The Day of the Triffids - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Always one of my favorite sic fi films I was intrigue to learn that it is based on a novel written in 1951 by John Wyndham,that I never read and have now heard that there are a few MAJOR flaws in this 1962 film that runs 93 minutes,as compared to that novel,well excuse me !!!! There have been 2 BBC TV series also based on this novel and I am told the 1982 series is truer to the book.I shall get it and then review and we shall see.Meanwhile back to this release.Janina Faye as a young runway school girl and Howard Keel as a recovering from a eye injury sailor are wonderful in one storyline and Kieron Moore and Janette Scott as a married research team on a lighthouse are fine in the second storyline.The issue is a meteor shower light show that blinds anyone who viewed it.That would be bad enough,but there are carnivores on the loose.Giant plants that came to earth on a meteor and have now been setting them selves loose on the blinded world.Oh the horror !!!Loved it so.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below. 


A shower of meteorites produces a glow that blinds anyone that looks at it. As it was such a beautiful sight, most people were watching, and as a consequence, 99% of the population go blind. In the original novel, this chaos results in the escape of some Triffids: experimental plants that are capable of moving themselves around and attacking people. In the film version, however, the Triffids are not experimental plants. Instead they are space aliens whose spores have arrived in an earlier meteor shower. Written by Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>, edited by Triffid Fan

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2842822425/

Thin Ice - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2011 and running 93 minutes,this film is bearly watchable,thus the 50/50 rating.The cast and "con"storyline is why I first watched it and why you might.I love a good"con"film,not convict BUT confidence gaming.Sadly I didn't follow the "con"nor buy into the highly questionable ending.I also thought it is ether miscast or the actors where just doing a "payday"film.You'll have to decide for yourself.It's always good to see Alan Arkin and Lea Thompson even if in a sub par film.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.Watch when your bored only…..

An insurance agent looking for a way out of frigid Wisconsin is blackmailed by an unstable locksmith in the theft of a rare violin that belongs to a retired farmer.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3701973273/

Anna Karenina (1967) - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Leave it to Tolstoy's people to get it right !!! Of the three versions I have now seen,and will not see any others till I read the novel,this is by far the best.It plays like a Shakespearian tragedy,but in this case its Imperial Russia instead of England.The reason for the 1/2 star off is because I saw it subtitled and as this film is  dialogue intense,that takes from following the actors.Ah,all unknown Russians to me but they all fit so very well and truly make the triangle believable.Old rich and powerful husband,middle aged beautiful wife,we would today call a MILF, and dashing young military officer.Bad news for love but great for us.Released in 1967 and running 145 minutes,it may be hard to find this film,in fact,since it was made during our cold war,I don't even remember it from back in the day.
Unlike the other versions,1935 and 2012 I've reviewed,this one does more then lip service to the other characters.Anna's cheating brother,his wife and younger sister,of which Anna stole the dashing young officer from,and later she fears is trying to steal her now husband.
All wounded love affairs that perhaps are metaphors for the brutal future ahead,Set in 1876 they are but under 40 years from the end of Imperial Russia.
Anyhow,I now see the selfishness of Anna,but also the child in her.Married to a much older man at 18,she never lived and now is experiencing what men call a midlife crises.The real victim here is her honorable husband that she now hates because he's so perfect.But he did "steal from the cradle"and with all the religious references,for me,he reaped what he sowed.The dashing young officer ?? Hot headed at both ends due to his flaming youth.
The only sound couple was the young sister in law,but she suffered her own loss lover and "settled"on a man that she later learned to love,and he??Well he suffered doubt and the pain of rejection but his perseverance finally paid off.Anna's brother and his wife,sadly making the best of a bad situation as most do.Sad,but also sadly true to most of us.I can see the attraction to this story dispite it being so aristocratic.Look for it if doomed love is your thing.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Anna Karenina is a young wife of an older husband. She has an affair with the handsome Count Vronsky. By following her desires Anna complicates her life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng38YC1Po1g

Freaky Friday (1976) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Anna Karenina (2012) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Still to review one more version of the adaptation of the Classic Tolstoy novel after this.I fear one must first read the novel from Tolstoy ,who may have a unique writing style I have yet to grasp.While this version is more complex than the 1935 version it is also almost comically unwatchable in the beginning as Imperial Russian society is jabbed at in a almost "Monty Python" way and I don't know if that was Tolstoy's or this directors intent.Ether way it was unsettling to say the lest,that's why I still took 1 and 1/2 stars off, and all for that reason,on this 2012 version that runs a bit long at 129 minutes.
I also was not thrilled at the casting at all except for  Jude Law as Alexi Karenin,the victimized husband of Anna who is played by Keira Knightley.
There are also a few subtle differences so again its hard to tell which of these versions are truer to the novel.I did however enjoy a richer,if at times silly,story and so despite not as well a cast,I would recommend this over the 1935 version and hope the 1967 Russian version I have yet to see is even better.I may have to read that book yet !!!!.Trailer  URL follows the picture and a IMDB summarynis below.

Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3054544665/

Flight - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2012 and running 138 minutes,this film must have been a result of someone in hollywood at a brainstorming session saying,hey, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger,that hero who saved everyone in a impossible airplane emergency landing,what if he was drunk??Then they made him black,grandpa was a tusgee airman,well,you get the idea.That why I took 2 stars off,I got it,and reject it.I never liked movies about wasted lives by those who had opportunities,however,this is worth a watch.Why?Well,I love Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle as actors and John Goodman was harlots as a pusher man.
Those are the reasons to see this film.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

 Whip Whitfield is a commuter airline pilot. While on a flight from Orlando to Atlanta something goes wrong and the plane starts to fly erratically. With little choice Whip crashes the plane. When he wakes up in the hospital, he learns some of the passengers and crew died. His friend at the airline introduces him to a lawyer who tells him there's a chance he could face criminal charges because it seems they did a blood test and he tested positive for drugs and alcohol. He denies being impaired so while an investigation is underway, he is told to keep his act together. But he continues to drink. Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2384176153/

Anna Karenina (1935) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

2012 saw a bunch of films including a remake of this 1935 classic so before I see that,I had to see this first as well as a Russian version made in 1967.I shall review all 3 in a few days,starting with this most acclaimed version of Leo Tolstoy classic novel of a Russian Imperial Society's  extramarital love affair. Having never read his classic novel but being of  partial Russian heritage,I looked forward very much to this release that ran only 95 minutes and starred two of that era's great stars as the illicit couple, Greta Garbo as Anna Karenina and  Fredric March as Vronsky.Let me say,I was disappointed and took 1 and 1/2 stars off.Off course being in B&W cost 1/2 star,but I took the other full star off because  in the end although it"felt"Russian and was well acted,it was a simple tale of adultery and I have always heard that Tolstoy never wrote a "simple"story about anything,lest of all royal society.So,while it was a "bucket list MUST see"you might want more as I did.We will see what the other two versions are like and there are maybe 5 MORE versions and a BBC miniseries !!!!If anything ever said "READ THE BOOK"the list of film versions screams it loud and clear.The trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

The married Anna Karenina falls in love with Count Vronsky despite her husband's refusal to grant a divorce, and both must contend with the social repercussions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwYS7BYIIag

Lost Horizon (1937) - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

While reviewing "Atlas Shrugged"I mentioned there was a strong influence of this film in that one that I felt, in a overall if not so political vein,so I promised to re watch it and then review it on this blog,so here goes.
Released in 1937 and running 132 minutes I took only 1/2 star off because as I stated many times before,sadly,there are many who will just not watch a B&W film no matter what,their loss,not ours.
One of Frank Capra's many fine films and one of a few other screen versions,but I still feel this is the one to watch.Shangri-La is a place that comes from the novel by  James Hilton,that this film is based on.It's a idea drawn from the utopian view of a finally perfect world.So in the middle on the Chines Civil war with the war clouds of WW11 on the horizon,we are off on a trip that can only be described as truly a magical mystery tour !!!
There is a IMDB summary below as since I could not find a trailer URL,I put the opening credits from a DVD restored version instead.I won't go into anymore detail other than to add the acting and cast is A+++ for that day,with a special notation to all you fellow geeks,Spocks mom is in the film,YES a young and stunningly beautiful Jane Wyatt.
I think I shall re view the classic film"A tale of two cities"released in 1935 because I now remember how great a actor Ronald Colman truly was from his role in this film.

British diplomat Robert Conway and a small group of civilians crash land in the Himalayas, and are rescued by the people of the mysterious, Eden-like valley of Shangri-la. Protected by the mountains from the world outside, where the clouds of World War II are gathering, Shangri-la provides a seductive escape for the world-weary Conway. Written by Marg Baskin <marg@asd.raytheon.ca>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3bvbLBy_mc

Feds - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Although Ivan Reitman only produced and didn't direct or write this film,it has his innocently but warped style non the less.I don't understand why many didn't like it?
Released in 1988 and running very short at 90 minutes,its a crazy look at the old buddy film themed movie.In this case its women and the FBI agent in training that we get rather  than cops or college.For that alone its worth the look.Also the "buddies"are Rebecca De Mornay and Mary Gross as well as a short role by Fred Dalton Thompson as the agent/instructor in charge and thats all you need to know.I thought the pairing of the nerd and beauty worked well and my only fault was,as in many films,a weak ending.That aside,compared to much of the trash they make today,a film for the whole family thats not a cartoon,er animated that is,ha,ha.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Ellie DeWitt and Janis Zuckermann are admitted to the very strict FBI Training Academy. They get a hard course, in which they learn to deal with guns and to recognise crimes. They also get a physical training. It appears that Ellie is a real fighting- machine, in contrast with Janis, the great student. They have to help each other, 'cause only when they pass all the tests, they are allowed to join the FBI... Written by Tony Kessen <rhkessen@cs.vu.nl>   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR5gwO31Qw0

Clover - 4 stars out of 5 stars

First,a apology for no trailer URL as I couldn't find one.Second,it will be hard to find this film as it was a TV movie made in 1997 by USA pictures and Hallmark Entertainment that runs only 90 minutes. However,it is well worth the time and effort.The reason I took 1 star off was the feel it did have of a TV movie as well as the acting.However again,there are 2 actress that I noticed in the cast that made me view it.Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abby TV series which is reviewed on this blog,and Zelda Harris,from the movie Crooklyn,reviewed on this blog as well.The story is uplifting with religious overtones and spirituality without being preachy.Simply put,its a film about family,loss and coping.I loved the interracial aspect that made me watch it,but it translates on many levels also.Teenage angst and loss and step parents to name a few.Look for it if you like gems.An IMDB summary below.

Sara marries Gaten a single father who is African-American. Not long after they're married Gaten dies. So Sara has to take care of Gaten's daughter, Clover. Problem is she and Clover have not exactly bonded and several of Gaten's friends and relatives object to her being Clover's guardian. Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com

TV Series - Hatufim -AKA -Prisoners of War -AKA -Israeli Homeland - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Truly remarkable if you can find it.Do keep your eye out for it,well worth it !!!
There have been 2 seasons so far of this Israeli TV series of which Showtimes smash hit series "Homeland",which I reviewed earlier on this blog,is based on.I have yet to find season 2 but I am searching for it.Like all re do's from other nations TV shows or movies there are many changes but you also can see the common threads as well.Like "Homeland"this series starts off slowly but as the first season winds down it picks up speed and the climax ending is a great tease for season 2. This original series focus on 3 prisoners of war that are held for 17 years and finally freed in a POW vs terrorist swap.However only 2 return and the body of the third.The main focus is on how to re adjust to a"normal"life for the 2 POW's and their families and a twist,the dead third's sister can't adjust to her brothers death and is always talking to him.Is she mad? No,I think its a jewish thing till you finally admit they are gone?
Anyway,there is a hunch by the IDF( Israeli Defense Force) psychiatrist that the 2 POW's are holding something back.It is far more dramatic as there have been many more recent abductions of soldiers in Israel than the US and their society is far more sensitive to the on going terror conflicts as it is all around them.So if you have seen"Homeland"you will see the common threads here.There is a darker thread yet to be revealed as was the case in the second season of"Homeland"as well.However,its not the same,hint,that third POW is not dead !!!!!
Trailer URL follows the picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28ZfL2fCRxE

The Hunger Games - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Well I stated when I reviewed the Japanese film"Battle Royale"the reason I saw it was because they said this film was a sort of american copy.In a way they are right.Taking into effect cultural differences between Japan and the US there is no doubt both films were looking at the same issues but they just saw them in their own frame of reference.I gave this film 3 stars vs Battle's 3 and 1/2  because I felt this film was too stylish and tried to cover the real issue with a gladiator/roman type spin rather than sticking to the real issue of control over the young "students"to prevent revolt as the Japanese did.That said this film was VERY stylish and well made with a superb cast.Many would find "Battle Royale"much to violent and could handle this film easier.Its a matter of taste.I prefer Battle,but still recommend this.Also Battle had a sequel,this film ends begging for one which I understand will be sometime this year.I haven't seen Battle's sequel nor do I plan to see this one.
So to judge this 2012 release that runs 142 minutes,it has action,love and a suppressed society hooked to reality type TV shows that are modern gladiator games to keep the population entertained by the state for the last 74 years after a rebellion and also giving them false hope of a future.Thus I took 2 stars off for being kinda silly for a real stretch on the plot line.That said the acting holds it together and makes it worth the watch.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to compete.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3358368281/

Connie and Carla - 5 stars out of 5 stars

A brief explanation about the content in this movie.I grew up in NYC and visited the world famous club 82 a few times,the home of drag entertainment shows at that time.There is not a successful male comic who has not dressed in drag,NONE !!!Of course the brits brought it to another level with Monty Python.Now,that its clear,drag is a legit funny form of comedy for everyone but uptight scared people.THOSE will be shocked,the rest of us,enjoy a truly funny movie that I have NO problems with.
Now to the 2004 release that runs only 98 minutes.Think "Some like it hot",that I haven't reviewed yet,but MUCH gayer in all terms of that word. Nia Vardalos and Toni Collette are fabulous !!!!They play Connie and Carla who dream of playing  supper clubs doing SHOW TUNES !!!! Then they witness a murder and have a kilo of the killers coke unknowingly  hidden in their bag,and RUN.Well !! They wind up in LA in the heart of gay west hollywood where they pose as "drag queens"Yes women posing as men dressing as up as women !!!! Well !!!! So many funny possibilities as well as Nia and Toni doing fabulous as drag queens,impersonations of Lisa Minnelli and others along with some great broadway show tunes.I had a gay old time !!!!!Now add David Duchovny for a very confused love interest and I promise you will see a very funny and entertaining,MODERN comedy without everyone having to get stoned or wind up in bed !!!
Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.ENJOY this little gem.

A mob mix-up in Chicago sends two chanteuses screaming for L.A., where they score a perfect gig: posing as drag queens on the dinner theater/cabaret circuit. Things get extra-weird when a guy falls for one of the girls.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1136591129/

Freaky Friday ( 2003 ) - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Surprising this film is a remake of a 1976 film I have yet to see,shocking !!! I say that because I do love films where folks change places as you should already know by the amour of them that I have reviewed.So ratting this 4 stars means I MUST see the original !!!  That said,I took 1 star off because of the weird fortune cookie excuse for the exchange.Released in 2003 and running only 97 minutes,the film rocks,both literally and figuratively.  Lindsay Lohan may be a jerk but she is a hell of a actress and so is Jamie Lee Curtis as the mother and daughter who are switched as well as Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray as the men in their lives.The context of teen daughter and therapist mom is rocking good fun.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

An overworked mother and her daughter do not get along. When they switch bodies, each is forced to adapt to the others life for one freaky Friday

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi588056345/

The Cardinal - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Perhaps its my age,or maybe the current times,but I hadn't seen this film since its release in 1963 that runs 175 minutes,and what a shame that has been.To be a catholic,what does that mean?I've felt there are many roads to Heaven,but the road you take,stay on it or you surly will get lost.Growing up as a catholic I was always angry that some picked and choose what to believe.be one or not,it's not like going to supermarket and buying only what you like. Eventually I too left the church.Will this re watching make me go back,only God knows.Otto Preminger put together a film based on a novel by  Henry Morton Robinson thats challenging,hard and sometimes painful to watch,but in the end,its true to what being a catholic is all about in the modern world.you might even say it foresaw "liberation theology"but in a different way. Today we have a Pope who is from Argentina,we had one from Germany and Poland since this film was made.Very interesting indeed.Now to the picture itself. Tom Tryon ,in by far his greatest performance plays Stephen Fermoyle,who at the films end does become a Cardinal.We open with him before the ceremony and his reflecting back over the years as he left his education at the Vatican with his teacher played by Ral Vallone,now we know why HE played a Pope in Godfather 3,and the steps he took as a irish catholic priest from boston to the Vatican and the many conflicting tests to his faith that he conquered while winning some,and losing other battles along the way.First he's knocked down a bit by a Bishop who sees some of himself in the priest and wants the young priest to be saved from ambition and false pride,played by John Houston,so he sends him to a broken down local parish run by a good humble priest,played by Burgess Meredith,where he proves himself to be unselfish.
Then family,sister,played by Carol Lynley, in failed relation with a Jew and then a vaudevillian dancer and final death during child birth.
A  midlife crisis of life in in the 1920's where on leave as he he's questioning his calling,he falls in love but not with a woman who loves him,Romy Schneider,but back to his own calling.
Then conscience,civil race strife in Georgia in the 1930's with Ossie Davis as a young black priest.
Finally,the movie began at the dawn of WW1 and it comes full circle to the clouds of WW11 gathering on the Horizon.
There are many other fine actors as well,Its a sweeping film that doesn't dodge tough questions but rather lets you focus on what YOU think of your own responsibilities in this life as seen thru the eyes of a man of the cloth who questions and seeks as we do.Trailer URL follows the picture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdH2ivqB1Uc

Love in the Time of Cholera - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Uneven but thats what love is !!!! What a concept and what a film and what a title and what a……………… Gezz, only that unevenness cost this film 1/2 star. Released in 2007 and running 139 minutes it looks like a typical over the top "novella"but slowly adds the humor to make the life long love story even remotely believable if not downright enthralling.Add a A+ cast,great makeup and a period setting to die for,LITERALLY ,and you have a love story even us guys can enjoy.Male flick anyone?Although the cast is stellar,its Javier Bardem and Unax Ugalde as the male in different stages of life as well as Giovanna Mezzogiorno as the woman that cary this story to any believability at all given the outrageous circumstances. This film is based in a novel and as such some complain about its fidelity but as a stand alone movie,I loved it.It is based on the novel "El amor en los tiempos del cólera"written by Gabriel García Márquez.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

 In Colombia just after the Great War, an old man falls from a ladder; dying, he professes great love for his wife. After the funeral, a man calls on the widow - she dismisses him angrily. Flash back more than 50 years to the day Florentino Ariza, a telegraph boy, falls in love with Fermina Daza, the daughter of a mule trader. Ariza is persistent, writing her constantly, serenading, speaking poetically of love. Her father tries to keep them apart, and then, one day, she sees this love as an illusion. She's soon married to Urbino, a cultured physician, and for years, Ariza carries a torch, finding solace in the arms of women, loving none. After Urbino's fall, are Ariza's hopes delusional? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3316711705/

¡Three Amigos! - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1986 and running 104 minutes we have a comedy movie vehicle perhaps inspired by a cross between the "Magnificent 7" and "Blazzing Saddles",both of which are reviewed on this blog,but its a Lorne Michaels project for Chevy Chase and Steve Martin and Martin Short that he had the great John Landis direct.Add to the group a bunch of great  supporting actors including John Lovett and Joe Mantegna and Tony Plana to name but a few,including  Alfonso Arau who plays El Guapo and you might have seen on in the cult classic"El Topo"also reviewed on this blog.The results are hilarious.Its obvious 1999's "Galaxy Quest",which was reviewed on this blog,drew as much inspiration if not more,from this movie than the TV series"Star Trek".I only took 1 star off because silly satire and a dated era gone by,is not everyones cup of tea.However I like it !!!! Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.Long live silent movies and Viva  Santo Poco !!!

Three out of work silent movie actors are accidentally drawn to a Mexican village that is being harassed by a gang of outlaws. The three, 'Ned', 'Lucky Day' and 'Dusty Bottoms' play 'Lone Ranger' types in their movies, but must play their parts for real now. Written by Rob Hartill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d4QbEknbbM

Bruce Almighty - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Many films have been made about deals with the devil,not so many about dealing with God.Perhaps its easier knowing more about the devil,our own sinful ways,than God who we can never truly understand.Not wanting to get all religious here,lets just say I gave this 2003 release that runs 101 minutes only a 50/50  2 and 1/2 star rating is that because it suffers the sin of pride.The idea that it knows what God is.
That said,it's gets the tepid recommendation because it does have some funny moments.How could it not?? God played by Morgan Freeman,the deal maker played by Jim Carrey and some interesting distractions by Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell.However at the end of the day,it will be what YOUR faith allows to see as funny,vs sacrilegious.For myself,I found both and thats why I'm conflicted by this film.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Bruce Nolan, a television reporter in Buffalo, N.Y., is discontented with almost everything in life despite his popularity and the love of his girlfriend Grace . At the end of the worst day of his life, Bruce angrily ridicules and rages against God and God responds. God appears in human form and, endowing Bruce with divine powers, challenges Bruce to take on the big job to see if he can do it any better. Written by Cezzie

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1421607193/

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

Star Trek Alert !!! Look for Lenard Nimoy at the 1 hour 32 minute mark in a very short playing the fiddle scene.
Now back to this 1956 film that runs  119 minutes. That said,I only took 1/2 star off because I didn't buy the whole end.
The reason to see it is because the Indian fighting against the  Comanche is one of the reasons the Mexican Government invited Americanos to Texas to begin with.
A big part of Texas history thereafter,including after the US Civil war,remained indian wars.Quanah Parker,was the Texas/Comanche version of Geronimo in many ways.He was born of a kidnapped white woman and therein is the sort of history this film looks at.
Kidnapping whites and all that it includes.That may not be politically correct,but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.I strongly recommend for those who want to know more about Texas than just the Alamo.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Ethan Edwards, returned from the Civil War to the Texas ranch of his brother, hopes to find a home with his family and to be near the woman he obviously but secretly loves. But a Comanche raid destroys these plans, and Ethan sets out, along with his 1/8 Indian nephew Martin, on a years-long journey to find the niece kidnapped by the Indians under Chief Scar. But as the quest goes on, Martin begins to realize that his uncle's hatred for the Indians is beginning to spill over onto his now-assimilated niece. Martin becomes uncertain whether Ethan plans to rescue Debbie...or kill her. Written by Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1433337881/

Wrath of the Titans - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

There was a film made in 1981 called "Clash of the Titans"that inspired a remake in 2010.
This film released in 2012 and running 99 minutes is a sequel to the remake.Got that ??
Well I took 2 1/2 stars off which makes its a 50/50 film to see at best because it is ALL FX.The story as it is,is but a excuse to tie the effects together.Now I know many like these films and well,I like the old greek mythology as much as anyone,but the film is tedious at best,Recommend for FX freaks and mythology geeks only.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus-the demigod son of Zeus-is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity's lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld. Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus' godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalty and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans' strength grows stronger as Zeus' remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), ... Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi387098393/

Duplex - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Danny DeVito directed BUT did not appear in this funny "black"comedy that are dirty pleasures of mine.Ben Stiller,who can be funny with the right material, and Drew Barrymore,who I have yet to see in a film I didn't like with her in it,star as a married yuppie type urban power couple forced to move to Brooklyn to "make it"in the big city.
Now I grew up in Brooklyn so I liked the premise very much.Now for the punch line,life is complicated by the fact that the brownstone they bought is a "duplex"which means 2 floors and its a "rent control"property with a tenant.That simply means you have to keep that tenant till they wish to leave and the rent is stabilized till that time.I grew up in a rent control apartment and believe me it rents now for more than 20 times what my parents paid till they left maybe 40 years ago.Thats a increase if you space it out of 50 percent more or less EACH year from then.But I digress………
The rent controlled tenant is a old lady of maybe 90 or so years old played by Eileen Essell,a real pleasant surprise,and then the fun begins.Must see for anyone who has ever lived in the city and had "bad"thoughts about tenants or even landlords not to mention self absorbed young folks.I loved it.Released in 2004 and running 89 minutes,I only took 1 star off because the ending,while a nice twist, should have been better done.Trailer URL follows the picture.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3840843289/

Life Of Pi - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Although this is a stunning film it has a "Pan's Labyrinth",a film I also reviewed,feel to it.
In this 2012 release by academy award director Ang Lee,that runs 127 minutes,I took 1 and 1/2 stars off only for that reason.You have to see both films to get where I'm coming from,or maybe I'm wrong,its for you to decide.That said,on its own merits it is intriguing and uplifting and I do recommend it.But I won't say anymore because I may be of base a little on the Pan's Labyrinth connection but enough said.You decide for yourself.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2646320921/

Analyze This - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Funny if immoral,shoot me then because I liked it !! The reason I took 1 star off was because I didn't buy the ending.Still a great 1999 release that runs 103 minutes.Loved  a few "Godfather"references and I find it wild that the HBO series "The Sopranos" also started in 1999 but the psychiatrist angle has to be coincident since it is really different between the two,or is it ???? Like all good comedies and mob movies the cast is king.A+ all around and special shout out to Joe Viterelli  as Jelly,right hand man to Robert De Niro's Paul Vitti.Great job by  Billy Crystal as Dr. Ben Sobel ,Vitti's shrink and I have yet to see a film directed by  Harold Ramis. Highly recommended.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Ben Sobol, Psychiatrist, has a few problems: His son spies on his patients when they open up their heart, his parents don't want to attend his upcoming wedding and his patients' problems don't challenge him at all. Paul Vitti, Godfather, has a few problems as well: Sudden anxiety attacks in public, a certain disability to kill people and his best part ceasing service when needed. One day, Ben unfortunately crashes into one of Vitti's cars. The exchange of Ben's business card is followed by a business visit of Don Paul Vitti himself, who wants to be free of inner conflict within two weeks, before all the Mafia Dons meet. Now, Ben Sobol feels somewhat challenged, as his wedding is soon, his only patient keeps him busy by regarding Ben's duty as a 24 hour standby and the feds keep forcing him to spy on Paul Vitti. And how do you treat a patient who usually solves problems with a gun? Written by Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2796945689/

Atlas Shrugged - Part 1 and 11 - The Strike - (2011 + 2012) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Again as I did with "Red Cliff"I shall review 2 movies together because they are really the same movie but just in 2 parts and released over 2 years BUT unlike "Red Cliff"they have different casts.Maybe its because part 2 if far better than part 1 right down to the cast.Part 1 was almost incoherent till it was half over and some of that is small time cast.However in that part we learn what is needed to be know to fully enjoy part 2.Thats why I took 1 and 1/2 stars off and also because it is a political film that is unflinching.The 2 parts only total 208 minutes.
You must understand who Ayn Rand,the author of the novel these films are based on,and her political views and then you'll understand why losing VP candidate  Paul Ryan would quote her and make his staff read her book,which is why I had to see them for myself. I had seen the film"Fountain Head"and reviewed it here earlier.I had not read ether novel but enjoyed both films for being true to her beliefs of which I leaned as a youth since she was a celebrity.However I do not endorse her views in their entirety as there is never a clear 100% choice on the "right"or "left"and the debates will always continue,so I review this film on the merits to her philosophy.
As stated earlier part 1 was incoherent till it was half over,then we begin to get a feel that this world is falling apart as the government stifles profit for a more of a "each according to his needs" approach and those who innovate are torn as they see themselves become slaves to the masses.The film is updated to today,unlike the "Fountain Head" with even the 99 percenters and Fox News being shown on screen in part 2 !! We  also learn that there is a new power engine that was made but never used by a company in Wisconsin ( Paul Ryans home state no less)The only other spoiler I give you is the mysterious name used throughout the film as people who innovate disappear  are tied to"John Galt".
Oh and yes think of the classic 1937 film"Lost Horizon"which I have yet to review,I'm sure Ayn did as she wrote her novel.Must see for hard core political buffs,especially on the right,but,you have to understand motivations if your on the left so a must for you as well.
Can't we all get along !!!!! Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7k6xfJyABg








 

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

Released in 1982 and running 102 minutes this movie couldn't be made today because we live in a political correct society.That said,it was made and in a sense disappoints because its teases and then holds back in many.Therefore its not as good as another film I reviewed called"Carbon Copy"or for that matter even,"Blazing Saddles"which I also reviewed, but what makes it worth watching is the two stars,comic geniuses we shall never see again,  Jackie Gleason as fat cat U.S. Bates  and  Richard Pryor as a struggling young black,Jack Brown. Also just the idea of saying, as young actor  Scott Schwartz does as Jackie's spoiled young son Eric Bates ,says about Richard,"Buy me that black man",and Gleason in the tradition rich makes poor do anything for money,DOES,shows how far this film dares to go,but still stops short,so thats why I took 1 and 1/2 stars off.Simply put,thats the storyline,spoiled kid gets rich dad to buy him a toy/friend/companion.What the surface story is the rich dad and spoiled brat can't connect and the poor black shows them how.Now,thats silly and well not worth the time.Add Pryor's talent of making you cringe when you see how bad we can be to each other thru his comedic eye than add Jackie's brutal almost vile comedy style and a match made in heaven or hell for that matter,leaves you wanting much,much more.Still,better than most of the silliness turned out today. Recommended for those starved for hard edge humor.Trailer URL follows the picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mjqWFB_tBI

Argo - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Yes Argo is the best picture of this past year 2012.Not just for the fun of seeing 3 characters ending conversations with the phase"Argo F_ _ K yourself"but because it was so uplifting to also blame Canada.The idea that 6 Americans could be extracted from revolutionary turned upside down Iran after being hidden by Canadians is the stuff of film fantasy.OH WAIT,it was really done under the guise OF a FILM FANTASY,Argo to be exact. Released in 2012 and running 120 minutes this film showed that Ben Affleck can still act and YES,he directed the film rather well I do believe,so take that Academy !!!!
All the cast worked well but special note to the 2 who played holloywood insiders and lent the "cover"needed to make the operation work.Alan Arkin and John Goodman.The whole plot centers around getting the 6 americans out posing as a film crew scouting film locations for a sci-fi film entitled"Argo"Outstanding and heres wishing someone makes THAT film as there was a script!!! Sometimes the government has success and sometimes not.This 1980 operation was and makes a hell of a picture as well.Must see.Trailer URL follows the picture.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1537319449/

Tower Heist - 4 stars out of 5 stars

If only this was the real Bernie Madoff story !!!Released in 2011 and running 104 minutes,here's a humorous fantasy of the little guy taking down the ponzi type king.I had to take 1 star off because many lives were harmed by the real Madoff and well,even the win here isa little hard to believe,however it is a feel good movie in the end.Oh and its one the better recent efforts by Ben Stiller or Eddie Murphy for that matter and its good to see Gabourey Sidibe play for laughs as well as a bunch on other good performances including the bad guy by Alan Alda.Now the plot is simple enough as the IMDB summary states below,

"When a group of hard working guys find out they've fallen victim to a wealthy business man's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence. "

That said its a crazy take on a dumb "Oceans 11" type robbery only there are no "pros"here.Some good jokes and the car scenes are not to be believed !!!!
Trailer URL follows the picture,and if  your willing,you will receive LAUGHS.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi226663961/

Down And Out In Beverly Hills - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Perhaps one of the most dishonest,contrived and superficial comedy ever made.There are no rich benevolent "Beverly Hills"family,nor interesting bums as portrayed in this film.Pure rubbish and fantasy.Thus 1 and 1/2 stars off this 1986 release that runs 103 minutes.Oh,did I mentioned,its funny as all hell,and I feel so ashamed and dirty after watching it(sic).Seriously,its adult in a stupid silly way,but the actors paying these characters no one would want to know for real pull it off,really !!!
 Richard Dreyfuss is just neurotic enough to play Dave Whiteman . Nick Nolte as the bum,Jerry Baskin is so good,some think he actually became that character later in life !!!
And the Divine Miss M, Bette Midler does seem real as Barbara Whiteman.The rest of the cast is OK as well.Some think the best comic roll for a dog ever was in this film, Mike the Dog as Matisse,was a big sell when this film came out back in the day.However i liked the small role by one of my secret crush actress, Elizabeth Peña as Carmen.The story is simple enough with a attempt to moralize but for me its just a bunch of quick gags held together by a plot as they say,only in the movies.Trailer URL below and a IMDB summary below.

everly Hills couple Barbara and Dave Whiteman are very rich but not happy Dave is a hard working business man, his wife is only interested in yoga, aerobics and other meditation classes, and he sleeps with the house maid. Their teenage son is confused about his sexuality and their daughter is suffering from eating disorders. While they are celebrating thanksgiving having plenty of food, street tramp Jerry is hungry, homeless, sleeping rough and has lost his dog. Jerry decides to end his life by drowning himself in their swimming pool. Dave rescues him and invites him to stay for a while. How does this stranger change the life style of this family? Written by Sami Al-Taher <staher2000@yahoo.com>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlFfz127OPs

Nowhere Boy - 5 stars out of 5 stars

WOW,John Lennon or Beatles fans MUST SEE.Released in 2009 and running 98 minutes,if there are any flaws its that the Brits and us are separated  by a common language.That said,its a engrossing film based on a biography written by Johns half sister
Julia Baird.There is crux of the matter.John led a very complicated life even as a teen,and thats what this films focus is on.The actors are Brits and so are unknown to me,but I believed them wholeheartedly. The music is NOT the story here as the film ends with John heading for Germany.No,the story is his troubled youth and how he met Paul and George.
I have to single out both Kristin Scott Thomas,as Mimi,the aunt who raised him and Anne-Marie Duff  as his mom who abandoned and later reunited with him.Aaron Taylor-Johnson is also convincing as John.There always has to be a back story to every great artist and this is a complicated melodramatic one as engrossing as any I've ever seen.HIGHLY recommended.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

A chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1754859033/

All the Pretty Horses - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Its tough to recommend this film because its almost butchered by a agonizing slow start and some fool notion that dark,and by that I mean light wise,not subject,is some sort of artsy fartsy coolness.Stick to acting Billy Bob Thornton,you SUCK as a director and thats the reason I took 1 and 1/2 stars off and almost turned this movie off.But just when Penélope Cruz turned up,so did the movie.Based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy,this 2000 film release that runs 116 minutes,is a hell of a ride !!! Set in 1949 West Texas and cattle range land Mexico,its a story of coming of age,adventure,hard work,love lost and won,friendship,hard time,justice,revenge and redemption,WHEW !!! There are some good actor especially by Matt Damon as,John Grady Cole ,who got a lifetime in a few months of living.Must see for the those who like outdoors sweeping life stories and have the stomach to sit through a bad directed fin because of a great story and acting to go with it.The trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Two Texas cowboys head to Mexico in search of work, but soon find themselves in trouble with the law after one of them falls in love with a wealthy rancher's daughter

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3233087769/

The Exorcist - 5 stars out of 5 stars

There is much to discuss in this film that may have been the most controversial fin I know of.It's a horror film,even religious and a film of self discovery and redemption.AND for its time,released in 1973 and running 122 minutes,scary as all hell.From that music,"tubular bells"and a opening scene shot in Iraq, pre the wars,there is much to sink your teeth into.
Its a film about demonic possession and the catholic rite of exorcism that is still practiced even to this day.Raised a catholic I can remember being scared and somewhat offended by this film that I did see in the theater, when it was released.I hadn't seen it till a few days ago since. You can't separate the religion from this film,but,its about the possession and NOT the religion per say other than it took a challenged and really washed up priest to make a final act of love to save a child and thus redeem his life in death.Through the years there have been a few sequels and even a "prequel"but none have the power of the original.Many only remember the fine acting by young Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil,the young 12 year girl who is possessed and does the most shocking things on screen, that a few are still shocking today,imagine the effect it had on audiences in 1973 !!!.
However there are fine roles put in by  Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil,her mom,the always great  Max von Sydow as the old priest Father Merrin ,even old favorite tough guy  Lee J. Cobb as Lt. William Kinderman .However never forget the great job put in by  Jason Miller as Father Damian Karras ,who has fallen from grace and resurrected his immortal soul by saving young Regan's life. Its powerful and disturbing weather you are religious or not.Must see cinema.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

A visiting actress in Washington, D.C., notices dramatic and dangerous changes in the behavior and physical make-up of her 12-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, a young priest at nearby Georgetown University begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother's terminal sickness. And, book-ending the story, a frail, elderly priest recognizes the necessity for a show-down with an old demonic enemy. Written by Andrew Harmon <aharmon@erols.com>

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2806357017/