Igor

 Released Year: 2008

Directed by Tony Leondis

Voiced by:

John Cusack as Igor

Molly Shannon as Eva

Steve Buscemi as Scamper

Sean Hayes as Brain

Jennifer Coolidge as Jaclyn / Heidi

Eddie Izzard as Dr. Schadenfreude

Jay Leno as King Malbert

 Story: 

The Kingdom of Malaria's environment is devastated by a mysterious storm. Its king, Malbert, then blackmails the rest of the world to pay the town not to unleash the various doomsday devices invented by its Evil Scientists. They in turn are assisted by Igors, while the kingdom's annual Evil Science Fair showcases the scientists' latest weapons. One Igor, however, who serves the somewhat tedious-minded Doctor Glickenstein, is a talented inventor who aspires to be an Evil Scientist himself. Among his inventions are his friends "Scamper," a re-animated, immortal rabbit with a death wish and "Brain," a unintelligent human brain transplanted into a life support jar.

When the malfunctioning invention explodes and decimates Glickenstein, Igor sees his chance. With Brain and Scamper's help, he assembles a huge, monstrous being from human remains. When he brings her to life, however, he discovers that the "Evil Bone" he gave her was not activated, making her kind, friendly and feminine. Igor tries to convince her that she is evil, inadvertently naming her "Eva", while an attempt to brainwash her into becoming evil turns her into an aspiring actress instead. Igor decides to exhibit Eva at the science fair anyway, telling her that the fair is an "Annie" audition.

Igor's nemesis Dr. Schadenfreude learns of Eva's existence and attempts to steal her, but when that fails, he exposes Igor to King Malbert, who sends Igor to an "Igor Recycling Plant." Schadenfreude activates Eva's Evil Bone and unleashes her into the Science Fair, where she destroys all of the Evil Inventions. Scamper and Brain help Igor escape from the recycling plant and they learn that Malbert had deliberately killed Malaria's crops with a weather ray that made storm clouds so he could implement his "Evil Inventions" plan, thereby keeping himself in power. Rushing into the arena, Igor reasons with Eva to deactivate her Evil Bone and allowing her to regain her sweet personality, while Scamper and Brain deactivate the weather ray which falls and crushes Malbert to death. Schadenfreude attempts to take power but the citizens revolt upon learning of Malbert's deception. The monarchy has been dissolved and Malaria normally becomes a republic, with Igor as president. Schadenfreude is relegated to a pickle salesman, while the annual Science Fair is now an annual musical theater showcase.

 L² Scored: 9.5/10

L² Comment:

Well, I never knows there is such an animation make few years ago...The beginning is a bit confusing and disturbing looking at the characters... But after a few minutes when I get the meaning of it, the movie started to seems interesting... Though a lot of ppl critics that the character of these are kinda Tim Burton's style, but hey I don't mind at all and i think this movie portrait a very good message to me "u can be simple and just nice by looking like the way u r :)"

1408

 Released Year: 2007

Directed by Mikael Håfström

Casted by:

John Cusack as Mike Enslin

Samuel L. Jackson as Gerald Olin

Mary McCormack as Lily Enslin

Len Cariou as Mike's father

Jasmine Jessica Anthony as Katie Enslin

 Story:

Mike Enslin is a cynical, skeptical author who, after the death of his daughter Katie, writes books appraising supernatural events in which he has no belief. After his latest book, he receives an anonymous postcard depicting The Dolphin, a hotel on Lexington Avenue in New York City bearing the message, "Don't enter 1408." Viewing this as a challenge, Mike forces the hotel to allow him to book the room, referencing a law that any hotel room in New York can be requested as long as it meets safety standards. The hotel manager, Gerald Olin tries to dissuade Mike from checking into the room, explaining that 56 people have died in the room over the past 95 years, and that no one has lasted more than an hour inside it. Mike, who does not believe in the paranormal, insists on staying in the room, and asks Olin if he thinks it is haunted; Olin replies that it is "evil" rather than haunted.

Once inside the room, Mike describes on his mini-cassette recorder the room's dull appearance and its unimpressive lack of supernatural phenomena. During his examination, the clock radio starts playing "We've Only Just Begun". Mike assumes that Olin is playing a trick to scare him. At 8:07, the song plays again and the clock's digital display changes to a countdown starting from "60:00". Mike experiences a series of supernatural events. A window sash slams down on his hand, the hotel operator calls about food he didn't order, and spectral manifestations of the room's past victims and members of his family, particularly his daughter, appear on the TV set. Mike's attempts to leave the room are in vain; the doorknob breaks off, climbing through the air ducts prompts an attack from the corpse of a former room victim, and climbing onto the window ledge reveals the windows of the other rooms have disappeared.

Mike uses his laptop to contact his estranged wife, Lily, but the sprinkler system short circuits his laptop. The room temperature drops to subzero when the laptop suddenly begins to work again, and Lily tells him the police have entered 1408, but the room is empty. A doppelgänger of Mike appears in a video chat window and urges Lily to come to the hotel herself; it gives Mike a diabolical smile. The room shakes violently and Mike breaks a picture of a ship in a storm. Water pours from the broken picture, flooding the room. He surfaces on a beach and relives a surfing accident seen earlier in the film. His life continues from this point, and he reconciles with Lily. Eventually he assumes his experience in 1408 was just a dream. Lily persuades him to write a book about it. When visiting the post office to send the manuscript to his publisher, he recognizes members of a construction crew as the Dolphin Hotel staff. They destroy the post office walls, revealing Mike is still trapped in 1408. A vision of his deceased daughter Katie appears to Mike, and after some reluctance he embraces her; she crumbles to dust. The clock radio begins playing "We've Only Just Begun" again, and Mike looks for it in the rubble. It counts down the final seconds. When the countdown ends, the room is suddenly restored to normal, and the clock radio resets itself to 60:00.

The "hotel operator" calls Mike again. When Mike begs to be released, she informs him that he can relive the hour over and over again, or use their "express checkout system"; A hangman's noose appears and Mike has a vision of himself hanged, but he refuses to kill himself. Mike improvises a Molotov cocktail from a bottle of cognac given to him by Olin, and sets the room on fire. The fire alarm sounds, the hotel is evacuated, and Lily is prevented from entering. Mike breaks a window, causing a backdraft. Mike lies down upon the floor and covers his ears. A group of firefighters enter the room and drag Mike out before the room collapses on them. Mike tells the firefighters, "Don't go in that room... It's evil."

Mike and Lily move to Los Angeles, California. They are unpacking as Lily moves about the house. Mike begins to think again that his experiences were just a bad dream. He finds his tape recorder in a box and plays it. The sound of Mike's encounter with Katie is on the tape. Lily and Mike realize that the ordeal was real.

 L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

A movie based on the short novel of Stephen King in 1999. No doubt the storyline is quite nice, but i feel tat its a bit complicated and messy when comes to the horror part. John Cusack is not really presenting the "scared" part as he should be; while there's not much chances for Samuel L. Jackson to show off his acting skills as well~

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Released Year: 1997
Directed by Clint Eastwood

Casted by:
Kevin Spacey as Jim Williams
John Cusack as John Kelso
Lady Chablis as Chablis Deveau
Irma P. Hall as Minerva
Jude Law as Billy Hanson
Story:

The movie goes around with Jim Williams' trial at court. John Kelso, a magazine reporter finds himself in Savannah amid the beautiful architecture and odd doings to write a feature on one of William's famous Christmas parties. He is intrigued by Williams from the start, but his curiosity is piqued when he meets Jim's violent, young and sexy lover, Billy.

Later that night, Billy is dead, and Kelso stays on to cover the murder trial. Along the way he encounters the irrepressible Lady Chablis, a drag queen commedienne, Sonny Seiler, lawyer to Williams, whose famous dog UGA is the official mascot of the Georgia Bulldogs, an odd man who keeps flies attached to mini leashes on his lapels and threatens daily to poison the water supply, the Married Ladies Card Club, and Minerva, a spiritualist.

Between being Jim's buddy, cuddling up to a torch singer, meeting every eccentric in Savannah, participating in midnight graveyard rituals and helping solve the mysteries surrounding Billy's murder, Kelso has his hands full. The lawyer does his best to help Jim being not guilty and it works. But at the end of the movie, Jim was hit by a heart attack and was found dead.

L² Scored: 3/10

L² Comment:

Umm~ what should i say? i m always a fans of clint eastwood like changeling and million dollar baby... but i m not quite sure about this old production of his... maybe i m not interested in watching this kind of fim. tats all~

2012

Released Year: 2009
Directed by Roland Emmerich

Casted by:
John Cusack as Jackson Curtis
Amanda Peet as Kate Curtis
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Adrian Helmsley
Thandie Newton as Laura Wilson
Liam James as Noah Curtis
Morgan Lily as Lilly Curtis
Story:

Adrian Helmsley, a scientist discover that the Earth Core temperature has been increase dramatically with a scientist in Indian, he then reported to the president in US. They then inform others throughout the whole world. They began to build noahs to prevent themselves from injured by the disaster that's gonna struck them in 2012. Tons of royal families, private businessman and billionaires donate money to build these noahs in china so that they can get themselves tickets to go on board.

In 2012, Jackson a science-fiction book writer, divorce with his wife Kate. While bringing his kids to Yellowstone, he met a crazy guy who talks about the disaster which he found hilarious and hard to believe. By sending back the kids to his ex wife, he have to serve as a limousine driver to a rich man. Jackson then discover this rich businessman has bought ticket of the noah. He quickly inform the ex and children to run for their life.

Kate current boyfriend has a pilot license, they then flew to China to get aboard. US president reject to go aboard and decide to stay with those citizens who didn't manage to go on board. Sending his daughter Laura to the noah, Adrian feels that its his responsible to take care of her.

As for the Curtis family, they got help from a LAMA in Tibet to find the noah. They sneak through the hole of the noah. When Adrian and others saw those who struggle outside of the noah to get inside, they open the door for them to get in. Accident happen and the door of the noah cannot be close, and engine cannot be start. Disaster happen and water starts to flow into the ship. They have to solve the problem before their ship hit mount everest. Jackson solve it and everybody was save.

L² Scored: 8/10

L² Comment:

This is a bit similar with other disaster movie. Just that, its more advance of building the noah of letting everybody in. Those who deserves and contribute to the earth. Who draw this guideline then? who decide who can aboard? normal citizens like us will never got the chance of escaping this disaster if it really happen~ ish~ hate tat !!!