Hellboy 1

Directed by Guillermo Del Toro



Hellboy is a 2004 supernatural action-thriller film directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios for Columbia Pictures
Released in 2004, it grossed $60 million at the U.S. box office, and $100 million worldwide^[1] and was favorably received by critics. A sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, was released on July 11 2008
In 1944, the German Nazis work with Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin on an isolated island off the coast of Scotland to build a dimensional portal. They intend to use it, with Rasputin's help, to awaken the Ogdru Jahad (the Seven Gods of Chaos), monstrous entities that have been imprisoned and asleep since an undisclosed time, to destroy their enemies. But Rasputin secretly intends to use the entities to bring about the destruction of the entire Earth. He is aided by his servant and lover, Ilsa von Haupstein, whom he has granted eternal life, and Nazi Colonel (Sturmbannführer) Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, a notorious assassin. The United States sends a small Army team to destroy the portal, guided by a young doctor, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, who is well-versed in terms of magic and sorcery. In the ensuing battle, the German scientists and soldiers are killed and the portal is destroyed, killing Rasputin. Ilsa and Kroenen escape capture. As the Army team surveys the ruins for anything that may have sneaked into their dimension through the portal, they discover a bright red infant demon with a right hand seemingly made from stone. Bruttenholm coaxes it into his arms with a Baby Ruth candy bar. They name the little demon "Hellboy."
Sixty years later, a young FBI agent named John Myers is transferred to the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, run by Professor Bruttenholm. He is introduced to Hellboy, now an adult. Also employed with the BPRD is a fish-like person named Abe Sapien who has advanced psychic abilities, and Liz Sherman, a pyrokinetic who has yet to learn to control her firestarting abilities. Liz has recently left the bureau (for the thirteenth time) and checked herself into a mental hospital in an effort to protect others from her talent. Despite regular visits and coaxing from Hellboy, who appears infatuated with her, she is determined not to return.
Meanwhile, Kroenen and Ilsa resurrect Rasputin. Rasputin and his companions travel to New York and the Machen Library of Paranormal Artifacts. There, they open a display and, through magic, release a demon known as Sammael, a hell-hound with a distinct Lovecraftian appearance. Rasputin imbues Sammael with the power to reincarnate and split his essence, causing two of the creatures "eggs" to hatch and mature in seconds each time one dies. Rasputin then visits Liz as she sleeps, reactivating her powers and causing the near-total destruction of the hospital. Afterwards, Myers talks to her, and convinces her to return to the bureau, at least for the short term.
The multiplying Sammael quickly becomes a major problem, as Hellboy repeatedly kills it, creating dozens. Sapien is injured during an attempt to retrieve some of their eggs, and Kroenen kills one of the FBI agents sent with Hellboy, and Sammael kills the other 2 agents. Kroenen, whose ancient body is now run by mechanisms, then shuts himself down and pretends to be defeated just before Hellboy arrives. Kroenen's 'corpse' is brought to the bureau for examination. FBI Director Tom Manning is angered by Hellboy's recklessness, which he feels is indirectly responsible for his agents' deaths. Hellboy gets mad and threatens Manning just as Liz returns, almost causing her to leave again just as quickly. Myers, in an effort to help her overcome her difficulties with Hellboy, takes her out for coffee and to talk. Hellboy, jealous, covertly follows them.
While they are away, Rasputin appears at the bureau, reanimating Kroenen before they confront Professor Bruttenholm. Out of twisted respect for Bruttenholm's protection and nurturing of Hellboy, Rasputin promises him a quick death, but first offers him a vision of the future, showing Hellboy is the agent that has destroyed the world. Rejecting Rasputin's vision of Hellboy's destiny, Bruttenholm is stabbed in the neck and, clutching a rosary, collapses and dies.
Manning takes over the BPRD and, with the help of Hellboy and the others, manages to find Rasputin's physical body located in a mausoleum in an old cemetery outside Moscow, Russia. An enraged Hellboy, with Manning's help, destroys Kroenen once and for all, to avenge the death of his "father", Professor Bruttenholm. Telling Manning to stay back, Hellboy reunites with Liz and Myers at the Sammael's nest to defend them, but the hellhounds overwhelm him. In an effort to help, Liz, with some encouragement from Myers, ignores the fear that has prevented her from unleashing her full potential and uses her pyrokinetic powers to encase herself in blue fire, which she uses to incinerate the army of Sammaels and all the eggs. Unfortunately, this effect renders Hellboy, Liz, and Myers unconscious and they are captured by Rasputin.
To get Hellboy to release the Ogdru Jahad, Rasputin sucks Liz's soul out of her body, telling Hellboy that Liz will come back to life only if he complies. Hellboy, not wanting to lose Liz, awakens his true power as Anung un Rama (the Beast of the Apocalypse), causing his horns to regrow. He nearly releases the Ogdru Jahad, but the injured Myers reminds him of who he is and that he has the right to choose his own path. He snaps off his horns, returning to his former self and resealing the Ogdru Jahad. As Rasputin screams his frustration and disappointment at Hellboy, Hellboy stabs him with one of his broken horns.
However, Rasputin has one last trick up his sleeve: he is possessed by a demon from the Ogdru Jahad. The tentacled Behemoth bursts out of Rasputin's body, grows to immense size, and destroys Rasputin and Ilsa. Hellboy grabs a stone sword from a nearby statue and attacks the Behemoth's tentacles, then allows himself to be swallowed while detonating a belt of live hand grenades. The subsequent explosion shatters Behemoth from inside who dies. Liz's vital signs are gone when Hellboy returns from the fight, but he whispers into her ear, and suddenly her life is restored. When she asks how her soul was returned, Hellboy replies that he simply told the creatures from the other side the cost of taking her: "Hey, you on the other side. Let her go. Because for her I'll cross over, and then you'll be sorry." She and Hellboy kiss as she surrounds them in blue flame, and the narrator, Myers, says that what truly makes a man is "Not how he starts things, but how he decides to end them."
Finally, the film ends with a humorous mid-credits scene, where a forgotten and frightened Manning is lost several levels down in the dank and dim halls of the mausoleum, listening to (maybe) the rustle of footsteps, and looking to see if there's anyone/anything around.

Bridge to Terabithia

Directed by Gábor Csupó



Bridge to Terabithia is a 2007 film directed by Gábor Csupó (co-founder of Klasky-Csupo) for Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, based on the Katherine Paterson novel of the same name. The film was released on February 16, 2007 in the U.S. and Canada, and June 16, 2007 in New Zealand and was number two at the box office in the U.S. and Canada over its opening weekend. It was rated PG for thematic elements including bullying, some peril and mild language by the MPAA.

A 12-year-old boy named Jesse "Jess" Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) is an aspiring artist and elementary school boy living in a financially-struggling family and 12-year-old Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb) is the new girl who has had trouble making friends at school and yet is full of joy and wonder with a vast imagination, at Jess' school, just moving to Lark Creek (Jess's small town). She enters a running event which she wins, despite her classmates calling it a "boys only" race. At first, Jess is quite sour about this and wants nothing to do with Leslie, but Leslie's persistence in meeting him soon pays off, and soon the two become very close friends. Their friendship starts when Leslie offers Jess a piece of Juicy Fruit gum on the bus, and he accepts. Jess shares his secret love of drawing with Leslie. Together they venture into the woods, where they swing across a creek on a rope and find an abandoned tree house on the other side. Here, the two friends invent a new world they call Terabithia, and it comes to life through their eyes as they explore together. Back in the "real" world, they both plot against bullies at their school. Leslie gives Jess an unexpected birthday present, an art kit, and he gives Leslie a dog (Prince Terrien) in return, much to both of the children's happiness. On the next trip to Terabithia later that day, it is noted that the river beneath the rope has begun to swell, there is increasing tension as Leslie and then Jess swing across the creek, their feet brushing across the water.
At the end of a particular visit to Terabithia, Jess watches Leslie run back to her house, (the same way he would watch his music teacher, Ms. Edmunds) suddenly realizing he loves her. Early the next morning, Ms. Edmunds (Zooey Deschanel), who has noticed Jess' artistic interests, calls to invite him on a field trip to an art museum. He makes an effort to ask his mother's permission; she is half-asleep and doesn't actually say anything, but he is so eager to go that he assumes she agreed. He has an unspoken crush on the beautiful and personable teacher and does not want to share the trip with Leslie; he merely looks at her home as they drive by.
When he returns, his father (Robert Patrick) and mother are worried sick, not knowing where he has been all day. He hears the horrifying news that Leslie died trying to swing across the rain-swollen creek. The rope broke and she fell in, drowning after hitting her head on something, possibly a rock, which knocked her unconscious. Jess suffers much grief, and he and his parents visit the Burke family home to "pay their respects".
Jess feels overwhelming guilt for Leslie's death, but his father consoles him to keep their intense friendship alive for her sake. So, Jess re-imagines Terabithia and builds a bridge across the river to welcome a new ruler. He invites his sister, May Belle Aarons (Bailee Madison) to be that new ruler, who is delighted after being previously denied any opportunity to enter the land. She and Jess bring back Terabithia in even greater splendor; Jess the king and his sister the princess, and they rule together.

Pan's Labyrinth

Director : Guillermo Del Toro

Pan's Labyrinth (Spanish: El laberinto del fauno, literally The Labyrinth of the Faun) is a 2006 Spanish language fantasy film written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films.

Pan's Labyrinth takes place in Spain in May and June, 1944, after the Spanish Civil War, during the franquist repression. Also present is the main character Ofelia's fantasy world which centers around an overgrown abandoned labyrinth. Ofelia's stepfather, the Falangist Captain Vidal, viciously hunts the Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who fight against the Franco regime in the region, while Ofelia's pregnant mother grows increasingly ill. Ofelia meets several strange and magical creatures who become central to her story, leading her through the trials of the old labyrinthCGI effects to create its creatures. garden. The film employs make-up, puppetry, and
Del Toro stated that he considers the story to be a parable, influenced by fairy tales, and that it addresses and continues themes related to his earlier film The Devil's Backbone, a spiritual sequel, though not an actual sequel. The original Spanish title refers to the mythological fauns of Greek mythology, while the English title refers specifically to the faun-like Greek god Panfawn). However, del Toro has stated that the faun in the film is not Pan. (intended to help English-speakers differentiate the title from the term

The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. It was released in the United Kingdom on November 24, 2006. In the United States and Canada, the film was given a limited release on December 29, 2006, with a wide release on January 19, 2007. Pan's Labyrinth has won numerous international awards, including three Academy Awards, the Ariel Award for Best Picture, and the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form.

The movie opens with a fairy tale. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a young girl who loves to read, lies on the ground, bleeding, while the narration explains that Princess Moanna of the Underground Realm, curious about the world above, escapes to the Earth, where the sun blinds her and, forgetting her past, she weakens and dies. Nonetheless, her father retains hope that her spirit will eventually return to him.
The story then cuts to post-Civil War Spain in 1944, with Francisco Franco firmly in power. Ofelia has traveled with her pregnant mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) to join Captain Vidal (Sergi López i Ayats), her new stepfather and father of Carmen's unborn child, at his post in the mountains where he is rooting out Spanish Maquis guerillas.
Ofelia discovers a stick insect that she believes to be a fairy. It follows her to the mill where Vidal is stationed. Ofelia chases it into an ancient labyrinth nearby. Ofelia meets Vidal's housekeeper, Mercedes (Maribel Verdú), who treats her kindly. Later that night, Ofelia overhears Mercedes and the local doctor conspiring to help the rebels. Upon her mother's request, Ofelia tells a surprisingly mature story to her unborn brother, a fable about pain and loss, and the promise of eternal life. After waking her in the middle of the night, the insect appears in Ofelia's bedroom where it changes into a fairy and leads her outside and through the labyrinth. There, she meets a faun (Doug Jones), who says that he believes her to be Princess Moanna. He gives her three tasks to complete before the full moon to ensure that her "essence is intact" so that she can return to her father's realm.
Ofelia completes the first task of retrieving a key from the belly of a giant toad that lives deep beneath the roots of a fig tree. Ofelia is becoming more worried about her mother, who has been ordered to stay in bed as her condition has worsened. The faun tells Ofelia of a magic way to restore her mother to health. Meanwhile, her stepfather is proving to be a brutish, violently cruel man. Ofelia then undertakes the second task of using the key to retrieve an ornate dagger from the lair of the Pale Man (also played by Jones), a grotesque, child-eating monster who sits absolutely silent and motionless in front of a large feast. Although she was gravely warned not to consume anything, she eats two grapes, awakening the Pale Man, who eats two of her fairy friends and pursues her. She narrowly escapes by drawing an escape door with a piece of chalk. However, infuriated at her disobedience for having eaten the grapes and causing the fairies' death, the faun refuses to give her the third task.
Events in the real world take an even grimmer turn as Vidal captures and brutally tortures a rebel. The doctor who has been staying with them to help Carmen is ordered to tend the wounds of the tortured rebel, so that he can be tortured further. Instead, the doctor kills him to end his ordeal (at the rebel's request). Vidal kills the doctor for his disobedience and betrayal, angered by the doctor's statement that only a man such as Vidal could practice such blind, unthinking obedience with no concern for the consequences. Just as the doctor dies, Carmen goes into labor and starts hemorrhaging. She dies in childbirth, but delivers a healthy son—Vidal had said that if only one could be saved, that it should be his son. Vidal discovers that Mercedes is a spy, and he captures her and Ofelia as they attempt to escape. Ofelia is locked in her bedroom, and Mercedes is taken to be tortured; however, she frees herself using a hidden knife with which she stabs and slices Vidal, but not fatally. She then flees but is caught. At the last moment, the rebels show up and rescue her.
The faun returns to Ofelia and gives her one more chance to prove herself. He tells her to take her baby brother into the labyrinth. She then uses the magic chalk to escape her room and sneak into Vidal's room. She drugs Vidal and grabs her brother; although disoriented, Vidal chases her through the labyrinth while the rebels attack the mill and Mercedes searches for her. Upon reaching the center, the faun tells Ofelia that the portal to the underworld will open only with the blood of an innocent, so he needs a drop of her brother's blood. Ofelia, unsure of his intentions, refuses to allow her brother to be harmed. The faun grudgingly agrees and vanishes. Vidal finds her, takes the baby and shoots Ofelia in the stomach. She falls to the ground, bleeding.
When Vidal leaves the labyrinth, the rebels and Mercedes are waiting for him. Realizing that he will die, he calmly hands Mercedes the baby, and starts to make a request that they tell his son about his heroic father, but Mercedes informs him that his son will never even know his name. Pedro, one of the rebels, shoots Vidal in the face, killing him.
Mercedes enters the labyrinth to find Ofelia dying, in a reprise of the opening scene. While Ofelia's blood drips onto the altar that was the gateway into the underworld, the scene flashes to a dream-like state: Ofelia is reunited with the king (Federico Luppi) (her deceased father, resurrected) and queen (her mother, alive again) of the underworld. The faun is there, as are the fairies. Ofelia learns that by sacrificing herself, instead of her brother, she has succeeded at the true final task, proving herself to be the Princess Moanna and achieving immortality. The moment Ofelia learns she is the Princess in the underworld, she smiles; at that same instant, in the real world, she dies. The scene is ambiguous however; it is unclear from the inter-cut persepctives whether she has actually died, as it seems in the world on the surface, or if she has taken her place as the princess of the underworld. The final scene shows a little white flower blooming on a dead tree next to where the giant toad lived.
Due to confusion over the film's ambiguity, in an interview, del Toro clarified that, in his own view, the fantasy world isn't only Ofelia's imagination; the Underground Realm does exist, and in the end, Ofelia does actually escape to the fantasy world (where she would be more happy to live in than the real world).

INTRODUCTION TO GOOD BOOK & MOVIE

Different Seasons - a novella collection by Stephen King

Different Seasons is a collection of novellas by Stephen King. The book contains four stories: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body, and The Breathing Method. Each story is given a subtitle, one for each season of the year. Three movies, The Shawshank Redemption (based on Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption), Apt Pupil, and Stand By Me

(based on The Body), were made based on the stories from this book.

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

Subtitled 'Hope Springs Eternal'. Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is a story of several prisons who spend time in the fictitious Shawshank prison in Maine, USA. The story is narrated by Red, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence at Shawshank. The main character is Andy Dufresne. Andy is a soft-spoken banker, quite different to the other inmates. Like most of the inmates, he claims to be innocent. Andy has a poster of Rita Hayworth on this cell wall, which is the only connection to the actress. Shawshank prison is mentioned in the other Stephen King stories Dreamcatcher, Doleres Claiborne, It and Apt Pupil. A movie was made of the story, named The Shawshank Redemption. Read about the plot of The Shawshank Redemption.

Apt Pupil

Subtitled 'Summer of Corruption'. Apt Pupil is a story set in the fictional suburb of 'Santo Donato', in San Diego. The story covers a period of about four years. Todd Bowden is a smart thirteen year old. Todd develops an interest in Nazi concentration camps, after looking in a friend's garage for comics, but instead finding war magazines. He then reads all of the World War II material he can find. Todd later recognizes a neighbour as someone he has seen in the World War II magazines. The story features a mention of Andy Dufresne, from Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The story revolves around the relationship developed between Todd and man he recognizes. Apt Pupil was made into a movie of the same title.

The Body

Subtitled 'Fall from Innocence'. The Body is a story of a group of boys who travel down railroad tracks looking for the corpse of a boy hit by a train. The story is told in the first person by the character Gordon Lachance. Now 30 years old, he tells the story as it took place, when he was twelve. The story is told retrospectively, but some chapters relate to the present time. The BodyStand By Me. Read the plot of The Body. was adapted to a film called

The Breathing Method

Subtitled 'A Winter`s tale'. The Breathing Method is a story of a middle-aged Manhattan lawyer who joins a men's club. The members of the club read, chat, play pool and chess and tell strange stories. The story is narrated by the main character David. The Breathing Method is the only novella from Different Seasons to not be adapted into a movie.

The Shawshank Redemption (movie)

The Shawshank Redemption is one of the most popular movies of all time. A powerful story of hope, friendship and strength. The Shawshank Redemption stars Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne and Morgan Freeman as Red. The original story Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption was written by Stephen King and appeared in the collection Different Seasons. Frank Darabont wrote the screenplay and directed the movie in 1994.

Brief plot

The caring and smart banker Andy Dufresne is accused and convicted of the murder of his wife. He is sent to Shawshank prison in the 1940’s, he meets many fellow prisoners, including Red, who becomes an important friend. During his time at Shawshank Andy’s way of life is changed, but he never looses his hope. Read the complete Shawshank Redemption plot.

Hope and redemption

Hope and redemption are a major part of the story, and something shown in many of the characters. Hope is the major force behind the lead character Andy, and Andy restores the hope in Red.

Brooks, a long time inmate of Shawshank had lost his hope. He had become institutionalized. Red says of Brooks:

"These prison walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, gets so you depend on them. That's institutionalized. They send you here for life, that's exactly what they take. The part that counts, anyways."

Red is heading for the same fate as Brooks, but Andy changes his way of thinking and brings him hope.

Characters

The Shawshank Redemption is a moving story of hope, friendship and perseverance. Even though most of the characters are prison inmates, this engrossing story has incredibly warming characters. The film concentrates on the core characters of Andy Dufresne and Red, but the other characters such as the Warden, Brooks and Hadley all play a very important part in setting the mood and moving the story forward. Read about The Shawshank Redemption characters.

At the movies

Despite becoming one of the most popular movies of all time, The Shawshank Redemption was not successful at the movie theatres. The major factors that prevented its success at theatres were the competition from other movies, such as Forest Gump, Pulp Fiction and Speed. Also the fact that is was a prison movie, a concept not popular with today’s theatre goers. Read about the awards and nominations.

Differences between the movie and book

Frank Darabont’s movie screenplay follows Stephen King’s original story very closely. However there are several differences in the stories, made to make the movie easier to follow and more gripping. Read about all of the differences.

Popularity

The Shawshank Redemption has become so popular that it is consistently voted as one of the most popular movies of all time. It has been listed as the second most popular movie in most of the IMDB database polls. Read about the various polls The Shawshank Redemption has topped.

Trivia

The original story called Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption was written by Stephen King. It appeared in a collection of four stories called Different Seasons, which also contained a story called The Body, which became the movie Stand By Me. Another story from the same collection, Apt Pupil, was also made into a movie of the same name. Read more Shawshank Redemption trivia.

The movie title

The movie title (The Shawshank Redemption) differs from that of the novella title (Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption). Frank Darabont on the movie DVD audio commentary explains that the title was changed as Rita Hayworth has little to do with the story, and he wanted audiences to not get the wrong idea about the movie.

Cast

• Tim Robbins - Andy Dufresne
• Morgan Freeman - Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding
• Bob Gunton - Warden Samuel Norton
• William Sadler - Heywood
• Clancy Brown - Captain Byron Hadley
• See the complete cast

Credits

• Directed by Frank Darabont
• Novella written by Stephen King, screenplay written by Frank Darabont
• See the complete credits

Movie details

• Distributed by Columbia Pictures and later by Warner Bros
• Released theatrically on September 10th 1994
• Running time is 142 minutes (2 hours and 22 minutes)
• 
  
  Budget was $25,000,000 USD