* Citizen X: (1995 - Crime, drama, thriller) Screen play (co-written) and direction by Chris Gerolmo. The movie stars Stephen Rea (as the murder investigator), Donald Sutherland (as the military supervisor), Max Von Sydow (as the psychiatrist) and Jeffery DeMunn (as the murderer). This movie is the fictionalized account of a Ukrainian serial killer (Andrei Chikatilo (Butcher of Rostov, The Red Ripper or The Rostov Ripper.)), convicted of killing 52 women and children between 1978 - 1990. The movie is a forensics based, crime thriller set in Soviet Russia. Spanning several years, the really frightening part of this movie is the fact that the soviet authorities - bureaucrats, incapable of initiative, unwilling to take risks and blinded to the horrifying truth - are just as responsible for the murders as the killer himself. The movie moves along at a somewhat slow pace. A pace designed to emulate the speed of Soviet justice. The acting by Jeffery DeMunn (as Andrei Chikatilo) and Stephen Rea (the investigator) was excellent. The story tells two stories - The manhunt for a prolific serial murderer, and social commentary on the destructive power of a decaying socialist state. 4 out of 5.
* Tell No One: (2006 - Crime, drama, mystery, thriller / France - Ne le dis à personne) Written and directed by Guillaume Canet (Joyeux Noel). Starring a cast of excellent French actors. The story is a convoluted crime drama. Starting with a brutal and senseless murder, the primary character (Alexandre Beck (played by François Cluzet)) is the prime suspect, but the police can't figure out why this mild mannered pediatrician might murder his own wife. As the story progresses, the past resurfaces in the form of two dead bodies, a mysterious message from the past, and a photo of his dead wife - now alive! A suspenseful thriller, full of puzzling twists and turns and a bit of action. While the story gets a bit convoluted at points, the acting, pacing and directing were wonderful. An excellent murder mystery. 4 out of 5.
* Badlands: (1973 - Adventure, crime, drama, romance, thriller) Written and directed by Terrence Malick. This movie stars Sissy Spacek (at 23 she plays a 15 year old), Martin Sheen (at 33 he plays a 19 year old), Warren Oates and others. It's a dramatic work of fiction, based on the real-life murderer Charles Starkweather. It's the late 50's, and Kit Carruthers (aka Starkweather played by Martin Sheen) is working in a nowhere job (garbage man) in a nowhere town (Fort Dupree, SD). On a hot summer day in 1957, Kit hooks up with Holly Sargis (aka Caril-Ann Fugate played by Sissy Spacek), an underage girl intrigued with her first romance. Holly's dad doesn't approve and that triggers a bloody killing spree at the hands of Kit. The two go on the run, and this film follows them across the blood soaked plains of the Badlands. The acting was quite good, and the cinematography excellent, but the pacing was a bit slow. 3 out of 5.
* Columbus Day: (2008 - Crime, drama, thriller) Written and directed by Charles Burmeister, this movie stars Val Kilmer as a fast talking crook with a dysfunctional family life and Bobb'e J. Thompson, the unexpected character. The movie opens when Val Kilmer's character (John Cologne) rips off a crime boss, and goes into negotiations mode. Hiding out in a city park, John uses a land-line and cell-phone to navigate some very delicate negotiations. One set of negotiations is focused on a trade. Stolen goods for cash. The other set of negotiations is a series of apologies, promises and pleading, designed to mend the broken promises of his family life. The location of the story is a excellent focal point for the movie. A park near a harbor, crowded with people, kids at play and various sub-plot hooks. The character development is poorly handled, and the characters are highly cliched stereotypes. It's a thriller/drama which seeks to tell a tale of family values, but fails in execution. The writing and direction were o.k. - Nothing spectacular. The acting mediocre to poor. The best part of the movie was the centralized physical location. I didn't car for it. 2 out of 5.
* Batman - The Movie: (1966 - Action, adventure, comedy, crime, family) Starring Adam West as Batman / Bruce Wayne, Burt Ward as Robin / Dick Grayson, Lee Meriwether as The Catwoman / Kitka, Cesar Romero as The Joker, Burgess Meredith as The Penguin, Frank Gorshin as The Riddler. Here are all the original characters and actors from the original t.v. series. This production is just as campy as the original t.v. series, and that's the thing that moves this movie just out of the 'god awful' category. When all the bad guys get together, they concoct a plan to control the entire world! There's only only hitch in their evil scheme - Batman and Robin. Before theses villains can move ahead, they have to deal with the dynamic duo. The plot is completely preposterous - They dehydrate members of the U.N. security council and hold them hostage until the world's leaders agree to let them rule? The movie features some rather fantastic props - A penguin'esque submarine, exploding sharks, dehydrated pirates, polaris missiles and more! The acting is extremely bad, and the writing atrocious. Fortunately, the 'Bat - Shark repellent' makes up for most of the groans elicited from the poor acting and direction. Filled with 'in episode' jokes, anecdotes, and ridiculous effects, I couldn't help but smile and laugh out loud on several occasions. 3 out of 5.
* Uncounted - The New Math of American Elections: (2008 - Documentary) Filmmaker David Earnhardt has created a revealing documentary which examines the election process in America. Evidence of fraud is everywhere and the numbers just don't add up. Candid interviews with election officials, statisticians, computer programmers, etc. Clear demonstrations of how easy it is to 'game' the U.S. electoral system. Good discussions about the use and vulnerabilities of - electronic voting machines. One of the things I really liked about this documentary? For each fact and statistic noted, they provide the source. Telling you up-front where the information comes from. This documentary also goes into two recent presidential elections (2000, 2004, 2006), examining the scandals and election fraud surrounding those elections. How long should someone have to wait in line to cast their ballot? 4 out of 5.
* Shaolin Soccer: (2001 - Action, comedy, sport / China (Hong Kong) - Siu lam juk kau) Written, directed by, and starring Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle). Here is a tour-de-force movie from a very talented man. Less polished than Kung Fu Hustle, and less western in its flavor, this movie was very good. The story - A down on his luck soccer player is spurned by his coach after working as a janitor for many years. Leaving his regrets behind, he forms his own team to compete in a million dollar ($?) soccer tournament. The new coach assembles a rag-tag band of soccer players with raw talent but no skill. With these misfits, he forges a team capable of beating any competitors. Their Kung-Fu soccer is unstoppable! When they go up against 'Team Evil' it's a Kung-Fu Soccer Spectacular! Great action, direction, acting, effects and music. The subtitles were a bit lacking and the camera work wasn't the best, but this movie was energetic, comedic, and entertaining throughout. 4 out of 5.
* Beneath the Planet of the Apes: (1970 - Action, sci-fi, drama) Here is the sequel to a smash hit - Planet of the Apes (I own it - 5 out of 5). Directed by Ted Post (Hang 'Em High, Go Tell The Spartans (not the comedy), Magnum Force). Starring James Franciscus as Brent (a human astronaut), Charlton Heston as Taylor (in a very small role) and others. This movie picks up just where the original left off. On a lonely stretch of beach in the very far future (What year was it? 3978, 3955?). Taylor and Nova are leaving the apes behind, heading off into the 'Forbidden Zone'. Another space ship has crashed on this future earth. It's surviving crew member - Brent - searches for Taylor. Brent hooks up with Nova and the search is on. Soon the pair discover a group of mutant humans dwelling under the surface. As the apes prepare to attack these mutant humans, the threat of their gods retribution could be total annihilation at the hands of a nuclear bomb! The writing was a mixed bag. No where as good as the first, but it did contain several unique elements. Unfortunately, it seems as if some scenes were patched in afterward. The acting talent was missing as well. The direction was o.k., but their were some problems with production work. The underground sets were great, but the costume work was shoddy. 3 out of 5.
* Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters: (2007 - Animation, action, adventure, comedy, fantasy, mystery, sci-fi) Written and directed by Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis. Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad - These three fast food characters form the members of the 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force' a wise cracking, smack talking set if super-sized super heroes? In this day and age, every television show must become a movie to remain relavent....? As for the plot. Well, your guess is as good as mine. WTF! I'm not a regular watcher of this 'show', but I do know the characters. They were humorous, witty, and crass - Spouting smart and potent dialogue. Back to the plot - if it could be called that. Something about a mystical, alien manufactured exercise machine. A group of evil-doers trying to conquer the world through the use of time travel and body-transfer? The story is some sort of nightmare ripped from the scatological meanderings of some twisted teen with ADD. Sex, violence, profanity and mostly - Boredom!. The first ten minutes of the movie were o.k. After that it went down hill quickly. The best part of the movie? The heavy metal sound-track. These two should stick to there 'niche' and spare the rest of humanity the inanity of there insanity. ATHF is best viewed in 20 minute episodes. Anything more than that could damage your psyche. As a movie, I give it a 1 out of 5.
* Escape from the Planet of the Apes: (1971 - Action, sci-fi, drama) The third installment of the Planet of the Apes series. Starring Roddy McDowall (as Cornelius), Kim Hunter (as Dr. Zira), Ricardo Montalban (as Armando), and others. The story - Cornelius, Zira and Milo travel back in time by repairing one of the space ships used by the humans. They land in 20th century LA. At first they're treated as oddities, then celebrities, then the president's science advisor raises the the twin specters of suspicion and fear! So tell us again.. In the future, Apes will conquer man? and man will be the slaves? Let the interrogations and experiments begin. What about their baby? Zira is pregnant! Will these two apes become the progenitors of these intelligent apes that eventually overthrow man's dominance? It's an excellent time travel movie. Filled with social commentary, drama, and sci-fi action. While this movie lacked the power of the original film, the acting was far better than that of the second movie. Some plot holes remain, but the movie remained engaging throughout. I give it a 4 out of 5.
* Howard Zinn - You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: (2004 - Documentary) Two directors - Deb Ellis and Denis Mueller, use Matt Damon's narration to pay tribute to a social activist. Howard Zinn has been a historian, activist, progressive, advocate for peaceful change from the civil rights era through today's conflicts in the middle east. The documentary used archival material, many interviews, and commentary from Zinn himself to tell the story of Howard Zinn. The documentary was very well done, but at times it seemed a bit too self-agrandizing. Howard Zinn may be a great man, but do we really need a documentary about his awesomeness? 3 out of 5.
* A Tale of Two Sisters: (2003 - Horror, drama, mystery, thriller / South Korea - Janghwa, Hongryeon) Screenplay and direction by Ji-woon Kim. This film stars four people. Kap-su Kim (as the Father), Jung-ah Yum (as the Stepmother), Su-jeong Lim (as Bae Soo-mi) and Geun-Young Moon (as Bae Soo-yeon). After spending time in a mental institution, two sisters return to the home of their father and stepmother. The entire movie takes place in an isolated setting. A cabin/resort home in the wilderness, and this setting helps isolate the characters in their sorrow. As the girls try to readjust, they have to cope with many changes in their lives. Their mother is dead, replaced by fathers former mistress. The girls see the stepmother as an obsessive, dominating force, cruel and different. Their father seems distant, burdened by his own feelings of loss and inadequacy. Finally there's a violent haunting presence in the home. The sisters do their best to fight off these powerful dark forces, but things soon spiral into the dark end of the pool as the mysteries are revealed. This movie scared the crap out of me! The lighting, color, direction, pacing and acting were all perfectly executed. One of the best in the new genre of Asian horror. Haunting, creepy, disturbing. A very dark fairy tale of psychological terror. I especially liked the fact that the director didn't reveal any more than necessary in this intense and horrific mystery. 5 out of 5. Remade in 2009 as 'The Uninvited' for American audiences. I've added the remake to my queue.
* Conquest of the Planet of the Apes: (1972 - Action, sci-fi, thriller) The fourth feature in the Planet of the Apes saga. Directed by J. Lee Thompson (The Guns of Navarone, Cape Fear). Starring Roddy McDowall, Ricardo Montalban and others. Back to the past. Planet Earth in the late 20th century. The history of mankind is revealed before our very eyes. A plague has destroyed all dogs and cats, and humans have turned to apes as pets. As the apes become more intelligent, and highly trained, humans start using them as servants. Servants or slaves? The simians are treated poorly, beaten, provoked, deprived of basic 'human' rights. It's a slave revolt in the making. While Caesar - an intelligent ape from the future - has been hiding out in a circus, now he's forced into hiding amongst the general ape population. As he is sold into slavery, he finds himself in a position to lead the coming revolt. Apes overthrow humans in this sci-fi futuristic thriller. The story is cleverly written to create a time loop which leads to the first film. Unfortunately, the production value is fairly poor, there are still many timeline problems, the story is predictable and acting by the supporting cast wasn't the best. 3 out of 5.
* Battle for the Planet of the Apes: (1973 - Action, sci-fi, drama) This final episode in the Planet of the Apes series is directed by J. Lee Thompson (The Guns of Navarone, Cape Fear, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes) and it stars Roddy McDowall, Austin Stoker, Claude Akins and others. This fifth and final movie brings us closer still to the 1st episode. Nuclear war has devastated civilization and ruined all cities. In the aftermath of this devastation, Cornelius (Played by Roddy McDowall) has established the first Ape city in the shadow of ruined humanity. Humans are subservient to apes, but Cornelius does his best to make sure that humans aren't treated the same way that apes were. When the apes explore the ruins of a nearby city, they trigger the ire of a group of human survivors. The humans follow the apes and discover the ape city. That's when the war begins! Setting the stage for all out warfare between the surviving humans and the now intelligent apes. Once again, the production value is fairly poor, and the timeline problems persist. The story isn't quite as predictable as the last, and the acting is the same. Good by the principles, so-so by the rest. 3 out of 5.
* The Night of the Hunter: (1955 - Drama, film-noir, thriller) Directed by Charles Laughton (Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Witness for the prosecution, Spartacus (1960), Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid). Starring Robert Mitchum (as the 'preacher' Hary Powell), Peter Graves (the cell mate/father), Shelly Winters (the widow), Lilian Gish (the iron dame). When Ben Harper (played by Peter Graves) robs a bank, he stashes the money just before he's caught. Convicted and sentenced to prison he has the unfortunate luck to be cell mate to one self proclaimed 'Preacher' Harry Powell. This religious fanatic has been doing "god's work". Marrying widows, murdering them and taking there cash to fund his quest for the next victim. While Ben goes to the Chair, the preacher is released. Armed with knowledge of the stashed cash, the preacher sets off to marry the widow and 'convince' the children to tell him where the money is. It's a battle of wills, a deranged journey into the mind of one twisted man and an awesome thriller. 4 out of 5.
* Sorcerer: (1977 - Thriller, action, adventure, drama) Directed by William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist, Rules of Engagement). Starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Amidou and Francisco Rabal. Here is another screen version of Georges Arnaud's novel, "Le Salaire de la Peur". The other (that I'm aware of) is 'Wages of Fear', directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. Here is an American version. The story - A group of desperate characters are hiding out in a remote Central American town. Each has his own reason for seeking obscurity, and the character development in that regard was sketchy, poorly linked to the rest of the story, and ultimately unnecessary in terms of the action which followed. Hiding out in this back-water, impoverished company town (run by an American oil company) is grating on the nerves of our characters. They're here illegally, and they need a way out. When an oil well bursts into flames, the company offers $10k and citizenship to anyone who can deliver a load of nitro to help blow out the well fire. It's an incredibly dangerous proposition, and the odds are poor. The nitro is highly volatile, the roads incredibly poor, and the risks astonishingly high. Who would dare to take on such a challenge? Who would taunt fate in such a manner? Our cast of desperate men jump at the chance. They need the cash and passports in order to finalize their cover, or perhaps they need it as a way to get out of this swamp. In either case, each of them accepts this deadly job. It's do or die time. Time to take the risk and reap the rewards. Excellent acting (by the international cast), and a fantastic location. Shot on location in the jungles of the Dominican Republic. This movie is dripping with atmosphere, soaked in drama, full of adventure and danger. The direction was excellent, and the second half of the movie is a non-stop, nail-biting, thriller. 4 out of 5.
* Inland Empire: (2006 - Fantasy, mystery) Written and directed by David Lynch (Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Dune (the original motion picture), Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks (movie & t.v), Mulholland Drive). Starring Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Harry Dean Stanton, Justin Theroux, Diane Ladd, Nastassja Kinski and others. Here is a very confusing movie. A totally twisted version of reality. Lynch's vision isn't always easy to interpret or comprehend, and this story is one of those 'difficult' movies. Watching it was an exercise in disorientation, futility and frustration. Ultimately, I gave up and accepted it as an amazingly vibrant journey of revelation. The story? Nikki Grace (played by Laura Dern) has accepted a role in a new movie. The movie is a 'remake' of sorts. It's a Polish production, a film that was attempted previously, but had to be canceled when some unspeakable tragedy struck. With the shadow of a grizzly curse hanging over her head, Nikki soon begins to see and experience some very bizarre visions. Are her hallucinations a dangerous reality or fevered paranoia? This movie blurs the line between fact and fiction in a reality bending vision from David Lynch's brain. Outstanding cinematography and editing, but a very difficult film to watch. Not for the timid. 3 out of 5.
* Shining Through: (1992 - Thriller, drama, romance, war, film-noir) Screenplay and direction by Brian Seltzer. Starring Michael Douglas, Melanie Griffith, Liam Neeson, Joely Richardson, John Gielgud, and others. A WWII romantic thriller cast more for romance than anything else. The story is a bit contrived. Melanie Griffith plays a steno pool secretary to secret agent Michael Douglas. She sees right through his cover, and soon their under covers together. Then there's a special mission which entails great risk, but the time is so short that they can't find an appropriate agent. That's where the film gets a bit ridiculous. The secretary is slipped into Germany and immediately accepted as a domestic servant by a high ranking Nazi. When the going gets rough, Melanie Griffith's performance remains as staid as a school-teacher in flannel. The romance angle was luke warm as well. I wasn't quite convinced by the Griffith/Douglas pairing. They just didn't have much chemistry together. The direction in this movie was terrible. They had a great cast, and I'm disappointed that the direction let the movie drift into the boredom category on far too many occasions. The sound production was less than thrilling, the drama was luke-warm, the romance tepid, and the spy/thriller angle about as sharp as a hunk of cheddar. I can't give it more than a 2 out of 5.
* Lifeboat: (1944 - Thriller, war, drama) The story was written by John Steinbeck specifically for Alfred Hitchcock. Screenplay and movie followed. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this black & white drama featured a cast of - Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn, Canada Lee and William Yetter Jr. As the name implies, the movie takes place in the lifeboat of a torpedoed cruise liner. Seeking shelter in the boat are a culturally, racially, sociopolitically diverse group of survivors; including the captain of the German U-Boat that sank the cruise liner! It's a tense character drama with excellent dialog and direction. Extremely well produced, technically superb and very well paced. Surviving the ordeal at sea is a big enough challenge, mix in the human drama, and you start to wonder whether anyone will make it back alive. The only downside is the heavy handed WWII propaganda angle. 4 out of 5.
* Midnight Express: (1978 - Biography, crime, drama, thriller / U.S., U.K.) The true story of Billy Hayes. Oliver Stone penned the screen play, based upon books written after the incident. The movie is directed by Alan Parker (Angel Heart, Mississippi Burning, Angela's Ashes). Starring Brad Davis, Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins, Paolo Bonacelli, Paul L. Smith, Randy Quaid, John Hurt, and others. Billy Hayes is a young, foolish American on vacation in Turkey. When he decides to take a chance at smuggling hashish, the Turkish justice systems teaches him some hard lessons. Initially sentenced to a relatively short prison term, we soon learn that corruption, politics and the court systems of Turkey make for a very fickle combination. What was originally a 4 year (and two months) sentence, soon become a 30 year life sentence. While Billy suffers in prison; his parents lament his ordeal, his lawyer takes his money, and the guards laugh at Billy's lament. As his hopes of release evaporate, Billy sets his mind on escape at any cost. A very thrilling story of terrifying true consequences. Excellent acting, great directing, and an amazing script/story. 5 out of 5.
* Wild Boys of the Road: (1933 - Drama, adventure) Directed by 'Wild' Bill Wellman (Wings (1927), The Ox-Bow Incident), this depression era drama stars Frankie Darro (as Eddie), Edwin Phillips, Dorothy Coonan (as Sally the 'Tomboy') and others. If you think we've got it bad, you should check out this movie made during the great depression. In this movie, two teenage boys ditch school and run away from home so they won't be a burden to their financially strapped family. Jumping a series of freight trains, they trek across the country. Headed for the ephemeral promise of 'good jobs', they head for the east coast. Along the way they make friends with Sally, a teenage girl in similar straits. Sticking together for protection, armed with high-minded ideals and plenty of optimism, the trio continues their quest for hot food, a comfortable bed and the hope upon hopes that they'll find a good job. Their journey is filled with sorrow, violent railroad agents, disappointment, and hostile townies at every stop. Their only solace is the companionship of others in like circumstances. It's a heart rending, powerful tale of teens in distress during the great depression, and you can't help but pity the down-and-out characters. 3 out of 5.
* Heroes for Sale: (1933 - Drama) Here is another depression-era drama directed by William Wellman (Wings (1927), The Ox-Bow Incident). Like 'Wild Boys of the Road', this film is a pre-code production. Containing 'risque' portrayals of sexuality, violence, and political thinking (The 20's and 30's were a very liberal time for American values), many such movies were 'banned' by enforcement of the Hays Code beginning in July of 1934. This and many films like it, have recently been released from the 'vaults' of various movie studios. This movie stars Richard Barthelmess (playing Thomas 'Tom' Holmes) as a WWI veteran returned home after the great war. The movie begins with Tom as a soldier in the trenches. Left for dead by a fellow soldier, Tom is captured by the Germans. Although he's severely wounded, the 'Huns' patch him up and give him something for the pain. He soon finds himself addicted to morphine. Returning home to the states, he's grateful for his bank job during a down economy, but he's struggling with a problem. Morphine addiction soon threatens to destroy his life. Unfortunately, when he really needs help, he's left out in the cold by a former army buddy. After he's released from the 'institution', he starts to look for work, but it's tough. The Depression is in full swing, and he's one of the unlucky ones. Finding a job in a laundry, he does his best to pull himself up. He takes a chance, invests in a friends invention, and soon finds himself embroiled in a workers struggle. The movie contains some excellent writing, acting and directing. A socially important drama, America's history portrayed on the screen. Full of important messages for today's audience. 4 out of 5.
* The Killing Fields: (1984 - Drama, history, war) Directed by Roland Joffé (The Mission, Fatman and Little Boy), starring Sam Waterson, Haing S. Ngor, John Malkovich, Julian Sands, Craig T. Nelson, and others. The story of civil war in Cambodia, as told through the personal experiences of Sydney Shanberg (A New York Times journalist) and Dith Pran (a Cambodian national acting as interpreter for Sydney). The madness and tragedy of war are critically treated in this dramatic presentation. While Sydney and Dith are covering the U.S. involvement in a spreading Vietnamese conflagration, civil war engulfs all of Cambodia. Dith sends his family off to America when the U.S. evacuates all civilians. Dith and Sydney take refuge in the French embassy. When all foreigners are forced out of the embassy, Dith is swept up in a bloody revolution and spirited away to a forced labor camp. The remainder of the story focuses on Sydney's efforts to locate his lost friend. Outstanding cinematography, acting and editing. This film won three oscars in 1985. 5 out of 5.
* 1984: (1984 - Drama, romance, sci-fi, thriller) Screenplay and direction by Michael Radford (Il Postino, The Merchant of Venice). Starring John Winston (as Winston Smith), Richard Burton (as O'Brien) and Suzanna Hamilton (as Julia), and others. Filmed on the same year as the movie's namesake, some scenes were filmed on the exact dates specified in the novel. The movie is based on George Orwell's novel (same name) of a dystopian future. A dark, malevolent, totalitarian state in a constant state of war. In this society, the government controls all aspects of personal life. Is it a communist state? Perhaps it's a fascist state? Maybe it's a 'democratic' state run-amok! 'Big Brother' is watching every citizen and constantly broadcasting instructions, laws, and demands to it's citizens. Surveillance cameras are imbedded in every monitor, television, computer screen, and the jack-booted 'Thought Police' are just around the corner. Winston is an agent of this state. Working in the 'records department', Winston is in charge of historical revision. Changing documents, books, and periodicals to conform with the governments version of history. He's privy to some secrets, and that makes him a dangerous citizen. When he discovers some thread of truth, he follows it and finds himself embroiled in a dangerous and subversive relationship. The movie is an excellent examination of the distinctions between propaganda and reality. A revealing drama about truth, personal liberty and the danger of a powerful state. Music by Eurythmics was excellent. 5 out of 5.
* The Wrestler: (2008 - Drama, sport) Directed by Darren Aronofsky - One of my favorite directors (Pi: Faith in Chaos, Requiem for a dream, The Fountain). Starring Mickey Rourke, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, and others. It's a truly outstanding drama, with some of the best acting I've seen in a long time. The Story - Mickey Rourke plays Randy 'The Ram' Robinsion; a forty something professional wrestler come to the end of his career. At the end he's riddled with health problems, emotional problems, financial problems and a psyche that's been scarred by twenty plus years of living in isolation. At the end of his 'glorious' career, he has very little to treasure or look back on. He tries to reconnect with his daughter (played by Evan Rachel Wood), he tries to make a meaningful connection with a kindred soul - Cassidy (played by Marisa Tomei) is a 40 something stripper coming to the realization that here career is nearing it's end as well. It's a powerful drama, perfectly cast, directed and filmed. The story is an excellent, heartfelt, story of regret, reflection and painful recognition. The pacing, lighting and music were all on spot. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei were both outstanding. 5 out of 5.
* Matewan: (1987 - Drama, history) Written and directed by John Sayles (Return of the Secaucus 7, Eight Men Out, Passion Fish, City of Hope). Starring Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, Mary McDonnell, Will Oldham, David Strathairn, Ken Jenkins, and others. Based on the historical events of the West Virginia Coal Wars (1920-21). A 'Red' labor organized is called to West Virginia by the miners of Matewan. His goal - Unionize the workers. The conditions are vile, dangerous and filthy. The workers are treated no better than slaves. Tensions grow when the 'Company' sends in armed men and non-union immigrant workers. It's a powder keg of racial bigotry, corruption, greed, and violent men. Outstanding cinematography, excellent acting, and great music. Unfortunately, the sound track is badly damaged and there are no subtitles. 4 out of 5.
* Never on Sunday: (1960 - Comedy, drama, romance / Greece, U.S. - Pote tin Kyriaki) Written and directed by Jules Dassin (The Naked City (1948), Night and the City, Rififi (1955)). Starring Jules Dassin (as Homer) and Melina Mercouri (as Ilya). The Story? Amateur philosopher/tourist - Homer from the U.S. takes a trip to Greece, where he meets Ilya the care-free prostitute. She's an energetic, free spirit, loved and desired by everyone. She entertains herself and her suitors with wine, song, dance and sex. She sets no prices, makes no demands, and does what she wants. Homer tries his best to show her how 'wrong' she is. She should be learned, hold higher values, improve herself through books and culture. It's funny, entertaining, and despite it's effort, never gets very deep. The English dubbing is terrible (I wish it were subtitled), and the soundtrack is in poor shape. The acting was mediocre and the characters paper thin and unappealing. The writing was a bit pretentious in it's intentions. The treatment of prostitution was quite disturbing. It's dealt with as if it were a life choice, a good thing, a way to fill the world with happiness and sunshine. The best part of the movie was the music. I didn't care for it. 2 out of 5.
* Capricorn One: (1978 - Drama, sci-fi, thriller, action) Written and directed by Peter Hyams (Outland, The Star Chamber, 2010 - The Year We Make Contact, Narrow Margin). Starring Elliott Gould, James Brolin, Brenda Vaccaro, Sam Waterston, O.J. Simpson, Hal Holbrook, Karen Black, Telly Savalas and others. This movie starts out great, but the second half fails to follow through on the promise of the first half. The story is a conspiracy addicts dream. Seconds before the launch of America's first manned mission to Mars, the astronauts (Sam Waterson, James Brolin and O.J. Simpson) are pulled out of the capsule and flown to an abandoned military base in the middle of the desert. The launch goes off as planned, and the world is led to believe that the astronauts made it to Mars. There's even video footage of the astronauts walking on the surface of Mars! It starts off with some powerful themes of politics, conspiracy, and corruption. The writing made for a good story, but the execution in the second half of the movie was terrible. Transforming the movie from thrilling mystery to action flick resulted in some pretty big plot holes and extended the movie for the sake of some helicopter chases. The acting was o.k. Telly Savalas, Elliott Gould and James Brolin all did a good job. 3 out of 5. A remake is scheduled for 2010.
* The Uninvited: (2009 - Drama, horror, mystery, thriller / U.S., Canada) Directed by Charles and Thomas Guard (why two people?). Starring Emily Browning (as Anna), Arielle Kebbel (as Alex), David Strathairn (as Steven (the Father)), Elizabeth Banks (as Rachel Summers (dad's girlfriend)). This is an American remake of 'A Tale of Two Sisters' (Janghwa, Hongryeon) by South Korean writer/director Ji-woon Kim. The casting was o.k. and the acting pretty good, but I didn't believe that the two girls were sisters. They look nothing like each other. A tragic accident leaves Anna in shock and distress, the movie opens with her in a mental hospital under a doctor's care. As she's mostly recovered from psychological trauma of that event, she's released from the hospital, and picked up by her dad. They travel to the families home. The setting is some quaint New England town, an isolated estate on a lake. Upon her return, she learns from Alex (her older sister) that dad's girlfriend has moved in. Rachel and the girls don't get along too well, and soon the drama begins to turn into something more sinister. When mom's ghost begins 'haunting' Anna, the horror begins. The story is great, but this remake wasn't as suspenseful as the original. Obviously, I knew what was coming before it happened, but I felt as if there was too much revelation before the climactic scenes. Not very subtle queues spoiled all the thrilling moments. 3 out of 5.
* Nothing but the Truth: (2008 - Drama, thriller) Written and directed by Rod Lurie (Deterrence, The Contender, The Last Castle), starring Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, Angella Bassett, Alan Alda, Vera Farmiga, David Schwimmer, and others. Very loosely based on the real-life 'outing' of Valerie Plame, whose status as a CIA agent was exposed in the media after her husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, wrote a New York Times op-ed piece charging the Bush administration with manipulating intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq. In this story, Rachel Armstrong (played by Kate Beckinsale) writes an expose' revealing an acquaintance as a CIA agent. The expose raises questions about the agents political motivations, in light of the fact that she wrote a paper which countered the President's justification for invading Venezuela. The government immediately begins to harass and prosecute Rachel through it's special prosecutor (Matt Dillon). Is there a traitor in the CIA? Did someone leak Top Secret information to the press? The newspaper backs their journalist, hiring a big-time lawyer (played by Alan Alda) to defend Rachel and her source from exposure. It's an excellent political thriller with topical/hooks and a keen sense of personal values, integrity and the balance between civil justice and national security concerns. The acting was mixed. Kate Beckinsale and Farmiga were really good, but some of the male characters were truly type cast, and the actors performances (Dillon, Alda and Schwimmer) did little to bring out more of the character. The ending twist was quite a surprise. While it was an interesting twist, I felt that it took some impact away from the 'discussion' of the movie. 4 out of 5.