Secretariat - 2012

Lived up to the hype.  Dragged at times.  Acting was great.  Fun movie - 3.5 stars.

Brokedown Palace - 1999

Claire Danes, Kate Beckinsale, Bill Pulman and Lou Diamond Phillips star in this movie which motive is to teach us  what a true friendship is really worth.  Danes and Beckinsale play two fun loving naive high school seniors set on sneaking off to Thailand for their "senior trip".  Of course they do tell their parents that they are going to Hawaii. 

The girls learn that the world isn't as free as their morals or their attitudes - and actually end up in prison after getting set up by a con man from Hong Kong.  Danes plays the best role in this movie.  You get to see a selfish 18 year old mature into a 20 something mature adult by the end of the show.  Some of it isn't her fault, she didn't have the upbringing that others do, but in the end she has to learn some of lifes greatest lessons in order to learn and grow.  I borrowed this film from a neighbor and would give it 2 stars is all.  I didn't like the lesbian undertones between the two main characters.  My wife thought all the touching between them was genuine and they were just friends, but I felt it had a deeper meaning.  A long movie with bad directing to boot - but the acting from Danes and Beckinsale is actually pretty good.

Young Frankenstein - 1974

Very funny - too many sex jokes to call this a kid show - Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder at their best. 3.5 stars

Now You See Me (2013)

When I first saw the preview for this film I was excited because it had good actors in it and the premise of robbing bank through magic seems exciting.  In regards to that trailer this movie did not disappoint but the reliance on crude language and jokes damaged teh overall thrill of the show.  Did I like this cat and mouse chase?  Yes.  Would I see it again?  No.  Wait to see it on the TV if you have not already seen it.

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters (2013)

This is not so much a post about the movie as it is about the new movie theater we saw it in.  Did I say movie theater?  I meant restaurant.  I know that you can go to any Megaplex and take a meal into the theater with you, but at the new Movie Grille in Ogden a waitress comes to your chair and takes your order.  The serve gourmet food such as specialty pizzas, hamburgers, sandwiches, etc.  Your soda is refilled in a glass cup by the waitress who checks on you through out the film.  Food aside, the chairs recline like a Lazy-Boy...I am talking shoes off, feet in the air recline.  There is so much space between the rows and ailes and it is new and clean.  On Mondays the run a two for twenty dollar deal, two people, two tickets and two meals for twenty dollars.  They do run "dollar theater" movies, but right now I am not able to make to all of the shows I want to see at the Megaplexes when the shows are new and fresh.  I think you should try it out.

Oh, the movie was good for the family, but not much to post about.  My eleven and nine year old boys liked it.  Since I was in a recliner, I slept through most of it :)

Advise & Consent - 1962

I have had this Otto Preminger film on my to watch list for a few years.  I loved every minute of it.

Charles Laughton in his last role of his life, and boy is he always a treat for me to watch on film.  Walter Pidgeon, Henry Fonda, Lew Ayres, Don Murray, Gene Tierney and even Bette White star in this political film about how work gets done in D.C. aka compromise, corruption, blackmail, bribing, etc.   4 stars.

<iframe width="320" height="250" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eVmIJvNSQdg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

This is a film adaptation of the novel I Am Legend.  Vincent Price plays a scientist who has become immune to the disease that has wiped out the entire human race...so he thinks.  This disease turns the humans into zombies who come out at night looking for food.  He has taken it upon himself to kill and dispose of them during the day, while he is still looking for living humans.  This story intrigued me, but I had to fast forward it to the end just to find out how it ended...boring.  He found some other humans, but could not convince them that he was not a zombie and ended up being killed.  I realize that I just gave you the ending, but trust me, you will want to skip this one.

Snow White and the Huntsman - 2012

This show had a lot going for it- incredible special effects, very good acting from Charlize Theron and her evil brother Finn, and beautiful cinematography.  Unfortunately somebody really screwed up the casting of Kristen Stewart as Snow White.  She was horrible.  She played the same role that she played in Twilight.  Maybe she thought she was shooting a twilight picture?  I mean seriously.  Theron's acting made the movie okay but I really struggled with Stewart.  2 stars.

Lincoln

I didn't like this movie as much as you did.  I struggle with historical films that have 7-8 characters that I recognize from other movies.  I like the non-recognizable actors approach better to these films because then I can really get into them and believe in the moment.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

I remember all of the hype surrounding this film when it came out.  It was up for 8 Oscars; it took home the best male lead and Cinematography.  To be brutally honest with you, I did not like this show. 
It is based off of the novel "Oil" by Upton Sinclair (He also wrote the much beloved novel, The Jungle).  Daniel Day-Lewis plays a gold prospector Daniel Plainview who is kind of successful in the gold mining, but one day he strikes oil and begins down the road of oil baron.  Early on, one of his minors is killed in a mining accident and leaves a son behind which Daniel takes on as his partner.
Along his way he is buying up lots of land to mine and he runs across the Sunday family with twin boys.  The one twin sells out the family, while the other is focused on becoming a preacher.  As the preacher and Daniels paths cross their lives become conflicted with religion and money, with money and greed ultimately winning out and ruining both of their lives.  This movie is rated R for a cringe worthy murder at the very end of the show.  Day-Lewis's performance was good, but not one of his best in my book.  This movie was an epic that could have been condensed into a 90 minute film.  Not a great movie.

What ever happened to Baby Jane? - 1962

Sorry Bette Davis and Joan Crawford- I could only take 70 min of this movie and had to turn it off.  I just didn't like it at all.

"In a tale that almost redefines sibling rivalry, faded actresses Blanche and 'Baby' Jane Hudson live together. Jane was by far the most famous when she performed with their father in vaudeville but as they got older, it was Blanche who became the finer actress, which Jane still resents. Blanche is now confined to a wheelchair - Jane ran her over with the car while drunk, even though she has no memory of it - and Jane is firmly in control. As time goes by, Jane exercises greater and greater control over her sister, intercepting her letters and ensuring that few if anyone from the outside has any contact with her. As Jane slowly loses her mind, she torments her sister going to ever greater extremes."

The Bells of St Mary's - 1945

The sequel to Going My Way, although it was actually shot before the original movie was shot.  Crosby plays Father O'Malley again, this time opposite Ingrid Bergman, who plays the head nun at a child's parochial school.  This movie didn't work for me like the original, I would skip it.  2.5 stars.

3:10 to Yuma

If you have not done so already, skip this movie.  It is slow, formulaic, and boring.  I have not watched the remake, but it looks a lot more interesting than this one was.  I turned it off about half way through.

Tuesdays with Morrie - 1999 - Winner of 4 Emmy's

When I was at VistaCare our bereavement coordinator Julia told me to read this book, and I loved it.  I have always wanted to see the made for TV movie starring Jack Lemmon, and I finally got it at the library.  Jack died two years after filming this movie, and I feel he was the right person for the character of Morrie.  I liked the book better but the film was good but not spectacular.  3 stars.

Going My Way - 1944 - Winner of 7 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor!

If you haven't seen this movie then you should.  I don't want to say a lot about it, I just want you to experience it without knowing a lot about it beforehand.  There are some great life lessons in this movie- how to treat the aging person, how to enjoy your work when your talent or heart belongs somewhere else, and how to make religion an enjoyable part of your life.  Excellent Music.  Excellent Acting.  I loved this movie!  5 stars.

42 (2013)

This is the "true" story of Jackie Robinson and his role in breaking down the racial walls in professional baseball.  Go into this with a grain of salt because it is filmed with a lot of Hollywood imagining.  That being said, this is still a true story, and this movie tells a tense story in a great way.  The only reason this movie is rated PG-13 is because of all of the racial dialogue that is throughout this entire show.  The performances by Chadwick Boseman (Jackie Robinson), and Nichole Beharie (Jackie's wife Raechel) were strong and well portrayed, but I think the show belonged to Harrison Ford who portrayed Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Ford played an elderly gentleman almost to perfection, he actually played it in a way that you almost forgot that it was Hans Solo and Indiana Jones.  The only time I caught a glimpse of these past roles was when he gave his quintessential grin.  This movie has intense moments of racial conflict and language, but it is smoothed over by calm moments to help you as a viewer get through the emotional roller coaster that you will be on.  I cannot comprehend this kind of behavior by God fearing Christians but it was just natural for them, I guess.  If you are a baseball fan this is a must watch, even if you are not a fan, it is a must watch.  This will find a place on my list.  Be careful watching this with your kids if you have not had the racial discrimination conversation with them yet. 

Mildred Pierce - 1945 - Oscar for Best Actress

I read that this film was Joan Crawford's best work, so I had to give it a try.  The film was remade in 2011 on HBO with Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce.

Joan Crawford will do anything for her daughter, and in the end she realizes that she wasted her life with that approach.  Joan's acting is great, but the rest of the crew just does okay.  3.5 stars.

<iframe width="400" height="300" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zkrUc30A-wU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Grand Hotel - 1932 (Academy Award winner for Best Picture)

I realize that 81 years ago there were maybe 5% of the movies made per year compared to what we see nowadays, but still this shouldn't have won best picture.

My guess is they had 3-4 stuidos back then and all films were shot on location on those studios.  They didn't have the camera's, technology, money, travel arrangements that are easy to set up, etc.  I get all that but really this movie is a dissapoints.  I wonder if winning the Oscar back then was all about the line up in the movie more than the movie itself- in this case Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, John Barrymore, and Lionel Barrymore all teamed up as big time movie stars of that time for this movie.

The story is about a bunch of individuals staying in the same hotel and how their lives interact. I was hoping for a twist at the end, something to guess, some drama... nothing.  What a snoozer.  1 star.

Reefer Madness (1936)

I am not recommending that you actually watch this entire movie (it is only like 65 minutes long) but it is a funny public service announcement on the dangers of the new Public Enemy #1, Marihuana.  This movie was put out to warn parents of the dangers that this new drug will cause for their children and society.  The way it is depicted is interesting, because even as the kids are high, they still are well dress and mannered.  It was an interesting watch simply because of when it was made and how it was presented.

Skyfall (2012)

I must admit that Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond, simply because he is weathered and tired and presents as a good agent.  He is not goofy like the rest.  This story begins with another agent accidentally "killing" Bond.  To spoil the story for you, he does not die, but finds this as an excuse to go into seclusion.  While in retirement, he sees that someone is trying to off and expose the rest of the agents of MI6.  Ego pulls him out of retirement and he begins to track down the individuals who are responsible for this mess.  To make a long story short the bad guy is M's very own son.  This movie culminates in the destruction of Bond's childhood home and Aston Martin.  Violent!!
It felt as though this movie should have been the first Bond Movie because it ends with him walking into M's office like it is his first time there???!!??

A View To a Kill

James Bond, what more need I say?  Bond gets in trouble, sleeps with a girl, girl gets killed, Bond gets out of trouble, sleeps with another girl, she ends up saving him in the end.  This one seemed a little desperate for a storyline though.  MI6 sends out their top agent to track down a ring of horse breeders who are drugging their horses to give them the advantage during a race?  LAME, what more can I say though, I must see all James Bond movies no matter how stupid they are.

Red 2

Bruce Willis reprises his role in this DC comic adaptation of RED (Retired and Extremely Dangerous).  It is not often that you see a sequel and enjoy it better than the first one, but this show did it.  John Malcovik and Mary Loise Parker have larger roles, but they given plenty of screen time to Helen Mirren as well.  Bruce is off to track down a bomb that was placed by Anthony Hopkins in the middle of Russia during the Cold War.  Along the way he has to protect himself from the CIA that is still trying to kill him.

Half way through the first show the lite comic book story took a very serious turn and became too dramatic for the feeling of the entire show.  This one on the other hand maintained a lite flow through out.  There were intense fight scenes, but they did not take themselves too seriously.  The screen writing for this movie was true to the comic book writing and one liners.  I enjoy all comic book movies, but really can't give too many of them raving reviews.  I did like this show as a good popcorn movie, but not much more.

Save the Tiger - 1973

God broke the mold when he made Jack Lemmon, and I mean that as respectfully as one can put in writing. Lemmon's only Best Actor Academy Award came from this gem. The last time a performance had that big of a depressing effect on me was after I watched it was the movie Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf- which you liked as well.

Jack plays Harry Stoner- a man filled with every emotion that a middle aged man possibly could have. His only child is away at college, his marriage is dull, his business is not what it used to be and is financially tanking, he can't get rid of the PTSD episodes from a war he fought in Italy, he thinks about his childhood obsession of baseball, he daydreams, etc. Life shouldn't be this hard for someone that did all the right things. 

Jack owns a clothing line company- they sell to retailers. Jack resents the fact that he has to hire prostitutes for buyers and is frustrated that he can't make payroll that it tempts him to burn one of his factories down to collect on insurance.

 Jack's reasoning voice is Phil Green, played by the late Jack Gilford. Gilford received an Oscar nod for his performance- and it was incredible. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie. It is for movie buffs. It is different and leaves you thinking about a lot of things.

This movie makes my top 100 list and is very moving. It is rated R for pot smoking, taking of the Lord's name in vain about 35 times, and adult themes. There is no nudity but prostitution is discussed and other adult themes. One of the most powerful scenes in the movie takes place in a pornographic movie theatre- it only shows the actors faces as the talk, but still the setting isn't for kids. If this movie was released today it would be PG-13. It does show Jack Lemmon's butt as he gets in the shower- so I guess that is nudity.  What an incredible film.

I had a hard time getting this film on Netflix over the years, it was always on hold- luckily I got it at the library.

Hellcats of the Navy (1957)

Ronald Reagan is a naval captain in charge of disrupting the flow of supplies from China to Japan during WWII. He gets distracted by his future wife Nancy Davis, and must balance work and personal life at the same time...At least this is what I got from the cover art. To say that this movie was lame is an understatement, I fell asleep about 20 minutes in to it. I do have one thing to say though and that is, Ronald Reagan had perfect hair. I remember people saying that he was the great communicator, no, I do not believe it was his words that did the speaking, but in fact it was his hair that impressed people into action. This is a definite miss.

Tom Horn - 1980

By 1979, 49 year old Steve McQueen was fighting for his life from Mesothelioma Cancer. It was believed that he developed this type of cancer from his years of breathing in exhaust from race car driving and motorcycle driving. McQueen was recently re-married for the third time and wanted to make a couple of movies before he died- this was one of them. He passed away in 1980 just after the release of this movie- which was a total disaster at the box office. McQueen plays "Tom Horn" a real life cowboy figure - and gun for hire - located in the last frontier in Wyoming around 1900. Horn doesn't really know how to fit in with the new civilization that is forming, he only knows how to track down bad guys and blow their heads off with his Winchester rifle. He has excellent precision with his rifle from long distances - similar to Tom Selleck in Quigly Down Under. Horn is hired to scare off some rouge ruffians who are stealing cattle- he does it the way he knows how, which is to kill them. In the end he ends up losing his life from a court convicted hanging because Horn is to stubborn to admit he didn't kill a child. He doesn't want to give the prosecution the satisfaction of saying he didn't do it. The film doesn't flow well, and ends up being a dissapointment. It is rate R for one F word. I would not recommend this movie.

The Bishop's Wife - 1947

Cary Grant plays an Angel named Dudley who comes down from heaven to spend time with a Catholic Bishop and his family. Dudley is an answer to the Bishop's prayer, although the Bishop didn't really see it that way- he wanted his prayer answered differently. I loved the dialogue and acting. The film reminded me of "It's a Wonderful Life"- not just the storyline but also the setting because it was Christmas time during the movie. David Niven plays the Bishop. An Autobiography I read about Grant talks about how Niven and Grant had a gay relationship during their adult years- they were great on screen together. Loretta Young is always great and she does a good job as the Bishop's wife. Just a fun movie with a fantastic message for all ages. Hollywood doesn't make Christain based movies anymore so enjoy this one- a little silly at times but I liked it a lot. 4 stars.

Sound City (2013)

This documentary was directed and produced by David Grohl (Drummer for Nirvana, and lead singer for the Foo Fighters). It is the story of the recording studio in Sothern California that had no right to be so popular. It made no-name groups super stars because of the sound board it had. This is a must watch for Rock'n'Roll fans.

Rambo: First Bood II (1985)

We find John at the beginning of this movie doing hard labor in a rock quarry for the crimes he committed against society. He seems at ease because he knows what is expected of him and there is a routine. Col. Trautman shows up to offer him a new mission with a possible commuting of his sentence if the mission is accomplished. The mission is go back to the jungles of Vietnam and find POWs. Rambo accepts the mission; let the laughter begin. Really? Could they make the jungle look more like a local plant store with its lights out? Could he make anymore noise breaking into the POW camp? Could the government entity "supporting" his mission look more thuggish? I must admit there were some cool Special Forces scenes, especially when he was covered in mud. It was cool also when this potential chick flick found the heroin being shot to death moments after swapping spit with Rambo. This show was predictable from the opening credits, but I must give it props because it was better than the first movie. To make a long movie short, he rescues the POWs, beats up the thugs, and prepares the audience for a third installment. Ugh...too melodramatic.

The Hangover (2011)

I must admit that lame comedies that walk the lines of decency are a guilty pleasure of mine, but I would not recommend this for anyone to view. Four guys go to Vegas for a Bachelor Party, get wasted, lose one of the friends, have no memory of the night before, have to retrace their steps, and eventually make it to the wedding. I laughed a lot, but would not suggested this as a good watch.

Mr Lucky - 1943

Cary Grant and Laraine Day star in this unmoving romantic comedy. Day was an active Mormon her whole life and was a very popular movie star in the 40's and 50's. This is the first time I have seen one of her films but I have heard of her. She was born in Roosevelt, UT and died in 2007 in Ivans, UT. The movie wasn't great- 2 stars. Just a cheap movie that took probably 10 days to shoot.

Once Upon a Time in the West

I am so glad you blogged about this movie- it gets 5 stars from me. I loved everything about it. The style the director took was magnificent- slow moving and long pauses on the actors faces. Charles Bronson looks like a skin cancer advertisement- he is bronzed over and looks like a weathered tough guy. Henry Fonda was great. Jason Robards is fantastic in every movie I have ever seen of his and Claudia Cardinale is just drop dead gorgeous. What a wonderful movie, I will watch it again. I was left guessing right up until the end. I had no idea that Jason Robards had been shot in the stomach until the end of the movie. I fast forwarded the love scene with Fonda and Cardinale cause I had kids in the room, so I couldn't tell if it was mutual or if he was raping her. What a great western, I can't believe I had never seen it.

War Hunt - 1962

I wanted to see this movie because it was the film debut of many famous actors- Robert Redford, Sydney Pollack (who of course became a famous director), Gavin MacLeod, & Tom Skerritt. The film addresses the dark side of the Koren War- meaning an American GI who has gone rouge and each night sneaks past enemy lines to stop innocent Korean civilians. Not much to see here it is an okay film. 2.5 stars.

Little Caesar - 1931

This is a famous film- Edward G. Robinson's breakthrough- a successful mob movie which led to other motion picture studios to make the decision to make mob movies - etc. Yawn...... 1 star for me. BORING!

Bonnie & Clyde - 1967

Had this on my list for sometime and finally got to it. This movie reminded me of watching Oh Brother Where Art Thou for the first time. You need a couple of days after the film is over to think about why the director did things a certain way in the movie, why actors played their parts the way they did, and why the movie was so different than any other movie you have ever seen. This movie stands out because it is in a different class- it doesn't fit anywhere. Yes you learn what the true story is of the famous couple, but you also learn about their love affair and how demented and strange it was. Bonnie wanted to rush of loving a crook but longed to be a good girl. The misfits that follow them around are just strange- one of them played by Gene Hackman. Billy Wilder has a small but funny role. I would rate this PG-13 if it came out today. Very strange but effective movie. 3 stars.

The Jazz Singer (1980)

Here is a remake of the 1927 Al Jolson original of the same name.  Neil Diamond stars as a young Jewish cantor who would rather present his singing talents as a pop singer.  Regrettably he has to give up his family and faith in New York and head out to California to find this dream.  Along the way he divorces his wife, changes his name, signs a record deal, becomes a big deal, runs away, marries, has a kid, and ends on top.

The music was good, and acting was ok, the storyline was simplistic, and I really struggled with him so willingly throw away who he was to become who he wanted to be.  This is worth a one time watch, but is very predictable.

Iron Man 3

Tony Stark is struggling with anxiety since the large battle in New York, and he is wondering about his role moving forward as a super hero. Throughout the show he struggles with this, but is confronted with a new enemy. A large battle ensues, and the ending is one to surprise the viewers; will there be any more Iron Man? I liked this movie and felt it was another good addition to the Marvel movie collection.

Yankee Doodle Dandee - 1942

James Cagney delivers a 5 star performance as he plays the lead role of a real life American hero- George M. Cohan. Nominated for 8 Oscars and took home 3- including best Actor for Cagney. I didn't know a lot about Cohan's life so I found the movie very informative as well as entertaining. My kids loved the music and I loved everything about this movie. I am sort of a sucker for any type of movie that depicts life for people on the Vauderville circut and portraying the ups and downs associated with theater circuits. I can only imagine all the rehearsals that it took to make this movie- thousands of dance steps, songs to learn, stage props, costumes, my goodness what a movie. 4.5 stars. Deserves to be on AFI's top 100 and it is, I am glad I watched it.

Wuthering Heights - 1939

I am a little ashamed that I am watching this movie for the first time- it is a top 100 movie according to most polls and has been remade 17 TIMES since 1920- according to IMDB! The movie is based off a very popular book novel written by Emily Bronte. Not sure what took me so long to get to it. The movie was nominated for 8 Academy Awards. I grew up with a girl in my ward (let’s call her Naomi) and we have been friends our entire lives. The past 15 years of her life have been difficult. She has never given her marriage what it needs, because she feels her heart was given to somebody else before her marriage. That somebody else is also a good friend of mine (let’s call him Eric). Eric has been married to someone else for 15 years, as has Naomi. He has no interest in Naomi, but he understands that she still fantasizes about him all the time. She drives by his house, calls his phone, talks to others about how she should have married him, etc. You may think I am making this up but I am not. It is a very sad situation and we have all told her to move on with her life and appreciate the husband and four children she has. She has chosen to live a life of misery and the grass is greener on the other side mentality approach to marriage. Some people believe that there is only one person for you to marry in this world; others believe that you can love more than once. I have always been a believer in the latter. Naomi feels that once your heart is saved for someone the rest of your life is misery unless you are with them. She had her chance to marry Eric and she turned him down. It was her choice. Eric did love her at one time, but like the rest of us he moved on and now loves the person he is married to. I could laugh Wuthering Heights off as a stupid chick flick - three tissue - tear jerker. But to me it wasn't silly, it was sad. It made me realize that the movie represents real people and their problems. Merle Oberon delivers an Oscar winning performance in my opinion (she did not win) as Cathy Earnshaw. Cathy grows up as a rich socialite on the shores of England. She loves the fanfare of being a part of the upper crust but her heart belongs to a stable boy named Heathcliff. Heathcliff is played by Laurence Olivier (who also should have won an Oscar). Heathcliff was taken in by Cathy's father and given a place to live- but when the father dies Cathy's older brother places Heathcliff where he belongs- in the stable. A beggar and peasant should never live with royalty. Healthcliff and Cathy grew up best friends and romantic interests, even thought they kind of are adopted brother and sister. It is Cathy's brother that stops her from being able to love Heathcliff because he doesn't deserve to have a normal life. Cathy then makes the decision that haunts her forever- she decides to move on and marry a rich person instead of the person she loves. I don't want to tell you everything about the movie in case you want to watch it. Just be advised this is A BIG TIME CHICK FLICK! Very sappy, very sad, very over the top dramatic. The close up shots of the actor’s faces are fantastic. It is a great lesson in how black and white cinematography should be done. 3.5 stars for me but I won't be putting this tear jerker in my top 100 list, but at least I can undestand why it made some people's top 100 list- there are some good things about this movie. The overal moral is that hate, jealousy and revenge only lead to sadness.

First Blood (1982)

A couple of my fellow Clinic Managers are on a mission to help me watch more manly movies.  Since their first attempt was an epic failure, I was not to optimistic about watching "Rambo"; I do have to admit that this movie has more of a manly culture than Days of Thunder.  I was not sure what to expect when I sat down to watch this film, I knew Iwasn't going to like it, but I had committed to watch it so that I could expand my manly exposure in movies.

John Rambo is a Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War, and a Special Forces Green Beret.  Wandering around the country he is trying to catch up with his old buddies, but learns that they have all died and he is the lone survivor.  As he is walking through a small community as a vagrant, he is escorted out of town and eventually arrested.  The small town cops take it upon themselves to teach him, with an iron fist, how he should comply with societal rules.  During this abuse he has horrific flashbacks on torture sessions during the war, and snaps.  He makes easy business of the cops and escapes to the mountains.

While he is on the run he takes on the cops and the national guard in a one man war.  Needless to say he wins, but in the end his old Colnel convinces him to turn himself in.  This movie is fast paced, it does have a few laughs, but mostly it is a sad movie because of the way society treated him.  He obviously has PTSD, but during that time no one appreciated that, or even knew how to help him.  I thought this movie would help me feel manly or pumped full of adrenaline, but it did the exact opposite for me...it depressed me.  I got the same feeling after watching the Deer Hunter (Do not watch that movie, it is a downer of a show).  Overall 2 stars for me.  Up next Rambo II

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)

What is there to say?  Everyone but me has already seen this movie....and I loved it!!!!!!!

Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)

I was in a western mood so I decided to watch this film.  Boy I was not disappointed, guns, horses, trains, guns, girls, and more guns.  In my opinion this is one of the better films that Henry Fonda was in, and he played his roll marvelously.  Charles Bronson plays a bad guy on a mission to find and kill the men who changed his life forever.  Jason Robards is just a bad guy.  Henry Fonda is a bad guy playing a hit man for a rich train baron who is building a train track across America so he can see the Pacific Ocean.  He is buying up every piece of land along the way but a corrupt Irishman is standing in his way.  Fonda makes quick and easy work of the Irishman and his family, but he does not take into account the Irishman's new wife, played by Claudia Cardinale.  Come to find out the new wife is nothing more than a money grubbing prostitute from New Orleans.  Do you catch the drift of the movie?  There is not one good person to cheer for, you actually find yourself trying to side with one of the bad guys and root for them...I am so conflicted.  I really enjoyed the filming of this movie, the director allowed for facial expressions and long stares to tell the story.  If you like westerns this is a must watch.

My Sister Eileen - 1955

What a snoozer. Made it about 70 min and turned it off- 1 star. Stars Jack Lemmon and Janet Leigh. IMDB Review- "Ruth and her beautiful sister Eileen come to New York's Greenwich Village looking for "fame, fortune and a 'For Rent' sign on Barrow Street". They find an apartment (such as it is!), but fame and fortune are a lot more elusive. Ruth gets the attention of playboy publisher Bob Baker when she submits a story about her gorgeous sister Eileen. She tries to keep his attention by convincing him that she, (a "spinsterish old-maid writer") and the gorgeous, man-getting Eileen are one and the same person."

Dark Victory - 1939

Watching the special features on the DVD helped me appreciate this film even more. 1939 is known as Hollywoods best year- Wizard of OZ, Gone with the Wind and Wuthering Heights all came out that year and those movies are found in most critics top 100 list. Dark Victory actually was a smash success at the box office and was nomintated for just as many Academy Awards as those other three films- but didn't collect on the nominations and is therefore not as well known as the other three. Bette Davis begged Jack Warner at Warner Brothers to buy this script. After a few years he finally gave in. He didn't feel that the American public wanted to see a movie about a rich girl dying of brain cancer- and he was wrong. Bette Davis felt the movie would give her another Oscar - but it didn't do that, even though I felt like it was an amazing performance. The movie was ground breaking in that it proved you could have a movie about death that audiences would pay to see. Davis plays Judith- a rich younger 20's girl with more money than she needs. She is stubborn, pretty and very head strong. She goes through all the major steps of a major illness from denial down to acceptance at the end of her life. The word cancer wasn't used back in those days so they refer to her disease as a growth or tumor. Davis falls for her Neurosurgoen Dr. Steele played by George Brent (who had an affair with Davis in real life). Brent holds his own in the movie. Davis' best friend is played by British actress Geraldine Fitzgerald, who makes her American debut with this film (her only daughter is a result of a brief affair she had with Orson Wells in real life). Ronald Reagan plays Alec, one of Davis' friends, and has about 15 lines in the movie. A young Humphrey Bogart plays Davis' perosonal irish horse trainer named Michael O'Leary and is really just a support actor in this one. Because of Davis' performance I will give this 3.5 stars. Her rapid delivery of lines and body movement is 2nd to no one. She really was one of the best. The story is a sad one but delivers a great message- and without Davis I would give it 2.5 stars.

The Bridge on the River Kwai

AFI got this one right- it is a top 100 movie and it gets 5 stars from me. I love how the characters change. I love the loyalty that both the British and the Japenese soldiers possess towards their respective countries. Beutiful scenery adds to this great film. I brought my kids in to watch the last ten minutes so they could see the bridge explode.

An American In Paris

I wouldn't have put this on the AFI Top 100 list. Great dancing and singing but I thought the story was boring and predictible. 2 stars.

Days of Thunder (1990)

Cole Trickle, played by Tom Cruise, is invited to drive Nascar for the first time in his career; he is accustom to open wheel cars and short tracks.  The only problem is that Cole does not know how to properly drive these cars, and is not willing to really listen to the advise of his crew chief.  This stubbornness gets him into a wreck that could potentially end his career as a professional driver.  Throughout the recovery he falls for his neurosurgeon and begins to take life a little more serious, along the way he finds that he can overcome his internal fears.

I am here to tell you that this is a man's movie through and through, and it is quite possibly one of the best man movies I have ever seen.  The first part of the show displays Dennis Quaid playing a straight role of the team owner.  He is interacting with Robert Duvall (probably one of the finest character actors of a generation) who is a reluctant and stubborn retired crew chief.  Together they devise a plan to bring in a new driver that will take them to places they have never been before in the racing world.

Around the twelve minute mark the making of a great film is ruined when Maverick rides his motorcycle in from Top Gun to show Quaid, Duvall, and John C Reilly how he can drive a Nascar car.  As he gets off of his bike you can literally see the camera angles change so that you do not see the boxes that Tom Cruise is standing on to make him look as tall as the other actors.  To tell you the truth it was not until this show that I realized how one-dimensional Cruise was as an actor.  While he was arguing with Duvall, it felt like he was arguing with...well anyone from his movies (this guy cannot act!!).  Even though he has performed with some of the most talented actors of our era, I am convinced it is only because he is eye candy for the ladies; but I will get to that in a moment.

You might say that this movie was not that bad, and frankly it can't get any worse than what you have already read, but wait there is more.  How do you make Days of Thunder worse, I will tell you, add Nicole Kidman as his doctor.  Her acting was so wretched it felt like you could also envision the queue cards that were being held off set for her to read.  There was no chemistry for these two on the screen, but as a viewer you got sucked down the rabbit hole of the moronic writing of this film.  I could not look away from a movie that had the line, "You look like a monkey f$%(*ing a football."  If that is not a line for a man movie I don't know what one is.

Did I just refer to this movie as a man movie for the second time in this review....ugh, what am I thinking?  This was a chick flick through and through!!!  As my wife so lovingly said to me as I was watching this film, "Why are you watching a chick flick, all this is is a love story surrounded by racing so the girls could get their guys to watch it."  "Great," I say back to her, "now you have just ruined Top Gun and turned it into a chick flick as well."  Oh how true it is though.  The story lines were pathetically similar, the love story was identical, and the ending was intolerably predictable. 

To tell you the truth, the only reason I watched this movie was because a co-worker/friend told me how great it was, and how it was a manly movie.  Well, I hate to break it to them, but they have fallen victim to clever advertising, weak story telling, and action packed sequences all wrapped up tidily in a chick flick, honestly, what is next?  Steel Magnolias?  Up next...Rambo I - XIV

Why Soylent Green Sucked.

1. The story took place in 2022, but it felt like they were stuck in the year 1977.  Be creative, use a little imagination to try and make it feel like it is in the future.  Even 2001 A Space Odyssey tried with their space crafts; granted they still had phone operators, but at least they tried.
2. Where are all the children?  There are over 40 million people in New York alone, but there are no children.  I can understand how they would not be able to procreate since they were stacked on top of each other on stair ways.
3. Did no one care about their relatives?  If a giant front loader truck came along and scooped up your family member and you never heard from them again wouldn't you begin to worry?
4. Why all the pollution?  People were not driving cars, they were just wandering around like zombies.
5. Why all the rationing?  People are born and people die, there is no over populating of the plant.  I think I am being too harsh on this because that was a common fear during the era of the film production.
6. Charlton Heston?  Really?  Was Clint Eastwood too busy making Every Which Way But Loose?
7. People had the option to remove themselves from this miserable existence but they chose not too?  What?  I would march myself right up to the giant Colosseum and commit suicide?  In 1977 did they really think that this was going to be a norm for 2022?  I mean that is just nine years away for us.  Frankly, I do not think our children's future is going to be that much more different from our current lives.
8. Did innovation and creativity cease?  The humans just turned into zombies.
9. Why was everyone wearing the same clothing?
10. You cannot convince me that Heston had not tasted strawberries, but he had tasted Brandy.  If you were to take this movie back forty-five years from 2022, it would have put his birth in 1977 and they were not having these problems back then.

This movie deserves a Mystery Science Theater treatment.  LAME, LAME, LAME.  Next time you tell me not to watch a movie, try and convince me better.  This movie sucked rocks!!!

The Wild Bunch - 1969

This was on AFI's top 100 so I couldn't resist. This was not the kind of movie I was expecting. The wild bunch is a small group of outlaws who have unwavering loyalty to each other, but would kill their own mother if it meant getting some money out of it. the movie rated R for easily over 100 killings, blood and some nudity. Not your typical western. A machine gun is used in the final scene to kill about 50 people. There were some great one liners and some decent scenes in the movie, including the bridge explosion. 2 stars at best for me.

Billy Elliot (2000)

The story takes place in the mining town of County Durham during the violent 1984 miner strikes.  Billy lives with his widowed dad, older brother, and grandma.  As an eleven year old boy, he is expected to pick up the masculine traditions on the town and box as a youth and mine as an adult.  During the days his dad and brother are in the protest mobs, while Billy is supposed to be learning boxing.  He is not good at boxing and has a fancy to try ballet.  Secretly he begins to take the ballet classes, and he find that it helps him release anger and frustrations.  His teacher thinks that he is good enough to try out for the famous London Ballet school.  When Billy's dad and brother find out, they are beside themselves and will not stand for it.  They are afraid he is gay, when in fact another boy in town is gay, but that boy is hiding it.  That storyline really goes nowhere.  In fact most of the story goes nowhere.  Billy's family finally relents, raises the money for the tryouts...the heartwarming moments literally take place in the final three minutes of the movie, but the journey to them was not worth the wait.  If you have not seen this movie already, do not fall victim to it, let it pass you by.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Why do I fall victim to these horrible comedies, especially those that are laced with sexually charged discriminatory banter.  Don't get me wrong I enjoy a good comedy, but this one did not cause me to laugh let alone smile.  Ron Burgundy is the head anchor for the local news network.  He and his three other anchors rule the ratings and the little town of San Diego.  Times are changing though, and the need to add a woman to the desk brings on much immaturity and silliness.  Overall it was a bit too much for my liking and felt lazy in the writing department.  I did not like this movie as much as everyone else in the world.  No stars.

Robin and the 7 Hoods - 1962

I only made it half way through the movie and I got bored. Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Barbara Rush, Bing Cosby, and Dean Martin star in this musical comedy spoof about gangsters in the Chicago area. 1 star.

The Bad and the Beautiful - 1952

This is an Oscar winning film. I give it 2.5 stars. It was interesting but not entertaining nor did it keep my interest. Kirk Douglas plays Jonathan Shields- a man modeled after his father. Conniving, selfish, dishonest and as smart as they come. He works his way up to the top of the Hollywood elitist crowd as a Producer. He thinks he can do anything- including screen writing and directing. The movie is a flashback to three main stories- and how Shields really screwed over three individuals. One of the stories is centered on the actress Georgia Lorrison (played magnificently by Lana Turner). Shields makes her a star but breaks her heart in the process. I would only watch this movie if you are a huge Kirk Douglas or Lana Turner fan. One thing that really puzzled me about this movie is Gloria Grahame (an actress I have liked over the past few years) won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in this film. She doesn't even come on screen until 65% of the movie is over and I didn't see anything special about her acting- she wasn't even one of the main characters- weird. The film is really a closer look at how Hollywood people behave. Nothing surprising.

The Misfits - 1962

I have read about this movie because it was the last movie that MM made before she commmitted suicide, the last movie Clark Gable made before he died, and one of the last movies that Montgomery Clift made before he committed suicide. Kind of strange since those are the three stars of the movie. I turned it off after an hour because I was bored to tears. Basically the movie is about some adults that don't function well in society- so they cling to each other and go where they day takes them. A dissapointment for me to say the least.

Marty

Once in a while you come across a movie that cuts you straight to the heart. This film is original, unique and different than any love story out there. It will touch you and the characters become family. Burt Lancaster produced this film and I was very impressed with everything about it. I will give it 4.5 stars and add it to my top 100 list but I can't give it 5 stars because I wanted the ending to be a little different. The viewer needs one more interaction with the two main characters and they just cut the film short for some reason. What a wonderful movie.

Love Story (1970)

Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O'Neal) is a wealthy and successful law student at Harvard.  The only reason he is there is because of his father, he would rather be a hockey player.  He falls in love with Jennifer Cavalleri (Ali MacGraw) a poor music student.  Now enters in the dilemma of rich versus poor, but not in their minds, because they are madly in love.  Insert the vomit and nausea associated with this "love story" and all of the cliches that come along with it.  Frankly, it was just another way of telling the Romeo and Juliet story but with more of a feminist and free thinking storyline.  To say I was shocked and annoyed with the heavy language in this movie would be an understatement, honestly it was distracting.

Back to the story...they fall in love, get married, he loses his inheritance and goes to law school, she dies, he makes up with this rich father.  The American Film Institute has listed this movie as number 9 on their top 100 Passion Movies...unbelievable.  I felt no connection to either character because of the verbal volleyball that they constantly played with each other, it just felt tense.

I have spoken with people who saw this movie back when it came out and they told me that it made them cry and that they loved it; I am not sure what movie they were watching but it must have been a different one then I watched.

Stalag 17 (1953)

This is a WWII prisoner of war movie starring William Holden (He won an Oscar for this role....unbelievable!!!).  I really liked him in Sunset Blvd. but after seeing this movie I can see that he was a very one dimensional actor.  The Stalag has only Lieutenants in it, and they are all trying to get out, but to no avail because there is a mole inside their ranks.  This movie focuses on trying to figure out who the mole is with many delightful twists and turns until you find out who it is.  This movie would probably be listed as a dramady, because it is a drama but has some light and funny moments.  Hogan's Hero's is taken from this movie.  It was a fun and easy watch, I would recommend it at only about 2.5 stars because it did not leave a lasting affect on me.

Coming Home - 1978

This movie was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and took home 3- including best actor (John Voight) and best actress (Jane Fonda). It has been on my list to watch for some time. I am too young to really understand what this Country went through with the Vietnam War. I liked looking at the Vietnam monument in D.C. last fall, but really there is no emotion for me like there would be for someone my parent’s age. This movie is well done on many levels. Yes it says the F word way too many times, and the graphic nudity during one love scene deserves a NC-17 rating rather than an R rating- I ended up fast forwarding it - but it was bad. Fonda is married to Bruce Dern and life is great. He is in the Marines and they live on base. He is then sent to Vietnam. Life changes for Fonda. She is on her own and her husband doesn't want her to work, so she picks up a volunteer job at a VA hospital and starts meeting all the quacks - soldiers coming home from Nam. They are really screwed up in the head as well as learning how to deal with their physical disabilities. She takes to one of them- a paraplegic played by Voight. They bond and fall in love somewhat. Fonda reserves her heart for her husband but what she doesn't realize is that he is about to return from Nam as messed up as any other solider. He ends up taking his own life. The movie is really about Fonda and how she realizes that these men need help. It was a statement movie and it delivers a message to the Country that the effects of Vietnam were not worth anything that we accomplished, and really that has always been debatable on whether or not we did do anything good over there. This movie deserves its accolades. I wish it would have been made at a PG level because I would like to show it to my kids. The director did a fantastic job portraying the struggles of life after war- wheelchairs, friendships, medication, etc. A powerful movie that moved me. Had it been toned down I little I could go 4.5 stars, but for all the cussing and nudity I have to go 3.5 stars.

Momento - 2002

I was listening to the Dan Patrick Show while driving the other day and they were all talking about how amazing this movie is and comparing it to The Matrix and The Usual Suspects. I got 45 min into the movie and had to turn it off. I liked the concept but after 75 F bombs it just got old. I was hoping the writer/director would have some other words to use besides that one. The concept is interesting- Guy Pearce plays a middle aged man who due to an accident can only remember 30 minutes of his life. Once that 30 minutes is over, he starts over again with no memore.

Out of the Past - 1947

This is known as the greatest Noir film of all time- so great in fact that I could never get it on Netflix because it was always a long wait- like for two years, so I gave up. Then I found my new best friend- the library hold queue online! For starters this movie has everything you would want in a Noir film. 1. GREAT ACTORS - Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas (looking very young) and Jane Greer. 2. GREAT LIGHTING - The black and white shadows were wonderful, the sets were perfect, I thought the film crew and everyone involved just nailed this. 3. GREAT PLOT AND STORYLINE - kept me interested the whole time. 4. DELIVERY - Mitchum and Douglas take the cake on their lines- wonderful. 4.5 stars for sure. If you like Noir you will like this film. "Jeff Bailey, small-town gas pumper, has his mysterious past catch up with him one day when he's ordered to meet with gambler Whit Sterling. En route to the meeting, he tells girlfriend Ann his story. Flashback: Once, Jeff was a private eye hired by Sterling to find his mistress Kathie who shot Whit and absconded with $40,000. He traces her to Acapulco...where the delectable Kathie makes Jeff forget all about Sterling... Back in the present, Whit's new job for Jeff is clearly a trap, but Jeff's precautions only leave him more tightly enmeshed..."

Irma la Douce - 1963

I wanted to like this comedy so bad- Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and directed by Billy Wilder. I have had it on my list to see for several years. There were moments that were just as funny as Some Like it Hot. When Lemmon is in the Police van with all the prostitutes, when he is dancing in the bar, the bar fight, etc. There was even great acting by Lemmon and MacLaine. The problem with this film is that it was 2hrs and 23 min long. Should have been edited down to 1hr 30min. Had it been edited I would give it 4 stars, but as it is I will go with 2.5. I just didn't laugh that much. The film is NR but would be PG-13 for adults themes and situations. The only nudity is it shows MacLaine's bare back about 10 times. Here is what the movie is about. Lemmon is great. He ends up falling for a prostitue and goes to amazing lengths to win her over. "Naive and by the book French police officer Nester Patou, is transferred to the Red Light district. Upon witnessing what must be a brothel, he calls the station and organizes a raid, transporting all the 'ladies' to the jail. This unfortunately disrupts the well organized system of the police and the Pimps union. Not to mention inadvertently netting his station superior at the brothel. Fired, he goes to a bar to drink, is befriended by Irma, beats up her pimp, and finds he is now Irma's new pimp. Nester's doesn't like the thought of his girl seeing other men, so comes up with a plan".

The Birds - Alfred Hitchcock at his best

Introduced my wife and daughter to this movie over the weekend. My daughter said she wants something more scary. We are watching Arachnophobia this week, she said she won't be scared. I told her Psycho is next.

The Strawberry Blonde - 1941

Just a dumb little James Cagney film that I had to watch because it was Rita Hayworth's first film. You could see her potential. 1 star.

Young at Heart

I got this from the library because it had Doris Day and Frank Sinatra in it. The singing was incredible, the movie was horrible.

Strangers on a Train - 1951

My wife, oldest child, and I were so excited to watch this movie- we got it from the library. It is supposed to be one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films that aired in America. 2 stars for me. There were some great shots, and the lighting was incredible, but not as good as Psycho or Dial M for Murder for example. Just okay.

Seven Days in May - 1963

I loved this film. "Fredric March is the President of the United States. He has just gotten a nuclear disarmament treaty signed with the Soviet Union's leader, and it has (barely) been passed by the U.S. Senate. Both countries agree to get rid of their nuclear arsenals, and to end decades of potential nuclear catastrophe. But there are many who oppose this treaty, including Burt Lancaster, the greatest military hero of the day and head of the Joint Chief of Staff. He is in contact with several others regarding these fears, and they are planning a coup, to replace the President and his supporters and rip up this dangerous treaty. That is the background and story of "Seven Days In May", except that Lancaster's closest assistant, Kirk Douglas, is appalled at the scheme and tips off March and his associates (Martin Balsam, Edmond O'Brien, George Macready). We are also aware that there is certain information that can be gotten by the President that would tarnish Lancaster's American patriot and family man image - his love letters to his mistress (Ava Gardner). Also, as the film goes on, we are aware of the spread of the coup - how Edmund O'Brien is held imprisoned by mutinous soldiers. And how Balsam may have gotten a confession out of one of the weaker links in the scheme. This film is interesting on so many levels. Not only does it include so many good performances in it, it is one of the most "Oscar" filled film casts one can think of - March, Lancaster, Douglas, Balsam, O'Brien, and even the uncredited John Houseman (as the weak-link Admiral Barnswell) all do well in the film. But what is most interesting to me is that the film was made when it was. Because it brings up the issue of whether a political coup can happen here or not." What a treat- I think you would like this. Burt Lancaster had the premier postponed due to JFK's death, but it still did well in theatres." 4 stars!

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House - 1948

It took me A LOT of Cary Grant films before I found his worst- what a disaster!

Dan in Real Life - 2007

Dan Burns is a single father who dedicates his life to his children, but one day he meets Marie at a bookstore. They get to know each other, but then Dan finds out that Marie is actually dating his brother. blah..blah..blah... Go watch sleepless in seattle instead. 2 stars. Wasn't that great for how many times I have been told to watch this movie.

Soylent Green - 1973

Edward G. Robinson made 101 movies, and this one was his last. He was dying of cancer during filming, and actually lost his hearing. He died 10 days after shooting wrapped up. I watched this movie because Charlton Heston and Robinson were such good friends and made this movie together. It was the worst Sci-fi film I have ever seen. 0 stars. What a freaking joke. The story is about the future- the year 2022. There is no food left on the earth. Violence everywhere. When people die they process their bodies and eat each other. What a stupid movie.

The Out of Towners - 1970

This is the original starring Sandy Dennis and Jack Lemmon. The remake stars Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn (1999). My spouse wathced this with me, we enjoyed watching the comedic genius Lemmon have fun with this one. 2.5 stars. Basically Lemmon and Dennis play a couple from Ohio who go to NY for a job interview. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

This is 40 (2013)

Not funny, turned it off after about 35 minutes.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

High school was bad enough to live through the first time, I am not sure why I inflicted myself with the emotional drain of it again by watching this movie.  For a brief period of the 7th and 8th grades I was the poster child of being wallflower.  We follow a young Charlie as he enters high school and struggles with feeling welcome in the mainstream of students.  He is befriended by two seniors that make him feel valued.  We follow their antics and growing pains throughout the year, and are introduced to periods in Charlies life that have led him to be the young man that he is today.  This movie has funny, sad, poignant, and emotionally shocking moments in it, but I am not sure that I would recommend it because I do not know that many people would want to inflict this emotional roller coaster on themselves one more time in life. I am still percolating on if I liked this show or not.

Argo (2012)

In 1979 a mob of Iranian Revolutionaries stormed the US embassy and took many hostages and held them for over 400 days, however six members of the embassy managed to escape the mob and took refuge in the Canadian Ambassador's residency. Our CIA department almost immediately began to develop plans and schemes to help them escape the country unharmed. To help out the planning they called in Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) who is specially trained to rescue hostages in international situations. He comes up with a scheme to pose as a Canadian filming crew looking to film a science-fiction movie in Iran. To pull this off though he would have to make it look like an actual movie by hiring the actors, buying the rights to the story of Argo, hiring a director and producer, and have a film company buy into the idea of the movie. On top of that he would have to convince the Iranian government that it is a real movie, and he would have to get the six Americans to buy into the idea of playing a role in this scheme. Even more on top of this he would have to have the Canadian Government's blessing of the idea. The acting was incredible, and the way the movie was directed was beautifully handled, Ben Affleck was truly snubbed by not getting a Oscar nod for this movie. Reading up on the events that took place in the movie he did take some liberties with the end of the film in making the escape from the airport more intense than it actually was, but I can forgive him on that point since the rest of the movie was so well done. The only thing that kept me from giving this movie five stars was the use of profanity near the beginning of the movie. It felt tacked on and unwarranted. I would recommend watching this film.

Nashville (1975)

This movie was on AFIs Top 100 Movies of All Time Tenth Anniversary list, and for that reason I am not sure why.  Nashville was a satirical political statement set in the heartland of country music, and was true to most films of that era where they focused on each persons conversation as the camera panned across a scene.  Our generation finds this to be annoying and distracting from the actual movie storyline.  I cannot reccomend this movie becasue frankly I am not sure what it was about, and I do not know why it made it on this list.  Just watch the trailer and you will see how confusing and lame this movie actually is.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

I expected a lot more out of Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas then I was left with at the end of the film. We all love the story of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday's friendship but this film didn't work for me. 2 stars.

Shane - 1953

before I forget- I am going to watch Kings Speech this week while I do my ironing. Okay time to blog about a great movie..... What a great western this movie turned out to be. I loved how slow it was at times, and the old school way of portraying a villain. Not a lot of dialogue, just bad dudes sizing each other up by looking and each other and using non-verbal communication. The fist fights in the bar were fantastic. Jack Palance was an incredible bad dude. This movie is a reminder of hate and prejudice that exists today as much as it did long ago. I couldn't help but think of the Mormon's being driven from Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois while watching this movie. People being tormented by others for just believing in something. Van Heflin and Jean Arthur play Mr. & Mrs. Starett. Regular run of the mill homesteaders just trying to make ends meet by clearing land, farming, and raising a family out in the meadow. They are one of about 7 local families all in the same boat. Rufus Rykyer is a cattle baron who feels he is entitled to 400 acres of land, and tries to run everyone out that tries to homestead. He hires a bunch of thugs to harass anyone that tries to stick around- they call these homesteaders sod busters. They are willing to kill them, burn their homes down, etc. Enter Shane- Shane is a reformed gunman (played by Alan Ladd) who is drifting from town to town. He starts to work for Mr. Starett and soon realizes that he is now in a war. The movie is really about Shane- and whether or not he can put his pistol shooting days behind him. I loved his character and the ending was fantastic. Brandon De Wilde almost steals the show as the 8 year old son of the Starett's. He is given a lot of lines and screen time. De Wilde was the actor that I liked in HUD (a movie you didn't like). Both he and Alan Ladd died very young. Wilde of a car crash and Ladd of a suicide. This movie is on AFI's top 100 list and was nominated for 6 Oscars. It is slow at times but the character development is a 10! 4 stars for me!

GI Joe: Retaliation (2013)

As a young boy I spent many hours, and days playing war in the neighborhood.  We would run around through all of the yards jumping fencing, digging holes to hide in, it was a magical time of imagination.  When we weren't playing war, we were playing with our GI Joe figures or little green army men; as maturity began to dwindle away the innocence of imagination we began to put fire crackers on those toys and would blow them into non-existence.  However, before that destructive time, the story lines that we would create for our play were corny, yet as manly as we could make them.  Sitting through this movie I felt as though I was reliving some of those story lines, but frankly I wanted so much more from a multi-million dollar production.  The screenplay was awful, and I felt sick to my stomach that they didn't take the opportunity early in the film to kill all of the Joe's and put all of us out of our misery.  It felt as though a nine year old group of boys wrote the storyline and the script, I have never felt like asking for my money back for a movie, but I have lost over two hours of my life to this mindless show that will never again be available to me.  Awful, doesn't even begin to explain this movie, how about predictable, tedious, tired, lame, worthless...On the other hand there was enough eye-candy to satisfy my wife's desires to see this wretched piece of trash again.  Flat out turkey of a movie, booooooooooooo!!!  (to which my wife just says YUUUUMMMMMMMMM)

South Pacific (1958)

When I was nine or ten years old, my best friend and I were walking around Washington Terrace sucking on ice that we had stolen out of the freezer chest at the Smith's Food King.  As we walked along we began to dial 911 at all of the different pay phones.  We would wait for an answer, pretend to be injured, and then hang up the phone.  Eventually a cop pulls up along side us as we are walking down the street and asks us if we had been prank calling 911.  As any good young boy would do, we lied and told him no, in fact, it was two other boys that were walking in the other direction who were making the calls.  Well the cop looked at us and knew instantly that we were lying.  He told us we should not be doing it and drove off.  WE LIED TO A COP.  We both dropped the ice from our hands and walked in separate directions to our respective homes.  We were sick to our stomachs; when I got home my mom was watching this movie on the TV.  Ever since then, when I have heard a song from this musical I have gotten sick.  It was just the other night that I was able to watch this show for the first time with my boys without guilt or feeling ill.  I loved the music, but hated the cinematic direction the film makers took with it.  Would I watch the movie again?  No, but I would love to see a stage production of this musical.

High Sierra - 1941

This was Humphrey Bogart's big break through film- so I just had to see it, and I enjoyed it. Bogart plays an ex-convict who has a soft side to him along with a cruel and mean side. 3 stars. Here is the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QePONKgWBZ0

They Came to Cordura - 1959

I had to watch this movie because it was one of Coops last (Gary Cooper) films and also features Rita Hayworth- who of course looks like she is 72 but is only 40 when she made the movie. Seriously Rita get off the smokes and bottle, you used to be so pretty. Anyway what a joke of a movie. 1 star.

High Society - 1956

If you are in the mood for a fun loving, easy to follow, big star musical- this is a pic for you. I swear there is a song about every 6 minutes of the film! Frank Sinatra teams up with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in this remake of the Philadelphia Story - set to music. Throw in Louis Armstrong and his band and you've got yourself an iconic movie with big stars of the time! This ended up being Kelly's last movie as she became a princess and never made another movie. She looked anorexic in this movie but did an okay job. 3 stars.

City Lights

This was Charlie Chaplins last silient movie and one of his best known roles.  This movie was very romantic, and.....OK I watched this a while back, and started to post on it but never finished it.  I loved this movie, and feel that it is well worth the watch for any movie buff.  Understandably, you do not like silient films but this one was so beautifully made it might be worth your time.  I actually teared up a couple of times in this one.  I will bump a movie from my list to add this one to it.

Wait, I forgot to tell you the story...The Tramp finds a flower girl who is blind and falls in love with her.  She believes that he is a millionare because he buys her flowers.  The truth of the matter is that the Tramp is friends with a drunk millionare who gives the Tramp, his "friend" a car and whatever money he needs.  In return he gives the money to the blind flower girl so that she can get an eye surgery which will allow her to see.  To make a story short, she gets her vision back and sees him for the first time.  This scene is one of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming scenes in the history of movies, and is a must see for everyone.  I loved this movie!!!

This movie is only about 90 minutes long and is well worth the watch.

It Happened One Night (1934)

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert star in this movie about a news report and a runaway heiress who happen to run into each other on there way in separate directions.  He is looking for the next big story while she is running away to be with her true love.  Gable sees this as an opportunity because everyone in the nation is looking for her to bring her back to her family.  He decides to help her hide, as long as he could have the exclusive story of how she made it back to her lover.  Along the way they fall for each other, ala I Love Lucy kind of slapstick.  In the end everything works in their favor.  I enjoyed this movie because of the chemistry between these two actors, but will only give it a 3 star rating because the humor doesn't translate too well in our time.
So much of this show has been portrayed in other movies and television shows; I love seeing the connection between movies in pop culture!!!

Cheers

I realize that this is not a movie, but I wanted to brag that I have just completed watching all of the seasons (eleven).  I had not seen any of these episodes before in my life, but saw that it was in the subculture of movies and t.v. shows of today.  I have loved every episode, but now I can focus more of my energies on movies again!!!!!!!!

Seven Thieves - 1960

I agree with the reviews that this movie is more of a prequel to the Oceans Eleven movie with Brad Pitt than the original Oceans Eleven (with the brat pack- sinatra, dean martin, etc.) was a prequel to the Brad Pitt Oceans Eleven! I was suprised how much the Brad Pitt movie stole from this movie. I love Edward G. Robinson so I had to see this movie and I really enjoyed it. A classic B&W heist caper movie. 3.5 stars. Trailer- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmDxdhDZLqA

From Here to Eternity - 1953

This movie was nominated for 12 Oscars and took home 8. I repeat 8 Oscars. I just had to see what the big fuss was. For starters they sparred no expense on getting some big names from that time period- Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Donna Reed, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, and Jack Warden are all actors you have seen in other films. Lancaster is good in every film I have seen him in. The attack of Pearl Harbor doesn't happen until the last 5 minutes of the movie- and really that is not what the movie is even about- just an afterthought. The movie is about real people's lives- Private Maggio played by Sinatra, Private Prewitt played by Clift and Sgt. Warden played by Lancaster. Those are the 3 main stories of the film- we learn about those individuals and how they struggle with everyday life. Of course it is a romance movie as well, and I fell the director did a good job balancing that with the real theme of those three people's daily lives. 3 stars for me. That may be a stretch but I did like the uniqueness of this movie- it was different than others from the 1950's. If it came out today it would be rated PG.

The Pride and the Passion - 1957

This has to be the worst war movie I have ever seen - 0 stars. The director and stars all thought it would be this great money making epic. All the reviews on NF were correct- what a joke. Cary Grant plays a English Navy General in search of a 5 ton cannon that the spanish used during their war with the French. The French had just deafeated the spanish and the spanish hit the cannon. Sophia Loren plays the girlfriend of Spanish peasant and a leader played by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra has the worst spanish accent ever seen on the big screen. Sinatra is facinated with moving the Cannon to another city to fight the French. The entire movie is about the Cannon and watching it move across Spain. I am not sure who found Sophia Loren and asked her to be in movies- she can't act. Maybe it is because her waist is 8 inches and bust 48 inches. Her nose looks like it got stuck in some needle nose pliers. What a stupid movie. I tried to find a trailer for you but couldn't.

Les Miserables (2012)

I do not believe that I have ever gone into a movie with such a lack of enthusiasm, yet anticipation of its outcome.  I had been told that this is a well acted show, and that is what makes it different from the stage productions, so I was prepared for horrible singing.  Frankly, I was not disappointed in that fact, the singing was awful except for a few shining moments.  First, Ann Hathaway was amazing as Fauntine, and was well deserving of the Oscar that she got for that role.  I actually cried during her "I Dreamed A Dream" performance.  The young lady who performed the role of Eponine was an amazing singer, but then again she is in the London production of the show.  Mauriace had a trained voice, and that is where the good singing ends.

Those who could act, could not sing, and those who could sing could not act!!  About half way through the movie I made the comparison of this show to that of reading Shakespeare.  You read it and understand it, but until you see it acted out you don;t really appreciate it.  I have seen the stage production multiple times, and I have read the book twice, but it wasn't until I saw this movie that I truly appreciated what it all meant. 

This is not a great movie, but is worth a watch if you enjoy the story.

Red River - 1949

My second Howard Hanks famous western in a row. This one also stars John Wayne along with Montgomery Clift. 3 stars for me.

Rio Bravo - 1959

I have been on a John Wayne kick lately. Wayne plays Sheriff Chance- a man with virtually no help and who is up against the richest man around. Money of course can buy hired guns to come and overtake the lonely sheriff. Chance has a crippled deputy named Stumpy (played by Walter Brennan who was a three time Oscar Winner) to help guard the jail. Chance also makes friends with Colorado Ryan- played by none other than Ricky Nelson. Nelson was a famouse teenage heart throb singer in the 60's and is the father of the band "Nelson" made up of two of his sons - and you might remember that band because they were famous in the early 90's. Chance falls in love with Feathers- a wanted card shark who is drifting through town. This was my first time watching an Angie Dickinson movie- boy was she incredibly good looking. Not sure why I haven't heard of her before this movie. The plot was great but the movie dragged on for me. The highlight was watching Ricky Nelson sing two great songs towards the end of hte movie, and of course all the shoot outs- 3 stars for me.

Sunrise (1927)

Here is a story that is as old as time...it is the summer time and the people from the big city have made their way to the outlying villages and beaches.  One attractive young lady has caught the eye of a local villager.  He is married and has a young child but is willing to give all of that up so that he can have a relationship with the her.  They plan to have the husband take his wife out on a boat and make her murder look like an accident.
The day comes for him to do the evil act, and when he gets to the predetermined spot to kill his wife, he just continues sailing on towards the big city.  While he and his wife are int eh big city for the day they rekindle the spark in their relationship, and he forgets his girlfriend.  On the way back home that night a storm comes up and they are both tossed overboard; he swims towards land and hails the villagers to help him search for his wife.  Eventually they find her and everyone lives happily ever after, with the girlfriend leaving back to the city never to show her face in that village again.
This movie was on AFIs top 100 movies 10th anniversary list, and I cannot figure out why.  Unless, they were going for some of the split screen shots, and blue screen technology that was being used in 1927.  Only 2 stars for me.

3 movies

I have watched 3 movies with my kids lately. Hotel Transylvania which just came out on DVD recently- we all loved it. 4 stars. Pocahontas- not sure why I have never seen this one - 2 stars. Charlotte's Web (2006)- 3 stars.

The Big Sleep - 1946

This film noir classic stars a young and skinny Lauren Bacall (she is about 18 years old in this movie) and somewhat seasoned actor Humphrey Bogart. Bogart plays Philip Marlowe a Private Dick (slang for private detective) who used to work for the DA's office but turned to private work. He is hired by a rich retired general at the start of the movie because the general wants to know why his two daughters are always hanging with the wrong crowd and why he is always getting blackmailed. Marlowe takes the case and finds himself involved with about 5 murders in a two day time period. The plot is confusing at best. The lines are terrific, and Bogart makes them even better. 3 stars

Midnight in Paris (2012)

What was I thinking????!!! I am not a Woody Allen fan at all!! I turned this movie off after 20 minutes, I could not take the anxiety that he fills his movies with. This was nominated for best picture, but not in my book.

Destination Tokyo - 1943

Cary Grant and John Garfield film about Navy life on a sub during the onset of WWII. 3.5 stars I loved the charater development in this film.

The Star - 1952

Bette Davis plays the main role in this Sunset Boulevard type show- a washed up movie star who has to come to the realization that her career is over. Natalie Wood is 14 in this show and plays Davis daughter. I liked the show - 3.5 stars. I did have a hard time putting Sterling Hayden's character with Davis- they didn't seem to go together.

Wings (1927)

I realize that you are not going to watch this movie because it is a silent film, but I felt that it deserved a review. I have watched parts of this movie on YouTube, but when I saw that I could get the DVD through Netflix I jumped on it. This movie was the first feature film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and I feel that it is deserving of the recognition. Any student of movies should watch this movie and see how camera angles and large fields of imagery were utilized in the early days of cinema. The story follows to men who enlist in the air force to fight in World War I. Jack is a hot shot who is in to cars and woman, but doesn't notice that the girl next door (Clara Bow) is in love with him. Instead Jack believes that the more well-to-do girl likes him, when in fact she likes the very wealthy David. David and Jack are enemies throughout flight school, but become very close friends during the war. They both become flying aces and are feared by the Germans. One mission David gets shot down behind enemy lines and Jack believes that he is dead, but he is not. David steals a German plane and tries to fly back to American soil, but Jack sees the German marked plan and shoots it down thinking it is the enemy, instead he comes to find out that it was actually David that he just killed. The aerial shots in this movie are amazing, and were shot with the complete cooperation of the US Air force. This is also the movie that made Clara Bow the "It" girl. Surprisingly there is nudity, and bloody violence in the movie, but it was made long before there was a rating system. I believe that this movie today would get a strong PG-13 or R rating due to the nudity. For me this was a 5 star movie and well worth the watch, but only if you like silent films.

Phffft - 1954

A Jack Lemmon, Judy Holliday, Kim Novak and Jack Carson forgetable film. 2 stars.

How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying

wow did my wife and I love this movie. 5 stars. Loved the music and acting. I will add it to my top 100 list for sure. I was thinking about trying out for this play at Centerpoint this summer, and I really enjoyed watching this movie, I think I saw it once as a kid but I can't remember.

Bad Day at Black Rock

thank you for the recommendation, I thought it was a good movie. 2.5 stars

Courageous - 2011

A Christian based film that my boss told me to watch. okay I guess. 3 stars.

It Should Happen to You - 1954

Jack Lemmon's first film. Judy Holliday's best film. She was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and died of cancer at age 43, so she really didn't make that many movies. She plays a dumb blonde in this movie and really does a good job. 2.5 stars.

Lincoln (2012)

Daniel Day-Lewis is possibly one of the finest actors of a generation; he absolutely disappears in to the title role of this movie.  Sally Fields is wonderful in her portrayal of Molly.  This is an adaptation of the Non-fiction book, Team of Rivals (A great read, if you have not already read it), focusing ont he final months of the war and Lincolns life, in the struggle to get the House of Representatives to pass the Thirteenth Amendment.  Beautifully filmed, written, and acted; my only draw back from the show was that it should have ended at the end of the war, and not the assassination of the president.  If Daniel foes not win an Oscar for this role, than something is wrong with the Academy.

Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

This was an interesting little film by Clint Eastwood. He played Frank Morris who was the mastermind behind a jail break from the notorious prison known as Alcatraz. Although the movie was slow at times, it gave the feeling of how monotonous it would actually be to take the time to tunnel out of a jail cell. 2.5 stars for me. I don't know if you remember him but Claude Newby, a chaplain in Ogden, was a guard at Alcatraz at one time, and he told me that he knew the notorious Bird Man.

Operation Petticoat - 1959

This is supposed to be one of Cary Grant's best films. All I got from it was a hilarious Tony Curtis and a worn out and tired Cary Grant- who was starting to show the tread on his tires- by this point in his life he had made 73 movies, and actual only made a couple more before retiring. 2 stars

12 Angry Men (1957)

Stunningly spectacular film for the ages which has found a place on my top 100 list.  I am not a Henry Fonda fan by any stretch if the imagination, but I felt that this was a good role for him to play.  This theme has been played out in many mediums since its release, and I can see why.  This film had a solid message of not going into situations with pre-conceived notions of what the results should be.  I loved the cinematography, the script, and especially how the characters did not have names.  What I also found fascinating was the fact that we did not see any of the case that was presented to the jurors, instead the story was told through their rehashing of the details of the case...BRILLIANT!!!!

The Great Gatsby (1974)

There is only one reason that I watched this movie, and that is because they were talking about it on the KSL Movie Show last Friday.  They were talking about the up-coming version of this movie and began to reminice about the time that Doug Wright took his then girlfriend to see the 1974 version and the women in the crowd swooned when Robert Redford came on screen. 

This movie was about as exciting as the novel...lame.

Yes Robert Redford is attractive, but the movie is slow and uninteresting...come to think of it I fell asleep.

Bourne Identity, et. Al.

I enjoyed watching these three films of Matt Damon's where he played a government assassin that has been brain washed. Good but not great for me.

El Dorado - 1966

I was in the mood for a western and watched this classic with the Duke, Robert Mitchum and a younger James Caan. I really enjoyed it. 3 stars

The Grass is Greener - 1960

Everybody has heard of the "other" Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr movie called "An Affair to Remember". But this one is an unknown gem. I love Grant's comedic lines and throughout this movie I was constatnly laughing about 5 seconds after his line- 1. because he says them so fast that my brain can't comprehend what he is saying 2. The dry dead pan humor is hard to catch because the way he delivers the line you don't think it is supposed to be funny. This movie is really about the battle of the sexes, with british humor. 3.5 stars for me

Mister Roberts - 1955

Jack Lemmon starred in over 75 movies during his career, and he won 2 Oscars. This was his first Oscar. It really isn't a comedy. It is a John Ford directed drama about WWII, with some comedy mixed in. Henry Fonda, James Cagney, and William Powell co-star. The movie dragged for me. 2.5 stars.

Peeper - 1975

Natalie Wood and Michael Caine should be emberassed for making this movie. what a joke. Not even 1 star. I had to turn it off half way through I was so bored.

Mass Appeal - 1984

An unbelievable surprise. 5 stars. Available on instant NF Jack Lemmon plays Father Farley- a seasoned catholic priest who has life figured out. He knows what to say to this congregation, he knows how to please the monsignor Burke (played excellently by actor Charles Durning- who just passed away this month), he knows how to put people off and cancel appointments but done in a way that they are not offended- in summary he is a polished priest who can play the game as good as anyone. He knows that if he delivers a sermon that doesn't offend anyone, the contributions will continue to come from the parishioners. He also has a drinking problem that people overlook because he is such a lovable guy. In fact his followers provide him the wine! Life changes for Father Farley when he is suddenly given the assignment of mentoring young Mark Dolson- a student in the nearby seminary and a newly made Deacon in the Catholic Church. Dolson is outspoken. Monsignor Burke does not like him at all, and believes he is gay actually. Farley is given the assignment to mentor Dolson for one month, if he can fix him, then Dolson can graduate, otherwise he is kicked out of the seminary right before he would have graduated during his last year. Farley wants to help him and see the light so to speak- he knows he is a rough stone and belives he can fix him. Farley actually asks Burke for a chance to help the student, as Burke is ready to kick him out of school. Farley is overwhelmed with how much Dolson needs to learn, and sets out to teach him the ways of the trade. In the end, Farley is the one that needed to change and Dolson was the vehicle to teach him. This movie makes me think about a lot of things. Youth can be very powerful teachers- they can reach to all kinds of people despite age differences. Think about missionaries in our church. Think about people at work that our young and make a difference. In the end Father Farley must choose to start being honest with himself, and preach from his heart with the risk of losing friends and parishioners, or to continue on playing the game that will keep him safe and loved by all who know him. Basically treading lightly in order not to offend. There were a lot of parallels here for life- the movie used the Catholic Church as the set up- but everything in this movie applies to real life. One of Lemmon’s best performances. The only thing that kept it out of my top 100 list is I would have liked to see a different actor play Dolson- he just did a B job for me. (Zeljko Ivanek is the actor's name)

Penny Serenade - 1941

Cary Grant made over 50 movies in his career. He was only nominated for 2 Oscars, and this was one of them. Grant plays Roger Adams, a newspaper man who spends most of the movie down on his luck and out of money. He married Julie Adams (Irene Dunne) and together they move to Japan, as he has been offered a new newspaper job. In Japan Julie loses their first baby during pregnancy due to an earthquake. A few years later they decide to adopt, to help ease the pain they feel from their miscarriage. This movie is about the ups and downs of adoption in those days, including the thread of having the State take away your baby even after you have had it for a year. 3 stars and a tear jerker. I wouldn't say that this is a great performance by Grant, he was still developing as an actor at age 37, when this film was made, and I am not sure why he was nominated for an Oscar.

Kiss Them For Me - 1957

I am a sucker for bad Cary Grant films. I just love his deadpan deliveries- this film is no exception to the others I have seen. Poor script- but a great actor in Grant. 2 stars. This was my first Suzy Parker and Jayne Mansfield movie. Loved the former, didn't care for the latter. Mansfield is famous as the MM look alike. All I got from her was an actress trying to be MM- yes she looked like her and had the same figure, but stop trying to be someone else. Her life ended tragically at age 34 in a car wreck. Parker was a good actress and played well with Cary Grant. Some of my favorite lines from the movie- Do you love me Crewson? (Grant) I do, I love you. What kind of Love? (Grant) All kinds- sacred and profane Grant- That's the stuff. True love almost always fades, but money stays green forever. I don't get it. You don't resist and you don't cooperate. That's because I don't want you to kiss me, and I don't want you not to kiss me either. Does that make sense? No. Isn't it puzzling and confusing? Yes. Shall we just leave it that way then? Alright. Alright.- Grant/Parker