Morning Glory (2010)

Great script, great actors (Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, and Rachel McAdams), but a horrible job in directing and producing this movie. 1 star for me. My wife and I watched this one together.

Breaking Wind (I mean Breaking Dawn, Part 1) (2011)

Our All State insurance agent bought out a screening of this movie for 200 of his best clients, that is the only reason I went to this movie. Listen, I had a Vasectomy the day before I went to this movie with my wife and would have given anything to get out of going but it was to no avail. The acting was on the better side of horrible, the story is there but the acting and dialogue is not.  Tell me this...if a room full of grown married men cried out cat calls when the young 18 year old male takes his shirt off we would get divorced, where is the equality there I ask you.
Do not go to this movie unless you owe your wife a huge favor!!!!  Turkey.

The Red Baron (2008)

This was a pathetic attempt to portray the incredible story of the WWI flying ace the Red Baron. The acting and storyline were off the charts bad, with poor editing of timelines and events. The only saving grace was the incredible flying scenes. 1 1/2 stars for the flying only.

There's No Business Like Show Business

It is difficult for me to give 1.5 stars to a movie starring Donald O'Connor, but I have too. O'Connor has got to be one of the best actors/dancers on the big screen of all time. I felt like they had an okay script for this show and then found a way to squeeze Marilyn Monroe into the movie. It felt forced and didn't work for me. The music was great but the picture didn't have any linear movement in it. Too choppy and unorganized.

The Majestic (2001)

Just to be up front, I am not a Jim Carrey fan; I have enjoyed some of his crazier movies, but overall I am not a fan of his untamed behaviors and portrayals on the screen.  This movie changed my perception on him.  The film is set during the 1951 inquisition of the Hollywood scene, clamming they were all communists.  Peter Appleton (Carrey) is no exception.  After he gets blacklisted, he goes for a ride, gets in a car wreck and gets amnesia.

He stumbles into a quiet little town in California and begins to change the town and it people.  I do not want to say too much as to give away the whole story, but I adore this movie and everything it stood for.  Jim Carrey was completely under control and well acted.  Is this the greatest movie ever made?  No, but I will watch it again when the opportunity arises 4.5 out of 5.

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A Stranger's Heart (2007)

Watched this with my wife. Negative 4 stars.

The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

Robert Benchley (played by himself) is told by his wife to go to the Walt Disney studios to pitch a new cartoon idea to Walt Disney himself.  Reluctantly Robert agrees to take on this task.  After receiving a pass at the front gate Robert is met by a Boy Scout-esque young man named Humphrey (Buddy Pepper).  It did not take long to understand that there are many wonderful things to see and experience at the studios, so at every opportunity Robert ditches Humphrey. 

Robert gets a personal tour of the drawing school, with real life models; watch how they do sound effects with recording devises; he learns the methods of a story board; he gets to watch them mix paints, and build clay models for the animators.  During this last stop of the clay model studio there are some shots of a naked female centurion, which will come back later in the show (??!).

Eventually Humphery catches Robert and escorts him into a viewing room with Mr. Walt Disney himself.  They sit down and view a new cartoon.  Come to find out, it is the cartoon that Robert came to pitch to Walt called the Reluctant Dragon.  (Finally, a cartoon, which was an entertaining short film itself.)

The Reluctant Dragon movie was a quick filler for the Disney Studios as the world headed into a second world war, it was a commercial disaster at the time because the public felt cheated with such a short cartoon, instead of the likes of Dumbo or Bambi which were to proceed and follow this film.

X-Men: First Class (2011)

Yet another Marvel Comic Book that has been brought to life by real actors.  James MaAvoy played a young Charles Xavier, while Michael Fassbender played Magneto.  Charles came from American weather and experience while on the other hand Magneto was born and raised in the ghettos of Poland.  Magneto gained his hatred from the hands of evil Nazis; Charles gained his love and patience from Oxford University.

Neither man knew that the other existed, or that there were other mutants but when the US government needed help it became apparent that they were not alone.  Almost single handedly they stopped the Cuban Missile Crisis, and WWIII.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Kevin Bacon playing the Nazi villain; but mostly I loved learning the back story of many of the more popular mutants and X-men.

I have said it before, but I do love to watch these comic book movies and this was probably one of the best I have seen in a long time.  Watch for a brief cameo by Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.  4 stars for me.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Sorry Audrey- I tried really hard to get into this movie and I couldn't take it anymore after the first 60 minutes- so I just turned it off.

I Was a Male War Bride (1949)

This is a fun 3 star comedy starring Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan. Sheridan holds her own and in my opinion actually out acts Grant. I love their chemistry and the script was just fun.

Grant plays a captain in the french army who falls in love with a captian in the American army. Of course there is a fine line between love and hate!

Walk, Don't Run (1964)

I am neither a brain scientist or a rocket surgeon, but my guess is that Cary Grant was never a fan of the hit song by Vanessa Williams titled "Save the Best for Last". Walk Don't Run was Grant's last film. He retired relativley young for an actor - at the age of 60 and he lived the last 22 years of his life in "retirement".

There are some bright spots of the film- there is an innocence about it that is enjoyable. We just don't make movies like this one anymore. It may be cute but it is simply just a bad movie. 1.5 stars at best. Definatley not one that Grant would want to end on.

It was the first Samantha Eggar and Jim Hutton movie for me- and I liked both of them. Hutton, according to IMDB, was supposed to be the next Jimmy Stewart. The problem with that is Stewart lived to be 150 and made 123 movies. Hutton died young of cancer at the age of 45. He didn't even live long enough to see his 20 year old son Timohty Hutton win an oscar in the Robert Redford movie "Ordinary People". Timothy Hutton still hold the record for the youngest person to win an oscar- according to IMDB.

John Adams (2008)

I realize that this is on your list already, but I have just finished watching it (I took advantage of a sick day to complete it, stupid cold and flu).  Paul G. was incredible as John Adams as we watched him transform the actual person through several famous incidents in history.  The chemistry that Paul and Laura Linney (Abigail) shared on the screen was mesmerizing.  I actually cried when she died.

This was a brilliant display of history, thank you for the recommendation.

The House of Strangers

Thank you for this recommendation, 3 stars for me!

Monkey Business (1952)

Cary Grant stars as Dr. Barnaby Fulton, and absent minded research chemist. He is employed by a company who is trying to invent a miracle drink that will allow people to capture the fountain of youth and become a younger version of themselves. Of course it is one of the monkeys in the lab that actually finds the right formula- not Dr. Fulton.

Charles Coburn plays Oliver Oxley, who is Dr. Fulton's boss. Mr. Oxley's secretary is none other than Marilyn Monroe who plays a very flirtatious and air headed Ms. Lois Laurel. Ginger Rogers plays Dr. Fulton's wife- and really had no business even being in a movie, I just didn't think she did that well. This movie was made before Monroe was a huge star but you could see for sure her beauty and her knack for the camera in this film.

This movie is a really funny for about 20% of the time and falls flat on its face the other 80%. The parts I enjoyed were watching the adult actors pretend to be teenagers again after they took the magic potion. If you are in a really silly mood you might like it, but otherwise you better off cleaning out the garage for the evening. 2 stars for me.

People Will Talk (1951)

Cary Grant & Jeanne Crain star in this movie. Actually you can't really call it a movie. It is more like a one act play that somebody turned into a movie to make some money. I only fell asleep 4 times. The plot was just strange. The message in the last 10 minutes was noteworthy but not entertaining.

As humans we are all creatures of habit. We do not see the world as it is, we see the world as we see it. When we meet someone who is different, we think they are weird. That in a nutshell sums up this movie. Grant plays a physician who is different than other doctors. Some people can't accept that, but really it is what makes our world unique. We need the individualism. We should embrace others instead of talking about them. 2 stars for me.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

"Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for a millionaire who shares his same name, and gets caught up in restitution plot against the said millionaire.  The thugs attack the Dude at the beginning of the film and pee on his rug.  From there the plots of the Dude go down hill to regain vengeance against such horrific acts against him.  Egged on by his bowling buddy (John Goodman) the vengeance is finally gained.

This is a GREAT Coen brothers film!!!!  I love the way that these brothers are able to create and establish characters simply through the dialogue that they have with each other.  Be warned that there is profanity, drug use, and brief nudity throughout this movie, but I was laughing out loud (late at night) watching this movie.

Jeff Bridges and John Goodman, supported by Steve Buscemi and Philip Seymour Hoffman were incredible!!!  Well worth the watch.  This movie is not child or wife friendly movie (it is a Coen brothers film :) )  Four and a half stars for me on this one.

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

Across the Wide Missouri (1951)

Clark Gable and Ricardo Montalban what were you thinking?  I could only make it into about 25 minutes of this horrible show!!!  Do not waste your time.  For kicks and giggles here is the trailer...crap, it is blocked, oh well, it sucked as well.

The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)

This was another fine movie directed by Billy Wilder, with an excellent support of lead actor James Stewart. Everybody knows the history of Charles Lindbergh and his attempt to fly solo across the Atlantic non-stop. The performances by the actors were fine, and the effects were good for that era, but the movie was very flat and dull.
From a historical point of view it gives a good outline of the events of the flight and the leading up to the flight, but it ends abruptly after he lands the plane. The final shots of the ticker-tape parade for Linbergh was interesting but only lasted for about ten seconds. This movie was interesting but not entertaining, just two stars.