3 Lines About...

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

2012-01-26T22:59:00.000-08:00

A somewhat slow-moving potboiler that has enough blood to give it horror credentials, The Town That Dreaded Sundown is based on the true story of a serial killer that preyed on Texarkana, AK and Texarkana, TX during the late 40s. The movie is a precursor to the 80s slasher films without the jumps. Ben Johnson as the top cop and Dawn Wells in a small yet pivotal role as a victim are fine but it's just a rundown story.

The Invasion (2007)

2011-12-31T13:08:00.000-08:00

Despite my distaste for Nicole Kidman and her plastic face, my desire to see The Invasion, the remake of two previous classic body snatcher films, was very high. There are slight differences to the story that does not detract and the first two thirds of the film was involving. But the last third contained action sequences that came out of nowhere and had a tacked on happy ending that snatched the whole movie-going experience from my body.

The Screaming Woman (1972)

2011-12-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

Olivia de Havilland earned her creepy-sweet chops before The Screaming Woman, a 1972 ABC Movie of the Week film presentation, but for this creepy-sweet performance she winningly recalls her 1948 Oscar winning role in The Snake Pit as a woman just released from an institution who hears the voice of another women buried under a foundation on her property. The script, loosely based on a Ray Bradbury story, is not a mystery as we are witness to all the comings and goings but there are some genuinely thrilling moments and frightening shots - and de Havilland can scream with the best of them. They really don't make movies like this anymore so it would behoove you to check it out.

You can watch the movie in 8 parts online:

Or you can download the movie in two parts (here and here) and extract an AVI file. Thanks to the original uploader for the work.*

Visit braineater.com for more info on The Screaming Woman

* The Screaming Woman is considered in the public domain.

The Well (1951)

2011-12-11T08:28:00.000-08:00

The Well is an uncompromising, racially charged drama that pits white against black amidst the investigation into the disappearance of a black female child. Although the idiocy of the white racist characters comes off the worst, the film does not pander by putting the black characters on a pedestal. Yes, this story has been done before (life imitated art a little over a decade ago) but The Well still never ceases to make me well up - with anger and with joy.

Click the poster to read more on The Well

Garbo Talks (1984)

2011-12-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

The legacy of Greta Garbo is such that the only time Garbo Talks (a movie that uses her appearance on screen as a denouement) comes alive is when Garbo herself is on screen - and she is silently portrayed by an actress! The movie itself is a pastiche of events in the life of a guy as he runs around New York City trying to find the legendary recluse for a visit with his dying mother (Anne Bancroft in an over-the-top performance as a Jewish mother that was almost distasteful). The film's creators ladled on the quirk factor while sprinkling emotion only slightly in this one.

The Thaw (2009)

2011-11-17T21:08:00.000-08:00

The Thaw is surprisingly creepy with bugs crawling out of people's skin, hypodermic needles and hatchet amputations. It's also an involving treatise on global warming offering a good and plausible story. It's also really creepy.

Berserk! (1967)

2011-11-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

A 64 year old Joan Crawford boards a hunky, 30 years young Ty Hardin in Berserk!, a murder mystery set in the world of a British circus troupe. Crawford looks phenomenal (as does Mr. Hardin) and there are some good supporting players (including a To Sir With Love-era Judy Geeson) that add to the camp value initiated by the lines that Crawford delivers. Circus fans might like the extended scenes (filmed in 1967) of real circus elephant and dog acts through which I fast forwarded.

Check out this
more informative review of Berserk! on Black Hole.

The Children's Hour (1961)

2011-11-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

The Children's Hour is Lillian Hellman's heart-breaking tale of two women and the gossip that destroys them. Audrey Hepburn and (especially) Shirley MacLaine are mesmerizing as the women and Miriam Hopkins turns the table by appearing as the gossipmonger (as opposed to the Shirley MacLaine role she played in the first filmization, These Three in 1936). Kudos to all involved for keeping the gossip as it was written.

Arizona (1940)

2011-11-08T00:55:00.000-08:00

I'm not a fan of westerns but Arizona is a a high-falutin', scootin', rootin', tootin shoot 'em up with an involving plot about civilizing the Tucson territory and two excellent performances by Jean Arthur and her very young (1940!) and very handsome love interest, William Holden. The black and white photography (shot on desert locations) is stunning and the action scenes (including wagon train attacks and a cattle stampede) are thrilling. And the lead character (Phoebe Titus as portrayed by Ms. Arthur) who uses her wits to build her businesses (and the territory) surely makes this the first post-modern feminist western - years before Johnny Guitar.

Download this out-of-print movie
with the instructions provided here;
the content was not uploaded by me.

Play Time (1967)

2011-10-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

Had Robert Altman decided to make a cinematic ballet it might feel a lot like Jacques Tati's 1967 film, Playtime. The barest outline of a story follows Tati as Monseiur Hulot through his day in Paris, meeting friends and strangers with barely audible words, and ending at a raucous jazz club party. The lack of a compelling narrative might bore some but I found the film fascinating to watch and now see where Mad Men got it's signature look.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)

2011-10-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Had I known that James Franco played a scientist rather than an ape (à la Roddy MacDowell) in Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes I would not have rushed to the cheap movie theatre to see it. Had I known that the only apes I would see were created with computers but with no genitals, I would have passed on the 3:10 showing. But I didn't know; I didn't know.

Trilogy of Terror (1975)

2011-10-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

The 70's brought us many scary 72 minute (sans commercials) ABC Movie Of The Week films but none have maintained such a high profile as Trilogy of Terror starring Karen Black and a horrifying African doll. The first two stories (Julie and Millicent and Therese) are involving with good acting by Ms. Black but Amelia, the third in the trilogy, is truly terrifying. I can still here the sound that little freakin' doll makes as I write this review.

EdgePlay: A Film About The Runaways (2004)

2011-10-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

Edgeplay: A Film About The Runaways is a fascinating documentary on The Runaways (produced and directed by former member Victory Tischler-Blue) made even more fascinating by Joan Jett's refusal to appear, or to allow her songs to be used. Sandy West's final scene in the film is a heart-breaking tale of her post-Runaways life; filmed a couple of years before her death from cancer, it seems this musical portion of her life was its nadir. Lita Ford, Cherie Currie and Kim Fowley are all here and tell a worthwhile tale of excessive rock and roll in big bad Los Angeles of the 70s.

Dead Set (2008)

2011-10-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

You don't have to know the reality show Big Brother (or be British) to relish the five hour E4 television series Dead Set. It's a comedic (but not too comedic) and horrifying (blood and guts...yum!) take on the zombie apocalypse that rivets you to the tube. Watch it right now...for free...online; I'm not kidding.

Flower Drum Song (1961)

2011-09-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

Flower Drum Song is lesser Rodgers and Hammerstein - way lesser. The story is dated and dull (as is lead Miyoshi Umeki) and the music is only somewhat memorable. This is supposedly the least grossing Rodgers and Hammerstein film and deserves that reputation.

Orphan (2009)

2011-09-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Orphan needed a script parent to reel in some of the trite and ridiculous plot points but taut direction by Jaume Collet-Serra did keep me entertained and wondering how it would all play itself out. Vera Farmiga and most especially Isabelle Fuhrman are exceptional as the mother and titular child she and husband Peter Sarsgaard adopt; in fact, Fuhrman is so good she should have been rewarded with an Oscar nod. The ending is a tense-fest (with a classic line to end it all) but, when all is said and done, it seems more a lost opportunity than a good film.

Hello, Dolly! (1969)

2011-09-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, she's too young, too pretty and too Jewish for the role Carol Channing performed but Barbra Streisand made the titular matchmaker her own using a timeless, pseudo-Mae West characterization and her trademark humor in this film version of Jerry Herman's Broadway hit Hello, Dolly! Yes, the production is overblown and the film is long (like these three lines) but the story moves along at a horse's clip, Walter Matthau shines (working up some chemistry with Streisand despite their reported dislike for each other), and the classic songs (including Just Leave Everything To Me, Before The Parade Passes By, Put On Your Sunday Clothes, and Hello Dolly - sung by Streisand with Louis Armstrong) are so catchy you'll be humming along even if you've never heard them before. So no, it's not a bad movie (although you might want to stay away if you're not a Streisand fan) and, contrary to popular belief, it brought in more money than the $26,000,000 it cost 20th Century Fox to make it.

Devil (2010)

2011-06-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 1:30 AM with insomnia and clicked on the TV to find Devil, a film produced and based on a story, but not directed, by M. Night Shyamalan. Despite an interesting beginning this one won't bring him back to the fold (so to speak) but that said, once the movie ended and the bedroom was dark again, I swear every creak was whispering Beelzebub (a word NOT used in the movie). I couldn't tell if it was the movie or the time of night so I'll let you decide.

When Time Ran Out (1980)

2011-06-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

When Time Ran Out was supposed to be the cherry on the 70s disaster film cake of Irwin Allen - despite its release in 1980. That date was a harbinger for this leaden volcano-explodes-and-people-escape-lava epic, which has a mixed bag of well paid actors (William Holden, Jacqueline Bisset, Edward Albert, Red Buttons, Valentina Cortese, Veronica Hamel, Alex Karras and Allen's wife, Sheila) running away from lava that, as pointed out early in the story, ...moves slowly enough to give us time so don't rush. The pacing never picks up so I would be remiss to not note the most interesting thing about this movie: actor Paul Newman used his salary to bankroll Newman's Own, a self-sustaining business which continues to contribute millions of dollars to charity even after his death.

Super 8 (2011)

2011-06-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Super 8 is the best Steven Speilberg movie ever made made by J.J. Abrams. Without going into detail, consider it a dark E.T. with all the humor and sweetness in tact. The acting (including Elle Fanning, Ron Eldard, Joel Courtney, Kyle Chandler and Gabriel Basso - the latter also of The Big C for fans of that particular series) is superb, the effects spectacular and the soundtrack of late 70s tunes keeps you bopping. Take your best bell bottoms and feathered hair to the one BIG screen left in your town (the only screen on which to see this one) and DON'T leave before the credits begin.

Zuckerbaby (1985)

2011-06-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

Zuckerbaby (Sugarbaby) is a slight, quiet story about over-the-top persistence and determination. Directed and written by Percy Adlon (before his English language breakout Bagdad Cafe (Out of Rosenheim), the film is quirky, hot and appealing despite a color scheme and roving camera work which might seem annoying or pretentious to some. I, though, went with it and was gleefully rewarded especially by Marianne Sägebrecht (also in Bagdad Cafe) who breaks all taboos with a raw and honest performance as the overweight mortician's assistant who decides to woo the slim, blond subway conductor (Eisi Gulp).

This film is not available on DVD but I have an AVI file if interested.

Sons of Perdition (2010)

2011-06-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

The only outcome of religious fundamentalism is control of the masses and Sons of Perdition, a documentary about teens who will not be controlled, is an interesting watch. It illustrates the true horror behind the fictitious Big Love compound and the patriarchal rule behind the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's not the most absorbing film but my heart goes out to these sons (and daughters) trying to make for themselves a better life.

Hostel: Part II (2007)

2011-06-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Part one (the beginning) of Hostel: Part II is mundane while part two, at least, brings a few surprises to the denouement. I liked seeing Heather Matarazzo in a horror film as well as Bijou Phillips, Roger Bart (of Broadway and The Midnight Meat Train) and Jordan Ladd (in a small yet non-pivotal role) but ultimately, the whole thing seemed like it was done before; like in part 1. Watch it while folding laundry as it doesn't really demand your full attention to get what's going on.

For The Boys (1991)

2011-06-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

Bette Midler might be playing Bette Midler in For The Boys, the fictional story of USO entertainers Dixie Leonard and Eddie Sparks, but she nails it (as the former) and deservedly received an Academy Award nomination for her work. She sounds great in the many enjoyable musical sequences that pepper the story (using standards covering the film's fifty year span) and is supported by a fine cast (including James Caan as Sparks, George Segal, Melissa Manchester, Patrick O'Neal, Norman Fell and Dori Brenner). The movie is long and the make-up used to age the two stars is not the most realistic but I did find it to be absorbing and more than the sum of these parts.

Bridesmaids (2011)

2011-06-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

Bridesmaids is laugh-out-loud funny, down-in-the-(literal)-gutter raunchy and sweet as a wedding cake. It's quite the combination put together by co-writer/lead Kristen Wiig with tremendous help from Maya Rudolph (who is always always phenomenal), Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper and Jill Clayburgh (in her last film appearance). There's more depth here than one might guess from the trailer and it all works beautifully together.

MacGruber (2010)

2011-06-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

I decided to watch MacGruber for one reason: Kristen Wiig. Wiig is fun to watch and here she took a slight characterization and made it her own. Whenever she was off-screen though I sat stone-faced and wondered how a movie can be so humorless, and its implication that gay sex was a punishment was just distasteful.

The Group (1966)

2011-06-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's easy to see how The Group was controversial in its day (touching on domestic violence, suicide, insanity and lesbianism) but it has not aged well. The group of college chums (portrayed by a stellar cast of Candice Bergen, Joan Hackett, Elizabeth Hartman, Shirley Knight, Joanna Pettet and Jessica Walter) are a bunch of idiot women, despite their educations, for whom I felt no affinity. And I've seen much better films by director Sidney Lumet.

Låt den rätte komma in (2008)

2011-06-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Swedish film Låt den rätte komma in (Let The Right One In) tells what might happen to Bella and Edward (of Twilight fame) if their vampiric roles were reversed and they were about five years younger. Unlike the latter film though, Tomas Alfredson has directed a dark, fascinating story (set in 1982 Sweden) with incredible acting from the two preteen leads, Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson. It's not a fast-moving (or particularly bloody) horror film but it grabs you with its sympathetic characters, compelling cinematography, and the surprise inclusion of Försonade, a 1968 recording from future ABBA member, Agnetha Fältskog.

The Birds (1963)

2011-06-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

There are so many incredibly composed and terrifying images in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds that it makes you wonder, if he could pull this off fifty years ago - why do today's filmmakers need computers for films far less memorable? The famed auteur (who can be seen in the film's first scene walking two dogs) has assembled a first-rate cast (Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright) that brings to life this tense story of birds attacking a small Northern California town with old school effects, no music and no ending (sic). This is a scary film (you can feel the birds as they are shown pecking at each victim) - one of Hitchcock's best and with his legacy that's saying a lot.

Mr. Deeds (2002)

2011-06-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Any charm that Mr. Deeds musters is directly related to the Frank Capra original Mr. Deeds Goes To Town. Although both earn their pay by acting, Adam Sandler is no Gary Cooper and Winona Ryder is no Jean Arthur. Do yourself a favor and watch the 1936 classic instead; you'll be pixilated.

The Descent: Part 2 (2009)

2011-06-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

Neil Marshall was the executive producer on The Descent: Part 2 which (like this review) picks up right after The Descent (depending on which of the two endings you saw). Although this story about the rescuers who enter the cave system to find the original spelunkers often strains credulity and mires in some broad characterizations, it is still claustrophobic and pretty scary. Krysten Cummings and Anna Skellern (new to the story) deserve special recognition for outstanding acting but anymore information than that would ruin the unexpected.

The Descent (2005)

2011-05-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

In The Descent, six women go spelunking in an uncharted cave system and find physical (and emotional) horrors heretofore unknown. The story is first rate and the six actresses (Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, MyAnna Buring and Nora Jane Noone) are bad-ass. Director Neil Marshall has created a bloody and claustrophobic (really claustrophobic) exercise in terror that never lets up.

Mayor of the Sunset Strip (2004)

2011-05-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Mayor of the Sunset Strip is a sad documentary. Despite the fascinating life he has lived, Rodney Bingenheimer reveals through his filmed interactions that although he has been to paradise, he has never been to me (quoting singer Charlene). When you learn of the amount of people this unsung hero of the music industry has helped and touched, it hurts that no one has really done the same for him...until this movie...which showcases how sad he seemingly is.

The Bad Seed (1956)

2011-04-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

Thematically, The Bad Seed is the antithesis of an American film from the 50s as it asks us to ponder whether a blonde, white child with pigtails can commit murder? Quaint as the story is, there are a few unforeseen twists that keep everything moving along. The play from which this film was adapted is broad - characters, story, performances (Eileen Heckart, Patty McCormack and Nancy Kelly all Tony AND Oscar-nominated) and even an ending tagged on to the film because of the Production Code is broad - but for historical reasons, that's a good thing.

A Wedding (1978)

2011-03-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

A Wedding displays lesser quality Robert Altman as the camera meanders through the titular ceremony and dinner while contrived and uninteresting situations happen to all involved - typical Altman minus the contrived and uninteresting. It's not as absorbing as Nashville or as funny as M.A.S.H. but the large and evolving cast did catch my eye with Carol Burnett, Vittorio Gassman, Geraldine Chaplin, Dina Merrill, Lillian Gish (luminescent even as a corpse), Pat McCormick and Mia Farrow standing out. But if you're not a real fan of bland familial scenes and happenstance, best be moving along.

Inception (2010)

2011-03-19T08:56:00.001-07:00

Complication does not equal sophistication in Christopher Nolan's way-overrated dream film, Inception. Nolan changes his own rules to propel the story forward without regard to the laws of physics or the intelligence of the viewer. Some good effects wrap this one in the idea of smarts without the actual work to get them.

Soylent Green (1973)

2011-03-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

Soylent Green is the final film in the Last Man Standing science fiction trilogy that Charlton Heston made in the late 60s/early 70s and it manages to be creepily interesting despite his presence. The movie takes place in 2022 (via 1973), it's tense, has an edgy story, and some far out scenes (including the scooper and Edward G. Robinson's final scene). Once you've seen it, you'll never EVER forget what Soylent Green is.

The Oh in Ohio (2006)

2011-03-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

Parker Posey fans will drool over her performance as Priscilla, ice queen of Cleveland in The Oh In Ohio. Despite the iciness, Posey is charming and likable in this seldom funny but somewhat endearing comedy about a woman who learns to have an orgasm. Liza Minnelli as a masturbation therapist, Heather Graham as a sex shop clerk, Danny DeVito as the pool guy, Paul Rudd as Posey's husband and Mischa Barton (?) as the high school student all rise to Posey's crescendo nicely but the whole is worth less than its (private) parts.

My Sister Eileen (1942)

2011-02-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

My Sister Eileen is stagy, stodgy and stale but Rosalind Russell is a revelation yet again as the unsung, untried and inexperienced writer from Ohio who moves to New York with her blond sibling. A mundane type of hilarity ensues but Russell's mannerisms, delivery and double takes are classic film comedy. Russell is ably supported by a cast that includes Janet Blair and Elizabeth Mrs. Trumbull Patterson so it's unfortunate the story just has no spark or relevance.

Read 3 Lines About My Sister Eileen, the 1955 screen musical.
Read a write-up of the various stage and screen versions of the source newspaper column, My Sister Eileen - a precursor to Sex And The City?

Goodbye Mr. Chips (1969)

2011-02-26T22:56:00.000-08:00

This 1969 musical version of Goodbye Mr. Chips was unconventional for its time in that the songs are, for the most part, sung as narration in the minds of the characters - similar to how the Academy Award winning film Chicago dealt with its score almost forty years later. Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark are both excellent and appealing as the titular professor in an all boys school and the woman with whom he falls in love. Although O'Toole's singing is not much better here than it was four years later in Man Of La Mancha AND it's a very long movie, the star chemistry, some tuneful Leslie Bricusse songs (with lyrics that mention Las Vegas and rock musician in 1924 England) and thankfully an intermission made it an enjoyable movie-going experience.

The Hearst and Davies Affair (1985)

2010-12-05T17:35:00.000-08:00

The Hearst and Davies Affair is a decent enough TV movie about the relationship between William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies. Virginia Madsen is spot-on as the actress/mistress of Robert Mitchum's millionaire newspaperman - who seems to be sleep walking through his role. The script plays a little with some of the truth but Madsen's youth and artistry is very involving and worth the watch.

Love Me Or Leave Me (1955)

2010-11-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

Doris Day and James Cagney as torch singer Ruth Etting and her gangster husband are nothing short of electric in Love Me Or Leave Me, the artistically and commercially successful biography film from 1955. Cagney is pathetically empathetic in a role he's played before but it is Day who leaps out of her ingenue comfort zone and slinks her way to the heart of the woman. The musical numbers - covers of Etting's hits of the 20s along with the Oscar-nominated original I'll Never Stop Loving You - are bright and vivacious in a film that's fascinating from Day's first appearance accepting 10 cents for a dance to her final performance of the title tune.

It's Complicated (2009)

2010-11-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

In It's Complicated, Meryl Streep plays a divorcee who runs an extremely successful pastry business, raises three wonderful children (one of whom is enfianced to an adorable John Krasinski), buys her own beautiful 2000 square foot home to which she is now adding 1000 square feet of kitchen and living space and begins an affair with the (now) re-married husband that had left her for a younger woman. On top of the incredulity of her life, the story tries too hard and the script is so hackneyed and mundane that I wonder why seemingly intelligent actors like Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin would agree to make this clinker. It must be complicated.

Stephen King's Pet Sematary (1989)

2010-09-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I thought Stephen King's Pet Sematary (directed by Mary Lambert of American Psycho fame) might have been a good movie that fell through my movie-going crack so I bought the DVD and sat down to enjoy. After about ten minutes, I noticed Fred Gwynne (Of The Munsters fame) was the only star (unless you count the bland Denise Crosby of granddad Bing Crosby fame), it had some similarities in story to Pumpkinhead, and the pet cemetery is not the film's MacGuffin - the Indian burial ground over the ridge from the pet cemetery is the MacGuffin. I guess it would've been a mouthful to call it Stephen King's Indian Burial Ground Over the Ridge from the Pet Sematary; at least with that title I wouldn't have wondered all these years if the film was any good.

Huge (2010)

2010-09-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

Huge just completed its first season and I was completely enthralled with the stories created around Camp Victory, a summer camp for fat teens. Intelligent writing, multi-layered characters and excellent performances (Nikki Blonsky, Hayley Hasselhoff, Raven Goodwin, Ari Stidham, Ashley Holliday, Harvey Guillen, Paul Dooley, and Gina Torres to name a few of the actors) make this series more of a microcosm for anyone with issues of self-confidence than the one trick pony it could've been. It is a bit strange that the season ended mid-summer and now fans have to wait all winter for the second season end of summer but that's a small price to pay for quality.

For Me And My Gal (1942)

2010-09-01T21:55:00.001-07:00

Gene Kelly took a risk playing an unsympathetic, draft-dodging song and dance man for his screen debut but he pulls it off in For Me And My Gal, a dramatic musical vaudeville set during World War I but made during World War II. Judy Garland is heart-breaking and endearing as the distaff half of the team; on stage and off she exudes the stuff that dreams are made of. Black and white photography and an adult script make this grittier than the usual 40s musical but the many classic songs and dances with direction by Busby Berkeley are fun and involving and it all works together.

The Girl Who Played With Fire (2009)

2010-08-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Fifteen minutes into The Girl Who Played With Fire I knew I was in trouble: the plot was obvious, the action moved slowly, and everything was so simplistic - do you really get the location of a villain by mailing to a post office box a you win $100,000 letter to which the villain will respond with their address to collect the money? Is it that easy? An hour into this more than two hour movie I had already opened my phone to check the time twice, and I was screaming (internally) to leave the theatre but, I had history with these characters (having enjoyed the first film) so I stayed until the bitter end none the worse for...ahhh who are we kidding, it sucked.

Claudine (1974)

2010-08-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

Claudine is still as delightful a romantic comedy as they come. The story of a mother of six (played with subtlety and nuance by Academy Award nominee Diahann Carroll) being romanced by a garbage man (a smoking James Earl Jones showing off his hiney!) has aged amazingly well: the look of the film is not dated, the issues it confronts are relevant, and the script's heart stands front and center. Add an incredible score by Curtis Mayfield with Gladys Knight and the Pips and you get a real classic with heart and soul - can you dig it?

Myra Breckinridge (1970)

2010-08-19T20:59:00.001-07:00

Raquel Welch (looking breathtaking and showing some real acting chops as a transsexualvestite) and Mae West (hootworthy, singing songs and vamping with Tom Selleck) are the reasons to see Myra Breckinridge. A lot of other names show up as actors (John Huston, Farrah Fawcett, Rex Reed, John Carradine) and icons in black and white film clips (Judy Garland, Laurel & Hardy) and there's male rape, lesbian seduction, dirty medicine and a whole bunch more that, though interesting to see in a historical context, just doesn't add up to a good movie. What made the thing watchable is knowing that no major Hollywod studio would ever make a film like this again; it's a moment in time.

Escape from Sobibor (1987)

2010-08-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

Escape from Sobibor is a triumphant mini-series that tells the story of the only prisoners (both Jewish and non) to escape from a Nazi death camp during WW2. Alan Arkin and Rutger Hauer are excellent as the conspirators and the film itself, though undoubtedly too pretty to be a real document of a concentration camp, still manages to create a horrific picture of the situation. Even in its violence, the denouement is uplifting and well-documented by this British television production.

This Property is Condemned (1966)

2010-08-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

Natalie Wood and Robert Redford steam up the screen (as they say) in This Property is Condemned, the story of a small Depression-era town that is losing its sole source of revenue - the railroad. The film is based on a Tennessee Williams one act (and reportedly dissed by him upon its release) but is elevated by the star performances and cinematographer James Wong Howe. Kate Reid, Charles Bronson, Robert Blake and Mary Badham (she of To Kill A Mockingbird/Scout fame) offer excellent support but it's the star romance that makes this one so involving.

The Box (2009)

2010-08-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Richard Kelly directed Donnie Darko, a four star piece of esoterica as well as The Box, a little less successful but still an interesting watch. After a shaky start with a weird accent, Cameron Diaz settles in as a woman who, with James Marsden as her husband, pushes a button on Frank Langella's box for one million dollars. It takes some interesting turns and can be a bit confusing but it kept me until the end...twice.

All About Steve (2009)

2010-08-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

I enjoy watching Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper but I did not enjoy watching their comedy, All About Steve. It wasn't funny or involving, the leads had no chemistry, and the script is ridiculous. The movie poster is better than this movie - and look how horrible the poster is.

A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

2010-08-11T20:27:00.001-07:00

A Raisin in the Sun is one of the best films of the 60s based on one of the best plays of the 50s that is still as relevant today as it was almost fifty years ago. The emotional resonance in the story of an African-American family that comes into a large sum of money also offers incredible and indelible performances by Sidney Poitier, Claudia MacNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands and Louis Gosset, Jr. (in his film debut). Don't let the black and white cinematography steer you away from this magnificent film that looks and feels as if it was released yesterday.

With Six You Get Eggroll (1968)

2010-08-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

A surprisingly robust drama is molded to fit the fabric of a Doris Day comedy in With Six You Get Eggroll. Set in the real swinging sixties (with an appearance from The Grass Roots), it tells a relatively honest tale of two people who marry quickly and must then merge their respective families (including a teenaged Barbara Hershey in her film debut). The story moves along despite the circumstances that always stop short of an onscreen shtup between Ms. Day and her co-star, Brian Keith but it's a sweet film that is a fitting cap to Ms. Day's illustrious career (to date, this is her last film).

Pinky (1949)

2010-04-04T00:42:00.000-07:00

Jeanne Crain, Ethel Waters and Ethel Barrymore were rightfully nominated for Academy Awards (Actress, Supporting Actress and Supporting Actress, respectively) for Pinky, a predictable but sincere look at racism in the United States. Considering the time it was made, the story of a light-skinned black woman returning to her southern home town does not shy away from controversial issues but, the film does have some controversial issues of its own (casting a white actress to play the central black character, stereotypical characterizations on both sides of the color spectrum, pat situations, and a predictable Hollywood ending, for example). Still, director Elia Kazan's use of light, shadows and the camera (in general) and good supporting performances (including but not limited to Evelyn Varden and Nina Mae McKinney) still make the film a worthwhile experience.

Eaten Alive (1977)

2010-04-03T04:12:00.000-07:00

Even the good people act batshit crazy before being Eaten Alive in this faux Psycho thriller which adds a huge crocodile to the dilapidated hotel mix. Tobe Hooper's second film (starting a downward spiral that continued with The Funhouse) is dark, weird and just not scary. Most inexplicably (in a film of inexplicable wigs and alternate titles) is why this hotel, run by the monologue spouting Neville Brand and seemingly located deep within some Okeefenokee swamp, has so many patrons - Marilyn Burns, Mel Ferrer, Robert Englund, Janus Blythe, Kyle Richards and William Finley all stop by for a rest while Stuart Whitman and Carolyn Jones stay on the outskirts.

The Handmaid's Tale (1990)

2010-04-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

Made almost twenty years ago, The Handmaid's Tale is prescient in its depiction of religious extremism and its takeover of a nation. Ultimately though its a barren film adaptation of the Margaret Atwood novel about barren women and the handmaids who procreate for them. Natasha Richardson, Robert Duvall, Faye Dunaway and Aidan Quinn all do a fine job and the film holds interest but it is emotionless.

Return to Horror High (1987)

2010-04-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

A cornucopia of B-listers (Vince Edward, Scott Jacoby, Philip McKeon, Alex Rocco and Maureen McCormick) and one pre A-list A-lister (George Clooney) Return to Horror High for this confusing spoof of slasher movies which has no real violence but sheds loads of blood. In a way (a long way) it reminded me of Robert Altman's The Player but this one is a really bad movie. Clooney comes and goes very quickly (probably had a call for The Facts of Life) and McCormick is actually pretty funny but even she can't save this piece of trash.

Roswell (1994)

2010-03-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Roswell takes an interesting theory about the government coverup of a flying saucer crash and makes it a bore without shedding any light on the actual incident one way or the other. Kyle MacLachlan, Martin Sheen, Dwight Yoakum and a host of well-known faces (if not names) do their best but the film just has no drama. If this story is, in fact, true a documentary would have been a better outlet.

Chapter Two (1979)

2010-03-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

Chapter Two has not aged well despite the poster's proclamation of it being a very special movie from Neil Simon. James Caan is miscast as a Neil Simon type writer getting over the death of his first wife with shrill Marsha Mason as a Neil Simon type second wife (a role she played in real life before their divorce) and Valerie Harper as a Neil Simon type anorexic looking best friend. It's overlong and underwritten (by Neil Simon) but ends with a nice surprise as Marilyn McCoo sings the trite theme I'm On Your Side over the credits - not a good place for an audience to start taking notice of a film.

The Player (1992)

2010-03-16T05:57:00.000-07:00

Only Robert Altman could make The Player, a film that has all the elements needed to market a film successfully (suspense, laughter, violence, hope, heart, nudity, sex, happy ending and no reality) but is quirkily unmarketable because it has none of the elements needed to market a film successfully - except big stars in cameos (Cher, Julia Roberts, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Pollack, Joel Grey, Bruce Willis, Sally Kellerman and Susan Sarandon to name a few). Tim Robbins, Greta Scaachi and Whoopi Goldberg are the real actors that spearhead the plot which contains a mystery (that is solved only if you pay real close attention) within a comedy that is not meant to be laugh out loud funny. Reality is so entwined with fantasy though that you can't help getting caught up in Altman's love affair with Hollywood.

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

2010-03-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

The problem with Alice in Wonderland is that its interest lies primarily in the computer generated images and not the story (which apes other films like The Golden Compass or the Lord of the Rings trilogy). Helena Bonham Carter is quite good (although her head is most distracting), Anne Hathaway seems a bit lost, Johnny Depp has a lisp that disappears and reappears and Mia Wasikowska is fine although someone might've mentioned to Tim Burton that aging the main character ten years in a beloved children's tale doesn't endear itself to those who know the original (see Diana Ross in The Wiz). It wasn't horrible but it certainly wasn't worth the price of admission either.

Oliver (1968)

2010-03-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

More than forty years after winning the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director (Carol Reed) Oliver is still tuneful, colorful, and frightful. Anchored by commanding performances from Ron Moody and Jack Wild (Oscar nominees), Shani Wallis, Mark Lester (whose singing was dubbed by a girl) and especially Oliver Reed (hired to play the dark, villainous Bill Sykes by his director uncle), it's a wonderful journey to a lost time. It is rather long so turn off all the lights, shut off the phone and put a sign on the door that you are not to be disturbed and lose yourself in Charles Dickens' story of Oliver Twist enhanced with an excellent cachet of songs by Lionel Bart (including It's A Fine Life, As Long As He Needs Me, Who Will Buy, Oom Pah Pah, Consider Yourself, Food Glorious Food, Reviewing The Situation and Pick a Pocket Or Two).

Cabin Fever (2002)

2010-03-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if Cabin Fever is a metaphor for the AIDS epidemic, a treatise on society's transformation into selfishness or a horror film about a latent skin virus with no ulterior motive but it's interesting nonetheless. It offers the usual inbred redneck hicks, unethical mountain cops and partying college students so is not very original but an appealing cast (including Cheryl Ladd's daughter Jordan) does manage to bring it to life. Eli Roth should be proud of his directorial debut and it does imply one important point we should all remember for the coming viral apocalypse: keep a bottle of Listerine on hand.

The Kid Stays In The Picture (2002)

2010-03-09T18:59:00.001-08:00

In his own words and with clips from the films he produced, Robert Evans tells his own story in The Kid Stays In The Picture. It's a fascinating story with many juicy Hollywood stories and, despite a seemingly huge ego, Evans endears himself. Based on his autobiography, it's one of the few movies I've seen that makes me want to go back and read the book.

The Funhouse (1981)

2010-03-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

The Funhouse is a mundane horror film directed by Tobe Hooper - he of the much less mundane (and much more original) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 version). Seven years after the classic Hooper has remained static in his filmmaking knowledge; in fact, he might have lost some precious abilities because this clinker about four kids trapped in a carnival funhouse has no thrills or blood. It's also badly acted except of course for the always-the-same-but-always entertaining Sylvia Miles playing, what else, a prostitute.

Definitely Maybe (2008)

2010-03-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Definitely Maybe is definitely a wonderfully romantic movie; maybe even one of the best I've seen. Ryan Reynolds and Abigail Breslin have great chemistry as the father (the former) telling his daughter (the latter) the story of how he met her mother (either Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher or Rachel Weisz). The story, though not that suspenseful, is endearing and the characters are fleshed out by some nice comic performances especially a small yet pivotal role played by Kevin Kline.

Call Me Madam (1953)

2010-03-03T05:58:00.000-08:00

Ethel Merman pulls out the stops as a pastiche of Groucho Marx and Mae West (while keeping it all Ethel) in Call Me Madam. Ethel, Donald O'Connor, George Sanders [quelle surprise!] and Vera-Ellen sing and dance the hell out of the Irving Berlin songs [What Chance Have I With Love, The International Rag, It's A Lovely Day Today, The Hostess With The Mostes' On The Ball, The Best Thing For You and the phenomenal Merman/O'Connor duet (I Wonder Why) You're Just In Love] which together with the art direction, costumes and exuberance make this film intoxicating. The story line is somewhat slight but it has an emotional core that resonates and, of course, it has the Merm.

The Ice Storm (1997)

2010-03-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

I thought The Ice Storm was going to be a first-rate drama but it all seems very calculated. Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, et al. turn up the heat on the acting skills like it's an important film but aye, there's the rub - everyone is acting. Too much of that heat definitely melted this ice.

Foxes (1980)

2010-02-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

Foxes is an honest (if nothing else) story of how four teenage girls (Jodie Foster, Cherie Currie, Marilyn Kagan, Kandice Stroh) survive against all odds, including drugs, alcohol, boys, abusive or absent fathers and, neglectful or cold mothers (one of the latter played by Sally Kellerman). This was director Adrian Lyne's first film about surviving against all odds (before Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct) and because of its almost documentarian feel works as a time capsule (if nothing else). Music from the film actually took in bigger consumer dollars in 1980 with Donna Summer's huge hit On The Radio, and semi-hits from producer Giorgio Moroder, Cher and Grammy-nominated Janis Ian, played a lot - um - on the radio.

The Snake Pit (1948)

2010-02-22T18:01:00.000-08:00

Olivia De Havilland is still remarkable as a mentally ill woman in The Snake Pit despite the fact that mentally ill as it is depicted here is akin to my mother going food shopping today. Yes, the film is dated but that is not the fault of our lead actress who was deservingly nominated for an Academy Award. Watch it with a grain of salt or maybe a Prozac.

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968)

2010-02-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

Gina Lollobridgida and the extremely colorful art direction are the only reasons to see Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell, a none-too-funny comedy about an Italian woman who doesn't know which of the three American soldiers that she shtupped during World War Two is the father of her now sixteen year old daughter (Janet Margolin). The supporting cast (including Shelley Winters, Telly Savalas, Peter Lawford, Lee Grant and Phil Silvers) play the non-existent jokes much too broadly - both of which (cast and jokes) can be blamed only on director and co-writer Melvin Frank. Fortunately, Frank also hired Lollobridgida who is stunning and likable despite the sour script (which was used thirty years later as the basis for the ABBA musical, Mamma Mia.)

Aparecidos (2007)

2010-02-18T19:47:00.000-08:00

Engrossing and surprising, Aparecidos (The Appeared) is a political ghost story from Argentina based on historical fact. Writer/director Paco Cabezas has fashioned a film with a strong message that is applicable to many different countries during many different eras and cast the excellent Ruth Diaz as an attorney who finds out a little too much about her father's past on the way to pull his plug. There's not too much blood in this offbeat gem so don't let that keep you from searching it out.

Resurrection (1999)

2010-02-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

Bad casting choices might spoil the outcome of Resurrection for some but it's still a creepy watch (helmed by 80s music video director - yes, Duran Duran - Russell Mulcahy) about a serial killer who is rebuilding the body of Christ for the titular event. Kudos are deserved by executive producer, co-writer and star Christopher Lambert despite his somewhat distracting Schwarzenegger-esque accent. Add a star if you've never seen Leland Orser or Robert Joy in a movie.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

2010-02-16T23:19:00.001-08:00

Sassy Jane Russell and sweet Marilyn Monroe bring their many charms to this wonderful film of the Broadway musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Howard Hawks directs the lively, colorful, entertaining and tuneful tale about two showgirls looking for love (and money) into a frothy and uncomplicated soiree. Monroe's iconic Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, Russell's so-hot-they-needed-a-pool Ain't There Anyone Here For Love and the duet Two Little Girls From Little Rock show how neither woman has ever been better - and not many films have either.

Ghost Ship (2002)

2010-02-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

The first five minutes of Ghost Ship is an extraordinarily creepy exercise in horror and the story that follows, though not as consistent, offers a goodly share of twists and scares. Gabriel Byrne, Julianna Margulies and Ron Eldard play the crew of a salvage ship that finds the titular vessel floating in the Bering Strait. Add some good effects (both traditional and computer generated) and decent acting (including Australian horror teen queen Emily Browning) and this ship does a good job of staying afloat.

Valentine (2001)

2010-02-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

Valentine is a red (pun intended) herring horror film in which we are diverted from the real killer's identity until the movie's end - or in my case, about 15 minutes before it. Since most horror films play out in the same way, it isn't the most original premise but the acting by Denise Richards (!), David Boreanaz, Marley Shelton and the rest keeps the momentum. If you're alone on this day of love, it beats Romeo and Juliet.

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996)

2010-02-13T11:35:00.001-08:00

It's not the anachronism that spoils Baz Luhrman's William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet but the casting of actors that don't understand the cadence of Elizabethan English - and this includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes as the star-crossed lovers. Miriam Margolyes as the nurse, Pete Postlethwaite as the priest, and Brian Dennehy as Ted Montague fair best (with a nod to whipper-snapper John Leguizamo as Tybalt) but the film might have been more palletable had Luhrman used modern English or cast actors that have experience speaking Shakespeare's words. It's not a tragedy but it is not a very engrossing watch.

Only When I Laugh (1981)

2010-02-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

Neil Simon should have done more research about alcoholism before writing Only When I Laugh because Marsha Mason does not live (or in this case, act) like any alcoholic that I've known (and I've known a few). The script is dated, full of stagey one-liners in place of characterization and ends sappily with a metaphoric Hollywood hug between Mason and her chip-off-the-old-block daughter, Kristy McNichol. The saving graces are the supporting performances from James Coco and Joan Hackett who bring truth to their contrived lines.

Fallen (1998)

2010-02-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Fallen is somewhat interesting but lacks the realism a story about demons needs to be successful (as in The Exorcist). The acting is fine but I couldn't help but wondering how Denzel Washington could say the demon's name - Azazel - with a straight face. Perhaps the story's creators are atheist or agnostic because this movie about religion's discarded plays like a movie.

Gin gwai - The Eye (2002)

2010-02-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

Atmospheric and surprisingly tender, Gin gwai (The Eye) is one hell of a ghost story. The Pang Brothers have fashioned a fascinating and scary script (much of it straight out of the headlines) and hired some excellent actors (including Lee Sin-Je, Lawrence Chou, Sue Yuen Wang and Chutcha Rujinanon) to tell this creepy story of supernatural sight. Watch it with the lights out.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967)

2010-02-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

Forty years on, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is still relevant and not in the least dated. Katherine Hepburn won an Academy Award for her performance but Spencer Tracy and Beah Richards match her word for word - with able support from Sidney Poitier, Katherine Houghton (Hepburn's niece) and Isabel Sanford in a small yet pivotal role. The San Francisco location (with an opening nod to San Jose), the excellence of Stanley Kramer's direction and the intelligence of William Rose's script make this one never to be missed.

Darkness Falls (2003)

2010-02-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Thrills, good effects and a fascinating back story greet you in Darkness Falls. Although the script has a few of the plot holes usually found in horror movies, they pale compared to this fast-paced story about the Tooth Fairy; I'm telling you it's fascinating. Chaney Bley (RIP) and Emma Caulfield lead the appealing cast in this fight to stay in the light (which does it all with a PG-13 rating).

The Garden (2006)

2010-01-30T18:50:00.000-08:00

The Garden is a somewhat interesting flick about Satan, the Garden of Eden and the four horsemen of the apocalypse getting into it with a very special young boy (Brian Wimmer). Lance Henrikson is his usual involving self and Sean Young also redeems nicely but the story is muddled and the ending downright confusing. Maybe someone who is not a Jew would understand it better - or maybe not.

The Dentist (1996)

2010-01-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

The Dentist is squirm-inducing and creepy. Corbin Bernson as the titular lunatic hits just the right notes and the drill used throughout the movie made me close my ears more than once in shivers. It's not the best horror film but it is effective.

Set It Off (1996)

2010-01-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

Set It Off is interesting because it is about four females that rob banks; had the producers hired four males, the script's shortcomings would have been too pronounced. Instead we get good acting from Queen Latifah, Viveca A. Fox, Jada Pinkett and Kimberly Elise in something that starts as a buddy flick and ends...um...not as a buddy flick. Ultimately, it's convoluted and unbelievable.

The Unborn (2009)

2010-01-20T20:37:00.000-08:00

Who knew The Unborn was going to be a Jewish version of The Exorcist? Who knew it would feature Gary Oldman, Jane Alexander and a girl who looks just like Megan Fox? Who knew, at 88 minutes, it would feel like an eternity?

Travels With My Aunt (1972)

2010-01-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

Travels With My Aunt is Auntie Mame with an adult nephew, no humor and no emotional core. Maggie Smith (as directed by George Cukor) is a bit much as Aunt Augusta but early career performances by Louis Gossett, Jr. and Cindy Williams make up for it. All in all though, travel with a different companion because this aunt is kind of a bore.

Mars Attacks! (1996)

2010-01-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

Mars Attacks!, a play on the science fiction movies made in the 50s (I think) might have been good had it been funny. It also might have been good had it been scary. Too bad it's just plain dull.

WΔZ aka The Killing Gene (2006)

2010-01-09T15:09:00.000-08:00

WΔZ (W Delta Z) is a gritty, low budget police drama that kept me guessing until the end - pretty hard thing to do nowadays. Stellan Skarsgård, Selma Blair and Melissa George are excellent although the film is lit so darkly it's often hard to see. Grim and horrific scenes add to the melee but this is not a horror movie - or maybe I should write this is thinking man's horror.

The Machine Girl (2008)

2010-01-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

The Machine Girl not only has a machine gun for a left arm but she has a lot of heart - which makes this bloody tale of revenge so much fun to watch. Minase Yashiro (so good in her film debut - as is Amashi and the others) and commitment is what makes this genuine Grindhouse picture so extremely watchable and enjoyable. The over-the-top blood letting out Tarentinos Tarantino but writer/director Noburu Iguchi brings it!

The Glass House (2001)

2010-01-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Glass House is a mundane thriller (about two kids whose parents are suddenly killed) with a mundane script and a mundane lead performance from Leelee Sobieski as one of the newly crowned orphans. Diane Lane and Stellan Skarsgård take a back seat but I can't imagine that was anything more (or less) than they expected when the acting contract was signed. I guess they (and more than a bunch of people involved with this piffle) just needed the cash.

Thank God It's Friday (1978)

2010-01-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

No matter what anyone says, Thank God It's Friday is a time capsule of what it felt like to spend an evening in a 70s disco. Sure it might be contrived and each character is more an archetype than an individual but if you are too young to have lived through it, this pretty much sums up the energy: straights and gays, teens trying to get in, drugs (notice the poppers), assholes, dancing and the ubiquitous music. Ahhhh, those were the days.

Rock Star (2001)

2009-12-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

Rock Star should be believed as it is based on the true story of the lead singer of a cover band who gets a chance to be the lead singer of the band his cover band is covering - got it? But Mark Wahlberg's character is unbelievable, and Jennifer Aniston is just to good to believe. The movie is also bland, having left only a glimmer of sex and drugs from the requisite formula of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun (1985)

2009-12-27T11:35:00.000-08:00

Robert Hazard should be ashamed for allowing his song Girls Just Want to Have Fun to be made into a movie about a girl who wants to win the Dance TV dance contest (a la Hairspray). Cyndi Lauper should be proud that she did not allow her version of the song to be used in the Girls Just Want To Have Fun movie. Sarah Jessica Parker should be glad she was a teenager and not responsible for her own actions.

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

2009-12-25T09:17:00.000-08:00

Not much exciting going on in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three despite the thriller label. Sure it's about the hijacking of a New York subway train but you already know who the villains are, the cops (almost) never leave the station, and the film is as stagnant as the subway car that never moves. Most interesting though is the very end; too bad they didn't start there and move backwards.

Baby Boom (1987)

2009-12-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Baby Boom is one of the 80s remaining treasures. Diane Keaton is wonderful as the advertising executive who finds herself the parent to an absolutely adorable little girl and she carries this huge box office hit (as well as two babies playing the one). It's simplistic and endearing and almost a throwback to the idealistic flicks of Frank Capra - but not quite.

He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

2009-12-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

Ginifer Godwin (so good in Big Love) is so annoying and the denouement of her story line with Justin Long so unbelievable that everything that might be good about He's Just Not That Into You pales in comparison. Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck are fine, Scarlett Johanssen and Bradley Cooper are hot, Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Connelly are depressed and the gays are in as the second bananas but this Sex and the City knock-off hasn't anything more worth discussing - except that Kris Kristofferson plays Aniston's father here, Marlo Thomas played Aniston's mother in Friends and the two actors starred together in 1984's The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck. In the end this chick flick fails to click.

The Road (2009)

2009-12-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

The Road is a dick flick as the bond between father and son is portrayed in this post-apocalyptic road movie. Unfortunately, we don't actually see any real post-apocalyptic cannibalism which makes the flick anti-climactic. We do hear talk, talk, talk and we do see Viggo Mortenson and boy running away from cannibalistic confrontation after cannibalistic confrontation in this adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel; must be a dramar but it was still anti-climactic.