Reviews

Julius Caesar is a very good film and it is worth watching if you're a sucker for history--though it's not completely historically accurate, for example Cato being a member of the senate when Sulla was in charge when he was only a teenager and putting Julia, Portia, Brutus and Marcus' ages the same when Julia and Brutus were at least six years older then Portia and Marcus. It was also disappointing not to see Brutus' mother Servilia, who was the love of Caesar's life, missing out an extra tension between her brother Cato and Caesar as well as the crude rumours that Brutus was Caesar's bastard son...

But otherwise, it's a great show...

So, what about the characters, you ask? Well, Caesar you might hate if you can't stand winners but he's nice to watch as too is his lovely wife Calpurnia who is the second best character in this series giving us so very wonderful scenes--especially her last scene with Portia and the dying Caesar. As for everyone else, Pompey is such a big-headed dude who I wouldn't trust at all--good job Julia was there (who is nice but she's irritating.) Antony can be a bit annoying, Cassius' special subject is the obvious and he might get on your nerves (her certainly gets on Brutus') Marcus (Cato's son) is an overgrown baby but he is noble and very sweet--he gives us a lovely scene towards the end with Cato and he stands up to Caesar. Brutus is the sort of guy you want to pat on the head but it's hard to decide whether you like him or curse him, and then his wife/cousin Portia who admittedly spends most of her time standing next to him looking pretty, does a remarkable wordless scene when she stumbles across Brutus planning the murder of Caesar.

So who is the one you want to watch this for, well, partly Richard Harris—who plays the villain Sulla very well considering he spends most of his time playing friendly, old heroes—but mostly, you watch it so see Christopher Walken who plays the amazing and hypnotic Cato, father of Portia and uncle of Brutus. Walken is by far the best actor in this show—his way of grabbing your attention just with one sentence is remarkable and he pulls off the noble, stubborn and grumpy Cato perfectly making this film worth watching just to see his tear jerking death scene acted to perfection with the moving soundtrack this film has.

Overall, I advice to you watch this if you are one of those people who is a sucker for the Roman history.

AUGUSTUS isn't the best it could be, lacking the historical accuracy that previous reviewers have been kicking a screaming about; it is because of the pointless stereotypical Julia, who is always made out to be a villain and Augustus a wounded. However, the tales of Augustus daughter Julia are mainly made of rumours, the likelihood she was a prostitute is slim and chances are Iullus was one of her only, if not only, lover. Read your historical notes and what historians say today, chances are you'll find her in a new light. AUGUSTUS shows Julia as the wounded daughter she was; mistreated and thrown around just for her father's own delights. When you consider that he treated her like that and that she had a father who led a far kinkier and scandalous sex life, is it any wonder his daughter, who apart from her adulteries had no bad vein in her body, ended up the way she did?

Augustus (Peter O'Toole) is on his deathbed, overlooking how he "played his part in this comedy called life," and he takes us back several years to the high point of his rein. His daughter Julia (Vittoria Belvedere) is married to his beloved friend and ally, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, and together the two have had a pair of lovely sons, Gaius and Lucius, who are "just like their grandfather" and running around in army gear, rather like how Julia's daughter Agrippina (oddly missing from the movie) would do for her youngest son Gaius, or Caligula, thirty or so years later. Of course, the bubble bursts when Augustus is nearly murdered by an assassin, only saved by his leather breast plate, and Julia receives dreadful news: her husband Agrippa has died. He tells her of his earlier days when he was a sickly eighteen-year-old, who one day gets a letter from Julius Caesar, despite the pleas of his mother, "Your father would forbid it!" Octavius (Benjamin Sander) reminds her that, "only your uncle treats me like a son," leaps on a horse with Marcus Agrippa (Ken Duken) another eighteen-year-old, who dreams of becoming a soldier, to join the army. The story seems to take us through a romanticised view of Octavius growth into manhood along side his two friends Marcus Agrippa and Gaius Maecenas (Russell Barr), a man who is clearly thrown in for a giggle.

Agrippa represents the world that we all want to be apart of, yet he doesn't live in a fool's paradise like Octavius does, and towards the end of the flashbacks he finally pulls his friend out of belief that sticking to the nobles will save him; he has to suppress them. Interestingly, they show us how Agrippa built the great aqueducts, proving himself not only to be a great soldier but also one of history's great architect. Ironically, Maecenas mocks him by saying, "At least we'll be able to get some lovely fountains out of it!" Cleopatra is just as she should be, not a Liz Taylor but a real malicious mastermind. Julia does as she's told but is so trapped that she can't help but loom for ways out. Tiberius is a pig and his mother Livia too ambitious, and it's refreshing that Augustus actually "gets" that Livia wants Tiberius to be emperor. Iullus Antonius, who wants revenge for his father's murder at first, uses the vulnerable widow of Agrippa to in his plan. The irony being of course that lovely Agrippa warned Octavius when he saved Iullus' life that this would one day come to pass. In a way, Iullus cheats both his saviours, not only seducing Augustus' daughter but also taking Agrippa's wife and using her against the man he spent his whole life protecting. Of course the plot falls through when Iullus ends up falling in love with her proving himself a true Antonius boy—"a woman changed Antony, you could change Iullus" Augustus says and by god, Julia does.

The acting is still great, though many see O'Toole as the best: the desperation of Belvedere's Julia, the cunning of Rampling's Livia, the nobleness of Duken's Agrippa and the deep love that Barr's Maecenas has for Augustus really does touch you and makes their characters come alive.

The only thing that is disappointing is that it didn't cover the whole of the history, the Battle of Actium was rushed, we never see two of Augustus wives and we don't know what happened after the civil war was over, which is probably some of the most interesting part. Various other characters were clearly cut to save time for the film, Octavia's first husband, her children, Fulvia, Sextus, Drusus, who was Livia's other son and various others. If anything, this show would have been better off as a mini series and covering other important parts of history like the self-exile of Agrippa because of Marcellus, and how his death resulted in Agrippa's marriage to Julia—that would have been a story worth hearing.

If you're not interested in history, then you could just watch it for its soap opera feel, with the drama, attempted assassination and Julia's affair with Iullus Antonius driving her husband into raping her, we might as well have been watching an ancient rendition of DAYS OF OUR LIVES, only it's much better! Boys will also be happy to see that they get a hot babe to stare at in the form of Augustus' daughter Julia for half of the film. Don't worry, fear not girls, because in the other half, ladies such as us, also get a hot and handsome treat in the form Agrippa. My point being is that there is something for everyone. Filled with comic relief, a few wars, a few scandals, a troublesome wife, a few hot wild affairs, a hot chick for the boys and a cute guy for the girls, it pretty much does have everything you need to make history come alive.

In recent years sci-fi have been filled with flashing lights, high-budget CGI effects and ridiculous stunts like in THE MATRIX and I, ROBOT. If you don't like one sci-fi film you're unlikely to like any as they're all the same. However, my dad took down PLANET OF THE APES from our video shelf. Unlike most sci-fi films it was made in a time that had to deal without CGI and relied completely on the break through movie make-up as well as providing what people have voted time and time again "The Greatest Film Ending". PLANET OF THE APES has a memorable cast, simple plot and it keeps your attention even as the credits are rolling at the end. Based on Pierre Boulle's lesser novel (La Planète des singes AKA Monkey Planet) tells of an astronaut landing on a distant planet and discovering that man's role as the superior life form has been reversed with the apes. The film has many needed changes to it to make it more watch-able and tap into the true fears at the time the film was made. In 1968, everyone lived in fear of an atomic bomb attack and PLANET OF THE APES truly taps into that fear, for reasons I will not reveal but it is understandable why the story was so popular at the time and why it shocked everyone.

PLANET OF THE APES tells the story of George Taylor (Charlton Heston), when he and his doomed astronaut friends find themselves stranded on a distant planet. It seems to be inhospitable with no life. However, after travelling throughout the place, which is famously referred to as "The Forbidden Zone", discover plenty of life including ape like humans and human like apes. Taylor is shot in the neck rendering him unable to speak. Treated as a wounded animal he is taken to a human-ape study lab where he meets Zira (Kim Hunter), a sympathetic and friendly chimpanzee. She almost straight away notices that Taylor's intelligence goes far beyond that of any other human, and she encourages him to speak. However, orangutan leader Dr Zaius sneers on Zira's and her fiancé Cornelius' (Roddy McDowall) belief in any human intelligence, and won't listen to reason. Despite Cornelius' skeptical feelings towards Taylor, he agrees to help prove his intelligence which is proved once he finally says his famous line: "Take your stinking paws of me you damn dirty ape!"

Heston is anything other then a likable character. Unlike Ulysse Merou in the novel Taylor is slightly moody, but a likable character who values his friendship with Zira and Cornelius. He represents what humans truly are that is self-centered, violent and dangerous. Though on stage he is reportedly (according to Laurence Olivier) truly a talented actor, on screen and in PLANET OF THE APES, Heston basically turned up and played himself. Nonetheless the character of Taylor works as you either love him or you hate him. The rebel Taylor is no different from the other pushy characters Heston has played over the years. With his tough, physical god-like body you suppose that in a film where the apes are pushing us humans about because we're basically behaving like apes he is just what the doctor ordered.

Of course we all know that it's the two lovable chimps Zira and Cornelius that we remember the most in the PLANET OF THE APES films for their charm and humor they bring to the story. Hunter's portrayal of Zira was a masterpiece on its own, giving one of the most powerful performances. It's fair to say that Zira is the strongest and most developed character in the film. Indeed she is the only ape that Taylor actually likes! With her wit and admirable sense of humor it's not surprising that most people asked who their favorite character is reply "Zira". Hunter manages to make Zira what she was meant to be, more human then ape. In fact, she's more human than most of the beautiful female actresses of the 60's films. Despite the fact she looks as ugly as hell in her ape make-up the charm still shines through.

Of course, if you don't love the intelligent and cool Zira, you always have intelligent and nerdy Cornelius. McDowell, next to Heston, is the most celebrated male actor in the films as he comes over as the nerd of the rebel gang that you just want to hug. In the film, Taylor seems to have a love-hate rivalry with Cornelius as they constantly challenge each other like full-blooded males do no matter how civilized. A good example of this is when Zira allows Taylor to kiss her on the lips as a goodbye and Cornelius makes his jealousy clear. However Taylor sticks up for him against Zaius, which shows not as much friendship as understanding. McDowell is an irreplaceable member of the cast who is near impossible to live up to.

PLANET OF THE APES is a mark in cinema history, famous for these talented artists, gripping story and an amazing ending that shocks you, scares you, breaks you and brings you to tears with the realization that you'll never truly experience a film like this again. Anyone who is anyone owes it to himself or herself to watch this film and experience the feeling. Even people who dislike sci-fi are likely to enjoy this. A film that truly did break STAR WARS and challenged it like no other film ever could. PLANET OF THE APES will live on in all of us. It will go on forever, find its way to younger audiences and will win them over just it won over us.

Hollywood is making itself famous for remaking or adapting classical Japanese, Korean and even British horror films recently since the great success of 'The Ring' (Adapted from the original horror masterpiece, 'Ring' or 'Ringu'). After seeing the original masterpiece 'Ring', I was disappointed at how lacking the remake was. With it's pointless shocks, boring "extra" story lines and dull dreary look, made we wonder why I was so excited to see the remake of 'Dark Water'.

This time I had seen the original 'Dark Water' (Honogurai mizu no soko kara), and though it wasn't a world beater nor very scary, it did tug my heart strings and I was curious to see just how much of a mess Hollywood had made of this remake. I was, however, pleasantly surprised at this film. 'Dark Water' is a wonderful adaption of the film and is actually right up there with the original Japanese version. The feel wasn't too cheesy and the storyline remains faithful to the original. Acting from everyone was top notch and, unlike in 'The Ring', you prayed for the safety of the little child.

Jennifer Connelly played Dahlia, the single mother. She played it perfectly and I feel that she kept my attention till the very end with her grace and excellent acting skills. 'Dark Water' is an extremely hard film (like 'Ring') to act in with the psychological confusion that has to be made clear in her character. Connelly played her role to perfection and did a better job then any woman has in any Hollywood horror movie in a long time. Her acting was equal to that of Hitomi Kuroki in the original and I found no faults whatsoever in her role as Dahlia. She was the original choice to play Rachel Keller in 'The Ring', so it's nice to see her in another Hideo Nakata horror remake (and a better one of that).

I was also very impressed by Ariel Gade who played Dahlia's daughter, Ceci. Her acting was so impressive and she carried us towards the end with the film with her heartbreaking tears and amazing sweetness that just tore through you. She was the classical Hollywood child who has the sixth sense and draws evil pictures, and she doesn't have all the answers. She was just a sign of pure innocence of a child and I think that she has quite a career going for her. If she keeps going the way she is, she could become equal to Jennifer Connelly and other big stars one day. A rare talent in someone so young is rare to find and I think she was perfectly cast as Ceci.

Walter Salles, unlike Gore Verbinski, knew what was expected of 'Dark Water' to make it an equal to it's original. The direction was wonderful and I felt that thanks to this and the brilliant examples of acting that made the movie such a treat to sit there and watch. It didn't drag and it didn't for once make me think, "This is boring!" The storyline had only been edited for the good of a Western audience and it didn't patronize us with answers and explanations.

With never a dull moment, Jennifer Connelly and Ariel Gade lead a tale of a mother and a daughter, wounded by recent divorce, trying to find a home they can afford. Their searching brings them to a run-down and damp old block of flats. After little Ceci telling her mother that she wants to live there, they move in. However, there are strange things happening around them: mysterious noises, running taps, imaginary friends and the strange disappearance of a young girl who had lived above them.

'Dark Water' blows 'The Ring' out of the water when it comes to Hollywood remakes. From fear of ruining such a great film, I'll say no more other then to advise you to watch both the original and this remake. This is the best Hollywood Asian Horror Adaption you'll ever see.

9/10 and 4.5 stars! It's wonderful!

Every review I see for this film is for the original horror movie classic based on the best-selling novel by Koji Suzuki 'Ringu'. This is not 'Ringu', it is the Korean adaption of the movie. Very few people have watched this film has it had received its share of insults and bashing.

However, I recommend to any one who loved either or both 'The Ring' (American adaption) or 'Ringu' (Original Japanese version) to watch this version. You owe it to yourself.

I won't lie to you, the acting is poor and the actress who plays Sun-joo is so wooden it's frightening. Most of the scenes are dull and strange... But the scenes with Eun-Suh are handled beautifully. I watched this movie several times... And it really grew on me.

Its nothing compared to 'Ringu', but like I said, it's worth a look.

2/5 *** Stars

"The Spiral" or "Rasen" starts with us meeting the suicidal Mitsuo Andou (Japanese star Koichi Sato), depressed and sorry that he allowed his son to drown in the sea. However, he can't bring himself to slit his wrists. That morning he gets a call from his buddy Miyashita (Shingo Tsurumi) telling him that the guy on the chopping board that day is Ryuji Takayama (played by the great Hiroyuki Sanada), who was Andou's old rival in Med. School.

During the autopsy (which is about the only scary thing in the movie!) Andou has a flashback about how he and Ryuji used to always make number codes for words. When they find a clot in Ryuji's neck, guess what's there! Nope, one of the number codes! (So some how, Ryuji managed to swallow that before he died, even when he didn't know he'd happen!) After doing the autopsy, the inspector tells them that he's suspicious of Ryuji's ex-wife Reiko Asakawa, whom they seem to think murdered him. Trying to find out more answers, he talks to Ryuji's girlfriend, the boring and extremely dull Mai Takano (played bluntly by Miki Nakatani). Some how (despite the fact that in 'Ring' Ryuji never told anyone about videotape and never went near anyone but Reiko), Mai knows everything about the cursed videotape and says that's why Ryuji died.

That night, Andou take the numbered paper found in Ryuji's throat home and decides to work it out. The codes come up as 'D-N-A'. Andou thinks it's rubbish. (Insert boring and pointless moment with Mai here). Andou goes to the lab to show Miyashita why Ryuji really died. It turns out that he had a tumor in his heart. Just then, Andou and Miyashita are called on to do a quick autopsy... Reiko Asakawa and Yoichi Asakawa have been found.

As soon as Andou hears that Yoichi died too... He cries (the only mourner!). Suddenly, Yoshino (Reiko's head of dept.) turns up and points out that a video deck is in the car.

Andou finds that strange, and he starts to believe Mai was right! (Insert yet another pointless view of Mai walking down the street looking sorry for herself!) Cut to Mai getting a letter with maths info and a picture of a man and a young boy, holding hands...

What it means... We'll never, ever know... believe me.

2 out of 5 stars.

Over the past few months, it has been a popular topic to discuss. What is the greatest horror movie of all? Some would argue it's THE EXORCIST and its head spinning demon-girl. Others would argue it's THE SHINING, for its axing actions or PSYCHO and it's famous shower moment. Still, gore and sickness isn't as popular with some, so they got for the psychological horrors. Hence some would say either THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT or THE WICKER MAN. Of course in every 90's horror flick, we have our protagonist and going against the rules again. It isn't a stupid teenager who runs about in the dark with a butcher knife to attack the killer with. She's early-twenties, single mother; T.V reporter whom is researching the evil cursed videotape.

Reiko Asakawa (played outstandingly by Nanako Matsushima) TV reporter is researching an urban legend about a cursed video when her niece dies. At first, this just seems to be a sad tragic event that Reiko and her seven year old son Yoichi (A small but remarkable job from Rikiya Otaka) but, she soon finds out that three of the niece's friends died the same way, same day and same time. Reiko shots off down to the roots of all the rumors Izu Pacific Land. However, on her arrival, she finds nothing but friendly people, a nice and conformable rental cottage and beautiful weather… Reiko is relaxed and yet, disappointed that she can't find anything. However she soon comes across the un-filed videotape. Allowing her curiosity to get the best of her, she watches the tape. After it ends she gets the 'ring'… Leaving her with one to live… Now in every movie, horror or not, the damsel in distress has her 'Prince Charming' to come and rescue her. This is no acceptation when Reiko calls on her estranged ex-husband, Ryuji Takayama (Played by the wonderful Hiroyuki Sanada) to help with the situation. Whatever the reason they divorced, it certainly wasn't lack of love, as Ryuji watches the video and is cursed also. Now Reiko and Ryuji have just six days till their deadline. Together they manage to pick out clues from the videotape, including a mysterious young woman looking in a mirror and the character 'Sada'. When they find out about the eruption on the videotape, Ryuji tries to take charge of the game and sends Reiko to her father's home. However, it's not to be a smooth ride or as simple as that as one fateful night, little Yoichi watches the tape. Fighting for the life of their son as well as their own, Ryuji and Reiko must face off the darkness they are plunged into about the maker of the cursed videotape. How Reiko will make her deadline with only two days left? Will they be able to save Yoichi and themselves from the fear of Sadako? RING is staring some of the best names in Japan, before some of them were famous. Each character was detailed and played by the perfect choices. Reiko Asakawa is portrayed perfectly by the beautiful and talented Nanako Matsushima. Ring's leading lady was a perfect choice for the role, and fitted the role like a glove. Her acting was just a shining example on what a gifted actress she really is. When watching the movie you'll be lost in how believable she is. She plays the respectable, kind, loving and brave Reiko who will do anything to try and protect her loved ones, especially her little son Yoichi. She is a woman who is sweeter then sugar and she proves that even the nicest of us can end up in terrible danger. The gripping chemistry that ran between the main stars was very powerful. Each one behaves as if they have known one another for years and there is an aura there. Ryuji Takayama was played by the wonderful and handsome Hiroyuki Sanada really opened the screen wider. His acting was spot-on and made the role. He is Ryuji Takayama. Ryuji is a very pained and depressed man but he's very loving and lovable. You feel such glowing warmth from him. Despite the fact that Ryuji and Reiko are divorced, there's still a strong bond there. Though they aren't all over each other, they are clearly very special to one another. When with Ryuji, Reiko seems to feel more safe and relaxed. When she thought she was going to die, she pleaded with him to stay with her when she died. He seems to try his hardest for her. As soon as she presented the problem, he came straight to her side to try and help. Not only does he seem to still seem deeply in love with her; he always asks after their son.

With a brilliant cast of characters that you really learn to love and a plot line that takes you by the hand and throws you're imagination off all the walls. This is one horror movie that shouldn't only be rented; it should grace the shelves of any other horror movie fan, next to all the other classics. This is a classic horror movie and it will be remembered when everyone else has forgotten the Hollywood remake. This movie will be open to many more remakes over the next twenty years or so and millions of Japanese horror movies will be made around this movie as well as Hollywood remakes. This is the movie that you have to watch first! Forget about the remakes like THE RING and RING VIRUS. Forget the sequels, the rip offs, the spin offs… You will always remember 'Ring' because it is top of the pyramid of horror!

This is probably one of the most wonderful Anime films ever made. It's worth every piece of praise it gets. The most wonderful thing is that not only children can fall in love with this story.

The characters are wonderful too. The young Chihiro takes her role as the heroine and a very different one of that. This Chihiro is bratty and whines a lot too (This is shown a lot more in the English dub). Chihiro and her parents stumble not the 'Spirit World' and Chihiro finds herself on a most exciting adventure.

Chihiro, to survive must work in the evil witch, Yubaba's bathhouse. Yubaba robs Chihiro of her name and re-names her 'Sen'. But thankfully Chihiro isn't alone in this strange world. Helping Chihiro on this adventure is the mysterious yet handsome young Haku. He, a kind and wonderful friend to Chihiro and tries to help her as much as he can. However, he also has had his name robbed of him.

The wonderful story and plot is one we will never forget and characters which say more then an interesting character for a movie. That part of what I said is shown in the strange No-face, whom just wants to have friends.

'There is a No-Face in all of us' I believe it's true.

This film is worth 10/10 and five stars in any book. Even the wonderful song at the end gives 'Spirited Away' a powerful force on our hearts. Everything in this film from the start to finish is a masterpiece. I think this has to be one of the best-animated films ever made.

***** Five Stars

10/10 For Plot and Character

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