THE KILLING ( 1956 )

I've always been a huge fan of film noir and those great black and white detective films of the 40's. I havn,t reviewed many of these on my pages so here goes with one of the best! ' The Killing ' is an exceptional earlier film from Stanley Kubrick and is certainly not one of your usual run of the mill caper films. It involves the robbery at a horse racetrack. Superbly photographed in B/W with a dovetailed scrambling of time sequences..........plot , planning and robbery ;which works surprisingly well throughout. Like anything Kubrick did......very masterfulll!! ....Some of it is done in semi documentary style. The technical aspects of the film too are outstanding with many very memorable exterior shots , close ups, and angles.

The Killing was a major success for Kubrick in the film industry even though it was produced for as little as 320,000 dollars....which does reveal itself in some of the cardboard looking sets. Sterling Hayden is once again excellent as' Johny Clay ' .....the tough but intelligent ring leader. Those who enjoyed him in Huston;s ' The asphalt Jungle ' will surely enjoy him here too. He is admirably supported by a host of character actors..........of particular note here is ' Elisha cook jnr ' as ' George Peatty ' the ticket seller at the racetrack who finally agrees to help out in the robbery ........A quiet man who loves his wife dearly and will do aything to please her ( played by Mary Windsor ) who is nothing more than a liar , cheat and go getter who eventually upsets the whole of the plans when letting on to her lover ( played by Vince Edwards )....... These have to be my favourite scenes ......the dialogue really crackles between these two. Then there's ' Ted de Corsia ' as the rather corrupt policeman who owes money. and ' Joe Sawyer , whose wife is sick and needs special attention. The backstage scenes of the robbery are expertly handled. We really become involved with all of the characters ......who for want or reason need money fast.........great pace from start to finish with plenty of excitement and thrills along the way........ i won't let on about the ending in case you havn't seen it........if you havn't you MUST!!!! ......Highly recommended as they say!!!

CRYSTAL EGG

PSYCHO ( 1998 )

One undoubtedly has to compare Gus Van Sant's version with Hitchcocks orignal and as such falls flat on it's face. Maybe this would have been a far better movie if wasn't so hell bent on copying the original shot for shot, which ultimately makes for a decidedly less interesting viewing experience. Shot in colour it is much less atmospheric too and only lessens the visual impact, including the famous shower scene.

Anne Heche fairs pretty well in place of Janet Leigh but is really no substitute. As i found almost every other actor to be. The exception on the other hand would be Viggo Mortenson as Sam Loomis , who in the original was played by John Gavin who i believe Hitchcock branded stiff. He was! He is far better characterised here by the lord of the rings man himself .........who is much more animated and believable, if a little less unlikeable!

The beginning i found pretty good, but once Anne Heche arrived at the motel and Vince Vaughn appeared on the scene it all seemed to fall apart even more. Nothing new here . A retread which plodded along until the conclusion.

Just like music .....live performances which try to recreate the studo recording are seldom of interest!

PAR BOLIED

Gambling Movies

Here's a few of my favourite gambling movies which feature Casinos and other forms of gambling. Obvious films which spring to mind are ' Casino Royale' ( 1967) ' The Sting '( 1973 ) and ' The Hustler' which is not a gambling movie in the purest sense but definetly one of the greatest and far superior to Scorsese's remake ' The Color Of Money '
(1986) .

A personal favourite of mine would be ' The Cincinatti Kid ' starring Steve Mcqueen and the ever great Edward G Robinson. If you enjoy poker this will be right up your alley for sure. Mcqueen is splendidly cast as the ' Kid ' fresh to the game and over eager to battle it out with old wizened pro Robinson.The climactic scenes are great and you'll be delighted with the twist in the tail.Well worth checking out though sadly seldom screened these days !

Footnote: For Mac users check out the following great sites to play on-line poker which have an established and trusted reputation.

http://www.macpokeronline.com/mac/online/poker/ Pacific Poker http://www.macpokeronline.com/review/online/poker/pacificpoker/ http://www.macpokeronline.com/bonus/casino/

HAWAII

Hawaii - Americas original tropical paradise. With its six major islands and wide range of activities to enjoy, people who stay in Hawaii condo rentals will never be at a loss to see or experience new things. Rent a car while your there too!

Maui offers secluded beaches and breathtaking views—from Haleakala National Park to one of the most beautiful drives in the world on the road to Hana.

Surfers can enjoy all that Oahu offers, a slice of heaven at its world famous North Shore.Nightlife and party atmosphere draws guests of Hawaii Condo who enjoy an exciting night on the town.

If you’re a guest of Hawaii beach condo and enjoy nature, you’ll want to return time and again to Kauai—the eldest island— for its lush and unrivaled botanic beauty. And for those seeking to truly escape the stresses of modern life the islands of Molokai and Lanai offer a peaceful, easy-going vacation without the highways, stoplights and trappings of city life.

Horrorscopes and Movies

Horrorscopes! Ah yes! Most people love to pick up there daily newspaper and read what's in store for them on that particular day! We hope it's all good news at least and anticipate the events to unfold before us true to the printed word! Some may think it's all rubbish but there are those among us which take them very seriously and are almost religeously guided by the prophecies of future events . Personally I think there is definitely something in the mere act of believing which somehow makes things happen. A mystery for sure but in most cases an uncanny fact!

Two of my favourite films which have a psychic theme are ' The Gift ' starring Kate Blanchett and ' The Dead Zone' with Christopher Walken. Well worth checking out these two , especially The Dead Zone! What would you do if you could foresee the president pressing the red button and letting the missiles fly!!

Share , Download & Make Movies

The internet is a goldmine for sharing, downloading and making your own movies.

With the massive global interest in such sites as Itunes and Youtube, never before has there been seen such
an explosion in video sources on the web. Whether you want to download movies or venture into making your own, create music slideshows and share them, there are a vast array of sources out there to suit your needs. Be aware though , it can be quite mind boggling and you could easily get lost with so many sites offering videos to choose from, but a good honest no frills ( faster speeds included ) is the way to go and there are many to be recommended.