The Others (2001)

Synopsis of The Others

Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenabar's first English-language production is a creepy period ghost story that continues in the vein of his earlier art house hit Open Your Eyes (1997). Nicole Kidman stars as Grace, a devoutly religious mother of two ailing children who has moved with her family to a mansion on the English coast while awaiting her husband's return from World War II, though he has been declared missing. Their children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), both suffer from a rare photosensitivity disease that renders them extremely vulnerable to sunlight, prompting Grace's rule of having only one door open in the house at a time. 

When Anne begins claiming to see ghosts, Grace at first believes her newly arrived family of eccentric servants to be responsible, but chilling events and visions soon lead her to believe that something supernatural is indeed going on. 

The Others was released only a few months prior to Vanilla Sky (2001), the American remake of Alejandro's Open Your Eyes (1997), ironically starring Kidman's then-estranged husband Tom Cruise.

Cast of The Others

Nicole Kidman - Grace

Fionnula Flanagan - Mrs. Mills

Eric Sykes - Mr. Tuttle

James Bentley - Nicholas

Gordon Reid - Assistant

Michelle Fairley - Mrs. Marlish

Rico Lopez - 2nd Assistant

Christopher Eccleston - Charles

Elaine Cassidy - Lydia

Alakina Mann - Anne

Renée Ashershon - Old Lady

Keith Allen - Mr. Marlish

Alexander Vince - Victor

Aldo Grilo - Gardener

Director(s):Alejandro Amenábar

Writer(s):Alejandro Amenábar

Producer(s):Sunmin Park, José Luis Cuerda, Fernando Bovaira

Theatrical MPAA Rating: PG13(Suitable for Teens, Questionable for Children, Adult Situations)

Categories:Horror, Mystery & Suspense

The Others - The Trailer

The Exorcist (1973)

Synopsis of The Exorcist

Novelist William Peter Blatty based his best-seller on the last known Catholic-sanctioned exorcism in the United States. Blatty transformed the little boy in the 1949 incident into a little girl named Regan, played by 14-year-old Linda Blair. Suddenly prone to fits and bizarre behavior, Regan proves quite a handful for her actress-mother, Chris MacNeil (played by Ellen Burstyn, although Blatty reportedly based the character on his next-door neighbor Shirley MacLaine). 

When Regan gets completely out of hand, Chris calls in young priest Father Karras (Jason Miller), who becomes convinced that the girl is possessed by the Devil and that they must call in an exorcist: namely, Father Merrin (Max von Sydow). His foe proves to be no run-of-the-mill demon, and both the priest and the girl suffer numerous horrors during their struggles. 

The Exorcist received a theatrical rerelease in 2000, in a special edition that added 11 minutes of footage trimmed from the film's original release and digitally enhanced Chris Newman's Oscar-winning sound work.

Cast of The Exorcist

Ellen Burstyn - Chris MacNeil

Linda Blair - Regan MacNeil

Jason Miller - Father Damien Karras

Lee J. Cobb - Lt. Kinderman

Roy Cooper - Jesuit Dean

Barton Heyman - Dr. Klein

Rudolf Schundler - Karl

Mercedes McCambridge - The Demon

Rev. William O'Malley - Father Dyer

Robert Symonds - Dr. Tanney

Vasiliki Maliaros - Karras' Mother

Linda Blair - Regan

Max von Sydow - Father Merrin

Kitty Winn - Sharon

Jack MacGowran - Burke Dennings

Wallace Rooney - Bishop

Robert Gerringer - Senator

Donna Mitchell - Mary Jo Perrin

Titos Vandis - Karras' Uncle

Peter Masterson - Clinic Director

Ron Faber - Assistant Director

Director(s):Jason Miller, William Friedkin

Writer(s):William Peter Blatty

Producer(s):William Peter Blatty

Theatrical MPAA Rating: R(Adult Language, Graphic Violence, Not For Children, Strong Sexual Content)

Categories:Horror
The Exorcist Awards:

1973 - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Drama

1973 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Screenplay

1973 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

1973 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Director

1973 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Picture - Drama

Michael (1996)

Synopsis of Michael

There are angels among us, and they like lots of sugar in their coffee, in writer-director Nora Ephron's comic fantasy Michael. Vartan Malt (Bob Hoskins) is the editor of a tabloid called the National Mirror that specializes in unlikely stories about celebrities and frankly unbelievable tales about ordinary folks. When Malt gets word that a woman is supposedly harboring an angel in a small town in Iowa, he figures that this might be right up the Mirror's alley, so he sends out three people to get the story -- Frank Quinlan (William Hurt), a reporter whose career has hit the skids; Huey Discoll (Robert Pastorelli), a photographer on the verge of losing his job (even though he owns the Mirror's mascot, Sparky The Wonder Dog); and Dorothy Winters (Andie MacDowell), a self-styled "angel expert." 

They arrive at the rooming house of Patsy Millband (Jean Stapleton), who informs them that she does indeed have an angel for a tenant, and introduces them to Michael (John Travolta). Michael has wings like an angel, but the resemblance ends there; Michael loves cigarettes, has an uncontrollable sweet tooth (and a pot belly to match), tends to use a large number of non-angelic phrases, is not much on personal hygiene, and likes to hang out with the ladies. 

Michael informs his visitors that in Heaven, an angel is allowed a certain number of "vacations" on Earth, and he's in the midst of one now; trouble is, this is the last one he's entitled to, and he wants to make the most of it. Frank and Huey then stumble on a great story idea -- if Michael wants to have some fun, why not take him to Chicago, where he can really kick up his heels?

Cast of Michael

John Travolta - Michael

William Hurt - Frank Quinlan

Robert Pastorelli - Huey Driscoll

Teri Garr - Judge Esther Newberg

Tracy Doyle - reporter

Margaret Travolta - Reporter

Mark Nutter - counterman

Calvin Trillin - sheriff

Jane Lanier - Suzanne

Daniel Mimura - slacker

James Garrell - old geezer

Dell Aldrich - woman

Betsy Sokolow - reporter

Richard Schiff - Italian Waiter

David Harrod - Mal

Wallace Langham - Bruce Craddock

Blue Deckert - Joe

Director(s):Nora Ephron

Writer(s):Delia Ephron, Peter Dexter, Nora Ephron

Producer(s):Sean Daniel, Nora Ephron, James Jacks

Theatrical MPAA Rating: PG(Adult Situations, Adult Humor, Questionable for Children)

Categories:Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Let the RIght one In (2008)

Synopsis of Let the Right One In

A 12-year-old boy befriends a mysterious young girl whose appearance in town suspiciously coincides with a horrifying series of murders in director Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of the book by author John Ajvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay. 

Oskar is a young boy who can't seem to shake off the local bullies, but all of that begins to change when a new neighbor moves in next door. After striking up an innocent friendship with his eccentric next-door neighbor, Oskar realizes that she is the vampire responsible for the recent rash of deaths around town. 

Despite the danger, however, Oskar's friendship with the girl ultimately takes precedence over his fear of her.

Cast of Let the Right One In

Kåre Hedebrant - Oskar

Per Ragnar - Håkan

Karin Bergquist - Yvonne

Ika Nord - Virginia

Karl-Robert Lindgren - Gösta

Pale Olofsson - Larry

Patrik Rydmark - Conny

Mikael Erhardsson - Martin

Soren Kallstigen - Janne, Erik's friend

Bernt Ostman - Virginia's nurse

Adam Stone - Policeman in Classroom

Lina Leandersson - Eli

Henrik Dahl - Erik

Peter Carlberg - Lacke

Mikael Rahm - Jocke

Anders T. Peedu - Morgan

Cayetano Ruiz - Avila, Schoolmaster

Johan Somnes - Andreas

Rasmus Luthander - Jimmy

Malin Cederbladh - Hospital Receptionist

Kajsa Linderholm - Teacher

Ingemar Raukola - Messenger

Director(s):Tomas Alfredson

Writer(s):John Ajvide Lindqvist

Producer(s):Carl Molinder, John Nordling

Theatrical MPAA Rating: R(Graphic Violence, Profanity, Brief Nudity)

Categories:Foreign, Drama, Horror

Let the Right One In Awards:

2008 - Austin Film Critics - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Boston Society of Film Critics - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Chicago Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Chicago Film Critics Association - Most Promising Filmmaker

2008 - Florida Film Critics - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Kansas City Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Online Film Critics Association - Breakthrough Filmmaker

2008 - Online Film Critics Association - Best Breakthrough Performance

2008 - Online Film Critics Association - Best Adapted Screenplay

2008 - Online Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Phoenix Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - San Diego Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - San Francisco Film Critics Circle - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Southeastern Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Toronto Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Utah Film Critics - Best Foreign Language Film

2008 - Washington D.C. Film Critics Association - Best Foreign Language Film

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Synopsis of Pan's Labyrinth

Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro returns to the phantasmagorical cinema that defined such early fare as Cronos and The Devil's Backbone with this haunting fantasy-drama set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and detailing the strange journeys of an imaginative young girl who may be the mythical princess of an underground kingdom. Her mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil), recently remarried to sadistic army captain Vidal (Sergi López) and soon to bear the cruel military man's child, shy young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is forced to entertain herself as her recently-formed family settles into their new home nestled deep in the Spanish countryside. 

As Ofelia's bed-ridden mother lies immobilized in anticipation of her forthcoming child and her high-ranking stepfather remains determined to fulfill the orders of General Francisco Franco to crush a nearby guerilla uprising, the young girl soon ventures into an elaborate stone labyrinth presided over by the mythical faun Pan (Doug Jones). 

Convinced by Pan that she is the lost princess of legend and that in order to return to her underground home she must complete a trio of life-threatening tasks, Ofelia sets out to reclaim her kingdom and return to her grieving father as Vidal's housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdú) and doctor (Alex Angulo) plot secretly on the surface to keep the revolution alive.

Ariadna Gil - Carmen

Sergi López - Vidal

Doug Jones - Pan / Pale Man

Manolo Solo - Garces

Roger Casamajor - Pedro

Gonzalo Martin Uriarte - Frances

Paco Vidal - Priest

Lina Mira - Mayor's Wife

Sebastian Haro - Civil Guard Captain

Pepa Pedroche - Conchita

Ana Saez - Paz

Milo Taboada - Young Man

Pedro G. Marzo - Manager

Inigo Garces - Young Guerrilla 2

Federico Luppi - King

Brittney Bush - Insect

Shirley Cheechoo - Stick Insect

Ivana Baquero - Ofelia

Maribel Verdú - Mercedes

Alex Angulo - Doctor

Cesar Vea - Serrano

Ivan Massague - El Tarta

Eusebio Lazaro - Father

Juanjo Cucalon - Mayor

Mario Zorilla - First-Aid Boss

Mila Espiga - Doctor's Wife

María Jesús Gatoo - Jacinta

Chani Martin - Trigo

Fernando Albizu - Engineer

Jose Luis Torrijos - Sergeant Bayona

Fernando Tielve - Young Guerrilla 2

Chicho Campillo - Old Man

Elizabeth Irastorza - Fairy/Ballerina

Chong Che Leung - Stick Insect