Genre: Drama

Year: 1959

Country: UK

Rating:

Starring: Alec Guinness, Burl Ives, Maureen O'Hara, Ernie Kovacs, Noël Coward

Director: Carol Reed

My Review: An underappreciated gem. Here is a great drama set in Pre-Castro Havana. Directed by Carol Reed (The Third Man, Oliver!, Trapeze), starring Alec Guinness, Maureen O'Hara, Ernie Kovacs, Burl Ives, Noël Coward and others. A fantastic cast and an excellent story (based on the novel (w/same name) by Graham Greene). Here is the story of a reluctant British agent embedded in Havana. Jim Wormold (played by Alec Guinness) is living in Havana with his teenage daughter Milly (played by Jo Morrow). He owns a vacuum cleaner repair shop, but he's having a hard time making ends meet. His friend Dr. Hasselbacher suggests that he might make more money as a secret agent - A fictional secret agent. All he need do is come up with a list of other agents that he runs. Their names, occupations, specialties, etc. With this list, he might convince MI6 that he's actually the head of a spy ring. They would obviously pay him big money for the intelligence generated by a ring of this size! Of course, this good thing can only cause problems in the long run. Wormold soon realizes that he could end up dead if the government authorities realize that he's the leader of a spy ring in Cuba. The performances were great, and the direction excellent. The movie is a bit slow moving and the humor a bit wry, but this movie is well worth a repeat performance. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Jim Wormold is an expatriate Englishman living in pre-revolutionary Havana with his teenage daughter Milly. He owns a vacuum cleaner shop but isn't very successful so he accepts an offer from Hawthorne of the British Secret Service to recruit a network of agents in Cuba. Wormold hasn't got a clue where to start but when his friend Dr. Hasselbacher suggests that the best secrets are known to no one, he decides to manufacture a list of agents and provides fictional tales for the benefit of his masters in London. He is soon seen as the best agent in the Western Hemisphere but it all begins to unravel when the local police decode his cables and start rounding up his "network" and he learns that he is the target of a group out to kill him.

Genre: Drama, Comedy, Science Fiction

Year: 2014

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Marisa Coughlan, Matt Bomer, Jerry O'Connell

Director: Jack Plotnick

My Review: A great premise, but flawed execution. Don't get me wrong, I liked the movie, but it could have been much better. Directed by Jack Plotnick (The Actor's directorial debut). Starring Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Marisa Coughlan and others. Made in 2014, this Sci-Fi movie is based in the distant 'Future' of 1976. It's an odd 'what if' scenario. Omega 76 (the location) is a space station for spaceships in need of service and refueling. When the station's new first officer arrives, the crew gets upset by the fact that she's a She! The movie is a spoof on 70s dramas. Set in space, and the future or the past - or the future of the past, the socio-sexual revolutionary 70s makes the promise of this movie a sure-thing. Unfortunately, direction and editing result in a less than stellar execution. The character development is great, but I didn't really believe in the portrayals. The station-bound shenanigans were great, but the movie lacked an 'antagonist' aspect (until the very end of the movie). I loved the sets Space 1999 theme, and it also drew inspiration from the original Star Wars and other 70s Sci-Fi movies. One of the best parts of this movie was the groovy soundtrack. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Space Station 76 is a refueling satellite near an alternate-reality Earth, circa 1976. Jessica arrives to serve as the station's new first mate. While she narrates a piece about how she likes the predictability of asteroids, some placidly drifting asteroids are shown colliding in chain-reaction fashion. While at first the station appears normal and the people friendly, Jessica soon discovers that the people on board have issues due to the isolation and stress of being cooped up with one another in a relatively small space far from Earth. This is in addition the usual problems people struggle with, such as infidelity, loneliness, depression, and drug abuse. She tries to make friends and fit in, but, unable to connect meaningfully with anyone, she becomes lonely. She's baffled and disillusioned by the stiff and irritable Captain Glenn, who harbors secrets of his own. She finds herself drawn to Ted, a lonely, married crewman, and his 7 year-old daughter, Sunshine. Ted yearns to reconnect...

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 2001

Country: Canada, USA

Rating:

Starring: Gene Hackman, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Pidgeon

Director: David Mamet

My Review: Written and directed by David Mamet (House of Game, The Spanish Prisoner, State and Main). Starring Gene Hackman, Rebecca Pidgeon, Danny DeVito and many others. Here is a masterpiece of twists and turns and double-crosses. A great character based film-noir evoking drama which examines the Maxim of 'Honor among Thieves'. This movie is directed like a three ring circus, the casting is ironclad, the plot is full of more twists than a roller coaster, and the camera work was flawless. This heist movie is full of great acting and terrific lines. 'Love makes the world go round - Love of money', 'He's so cool, sheep count him'. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: David Mamet takes this story of thieves along many twists and turns, some of which work and some of which don't. Gene Hackman plays the brilliant leader of a gang (Delroy Lindo, Ricky Jay & Rebecca Pigeon as Hackman's youngish wife), which pulls off complex heists for a despicable fence (Danny DeVito). After stiffing the gang on a jewelry robbery, DeVito forces the gang to go after a Swiss gold shipment and to use his nephew (Sam Rockwell) in the crime. No one trusts anyone and every step is shaded with the unexpected.

Genre: Adventure, Action, Comedy, Thriller, Crime

Year: 1992

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Stuart Wilson

Director: Richard Donner

My Review: The third (and should have been last) movie in the franchise. Directed by Richard Donner. Starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo and others. Gibson and Glover are back, joined by one too many co-stars. Two's really enough, but this movie insists on a never ending supply of 'Side-Kicks'. I'm not entirely sure why, but the script not only called for a third 'Partner', but they let Joe Pesci (playing Joe Pesci - oh, wait, no it's Leo Getz - Or is it Leo Getz playing Joe Pesci) tag along for the ride. If you thought his character was annoying in the sequel, your going to love him in this movie - He's more annoying than ever! Martin Riggs (played by Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are now 'Sergeants' - Having been busted down in rank for their inability to abide by proper policy and procedure. While the original had its charm in a bit of irreverent humor, the sequel moved the comedy up a notch and this one brings it front and center. The comedy here makes a mockery of the characters. It's tamer in tone than the original (no dark notes here) and the characters are portrayed as incompetent clowns, dancing about for our amusement. Jeffrey Boam, credited with the screenplay here and in Lethal Weapon 2, doesn't do us any favors by making the characters more obnoxious than they need to be in order to move the story forward - On the other hand, the ridiculous character play does help to detract from a rather predictable and dull plot, because the character's personal drama is far more interesting than anything having to do with the movie's antagonist. What is the story? Oh yeah, bad guy used to be a cop, so he knows all about how the cops operate. He steals guns and such and sells them to the local gangs. The buddy cop genre could definitely take a break from this duo. The stunt work is great and the truck chase quite thrilling, but overall this movie didn't rate much higher than a tired yawn. Thankfully we weren't subjected to a sex scene with Mel Gibson's ass riding Rene Russo's character. I actually remember my dread just thinking that it might happen. I give this movie a 2 out of 5.

Summary: Martin Riggs finally meets his match in the form of Lorna Cole, a beautiful but tough policewoman. Together with Roger Murtaugh, his partner, the three attempt to expose a crooked former policeman and his huge arms racket. The crooked cop (Jack Travis) thwarts them at every turn, mainly by killing anyone who is about to talk, but Murtaugh has personal problems of his own as his family are brought into the equation.

Genre: Adventure, Action, Science Fiction

Year: 2000

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, James Marsden

Director: Bryan Singer

My Review: Story (in part) and direction by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, Apt Pupil, Valkyrie). Starring Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen and many others. Here's the genesis of an excellent franchise. X-Men was a comic book favorite of mine as a wee lad. The Superhero genre is growing and X-Men is one of the crowning gems in the genre, thanks in part to Patrick Stewart's foundational acting and Bryan Singer's work at the helm. While the cgi leaves much to be desired, the story is the real star of this movie. It's an origin story for those unfamiliar with the franchise. Welcome to Professor X's academy for 'Gifted Students'. The conflict between humans and mutants is coming, and Magneto (played by Ian McKellen) want's to bring about that eventual conflict in a way which means the demise on non-mutants. Professor X and his X-Men are committed to the protection of those who cannot defend themselves against the evil intentions of those who might abuse their gifts. There's plenty of character development, and a rather simple story. The limited story provides plenty of time to focus on characters, and there are a lot of characters. The costume work was excellent, the acting stellar (especially Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen), and the direction outstanding (given the size of the cast and the scope of the story). Juggling the introduction of the franchise and all the characters while executing on a thrilling action plot are all difficult chores for a movie of that runs an hour and fourty five minutes. The cgi and wire work were not very well blended or executed, but the sound effects and music were great. An excellent beginning. 4 out of 5.

Summary: In a world where both Mutants and Humans fear each other, Marie, better known as Rogue, runs away from home and hitches a ride with another mutant, known as Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine. Professor Charles Xavier, who owns a school for young mutants, sends Storm and Cyclops to bring them back before it is too late. Magneto, who believes a war is approaching, has an evil plan in mind, and needs young Rogue to help him.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller

Year: 2000

Country: Germany, USA

Rating:

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Busta Rhymes

Director: John Singleton

My Review: Directed by John Singleton, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Busta Rhymes, Dan Hedaya ... Jack Roselli, Toni Collette, Richard Roundtree and others. This isn't a remake in the classic sense, but it is a stylish reprissal of the character and setting from the earlier movies and the television series of the same name. Samuel L. Jackson gave a fantastic performance as Shaft; the cooler than cool NY police detective. When Shaft arrests a racist murder suspect (played by Christian Bale) things get complicated. The suspects father is a politically influential business man, and the kid gets off with no bail! He immediately flees to Switzerland, making a mockery of the police and justice system. Two years later he tries to sneak back in, but Shaft is waiting for him! Will his money and influence buy him a second chance? Or will he take things a step further and murder the only witness? The acting in this action flick was excellent. Jackson, Bale, and Jeffrey Wright (as Peoples Hernandez) all turned out top notch performances. While the script was a bit predictable, the direction, pacing and acting were all great. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: New York Police Detective John Shaft is the lead detective on a sensitive case, a young black man is severely beaten. The man's companions tell Shaft that their friend humiliated the one who was sprouting racial slurs at him. Shaft confronts him and he says he's Walter Wade Jr. , the son of a wealthy man. Shaft finds that he has the id of a woman who's a waitress at the bar where Wade and the guy who was attacked were. When Wade continues to hurl racist comments, Shaft smacks him. Shaft later learns because of his actions Wade was granted bail and fled. Two years later, Wade returns and Shaft arrests him. At his hearing when the judge grants him bail, that's when Shaft throws his badge at the judge. He then sets out to get Wade by finding the waitress. Wade in the meantime asks a drug dealer named Peoples Hernandez to find the waitress and make sure she doesn't talk.

Genre: Action, Mystery, Thriller

Year: 2011

Country: UK, Germany, France, USA

Rating:

Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

My Review: Having watched this movie twice in a three year period (Aug 2011 and again in Oct 2014), my rating is bumped up a notch. Directed by Juame Collet-Serra. Liam Neeson and January Jones (Smoking hot eye candy, if not a bit unbelievable in her role) star in this action packed thriller featuring amnesia, terrorists and a secretive group of assassins. The movie is based upon a French language novel (by Didier Van Cauwelaert), titled (post translation) 'Out of my head'. The screenplay was co-written by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell. Liam Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris - an esteemed biochemist visiting Berlin to lecture at a big agribusiness conference. When he misplaces his briefcase, things start to unravel. A short cab trip produces tragedy. Instead of retrieving his briefcase, he ends up with a rather strange case of amnesia - He knows exactly who he is, but no one else can remember him, including his wife and closest friends. The writing is quite tight, but there several cliched plot points and similarities with other movies. The story/screen-play is outstanding and Liam Neeson's performance elevates an otherwise derivative work into a smashing summer block-buster full of frenetic action and a non-stop terrorist driven action plot. Second time around, this movie now rates a 4 out of 5.

Summary: A biochemist and his dishy wife arrive in Berlin for a conference at which a scientist and his controversial Arab funder will announce breakthrough research. While his wife checks into the hotel, he grabs a cab to return to the airport for his briefcase, left at the curb. En route, an auto accident puts him in a coma, from which he awakes four days later without identification and with gaps in his memory. He goes to the hotel: his wife refuses to recognize him and another man has claimed his identity. With help from a nurse, the cab driver, a retired Stasi agent, and an academic friend, he tries to unravel what's going on. Is the answer in the briefcase?

Genre: Horror

Year: 1973

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran

Director: William Friedkin

My Review: Directed by William Friedkin (The French Connection, Sorcerer, To Live and Die in L.A., Rules of Engagement). The screenplay and novel (of same name) were written by William Peter Blatty. The movie stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair and many others. This movie is a classic example of throat quivering primal fear projected onto our subconscious in such a way that it's unforgettable. This version of William Blatty's 'The Exorcist' contains 11 minutes worth of previous cut footage. Directed by William Friedkin, this is one very scary movie. Excellent acting, great sound track and sound production. Great characters, fantastic sets and locations. An innocent little girl is possessed by 'The Devil'. Conventional doctors completely fail the desperate mother, who finally turns to the Catholic church for an exorcism. This movie spawned an entire string of 'look-a-likes'. This time around (I own the movie), I watched the movie while listening to the director's commentary. I give this movie a 5 out of 5.

Summary: A visiting actress in Washington, D.C., notices dramatic and dangerous changes in the behavior and physical make-up of her 12-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, a young priest at nearby Georgetown University begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother's terminal sickness. And, book-ending the story, a frail, elderly priest recognizes the necessity for a show-down with an old demonic enemy.

Genre: Documentary

Year: 2011

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Chuck Allen, Judy Allen, Jay Angoff, David Arredondo, Tom Baker

Director: Susan Saladoff

My Review: A documentary about the infamous McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit. Stella Liebeck vs. McDonald's restaurants. Stella spilled hot coffee on her lap. The coffee had a temperature of appx 180-190 ºF. She was hospitalized for eight days, underwent skin grafting, followed by two years of medical treatment. The 'Product Liability' case was decided in Aug of 1994. Until now, the narrative has always been one where underclass citizens take advantage of the legal system to profit at the expense of others. ABC News even called the case "the poster child of excessive lawsuits". Here is a very well made documentary with an obvious bias - in favor of the defendant, the victim, the party that was injured - but who is that? The film is trying to get you angry, to make you feel. It worked with me. The New Mexico civil jury awarded the defendant $2.86 million dollars. The trial judge reduced the final verdict to $640k and the parties settled for a 'Confidential' amount before an appeal was decided. The movie certainly revealed the efforts a corporation will go to in order to protect their corporate profits. There is clearly a large issue here. Can a corporation legally remove your constitutional rights by simply asserting that you surrender your rights upon using their product? Can Americans actually sue for damages after they've 'opened the package'? Or signed the receipt? You know the one with a statement on the other side, in really small print… The only problem I saw with this movie was its obvious bias on one side of the issue. I felt as if my emotions were being manipulated in order to side with the defendant/plaintiff. Masterful manipulation. I give the documentary a 3 out of 5.

Summary: The McDonald's coffee case has been routinely cited by the media as an example of how citizens have taken advantage of the legal system. We will show how this case became so popular in the media, who funded the effort and to what end. We will tell the truth and let the audience decide if spilling hot coffee is really as profitable as they might otherwise believe.

Genre: Drama, Horror, Suspense, Thriller

Year: 1999

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Trevor Morgan

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

My Review: This movie was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Starring Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, Haley Joel Osment as Cole Sear, Toni Collette as Lynn Sear and many others. This was the first M. Night Shyamalan I saw (I saw an earlier film - Wide Awake - many years later), and this is the film that did it for me, I was a fan from this point on. The story is intricate, well constructed, and tightly controlled. The cast was excellent in their portrayals and execution of the script. In this movie, a young Haley Joel Osment (11 years old at the time) plays a six year old boy who ‘sees dead people’. His ‘ability’ causes problems at school, problems with his help, and problems with his relationships. His mother is very concerned, and Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Played by Bruce Willis) is brought in to help uncover the true problems behind Coel’s paranormal abilities. It’s a twisted mystery with outstanding shock value. There were moments in this movie where I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat dreading the next twist, thrilled by the revelations, consumed by the story. Engrossing and superbly directed, this movie was filled with breathtaking and breathless moments of shock and astonishment. I’ve watched it numerous times and it still affects me in much the same way as my original viewing. A thoughtful examination of the afterlife, a tense and shocking thriller, a triumphant movie by M. Night Shyamalan. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Malcom Crowe (Bruce Willis)is a child psychologist who receives an award on the same night that he is visited by a very unhappy ex-patient. After this encounter, Crowe takes on the task of curing a young boy with the same ills as the ex-patient (Donnie Wahlberg) . This boy "sees dead people". Crowe spends a lot of time with the boy much to the dismay of his wife (Olivia Williams). Cole's mom (Toni Collette) is at her wit's end with what to do about her son's increasing problems. Crowe is the boy's only hope.