* Into the Wild: (2007 - Adventure, biography, drama) Written and directed by Sean Penn, this true story is based on the novel (same name) by Jon Krakauer. Here is a grand adventure across America. From graduation to the great vast wilderness of Alaska. Upon graduating from college, Christopher McCandless (aka Christopher Supertramp) decided to give it all up for a simpler life. Abandoning most of his possessions, and donating his savings to charity freed him from the material bonds to his former life. Now he's embarking on a magnificent journey across America. A soul-searching series of encounters help tell the story of a man on a journey. With an ultimate goal of Alaska, Christopher treks about the western U.S. before heading out into the wild. Starring Emile Hirsch (looking just like a young Leonardo DiCaprio) and a small supporting cast, this movie is a wonderful, romantic, adventure. Featuring some awesome camera work, location shots, music and an excellent story. 5 out of 5.
* Son of Rambow: (2007 - Comedy, fantasy) The lighthearted fantastic adventure of Will Proudfoot. An imaginative boy growing up in England during the early 80's. Will's family is a bit conservative. So conservative, that they shelter him from the 'dangers' of the modern world. Prohibit the television, ban the movies, and disapprove of those ruffians at his school. When Will (Bill Milner) meets Lee Carter (Will Poulter) the school scoundrel, the two quickly become friends. Will is exposed to a whole new world of possibilities and his imagination jumps into overdrive. Soon they're making a movie together and having loads of fun. While Will is keeping things from the 'Bretheren', he's quickly becoming more and more popular at school. Eventually the social pressures and vanity of grade school personalities take their toll on both boys. It's a great buddy movie with some excellent acting (for the two young boys in the lead rolls). 4 of 5.
* Taxi to the Darkside: (2007 - Documentary) This documentary was Written and directed by Alex Gibney (Enron - The Smartest Men in the Room). It makes it's case by presenting this as a movie about one man's particular story. The story of Mr. Dilawar, an Afghani taxi driver. Mr. Dilawar was picked up by Afghani forces, turned over to the U.S. military, and shipped off to Bagram air base (North of Kabul, Afghanistan), where his torture/interrogation commenced. Occasionally the documentary returns to his case, but the film spends plenty of time discussing the root of the movie - Torture committed by U.S. Military and CIA personnel at the behest of our government. The movie returns to the story of Mr. Dilawar long enough to keep you interested in his personal plight. As the movie moves forward, we're subjected to first hand accounts of torture, confessions, candid interviews, shocking and explicit photos, and plenty of archive footage to support the story. One key piece of evidence is an official U.S. Army autopsy which lists Dilawar's cause of death as 'Homicide'. Killed by injuries inflicted by U.S. soldiers, this man is just one of the many innocent people subjected to the justice of George W. Bush's 'War on Terror'. When human rights, the geneva conventions, and all concept of 'war crimes' are thrown out the window, we have become a cruel and evil parody of justice. This movie does a good job of examining the policies and practices of our military in their 'interrogations' of suspected terrorists. Disturbing, disgusting and hopefully revealing to some. You cannot fix something if you don't know it's broken. If we ignore the realities shown in this movie, we risk the dissolution of all rights and the establishment of two venues of justice. One for the 'privileged' and another for those deemed 'Terrorist'. When punishment and torture rule the day, we lose the right and ability to govern. I give this documentary a 4 out of 5.
*** Heroes - Season 3: (Episodes 1-3 (2008 - 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 CBS 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. With the addition of 'Watch Instantly', I've even more flexibility to watch these shows whenever I want. The first season blew me away, and the follow-up was nearly as good. 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. A politician with the ability to fly. A Japanese cubicle worker with the power to bend space and time. A villain you can hate and many others with super powers. As these characters struggle in self discovery, a threat of devastation threatens our future. The third season contains more conspiracy theories, escaped super criminals, and visitors from the future. So far, I give season 3 a 3 out of 5. I like it, but it's no longer groundbreaking. From the first three episodes, I don't sense anything new in the show.
* This Film Is Not Yet Rated: (2006 - Documentary) A documentary about the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and it's ratings system. Written (in part) and directed by Kirby Dick. Featuring interviews, reenactments, and an investigative journey, this movie examines and seeks to expose the purpose of the MPAA ratings system. Who does it serve? What are it's goals? Who is the MPAA? This documentary paints a picture of extreme privacy, inconsistent practices, and a draconian society which effectively exercises a system of censorship upon the American film industry. Working from the outside, Kirby Dick attempts to reveal the hypocrisy of this self serving censorship organization. Excellent editing and direction mark this provocative documentary. 3 of 5.
* 30 Days of Night: (2007 - Horror, thriller) Directed by David Slade (Hard Candy), this movie didn't do it for me. Starring perfect people Josh Hartnett as the Sheriff and Melissa George as his spurned love interest/deputy. The premise is great. A town in the farthest reaches of Alaska is getting ready for 30 days of perpetual night. At the same time, a ship full of vampires has come ashore. What will happen when most the town-folk depart? Unfortunately, the premise was botched on terrible writing. The story was rife with plot holes. It was formulaic and highly predictable. The characters were cliched, cookie cutter copies of every hollywood stereotype available. I didn't care for the editing style. I was also a bit upset with the level of violence in this movie. The multiple beheadings by axe were completely unnecessary. There really wasn't much of a story. Just a bunch of scarred people running around trying to survive the super-powered, blood-thirsty vampires. The lighting was incredibly bright for a town without electricity or sunlight. Oh wait, that's another one of those plot holes. They cut the power to the city, without turning off the power plant? Why is there a pipeline right in the city? Didn't anyone try to contact the town during the 30 days? Why didn't someone come to see what was going on? Why would the planes stop flying for 30 days? Barrow has way more than 500 people. I thought the vampires were trying to not draw attention to themselves. Wouldn't the destruction of a town do that? Oh, wait somehow they will miraculously erase all evidence, while simultaneously making it look like an accident that killed everyone in town. Why don't the vampires freeze? O.k. I tried to look past many of the mythic inconsistencies, but I was still stymied by the glaring plot holes outside the realm of fantasy. No one tried to get out of town on a snow-mobile? Did the vampire advance team (one guy) sabotage everyone's snowmobile? What about cars, trucks, planes? The best part of the movie was the artificial language the Vampires spoke. I was hoping for a thinking movie, with an actual plot and some character development. Maybe a little subtlety, some suspense, a bit of mystery? All I got was a super gory action flick with bad writing. Crappy movie. 1 out of 5.
20* Jericho - Season 1: (Episodes 1-20 (2006 - 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. So far I give the series a 4 out of 5, but it's slipping. Some technical (editing), continuity, and factual errors are starting to creep into the series. IP addresses that aren't real (027.750.304.001), vehicles that appear then disappear, power outages that affect vehicular powered fire fighting pumps, EMP bursts that affect some devices but not others. etc...
* Charade: (1963 - Comedy, mystery, romance, thriller) Directed by Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Pajama Game, Funny Face, Damn Yankees), starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. This movie is a bit of an odd combination. A spy thriller with comedy and romance; very much in the Hicthcock tradition, but lacking in the stories foundation. The music (by Henry Mancini) was great. When Audrey Hepburn's husband (no love lost) dies, she finds herself the inheritor of his fortune, and unknowingly, she has also inherited some sort of mystery. When three sinister characters show up at the funeral, it's apparent that the late Mr. Lambert was involved in something shady. Will she turn to the CIA agent (played by Walter Mathau), or the helpful stranger (played by Cary Grant) to help her out of this fix? So much for that relaxing get-away in Switzerland. It's a romantic comedy, a crime caper, and a mystery involving a stole pile of loot, the CIA and some very shady characters. I enjoyed it, but found the pacing off slightly (too slow).The chemistry between Cary Grany and Audrey Hepburn wasn't all that great, but then he wasn't cast as a solid 'romantic interest', and Audrey Hepburn didn't fit well in her role as the witless young widow. 3 out of 5.
* Suburbia: (1984 - Drama, thriller) Written and directed by Penelope Spheeris (Wayne's World, Black Sheep, Senseless). Surely this movie ended up in my queue because I enjoy(ed) some of the movies she's directed, and Roger Corman produced the movie. The difference here is the writing/story. This one is an original one by Penelope Spheeris. This review doesn't include a rating, because I didn't finish the movie. Why not? Well, in particular, I dislike films which feature violent motifs as a central element of the movie. I don't like movies where the violence is intentionally illustrated center stage, as if it were the star of the scene or the movie. I don't have a problem when the violence is implied or coincidental to the telling of the story. It's not a problem when the violence is relatively non-realistic, i.e. artistic. This movie was a showcase of violence in different forms. Rarely do I select a movie when I know up front that violence is a centerpiece to the movie. Reminding me very much of 'Gummo', this movie was a 'red-letter' illustration of violence in many forms. So much so that I started taking notes. In the first ten minutes of the film I noted the following violent scenes/acts: Teen runaway hitchhiking at night; A tire blow-out at high speed; A toddler attacked and mauled by a snarling black Doberman pincer; An alcoholic mother verbally and physically abuses a child; A child trapped in the home of a violent alcoholic parent; Mental/emotional abuse - accusations and blame; Teen/Underage drinking; A small child watching extremely violent television programming; A small child playing with a realistic looking 'play' gun; Depictions of repetitive behavior symptoms; Loud clacking noises; Another teen runaway incidence; Songs by a Punk band including lyrics which condone suicide - 'Richard hung himself', 'Death, the final high'; Behavior/dialog demeaning to women - 'I think I'd like to f*ck your brains out.'; Violent 'pseudo rape' scene where a crowd of slam-dancing punkers rip the clothes off a female bystander (apparently a teen) and molest her; Scenes with screaming - Yeah the movie was a smorgasbord of violence and I couldn't take any more. Aside form the ultra-violent aspects of the film, I found the sound editing and production horrid, the acting was very bad, and the lighting was poorly done. After 10 minutes, I stopped watching it. My advice - Avoid it, unless you're a socially maladjusted sicko who enjoys the depiction of violent acts.
* The Cowboys: (1972 - Drama, western) Directed by Mark Rydell. Starring John Wayne as the aging rancher, individualist and throwback to an earlier era. Starring Roscoe Lee Browne as the wise former slave, chuck wagon master. And finally, Bruce Dern as the opportunist, outlaw, and nemesis to Wayne. When all his ranch hands decide to try their luck on the latest gold rush, Wil Anderson (played by John Wayne) is left short handed in his cattle drive. With nowhere left to turn, he raids the local school-house; enticing a group of young boys to hire on as cattle drivers. With a tearful goodbye from the parents, these children happily embark upon the great adventure that lays ahead. The opening scene is an excellent landscape of cinematography. With faded colors and slightly slower than real time movement, it feels like a pair of faded levis. Unfortunately, the opening cinematography isn't carried through to the rest of the movie. Acting as a stand in is the location. Filmed on location in Colorado and New Mexico, it's a slightly less painful way to let you down. The score was another one of the better things about the movie. John Wayne performed as well as expected, and what's not to like with the child actors? They're charming and unpretentious. What these boys can't learn in the class room, they learn on the trail. Growing up quickly, we see them mature as the movie grows darker. Shortly after the stalking cattle thieves appear we're shocked by scenes of pre-teen boys shooting and killing the rustlers. It's a very disturbing scene, and resulted in a grade reduction that I wish I could have avoided. 4 out of 5.
14* The Office - Season 4: (Episodes 1-14 (2007 - Comedy, Drama)) The U.S. version of a BBC original. 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 CBS 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. And now, thanks to my Roku player, I can watch these episodes (and many others) any time - no waiting for disc delivery. Just grab the remote and select a show! Like it's British progenitor, this show is a serial comedy, a mockumentary featuring a crazy cast of characters who work at a company which supplies paper and paper products to small businesses. Unlike the original, we're never given any reason for the cameras that film these office workers. The omnipresent and voyeuristic presence of the cameras can be a bit distracting, but it's something most audiences dismiss with little effort. A totally dysfunctional social climate constitutes the stage where this drama takes place. The characters are absolutely fantastic, but unlike the British series there's no mistaking these actors with the characters they portray. The writing is witty, biting, funny, but far more fantastic than anything I could imagine in the real world. Taking every office anecdote, and extending it to a ridiculous conclusion, I'm continually bowled over by the unbelievably funny antics of this totally dysfunctional crop of cubical workers. This show supplies me something I definitely need. - An escape from the ills of my real job. Maintaining a fine line between sarcasm, humor, and office satire, this show manages to charm, amuse, and knock me over with it's irreverent humor. 5 out of 5.
* Kiss Daddy Goodnight: (1988 - Drama, romance, thriller) Starring Uma Thurman, Paul Richards, Paul Dillon and in a very small role - Steve Buscemi. I purchased this movie at Wal-Mart for $1.00. I bought it because of the prominent feature of Steve Buscemi's name. Little did I know that he's only in the film for 10 minutes (if that). Extremely poor production (sound, lighting, camera work) mars this already poorly written movie. Most of the scenes are shot at night in dark rooms, with little or no lighting. I think they only had one microphone on set (throughout the movie), and the poor editing causes the pacing to lag throughout. Laura (played by Uma Thurman) is a bit of an enigma. She seems to be a run-away, working in New York city as a stripper, but we can't be quite sure, because she's never shown in the buff (likely due to her age). When she's not doing her show, she's playing a dangerous 'rope-a-dope' game. Disguised in various costumes, dressed to seduce, she lures wealthy men with her youthful appearance (She 18 (or 17?) when the movie was filmed, but looked younger) and the insinuation of sex. Once she gets the guys alone, she drugs them and rips them off. Two other men occupy the story and interact with the innocent yet sinister Laura. Paul Richards plays a creepy 'Daddy' character. An older admirer, who sees his daughter in Laura and stalks her like some twisted pervert. Finally there's Paul Dillon playing Sid, the enigmatic down on his luck friend. He's down on his luck and looking to restart his life. Laura offers him a place to stay if he can find a job. The story never really goes anywhere, and the climax is anything but. FYI - Steve Buscemi is not a co-star in this movie. He's featured in one scene as the friend of sid. Despite his minimal role, his acting was easily the best in the movie. This movie gets a 1 out of 5. Thankfully, I only paid a buck for it.
* The Prisoner or - How I tried to Kill Tony Blair: (2006 - Documentary) Co-written and directed by Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker this is another political documentary that focuses on one very small episode in America's 'War on Terror'. In 2003, the U.S. military 'Captured' Yunis Abbas, an Iraqi journalist. He was 'obviously' a dangerous man. With an extremely tenuous (although never divulged) link to a purported assassination attempt on Tony Blair, Mr. Abbas was transferred to Abu Ghraib, interrogated and subjected to inhumane treatment. As Mr. Abbas tells his story, the movie punctuates the drama with some well done illustrations, Footage of Iraq and home videos. In the end it appears that Mr. Abbas and his brothers were imprisoned for several years (Abbas was imprisoned from '98 - '03) for no reason whatsoever. Just another example of how things have gotten completely out of control. Without oversight, accountability, or anyone willing to say 'No', our military is quickly becoming a hazard to everyone they encounter. If this sort of thing happened to an American, we'd be completely enraged! Haunting, compelling and disturbing, this documentary doesn't attempt to persuade, it simply tells a rather sad tale of one's man's encounter with American liberation. 3 out of 5.
* Unprecedented - The 2000 Presidential Election: (2002 - Documentary) With the 2008 elections (The U.S. Presidential elections) less than a month away, I selected a movie to remind me of how vulnerable the system really is. I remember the 2000 election like it was yesterday. The smell of despair, deception, and massive media manipulation. Granted, this movie (by Richard Ray Perez and Joan Sekler) represents a biased point of view, and there are those who use that fact alone to discredit it. In truth, this documentary contains an overwhelming, convincing mountain of evidence to support it's point of view. The 2000 election was stolen. Why would I watch such a biased documentary? Well - none of this material, none of this evidence, this dissenting point of view, gets any airplay on the 'mainstream' television networks, and I for one think that we need this dissent. America needs to see the other side of the coin. Unfortunately, in today's climate of vitriol and reactionary politics, you have to turn to radio, the internet, or a documentary in order to hear that dissenting voice. This documentary did an excellent job of making it's point. With a well constructed timeline, excellent pacing and a moderate temperament (Peter Coyote narrates), the films authors deconstruct the rhetoric surrounding that highly contested election. Using investigative reporting techniques, it asks the important questions and presents a wide array of factual evidence. Using news footage, and interviews, it presents a clear and convincing case. If your perceptions of that election were formed primarily by the mainstream media, I urge you to watch this revealing documentary. Was this election rigged? How did both parties respond? Who did what? How vulnerable is our current election system? With our nation on the verge of another presidential election, can you be certain that the American public really decides who will be president? A very important movie - A powerful and damning documentary - Powerful because it simply states facts, and those facts speak for themselves. Unfortunately, the movie gave very little time to the opposing point of view. The films authors should have presented an opposition response to the allegations and accusations. I honestly think that affording that opportunity, within the context of this movie, would have led more credence to the author's point of view. 4 out of 5.
* Jekyll & Hyde... Together Again: (1982 - Comedy, sci-fi) A recommendation from a good friend. Another version of Robert Lewis Stevenson's novel. In this twist, the classic horror flick is turned upside down. Transformed into a comedy - Filled with raunchy humor, sexual innuendo, and plenty of slapstick pratfalls. Jerry Belson directs this huge spoof on the classic film. Starring Mark Blankfield (Jekyll and Hyde), Bess Armstrong, Krista Errickson, Tim Thomerson, Michael McGuire and many others. Dr. Daniel Jekyll is a well respected surgeon who withdraws from his practice to pursue research. In his attempts to unleash man's primal instincts, he discovers a new drug (which must be snorted like cocaine) which transforms him into a sex crazed party animal. Hyde makes the acquaintance of Ivy, and together they 'Rock' the town. A laugh a minute, many of the jokes fall flat, but thanks to Mark Blankfield, this movie manages to make me laugh. The jokes are juvenile examples of adolescent eroticism, but they're well written..
              Jekyll and Hyde: [as Hyde] I'm a drug crazed beast with a giant erection that won't go away no matter how many times I do it. You're a nurse; what can you give me for it?
              Nurse with Telegram: I can give you sixty dollars and my wedding ring.
              Jekyll and Hyde: Bus fare! I need big money for drugs!
If you can manage to stop cringing long enough to grin, you'll realize that this incredibly bad movie is actually very funny. If I had seen this when I was much younger, I would have loved it. I rate it 3 out of 5.
* The Longest Yard: (1974 - Comedy, crime, drama, sport) Directed by Robert Aldrich (The Dirty Dozen), starring Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, Ed Lauter, James Hampton, Bernadette Peters (in a very small role), and others. Here's the original remade in 2005 with Adam Sandler in the lead role. I rated the remake 2 out of 5, but this one is much better. The story is a comedy about a washed-up former NFL quarterback who's finally had enough. After a drunk driving chase with law enforcement, Paul 'Wrecking' Crewe is sent to prison where he's forced to put together a inmate football team. Burt Reynolds was in top form as the back-talking inmate, and the pacing was perfect. When the inmates are pitted against the warden's prized prison guard team, things get a bit out of control. There's some subtle social commentary about the penal system, commercialism, and self respect, but it's the climactic football game that holds the focus in this movie. 3 out of 5.
* Death Trap: (1982 - Comedy, crime, mystery, thriller) Directed by Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, The Hill, The Pawnbroker, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, The Morning After), this movie is based upon a play by Ira Levin. Starring Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve, Dyan Cannon, Irene Worth and others. A twisted mystery of deception, love, murder and two authors. The story - Sidney, a has-been playwright (Played by Michael Caine) stages the murder of an aspiring fan (Clifford - Played by Christopher Reeve). The results so shock his wife, that she dies from the strain. What follows is an even more convoluted affair. While this movie would certainly make for an excellent play (and it has/does), I found it predictable and very 'stage like' in its execution. The best plays made into movies are those where you can't tell that it was a play. Far too much dialog and some mediocre acting detracted from this fine work. 3 out of 5.
* Pu-239 - The Half Life of Timofey Berezin: (2006 - Drama) Adaptation of a short story (Pu-239) by Ken Kalfus. Written and directed by Scott Z. Burns. Starring Paddy Considine, Radha Mitchell, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and others. The story. Timofey (Played by Paddy Considine) does his best to stave off a nuclear meltdown at a Russian Nuclear power plant. In his attempt, he exposes himself to a lethal dose of radiation. In the 'investigation' that follows, he's blamed for the accident and asked to sign a 'confession'. With the few days he has left, he does the only thing he can think of in order to secure a financial future for his family. He steals some plutonium and tries to sell it on the black market. In his attempt to sell the Pu-239, he finds an unlikely ally in the form of a low-level Russian thug (Player by Nikolaj Lie Kaas). Violent, gritty, dark and depressing, this drama has a cutting edge of danger and a mix of reality in the wild-west of Moscow 'post' Glasnost. The ending is ironic, fitting and darkly dramatic. Excellent acting, directing and camera work mark this well produced (HBO made for TV) first effort by Scott Z. Burns. Looking forward to more work by this talented writer/director. 4 out of 5.
* Ben-Hur: (1959 - Action, adventure, drama, romance) Directed by William Wyler this epic movie is based on a novel by Lew Wallace. It's also a remake. The original black and white version was released in 1925. I've added that version to my NetFlix, but it's hard to imagine that it might be better than this version. Starring Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur, Jack Hawkins as Quintus Arrius and Haya Harareet as Esther. Ben Hur is a Jewish prince living under the rule of Romans in early 1st century Jerusalem. When his childhood friend (Messala - played by Jack Hawkins) arrives as commander of a Roman legion, the two are initially friendly. Soon their differing politics set them on opposite sides in Rome's plans for Jerusalem. When the new governor arrives, a roof tile falls from Judah Ben-Hur's home. Striking the governor, Messala uses the incident as an excuse to remove his former friend from the scene. A powerful former prince is the last thing he needs in his efforts to pacify the province. Messala knows they're not 'guilty', but he sends Judah to the galleys and imprisons his mother and sister in a dungeon. In a fateful confrontation, Judah swears that he will return for his revenge. Intertwined with the story of Judah is the story of Jesus, who influences Judah in a few key scenes. This magnificent epic took some time to watch (it's more than three hours long), but it was well worth it. The movie captured 11 Oscars in 1960, and I rate it a 5 out of 5.
* Marty: (1955 - Drama, romance) Directed by Delbert Mann (All quiet on the Western Front, The Last Days of Patton, Night Crossing), this movie was written by Paddy Chayefsky (Wrote Altered States, Network) and it starred Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair. It's a rather simple story - Marty (Played by Ernest Borgnine) is a 34 year old, single, Italian, butcher, living with his mother in New York city. He's got something of a problem. With middle-age approaching, and an uncertain future, Marty longs for a life-mate but laments his fate and the pressure of his friends and family. Despite his lack of confidence, he visits a local dance hall and happens upon a plain looking school teacher in search of the same thing. It's a romance story for everyone who isn't perfect. For those who lack the confidence, charm and wit of a Brad Pitt. While Ernest Borgnine's acting was great, the rest of the cast was luke warm at best. The writing was pretty good, but the direction lacked, and I'm not sure why this movie won four Oscars (including best movie) in 1956. I give it a 3 out of 5.
* Eolomea: (1972 - Sci-fi, drama / East Germany, Soviet Union, Bulgaria) This 70's sci-fi movie is an obvious attempt to capitalize on the success of 2001 - A Space Odyssey (1968) by Stanley Kubrick. There are many similarities in style and artistic direction. The story - In an undisclosed future, nine spacecraft from space station Margot go missing in a very short period of time. The bureaucrats at Earth's Mission Control call a halt to all space exploration until they can figure out what's happening. Their investigation soon turns toward some sort of conspiracy from within. Starring a group of Eastern European actors, the acting was o.k. Despite the obviously low budget production, the special effects weren't all that bad. The 70's tinged psychedelic colored gel pastel shots, and highly dated costumes were a bit anachronistic. Thankfully, the film lacked any overt Soviet era propaganda slant. The pacing was atrocious, and the robot (Named - No. 0/560) ridiculous. If it hadn't been for the thoughtful script, this one would have rated much lower. 3 out of 5.
* Resident Evil - Extinction: (2007 - Action, horror, sci-fi, thriller) The third installment of movies based on the video game (Resident Evil). Once again, there's very little horror in this movie. It's mostly an action flick. Full of explosions. Hot chicks and dudes. In this installment we're given a bit more plausibility in the indestructible nature of the main character. Speaking of 'babe-a-licious'. The main character is played by (once again) by Milla Jovovich. This time around she's a loner teamed up with roving heroes (led by Ali Larter playing Claire Redfield) in a quest to do away with those pesky scientists. For some reason, they're continuing to screw things up, and it seems as if she's the only one willing to put a stop to their insane ideas. The plot remains a bit preposterous, and I won't spoil it here. What I will say is this. It's predictable, a bit pedantic and less than believable. The only bright spot was Milla Jovovich wearing a skimpy outfit. 2 out of 5.
* War, Inc.: (2008 - Action, comedy) Director Joshua Seftel has done two things other than this movie. An episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and a documentary about the Kennedys. That's it. The writers are equally inexperienced. Despite these apparent problems, the movie was able to draw a cast consisting of John Cusack, Hilary Duff, Marisa Tomei, Joan Cusack, Dan Aykroyd, Sergej Trifunovic, Ned Bellamy, John McLaughlin, Montel Williams, Ben Kingsley and others. This satirical comedy was a real stinker. Part comedy, part political stab at the current administration, and our current state of affairs. John Cusack plays a professional hit man, hired to assassinate an industrial enemy of America. Traveling to Turaqistan, Cusack pretends to be the producer in a U.S. sponsored trade show, in order to get close to his Middle East oil minister target. In the mean time, he's distracted by a couple of female characters - The oversexed pop-star Yonica Babyyeah (played by Hilary Duff) and the obnoxious left-leaning journalist (played by Marisah Tomei). The characters are over the top stereotypes, and the acting is 'bad on purpose?' I'm not sure whether it was just bad acting, or bad acting on purpose... In either case, it was disappointing. The plot was sloppy, meandering, and preposterous. The best parts of this movie were the music by the late Joe Strummer (formerly of the Clash), the fight scene choreography and photography, and finally the voice of Montel Williams as a car navigation system/operator. 2 out of 5.
* Mongol: (2007 - Biography, drama, romance, war / Germany, Kazakhstan, Russia) Directed, and written (in part) by Sergei Bodrov. This movie stars a cast of relative unknowns (to me/American audiences), but I was impressed by the acting. While the movie had something of a documentary feel to it, it worked very well as a dramatic biography. The story of Genghis Khan (aka Temüjin) takes place in 12th century Mongolia. On the windswept steppes of Eastern Asia, the story follows a young boy of 9 years old, as he endures the hardships of a nomadic lifestyle. When his father is killed by a rival, Temüjin learns that life is brutal for those who would rule. As the boy becomes a man, there are two constants in his life - The love of his life, Börte; chosen at an early age as his betrothed, she becomes the embodiment of his kinder side. - His indomitable will to survive and prosper despite the hardships of his life. This is the first of a trilogy, and I'm looking forward to the other two movies. Excellent direction, acting, pacing and camera work. 4 out of 5
* Saving Silverman: (2001 - Comedy) Saw this movie on the TV, while Kim and I were on vacation in Colorado Springs. This movie is very funny. Starring Steve Zahn, Jack Black, Jason Biggs, Amanda Peet, Amanda Detmer, R. Lee Ermey and Neil Diamond. When their best friend (Jason Biggs) becomes infatuated with an overbearing, self-absorbed woman (Amanda Peet), they (Steve Zahn and Jack Black) team up to kidnap the evil fiance, switch the love focus to the recently returned high-school heart-throb (Amanda Detmer), and stave off a life of purgatory for their best-bud. The results are hilarious. The energy level of this movie is outstanding, and the performances are great. A wonderful cast, and excellent directing make for a movie that kept me laughing all the way through, despite the very hollywood setups. 5 out of 5.
* School of Rock: (2003 - Comedy, music, family) Directed by Richard Linklater, and starring Jack Black, Joan Cusack and a bunch of child actors. This movie was very funny. O.k. I admit I liked it. The target audience was kids, right? How come I liked it so much? Out of work Dewey Finn (played by Jack Black) pretends to be his room mate in order to land a gig as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. During his stint as a substitute he does his best to teach a class full of kids the finer aspects of Rock 'n Roll. Things are going great until the deception catches up with him. When Jack Black stops trying and goes with the flow, he does a lot better than when he's trying to be something he's not. He bombed in Envy, he was excellent in High fidelity, and he rocked in School of Rock. A movie with a great message, and a cast of kids that were fantastic. 4 out of 5.
* The Hustler: (1961 - Drama, romance, sport) Written in part, and directed by Robert Rossen. This academy award winning movie starred Paul Newman (as 'Fast' Eddie Felson), Jackie Gleason (as Minnesota Fats), Piper Laurie (as Sarah Packard) and George C. Scott (as Bert Gordon). Paul Newman is outstanding in this movie, as are Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott and many of the others featured in this incredibly well written movie. Filmed in black and white, the movie is set in the late 30's, early 40's. Most of the photography is done on location in a real pool hall, and the lighting was magnificent. Combining the locations, lighting, outstanding set decoration and perfect photography created an absolute sense of reality, authenticity and undeniable sense of being 'in the moment'. The story is that of 'Fast' Eddie Felson, a man obsessed with perfection in the form of a queue ball. He's a classic pool hall hustler. A man with something to prove. An ambitious but self-destructive schemer, who must learn through his mistakes. He challenges the legendary 'Minnesota Fats' to a high stakes match, but loses it all when his arrogance makes it impossible to back down when circumstances indicate otherwise. Only after he's defeated himself, and hit rock bottom does he learn the truth of his own flaws, his self-defeating tendencies. That's when his journey back to the top begins. An excellent movie, an instant classic, a wonderful example of American ethics and struggle. 5 out of 5.
4* Twin Peaks - Season 2 (Disc 5 - Episodes 23 - 26 (1990-91 - Crime, drama, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, sci-fi, thriller)) A television series, which ran from 1990 - 1991. This show (created principally by David Lynch (one of my favorites (Dune, Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet) and David Frost (Known primarily for witting television shows)), is a landmark effort in the sea of television series. Despite it's abbreviated seasons (only 29 shows), it marked a new era in network television shows. Here was adult drama, hollywood quality production, brought to the small screen. I'm watching the second season now. Filled with dramatic mystery, moody, quirky characters, and some fantastic locations. This twisted series not only told a tale of rich, deep engrossing mystery, it introduced us to an alternate world of mind bending possibilities. Television could be rewarding, rich and engrossing. Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Richard Beymer, Sherilyn Fenn, Lara Flynn Boyle, Michael Ontkean and many others. Disc 5 contains four episodes of exciting, unusual entertainment. In these episodes are some personal stories. While the story of Windham Earle is beginning to develop, the writing has clearly turned inward. These episodes focus more on the characters of the series than they do on any overarching threat. 4 out of 5.
* Iron Man: (2008 - Action, adventure, drama, sci-fi, thriller) Another comic book adaptation. Thankfully, this one is done right. Directed by Jon Favreau (Swingers, The Replacements, Elf) and starring Robert Downey Jr. (as Tony Stark/Iron Man), Terrence Howard (as Rhodey/The General), Jeff Bridges (as Obadiah Stane), Gwyneth Paltrow (as Pepper Potts) and others. Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Bridges were excellent. Utterly convincing in their roles. The character portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. was fantastic. I really enjoyed the slightly annoying, imperfect, self-absorbed anti-hero aspects of Tony Stark, and Robert Downey Jr. was a casting coup in that regard. Given his personality, I got the feeling that he was Tony Stark. Terrence Howard was unbelievable in his military role, and Gwyneth Paltrow was so-so. The story - Capitalist, billionaire, playboy, inventor, self-made man - Tony Stark is kidnapped after demonstrating the 'Jericho' to an audience of U.S. military procurement personnel in Afghanistan. During the violent abduction, Stark is wounded but survives. Forced to build the 'Jericho' for his abductors, Stark deceives the dimwitted terrorists and builds a suit of powered armor instead. After affecting his escape, he learns the truth behind his kidnapping and the sales of weapons in Afghanistan. He then builds a new suit and sets off on a career of crime fighting, starting with those who sought to use and assassinate him. Excellent movie. Great sound track, and a level of visual detail beyond anything I've seen in a long time. The cgi/screen effects were superbly executed - utterly convincing. A great summer blockbuster escape. In my opinion, it was much better than the recent Batman release (The Dark Knight). The only let down was the soundtrack. It was good, but the trailers left me anticipating something better. Be sure to sit through the credits for the extra scene. 5 out of 5.
* Lone Star: (1996 - Crime, drama, mystery, western) Written and directed by John Sayles, this movie starred Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Matthew McConaughey, Kris Kristofferson, Chandra Wilson and others in a western film noir movie. A mysterious, crime, drama, with excellent character development and solid acting. The story is so rich it feels like it was based on true events, but as far as I could tell (after some internet searches), it was all fiction. The rich characters and well researched background contributes to a story that is 100% believable. I didn't grow up in Texas, and I've only been there a few times, but I really got the feeling that this movie accurately depicted the people, the land, the traditions, and the prejudices. The movie (takes place in South Texas in the late 90s) opens when a couple of treasure hunters uncover the remains of a former Texas lawman. When Sheriff Sam Deeds (played by Chris Cooper) begins his investigation, he really has no idea that he's about to tear away the scar tissue surrounding the deep dark secrets of Rio County. The pain doesn't end there though. Despite the fact that this crime occurred 40 years ago, it manages to affect Sam and several other characters in the film on a deep and personal level. Mix in some romantic involvements, family conflicts, personal growth, and you've got an outstanding drama. The characters are well developed, intricately related and well acted (I particularly enjoyed the minimalist acting and sparse dialogue). I think this was one of Chris Coopers best performances ever. The director makes great use of flash-back scenes to tell a story that spans 40 years, and the complex plot lines slowly pull together as the film reaches towards a shocking revelation. The only weakness in this movie was less than stellar acting on behalf of some supporting cast members (especially the opening sequence) and pacing which dragged a bit. 4 out of 5.