* Black Sabbath: (1963 - Horror / Italy - Tre volti della paura, I) Written (in part), directed (in part) and produced by Mario Bava, this black and white Italian film has a cast of relative unknowns. The only notable is Boris Karloff. A trilogy of horror stories are narrated by Boris Karloff. In the first episode, a woman is terrorized by a telephone caller. Is it her ex-boyfriend escaped from prison? The second episode features a young nobleman who stumbles upon a family plagued by an unusual type of vampire. The Wurdulak only attacks blood relatives, and there's plenty of blood to be had in this late night encounter in the countryside. Finally, the third scenario is the story of guilt. When a wealthy old lady dies during a seance, her nurse makes a nighttime visit to prepare the corpse for burial, she makes the fateful error of stealing a ring off the finger of this dead countess. The camera work was well done, the direction was fair and the acting average. Thankfully the stories were quite good. I give it a 3 out of 5.
** Jericho - Season 1: (Episodes 21-22 (2006/7 - Drama, mystery, sci-fi)) Another television series. With NetFlix 'Watch Instantly', streaming through my Roku box, I find that I am now able to watch the episodes of TV shows - On My Schedule! When I want, not when it airs. So here's another NetFlix recommended TV series, that I've dropped into my 'Watch Instantly' queue. This one is a sci-fi drama set in a small Kansas town. The series opens with the return of the 'prodigal' son, a dramatic character twist that adds a bit of mystery to the series. Jake's (played by Skeet Ulrich) father is the Mayor of this small town, and his brother is the 'good son'. Just as the series is beginning to ramp up the dramatic angles, something unexpected and much more powerful happens. The first episode ends with a Mushroom cloud looming on the western horizon. It's a post holocaust drama, populated by ordinary people in some extraordinary circumstances. Here the heroes are small time actors in small-town America. As the series advances we're carried along on the mystery of America's fate, the lives of this small town, and some sort of underlying conspiracy... I'm hooked. 5 out of 5.
* The Edge of Heaven: (2007 - Drama / Germany, Turkey, Italy - Auf der anderen Seite) Excellent acting in this two world (Germany / Turkey) drama about family, fate, & relationships. 4 of 5.
4* Kolchak - The Night Stalker: (Episodes 1-4 (1974 - Horror, mystery, thriller)) Darren McGavin stars in the original 'X-Files'. Fighting zombies, aliens, all sorts of supernatural creatures. 4 of 5.
4* Jericho - Season 2: (Episodes 1-4 (2008 - Drama, mystery, sci-fi)) Post apocalyptic drama. America is devastated with nuclear weapons, and the residents of Jericho struggle to survive. 5 of 5.
* The Man Who Never Was: (1956 - War, Drama / U.K.) True tale of WWII. Brit's dupe Germans on the site of D-Day invasion. Intricate, dramatic, and suspenseful tale of espionage. 4 of 5.
* Drunken Master: (1978 - Comedy, action / China/Honk Kong - Jui kuen) Kung-Fu action starring Jackie Chan. The plot is totally preposterous and that's part of the charm. 3 out of 5.
*** Heroes - Season 3: (Episodes 4-5 (2008 - Drama, sci-fi, mystery, thriller)) So far, season 3 gets 3 out of 5. I like it, but it's no longer groundbreaking. I don't sense anything new in the show.
* Get Smart: (2008 - Action, comedy, thriller) When the identities of CONTROL agents are compromised, only someone like Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) can thwart the evil of KAOS. 3 of 5
* All Quiet on the Western Front: (1930 - Action, drama, war) Based on a novel. This movie starts off with nationalistic enthusiasm, and ends with the soul crushing reality of WWI. 4 out of 5.
* L.A. Confidential: (1997 - Crime, mystery, thriller) Outstanding acting in this academy award winning (x2) film noir, thriller. Police corruption, murder and romance in 1950's L.A. 5 of 5.
* Fright Night: (1985 - Comedy, horror, thriller) Very 80's horror flick. Vampy vampires, turned up collars, and a bad 80's soundtrack. Thankfully, the tongue-in-cheek writing helps. 3 of 5.
* Cat People: (1942 - Drama, romance, horror, thriller) The best part of this 'horror' movie is the unseen element. A lore filled, slow paced, suspenseful thriller with fine acting. 3 of 5.
* Curse of the Cat People: (1944 - Drama, fantasy, horror?) A 'not quite' sequel. The connection to the first movie is tenuous at best, and the story no where near as good. 2 out of 5.
* Holiday: (1938 - Drama, comedy, romance) Starring Katherine Hepburn & Cary Grant. Common man manages tries to marry into a very rich family, but true love causes problems. 4 of 5.
* Hocus Pocus: (1993 - Comedy, fantasy, family, horror) The cast of 3 witches - Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy make this halloween themed movie a joy to watch. 3 of 5.
* The Innocents: (1961 - Horror, thriller / UK) Deborah Kerr is governess at a huge estate, where a slowly turning psychological thriller consumes the lives of her young charges. 4 of 5.
* Our Man Flint: (1966 - Action, adventure, comedy, fantasy, sci-fi) The movie that obviously spawned the entire 'Get Smart' television series. Silly, 60's spoof on the spy thriller genre. 2 of 5.
* Pickup on South Street: (1953 - Film-noir, thriller) Anti-communist spy thriller. When a pick-pocket picks a woman's purse he ends up involved in a deadly serious game of espionage. 4 of 5.
* Tropic Thunder: (2008 - Action, adventure, comedy, satire) Fantastic piece of hollywood parody. An explosive over-the-top spoof on hollywood block-busters. Gut busting funny. 5 out of 5.
* Wall-E: (2008 - Animation, adventure, comedy, family, sci-fi) Animation never looked this good. In the far-far future, one lonely little robot does all he can to heal Earthly wounds. 5 out of 5.
* The Conscientious Objector: (2004 - Documentary, war) The amazing true story of Desmond Doss. A WWII soldier who refused to kill the enemy, but won the Medal of Honor. 5 of 5.
* Welcome to Collinwood: (2002 - Comedy, crime, drama / US, Germany) Band of bumbling small-time crooks decides to pull-off a 'mediocre' heist. Fairly decent comedic drama. 3 of 5.
* Transsiberian: (2008 - Crime, drama, thriller / UK, Germany, Spain, Lithuania) If it hadn't been for the novel vehicle delivery - Trans-siberian rail journey, this thriller would be a flop. 4 of 5.
* Orgazmo: (1998 - Comedy, sci-fi) Trey Parker & Matt Stone in a movie about a naive young Mormon lured into the porn industry. Orgazmo & his sidekick Choda boy are hilarious. 5 of 5.
*** Mad Men - Season 1: (Episodes 1-3 (2007 - Drama)) Outstanding writing, acting and production value mark this show about the Madison Avenue Ad Men of the late 50s/early 60s. 4 of 5.
* Constantine's Sword: (2007 - Documentary, history) Based on a book. A thorough, fact filled examination/exploration of religious persecution by Christians. From past to present. 4 of 5.
* Killer Elite: (1975 - Drama, thriller, action) Directed by Sam Peckinpah. Group of freelance mercs operating in CONUS will work for whoever pays best - be it CIA or Foreign gov'ts. 3 of 5.
* Hancock: (2008 - Action, comedy, crime, drama) Will Smith stars as an immortal super powered drunk with an image problem. First half was good, second half sucked. Overall 2 out of 5.
* Shadow Dragon - The Ninja movie: (1984 - Action, home movie) A Thanksgiving Day tradition. A movie that my friends and I made back in the day. Home made mayhem. Outstanding 5 of 5.
* A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash: (2006 - Documentary / Switzerland) Somewhat one-sided, this movie did a fairly good job of illustrating the worlds dependency on oil. 3 out of 5.
* Kung Fu Panda: (2008 - Animation, action, comedy, family) Excellent family movie. Filled with furry, funny, kung-fu animals. Outstanding entertainment. Great writing/script. 4 out of 5.
* Elite Squad: (2007 - Action, drama, crime, thriller / Brazil) Directed by José Padilha. Explosive drama. Amazing movie about special police squad in Rio. Realistic, Violent, Non-Stop. 4 of 5.
* Double Indemnity: (1944 - Crime, film-noir, thriller, drama) Insurance salesman falls for the wrong dame, and ends up involved in a murder plot, love triangle, insurance scam. 5 out of 5.