Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery

Year: 1971

Country: UK

Rating:

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Robert Morley, Nathalie Delon, Jack Hawkins, Corin Redgrave

Director: Etienne Périer

My Review: When Eight Bells Toll - If you like James Bond movies, then you must check out 'When Eight Bells Toll'. It's an intelligent James Bond-like movie from 1971, starring Anthony Hopkins. The story is well constructed (based on a novel by British Author Alistair MacLean (also wrote Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare)), and it's filmed primarily in Scottland. The screenplay was adapted by Alistair MacLean - which helps explain why the story is so good. Anthony Hopkins stars as British Naval Intelligence Officer - Philip Calvert. A man who is tired of the British penchant for bureaucracy and restraint. When tasked to solve a problem, he insists on autonomy - Then he gets the job done, and done right. The story involves high seas piracy, a ship full of gold bullion and a lonely northern town in the Scottish Highlands. Some of the scenes are a bit graphic, and the 'Bond' character is certainly far rougher around the edges. The cast was excellent - Anthony Hopkins, Jack Hawkins, Robert Morley and many others. The pacing was perfect and the cinematography excellent. The music (by Angela Morley) was obviously based upon the scores made famous in various 'Bond' movies, and the movie itself seems to be a 'James Bond' alternative. Unfortunately, when the Producers of the James Bond franchise decided to continue making films (after Sean Connery left the series), the characters presented in this movie were left behind as a powerful 'could-have-been' contender for the coveted 'Spy Thriller' genre. The movie contains some excellent tension, action, and even a bit of British humor. I loved it. 5 out of 5. FYI: The term 'When Eight Bells Toll' refers to a naval tradition/practice of ringing the ships bell at every half hour increment. 'When eight bells toll' is the equivalent of a four hour watch passing (with no incidents). 'Eight bells and all is well' would indicate that a watch has passed with no major problems.

Summary: In a vein similar to Bond movies, a British agent Philip Calvert is on a mission to determine the whereabouts of a ship that disappeared near the coast of Scotland.

Genre: Sci-Fi

Year: 1998

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Coyote, Liev Schreiber

Director: Barry Levinson

My Review: Sphere is a movie based upon a novel by Micheal Crichton. While I enjoy many of his novels, movies made from his novels don't always pan out. Thankfully, I haven't read this particular novel. So I wasn't quite as disappointed as some critics. The story. The U.S. Navy has discovered a space-ship at the bottom of the ocean. A crew of specialists (Dustin Hoffman as Psychologist Dr. Norman Goodman; Sharon Stone as Biologist Dr. Elizabeth 'Beth' Halperin; Samuel L. Jackson as Physicist/Mathematician Dr. Harry Adams) is gathered to study the wreck and its contents. When the crew arrive at the bottom of the ocean they discover a golden sphere inside the derelict spaceship. Its origins, the fate of the spaceship crew, and the scientists fates are all powerful themes in this movie. Its a great psychological thriller with sci-fi elements. There are definitely flaws in the plot, but the pacing, effects and technical work keep the audience on the edge of their seat. I enjoyed it immensely. 4 out of 5.

Summary: A spaceship is discovered under three hundred years' worth of coral growth at the bottom of the ocean.

Genre: Drama, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 1954

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Richard Egan, Constance Dowling, Herbert Marshall, John Wengraf, Philip Van Zandt

Director: Herbert L. Strock

My Review: A 1950's sci-fi, nuclear horror, scare, flick - I'm a sucker for this type of movie. This one features some rather bad acting. The typical type of acting for this period. Aside from three notables: Richard Egan, Constance Dowling (hot!), Herbert Marshall, and Philip Van Zandt, the cast was typical for these types of movies. The story - A security specialist (Richard Egan playing Dr. David Sheppard) from the Office of Scientific Investigation is sent to a super-secret laboratory in the New Mexico desert. There he meets a group of dedicated professionals intent on helping the U.S. military industrial complex by creating new and potentially dangerous devices for the U.S. Department of Defense. Experiments on deep space hibernation, a nuclear reactor, robotic control, helicopter drones, focused solar weapons, solar power for space stations, space based weapons, space based surveillance, stealth aircraft, supersonic aircraft, ultrasonic weapons, ultrasonics as a substitute for radar, and a space station orbiting thousands of miles above the earth. There's been a few 'Unfortunate Accidents', and Dr. Sheppard is determined to figure out what happened at this underground facility. The entire base is controlled by a super-computer, a 'big-brain', called 'NOVAC' (Nuclear Operative Variable Automatic Computer). The Brain goes on the fritz and starts killing scientists, but it seems as if the computer might be under someone else's control - I wonder who? Could it be aliens, or possibly some communist nation? When two robots named 'Gog' and 'Magog' (referenced from the Bible, Rev.20:8) go berserk and try to trigger a nuclear disaster the stakes are turned way up. Unfortunately, the pacing is a bit slow, the acting poor, the production inattentive, and the science off target. I found the commercial aspects of the production somewhat interesting. The film was produced with 'Scientific and Electronic Equipment furnished by Bendix Aviation Corporation and Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company'. There was even a prominent advertisement (a large sign in a laboratory) for Bendix featured during the movie. Apparently the film was paid for in part by these corporations. I enjoyed the helicopter shots at the beginning and the fiberglass aircraft towards the end. The cold war paranoia was played up as usual. Someone is a saboteur, there are transmitters installed throughout the underground complex, there's a list of 'suspects', and they're checking out those suspicious contacts. Some production aspects reduced the films watchability; such as some protracted scenes and the scenes intended for 3D effect. I give the movie a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Scientists working on induced hibernation for space travel are killed, apparently by machines acting independently. Security agent Sheppard arrives at the secret underground space research base to investigate possible sabotage. He finds that the whole base is coordinated by supercomputer NOVAC and its robots Gog and Magog; and a strange aircraft is detected high overhead.

Genre: Drama

Year: 1997

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Wagner, Audrey Dalton, Thelma Ritter

Director: James Cameron

My Review: The epic love story - Written and directed by James Cameron, this movie stars a fantastic cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (playing Jack Dawson), Kate Winslet (playing Rose DeWitt Bukater), Billy Zane (as Caledon 'Cal' Hockley), Kathy Bates (playing the 'Unsinkable' Molly Brown), and many others. A Hollywood blockbuster, a spectacle, an epic. The movie won 11 Oscars, and for all that fame, I think the media hype did it more harm than help. In many ways this is the sort of movie I despise. Promoted so strongly that I shun it for the preconceived notion that it will be overproduced, over the top and poorly thought through. These criticisms hold true as this movie is one of my most despised. That doesn't mean that the story is bad - The story: 80+ years after the Titanic sank, a crew of historians and salvage specialists is exploring the wreak using remote controlled submersibles. They're looking for treasure, and the Titanic is chock full of them. News of the salvage operation is broadcast on the nightly news and a survivor hears the story. She calls the shows editors, gets in contact with the crew of the ship, and is quickly flown out to sea in order to join the crew as they explore the wreak. As the crew explores the artifacts of this sunken treasure, Rose explores her memories of those frightful days. As an audience, we're then taken on a magical journey as Rose recalls the events of her personal journey on that fateful trip. Rose recounts the details of her arranged marriage, the rebellion of true love, the wonderful Jack Dawson, the evil Cal Hockley, the spectacular Heart of the Ocean, and the tragic circumstances of a ship destined to go down in history. The production and film work were amazing. Perfect pacing, editing and mixing. The sound track was amazing and the lighting perfect. The acting mixed veterans with a young cast and the direction kept everyone's performance perfect. A technically perfect film with a great story - It was a little bit sappy; a great chick flick; but I found myself cringing at a few overly romanticized moments. Yes, the wife insisted that we watch, and own this movie, and I reluctantly relented. Years later, I find a greater appreciation for the cinematic aspects of the movie, and the romantic aspects have been known to affect my tear ducts - Or perhaps that was due to eye strain… The acting and story aren't as strong as the whole of the movie. By blending a simple love story with a tragic setting, James Cameron has managed to craft a cinematic masterpiece that may always stand the test of time. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Fictional romantic tale of a rich girl and poor boy who meet on the ill-fated voyage of the 'unsinkable' ship.

Genre: Thriller, War

Year: 1940

Country: UK

Rating:

Starring: Margaret Lockwood, Rex Harrison, Paul Henreid, Basil Radford, Naunton Wayne

Director: Carol Reed

My Review: Directed by Carol Reed (Odd Man Out, The Third Man, Our Man in Havana, Mutiny on the Bounty), and made in 1940, (during WWII) this British movie feels very much like a Alfred Hitchcock thriller. Set in 1939, The Nazis have just taken Austria, the Slovak province of Sudetenland and most of the Czechoslovak defensive positions. The casting was outstanding. Starring Margaret Lockwood, Rex Harrison, Paul Henreid, Basil Radford, James Harcourt and others. The movie starts out in Prague where the Germans are marching on Prague. In an effort to prevent Dr. Bomasch (played by James Harcourt) from falling into the hands of the Nazis, Axel Bomasch boards a plane headed to England, but his daughter (Anna Bomasch played by Margaret Lockwood) fails to make it to the plane on time. She is captured by the Nazis. Later, with the help of Karl Marsen (played by Paul Henreid) she manages to escape from a concentration camp and makes her way to London. Once she's reunited with her father, they're both kidnaped back to Germany! It's a thrilling movie with excellent pacing and some great action - Including a cable car shoot out in the Alps. Some British humor keeps it light enough to be less than dreadful. The twists are quite well played, but entirely transparent. The acting was very good and the historical contexts are quite evident when one considers the events of 1939 and the release date of this movie. I liked this movie a lot. 4 out of 5.

Summary: When the Germans march into Prague, armour-plating inventor Dr Bomasch flees to England. His daughter Anna escapes from arrest to join him, but the Gestapo manage to kidnap them both back to Berlin. As war looms, British secret service agent Gus Bennet follows disguised as a senior German army officer. His ploy is the not unpleasant one of pretending to woo Anna to the German cause.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Year: 2012

Country: Finland, Germany, Australia

Rating:

Starring: Julia Dietze, Christopher Kirby, Götz Otto, Udo Kier, Peta Sergeant

Director: Timo Vuorensola

My Review: Not exactly low budget (~$10m), not exactly independent (Blind Spot Pictures Oy/Finnish production company), not exactly Holywood. Definitely NOT politically correct. This movie played all over Europe, but as far as I can tell, it had a very limited release in the US. Directed by Timo Vuorensola, starring a relatively unknown (to Americans) cast: Julia Dietze, Christopher Kirby, Gotz Otto, Udo Kier, Peta Sergeant, Stephanie Paul, Silo Pruckner, Michael Cullen and others. The story: Nazis escape total destruction in 1945 by taking a rocket to the moon. In 2018 they're coming back to take over the Earth. Nazis on the Moon! The premise is preposterous, and the comedy quite ridiculous. Unfortunately, the comedy just isn't as funny as I had hoped. The movie makes Americans the brunt of the joke, which might explain its limited release in the US. The American president is clearly modeled on Sarah Palin - Can anyone (Americans included) really imagine her as an actual President? The best part of this movie was the cgi and visual effects. The visual production was truly outstanding - The Latex, the black leather, the sexy high heel wearing women. The iron handed Aryan uber-men. The slightly model-like moon base. The storm-trooper space suits. The Retro-Art-Deco space ships. The dark 'Empire Strikes Back' color scheme. I really liked the artistic work in this movie. The complete and total disregard for anything remotely resembling science or physics was a bit hard to take, and the script was a tragedy. I watched it subtitled, but I was extremely disappointed by the fact that only the German dialog was subtitled. I think I would have been better served by not trying to pay any attention to the dialog. The stereotyped roles are completely in keeping with the satirical treatment of the film. I appreciated some of the in-film references; like the salute to 'Dr. Strangelove', but all in all it just wasn't clever enough to win me over. This one could have gone either way. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Summary: In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space program evaded destruction by fleeing to the Dark Side of the Moon. During 70 years of utter secrecy, the Nazis construct a gigantic space fortress with a massive armada of flying saucers.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 2012

Country: USA, Canada

Rating:

Starring: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine

Director: Len Wiseman

My Review: There are two ways to look at this film - Some might say it's a new adaptation of Philip K. Dick's original story (We Can Remember it for You Wholesale); while others might argue that it's a 'remake' of the 1990 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. I haven't read the original story, so I really can't compare it in those terms. With that said, I'll go with my gut… As always. The screen play was written by way too many people (five credits in IMDB). That's usually a bad sign. In this case I'd have to agree. The story was very weak. If you blink you might miss the 'Resistance' and 'Revolution' themes completely. Starring Colin Farrell (as Douglas Quaid/Karl Hauser), Kate Beckinsale (as Lori Quaid/Gov't Agent), Jessica Biel (as Melina/Resistance fighter), Bryan Cranston (as Cohaagen), Bokeem Woodbine (as Harry/Gov't Agent), and many others. Collin Farrell was a good choice for the lead, and Kate Beckingsale was very good as the overlooked government agent hell bent on recapturing Karl Hauser. Unfortunately, their characters, the script and the dialog didn't leave much room to work with. The pacing was break-neck speed. Far too fast for my liking. The story elements were so washed over by the action scenes that the entire movie seemed one giant collage of sci-fi action and chase scenes. The visual effects were astonishing. The cgi exceptional. Unfortunately, you need more than that to make a good movie. The story? The movie starts out with a normal pace, and the setting is established. Douglas Quaid is a factory worker who feels like something is missing in his life. He's a cog in the machine. Working for little pay, a small flat and no goal. His wife (Kate Beckinsale) is smoking hot, so he should be quite happy; right? He's not… Something is missing, and he's not quite sure. He's been having weird dreams lately, and he's not quite sure where he's going with his life. He decides to visit a 'Rekall Facility'. A recreational facility where false memories are introduced into your mind as a form of recreation. He fills out all the disclaimers and undergoes the 'psyche' scan. Every thing seem o.k. Until they hook him up to the machine. As soon as they begin the procedure, alarm bells start ringing. Douglas learns that he is actually a Resistance fighter a super spy who's been reprogrammed by the government. After this pivotal plot point is revealed the pace picks up considerably. The story quickly becomes a spoon fed plot with continuous exposition and non-stop action. So much action that I got tired simply watching the movie. The environment was utterly convincing, but the characters utterly flat. I couldn't care less what happened to them. The whole thing seemed like a dream sequence and I wasn't at all invested in the story. I was glad that they changed the films setting (the 1990 film was set on Mars), and the Blade Runner environment was well portrayed. Unfortunately some of the logic/physics that moved in this new setting made no sense at all. All in all, I didn't like it. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Summary: For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid, even though he's got a beautiful wife who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man as he finds himself on the run from the police.

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 2012

Country: USA, UK

Rating:

Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway

Director: Christopher Nolan

My Review: Another movie in the Batman franchise. The third (and final) movie in the Dark Knight trilogy. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Christian Bale (as Bruce Wayne/Batman), Anne Hathaway (as Selina Kyle/Catwoman), Tom Hardy (Bane), Marion Cotillard (Miranda), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Blake/Robin?), Michael Caine (Alfred), Gary Oldman (Commisioner Gordon), Morgan Freeman (Fox), and many others. As dark as the others in this series, this movie continues the 'City in despair rises to shake off villainous oppression with the help of Batman' theme. I can see why they're ending this series. It's getting a bit repetitive. Substitute new characters for the villains, mix up the specifics, but you've still got the same basic story. I liked the cast. In particular Christian Bale does an excellent job as Bruce Wayne, Anne Hathaway was superb as the super-hot, ass-kicking Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is outstanding as the beat cop/detective with a sharp mind and passion to help the citizens of Gotham city. Set eight years after the events of 'The Dark Knight', Bruce Wayne is recovering from the physical and psychological damage suffered in his fight with The Joker and Harvey Dent. When a new villain enters the scene, Bruce Wayne feels compelled to act. The screen-play is well written, and the plot is tight, but once again it kept feeling like a rehash of previous Batman themes. The action is very intense and the pacing quite good (slows down when Batman isn't in the middle of hand to hand combat). Unfortunately, the Bane character returns us to the 'I can't understand what the hell he said' dilemma of some previous Batman movies. It was apparent that there was a considerable amount of post production dubbing done in order to correct some of that problem. Unfortunately, the results left me looking around, trying to figure out where Bane was. The post production work removed the sense of location from Bane's character. The performances, production work and writing were all well done, but this movie suffers at the expense of an ending. The happy ending was nice, but it felt as if it was tacked on afterward. The plot (necessarily) spent too much time tying up the loose ends. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Despite his tarnished reputation after the events of The Dark Knight, in which he took the rap for Dent's crimes, Batman feels compelled to intervene to assist the city and its police force which is struggling to cope with Bane's plans to destroy the city.

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Year: 2008

Country: Germany

Rating:

Starring: Jürgen Vogel, Frederick Lau, Max Riemelt, Jennifer Ulrich, Christiane Paul

Director: Dennis Gansel

My Review: Another German movie based upon the infamous 'Stanford Prison Experiment'. Directed by Dennis Gansel, starring Jurgen Vogel, Frederick Lau, Max Riemelt and others. The story: A German high-school teacher is given an assignment to teach his students about 'Autocracy'. His instruction is creative, interactive, realistic and powerful. He 'instructs' his students to create a real-life simulation of an Autocratic society within their classroom. The students take this instruction to heart. They're attracted to the group ideals, identity and hierarchical structure of the organization that they form. The 'Wave' is born as a small social experiment, but it soon becomes a real-life lesson in how vulnerable young minds are to an attractive ideal and a charismatic leader figure. The Wave quickly spins out of control and overwhelms it's members. As the Wave washes over most of the students, the ugly tide of Fascism quickly overtakes the teachers innocent experiment. Where will this experiment gone wrong end up? Who will be the first casualty in this movement? One of the questions posed by the teacher is 'Could Nazism flourish in today's Germany?' At first the students all say 'No Way', but the lessons of this experiment clearly illustrate the fallacy of that presumption. The direction was good and the young actors did their best to stand up in a performance starring Jurgen Vogel. It's a thoughtful effort aimed directly at a younger audience, this movie does a good job of showing the audience just how easily our society (any society) can succumb to a message tailored to make one segment of society feel more privileged, more deserving, more important than the 'others'. For a more adult view of this films premise, see 'The Experiment'. I give this film a 4 out of 5.

Summary: High school teacher, Rainer Wegner, may be popular with the students, but he's also unorthodox. He's forced to teach autocracy for the school's project week. He's less than enthusiastic at first, but the response of the students is surprising to say the least. He forces the students to become more invested in the prospect of self rule, and soon the class project has its own power and eerily starts to resemble Germany's past. Can Wegner and his class realize what's happening before the horrors start repeating themselves?

Genre: Action

Year: 1987

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitch Ryan, Tom Atkins

Director: Richard Donner

My Review: A great cast - Starring Mel Gibson (Martin Riggs) and Danny Glover (Roger Murtaugh), this buddy cop movie has some great pacing, writing, direction and spot on acting. Roger Murtaugh is ready to retire, but he's not done yet. When saddled with a new partner, he does his best to adapt to this crazy cop with a 'death wish'. With excellent character direction and development, the story isn't neglected. A pretty good plot about drug smugglers, a conspiracy, and a group of fanatical special forces bad guys. The pacing and editing keeps your adrenaline pumping and the climax isn't disappointing. Glover and Gibson had great chemistry together and this movie is a classic cop buddy movie which spawned numerous sequels. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: A veteran detective is partnered with a young detective with a suicidal death wish.