How Do You Know - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

The problem I have with romantic comedies is the stories are usually so far out you can't relate at all,other than being a human.So I ask you,are you a Eskimo or Bedouin?See my point?Being human is NOT enough.In those cases only the sheer force of a outstanding actor who somehow makes the absurd  storyline believable ,by making the character they portray seem real ,makes it watchable,and then only once. In this movie such is the case.It starts with a very cute opening scene of a little boy trying to hit a baseball off a tee and failing miserably and then a little girl hits the ball off the tee with power and smiles but the boy pushes her to the ground out of jealously.Sadly that is the only original and funny scene in the movie.Its downhill from there except for the wonderful Reese Witherspoon as Lisa,that little girl who grew up to be a world class softball player but now at 31 years old finds herself cut and having to go on with her life and THAT is whats silly.She's involved with a baseball player, Owen Wilson as Matty  ,a real silly self  absorbed character and also  Paul Rudd as George,the overly sensitive son of Jack Nicholson as Charles ,a totally uninspired performance,as they say"for the paycheck"From there the story just is totally unbelievable but you watch it because you almost believe Reese,almost.Thats why I only gave it 2 1/2 stars.Released in 2010 its also a little long at 121 minutes.Trailer URL follows pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3436250649/

To Sir, with Love - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

A scant 10 years after his role as a student in "Blackboard Jungle"which I've reviewed earlier,Sidney Poitier     as Mark Thackeray ,now finds himself on the other side as a teacher and star in this film.While not as powerful as Blackboard,this film shows a different side of the teenage angst from a lower class UK point of view which may be MORE relevant today than blackboards is though poverty is still with us.Add more of a sexual awaking to this mix and thats the main attraction of this flick.Lulu as Barbara 'Babs' Pegg is really a minor character but her song "To Sir, with Love"defined the movie and transcended it as a major pop hit. Brief description from IMDB below as well as a trailer URL after the pix.I took 1 and 1/2 stars off because its British not american spoken here and not really a new idea after 'Blackboard Jungle" Released in 1967 it runs 105 minutes.

Engineer Mark Thackeray arrives to teach a totally undisciplined class at an East End school. Still hoping for a good engineering job, he's hopeful that he won't be there long. He starts implementing his own brand of classroom discipline: forcing the pupils to treat each other with respect. Inevitably he begins getting involved in the students' personal lives, and must avoid the advances of an amorous student while winning over the class tough. What will he decide when the engineering job comes through? Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSo95YU9XZk

Inglourious Basterds - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

A very strange film indeed.Quentin Tarantino makes another film that seems like bloody good fun.Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine has a group of crazy killers behind enemy lines in WW11 to kill"Natc's"and thus strike terror into the German war machine.Without giving to much away I enjoyed it to the ending.That killed it for me.Also its a little long at 153 minutes.Thats why I took 1 and 1/2 stars off.Still its worth a view for Pitts acting which is as over the top as anything he ever did before.Released in 2009 its Tarantino at his best till he had to end it.Hint,think "alternate universe"Trailer follows pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3738173977/

Back to School - 4 stars out of 5 stars

A classic should see at least once comedy film.For me its the late great Rodney Dangerfield's, asThornton Melon,best film.Strangely Keith Gordon as Jason Melon,his son,didn't work for me and that's why I took 1 star off.Some inspired casting round out the film with Sally Kellerman,Burt Young,Robert Downey Jr.,and many others.Released in 1986 and only running 96 short minutes,its storyline is comic and only a master comic like Dangerfield could pull it off.It's the comic story of a rich guy who goes back to college as a new student to help his son get through and finish what he had started years before,the EASY way.Just the idea of a fat middle aged man trying to mix in with young 20 somethings is funny enough but when he bring a construction company in to re do the dorm room,well…………
This is not animal house or a knock off thereof.What it is,is a from the bootstrap to the corporate tower rise of a common man who runs business with that same common man attitude who is now mixing with the college scene as a kid but a kid with the success the REAL kids are going there to learn to be.The discussion he has in  class about building a factory is hilarious as the professor is "corrected"by Rodney as he explains how palms have to be greased for building permits and "the teamsters have to get their cut before any cement is poured"Rodney also was a high diver ??? Steals a female (Kellerman)professor from a stuffy male one,ect.My favorite is Rodney dancing to the beetles version of twist and shout.  Trailer URL follows pix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRpUAdI_F_o

Our Family Wedding - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Wedding movies are a dime a dozen with every mix and match having been done before,then why watch this one?Well for me the cast caught my eye.Ugly Betty TV series star America Ferrera plays a pretty enough Lucia Ramirez and Carlos Mencia as Miguel Ramirez is her father.The groom is a ok Lance Gross as Marcus Boyd and Forest Whitaker as Brad Boyd his father.The rest of the cast is fine but how can Warren Sapp in a bit part as Wendell Boyd be almost invisible ??Remember the mantra,"Your marriage,THEIR wedding"?Well the fathers are the story here not the couple.Mexican vs black is the conflict and its funny enough and not mean although in a out door cafe scene when one member of the grooms family is walking away after biting comments about his hen pecked marriage,one member tells the other to calm down"Your scaring the white folks"It's a decent gag movie and you could see far worse.Oh did I mention the goat on Viagra??Two stars off for we've been there,saw that.Released in 2010 it runs a just right 103 minutes.Trailer URL follows pix and for a wedding flick I didn't like anything enough on the soundtrack to post.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2196112409/

The A Team - 4 stars out of 5 stars

I only have 2 issues with this movie.I haven't really watched the old TV series and second,it seems to take itself too serious for such a unbelievable storyline,thus 1 star off.
The cast is ok and the action is the real star.Hellocopters dogfighting,a flying tank ( by its cannon recoil) shooting down a drone?If you think THAT'S outrageous,and it is,wait till you get to the story.The US was minting money IN Iran and the plates were  stolen from a Iraq convoy and ,thats not relevant anymore.Just the action. Army rangers are framed for the hist and the CIA helped set them.Thats about the whole story with a few double crosses and twists.Worth a view but I prefer REALLY over the top flicks like Robert Rodriguez makes but this film is worth a view.Cast includes Liam Neeson,Bradley Cooper and Jessica Biel amongst others.Released in 2010 and runs 117 minutes.Trailer follows URL.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1330381849/

Machete - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Robert Rodriguez first burst on the scene with a GREAT trilogy of films about a hit man masquerading as a guitar playing Mariachi.I'll review them at a later date.In this film he tackles the illegal alien issue,drugs and all things Mexico,Texas,good and bad.Rodriguez uses stars,action,and comic book violence so over the top you have to laugh,but he has messages as well as funny dialogue.Example,Cheech Marin as Padre Cortez offers Danny Trejo as Machete Cortez  a cuban cigar and Machete declines saying Mexican, so The Padre says "I've got them too"and opens a cigar box filled with joints.But Rodriquez is a serious film maker who uses humor and over the top violence to make his points.Tom Savini     as Osiris Amanpour is also the inventor of some of the bloody special effects used in this film developed 20+years ago but is not credited as such in this film.Must be his"students"doing the effects and he's along for the ride just as a actor.Robert De Niro,Jessica Alba,Steven Seagal,Michelle Rodriguez,Don Johnson,Lindsay Lohan,help round out a good cast.This film is NOT for everyone,but if you like"comic book"movies with more depth, than Rodriquez is your film maker and this latest film is a  MUST be seen naughty pleasure.
Trailer URL follows pix.I've added the song "El Rey"to the music playlist from the movie but a version by Vicente fernandez rather than by Alan Martínez and the Mariachi Juvenil Tecalitlán in the film.I think the more classic version is better.Sue me !!!Released in 2010 it runs 105 minutes.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2646935065/

The American - 1/2 star out of 5 stars

This might be the worse movie I've seen in 20+ years !!!!!The only reason it gets 1/2 star is George Clooney.Released in 2010 and running 107 minutes,the film makes "O" sense.
It opens with Clooney in a mountain lodge with a woman presumably after sex.Then as they walk outside someone is shooting at them,Clooney warns her to go back to the cabin and call the police after he shoots the shooter.As she leaves he shoots HER in the back and then get's a second shooter.Next he's calling someone on the phone and hiding out in a mountain village in Italy.Why?Who is he?Who was she??Why did the 2 guys go after him?Whose the guy he talked to and seemed to work for??Get the picture?You won't get any answers and Clooney going to a whore house?PLEASE !!Again,lost 1 and 1/2 hours of my life I'll never get back.Trailer URL after pix,but DON"T waste your time.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi447940121/

Sink the Bismarck - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

I posted the great song "sink the bismarck"on my player in honor of this movie while it NEVER is played on the movies soundtrack.I just like he song and movie so get over it.
Most WW11 war movies about sea battles are carrier themed and rightly so.The Battlewagon days were ended in this war.Even the mightily Bismarck was damaged by planes from a carrier strike that led to its inevitable distraction by surface ships.
Still the movie is well done and shot in black and white,thats why 1/2 star off,but it adds a 1940 feel to it even as it was released in 1960 and runs a tight 97 minutes.Any movie based on a factual happening will take liberties with the event and war movies more so because of "the fog of war"reality.That said this movie still is gripping and show the power these big ships once had.The story is short and to the point.The Germans have a ship that sink a convoy from 20 miles away and have already sunk the best warship the british had.If its not sunk,the war may be lost.Add to it a personnel story of the command naval group at home and you have classic war story interest.It's in my top 5 war movies of all time.Great acting by Kenneth More as Captain Jonathan Shepard and Dana Wynter as Anne Davis head a able cast.Trailer URL follows pix and also has the song even tho its not in the movie !!!!

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1067255321/

The Tourist - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Angelina Jolie as Elise Clifton-Ward and Johnny Depp as Frank Tupelo plus a twist ending are the reasons to watch this movie once only.Slow moving and many elements we've seen before are the reasons I took 2 and 1/2 stars off.Released in 2010 and running 103 minutes its a story of a Bernard Madoff inspired rip off only on a slightly smaller scale and all bad guys.Elise is the love interest who must help the Madoff type and Frank is a unlucky mark picked to help her.From there its slow moving and rather boring to a feel good happy if scandalous ending.Recommended for one viewing when you have nothing better to watch.Good Italy scenes also help.Message also sent is that the UK government and by extension ours,only cares about revenue and not crimes per say, IF criminals pays taxes.Trailer URL  follows the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi304847129/

Halloween - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Simply put,my favorite horror film of all time.A young boys stabs his sister to death on halloween and spends his life in a mental institution till he becomes a man,then he escapes to return to his hometown to wreak havoc on halloween.We never see the face of the adult but that pasty white mask he wears is scary as hell.By the way,its said that the mask is a plaster cast of Bill Shatner taken in the old star trek series and borrowed from the props department for the movie.Thats not important,a whole series of sequels and a updated version have been spawned but none stands as well as the original.The acting in exceptional and the music works TOO well.But Michael Myers,not the comic from saturday night fame,IS the boogie man.He can't be killed and he keeps coming back,like a Terminator for the holiday.Released in 1978 and runs a short 91 minutes.Trailer URL is below the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi330039577/

This Is Spinal Tap - 3 stars out of 5 stars

The reason I'm adding this is because I had to pick a "Mocumentary"so this is it although I'm not madly in love with it,worthy of a view however.IMDB fan review below and trailer follows pix.Film was released in 1984 and runs a short 82 minutes.Took 2 stars off because its dated and not really my kind of humor,but the music rocks……….

Rockumentary is a mockumentary
28 May 1999 | by Hermit C-2 (Marietta, GA, USA)
This is FANTASTIC! Writers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer in collaboration with director Rob Reiner have created a satire so dead-on its target that it might be scary if it wasn't so hilarious.
Filmmaker Marty DiBergi, taking a break from dog food commercials, is determined to capture the sights, sounds and smells of his favorite rock group, the legendary Spinal Tap, on their latest U.S. tour. They're a 20-year old heavy metal outfit from England centering around lead singer David St. Hubbins (McKean), lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Guest) and bass guitarist Derek Smalls (Shearer). The rest of the band is a revolving door of personnel including a series of unlucky drummers who have met with bizarre demises. The new tour is the first the band has made of America in years, and unfortunately the they seem to have lost about as many fans as they've lost brain cells. When asked if the smaller venues that the band is playing on this tour means they are losing popularity, manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra) quickly dismisses the idea. The band's fans are just becoming more "selective," he says.
Still, the group is received well at their initial shows--that is if the gig hasn't been canceled, if their balky stage props don't malfunction, and if the band can find its way to the stage from their dressing rooms. But the tour is one disaster following another. Fans don't show up for autograph sessions at record stores. Radio stations play their oldies and ask, "where are they now?" To top things off, David's girlfriend Jeanine (June Chadwick), the band's Yoko Ono, arrives. She soon starts contributing her ideas, such as having the band dress in fantasy creature costumes and recording their music "in Dubly."
Even with all this trouble, the band feels things will pick up if they can just get their new album released. But Polymer Records refuses to distribute "Smell the Glove" with its lurid cover art. Eventually it's released with a solid black record sleeve, with nary a word or picture on it. This turns out to be a reverse image of the Beatles' white album in appearance, artistic success and sales. The band sinks so low as to be billed second to a puppet show at a theme park. The pressures are just too much and as the tour limps to a close the long life of Spinal Tap seems at an end. But rock & roll is a funny business...
Throughout we're treated to the band's rock & roll wisdom and philosophy. For instance, Nigel lets Marty in on one of the reasons for their success--loud amplifiers. While the volume settings on other bands' equipment might just go to 10, theirs goes to 11! Asked if there's really a difference, Nigel replies, "Yeah, well it's like... one louder, innit?"
There are tons of cameos by all sorts of people, including some funny portrayals of PR flacks by Fran Drescher and Paul Shaffer. This is a brilliant comedy that, despite all the parody, loves its subject. Treat yourself to it.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2231173401/

The Devils Own - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

I'm a proud Brad Pitt ( Rory Devaney / Francis Austin McGuire )butt boy and I like Harrison Ford (Tom O'Meara )but sadly their the only things beside gritty NYC sets that recommend this movie,thus 1 1/2 stars off.Released in 1997 and running 107 minutes its a story of a IRA lad who comes to NY to buy weapons or the cause and is staying with a Irish family under the false impression they are sponsoring him as a young worker.Thats about it besides the usual IRA good,England bad,US Irish cop do the right thing regardless,and young bad guy not so bad but has to pay the price for the bad stuff he's done, formula stick.Still Pitt is good,Harrison as well and its a well crafted picture even if we've seen the story over and over.See it ONE more time.Trailer URL follows pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4236968217/

The Joneses - 4 stars out of 5 stars

A good"black comedy "is hard to find.The last real good one I saw was"heathers"which I'll review at a later date.The only issue with this one is timing.Released in 2009 and running 96 minutes, the script obviously was conceived right before the economic bubble burst and the "blackness"is thus replaced sadly,as nostalgia.Thats why I took 1 star off.
Picture the perfect family.Husband and wife and teen daughter and son.Pretty,smart ,charismatic  and most off all,they HAVE the best of everything.Home furnishings,clothes,gadgets ,the works.Only its not what it seems.Rather than "keeping up with  the jones"the"JONES"are not a real family.They are the new sales force of the future.They live amongst us in secret making us like them and thus wanna be like them.Buy what they have to keep up !!!!The family is not a family but 4 independent contractors who live off the sales coming from their area of the products they use.BUT into this sales family creeps issues that real families have.How??Well thats why you watch the movie as well as to study what length  companies will go to for sales.You doubt that??Softer ideas already here auto leasing and secret shoppers and beta testers.So next time you want to "keep up with the Joneses"make sure they own what they have so the field is level.The cast fits so i'm buying this little gem.The trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1198720025/

Secretariat - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Privilege leeds to power and position as well as distance from us the common people.So I viewed this picture afraid I couldn't relate to the issues facing the owners of this great horse.I was right,I couldn't and when they danced around the Vietnam war I almost turned it off. Fortunately they quickly focused on the horse.For this horse was special.I did see the great rout of Sham at the Belmont on TV and it remains as one of the greatest sporting events I have ever witnessed.The greatest horse race EVER,if you can call the utter destruction of the other 4 horse a race. This movie shows how Diane Lane as Penny Chenery ,the owner, won this great horse by LOSING a coin toss.You have to see the film to understand this ,and then syndicated the breeding rights for 6 million before he even won the triple crown starting with investor James Cromwell as Ogden Phipps,the richest man in the country at that time,who had won the coin toss and chose another horse .Released in 2010 and running a long 123 minutes,it's worth a view only to let younger viewers know of this great horse and remember what may have been the apex of horse racing before the plunge into the abyss it occupies today.The story of the humans involved is secondary and like "the social network"who really cares.Thus I took 1 and 1/2 stars off for that part of the movie even tho the actors were all good and tried hard to bring interest to a story where for me,there is none.The trailer URL follows the pix.Should be watched ONCE.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2618427161/

Blackboard Jungle - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1955 and running 101 minutes this film is a classic but flawed film.I took 1 star off for B&W and the flaws and being a little dated.The flaws are NO teacher I ever knew would go through the things that Glenn Ford as Richard Dadier went though in fact there is a scene where he hs the opportunity to go to a better school but turns it down.REALLY ????That leap of faith aside,it is quite compelling.I went to a school like that although not so violent.Aside from the true 50's feel as true as "On the waterfront"what was really interesting was introducing Sidney Poitier as not really bad,Gregory W. Miller,years later he would be on the other side of the desk in a similar school flick from the UK called"To Sir with love"which I'll review at a later date.Below is the storyline from IMDB.Trailer follows the pix.

War veteran Rick Dadier is one of three new teachers hired at North Manual High School, an inner city boys school. This is his first teaching assignment, which he needs to support himself and his insecure pregnant wife, Anne. Despite Principle Warnecke's assertions to the contrary, Dadier quickly learns that the rumors of student discipline problems at the school are indeed true. The established teachers at the school try to counsel the newcomers, all inexperienced in such situations, as how best to handle the rowdy students. Regardless, Dadier tries to exert discipline in his class, which provokes a violent response. Dadier believes the student leaders against him are Artie West, but more specifically Gregory Miller, who he thinks uses the fact of being black as a means of racial provocation. Dadier has to decide either to leave and teach at a "real" school, or stay and figure out how to get through to his students... Written by Huggo

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2958819865/

The Social Network - 2 stars out of 5 stars

Pet rocks,Hula hoops,TV,Polio vaccine,commercial air flight,Interstate highways,pro sports,social media.See a pattern??It's all subjective and as such,your valuation of social media would determine your value of Facebook.That is what this movie is about or to be more precise two lawsuits over the formulation of the company.I only rated this film 2 1/2 stars because I rate the importance of Facebook somewhere between the pet rock and TV.
It's fun but at the end of the day your social skills have regressed as you have no real personnel interaction face to face.Playing games and "friending"is like catching your brains as they melt from watching the boob tube.Kids ore on the PC today like we were on the TV.That said the movie had to be boring and it was.Who really cares and what does it matter if Harvard wanna bee's developed  Facebook to get laid and overcome insecurities ?
Still a great cast made it watchable if you forced yourself to get past the first few minutes.
Truth is that the movie is based on a book based on the two lawsuits which were settled with confidential clauses.You really don't even know if the story you watched is anymore true than referencing something with"I read in on the internet".The only thing I took from the movie was a quote attributed to then president of Harvard and former Treasury secretary,Larry Summers,and I'm really paraphrasing,"Harvard students attend school to create a job for themselves rather than learn a job."At the end of the movie I cared less about Zuckerman and his "crew"(rowing reference not gang)than I did when it began.I guess if you NEED to know about this subject its worth a view.Me?Thats two hours of MY life I'll never get back.Released in 2010 it runs 120 minutes.Trailer follows the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4152690201/

Dinner for Schmucks - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

The French have a much different sense of humor then we do or perhaps when we cast a copy of their films we use the wrong comics.growing up I saw "Trois hommes et un coffin" (Three Men and a Cradle)or the english remake"3 men and a baby"Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire,(The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe)or the english remake"The Man with One Red Shoe."Now comes the  remake(?)or American adaptation of the French film Le Dîner de Cons ("Dinner for Cretins").
Now I haven't seen many French films since my youth because I hate reading subtitles but comedies do sometimes translate depending on the KIND of humor.Of these 3 French comedies I only saw  "Le Grand Blond avec une chaussure noire,(The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe)and it was dubbed,however I've now seen all 3 remakes,It was FAR better than the english remake.So I haven't seen the French version of this film but I fear it also was better.However lets not forget the French TEACH Jerry Lewis techniques in their film school. This film is rather interesting but I don't think Steve Carell was right for this part.Anyway his character is odd in that he makes little stages of famous historical scenes using embalmed mice.YES !!!Paul Rudd who I also thought was not right for the part,plays a upwardly mobil wall street type who is in love with wonderful French born actress,THE BEST PART OF THE FILM,Stephanie Szostak .Now Rudd's company hosts a dinner for idiots that the executives invite,and the best idiot gets a trophy and the executive gets browny points.Of course Rudd thinks of Carell.Now if you want inspired casting try Larry the Cable guy and Giovanni Ribisi.I took  1 and 1/2 stars off because of the casting but I liked the films inspired idea.Recommend only 1 viewing however.Trailer follows pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3797747481/

Dark Storm - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

OK this is a old story.Mad scientist and Military project and infected good guy.Thats why iI took off 2 1/2 stars.Why watch it JUST once?Because it tries to include"dark matter"into the equation.The first such movie I've seen to try that.Baldwin is fair as he was in "Xchange"a slightly better film.Released in 2006 and runs 89 minutes.You won't learn anything really about dark matter other than it exists and thats all we really know anyway.Thus it could be fodder for better sci-fi films down the road.We can only hope.Anyway,thanks Canada for at least taking a first shot even if it misfired.IMDB storyline such as it is below and trailer follows the pix.



On a secret military base a group of scientists have made a discovery unequaled since the invention of the A-bomb; code-named Eruptor, it's a device that supercharges Dark Matter and uses it to change the molecular structure of its target, thereby eradicating it. But when the Eruptor malfunctions and a leading scientist on the project is blasted with Dark Matter, he receives incredible abilities that allow him to control the weather, as the same device now threatens the world! Written by Cinetel Films 

 http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3231711513/

Going the Distance - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

OK,I might be a little old for this kind of comedy but it made me laugh.Although I can't identify with anything in this movie,it still made me think maybe…….Took the 1 and 1/2 stars off because its not really a new idea and it was a little juvenile at times,but for a laugh and a cheep rental you can do far worse.Drew is beginning to show her age and might do better in more mature roles down the road.Storying from IMDB below as well as Trailer URL following pix.Released in 2010 it runs 102 minutes.

A romantic comedy centered on a guy and a gal who try to keep their love alive as they shuttle back and forth between New York and San Francisco to see one another.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi247793177/

Passchendaele - 5 Stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2008 and running 114 minutes this is a rare movie about WW1,you remember that one,the war to end all wars??Well it didn't and the debate continues why the war was even fought.Aside from setting the stage for a even worse war to come all it seemed to do was kill and destroy a generation of life leaving the survivors to wonder why via much literature and pantings and not very well done movies.A few decent movies come to mind like "All Quite on the Western Front","Gallipoli","Paths of Glory"and "Sargent York".I may or may not review those down the road,however none cover life AND war as well as this one.It's a Canadian film about their war, much as Gallipoli was about Australia's participation and "All Quite "was about Germany's and Sargent York about the US.Where this film differs is the romance aspect as well as expatriate  aspects not in the others.There was a battle for Passchendaele that Canadian forces won but lost 3 months later to a counterattack.Tragic,but thats the ending.The story begins with a much smaller battle for some ridge and our Sargent Dunn is leading 3 other soldiers.They all die and he kills a German soldier with a bayonet thrust to the head sort of cold blood like.This haunts him in what we now call PTSD.He is nursed back to health by a nurse whose brother has asthma.
He falls for her and helps here kick her morphine habit while the brother can only get the girl HE loves by enlisting.Ah,but its not that simple,their father was a German immigrant to Canada who left to fight for the Germans in a battle that Sargent Dunn fought in.
Its a very different kind of story with the best WW1 battle scenes I've ever seen.The early Calgary Canada scenes are good as well. If you want a really different war film yet one that delivers in historic fashion,its a MUST.My full rating and I'm buying it.Trailer follows the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6WYHagWdeE

Solaris - 1 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Avoid this movie.The only reason to see it at all is George Clooney and the supporting cast.That is the reason I gave it a 1 and 1/2 star rating at all.Do your self a favor,unless you MUST see Clooney,miss this film.For a sic fi film,the are no real CGI and the story??I'm sorry I still don't get it.Below is the storyline such as it is,from IMDB and the trailer follows the pix.Released in 2002 it runs 99 minutes.

A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2508783897/

The Basket - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1999 and running 105 minutes there is little not to like other than a few small errors about WW1 and Peter Coyotes bad Boston accent,1/2 star off for that.Ah but everything else is perfect.The story is simple yet tragic,hopeful in spite of obstacles and symbolic in its use of the still new game of Basketball and a German Opera called The Basket. Karen Allen is the reason I sought out this film and was not prepared for the sweeping saga that unfolded.Its set in the pacific northwest during WW1 and involves a brother and sister who were orphaned by the war and have been adopted by a minister in Waterville Washington.The problems begin because the orphans are German and a family in town has lost a son to the war.No easily ether.He was first crippled than dies at home on his farm.His family issues only start there.Into this mix comes a teacher from Boston with his game of Basketball.He had played for the inventor Niesmith you see. He also brings with him the Opera "The Basket"on LP records as a cultural learning device.From there the story takes off.This is a must see if hard to watch film.Hard to watch because its a period piece and we NEED to remember back then what a different world it truly was.Remember out houses,one room school houses ??This film does.No matter how different it was then,the film reminds us that as people we haven't changed really.Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxr_Mkxdtt8

Inception - 2 stars out of 5 stars

I'm sorry,I really didn't like this film.Released in 2010 and running FAR to long at 148 minutes,I'm only reviewing it because someone told me I would like it and well the cast is fabulous and the CGI are measured while being spectacular.So whats not to like?TOO long,silly story thats very hard too follow and afterwards I felt like I wasted my time.In 1984 a movie was released called"Dreamscape"it was a FAR better story tho poor in quality compared to Inception.It seems I'm in the minority here but like the kid yelled "Hey the Emperor is naked"so is this film,watch at your peril.Trailer follows pix.Below is a brief storyline from IMDB.I'll do Dreamscape in the future.

In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4219471385/

Red Dawn - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Good film IF you suspend your belief a little.However isn't that what movies are for?This film suggests that the US will be invaded by Soviet paratroops and ground forces thru Mexico after Cuba and Nicaragua  invade it.In he cold war days it made for good story telling and perhaps still does with illegals crossing the border every day.Release in 1984 and running 115 minutes it fed on cold war fears while just taking the old Guerrilla  story and putting it in the midwest of this country.So because the story is not new nor is the US really believable I took off 2 stars.Still a great young cast try hard and well,if you believe it could happen.I bought the movie,sue me.Below is a brief storyline from IMDB.Oh and did I mention Charlie Sheen??Before "winning"but oddly enough he was winning in this film by his acting.Trailer follows pix.

It is the mid-1980s. From out of the sky, Soviet & Cuban troops begin landing on the football field of a Colorado high school. In seconds, the paratroops have attacked the school & sent a group of teenagers fleeing into the mountains. Armed only with hunting rifles, pistols & bows and arrows, the teens struggles to survive the bitter winter & Soviet KGB patrols hunting for them. Eventually trouble arises when they kill a group of Soviet soldiers on patrol in the highlands. Soon, they will wage their own guerrilla warfare against the invading Soviet troops....under the banner of 'Wolverines'! Written by Derek O'Cain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_I4WgBfETc

The Great Santini - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Took 1 star off because it's a little dated otherwise its still powerful.The film was released in 1979 and runs 115 minutes.What is worth watching is how a family IS a family when the Military is involved.The film is set pre Viet Nam so in your your own mind add that to the equation as well.Not a bad actor to be seen as well.Below I posted a synopsis from IMDB to outline the film in more detail.Sorry the trailer is only a scene from the movie after the pix.

In 1962, the Marine Corps family, the Meechums - parents Lieutenant Colonel Wilbur "Bull" Meechum and Lillian Meechum, and their four children Ben Meechum, Mary Anne Meechum, Karen Meechum and Matthew Meechum - are moving like they do most years, this time to Beaufort, South Carolina. Bull - nicknamed "the Great Santini" - is known as a great pilot, but has gotten into much trouble in the past for his sophomoric behavior. He runs his family much as a military commander, where they are all to obey his orders without question. Everything he does within the family context he reasons is to build character, but in reality everything ends up being about him. The oldest Ben, approaching manhood, is the one of his offspring who has the greatest issue with his father. Ben wants his respect, but isn't sure if he really loves him. As Ben goes through his senior year in high school, his attempts to play varsity basketball and an incident between black Toomer Smalls - his friend and their cook Arrabella Smalls' son - and racist Red Petus may forever change the dynamic between father and son. Written by Huggo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvnglzH0u7E&feature=related

The Town - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2010 and running a little long at 125 minutes this is  better than adverse Irish mob movie in Boston.Because theres a glut of such movies it loses 1 and 1/2 stars.Still a powerful cast,good acting and tense action make it worth a look.recommend at least one viewing.IMDB review below as well as trailer after pix.

User Reviews
 Affleck's second matches realism of the first and the fine ensemble carries the rest
19 September 2010 | by Movie_Muse_Reviews (IL, USA) – See all my reviews
Ben Affleck's second feature film as a director -- if nothing else -- proves he's no fluke. In all the ways his sincere and revealing debut "Gone Baby Gone" succeeds, so does "The Town." Both are Boston-based crime dramas that are both touchingly dramatic at times yet gripping at others. More impressive with his work on "The Town," however, is that it proves he could just as easily go on to direct an action blockbuster as he could an Oscar-winning drama.
It starts with the cast and the performances he gets from them. In 2007, he helped Amy Ryan to a supporting actress nomination, and that's ignoring the other talents in the film such as Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan and Ed Harris. In "The Town," he gets Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner in his first major film since his breakout in "The Hurt Locker" and Jon Hamm in his first major film since TV's "Mad Men" took off. He also gets a pair of up-and-comers in Rebecca Hall and "Gossip Girl" star Blake Lively. And that's not to mention Pete Postelthwaite and Chris Cooper. Next to "Inception," it's the best ensemble cast of the year.
Based on the Chuck Hogan novel "Prince of Thieves," the film follows a team of bank robbers from Charlestown, an area notorious for grooming the best at intercepting armored cars and taking down banks. As with "Gone Baby Gone," also based on a novel (by Dennis Lehane), the city of Boston and the people and culture are as important to Affleck as the plot. He's sure to let shots of the Charlestown bridge and Fenway Park soak in amidst the ever-building pinch the main characters are in.
Doug MacRay (Affleck) and his buddy Jim (Renner) and a couple others pull off a bank job in the opening scene, but when it doesn't go exactly as planned, they're forced to kidnap the bank manager (Hall). To make sure she didn't see anything and can hand them on a platter to the feds (led by Jon Hamm's Special Agent Frawley), Doug trails her, only to find himself falling for her.
"The Town" is one of those crime dramas/bank-job action films that while not revelatory for the genre, executes everything well and sticks to a character-driven story in order to stay meaningful. Perhaps the reason it works so well is because it floats in between the drama, never becoming too much of a guns 'n robbers flick, but also not slipping into crime melodrama for too long. Affleck's performance as MacRay acts in accordance; it's tastefully understated and he lets go of the machismo that has marred a few of his previous roles.
The film also has an unexpected but much appreciated sense of humor. In a mile-a-minute crime drama/thriller, you don't expect to laugh the way you will in "The Town," which speaks even more to the writing and Affleck's versatility. Even if there are some plot conventions and no-surprise characters (as good as Hamm is, he's playing every other quick-witted FBI guy in films), the dialogue is sharp, the story is exciting and the way we are so easily able to see things from MacRay's perspective as the bank robber who wants out makes up for any use of convention as a crutch.
There's no doubt that if "The Town" becomes a success that studios will seek out Affleck for some more high-profile projects and it will certainly be interesting to see how he handles material not rooted in Boston sub-culture. As long as he continues to get such memorable performances out of his actors, he'll be doing things on the other end of the camera for a long time to come.
~Steven C
Visit my site http://moviemusereviews.com

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi897975833/
 

Troy - 4 stars out of 5 stars

I'm a Brad Pitt fan and the rest of the cast is fine as well.The CGI in this film works to create some believable large scale battles.The only issue is the condensing of the story and distortions ,however that happens in many such historical dramas brought to the screen so its only 1 star off for that.The film was released in 2004 and runs a little long at 163 minutes.Storyline from IMDB below as well as a trailer URL after the pix.Enjoy.

Storyline
It is the year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age. Two emerging nations begin to clash after Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnom to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. So they set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy. With the help of Achilles, the Greeks are able to fight the never before defeated Trojans. But they come to a stop by Hector, Prince of Troy. The whole movie shows their battle struggles, and the foreshadowing of fate in this remake by Wolfgang Petersen of Homer's "The Iliad." Written by Mensur Gjonbalaj

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3237937433/

On The Waterfront - 4 stars out of 5 stars

1 star off for black and white and being dated.That said,I grew up where this film was made.Its all true according to the atmosphere and surroundings even through the story is fiction.It COULD have happened.Thats how authentic it feels.Released in 1954 and running 108 minutes,I was born in 1948 and so its my time in Greenpoint Brooklyn.
One of the great casts headed by Brando and 8 academy awards.Nuff said.Below is a storyline from IMDB and the trailer follows the pix.My see film.

Terry Malloy dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny's thugs, and later meets the dead man's sister and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry, who tries to force him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers. Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>  

 http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3081634073/

The Expendables - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Worth one  view because old guys show they can sill get it up.Released in 2010 and runs a just right 103 minutes. 2 1/2 stars off because the movie is nothing special except for the old guys cast.A IMDB storyline below and trailer URL follows pix.


Barney Ross leads the "Expendables", a band of highly skilled mercenaries including knife enthusiast Lee Christmas, martial arts expert Yin Yang, heavy weapons specialist Hale Caesar, demolitionist Toll Road and loose-cannon sniper Gunner Jensen. When the group is commissioned by the mysterious Mr. Church to assassinate the merciless dictator of a small South American island, Barney and Lee head to the remote locale to scout out their opposition. Once there, they meet with local rebel Sandra and discover the true nature of the conflict engulfing the city. When they escape the island and Sandra stays behind, Ross must choose to either walk away and save his own life - or attempt a suicidal rescue mission that might just save his soul. Written by The Massie Twins

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3501000217/

Dogma - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1999 and running a little long at 130 minutes its not at first glance a film i thought i'd like.Boy was I wrong.I took 1 star off because it is so irreverent.Below is a review from IMDB that sums it up pretty well.I recommend highly and trailer URL follows pix.

A winner on many counts
29 April 2007 | by lastliberal (United States)
It is not often that you get to see a group of stars that you like in a funny movie that also makes some interesting points.
Matt Damon (The Bourne Ultimatum ), Linda Fiorentino (Unforgettable). Severus Snape, Jay and Silent Bob, Salma Hayek (Frida), George Carlin, and, of course, God (Alanis Morissette), all join to make this irreverent and funny movie.
The premise is so interesting, and the fact that it is set in New Jersey is so appropriate, whether intentional or not. As a recovering Catholic, I remember the teaching of the church that I could basically sin all I want, but if I repent at the end, I will be saved and go to heaven. New Jersey is reputedly the home of many undesirable criminals with vowels on the ends of their names - maybe some of them even relatives of mine - and I know they are predominately Catholic. I am sure they are counting on this "escape clause," just as Loki and Bartleby were counting on the same thing.
Yes, while I was laughing, I was also carefully looking at the images {the golden calf (money) we worship} and listening to the lines. There is a wealth of material in this movie and it was thoroughly enjoyable.
One to see again and again.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi346226969/

Madame Claude - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1977 and running 105 minutes this film is also known as "The French Woman"I took 1 star off because of the "soft porn aspect"Its more than that however,its adult french cinema using more sex to tell a story thanUS cinema does.The music is good,acting is good and story well,I think its typical of cold war story telling.Heres a IMDB summary below,sorry no trailer is available but a scene URL is and it follows below the pix.My DVD is dubbed.I highly recommend for adult viewing.

Supposedly true story of Madame Claude, who provided high-class call girls to dignitaries and heads of state. In this film, photographer David Evans is attempting to clear his own criminal record by providing the authorities with pictures of Claude's girls with important clients in compromising positions. Written by Jeff DeMarco <jmd@pe.net>

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSuaVxmM0Qo

The Godfather - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Simply my favorite movie of all time.Filmed like a sprawling novel with unparalleled  character  development. Great music,old world values and the ultimate anti hero.Here is a brief storyline from IMDB and the trailer is after the pix.Released in 1972 and runs a SHORT 172,it spawned 2 sequels.Some think the second film is even better than this but no one argues that its the best sequel of all time.Still,the first sets it ALL up and a MUST see.The great Brando,early Pacino,and many other wonderful actors.

The story begins as "Don" Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafia "family", oversees his daughter's wedding. His beloved son Michael has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father's business. Through Michael's life the nature of the family business becomes clear. The business of the family is just like the head of the family, kind and benevolent to those who give respect, but given to ruthless violence whenever anything stands against the good of the family. Don Vito lives his life in the way of the old country, but times are changing and some don't want to follow the old ways and look out for community and "family". An up and coming rival of the Corleone family wants to start selling drugs in New York, and needs the Don's influence to further his plan. The clash of the Don's fading old world values and the new ways will demand a terrible price... Written by Charlie Ness 

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3228698393/

Enter the Dragon - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1973 and running 96 minutes,this is the movie that brought respectability and mainstream availability to the US of the genre of the Martial arts film.By todays standards it is somewhat dated but deserves a viewing to see the late great Bruce Lee.Mr Lee single handily brought these films to main stream USA.There was a evolving maket as westerns were fading and these martial arts morality tales were the same.Good will trump a clearly defined evil every time.There has not been anyone quite like Mr Lee since.Below is the summary from IMDB than a trailer link below the pix.Enjoy it.

Hong Kong circa 1973. Lee, a member of a Shaolin Temple, is a master of the physical and spiritual disciplines of the martial arts, and is being visited by Braithwaite, a British law officer. Lee has been invited to a tri-annual martial arts tournament held on an island owned by Han, a reclusive billionaire who was once a member of the Temple but has now become a renegade. Braithwaite believes Han uses his tournaments as cover for narcotic and prostitution activities. Lee reluctantly agrees to enter the tournament, but his reluctance to confront Han disappears when a Shaolin monk reveals that during the previous staging of this tournament, he and Lee's sister were accosted by several toughs led by Han's personal bodyguard, an American named O'Hara. In the ensuing confrontation the monk cut a deep scar on O'Hara's face but Lee's sister ultimately perished, and at her gravesite Lee vowes revenge for her death. Also attending the tournament are two American martial arts experts, John Roper and Kelly Williams, who served together in Vietnam and took differing paths toward martial arts upon their discharge - Roper is on the run from Mafia gambling debt collectors, while Williams was accosted by two racist cops whom he'd dispatched before stealing their car to escape. All three will soon find themselves at the mercy of Han and his army of martial arts fighters as he protects his underground factory of narcotics and prostitution. Written by Michael Daly

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1923416345/

The Keep - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Michael Mann and Tangerine Dream,Director and Music,2 of my fav's and you'll see them in about 5 or 6 films I've already reviewed.I had to take 1 1/2 stars off this one because the story is short and the film quality available is bad.Sad because its a creepy  good idea. Released in 1983 and running 96 minutes .Here from IMDB is a brief synopsis of the film.

Nazis are sent to guard an old, mysterious fortress in a Romanian pass. One of them mistakenly releases an unknown force trapped within the walls. A mysterious stranger senses this from his home in Greece and travels to the keep to vanquish the force. As soldiers are killed, a Jewish man and his daughter (who are both knowledgeable of the keep) are brought in to find out what is happening. Review Written by Brian House


What makes this film interesting and worthy to be REMADE and released in better DVD quality is the idea set forth by this creature who is set free BUT cannot leaves the confines of the keep without someone moving a "talisman"is that this evil with destroy the Nazi evil for this Jewish fellow if he removes the talisman.Who is the bigger evil and what would you have done??The cast is excellent.Trailer URL follows the pix.

 http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi9371929/

Taras Bulba ( 1962) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1962 and running 122 minutes,this movie is more than it seems.There is a Russian movie made in 2009 of the same story but I have not seen yet as it is in RUSSIAN.
However this film is about the Ukraine Cossacks of the 16 century and their struggles with the Poles.Yul Brynner as Taras Bulba  a tribal chieftain raised his sons and send them to be taught by the enemy Poles to further their education of what the world is all about.Against that back drop,one son Tony Curtis as Andrei Bulba  falls for a Pole and then all hell breaks out again between both sides.Its a sort of Romero Juliet with father kills son at the end.Sweeping scenery and music and battle punctuate the movie.Only took 1 & 1/2 stars off  for the films length and beginning to be a little dated battles.Sorry no trailer again but a sturriny music link follow the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu1nkdFbXYU&feature=related

The Long Ships - 3 stars out of 5 stars

A movie about a Viking con man and a Moor fanatic.Same things happen now but this is for laughs and adventure rather than terror and Jehad.
Sydney Poitier as a bad guy!!!Worth the rental just for that. As a moorish ruler obsessed with a wrong done by christians there is some relevance to today,but the obsession is for GOLD not correcting the wrong deed.Richard Widmark is NOT a Viking,but this movie is a laugh a minute with mistakes and unbelievable happenings.Still Oscar Hominka is right on in his small but important role,and its good to see Russ Tambyn in a non West side story role.Not to be taken to seriously as the much more recent 13 warrior is to be. The film was released in 1964 and runs 126 minutes.I couldn't find a trailer but a sturring theme link instead follows the pix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7fsPjLeHrI

Victory - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1981 and running 112 minutes this is a strange but watchable film.I took 1 and 1/2 stars off because I found the plot totally unbelievable,however like a good sic fi movie I couldn't turn away.This is NOT s i-fi movie however,fantasy YES.During WW11 a new German prisoner camp commandant,Max von Sydow as Major Karl Von Steiner observes allied prisoners playing soccer.He approaches Michael Caine as Capt. John Colby to organize them to play a match against the German national team in a game as he had played in the world cup and recognized Colby as also being a former player.Well the Germans seize on this as a opportunity to prove the superiority of the Arian race over the rest of the world. The allied team will include players from all over the conquered world and the Allies see this as a opportunity to stage a BIG jail break of the players at the game.The propaganda machine is working overtime as the game threatens to get away from Colby and Von Steiner.That is just the beginning.Throw in Sylvester Stallone as Captain Robert Hatch,a US national captured serving in the Canadian army and becomes the prisoners goaltender and   Pelé as Cpl. Luis Fernandez from Trinidad plus other class players of the day,and the film works as unbelievable as it sounds.War and soccer what a combination.Trailer URL below pix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOxj26vcwMI

The Last of the Mohicans - 5 stars out of 5 stars ( 100th post )

For my 100 post we go to a film released in 1992 and running 112 staring one of my favorite actresses Madeleine Stowe as Cora Munro daughter of a british officer,who falls in love with Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye (Nathaniel Poe)a white who was raised by indians.A marvelous tale of romance set against the  French and Indian war which was just  prior to the  revolutionary colonies war of Independence.I'm not a Day-Lewis fan but he works in this role as does Stowe by the real scene stealer is Wes Studi as Magua,a Huron indian,who works for the French and has a blood feud with the Munro family.There is another love affair that ends tragically between Jodhi May as Alice Munro,Cora's  sister and Eric Schweig as Uncas,a Mohican and Hawkeye's adoptive brother.The rest of the cast is great and the story is as romantic as they come.Set in upstate NY ( but really filmed in north carolina ) the back drop is timeless and so foreign compared to today.The climatic ending proves that point.If by some chance you have missed this film,see it NOW.Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi999228185/

Highlander - 4 stars out of 5

There can ONLY be one.One of the best lines in any sic -fi film ever.We have all thought of immortality in one way or another.Well,what if you WERE immortal and all you had to do was stay alive while other immortals try to slice off your head with a sword,because there can only be one.That is the only way you can die,beheaded and the immortal doing it gets YOUR life-force to add to theirs.In the end,there can only be one.A immortal only becomes one when he dies for the first time then arises  never to die again unless beheaded.This film spawned a few sequels and a fairly well done TV series so its a must for reference of the future projects.I took a star off because i'm not in love with Christopher Lambert as Connor 'The Highlander' MacLeod / Russell Edwin Nash  but Sean Connery as Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez,his "teacher"more than makes up for Lambert.The rest of the cast is just ok.Remake anyone ??
The Movie was released in 1986 and runs 116 minutes.The Highlander first died in old Scotland in the 1500's and survived till now.The gathering is fast approaching and the question is how much longer can he survive after 500 years.Immortals blended in to survive but when they did have to fight each other the winner got the life-force in whats called "the quicking"But the time of"the gathering"is near and like moths to a flame the fights are increasing. The movie does rock and roll including music by Queen and a crazy fight scene on the roof of the old Silvercup bakery in Queens NYC.
If you like sic - fi its a MUST .Trailer  is a Queen music video-Princes Of The Universe after the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnrXiaPVeHY

Starship Troopers -3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Not a bad idea here but really gory more than it has to be.Thus 1 1 /2 stars off and the acting is "b" list at best.That aside the idea of insects always creeped me out and give them the ability to fight our "space"force, although we only really see ground battles,is scary.So to is the hidden message that its ok to trample on our freedom when our lives are at steak.There are sequels to this but the original is the only really watchable one.My favorite scenes are the newscasts that always end with,"Want to know more?"The creepiness of the bugs along with the manipulative newscasts make this a must see one time view for fans of sci-fi and message films. Released in 1997 it runs a little long at 129 mintes.Trailer URL below pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y07I_KER5fE&feature=related

Raid on Entebbe 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1976 and running 145 minutes this is a perfect TV movie.Good cast,heroic story and small sets.Based on a true incident and personally tied to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Before Al-Qaeda there was Revolutionary Cells and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine,who together hijacked on 27 June, an Air France plane with 248 passengers and finally landed in to Entebbe, near Kampala, the capital of Uganda.The operation, which took a week of planning, lasted 90 minutes and 103 hostages were rescued. Five Israeli commandos were wounded and one, the commander, Lt Col Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed. All the hijackers, three hostages and 45 Ugandan soldiers were killed, and 11 Soviet-built MiG-17s of Uganda's air force were destroyed. A fourth hostage was murdered by Ugandan army officers at a nearby hospital.This movie dramatizes the raid in fine fashion.I took off 1 star because there were some slow spots and at 145 minutes,who needs that??Still a great cast including Charles Bronson as Brig. Gen. Dan Shomron and my favorite TV actor Martin Balsam as Jewish passenger Daniel Cooper.If you like righteous action you'll love this film.Could not find a trailer only the ending scene URL posted below under the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DmvdcZfS4c

12 Angry Men - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Because of the uproar on the Casey Anthony case I think we should all reflect on what it means to serve on a Jury.I have and did.This film was released in 1957 and runs a short 96 minutes.The story is not relevant to ether OJ or Casey but it tells of what it means to have someones life in your hands.I took a star off because its in b&w and a one act play on film.We never know the jurors names but they are in the room to decide the fate in a so called open and shut case.One juror is not sure,Henry Fonda and wants to discuss it.As the day drags on we see how hard it is to ditch preconceived notions and delay our own lives to ponder the fate of a stranger.Its hard and dirty for the 50's but its a look into our souls and what it truly means to be a american.Trailer follows pix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7CBKT0PWFA

Yankee Doodle Dandy 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1942 and running 126 minutes this may be the best musical about a Broadway figure ever made.The only shortcomings and thus 1 star off is the b&w and it looks like a 1942 film.Ah but the classic plus's,James Cagney as George M. Cohan,show he could"hoof"with anyone and was more than just a tuff guy actor.The songs are rich and timeless and show why broadway musicals became a fabric of life in the early 1900's.The movie also misleads that Cohan got a medal of Honor rather than the civilian version.Still it is a classic and rates just below Casablanca and   Wizard of Oz of he classic's I reviewed so far.For your 4th you can do far worse than this gem.Below is the music from the movie than the trailer below the pix.Enjoy !!

With a handful of song and dance tunes, many composed by Cohan himself, the soundtrack is as follows: "The Dancing Master," "The Dancing Master" (reprise); "Strolling Through the Park One Day" (by Joe Goodwin and Gus Edwards); "Minstrel Number," "I Was Born in Virginia," "The Warmest Baby in the Bunch," "Harrigan," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "All Aboard for Old Broadway" (by Jack Scholl and M.K. Jerome), "Give My Regards to Broadway," "Oh, You Wonderful Girl," "Blue Skies, Grey Skies," "The Barber's Ball," "Mary," "Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway," "Mary" (reprise); "Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway," "So Long, Mary," "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (by William Steffe and Julia Ward Howe); "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," "Of Thee I Sing," "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Come Along With Me," "Over There," "I'm Happy As Can Be," "Love Nest" (by Louis A. Hirsch and Otto Harbach); "Little Nellie Kelly," "The Man Who Owns Broadway," "Molly Malone," "Billie," "Jeepers Creepers" (by Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren); "Off the Record" and "Over There." Of the songs listed above, several could have been chosen as alternate titles in regards to Cohan, including: "Give My Regards to Broadway," "Grand Old Flag," "The Man Who Owns Broadway," or "Off the Record," but the final selection became "Yankee Doodle Dandy." While many of these songs are Broadway show tunes, the most memorable ones happen to be the patriotic songs, especially "Grand Old Flag," "Over There," and of course, the title tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTec9v6fjN0

Animal House 5 stars out of 5 stars

The greatest comedy of all time IMHO.Released in 1978 and running 109 minutes it tells the story of college life as real life if we only cared about sex dugs and rock and roll.We do only care about that right??The film has a rich storied past behind it as well, including the fact it was filmed on the campus of Oregon after all of California had turned it down.The reason was the head of the university had turned down The Graduate and thought this might make up for that mistake.The ending  includes typed over "where are they now's" on the characters,must be seen to be understood.My fav was,Senator and Misses Blutoski .
There may be some politically not so correct scenes such as the road trip that ends in a all black bar of the highway where a band from the frat parties is playing.But even those had a biting funny twist such as when a big black dude asks a white girl for a dance and extends a BIG black hand for her to put her little white hand into.You get the inference.You could go on and on,but I'll jut add one last favorite scene.When 2 students are getting stoned with their professor,one asks as he accepts the "roach"and is getting high for the first time in his life,"I won't go schizoid will I ?"When told it's a distinct possibility,he further asks later,"Can I buy some pot from you?"If you've never seen this film,are you from other space?If you have,it may be time to see it again if you need a good laugh.Remember,"I'm in pre law,I thought you were in pre med?,Whats the difference??
Trailer URL follows pix

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1771831577/

The Wizard of OZ 5 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1939 and running 101 minutes,this simply one of all time best films of then and now.Starting out in b&w the film then shifts to color after a scary tornado scene,still well done even by todays standards.I think we all know the story and maybe its corny bbu damned if it doesn't still work.Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale takes us on a trip of fear and then revelation as she handles fear of losing her dog toto to a mean neighbor and the tornado allows her to dream of a solution in a far away land where that neighbor,Margaret Hamilton as Miss Gulch / The Wicked Witch of the West,is really bad and her friends on the farm becomes knights so to speak,in a quest to save all from her threat and find a way home.People you all know the story,remember it now and draw straight from it when we need it more than ever.Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1682047513/

The Towering Inferno 3 stars out of 5 stars

Ok so OJ is in this film buts thats no reason to hate.Most disaster films sort of suck but this one is relevant after 9/11 in that it portrays what its like to be in a high building and what the fireman go through to try and save you.It's a film that you just know can happen to you but wish it won't.The other thing a good disaster film must do is make you care about the folks when you know some just aren't going to make it.Finally,the cast is the glue that holds it all together and CGI wasn't really born yet or else the stories and characters REALLY would suck as CGI would have been the show.Released in 1974 and running a little long at 165 minutes,I took the 2 stars off for length and lack of great effects and looking like its a older film.That said,the cast is a list and it would spoil the fun to say who lives and who dies.The basic story,

    At the opening party of a collosal, but poorly constructed, office building, a massive fire breaks out that threatens to destroy the tower and everyone in it.

That said OJ lives but thats all I'll say.The rest of the cast is too long to mention other than Paul Newman and Steve Mcqueen.The Trailer URL is below the pix

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3724214553/