Genre: Horror

Year: 1963

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson, Sandra Knight, Dick Miller, Dorothy Neumann

Director: Roger Corman, Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, Jack Nicholson

My Review: The Terror - Another lukewarm selection amongst the crud of a $10.00 horror compilation collection. In this case I ended up with one of the better movies in the batch. Better when compared to all the other movies; on average. It was o.k. - I liked it. Set in late 18th Century France, a very young Jack Nicholson plays Lt. Andre Duvalier, an officer in the French cavalry. He's a bit out of his normal jurisdiction when he stumbles upon an eerie castle as he makes his way along the southern coast of France. He sees a woman near a bluff and he attempts to speak with her. She eludes him, skipping off along a stream-bed, she eventually wades out into the sea, dives into a turbulent surf and the Lt. attempts to save her. When the Lt. comes to, she's gone. Following a nearby stream-bed, the Lt. discovers a castle hidden in the forest a mile or so from the coast. When the Lt. demands access to the castle he discovers a rather bizarre plot. Here an old man (Borris Karloff) is isolated in a moldy old castle, living out his last days in penance. A young woman is 'trapped' in the castle, and asks for the Lt's help. It seems that this young woman wants the Lt. to help kill the old man, so that she can live in peace? What about the creepy witch who lives in the woods and wishes to drive the Baron from his castle for some centuries old wrong he committed? The characters are diverse, the plot disconnected, and the production work shabby (a Hammer film). Thankfully Roger Corman is at the helm (as director) and he manages to bring some focus to this otherwise disjointed story. As the plot begins to tighten we learn about the long hidden secret which haunts this castle and it's occupants. The acting was o.k., but the story was difficult to follow and the footage seemed completely out of place. The direction was the only thing holding this movie together. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: France, 18th century. Lieutenant Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson) has been accidentally separated from his regiment. He is wandering near the coast when he sees a young woman (Sandra Knight) and asks her for directions to Coldon, where he hopes to rejoin his regiment. But the woman doesn't answer, doesn't even greet him and walks away. Eventually she takes him towards the sea, where she disappears in rough water. Andre loses consciousness while trying to follow her, and is attacked by a bird and awakes in a house where an old woman (Dorothy Neumann) claims never to have seen the woman. After he leaves, he sees the woman again, and while trying to follow her, is saved by a man from certain death. Andre learns that in order to help the girl, he must go to castle of Baron Von Leppe (Boris Karloff), and when he arrives, Andre sees the woman looking out of a window. However, Baron Von Leppe is old and seems reluctant to let Andre in...

Genre: Comedy

Year: 2001

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Fay Masterson, Andrew Parks, Susan McConnell, Brian Howe, Jennifer Blaire

Director: Larry Blamire

My Review: A spoof on 1950's sci-fi movies. This little gem had me rolling on the floor. It was incredibly funny. The lines! Oh my god. Whoever wrote this knew what they were doing. The cast were complete unknowns, but that was a good thing. The set and locations were perfect. The film style was also well done. A scientist and his 'scientists wife' are investigating a meteorite. An evil-scientist is trying to revive the lost skeleton of Cadavra, and a pair of stranded aliens must refuel their space-ship and recover their mutant. Put all these characters together for dinner and watch what happens! It wasn't just a funny movie, it was also a well crafted parody/homage. Incorporating time tested B (for Bad) movie film techniques, and directing style, this one was well worth the watching. Days later I find myself describing the movie to friends, and falling over with laughter at the comic genius of this movie.

Summary:

Genre: Documentary

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Angela Black, Calvin O. Butts III, Natalie Byfield, David Dinkins, Jim Dwyer

Director: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon

My Review: A documentary about five teenagers. Five boys accused, abused, and convicted of a brutal crime. Someone raped a white women, and someone's gonna pay! I remember when this happened. It seemed a bit absurd to me. A woman was raped in Central Park; back in 1989. With no witnesses, and the victim in a comma, justice couldn't wait. The police force rounded up the usual suspects before they knew what was going on. Those boys in the park - Let's get them; they must have done it! The story behind the injustice is just as brutal as the crime. The media demanded justice, and the police force was all too happy to oblige. The police rounded up a bunch of disenfranchised youths and made them the scape-goats for America's misguided demands for justice. The five black or hispanic boys were held without parental contact, refused phone calls and interrogated until they felt they had no choice but confession. These boys spent anywhere from 6 to 13 years in prison before the real rapist; a man sentenced to life in prison, confessed to the Central Park rape. The DNA evidence confirmed his crime and the New York Supreme Court vacated all the convictions. The film (directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon) does a good job of remaining neutral, but there's still more to be told. What happened to these men in prison? Who is to blame for the wrongful convictions? What happened to the woman after she recovered from her injuries? I believe another movie or a series of shows is needed for us to know the full story and understand all the ramifications in this urban tragedy. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City's Central Park. They spent between 6 and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, leading to their convictions being overturned. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE tells the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories and an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.

Genre: Comedy

Year: 1998

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor

Director: Peter Weir

My Review: In my opinion, this is one of Jim Carrey's best performances. In this movie, he plays 'Truman Burbank', a man who doesn't know that his entire life is a lie, a stage for people he doesn't know, may never meet, and will always love him. The 'Truman Show' is a 24/7 reality show featuring a 'non-actor'. A closed set of extras surrounds Truman as he is born, raised, and followed by the entire planet. It's an amazing spectacle of life, the ultimate extension of 'Reality TV'. The candid camera aspects are a bit scary, and the implications somewhat disturbing. Could we, as a society bring ourselves to treat someone as a captive slave for our entertainment? The social implications raised in this movie are quite interesting and disturbing at the same time. Jim Carry's performance was stellar. Not only does he manage to convey the rawest of emotions, his performance is both believable and entertaining. While we may associate his name with comedy, take the time to watch this movie and see for yourself. Here is emotion, conviction, and a genuine effort worthy of the title 'Actor' not 'Comedian'. What will happen when Truman discovers the truth about his life? Unfortunately, the supporting cast didn't provide the sort of performance that would have elevated this movie beyond the stigma of Carrey's comedy label. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: An insurance salesman/adjuster (Jim Carrey) discovers his entire life is actually a TV show.

Genre: Comedy

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott, Katherine LaNasa

Director: Jay Roach

My Review: It's a sickening mockery of a despicable real-life tragedy. American politics are a shambles. Candidates lack moral fiber, cater to their corporate masters and really don't give a damn about the citizens of this country. That's really not a good subject for a comedy. Or is it? Well, someone thought it was a good idea to mock this disgusting situation. In my opinion, that was a bad idea. While the film made me reflect on the sad state of politics in our country, that reflection only served to heighten my disdain for a movie which makes humor out of this sad situation. The movie features Will Ferrell (as Cam Brady) and Zach Galifianakis (as Marty Huggins) as two politicians in a small town race. Will Ferrel plays the jaded incumbent, and Zach plays the naiveté new-comer. As the two go head to head, the dirty tricks of modern politics are used to satirize the current state of politics in our nation. Unfortunately, the satire strikes too close to home and the humor tastes a bit bitter in the mouth. More like bile from holding back vomit than I'd care to experience. With poor direction and a sad story, I ended up despising this comedy. I give it a 1 out of 5 and recommend that you avoid further films by these screen-play writers: Chris Henchy and Shawn Harwell (see The Other Guys and Land of the Lost (Chris Henchy).

Summary: When Cam Brady (D-NC), a four-term Congressman, becomes a liability, the Motch brothers (think Koch brothers) recruit Marty Huggins, the son of a Republican heavy hitter, to run against him and be their vehicle to establish factories in the district that will import cheap Chinese labor. Trouble is, Marty is a lightweight, so his makeover falls to consultant Tim Wattley. The race tightens as Cam constantly shoots himself in the foot, while the prospect of winning also changes Marty and his family's dynamics. Meanwhile, Cam plays dirty, and Marty cottons on to the Moches' grand plan. What options do the rich have to get their way?

Genre: Action, Adventure, War

Year: 1965

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, Raffaella Carrà, Brad Dexter, Sergio Fantoni

Director: Mark Robson

My Review: Von Ryan's Express - Another movie from one of my favorite genres - WWII movies. In this movie, an American officer (Col. Joe Ryan, played by Frank Sinatra) with a notable New Jersey accent takes command of a group of class-ridden British soldiers who can't seem to get their act together. The movie starts out a bit slowly, with Col. Ryan making a few mistakes. He butts heads with the former leader (Trevor Howard playing Maj. Eric Fincham), but he soon makes up for the blunder and wins the confidence of the other prisoners. Once the Brits are behind him, they reveal their half-baked plan to escape the Nazis. The movie is a lot of fun, with excellent pacing, direction and production work. The music was well suited to the scenery and special effects quite good. The train scenes are outstanding and the scenery from Northern Italy was spectacular. Excellent WWII escape adventure featuring nazis, trains, Messerschmitts, and a preposterous escape plan. Frank Sinatra was excellent as Col. Joe Ryan and the movie was outstanding considering the fact that it's more than 40 years old (released in 1965). I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Ryan, an American POW, leads his fellow prisoners on a dangerous escape from the Germans in Italy. Having seemingly made errors of judgement, Ryan has to win the support of the mainly British soldiers he is commanding.

Genre: Documentary, History, News

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Rick Agosto, Lawrence Allen Jr., David Anderson, Mary Helen Berlanger, Stephen Colbert

Director: Scott Thurman

My Review: A biased documentary - While purporting to portray a conflict over school textbooks, this documentary goes a step further by obviously picking a side. This documentary would have you believe that our nation is gripped by an epic battle between 'logic' and 'religion', that our status in the world and our children's future is at stake… By focusing on the fringe, this documentary does more harm than good. I believe that science textbooks should not 'promote' or 'propose' religious beliefs as science, but this documentary has already made up its mind before you start the movie. The movie 'de-evolved' into a shouting match regarding whether religion should be allowed in our public schools. That argument should have nothing to do with the content of our nation's text books (in public schools). The documentary could have made that point in the very beginning of the movie. Instead the writer/film-maker decided to create a film that highlighted the controversial aspects of the argument rather than focusing on the facts. I dislike honesty in documentaries, and this one was clearly biased in one direction. Although the 'documentary' was well done, it was dishonest in its premise. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Summary: The theory of evolution and a re-write of American history are caught in the crosshairs when an unabashed Creationist seeks re-election as chairman of America's most influential Board of Education.

Genre: Action

Year: 2012

Country: USA, Hong Kong

Rating:

Starring: RZA, Rick Yune, Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, Dave Bautista

Director: RZA

My Review: A cheesy Kung-Fu movie with hip-hop stylings. The fist is quite preposterous - The local Chinese blacksmith is an escaped slave forced to make weapons for both sides in a struggle between warring gangs who are trying to steal or deliver the Governor's gold. In the end the Blacksmith transforms himself into a force for bitter vengeance when the warring factions push him too far. I'm not quite sure why this movie rated big names like Russel Crowe (as 'Jack Knife'), Lucy Liu (as Madam Blossom), Pam Grier?! and others (Dave Bautista, Chung Le, Jamie Chung, Rick Yune, RZA) and production assistance from Quentin Tarantino. The visuals were outstanding. Lot's of beautiful people, scantily clad women, colorful costumes, and flashy set dressing. The Tarantino touch is evident in many aspects of the movie - including the signature violent scenes. The hip-hop music was well matched to this movie, but the story was thin - It certainly made for some good character development and backstory. It was worth watching, but don't expect anything beyond flashy, cheesy, Kung-fu (ala Spaghetti Western) action. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: In Jungle Village, the leader of the Lion's clan Gold Lion is summoned by the Governor and assigned to protect his gold that will be transported through the village. However he is betrayed and murdered by the greedy Silver Lion and Bronze Lion. Gold Lion's favorite son Zen Yi, a.k.a. The X-Blade, seeks revenge and heads to Jungle Village, but he is defeated by Brass Body and rescued by the local Blacksmith Thaddeus. Meanwhile the Gemini Female and the Gemini Male protect the Governor's gold, but they are vanquished by the army of Silver and Bronze Lion. The Blacksmith is abducted by the Lions and has his arms severed by Brass Body. However he is saved by the British Jack Knife, who is the emissary of the Emperor, and he manufactures iron arms for Thaddeus. Meanwhile the Governor sends the Jackal army to fight against the Lions and they hide the gold in the brothel of Madam Blossom. However, Madam Blossom and his girls form an army of black widows and together with Jack, Zen Yi and The...

Genre: Action, Drama, History, War

Year: 2011

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Jonathan Bennett, James Cromwell, John Cromwell, Jackson Bond, Mary Kay Fortier-Spalding

Director: Samuel Fischer

My Review: Memorial Day - I watched this movie two days after Memorial Day in 2013. It's a family friendly drama that recounts a young boy's experience when he first encounters the demons of war as a 13 year old, and again as an adult. As a young boy he insists that his grandfather tell him the stories behind a foot-locker full of WWII memorabilia. The movie flashes back and forth between Memorial day 1995, 1944/1945 in Nazi Occupied Europe and 2006 in Anbar province of Iraq; As Kyle (played by Jonathan Bennett (and child actor Jackson Bond)) relives his boyhood memories of his grandfather's WWII stories (played by James Cromwell (grandfather) and John Cromwell (young Lt. Vogel)) and his current day predicament in the desert as he recovers from combat injuries. Its a movie about shared experience, respect, honor, hardship and duty. The WWII recreation scenes were fresh and authentic. It wasn't a war movie, but it certainly makes you think about the impact of war on the lives of those who serve in harm's way. The stories were moving, authentic, believable - Memorial. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Memorial Day, 1993. When 13-year-old Kyle Vogel discovers the World War II footlocker belonging to his grandfather, Bud, everyone tells Kyle to put it back. Luckily, he ignores them. Although Bud has never talked about the war, he finds himself striking a deal with his grandson: Kyle can pick any three souvenirs, and Bud will tell him the stories behind each one. Memorial Day not only takes us on a journey into Bud's complicated wartime past, but also into Kyle's wartime future. As the two men share parallel experiences in combat, they come to realize how that magical day on the porch shaped both of their lives.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year: 2013

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg

Director: J.J. Abrams

My Review: Star Trek Into Darkness is the sequel to the 'reboot' of the Star Trek franchise (Star Trek (released 2009)). Once again it's directed by J.J. Abrams, reuniting the cast from the reboot. Chris Pine plays Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto plays Spock, Karl Urban plays Bones, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu, Anton Yelchin as Chekov and Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan! That's right that brought back Khan Noonien Singh. Action packed, summer block-buster. One of the flaws with this movie, it never pauses for you to catch your breath. When do we get some character development? If you're not familiar with the characters already, you'll be sorely pressed to understand the understated nods to the original series. Plenty of jokes punctuate the non-stop action, but once again, that's a summer block-buster gimmick, and frankly I'm getting really tired of this type of production. Another weakness is the writing. With three different writers working the script, there was a noticeable lack of constant feel in the character interaction and story flow. The movie felt more like a Paramount Amusement Park ride than a serious space-drama. Then there's the rehashed 'Khan' story. I appreciate the revitalization of my favorite TV series, but this franchise really needs some new ideas, not a re-release of The Original Series with new actors. Kim and I watched the movie in 3D, and I have to say that the visuals, special effects and cgi were outstanding. I really appreciated all the winks and nods to the original series; including the cameo by Leonard Nimoy, but we need to get past the patently absurd homage and move the franchise forward into some new territory. An excellent movie for the franchise. I loved it, but I really want more from this new Star Trek. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.