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/

American Gigolo - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Not a great film or even a very good one,BUT a interesting adult themed movie.Richard Gere  play Julian,a male escort,and indeed a very handsome one and Lauren Hutton plays Michelle ,someone who doesn't need one yet they meet and nature takes its course.In a strange tale of murder and secrets we see a seedy underside of the world that really exists.Well maybe,but that's the fun of watching a movie you may have seen before but not from THIS side of the sexual divide.The supporting cast is fine but the film really belongs to the leeds.Released in 1980 and running a bit long at 117 minutes,I took 2 stars off for being dated and a not really new story if it was about"working girls"but that "Blondie"song"Call me"always brings me back.Nice adult film. Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below. 

Julian makes a lucrative living as an escort to older women in the Los Angeles area. He begins a relationship with Michelle, a local politician's wife, without expecting any pay. One of his clients is murdered and Detective Sunday begins pumping him for details on his different clients, something he is reluctant to do considering the nature of his work. Julian begins to suspect he's being framed. Meanwhile Michelle begins to fall in love with him. Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com> 

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1924530457/

In the Heat of the Night - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Nothing not to like in this classic 1967 release that runs 109 minutes thus the 5 stars.A film like this would NEVER be made today,a true child of the 60's.Stero type's run amuck but as we used to say,it ain't paranoia if their out to get you,and in those days down south in Mississippi they were killing blacks.You may not the stero typing but the acting is on another level.Sidney Poitier starred as  Virgil Tibbs and would later would be known as"super nigger"in a affectionate way because of this and many other roles.Rod Steiger plays Sheriff Gillespie ,the fat racist cop as maybe just a victim of his surroundings.Together they rock the screen and almost themselves in some of the smartest,wittiest and funny dialogue ever filmed. A must see as a example of the media being used as a tool for social change while entertaining.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Detective Virgil Tibbs is caught up in the racial tension of the US South when he is arrested after the murder of a prominent businessman. Tibbs was simply waiting for his next train at the station in Sparta, Mississippi and the confusion is soon resolved but when local police chief Gillespie learns that Tibbs is the Philadelphia PD's number one homicide expert, he reluctantly asks for his assistance. The murdered man, Mr. Colbert, had come to Sparta from the North to build a new factory and his wife and business associates immediately point the finger at Endicott, the most powerful man in the county and the one who had the most to lose if a major new employer comes to the area. Tibbs' life is clearly in danger but he perseveres in a highly charged and racially explosive environment until the killer is found. Written by garykmcd

http://www.zuguide.com/#In-the-Heat-of-the-Night

18 Again ! - 3 stars out of 5 stars

OK,I love these "switch"bodies or conscience or whatever sort of out of body experience films you want to call them and so I seek them out.Sadly this film has only one reason to see it and thats the late great George Burns.He has a quite grace that transcends any foolishness his roles call for and this movie calls for a few,least of which is any even remotely believable explanation of why a 81 year oldster switches conscience with his college aged grandson.The grandson, played by Charlie Schlatter, slowly grows on you and the in between'er role played by Tony Roberts is wasted.Red Buttons,Anita Morris and a VERY low keyed Pauly Shore are the only other actors worth noting.The plot is standard older gets younger one last time.Nothing new or earthshaking and the lack of science and VERY dated feel of dress and style makes it fairly boring unless you are really into these sort of films.See a lot better ones first, than see this for Mr.Burns ONLY.There was a sort of funny scene in a history class room about what the "S"inHarry S.Truman's name stood for but that was one of too few.Released in 1988 it runs a short 93 minutes.I took 2 stars off for lack of science and being very dated.Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3223691545/

A Hard Days Night - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 1964 and running only 87 there is little not to like in this classic beatles film.Because its in b&w sadly younger viewers may not enjoy it and its as corny as any old "monkeys"TV show you may have seen,thats why I took 1 star off,BUT IT'S THE BEATLES !!!!Early on in their career,and my favorite time for them.Even the b&w fits with the innocence of that time.Lines like,are you a mod or a rocker ?i'm a mocker,still make me laugh.They were something and we shall not EVER see their like again.A must see foe historical reasons if you love music and fun.The other actors are just fillers and the story,what story??Its just a funny romp to a performance with the group hamming it up in little SNL type vignette's  along the way.There would have never been a SNL or The Monkeys or even music videos without the hilarity shown in these loose tied together gags scenes of a film.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

The Beatles--the world's most famous rock and roll band--travel from their home town of Liverpool to London to perform in a television broadcast. Along the way they must rescue Paul's unconventional grandfather from various misadventures and drummer Ringo goes missing just before the crucial concert. Written by Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1592696345/

Death Wish - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Classic film that spawned a genre of"revenge"films and four sequels of its own over 15 or so years and forever will have you remember Charles Bronson who plays Paul Kersey,as a film character classic.Released in 1974 and running only 93 minutes there is only a few problems with the original.First its highly dated so younger viewers might not like the pacing and most important to that fact is that the bad guys for the most part,use knives instead of guns.If you can get over that,the story is classic "old west"and is not ashamed of it.Sadly the bad guys unpunished but other baddies pay the price for them.Thats a little disturbing but its still satisfying on a few levels to root for vigilante justice.There's also some fine actors who had bit parts,early in their careers, in the film.You can try to fine them,hah,hah.The main cast is fine but the movie has a "TV"movie feel.So I took 1 and 1/2 stars for more technical issues than story.I still enjoy it from time to time and have to revisit the 4 sequels.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

A New York City architect becomes a one-man vigilante squad after his wife is murdered by street punks in which he randomly goes out and kills would-be muggers on the mean streets after dark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GieK_55uyY

Westworld - 4 stars out of 5 stars

OK this is the third "Robot"film in a row I'm reviewing and maybe the best ever made except for the classic"The Terminator"This 1973 film that runs only 88 minutes,takes the idea of a adult themed Disney type fantasy park and turns it into a warning about machines taking over.Whats really worth watching is the acting.Yul Brynner as the Robot Gunslinger plays it as he did in "The Magnificent Seven" only adding to it menacing relentlessness as Arnold was in"The Terminator".Thats the key to believability in both films.Richard Benjamin and James Brolin are good as the two buddies whose are trapped when the robots started running amuck.The rest of the cast have minor roles but fine including Majel Barrett as Miss Carrie for you Trekkies out there.The film however is very dated thats why I had to take a star off,but you can do FAR worse than this forgotten gem.
Trailer URL follows the pix,and a IMDB summary below.

A robot malfunction creates havoc and terror for unsuspecting vacationers at a futuristic, adult-themed amusement park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_lBnqz-0ek

Robot Monster - 4 stars out of 5 stars

You have to know your sci-fi and enjoy all types of movies and understand the differences between camp and before it's time and just plain bad to "get"this film.First off it's made in 1953 and runs only 66 minutes.Short and to the point.Man has been discovered,deemed unworthy and will be destroyed.Not hard to understand after only 8 years and the memory of world war two and the atom bomb.So what we really have is the first real "post apocalypse" picture.It's even a tribute to "The Wizard of Oz"as its all in a child's dream.
Ok,ok,some real camp stuff,but hey it's 1953 and made THAT way.Lots of reference to TV however as the alien uses a "flat screen"TV to communicate and has TV antenna's in his fish bowl head gear over a ape suite.Yea,early "planet of the apes"inspiration???
It even has scenes no one would be allowed to shoot afterwards because of standards and practice codes dealing with child harm although in silly 1950's context.
Bottom line,its bad because we expect so much,but if it was a 1050's film school project,"A",maybe it was ???By the way,Elmer Bernstein was music director and George Nader is a earlier version of Leslie Nielsen and that accent of John Mylong rivals Bela Lugosi however Gregory Moffett won't have anyone forgetting Judy Garland anytime soon.The rest of the cast including the love interest Claudia Barrett,are second rate.
Still if you "like"cinema,this work is a must as early trail setting sci-fi or high camp but its NOT THAT BAD !!!!!!
I took a star of for b&w and being sooooooo very dated.
Trailer URL follows the pix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq9IKsH9BXg

Real Steel - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2011 and running long at 124 minutes,there is little to like but the acting.The characters leave little to care about and the science is never explained and the story,is well,silly and contrived to be a tale of redemption and finding ones self in ones lost family.BALONEY.Thats why I give it my lowest rating at 50-50 for a night with truly nothing else to watch.Now to the limited good stuff.Loved the robot fighting FX,much better than spike TV show from the UK,"Robot Wars"and the kids games "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots"that it draws on.Plus the actors,Evangeline Lilly as Bailey Tallet,in her first role since "Lost"and the always great Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton  and young actor Dakota Goyo     as Max Kenton .Is that enough??You decide.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

Set in the near future, where robot boxing is a top sport, a struggling promoter feels he's found a champion in a discarded robot. During his hopeful rise to the top, he discovers he has an 11-year-old son who wants to know his father.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3446840601/