Passchendaele - 5 Stars out of 5 stars

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

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

Solaris - 1 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inception - 2 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

Red Dawn - 3 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

The Great Santini - 4 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Troy - 4 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

On The Waterfront - 4 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Dogma - 4 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

Madame Claude - 4 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

The Godfather - 5 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

Enter the Dragon - 3 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

The Long Ships - 3 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

Victory - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

Highlander - 4 stars out of 5

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

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

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

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

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

Raid on Entebbe 4 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

12 Angry Men - 4 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

Yankee Doodle Dandy 4 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

Animal House 5 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

The Wizard of OZ 5 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

The Towering Inferno 3 stars out of 5 stars

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

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

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

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