The Seventh Sign (1988)

The Seventh Sign

Call No: TEMP 1652

Last week I reviewed a film called The Seventh Seal, which is in no way to be confused with this movie. The only similarity that can be drawn is that both make allusions to the Book of Revelation in the title. While The Seventh Seal deals more with the idea of death, the plague and human mortality, The Seventh Sign deals with recognizing signs of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation, and trying to find a way to stop it. It’s a little less “Philosophical Debate on Biblical Symbols” and a little more “Hitchcock does Bible Study”.

Despite a previous miscarriage, Abby is confident that the baby boy she’s carrying will be healthy and happy (and more importantly, a successful delivery). Soon after renting the garage apartment to a wandering stranger named David, Abby begins to notice strange things happening, things that seem to tie in all to nicely with the prophecies found in the Book of Revelation. When she realizes that her unborn baby holds the key to the final sign of the apocalypse, Abby must make a terrible decision: one that could determine the fate of all mankind.

The Winslow Boy (1999)

The Winslow Boy

Call No: TEMP 1130

I seem to be on a British movies kick lately. I’m not sure what it is exactly that I love so much about them. Maybe it’s the quiet charm and elegance. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the period movies. Or maybe I’m cleansing my film palette with some quiet, subtle films before I get swept away in the inevitable tide of busy, action-packed summer blockbusters. In any rate, the subtlety of some of the films that the Brits produce manage to satisfy my craving for a good story, intriguing characters and a charming setting.

Based on a play of the same name by Terence Rattigan, The Winslow Boy is a movie about pursuing the truth, no matter what the risk and the sacrifices made. When Ronnie, the youngest Winslow, is expelled from a prominent academy on accusations of stealing, the family is determined to seek out justice. Their best chance of achieving it is in the hopes of recruiting Sir Robert Morton, an exceptional lawyer, charismatic orator and member of the House of Commons. Through the determination of Morton, Ronnie’s father and his sister Katherine, the Winslow boy’s reputation might be saved... but at what cost?

Vampires Week: Blade Trilogy (1998, 2002, 2004)

This whole week of reviews was inadvertently started by my housemate. We were reading over my list of possible films to review when she said, “We should watch Blade.” She hadn’t seen it in years and I’d never seen any of them. Always up for a new movie experience and being a big fan of both action films and comic books (on which Blade is based), I named this week “Vampire Week” and we checked out all three Blade movies with which to marathon. I have to say, I was not disappointed. I’ll comment on all three movies here as simply and succinctly as possible.

Blade

Call No: PN1997 .B5738 2001

The movie that starts it all. Basic rundown? Blade is the half mortal, half vampire protector of the human race. Known as the “Daywalker” because of his ability to walk during the day while having the healing and strength of a vampire, Blade must take down vampire baddie Deacon Frost with the help of his mentor Whistler.

First of all, props to Kris Kristofferson for not only managing to appear threatening at his age, but to do it in a leg brace. The storyline is tight and suspenseful, easily driven by the equal combination of action and drama (and by drama, I mean scenes where Blade doesn’t look like he’s going to kill someone and the other characters share memories and emotions). While the manner by which some mild gore was executed turned my timid stomach while eating (my own fault), I’d watch this film again in a heartbeat.

Vampires Week: The Lost Boys (1987)

The Lost Boys

Call No: PN1995.9.S26 L881 2004

The Lost Boys seems to be one of those movies that straddle both the worlds of obscurity and nostalgia. Those who grew up with the movie have a sort of fond affection for the offbeat and campy film, while those who haven’t seen it might not even know of its existence. It’s not a groundbreaking film or something you absolutely must see. It’s not even that fantastic. It is an entertaining watch, if for nothing more than to see how comfortable Kiefer Sutherland is in his role of being the badass (a little less Jack Bauer and a little more pre-Twilight vampire).

The story is about two brothers and their single mom to live with their grandfather in a small town in California, a town that is rumoured to be overrun with vampires. Soon after arriving, the boys find themselves immediately pulled into opposite directions: the older brother becomes attracted to a mysterious girl and drawn into her circle of suspicious friends, while the younger brother meets two boys who claim to be vampire hunters. When the older brother’s personality and behaviours begin to change rapidly, the two must work together to find a way to stop it.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Hotel Rwanda
Call No: PN1997.2 .H66 2005

My viewing of Hotel Rwanda was a complete accident. After an afternoon of channel surfing, one of my housemates pulled up a list of free movies that our cable box provides. Hotel Rwanda was on that list. She’d always wanted to see it. Not knowing anything about it except for the fact that it was available at the library. I said sure. I could watch the movie and take notes or do some homework on my laptop at the same time. Within the first half hour, my laptop was completely forgotten.

The year is 1994, and a civil war is brewing between the Tutsi and Hutu people of Rwanda. Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) is a hotel manager who has a climbed his way to the top, always willing to do anything for anybody. But when civil war breaks out the hotel becomes a place of refuge, Paul finds himself alone. He tries his best to manage the chaos, all the while wondering why help isn’t coming. He soon begins to realize that they are alone in this fight and that someone will have to make a stand. That someone will have to be him.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

It’s a Wonderful Life
Call No: TEMP 1649

I have a confession to make. I have never seen “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Now I know what you’re thinking: How? It’s aired every Christmas (multiple times) and is easily considered to be a classic holiday film. The answer is: I don’t know. I’ve seen parts of it, bits of scenes here and there, but never the whole thing. When one of my housemates watched it for a class and I was left behind in the “Haven’t seen It’s a Wonderful Life” corner, I decided to see it. I’m glad I did.

As you may know, the movie is about an angel named Clarence trying to earn his wings. He needs to save George Bailey, a man at the end of his rope. To do this, Clarence shows George what life would be like if he had never been born. Most people know this. I knew that was the general idea when I sat down to watch it. What fascinated me was that Clarence’s encounter with George only covers the second half of the movie. There was much more going on in the film than I had originally anticipated there would be.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Howl’s Moving Castle
Call No: TEMP 1686

I’ve always been a fan of cartoons. I spent countless hours of my childhood with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Animaniacs gang. As I grew older, I still enjoyed cartoons and their longer relatives, the feature-length animated film. Soon I began to recognize a difference between the types of animation, and such a type is “anime”. As many Japanese animation fans will testify (as will Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory), anime is not a cartoon. Anime is the term used to refer to Japanese animation, be it shows or films. One of, if not the, most influential animator in Japan is Hayao Miyazaki.   Considered to be the Walt Disney of Japan, Hayao Miyazaki has enriched and perfected the art of storytelling in his films by combining heartfelt drama, comic relief, dynamic characters and stunning animation. Howl’s Moving Castle is no different.

For those who have never been exposed to anime before, this is an excellent place to start. While some fans of anime might recommend the classic Academy-Award winning Spirited Away instead (which I will review in the New Year), it would be better to start with Howl’s Moving Castle. It has a more linear approach to the story than other anime films and, as someone pointed out to me, can be considered more Westernized and universal in terms of content. A large part of that comes from the fact that it’s based on the British novel of the same name, written by Diana Wynne Jones.

The story is about a young woman named Sophie who is the victim of a spell that makes her appear old and prevents her from talking about the curse. Her only hope in reversing it comes in the form of a talented but irresponsible young wizard named Howl, who rather than fight or defend anything instead prefers to run using his magical moving castle, powered by an ancient fire demon named Calcifer. Throw in a witch after Howl’s heart, a ruthless wizard instructor and a war-torn kingdom where wizards are used as soldiers. Add in the fact that Howl might not be all he appears to be and you have an intriguing story full of fantasy and adventure.