From: Jillian G. Waldman Reply-To: presidents @ swil.org To: SWILnews Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2004 00:00:12 -0500 (EST) Subject: SWIL movie voting Dear SWIL, Presidential elections are tomorrow, and you should really come to meeting. Alternatively, you could stay up all night trying to decide what to vote on to be shown as SWILmovie next semester, but I don't particularly recommend it. In order to give you the option, however, I'm sending this out now, as opposed to later. What follows is a list of the movies nominated in meeting, followed by a list of short descriptions of the storyline of each film. All descriptions are courtesy of the IMDB (www.imdb.com); all mistakes are theirs, all credit goes to them. You can vote for 15 of these movies. To vote, please reply to this email with a list of your picks, by December 17, 2004. Votes will be counted by the beginning of next semester, and fifteen of these movies will be selected to be shown. Anyone can vote, though we will weight the votes of current student nonmembers slightly more heavily. The final list of movies will be posted at http://www.swil.org/movies.html SWIL generally tries to show a fairly even mix of fantasy and science fiction, with some anime as well. Movies are shown on Monday nights at 10 p.m. in SC 101. Since nobody really voted for shorts last semester, we're going to handle shorts differently this semester. If a movie's a short, it won't be shown alone. If we show the Seventh Seal (which I know is in Trico), we'll try to find the short (De Duva) which is a parody of it and show that as well. If we show Dr. Caligari (or another similarly short film), we'll try to find Donald Duck in Mathmagicland to fill up part of the time slot. If you're voting for one of those films and feel strongly that we shouldn't do this, say something to object; if you aren't and really want to see one of them anyway, propose an alternative, or tell us, or something. Complaints, questions, and quibbles should be directed to the SWIL presidents, Tall, Grande and Venti, at presidents @ swil.org. ~ Venti -------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOVIE NOMINATIONS: The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen (Terry Gilliam version) (1988, Adventure / Fantasy / Comedy / Family) Afterlife (Wandafuru raifu) (1998, Drama / Fantasy) Akira (1988, Adventure / Animation / Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller / Drama) Army of Darkness (1993, Adventure / Fantasy / Action / Comedy / Horror) Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978, Comedy / Horror / Sci-Fi / Musical) Back to the Future (1985, Adventure / Comedy / Sci-Fi) Back to the Future 3 (1990, Comedy / Sci-Fi / Western / Adventure) Battle Royale (Batoru rowaiaru) (2000, Drama/ Thriller / Action / Horror) Blow Out (1981, Mystery / Thriller) The Brave Little Toaster (1987, Family / Adventure / Animation / Comedy / Musical / Fantasy / Thriller) The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari) (Silent) (1920, Drama / Horror) Card Captors: the movie (2000, Animation / Family / Fantasy) A Clockwork Orange (1971, Crime / Drama / Sci-Fi) Conan the Barbarian (1982, Action / Fantasy / Adventure) The Day After Tomorrow (2004, Action / Drama / Sci-Fi / Thriller / Adventure) The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, Drama / Sci-Fi / Thriller) Dead Alive (1992, Comedy / Horor / Romance) Delicatessen (1991, Comedy / Sci-Fi / Romance) De Duva (The Dove) (short) (parody of Seventh Seal) (1968, Comedy) Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land (short) (1959, Family / Animation / Documentary) Dragonslayer (1981, Action / Adventure / Fantasy) Fantasia (1940, Family / Animation / Fantasy / Music) Fantastic Voyage (1966, Adventure / Sci-Fi) Fist of the North Star (1986, Action / Animation / Sci-Fi) Flash Gordon (1980, Fantasy / Action / Sci-Fi) Flight of Dragons (1982, Animation / Family / Fantasy) Gattaca (1997, Drama / Sci-Fi / Thriller) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004, Adventure / Family / Fantasy) Help! (1965, Comedy / Musical / Fantasy / Mystery) Hero (Ying xiong) (2002, Action / Drama / Adventure / Romance) Highlander (1986, Action / "Sci-Fi")(no, I don't understand the IMDB's categories - is this sci-fi?) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, Action / Adventure) Innerspace (1987, Action / Adventure / Comedy / Sci-Fi) Interview with the Vampire (1994, Drama / Horror / Fantasy) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956, Thriller / Horror / Sci-Fi) The Iron Giant (1999, Family / Animation / Sci-Fi) Josie and the Pussycats (2001, Comedy / Music) Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no takkyubin) (1989, Anime / Fantasy / Family / Comedy / Adventure) The Lathe of Heaven (1980, Sci-Fi) Legend (1985, Fantasy / Adventure / Romance) Making Mr. Right (1987, Comedy / Sci-Fi) May (2002, Horror / Thriller / Drama) Minority Report (2002, Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller / Crime / Drama / Mystery) Multiplicity (1996, Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Comedy) Pi (1998, Thriller / Sci-Fi) Pirates of the Caribbean (2003: Adventure / Comedy / Fantasy / Action) Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959, Horror / Sci-Fi) Planet of the Apes (1968, Action / Drama / Sci-Fi) Predator 2 (1990, Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller) Return to Oz (1985, Fantasy / Family / Adventure) Robot Stories (4 shorts) (2003, Sci-Fi / Drama) The Rocketeer (1991, Action / Family / Adventure) Rough Magic (1995, Comedy / Drama / Romance / Fantasy) The Secret of Roan Inish (1994, Family / Fantasy) Secret Window (2004, Drama / Thriller / Horror) Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet) (1957, Drama / Fantasy) Shadow of the Vampire (2000, Drama / Horror / Comedy) The Shining (1980, Horror / Thriller) Short Circuit (1986, Comedy / Family / Sci-Fi) Shrek 2 (2004, Adventure / Animation / Family / Comedy / Fantasy / Music) Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2002, Sci-Fi / Thriller / Adventure / Action / Mystery) Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983, Horror / Family / Fantasy) Soylent Green (1973, Sci-Fi / Drama / Thriller) SpaceCamp (1986, Adventure / Sci-Fi) Spaceballs (1987, Comedy / Sci-Fi) Spider-Man 2 (2004, Action / Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Thriller) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982, Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986, Adventure / Sci-Fi) Superman 2 (1980, Adventure / Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Action) Tron (1982, Action / Fantasy / Adventure / Sci-Fi) Vampire Hunter D (2000, Animation / Fantasy / Horror / Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Sci-Fi / Thriller ) Van Helsing (2004, Action / Adventure / Horror / Fantasy / Thriller) Les Visiteurs (1993, Fantasy / Comedy) X-Men 2 (2003, Action / Thriller / Sci-Fi / Fantasy) Waking Life (2001, Animation / Fantasy / Drama) Weird Science (1985, Sci-Fi / Comedy / Fantasy) Wizard of Speed and Time (1989, Comedy / Music / Sci-Fi) ------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTIONS: The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen (Terry Gilliam version) (1988, Adventure / Fantasy / Comedy / Family) The fantastic tale of a 17th century aristocrat, his talented henchmen and a little girl in their efforts to save a town from defeat by the Turks. Being swallowed by a giant sea-monster, a trip to the moon, a dance with Venus and an escape from the Grim Reaper are only some of the improbable adventures. If it's chosen, we promise we'll actually show it this time. Afterlife (Wandafuru raifu) (1998, Drama / Fantasy) After people die, they spend a week with counselors, also dead, who help them pick one memory, the only memory they can take to eternity. They describe the memory to the staff who work with a crew to film it and screen it at week's end; eternity follows. 22 dead arrive that week, assigned to three counselors and a trainee. One old man cannot find a memory, so he watches videotape of his life. Others pick their memory quickly, and the film crew gets right to work. The trainee, 18-year-old Shiori, helps a teenage girl choose a memory other than Disneyland. The youthful staff have a secret and feelings, too, which play out, especially Shiori's affection for her mentor, Mochizuki. Akira (1988, Adventure / Animation / Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller / Drama) Kaneda is a bike gang leader whose close friend Tetsuo gets involved in a government secret project knowned as Akira. On his way to save Tetsuo, Kaneda runs into a group of anti-government activist, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader. The confrontation sparks off Tetsuo's supernatural power leading to bloody death, a coup attempt and the final battle in Tokyo Olympiad where Akira's secrets were buried 30 years ago. Army of Darkness (1993, Adventure / Fantasy / Action / Comedy / Horror) In this sequel to the Evil Dead films, a discount-store employee ("Name's Ash. Housewares.") is time-warped to a medieval castle beset by monstrous forces. Initially mistaken for an enemy, he is soon revealed as the prophecised savior who can quest for the Necronomicon, a book which can dispel the evil. Unfortunately, he screws up the magic words while collecting the tome, and releases an army of skeletons, led by his own Deadite counterpart. What follows is a thrilling, yet tongue-in-cheek battle between Ash's 20th Century tactics and the minions of darkness. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978, Comedy / Horror / Sci-Fi / Musical) A spoof of micro-budget sci-fi, where tomatoes are the monsters. After a wave of reports of mysterious attacks involving people and pets being eaten by the traditionally docile fruit, a special government task force is set up to investigate the violent veggies and put a stop to their murderous spree. Included in this crack team are a lieutenant who never goes anywhere without his parachute, an underwater expert who's never out of his scuba gear, and a master of disguise who conceals his appearance by dressing as a black Adolf Hitler. Back to the Future (1985, Adventure / Comedy / Sci-Fi) Marty McFly is your average, slacker teenager, who is friendly with a wacky inventor named Doc Brown. When Doc creates a time machine out of a DeLorean car, Marty is accidentally transported into the year 1955. There, he stumbles upon a younger version of his parents, disrupts the meeting, and must get the two together so that they would get married and have him! Back to the Future 3 (1990, Comedy / Sci-Fi / Western / Adventure) The conclusion of the trilogy sends Marty McFly on a rescue mission to the year 1885, where he must save Doc Brown from death at the hands of the outlaw, Mad Dog Tannen. However, there are a number of complications preventing a quick return to the future: a lack of gasoline for the time-traveling DeLorean, a band of gunslinging outlaws and a schoolmarm with affections for the smitten Doc. Battle Royale (Batoru rowaiaru) (2000, Drama/ Thriller / Action / Horror) 42 ninth grade students are taken to a small isolated island with a map, food and various arms. They're given weapons of varying effectiveness, special collars which will explode if they break the rules, and forced to fight until only one remains. Blow Out (1981, Mystery / Thriller) This stylish Brian DePalma thriller plays off the theme of the unsuspecting witness who discovers a crime and is thereby put in grave danger, but with a novel twist. Jack is a sound-man who works on "Grade-B" horror movies. Late one evening, he is "sampling" sounds for use on his movies, when he hears something unexpected through his sound equipment and records it. Curiosity gets the better of him when the media become involved, and he begins to unravel the pieces of a nefarious conspiracy. As he struggles to survive against his shadowy enemies and expose the truth, he doesn't know who he can trust. The Brave Little Toaster (1987, Family / Adventure / Animation / Comedy / Musical / Fantasy / Thriller) When a young boy and his family go on holiday, their household appliances, led by the toaster, think they've been abandoned. They decide, rather than be left alone in the house for who knows how long, to try to find him. So begins a dangerous and amusing venture through the city and countryside. The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari) (Silent) (1920, Drama / Horror) A man named Francis relates a story about his best friend Alan and his fiancée Jane. Alan takes him to a fair where they meet Dr. Caligari, who exhibits a somnambulist, Cesare, that can predict the future. When Alan asks how long he has to live, Cesare says he has until dawn. The prophecy comes to pass, as Alan is murdered, and Cesare is a prime suspect. Cesare creeps into Jane's bedroom and abducts her, running from the townspeople and finally dying of exhaustion. Meanwhile, the police discover a dummy in Cesare's cabinet, while Caligari flees. Francis tracks Caligari to a mental asylum. He is the director! Or is he? Card Captors: the movie (2000, Animation / Family / Fantasy) In the first feature based on the popular series, Sakura wins a trip to Hong Kong. Clow Reed, the wizard who invented the magical Clow Cards, also lived in Hong Kong, and his presence lingers there in the memory of the redoubtable sorceress Madoushi. This longer adventure preserves the qualities that have won the series so many fans. A Clockwork Orange (1971, Crime / Drama / Sci-Fi) In a futuristic Britain, a gang of teenagers go on the rampage every night, beating and raping helpless victims. After one of the boys quells an uprising in the gang, they knock him out and leave him for the police to find. He agrees to try "aversion therapy" to shorten his jail sentence. When he is eventually let out, he hates violence, but the rest of his gang members are still after him. Conan the Barbarian (1982, Action / Fantasy / Adventure) Conan was still a child when he saw his parents murdered and his village burned by a horde of savages, lead by the semi-god Thulsa Doom. They took him to the north, where he grew up working like an animal, and was later sold as a slave. His master trained him to be a warrior, and made a fortune by using him in fights. But there comes one day, when he gives Conan his freedom, and the chance to take his revenge after so many years. The Day After Tomorrow (2004, Action / Drama / Sci-Fi / Thriller / Adventure) This movie takes a big-budget, special-effects-filled look at what the world would look like if the greenhouse effect and global warming continued at such levels that they resulted in worldwide catastrophe and disaster, including multiple hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, floods and the beginning of the next Ice Age. At the center of the story is a paleoclimatologist (a scientist who studies the ways weather patterns changed in the past), Professor Adrian Hall (Quaid), who tries to save the world from the effects of global warming while also trying to get to his son, Sam (Gyllenhaal), who was in New York City as part of a scholastic competition, when the city was overwhelmed by the chilling beginnings of the new Ice Age. In addition to all of the other challenges Dr. Hall faces, he's also going against the flow as humanity races south to warmer climes, and he's nearly the only one going north... The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, Drama / Sci-Fi / Thriller) A flying saucer lands in Washington, D.C. on the Mall, sometime just after World War II. The lone occupant (Klaatu) steps out and is shot by a jumpy soldier. Gort, a large and very powerful robot appears to save him. The wounded alien orders Gort to stop and is taken to a hospital from which he escapes in order to learn more about this planet, even moving in as a boarder with an Earth family. When they begin to suspect him, he reveals himself, along with the news that Gort will destroy the Earth if provoked. Classic with surprising (for the time) pacifistic message. Dead Alive (1992, Comedy / Horor / Romance) In 1957 a zoologist traps a rare rat monkey on Skull Island and brings it back to New Zealand with the local Maoris hot on his trail. Later, a young man falls in love and takes the young woman to the zoo. His overbearing and disapproving mother follows them and gets bitten by the rat monkey. The monkey's bite turns her into a zombie, and her doting son has to keep her (and the others she's bitten) tranquilized in the basement while trying to preserve his love life. Delicatessen (1991, Comedy / Sci-Fi / Romance) In a post-apocalyptic world, the residents of the apartments above the butcher shop receive an occasional delicacy of meat, something that is in low supply. (It's hardly a coincidence that residents of the apartments also occasionally "leave" and are never seen again.) A young man new in town falls in love with the butcher's daughter, which causes conflicts in her family, who need the young man for other business-related purposes. De Duva (The Dove) (short) (parody of Seventh Seal) (1968, Comedy) This short film is a parody of some of Ingmar Bergman's best known films, including Wild Strawberries (Smultronstaellet) and The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet). The dialog, seemingly in Swedish, is actually a Swedish-accented fictional language based on English, German, Latin, and Swedish, with most nouns ending in "ska". The principal character, Professor Viktor Sundqvist, 76, is being driven to a lecture at the university, when dove droppings splatter the car's windshield. Detouring at his uncle's old house, his mind wanders back to his youth, when Death came to a family picnic to claim his sister, Inga. Knowing that Death is a gambler, Viktor has Inga challenge Death to a single-point game of badminton for her life. While they are playing, a dove flies above, soiling Death's cape, and distracting him enough to miss the birdie. Having won the game, Inga is free, and she and Viktor run off for a swim in the lake. Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land (short) (1959, Family / Animation / Documentary) Disney used animation here to explain through this wonderful adventure of Donald how mathematics can be useful in our real life. Through this journey Donald shows us how mathematics are not just numbers and charts, but magical living things. Dragonslayer (1981, Action / Adventure / Fantasy) An apprentice comes to slay the vicious Vermithrax Pejorative, a dragon who devours maidens (yes, virgins *do* taste better). He is aided in his quest by his ressurected mentor and a "tenacious beauty" in a film gorgeous both in locale (Scales, or Wotland) and its special effects. Remember: WEALTH OF MOVIE MAGIC! Fantasia (1940, Family / Animation / Fantasy / Music) Disney animators set pictures to classical music as Leopold Stokowski conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who oversteps his limits. "The Rite of Spring" tells the story of evolution, from single-celled animals to the death of the dinosaurs. "Dance of the Hours" is a comic ballet performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants and alligators. "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Ave Maria" set the forces of darkness and light against each other as a devilish revel is interrupted by the coming of a new day. Fantastic Voyage (1966, Adventure / Sci-Fi) Scientist Jan Benes, who knows the secret to keeping soldiers shrunken for an indefinite period, escapes from behind the Iron Curtain, assisted by C.I.A. agent Grant. However, as he is being transferred to a top secret lab, an assasin makes an attempt on his life. Benes is not hit but he does strike his head, causing a blood clot to form on his brain. Grant is then ordered to accompany a group of scientists including Captain Bill Owens, Dr. Michaels, surgeon Peter Duval and Duval's assistant Cora Peterson. Grant not only must accompany the crew as communications officer, but he also must provide security. The crew has one hour to get in, remove the clot and get out of his body or else they will be attacked by Benes' natural defenses and die. Fist of the North Star (1986, Action / Animation / Sci-Fi) After a nuclear holocaust tears the world apart, mankind is forced to the harshness of not only the oppression of others who are much more powerful, but the dead earth which seems to be getting worse with every passing moment. But a savior has risen from the ashes, a man who will defeat those who would torment the weak and make the world a livable place once more. A man named Kenshiro..... Flash Gordon (1980, Fantasy / Action / Sci-Fi) In this update of the 1930's comic strip, Flash is a football hero who is skyjacked aboard Dr. Zarkov's rocketship along with beautiful Dale Arden. The threesome are drawn into the influence of the planet Mongo, controlled by Ming the Merciless. Ming has been testing the Earth with unnatural disasters, and deeming it a threat to his rule, he plans to destroy it. He also intends to take Dale as his concubine. Flash must avoid the amorous attentions of Ming's daughter and unite the warring kingdoms of Mongo to rescue Dale and save our world. Flight of Dragons (1982, Animation / Family / Fantasy) This is an animated movie based on the book by Peter Dickinson. In this movie the realm of magic is being threatened by the realm of logic, so Carolinus, the green wizard decides to shield it for all time. Ommedon, the evil red wizard, stands in his way. Carolinus then calls for a quest that is to be led by a man named Peter Dickinson, who is the first man of both the realms of science and magic. It is Peters job to defeat Ommedon. Gattaca (1997, Drama / Sci-Fi / Thriller) Vincent is one of the last "natural" babies born into a sterile, genetically-enhanced world, where life expectancy and disease likelihood are ascertained at birth. Myopic and due to die at 30, he has no chance of a career in a society that now discriminates against your genes, instead of your gender, race or religion. Going underground, he assumes the identity of Jerome, crippled in an accident, and achieves prominence in the Gattaca Corporation, where he is selected for his lifelong desire: a manned mission to Titan. But he must still constantly pass gene tests by diligently using samples of Jerome's hair, skin, blood and urine. His now-perfect world is thrown into increasing desperation, his dream within reach, when the mission director is killed - and he carelessly loses an eyelash at the scene! Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004, Adventure / Family / Fantasy) It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he learns that a convicted murderer, Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban prison, and could be coming after him next. Stuff ensues. Help! (1965, Comedy / Musical / Fantasy / Mystery) The Beatles' second film has an obscure Asian cult that believes in human sacrifice after Ringo who has accidentally put on the victim's ceremonial ring. He is pursued by the cult, a pair of mad scientists, and a member of a side cult that no longer believes in human sacrifice and the London police who are trying to help. Hero (Ying xiong) (2002, Action / Drama / Adventure / Romance) A series of Rashomon-like flashback accounts shape the story of how one man defeated three assassins who sought to murder Qin, the most powerful warlord in pre-unification China. Highlander (1986, Action / "Sci-Fi")(no, I don't understand the IMDB's categories - is this sci-fi?) Born in the Highlands of Scotland in 1518, Connor Macleod is immortal. When he is wounded in battle but does not die, he is banished from his village. He meets another like himself, Ramirez, who teaches him swordsmanship - the only way to kill another immortal is to take his head - and the ways of the immortals. Modern-day New York is the location of "The Gathering," where Connor and the few remaining immortals must battle to the last for "The Prize." Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, Action / Adventure) This time, Indy (Harrison Ford) is on a perilous hunt for the Holy Grail. He's not alone, either. Joining Junior--uh, Indy--is none other than his cantankerous dad (Sean Connery). Father and son have rarely seen eye to eye. But if the adventure they share can't bridge the generation gap, nothing can. It can. It does. Also a brief glimpse into the life of Indy as an adolescent which reveals how the fedora, the bullwhip, and the ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) became part of Indy lore. Innerspace (1987, Action / Adventure / Comedy / Sci-Fi) Cocky space ace Tuck Pendelton volunteers to be minaturized and injected into a lab rabbit. Some techno-terrorists foul up these plans and Tuck is mistakenly injected into hypochondriac Jack Putter instead. Now the terrorists are after Jack with all-American hero Tuck shrunk inside him. Their only hope is Tuck's journalist girl- friend Lydia, but Jack has developed a crush on her. Interview with the Vampire (1994, Drama / Horror / Fantasy) It hadn't even been a year since a plantation owner named Louis had lost his wife, and now he had lost his will to live. A vampire named Lestat takes a liking to Louis and offers him the chance to become a creature of the night: a vampire. Louis accepts, and Lestat drains Louis' mortal blood and then replaces it with his own turning Louis into a vampire. Louis must learn from Lestat the ways of the vampire Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956, Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller) Dr Miles Bennel returns his small town practice to find several of his patients suffering the paranoid delusion that their friends or relatives are impostors. He is initially sceptical, especially when the alleged dopplegangers are able to answer detailed questions about their victim's life, but he is eventually persuaded that something odd has happened, and determines to find out what. This film can be seen as a paranoid 1950s warning against those Damn Commies, or conversely as a metaphor for the tyranny of McCarthy-ism (or the totalitarian system of Your Choice) and has a pro- and epilogue forced upon Siegel by the studio to "lighten the tone". The Iron Giant (1999, Family / Animation / Sci-Fi) "Iron Giant" is based upon the 1968 story,'Iron Man,' by the British poet laureate Ted Hughes. The film is about a giant metal machine that drops from the sky and frightens a small town in Maine in 1958, only to find a friend in a small boy named Hogarth, that ultimately finds its humanity and saving the towns people of their fears and prejudices. Josie and the Pussycats (2001, Comedy / Music) For years, the record industries have inserted subliminal messages into music so that they can turn teenagers into braindead zombies who do nothing but buy, buy, buy. And whenever the musician or band finds out the truth, the record company silences them to keep the truth from coming out. When the hot boy band DuJour discovers this, their manager, Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming), under his evil, corrupt boss, Fiona (Parker Posey), has the plane they are flying in crashed and him looking for a new band to use for their evil schemes. Enter Josie (Rachel Leigh Cook), the ditzy Melody (Tara Reid), and the tough Valerie (Rosario Dawson), from Josie and the Pussycats, a small band who wants to make it to the big top. When they are discovered by Wyatt, they give in and become big rock stars. But will they find out that they are just pawns for the record industry or will fame take them over? Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no takkyubin) (1989, Anime / Fantasy / Family / Comedy / Adventure) Kiki, a young witch-in-training, has reached the age of 13. According to tradition, all witches of that age must leave home for one year, so that they can learn how to live on their own. Kiki, along with her talking cat Jiji, fly away to live in the seaside town of Korico. After starting her own delivery service (using her broom as the delivery vehicle), Kiki must learn how to deal with her new life, especially after she loses the power to fly. The Lathe of Heaven (1980, Sci-Fi) George Orr, a man whose dreams can change waking reality, tries to suppress this unpredictable gift with drugs. Dr. Haber, an assigned psychiatrist, discovers the gift to be real and hypnotically induces Mr. Orr to change reality for the benefit of mankind --- with bizarre and frightening results. Legend (1985, Fantasy / Adventure / Romance) This movie is a magical adventure whitch features elves, demons and other mythical creatures like this. Darkness, the personification of evil, plans to disprese eternal night in the land where this story takes place, by killing every unicorn in the world. Although he looks unbeatable, Jack (Tom Cruise in his first important role) and his friends, are disposed to do everything to save the world and princess Lili (who Darkness intends to make his wife) from the hands of this evil monster. Making Mr. Right (1987, Comedy / Sci-Fi) A reclusive scientist builds a robot that looks exactly like him to go on a long term space mission. Since the scientist seems to lack all human emotion he is unable to program them into his android and an eccentric women is hired to "educate" the robot on human behavior. In the end she falls in love ... but is the robot or the Dr. Mr Right? May (2002, Horror / Thriller / Drama) May is a young strange girl who had a very disturbed childhood and does not still know the meaning of true friendship or love. She works at a pet clinic and lives alone with her only "true friend"; a doll her mother gave her when she was a little girl. When she fails to find the "perfect man" that will make her happy, she decides to construct him herself, using parts from different people. Minority Report (2002, Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller / Crime / Drama / Mystery) It is the year 2054 - Washington D.C. - dreams can be recreated through computers, computer monitors and displays are transformed into holograms, and identification is done through eye-scanning. John Anderton (Tom Cruise) lost his son, and to prevent horrible events from occuring to other individuals he joins a unit known as "Pre-Crime" - where murderers are arrested before they can commit the murder. How does Pre-Crime work? Through 3 people known as "precogs". They are 3 psychics used to see the future and they see murders exactly the way they will occur. Through advanced technology, Pre-Crime officers are able to see what the precogs see, and they analyze the data, identify the perpetrator and victim, and try their best to stop the murder from occurring. The perpetrator is put into a sleep state with a device called a "halo". John Anderton gets accused of murdering a man he has never even met, causing him to run from Pre-Crime and prove his innocence. Multiplicity (1996, Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Comedy) Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell star in this comedy about a man who clones himself to save his marriage, and then almost loses his wife-- to himself! Overworked and overscheduled, contractor Doug Kinney never has enough time for his wife and family. So when a helpful geneticist offers to "xerox" Doug, it seems like the perfect solution-- until the clones begin to take over his home, his job, and his bed. Keaton takes on four distinct roles. Pi (1998, Thriller / Sci-Fi) In Manhattan, behind six locks, lives Max Cohen, a mathematician and computer whiz. Since staring at the sun at age six, he's had terrible headaches; plus, he can't abide human contact except with an aging professor, and he's obsessed with finding numeric patterns. His current obsession is the stock market; his theories bring him to the attention of Wall Street traders. He also keeps running into Lenny, a fast-talking Hasidic who fronts for a cabal that wants to rediscover long-lost mathematical mysteries in the Torah. Neither group is benign, and they pursue Max as his hallucinations and headaches worsen. Does nature offer any solutions? Can Max find them? Pirates of the Caribbean (2003: Adventure / Comedy / Fantasy / Action) After the Governer's daughter, Elizabeth Swann, is kidnapped by the Pirate Captain Barbossa, Elizabeth's childhood friend Will Turner must team up with rogue pirate Jack Sparrow to save her. Little do they know that these pirates are cursed. Forced to exist between living and dead, and only revealing their skeleton forms in the moonlight, the pirates intend to use Elizabeth's blood and necklace (a part of their curse) to return to their normal state. Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959, Horror / Sci-Fi) "Can your heart stand the shocking facts about Graverobbers from Outer Space?" That's the question on the lips of the narrator of this tale about flying saucers, zombies and cardboard tombstones. A pair of aliens, angered by the "stupid minds" of planet Earth, who have ignored their first 8 attempts to get their attention, set up shop in a California cemetary. Their plan: to animate an army of the dead to march on the capitals of the world. (The fact that they have only managed to resurrect three zombies to date has not discouraged them.) An intrepid airline pilot living near the cemetary must rescue his wife from this low-budget terror. "Can you prove it *didn't* happen?" Planet of the Apes (1968, Action / Drama / Sci-Fi) In the year 3978A.D. a spaceship with a crew of 4 crashes down on a distant planet. One of the crew members had died in space and the other 3 head out to explore the planet. They soon learn that the planet is much like their own. They then find the planet is inhabited by intelligent apes. One of the men is shot and killed and the others are taken to the apes' city. There, one undergoes brain surgery and is put into a state of living death. The other (Charlton Heston) befriends some of the apes but is feared by most. After being put through ape trial he escapes with a female human native to the planet. After helping his ape friends escape a religious heresy trial he escapes out into the wilderness with the female. There he learns the planet might not be so distant after all... Predator 2 (1990, Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller) Lt. Harrigan (Danny Glover) is a cop fighting the good war against drugs. But recently, the major drug lords have been killed off in a very brutal fashion. His superiors tell him to stay out of it, but Harrigan knows that something is wrong. His instincts are right when he discovers that the person behind the murders is none other than the Predator, the human-hunting alien who likes to make trophies out of his victims' skulls. But how can Harrigan stop the Predator when it can turn invisible and kill him without him knowing it? Return to Oz (1985, Fantasy / Family / Adventure) Dorothy, back in Kansas, can't stop thinking about Oz, and even believes that her friends have sent her a key. Auntie Em, worried for Dorothy's health, takes her to a famous doctor who works miracles with electricity. When Dorothy escapes from the treatment, she and a chicken named Billina find themselves in Oz. But when Dorothy tries to find her old friends in the Emerald City, she learns that they've all been transformed by the Nome King. And the evil witch Mombie wants Dorothy's head. It's up to Dorothy, Billina, and their new friends, the clockwork Tik-Tok (aka the royal army of Oz), Jack Pumpkinhead, and a Gump-thing to defeat Mombie and the Nome King and restore the rightful ruler of Oz to her throne. Robot Stories (4 shorts) (2003, Sci-Fi / Drama) Winner of over 23 awards, "Robot Stories" is science fiction from the heart, four stories in which utterly human characters struggle to connect in a world of robot babies and android office workers. The stories include: "My Robot Baby," in which a couple (Tamlyn Tomita and James Saito) must care for a robot baby before adopting a human child; "The Robot Fixer," in which a mother (Wai Ching Ho) tries to connect with her dying son by completing his toy robot collection; "Machine Love," in which an office worker android (Greg Pak) learns that he, too, needs love; and "Clay," in which an old sculptor (Sab Shimono) must choose between natural death and digital immortality. The Rocketeer (1991, Action / Family / Adventure) Straight from the pages of a pulp comic from a past era, the Rocketeer recreates 1930's Hollywood, complete with gangsters, Nazi spies, and the growth of the Age of Aviation. Young pilot Cliff Secord stumbles on a top secret rocket-pack and with the help of his mechanic/mentor, Peevee, he attempts to save his girl and stop the Nazis as The Rocketeer. Rough Magic (1995, Comedy / Drama / Romance / Fantasy) Set in the 1950s, Rough Magic tells the story of what happens when a pretty apprentice magician goes to Mexico to escape her fiancé, a wealthy politician, and to find a Mayan shaman who will teach her ancient principles of magic. She is being trailed by a detective hired by her fiancé. He's a former photojournalist traumatized by what he saw in Hiroshima. The photojournalist joins her in the search for the Mayan shaman, and falls in love with her; the feeling is not reciprocated. When she finds the shaman, she drinks a potion which empowers her to do magic. The potion has life-changing effects on her and her relationship with her companion. They have strange experiences which are brought about by magic. The Secret of Roan Inish (1994, Family / Fantasy) 10 year old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small fishing village in Donegal, Ireland. She soon learns the local legend that an ancestor of hers married a selkie -- a seal who can turn into a human. Years earlier, her baby brother washed out to sea in a cradle, and some think that he is being raised by the seals. Then Fiona catches sight of a naked little boy on the abandoned isle of Roan Inish, and takes a more active role in uncovering the mysteries which abound. Secret Window (2004, Drama / Thriller / Horror) Mort Rainey, a successful author, is passing through a hard period in his life. After catching his wife sleeping with another man, they separate and he moves away from the city to somewhere in the country. One day a man appears at his door, presenting himself as John Shooter, and accuses Mort of copying a story from him. Although Mort believes things can be solved once he shows Shooter the original version, which had appeared two years before Shooter's version, written in 1997, while Rainey's was published in early 1995. He can't seem to be able to get an original copy in the time limit set by Shooter. Strange things then start happening that prevent him from receiving the needed original, and Mort tries to find out who Shooter really is and if he is responsible for the things that have been happening. Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet) (1957, Drama / Fantasy) A Knight and his squire are home from the crusades. Black Death is sweeping their country. As they approach home, Death appears to the knight and tells him it is his time. The knight challenges Death to a chess game for his life. The Knight and Death play as the cultural turmoil envelopes the people around them as they try, in different ways, to deal with the upheaval the plague has caused. Shadow of the Vampire (2000, Drama / Horror / Comedy) Shadow of the Vampire is a film about the making of a German all-time classic silent horror-movie from 1922 called Nosferatu-Eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu-a Symphony of Horror). The production of Nosferatu had to deal with a lot of strange things (some crew members disappeared, some died). This movie focuses on the difficult relationship between Murnau, the director, and Schreck, the lead actor. The Shining (1980, Horror / Thriller) Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) gets a job as the custodian of the Overlook Hotel, in the mountains of Colorado. The place is closed down during winter, and Torrance and his family will be the only occupants of the hotel for a long while. When the snow storms block the Torrance family in the hotel, Jack's son Danny - who has some clairvoyance and telepathy powers - discovers that the hotel is haunted and that the spirits are slowly driving Jack crazy. When Jack meets the ghost of Mr. Grady, the former custodian of the hotel who murdered his wife and his two daughters, things begin to get really nasty... Short Circuit (1986, Comedy / Family / Sci-Fi) Number 5, one of a group of experimental military robots, undergoes a sudden transformation after being struck by lightning. He develops self-awareness, consciousness, and a fear of the reprogramming that awaits him back at the factory. With the help of a young woman, Number 5 tries to evade capture and convince his creator that he has truly become alive. Shrek 2 (2004, Adventure / Animation / Family / Comedy / Fantasy / Music) The film picks up right where the first movie ended... Shrek and Fiona return from their honeymoon to find a letter from Fiona's parents inviting the newlyweds over for dinner. The only problem is that they have no idea that their daughter is now an ogre. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2002, Sci-Fi / Thriller / Adventure / Action / Mystery) In 1939, an intrepid reporter in New York City makes a connection between the story she's covering-- of famous scientists suddenly disappearing around the world, and a recent attack on the city by giant robots. Determined to find the solution to these happenings, she seeks the help of her ex-boyfriend, the captain of a mercinary legion of pilots. The two are investigating the case when the robots attack the city again, though in a stroke of luck, Sky Captain's right hand man is able to locate their source. They then set off on an adventure in search of the evil mastermind behind these schemes, who is bent on creating a utopia and destroying the current world. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983, Horror / Family / Fantasy) In a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk. Can two young boys overcome the worst the devil himself can deal out? Wishes are granted, but twisted as only the esteemed Mr. Dark can make them. Based on the Ray Bradbury novel. Soylent Green (1973, Sci-Fi / Drama / Thriller) In the year 2022, earth's face has completely changed. New York's population, for example, has grown to 40 million mouths to feed. The greenhouse effect has risen the temperature into nearly unbearable regions, and the people are kept in the cities by law. The rich live in separated luxury apartments (with women as part of the rented furniture) but also experience the lack of natural food. Strawberries are at $150 for a glass of them. Police Detective Thorn investigates a strange murdering case of a official from the Soylent corporation, which feeds the masses with a palette of their creations: Soylent red, yellow, or, even more nutritious, green. He soon stumbles across the real source of Soylent Green, which is not soy beans or plankton any more. Space Camp (1986, Adventure / Sci-Fi) American kids go to a space camp during the summer holidays. They learn how to operate the Space Shuttle. A team consisting of a guy who just entered to meet girls, a wanna be astronaut and an instructor who wanted to go on a mission instead of teaching can sit in the Shuttle while testing the engines. Then they're launched by mistake ... Spaceballs (1987, Comedy / Sci-Fi) King Roland of the planet Druidia is trying to marry his daughter Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) to Prince Valium, but Vespa is kidnapped by the evil race of the Spaceballs. The Spaceballs ask Roland a tremendous ransom: all the air of Druidia (you see, the air of Spaceball had serious pollution problems...). The King decides to offer a generous amount of money to a space rogue, Lone Star, to persuade him to save Vespa. What follows is the parody of a LOT of famous SF movies. Spider-Man 2 (2004, Action / Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Thriller) Peter Parker's having a rough time. His double life as the superhero Spider-Man is having a devastating impact on his civilian life. Things are so bad he declares that he's quitting, and never putting on the suit again. However, his sense of duty forces him to become a hero again when the brilliant scientist Dr. Otto Octavius is deformed in an accident and becomes Dr. Octopus. With four metal tentacles sticking out of his back, he'll prove to be a more than worthy opponent for Spider-Man. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982, Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi) It is the 23rd Century. The Federation Starship U.S.S. Enterprise is on routine training maneuvers, and Admiral James T. Kirk seems resigned to the fact that this may well be the last space mission of his career. But Khan is back. Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan--brilliant renegade of 20th Century Earth--has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen a top secret device called Project Genesis, wrested control of another Federation starship, and now schemes to set a most deadly trap for his old enemy Kirk . . . with the threat of a universal Armageddon! Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986, Adventure / Sci-Fi) A space probe appears over 23rd century earth, emanating strange sounds towards the planet, and apparently waiting for something. As time goes on, the probe starts to cause major storms on earth and threaten its destruction. James T. Kirk and crew are called upon once again to save mankind. They discover the strange sound is actually the call of the humpback whale - which has been hunted to extinction. They have only one choice - to attempt to time travel back into the 20th century, locate a whale, and bring it back to 23rd century earth to reply to the probe. Superman 2 (1980, Adventure / Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Action) The meta-human heritage of the Last Son Of Krypton is tested as never before when a series of misadventures unlocks in Superman a very human emotion - love. Superman's love for journalist Lois Lane reaches a seemingly impossible peak, but requires the ultimate sacrifice - as the incompatible molecular structure of Kal-El and Lois would gravely complicate the inevitable bearing of children, Kal-El must be purged of his superpower, to live as a mortal. Kal-El, despite the pleas of the spirit of his long-lost mother, willingly agrees, and now a normal human being, consummates his love for Lois - a decision that dooms the Earth as three criminals from Krypton, freed from their extra-dimensional prison, lay waste to the planet. How does it all come out? With a fabulous duel above the streets of Metropolis, and a startling plot twist that neatly ties in Superman's explosive past. Arch-criminal Lex Luthor plays both ends gleefully against the middle in hopes of a modest reward: Australia Tron (1982, Action / Fantasy / Adventure / Sci-Fi) Computer Classic, one of the first computer generated movies. A hacker is split into molecules and is transported into a computer. In this computer a mean program called Master Control behaves like a dictator. The hacker, who programmed a number of features of the environment he got into, teams up with a book keeping program and his girl-friend and together they try to replace Master Control with Tron. Tron is an honest safety system. Vampire Hunter D (2000, Animation / Fantasy / Horror / Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Sci-Fi / Thriller ) In the far distant future, vampires rule the night. But because of the fearless bounty hunters, their numbers dwindle. One such is D, a half-breed born of a human mother and a vampire father. He is hired by a father-son team to retrieve Charlotte, a lovely young lady, who was abducted by the vampire Meier Link. However, they also hired the Marcus Brothers for competition. In a race against time and across the lands, D and the Brothers fight their way through demons and monsters to save the woman, and slowly begin to suspect that she wasn't taken against her will...and that another threat looms in the distance... Van Helsing (2004, Action / Adventure / Horror / Fantasy / Thriller) During the late 19th century, famed monster hunter Dr. Gabriel Van Helsing (Jackman) heads to Eastern Europe to battle with Count Dracula (Roxburgh), the Wolf Man (Kemp), and Frankenstein's Monster (Hensley). By his side is the ravishing Anna (Beckinsale), a member of a family committed to ridding the world of evil. Visitors (Les Visiteurs) (1993, Fantasy / Comedy) A medieval nobleman and his squire are accidentally transported to contemporary times by a senile sorcerer. He enlists the aid of his descendent to try to find a way to return home, all the while trying to cope with the cultural and technological changes distinguishing his time from ours. X-Men 2 (2003, Action / Thriller / Sci-Fi / Fantasy) Already living in a society that mistrusts them, the mutants are faced with even more discrimination after an unforeseen enemy - who may be a mutant with extraordinary powers - launches a devastating attack. The news of the assault causes a public outcry against the mutants, including renewed support for the Mutant Registration Act, and William Stryker, a military leader rumored to have experimented on mutants (possibly including Wolverine), is among the most vocal supporters of the legislation. Stryker puts into motion a plan to eradicate the mutants and begins an offensive on the X-Men mansion and school. Magneto, having escaped from his plastic prison, forms an unlikely alliance with Professor Xavier to stop Stryker. Meanwhile, Wolverine heads north to investigate his past. Waking Life (2001, Animation / Fantasy / Drama) Dreams. What are they? An escape from reality or reality itself? Waking Life follows the dream(s) of one man and his attempt to find and discern the absolute difference between waking life and the dreamworld. While trying to figure out a way to wake up, he runs into many people on his way; some of which offer one sentence asides on life, others delving deeply into existential questions and life's mysteries. We become the main character. It becomes our dream and our questions being asked and answered. Can we control our dreams? What are they telling us about life? About death? About ourselves and where we come from and where we are going? The film does not answer all these for us. Instead, it inspires us to ask the questions and find the answers ourselves. Weird Science (1985, Sci-Fi / Comedy / Fantasy) Two unpopular teenagers, Gary and Wyatt, fail at all attempts to be accepted by their peers. Thier desperation to be liked leads them to "create" a woman via their computer. Their living and breathing creation is a gorgeous woman, Lisa, who's purpose is to boost their confidence level by putting them into situations which require Gary and Wyatt to act like men. On their road to become accepted they encounter many hilarious obstacles which gives the movie an overall sense of silliness. Wizard of Speed and Time (1989, Comedy / Music / Sci-Fi) A Hollywood filmmaker (Mike Jittlov) makes a short for an evil film studio. Unbeknownest to him, the producer has placed a bet of $25,000 that he won't come up with anything with a use. Luckily, our film creator gets the help of his friends.