In Memory of Tony Scott (1944-2012)

Tony Scott (1944-2012)


Hello, blog site viewers. It's Film Guru Lad. I have sad news that Tony Scott, the younger brother of Ridley Scott and director of movies like "Top Gun" and "Crimson Tide," killed

himself in an accidental suicide on the nineteenth of August 2012, at the age of 68.

At 16, his career began when he appeared in his brother Ridley Scott's short film "Boy and Bicycle," his first movie. He followed in his brother's footsteps, studying at several schools like Grandfield, West Hartlepool College of Art, and Sunderland Art School. Originally intending to become a painter, he turned to film after graduating from the Royal College of Art. He worked at his elder brother's commercial television production unit and directed thousands of commercials during the next two decades. He oversees the company's operations while his brother develops his feature film career. Tony also directed a 1975 television adaptation of Henry James' story "The Author of Beltraffio." Then, in 1980, he began to receive overtures from Hollywood itself. In 1983, he directed "The Hunger," a vampire film that became a box-office disappointment and failed to find an audience. Then, in 1985, producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson approached Tony to direct "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise, which came out in 1986.

After the success of "Top Gun," he directed other films, including "Beverly Hills Cop II," "Revenge," "Days of Thunder" (with Cruise again), "The Last Boy Scout," "Crimson Tide," "Enemy of the State," and others. The last movie he directed in 2010 was "Unstoppable," a train movie starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine.

 
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Dr. No Review

Dr. No

Release Date: 4th July 1963 - Australia

Production Companies

Eon Productions

Genre: Action

Rating: PG

Runtime: 105 minutes

Budget: $1,000,000

Box Office Gross: $59,566,680 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

James Bond is a secret agent from the British Secret Service who goes by his codename 007. He is on a mission to investigate the death of a fellow agent, which takes him to Jamaica. He joins forces with CIA agent Felix Leiter and native Quarrel for answers. Along the way, Bond must

fend off a trio of deadly

assassins and dodge a

poisonous tarantula and

"a fire-breathing dragon"

while uncovering an evil

plot from Dr No with the help of the beautiful Honey Ryder.

Cast

Sean Connery - James Bond

Ursula Andress - Honey Ryder

Joseph Wiseman - Dr. No

Jack Lord - Felix Leiter

Bernard Lee - M

Anthony Dawson - Professor Dent

John Kitzmiller - Quarrel

Zena Marshall - Miss Taro

Eunice Gayson - Sylvia Trench

Lois Maxwell - Miss Moneypenny

Peter Burton - Major Boothroyd

Timothy Moxon - John

Strangways (Uncredited)

Marguerite LeWars - Annabel

Chung - The Photographer

Dolores Keator - Mary Trueblood

Reggie Carter - Mr. Jones

Louis Blaazer - Pleydell-Smith

Colonel Burton - General Potter

Yvonna Shima - Sister Lily

Michel Mok - Sister Rose

Milton Reid - Dr. No's Guard (Uncredited)

Robert Rietty - John Strangways/Superintendent Duff (Voice) (Uncredited)

Nikki Van der Zyl - Honey

Ryder/Sylvia Trench/Various

(Voice) (Uncredited)

Diana Coupland - Honey Ryder

(Singing Voice) (Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Terence Young

Based on the Novel "Dr. No" - Ian Fleming

Treatment - Wolf Mankowitz (Uncredited)

Screenplay - Richard Maibaum,

Johanna Harwood and Berkeley Mather

Associate Producer - Stanley Sopel (Uncredited)

Producers - Albert R. Broccoli and

Harry Saltzman

Production Designer - Ken Adam

Art Director - Syd Cain (Uncredited)

Production Buyer - Ron Quelch (Uncredited)

Costumes - Tessa Prendergast

Director of Photography - Ted Moore

Location Manager - Chris Blackwell (Uncredited)

Stunt Arranger - Bob Simmons (Uncredited)

Special Effects - Frank George

Visual Effects - Roy Field (Uncredited)

Matte Artist - Cliff Culley (Uncredited)

Film Editor - Peter R. Hunt

Sound Recordists - John Dennis

and Wally Milner

Dubbing Editors - Archie Ludski

and Norman Wanstall

Main Title Designer - Maurice Binder

Music - Monty Norman

Arranger: James Bond Theme - John Barry

Review
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bond. James Bond on the big screen, here's my first-ever review of a Bond movie. The one that started it all: DR. NO. While the film was a good entry with some exciting action scenes, it has a spy/espionage feel rather than an action film. It may not have the same appeal to the mainstream audience as the later Bond films, but it is an important film because it was the first Bond movie ever made. It even introduced the iconic formula that subsequent films followed. I liked Sean Connery performing the title character as he was the best James Bond. Other actors who succeeded him, such as Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan, came close to matching his charisma, style, and wit. The other things I find fantastic in the movie are Ken Adam's set designs and James Bond's main theme music.

While DR. NO lacked a few things, such as cool gadgets, it set the benchmark for all Bond movies to come. I recommend this feature to anyone, including Bond fans, who have yet to see the character in his film debut.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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In Memory of Marvin Hamlisch (1944-2012)

Marvin Hamlisch (1944-2012) 

Greetings, viewers. I have some sad news. Oscar-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, known for scoring movies such as "The Sting" and "The Spy Who Loved Me," passed away in Los Angeles at age 68 on August 6th, 2012.

He wrote dozens of scores for film, Broadway, and television. He won many awards throughout his career, including three Oscars and four Golden Globes. Although incredibly versatile for his style, he composed more than 40 scores for pictures such as "Sophie's Choice," Woody Allen's "Bananas," and "The Way We Were." He was best known for his reimaginings of Scott Joplin, including "The Entertainer," which appeared in "The Sting" and "The Spy Who Loved Me."

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Step Up: Miami Heat Review

Step Up: Miami Heat 


Release Date: 2nd August 2012 - Australia


Production Companies
Offspring Entertainment
Summit Entertainment

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Music/Drama

Rating: PG

Runtime: 99 minutes


Budget: $33,000,000

Box Office Gross: $93,723,802
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Emily, the daughter of a 
wealthy businessman, 
arrives in Miami hoping 
to become a professional 
dancer. She falls in love 
with Sean, a young man 
who leads a dance crew 
in elaborate, cutting-edge 
flash mobs. The crew, 
called the MOB, strives 
to win a contest for a 
major sponsorship 
opportunity, but Emily's 
father threatens to 
develop the MOB's 
historic neighborhood 
and displace thousands 
of people. (Source - Metro Cinemas)

Cast
Kathryn McCormick - Emily
Anderson
Ryan Guzman - Sean
Adam Sevani - Robert 

"Moose" Alexander III
Misha Gabriel - Eddie
Peter Gallagher - William 

"Bill" Anderson
Stephen "tWitch" Boss - Jason
Chadd "Madd Chadd" Smith -
Vladd
Tommy Dewey - Tripp
Cleopatra Coleman - Penelope
Megan Boone - Claire

Crew
Director - Scott Speer
Based on Characters - Duane Adler
Writer - Amanda Brody
Producers - Erik Feig, Jennifer Gibgot,
Garrett Grant, Adam Shankman &
Patrick Waschberger
Production Designer - Carlos Menendez
Director of Photography - Karsten Gopinath
Choreographers - Chuck Maldonado,
Christopher Scott, Jamal Sims
& Travis Wall
Film Editors - Matt Friedman &
Avi Youabian
Music - Aaron Zigman


Review
I'm unfamiliar with the 'Step Up' series and never watched any of the other dance films of the series, 'MIAMI HEAT' is a very solid fourth instalment and I guarantee that it'll give good entertainment. The movie's story is not bad and has a good romantic subplot, but I am amazed by its dance choreography which is really energetic and Michael Jackson would have been proud of it. 'MIAMI HEAT' does deliver something and I would give four well deserved stars for this one.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Die Hard Review

Die Hard

Release Date: 6th October 1988 - Australia


Production Companies

20th Century Fox

Gordon Company

Lawrence Gordon Productions

Silver Pictures

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M (Not Suitable for

Young Children)

Runtime: 126 minutes

Budget: $28,000,000

Box Office Gross: $143,651,650 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A band of international terrorists, led by Hans Gruber, staged a coup on an office building and took several hostages. Only one person stood in their way: John McClane, a New York detective visiting Holly, his estranged wife, for the holidays. Will McClane go it alone

to take down all the

crooks, including Hans,

and rescue Holly and

others from their clutches?

Cast

Bruce Willis - John McClane

Alan Rickman - Hans Gruber

Alexander Godunov - Karl

Bonnie Bedelia - Holly Gennaro-McClane

Reginald VelJohnson - Sgt. Al Powell

Paul Gleason - Dwayne T. Robinson

De'voreaux White - Argyle

William Atherton - Richard Thornburg

Hart Bochner - Harry Ellis

James Shigeta - Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
Bruno Doyon - Franco
Andreas Wisniewski - Tony
Clarence Gilyard Jr. - Theo
Joey Plewa - Alexander
Lorenzo Caccialanza - Marco
Gerard Bonn - Kristoff
Dennis Haydn - Eddie
Al Leong - Uli
Gary Roberts - Heinrich
Hans Buhringer - Fritz
Wilhelm von Homburg - James
Robert Davi - FBI Special Agent Big Johnson
Grand L. Bush - FBI Agent Little Johnson
Matt Landers - Capt. Mitchell
Carmine Zozzora - Rivers
Dustyn Taylor - Ginny
George Christy - Dr. Hasseldorf
David Ursin - Harvey Johnson
Mary Ellen Trainor - Gail Wallens
Taylor Fry - Lucy McClane
Noah Land - John McClane Jr.
Betty Carvalho - Paulina

Crew
Director - John McTiernan

Based on the Novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" -
Roderick Thorp

Screenplay - Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza
Associate Producer/Unit Production Manager/
Second Unit Director - Beau Marks
Associate Producer - Lloyd Levin (Uncredited)
Executive Producer - Charles Gordon

Producers - Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver
Casting Director - Jackie Burch

Production Designer - Jackson DeGovia

Art Director - John R. Jensen

Set Decorator - Phillip Leonard
Costume Designer - Marilyn Vance

Makeup Supervisor - Scott Eddo

Director of Photography - Jan De Bont

First Assistant Director - Benjamin Rosenberg

Second Assistant Director - Terry Miller
Stunt Coordinator - Charlie Picerni
Special Effects Coordinator - Al Di Sarro

Special Effects Foreman - William Alridge

Special Effects Foreman: Boss - Thaine Morris

Visual Effects Producer - Richard Edlund

Visual Effects Art Director: Boss - Brent Boates
Model Shop Supervisor: Boss - Mark Stetson

Chief Model Maker: Boss - Pat McClung

Director of Photography: Boss - Bill Neil

Chief Matte Artist: Boss - Matthew Yuricich

Film Editors - Frank J. Urioste and John F. Link

Assistant Editors - Derek Brechin,

Bryan H. Carroll, Gregory M. Gerlich and

Kelly Irvine (Uncredited)

Second Assistant Editors - Jeff Gullo and

Edward Malone

Sound Effects - Stephen Hunter Flick

Supervising Sound Editor (Uncredited)/

Sound Effects - Richard Shorr

Sound Effects Editors - Catherine Shorr

and David E. Stone

Re-Recording Mixers - Don J. Bassman,

Kevin F. Cleary and Richard Overton

Foley Editors - Ron Bartlett and

Rick Mitchell

Foley Artists - Vanessa Theme Ament

and Robin Harlan

Music - Michael Kamen


Awards

1989 Academy Awards
Best Sound - Don J. Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary,
Richard Overton and Al Overton Jr. (Nominated)
Best Film Editing - Frank J. Urioste and

John F. Link (Nominated)
Best Sound Editing - Stephen Hunter Flick
and Richard Shorr (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - Richard Edlund, Al Di Sarro,
Brent Boates and Thaine Morris (Nominated)

Review

DIE HARD was simply an action-packed thrill ride, with explosions and shootouts you would expect in an action film. It also contains humour. This movie redefined the action genre and set a trend, with films like Under Siege and Speed imitating its original concept and matching its impact in different ways. It created tough competition for rivals such as Lethal Weapon and James Bond. Some people considered DIE HARD a Christmas movie because it was set during the holiday season, even though the film had no connection to Christmas. Director John McTiernan knows how to make a large-scale action flick with spectacle. The premise has lost much of its originality over the years.

The movie features groundbreaking cinematography, iconic lines, and incredible performances by Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, who star as John McClane and Hans Gruber. One is a wisecracking hero cop, and the other is a psychopath. Back then, Willis wasn't yet as famous as the action star he is now, so the idea of him in an action film was inconceivable. The brutal action sequences keep you on the edge of your seat.

I have only seen a few Die Hard movies, like the third and the latest, Live Free or Die Hard, but I had never seen the original until now. It's a great and memorable film for action-movie fans.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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The Dark Knight Rises Review

The Dark Knight Rises


Release Date: 19th July 2012 - Australia


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)
DC Comics
DC Entertainment
Legendary Pictures
Syncopy

Distribution
Roadshow Distribution


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 165 minutes


Budget: $230,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,084,939,099
(Worldwide - figure subject to change)


Plot Summary
Batman is called upon
again when an evil terrorist
named Bane arrives in
Gotham City, intent on
destroying it.


Cast
Christian Bale - Bruce
Wayne/Batman

Tom Hardy - Bane
Anne Hathaway - Selina 

Kyle/Catwoman
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - John 

Blake
Michael Caine - Alfred 

Pennyworth
Gary Oldman - Commissioner James Gordon

Morgan Freeman - Lucius Fox
Marion Cotillard - Miranda Tate
Cillian Murphy - Dr. Jonathan 

Crane (Cameo)
Liam Neeson - Ra's Al Ghul (Cameo)
Josh Pence - Young Ra's Al Ghul
Nestor Carbonell - Mayor
Anthony Garcia
Juno Temple - Jen
Ben Mendelsohn - John Daggett
Matthew Modine - Peter Foley
Burn Gorman - Philip Stryver
Alon Aboutbul - Leonid Pavel
Daniel Sunjata - Capt. Mark Jones
Chris Ellis - Father Reilly
Tyler Dean Flores - Mark
Brett Cullen - Byron Gilley
Rob Brown - Allen
Josh Stewart - Barsad
Will Estes - Officer Simon Jansen
Uri Gavriel - Blind Prisoner
John Nolan - Fredericks
Joey King - Older Prison Child
India Wadsworth - Warlord's Daughter
Thomas Lennon - Doctor
Patrick Leahy - Board Member #2
Christopher Judge - Mercenary Security #4

Crew
Story/Screenplay/Producer/
Director - Christopher Nolan
Based on Batman Characters - Bob Kane &
Bill Finger (Uncredited)
Character: Alfred Pennyworth - Jerry Robinson 

(Uncredited)
Story - David S. Goyer
Screenplay - Jonathan Nolan
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Kevin De La Noy
Executive Producers - Benjamin Melniker, 

Michael Uslan & Thomas Tull 

Producers - Charles Roven & Emma Thomas
Co-Producer - Jordan Goldberg
Consultant: IMAX - David Keighley 
Casting Directors - John Papsidea &
Toby Whale
Production Designers - Nathan Crowley & 

Kevin Kavanaugh

Supervising Art Directors - James Hambidge & 

Naaman Marshall
Costume Designer - Lindy Hemming
Director of Photography - Wally Pfister
Stunt Coordinators - Paul Jennings,
Sy Hollands & Tom Struthers 
Special Effects Supervisors - Chris Corbould & 

Andrew Smith
Special Effects Coordinators - Scott R. Fisher & 

Jeff Brink
Visual Effects Supervisor - Paul J. Franklin

Visual Effects Supervisor: Double Negative - Pete Bebb

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor - Rob Hodgson

Visual Effects Producer - Mike Chambers
Film Editor - Lee Smith
Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor -
Richard King
Music - Hans Zimmer
Composers: Additional Music - Lorne Balfe &
Junkie XL


Review
While it still carries some loyalty to the Batman comic series and ingenious writing, 'THE DARK KNIGHT RISES' was sophisticated but a little bit shocking and it definitely runs as second best to the last movie 'The Dark Knight' Where do I start with this unbelievable superhero picture, the portrayal of the villain Bane is better than the one in 'Batman & Robin' because he is more menacing and intelligent. Tom Hardy is appropriate for playing the masked brute that we know from the Batman comic issues and cartoons. I praise Anne Hathaway's performance as Catwoman and she does it differently than Michelle Pfeiffer's dark and villainous interpretation and the continued acting by Christian Bale of which is fairly similar to his previous acting in the last two Batman movies.

All I can say is step aside Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan is in the house and I don't know whether to say that 'THE DARK KNIGHT RISES' is either the third or final film instalment to this masterpiece trilogy. It must be a conclusion to the shadowy masked hero character.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Review

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm


Release Date: 25th December 1993 - USA


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Family Entertainment (presents)
Warner Bros. Animation


Genre: Animation/Family/

Action

Rating: PG

Runtime: 73 minutes


Budget: $6,000,000

Box Office Gross: $5,863,139 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
When a mysterious new villain, the Phantasm, kills several of the city's most feared gangsters, Batman takes the blame. The Caped Crusader must stop this shadowy figure and clear his name.


Voice Cast
Kevin Conroy - Bruce Wayne/

Batman

Mark Hamill - The Joker
Dana Delany - Andrea Beaumont
Hart Bochner - Arthur Reeves
Stacy Keach - The Phantasm/Carl Beaumont

Abe Vigoda - Salvatore Valestra
Dick Miller - Charles "Chuckie" Sol

John P. Ryan - Buzz Bronski
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. - Alfred
Pennyworth
Bob Hastings - Commissioner James Gordon

Robert Costanzo - Detective
Harvey Bullock

Arleen Sorkin - Ms Bambi (Uncredited)

Crew
Co-Producer/Digital

Animator/Background Stylist/Director - Eric Radomski

Co-Producer/Character/
Storyboard Designer/

Director - Bruce Timm

Sequence Directors/Storyboard Designers - Kevin Alteri, Boyd Kirkland, Frank Paur and Dan Riba
Batman Creators - Bob Kane

and Bill Finger (Uncredited)

Character: The Joker - Jerry
Robinson (Uncredited)
Story/Screenplay/Co-Producer -

Alan Burnett
Screenplay - Paul Dini, Martin Pasko and Michael Reaves
Executive Producer - Tom Ruegger
Producers - Benjamin Melniker and Michael E. Uslan
Casting and Voice Supervision - Andrea Romano

Art Director/Character Designer - Glen Murakami

Character Designers - Chen-Yi Chang,

Michael Diedrich, Craig Kellman and

Dexter Smith

Storyboard Designers - Butch Lukic,

Doug Murphy, Gregg Davidson,

Ronnie Del Carmen, Brad Rader, Joe Denton,

Jeff Snow, Michael Goguen and Mark Wallace

Background Design Supervisor - Ted Blackman

Supervising Timing Director - James T. Walker

Camera Director: Dong Yang Animation -

Sung-Il Choi

Editor - Al Breitenbach

Supervising Sound Editor - Julia Evershade
Phantasm Voice Design/Re-Recording Mixer -
Wayne Artman

Re-Recording/Music Scoring Mixer -

Robert Fernandez

Re-Recording Mixer - Tom E. Dahl

Foley Artists - Kevin Bartnof,

Ellen Heuer and Richard Partlow (Uncredited)

Music - Shirley Walker
Synthesist - Hans Zimmer


Review 

BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM had a compelling plot, gripping mystery, and excellent 2D animation. Because it is dark, complex, and mature, many critics consider it one of the best animated and comic book movies. I remember watching PHANTASM on VHS a few times as a kid while on a family holiday in Narooma. Having grown up with Batman: The Animated Series, I'm not surprised that this movie is a spin-off. I am pleased that this superhero film has fared so well, given its disastrous theatrical run and subsequent VHS release. In reality, this animated film is an extraordinary masterpiece. What makes the movie even more worthwhile is that it is remarkably violent and contains mature themes, which is why it is PG-rated.

I praise Kevin Conroy, who does a brilliant job of voicing the Caped Crusader, and Mark Hamill as the Joker. A few impressive scenes include a flashback of Bruce Wayne putting on the mask for the first time as Batman, which the live-action movies didn't show.

MASK OF THE PHANTASM is one of my favourites, and I still believe the best Batman movie of all time is The Dark Knight. This incarnation is a must-see for comic book fans.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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