Genre: Crime

Year: 1995

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore

Director: Michael Mann

My Review: An epic crime drama where the characters are very realistic, very humanistic, and very well acted by Al Pacino (as Lt. Vincent Hanna), Robert De Niro (Neil McCauley), Val Kilmer (Chris Shiherlis), Jon Voight (Nate), Tom Sizemore (Michael Cheritto) and others. The writer/director (Michael Mann) did a phenomenal job of bringing this story to the screen. The movie is set in Las Angeles, California, the characters are just as important as the story. Here are two people dedicated to their professions. One (the criminal) has developed a personal code that eschews personal commitment; "Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner." As a result he has no connection to his human side, he is a criminal, always will be a criminal. The other (the lawman) does his best to maintain a human connection, but his exposure to the criminal element constantly seeps through to poison his relationships - His wife said it best; "You don't live with me, you live among the remains of dead people. You sift through the detritus, you read the terrain, you search for signs of passing, for the scent of your prey, and then you hunt them down. That's the only thing you're committed to. The rest is the mess you leave as you pass through." These two men dance a macabre dance as they plot and stalk - as their paths grow closer each suffers the consequences of their personal codes. The heist, a seemingly simple crime caper is a simple mechanism designed to bring the characters together for a tragic ending. A means to close the circles of their character's cycles. The performances are truly outstanding, and the direction sublime. The sets, costumes, lighting, and technical perfection are superb. Heat is the sort of crime drama that seeks to humanize the genre and succeeds. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: A Los Angeles crime saga, "Heat" focuses on the lives of two men on opposite sides of the law - one a detective; the other a thief.

Genre: Drama, History, Thriller

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber

Director: Ben Affleck

My Review: A hollywood production of a true life story - An excellent production, dulled only by a lack of historical context and an ethnic bias. Based upon true events, this movie tells the story of six Americans who managed to evade abduction when Militant Iranian students over-ran the American embassy in 1979. These six diplomats hid out in the Canadian ambassadors personal residence until a rescue operation was mounted to free them from a nation that sought to purge themselves of the Great Satan's influence. The screen play (by Chris Terrio) is based upon a book by Tony Mendez. The film is directed by, and stars Ben Affleck. The very large cast did an excellent job. I was put off by some theatrical license taken in historical context. Having lived through this episode in our nation's history, I remember the gravitas, the seriousness, the tension in all aspects of our daily lives. This movie had that, but the lack of any substantive Iranian characters (beyond the blood-thirsty mob screaming 'Death to America') brought the film down a notch. Telling the tale from a 'CIA' centric point of view may have catered to an American audience, but a truer telling would have served the film better and possibly made it a more memorable experience. Despite my misgivings about the 'Hollywood Treatment' and lack of honesty in historical detail, it was intensely entertaining. The pacing, editing and music were superb, but I don't think this movie deserved two of it's three oscars. I give it a 4 out of 5. FYI: Argo was the name of the ship (from Greek Mythology) that Jason and the Argonauts sailed on to retrieve the golden fleece. It became a constellation (Argo Navis) in the night sky after consecration to Poseidon.

Summary: In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans were taken hostage. However, six managed to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA was eventually ordered to get them out of the country. With few options, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez devised a daring plan: to create a phony Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew. With the help of some trusted Hollywood contacts, Mendez created the ruse and proceed to Iran as its associate producer. However, time was running out with the Iranian security forces closing in on the truth while both his charges and the White House had grave doubts about the operation themselves.

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas

Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

My Review: A romantic drama about a writer who struggles to overcome his writer's block. He ends up falling in love with the female character in his latest novel. I have to admit that I kept looking for the 'psychotic break' twist, but it never came. Unfortunately, that detracted from my enjoyment of this film. If you should read this before you watch the movie, discard your pre-conceived notions regarding the 'obvious' twist, it'll only spoil your experience. Written by Zoe Kazan - Directed by two people, starring Zoe Kazan (as Ruby Sparks) and Paul Dano (as Calvin Weir-Fields). Paul Dano plays 'Calvin Weir-Fields' a one-time novelist who struck it big with his initial release. His book is admired and worshiped by a romantic set of post-pubescent twenty-something single women. The characters appeal to their sensibilities, but Calvin can't seem to muster any of his published charisma when it comes to real-life romance. Occasional trysts with fame seeking fans is the extent of Calvin's relationships. It's his failure with the ladies that leads him back to fantasy, where he concocts another romance to assuage his cravings for intimacy and a real relationship. When his words become flesh his skepticism is genuine, his confusion believable and his joy overwhelming. The chemistry between Zoe and Dano could have been a bit better, but the story couldn't. I really enjoyed this unusual twist on the typical dramatic romance. It's smart, funny, challenging and fun to watch. The subtle and obvious psychological messages are powerful and nuanced at the same time. An excellent movie. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Calvin is a genius novelist who begins to type a new novel on his manual typewriter about Ruby, his dream girl. He can't believe his eyes, because the next day, Ruby becomes a real person, and they begin to have a beautiful relationship together. If the relationship isn't perfect, all Calvin has to do is simply type the words on the page and Ruby's actions change to what he needs.

Genre: Drama

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Nadine Velazquez, Denzel Washington, Carter Cabassa, Adam C. Edwards, Tamara Tunie

Director: Robert Zemeckis

My Review: Flight - Robert Zemeckis' latest film. Zemeckis does an excellent job directing this movie; his first live action since 2000. Starring Denzel Washington (as Whip Whitaker), Don Cheadle (as Hugh Lang), Melissa Leo (as Ellen Block), Bruce Greenwood (as Charlie Anderson), Kelly Reilly (as Nicole), John Goodman (as Harling Mays) and many others. The cast contained several actors from the movie 'Fallen' (Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Elias Koteas (uncredited; stairwell cancer patient)) and other films in Washington's past (Don Cheadle from 'Devil in a Blue Dress'). One particular scene (in a stairwell) features Elias as a terminal cancer patient providing 'life advice' to Washington's troubled character at the beginning of what will be a difficult journey. The screenplay by John Gatins feels like it's pulled from headlines, but its an original story with excellent treatment. The story features Whip Whitaker as an airline pilot. On one fateful day; after a night of sex, drugs, drinking and very little sleep, Whip awakens in the cockpit to discover a plane that has 'died'. He deftly maneuvers the plane to crash land when the odds were a thousand to one on anyone surviving - Still, eight people die, and the NTSB discovers Whip's secret. He lives his life as high as the planes he flies. Criminal charges are in the works, and his life of lies, partying and excess are about to end. It's a powerful personal journey for Whip, and Denzel's performance makes it very believable. The only character I despised was 'Harling Mays', played by John Goodman. This 'Smack talking, pimp walking, self-assured, dope-peddler' added little to the film and only served to distract from what should have been some very intense scenes. Despite this character, the movie was an excellent story of personal drama, choices, consequences and personal integrity. The last thirty minutes of the film - The court's closing minutes and the ending notes, were excellent and provided for a perfect closing on this outstanding film by Robert Zemeckis. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Whip Whitfield is a commuter airline pilot. While on a flight from Orlando to Atlanta something goes wrong and the plane starts to fly erratically. With little choice Whip crashes the plane. When he wakes up in the hospital, he learns some of the passengers and crew died. His friend at the airline introduces him to a lawyer who tells him there's a chance he could face criminal charges because it seems they did a blood test and he tested positive for drugs and alcohol. He denies being impaired so while an investigation is underway, he is told to keep his act together. But he continues to drink.

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Year: 1989

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: John Kerry, Mark Mears, John Caso, Lesa Lee, Jimmy Justice

Director: Robert C. Hughes

My Review: A low budget 80s (released 1989) slasher movie filmed on location at Gold Creek Ranch, just north of Burbank, California. With a low budget cast, a crappy script and some former porn stars, just about anyone can make a movie. This movie was supposed to be a horror/slasher flick, but it was so bad it made me cringe. Not quite fitting into the "so bad it's good" category, this movie just made me sad. What a waste of my time. The plot - It's memorial day weekend and rumors of bad karma and a dead dog in the well won't stop the 'Memorial Valley' campground from opening, staying open, or becoming the setting for a crazed caveman's killing field. A group of campers are ready for the weekend, and the bosses son is worried that things could go badly. He really has no idea how badly this film is going to get. The cheap production, poor editing, horrid script, terrible camera work and campy casting set the scene for a highly forgettable movie. The only bright spot is the legendary actor William Smith playing a retired General on vacation with his aging trophy wife. As the movie gets going we find a campground caveman who slaughters campers one after another. Apparently they're disturbing his sense of solitude, and that can't be allowed! Die campers, Die! At times the movie became so comedic that I laughed. Unfortunately, it was sad laughter. The movie wasn't trying to be funny, it was just that bad. The only thing that could have made this movie better? More boobies - There were some scenes with topless hotties, but nowhere near enough to make this movie more than a sad excuse for a 90 minute schlock job. Thankfully this movie was only one of many on a 15 movie compilation. I give this movie a 1 out of 5.

Summary: Campers on a holiday are terrorized by an axe-wielding maniac.

Genre: Horror

Year: 1960

Country: Italy

Rating:

Starring: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici

Director: Mario Bava

My Review: An Italian horror film from 1960. A black & white thriller by Mario Bava (a favorite Italian director); an early master of the macabre. This film is generally credited as the film that pushed Bava's career into the top gear. To those unfamiliar with the early works of the genre, this may feel mild and less than terrifying. I find it surreal, stylish, visually stunning an artistic masterpiece of horror. The dubbing is a bit painful but not too bad as the pictures tell the story. The cast was excellent - Barbara Steele (as Katia Vajda (the virgin) and Princess Asa Vajda (the witch)), John Richardson (as Dr. Andre Gorobec), Andrea Checchi (as Dr. Thomas Kruvajan), Ivo Garrani (as Prince Vajada), Arturo Dominici (as Igor Javuto). Mario Bava directed the film and wrote parts of the screenplay (without credit). The story is based upon Nikolai Gogol's 1865 horror story "Viy", but it only uses the novel as background and borrows many of the elements for this masterful horror story. The story: In 17th century Moldavia, Princess Asa and her lover Javutich are accused of witchcraft and allegiance to Satan. Asa's brother serves as Inquisitor, condemning both to a fiery death. As Asa is tied to a stake, she curses her brother. Vowing vengeance upon the entire family line. After hammering a spiked 'Mask of Satan' to Asa's face, the two are burned at the stake. A sudden storm extinguishes the flames but the two are dead. Entombed in a crypt, Asa is imprisoned in her iron mask for centuries. Flash forward 200 years; Two doctors stumble upon the ruined remains of the family crypt and one of them accidentally breaks the crucifix that keeps Asa imprisoned within her tomb. As fresh blood drips upon her shriveled remains, a demonic pact is triggered and Asa's corpse begins to stir. An outstanding story filled with classic elements of horror. Witches, vampires, ancient curses, howling wolves, dark forests, ghostly carriage rides, creeping fog, a ruined ancient castle, secret passages, web covered corridors, creepy crypts, demonic possession, satanic resurrection and a tragic tale of love and revenge. Outstanding! The sets, the costumes, the editing and pacing. A magnificent film from 1960. A classic horror movie - I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant. Only the girl's brother and a handsome doctor stand in her way.

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw

Director: Josh Trank

My Review: Another found footage film (like the Blair Witch project, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, Apollo 18, and Troll Hunter). Unfortunately, this type of film is difficult to pull off. Too much fumbling around with the camera, mirror shots, obvious unattended shots, and a lack of adequate between scene time lapse can create a sense of disbelief, as is the case with this movie. After they drop the found footage premise (about 3/4ths of the way through the film) the sense of disbelief washes away. The premise is quite good - Three high school friends are attending a party when they stumble upon a fissure in the earth. Clambering down into this underground shaft, they soon discover something alien and frightening. Moments later they scamper away in confusion and try to understand what they saw. A day later the experience begins affecting them in an unexpected way. They begin to exhibit alien powers and have no idea how to control them or what to do with them. The special effects weren't bad, but they deteriorated in the second half of the film; where they were used too much. The acting is pretty good for such a young cast. The direction was a bit heavy handed. There were no slow moments in the film and the characters were superficial, wearing all their emotions on their sleeves - behaving like comic book characters with a two hour lifespan. The writing was pretty good, presenting a story that seemed more natural than one would expect (in a hollywood script) from this type of premise. The ending is quite good - giving us some closure with a sense of segue into darker territory. I give the film a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Andrew is a troubled but creative teen with a keen visual eye and a high-quality HD camera. He is introverted and socially awkward. Along with his friends, Matt and Steve, they make a discovery that leads them all to acquire powerful telekinetic abilities. They're now capable of, well, almost anything. But things take a dark turn.

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

Year: 2012

Country: USA, New Zealand

Rating:

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish

Director: Peter Jackson

My Review: Director Peter Jackson has done an exceptional job with this story. A story that many of us have been waiting a long time to see on screen in a dramatic film that doesn't rely on animation to bring the story to life. $180,000,000.00 has produced a movie that defies animation and cgi. Not once did I find myself thinking of this movie as fake (well - maybe once). The production design, sets, costumes, makeup and cgi/visual effects were seamlessly integrated to create the fantasy I remember when reading the book. The acting by all involved was top notch. Martin Freeman (as Bilbo), Ian McKellen (as Gandalf), and Richard Armitage (as Thorin) were all exceptional. Andy Serkis as Gollum shines brilliantly during his short time on screen. The story - Just in case you're not familiar with it: Our beloved Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins as a young Hobbit is reluctantly swept away in a quest to help the Dwarves reclaim their lost kingdom. Together; Bilbo, Gandalf, and a troupe of hardy Dwarven Warriors set forth to defeat Smaug the dragon from its resting place atop a pile of treasure deep in the heart of Erebor. The location shots were awesome and the action sequences very well filmed. The only thing that disappointed me was the running time and the fact that I'll have to come back again and again to get the full story. The music by the Finn brothers (some of my favorite artists) was extremely well done. I would gladly own a copy in Blu-ray format. I give this journey a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever ... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities ... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to ...

Genre: Drama, History, Thriller

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Jason Clarke, Reda Kateb, Jessica Chastain, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

My Review: Zero Dark Thirty (A reference to military time - xx:30 = Some time early in the morning. Half past the hour, when the hour is between midnight and dawn. The time when Osama Bin Laden was killed). A movie about the decade long hunt for Bin Laden - The man responsible for the planning and execution of the terrorist plot that killed thousands of innocent Americans on Sep, 11th, 2001. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal (both worked on the Hurt Locker). Starring Jessica Chastain (as Maya), Jason Clarke (Dan) and many others. The movie is a linear drama that depicts the combined military, intelligence and diplomatic efforts to find and kill Osama Bin Laden. The team effort is led by Maya (not her real name), a young intelligence analyst working in the CIA. The film is extremely realistic, dark and dangerous. Depictions of torture are disturbing, but surprisingly not as bad as I would have assumed. The movie opens with a dark screen and 911 calls from the World Trade Center Towers on Sept 11th, 2001. It sets the stage for the effort that follows. A man-hunt that waxes and wanes under the weight of political will, with Maya desperately working to ensure that our leaders didn't renege on a national responsibility. As a movie, the production was deliberate, meticulous and detailed in the extreme. I saw nothing that seemed out of place or out of character. The acting, character depictions, sets, operating procedures and props were all perfect. Surely Ms. Bigelow must have had a good deal of help ensuring the accuracy of the screen depictions. As the movie moved inexorably towards it's ultimate conclusion I sat in stunned silence, reliving in my mind a series of emotions accumulated over those 10 years between the attack and the death of Bin Laden. How could I not relive the efforts of all the people involved in this massive effort? Even though we all know the outcome, watching proved a bit cathartic to me and I knew I had to watch this movie despite my displeasure with the violence depicted. The only thing I find at fault is the character development in the movie. The characters lack much in the way of substance, and its only the fine acting that makes them anything more than characters in a book. The movie lacked some drama in the certain outcome, but there were times when it felt very much like a documentary. Perhaps that's the reaction of the viewer given the emotional impact of the subject matter. Presenting it in a less dramatic manner makes it somewhat more palatable. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Maya is a CIA operative whose first experience is in the interrogation of prisoners following the Al Qaeda attacks against the U.S. on the 11th September 2001. She is a reluctant participant in extreme duress applied to the detainees, but believes that the truth may only be obtained through such tactics. For several years, she is single-minded in her pursuit of leads to uncover the whereabouts of Al Qaeda's leader, Osama Bin Laden. Finally, in 2011, it appears that her work will pay off, and a U.S. Navy SEAL team is sent to kill or capture Bin Laden. But only Maya is confident Bin Laden is where she says he is.

Genre: Horror

Year: 1973

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Michael Greer, Marianna Hill, Joy Bang, Anitra Ford, Royal Dano

Director: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz

My Review: A hidden gem among the crud of a $10.00 horror compilation collection. I had no idea that this movie was a Cthulhu Mythos movie. The Cthulhu Mythos is one of my favorite genres, and here's a release that I wasn't aware of. Nowhere in the description is the term 'Cthulhu' mentioned, but it's clearly a child of that misshapen genre. Released in the 70s (1973) the transfer to DVD was absolutely abysmal. All the color was washed out, the sound was terrible and there were plenty of artifacts in the video. Despite all that, the film was quite good. The story - A young woman (Marianna Hill playing Arletty) has returned to the sleepy seaside town of Point Dune. She's trying to find out what happened to her father the artist. He's been missing for some time now, and no one seems to know what's happened to him. All that remains is his abandoned studio on the coast. As Arletty arrives in Point Dune she encounters Thom and his two companions (two seductive women). The movie is filled with unexplained characters and situations. Dark and mysterious dead ends and a blood red moon. Clearly inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, the town is infested with some sort of undead cult of moon worshipping cannibals. Mix in the two hippy chicks and you've got one groovy, gruesome, Cthulhu masterpiece. If only there were a better quality release. I give this movie a 3 out of 5.

Summary: