Genre: Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 1957

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Craig Stevens, William Hopper, Alix Talton, Donald Randolph, Pat Conway

Director: Nathan Juran

My Review: Another 50's monster matinee. This one lacked the usual nuclear origins, but the story was quite typical for the era. The movie opens with a rather enigmatic quote: "For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action". We are then presented with the thawing of a north pole ice-berg, as the result of a volcanic eruption at the south pole. Freed from his ice-age prison, a giant preying mantis seeks prey and warmer weather in its trek south-ward. It's journey is occasionally punctuated by the pesky projectiles of humans, whenever it deigns to dine upon the succulent flesh of the chatty humans who presume to be superior life-forms. The plot is entirely predictable and nearly identical to that of 'The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms'. The special effects were pretty cheesy (even for the 50's), and the casting wasn't the best. The acting was atrocious, except for very brief scenes containing Pat Conway as Sgt Pete Allen. If only this movie had been told from the Preying Mantis point of view! Entirely forgettable. 2 out of 5.

Summary: The calving of an Arctic iceberg releases a giant praying mantis, trapped in suspended animation since prehistoric times. It first attacks military outposts to eat their occupants, then makes its way to the warmer latitudes of Washington and New York. A paleontologist works together with military units to try to kill it.

Genre: Drama, Fantasy

Year: 2003

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: James Woods, Nick Nolte, Douglas Sebern, Claire Forlani, Duel Farnes

Director: Michael Polish

My Review: Set in 1955, in the small Montana town of Northfork. This movie is set against a backstory of total destruction. The town has received a death sentence. The town will soon disappear from the face of the earth. Drowned at the bottom of an immense lake. A newly constructed dam will open its flood gates in a few days time, and that will be the end of Northfork. Layered on top of this very interesting backdrop are the characters - A team of six men are charged with evacuating the hold-outs: A priest and a dying boy. A group of eclectic angels searching for a new member. An eccentric Noah figure and his two wives. And a hand full of other quirky characters. The pacing is very slow, the cinematography great, and the direction not to my liking. Too formulaic, too scripted. A great cast, but the acting was negatively impacted by the overly 'artsy' script/dialogue. I give it a 3 out of 5 for the background/back-story.

Summary: In a near-empty Northfork orphanage, Father Harlan gently tends to Irwin, an eight-year-old who lies between a dream state and death. As orphanage caretaker Harlan reads aloud about Northfork's years-ago forced evacuation to make way for a hydro-electric dam, Irwin's imagination takes flight. While a team of six men evacuate the last remaining citizens of the town, Irwin, too, invents a cast of characters to prepare himself for his own evacuation. (the above states the caretaker - who is actually the priest - is reading about a years-ago evacuation. In the movie, the evacuation is taking place as the boy lays dying!)

Genre: Comedy

Year: 2009

Country: UK

Rating:

Starring: Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Gina McKee, James Gandolfini, Chris Addison

Director: Armando Iannucci

My Review: Warning - If you're offended by foul language, this movie will put you in a coma. Seriously, I can't think of any film containing more viscous, vocal and vehement profanity. A black comedy about the rush to war. How an out of control administration, on both sides of the atlantic, manage to fumble, bumble and blunder their way into way. The pacing is quick, the direction frenetic and the acting a bit over the top. Spin doctors, rumor mongers, scheming politicians, manic reporters and unscrupulous interns manage to weave a picture of utter incompetency in the world of high stakes politics. The plot is a parody of the events leading up to the second gulf war. The back-office deals, the duplicity, the down-right lies that lead inevitably to war. Satire, cynicism and parody. There are some very funny moments in this movie, and the acting is quite good. The writing is very witty, sharp and funny, but it's a bit too inside, a bit too acerbic, and a bit too dark for my tastes. 3 out of 5.

Summary: The US President and UK Prime Minister fancy a war. But not everyone agrees that war is a good thing. The US General Miller doesn't think so and neither does the British Secretary of State for International Development, Simon Foster. But, after Simon accidentally backs military action on TV, he suddenly has a lot of friends in Washington, DC. If Simon can get in with the right DC people, if his entourage of one can sleep with the right intern, and if they can both stop the Prime Minister's chief spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker rigging the vote at the UN, they can halt the war. If they don't... well, they can always sack their Director of Communications Judy, who they never liked anyway and who's back home dealing with voters with blocked drains and a man who's angry about a collapsing wall.

Genre: Drama

Year: 2009

Country: USA, Canada

Rating:

Starring: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Jenna Kawar

Director: Cherien Dabis

My Review: A bitter-sweet story of prejudice and culture in America. This independent production follows the trials and travails of Muna and Fadi as they try to catch the American dream. Moving to America from Palestine, they soon learn that America isn't the land of Milk & Honey. A drama that examines xenophobia, prejudice, and cultural differences. The story was a bit slow, but the screen play well written. Who could imagine that Muna and Fadi might encounter prejudice, bias and outright hatred in America? Thankfully the story ends on a hopeful note, the cinematography was well done, and the acting wasn't all bad. 3 out of 5.

Summary: Muna, a single mother in Ramallah, has applied for a visa to the US. When it comes, her son Fadi, an excellent student, convinces her they should go. After an incident at customs begins their exile badly, they join Muna's sister and family in Illinois. Muna needs a job: although she has two degrees and 15 years' experience in banking, she settles for work at White Castle, telling the family her job's at a nearby bank. It's spring, 2003, and the US invades Iraq. While friends come from unlikely places, Fadi meets prejudice at school. How he'll respond to it and to American youth culture and how Muna will sort things out with her family are the rest of the story. Tragedy or hope?

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Sport

Year: 2009

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan, Michael Rapaport, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Gino Cafarelli

Director: Robert D. Siegel

My Review: Written and directed by Robert Siegel (The Wrestler). The story - Paul Aufiero is single, 35 years old, and a bit of a loner. He lives with his mother, eschews success, grudgingly defends his life of 'lower expectations'. The one thing that separates Paul from the mediocrity of others in this category? He's the "World's biggest New York Giant's fan". Paul's entire social life revolves around the New York Giant's, their current season, and one player in particular. When Paul and his friend (Sal - Another fan) happen upon the player in question, they follow him and his entourage to a high-class vip club. At the club, Paul marshals his will and musters enough courage to approach his idol. The 'incident' that follows changes Paul's life forever. The direction is excellent, and the acting of Patton Oswalt (as Paul Aufiero) was truly outstanding. The pacing, editing and camera work were very well done. This gripping drama was a very suspenseful, multi-layered slice of urban angst, justice and the spectacle of American culture. 4 of 5.

Summary: Paul Aufiero, a hardcore New York Giants football fan, struggles to deal with the consequences when he is beaten up by his favorite player.

Genre: Documentary, Comedy, Crime, Drama

Year: 1998

Country: USA, UK

Rating:

Starring: Michael Moore, Elaine Bly, Dan Burns, Chip Carter, Bill Clinton

Director: Michael Moore

My Review: To some, Michael Moore represents everything they despise about America's left leaning political. They refuse to watch his films. That's too bad. He makes some very good documentaries. Provocative, subversive, insightful, challenging. Here's another provocative documentary, a bit ahead of its time, but always pertinent. In his 'Downsize This!' book tour, Michael Moore took a video crew with him. Visiting 47 American cities, he pokes his video cameras into the lobbies of several big companies. He poses some rather pointed questions… Why are the most profitable American companies closing their most successful American plants? In an era of record profits (the 90's), why do American corporations seek to downsize American workers? The answers become obvious in the interviews that follow. Corporations (in America) care about one thing, and only one thing - Profits. If workers are impeding profits with their pesky wages, then the corporation will jettison those employees. In many industries, workers are liabilities not assets. Interspersed with some stand up comedy, Michael Moore charms the viewer with his humorous, self-deprecating jokes and sincere defense of the American worker. The movie lacked focus, made some illogical comparisons, and didn't follow a theme to any conclusions. If this movie had been thought through in advance, Michael could have covered more pertinent points, made better arguments and asked more important questions. 3 out of 5.

Summary: Our intrepid defender of the working man, Michael Moore, documents his 1996 "Downsize This!" book tour across the USA. Shot on-the-cheap with a video camera, we once again watch our hero interview the working man at yet another plant closing, while also trying to get past corporate security guards to interview the millionaire CEOs.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Year: 2009

Country: USA, UK

Rating:

Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Carmen Ejogo, Catherine O'Hara, Jeff Daniels

Director: Sam Mendes

My Review: An independent production with some big name stars. The casting was a bit uneven. The stars of the movie, John Krasinski (playing Burt) and Maya Rudolph (playing Verona) were outstanding, their chemistry together was utterly convincing and their acting excellent. Unfortunately, the supporting cast came off as buffoonish and unbelievable, partly due to casting, but more so the direction. Burt and Verona are expecting their first child. This triggers a need to resolve some of the life decisions they've been delaying. As they criss-cross the country, they reconnect with former friends and family. Searching for a place to settle down, they find themselves examining their values, commitments and unresolved issues. This quirky, comedic, drama was very well produced and written. The cinematography was excellent, but the direction and music lent it a continuing air of seriousness and overtly burdensome melancholy feel. 3 out of 5.

Summary: Mid-thirtysomethings Burt Farlander and Verona De Tessant are a loving couple. Burt has always wanted to marry Verona, but Verona resists, not seeing the point of the institution. Regardless, they are having a baby together, despite questioning their potential parenting abilities. They are happy that they made the decision to move close to Burt's parents, Jerry and Gloria Farlander, as they want to share the experience with the baby's grandparents. Verona's own parents died over ten years earlier, a situation about which she doesn't like to discuss. In Verona's sixth month, she and Burt learn that Jerry and Gloria are moving to Antwerpen, Belgium the month before the baby is due, just because it's something they've always wanted to do. Burt and Verona don't understand what they see as Jerry and Gloria's selfishness in putting this move above spending time with their impending granddaughter. Being mobile people, Burt and Verona decide to move. As they want to share their new family experience with people that they love, they decide to take a trans-continental trip to meet with old friends and relatives. Most of them are married with children of their own, and Burt and Verona want to see where they would like to live and with whom they want to share the experience.

Genre: Documentary

Year: 2007

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Roberto Escobar, Marlene Alejandre-Triana, Leonel Morejon Almagro, Frank Angones, Eddie Arenas

Director: Cristina Khuly

My Review: A documentary about the Cuban shoot down of unarmed civilian aircraft on 24 Feb, 1996. American citizens, members of 'Brothers To the Rescue' were dropping leaflets over Cuba. Their mission had changed from simply spotting Cuban refugees (on rafts, attempting to reach the U.S.), to one of propaganda. Spreading dissent, encouraging resistance/human rights groups in Cuba. While the U.S. looked the other way, Cuban leadership authorized the shoot down of these unarmed civilian air craft. The documentary is well crafted, clearly painting a picture of 'Brothers To the Rescue' as a innocent victim to naked aggression by political forces in Cuba and the U.S. A tragic incident in U.S. / Cuban relations. Reenactments, intercepted radio comms, radar data, and interviews with the survivors help to illustrate this complex incident. Meticulous and well directed. 3 out of 5.

Summary:

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

Year: 2009

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Massoglia, Jessica Carlson, Michael Cerveris

Director: Paul Weitz

My Review: Clearly aimed at a demographic that I'm not part of (11-21), this movie is based on a series of books. Feeling much like a Harry Potter story, here is a blend of goth, teen romance, teen angst and 'good' vampires. The story features a pair of teenage boys. Darren (Played by Chris Massoglia) and Steve (Josh Hutcherson) are best friends. Darren is your typical teenager. Trying his best to get good grades, get the girl, and please his parents. Steve is a loner, confused and trapped in a bad family situation. There an odd couple, but things get odder still, when they're 'Invited' to attend a Freak Show. The events which transpire on that fateful night transform the boys, and trigger the beginnings of a war between good and evil vampires. The conflict is mostly flash, and the inclusion of a little romance makes it even less frightening. This is a teen drama, romance, dressed up in goth garb to draw in the 'Twilight Crowd'. The script was rather transparent, contained no shocks or twists, and the characters were rather tame. The direction was o.k. but nothing special. The best part of the movie was the art direction. There's nothing new, novel or compelling in this teen goth romance. A sequel is sure to follow. 2 of 5.

Summary:

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Year: 2009

Country: USA, Canada, France

Rating:

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt, Columbus Short, Alex O'Loughlin

Director: Dominic Sena

My Review: What could have been a gripping thriller… In this movie Kate Beckinsale (from Underworld) is cast as conflicted U.S. Marshall. Stationed at the bottom of the world. She's trying to escape the psychic trauma induced by a deadly double cross on the job. The movie opens with a bit of flash-back. A Russian cargo plane, flying over the pole. When bullets start to fly, the plane is set on a crash course. The endless winter wastes no time obscuring all signs of tragedy and a mysterious cargo is lost in frozen landscape of Antarctica. We then jump forward to present day Antarctica. The opening sequences which follow, seem to portray the Antarctic research station as party central. Nude male streakers (with curiously obscured (digital blurring?) genitals ) run across the screen as we follow Marshal Stetko into her quarters. There she proceeds to disrobe and take a shower. Without any shots below the waist or from the front, the steamy shower scene does manage to display Beckinsale's bizarre build. I sure hope it was digitally manipulated. Otherwise, she looked rather freakish with an incredibly shrunken abdomen. She must weigh something like 105 pounds. I just don't dig the skinny girls. Following this preposterous opener; which left me with some rather prejudiced presumptions, the station is quickly evacuated as a big storm approaches, and it's time to leave for the season… Just as everyone is leaving, a dead body is discovered. Out on the ice, someone has been murdered. With the population quickly dropping, Marshal Stetko decides to stay at the station to solve the murder. What follows is a totally predictable series of murder mystery mayhem. Numerous preposterous plot flaws filled my head with disbelief, disdain, and disgust, as ridiculous led to predictable. The depiction of the Antarctic environment was so bad that I had to stop the movie and rant on several occasions. The character motivations were poorly handled. The camera work was disappointing, the editing poor, the stage work and special effect poorly done. The direction barely acceptable and the acting mediocre. The only thing that kept me going was morbid curiosity, I had to see just how bad this movie was going to get. The ending was an anti-climatic let-down which lacked any impact. 1 out of 5.

Summary: In an American station in the South Pole, the expatriated staff is about to return in three days to their homelands for six months before the arrival of a whiteout - a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow and wind of 160 km/h. When a pilot reports that he might have seen a copse in the snow, U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko flies to the location with the pilot Delfy and Dr. John Fury to investigate. Carrie has a traumatic experience in Miami and has already sent her resignation letter. They discover that the dead man is the geologist Weiss that is missing with two other scientists; further, Carrie finds evidences that he was murdered. When Carrie returns to the station, she receives a call from the abandoned Russian Vostok Station from one of the missing technicians and when she arrives in the station, she finds him dead. The killer tries to kill her and Carrie succeeds to escape, but freezes her hand without gloves. When she returns to the base, Dr. Fury has to amputate two fingers from her hand due to the injuries and the UN agent Robert Pryce is assigned to investigate the first murder case in Antarctica. Carrie teams up with Robert and together with Delfy they discover a Russian airplane that crashed after a shootout in 1957. They find the frozen corpses of the crew and that six mysterious cylinders have vanished from the cargo compartment. Carrie and Robert have to disclose the identity of the killer and the cargo before the arrival of the storm.