Genre: Horror, Thriller

Year: 2009

Country: France, Belgium

Rating:

Starring: Cassandra Forêt, Charlotte Eugène Guibeaud, Marie Bos, Bianca Maria D'Amato, Harry Cleven

Director: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani

My Review: A highly erotic psychological thriller. The story of Ana; a young French woman haunted by her fantasies, trapped in the present of her families ancestral estate on the Cote d'Azur. Excellent cinematography, an eerie surrealistic film with violent imagery, almost no dialog and a carnal undertone. The direction, pacing, colors, camera work and editing combine to create an amazing film that takes Ana on a journey deep into a dark and dangerous realm. The only problem I had with this movie was the violent imagery. I'm a bit squeamish when it comes to the realistic violence, and this one took it pretty far. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Three key moments, all of them sensual, define Ana's life. Her carnal search sways between reality and colored fantasies becoming more and more oppressive. A black laced hand prevents her from screaming. The wind lifts her dress and caresses her thighs. A razor blade brushes her skin, where will this chaotic and carnivorous journey leave her?

Genre: Drama

Year: 1980

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charles Haid, Thaao Penghlis

Director: Ken Russell

My Review: Amazing, mind blowing, dramatic sci-fi based on a novel by Paddy Chayefsky. Starring William Hurt (as Eddie Jessup the Harvard Scientist). This movie explores inner-space. Eddie is engaged in mind-expansion experiments. Hallucinatory drugs, meditation and a sensory deprivation chamber. When Eddie stumbles upon a truly new combination, he finds that he's capable of experiencing the full spectrum of human evolution. This shocking movie featured some excellent special effects, made far more dramatic with the excellent music and sound effects. Highly original movie worth watching again and again. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: A Harvard scientist conducts experiments on himself with a hallucinatory drug and an isolation chamber that may be causing him to regress genetically.

Genre: Action

Year: 1986

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Marsha Mason, Everett McGill, Moses Gunn, Eileen Heckart

Director: Clint Eastwood

My Review: Clint Eastwood stars as Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway. A highly decorated, old school, war vet with one last chance to avoid an inglorious end to his career. Charged with command of some new recruits, Gunny Highway trains a group of inexperienced, insubordinate, slackers from recon platoon. While higher command would love to see Gunny fail, they can't keep this old war vet down. Despite the bureaucrats and pin-heads, Gunny transforms recon platoon into an actual fighting force, just in time for them to ship out to Grenada. The story was a bit bland; alternating between Gunny as a drill sergeant, and Gunny the man; trying to make amends for his past transgressions. Coming to the realization that the end of his military career is close at hand, and society doesn't have much call for grizzled old Marines. The direction (by Eastwood) was fair and the character played by Eastwood was well developed. The dialog was excellent, but the editing and pacing were a bit off. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: A hard-nosed, hard-living Marine gunnery sergeant clashes with his superiors and his ex-wife as he takes command of a spoiled recon platoon with a bad attitude.

Genre: Action

Year: 1984

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Jane Alexander, Madeline Kahn, Rip Torn

Director: Richard Benjamin

My Review: Excellent casting (even if it is typecasting) pairs Clint Eastwood as the hard nosed Lt. Speer and Burt Reynolds as the wise guy detective. The two team up together to fight competing groups of mobsters in this action packed buddy cop movie with some laughs. Set in the 30's, filmed in the 70's, the movie was an attempt to move both actors into the 80s. The story is cliched, a bit predictable and rather slow at times. The direction didn't get the most out of these actors, but Reynolds and Eastwood were great together. The best parts of the film were the comic pacing, editing and production value. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Kansas City in the 1930s: Private investigator Mike Murphy's partner is brutally slayed, when he tries to blackmail a mobster with his secret accounting records. Lieutenant Speer and his ex-colleague Mike Murphy team up again to fight the mob, although they can't stand each other: while Speer is taciturn, Murphy is a prattler.

Genre: Comedy

Year: 1987

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Christopher Plummer, Harry Morgan, Alexandra Paul

Director: Tom Mankiewicz

My Review: Dan Akroyd and Tom Hanks play detective's Joe Friday and Pep Streebeck; partners on the L.A. Police force. The movie is based upon the 1950s TV show of the same name. Akyrod's Friday is a by-the-book, suit wearing, efficient law enforcement officer who believes in the credo 'To Serve and Protect'. Streebeck is Friday's new partner; flexible and fresh, he's bringing a new outlook to the department and it's bureaucratic ethos. Partnered to solve crime, these two make a good team of buddy cops. The two had good chemistry together. With Akroyd as the straight man (in the tradition of Jack Webb/Webb's character) and Hanks cracking jokes to keep it lighter. Together they struck a perfect balance. The story was some preposterous plot which involved goat leggings and a sacrificial virgin. Streebek and Friday investigate some seemingly satanic crimes wrecking havoc on the streets of L.A. They go undercover to infiltrate the criminal organization, but run up against a deeper conspiracy involving city officials and politicians. Aside from watching Tom Hanks work, there was Nothing special about the movie. Tom Hanks was really good in this movie. He even imporvised a bit, adding immeasurably to the character. The direction, pacing and editing were well done, but the story was rather shallow and utterly predictable. I give this one a 3 out of 5.

Summary: The equally-straight-laced and "by the book" nephew of Joe Friday must work with his more laid-back partner to solve a mystery.

Genre: Drama

Year: 1987

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Nick Nolte, Ernie Hudson, Rita Taggart, Mark Rolston, Lane Smith

Director: John D. Hancock

My Review: Starring Nick Nolte and a well matched cast, Nolte plays Lee Umstretter, a convict serving life at San Quentin. With little to live for, Umstetter eventually comes to realize that life is better than death, and he commits himself to portray the challenge of life behind bars. He writes a play and recruits fellow convicts to act in this play about a play on the stage of life. The story swings widely between drama, musical, statement on the penal system, thriller and comedy. After impressing the critics, a newspaper critic campaigns for his release, and eventually Umstetter is released. Once free, he continues his campaign to educate the law abiding public about the injustice of life behind bars. Assembling a cast of ex-cons proves easy. Holding the band together and putting on a play outside the confines of Sam Quentin proves far more difficult. The performances were outstanding, and many members of the cast go on to prove their merit in follow-on careers. The low budget production was a sincere attempt to portray a heavy subject without alienating the audience. Nick Nolte turned out a perfect performance. 3 out of 5.

Summary: Lee Umstetter is a lifer at San Quentin prison and a multiple suicide attempter. Eventually, another prisoner suggests reading to find something better to do with his time. Lee takes that advice and finds himself inspired from what he reads to write a play about life in prison. He has auditions and assembles a cast from his fellow inmates. The play proves popular and it catches the attention of a female reporter who writes about it, creating publicity that allows for a parole for him. Once out, he later reassembles his cast when they come out to do the play professionally. However, they learn that the demands of the life outside are difficult to cope with for the newly released and their play needs to be changed in major ways while they struggle to make it succeed.

Genre: Action

Year: 1988

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, James Remar, Richard Masur, Dionne Warwick

Director: Jerry London

My Review: Starring Burt Reynolds (as Chicago police detective Tony Church) and Liza Minnelli (as the call girl), this movie is a by the numbers romantic comedy with a stale script. Tony is suspended by the department after he survives a drug raid massacre. The only witness to the crime is a crazy call girl; Della. When Della finds herself stalked by the killer, she hires Church to be her bodyguard. Church is convinced he can clear his name if he catches the crooks so he agrees to sign on as Della's 'Rent-A-Cop'. The acting is b-grade, and the writing highly predictable. The chemistry between Reynolds and Minnelli isn't all that good, and the plot holes large enough to drive a bus through. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Summary: When call-girl Della gets caught in the middle of a drug bust at a hotel where she was meeting a trick, she is held hostage by a robber that busted in on the drug agents and the drug dealers. She gets rescued by vice cop Church who is accused of staging the aborted bust. Ex-ballplayer turned drug dealer Roger is in tight with corrupt vice cops and their superiors And the fireworks start popping.

Genre: Comedy

Year: 1987

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, Richard Jordan, Margaret Whitton, John Pankow

Director: Herbert Ross

My Review: Michael J. Fox is full of energy and near the top of his game in this romantic comedy about the world of big business. Fox plays Brantley Foster, a midwestern college graduate who dreams of making it big in the Big Apple. Helen Slater plays Christy Wills the unattainable female power-broker. Brantley moves to New York, but his promised job has evaporated under harsh economic times. Running low on funds but fueled by a driving desire to succeed, Brantley lands a job in the mail room of 'Uncle' Howard's bit time corporation. Compelled to make that jump from mailroom to boardroom, Brantley concocts an alter-ego named 'Carlton Whitfield'. While Carlton does his best to infiltrate the inner-circle and win the heart of an unattainable Christy Wills, Brantley does his best to avoid the amorous advances of Aunt Vera and a suspicious mailroom boss. The pacing is Michael J. Fox classic, and the story a twisted comedy that never relents. The double-life comedy was perfectly suited to Michael J. Fox, and he was fantastic in this 80s comedy. The writing was surprisingly strong for a movie that's primarily intended as a light-hearted comedic vehicle. The editing and direction were expertly handled. The casting terrific and the I give this gem a 4 out of 5.

Summary: A talented young man can't get an executive position without rising through the ranks, so he comes up with a shortcut, which also benefits his love life.

Genre: Drama

Year: 1987

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer, Ellen Hamilton Latzen, Stuart Pankin

Director: Adrian Lyne

My Review: Michael Douglas stars as Dan Gallagher (A New York lawyer), Glenn Close plays Alex Forrest (Magazine Editor) and Anne Archer plays Dan Gallagher's wife. Dan's a happily married attorney, living the good life working for a publishing company when he crosses paths with Alex Forrest, an attractive wolf in sheep's clothing. Alex seduces Dan and a brief affair sets the stage for this terrifying, erotic thriller and emotional roller-coaster of a story. The affair serves as catalyst for Glenn Closes's psychotic character. The cinematography was quite good, as was the acting. Unfortunately, the character writing was a bit weak, and the direction lagged in that regard. The pacing, editing and soundtrack were very well done but the ending felt a bit staged. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: A married man's one night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

Year: 2011

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: James McAvoy, Laurence Belcher, Michael Fassbender, Bill Milner, Kevin Bacon

Director: Matthew Vaughn

My Review: This film does a good job of portraying the X-Men origins in an exciting, action-packed film. Starring James McAvoy (as Charles Xavier), Michael Fassbender (as Erik Lehnsherr/aka Magneto), Kevin Bacon (as Sebastian Shaw) and many others. The acting by Fassbender was excellent, Bacon was also quite good. The rest of the cast was less so. The movie places the origins of the X-Men in the midst of the American vs Soviet confrontation of the Cuban missile crisis. The turbulent 60s was a boiling pot of political, racial and social upheaval. This setting is a fitting background for the beginnings of the X-Men and the story works well as it weaves the mutants into the global historical backdrop of threatened nuclear armageddon. The creation and division of mutant groups into two camps was well illustrated, but the story suffered once again at the expense of character development. Spending an inordinate amount of time on character development leaves little room for story in a larger context, and this movie suffered the same fate as many other X-Men movies. Too much background, not enough foreground. Action acts as a poor substitute for actual story. I liked the movie, but this franchise will suffer from mediocrity until the producers move beyond the need to develop every character from scratch. The more characters, the more time they devote to background, the less time they have to tell any substantive story. I give this movie a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-MEN.