Fair Game ( 2010) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

While I'm not big on talky pixs which are little more than filmed plays,this was a fairly interesting take on one of the more distasteful White House scandals in the last 20 or so years.
For those of you above such shallow stories we are referring to the Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts ) affair and its NOT sexual,it's far more insidious.Ms Plame is the wife of former Ambassador Joe Wilson (Sean Penn ) whose identity as a covert CIA agent was released to discredit her husbands claim that the White House lied about certain intel leading to the invasion or Iraq.While the whole story may never truly be known and I'm surprised the real Wilson's are still alive,it makes for a VERY interesting spin on what MAY have happened. Good acting and a topical story makes for a better film that all the print stories about the affair.Released in 2010 and running 108 minutes,I took 1 and 1/2 stars off because it is so talky and we will never really know how true the back story really is.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below

Plame's status as a CIA agent was revealed by White House officials allegedly out to discredit her husband after he wrote a 2003 New York Times op-ed piece saying that the Bush administration had manipulated intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the invasion of Iraq. Written by anonymous

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

Downton Abbey - 5 stars out of 5 stars

So far only 2 seasons have made it to PBS TV in the US( check your local listings) of this wonderful English upper-class turn of the century drama that no one does better than the Brits.I have only reviewed 3 TV series before and they were all completed so this is a first as it's still on going.Even though I do movies,in the rare case of a special TV show I have done a review.So for the 4th time,here goes.
It's always been fascinating to watch royalty thats why we all love the Royal family even  today.Back in the early 1900's there were a whole lot of aristocrats copping with a changing world complicated by the war to end all wars and a changing of the class system amongst the turmoils of the day including the "Irish problem"motorcars,telephones and politics of the preliterate to name but a few.This series follows one such family with their own issues of fidelity,money and personnel honor as well as a large service staff with much the same issues.Although both groups are separated by standing,they share the same devotion to the "house"they serve,Downton Abby.We experience death,betrayal,infidelity and loyalty and honor as only a upper-class can extend and a working class can understand.
Lord Crawley hires a ex military commoner who served with him in Africa even though he might not be able to handle the work a demanding staff entails.
A daughter who is enchanted by a chauffeur.
Another daughter who may marry for money but loves another ( it's complicated)
Another daughter who foils her sibling at every opportunity.
And thats not even the staff !!!
 The cast for the most part is not well known here in the US but you will recognize a few.
Ah but the setting is truly splendid with nothing like it here .
Yet all the time the shadow of the war covers 3 from the abbey by direct service and everyone else as the abbey becomes a convalescent  stop for returning wounded officers.
There is NOTHING not to love about this series.Do yourself a favor and check it out.
PBS can show you some past episodes online.There is probably other sites on the internet as well.It plays sunday nights on my local PBS TV area station.


Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, the drama centers on the Crawley family and their servants.

Lord Crawley sees his family heritage, especially the grand country home Downton Abbey, as his mission in life. The death of his heir aboard the Titanic means distant cousin Matthew Crawley, a Manchester lawyer, suddenly is next in line and accepts moving onto the vast estate with his even more modernist, socially engaged mother, who clashes with his lordship's domineering, conservative ma the dowager. Marrying off the daughters is another concern. Meanwhile the butler presides over a staff which serves the family but also lead most of their entire lives in the servants quarters, intriguing amongst themselves. Written by KGF Vissers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABo_u9P_3wQ

War Horse - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Not a bad film but kinda long and improbable thus 1 and 1/2 stars off as well as using the"War horse"like a "Babel"sort of link between various peoples stories within the WW1 years.Still the film released in 2011 and running 146 minutes shows again how director
Steven Spielberg can manipulate any of us to at least one tear.For me the real value of the film is the hope people will again investigate WW1. We owe to the souls who lived and died during it.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.I highly recommend for the historical value.

Dartmoor,1914: To his wife's dismay farmer Narracott buys a thoroughbred horse rather than a plough animal but his teenaged son Albert trains the horse and calls him Joey,the two becoming inseparable. When his harvest fails the farmer has to sell Joey to the British cavalry and he is shipped to France where,after a disastrous offensive he is captured by the Germans and changes hands twice more before he is found,caught in the barbed wire in No Man's Land four years later and freed,due to a bizarre truce. He is returned behind British lines where Albert,now a private,has been temporarily blinded by gas but still recognises his beloved Joey. However as the Armistice is declared Joey is set to be auctioned off. After all they have been through will Albert and Joey return home together? Written by don @ minifie-1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APrpsM3VOAI

Pan's Labyrinth - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

One of the strongest and toughest films to watch I've ever scene.It's far more than what you see on the screen,yet that in itself, is at best,memorably implanted to haunt you forever.I can't really explain it as I was never a girl or abused or had a rough life,yet it's as if I understand fully.Released in 2006 and running 106 minutes,it shows the power of other than Hollywood to move us.In this case,Mexico about Spain and that terrible brutal Civil War we often forget for many reasons,yet is serves as a backdrop for this haunting tail of helplessness brought on by madness,brought on by the need to escape the absurdness of a brutal exsistance.Trailer URL follows pix and a IMDB summary is below but it really can't be explained,rather it must be experienced.I took 1/2 star off because at times the lack of hollywood expertise show.Still you'll never forget it if you see it. 


In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she's a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again. Written by Tim 

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

The 13th Warrior - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1999 and running 102 minutes,this is a interesting idea of a banished arab and norseman warriors joining forces to defeat a a unknown enemy.I took 1 and 1/2 stars stars off for some excess violence and under utilizing the great Omar Sharif as Melchisidek .    Antonio Banderas as Ahmed Ibn Fahdlan  shows the action talent that would later be seen in more films broadening his horizons from just romantic roles.For me the beginning of mix and match allies joining forces to fight a common enemy type of sword and sorcery sub genre of films.WHEW !!!Anyway trailer URL follows pix and a IMDB summary below.Nasty but dirty pleasure film !!


In AD 922, an important emissary who is banished from his homeland. The nomadic outcast comes across a band of Norse warriors who coerce him into joining them when they are summoned to fight mysterious creatures legendary for consuming every living thing in their path. Eventually surrounded by the frightening and ferocious foe, Ibn must conquer his personal fears and help battle the illusive invaders--who emerge out of the shroud of fog in the black of the night. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRiBk9g1qRw

Trading Places - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1983 and running 116 minutes this is VERY funny film if you suspend a little belief .That is relatively easy considering the excellent cast starting with both Eddie Murphy, and Dan Aykroyd as two guys who are tricked into switching places at the whim of two old bored rich guys played by Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche.I only took 1 star off for the wild idea you have to accept.That said,its as funny as can be as the dialog and acting is fabulous.Lines like "you guys sound like a couple of bookies to me",and if I remember right,the best way to get back at rich people are to make them poor,run throughout.Must see,IMDB summary below and trailer follows pix.

Louis Winthorpe is a businessman who works for commodities brokerage firm of Duke and Duke owned by the brothers Mortimer and Randolph Duke. Now they bicker over the most trivial of matters and what they are bickering about is whether it's a person's environment or heredity that determines how well they will do in life. When Winthorpe bumps into Billy Ray Valentine, a street hustler and assumes he is trying to rob him, he has him arrested. Upon seeing how different the two men are, the brothers decide to make a wager as to what would happen if Winthorpe loses his job, his home and is shunned by everyone he knows and if Valentine was given Winthorpe's job. So they proceed to have Winthorpe arrested and to be placed in a compromising position in front of his girlfriend. So all he has to rely on is the hooker who was hired to ruin him. Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com

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

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Like a film I reviewed earlier,"Sink the Bismarck"there was a popular song released around the same time as this movie, with the same name, BUT is NOT in said movie.
More important in these days of political bickering and "Tea Party"vs "Occupy "Everyone should revisit this film at least once.Sure its a western on the surface but it's whole lot more.Free men,both former slaves and immigrants and special interests both ranchers and farmers via in the transformation of a territory into statehood.Yes a microcosm of what it is to be a American, as SO MANY seem to have forgotten today.

To the film.It's a John Ford classic with John Wayne as Tom Doniphon BUT this is NOT Mr Wayne's film.No,this film belongs to James Stewart as Ransom Stoddard and a who's who of westerns in the supporting cast anchored by Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance and a wild performance by Edmond O'Brien as Dutton Peabody and a really wasted role as the female love interest by beautiful Vera Miles as Hallie Stoddard and so many others it will fill the page to list them all here.Released in 1962 and running 123 minutes I tool 1/2 star off for being filmed in black and white.

The story open with Ransom,now a senator and his wife,Hallie returning to the small town of Shinbone,for the funeral of  forgotten friend Tom.Through a flashback, pressed for by a local newspaper man of why and what is the connection between the two,a story unfolds of timeless hope and vision of what this country was and should be again.Ransom was fresh from the east and wanting to practice law in the west, spurred on by Horace Greely's great quote,"go west young man"Long story short,Ransom is everything you hope you can be in a civilized world.The west had a little way to go yet,and like todays villains who prey on weakness,Liberty ( what a play on words !!)Valance  can ruin everything,if not for Tom.Be warned however,Tom is not so goody goody as you might think.Nether was this country,born with slavery and cleansed in the blood of the Civil War later.
Finally Ransom must face Liberty and its nor a fair fight at all but it is a honorable one and we all know how many fine young men died through the years for the honor and freedom of theirs and ours.I'll let you see the film and discover and debate the"honor"I mentioned.Mr.Wayne took a big gamble on his legacy doing his role in this film,I however respect him all the more for it.
At the end of the film,the newspaper man tears up the story Ransom just told him and when asked why not the truth,he replies,"This is the west where legend becomes the truth".
Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8nqY5TAAII

Airplane - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

A fine comedy but not as funny as viewed over again.Mostly visual with a funny scene of men with guns walking right through metal detectors and Hari-Krishna ect.Verbal jokes like don't call me surely and do you like gladiators ? Still I guess I just know whats coming now.Still if you haven't seen it YOU MUST !!!
I just took  1/2 stars off because I've seen it to much and must not have a life.
Released in 1980 and running only 88 minutes the cast is hilarious starting with Leslie Nielsen and right down the line.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.
The first truly"spoof"film I can recall.In this case of airplane disaster films of which there
had been a few including a famous John Wayne film"the high and the mighty"and "Airport"however other films such as "jaws"and "Saturday night fever"take hits as well.
Yup I guess I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue.

An airplane crew takes ill. Surely the only person capable of landing the plane is an ex-pilot afraid to fly. But don't call him Shirley.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaXvFT_UyI8

The Day the Earth Stood Still ( 1951 ) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

We'll end this 50's trip down sci-fi lane with a film again,that was remade later,but for it's time had a stellar cast.British actor Michael Rennie as a alien visitor,Klaatu. Future academy award winning actress Patricia Neal as Helen Benson and legendary actor Sam Jaffe as Professor Jacob Barnhardt  head the fine cast.Released in 1951 and running a short 92 minutes,I took 1 and 1/2 stars off because its in black and white and I don't really think aliens would be so benevolent.The robot"inforcer"is tame by todays standards as well and the film is a little dated.Still its good fun so check it out.Trailer URL follows the pix.IMDB summary below.

An alien lands and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnGz9j3-jtA&feature=fvst

Them ( 1954) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

There are a few other films with this name but I have not seen any of the so if they are remakes or other stories,I have NO idea.
The first atomic generated giant insect movie I ever saw and one of the many from the 50's They were message films about the perils of atomic energy.This was by far the best and scariest especially a scene when a little girl survivor of an attack ,in shock, is snapped out of it by the "sound "of the danger of approaching giant ants.Good stuff.The ants themselves were ok for that time,but that almost cricket like sound was something else.I took 1 star off again for black and white filming and being a little dated but still its better than most made then or for that matter since.Add to it the acting led by the wonderful  James Whitmore  as Police Sgt. Ben Peterson and again future MEGA TV Star James Arness as Robert Graham and a not well known but great and beautiful actress,Joan Weldon as Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford and good supporting actors,its a easy film to get into.Released in 1954 it runs only 94 minutes.Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AOspwNxjtE

Invasion of the Body Snatchers ( 1956) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Another of the 50's metaphor red menace horror flicks remade later but the original is still the best. Imagine someone you know falls asleep and awakes a completely different person.Such is the case in this movie.You fall asleep and a "pod"takes on your characteristics and becomes YOU.See the commie inference?In this case its aliens from outer space who take us over in that manner. Everyone becomes part of a collective that only cares about spreading that to the rest of the world.Such is the horror and message of this film.Quite scary.Released in 1956 it runs only 80 minutes and has a good cast headed by the strikingly beautiful  Dana Wynter and appropriately paranoid Kevin McCarthy who ends the film screaming They're here! They're here!Only took 1 star off for being filmed in black and white and a little dated.Still a must for film buffs who want more than whats on the screen.Trailer URL follows the pix.

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

The Thing from another World ( 1951) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

The 1950's were the golden age of sci-fi films. Spurred on by the "cold war"between east and west, Hollywood used these films as metaphors for the menace of the red peril.However these metaphors were fine films that thrilled and expanded the imagination to further more polished endeavors in the 60's and 70's without the overt metaphoric messages of the cold war,like Star Trek and Star Wars ect.
   This film has been remade and the "remake"remade BUT this film version is still the first and in my mind the best.I grew up in this period and was in awe of the"geophysical year"which involved the exploration of Antarctica. So here comes a film where a scientific expedition by chance finds a flying saucer buried in the ice.Well silly human beings,they dig it out and discover a frozen "traveler".Bad move,soon the being is lose and using human blood to feed offspring.Yes,we are only"food"for them dispute the argument between people in the expedition that beings that advanced to travel can't be so unaware of our rights as humans.Silly humans thats like US thinking those industrious little ants are worthy to live side by side with us at OUR PICNIC !!!!
Not to mention there's a scary scene when they open a door and "The Thing"is on the other side and leaps at them.First scene I can ever remember that scared me in a movie.
I only took 1 star off for being filmed in black and white and slightly dated.Released in 1951 and runs 87 minutes. Be careful there colorized versions out there and I believe I first saw a much longer version of 2 hours or so as a kid.The trailer URL follows the pix.
A fine cast of sic fi vets along with a soon to be MEGA TV star James Arness as the thing.
I'll never forget the ending after the humans wins,a reporter urges them to be prepared and "Look to the sky"as they will be back!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5xcVxkTZzM

The Bridges at Toko-Ri - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

The Iraq war brings back memories of Korea and older soldiers recalled to do battle again and leave a comfy lifestyle. Released in 1954 and running 102 minutes it's dated at times but the similarities  to the Iraq war are there as far as disrupting life goes. A truly "a"list cast for the time makes it truly compelling.I took 1 and 1/2 stars off for the dated factor but it's still well worth the time if you like drama with a battleground always looming.Great closing line after a tragic death."Where do we get such men"brings a tear.IMDB summary below and trailer URL after pix.It's a great Navy flick as well.


Set during the Korean War, a Navy fighter pilot must come to terms with with his own ambivalence towards the war and the fear of having to bomb a set of highly defended bridges. The ending of this grim war drama is all tension. Written by KC Hunt <khunt@eng.morgan.edu> 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS-h1MZwJnE

The Ultimate Warrior - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1975 and running 94 minutes I kinda forgot this film till my son asked me about "The Book of Eli"and then I remembered this film."Eli"used the Bible as a focus and this film uses vegetable seeds.I was luke warm on Eli because it draws so much on this film without being a direct remake.However after comparing so many other remakes like "Rollerball" and "Assuault on Precinct 13"and TV's Battlestar Galattica which are far different than the originals while keeping the names,this doesn't keep the name but only key plot elements.You would have to see both films to agree or disagree.

Anyway to this post-apocalyptic film.It's 2015 in NYC and gangs fight for whats left.Loner Yul Brynner as Carson finally sides with Max von Sydow as Baron against great bad guy
William Smith as Carrot.NOT the ex rapper Will Smith,remember released in 1975, but another character actor who excelled playing bad guys.Like the Russian tracker in "Red Dawn"
Anyway,Carson sides with Baron because he offered him cigars as well as the usual stuff,food sex ect.,and Carson tells him its odd what men will fight for when nothings left,as he puffs on that cigar !!!
See it if you like Eli and even if you didn't because I think its a smarter story and well acted.However like other films back then its sort of dated and doesn't hold up as well as other films.Plays like a TV movie.Thats why I took 1 and 1/2 star off.The trailer URL following the pix is a actual scene as I could't find a reel trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpVfNGWK3ko

Tabloid ( 2010 ) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

 It seems there are a few films with the same name as this.Filmed in 2010 and running only 87 minutes,this is a documentary based on a wild sexual affair over 2 continents between a beauty queen and a young Mormon minister,named KIRK of all things, finally ending with dog cloning !!!! I guess this story began when I was involved in work and family or whatever and not paying attention to tabloids which are the forbearers of todays reality TV.The only reason I noticed it now was because it mentioned"Mormon"and well I watched for that and stayed for the train wreck.Joyce McKinney was and is still alive and featured in interviews,a former Miss Wyoming who became obsessed with a young guy who ,it seemed,left her to go on "mission"to England.She however thought he was brainwashed by a cult and mounted a rescue mission to"save"him.From there the story is so unbelievable and full of wild stuff I can't begin to explain it.Be warned it is at times sexually explicit both in pictures, but much more so, in language, both graphic and snickering. As wild as that sounds add her eventual seclusion leading to a crazy tale of dog cloning in Korea!!!
Popcorn stuff for you reality geeks out there.Yup the world is full of crazy stupid people and this film is full of some.I took 1 star off because you have to be a bit wacked like me to sit through it.Trailer URL below the pix.

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

Centurion - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Warning!!! A dirty pleasure film not for everyone.VERY violent and bloody thats why I took 1/2 star off.Still its action the way I like it.Released in 2010 and running 97 minutes its another film about what might have happened to the Roman 9th legion in Britannia.The film reads more like Greek tragedy filled with betrayal,loss of honor,and futility but still rises to hope,tho dashed many times over in the heat of battle and lust to survive.Oh how general Patton might say,"God how I love it so"Little thought is required as there really is no right or wrong in this battle just the combat and thrill of the ride.The cast fits well unlike that of "The Eagle"a major flaw in that film but a great PLUS in this.It's dark and nasty and hopeless as many of todays films are filmed.In this case it suits the story well.I will buy this DVD!!! Trailer URL follows the pix as well as IMDB summaries below.Enjoy this bloody good film and the ride,but hold on tight !!

A splinter group of Roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is decimated in a devastating guerrilla attack.

Britain, A.D. 117. Quintus Dias, the sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the Earth and destroy their leader, Gorlacon. Written by Anonymous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOZs2_i_cDE

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

We all have heard about the tension between the royal family and Princess Di after her divorce and up to her death and now as this film examines,even after her death.
My only issue with the film is that it took awhile to grab your attention as the problems of the royals cannot be related to by us commoners.Then however the fine acting takes hold and you slowly begin to care.Thats why I had to take 1 and 1/2 stars off.The film was released in 2006 and runs 103 minutes.    Helen Mirren as The Queen and Michael Sheen as Tony Blair head a superior cast in a film intertwined with newsreel footage as well as the filmmakers.Recommended if you will devote the time and enjoy historical drama.
Trailer URL below the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8nD2KB0a_E

Arthur ( 1981 ) - 2 1/2 stars out of 2 1/2 stars

Not a great film,in fact I find it hard to empathize with rich folks who don't realize how lucky they truly are just being rich.So the only reason to see this film is a great cast that lends at least a gentle sweetness to a otherwise obnoxious tale.Thus my lowest acceptable rating of 2 1/2 stars.Also to warn you that the 2011 remake is far worse and should NOT be seen at all.The acting is superb with Dudley Moore as rich spoiled Arthur and wonderful Liza Minnelli as common girl Linda Marolla leading a stellar cast.Released in 1981 it runs a just right 97 minutes.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Arthur is a happy drunk with no pretensions at any ambition. He is also the heir to a vast fortune which he is told will only be his if he marries Susan. He does not love Susan, but she will make something of him the family expects. Arthur proposes but then meets a girl with no money who he could easily fall in love with. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3tG5t9cN0

The Sand Pebbles - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1966 and running a bit long at 182 minutes,this is a epic that Hollywood doesn't make anymore.Perhaps foreshadowing the storm clouds that were Vietnam on the horizon,its a sprawling tale of China and gunboat democracy set against a lone persons attempt to come to grips with a world he couldn't imagine existed. In the process he finds a new life and love and then he dies.Simple but sadly true for 50 thousand young americans just like him in the near future.Perhaps the movie should be shown more often.I took 1 star off for the length and dated feel of the film,otherwise perfect.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat U.S.S. San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the "rice-bowl" system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission. Written by Martin H. Booda <booda@datasync.com>

http://www.videodetective.com/movies/the-sand-pebbles/984707

The Natural - 4 stars out of 5 stars

OK its hooky and corny and I loved it.Baseball fantasy as it should be from another time and place.No steroids,only drinking and betting and crazy women who shoot up and coming players.Still best baseball movie ever made.Great music as well, as a final redemptive home run is hit.The cast is "A" list with Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs leading the way.Baseball was America's game and so intertwined with our lives that it lent itself to being a metaphor for the human experience.In this case it's wasted talent throw away on youthful indifference and the long hard road back to right oneself's life,even if it can never be what it should have been.The only reason I took 1 star off is because i just don't like the idea a woman can be a metaphor for both temptation and redemption in a sport plus its a might long.Small issues of mine and others think just the opposite.I guess YOU have to see it to decide yourself.Released in 1984 it runs a little long 134 minutes.Trailer URL follows pix and a IMDB summary below.

An unknown middle-aged batter named Roy Hobbs with a mysterious past appears out of nowhere to take a losing 1930s baseball team to the top of the league in this magical sports fantasy. With the aid of a bat cut from a lightning struck tree, Hobbs lives the fame he should have had earlier when, as a rising pitcher, he is inexplicably shot by a young woman. Written by Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JccDyNf3GoU

United 93 - 5 stars out of 5 stars

By now everyone knows about 9/11.However since everyone on every plane died,all we truly know are the accounts of the living and the phone calls from those about to die.Never before in recorded history was there such real time info from civilian causalities about to be,to those who would remember.This film released in 2006 and running 111 minutes takes those FACTS and tries to dramatize the tragic,inevitable events about to unfold to those aboard this modern day tragic flight of death.The cast is not "a"list but their performances are.I'm reminded of a line from a film called"The Cowboys"in which a man tells a group of kids a tall tale of wonder and when he is asked if that was true he replies"if it wasn't it should have been"Such is the legend we all want to remember of those on that flight and this film will not disappoint. Perhaps there are some of us will never be able to watch a film about that day,much less one made only 5 years later,but in the future,many more films will surly be made and one can only hope that those will be measured to this,the first one. The first hour or so is devoted to the unfolding story of the controllers ,than the rest to the passengers onboard the doomed flight.The stark truth of the beginning,makes one hope the ending was as it "should have been"Trailer follows the pix and a IMDB summary for those who really don't know what happened that day.


A real time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz9BTKO_plI

Envy - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2004 and running 99 minutes I only recommend the film for the cast.The story is weird and the ending screams of the classic"The Jerk"perhaps thats why the film is not a favorite of most.For that,I take 2 stars off but I still laughed a few times.
"Va-poo-rizer"com'on thats funny and I'm not a fan of poop humor!!Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Ben Stiller and Jack Black star as Tim and Nick, best friends, neighbors and co-workers, whose equal footing is suddenly tripped up when one of Nick's harebrained get-rich-quick schemes actually succeeds: Vapoorizer, a spray that literally makes dog poop, or any other kind for that matter, evaporate into thin air -- to where exactly is anyone's guess. Tim, who had scoffed at Nick's idea and passed on an opportunity to get in on the deal, can only watch as Nick's fortune -- and Tim's own envy -- grow to equally outrageous proportions. When the flames of jealousy are fanned by an oddball drifter (Walken) who imposes himself into the situation, Tim's life careens wildly out of control ... taking Nick's with it. Written by Anonymous

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

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

One of the least documented parts of the Roman Empire till these last few years,was
Britannia which signaled the end of the expansion and the beginnings of the contraction.
Not being a scholar,all I know are legends such as King Arthur was of Roman blood ect.
Anyway,this latest film released in 2011 and runs a long 114 minutes, tells a nice story BUT everything else is wrong.Bad casting of actors which causes you not to care about them,bad feelings as to the surroundings,sort of like a college grad film feel.All in all I just didn't "feel it "so I give it my lowest 2 1/2 to see when there's nothing else on.I wish it could be re-made as I found the story a mix of Ben-Hur meets last of the Mohicans tied into HBO's Game of Thrones. Feel wise.Trailer URL below the pix and a IMDB summary below.

In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Accompanied only by his British slave Esca (Bell), Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia - to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory, and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth. Written by Focus Features 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlSkX8T4doQ&feature=fvst

Alexander - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

What do you get when you mix Greek Tragedy with Oliver Stone? Answer-Alexander.
Stone directed and co-wrote the screenplay in all his usual conspiracy double dealing,double cross and power hungry themes and mix them with all the stuff of Greek Tragedy,betrayal,patricide,infanticide,and lustful debauchery for political and carnal gains and you Sone's version of the rise and fall of one of histories truly great warriors.We all know this greek warrior conquered more of the "known"world before the age of 30 than anyone in history.How and what drove him?Enter Mr Stone's version heavy on the theme that Alexander was gay and his mother LOVER him and his father loved and was jealous   of him.Alexander loved them both in the "normal"way and could never understand ether of them.So says Stone.There must be a reason this Alexander accomplished what he did but how might never truly be known.I'm sure it's not Stone's way.
Still it makes for a good film if you like that era of history,and good action,I do,and one battle scene is really good.A battle in the jungles of India with elephants and all,outstanding!!!
  The cast is also "A list" headed by what might be Colin Farrell's best acting to date as Alexander and Angelina Jolie as his mother Olympias whom we might all have perverted thoughts about if she were OUR mom,a surprisingly better than average Val Kilmer as Philip,Alexander's father.To little is seen of Anthony Hopkins as Old Ptolemy the narrator.
Trailer URL below the picture.Released in 2004 and long at 175 minutes ,I took 1 and 1/2  stars off for the conspiracy laden script of Stone's and length.

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

When Harry Met Sally - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1989 and running only 96 minutes the only issue I have with this FABULOUS comedy is that it's a kinder gentler version of Woody Allen's neurotic relationship movies.Plus it's a little dated at times.Thus 1/2 star off.
That said,I like this movie written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner better than anything Woody's done.Meg Ryan is wonderful as Sally and Billy is good as Harry with a fine supporting cast and a good big band era soundtrack topped of by Harry Connick jr.
It takes Harry and Sally,who car pool from Chicago to NY after college to finally marry 12 years and 3 months later.The fun is why it took so long and a modern look at relationships and what you get for what you put in.Highly recommend.Many great scenes including the classic when Sally, at a resterant to prove a point to Harry ,starts moaning as if she's having a sexual orgasm and a woman at another table when asked what she wants replys,"I'll have what she's having" Trailer URL below pix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8DgDmUHVto

Ground Hog Day - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Today we are told about time warp loops and paradoxes and sci-fi brings a different reality to what THIS film is really all about.It's more a exploration into the soul and a last chance to"get it right"told in comic terms rather than straight drama.Released in 1996 and running 101 minutes there's little not to like so I took only 1/2 star off for the lame idea of a groundhog day relating to the sci-fi loops in a comedic way.had to find SOMETHING keeping it from perfect.Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell excel in this far out idea FILLED with metaphors on life and love and the pursuit of just about everything.Trailer URL follows the pix as well as a IMDB summary below.


A weather man is reluctantly sent to cover a story about a weather forecasting "rat" (as he calls it). This is his fourth year on the story, and he makes no effort to hide his frustration. On awaking the 'following' day he discovers that it's Groundhog Day again, and again, and again. First he uses this to his advantage, then comes the realisation that he is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in the same place, seeing the same people do the same thing EVERY day. Written by Rob Hartill 

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

Sophie's Choice - 5 stars out of 5 stars

It's hard to believe I missed this great film till now.Meryl Streep as Sophie and Kevin Kline as Nathan and Peter MacNicol     as Stingo are the focus of what appears to be a typical love triangle in the making set in 1947 Brooklyn.Stingo is a southern aspiring writer who moves to Brooklyn to launch his writing of the "big"novel and meets Sophie and her lover Nathan who have a very tempestuous love life.Soon enough Stingo becomes "best friend"of both and a weird triangle ensues.Simple enough,seen that,nothing special.The acting is fine and although we learn early on that Sophie is a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp,it seems to be little more than a post war love of life and experimental relationship film.
     POW !!! your hit like a ton of bricks when Sophie starts telling Stingo of her past after more problems with Nathan.Nathan it seems is obsessed with the Holocaust and frequently refers to Sophie and a whore and god knows how she survived the camps.The last hour or so is as powerful a attempt to illustrate in individual terms what happened to those who lived through the Holocaust and how they did,as I have ever seen on film without having real archive footage.Filmed in German dialect with subtitles to add to the realism its hard to watch and when you finally learn what "Sophie's Choice"really was,well,I cried.I admit it,I did.The ending was a modern tragedy and the boy from the south learned what life was all about,perhaps.Its a long story but the characters are so well drawn and when the camp flashbacks begin you can't turn away and the film seems to end before it should.You want to know even more.Released in 1982 and a SHORT 150 minutes there's no reason to take ANY stars off. Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgTcyQ7iTS8

Armored - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2009 and running a short 88 minutes this is above average for a heist action flick.The cast is fine headed by Laurence Fishburne and the all to rarely seen in US films Jean Reno and veteran actor getting better with age,Matt Dillon with under utilized Milo Ventimiglia and unknown Columbus Short as the main character actors.The plot is standard as a heist goes wrong and the gang has a falling out.Thats why I took 1 and 1/2 stars off.But they try hard and a armored truck heist is better than a bank no?
Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.


The war veteran, Ty Hackett, is hired to work as security guard by the Eagle Shield Security where his old friend Mike Cochroone works. Ty is having financial difficulties after the death of his father, and is raising his brother Jimmy alone. He teams up with Mike's brother-in-law, Baines, and their coworkers Quinn, Palmer and Dobbs. One night, Mike invites Ty to join in the robbery of two armored trucks transporting forty-two million dollars. The reluctant Ty accepts after Mike promises that nobody would be hurt in the heist. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRbaKqSnUG8&feature=fvst

Red Riding Hood ( 2011 ) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

This is NOT "twilight"it's NOT a werewolf picture,it's NOT a fairy tale retelling,it's NOT a 9/11 losing civil rights parable,thats why I took 1 and 1/2 stars off.It's all of the above and none of them.I'm somewhat confused but I enjoyed it non the less.
    It starts off as a werewolf picture set back in the dark ages,where wonderful Amanda Seyfried as Valerie ( red riding hood ) learns her sister has become the latest victim of a werewolf. Then crazy man Gary Oldman as Solomon/priest sort of cross between a  spanish inquisition and Van Helsing  sort - re your civil rights suspension here - arrives to fight the beast.Intermixed is your love but promised to some one else and illicit births and marriages of convenance soap opera stuff.It's easy to see a twilight sort of comparison BUT towards the end we also see the fairy tale kick in with a strong dose of twilight.Hate to tell the ending but daddy ( Billy Burke ) is the werewolf and Valerie was to be his here.
Aside from all the confusion of what kind of film it wanted to be it is a dark moody piece and that suits todays market well.The credits list Leonardo DiCaprio, as a executive producer,to bad he didn't take a role as one of the 2 love's of Valerie.Released in 2011 it runs a just right 100 minutes.Trailer URL follows the pix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekKMYAOmTj0

The Jerk - 4 stars out of 5 stars

There is only a handful of comedies I like better than this 1979 release that runs a just right 104 minutes.Steve Martin IS a JERK as a comic persona so to play one in his first starring role is genius."I started out as a poor black child""Stay away from the cans"and his father teaching him the difference between shit and shinola are classic !!Bernadette Peters rounds out a good supporting cast.My only issue is the humor at the expense on mentally challenged my be offensive today but for then it works and his invention on the glasses that cause you to go cross-eyed is well…………The "n"word and silly face licking just heighten what laid the ground work for Forrest Gump. It's not like any other film he's made since.See it for history sake.Trailer URL follows the pix.Opening dialog is below.

Huh? I am *not* a bum. I'm a jerk. I once had wealth, power, and the love of a beautiful woman. Now I only have two things: my friends, and... uh... my thermos. Huh? My story? Okay. It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the days, sittin' on the porch with my family, singin' and dancin' down in Mississippi...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qut3v1KlSs