WarGames - 3 stars out of 5 stars

If a movie ever deserved to be remade its this flick.I understand there is a remake but like assault on percent 13, its far different than the original.I had to take 2 stars off because of the almost 50's innocence of the movie set in the 80's and really bad special effects compared to today.Otherwise GREAT film.Good acting and what a story.Young HS game geek thinks he hacking a game manufacturer for insights to new games but winds up hacking a secret government computer which can command all military functions in the event of a war.Well the kid "plays"a game called thermonuclear war and let your mind guess the rest. Matthew Broderick is playing someone named David but its really just Ferris Bueller as a computer geek complete with the sass like when he's late to bio class and the male teacher admonishes him by asking him "maybe you can tell us who first came up with the idea of reproduction without sex"and he answers"Your wife?"And Ally Sheedy as Jennifer  his maybe girl, is far more outgoing and fun then she was in Breakfast Club.The rest of the cast excels as well.Must see if only to BEG for a updated remake !!! Trailer URL follows the pix.Released in 1983 it runs 114 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OyoNR4kiJ0

Unstoppable - 4 stars out of 5 stars

There's a line in this film like,that's not a runaway train,its a missile as long as the chrysler building,or something like that.With that get ready for a hell of a  ride.Best disaster film I've seen in a long time.You need 2 things for a great disaster film,character development and the disaster.I took 1 star off because the film concentrated on the disaster first than the characters and didn't really deliver the disaster,only a happy ending.So what we have is a thrill ride that is supposed to be based on true events.I'll take their word because even through there is no disaster there is that hell of a ride and I LOVE trains and Denzel.This is Denzel's picture because its hard to upstage him as a actor and he plays Frank a 28 year  veteran motorman who has 3 weeks left before his VERP kicks in.I know how that feels as I also had to take a Voluntary early retirement package.My parents also come from Pa.where this film is set so I was onboard from the start.Chris Pine as Will is fine and never tries to upstage Denzel rather he works well with him.The young new Captain Kirk shows he doesn't have the ego as a actor the old Kirk has (bill shatner)time will tell if his carrer lasts as long.Anyway simple story,human error causes a runaway freight train with hasmat material and Frank and Will find themselves on the same track and the last best hope to stop the train before a disaster !!!! Thats the story and its like a roller coaster ride so hold on tight as its suspense and near misses build to the climax.Released in 2010 it runs a just right 98 minutes.Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3068790297/

10 - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Few films have added to the culture as this film has.Corn rows on white women,referring to women's appearance as a number and ending the myth that Julie Andrews was Mary Poppin's in all her acting rolls.Released in 1979 and running 122 minutes the only small issue I have with it is , as good a story as it is,only 1% of you are living such a life and therefore it truly is a fantasy plot,thus 1/2 star off.That said it's witty,pretty and gay,er thats the Julie Andrews in me,I know its west side story but it should have been this.And No Julie never sang that.It's a mid age crises movie that features a Mancini original music score and mainstreamed the classical Bolero by Ravel as music to make love by.You may not like the movie but the effect on our culture is none the less extraordinary. The cast is "a"list and act like it and it is in my top 5 comedies of all time.Below is a summary from IMDB and the trailer URL is below the pix.Must see and enjoy.

On the night of his 42nd birthday, George Webber, a popular songwriter, begins showing symptoms of "middle-age crisis." Over the succeeding weeks, he finds himself continually staring at young girls on the street, and he begins envying his high-living neighbor, whose life is one endless orgy. George's behavior causes great concern to his lover, singing star Samantha Taylor, and to his partner Hugh, who has seemingly avoided George's dilemma by being gay. While driving home one afternoon, George spots Jenny, a stunning young beauty en route to her marriage ceremony. Regarding her as "the most beautiful girl I've ever seen" (on a scale from one to 10), George follows her to the church. He later learns her name, and discovers that she and her husband are honeymooning in Mexico. Driven by the impulse to see her again, George flies to Mexico and checks into the hotel where Jenny is staying... Written by alfiehitchie

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2545746201/

Flesh Gordon - 3 stars out of 5

WARNING FOLLOWING REVIEW MAY OFFEND SOME.This film contains sex, nudity foul language and really adult situations.

This review is again more of analysis than a review.On this day I choose to review a really silly dumb film for true diversion from a serious and sad day.This may be the worse film ever made or one of the hippest.You have to see it to make up your own mind.If you have never seen the old Flash Gordon serials of the 30's than this film will be lost on you since THAT serial was "camp " before the term ever existed. We take 2 stars off for REALLY bad acting,beyond camp,and really over the top nudity where a little less soft core porn attempt would have sufficed.One has to remember that it was released in 1974 and runs a short 78 minutes to truly judge the content.The sexually revolution was at its peak and soft core was fighting hard core"art films" for audiences in the movies as the age of"hip"dialogue was also being born in other films.What better subject  to "lampoon"than that terrible serial we all had to sit thru at the movies as kids??What this film does have is fine special effects.Ray Harryhausen worthy almost and thats a mouth full.However if you are easily offended buy pass this film.However if are openminded and my age group you might have seen it in the day and will still chuckle again.Trailer URL follows the pix as well as below is a IMDB summary review.

Author: gftbiloxi (gftbiloxi@yahoo.com) from Biloxi, Mississippi
Everything from ROBINHOOD to KING KONG gets a whack from this early 1970s parody of the 1930s FLASH GORDON serial, which has a story line in keeping with the sexual revolution of the times. A mysterious "sex" ray that turns otherwise normal people into sex maniacs is plaguing the earth--and is eventually traced to the planet Porno, ruled by evil Emperor Wang. And so our hero Flesh, his lady love Dale Ardor, and their scientific genius Dr. Jerkoff set out for planet Porno to defeat Wang... only to find themselves victims of his REALLY kinky ways!
As film-making goes, the quality of this parody is often quite poor, the material itself is extremely uneven, and the performers merely so-so--but what the filmmakers lack in experience they more than make up for in imagination. Witness the attack of the dreaded Penisaurus! Behold Prince Precious' Reward! Beware the initiation of the underground lesbians! With everything from stop-motion animation monsters to some truly Freudian art design, cult-film fans and most others will probably find lots to enjoy.
There are two versions of the film, one "uncut." In truth there is little difference between the two. Although I would not describe either as pornography there is a great deal of nudity there are one or two couples well gone into X territory in various crowd scenes--whatever the case, it's not the sort of thing you want to throw in the DVD player for your fifteen year old's birthday party; it's better left to the grown-ups, especially those who recall the period in which it was made.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3097952537/

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

Released in 1961 and running a little long at 134 minutes this might be the best last b&w film.The story is not new but tying it to a "game"like pool adds the final drama to a tale of losers who strive to survive and excel in a world they have already failed in.Why care at all??Because the cast compels us to.Again star power!!!Below is a summary from IMDB and a trailer follows the pix and I took 1 1/2 stars off for being in b&w and a story we have seen before.But Newman,Gleason  ( yes the fat comic) Scott and Lurie along with others demand you see it at least once.I bought it and will review the 30 years latter sequel qt q later date.

"Fast" Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary "Minnesota Fats" to a high-stakes match, but he loses in a heartbreaking marathon. Now broke and without his long-time manager, Felson faces an uphill battle to regain his confidence and his game. It isn't until he hits rock bottom that he agrees to join up with ruthless and cutthroat manager Bert Gordon. Gordon agrees to take him on the road to learn the ropes. But Felson soon realizes that making it to the top could cost him his soul, and perhaps his girlfriend. Will he decide that this is too steep a price to pay in time to save himself? Written by <jgp3553@yahoo.com>

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2475557145/

The Andersonville Trial - 5 stars out of 5 stars

There was a time in the 50's that TV was the best place for live drama one could find.Sadly that day went by the 60's.However when PBS came about one last glorious drama remained.In 1970 this was first shown and it ran 150 minutes.I never would have watched it if not for Bill Shatner having a lead role.Captan Kirk in a Civil war drama,who could resist?Normally one act plays are murder but this was something else.I can't really describe  it so again I use IMDB  for summaries below.I was spellbound.The trailer below the pix is actually a key scene from the play.Enjoy !!!

Historic Disclaimer
All of the witnesses as portrayed in the film are the actual witnesses who testified at Wirz's trial, and their dialogue in many cases is taken almost verbatim from the trial transcript. The major change from history is that Wirz did not testify and the whole "moral issue", around which this film revolves, was never raised at the trial.

23 October 2005 | by theowinthrop (United States) – See all my reviews
Based on a Broadway play, THE ANDERSONVILLE TRIAL was a made for television production directed by George C. Scott with a number of major performances, led by William Schatner as the Union Prosecutor, and Jack Cassidy as the Southern born defense counsel for Confederate Captain Henry Wirtz (Richard Basehart). The court-martial is headed by General Lew Wallace (Cameron Mitchell), who is determined to bring in a speedy, clean-cut verdict as quickly as possible. Among the witnesses is Albert Salmi, a Union soldier who survived the camp, but who has a dirty secret that clever Jack Cassidy pushes into the faces of the court-martial judges.
Historically some 49,000 Union prisoners were sent to Andersonville, and 13,000 died there under hideous conditions. Food was scarce. They had little in the way of proper shelter. The camp's sanitation was non-existent.
Who was to blame? Well, at the time blame was on Captain Wirtz, who was commander of the camp. All decisions for the sake of the men were in his hands, and the number of dead was too large to ignore. However, the Confederacy in 1863-65 was having trouble feeding it's troops and it's people. Wirtz actually tried to get supplies, but couldn't get far on that. Also, Northern prisons for Confederate prisons, such as Elmira in New York State, were equally vile. Finally, attempts by the South to get a trade of captured soldiers with the North ground to a halt due to the combined refusal of General Grant or Secretary of War Stanton to agree to it (they reasoned the released trained southern soldiers would resume war work, and lengthen the course of the war).
Wirtz would be found guilty, and would be hanged in November 1865. He was the only Confedrate hanged for a war crime (unless you count the four Lincoln Assassination defendants). The play tries to show the impossible situation that fell on Wirtz's shoulders, with him trying to balance his duty to the southern cause, his duty to his prisoners, and his fears of those prisoners. Basehart's agonizing testimony on the stand, where he keeps thinking of the prisoners tunneling and tunneling out of the camp, is still a memory to me yet, thirty five years after I saw it the first time.
But there is more than that in the play. The scene where Mitchell is trying to get the prosecution to concentrate only on the facts, and not give rise to a theory of unchecked universal evils ("A world of Andersonvilles", as Shatner puts it)is wonderful. Mitchell is trying to remind Shatner that all he has to do is prove a case against this defendant. Finally, in disgust, Mitchell asks a hypothetical question to test the loyalty of Shatner to the U.S.: What if the U.S. had supported slavery in 1860 and the South supported abolition? Shatner shatters Mitchell by insisting a greater loyalty would dictate supporting the Confederacy.
Jack Cassidy has some terrific moments attacking the prosecution, which he rightly considers a show trial and an act of hypocrisy. He even gets under Shatner's skin at one point by showing how Shatner - if he gets a conviction - will have something to build a political career on.
All in all it was a terrific moment of televised drama. It has been shown occasionally and it should be shown more.
Oh, by the way. I mentioned the Northern Prison Camp at Elmira, NY. It's commander was Benjamin Tracy. In the post war eras (he died in 1917), Mr. Tracy became a successful corporate lawyer, leading New York State Republican, and Secretary of the Navy under President Benjamin Harrison (1889 - 1893). He is considered by some the father of the modern U.S. Navy. Wirtz, his opposite number, was hanged. Sometime in the 1950s or so, his grave received a new tombstone from some unknown supporter. It gives his name, dates of birth and death, and puts under it, "C.S.A. Martyr". I leave it for the reader to decide what was justice or what wasn't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ1h2kh1tHE

Assault on Precinct 13 ( 1976 ) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

John Carpenter is one of 2 or 3 directors I love.In this film he broke a hollywood taboo and there are many stories about how he got away with it.The impact makes the movie.
In the scene I'm talking about a cold hard gang member coldly shoots a young girl who bought ice cream right in the chest as if she was a paper target. That confirms the gangs we are to see are beyond redemption and evil that get biblical wrath in the end.
The story is a simple one.An old police station is closing with only a very small overnight staff.The father of said young girl,recognizable child actress Kim Richards,runs to seek safety after killing the gang member who shot her.But three gangs have a blood oath and they will avenge the death of said gang member and kill anyone in the way. Seems far fetched but thats Carpenter for you.Low budget shows,costs 1 star, in the acting but this is a scary modern horror film that acting matters not so much as the relentless onslaught and idea that  good comes from where you least expect it.Do not confuse with the 2005 film of the same,its not the same story really.It runs a just right 92 minutes and the trailer URL follows the pix.Give it a chance and you won't be sorry.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3579577113/

Airheads - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

This is a fair comedy with no real story held together by good gags and a great cast.
The story such as it is from IMDB listed below.The film was released in 1994 and runs 92 minutes and trailer follows pix below.I had to deduct the 2 1/2 stars because of lack of a good story and well the gags work well ONCE,a problem with most comedies still you should see it once for a cast you just won't see together these days.Too many to list.I will list a gag I loved.The late Chris Farley as police officer Wilson is trying to get a female suspect out of a disco when confronted by three huge guys in punkish clothes.One grabs his badge from his chest and chews it up in his mouth than puts it in his hand and asks"what you gonna do about that"?Farley rips the nipple ring from the guys tit and as he collapses in pain says"Improvise"You have to see it.

Three band members hoping for a big break head to a radio station to play their demo tape and wind up holding everyone hostage with plastic guns when the head DJ refuses to play them.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1639252249/

Gods and Generals - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Sometimes a film comes along and something totally different in the real world comes along and causes the film to suffer.For me this is such a film and along with its ungodly length  caused me to deduct the 1 1/2 stars from a otherwise fine film that should still be seen.I'm adding a summary from IMDB below to detail the film because I want to state the sad relation to the now that makes it painful to watch.The only other such film I've run across and already reviewed was Exodus.That should be a hint:)Yes back in the days before the civil war abolition was a spark for emotions on slavery and there was no middle ground.Both side were bible quoters.While this film details battles of that war and the lives of some of the combatants it does it in the fervor of the day,especially General"Stonewall"Jackson.That should be no surprise to anyone who has studied that war.Jacksons fervor is well documented. Perhaps its also a tribute to the acting skill of Steven Lang who as Jackson brings a demonic Osama Bin Ladin quality to the role which given the day is totality valid but given today almost unbearable to watch or sympathize with.Realism is sometime to real to watch.Still I recommend with that caveat.Trailer URL follows pix.Try to enjoy.


Based on the best-selling historical novel by Jeff Shaara, "Gods and Generals" covers the events of the American Civil War before the climactic battle of Gettysburg. Seen from the points of view of leaders such as Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Winfield Scott Hancock and Robert E. Lee, the film begins just after the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, and culminates with the battle of Chancellorsville in May of 1863. Directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, the film is an epic, dramatic prequel to "Gettysburg," the classic 1993 film also directed by Maxwell.

Gods and Generals is the second installment of the Michael/Jeff Shaara Civil War trilogy and the second to be filmed. The third and final installment, The Last Full Measure, was in pre-production but lost financing and has been suspended indefinitely. Congruent to the 1992 production of Gettysburg, Gods and Generals is of epic length with a final release running time of nearly four hours, having been trimmed from roughly six. The story opens just before the secession of Virgina and just after Lincoln had called for 75,000 troops to repel the rebellion. Robert E. Lee is offered and declines the command of Union forces. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, an instructor at VMI during the secessionist takeover of the institute, commits himself to the defense of Virginia and is rapidly swept up in a leadership role of the fledgling Army of Northern Virginia. The story follows primarily from the perspective of Jackson, as well as other key figures on both sides, but is decidely emphatic of the Confederate POV. We follow Jackson through three early and decisive CSA victories; Manassas (1st Bull Run), Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville, the scene of his untimely death. The film diverges dramatically from the book version in that the battle of Antietam, a tactical CSA victory, is omitted entirely (it was however filmed but ultimately removed from the final print). Throughout these campaigns Jackson is portrayed as a deeply pious, stern, yet confident and capable commander. The story follows the decision makers, military and political, on both sides and how their actions influence the course of the war through May 1863. Gettysburg, based on Shaaras Killer Angels, picks up the saga from there.
Page last updated by dgl1199, 2 years ago

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2527723801/

The Hurt Locker - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Very difficult film to review.While it seems real enough from a stark Iraq battlefield feel and well made from a technical point,the director won the academy award,but thats not the point.The story is of a man who replaced his leader on a bomb disposal squad when he's killed before his eyes.The new leader is Jeremy Renner as Sergeant First Class William James  and its a fine portrayal of a totally "out there"type of guy that it takes to do the maddest job in this mans army.But at the end of the day your glad this sort of job is done and there are guys to do it,but,sadly the characters are not the kind you really care about,or at least I can't bring myself to.Here's a summary of the film below from IMDB and since the directer Kathryn Bigelow,beat her ex James Cameron for mega hit"Avatar"its worth ONE view but I can't rate it any higher because I'm just not interested in wacko hero's anymore.
Trailer URL follows pix.


Iraq. Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2755855129/

Fanboys - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

After reviewing Free Enterprise it was just a matter to this film.Although not the star but a main character non the less,its the first film I ever saw Jay Baruchel as Windows in and became a fan of his.Like Free enterprise this film is about a group of guys and a girl who just can't grow up without one last adventure invoking their favorite life of passage fantasy and in this case its Star Wars.The film centers around the pending release of the first of the three prequels Lucas made 20 + years after the first three.released in 2008 this film runs about right at 90 minutes.Basically they go cross country to find a print of the yet unreleased film at Lucas's home in California.I took 1/2 stars off because well other than the Star Wars theme we've seen it all before and the dialogue is not as smart as Free Enterprise was.What it does have going for it are some really cool cameos mainly by Seth Rogen who actually plays three characters and YES William Shatner,really ???You have see the film.
Its worth one view at least.Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3468690201/

The Young Lions - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1958 and running a little long at 167 minutes this is a rarely talked about film.Perhaps its the subject,Brando, or who knows,I just think it is a very symmetrical film.
It opens with Barbara Rush as Margaret Freemantle at a new years eve party just prior to the outbreak of WW11,in Bravia and spending it with Marlon Brando as Christian Diestl ,a ski instructor.Later we see her back in NYC arguing with her fiance Dean Martin as Michael Whiteacre ,a stuck up broadway performer.The film end with Dean killing Brando in the muddy hills of Germany.Wow,talk about symmetry.The film is all about how we got to that point and why.There are many elements we've seen before but never with a cast such as this or that final ending.Along the way we see a glimpse of what it was like to be jewish in america even as the germans were trying to wipe all jews out.A love story unfolds between Montgomery Clift as Noah Ackerman and Hope Lange as Hope Plowman,his gentile girlfriend.Strong performance by many more actors such as May Britt,Maximilian Schell and much more.WW11 is simply the backdrop for examining the human condition as never before with all its warts.I only took 1 star off for being B&W and a little long.Trailer URL follows pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I8Gg4B1fXc

The Cowboys - 5 stars out of 5 stars

John Wayne did die in a non war movie.THIS ONE and a finer more noble and "teachable moment"has ever been scene in a movie.For years the actor who killed him was booed in restaurants and even feared bodily harm because he "shot John in the back".Well if thats not a reason to see this film than what is?
The story is simple but powerful for its time and for now.John plays a rancher who needs to run his herd of cows in but his cowboys all left for a gold strike region and now he has nobody to drive the herd.John has always played men who are very simple to understand but stedfast in a personnel morality of right and wrong and will not waver from that even it means death.Thats why many don't like him,but I do.
In this movie all thats left are boys from the local town one room school house and John must hire them.John sees the rough edges buy the boys want to be men and try hard so remembering how he was and how he failed his own boys he goes ahead with these real cowBOYS.The villains are  a group of ex cons that lied to John when looking for work with his drive.Add a ex slave cook to the mix and this drive is a wild fun ride.I won't tell you all the details of Johns death but lets just say this morality play ends with the boys passage into manhood by blood and righteous vengeance YAH !!!
Too many fine actors to list all the boys but Bruce Dern in a real badass killer role and Roscoe Lee Browne as the trail drive cook.Look for a really cute cameo by Colleen Dewhurst as a madam leading a traveling bordello.Released in 1972 it ran a SHORT 131 minutes.Trailer URL follows the pix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqmy20jx5MQ

North To Alaska - 4 stars out of 5 stars

People have very strong feelings about John Wayne and many are negative because of his politics and thats sad because he made far more really good pixs than bad,but I agree he made a few stinkers but this is definitely not one of them.The only reason I take 1 star off is because the story is so over the top that only a actor of Wayne's presence could pull it off.The story is of the Alaska gold rush back in the late 1800's when 2 men stake a claim and one is carrying on a letter romance with a woman in San Francisco. They strike gold and John Wayne as Sam McCord goes to Frisco for his partner Stewart Granger as George Pratt to get his sweetheart and bring her back to Alaska.When Sam gets there the woman had married and at a bordello getting drunk he meets Capucine as Michelle Bonet aka Angel and thinks she would do nicely as a replacement.I told you its UNBELIEVABLE.Also center to the film is one of the rare movies that the wonderful way ahead of his time comic Ernie Kovacs as Frankie Canon,made. He's a con man who knows who Angel really is and has worked scams with her in the past and thinks why not again.
Fabian as Billy Pratt ,Georges kid brother is funny as his hormones race around the sexy yet classic beauty that is Angel.All in all is a real funny film if you just want a good laugh.
Released in 1960 in runs a just right 122 minutes.Trailer follows pix and a great song by Johnny Horton is also in the film. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhZeTaaus2Y

Forget Paris - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Perhaps my favorite comedy of all time.Picture Billy Crystal as NBA referee Mickey Gordon and Debra Winger as a airline official ,Ellen Andrews Gordon who he falls in love with.Can't?Well add just about every NBA superstar from the 90's in on court cameos around Crystals character and you see the possibility.My favorite NBA cameo was Spud Webb.He's standing next to Crystal who remarks your the only player I can relate to.For you non NBA fans just remember everyone is over 6 ft 6 in and Crystal is under 5 1/2 ft and so is Spud.Debra shows remarkable comic timing and you gotta see the scene she has a pigeon stuck on mouse trap paper STUCK to the side of her face.
Basically Crystal's father has died and wished to be buried in France where many of the guys he fought with in WW11 were buried.Once in France the airline lost the casket and thats how he meets Debra.The story is told thru flashbacks at a restaurant by Joe Mantegna  as Andy to Cynthia Stevenson as Liz his fiance.The rest of the cast is outstanding and a  memorable small but scene stealing  Robert Costanzo as the Waiter.
I can find no fault at all,even if you care nothing about the NBA,the short on court cameos are funnier than any I've ever seen a pro athletic do before.Released in 1995 in runs 101 minutes.Trailer URL follows pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8ZHyJoKYnM

Red Sun - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1971 and running 112 minutes this is a odd spaghetti western from back in those wacky western days.This may be my favorite of them all manly because of Charles Bronson as Link Stuart and also a off the wall but highly effective casting of Alain Delon Gauche, a.k.a. Gotch Kink and sexy Ursula undress,er Andress as Cristina .But the genius casting of Toshirô Mifune  as Kuroda Jubie makes it a different sort of western.The story has been told before but without the samurai warrior aspect.I love the battle in over 6 feet high burning weeds with comanches near the end.I only took 1/2 star off because its after all a spaghetti western.A summary from IMDB is below as well as trailer URL below pix.

The story takes place in Arizona, around 1870. Link and Gotch are two ruthless robbers that attack along with their men at the train which carries the ambassador of Japan over to Washington. During the robbery, Gotch takes a very valuable gold sword, which is a gift from the emperor to the president of the U.S. and tries to kill Link, so that he can take all the money for himself. Now Kuroda (the only survivor of the samurais that escorted the ambassador) and Link must leave their differences aside and work together. They both want to find Gotch, but for different reasons: Kuroda wants to take back the sword, and Link wants the stolen money. All this must be done in seven days, or the samurai will kill Link and himself. Written by Chris Makrozahopoulos <makzax@hotmail.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRwQWf_h8Pk

The Safety of Objects -2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2001 and running 121 minutes this is NOT my kinda film.Yes living in suburbia has the ability to lend itself to the strangest sorts of"complicated lives"one can imagine but I guess I don't want to finish a movie thinking boy were that screwed up so I guess I'm not.What I want to feel is joy or happiness or even forfilment but happy because someone else is not?So I will just say the regular themes are her,teenage angst,career disappointment,divorce,family tragedies ect.What drew me to the film was a OUTSTANDING cast.This is almost a "breakfast club"(I'll review in the future)in the sense of being early works of Joshua Jackson,Kristen Stewart,Timothy Olyphant,Aaron Ashmore  amongst others as well as veterans such as Mary Kay Place,Robert Klein,Dermot Mulroney,Glenn Close and many others BUT the one I really wanted to see and was NOT disappointed was Patricia Clarkson in a role FAR different from "Cairo Time"which I loved and reviewed earlier.So if like great acting but a very depressing script than this is your flick.Sadly I can only give it 2 1/2 stars because its not my kinda movie and has been done many times before.I did like the song at the end "Paul's song"Trailer URL follows pix

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3153658137/

If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

On the eve of what might be a devastating Hurricane,"Irene"heading for the Carolinas and parts north,it seemed fitting to review this documentary by Spike Lee.Now Spike has a habit of getting under folks skin with his no holds bared filming and this film is no exception,in fact I was squirming and had to go back and forth on it on my DVR.Released in 2010 and a little long at 4 hours but it was made to run in two parts for HBO so I only take 1/2 star off for meeting the demands for the job so to speak.
Now a documentary by definition is below

adjective /ˌdäkyəˈmentərē/ 
    Consisting of official pieces of written, printed, or other matter
        - his book is based on documentary sources
    (of a movie, a television or radio program, or photography) Using pictures or interviews with people involved in real events to provide a factual record or report
        - he has directed documentary shorts and feature films
noun /ˌdäkyəˈmentərē/ 
documentaries, plural
    A movie or a television or radio program that provides a factual record or report

This film is overkill on the facts.It's hard to watch this without feeling the poorer people and in most but not all cases, black folks were screwed for a few reasons including profit,expedience,and plain old incompetence.However I also come away with the fear that as in the case of the 9/11 responders,the true depth of pain and suffering is still ongoing.
Perhaps Spike,who lives in NYC, wants to get this across as well.Let's not forget he made a film in 2006 called"When the Levees Broke"and now 5 years later things are still bad for many regardless of the Superbowl as one person is on camera,and I paraphrase,"Heck I still have to worry about food tomorrow"  This is a very hard film to watch especially with its opening rant BUT for a so called christian country its hard to believe we allow things like this to continue.Trailer URL follows pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o4tcxT-S1E

Once upon a time in Mexico - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Robert Rodriguez really became BIG time after he directed Johnny Depp as Sands in this final part of a trilogy about hit man as Mariachi.The first film was a low budget film with unknown actors but the second cast Antonio Banderas as El Mariachi who returns to finish the trilogy.The story is kinda goofy but the acting is well over the top and gives the film a crazy comic book like appeal.My two favorite parts of the film are,
1) Johnny Depp stating to another"Are you a Mexican or a Mexicant?"
2) There are 3 "Mexican's"saving the presidents life and he asks"Who are you guys?"
Now the "in" joke is NONE of those 3 are REALLY  Mexicans but Banderas,who is from Spain,answers as he wraps himself in a Mexican flag"Sons of Mexico, sir. "the other two actors were born in Spain and Italy.
So if you like over the top action flicks this is for you.Released in 2003 it runs 102 minutes.Trailer URL follows the pix and below is a summary from IMDB but thats not important :)

In this sequel to 'Desperado', a Mexican drug lord pretends to overthrow the Mexican government, and is connected to a corrupt CIA agent who at that time, demands retribution from his worst enemy to carry out the drug lord's uprising against the government. Written by Anonymous

 http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3180986649/

An Officer and a Gentleman - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Ah to be a Naval Aviator,May -o -nese !!!!Thats what I think off when I hear"Up where we belong"No popular song ever fit a movie much better.One of the best "3 tool" movies ever made.
1) Military movie covering the training of what is still the premier glamour job in the service,a naval pilot.
2)Coming of age for a young person whose fighting a past full of grief and disappointment.
3)Romance against all odds.
Released in 1982 it ran 124 minutes and I gave it a full rating,the cast fits like a GLOVE,Velvet and Mace.Trailer URL below pix and a IMDB summary below.MUST SEE.

Zack Mayo is a young man who has signed up for Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School. He is a Navy brat who has a bad attitude problem. GySgt Foley is there to train and evaluate him and will clearly find Zack wanting. Zack meets Paula, a girl who has little beyond family and must decide what it is he wants to do with his life. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3847618585/

The Lovely Bones - 4 stars out of 5 stars

A offbeat different type of fantasy/horror film that I was drawn to by the cast and stayed for the story.It's not your typical lurid bloody horror film,rather its a examination of the aftermath of a horrific act on the survivors.First off Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon,the victim of a serial pedophile killer (Stanley Tucci as George Harvey) is a star in the making and Stanley plays the killer like you would not believe, considering the type cast roles we are used to seeing him in.  Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon are fine as the family of murdered Susie and Michael Imperioli as Len Fenerman ,a more subdued cop than we are used to seeing him play,round out the cast.But the fantasy aspect of the victim watching out for her family and trying to find a way to bring justice to her killer is the real twist here.Well done and really a "chick flick"rather than a horror film. Highly recommended.Released in 2009 its a little long at 135 minutes and its theme is still adult and is not suited for all viewers so I take 1 star off for that but I thank God I never had to live through or know anyone who has,such a retching ordeal.Trailer URL follows pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2521171225/

The Trotsky - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Jay Baruchel     as Leon Bronstein is the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky,or so he really believes and well,at the end I'm not so sure  but he just might be.That is the reason to watch the film.Jay Baruchel is a very good young actor and we'll be reviewing at least two more of his films in a few weeks,but for now we focus on this one. The plot is typical teenage farce but for the Trotsky angle to focus the min character.He can truly relate to his surroundings and reason to protest as to him,history is repeating itself.For a minute the movie got scary when they took over the high school.Visions of a old 60's flick"IF"flashed thru my mind,but only for a moment as it really is a comedy,but for thinking teens,not just hormone driven.Trailer URL follows pix and a IMDB summery is below.I took 1 star off because it is really aimed at teens.Released in 2009 it runs 120 minutes and all returning high school kids should see it,and maybe a few parents as well.

Leon Bronstein is not your average Montreal West high school student. For one thing, none of his peers can claim to be the reincarnation of early 20th century Soviet iconoclast and Red Army hero, Leon Trotsky. When his father sends Leon to public school as punishment for starting a hunger strike at Papa's clothing factory, Leon quickly lends new meaning to the term 'student union', determined as he is to live out his pre-ordained destiny to the fullest and change the world. Written by Alliance Films

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi947128089/

From Here to Eternity - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

One of the classic war interrupts life films of all time.The cast is "A"list and only B&W and slightly dated feel holds it back from perfect.The love scene on the beach still works today as does the brutal fight scenes and if you want to see the film that made Sinatra a real dramatic star and is hinted at in"Godfather"than this is a MUST.The film was released in 1953 and runs 118 minutes.The trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB storyline is below.

It's 1941. Robert E. Lee Prewitt has requested Army transfer and has ended up at Schofield in Hawaii. His new captain, Dana Holmes, has heard of his boxing prowess and is keen to get him to represent the company. However, 'Prew' is adamant that he doesn't box anymore, so Captain Holmes gets his subordinates to make his life a living hell. Meanwhile Sergeant Warden starts seeing the captain's wife, who has a history of seeking external relief from a troubled marriage. Prew's friend Maggio has a few altercations with the sadistic stockade Sergeant 'Fatso' Judson, and Prew begins falling in love with social club employee Lorene. Unbeknownst to anyone, the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor looms in the distance. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiTje59-yhk

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/