Disney Buys Lucasfilm, Here Comes Star Wars VII

Hello there, Lucas hounds and Star Wars fanboys. I have some news. Lucasfilm, Ltd got bought by the Walt Disney Company for $4.05 billion, which means they now own the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, and the effects house Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound.

I announce that Disney will make Star Wars: Episode VII, set for release in 2015. We don't know about the plot of Episode VII. I guess it will continue the adventures of Luke, Han and Leia but let's hope they begin work on the story.

According to the press release, Kathleen Kennedy, the current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of that company and serve as brand manager for Star Wars. Working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this franchise. Ms Kennedy will now serve as executive producer of the new Star Wars feature film, while its creator George Lucas will serve as a creative consultant.

I know that some of you fans will not be in a good mood with Lucasfilm purchased by the company that created Mickey Mouse, but I'm glad there is about to be a live-action Star Wars film since Revenge of the Sith. I'm sure to know that you'll give me a comment on what you think of this news update.

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Thunderball Review

Thunderball

Release Date: 23rd December 1965 - Australia

Production Companies

Eon Productions

Genre: Action

Rating: PG

Runtime: 130 minutes

Budget: $9,000,000

Box Office Gross: $141,200,000 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

When Emilio Largo, SPECTRE's unscrupulous number two, hatches a sinister plot to hijack a Royal Air Force strategic bomber carrying two nuclear payloads, MI6 calls all its 00 agents to foil his scheme. British secret agent James Bond travels to sun-drenched Nassau, Bahamas, to investigate a fragmentary

trail of clues as a terrorist

organisation holds NATO

and the world under

international ransom.

However, a chance

meeting between the

beautiful Domino and

Largo brings a dangerous

secret into play. In the

shark-infested waters of

Nassau, what sunken

secrets lie hidden? In the

name of profit, can Bond

retrieve the warheads and

prevent a nuclear holocaust?

Cast

Sean Connery - James Bond

Adolfo Celi - Emilio Largo

Claudine Auger - Dominque 

"Domino" Derval

Luciana Paluzzi - Fiona Volpe

Rik Van Nutter - Felix Leiter

Bernard Lee - M

Guy Doleman - Count Lippe

Martine Beswick - Paula Caplan

Molly Peters - Patricia Fearing

Desmond Llewelyn - Q 

Lois Maxwell - Miss
Moneypenny

Phillip Locke - Vargas

Earl Cameron - Pinder
Paul Stassino - Palazzi
Rose Alba - Madame Boiter
Roland Culver - Foreign Secretary
George Pravda - Kutze
Michael Brennan - Janni
Reginald Beckwith - Kenniston
Anthony Dawson - Ernest Stavro Blofeld

(Body) (Uncredited)

Eric Pohlmann - Ernest Stavro Blofeld

(Voice) (Uncredited) 

Crew

Director - Terence Young

Based on the Novel "Thunderball" (Uncredited)/

Original Story - Ian Fleming

Based on an Original Story/Producer -

Kevin McClory

Based on an Original Story/Screenplay -

Jack Whittingham

Screenplay - Richard Maibaum

and John Hopkins

Associate Producer - Stanley Sopel (Uncredited)

Executive Producers - Albert R. Broccoli

and Harry Saltzman (Uncredited)

Production Designer - Ken Adam
Art Director - Peter Murton

Assistant Art Director - Michael White
Set Decorator/Chief Draughtsman - Peter Lamont
(Uncredited)

Director of Photography - Ted Moore

Production Supervisor - David Middlemas

Location Manager - Frank Ernst

Assistant Director - Gus Agosti
Second Unit Director (Uncredited)/Supervising

Editor - Peter R. Hunt

Underwater Director: Underwater Sequences -

Ricou Browning

Underwater Engineer: Underwater Sequences -

Jordan Klein Sr.
Action Sequences - Bob Simmons

Special Effects - John Stears

Optical Effects Supervisor - Cliff Culley (Uncredited)

Film Editor - Ernest Hosler
Dubbing Editors - Harry Miller and
Norman Wanstall

Sound Recordists - Maurice Askew

and Bert Ross

Main Title Designer - Maurice Binder

Composer: James Bond Theme - Monty Norman

Lyrics: "Thunderball" - Don Black

Singer: "Thunderball" - Tom Jones

Music - John Barry


Awards

1966 Academy Awards
Best Special Visual Effects - John Stears (Won)

Review
Not quite as perfect as the third Bond film, Goldfinger, THUNDERBALL is another exciting feature from the ongoing James Bond franchise. While it has some great moments, the things that made this movie worthwhile, besides Connery, include the evil female character Fiona Volpe, the theme song by Tom Jones, the underwater setting and the well-choreographed action scenes. The only problem is that these sequences get too long, which drags the film to an excessive length.

It takes a lot of steps to get this spy picture done. THUNDERBALL is a good impression of the world of Bond but also nearly as good as the previous instalment.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Slipstream Review

Slipstream


Release Date: 22nd June 1989 - Australia


Production Companies

Entertainment Film

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 102 minutes


Box Office Gross: $66,836
(Australia)

Plot Summary

In the not-too-distant future,

natural disasters have

ravaged Earth, man's

pollution has devastated it,

and giant winds now rule

the planet. A small-time

arms dealer, Matt, kidnaps

a murderer from the hands

of two policemen and plans

to collect the bounty

himself. They, in turn, try

to track down the two men.

Cast

Mark Hamill - Will Tasker

Kitty Aldridge - Belitski

Bill Paxton - Matt Owens

Bob Peck - Bryon

Susan Leone - Abigail

Alkis Kritkos - Cook 'Petrois'

Tony Alleff - Bartender

Ricco Ross - 1st Man at Table

George Camiller - 2nd Man at Table

Diana Defries - Woman Construction Worker

Gay Baynes - Rosie

Robbie Coltrane - Montclaire

Paul Reynolds - Travis

Eris Akman - Blind Boy's Father

Eleanor David - Ariel

Rita Wolf - Maya

Maiser Ashgar - Little Girl

Ben Kingsley - Avatar (Cameo)

Bruce Boa - Guard Supervisor

Roshan Seth - George

Richard Huggett - Emery

Deborah Leng - Girl on Swing

F. Murray Abraham - Cornelius (Cameo)

Jennifer Hilary - Girl's Mother

Alan Polonsky - Committee Member

Trevor Laird - Committee Member

Roberta Fox - Committee Member

Judith Hibbert - Committee Member

Murray Melvin - Man on Stairs

Heathcote Williams - Man on Stairs

Crew

Director - Steven Lisberger

Based on Story Material - Bill Bauer

Screenplay - Tony Kayden

Executive Producers - William Braunstein,

Nigel Green and Arthur H. Maslansky

Producer - Gary Kurtz
Co-Producer - Steve Lanning

Production Designer - Andrew McAlpine

Supervising Art Director - Malcolm Stone

Assistant Art Director - Ricky Eyres

Draftsmen - Tom Brown,

Charlie Leon and Kevin Phipps

Construction Coordinator - Michael Redding

Production Buyer - Peter Walpole
Costume Designer - Catherine Cook

Makeup Supervisor - Naomi Donne

Hairdressing Supervisor - Colin Jamison

Hairdresser - Jan Jamison

Director of Photography - Frank Tidy

Camera Operators - Mike Brewster

and Peter Versey (Uncredited)

Clapper Loaders - Fraser Taggert

and Will Willis

Location Manager - Steve Harding

Assistant Director - David Trigham

Second Assistant Directors - Peter Heslop

and Ian Hickinbotham

Stunt Coordinator - Eddie Stacey

Helicopter Pilots - David Paris

and Marc Wolff

Senior Special Effects Technicians: Model Unit -

Ron Hone and Andrew Kelly

Senior Special Effects Technicians: Production

& Mechanical Effects - Phil Knowles,

Alan Poole, Steve Cullane, Neil Swan,

Peter Skehan and Roger Nichols

Visual Effects Supervisor - Brian Johnson

Motion Control Cameraman: Optical Effects -

Dennis Lowe

Film Editor - Terry Rawlings

Production Sound - Ivan Sharrock

Re-Recording Mixers - Dean & Gerry Humphreys

Original Music - Elmer Bernstein

Review

Conceived by Tron director Steven Lisberger and Star Wars producer, SLIPSTREAM was unsuccessful when the film came out in the UK and Australia and received scathing reviews (except in America, where it was not released). The movie is much like the Mad Max series, except it has planes instead of land-based vehicles. Considering the feature has a fair production value, it wasn't a typical B-grade movie, which is often the case in a low-grade DVD release. After watching SLIPSTREAM, I didn't quite understand the plot of this film. Given the inconsistency of the setting and characters, I wonder what the film is about. However, there is enough information about the characters to keep you interested.

The cast is well-placed, especially Mark Hamill, who I'm amazed to see portraying a ruthless lawman who is edgier than his previous role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. It is an attempt to kill off his typecasting. Hamill gives his best performance in this sci-fi feature. Before his supporting role in Jurassic Park, Bob Peck portrays a firmly polite and well-dressed character who hides a mystery about his identity, being a killer. Bill Paxton plays an arms dealer who runs on the opposite side of the law and gets into a relationship with a female officer actively pursuing him. The design, remarkable music score by Elmer Bernstein and incredible aerial scenes are among the film's highlights.

The bottom line is that SLIPSTREAM is an overlooked gem and has yet to be re-discovered by those who have watched the previous movies from the two filmmakers.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show Review

Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show


Broadcast Date: June 5th 2009 - Australia


Production Companies
a.k.a. Cartoon

Cartoon Network


Genre: Animation/Family/

Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 89 minutes

Plot Summary

Ed, Edd and Eddy are on the run and forced to flee from the cul-de-sac after a scam goes badly wrong. The panicked Eddy suggests to his friends that they should hide out at his brother's place, at least, until the dust settles. So it begins an epic journey for the Eds as they embark through uncharted territories to search for Eddy's "Big Bro". Unbeknownst to the Eds, the enraged neighbourhood kids are tracking them down as they are about to give them a 'dork' pounding.

Voice Cast
Matt Hill - Ed
Samuel Vincent - Edd
Tony Sampson - Eddy
David Paul Grove - Jonny
Kathleen Barr - Kevin/Marie
Kanker
Erin Fitzgerald - Nazz/May
Kanker
Peter Kelamis - Rolf
Janyse Jaud - Sarah/Lee
Kanker
Keenan Christensen - Jimmy
Terry Klassen - Eddy's Brother

Crew
Based on the Animated Show "Ed, Edd n

Eddy"/Writer/Art Director/Executive

Producer/Director - Danny Antonucci
Writers - Jono Howard, Mike Kubat,
Rachel Connor and Stacy Warrick
Supervising Producer: Cartoon Network -
Bill Schultz (Uncredited)
Producers - Dan Sioui and Ruth Vincent
Voice Director - Terry Klassen
Character/Background/Prop Designer - Hyuck E.
Character/Prop Designer - Cory Toomey
Supervising Animation/Exposure Sheet Director -
Marlene Robinson May
Animation Directors - Kwang Jin Kim

and Chul Ki Kwon
Exposure Sheet Directors - Ron Campbell

Sherman Johnston and Karen Peterson
Background Designer - Rod Filbrandt
Color Designer - Bonni Reid
Layout Supervisor - Suck Ho Shin
Editor - Ken Cathro

Sound Effects Editors - Jeff Davis,

Dean Giammarco and Bill Sheppard
Music - Patric Caird


Review
Hi there! It's Film Guru Lad. As you may know, most animated movies based on television shows come out in theatres, such as The Simpsons Movie. Some came out on TV, like the one based on one of my favourite cartoons, Ed, Edd n Eddy. Yes, BIG PICTURE SHOW has all the outrageous sense of humour and the sheer-twisted animation of the Cartoon Network series. It takes care of the story and some character development, which made this film well done. It's a good thing we finally get to see Eddy's brother, but there's only one complaint I might add they didn't show what's underneath Double D's hat, which is disappointing for the Ed fanboys.

While BIG PICTURE SHOW is such a great animated TV movie, it was a big farewell to the Eds and the other characters of the cul-de-sac from a cartoon that took 65 episodes and 4-holiday specials.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Goldfinger Review (Updated)

Goldfinger


Release Date: 1964 - Australia


Production Companies
Eon Productions


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 110 minutes


Budget: $3,000,000

Box Office Gross: $124,984,449 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
British secret agent James

Bond gets sent on a mission to investigate gold magnate Auric Goldfinger, who MI6 and the Bank of England suspect is developing large gold quantities. It is then Bond discovers a plot that involves Fort Knox and raiding its entire gold supply, which will then deplete the world of its economy!

Cast
Sean Connery - James Bond
Honor Blackman - Pussy Galore
Gert Fröbe - Auric Goldfinger
Harold Sakata - Oddjob
Bernard Lee - M
Lois Maxwell - Miss Moneypenny
Desmond Llewelyn - Q
Cec Linder - Felix Leiter
Shirley Eaton - Jill Masterson
Tania Mallet - Tilly Masterson
Martin Benson - Solo
Michael Mellinger - Kisch
Burt Kwouk - Mr. Ling
Austin Willis - Simmons
Bill Nagy - Midnight
Peter Cranwell - Johnny
Nadja Regin - Bonita
Richard Vernon - Colonel Smithers
Mai Ling - Mei-Lei

Varley Thomas - Swiss Gatekeeper
Margaret Nolan - Dink

John McLaren - Brigadier

Robert MacLeod - Atomic Specialist 
Victor Brooks - Blacking
Alf Joint - Capungo
Gerry Duggan - Hawker
Michael Collins - Auric

Goldfinger (Voice) (Uncredited)

Nikki Van der Syl - Jill Masterson (Voice) (Uncredited)

George Leech - Man in Bulletproof Vest at 'Q' Division (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Michael G. Wilson - Soldier at Fort Knox (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Guy Hamilton
Based on the Novel

"Goldfinger" & Characters "James Bond" -

Ian Fleming (Uncredited)

Screenplay - Richard Maibaum,

Paul Dehn and Berkely Mather (Uncredited)

Associate Producer - Stanley Sopel (Uncredited)

Producers - Albert R. Broccoli and

Harry Saltzman
Technical Advisor - Charles Russhon

Dialogue Coach: Gert Fröbe - Nikki Van der Syl

(Uncredited)
Production Designer - Ken Adam
Art Director - Peter Murton

Assistant Art Directors - Maurice Pelling

and Michael White

Draughtsman - Peter Lamont (Uncredited)

Production Buyer - Ron Quelch (Uncredited)
Director of Photography - Ted Moore

Director of Photography: Insert Shots -

Michael Reed (Uncredited)

Assistant Director - Frank Ernst

Second Unit Director: Insert Shots (Uncredited)/

Film Editor - Peter Hunt
Action Sequences - Bob Simmons
Special Effects - John Stears, Wally Armitage

(Uncredited), Fred Heather (Uncredited),

Garth Inns (Uncredited) and Jimmy Ward

(Uncredited)

Special Effects Assistant - Frank George

Special Effects Technicians - Bert Luxford

and Joe Fitt (Uncredited)

Visual Effects - Roy Field (Uncredited)

Optical Effects Supervisor - Cliff Culley

(Uncredited)

Sound Recordists - Gordon K. McCallum

and Dudley Messenger
Dubbing Editors - Harry Miller and

Norman Wanstall
Titles Designer - Robert Brownjohn
Composer: James Bond Theme -

Monty Norman
Lyrics: "Goldfinger" - Leslie Bricusse
and Anthony Newley
Singer: "Goldfinger" - Shirley Bassey
Music - John Barry


Awards

1965 Academy Awards
Best Sound Effects - Norman Wanstall (Won)


Review
Hello, this is Film Guru Lad. This review is of the third instalment of the James Bond film series, GOLDFINGER, as you may have guessed. Yes, this classic has perfected all the iconic elements of the Bond formula, making this the definitive Bond film. It keeps the action rolling with terrific action setpieces, neat and innovative gadgets and cool cars like the Aston Martin DB5. While this picture still has Connery, who, as always, did well as the iconic secret agent, I loved the other aspects of GOLDFINGER, such as the humorous one-liners and the memorable title song by Shirley Bassey. This film includes my favourite but iconic line by Bond, "You expect me to talk?" to which Goldfinger replies, "No, Mr. Bond! I expect you to die!"

I would say that, in my opinion, GOLDFINGER is not only the height of Bond mania, but it's also pure gold (no pun intended). It's one of the best James Bond movies and is one of my favourites. For anyone who likes James Bond, I highly recommend this film.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Superman Returns Review

Superman Returns


Release Date: 29th June 2006 - Australia


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)
Legendary Pictures (in association with)
Peters Entertainment
Bad Hat Harry Productions (in association with)
DC Comics
Red Sun Productions Pty. Ltd. (Uncredited)

Distribution
Roadshow Distribution


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 154 minutes


Budget: US$209,000,000

Box Office Gross: $391,081,192
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
He's back. A hero for our
millennium. And not a
moment too soon,
because during the five
years Superman sought
his home planet, things
changed on his adopted
planet. Nations moved on
without him. Lois Lane
now has a son, a fiancée
and a Pulitzer for "Why
the World Doesn't Need
Superman." And Lex Luthor
has a plan that will destroy
millions - no, billions - of
lives.


Cast
Brandon Routh - Clark Kent/
Superman
Kate Bosworth - Lois Lane
Kevin Spacey - Lex Luthor
James Marsden - Richard White
Parker Posey - Kitty Kowalski
Marlon Brando - Jor-El
(Archived Footage)
Tristan Lake Leabu - Jason White
Frank Langella - Perry White
Sam Huntington - Jimmy Olsen
Eva Marie Saint - Martha Kent
Kal Penn - Stanford
Tristan Lake Leabu - Jason White
David Fabrizo - Brutus
Ian Roberts - Riley
Vincent Stone - Grant
Jack Larson - Bo the Bartender
Noel Neill - Gertrude Vanderworth
Stephan Bender - 15-Year-Old Clark
Peta Wilson - Bobbie-Faye
Jeff Truman - Gil
Barbara Angell - Polly

Crew
Story/Producer/Director - Bryan Singer
Based on Comic Book "Superman" -
Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
Story/Screenplay - Michael Dougherty &
Dan Harris
Executive Producers - William Fay,
Chris Lee, Scott Mendick & Thomas Tull
Producers - Gilbert Adler, Lorne Orleans
(IMAX) & Jon Peters
Co-Producer - Stephen Jones

Casting Director - Roger Mussenden
Production Designer - Guy Hendrix Dyas
Conceptual Designers - Ed Natividad &
Jeff Julian
Supervising Art Director - Hugh Bateup
Set Decorators - Brian Dusting &
Jack McKenzie
Costume Designer - Louise Mingenbach
Choreographer/Movement Coach -
Terry Notary
Director of Photography - Newton Thomas Sigel
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Dan Bradley
Second Unit Director: Baseball Unit, Los Angeles -
Michael L. Fink
Second Unit Director: Additional Photography,
Australia - Brian Smrz
Special Effects Supervisor - Neil Corbould
Special Effects Supervisor: Australia - David Young
Visual Effects Supervisors - Tim Hawkins
& Mark Stetson
Visual Effects Supervisor: SPI - Richard R. Hoover
Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore CFC -
Jon Thum
Visual Effects Director of Photography -
Bill Neil
CG Effects Supervisor: Framestore CFC -
Mark Hodgkins
Animation Supervisor: SPI - Andrew R. Jones
Film Editor - Elliot Graham
Film Editor/Music - John Ottman
Sound Designer - Erik Aadahl


Awards

2007 Academy Awards
Best Visual Effects - Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould,
Richard R. Hoover & Jon Thum (Nominated)


Review
'SUPERMAN RETURNS' was a pretty decent addition to the film series, but it does owe a heavy debt to the spirit of the two classic movies, thanks to its director Bryan Singer who finally returned the Man of Steel back to the big screen. The cast was a really good example particularly Brandon Routh who did an extraordinary job as the Man of Steel and Kevin Spacey was impressive as Lex Luthor. My only interesting part of the film was Superman saving an airplane with a space shuttle was a very strong piece of the feature.

It's too bad that the sequel didn't get made and perhaps fans were disappointed because it didn't include the material from the comics. While 'SUPERMAN RETURNS' was not a flop, a film to this scale and proportion should have made a lot more.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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From Russia with Love Review (Updated)

From Russia with Love

Release Date: 16th April 1964 - Australia

Production Companies

Eon Productions

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 115 minutes

Budget: $2,000,000

Box Office Gross: $78,912,737 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

James Bond's new mission takes him to Istanbul in search of a Soviet decoding machine called "Lektor", and he has to retrieve it before the evil organisation known as S.P.E.C.T.R.E. does. He becomes romantically entangled with a Russian woman named Tatiana Romanova, and little does Bond know that it was a trap set up by S.P.E.C.T.R.E.

to lure him into his doom.

Cast

Sean Connery - James Bond

Daniela Bianchi - Tatiana
Romanova

Pedro Armendariz - Ali Kerim
Bey

Lotte Lenya - Rosa Klebb

Robert Shaw - Red Grant

Bernard Lee - M

Walter Gotell - Morzeny

Vladek Sheybal - Kronsteen

Anthony Dawson - Ernest
Stavro Blofield

Eric Pohlmann - Ernest
Stavro Blofield (Voice) (Uncredited)

Lois Maxwell - Miss
Moneypenny
Desmond Llewelyn - Boothroyd - 'Q'
Eunice Gayson - Sylvia Trench
Francis de Wolff - Vavra
Aliza Gur - Vida
Martine Beswick - Zora
Fred Haggerty - Krilencu
Francis De Wolff - Vavra
Peter Bayliss - Benz
Nusret Ataer - Mehmet
Peter Brayham - Rhoda
Jan Williams - Masseuse
Peter Madden - MacAdams

Neville Jason - Chauffeur

Lisa Guiraut - Belly Dancer

Elizabeth Counsell - Woman in a Punt (Uncredited)

Michael Culver - Man in a Punt (Uncredited)

William Hill - Captain Nash (Uncredited)

John Ketteringham - Fake James Bond (Uncredited)

Jacqueline Saltzman - Train Passenger (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Nikki Van der Syl - Sylvia Trench/

Receptionist (Voice) (Uncredited)

Barbara Jefford - Tatiana Romanova (Voice)

(Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Terence Young

Based on the Novel "From Russia with Love" -

Ian Fleming (Uncredited)

Adaptation - Joanna Harwood

Screenplay - Richard Maibaum and

Berkley Mather (Uncredited)

Associate Producer - Stanley Sopel (Uncredited)

Producers - Albert R. Broccoli and

Harry Saltzman

Art Director - Syd Cain

Assistant Art Director - Michael White

Production Buyer - Ron Quelch (Uncredited)
Costume Designer - Joselyn Rickards

Director of Photography - Ted Moore

Location Manager - Frank Ernst

Assistant Director - David C. Anderson

Second Assistant Director - Terence Churcher

(Uncredited)

Stunt Work Arranger - Peter Perkins

Special Effects - John Stears, Wally Armitage

(Uncredited), Garth Inns (Uncredited),

James Snow (Uncredited) and Jimmy Ward

(Uncredited)

Special Effects Assistants - Frank George

and Joe Fitt (Uncredited)

Visual Effects - Roy Field (Uncredited)

Matte Artist - Cliff Culley (Uncredited)

Film Editor - Peter R. Hunt

Sound Recordists - C. Les Mesurier

and John W. Mitchell
Dubbing Editors - Harry Miller and
Norman Wanstall

Titles Designer - Robert Brownjohn

Composer: James Bond Theme - Monty Norman
Writer: Title Song - Lionel Bart
Performer: Title Song - Matt Monro

Music - John Barry

Review

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is completely genuine for a Bond film. It brings something unique into the franchise the first film didn't have. This movie had terrific aspects, like the gadgets, which are not yet prominent in the later entries and the kind of action that's part of the Bond cliche, which is much better than Dr. No but still unspectacular compared to many modern action films.

It also includes the late Robert Shaw in his fantastic performance as the cunning blond-haired assassin Red Grant. While there are no Bond-like gadgets in the movie, it did introduce Desmond Llewelyn as the gadget master Q, who would later become a pivotal character in the Bond features. The film contains a few impressive scenes, including the helicopter attack, the fight on the Orient Express and the boat chase.

I know that many people considered FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE the best instalment of the series. Goldfinger is the one that deserves it, and I prefer this film over the second entry. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, in my opinion, is not the best, but it's a great movie. Still, I would recommend it highly.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot Review

The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot


Release Date: 17th September 1998 - Australia


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Feature Animation


Genre: Animation/Family/

Fantasy

Rating: G

Runtime: 86 minutes


Budget: $40,000,000

Box Office Gross: $38,172,500 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Kayley is a young teenage girl who dreams of becoming a knight like his father. When the evil knight Ruber steals the sword of Excalibur from King Arthur, Kayley goes on an adventure with the help of a blind hermit named Garrett to retrieve the sword. And to stop Ruber from taking over Camelot. All the while, they pair up with a talking two-headed dragon named Devon and Cornwall, who help them in their journey.


Voice Cast
Jessalyn Gilsig - Kayley
Andrea Corr - Kayley (singing voice)
Sarah Freeman - Young Kayley
Cary Elwes - Garrett
Bryan White - Garrett

(singing voice)

Gary Oldman - Ruber
Eric Idle - Devon

Don Rickles - Cornwall
Jane Seymour - Juliana
Celine Dion - Juliana (singing

voice)
Pierce Brosnan - King Arthur
Steve Perry - King Arthur

(singing voice)
Bronson Pinchot - The Griffin
Jaleel White - Bladebeak
Gabriel Byrne - Sir Lionel
John Gielgud - Merlin
Frank Welker - Ayden

Crew
Director - Frederik Du Chau
Based on the Novel "The King's Damosel" - Vera Chapman
Screenplay - Kirk De Micco, William Schifrin, Jacqueline Feather and David Seidler
Producer - Dalisa Cohen

Creative Consultant - Mike Ockrent
Production Designer - Steve Pilcher

Art Directors - Carol Kieffer Police and J. Michael Spooner

Head of Story - Bruce Morris

Storyboard Artist/Lead Animator: "Bladebeak

and Minions" - Stephan Franck

Head of Layout and Workbook -

William H. Drake
Head of Layout - Jeff Purves
Layout Supervisor: United States -

Brendan Houghton

Layout & Background Supervisor: A-Film -

Matthias Lechner

Production Managers - Igor Khait and

Patrick J. Love

Choreographer - Kenny Ortega

Scene Planning Supervisor - Steven Wilzbach

Head of Background - Brian Sebern
Background Supervisor: United Kingdom -

Ray Rankine
Background Supervisor: United States -

Jeff Richards

Lead Animator: "Kayley" - Athanassios Vakalis

Lead Animator: "Juliana" - Cynthia Overman

Lead Animator: "Garrett" - Chrystal Klabunde

Lead Animator: "Ruber" - Alexander Williams

Lead Animator: "Devon and Cornwall" -

Dan Wagner

Lead Animator: "Ayden" - Mike Nguyen

Lead Animators - Lennie K. Graves and

Alyson Hamilton

Supervising Animator: United Kingdom -

Russell Hall

Animation Supervisor: A-Film - Jesper Møller
Animation Consultant - Stan Green

Head of Effects - Michel Gagne

Editor - Stanford C. Allen

Associate Editors - Darren T. Holmes and

Richard L. McCullough

Supervising Sound Editors - Alan Robert Murray

and David M. Horton
Sound Designers - Christopher Boyes

and Tom Meyers

Sound Effects Editors - Bub Asman,

Adam Johnston, Andy Kopetsky and

Bill Manger

ADR Supervisor - Curt Schulkey

Re-Recording Mixers - David Campbell,

John Reitz and Gregg Rudloff

Foley Walkers - John Roesch and

David Lee Fein
Songs & Lyrics - David Foster and
Carole Bayer Sager
Music - Patrick Doyle


Awards

1999 Academy Awards
Best Music, Original Song "The Prayer" -

Carol Bayer Sager, David Foster,

Tony Renis and Alberto Testa (Nominated)


Review
The animated feature THE MAGIC SWORD: QUEST FOR CAMELOT was okay, but it's an attempt by Warner Bros to do non-Disney animated musicals. Aside from their Looney Tunes, Warner Bros isn't known for their animated features (except The Iron Giant), but this one is a Disney rip-off. Readers might think it's funny how I often mention that Warner and Disney have been competing with each other since the Golden Age of Animation. But when comparing this failed effort to Disney's many masterpieces, you can see why I make the comparison.

Because it has forgettable songs (minus one), a few pop culture references and sidekicks like that two-headed dragon Devon and Cornwall, there is a fair amount to QUEST FOR CAMELOT. Devon and Cornwall are nothing more than wasted comic relief. What makes it worse is a few plot inconsistencies, but there are some redeeming qualities, like the blind character voiced by Cary Elwes and the falcon Ayden.

THE MAGIC SWORD was pretentious and mediocre but could have been better if there were a few songs, no attempts at comic relief and no movie references. All these steps would have made this movie different and impressive.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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