 
### Reel Quick Movie Reviews

By John Lizzi

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2007-2018 by John Lizzi

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Movies are best viewed unedited and without commercial interruptions. This is how I review them. Please consider film ratings before viewing.

I review television series but prefer watching them through streaming media providers with no commercial interruptions. The reason being is that an hour episode made for commercial television is actually about 43 minutes long which means the viewer is inundated with 17 minutes of commercials, almost a third of the episode.

Reviews are added periodically, so check back.

So, do you like to sit home and watch movies in your PJ's with a reasonably priced giant bag of popcorn and your favorite beverage, and dislike long analytical reviews when all you wanted to know was what the movie was about? Then hang on to your popcorn because here we go!

  **MAN ON A LEDGE (2012) PG-13**

Fast moving and keeps you on the edge or ledge. Cop (Sam Worthington) sentenced to prison escapes, checks into a New York hotel and threatens to jump from the ledge of his hotel room. Police shrink (Elizabeth Banks) is called in to talk him back in. ~ Excellent cast with Ed Harris, Jamie Bell, Genesis Rodriguez, Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns, Titus Welliver, William Sadler. Director Asger Leth.

  **THE LEFTOVERS (2014 -) TV-MA**

Two per cent of the global population disappears and those left behind, the leftovers, try to cope with the loss of loved ones. Although there is a religious implication, it is not a religious or preaching series but rather an interesting fantasy mystery. It let's the viewers draw their own conclusions. I thought it was a well done series of three seasons with very talented actors giving more than 100%. ~ Warner Bros. Television and HBO.

  **Z NATION (2014 -) TV-14**

I needed my zombie fix while waiting for the new season of TWD, so I decided to check out this Syfy series of three seasons. The premise is the same as TWD, with a group of survivors trying to survive the zombie apocalypse, but with a few twists that makes this series stand on its own. This group of eclectics is on a mission to bring a possible cure to the zombie virus, in the form of a human who actually survived zombie bites, to a laboratory in California. They are guided on their journey from upstate New York with the aid of Citizen Z, a radio operator, who is stationed somewhere in the Arctic Circle. This series combines humor with some fast moving zombies ~ Excellent cast ~ Creators Craig Engler and Karl Schaefer. Syfy and Netflix.

  **THE FEAR (2012)**

A guilt ridden London mob boss, Richie Beckett (Peter Mullan), has late stage Alzheimer's which makes him even more dangerous and unpredictable than the Serbian mob who wants to move in on his territory. Throw in a decapitated Serbian prostitute and things get even more confusing. ~ Director Michael Samuels.

  **DRAGON BLADE (2015) R**

A defecting Roman legion led by Lucius (John Cusack) teams up with Hun-Chinese captain Huo An (Jackie Chan) to battle the corrupt Roman commander Tiberius (Adrien Brody) who wants to take control of the Silk Road. May have to read some subtitles but good battle scenes. ~ Director Daniel Lee.

I DON'T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE (2017)

Ruth (Melanie Lynskey) is a depressed woman who feels out of place in a world without manners... until someone burglarizes her home. The cops are no help so she decides to take matters into her own hands with the aide of her neighbor, Tony (Elijah Wood). Well done neo-noir comedy crime film. ~ Director Macon Blair.

  **IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE (2014) R**

Entertaining Norwegian film with Stellan Skarsgård seeking revenge for the accidental murder of his son by the Norwegian mob looking for their missing cocaine. What... there's not enough snow in Norway? The Albanian mob get involved... or are they Serbs... when their mob boss Papa (Bruno Ganz) wants revenge for the killing of his son by the Norwegian mob boss, Greven (Pål Sverre Hagen) who is somewhat deranged. ~ Director Hans Petter Moland

  **DOG EAT DOG (2016) NOT RATED**

Very dark crime drama with Nicolas Cage, Willem Dafoe and Christopher Matthew Cook as three hapless thugs who are hired to kidnap a mobster's child for another rival mobster. Cage is the mastermind, Dafoe is the madman and Cook is the muscle. They each have two strikes against them so they ain't gonna go down easy. ~ Director Paul Schrader.

  **JANE GOT A GUN (2016) R**

Natalie Portman as Jane Hammond takes a stand against a gang led by John Bishop (Ewan McGregor) that wants to kill her outlaw husband (Noah Emmerich). She enlists the aid of her ex-lover and Civil War Veteran Dan Frost (Joel Edgerton). Great storyline that goes well with the action. ~ Director Gavin O'Connor.

  **LONDON HAS FALLEN (2016) R**

Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) really, really really hates terrorists. All the world leaders attend the funeral of the Prime Minister of London. Hmmm, does anyone see any possible security issues? Mike Banning is the President's personal Secret Service body guard for this fast moving action film. ~ Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Waleed Zuaiter. Director Babak Najafi.

  **WAFFLE STREET (2015) NR**

Feel good movie based on a true story about hedge fund financier, James Adams.(James Lafferty) who becomes disillusioned with Wall Street after he was fired from an unscrupulous firm. He wants to get back to basics so he tries his hand as a food server at an all night chicken and waffles diner. Grill cook Edward Collins (Danny Glover) teaches him about life and common sense, things Adams didn't get with his MBA degree. Always great to see Danny Glover. ~ Directors Eshom Nelms, Ian Nelms.

  **CLEAR HISTORY (2013) TV-MA**

Larry David is a PR man at a start up electric car company. He has shares in the company owned by Will Haney (Jon Hamm) and decides to let the boss buy him out over a disagreement about the name of the car. A decision that costs him a billion dollars when the car is very sucessful. He becomes a public joke and goes into hiding and seclusion at Martha's Vineyard. ~ Director Greg Mattola.

  **THE AMERICAN SIDE (2016)**

Good film noir. Charlie Paczynski (Greg Stuhr) is a somewhat unscrupulous private detective who stumbles into a conspiracy to find the other half of an unknown Nikola Tesla invention that could be used for good or bad. ~ Alicja Bachleda, Camilla Belle, Matthew Broderick, Robert Forster, Janeane Garofalo, Grant Shaud, Robert Vaughn. Director Jenna Ricker.

  **HYENA ROAD (2015) R**

"It's not one war, it's a whole bunch of different wars." That line sums up the war in Afghanistan as it is seen and fought through the eyes of these Canadian soldiers. Good film with excellent actors. ~ Director Paul Gross.

  **STRANGER THINGS (2016) TV-14**

Stranger things lurk on the other side of this dimension. It's the early 1980s in the small mid-western town of Hawkins where a young boy seems to disappear into thin and murky air. His mother, Winona Ryder, hears his voice through Christmas lights and walls. She seems crazy but may be the only sane person in town. His school buddies run into Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) who has a strange name and even stranger paranormal powers and together they try to find their missing friend while dodging the industrial military complex led by Matthew Modine. Great scary and strange fun by all the actors. ~ Series creators the Duffer Brothers for Netflix.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (2016) PG-13

Twenty years later with bigger weapons and badder bad guys. We get to see how some of the original characters have been doing and how the world has progressed since the last alien encounter. ~ Director Roland Emmerich.

  **FREE STATE OF JONES (2016) R**

Alright... Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey) is a Confederate Medic during the American Civil War who sees too much blood and guts but none belonging to the plantations owners who want others to do the fighting so they can keep their free labor (slaves). Knight deserts and forms his own Free State of Jones in Jones county Mississippi which secedes from the Confederacy. The populations consists of Confederate deserters, free slaves and women who must now ban together to fight the local Confederate government. Based on a true story with flash forwards to the 1960s, it depicts a fact that may be overlooked... that there were southern people who did not subscribe to the concept of slavery. ~ Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, Keri Russell, Christopher Berry, Sean Bridgers - Director Gary Ross.

  **OZ (1997-2003) TV-MA**

Dicks and shanks, expect to see them in every episode. Not judging, just warning. Oz is Oswald State penitentiary and Emerald city or Em is a section of Oz that is dedicated to trying progressive living conditions for the prisoners. The cells are now pods with glass walls instead of bars, the inmates can wear civilian clothes, the food seems to be a bit better and psychologists, priests, nuns and doctors are all available to the inmates. So it's baffling why the Muslims, the Aryans, the bikers, the Irish, the Sicilians, the Latinos, the gangstas, the gays and some crazed correction officers just can't get along in such close proximity. Well done series of six seasons and 56 episodes and you're going to enjoy seeing some of your favorite actors from other shows in very different roles. ~ Creator Tom Fontana for HBO.

  **MAPS to the STARS (2014) R**

I love it when Hollywood does a movie about Hollywood because they almost always get it right. How the quest for stardom can cause neurosis. Julianne Moore, as Havana Segrand, is sexy, neurotic, adorable and tragic. John Cusack, as Dr. Stafford Weiss, plays a great con man selling self help coaching. Yes, all your stress is in the back of your thighs. You're welcome. Evan Bird, as child star Benjie Weiss, is way too savvy for his age. ~ Director David Cronenberg.

  **NEWSROOM (2012-2014) TV-MA**

Fast talking and fast moving so bone up on modern national and world events. Jeff Daniels is a reporter for a news station and pretty much covers all the political and world events that take place during the run of this show while trying to analyze and justify moral obligations to the general public. ~ Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher, Jr., Alison Pill, Sam Waterston. Creator Aaron Sorkin. HBO 3 seasons, 25 episodes.

  **DEADWOOD (2004-2006) TV-MA**

And you thought the American Old West would have been a cool time to live? Takes place in South Dakota in the 1870s during the gold fever. South Dakota did not become a state until 1889 so it was truly free with no laws. No laws give way to mob rule and the toughest and meanest mob rules. Screw up and you become pig food. Oh, and while you are trying to survive and stay alive, don't get a kidney stone... no modern medical technology available. My only disappointment is that they left you hanging in the last episode. Great cast and stand out performances by Brad Dourf (Doc Cochran), Ian McShane (Al Swearengen) and Robin Weigert (Calamity Jane). ~ Timothy Oliphant, Molly Parker. Creator David Milch. HBO – 3 seasons, 36 episodes.

  **THE WIRE (2002-2008) TV-MA**

Brutal drug drama set in Baltimore in the early 2000s. Various gangs are competing for the drug trade and the Baltimore police establish a special drug and homicide unit to deal with the dealings including wire taps on pay phones. But more often than not the line between the cops and the criminals become very blurred... but then again drugs and alcohol will do that. Intense performances by the actors and well done series of five seasons, about 12 episodes each season. ~ Creator David Simon. HBO

  **TROMA'S WAR (1988) R**

Campy, exaggerated and over the top... and I loved it! At first the urge was to stop watching, but the insanity begins to draw you in. A group of people who would never meet each other in any kind of social setting manage to ban together and fight an invading army backed by elitist corporate industrialists. Two of the puppet masters of this terrorist invasion are Siamese Twins who hide in the shadows and have an uncanny resemblance to a certain pair of industrialist right-wing brothers. The comedy veils a strong political and social understatement that is very prophetic in 1988 and is probably why this film didn't get much attention when it was released. The moral of the story? Whatever differences people may have, they will ban together to fight the bad guys, not because of race, religion or politics, as the bad guys would have us believe, but because the bad guys are just plain assholes. ~ Carolyn Beauchamp, Sean Bowen, Rick Washburn, Patrick Weathers, Jessica Dublin. Directors Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman.

  **BOARDWALK EMPIRE (2010-2014) TV-MA**

Great HBO series of five seasons, about 12 episodes each season. Last episode wraps it up very nicely so it doesn't leave you hanging. "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi) is a politician/gangster ( _not_ an oxymoron) during the 1920s prohibition. He pretty much runs Atlantic City and as treasurer of Atlantic County he is able to make some very smart investments and profits with tax payers money, unfortunately, there is no trickle down effect. Bootlegging becomes a great opportunity for up and coming gangsters like a young Al Capone (Stephen Graham), Lucky Luciano (Vincent Piazza) and Meyer Lansky (Anatol Yusef). Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Michael Kenneth Williams and Shea Whigham are excellent in their roles and the whole cast does a great job. ~ Creator Terence Winter for HBO.

  **NIGHTCRAWLER (2014) R**

What is a sociopath to do when work is scarce? Start your own business. Jake Gyllenhaal is great as Louis Bloom who decides to become a night time crime journalist in Los Angeles, and I use that term loosely. He arrives on the crime scenes to film anything bloody and gory to sell to the news stations but sometimes finds it more profitable to create his own crime scenes. ~ Director Dan Gilroy.

  **BANDIDAS (2006) PG-13**

Great buddy movie with Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz playing the sexy bank robbing buddies. Takes place in Mexico, late 1800s, where a New York bank buys up small Mexican banks and forecloses on the farms that owe the bank money so they can build a railroad through their land. ~ Steve Zahn, Dwight Yoakam, Sam Shepard. Directors Joachim Rønning.and Espen Sandberg.

  **JERSEY BOYS (2014) R**

If you like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, which I do, then you will enjoy this film. The actors did a great job with their roles, but converting a Broadway play to film is a difficult task _. Jersey Boys_ won many awards for their Broadway production but the film version could have had a better adaptation. Watch this film to enjoy the music and to get some behind the scenes insight to the success of the Four Seasons. ~ Director Clint Eastwood.

  **HIT & MISS (2012- ) not rated but definitely an R**

TV series of 6 episodes. Transgender contract killer, Mia (Chloë Sevigny), finds out she has a son, Ryan (Jorden Bennie) in West Yorkshire from a previous affair when she was a man. She makes the trip there to try and establish a relationship, but encounters tension with Ryan's siblings and some of the local population. This all happens in between contract killings. Well done and interesting series but the last episode leaves you hanging. ~ Creator Paul Abbott.

  **THE GREEN MILE (1999) R**

Four Academy Award nominations and winning two People's Choice Awards this is definitely a must see or re-see movie. Adapted from the Stephen King novel, it is an excellent blend of fantasy and reality. In the 1930s, death row guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is sent a convicted murderer, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), who seems to have some unusual abilities that are not in sync with the crime of which he was found guilty. ~ David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graham Greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn ( _Walking_ _Dead_ ), Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton, Dabbs Greer, Eve Brent, Gary Alan Sinise. Director Frank Darabont

  **29 PALMS (2002) R**

Local tribal Chief (Russell Means) wants to get a license to expand his casino in the Mojave Desert. The Judge (Michael Lerner) won't grant him the license and blames his law clerk (Jeremy Davies) of being an undercover FBI agent. The Chief hires a hitman (Chris O'Donnell) to kill the law clerk. A demented security guard (Joe Polito) robs the hitman of his bag of money. Throw in a crazed bus ticket clerk (Bill Pulman), a stoned sheriff (Keith David), a sex-crazed cop (Michael Rapaport), an out of control Warrior (Litefoot) and a sexy conniving waitress (Rachael Leigh Cook) and one can see how too much desert sun can fry the brain. Interesting characters in this dramedy (drama/comedy). ~ Director Leonardo Ricagni

  **MAGIC CITY (2012-13) TV-MA**

Interesting series about the Jewish mob in Miami Beach in the late 1950s. Ike Evans (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) owns The Miramar, a luxurious hotel on Miami Beach. Evans was forced to take on silent partner Ben Diamond (Danny Huston), also known as the butcher, in order to get finances to build his hotel. Chicago mob boss, Sy Berman (James Caan) owns Diamond and wants to get legalized gambling for the Miramar and is willing to buy off or kill off anyone to get his way. ~ Olga Kurylenko, Steven Strait, Jessica Marais, Christian Cooke, Elena Satine, Alex Rocco. Starz Entertainment.

  **PAYCHECK (2003) PG-13**

What better way to keep a corporation's new technology a secret than to simply erase the memory of the tech engineers after development. The techie collects a nice paycheck and no one has to worry about anyone spilling the chips before it gets to market. Ah, but there's always a glitch. Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is offered a three year contract which will pay him $93 million dollars to develop a new technology. When he finishes the assignment and his memory is erased, he goes to collect his paycheck only to find out that he forfeited the $93 mil. Of course, he doesn't remember doing that! ~ Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti. Director John Woo.

  **THE WALKING DEAD (2010 - ) TV-14**

No, I'm not going to review this because we already know this is one of the best made, well written and well cast dramatic television series around. What I want to share is this. Like most, I watch _Walking Dead_ on commercial TV. But because of the season breaks, I needed to get my fix, so I binge-watched the first four seasons on Netflix. It was even better the second time around! Why? No commercial interruptions. I was able to enjoy the flow of the story lines and even pick up little nuances I may have missed the first time around. ~ Andrew Lincoln, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira. Creator Frank Darabont for AMC.

  **QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER (1990) PG-13**

Maybe not in my top five but certainly in my top 10 of Westerns. Not all Westerns have to take place in the American West. Wyoming cowboy, Matthew Quigley (Tom Selleck), answers an ad for a long distance sharpshooter from Australian rancher Elliott Marston (Alan Rickman). Quigley makes the trip to Australia and inadvertently hooks up with slightly off-centered crazy Cora (Laura San Giacomo) but finds out Marston's ad isn't true to its aim. Great story and cast. ~ Director Simon Wincer.

  **FALCON RISING (2014) R**

John "Falcon" Chapman (Michael Jai White) is a former combat Marine with severe PTSD. His sister (Laila Ali), who is a social worker in the slums of Brazil, is brutally attacked and in a coma. Falcon heads to Brazil to see his sister only to find out that her attack is covering something more sinister. Not only is White skilled in Martial Arts, he is also a well trained actor and this reflects in his portrayal of his character. White is able to blend the instincts of a trained killer with the sensitivity of a human being. ~ Neal McDonough, Lateef Crowder, Hazuki Kato, Masashi Odate, Millie Ruperto, Jimmy Navarro. Director Ernie Barbarash

  **SAVING MR. BANKS (2013) PG-13**

Not to take away from Tom Hanks who does an excellent job of portraying Walt Disney, but Emma Thompson, as _Mary Poppins_ author P.L. Travers, is just absolutely wonderful. She plays her character as the tough and proud Australian author who is covering a very sensitive heart. Excellent cast. ~ Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman. Director John Lee Hancock

  **THE NOVEMBER MAN (2014) R**

Devereaux (Pierce Brosnan) is a retired CIA agent who is asked to come out of retirement. The mission is to extract undercover CIA agent Natalia Ulanova (Mediha Musliovic) out of Russia as she has important incriminating information about Russian President-elect Arkady Federov (Lazar Ristovski). But Devereaux also runs into opposition when he meets up with his former partner and trainee, Mason (Luke Bracey). The key to all this is the sexy social worker, Alice (Olga Kurylenko - former Bond girl). Bill Smitrovich is excellent as CIA Director Hanley as is Amila Terzimehic as Alexa the hit girl. Good action and story. ~ Director Roger Donaldson

  **BY THE GUN (2014) R**

To paraphrase an old saying, "too much, too late" is not a refection on the quality of the film but rather what the film is about. Nick Tortano (Ben Barnes) is a young Italian-American who is blindly enamored with the Boston Mafia. He wants desperately to become a made man but cannot see that the mob is past its glory days. As his buddy Tommy (Tully Banta-Cain) points out, most of the bosses are dead and the tough capos are nothing more than a bunch of old guys trying to hustle tourists for a buck. Well done character story. ~ Paul Ben-Victor, William Bloomfield, Bonnie Belle Skinner, Billy Concha, Ritchie Coster, Harvey Keitel. Director James Mottern.

  **THE RAVEN (2012) R**

Never more, Baltimore... sorry, I couldn't resist that. Anyways, Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) is trying to hustle a living as a writer in Baltimore circa 1850. He has a huge fan; unfortunately it is a serial killer who uses Poe's stories as an inspiration in the ways of killing the victims. Poe teams up with Baltimore Detective Fields (Luke Evans) to track down the killer. The Pit and the Pendulum scene is a swinging slice of life. Okay, I'll stop. Great film for John Cusack and Edgar Allan Poe fans. ~ Alice Sophia Eve, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin McNally, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jimmy Yuill, Sam Hazeldine, Pam Ferris. Director James McTeigue.

  **THE FALL (2013- ) TV series not rated**

In the first 11 episodes, Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) must track down a serial killer in Northern Ireland. Both share the same cold bloodedness in which they hunt their prey. ~ Jamie Dornan, John Lynch, Bronagh Waugh, Niamh McGrady, Sarah Beattie, Aisling Franciosi. Creator Allan Cubitt. BBC Northern Ireland.

  **PAUL WILLIAMS STILL ALIVE (2011) PG-13**

If you're a Paul Williams fan, you are going to enjoy this documentary, if you do not know who Paul Williams is; you will know the many songs he wrote. ~ Director Stephen Kessler

  **BROADCHURCH (2013- ) TV series not rated**

The first 16 episodes take place in the fictional coastal town of Broadchurch, Britain. Detectives Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) must solve the murder of an 11 year old boy in which there are several suspects in this small and very close knit town. Colman is excellent and Tennant, who did an outstanding job as Dr. Who, gets to show his versatility along with the rest of the cast of compelling characters. ~ Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan, Jonathan Bailey, Carolyn Pickles, Arthur Darvill (Rory from _Dr. Who_ ), Matthew Gravelle. Creator Chris Chibnall. ITV (Independent Television).

  **THE JUDGE (2014) R**

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is a successful Chicago lawyer who returns to his hometown in Indiana for his mother's funeral. He locks horns with his father (Robert Duvall), the local, hard ass by-the-book judge because he feels his success and worth was never appreciated by the Judge. The relationship is pretty intense and to add to the fire, the father is accused of murder in which Hank feels obligated to defend him in the local town court. Great cast and good story. ~ Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong. Director David Dobkin.

  **THE BAG MAN (2014) R**

Jack (John Cusack) is hired by Dragna (Robert De Niro) to pick up a bag with mysterious contents, which he is not to look inside, and meet him at a secluded motel somewhere in Louisiana. Jack will be paid a lot of money to do such a simple task... ah, but as we all know meeting at secluded motels in Louisiana does not always end well. ~ Rebecca Da Costa, Crispin Glover, Dominic Purcell, Martin Klebba, Sticky Fingaz. Director David Grovic.

  **KING ARTHUR (2004) R**

Refreshing take on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Most tales of King Arthur take place in 15th century Britain but this one connects the heroic Knights to the Roman Empire around 450 AD. The Roman Empire is beginning to collapse so they are pulling out of the barbaric northern territories of Britain as the Saxons are beginning to move in to take over. Arthur (Clive Owen) takes a stand with his Knights. He is joined by Guinevere (Keira Knightly) who wields a broadsword with the best of them. This isn't your grandfather's Camelot. ~ Ioan Gruffudd (Lancelot), Mads Mikkelsen (Tristan), Joel Edgerton (Gawain), Hugh Dancy (Galahad), Ray Winstone (Bors), Ray Stevenson (Dagonet), Stephen Dillane (Merlin). Director Antoine Fuqua.

  **THE OUTSIDER (2014) NR**

Lex Walker (Craig Fairbrass) is a British mercenary working with a military contractor in Afghanistan when he's notified that his daughter has been killed. He flies to Los Angeles to identify the body but tells LA detective Klein (Jason Patric) that it's not his daughter. So where is she? Perhaps her former corporate multi-millionaire boss (James Caan) knows. ~ Shannon Elizabeth, Melissa Ordway, Johnny Messner, Tim Fields. Director Brian A. Miller.

  **JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT (2014) PG-13**

Tom Clancy's hero re-emerges with Chris Pine taking on the role of CIA agent Jack Ryan. Ryan is an economics major at a school in England when 9/11 occurs. He joins the Marines and is wounded in Afghanistan and returns to the United States for rehab. There he is approached by Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) to join the CIA and work undercover on Wall Street to expose a possible plot to crash the American economy. Good intrigue and suspense. ~ Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Lenn Kudrjawizki. Director Kenneth Branagh.

  **MARCO POLO (2014 - ) TV-MA**

The first season is 10 episodes. Well done pageantry about Mongolia and China in the late 1200s. Kublai Khan (Benedict Wong) with the aid of Marco Polo (Lorenzo Richelmy) attempt to conquer China and eventually establish a world empire. ~ Joan Chen, Remy Hii, Zhu Zhu, Tom Wu. Netflix Original Series.

  **THE HOBBIT:**

THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (2014) PG-13

So that's what led up to the trilogy! I saw this in IMAX 3D. Fantasy films play very well in IMAX 3D because... well, they're fantasy films which are an escape from reality, therefore I enjoyed it. ~ Sir Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish. Director Peter Jackson.

  **EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (2014) PG-13**

Excuse the pun but Oh My God! The religious critics are up in arms because they claim this film is not true to the Book of Exodus. The atheists are complaining that this is sheer fantasy and the speed freaks are upset because Aaron Paul wasn't cooking meth along the Nile. Geez, everybody chill out. It's just a movie. Movies are a visual experience and meant to simply be enjoyed. A movie is an interpretation of a subject matter by the people making the movie crammed into a couple of hours. If you want details, read a book! Well done film taking a more humanistic approach to Moses (Christian Bale) and the Exodus out of Egypt. I saw it in IMAX-3D. Great CGI and cast. ~ Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Maria Valverde, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley. Director Ridley Scott.

  **THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (2013) R**

Ever wondered what could have led to the 2008 economy collapse? Well, just ask those well dressed and seemingly responsible brokers on Wall Street. Wall Street is just another form of legalized gambling and embezzlement so think wisely before you invest your life savings. Great cast and Leonardo DiCaprio does an excellent job of portraying an out of control broker with too much money. ~ Director Martin Scorsese.

  **FRONTERA (2014) PG-13**

If you're looking for good moviemaking, then you get Ed Harris and Michael Peña and give them a solid plotline. This film deals with immigration issues along the Arizona/Mexican border and how one wrong action can have negative effects on the lives of several people. ~ Amy Madigan, Eva Longoria. Director Michael Berry.

  **DEUCES WILD (2002) R**

It is 1958 Brooklyn, and the good gang, the Deuces, try to protect their neighborhood from the drug dealing bad gang, the Vipers, who live just across the street. It's like being stuck with a bad roommate or spouse. Anyways, it's a good film with excellent 1958 style gang fights. Special kudos to the stunt performers and coordinators! It was also fun to see a younger Norman Reedus (Walking Dead) as head of the Vipers gang. ~ Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro, Fairuza Balk, Max Perlich, Drea de Matteo, Vincent Pastore, Frankie Muniz, Balthazar Getty, Matt Dillon, Deborah Harry. Director Scott Kalvert.

  **AMERICAN MUSCLE (2014) NR**

Not rated, but definitely an R. The plotline wasn't very clear, but basically John Falcon (Nick Principe) does 10 years in prison and is released. This is the part that was confusing. It seems Falcon has 24 hours to hunt down each of his co-criminals that were responsible for sending him to prison. Why? IDK. But still a good film. ~ Director Ravi Dhar.

  **BLUE BLOODS (2010 - ) TV-14**

For those of you who are Tom Selleck or Donnie Wahlberg fans, I highly recommend this series. Good solid crime drama about a generational New York cop family. I like to binge watch on Netflix. ~ Will Estes, Bridget Moynahan, Len Cariou, Amy Carlson, Tony Terraciano, Andrew Terraciano, Sami Gayle. ~ CBS Productions.

SEAL TEAM EIGHT: BEHIND ENEMY LINES (2014) R

Seal Team 8 must go deep into Africa to destroy a uranium mine run by a ruthless warlord who is intent on supplying weapons grade uranium to the bad guys. Lots of action as the Seal Team fights their way to the mine and then home. ~ Tom Sizemore. Director Roel Reiné.

  **SABOTAGE (2014) R**

Some gave this film bad reviews. Well, some may be too analytical... or just plain pompous. I liked it! It's a movie; movies are a diversion from real life. Enjoy it for what it is. _Sabotage_ is more of a whodunit multiple murder mystery with some action thrown in. Arnold is in great shape proving that, being close to 70, his lifestyle of exercise and good nutrition does work. And, yes, he does plug his philosophy by referring to a character's 48% body fat, but, hey, that's what makes Arnold... Arnold! ~ Director David Ayer.

  **IRONCLAD: BATTLE FOR BLOOD (2014) NR**

Remind me never to move to 13th century England near the Scottish border. Not because of the bloodletting, hacking and slashing battles but, for the love of God, does anyone have a frickin' bar of soap! Oh, and three bags of coins will make you king of the castle. This is the follow-up to the 2011 _Ironclad_ film and is actually pretty good. Great characters. Mercenaries are hired by the king's son to fight off the Scottish clans who want the English away from their borders. Can't we all just get along? ~ Michelle Fairley, Roxanne McKee, Tom Austen, Danny Webb, Twinnie Lee Moore, Predrag Bjelac. Director Jonathan English.

  **AGE OF UPRISING:**

THE LEGEND OF MICHAEL KOHLHAAS (2013) NR

Well... it's French. Not a put down, it's just that the French have a unique style of filmmaking which consists of intricate character development. The unpretentious dialog makes for less reading of subtitles for those of us who cannot master more than one language, but don't tell the French that because... well... they're French. Michael Kohlhaas (Mads Mikkelsen) sells horses in 16th century France where, apparently, French Barons can make up laws as they see fit. Kohlhaas has two of his horses taken away to work off some sort of new bridge tax. After unsuccessful attempts of getting justice through the legal system, he resorts to the tried and true method of raising an army of peasants and kicking ass. Good actors and story. It's not rated but there is male and female nudity and sex... remember, it's French. ~ Mélusine Mayance, Delphine Chuillot, David Kross, Bruno Ganz. Director Arnaud des Pallières.

  **CLEANSKIN (2013) NR**

Cleanskin is somebody who does not have a criminal record or is suspected of any criminal activities. These are the people that terrorists try to recruit. Ewan (Sean Bean) is a British Secret Service agent trying to locate and eliminate just such a suicide bomber/terrorist and his cell. This movie is not rated but there are several graphic head shots. As Ewan explains to his partner, a headshot prevents any last attempt for the bomber to detonate the bomb. Suspenseful and intense. ~ Charlotte Rampling, Abhin Galeya, Tom Burke, Tuppence Middleton, Peter Polycarpou. Director Hadi Hajaig.

  **SNOWPIERCER (2013) R**

I really enjoyed this film! It's a microcosm of the political and social ills of a society compacted into an endless travelling global circumnavigating super train. As climate change has rendered the planet virtually uninhabitable, survivors have lived on the Snowpiercer, a climate controlled super train, for 17 years which never stops but continually travels around the planet. This train is about 1000 train cars long. Over the years, the class system of haves and have-nots redevelops with the poorest living at the back of the train while the more privileged are nearer the front. The engine is the new "god" because it gives and supports life... but at what expense? Revolution is led by Curtis (Chris Evans) who battles his way from the back of the train towards the front with each train car presenting wonderments and surprises. Great cast and graphics and stand out performance by Tilda Swinton. ~ Kang-ho Song, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spenser, Ewen Bremmer, Ah-sung Ko. Director Joon-ho Bong.

  **6 BULLETS (2012) R**

Samson Gaul (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is an ex-mercenary who finds and rescues kidnapped children who are sold into the sex trade. His last mission goes badly and he loses his spirit and tries to finds it in a bottle of Vodka and a butcher shop. The 14year old daughter (Charlotte Beaumont) of MMA fighter Andrew Fayden (Joe Flanigan) is kidnapped and he and his wife (Anna-Louise Plowman) turn to Gaul for help. But can he regain his gall? Van Damme still kicks ass but he also shows his vulnerable side. Good action crime film. ~ Steve Nicolson, Uriel Emil. Director Ernie Barbarash.

  HOMEFRONT (2013) R

I like Jason Statham movies. He still pumps out the high voltage and cranks it up to make a good action film. Phil Broker (Statham) is an undercover DEA agent who busts up the crystal meth business of a biker gang in Shreveport, Louisiana. Soon after, he retires to a small town to lead a quiet life with his daughter (Izabela Vidovic) but things begin to speed up again when his daughter punches out the bully nephew of the local meth dealer (James Franco). ~ Kate Bosworth, Marcus Hester, Clancy Brown, Winona Ryder. Screenplay by Sylvester Stallone based on the novel by Chuck Logan, Director Gary Fleder.

  **FURY (2014) R**

Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank with a five man crew during WWII. As they push into Nazi Germany for the final assault, they are saddled with an inexperienced recruit (Logan Lerman) who learns quickly that there are no morals in war. Good perspective of war from inside a tank. ~ Shia LaBeouf, Michael Peña, Jon Bernthal. Director David Ayer.

  **3 DAYS TO KILL (2014) PG-13**

CIA agent Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner) is dying and offered an experimental life saving drug in exchange for assassinating a terrorist while trying to reconnect with his daughter (Hailee Steinfeld). Good Kevin Costner movie. ~ Director McG (Joseph McGinty Nichol).

  **A NIGHT IN OLD MEXICO (2013) NR**

Red Bovie (Robert Duvall) loses his Texas ranch due to foreclosure and on the same day he meets his grandson (Jeremy Irvine) for the first time. They both head to old Mexico for a last fling. I consider Robert Duvall a high caliber actor but I don't think this script was able to rise to his talents. It was still entertaining and you may enjoy it if you are a Robert Duvall fan. ~ Director Emilio Aragón.

  **CALIFORNICATION (2007-2014) TV-MA**

Writer Hank Moody (David Duchovny) moves from NY to LA with his girlfriend Karen (Natascha McElhone) and their daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin) after the success of his novel which Hollywood turns into a not so successful film. Although Moody loves Karen and their daughter, he gets caught up in the wild and crazy life style of Hollywood and its variety of temptations. Moody's friend and agent Charlie Runkle (Evan Handler) tries to keep Moody's life on track while creating hysterical disasters in his own life with his firecracker wife (Pamela Adlon). Very well done series, funny and sardonic yet poignant. Seven seasons, 84 episodes of about 28 minutes each. ~ Creator Tom Kapinos for Showtime.

  **RAGE (2014) NR**

If you are a Nicolas Cage fan you will enjoy this film. Paul Maguire (Nicolas Cage) is a former Irish mob criminal who has paid his debt to society and is now legit. His daughter (Aubrey Peeples) is kidnapped and he fears it may be the Russian mob seeking revenge so he contacts his old crew to help get her back. ~ Rachel Nichols, Max Ryan, Michael McGrady, Peter Stormare, Pasha D. Lychnikoff, Danny Glover. Director Paco Cabezas.

  **HAPPY VALLEY (2014) TV-MA**

Made for non-commercial TV, is six episodes about 59 minutes each. Well done crime drama taking place in a sleepy Yorkshire valley in England. In this arc, Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) discovers that the daughter of a local wealthy family has been kidnapped. She begins to track down the bad guys while trying to juggle her not-so-perfect personal life. Lancashire does an excellent job of portraying a determined and strong working class woman. ~ George Costigan, James Norton, Charlie Murphy. Netflix Original Series.

  **LOW WINTER SUN (2013) TV-14**

A very gritty and good crime drama although it does not portray Detroit in a positive light. Originally an AMC TV series, in the first episode, the two main characters, Frank Agnew (Mark Strong) and Joe Geddes (Lennie James) are detectives who kill a fellow detective. Okay... so one wonders, where do we go from here? But they keep an interesting storyline going within the arc of ten episodes. Each episode is 43 minutes. ~ James Ransone, Sprague Grayden, Athena Karkanis. AMC TV.

  **DEAD IN TOMBSTONE (2013) R**

There's going to be hell to pay and Mickey Rourke is the paymaster! That will make sense by the end of the review. Anyways, a gang of bad guys led by Guerrero (Danny Trejo) break Guerrero's half brother, Red Cavanaugh (Anthony Michael Hall), out of prison just before he is hanged. Then they decide to rob the bank at Tombstone. Guerrero wants to hightail it with the money but Cavanaugh decides he wants to stay in Tombstone and run the town and not as a democracy. Debate ensues and Cavanaugh and the gang shoot Guerrero full of holes. No love lost between brothers because, as Guerrero stated, their mother was a whore. And that's just the beginning of the movie. Guerrero then goes to hell and bargains with the "Blacksmith" (Mickey Rourke) to deliver the souls of those who killed him in exchange for his life. Lots of shooting. ~ Dina Meyer, Richard Dillane. Director Roel Reiné.

  **FACE OF TERROR (2004) R**

Los Angeles cop, Nick Harper (Rick Schroder), goes off-badge to locate his missing sister who went to Spain to pursue a modeling career. He finds more than he anticipated. Decent crime drama with good action. ~ Paulina Gálvez, Eric Balfour, Abel Folk, Ana Maria Montero. Director Bryan Goeres.

  **PUNCTURE WOUNDS (2014) R**

Kind of a _Rambo/Death Wish_ flavor but with a smaller budget. John Nguyen (Cung Le) is an Iraqi Vet with some serious PTSD who returns home to try and rebuild his life. Ain't gonna happen. He rescues a hooker from being beaten by her Aryan Brotherhood pimps which puts him in very bad standing with their leader, Hollis (Dolph Lundgren). The actors did a good job but the storyline and editing was somewhat convoluted. ~ Vinnie Jones, Briana Evigan. Directors Giorgio Serafini and James Coyne.

  **THE FROZEN GROUND (2013) R**

Based on a true story, a serial killer, Robert Hansen (John Cusack), is being tracked by Alaska state trooper Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) with the aid of the one victim who got away, Cindy Paulson (Vanessa Hudgens). Very gritty and well done film. ~ Dean Norris (Breaking Bad), Gia Mantegna. Director Scott Walker.

  **PAIN & GAIN (2013) R**

This is a very dark crime comedy based on a true story. You'll find yourself laughing while at the same time asking yourself, why the hell am I laughing at these horrible crimes gone wrong? Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), a personal trainer at a Miami gym, teams up with fellow bodybuilders, Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) and Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie), to kidnap wealthy deli owner Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub). They aren't going to ask for a ransom, but rather the trio has the misguided abstract concept that to achieve the American dream one only has to get a rich person to sign over all his assets. What could possibly go wrong? Great interaction between the actors. ~ Ed Harris. Director Michael Bay.

  **PEOPLE LIKE US (2012) PG-13**

Emotional and heartfelt film about dysfunctional family relations. Sam (Chris Pine) comes back to Los Angeles to settle his deceased father's estate. He finds out he may have a sister Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) from one of his father's indiscretions. ~ Director Alex Kurtzman.

  **ODD THOMAS (2013) NR**

This is based on the novel of the same name by Dean Koontz. A short order cook, Odd Thomas (Anton Yelchin), lives in a small California town and has paranormal abilities that allow him to see dead people, evil beings and impending disasters. Evil forces are planning a catastrophic event so Odd teams up with his girlfriend Stormy (Addison Timlin) and the local sheriff (Willem Dafoe) to fight the battle of good vs. evil. Good action and romance. ~ Director Stephen Sommers.

  **DON JON (2013) R**

Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an obsessive-compulsive porn addict, but does not allow it to interfere with his sexual addictions until he meets Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), the girl of his dreams. But then he wakes up and meets Esther (Julianne Moore). Hilarious are the confessional cleansings and the interaction at the dinner table between Jon and his dad, Jon Sr. (Tony Danza). This is a well made comedy but also deals with the serious subject of sex addiction. ~ Director Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

  **WILD THINGS 2 (2004) R**

I loved this film! It's a good story and fun to watch... well, aside from the premeditated felonies. Lots of twists and turns and just when you think you got it figured out, it twists some more. Two Florida high school girls get involved in sex, money and gators... and don't tune out when the end credits start rolling because there's more. ~ Susan Ward, Katie Stuart, Leila Arcieri. Director Jack Perez.

  **WILD THINGS (1998) R**

Okay, I enjoyed _Wild Things 2_ so much that I wanted to see the original... and I enjoyed it also! Yes, it's basically the same premise but with just enough variations to make it interesting and fun to watch. ~ Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Theresa Russell, Denise Richards, Robert Wagner, Bill Murray, Carrie Snodgress. Director John McNaughton.

  **ARN: THE KNIGHT TEMPLAR (2007) not rated**

This story is about the strong bond of love between a man and woman that survives the religious intolerance and wars of the Crusades combined with Scandinavian tribes fighting for power around 1180 AD. Arn (Joakim Nätterqvist) is the son of a Swedish nobleman who travels to Jerusalem as a Knight Templar to do battle and penance for getting his girlfriend, Cecilia (Sofia Helin), pregnant. Consequently, Cecilia is sent to a nunnery with the hopes of one day being reunited with Arn. Well written with good actors. ~ Director Peter Flinth.

  **BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE (2009) R**

Good live action film based on the Japanese cult hit anime. Sexy Saya (Gianna Jun) is a 400 year old half human/half vampire who is deadly with a Samurai sword. Her mission is to rid the world of demons and other blood sucking creatures who disguise themselves as human beings. ~ Allison Miller, Liam Cunningham. Director Chris Nahon.

  **GERM Z (2013) not rated**

The first 30 minutes of this film acutely establishes a plot point about boy loves girl, girl just wants to be friends. Okay, I get it, now where are the zombies? The army shoots down an orbiting satellite over a small town which releases an attached alien virus that _finally_ turns quaint townsfolk into cannibalistic, flesh eating, fast moving... uh... quaint townsfolk. ~ Directors J.T. Boone and John Craddock.

  **THE FAMILY (2013) R**

When this film came out, it got bad reviews, but fuhgeddaboudit! I liked it. Brooklyn Mafia boss Giovanni Manzoni (Robert De Niro) and his family are relocated to Normandy, France, under the witness protection program. But they can't seem to break old habits. A local grocery store mysteriously blows up after Manzoni's wife, Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), is treated disrespectfully by the owner. Manzoni shows a price gouging plumber the finer points of American baseball with a Louisville slugger and the local school bullies make the mistake of trying to strong arm Manzoni's children (Dianna Agron and John D'Leo). This eventually attracts the attention of the Brooklyn mob guys that Manzoni ratted out but these mob guys have evolved from the old "goodfellas" look to a more hip and gothic style. Tommy Lee Jones is the CIA agent assigned to watch over Manzoni and his family. Oh, did I mention that this is a comedy? ~ Director Luc Besson.

  **THE EAGLE (2011) PG-13**

Well made adventure film. In 140 AD, Roman officer Marcus Flavius Aquila (Channing Tatum) is assigned a post in Britain. Twenty years earlier his father's command, the Ninth Legion, disappeared into the dangerous northern regions of Britain and Scotland. Marcus sets out with his British slave Esca (Jamie Bell) to find out what happened to the lost Ninth Legion, to retrieve the legion's golden eagle emblem and redeem his father's reputation. ~ Director Kevin Macdonald.

  **SOLOMON KANE (2009) R**

It's the early 1600s. What a glorious time of elegance and... NOT! Most people lived in mud, ignorance, disease and constant wars. Even the elite were getting bumped off as everyone was jockeying for power. Anyways, this is a pretty good film depicting good, or at least as close to good as one can get, versus evil. Solomon Kane (James Purefoy) is banned from his father's (Max von Sydow) castle because the only job left is to be the family priest since his older deranged brother (Sam Roukin) will inherit the lordship and all the good stuff. So Kane becomes a warship captain and ruthless mercenary looking for booty (no, the other kind!). He finds Jesus, but his soul can only be redeemed from his sins if he walks a path of non-violence. Lotsa Luck! It's the 1600s and this is where real evil shows itself. ~ Director Michael J. Bassett.

  **FACTOTUM (2005) R**

Factotum is a person who does all kinds of work, a jack of all trades who can quickly become a master of none if your main interests are sex, alcohol and gambling. Hank Chinaski (Matt Dillon) is the eternal struggling writer in which life interferes with his art. He tolerates the necessity of having to work to pay bills but will not tolerate the oppression of work. Well made film by writer and poet Charles Bukowski whose alter-ego _is_ Hank Chinaski. ~ Lili Taylor. Director Brent Hamer.

  **HARSH TIMES (2005) R**

American Psycho meets South Central L.A. Pretty intense and one of those roles that only Christian Bale can play. Iraqi Vet Jim Davis (Christian Bale) wants to be in law enforcement but can't seem to control those pesky sociopathic disorders. He hooks up with buddy Freddy Rodriguez (Mike Alonzo) for some fun and violence while both are waiting for career opportunities. Good "buddy" film if your buddy is totally jacked out of his mind. Oh, and for the more impressionable viewers, the turkey baster approach to passing a drug test **does** **not work! Do not try it at home!** ~ Eva Longoria. Director David Ayer.

THE DOLLARS TRILOGY

A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964) R

FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965) Approved

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966) Approved

I rank the _Dollars Trilogy_ as a film series and in my top five Westerns which also brought Clint Eastwood to international fame. In _A Fistful of Dollars_ , Eastwood is a gunfighter who plays two rival gangs against each other in a small Mexican town. _For A Few Dollars More_ , Eastwood competes with fellow bounty hunter (Lee Van Cleef) to collect rewards on an outlaw gang. And in _The Good, the Bad and the Ugly_ , Eastwood, Van Cleef and Eli Wallach make and unmake alliances to find hidden gold amidst the American Civil War. These films established the genre of spaghetti Westerns and although Director Sergio Leone did not make them as a trilogy, what connects them is Eastwood essentially playing the same character with the poncho wearing trademark. The top notch music score for all three films is by Ennio Morricone. If I had to rate these films in order, I would rate them goodest, betterest and bestest because all three are superlative films. If you are up to it, do a 6 ½ hour _Dollars_ marathon but have plenty of beverages and movie food with scheduled bathroom breaks. Oh, and just so it doesn't distract you, yes, Gian Maria Volonté plays the bad guy in the first two films and the big bearded bad guy, Mario Brega, is in all three as is Aldo Sambrell. ~ Director Sergio Leone.

  **NON-STOP (2014) PG-13**

There are only three settings or locales in which a film can take place; land, sea or air. This one is a good multiple murder mystery thriller which happens on a Boeing 767 crossing the Atlantic from NYC to London. Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a despondent, alcoholic ex NYC cop who is now an air marshal... take a moment to let that sink in. Half way over the Atlantic, he receives text messages that unless the texter (is that a word?) receives $150 million dollars, someone will die every 20 minutes. Time to sober up! ~ Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy, Michelle Dockery, Nate Parker, Corey Stoll. Director Jaume Collet-Serra.

  **WILDER (aka Slow Burn) (2000) R**

Has a 1970s TV cop show flavor without all the annoying commercials. Chicago Detective Della Wilder (Pam Grier) investigates the murder of Dr. Sam Charney's (Rutger Hauer) ex-wife which leads her to a string of more murders that are somehow connected. This film is done somewhat tongue-in-cheek... so don't take it personal, it's strictly big business. ~ Romano Orzari. Director Rodney Gibbons.

  **6 GUNS (2010) R**

A good Western that was made for video. A gang of bad guys led by psychopath Lee Horn (Geoff Meed) kills farmer and children and rapes the wife (Sage Mears) but makes the mistake of leaving her alive. She temporarily becomes the town drunk until she convinces bounty hunter Frank Allison (Barry Van Dyke, son of Dick Van Dyke) to teach her how to shoot. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" ~ Greg Evigan as Sheriff Barr. Director Shane Van Dyke (Barry's son).

  **MALEVOLENT (2002) R**

Jack Lucas (Lou Diamond Phillips) is a Los Angeles police detective who is under investigation for a job related killing. He goes to his local hangout to have a drink and meets Oliver Chadwicke (Edoardo Ballerini). Lucas cuts his hand on a broken glass, goes to the bathroom to clean up, passes out and wakes up about fifteen minutes later to find his blood soaked handkerchief, shirt pocket and gun missing. And if that wasn't bad enough, he now finds himself linked to a series of murders which leads him to an exotic dancer (Kari Wuhrer) who may be the clue to this madness. ~ Gwen McGee, Carmen Argenziano. Director John Terlesky.

  **NOAH (2014) PG-13**

When watching this film, if you know the story of Noah's Ark (Genesis: 6-9), you will be hearing a little voice in your head going, "Hmmm... did I misread that part of the story?" Other than that, if your faith is strong, it is a movie with good actors, CGI and soundtrack. The story is somewhat rewritten from the biblical story using dramatic license that is usually afforded movie makers... but, doesn't that happen to most movies that are made from books? So, just relax and you may enjoy the experience. I still think they are going to need a bigger boat! ~ Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson. Director Darren Aronofsky.

ZOMBIE ASS: THE TOILET OF THE DEAD (2011) NR

Holy crap! If you are the least bit squeamish about toilet humor, then you may want to pass on this one. And when I say toilet humor, I mean literally, not figuratively! This one had me laughing hysterically after I resisted the urge to eject... the DVD. Zombies and chicks with bowel disorders... is an understatement. I give kudos to all the actors for not breaking character amidst much breaking of wind. And I would definitely give an award to the outhouse zombie. CAUTION _:_ this is _not_ a first date movie, and think twice before munching on your favorite movie snacks. This is a Japanese film with English subtitles and, stereotypically, the subtitles are not in sync with the actors. The Japanese culture is very honorable, respectful and polite but sometimes they just gotta let loose! ~ Arisa Nakamura, Mayu Sugano, Asana Mamoru, Yûki, Danny, Kentaro Kishi, Demo Tanaka. Asami, Sayuri Yajima. Director Noboru Iguchi.

  **SWEETWATER (2013) R**

A really well made and entertaining western. Prophet Josiah (Jason Isaacs) is a religious homicidal polygamist. I would imagine that one of those characteristics would be a cause of the other two. Anyways, slightly disturbed Sheriff Jackson (Ed Harris) comes to town to investigate the murder of two of the Governor's relatives and does a little late 1800s CSI work. Sarah Ramirez (January Jones) is an ex-prostitute gone straight, married and trying to avoid the advances of the demented Prophet Josiah. ~ Eduardo Noriega, Stephen Root. Director Logan Miller.

  **FAR AND AWAY (1992) PG-13**

One of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's finer films. Both were still in their twenties and just two years into their marriage so they lit up the screen. Throw in Ron Howard to direct and you've got one hell of a movie. It's about 2 ½ hours so have plenty of popcorn and beverages to enjoy. Poor Irish Catholic boy meets rich Irish Protestant girl and head to America and Oklahoma to claim free land and start a new life of freedom. Good mix of humor, romance and action. ~ Director Ron Howard.

  **ALIEN UPRISING (2012) R**

Why is Jean-Claude Van Damme briefly in this film? Well, it may be that one of the stars is his daughter, Bianca Bree, whose mother is Gladys Portugues, professional body builder of the 1980s. Bianca is a knockout and certainly inherited her parents' athletic prowess. The son of Pierce Brosnan, Sean Brosnan, is also in this film. The actors did a good job but the story may have played better without the minor distraction of a 1950s style alien invasion in the background. Although the shaky camera work may have been intentional, it was more irritating than artistic. ~ Director Dominic Burns.

  **DEAD MAN DOWN (2013) R**

A good solid crime drama with the right blend of action and romance. Victor (Colin Farrell) is part of a New York crime syndicate but is a member with ulterior motives. He is approached by his high rise neighbor, Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), who wants him to help her seek revenge. ~ Terrence Howard, Dominic Cooper, Isabelle Huppert. Director Niels Arden Oplev.

  **300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (2014) R**

Okay, I just got spoiled by watching this in IMAX-3D! The downside is the cost of my movie ticket went from $8.50 to $15.50, but the upside is it was well worth the price. Anyways, if you have the extra bucks, see it in IMAX 3D, if not, I'm sure this will play just as well in normal 2D. Great graphics and battle scenes! _Rise_ fills in the story during and after King Leonidas and the 300's stand at Thermopylae but also gives us some back story as to Xerxes' (Rodrigo Santoro) rise to god-king status. The story centers around Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton), commander of the Greek navy, doing battle with the Persian fleet commanded by Greek turned Persian sympathizer Artemisia (Eva Green). ~ Director Noam Murro.

  **ROOM 237 (2012) NR**

Actually, this is a very interesting documentary on the subliminal messages contained in the Stanley Kubrick horror film, _The Shining_ (1980). ~ Director Rodney Ascher.

  **A PERFECT ENDING (2012) NR**

Rebecca Westridge (Barbara Niven) is a woman who is stuck in a marriage that resembles solitary confinement with material benefits. She explores the world of female prostitutes and meets Paris (Jessica Clark) who helps her to share her true feelings and emotions. ~ John Heard, Morgan Fairchild, Kerry Knuppe. Director Nicole Conn.

  **THE PAPERBOY (2012) R**

Wow... this is kind of a rough film to watch. It starts off with southern stereotypes in a small town in Florida still awkwardly adjusting to the white/black issues. Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey) is a reporter returning from Miami to his home town, and his father's (Scott Glenn) local newspaper, to investigate a racial murder case involving a convicted murderer Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) who, by the way, plays one _frickin'_ scary dude! Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman) has the hots for prison cons but she may have bit off more than she can chew with Van Wetter. Be prepared... this film takes a very disturbing turn of events. ~ David Oyelowo, Nealla Gordon, Macy Gray. Director Lee Daniels.

  **GALLOWWALKERS (2012) R**

Aman (Wesley Snipes) is cursed because the woman who gave birth to him was a nun. Consequently, when he kills someone they come back to life, not exactly as brainless, flesh eating zombies but rather as philosophical gunfighter zombies who like to wear human skin...and... uh... well, you have to see it to somewhat understand it. Anyways, while Aman is away, a gang of bad guys rape Aman's girlfriend who is kind of his step sister because her mother adopted Aman after his mother, the nun, sacrificed her life to save Aman's life from the devil... again, you need to see it. Visually, it's a good western-zombie movie but the plot may be somewhat hard to follow. ~ Kevin Howarth, Riley Smith, Tanit Phoenix, Simona Roman, Steven Elder. Director Andrew Goth.

  **THE LAST STAND (2013) R**

Yes, Arnold is a senior citizen and he doesn't pretend to be anything else which is what makes this film work. Retired LAPD cop Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is the sheriff of a sleepy Arizona town. Unfortunately, all hell is about to break loose after drug cartel kingpin Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega) escapes from FBI agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) in Las Vegas. Speeding towards Arnold's town in a specially equipped Corvette at 200mph makes for a BIG crash of interests. ~ Arron Shriver, Luis Guzmán, Jaimie Alexander, Peter Stormare, Johnny Knoxville. Director Kim Jee-Woon.

  **CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (2013) PG-13**

It may not be a good idea to cast actors with little or no experience in lead roles opposite an actor of Tom Hank's caliber because the different levels of performances are noticeable. In spite of that, this was still a good movie about the true story of Somali pirates hijacking an American cargo ship. ~ Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali. Director Paul Greengrass.

  **AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013) R**

I loved it. The art of the con, but who's conning who? Con artists Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) are forced into a sting operation by slightly psycho FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) which involves crooked politicians and the mob, including scary mob boss Victor Tellagio (Robert DeNiro). Standout and very sexy performances by Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence. ~ Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K. Director David O. Russell.

  **STAND UP GUYS (2012) R**

They may have their AARP cards but Pacino and Walken are not ready for retirement. Pacino, "So what'll it be? Chew gum or kick ass?" Walken, "I'm all outta gum."...and that's what they do; kick ass. ~ Alan Arkin. Director Fisher Stevens.

  **AMERICAN MARY (2012) R**

Cutting edge but not for the squeamish. Medical student Mary (Katharine Isabelle) is also a gifted surgeon but her expenses far exceed her income. She finds financial healing in the underground world of body modification. ~ Directors Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska (who also play the twins)

  **REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000) R**

If you ever needed a reason for not doing drugs, then see this movie. Four people become hooked on legal and illegal drugs that do not make for a productive lifestyle. ~ Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans. Director Darren Aronofsky.

  **RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE (2004) R**

Okay, I admit I love watching Milla Jovovich no matter what film she's in. She is just flat out sexy and mysterious. This is the second in the RE series where she awakens in the secret Umbrella Corporation facility to find that she has acquired new strengths and Raccoon City has been infested with flesh eaters. The Dobermans and the genetic mutant thingys are still around. ~ Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr, Thomas Kretschmann, Sophie Vavasseur. Director Alexander Witt.

  **LOVELACE (2013) R**

I can honestly say this film does not suck. It's a revealing story about porn star Linda Lovelace (Amanda Seyfried) who, for better or worse, brought the porn industry to mainstream audiences starring in the film _Deep Throat_ (1972). The unfortunate fact is that she only made two feature length porn films, the second being _Deep Throat II_ (1974), but her entire life was defined by these movies. _Deep Throat_ earned $600 million but Linda Lovelace only made about $2000. This film is about how she was used and abused for the profit of others. ~ Peter Sarsgaard, Sharon Stone, Robert Patrick, Chris Noth, Hank Azaria, Adam Brody, James Franco, Debi Mazar. Directors Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman.

  **THE LAST RITES OF RANSOM PRIDE (2010) R**

Gritty and raw with great characters. Sultry and sexy gunslinger Juliette Flowers (Lizzy Caplan) heads across the Mexican border to bring back the body of her dead lover, Ransom Pride (Scott Speedman). But the only way she can get the body from voodoo priestess (Cote de Pablo) is in exchange for Ransom's brother Champ Pride (Jon Foster) because Ransom killed her brother who was, ironically, a priest. Dwight Yoakam is great as the father, Reverend Early Pride. ~ Jason Priestley, W. Earl Brown, Peter Dinklage, Kris Kristofferson, Blu Mankuma. Director Tiller Russell.

  **KILLING SEASON (2013) R**

I'd like to remember De Niro and Travolta for other movies but this was still an interesting watch. Virtually a two man movie, it's about two veterans of the Bosnian War, an American (De Niro) and a Serb (Travolta), who meet up many years after in the Appalachian Mountains but one has a hidden agenda. They each have to deal with the horrors of the war and they try to cleanse their sins both psychologically and physically. ~ Director Mark Steven Johnson.

  **RED DAWN (2012) PG-13**

Entertaining remake of the original Patrick Swayze _Red Dawn_ (1984). Same premise but with the North Koreans as the invading military taking over the northwest United States. The Russians are still in the mix but play a lesser role as the bad guys. ~ Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki, Isabel Lucas. Director Dan Bradley.

  **ALIEN ORIGIN (2012) NR**

Straight to video, it's about a military expedition that goes bad after finding the origins of human life on earth. Well, I think the title gives away the answer to that mystery. The viewer must accept the premise that this is a true story supported by 88 minutes of some very irritating camera work of the "found footage" of this expedition. ~ Director Mark Atkins.

  **PLATOON (1986) R**

This is a very intense Vietnam War action drama and probably one of Charlie Sheen's finest dramatic roles. The Vietnam War officially ended in 1975, with the fall of Saigon, but it wasn't until the late 1970's and 1980's that film makers began making films about the realities of this unpopular war. It deals with the psychological effects that a war with no clear objective has on young soldiers in combat which manifests into emotional and physical atrocities. Excellent cast and stand-out performances by Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe. ~ Director Oliver Stone.

  **PRESSED (2011) Not Rated**

Brian (Luke Goss) loses his high paying job but the high paying bills still keep coming. He runs into an old school classmate Jimmy (Michael Eklund) who owns a bar and convinces him to invest his last $100,000 in a "simple" drug deal that will triple his money. Desperation, drugs and get rich quick schemes... what could possibly go wrong? ~ Tyler Johnston, Jeffrey Ballard. Director Justin Donnelly.

  **CROSS (2011) R**

This movie went straight to video. I'm thinking it may appeal to a select or limited audience rather than a general audience who would view it in a theatre. An old Celtic Cross gives Callan (Brian Austin Green) the power to battle a powerful Los Angeles crime syndicate. It has good reputable actors but it's done somewhat in a comic book style or format which I found distracting. ~ Director Patrick Durham.

  **HAMMER OF THE GODS (2013) R**

Well, it's something about the Vikings in Britain, around the 8th or 9th century doing battle with the Saxons. The Viking king is wounded and sends one of his sons to find another son with hopes of one of them coming back as a warrior king and... ah... I really don't know what the hell I was watching. They lost me after the first battle when they started dropping the "F" bomb and accused each other of sucking certain body parts. Okay, I figured, they must have had comparable insults and swear words in the old languages of that time but it just doesn't play well using contemporary language in this type of period film. The actors are good but the plot was confusing. ~ Director Farren Blackburn.

  **RESIDENT EVIL (2002) R**

Is there anyone who hasn't seen this film? Great kick-ass zombie flick with sexy Milla Jovovich doing the kicking of ass! A computer short circuits and releases a virus at an underground laboratory that turns all its workers into flesh eaters not to mention a few Dobermans and one genetic mutant thingy. ~ Director Paul W. S. Anderson.

  **GHOST ROCK (2003) R**

Okay, don't try to make sense out of what you're watching, just sit back and have fun. A western with some martial arts but that's just one level. There's quite a bevy (that's right, I said bevy) of characters and you might lose track of who's who because of the half dozen or so story lines going on. At least we now know who invented lap dancing! ~ Gary Busey, Michael Worth, Jeff Fahey, Adrienne Barbeau, Jenya Lano, James Hong, Peter Kwong. Director Dustin Rikert.

  **DREDD (2012) R**

Futuristic cops now have the authority to be judge, jury and executioner in a megacity of 800 million people. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) and rookie Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) arrest upper echelon Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) gang member Kay (Wood Harris) and now must fight their way out of a 200 story mega-building. ~ Director Pete Travis.

  **RUSHLIGHTS (2013) R**

Cute crime thriller with multiple twists and turns. Billy Brody (Josh Henderson) and Sarah (Haley Webb) find Sarah's roommate dead from a drug overdose. They find a letter stating that the dead roommate stands to inherit a lot of money from her uncle in Texas who just died. Sarah coincidently resembles the dead roommate, so rather than call the police; they decide that Sarah should pretend to be the dead roommate so they can claim the inheritance. What could possibly go wrong? ~ Beau Bridges, Aidan Quinn. Director Antoni Stutz.

  **THE GREY (2011) R**

Oil riggers are on a plane that crashes in Alaska. Seven survive and must make it out of the wilderness and back to civilization under the harshest conditions while being hunted by a pack of wolves. There are deeper meanings to this film for those who may contemplate the existence of humans on a not so friendly planet. There's also a quick scene after the end credits so stay tuned. ~ Liam Neeson, Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Joe Anderson, Nonso Anozie, James Badge Dale. Director Joe Carnahan.

  **THE DEAD UNDEAD (2010) R**

So... what happens when a zombie bites a vampire? Apparently you get a ZV (zombie-vampire). Five young people stop at a deserted motel/gas station which already indicates that this is not going to end well. They encounter the ZVs and eventually hook up with a bunch of ZV hunters who happen to be pure vampires. But the humans are safe because these vampires gave up sucking human blood decades ago and now live on cow's blood. Unfortunately, that weakens some of their vampire powers. The human girl asks a male vampire; what's it like to be a vampire? He replies; what's it like to be a girl? Well, that pretty much solves that mystery. Just so you don't get confused, there are these sudden flashbacks in time. They are actually back stories on how each vampire became a vampire. Except for the vampire squad leader Jack (Luke Voss), the ZV hunters are stunt people so expect lots of good stunt work. Oh yeah, there's also a wheelchair zombie (Forrest J Ackerman)... wait... would that be considered a paradox or an oxymoron or just plain ironic? ~ Matthew R. Anderson, Spice Williams-Crosby, Luke LaFontaine, Edward Conna. Directors Matthew R. Anderson and Edward Conna.

  **STATE OF EMERGENCY (2011) R**

Chemical leak in a small town creates a few, very few, flesh eating zombies. The focus of the film is more about the interactions of four characters who are distracted every once in a while by a few annoying zombies. ~ Jay Hayden, Andy Stahl, Tori White, Scott Lilly, Kathryn Todd Norman. Director Turner Clay.

  **SAINTS AND SOLDIERS (2003) PG-13**

Loosely based on true events. Four American soldiers escape the Malmedy Massacre in which 80 American soldiers were murdered by their German captors during WWII. They are trapped behind enemy lines and run into a British RAF pilot who has information that could save many allied soldiers from a German assault. They need to break through enemy territory to reach the Allies with the information. Good story and acting. The film concentrates more on the characters than on battles. ~ Corbin Allred, Alexander Polinsky, Kirby Heyborne, Larry Bagby, Peter Holden. Director Ryan Little.

  **ASSAULT ON WALL STREET (2013) R**

What would you like to do to the Wall Street brokers and bankers who caused the 2008 economy collapse? Well, **don't** do it because this film does it for you. Jim Baxford (Dominic Purcell) is a hard working American and a loving husband who loses everything. He goes through what a lot of people had to endure after the crash. His wife has cancer and his medical insurance is being cancelled, he loses his retirement investment, he maxes out his credit cards to pay the bills, he loses his job, his house goes into foreclosure because of the banks variable interest rate and that's not the worst of it. At the end of the film, John Heard as Wall Street investor Jeremy Stancroft gives a very enlightening speech as to why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Eric Roberts is great as the lawyer Patterson. ~ Erin Karpluk, Edward Furlong, Keith David, Michael Paré. Director Uwe Boll

  **CHICAGO OVERCOAT (2009) R**

Good solid Chicago crime drama with Frank Vincent ( _Sopranos, Goodfellas_ ) as the aging hitman, Lou Marazano, out for one last high profile retirement hit. Unfortunately, his old nemesis Detective Ralph Maloney (Danny Goldring) recognizes his trademark of sending flowers to the family of the deceased. Great Chi-Town blues soundtrack and locations. ~ Kathrine Narducci, Mike Starr, Stacy Keach, Armand Assante. Director Brian Caunter.

  **REDLINE (2013) R**

Not for the claustrophobic. A Los Angeles subway train suddenly crashes underground trapping its passengers in very confining spaces. What caused it, how do they get out and is the crash the only danger? ~ Nicole Gale Anderson, John Billingsley, Kunal Sharma. Director Robert Kirbyson.

  **GRAVITY (2013) PG-13**

Saw this one at the theatre in 3-D and, if possible, I recommend watching it in 3D for full effect. Last time I watched a 3D film was with the green and red lensed cardboard glasses that left an indentation on the bridge of your nose, so you can imagine how impressed I was with the new technology. The storyline is about an accident that destroys a space station and leaves two astronauts (George Clooney and Sandra Bullock) adrift in the stratosphere. But the real star of this film is the visual effects. You know the feeling you get when you look over the edge of a tall building? Expect that feeling for the first ten minutes of the film until you get your space legs. ~ Director Director Alfonso Cuarón.

  **WINDTALKERS (2002) R**

Very intense war drama of the Marines fighting on Saipan during WWII. Key to the success of this campaign was the Navajo code talkers who used their native language on the radio to call in air and artillery strikes. The Japanese were never able to break this code. Great cast and intense battle scenes. ~ Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Noah Emmerich, Mark Ruffalo, Christian Slater, Roger Willie. Director John Woo.

  **THE SWEENEY (2012) R**

Okay, the Brits speak English; I speak English, so why the hell can't I understand half of what they're saying? The Brits are very talented actors but when they get with other Brits they speak as if they have a mouthful of marbles. Sir Laurence Olivier was British but when he spoke, one could even hear the punctuation marks. So, anyways, about ten minutes into the movie, I hit pause, turned on the closed captioning and...VOILÀ! Now if the dialogue lost me I was able to glance down at the captioning to follow the storyline. Reading English subtitles to understand English dialogue was kind of fun and easy. The movie is actually a pretty good crime drama about a London police squad that bends the rules to catch the bad guys. ~ Ray Winstone, Ben Drew, Hayley Atwell. Director Nick Love.

  **GHOST TOWN: THE MOVIE (2007) R**

This film is based on a Wild West show theme park in North Carolina called "Ghost Town in the Sky". The owner's son, Dean Teaster (who also plays Digger) took the characters from the theme park and made it into a Western (actually, an Eastern Western) movie as a tribute to his father. It has some rough edges if you're used to slick "Hollywood" type movies but the characters are interesting and there are clear cut values that the viewer can recognize. The editing could have been tightened a bit more as good editing can make or break a film. ~ Herbert "Cowboy" Coward, Bill McKinney ( _The Shootist, Deliverance_ ), DJ Perry, Princess Lucaj, Rance Howard (Ron & Clint Howard's father), Renée O'Connor (Gabrielle from _Xena: Warrior Princess_ ). Directors Dean Teaster and Jeff Kennedy.

  **EVENT HORIZON (1997) R**

What happens when you find a way to fold space and time so that a journey to the far side of the universe only takes a couple of seconds? Very bad things. It's 2047 and the spaceship Event Horizon, which was missing for seven years, is discovered wandering around the planet Neptune. A rescue ship is sent to retrieve it. Who raised their hand for that mission??? Good sci-fi horror flick. ~ Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan. Director Paul W. S. Anderson.

  **NICK OF TIME (1995) R**

Johnny Depp is always interesting to watch in the choice of characters he plays but when you add Christopher Walken to the mix as the bad guy, you get one hell of a crime thriller. Mr. Smith (Walken) blackmails Gene Watson (Depp) to assassinate California Governor Eleanor Grant (Marsha Mason). Very suspenseful with lots of twists and turns and what is more eerie than Christopher Walken watching every move you make. ~ Courtney Chase, Charles S. Dutton, Roma Maffia, Peter Strauss, Gloria Reuben. Director John Badham.

  **BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (1925) UNRATED**

This silent film by Soviet director Sergei M. Eisenstein was truly innovative and creative for the young film industry of 1925. About the Russian naval mutiny of 1905 against the ship's Tsarist officers which set off a riot and rebellion in their home port of Odessa. As a propaganda film directed and edited using montage to evoke emotional impact from the audience, it is only 66 minutes long but feels like an epic picture the way Eisenstein uses montage to condense information into each scene. Keep in mind, there were no CGI or SFX. Everything was done with camera angles, actors and scenery. Remember the baby carriage scene from Brian De Palma's _The Untouchables_ (1987)? De Palma recreated that scene from this film. That's the impact this film had on future directors. ~ Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barsky, Grigori Aleksandrov. Director Sergei M. Eisenstein.

  **ROBINSON CRUSOE (1997) PG-13**

Well... I prefer to see Pierce Brosnan (Crusoe) as the more suave and debonair type characters. Interesting take on an old classic. ~ William Takaku, Polly Walker. Directors Rod Hardy and George Miller.

  **PARKER (2013) R**

I like Jason Statham movies and this one is a great action and crime plot. Parker (Statham) is a thief with ethics. He gets double-crossed on a job and is left for dead by his cohorts. He survives, hooks up with sexy Leslie Rodgers (Jennifer Lopez) and chases down the badder guys to even the score. Word of warning to the easily influenced; Parker makes committing felonies look easy and fun. **They're** **not!** Do not try them at home. It's a movie. Movies are make-believe. ~ Nick Nolte, Michael Chiklis, Wendell Pierce, Clifton Collins Jr. Director Taylor Hackford.

  **STARSHIP TROOPERS 2:**

HERO OF THE FEDERATION (2004) R

I liked the first _Starship Troopers_ and I liked this _Starship Troopers 2_. So there, I said it. Where else do you get to shoot a bunch of troublesome insects and never run out of ammo? Okay, not that I would really shoot insects because that would upset the ecological balance of our environment and they are important to... oh for God's sake, just watch the movie and enjoy! This was a direct to video film. ~ Billy Brown, Richard Burgi and a very hot Kelly Carlson. Director Phil Tippett.

  **THE SKELETON KEY (2005) PG-13**

Hoodoo that Voodoo that you do? Where else but in Louisiana? Not a jump out of your seat scary movie but a very haunting mystery thriller. Kate Hudson as Caroline Ellis, who is always great to watch on screen, takes a job caring for an invalid (John Hurt) at a questionable plantation in the remote swamps of New Orleans. Hmmm...does anyone else see red flags with that career choice? Gena Rowlands is great as the compelling Violet Devereaux. ~ Peter Sarsgaard, JoyBryant. Director Iain Softley.

  **THE PLAYER (1992) R**

If you're considering "Hollywood" as a career choice, you'd better watch this film. Aside from the felonies, it does give good insight on the competitiveness and deal making of the movie business. It is intriguing, suspenseful yet incorporates humor. Tim Robbins puts in an excellent performance as the egotistical and emotionless studio executive, Griffin Mill. Whoopi Goldberg is great as the savvy Pasadena detective and, really, the whole cast does a fantastic job. This is a film you may want to see more than once to catch all the cameo appearances of stars playing themselves. ~ Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward. Director Robert Altman.

  **TOO FAST TOO YOUNG (1996) NR**

A psychopathic ex-con hooks up with his sociopathic brother. Throw in a sexy depressed girlfriend and we have three ingredients that make for very bad life choices. ~ Michael Ironside, Katarzyna Figura, James Wellington, Patrick Tiller and John Lizzi as the armored car driver (yes, that would be me). Director Tim Everitt.

  **THAT THING YOU DO! (1996) PG**

Great one-hit wonder film and now a classic with pop rock music fans! The trials and tribulations of a talented band, the Wonders, who work their way up the charts in 1964. Great story and the music is fun. ~ Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Johnathon Schaech, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry, Tom Hanks, Charlize Theron, Giovanni Ribisi, Alex Rocco. Director Tom Hanks.

  **RAPID FIRE (2006)**

This is listed as a TV movie and has no rating yet it has a nude shower sex scene. Very unlikely on American commercial television, so I checked it out and found that the distributors are the more sexually liberal Europeans and it was filmed in B.C., Canada. In scene transitions, there are black outs, where I'm guessing the commercials may have been, so don't think your TV blew a tube or capacitor when viewing this film. Based on true events, it's about a group of militia types whose fear and paranoia of government suppressing their freedoms leads them to rob a bank in Norco, California with an arsenal of weapons that would rival any small army. This ends in a thirty minute shoot out and car chase, one-third of the movie. Good acting, good action. ~ David Cubitt, Kristen Lehman, Jessica Steen, Brendan Fletcher, Vincent Gale. Director Kari Skogland.

  **ZODIAC (2007) R**

About 2 ½ hours long so have enough popcorn, candy and beverages to accommodate your viewing pleasure. Based on the true case files of the Zodiac serial killer in the San Francisco and Northern California areas in the late 1960s and early 70s and is still an open case as of this printing. Clint Eastwood's first _Dirty_ _Harry_ movie was loosely based on this story but _Zodiac_ seems to stay closer to the actual case facts. It also proposes who the Zodiac killer may be. Good story and cast. ~ Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr., Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch. Director David Fincher.

  **JOHN DIES AT THE END (2012) R**

Holy crap, I thought I was having flashbacks from the 60s, with the added bonus of having the living daylights scared out of me. Soy sauce, a mind altering living drug that enables the user to transcend the space–time continuum and cross into other dimensions and come back as something other than what they left as in order to warn others or themselves to... what the hell am I talking about??? Just sit back and enjoy the freakin' movie! If you try to analyze it, your brain will fuse to your skull. ~ Chase Williams, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Glynn Turman, FabienneTherese. Director Don Coscarelli.

  **STARLET (2012) NR**

This is a very compelling film. It almost has a French Avant-garde style to it except it takes place in the San Fernando Valley. It's about a relationship that develops between 21 year-old Jane (Dree Hemingway, yes, she's _that_ Hemingway) and 85 year-old Sadie (Besedka Johnson). This was the only movie that Besedka Johnson made and she unfortunately died the following year. She is a wonderful character to watch on film. Dree Hemingway is the daughter of Mariel Hemingway and Great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. If you like relationship movies, you'll enjoy this film. _CAUTION_ **!** Even though it's rated NR (not rated), I would give it an NC-17 (no one under 17 admitted), and it does have about a one minute scene that is definitely rated X (does not involve 85 year old Sadie). It's a good film but if you are someone with high unattainable moral standards you may want to pass on this one. ~ Director Sean Baker.

  **KICK-ASS (2010) R**

When this film came out in 2010, I thought it was just a kid's movie about comic book superheroes so I passed on the big screen viewing. Holy Batman, was I wrong! This is one kick ass movie and fun to watch. The "R" rating is because of the language and graphic fight scenes. Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) has an alter ego of super hero Kick-Ass, except he gets his ass kicked more times than he kicks ass. He eventually hooks up with thirteen year old "Hit Girl" Mindy Macready (Chloe Grace Moretz) who really does kick ass on the bad guys. Lots of humor and action. Nicholas Cage is great as Hit Girl's dad, super hero Big Daddy and, really, the whole cast is great. Looking forward to Kick-Ass 2. ~ Director Matthew Vaughn.

  **SHANE (1953) Approved**

This ranks in my top five best westerns of all time. It's not a shoot 'em up action packed film but rather a film with a great story, acting and cinematography, in fact, it won an Oscar for best cinematography. It is basic homesteaders versus cattlemen plot. The characters are classic and the location scenery is beautiful. Alan Ladd is the mysterious gunslinger, Shane, trying to turn in his buckskins for farmer jeans but has a hard past to plow. He tries to impart his wisdom to little Joey (Brandon De Wilde) about a gun being as good or bad as the man using it. Jean Arthur and Van Heflin are excellent as Joey's parents who have strong values and are just trying to make a life for themselves through hard work. A young Jack Palance plays the classic bad guy gunslinger right down to his black Stetson, squinty eyes and evil grin. Every move he makes is calculated to project ominous danger. Even the old saloon dog knows enough to get out of his way when he enters through the swinging doors. Watch how he dismounts his horse as he and Shane size each other up for the first time. The barroom fight is also classic and makes you want to cheer. Chris Calloway (Ben Johnson) and Shane square off to fight and suggestion is sometimes more intimidating than the physical action as we hear one of Ryker's men say with calculated viciousness, "Knock his teeth out, Chris". Every character has depth and is interesting. This is Hollywood typecasting at its best. A must see or re-see for film buffs. I dare you not to cry at the end. ~ Edgar Buchanan, Emile Meyer, Elisha Cook Jr., Ellen Corby. Director George Stevens.

CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND (2002) R

Very fascinating film, especially if you were a fan of the _Dating Game_ (ABC) and the _Gong Show_ (NBC) back in the 60's and 70's. The premise being that Chuck Barris who produced both shows and hosted the _Gong Show_ was also an undercover CIA hit man during this time. In the film, Barris tries to come to grips with his conscience of killing some 33 people who were "enemies" of the United States during the Soviet threat. Sam Rockwell is exceptional in his role of Chuck Barris and also a great cast with Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Rutger Hauer and cameo appearances by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. Director George Clooney.

  **THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY (1996) NR**

Interesting film shot in the Czech Republic. Crime drama about a detective who is obsessed with finding a serial killer of children to the point where he uses a little girl as bait. Not a CSI- DNA type of slick crime solving, just solid old-school police work like beating a confession out of an innocent suspect. Very suspenseful with well developed characters. Not rated but I would give it a PG-13. ~ Richard E. Grant, Lynsey Baxter, Perdita Weeks. Director Rudolf van den Berg.

  **BLACKTHORN (2011) R**

If you ever wondered what really happened to Butch Cassidy after the supposed shoot out with soldiers in Bolivia, then this film will offer a theory. _Blackthorn_ is not a shoot em'-up western, but it is a good solid movie with suspense, mystery and good acting. James Blackthorn (Sam Shepard) is Butch Cassidy's new identity, living in a small Bolivian village. He wants to make a final visit to the U.S to see his family but runs into a robber (Eduardo Noriega) which sends him on an unexpected adventure accompanied with flashbacks to some of his experiences with the Sundance Kid (Padraic Delaney) and Etta Place (Dominique McElligott). Stephen Rea is great as the alcoholic ex-Pinkerton agent. ~ Director Mateo Gil.

  **MAN OF STEEL (2013) PG-13**

Superman has been my hero since TV's _Adventures of Superman_ with George Reeves and I also enjoyed Christopher Reeve's portrayal in the _Superman_ films. Superman is a living fictional character that should adapt to the times, so if you can't get past the fact that he no longer wears his underpants on the outside of his tights, you may be distracted from enjoying this film. The flashbacks answer a lot of questions about the man of steel and he is portrayed as a person with emotions and feelings like the rest of us; except he's from another planet. Lucky for us he wasn't prevented from entering earth as an illegal alien. Henry Cavill is buffed out and does an excellent job in his portrayal of Superman. Looking forward to his Napoleon Solo in _The Man from U.N.C.L.E_. film. Amy Adams as Lois Lane grows on you until you finally fall in love with her. Hey, the poor girl keeps falling from extreme heights. Am definitely looking forward to her Janis Joplin portrayal which is currently in production. One terrific kick-ass fight between Superman and General Zod. Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon are great as the Krypton elders. Also excellent characters by Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne and Christopher Meloni. ~ Director Zack Snyder.

  **WORLD WAR Z (2013) R**

Some fast moving zombies! Good story, and entertaining. If you read the book first, you may have some criticism comparing it to the movie. But it's a movie with good suspense and graphics, crammed into two hours, so just enjoy. UN employee, Gary Lane (Brad Pitt) runs all over the world trying to find the cause and cure for the zombie epidemic. ~ Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz. Director Marc Forster.

  **FREAKY DEAKY (2012) R**

Fun and campy. A crime comedy that takes place in 1974 Detroit with VWs, double knit pants, dial phones with cords and answering machines the size of briefcases. Cool smooth jazz sound track backs up the story of money swindling, the mishandling of lots of dynamite and several visual references to Walter Matthau movies. ~ Billy Burke, Christian Slater, Crispin Glover, Michael Jai White, Breanne Racano. Director Charles Matthau.

  **END OF WATCH (2012) R**

Great film! What can I say, it's L.A. This is shot intermittently in traditional and documentary styles. In other words, most of the characters have clip on cameras or phone cameras, so besides the camera though which we as the audience are viewing the film, we also see the film through the characters' camera and point-of-view. LAPD officers Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) work South Central Los Angeles and we follow them on their calls which are anything but routine. Eventually, they cross some lower echelon drug cartel street punks who want them dead. Great cast, acting and camera work. ~ Natalie Martinez, Anna Kendrick. Director David Ayer.

  **GOOD FOR NOTHING (2011) R**

This is a very different type of western, somewhat humorous but not a comedy yet bizarre and compelling. An English girl (Inge Rademeyer) comes to the Wild West, is kidnapped by a strange and quiet man (Cohen Holloway) after a shootout in a bar and both are chased by a posse while he seeks a remedy for erectile dysfunction. ~ Director Mike Wallis

  **SUSHI GIRL (2012) R**

Raw fish and raw flesh. After six years in prison without ratting out his partners in crime, Fish (Noah Hathaway) is going to have the sushi meal of his life. Don't eat the blowfish! Very intense and mostly shot in one location. ~ Tony Todd, James Duval, Andy Mackenzie, Mark Hamill, Cortney Palm. Director Kern Saxton.

  **THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS (2013) R**

Ray Liotta is a great actor but for some reason I found this movie irritating. ~ Director Waymon Boone

  **DAY ZERO (2007) R**

The military draft is re-instated during the Iraq war and three buddies receive their draft notices. They must report to duty in thirty days which gives them each time to reflect on their beliefs and obligations. Feller (Elijah Wood) is a writer who questions his ability to survive combat, Rifkin (Chris Klein) is the successful lawyer who has moral and financial objections and Dixon (Jon Bernthal) is the patriotic NY cab driver. Having personally been a Vietnam draftee, I could relate to each character's range of self-questioning and realization. ~ Ginnifer Goodwin, Elisabeth Moss, Ally Sheedy. Director Bryan Gunnar Cole

  **SAFE (2012) R**

Jason Statham movies are like running a mile race at a full sprint. Fast moving, lots of action and never a dull moment. Russian and Chinese mobs and crooked NYC cops looking for a little Chinese girl (Catherine Chan) who has a gift for memorizing very long sequences of numbers that is of great importance to the bad guys. Statham's character, Luke Wright, takes on the responsibility of protecting her. The only glitch in watching this film was the subtitles for some of the Russian and Chinese dialog which may distract from the action. ~ Robert John Burke, James Hong. Director Boaz Yakin.

  **AIRBOURNE (2012) R**

Horror thriller aboard a 747 crossing the Atlantic from England to NYC during hurricane Ophelia. Why is everyone disappearing? And where are they disappearing to? And for God's sake, stop shooting the gun inside the plane! ~ Craig Conway, Simon Phillips, Gemma Atkinson. Director Dominic Burns.

  **STREETS OF FIRE (1984) R**

Winchesters, bikers, Rock n' Roll, Motown, 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s. This is a period blend kick-ass film done mostly on a studio back lot. Don't try to make sense out of the time period, just enjoy the story, music and visuals. Rock n' roll singer Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) is kidnapped by Raven Shaddock (William Defoe) and his biker gang. Okay, so where does one purchase men's vinyl overalls? Ellen's ex-boyfriend, mercenary Tom Cody (Michael Paré), is contacted by his sister Reva Cody (Deborah Van Valkenburgh) and hired by Ellen's manager Billy Fish (Rick Moranis) to rescue her. See if you can recognize a young Robert Townsend. Lots of fun and very campy. ~ Amy Madigan, Richard Lawson, Bill Paxton, Lee Ving. Director Walter Hill.

  **21 GRAMS (2003) R**

Intense and well worth the watch. Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro put in excellent character portrayals of three very different people whose lives cross which will forever change their destinies. A lot of flash-backs and flash-forwards but if you hang in there it will come together. Is 21 grams the weight of the soul? ~ Director Alejandro González Iñárritu.

  **SHAKEDOWN (1988) R**

This is a fun movie to watch though it's not a comedy. What makes it fun is not the plot line; it's a standard crime-drama theme. Nor is it the actors although it has good quality actors with Sam Elliott and Peter Weller. It's the timeline. It was made in 1988 and is a _very_ 80ish style movie. Headbands and extreme mullets. If this was your era, you'll find yourself saying, "Holy crap! Did I really wear that style?" and if it was not your era, you'll be saying, "Holy crap! Did they really wear that style? Anyways, some of the scenes may be a bit over the top, after all, who rips a protective bulletproof window out of its frame with their bare hands unless they're the Terminator? But remember, it's a movie so just enjoy. ~ Director James Glickenhaus

  **A DARK TRUTH (2012) R**

A great film for those who want some insight into global corporate greed. No deep dark secret organizations, conspiracies or political beliefs... it's all about the money. Jack Begosian (Andy Garcia), radio talk show host and former CIA agent, is hired to bring back Francisco Francis (Forest Whitaker), an ecological activist, from South America to expose the atrocities against the people because of a global corporation that has bought and controls the water rights. As Begosian tells one of his radio callers, if they can buy and sell water, what's preventing them from buying and selling the air we breathe? ~ Deborah Kara Unger, Kevin Durand, Eva Longoria, Kim Coates. Director Damian Lee.

  **THIS MUST BE THE PLACE (2011) R**

What happens when you throw Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Simmons and Michael Jackson into a blender? You get Cheyenne (Sean Penn), an aging, retired rock star living in Ireland and still pondering the meaning of life with much confusion. Sean Penn is humorous and poignant and plays this role with complete conviction and honesty. Cheyenne returns to New York after his father dies who he hasn't seen in 30 years. He learns that the Nazi officer who humiliated his father when he was in Auschwitz is still alive so he journeys across the country to find him while meeting all sorts of characters along the way. Judd Hirsch is excellent as Nazi hunter Mordecai Midler. ~ Frances McDormand, Eve Hewson, Kerry Condon, Harry Dean Stanton. Director Paolo Sorrentino.

  **THE BIG CHILL (1983) R**

For those baby boomers who have not seen this now classic film, shame on you. For the rest of you, take those long haired rebellious youngsters of the 1960s and see how the "establishment" affected their world in the 1980s. A bunch of college friends reunite for their friend's funeral and spend the weekend together catching up on old and new times and ponder the philosophies of their youth. Great cast and excellent sound track. ~ Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, JoBeth Williams. Director Lawrence Kasdan.

  **THE MISSING (2003) R**

It's New Mexico, 1885, and a band of renegades kidnap Magdalena's (Kate Blanchett) daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) to sell across the border. Magdalena's father (Tommy Lee Jones) wanders back into her life after abandoning her many years earlier. She has not forgiven him but the two must form an alliance to rescue her daughter. Great western with an excellent story line and good action. Besides the kidnapping plot, it's also a good father/daughter relationship movie. ~ Director Ron Howard

  **THE CREW (2008) R**

Not the one with Burt Reynolds and Richard Dreyfuss. This is a very brutal crime drama set, I believe, in Liverpool, England if I could understand what the hell everyone was saying. If the characters in a film are speaking English but their cockney or brogue accents are so thick that the dialog sounds like a sea of rolling r's, THEN YOU NEED SUBTITLES. The only word I could clearly make out was the "F" word. And really, the Great Brits and Irish can't slam dunk that word the way Americans can. It always comes out fook or fooker or foken, almost poetic. I just can't get mad at anyone calling me a fooker. But I still found this movie fascinating. It was over-the-top but entertaining in a bizarre way. The characters were well defined but if you can't pick up on the accents, then this movie will just sound like a bunch of pissed off gangsters who made bad career choices. ~ Scot Williams, Kenny Doughty, Cordelia Bugeja, Director Adrian Vitoria

  **GUNS, GIRLS AND GAMBLING (2011) NR**

Not rated, but I would give this action comedy thriller a soft R. Stolen Native American war mask, Elvis Elvis, Gay Elvis, Little Person Elvis, Asian Elvis, Indian casinos, hot chicks, crazy cowboys and stolen identities. Sit back and enjoy! John Smith (Christian Slater) is given 24 hours to recover the stolen Indian war mask or die. Not action packed but just enough to make it fun to watch. Lots of twists, turns and surprises and more surprises. Great cast! ~ Gary Oldman, Christian Slater, Helena Mattsson, Megan Park, Powers Boothe, Jeff Fahey. Director Michael Winnick

  **MAXIMUM CONVICTION (2012) R**

Cross (Steven Seagal) and Manning (Steve Austin) are shutting down an old prison but two newly arrived female inmates are of special interest to some mercenaries. A lot of action ensues between the various factions and fractures. Come on, it's a Steven Seagal movie! Throw in Steve Austin and what do you think is going to happen? Good action with Michael Paré playing a good bad guy. ~ Aliyah O'Brien, Steph Song. Director Keoni Waxman

  **THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE (2001) R**

A modern version of the film noir genre. Pretty well done with Billy Bob Thornten as Ed Crane, an unhappy barber who is leading a life of quiet, very quiet desperation. As with most film noir, murder is the key plot point with cynical attitudes all done in black and white to add to the drama. Takes place in Santa Rosa, CA, in 1949, when new business ventures such as dry cleaning stores might be a good investment, or not. And for God's sake, pay attention to the road when you drive! ~ Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini, Michael Badalucco, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson. Director Joel Coen.

  **MILDRED PIERCE (1945) Approved**

Classic black & white film-noir murder mystery. For those of you who are film buffs, I need only say; Joan Crawford. For those of you new to the game, a must see. The obvious plot is that of a murder mystery, but the real theme is Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford) as a strong, independent woman who doesn't take crap from anyone, except her spoiled daughter (Ann Blyth). ~ Jack Carson, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden. Director Michael Curtiz

  **NIGHT FALLS IN MANHATTEN (1996) R**

Good legal justice system drama with Andy Garcia as the newly elected District Attorney, Sean Casey, having to deal with NY police corruption. ~ Sir Ian Holm, Richard Dreyfuss, James Gandolfini, Lena Olin and Ron Leibman. Director Sidney Lumet.

  **ADAPTATION (2002) R**

Is having a twin brother the result of a split personality or is having a split personality the result of having a twin brother? Too many halves. This movie takes real people and drops them in fictional and bizarre situations. Real screen writer Charlie Kaufman (played by Nicolas Cage), who also wrote "Being John Malkovich"; which is also in the movie, is trying to write a screenplay from the real book "The Orchid Thief" by the real author Susan Orlean (played by Meryl Streep). Kaufman hits a writer's block because, really, how exciting is a movie about an orchid grower? So he follows the author hoping to find something more exciting in her personal life which takes us on a journey of events with twists and turns. Really, and for God's sake keep your eyes on the road when you drive! Cage is great in dual roles and Meryl Streep... always a pleasure. Chris Cooper as the Florida orchid grower and swamp explorer, John Laroche, is right on target. ~ Director Spike Jonze.

  **SWITCHBACK (1997) R**

FBI agent Frank LaCrosse (Dennis Quaid) is tracking a serial killer who kidnapped his son and is leaving a trail of bodies from Texas to Colorado. Sheriff Buck Olmstead (R. Lee Ermey) is up for re-election against Police Chief Jack McGinnis (William Fitchner) amidst two serial murdered victims. A quiet hitchhiker (Jared Leto) gets a ride from Bob Goodall (Danny Glover) in a classic Cadillac somewhere in the Rockies. Eventually, all their paths cross and makes for a great thriller with lots of suspense. ~ Director Jeb Stuart.

  **IRON SKY (2012) R**

Nazi moon base, President Palin, Star Wars, Dr. Strangelove, Charlie Chaplin, flying saucers, space battles... once you get past the Nazi thing; it actually turns out to be a pretty good political satire. Great CGI. It's in English and German so be prepared for some simple sub-titles. Good cast and acting. ~ Director Timo Vuorensola

  **THE BURROWERS (2008) R**

Okay, I dozed off about 5 minutes during the film. I think because most of the film is at night and my subconscious wanted me to go to sleep. Let me clarify; a lot of the film takes place during the night BUT it didn't seem like they used night lighting to film the scenes so most of the time we're watching a dark screen and trying to guess what the hell is going on. To be fair, I watched this film on a flat screen LCD 40" television and it may have played better on a movie screen, but because it's an older movie it's only available to view on your television, so be prepared. The acting was good, from what little I could see and the concept of a western/horror movie is what got my interest. ~ Director J. T. Petty

  **SAHARA (2005) PG-13**

A fun movie with adventure, romance and action. Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) and Al Giordino (Steve Zahn) are searching for the lost Confederate Ironclad ship that somehow ended up in the deserts of West Africa. How ironic. They run into U.N. Dr. Eva Rojas (Penélope Cruz) who is trying to find the cause of a strange epidemic which makes her the target of an evil dictator. Great sound track. ~ William H. Macy, Rainn Wilson, Director Breck Eisner

  **ZERO DARK THIRTY (2012) R**

Based on the events leading up to and including the killing of Osama bin Laden. The interrogation methods used on captured terrorists may be disturbing but so was the 3000 civilian men, women and children who died on 9/11. We must understand that terrorists do not represent Islam no more than serial killers represent Christianity. The movie spans the ten year investigation of the C.I.A to gather info which led to OBL's whereabouts and demise. Excellent job of directing by Kathryn Bigelow

GANGSTER SQUAD (2013) R

One of Los Angeles' claim to fame, aside from the movie industry, is that organized crime has never been able to establish a foothold in the City of Angels. Maybe the movie business is tougher than we thought. But there is a price to pay for this claim. It's 1949 and gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) wants to run L.A. and everything west of Chicago. He has most of the cops and judges on his payroll. Police Chief Parker (Nick Nolte) gives Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) the go ahead to put together an unorthodox squad of L.A. cops to put an end to Cohen. The story may be loosely based on historical facts but it's still entertaining. It's a movie so just enjoy. Good shoot-outs and characters and the scenery of 1949 L.A. is fun to see. ~ Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, Jon Polito, Director Ruben Fleischer.

  **LINCOLN (2012) PG-13**

This is about President Lincoln's battle to pass the 13th Amendment which outlaws slavery. It is a film of thought, a well done historical biography of the conscience of America during that era and the familiar malfunctions of Congress. So, if you are expecting a Civil War action film, as apparently the couple sitting next to me were who made an annoying ten course meal out of a giant bag of popcorn with the wife's admonitions to her husband about covering her eyes during the bloody scenes, this may not be the film for you. Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field were excellent in their portrayals of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. Stand-out performances by James Spader (W. N. Bilbo) and Tommy Lee Jones (Thaddeus Stevens). ~ Director Steven Spielberg.

  **THE MAN FROM EARTH (2007) NR**

Not rated but I would give it a PG. Takes place in the cerebral hemisphere! Eight college professors and doctors are gathered together to find out why their colleague is giving up his teaching position and moving. He decides to tell them and it becomes quite an historical journey. A thinking person's film. All dialogue, but brings up some very interesting concepts for those who like to ponder the probabilities of the improbable. Great cast. ~ Director Richard Schenkman.

  **THE KINGDOM (2007) R**

Terrorists attack an American compound in the Kingdom of Saudi, housing employees of an oil company, killing many civilians. FBI agents get the go ahead to go to the Middle East to investigate the attack and hook up with the local Saudi police to try and find the people responsible for the attack. Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman give excellent performances as the FBI agents who encounter much opposition to solving this crime. Ashraf Barhom as Colonel Faris Al Ghazi also gives a great performance showing compassion, concern and a person of convictions. The last half hour kicks ass with Jennifer Garner impressively holding her own with the guys. You may find yourself cheering and applauding but make no mistake, the moral of the story, no matter what our national, political or religious beliefs, is; what the hell are we teaching the children of the world and what legacy will they carry on? ~ Director Peter Berg.

  **IN THE VALLEY of ELAH (2007) R**

If you decide to see this movie, do not get pissed off thinking it's an anti "support our troops in Iraq" statement connected to some left wing Hollywood conspiracy. It is simply a mystery that addresses the effects war may have on some combat soldiers, especially if the battle lines are not well defined. Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones), an ex-military officer, is told that his son who has returned from Iraq is missing. He sets out in search of his son at the small town where the military base is located and enlists the help from the local police detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron). Tommy Lee Jones does an excellent job in portraying the stoic patriotic veteran with intense understatement and Charlize Theron is one of those rare Hollywood beauties who does not let her looks get in the way of her tremendous talent. Susan Sarandon also shines as the mother with some very touching moments. One of the high points of the film is when Deerfield tells Sanders' son the story of David and Goliath in the Valley of Elah and how to face your fears. ~ Director Paul Haggis.

  **THE BRAVE ONE (2007) R**

The last great vigilante movies I saw were Deathwish I & II, I'm partial to II because I worked that film as Charles Bronson's stand-in and photo double, and I figured the quality of that genre died with Bronson. So you can imagine my surprise when the vigilante gauntlet was picked up by Jodie Foster! She plays her character of Erica Bain with the same intensity as Bronson but with much more depth and internal emotion. Terrance Howard as Detective Mercer, who has always been a solid actor, matches Foster scene for scene with his character's questioning of life and morals. Great ending! ~ Director Neil Jordan.

  **SHOOT 'EM UP (2007) R**

Senseless violence, mayhem, blood and gore with a little sex and a lot of humor thrown in. I loved it! Yes, I have an I.Q. higher than a vegetable and can make the distinction between real life and make believe, therefore allowing myself the privilege to kick back and enjoy what I was viewing. Mr. Smith (Clive Owen) stumbles upon a pregnant woman being chased by gunmen, delivers her baby in the midst of a shoot out and now has to protect the baby who becomes the target of the gunmen. Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti play excellent adversaries. Watch out when Owen's character says, "You know what I hate?", because that's when all-hell breaks loose! Fast moving shoot 'em up action with some eye-pleasing scenes with beautiful Monica Bellucci! Michael Davis does an excellent job of writing and directing. ~ Director Michael Davis.

  **DEATH SENTENCE (2007) R**

Not a typical _Death Wish_ vigilante type of film. Kevin Bacon, an excellent actor, chooses a different direction whether due to script, directing or character choices in the role he plays. Unlike the _Death Wish_ films where you find yourself cheering for the vigilante, there is little sympathy or empathy with Nick Hume (Bacon). Then again, maybe that was the point of the film. John Goodman's character, Bones Darley, is great to watch. ~ Director James Wan.

  **RESURRECTING THE CHAMP (2007) PG-13**

If you like solid stories without the bells and whistles, then this movie is for you. Up and coming sports writer (Josh Hartnett) finds a down and out boxing champ (Samuel L. Jackson). This is a story about values, principles and dignity and relies heavily on the acting and script. It achieves it goals. Samuel L. Jackson... for aspiring actors and established actors...watch and learn. Josh Hartnett understands his role and plays it effectively. Peter Coyote has one scene and plays it beautifully and Alan Alda is great as the sports editor. ~ Director Rod Lurie.

  **MR. BEAN'S HOLIDAY (2007) PG**

You must be younger than 10... no, 6, to enjoy this movie. ~ Director Steve Bendelack

  **THE LAST LEGION (2007) PG-13**

I really enjoyed this movie! Near the end of the Roman Empire, about 450 AD, the barbarians (Goths) have seized control of Rome. The Roman Senate (like most politicians) switch their alliance to the conquering Goths to keep their jobs, and lives, forcing the young emperor Romulus Augustus to flee Rome and hook up with the last Roman Legion in Britain. He is aided by an eclectic group of loyalists protecting his journey from the ensuing Goths who must kill him to end the royal line of Caesar. Hmmm... do royal lines really end or do they just move to other places? This movie connects the dots revealing a very interesting and amusing ending. Ben Kingsley gives a good performance as the magic mystery man. ~ Director Doug Lefler

  **RUSH HOUR 3 (2007) PG-13**

As I was watching this movie it seemed vaguely familiar. Then it hit me! For those of us who are movie buffs, some of the scenes are lifted and paraphrased from classic films such as "Rear Window", "The Godfather", "Die Hard", Psycho" and a few others. Aside from that, "Rush Hour 3" may not be a classic film but it is a fun, entertaining and action packed. Jackie Chan at 53? is still doing his own stunts and when Chris Tucker talks it's as if he is on speed dial. ~ Director Brett Ratner.

  **SUNSHINE (2007) R**

About 1 hour and 45 minutes long, but seemed as long as the trip to the sun. The first hour droned on until it finally lulled me into a 4 minute nap, which must have been the precise 4 minutes in which the purpose of this movie was revealed! Yeah, I know, they're going to re-ignite our dying sun by detonating a bomb the size of Manhattan Island into the sun. These astronauts are about 100 miles from the sun, yet they're jumping in and out of the ship as if they were near a hot sauna. R-rated? The R-rated stuff must have happened during my 4 minute nap. I think a lot of important plot points must have ended up on the cutting room floor. I like Sci-fi flix but I'm going to have to read the book on this one... is there a book on this one? Anyway, the cast is international and talented and cannot be held responsible for writing and editing. ~ Director Danny Boyle.

  **TRANSFORMERS (2007) PG-13**

Really enjoyed this movie! Fast paced and fun. About 2 1/2 hours long, yet did not nod off once. Aliens in the form of transformers on planet earth, past and present (so that's why they built the Hoover Dam!!!), good transformers and bad transformers, just like humans! ~ Director Michael Bay.

  **SICKO (2007) PG-13**

**A must see!!!** 1% of the population controls 80% of the wealth, which means the other 99% are scrambling for the 20% that's left over. Tony Benn states: "Keeping people hopeless and pessimistic - see I think there are two ways in which people are controlled - first of all frighten people and secondly demoralize them. An educated, healthy and confident nation is harder to govern." Michael Moore gives an interesting point of view no matter what your political persuasions. ~ Director Michael Moore.

  **LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (2007) PG-13**

Not the quality of the previous "Die Hards" plot wise. Computer graphics, which are excellent, unfortunately overshadow the actors and story. CG is the new toy in Hollywood filmmaking so it may be a while before they use it to enhance the actors and story instead of making it the star of the movie. ~ Bruce Willis, Director Len Wiseman.

  **GRINDHOUSE (2007) R**

Be prepared for over 3 hours of very retro (pre-digital), cool, funny and disturbing entertainment! A double feature with trailers, "Planet Terror" (Director Robert Rodriguez) and "Death Proof" (Director Quentin Tarantino).

  **300 (2006) R**

High octane testosterone. Spartans vs. Persians, Battle of Thermopylae, 480 B.C. Great blood, guts and valor flick that does an excellent job of combining computer graphics and real live actors. Story may not be exactly accurate but sure is entertaining! ~ Director Zack Snyder.

  **BREACH (2007) PG-13**

Chris Cooper, as FBI agent Robert Hanssen, is very intense and puts in an excellent performance. Good drama and story but very alarming as to the damage done by acts of treason. ~ Director Billy Ray.

  **THE NUMBER 23 (2007) R**

Jim Carry reinforces my opinion that some of the best dramatic actors come from comedy. Shades of _The Shining_ but still entertaining. Director Joel Schumacher has fun with us knowing that any numbers and objects we see in the movie we'll start adding up. ~ Director Joel Schumacher.

  **HANNIBAL RISING (2007) R**

The East European countries are great locations for movies, but because of decades of communist threat and rule, it may be a while before we see a comedy come out of this part of the world. More background as to what made Hannibal a cannibal. Aaron Thomas and Gaspard Ulliel play Hannibal as a boy and young adult, respectively. An actor must be able to play their roles without judging the character. These two actors accomplish that difficult task with the character of Hannibal Lecter. Disturbing content, not for picky eaters. ~ Director Peter Webber.

  **PAN'S LABYRINTH (2006) R**

Fascist Spain, 1944. How a child copes with the brutality of war in a fascist and sadistic environment. This is by no means a story for children but rather a lesson for adults. Excellent performance by 11 year old Ivana Baquero who must have the spirits of past great actors guiding her. All the performances including the fantasy scenes were above average. ~ Director Guillermo del Toro.

  **BLOOD and CHOCOLATE (2007) PG-13**

Yes, werewolves have feelings too, and if we humans weren't so self-centered and concerned about getting our bodies ripped to shreds by a pack of wolves, we would see that. More of a love story than how we're used to seeing werewolves depicted. Blood and chocolate?...Vivian, the female werewolf works in a chocolate store. Deeper? How about the struggle between werewolfism (blood) and humanity (chocolate)? Humans are so shallow. A good location for filming, Bucharest, Romania is a beautiful city. ~ Director Katja von Garnier.

  **SMOKIN' ACES (2006) R**

No need for that caffeinated movie beverage. Fast moving with quick turns. Many contract killers and FBI agents with one target makes for a BIG clash of interests. A dramedy with all the actors playing excellent characters to the hilt. Huge cast spans all ages of adults. ~ Director Joe Carnahan.

  **ROCKY BALBOA (2006) PG**

Not the impact of the first, but the nostalgia value is worth the effort. Sly still delivers a solid punch. Good therapy for baby boomers. ~ Director Sylvester Stallone.

  **BLOOD DIAMOND (2006) R**

Powerful performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou. Think twice before you buy that diamond. DiCaprio's maturity and talent puts him up there with the best. ~ Director Edward Zwick.

  **WE WERE SOLDIERS (2002) R**

In my top five war flicks. Loosely based on the book "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young" tells of the first large scale battle between the newly formed U.S. 7th Cavalry and the North Vietnamese army at the la Drang Valley in 1965. What is impressive about this film is it shows how this battle is viewed by both sides including the wives of the American soldiers. Mel Gibson and Madeleine Stowe are great as Lt. Col. Hal Moore and his wife Julie Moore. Stand-out performances by Greg Kinnear (helicopter pilot Maj. Bruce Crandell) and Barry Pepper (photo-journalist Joe Galloway). A great line from Sam Elliott as the stoic, battle hardened Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley as the Vietnamese soldiers are over running his position, he turns to his men, as he pulls out his .45, and calmly orders, "Gentlemen, prepare to defend yourselves." ~ Director Randall Wallace.

  **SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS (1999) PG-13**

Japanese-American on trial for murder in a small island town in the Pacific Northwest just after WWII. This is the art of movie making; suspense, emotion and thought provoking. Excellent dramatic performances by Ethan Hawke, Youki Kudoh, James Cromwell, Max Von Sydow and Sam Shepard. ~ Director Scott Hicks.

  **DOUBLE JEOPARDY (1999) R**

Poetic justice, female style. Good performances by Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones. ~ Director Bruce Beresford.

  **AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999) R**

If you're experiencing middle age crazies, teen tensions, obsessive compulsions, neurotic phobic behaviors or homicidal/suicidal tendencies with a drive to succeed, then this is the movie for you. Excellent performances by the entire cast. ~ Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening. Director Sam Mendes.

  **THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (1999) R**

Why do five teenage sisters commit suicide? That's life. Somewhat depressing and drawn out. ~ James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst. Director Sophia Coppola.

  **THREE KINGS (1999) R**

Soldiers of misfortune during the Gulf War. When opportunity knocks, go for it, but it may not turn out as you expected. Good action with blood and guts. ~ Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, George Clooney. Director David O. Russell.

  **OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE (1999) R**

Sex, drugs and R&R on campus. Young people with no life experience making critical life decisions. ~ Shawn Hatosy, Alec Baldwin, Amy Smart. Director Michael Corrente.

  **EYES WIDE SHUT (1999) NC-17**

Watch with someone you love, you're going to need them afterwards. ~ Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman. Director Stanley Kubrick.

  **STIR OF ECHOES (1999) R**

God help you if you see this. Some heart stopping scenes. Kevin Bacon puts in an excellent performance. ~ Director David Koepp.

  **MICKEY BLUE EYES (1999) PG-13**

Can the Mafia be funny? Sure...if you're not on the receiving end of the joke. Great characters. ~ Hugh Grant, Jeanne Tripplehorn, James Caan. Director Kelly Makin.

  **THE SIXTH SENSE (1999) PG-13**

A calm and tranquil walk through your worst nightmare! Holey Joel Osment, as the young boy, gives an emotional rattling performance. ~ Bruce Willis. Director M. Night Shyamalan.

  **THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) R**

Boasts a $60,000 budget. What the hell did they do with the other $59,000? Stop whining and follow the river, it will usually lead to a town! ~ Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez.

  **SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999) R**

Johnny Depp is always a surprise in the interesting characters he plays. Not like the cartoon but rather a more realistic version of Ichabod Crane and the headless horseman. ~ Director Tim Burton.

  **STIGMATA (1999) R**

Riveting and piercing. Excellent SFX. Patricia Arquette. ~ Director Rupert Wainwright.

Epilogue

Reel Quick Movie Reviews will be updated periodically, so stop by again.

Thank you for reading _Reel Quick Movie Reviews_. If you enjoyed it, won't you please take a moment to leave me a review?

Thanks!

John Lizzi

About the Author

**John Lizzi** is an American freelance actor in film, television, stage and commercials with over 400 industry credits.

After graduating high school, Lizzi attended Onondaga Community College and received his Associates Degree in Drama. He knocked around New York acting in small theatres and working temporary jobs until he was drafted into the United States Army.

After completing his military service, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a professional actor. Lizzi also went back to school and earned his Bachelor's degree in Theatre from California State University at Northridge.

Career Highlights

In the film _Trevor_ , directed by Peggy Rajski, Lizzi co-starred as Trevor's Dad. This was the first film to address the issues and concerns of LGBTQ youth. It won an Academy Award® for Best Short film.

On _Seinfeld_ (NBC) Lizzi guest starred as "The Other Guy" in the episode "The Doll". He was the famous third tenor whose name Jerry and Elaine could never remember, yet Elaine wanted an autograph poster from him for her boyfriend, the Maestro.

On _The Tonight Show with Jay Leno_ (NBC) he guest starred as the Robert Shapiro character in all the O.J. Simpson trial comedy skits.

Some of Lizzi's commercials include _The Big East, Time Warner, Heluva Good Cheese_ and _Kinney Drugs_.

Early in his career, Lizzi worked as a double for Robert Blake in the NBC TV series _Joe Dancer_ and for Charles Bronson in _Death Wish II._

Awards and Service

Certificate of Appreciation - "Good News, Good Kids"

From the New York State Senate

For writing and directing Respect & Responsibility skit for a school district

Certificate of Appreciation - "Summer Youth Opportunity Program"

From the United States Army, Ft. Carson, CO

For youth counselor and producing and directing variety talent shows for children

Honorable Discharge

for service in the Armed Forces of the United States

Vietnam Era Veteran

Other titles by John Lizzi at Smashwords.com:

Life Is Very Eclectic

A poetic journey from searching to enlightenment. The issues of each generation may be different but the passions for justice are shared. Know this, you will come out of it for the better, so hang on, enjoy the ride and stand for something lest you fall for anything.

The Actor's Road to Hollywood

A guidebook for actors who are considering a professional career in film and television. Included are some of the author's personal experiences and anecdotes of working in Hollywood.

The American Way

The intent of our American rights and laws are clear but sometimes their interpretation, by a few, may be convoluted in order to achieve ulterior motives. How our rights and laws have stood the test of time may help to better understand The American Way.

Boom This, Baby!

Work in progress, soon to be published at Smashwords.

