277 reviews from Freakin Meow

Death Race
If you enjoyed The Road Warrior (1981), the Car Wars role-playing game, or any number of car battle video games that are currently on the market, you will LOVE Death Race!! Armored and weaponized vehicles race through an industrial complex gathering defensive and offensive "power-ups" (for lack of a better term). I sensed that this was less an attempt to remake the original, and more likely an attempt to create a franchise... a sequel or two, some merchandise, and yes, a video game. Still, the action sequences are tight and quite clearly the result of carefully planned and choreographed stunts. The extras confirmed this. Although there wasn't much in the way of extras on this disk... a "making of" featurette, director commentary.. there was a very nice featurette that focused exclusively on the stunts in the movie. There was very little CGI, just some embellishments here and there. The cars are really doing flips... and blowing up... and slamming into walls. I appreciate director Anderson resisting the temptation to relegate these things to CGI, it makes the action more intense. In short, I liked it. 3 stars and a canister of napalm!

Hancock: Bonus Material
The Bonus Disk for Hancock contains a handful of featurettes that attempt to show the artistry and thought that went into the making of the film, but really all of these are extended little commercials for the movie that would best be seen on an HBO making-of special. They all take way to much time explaining the major plot points of the movie and offer very little else. At first the Bonus Disk had some promise with a featurette that described the process of previsualization. Essentially, since so much CGI and green screen stuff is going on with this movie, Director Peter Berg employed a variety of computerized mock-ups to help him determine what shots were needed. Interesting. There is another feature where special effects guru John Dykstra talks about the intricacies of rendering human skin. vaguelly interesting. There is another feature that discusses some of the stunts in the movie. This could have been cool, but instead turned into a 5 minute discussion of how a refrigerator was thrown through a wall. Lame.

Hancock
Hancock is an interesting take on the superhero genre... heroes with no control over their powers usually just crash around and cause more damage than they do good. I thought that Will Smith was pretty good in this, but the character wasn't really that likable and I suppose that is precisely the point. Peter Berg brings the viewer through Hancock's little journey of redemption, but I wasn't really that convinced. Frankly, I just didn't care. All is not lost... Jason Bateman turns in a good performance that saves the movie. He really is the hero of this one. It's worth a viewing if you are a fan of superhero movies, but I wouldn't feel obligated to own it. 3 stars.

The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker garnered a posthumous Golden Globe nomination and certainly is reason enough to watch the film, but I'd like to talk a little bit about the performance by Aaron Eckhart. First of all, can we all agree that Tommy Lee Jones's portrayal of Two-Face was simply a rip-off of Jack Nicholson's Joker, but with different make-up?? In other words, Eckhart had nothing to live up to except his own performance. It helped that Harvey Dent the DA was treated as the major player that he actually was in the comic books and his screen time rivals that of The Joker. Eckhart's Two Face was excellent... turned insane by his injuries and The Joker's silvery tongue, any moments of indecision are decided by the flip of a coin. Kudos to the computer enhanced scarring which looks just like the comics!! A great treatment for one of the Batman's most revered villains, and my personal favorite. Overall, The Dark Knight solidifies the new Batman franchise as the gritty, realistic, no-holds-barred version that fans have been clamoring for. Excellent! 5 stars and the flip of a coin. Heads, I win... tails, you lose.

Identity
Identity is an excellent little thriller... a unique concept that will definitely stay with you and is worth several viewings. 10 strangers stranded in a roadside motel start getting killed off one by one. Amanda Peet is especially cute here, John Cusack is impressive as always, and Jack Busey is perfect as the inmate. (Those Busey's are ALWAYS good as "the inmate", aren't they??) Although hinted at throughout, the reveal isn't quite as intuitive as one might think... and even when you KNOW, Director James Mangold keeps you guessing to the very end. 4 stars and a room key.

Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special
Jeff Dunham and his gang come together in this very funny Christmas special. Those who know and love Dunham's work will be delighted with this Christmas themed special. Those who are watching Dunham for the first time will invariably put the rest of his shows in their queues. It was good to see Walter, Peanut, and Jose Jalapeno (on a steek) again. Achmed the dead terrorist is especially funny and Dunham isn't afraid to throw out some religious jokes. In fact, it is safe to say that Dunham effectively walks a very fine line in his performances. Through his puppetry and all of the different characters he has created for himself, Dunham is able to say things that I don't think he would ever be able to say out loud otherwise. As such he skirts around, and sometimes firmly into, topics that you wouldn't expect of a puppet show. There is definitely some adult humor here... topics include drug use, religion, and sexuality. And it IS FUNNY!! A definite add for anyone's Christmas shelf! 5 stars for Jeff-fuh-fuh!!

Batman Begins
An excellent reimagining of a franchise that was quickly going downhill. Batman Begins (2005) effectively tells perhaps the most difficult story within the Batman mythos... the origin story. Major characters introduced in this movie are Ra's-Al-Ghul, Carmine Falcone, Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow), Jim Gordon, Lucius Fox, and even Mr. Zsasz. Unlike the previous Batman movies, this film capitalizes on the one thing that sets Batman apart from other superheroes... his humanity. Years of training and dedication have brought him to this place, and even though this Batman is a force to be reckoned with, it is nice to see that he is human and can be hurt once in awhile. Excellent!! 5 stars and a batarang! /^^\

Batman Begins: Bonus Material
The Bonus Disk for Batman Begins is pretty cool. You navigate through it like you would a comic book... but it isn't quite as intuitive as it should be. It has some cool stuff on it... interviews, Batman history, and some other things but the getting through the comic book format was pretty frustrating. I think I may have missed a feature or two. A cool idea, poorly executed, but I still liked it.

The Tracey Fragments
The Tracey Fragments are essentially the memories of a young girl struggling to come to terms with her life. Director Bruce McDonald does an excellent job of displaying, for all to see, the replays and rewinds of Tracey Berkowitz's mind. Functioning much like our own fallible and imprecise memory, these fragments are all slightly different and reveal different realities in each. At first I found the fragmented screen slightly annoying, but quickly became wrapped up in its many layers and points-of-view. Ellen Page is supremely talented and although I will be sure to watch any film she decides to make, even her performance here couldn't save this film from it's own depression. It reminded me of Catcher in the Rye, and I hated Catcher in the Rye. Still, the fragmented screen employed here kept my attention and the product was unique. Hmmm... interesting. 3 stars and a Slim Twig??

Hard Candy
Ellen Page brings it in what can only be described as Little Red Riding Hood with a twist. In this version the Wolf gets what's coming to him. Good performances, great camerawork, and a story that could only have been told by an independent film maker, Hard Candy left me feeling a little weird... who exactly was the "bad guy" in this?? I mean certainly Patrick Wilson's character had it coming to him, but that's just COLD!! David Slade does an excellent job of creating a perfectly sick and twisted internet predator, and putting him in a situation that makes you feel slightly sorry for the guy. Wild! 4 stars and a little snip, snip...

Spirit of the Marathon
In Spirit of the Marathon, director Jon Dunham presents 6 very different runners and chronicles their preparations for the Chicago Marathon. I really enjoyed this film as my wife is preparing for her first ever marathon and we were able to immediately identify with some of the individuals documented here. There is a good look at the history of the marathon and how it became such a celebrated worldwide sport. The classic clips, the individual stories, and the race itself are all deftly woven together into an inspiring documentary that was easy and enjoyable to watch. The title is particularly appropriate... marathoning really has nothing to do with the race itself, but rather serves as a testament to a person's strength of will. But even if you have no intention of running a marathon, I highly suggest you put this movie in your queue. You may just feel inspired to go for a jog. 5 stars... 'cause Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!!

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Captain Jack Sparrow's friends will do anything to help him... even travel to the ends of the Earth. This, the final installment of the Pirates trilogy, is a nice bookend to an epic adventure. The story is a simple one... will the 9 Pirate Lords sit back and watch their hold on the seas slowly slip away, or will they fight?? I rather enjoyed this movie, but found it to be somewhat long. Better than the second, and a good way to end the saga. Some killer visuals, and another strong performance by Depp save this one from the depths. 4 stars for Calypso's heavenly thighs.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Dead Man's Chest is the second in the Pirates trilogy and suffers from what can only be described as the sophomore curse. I had to watch this one several times before I could untangle the mess of plot and action. The premise is a fairly simple one... Captain Jack Sparrow made a deal with Davy Jones in order to get control of the Black Pearl. (See Pirates #1) Davy Jones is getting impatient with Captain Sparrow, inflicts him with the dreaded Black Spot and has sent the Kraken after him. Intertwined within this story are various other plots and subplots that only serve to add confusion. Still, I liked it for the most part. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Davy Jones and his crew and offer this as a perfect example of CG as a way of enhancing flesh and blood actors instead of replacing them. Enjoyable, but only after a couple of viewings. 3 stars and a beating heart.

Children of Men
Children of Men explores the premise that a plague of some sort has robbed humanity of its ability to reproduce... casting the world into chaos. That's the short version at least, and hardly does the film justice. Director Alfonso Cuaron has a lot to be proud of here, and I'm sure he will look upon this project with pride for many years to come. The setting is quite effectively portrayed as a juxtaposition of high-tech and down-and-dirty... very Blade Runner (1982) or Soylent Green (1973). Martial Law is implied through compulsory deportation of refugees and immigrants, a heavily armed police force, and even the availability of home suicide kits. Quietus... nice. Cuaron depends heavily on highly orchestrated, long takes and shots. These result in a kind of documentary feel at times and do a good job of bringing the viewer into the middle of the action. The story itself is one that won't necessarily appeal to everyone, but the action is good, the characters are believable, and the situation is really only a several steps away from reality. There are some good extras on the disk... first of all, there is a short featurette titled "The Possibility of Hope" which gets several philosophers, researchers, and other talking heads together to discuss the effects of globalization, climate change, and overpopulation. This essay is rather heavy-handed in my opinion, but does serve to legitimize the vision brought forth in the movie. There are also a couple of making-of featurettes that describe some of the shots found in the movie. These were most excellent, and shows the great lengths some directors will go to get the perfect shot. Overall, I thought the movie was pretty darned good, and the extras served to round out the deal. 4 stars, and a strawberry cough!!

Halloween
John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) remains a horror mainstay thirty years after its initial release. What a run!! Halloween has stood the test of time because it works so effectively at so many different levels. The music is superb and offers the perfect backdrop to the horror on screen. The quick staccato notes playing in front of deep sounding chords, make this as creepy and as memorable as the theme from Jaws. Michael Myers is virtually unstoppable and continues to pursue the young babysitter (Jamie Lee Curtis) even after you are certain he must be dead. This unstoppable evil is made all the more terrifying by the emotionless William Shatner mask. The casting was excellent, and provided a springboard for Jamie Lee Curtis' career. All of these plusses aside, the beginning does drag on somewhat, but if you are patient you will be rewarded... not in spouts of blood and gore, but in an overall feeling of suspense and creepiness with several shocking moments thrown in for good measure. This disk also has some pretty cool extras. There is a decent making-of featurette, the original trailers, and even a couple of promotional radio spots. Halloween is classic slasher at its finest, and a must-have for anyone's horror shelf. 4 stars, and a crochet needle to the neck!!

Cinemania
So you think you like movies, huh? If you are reading this you have to get a weekly "net-fix" like the rest of us. Whatever your plan... one-a-week or even eight-a-week... you just can't wait to see that red envelope amongst the various bills, mailers, and catalogs. The people profiled in this film would put us all to shame. Imagine watching three, four, or five movies A DAY!! The documentary does a good job of presenting 5 distinctly different people, all of whom have taken movie-watching to an extreme. They discuss their lives and it is clear that they don't consider their cinemania a problem; however, it is also clear that this is not a life that I personally would choose to live. Those profiled here most certainly are compulsive about their movie watching, but I would be hard pressed to say that they are suffering from it. One brings food, clothing, and even medication... "just in case"... another is a savant at reciting the run times of the movies he has seen... and another has the cell phone numbers of the projectionists so that he can call directly to the booth if a film appears out of focus. None of them are particularly charismatic, but they are certainly interesting. Discussions range from favorite movies and movies watched, interacting with others, and even scheduling. Since some theatres are across town, great pains are taken to calculate run times, and travel time. More often than not bathroom breaks are not included... I will leave it at that. I will also leave you with this quote from the movie... "It wouldn't be enough to make love to Rita Hayworth, but I would need to make love to her in black and white." 'Nuff said.

Bolt
**** WOW! **** The Disney Feature Animation Group have another hit on their hands with their latest offering. Although not a Pixar film, Bolt is Executive Produced by John Lasseter and you can see his magic touch here. The story is a good one and will appeal to children and adults alike. Bolt is a dog who is convinced he has super-powers, but when he is accidentaly shipped across the country his journey home becomes one of discovery and self-actualization. It's also pretty darned entertaining!! The voice talent here is good... John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, and Malcolm McDowell provide some high profile star power. This being said, the real star of the movie is the CG animation. Disney is getting better at rendering some of the most lifelike CG out there. Distorted window reflections, hair textures, nature effects, and explosions are all becoming more and more realistic. The opening sequence is as action-packed as anything seen in a James Bond or Indiana Jones movie... simply amazing. In short, put this one in your queue. Even if you get to see it in theatres, you will want to see it again when it is released on DVD and Blu-Ray. 5 stars and a SUPER BARK

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Future War
This is an episode from Season 10. Gypsy makes a quick appearance and we find out that she is exactly 2.8 times a lady!! I knew it! The movie is, of course, terrible and the MST gang do a good job of ripping it to shreds... wait... maybe that was Daniel Bernhardt's shirt. Anyways, the real gem of this disk can be found in the extras. Here you will find a reunion panel that got everyone together at the 2008 Comic Con in San Diego. Anyone even remotely involved with the show is here and they talk informally about the show, how they started, and where they got their original movies. Really, really cool!! Also on this disk you will find all 6 versions of the opening theme song. Overall, I give it 4 stars! Good stuff here!

Future War
I'm trying to find one redeeming quality. The Music? My doorbell is more appealing. The set decoration? Hmmm... strange and twisting pipes that lead to a room of cardboard boxes. wow. really... I'm underwhelmed here. Okay, okay the setting! Hard to mess this one up, right? Let's go film in the dirty streets of Anaheim... now THAT'S appealing! Last chance... the actors? Well, the lead female is relatively cute... wait... her name is Travis?? Oh HELL NO!! 1 forced-perspective star and, you guessed it... straight to the Round File!! -----* (O)

The Business of Being Born
This is a very good documentary that reveals the shift that has come about in the minds of most Americans. Look at the images we have been inundated with... women screaming about the pain, seemingly helpless as doctors crowd around attempting to "fix" things. It didn't used to be this way... and doesn't have to be. There are some startling statistics regarding the "effectiveness" of American hospital births, but the reality is that most nurses and doctors have no clue what to do if they can't perform an intervention of some kind. Film maker Abby Epstein does an excellent job of comparing and contrasting these modern-day hospital deliveries, to homebirths with a midwife. The discussions range from safety, cost, comfort, and biology. Follow along as several expecting mothers choose the path less taken and go with a midwife. This film is most certainly required viewing for any expecting couple. 4 blissed-out stars!

The Call of Cthulhu
A modern day film with a silent film treatment. At first I thought that this was going to be some sort of stylistic nightmare like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) but the film makers did a very nice job with H.P. Lovecraft's story. Many of his stories rely on readers filling in the gaps with their own imaginations, and the silent film served this purpose to some extent. The feature itself was very nice, and I imagine would be a good addition to a high school literature class. The extras almost ruined it for me. There was a making of featurette with the people involved with the project, and I lost a little respect for some them as they talked about how unplanned the whole thing was, how limited the budget was, and how much improvising happened. This really is how bad movies are made... give a good pitch to someone with a lot of money and hope that they will fund your hobby. In this case, everything turned out fine but I expect that most productions that go to work with such a seemingly "flying by the seat of our pants" approach usually wind up on MST3K. So... a word to the wise... don't watch the extras. It just cheapens what is essentially an excellent movie. 4 stars and a moist tentacle.

The Descent
The Descent does what most horror movies try to do... it develops a perfectly horrific setting, likable characters who inadvertently get picked off one by one, and has the viewer squirming in his seat at every turn. There are a few horror conventions used quite successfully here... the loud surprise GOTCHA... the "what the hell was that?" quick flash monster in the distance... dark, eerie, claustrophobic ambiance... blind corners... subtle off screen sounds... decent gore, and a butt kicking heroine. The Descent uses all of these things and more to create what will invariably be considered one of the better horror films to come out in some time. 4 stars, and a pick-axe to the throat.

Fido
HAHA!! I'll keep this one short. This is a tender story about a boy and his zombie. Fido mows the lawn, plays catch, and protects his boy from bullies. See, the undead CAN serve a purpose if equipped with a state-of-the-art control collar. The performances here are good, and Carrie-Anne Moss is beautiful in her 50's costumes. This one is a win-win for zombie enthusiasts and horror/comedy fans alike! 4 stars and a head coffin!

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Jack Brooks is a wonderful little film that certainly draws some of its inspiration from The Evil Dead (1982) and even Peter Jackson's Meet the Feebles (1989). Still, while drawing inspiration from these sources, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer stands firmly on its own two feet. Trevor Matthews' performance as the quick tempered Jack Brooks is excellent. He makes this a likable character who is attending therapy in order to get to the root of his anger. Robert Englund also gives a good performance here as the professor. I can almost forgive him for The Mangler (1996)... almost. But rising above these performances is the artistry of the monsters... all rendered in glorious latex, hair, and paint. No CGI or green screen effects here, just lovely, hand-made creature costumes that practically ooze with colored corn syrup. This was a HUGE bonus for me, and the one thing that really tipped the scales. One of the extras is a complete run-down of the creation of these monsters from conception drawings, through the clay maquettes, mold-making, latex pouring, baking, finishing, painting, and final assembly! Kudos go out to David Scott and the rest of his special effects crew for keeping this art form alive. So... long story, short... put this one in your queue. 4 stars for the movie, and an extra star for giving us such a killer inside look at the special effects that made it possible. 5 stars and a punch to the throat!

The Number 23
Not bad... not bad at all. This is a decent psychological thriller that gave Jim Carrey a little room to flex his acting chops. Although this film garnered him a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actor, I enjoyed his performance. I'm a fan of his so perhaps I'm a little more forgiving than most. The script is decent enough and keeps the viewer wondering if indeed there might be something in the number 23 that would invariably prey on a weak mind. Ultimately, I thought the movie lacked a solid ending. There were multiple twists during the meat of the movie, but the whole thing was slightly anticlimactic. Anyways, queue this one up if you are a mathematician who understands the variables that the number 23 presents. Queue this one up if you are a Carrey fan. Queue this one up if you want a unique psychological thriller, but it certainly isn't watershed film-making by any stretch. 3 stars.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Werewolf
MSTies unite!! Here is an above average offering from the 9th season. Werewolf is an excellently terrible movie that has so much going wrong with it that it is perfect fodder for Crow, Tom Servo, and the gang. Late in the MST3K run, Mike is the human here and Gypsy is nowhere to be seen. (Love that big purple vacuum!!) Anyways, there are some interesting tidbits here... a take on Inside the Actor's Studio... and Mike turns into a were-Crow!! Yikes! There is also an excellent interview with the founders of MST3K and some of the earlier writers and performers who talk about the last years of the show and its cancellation from Comedy Central. Booooooo. 4 stars and a Wahr-wilf!!!

Werewolf
Where to begin... how about the casting? There is a wonderful appearance here by Joseph Estevez, brother of Martin Sheen and uncle to Emilio and Charlie. Riding squarely on the coattails of his more famous family members, it is quite apparent that the acting gene was not part of Joseph's DNA. Yet somehow he has amassed an impressive filmography. The reason's are NOT apparent in this movie. The rest of the cast consists of unknown actors with strange accents, and highly styled and dyed hair. WEIRD! The special effects are poor, but the camera work is even worse... in effect highlighting the terrible special effects by staying trained for inordinate amounts of time on the odd puppet werewolf that occasionally shows it's scrawny face. The script is badbadbad... jumping nonsensically from one full moon to the next without explanation. The best part of this is the ending credits, and the fact that Mystery Science Theatre 3000 uses this for an episode. Go straight to MST3K... do not pass GO... do not waste a rental on this 1 star failure. Another one for the Round File ------*(O)

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin
Lucio Fulci brings it in what many consider one of his best films. This is a nicely written thriller that gives the impression that you just might be able to figure out the mystery... if only you were smarter than the whistling Investigator Corvin, and YOU ARE NOT!! Lizard isn't as bloody as the usual Fulci fare, but there is no end to the killer locations, vast cinematic shots, and trippy dream sequences. The Extras are nice and include a selection of Fulci movie trailers and even a couple of radio spots. These radio spots are cheezy and brilliant, reminiscent of the old days when radio was king and filled with dire warnings not to watch the movie if you are mentally unstable. So cool. 4 stars... with memorable 5 star moments!!

Chronos
Chronos is a mind-blowing look at the world around us. Using timelapse photography in some of the world's most amazing locations, Ron Fricke gives the viewer an expanded look at the world in which we live. Gradually morphing cloud formations and shadows give way to the hustle and bustle of modern cityscapes. Set against a complementary and sometimes startling score, Chronos is a nice little experimental film for anyone's eclectic shelf. 3 stars.

Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King
Obviously there are some Scooby-Doo purists out there that feel the franchise has gone downhill. But, seriously folks, when Scrappy-Doo entered the picture it couldn't have gotten any worse. (Wait... Scooby-Dum... DANG IT!) Anyways, when referring to straight-to-WalMart products like this, a person has to use a different point of reference. For me, I simply have to ask myself does my 4-year-old like it? With Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King the answer is a resounding YES! Maybe, it helps that Halloween is only a couple of weeks away, but this movie is filled with everything Halloween. Witches, jack-o-lanterns, goblins, werewolves, a headless horseman and... yes... fairies. It is all of these things that kept my daughter's interest. I doubt an episode of the original TV series would. BUT... now that the stage has been set and she is at least somewhat familiar with the characters, we can see about getting back to the originals that I loved so much growing up. So... if you go into this with certain expectations built upon years of watching the original series... you probably won't like it. My daughter did, and that's good enough for me!! 4 stars for this decent Halloween offering.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
This is one that will really get you in the mood for the holidays. The Peanuts gang explore Halloween in typical Shultz fashion. Linus is determined to stay the night in the pumpkin patch so that he might gaze upon the Great Pumpkin... the World War I flying ace crosses enemy territory... and Charlie Brown's costume garners him a bag full of rocks. Poor Chuck! Will he ever get a break?? Queue this one up and find out! 5 stars and a pile of leaves.

Deadly Game
Take some surprisingly decent looking gamer-types, lock them in convention center and have them kill each other. Like Hackers (1995)... but not. Like Cube (1997)... but who needs a secret government complex when we have a locked convention center?? Vague suggestions of Saw (2004)... but without the gore. What went wrong here?? Deadly Game suffers from what can only be described as a complete underestimation of the modern movie-goer. We need a decent script, good direction, and if the movie is billing itself as horror... well, we need a little more than a blood dripping knife that occassionaly enters the frame. There are hints that this is some sort of "game" created by a billionaire game guru, but this is never really explored in any fashion that makes sense. Ugh! Another one for the Round File. ----*(O)

Maxed Out
As the U.S. (and the world) experiences a credit crisis of mammoth proportions, discover how we got in this mess in the first place. At least part of the problem lies in irresponsible use of credit and the predatory lending practices of big banks. This was a truly eye-opening documentary, but I found it somewhat dry in it's approach. Very factually and statistically driven, Maxed Out (2006) tries it's best to put real faces and real situations into it's presentation, but I was hard pressed to find any parallels that I could personally identify with. The big message here is that the most powerful force consumers have at their disposal is their their own income. It doesn't make sense to borrow today simply to have to pay more for something tomorrow. 3 stars and a wallet full of plastic.

The Jack Bull
The Jack Bull (1999) is a good movie for people who may not have had much experience with westerns, and a good choice for Cusack fans. His performance in this is very nice and definitely worth a watch. The movie was filled with some great moments, excellent scenery, and a good cast. I've never been overly impressed with John Goodman, but his appearance here was a nicely understated performance... subtle and surprisingly likable. Still, I have to say that the movie left me wanting. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but there seemed to be glimpses of trying too hard... of the production being wanted to be taken soo seriously that it let pass what can only be described as deliberate attempts to "set the scene". Meh... whatever. I still enjoyed it. 3 stars.

Kite
Sawa is a cute schoolgirl by day, but trained assassin by night. The perfect "bait" for child molestors, Sawa exacts a cruel vengeance on her targets but begins to question the motives of her benefactor and guardian. If you are still relatively inexperienced with anime this is a good way for you to get your feet wet. It's a short but decent story that contains some killer animation, and some adrenaline pumping action. Good stuff here. 4 stars and an exploding bullet!!

The Historic Pubs of Dublin
The pubs of Dublin are the centerpiece, nay, the HEART of Irish society. Follow along as Frank McCourt gives the viewer a tour of Ireland and a quick look at it's history as seen through the bottom of a pint glass. Visit The Brazen Head, Palace Bar, The Long Hall, The Stag's Head, The Jameson Distillery, the Guinness Brewery, and many others. It is within these walls that you will find music, dance, and can have a pint of "the dramatic blackness." Frank McCourt offers a slow and sometimes slurring narration that gives the impression of the casual conversation one might hear in the nooks and crannies of these famous Irish landmarks. Interesting. 3 stars and a frothy pint.

Sex and the City: The Movie
This movie has everything that you loved from the TV show... great fashion, intimate conversation among friends, and hilarious situations. I've been a fan of the show off and on. I haven't seen every episode, but I've seen enough to make sense of most of the inside references. It certainly helps if you are a fan of the show. I don't think that this would fly as well to someone who isn't familiar with the characters. Anyways, I enjoyed this as a final, fond, farewell to our ladies of the Big Apple. 4 stars!!

Tiananmen Square
The History Channel brings together all of its resources in this effort that attempts to chronicle the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Getting caught up with Olympic fever I found myself wanting to know more about China and decided to start with this simple offering. By way of explaining the actual event, the History Channel did a good job of explaining the events that actually led up to the student uprising. I was shocked to hear that at the height of the demonstration there were over a MILLION protesters and their supporters clogging the streets of Beijing. As a side note, there is plenty of discussion and description of China's government. We all know that there isn't a happy ending to this event and the documentary sort of leaves it hanging out there... a textbook description with very little explanation as to how this event may have changed the current face of China. The History Channel has some excellent titles... this one was just okay. 3 stars.

Train Man: Densha Otoko
Train Man: Densha Otoko was a wonderful little film... surprising and heartwarming. Try to think back on your very first date. How nervous were you? Did you get advise from your friends about how to dress and what to do? Densha Otoko (Yamada) is an incredibly shy and withdrawn "otaku". A person so engrossed with comics and computers that he has difficulty interacting with people in real life. When a drunken businessman makes a young lady uncomfortable on the train, Otoko rises above his habitual shyness and confronts the man. The romance that follows is sweet and filled with so much teen angst, it is hard to believe that he is an adult. One of the pieces I like about the film is the time spent getting to know Otoko's online chat buddies... his only real friends. They give him the support he so desperately needs, and at the same time they get to live vicariously through Otoko's fledgling romance. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to see a romance that is slightly left of center. Very, very nice. 4 stars and a train pass, please!

The Mist
An adaptation of the novella by Stephen King, I felt that this movie was a faithful representation. It was creepy and contained all of the formative events in the book. Marcia Gay Harden is especially effective as the bible-thumping heretic. Totally freaky! This has some good scares, but I will always have a problem with movie-maker's over-reliance on CGI. Certainly there are some things that couldn't have been done without CGI, but still... call me old-fashioned or whatever... I just think CGI rendered monsters look fake. The ending is quite unlike the ending in the book and really was a surprise, but added an additional air of tragedy to the whole thing. So, dim the lights and prepare yourself for a wild ride. Very well done. 4 stars, and a moist tentacle.

Son of Rambow
When the imaginative, religious Will (Milner)befriends the school bully, Lee (Poulter), the two set out to create an epic home movie. Son of Rambow (2007) is an excellent tale of friendship. Super sweet and full of boyhood, pre-adolescent imaginings, this movie does an excellent job of bringing these fantasies to life. Animation is cleverly added throughout, but not used too much. The young actors were quite effective, and I feel that at the very least Will Poulter has quite a career ahead of him. 4 stars and a scarecrow!!

Twin Peaks: Season 1
Laura Palmer... beautiful homecoming queen who taught the emotionally disabled, and English as a second language... she started the Meals On Wheels program in her small town of Twin Peaks... she was loved and adored by all... why did her body wind up wrapped in plastic, down by the lake?? This is the central question posed by David Lynch in this TV series from the 90's. I missed it when it first aired. Figured that I wouldn't "get it" if I jumped in the middle. Thanks to NF I am able to watch the entire series from the very beginning. YAY! Disk one does an excellent job of setting the scene and showing the devastation wrought by Laura Palmer's death and although I haven't quite finished the first season I have to admit to an increased craving for cherry pie. 4 stars so far!

Survival Research Laboratories: Ten Years of Robotic Mayhem
This is a totally unique artistic experience. Loud, visceral, destructive... and at all times these robotic creations are pointing their mechanical hands right back at you. This video features footage from several different performances from around the globe, a short film, and interviews from SRL technicians and creators. If this video is any indication, I expect a live SRL show would be quite an experience, and one that I would not soon forget. The robots themselves are all completely unique and seem to have their own personalities. The screw machine twists its way around the floor, the leg machine stomps around angrily, and a huge sonic cannon destroys objects with ease. The point of it all, I suppose, is the creation of a kind of performance art where viewers don't simply sit back and watch, but rather become participants in the carnage. 4 stars and a metal claw!

Scratch
Scratch (2002) brings the viewer deep into the world of DJ's and MC's to show the roots of "turntablism" and, ultimately, the evolution of an art form. Scratch is a good documentary showcasing the talents of the world's greatest DJ's and at the same time paying respect to those great Hip-Hop pioneers who made this obscure musical niche possible. This is incredibly detailed, filled with interviews, recollections, and the description and showcasing of technique. As compelling filmmaking, there are certainly moments of greatness here... DJ Q-Bert's ruminations on art, the haunting sounds of DJ Krush as he spins live in Japan, and 30-something old schoolers waxing poetic about the good 'ol days. I liked it as a brief glimpse of a sub-culture that I know very little about. 3 stars, 2 turntables, and a microphone.

The Greatest Game Ever Played
This is an excellent little underdog story of an amateur golfer (LeBeouf) who takes the professional golfing world by storm when he goes head-to-head with the best golfers in the world during the 1913 U.S. Open. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and even though some have called it predictable I was totally taken in by it. This is a good period piece with nice costuming and sets... the performances are believable... (LeBeouf has certainly come into his own as of late hasn't he??), but the real surprise here is a great use of CGI and other effects to portray what I imagine it must be like as golfers attempt to eliminate background noise, the crowd in their periphery, and visualize the perfect shot. Excellent! Bill Paxton has also come a long way since "Chet" in Weird Science (1985). His direction is this shows that perhaps he was meant to be behind the camera more than in front of it. Good job, Paxton. I look forward to seeing more from you!! 5 stars for this hole-in-one!!

Kurt Cobain: About a Son
This wasn't really what I was expecting, but it wasn't too bad either. About a Son (2006) isn't really a film so much as a collection of audio-taped interviews set against a video backdrop. A couple things... the interviews themselves are quite good. They aren't the typical Rolling Stone or Playboy-type interviews, but rather conversations author Michael Azerrad had with Cobain as he researched and gathered material for his book "Come As You Are." These are relaxed, intimate, late-night discussions between friends. Out of twenty-something hours of audio, they were able to find 90 minutes to put into this film. I didn't mind setting these conversations against random images of the Pacific Northwest... by eliminating all traces of clothing, hair styles, even images of Cobain himself, the viewer is forced to really listen to what Cobain is saying and not dwell on things as they were 15 years ago. I think the filmmakers were partially successful with this. I liked it well enough, but this might be more for the hard core fans than the casual viewer. 3 stars and a flannel shirt.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble: Live at the El Mocambo 1983
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble performed at the El Mocambo in December, 1983. This is that show... and what a show it is!! The stage is no more than 10' x 30', the lights are simple, and the smokey atmosphere suggests an intimate, small-bar. This video contains what can only be described as one of the most string scorching performances by any blues guitarist ever put to film. I was amazed that the audience was able to stay seated the whole time... I mean, C'MON!! This was a great show that the audience will never forget. Stevie pulls out all the stops here... he plays with one hand then the other, his elbow, behind his back, behind his head, upside-down and backwards... he throws it, he slaps it, he kicks it, breaks strings and bashes amps. Then to come back on with a silky smooth and soulful rendition of "Lenny"... just gorgeous! The set list is as follows... (1)Testify (2)So Excited (3)Voodoo Chile (4)Pride and Joy (5)Tell Me (6)Mary had a Little Lamb (7)Texas Flood (8)Love Struck Baby (9)Hug You, Squeeze You (10)Third Stone from the Sun (11)Lenny (12)Wham! It is also recommended that you take the time to look at the Extras. Here is an excellent interview with Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton (Double Trouble) who give an in-depth interview about Stevie and what it was like working with, playing with, and living with this musical prodigy. In short, this one is a must-add for any music lover. An incredible, jaw-dropping 5 stars!!

Ichi the Killer
Bloody... brutal... downright disgusting! If there is anything to be learned from this movie it is that there are some places Japanese horror is willing to go that I have yet to see from others. Hardcore beatdowns, self-mutilation, and consensual rape (??) only touch the surface. Underneath there are glimpses of self hatred, manipulation, and self-appointed super heroes. All of this eventually spirals into a vortex of madness and, in the end, a kind of redemption that gaijin can only hope to understand. Tadanobu Asano does an excellent job as the emotionless torturer-turned-ronin. He is calm, collected, and dresses like a rock star. The characterization he gives to Kakihara is a calm indifference to the chaos he creates. Godlike... and searching for the one person who can make him feel human again. Awesome! There is alot here for gore hounds, but the casual viewer (can you really go into this movie casually?) may find himself somewhat lost within the many different and, in my opinion, unneeded characters and sub-plots. Overall, it was a good watch but in the end I found myself thinking that it could have been smoother and not quite so anime-ish. 4 stars and a needle to the ear!!

Waitress
Waitress (2007) is an excellent little film that completely caught me off guard. It is smartly written and although the ingredients do not completely mesh, I left it feeling satisfied. Jeremy Sisto brings an excellent performance as the controlling and insecure scumbag husband, and Keri Russell is cute as can be! My only problem with the plot is that it seems to glorify cheating on your spouse, and I didn't find that an endearing quality even if Russell's husband was a jerk. There is an interesting device used in the movie, as Russell dreams up different pies based on her mood. You will want to eat a pie while watching this! You will want to bake a pie when it's done! You will dream up strange and different pies while you sleep. This was a tasty treat that I wholly recommend to anyone wanting a little romance! 4 stars and a cream filling!

There Will Be Blood
To me, the sure sign of a great movie is one that causes people to offer wildly different reviews. Some people love it, others hate it, and still others need another viewing under their belt to make a decision. In my mind, There Will Be Blood (2007) is excellent. Daniel Day Lewis has created a character so completely self absorbed and single-mindedly greedy that you almost have to admire the lengths he will go to make buck. The great irony revealed at the end of the movie reminds me of the old gypsy curse, "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it." Paul Dano does an excellent job as the mild-mannered yet strangely charismatic preacher... in fact, all the performances found here are excellent! The music added an air of suspense and a sense of doom and gloom to the film. Some say that the running time was a little long. Personally, the film kept my attention the entire time so I can't say that this bothered me. I loved it!! 5 stars and cup of Texas Tea!!

How the Earth Was Made
This History Channel offering gives a scientific look at the forces that shaped the Earth and offers a comprehensive package which explains our world's tumultuous 4.5 billion year history. Combining hard scientific data, interviews, the latest CGI effects, and throwing around terms like Pangea, upheaval, and "granitoid protocontinent", this show puts the history of our world into the logical and visual grasp of anyone with the most basic scientific understanding. To give you an idea of the content... of the 94 minute running time, only 5 minutes or so has to do with the time humans have been on Earth!! These kinds of programs might not be for everyone but I find them utterly fascinating. 4 stars for this interesting look into deep-time!!

The Dinner Game
Who can gather up and present the biggest idiot at a dinner party is a pretty funny concept... those wacky French!! Too bad this movie didn't fully capitalize on what could have been a great encounter between "intellectuals" and "idiots". As it was the film was decent enough. The script certainly holds it's own and presents some interesting characters and situations. At 80 minutes, you really can't go wrong with this. I found it mildly amusing. It was really just okay. I liked it. Kindof. 3 stars. Maybe.

The Black Cat
A fiendish black cat roams the town looking for blood... and DEATH!! The Black Cat (1981) is based off the Edgar Allan Poe story, but does not adhere to it completely. There were a couple things that really made this film stand out for me, in a campy sort of way. First of all, there are a lot of shots from the cat's point of view... running along the sidewalk, following people, peering through fence slats... add some background purring and a warbling wail right before attack and you've got comedy gold!! There is also ample use of a strange puppety cat claw that is used to attack people by scratching their faces... AWESOME!! The film is decent enough, but some consider this to be a mark of decline in Fulci's interest in horror. If this is the case then it certainly shows. The disk also contains a written biography of Lucio Fulci and the original trailer. It was entertaining but not the best, for sure. 3 stars and a claw to the face!!

Tears of the Black Tiger
I wasn't sure what to expect from Tears of the Black Tiger (2002), but I was pleasantly surprised. There was some interesting art direction in this... bold colors, matte paintings, and scenery. Combine this with what appears to be a Thai take on American westerns and you get a totally unique, almost coloring-booklike movie. Not nearly as slick as Sin City but certainly effective. Definitely worth a look! 3 stars!

Waiting for Guffman
This is a mildly amusing mockumentary that tries to cast it's spotlight on community theatre. It is the town's 150th anniversary, and one of her own has come back from New York and is determined to make a comeback with a musical celebrating the event. In the same vein as Best In Show (2000) and Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and having come out before either of these, Waiting for Guffman falls far short. Maybe I wasn't in the mood... but I found this to be incredibly UN-funny. Don't get me wrong, there were some funny moments, but for the most part it just wasn't. I'd probably give this another chance, but for now... 2 stars!

Suspiria
This movie reminds me of so many drive-in theatre flicks that I think I might have enjoyed it more in the back seat of a car with my girl by my side. Even if you miss a little because you're making out... it's okay! The plot is really as mindless as it gets. Young dancer-chick discovers that the dance academy she is attending is actually a place of worship for a coven of witches. Although this film doesn't pour on the gore like Deep Red, it is wading in creepy atmosphere and killer cinematography. Add music by The Goblins ( ...WITCH... Witch... witch...) and you have got another great Argento film! There were a couple of moments where I found myself thinking that if Argento had taken it just a step further Suspiria really could have made a serious impact. Still, I liked it well enough. I wish the bonus features could have been put on this disk, but as it was the only extra available here was a simple slideshow. The Bonus Features are on another disk... Boooo! 3 stars and a BAT ATTACK!!!!

Weasels Rip My Flesh
(A glimpse at my night watching Weasels Rip My Flesh) BAhahahaha haha hahahahahaaha... oh... oh... can't breathe... can't breathe... what the? HAHAHAHAHAHA... ohmygod... pass me a beer would ya? Thanks! What is THAT?? OHHHHH NOOO! They didn't... THEY DID!! BA-HAHAA.. haha!! Listen, this is really a 1 star movie that has no redeeming qualities in it other than it's absolute absurdity. I see this as a strange and wonderful oddity perfectly suited for an at home bad-movie night with friends. 3 stars!

Cube Zero
Cube Zero is a prequel that tries to show the humble beginnings of the nefarious Cube experiment. It starts out great! The first kill effect is awesomely bloody and effective. Even up through the halfway point I was sure that Lions Gate Films was going to redeem themselves after the dismal Cube 2. Then things start to get ugly. Instead of keeping the focus on the traps and the 101 ways to kill someone in a cube, they decided to create a bad guy who is supposedly in charge of the thing... a not-very-creepy, almost comical bad-guy. Add this to a bionic soldier, secret organizations, and a poor tie-in to the original, and voila... you have officially ruined what could have been a good re-imagining of a decent starting concept. What a waste... a single star for not being able to redeem yourself after Cube 2 (one of the worst sequels in history.)

Cube 2: Hypercube
The first Cube (1997) was fairly interesting... but this one? Meh. It looks like they got a bigger budget and could splurge on some CGI effects because these ARE pretty cool. The actors did a slightly better job, but why does there always need to be an angry toughguy character?? Totally annoying. As far as answering questions raised in the first movie, this one sucks. The appeal of the first one, in my mind, was that you got the sense that there was someone out there beyond the walls of the cube who had masterminded the whole thing and was watching with fanatical glee as the prisoners tried to free themselves. This Cube seems like an accident. As far as movies go, it was an accident. Cool effects does NOT a movie, make! 2 stars for Cube 2! Blech!

Cube
This was a good one... I'm not sure how I missed this one when it first came out. Still, I can see it's influence on the Saw (2004) series of films. The idea that a bunch of people were plucked out of their ordinary lives and can only survive if they use their collective skills to solve the puzzle. An interesting concept, but the script leaves a little to be desired. Weird dialogue really drags this movie down, and although there were a couple of familiar faces, the performances were not very great either. Whatever... despite these little drawbacks, I liked it. A crazy vision, effectively brought to the big screen and successful enough to warrant two sequels! 3 stars... hey, that's a prime number!

The Tree of Wooden Clogs
Ummmm... three hours of scratching out a meager existence in the middle of nowhere. Totally depressing. Definitely not a "date-night" movie... or a "let's munch on some popcorn" movie... but rather, a "I'm going to kill myself before this movie ends" type movie. Sorry. It got high reviews from a LOT of people so maybe I missed something... NAH! I hated it! 1 star.

Dario Argento Collection: Vol. 3: Deep Red
Being new to the giallo genre I have been looking forward to this... the movie hailed by many as one of the best of the best. Deep Red did not disappoint. Visually the movie is phenomenal with great sets, camerawork, and special effects. There are some extreme moments here that rival anything put out by today's splatter kings. The story is well conceived and just convoluted enough to keep the viewer guessing. What a soundtrack WOW! This is one worth having, because before the Jaws theme... before Friday the 13th... there were THE GOBLINS!! Groovy man! One problem I had with the disk that NF has been circulating is the lack of subtitles. From what I understand there was some found footage that was added... so this is a more complete version of the film, but switching back and forth from Italian to English was maddening. Overall, I loved the movie... just not this particular version. 4 stars and a chipped tooth!

My Life to Live
This is an early 60's black-and-white from Jean-Luc Godard. Here we meet Nana (Anna Karina) a down on her luck actress who has turned to prostitution to make ends meet. This is definitely for the artsy-fartsy crowd, and to me was not all that interesting with my first viewing... but here we are almost a week later and I'm still thinking about it. I'm not a film student and know nothing of the French New Wave movement that Godard was a part of, but certainly something happened here on a subliminal level. Structurally, Godard presents this tale as a collection of 12 vaguely interrelated scenes. There is some masterful camerawork here that speaks of the experimental nature of Godard's work. By shooting in strange angles that only reveal a part of the scene... the back of someone's head... a reflection in a mirror... even a dead-on stare into the camera... Godard forces the viewer to truly interact with the film and work with it to extract any sort of meaning. This is certainly not a "sit back and receive" sort of affair. Nicely done. This is one that will stay with you for a time. 4 chain smoking, dressed-in-black stars!

God, the Universe and Everything Else
This program had quite an impressive agenda... get three of the world's greatest minds together and talk about some big ideas... the creation of the universe, extra-terrestrial life, the source of creativity, and others. Certainly these questions are inherently interesting, but the major failing of this forum was it's inability to let the speakers build upon previous ideas in a manner that actually represents a conversation. This could have been quite good had the moderator (Magnus Magnusson) stepped back and let everyone simply talk about things. This first aired in 1988 and is now quite dated. The production quality is poor and has some weird transitions. It was nice to hear Clarke, Sagan, and Hawking answer questions, but the discussion of things... the trading of ideas and building upon them... just didn't happen. Vaguely interesting but poorly executed... Who am I kidding? I hated it! 1 star.

Westworld
Imagine a western themed amusement park where you can shoot-em-up without fear of actually hurting anyone. Populated by robots who live (and die) for your enjoyment, West World is exactly that... but is only one part of a larger amusement park that also includes Roman World, and Medieval World. This is classic sci-fi written and directed by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park). The cast is quite good, and although you only really get to meet a handful of players, I felt that they were all believable. Certainly, Yul Brynner's performance is memorable and is clearly a precursor for Cameron's Terminator series. The story itself is pretty good and I think that Crichton directing his own story worked. Expect the usual early 70's vision of the future to be somewhat comic-bookish, but for the most part, I think that every sci-fi fan should give this one a shot. I was surprised (and happy) to see Dick Van Patten, pre Eight is Enough days. If you haven't seen this... queue it up. 4 stars and a shot-a-whiskey, barkeep!

The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh
The beautiful Edwige Fenech stars in this giallo from director Sergio Martino. Martino is able to accomplish a lot in this 90 minutes... several stylized murders, some trippy dream sequences, and an interesting ending. BRAVISSIMO!! At the very end there was also the unexpected hint that two of the male characters are gay. Whether this was intentional on the part of Martino or not is unclear... but the implication is there like a big white elephant in the room. This disk also contains some great extras. There is the usual... theatrical trailer, posters and still gallery, but included in all of this is a sweet 30 minutes featurette entitled DARK FEARS BEHIND THE DOOR. Sounds ominous, huh? This is a collection of interviews taken in 2005 with Hilton, Fenech, Martino and others, of their recollections and impressions on working in the business... in Italy... in the 70's. I'm happy to report that everyone still looks good after 30-something years. The interviews are nice... they add some context to the film, and give a rare glimpse into the minds of some of the major players of the genre. 4 stars and a bloody razor.

Fool's Gold
This movie certainly doesn't suffer from beautiful, sure-draw star power. McConaughey and Hudson have never looked better. Still, this movie DID suffer from lack of identity... is it a romantic-comedy, a mystery, or an action flick? Trying to straddle all of these only served to weaken the already flimsy storyline. Fool's Gold is an apt title. It looks good on the outside, but contains nothing of substance. 2 stars for this shipwreck!

The Killer Must Kill Again
This is an interesting effort by Luigi Cozzi, that contains all of the elements that define this as a giallo... strange music, horrific violence, and half-naked women running around in peril. The only difference is that the story is a little more straight forward than most... you know who the killer is and why he is doing it. No red herrings with this one. The music was especially strange... abrupt at times and then spacey the next. Overall, I enjoyed the movie but thought that it suffered a little from pacing. There was a long stretch in the middle that was somewhat maddening, and then the action picks up again. Be patient and you will be rewarded with a good finish. I liked it. Three stars for the movie. I would recommend this video to anyone interested in the giallo genre, not just because the movie is a good one, but because there are some exceptional extras. There is one featurette entitled THE GIALLO GENRE. Narrated by author Adrian Smith, this 20-25 minute short gives an in depth look at the beginnings of the genre, the defining features of a giallo, and the important players of the genre. As a newbie to giallo, I was thrilled to hear someone talk academically about the genre. I would venture to say that this extra is worth the price of admission... and even those who have seen the movie might benefit from it. There are some other extras... the original trailer, stills from the movie, posters and flyers, and even an interview with the director. So... 3 stars for the movie... 2 additional stars for the extras. 5 stars for this DVD! Excellent!

Dazed and Confused
Richand Linklater has effectively created the most realistic depiction of high school, EVER. Dazed and Confused is best seen as a series of snapshots... killer rock-and-roll music, flicking beer bottle caps, talking about cars, calling shotgun, smoking out, keg parties, freshman initiation rites, heartfelt conversations among friends, and so much more. The glue that binds all of this together is the story of Randall Floyd (Jason London) who must decide whether or not to sign a pledge to the football team to refrain from partying over the summer. Linklater uses this to set up a division between grown-ups and kids which highlights exactly how important the freedom and excitement of those formative years truly are. Excellent performances by Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Rory Cochrane, and Ben Affleck... a soundtrack that will make your ears bleed... and a realistic script with believable situations make this one you MUST put in your queue. Hell, go out and BUY IT! This is a must-have for any collection. A hilarious, smoke-filled 5 stars! Oh yeah... SHOTGUN!

The Giallo Collection: The Case of the Bloody Iris
Several of my NF Friends have convinced me to try this genre (giallo) so I decided to get my feet wet with this relatively tame offering. The Case of the Bloody Iris (1971) is pure 70's schlock, but I found it strangely compelling. There is some interesting camerawork here, ultra-lounge background music, and tons of half naked gorgeous models... what's not to love?? By no stretch of the imagination is this award winning movie making, but with lines like... "You're mine! You were mine ever since our celestial marriage!" the viewer is simply required to sit back and enjoy the ride. I liked it... but I think I like the subtitle more. What ARE those strange drops of blood doing on Jennifer's body?? Put this in your queue and find out! 3 stars!

Happy Gilmore
This is the film that put Adam Sandler on the map! The premise is absurd... Hockey player turned golfer makes good in order to save his grandmother's house... but you really want to believe it's possible. I had forgotten how funny this one actually is, and enjoyed myself even more this time around. Sandler's man-baby voice is still annoying but he doesn't use it as much here as he did in Billy Madison (1995). Here, Bob Barker makes one of the most memorable cameos on film and you will find some of the best quotes ever. "Go to your home! Don't you want to go to your home??" If you don't already own this, put it in your queue today and BRING IT TO YOUR HOME!!! 5 stars!

The Darjeeling Limited
Three brothers reunite for a spiritual journey across India. That's the framework for the film; however, the scenes that fill up this delicious morsel are hilarious and subtly point to long held family dynamics that rear their ugly heads even after years of separation. Adrien Brody was surprisingly funny in this, and Schwartzman has done more to bring back the "Cop-stache" than anyone since Magnum P.I.! In fact, the three main actors (Brody, Wilson, and Schwartzman) had a chemistry that was as good as any I've seen in some time. Wes Anderson did an excellent job of detailing the points and parallels of their journey across India to times in their lives, and I found it to be much more revealing than a simple comedy. Also, the soundtrack is very nice... so good that I noticed it, so I guess that says something. In short, take a chance on this. Some may not like it... but I did! 4 stars. Lose the baggage and watch this film!

Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?
Is the painting that Teri Horton bought for $5 in a thrift store an actual Jackson Pollock?? That is the question at the heart of this documentary that attempts to show the trials and tribulations of a brash, trash talking truck driver as she goes head-to-head with the art world establishment. Certainly the possibilities are intriguing, but I found myself thinking, "so what?" The evidence, as it is presented, seems to indicate that it is, but the great failing of this film is that the film makers were unable to present Ms. Horton as a very sympathetic character. Both herself and the art world elite are just so smug in their beliefs that I couldn't find a likable person in the whole film. One exception is Peter Paul Biro, the forensic investigator. He came across as a skeptic willing to take a chance and did more to legitimize the painting (and the film) than anyone else. Overall, this was a decent documentary... I liked it... in a luke-warm kind of way. 3 stars. Now, SELL!!

The Thing
A secluded outpost in Antarctica becomes a site of grisly horror when a shape-shifting alien begins to pick off researchers one by one. John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) is a breakthrough movie that, to me at least, demonstrates the superiority of "real" special effects to CGI. There is a certain texture with latex and colored KY Jelly that can't be found anywhere else. (Wait... did I just write that???) My point is that the effects found in this film rival anything created these days... over 25 years later. Besides the amazing effects the story is tight, the performances believable, and the overall mood of the film is one of paranoia and foreboding. I was glad to see that everything withstood the test of time and that The Thing still looks good after all these years. Put this one in your queue just so you can hear a young Wilford Brimley scream "That Thing's got dia-beedus!!" (Okay, he doesn't really say that... but I was thinking it the whole time.) 5 stars!!

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007) is the story of a magical toy store with a magical proprietor and, for the most part, a very nice film. There is certainly a mystic vibe about the place and director Zach Helm does a good job at leaving it at that. He doesn't try to explain the why's and the wherefore's... it is just the way it is. Frankly, long drawn-out explanations would have been lost on the intended viewers. Natalie Portman and Jason Bateman bring some good performances to the table. Dustin Hoffman also has created a quirky, affable characterization for Mr. Magorium. I liked this one well enough, but my adult sensibilities needed a little bit more. Visually, the movie is quite astounding and should appeal to children of all ages. Some might point to parallels or give comparisons to Willy Wonka, but I think that this is a mistake. Magorium's doesn't have that sense of foreboding and danger that WW does. It is a fun-filled, happy place and appropriately rated G. In short, I liked it. BTW, I don't want to give any spoilers, but the NF At-A-Glance explains that Mr. Magorium is leaving because of sickness, but this isn't the case at all... queue this one up and find out the answer. 3 stars and a cute, short-haired Natalie Portman!

A Good Woman
A chick-flick period piece... I should have known better. Not my cup of tea at all. Sure, Scarlett Johansson looks great... and Helen Hunt is a stunning and effective old-time cougar. Enough for an extra star but it just wasn't enough to keep me in the movie. The gossipy sensibilities of the upper crust was a complete turn off and I found myself not at all interested in the characters. The story had a clever little twist and great costumes but it was too little, too late. 2 stars... blech.

The Happening
I am a huge Shyamalan fan and although this has gotten poor reviews from critics, I liked it well enough. It certainly wasn't groundbreaking like the Sixth Sense (1999) but in The Happening M. Night does what he does best... and that is build up the tension until it is nearly palpable and then cut the line. This leaves you with the frayed end of a story... the rest of it is out there somewhere, but he will only feed you what he wants when he wants. I left the theatre thinking that this wasn't the best story ever, but it was still a very satisfying end-of-the-world tale. Sorry folks, but M. Night still has it... remember he wrote, produced, and directed this! That alone is worth a star. 3 stars for the movie, 1 star for overall vision and execution. 4 stars and a creepy wind swept field.

Life After People
A very good production by the History Channel that poses the question of what would happen if humans were no longer on the Earth. The program never bothers to say WHY humans have disappeared, it simply discusses the effects our absence might have on the world. As you can expect buildings will deteriorate, animals will thrive, and the planet will continue on. Still, this production does a good job of taking all of these things and showing progressions... 1 year after humans, 10 years after humans, 50, 100 and so on. Very well done. 4 thought provoking stars!!

Billy Madison
Billy (Adam Sandler) has to repeat 1st through 12th grade in order to get his father's company. I remember really liking this when it first came out, but to watch it again after all these years... ehhh, not so much. Sandler's man-baby voice got irritating after about five minutes. Still there are some decent laughs throughout and the cast really is excellent. Norm MacDonald is always funny in a deadpan kindof way, and Chris Farley appears as the crazy bus driver. Steve Buschemi also makes a short but memorable appearance. Good escapist fare, but not quite as funny as I remember it. 3 stars and a 6 foot penguin!

Mr. Brooks
Yes! Finally Costner has come out from under the pile of crap he calls his acting credits and done something worthwhile. This was very, very good. The script effectively made the protagonist, a murdering psycho, likable! A definite twist on things and, frankly, the twisting never ends. This was a well-paced, well thought out thriller that kept us on the edge of our seats the whole time. There were a couple of moments where I thought the writers went back and tried to tweak events in order make things fit... but for the most part I liked it. 4 stars and a scissors to the neck!!

Lethal Weapon 4
Finally... the last in the series! And what a way to end it. Lethal Weapon 4 does an excellent job of capping off one of the best action franchises in the history of movies. Lethal Weapon (the first one) is a definite classic and the rest of the movies try their very hardest to live up to the hype... Lethal Weapon 4 is the only one that even came close as it brings the entire series to a very satisfying, action-packed close. The stunts are amazing, the explosions bigger than ever, and with the addition of Jet Li there is some close quarters fighting that is as good as any straight martial arts film. Chris Rock is another great addition to the cast and brings the funny in ways that only he can. This is a kick-butt action film that you must put in your queue!! Excellent! 4 stars!

A.I. Artificial Intelligence
As I write this I am still a bit shaken up by what I have seen. A.I., Stephen Spielburg's vision of a future world where a Mecha child construct has been given the gift of emotion, has delivered what can only be described as a visceral experience... a treatise on reality... a lucid self-awareness... I can hardly put it into words, but this is by far one of the best films I have ever seen. I applaud Speilburg for this daring and insightful look into our own mortality and quest for meaning. I am speechless. 5 stars.

Igby Goes Down
A comedy? Really?? Only if you consider Catcher in the Rye a comedy. There were some interesting moments and some clever dialogue, but the entire tone of the story left me feeling like this kid was just swimming in shark infested waters... and he is. None of the characters were at all appealing... cute on the outside, maybe, but about halfway through the film you begin to see that none of them have any REAL redeeming qualities. Kieran Culkin definitely holds his own in this. That boy has certainly turned into a serious actor! And I have to say that Claire Danes looks as gorgeous as I've ever seen her... just stunning. Still, it just wasn't enough to make me like this film. 2 stars for this downer!

Werckmeister Harmonies
This is a difficult movie to digest if the only thing your movie palate is used to are mainstream theatre releases. It cannot be argued that what is presented here is excellent in many ways... there are layers and layers of contrasting images and sounds. Black and white, busy and still, loud and quiet... death by another or by old age... what Bela Tarr has done here by presenting these contrasts is make the viewer keenly aware of what is NOT on screen. He delves into the in-between spaces... the notes between the notes. I found it to be an utterly fascinating and masterful use of the medium. The story, however, left alot to be desired. With only one viewing under my belt, I have to say that the deeper meanings may have been lost on me. It felt like I was looking at a Monet painting with a balsa wood frame. I liked it, and feel that there is a lot to be learned from this film, but one viewing isn't enough. 3 stars... for now.

Lethal Weapon 3
Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) team up to kick some butt in this, the third installment of the Lethal Weapon franchise. Everything is as it was when we left our daring duo at the end of Lethal Weapon 2... Riggs is unstable and Murtaugh is just days away from retirement... stuff blows up... people get shot... Riggs goes crazy, Mutaugh brings him down (is this starting to sound familiar?)... investigation... cop-killer bullets... love interest... car chase... blow stuff up... Eesh! Okay, listen, it's the third in the series and maybe I was expecting things to be a little formulaic. But still, the performances by Gibson and Glover make raise this movie just slightly above predictable. Good job! Joe Pesci returns and brings the funny. Richard Donner makes sure there is at least one ground-shaking explosion. Ultimately, I liked it. If you've seen the first two, you've got nothing to lose. 3 stars for #3!

Super High Me
Based off of a joke that originated with Doug Benson's stand-up which pokes fun at the movie Super Size Me (2004), this movie chronicles the efforts of Benson as he abstains from smoking pot for 30 days and then smokes every day for the following 30. What could have been an effective look at American marijuana culture, legalized dispensaries in California, and the effects of smoking pot turned into a platform for Benson's routine. There were some very interesting moments as we were shown the ins and outs of dispensaries and the problems that their owners face with conflicting federal and state laws. There were also some touching interviews with some people (I think two) who rely on marijuana to give them genuine relief from their ailments. There was a very real opportunity to turn this into something special, but I think that the half-assed medical tests, poor interviews, and continual showcasing of "material" got in the way. Vaguely interesting if you want to see a guy get baked in a dozen or so different ways... pipes, papers, bongs, cookies, brownies, pills, inhalers, zeppelins, topical creams, one-hits, steamrollers, vaporizers, hookas... and on and on and on. I was hoping for something a bit more intellectual than this. I applaud his efforts with this movie, but... meh... I was bored. 2 stars and a bottle of Clear Eyes.

The Kite Runner
Inseparable childhood friends take different paths when a betrayal brings into focus their differences in social class. Years later, a young man is given an opportunity to make things right, and must travel into Taliban controlled Afghanistan. The Kite Runner is perhaps one of the most moving dramas I have ever had the pleasure to watch. The story is brilliantly written and kept my attention the entire time... I can't remember the last movie that did that for me. Perhaps part of my fascination with this movie is the setting... pre-Soviet invasion Afghanistan was a beautiful, vibrant, colorful city. By contrast, Taliban controlled Afghanistan is a dreary, grey, and scary place. Director Marc Forster effectively uses these settings to generate feelings of happiness and then intense foreboding. The success of this film lies squarely in the character development that takes place early on. The two boys' friendship is closely explored as well as their differences in caste. These themes are revisited throughout the movie and serve as a framework for the rest of the film. Excellent in all ways... put this one in your queue!!! 5 stars!!

Paris, Je T'aime
A beautiful art-house film that explores one of the world's greatest cities. In a series of short vignettes, directors from around the world weave an interesting tapestry of tales all revolving around the mystery and allure that is the City of Lights. As can be expected some of the stories are better than others, but taken together this is a nice collection of bite-sized morsels from some of the best directors and actors in the field. So, grab a bottle of wine and warm up the brie. This movie is a veritable feast of movie making goodness! 4 stars... oui, oui!!

Christine: Special Edition
Rev your engines for this John Carpenter classic!! Stephen King has had mixed success with getting his books translated to the big screen because it is virtually impossible to cover the depth and breadth of character development that is the hallmark of King's writings. Christine works because there are only a handful of characters, and most of them are expendable. But the star of this film... the lead character, if you will... isn't even human. Even on the assembly line, you can see that this '58 Plymouth Fury is one bad mutha'. At it's release, Christine wasn't entirely embraced by movie-goers partly because of the language... months later, Scarface would be released taking the focus off Christine but by then she had come and gone. Still, this movie holds a special place in my heart as one of the first horror movies I was ever allowed to see, and certainly the first I have ever loved. The Special Features are good and bring back old cast and crew to discuss their views of the movie. These are good extras and definitely worth the time. Overall, I give Christine 4 stars for the movie, but +1 star for old time's sake.

Beowulf: Director's Cut
As you can see from the numerous critic and NF reviews, alot of people enjoyed this movie. Unfortunately, I was NOT one of them. The decision to do the whole movie in CG must have been a huge one, but for me the entire thing fell flat. I felt as if I was watching a collection of video game cut scenes. I can accept Neil Gaiman's artistic license with the story... after all, this was one that was passed down in the oral tradition and who knows what the original tale actually looked like. In fact I liked the story... but I just could not get beyond the CG. The voice talent is good. John Malkovich could tell us about the paint drying in his bathroom and make it sound interesting. Listen, this is one of those that you either love it or you hate it. Even though I didn't like it, you might. No sir, I didn't like it... 2 stars!

God Grew Tired of Us
This documentary follows along as three young men from Sudan are given the opportunity to leave the refugee camp that has become their home, and go to America to start a new life. This documentary is particularly effective because it shows the poor conditions of the refugee camp and then gives us a look at the confusion and surprise that is created as the young men are given the modern "conveniences" of America. Certainly running water, grocery stores, and even refrigerators make their lives better, but the boys also face unexpected feelings of isolation, home sickness, and frustration. The filmmakers do an excellent job of approaching the resettlement of these "lost boys" with respect, and don't seek to exploit the naivete that comes from their changing life situations. This is a moving film that effectively shows the strength of the human spirit, but also the importance of our very different perpectives. A teary-eyed 4 stars.

Hostel
A trio of backpacking dill-weeds decide to travel to the furthest reaches of the eastern bloc with the promise of beautiful women, sex, and more sex. They deserved to die! Dumbasses!! After all the press and word of mouth reviews that labeled this as the next generation of gore... I have to say I was a little let down. The situation was creepy enough, the gore was plentiful, and the women were beautiful... but this was missing a crucial psychological element that I think could very well have propelled this beyond a simple gore flick. This was touched on with some basic dialogue between the main character and one of the "club members"... you really see that these people are scary crazy, but it just wasn't quite enough. I don't know. I liked it okay, but it certainly didn't live up to the hype. 3 stars and a bucket of blood!

Dead Alive
HAHAHAHAHAHA... Sumatran Rat Monkey... BAhahahahaha... Oh-my-GOD!! Why haven't I seen this movie before?? Dead Alive is a hilariously written and brilliantly put together, completely over-the-top horror/comedy. Freakin' awesome collection of zombie, blood-splattering, pus-oozing, entrail-eating goodness. The only thing this movie needs is a zombie baby... WAIT... there is one!! Perfect! 5 stars and a lawnmower!!

Sweeney Todd
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton... one of the most perfect marriages in filmdom. In their sixth, that's right SIXTH collaboration, Depp and Burton present the gruesome story of a murderous barber intent on revenge. This movie is dark and bloody and brooding... and a complete success. In my mind, Johnny Depp can do no wrong, and he truly stretches himself in this and proves once again the dedication that he gives to his art. The music is excellent. The singing is good, but certainly not the highlight of the movie... and Helena Bonham-Carter's huge forehead was a slight distraction, but despite these minor flaws the movie is excellent. Young kids who may idolize Depp because of his flamboyant Capt. Jack Sparrow, should wait several years before seeing this one... the spurting blood will definitely leave an impression. Still, I applaud Burton for taking a chance on this and making this a movie for adults!! 4 stars and a haircut!!!

John Cleese's Wine for the Confused
This is an excellent add for those of you who like wine but might be a little bit put off by all the varieties and choices. John Cleese is an excellent host and approaches the subject of wine with a fine mix of humor and seriousness. He discusses the different types of wine and arms the viewer with a very basic vocabulary to describe the tastes and textures of each. Cleese goes to several different vinyards to talk with the wine makers and I found these conversations to be an enlightening addition. In other words, the content is excellent! The quality of the production was really just okay. Some of the scene transitions were abrupt and poorly timed... still, I really liked this video. The extras were good and served to round out the video with a little extra information. 4 stars!!

Foo Fighters: Skin and Bones
Pop this DVD in your player and sit back as Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters use soft organ, accordion, violin, and triangle to soothe your soul... WAIT... WTF?? I was pleasantly caught off guard by this DVD because I was expecting a hard rockin' concert by one of the world's leading rock bands, instead I got an intimate jam played in a relatively small venue. The accoustic versions of these songs seemed to be grander in some ways... a greater sense of depth, a fuller sound, and in all ways satisfying. There are some between-song moments with the audience that are at times awkward and then simply hilarious. The set list is as follows... (1)Intro (2)Razor (3)Over and Out (4)On The Mend (5)Walking After You (6)Still (7)Marigold (8)My Hero (9)Next Year (10)Another Round (11)See You (12)Cold Day In The Sun (13)Big Me (14)What If I Do? (15)Skin And Bones (16)Ain't It The Life (17)February Stars (18)Times Like These (19)Friend Of A Friend (20)Best Of You (21)Everlong. This disk is a must add for any Foo fan. 4 stars and an amazing cowbell solo!!

Spirited Away
Enter a world of river spirits, dragons, and witches... enter the mind of Miyazaki!! And it truly is one-man's vision... he wrote, directed, storyboarded, and even wrote song lyrics for this movie. Amazing! I found Spirited Away to be a genuine work of art; however, it moved just a wee bit slow for my taste. Perhaps it is my western sensibilities, but for some reason I became slightly impatient with the story. Still, visually the movie is like nothing I have seen before. This one will certainly require multiple viewing to truly appreciate the magnitude of what Miyazaki has accomplished. 4 stars!

Pink Floyd: The Wall
A mindbending, psychedelic trip into one of the best albums ever made. Follow along as Pink, a burned-out rocker sits alone in his hotel room reliving his life and contemplating the formative events that have only served to isolate him from the world. This movie is unique in that the only dialogue that is presented are the song lyrics from Roger Water's masterpiece. The sound is in gorgeous remasterd Dolby Digital... which, if you have a decent home theatre, will surround you with the complex layers of music. Gerald Scarfe's artwork and animation adds an extra touch that has made the album and the movie instantly recognizable to even the most inexperienced Floyd fan. This movie is not for everyone. It's non-linear presentation will turn off most, but for Floyd fans the world over, The Wall is a must-have, must-see journey! 5 comfortably numb stars!!

Spirited Away: Bonus Material
I really liked the bonus disk for Spirited Away because you get to see Miyazaki and his crew work on the movie... meet deadlines, draw the sequences, sit in on meetings, and even eat lunch together. An interesting look at the inner-workings of Studio Ghibli, and worth the rental if you are a Miyazaki fan!

Juno
16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page) is cute and quick-witted, interested in movies and music, and has just found out that she's pregnant. What's a teenage girl to do?? We enjoyed this movie as much as the next person... the script contained a good balance of humor and seriousness, the music was an eclectic selection that contributed to the quirky tone of the movie, and the performance by Ellen Page (and the rest of the cast for that matter) was just phenomenal. A delightful mainstream movie that leans just a little left of center. 4 stars and a jug of Sunny D!!

Classic Cartoon Favorites: Starring Mickey
Before the summer matinee started, sometimes the theatre would show an animated short like the ones contained here. See Mickey and all of his friends in these old animated shorts from yesteryear. Individually hand painted cels raised these from the level of "a simple kid's cartoon" into a bona-fide art form. Good fun for the whole family!! 3 stars + 1 reminiscent star = 4 stars and a warm fuzzy!!

Lethal Weapon 2
Riggs and Murtaugh partner up in this explosive second chapter in the Lethal Weapon series. The movie starts out with an excellent car chase and keeps this pacing throughout. The plot is fairly simple and involves a criminal with diplomatic immunity... laundering money... so on and so forth. Richard Donner dresses this up in Lethal Weapon fashion... huge bodycount, gun battles, car chases, and the total destruction of a building or two. Nicely done. This movie also has the infamous bathroom boobytrap scene, and Joe Pesci playing the annoying but funny federal informant. For some reason, I think the cop-acting-on-his-own thing might have been a little overplayed here. Some really funny moments, but I can only give it 4 stars!

Ronin
This is another in the genre of heist/grifter movies that is an okay watch. The plot revolves around a silver case that everyone wants to get their dirty little hands on... but all they get is backstabbing and betrayal!! (Cue ominous music) I thought this one was just okay... I like the idea of assembling a crack squad of guys to carry out a mission. Really, this film would have benefitted from a really good theme song, but instead all we have is so-and-so steals the bag from this guy, who stole it from someone else, who killed someone for it. Blah,blah,blah. I would only give the script 2 stars... add another star for the killer car chases. These are the chases that you only wish you could have staged with your Dukes of Hazzard slot-car racers. 3 slightly disappointed stars.

Good Morning Maisy
Good Morning Maisy (2004) is a cute film that your young children will enjoy. I have a problem with this video, however. This is the educator in me... but in the episode which attempts to teach children ABC's, the producers have chosen to go with letter sounds which contain the schwa ending /uh/. So instead of the letter s making the sound /sss/, the letter sound they propose is /suh/. This is incorrect. Don't mean to preach from a soapbox or anything, but if you want your children to learn the correct letter/sound correspondences, then this video is NOT for you. In this case, Maisy is just plain lazy! 2 stars.

Seven
This is quite possibly my favorite movie. Brilliant casting, dismal city setting, and amazing writing and direction all combine to pull off a hauntingly grotesque mind-f**k that will stay with you forever. 5 stars!

High School Musical
I can't believe I'm sitting here writing a review of this movie. What will all my NF friends think?? When Mrs. Meow brought this one home, I nearly hacked up a hairball... but it wasn't bad. The story revolves around two teenagers who break out of their roles as athlete and brain in order to audition for the school musical. The message is a good one and is reminiscent of Walt Disney's famous quote, "If you can dream it, you can do it." The musical numbers and the choreography are nice and well executed by all involved. There were some weird transitions that broke me out of my musical reverie... scene changes that faded out at unexpected moments. There was plenty of over-the-top acting but I expect that subtlety would not have worked with the younger audiences this movie was filmed for. Sure, it is typical Disney fare and cutesy almost to a fault but if you go into the movie knowing this then you can forgive it some of it's excesses. I ADMIT IT!! I ADMIT IT!! I WATCHED HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL... AND I LIKED IT!! 3 surprised stars!

Dan in Real Life
Dan in Real Life (2007) has all of the charm of an elementary school recital... it's cute, and painful to watch all at the same time. It's a shame too because I have to admit I have jumped on the Steve Carell bandwagon. He does an excellent job at making social situations nice and awkward. Still, this movie doesn't really cash in on this as much as I would have liked. Juliette Binoche was cute but it seemed to me that she sort of dialed in her performance. Listen, I thought this was just okay. I liked it but thought it could have done a little more in the way of believability and laughs. 3 stars.

Lethal Weapon
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover join forces in an all-out action classic that won an Academy Award nomination for... Best Sound?? Okaaayy... well, it was still a blast revisiting this buddy-movie from the '80's. Mel Gibson gives it his all as a lone cop with a death wish. Danny Glover is a career cop with a family and everything to lose. Together they make magic. Gary Busey as Mr. Joshua shines in what would become his signature character... pale, crazy guy with blonde hair. There are some interesting plot moments that made me question the script, but then they would blow something up and I felt okay with it. In typical Richard Donner fashion the moments of violence are cleverly balanced with comedic one-liners making this a great family film except for the violence, profanity, and drugs. Okay, so maybe it isn't a family film... but when the kiddies turn 17 they need to see this one. A definite classic that helped to define the modern action film. 4 stars, and a bullet-proof vest!!

When Harry Met Sally
When Harry Met Sally (1989) is one of those romantic comedies that will always provide a gold standard for others to follow. The dialogue is sharp and explores the topic of relationships from two very different perspectives. Harry (Billy Crystal) is funny, laid-back, and convinced that a woman and a man cannot be JUST friends if one is attracted to the other. Sally (Meg Ryan) is cute as a button and full of idealism. In her world, logic wins over affairs of the heart. These countering perspectives are made all the more real because the chemistry between Crystal and Ryan is excellent, and their delivery of the script is superb... and let's not forget the cafe scene! 4 stars!

Basquiat
Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jeffry Wright) goes from homeless, to famous, to dead in this biographical-ish movie on his life. The cast is outstanding... Jeffrey Wright, Willem Defoe, Tatum O'Neal, David Bowie, Gary Oldman... Parker Posey??... Benicio Del Toro?? Dennis Hopper!! Christopher Walken!! Holy crap... anyone in their right mind should love this movie! But despite the phenomenal cast and a decent script, I just didn't buy it. I wanted to see more of the artistic process and less of the product. So much time was spent on the people that he hung out with, and the shows he put on, the money he was making, and the drugs he was taking... that the viewer is left to figure out on his own why Basquiat's art was so influential. Walken's 5 minute scene was the best part of the movie. I may not know art, but I know what I like... and this ain't it! 2 stars.

Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity
Jeff Dunham does what he does best... steps aside and lets the puppets do the talking! Simply hilarious! Walter, Peanut, and Jose Jalepeno (on a steek...) are joined by Dunham's newest creations Achmed the Dead Terrorist and Melvin the Superhero. If you enjoyed Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself (2005) then this is a sure bet. The comedy is clean, his characters are unique, and... THIS GUY IS FUNNY!! The NF write up is a little misleading because Bubba J. and Sweet Daddy Dee DO NOT appear in this special. But Achmed and Melvin do a good job in their stead. Be sure to catch the Special Features which are of special interest to puppeteers and puppet builders. Dunham brings you through the process of building his character Melvin, who appears in the show. From the first putty sculpture, through the silicon negative mold, assembling the mechanics, and painting the face. This glimpse into the process really clarifies the level of artistry required to bring his characters to life. A wonderful inside look that you won't find anywhere else. Excellent! 4 stars!

Atonement
When an innocent young girl's fertile imagination combines a series of unrelated events, the results are tragic and forever change the lives of those involved. It starts out quite well and I was immediately taken with the characters and the setting. You just could not build a house like that now... gorgeous! The director uses some interesting devices... flashbacks, flashforwards, and revealing different angles on the same scene... these things were quite well done and, like I said, the beginning of the movie was great. But the last half slowly loses the momentum that was built up in the beginning and ultimately the movie suffers from poor pacing and indecision. The music is really unique... incorporating sounds from within scenes and effectively setting an ominous tone during the beginning and maintaining this throughout. There is one other thing that garners Atonement an additional star. In Chapter 11, one of the characters is walking through a make-shift military camp on the beach. This is a single, unedited, Steadycam shot that lasts for 5 minutes and 04 seconds!! An unbroken, unedited shot with very little dialogue that still effectively gives the veiwer an unsettling feeling that the characters perhaps aren't better off having met up with their regiment... just imagine the planning that has to go into something like this. Watch it and you will be amazed. Overall, Atonement was just 3 stars, but boosted to 4 because of music and this shot. Enjoy!

My Life as a Dog
A young boy's family is falling apart before his very eyes. His father is dead, his mother is dying, and his older brother doesn't seem to care. It is only when he is sent to live with his uncle that things start to resemble normalcy and he begins to enjoy his childhood once more. This also reveals a tender snapshot of a young boy growing up and facing the uncertainties of puberty. The story is nice and the direction by Lasse Hallstrom compells the viewer to consider larger themes of love and community. 4 stars!

The King of Kong
Before home video game systems like Playstation and X-Box, people flocked to the local arcades to test their luck against the new breed of video games... Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong. Twenty-plus years later there are still people playing these classic games. Follow along as Steve Weibe attempts to break the long-standing world record in Donkey Kong... watch as the underground world of classic video gaming is revealed... wonder at the myriad of bad haircuts... but prepare to be amazed! This documentary on such an unobtrusive topic as beating the high score on a video game, was surprisingly well done. 10 minutes in and you will be hooked and find yourself rooting for Steve Wiebe during the whole process and then you remember... IT'S A VIDEO GAME but this doesn't matter because by now you have been drawn into a new world where hot sauce is king and being nice doesn't count SQUAT because this is war! and then you think, "Did he really say that?" (You will find yourself saying this A LOT!) YES, he DID say that, and then you remember that this is a documentary and these people are not reading from a script they actually believe it... THIS IS REAL! You just can't make this stuff up!! Very well made. My new favorite documentary! Put this to the top of your queue today. Also available on Instant Watch. 5 stars and a fistful of quarters! (UPDATE) After watching the film I felt compelled to visit the Twin Galaxies website which contains all of the current World Records for video games. There is an entire thread devoted to wh