Genre: Comedy, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 2010

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Brandon Routh, Peter Stormare, Sam Huntington, Taye Diggs, Anita Briem

Director: Kevin Munroe

My Review: By all accounts, this is a B-Movie. Obviously produced as part of a pitch for a TV series, the production is TV quality. Starring Brandon Routh (as Dylan Dog), Sam Huntington (as Marcus) and various other less than memorable actors. Dylan Dog is a paranormal investigator who specializes in the undead denizens of New Orleans. Appointed as a neutral arbitrator, Dylan does his best to fairly investigate trespasses by the ghouls, vampires and werewolves of the Big Easy. Based on a comic book, the screenplay cites three credits, so that's a bad sign. The cgi and digital effects were passable to poor. The acting mediocre. The casting amateurish. The direction was inconsistent. Playing the comic Sam Huntington off straight man Brandon Routh didn't work too well. While I thought Sam Huntington's acting superior to that of Brandon Routh, his character didn't allow for much range beyond the zombie sidekick role. In the story, the character Dylan Dog is introduced and developed at the expense of much plot. Here Dylan Dog fights an undead ensemble cast of werewolves, vampires and ghouls for some totally irrelevant plot line involving an ancient relic that creates/summons a demon. If you're a fan of the comic, you may find this adaptation to be less than satisfactory. I give it a 2 out of 5, partly on the strength of Sam Huntington's portrayal of the zombie sidekick Marcus.

Summary: The adventures of supernatural private eye, Dylan Dog, who seeks out the monsters of the Louisiana bayou in his signature red shirt, black jacket, and blue jeans.

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Year: 1995

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney, William McNamara, Harry Connick Jr.

Director: Jon Amiel

My Review: A murder mystery thriller which keeps you on the edge of your seat. An intense ride of psychological terror. Starring Sigourney Weaver (as Helen Hudson), Holly Hunter (as M.J. Monahan), Harry Connick Jr., and others. The casting was the only limiting factor in this movie. While the acting talents were closely matched, the direction which accentuated specific character aspects was overplayed. In this story, a lecture by famed criminal psychologist Helen Hudson, portends a series of murders which border on the supernatural. Mimicking famous murders of former serial killers, this killer hopes to make a name for himself in homage to the despicable men who committed these atrocities of the past. The performances were powerful, especially that of Sigourney Weaver, but the story was equally enthralling. As the story progresses, the level of tension and suspense builds, leading to a crescendo of terror. Excellent movie. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Criminal profiler and psychologist Dr Helen Hudson becomes entangled in the deadly mind game of a vicious copycat serial killer Peter Foley. Due to the horrific attack Helen suffered in her past as an agoraphobic she is confined to her apartment. The killer uses this against her in his murderous attempts to become a famous serial killer. Detectives M. J Monahan and Reuben Goetz they have the challenge of trying to capture the killer before he kills again and uses his chance to commit another atrocious murder.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Year: 1984

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton, Guy Boyd

Director: Brian De Palma

My Review: Craig Wasson (playing Jake Sculley) and Melanie Griffith (playing Holly Body) star in this skin-flick directed by Brian De Palma. Jake is being framed, but he doesn't realize it until late in this movie. Two characters (Wasson and Griffith) join forces to uncover the killer in this sexy thriller. The story goes to great pains to set up the primary character and prolong the ultimate conclusion of the plot. Melanie Griffith gave an excellent performance as the young porn star, and the story kept me interested all the way through. 3 out of 5.

Summary: Jake comes home to find his girlfriend with another man and has to find a new place. In between his acting workshops and his job in a vampire B-movie, he scans the paper looking for anything. He happens to meet a fellow actor who needs a house sitter. Both are pleased with the arrangement that will have Jake staying in the house and for a sweetener, Frank shows him his 'favorite neighbor', a well built woman who strips with her window open each night. Jake becomes obsessed with meeting her and is able to help recover her purse from a thief, but shows his own phobia, he is incapacitated by claustrophobia when the thief runs through a tunnel. When Jake witnesses a murder, he finds out that the police love to pin crimes on peeping Toms. Jake discovers that here are just too many coincidences but must hunt them down himself without the police.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sport

Year: 1986

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Robin Williams, Kurt Russell, Pamela Reed, Holly Palance, Donald Moffat

Director: Roger Spottiswoode

My Review: Robin Williams (playing Jack Dundee) and Kurt Russell (playing Reno Hightower) provide us with excellent performances in this sports focused comedy. In this movie, Dundee and Hightower re-write history, conjuring up demons of the past, they struggle to overcome their failings in 1972, when they lost a crucial high-school football game. The outcome of that game has weighed heavily on their souls, creating paths they cannot escape without replaying the game. Convincing their former rivals to re-play the game wasn't difficult, but facing possibility of a repeat took monumental effort to overcome. All that lays ahead of them now is a football game designed to reset their paths or seal their fates. Well written, but sorely limited in scope and transparent in its outcomes. I give it a 3 of 5.

Summary: Jack Dundee is a meek banker living in Taft, California. He constantly thinks about the 1972 high school football game between Taft and powerhouse Bakersfield. Dundee fumbled a perfect pass from quarterback and friend Reno Hightower, and the game ended in a tie. He wants to replay the game, but has trouble convincing Reno and the town to replay the game. So Jack resorts to desperate measures to make the game reality.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Year: 1986

Country: France, Italy, West Germany

Rating:

Starring: Sean Connery, Christian Slater, Helmut Qualtinger, Elya Baskin, Michael Lonsdale

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud

My Review: Based on a novel (by Umberto Eco), this movie was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Starring a fantastic cast - Sean Connery (playing William of Baskerville), Christian Slater (as William's apprentice), F. Murray Abraham (playing Bernardo Gui), Ron Perlman (playing Salvatore) and many others. The acting by all (especially Ron Perlman/not especially Christian Slater) was outstanding. In this perfectly paced and directed period piece (set in the early 14th century), William of Baskerville answers a summons to unravel a shocking series of murders. While the other monks are paralyzed by religious stricture and ignorance, William unravels the clues quite easily. When William's nemesis, Bernardo Gui arrives, things take a turn for the worst. The inquisition doesn't care about facts, and William's quest for the truth could cost him his life. Truly outstanding movie with great production, set work, costumes, props and dialog and a twisted mystery worthy of this medieval Sherlock Holmes. Worth watching again and again. I just wish I had a better copy. 5 of 5.

Summary: 1327: after a mysterious death in a Benedictine Abbey, the monks are convinced that the apocalypse is coming. With the Abbey to play host to a council on the Franciscan's Order's belief that the Church should rid itself of wealth, William of Baskerville, a respected Franciscan monk, is asked to assist in determining the cause of the untimely death. Alas, more deaths occur as the investigation draws closer to uncovering the secret the Abbey wants hidden, and there is finally no stopping the Holy Inquisition from taking an active hand in the process. William and his young novice must race against time to prove the innocence of the unjustly accused and avoid the wrath of Holy Inquisitor Bernardo Gui.

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 1982

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Vincent Gardenia, J.D. Cannon, Anthony Franciosa

Director: Michael Winner

My Review: Charles Bronson may have rugged good looks (arguably), but he can't act. That didn't stop producer's from casting him in a series of marginally rated movies throughout the 70s. One of those movies was a series based on the vigilante character Paul Kersey. In this movie, Charles Bronson reprises his role as the urban vigilante. Here the plot is superficial and redundant. Criminals target Kersey and his family for some good old fashioned crime. Rape, murder, robbery - The usual fare for mid 70s thugs of Los Angeles. In reprisal fashion, Kersey hunts down and kills the guilty bastards. This movie/this series played upon societal fear of escalating crime, and may have led to more than one instance of violence patterned after the vigilante justice framed by the movies. Exceedingly violent and brutal in its depiction of inner city violence, this movie has very little to redeem it. The soundtrack features guitar work by Jimmy Page (former Led Zepplin lead guitarist). The direction, pacing and editing were all well done. I give this movie a 2 out of 5.

Summary: Paul Kersey, the vigilante, now lives in LA with his daughter, who is still recovering from her attack. He also has a new woman in his life. One day while with them, Kersey is mugged by some punks, Kersey fights back, but they get away. The leader, wanting to get back at Kersey, goes to his house, but Kersey and his daughter Carol are not there. The muggers rape his housekeeper, and when Kersey and his daughter arrive, they knock him out and kidnap her. After they assault her, she leaps out of a window to her death. Kersey then grabs his gun and goes after them. When the LA authorities, deduce they have a vigilante, they decide to consult with New York, who had their vigilante problem. Now the New York officials, knowing that Kersey lives in LA, fears that he's back to his old habit. Fearing that Kersey, when caught will reveal that they let him go instead of prosecuting him send Inspector Ochoa to make sure that doesn't happen.

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Year: 2011

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Danny McBride, James Franco, Rasmus Hardiker, Natalie Portman, Toby Jones

Director: David Gordon Green

My Review: A twisted tale of the Knights of yore, in a land far, far, away… A comedic medieval tale with some weed mixed in for good measure, because the movie wouldn't be funny enough without the weed references? Starring James Franco (as Fabious), Zooey Deschanel (as Belladonna), Danny McBride (as Thadeus), Natalie Portman (as Isabel), and others. The story is a rather ho-hum tale we've seen a hundred times before. Evil wizard kidnaps the Prince's (Fabious) virgin bride (Belladonna), and he must quest to gain her back. Accompanying him on his quest is the less favored son (Thadeus) and the jester. Along the way they hook up with the hot female Warrior (Isabel) and other allies in their quest to recover the virgin before the evil wizard can execute his diabolical plans. Oh, and then there's some pot smoking. The laughs were mediocre, the acting so-so, the plot used and worn, the one thing this movie had going for it was an always hot Natalie Portman. I give it a 2 out of 5. Do yourself a favor, skip the movie, just watch the preview a second time.

Summary: Throughout history, tales of chivalry have burnished the legends of brave, handsome knights who rescue fair damsels, slay dragons and conquer evil. But behind many a hero is a good-for-nothing younger brother trying just to stay out of the way of those dragons, evil and trouble in general. Danny McBride and James Franco team up for an epic comedy adventure set in a fantastical world-Your Highness. As two princes on a daring mission to save their land, they must rescue the heir apparent's fiancée before their kingdom is destroyed. Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his perfect older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valiant journeys and win the hearts of his people. Tired of being passed over for adventure, adoration and the throne, he's settled for a life of wizard's weed, hard booze and easy maidens. But when Fabious' bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel)...

Genre: Drama

Year: 1978

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Michel Subor, Benjamin Boyer, Philippe Torreton, Denise Aron-Schropfer, Léna Breban

Director: Michael Cimino

My Review: A 1970s (1978) film about the Vietnam war. An Oscar-winning film about the Vietnam war. An awesome movie about war, its consequences, the personal toll it takes on one group of young men from the tiny steel town of Clairton, Pennsylvania. Michael (played by Robert De Niro), Steven (John Savage) and Nick (Christopher Walken) are best of friends in this tiny workers slum of middle-class America. Filled with patriotic fervor, the group enlists in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war. They're all sent into the shit together, and they eventually end up captured by the Vietcong. After enduring torture and psychological terror they escape, but they carry the scars with them from that day forward. Michael and Steven make it back to the U.S., but both are damaged goods. Nick is A.W.O.L, but eventually Michael figures out that Nick is still back in Vietnam. With Saigon on the verge of collapse, Michael travels back to the hell hole they escaped and seeks out Nick. He finds him, and the two must endure the horrendous events of their POW experience in order to escape from the nightmares that have trapped them forever in their own personal hells. The movie is a triumph of acting, writing and direction. Despite the length of this film (180+ minutes), the time flies by as you watch the raw emotion of this powerful drama unfold in a glorious display. Outstanding movie of epic proportions. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: An in-depth examination of the way that the Vietnam war affects the lives of people in a small industrial town in the USA.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Year: 2011

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård

Director: Kenneth Branagh

My Review: Another comic book movie - I'm such a sucker… Thankfully, this one wasn't too bad. Not bad at all. The casting (for the most part) was pretty good. Starring Chris Hemsworth (playing Thor), Anthony Hopkins (playing Odin), Natalie Portman (playing Jane Foster), Kat Dennings (Playing Darcy Lewis), Stellan Skarsgård (playing Erik Selvig), and others. Thor is cast out of Asgard by Odin. He's an arrogant, ungrateful, overbearing and undisciplined son. Cast down to Midgard (aka Earth), his powers have been stripped and he's trying to find his way back - Figuratively and literally. Thor falls in love with a mortal, fights his way back into Asgard and thwarts the nefarious plans of his brother the trickster. The story was very well told. While there were many plot elements, the direction (by Kenneth Branagh), pacing and editing kept everything in line. Production was excellent, even if the acting wasn't. Far better than many comic book competitors. This movie exceeded my expectations given the genre and star. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: The warrior Thor (Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father Odin (Hopkins) for his arrogance and sent to Earth to live among humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster (Portman) teaches Thor much-needed lessons, and his new-found strength comes into play as a villain from his homeland sends dark forces toward Earth.

Genre: Comedy

Year: 1981

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine, Lila Kaye

Director: John Landis

My Review: Unfortunately, my VHS copy is in very bad shape. The entire movie seems like it was shot in the dark. Despite the poor quality of my VHS copy, I still enjoyed this movie. Here's another John Landis directed movie (Director of Animal House). This time it's a humorous horror movie. Something that was fairly novel at the time. The acting was pretty good, but the character direction poor. There were plenty of laughs, and the special effects (for the time) were great. The transformation scenes were particularly graphic. The ending wasn't all that satisfying, but the middle was full of savory meats. The writing and dialog (Attacked by a Lunatic - Beware the Moon! - carnivorous lunar activities - Boys, keep off the moors, stick to the roads) were outstanding. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Two American tourists in England are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.