The Shadow Review

The Shadow


Release Date: 19th January 1995 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (presents)
Bregman/Baer Productions

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Action

Rating: PG

Runtime: 108 minutes


Budget: $40,000,000

Box Office Gross: $48,063,435
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
In 30s New York City, the
Shadow battles his nemesis,
Shiwan Khan, who is
building an atomic bomb. (Source - IMDb)


Cast
Alec Baldwin - Lamont
Cranston/The Shadow
John Lone - Shiwan Kahn
Penelope Ann Miller - Margo Lane
Peter Boyle - Moses "Moe"
Shrevnitz
Ian McKellen - Dr. Reinhardt Lane
Tim Curry - Farley Claymore
Jonathan Winters -
Wainwright Barth
Sab Shimono - Dr. Roy Tam
Andre Gregory - Burbank
Brady Tsurutani - Tulku
James Hong - Li Peng
Arsenio 'Sonny' Trinidad - Wu
Joseph Maher - Isaac
Newboldt
John Kapelos - Duke Rollins
Max Wright - Berger
Ethan Phillips - Nelson
Joe D'Angerio - English Johnny
Lily Mariye - Mrs. Tam
Kate McGregor-Stewart - Mrs. Shrevnitz

Crew
Director - Russell Mulcahy
Based on Character "The
Shadow" - Walter B. Gibson
Writer - David Koepp
Associate Producer/Unit Production Manager - Patricia Churchill
Executive Producers - Rolf Deyhle and
Louis A. Stroller
Co-Executive Producer - Stan Weston
Producers - Martin & Michael Bregman and
Willi Bar
Production Designer - Joseph C. Nemec III
Costume Designer - Bob Ringwood
Director of Photography - Stephen H. Burum
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Dick Ziker
Special Effects Supervisor - Albert Delgado
Special Effects Coordinators - John Logan and
Ken Pepiot
Special Visual Effects Supervisors - Craig Barron
and Michael Pangrazio
Special Visual Effects - Syd Dutton and Bill Taylor
Visual Effects Producer/Supervisor - Alison Savitch
Visual Effects Supervisors - Kevin O'Neill and
Gene Warren Jr.
Additional Visual Effects Producer - Peter Kuran
Miniature Effects Supervisor - Mark Stetson
Miniature Effects - Robert Spurlock
Film Editors - Beth Jochem
Besterveld and Peter Honess
Music - Jerry Goldsmith


Review
To be quite fair at the least, I never actually heard about 'THE SHADOW' but as I recently watched the film interpretation, I find that it was very impressive and that the title character is more elusive than Batman except that he has superpowers like invisibility and doesn't have an appealing costume or even a cool vehicle. As I figured that the plot is very too mushy and undeveloped, the details are not and evaluates the picture such as the glorious special effects, the superficial cast of acting by Alec Baldwin, Tim Curry and Ian McKellen and the excellent production design that defines the look of the old 30s and is a near-imitation of the sets of Tim Burton's 'Batman'.

This is a diminished and unrecognized superhero movie that suffers from a poor and no interest story-line and therefore 'THE SHADOW' is far from underrated to just being mediocre. I recommend myself and list this film as okay, respectively.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

Back to Home

Monsters, Inc./Monsters University Review

Monsters, Inc./Monsters University


Release Dates: 26th December 2001 - Australia (Monsters)
20th June 2013 - Australia (University)


Production Companies
Walt Disney Pictures
Pixar Animation Studios

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Australia


Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 92 minutes (Monsters)
                 104 minutes
                 (University)


Budget: $115,000,000 (Monsters)
              $200,000,000 (University)

Box Office Gross: $577,425,734 (Worldwide - figure subject to change) (Monsters)
$744,229,437 (Worldwide) (University)


Plot Summaries

MONSTERS, INC. 
Lovable Sulley and his
wisecracking best pal Mike
Wazowski are the top
scare team at Monsters, Inc.,
the largest scream-

processing factory. The
main power source in
the monster world is the
collected screams of
human children, and at
Monsters, Inc. an elite team
of scarers is responsible for
gathering those precious
natural resources. Believed
by monsters to be toxic,
children are strictly forbidden
from entering Monstropolis.
But when a little girl named
Boo accidentally follows
Sulley back into his world,
he finds his career in 

jeopardy and his life in
utter chaos. Assisted by
Mike, the two pals plot
to rectify the mistake and
return Boo to her home.
When the trio encounters
an unexpected series of
complications, they become
embroiled in a cover-up
catapulting them into a 

mystery beyond their 

wildest dreams.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
Mike Wazowski and James
P. Sullivan are an 

inseparable pair of
monsters, but that wasn't
the case when they first
met at Monsters University.


Voice Cast
John Goodman - James P. Sullivan
Billy Crystal - Mike Wazowski
Steve Buscemi - Randall
Bob Peterson - Roz
John Ratzenberger - Yeti the
Abominable Snowman
Bonnie Hunt - Flint (*)/Mrs. Graves (**)
Jeff Pidgeon - Bile (*)/

Additional Voices (**)

Monsters, Inc. Only
Mary Gibbs - Mary "Boo"
James Coburn - Henry Waternoose
Jennifer Tilly - Cecila Mae
Frank Oz - Fungus
Dan Gerson - Smitty and
Needleman
Samuel Lord Black - George Sanderson
Steve Susskind - Floor Manager
Wallace Shawn - Rex 

(Outtakes) (Cameo) 

(Uncredited) 

Monsters University Only
Joel Murray - Don Carlton
Sean Hayes - Terri Perry
Dave Foley - Terry Perry
Peter Sohn - Scott "Squishy"
Squibbles
Charlie Day - Art
Helen Mirren - Dean Hardscrabble
Alfred Molina - Professor Knight
Nathan Fillion - Johnny
Worthington
Julia Sweeney - Sherri Squibbles
Aubrey Plaza - Greek Council President
Bobby Moynihan - Chet
Noah Johnston - Young Mike
John Krasinski - Frank McCay

Crew (*/**)
Executive Producer (**)/

Director - Pete Docter (*)
Screenplay/Story/Director -
Dan Scanlon (**)

Additional Story Material/

Co-Director - David Silverman 

(*)

Co-Director - Lee Unkrich (*)
Original Story - Pete Docter,
Jeff Pidgeon & Ralph Eggleston (*)

Original Story/Visual 

Development/Development Story Supervisor - Jill Culton (*)

Additional Story Material/

Story Artist - Joe Ranft (*)

Additional Screenplay 

Material (*)/Story/

Screenplay - Robert L.
Baird (**) & Daniel Gerson
Additional Story Material/Story Supervisor - Bob Peterson (*)
Additional Screenplay Material - Rhett Reese, 

Jonathan Roberts (*) & Adrian Molina (**)

Story Consultant - Will Csaklos (*)  

Screenplay (*)/Executive Producer - Andrew Stanton
Producer - Darla K. Anderson (*)
Associate Producer(*)/Producer (**) - Kori Rae
Executive Producer - John Lasseter
Production Designers - Harley Jessup &
Bob Pauley (*)

Character Designer/Story Artist - Bud Luckey (*)

Art Director: Character Design - Jason Deamer (**)

Art Director: Set Design and Shading - Robert Kondo (**)
Story Supervisors - Jason Katz & Kelsey Mann (**)  
Additional Storyboarding/Visual Development/

Character (*)/Production Designer(**) - Ricky Nierva
Additional Set Dresser (*)/Set Supervisor (**) -
David Eisenmann
Directing (*)/Supervising Animator (**) - Scott Clark
Supervising Animators - Glenn McQueen &
Rich Quade (*)
Animator/Character Developer (*)/
Directing Animator (**) - Andrew Gordon
Animator (*)/Directing Animator (**) -
Robert H. Russ
Directing Animator - Michael Stocker & 

Doug Sweetland (*)
Camera Supervisor - Louis Rivera (*)
Director of Photography: Camera - Matt Aspbury (**)
Lighting Supervisor (*)/Director of Photography: Lighting (**) -
Jean-Claude Kalache
Layout Supervisor - Ewan Johnson (*)
Sequence Supervisors: Simulation and Effects -
Michael Lorenzen, Steve May & Jack Paulus (*)

Supervising Technical Director (*)/Senior Leadership Team: 

Pixar (**) - Thomas Porter

Additional Voice/Modeller/Sequence Supervisor: Simulation 

and Effects (*)/Supervising Technical Director (**) - 

Guido Quaroni

Stereoscopic Supervisor - Bob Whitehill
Film Editors - Robert Grahamjones,
Jim Stewart (*) & Greg Snyder (**)
Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer/Supervising 
Sound Editor (Uncredited) - Gary Rydstrom (*)

Sound Designer/Effects Editor (*)/Supervising 

Sound Editor (**) - Tom Myers
Music - Randy Newman


Awards 

2002 Academy Awards (Monsters, Inc.)
Best Music, Original Song "If I Didn't Have You" -
Randy Newman (Won)
------------------------
Best Music, Original Score - Randy Newman (Nominated)
Best Sound Editing - Gary Rydstrom & Michael Silvers
(Nominated)
Best Animated Feature - Pete Docter & John Lasseter
(Nominated)


Review
Hi moviegoers! This is Film Guru Lad here. I have decided to review two feature films within the one movie review. These will include 'MONSTERS, INC.' and its prequel 'MONSTER UNIVERSITY'. I will review these two in a row. I originally was going to watch 'Fast & Furious 6' and do a review for this but I had to reschedule due to inconvenient session times, I was rather disappointed as I was excited to see this action-packed flick. However, 'MONSTERS, INC.' and 'MONSTERS UNIVERSITY' were a fun way to fill the gap.

MONSTERS, INC.
The first of these pictures was certainly good as I remembered, it has neither lost the greatness nor a single bit of nostalgia that made 'MONSTERS, INC.' a great movie. The concept about monsters using portal doors in place of closets as per the myth of how they scare little children makes this seem so imaginative and science-fiction-like. It compliments the imaginative and creative work of the story writers for this film. The voice casting excels with John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn and others. Several plot twists are specifically written with no flaw and succeed in keeping the audience guessing and anxious about what will happen next. Even more exceptional is the whimsical laughs which are at times hilarious and other times not funny enough.

'MONSTERS, INC.' is an impressive delight from Pixar which nearly matches up the reputation of the studio's later milestones. This film is satisfying to watch, if you feel like it.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
Another great prequel that I've watched is 'MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (MU)'. As is suggested by its namesake, the film has improved Pixar's standards after the disappointment of the sequel 'Cars 2'. They redeemed themselves with 'MU' and deliver us the first prequel the company has ever done, might I say they did a fine job. Three of the original vocal performers of Goodman, Crystal and Buscemi are back in the game and some of the new actors are very surprising.  Helen Mirren gives her outstanding performance as Dean Hardscrabble, the female headmaster who seems to be evil and menacing as most children would think by her appearance. Many of the character designs of the monsters are creative and well-made and it is encouraging that the animation has so much brightness and more texture to match with realism.

This film briefly proves that Pixar is at it again on top of its game. I consider 'MONSTERS UNIVERSITY' to be entertaining with a good amount of laughs, it's aimed at the family audience and that's the end for this double feature review.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

Back to Home

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift Review

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift


Release Date: 15th June 2006 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (presents)
Relativity Media (in association with)
Original Film
MP Munich Pape Filmproductions

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 104 minutes


Budget: $85,000,000

Box Office Gross: $158,964,610 
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Sean Boswell is an outsider
who attempts to define
himself as a hotheaded
underdog street racer.
Although racing provides
a temporary escape from
an unhappy home and
the superficial world
around him, it has also
made Sean unpopular
with the local authorities.
To avoid jail time, Sean
is sent to live with his
gruff estranged father, a
career military man
stationed in Tokyo.

Now officially a gaijin
(outsider), Sean feels more
shut out in a land of
foreign customs and codes
of honour. But it doesn't
take long for him to find
some action when a fellow
American buddy, Twinkie
introduces him to the
underground world of
drift racing. Sean's simple
drag racing gets replaced
by a rubber-burning
automotive art form -
with an exhilarating
balance of speeding and
gliding through a heart-
stopping course of hairpin
turns and switchbacks.

On the first time out
drifting, Sean unknowningly
takes on DK, the "drift king",
a local champ with ties to
the Japanese crime machine,
Yakuza. Sean's loss comes
at a high price tag when
he's forced to work off the
debt under the thumb of
ex-pat, Han. Han soon
welcomes Sean into this
family of misfits and
introduces him to the
real principles of drifting.
But when Sean falls in
love with DK's girlfriend,
Neela, and explosive series
of events is set into motion,
climaxing with an ultimate
high stakes face-off.


Cast
Lucas Black - Sean Boswell
Bow Wow - Twinkie
Brian Tee - Takashi
Natalie Kelly - Neela
Sung Kang - Han Seoul-Oh
Sonny Chiba - Kamata
Brian Goodman - Lieutenant
Boswell
Jason Tobin - Earl
Keiko Kitagawa - Reiko
Leonardo Nam - Morimoto
Nathalie Kelly - Neela
Zachery Ty Bryan - Clay
Nikki - Cindy - Clay's Girlfriend

Crew
Director - Justin Lin
Writer - Chris Morgan
Executive Producers - Ryan Kavanaugh,
Lynwood Spinks & Clayton Townsend
Producer - Neal H. Moritz
Casting Directors - Sarah Finn & Randi Hiller
Production Designer - Ida Random
Costume Designer - Sanja Milkovic Hays
Director of Photography - Stephen F. Windon
Action Coordinator (Uncredited)/Stunt Player -
Thomas Robinson Harper
Stunt Coordinator - Terry Leonard
Precision Driving Coordinator - Scotty Richards
Picture Car Coordinator - Dennis McCarthy
Special Effects Supervisor - Matt Sweeney
Visual Effects Supervisor - Mike Wassel
Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Edward Hirsh
Film Editors - Kelly Matsumoto, Dallas Puett
& Fred Raskin
Music - Brian Tyler


Review
Quite different to the other instalments, 'THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT' while attempting to be the new generation of the franchise, fails miserably and fails for the petrol on the story that needed to be remotely interesting and approachable. The acting is so pitched without a fork and the comedy is less far-fetched and without any fun at all but what the movie made more exciting is the driving that requires more precision and finesse. Rather than just flawing it on a long straight road, this shows us a divergent form of driving where drivers must approach corner after corner at furious speeds while trying to drift and slide the tail of the car around the corner. The another only good part was Vin Diesel's cameo role at the end and I felt surprised about it when watching the film and I wanted that to come up.

Having endurance for 'TOKYO DRIFT' is surprising and ends up being graded into above average has really taken a bad curve. I hear from one person that the film doesn't fit in the actual continuity of the series and just didn't make any sense, it seemed that it actually does. Please focus towards the epic racing and is the best way without seeing or any of these missteps.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

Back to Home

Forrest Gump Review

Forrest Gump


Release Date: 17th November 1994 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Drama

Rating: M

Runtime: 141 minutes


Budget: $55,000,000

Box Office Gross: $678,226,465 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
While not bright, Forrest Gump has accidentally been to many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny, keeps fleeing from him.


Cast
Tom Hanks - Forrest Gump
Robin Wright - Jenny Curran
Sally Field - Mrs. Gump
Gary Sinise - 2nd Lt. Dan Taylor
Mylketi Williamson -

Benjamin Buford "Bubba"

Blue
Haley Joel Osment - Forrest
Gump, Jr
Michael Conner Humphreys - Young Forrest
Hanna Hall - Young Jenny Curran
Peter Dobson - Young Elvis Presley
Rebecca Williams - Nurse at Park Bench
Siobhan Fallon Hogan - School Bus Driver
Sam Anderson - Principal

Margo Moorer - Louise
Harold G. Herthum - Doctor
Richard D'Alessandro - Abbie Hoffman
Hilary Chaplain - Hilary
Isabel Rose - Isabel
Geoffrey Blake - Wesley
Tiffany Salerno - Carla
Marla Sucharetza - Lenore
Nora Dunfee - Elderly Southern Woman
Teresa Denton - Lt. Dan's Fiancee

Kevin Managan - Jenny's Father

Fay Genens - Jenny's Grandmother

Kirk Ward - Earl

Marlena Smalls - Bubba's Mother

Kitty K. Green - Bubba's Great Grandmother

Calvin Gadsden - Sergeant Sims

Aaron Izbicki - Dallas

Michael Burgess - Cleveland

Steven Griffith - Tex

W. Benson Terry - Stanley Loomis
Paul Raczkowski - Man in VW Bug

Joe Stefanelli - John Lennon (Voice)
Joe Alaskey - President Nixon (Voice)
John William Galt - President Johnson (Voice)

Siobhan Fallon Hogan - School Bus Driver

Sonny Shroyer - College Football Coach

Grand L. Bush - Black Panther Leader (Uncredited)

Kevin Davis - Black Panther

Michael Jace - Black Panther

Teddy Lane Jr. - Black Panther (Uncredited)

Mary Ellen Trainor - Jenny's Babysitter

(Uncredited)

Alexander Zemeckis - Young School Bus Boy

(Cameo)

Kurt Russell - Elvis Presley (Voice) (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Robert Zemeckis
Based on the Novel - Winston Groom
Screenplay - Eric Roth

Script Supervisor - Susan Malerstein-Watkins
Producers - Wendy Finerman
and Steve Tisch
Producer/Second Unit Director - Steve Starkey
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Charles Newirth

Casting Director - Ellen Lewis

Technical Advisors - Dale Dye and

Steven T. Perkins
Production Designer - Rick Carter

Production Illustrators - Stefan Dechant,

James Hegedus and Martin A. Kline
Art Directors - Leslie McDonald and
William James Teegarden

Assistant Art Directors - Steve Arnold,

Linda Berger and Tony Fanning
Set Decorator - Nancy Haigh

Property Master - Robin L. Miller
Costume Designer - Joanna Johnston
Makeup Creators and Designers - Hallie D'Amore
and Daniel C. Striepeke
Director of Photography - Don Burgess

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

David M. Dunlap

Additional Photographers: Second Unit -

E.J. Foerster and Christopher Woods

Location Managers - Mary Morgan,

Amy Ness and Peggy Pridemore

First Assistant Director - Bruce Moriarty

First Assistant Director: Second Unit/Second

Assistant Director - Cherylanne Martin
Stunt Coordinator - Bud Davis
Special Effects Supervisor - Allen Hall
Visual Effects Supervisor - Ken Ralston
Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Doug Chiang

Camera Operator: Vistavision, ILM - Pat Turner
Computer Graphics Supervisors: ILM -

George Murphy and Stephen Rosenbaum

Computer Graphics Sequence Supervisor: ILM -

John Schlag

Director of Production Operations: ILM -

Jeff Mann

General Manager: ILM - Jim Morris
Editor - Arthur Schmidt

Second Assistant Editor - Jeremiah O'Driscoll
Sound Design/Re-Recording Mixer/Sound
Recordist/Supervisor (Uncredited) - Randy Thom

Supervising Sound Editor - Gloria S. Borders

Foley Recordist - Tony Eckert

Foley Artists - Tom Barwick,

Dennie Thorpe and Jennifer Myers (Uncredited)

Re-Recording Mixer - Tom Johnson

Re-Recording/Music Recording Mixer -

Dennis S. Sands

Music - Alan Silvestri

Executive Music Producer - Joel Sill


Awards

1995 Academy Awards
Best Actor - Tom Hanks (Won)
Best Director - Robert Zemeckis (Won)
Best Visual Effects - Ken Ralston,
George Murphy, Stephen Rosenbaum
and Allen Hall (Won)
Best Film Editing - Arthur Schmidt (Won)
Best Picture (Won)
-------------------
Best Supporting Actor - Gary Sinise (Nominated)
Best Production Design - Rick Carter and
Nancy Hingh (Nominated)
Best Cinematography - Don Burgess (Nominated)
Best Sound Effects Editing - Gloria S. Borders

and Randy Thom (Nominated)
Best Makeup - Daniel C. Striepeke,

Hallie D'Amore and Judith A. Cory (Nominated)
Best Original Score - Alan Silvestri
(Nominated)
Best Sound - Randy Thom, Tom Johnson,
Dennis S. Sands and William B. Kaplan (Nominated)


Review
Hello, blog-viewers. It's me, Film Guru Lad. I am here to present a review of what most people have considered the best movie of 1994. No, we are not talking about The Lion King. I have already done that one, and it is not the overly dramatic Shawshank Redemption or the R-rated violent crime movie Pulp Fiction. Have you guessed it yet? It's the pivotal FORREST GUMP. My interpretation of this film is about an adventurous man on a journey of self-discovery. His adventure takes us through different life experiences, such as the Vietnam War, meeting JFK (John F. Kennedy) and his loving relationship with his love interest, Jenny.

These are just a few of the things that this film explores. That's why director Robert Zemeckis was trying to make Forrest a memorable American character for an unforgettable picture. And it meets my expectations. This film has famous, well-written lines like the almost nonsensical and honoured first quote, "Life is like a box of chocolates." The innovative CGI effects are impressive. For example, the scene where Forrest meets JFK is entirely computer-generated. Tom Hanks is a fabulous actor who delivers a remarkable performance as the titular character.

This film has seemingly taken ideas from other films, such as Being There and Born on the Fourth of July. I don't consider FORREST GUMP the greatest masterpiece some moviegoers have labelled. It has been a worthy film. Either see it on Blu-ray/DVD or simultaneously watch it on the television channel or again if you already saw it first.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

Back to Home

Days of Thunder Review

Days of Thunder


Release Date: 13th September 1990 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures
Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Action/Drama

Rating: M

Runtime: 101 minutes


Budget: $55,000,000

Box Office Gross: $157,920,733 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
A young hot-shot racer named Cole Trickle enters NASCAR racing after being spotted by a used car salesman, Tim Daland. After proving his talent,

he's teamed up with legendary

former crew chief and car builder Harry Hogge to race for the Winston Cup in the Daytona 500. However, Cole has a short temper, which gets him into trouble. When a fiery crash nearly ends his career, Cole must turn to a beautiful doctor to help regain his nerve and find the courage to get back into the race and win.

Cast
Tom Cruise - Cole Trickle
Robert Duvall - Harry Hogge
Nicole Kidman - Dr. Claire Lewicki

Randy Quaid - Tim Daland

Cary Elwes - Russ Wheeler
Michael Rooker - Rowdy Burns
Fred Thompson - Big John
John C. Reilly - Buck Bretherton
J.C. Quinn - Waddell
Caroline Williams - Jennie Burns
Donna W. Scott - Darlene
Chris Ellis - Harlem

Hoogerhyde
John Griesemer - Len Dortort
Barbara Garrick - Lauren

Daland
Leilani Sarelle - Female

Highway Patrol Officer

Nick Searcy - Highway Patrol Officer

Margo Martindale - Donna
Gerald R. Molen - Dr. Wilhaire (Cameo)

Jim Crowther - Dr. Crowther

Don Simpson - Aldo Benedetti (Cameo)

Daniel D. Greenwood - ESPN Announcer (Cameo)

Jerry Punch - Himself (Cameo)

Neil Bonnett - Himself (Cameo)

Harry P. Gant - Himself (Cameo)

Rusty Wallace - Himself (Cameo)

Richard Petty - Himself (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Bob Jenkins - Daytona Track

Announcer (Voice) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Tony Scott

Story - Tom Cruise
Story/Screenplay - Robert Towne
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Gerald R. Molen
Producers - Don Simpson and

Jerry Bruckheimer

Casting Director - David Rubin
Racing Consultant - Daniel D. Greenwood

Race Car Driver and Advisor - Greg Sacks

Technical Advisors - Rick Hendrick,

Harry Hyde, Jimmy Johnson and

Jerry Punch

Art Directors - Benjamín Fernández

and Thomas E. Sanders

Set Decorator - Thomas L. Royden

Costume Designer - Susan Becker

Costume Supervisors - James W. Tyson

and Winnie D. Brown
Director of Photography - Ward Russell

Additional Photography - Charles Mills

Camera Operators - Anthony Gaudioz,

Michael Genne and Aaron Pazanti

First Assistant Director - James W. Skotchdopole

Hi-Speed Camera Car/Stunt Driver (Uncredited) -

Allan Padelford

Stunt Coordinator - Gary McLarty

Race Car Coordinator - Steve Boyd

Special Effects Coordinator - Thomas R. Ward
Film Editors - Chris Lebonzon, Billy Weber,

Robert C. Jones, Bert Lovitt, Michael Tronick

and Stuart Waks

Associate Editor - Lauren A. Schaffer

First Assistant Editor - Christian Wagner

Supervising Sound Editors - Cecelia Hall

and George Watters II

Sound Effects Recording and Additional

Effects - John P. Fasal

Sound Effects Recordists - Ezra Dweck

and Ken J. Johnson

Re-Recording Mixers - Rick Kline,

Donald O. Mitchell and Kevin O'Connell

Additional Re-Recording Mixers -

Jeffrey J. Haboush and Greg P. Russell

Music - Hans Zimmer

Guitar Performances: Instrumental Score -

Jeff Beck

Music Orchestrator and Conductor -

Shirley Walker

Music Consultant for the Album - Kathy Nelson

Awards

1991 Academy Awards
Best Sound - Charles M, Wilborn, Donald O. Mitchell,
Rick Kline and Kevin O'Connell (Nominated)


Review

Remember in 1986 when Top Gun came out in cinemas? It became an ultimate hit for four famous people who have since worked so hard from their glorious movie days, proving themselves as movie titans. These legendary men are producers Jerry Bruckheimer and the late Don Simpson, director Tony Scott and superstar Tom Cruise. Four years after Top Gun, they showcased another motion picture that was also successful at the box office called DAYS OF THUNDER. This film shares the spirit and story of Top Gun and is pulled off nicely in its similarities. The film even portrays NASCAR racing, which accurately fits the high-production values. Some racing fans and motorists claim that the movie DAYS OF THUNDER is unrealistic. Mainly, it has something to do with the inaccuracies and the driving in some scenes, including several cars that bump, rub and smash each other on the track.

As usual, Cruise's performance is first-class. It helps that he co-wrote the movie's story. There is decent acting from other actors like Robert Duvall, Michael Rooker, Cary Elwes and Tom's future wife/now-ex Nicole Kidman. Another notable aspect is the burgeoning chemistry between Cruise and Kidman, which occurred in real life. In addition to this entertaining thrill ride package, DAYS OF THUNDER rewards moviegoers with racing sequences that plummet the action. Hans Zimmer's good music score also drives the film. Pardon the pun!

While one short of a victory lane, DAYS OF THUNDER is a solid film that many race-lovers will be thrilled by its adrenaline impact. Stirring up their passion for motorsport, they might spare a few dollars to grab the movie of its DVD or Blu-ray package, kick back in their lounge and enjoy this memorable action-packed racing classic.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

Back to Home

The Black Cauldron Review

The Black Cauldron


Release Date: 8th May 1986 - Australia


Production Companies
Walt Disney Pictures
Silver Screen Partners II (in association with)

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia


Genre: Animation/Family/

Fantasy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 77 minutes


Budget: $44,000,000

Box Office Gross: $21,288,692 (USA)


Plot Summary

A young assistant pig keeper named Taran has often dreamed of becoming a great warrior but ends up protecting an oracular pig, Hen Wen, who knows the exact whereabouts of the fabled and mystical Black Cauldron. Unfortunately for Taran, he loses Hen Wen when the terrifying Horned King kidnaps her to search for the Cauldron. With the help of the brave Princess Eilonwy, an exaggerating minstrel named Fflewddur Fflam, and an annoying creature named Gurgi. They set out to find the Cauldron and stop the Horned King from unleashing its unspeakable power to create

an army of deathless

soldiers. Will Taran learn

what it takes to be a true

hero and that some things

are more important than

glory?

Voice Cast
Grant Bardsley - Taran
Susan Sheridan - Princess Eilonwy
Nigel Hawthorne - Fflewddur Fflam
John Byner - Gurgi/Doli
John Hurt - The Horned King
Freddie Jones - Dallben
Arthur Malet - King Eidilleg

Lindsay Rich - Fairfolk

Brandon Call - Fairfolk

Gregory Levinson - Fairfolk

Eda Reiss Merin - Orddu
Adele Malis-Morey - Orwen
Billie Hayes - Orgoch
Phil Fondacaro - Creeper/

Henchman

John Huston - Narrator

Peter Renaday - Henchman

James Almanazar - Henchman

Wayne Allwine - Henchman

Steve Hale - Henchman

Phil Nibbelink - Henchman

(Cameo)

Jack Laing - Henchman

Crew
Story/Directors - Ted Berman
and Richard Rich
Based on "The Chronicles of
Prydain" Novel Series - Lloyd
Alexander
Story/Producer - Joe Hale
Story/Storyboard Artist
(Uncredited) - Peter Young
Story/Character Designer/Title Designer: End Titles - David Jonas
Story/Character Designer - Al Wilson
Story - Vance Gerry, Roy Morita

and Art Stevens
Additional Dialogue - Rosemary Anne Sisson

and Roy Edward Disney
Additional Story Contributions -

Tony Marino, Steve Hulett, Mel Shaw,

Burny Mattinson, John Musker, Ron Clements

and Doug Lefler

Executive Producer - Ron Miller
Concept Designer - Michael Peraza Jr.

Conceptual Artist - Tim Burton (Uncredited)

Character Designers/Animators -

Andreas Deja and Phil Nibbelink
Character Designers - Michael G. Ploog

and Milt Kahl (Uncredited)

Animation Consultant - Eric Larson

Art Director (Uncredited)/Layout Artist -

Don Griffith

Color Stylist - Jim Coleman

Layout Stylist - Mike Hodgson

Production Manager - Don Hahn

Assistant Directors - Mark Hester,

Terry L. Noss, Randy Paton and

Tim O'Donnell (Uncredited)
Animation Camera Supervisor -
Peter Anderson
Picture and Sound Effects Editors -

Armetta Jackson-Hamlett, James Koford

and James Melton

Sound Effects Designer - Michael L. McDonough

Sound Supervisor - Robert Hathaway

Sound Effects - Wayne Allwine

and Paul Hozborn

Re-Recording Mixers - Nick Alphin,

Richard Portman and Frank Regula

Music - Elmer Bernstein

Music Scoring Mixer - Shawn Murphy


Review
Regarded as the black sheep of the Disney studio but also one of its underappreciated efforts, THE BLACK CAULDRON is, in many ways, the epitome of what the studio could and should have done with this misstep. This animated feature is dark and distinctly different from the other Disney animated movies, in which a few had several dark moments. However, the film suffers from a massive tonality problem and goes a few steps too far. It was notoriously panned, both at the box office and by critics, and it performed so poorly that it nearly bankrupted the Disney animation studio. The movie would not come out on home video until 1998. By then, many Disney films had already been released on home video several times.

As ambitious, dark and downright scary as THE BLACK CAULDRON is, I consider this animated feature imperfect and disappointing to fantasy fans. The film has many problems with its story and characters due to being rushed and poorly developed. It includes the main protagonist, Taran, who is arrogant and a bit of a fool and Princess Eilowny, an interesting character but somewhat underdeveloped, and we don't see her kingdom. On the positive side, I compliment the film for its dark atmosphere, stunning animation and terrific music score by Elmer Bernstein. I find Taran's companion Gurgi - who acts like Gollum from Lord of the Rings - is a character I sympathise with despite him being annoying because people find him a nuisance. Gurgi is a poor and lonely creature who wants to have friends.

One more thing in THE BLACK CAULDRON we mustn't forget about is the antagonist, The Horned King, who is probably the scariest-looking and most sinister Disney villain ever brought to the screen. John Hurt did a remarkable job of voicing the character. No one has ever mentioned Hurt for portraying that villain. His eerie vocals bring an even more menacing touch to the character.

THE BLACK CAULDRON does not quite meet the benchmark of other Disney classics, but it's nice to know that the studio is trying to make a much darker film. Still, it would have worked better if it appealed to teenagers and young adults had it not been altered for young children. I would stick to the other cult-animated Disney films like Atlantis and Treasure Planet.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

Back to Home