Genre: Drama

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Price Carson, Mike Howard, Sarah Shoshana David, Bruce Goodchild

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

My Review: Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will be Blood) Starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and others. This movie (set in the 50s) features two primary characters: Freddie Quell played by Joaquin Phoenix and Lancaster Dodd played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Freddie is a veteran of WWII. A Navy man recently returned from the war with some behavioral issues. Lancaster Dodd is a charismatic man who seems to have all the answers. Freddie is attracted to the 'Masters' cult of personality, and quickly becomes a devotee of 'The Cause'. It's an odd film, a powerful drama which really showcases the acting talents of the actors involved. The story is at times engaging and disturbing. It illustrates the dangers of our ability to manipulate others through force of personality. The writing, direction, and acting carry this movie forward in a powerful surge of dramatic performance. All other considerations (the cinematography, set work, the costumes, music) are all excellent but secondary, and they fade from one's perception once the acting begins. I give this enthralling movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Returning from Navy service in World War II, Freddie Quell drifts through a series of breakdowns. Finally he stumbles upon a cult which engages in exercises to clear emotions and he becomes deeply involved with them.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 2015

Country: Australia, USA, South Africa

Rating:

Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Josh Helman

Director: George Miller

My Review: Directed by George Miller (Co-wrote Screenplay for and Directed the original Mad Max (1979) - based on a story that he share credit on, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Witches of Eastwick, Lorenzo's Oil). Starring Tom Hardy (who looks a lot like a young Mel Gibson), Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult and others. The same story - For the most part. It's a post-apocalyptic wasteland (could be Australia?), there's a rebel who's fighting the tryannical ruler of this ruthless tribe of scavengers. If she's ever going to free a group of female prisoners and make her way back to her homeland, she's going to need plenty of help, luck, and the assistance of a drifter named Max. The plot is all but lost once the action gets going, but it's the action that makes this movie. Thankfully it isn't all CGI, and the mix of physical stunts is artfully blended to create action sequences that are truly astonishing. George Miller has really outdone himself in that regard. It's too bad he hasn’t had access to this array of CGI prior to Fury Road. His talent at creating action sequences is clearly evident in this movie; but what about the story? Was there one? I give this movie a 3 out of 5.

Summary: An apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and almost everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order. There's Max, a man of action and a man of few words, who seeks peace of mind following the loss of his wife and child in the aftermath of the chaos. And Furiosa, a woman of action and a woman who believes her path to survival may be achieved if she can make it across the desert back to her childhood homeland.

Genre: Thriller

Year: 2000

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Penn, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

My Review: Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Split, Glass). Starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright and others. I fell in love with M. Night Shyamalan's movies after seeing 'Sixth Sense'. Many of his other movies didn't fare as well commercially, but I liked them all the same. Here is another movie that hits all the spots. Bruce Willis plays his usual bitter, disgruntled character, but overall the casting was very well done. The story plays out (intentionally) like the comic book that it pays tribute to. Bruce Willis plays David Dunn, a married man working to support his wife and son. There's something unrevealed, unexplored and unexplained about his demeanor. A slightly injurious and mysterious past. It's something that affects his everyday life, but its completely out of focus, lurking in the back-ground. Something he can't or won't put to rest. His boring everyday life changes in a split second when he survives a devastating train wreck. He was on his way home from a job interview, the train derailed, and another train collided with the train that he was on… No one should have survived that tragic accident, but David walked away without a scratch. What just happened? Why did he survive? How could he have survived without sustaining any injuries at all? It's a suspense thriller with some supernatural overtones. Plenty of emotion, and plot twists. M. Night Shyamalan has done it again. The locations (set in Philadelphia) are great, the set work perfect, the costumes superb. The production is top notch. The casting was excellent and the musical score pulls us along on a train filled with twists and turns until the climactic ending. I give this movie a 5 out of 5.

Summary: A suspense thriller with supernatural overtones that revolves around a man who learns something extraordinary about himself after a devastating accident.

Genre: Comedy, War

Year: 2009

Country: USA, UK

Rating:

Starring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang

Director: Grant Heslov

My Review: Written by Peter Straughan, this movie is inspired by the non-fiction book (same name) by Jon Ronson. Directed by Grant Heslov (better known for his TV Acting career). Starring Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges and others. The premise intrigued me (I have an interest in the premise/subject), and I really liked the movie. Loosely (very loosely) based upon the unsubstantiated rumors of U.S. military involvement in paranormal research (documented in the non-fiction book (with same name) by Jon Ronson), here is a wild spoof on conspiracy theories and military secrets in general. George Clooney starred as Lyn Cassady - a Jedi Warrior trained by the U.S. Army to use psychic powers against the enemies of freedom. Instead he became disenfranchised when the ideals and new age, hippie, peace-loving tenets of his mentor (Played by Jeff Bridges) were subverted and compromised by the egotistic, slightly antagonistic character played by Kevin Spacey. The movie contains numerous bright spots - The casting, acting and camera work were great. I loved the subdued underplayed humor. The quirky, eccentric vibe was rich and rewarding. However, the film lacked urgency or conflict. The antagonist was hardly that, and the premise for the movie escapes examination. I didn't like the excessive exposition, which kept the viewer informed throughout all the flash back, fast forward, editing. The political message revealed in the films closing had little impact, seemed out of place, and failed to pull together the lightly covered tongue in cheek satirical spoofs bandied about during the films hour and a half airing. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: A reporter, trying to lose himself in the romance of war after his marriage fails, gets more than he bargains for when he meets a special forces agent who reveals the existence of a secret, psychic military unit whose goal is to end war as we know it. The founder of the unit has gone missing and the trail leads to another psychic soldier who has distorted the mission to serve his own ends.

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Year: 2012

Country: Spain, Canada

Rating:

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Toby Jones, Joely Richardson

Director: Rodrigo Cortés

My Review: Written and directed by Rodrigo Cortes (Buried). Starring Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Cillian Murphy and many others. Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy play a pair of paranormal investigators (Margaret Matheson and Tom Buckley). This Psychologist and Physicist set out to debunk famed Psychic Simon Silver (played by Robert De Niro). The premise is definitely interesting, and the casting seems perfect - Weaver as the hard headed skeptic and De Niro as the charismatic cult-like figure. Unfortunately, the writing left much to be desired. There are numerous dead-ends and questions left unanswered. The ending seems extremely rushed, and the movie lacks closure. The best part of the movie is the atmosphere. The camera work and music work to great effect here, and every scene seems to be dripping with suspense. The first hour of the movie is very well executed, but the second half fails to deliver. The ending is a bit disappointing and doesn't really follow through on the premise built throughout the first half of the movie. I give this a 3 out of 5.

Summary: The skeptical psychologist Dr. Margaret Matheson and her assistant, physicist Tom Buckley, are specialists in disclosing fraudulent paranormal phenomena. When the famous psychic Simon Silver reappears to his public after many years of absence, Tom becomes singularly obsessed in determining whether Silver is a fraud or not.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime

Year: 2015

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Sofía Vergara, Matthew Del Negro, Michael Mosley, Robert Kazinsky

Director: Anne Fletcher

My Review: Written by David Feeney and John Quanitance. Directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal - Better known for Choreography and Dance (52 Credits)). Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara, Matthew Del Negro and many others. A plot that's been done a thousand times. Uptight, by-the-book cop (Rose Cooper - Played by Reese Witherspoon) is tasked to take a drug bosses wife (Danella Riva - Played by Sofia Vergara) into protective custody. They start out in an adversarial relationship, but crooked cops and cartel hitmen are out to get them. As they these two mismatched fugitives make their way across Texas the bond grows stronger, and they do their best to survive the trip to the courthouse. There's very little in the way of new material (stale, rehashed writing), and the direction didn't bring out the best that these two can offer. The funniest parts were the 'Deer Noises' and Reese Witherspoon as a member of a Boy-Band. The worst part was the 'Lesbian lovers' scene - Talk about ridiculous and poorly played. It was mildly entertaining, but ultimately a waste of my time. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Summary: Rose Cooper is an uptight and by-the-book cop whose name has become synonymous with screw-ups. She's given a chance to redeem herself one day when she is assigned to protect a federal witness, Daniella Riva, the vivacious and outgoing widow of a drug boss. As the two polar opposites race through Texas, they find themselves pursued by everyone from crooked cops to murderous gunmen. However, their greatest obstacle to making this out alive may be themselves as they learn that Cooper has now been considered a fugitive fleeing with Daniella.

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Year: 2011

Country: UK

Rating:

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Shaun Dooley

Director: Nick Murphy

My Review: Cowritten and directed by Nick Murphy (Best known for television shows). Starring Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton and others. Set in the early 1900's, Rebecca Hall stars as Florence Cathcart an author and paranormal investigator, known for debunking hoaxes and exposing con artists. She's a 'Ghost Hunter' a skeptic and a crusader for justice. She's called upon by headmaster of a private boarding school in the far north of England to investigate the death of a pupil and the reported ghostly connections to the boys death. Is there a hoax being perpetrated to cover up the boys death, or is there actually something otherworldly about the happening in north Cumbria? The movie was very moody and well produced. Excellent set work, locations, camera work, sound track and costumes. The language used seemed a bit too modern for 1921, but the acting was quite good. Thankfully the movie has a twist that I wasn't quite expecting. It goes a bit beyond the typical ghost of a former resident. The psychological twist at the end is a bit difficult to catch if you're not paying very close attention. An intriguing mystery which frightens and beckons. I liked it a lot. 4 out of 5.

Summary: In 1921, in London, the arrogant and skeptical Florence Cathcart is famous for exposing hoaxes and helping the police to arrest con artists. The stranger Robert Mallory tells her that the headmaster of a boarding school in Rookford had invited her to travel to Cumbria to investigate a ghost that is frightening the pupils to death. He also tells that many years ago there was a murder in the estate and recently pupil Walter Portman had died. The reluctant Florence finally accepts to go to Cumbria. On arrival, she is welcomed by governess Maud and the boy Thomas Hill. Soon Florence discovers what had happened to Walter and then the students, teachers and staff are released on vacation, and Florence remains alone with Robert, Maud and Tom in the school. Florence is ready to leave the boarding school when strange things happen, leaving Florence scared.

Genre: Sci-Fi

Year: 1984

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen

Director: James Cameron

My Review: Cowritten (three credits) and directed by James Cameron (Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, True Lies, Titanic, Avatar). Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn and many others. Here's a classic cyborg flick. Arnold stars as a cyborg sent back to the past to kill the young mother of a future resistance leader. It's classic time travel with a dystopian sci-fi setting. War against the machines rages on in the future, while our present day (1984) setting of Los Angeles plays host to a hide and go seek survival game; featuring a cyborg assassin from the future and a protector who follows the Terminator to protect mankind from future defeat. The movie is filled with great lines. The writing is outstanding. The acting could be better, but Arnolds screen presence and Linda Hamilton's intensity are undeniable. Michael Biehn is utterly believable in his role as a protector. The movie sets up plenty of paradoxes, then does a great job of ignoring them or twisting them into plot devices. The pacing was perfect, and the music made the movie even more suspenseful. This non-stop action flick keeps delivering, even many years later (this review written in 2019). Worthy of the 5 star rating. I wore out my VHS copy, and had to buy a digital version.

Summary: A human-looking, apparently unstoppable cyborg is sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor; Kyle Reese is sent to stop it.

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 1998

Country: Australia, USA

Rating:

Starring: Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O'Brien

Director: Alex Proyas

My Review: Dark City - 1998 (Drama, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery) I’ve seen this movie before (back in the late 90s - when it originally came out), but I certainly don't remember it being this good. It kept showing up on my Netflix recommended list, so I figured I'd give it another viewing. Wow! I'm blown away. I'm a fan of sci-fi, and the dark versions make for great tension and suspense. Here's a movie with plenty of dark tension, suspense, horror, mystery and odd alien life forms. It's a twisted tale of a Dark City. The story - John Murdoch (played by Rufus Sewell) wakes up in a strange hotel room. He has no idea who he is, or why there's a dead woman in the bedroom. He quickly gets dressed and makes a run for it. He's got no idea why he's wanted for murder, and who's this woman who says she's his wife? Then there's the men in black! As his memories begin to trickle in he realizes that reality isn't all that he thought it was. Written and directed Alex Provas (The Crow; I, Robot), the story is an outstanding dark and stylish, film-noir, sci-fi mystery with elements of horror and a mixed up cast of dark characters. The special/visual effects were excellent, the casting and acting top notch, the direction, lighting and camera work superb. I liked it so much that I bought a copy - I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: John Murdoch awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he has lost his memory and is wanted for a series of brutal and bizarre murders. While trying to piece together his past, he stumbles upon a fiendish underworld controlled by a group of beings known as The Strangers who possess the ability to put people to sleep and alter the city and its inhabitants. Now Murdoch must find a way to stop them before they take control of his mind and destroy him.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Year: 2011

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston

Director: Jonathan Levine

My Review: Written by Will Reiser. Directed by Jonathan Levine (The Wackness, Warm Bodies, Long Shot). Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Anjelica Huston and others. It's not my usual fare, and I'm not sure why I wanted to watch it… Here's a movie about Adam (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his best friend Kyle (played by Seth Rogen), and Adam's therapist Katherine (played by Anna Kendrick). Adam is only 27 years old, but he's got cancer. He just found out. Kyle and Katherine are doing their best to help him through it. What are his odds? Well, according to the internet, his odds are 50/50. It’s a human story. A story about friendship, hardship, coping and caring. Young people think they're immune to all forms of disease, so this story is somewhat striking in the fact that it dares to face the fact that no one is invincible. Most people wouldn't think to mix cancer and comedy, but this movie takes that chance. The acting was quite good (except for Seth Rogen who only knows how to 'act' funny) and the comedy is clearly a way to cope with the difficult parts of this topic. This is an odd movie blending some raunchy stoner humor with the heavy themes of cancer and death. It's hard to know when to laugh and when to cry. The writing manages to do that. Perhaps its due in part to Will Reiser's own struggles with Cancer at a young age. Although it isn't made to entertain, it is sincere film making and an honest attempt to support others. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Adam is a 27 year old writer of radio programs and is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer. With the help of his best friend, his mother, and a young therapist at the cancer center, Adam learns what and who the most important things in his life are.