Nov (NF21/MM6)

* The Invisible Man: (1933 - Horror, sci-fi, thriller) A classic sci-fi tale of pride before the fall. A cautionary tale of technological danger. The novel written by H.G. Wells is brought to the screen (screenplay by R.C. Sherriff, direction by James Whale (Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935)). Starring Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, and others. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains) is a brilliant scientist who secludes himself from family, and pridefully makes himself the subject of an experimental drug. The drug does exactly what Griffin had hoped for, and more. Not only does he become invisible, he also goes quite mad. Hiding out in a small local Inn, he terrorizes the village residents and threatens his best friends. While friends search for the missing scientist, authorities hunt the murderous maniac. A classic with excellent acting from Claude Rains. 4 out of 5.
* Twenty-Four Eyes: (1954 - Drama / Japan - Nijushi no hitomi) Screenplay and direction by Keisuke Kinoshita. Starring a cast of Japanese actors (all unknown to me). It's a pre-war drama set in a small Japanese village (the year is 1928). This small, remote village gets a new teacher - a brash modern young woman who wears pants and rides a bicycle. While the parents are cool to her ways, the 12 students (24 eyes) warm to her style and form quick bonds. As time passes she see the students grow to adulthood and war sweep over the land, changing lives and crushing dreams. A slow moving, heartwarming drama with excellent camera work and direction. 3 of 5.
* The Brothers Bloom: (2008 - Adventure, comedy, crime, drama, romance) Written and directed by Rian Johnson, starring Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane, Maximilian Schell and others. It's a slow moving drama about two brothers. Con-men from the start, the death of their parents set the two on a course of isolationism and adventure. After dodging the orphanage and side-stepping the adoption agencies, the boys manage to get by on their own, enlisting the help of one mute and enigmatic 'Bang Bang'. Living an adventure as they grew up, the pair learned to use others and milk the system. Never buying into the relationships that most people build as they grow up and advance their lives. As the end of their adventure draws near, the older brother proposes the final con, while the younger brother is tired of the con they've pulled on themselves over these many years. When the younger brother falls in love with the latest mark, the con becomes a personal swindle. Throw in an arch-enemy, and you've got a pretty good dramatic adventure with overtones of personal angst and romance. 3 out of 5.
* The Wolf Man: (1941 - Drama, fantasy, horror) Another classic horror flick from the 40s. This black and white movie was directed by George Waggner. Starring Lon Chaney Jr, Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patrick Knowles, Maria Ouspenskaya, and others. Lon Chaney Jr. stars as Larry Talbot. Larry has returned to Wales to claim the ancestral estate of his brother, who died of mysterious circumstances. Soon afterward, Larry is bitten during an encounter with a wolf! While he survives the ordeal, he is shocked to find that he's been cursed with lycanthropy. He confesses the facts to his father, but Sir John doesn't believe his son - He must be delirious from some infection. Villagers begin to die, and a hunting party sets out to kill the Wolf that terrorizing their village. When the werewolf encounters Larry's father and girlfriend, the truth is revealed in the fateful climax. Fantastic cast, and great pacing. Unfortunately, the special effects just couldn't account for some of the discrepancies, and this created some plot problems. Excellent set work, lighting and costumes. 3 of 5. A remake filmed in 2008 is scheduled for release in 2010.
* Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman: (1943 - Sci-fi, horror) Directed by Roy William Neill (Director of 1940s Sherlock Holmes movies). Starring Ilona Massey, Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Maria Ouspenskaya, Lon Chaney Jr. and others. In this, and other monster-mash movies, the producers and studios tried to cash in on the ethic that "More is better". With two monsters in one movie, they thought they'd draw a double-sized crowd. In my opinion they could have ended up with poor movies, and marginally increased crowds, based more on increased advertising budgets than the format of the movie. In this movie, an awakened Wolf Man (played by Lon Chaney Jr.) seeks out Dr. Frankenstein, in the hopes that he can cure him of this terrible curse. Instead of the doctor, he encounters Frankenstein's monster (played by Bela Lugosi. The showdown that follows is a classic monster clash. We even have some scenes featuring torch bearing outraged villagers!
* The Exorcist III: (1990 - Horror, mystery, thriller) In this installment of the religious tinged horror series, William Peter Blatty takes on three roles in the production. He wrote the novel, the screenplay and helmed the direction. The movie starred George C. Scott, Scott Wilson, Jason Miller, Ed Flanders, Nicol Williamson and others. This movie takes place after the events of Exorcist II (which was not based on a Blatty novel). It's a continuation of the story of Father Karras. In this movie, a police detective (played by George C. Scott) is investigating a series of murders which are seemingly committed by an the executed Gemini Killer. The murders are particularly heinous, involving desecration of religious objects, decapitations, and brutal torture. As Det. Kinderman questions an incarcerated serial murderer, he comes to realize the supernatural origins of this evil. It's an excellent psychological thriller, filled with superb editing, acting and dialogue. There are some exceptionally scary scenes in this movie, excellent use of sound (lack of music), and superb camera work. 4 out of 5.
* Toy Story II: (1999 - Animation, adventure, comedy, family, fantasy) With three directors and eight people credited with screenplay and story, this movie is more about the voices (Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles, Jim Varney and others) than anything else. Despite the fantastic cgi and editing, one could 'watch' this movie without the pictures, and get just as much entertainment value. As far as sequels go, this one was better than the original (in my opinion). All the toys in Andy's bedroom are back for another round of adventure. When Andy leaves for cowboy camp, an obsessive toy store proprietor kidnaps Woody as part of some greedy plan. It's up to Buzz and crew to rescue Woody from his fate worse than death - life as a hermetically sealed collectible! The cgi animation was outstanding, but the story was far better than I'd expect out of simple sequel to a story about a bunch of toys. The adventure is thrilling, touching and exciting. A fantastic sequel for kids of all sizes and ages. 5 out of 5.
* Battleground: (1949 - Action, war, drama) Directed by William A. Wellman (Wings (1927), The Public Enemy (1933), Beau Geste (1939), The Ox-Bow Incident), starring Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Marshall Thompson, James Arnes, Jerome Courtland, Don Taylor, Bruce Cowling, James Whitmore, Douglas Fowley, Leon Ames and many others. Released in 1949, the embers of WWII have barely cooled and the war movies have already started rolling out. Dedicated to "the battered bastards of Bastogne." This movie tells the story of the 101st Airborne (The 'Screaming Eagles') soldiers behind the lines during the Battle of the Bulge. Surrounded by Germans, battered by bombardment, low on fuel and ammo and besieged by bad weather, these men won't let the Nazis get them down. Focusing on the morale and psychological aspects of the battle, this movie makes for great entertainment. Excellent use of actual equipment, uniforms and great locations. The movie won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. 4 out of 5.
* Images: (1972 - Drama, fantasy, horror / U.K., Ireland, U.S.) Screenplay and direction by Robert Altman (M.A.S.H., The Long Goodbye, The Player, Z Channel). Based on a novel by Susannah York. Starring Susannah York as a novelist secluded in a scenic but remote country estate with her husband and a few house guests. While she's trying to complete her novel, she dredges up ghosts of past memories. When she can't discern the difference between the real world and the ghosts of her past, she begins to kill off the characters that trouble her. The trouble is, some of these characters are living people. Well written, but un-original. I've seen far to many of these 'schizo-break' movies. The plot resembles many other movies, and lack an original twist. 2 out of 5.
* Henry Rollins - Up For It: (2001 - Comedy, biography) Stand-up featuring Henry Rollins - Punk Rock front man (for Black Flag and the Rollins Band), actor, author, spoken-word artist and volcano of human energy. In this show - at the Astoria Theatre in London - 'Hank the Crank' speaks, fumes, rants and raves about the misery we call life. Rollins is a rebel, delivering his diatribe like a modern day heretic, a prophet of angst, anger and the freedom of personal integrity. Recalling his early days in punk bands and challenging the status quo with his modern 'me-first' attitudes. With no apparent agenda, Rollins lays bare his true feelings on a variety of issues, thrilling the audience with an authentic, acerbic, inspired presentation. I'm not a huge fan of this genre (stand-up), but here's a character who projects a personality that's much bigger than his shadow. I give it a 3 out of 5.
* Saturday Night Live - The best of Christopher Walken: (2004 - Comedy) A collection of Christopher Walken's greatest Saturday Night Live skits. I really like Christopher Walken - He's in a category all his own, and these skits are fantastic reminders of his talent. Yes, you will find the 'Cowbell' episode here; you'll also find the unbelievable 'Colonel Angus' skit and many others. I'm sensing that you're considering a rental now. I give Christopher Walken and the rest of the SNL crew a 4 out of 5.
* The Last Days: (1998 - Documentary) Directed by James Moll w/executive producer, Steven Spielberg. Here is a documentary told from the first person perspective of five survivors. Five Jewish Hungarians tell their stories. Starting in March of 1944, the Nazis had well into their quest to exterminate all Jews. By now they were beginning to feel the pressures of defeat, but that didn't stop them from continuing their policies of extermination. These five individuals and their families were sent to various concentration camps across the crumbling Nazi regime. Here is a powerful recounting of their personal stories. With first person recollections, historian insight and the voices of soldiers from both sides, this documentary covers many sides of the events. The horrors of the holocaust must not be forgotten. This film was difficult to watch, but well worth the effort. 4 out of 5.
* The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3: (2009 - Crime, thriller, drama) Based on the novel by John Godey, here is a remake of that classic 70s movie. This time around its directed by Tony Scott (The Hunger, Top Gun, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game) and the cast includes, Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzmán, John Turturro and others. The story is the same - Its early afternoon in Manhattan when four armed men hijack a subway train. Holding the passengers ransom, the men demand $10 million dollars or they'll start killing hostages. The action alternates between the subway control station and the hijacked car. This update adds in a bit of a character twist and some additional plotting with regards to the hostage payoff. The acting by John Travolta and Denzel Washington was pretty good, and the direction fair. The best part of this movie was the tight plot and well written script. I give it a 3 out of 5.
* The Medusa Touch: (1978 - Drama, mystery, thriller / France, U.K.) Based on a novel by Peter Van Greenaway, directed by Jack Gold (Escape from Sobibor). Starring Richard Burton as John Morlar an enigmatic man with unusual powers. As the movie opens, Morlar is brutally beaten and left for dead. As the police investigate the murder, they discover that Morlar is alive! On life support, the inspector continues his investigation. Who would want to murder this man, and who is John Morlar. As he delves deeper into the investigation, he seems surrounded by coincidental tragedies, accidents, and unexplainable events. As the plot unfolds, inspector Brunel comes to realize that Morlar must die! Fascinating movie with an excellent script. While the direction was lacking, the screenplay was well written, and the mystery quite thrilling. I give it a 4 out of 5. Not available through Netflix.
* XChange: (2000 - Sci-fi, thriller / Canada) Written by Christopher Pelham (his only credit) and directed by Allan Moyle (Pump Up the Volume, Empire Records). Starring Stephen Baldwin, Kim Coates, Janet Kidder, Kyle MacLachlan and others. This movie has a pretty good premise - Travelers no longer use mechanical vehicles to convey themselves from place to place. Thanks to 'XChange' corporation, they now use other people's bodies to convey themselves. You want to travel to San Francisco, and someone in San Francisco wants to travel to New York. Well, rather than getting on a plane, the two of you visit your local XChange facility. Moments later, you're in San Francisco, but your in someone else's body! and some else is in your body. When a first time XChange customer has his body hi-jacked by a terrorist, he's in a race against time before his 'loaner' body - It's a clone - expires. Yes the plot is quite convoluted, but it wasn't too difficult to follow. The acting was lacking, and the production value a little low, but the movie was saved by the premise, a good script, a little action, and some unnecessarily gratuitous sex scenes. The ending nearly killed the movie, but in the end it was the fantastic, sci-fi premise, and excellent pacing that kept this movie entertaining. 3 out of 5.
* Captains Courageous: (1937 - Adventure, drama) Based on a novel by Rudyard Kipling, here is a classic adventure on the high seas. Directed by Victor Fleming (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932 & 1941), Treasure Island, Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz). Starring Freddie Bartholomew, Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Melvyn Douglas, Charley Grapewin, Christian Rub, John Carradine and others. The story - Harvey Cheyne (played by Freddie Bartholomew) is a spoiled rich kid, used to getting his way. When Harvey and his father board an ocean liner, Harvey falls overboard and nearly drowns. He's rescued by Manuel (played by Rudyard Kipling), a crusty sea dog. While Harvey tries to bribe and cajole his way back to shore and his comfortable ordered life, the crew of this fishing boat has something more important on their minds - Fish! Stranded on the fishing boat, Harvey slowly comes to the realization that he will have to adapt to the circumstances, change his ways, and recognize the fact that he is not the most important thing in the world. Fantastic performances, great writing, superb direction. Solid characters and a wonderful story. 5 out of 5. Spencer Tracy won an Oscar for best actor with his performance as Manuel the fisherman.
* Thieves' Highway: (1949 - Drama, film-noir, thriller) Directed by Jules Dassin (The Naked City, Rififi, Night and the City). Starring Richard Conte, Valentina Cortese, Lee J. Cobb, Barbara Lawrence and others. This film focuses on a WWII veteran - Nick Garcos (Played by Richard Conte); just returned from Europe to San Francisco. Once home he discovers a violent truth, his father has been crippled by the gang of a produce vendor. The produce market in San Francisco is extremely competitive and the drivers take the brunt of that market. Low pay, beatings and amoral shenanigans run rampant as certain vendors do all they can to swindle one more dime out of their suppliers and customers. Nick's plans to mary his long-time girlfriend are in jeopardy as he becomes involved in a feud and personal quest for justice. A great movie about labor practices in America, exploitation of immigrants, and a call for social justice. Outstanding acting (Richard Conte was amazing), camera work and direction. A masterpiece. 5 out of 5.
* Star Trek: (2009 - Action, adventure, sci-fi) Directed by J.J. Abrams (Alias (tv series), Lost (tv series), MI:III) - Writer, director, producer, actor, composer - He's done it all. Starring - Chris Pine (as James T. Kirk (the Starship Captain)), Zachary Quinto (as Spock (the new one)), Leonard Nimoy (as Spock (the original one)), Eric Bana (as Nero (the bad guy)), Bruce Greenwood (Capt. Christopher Pike), Karl Urban (Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy), Zoe Saldana (Nyota Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Hikaru Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), and others. I'm an old school Star Trek fan (going back to the original series when I was a kid), and I have to say that I've been dreading this movie. It would be very easy to screw this up. Very easy to take the wrong approach. This Star Trek movie isn't what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be a prequel - It's not, and that makes me very happy. It's a brilliant new beginning for the franchise. It takes many elements; the characters, the technology, the adventure and the history. Then it creates a fresh start; new relationships, new technology, a bold new journey which launches the Enterprise into a new beginning for the franchise. An outstanding 're-imagining' by J.J. Abrams. The acting was pretty good for this junior cast. The best acting came from Karl Urban playing Bones, and Zachary Quinto playing the new Spock. The direction, camera work, music, soundtrack, effects and editing were all superb. It even contains many easter eggs for those diehard fans of the original series. The action and special effects were very well executed. I liked it so much that I saw it twice. 5 out of 5.
* Angels & Demons: (2009 - Mystery, thriller, action) Directed by Ron Howard. Starring Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård, and others. Based on the novel by Dan Brown, this movie is a sequel to the film 'The Da Vinci Code', despite the fact that the novels were written in reverse order of the movies. Ron Howard and Tom Hanks reprise their roles as director and lead in this adventurous thriller. It's another religious mystery, with a bit of action. The story. Robert Langdon (Played by Tom Hanks) is sought out by the Vatican after a priest - who happens to be a scientist - is murdered during an experiment to create anti-matter. When the church reveals their only lead - The word 'Illuminati' - to Langdon, he eagerly agrees to do a bit of investigating. Moments later the missing anti-matter shows up. It's been fashioned into a bomb, and the sinister forces who've murdered a priest have kidnapped several more priests on the eve of Papal election! The risks are incredibly high - These Illuminati threaten to destroy the Vatican and all that it represents. Can Langdon unravel the clues in time to save the priests and the whole Catholic Church? A great premise, but a bit overzealous. In a break-neck pace, Langdon and his assistant (the lovely Ayelet Zurer) race about Rome in a quest to uncover the secret hiding place of the anti-matter bomb before it's too late. Once again (as with The Da Vinci Code) the pacing is too fast, and the film too short. This pacing ruins the feeling of mystery, and there's no margin for character development whatsoever. Direction is reduced to placing actors on the 'X' as the scene is shot, and the entire movie (past the opening) is reduced to a chase with great locations. I read the book, so I knew what was happening, but I pity the fool that tries to follow this plot at the pace this film presents. I give it a 3 out of 5 for its entertainment value - sets, locations, costumes, and cinematography. It's better than the first movie, but only marginally so.
* The Last of the Mohicans: (1920 - Adventure, drama) Directed by two people - Clarence Brown and Maurice Tourneur. Starring Wallace Beery, Barbara Bedford, Alan Roscoe, Lillian Hall, Henry Woodward, James Gordon, George Hackathorne and others. Here is the silent era version of James Fenimore Cooper's novel. The story - During the French and Indian wars of the 18th century, the French and British waged war against each other by enlisting Native Americans to make war against the colonial forces of the enemy. Here a British commander's daughter is taken hostage by Indians loyal to the French. Adventure ensues as British loyalists and a pair of Native Americans do their best to rescue the women. These two are the last of their kind - the last of the Mohicans. While the story is outstanding, this transfer (the Westlake version) to DVD is very poor quality. If I hadn't seen the 1992 version (Starring Daniel Day Lewis), I probably wouldn't have had any idea what was going on. The audio track was horrible, and the video very poor. You should be able to find a better copy online (the film is in the Public Domain (i.e. no one owns the copyright)). As for this version of the film, I rate it 2 out of 5. The 1992 version is far superior in production, direction, acting, etc.
* Shadow Dragon - The Ninja movie: (1984 - Action, home movie) A Thanksgiving Day tradition. Kim and I break out this movie once a year (at a minimum). Here's a movie that my friends and I made back in the day (before I joined the Air Force). We had a script, scouted locations, rounded up a cast of family and friends, and rented a VHS video camera for a week. What a fantastic time we had. The quality of this VHS to DVD transfer may be poor, but the lines are epic. In 2004, I completed a conversion project, remastered, edited and authored the DVD. Duplicates were provided to many of the original cast members. In my mind this movie gets nothing short of 5 of 5.
* * * Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: (2008 - Comedy, musical, sci-fi) The future of television. Distributed on the web, via websites, blog postings, iTunes, and now DVD. Directed by Joss Whedon (writer, director, producer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Serenity), written in part by Joss Whedon, Zed Whedon, Zack Whedon, Maurissa Tancheroen. Written during a writers strike, Joss Whedon and friends wrote, directed, and produced this independent 'movie'. Produced in a series of three web blog postings, these 'shows' feature the trials and tribulations of 'Dr. Horrible', played by Neil Patrick Harris (also features Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer, and Felicia Day as Penny). Billy (Dr. Horrible) is a lonely young man, who has problems relating to other people. Especially women. His alternate identity - Dr. Horrible is a mad scientist, who eschews humans as weak pathetic dopes, and strives to enter the Evil League of Evil (an inner circle of super-villains) by pulling off an exceptional act of villainy. It's the inner struggle that makes the show a star. As his bad side attempts to satisfy the desires of his shy side, we come to see that the Mad Scientist is actually the good guy in this show. The shows contain some exceptional dialog, the music (and singing) is fantastic, the story outstanding. The three web-isodes have a graphic novel feel, and they fit together quite nicely. Download it today, you won't be sorry. 5 out of 5.
* All About My Mother: (1999 - Drama / Spain, France - Todo sobre mi madre) Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar (Matador, Talk to Her). Starring Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz, Eloy Azorín and others. This movie features a cast of characters that I just couldn't relate to. The story - A single mother leaves Madrid after she witnesses the death of her son. She travels to Barcelona in order to let the boys father know what has happened. The boys father is a transsexual prostitute. Other characters include a pregnant Catholic nun who works with the street people. Rosa - The nun, is pregnant by Lola (the pre-op transvestite). While these events alone would make for plenty of drama, mix in HIV - both Rosa and Lola are infected, and you've got a boatload of drama. What will happen to the child? Who will care for Rosa? Will Manuela (the single mother) fall in love (again) with Lola? Holy crap, what a soap opera! I enjoyed the acting and direction, but the story left me less than enthused as it was so far from my reality, and it distanced itself from me by creating an atmosphere of disbelief. 3 out of 5. Won an Oscar in 2000 for best foreign film.
* The Fly: (1958 - Horror, mystery, sci-fi) Written by James Clavell, directed by Kurt Neumann. Starring David Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price, Herbert Marshall and others. Here is the original sci-fi classic - Science gone awry. Man meddling with the primal forces of nature. Here a scientist is experimenting with matter transference (teleportation). The movie opens with a murder mystery. Why would Helene Delambre willingly murder her husband? What are the circumstances of this bizarre crime? As the inspector (Herbert Marshall) and family friend (Vincent Price) begin their investigation, they have no idea the bizarre facts they are about to uncover. Working on his own, imbued with arrogance, Andre Delambre (played by Al Hedison) presumes that he has considered all the possibilities. As he steps into his matter transport booth, a mundane house fly enters with him. As the transference occurs, their atoms are mixed and a horrific abomination steps out of the booth. A fantastic, fatalistic, drama, wrapped up in a thrilling sci-fi wrapper. Magnificent writing, acting and set design. I give it a 5 out of 5.
* Baseketball: (1998 - Comedy, sport) Directed by David Zucker (Kentucky Fried Movie, Airplane!, Top Secret!, The Naked Gun). Starring Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Dian Bachar, Yasmine Bleeth, Jenny McCarthy, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Vaughn, Trevor Einhorn and others. A movie that combines the directorial chutzpa of David Zucker (Airplane!) and the low brow humor of Parker and Stone (Of South Park fame). It should have been a laugh-fest of magnificent proportions. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as funny as I had hoped. The story - Coop and Remer are a couple of slackers from Milwaukee. In an effort to impress some girls - Of course! They invent a fictional sport on the spot. Surprisingly, their 'Baseketball' catches on to become a neighborhood sensation. The two enlist a bunch of friends to form a team (The Beers) and create a league to go legit. The struggle to maintain their neighborhood ethic is threatened by the lure of big profits when the money moguls try to turn the two against each other and make the sport into something more than it really is - A backyard joke. The story is entirely predictable, quite shallow, and less than original. The acting is mediocre, and the direction on par with Zucker's other efforts. The comedy trio of Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Dian Bachar provides the entire impetus to this movie. If not for their performances and chemistry, this movie would be a complete disaster. I laughed at the sheer stupidity, some of the lame one-liners, and the ridiculous set-ups. Ultimately, I was entertained. 3 out of 5.