What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

If we are to truly have a discussion on mental illness we need to first have some understanding of the mind to begin with.
Since the days of Carl Sagan's "Cosmos"one has to be entertained in order to pay attention to what is the most boring of education subjects,those of the sciences. Einstein once  called Quantum physics a "Junk science"This film is highly controversial because it embraces this science completely under the guise of the mind.

AHhhhhhh,that is the value of this film now,today.

The mind,how little we know and will still not know after viewing this film.It also attacks organized views of religion while leaving open a more intimate,personnel view of spirituality.That along with the junk science embrace makes it a turn off to many.That is,till the Conn shootings.
Midway into this film a well done attempt to explain the chemical reactions in the mind that alter our perceptions and blur reality are the main reason to see this film.
When they enter the "wedding"scene is when this film hits its stride.Everyone MUST understand somewhat how the mind is effected by chemicals in order to see that any meaningful discussion on mental illness will be a "expensive"one and if you examine the changes in health plans,mental coverages are dropping to less and less,as are medical research expenedures.
So see this film and maybe the"entertainment"value will enlighten you to just how little we truly understand and MUST learn to stop these shootings.This film was released in 2004 and runs 109 minutes and then was re-edited with extra scenes and re-released in 2006 as"What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole".The IMDB summary I added below is from that film and fits short and sweet to what this film is all about.However I have yet to see that re-release.I took 1/2 star off because I don't agree with some theories but that aside,the point is to have a discussion and this film does indeed provide that forum in a very entertaining way.Must see.The trailer URL follows the picture.

Interviews with scientists and authors, animated bits, and a storyline involving a deaf photographer are used in this docudrama to illustrate the link between quantum mechanics, neurobiology, human consciousness and day-to-day reality.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3774611737/

The Gong Show Movie - 3 stars out of 5 stars

"Confessions of  a dangerous mind" was reviewed by me a few days ago and I thought it was worth 4 stars for being"out there".Well the gong show movie is actual clips from the TV show that Mr Barris actually MC'd along with clips the network censor's clipped.Now if you never heard of the show or saw the other movie I reviewed,let me state that Chuck Barris did more to set the stage for todays "reality"TV series then anyone in history.First,the dating game,then the Newlywed game and finally his masterpiece of"The Gong Show"that he actually participated in rather than write and produce only the prior two series.This movie was released in 1980 and runs only 89 minutes.I had to take 2 stars off because its sort of dated and I HATE reality TV.Some of the stuff is obnoxious and just really,really bad.But some is inspired and well,it is historic ,weather we like that history or not.A trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.Should be seen ONLY once,when drunk.

A week in the life of "The Gong Show" host and creator Chuck Barris who lives through a series of outrageous competitors, stressful situations, a nervous breakdown and other comical characters involved in his life and work on the TV show. Written by Anonymous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZGi1qNPddQ

21 Jump Street - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

This movie was a little better than I thought it might be and thus I only took the 1 and 1/2 stars off for the new comedy drugs and silliness I still can't understand along with the idea these two characters could be cops.That all being said,I still had a few real good laughs.Role reversals and Tatum refusing a BJ because he was shooting at people and Jonah shooting a guys "dick"off are funny to me,just not the gotta be high crap all these films now have.Also if these two guys were real cops,we're all dead !!!!Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum fit well in this weird buddy cop film that is supposed to to based on a old TV cult cops show that had Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise in it and they make cameos as DEA agents in the end of this film,both being killed by the way.This film was released in 2012 and runs 109 minutes.It's not a classic by any means and since I never saw the TV series,I'm not sure how to rate it vs that.However I laughed more than I cringed so if your young you should enjoy it.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1681366553/

Ghostbusters - 4 stars out of 5 stars

This film inspired a sequel and a plan for a third next year.Well,I loved this original released in 1984 and running 105 minutes.My only issue its a little hard to get a hand on just how and why this all happens,thus 1 star off for lack of plot laying.That aside,everything else is classic.Two early SNL stars,Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and a very sexy Sigourney Weaver along with Rick Moranis and Harold Ramis head a funny as ,well,hell cast.Director Ivan Reitman again shows that he is right there will Mel Brooke's and Woody Allen as this countries truly great comedic directors.The music rocks and the NYC feel adds to the scare tactics,see Moranis being ignored by diners as he's attacked, even if its not so clear why thus is happening.You gotta love the giant stay puff marshmallow man monster at the end.See it and then tell me how great the crap being turned out today measure up.Also even if they're possessed at the time,its great to see dorky Rick Moranis get it on with Weaver.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below

 Three unemployed parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyRqR56aCKc

Gun Control posting "Rant"instead of a movie/TV series review because of the horror at Newtown, Connecticut.

For you International readers that may not know,the story link is below and then my"rant"follows.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57559500/first-funerals-held-for-conn-shooting-victims/



I've become obsessed with the tragic shooting because it is now the 9/11 of gun ownership in this country.YES,the 9/11.
After 9/11 the government,republican,but with the consent of the people,passed the patriot act.The link to this act is below as well as a sarcastic image or reality check,depending on your point of view.

http://www.fincen.gov/statutes_regs/patriot/

When confronted with protests from the left that this new law violates civil rights,the rights answer was"The constitution is NOT a suicide pack"YET now they  shamelessly throw the second amendment at you as a cause to keep assault weapons or as I had stated in the past,one on one weapons off mass destruction. Other diversions are mental illness help,yet they attack funding for Obama care,lack of morality and the break up of the family unit,including abortion,while this killer shot his mom and was raised in a conservative community.
I don't know this answer.I do know there are more and more people so "common sense"would dictate more and more times this might happen.
So all I say is think of China.No guns yet a crazed maniac attacked a school anyway and
using a knife could only"wound"not kill because his weapon wasn't effective enough.
See a link to THAT story as it relates to this below

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/15/world/asia/china-us-school-attack/index.html


So based upon world wide shootings arises one can only be sure that as population growth increase evil people as well.Then why ban most guns??
Mostly because they make it soooooooooo easy to kill on a massive scale or as I said early,one on one weapons of mass distraction.
Do we really need them for protection.Yes if you fear attack.Bring a gun to a knife fight the old saying goes.However I maintain with 300 million guns in the US alone its not the knife fight people fear.Its still racism and secularism.Yes people in"the heartland" still are afraid of the "bi-coastal"mentality,and visa versa.THAT's where a true dialogue is needed because once guns are far harder to come by,they will not be used to kill for some sicko.
I hate to blame the victim,but we have to ask,this killers mom argued for help with his disabilities yet by her own STUPIDITY,yes stupidity,supplied the weapons for his fowl deeds and her own demise.WHY,did SHE need those kinds of "toys" with a damaged child.Another question to ask,yet it ignores this fact.He might still have strangled or stabbed her,if she had no such weapons,but he would have been over powered by the two women he shot dead entering the school.Maybe,maybe not,but its highly doubtful he would have killed 20 children before being overcome.
Oh,and the Timothy Mcvie case?? He was a domestic terrorist with a grudge against the FBI,not a run of the mill manic and how many other "bombings"are there compared to shootings??
No,thats a silly argument.People DO kill people but much more and far easier when they can use a gun,and the faster it shoots,the better.

Jerry Maguire - 3 stars out of 5 stars

At the end of the day I felt a little dirty at enjoying this film because the main characters are really stupid and almost bad people.The film is also quite long and has no real virtue in morality even passing over concussions as not so worrisome.Thus 2 stars of.Then why watch it at all.Because there are some truly inspired scenes, like at a wedding where  Cuba Gooding Jr.,who plays a pro football wide receiver named Rod Tidwell,is singing his version of Marvin Gaye's soulful"what's going on"to a Marachi band backup.In fact,he just might be the best part of the film.His character is the most real to me.However,there are many better comedies and well unless you LOVE Tom Cruise,who plays the title lead,and love the dirty side of the sports world,see those first.This is a rainy day film.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent with the only athlete who stays with him.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3081699609/

Kindergarten Cop - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Perhaps the best time to review this film is the day after such unspeakable horror as occurred in Connecticut  yesterday.Laughter is hope and sometimes a cure.

 Ivan Reitman directed this 1990 release that runs 111 minutes that I can find NO fault with.Having been married to someone with "early childhood education" experience I can assure you, this is NOT the way kindergarten is taught nor should it be.People its a movie,fantasy that leaves you with this message.Children are the key to happiness.
You see the film starts as a violent cop film and ends as a love,family,conquers and "cures"all message.Isn't THAT what we all strive to find??Arnold Schwarzenegger as Detective John Kimble in perhaps his finest rang of acting in any of his films.Penelope Ann Miller as Joyce Palmieri / Rachel Crisp,in what also may be her best role and a under used yet still present Linda Hunt as Miss Schlowski,head a marvelous cast with a host of cute and funny child actors as the kindergarten class.Forget the cop story plot and just revel as Arnold is bullied by the kids and then wins them over as a "DI"style teacher.Its hilarious.We all can use the laughts,so watch it to forget the real horrors out there.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.  

A tough cop is given his most difficult assignment: masquerade as a a kindergarten teacher in order to find a drug dealer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUK69AM6Mv4

The Untouchables - 4 stars out of 5 stars

From 1959 to 1963 the TV series"The Untouchables" was one of the most popular shows on.But like some movies of the the same area,there was more that meets the eye in "subliminal"messaging in that series.Still it was a truly exciting show in a new area of entertainment and will always be remembered.So in 1987 running 119 minutes,Director Brian De Palma brings us a just as exciting though changed in many ways,version to the screen.I had to take 1 star off because well,the TV show had GREAT music and Walter Winchell as a narrator and well Robert Stack WAS Eliot Ness.In this film the actors,while fine ,don't stand out above the story as in the TV show with perhaps only Sean Connery as Jim Malone,a character that wasn't in the TV show,coming closest.The rest are just OK as is the music and NO narration.
Its De Palma's filming that stands out.He gets away with killing a child,a hollywood no-no, as close as it can be shown with split second film cutting.Stages a classic Calvary style horse charge with machine guns against cars on a bridge,and finally pays homage to the silent screen Russian classic,"Battleship Potemkin"in a railroad station with a few sailors shot BUT the baby in the carriage and her mom LIVE,a reversal of the Russian film where the sailors fired on the Czars guards after they killed civilians including the mom and her baby in one of the most enduring scenes of cinema ever shot anywhere,anytime.De Palma made s labor of love to the past TV show and movie and prohibition while giving it his own unique bloody style. If you like action within moral content,see the film.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Federal Agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop Al Capone; because of rampant corruption, he assembles a small, hand-picked team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0KTI7_PCfI

Galaxy Quest - 4 stars out of 5 stars

I didn't "get" this picture back in 1999 when it was released and runs for only 102 minutes.I do now and took only 1 star off for being so far fetched only a target group like me would really get it.As a Star Trek fan its easy to dismiss as a bad spoof,maybe thats what I did before.But now I realize its more like a mid age life crises film rapped in sci-fi and youthful longing signifying…….,well signifying LIFE and live it now however you can because it will end and fantasies are very lonely when there is no sharing.Maybe I am now over reading the message,but by all means,see it for yourself and you be the judge.It's more than a TV sci-fi spoof.Even the casting works far better than you think.I am not a Tim Allen fan but he does fit the part well here.As does Alan Rickman and even Sigourney Weaver,which I thought may have been a stretch before.The rest of the cast is fine as well.
The story,well,Star Trek like TV show has beens in a "Last Star Fighter"setting is obvious but I now see far more later in my life.The sci-fi is silly,but the mid life and youthful exuberance are something else.Trailer URL follows the pix and a brief IMDB summary is below.

The alumni cast of a cult space TV show have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtHM77IRkus

The Three Musketeers ( 2011 ) - 5 stars out of 5 stars

WOW,this is a real far out re-make of the Dumas classic that I wasn't crazy about back in the day except for the great catch phase,"All for one and one for all"Before anyone goes crazy about the martial arts and other "updates"don't ever forget,"Teenage Nijia Turtles"While it wasn't set in France back then,it DID draw on many elements.As far as updated different spins on old favorites I remind you of "Battlestar Galactica"a huge sci-fi cult success.Ah,but to this 2011 version that runs a short 110 and was shot in 3D,I can't comment on the 3D as I saw it on a regular HD TV,but is was spectacular FX and you all know I'm not a big fan of FX.In this case it was VERY complementary however.Also it ends with a sequel begging to be made.Now the cast was OK but I was never a real big fan of  Milla Jovovich till this film ,she does fit GREATLY and Orlando Bloom is cast well as a bad but maybe good,nah bad guy and a understated Christoph Waltz stand out,but the rest are fine as well.Do see it if you are open to the new re-spins on old classic ideas that seem to be"in"these days.I have NO issues with it all thus the 5 stars.Trailer URL follows the pixs and a IMDB summary below.


After failing in a scheme to steal Leonardo Da Vinci's airship blueprints, the Musketeers are disbanded by Cardinal Richelieu leaving Athos, Porthos and Aramis on the streets of Paris. In the meantime, the young, reckless and ambitious D'Artagnan has set off from Gascony with dreams of becoming a musketeer himself, not realizing that they have been disbanded. In no time, D'Artagnan manages to offend Athos, Porthos and Aramis on different occasions and challenges them all to duels. However before the duels can take place they are attacked by guards, trying to arrest them for illegal dueling. The ex-musketeers and D'Artagnan fight off the soldiers, leading to the four men becoming a band with the motto of "All for one, and one for all". Count Richelieu is not only determined to be rid of the musketeers, but also schemes with Athos' former lover Milady to undermine the reign of King Louis and his wife... Written by WellardRockard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQd3MwT2fAM

Sweet Charity - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Sadly this 1969 musical that runs a bit long at 149 minutes doesn't stand well the test of time because it shows its dateness extremely badly.Plus the story is just a step above the hooker with a heart of good,in this case,dance house hostess.Thus a 50/50 take it or leave it 2 1/2 stars.The good however is a time capsule view of the 60's in NYC and a rare chance to see a Bob Fosses and Neil Simon collaboration in this musical choreographed and written by those two giants of Broadway.Oh yes the cast is stellar as well, headed by Shirley MacLaine and a host of  "A" listers.So its viewable in a historical context when you feel nostalgic or want to see what the 60's were like in a few areas.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

 Taxi dancer Charity continues to have Faith in the human race despite apparently endless disappointments at its hands, and Hope that she will finally meet the nice young man to romance her away from her sleazy life. Maybe, just maybe, handsome Oscar will be the one to do it. Written by Jeremy Perkins <jwp@aber.ac.uk>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOe9tbeuavA

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - 4 stars out of 5 stars

"If it's not true,it should have been" That quote from a different movie"The Cowboys"sums up my views on this film.This"Black Comedy"is based on a autobiography written by Chuck Barris in which he claims he was a CIA hit man during the cold war.
Now if your to young to remember,Barris wrote some wildly controversial TV shows including a guilty pleasure of mine"The Gong Show"and culture iconic shows like"The Dating Game,The Newlywed Game".If you know anything about those shows there is a irony to think that a buffoon such as Barris could be a assassin.Ah,there's the rub,believability.Is it??? Thats for you to decide in this really entertaining and mind blowing movie,ok,ok,maybe I watched too many of his shows back in the day.Still George Clooney directed this film and co-stars as well as Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts and some really interesting cameos.However what really is great about this film is Sam Rockwell  as Chuck Barris.yes its one of those "born to play"performances.Released in 2002 it runs 113 minutes and I took 1 star off for a bit much sexual innuendo.Still I do recommend as thought provoking cinema.Trailer URL follows the pixs and brief IMDB summary below.

An adaptation of the cult memoir of game show impresario Chuck Barris, in which he purports to have been a CIA hitman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xha4hZeXFtQ

Chronicle - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Perhaps I expected too much.All that I feel you get from this film is MAYBE a sequel in the future.The acting is just OK,the story is a update,with modern changes,of "Carrie" and the sci-fi cause and effect is really left unexplained.The other aspect of minor interest is the "tell it to the camera"technique that seems to be "in"these days.So a luke warm 50/50, 2 and 1/2 star rating on this 2012 film that runs only 84 minutes.However I didn't feel it was a complete waste o time and maybe I'm just not "hip"enough.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Whilst attending a party, three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.

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

Good Morning, Vietnam - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Sometimes its good to look back.Released in 1987 and running 121 minutes,its time to re-view a movie that although much of the humor IS dated,the idea it sends is NOT.Thus 1 star off for the dated humor and THAT war no one wants to recall. The cast is OUTSTANDING ,but its a tour de force for Robin Williams.That alone is reason to see this film.However what is more important is no matter how we wish to ignore it,todays adventures in the Middle East are strangely similar whether we wish to admit it or not.The first hour is rockingly funny till the next hour gets serious and shows the unruliness of war.The movie is not preachy but it makes its point with very sharp humor.A must see film.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

An unorthodox and irreverent DJ begins to shake up things when he is assigned to the US Armed Services Radio station in Vietnam.

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

Rent - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes.Thats how many minutes are in one year and maybe how long I will remember this movie and have that song on my head.
Released in 2005 and running 135 minutes,I resisted seeing this movie till now.My bad,always see things for yourself and I was foolish to not enjoy this fabulous musical till now.Why 1 star off,well,there are things of a moral nature that one might find offensive and that does limit the audience somewhat but to them I say,400 years for racial equality and some might argue really,so understand THAT when watching a film about drugs and same sex affairs and just trying to cope. I can write at length about that,but this film does that so much easier as a visual medium.The first hour is kinda "in your face"and that shock will test your patience,but do stick it out.The final hour is proof that love,trust,and perseverance will set you free.Its moving,sad,uplifting,depressing,obnoxious and finally  a great musical movie.Ah the music is wonderful,the actors pretty and talented.Shout out to Wilson Jermaine Heredia,a Brooklyn kid ,Rosario Dawson a beautiful NYC girl ,Adam Pascal from the Bronx and Jesse L. Martin and Anthony Rapp and ALL the others.The late Jonathan Larson wrote the book and scored the fabulous music on Broadway this movie is based on.If you lived in NYC at all,you know these people,they are more real that any rich folks being characterized in other movies,will EVER be to you and I.See it if for nothing else than art's sake,but do see it.A trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.No one ever deserves to die of AIDS.

This is the film version of the Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical about Bohemians in the East Village of New York City struggling with life, love and AIDS, and the impacts they have on America.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi161415449/

Seven Samurai - 4 stars out of 5 stars

I usually don't do foreign movies because the dubbing loses something in translation or I can't focus on the film while reading sub titles.However this 1954 film is the exception because although long at 207 minutes and shot in b&w ,its such a powerful film that the "American western version"is considered by many the best western of all time.
It's a fine example of Japanese film making at its best for the postwar era. Akira Kurosawa wrote and directed the film and it stars my favorite Japanese actor Toshirô Mifune.I took the 1 star off for the length and b&w plus the language problem depending on what version you can get.But GET a version.Its a must see for foreign film buffs.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

A veteran samurai, who has fallen on hard times, answers a village's request for protection from bandits. He gathers 6 other samurai to help him, and they teach the townspeople how to defend themselves, and they supply the samurai with three small meals a day. The film culminates in a giant battle when 40 bandits attack the village. Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnRUHtSgJ9o

Billy Jack - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

One of the strangest movies I've seen.Released in 1971 and running 114 minutes,it has 2 major problems.Bad acting and it is very dated,thus 1 and 1/2 stars off.However IF you can get by that, its a film that tells a story of protest like much of the music of that era. Gezz,it even had a song  "One Tin Soldier",in the soundtrack,that was a hit and it spawned a few film sequels as well becoming a "franchise"but like most,stick with this first one.
The film combined the rising interest in martial arts with the awareness of social injustice and just plain greed and bullyness ,and i have a special place in my heart for it because back in 1977 I saw it on TV on a saturday night and then later that very night,SNL spoofed it with Paul Simon forever cementing both as hip and cultural icons as well as great TV,maybe better than the movie itself.So for a peace of timely nostalgia or for you younger folks,a sense of the times,see this film.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.


Billy Jack is a half-Indian/half-white ex-Green Beret who is being drawn more and more toward his Indian side. He hates violence, but can't get away from it in the white man's world. Pitting the good guys, the students of the peace-loving free-arts school in the desert vs. the conservative bad guys in the near-by town, the movie plays definitive late-60s themes/messages: anti-establishment, make love not war, the senseless slaughter of God's creatures, the rape of society (figuratively and literally), two-sided justice, racial segregation and prejudices, and basic socialist ideals. Written by Nic Cage <2cool@zebra.net>

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

View From the Top 4 stars out of 5 stars

Ah one of the gems I look for.I really can't remember this film from 2003 that is only 87 minutes long. Perhaps it suffered from Gwyneth Paltrow hatred??No matter,its MY kinda comedy so enjoy it.My only issue is the story is a little out there,thats why I took 1 star off,but hey,its a MOVIE !!!!Loved the cast and some quick cameo's that fit well,but you will be the judge for yourself.Comedy is subjective,but,there's something to be said for people dealt a bad hand by life to overcome that, in a romantic yet funny way.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

Donna Jensen was raised literally and figuratively on the wrong side of the trailer park in Silver Springs, Nevada. She always believed it was her destiny to get out of Silver Springs. After reading Sally Weston's book, Sally who is arguably the most famous now ex-flight attendant in the world, Donna believes the path to leaving Silver Springs is to become a flight attendant despite never having been on an airplane. After an initial bumpy start to this career, Donna shows a natural flair for the job, so much so that she applies to work for world class Royal Airlines, where Sally Weston mentors. After meeting Donna, Sally believes Donna is destined for flight attendant greatness, namely working first class in the New York-Paris flights. Donna believes in herself as a flight attendant, but has to overcome some obstacles, including flight attendant trainer John Witney, who has some hidden anger issues... Written by Huggo 

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3486555673/

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

Despite the fact its no secret that I'm not a  fan of rich people who can't cope films,this film does slightly rise above the rest due to George Clooney's performance.Oh the rest of the cast is fine as well BUT since he's the rich guy who had trouble coping,this film rises or falls on him making it sympathetic.It also adds a little end of life issues as well as native Hawaiian issues but at the core,its a rich have problems like the rest of us film.Gezz I wish I had THEIR money and I would sure cope.Released in 2011 it runs 115 minutes and I take the 1 and 1/2 stars off for the rich issue.You could do a lot worse and a little better.trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront the man who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune. Written by realndn06 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWHNXJ1K4yA

John Carter - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Much too long at 132 minutes, this 2012 movie disappointed me greatly.I recommend only for the last hour and some novel ideas.However its equal parts poor,thus the 50/50 2 and 1/2 stars.The actors didn't do it for me,and the plot was sort of a bad mix of "Star wars"and "Avatar"with even a little "dune"in the mis-mash plot.The plus's were civil war era meets aliens and that secret 3rd party that watches and sometimes interferes with events.I never knew  Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote this series of"mars"books that this disney flick is based on.Tarzan its NOT.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

John Carter, a Civil War veteran who in 1868 was trying to live a normal life, is "asked" by the Army to join. But he refuses so he is locked up. He escapes and is pursued. Eventually they run into some Indians and there's a gunfight. Carter seeks refuge in a cave. While there he encounters someone who is holding some kind of medallion. When Carter touches it, he finds himself in a place where he can leap incredible heights, among other things. He later encounters beings he has never seen before. Later he meets a woman who helps him to discover that he is on Mars. And he learns there's some kind of unrest going on. Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlvYKl1fjBI

Traitor - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2008 and running 114 minutes,I found this movie fascinating.Only the ending and particularly a scene on the bus were not what I expected.Thus 1 star off.Still Don Cheadle as Samir Horn is well worth the view.I guess the reason it wasn't so well known is"the bus"scene.I won't explain it,you have to see it for yourself.If you like Showtimes"Homeland"you should love this.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

Samir Horn is a former soldier, a devout Muslim, and U.S. citizen in the Middle East selling bomb detonators to Islamic radicals. He joins their cause as both the FBI and a rogue CIA agent track him. Horn escapes a Yemeni prison, goes underground in France where he proves his abilities, and is sent to the United States to choreograph a simultaneous and multiple terror attack. Will the intelligence agencies talk to each other, and can Horn be stopped? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>  

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi31719705/

Idiocracy - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Silly,dumb,and stupid and all mankind is that way 500 years in the future,or so this film suggests.The dumb breed together and out produce the smart into a world of stagnate self indulgent jerks and its FUNNY.Ok,there are the forget how we got there and other believe at face value shortcomings worth 1 and 1/2 stars off,but all in all I laughed.Released in 2006 and only 84 minutes long,it stars Luke Wilson,who I think is the more talented of the brothers,and Maya Rudolph in the only thing outside SNL she has done that I like.Still the cast is not as important and the joke here on us all.If "The Onion"made a movie,this would be it.IMDB summary below and a trailer link after the pix.Silly but funny,ha,ha.

The purpose of the program set up by the Pentagon, called the "Human Hibernation Project," is designed so that the military can save their best men for when they're needed most. According to the officers heading the project, too many times the talents and expensive training of the best pilots and soldiers go to waste during times of peace. So they enlist Bauers (Wilson), the most under-achieving average guy they've got, to be the test subject for the initial hibernation experiment. Also participating in the top-secret program is Rita (Rudolph), a prostitute who agreed to take part in exchange for dropping some criminal charges against her, among other things. Of course, the experiment, which was to last only a year, goes under due to the arrest of Officer Collins, who is busted for heading a prostitution ring. Seeing as though he was in charge of the experiment, one of the only ones who knew of its existence, and "due to a lot of top-secret red tape... Written by Slider

http://www.zuguide.com/#Idiocracy

Hawaii - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Very interesting if not downright controversial film and far to long at 189 minutes which is the ONLY reason I took 1 star of this majestic 1966 film based on a novel by  James Michener.The screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo  and if you look him up you'll find out some very interesting things about him.Back to the film.Filmed the way most novels were back in that day,its sprawling and paints a very detailed broad canvas thus the long sometimes boring scenes.There are a few ways to look at this film,the Trumbo effect,but the clash of 1820's New England Christian fundamentalist culture vs the almost childlike native Hawaii's is undeniable.It's also a tragic love story for a few families and well,perhaps a little redemption ?? Thats debatable as well.The cast is "A" list but stands firmly on the acting of Julie Andrews and Max von Sydow. So for a exotic historical drama that does demand your time,check it out.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Abner Hale, a rigid and humorless New England missionary, marries the beautiful Jerusha Bromley and takes her to the exotic island kingdom of Hawaii, intent on converting the natives. But the clash between the two cultures is too great and instead of understanding there comes tragedy. Written by Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha8BZd4Jc4I

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

Released in 2011 and 96 minutes,its even harder to rate a comedy from another country when we already know comedy is personnel taste,NOW at cultural national differences and we have this film.Thats the reason I took 1 and 1/2  stars off.It is VERY British.However I still recommend it as a odd couple/cop buddy flick.Rather than go into plot which I have listed as a IMDB summary below,here is a example of some dialogue,

Sergeant Gerry Boyle: Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, these men are armed and dangerous, and you being an FBI agent you're more used to shooting at unarmed women and children...
FBI agent Wendell Everett: Oh, fuck you, Sergeant!

 Sergeant Gerry Boyle: I thought black people couldn't ski. Or is that swimming?
Sergeant Gerry Boyle: I thought only black lads were drug dealers?
Sergeant Gerry Boyle: I'm Irish sir. Racism is part of my culture.

I think you get the point.
Brendan Gleeson     as Sergeant Gerry Boyle and Don Cheadle  as FBI agent Wendell Everett and s good supporting cast do pull it of.Trailer URL follows the pix,enjoy if your crazy like me.

Sergeant Gerry Boyle is a small-town Irish cop with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humor, a dying mother, a fondness for prostitutes, and absolutely no interest whatsoever in the international cocaine-smuggling ring that has brought straight-laced FBI agent Wendell Everett to his door. Written by Element Pictures

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRsMLuCP8a0

The Bucket List - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman are the oddest couple of all time.Kudos to director Rob Reiner for keeping just the right balance of the trickiest of all stories,laughing at certain death and living life at the same time.There are enough metaphors for everyone and it can be very painful to watch when you see something of yourself in ether character.released in 2007 and running only 97 minutes,there is NOTHING not to love in this film IF you can stand the pain of your own life's challenges and I'm not talking about illness.Oh,Sean Hayes and Beverly Todd are overshadowed but mange to shine as well in small supporting roles.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summery is below.


Corporate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. In the process, both of them heal each other, become unlikely friends, and ultimately find joy in life. Written by r2k443

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc3mkG21ob4

Battleship - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Only after the film was two thirds done did it really become fun.Old men with a battleship,thats entertainment.Sadly until then the story was unbelievable from the navy's end.A real dope in charge and the old shoot first mentality is not good story telling.Speaking of dopes,most of the cast was just average at best,except for those old guys at the end.As good as the ending was,it was really misname,should have been Arleigh Burke destroyer .OK      Brooklyn Decker grows on you and Tadanobu Asano was really good but by far the best was Gregory D. Gadson .Truly inspired casting.So the trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below for this 2012 release that ran long at 131 minutes.If you like "boom"you will enjoy it.I took the 1 and 1/2 stars off for a silly story.

Based on the classic Hasbro naval combat game, Battleship is the story of an international fleet of ships who come across an alien armada while on Naval war games exercise. An intense battle is fought on sea, land and air. What do the aliens want? Written by Anonymous

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

Blue River - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Interesting enough,I accidentally found this TV movie looking for something else.Sometimes thats fortunate as in this case.Released in 1995 and running 90 minutes its a challenging film on a few levels.But like most early TV movies it relies on a good cast to breath life into a conflicted broken home/sibling tension filled/religious/single parent/midwest family situation of growing up.I can't relate but i do find the storyline quite interesting if hard to comprehend.So lets just say if you liked a movie, say like"A river runs thru it"then you might enjoy this rather obscure film.The trailer is a quick poor quality TV commercial,sorry,and it follows the picture.A IMDB summary is below.

The stormy relationship of a young teenage boy with his troubled older brother is told in an extended flashback segment bookended by what happens when the two meet again 15 years later. Edward is a young teen living in a family the father abandoned years before and where the mother has become a Christian fundamentalist and courts a self-righteous school principal. In this setting, Edward tries to come to grips with his feelings towards the brother he both loves and fears, while struggling to protect his family and others from his brother's wrath. Written by Sean Parlaman <seanpar@efn.org>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljai1c7bRkk

Thelma and Louise - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Tough movie to review and so I give it my lowest "see"rating of 2 1/2 stars,50/50.
You see I have a very hard time having sympathy for characters that,well,get themselves into bad situations and then suffer the consequences.That in a nut shell in the story."Fat,dumb and stupid is no way to go through life son"was a quote from a 10 ten movie I loved ,Dean Warmer said in "Animal House"to Flounder.Well Thelma and Louise are two innocent yet"dumb and stupid"characters that allowed themselves through their own short comings to wind up where they did.Sorry,I have BIG issues with that as to investing my time and sympathy.
Now on the plus side.It takes great film making and acting to illicit a point of view as being believable even when objectionable,to this viewer.Released in 1991 and running long at 130 minutes,director  Ridley Scott accomplishes this.Susan Sarandon IS Louise Sawyer and Geena Davis IS Thelma and well Harvey Keitel  as Hal,a cop chasing them,can play ANYTHING.Brad Pitt is fine as eye candy,and the rest of the cast work well. Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

An Arkansas waitress and a housewife shoot a rapist and take off in a '66 Thunderbird. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXT3k4PTmSw

Twins - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Early Ivan Reitman classic released in 1988 and running 107 minutes that stands the test of time if only for the casting of odd couple Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as long lost "Twins".Sight gags alone make it worth a view.It's somewhat dated and the script is sort of"out there"so I took 1 star off.Still,it has many other strengths that recommend it. Both leeds can act and fit the roles and the whole idea of genetic experimentation is more relevant today than it was then and so lends itself well to satire.Far better than the drug crap being made these days.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Julius and Vincent Benedict are the results of an experiment that would allow for the perfect child. Julius was planned and grows to athletic proportions. Vincent is an accident and is somewhat smaller in stature. Vincent is placed in an orphanage while Julius is taken to a south seas island and raised by philosophers. Vincent becomes the ultimate low life and is about to be killed by loan sharks when Julius discovers that he has a brother and begins looking for him. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRdcL2qKt6k

Blood and Black Lace - AKA - Sei donne per l'assassino - 3 stars out of 5 stars

I guess its time for a little horror here and while most films are "sex bad so teen sinner die"Friday 13th and Nightmare on Elm street crap,we have to go to Europe for at least a story to the slaughter. Perhaps the best ever made IMHO is this 1964 classic that ran on 88 minutes.I take 2 stars off because it is still a slasher film but at least there is a fairly interesting story to justify the slaughter.Pretty good acting as well headed by Cameron Mitchell and Eva Bartok.So if you want more than a teen slice up film,try it.It's almost as good as Frenzy and Psycho story wise. Almost.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

Isabella, a young model is murdered by a mysterious masked figure at a boarding house run by Max Morlacchi and his lover Countess Cristiana Como. When Isabella's boyfriend is suspected of the killing, her diary, which apparently has some incriminating evidence linking her to the killer, dissapears, the masked killer begins killing off all the models in and around the house to find the diary. Written by Anonymous 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wisiw-RmZc

Sergeant York - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1941 and shot in B&W and running a bit long at 134 minutes,those are the reasons I took 1 star of a film that couldn't be made today and that would be a shame.
All the rules of today's "political correctness"were broken but this film was made much closer to the time of the events than to today and thats the charm and treat of its relevance.
The actions of one Sergeant York,played by academy award winner for the performance,Gary Cooper aren't even shown until well into the second hour.No,the first hour is a telling of poverty as a way of the hard life in Tennessee back in the early 1900's.
From that back ground we begin to learn of  the life of Alvin C. York and a little of what made the man who became the most decorated US soldier of WW1. Very PC incorrect but very accurate,believe it or not,for the time.MUST see for historical relevance,both socially and historically.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary for those very young or trapped in"the bubble"

True story of a hillbilly sharpshooter drafted in WW1 despite his claim to be a pacifist, who ends up becoming a war hero.

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

Airport ( 1970 ) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

The film that inspired 4 remakes and updates and then a slew of comedic spoofs.Truly a classic in every sense.Fine acting,good script and more than a little nostalgic considering todays security at airports.This film captures the allure and glamor of what was then still a growing fun experience and adds to it drama and human frailty.Many who have seen the comedy of the "Airplane"movie franchise will see just were some of the great parody came from.The cast is A+ headed by  Burt Lancaster,Dean Martin and a host of others in the mood  of the true disaster genre.Released in 1970 it runs 137 minutes and I took 1 star off for being very dated,BUT its still a bucket list film.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.



Mel Bakersfeld is the hard-charging manager of Lincoln International Airport, trying to keep his airport open despite a raging Midwestern snowstorm and an angry wife. Meanwhile, his antagonistic brother-in-law, Vernon Demerest, may have his plans for a placid layover in Italy disturbed by unexpected news from Gwen Meighen, and by the plans of the D.O. Guerrero, the loose cannon on board. Written by Steve Fenwick <scf@w0x0f.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PACKbKt8MOw

4 For Texas - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

OK,its not a "great western"buts its a good example of the funny by play that both Sinatra and Martin were capable of back in the day.Also what a difference in"sex symbols"with then stars Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress vs todays stars.Lets just say they would never"drown"and weren't starving.Also interesting to see Charles Bronson as a bad guy and a host of familiar actors from that time.Released in 1963 and running a bit long at 124 minutes,it has laughs and shows the difference in humor from then to now.I took the 1 and 1/2 stars off because its no great story just a fun ride with two of the best there ever was and two women who,well…………
Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below

Sharpshooters Zack Thomas and Joe Jarrett are in a Texan stage-coach and manage to fight off Matson's robber gang, so afterward they can fight over the $100,000 cash carried by a railroad official. Both make it to Galveston, where each, including vexed Matson, meets up with respective accomplices in various dirty schemes. The money keeps changing hands and the scene shifts to a river boat, which should multiply the winnings as a casino, but the crooks and bullets follow. Written by KGF Vissers 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blTr9jqLL70

Gone to Texas - AKA- Houston:The Legend of Texas - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Sometimes even before HBO,a TV movie was made worth seeing.Not the huge budget to give the subject was it deserves,but for its time,1986 it's really quite good.Sam Elliott as Sam Houston is the focus and the scope of the story that is almost as broad as the USA itself.So some will be disappointed at the short,quick overview of many very important details.There is so very much to tell. And like many TV movies it starts so very slow that only the power of Elliott's screen presence keeps you interested.Surly someone will one day make a true picture of the father of Texas.He deserves it,booze,women and all.For remember this,he was a head of state,governor of two states and a congressman and senator from different states,Who else in our country had that pedigree??
How much is fact,or fiction,I don't know,however I would like to know about his dream for a indian nation in Texas before he ever went there.If Honest Abe is getting a new look this year,I believe Houston should get one two.For all its flaws and unevenness,this film temps you to learn more about this crazy character and very unique figure in our history.REMAKE !!!! The film runs 144 minutes and I took 1 star off for the slow start and being a TV movie
Sorry I can find no trailer or scenes online.

Dirty Harry 4 stars out of 5 stars

Do you feel lucky punk??A quote we all know from a screen character we've all heard of even if we haven't seen the films.Oh yeah,there were four sequels.Sadly the film seems dated ,in dress and feel, and political correctness but its a lot of fun and well,only a chair wouldn't be afraid of old Dirty Harry.Released in 1971 and running 102 minutes I took the one star off for the reasons I mentioned above.But like the "Death Wish" series of films you can't help loving Clint Eastwood cutting thru all the BS and insuring the bad guys get what the deserve.If only the real world were so simple.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary for those who live in a bubble.

In the year 1971, San Francisco faces the terror of a maniac known as Scorpio- who snipes at innocent victims and demands ransom through notes left at the scene of the crime. Inspector Harry Callahan (known as Dirty Harry by his peers through his reputation handling of homicidal cases) is assigned to the case along with his newest partner Inspector Chico Gonzalez to track down Scorpio and stop him. Using humiliation and cat and mouse type of games against Callahan, Scorpio is put to the test with the cop with a dirty attitude. Written by commanderblue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzeV8Sd9pV0

Evita - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Let me say this film is engrossing IF and its a big if,you can stay with it.I have 2 major issues with it.First,I HATE in the action but not really there narrators.Second its NOT a musical but a opera.Now  Antonio Banderas is fine as Ché,the narrator or maybe its a shout out to that cuban revolutionary Guevara,doesn't matter,its just annoys me. Opera is NOT a traditional musical but a whole movie of"sung"dialogue unlike the traditional broadway musical you might think your going to see as its based on such a "musical".So casting Madonna     as Eva Perón was brilliant.So these two major irritants plus the 135 minute length and a incoherent history of true Peronist politics forces me to take 1 and 1/2 stars off.However this 1996 release scores well in the capturing of the post war feel of the 40's and 50's as well as any film since"Godfather"truly well crafted for effect. Shedding enough light on this period of Argentine politics is also a plus as I hope you'll want to know much more and the period and the Perón's life.It's not what you may have hoped for but its a decent enough film if you give it a chance.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

High-flying, adored! The film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical depicting the infamous real-life story of Eva "Evita" Duarte de Peron, the wife of President Juan Peron, who rose from poverty to become the most famous Argentine woman in history. Her huge political influence and constant charity works earned her scorn and fear from the military and upper classes but adoration and love from the workers and descamisados. Evita's legendary life is displayed before your eyes as the most hated and most beloved woman in Argentina. Written by O.G.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXwvM0kQrw0

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

OK we gone through the comedy thing many times before and well,this movie is kinda BAD.However I like Jonah Hill and Sam Rockwell was outstanding BUT little Landry Bender has future star written all over her.The rest of the cast is ok,but the story is STUPID.Still it has a few funny spots and gags and it looks like most of it was shot in my old stomping grounds as a kid.Released in 2011 and LONG at 81 minutes,its more like a bunch of quick sketches than a coherent believable movie.Therefore my lowest,still ok to view, rating of 2 1/2 stars.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Noah, is not your typical entertain-the-kids-no-matter-how-boring-it-is kind of sitter. He's reluctant to take a sitting gig; he'd rather, well, be doing anything else, especially if it involves slacking. When Noah is watching the neighbor's kid he gets a booty call from his girlfriend in the city. To hook up with her, Noah takes to the streets, but his urban adventure spins out of control as he finds himself on the run from a maniacal drug lord.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2490605081/

The Wild Bunch - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Simply one of 2 or 3 of the greatest westerns ever made.Perhaps a bit to violent for some but otherwise nothing to like in this 1969 release that runs 145 minutes and doesn't even seem that long.The film is essential viewing because director and writer  Sam
Peckinpah,infused the bloodiest shootout ever seen up to that time  that brought adulthood to a genre of film that hinted but never got down and dirty before.However the film is far more than that,it not only fused the older elements of good vs bad,evil and redemption,but added something new,"OLD AGE"as well as the familiar theme of being left behind to progress and the winds of change.The cast is "A+"headed by William Holden and Ernest Borgnine and a host of others.Essential viewing for any serious movie fan or jut western fans in general.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

In the Wild Bunch the movie opens with a group of aging outlaw's final score, a bank robbery. The event concludes with a violent and overtly bloody shootout that would generally mark the finale of a movie. This is correct in that it marks the finale of an era, for the characters and the world they live in. They simply can no longer keep up, the times are changing, technology advancing, and they're style of life is getting left behind in the dust that they spent so long galloping through. They abandon their careers for the simpler life of retirement. They enjoy this time, they live their fantasies. During this time the law is always on their tracks, bounty hunters. The further into their fantasy they get, the closer their demise seems to get. When one of their own is captured they are faced with the choice of escape or what is certainly a suicide mission to attempt and free their fallen behind comrade... Written by VilanTrub@gmail.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwE3TfJUB48

Last Man Standing - ( 1996 ) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Not a great film but the almost comic book shoot outs set in a west texas near the border town  during prohibition makes for a guilty pleasure.Released in 1996 and running 101 minutes,there are other films with the same name,however,this is like no others.The cast is 
"B+",headed by Bruce Willis and under utilizing Christopher Walken,even good old Bruce Dern and not yet a star Michael Imperioli,jump out among many other familiar character actors.The story is stupid thus 1 and 1/2 stars off,but the feeling is so antique and desolate that you have to love the"feel"of the film.I liked it and feel so ashamed,ha,ha.
Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

John Smith is an amoral gunslinger in the days of Prohibition. On the lam from his latest (unspecified) exploits, he happens upon the town of Jericho, Texas. Actually, calling Jericho a town would be too generous--it has become more like a ghost town, since two warring gangs have 'driven off all the decent folk.' Smith sees this as an opportunity to play both sides off against each other, earning himself a nice piece of change as a hired gun. Despite his strictly avowed mercenary intentions, he finds himself risking his life for his, albeit skewed, sense of honor.... Written by Tad Dibbern <DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzeilAzE_8M

1941 - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1979 and running 118 minutes,this   Steven Spielberg is a bit to slyck.It opens with a homage to his hugely successful "Jaws"than try to have a "SNL" and"Animal house"feel.Sorry,WW11 wasn't that funny.However the "A"cast does make many of the jokes work,but there are too many "inside"jokes and that robs the film of staying power.So 1 and 1/2 off for slickness,inside jokes,and some poor taste.Still the overtop fear of invasion on the west coast, during that war ,does lend itself to a little satire.You choice as I have stated many times about humor.My main reason for recommending is John Belushi,Dan Aykroyd,Tim Matheson,Christopher Lee and Toshirô Mifune.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Hysteria grips California in the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. An assorted group of defenders attempt to make the coast defensible against an imagined Japanese invasion, in this big budget, big cast comedy. Members of a Japanese submarine crew scout out the madness, along with a Captain in Germany's Kreigsmarine (Navy). Written by Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cytGrQ5z8dY

Elmer Gantry - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Sometimes a film truly becomes art,such is the case with this 1960 film that although its a might long at 146 minutes,is none the less flawless as art.True enough,many only thought of it as a indictment of religion as home to the flim flan man.No,its much more than that.It IS a story of religion and faith,deception and contrivance but above all that it is a story of the human condition.Fine acting by all involved but mainly by Burt Lancaster in as dominate role as any even preformed on the screen.Below I have posted the IMDB summary as well as the trailer URL after the picture but my take on the film is this.Its a hard cruel world and only belief and hope gives you the strength to plug along.Set in the prohibition era after the end of WW1,this country was slowly moving from a agricultural society to a urban one and that meant a whole new set of trials and tribulations for us all.It has been said that religion is the refuge of fools,no,to me,its a anchor in a turbulent world.After watching this film you just might understand the forces at work in Islam today,just as the forces at work in Christianity had their modern upheavals in the time depicted in this film.Was Elmer the devil or Jesus stuck in a modern desert battling the devil ?Was Sister Sharon Falconer,played by Jean Simmons,a saint or a fool?Shirley Jones as Lulu Bains,a post modern Mary Magdalene ??
So many questions and points of views.Just like any work of art.Must see bucket list film,today,more than ever. 

Elmer Gantry is a fast talking, hard drinking traveling salesman who always has a risqué story and a hip flask to entertain cronies and customers alike. He is immediately taken with Sister Sharon Falconer, a lay preacher whose hellfire and damnation revivalism has attracted quite a following. Gantry uses his own quick wit and knowledge of the bible to become an indispensable part of Sister Sharon's roadshow but soon finds that his past catches up with him in the form of Lulu Bains, now a prostitute. While Gantry seeks and eventually gets forgiveness from Sharon, tragedy strikes when she finally manages to get out of her revivalist tent and opens a permanent church. Written by garykmcd 

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi862455065/

The Shawshank Redemption - 4 stars out of 5 stars

OK,I'll admit its a great picture however the subject,innocent man in prison,never was a favorite of mine,thus 1 star off.Released in 1994 and running 142 minutes,its also a bit long.The acting however is second to none and thats the key to the films popularity I believe.Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman shine as the main characters and Bob Gunton as the warden leads the great supporting cast.Its worth a look as a great crafted film with the need for "justice"at the end fulfilled in a interesting way.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

Andy Dufresne is a young and successful banker whose life changes drastically when he is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and her lover. Set in the 1940's, the film shows how Andy, with the help of his friend Red, the prison entrepreneur, turns out to be a most unconventional prisoner. Written by Martin Lewison <milst1@cislabs.pitt.edu>

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi882809625/

Car Wash - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1976 and running 97 minutes I had to take 1 and 1/2 stars off for being very dated and very ethnic in its humor.However those weakness's are the reason to also see this classic film that would never be made today.Comedy is subjective but this film is not politically correct.Still,I laugh and just wish it started a little faster as I felt it was slow to hit its stride.Its hard to explain the story other than a day in the lives of a car wash and its mostly black employees in LA during the 70's disco and r&b scene. The cast is outstanding with much smaller roles that expected for Richard Pryor and George Carlin.Also interesting to see Otis Day is a acting role a few years BEFORE "Animal House" as well as the Pointer Sisters and many many more.Give it about 20 minutes and you'll be hooked as I was.Trailer URL follows the pix.Sample of the jokes,automated car washes were just starting back when this film was made,so THIS car  wash has a sign saying"Best Hand Job in town"

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

Bonnie and Clyde - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1967 and running 112 minutes I never really "got"this film.Sure Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as well as a good supporting cast do well in this story of the famous girl&guy killer/robbers and their gang.However the story for me is un remarkable.Low life poorly educated "white trash "who get what they deserve.There's not a bot of morality or virtue for me at all.Thats why I take 2 stars off and recommend for the historical aspects only.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

A bored small-town girl and a small-time bank robber leave in their wake a string of violent robberies and newspaper headlines that catch the imagination of the Depression-struck Mid-West in this take on the legendary crime spree of these archetypal lovers on the run. Written by Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2495283481/

The Bridge on the River Kwai - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1957 and running 161 minutes,another classic film made to absorb and make you contemplate as a good novel once did for those of you have never read one.
Its hard to add to the IMDB summary directly below and a trailer URL follows the pix.However I must add that seen in todays dark exploration into humanity, only heightens the impact of this film of 60+ years ago, strange as that may seem.I will only add that again William Holden as Shears,the american,again shows that he just might be the most underrated actor that ever lived.Of course  Alec Guinness as Colonel Nicholson shows you younger folks he was far more than Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi.The rest of the cast is fine as well.MUST SEE for many reasons,least of which is the conversations you'll have for weeks to come. OH yes,you might become a whistler afterwards.

The film deals with the situation of British prisoners of war during World War II who are ordered to build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railway. Their instinct is to sabotage the bridge but, under the leadership of Colonel Nicholson, they are persuaded that the bridge should be constructed as a symbol of British morale, spirit and dignity in adverse circumstances. At first, the prisoners admire Nicholson when he bravely endures torture rather than compromise his principles for the benefit of the Japanese commandant Saito. He is an honorable but arrogant man, who is slowly revealed to be a deluded obsessive. He convinces himself that the bridge is a monument to British character, but actually is a monument to himself, and his insistence on its construction becomes a subtle form of collaboration with the enemy. Unknown to him, the Allies have sent a mission into the jungle, led by Warden and an American, Shears, to blow up the bridge. Written by alfiehitchie 

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1900740633/

TV Series - Homeland - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Showtime is in the second season of this interesting series.It was hyped as another 24 type show but its really not.Its more like the new "Battlestar Gallactica"in the sense that, are we "the good guys"the same as the really,really bad guys??Our hero is a bi-polar CIA field officer Carrie Mathison,who is really unstable and singleminded BUT a good patriot.Claire Danes,who play's her even reminds me of Starbuck in the new "Battlestar Gallactica".My only issue is thats is very slow moving compared to other shows out there,but hey,it shows how really cerebral this war on terror can be.Thats why I took 1 star off.By the way,Mandy Patinkin is stellar as Carries boss.The rest of the cast works well.
Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

Carrie Mathison, a CIA operations officer, is on probation after carrying out an unauthorized operation in Iraq. As a result, she has been reassigned to the Counter terrorism center. Whilst in Iraq, she was warned that an American prisoner had been turned by Al-Qaeda. When Nicholas Brody, a U.S. Marine Sergeant, is rescued after being held hostage since 2003, she suspects that he is the turned American prisoner. Brody is received home as a war hero, so Carrie goes to any lengths possible, ignoring protocol, to catch him out. Written by Kad

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3352929561/

North Star - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

With a cast of James Caan,Christopher Lambert and Burt Young,I expected a whole lot more than I got from this 1996 film that ran 90 minutes. Sadley its only a 50/50 proposition because of the snowy Alaska setting with dog sleds and all.It's nearly watcable because the plot is so cliche and done so often before, just not with all these cold weather settings.So if you need a western good vs evil with some snow throw in on a HOT summer night,maybe……..
Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Set during the Alaskan gold rush of the late 1800's. In his efforts to gain control of a small mining town, Sean McLennon is buying up every mining claim that becomes available, usually after the deaths of the previous owners at the hands of McLennon's 'assistants'. One of the miners targeted by McLennon, a half-Indian hunter named Hudson Saanteek, manages to escape his hired thugs and comes back into town looking to re-establish his claim and get revenge. McLennon and his men have the advantange of numbers and weapons, but Saanteek has his survival skills and knowledge of the Alaskan wilderness. Written by Jean-Marc Rocher <rocher@fiberbit.net>

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi77201689/