Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

Year: 2013

Country: Switzerland, Poland, UK, USA

Rating:

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay, Dougie McConnell, Kevin McAlinden

Director: Jonathan Glazer

My Review: Under the Skin - 2014 (Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi) Directed by Jonathan Glazer (also directed Sexy Beast as well as numerous music videos) and starring Scarlett Johansson as an alien being stalking the night in Scottland's cities and villages. Preying upon man's strongest emotions, her beauty belies the terror of her alien intentions. Extremely dark cinematography and a foreboding sense of dread follow you throughout the movie. The movie is slow at times and that can make for a challenging experience. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: An alien entity inhabits the earthly form of a young woman who combs the roads and streets of Scotland in search of the human prey she came to plunder. She seduces her isolated and forsaken male victims into an otherworldly dimension where they are stripped and consumed. However, existence in all its complexity begin to change the alien visitor. She begins to discover herself as human with tragic and terrifying consequences.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Year: 2014

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson

Director: Darren Aronofsky

My Review: This may be the first movie to treat this topic seriously. The first to attempt a literal retelling of the tale, based upon biblical texts. Written (in part) and directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring Russel Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins and others. Many people already know the story. The tale of Noah is told in the bible, in the Book of Genesis and in many other religious scriptures. It is the tale of God's displeasure with man, and the destruction of all life - Save that within the Ark - upon the earth. A dramatic retelling with some artistic license, as biblical passages are always subject to some level of interpretation. Excellent writing and acting. A very well made movie, with an inspirational source. Unfortunately, our knowledge of the ending leaves little to the imagination in the retelling. I give this effort a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Noah unquestioningly follows the command of the world's creator to undertake a momentous mission before an apocalyptic flood cleanses the cursed lands of mankind.

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Year: 2014

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway, Terrence Howard

Director: David Ayer

My Review: Directed by David Ayer known more for his writing/screenplays than direction. Starring Arnold Schwarzeneger, Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard and many others. Arnold plays John 'Breacher' Wharton, a past retirement age DEA team leader who stumbles head-long into a major cartel war when his crew executes a seemingly minor drug bust. During the bust they more than $100 million in cartel money. They stash some of the money, and plan to retrieve it later. When they find it missing the suspicion begins to mount and that’s when the bodies start piling up. Team members starting dying and an investigation ensues. Who stole the money? Where is the money? How can they make the cartel stop? The story is fairly straight forward, with a twist at the end. The worst part of the movie is the acting. Arnold isn't all that good at acting, and this movie was probably too much for him. The action was over-the-top, the story was bland, the characters weren't all that interesting, and the acting was poor. With a weak story, they picked an 'Action' director - but you can't really make up for a weak story by blowing shit up. Or can you? Overall, I wanted to give this movie a 1 out of 5, but out of respect to Arnold I'm going to let it slide by with a 2 out of 5.

Summary: An elite DEA team raids the safe house of a drug cartel and hide $10 million in the plumbing. When they go back to retrieve the money it is not there. The team is under investigation for the missing $10 million. Then after a couple months the investigation is lifted. The team trains together again and then celebrates at a strip club. Then one of the team is murdered. He wakes up in his RV on railroad tracks. Then a second team member is nailed to the ceiling. The third team member is gunned down at his remote cabin. There is a female City of Atlanta investigator in charge of the murders. After investigating the cartel angle, the twisted truth comes to light.

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

Year: 2014

Country: UK, China, USA

Rating:

Starring: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara

Director: Wally Pfister

My Review: Directed by Wally Pfister (Numerous cinematography credits (DP on Memento, Scotland PA, Batman Begins, The Prestige, Inception, Moneyball) - This is directorial debut), starring Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman and others. An 'anti-tech' technology horror story where an Artificial Intelligence takes over. A group of 'Anti-Tech Terrorists' kill the developer of an advanced AI. This results in the unexpected acceleration of change that the 'terrorists' were fighting to stop. Armageddon for humanity with an enemy they can't see. Lurking inside every connected device, the only way out is an unimaginable unplugging. The movie was pretty good until it passed the mid-point. Once 'The Machine' started decomposing matter and building things through some sort of telekinesis, I started to lose interest. The movie started to follow an arc of unsustainable imagination. It drifted so far from reality that it became unrealistic - thus laughable and no longer 'scary'. If it hadn't been for the rush to find an ending (poor writing) it might have been a better movie. The movie looks great (excellent cinematography), but the story was lacking in many regards and the cast seems less than motivated to perform. I give it a 3 out of 5. • Transcendence - 2014 (Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Romance) Directed by Wally Pfister (Numerous cinematography credits (DP on Memento, Scotland PA, Batman Begins, The Prestige, Inception, Moneyball) - This is directorial debut), starring Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman and others. An 'anti-tech' technology horror story where an Artificial Intelligence takes over. A group of 'Anti-Tech Terrorists' kill the developer of an advanced AI. This results in the unexpected acceleration of change that the 'terrorists' were fighting to stop. Armageddon for humanity with an enemy they can't see. Lurking inside every connected device, the only way out is an unimaginable unplugging. The movie was pretty good until it passed the mid-point. Once 'The Machine' started decomposing matter and building things through some sort of telekinesis, I started to lose interest. The movie started to follow an arc of unsustainable imagination. It drifted so far from reality that it became unrealistic - thus laughable and no longer 'scary'. If it hadn't been for the rush to find an ending (poor writing) it might have been a better movie. The movie looks great (excellent cinematography), but the story was lacking in many regards and the cast seems less than motivated to perform. I give it a 3 out of 5. • Tran • Transcendence - 2014 (Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Romance) Directed by Wally Pfister (Numerous cinematography credits (DP on Memento, Scotland PA, Batman Begins, The Prestige, Inception, Moneyball) - This is directorial debut), starring Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman and others. An 'anti-tech' technology horror story where an Artificial Intelligence takes over. A group of 'Anti-Tech Terrorists' kill the developer of an advanced AI. This results in the unexpected acceleration of change that the 'terrorists' were fighting to stop. Armageddon for humanity with an enemy they can't see. Lurking inside every connected device, the only way out is an unimaginable unplugging. The movie was pretty good until it passed the mid-point. Once 'The Machine' started decomposing matter and building things through some sort of telekinesis, I started to lose interest. The movie started to follow an arc of unsustainable imagination. It drifted so far from reality that it became unrealistic - thus laughable and no longer 'scary'. If it hadn't been for the rush to find an ending (poor writing) it might have been a better movie. The movie looks great (excellent cinematography), but the story was lacking in many regards and the cast seems less than motivated to perform. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him. However, in their attempt to destroy Will, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed-to be a participant in his own transcendence. For his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany), both fellow researchers, the question is not if they can...but if they should. Their worst fears are realized as Will's thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, to what end is unknown. The only thing that is becoming terrifyingly clear is there may be no way to stop him.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Western, Crime

Year: 1969

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Warren Oates

Director: Sam Peckinpah

My Review: Written (in part) and directed by Sam Peckinpah (Ride the High Country, Straw Dogs, Cross of Iron). Starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Warren Oates and many others. It's a large cast, cinematic extravaganza of the old west. A group of aging outlaws on the verge of extinction plan and execute a bloody, ambitious, train heist turned, arms deal, turned bank heist. These men are unscrupulous outlaws with a shaky code of morals. Pursued by bounty hunters and the Mexican army, the picture isn't romantic or pretty. It's a gritty fairy-tale of the true-west. Ideals meet reality in this saga of men who live by their own code. Excellent cinematography, acting and direction provide fuel for this outstanding story which roams across the US/Mexican border like a thuderstorm of greed, cynicism and personal vendetta - Despite the vile nature of this Wild Bunch, they somehow come off as heroes in this uncompromising tale of the wild west. The ending is a blood-bath of epic proportions. It easily earns a 5 out of 5 • The Wild Bunch - 1969 (Action, Adventure, Western, Crime) Written (in part) and directed by Sam Peckinpah (Ride the High Country, Straw Dogs, Cross of Iron). Starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Warren Oates and many others. It's a large cast, cinematic extravaganza of the old west. A group of aging outlaws on the verge of extinction plan and execute a bloody, ambitious, train heist turned, arms deal, turned bank heist. These men are unscrupulous outlaws with a shaky code of morals. Pursued by bounty hunters and the Mexican army, the picture isn't romantic or pretty. It's a gritty fairy-tale of the true-west. Ideals meet reality in this saga of men who live by their own code. Excellent cinematography, acting and direction provide fuel for this outstanding story which roams across the US/Mexican border like a thuderstorm of greed, cynicism and personal vendetta - Despite the vile nature of this Wild Bunch, they somehow come off as heroes in this uncompromising tale of the wild west. The ending is a blood-bath of epic proportions. It easily earns a 5 out of 5. Written (in part) and directed by Sam Peckinpah (Ride the High Country, Straw Dogs, Cross of Iron). Starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Warren Oates and many others. It's a large cast, cinematic extravaganza of the old west. A group of aging outlaws on the verge of extinction plan and execute a bloody, ambitious, train heist turned, arms deal, turned bank heist. These men are unscrupulous outlaws with a shaky code of morals. Pursued by bounty hunters and the Mexican army, the picture isn't romantic or pretty. It's a gritty fairy-tale of the true-west. Ideals meet reality in this saga of men who live by their own code. Excellent cinematography, acting and direction provide fuel for this outstanding story which roams across the US/Mexican border like a thuderstorm of greed, cynicism and personal vendetta - Despite the vile nature of this Wild Bunch, they somehow come off as heroes in this uncompromising tale of the wild west. The ending is a blood-bath of epic proportions. It easily earns a 5 out of 5

Summary: It's 1913, and the "traditional" American West is dying. Among the inhabitants of this dying era are an outlaw gang called "The Wild Bunch." After a failed railroad office robbery, the gang heads to Mexico to do one last job. Seeing their times and lives drifting away in the newly formed world of the 20th century, the gang takes the job and ends up in a brutally violent last stand against their enemies deemed to be corrupt, in a small Mexican town ruled by a ruthless general.

Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror

Year: 1996

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Trace Beaulieu, Michael J. Nelson, Jim Mallon, Kevin Murphy, Mary Jo Pehl

Director: Trace Beaulieu

My Review: A movie that I've seen before. As a matter of fact, I actually own it (as part of a Horror collection DVD). The movie isn't all that bad. This particular viewing combines two of my movie pleasures. An MST3K (Mystery Science Theater 3000) send-up of a 50's Sci-Fi movie. I like the movies of Roger Corman (B-Sci-Fi Cinema Master), and this movie fits both categories. The MST3K crew provides their usual ribbing and good-humored commentary on the preposterous social norms of a bygone era, and the movie actually stands on its own, despite the poor production. This movie is marginally a Roger Corman production, as he was a 'Co-Producer'. The B grade Sci-Fi story was written by Gene Corman (Roger's brother). It was directed by Bernard Kowalski (who directed a huge number of television shows, made for TV movies (The Rifleman, The Rebel, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, Mission Impossible, Gunsmoke, The Rockford Files, Columbo, Barreta, Chips, Knight Rider, CHiPs, Air Wolf, Magnum PI, Diagnosis Murder), and a few theatrical movies over the years (1956-2000 / Attack of the Giant Leeches, Macho Callahan, Sssssss). He died in 2007, and his talent was never fully appreciated. The Movie - An early (1958) space travel movie. Story by Gene Corman, co-produced by Roger Corman. Here's a B sci-fi story with incredibly poor production. Starring a cast of relative unknowns, the story is fairly interesting. A solo astronaut returns to earth, crash lands and supposedly dies. When his lifeless body is returned to the lab for some examination, the scientists find a corpse with normal blood pressure. That's weird, but it isn't the weirdest part of this movie. Later we find that some birdlike beast has hitched a ride along with the astronaut, but that's not all. The astronaut is pregnant - Huh? Yes, thanks to the technology of the fluoroscope, we can see several seamonkey type creatures swimming about his insides. Then come the attacks. The bird beaked ape creature attacks, but only to get our attention! It's definitely a bizarre, mixed-up, sci-fi, monster mash. Despite the poor production value, I found the story intriguing, and I couldn't help but laugh at some of the preposterous situations. In this case, the ripping of MST3K matches the quality of the movie. I give both a 3 out of 5.

Summary: A jingle writer's honeymoon is derailed when he is forced to write a tune overnight while his new bride fantasizes about redecorating their home with telephones in Once Upon a Honeymoon (1956). Then in Night of the Blood Beast (1958), an astronaut recovering from a rocket crash discovers that alien embryos have been implanted in his abdomen. Concerned about their personal security, Crow and Tom taze, mace, and spray green dye all over Mike. Dr. F has a traumatic trombone recital thanks to Pearl's constant haranguing, but it turns out Crow is an awesome trombonist! Decorating with phones, Gypsy sings a little song. Pearl makes Dr. F apologize. Crow claims he's pregnant with the spawn of the Blood Beast. Crow's rant about babies disrupts Mike's attempts to read letters. Pearl wants Dr. F to act like a baby.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery, Drama

Year: 2014

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson

Director: Neil Burger

My Review: Based on a novel (Divergent) by Veronica Roth. The movie was directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist, Limitless), and it stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet and others. This movie is the first part of a trilogy of books (made into movies). Set in a dystopian future (my hook), the survivors of a devastating war are segregated into five factions, based on different virtues. The primary character is 'Divergent'. She doesn't fit into society's pre-determined castes. From that point on she's hunted, shunned, awakened and motivated. The young adult book made for a pretty good movie. It's got a touch of romance, hot looking actors, easy to comprehend moral dilemmas and a fairly linear plot. The movie was well done, and it made plenty of money (preying on the unsophisticated young adult audience, who feels neglected, ignored and different), but it wasn't great - I'll likely forget it in the days to come. 3 out of 5.

Summary: Set in a futuristic dystopia where society is divided into five factions that each represent a different virtue, teenagers have to decide if they want to stay in their faction or switch to another - for the rest of their lives. Tris Prior makes a choice that surprises everyone. Then Tris and her fellow faction-members have to live through a highly competitive initiation process to live out the choice they have made. They must undergo extreme physical and intense psychological tests, that transform them all. But Tris has a secret that she is Divergent, which means she doesn't fit into any one group. If anyone knew, it would mean a certain death. As she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly peaceful society, this secret might help her save the people she loves... or it might destroy her.

Genre: Documentary

Year: 2013

Country: France, USA

Rating:

Starring: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Amanda Lear, Brontis Jodorowsky, Chris Foss, Christian Vander

Director: Frank Pavich

My Review: Why do people get excited about documentaries? Well, I'm one of them, and I find that question difficult to answer - It depends on the subject matter. In this case I'm a big fan of the subject matter. I hadn't really been a follower of this particular writer/director (who's artistic, surreal, visual movies are both controversial and stunning), but I certainly was a fan of the Dune novels by Frank Herbert (and later by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson). Here is the story of a movie that 'Almost was' - Alejando Jodorowsky wanted to make a movie based on the book 'Dune' - No doubt because he saw in it the artistic potential. The books are chock full of symbolism, exotic imagery, allegory and surreal landscapes. His project failed in part because the resulting script would result in an excessively long movie (by some estimates as long as 15 hours); in part because it was too early (1973-74) to achieve the technical expertise that the film would require. Ultimately, the money ran out. The story of Jodorowsky's unrealized dream is quite compelling and telling. A look inside the man, his vision and his drive. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.

Genre: Adventure, Drama

Year: 1954

Country: Japan

Rating:

Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki, Kamatari Fujiwara

Director: Akira Kurosawa

My Review: Black & White movie with English subtitles, written (in part) and directed by Akira Kurosawa, this movie is a magnificent piece of cinematic art. Fantastic acting, great direction, great choreography, outstanding music, and a terrific story. This movie has been remade a few times, most notably as The Magnificent Seven and a fistful of dollars. Another version is due out in 2009. Don't fall for the remake(s), the original version is the best. 17th century Japanese farmers live a hard life - Taxes, forced labor, drought, crop failures, and then there's the bandits! When the villagers learn of yet another raid, they consult the village elder. They can't fight the bandits, they can't give them their grain, they can't afford to pay off the bandits - they'll just come back again next season. What will they do? Under instruction from the 'Grandfather', they search out samurai who will fight for them. With only food to offer, it's tough going, but eventually they locate an honorable ronin with a big heart. A man who sympathizes with their plight, and pledges to defend their village. This veteran samurai then recruits additional warriors to join the cause. Five more join willingly, and another joins for reasons of his own. Together, these seven samurai do their best to ready the villagers defense. When the ripened barley is harvested, it's time to wait for the inevitable confrontation. Can seven samurai and a group of farmers stand against 40 bandits? Must watch drama, action and adventure. A great epic. A classic. This movie started me on a path of director appreciation. Before this work, I used to follow actors not directors. That all changed after I saw two movies by Akira Kurosawa. I give this one a 5 out of 5.

Summary: A veteran samurai, who has fallen on hard times, answers a village's request for protection from bandits. He gathers 6 other samurai to help him, and they teach the townspeople how to defend themselves, and they supply the samurai with three small meals a day. The film culminates in a giant battle when 40 bandits attack the village.

Genre: Action, Fantasy, War

Year: 2014

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Callan Mulvey

Director: Noam Murro

My Review: This movie was truly amazing, a visually perfect movie. Every scene could be ripped from the movie and made into a movie poster. The over-animation introduced in 'Sin City', reaches its ultimate conclusion in this movie - Perfection. It was highly artistic, but not too comic like. It gave the viewer some distance when the scenes became gory, and they did, quite frequently. The acting was outstanding, the action tremendous, the music perfectly matched, the sets, costumes, cgi, animation, Wow! Frank Miller's vision is transformed into actual mythology at the hands of Zack Snyder. A pantheon of characters so powerful, an environment so rich, and reactions so visceral it felt as if I lived it. While this movie had a few historical problems (seemed to blend the war aims/efforts of Darius and Xerxes into a single campaign, didn't cover the other Greek warriors very well (focussing primarily on the Spartans)), it contained a very clear message, and it was fairly accurate in a historical sense. The story isn't new, it isn't original, but it has never been seen in this way. While politicians haggle over authority, financial ramifications and political expediency, 300+ free Greek warriors make a desperate stand to hold off an invading horde of Persians intent on conquering the entire world. This movie will stand out for decades to come as a masterpiece in a new style. The blending of cgi, animation and live action was flawless. Each complemented the other like no other film I've ever seen. The movie comes at a time where some may be asking 'What price for freedom? and Why do we fight?' While this movie may become a lightning rod for those questions, it is undeniably a sublime visual masterpiece, and I for one hope to see it stand in that light before any debate regarding the 'supposed' political ramifications. As a twenty year veteran of the armed forces, this movie connected with me on a level I doubt some could understand. 5 out of 5. I own a copy.

Summary: After its victory over Leonidas' 300, the Persian Army under the command of Xerxes marches towards the major Greek city-states. The Democratic city of Athens, first on the path of Xerxes' army, bases its strength on its fleet, led by admiral Themistocles. Themistocles is forced to an unwilling alliance with the traditional rival of Athens, oligarchic Sparta whose might lies with its superior infantry troops. But Xerxes still reigns supreme in numbers over sea and land.