Song Without End

This is a film rendition of Hungarian composer and virtuoso, Franz Liszt.

Charming

It is a dramatic biopic  with a romance thrown in with the Russian Princess Carolyne played by the adorable Capucine.

Attractive

Like most of biopics about musicians, there is that portfolio of music that they play which entertains.

Playing the lead is Dirk Bogarde with Geraldine Page as his much distressed wife.

The Stars

5 Misses for Miss Malaysia Pageant 2013

Few Misses are Missing!

A Muslim religious edict has done in  four Muslim participants of the current Miss Malaysia pageant.

What a hullabaloo it has made with both sides of the divide standing firm.

Forlorn

A Babe on Broadway

An Absolute Babe

Babes on Broadway will feature the famous duo, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in a movie that ranges from tap-dancing to vaudeville minstrel performance.

Broadway Wannabees 

Smouldering

Though the songs may not be as memorable or catchy, it does have that special Broadway magic that will bowl you over if you are an aficionado of Broadway matinees.

Natural Beauty

In this movie, you will see Judy Garland  in a more adolescent role which will see her successful ascent into filmdom, showmanship and singing.

Youthful vigour

Quite an enjoyable fare as you trudged back into nostalgia.

Napoli It Is!

This a Definitely a Sophia Fan Movie!

Sophia is Splendid!

I always remembered seeing this movie. Perhaps in the early teens, one can really get enamored by interesting scenery, bigger than life actors and serene beauties.

Naples Today

For me, It Started in Naples may not bring the nostalgic times of yesteryear back as my memory on the plot-line has faded into distant oblivion but seeing the unspoiled beauty of Capri and Naples in the late 50's in motion is really breath-taking especially the Blue Cave, the Naples seafront and the quaint not too developed Isle of Capri.

Scenic Capri

The plot is simple. A man trying to wrap up the affairs of his brother's estate after his drowning in Naples was compelled to enjoy the life on Capri and fell in love with a local beauty Lucia who has custody of his brother's son, Fernando.

The Balloons of Capri

I must admit the audience in the 60s really had the patience to lick up the pedantic dialogue in this movie. Not today. It would be a big flop even it it has such great names like Clark Gable. Remember Heaven's Gate?

That's Beauty for You

What you will treasure in this movie is watching a young, nubile Sophia Loren doing her cheeky dance on a cabaret floor! Charmed!

Young and Dangerous Sophia

That is enough for you to re-visit It Started in Naples!

Cabaret Dancing

Now You See Me, Now You See Cash!

Revenge, Money and Magic

Premised on an outrageous plot-line, Now You See Me is a movie about the revenge of a  magician on the rich.

Banding together 4 magicians to assist him in his scheme, the revengeful magician incognito orchestrated shows to rob money from the banks  and then distribute the bank cash to the audience.

A cat and mouse story starring the august Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Jess Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco, it has its exciting moments.

The actress to watch will be Melanie Laurent.

Fresh New French Beauty

Annie,Get Your Gun

Sheer Entertainment

This 1950 film production featuring the songs of Irving Berlin is truly a sentimental journey into the musical past of Broadway.

We all remember the great songs, There's No business Like Showbusiness, They Say its Wonderful, Doing What Comes Naturally and Anything You Can Do. They sure sounds romantic and nostalgic and throws you back to the days of the Roger and Hammerstein era.

Screen-played by Sidney Sheldon, it starred Howard Keel and Betty Hutton as they entertained in sheer abandonment in this great movie of yesteryear after Oklahoma! Betty got the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in this movie.

Sadly, music rights discord between MGM and Irving Berlin in 1973 prevented the movie from being shown to the public until 2000 when it was re-released to the public on the 50th Anniversary of the film. After that there were also other Broadway revival of this Annie Oakley tale.

Great Broadway adaptation!

White House Down Two Times Deja Vu

Fuqua Magic is Intact

Would you believe it?

Two movies in the same season using the White House as their plot-line.

Not too Juicy a Role

Of these movies, Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down, the superior direction lifted one way above the other in all aspects. Antoine Fuqua's direction of the former was tight and it was not all that predictable when compared to the latter.

Bassett has a Punchy Role

The casting for Olympus especially with Morgan Freeman  in the lead as the Speaker of the House, Aaron Eckhart as  President Adler and  Gerard Butler as Army Ranger Mike Banning, the one man army that sets everything right making this an A1 movie. Radha Mitchell and Angela Bassett provided the eye candy.

Poor Competitor

Compare to this, White House Down was a feeble effort to develop a gung-ho macho movie platform for Channing Tatum as a new Bruce Willis as in lengendary Die Hard. Jamie Foxx played an insipid President of the USA.

The only twist in the film  is the role of  Tatum's on-screen daughter in exposing the villains which perhaps add some flavour to an otherwise predictable and boring movie. Maggie Gyllenhaal does play her role well as a staff member of the Security Detail of the White-house with her controversial confirmation of the 'JFK-Marilyn Monroe' tunnels.

Go see Olympus Has Fallen and if possible give White House Down, a miss!