Overture Film recently send us over three clip and a featurette clip for "The crazies" remake which is in theaters now.

Imagine living in a small town where everything is safe and happy…until suddenly it isn’t. Imagine your friends and neighbors going quickly and horrifically insane. In a terrifying tale of the “American Dream” gone horribly wrong, four friends find themselves trapped in their hometown in The Crazies, a reinvention of the George Romero classic directed by Breck Eisner from a screenplay by Ray Wright (Pulse, Case 39) and Scott Kosar (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre).

David Dutten (Timothy Olyphant) is sheriff of Ogden Marsh, a picture-perfect American town with happy, law-abiding citizens. But one night, one of them comes to a school baseball game with a loaded shotgun, ready to kill. Another man burns down his own house…after locking his wife and young son in a closet inside. Within days, the town has transformed into a sickening asylum; people who days ago lived quiet, unremarkable lives have now become depraved, blood-thirsty killers, hiding in the darkness with guns and knives. Sheriff Dutten tries to make sense of what’s happening as the horrific, nonsensical violence escalates. Something is infecting the citizens of Ogden Marsh…with insanity.

Now complete anarchy reigns as one by one the townsfolk succumb to an unknown toxin and turn sadistically violent. In an effort to keep the madness contained, the government uses deadly force to close off all access and won’t let anyone in or out – even those uninfected. The few still sane find themselves trapped: Sheriff Dutten; his pregnant wife, Judy (Radha Mitchell); Becca (Danielle Panabaker), an assistant at the medical center; and Russell (Joe Anderson), Dutten’s deputy and right-hand man. Forced to band together, an ordinary night becomes a horrifying struggle for survival as they do their best to get out of town alive.

"The Crazies" Clip 1: "There's Someone Outside"



"The Crazies" Clip 2: "What Does It Mean"



"The Crazies" Clip 3: "Carwash"



The Crazies: Immersion Featurette

20th Century Fox recently released the official trailer for Oliver Stone's new film, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Michael Douglas is back in his Oscar®-winning role as one of the screens most notorious villains, Gordon Gekko. Emerging from a lengthy prison stint, Gekko finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated. Looking to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter, Gekko forms an alliance with her fiancé Jacob (Shia LaBeouf), and Jacob begins to see him as a father figure. But Jacob learns the hard way that Gekko still a master manipulator and player is after something very different from redemption.

Starring: Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon, and Frank Langella

Directed By: Oliver Stone

"Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps": Official Trailer

20th Century Fox recently sent us over the trailer and poster for the upcomming Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz film "Knight and Day".

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz star in the action-comedy KNIGHT AND DAY. During their glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure, nothing and no one even the now fugitive couple are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.

The film also stars Peter Sarsguaard, Paul Dano, and Maggie Grace.

"Knight and Day" hits theaters on July 2nd

"Knight and Day" Teaser Trailer

The Wagner/Cuban Companies' Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced this week that it has acquired U.S. rights to CENTURION, an epic sword and sandal thrill ride from cult-favorite filmmaker Neil Marshall (The Descent), starring Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, 300), Dominic West (300, The Wire), David Morrissey (Red Riding Trilogy), and stunning Bond-girl Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace).

Magnet is launching CENTURION as the 6th entry in the second “Six Shooter Film Series,” a collection of six of the most exciting contemporary worldwide action films which also includes Bronson, Red Cliff, Ong Bak 2, District 13: Ultimatum and The Warlords. A summer theatrical release is planned.

Boasting savagely violent battle scenes and an adrenaline fueled chase through the breathtaking Scottish highlands, CENTURION is set during the war between Roman soldiers and Pict tribesmen during the 2nd century Roman conquest of Britain. Fassbender stars as Quintus Dias, Roman centurion and son of a legendary gladiator who leads a group of soldiers on a raid of a Pict camp to rescue a captured general (West). The son of the Pict leader is murdered during the raid, and the Romans find themselves hunted by a seemingly unstoppable group of the Pict’s most vicious and skilled warriors, led by a beautiful and deadly tracker (Kurylenko), who are hell bent on revenge.

“CENTURION is a blood drenched masterpiece,” said Magnolia/Magnet SVP Tom Quinn. “Neil has made an action movie that delivers on every level, and fans are going to go wild for it. There couldn’t be a better film to wrap up the ‘Six Shooter’ series.”

Neil Marshall adds, "I'm incredibly happy that CENTURION has found a home of such quality and prestige, and amongst such high caliber company too! I look forward to collaborating with Tom and everyone at Magnolia on the forthcoming US release. If history is written in blood, then CENTURION is hardcore history - bloody and brutal!"

Mike Runagall of Pathé commented: “We’re thrilled to partner with Tom and the team at Magnolia and their marketing and distribution prowess will ensure CENTURION reaches a wide US audience.”

Jason Reitman, director of “Juno” and “Up In The Air,” started the first night of his movie program at the New Beverly Cinema with a double feature of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Election.” “Election” was released in 1999 and was directed by Alexander Payne who would later go on to direct “About Schmidt” and “Sideways.” Reitman stated that he considers this film to be the unofficial sequel to “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” as it answers the question; what ever happened to Ferris after high school? Reflecting on what Edward R. Rooney, Dean of Students (played to manic perfection by Jeffrey Jones) said in the film that Bueller’s life would be in a ruinous state in 20 years from now, that wasn’t far from the truth. Here we see Matthew Broderick still stuck in high school, this time as Civics teacher Jim McAllister. There is no escaping the hell that is high school this time for this Broderick character, and he is confronted with a go-getter named Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon, pitch perfect by the way) who is running for Student Body President.

Reitman started off talking about “Election” and of how Volkswagen was willing to pay a lot of money for Broderick to drive a VW Bug, but that director Payne was adamantly against it. This was proof Reitman said that this director was one who stuck to his guns and never strayed from his vision of the movie.

Whereas “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was John Hughes’ love letter to Chicago, “Election” was Alexander Payne’s love letter to Omaha. This city in Nebraska has been the setting for just about every movie Alexander Payne has made except for “Sideways.” Jason said that Payne has been a big influence on him as a director, and they have become friendly over the years. Payne told Jason that he loves to shoot in the Midwest of America because of “the wind.”

Before “Election” was started, Jason Reitman brought out a special guest to talk about the movie and the making of it: Chris Klein. Chris played the well meaning but hopelessly dim high school football star Paul Metzler. After “Election,” Chris went on to star in “American Pie,” and he later went against type in John McTiernan’s remake of “Rollerball.” That movie was never mentioned during the Q&A, and probably for a good reason.

“This may sound hokey, but this is what dreams are made of.”

That’s how Chris went about describing how he got cast in this film and ended up being plucked from obscurity. At the time, Chris was living in Omaha and going to high school when he was discovered. People in his hometown would never take him seriously when he said that his dream was to be a professional actor. You have to wonder what those same people must think of him today.

During pre-production for “Election,” Chris said that Payne was scouting out high schools and other locations in Omaha when his high school principal (who was essentially acting as his agent) brought Chris to the director’s attention. While Paul Metzler was a football star, Chris had become the star of the plays and musicals put on at his school. One day, his teacher was instructed to tell Chris to get some papers which he forgot to bring with him. As he was walking down the hallway, Alexander Payne passed by him as he headed in the opposite direction. The next day, Payne called Klein up and asked him to audition and do a cold reading for him. Chris said that he actually didn’t know what he was reading for, and that had he known he’s sure he would have blown the entire thing. All the same, he got cast in “Election,” and his career took off from there.

Chris said he had not seen any of Alexander Payne’s previous films, so the director gave him a copy of “Citizen Ruth” which he ended up watching with his mother. For those of you not familiar with this particular film, it starred Laura Dern as a glue-sniffing drug addict who ends up becoming pregnant, and she spends the movie deciding on whether or not to get an abortion. Keep in mind that Omaha, Nebraska is a very conservative area, so neither Chris nor his mother was adequately prepared for what they ended up seeing. His mother ended up saying:

“WHAT IS THIS MOVIE??!! IS THIS REALLY THE GUY YOU ARE ABOUT TO WORK WITH???!!”

With “Election,” it marked the first time that Chris had ever been on a film set, and he remarked that he never realized that they played music during a scene. That must have thrown him off at first. When he read the screenplay, he told Alexander that he didn’t know that it was supposed to be funny. Alexander responded by saying that this was exactly what he wanted. The direction he gave to Chris was that his character Paul Metzler was nervous and never comfortable in front of people. This ended working out perfectly.

For Jason Reitman, Chris’ experience making this film reminded him of various panels he has been on with actors from his own movies. Many said that they had no idea of what Jason was doing until the whole thing was over. Chris described what Jason pointed out as being very similar to his experience making “Election.” It never occurred to him fully what kind of film they had made until he went to the premiere and saw the movie with an audience. After that, he exclaimed:

“HEY! WE ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING FUNNY!”

Admittedly, having grown up in conservative Omaha for most of his life, Chris said there were several scenes in the movie that concerned him. But none concerned him more than the scene where Paul Metzler gets a blow job. Jason however pointed out that the blow job is a huge moment for his character in that it is the first one Paul has ever gotten. The expression on Paul’s face in that moment is so priceless. But this is the way Chris saw that whole scene:

“Believe me; I have gotten A LOT of blow jobs! The thing though is none of them were ever put up on the big screen before!”

Jason remarked that directing an actor (not an actress mind you) to do an orgasm in a film is “really hard.” This was a challenge that Reitman had faced when he was directing Michael Cera in “Juno” where he was very intimate with the title character. Reitman remarked that Michael is a wonderful guy and a great actor, but getting that expression on his face of the thing we want to experience multiple times throughout our lives proved impossible, so it ended up getting cut out of the movie.

All this talk about blow jobs from one movie to the next led Jason Reitman to remark:

“This has turned into an amazing Q&A!”

Once again, “Election” was Chris Klein’s first time on a movie set, so there were many lessons for him to learn quickly. Throughout it all, he spent just about every hour on location to where Director Payne told him:

“Don’t worry, you can go home. We’ll call you when we’re ready for you.”

One other thing that really altered his perception of moviemaking at the time was when the actress originally cast Paul’s sister, Tammy (Thora Birch), ended up being replaced. As Chris saw it, she was basically fired, and he became very fearful that he would be the next one to go. Alexander Payne may have been watching a young actor growing right before his eyes, but Chris described the whole process as him taking it all so seriously so that he wouldn’t get fired.

Chris Klein finished by saying that working on “Election” was really an amazing experience as well as a lucky one, and that watching professionals like Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon (both of whom he described as being “very generous” to him and others) made this one of the very best experiences he has ever had. To all this, Jason Reitman remarked:

“I’m so glad you two (Klein and Payne) ran into each other at your high school!”

Before the Q&A was concluded, Jason had said that over various films and movie festivals, he became friendly with Alexander Payne. Payne has been very complimentary on the work Reitman has done, and Jason said that this has meant so much to him. Now they text each other on a regular basis, so he had asked Payne if there was one shot in all of “Election” which best describes the whole movie for him. Jason read the entire text that he received from Payne to the audience:

“The entire movie rests on the one shot of the protagonist (Matthew Broderick’s Jim McAllister) washing his genitalia in the shower of that motel room.”

Reported by Ben Kenber

Film Arcade recently receieved some stills and a clip from Alternative Cinema for their upcoming Shock-O-Rama release "ROT: Reunion of Terror", which hits shelves on March 9th.

10 years after high school, an invitation to a reunion at a secluded hunting cabin draws six friends into a viscous game of life-and-death. Unbeknownst to the partiers, the mutilated bodies of two young campers lie hidden in the nearby woods. As the night progresses and one-by-one friends disappear, tensions escalate…is there a demented serial killer on the loose, or could one of them be behind this Reunion of Terror?

Suspenseful, moody and shocking, ROT: Reunion of Terror is a serial killer film that will leave you guessing until its dramatic conclusion!

ROT: Reunion of Terror: Sneak Preview Clip

Black Dynamite
Year: 2009
Director: Scott Sanders
Studio: Apparition Releasing / Sony Pictures
Stars: Michael Jai White, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and Byron Minns
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 88 Mins





“Black Dynamite” is a film that I’ve been curious about for while from the retro looking posters to the film trailer. The film is both, a homage and parody to the blaxploitation films of the seventies, where such films as “Shaft” “Coffy” and “Foxy Brown” did business at the multiplex. But still, I had a sense that it was going to be fun time considering that the trailer made me laugh. Man, I was very right on that assumption.

The film is about a slick, smoothest, womanizing and baddest former C.I.A. known as “Black Dyanmite”. He’s taking down drug dealers and going after the man, after they gunned down his brother. Soon he discover that the man has a plan of his own, by moving heroin to the orphanages and flooded the streets with adulterated malt liquor that does damage to anyone that drinks it. But “Black Dynamite is willing to the fight the man through the blood-soaked streets to honky house in this send of seventies blaxploitation.

Movie Review:

Black Dynamite is a very funny parody of seventies blaxploitation and kung fu films. Writer/director Scott Sanders does a very good job making this a very fun film to watch. He does that, by capturing the way that this film looks. This film had a vibe that giving the feeling that his came right out of the blaxploitation era, from the look of the film to the placement of the 70’s like music. Also, I liked the way that Sanders using montages for most of the action scenes. It’s done that way that the action comes off as homage to those films, as it also helps move the flow of the film along. He does that because this is a low budget film and if the sequences were played out in its entirety, then the sequences wouldn’t work. The acting here was over the top, but Sanders can get away with it here, because this is more of a comedy, than a straight up action film. Also, by making the performances over the top, it helps make the dialogue more effective and funny.

Sanders along with actor/writers Michael Jai White, and Byron Minns make everything in the story work as both a parody and homage to those blaxploitation films. The writers did it by creating fun characters that make you interested in the film and the fact the humor was just that good. The reason it works is the way the dialogue is written. This film is clearly inspired from the films of the seventies, because the way that the characters come off onscreen and that fact the dialogue came out those blaxploitation films. I also laughed a lot here. The reason for that is the way that the writers made the characters very funny in the way that they speak and act to some of the film’s dialogue to which you can’t help it but laugh. I had a fun time watching this film.

Blu-Ray Review:

First on the disc is the commentary track, which features writer/director Scott Sanders along with actor/writers Michael Jai White, and Byron Minns. For the most part this was a good commentary track. They do a good job providing interesting facts on the production, from the locations to the cameos of various actors. They also go into the homages of various blaxploitation films, which this film is inspired from. Also during the course of the track, they all seem like their having a good time recording this track. Laughing at the various mistakes that are noticeable in the film and poking fun at some of the dialogue, which makes the track entertaining to keep your interest.

Next on the disc is “Lighting the Fuse”. It’s a twenty-two minute behind the scenes look of the film. It covers array of topics like the writing of the film to the film production, seventies costume design, the look of the film and the various blaxploitation films in which this film pay homage to. This was surprising a good featurette as it cover more ground of the film, which wasn’t mentioned in the commentary track.

The next featurette is “The Comic-Con Experience” which features Sanders, White, Minns and actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield. It’s an eighteen-minute Q and A session that is moderated by Elvis Mitchell. It goes into the various stories that the cast had during the making of this film. They also share some of their favorite blaxploitation films.

Next is “The 70’s: Back in Action” This featurette is exclusive to the Blu-Ray version. It’s a fourteen-minute feature that goes into era where blaxploitation films were popular. The cast and crew reminisce over the films that they enjoyed during that era of filmmaking. This was a good featurette, as you get a better understanding of how some of these films inspired the making of this one.

Finally this disc wraps up with twenty eight minutes of alternate and deleted scenes, trailers for upcoming Sony releases and Movie IQ which is also a blu-ray exclusive that provides facts about the film, music, and actors.

Final Thoughts.

“Black Dynamite” is one of those films that you just sit back and enjoy is a very fun movie from start to finish. It also has some very good features that will make you understand the various homages that this film pays tribute to. “Black Dynamite” will get you in the groove that you forgive its noticeable miscues and make you laugh throughout.

Review Rating: 4 Stars
Blu-ray Rating: 3.5 Stars

Welcome everyone to the 223rd edition of my long-running series. I really hope that the weather stays okay this week but that is all I have to say so get our your Netflix and Blockbuster queues and read on.

When We Were Kings (1996): This is my documentary for the week which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary. I had this on Netflix and a couple weeks ago my mom and her boyfriend were contemplating what to watch so when I heard them I asked if they wanted to see this one and they agreed. I suggested it knowing my mom has met Muhammed Ali when she was in the Navy and ended up sitting with him and his family on an airplane. This documentary takes a look at the story leading into Rumble in the Jungle which was a fight in Zaire, Africa between Ali and George Foreman, the owner of the Foreman Grill. It also takes a look at some of the early life of Ali, Foreman, and even fight promoter Don King. It also takes a look at the delays and has many interviews with both parties as well as concert footage from James Brown who performed out there in the events leading into the fight. This was a very good documentary that is worth a watch.

Hoosiers (1986): The Cacebook friend I chose for this week is Dave who used to be a wrestler named Dave Dynasty. This is my movie that takes place in my state of Indiana for the week. David Anspaugh, the greatest sports movie director, directed this basketball film which is based on a true story. Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale who is hired as the coach of a high school basketball in a very small town in Indiana who all they really have is basketball. He turns a team which has limited players into a team that becomes a contender for the high school championship. Dennis Hopper co-stars as Shooter, the town drunk who was a one time the star-player for the high school. Norman hires him as an assistant coach if he agrees to stop drinking. Barbara Hershey co-stars as a teacher who has a hard time accepting Norman as the coach. Hopper was great in his role as well as the unknown cast where all the people on the team are unknown and never became big stars but can always have this one to look back on. This is based on the 1954 team in the small town Milan, Indiana who went on to win the championship and upset one of the top high school baskeball teams Muncie Central which is in my town. This movie was actually filmed in Indiana and is one of the best sports movies of all time.

Take the Money and Run (1969): This is an early Woody Allen film which he wrote and directed which I consider his most underrated film and my favorite of his films. This movie is shot in documentary style were Woody plays bumbling criminal Virgil Starkwell. It talks about his early childhood, his failed music career, and his unsucessful bank robbing career. It also takes a look at his love life where he feels he must commit a robbery to support his family. There are some pretty funny moments like his attempted escape with a gun made from soap, the escape with six other people when he was on a chain gang, and many others. In the prison scenes there were some actual prisoners paid a small fee to work on the film. This was the first widely-released film in the "mockumentary" genre which was before THIS IS SPINAL TAP was released.

America (2009): This is my tv movie for the week which I found on the Lifetime Movie Network. I usually gloss right through that channel but the description really interested me and I was interested in seeing Rosie O'Donnell in something like this movie. O'Donnell and Joyce Eliason wrote the teleplay which takes a look at the Foster Care system. O'Donnell plays a psychiatrist at a youth treatment center who encounters her latest challenge in a bi-racial boy of the title name. America has lead a very difficult life where he was taken from his parents and his foster father was very abusive. She must do everything possible to get through to him and provides a lot of patience to him. It takes a very good look at the very flawed foster care system.

The Big Bad Wolf (40s/50s): This is my animation short for the week which takes a look at Little Boy Blue and Little Bo Peep who come together with another person who I believe has a pumpkin head. They must then contend with a wolf who is targeting them and the sheep. It was pretty entertaining and even has a good musical number.

The Flesh and the Fiends (1960): This is my horror film for the week which stars Peter Cushing. Cushing plays surgeon and professor Dr. Robert Knox who requires cadavers for his research of the human body. He has a couple people named Burke and Hare to get him his cadavers which go about it in strange ways. A young Donald Pleasance plays the role of Hare. This was a rather unknown but good chiller. This movie is actually based on a true story.

The Hours (2002): This is a story where the novel MRS. HALLOWAY focuses on three generations of women who all deal with suicide in some way or another. Nicole Kidman plays writer Virginia Woolf who actually wrote MRS. HALLOWAY this takes place on her writing the novel. Julianne Moore plays Laura Brown who is pregnant with her second child and does not know if she can be a good mother to that child. Meryl Streep plays Clarissa who is trying to throw a party for her best friend Richard, played very well by Ed Harris, who is a famous author dying of aids. Each story deals with similar situations which make them all come together in the end. Other people in the movie include Jeff Daniels, Claire Danes, John C. Reilly, and many others.

The Story of Louis Pasteur (1935): Paul Muni plays the title character who was a scientist. He ends up finding cures for anthrax and rabies. In his quest to find these cures, he does not get much support from his colleagues until he is able to prove his theories. This is a very compelling film with a good performance from Muni who I feel is one of the best actors of that era but is not nearly as known as people like Humphrey Bogart and Spencer Tracy.

Summertime (1955): This is part two of my Katherine Hepburn series and probably the last but who knows. Last week I used ALICE ADAMS where she was much different than her usual persona she shows a lot. This was another Hepburn film where I felt she was much different. Here, she plays a lonely American woman named Jane Hudson in France for vacation who is content in her single life until she meets a man she love but the only problem is that she is married. I would call this kind of a character study where we see Jane see all the sights and meet people in a very strange land. She also has an interesting friendship with a rebellious child. I liked the scene where she gives him a cigarette which was probably no big deal in those days like it is today. This movie helped tourism in the country at the time.

Gerry (2002): I now end with this Gus Van Zant film which was written by him and the two stars of the film Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. Damon and Affleck play friends who wander off in the desert possibly wanting to get away from everything. They end up getting very lost and they are without food and water where they must do what they can to survive. This journey puts a big test on their friendship where they must battle the elements. Gus Van Zant in known for his experimental films and this was an interesting idea which got a lot of mixed opinion I can see. There was not much dialogue, but a lot of imagery. It is kind of a hit of miss opportunity for people to see. I will not put this in my list of favorite films but I did feel the stars worked well together. I also thought it was a good effort by Van Zant, Damon, and Affleck which was worth a look but really needs to have attention when viewing.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you love and what you hate and stay tuned for next week.

Starring: Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Richard Jenkins, Henry Thomas, Braeden Reed, Luke BenwardDirected By: Lasse HallströmWritten By: Nicholas Sparks (novel), Jamie Linden (screenplay)Grade: B+

It’s pretty much a given that any Nicholas Sparks’ adaptation is going to be touching, tear-jerking, epic romances. A Walk To Remember and The Notebook are still the most moving and beautiful love stories of our generation. It seems like in most romances, I’m really not all that convinced that the characters actually love each other even if I do like the characters individually. In A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, and Dear John there is no question though. In fact, you feel for their passion and love they have towards each other so intensely that the film becomes an emotional excursion that feels completely genuine and refreshing. While Dear John isn’t quite in the same league as A Walk to Remember and The Notebook, it comes pretty close. This one is definitely a tear jerker and any film that can effect me that much on an emotional level like that has clearly done something right. The characters are extremely likeable and the story tells us a heartbreaking romance, but even aside from this it’s a good story about family, selflessness, and life.

John (Tatum), a soldier on leave meets Savannah (Seyfried), a college student home for spring break, at the beach. When she drops her purse in the water he dives in and gets it for her. Savannah invites him to her house for a barbeque that night. They end up hitting it off and they go on an official date the next night. Savannah is eager to learn more about who John is and where he comes from. When John mentions his father, Savannah insists on meeting him that night. Mr. Tyree (Jenkins) has social anxiety and mostly stays at home examining and polishing his coin collection, which John was excited by as a kid, but is now mostly embarrassed over his father’s obsession of it. Savannah is very warm towards Mr. Tyree and talks with him about his coins.

The next day John learns a little more about Savannah. She takes him to the charity project she has been working on with other people in the community, building a house for a family that lost their house in a storm. Her neighbor, Alan (Reed), is a young boy with autism. Learning what he goes through, Savannah is inspired to go to school longer to study teaching children with mental disabilities so she can open a summer camp for autistic kids. She wants to give them a place where they can be free from their inner battles. John is amazed that someone so good, kind, and remarkable could be interested in him.

They spend every moment they can over the next two weeks together. They know that they both have to get back to their lives. Savannah has to go back to school and John has to finish up his service. They’ve fallen in love in these two weeks amazingly enough and neither one of them wants to live a life without the other. John just has to make it 12 more months than they can be together. In the mean time, they write each other back and forth, telling each other about what’s going on in their lives so “It’s like they never left each other”. Things are difficult for them, but they are given faith that they will make it through. Then 9/11 happened. All of the other soldiers are eager to serve and protect their country, making John feel like not re-enlisting would be a betrayal. This separates John and Savannah, prolonging the wait until they can be together and putting a strain on their relationship. Savannah has a lot to deal with and doesn’t know where to turn while the only thing helping John go on is the letters from Savannah. They stop coming though. John doesn’t get any explanation for months and when he does it nearly kills him. No matter how much time they spend apart they know they’ll always be a part of the other.

Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried are a major part of what attracted me to the film in the first place and their performances didn’t disappoint. Channing Tatum is really hit or miss. His better performances were those in A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints, Stop Loss, and She’s the Man while Step Up and even G.I. Joe and Fighting were far more flat and shallow performances. Luckily, his performance in Dear John can be added to the better half. He brings out a flawed man, but one who is striving to be better, especially since Savannah walked in to his life. As always Amanda Seyfried is completely dazzling with incredible charisma and charm. She is really a tremendously talented young actress and especially recently that she has been given chances to prove herself in starring roles she has shown how well she carries a film. Seyfried and Tatum have great chemistry together, really making you feel for both of the characters, and long for them to be together.

I have to mention Richard Jenkins as well who gave an incredible performance as John’s father who shows subtle but clear signs of autism. He clearly cares about his son even though he doesn’t know how to reach out to him. That’s why he clings to his coin collection, as a way of holding on to a time when his son looked up to him rather than being embarrassed by him. Jenkins really brings a genuine and gentle approach to the character, nailing certain mannerisms and ways of carrying himself, never seeming over the top, but bringing to life one of the most interesting characters in the film.

One thing that makes Dear John stand out is it isn’t just about the love story, but the characters themselves. We learn to love the characters so much and their give and take with one another, making us want for things to work out between them. John is a man that has made mistakes, but is trying to do things right this time. He still has trouble connecting to his father and craves for a bit of normalcy in his life, unsure of how to understand or deal with his father. This is part of the reason why he falls so hard for Savannah, she gives him understanding, love, and is the rock that allows him to be the man he strives to be.

Savannah is goodhearted and enjoys helping others, giving them hope that they might have lost otherwise. She loves that she can give John that hope. Still she is a flawed character the same way John is. That is one thing I think could have been handled a little bit better in the movie, seeing her side of things just as we saw John’s. We typically only get her perspective through the letters or when they are together. When the letters stop we don’t see things through her character anymore until John goes back home. So rather than seeing her as flawed and all of the pain and conflict that she is dealing with we see her as betraying John when they seemed to be so good for each other. Luckily, she isn’t painted as an enemy after this one choice.

Dear John does a great job of telling us a heartwarming love story while still not having things be too perfect. Pretty much from the beginning there are complications if they want to be together. Even when making the best of a difficult situation things don’t always end up going as good as they started. Life gets in the way, which does happen. What first seems like a betrayal ends up being understandable to try to live her own life and help others who may have lost the ability to live their own. Still, that initial love was no illusion, it was something real that couldn’t be replaced no matter how they tried to move on.

Now we’re talking! This was one of the few R-rated movies my parents let me see long before I turned 17. Of course, soon I was sneaking into many R-rated movies before I reached that age. I’d buy a ticket to “Ghost,” and I ended up seeing Steven Seagal in “Marked For Death.” I guess my mom and dad thought that since I was watching all these movie review shows like “Siskel & Ebert” and “Sneak Previews” among others, and that I had seen the trailer for this particular film numerous times on the Movietime Channel (long before it turned into E! Entertainment Television), the damage to my fragile little mind had already been done. Then again, it’s not like they were exposing my brother and I to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” That would have scarred us for life!

So why would I choose “Bull Durham” as my all time favorite sports movie? When I first saw it on VHS, I was already getting pretty used to the Hollywood formula of the typical sports movie where the hero suffers a crushing defeat and has to build themselves back up to an audience-pleasing finish. Don’t get me wrong, I loved a lot of those crowd pleasing movies like “The Karate Kid” and “Rocky III” (hadn’t seen the first one yet). Back at that young age, I was more comfortable knowing how a movie would end, and I wanted them all to end the same way. It’s still that way with today’s generation of audiences who thrive on repetition in stories and of the good guys (or gals) beating the villains with the expected rush of excitement as we are led to believe that good will always triumph over evil. When you’re young, you have yet to learn that in reality the bad guys get away with a lot before anyone notices (especially if they have corporate and/or political connections).

With “Bull Durham” though, it forever changed the way I looked at sports movies in general. It didn’t always have to be about the training montages and the build up to that big game. Instead, it could be more about the reality of the game itself, and of the various personalities who inhabit it. Whether or not the characters get their big moment at the end, their victories and accomplishments were never about coming out on top or being the best. The real victory came from struggling through one important stage in your life and surviving it to get to the next sone; closing one chapter in your life and moving to the other.

Most baseball movies focus on the major leagues, but what makes “Bull Durham” especially unique is that it is really all about the minors. Writer/Director Ron Shelton based this film on his own experiences in the minor leagues which he played in for several years, and he shows it to be a much looser environment that appears to be far more fun and carefree. The baseball stadium may be smaller, but the connection between the players and the fans is more intimate and not engulfed in corporate greed or network contracts. Still, all those players see getting to the majors as their holy grail, the one thing they feel destined to get to at some point (they refer to it as “the show”). Sad thing is many of them will not make it.

“Bull Durham” focuses on three characters throughout: Crash “the player to be named later” Davis played by Kevin Costner, Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh played by Tim Robbins, and Annie Savoy played by Susan Sarandon. LaLoosh is the star pitcher of the Durham Bulls and is about to make his professional debut. However, he ends up pitching the same way he makes love as Millie (the incredibly cute Jenny Robertson) points out:

“…all over the place.”

Hence, veteran catcher Crash Davis is brought onto the team to teach LaLoosh to control his pitching and get him prepped for “the show” which everyone believes he is destined for. During this time, the two of them will meet up with the high priestess of baseball, Annie Savoy. Her church is the one of baseball, and she hooks with one guy a season to help them with their playing and to expand their mind. This player also gets to share her bed with her, and considering just how amazingly hot Sarandon is in this role, it does look foolish to even consider turning her down.

Like I said, “Bull Durham” is not about the big game, and that’s one of the many reasons this movie has stayed with me ever since I saw it on our old Zenith television all those years ago before the tube inside broke for good. At the age of 14, I may not have understood it all, but it was not a movie that just went in and out of my system like a McDonald’s Big Mac. It offers us a closer look into the world of baseball than we could have ever expected to see at that point in time. The intimate details of the minor leagues made it very unique among other films of its genre. You also get to learn the importance of the relationship between the pitcher and the catcher, and of how one had better not cross the other if he is looking for a good game.

The specific details are among the things that make the movie work for me immensely. Aside from the main players, the other team members are individualized to where you can tell one from the other. There’s the one player who swears by the bible and wants all his fellow teammates to follow in his righteous path. Then you have another player who uses a necklace with a cross to bless his baseball bat, and who later needs a live rooster to take the curse off his glove. Crash Davis also shows an alternative way to get a rainout which results in one of the movie’s more original and funnier moments. Not sure if he could get away with that in real life.

A lot of friends of mine from my high school days kept telling me about how much they hated Kevin Costner because it always seemed like he was playing himself in every role. That may be true, but he was a perfect fit for playing a veteran baseball player. You believed in Crash Davis because of how Costner portrayed him, and he also had the athletic ability to hit a ball right out of the park during filming (twice according to Shelton). In “Bull Durham,” Costner gives us a man that is knowledgeable of the majors and the minors, and through his eyes shows us the yearning he has to get back to “the show.” That’s right, he was in the majors for just over 20 days, and he recalls it as being the best days of his life. You can only imagine how much he is working to get back there, but it seems more like a mirage that gets further and further away from him as time marches on. His face spells out the long years of many road trips endured, and of the pain he still feels at being denied the chance to move up to the big leagues again.

As for Tim Robbins, I think this was the first movie he did that made me aware of who he was. I never did see “Howard The Duck” which he co-starred in, but that’s probably just as well. Looking back at his performance, it is clearer to me now that he had the toughest of all the roles in “Bull Durham.” Throughout the film, Tim has to take the “Nuke” LaLoosh from being a wild and crazy guy on and off the baseball to someone more mature to where you believe he is ready to enter the majors. Robbins makes the transition look seamless, and that ain’t ever easy. It was the first real indicator of the brilliant actor we have now come to see him as today. Since then, he has gone on to do very memorable work in films like “The Player,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “Mystic River” which finally netted him the Oscar we always expected him to get. Seeing him again in “Bull Durham” after all these years is a kick because he is so loose and fancy free. These days, he comes across as deadly serious. Maybe he should resurrect Bob Roberts…

But seriously, the most memorable performance in “Bull Durham” comes from the incredibly sexy Susan Sarandon as Annie Savoy. To say that she is sizzling hot remains an understatement a good two decades later as she captivates the audience in the same way she reels in Tim and Kevin. With this character, Ron Shelton gave us one of the most original female characters we have ever seen on the silver screen. She is a strong female, and Sarandon succeeds in making Annie anything but a slut. It may almost sound ridiculous to have a character believing in the “church of baseball” when you look at it on the page, but once Susan utters those words that start off this movie, you never doubt that she fully believes in it for a second.

The only thing more astonishing to me than Susan Sarandon in “Bull Durham” is the fact that she didn’t get an Oscar nomination for Best Actress! Even after twenty years (yes, it has been that long), it still feels like such an unforgivable sin. Granted, she went on to be nominated for an Academy Award several times (even for “The Client” of all movies), and she did finally win the Oscar for her work in “Dead Man Walking.” Still, I can’t believe that this same body of members failed to recognize her brilliant work here. This remains my favorite performance of hers for all times, and she has given a lot of great ones throughout a long career. She still looks pretty hot today, and she offered us one of the few good moments in the live action (and surprisingly boring) film version of “Speed Racer.”

But the real star of “Bull Durham” is truly Ron Shelton, and he must see a lot of Crash Davis in himself. As I said earlier, he spent several years in the minors but later retired when he realized that he was not gonna get to “the show.” Ever since this film, he has been the guy to go to for writing sports movies. You never get a “Rocky” like movie from Ron, and the characters he creates are so rich and complex and always have such fantastic dialogue streaming out of their mouths that make it hard to compare him to other writers. This great talent of his led him on to make “White Man Can’t Jump” where Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes were as brilliant at hustling on the basketball courts as they were at verbal sparring with each other and their opponents, to “Tin Cup” which gave us his take on the final victorious moment and had me thinking that Costner and him should make as many movies together as possible, and to “Cobb” with Tommy Lee Jones which may still be the definitive anti-sports biopic of all time.

Incidentally, the commentary track he does for the DVD remains one of my all time favorites. Throughout the movie, he strips away the mythology of many other baseball movies to give us an idea of what the game is really like. I also loved how he talked about the fight to get Tim Robbins cast in the movie even though the studio didn’t view him as a big enough star. The way they saw it, the audience would never believe that Susan Sarandon would fall for a guy like him. This leads him to immediately bring up that he is godfather to one of their sons. Ron also pays great respect to the other actors like the late Trey Wilson who is so good here as the coach of the team, and to Robert Wuhl whom he cast despite him giving the worst audition of any actor he had seen at that point in his life. Ron also lays bare how he loves making movies but how much he hates the business of it, and this is something I don’t think he has ever gotten over.

Very special thanks should be given also to Orion Pictures for being the only studio willing to make this movie. They are long since gone, the victim of a bankruptcy brought on by one flop too many. Still, they were a great home at the time for filmmakers like Woody Allen, Jonathan Demme, and Ron Shelton among others. Without them, would we ever have seen “Bull Durham” get made? How about “Robocop,” “Dances With Wolves,” “The Silence Of The Lambs,” or lord knows how many Woody Allen movies?

Ron Shelton may have never made it to the big leagues, but his experiences allowed him to give us “Bull Durham,” one of the funniest and most irresistibly sexy films of all time. I still see it as my all time favorite sports movie, and I don’t care how much you love “Rocky” or “Raging Bull.” Besides, where else will you find a movie about minor league baseball? Oh yeah, there’s “Major League: Back To The Minors,” but who’s in a hurry to see that???

**** out of ****

Hi, this is the Anthony T; I’m the new Site Administrator for FilmArcade.net, taking over for Tony D.

What I’m planning on doing every three to four months is to keep everyone updated with the site and it’s happening.

If you haven’t noticed, we have a youtube page at www.youtube.com/filmarcade. Right now on that page we have Teaser Trailers for films like “The A-Team”, which is sure to be a summer blockbuster and “The Runaways” starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning and most recently “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” Teaser Trailer. I sure hope to have more trailers up in the coming weeks.

Also, we are looking for new writers for the site for theatrical and DVD reviews and commentaries. We can’t pay you anything, but from time to time I receive screener requests for films that you can review for the site and keep the screeners. If you are looking to become a writer here, email me at fawriters@gmail.com. Please note all reviews and commentaries must be at least 450 words.

I also plan on running some contests in the near future like in March, as we clean whatever leftover stuff we have here. More on that in the near future.

We also have a feedback account at filmacomments@gmail.com, where you can tell us how were doing with the site and what things you want to see on this site.

Finally, any filmmakers interested in wanting their film reviewed can now send their emails to fascreener@gmail.com. We will give you, our honest opinions about your films.

Thank you for visiting this site and the best is yet to come.

Anthony T
Administrator/Reviewer

Speed Dating
Year: 2010
Director: Tony Herbert
Stars: Hugh O’Connor, Emma Choy, Nora Jane Noone
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Studio: MTI Home Video
Running Time: 84 Mins
Official Website: http://www.speeddatingthemovie.com/




Going into “Speed Dating”, I was expecting something that I would enjoy a lot, considering how the film’s characters looked interesting and the trailer got me interested in the film. But after watching this film, I was surprised that I almost ended up hating this film.

The film is about a man who is approaching his thirtieth birthday. He still can’t get over the fact that he broke up with the love of his life, two years earlier. Now near his birthday, he has taken up speed dating. As he becomes more despondent with his life, he begins to turn all of his focus to a mysterious woman that he frequently sees at his local bar. In order to find out more about this person, he decides to act like a private detective with disastrous but hilarious results.

There are some films that you want to enjoy a lot, but can’t because of the little things that really hampers your enjoyment for the film, but at the end of the day there are enough positives to gives this a slight recommendation. This was the case with “Speed Dating”.

This film could have been better, if writer/ director Tony Herbert didn’t include both the therapy session and the crime elements in his story. Both of those elements slowed the film to the point that it took away from all of the funny stuff that was happening during the course of this film. It felt like, the energy that the film builds up with the comedic stuff gets replace with material that doesn’t fit the flow of the film. This would have been a funnier film, if one of those plot lines weren’t in the film at all. Instead, it drowns out some of the film’s most funny moments and become dark.

With that said, there are enough good things about this film. Herbert does his best making the material funny though his screenplay and the way that he directs the action. He does a very good job by giving the most of the film’s characters some very funny quirks, especially in the speed dating scenes and the dinner scenes. Those parts of the film really help get you into the flow of the film. If they weren’t there, then this film would have just flat out suck. Another thing that Herbert does well is how he directed his actors. I enjoyed the acting, as they did a good job delivering the material that they were given. For the humor to work, the actors need to have chemistry with one another. The actors have very good chemistry here to the point that it’s enough to save this film. The film also for the most part had a good love story. Even with the negative that I just mentioned, I was invested enough in the romantic parts to slightly recommend this film

“Speed Dating is a film that does have some flaws with the story and the execution, but there is enough funny material and a good love story to make this good rental

Review Rating: Three Stars.

“Speed Dating”: Official Trailer

We recently got ahold of the teaser poster and teaser trailer from 20th centry Fox to one of the most anticipated films of 2010. Yes, I'm talking about Oliver Stone's sequel to his 1987 hit "Wall Street" with "Wall Street": Money Never Sleeps.

Michael Douglas is back in his Oscar®-winning role as one of the screen’s most notorious villains, Gordon Gekko. Emerging from a lengthy prison stint, Gekko finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated. Looking to repair his damaged relationship with his daughter, Gekko forms an alliance with her fiancé Jacob (Shia LaBeouf), and Jacob begins to see him as a father figure. But Jacob learns the hard way that Gekko – still a master manipulator and player – is after something very different from redemption.

The film also co-stars Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon, and Frank Langella.

"Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps": Teaser Trailer

Daybreakers
Year: 2010
Directors: Matt Spierig, Peter Spierig
Stars: Ethan Hawke, William Defoe, Claudia Karvan
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Lionsgate
Running Time: 98 Mins





I know it’s been a while since this film hit theaters, but here’s my review for “Daybreakers” anyway.

Going into “Daybreakers”, I was hoping for a good descent horror film to kick off the 2010 film season, considering that this film sat on a shelf for a while before getting released. Never, did I expect to come out of the film the film thinking that this has the potential to become a cult classic.
The film takes place in the future, where a plague has turned just about every human into a vampire. Now faced with a major blood shortage, the vampires are forced to find a way to keep their blood supply from dwindling to nothing.

Dr. Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke), a vampire who doesn’t drink human blood and works for a pharmaceutical company that’s trying to find an artificial blood supply to keep the blood demand up. While trying to find these answers to the growing dilemma, he comes across a person (William Defoe), who has found a way to transform himself into a human. Now with the knowledge of this cure, Edward Dalton must find a way to perfect this method, before the pharmaceutical company takes his cure away take away their immortality and all of their power.

“Daybreakers” is a very dark vampire film that keeps you interest throughout. The reason that it keeps your interest well is the way that that blends in elements of darker sci-fi/ horror films such as “Blade Runner”, “Dark City” and “Near Dark” All of those film had dark views of a bleak future weather it was personal or a look at the future.

Matt and Peter Spierig direction was very good, This film felt dark and gloomy, while having a b-movie feel that was needed for the story because if that isn’t there then you’re probably looking at a typical good vampire film that you’ve seen before. They go for a “Dark City vibe with the all the scenery and the way the vampires look. It attributes to the gloomy tone of the film. Their direction keeps the action intense, by using the gory elements so that it appeals to genre fans. They also did a very good job keeping their actors interested in the material. It shows in the performances, as Ethan Hawke, William Defoe and Sam Neil were good in their roles. It’s tough to do consider that they are three talented actors in the film and have done good stuff in the past, but they did it very well, as the chemistry is there.

I also liked the film’s screenplay. The Spierig Bothers do a very good job creating a story that you’ve hasn’t been seen before in vampire films. I like it, when I see some sort of originality with these films. To me, it shows that there was actual thought to each of the scenes and the creative process. You don’t see that often with horror films, as it follows a certain formula. It doesn’t because it gives it more of a science fiction feel to it. They also do a good job developing the characters and subplots here. They set them up very well here, as I enjoyed the characters here. They were developed well enough so the characters are engaging. This film also has some hidden messages about today climate, but thankfully it doesn’t get preachy enough to ruin the intensity that the film’s story has.

“Daybreakers” is one of the vampire films that seem destined to hit some sort of cult status for years to come, as the action makes this a very entertaining horror film.

Review Rating: Four Stars

“Daybreakers”: Official Trailer

Title: Dead Tone
Review Date: January, 2010
Year: 2007
Director: Brian Hooks
Starring:
Brian Hooks ... Marcus
Jud Tylor ... Karina
Cherie Johnson ... Roxy
Germán Legarreta ... Shawn
Antwon Tanner ... Kareem
Wil Horneff ... Scott/Josh
Aimee Garcia ... Jody Walters
Rutger Hauer ... Detective John Criton
MPAA Rating: [R]
Studio: Hooks and Taylor Entertainment
Distributor: Screen Media Films
Running time: 100 minutes
Official Website: www.deadtonemovie.com

Finals at the prestigious University of Dreyskill are finally over and it's time to party. "The Crew", as they are known by their peers and dorm mates, are invited to a rich classmate's hideaway mansion high up in the hills of Colorado. What was supposed to be a weekend of fun and relaxation quickly becomes a trip they will never forget... If they survive! A simple game of prank scare phone calls becomes an intense game of survival and escape when one of the Crew members accidentally calls the wrong person.

I must confess that I was prepared to hate this movie. With Brian Hooks (Marcus) writing directing and starring in this lower budget film, it had to be bad, right? Wrong! Hooks has put together a well written, very well acted and well constructed urban horror/thriller that even attempts to deal with societal racial issues.

DEAD TONE manages to combine a chilling mix or gore, nudity and psychological horror to good effect. I was scared repeatedly and that is not an easy thing to do. While the plot premise is not new, the twists and turns that the story takes are unique and compelling. The racial subplot issues are realistic and filled with tension. The girls are intelligent, beautiful, sexy and revealing. Overall this was an excellent hour and a half of believable entertainment. It even has a wonderful homage to Romero’s Night of the Living Dead near the end.

Why DEAD TONE wasn’t released theatrically till 2009 is beyond me. You will probably have a hard time finding it at Blockbuster because of the production date but look for it in smaller DVD rental stores or online at Amazon or Net flicks. It will definitely be worth your effort. And for the horror fan boys out there, this one needs to be a part of your library.

FOUR STARS.

Unlike any “B” movie ever seen! Assume the position and prepare to get slapped as bodacious bad girls, fervent brawls and slow-motion cat fights explode in the adrenaline-fueled, deliciously over-the-top Bitch Slap, coming to Unrated DVD March 2 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Trixie, Hel and Camero may look good on the outside, but they’re nothing but badass on the inside. When the tempting trio arrive in the desert to retrieve stolen jewels at a ruthless gangster’s hideout, they find themselves competing against an assortment of bizarre criminals – and each other. But what else can one expect from a down-on-her luck stripper, a drug-running killer and a ball-busting businesswoman? Bounding with violence and excess galore, Bitch Slap is a wildly explosive tribute to the sensationalistic style of the cult exploitation genre and a modern throwback to the “B” movie film genre.

The audacious and excessive action flick stars a sexy young cast, including Julia Voth,
Erin Cummings, America Olivo, alongside tenacious cameos by Kevin Sorbo
(“Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”), Michael Hurst (“Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”), Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess”) and Renee O’Connor (“Xena: Warrior Princess”).

Already boasting a cult fan following and a #1 trailer spot on Hulu, the Bitch Slap Unrated DVD includes commentary by cast and crew and a behind-the-scenes documentary featurette and will be available for the suggested retail price of $22.98 U.S. Prebook is February 3.

DVD Special Features:

Building A Better B-Movie Documentary
Commentary by Producers Rick Jacobson (Writer/Producer/Director), Eric Gruendemann (Writer/Producer) & Brian Peck (Associate Producer)
Commentary by Principal Cast: Julia Voth, Erin Cummings & America Olivo

Welcome to the 221st Edition of my long running blog. So later today we will see the Colts and the Saints go at it. Some watch for the football and some watch for commercials. I am in Indiana but I still want a good game and hope The Who make some good music selections in their limited time on stage. This week I pay tribute to the late Pernell Roberts, Teddy Pendergrass, Karen Schmeer, and Kate McGarrigle.

Body Heat (1981): This turned into my two-part Mickey Rourke series that was not intentional. Both of these are very early and bit roles for him as last week I featured the controversial Heaven's Gate. Lawrence Kasdan wrote and directed this homage to the 40s and 50s film noirs. William Hurt plays attorney Ned Racine who meets Matty Walker, played by Kathleen Turner, who is a very unhappily married woman. They soon start to have quite an affair, then Ned joins her in a plan to murder her husband. I won't go any further on the plot from here but if you have seen enough in the Film Noir genre, you'll know that nothing goes as planned. Richard Crenna plays the hated husband. Ted Danson co-stars as the prosecutor. Mickey Rourke also has his first notable part as arsonist Teddy Lewis. This is very enjoyable if you like this genre but not really for everyone.

Dance, Girl, Dance (1940): This is my dance movie for the week. Maureen O'Hara is an aspiring ballerina in a dance troupe named Judy. I LOVE LUCY alum Lucille Ball plays the more eccentric Bubbles who is called into the world of Burlesque. Bubbles gets Judy the job but Judy is reduced to being "the stooge". They soon come at odds when they like the same man. This is an interesting film portraying this industry. If anything, it is worth seeing Ball play this type of role and did a good job. O'Hara gave a great speech towards the end of the film. This is more than some cheesy song and dance movie which made me actually like it more than I thought.

Born to Win (1971): Ivan Passar directed this film which focuses on the difficult life of a junkie. George Segal stars as J.J. who is a petty thief and heroin addict. Karen Black co-stars as his love interest and fellow junkie. A young Robert De Niro plays a detective who promises to let J.J. go if he helps bring in bigger criminals. This is nothing great but watchable. I honestly checked it out to see a young De Niro in a bit role who showed signs of big things to come.

Ride Lonesome (1959): This is my tribute to the late Pernell Roberts. This is my western for the week which stars Western legend Randolph Scott. Scott plays bounty hunter Ben Brigade who captures Billy John, played by James Best, intending to take him to Santa Cruz. Karen Steele plays a feisty female that joins Ben as well as outlaws Pernell Roberts and James Coburn. Brigade must contend with indian attacks, Billy John's brother played by Lee Van Cleef, and the outlaws who want Billy John for themselves. This was a pretty entertaining western and had quite a bit of action. Budd Boetticher directed this western which was part of a boxed set. I don't know what the others are since I just got this from Netflix. James Coburn makes his film debut here.

A Hard Days Night (1964): The Facebook friend I chose for this week is Joe who was co-worker of mine when I worked at Isanogel Summer Camp. This is a movie starring all four members of the Beatles. This is a "typical" day in the life of the Beatles. They have a concert later that day and they have many misadventures like Ringo becoming missing the day before a crucial concert. They must also deal with all the screaming fans. Through it all, much of the Beatles' biggest hits are played like the title song, CAN'T FIND ME LOVE, TELL ME WHY, and many others. Look for a young Phil Collins in the audience. This movie is a very funny movie and it is just something you gotta see since there is not much else I can tell you.

Choose Me (1984): This is my tribute to the late R& B singer Teddy Pendergrass whose music is used a lot in this film. I guess this is the closest I will come to paying tribute to Black History Month this week but I'll try to in the coming weeks but it will be limited just like December is with Christmas films. This is a character driven film with a nightclub owner, mysterious drifter, radio talk show host, aspiring writer, and I am not sure what PRETENDER alum Patrick Bauchau who plays the husband having an affair and having the tables turned on him. Keith Carradine in the drifter in town. Lesley Anne Warren in the nightclub owner. Genevieve Bujold is the radio talk show host who gives advice all the time but does not know what to do in real-life. Rae Dawn Chong is the aspiring writer. All their lives kind of intertwine for the good and bad and is a nice, dark love story.

Baby Be Good (1935): This is my animated short for the week and this one focuses on Betty Boop. In this one, Little Jimmy is being very naughty and not going to be so she tells him a fairy tale. We then see a fantasy situation where Betty Boop is the fairy and Jimmy is the mischievous boy doing a lot of bad deeds. This was a very good 8 minutes. I really know nothing about Little Jimmy if that is her son or what. If someone wants to chime in on the comments, go for it.

Varsity Blues (1999): This is my football movie for the week but this one is not as inspirational as many other football films. DAWSON'S CREEK alum James Van Der Beek stars as high schooler Jon Moxon. He is on the football team but seems to only be on the team because his father was on the team and high school football is very important in Texas. He does not play any but he is brought in as the quarterback when the other one goes down with an injury. He becomes very good but gets fed up with the seriousness of the game. Jon Voight plays the authoritarian coach who only really cares about winning and will do so at any cost. This selection will get mixed reactions I'm sure and this will not go down as one of my favorite movies but I do believe that it is sadly, rather accurate.

Standard Operating Procedure (2008): This is my tribute to editor Karen Scheer who was very respected in her line of work and recently left us. She is the co-editor of this documentary from Errol Morris which does not hold back. This documentary takes a look at the Abu Ghraib prison where in 2004, American soldiers were suspected of abuse and torture of the prisoners. The movie shows many of the graphic photographs and interviews the people involved in the scandal. The photos were very sick and the interviews were very interesting where some were showing their disdain and people involved telling their side of the story. Those photos show of a time where the U.S. was wrong in the way they handled themselves. This movie is not for everyone but Morris did a great job of directing this documentary keeping it from getting the Michael Moore treatment.

DVD REVIEW: THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (2005)

PREVIEWS

There were lots of previews to watch before the film and most of them being independent R-rated films from about the same year.

-The Tenents (2005): This is one of many of these previews I had not heard of. We start with it being from author Bernard Malamud and then starring Dylan McDermott and Snoop Dogg. What a combination there and in looking into it I see it got pretty mixed reviews from critics and fans.

-London (2005): Another one I had not heard of and this time seeing the trio of Chris Evans, Jessica Biel and Jason Statham. Statham looked a lot classier than what I have seen him in the past. Looks like a movie with a lot of drug dealing. Looks kind of interesting with once again lots of mixed opinions.

-Capote (2005): This is the only preview on here that I have seen and recall liking it quite a bit. Philip Seymour Hoffman was good as the flamboyant Truman Capote but I liked the HBO film INFAMOUS better though where I felt Toby Jones played the part a little more flamboyantly which was how it was meant to be played. Both films are pretty good though and maybe one day I'll do a comparison blog.

-It's All Gone Pete Tong (2004): This seems to be a mockumentary of DJ Frankie Wilde. The previews look very good and it won an Audience Award so this is something I would like to check out.

-Junebug (2005): This is one of those movies where an outsider must meet the in-laws. This one does not different from the usual formula with Amy Adams looking pretty enjoyable.

-Pretty Persuasion (2005): I was sucked in by this preview pretty quick when I saw Evan Rachel Wood who may very well be one of my favorite actresses. This seems to be a comedy where she accuses her english teacher of sexual harassment causing a big uproar.

-Saint Ralph (2004): This was an unlikely true story of a 9th grader who ran the Boston Marathon in 1954 even though everyone doubted his abilities. This one of many I had not really heard of or remembered hearing but was something that interested me.

-The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005): This was based on a true story on an exorcism and then mentioned how a priest made a controversial decision. This is a horror film that got some mixed reviews and I just haven't gotten to it. I'm sure I'll give it a shot one of these days.

-Thumbsucker (2005): It seems like I might have heard of this but knew nothing about it and it is about a grown boy still sucking his thumb and trying to relieve of the habit. The preview looked pretty good and look like my type of film that focuses on a script and good characters.

-Where the Truth Lies (2005): I took note mostly of Kevin Bacon being in this movie and he looked like he was pretty good. The movie seems to have gotten mixed reactions but did look pretty interesting, though previews usually do.

Those are my ten previews for the week. Some I have gone a little in-depth, some just not at all. I liked the array of these and that most I had not heard of and they may get checked out in the future.

FEATURE FILM

The Squid and the Whale (2005): This is actually my tribute to the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle who formed a duo with her sister Anna and their song HEART LIKE A WHEEL is featured here. This is a very good portrait on a married couple getting a divorce. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney star as Bernard and Joan. They are a married couple who have been together for a long time but decide they should get a divorce. What the movie focuses more on however are they two kids. Jesse Eisenberg plays their teenage son Walt who shows a lot of resentment towards his mother for the divorce. Owen Kline is their younger son Frank who deals with the divorce in a very strange way. William Baldwin and Anna Paquin co-star in this film. Noah Baumback wrote and directed this beautiful portrait on how divorce can effect many people. I thought it was kind of funny though when Walt claims to have wrote HEY YOU by Pink Floyd and how long it took for someone to realize it.

AUDIO COMMENTARY

This was commentary from Noah Baumbach which he starts by saying this is not a traditional commentary where he speaks through the movie. This is about an hour long which focuses on certain scenes and working with the actors. He spoke on his experiences of working with the four actors that played the family members and the others in the film. It was very insightful which I liked that he did his commentary in this form.

BEHIND THE SCENES FEATURETTE

This was a ten minute short film just talking about what went on behind the scenes and spoke quite a bit on the child actors. I always like a good, short featurette, that speaks on the important parts of the film.

INTERVIEW WITH NOAH BAUMBACH AND PHILLIP LOPATE

This was an interview at the New York Film Festival where Baumbach and writer Phillip Lopate discuss the themes of the film. Lopate talked how how the characters are so good just about anyone can relate. It is a pretty entertaining discussion but I did grow somewhat bored with it after the first 20 minutes or so. However, some good points were made towards a film I really liked.

L.A. TIMES REVIEW BY KENNETH TURAN AND FAMILY MATTERS BY DAVID DENBY

These were a couple reviews written which is in the DVD booklet which is a very good read and analysis of someone who perfectly portrays a married couple.

OVERALL

I really liked the special features along with the film. I feel some DVDs overdo the special features but I'm sure many disagree. I feel like with all these, it really brings together a great independent film.

Well, that is it for this week. Put down what you like and what you hate. I will also take one suggestion per person and put the movie into Netflix if I have either not used it or used it for some time. Stay tuned for next week which includes Pierce Brosnan, Gary Cooper, Robert Englund (no, not any NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET films), director Robert Wise, and many others.

Welcome to the 222nd Edition of my blog. One of the very few times where the numbers are the same and it's hard to believe that I have actually done this many but I do it because I enjoy it. This week I return with one selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process. I also pay tribute to the late PICKET FENCES alum Zelda Rubinstein, DAYS OF OUR LIVES alum Frances Reid, and Sir John Dankforth. I also want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day if you celebrate it and if you don't like that day just disregard my statement. I guess I did not really accommodate to the holiday with my selection. Get your Netflix and Blockbuster Queues out and read on.

Quest for Camelot (1998): I start this week with some animation in this interesting variation towards the legend of Camelot. This shows King Arthur who has been king for some time and encounters a former knight of the round table, Ruber, who takes Excaliber from Arthur. We then see a young girl named Kayley whose late father was one of the knights of the round table. She aspires to become a knight just like her dad and teams with a blind knight who wants to become a knight of the round table but has not been able to due to his disability. The other person in the picture is a two-headed dragon who cannot fly or breathe fire and the two heads argue a lot. They set out to get Exbaliber back to Camelot to save them. This includes the voice talents of Pierce Brosnan, Jane Seymour, GLEE co-star Jessalyn Gilsig, Eric Idle, Don Rickles, Gary Oldman, Cary Elwes, and many others. Steve Perry, Celine Dion, Andrea Corr, and Bryan White provide the singing for the characters when they sing. This did not hit greatness but entertained pretty well and is good for the family. This is based on a book that is actually quite dark but they wanted a family film.

The Wreck of Mary Deare (1959): Charlton Heston plays small-boat rescue worker John Sands who comes up the sinking Mary Deare ship. Gary Cooper, in near the end of his film career plays the Captain Gideon Patch who is the only survivor of the ship. Patch has had quite a dark past in his career but wants to go to trial to prove it was deliberately sunk. John Sands reluctantly agrees to go along with his plan. This was not the greatest film for either one but seeing them together is worth a view. Also look for a young Richard Harris.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006): This is my tribute to Zelda Rubinstein who recently died. My high school friend Chris suggested this to me so I put it in my Netflix queue and I intended to save this for Elizabeth's Horror Movie Madness contest but with recent events I decided to check it out early. This movie is shot like a documentary where Nathan Baesel plays the title character and aspires to be the next big slasher like Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhies, and Michael Myers. He then has a documentary crew following him around talking about his plans. Robert Englund plays Doc Halloran who is kind of the equivalent to Donald Pleasance's Dr. Loomis character from the HALLOWEEN films. Also look for Kane Hodder as an Elm Street resident. For those of you that don't know Englund was know for Freddy Kruger and Hodder was know as Jason. This was an interesting tribute to the slasher films where we first see Leslie planning what he wanted to do and even getting support from the family while the last half plays like a slasher film.

Invisible Girlfriend (2009): I found this one on the documentary channel. This centered around a man claiming to have an invisible girlfriend in Joan of Arc. He then sets out on a long trip to find the statue so he can supposedly see her. There are lots of interviews with his family members and townspeople who accept his issues. He makes a lot of stops along the way on his bike trek. It does not seem to have gotten much exposure but was rather likable even the main person. Look for it on the Doc channel.

Fathom (1967): This is my tribute to Sir John Dankworth who wrote the music score for this film. Raquel Welch stars in this action-comedy as the title character. She is recruited by a government agency to pursue a lost atomic device stolen from a defector. She soon realizes that nobody is who they really seem and does not know who to trust. Tony Franciosa and Richard Briers co-star in this spy-spoof. This can become a guilty pleasure pretty quick if you are not expecting an absolute blockbuster.

Requiem for a Dream (2000): Darren Aronofsky directed this film based on the novel by Hubert Selby Jr. Ellen Burstyn stars as Sara Goldfarb who becomes hooked on pills and television becoming convinced she is to become part of a game show just not knowing when. Jared Leto who is her junkie son Harry who wants to get his life together but cannot get off the drugs. Jennifer Connelly plays Harry's girlfriend Marion who is also a drug addict wanting a better life. Marlon Wayons plays Harry's friend Tyrone who is a drug dealer. This movie takes a look at the disturbing effects of being on drugs. This is by no means an upbeat film but being a drug addict is not very upbeat. Christopher McDonald also co-stars as the host of the infomercial that Sara loves. The performances in this film were very good with Wayons playing a more serious role than usual. McDonald did a lot of improvising in his part and his scenes were shot in one day. Leto lost 25 pounds and befriended some New York junkies to prepare for his role. All this really worked in the cast to make a good movie but it is not for everyone.

Baby Sitters (40s/50s): This is my short film for the week but I do not know the year but I believe it is in this range somewhere. This is an animated short of the Three Stooges where Larry, Curly, and Moe are looking for employment as baby sitters but must pass some difficult tests. It is part of my animated shorts boxed set which was very inexpensive at Wal-Mart. The live-action was far better but this was a pretty entertaining few minutes.

Alice Adams (1935): George Stevens directed this classic which stars a young Katherine Hepburn as the title character in this study of class. Alice is part of a poor but happy family. Her father has worked a pretty low-end job for many years which he likes but his wife feels he needs to make more money so that Alice can climb the social ladder like other people she knows. Alice then meets Arthur, Fred MacMurray who has a lot of money so she asks her family to impress him with a more upscale dinner which she finds is not easy for them. This movie takes a look at class and does have some good messages in the film. Katherine Hepburn was much different in her usual personality that she is known for in her roles. It is hard to explain but if you see this and compare it to about ten of her roles in her later career, you will understand. Maybe she is more feminine in this character where other films she plays parts where she is determined to have gender equality. She was very good in the movie and was nominated for an Oscar.

DVD REVIEW: ROCKY BALBOA (2006)

PREVIEWS

Here is a list of all the available previews before the film.

Are We Done Yet (2007): This is the sequel to ARE WE THERE YET where rapper Ice Cube where he has married and has a couple stepkids. He also decides to move his new family to the suburbs. I have honestly not seen either one and it just does not look like my thing. When seeing this, I was reminded of the Cary Grant film MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS HOUSE and when looking into this I find this is a remake.

Casino Royale (2006): This is much better where Daniel Craig makes his debut as James Bond. This movie is actually more of a prequel to what we have known over the years where we see 007 get promoted to his double-O status and becomes a very loose cannon. This is actually the original novel which has gotten a spoof in 1967 and a teleplay on CBS in the 60s. CBS had the rights at the time and that is why DR. NO came first instead of this one. United Artists finally got the rights and we get this wonderful treatment. This shows Bond as a very dark person and I found that Daniel Craig is my favorite. I consider this one as more of a character study towards Bond.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006): I have seen this one which stars Will Smith as a struggling salesman and single father. He then hopes for something big but must take an unpaid internship in order to pursue what he wants making it very difficult for him and his son which is his real-life son Jaden Smith who is about to star in the remake of THE KARATE KID. Yes you heard me right.

Spider-Man 3 (2007): This is the third part of this trilogy which appears to be the last for director Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire. This one was not nearly as well received as the first two. I admit, I put it in my recommendations but I don't claim to put my favorites. I feel this had its moments but they tried to do too much. I did like Thomas Haden Church as the Sandman. I feel the Venom character was used incorrectly and could have been a main villain in a future film. But at least we have a great cameo from Bruce Campbell.

Surf's Up (2007): This was the time period where we had this big penguin craze and the first time I saw this preview I thought "not another penguin movie". However, I decided one day to give it a shot when I had the opportunity and it was pretty good to me. It is shot kind of like a documentary where we see a penguin named Cody Maverick who dreams of becoming a surfer like his idol Big Z, voiced by Jeff Bridges. However, Big Z became very reclusive so part of it was finding him and the other part was the struggles of Cody who just was not meant for the business. This is from Sony animation.

Daddy Day Camp (2007): This is the sequel to DADDY DAY CARE which have different people in it including Cuba Gooding Jr playing the Eddie Murphy character. Looks like a couple dads trying to run a day camp and seeing the kind gross-out humor which I just really don't care to see. It is directed by none other than WONDER YEARS alum Fred Savage. I have not seen the first movie but I might look into though, it's got to be a classic compared to the previews I watched.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006): I thought this was a pretty clever comedy and a much different role for Will Ferrell who is comedic but not as much as usual and becomes a little more serious. He is an IRS auditor named Harold Crick. When an author writes a book with his name, and whatever is written happens to Harold.

Gridiron Gang (2006): This movie stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Juvenile Center worker Sean Porter who does not like the statistics of kids in the juvenile center that end up in prison. He then forms a football team and manages to get them into a high school football team hoping to give these kids something to live for. This is based on a true story and I really liked the authentic feel it gave to the juvenile system. It was also a very good look at it. I have a small background in that department which I volunteered and saw these kids were pretty nice but made a mistake and even came from a broken home. Many kids go to juvenile detention and find a way to get back because for many of them it is a better home than their own.

Spider-Man 2.1 (2004): This is a dvd advertised which gives about 8 extended minutes of the film. Much better than the one listed above. This was a very good superhero film and sequel.

The Natural (1984): Now here is a great baseball film with Robert Redford starring as the title character. He was set to play pro baseball but very unfortunate circumstances happen where he starts baseball many years later and becomes a phenomenon.

Stomp the Yard (2007): This looked like one of those formulaic films which focuses a lot on dancing and not much on story. I'm sure it gets mixed opinions. I have not tried it.

Crossover (2006): I see this was not a very well-received film by both critics and fans. Looks a movie of someone going to college on a basketball scholarship but wants to become a doctor than than a professional ballplayer.

FEATURE FILM

Rocky Balboa (2006): This is a selection from the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose Voices who is a local wrestler in my area. Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed, and stars in the 5th installment of the series. I know many of you are going to catch what you believe is a mistake when you see 5th and reference what is called ROCKY V. As far as I am concerned, that one does not count. This is the real part five in my opinion. When I first heard about this coming out I started thinking "what?" and maybe I added a couple other words but then I looked into it more and realized Sly knew what he was doing. Many people questioned if this would work and people seemed to think Sylvester Stallone's age and why would someone get back into the boxing ring. Sly is in pretty good shape and George Foreman fought at a young age. With Sly knowing of these questions, he acknowledges people's speculation. Now, let's get onto more of the movie. Sylvester Stallone reprises the role he created which when he wrote the first ever ROCKY, he was broke, down and out, and this was make or break. In this movie, he is long retired from boxing. He loses his beloved wife Adrian to cancer, he has a difficult relationship with his son, and he seems like a rather lonely person. He also runs a restaurant called Adrian's where people come to hear his great stories. He then decides he wants to go back to boxing but just on a small-time, local basis. Real-life boxer Antonio Tarver stars as the boxing champion Mason "The Line" Dixon who carries the belt but many question his legitimacy of opponents. Tarver may not have much acting experience but obviously knows his role in this movie since that is what he does and plays the part well. Dixon's PR guys immediately get word of Rocky getting his boxing license back and ask Rocky to face Dixon in an "exhibition" fight which is intended as a publicity stunt to get Dixon more popularity. We all know the rest on this. HEROES star Milo Ventimiglia co-stars as Rocky's grown-up son Robert who has a hard time having the Balboa name and feeling he is in his father's shadow. Burt Young reprises his role as Paulie. Geraldine Hughes I felt was really good as Marie who Rocky befriends. I really liked that they had this friendship without becoming romantic plus who can ever replace Adrian anyways but I really liked the moments with Marie and Rocky. The next highlight of the film is the actual so-called Exhibition fight which turns into an actual boxing match when people see that Rocky can still go. They did a great job of making this look like any normal sporting even seen on television. Sly had all the actual broadcasters, referees, and so when this starts, it is very authentic. As you all see, I have a lot to say about this movie. Rocky Balboa really ranks up there in my favorite fictional characters and the reason ROCKY BALBOA had to be made is to bring the needed closure to Rocky. Just about everything in this movie clicked. It was cast right, actors did a great job, we got to see good references to the first four Rocky films, and we still got to hear the wonderful theme song.

FEATURE FILM W/ COMMENTARY

This is commentary by Sylvester Stallone which I really looked forward to listening to knowing how passionate he is about this character. I really liked listening to his commentary and explains lots of things that finally clicked into my head. He explains that he used to go to Jack Dempsey's restaurant and he would always tell stories about his boxing career which inspired him to do that with Rocky. He also had some interesting information on his casting of some of the actors and how many people are just locals who have never acted but bring the authentic feel because they have lived the life. I usually don't care about the audio commentary but I did like.

DELETED SCENES AND ALTERNATE ENDING

These are a few clips of things that got cut. Much of it centers around Paulie. It also shows the original meeting of Rocky and Marie in the bar. In this scene there are more people present and the bar is more crowded where Rocky is actually speaking to the owner who is in a wheelchair. He then starts talking some to Marie but not as directly like what was shot so I believe that was a good decision to have the more uncrowded place. They also show an alternate ending which has a slight difference.

BOXING BLOOPERS

This just shows a minute and a half of what happens in all movies, mishaps. Some pretty funny moments.

SKILL VS. WILL: THE MAKING OF ROCKY BALBOA

This is a 17 minute video talking about what went on in the filming. There are interviews with producers and actors all reflecting on what they did. This is a good short documentary taking a look at Stallone's vision. It also talks about how Rocky Balboa is an icon in Philadelphia where they were determined to film there to use the landmarks from the original films. This includes the steps of where Rocky ran and they made the statue. People really do run up there now and put up their arms.

REALITY IN THE RING

This talks about putting the fight together and Sly talking about how he wanted the fight to look as real as possible. This was a very well staged fight with people like Michael Buffer and all the other announcers were there. The punches in the fight were very real and Stallone insisted that Tarver hit him.

VIRTUAL CHAMPION: CREATING THE VIRTUAL FIGHT

What I have not mentioned yet is that in the movie, ESPN creates a virtual fight between Rocky Balboa in his prime and Mason Dixon right now. This is what sparked the ideas of public relations to have this "exhibition" in the first place. This was done in real life to discuss who would win between Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano.

OVERALL

It is obvious in the writing how much I loved this film and I really liked watching the special features to go along with it. I was glad to use this in the DVD review. I guess this shows that if you really like a movie, that you are more inclined to want to see the features. However, I have made it clear since doing this segment of the blog that I don't like it overdone and this was not.

Well, that is it for this week, stay tuned for next week which includes Barbara Hershey, Woody Allen, Meryl Streep, and many others.