Dennis Hopper, one of the most insanely brilliant (a lot of times those two didn’t go together) actors that Hollywood ever brought to our attention, died this morning at the age of 74. We knew his passing was imminent as he had been battling prostate cancer for quite a while. Still, the fact that he lived as long as he did is astonishing in retrospect. The man was known for being a massive drug abuser, and was not always the nicest person to people. From what I read about him in the past, you have to be amazed that he lived through what he did, let alone 4 ex-wives and one he was in the process of divorcing.

Rather than spending a whole article praising or demonizing this crazy actor, I’d rather spend the time looking at the moments Dennis gave us onscreen that will stay with me for an eternity. Despite his troubles, he had a career that spanned several decades and for good reason. The impression he left upon filmgoers will be everlasting and go far beyond his death.

Blue Velvet – as Frank Booth

No list would be complete without mentioning his balls out performance as one of the most despicable villains ever to be inflicted on unsuspecting audiences. Dennis talked about how he used sense memory in the scenes where Frank gets high on Nitrous Oxide. When he puts that oxygen mask to his face, you things are going to get even crazier than they typically get in any David Lynch movie. Hopper amazed us as much as he scared us stiff, and he never held anything back in his portrayal. Not even once did he even try to make Frank Booth the least bit redeemable as we watch him perform sadomasochistic acts to an alarming degree to where his climax would be a combination of both pleasure and pain; the pain coming out of an uncontrollable rage that would never disappear from his mind.

It would seem criminal that he never got an Oscar nomination for his performance in “Blue Velvet,” but he was nominated that same year for his supporting role in “Hoosiers.”

True Romance – as Clifford Worley

In the Quentin Tarantino penned, Tony Scott directed cult classic, Dennis had a small role in a movie where no part could ever be considered that small. As Clifford Worley, he got to share some nice scenes with Christian Slater (giving one of his best performances here) who plays his son Clarence. It brought out a tender side to the actor that we didn’t always get to see.

But of course, what he really will be remembered for most for this movie is that brilliant scene he has with Christopher Walken who plays a gangster looking for Clarence and some drugs he stole from them. When Dennis lights up that Chesterfield cigarette, he shows you with his face that he knows he is not getting out of his cruddy trailer home alive. From there, he goes into one of the best monologues ever written by anyone let alone Tarantino in how he talks about how he loves history, and that he learned Sicilians were spawned by… Well, see the movie for yourself. But what I loved about Hopper in that monologue is how he takes the bigotry of Walken’s character and throws it right back in his face. It’s his ever so subtle way of telling Walken that he will never give up his son for these gangsters, ever.

Oh, and he gets to share a nice kiss with Patricia Arquette who plays Alabama, Clarence’s new wife.

Flashblack – as Huey Walker

I’m not sure if many remember this movie of his or not. It came out back in 1990 to practically no audience, and which I later discovered with my brother and his then girlfriend on home video. It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s a lot of fun to watch all the same. In it, Hopper plays Huey Walker, a hippie and former New Left radical who is being taken to trial by FBI agent John Buckner (Kiefer Sutherland, long before his days as Jack Bauer). In the process, Walker tricks Buckner to where he assumes his identity and escapes his custody. From there, Hopper plays on his past with a lot of relish:

“It takes more than going down to your local video store and renting Easy Rider to become a rebel.”

Watching “Flashback” may have actually been the first time I became fully conscious of who Dennis Hopper was. Seeing him getting all tied up with the Christmas tree lights and his captors plugging them in had me laughing hysterically. His bemused expression was never upstaged by simple electricity.

Seriously, I still remember watching this movie from a long time ago. I need to rent it again sometime.

“Once we get out of the 80’s, the 90’s are gonna make the 60’s look like the 50’s!”

Apocalypse Now – as an American Photojournalist

Now Dennis may have been as far gone as his nameless character was in Francis Ford Coppola’s infamous Vietnam classic, but you could never say that he was boring. His live wire act around Martin Sheen’s Benjamin Willard as he tries to convince him just how crazy Col. Kurtz has become always gets my full attention because I kept waiting for him to have some sort of nervous breakdown.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse – as himself

While we’re on the subject of “Apocalypse Now,” let’s not leave out the documentary on the making of it as it is one of the best of its kind. It didn’t even get an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary; that’s how brilliant it was.

There were many memorable moments to be a witness to with this one. But I’ll never forget just how far gone he was when he was being interviewed about what got him involved with the movie. Even he couldn’t figure out what he was talking about. Then we flash forward to him years later being interviewed about his experience, and it’s like you are looking at a completely different person. Seeing him all calm and collected is a sight that we rarely see when we think of Mr. Hopper.

Red Rock West – as “Lyle from Dallas”

This John Dahl noir classic was not released theatrically because the studio releasing it thought that audiences would find it “boring.” WTF?! You never knew which way this movie would go as it went along. Hopper’s performance as a hit man was a gas, and one of the best in a decade where he was constantly cast as the villain. Seeing him trying to reason with J.T. Walsh’s character and ending up driving him crazy at the same time just shows you how powerful a presence he was without even having to raise his voice.

Land of the Dead – as Paul Kaufman

In George Romero’s fourth “Dead” movie, Hopper plays a man living the life of luxury while everyone else beneath him lives in poverty. With the writer/director commenting on the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor, Hopper complimented his vision by showing a man so greedy that he will shoot one of his rich associates to death even when he doesn’t have to. His response to doing just that leads to one of the film’s most darkly inspired moments as he claims to have done something really stupid, but still doesn’t feel all that bad about it.

Backtrack (aka Catchfire) – as Director and Milo

Hopper once again plays a hit man in this one, but this time he keeps from doing his usual crazy act for something more subtle. The hit man he plays here, Milo, ends up falling for the woman he is paid to exterminate, Anne Benton (played by Jodie Foster). This emotion of love is something so foreign to Milo that he doesn’t know how to process it, and seeing Hopper portray this reminds of you of how original his work as an actor could be.

I know that Hopper took his name off of this movie and that Jodie Foster doesn’t think too much of it either, but I found it to be entertaining fun even when the story became increasingly illogical. Besides, I’m a big Jodie Foster fan, and she can get me to watch just about anything she does.

Speed – as Howard Payne

During his time as main villain/antagonist of choice in Hollywood, Hopper did some of his most entertaining work in this action fan’s dream which basically can be described as “Die Hard on a bus.” Never one to play a one-note villain, Dennis gives us one that never acts all too seriously about what he does, and he delights in the chaos he has created for which he looks to earn a handsome ransom. “Speed” was probably his best bad guy work of the 90’s. If there was another villain that he played which was better than this one, then I must have missed it.

Inside The Actor’s Studio – as himself

Seeing him more or less freaking out James Lipton, the long time host of the Bravo show, made this particular seminar one of the real highlights of the series. Dennis could not contain himself during the main presentation, and it was fun to see him doing those acting exercises as they were taught to him by Lee Strasberg, But my favorite moment came where he and James discussed the making of “Blue Velvet.” Hearing Dennis talk about David Lynch ended up putting a whole new spin on the guy. Describing Lynch as a “a very twisted Howdy Doody,” Dennis went off on how he would end a take by saying “that was Solid Gold man!” But the best moment was when Dennis talked about how the word f**k was right there in the screenplay, and then David would say:

“Now Dennis, when you say that word…”

Colors – as director

I do have to include one of Hopper’s directorial efforts, and “Colors” turned out to be a sign of things to come in Los Angeles. During the Q&A period of his “Inside The Actor’s Studio” appearance, he talked about how the movie was originally set in Chicago and how he felt it would be better to set it in Los Angeles, to which the studio executives at Orion Pictures asked him:

“There are gangs in Los Angeles?”

Keep in mind, “Colors” came out at a time where the gang problem in Southern California was now where it is today, and Hopper himself lived close to an area where gang violence was constantly erupting all around him. Regardless of what many might say, Hopper does nothing to glamorize gangs in the city, and he captures the realm of senseless violence that a lot of young people foolishly get caught up in. As a director, he also gets great performances from the always dependable Robert Duvall and Sean Penn as police officers working their beat.

Whatever you may have thought of Dennis Hopper as a person, there was no denying that he was one hell of an actor. Throughout his career, he never failed to entertain us or take us on a ride we usually would not go on.

RIP Dennis.

-reported by Ben Kenber

Welcome to the 237th Edition of my long running series. GUYS AND DOLLS plays on Friday, June 4th and Saturday June 5th at 8 pm at the Belfry Theater in Noblesville, IN. Check out http://ibelfry.com for information on reserving tickets to see the show. I think it will be very good and I have a good part as Harry the Horse. This week I return with the Random Myspace Profile selection process with one selection. Next week will have at least one but not sure yet on any others. I also pay tribute to the late Lena Horne and Frank Frazetta. One more note before I get on with my selections. My dad has had a tough 2010 so far as he broke his ankle at work. He recently had to have a second surgery to get the bolts taken out and to deal with an infection in his ankle which I believe was the main reason for the surgery. His wife has stuck by him and helped him every step of the way. Through all this, just please keep my dad in your thoughts and prayers to finally get better again. However, I know if he reads this he would probably just say "shut up and get on with your selections for the week" or something like that so let's get on with my selections.

Stormy Weather (1943): I start the week out with my tribute to the late Lena Horne who recently left us. Andrew L. Stone directed this musical which features many high-profile black entertainers from the era. Lena Horne stars as singer Selina Rogers and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson stars as aspiring dancer Bill Williamson. They meet and fall in love but their careers keep them apart and Selina does not want to "settle down" but must choose which most know the kind of choice I would make. This is one element of film I don't like when someone wants someone they love to leave what they are doing but since I don't know love very well I guess I would not know. All that being said, this had a lot of great musical numbers and co-stars Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Doolie Wilson, and a showcase a black talent that should have had better careers if it was not for the beliefs of the era. Bill Robinson and Fats Waller make their last appearances in this film.

Manhatton Melodrama (1934): This movie will always hold its place in history as the one that John Dillinger saw in Chicago at the Biograph Theater. When leaving, Dillinger was gunned down by the FBI. Clark Gable stars as Blackie Gallagher and William Powell stars as Jim Wade. They are friends in childhood but in adulthood they take different paths in life but love the same woman, played by Myrna Loy. Blackie Gallagher becomes a racketeer and murderer while Jim Wade becomes a prosecutor. Jim Wade decides to run for governor but must prosecute his friend for a murder which affects Wade's political career and has a tough time with ethics. I am sure that nowadays, they would assign someone else due to conflict of interest but this movie moved very well and kept my attention all the way through with great performances from the leads. Mickey Rooney plays Blackie Gallagher in the beginning of the film. An underrated gem in the career of Mr. Gable.

Movie Crazy (1932): I know bring you a talkie from the third silent genius Harold Lloyd. Lloyd stars as Harold Hall who is very accident prone and has no acting experience but is determined to enter the film industry. He leaves his small town heading out to Hollywood where he immediately causes trouble with his clumsiness but catches the eye of a beautiful actress who comes to like his nice personality. It is a very funny movie of Hollywood of the era and good talkie from Lloyd whose movies I really enjoy the most of "The Big Three" which obviously includes Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton so bring the heat those of you that disagree with me.

Toy Story (1995): I have had this one sitting on my shelf for a couple months before finally getting to it. This is one of the first feature-length computer animated films and the first of many greats from Pixar. Tom Hanks is a toy cowboy named Woody and the leader leader of Andy's toys who come to life when no one is looking but must remain froze when humans are around. Woody has been Andy's favorite for many years but finally develops some jealousy when Andy gets space ranger Buzz Lightyear, voiced by HOME IMPROVEMENT alum Tim Allen, who believes he is a real space ranger and not a toy. An argument between the two makes Buzz accidentally fall out of the window and the other toys believe Woody tried to kill Buzz. When trying to find each other, they must then deal with the neighborhood bully Sid who is every toy's worst nightmare. This was a great family film which also had voice talents of Jim Varney, CHEERS alum John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, Don Rickles, and many others. It also contains a lot of Randy Newman songs including YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME. I admit I have not seen part two but it is on my list on Netflix.

Frazetta: Painting With Fire (2003): This is my tribute to the late artist Frank Frazetta who recently left us. This is a documentary which focuses on his childhood, his struggles and rise as an artist and what he is doing now. His paintings feature a lot of fantasy art which looks amazing. It has interviews with many people he has worked with including Ralph Bakshi who worked with Frazetta on his film FIRE AND ICE. His art has inspired a lot of the fantasy work we all love today so look this guy up. I was able to get this through Netflix and is very informative. Many people have used him for their movie covers, comic strips, and many other things. People should Google the name Frank Frazetti and check out some of his great works of art.

Wanted (2008): The Facebook friend I chose for this week is Roger who I met in my younger days at Ivy Tech. James McAvoy stars as Wesley Gibson who is an office worker who hates his job. He then meets the sexy Fox, played by Angelina Jolie, who informs Wes that his father was a professional assassin in a group called Fraternity and was killed by a man named Cross who betrayed their group. Morgan Freeman heads this organization. They then train Wes to become an assassin and avenge the death of his father but he is not sure who to trust. There is not much more to say here. It is a good action film to watch to get your mind off things. I may catch some heat for this selection and if you are looking for a moving story and great plot this is not it but has some good action scenes plus I want to accomodate to each person's movie tastes in some way or another. This is based on a comic by Mark Miller.

Friday the 13th (1980): This is my selection for the Random Myspace Profile selection process and for this one I chose Lewis. Sean Cunningham directed this slasher classic that made way to many sequels and one of the movies that started the slasher genre. We go to Camp Crystal Lake which is being reopened many years after the drowning of a young boy who the counselors were not paying attention. This was not the best idea as many counselors are being murdered by an unknown assailant. A young Kevin Bacon plays one of the campers. This is a very important part of horror movie history and has some pretty creative murder scenes.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008): Woody Allen wrote and directed this film but did not feature himself as an actor. Rebecca Hall plays Vicky and Scarlet Johansson plays Cristina. They are two friends that spend their summer in Italy. They meet an artist named Juan Antonio, played by Javier Bardem, who is separated from his wife who he has a very destructive relationship with. Cristina forms an immediate liking to Juan Antonio but Vicky is far more cautious. Cristina then moves in with Juan Antonio but is soon joined by the ex-wife Maria Elena, played very well by Penelope Cruz, where an unusual friendship forms between Vicky, Juan, and Maria. This is pretty much a character study and had some good performances. It was interesting to see these characters of Vicky who thought she found herself with her engagement but starts to question what she wants and Cristina who just does not know what she wants. Some of the best scenes are the dialogue between Cristina, Juan, and Maria. There is really not much more I can explain for this one.

No Way Out (1987): Joseph Mankiewicz co-wrote and directed this film which stars Sidney Poitier in his feature film debut which was one of many films where he plays a non-stereotypical black man and in some ways broke the color barrier in the film industry. In this movie, he plays Dr. Luther Brooks who just graduated medical school and is now working in the prison ward. We then see two brothers who were shot in a robbery. While trying to treat one of them, the brother dies after Luther does everything he can. Richard Widmark plays the surviving brother Ray Biddle who is very racist and is determined to prove that Luther is guilty of murder. Stephen McNally plays Luther's very soulful boss who does not care what Luther's skin color is as long as he knows how to do the job. There is some use of the N-word in this film as well. It does take a look at racism on both sides as Luther's friends and family have a hard time with his colleagues and the person he is treating. This was a pretty suspenseful film, especially towards the end. This had to be very controversial in the era and might not get by in today's politically correct society but very groundbreaking and underrated.

A Plantation Act (1926): I guess I am focusing a lot on African-American cinema where in this short film we see Al Jolson doing his usual Blackface and sang a few music numbers which were "mammy" numbers. Blackface was acceptable in this era where Jolson made quite a career of it but did not do it out of racism and was pretty respectful in his portrayals of black characters. If you can get past the blackface element that would never survive today, this might be pretty enjoyable and it is only about 10 minutes long as it is my short film for the week and is part one of two for an Al Jolson series.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you do not like and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Mel Gibson, more Al Jolson, Julianne Moore, and many others.

HONORABLE TV MENTION

Lost (2004-2010): We recently saw this show come to an end. This is a show where we see a plane crash on an island and for those who survive life will never be the same. Matthew Fox plays Dr. Jack Sheperd who becomes the leader of this group of survivors who are looking to leave the island and also see what the island is all about. Each episode uses flashback, and many other things to talk about what a character was like before they went to the island. This is a character study towards many diverse characters who we all tuned in every week to see and there just won't be another show like it. I was always amazed by how each season managed to introduce some new group of people to the island. Anyone who tried to watch it with me and had never seen the show were just like what the title says and even I was what the title says a lot but it had some great characterizations and interesting story elements of supernatural on this island. I really don't need to explain much here. The first five seasons are available as instant on Netflix but you'd better start with Season One.

Welcome to the 236th edition of my long running series. I had a pretty good weekend with my birthday being last saturday and on my birthday going to the wedding for my friends David and Amanda. It was a fun time and no matter how much I may joke about marriage calling it "the prison known as marriage", I wish them both the best. Now lets get on with the selections for this week.

Night of the Creeps (1986): This actually came as a suggestion from The Critic Wannabe. Fred Dekker wrote and directed this horror-comedy where in 1959 an alien experiment crashes to earth and infected a fraternity member where they then freeze the body. In the modern-day, two pledge students accidentally unfreeze the body where it transforms the hosts into killer zombies. This is kind of a tribute to the genre where they have such references to Roger Corman by naming the university Corman University. Characters also had the last names of many horror writers like George Romero, John Landis, Sam Raimi, and many others. This is a fun 80s film which delivers both laughs and scares.

Revolutionary Road (2008): TITANIC alums Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates all reunite for this look at 50s suburban life which was directed by Sam Mendes. DiCaprio and Winslet play married couple Frank and April Wheeler. People believe they have the perfect life with two children, the father going to work and the mother staying home. That is however far from the truth as Frank hates his job and April has foregone her dreams of becoming an actress. April then gets a great idea to move to Paris and she will become the breadwinner so that Frank can pursue his dreams. However, when circumstances change, their marriage is put to a big test. Kathy Bates plays their neighbor who help them get the house. This is not any upbeat look at suburban life, I guess it might be rather boring if it is, but a look as to what can happen when the American Dream fails. There are some pretty disturbing scenes towards the end so be careful but I thought the leads were very good and I enjoyed this film quite a bit.

Hostel (2005): I now bring more violence to the blog in this Eli Roth film. This follows two American friends who are visiting Europe and then learn of a hostel which has some very hot women who like American men. This becomes a very bad choice as that is not quite what they encountered. They run into a very sadistic group that likes to torture people. Like the first two films, this is by no means for everyone and at times really not for me but this is a pretty decent addition to the horror genre. I did find there were some rather clever torture scenes.

The Old Pioneer (1934): This is my short film for the week which is an animated short from the Happy Harmonies group. We see an old man reflecting on some times in the California Gold Rush and an encounter with some indians or injuns as they are referred to now. Looking at this now there is a lot of racism and stereotyping but a little bit of pro-friendship messages in the end. I am always fascinated when watching these kinds of cartoons in a time when we really were not so politically correct and in a time where we really were anti-indian. This is probably obtainable through youtube.

Three Fugitives (1989): This is one of those absurd comedies that really worked in the 80s. We start with Nick Nolte, who plays Lucas who is finally being released from prison for his 14 armed robberies. He then goes to the bank to get his life together but it is being robbed by a more incompetent bank robber in Ned Perry, played by Martin Short. Ned then decides to take Lucas of all people hostage which make people suspicious of Lucas. Lucas reluctantly agrees to help Ned in this jam when he sees that his intentions were to help his daughter making those three people the title. James Earl Jones, Alan Ruck, and Bruce McGill co-star in this comedy. This movie is rather uneven but delivers some good laughs.

Amarcord (1973): I now bring you Fellini for this week. This is Fellini's look at life in a small Italian town in the '30s which is recalled from his own childhood. We see the familiar style of the director and a look at a few colorful characters where we can feel we are right with them. There is no real star of the film or even plot, just a nice bit of imagery and characterization. If you like foreign films and a fan of Federico Fellini, this is one to check out. Sorry for a shorter description but it is really hard to describe on here.

Big Brown Eyes (1936): I now bring you some older Cary Grant. He stars as Detective Danny Barr who is investigating the murder of a baby. Joan Bennett plays Eve Fallon who works at a beauty salon but is then recruited to be a reporter to help the police force. These two meet and the spar a lot but have an obvious love connection. There is some comedy but obviously a lot of drama as Danny resigns from the police force after a witness is let go because of a crooked lawyer and then looks for his own justice. Grant is very good in his early role which really carried this film. This is nothing great but worth it for Cary Grant.

Galapagos (1999): This is my documentary for the week which I found on the Doc channel. Kenneth Branaugh narrates this documentary which takes place on the Galapagos islands which features a young marine biologist investigating plants and animals on the island. This was created for the Imax theater and is a fairly short documentary but fascinating to watch but was probably better on the Imax screen. Still educational if you want to learn or want your children to learn.

Brother Orchid (1940): This is my gangster film for the week which stars Edward G. Robinson as John Sarto who decides he wants to leave the rackets behind and seek a life of "class". He soon finds this is not easy as the new boss, played by Humphrey Bogart, tries to have him killed and woulds him. Sarto then seeks refuge in a monastery where he becomes a monk while trying to hide out. He first cannot believe how nice these people are and the simple lives that are lead but slowly becomes enamored into this monastery. However, he still must deal with his past in order to protect his new life and friends. This was a very good comedy-drama with Robinson in a pretty good performance as a less ruthless person.

The Better 'Ole (1926): This is my silent film for the week which stars Chaplin but not the Chaplin you might be thinking. This Chaplin is his older brother Sydney who was pretty successful at the time and before a comedic actor before Charlie. This silent comedy is a war comedy taking place during WWI where Sydney plays Old Bill and has a hard time getting accepted by his unit because of his clumsiness and bumbling. This had some pretty funny moments including the scene where he and his friend put on a horse outfit. This is the second film which featured sound and music which was a year before THE JAZZ SINGER.

Well, that is it for this week. Stay tuned for next week which so far includes Lena Horne, Myrna Loy, Harold Lloyd, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Kevin Bacon, Penelope Cruz, and many others.

The Slammin Salmon
Year: 2010
Director: Kevin Heffernan
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Stars: Michael Duncan Clark, Kevin Heffernan, Jay Chandrasekhar
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 90 Mins

Film Synopsis

"The Slammin Salmon" is the latest from the comedic troop known as “Broken Lizard”. It’s the troop’s first film in four years. They are the same people that brought you the comedies “Super Troopers” and “Beerfest” to the big screen.

The film is about a former heavyweight champion (Michael Duncan Clark )who has to use his bulling tactics to rule over his staff after finding out that he owes money to the Japanese Yakuza. To get the money to pay for his debt, he sets up a contest to get his wait staff to sell more food than they have before with first place getting $10,000 while the waiter in last place a beating of a lifetime, by the Champ himself.

The staff responds by resorting to backstabbing, bribery, one upping each other and indecent proposals to get the patrons to spend their money. As the hours pass, it becomes more frantic and escalates into a brawl over the $10,000 dollars. The film also co-stars Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother”), April Bowlby (“Drop Dead Diva,” “Two and a Half Men”), Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Heroes”), Lance Henriksen (Aliens), Olivia Munn (G4 TV) Will Forte (“Saturday Night Live”), Vivica A. Fox (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), and Morgan Fairchild (The Seduction)

Film Review:

“The Slammin Salmon” is by far a much funnier film the troop’s last film, “Beerfest”. Star and first time director, Kevin Heffernan does a very good job making the scenes so funny and fun to watch. His direction was very good, because this was a funny film. One of the things that Heffernan does right, he makes the action in the film, very funny. There were a couple of scenes, where it could’ve gone into the territory of gross out humor that hurt “Beerfest” for the most part. But what Heffernan does is to let the dialogue and actions of these characters become the source of the humor. It makes the film fun to watch, instead of being bored. The other thing that he does right was the way the actors were directed. For a comedy film to work, you need a director to get actors get have interesting quirks to their characters. This film has it, as Heffernan does a good job directing the actors, as they bring personality to their roles especially with Michael Duncan Clark, as he’s very funny and helps makes the film very entertaining to watch.

The screenplay was much better here than in their previous film. One of the things that they did right was to tone down the outrageousness and gross out humor. One of the problems in “Beerfest” was that the humor relied more on gross out gags and it really hurt that film, because none of it was funny. Here, there is more of a balance of humorous dialogue and gross out humor that helps make the situations funny. The troop also does a good job bringing personalities to each of the film’s characters. It helps generate humor, because you find the characters funny and you enjoy what is going on in the film. This is defiantly a huge improvement from their last film.

DVD Extras:

First on the Blu-Ray is the first of two audio commentary tracks with Writer/Actor/Director Kevin Heffernan and Writer/Actor Steve Lemme. The two do a very job explaining the process of the production of the film, from how some of the characters were created to the process of how Heffernan approached each scene.

The next commentary track features the rest of the Broken Lizard gang: Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske. The commentary was good for the most part. I liked how they added humor through some of the stories that they shared in the creation of the story and from the set. It a very solid track

After the commentary tracks, there is an eight minute behind the scenes look called, “Hellish Kitchens: Art Imitates Restaurant Life” and the official trailer.

Final Thoughts:

“The Slammin’ Salmon” is return to form for the Broken Lizard troop, as this rank up with “Super Troopers” as the comedic troop’s best film. This is a very funny film with a lot laugh that you’ll enjoy.

Film Review Rating: 4 Stars
DVD Extras: 2 Stars

Welcome to the 235th Edition of my long-running series. Rehearsals for GUYS AND DOLLS are going very well, I look forward to it starting in June. It's time to get out the Netflix and blockbuster queues and check out my ten for this week.

Iris (2001): This is part one of a two-part Kate Winslet series I have going. There might be three but that is doubtful. This is based on the life of novelist Iris Murdoch and her relationship with her husband John Bayley. This takes a look at their younger days when meeting and in their later days with Iris' battle with Alzheimer's disease. In the younger segments Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville play the parts. In the older segments, Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent play the parts. This is based on the books IRIS: A MEMOIR and ELEGY FOR IRIS written by Bonneville. The four actors are very well cast and do a great job of paralleling their parts from young to old to make the characterizations believable. This is a pretty good biopic that I found on On-Demand at my dad's house where the actors made the film good.

Munich (2005): I bring you another true story where we look at the 1972 Munich Olympics where 11 Israeli athletes were murdered. When this happens, a group of five people are recruited to track down and execute each involved. Eric Bana leads this group followed by Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Mattieu Kassovitz, and Hanns Zischler where it is top-secret and cannot even tell their families. It also shows the effects of Bana's life where he cannot be with his wife and children. Steven Spielberg directed this tale which questions if what happened was justice or vigilantism. This movie is right before Daniel Craig rose to the part of James Bond. Other actors in this film include Geoffrey Rush, Michael Lonsdale, and Mathieu Amalric. This is based on the novel VENGEANCE: THE TRUE STORY OF AN ISRAELI COUNTER-TERRORIST TEAM by George Jonas. Add this to many good films by Steven Spielberg.

A Farewell to Arms (1932): This is my WWI film for the week. Gary Cooper stars Lieutenant Frederic Henry and Helen Hayes stars as ambulance driver Catherine Barkley who meet and take an immediate liking to each other but find it hard to be together during the war. Henry does everything he can to be with the woman he loves and begins to question the morality of the war. This movie is based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway and dealt a lot with the censor board like with a child-birth scene and possibly the anti-war messages. Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes are very good together making this film work. I watched this one instantly on Netflix.

Fanny (1932): It is not often you see back-to-back films with the same year but this week I do. This is part two of Marcel Pagnol's FANNY trilogy. The first one was MARIUS and the third one is CESAR. This follows after the first one where Marius and Fanny form a relationship but then Marius decides to go out to sea leaving Fanny behind. Cesar is the father of Marius and very close to Fanny. Fanny then learns she is pregnant with Marius' child but in his letters to his father he does not mention Fanny much so she is not sure of his status of coming back. They are also not married which believe it or not was a big deal in those days. She then must contemplate what she wants to do. She considers suicide, the possible return of Marius but not knowing his feelings for her at the time, or even marry a weathy merchant who seeks her hand. She then discusses with her mother, Cesar, and the merchant then makes the decision. This would probably be best watched in the who trilogy. It is a very well filmed and almost like a theatrical production. It is a very interesting look at morality in that era and the power of family.

The Spirit of St. Louis (1957): Billy Wilder directed this inspirational movie based on Charles Lindbergh's autobiography. James Stewart fought hard for the part of the pilot who was determined to prove that a plane can fly from New York to Paris. Charles Lindbergh was one of the pioneers during the rise of aviation and thought it was possible to do a flight from New York to Paris. This starts out with him trying to get the funding together and when that happens, his crew that builds this plane to last long enough. Once everything is together Lindbergh sets off for his historical flight which was over 30 hours long. He is then in the plane by himself with no communication down below. Stewart was an actual air force pilot and was 47 years old portraying a man who was 25 at the time. This was a bit of a miscast but Stewart still brought his portrayal of the everyday person to this part to make it inspiring. I also thought he did a good job carrying the film when he was the only person in the plane.

Cast Away (2000): Director Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks team up once again. Hanks plays the very dedicated Fed-Ex employee Chuck Noland who has everything going for him. Helen Hunt plays his fiancee Kelly. The dedicated employee Chuck then decides to make a flight overseas for his job and tells Kelly he will be right back which if you know what this movie is about was not quite true. Chuck then crashes on an island as the sole survivor and must fend for himself to survive but makes a friend with "Wilson" leading into some really good moments. Tom Hanks carries this movie very well where he is by himself on the island, there is no music score most of the time, just a good script and a good actor who can make us feel we are right there with him.

Sherlock Holmes (2009): I finally see the revamp of the Sherlock Holmes franchise. Guy Ritchie directed this adaptation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle classic which stars Robert Downey Jr. as the famed detective. For many years such people as Basil Rathbone, Christopher Lee, John Barrymore, Peter Cushing, and many others and we get the idea that Detective Holmes is a respectable, well-dressed man wearing the trademark "deerstalker" hat. In this movie, Detective Holmes is quite the drug addict who really needs Dr. Watson to keep him in line. There are also some scenes where he is in some fight scenes and wins fights knowing where to hit the person. This is really how he is portrayed in the books nor does he say "elementary, my dear Watson" in the books so you won't hear it in this movie. Downey was great as Sherlock Holmes as well as Jude Law who plays Dr. Watson. Usually, the character of Watson in the movies, is a fat, bumbling, old man like Nigel Bruce in the early years of the franchise. However, in the books, Watson is about the same age as Holmes and just as capable as handling himself which he shows in some fight scenes. I loved Downey's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes as much as I did when Daniel Craig played James Bond. Sherlock Holmes is portrayed as human who is gifted at looking at the little things to solve a crime which sometimes gets him in trouble but sometimes needs a cocaine fix to stimulate his mind much to the dismay of Watson. Other actors in this movie include Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, and Eddie Marsan. Mark Strong plays the villain Lord Blackwood who Holmes and Watson do everything they can to bring him down. I know I have barely even touched on the plot but do not feel I really need to here since this is pretty widely known with the new generation getting their own Sherlock Holmes.

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982): This is my western for the week which stars MIAMI VICE alum Edward James Olmos as the title character. This is actually a true story of a man who is a farmer and acquired a horse. Cortez did not know much English and a poor translation from a deputy lead to a huge misunderstanding that caused an innocent person to die and Cortez to resort to means of protecting his family which made him a fugitive from the law. This movie takes a look at the price of prejudice and what it can be lead to. Cortez is a folk hero mostly in Mexico which I'm sure there are a lot of exaggerations like any other folk hero we make up (i.e. Jesse James). There are not much subtitles on Cortez's dialogue which was done on purpose by the filmmakers. This was a pretty decent film and an interesting historical person to read up on.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968): I now bring you this family musical based on the novel by Ian Fleming. Dick Van Dyke stars as Caractacus Potts who is a struggling inventor trying to raise two children. He then comes upon a car that his children wants and makes it into a magical car with his inventing skills. Sally Ann Howes co-stars as his love interesting Truly Scrumptious who comes to admire Caractacus. Baron Bomburst, played by Gert Frobe wants that car in the town of Vulgaria and when the wrong hands get to the flying car, Caractacus, Truly, and the children must go back and get it but not knowing the children are banned in the city. He then sees that there is more to it than getting the car when he finds many children enslaved. The plot here is very absurd but the musical numbers are pretty entertaining and Dick Van Dyke was a lot of fun. Also look for Desmond Llewelyn in the beginning who is most known for playing Q in the James Bond films.

It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day (1941): This is my animated short for the week from the studios of Dave Fleischer which features the character Gabby. Gabby believes he is a know-it-all and drives the mayor of the town of Lilliput crazy when he decides to go camping with him. On this camping trip, everything that can go wrong does in this seven minutes of animated action. The Gabby character only did about 9 cartoon shorts and when Fleischer studios went out of business, Gabby was never seen again except in the wonderful public domain.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you do not like. Stay tuned next week which includes more Kate Winslet, Eli Roth, Nick Nolte, Federico Fellini, and many others.

FUN LITTLE FACTS

I have not done this segment in a long time but did not do a real thorough search for facts like I have. If anyone finds other facts, go ahead and add them to the comments.

JAMES BOND FRANCHISE
-Judi Dench (Iris) has been the head of the British Secret Service M in the Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig era.
-Daniel Craig (Munich) is the latest James Bond in the 2006 film CASINO ROYALE and the 2008 follow-up QUANTUM OF SOLACE
-Michael Lonsdale (Munich) played villain Hugo Drax in the 1979 Bond film MOONRAKER
-Mathieu Amalric (Munich) played Dominic Greene in the 2008 Bond film QUANTUM OF SOLACE
-Ian Fleming (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang novel author) created the character of James Bond through books.
-Gert Frobe (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) plays Auric Goldfinger in the 1964 Bond film GOLDFINGER
-Desmond Llewelyn (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) plays equipment specialist Q starting with the 1963 Bond film FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE to the 1999 Bond film THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

MARVEL FRANCHISE
-Eric Bana (Munich) plays Bruce Banner who becomes the Incredible Hulk in 2003 film HULK
-Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes) plays Tony Stark who becomes the Iron Man in the IRON MAN films in 2008 and 2010

James Stewart (The Spirit of St. Louis) plays Alfred Kralik in the 1940 film THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. Tom Hanks (Cast Away) plays Joe Fox in the 1998 remake YOU'VE GOT MAIL

Magnet Releasing recently send us over the official poster to one of the most anticipated Indie Horror Films of the year, "[REC]2".

The highly anticipated sequel to one of the scariest films of all time, [REC] 2 picks up 15 minutes from where we left off, taking us back into the quarantined apartment building where a terrifying virus has run rampant, turning the occupants into mindlessly violent, raging beasts. A heavily armed SWAT team and a mysterious government official are sent in to assess and attempt to neutralize the situation. What they find inside lies beyond the scope of medical science—a demonic nightmare of biblical proportions more terrifying than they could have possibly imagined. Above all it must be contained, before it escapes to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting world outside.

"[REC2]" will be available on VOD on June 4th and in theaters in limited release on July 9th

Welcome to the 234th Edition. This week I pay tribute to the late Lynn Redgrave. I have been very busy lately with work and then rehearsals for my show so it has been hard to put these together and this probably is not one of my better ones but some where unexpected gems so I am mostly satisfied here.

Julia (1977): Fred Zinneman directed this movie based on an autobiographical novel from playwright Lillian Hellman. Jane Fonda plays the part of Lillian Hellman who is experiencing writer's block and focuses on a friendship with her friend of the title name, played by Vanessa Redgrave. Julia comes from a high-class background and to Vienna to study such people like Freud and Einstein. She soon becomes an activist against fascism during Nazi Germany. She then enlists Lillian to do some very dangerous jobs which she accepts reluctantly and puts that test on their friendship. Jason Robards plays Lillian's mentor and sometimes lover. Hal Holbrook, Meryl Streep and SMALLVILLE co-star John Glover co-star in this film where Streep makes her debut in what was the start to a great career.

Beautiful Losers (2008): This is my documentary for the week which takes a look at many underground artists in the '90s. This takes a look at such people as Spike Jonze, Mike Mills, Harmony Korine, and many others. The artists here start their careers where they do not have any formal education but they use lots of trial and error to come up with such beautiful works of art innovation. This was something I watched instantly through Netflix. I don't really have much to say except that is a very good documentary and young artists may relate very well to this film.

Lackawanna Blues (2005): I found this HBO movie on On-Demand when I was at my dad's house. This is based on a one-man play written by Ruben Santiago Jr. which focuses on the relationship he has with his guardian Rachel Crosby in 1950s-60s Lackawanna, New York. Marcus Carl Franklin plays Santiago whose mother and father had a hard time making end's meet for him and is taken in by the very soulful Rachel Crosby, played by S. Epatha Merkerson. Ruben then grows up knowing many colorful characters and grows up in a world of rhythm and blues. The real-life Santiago plays the part of Freddie Cobbs and actually performed this on Broadway where he voices 20 different characters. Other supporting plays include Delroy Lindo, Lou Gossett Jr., Macy Gray, Jimmy Smits, Jeffrey Wright, Julie Benz, and many others. This was a very well-written script and a nice performance from Franklin as well as Merkerson.

So Your Wife Wants to Work (1956): This is my short film for the week which stars George O'Hanlon as Joe McDoakes and Phyllis Coates as his wife Alice. Alice decides she wants a job much to the dismay of her husband. He finally gives in and gets her hired where he works but demands his boss give her jobs that will drive her out. Each job she gets she does a very good job which makes it very difficult for her husband. This is the last of many of these shorts with the Joe McDoakes character and no I have not seen any of the others so I do not know what the others are about but this was very funny and the movie dvd I got it from will be featured in the near future.

There's Something About Mary (1998): This is part two of an ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT alum Jeffrey Tambor series whose movie ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL I featured last week and this will likely be the last for that series. I now bring you the Farrelly Brothers and what I believe is their best piece of work. I remember when this movie first came out and I went with my dad and stepmom to go see it and we all just laughed very hard. Ben Stiller stars as Ted, who is a writer, and wants to reunite with the title character, played by Cameron Diaz, who were supposed to go to prom together but due to some unfortunate circumstances could not go. Many years later, he learns that Mary is in Florida and hires Private Investigator Ted Healy, played by Matt Dillon, to find Mary for him where he does his job but then forms his own infatuation for Mary which leads into a battle of many men who love Mary. There were so many funny moments here and great comedic performances. Lee Evans, Chris Elliott, Lin Shaye, W. Earl Brown, Sarah Silverman, and many others. Jonathan Richman wrote and sung a lot of his music in this movie where even he has some pretty funny moments.

Tender Mercies (1983): I watched this one instantly on Netflix. Robert Duvall stars as broken-down country singer Mac Sledge. He finds work with a widow named Rosa Lee and her son while he forms a relationship with Rosa Lee where he tries to put his life back together and even attempts a comeback for his career. Betty Buckley plays his first wife Dixie who is very bitter towards him and Ellen Barkin plays his daughter who tries reconnecting with her father much to the dismay of her mother. This movie has no special effects, no big budget, no real scandalous moments, but a script which only works if you have good actors to bring the characters to life and that is what was accomplished here. Duvall was great as Mac Sledge where he sings his own music and even writes a couple of the songs. Tess Harper was very good as Rosa Lee who gave very unconditional love to Mac. Buckley was impressive as Dixie and sang very well. This was a very low-key movie but very beautiful and inspiring.

Anita and Me (2002): This is my tribute to the late Lynn Redgrave who plays the small but pivotal role of Mrs. Ormerod in this British film. This movie really focuses on the character Meena which is the "me" part of the movie. She is a 12 year old girl whose parents are Indian and move to '70s English Midlands. Meena then meets the title character who is 14 years old, tall, blonde, and beautiful and Meena wants to be accepted into her circle of friends. Meena's parents still want to teach her Indian tradition which does not fit into Anita's world. This is a very good character study of a young girl who just wants to live her own life and the troubles of growing up when first you're 12 years old but second a minority. Chandeep Uppal makes a very good debut here as Meena. This is more my coming of age film for the week.

Beau Brummel (1924): This is part two of a John Barrymore and Mary Astor series whose movie MIDNIGHT I featured last week and this is my silent film for the week. Barrymore plays George Bryon Brummel who is a British officer who loves Lady Margery, played by Mary Astor. She loves Brummel but giving into family pressure, she marres Lord Alvanley. Brummel then goes off the deep end where he falls into disfavor and only Lady Margery can help him. This is really for silent film buffs and focuses on a real-life person. Barrymore was very good in the title role.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1968): This is another made for tv movie I obtained which stars Jack Palance in the title role of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic horror novel. It is the classic story where the noble Dr. Jekyll wants to prove that each person has a good side and evil side where he invents a formula which turns him into Mr. Hyde making his experiment go very wrong when Hyde slowly takes over Jekyll. This story is very similar to Mary Shelley's classic FRANKENSTEIN in terms of a scientist who has very good intentions but then the intentions go completely awry. Palance played both parts very well. This was a pretty good adaptation. My favorite is probably the version in the 30s with Fredric March but this one works pretty well also and should have more exposure.

Maniac (1934): This is part of a Horror Classics boxed set I purchased when trying to finish this edition. We have an ex-Vaudeville actor who works for a mad scientist. That scientist is then killed where the actor decides to impersonate him which leads him into a road of madness. This is not what you get if you are looking for some great classic, even horror classic. If you want some horror classic, go with older versions of the previous film I featured. This is one of those "so bad it's good" type things which has an interesting concept but poorly executed. Luckily it was only 51 minutes of a bad transfer but still some pretty entertaining moments.

Well, that is it for this week. I seemed to focus a lot on various artists where painters, writers, singers, etc. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Judi Dench, Daniel Craig, Gary Cooper, director Marcel Pagnoc, and many others and no I do not have a James Bond film some of the names may indicate.

Film Arcade recently gotten ahold of courtesy of Magnet Releasing, the official poster and trailer for George E. Romero's latest film "Survival of the Dead", which is available on demand now and hits theaters on May 28th

Immediately following the events of Diary of the Dead, SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD is the 6th film from George A. Romero to look at a world where humans are in the minority and the zombies rule.

Off the coast of Delaware sits the cozy Plum Island where two families are locked in a struggle for power, as it has been for generations. The O'Flynn's, headed by patriarch Patrick O'Flynn (Kenneth Welsh) approach the zombie plague with a shoot-to-kill attitude. The Muldoons, headed by Shamus Muldoon (Richard Fitzpatrick), feel that the zombies should be quarantined and kept 'alive,' in hopes that a solution will someday be found.

The O'Flynn's, who are clearly outnumbered, are forced to exile Patrick by boat to the mainland, where he meets up with a band of soldiers, headed by Guardsman Sarge (Alan Van Sprang). They join forces and return to the island, to find that the zombie plague has fully gripped the divided community.

As the battle between humans and zombies escalates, the master filmmaker continues to reinvent the modern horror genre with wicked humor and pointed social commentary.

You can find the list of theaters for "Survival of the Dead" at: http://www.magpictures.com/dates.aspx?id=1c0598da-4edb-4d15-949f-76b19b5e6904

"Survival of the Dead": Official Trailer

Iron Man 2
Year: 2010
Director: Jon Favreau
Studio: Paramount Pictures / Marvel Entertainment
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 124 Mins

This past weekend, the 2010 summer film season kicked off, with a film that I have been looking forward to all year. Yes, I’m taking about Robert Downey Jr’s latest film “Iron Man 2”. This is a film that I’ve been waiting for, since the end of the first film.

The film picks up where the first film left off with Tony Starks (Robert Downey Jr) having to deal with the world knowing that he is “Iron Man”. The government isn’t helping matters by wanting the suit and technology for themselves and facing pressures from the press and the public that wants him to share the technology with the military. He also having trouble in his personal life as something strange is happening to him and he doesn’t want his friends to know about it. If matters weren’t worse, a Russian scientist (Mickey Rourke) find out that Starks is Iron Man and wants to exact revenge for what Starks’ father did his father and claim the technology for himself. In order to stop him, he must uncover the dark secrets of his father’s legacy and find out what’s happening to him, before something unthinkable happens. The film also co-stars Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Samuel L. Jackson.

"Iron Man 2" picks up, where the processor left off. Jon Favreau’s direction was as good as the first film. Favreau does a good job keeping your interest considering that most of the big action scenes don't take place until final act. He’s able to keep your interest; by the way that he directs his actors. The performances were very good here. Robert Downey Jr. is still very good as the title character. He brings the energy that is needed to make Tony Starks very likable. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role, as Downey Jr has that it that is needed for the role. The supporting performances were also very good, as Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow were also good here as they brought a presence to their roles, which also makes this enjoyable.

What also makes Favreau's direction good was the fact that he didn't get too crazy with the use of special effects until the last act of the film. I liked, how he was able to let the film's story become one of the film's focal points as the material in the screenplay was good. He also goes a good job moving the film at a reasonable pace, so that you are drawn into the story and not the effects.
The screenplay this time around was handled by Justin Theroux, who only has one screenplay to his credit ("Tropic Thunder", in which he co-wrote with Ben Stiller back in 2008). If I had known this going in, I probably would have been feeling nervous considering how material like this is being handed to inexperience writers. Thankfully, I never knew that going in, because I expected a good time and enjoyed it.

For the most part, I liked how Theroux handled the characters in the Iron Man universe, even though I thought that Paltrow's character was a little bit under used here. I would have to have more tension between her and Downey Jr. Besides that little gripe; he does a good job making sure that each of the characters has their moment. It makes the material fun to watch. Theroux also does a good job exploring the trouble and backstory of Tony Starks and his corporation. It really makes the character more interesting and it gives material that Downey Jr can work with and make it as one of his own characters, Also, I liked about that script was the fact that most of the main action sequences were held back until the second half of the film. It doesn’t feel cramped in to that point that you're feeling like your watching an effects film. Overall, this is a very fun film and a good entry in the "Iron Man" series.

“Iron Man 2” isn’t a films that going to win on style points, but it’s sure to make fanboys like me happy with the material and the way the property is being handled. This is a fun start to the summer movie season, as “Iron Man 2” is fun and entertaining.

Review Rating Four Stars

Meadowoods
Year: 2010
Directors: Scott Phillips
Stars: Connor Thorp, Michelle Row, Michael Downey
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Monterey Media
Running Time: 88 Mins
Official Website: http://www.meadowoodsarmy.com




Going into "Meadowoods", I saw a film called "The Final" before seeing his film. Both films, have a common theme with young outcasts killing or torturing people. That film for itself was shocking for the amount of violence that takes place. But it's nothing compared to the psychological and horrifying aspects of this film.

The film takes place in a small town, where three college students decide to plot a murder that would shock the community. The three decide to keep a video journal so that they can memorialize what they are doing. They begin to devise a plot to building a homemade coffin so that they would be to see, feel, and hear the final moments of their victim's life. Then, they choose a person at random to recieve the most brutal and horrifying of all fates. Soon, there is hostility and contention that threatens the group's plan, as this culminates in one of the most shocking and violent conclusions that you will see, this year.

It’s early in the year to say this, but I’m going to say this anyway. “Meadowoods” is the most disturbing film that you will see, this year. One of the main reasons for that was the way that director Scott Phillips (no relation to the person that I interviewed for the site, last year) directs this more like a faux documentary. It’s the same style of storytelling that has made films like “The Last Broadcast” and “The Blair Witch Project” very dark and shocking, especially when you see it for the first time. By going for this style, there is more of a main focal and more realistic point on the characters, which was the case here. Another thing that helps this film very well, the editing.

Editing for these types of film need to be very good, as you need a certain flow to maintain your audience. Phillips along with producer Stuart Ball did a very good job with it, as it really goes into the disturbing mind of the main characters. It made me disturbed about how they are planning this act and kept my interest with the story aspects. Philip also does a good job making the performances have a realistic tone to them, especially in the third act where the action becomes very frightening and intense.

This film also can be described as a character study too, as the film follows these kids around during the course of the film. Writer Anna Siri does a very good job keeping the tone of film very dark and the sense that you feel like that the story was more reality based. By writing the story that way, it makes the characters interesting and the helps make the story appealing to fans that like these psychological horror films. Another thing Siri does very good was making the story feel like a character study about these groups of kids and its intended victim. She really goes into each of the emotions and insecurities that each of the have. That’s what makes this film very physiological, by getting a sense at what makes each of these characters tick. It makes it more interesting, then just creating a story that intends to kill characters every chance it gets. By going into what makes these characters tick through their action, it generates that disturbed moments that’s needed to get the audience’s attention and makes you frighten and makes everything shocking.

This is defiantly a horror film that fans should check out at your local video store, as this is more disturbing that After Dark’s “The Final”. It’s truly a film that you have to try and seek out, as it's one of the better films that I’ve seen this year. “Meadowoods” is a very disturbing and shocking psychological character study that will leave you in shock.

Review Rating: Five Stars.

"Meadowoods" Official Trailer

Welcome to the 233rd Edition of my long running series. This week, I pay tribute to John Forsythe, Dede Allen, and Malcolm McLaren who all have recently left us. I actually have three foreign language selections this week. As you all see I now have a bigger part in GUYS AND DOLLS. I went from playing a part with one line to having a really good supporting part which made putting this together very difficult. I am a little later than usual for various reasons but I'm here now so let's get on with the ten selections for the week.

...And Justice For All (1979): This is my tribute to the late John Forsythe who plays a judge being accused of rape. Norman Jewison directed this intense courtroom drama which centers on a defense attorney named Arthur Kirkland, played by Al Pacino. He is a very idealistic attorney who believes in ethics but has a lot on his plate. He has a client which should not be in prison, a partner, played by ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT alum Jeffrey Tambor, who is bahaving strangely, an affair with a judge, played by Christina Lahti, in the disciplinary committee, and his judge friend who has suicidal thoughts. Things get much worse for him, when the judge he despises is accused of rape and is forced to defend him or he will be disbarred. Lee Strasburg plays Arthur's grandfather who is in a nursing home and paid his way through law school. This was a great movie which looks at ethics on each side and how it can effect someone who is forced to do something they don't want to do so in this case it was Arthur having to defend the judge he despises more than anyone.

Knockout (1941): I found this rather unknown boxing film on TCM. Arthur Kennedy plays a boxing champ who is very confident about himself but decides to leave the sport for his girlfriend. When leaving his sleazy manager, played by Anthony Quinn, makes it very hard for him to find a job forcing him to walk back into the racket of boxing. This is a b movie made by Warner Brothers and was worth a watch to me. This is early work for Arthur Kennedy, Cornel Wilde, and Anthony Quinn.

Wonder Boys (2000): This is a tribute to the late Dede Allen who was the editor of this movie and known as one of the best in her field. Curtis Hanson directed this film which stars Michael Douglas plays English professor Grady Tripp who is dealing with his wife leaving him and writer's block with an editor breathing down his neck. Robert Downey Jr. plays his flamboyant editor. He also learns that his married mistress, played by Frances McDormand, is pregnant with his child along with a college girl, played by DAWSON'S CREEK alum Katie Holmes, he is having an affair with. In the process he meets a very intelligent but disturbed student named James Leer, played very well by Tobey Maguire, who gets him into some possible trouble when attending a party at the head of the chair's home. It is very hard to explain this any more than what I can but the performances were very good and Douglas and Maguire work very well together. This is more of a character study of the events in the life of a writer with writer's block.

Ran (1985): This is one of many great films in the career of Japanese director Akira Kurasowa who gives his own telling of Shakespeare's KING LEAR. The elderly Lord Ichimonji decides to pass the power down to his three sons while hoping to remain an honored guest in his last days. His hopes of his three sons go up in smoke when the two corrupt ones turn on him and even turn on each other some where they hope to strip the lord of everything. This is a very violent film as it shows the price of greed and betrayal and in many ways in the end ask "what is the point?" This is an epic that should be viewed on a big screen.

The Cutting Edge (1992): This is my tribute to Malcolm McLaren who wrote and performed the song LAURETTA on the soundtrack. Paul Michael Glaser directed this story which I guess you can say is a bit similar to the 2007 comedy BLADES OF GLORY. Here we meet Doug Dorsey, played by D.B. Sweeney, who is a hockey player in the 1988 Winter Olympics and gets an injury that puts him out and likely ruins any dreams of playing professional hockey. We also meet Kate Moseley, played by Moira Kelly, who is a very talented but also spoiled figure skater who also has her gold medal hopes shattered on a lift gone bad. It is many years later and Kate remains very hard to work with and has gone through many male partners. Doug still has delusions about getting to the NHL but then gets an offer from Kate coach, played by Roy Dotrice, to try out to be her new partner for the next Olympics. He reluctantly accepts but is the closest to skating he'll ever come to so he does. They don't get along very well at first but he does not give up on her and I think you all know the rest. LOST co-star Terry O'Quinn plays Kate's father who is determined to see his daughter win the gold. This is a love story but I still found it to be very enjoyable and has good messages about not giving up.

The Bicycle Thief (1948): This is my Italian movie for the week which was directed by Vittorio De Sica. This movie takes a look at a poor Italian family where the father gets a good job that requires a bike and then it is stolen. The father and his son search far and wide for this bike. This is a very simple story which really shows how times were very touch in those days and the desperation for this bike which he must have and what desperate men may resort to. This may be a simple story but De Sica adds a lot of beauty to the simplicity in a movie that is very moving.

United We Stand (2002): This is my short film for the week which was made in Norway and my third foreign language selection this week. This short features nine elderly men who have their annual trek through the woods and hear screams for help. They find it is a woman who is mired in a bog so they go to rescue her but she does not seem very appreciative and moves on with her life while the other nine have an unexpected fate. I found this on IFC and while it was not great, it was a good few minutes of these close friends.

Midnight (1939): This is one that will probably always remain buried in that "Golden Year of Cinema" which produced such things as THE WIZARD OF OZ, GONE WITH THE WIND, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. This is a romantic comedy which stars Claudette Colbert as Eve, who is a chorus girl in France who meets a taxi driver named Tibor, played by Don Ameche, who really takes a liking to Eve but sees she is not easy to get. Eve then meets Helene, played by the legendary Mary Astor, who is married but having an affair. Her husband Georges, played by John Barrymore, enlists Eve to get his wife away from Picot. In all this, Tibor is pursuing Eve but sees she is using a different name leading to some pretty funny results. A young Billy Wilder co-wrote this script which was received by good performances including one from John Barrymore who was near the end of his career and died about three years later. Unrelated to this movie, I saw another 1939 film with John's brother Lionel called ON BORROWED TIME which was very good but it did not fit into this week's but both of these decent 1939 Barrymore films went on to get buried in 1939.

Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist (2009): I found this documentary on PBS so I needed a movie from this time period so I decided to check this out. This takes a look at three grad students who are pursuing careers in science and a very nice professor who is looking for tenure. The professor really just leaves the projects to his students and lets them fail to learn. This was about 60 minutes and was good to see. If you find this on PBS, go ahead and support this look at grad students.

Pinocchio (1940): I end this one with this Disney classic and possibly Disney's best. Just about everyone knows this story of a good man named Gepetto who makes a puppet of the title name who then wishes upon a star that he is real. The Blue Fairy answers this wish by making the puppet real but tells Pinocchio that he can become a real boy by being good. It does not become easy as Pinocchio experiences a lot of peer pressure causing lots of temptation. When Pinocchio becomes real, Gepetto sends him to school and then falls victim to some villains who want to exploit him. He was labeled as "bad" for this but how was he to know things like this in day one of his life and why did Gepetto not just stay with him in his walk to school? I guess I could analyze things like this all day so I'll just stop there. There were some rather disturbing moments in this film but still very enjoyable and even a pretty good message. I'm sure parents used the "you're nose will grow" card when their children were lying when this came out. I used to watch this all the time when I was a kid at my dad's house and it was great to revisit this absolute classic with the song "WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR" sung by the great Jiminy Cricket who was Pinnochio's "conscious". It may not be for real little kids with the moments of violence. There was an issue of Playboy where they cited 43 moments of violence and unfavorable behavior but still good for the family.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you hate. Next week includes Jane Fonda, Terrance Howard, and many others.

Title: Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day
Review Date: April, 2010
Year: 2009, Canada
Director: Mike Clattenberg
Starring:
Robb Wells ... Ricky
John Paul Tremblay ... Julian
Mike Smith ... Bubbles
John Dunsworth ... Jim Lahey
Jonathan Torrens ... J-Roc
Pat Roach¹ ... Randy
Lucy Decoutere ... Lucy
Sarah E. Dunsworth ... Sarah
MPAA Rating: R
Studio: Topsail Entertainment
Distributor: Screen Media Films
Running time: 102 minutes
Official Website: http://www.trailerparkboysmovie.com/

Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day is the second feature length film based
upon the wildly popular Canadian television show of the same name that ran from 2001
to 2008. It has the feel of a Will Farrell movie but lower budget and with a decidedly Canadian feel. If you don’t get the humor, you don’t get the movie. Also, I suspect, if you haven’t been a fan of the show a lot of the innuendo goes right over you.

I have to confess that I didn’t get the film, the story, or the characters. That is not to say it is not funny. My Canadian friends, of which I have a handful, thought it was hysterical but they couldn’t explain why. It is strange to find regional humor so close to me that I have no understanding of. The production values are good and the film is finely produced. While I appreciate most British humor, this is decidedly different and low brow in a unique way.

I would recommend watching it with a Canadian. If nothing else you will enjoy watching them laugh their pants off, even if you don’t get it. I refrain from giving this film a rating and leave it to the audience to decide.

Lionsgate recently send us the official trailer and poster for the upcoming Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher "Killers", which hits theaters on June 4th.

Trying to recover from a sudden break-up, Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) believes she’ll never fall in love again. But when she reluctantly joins her parents on a trip to the French Riviera, Jen happens to meet the man of her dreams, the dashing, handsome Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher). Three years later, her seemingly impossible wish has come true: she and Spencer are newlyweds living the ideal suburban life – that is, until the morning after Spencer’s 30th birthday when bullets start flying. Literally. It turns out Spencer never bothered to tell Jen he’s also an international super-spy, and now Jen's perfect world has been turned upside down. Faced with the fact that her husband is a hit man, Jen is determined to discover what other secrets Spencer might be keeping – all the while trying to dodge bullets, keep up neighborly appearances, manage the in-laws…and work out some major trust issues. And you thought suburban life was easy. Starring Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher, directed by Robert Luketic from a screenplay by Bob DeRosa and Ted Griffin and story by Bob DeRosa, Lionsgate’s KILLERS is a hilarious, unpredictable action comedy about love, marriage and serious firepower.

"Killers": Official Trailer

Lionsgate recently announced that the highly anticipated horror thriller THE LAST EXORCISM will be making its WORLD PREMIERE at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival this June! The world premiere will be an outdoors screening at the Ford Amphitheater.

After a career spent helping the devout through prayer and trickery, Reverend Cotton Marcus invites a film crew to document his final fraudulent days as an exorcist. Soon his faith is truly tested when a desperate plea from the father of a possessed girl brings him face to face with the devil himself.

Produced by horror mastermind and creator of the HOSTEL franchise, Eli Roth, THE LAST EXORCISM stars Patrick Fabian (“Big Love”) and Ashley Bell (“The United States of Tara”) and is directed by up-and-coming director Daniel Stamm (A NECESSARY DEATH, 2008 AFI Fest Audience Award for Best Feature Film).

Please see the following link for more details on the event: http://www.lafilmfest.com/2010/films/

THE LAST EXORCISM releases nationwide on August 27th.

Welcome to the FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of my long running blog that I write. Most know on a weekly basis I write SHAUN BERK'S 10 MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS where I include 10 very diverse films each week and the first 4 anniversary blogs have really just been more of the same format but with five years I knew I had to do something different and then I thought of this which I have been working off and on with for about a year. I thought this would be the perfect five-year anniversary and who would have thought it would last this long? Not me, I know that much. I was going to do it on Monday but I figure I will just release it now. I will be going to Chicago tomorrow to try out again for AMERICA'S GOT TALENT which I have no intelligence to say "no" so I will give it a shot again as I got pretty far a couple years ago. This is not a top 100 list and as you see it is alphabetical because I just could not do rankings. You will also see that some of them are grouped as one entry like a trilogy and that sort of thing. This really was movies that have really stuck with me through the years. Some might be films I feel are very underrated that I really enjoyed and want to give more exposure. Others might be favorites from a particular genre or even person. To be honest if I do this again in another month, these 100 would probably be different but please do not expect this for a long time. I now encourage you to go through and see what I came up with. It is a long read so it might just require to skim through it.

About a Boy (2002): The Weitz brothers directed this film which stars Hugh Grant in my favorite film with him. Here he plays Will, an immature man who slowly becomes friends to a young boy named Marcus played by Nicolas Hoult. Will poses as a single father to get dates. Marcus has his own issues like being picked on a lot at school and his mother, played by Toni Collete, who is suicidal. In this friendship, Will tries to teach Marcus how to be more cool and Marcus teaches Will how to grow up some. I like the narration that comes from both of the main characters. I really like a good drama which is character-driven like this one.

Almost Famous (2000): This is the ultimate movie focusing a lot on a rock tour. Cameron Crowe wrote and directed this film which is partly based on his following of Led Zeppelin during a tour. Patrick Fugit stars as William, a rather naive high-schooler who has the gift of writing and writes local rock reviews. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays the real-life Lester Bangs who gives him paid assignments and becomes the mentor to William. William then decides to do an interview with the fictional up-and-coming rock band Stillwater and is then given a shot by Rolling Stone to do a story for their magazine. When first meeting him, they do not want anything to do with him but when talking to him they found he was not so bad and they include him on a life-changing tour. Kate Hudson has her breakthrough performance as the "band-aid" Penny Lane and was so great in this film but has not been the same since. Billy Crudup plays the guitarist of the band and the one in the band that is the friendliest to William. Frances McDormand was also good as William's over-protective mother. This is a great authentic portrait of that time and you can just tell how much Cameron Crowe cared about the story.

American History X (1998): This movie really takes a look at racism. Edward Norton plays Derek Vinyard who is in a Neo-Nazi group where he ends up in prison for hate crimes. When in prison he starts to see the error of his ways but when getting out he sees that his brother Danny, played by Edward Furlong, is on the same path that he was on and must save him from going down that road. Avery Brooks plays the principal of Danny's school and also does what he can for Danny by having him write a paper on what his brother has done. This was very interesting in the way they did not take sides as it shows the prejudice on both sides and usually when Derek or Danny did something violent, they were provoked by something the blacks should not have been doing. It also shows the price of hatred which I liked. There are some pretty graphic scenes but if you can get past the one in the beginning, you can probably get through the film and really learn from it.

American Splendor (2003): Harvey Pekar gets his own movie treatment for his underground comic of the title which is a comic just based on his struggles. Paul Giamatti plays him but the real Harvey, his wife, and some of his friends have interviews in it. It shows him in his file clerk job who on the side did some comics and with his friendship with underground writer Robert Crumb, he was able to get them published and had quite a following reading about this "hero" who was just an everyday guy and had quite a bit of struggles whether at home, at work, wherever. He actually died last July and I had the pleasure of getting to see him speak earlier this year when he was at Ball State. I also got a couple of his books when meeting him so I got one for me and one for my dad who is a fan of him.

Apocalypse Now (1979): This is Francis Ford Coppola's great Vietnam film which is based on Joseph Conrad's HEARTS OF DARKNESS. Martin Sheen stars as Captain Willard who is sent to Cambodia to kill a very decorated soldier named Colonel Kurtz who has kind of gone off the deep end and is seen as a god in Cambodia. Marlon Brando plays Kurtz who does not really come in until the climax. The biggest thing was the rough journey getting to Cambodia for Willard and the other soldiers which include Lawrence Fishburne, Frederick Forrest, and many others. The highlight of this film for me is Robert Duvall as Lt. Col. Kilgore who houses Willard's group. The story is a bit far fetched but I do not feel Sheen's portrayal is that way. A lot of filming was in the Philippines where Martin Sheen nearly died during filming of a heart attack. Just a little bit of trivia on this story. Boris Karloff was actually the first to play Colonel Kurtz on the stage in HEARTS OF DARKNESS. Brando and Coppola had a very rough working relationship during this film.

The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford (2007): This is one of those movies which has just stuck to me which I think about all the time. Andrew Dominik directed this film which was based on a novel by Ron Hansen. I have always been interested in the legend of Jesse James where for years, many people consider him a "Robin Hood" and many films have portrayed him as a anti-hero. While I have used some of these on the blog, I have never really bought into him being any kind of hero. This movie actually addresses what it made people think he was such a hero. Brad Pitt plays Jesse James which starts with his first meeting with Bob Ford, played very well by Casey Affleck. As most know, he actually shot Jesse James and the title already shows it. Bob Ford read the dime novels about Jesse James and his brother Charlie was already with the gang. In reading these books, he thought they were all so true and thought he was this larger-than-life hero and would get quite the wake-up call when he joins the gang and learns of the true Jesse James. I guess this is a western but not a real conventional one and if you're looking for all-out action, this is not it. This is more of a drama of a man who finally gets what he wishes for and spirals into his worst nightmare. Affleck was phenomenal as Bob Ford. Sam Shepard plays Frank James in the beginning but this was the era where Frank leaves the gang. Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, Zooey Deschanel and many others co-star. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis wrote a beautiful music score and placed the score in the absolute right places in the film where they use Hugh Ross' narration. I could actually listen to this score over and over again. Nick Cave actually has a cameo as a singer in the bar. Roger Deakins did the cinematography which was also great. This is one of the few that I give the label of beautiful where everything just worked.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974): This is actually a tv movie and a very good one that could have probably competed with the Oscars that year. Cicely Tyson plays the title character who is 110 years old and has lived as a slave. She agrees to do an interview and tell the story of her life when she was a slave, her adjustment to freedom, and her activism. It is a well-told stroy and Tyson was great as Jane Pittman. This is told from her chair and then flashes back to the eras that she is speaking of so it was a rather difficult part to play that she really pulled of.

Being John Malkovich (1999): This is one of those that has always really stuck to my mind. Charlie Kaufman wrote the screenplay and Spike Jonze directed this very unusual story. John Cusack plays struggling puppeteer Craig who takes a job as a file clerk while discovering a portal to the brain of John Malkovich where you can see the world through his eyes for 15 minutes and then you get dumped into the New Jersey turnpike. Cameron Diaz plays Craig's wife Lotte who looks very unusual and Catherine Keener plays Craig's new colleague Maxine who Craig hits on. The three of them however really take to this portal and find other are interested. Lotte and Maxine also form their own friendship. The three of them eventually gain total control of Malkovich where Craig tries to use him to save his career in the puppet industry. This was very well done where Malkovich does play himself. It is a very creative idea executed very well in front of the camera.

A Better Tomorrow (1986): This is a great Hong Kong action film directed by John Woo. Lung Ti and Leslie Cheung play brothers Ho and Kit. Ho is in a criminal organization and Kit is a police officer. Ho did some time in prison and really wants to go straight and reconnect with Kit but Kit is very bitter towards his brother blaming him for the death of their father and promotions that he did not get in the force. Chow Yun-Fat also stars as Mark Lee who is a long-time friend of Ho and also struggles in his older age when he was wounded during a shootout. John Woo shows how violence can become an art. There is a sequel that is also very good.

Bonnie and Clyde (1967): Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty play the bank robbing couple of the 30s upon their meeting and their career in the life of crime. They are very good in their roles and work very well together. It may have been a bit romanticized but I have seen documentaries on them and the movie portrays them pretty accurately. They portray them as anti-heroes but the law really wants them. Not much else to say but a good film on the life of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.

Boogie Nights (1997): Paul Thomas Anderson directed this great portrait of the porn industry in the 70s starring Mark Wahlberg in what may be his best performance. He stars as Eddie Adams who is recruited by porn director Jack Horner, played by Burt Reynolds in what may be his own best performance, when his "asset" is discovered. Jack Horner is the "patriarch" of this family with Julianne Moore, playing the "mother" named Amber Waves of the porn family. Eddie Adams becomes Dirk Diggler who has quite a rise in the industry but succumbs to drugs when going to the top. Each person really has their own unique issue that they really want and we really care about these characters even if they are in a profession we might not like.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992): I have watched quite a few films on the Dracula legend but for me this one tops it. Francis Ford Coppola directed this version which is more based on the novel. Gary Oldman is great as the title character where we first see him as a 14th Century warrior whose wife dies and we see how he becomes immortal making one of the first back-stories of Dracula. Many years later, we see the basics of the story where Jonathan Harker, played by Keanu Reeves, goes to Transylvania for a business deal but is soon taken hostage and imprisoned in his castle. Dracula then makes his way to Britain wreaking havoc upon the town and seeing resemblance in Jonathan's fiancee Mina, played by Winona Ryder, to his own wife believing she is reincarnated. Anthony Hopkins plays Van Helsing and Tom Waits is rather fun as Renfield. It is also interesting the way Dracula progressively looks younger through the film. This is really a very beautiful version of the legend showing the reason behind the evil and a human side of Dracula. There is also a great climax in the interaction between Mina and Dracula.

Breezy (1973): This is a early film directed by Clint Eastwood and is a rather unconventional love story. Kay Lenz plays the title character who is a very young hippy girl who enters the life of a middle-aged business-man named Frank, played by William Holden, who reluctantly takes her in but then unexpectedly falls in love with her even with their mass differences in life-style. With their differences, they both learn from each other on life. I found this on On-Demand one time and saw Clint Eastwood was directing it and I like William Holden so I checked this out and saw this needs to be on the radar a little more. This is a good and unconventional love story I guess about how opposites attract that I hope to give some more exposure to it. I don't care what anyone says, Clint is the greatest.

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002): This is my favorite Bruce Campbell film. It's unfortunate that not more people have heard of this movie. I'll always explain where Bruce stars as an aging Elvis who is alive but took the name of an impersonator and that Ossie Davis plays JFK who survived the assassination but was turned black by the government. Together they are in a nursing home and take on a mummy who is feeding off of souls of the elderly at the nursing home. When explaining, yes it sounds a bit absurd but director Don Coscarelli and the actors really pull this off to make it a compelling film. I felt this was Bruce's best performance of his career and I really believed that Davis was a black JFK. There were also some great references to their lives and they bring you right with them to destroy this mummy. I also really liked Brian Tyler's music score of the film. It was like these two icons team up to redeem themselves of some of their misdeeds. This is one I have watched pretty regularly through the years. If you get it on DVD, there is a great commentary track where Bruce Campbell is watching it in character as "The King" because he was asked to view it for its accuracy. It is the best audio commentary ever.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969): This is my favorite in the western genre. Paul Newman and Robert Redford play the two title characters who are the leaders of the Hole in the Wall Gang which is a group of train robbers. When robbing too many trains, a special posse is on their trail so they flee to Bolivia hoping to escape the law. The two are portrayed in an anti-hero way where the two leads are just perfect for their parts and we have some great action scenes. This is a very fun and well-done western.

Casino Royale (2006): As a long-time fan of the Bond franchise, I have come to call this one my favorite which introduces the great Daniel Craig who will one day play me in my biopic THE RISE AND FALL OF SHAUN BERKEY. This is based on the first Bond novel but United Artists could not get the rights because CBS had them at the time so they decided to purchase the rights and start a bit of a revamp to the series. This is more of the rise of James Bond and in some ways a character study. Bond has just been promoted to the 00 status but M, played again by Judi Dench, sees the loose cannon he can be sometimes. Mads Mikkelson plays Le Chiffre who Bond must stop. This movie shows the things that make him into the cold-hearted person he is in the other stories. Eva Green plays Vesper Lynd who is Bond's love interest in this film. Jeffrey Wright plays his CIA friend Felix Leiter who has been portrayed by many people in the franchise. The opening scene really brings us in and when watching that, I realized we have a new Bond and the best in my opinion. I really like the dark side that Craig brings to the part. I heard they are now in production for the next James Bond film with him in it as they have struggled to get it off the ground.

Catch Me if You Can (2002): This is a true story of former con man Frank Abagnale Jr. who before the age of 19 ran away from home and conned lots of money posing as a co-pilot, doctor, and attorney. Leonardo DiCaprio plays this person and is very good in his part. Tom Hanks plays FBI agent Carl Hanratty who is looking to bring down Frank but comes to admire him. Christopher Walken plays Frank Sr. who teaches him son some about the art of the con but not nearly as good as his son did. Steven Spielberg directed this film. The real-life Abagnale was actually on the set some to give advice. Much of the film was pretty authentic as they also had former FBI agents on hand from that era. Hanks and DiCaprio worked very well together.

Chasing Amy (1997): This is Kevin Smith's third View Askew film where it centers around two comic book artists and best friends named Holden, played by Ben Affleck, and Banky, played by Jason Lee. Tension starts between them when meeting Alyssa Jones who is another comic book writer and is a lesbian. Holden takes quite a liking to her and she even really likes him and form a relationship. However, he hears about things she did when she was younger and has a hard time handling it. So we have a Kevin Smith movie which is pretty vulgar, lots of pop culture references but it has a message where one should not worry about someone's past and focus on the present. There is a great argument where Banky and a guy named Hooper argue over Archie's sexuality. Joey Lauren Adams plays the part of Alyssa and was very good in her part.

Clerks (1994): This is my favorite of Kevin Smith's View Askew films and this is the first of them. We take a look at Dante and Randal. Dante is the clerk at a convenience store who is working a 24 hour shift much to his dismay. Randal plays the clerk at the video store who hangs out more at the convenience store with Dante and lacks people skills very much. For Dante, lots of life-changing events happen during his shift, causing him to break certain rules at the store. The big highlights are of the discussions between Dante and Randal and the strange customers that Dante must deal with on a daily basis. We get a hilarious discussion on STAR WARS which all of the Smith films reference that in some way. Kevin Smith actually sold his comic book collection to find this film and the movie is in black and white. It is an element that works but it was not some statement or anything, it was just all Kevin could afford but makes this first of some great comedies. Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith play Jay and Silent Bob who are some very significant characters through the series. There is also a sequel made many years later which was also quite hilarious but like Tarantino's RESERVOIR DOGS, this will likely always remain my favorite of Smith's.

A Clockwork Orange (1971): My dad introduced me to this film when I was 17 by getting me this on VHS for Christmas one year. This is one of those that you may not like but you won't forget it. Stanley Kubrick directed this bizarre futuristic film based on the novel by Anthony Burgess. Malcolm McDowell stars in his breakthrough film as Alex De Large who is the leader of a gang called the Droogs. They go around to raid houses and just really enjoy themselves at the expense of the residents. Soon however, his gang members turn on him which gets Alex sent to prison. To get out early, he agrees to a new unorthodox therapy where he becomes fearful of what he loves which is most notably violence and Beethoven. Upon his release, many people he has hurt want revenge and he is defenseless due to his fear of violence. The bizarre part of the film is the imagery which is just really hard to explain. The one scene that just always sticks into my mind is when Alex is torturing a couple and singing SINGIN' IN THE RAIN at the same time. This movie is not for everyone but lives on as quite the classic. This movie was originally rated X on account of no one really knowing what to think. Through the years, it became rated R and deserves that rating.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002): This is my favorite George Clooney film which he directs and co-stars in as Jim Byrd, a CIA man. This is based on the autobiography by Chuck Barris. Sam Rockwell stars as Chuck Barris who many know as the host of THE GONG SHOW and producer of controversial shows like THE DATING GAME and THE NEWLYWED GAME. He also claims is was a front for his life as an assassin for the CIA which to this day there is no real proof one way or the other. Rockwell is perfect for the part, mostly becoming Chuck Barris. I contend that it is a true story and that he really was an assassin for the CIA. This is Clooney's directorial debut.

Crazy Heart (2009): This was probably my favorite film of 2009 as the THE WRESTLER was my favorite of 2008. I guess the two are rather similar. Jeff Bridges plays washed-up country musician Bad Blake who has lead a pretty reckless lifestyle and now performs at venues like bowling alleys. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays newspaper journalist Jean Craddock who aspires for more and wants to do a story on Blake. They soon form a relationship and Bad forms quite a bond with her and her four year old son. However, his lifestyle soon catches up to him and must re-evaluate his life as his former touring partner Tommy Sweet, played very well by Colin Farrell, wants to tour with him again. Like Rourke in THE WRESTLER, Bridges plays this character to absolute perfection and I even liked a lot of the music being quite a non-country fan. Bridges and Farrell did their own singing and were very good. I am big on films where there is a lot of character development and this one really did it as it worked without the big budget and special effects.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000): Ang Lee directed this Hong Kong martial arts film which introduced a new sub-genre to the genre which was more fantasy and introduced Chow Yun-Fat to the world of martial arts when he is most known for his action films. Here he plays Li Mu Bai whose sword has been stolen by his enemy Jade Fox. Michell Yeoh co-stars as Shu Lien who has been a long-time friend of Li Mu Bai. Ziyi Zhang is also in a star-making performance as a nobleman's daughter who has quite a secret. Chow was good in his martial arts debut. There was also a lot of emotional depth in a love story that has some great martial arts footage with cool special effects.

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957): This is my favorite of the Hammer Films and my favorite adaptation to the Mary Shelley classic. Peter Cushing plays Victor Frankenstein who is obsessed with creating life as he has good intentions but they go awry. His creature, played by Christopher Lee, goes onto wreak havoc all over town where he even murders bringing the blame to the creator. This is a really good version and it is still pretty chilling even today. To my knowledge this is Lee's only portrayal of the Creature and I cannot really say that was a good performance since he did not have much room to show his acting but Cushing was very good as Frankenstein making me like this one better than Universal's since at least they gave him his name whereas Universal named him Henry Frankenstein taking away the symbolism of the name. I still enjoy watching the Universal version but favor this one. I was in a stage version of this one time and is my favorite part I have played when I played an evil gravedigger named Peter Schmidt.

The Dark Knight (2008): I have two superhero films on this and both of which are the same year with this one being DC comics and the other being Marvel comics. This is the second part to Christopher Nolan's great Batman revamp with the first being BATMAN BEGINS. In this one Batman has his biggest challenge yet when the Joker, played very well by Heath Ledger, absolutely terrorizes Gotham City. Christian Bale reprises his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne where he feels he is doing what he does because he has to but that there needs to be a better way of fighting crime where he supports district attorney Harvey Dent who is trying to fight crime through the law. The Joker wreaks havoc so much that Batman is blamed for the things that Joker does. I really thought Heath Ledger is the best person to have ever played the Joker, yes even better than Jack Nicholson. I really believed he is very maniacal and Ledger was hardly recognizable in the part. When I first heard about him doing it I questioned it but he sure proved me wrong. Just for the record this was not Ledger's last film, he died during the filming of Terry Gilliams THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSAS. I refuse to believe that just doing this movie is what drove him to his death. Gary Oldman plays Commissioner Gordon who supports Batman's efforts to fight crime. This is a very dark version where Batman is more of a vigilante than a hero and must in some ways resort to the Joker's ways in order to compete with him. This is far from that sitcom in the 60s and the films in the 80s and 90s with exception to Tim Burton's BATMAN. This is the way Batman is meant to be portrayed.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008): I know this is not technically a movie but I don't care. It's my blog and I'll use it if I want to. Joss Whedon actually wrote this during the Writer's Strike that was going on at the time. He found a loophole and was able to get it posted on the internet in order to get around the strike and avoid trouble. There ended up being three episodes that were about 15 minutes long. It has come a very long way as it is available on itunes and even on Instant Netflix so if you have not caught this yet, if you have Netflix, please watch it. If you are in the area, contact me and I will show it. Doogie Howser, I mean Neil Patrick Harris plays the title character who is trying to join a crime syndicate called the Evil League of Evil headed by Bad Horse. However, his big crimes get foiled by the egotistical Captain Hammer, played by Nathan Fillion. Things also get complicated for Dr. Horrible when he meets Penny, played by Felicia Day, who is a very idealistic young girl wanting to help the homeless and he really likes but does not know how to say it. She starts dating Captain Hammer when she believes he saved his life. This was just so much fun and have some really good songs and very significant being something cleverly put out during the writer's strike.

Ed Wood (1994): This is my favorite Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration where Depp plays the title character who was a director in the 50s and is regarded as the "Worst Director of All Time". It shows his start in the film industry and meets a has-been Bela Legosi, played well by Martin Landau, who he befriends and includes in his movies. It also has great use of black and white to pay homage to the era. Some of Wood's hit bad films include PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, GLEN OR GLENDA, and BRIDE OF A MONSTER. It shows his struggles and his hard work to make the film good, but they were just so bad but quite funny. Depp was very good Ed Wood and this is a great homage to the movie scene in the era.

Enter the Dragon (1973): This is my favorite of Bruce Lee's films with most of them I am not crazy about but this one was done very well. He is a martial artist who agrees to go to an island ran by a recluse named Han who holds an international tournament. Han is also suspected of smuggling drugs. John Saxon co-stars as Roper who comes there as refuge being on the run from the mafia. The last focus comes onto Jim Kelly, no not that former Bills QB, but a black man named Williams who is constantly harassed by the police where he lives. This film showcases a lot of international talent like Bob Wall, Kieh Shih, Sammo Hung, and look for Jackie Chan as an extra. This is one that set a few standards for martial arts films in the future. This is actually an American film so if the other martial arts films listed here cannot be watched because you do not like subtitles, this is in English.

Evil Dead 1, 2, and Army of Darkness (1981, 1987, and 1992): In other words, the Evil Dead Trilogy. The first one was really what made Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. Bruce plays the iconic Ash who along with some friends decide to go to vacation in a cabin only to find out that it is possessed with flesh-possessing demons. Bruce Campbell went pretty in-depth in his book IF CHINS COULD KILL of the very difficult task this was to finish, and just to get out to the public but their hard work really paid off. In the second one, it is very similar to the first except that Ash has learned a lot and is not as fearful as he is in the first one. In some ways this is more of a remake or maybe re-imagining. In ARMY OF DARKNESS, Ash is transported to 1300 A.D. which is full of zombies so he must do what he must to get back to the modern era. This is a great horror/comedy series which has lived on through pop-culture. They now have a musical. At one point Muncie Civic Theater was going to do it but lost their rights which made my dreams go up in smoke. Hopefully, one day they will do it.

Excalibur (1981): This is an adaptation of the Arthurian legend that has received a lot of mixed opinions. It is likely the darkest version of all time but maybe the more realistic. Nicol Williamson plays Merlin who is a lot meaner than we are used to but Merlin is half-devil. He then becomes the mentor to Arthur who is able to pull the sword out of the stone. He then marries Guinevere and forms a Knights of the Round Table. Helen Mirren plays Arthur's conniving sister Morgana who sires a very evil son named Mordred. There is a lot of very disturbing imagery but I think well done. The highlight for me was Nicolas Clay who plays Lancelot and complicates Arthur's marriage. Nigel Terry plays Arthur in this film. Also look for early roles in Gabriel Byrne, Patrick Stewart, and Liam Neeson. It also has a pretty cool music score.

The Exorcist (1973): This is my favorite in the horror genre. Linda Blair plays Regan who has started acting rather strange putting concern into her mother. Jason Miller plays Father Karras who is questioning if he is meant to be a priest but then is called up when learning that Regan is possessed by evil. I remember first seeing this on a special run in the theaters which was great to watch on the big screen. This is not something for everyone but was a well written horror film. William Friedkin directed this film where the demon and the priest go at it in full force.

Falling Down (1993): This was always one of my favorites growing up. Michael Douglas stars in this film as Bill who gets stuck in traffic and abandons his car becoming very frustrated with society which he reacts very violently to things. It starts where he goes to a convenience store run by a Korean man but does not like his high-prices so he destroys his store. That was just the start of many things. Robert Duvall plays Predergast, a cop assigned to this case and is nearing an early retirement that his wife seems to be the one who wants it. Barbara Hershey plays Bill's estranged wife who has a restraining order on him but knows he is out looking for his daughter. This was a pretty dark comedy and one I have just always enjoyed. It also has quite the all-star cast.

Fargo (1996): This is my favorite of the Coen Brothers. It is a rather complex story where William H. Macy plays car salesman Jerry Lundegaard who really needs some money and has a strange scheme seeking it. His father-in-law owns the place he works at and has a lot of money. He then arranges for two criminals, played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare, to kidnap is wife so that his father pays the ransom and then he gets half the ransom. Things don't quite go as planned though when the criminals compromise things through their own stupidity like kidnapping someone without license plates. The highlight of the film is of Frances McDormand who plays the pregnant sheriff Marge Gunderson. Look for Bruce Campbell who is on a tv when he was on the soap opera GENERATIONS. Macy was also very good, becoming a more sought-after character actor.

A Few Good Men (1992): Rob Reiner directed this adaptation to the Aaron Sorkin play which is based on a true story. Tom Cruise plays Daniel Kaffee who is a slacker Navy attorney who just always does plea bargains intending to do the same thing with this one. He is then appointed to defend two marines accused of murdering a colleague. He is then joined by Lt. Cmr. Galloway, played by Demi Moore, who is reluctant to join him on account of his reputation. Kaffee then sees that he has quite a case when investigating Col. Jessup, played very well by Jack Nicholson, who seems to have a lot to hide. I had the honor of being in this play which was a great experience. This is actually based on a Code Red in the Marines of a marine named David Cox and nine others severely beat another marine. Cox was acquitted and honorably discharged but was then murdered which is a murder that has not been solved. This was a great military courtroom drama but not sure if you can handle the truth.

The Fisher King (1991): This is likely my favorite of Terry Gilliam who directed this movie. Jeff Bridges plays shock jock radio dj Jack who inadvertently causes a tragedy making him live a little more reclusively and with regret. He then meets a strange homeless man named Perry, played by Robin Williams, who is out for the Holy Grail. Jack soon learns that Perry was once married and his wife was part of the tragedy that he inadvertently caused making him search for redemption by helping Perry in his search for the so called Holy Grail. Amanda Plummer plays Lydia who becomes Perry's love interest. This is a great character study with good performances from the leads.

Gladiator (2000): This is one of those that I have watched many times which takes place during the Roman Empire during the rule of an aging Marcus Aurelius, played by Richard Harris. Russell Crowe stars as the fictional Roman general Maximus who is loved by his people and by Marcus Aurelius who wants Maximus to be heir over his son Commodus. This does not sit well with Commedus when his father dies as he has Maximus' wife and son killed where Maximus is captured into slavery and becomes a gladiator which sends him back to Rome.. Joaquin Phoenix plays Commedus very well. Russell Crowe is just in full force in this film and just keeps us engaged in the action and see his family in the afterlife. I also liked Connie Nielson as Lucilla which is the daughter of Marcus who is also struggling to keep her son safe with her brother's rule. Ridley Scott directed this one.

The Godfather Trilogy (1972, 1973, and 1990): This is one of those that I am just going to include the whole trilogy and yes I put part three. In 1972, Francis Ford Coppola found a great book written by Mario Puzo and decided to make that into a screenplay. It is a great mafia story but if what you are expecting is a lot of killing, this is not it. Sure there are many murders but there is also focus on the Corleone family. Don Vito Corleone, played very well by Marlon Brando, is the patriarch of the family and a very respected man. We also get star-making performances from a young Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton. Pacino plays Michael Corleone, who is a WW2 hero coming home for his sister's wedding. He has tried to stay out of the business but finds that is not easy to do. James Caan is Sonny Corleone and the oldest of the Corleone family who has a tendency to fly over the handle. Robert Duvall is Tom Hagan, the Corleone family attorney and Don Corleone's foster son. The main story on this one is that Virgil Sollozzo, played by Al Lettieri, wants to bring the drug trade to each of the five families which is declined by Don Corleone feeling that while drugs make money, they can bring a lot of trouble in the long run. I also feel that this story got it right as I feel that has been the big decline in the mafia through the years. Coppola also had to fight with the producers to get the people he wanted. Pacino was very unknown at the time and the producers wanted someone like Robert Redford to play the part but Coppola liked Pacino in his earlier performance in THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK. We have many iconic scenes like the horse's head, "Luca Brasi swims with fishes", the restaurant scene with Michael, and many others. This is a great mafia drama which would result in what many people considered a better sequel in part two. In this one, Pacino has become Don Corleone and decides to expand his family out to Vegas so we see his family's adjustment. There are also some really good flashback scenes where Robert De Niro plays a young Vito Corleone where we see his rise. De Niro was great in that part. The main part of the modern storyline was that Michael's house was viciously attacked and is looking to find who was in on the hit. Still many beautiful elements mixed with some graphic killings. Many years later in 1990 we get treated to the one with more mixed views with was part three. I have come to view that as "misunderstood". For me parts 1 and 2 get 4 out of four stars and part 3 gets 3 our of 4 stars. This takes place many years after part 3 where Al Pacino plays an aging Don Corleone who believes he has gone legit like what he has always wanted but find that is not easy to do. Andy Garcia co-stars as Vincent who is the son of Sonny Corleone and clearly takes after his father with his fiery temper. One of the biggest criticisms was of Sofia Coppola who plays Michael's daughter and just did not have the experience for that part. I am glad she decided to follow in he father's footsteps to become a director and has done some pretty good things in that field. We also see more vulnerability come with Don Corleone and his age but Pacino still does some great things making it watchable for me. It is better than many other part threes in my opinion. There is also some interesting scenes of the corruption within the Vatican in Italy. Looking at the trilogy as a whole, I have many friends who dismiss it as "long and boring". Yes, they are quite of length and there are many moments where there is conflict in the family and there are family issues where they don't kill people in every minute. There is some great scenes of dialogue and many great actors of old and new so it is meant to be conveyed as more of a drama, maybe a family drama.

Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah (2001): Yes, I'm using this Japanese film from Toho studios where Godzilla has waken and is out to destroy Japan but the government do not believe that it is a big deal. However, to stop Godzilla, we have Mothra, King Ghidora, and a monster called Baragon who all look to stop the radioactive monster. I remember seeing this on On-Demand and I have seen a few of these this was what I felt was the best one done in the series and I have seen that some fans of these films agree. It panders more to adults and has some very good action. No, it does not have CGI but they make the most of what they have. This is the first movie where King Ghidorah is on the good side. If you can get a hold of this one, you might actually like it.

Goodfellas (1990): This is Martin Scorsese's mafia film which is based on the novel WISE GUY by Nicolas Pileggi. Ray Liotta stars as Henry Hill who always admired the gangster lifestyle as a kid and cannot be a full-time member because he is not full Italian. Robert De Niro stars as his mentor Jimmy Conway and Joe Pesci plays the fiery Tommy Devito. Together they take part in many robberies but it gets bad when Jimmy and Tommy start killing people. This was a very authentic gangster picture and even having real-life gangsters including Hill himself on hand. Liotta was great as Henry Hill.

Gran Torino (2008): I did not know what this would be like. I heard all about how great it was so I finally got to watching it to see if it deserved so much praise and I did not leave disappointed. Clint Eastwood directed and stars as disgruntled Korean War vet Walt who does not get along with his kids or neighbors. His neighborhood is changing and witnesses a lot of mischief and gang activity. He then catches a Hmong boy named Thao, played well by Bee Vang, who lives next-door trying to steal his prized car of the same title. Seeing that he was put up to it, he decides to help him and do whatever he can to keep him out of the gangs. Through interactions with him, he slowly forms a friendship with the neighbors and learns a little more about life. Like AMERICAN HISTORY X, this looks at each side of racism including rival gang activity between the Koreans and Mexicans which is pretty realistic. Descriptions of the film bill Walt as a bigot which I did not really find true. He is bigoted towards the crime and gang activity he sees. He saw that Bee was not a bad kid and helped him. This movie sure lived up to the hype and had a great ending.

Hard Candy (2005): This is my Ellen Page selection for this blog where she plays a 14 year old girl named Hayley meeting a 32 year old man, played by Patrick Wilson. He decides to take her to his apartment but she turns the tables on him believing he is a pedophile and taking him hostage in his own apartment to get him to confess to what he has done. The majority of the film took place in the apartment with a bit part from Sandra Oh but otherwise it was these two characters that had to keep it going and they did. Hayley is very determined to get him to confess she resorts to some pretty extreme measures of torture. It is a very suspenseful film with good performances.

Harvey (1950): I have always really liked James Stewart and I laughed so hard watching this comedy. He plays the very friendly Elwood P. Dowd who has a 6 foot invisible rabbit friend named Harvey who is his very dear friend. His sister Veta, played by Josephine Hull, and niece Myrtle, played by Victoria Horne try to have him committed to an insane asylum for what they believe are hallucinations but ends up getting herself committed instead. James Stewart was great as Elwood and you really believe that he has this rabbit friend. He also has a great monologue explaining how Harvey has made his life so much better. I sometimes use a monologue by the taxi driver near the end for my auditions. I think we should all have a friend like Harvey in our lives.

Heat (1995): This is the historical on-screen encounter between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino directed by Michael Mann. Al Pacino plays Lt. Vincent Hanna who is on the trail of a group that had a botched bank robbery. Robert De Niro plays the head of the group Neil McCauley who is planning one more robbery after the botched one due to one of their members flying off the handle. This film focuses on the lives of these two people and in many ways the only way they differ is the side of the law that they are on. Ashley Judd, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Natalie Portman, and many others co-star. There is a really good scene between Neil and Vincent where they have a cup of coffee at a cafe discussing their difficult lives. This also has a great climatic showdown.

House of Flying Daggers (2004): This is my favorite martial arts film of this particular genre of martial arts which is more fantasy martial arts. Ziyi Zhang stars as blind dancer Mei in the Tang Dynasty of China who is believed to be part of a rebel group of the title. Zhang Yimou directed this martial arts epic which really becomes a beautiful love story mixed with lots of martial art fighting with awesome cinematography. Two officers named Leo and Jin look to use Mei to bring down the group but end up falling in love making things very complicated.

In America (2002): A lot of you are probably noticing that I really like a good, independent drama. Jim Sheridan directs this film where an Irish immigrant family really struggles to make it in New York. Paddy Consadine plays Paddy who is an aspiring actor struggling to get a part. Samantha Morton is his wife Sarah who does what she can to pay for the apartment. Sarah and Emma Bolger play their daughters Christy and Ariel. The story is really told from Christy's eyes where this family has struggled lot and experienced the loss of the girls' brother and the parents' son where each person deals differently. The girls also find an unexpected friend in their unusual neighbor Mateo, played by Djimou Hounsou. This is a great show of a struggling family sticking together and my favorite of that year.

Indiana Jones Trilogy (1981, 1984, and 1989): I went ahead and just included these three. I have not seen the recent fourth one. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is where we meet our friend Indiana Jones, a character played by Harrison Ford, who is a very adventurous archaeologist which gets him into many dangerous situations. Here, he must find an artifact called the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis find it. Karen Allen plays Marion who knows Indiana pretty well and accompanies him on his adventure. She is the biggest reason I may watch the fourth one. I like her a lot and hate she did not have a much bigger career. The next one is TEMPLE OF DOOM which is actually a prequel to the first one where Indy is asked to find a mystical stone and stumbles on a very strange cult with a terrible plan. Kate Capshaw co-stars in this one as Willie who is a night-club singer. Also with Indiana is a resourceful Asian child named Short Round. This one was not nearly as good but had some good moments like the climax on the bridge. There were some pretty gross-out gags though. The last one is called LAST CRUSADE which should have remained that way where we meet Indiana's father Henry, played by Sean Connery. We find that Indiana takes after his father quite a bit and then he sets out to look for his father who goes missing in his pursuit for the Holy Grail. He then joins his estranged father to pursue the Holy Grail but has more problems with Nazis. River Phoenix plays a young Indiana Jones in the beginning of the film. Connery is very good as his father and we then learn more about Indiana Jones through this one. Steven Spielberg directed this trilogy which was written by George Lucas with an iconic score from John Williams as well as a pop culture icon in Indiana Jones.

Iron Man (2008): This is the second of my superhero selections both being in the same year but unfortunately having to be a bit overshadowed by THE DARK KNIGHT. This character is really kind of Marvel's answer to Batman where we have Tony Stark who like Bruce Wayne is quite the playboy and a bit of a prick but do what they can to fight evil. Like Batman, Tony Stark uses his intelligence to create Iron Man. Tony Stark owns a weapons company called Stark Industries meant to supply the U.S. army with his partner Obediah Stone, played by a very creepy looking Jeff Bridges. In Afghanistan, Tony is captured by terrorists and must make an armored suit in order to escape. He then learns that Obediah has been double-dealing the weapons to the terrorists. He then decides to progress his creation in order to fight evil and becomes Iron Man. This is really more of a story of Tony working non-stop to create this perfect outfit where we are with him through all of his struggles to complete what he wants. Robert Downey Jr. is just perfect for this part and in my opinion has the best acting of all the superhero films. Gwyneth Paltrow is good as Stark's assistant Pepper Parks. Jeff Bridges is also very good as the traitorous Obediah Stone who goes onto complete his own outfit to destroy Tony Stark. In 2010, they released the sequel which I liked but not as much as this one. Jon Favreau directed this one and did a very good job.

Iron Monkey (1993): This is my martial arts film from Donnie Yen who plays Wong Kei-Ying who is the father of the much featured Hong Kong folk hero Wong Fei-Hung who is a child in this one. Rongguang Yu plays the title character who is a Robin Hood-type who is fighting the corrupt governement. Wong Kei-Ying is forced to finding Iron Monkey by the government but begins to see that he shares his values and teams up with the Iron Monkey. Sze-Man Tsang played Wong Fei-Hung as a child and showed some very good martial arts skills. I had no idea until now that she is a girl but passed very well. This one is quite a martial arts classic followed by a not-so-good sequel.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946): This is likely my favorite Christmas film and one I have been watching for years and never tire of it where I probably find different things each time I watch it. This is a Frank Capra film. James Stewart stars as George Bailey, a small-town boy from a town called Bedford Falls who we meet as a kid and we see him grow into a pretty good man. Through the years he marries, he has three good children but things get very overwhelming when dealing with the town crook Mr. Potter, played by Lionel Barrymore, who is trying to take over the town of Bedford Falls but cannot get a small bank which George's father founded. Lots of things happen which drive George to the edge sending a second-class angel named Clarence, played by Henry Travers in his best performance in his great career as a character actor, who must show that George has what the title implies and shows things that would have happened if he had not been born. Look for Carl Switzer who is most known as Alfalfa in THE LITTLE RASCALS in a small part during the reunion scene. There are also a couple characters named Bert and Ernie who hang out a lot where there is a lot of debate whether that is where the SESAME STREET characters. It shows that we really should not take little things for granted because they can become big things as George learns in his glimpse.

JCVD (2008): This one really surprised me. I saw this DVD when I was walking through Wal-Mart and seeing a picture of Jean-Claude Van Damme, I was just about to dismiss this until I read into a bit and found this might actually me quite good so I went ahead and purchased it. Van Damme plays himself where he has returned to France and is now having a lot of struggles. He is a has-been actor who lost a part to Seagal, he is having a lot of tax problems, and is in a legal battle for custody of his daughter. However, he must forget those things when he is in a hostage situation they make it look like he is leading it which he must make it look that way to keep the hostages alive while relying on his fight skills to try getting out of it. This is Van Damme's best movie and a very clever idea from a guy named Mabrouk El Mechri who actually directed it. There is also a really good monologue from JCVD reflecting on his career and as people in the wrestling business call it a shoot like my friend Jake pointed out.

Johnny Got His Gun (1971): This film was the basis for the Metallica song ONE and is a great anti-war film. Timothy Bottoms stars as Joe who is hit by a mortar shell during WW1 and suffers the worst fate and no it is not death. He loses his arms, legs, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose but no one takes into account that he still has his mind. He then lives through flashbacks and strange dreams while finally finding a way to communicate with the people in the hospital. There is also a very interesting scene where he speaks to Jesus who is played by Donald Sutherland. This is one of those films that show the horrors of war and the mistreatment of veterans. I was glued to the television from start to finish. There is also a 2008 version which I have not seen but have heard good things upon.

Kill Bill (2003 and 2004): I just went ahead and put both volumes on this one. This is Quentin Tarantino's dream film where he pays homage to the classic martial arts, samarai, western, even anime a little bit. Uma Thurman stars as The Bride who was an assassin in the Deadly Viper Association and decides to leave when she gets married. This did not sit well with Bill, played by David Carradine, who along with the others kill her husband and leave the bride for dead. They succeeded with her husband but only put her in a coma. When getting out of the coma, she decides to take her revenge. The others in the group are Vivica A. Fox, Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen, and Daryl Hannah. In part one, she starts out with a very good fight in the home with Vivica Fox. It's the fight with Lucy Liu that was the best though where she has become the head of the Yakuza and the Bride must fight many others before getting to her. There was a really cool animation sequence on Liu's character when she was a child. Part of this too was like a live-action Anime film where there is a lot of purposely exaggerated violence, among other things. Many of the henchman are wearing Kato masks that Bruce Lee wore in GREEN HORNET. Also, Uma's yellow suit is a replica of what Bruce Lee wore in his last film GAME OF DEATH. In the second volume, they take the action down a bit where it is really more drama when pursuing the rest of the people leaving her for dead. This one was more of a western. In this one, we see flashbacks of how she learns the skills that she learns from Pai Mei, played by Gordon Liu, and in the other scenes she puts what she learns to use leading into the final confrontation with Bill. Tarantino is very good about giving comeback roles to people like in this one he has David Carradine and even Daryl Hannah. Also we have Sonny Chiba who is the Japanese martial arts legend in the 70s, I guess the Japan's answer to Bruce Lee. I am hearing information that in 2014, we will have a part three, possibly with Vernita's (Vivica Fox) daughter seeking revenge on the Bride.

The Killer (1989): This is another of my John Woo/Chow Yun-Fat collaborations where Chow plays a conflicted hitman who when on a job, accidentally blinds a female singer at a bar. He decides to take one more job so that he can get the money necessary for a surgical procedure to get her site back. Things happen where his employers betray him and must do whatever possible to survive. He then teams up with a cop named Li Ying in order to take them down. They soon form a friendship trying to take this group down. These have always been my favorite action films where Woo turns it into an art and adds beauty around the violence.

King Kong (2005): Yes, this is the Peter Jackson version I am speaking of and make no mistake I like the 1933 version but this one for me went just a step higher. Did the movie need to be over three hours? No, probably not and at first I wondered if I was even going to like it but what did it for me was the relationship between King Kong and Ann Darrow. In both the 1933 and 1976 version, Ann Darrow is very resistant of the big ape who saves her from a very savage tribe. In this one, she is once again saved by him and while she first fears him due to the fear of the unknown but then she realizes that he saved her life and befriends Kong. Jack Black plays Carl Denham who is an over-ambitious movie producer who decides to do a movie on this island hiring Ann Darrow as one of the actresses. There were just so many little things that went a long way for me including a scene where she is sitting on Kong's paw and they are both just looking out at the world. Another trademark for the Kong films is that the crew captures Kong to take him to New York and exploit him. He is soon driven to the edge and escapes and in this one Ann just gives herself to him. Naomi Watts was very good as Ann Darrow in this movie.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007): This was a great documentary of two men pursuing the national record in Donkey Kong. In the 80s, classic video game legend Billy Mitchell set a record for this game. Steve Wiebe is a teacher who when unemployed bought the arcade game for his home in hopes to break the record. When Wiebe breaks his record in an annual tournament, Mitchell sends a controversial tape of setting a new record. Steve then goes to Florida to call out Billy Mitchell to compete for the Guinness Book of World Records. I love watching films where people are so dedicated to something that I deem insignificant and this was a very entertaining documentary on these guys.

Lars and the Real Girl (2007): This was one I was very surprised by. Ryan Gosling plays the title character who is a shy, young man in a small town. He then announces he has a girlfriend which turns out to be a sex doll that he ordered. Sex was not what he had in mind but more of a deep, meaningful relationship. His brother-in-law and sister become concerned but see that he is happy so they support him and his girl becomes another person in the community because of what he feels. There is not much more to say but this did turn out to be a very good love story. This is the type of plot that could have really gone wrong but it was done so well where you really care about Lars and his girl.

The Last Samurai (2003): This is my favorite Tom Cruise film and when I first saw this poster, I did not like this idea but I found I was absolutely wrong. This is a movie that takes place in the post American Civil War world where our favorite scientologist plays bitter and cynical Civil War veteran Nathan Algren. He is then brought to Japan to train a group of Japanese soldiers against a Samurai clan in Japan's attempt to go to the more western values. In an attack that he leads, Nathan becomes wounded and is captured by the group. Ken Watanabe plays Katsumoto who is the head of the Samurai clan who spares Nathan. Nathan slowly begins to respect their culture and learning their ways. This has a similar plot line to both DANCES WITH WOLVES and the more recent AVATAR where a person is angry at their group and begins to like the ways better of the other side. This is a very beautiful film in my opinion and enjoyed the whole thing. I'm glad I watched a show about the history of the Samurai the night before I went to see this.

Leaving Las Vegas (1995): This is one of two Nicolas Cage films I am featuring on this one. Mike Figgis directs this movie which stars Cage as Ben who was a Hollywood screenwriter who has lost his job, his family and many other things because of his drinking. He then goes into Vegas intending to drink himself to death. He then meets a prostitute named Sera, played by Elizabeth Shue, who form an unusual relationship. They agree to see each other but she must agree not to stop him from killing himself and he must not question her profession. Julian Sands co-stars as Sera's pimp Yuri. This is a pretty depressing film but I also found it to be quite compelling Cage did a good job in this one. There are some pretty graphic scenes where it is not for everyone but an interesting film emphasizing acceptance.

Leon: The Professional (1994): This is also one that has stood out in my mind and made me a fan of Jean Reno. Luc Besson directed this film which stars Natalie Portman, in her film debut, as Mathilda whose father has some dirty dealings with some corrupt DEA agents where her father and the rest of her family is murdered. The only killing that really upsets her is the one of her younger brother. When escaping, a man named who lives in an apartment down the hall reluctantly takes her in to protect her. She then sees that Leon is a rather unusual man with the job of a "cleaner". When she sees this, she asks him to help avenge the murder of her little brother and even train her to do what he does for a living. They soon form an adult/child friendship and becomes a bit of a father figure to her and he for the first time experiences life while helping her take revenge on Norman Stansfield, played by Gary Oldman. This movie was actually made in France and the first copy released in the United States had some pretty heavy editing. I then found a dvd which gives about an additional 20 minutes which really make sense of some plotholes you might find in the first copy. Portman and Reno work so well together and Jean Reno was great as a conscientious professional killer who finally learns how to live through a young girl. Portman also made a great debut starting quite a career. The DVD that I have is the International Cut.

Life is Beautiful (1997): This is my Italian film where much of America including myself first got to know the funny Roberto Benigni who wrote, directed, and stars as Guido. Guido is a very funny man who meets the love of his life Dora, played by his real-life wife Nicoletta Braschi, where they then have a son. Guido's world begins to change however when they are all put in Nazi concentration camps where he stays with his son but Dora is separated from him. In camp, Guido does whatever he can to ease his fears by making him believe it is a big game where the winner gets a big tank. Make no mistake, this is not a holocaust comedy. This is a drama during the horrible Nazi rule where a father uses comedy so that his son is not scared. This was such a well done film on that era and Benigni won quite a bit of rewards including the great Oscar moment where he walks on the top of the chairs to get to the stage.

Lolita (1962 and 1997): I decided to promote both on this one because I think they are both very good and each one has its qualities. This is based on a novel by Vladimir Nabokov so I'll just explain the story first. We have a professor and writer named Humbert Humbert, yes same first and last name, who rents a room in a home lead by Charlotte Hayes and her 14 year old daughter Delores which is the character the title references. Humbert forms a liking to the daughter so to get closer to her, he marries Charlotte. Humbert must always compete with Clare Quilty who has his own devious intentions towards Delores. The first one was directed by Stanley Kubrick and the second one is directed by Adrian Lyne and I thought they both did a very good job. The part of Humbert was played by James Mason in the first one and Jeremy Irons in the remake. Again, I did not see any superiority towards their performances. With the part of Delores "Lolita" Hayes, the first one was with Sue Lyon and the second one was Dominique Swain. I actually liked Swain just a little bit better but Sue Lyon was also very good in her film debut. Charlotte is not a very big part but very important where we have Shelley Winters and Melanie Griffith. I must say that Shelley wins on that one. The last main character is the very strange Clare Quilty who is played first by Peter Sellers and the remake but Frank Langella. Peter really wins this one, he was just great in this. Langella was okay but who can match a part perfect for Peter Sellers. As I have pointed out, I can't really say which one I like better. It's very interesting where we have these two guys in Humbert and Quilty who both have obsessions with this 14 year old girl for different reasons. One thing I liked about the remake was a short backstory on Humbert explaining his obsession he would take to Delores. I'm sure both films garnered controversy but with the remake, with today's standards, people really tried to take it down. I had even hear some refer to the remake as "soft-core porn" which is so far from the truth. No, it's not ideal film to watch with the family but two very well-made adult-oriented films.

Monster's Ball (2001): This took me a couple viewings. The first one was like "okay, not bad", then I revisited it later and I really liked this. Billy Bob Thornton stars as Hank, who lives with his racist father, played very well by Peter Boyle in a different part, and has a son, played by Heath Ledger, who he has a rough relationship. Halle Berry plays Letitia whose husband is killed on death row where Hank was the executioner. They meet, not knowing the involvement in that person's life for each other. They both experience bouts of family tragedy and come together to ease each other's pain. I did not really consider it love, nor really lust, they were just all each other had. To me, it was the ultimate love story.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and the Meaning of Life (1975, 1979, and 1983): I decided to go ahead and just put these together. These consist of the great comedy troupe which includes Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. In HOLY GRAIL, King Arthur leads his knights in pursuit of the Holy Grail but come up against some pretty funny obstacles but a very well-researched film on the Arthurian legend. The next one is LIFE OF BRIAN where Brian is mistaken as the messiah instead of Jesus garnering a lot of followers but people against him. This one is really my favorite which is a satire on biblical films which teaches us to look on the bright side of life. In their last film MEANING OF LIFE, this one got a little bit more mixed opinions. This one featured many different sketches which talk about life. Some of them work and some just do not. The most memorable whether you like it or not is Terry Jones as Mr. Creosote. We also have THE SPERM SONG which was hilarious. There is also a great beginning scene directed by Terry Gilliam called THE CRIMSON PERMANENT ASSURANCE. All these have some pretty politically incorrect humor and must appreciate this kind of humor to really like it and they might require another viewing with a group that will absolutely go down in history.

Moulin Rouge! (2001): Baz Luhrman directed this love story and another one that just really sticks to me. Ewan McGregor stars in 1899 Paris as an American poet named Christian who joins a Bohemian group and looks for love. In his frequenting of the Moulin Rouge, he meets Satine, played by Nicole Kidman, a dancer at the Moulin Rouge who forms a relationship with Christian even falling in love but must compete with the Duke which puts Christian's life in danger. In the club, there was a lot of 20th century music which was worked in and done very well like Elton John's YOUR SONG, Queen's THE SHOW MUST GO ON, Madonna's LIKE A VIRGIN, Nirvana's SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT, and many others along with a few original songs. Jim Broadbent was also very good as Harold Zidler. It's very interesting that whenever I show this movie to people, they guess right away that Zidler is the villain of it because of his flamboyancy and running a rather sleazy club though he was not really the villain as he always had Christian and Satine's best interests in mind. McGregor and Kidman worked so well together in a musical and love story that many people I know who don't like musicals and love stories really liked. It became one of my favorite movies the first time I watched it.

Network (1976): Sidney Lumet directed what was then satire but now not as far-fetched. Peter Finch plays the iconic Howard Beale who is an anchor on the news who has gone off the deep end and due to his ratings, he is being fired. He goes off on a cynical rant on national tv which garners all kinds of ratings so then the network does what they can to get their ratings even if it means to exploit him. Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall, Ned Beatty, among others co-star. This movie was way ahead of its time and when you are done reading this paragraph, I want to you open a window and shout "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to it anymore".

90s Disney (The Lion King, Aladdin, Mulan, Pocahantas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Beauty and the Beast): I decided to just put this as one entry as this is really my favorite Disney period. With THE LION KING, we meet the lion cub Simba who has a very mean uncle named Scar who sets off a plot to kill the king of the lions Mufasa where it is made Simba to believe he did it so he runs away soon to meet Timon and Pumbaa and learn Hakuna Matata which means no worries. When grown up, he soon goes back to confront Scar and end his rule. This may be a little disturbing for younger children with the climatic battle between the lions and hyenas. This was also turned into a big Broadway musical with phenomenal costuming and music. In ALADDIN, Disney treats us to Robin Williams as the Genie who is made master through a street urchin of the title name. Aladdin then meets Princess Jasmine who was going undercover to get away from the overwhelming duties of being a princess. Aladdin this wishes to be a prince for the possibility of becoming a prince but must deal with the evil Jafar. This has the famous song A WHOLE NEW WORLD. MULAN is Disney's film on Chinese folklore where Mulan is a maiden whose father is being called to battle but is not healthy enough. She poses as a man to take his place and becomes quite a hero. Eddie Murphy is pretty funny as the voice of the dragon Mushu and Donny Osmond sings the vocals for Shang, Mulan's love interest, and if you think that Osmond is just some teen idol, think again as he shows his music talent in this one. In POCAHONTAS, Disney does their telling of the beautiful, free spirited Native American girl whose land is being invaded by English colonists in the 17th Century. She then becomes friends with John Smith, voiced by Mel Gibson, and they try to avoid an all-out war being lead by General Ratcliff. Many people discuss the historical inaccuracies of this film which I'm sure there are many but as far as her marrying John Rolfe, this is not the time period that she meets him. What I liked on this Disney movie was showing the price of hatred. There is also a very interesting song called SAVAGES which is sung by both the white man towards the indian and the Indians towards the white man. In THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, Disney makes what is an already dark story into a family film for elementary age children. We first meet Quasimodo who is the title character and hidden as the bellringer from Frollo, a very mean government official who makes Quasimodo believe he is being hidden because he is an ugly person. Quasimodo soon meets a beautiful gypsy named Esmerelda and begins to learn that Frollo is not a very good man showing how inner beauty is what is most important. There are also some pretty good music numbers in this one. The last one to be featured is BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. This is the classic story given the Disney treatment. We meet a selfish prince who is cursed to be a beast and could only break the curse by learning to love and be loved in return with a time limit. There are others in the castle who were cursed with him where they become things like a candle, clock, tea cup, mop, and wardrobe. Through the years, the beast knows nothing but contempt and finds a man taking refuge in his castle and imprisons him. His daughter Belle finds him there and trades her freedom for his. Through time, he is taught to love again and tries to better himself for her. The other big problem is the evil Gaston who learns of this beast and goes after him. I had the honor of playing Gaston's henchman Lefou which was one of my best parts. This story really seems to convey the fear of the unknown. In this one we have the great title song as well as Gaston's MOB SONG. I guess my thing mostly is the music numbers as well as stories that are for everyone and even have some adult moments. That is why I wanted to just include them all with a brief description.

Oliver! (1968): This is my favorite of the classic musicals. This was the musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic OLIVER TWIST. Mark Lester plays the title orphan whose life is changed when at the orphanage asking for more. He is then sold to a family lead by an undertaker but then escapes that abusive home. He soon meets the Artful Dodger who then gets him in with Fagin, played well by Ron Moody, who teaches Oliver the art of picking pockets. It is a great story with good musical numbers. I tried out for two different versions of this production this year not getting into either one of them. Oliver Reed plays the absolute psychotic Bill Sykes.

Once Upon a Time in China (1991): I consider this my favorite martial arts film. Jet Li plays Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-Hung in the 19th Century who runs a legendary martial arts school but is not liking the changes from the Western world. He must then compete with the local and foreign governments trying to keep in his own tradition. Jet Li is my favorite Hong Kong martial arts actor but I have a hard time sometimes with his American films. This one is really what does it for me as well as the sequels that were put out. I love the beginning theme song which gets played throughout the film during action scenes. This is a great one that did not have to use all the special effects that today's HK martial arts films uses though not a technique I dislike.

Ong-Bak (2003): This is my Thai martial-arts film which introduces us to Tony Jaa who plays Ting. In his village, a very important statue gets stolen where he sets out to get it back where we get to see the great fight skills of this man. Obviously, plot is not what would win over a film like this but the fights. He did some amazing things and trained in the fight style of Muay Borin which is the predecessor to Muay Thai. Jaa did his own stuntwork and did some very dangerous stunts where no wires were used for the fight scenes. This introduces us to a new breed of martial arts.

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928): This is the only silent film I have on here and of the ones I have seen, this is my favorite. I watched this one night at home on Tony's big screen tv and I was just mesmerized. Maybe if I watched it on some small screen I would not have had the same effect but this was just phenomenal. This actually takes plays during the trial of Joan of Arc that was put together through a few documents. This is actually a French film where Maria Falconetti plays Joan of Arc and was very good. Carl Theodore Dreyer directed this film which I just can't put into words how much surreal this was with things like the camera angles, camera shots and even the music that was put to the movie. I actually call this bizarre and surreal and it was one of the few silents that just absolutely kept my attention from beginning to end. There was also a very interesting scene where a mother was actually breast feeding.

The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996): Woody Harrelson plays the title publisher of the porn mag Hustler which was a person a bit ahead of his time. It starts with the start of the magazine and with the meeting of his wife, played by Courtney Love, and goes through all his controversial moments, arrests, and his crusade towards free speech. Harrelson was very good as Flynt and I have seen shows about him and the movie seemed pretty accurate. Much of his controversy was the degrading material in his magazine on evangelist Jerry Falwell who sues him for it and Flynt argues for his first amendment rights. I will say right now that I hate that magazine but that is my freedom to not look at it. The real Larry Flynt makes a cameo as one of the judges in court. Milos Forman directed this movie.

Phantom of the Paradise (1974): This is an awesome variation on PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. William Finley plays Leach whose music is stolen by crooked record producer Swan as well as a girl named Phoenix, played by Jessica Harper, who Leach befriended. Leach is determined to get revenge on Swan but becomes disfigured and then looks for other ways to exact revenge. This film has some great music numbers on it, I'm a bit concerned about this remake though.

Planet of the Apes (1968): Charlton Heston stars as Taylor, who with two other astronauts crash lands on a near distant future where they find that apes are the dominant species and that humans are enslaved. They are then captured and enslaved themselves and Taylor does what he can to escape. He makes friends with the nice apes Cornelius and Zera, played by Roddy McDowell and Kim Hunter, as well as the very beautiful Nova, played by Linda Harrison. On THE SIMPSONS, they managed to make this into a musical with Troy McClure as Taylor. I guess this genre is sci-fi but are we really sure? Is this what the author of the novel Pierre Boulee predicted. This movie spawned a few sequels, one or two tv series and a Tim Burton remake. Roddy McDowell became an absolute icon after this one.

The Producers (1968): This is my favorite Mel Brooks film. Zero Mostel stars as struggling theater producer Max Bialystock. He then meets Leo Bloom, played by Gene Wilder, who is an accountant and looking over his books. They then stumble upon a scam to make more money by producing a flop. They find a musical called SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER which they are sure will offend everyone and make them want to walk out but instead it turns out to be a big success which is not good for them in this situation. This was made into a musical, one I would love to be in someday. This is what starts it all for people like Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. There were some very funny moments in this great comedy.

Psycho (1960): "The Master of Suspense" Alfred Hitchcock directed this one which stars Anthony Perkins in his iconic role of Norman Bates which was unfortunately the only movie most really remember him from even though he has done quite a bit of good things. Norman runs the Bates Motel where we first meet Marion Crane, played by Janet Leigh, who is on the run for embezzlement and takes refuge in his hotel leading into the very famous shower scene. Norman also has a lot of problems with his mother, something parodied a lot including with Mr. Skinner in THE SIMPSONS. This was followed by a few sequels with part two being decent, not sure about the others. Gus Van Zant also had delusions of doing a remake which flopped big time. No one can match this classic or Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates.

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002): This takes place in 1931 Western Australia where three Aboriginal girls are taken from their home by the government to learn more western ways. They are taken far away from their home to a school "to save them from themselves". The girls then promptly escape and go on a long trek home evading their pursuers in every way possible. Kenneth Branaugh plays the Chief Protector of the Aborigines A.O. Neville who thinks he is doing the right thing to teach a different culture about his feeling his is the right one but clouds his judgment a lot. This is a very beautiful and sad independent film which is actually based a true story that I want to put on the radar. The icing on the cake for me is Peter Gabriel's great music score showing his many talents.

Red Rock West (1993): This is actually my favorite Nicolas Cage film. He plays a drifter named Michael Williams who is out looking for work and comes into a small town where a corrupt sheriff named Wayne, played by J.T. Walsh, mistakes him for the hit-man that he has hired to kill his wife. Lara Flynn Boyle plays this wife of the sheriff named Suzanne. Michael is nice enough to let her know that he was paid to kill her but then she doubles the money to kill her husband. In real-life if that happens, one would just leave town but then we would not have any movie. Things then really get worse when the real hit-man, played by Dennis Hopper, comes into town. This was pretty unrealistic but a rather compelling story and these are the Nicolas Cage films I like most, the ones that are not known.

Rent (2005): This is a movie which I can watch a lot and the music just always stays in me. This is a Pulitzer and Tony-award winning musical that takes place in New York during the AIDS crisis and focuses on six friends during some very hard times. Christopher Columbus directed this musical which actually retained most of the actors from the musical except Rosario Dawson and Tracie Thomas but she would go onto play the part on the final run of Broadway. Anthony Rapp plays Mark who is a struggling filmmaker and Adam Pascal plays Roger who is trying to write that one hit song but struggles in his poor conditions. Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Wilson Heredia, and Taye Diggs also co-star. I remember Fishers, IN doing the first community theater run in Indiana and I really wanted to do it but did not get the part. There are lots of catchy tunes in this musical which is in some ways more of a rock musical.

Reservoir Dogs (1992): This is the feature film debut for Quentin Tarantino and the one that will always remain my favorite. Lawrence Tierney plays Joe Cabot who has theoretically organized the perfect crime. He gets together six criminals, each of whom know nothing about each other, to pull off a jewelry heist. He does not want them giving personal information about each other. Things get ugly though when the heist goes awry and they find that one of them is an undercover cop. Each have their own color names like Mr. White, Mr. Pink, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Blue. Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Eddie Bunker, and Quentin Tarantino are the criminals. Chris Penn also co-stars as Joe's son Nice Guy Eddie. The beginning of the movie takes you right away where where hear Quentin Tarantino's theory of what Madonna's LIKE A VIRGIN is about. We also have a great scene where Michael Madsen is torturing a cop while singing STUCK IN THE MIDDLE. Now that I am thinking about this, I think I must be pretty sick being amused by that kind of scene, see also what I had to say on A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. This is the start of many of Tarantino's great scenes of dialogue. Like his next film PULP FICTION, this movie jumps around some so you must stick with it but you'll be rewarded in full in the end. This was actually inspired by a Hong Kong John Woo film called CITY ON FIRE which stars Chow Yun-Fat which is also quite good. A very clever modern heist film.

Rocky I, II, III, IV, and ROCKY BALBOA (1976, 1979, 1982, 1985, and 2006): Notice that I did not include ROCKY V which is the one I call "the Rocky that does not count and Rocky Balboa was the real part 5". I decided to use the series for this entry as I have always been a big fan of the series besides that misfire with part five. Sylvester Stallone was not a very known actor at this time and actually wrote the script to ROCKY. This was at a time when he was down and out in a real-life make or break situation. United Artists really liked the script but they did not want him to star in it as they wanted some bigger name like Robert Redford, James Caan, or Burt Reynolds. Stallone refused to sell it unless he could star in it so United Artists finally gave in but just got a smaller budget and would become a great decision. Most of us know this story, Sly plays the small-time Philadelphia boxer who never really caught a break and fights for pretty little money and is a loan shark on the side. He then gets his big shot when the publicity-hungry boxing champion Apollo Creed is in Philadelphia and learns his opponent backs out. He then decides that it would be great publicity to give a local fighter their big shot. When looking through the locals he sees and likes Rocky's nickname "Italian Stallion". Apollo then learns in the ring not to ever underestimate opponents. Talia Shire co-stars as Adrian who is very shy but Rocky never gives up on her. Burt Young plays the slob Pauly who is Rocky's friend and Adrian's tempered brother. Burgess Meredith is also great as Mick, Rocky's manager. In the second Rocky, Apollo Creed is getting tired of people believing that he should not have won the fight so he gives Rocky a rematch to prove that he is the champion where we continue our friendship with Rocky and his friends. He has since progressed his relationship with Adrian into marriage and she becomes pregnant. In the third one, Rocky is now on the rise as a champion but gets his biggest challenge in Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T, who we first see defeat Rocky. He is also dealing with the loss of his manager Mick where Carl Weathers reprises his role as Apollo Creed to help Rocky get his confidence back and defeat Clubber in a rematch. Hulk Hogan has an amusing cameo as wrestler Thunderlips which was pre-Hulkamania and Vince McMahon Sr. fired Hogan for doing this film and when Vince Jr. took over, he brought back Hogan giving birth to Hulkamania. In the fourth one, Apollo and Rocky are pretty much retired but then learn of a Russian fight named Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren, who is coming to the US. Apollo feels he must show him up but pays the ultimate price of death provoking Rocky to challenge Drago where the match takes place in Russia. This one has a great training montage where Drago is using all the technology at hand while Rocky just uses the materials that he has on hand at the small cabin he is staying at which I feel is one of the most well-done scenes of all time. This one played quite a part in helping the cold war between the US and Russia. In 2005, he decided to bring back this character which had many people questioning if it would work with his age and all but the story was done correctly which really made it into a very good sequel. In this one Rocky has had it pretty rough. Adrian dies of cancer and he has a difficult relationship with his son Rocky Jr. He then befriends the local Marie which is a character featured in the very first Rocky and is remembered for saying "screw you creepo". She is living a difficult life and is a single mother with a teenage son. Rocky also befriends the son and he has no other motivation except just having friends which I really liked in the storyline. On the other side, we have a champion named Mason "The Line" Dixon, played by real life boxer Antonio Tarver, who people question as the champion with the validity in his opponents. Soon, ESPN does one of those things where they debate who would have won in a fight between Balboa and Tarver which sparked interest in a lot of people including Dixon's PR guys who ask Rocky to fight an "exhibition" fight in Vegas. The fight ends up being much bigger than an exhibition and gives Dixon some competition which no one expected. This fight was very authentic as they had the fight on HBO and got the real people who work for them like the announcers, refs, etc. The big part of this however was differences in the way Rocky and Pauly deal with Adrian's death, Rocky's difficult relationship with his son and the friendship with Marie and her son. There is also a great scene where Rocky is trying to get his boxing license back because his original intentions were to just have a few local bouts not expecting to fight the champion in a very big match. I have heard that this is more of what Stallone wanted for ROCKY V but producers wanted that story instead so this in a sense makes up for that and brings certain closure to Rocky that he did not get in part five. Just please don't do part six. There is no reason to dismiss this one because of Stallone's age. We have so many great moments in these films like the great line "Yo Adrian!", Bill Conti's inspirational music score, the Rocky statue, you name it. It's the ultimate underdog story and can you imagine what it would have been like if Sly had given in and let them cast some other person in the part just because of their name value. Rocky Balboa = Sylvester Stallone and that is just all there is to it. This is something I would like to make into a Broadway musical so Mr. Stallone, if you are reading this please contact me.

Romeo and Juliet (1968): This would easily be my favorite Shakespeare film and really my favorite of his plays. Franco Zeffirelli directed this adaptation of the classic which stars Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey as the star-crossed lovers who are part of feuding families with Romeo with the Montagues and Juliet with the Capulets but they still cannot resist each other and fall in love. We also see the underrated Michael York as Tybalt, the most villainous character in the story but is really taught that and takes it a step further. In the middle of the film we hear a beautiful song called WHAT IS A YOUTH during a Capulet gather where the two first meet which was wrote by Nino Rota. The two stars worked very well together in the ultimate and original story that Shakespeare wrote of forbidden love. If you look closely you will see about a split second of Juliet's boob. I first saw this in high school and even then I really liked this and noticing people were pretty attentive, they did not notice it. This is considered by many as the best film adaptation which has stuck with me for a long time.

Ryan (2004): This is my only short film to make this because this has become my favorite short film. This is kind of like an animated interview where an animator named Chris Landreth, who also directed, interviews the real-life Ryan Larkin who did some pretty groundbreaking animated shorts in the 60s and 70s but then went into a downward spiral. It then goes into the life of Ryan Larkin where Chris is trying to get him to return to the scene. The animation is the very interesting part where each person has had their demons where part of their body is taken out I guess to symbolize their rough past.

Scarface (1983): Brian De Palma directed this rather violent film which stars Al Pacino as Cuban immigrant Tony Montana. Tony is out to make his way up to the top of the cartel but it never becomes enough. Steven Bauer plays his partner and friend Manny and Michelle Pfeiffer plays Elvira who forms a relationship with Tony. This movie is very violent, it is not for everyone. The F-word is said many times. I remember one time when I was in high school and I believe it was Christmas break I watched this and tried to tally up how many times the F-word was said and I just lost count. There is not much more I can think to say but it is a rather fun film with the dialogue and action. If you watch this the world is yours.

Sid and Nancy (1986): This is a film on the volatile relationship between Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, played to perfection by Gary Oldman, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon, played by Chloe Webb. This one goes into his time with the Sex Pistols and his attempt at a solo career where he had a very interesting version of the song MY WAY. It then documents the relationship between the two where they had a fight resulting in Nancy's death with murder charges being filed on Sid Vicious. This is a very depressing film to say the least but very well acted and likely accurate portrayals. A rock biopic that is not for everyone but Oldman was pretty much Sid Vicious in this movie.

Sin City (2005): This is the film based on the graphic novel from Frank Miller. This movie centers around multiple stories. Mickey Rourke co-stars as Marv, a big guy who was framed for the murder of Goldie and wants to find the killer because she was the only person ever nice to him. Bruce Willis plays Hartigan who looks to save a kidnapped girl and years later sees her all grown up. Clive Owen plays Dwight who must deal with a corrupt police force and teams with a group of amazon type girls. It's hard to really explain any more of this but the cinematography was great but then other movies used this format too much. Robert Rodriguez directed this film with a guest director spot with Tarantino.

The Sixth Sense (1999): This is my M. Night Shyamalan feature and one I feel he just has not topped. Haley Joel Osment plays Cole Sear who has the ability to communicate with dead people who are not aware they are dead. Bruce Willis plays a psychiatrist named Dr. Malcolm Crowe who has been through a lot who tries to help Cole through his visions. Toni Collette plays Cole's concerned mother which was really my introduction to her and turned into quite a fan of hers. Donnie Wahlberg also has a good, small part as a bitter patient of Dr. Crowe. This was a very well done thriller with good performances from the leads.

Sling Blade (1996): This is the movie where I got to know Billy Bob Thornton and this remains my favorite of his movies. Billy Bob wrote, directed, and stars in this film as Karl Childers. Karl is a man who has mental disabilities and is just about to be released from a mental hospital where he has been for a long time when killing his abusive mother and boyfriend as a child. He returns to the small town he has lived at to start a new life getting a job due to his gift of fixing things. In the process he meets a young boy named Frank, played well by Lucas Black, who he becomes good friends with in the town. Frank is having his own problems with his mom's fiery boyfriend Doyle, played very well by country singer Dwight Yoakam, who also jeopardizes Karl's newfound peace. Much of this is focused on the friendship between Karl and Frank. John Ritter co-stars as Vaughan and when I first watched this I had no idea that was Ritter. This is a great story of a small-town man with Thornton great as Karl. He is just not recognizable in this film when playing this part. This is an independent drama very difficult to dislike and makes many of us want to imitate Karl's voice out of tribute.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008): This was the Best Picture winner of that year and for it lived up to its hype. Dev Patel plays Jamal who went on the Indian version of WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE and wins the whole thing so people wonder how a "slumdog" like him can ever win that show so the authorities put him through interrogation and even torture. I love the way it is shot too like it goes to the question he answered and flashes back to the reason he knows it. Danny Boyle directed this and I hope. It is a good portrait of slum life in that area.

Star Wars episodes IV, V, and IV (1977, 1980, and 1983): Yes, these are the originals which started quite a phenomenon in the world of Pop Culture. These really do promote diversity where we have humans, we have a black man in Lando Calrission, we have the wookie, droids, ewoks, and many other things. Harrison Ford is in his star-making role as the outlaw Han Solo who is hired to rescue Princess Leia but then decides to continue to fight with the Jedi. Mark Hamill plays Luke Skywalker who longs to get off the farm and train to be a Jedi. Carrie Fisher plays the feisty Princess. All these people team up to take on the Empire lead by Emperor Palpatine but on the Death Star ran by Darth Vader who is voiced by James Earl Jones. Alec Guinness co-stars in the later part of his career as Luke's mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi who used to fight for the Jedi. Many movies and tv shows make reference to these films and have quite a fanbase who would go dressed as the characters to see the movies. There are always Star Wars conventions. Many books have been written and we even had episodes I, II, and III which came out to some rather mixed opinions. These are the ones to check out however in this great sci-fi trilogy written by George Lucas who created icons. If you look at what happens between the Jedi and the Empire, it really resembles Rome.

Stop Making Sense (1984): This is the rock documentary that I decided to use which features the Talking Heads and was directed by Jonathan Demme. This was a great concert film which features David Byrne in that really big suit. The concert is well shot to make this into a good movie with a great performance from David Byrne. The talking heads are a great band who can accommodate to all genres, even my friend J.D. who is 24 years of age.

Strangers on a Train (1951): I gotta include something from "The Master of Suspense" and this one is my favorite Hitchcock film. Farley Granger plays tennis pro Guy Haines and Robert Walker plays psychotic socialite Bruno Anthony. They have their meeting on a train where Bruno wants to kill his father but knows he cannot due to his motives. He then has a crazy scheme where they "swap murders". Guy who is having marital problems takes this as a joke but Bruno is very serious about it. This is a great dark comedy and an idea used for the Billy Crystal film THROW MAMA FROM A TRAIN and a few others. It also leads into a great climax at a carousel.

Supersize Me (2004): This is one of my favorite documentaries and became a fan of Morgan Spurlock after this was over. He decided to look into the obesity problem that we have in the United States and what many believe is one of the culprits in the fast food industry. He decided to target McDonalds where for 30 days he was going to eat McDonalds for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and then see how much it affects him. His fiancee being a strict vegetarian did not like what he was doing but supported him. It was a very interesting and dedicated way to investigate what can happen with fast food restaurants who had some lawsuits at the time. I actually did not go to McDonald's for a while but eventually started going there. It was really more of a stab at the fast food industry and he chose McDonalds for his project. Spurlock would then get a tv series called 30 DAYS where him or someone else would do something for the 30 days like in this movie to see what happens.

Taxi Driver (1976): This is probably my favorite De Niro/Scorsese collaboration where Robert De Niro plays unstable vet Travis Bickle who takes a job as the title indicates in New York City where he insists on working the night shift. He believes he must make the world a better place and his main objective comes in the form of a 13 year old Jodie Foster who plays the 12 and a half year old hooker Iris. This does not sit well with Travis that Iris is a prostitute at the young of age and goes through some rather violent means to free her from her pimp Sport, played by Harvey Keitel. One of the most iconic scenes is the "are you talking to me" scene where Travis is in front of the mirror with his newly acquired guns which is a very imitated scene in both tv and film. This movie shows the gray areas of vigilantism and the dark side of the American dream with a great performance by De Niro.

Terminator 1 and 2 (1984 and 1991): These are the ones from James Cameron and in the first one we have the Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger who stars as the title character. He is a cyborg has been sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton, whose son will one day lead the resistance. Kyle Reese, played by Michael Biehn, also comes from the future in hopes of killing the seemingly indestructible cyborg. This is a pretty innovative sci-fi film where Arnold did exactly what was needed which was show no emotion. I also like Brad Fiedel's music score in the beginning. Onto part 2, where years later Sarah Connor is in a mental hospital because they do not believe her on what she has to say about the future. Edward Furlong plays John Connor who is destined to lead that resistance one day. The John Connor of the future reprograms the Terminator to protect John Connor when an even more powerful cyborg called the T-1000, played by Robert Patrick, is sent to kill John. This was a very good sequel and I really liked the interaction between John and the terminator where John tries to teach him things like quotes and even about right and wrong. John has been living with a foster family and then breaks Sarah out when the T-1000 is out. One scene I really liked was when Sarah Connor started seeing the T-1000 as a father figure to John, one that would never leave him. There has since been two more sequels and even a tv series. I did not mind part 3, but I did not care for the one called TERMINATOR: SALVATION. I just did not feel there was really much to the script. With these two, we have gotten some good one liners that people quote lots like "I'll Be Back" and "Hasta La Vista, Baby".

The Untouchables (1987): Brian De Palma directs this film focusing on Elliot Ness' non-stop efforts to bring down Al Capone. Kevin Costner plays Elliot Ness and puts together a group of non-corrupt cops of the title. Sean Connery plays street cop Jim Malone who is like the conscience of the group. Andy Garcia plays rookie cop George Stone who is a very good shooter. Charles Martin Smith rounds the group out as Oscar Wallace who is an accountant for the police. Together they take on the mob and police corruption Robert De Niro plays Al Capone and does a pretty good job. There is a great shootout on a set of stairs where a baby carriage is also going down the stairs. It is not the most accurate film of all time but still a pretty good movie on Prohibition.

Waiting for Guffman (1996): Christopher Guest directed a series of these mockumentaries and this is my favorite of them. Guest stars as Corky St. Clair who has directed a lot of plays and is in Blaine, Missouri directing a musical on the town history. He gets together a group of very amateur actors in this effort that include regulars Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, among others. Corky learns that a Broadway producer named Guffman will be in the audience to check the show out so they do what they can to anticipate him. I relate a lot to this one being a community theater actor myself.

Waking the Dead (2000): I was pleasantly surprised when watching randomly seeing it on the library shelf. This takes place in a couple different time periods. Billy Crudup stars as Fielding who in 1973 is about to enter law school. Jennifer Connelly plays Sarah who falls in love with Fielding and is quite the activist. When things were really heating up, she dies in a car explosion. When this happens we go nine years later where Fielding is in a political campaign but believes he is seeing Sarah which really clouds his judgment towards the campaign. It goes back and forth into the eras where Fielding is looking to pursue what he believes is Sarah. This was an absolutely beautiful film which is not as high on the radar as it should be so I hope this helps it some. Watching this, I was engaged the whole way through and thinking it could not get any better, I hear the Peter Gabriel song MERCY STREET which really won me over as a fan of Peter.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988): This is the ultimate blend of real-life and animation. Bob Hoskins plays a very bitter detective Eddie Valiant who has a prejudice towards toons. Roger Rabbit is the prime suspect of the murder of studio head Marvin Acme and Eddie becomes his only hope to clear his name. Robert Zemeckis directed this film which integrates Disney and Looney Tunes characters like the priceless scene between Daffy and Donald Duck, also a scene where Mickey and Bugs are together as well as many classic animation characters. This is the best toon-noir of all time or maybe it's the only one. Whatever it is, it was quite groundbreaking.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971): This is one of my favorite musicals which stars Gene Wilder as the title character. As the classic story goes, Willy Wonka has closed his factory for years but decides to reopen and give five lucky children a tour of his chocolate factory. Peter Ostrum stars as Charlie Bucket who is one of the winners and the one who is very poor but rich in the love for his family. The other kids are very spoiled in various ways and learn the hard way that you should follow the rules. I really liked the music in this film but even more I like the way the story was quite dark but did not have to emphasize it with cinematography the way Tim Burton did in his remake. Jack Albertson was also very good as Charlie's very caring grandfather.

The Wrestler (2008): This film ranks very high on my favorites. As a wrestling fan and someone involved in the wrestling industry, I was very excited to hear about this film. Most fictional wrestling films are just stupid comedies like NO HOLDS BARRED, READY TO RUMBLE, NACHO LIBRE, among others. I first heard about this when I was looking for some things in Netflix and was ready to dismiss it but then I saw one of my favorite actors was in it and I read some more and saw that the director was Darren Aronofsky. Once I heard about this wrestling drama starring my idol Mickey Rourke I never anticipated a movie than I did this one. Rourke plays wrestler Randy Robinson whose prime is over but does not know anything else. He likely had a lot of success in his younger days but burned too many bridges to get work beyond the independent leagues. He then must retire and adjust to the real world like his job at the grocery store but he soon finds out that it is very hard to stay out of this industry. Evan Rachel Wood co-stars as his estranged daughter who Randy obviously was not the father to her that he should have been. He does what he can to reconnect with her after his health scare but finds that he has blown it many times. She does a good job in her small part and I noticed that they were cast very well as father and daughter where she has kind of a big chin just like Mickey Rourke. The other co-star was Marisa Tomei who was also very good as Pam who makes her living as a stripper and is friends with Randy. However, Randy wants more of a relationship with her and she has a rule about dating customers that she cannot bring herself to break. Mickey Rourke was absolutely phenomenal in this role that was parallel to his own life as he has struggled a lot in his acting career. Nicolas Cage was originally cast in this part because the movie studio wanted him but ended up backing out and Aronofsky got to cast who he wanted in Mickey Rourke which could not have been a better casting. With my involvement in this industry I find this was a very accurate film on the independent world of wrestling. I know many people just like Randy Robinson and many wrestlers have cited liking this film. Roddy Piper is said to have broken down and cried after the premier liking it so much and relating to it. Rourke also went through a lot of wrestling training to prepare. However, what makes this movie work is that it really is a character study with wrestling involved so people who do not like wrestling can like this one. I know some did not care for the ending but the more I thought of it I see why they did it and liked it. If you want to know my thoughts there just message me.

Well, that is all. I know that you are bound to hate at least one of these so when and if you comment on it, please also include what you like because I know people won't disagree with all 100 of my selections. I also want to thank everyone who has supported me through the years. It is because of that which has kept me going. Next week I return to my normal format which so far includes Denys Arcand, Christina Ricci, Gene Barry, Werner Herzog, Eartha Kitt, and many others.