Casino (1995)

From the book written by Larry Shandling and Nicholas Pileggi, directed by Martin Scorsese, this gambling movie was released in 1995. It stars Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, The character was based on Frank Rosenthal, who ran the Stardust Casino for the mafia in the 70′s. Rothstein secretly runs the casino while the mafia is backing him up. He must do what the mafia asked him to do because of his gambling charges back east. Nicky Santoro, played by Joe Pesci, was sent by the mob to look over Rothstein and protect him but instead of doing his job, he eventually runs his own operations. Sharon Stone acts as Ginger Mckenna, a former whore and she’s the love interest of Rothstein, who remains in love with her pimp, Lester Diamond, portrayed by James Woods.

Croupier (1998)

An inspired writer Clive Owen played by Jack Manfred works as a croupier in a casino only to find out that his life would make a great novel. Tension begin to emerge between him and his girlfriend, Marion, played by Gina Mckee, when he finds himself in the temptations of the gambling world. Jack started to realize that he is becoming the hero of his novel, the immoral Jake, giving in to these temptations to provide him with subject matter that will make for a memorable work of fiction.

High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)

Michael Imperioli has portrayed one of the most prominent poker players of all time, Stu Ungar, Who has won 3 WSOP and Super Bowl poker tournaments titles. Ungar was the only player ever to win 3 WSOP tournaments. He won millions of prizes by playing poker but lost everything due to horse races and his drug addiction that also led to his death in 1998. The focus of the movie is in the relationship of Ungar with his wife and those who know him well and portrays his life from the start, on Manhattan’s lower east side, from being a prodigy, turning poker pro in Las Vegas, after escaping from Las Vegas because of the debts brought on by his addiction to horse races and finally, his unforgettable poker playing days, legendary WSOP wins, drug addiction and his untimely death in a Las Vegas hotel room.

The Cooler (2003)

This is considered as the most unique gambling movie ever. This is a story of a man who is not a gambler, but a man who always bring bad luck to other gamblers. Bernie Lootz played by William H. Macy a man with such incredible bad luck that he always make it impossible to win when he’s around. This is the reason why Las Vegas casino hired him, for the purpose of minimizing the winnings of the gamblers at the tables. When he fell in love with a waitress named Natalie, played by Maria Bello, it suddenly turns his luck upside down. When people start winning big because he stands next to them, the casino owner starts to intervene to make lootz’s life miserable.

Casino Royale (2006)

Le Chiffre, played by Mads Mikkelsen, a bank man with connection to terrorists and also an outstanding poker player, is making ways to win a high-stakes poker tournament for him to be able to pay the money that he owes from the terrorists. But at the poker table, Mr. Bond, played by Daniel Craig, is doing everything in his power to stop this from happening. Bond learns the lesson not to trust anyone, specially when they are sitting at the poker table. This movie is Bond’s first mission as a 00 agent, and he has not yet earned his license to kill in the service of her majesty the Queen.

Schindler’s List

JFK

A Beautiful Mind

Hotel Rwanda

The Social Network

Downfall

The King’s Speech

Cinderella Man

Into the Wild

Men of Honor

Free of the restrictions of television, the movie featured many character deaths (Optimus Prime, Brawn, Ironhide, Ratchet, Wheeljack, Windcharger, Prowl, and Starscream), as the old guard were wiped out to make room for the next generation of toys. Megatron, Skywarp, Thundercracker, and the Insecticons were remodeled into Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps by a planet-sized Transformer known as Unicron. Megatron and Thundercracker clearly became Galvatron and Scourge, but there is debate as to who actually became Cyclonus, Bombshell or Skywarp. (If all logic is taken into account Skywarp would have comprised the role of Cyclonus due to the fact that the two Seekers, Thundercracker & Skywarp are replaced by Scourge & Cyclonus in the Transformers 2010 toy catalog & that the Insecticons are able to replicate themselves to infinite numbers, in which the Sweeps in the 2010 series numbers at least to eight).

Near the end of the movie, Hot Rod used the Matrix of Leadership to destroy Unicron, save Cybertron and become Rodimus Prime, the new leader of the Autobots, at least until Optimus made his surprise return at the end of the third season. The movie also introduced an adult Spike and his son Daniel.

Upon arriving at his new school in Beijing from Detroit, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) develops a crush on pretty classmate Mei Ying (Wen Wen Han), who reciprocates his attention. But, the neighborhood bully Cheng (Zhenwei Wang), a kung fu prodigy whose family is close to Mei Ying’s, attempts to keep them apart by beating up Dre, and later harassing and humiliating him in and around school. During a particularly brutal beating by Cheng and his friends, the kindly maintenance man of Dre’s building, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), comes to Dre’s aid, revealing himself as a kung fu master who adeptly dispatches Dre’s tormentors.After Han mends Dre’s injuries using fire cupping, a form of Chinese medicine, they go to Cheng’s teacher, Master Li (Yu Rongguang), to attempt to make peace, but the brutal Li, who teaches his students to show no mercy to their enemies, challenges Dre to a fight with Cheng. When Han declines, Li threatens him, saying that they will not be allowed to leave his school unless either Dre or Han himself fights. Han acquiesces, but insists the fight take place at an upcoming tounament, and that Li’s students leave Dre alone until the tournament. The amused Li agrees.

Han begins training Dre, but Dre is frustrated that instead teaching him how to punch or kick, Han has Dre spend hours taking off his jacket, hanging it up, dropping it, and then putting it back on again. After days of this, Dre refuses to continue, until Han explains to him that the repetitive arm movements in question were Han’s method of teaching Dre defensive block and strike techniques, which Dre is now able to display instinctively when prompted by Han’s mock attacks.As Han’s lessons continue at his home, and in the Chinese countryside, he teaches Dre that the movements he is learning apply to life in general, and that serenity and maturity, not punches and power, are the true keys to mastering the martial arts. During one lesson in the mountains, Dre notices a Kung Fu practitioner copying the movements of a cobra before him, but Han informs him that it was the cobra that was imitating the martial artist, an ability that Dre wishes Han to teach him. Dre subsequently attempts to use this technique on his mother, without success.

Dre’s friendship with Mei Ying also continues. Mei Ying agrees to attend Dre’s tournament, while Dre promises to attend her upcoming violin recital. They also attend, along with Dre’s mother, Sherry (Taraji P. Henson), and Mr. Han, an outdoor festival, during which Mei Ying teaches Dre about the mythological meaning behind a classical puppet theater show, as a prelude to a shared kiss between them. Subsequently, Dre takes Mei Ying on an excursion in which they skip school for a day of fun and video games, but when she is nearly late for her violin recital, which has been rescheduled for that day, Mei relates to Dre that her parents have deemed him a bad influence, and have forbidden her from spending any more time with him.

When Dre finds a drunk and despondent Han smashing the car he has been repairing, he learns that it is the anniversary of his wife and son’s deaths, which occurred many years ago when Han lost control of the very car in question during an argument with his wife while driving up a steep hillside. Dre reminds Han that one of Han’s lessons to Dre was in perseverance, and that Han needs to heal from his loss in order to move on in life. Han then assists Dre in writing a note that he reads when he goes to apologize to Mei Ying’s father, promising never again to bring dishonor to their family. Impressed, Mei Ying’s father tells Dre that his daughter told him that she promised to be present at Dre’s Kung Fu tournament, and that as he does not wish a member of his family to break a promise, he accepts Dre’s apology.

]]> http://www.alltopmovies.net/karate-kid/feed/ 0 http://www.alltopmovies.net/shrek/ http://www.alltopmovies.net/shrek/#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:06:26 +0000 admin http://www.alltopmovies.net/?p=1319 Shrek Forever After is a 2010 animated fantasy-family film, and it is the fourth and final film in the Shrek series. It was released in theaters on May 21, 2010 in the United States, Canada, India, on May 20 in Russia and on May 28 in Vietnam. It is scheduled to be released on July 2, 2010 in the United Kingdom.  It was released in 3-D and IMAX 3-D theaters. Like the first three Shrek films, the movie is based on fairy tale themes. The trailer was attached with Avatar. The second trailer was released online on March 12, 2010 and then attached with 3D showings of Alice in Wonderland and then with How to Train Your Dragon. The third and final trailer was attached to Iron Man.

Just before Princess Fiona’s rescue by Shrek in the first film, King Harold and Queen Lillian seek out the magic deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin for help breaking Fiona’s curse. Harold is about to sign a contract to break the curse in exchange for Rumpelstiltskin becoming king of Far Far Away when word comes that Fiona has been rescued. In the present, a disgruntled Rumpelstiltskin wishes that Shrek was never born.Shrek has grown tired of being a celebrity and his overwhelming family and friends, as well as feeling that he is not a “real ogre” anymore. When they arrive at Far Far Away for the ogre babies’ first birthday, fans ask Shrek to autograph pitch forks and torches, a boy asks him to roar, and the three pigs eat the birthday cake. Coupled with the growing frustration of his repetitive home life, Shrek roars in frustration and everyone applauds. Moments later, he then smashes a new cake and angrily leaves. Fiona talks to Shrek about his anger and his wish to be a real ogre, overheard by Rumpelstiltskin. Fiona tells Shrek he has everything, but does not see it, and returns to the party.

While out in the woods, Shrek encounters Rumpelstiltskin, who offers him a day when none of his adventures ever happened, a day to feel like a real ogre again, in exchange for a day from Shrek’s childhood which he couldn’t remember. Suspicious but happy at the prospect of a relaxing vacation, Shrek signs the contract, and abruptly lands in a world where he is still feared by villagers. Shrek enjoys casuing ogreish mischief before he sees wanted signs for him and Fiona and discovers that his home has become a deserted tree stump. Shrek is attacked by a group of witches and knocked unconscious. Shrek wakes up in a cage being hauled by Donkey, who does not recognize Shrek. Shrek is brought to Rumpelstiltskin, king of Far Far Away. Because Queen Lilian and King Harold signed the contract to make “all of their problems disappear”, both of them disappeared. Rumpelstiltskin tells Shrek that he will disappear in one day because he took the day of Shrek’s birth. Shrek steals a broom and escapes with Donkey. Though Donkey is initially afraid of Shrek, he returns when he finds Shrek crying over his baby’s toy. They become friends.

Donkey helps Shrek to determine that the escape clause of Rumpelstiltskin’s contract is true love’s first kiss. After not finding Fiona in the tower, the two discover a secret community of ogres led by Fiona. Fiona has never met Shrek and dismisses his attempts to reconcile with her. Shrek also finds Puss in Boots, now Fiona’s pet who retired from swordsmanship and is fat and lazy. Puss befriends him and realizes there is romantic interest between Shrek and Fiona.Rumpelstiltskin is to lead the nightly ogre hunt throughout the kingdom, and Fiona plans to ambush him. However, Rumpelstiltskin has hired the Pied Piper, who entrances the army of ogres to dance themselves to the castle. Puss and Donkey save Fiona and Shrek. Shrek and Fiona kiss, but since Fiona does not love him their kiss is ineffective. Fiona leaves to save the other ogres.

Rumpelstiltskin announces that whoever brings him Shrek will get whatever they want with no strings attached. Shrek turns himself in in return for “all ogres going free”. Shrek is imprisoned with Fiona; since Fiona is a human by day, she was not released, but is moved by Shrek’s sacrifice. The two are to be fed to Dragon, but Puss, Donkey and the ogres arrive and battle Rumpelstiltskin’s forces.As Shrek and Fiona escape and the day is almost over, Fiona kisses Shrek, but he disappears. Fiona remains an ogre as the sun rises, and realizes that was true love’s kiss. The contract is destroyed and Shrek is sent back in time to when he roared during his kids’ birthday. Shrek embraces Fiona, his family and friends, and remarks that Fiona saved him when they met.During the credits, Shrek, his family & friends, including the ogre army celebrate the baby ogre’s 1st birthday. In a larger party with Rumplestiltskin being held prisoner & being tormented by the piper, and his pet goose exploded due to Fiona’s singing, Then a curtain calls on the credits with images from Shrek, Shrek 2, & Shrek the Third.

Blade

If you are looking for some of the best and gory vampire movies, than you cannot keep Blade out of the competition because it revived the trend of vampires towards the end of twentieth century. Blade was all about a half human half vampire Marvel character who tries his best to protect humans from being vampire victims. The movie was an instant hit because of the action and gore that was shown and soon two sequels were made to entertain the masses with same kind of script.

Underworld

Underworld surely reminds us about the history of vampires through its original script. The movie was released in 2003 and was one of the biggest hit of that year. The movie is about a vampire who is hunting Lycans but falls in love with a human and than gets targeted by Lycans. The movie received a lot of appreciation for its action and gore scenes that were truly a treat to watch. Underworld also had two sequels after the first movie was declared as successful.

30 Days of Night

30 Days of Night was released in 2007 and became an instant hit with the masses for its gore and action. The movie is based on a comic book of the same name but director David Slade gives his movie a more horror appearance to scare the audience. The story is about an Alaskan town where vampires live and flourish when the town enters a thirty days time of darkness. The movie received a lot of appreciation for its slasher scenes.

Against the Dark

Against the Dark is a 2009 action horror film that involves a lot of action and gore because of the vampire-based story. The movie is directed by Richard Crudo and stars Steven Seagal who is seen for the very first time in a horror flick. The movie has a lot of slasher scenes that might not be comfortable to watch but if you love slasher films than you will certainly enjoy this movie for sure.

Van Helsing

Van Helsing got the box office success because of its action and horror combination where a vampire hunter gets into the battle with various kinds of vampires. The movie was an instant hit and people were really scared to see some of the gory scenes on the big screen. The movie stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale in the lead role.

The Forsaken

If you are looking for a good vampire gore movie than watch The Forsaken which was released in 2001. The movie is a about a vampire hunter who is hunting a group of vampires. Though the movie did not do well at the box office it received a lot of appreciation from the audience all over the United States.

Fright Night

Though, the movie does not have some of the best visual effects, Fright Night is a good vampire movie that can give you enough chills if you are watching this flick alone at night. The movie has some excellent scary and gory scenes that will keep you on the edge of the seat.

The Shining – 1980

Directed by Stanley Kubrick this horror flick is based on a novel of the same name by Stephen King. The Shining stars Jack Nicholson as a tormented writer along with Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd in the leading role. The movie has a slow pace but soon it takes over the mind and intense drama and tension is revealed that keeps you involved into the movie and scares you to the core. The initial response to the movie was dull but gradually The Shining received a word of mouth publicity to become one of the scariest movies in Hollywood that can give you nightmares for months.

The Exorcist – 1973

If we are talking about Hollywood horror flicks than we cannot forget The Exorcist that change the trend of horror cinema. Directed by William Friedkin, the movie stars Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn and Max von Sydow in the leading role. The movie is inspired from a documented exorcism that was performed on a fourteen year old child. The movie had some of the best special effects and sound effects that scared a lot of people. The spiderwalk scene of the movie became the scariest scene of the movie that promised sleepless nights to the audience. The movie also won an Academy Award for Best Sound and became the most profitable horror movies of all time.

The Omen – 1976

The story of Omen is very much similar to The Exorcist but the execution of the story is so unique that you will not mind watching The Omen and find yourself sweating. The movie revolves around a wealthy US ambassador who adopts a child when he is informed that his wife gave birth to a stillborn child. Directed by Richard Donner, the movie stars Gregory Peck and Lee Remick in the lead role. The movie has a haunting background score that will not let you sleep for weeks and some gore scenes are capable enough to keep you away from having a sound sleep. The Omen does not have the regular horror scenes but the movie has a very creepy feel and penetrates deep inside our subconscious to scare the hell out of us.

The Silence of the Lambs – 1991

To be very honest, The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 thriller movie but the movie is a blend of thriller and horror genre and believe me you will not sleep once you have watched this awesome movie. Directed by Jonathan Demme, the movie stars Anthony Hopkins in one of his best performances ever as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist and a cannibalistic serial killer. The movie won all the top five Academy Awards including Best Picture and people appreciate some of the scenes which were nothing less than horror. The movie also stars Jodie Foster who won the Best Actress Academy Award for the same movie.

Jaws – 1975

Jaws is another thriller movie which is nothing less than a horror movie and had such great impact on the minds of the audience that people began to fear water and many people across United States decided that they will never step into the sea again in their lifetime. Jaws became one of the most successful thrillers of all times. The movie was released in 1975 and was directed by Steven Spielberg. The movie is about a fictional Amity Island where a number of beachgoers become a victim of the great white shark. The movie is rated as one of the best horror movies of all times even though there are no ghosts or evil spirits in the movie.

Pom Poko

Pom Poko is a Japanese animated film that was released in 1994. The movie was directed by Isao Takahata and the story revolves around a group of Japanese raccoon dogs who are very well known in Japanese folklore. These raccoons are usually termed as Tanuki in Japanese culture and are known for their social behavior but they are mischievous as well. In the movie, these animals are shown as realistic animals that seldom wear clothes and are always eating and having fun in the woods. Soon these raccoons are attacked by industrial labors and these tanukis try hard to attack the humans with their testicles which should not be a part of any animated film because it is certainly not the right thing for the kids to watch.

The Incredibles

The Incredibles is a 2004 animated film by Pixar and the movie is directed by Brad Bird. The movie is all about a superhero family who has been gifted with super powers but the government forces them to live a normal life. Though The Incredibles received a lot of appreciation for its fresh story and animation, you can clearly avoid The Incredibles for your kids because the story has a lot of action that can have a negative impact on your kid.

Cars

The next on the list is Cars which again is an animated movie produced by Pixar Studio and directed by John Lasseter and Joe Ranft. The movie might be unique in its own ways but it completely wipes off the existence of humans. The movie is all about anthropomorphic cars that talk and do almost everything that humans do. However, when they race they race with all their might and Cars is loaded with all kinds of car stunts and accidents that is something that our kids should avoid at least till they are aware about traffic manners.

Spirited Away

There are some movies that so imaginary that they can be scary for the kids and Spirited Away is one such movie that is directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The movie has received a universal acclaim and it is one of the highest grossing movie in Japanese box office. The movie is about a teenage girl who is soon moving to countryside where she faces her adventures with spirits and monsters. The movie shows a friendly relation between spirits and monsters and that is too much for your kid to digest.

Chicken Run

Chicken Run is a British animation movie which is directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park that shows the cruelty that humans do on chickens. The movie is about an intelligent hen named Ginger who tries to save her other friends from being dead. The movie makes fun of how people are crazy about chickens and eggs and portrays humans as barbarians who are always ready to slaughter chickens for having a hearty meal. Soon after the release of the movie a video game was also released for the audiences.

In the film, Alice is now 19 years old and accidentally returns to Underland, a place she previously visited 13 years ago. She is told that she is the only one that can slay the Jabberwocky, a dragon controlled by the Red Queen. Burton said the original Wonderland story was always about a girl wandering around from one character to another and he never felt a connection emotionally, so he wanted to make it feel more like a story than a series of events.

He does not see this as a sequel to previous films or a re-imagining. It premiered in London at the Odeon Leicester Square on February 25, 2010 and was released in Australia on March 4, 2010 and the United States and the United Kingdom on March 5, 2010 through Walt Disney Pictures in 3-D and IMAX 3-D, as well as in regular theaters.

Alice Kingsley, 19, attends a party at a Victorian  estate shortly after the death of her beloved father. She learns that the party is actually an engagement party to wed her into the Ascot family, who now own her father’s trading firm. Unsure of an answer to Hamish Ascot’s proposal, Alice runs away and follows the White Rabbit, Nivens McTwisp, but falls down a rabbit hole into Underland, a bizarre world she previously visited as a child, although she has no memory of it.

Things are less frightening to Alice because she thinks it is only a dream. When she mentions this to someone in Underland he is disappointed, because it means that he is not real.

It is explained throughout the course of the film that Iracebeth, the Red Queen, conquered Underland by stealing the ruling crown from her sister Mirana, the White Queen, but Alice will slay the Red Queen’s guardian, the Jabberwocky, on the Frabjous Day using the Vorpal Sword.

However, a misunderstanding of words from Absolem the Caterpillar makes everyone believe that Alice is the wrong one. The forces of the Red Queen attack and capture McTwisp, Uilleam the Dodo, and Tweedledum and Tweedledee, whilst Alice escapes. The Knave of Hearts, Ilosovic Stayn, informs the Red Queen of Alice’s return; the Red Queen orders Alice’s capture.

Alice is found by Chessur, a grinning cat, who leads her to The Hatter, Thackery Earwicket and Mallymkun. As Ilosovic searches for Alice, The Hatter flees toward the White Queen’s castle with a shrunken Shite, but he is caught, leaving Alice and his hat behind.

A bloodhound named Bayard, who was forced to work for the Red Queen due to his imprisoned family, aids Alice in sneaking into the Red Queen’s castle to rescue The Hatter. McTwisp, now a page for the Red Queen, gives Alice some food which makes her grow to a large size, but she fools the Red Queen into believing she is “Um from Umbridge”, and The Hatter is made the Red Queen’s hat maker.

Alice learns that the Vorpal Sword is hidden in the den of the Bandersnatch, whose eye was removed by Mallymkun earlier. The eye is restored by Alice, making the Bandersnatch choose to side with her and escape from the castle with her and Bayard.

Chessur saves Tarrant and Mallymkun from execution, and they lead all of the enslaved Underland creatures to flee the Red Queen’s castle. Alice delivers the Vorpal Sword to the White Queen and returns to her normal size, but she remains unsure whether she can kill the Jabberwocky.

Absolem, going into his pupa stage, reminds Alice of her past visit to Underland and gives her the courage and belief to fight the Jabberwocky. On the Frabjous Day, the forces of the White and Red Queens converge on a battlefield to decide the fate of Underland.

Alice fights the Jabberwocky and decapitates him, while the Red Queen’s forces side with the White Queen, who regains her crown and then banishes her sister and Ilosovic to the outlands forever. Alice returns home by drinking blood of the Jabberwocky, refuses Hamish’s proposal, and becomes an apprentice for Hamish’s father with the idea of beginning trade routes with China. The film ends with Alice sailing away on a ship, with Absolem, now as a butterfly, flying away from her shoulder.

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