Last Night (1998) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

After watching "Melancholia"which I didn't like and thus won't waste time reviewing,I was reminded of this little Canadian gem released in 1998 and only running 95 minutes.We  only take 1 star off because Don McKellar  who plays Patrick Wheeler,is kinda overpowered here trying to write ,direct and star in this film.However Sandra Oh as Sandra  is outstanding and if ever there was a turn of the century  scare film,this was it.
How to meet the end??Discover how they do in this much better film then any other of this sort I've ever seen.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary follows below.

It's 18:00 in a somewhat deserted Toronto on the last day before the scheduled end of the world at midnight, the end which has been known now for months. Most people are treating midnight as a matter-of-fact event with little sense of panic. In fact, many are celebrating this last day. Most have very specific wants for this last day and will do whatever they need to to make those wants happen. And some, such as Duncan and Donna with the gas company, are working, ensuring that the masses are served and comfortable during the final hours. The Wheeler family are marking the last day by having a Christmas party, although sullen adult son Patrick, his thoughts in part stemming from being recently widowed, has made it clear he wants to be alone in his own home at the end. Patrick's wants may be in jeopardy when a woman named Sandra - Duncan's wife - lands on his doorstep. Sandra is stranded... Written by Huggo

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

The Jungle Book ( 1994 ) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

In this 1994 Disney version that runs 111 minutes of Kiplings classic set in Colonial India,the cast is whats noteworthy. Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli,One of my favorite actress's Lena Headey     as Katherine 'Kitty' Brydon,Sam Neill as Colonel Geofferey Brydon,John Cleese  as Dr. Julien Plumford ,Cary Elwes as Captain William Boone  as the main characters with good supporting actings as well.Might be the best version done to date.
Recommended,with the trailer URL below the pix and a IMDB summary below for the few of you who may be ignorant of the classic story.I had to take 1 star off because the exotic locations of the jungle isn't for everyone  ( like me)

An adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic tale of Mowgli the jungle boy who is raised by wolves after being lost when a tiger attacked an encampment and killed his father. Years later he finds himself re-united with his childhood love Kitty and back in the "civilization" of Colonial India which he finds far less civilized then his jungle haunts. The search for a lost treasure shows who the truly civilized members of society are. Written by Susan Southall <stobchatay@aol.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBAku3Cwsgk

Lifeforce - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Strange film indeed.Patrick Stewart ( Star Treks Jon Luc Picard) as Dr. Armstrong,in a minor role.Music by Henry Mancini that sounds like NFL films music.Directed by Austin Texas native Tobe Hooper.State of the art special effect.Still falls a little short because of trying to also be a little too erotic while the mix of Vampires and Zombies is too gory for that.Take 1 1/2 stars off for that.For a 1985 film release at 116 minutes it can be considered better than most but one thinks it could have been even more.I do however recommend you view and I am thinking of buying it.Trailer URL below pix as well a IMDB summary below.Enjoy.

Halley's Comet returns to the solar system and the English/American team aboard the shuttle "Churchill", making a close-up survey of the comet, discovers an alien spacecraft in the head of the comet. Inside the spacecraft are some large bat-like creatures and in three cocoons are three "dead" humans - two men and a woman. The "Churchill" takes the humans and a creature back to Earth. There the bosses of the project are amazed to find the shuttle burnt out and all but one of the crew - Carlsen - dead. The humans from the spacecraft suddenly awake and all those who come into contact with them are drained of their "lifeforce" and in time all the victims - including most of the population of London - are turned into zombies all preying on the horrified survivors for their "lifeforce". It's up to Carlsen and Major Caine of the SAS to stop them before the whole world turns into a big blood-hunt... Written by Lee Horton <Leeh@tcp.co.uk>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bDPN9VLvWs

I Am Number Four - 3 stars out of 5 stars

This movie is set up for a sequel as the story is kinda vague,thus 2 stars off.That said,it was entertaining in a "Smallville"sort of way.Released in 2011 and running 109 minutes i recommend for casual viewing.Pretty hip soundtrack as well.Acting was ok for folks I really haven't seen much of before.Trailer below the pix and a IMDB summary below.I would have rated the movie higher if they explained the backstory more but I guess their banking on a sequel.

Extraordinary teen John Smith (Pettyfer) is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events-his first love (Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny. Written by Walt Disney Pictures  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5djHG3hPu0

Owning Mahowny - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Gambling is a very touchy subject for me but this film is based on fact and with good acting although hard for me to watch,it rings very true.Released in 2003 and running 104 minutes the only reason to take 1 star off was the subject itself.Not for everyone.Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Dan Mahowny as everyman.Not good looking but just smart enough to feed his bad habit of betting by bank fraud.The rest of the cast is ok but not really important as it's the story of Dan's self destruction. Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is directly below.I don't think I can watch it again……


Dan Mahowny was a rising star at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. At twenty-four he was assistant manager of a major branch in the heart of Toronto's financial district. To his colleagues he was a workaholic. To his customers, he was astute, decisive and helpful. To his friends, he was a quiet, but humorous man who enjoyed watching sports on television. To his girlfriend, he was shy but engaging. None of them knew the other side of Dan Mahowny--the side that executed the largest single-handed bank fraud in Canadian history, grossing over $10 million in eighteen months to feed his gambling obsession. Written by Sujit R. Varma 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH8mh8e8L_c

TV Series - The Great War ( BBC 1964 ) 5 stars out of 5 stars

The reason I'm reviewing this series is because BBC never showed it in the US and it has only been released on video cassette and than DVD in the UK on PAL format.After writing BBC American I was informed there were no plans to release it here or in the near future.
You can get it on Amazon UK for about 150 US but in PAL format than buy a multi region DVD player for 50 or so.When your my age thats what you do since "no plans in the near future"means after I die !!!So maybe if everyone writes the BBC………

                WW 1 is the forgotten war as we relive and honor the dying " greatest generation"and I guess thats as it should be.However the seeds of WW 11 were sown by this war and even the acclaimed "World at war"was inspired by this series of 1964 made by BBC in the UK.Like many TV shows its now gone and worse it was NEVER released in the US.I had never heard of the series till I saw a series called "the first world war"on the military cable channel and wanted MORE.Looking up the series I learned of this earlier BBC series that is acknowledged as the best ever made on the subject.In fact the producers of "World at War"admit to being inspired by it and even made their series 26 episodes as this series is.However there are differences in the way the producers did that series and this review is ONLY on "The Great War"as I'm sure more than enough is known about "World at War"in its own right a fabulous series.
This series tries to keep a orderly  flow of events and battle timelines.
In 1964 there were still veterans left from the war and this series used film and photos and even theatrical film to fill in the blanks with dialogue from these veterans to give a first hand idea of what life was like in the trenches.Even though the war ended but 22 years earlier than the second world war,it seemed to be more like the US civil was or the Napoleon  wars.That is great "static"infantry battles  on steroids because on the new inventions of the Tank and airplanes and poison gases as well as super artillery with ranges up to 75 miles.The second world war was more bombing as fast moving blitzkrieg infantry tactics.The war lasted from 1914 to 1918 with the US entering in 1917.Although it was fought all over the world,Africa and the middle east and both oceans,for the most part in was a eastern and western front as was WW11.In this case,the western front was the main area of battle,France for the most part as well as Italy and Belgium.Believe it or not,Germany was never invaded !!!!
From 1914 to 1918 both sides just killed each other from basically the same point as the end of 1914's trenches were formed from the north sea to Switzerland.There were estimates of only 1/3 the losses of the second world war,but civil losses in WW11 were more than military,not the case in WW1.Far more soldiers were killed than civilians although it was total war for the first time.England was bombed but only had a little over 1000 civilians die in the whole war,that was a night during the "Blitz"in the second war.
The series tries to put everything in context but at the end it still these 2 tough guys fighting over nothing !!!The cost of soldiers on both side was staggering and for what,the right to do it all over again 22 years later ??Russia becomes communist,Germany and Italy,fascist,Japan,militaristic,all a result of this war.At least the second war had a cause if only that could be said of the first.Oh wait,it can,the cause was to set up the next one 22 years later.It's also worth watching to see a very different France from war to war.
If you want to brush up on world events and the history behind them,this is a MUST watch.To bad its not that easy to watch on many levels including the least of witch is availability.
The Palestine issue grew from that war,womens suffrage and labor issues to get woman BACK in the kitchen in the UK after the war.Rosie the riveter's MOM was a WW1 worker. The trailer URL following the pix is a segment from episode 21.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_69PTVIvYJI

Lone Hero - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Ok good guy stands alone and stops bad guys.Old chestnut done many times before.That plus a B+ cast takes 1 star off.So why see it??Loved the setting in a small town in Montana which lives on re-enactments of gun fights.Throw in Lou Diamond Phillips as Bart ,a crazed motorcycle killer,add     Mark Metcalf     as cowardly Marshall Harris and stir in Robert Forster as dependable old recluse Gus,a man with a past,mix together and off to the races we go.The movie is a slow starter but when it hits stride it rocks.Sean Patrick Flanery as John ,the re-enactment bad guy,grows into the hero as the movie picks up steam as his acting as well.Its not great but its a good ride on a saturday night.Released in 2002 it runs a just right 90 minutes.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

Standard story of a biker gang taking over a town is not saved by the presence of Lou Diamond Phillips as the head biker or Sean Patrcik Flanery as the avenging townsperson who takes on the gangs with the help of an old codger (Robert Forster). The story starts with Phillips and a cohort robbing a store and injuring a salesperson. The bikers tell everyone in the store that if any one tells who committed the crime, the gang will take revenge on them and their families. Flanery nonetheless proceeds to arrest them with a gun filled with blanks when he next sees them. The gang breaks their leader out of jail, killing the policemen in the process. Flanery & Diamond then trade off attacks. Written by John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net> 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txoTs_S-A7c

Heathers - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1988 and running 103 minutes,this might be the best black as in DARK,comedy about high school angst ever made.I had to take 1 1/2 stars off because it's Soooooo 80's and that was such a different time but the message is still there today for those who are not afraid to confront it.Think todays social network bulling.The cast rocks and its for all those cynics out there like me.Trailer URL follows the pic and 2 summaries from IMDB below.Watch it for the laughs and believe in it for the angst.

A girl who half-heartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics.

Veronica mingles with Heather I, II and III to be as popular as them, even though she hates them. She hates them enough to wish they were dead, though she would never want to be their cause of death. When she starts dating Jason Dean, however, she finds herself involved in the murders of most of her enemies, covered up as suicides. Written by Lars J. Aas <larsa@colargol.edb.tih.no>

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

Hidalgo - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

I'm a fan of westerns as they were king when I was a boy.So when you take a cowboy from the west and put him somewhere else I'm curious.I loved Quigly down under and this is not as good but still better than most.Released in 2004 and running quite long at 136 minutes,I took 1 1/2 stars off for a much to long attempt at a fairly short story. One of my favorite actors,Viggo Mortensen , plays Frank Hopkins and veteran Omar Sharif returns to the screen as Sheikh Riyadh .The trailer is below the pix and a IMDB summary is below.If only it was a little shorter I would have bought it.Still worth your time on a cold evening.


Held yearly for centuries, the Ocean of Fire--a 3,000 mile survival race across the Arabian desert--was a challenge restricted to the finest Arabian horses ever bred, the purest and noblest lines, owned by the greatest royal families. In 1890, a wealthy sheik invited an American, Frank T. Hopkins, and his horse to enter the race for the first time. During the course of his career, Hopkins was a cowboy and dispatch rider for the U.S. cavalry--and had once been billed as the greatest rider the West had ever known. The Sheik puts his claim to the test, pitting the American cowboy and his mustang, Hidalgo, against the world's greatest Arabian horses and Bedouin riders--some of whom are determined to prevent a foreigner from finishing the race. For Frank, the Ocean of Fire becomes not only a matter of pride and honor, but a race for his very survival as he and his horse attempt the impossible. Written by Sujit R. Varma

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urnjRUVYRY8

Donnie Darko - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2001 and running 113 minutes it remains along with "El Topo"the most confounding films I've seen.Not as bloody or violent as Topo it still has a dangerous streak throughout.It's not teenage angst,or sci-fi time travel or simply madness or  is it?I've watched it twice and own it but still I'm not sure what I've seen.That's why I took 1 star off but otherwise great cast and well filmed.If you don't like to watch to closely and invest your attention to a movie than do pass it by.However if you want to stimulate you thoughts by trying to grasp what you've just seen than its for you.Trailer URL below the pix and a IMDB summary below.Oh and lest you think this is just a cheapo  flick the cast includes,Jake Gyllenhaal as Donnie Darko,Maggie Gyllenhaal as Elizabeth Darko,Mary McDonnell as Rose Darko,Patrick Swayze as Jim Cunningham,Drew Barrymore as Karen Pomeroy,Seth Rogen as Ricky Danforth ,Katharine Ross as Dr. Lilian Thurman  as well as other good character actors.No lack of talent here.

Donnie Darko doesn't get along too well with his family, his teachers and his classmates; but he does manage to find a sympathetic friend in Gretchen, who agrees to date him. He has a compassionate psychiatrist, who discovers hypnosis is the means to unlock hidden secrets. His other companion may not be a true ally. Donnie has a friend named Frank - a large bunny which only Donnie can see. When an engine falls off a plane and destroys his bedroom, Donnie is not there. Both the event, and Donnie's escape, seem to have been caused by supernatural events. Donnie's mental illness, if such it is, may never allow him to find out for sure. Written by J. Spurlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wqVHjK2bQs

The Kingdom - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Not for a minute do I believe this story could ever happen but great acting and direction again show why Hollywood makes magic.At the end of the film I thought wow it could happen and more,it should be this way if it did happen.I took 1 star off just because it CAN'T happen this way in Saudi Arabia with the US,not now anyway.Released in 2007 and running 110 minutes ,the story idea is fascinating and currently maybe believable. Trailer URL below the pix and a IMDB summary below.

After a terrorist attack to an American housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where families and the spy Francis Manner are murdered, FBI agent Ronald Fleury blackmails the South Arabian consul to get five days of investigation in the location. He travels with agent Grant Sykes, Janet Mayes and Adam Leavitt to revenge their friend and try to find the responsible for the bombing. The agents find all sorts of difficulties in their investigation, but they are supported by Colonel Faris Al Ghazi that advises the team how to act in a hostile environment. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZltyidbP1F4

Half Past Dead - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

The only bad part of this film is Steven Seagal,who now is old and fat so 1/2 star off.Otherwise pure fantasy rush like the older more fit Seagal flicks.Who cares about plot in a good Seagal flick?
Here he plays a DEEP FBI undercover agent,Sasha Petrosevitch, who becomes tight with Ja Rule as Nicolas 'Nick' Frazier as a way to get to the guy that killed his wife.Along the way they wind up in Alcatraz now run by Tony Plana as Warden El Fuego who is about to execute Bruce Weitz     as Lester McKenna  who is to die for a gold robbery of 200 million that left 5 federal agents dead.From there the plot really goes wild as you'd expect in a pure action flick.Add Morris Chestnut as bad guy 49er One / Donald Robert Johnson and Nia Peeples as sexy badass 49er Six and Seagals boss Claudia Christian as Special Agent Ellen Williams and a once really sexy from my youth Linda Thorson (tv series the avengers) but now a older woman as Judge Jane McPherson and good supporting actors, what more do you want??Oh even a closing credits for laughs scene with Kurupt and Mo'Nique. Released in 2002 it only runs 98 minutes.I can't get Ima bang by DMX out of my head.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3164182553/

Shivers - 4 stars out of 5 stars

It can be as difficult to review horror films as it is to review comedies.In a sense,abet  a sick one,this is both.Picture sex crazed still alive human type zombies.You'll get the idea.Be warned the opening scene can be quite disturbing before we realized it sets the stage for the rest of the film but not the way it first appeared.Released in 1975 and running a short 87 minutes,I took one star off for being sort of vulgar in the story telling.Still its a landmark horror film by Canadian sicko David Cronenberg and if you like horror with weird storylines  this is your film.Trailer URL below pix and IMDB summary below.Don't watch it alone :)

A scientist living in an apartment complex kills a girl and uses acid to destroy her internal organs, and then kills himself. While investigating, a doctor discovers that the scientist was doing experiments on the use of genetically engineered parasites as organ transplants. Soon, other people in the complex begin showing signs of carrying the parasites, spreading the things through wanton orgiastic abandon, and the complex begins suffering an attrition problem. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com> 

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2156331289/

The Village - 4 stars out of 5 stars

A film with many meanings and the ability to confound me for quite awhile.Not pleasant so I punish it with the removal of a star while others may add a extra one for just such a reason.Grade "A" cast and  master director demands you see it once at least.I bought it and wonder when I'll watch it again.The classic music score fits the mood nicely.It is not a horror film less you consider "our own lives" as horror.Released in 2004 it runs but 104 minutes.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

In a quiet, isolated village in olde Pennsylvania, there lies a pact between the people of the village and the creatures who reside in the surrounding woods: the townspeople do not enter the woods, and the creatures do not enter the village. The pact stays true for many years, but when Lucius Hunt seeks medical supplies from the towns beyond the wood, the pact is challenged. Animal carcasses, devoid of fur, begin to appear around the village, causing the council of elders to fear for the safety of the village, the pact, and so much more. Written by simsman24000

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

Love N' Dancing - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

If you want a different type of musical you might like this film.Not being a fan of ballroom dancing I can't comment on the styles used which many devotees fault.However it's a pleasing enough dance film about a dancer who is deaf.There's something about the story thats different and dare I say cute.Released in 2009 and running only 93 minutes you have little to lose and everything to gain if you want a watch a  different sort of film.I took 1 1/2 stars off because it's kinda sappy but in a good way.The soundtrack fits as well.Trailer URL below the pix and a IMDB summary below.I bought the DVD as a sort of novelty.


2002: Jake Mitchell is the defending World West Coast Swing Champion. He's got everything going for him: looks, personality, and style. He's at the top of his game when he and his partner Corinne are crowned the unexpected winners at the World Swing Dance Championships. As the crowd cheers and the celebration begins, Jake appears uneasy. Did he really deserve to win? The music blasts and the bass is thumping, and Jake hears none of it. He feels it. Jake is completely deaf, due to an ear infection when he was a teenager. He learned how to dance by feeling the vibrations of the music. Now he feels something else: that perhaps the judges gave him the win out of sympathy. Present Day: Jessica Donovan's life is boring. When she was younger, she was a dancer who had dreams of Broadway. Now she's an English teacher for disinterested, upper class middle school kids, and she's dying to let loose. Her fiancee Kent is a work-a-holic who cares more about making money than making Jessica happy. Jake's moved on with his life and he's now a dance teacher who travels around the country doing motivational speaking to students about how his disability did not hold him back. It's at a school assembly where Jake and Jessica first meet. He's up on stage telling kids that you have to believe in yourself. The spoiled rich kids show no interest at first, but Jake's charm and sense of humor gets them to laugh. Then his former partner Corinne joins him onstage and they dance. The crowd goes nuts! Jake meets Jessica and there's an instant connection; there's only one problem. Jake's still in love with Corinne and perhaps always will be. And Corinne knows exactly how to get under Jake's skin. Though she has a fiancee, she drives Jake nuts with her flirtatious ways. Jessica initially asks Jake to train both her and her fiancee in West Coast Swing for their wedding, but Jake and Jessica are drawn closer when Kent's non-stop job prevents him from going to the class. Jessica decides to take lessons from Jake... perhaps they can compete at the World Championships of Swing in the Pro-Am division? And they get better and better. They decide, at a dance party, to go for it all. Forget the Pro-Am; they want to try for the title that Jake felt he never deserved. But now the champions are all 18 year olds who can defy gravity, and Jake's in his early thirties. To make matters worse, Corinne gets word that her old partner has a new partner, and suddenly, she's interested in Jake again. Jake and Jessica must try to elude all obstacles, romantic or otherwise, to stay focused on the goal... winning the World Title and winning each other. Will they give in to the pressure or come out like champs? Written by synbios
When a bored-with-life English teacher meets a West Coast Swing champion dancer, they have an instant connection. Both feel that the other can fulfill what was missing in their lives. But Jessica's got a workaholic fiancée who's not a bad guy when he's not on his Blackberry, and Jake's got his former partner Corinne, who just won't let Jake away from the dangling carrot of a rekindled relationship. Jake and Jessica must try to elude all obstacles, romantic or otherwise, to stay focused on the goal - winning the World Title and winning each other. Will they give in to the pressure or come out like champs? Written by lndguy

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi916783641/

She's Out of My League - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Generally speaking I'm not crazy about "teen"pictures but I have become a fan of Jay Baruchel who plays Kirk and falls for a girl why out of his league or so we think.The rest of the cast is ok and familiar to many but you need a good "5" to pull it off chasing a "10"and Jay does it.released in 2010 and running 104 minutes I took 1 star off because it is after all a "teen"film with the weakness in plot that intakes but I did like it and HIGHY recommend it.I really liked Krysten Ritter as Patty whose the friend of the"10", Alice Eve as Molly ,she's my "teen" idea of a "10" :) Trailer URL below the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Kirk is an average Joe who works as a TSA agent at the Pittsburgh airport with his friends. The status quo of his fairly monotonous life ends when he meets Molly, a smart, kind and gorgeous blonde. Because she's way out of his league (she's a hard 10 and he is but a 5), Kirk knows there's no way on earth she's ever going to fall for him. Or is there...? Written by Marco van Hoof <k_luifje7@hotmail.com>

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi870384665/

Drop Dead Gorgeous ( 2010) - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Strangely there are a few films with the same name however I doubt they are similar in story line.I scored it 50-50 for a good try but a subject NOT FOR EVERYONE,you've been warned.The Synopsis is from the director himself.Very graphic film.nudity wise not violent.Trailer below the pix.i think it's worth a look but beware.Comedy at its darkest.Released in 2010 it runs 90 minutes.


It was meant to be a simple puff piece, a "day in the life" of a rising young model, but things quickly headed in a very different direction and the resulting documentary bore witness to one of the fashion world's darkest and most sordid moments. Powerful forces sought to keep the film suppressed, but one subversive filmmaker has gathered together what remains and, complete with dropouts, glitches and out-takes, fashioned a record of a week filled with drugs, death, sex and scandal.
Top designer Claudio Vestigues (Steven Berkoff) has cast eighteen year old Cynthia Barris (Ivy Levan), a little known model, as the face of his new campaign. Documentary filmmaker Peter Famer (Nicholas Irons), an aspiring Michael Moore type on his first American gig, has been despatched to follow Cynthia as she shoots the campaign.
The first day of filming should have set off warning bells, because when the crew arrive at Cynthia’s New York hotel they find the room in disarray with Cynthia, and two other models, naked and clearly recovering from a fun-filled night. Then they discover the shoot has been delayed and moved to Los Angeles — wrong day, wrong city, and definitely the wrong image!
A day later, after a quick flight to LA, Cynthia visits Robert (Jeremy London), the agent she forgot existed when she moved to NYC and took up with Ford Models. However, by a quirk of fate, it is Robert who has booked her for the biggest job of her young career. Jaded after years on the T&A fringe zone, representing models who "date" clients and pretending he has staff, Robert hopes his payday has finally come. Until now his top girl has been Sabrina (Arielle Vandenberg), a model who's career is seriously on the decline, attracts abusive boyfriends, and is desperate for just one last big job to retire on.
At the studio, Cynthia's excitement quickly turns to fear and nausea when she meets photographer Phillippe (Josh Coxx), a man renowned as much for his sexually depraved antics as his mediocre work. Cynthia's used to some pretty unpleasant situations, but Phillippe is in a league of his own, and things only get worse when designer Claudio arrives and accuses her of gaining weight. She disappears to the toilet, only to return minutes later walking unsteadily and more than a little "out of it".
As the shoot progresses Cynthia's behavior becomes more bizarre, she even seems to fall asleep mid-shoot. When she eventually slides to the floor unconscious, Phillippe, Claudio and their team look on impassively. Only documentary crew members Susie and Hanna go to her aid, leading Peter to lose his cool, insisting that as documentarians they musn't get involved. But as things continue to spiral out of control he'll be challenged to remain true to that mantra.
It is soon clear that Cynthia is dead. A delay in production will cost Claudio millions in missed deadline penalties, so it is decided the shoot must go on, even if the model is now "deeply sleeping". Who knows, it could even break new ground? But to keep things on track some negotiations will be necessary.
Robert is incredulous when he discovers Cynthia is now worth more dead than she was when alive, and, although morally a little torn, the prospect of a huge paycheck proves too tempting for him and he heads off to persuade Cynthia's mother to sign a release for the corpse. Everyone involved is forced to assess their positions. For Stella (Natasha Alam), despite her initial protests, the opportunity to become the highest paid make-up artist in the industry convinces her to go along with the plan. Supermodel Brooke (Dawn Olivieri) is persuaded that she will be "breaking down societal barriers" and creating art. But shooting with a corpse isn't that easy — there is pooling of the blood and rigor mortis to contend with, and dead models don't take direction too well.
Will Claudio be able to pull off the fashion coup of the decade? Will Peter have a career-defining documentary on his hands? Is Sabrina going to summon up the courage to jump onto the dead model bandwagon? Can Robert establish himself as the go-to agent for deceased models, and also finally reveal his true feelings for Sabrina? And will Dawn ever discover that necrophilia isn't a death metal rock band? In Drop Dead Gorgeous see the fashion industry as you've never seen it before, in all it's sexy, seedy glory!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wuy0tblC9Y

Gulliver's Travels - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2010 and running only 85 minutes this is Jack Blacks take on the old chestnut about a giant in a land of the little.Up front I admit i'm not a big Black fan as I've stated before about humor being subjective so I take 2 stars of for some bad comedy,like pissing on a fire to extinguish it, but his trademark "rock it"humor was amusing in this context and the rest of the cast was fine although Jason Segel was a little held back IMHO.Still you could see a lot worse when your in a bind for a movie.Trailer URL below pix and a IMDB summary below.The rock soundtrack is pretty good.

Lemuel Gulliver has been working in the mail room of a New York daily newspaper for the past ten years. Afraid to put himself out there, he considers himself a loser, as do all his peers. One day, after having finally had enough, he decides to declare his flame to the beautiful Darcy Silverman, the newspaper's travel editor and one of Gulliver's only friends...only to chicken out at the last minute and instead tell her that he'd like to try his hand at writing a column. Darcy accepts and sends him on an assignment to the Bermuda Triangle. There, Gulliver becomes shipwrecked and ends up on the island of Liliput, where he is twelve taller than the tallest man. For the first time, Gulliver has people looking up to him... Written by Happy_Evil_Dude 

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2625476889/

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Missed halloween with this :) After reviewing the movie "El Topo"that started the midnight madness movie craze it dawned on me I hadn't reviewed the most popular BY FAR of that craze "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".This movie caused folks to dress for the various parts and bring "aids"to the show as well as  actively participate in the audience to parts of the movie.It's not uncommon to find people who had gone over 30 times.I went only once,too much extroversion for me.Released in 1975 and running 100 minutes it was based on a english play and as a sort of avant garde musical, it was not a big hit when released as a film in the US.However when it hit the midnight circuit,forget about it,a all time cult hit was born. I took 1 star off because its a film that should really be experienced in a crazy theater setting.Its more like a rock concert than a movie viewing  experience.There is a trailer URL below the pix and a IMDB summary below.Even today some of it is quite "Shocking"The cast is superb and Tim Curry as Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter - A Scientist must be seen to be believed.

It's the weird and wonderful as newly engaged couple Brad and Janet encounter a problem when they car halts in the rain. They both look for contact only to find themselves at the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter a transvestite. A place to stay is offered, but will Brad and Janet want to remain there? Especially when a large group of Transylvanians dance to the 'Time Warp', Dr. Frank-N-Furter builds his own man and a whole host of participation for the audience to enjoy. Written by simon

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2137168153/

Les Misérables ( 1935 ) - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Like Beau Geste,a film I reviewed earlier,there are many film versions of this classic novel.Never having read the book BUT I did see the broadway play,I removed 2 stars for a dated film in B&W that will turn most young folks off and as a old film its slow as a novel is, in development  and lack of action to again turn off  younger viewers.That said its story of honor and obsession are tales not seen enough in todays world and for that reason alone it should be see.There is no trailer online for this version BUT there is a scene so that will serve as the trailer below the pix.The film is only 108 minutes so its watchable :)Below is a IMDB review with more detail on this classic.Enjoy.


18 March 2005 | by theowinthrop (United States) – See all my reviews
To begin with, I doubt that most people realize that Victor Hugo's Les Miserables is not a two hundred to four hundred page novel. It is a thirteen hundred page novel (in English translation as well as the original French). This actually puts it into the same category as those other classic that most people never read: "The Bible" (both testaments together), "Don Quixote", "War and Peace", "Clarissa Harlowe", "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", "The Count of Monte Cristo". Everyone knows stories or chunks of most of these books (except for Richardson's "Clarissa", which is not popular these days due to it's epistolary style). Few read them to get an idea of their full impact. It is sobering to realize that humongous novels by Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliott, like "Bleak House, "Pendennis", or "Middlemarch", are shorter (roughly 800 pages each) than these seven earlier titles that I mention. That means one is more likely to be willing to read "Middlemarch" (a thoughtful but difficult study of provincial life in 1832 England), than "The Count of Monte Cristo" (with it's fast paced and exciting tale of power, greed, and revenge in post-Napoleonic France.
In it's full range, "Les Miserables" was a probing attack on the greed and social evil rampant in France from 1815 to 1832 (the beginning of the so-called "July " or Orleans Monarchy. However I warn you that if you read it you will find it annoying after awhile. You will remain sympathetic towards Valjean, protecting little Cosette who he raises as his daughter, and saving Marius (although he would as soon Cosette never saw Marius again). And you will also dislike Javert, his adversary - the perfect police official. But you will find Hugo expounding questionable views on criminals. Not all the poor are criminals, but after reading Hugo one gets the impression that if they aren't they are fools. For all the defects of Louis Phillippe's July Monarchy, it gave France prosperity and peace for nearly two decades. But to Hugo it was a criminal throwback to the barbarism of the Bourbons - France did not need monarchs, it was a republic and a democracy. For most of his life Hugo attacked "royalism" in all its guises in France, culminating in his years in exile in opposition to the Second Empire of Napoleon III (1851 - 1870 - the period that Hugo wrote "Les Misearbles" in). Oddly enough he never really attacks the first Napoleon. Read the chapters on the Battle of Waterloo in "Les Miserables" and it is almost a regrettable valentine to the little Corsican. Interestingly enough, when the Paris Commune burned much private property in 1871 (before being put down by French troops assisted by German troops), Hugo suddenly ceased being so admiring about the lowest level of the poor - after all they burned some of his property too.
Trimmed of much of it's literary weight it makes a dandy little over-the-years thriller, and it has been filmed many times. The best one I remember was a French version from 1956 with Jean Gabin as Valjean (and actually he was physically closer to the poor ex convict than March was). But it was three and a half hours long, so I suspect that this one will have to do. It keeps the main threads of the story together, and performances by March, Laughton, Florence Eldritch (as Fantine), and others are excellent. Even Leonid Kinski as one of March's former convict friends gives a chilling little moment just by saying "Hello Jean" in a courtroom. So watch it, the best normal length movie version. And then put aside a month for reading the original novel (and then plan similar time schemes for those other unread classics I just listed - It will occupy you for about a year and a half or so).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2jzH4ApCY4