Posts Tagged ‘hyperrealism’

13th Warrior, The (1999)

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008
Genres: Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Countries: USA
Actors: Venora, Diane | Banderas, Antonio | Kulich, Vladimir | Dennis Storhoi | Southern, Daniel | Maffin, Neil | DeSantis, John | Russell, Clive | Hausserman, Mischa | Sveinall, Oliver | Riis, Asbjørn 'Bear' | Bremmer, Richard | Curran, Tony | Woodington, Albie | Sharif, Omar | Avari, Erick
Directors: McTiernan, John | Crichton, Michael
Download: iPod DivX 

In AD 922, an important emissary who is banished from his homeland. The nomadic outcast comes across a band of Norse warriors who coerce him into joining them when they are summoned to fight mysterious creatures legendary for consuming every living thing in their path. Eventually surrounded by the frightening and ferocious foe, Ibn must conquer his personal fears and help battle the illusive invaders—who emerge out of the shroud of fog in the black of the night.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
Genres: Action | Drama | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Hanks, Tom | Sizemore, Tom | Burns, Edward | Pepper, Barry | Goldberg, Adam | Diesel, Vin | Ribisi, Giovanni | Davies, Jeremy | Damon, Matt | Danson, Ted | Giamatti, Paul | Farina, Dennis | Stadler, Joerg | Martini, Steven | Bruno, Dylan
Directors: Spielberg, Steven
Download: DivX iPod 

Opening with the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, members of the 2nd Ranger Battalion under Cpt. Miller fight ashore to secure a beachhead. Amidst the fighting, two brothers are killed in action. Earlier in New Guinea, a third brother is KIA. Their mother, Mrs. Ryan, is to receive all three of the grave telegrams on the same day. The United States Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, is given an opportunity to alleviate some of her grief when he learns of a fourth brother, Private James Ryan, and decides to send out 8 men (Cpt. Miller and select members from 2nd Rangers) to find him and bring him back home to his mother…

300 (2006)

Thursday, October 18th, 2007
Genres: Action | Drama | History | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Butler, Gerard | Headey, Lena | West, Dominic | Wenham, David | Regan, Vincent | Fassbender, Michael | Wisdom, Tom | Pleavin, Andrew | Tiernan, Andrew | Santoro, Rodrigo | Cimmino, Giovani | McHattie, Stephen | Kramer, Greg | Ivanovici, Alex | Kelly, Craig
Directors: Snyder, Zack
Download: DivX 

It is spring 480 BC, Persian King Xerxes, continuing his father Darius’ master plan to conquer the Hellenic city-states, arrives in Hellas. The previous Persian invasion and diplomatic attempts have already turned most northern Hellas tribes and states to the Persian side. But the people of Athens and Sparta, the largest Hellenic powers at the time, feel quite insulted by the Persian emissaries’ request to surrender to Xerxes, and so slay them. In Sparta, King Leonidas consults the local oracle, who gives two options: Either a spartan king will have to be sacrificed, or Sparta will be burned to the ground. A year earlier (481, BC) a Panhellenic consortium of all southern city-states had already recognized the superiority of the Spartan army (the best organized and trained army at the time) and had declared King Leonidas as supreme commander of the combined Hellenic army. It is then decided that a small force should block Xerxes’ way to southern Hellas in the Thermopylae passage. This passage was, at that time, 12 meters wide. The great historian Herodotus, possibly exaggerating, states that there were 1,700,000 Persians (their true number could have been anywhere from 100,000 to 1,000,000) against 7,000 Hellenic hoplites and slaves, including the 300 men of the Spartan King elite guard. King Xerxes waited four days for the Hellenes to be frightened and eventually surrender and was quite astonished by his opponents’ complete apathy. Xerxes tried to convince Leonidas to drop weapons, give up his position, kneel before him and live on as a local governor under Xerxes. King Leonidas replied “molon lave,” which means “Come and get them.” The three-day battle began, with the 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians (the other Hellenes where sent by Leonidas to protect passages to their flanks) slaying thousands of Persians with minimal losses. The whole Persian campaign would have failed if it hadn’t been for Efialtes, who showed Xerxes a secret passage to the Hellenic flanks. After a final battle led by King Xerxes himself, the Hellenic force was slain and their heroism and glory was written forever in history. From the beginning of the battle, the Hellenes buried their dead in the spot where they fell. Then battle signs where made for the dead of each Hellenic faction. For the Pelloponisians, (including the 300 Spartans) the sign generally read (free translation) “In this place 4,000 Pelloponisians fought 30 millions).” For the 300 Spartans (Lakaedaemonians), the sign reads (free translation) “Oh foreigner, tell the Lakaedaemonians that we are buried here obeying their laws,” meaning that they never hesitated and never retreated from the enemy. The impact of the battle was enormous for both sides. The Persians’ morale dropped to zero, and the Hellenes lost their fear for the Persian conqueror and organized their defense. After several successful battles, the Hellenes ultimately defeated the Persian army and repelled their invasion in the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC.

Hannibal (2001)

Saturday, May 5th, 2007
Genres: Crime | Thriller
Countries: UK | USA
Actors: Hopkins, Anthony | Moore, Julianne | Oldman, Gary | Giannini, Giancarlo | Liotta, Ray | Faison, Frankie | Neri, Francesca | Ivanek, Zeljko | Goodman, Hazelle | Andrews, David | Guinan, Francis | Opher, James | Lo Verso, Enrico | Marescotti, Ivano | Gifuni, Fabrizio
Directors: Scott, Ridley
Download: DVD DivX PDA 

Part four in the Hannibal Lecter Quadrilogy. Having escaped the asylum in “Silence of the Lambs,” Dr Lecter goes into hiding in Florence, Italy. Back in America, Mason Verger, an old victim of the doctor’s, seeks revenge. Disfigured and confined to a life-support system, he plans to draw Lecter out of his hiding place, using the one thing he truly cares for: Clarice Starling.

Black Hawk Down (2001)

Thursday, March 15th, 2007
Genres: Action | Drama | History | War
Countries: USA
Actors: Hartnett, Josh | McGregor, Ewan | Isaacs, Jason | Sizemore, Tom | Bana, Eric | Shepard, Sam | Bremner, Ewen | Hardy, Tom | Eldard, Ron | Hofheimer, Charlie | Dancy, Hugh | Guiry, Tom | Van Holt, Brian | Ford, Steven
Directors: Scott, Ridley
Download: DVD DivX PDA 

Action/war drama based on the best-selling book detailing a near-disastrous mission in Somalia on October 3, 1993 where nearly 100 U.S. Army Rangers, commanded by Capt. Mike Steele, were dropped by helicopter deep into the capital city of Mogadishu to capture two top lieutenants of a Somali warlord which lead to a large and drawn-out firefight between the Rangers and hundreds of Somali gunmen which led to the destruction of two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters in Mogadishu, and the heroic efforts by various Rangers to get to them, centering on Sgt. Eversmann, commanding one Ranger unit named Chalk Four, leading Rangers to the first black hawk crash site, to Warrant Officer Durant who was only survivor of the second black hawk crash site and whom was captured, to Col. McKnight who leads a rescue convoy for the Rangers only to get lost within the hostile city, to Sgt. Sanderson desperately trying to get to the first crash site, to Staff Sgt. Yurek who leads two fellow Rangers, Nelson and Twombly to meet with up their squad, Chalk Four, at the first crash site, to many others involved who where either killed or survived.

Gladiator (2000)

Monday, February 12th, 2007
Genres: Action | Adventure | Drama
Countries: UK | USA
Actors: Crowe, Russell | Phoenix, Joaquin | Nielsen, Connie | Reed, Oliver | Harris, Richard | Jacobi, Derek | Hounsou, Djimon | Schofield, David | Shrapnel, John | Arana, Tomas | Moeller, Ralf | Clark, Spencer Treat | Hemmings, David | Flanagan, Tommy | Thorsen, Sven-Ole
Directors: Scott, Ridley
Download: DVD DivX PDA 

Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves Maximus and his family condemned to death. The powerful general is unable to save his family, and his loss of will allows him to get captured and put into the Gladiator games until he dies. The only desire that fuels him now is the chance to rise to the top so that he will be able to look into the eyes of the man who will feel his revenge.