This part earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, she was nominated again for Best Supporting Actress for 1945's "The Picture of Dorian".

She was under contract to MGM but was sometimes loaned by the company to other studios, as she told the Los Angeles Times in 1985. Lansbury appeared in several films, including "National Velvet" (as Elizabeth Taylor's sister), "The Harvey Girls", "State of the Union", "The Three Musketeers", the Danny Kaye comedy "The Court Jester" and "The Long, Hot Summer". She often portrays characters much older than she was, including in movies like "Blue Hawaii" as Elvis Presley's mom when she was 35 to the 26-year-old Elvis. But the one role she was too young for was playing Laurence Harvey's controlling mother in "The Manchurian Candidate". Lansbury was five years older than her 34-year-old co-star. Though the film was initially unsuccessful, it did earn Lansbury her third Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Lansbury also had an illustrious career on Broadway, appearing in several productions like "Mame", "Gypsy", and "Sweeney Todd", which earned her five Tony Awards. After becoming a musical theatre star in the mid-1960s, Lansbury returned to films occasionally in the 1970s, with the lead role in the 1971 Disney hit musical "Bedknobs and Broomsticks". In 1991, her association with Disney continued several years later when she voiced the teapot, Mrs. Potts, in the Oscar-nominated animated movie "Beauty and the Beast". She also starred recently in "Mary Poppins Returns".

In her 60s, she achieved what was to be the greatest fame in her starring role as mystery writer turned detective Jessica Fletcher in the TV series "Murder, She Wrote". The show aired on the American television network CBS. It lasted for 12 seasons and was in the top 10 most-watched shows on television.

In 2013, Lansbury received her Honorary Oscar and accepted it. The following year, she received her damehood from Queen Elizabeth II. Here are the clips of the movies that highlighted her performances.

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Polishing and Improving My Critiques

Hello, everyone. There isn't much to talk about what I was doing. In the past several years/months/weeks, I've been using the Grammarly app. I started in 2020 to improve my reviews when COVID hit. Since then, I've been making changes by rewriting plot summaries, rewording, expanding, shortening and polishing review descriptions.

Recently, I've been juggling my animation work, new job and movie critiques so I won't be distracted by anything else.

I compiled a list of my original reviews I've already updated recently. Click on the names below, which are linked to the critiques and see what you think of these improvements.

• Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
• The Lion King (1994)
• How to Train Your Dragon
• The Lawnmower Man
• Casablanca
• Die Hard
• Die Hard with a Vengeance
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
  
• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
• Dr. No
• Casino Royale
• Pixels
• Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• The Karate Kid (1984)
• X-Men
  

As for The Amazing Spider-Man, Rock of Ages, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, Roman Holiday, The Darkest Hour, and Get Smart, which are still under maintenance. I'm still working on them.

Very soon, more updates are coming as long as I resume my busy schedule.

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The Fog (1980) Review

The Fog

Release Date: 12th June 1980 - Australia

Production Companies

AVCO Embassy Pictures

EDI (presents)

Debra Hill Productions

Distribution

StudioCanal Australia

Genre: Horror

Rating: M (Not Suitable for Young Children)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Budget: $1,100,000

Box Office Gross: $21,448,830 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A small, quaint coastal town in California of Antonio Bay has turned a hundred years old. The residents of its peaceful

community have begun

preparations to celebrate

its centennial year when

supernatural activity begins to disrupt the festivities. An impenetrable and eerie fog emerges from the shore and begins to shroud the village, leading to mysterious disappearances and the spilling of warm, bright red blood. Amidst the spectral glowing mist are ghosts of long-dead victims of a century-old

shipwreck that have come

to seek revenge on the

townsfolk for a crime

committed by the town's

founders 100 years ago.

Cast

Adrienne Barbeau - Stevie Wayne

Jamie Lee Curtis - Elizabeth Solley

John Houseman - Mr. Machen

Janet Leigh - Kathy Williams

Tom Atkins - Nick Castle

Nancy Kyes - Sandy Fadel

James Canning - Dick Baxter

Charles Cyphers - Dan O'Bannon

Ty Mitchell - Andy Wayne

Hal Holbrook - Father Malone

John F. Goff - Al Williams

George 'Buck' Flower - Tommy Wallace

Regina Waldon - Mrs. Kobritz

Jim Haymie - Dockmaster

Darrow Igus - Mel

John Vick - Sheriff David Simms

Jim Jacobus - Mayor

Fred Franklyn - Ashcroft

Ric Moreno - Ghost

Lee Socks - Ghost

Tommy Lee Wallace - Ghost

Bill Taylor - Bartender

Rob Bottin - Blake

Charles Nicklin - Blake (Voice)

Darwin Joston - Dr. Phibes

Laurie Arent - Child

Lindsay Arent - Child

Shari Jacoby - Child

Christopher Cundey - Child

John Strobel - Grocery Clerk

John Carpenter - Bennett (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Debra Hill - Extra (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Writer/Director/Music - John Carpenter

Writer/Producer - Debra Hill

Script Supervisor - Jeanne Rosenberg

Associate Producers - Barry Bernardi

and Pegi Brotman

Executive Producer - Charles B. Bloch

Production Designer/Editor - Tommy Lee Wallace

Art Director - Craig Stearns

Special Makeup/Effects: Blake - Rob Bottin

Costume Designers - Stephen Loomis

and Bill Whitten

Cinematography/Effects: Blake - Dean Cundey

Camera Operator/Second Unit Camera -

Raymond Stella

Production Manager - Don Behrns

First Assistant Director - Larry Franco

Special Effects: A. & A. Special Effects -

Richard Albain Jr.

Special Photographic Effects - James F. Liles

Editor - Charles Bornstein

Special Sound Effects - Frank Serafine

Supervising Sound Editors - Gregg Barbanell

and Ron Horowitz

Re-Recording Mixers - Bob Minkler,

Richard Tyler and Ray West

Review

John Carpenter is an accomplished master of terror when bringing horror movies to life. Following the success of Halloween is a supernatural and ghostly tale of THE FOG, which is about the town's residents facing an unearthly fog with victims from a shipwreck coming to get them for a crime that happened 100 years ago. It is known for its moody atmosphere and is so tense that it will completely terrify you when watching it at midnight, whether by yourself or with someone. The few problems with THE FOG are its lack of blood and gore. The other is Adrienne Barbeau's role, in which she doesn't interact with some of the other characters. However, the creepiness and original premise should make up for it. I like how the movie begins with an old captain telling a ghost story to young children by a campfire, and that seems like a way to start a horror film.

Adrienne Barbeau was talented as a radio announcer, yet surprisingly, she was married to the director at the time of the film's production. Jamie Lee Curtis didn't have enough material to work in a lead role as she was part of an ensemble cast. However, she shares the screen with her mother and fellow actress Janet Leigh. Dean Cundey's cinematography was brilliant, evoking the film's chilling impact, and some special effects are magnificent.

THE FOG is a visually compelling movie by John Carpenter, despite numerous production issues that caused the director to consider it his least favourite. Though I partially disagree, while it is semi-decent, it's an enjoyable film, especially for those familiar with a similar and more terrifying movie called The Mist.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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Contagion Review

Contagion

Release Date: 20th October 2011 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

Participant (in association with)

Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ (in

association with)

Double Feature Films

Digital Image Associates

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Thriller

Rating: M

Runtime: 106 minutes

Budget: $60,000,000

Box Office Gross: $136,515,867 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

On her return from a

business trip to Hong Kong,

Beth Emhoff suddenly dies

from what appears to be flu

or some ailment. Later that

same day, her young son

dies after contracting the

illness that killed her.

Her husband, however,

seems immune to the virus.

Soon, many others began

experiencing the same

symptoms of the infection, starting a pandemic across the globe. Many doctors and other medical professionals must identify what type of virus this is and try to find a vaccine that will end the outbreak, which will only take several months. As the contagion spreads to millions worldwide, society begins to crumble as people panic.

Cast

Marion Cotillard - Dr. Leonora

Orantes

Matt Damon - Mitch Emhoff

Laurence Fishburne - Dr. Ellis Cheever

Jude Law - Alan Krumwiede

Gwyneth Paltrow - Beth Emhoff

Kate Winslet - Dr. Erin Mears

Bryan Cranston - RADM Lyle Haggerty

Jennifer Ehle - Dr. Ally Hextall

Elliott Gould - Dr. Ian Sussman

Chin Han - Sun Feng

John Hawkes - Roger

Anna Jacoby-Heron - Jory Emhoff

Josie Ho - Li Fai's Sister

Sanaa Lathan - Aubrey Cheever

Demetri Martin - Dr. David Eisenberg

Griffin Kane - Clark Morrow

Armin Rohde - Damian Leopold

Enrico Colantoni - Dennis French

Larry Clarke - Dave

Monique Gabriela Curnen - Lorraine Vasquez

Stef Tovar - Dr. Arrington

Grace Rex - Carrie Anne

Kara Zediker - Elizabeth Nygaard

Dan Aho - Aaron Barnes

Brian J. O'Donnell - Andrew

Annabel Armour - Beth's Mother

Dan Flannery - Hextall's Father

Joshua Seiden - Anthony

Sanjay Gupta - Himself (Cameo)

Crew

Director/Director of Photography - Steven Soderbergh

Writer - Scott Z. Burns

Executive Producers - Jonathan King, Jeff Skoll and Ricky Strauss

Executive Producer/Unit Production

Manager - Michael Polaire

Producer/First Assistant Director -

Gregory Jacobs

Producers - Michael Shamberg

and Stacey Sher

Senior Technical Advisors - Larry Brilliant,

Laurie Garrett and Ian Lipkin

Technical Advisors - Billy Goldberg,

Natasha K. Griffith, Tracey McNamara,

Michael J. Ryan, Connie Schmaljohn,

Mark Smolinski, Ira Blumen,

Don Weiss and Nathan Wolfe

Production Designer - Howard Cummings

Supervising Art Director - David Lazan

Supervising Art Director: UK and Morocco -

Ricky Eyres

Set Decorator - Cindy Carr

Property Master - Brad Einhorn

Costume Designer - Louise Frogley

Makeup Department Head - Kate Biscoe

Location Manager: UK & Morocco -

David Broder

Production Supervisor - Julie M. Anderson

Production Manager: UK & Morocco -

David Brown

Stunt Coordinator: Chicago - Rick LeFevour

Stunt Coordinator: Hong Kong - R.A. Rondell

Special Effects Coordinator - John D. Milinac

Special Effects Coordinator: San Francisco -

Ron Bolanowski

Visual Effects Supervisor - Thomas J. Smith

Editor - Stephen Mirrione

Re-Recording Mixer/Supervising Sound

Editor - Larry Blake

Additional Sound Effects - John Pospisil

Production Sound Mixers - Dennis Towns

and Mark Weingarten

Foley Artists - Dawn Fintor and

Alicia Stevenson

Music - Cliff Martinez

Review

In a period of self-isolation back when COVID-19 made us stay in our homes and avoid contact with others. The movie that may have unintentionally predicted it was CONTAGION, which came out nine years before the pandemic. I saw the film on Netflix when it was popular on the streaming service. It's surprisingly accurate how an obscure movie aged well in times like this when its hauntingly prophetic themes became relevant in 2020. There's nothing to joke about in this procedural film, and it makes me think about all the things I endured during COVID-19, like social distancing, etc. Imbued with a smartly-written narrative and an ensemble cast, CONTAGION does what it delivers best: a gripping character and realism-based drama based on events and medical procedures.

Director and cinematographer Steven Soderbergh and writer Scott Z. Burns have created something pulled from the headlines. It isn't like those other disaster films that often involve natural disasters like tornadoes and earthquakes. No, this movie is frighteningly realistic and is unlike what people have seen in the cardboard theatrics of Wolfgang Petersen's Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman as the saviour of this world. The film contains scientific accuracy, which proves that the filmmakers did a lot of research involving the struggles of doctors trying to create vaccinations. The acting performances are one of a kind, especially Matt Damon, who plays a character determined to protect his daughter from the raging pandemic.

After watching this movie, CONTAGION feels like it's closer to home. It is a solid and intriguing film. It's fascinating to see CONTAGION on Netflix again after the pandemic, but still, I highly recommend it.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie

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In Memory of Wolfgang Petersen (1941-2022)

Wolfgang Petersen (1941-2022)

Wolfgang Petersen, the German director who was known for such films as "Das Boot", "Air Force One", and "The Perfect Storm", died of pancreatic cancer on August 14, 2022. He was 81 years old.

He was born in Emden, Germany, on March 14, 1941. Petersen began his career in Germany, directing short films and TV movies in the 1960s and the 1970s. In 1971, he made his first theatrical movie, "One or the Other". In 1977, he followed that with "The Consequence", for which he wrote the adapted screenplay. Petersen would answer the call of Hollywood when his claustrophobic submarine WWII epic "Das Boot" launched him into the world in 1981. Nominated for six Oscars, including Best Directing and Best Adapted Screenplay, of which two went to Petersen. The film was released in multiple versions, starting with the 149-minute original theatrical cut and ending with a 1997 director's cut in 208 minutes.

This success would propel Petersen into American filmmaking, beginning with the 1984 fantasy movie "The NeverEnding Story", which was a box office hit. He would later direct more films such as "Enemy Mine", "Shattered", which he also wrote, "In the Line of Fire", "Outbreak", "Air Force One", "The Perfect Storm", "Troy", and "Poseidon", which the latter proved to be the last movie he ever made for Hollywood.

Outside of his directing, Petersen also produced and exec produced several features he helmed, like "In the Line of Fire", "The Perfect Storm", and "Outbreak". He even co-produced such movies as "Red Corner", "Instinct", and "Bicentennial Man".

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In Memory of Anne Heche (1969-2022)

Anne Heche (1969-2022)

The actress Anne Heche is declared legally dead after a fatal car accident. She was 53 years old. Her films include "Wag the Dog" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer". She had been on life support since August 5th, when she was involved in a high-speed accident that destroyed a home and left her severely burned and in a coma.

Heche's long and successful career in film and television began in 1987 when she appeared in the soap opera "Another World". Her dual performance as Vicky Hudson and Marley Love won her a Daytime Emmy. Anne moved to the big screen by co-starring in an independent movie, "Walking and Talking", and a standout supporting role in the crime drama, "Donnie Brasco", which gained her particular attention. Anne went on to land more high-prolific roles in blockbusters like "Volcano", "I Know What You Did Last Summer", "Six Days, Seven Nights", "Return to Paradise", the 1998 remake of "Psycho" and "Wag the Dog".

She also starred in several TV series, including "Men in Trees", "Hung", "Aftermath", and "The Brave", and she also did a recurring voiceover in the animated series "The Legend of Korra". Anne was famously known to be dating Ellen DeGeneres back in 1997. It would last with their highly-publicised split in August 2000.

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