November (NF16/TV6/MM8/CC5)

* * Star Trek - The original series - Vol. 37, episodes 73& 74: [The Lights of Zetar / The Cloud Minders]: I've been watching episodes of the original Star Trek series for the last couple of years. I watched it as a kid when I was growing up (Yow! that makes me... old?), I loved it back then, and I still love it. My friends and I used to pretend to be members of the 'Starship Enterprise', and this television series was a great source of imaginative exercise while I was growing up. The first episode on this disc features an incorporeal, communal, life form. Several souls merged together into an energy being, which seeks information and a physical body which can accept it's energy form. This episode features Scotty in love with the new crew member, Lt. Mira Romaine. We even get to see Sulu briefly in command of the Enterprise. The second episode was a poorly written show which played havoc with the characters of Spock and Kirk. Enterprise and crew arrive at the planet Ardana in order to obtain the mineral Zenite. When they arrive they find themselves embroiled in a civil war between surface dwellers and those who live in a cloud city. While Spock gave intimate details regarding Vulcan culture to a relative stranger, Kirk suddenly found himself unable to resolve a relatively simple diplomatic dilemma. Kirk then goes on to interfere with the government of the planet they're visiting.
* Chocolat: (2000 - Drama, romance, adventure) Here's a movie that I'm surprised I haven't seen before. Starring Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Peter Stormare and others. A semi-sweet romantic offering that tells of tale of growth, acceptance and change. When a single mother and her daughter move into a small French town, they upset the status quo. Opening a chocolate shop during lent, their scandalous behavior earns then only the ire of local residents. It takes some time, and taste testing before the couple starts to make friends. Mix in some river rats and you've got a recipe for romance. The writing, direction, acting and locations were outstanding. Despite the overly sweet sentiments of this movie, it's definitely worthy of it's 5 out of 5 rating.
* Lone Wolf & Cub - Baby cart in the land of demons: (1973 - Action, drama / Japan - Kozure Ôkami: Meifumadô) Here's a movie from a series. A series of movies I watched a long time ago. A rather unusual series. The protagonist is a former official executioner, turned assassin. His wife was murdered by a gang of outlaws, and now he roams the countryside - with his young son in tow, searching for those who killed his wife. He carts his son around in a baby cart, which doubles as a weapons caddy, boat and if need be - a weapon itself. In this episode, he becomes embroiled in a clan drama. Five warriors hold the keys to a secret mission. In order to collect his fee, and information concerning the job he's being hired for, he must defeat all five of the warriors. Eventually he uncovers a convoluted injustice being committed by a local warlord. After accepting the mission, he sets out to assassinate the local leader, his wife, and their child. Brutal, bloody and quirky, this movie featured some pretty good martial arts moves, but the acting was better than the swordplay. 3 out of 5.
* Point of no return: (1993 - Action, drama) John Badham directs this American remake of a French classic (La Femme Nikita). Starring Bridget Fonda and Gabriel Byrne, this is a poor remake of a great movie. The story remains the same. Wild Child Maggie Hayward is given a choice - after she murders a police officer in a drugstore shoot out - become an assassin for the government, or be put to death for the murder she committed. With no real choice, she opts for assassin training. Over a six month period, she undergoes an accelerated training regime. Upon graduation, she's sent on ever more dangerous missions. In one such mission, she's paired with another assassin. When things go wrong, the bosses call in the 'Cleaner', in order to tidy things up. Great action, poor acting, terrible directing, and a crappy sound track. Great story, but a pale movie in comparison to the original Luc Besson directed movie. 3 out of 5.
* Sabotage: (1936 - Thriller, crime, espionage, drama / U.K.) A movie by Alfred Hitchcock. This pre-American espionage thriller features a story about terrorism. Called sabotage during the era of the film, this movie tells the tale of foreign agents committing acts of terrorism on British soil. A young American woman moves to England with her German? husband. While she tends to her son, and domestic activities, he's involved in something nefarious. The movie opens with a London blackout (predating intentional blackouts during Luftwaffe raids). The power plant has been sabotaged with sand. When the foreign agents aren't satisfied with that, they escalate matters, instigating a train station bombing. As the agent prepares to carry out this plan, Scotland Yard is hard at work, trying to break this 'cell' of terrorists. It doesn't take long before they've got their man. There's only one problem. In a panic, this cowardly agent has sent his wife's innocent son out to the train station with an armed bomb under arm. The ending contained some shocking scenes, and an unexpected twist. Classic Hitchcock. Excellent writing (based on a novel), direction and acting (especially that of Silvia Sydney). Unfortunately there were no subtitles, the accents were thick at times, and the sound work was poor. This film hasn't aged well. I give it a 3 out of 5.
* The 39 steps: (1935 - Mystery, thriller, suspense, espionage / U.K.) An Alfred Hitchcock espionage thriller. Produced in 1935, this black and white movie is a great spy thriller. If only the sound production was better. The acting was pretty good (for the time). With Robert Donat and Madelline Carroll playing in the lead roles. These two complemented each other nicely, and they played more than one role in the movie. Robert Donat actually played four different characters! The story begins in a somewhat contrived manner, but it gets better in a hurry. Foreign agents are planning to smuggle vital secrets out of the country, and someone's got to stop them. A thrilling mystery, and grand adventure across the length and breadth of Great Britain. The secret reveal makes for a fantastic ending twist. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.
* * * * Heroes - Season 1 (disc 3): (Drama, sci-fi, mystery, thriller) I don't usually watch television. One of the reasons is my schedule. I work shift work, twelve hours at a time, nights, and weekends. If I found a series I liked, I'd have a hell of a time watching all the episodes. I don't own a TiVo, and Comcast only has NBC on demand. Aside from my schedule, I find most network programming to be poor. Poor quality, poor line up, poor selection, etc. I prefer the movies. With NetFlix, I can watch what I want on my schedule. If I don't like it, I've only myself to blame. Anyway, I've been hearing quite a lot of buzz about this particular series. From friends at work, and reviews online. Given the subject matter, I figured I'd give it a try. Wow! I'm impressed. What's the series about? A group of people, from all over the world, are slowly discovering the fact that they have super powers. Abilities which cannot be accounted for in the general populace. A high school cheer leader with incredibly augmented healing abilities. An artist who sees, and illustrates the future. A politician with the ability to fly. A Japanese cubicle worker with the power to bend space and time. A mysterious mom on the run, who has an extremely violent alternate personality. As these characters struggle with their realization, we're introduced to a terrifying unifying plot. One of the heroes paints images of the future. One of the pictures illustrates a massive explosion, set in downtown New York. Will these heroes come together in an effort to avert this forthcoming disaster? This disc contained four episodes. "Nothing to Hide," "Seven Minutes to Midnight," "Homecoming" and "Six Months Ago." This is some awesome television. I'll keep watching. 5 out of 5 (for the series so far)
* Raging Bull: (1980 - Biography, drama, sport) Martin Scorsese directs this black and white bio-pic, based on books about Jake LaMotta; a one-time middle weight boxing champion. Starring Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci and others. The story is a dark and destructive journey into the soul of American arrogance. The main character (played by De Niro) relies on self-assuring arrogance and overbearing force of personality to dominate all the people in his life, the ring he fought in, and the world around him. Amazing performances by De Niro and Pesci mark this incredibly well directed movie. While the movie contains numerous violent scenes, I couldn't help but appreciate the sincerity, authenticity and conviction behind the performances. The editing marked this movie as an epic journey, with a narrative that conveyed the entire life of this prize fighter in a sweeping 129 minutes of tour-de-force maximum security sadism. I was swept away by the arrogance, the belligerent characters, the unflinching dedication to a twisted 'Me First' ethic. With an amazing sense of restraint, Scorsese never waters down this skill saw of a story with a week kneed 'justification' approach. Thank you for an amazing movie Mr. Scorsese. 5 out of 5.
* House on Haunted Hill: (1959 - Horror, thriller) Here's a low budget, B-Horror movie, starring Vincent Price. Formulaic screamer, where the scares are nothing short of laughable, the acting is mediocre, and the direction lacking. The only thing of note was the amazing amount of screaming that went on in this movie. The story wasn't all that bad. A wealthy, but eccentric man invites five people to spend the night in his haunted house - for $10,000 each. If they stay the night they collect the cash. What follows is preposterous plot holes, bad acting, terrible special effects, and a completely boring movie. I give it 2 out of 5.
* Oscar: (1991 - Comedy, drama) A John Landis remake of a French film from 1967. This one stars Sylvester Stallone, Chazz Palminteri, Marisa Tomei, Tim Curry, Don Ameche, Joey Travolta, Kirk Douglas and others. The story features a mobster (played by Sylvester Stallone) intent on changing his stripes. He promises his dying father that he'll become an 'honest man'. He then sets about trying to buy into a group of bankers, while simultaneously dealing with a house full of dysfunctional people. The action is non-stop, the dialog continuous, and the laughs laid-back. There isn't a spare moment in this well-crafted comedy. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments, but keeping track of a couple of bags left my head swimming. Eventually I gave up trying to 'Follow the Money', that's when I started to enjoy the movie. While the acting wasn't much good, the casting was well done, and this lighthearted comedy makes for good family entertainment. I give it a 3 out of 5.
* Amadeus: (1984 - Drama, musical, biography, historical) Milos Forman directs a Peter Shaffer screenplay (adapted from his play). Here is an epic drama. The life and times of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by his most adoring rival - Antonio Salieri. This story narrates the life of Mozart in flashbacks from an insane asylum. Filled with amazing music. Splendid acting, excellent directing and outstanding costumes. This epic tale (160 minutes) tells the story of two men. Salieri and Mozart. How Mozart's shining star suffocated Salieri. How Salieri flew too close to his sun, and burned up in it's corona. While Salieri attempts to destroy Mozart, he realizes that he can never rise to the levels of perfection present in Mozart's music. In the end, he's compelled to destroy gods instrument of perfection. 4 out of 5.
* Easy Virtue: (1928 - Drama) In this B&W silent picture, Alfred Hitchcock tells a rather mundane story of social mores. When a 1920's high-society woman is divorced by her jealous husband, she's branded as a 'loose' woman. She flees the country (England), and makes her way to the south of France, where she attempts to put her life back together. While she's there, she ends up falling in love with another Englishman. They wed and return to England, in order to live out their lives as a happy married couple. Unfortunately, his family won't let things be. They doubt her sincerity, and eventually discover the scandalous truth regarding her 'virtue'. The ending is a poignant but predictable statement regarding marriage, divorce and love. The acting was pretty good, the directing solid, but the film was in terrible shape. FYI: This movie is currently being remade. 2 out of 5.
* Knocked Up: (2006 - Comedy, drama, romance) Written and directed by Judd Apatow (Also did Anchorman and 40 Year Old Virgin). This is definitely a worthy work from this talented young man. If you enjoyed 40 year old virgin, but found it a bit unrealistic, and a bit too raunchy, you'll love this movie. This one combines romance and comedy instead of relying entirely on comedy. The relationship aspects helped move the writing/story at a respectable rate. The acting was great. Even the slightly aloof character played by Katherine Heigl is played perfectly. The writing was astonishingly good. Some of the situations were absolutely hilarious. Hot single Alison Scott (played by Katherine Heigl) hooks up with slacker Ben Stone (played by Seth Rogen) for a night of ill-advised whoopi. Afterwards, she becomes pregnant! Now what? Seth Rogen (the male lead) does an outstanding job as the loveable buffoon slacker type. Unconcerned with his own situation, he selflessly commits to becoming a father, even though he knows he's not cut out for the job. While the matching at first seems untenable and unrealistic, the writing convinced me that this was a couple willing to look past the material, first glance exteriors in their relationships. My god the lines were funny! Huge laughs, while keeping it sweet enough to tug at the heart. The supporting cast, music and directing were outstanding. Oh, by the way. This is not an appropriate movie for children. 5 out of 5.
* The Lives of Others: (2006 - Drama, historical / Germany - Leben der Anderen, Das) This absolutely amazing movie was written (from a Novel) and directed by one immensely talented director - Leben der Anderen, Das. It was acted by some splendid German actors - Martina Gedeck (Mostly Martha), Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch (The Tunnel), Ulrich Tukur. This movie takes place in East Berlin, before the fall of the wall. I was stationed in Berlin while the wall was coming down, and watching this movie brought me back to the cold war in a very poignant way. Here is the story of East Berliners under the watchful eye of the Stasi. The all knowing, all powerful Stasi. Able to crush dissidents with a mere whisper, to banish your family members to gulag just for thinking the wrong things, for writing the wrong words, 'acting' the wrong way. Here is a story of how the Stasi came to turn it's malevolent eye upon one promising East German author. An amazing story of humanity, suffering and hope. Nothing in this movie is wasted. I was mesmerized by the direction, spellbound by the acting, and dumbstruck by the authentic look and feel. A powerful and important film that comes oh so late after the cold war has ended. I am planning to put this one on my purchase list. 5 out of 5. The best foreign film I have seen all year.
* The Caveman's Valentine: (2001 - Crime, drama, thriller, mystery) A Comcast selection - by mistake. I accidentally pressed play. While the direction was heavy handed, and the acting wasn't great, the story was pretty good. A mysterious crime drama, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colm Feore, and Ann Magnuson. Here is an odd story starring a cast of crazy characters. When a dead body shows up outside the cave-home of Romulus Ledbetter (played by Samuel L. Jackson), we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a mystery involving sex, politics, and the artistic but despicable David Leppenraub (played by Colm Feore). Jackson plays a very difficult character, he's crazy - mentally unstable, psychotic, schizophrenic, yet he has to be credible enough for us to believe his ranting delusions, and his ability to decipher a convoluted mystery. I didn't think it was the greatest film ever, but I liked it for it's rich varied canvas and difficult characters. 3 out of 5.
* Phantoms: (1998 - Horror, drama) A Comcast selection The screen play was written by Dean R. Koontz, based on his book - of the same name. Starring Ben Affleck, Peter O'Toole, Rose McGowan, Joanna Going, and Liev Schreiber. Unfortunately, the acting was past it's prime, and the direction wasn't all that good. The story felt very much like a typical Stephen King novel brought to the screen. Which means, it was a bit shallow and didn't come across very well. Here is a strange little story, self contained in the middle of the Rockies, two women arrive in a sleepy Colorado town to find most of the residents missing and hundreds dead, from some mysterious disease? As they discover how horribly wrong they are, we find out how full of holes this movie is. The only way to describe the incredibly large inconsistencies is a malevolent force of immense power, that's also stupid enough to appear in this movie. Cheap screams, giant flying moths - that eat faces, an ancient evil made out of - flatworms?, it lives in the sewer, it controls the electricity - to make the lights flicker!, it's unstoppable. The movie was a wreak. The dialogue was laughable. The acting was a waste. What on earth was Peter O'Toole doing in this movie? The lighting was terrible - I couldn't see what was going on, but that's not such a bad thing. Phantoms rates 2 out of 5.
* Idiocracy: (2005 - Comedy, satire) Written and directed by Mike Judge (Office Space, Beavis & Butthead). This brutally satirical comedy, starring Luke Wilson, pokes a stick directly into America's sleepy, half-open, lazy eye. Average joe soldier and a street walker, are chosen to be subjects of an army experiment which goes awry. Placed in suspended animation, they're awakened in the year 2505, five hundred years later than initially planned. In this dystopian future, the dimwit of today is a genius of the future. While the acting is mediocre, the story is a biting satire on the state of American culture, and the laughs are a bit distressing - It makes you think, could this really be our fate? This controversial film, which pokes serious fun at corporate sponsors, was penalized by it's parent (who can't take a joke) for being too up front about the dumbing down of America. Thankfully, it was released, and we're the lucky consumers. Many of the lines are comic gold. "It's got 'lectrolytes!". 4 out of 5.
* Austin Powers - International Man of Mystery: (1997 - Comedy, thriller) Mike Myers stars in this James Bond send-up. Written by Mike Myers, this comedic spoof pulls out all the stops. A laugh-in of immense proportions. Featuring a great cast - Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Fabiana Udenio, Mindy Sterling, Will Ferrell, Burt Bacharach, Tom Arnold, and many others. This movie has some fantastic lines, a preposterous plot (Austin Powers is re-animated after the cryogenically suspended villain - Dr. Evil returns to rain chaos down upon man-kind. Holding the world ransom for One Million dollars! Only Austin Powers can save us from the FemBots), and the results are a non-stop laugh fest. Not only was the movie extremely funny, it also had some excellent camera work, a groovy soundtrack, and Mike Myers at the top of his game. I dig it baby, and so will you. This comedy was responsible for years worth of recycled slang - Shagadellic baby. Mike Myers' writing was exceptional. Switching between ridiculously funny spy-thriller plot, and staged comedy inserts, this movie was light on plot, heavy on laughs and a huge favorite for audiences everywhere. I give it a 5 out of 5.
* Black Snake Moan: (2006 - Drama, romance) Here's a character based drama where Samuel L. Jackson wasn't cast for his yelling. Written and directed Craig Brewer, this is a well written and directed movie. It's apparent that a lot of care was taken in the editing and production. The movie starred: Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, John Cothran Jr. and others. This movie tells the tale of three people. Samuel L Jackson plays Lazarus an old Blues musician turned farmer, Christina Ricci plays Rae, the hot little thing, and Justin Timberlake plays the 'nervous' boy friend, Ronnie. When Rae's boyfriend ships off to war, she's consumed by her addiction - to sex! She succumbs to her problems and indulges in a night of debauchery. In the morning, she's discovered along side the road by Lazarus. In an effort to right himself - after his longtime wife left him for his brother - Lazarus set's out to do right by himself and this white girl. In a movie about redemption, suffering and ultimately, love. I was surprised to find that this movie did not decompose into some sort of sex-ploitation pulp flick. The characters had depth and conviction, they were very well written and acted. The acting by Christina Ricci and Samuel L Jackson was great. The costumes, music, locations and sets were fantastic. This movie had the feeling of a play, but it played very well on the screen. I give it a 4 out of 5.
* The Castle: (1997 - Drama, mystery / Germany, Austria - Schloß, Das) Written and directed by Michael Haneke (of Cache and Time of the Wolf), this movie is based on a novel by Franz Kafka. It tells the rather unusual story of a land surveyor. Starring a rather large German/Austrian cast, including Ulrich Mühe (from The Lives of Others) and Felix Eitner (The Tunnel). This is something of a bureaucratic mystery, filled with odd characters, unusual situations and a convoluted mystery. A land surveyor reports for duty at the castle. When he shows up, he's immediately dropped into a small self contained society where everyone is concerned only with their own self-preservation. As he tries to do his job, report to his boss, and begin surveying; he's increasingly thwarted by thick headed functionaries and self-serving servants. The bureaucratic obstacles become hurdles that the main character strives to overcome in his quest to 'survey' the landscape. Unfortunately, the film ends rather abruptly, and it was a chore to watch. Despite the excellent acting and interesting characters. I give it a 3 out of 5. FYI: There are numerous adaptations based on this novel. I found six on IMDB.
* Fracture: (2007 - Crime, drama, thriller, mystery) Starring Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Billy Burke and others. The editing, lighting and acting were better than the story. The story is a typical 'double-jeopardy' who-done-it? When Hopkins character (Rich, sophisticated, smart, detailed) reveals his wife's cheating ways, he kills her - Yup, we see it up front, and that kind of spoiled the movie right out of the gate. They didn't have to show us the actual commission of the crime, and the suspense would have been much better if they hadn't. Hopkins is then pitted against Ryan Gosling's character. An ambitious up and coming prosecuting attorney, who's job is putting the dunk in this 'slam-dunk' murder case. What follows is a reconstruction, deconstruction murder mystery where we already know most of the story. The acting by Hopkins was fantastic. He's channeling Brando and Robert Duvall in this movie. His performance is very much like that of Duvall's in 'A Civil Action'. The story is well told, and the ending contains a twist. Unfortunately, the ending twist doesn't leave you reeling, and it doesn't fit well, given the ability of the characters involved. While Ryan Gosling's performance was good, he's not match up against Hopkins. In the end, it's Hopkin's performance that carries this movie. 3 out of 5.
* Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: (1941 - Horror, drama, romance) Comcast on Demand - There are many versions of this movie, and I've seen a few. Here's one I hadn't seen before. Starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner, this movie follows the typical Jekyll and Hyde plot. Dr. Jekyll experiments on himself in an attempt to 'control' the evil side of man's soul. He drinks down a frothing concoction and becomes the 'evil' Mr. Hyde. In this film, the differences between good and evil are subtle. The evil 'Hyde' seems no worse than a bad boyfriend. The twin beauties, Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner made this movie easy on the eyes, but Spencer Tracey's acting lacked enthusiasm. His Hyde was hardly horrible, and the physical differences seemed quite slight at times. The story focused primarily on the relationships of Dr. Jekyll with the good woman; played by Lana Turner, and Mr. Jekyll with the bad woman; played by Ingrid Bergman. I was hoping for more 'horror' in this well acted, but luke-warm, drama about the evil in men. The special effects and sound work were sub-par. 3 out of 5. I plan to rewatch the 1931 version (which I own) in the coming days.
* Tae Guk Gi - The Brotherhood of War: (2004 - Action, drama, war / South Korea - Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo) This movie was recommended by a friend at work. This was a fantastic movie. Unfortunately, it was EXTREMELY gory and violent, so much so that I had to pause the movie to take a break, and I even looked away on a handful of occasions. The story is one about two brothers. Two Korean brothers, who are pressed into the military at the outbreak of war. This story of the Korean war is told from the South Korean point of view, casting the North Korean's as somehow different, as if they were alien invaders... This movie is less about the war itself, and more about the two brothers. How the war changes them, their family, and those around them. The depiction of war is the most brutal depiction I have ever seen, it's not intended as a 'happy, fun, hollywood war' - it's meant to shock, disgust and repulse the viewer. In that they succeeded brilliantly. The acting and direction were outstanding, but the pacing was a bit too fast. The music and sound work were extremely well done. A great movie, but I would never watch it again. 4 out of 5.
* No End in Sight: (2007 - Documentary) If you think that the war in Iraq was ill-advised, think again. It was well advised. This well researched documentary presents some in-depth analysis of the missteps which led up to the war in Iraq, and the completely bungled job of post-war Iraq. A methodical, level-headed, examination of the 'what-happened' question. The warning signs were clear. This documentary leaves you angry, shocked and befuddled. This documentary was written and directed by Charles Ferguson - An MIT graduate, Brookings Fellow, and political scientist. The film is not filled with political indictments or opinionated rhetoric. It does an excellent job of lifting the veil. Revealing the amazing depth of incompetence, mismanagement, and political spin, this movie reveals a side of the war that you haven't seen. 4 out of 5.
* Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: (1931 - Horror, drama) There are many versions of this movie, and I've seen a few. Here's one that I own. Starring Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins. The movie, as all of this type, is based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel. It follows the typical Jekyll and Hyde plot. Dr. Jekyll quaffs his own concoction in an attempt to separate the evil and good halves of his soul. The acting by Fredric March was excellent, but the dubbing (into English) and sound work was pretty poor. Another thing that seemed odd was the lack of music. This movie was one of the early 'talkies' and as such, they hadn't quite figured out the fact that music adds an entirely whole new layer to the movie. The movie opened with an excellent score, but after that it was void of music. As I mentioned, the acting by Fredric March was excellent. He was utterly convincing in his role, and he made a truly despicable Hyde. He truly seemed to 'become' someone else. His physical mannerisms changed greatly, and the makeup was much better than that of the 1941 version. Hyde seemed to transform into a Neanderthal type character with a completely amoral character. Even the special effects in this movie, were better than those in the later version. Unlike the 1941 version, This version contained some glimpses of skin, but it never goes as far as I had imagined it might - given the early provocative scene where Dr. Hyde is in the bedchamber of Rose Hobart. This film also featured some very good camera/special effects (much better than the higher budget 1941 production). Unfortunately, it's evident that some scenes were cut from this VHS version. There's an early segment where Hyde transforms to Jekyll, and despite the fact that he dresses to go out, we never see the scenes where he leaves the lab. The film cuts back in after he returns from his outing. If only we could get an uncut version! 4 out of 5.
* Emmanuelle: (1974 - Adventure, romance, drama / France) O.k. it took forever to rent this movie (through NetFlix), someone must have been hoarding it, or NetFlix only has one copy. This movie was in my queue for more than three years. Thankfully, when I did get to view the movie, it was the 2007 uncut version. Re-released at the 30th anniversary of the film. Starring Alain Cuny, Sylvia Kristel, Marika Green, Daniel Sarky, Jeanne Colletin, Christine Boisson and others. This soft-core, adult themed movie was a shocker when it was released. It was banned in several countries, and highly censored in others - including the US, where nearly 20 minutes were cut - in the 70's! Today, the most recent release is supposedly uncut and unrated. In any case, it's a very erotic adult movie. The story is about Emmanuelle (playing a 20 year old?) who travels to Thailand in order to join her husband; a (playing a 30 year old?) diplomat with the French consulate in Bangkok. This movie featured some absolutely spectacular locations and camera work. Unfortunately, the sound track is poor, and it sounds like the movie was dubbed into English, then back into French? This movie was such a hit in France (and elsewhere), that it spawned something like 13 sequels! The premise of the movie - A free spirited woman seeks to discover herself through sexual expression. Her husband, his friends, and the climate of the times, permits, and even encourages such experimentation. Her husbands speaks of his love exceeding the bounds of flesh, but jealousy is still an element in their relationship. The movie featured a lot of nudity and sex. Various different encounters run the gamut of Emmauelle's adventures in Thailand. The film itself was extremely well executed, filmed and paced. The lighting was really good. The acting was very good, but the locations were the star of this movie. 4 of 5.
* A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die: (1968 - Western, drama, action / Italy - Minuto per pregare, un instante per morire, Un) Comcast on demand. A spaghetti western starring Alex Cord, Arthur Kennedy, Robert Ryan, Enzo Fiermonte and others. A typical bad guy is hero western. A movie where the hero is a persecuted outlaw. This movie takes a slightly different track. The anti-hero is trying to turn himself in to the territorial governor, as part of an amnesty deal. Unfortunately, there's a group of people who would rather see him dead. Collecting the bounty on his head is just an added incentive. While the anti-hero attempts to turn himself in, and turn over a new leaf, there's a pretty good undercurrent of conflict between strict law and compromising human values in this movie. The locations (Northern Italy) are great. The acting is pretty good, and the movie carries a very somber mood throughout. The pacing and direction were very good. Unfortunately, I had to watch a dubbed version and the ending was cut, so that the film ends on a rather bland note. 3 out of 5.
* The Russia House: (1990 - Drama, espionage, suspense) Comcast on demand. Filmed in the early 90's, and set in the early 90's. This suspenseful movie was filmed during the era of Glasnost, but it missed the mark. Filmed just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. It carried a small glimpse of what was to come. A great cast, including - Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, Michael Kitchen, J.T. Walsh, Ken Russell and others. Connery was very comfortable in this character, but Pfieffer seemed a bit out of place. In this movie, Sean Connery plays an expatriate British citizen, a publicist working in Russia. In the era of Glasnost, he's building client lists of Russian novelists for a literary house. In his circle, he encounters free-minded Russian's and liberals in a country where the state police are desperately trying to hold the state together at the seams. When someone passes sensitive defense related information to a colleague, Sean Connery's character becomes embroiled in an international espionage case. The British government recruits him as an agent in order to obtain more information. While Connery's character agrees to the potentially dangerous task, it becomes apparent that he's more intrigued by romantic possibilities than he is with the potentially dangerous state serving espionage. Well acted and directed, but it contained way to much exposition. With the right kind of music, and less exposition, this movie could have been a great movie. 3 out of 5.
* Drunken Angel: (1948 - Drama / Japan - Yoidore tenshi) Written (in part) and directed by my favorite director. This drama features Toshirô Mifune and Takashi Shimura in a post WWII drama. The story pairs Mifune and Shimura as two outcasts in post WWII Japan. While the new society is being constructed, these two characters represent two unwanted elements of society. Amidst the gritty ruins of this devastated society, Mifune plays an alcoholic doctor who cares more about his patients than he does about his profits. Shimura plays a tough Yakuza boss weakened by tuberculosis. In trying to heal Shimura's character, the doctor tries to heal himself. A great story wreaked by horrible translations. The subtitled dialog certainly didn't seem Japanese, and it was obviously lacking in it's content and context. Despite the poor subtitles, the acting and direction were excellent. I wish there was a better version available. 3 out of 5.
* Wolfen: (1981 - Horror, drama, thriller) Directed by Michael Wadleigh, and starring Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Hines and others. The acting by Finney and Hines was outstanding. This is a different type of werewolf movie. It's not really a werewolf movie at all, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't your normal werewolf movie. The movie takes place in the midst of a ruined section of New York. In the rubble of this Bronx neighborhood, a predator stalks. Someone or something? has murdered a prominent industrialist, his wife, and their bodyguard. When these horrific murders occur, the police department calls in it's reserve unit. An ex-cop retired for 'personal' reasons. Albert Finney teams up with a terrorism expert played by Diane Venora. As their investigation turns towards the clues, the industrialist's security firm teams up with political minded police officials, and they head in another direction. The camera effects (Wolfen vision), camera work, lighting and audio work (pulsing synthesizers ala Predator) in this movie were combined with a spooky sound track to create an awesome supernatural feel. Unfortunately, some of the dialog was poorly dubbed/recorded, and the ending was rushed. It's a fantastic, suspenseful mystery until the last 30 minutes of the film. The ending is a bit cheesy, but the ride was great. A remake where the creatures are the same as those in the book would be awesome! 4 out of 5.
* The Namesake: (2006 - Drama, romance / India, USA) Starring Irfan Khan, Kal Penn, Jagannath Guha, Ruma Guha Thakurta, Tabu, and others. This movie (an adaptation of a Novel) spans the life of it's main character. An American born Indian man, who's parents immigrated to America, but refused to 'leave' India behind. It's a fantastic movie about love, tradition, honor and cultural ties. Excellent acting, locations and directing. An emotional but fluent journey. Heartfelt and evocative. Drama at it's finest. The movie creates a cultural bridge between three generations. Illustrates what it means to be American. This movie featured some Bollywood elements, but it definitely wasn't your typical song and dance romance. 4 out of 5.