Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Thriller, Sci Fi

Year: 2012

Country: USA, Russia

Rating:

Starring: Ed Stoppard, Leelee Sobieski, Jeffrey Tambor, Max von Sydow, Mariya Ignatova

Director: Jamie Bradshaw, Aleksandr Dulerayn

My Review: There are multiple movies with this title - So be sure you've got the right one. Produced in 2012, this movie is also known by a couple of other titles: Mad Cow and Moscow 2017), this is NOT the Western you might have been expecting. I love the movies that reveal hidden or inconvenient truths about the relationship between advertisers and media. The lies, the propaganda, the incestuous relationships. The media does its best to convince us that it knows what's best for us, that it somehow has our best interests at heart. Whether its through advertisement, a documentary, a 'news' program or a sit-com that demonstrates what 'normal' life should look like. This movie was co-written and co-directed by Jamie Bradshaw (directing his first feature length movie) and Aleksandr Dulerayn (multiple producer credits/second feature length direction). Starring Ed Stoppard, Leelee Sobieski, Jeffrey Tambor, Max von Sydow and others. Here's a movie (theatrical - not a documentary) that demonstrates how the media lies to us at the behest of their corporate owners - The advertisers! The movie takes place in a dystopian future Moscow - Not so far in the future as to produce Sci-Fi disbelief. The movie starts out in a staunchly communist 1980; where Misha (primary protagonist - played by Ed Stoppard) is struck by lightning. The doctors proclaim that he will live an interesting life. Then we fast forward to the dystopian future of 2017... A dystopian future where corporations infest the city like corrupt beacons of corporate greed (how ironic that the bastion of workers rights and social equality is converted into the home of concentrated evil in the shape of evil corporations. These competing 'brands' are like competing political ideologies governed by alien intelligence. In this movie one man is doing his best to reveal the truth behind the hidden agendas of these alien monstrosities. It’s an epic battle between secret ancient enemies for control of our world. It’s a political statement about media manipulation, materialism, corporate greed, religious idolatry (in the guise of corporate brands), and late stage capitalism. Great subversive work with amazing visuals, costumes and set. Brimming over with allegorical symbolism and terrific writing. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I'm adding to my list of 'Must Own' titles. Big money hollywood hates this movie. I love it for its dark and gritty tale of hidden truths and outright lies.

Summary: The film starts with documentary-style flashbacks showing Misha's rise to a powerful marketing executive. Now in Moscow 2017, Misha is a powerful marketing executive working to spread Western brands, and like the businesses he works for nothing will stop him in his greed, until the imprisonment and death of an overweight girl undergoing extensive plastic surgery to become skinny. Following a vision in which Misha sacrifices a heifer to God, he begins to receive strange visions depicting the brands control over people. He returns to work and guided by these visions, Misha attempts to stop the growth of the brands in post-Communist Russia by encouraging the brand to attack each other in their advertising campaigns. There is some debate whether Misha believes that the worship of global brands is Idolatry and his visions depicting the brands are controlling people causing them to sin, or whether his belief is that monopoly is evil and his intention is to create a Western style free-market...

Genre: Adventure, Comedy

Year: 2000

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Jim Carrey, Renée Zellweger, Anthony Anderson, Mongo Brownlee, Kate Forster

Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

My Review: If it hadn't been for Jim Carrey, I wouldn't have watched/rewatched this movie. I can't stand the Farrelly brothers. Peter and Bobby seem to think that poking fun at the handicapped is somehow funny. All their movies disgust me. The movies are crass, vulgar, riddled with profanity and not all that funny. I like this movie because of Carrey. He's talented and he makes me laugh. Despite the horrid stereotyping and racial overtones of this movie; Carrey, the music and the supporting cast make this movie worth watching. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: A man with multiple personalities falls in love with a woman, only to find out that his other personalities have also. They end up fighting each other for her hand.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

Year: 2014

Country: USA, UK, Canada

Rating:

Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell

Director: Matt Reeves

My Review: The second film in the 'Reboot' series. This film follows Rise of the Planet of the Apes (10 years later); with the remake of Planet of the Apes being considered separately. With too many writers, this movie was directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In (remake of Swedish movie: Lat den ratte komma in (Let the Right One In)). Starring Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Andy Serkis and others. Here is the continuation of the Planet of the Apes story. Remade with better costumes, sets, and a lot of cgi - Thankfully, the CGI has progressed to the point where you barely notice that it's 'Fake' (the movie was made 13 years after the Planet of the Apes remake). Unlike the Planet of the Apes remake, the CGI is getting much better. It's still not perfect, and there were occasional scenes where I was cringing. In this story, the 'Apes' have made it past the initial apocalypse and disease ridden prequels. The Simian Flu has wiped out most of the humans and considerably increased the intelligence of apes. The surviving apes have established themselves in an isolated forest based community, and the remaining humans are eking out a meager existence in their ruined fortress. Both groups are living peacefully - Until the Humans stumble upon the Apes. Thankfully this movie slowed down enough to make sense of the plot. It wasn't just a bunch of shooting and killing. The story of Caesar the intelligent speaking ape continues. The movie operates at two different levels - A clash of societies; where the survival of each group is dependent on the actions of a few, and interpersonal relations; where the actions of the few affect the fate of the group as a whole. Very well written, despite the unusually high number of writers. The dialog is great, as is the dichotomy of words versus actions in the story. Apes Together Strong - Ape no kill Ape. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 2014

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Raphael Barker, Keith Barletta, Julie Ceballos, Joey Devine, Aren Ewing

Director: Jon Schiefer

My Review: Written and directed by Jon Schiefer. Staring Raphael Barker, Keith Barletta, Julie Ceballos and others. I actually watched this on YouTube. One of the few movies I've ever watched on YouTube, like so many other search engine optimized services, it only gets revenue when it entices people to click on stuff, so new stuff outweighs good stuff 1000 to 1, and nothing good is allowed to stick around - Because no one's going to click on the same thing twice… Anyway, that's a completely separate discussion. This particular movie enticed me because it's supposedly about 'Hackers' - Technologically curious tinkerers, alternative thinkers with a penchant for exploration. In this movie, the techno-hacker lead character has stolen a bunch of algorithms, tools and applications that facilitate his illicit, illegal, adventures into places where he shouldn't be. He manages to manipulate the command line into a network that he shouldn't be on - Physical break-ins can get you places where a wireless connection won't. Some servers live on air-gapped networks. While the premise was interesting (but overstated), the acting disappointed, and the direction wasn't helpful in the least. Some of the video/cinematography showed promise, but the editing (especially the sound editing), direction and acting didn't work. The opening interrogation scenes were cliched (good cop, bad cop), ridiculous and unnecessary. The extensive exposition was grating and made me feel stupid - As if I was stupid. Attention film-makers, please don't use inner voice exposition that explains what your character already knows. Why would he be explaining something to himself if he already knows what he's explaining to himself? The Decimate character (played by Keith Barletta) was interesting and entertaining, but the primary character - Hash (played by Raphael Barker) was annoying. The ending was very unsatisfying. I give this movie a 2 out of 5. Worth a single watch if you're very interested in 'Hacking', otherwise a waste of your time. Thankfully its only 90 minutes long.

Summary: A freelance computer hacker discovers a mysterious government computer program. He breaks into the program and is thrust into a revolution.

Genre: Comedy

Year: 1953

Country: France

Rating:

Starring: Jacques Tati, Nathalie Pascaud, Micheline Rolla, Valentine Camax, Lucien Frégis

Director: Jacques Tati

My Review: French language film (original title: Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot). Three people (Pierre Aubert, Jacques Lagrange and Jacques Tati) collaborated on the story, dialogue and screenplay). Jacques Tati directed the movie. Jacques Tati (as Monsieur Hulot), Nathalie Pascaud, Micheline Rolla and other acted in the movie. A French language comedy in black & white. The movie was a splendid, understated physical comedy with very little dialogue. Monsieur Hulot decides to go on a holiday by the coast. He packs up his tiny little jalopy and drives to the seaside resort. He's not in a hurry, well not when compared to everyone else around him. M. Hulot is definitely having a good time, despite how it might appear to others around him. Despite the fact that they can't seem to relax and enjoy their vacation. M. Hulot manages to make a go of it, even if his misfortune makes us laugh. In the end we're smiling, happy and bemused. The pacing, acting and direction are all well done. The camerawork is great, as is the editing. I really liked this movie. It was nominated for an Oscar in 1956. I need to watch it again. 4 out of 5.

Summary: Monsieur Hulot goes on a holiday to a seaside resort, but accidents and misunderstandings follow him where ever he goes. The peace and quiet of the hotel guests don't last very long with Hulot around, because although his intensions are good, they always turn out catastrophically.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year: 2014

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper

Director: James Gunn

My Review: Yes! This is an awesome movie. Written by way too many people, and directed by James Gunn (Slither, Super). The cast was fantastic: Chris Pratt as Peter Quill aka Star Lord?; Vin Diesel as (believe it or not) Groot; Bradley Cooper as Rocket; Zoe Saldana as Gamora; Dave Buatista as Drax and many others. These intergalactic criminals, ummm I mean heroes, must band together in order to save the galaxy from a whacked out bad-ass known as Ronan the Accuser (played by Lee Pace) and his evil cohorts. Who would have guessed that the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book would make for such an awesome movie? It's a galaxy spanning space opera filled with action, adventure and some outstanding dialogue - Especially Groot's lines; what genius! Peter Quill was an ordinary earth adolescent, until he was abducted by space aliens - That's the beginning of his insane backstory, and the others are just as interesting. This movie breaks the mold on the Marvel franchise, and I for one am extremely pleased. The standard Avengers fare was beginning to get a bit blasé. Unknown characters, little know actors, and a bizarre anti-hero movie filled with protagonists who sometimes seem as evil as the bad guys? Yes, yes, and yes! The cast meshed perfectly and the laughs added a secret sauce to the exciting sci-fi, action, adventure flick like no other. Peter Gunn did a great job directing - I was a little scarred that it was going to be utterly vulgar and disgusting. Instead it was amazing and uplifting. Excellent pacing and music that sets the tone for all the mad-cap adventures revealed before our eyes. I want to watch this over and over - and I will. 5 out of 5.

Summary: After stealing a mysterious orb in the far reaches of outer space, Peter Quill from Earth is now the main target of a manhunt led by the villain known as Ronan the Accuser. To help fight Ronan and his team and save the galaxy from his power, Quill creates a team of space heroes known as the "Guardians of the Galaxy" to save the galaxy.

Genre: Action & Adventure

Year: 2009

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson

Director: Zack Snyder

My Review: Directed by Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead (2004), 300), starring Malin Akerman as Laurie Jupiter aka Silk Spectre II, Billy Crudup as Jon Osterman aka Dr. Manhattan, Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt aka Ozymandias, Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs aka Rorschach, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake aka The Comedian, Patrick Wilson as Dan Dreiberg as Nite Owl II, and many others. Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore (writer) and Dave Gibbons (illustrator), here is an adult comic book brought to the silver screen. Once again we see the evolution of super hero movies. Dark, gritty, very film noir in nature. With adult themes and very complex characters, this movie moves comic books beyond the tableau of teenage fantasy, into the realm of complex social and moral subtext. The story - In an alternate future, the 1985 of this story is a place where costumed vigilantes (some with super powers, some highly trained physical specimens) have been shut down by the government. The populace is more fearful of unchecked vigilantes than they are of the criminal elements they suppress. When a retired super-hero is killed in a brutal slaying, an investigation is launched by another member of the now banned group. As Rorschach begins his investigation, we're provided background and character development in a very well constructed diary method. Here is an America fearful of the Soviets, obsessed by the 'bomb' and ruled by a fascist regime where presidents 'rule', and fear is used to control the masses. As the conspiracy thickens, it becomes apparent that part of the plot is a ploy to discredit all super heroes. Eventually, as he gets closer to the truth, Rorschach is framed for a crime he didn't commit. With Rorschach behind bars it's only a matter of time before the mastermind behind these assassinations is able to complete his actual mission. Outstanding acting, especially that of Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian. The direction was also outstanding, as was the music/soundtrack, sound and camera work. The cgi (except for the strange looking cat creature towards the end of the movie) was also well done. I give this movie a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Everybody's favorite graphic novel comes to the screen (after years of rumors and false starts), less a roaring work of adaptation than a respectful and faithful take on a radical original. "Watchmen" is set in the mid-1980s, a time of increased nuclear tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, as Richard Nixon is enjoying his fifth term as president and the world's superheroes have been forcibly retired. (As you can probably tell, the mix of authentic history and alternate reality is heady.) Things begin with a bang: the mysterious high-rise murder of the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a masked hero with a checkered past, puts the rest of the retired superhero community on alert. The credits sequence, a series of tableaux that wittily catches us up on crime-fighting backstory, actually turns out to be the high point of the movie. Thereafter we meet the other caped and hooded avengers: the furious Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), the inexplicably naked Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup, amidst much blue-skinned, genital-swinging digital work), Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), and Ozymandias (Matthew Goode). The corkscrewing storytelling, which worked well in the comic book, gives the movie the strange sense of never quite getting in gear, even as some of the episodes are arresting. Director Zack Snyder ("300") doesn't try to approximate the electric impact of the original (written by Alan Moore--who declined to be credited on the movie--and illustrated by Dave Gibbons) but retains careful fidelity to his source material. That doesn't feel right, even with the generally enjoyable roll-out of anecdotes. Even less forgivable is the blah acting, excepting Jeffrey Dean Morgan (lusty) and Patrick Wilson (mellow). "Watchmen" certainly fills the eyes, although less so the ears: the song choices are regrettable, especially during an embarrassing mid-air coupling between Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II as they unite their--ah--Roman numerals. In the end it feels as though a huge work of transcription has been successfully completed, which isn't the same as making a full-blooded movie experience. "--Robert Horton"
Also on the Blu-ray disc
The extended director's cut restores 24 minutes of connective tissue to the 162-minute film, most significantly the last scene of Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl. Other elements help restore and fill in details that had been in the graphic novel. Fans of the film will be glad for the extra footage but there's nothing momentous that will change anyone's basic like or dislike of the film.
By far the most interesting Blu-ray feature (in addition to the great picture and DTS-HD Master Audio sound) is the Maximum Movie Mode, which incorporates several features into the viewing experience. Director Zack Snyder periodically appears on screen in front of two large monitors, one continuing to play the movie and the other displaying special-effects shots or scenes from the graphic novel. Snyder talks about how he shot the film and points out details in a variety of scenes: the opening with the Comedian, Dr. Manhattan's lab, the Nite Owl ship, Mars, Antarctica, and the ending (and why it was changed for the movie). This feature is much more interesting than an audio commentary or a standard picture-in-picture commentary so it'd be nice if it had been done for more scenes. Also appearing in Maximum Movie Mode is a timeline contrasting events in the Watchmen world with the "real world," occasional picture-in-picture comments by cast and crew, still galleries, and a series of 11 "focus points" that allow you to exit the film to watch these three-minute featurettes (sets, costumes, the Minutemen, etc.). Worthy of mention is how easy the Maximum Movie Mode material is to find: Snyder's footage and the focus points are very visible (even in fast-forward), and you can also access the focus points directly from the main menu.
The second disc has three documentaries. The first, "The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics," 29 min.), looks at the original graphic novel and its themes, and interviews artist Dave Gibbons, DC Comics executives Jenette Kahn and Paul Levitz, and cast and crew, illustrating its points with scenes from the movie, panels from the graphic novel, and parts of the motion comic. The next two are only on the Blu-ray disc but are less interesting and of varying relevance to the movie. "Real Superheroes, Real Vigilantes" (26 min.) examines real-life vigilantes including the Guardian Angels and New York subway gunman Bernard Goetz and compares them to Rorschach. "Mechanics: Technologies of a Future World" (17 min.) spotlights a physicist who served as a consultant on the movie. He talks about his experiences then discusses whether elements from the movie, such as Dr. Manhattan, the Owl Ship, and Rorschach's mask could really work. There's also My Chemical Romance's "Desolation Row" music video and a Digital Copy of the film (compatible with both iTunes and Windows Media; download code expires July 21, 2010), and BD-Live offers even more making-of material. "--David Horiuchi"

Genre: Sci Fi, Thriller

Year: 2013

Country: UK, USA

Rating:

Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen, Phaldut Sharma

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

My Review: Written (in part) and directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Great Expectations, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men). Starring Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, and others. I think that the presence of Sandra Bullock in this movie was the reason I didn't really like the movie all that much. Yes, I know it won 7 Oscars, but I really didn't get into it that much. Yes it had great visuals. The special and visual effects (those are different things people) were excellent, but Sandra Bullocks bumbling "I'm not really an astronaut" performance kept me in disbelief throughout the entire movie. In this movie, Sandra Bullock plays a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, George Clooney plays a veteran commander in charge of the mission. During a routine spacewalk (yeah - those two words combined), the shuttle is destroyed by some space junk. The rest of the movie is Sandra Bullock panting, gasping and pleading for someone to save her… Or at least that's what I remember about the movie. Sandra Bullock's character seems to have no technical competence at all - How did this character ever become an Astronaut, did she win a contest? I can't believe her as a 'brilliant medical engineer', much less as an astronaut. 95% of what you see on screen is CGI, with the actors faces being the only 'real' thing in the movie; that and their voices. The only real reason to watch this movie is the visual effects. There really isn't any plot beyond the sentence I provided, and I could only take so much of the visuals. The acting was sad, lacking in substance and really not up to the task of making this movie believable. I didn't believe the characters, too many technical aspects were unbelievable, and the story was extremely thin. The musical score was really well done, and without that this movie would really suck. I give this Oscar winning film a generous 2 out of 5.

Summary: Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone - tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness.

Genre: Horror

Year: 2000

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Diana Scarwid, Joe Morton, James Remar

Director: Robert Zemeckis

My Review: Co-written by Clark Gregg and Sarah Kernochan, directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, Contact), starring Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Katharine Towne and others. It's a small cast horror movie, written in the style of a Alfred Hitchcock psychological thriller. Norman Spencer (played by Harrison Ford) and his wife Claire (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) have just sent Norman's daughter Caitlin (Katharine Towne) off to college, and they're ready to begin their retirement. It's time to take it easy and relax, in the idyllic setting of their lakeside Vermont home… Unfortunately, something is keeping them from relaxing. An uneasy feeling is affecting Claire. She's hearing voices, catching glimpses of faces in mirrors, reflections here and there, the surface of the lake. When she agrees to see a therapist, things really get interesting. Now she's convinced that the house is haunted by the sprit of a young woman. The direction, acting, and screenplay all work very nicely. The movie's tension builds slowly and steadily and the music keeps pace perfectly. The acting is really good. Michelle Pfeiffer does an excellent job playing a very complex character and Harrison Ford is very good in his shocked and surprised role. As this thrilling horror movie builds towards a crescendo the psychological terror surrounds you, sucking you into the remote lakeside setting. The ending is excellent and the movie a keeper. I'll be watching this one many times. 5 of 5.

Summary: The wife of a professor investigates the murder of a beautiful college student who has been appearing to her.

Genre: Comedy, Family

Year: 1983

Country: USA, Canada

Rating:

Starring: Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz, Jean Shepherd, Ian Petrella

Director: Bob Clark

My Review: Screen play written by Jean Shepherd is based on a novel (In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash) by Jean Shepherd. Directed by Bob Clark (Murder by Decree, Porky's, Turk 182). Starring Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin and others. Set in the late 40s, it's a Classic Christmas fantasy. Ralphie and Randy are growing up in a small midwestern town. As Christmas approaches, Ralphie endeavors on his quest to obtain the holy grail of gifts. The Red Rider 2000 pump action air powered rifle. A great story, narrated from a 12 year old boys point of view. The characters and acting were terrific (especially Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsley). Several memorable scenes define this movie. One of my favorites is the Christmas dinner at the Chinese restaurant. 5 out of 5.

Summary: Christmas is approaching and 9 year-old Ralphie wants only one thing: a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun. When he mentions it at the dinner table, his mother's immediate reaction is that he'll shoot his eye out. He then decides on a perfect theme for his teacher but her reaction is like his. He fantasizes about what it would be like to be Red Ryder and catch the bad guys. When the big day arrives he gets lots of present under the tree including a lovely gift from his aunt that his mother just adores. But what about the BB gun?