Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 1999

Country: France, Germany, USA, Japan

Rating:

Starring: Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Dennis Liu, Frank Minucci

Director: Jim Jarmusch

My Review: Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - 1999 (Action, Crime, Drama) Directed by Jim Jarmusch (Stranger than Paradise, Dead Man, Z-Channel A Magnificent Obsession, Broken Flowers, The Limits of Control), starring Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Frank Minucci, Richard Portnow, Isaach De Bankole and many others. This is a masterpiece. A surprising movie; filled with power and energy, but lacking in explosions and action. The acting was excellent, the casting superb. The story - Classic, twisted, introspective, well directed, thoughtful. The story is one of 'Ghost Dog' an African American assassin living in Jersey City. He's dedicated himself to the Italian American mobster who saved his life. Following a very strict Bushido code, 'Ghost Dog' goes about his duty with precision, finesse and unflinching loyalty. Life throws a curve ball at Ghost Dog when his master's acquaintances decide to 'take him out'. The character development is superb. Jarmusch could easily stretch this one movie into an entire television series with several seasons worth of fresh exploration around the characters alone. The story is complicated, challenging and less predictable than any action flick in the typical 'mobster' genre. The camera work and music were instrumental in building an outstanding atmosphere and mood, establishing a setting that felt foreign, ancient, mystic and honorable in the midst of a decaying New Jersey slum, crack addicts, and mobsters who's code of honor extends only as far as their petty personal grievances. The contrast of mobsters - traditionally depicted as following a code - vs this Bushido grounded assassin makes for a fantastic movie. The dialog between Ghost dog and the ice-cream vendor was magnificent. Compelling, tragic and original. This movie pays homage to whole genres with it's outstanding pacing, performance, direction, dialog and writing. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: In Jersey City, an African American hit man follows "Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai." He lives alone, in simplicity with homing pigeons for company, calling himself Ghost Dog. His master, who saved his life eight years ago, is part of the local mob. When the boss' daughter witnesses one of Ghost Dog's hits, he becomes expendable. The first victims are his birds, and in response, Ghost Dog goes right at his attackers but does not want to harm his master or the young woman. On occasion, he talks with his best friend, a French-speaking Haitian who sells ice cream in the park, and with a child with whom he discusses books. Can he stay true to his code? And if he does, what is his fate?

Genre: Comedy, Drama, War

Year: 1953

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: William Holden, Don Taylor, Otto Preminger, Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck

Director: Billy Wilder

My Review: Stalag 17 - 1953 (comedy, drama, war) Directed by Billy Wilder, the master of dramas (who lost family members to the Nazis during the Holocaust). This movie featured a fantastic cast - William Holden, Don Taylor, Otto Preminger, Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck, Richard Erdman, Peter Graves, Neville Brand, Sig Ruman and others. The screen play, based on a play was excellent. The mix of comedy and drama was perfectly balanced. An excellent example of dramatic relief through comedy. Despite the dark thrilling aspects of this witty drama, the dancing, singing and humor were handled with the greatest care and attention. Creating a sublime, but bittersweet tale of the hardships these men faced. The acting was outstanding. Especially the portrayal of 'Animal' by Robert Strauss, and William Holden's excellent portrayal of Sefton - the survivor with a hidden heart of gold. This movie formed the basis of the "Hogan's Heroes" television series, which ran for six seasons. Influences from this movie can clearly be seen in M.A.S.H. and other 'POW camp' movies. The camp itself was very realistic. Not the antiseptic set of a hollywood back lot. The story is one of deception, drama, and escape from a Nazi POW camp. As the American prisoners strive to escape or survive, their every move is thwarted and shadowed by the camps overseers. There's a spy in their midst, and they've got to figure out who it is before the next escape attempt. Lives are hanging in the balance, and the German's aren't playing any games in this camp. Awesome pacing, editing, and great direction combine with outstanding acting and music to mark a memorable movie about life in a WWII POW camp. FYI: This movie won three academy awards in 1954. William Holden got best actor, Robert Strauss got best supporting actor, and Billy Wilder got best director. 5 out of 5.

Summary: It's a dreary Christmas 1944 for the American POWs in Stalag 17. For the men in Barracks 4, all Sergeants, they have to deal with another problem - there seems to be a security leak. The Germans always seem to be forewarned about escapes and in the most recent attempt the two men, Manfredi and Johnson, walked straight into a trap and were killed. For some in Barracks 4, especially the loud-mouthed Duke, the leaker is obvious: J.J. Sefton a wheeler-dealer who doesn't hesitate to trade with the guards and who has acquired goods and privileges that no other prisoner seems to have. Sefton denies giving the Germans any information and makes it quite clear that he has no intention of ever trying to escape. He plans to to ride out the war in what little comfort he can arrange, but it doesn't extend to spying for the Germans. As tensions mount and a mob mentality takes root, it becomes obvious that Sefton will have to find the real snitch if he his to have any peace and avoid the beatings ...

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime

Year: 2006

Country: France

Rating:

Starring: Jean Dujardin, François Damiens, Khalid Maadour, Youssef Hamid, Arsène Mosca

Director: Michel Hazanavicius

My Review: OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies / OSS 117: Le Caire, nid d'espions - 2008 (comedy, action, adventure) A parody on the James Bond (OSS 117) series. This movie is set in the mid 50s and it features Jean Dujardin as a French Special agent. He's self-absorbed, a bit witless, but amazingly adept. In this episode OSS agent 117 is sent to Cairo in order to investigate the disappearance of Jack Jefferson another French agent. Agent 117 mixes it up with two female spys, Nazis, Russians, and a bevy of other crazy characters. The story is a bit shallow, but the laughs are deep. The humor is under-stated, extremely funny, and continuous. Agent 117 is an amazing character and Jean Dujardin is an amazing actor. The production value is outstanding and the editing fantastic. Direction and writing were extremely well done. Unfortunately, I doubt many Americans will watch this movie. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: An homage to classic spy films. It's 1955 and after a fellow agent and close friend disappears, secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, a.k.a. OSS 117, is ordered to take his place at the head of a poultry firm in Cairo. This is to be his cover while he is busy investigating, foiling Nazi holdouts, quelling a fundamentalist rebellion, and bedding local beauties.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Western

Year: 2013

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson

Director: Gore Verbinski

My Review: The Lone Ranger - 2013 (Action, adventure, western, drama) Directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean 3x), this movie’s screenplay/screen story credits six different people. In my opinion, that’s a recipe for disaster, and my rating belies that truth. Starring Johnny Depp (as Tondo), Armie Hammer (as John Reid aka The Lone Ranger), William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson, and many others. As you can only imagine, the movie is based upon the serial radio then television series of the same name. Set in the 1930s as the Rail-Barrons rule the land. In that world there’s very little room for justice, equality, the law or rights. Then there’s the main characters. The Lone Ranger (played by Armie Hammer) is an idealistic lawyer turned vigilante who rides with his faithful companion Tonto (the avenging Comanche played by Johnny Depp). Together they seek justice for the wrongs of their worlds. This is an origin story for those who don’t know the story behind the Lone Ranger. In that respect I have to admit that a refresher was needed. The story is narrated by an elderly Tonto, who tells the tale of a the Lone Ranger to a young boy. That’s one of the best things about the story. Unfortunately the narration quickly disappears as the story proceeds. I really liked the camera work and locations. What ruined the movie was the agregious, overly preposterous misuse of explosions and unbelievable feats of horsemanship. Like a rider on a horse, somehow being able to ride at a full gallup through the interior (or atop) of a moving train, while engaged in a gun battle. These instances of over-the-top cinematics take you out of the story, as your mind rebels and says ‘No Way!’ - You forget about the plot, you forget the story, the characters become meaningless as your mind reels and attempts to make sense of this unbelievable scenery. When a Sci-Fi movie includes ‘unbelievable’ scenes it’s acceptable - It’s clearly fiction in your mind, it was fiction from the start. Here is a film that feels real - because they didn’t use gobs of cgi and the period was respected in costume and set construction. Then out of the blue comes something akin to a science fiction fantasy, something that destroys the authentic environment that you’ve been accepting. This movie clearly emphasizes style over substance as the action scenes are too long, too over-the-top, and too unbelievable. As the movie goes on and on, you begin to lose interest in the characters and the story. You realize that there’s no point in bothering with such meaningless details; that’s when the movie fails. You no longer care who gets blown up and who ends up ‘winning’ this epic battle of explosions vs costumes. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Summary: In the 1930s, an elderly Tonto tells a young boy the tale of John Reid, the Lone Ranger. An idealistic lawyer, he rides with his brother and fellow Texas Rangers in pursuit of the notorious Butch Cavendish. Ambushed by the outlaw and left for dead, John Reid is rescued by the renegade Comanche, Tonto, at the insistence of a mysterious white horse and offers to help him to bring Cavendish to justice. Becoming a reluctant masked rider with a seemingly incomprehensible partner, Reid pursues the criminal against all obstacles. However, John and Tonto learn that Cavendish is only part of a far greater injustice and the pair must fight it in an adventure that would make them a legend.

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 2013

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Vin Diesel, Jordi Mollà, Matt Nable, Katee Sackhoff, Dave Bautista

Director: David Twohy

My Review: Riddick - 2013 (Action, sci-fi, thriller) This movie picks up where The Chronicles of Riddick left off. Sometime after Riddick’s reign he’s betrayed, ambushed and attacked on an uninhabited desert planet. Left for dead, he struggles to survive on this inhospitable scorched hell of a planet. Eventually, Riddick finds a way off the planet. He triggers an SOS beacon and waits for the ride to arrive. Unfortunately, the ride turns out to be Bounty Hunters looking to cash in on Riddick’s head. What no one realizes is the real danger on this planet isn’t Riddick it’s the long dormant inhabitants. As the predators awaken, bounty hunters and Riddick both realize that they’re the prey now - Not the hunters. As two different storms converge it’s a survival struggle for all parties. This movie is much more akin to Pitch Black than it is to Chronicles. More horror, adventure, and anti-hero action, than epic space-opera with intrigue, drama and deception. If you liked Pitch Black, you’ll love this monster mayhem. If you liked Chronicles, you’ll dig the bad-ass Riddick as he bows to no man in this tense, thrilling fight for survival. There’s actually some character development here; more so than Pitch Black, but less than the Chronicles. Vin Diesel delivers a breathtaking performance as Riddick, and the supporting cast (Jordi Moll as Santana, Matt Noble as Boss Johns, Kate Sackhoff as Dahl, and many others) complement Vin’s style and the story’s atmosphere. The Writing and Direction by David Twohy was spot on. The only issue I had with the movie was the lack of scope. I found it a bit limiting in story and character. It didn’t expand the Riddick Universe or give us anything new - But it was a kick-ass action flick. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he's encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty. The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won't leave the planet without Riddick's head as their trophy.

Genre: Adventure

Year: 1999

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Casper Van Dien, Michael York, Catherine Oxenberg, Michael Ironside, Jan Triska

Director: Robert Marcarelli

My Review: The Omega Code - 1999 (Action, adventure, fantasy) Admittedly, I was sucked in by the premise (having watched pi - Faith in Chaos). An ancient code is hidden within the Torah. This code reveals secrets of global importance and apocalyptic consequence. A media mogul recruits a motivational speaker (aka televangelist) to execute a sinister one-world government take-over and apocalyptic plot. The production is poor, the second tier actors: Casper Van Dien (as the charismatic televangelist/unwitting co-conspirator Gillen Lane), Michael York (as the slimy media mogul/true villain Stone Alexander), Catherine Oxenberg (as Cassandra Barashe), Michael Ironside (as the henchman Dominic) do a mediocre job, and the direction was very rigid. The characters all feel like puppets or characters not people - A sign that they’re not being well directed, the script gives them no character, and/or they’re just not very good (at acting). There’s a lot of line-reading and bad editing (film and script), which makes the film feel somewhat amateurish. The overtly religious themes in the movie aren’t nearly as offensive as the poor direction, editing and production. The entire ‘bible code’ concept is wrapped up into this poorly executed movie. Thankfully no one is forcing me to watch it. Unfortunately, this is my third? time watching this movie. I watch movies while I’m on the tread-mill, and this was one of the movies in the stack I brought downstairs this week… Uggghh! I give it a 1 out of 5.

Summary: Ancient codes hidden within the Torah reveal the secrets of global events, past (i.e., Hitler, the Kennedy assassination, the Gulf War), present, and future. One man (York) is after the Code, seeking the power to change the world as we know it... for the worse. Another (Van Dien) seeks the truth, risking his life and everything he stands for in order to stop him.

Genre: Drama

Year: 1963

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Tippi Hedren, Veronica Cartwright

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

My Review: The Birds - 1963 (Horror, suspense, drama) An Alfred Hitchcock horror movie - This one's in color, made in the U.S. and released in 1963. While Hitchcock usually made suspense thrillers, his forays into the horror genre are unforgettable. This is one of those classics that resonates to this day. The idea that something as innocuous as birds could suddenly become violent and attack en masse is quite disturbing. These creatures live in peace with humans, and we hardly notice them in our day to day activities. That they could turn on us makes for a rather unsettling premise. The film starts out as something of a romantic comedy; setting up a lovable mismatched pair. Tippi Hedren plays the chic, independent socialite, Melanie Daniels. Rod Taylor plays the practical, eligible, but a bit conservative lawyer, Mitch Brenner. The two flirt, engage in practical jokes and seem to hit it off despite their protestations. Despite this light hearted romantic set-up, the movie has other plans in store. As Melanie Daniels follows Mitch to upstate California (an hour north of San Francisco bay), her impetuous plans of impromptu romance are quickly dashed as she becomes involved in an isolated instance of sheer terror at Bodega Bay. The green screen work was excellent, allowing for some spectacular visual effects. Unfortunately, it wasn't perfect, and viewers could easily tell when it was being used. Hitchcock, knowing that this effect might cause disbelief and dissonance when it came to certain scenes, used the effect liberally throughout the movie. The use in scenes that lacked birds cut the dissonance experienced when it was used in certain key scenes. It also allowed greater production control in scenes featuring outdoor backgrounds. The use of montage shots and high speed edits also helped create a sense of high speed attack or panic in various scenes. Then there's the suspense. That thing that Hitchcock was such a master of. This movie features that substance in a great degree, and it's presence heightens the horror to a great degree. The only thing missing was the presence of a fitting score. Despite that omission, I give this movie a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people, in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime

Year: 2013

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Ed Helms

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber

My Review: We’re the Millers - 2013 (Comedy, action, adventure) Normally I avoid films that glorify the drug culture. I don’t do drugs, and I don’t appreciate movies that promote the recreational use of drugs which can/do destroy people’s lives. With all that said, this movie was quite funny. The premise - David Clark (played by Jason Sudeikis) is a low-level/small-time pot dealer who gets mugged, and the the muggers take all his pot. That’s a bad thing. Now he owes the big-time/real drug dealers a pile of money. How’s he going to pay them back? He’s going to become a Drug Mule - Agreeing to smuggle a shipment in from Mexico, a single white male on a trip to Mexico by himself is likely to set off some alarm-bells. In order to cover his obvious intentions, he concocts a stupid scheme - He’ll go in as the father figure for a family road-trip. Now all he needs is a family-unit. He recruits burnt out, aging stripper Rose O’Reilly (played by Jennifer Aniston) as the ‘Mother’, a dis-enfranchised goth girl (Emma Roberts playing Casey Mathis), and his socially awkward neighbor kid (Will Poulter playing Kenny Rossmore) as the “Miller’s”. Together they head out in their RV on a great road-trip adventure to Mexico! - In order to smuggle a bunch of drugs back to America! The writing by way too many people was actually quite good, but the chemistry of the cast was the magic in this movie. Will Poulter was amazing as the socially awkward teen. I’m glad they cast Jason Sudeikis instead of some other ‘Funny man’ actor. His lack of chops in this role was a big bonus as a bigger name would have distracted me and detracted from the role. Anniston as a burnt out, over-the-hill stripper was hilarious. If you’re sensitive to taboo socio-political themes and or prone to ‘trigger words’ you should avoid this movie altogether. The simple story and great cast combined to make for a terrific mixed up family road-trip movie. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: After being robbed of a week's take, small-time pot dealer David is forced by his boss to go to Mexico to pick up a load of marijuana. In order to improve his odds of making it past the border, David asks the broke stripper Rose and two local teenagers to join him and pretend they're on a family holiday.

Genre: Family, Sci-Fi

Year: 1951

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter Hansen, John Hoyt, Larry Keating

Director: Rudolph Maté

My Review: When Worlds Collide - 1951 (Sci-fi, drama, fantasy, thriller) Excellent cinematography and color work (for an early color picture). The story was fantastic - The Earth is doomed! Everyone is marked to die on a specific date. The Earth is on a collision course with a rogue star. Mankind’s fate is sealed… Unless! Unless the scientists can convince politicians that their prediction isn’t some sort of publicity hoax (Hmmm, smells a little like ‘man-made global warming’, doesn’t it?) I don’t want to give too much more away, but I will say this - It’s a classic sci-fi tale, containing space ships, scientists, impending doom, the hope of a new start and a thrilling pace that accelerates as the ending approaches. The special effects were also quite good for such an early sci-fi movie (Made in 1951). Some of the effects and sets were excellent (This movie won an Oscar for visual effects/special effects). The acting was just the opposite. This group of B-Grade actors made me cringe when they delivered their lines. The direction was a bit better, but Rudolph Maté didn’t do much to improve this picture. Excellent in-genre sets, a great dramatic story and outstanding effects. Was scheduled for a remake when last watched it (that was 2008). The remake was supposed to come out in 2008. It never did. The original is a sci-fi classic. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: David Randall is a carefree ladies man and skilled pilot who finds he has been let in on the greatest and most terrible secret in the world when he is paid to deliver some mysterious pictures from one eminent astronomer to another. The recipient, Dr. Hendron, confirms the awful findings of the sender: the star Bellus will collide with Earth and wipe out all of humanity. Despite widespread disbelief, two philanthropists give Dr. Hendron some of the money he needs to build a rocket ship that will, at least theoretically, take them to Zyra, a planet which is orbiting Bellus which may or may not be habitable for humans. The rest of the money comes from Sydney Stanton, a wheelchair-bound old man, who insists he come along, despite the severe limitations on the number of passengers and amount of cargo. Meanwhile, as doomsday approaches, Randall is surprised to find himself in a love triangle with Dr. Hendron's daughter and her fiancé. Humanity is in peril, and only a modern-day Noah's ark, ...

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Romance

Year: 2013

Country: USA, Canada

Rating:

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco

Director: Jonathan Levine

My Review: Warm Bodies - 2013 (Comedy, horror, romance) Wow - What a genre mix-up. You may be familiar with the Zomedy genre (aka ZomCom) - Zombie Comedy (Shaun of the Dead, Zombie Strippers, Zombieland), but this is a new one for me. The RomZomCom is pushing the limits on niche genres. While Shaun of the Dead clearly lands in the niche, this movie has much more emphasis on the romance angle. In either case, it sure is a new twist on the romantic comedy. With one of the principle characters being a Zombie, you’re sure to be entertained. Written and directed by Jonathan Levine (based upon a book by Isaac Marion), this movie stars Nicholas Hoult as ‘R’ the Zombie, Teresa Palmer (as Julie the love interest), John Malkovich (in order to get you to watch the movie), and others. The premise is a bit unorthodox, and that’s why I liked the movie. ‘R’ isn’t your typical zombie, he’s an aberration - Why would a zombie think of anything other than shambling about and eating brains? What is it about ‘R’? What is it about Julie? The dialog - Non-verbal was another nice twist in this movie. I must say that I’m more impressed after thinking about the movie. The writing is very fresh - Like the brain of a recently killed townie. The Zombie character has to start out with no emotion and make it all the way to full blown restoration of his humanity by the end of the movie. The Julie character has some challenges as well, but Nicholas Hoult sealed did a good job with this challenge. Definitely not your typical Zombie movie. Definitely not your typical romance. Thankfully the ‘funny’ isn’t done at the expense of a serious story. It’s not a campy or cheap laugh, but a genuine well crafted romantic comedy. Then there’s the other plot mechanisms; like why ‘R’ cares at all and how to avoid destruction by the overly protective humans and overly destructive bonies. The book and screenplay were very well written. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: With much of the world's population now an undead horde, R is a young and oddly introspective zombie. While fighting with and feeding on a human scavenger party, R meets Julie and feels an urge to protect her. What happens next is the beginning of a strangely warm relationship that allows R to begin regaining his humanity. As this change spreads through the local undead population like a virus, Julie and R eventually have to face a larger issue when the very nature of their friendship is challenged. Caught between the paranoid human forces and the ferocious "Bonies", zombies who are a mutual threat, R and Julie must find a way to bridge the differences of each side to fight for a better world no one thought possible.