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Film & TV on DVD - John Doe News & Reviews

Greetings Film Fiends and welcome to John Doe's Film Blog. 30 years of dedicated celluloid obsession has meant that I have seen a few films. Drawing attention to some of the lesser discussed gems that I love. Cult classics, obscure curios and quality genre pictures. This blogs purpose is to translate some of my passion for these films and with luck, inspire you the reader to go check em out.

Film News and Views Thriller - Film & TV on DVD

John Doe’s Top 20 Favourite films of the Decade – Part 3 of 3.

January 12th 2010 00:05

JD’s Favourite Films of the Decade - From #20 to 1

Click HERE to see John Doe’s picks for numbers 40 - 21
Click HERE to see John Doe’s picks for numbers 41-60

Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly, science fiction, film, time travel

Frank, Gretchen and Donnie doing what JD loves most.

Thank you readers for your Ghost Dog like patience.

1. Donnie Darko (2001)
“Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?” - Frank

Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly, science fiction, jake gylenhaull

Donnie darko the film that engaged JD emotionally and intellectually with a deft balance that no film has ever achieved.

2. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
“Purple in the morning, blue in the afternoon, orange in the evening. There's my three meals, Mr. Smartypants.” - Sara Goldfarb

requiem for a dream, jennifer connelly, darren aronofsky

Jennifer Connelly lives through the dissection of all addiction.

3. The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
“Me, I don't talk much... I just cut the hair” – Ed Crane

man who wasn't there, coen brothers, billy bob thornton

The Coen Brothers manage homage that is unfaltered in originality, atmosphere and character.

4. Apocalypto (2006)
“I am Jaguar Paw, son of Flint Sky. My Father hunted this forest before me. My name is Jaguar Paw. I am a hunter. This is my forest. And my sons will hunt it with their sons after I am gone.” – Jaguar Paw

apocalypto, mel gibson, chase film, human nature, mayan

5.Wall-E (2008)
“Wall E” - Eve

wall e, pixar, science fiction, animated films

6. Children of Men (2006)
“I can't really remember when I last had any hope, and I certainly can't remember when anyone else did either. Because really, since women stopped being able to have babies, what's left to hope for?” – Theodore Faron

children of men, clive owen, science fiction films,

7. Let The Right One In (2008)
“What happens if you walk in anyway?” – Oskar

let the right one in, vampires, horror film, foreign film

8. Mysterious Skin (2004)
“I was bleeding, I kept passing out, I wet my bed, and you never asked why!” - Brian

mysterious skin, joseph gordon levitt, drama

9. Wonderboys (2000)
“So there it was. Somewhere in the night, a Manhattan book editor was prowling the streets of Pittsburgh; best-selling author at his side, dead dog in his trunk.” – Grady Tripp

wonderboys, michael douglas, robert downey jnr,

10. No Country For Old Men (2007)
“What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss.” – Anton Chiguhr

no country for old men, josh brolin, coen brothers, javier bardem

11. The Wrestler (2008)
“The only place I get hurt is out there…The world don't give a shit about me.” – The Ram

the wrestler, mickey rourke, evan rachel wood, sports films, darren aronofsky, marisa tomeii

12. Memento (2000)
“Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts.” - Lenny

memento, chistopher nolan, guy pearce, thriller film

13. Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2008)
“Well, I'm sorry to hear you feel that way, as I put such stock in your opinion. As for me being a gunslinger, I've just got this one granddaddy Paterson Colt and a borrowed belt to stick it in. But I also got an appetite for greater things. I hoped by joining up with you, it'd put me that much closer to getting them.”– Robert Ford

assassination of jesse james, brad pitt, casey affleck, western films

14. There Will Be Blood (2007)
“You're a bastard from a basket.” – Daniel Plainview

there will be blood, paul thomas anderson, daniel day lewis

15. Old Boy (2003)
“If you stand aimlessly at a phone booth on a rainy day, and meet a man whose face is covered by a violet umbrella, I'd suggest that you get close to the TV.” - Dae-su Oh
This hammer battle alone would have placed Old Boy in the Top 60.

16. Zodiac (2007)
"I Need to know who he is. I need to stand there, I need to look him in the eye and I need to know that it's him." - Robert Graysmith

zodiac, david fincher, serial killer, robert downey jnr

17. A History of Violence (2005)
“Yeah? Well, why don't you ask "Tom" about his older brother Ritchie in Philadelphia? Ask "Tom" how he once tried to rip my eye out with barbed wire. And ask him, Edie... ask him how come he's so good at killing people.” – Carl Fogaty

a history of violence, viggo mortensen, david cronenberg

18. Love’s a Bitch (Amores Perros) (2000)
“You know what my grandmother used to say? If you want to make God laugh... tell Him your plans.” -Susana

amores perros, loves a bitch, foreign film

19. Sin City (2005)
“I love hitmen. No matter what you do to them, you don't feel bad.”- Marv

sin city, mickey rourke, robert rodriguez

20. The Incredibles (2004)
“No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... for ten minutes!” – Mr Incredible

the incredibles, pixar, animated film, super heroes

Click HERE to see John Doe’s picks for numbers 40 - 21
Click HERE to see John Doe’s picks for numbers 41-60

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Posted By: JohnDoe - Category: Action, Film News and Views, Science Fiction, Thriller, Horror

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John Doe's Favourite Self-Surgery Scenes in Cinema

July 16th 2009 00:01

Self repair, physician heal thy self

terminator eye surgery arnold schwarznegger

The Terminator's eye amputation.

John Doe apologizes for his absence. Currently ensconced in the molding and shaping of a feature film screenplay he has hit a wall. In this post modern noir story that JD is working on there is demand for an injured protagonist to perform minor surgery on himself. Trying to stay original it got him thinking about the best scenes of this type in the history of cinema.

Some silver screen tough guys are not just adept at killing, maiming and dismembering others. There is a select few equally proficient in basic doctoral duties that mend the damage they cause. Capable of performing in field surgical procedures…wounds directly related to their deadly expertise being stabbed, beaten or shot with any number of potentially lethal devices.

Even less than that small group is an elite collection of film survivalists that refuse to quit, can ignore pain and mend their own severe lacerations. Capable of inserting scalpels into their torsos or grabbing a needle and thread to suture, inflicting numerous colorful forms of self torture and mutilation, this pack of stone cold hombres will nearly always be the last man or women standing.

Here are some of John Doe’s favourite character Self-Surgery moments:

rambo first blood sylvester stallone survival outdoors spear hunting

Rambo - The great outdoors man

First Blood
Hardcore was what this was back in 1982. John Rambo launches himself from a towering cliff that would make Butch and Sundance wince. Purposefully landing in the treetops below in order to slow his descent. On the way down Rambo smashes the thick branches and one rips his arm open. Most of us would call “game over” about there but our man Rambo pulls out a machete sized survival knife and in its handle finds a needle and thread. Wince worthy bonding of flesh proceeds with just a little grunting.

The Terminator
Back in the day’s before Arnold was a viable solution to California’s political woes he was an unstoppable killing machine, genuinely frightening and foreboding. What really made him terrifying was the idea that he “will hunt you down. He will not stop.” Our proof came about half way through the film when with scalpel in hand the T100 slices open his arm for some mechanical troubleshooting. Then he pops out his own eye ball into the sink without a peep. (Note – there is another cool one in the extended version of Terminator 2 where the unscrewing of his head demands a little humanoid assistance.)

The Terminator feels no pain.

rush, jason patric, sam elliot, drug film, jennifer jason leigh, cop film

Jason Patric without his hot iron in RUSH

Rush
Jason Patric proved he was more than just a “Lost Boy” playing Jim Raynor, an undercover narc who has crossed the line by dippin’ into evidence for a fix. Violently wrestling with his addiction he comes out the other side. The only physical signs of his narcotic abuse remain on his arm in the form of syringe punctures. Having to face an inquiry, determined to remain clean and to seal any weeping wounds, a hot iron soon makes an appearance in our wayward officers spiraling life. A quick flick of water to the base, steam rises and skin sizzles.

No Country for Old Men
The one thing that our man Javier has in the cahonees department over these other guys is he thinks ahead and remembers to grab some local anesthetic when raiding a pharmacy for emergency medical supplies. Sure it still hurts him when the time comes to patch himself up, but the operation could have been unbearable had he not had the experience to know the right prescription for the job.

pi, darren aronofsky, sean gullatte, sci fi film, head screw, drill, labotomy

Taking the fastest route into the minds eye.

Pi
Questionable as to whether this heals or murders Maximilian (Sean Gullette), the tormented genius that needs to lobotomize the numbers from his brain in this epic head screw film. Being the genius he is after careful evaluation and deliberate actions, a power drill is chosen as the ideal instrument with which to begin the cranial evacuation.

ronin, robert de niro, jean reno, car chase, action film, thriller, political, espionage

De Niro doesn't look happy behind teh wheel...wait to see how grumpy getting shot will make him

Ronin
It could be argued that this bullet removal system demanded two players but John D asks which would be tougher. Robert De Niro doing it himself, or talking the amateur through the proper use of pincers and gauze when extracting a gunshot. The right answer is what we see in the film. A shot up Robert De Niro barely holding on, having to lie on a table and orate technique and emphasize how much it hurts if its done wrong.

Lethal Weapon 2
Is Martin Rigg’s an expert assassin who happens to wear a badge ? Yeah, but in his defense he was just trained that way. Is he an Irresponsible cop? You bet, makes Lt “Dirty” Harry Callahan look open minded and objective! For proof look no further than when Rigg’s dislocates his own shoulder to win a bet. Trouble is it has to be popped back in by smashing the shoulder against hard metal lockers.

Shrink - “Why do you this to yourself”
Rigg’s – (Pointing around the room)
“Well they won’t let me do it”

That scene from Lethal Weapon 2

scarface, al pacino, cocaine, film finale, gun fight, action films, drug films

Outnumbered and Outgunned? maybe Cocaine is your steroid of choice!

Scarface
Sure this self repair job fails but it certainly makes for a harder man to bring down. Outnumbered, out gunned with certain death only a flight of stairs away. In a desperate bid to survive Scarface buries his face in a mountain of cocaine to get his mind and body in the right place to soldier on through. Oh and he brings his “liddle frends”…one day JD will write about this movie and not mention those silly little guys.

Wall-E
Sure it’s only a mechanical sensor posing as a set of sympathetic eyes, but that’s an arm, a leg, at least a finger or a toe for us humans. John Doe fell for the little “number 5 is alive” clone and the part where Wall-E transfers his spare parts was the moment JD realized he had started to care about this nuts and bolts waste disposal unit.

So what is your favourite? There are plenty more!

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Posted By: JohnDoe - Category: Action, Film News and Views, Thriller

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John Doe conquers the Stratosphere Las Vegas

October 5th 2007 04:56

Stratosphere Las Vegas – We went in boys and came out as men!

The Tower of Horrors

The day two Johns went on the ride from hell – John Doe Travelogue. #4

Introduction

Michael Myers wielding a bloody knife and chasing you down a deserted suburban street may get the pulse racing. Having Jaws rip your lower limbs from your upper torso would be agony. But absolute terror is reserved for the Stratosphere rides called Insanity and X-scream.

Located near the end of the Las Vegas strip, just up from the Hilton, The Stratosphere is the tallest observation tower in the USA. (Think Sydney’s Centrepoint tower.) Standing at 110 stories high, 1,149 feet some sick genius decided it would be cool to throw a few thrill rides up at 900 ft mark and two fools made the conscious decision to have a go.

Going Up? Look closely in the top left and you will see a small protruding arm, that is our ground zero

Ladies and Gentlemen X Scream

Originally the plan was to go skydiving in Elvis jumpsuits for the start of the bucks night but second guessing ourselves John Doe and John the first thought this attraction appeared to be close enough, we weren’t mistaken!

Awfully close to a suicide machine, John Doe and John the first meet at the base of the structure and nervously giggle at what lies ahead. Embarking into the turbo charged elevator (One of the fastest in the world) we shoot up the centre to the “Thrill rides level.”

Smooth sailing ahead

First up is X-Scream, we are at 866 feet, the idea is we hop in a small 8 man carriage that sits on a runner. It rises and then fires us over the edge of the building stopping dead just short of killing us, the fun part is you then sit out there as if nothing is supporting your weight.

Now seems like a good time to mention Johnny D isn’t so keen on heights and this was being used as a tool to conquer his fears, it-did-not-work. In aid of painting a fair picture it is probably worth noting that JD&J1 are both seasoned rollercoaster veterans and hardened cynics of the theme park circuit.

X Scream - everything is very small

Back to the horror, pulling J&J back into the confines we began, again plummeted out this time at a steeper angle and also the entire structure suddenly drops a couple of feet. Now is the time where the brain decides it is time to die or at least vacate the head that got it there.

This is what a John doe looks like when its terrified

A couple more times back and forth and then it was over, John Doe was a little shaky. Legs now like jelly, an anxious stomach questioning every step closer to our next objective, the aptly named Insanity.

Insanity please or a trip to around the Cuckoos nest

As the two Johns exchange a nervous glance and the girls (Nina and Gingersnap) videotape the event and see our obvious trepidation, peer pressure and the male ego are the only things that keep our legs moving.

Insanity from a view JD was not privvy

JD again grips his bejesus bar (no not that one) and sits completely upright, rigid and unmoving…the goal is to just survive. This may sound like an exaggeration until JD explains exactly what it is Insanity does.

Questioning our common sense yet?

Insanity extends a metal arm 64 feet outside the main structure and then while seated in small 2 person, open air compartments the ride spins you on a wheel at up to 3G’s..how could that not be fun right? Did anyone mention that all this happens at over 900 feet? As the spinning increases the compartments naturally sway up forcing you to look down at the tiny, little people, transports and base of the tower.

Round and round and round it goes, Mr Doe’s life flashes before his eyes, so does the world below. The heart is pounding so hard that it may burst through the rib cage like Gieger’s Alien at any moment.

Everything has surreal edge, adrenalin is charging through the body, its an orgasmic collision of opposing emotions. This is the smartest dumb thing ever, paralysed panic causes an exciting rush so negative and positive events are occurring simultaneously. The mind left the building long ago and is just numb.

Nice view from up here

By the time it is all over we feel like the world has become a slightly different place since we left it just minutes earlier. Confidently Johnny D states that it’s the most frightened he has been in his supposedly adult life and possibly the most fulfilling. (Other than his wedding offcourse, which had only happened a day earlier.)

Final Thoughts

As the senses slowly return to normal the John’s realise they went to war with phobias that day and came back with a firm grasp of why they will continue to exist.

This was no simple ‘ride” it was truly an experience, the closest they would like to come to the grim reaper while living in peace and harmony.

For an entertaining read check out DuskDevis post on the ride HERE. Coincidently written about the same time I was actually doing it.