If you aren’t the drinking type, or if you just want to have something with the spirit of Ireland playing on your television during your St. Patrick’s Day party, then you might want to check out some of the Irish-themed movies available to you. Some of them are funny, some sad, and some… a little scary.
Waking Ned Devine: In Waking Ned Devine, an entire Irish town conspires to get lottery winnings that a newly deceased person won. They work together to fool the claim inspector into thinking that the winner is still alive, all while trying to actually execute his funeral and deal with a potential blackmailer. There is even a little surprise twist at the end. The movie itself is beautiful, the characters charming, and the moral… well, just watch the movie to find out.
Leprechaun: This movie is pretty much a St. Patrick’s Day classic by now. Starring Jennifer Aniston before she was a household name, this scary film is about a violent Leprechaun searching for—what else? His gold. The gold was stolen from him by another resident of the South Dakota home he and Jennifer Aniston's crew is now inhabiting. A typical gore-fest, Leprechaun is a tongue-in-cheek horror film that can be fun to watch with plenty of Guinness.
Boondock Saints: In the cult favorite Boondock Saints, two Irish brothers work together to clean the streets of Boston by taking vigilante action against those who they deem "evil." While the movie’s scenery may be in America, its heart is entirely Irish. With a heavy focus on loyalty, family and Irish Catholicism, Boondock Saints is an edgy, violent and interesting watch. It does suffer from an inexperienced director and a gratuitous script, but if you are in the mood for revenge, you might not care.
Ballykissangel: While not actually a movie, the television series Ballykissangel is about a small Irish village and its new English priest. During the six-season series you see what life is like in a small Irish town and enjoy all the drama, trauma and unexpected life events of the residents. This show gives your home great ambiance for St. Patrick's Day and is great to have on in the background as you are doing other things. It’s an entertaining and endearing show and you can really feel like you are part of the village. Keep in mind, it isn't always uplifting.
The Matchmaker: Even if you aren’t a fan of the romantic comedy genre, you might just like Janeane Garofalo’s 1997 movie The Matchmaker as part of your St. Patrick’s Day movie marathon. It takes place in Ireland, has a score that is full of Irish tunes and also stars the bitingly funny Denis Leary. This is a sweet movie about an American campaign aide who is in Ireland searching for the family of her boss in order to help his re-election. While she does this, a matchmaking festival is going on which puts her in a series of awkward situations. She unexpectedly falls in love and complications ensue. Between the sardonic humor of Garofalo and the witty black humor of Leary, this film could win over even the staunchest romantic comedy haters.
Category Archives: Movies
5 Perfect Date Movies for People Who Hate Romantic Comedies
11 March 2010no responsesYo Prinzel
Believe it or not, not every couple enjoys watching romantic comedies together. While some couples can’t wait to see the latest flick starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, others would rather spend an hour and a half watching Transformers. If you are looking for a different kind of movie with some romance that you and your significant other can both enjoy on date night, here are some suggestions.
Paper Heart (romantic comedy mockumentary): A mockumentary about love, Paper Heart follows comedienne, artist and musician Charlyne Yi as she tries to figure out whether or not she is capable of love. During the mockumentary filming she meets and (though she won't admit it) falls in love with Michael Cera. This movie is funny, cute and charming. Not at all like the rote romantic comedies that are usually crammed down the public's throat. Continue Reading →
Paper Heart (romantic comedy mockumentary): A mockumentary about love, Paper Heart follows comedienne, artist and musician Charlyne Yi as she tries to figure out whether or not she is capable of love. During the mockumentary filming she meets and (though she won't admit it) falls in love with Michael Cera. This movie is funny, cute and charming. Not at all like the rote romantic comedies that are usually crammed down the public's throat. Continue Reading →
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10 Movies That Went Through Hell During Their Making!
09 November 2009no responsesUsha
The making of these movies was marred by strange happenings, catastrophes, weather, tragedy, illness or even death. But most of them managed to do well at the box office.
Apocalypse Now – Francis Ford Coppola, 1979
The amount of trouble and drama that surrounded the making of Apocalypse now is shocking. During the shooting of this film in Philippines, several things happened; including a typhoon that destroyed the sets and illness. Coppola was driven to a breaking point and the star, Martin Sheen also had a heart attack and he was just 38.
Fitzcarraldo – Werner Herzog, 1982
A dangerous sequence had to be shot, because Herzog didn’t want to use any special effects. It was the story of a music fanatic who wants to construct an opera house in a jungle and Herzog made his cast and crew haul a steamship over the mountain. He hired local Indians for the feat. The steamship was huge with a 320-ton weight. As if this was not enough, heavy rains, casting problems where lead actor Jason Roberts fell ill and had to be replaced with Klaus Kinski, Mick Jagger had to drop out for a Rolling Stones concert and a border war had to break out at that time between Peru and Ecuador.
The Twilight Zone: The Movie – John Landis, 1983
Lead actor Vic Morrow and two child actors, Renee Chen and My-ca Dinh Le were filming a scene where they had to go back in time to the Vietnam War. In a dangerous special effects explosion for this Vietnam War scene, a helicopter lost control and crashed on them, killing all three. This tragedy saw Landis and other crew members being charged with involuntary manslaughter; although, they were later acquitted after pleading not guilty. Continue Reading →
Apocalypse Now – Francis Ford Coppola, 1979
The amount of trouble and drama that surrounded the making of Apocalypse now is shocking. During the shooting of this film in Philippines, several things happened; including a typhoon that destroyed the sets and illness. Coppola was driven to a breaking point and the star, Martin Sheen also had a heart attack and he was just 38.
Fitzcarraldo – Werner Herzog, 1982
A dangerous sequence had to be shot, because Herzog didn’t want to use any special effects. It was the story of a music fanatic who wants to construct an opera house in a jungle and Herzog made his cast and crew haul a steamship over the mountain. He hired local Indians for the feat. The steamship was huge with a 320-ton weight. As if this was not enough, heavy rains, casting problems where lead actor Jason Roberts fell ill and had to be replaced with Klaus Kinski, Mick Jagger had to drop out for a Rolling Stones concert and a border war had to break out at that time between Peru and Ecuador.
The Twilight Zone: The Movie – John Landis, 1983
Lead actor Vic Morrow and two child actors, Renee Chen and My-ca Dinh Le were filming a scene where they had to go back in time to the Vietnam War. In a dangerous special effects explosion for this Vietnam War scene, a helicopter lost control and crashed on them, killing all three. This tragedy saw Landis and other crew members being charged with involuntary manslaughter; although, they were later acquitted after pleading not guilty. Continue Reading →
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Enter 6D Cinema And End Of The 3D Era?
09 November 2009no responsesUsha
To most of us, 3D cinema is synonymous with Elton John style glasses. We have all enjoyed many wonderful movies made with 3D technology. Recent blockbuster movies like “Ice Age: Dawn of Dinosaurs,” “G-Force” and “Up” have all been created using the latest stereoscopic 3D technology.
Most of us know that 3D films recreate moving images of the third dimension, creating an illusion of depth which the viewer experiences. The three-dimensional cinema has been around for a very long time. Although, 3D films were shown as far back as the 1920s, it was not until the 1950s that they became popular, ever since Arch Oboler had written, directed and produced “Bwana Devil” in 1952, which is based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters. The 3D power tucked away in digital projectors has been tapped.
These 3D films allow viewers to see the objects, such as buildings, cars etc. in a larger space and not on a flat surface. There is a lot of effort behind the beautiful 3D technology, such as stereoscopy, which allows viewers to see different images with the left and right eyes. The stereoscopic effect is created with the use of 3D glasses and different projectors.
Stereoscopic films are also be produced through different methods. Several systems were hugely popular over the years. In the 1950’s, when 3D cinema came into its own, it was the anaglyph system, then came the polarization systems, which showed images that are more life-like and caused far less eye strain than the anaglyph system, thus enabling viewers to enjoy longer 3D films without any problems. Continue Reading →
Most of us know that 3D films recreate moving images of the third dimension, creating an illusion of depth which the viewer experiences. The three-dimensional cinema has been around for a very long time. Although, 3D films were shown as far back as the 1920s, it was not until the 1950s that they became popular, ever since Arch Oboler had written, directed and produced “Bwana Devil” in 1952, which is based on the true story of the Tsavo maneaters. The 3D power tucked away in digital projectors has been tapped.
These 3D films allow viewers to see the objects, such as buildings, cars etc. in a larger space and not on a flat surface. There is a lot of effort behind the beautiful 3D technology, such as stereoscopy, which allows viewers to see different images with the left and right eyes. The stereoscopic effect is created with the use of 3D glasses and different projectors.
Stereoscopic films are also be produced through different methods. Several systems were hugely popular over the years. In the 1950’s, when 3D cinema came into its own, it was the anaglyph system, then came the polarization systems, which showed images that are more life-like and caused far less eye strain than the anaglyph system, thus enabling viewers to enjoy longer 3D films without any problems. Continue Reading →
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13 Vampire Movies With Bite
17 August 200913 responsesJennifer Mattern
Vampires may be a hot trend right now because of the Twilight films and the True Blood series, but do the latest incarnations of vampire characters hold up to those of the past? Vampires have transformed from grotesque to romantic characters (and back) over the years. These 13 vampire movies with bite will take you through some of my favorites, which really run the gamut.
13. Dracula, Dead and Loving It
I don't normally like "stupid" comedies. I don't often like parody films either. But somehow Mel Brooks always seems to win me over, and his Dracula, Dead and Loving It is no exception. Leslie Nielsen stars as the Count himself, offering up just the right mix of comedy and charm. Brooks co-stars as Van Helsing, determined to slay Dracula. It takes a lot to leave me in stitches, and this duo does it. If scary movies aren't quite your thing, but you'd still like to check out a vampire movie, Dracula, Dead and Loving It is perfect for you.
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13. Dracula, Dead and Loving It
I don't normally like "stupid" comedies. I don't often like parody films either. But somehow Mel Brooks always seems to win me over, and his Dracula, Dead and Loving It is no exception. Leslie Nielsen stars as the Count himself, offering up just the right mix of comedy and charm. Brooks co-stars as Van Helsing, determined to slay Dracula. It takes a lot to leave me in stitches, and this duo does it. If scary movies aren't quite your thing, but you'd still like to check out a vampire movie, Dracula, Dead and Loving It is perfect for you.
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Slumdog Millionaire – Did The Movie Do Justice To The Book?
22 July 2009no responsesHasan
Usually when books are remade into movies, there is found to be a whole lot of difference. We have seen this happen with many movies in the past and this is true of the latest adaptation of the book written by Vikas Swarup, into the movie, “Slumdog Millionaire” directed by Danny Boyle. In spite of the differences, the movie was praised to the skies as one of the best movies of recent times and attracted quite a few voluptuous black ladies – the Oscars!
The book, titled “Q&A” is also a rags-to-riches story, where it talks about how the protagonist, Ram Mohammed Thomas, who is a tea stall waiter, wins the big prize on a TV game show. He is depicted in the book as a man of all religions and thus the name.
Coming to the movie; although, it is based on the theme of the book, it has its own unique story line and deviates quite a bit from what has been written. Continue Reading →
The book, titled “Q&A” is also a rags-to-riches story, where it talks about how the protagonist, Ram Mohammed Thomas, who is a tea stall waiter, wins the big prize on a TV game show. He is depicted in the book as a man of all religions and thus the name.
Coming to the movie; although, it is based on the theme of the book, it has its own unique story line and deviates quite a bit from what has been written. Continue Reading →
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Review Of Star Trek (2009)
09 June 20092 responsesHasan
J.J. Abrams is possibly the smartest film maker on earth right now. With Star Trek, he managed to make fun at some of the silly aspects of the original, while being respectful and paying homage to the old series. He wanted to provide a 21st century Trek but also understood the importance of respecting the source material and fans of the series that have been around for more than 40 years.
The best part is that one does not need to know much about Star Trek to be able to enjoy this movie. Abrams ensured that every character is given a background and history so that viewers know a little about each character.
The action scenes rival anything in Transformers and the space battles are totally breathtaking. Action starts right from the moment the movie begins and never lets up. But what really made the movie outstanding were the actors that played these roles and they might have been real people. Chris Pine as Kirk radiates star quality, Zachary Quinto as Spock and Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy (Bones) gave excellent performances. The casting of these three characters was spot on and contributes a great deal to the movie’s success.
To give viewers a feeling that they were just younger versions of Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley, both Quinto and Urban took on some of their mannerisms and expressions. It is almost like watching baby pictures of people you have always loved. Quinto’s performance as the logic-led Vulcan fighting the emotions instilled by his human mother (Winona Ryder) is the soul of the film. He is a young man trying to cope with his Vulcan and earthling heritage. His delivery of Spock’s signature line, “Live long and prosper,” is wonderful. Some of the funniest moments of the film are with Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy. Even in his youth, he is an old man in spirit and keeps complaining about everything, and leaves no chance to say, “I am a doctor!” Continue Reading →
The best part is that one does not need to know much about Star Trek to be able to enjoy this movie. Abrams ensured that every character is given a background and history so that viewers know a little about each character.
The action scenes rival anything in Transformers and the space battles are totally breathtaking. Action starts right from the moment the movie begins and never lets up. But what really made the movie outstanding were the actors that played these roles and they might have been real people. Chris Pine as Kirk radiates star quality, Zachary Quinto as Spock and Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy (Bones) gave excellent performances. The casting of these three characters was spot on and contributes a great deal to the movie’s success.
To give viewers a feeling that they were just younger versions of Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley, both Quinto and Urban took on some of their mannerisms and expressions. It is almost like watching baby pictures of people you have always loved. Quinto’s performance as the logic-led Vulcan fighting the emotions instilled by his human mother (Winona Ryder) is the soul of the film. He is a young man trying to cope with his Vulcan and earthling heritage. His delivery of Spock’s signature line, “Live long and prosper,” is wonderful. Some of the funniest moments of the film are with Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy. Even in his youth, he is an old man in spirit and keeps complaining about everything, and leaves no chance to say, “I am a doctor!” Continue Reading →
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Most Controversial Movies Of All Time!
22 March 200937 responsesHasan
Movies that attract controversies are often those that depict sex, violence, religion, politics, homosexuality, racism, drugs, obscene language, and related issues at a level that is considered taboo and not the norm.
Here are a few of the most controversial movies of all time. Note that this list is by no means comprehensive -- there are many more.
The Da Vinci Code (2006) - Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen
This religious conspiracy thriller is an adaptation of Dan Brown’s best-selling novel about the members of the Priory of Sion and an underground Catholic society trying to prevent a French police cryptologist and a symbologist from telling the world about a powerful secret that’s been hidden for thousands of years.
The movie was criticized by the Roman Catholic Church and several bishops asked members to boycott the film. There were protests outside movie theaters. Even albinos were offended by the way they were portrayed in the film. In spite of the controversy, the movie was the second highest grossing movie of 2006 worldwide.
United 93 (2006) – Paul Greengrass
JJ Johnson, Gary Commock, Polly Adams
This is a story of the unfortunate but heroic crew members and passengers of United Flight 93, which was the fourth hijacked plane flying from Newark, NJ to San Francisco on 9/11. The presence of the FAA ground crew and military officers involved in the actual event in the film as cast members, made it all the more realistic.
In spite of the film being made very sensitively and with immense respect to those heroes without any theories, personal dramas or additions, it was still criticized for its trailer. Many said that the trailer looked as if it were a conventional thriller. There were some who thought it was too soon after the event (after five years). Universal received criticism that a national tragedy was being exploited.
Continue Reading →
Here are a few of the most controversial movies of all time. Note that this list is by no means comprehensive -- there are many more.
The Da Vinci Code (2006) - Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen
This religious conspiracy thriller is an adaptation of Dan Brown’s best-selling novel about the members of the Priory of Sion and an underground Catholic society trying to prevent a French police cryptologist and a symbologist from telling the world about a powerful secret that’s been hidden for thousands of years.
The movie was criticized by the Roman Catholic Church and several bishops asked members to boycott the film. There were protests outside movie theaters. Even albinos were offended by the way they were portrayed in the film. In spite of the controversy, the movie was the second highest grossing movie of 2006 worldwide.
United 93 (2006) – Paul Greengrass
JJ Johnson, Gary Commock, Polly Adams
This is a story of the unfortunate but heroic crew members and passengers of United Flight 93, which was the fourth hijacked plane flying from Newark, NJ to San Francisco on 9/11. The presence of the FAA ground crew and military officers involved in the actual event in the film as cast members, made it all the more realistic.
In spite of the film being made very sensitively and with immense respect to those heroes without any theories, personal dramas or additions, it was still criticized for its trailer. Many said that the trailer looked as if it were a conventional thriller. There were some who thought it was too soon after the event (after five years). Universal received criticism that a national tragedy was being exploited.
Continue Reading →
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The Dark Knight – A Review!
11 September 2008one responseHasan
The hype around Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” even before its release was massive with speculation on whether the success of “Batman Begins” will be repeated. Luckily, this is one release that let everyone concerned heave a huge sigh of relief, as the movie far exceeded the high expectations.
The Dark Knight has outdone every other Batman movie with the superbly crafted scenes and memorable moments piecing the movie together.
Bruce Wayne, Batman (Christian Bale) teams up with the new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and James Gordon (Gary Oldman) to clean up the streets of Gotham and get rid of the evil that plagues it, by locking up criminals. A ray of hope begins to shine over Gotham until a vicious criminal mastermind, the Joker, enters the scene. Ironically, there is nothing funny about this “Joker.” The Joker (Heath Ledger) has plans of bringing more chaos to the already downtrodden city.
He plans to kill batman and makes an announcement to the city of Gotham that if Batman removes his mask and reveals himself, he would stop his games and killings. However, as long as Batman does not remove his mask, people continue to die due to the Joker’s sadistic killing methods of subjecting his victims to a slow and painful death.
Batman, in spite of his efforts to clear evil from Botham, is seen by many as a sort of a villain, and this feeling only intensifies with his refusal to give in to the Joker’s commands. They attribute the murders of important people to Batman. Batman is desperate to defeat the Joker and put a stop to him, but initially he has little success against the sadistic Joker. Continue Reading →
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The 2008 SAG Awards
14 February 2008no responsesHasan
The Screen Actors Guild Awards went off without a hitch despite the ongoing strike with the screen writer’s guild. There were, of course, a few surprises and a few bad clothing decisions, but overall the 2008 SAG awards were memorable and worthy of an evening spent inside with the television. This is especially notable as there may not be another prominent awards show this season as the writer’s strike continues.
Walking the Red Carpet
The Red Carpet has taken on almost as much significance as the award shows. The SAG awards were no different this year. There was great anticipation over the gowns the actresses would wear and we weren’t disappointed. Fashion icons looked their best. Michelle Pfeiffer looked positively ageless and Debra Messing was glamorous. Even Tina Fey, the quirky Saturday Night Live star showed up looking radiant and more like a grown-up movie star than the offbeat comedian we know and love.
Of course there were a few blips on the carpet as well. Viggo Morrison took the cake as the worst dressed male with an odd combination of mismatched colors and patterns. But the number one surprise of the red carpet was Angelina Jolie. For such a beautiful and well styled star, Angelina showed up looking more like a discarded pile of shawls and blankets. The dress was interesting at best, but the long flowing design actually caused a different kind of speculation. Did the flowing lines hide a budding baby belly? Only time and a good publicist will tell us for sure. Continue Reading →
Walking the Red Carpet
The Red Carpet has taken on almost as much significance as the award shows. The SAG awards were no different this year. There was great anticipation over the gowns the actresses would wear and we weren’t disappointed. Fashion icons looked their best. Michelle Pfeiffer looked positively ageless and Debra Messing was glamorous. Even Tina Fey, the quirky Saturday Night Live star showed up looking radiant and more like a grown-up movie star than the offbeat comedian we know and love.
Of course there were a few blips on the carpet as well. Viggo Morrison took the cake as the worst dressed male with an odd combination of mismatched colors and patterns. But the number one surprise of the red carpet was Angelina Jolie. For such a beautiful and well styled star, Angelina showed up looking more like a discarded pile of shawls and blankets. The dress was interesting at best, but the long flowing design actually caused a different kind of speculation. Did the flowing lines hide a budding baby belly? Only time and a good publicist will tell us for sure. Continue Reading →
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