The Haunted Casino

Year: 2010

Director: Charles Band

Stars: Robin Sydney, Sid Haig, Michael Berryman

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Studio: Full Moon Features

Running Time: 80 Mins

“The Haunted Casino” is a re-release of a 2007 film called “Dead Man’s Hand: Casino of the Dammed”.

Matther Dragna inherits a casino from his dead uncle. He along with his girlfriend and a group of friends go to the outskirts of Vegas, to visit this rundown casino. Soon as they get there, they discover that the casino is haunted by the ghost of a Vegas mobster (Sid Haig) and his goon (Michael Berryman) that’s looking to exact revenge for what Dragna’s dead uncle did to them. Soon, they must fight for their lives as the ghosts within the casino are looking for revenge.

Is it me or have the films over at Full Moon Feature just have gotten better in terms of storytelling and entertainment value, since the folks there released “Evil Bong back in 2006. I gave up on this company, when it was in the Shadow Entertainment era. The trailers in that era never caught my interest plus that the fact that the films didn’t feel like the full moon films that I was accustomed to seeing. But thankfully that’s changed, even though the budget is much lower from the earlier days. The comic book feel that was present in most of their earlier films are back.

“The Haunted Casino” is a very entertaining film. Charles Band does a great job making this film fun to watch. He directs the film very well, by building up the tension and getting you interested in the story. It really helps you get into the flow of the film, as this is important for films of this caliber. Band also does a good job making this film campy with the gore effects and the storytelling. One of the things that Band knows how to very well is handling the acting aspects of the film. He does a good job making sure that the acting is decent enough, so that the flaws are not overexposed with it’s budget. If the acting aspect in these films aren’t directed very well, then they become a distraction to your enjoyment of the film. Also by having the main performances be good, the viewer is not impatiently waiting for Sid Haig and Michael Berryman to make their appearances on screen. That’s when you know that you’re watching a good low budget film.

Like most of Full Moon’s recent films, the screenplay was written by August White. This is one of his better screenplays. White does a very good job developing the characters here. I liked how, White doesn’t rush into the action. He spends a good amount of time developing the history of the casino and the characters that are trapped inside. It gets you into the flow of the story, so that your interested in what goes on, during the course of the film. White also does a good job keeping the action moving, when developing the characters. He does that, by providing false scares and a little bit of humor. It just makes the film fun to watch and that’s what I want to see from these types of films.

Your not going to find the next “Trick O Treat” or “Evil Dead” with Full Moon Features. But I know that I’m going to be in for a fun film, if the storytelling and direction is good. "The Haunted Casino” fits that description, as this is very fun haunted ghost film that gives you a good time and keeps you very entertained.

Review Rating: Four Stars

Welcome to the 264th Edition of my long-running series. I continue to lead my division in fantasy where I play my rival and if I win, I clinch a playoff spot so let's hope that goes well. I got a good start on the Thanksgiving game with Lesean McCoy so hopefully the rest of my team can match what they did last week. This week I pay tribute to the late Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen who was recently gunned down. With the Christmas season coming around, I will try to focus some on that in both the religious and commercial sense with a couple religious picks for this one.

In the Loop (2009): This is one of Travis' Co-Op film viewings. This is an interesting war satire where we have the British Prime Minister and the US president both fancying a war in which not everyone agrees. A big misunderstanding starts when the PM says that "War is Unforeseeable". Not everyone is in a big agreement on the war including US General Miller, played by SOPRANOS alum James Gandolfini. Armando Iannucci directed this British war comedy which co-stars Anna Chlumsky. This was a great job of making comedy of a horrible situation that is rather realistic. There is not much more to say or explain except that it is a great comedy which needs to get a little more on the radar.

The Kingdom (2007): This is the 4th link of "The Chain" which continues with Chris Cooper to pick up where Christina Ricci left off. Peter Berg directed this film which deals with a terrorist attack of an American housing compound in Saudi Arabia where FBI agent Ronald Fleury, played by Jamie Foxx, assembles an elite group to investigate the matter but with much trouble from the locals who want to do it on their terms. Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Jeremy Piven, and many others co-star in this film full of action and story. The film is fictional but based on the 2003 bombing of the Riyadh Compound. I really liked the opening scene which documented the history of the Middle East since the 40s. The Chain continues next week with another Chris Cooper film.

A Cool, Dry Place (1998): I was not sure what I would think about this film but I ended up really liking it and really liked Vince Vaughn in this one. He plays Russell who is the single father of a five year old, an attorney at a small-town law firm, and the high school basketball coach. He had been the hotshot at a Chicago firm but had to move to a small town in Kansas for work where he has built a pretty good life. He has just formed a relationship with local Beth, played by Joey Lauren Adams, but things get complicated when his estranged wife, played by Monica Potter, returns for her son who she left years ago. The Netflix description bills this as a modern-day KRAMER VS. KRAMER but it did not quite get that intense. Vince Vaughn is really hit-or-miss with me but I think this one hit the hardest for me. I actually brought myself to care for him which I have found that hard to do with his other movies. It is a great portrayal of a single father and of a small town. Vaughn shows a much different side in this one than most are used to seeing. Monica Potter is also good as the mother and estranged wife trying to win her way back into their lives.

Hell Up in Harlem (1973): This is my tribute to Ronni Chasen, a Hollywood publicist who was shot to death. She was the Unit Publicist for this Blaxploitation film. Blaxploitation icon Fred "The Hammer" Williamson stars as Harlem gangster Tommy Gibbs in this sequel to BLACK CAESAR and no I have not seen that but have heard good things. Larry Cohen directed this film where Tommy has had to take a rest period but looks to take his revenge against his gang rivals. There is a lot of good action and a good music score from Edwin Starr. You must appreciate the genre to really like this one though. This may be Fred Williamson's first time to be featured on this blog.

Seeing Red (1939): This is my short film for the week which stars Red Skelton as a man who has just gotten fired from his job. When this happens he puts a hex on his boss. When his boss goes to the nightclub it appears to work as everyone he sees is Red hence the title. This short film also showcases other Vaudeville talent from that era like A. Robins, the Merry Macs, and Harris and Shore. Red also has some of his funny material. This was a good 19 minutes of the entertainment industry on that industry.

The Blood of Jesus (1941): I found this on my Pub-D-Hub app on my Roku player which is a public domain film and one I felt fit the month with its religious themes. This takes place in the rural south where an atheist accidentally shoots his Baptist wife who must then journey through the crossroads of life where the Devil is looking to tempt her in any way possible. The budget was very small so the actors were pretty inexperienced but sincere in what they did. It is also a very good look at a southern black community in that era. What I also liked is that they were actual black people and not white actors with blackface. It had a pretty good storyline and message to it so if you can find it, it's not a bad one to watch.

Red River (1948): This is my western for the week which was directed by Howard Hawks. John Wayne stars as Tom Dunson who is a very successful cattle wrangler who with his adopted son Matthew Garth, played by Montgomery Clift, builds a successful cattle empire. Together, along with others begin a massive cattle drive from Texas to the Missouri railhead where they battle a group of Indians but the biggest battle is between Dunson and Garth when Garth gets tired of Dunson's authoritarian ways he takes the heard away from him having Dunson swearing vengeance. I'm not a huge fan of the western genre but feel this one ranks pretty high as well as ranking high among John Wayne films with this being his best in my opinion. Montgomery Clift was also very good in his film debut and would have a great career into the 60s. Clift and co-star John Ireland were having an affair in real-life which made Clift not get along with John Wayne. Through it all, the movie was pulled off very well.

For Queen and Country (1988): This is part two of a two-part Denzel Washington series. I found this early Denzel Washington film on Encore On-Demand. Denzel plays Reuben who has just been discharged from the British military and has been decorated a war hero. He then returns home to find that he is not getting the biggest hero's welcome as he cannot get a job interview. He then falls back into a life of crime. This is a very interesting portrait of the treatment of someone who has given their time for his country only to be stabbed in the back. Denzel was good as a British person and while not Washington's best but still a good movie to watch as long as you don't expect anything upbeat.


Hello, Dolly! (1969): I have actually seen this a couple times this year on stage. One was in the summer put on by the Ricks-Weil group in Greenfield and the other was put on by the Muncie Civic Theater in October. Both productions were pretty good and I thought this movie was very well. It really stayed pretty well towards the stage script where liberties were taken but not much. Barbra Streisand plays the title character of Dolly Levi in this one who is quite the matchmaker and sets out to Yonkers, NY intending to marry the grouchy and wealthy Horace. Walter Matthau is perfectly cast as Horace. Michael Crawford and Danny Lockin play Horace's overworked employees with a rare film appearance from Crawford. There are many subplots to this musical so I'm not going to go through each one but is a very fun musical even if I don't really get it all. Jazz legend Louis Armstrong has a cameo and sings the title song and had a hit song with it.

The Prince of Egypt (1998): This was on my Netflix queue and I thought this Dreamworks animated film of Moses would be good for the season. I thought this was a pretty good version of the man who learns of his true identity and learns of his destiny to lead the Exodus of his people. Val Kilmer provides the voice of Moses while Ralph Fiennes plays his brother Ramses who are close until Moses learns of his identity and they become rivals. Michelle Pfeiffer, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Stewart, Sandra Bullock, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and many others co-star. It also has some pretty good musical numbers like WHEN YOU BELIEVE which would become a hit song through Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. There is not much to explain except that it is an animated story of Moses and a rather compelling animated film from Dreamworks.

Well, that is it for this week, stay tuned for next week which so far includes more Chris Cooper, Charlize Theron, Shirley Temple, Christina Ricci, James Stewart, and many others. However, keep reading for my honorable mention.

HONORABLE MENTION: COMIC BOOK

My Friend Dahmer (2002): I came upon this rather unexpectedly when I was at my dad's house and my stepmom bought a huge thing of comic books for my nephew Camden. Him and my Dad went through these and most were DC superhero comics but there was this one which I guess could be considered an underground comic which my dad decided he wanted to keep. I did not know what to think at first seeing a comic book about the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer but last night I decided to give it a look. John Backderf wrote this comic and has a page he wrote on why he wrote this which really took my interest. John Backderf uses the author name of Derf and knew Dahmer in high school and wrote about some times they had together. Describing the kind of outcast he was and looking at moments that at the time were kind of funny but ultimately they were really signs that no one could see. There are no reenactments of his murders, just Dahmer's early days of the man we would know as a serial killer. You can actually get this comic book among others on the author's website of http://www.derfcity.com where you can read some of his things on the website so it might be a good thing to check out. I was very surprised and glad I did not dismiss it like I thought of doing. This is not a tasteless comic, no real violence or gore. Just a true story of a man who wants to raise awareness on a situation where he feels that Dahmer could have been saved if someone noticed the "signs" when they were in high school together.

There was another death in the world of cinema yesterday, as director Irvin Kershner (1923 -2010) passed away at the age of 87 on November 27th, after a long illness.

Kershner first started in the industry when Roger Corman hired him to directed “Stakeout on Dope Street”, in 1958. He later would direct a number of films, including “A Fine Madness” with Sean Connery in 1966, and “Up the Sandbox” with Barbra Streisand in 1972.

His most notable film came in 1977, when George Lucas tapped him to direct “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”. The film still remains as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time.

After that film, Kershner would go on to direct only three more films. In 1983, he became the first and only American born director to direct a James Bond film with “Never Say Never Again“. He would also direct “Traveling Man” for HBO in 1989 and direct his last film with “Robocop 2“ is 1990.

Film Arcade.net would like to extend our condolences to Kershner’s family and friends

Irvin Kershner was talented director that will truly be missed.

Irvin Kershner: April 26th,1923 – November 27th, 2010

Photo Source: The Internet Movie Database

I have some sad news to report out in the world of cinema today. Legendary comedy actor Leslie Nielsen (1926 -2010) died yesterday at the age of 84 from complications from pneumonia.

Nielsen started his Hollywood career in the mid 1950’s after performing in live television dramas in New York. He first gain notice in 1956, when starred in the classic science fiction film “Forbidden Planet”. In 1972, he would also play the Captain in “The Poseidon Adventure”.

In 1980 he would gain more notoriety, when he played Dr. Rumack in classic comedy “Airplane!”. After that film, he would appear in two horror classics, “Prom Night (1980)” and “Creepshow “(1982)”.

Nielsen is most noticed for playing Det Frank Frebin, on the TV series “Police Squad” in 1982 and “The Naked Gun: Files from Police Squad” in 1988. The success of the “The Naked Gun” spawned two squeals in 1991 and 1994.

From there, he would star or co-star in “Dracula: Dead and Loving It”, “Spy Hard”, “Scary Movie 3”, “Scary Movie 4” and appear in “Superhero Movie“, “Stan Helsing“ and “Stonerville" which is currently slated to be released on DVD on January 11th.

Film Arcade.net would like to extend our condolences to Nielsen’s family and friends

Leslie Nielsen was talented and funny actor that truly be missed.

Leslie Nielsen : February 11th 1926 – November 28th, 2010

Photo Source: The Internet Movie Database

Welcome to the 263rd Edition of my series. I am now unemployed in the world of community theater and have had a pretty good year doing GUYS AND DOLLS at Belfry in Noblesville, WANDERING...FROM KENTUCKY which was a one-night read-through show through Muncie's Heartland Theater Company, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE at the Anderson Mainstage Theatre, and TALK RADIO at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater. Who knows, maybe something bigger will happen next year but thanks to all involved in these shows I have done. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I had a good time with family and watching football and a good day in Fantasy Football. My team is now in an undisputed lead in my division so hopefully this week I can keep it. This week I pay tribute to the late HAWAII 5-0 alum James MacArthur who recently left us. I also continue two-part series to Josh Brolin, Peter Lorre, and Alec Guinness as well as the continuation with "The Chain" with Christina Ricci. Now it is time for the ten recommendations for the week.

New York, I Love You (2009): This is part three of "The Chain" and Christina Ricci's last link for right now. This is something that might be good for a date night. One thing that you might already guess is that this movie takes place in New York and that is probably not hard to guess. The film looks at many different love stories which have many directors and actors. For me some of these worked and some did not. I really liked the segment between Maggie Q and Ethan Hawke as well as the one with the elderly couple of Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman. No need to describe each and every one of these but my favorite was the one with more unknown actors Anton Yelchin and Olivia Thirlby who takes the girl in a wheelchair to prom with James Caan playing the girl's father. This is also not for everyone but had some pretty interesting short stories. There is quite the all-star cast in this one and this is available on Instant Netflix. Next week, the chain continues with one of the actors or actresses from this film.

American Gangster (2007): This is part two in my two-part Josh Brolin film where last week I featured his film debut THE GOONIES. Here he plays the corrupt Detective Trupo. Ridley Scott directs this movie and reunites with Russell Crowe who plays Detective Richie Roberts who is determined to bring down the drug empire of Frank Lucas, played by Denzel Washington. Like the first one, this one takes place in New York in the Manhatton area and is a true story. This film takes place shortly after the death of Lucas' mentor Bumpy Johnson who was likely the most successful black gangster in a mafia in the United States. Frank then takes everything he learns to create a very successful empire giving his family a much better life financially but at a very high price. Ruby Dee plays Frank's mother and gives a great performance in this film. The movie jumps back and forth with both Richie and Frank's story until their eventual meeting. Crowe was also very good as the dedicated detective whose personal life was more difficult. Washington jumps out of his comfort zone very well to play drug lord Frank Lucas who did whatever he had to in order to stay on top even at the expense of family. Next week may feature Denzel Washington again but I'm not sure yet.

Copy (1929): This is my short film of the week which I found on TCM On-Demand. This one takes place at a newpaper company where Roscoe Karns stars as editor John Mack who wants to do a series on the lack of safety measures that a ship owner uses. The owner puts a lot of pressure on the paper to now publish the stories but then a disaster on a ship happens which affects John's personal life. It is an interesting look at a Newspaper place of that era.

Swiss Family Robinson (1960): This is my tribute to the late James MacArthur who plays the oldest son of the Robinson family. The Robinson family gets stranded on an island because they are shipwrecked. They decide to make the most of their situation and settle on the island building a home on the island which is a treehouse but a very effective one. John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, Tommy Kirk, and Kevin Corcoran play the Robinson family which is in order from the father, mother, the oldest son to the youngest. There are some pirates near the island which are not fond of the Robinson family leading to a climatic battle towards the end where the Robinson family make some very clever weapons to fight the pirates. This is a live-action Disney film and possibly their best in live-action. It is a fun movie to watch with the family and shows a family who appreciate what they have in each other and pick up lots of unusual pets in the process. This is a remake to a 1940 film from RKO which Walt Disney apparently confiscated all the copies he could find when purchasing the rights so now I am curious to check out RKO's version.

Jack and the Beanstalk (1952): I found this movie on my new app called Pub-D-Hub which is only available on my Roku player that also plays instant Netflix. This group plays public domain material which consists of film, television, cartoon, classic commercials, and radio productions and is a pretty cool thing. This is actually an Abbott and Costello film. In the beginning, Lou finds work babysitting the worst child ever where Lou has a hard time reading it so the kid reads it which then sets off the fantasy story of Lou being Jack who battles the giant on top of the beanstalk. Bud plays the person who supplies Jack with his beans. This is A & C's first film in color. It is a pretty entertaining later film for the comedy duo. The Roku is a small device that works off wireless or wired internet and can do a lot of cool things so check out roku.com for information.

Casino Royale (1954): This is part two of my two-part Peter Lorre series and this is actually an episode of a tv show called CLIMAX and probably the episode that lives on due to its historic value. Yes, this is based on Ian Fleming's novel and the first featured James Bond film which stars Barry Nelson as Jimmy Bond and Peter Lorre plays crime boss Le Chiffre. Bond must beat the expert poker player in a high-stakes game. This is very interesting to watch but far from the great movie character we would meet. This is also the reason that the first Bond film was DR. NO instead of this one which is the original novel. CBS owned the right and many years later, the rights were bought and this would go onto become my favorite Bond film with my favorite Bond actor in Daniel Craig so maybe it was good this was made. One interesting thing about this is that Bond's CIA ally Felix Leiter is renamed Clarence Leiter and in this show was British and Bond being American and having the name "Card Sense Jimmy Bond". This is also said to have been a possible pilot for a James Bond series which never got off the ground. This is available on Instant Netflix.

Talk Radio (1988): As many know, I just got done with this show which was performed at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater. Oliver Stone directed this adaptation to the play written by Eric Bogosian who also stars as controversial radio host Barry Champlain. This character was inspired by real-life radio talk show host Alan Berg. In this story, Champlain learns that his show is to go national which he does not like fearing that he may be forced to edit his content so now he is at full emotion with all his callers where he holds nothing back with them. He is also having personal problems with his love life and his ex-wife coming back to town. This is not an upbeat story by any means. The play version takes place solely at the radio station but in the movie they expand outside of the station which I understand. I feel they did a pretty good job making this into a workable film. Ellen Greene, Alec Baldwin, John C. McGinley, and many others co-star. Thanks to Bill Wilkison for obtaining the play to direct at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater and for his dedication to the show. This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Proposal (2009): This could be another a couple could get for date movie night and one even a man might enjoy. I liked this a lot more than I expected. This is part of what I call the 2009 Sandra Bullock trilogy. In this year, we have THE BLIND SIDE which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress. We also have ALL ABOUT STEVE where she won a Razzie award for Worst Actress. This is the one that slides right in the middle. Sandra plays the very successful but pushy boss Margaret Tate. Ryan Reynolds plays her hapless assistant Andrew who does everything for her in hopes for promotion and his own success. Margaret is a native of Canada who learns of her Visa expiring so she forces Andrew to marry her to stay in the country in pretty much blackmailing him knowing he will lose his job if she leaves. He reluctantly plays along and takes her to meet his family in Alaska so that she can pose as the fiancee. Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson and Betty White co-star as his family with White very amusing as the grandmother. I found there to be more to this than a typical romantic comedy which I felt focused more on the comedy than romance. To the guys out there, if getting a movie to watch with your significant other, this is one of the better ones to watch. This is available on Instant Netflix.

Oliver Twist (1948): Most of us know the musical version but this is the non-musical version of the Dickens classic which was still a great story and film. David Lean directed this version which stars John Howard Davies as the title character whose mother dies at childbirth, ends up in a very mean orphanage, escapes to find refuge with a group of thieves. Alec Guinness stands out in this film as Fagin who teaches children the art of pick-pocketing where he and the Artful Dodger take in Oliver which is a better situation than what he had. The performances were great in this film as well as the cinematography. This was actually released in 1951 because at the time Jewish groups did a lot of protesting feeling that Guinness' portrayal of Fagin was anti-semitic. Anderson Mainstage Theatre did this show in musical format in October and the Muncie Civic Theater will be doing it starting next weekend but I just could not get a part in either version and it is one of my favorite musicals from that era but I'm sure I'll enjoy it just the same. This is available on Instant Netflix.

Happy Together (1997): Kar Wai Wong directed this very daring Hong Kong film which stars Hong Kong stars Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung as gay couple Yiu-Fai and Po-Wing. They decide to go to Argentina for the holiday where their relationship goes adrift and both find it hard to get back to Hong Kong. This is not for everyone but is a pretty well-done foreign film about a gay couple who just keep moving apart. The beginning of the film really make sure we know they are gay for if that is not your thing, you better not watch it. The two actors worked very well together and probably took criticism for taking these parts. The end when Yiu-Fai was analyzing and comparing his life to Po-Wing was a pretty well-done scene.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you hate and stay tuned next week which so far includes Anna Chlumsky, Jennifer Garner, Vince Vaughn, Fred Williamson, Red Skelton, John Wayne, and many others.

Welcome to a new edition of Trailer Friday. I hope everyone enjoyed their thanksgiving. Now onto the trailers.

"All Good Things": Official Trailer

Trailer courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Inspired by the most notorious missing person's case in New York history, ALL GOOD THINGS is a love story and murder mystery set against the backdrop of a New York real estate dynasty in the 1980s. Produced and directed by Andrew Jarecki (director of the Academy Award-nominated doc Capturing the Friedmans and producer of Catfish), the film was inspired by the story of Robert Durst, scion of the wealthy Durst family. Mr. Durst was suspected but never tried for killing his wife Kathie who disappeared in 1982 and was never found. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella as the powerful patriarch, and captures the emotion and complexion of this real-life unsolved mystery.

"All Good Things" is availible on demand and hits theaters in limited release on December 3rd.

"The Fighter": Official Trailer

Trailer courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Relativity Media.

Dicky Ecklund (CHRISTIAN BALE) is a former boxing hero that squandered his talents and threw away his shot at greatness. Micky Ward (MARK WAHLBERG), his half brother, is the struggling journeyman boxer who spent his life living in his big brother's shadow. The Fighter is inspired by the true story of two brothers who, against all the odds, come together to train for a historic title bout that will unite their fractured family, redeem their pasts and, at last, give their hard-luck town what it's been waiting for: pride. The story unfolds on the gritty, blue-collar streets of Lowell, Mass, where Dicky was once known as "The Pride of Lowell" having gone the distance with the world champion Sugar Ray Leonard. However, after losing that fight, like the town of Lowell, Dicky's fallen on hard times. His boxing days are behind him and his life has become shattered by drug abuse. Younger brother Micky, meanwhile, has become the family's fighter and fading hope for a champion. But despite all of his work, Micky's career is failing and he loses fight after punishing fight. Dicky and Micky's tougher-than-nails mother, Alice (MELISSA LEO), manages his career and Dicky serves as his highly unreliable trainer. When Micky's latest fight nearly kills him, it looks like it could all be over -- until his iron-willed new girlfriend, Charlene (AMY ADAMS), convinces him to do the unthinkable: split with his family, pursue his own interests and train without his increasingly volatile and criminal brother. Now Micky has the chance of a lifetime as he earns a shot at the World Championship. But when his brother and dysfunctional family reenter his life, they must all reconcile their pasts and become more than just a family in name. With Micky and Dicky reunited, this becomes more than just a fight -- it's an all-out comeback for these brothers, their family, and their city. When it's over, Micky will have become a champion, a hometown legend, and the new "Pride of Lowell". The Fighter is a moving and often humorous drama about fighting for the people you love.

"The Fighter" hits selected cities on December 10th and Nationwide December 17th.

"The King's Speech": Official Trailer

Trailer Courtesy of The Weinstein Company.

The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.

The film stars Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pierce, and Geoffrey Rush

"The King's Speech" hit theaters in limited release on November 26th.

It's Retro Trailer time. It's a little different this week, as I highlight a trailer for the complete version of a classic film that recently made it debut for the first time on Blu-Ray this week.

It's "Metropolis". Now for the first time, your able to see the complete movie with the missing footage inserted into film. That's why it's the Retro Trailer of the Week.

Welcome to the 262nd Edition of my long running series. We have one more performance for TALK RADIO. Thanks to a great cast and crew on a good show. This week I pay tribute to Jill Clayburgh, Dino De Laurintiis, and George Hickenlooper who all recently left us. I am now leading my division in Fantasy Football so hopefully this week I can continue my winning ways this week.

The Ice Storm (1997): I now give you the second link of my chain which continues again with Christina Ricci. Ang Lee directed this drama set in 1973 suburban Connecticut where we see even people in the suburbs can have problems. The movie centers around the Hood family. Kevin Kline plays Ben Hood who is having an affair with someone. Joan Allen is his wife Elena who reads a lot of self-help books and tires of her husbands lies. Tobey Maguire and Christina Ricci play their kids Paul and Wendy who are having their own problems in their love lives. When everything seems bad, it gets worse when an ice storm hits where everyone must then fight for their survival. Katie Holmes, Sigourney Weaver, Elijah Wood, Allison Janney, and many others co-star. Ang Lee gives a believable portrait to the 70s. Rick Moody wrote the novel that this film is based on and was very satisfied with the film product. This is actually Katie Holmes' debut right before she would become famous through the tv series DAWSON'S CREEK. This is one of those where everything works and if I say more I give it away so just see for yourself. Next week the chain continues once again with Christina Ricci.

The Goonies (1985): This is part one of what might be a three-part Josh Brolin series. Next week will be part two. This is my 80s classic for the week which was directed by Richard Donner and wrote by Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus. Where do I even start with this one? Sean Astin and Josh Brolin star as brothers Mikey and Brand who are preparing for a big move because developers want to build a golf course unless enough money can be raised Mikey comes up a treasure map from pirate "One-Eyed" Willy and sees this as their chance to raise this money. They set off with their friends but run into a bumbling family of villains and a friendly monster while trying to find this treasure. Anne Ramsey co-stars as Mama Fratelli, who is the matriarch of the criminal family consisting of Joe Pantaliano and Robert Davi. Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, and Jonathan Ke Quan as the children out for the treasure. Ke Quan is most known as Short Round in INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM. Josh Brolin makes his film debut in this as he has gone onto have a great career. This was some great 80s fun where it can be enjoyed as long as you can suspend disbelief.

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949): This is my British comedy for the week. Dennis Price stars as Louis Mazzini whose mother was part of the D'Ascoyne family. She then ran off with an opera singer therefore was disowned by the family along with Louis. When Louis grows up he vows to avenge what happened and become Duke of the family by murdering each successor. The highlight of the film is with Alec Guinness as each person of the D'Ascoyne family and brings a different element to each one. This was a very fun British comedy brought from the company Ealing Studios which is a long-running British Studio which Guinness worked a lot with where this one is his first with the company.

Mad Love (1935): This is part one of a two-part Peter Lorre series. No, this is not that movie with Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell nor is that movie a remake. Peter Lorre stars here as Doctor Gogol who is an insane surgeon obsessed with a singer whose husband is a pianist and was in a bad car accident. Colin Clive plays Stephan Orlac who is the pianist where Gogol replaces his hands with those of a knife murderer which causes him to do things he would usually never do. This is Lorre's first American film was a great as the crazy scientist. It was good to see Clive in something else besides FRANKENSTEIN which he will always be known for. This was a pretty good chiller for the time and a clever storyline.

Nosebleed (2008): This is my short film for the week which I found on IFC Short film showcase. David Arquette actually stars in this film as a man who has a severe nosebleed that he just cannot get rid of. It stays with him no matter what he does. Arquette does not speak, he just goes into panic. This is really not exactly great but was an interesting 8 minutes and I did kind of like the end so I went ahead and put it here.

Silver Streak (1976): This is my tribute to the late Jill Clayburgh who co-stars as Hilly in this film. Arthur Hiller directed this great homage to Hitchcock films. Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor in their first of four teamings together and this probably being their best. Wilder plays George Caldwell who is on a long distance train trip but comes upon a murder scheme which he gets caught up in. Richard Pryor plays Grover Muldoon who is a small-time crook who teams up with George, who is now suspected of murder, to find the killer while evading the criminals and police. Claybergh plays Hilly who is also caught up in the plot but falls in love with George. Patrick McGoohan, Ned Beatty, Clifton James, Ray Walston, Richard Kiel, Scatman Crothers, and Fred Willard all co-star in this train comedy/thriller. There are some very fun moments mixed in with serious moments where I am sure there are a lot of comparisons to the later Hitchcock homage THROW MOMMA FROM A TRAIN.

Ulysses (1954): This is my tribute to the late Dino De Laurentiis who was the producer of this adaptation of Homer' THE ILIAD which stars Kirk Douglas as the title character who has just got done in a ten years war but then must make a very difficult trek home to get back to his wife and son. Along with his men, they must survive many obstacles like a cyclops, witch, and many other things. Silvano Mangano plays both the sorceress Circe and Ulysses' very loving wife Penelope. Anthony Quinn plays the arrogant Antinos who is trying to marry Penelope. This was a pretty entertaining film with Douglas very fun as Ulysses. The cyclops character was very well done. This could be called the precursor to Douglas' epic film SPARTACUS. The special effects a bit cheesy by today's standards but really work for this one.

The Man From Elysian Fields (2001): This is my tribute to the late George Hickenlooper who directed this film. Andy Garcia plays struggling novelist Byron who is happily married with a child but finds it hard to pay his bills after his last novel which was not successful. He then meets a man named Luther Fox, played by Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, who runs an escort service called Elysian Fields which provides wealthy women with good dates. Byron reluctantly takes the job and keeping it from his wife. He soon starts dating a woman, played by Olivia Williams, whose aging husband is a very successful novelist and working on his last one. James Coburn plays this novelist Alcott who is very accepting and knowledgeable of his wife's lifestyle and relationship with Byron. Alcott then provides Byron with a chance to co-author with him but deceit and betrayal follow what is a pretty decent film. ER alum Julianna Margulies plays Byron's supportive wife.I have always been a fan of Andy Garcia and he turns in a pretty good performance here. This is available instantly on Netflix.

Jungle Book (1942): This is not that animated Disney film many have come to know and love. This is a much earlier version brought by the Korda brothers. This is an adaptation to some of Rudyard Kipling stories. This takes place in a village in India where a boy named Mowgli who has been raised by wolves but tries to learn human life in a village while keeping his ideals of the jungle. He must contend with Buldeo who is very greedy and determined to find a treasure in the jungle. Sabu actually plays Mowgli and no this is not the man wrestling fans know as "the homicidal, suicidal, genocidal maniac". This was an Indian actor who was sought out by the Korda brothers who wanted someone of the descent rather than a white man. The technicolor of this film works very well. There is also a beautiful soundtrack as well as a great story. I admit I have never seen that Disney film and I'm sure I will sometime but this one is also quite good so I say check it out if you can. There are some similarities to the Tarzan character but this story was written before that one and as much as I enjoy Tarzan some, I like this jungle story better.

City of God (2002): I end this week with Travis' Co-Op viewing of the week. Fernando Meirelles directed this South American film which takes place in a very violent part of Rio De Janeiro. We focus on two kids growing up in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The story is told from the eyes of a boy named Rocket who dreams of being a photographer but witnesses a lot of violent activity and police corruption. His friend Lil Ze has established himself very well but is a very dangerous person. This is a very good portrait of life in a town like this where the kids must grow up too fast and fend for themselves. This is a very graphic film but also a very well done movie and possibly the best of the decade. There is even some violence towards children but unfortunately that was a reality. The title refers to the sarcastic nickname the town is given. Much of the actors are people who have lived in the "City of God" who give authentic portrayals.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and what you hate and stay tuned for next week which so far includes more Christina Ricci, more Josh Brolin, the late James MacArthur, and many others.

FUN AND USESLESS FACTS

I decided to bring this segment back for the week. I do not believe I will be doing it next week. Read on if you care and I don't really use any inter-movie facts. If I miss anything feel free to comment.

Sigourney Weaver (Ice Storm) plays Paulina Escobar in the 1994 film DEATH AND THE MAIDEN. My Facebook friend Lysa played the part in a production at the Muncie Civic Studio Theater.

Christina Ricci (Ice Storm) plays Wednesday Addams and Anjelica Huston (Man from Elysian Fields) plays Morticia Addams who are daughter and mother in the 1991 film THE ADDAMS FAMILY and the 1993 film THE ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES.

Elijah Wood plays Frodo and Sean Astin plays Samwise in Peter Jackson's epic LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy where they are hobbits and best friends.

Josh Brolin (Goonies) plays a young Wild Bill Hickok in a 1989 tv series called THE YOUNG RIDERS. Anjelica Huston (Man From Elysian Fields) plays his friend and even girlfriend Calamity Jane in the 1995 tv movie BUFFALO GIRLS. David Arquette plays Jack McCall, the man who shot Wild Bill while playing poker in the 1995 film WILD BILL

Robert Davi (Goonies) plays gangster Lucky Luciano in the 1991 tv movie WHITE HOT: THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER OF THELMA TODD. Andy Garcia (Man from Elysian Fields) played the gangster in the 1997 film HOODLUM.

JAMES BOND FRANCHISE
-Robert Davi (Goonies) plays villain Franz Sanchez in the 1989 film LICENSE TO KILL
-Peter Lorre (Mad Love) plays the first Bond villain Le Chiffre in the 1954 teleplay CASINO ROYALE which was an episode of a tv show called CLIMAX.
-Clifton James (Silver Streak) was a bit comic relief as redneck Sheriff J.W. Pepper in the first couple Bond films of the Roger Moore era.
-Richard Kiel (Silver Streak) was the villain Jaws in a couple of the Bond films from the Roger Moore era.

Sean Astin (Goonies) and Ned Beatty (Silver Streak) play son and father in the 1993 film RUDY.

Valerie Hobson (Kind Hearts and Coronets) plays Dr. Frankenstein's fiancee Elizabeth in the 1935 film BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. My Facebook friend Lisa played the part in a Muncie Civic Theater production of FRANKENSTEIN which I co-starred as one of the grave diggers with my partner-in-crime being my Facebook friend Joe. Her co-star Colin Clive who plays Henry Frankenstein is featured this week in the 1935 film MAD LOVE.

Alec Guinness (Kind Hearts and Coronets) plays Fagin in the 1948 film OLIVER TWIST. My Facebook friend Ben played the part in a recent musical version at the Anderson Mainstage Theatre called OLIVER.

Peter Lorre (Mad Love) plays Dr. Einstein in the 1944 film ARSENIC AND OLD LACE. My Facebook friend Thom played the part in a recent production in Greenfield, IN for the Rick-Weil theater group.

Gene Wilder (Silver Streak) plays the Mock Turtle in 1999 tv movie ALICE IN WONDERLAND. My Facebook friend Neil played the part in a production at Muncie Civic Theater.

Gene Wilder (Silver Streak) plays Willy Wonka in the 1971 film WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. My Facebook friend Sean played the part in a production at the Muncie Civic Theater.

Kirk Douglas (Ulysses) plays Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the 1973 tv movie of the title. My Facebook friend Matt played the the part in a recent Muncie Civic Theater production of JEKYLL AND HYDE: THE MUSICAL.

Xander Berkeley (Man From Elysian Fields) plays Captain Whitaker in the 1992 film A FEW GOOD MEN. My Facebook friend Brandy played the part in the first Ricks-Weil production in Greenfield which I played Corporal Howard.

Once again, Danny Boyle proves that he doesn’t make the same movie twice. Having tackled heroin with “Trainspotting,” youth alienation with “The Beach,” zombies (or viruses if you will) with “28 Days Later,” and Bollywood with his Oscar winning “Slumdog Millionaire,” Danny now moves on to another genre that has until now eluded him: the docudrama. “127 Hour” sees Danny bringing his brand of visual magic to the heroic and horrifically true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston, and he amazingly turns it into a life affirming story that demonstrates just how powerful the will to live is.

Click here to read the full review

The year of Lisbeth Salander comes to an end (for this year anyway) with the release of the third and last film in the Millennium Trilogy, “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Next.” Picking up where the last one left off, we watch as Lisbeth (the ever superb Noomi Rapace) slowly recuperates from the injuries inflicted on her by less than caring family members. She soon faces trial for murders and crimes we all know she did not commit, so Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist is excellent once again) and his staff at Millennium Magazine work to prove her innocence. Still, Lisbeth’s cold bastard of a father Alexander Zalachenko vows silence his daughter for good, and threatens to expose the corruption he is fully a part of. All the while, Lisbeth’s panzer tank of a half brother Ronald Niedermann is on the run, laying waste to just about everything in his path.

Click here to read the full review

To watch “Skyline,” you almost need a guided checklist. Am I in the mood for Sci-fi? Does dialogue matter? Will great special effects make up for bad direction? If this, then that or due to this watch it only under these circumstances. This movie might be worth seeing but only if you check off the right boxes on your list.

My first introduction to this movie occurred at Comic-con. I spotted the large sign on a high rise and became curious. After scoring a decent seat in the main room, I had opted to stay put there throughout the day. I noticed the “Skyline” panel was in the afternoon and with the list of some enjoyable TV actors scheduled for the panel, it was as good a place as any to be on such a hot, crowded day.

Eric Balfour, Donald Faison, David Zayas, and the brothers Greg and Colin Strause could not have been lovelier. The group discussed the origins of the movie and how it was made. It seems that after seeing “Paranormal Activity,” the Strause brothers decided they would like to make a movie in a small setting. They reasoned that if they used their own special effects house and one brother’s condominium apartment, they could create something special on a very tiny budget. In fact, the only major expense for them was the two day helicopter rental to get all the skyline shots of Los Angeles. The cast giggled and joked about how much fun it was to basically live together in the condo throughout the shoot. The camaraderie was sincere, and I started to hope that the movie would be as good as the experience of making it.

The Strause brothers showed some footage and a clip, and I have to say, it looked pretty good at the time. My, what a difference it makes when you mix in dialogue. The Strausse brothers have a well respected special effects house at their disposal, and they spared no trick to make the invasion come alive. Though the looks of some of the aliens were reminiscent of past invasion movies (I saw “Independence Day,” “Matrix,” and even “Godzilla”-esque creatures populated the movie), they were still very well done. If you love good special effects, then that is one of two reasons to watch this movie. (*the second reason will be noted later)

Though the movie was cast with several of my favorite “vaguely familiar” TV actors, they could not save this movie from the one-two punch of terrible writing and bad direction. I know Eric Balfour and Donald Faison well enough from their body of work to know what they are capable of. I saw how excited they were to talk about this movie. But I still have to wonder how they could have read this script and not noticed how miserably awful the writing was. Was the story good? For the most part, yes. Were there giant plot holes? You betcha. But some better penned lines could have made a difference in making those plot holes less irksome.

This movie is difficult enough to sit through with the bad writing and directing but ultimately, the editing is the final, deathly blow. There are scenes that LITERALLY could have been cut 10-30 seconds earlier. I do not need to see someone speak and then look at someone for an answer, then cut to the person answering over and over and over. Pick up the pace! Exercise that cutting finger and give this movie a sense of urgency. One can not rely on the story alone to establish the immediacy of the situation. When the action in a movie starts in the first 30 seconds, how can it also still be guilty of taking too long? Your answer is evident in the editing of this movie.

Ultimately this movie feels like a student film working off of a first draft script with a really large effects budget. It is a shame too. The story is intriguing and though the end is a little bit corny, I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to see where it was going. For instance, I would really like to see the story of the ending told in comic form. It could be excellent or like the panel at Comic-con, it could just be an empty promise of something that can’t be delivered.

Avoid this movie. There are only two reasons to suffer through it: If you love special effects so much you will overlook everything else OR if this movie ends up on Rifftrax. A movie like this is built to make fun of with your buddies, and it would probably be the only way to make this movie a truly enjoyable experience.

Puppet Master: Axis of Evil

Year: 2010

Director: David DeCoteau

Stars: Levi Fiehler, Jenna Gallaher, Taylor Graham

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Studio: Full Moon Features

Running Time: 83 Mins

It’s been twenty-two year, since the original “Puppet Master” came out on VHS. I remember back, when I first discovered this series on the Sci-Fi channel and when it was cool to watch the Sci-Fi Channel. Those films would sometime run in prime time, making it easily accessible for young people like me to watch it without having to get your parents to rent you these film. It’s amazing how time files. Now fast forward to today, where Full Moon Features have released the ninth film in the Puppet Master series.

“Puppet Master: Axis of Evil” follows Danny Coogan, a young man who dreams of joining the war efforts. While working in Bodega Bay Inn, he discovers the dead body of Andre Toulon, who died of an apparent suicide. In his room, Coogan finds an old crate that contains his deadly puppets and the secrets that Toulon was trying to hide from the Nazis. Now he's picking up where the original puppet master left off when he discovers the hitmen that tried to kill Toulon along with a beautiful Japanese saboteur plan to attack an American manufacturing plant. Now it’s up to Danny and the puppet to stop this axis of evil from carrying out their plan.

The “Puppet Master” films were some of the horror films that got me into the horror genre, when I was in junior high . After seeing the last three films in the series, I was wondering, if the whole series had run it course. Considering the fact that there hasn’t been a Puppet Master film in the last ten years, I believed that the franchise was dead . Thankfully I was wrong and this latest entry has gotten me back into the franchise.

“Puppet Master: Axis of Evil” returns Full Moon Features back to it’s glory days that it had under the Paramount banner. One of the reasons that this was enjoyable, the fact that the direction was a lot better from the last three previous films. David DeCoteau, who directed the third (the best of the series) film of the series, does a very good job with the direction here. I liked, how he was able to capture the World War II time period with the limited amount of resources at his disposal. It really helps the film, in the way the film looks, as it feels like a direct sequel from the third film. Another thing the DeCoteau does very well along with his editor Danny Draven, was intergrading the footage from the beginning of the original film with the beginning of this film. It works very well in establishing the backstory to this film, as it sets up the main story and new character. DeCoteau also does a good job with the way that he handles his actors. The performances are solid enough that it doesn’t become a distraction and take away from what is a good entry in the series.

I also liked, the puppet effects in this film. Even though it’s not perfect from the Paramount films, it’s a whole lot better from the last three films that featured awful effects. DeCoteau does a good getting his special effects team to make the puppet movement look decent enough that it doesn’t distract you from watching this film.

The screenplay is written by August White, who has written most of Full Moon’s newer films, does a very good job resurrecting the franchise. One of the things that this screenplay does for me, the fact there is a central story here It was lacking, in the last couple of films. I liked, how White actually spends time introducing the new puppet master before the carnage hits the fan. It’s gives the film a chance to set up a story, which was definitely lacking in the sixth and eighth installments of the series. That’s probably why they were the worst films in the franchise and hated by Puppet Master fans. I also liked the direction that he’s taken the series, with the ending to this film. It has a cliffhanger ending that's the perfect starting point, if Charles Band decides to make further installments. This is the first Puppet Master film since five, where I actually was excited about the franchise and wanted to see another installment made.

Besides the enjoyment over the direction and screenplay, the fact that the film’s score was very good. It was done by Richard Band, who did most of the film’s scores for Full Moon back in the earlier days including the Puppet Master films. It had that same magic feeling that made the Puppet Master series popular in the late eighties and early nineties. It was very nice to hear that score again along with the new tweeks in the theme music, as it really brings the magic that the earlier Full Moon films had.

“Puppet Master: Axis of Evil” is a return to form for Full Moon’s flagship series and a must for Puppet Master fans.

Review Rating: Four Stars

CBS Films recently send us over the Official Trailer for the new Jason Statham / Ben Foster film "The Mechanic".

Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham) is a 'mechanic' - an elite assassin with a strict code and unique talent for cleanly eliminating targets. It's a job that requires professional perfection and total detachment, and Bishop is the best in the business. But when his mentor and close friend Harry (Donald Sutherland) is murdered, Bishop is anything but detached. His next assignment is self-imposed - he wants those responsible dead.

His mission grows complicated when Harry's son Steve (Ben Foster) approaches him with the same vengeful goal and a determination to learn Bishop's trade. Bishop has always acted alone but he can't turn his back on Harry's son. A methodical hit man takes an impulsive student deep into his world and a deadly partnership is born. But while in pursuit of their ultimate mark, deceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems become problems themselves.

"The Mechanic" hits theaters on January 28th, 2011.

"The Mechanic" Official Trailer

It's back after being absent for a couple of week. That's right, I'm talking about Trailer Friday.

In this Edition, I have three Independent films that are either in theaters now or coming soon.

This edition of "Trailer Friday"will start off with the latest film from the director of "High Fidelity and "The Queen", Stephen Frears.

"Tamara Drewe": Official Trailer

Trailer courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

A live-action feature adaptation of Posy Simmonds' acclaimed graphic novel Tamara Drewe.

Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia The Sands of Time) will play Drewe, a sexy flirt who returns to her small country village and stirs up dark passions among the locals.Simmonds' novel, itself a collection of comic strips she first published in U.K. newspaper the Guardian, is a modern reimagining of Thomas Hardy's classic novel Far From the Madding Crowd.

"Tamara Drewe" is in theaters in limited release now.

The next film is from controversial director Gaspar Noe

"Enter the Void": Official Trailer

Trailer Courtesy of IFC Films.

One of the most anticipated cinematic events of the year, Gaspar Noe's ENTER THE VOID is a visionary thrill ride that's riveted audiences at the Cannes, Toronto, Sundance and SXSW film festivals. At Cannes, Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called it "an exceptional work... the work of an artist who's trying to show us something we haven't seen before".

The long-awaited follow up to his controversial IRREVERSIBLE, ENTER THE VOID is an immersive and mind-bending experience. Nathaniel Brown and Paz de la Huerta star in a visceral journey set against the thumping, neon club scene of Tokyo, which hurls the viewer into an astonishing trip through life, death, and the universally wonderful and horrible moments between.

"Enter the Void" is currently playing in theaters and VOD.

Finally, this film that won the Best Narrative Feature at this year's SXSW.

"Tiny Furniture": Official Trailer

Trailer Courtesy of IFC Films.

Winner of the best narrative feature at the SXSW Film Festival, TINY FURNITURE is a hilarious and endearing film that explores the depths of romantic humiliation and the heights of post-college confusion. Writer/director/star Lena Dunham is being called one of the most exciting new voices in American independent cinema and critics are hailing her film as "irresistibly funny", "unnervingly honest" and "near perfection". TINY FURNITURE also stars Dunham's real-life sister, Grace, and real-life mother, Laurie Simmons, the celebrated artist and photographer.

22-year-old Aura (Dunham) returns home to her artist mother's TriBeCa loft with the following: a useless film theory degree, 357 hits on her Youtube page, a boyfriend who's left her to find himself at Burning Man, a dying hamster, and her tail between her legs. Luckily, her trainwreck childhood best friend never left home, the restaurant down the block is hiring, and ill-advised romantic possibilities lurk around every corner. Surrounded on all sides by what she could become, Aura just wants someone to tell her who she is.

TINY FURNITURE is playing in NYC now & will open in LA and available On Demand November 26th with a nationwide rollout to follow.

It's Retro Trailer time. WIth Thanksgiving around the corner, I recently found a trailer on youtube that fits the holiday feel. It a classic film from 1987 starring Steve Martin and John Candy.

That's right, I'm talking about "Planes, Trains and Automobiles". With Thanksgiving around the corner, here's a film that fits the holiday.

That's it for this edition, I'll be back with another edition next Friday. Until then, enjoy your Thanksgiving everyone.

Welcome to the 261st Edition of my long-running series. Fresh off my five-year anniversary, I return to my normal format of 10 rather than 100, something I won't be doing again anytime soon. This week, I am introducing a new thing called "The Chain" where I am starting it with Christina Ricci and I will continue using her until I run out of films in my Netflix queue of her, then I move onto another person. I admit I will be the most entertained by this concept I came up with really to maintain that each week I get something out of Netflix. In Fantasy Football, I am now 4-5 in Fantasy football but am only one game out of the division lead so we'll see what Sunday holds for me to stay in it and win it all. Last week, my mom and I had our annual tryout at AMERICA'S GOT TALENT in Chicago which went real well. I moved up the farthest place in can in the preliminary auditions and now I hope for a call from them which they said if they decide to use me they will call me in April sometime so that I can give it another shot. Last night TALK RADIO opened and it went real well so come check it out if you are in the area. Now I'll get onto my ten films for the week so get your Netflix queues out.

Jesus of Montreal (1989): I start off with this French-Canadian film directed by Denys Arcand. Lothaire Bluteau stars as Daniel who is brought into the church to direct the annual Passion play. He is also told that they have not had very good crowds so he decides to do a very controversial interpretation. This becomes well received by some but looked down upon by the catholic church who thought they knew what they wanted but were wrong when they see what Daniel puts on. There is also an interesting element where characters they play mirror their own lives. This was a pretty good foreign film and can be found on Instant Netflix.

The Laramie Project (2002): This is the first link of my chain starting with Christina Ricci. Moises Kaufman wrote and directed this film which is based on his play where he interviews many local people in Laramie, Wyoming where the horrific murder of Matthew Shepard occurred. Many actors play the characters involved in his life and people in the community. Peter Fonda, Steve Buscemi, Laura Linney, Janeane Garofalo, and many others co-star as town-members. For those who do not know, Matthew Shepard was a gay man going to college and was brutally murdered by a couple young boys in the town. There was also a really good moment where the supporters of Shepard non-violently combated a picket from the Westboro Baptist Church. This is used a lot in schools to teach acceptance and tolerance. This was put on at Pruis Hall at Ball State University by the Multicultural Center. Next week, the chain continues with more Christina Ricci. This was a movie put on by HBO getting many big-name actors who want to help the cause.

The War of the Worlds (1953): This is the first film adaptation to the H.G. Wells classic where a small-town is dealing with an alien attack. Gene Barry stars as Dr. Clayton Forrester who bands everyone together to deal with this alien attack but sees that weapons are not really the answer. This story is really a statement towards are Cold War with Russia. This story is most known for the 1938 radio broadcast narrated by Orson Welles where many people really thought these events were happening sending many into a panic. This was presented by my local library and the effects look cheesy by today's standards but really meant something then where special effects took a lot more effort. This was remade in 2005 where they had the great CGI but that did not make it a better film.

My Best Fiend- Klaus Kinski (1999): This is my documentary for this week which was presented by my friend Travis on his Co-Op film series. Werner Herzog directed this film which takes a look at the very volatile working relationship he had with actor Klaus Kinski. Herzog directed Kinski in five films. This does take a very good look at Kinski showing the first film clip that Herzog saw of him. This also shows Kinski's softer side and even moments where he did get along with Herzog. They are about as important as Scorsese/De Niro, Akira Kurasowa/Toshiro Mifune, D.W. Griffith/Lillian Gish, and many others. They had many volatile moments on the set but possibly what was needed for Kinski to give everything he had to his characters.

Anna Lucasta (1958): This is an interesting early portrait of a black family of that era. Eartha Kitt plays the title character whose father has kicked her out of the house. She then turns to prostitution to make ends meet until her father asks her back because of the rest of the family wanting her back. Sammy Davis Jr. plays her friend who just can never get to the next level with her like he wants. Rex Ingram plays her father where some of the scenes get to be a bit much in his temper towards his daughter. However, while not a classic, it was worth seeing Eartha Kitt in her part. This is available on Instant Netflix This is based on a 1944 play by Philip Yordan.

The Most Dangerous Game (1932): Leslie Banks stars in this film as Count Zaroff who enjoys hunting where the victim of the sport are humans. He is on an island where a ship is shipwrecked where the three passengers, played by Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, and Robert Armstrong. They first believe he is very generous but realize there is a little more to him and must fight for survival. It has quite a bit of violence for this era and something I'm sure was rather controversial for its time. It is good to see Fay Wray in something else besides KING KONG which is all she is really known for. Banks is good in his film debut.

Believe It or Not (1931): This is my short film that I found on TCM. I am not sure of which one this is in a long series of these shorts from 1930-1931 but Robert Ripley, my hero, did a series of these showing some of the great oddities he found. In this one a little boy is supposed to be doing his homework but only finds interest in his book. He then falls asleep and has a dream where he and Mr. Ripley walk through his book to show some really cool things. I had the pleasure of going to this place in Orlando and I love looking at those books so this was a very fun few minutes.

(500) Days of Summer (2009): Marc Webb directed this romantic comedy but please keep reading before you just dismiss it as such. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Tom Hansen, a greeting card writer, who then meets and falls for Summer Finn, played by Zooey Deschanel, who says she does not believe in love but still forms a complicated relationship with Tom. She then breaks up with him which causes him to flashback to their relationship to analyze what went wrong. This was a very well done love story. Chloe Moritz is also good as Tom's little sister who is probably more mature and tries to help him through his break-up. This also puts great use of 80s alternative like some music from The Smiths.

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974): Rainer Werner Fassbinder directed this foreign film which is another unusual love story from the last selection. We first meet Emmi, an older German woman, who meets a Moroccan man named Ali who is not only a different race but 10 years younger. They then form a relationship leading up to marriage which becomes looked down upon the whole town including Emmi's family who just cannot understand how these two different people fall in love. This takes a great look at the price of being prejudice and what it can do. The two leads in the film are great and really make you feel for them even though they might be quite different than we are.

The Bucket List (2007): I end this week with a selection from my Facebook friend Rod who owns Wishbone Gifts, a great local store in Muncie, so if you are in the area, check out some really cool things that are sold there. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman team up in this one. Nicholson plays Edward who is a selfish billionaire. Freeman plays Carter, a working-class mechanic, family man, and history buff. The one thing they have in common is that they are terminally ill men who are in the same room and decide to escape to do the things that they have always wanted to do. They both learn a lot in the process. This was a great film showing us to live life like it is the last day you have because for them there was not much left. It is also very interesting watching Nicholson evolve into a more humanistic person. Rob Reiner directed this one.

Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes more Christina Ricci, Sean Astin, Alec Guinness, Peter Lorre, David Arquette, the late Jill Clayburgh, and many others.

How you end up enjoying “Due Date” will depend on how much time you spend comparing it to other road trip movies that it resembles, namely “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.” For the most part, it follows the same story and pattern as that film of two guys who are an odd couple in the most inconvenient of ways, and they could not be anymore different from each other if they tried. Of course, they come to see the similarities they share and eventually end up becoming best friends not matter how unlikely it seems. For me, I tried my damndest not to compare the two because there’s no way Todd Phillips (the man behind “The Hangover”) latest film could even come close to topping that John Hughes classic. In the end, it shouldn’t matter because you are just looking to laugh at the movies, and this one certainly delivers in that regard. That’s all that matters, right?

Indeed, I laughed my ass off at a lot throughout “Due Date,” and we’re talking serious belly laughs which I never expect to get as much of like when I was a kid. Pairing Robert “Iron Man” Downey Jr. with Zach “Hangover” Galifianakis turned out to be a terrific piece of casting, and the two work very well off each other.

Robert Downey Jr. plays Peter Highman, an architect of the most seriously high-strung variety. Peter ended up reminding me of myself in junior high and high school when I took things and myself WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. When he comes into contact with Zach’s character of Ethan Tremblay, Peter’s luck quickly erodes as he stupidly ends up on a no fly list and is forced to go cross country by car. You see, Peter needs to get to Los Angeles in the next couple of days so that he can witness the birth of his son. With all other options out the window, he has no choice but to go on a long car ride with Ethan in order to make it to his final destination.

Zach’s character is not all that different from the one he played in “The Hangover” in that Ethan is so socially irresponsible that it makes you wonder if he has anything resembling self-awareness. I mean, we see him masturbating in the car while Peter is trying to get some sleep, and Ethan’s only suggestion is that Peter should close his eyes and not look. Of course, Peter’s problem has more to do with the sound. You can’t help but laugh out of sheer nervousness because the possibility of Ethan accidentally “exploding” over Peter certainly crosses ones mind, and that’s even if he’s not pointing in his general direction.

Robert basically plays the straight man to Zach’s crazy ass character, and they each managed to score laughs without trying to outdo one another which is cool. Zach is especially good here because he plays Ethan in all seriousness, never acting like he is in on the joke. Seriously, there are only a couple of comic actors who can really sell a line like this one:

“Dad, you’ve been like a father to me…”

Zach may very well wear out his welcome by playing this same type of character before he knows it, but you have to admit that he plays this character brilliantly.

Robert Downey Jr. still has his dry sense of humor, and those bewildered stares he shoots off in every other scene are priceless as they reflect our own bewilderment as to what is going on. Robert also has a classic scene in dealing with the annoying kids of a drug dealer which had me in hysterics in that things take an unexpected turn. I guess you can only be nice to kids for so long before you snap. Let’s just hope Peter doesn’t do that to his child when he gets older.

But if there’s anything “Due Date” is lacking in, it is with the screenplay as the characters lack any serious depth. Much of what goes on between Peter and Ethan has the feel of a sitcom which, while making you laugh out loud really hard, after awhile feels somewhat shallow. Zach has a little more to work with as Ethan, but Robert’s character is more often than not made out to be an unlikable prick. If it were another actor instead of Downey Jr. in the part, this could have very likely sunk the picture. I kept being reminded of how Ferris Bueller described his best friend Cameron:

“Pardon my French but Cameron is so tight that if you stuck a lump of coal up his ass, in two weeks you have a diamond.”

This is where those comparisons between “Due Date” and “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” become hard to ignore. In that one, Steve Martin and John Candy (he is still missed) played two men who were essentially good people but whose trip to Chicago really brought out the worse in both of them. With “Due Date,” these characters are already in a frazzled state and dealing with their own issues. The excursions they have together make their already unbridled personalities even worse, and neither comes out it any different from where they started. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that these guys could ever possibly be friends after all they’ve gone through just to get to Los Angeles.

Going into “Due Date,” we know that it is not an original movie, but we end up being reminded of others which came before it and had such better developed and more memorable characters. But keep in mind, a lot of these criticisms I have of the movie really came to me a couple of days after I saw it. My initial reaction involved a lot of convulsions of laughter, and I am always thankful that there are still some movies that make me laugh to the point where I almost pass out. Where would we be without laughter like that in such hard times?

There are a couple of other actors worth mentioning here as well. Michelle Monaghan plays Peter’s pregnant wife, Sarah. Michelle is always a wonderful presence whenever she is onscreen, but she doesn’t have much to do other than wait around for her husband to show up. It’s always a shame when actresses get stuck with a character they can’t do much with. Juliette Lewis fares better as Heidi, a drug dealer giving Ethan his “medicinal” marijuana. Juliette has been making a comeback in movies, and she looks to be doing really well with this and “Conviction.”

Jamie Foxx is also here as Peter’s friend Darryl, but he’s actually not in the movie for that long. Jamie comes into the movie at around the midpoint and ends up disappearing far too soon. It would have been cooler actually if “Due Date” were a threesome with these actors as Jamie scores some good laughs, especially when he makes an embarrassing blunder while making coffee.

You also have Danny McBride doing his usual scene stealing work as Lonnie, a Western Union employee who does not take well to Peter’s snide remarks and will defend himself despite some physical difficulties (see the movie, and you’ll get what I mean). RZA has a cool cameo at the beginning as an airport screener, and he’s one of the cooler ones you could ever hope to find at the airport. Seeing him get into Downey Jr.’s face was one of the first real highlights.

Seriously, I did enjoy “Due Date” and had a good time. It’s hard not to recommend it as it has good actors and will have audiences in hysterics. But in retrospect, the aftertaste it leaves serves to show that it won’t have the same staying power as other road movies have had. If the script had more depth, it would have been even better than it already was. All the same, if you are looking for some good comedy, it’s hard to pass this one up.

**½ out of ****