MTV Movies Blog › speed

Today is the 100th birthday of Japanese master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He died back in 1998, but his films carry on his legacy in many ways. First, obviously, there are the literal titles that continue to be watched and studied religiously (13 of them are being aired on Turner Classic Movies today). Second, there are the upcoming remakes of "Seven Samurai," "High and Low," "Rashomon" and "Ikiru" in development. And third, there are those films directly inspired by Kurosawa's films.

Kurosawa himself had many influences, and a number of his films were loose remakes or direct adaptations of everything from Westerns to Dostoyevsky to films noir to Shakespeare. So it's unlikely he'd be upset about the idea that his work has gone on to influence some of today's most notable filmmakers. He might even be enjoying some of the following blockbuster movies, all owing much to his work, from beyond the grave: Read more...

Tags A Fistful of Dollars, Akira Kurosawa, Ocean's Eleven, speed, star wars, The Usual Suspects

Sandra Bullock had herself a kickass 2009. "The Proposal" and "The Blind Side" were massive hits, enough to make the sour cherry on top that was "All About Steve" a non-entity. The two big ones have grossed more than $500 million in ticket sales so far, and "The Blind Side" has yet to even see anything more than a domestic opening. The success was enough for a survey of movie theater execs to paint the star as the top-earning performer of 2009, according to /Film.

Not too shabby for an actress who was last seen in the 2007 thriller "The Premonition," which boasts a lowly 8% rating on RottenTomatoes. Is it really so surprising though? Clunkers like "Premonition" aside, Bullock has had more than her share of fine performances. Given her recent honors, we felt it would be fun to run through some of our favorites... Read more...

Tags Crash, Demolition Man, Miss Congeniality, speed, While You Were Sleeping

by John Constantine

As a subway commuter myself, I have to admit that the idea of getting hijacked by criminals looking to ransom off New York City resident and torture Denzel Washington is pretty terrifying. Then again, if it was John Travolta doing the hijacking, it would probably be hilarious and make for an entertaining day.

This week’s remake of “The Tacking of Pelham 1 2 3” is more than entertainment, though. It is a reminder of public transportation’s, especially the subway’s, vital role in creating kickass cinematic drama and action. Here, for your pleasure, are my five most gripping subway scenes in film history. Read more...

Tags men in black 2, predator 2, speed, the fugitive, the matrix, the taking of pelham 123