Gideon58's Reviews

[Gideon58]

http://images.twistmagazine.com/uploads/images/file/30031/adventures-in-babysitting-poster-1.jpg?fit=crop&h=375&w=500
Elisabeh Shue's utterly enchanting performance in the starring role is the centerpiece and main selling point of 1987's Adventures in Babysitting, a highly improbable but richly entertaining comedy, that is sort of a distaff re-thinking of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13634&stc=1&d=1397512521
Shue plays Chris, a high school senior who is dumped by her scummy boyfriend (Bradley Whitford) right before their big date. With no other plans, Chris accepts an offer to babysit for Brad (Keith Coogan), who has a major crush on Chris, and Sara (Maia Brewton) while their parents go to a party.
http://img.wennermedia.com/620-width/Adventures-in-baby-sitting-1.jpg
Right after Brad's BFF Daryl (Anthony Rapp) shows up with the latest edition of Playboy that features a centerfold who bears an uncanny resemblance to Chris, Chris gets a phone call from her BFF Brenda (Penelope Ann Miller), who has run away from home but is in some serious trouble at the downtown Chicago bus terminal and asks Chris to come pick her up. Chris has no choice but to pile the boys and Sara into the station wagon and drive downtown, beginning one of the most bizarre comic adventures ever filmed, which includes car trouble, an encounter with some very dangerous criminals, and a garage mechanic (Vincent D'Onofrio) who bears an uncanny resemblance to a comic book hero that Sara worships, a strange detour into a blues club, and Chris' encounter with a dreamy frat boy (George Newbern) who becomes her savior.
http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/223e16b9af07a704791c6230c92c2ab0/201363307/Babysitters+Edit.jpg
This movie isn't exactly steeped in realism and it is hard to believe that everything that happens here happens in the course of a few hours and credibility is stretched to its limit at every turn. There is one scene where the children are actually climbing the exterior of the building where the party is that their parents are attending! But what makes this movie so deliciously entertaining is Elisabeth Shue's wonderful performance as Chris...no matter how dangerous or ridiculous their situation becomes, Chris never forgets that she is the babysitter and that these kids are her responsibility, not to mention making Brad feel like a king without leading him on.
http://img.wennermedia.com/620-width/adventures-in-babysitting-elisabeth-shue-783e4704-ae39-49a0-b4b1-688b6db7bf4e.jpg
Shue receives solid support from Keith Coogan and Daryl Rapp and from Calvin Levels as a sympathetic thief. According to the IMDB, Elisabeth's brother, Andrew, who played Billy on Melrose Place, is an extra in this film but I have never noticed him (the frat party is probably a good place to start looking if you care). Shue makes this a fun little ride and if you liked Ferris Bueller, you'll like this. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.magiclanternfilmsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/BigNight.jpeg
Big Night is the utterly charming and richly entertaining sleeper of 1996 that nobody saw and it's really a shame. This is the story of Secundo and Primo, a tight pair of Italian brothers who run an intimate Italian bistro in 1950's Brookyln who are facing bankruptcy until a business associate, so impressed with their food, promises to have his good friend, jazz musician Louis Prima, come to the restaurant for dinner and it is the preparations for this "big night" that send the brothers and everyone in their orbit into a tailspin. This joyous celebration of everything that is Italian-American completely envelops you with an almost voyeuristic atmosphere and characters who vividly touch your soul.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13657&stc=1&d=1397569932

The brothers are flawlessly played by one of our most solid and underrated character actors, the brilliant Stanley Tucci and Monk's Tony Shaloub and neither actor has ever been more appealing on screen.

Tucci's Secundo is smart, sexy, charismatic, and generous of soul and Shaloub's Primo is an arrogant boob who always remains likable. Tucci co-wrote and directed this gem with actor Campbell Scott, who also appears briefly as a slick-talking used car salesman and Tucci and Scott's one scene together is a standout, but it is the atmosphere and rich characterizations that take center stage here...Ian Holm steals every scene he is in as the brothers' benefactor and Minnie Driver, Isabella Rosellini, and Allison Janney are impressive as the women in the brothers' lives.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eLBeR6NwMA8/SvnxPTqiy7I/AAAAAAAAA0c/HBGHwFwLbus/s400/big_night.jpg
This movie is a joy from start to finish and made me wish that I was Italian. If you've never seen this one, please, treat yourself...and don't see it while you're hungry! 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14351&stc=1&d=1399657352
Michelle Pfeiffer's Oscar nominated performance anchors 1992's Love Field a surprisingly moving marriage of character study and buddy movie that draws the viewer in with the draw of vividly human characters involved in a somewhat over the top story that manages to hold our attention due to the extreme likability of the two main characters.

Pfeiffer plays a Dallas beautician named Lurene in 1963, who is so devastated by the assassination of JFK that she decides, against her husband's wishes, to travel to Washington DC to attend JFK's funeral and, en route, befriends a black man (Dennis Haysbert)traveling with his daughter, and the relationship that develops between the two when circumstances find the three of them on the run together.
http://www.movie-roulette.com/photos_big/love-field-3-1.jpeg
The story takes on an unexpected richness because these two people are part of the racially turbulent 1960's and because of the beautifully evocative performances from the stars. Pfeiffer, in particular, gives us a sad and slightly pathetic creature, wearing a platinum blonde Marilyn Monroe wig that seems to represent her desire to be someone else, her Lurlene is slightly ditzy, bored,lonely, but with a heart as big as all outdoors and the quiet dignity that Haysbert brings to his character in this tense situation is on target. Brian Kerwin also scores in the most significant role of his career as Lurene's abusive brute of a husband, but it is the performances and chemistry of the two stars that make this journey a memorable one. 3
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/Love_field.jpg

[Gideon58]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/The_Queen_movie.jpg
Helen Mirren's complex and mesmerizing Oscar-winning performance anchors The Queen, an intimate story told on a grand scale, documenting, in what could only be a blend of fact and speculation, the movements of the royal family, Queen Elizabeth II in particular, during the days following Princess Diana's death. Peter Morgan's uncompromising screenplay hypothesizes much of the Queen's thoughts and emotions during this difficult period as this story takes us into extremely private moments with the conflicted monarch of which no one could be privy, but basically, this story portrays the Queen as an icy and cold-hearted harridan who is curiously unmoved by Diana's death and does nothing to publicly grieve or acknowledge the Princess, who by this time, was already divorced from Prince Charles and had basically turned her back on the Royal family.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13679&stc=1&d=1397739314
The film shows how Englanders begin to publicly air their resentment of the Queen for her actions, or lack thereof, and her battle of wills with Prime Minister Tony Blair, who tirelessly advocated that the Queen acknowledge Diana publicly and what she had come to mean to the rest of the world as "the People's Princess."
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14903&stc=1&d=1400759868
Stephen Frears' bold direction does not sugar coat the screenplay, which doesn't necessarily paint the title figure in a flattering light, but puts a human face on this mysterious icon. Mirren's delicately nuanced performance is breathtaking and Michael Sheen (FROST/NIXON) proves to be a formidable screen presence in his interpretation of Tony Blair. Mention should also be made of James Cromwell as Prince Phillip and Sylvia Syms as the Queen Mother, who also make the most of their screen time, but it is the bold screenplay and Mirren's artistry that make this film sing. 3

[Strontium]

One of my favorites from my early childhood.:)

[Gideon58]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3e/Original_movie_poster_for_Cabaret.jpg

1973 was a very good year for legendary director/choreographer Bob Fosse. He won an Emmy for directing and choreographing the television special Liza with a Z, he won a Tony for directing the Broadway musical Pippin, and blindsided Francis Ford Coppola by winning an Oscar for Best Director for Cabaret, the dazzling 1972 film version, which is Fosse's re-thinking of the 1966 Broadway musical.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14537&stc=1&d=1400023318
The stage and screen versions are quite different and as independent works, they stand on their own as outstanding achievements and it is not necessary to have seen the play to appreciate the movie. The main focal point of Fosse's re-thinking of the musical is that he wanted it to be a more "realistic" musical and therefore made sure that all of the musical numbers (with the exception of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me")all took place within the walls of the Kit Kat Club. He cut several numbers from the original score, but if you listen, some of them can be heard as background music in several scenes. Fosse's artistry as a director can be evidenced in the "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" scene...to this day, the scene gives me chills every time I watch it.

He also shifted the focus of the way the story is told...the play tells the story from the leading man's point of view, but Fosse switches the focus to the character of Sally Bowles, the brassy, sassy party girl who believes in "divine decadence' and wears bright green fingernail polish.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13680&stc=1&d=1397739507
Fosse also takes two secondary characters from the play, who are older, and makes them young and attractive in order to make their story more youth-friendly, I imagine.

Liza Minnelli turns in a dazzling Oscar-winning performance as Sally, a gutsy, self-absorbed party girl who shows signs of vulnerability and a desperate need to be loved. Minnelli makes the most of her musical and non-musical moments in the film...her climactic confrontation with Brian (Michael York)is brilliantly performed. York is charming and sexy as Brian and Joel Grey's Oscar winning turn as the Master of Ceremonies is a delight.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13681&stc=1&d=1397739946

This film ruled at the '73 Oscars, winning eight awards in all (it lost Best Picture to The Godfather and deserved every accolade it received. A sparkling, eye-popping, thought-provoking, haunting film experience that should be savored over and over again. 5

[Gideon58]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/Billy_Elliot_movie.jpg
Billy Elliott is an enchanting and exuberant film that celebrates the joy and the passion of dance and how it can infuse anyone. Not since Footloose has a film so beautifully captured the passion and joy that can be experienced from the art of the dance. Billy is an ll-year old Irish boy who lives with his widowed father and older brother, who both work as coal miners. Billy is taking boxing lessons at a local gym but inexplicably finds himself drawn to a ballet class that is being taught on the other side of the gym and after taking a couple of classes, Billy has tapped into a real passion for the dance which he fights but cannot deny, despite having to initially attend class behind his family's back.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13682&stc=1&d=1397740106
Eventually, with the encouragement of his teacher, who sees his passion after he takes his first class, Billy actually finds himself auditioning for a prestigious ballet academy, but this is not what this film is about. This film is not about the work and dedication it takes to dance or the roadblocks that can stand in your way nor is about it about the threatening of traditional gender stereotypes or about dancing being an indicator of sexual orientation, all of which are touched upon here, but this is not what this film is about. This film is about the pure joy of dancing and the passion that it can ignite inside a person.

Director Stephen Daldry has mounted an imaginative and infectious story on a truly original canvas. Lee Hall's screenplay loses the film points, primarily for its needless subplot involving a coal miner's strike which distracts from the enjoyment of the primary story being told.
http://www.nicksflickpicks.com/billyellrev.jpg
Young Jamie Bell is nothing short of breathtaking in the title role, a riveting performance that should have earned him an Oscar nomination. The casting of Bell is inspired because he is not a dancer, further sustaining the film's underlying theme of someone who is not necessarily supposed to be a dancer, but has a passion for it that forces him to work at it. I love when Billy is walking out of his audition and one of the auditors asks him what it feels like when he's dancing and he replies, "It's like...electricity."
http://14bb18348568cf6c48ec-cde16cf5c35d33e882e13bbe648f334c.r8.cf2.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Billy-Elliot-movie-2000-jamie-bell-dancing1.png
Julie Walters (Educating Rita) received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her performance as Billy's teacher, who recognizes the lack of technique in Billy but sees his passion more than makes up for it. Strong support is also provided from Gary Lewis and Jamie Draven as Billy's dad and brother, respectively (though their thick Irish brogues make them hard to understand at times). A warm and energetic film that will make your heart full. Later turned into a stage musical, also directed by Daldry. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13683&stc=1&d=1397742155

Director Sidney Lumet (Network; Serpico, 12 Angry Men)has managed the impossible and has mounted a surprisingly riveting drama thanks to superior acting from a hand-picked cast and Lumet's solid directorial hand. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a rather mean-spirited story that is made watchable because of its professional polish and the talent in front of and behind the camera. This intense family drama is the story of Andy and Hank Hanson, two brothers in deep financial trouble, who hatch a plan to rob their parents' jewelry store, a plan that goes horribly awry, resulting in the death of two people. What these brothers plan to do is completely vile and reprehensible; however, thanks to an intricate screenplay by Kelly Masterson, which requires close attention, as it flashes forward and backward to explain what drove these brothers to do what they do and the harrowing consequences of their actions, you understand how the Hanson brothers are driven to do what they do but you can't help but accept the eventual consequences of their actions.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4-G9PJKy0IM/TpwqtZWoN-I/AAAAAAAAANg/RGOsKdqici0/s1600/before-the-devil-knows-youre-dead.jpg
Oscar winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman is brilliantly unhinged as Andy, the unconscionable mastermind behind this scheme, with major father issues, whose embezzling at work and drug addiction have driven him to this desperate point. Ethan Hawke delivers the performance of his career as Hank, the high-strung younger brother, three months behind in his child support and labeled a loser by his own daughter, desperate to regain his daughter's respect. Albert Finney is rock solid, as always, as the father, bitter and unapologetic about the kind of father he was, frustrated with the police's lack of interest in nailing the culprit of this horrific crime. Marisa Tomei delivers one of her stronger turns as Andy's empty-headed wife, who is having an affair with Hank and the legendary Rosemary Harris shines briefly in the role of the mother. Brian F. O'Byrne is also memorable in a brief role as Bobby, Hank's partner in executing the robbery.

These are unpleasant people wrapped up in an ugly story which you actually find yourself questioning the fact that it is actually unfolding before your eyes, but the actors and director so completely commit to the misery that is this story, that it envelops you and stays with you long after the credits roll. 3

[Deadite]

It was good but not great, imo.

[Gideon58]

http://www.thesnipenews.com/thegutter/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/AStarisBorn.jpg
Barbra Streisand brought her own vision to A Star is Born, the third version of this classic Hollywood story about the romance between an up and coming star and her alcoholic husband whose career is fading into oblivion. Streisand put her own stamp on this movie, making the story more acceptable to her and more accessible to 1970s film audiences.

She changed the setting of the story from films to the world of music, making her Esther Hoffman a struggling singer who is discovered by an alcoholic, self-destructive rocker named John Norman Howard (Kris Kristofferson)who grooms her for stardom while his own career falls apart.
http://images3.static-bluray.com/reviews/7478_3.jpg (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=jTXrQFPLxNzwYM&tbnid=kpSKPI3Sr8o7sM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blu-ray.com%2Fmovies%2FA-Star-is-Born-Blu-ray%2F57452%2F&ei=wkhAU9_7LYnnsATS4oGYAQ&bvm=bv.64367178,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNGkHyfsfohimE1t3HwNBBbdM3bfFQ&ust=1396808093518578)
We all know this story and have seen either of the previous versions and some were unsettled by the fact that in this version, John Norman doesn't commit suicide, he is killed in a car accident instead, taking away a lot of the power of the story.

The point of the original story is that the actor sacrifices his own life so that his wife won't give up the career she's worked so hard for. One of the most amusing parts of the original and 1954 versions is the whole episode about Esther changing her name so it looks better on a marquee. Here, our feminist heroine, Esther Hoffman, refuses to change her name and for me, this small but vital plot points diluted a lot of the power of this story.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15923&stc=1&d=1403383176
This production is overblown and uneven. It should be understood that Streisand was just on the edge of insanity while making this film. She was involved at the time with future film producer Jon Peters, who was running her career and her life. Peters butted heads with leading man Kristofferson as well as credited director Frank Pierson, who pretty much directed this film in name only...Streisand and Peters had the last word on everything regarding this film, much to its detriment, due mainly to Streisand's complete trust in Peters, who really knew nothing about film-making at this time.

But no matter what else she does, this movie comes alive whenever Streisand sings. Highlights for me were "Queen Bee", "Woman in the Moon", "With One More Look at You" and, of course, the Oscar-winning "Evergreen."
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FbVXxuykP_M/maxresdefault.jpg
With all the hats she was wearing while making this film, needless to say, Streisand was not very focused on her performance here, which can be described, kindly, as uneven. Kristofferson, in a role originally offered to Elvis Presley, is strong and surprisingly sexy as John Norman Howard and Gary Busey also scores as John Norman's manager. For hard-core Streisand fans only. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13684&stc=1&d=1397742245

Anatomy of a Murder. is a riveting and powerful courtroom drama that still makes for mesmerizing entertainment even though its 1959 release was eclipsed by Ben-Hur being released the same year.

I saw this film for the first time about a year ago and still found it fascinating from start to finish. Otto Preminger, a director who was known for pushing the dramatic envelope, mounted this superb drama about a laid back, unassuming country lawyer who decides to defend a soldier who has been accused of murdering a man who tried to rape his wife.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13685&stc=1&d=1397742434

Preminger assembled a first rate cast here, featuring actors at the peak of their careers as well as future stars who show here why they became stars. Ben Gazzara exudes a quiet intensity as the soldier on trial; Lee Remick (replacing Lana Turner) lights up the screen as his sexy, nubile young wife; George C. Scott is electrifying as the prosecuting attorney; Arthur O'Connell is the defense attorney's leg man; Joseph Welch as the Judge; Eve Arden as a wisecracking secretary, and towering above them all is James Stewart, in a powerhouse performance, as Paul Biegler, the small town attorney whose laid back persona belies his brilliance as a defense attorney.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/stills/131577-01ed356d093a7b58d36e36fb23193773/Film_600w_AnatomyOfMurder_original.jpg
Preminger brings us a very adult (for 1959) drama that still packs a wallop today, accentuated by a jazzy music score by Duke Ellington and an effective screenplay by Wendell Mayes. A true classic and, for my money, the best film of 1959...they don't make 'em like this anymore. 4

[Gideon58]

.http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13686&stc=1&d=1397742624The late Dudley Moore had the most famous role of his too-short career in 1981's Arthur a raucously funny and alternately touching tale that generates warm smiles, big belly-laughs, and an occasional tear if you're in the right mood.

Moore received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as Arthur Bach, a drunken playboy who "races cars, plays tennis, fondles women, but he has weekends off and he's his own boss." Arthur is destined to inherit 750 million dollars when he marries a snooty society girl named Susan Johnston (Jill Eikenberry)who is the spoiled daughter of an undercover gangster. Things get sticky when Arthur meets Linda Morolla (Liza Minnelli) a waitress/struggling actress from Queens who steals neckties for her father's birthday.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2q57LHC4bhw/ThlR9CB9XkI/AAAAAAAASG8/ITmjy4ln-xI/s1600/0mainart.png
Moore lights up the screen in one of the single funniest performances of the last 50 years. The late Sir John Gielgud won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his flawless turn as Arthur's acid-tongued butler and best friend, Hobson, whose outward disdain for Arthur's behavior covers more paternal feelings.

There are other funny contributions by Barney Martin as Linda's father. Stephen Elliott as Susan's father, and Geraldine Fitzgerald as Arthur's demented grandmother.

The film was directed with a keen eye for comedy by a first time director named Steve Gordon, who, sadly, died the following the year. There was a forgettable sequel several years later and the film was remade in 2011 with Russell Brand as Arthur, but this instant classic is not to be missed. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13687&stc=1&d=1397743029
Four years after premiering on Broadway, Elia Kazan brought Tenneesee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire to the big screen with most of the Broadway cast intact (Vivien Leigh replaced original Blanche Jessica Tandy, though Leigh did play Blanche in the original London production).

This powerful and steamy classic is the story of a mentally fragile woman named Blanche DuBois (Leigh) who arrives in New Orleans to visit her sister, Stella (Kim Hunter) and immediately becomes involved in a battle of wills and souls with her sexy and brutish brother-in-law(Marlon Brando).

Filmed in beautiful black and white, this movie beautifully creates summer in New Orleans, you can practically feel the sweat dripping off the characters. The acting, in a word, is brilliant. Vivien Leigh creates such a delicate china doll character in Blanche that many believed she was mentally ill when she was making the film. She wasn't, she was just that good an actress. Marlon Brando ushered in a new brand of leading man and a whole slew of unforeseen acting techniques in his performance as Stanley Kowalski. Brando electrifies the screen in this performance...so powerful, so sexy, so animalistic, so intense...when he's on screen you can't take your eyes off of him. Stanley is like a traffic accident...you can't look and you can't look away. Probably one of the five greatest performances by an actor in cinema history, it must be experienced to be believed.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13688&stc=1&d=1397743082
Leigh and Brando get rock solid support from Kim Hunter as Stella and Karl Malden as Mitch, Stanley's co-worker and Blanche's potential beau. Leigh, Hunter, and Malden all received Oscars for their performances. This was the first film in history to win three of the four acting Oscars (this feat would not be duplicated again until 1976's Network) and, surprisingly, it was Brando who would be overlooked, losing to Humphrey Bogart for The African Queen, but there is a school of thought that Brando was robbed and I agree. Kazan's direction is steady and despite the "cleaned up" Hollywood ending, this is still a bold and penetrating motion picture experience that will haunt long after the credits fade. Remade for television in 1984 and 1994. 4.5

[Gideon58]

. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13689&stc=1&d=1397743635

A compelling story and first-rate performances make A Time to Kill a minor classic. This engrossing story is about an idealistic young white attorney, practically just out of law school, who agrees to defend a black factory worker on trial for murdering the two men who raped his daughter. A richly complex story has been constructed here that gives equal times to all sides, but most importantly, raises the veil on bigotry in the south and gives us an unsettling look at vigilante justice and things we'd like to believe don't exist anymore, like the KKK.

Akiva Goldman's screenplay, based on a novel by John Grisham, presents a disturbing story populated with characters painted in shades of gray.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14538&stc=1&d=1400023616

The cast is superb...Matthew McConaughey snagged the role of his career as Jake Briganst, the young lawyer who has divided a town and put his family in danger, as well as his own life, by taking this case; McConaughey has never topped this performance and probably never will; Samuel L. Jackson delivers his accustomed powerhouse performance as Carl Lee Haley, the tortured defendant; Kevin Spacey is brilliant as the prosecuting attorney; Sandra Bullock is the idealistic law student who agrees to assist Briganst; Donald Sutherland is Jake's alcoholic mentor; Brenda Fricker is Jake's secretary; future Oscar winner Chris Cooper is a cop caught in the line of fire; and Keifer Sutherland completely inhabits the unsympathetic role of a KKK supporter whose brother was one of Carl Lee's victims. There's also a stylish turn by late TV legend Patrick McGoohan as the judge that deserves mention.

Thanks to inspired direction by Joel Schumacher(definitely one of his better efforts),this is a compelling and deeply moving motion picture that will have you riveted to the screen. As far as I know, the only film in which father and son Donald and Keifer Sutherland appear together, though they share no scenes. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13690&stc=1&d=1397743817
The 1967 film adaptation of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park still holds up as one of the strongest film adaptations of Simon's massive body of work. This charming story of newlyweds adjusting to married life in their run-down, fifth-floor walk-up in Greenwich Village is slightly dated (you'll laugh when you hear what their rent is)but for some reason this film is still completely captivating, almost 40 years after its original release.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15153&stc=1&d=1400954056
Jane Fonda takes over the role of Corrie Bratter, originated on Broadway by Elizabeth Ashley, the headstrong, young bride who wants to be the center of her husband's world and yet have everything her way. Fonda is a delight in this role, but IMO it is Robert Redford, who really shines in this movie, reprising his Broadway role as Paul Bratter, the young lawyer who is having trouble concentrating on getting his career in gear and keeping his nubile young bride satisfied as well. Redford delivers a beautifully low-keyed performance here...softening the classic Neil Simon one-liners, making their effectiveness all the more amusing. Redford never goes over the top yet never allows Fonda to blow him off the screen either. It's a great performance.

Mildred Natwick received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her deft turn as Corrie's ditzy mom, Mrs. Banks and Charles Boyer is charming as Victor Velasco, the Bratters' eccentric upstairs neighbor and Mrs. Banks' potential suitor. Veteran comic actor Herb Edelman also scores as Harry Pepper, the guy who installs and repairs the Bratters' phone. OK, the bit about climbing the five flights of stairs gets a little old, but it does not detract from this thoroughly winning comedy that is still fun to watch after all these years. 3.5
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTjxTf4uefL4NJcrxCuIYZ3fY7fVZx4Ar0SDH0tuw65JFNHGpmL (http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=o7ttm_Y3EGspfM&tbnid=P0IwY3IZ6d6V5M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeen-seen.com%2Ftravel-blog%2Fmovie-atlas%2Fbarefoot-in-the-park&ei=hF5AU57KNITksATxuoLoAQ&bvm=bv.64367178,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNHnKFQqLjk09ivOMvZIc8QuPgMr0A&ust=1396813574043495)

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16018&stc=1&d=1403877145

Steve Martin scored a bullseye with Bowfinger, a smart and cleverly mounted comedy, which Martin also wrote, which stars Steve Martin as Bobby Bowfinger, a down and out Hollywood producer on the verge of going out of business who gets hold of a script to produce and wants big time action star Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) to star in it. When Ramsey won't give Bobby the time of day, Bobby decides to shoot the film without Kit's knowledge or consent.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16017&stc=1&d=1403877058
This premise is a wonderful set-up for some very funny sight gags. Eddie Murphy is on target as Kit Ramsey and as a milquetoast lookalike hired to do Ramsey's stunt work and close-ups. Murphy delivers one of his funniest performances as the lookalike and there are other effective contributions from Heather Graham, Jamie Kennedy, Christine Baranski,Terrence Stamp, and Robert Downey, Jr. A smart and winning comedy about the inner workings of modern Hollywood with a great screenplay and starring performance by Martin and Eddie Murphy in the dual role of a lifetime. 4http://www.the-editing-room.com/img/bowfinger.jpg

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13691&stc=1&d=1397744149

Boys Don't Cry was an unsettling, uncomfortable but ultimately rewarding film experience that gnaws away at you long after the credits roll. The film is based on the life of Teena Brandon, a woman who felt she was a man trapped in a woman's body and attempted to live her life as a man. Hillary Swank won her first Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her powerhouse performance as Teena, who changed her name to Brandon Teena and attempted to live her life as a man.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15270&d=1401417189
This film has little to do with homosexuality. As a matter of fact, early on in the film, when her best friend refers to her as a lesbian, she blows a gasket. This encounter, coupled with problems with the law, force Brandon on the road to a new life where he meets a shy young factory worker, played by Chloe Sevigny, and begins a romance with her, which is complicated by her friend (Peter Sarsgaard)whose constant challenging of Brandon in Sevigny's life leads to an inevitable and tragic showdown. The performances by Swank, Sarsgaard, and Sevigny (also nominated for Best Supporting Actress) are nothing short of mesmerizing.

A truly adult motion picture experience, this film features some uncompromising violence and a very graphic rape scene. Once you have the children safely tucked in bed and if you have the stomach for it, treat yourself to what was probably the most powerful film to be released in 1999. You've never seen anything like this and never will again. 4

[Yoda]

Totally agree. Love this movie. Incredibly funny, well-acted, and eminently quotable. Often when Hollywood does a "we're making fun of ourselves!" movie it's a little over-the-top, but this one's a little more incisive than most, I think, especially with the Scientology send-up. And it really nails the bad movie-within-a-movie. It seems to really understand the way in which bad movies are bad (the title and its corresponding explanation being the best example), rather than just making it awful in an obligatory way.

http://www.the-editing-room.com/img/bowfinger.jpg

If anyone's interested, I wrote a review (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=395870) in my since-dormant-but-might-come-back-someday "Yoda's Overlooked Movies" thread. It's one of my favorite comedies.

"We're trying to make a movie here, not a film!"

[Nausicaä]

Are you this guy on IMDB who wrote this review back in 2005?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068327/reviews-107

[mark f]

He must be. They're all ending up here. :)

[Deadite]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=32732

??

[Deadite]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=933426&posted=1#post933426

??

[Deadite]

Great film.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I didn't love this movie, but it is certainly very underrated, and really good.

[The Gunslinger45]

Arthur was funny as hell! I especially liked the scene where he falls out of the car.

HEDGE! I FELL OUT OF THE *** ****ed CAR!

[cricket]

I loved Arthur when it came out but I haven't seen it since the 80's. Dudley Moore was also great in a small role in Foul Play.

[cricket]

This is one of my all time favorite films. I voted for it high on the 90's countdown, but I fear it won't make the list. I don't think enough people have seen it; it's a shame because I think it deserves to be there.

[cricket]

Awesome movie; very intense with incredible performances. I very much felt the desperation of the characters.

[edarsenal]

i've seen this one at the library and been curious to try it out. Even more curious after reading the review. Nicely done, by the way

[Godoggo]

Arthur is one of my favorite movies. It's funny as heck, but there is also a genuine sadness and loneliness to Arthur that makes it a lot more complex than just a movie about a funny drunk. The performances feel honest and there is rarely a combo as good as Hobson and Arthur.

Plus it has Liza. ;)

[mark f]

I don't think it's even good, 2.5 at best. Some of the final scenes are downright embarassing in their laughable melodrama. I know it wasn't Lumet's intention, but that's how I see it.

[Godoggo]

I'm with Mark. I thought it was overly melodramatic and really sloppy. Also one of Hoffman's weakest performances.

[cricket]

Hmmm, I've been in a couple situations where I felt my life was spiraling dangerously out of control, and this movie captured that very realistically in my eyes. I truly identified with the characters and felt what they were feeling. It's not a pleasant film, that's for sure. No light moments whatsoever.

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13693&stc=1&d=1397744565
Though he will probably always be remembered for 1981's Arthur, my favorite Dudley Moore performance is still from the 1979 Blake Edwards classic "10". Moore plays George Webber, a man who seemingly has it all: a flourishing career as a songwriter, money, a gorgeous home, an equally gorgeous girlfriend (Julie Andrews), but still feels like something is missing in his life.

Then one day, while stopped at a traffic signal, he glances at a girl (Bo Derek)in a limo, on her way to her wedding. George becomes obsessed with this vision, this perfect "10" and forsakes everything in his life, including Andrews, to find and be with this woman. After getting six fillings drilled by the girl's dentist/father (James Noble), in an attempt to learn where the girl went on her honeymoon, George flies to Mexico to find his "10" and eventually learns the lessons you would expect from such a venture.
http://derekwinnert.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/9a4.jpg
In addition to some great physical comedy offered by Moore, there are moments of great warmth here too. The scenes at the outdoor bar in Mexico where Dudley encounters a lonely woman (Dee Wallace) and plays the piano are lovely. Brian Dennehy is effectively cast against type as the bartender. Also cast against type is Robert Webber as George's gay songwriting partner who tries in vain to make George see what an idiot he is and appreciate the things he has.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13694&stc=1&d=1397744625
This is not just a smarmy sex comedy, but a warm character study of a man chasing something he really doesn't want or need and features one of Dudley Moore's most charming performances. 4

[Gideon58]

1776 is the 1972 film version of the groundbreaking Broadway musical that chronicles the people and events that led to the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13695&stc=1&d=1397745052
The musical centers on soon to be second President, John Adams, who according to this musical was a tireless but obnoxious advocate for the thirteen colonies independence from Great Britain and it was his zeal for this cause that led him to being central to the creation of the Declaration of Independence.
http://www.sonymoviechannel.com/sites/default/files/movies/images/1776pn.jpg?1370976087
William Daniels brilliantly recreates his Tony-nominated Broadway role as John Adams, the restless and ever-vocal spokesperson for Independence who would not be silenced. He receives solid support from Howard da Silva, who does a scene stealing turn as Benjamin Franklin, Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson, John Cullum as Edmund Rutledge, and the lovely Blythe Danner as Martha Jefferson. Virginia Vestoff also recreates her Broadway role as Abigail Adams, John's wife who is presented as communicating with John through letters brought to life.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13696&stc=1&d=1397745159
The heart-pumping musical score features highlights such as "Sit Down, John", "He Plays the Violin", "Yours, Yours, Yours", "But Mr. Adams", "The Egg", "The Lees of Old Virginia", and the haunting "Molasses to Rum" (brilliantly performed by Cullum). One number, "Cool Considerate Men" was cut during the film's original release but has been restored to some prints. If you're a musical comedy fan with an open mind willing to experience something a little different, give this treasure a try. 4

[mark f]

The best song and dramatic moment in the film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgEenf-TIMI

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13697&stc=1&d=1397745630
Aided by the stylish direction of George Cukor and a flawless screenplay by Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn created cinema magic in Adam's Rib, a caustic and brilliant comedy classic that forever redefined the battle of the sexes without really taking sides or failing to entertain. Tracy and Hepburn play Adam and Amanda Bonner, attorneys who find themselves on opposing sides of an attempted murder case.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13698&stc=1&d=1397745678
Adam is the assistant DA trying to convict a dizzy housewife (Judy Holliday) of the attempted murder of her adulterous husband (Tom Ewell)and Amanda decides to to defend Holliday when the question of the "Unwritten Law" comes into play...a man can be exonerated from murder in defense of his home but does the same law apply to a woman?
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16045&stc=1&d=1403957431
Tracy, Hepburn, and Holliday shine with solid support from Ewell and the wonderful David Wayne as the Bonners' neighbor who as a mad crush on Amanda. A classic comedy from the golden era of film-making that's a joy from start to finish. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13699&stc=1&d=1397746101

A History of Violence is a disturbing and completely riveting drama that shines a light on several aspects of the concept of violence and its varying effects on the lives it invades.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13700&stc=1&d=1397746152
What appears to be a simple story slowly unfolds to reveal several different layers of a richly textured look at violence on several levels. The film stars Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, a small town everyman who owns a diner, is married to an attractive lawyer (Maria Bello)and is the father of two children whose life is changed forever when during what appears to be a random act of violence at his diner one night, Tom kills two people in self-defense and in defense of his business and patrons.

The publicity that surrounds this event shines an unflattering light around Tom which he is clearly uncomfortable with but we're not sure why until a stranger pulls into town claiming that Tom is not who he says he is. Tom denies the allegation but it eventually becomes clear that Tom is actually a former mafioso named Joey Cusack, who has been tracked down by his brother, with whom he has unfinished business.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16046&stc=1&d=1403957648
The slow reveal of this story is quite unsettling because as we watch, we begin to figure out what is going on, but we hope we're wrong. The film not only looks at mob violence, but it also looks at violence as an instrument of self defense; it looks at the possible connection between violence and genetics as Tom's son is observed dealing with a school bully in a rather unsettling way, and it even examines violence between a husband and wife as Tom's world begins to unravel and he attempts to take control of his life again by taking control of his marriage.

Mortenson turns in a complex and evocative performance as Tom/Joey, a quiet man driven to extremes as the new life he has constructed for himself begins to fall apart. Maria Bello gives the performance of her career as Tom's wife Edie, who has had the emotional breath knocked out of her marriage and is at a loss as to how to deal with the fact that her entire existence has been a lie. Ed Harris does a bone-chilling turn as the mobster who tracks Tom/Joey down and, as we learned, was disfigured because of him and William Hurt received an Oscar nomination for his flashy turn as Joey's brother, a performance that gets more interesting with multiple viewings.

A haunting and powerful film experience that will get inside you and eat away at your soul and provide just as many questions as it does answers. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13701&stc=1&d=1397746214

[Gideon58]

http://entertainmentrealm.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/all-about-eve-box-cover-poster.jpg
Just about as perfect a film as they come, 1950's All About Eve was an instant classic upon its release and remains one of the most talked about films by cinema historians fifty years later. The film received an unprecedented 14 Oscar nominations (a record unbroken until Titanic) and walked away with 7 Oscars, including Best Picture of the Year.

Joseph L. Manckiewicz, for the second year in a row, won dual Oscars for directing and writing this sparkling comedy drama about an aging actress named Margo Channing (Bette Davis), who befriends a star struck fan named Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) who we slowly learn has her own agenda in befriending her idol. This film is an on-target skewering of the New York theater scene and the poor souls who toil in it.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13702&stc=1&d=1397746588
Davis and Baxter are both flawless and were both nominated for Best Actress. George Sanders won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance as an acid-tongued theater critic named Addison DeWitt, who becomes a prime player in the delicious twists this story takes. Gary Merrill plays Bill Sampson, a theater director and Margo's much younger lover. Hugh Marlowe (in probably the most significant role of his insignificant career) and Celeste Holm play Lloyd and Karen, the playwright who writes almost exclusively for Margo and his wife, Margo's best friend. There are also memorable turns by Thelma Ritter as Margo's housekeeper and a very young Marilyn Monroe as Addison DeWitt's "protegee", Miss Casswell.
http://classicfilmguru.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/all-about-eve1.jpg
The cast all work at the top of their game, thanks to inspired direction, but it is the screenplay that is the real star of this classic. I can't think of another movie in history with dialogue that sparkles and dances the way it does here. Mackiewicz's Best Screenplay Oscar was richly deserved. His Best Director Oscar primarily stemmed from having a perfect cast.
http://knightleyemma.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/eve3.jpg
Ironically, Claudette Colbert was originally slated to play Margo but had to drop out due to an injury, twist of fate that allowed Bette Davis to give the most amazing performance of her career which should have won her an Oscar as well. A true classic in every sense of the word...don't miss this one. 5

[cricket]

It's the type of movie I love, but I only liked it. I'm not sure why so I plan on seeing it again.

[Gideon58]

1979's All that Jazz is definitely one of my favorite films, a permanent part of my video collection and a film I can watch over and over again without tiring of it.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13703&stc=1&d=1397747019
This dark, twisted, self-indulgent, musical version of Fellini's 8 1/2 seems to be Fosse's exploration of his own personal demons as he lays his life out there for all to see in a not too flattering light as a career-driven, hard drinking, smoking, womanizing director/choreographer who is only alive when he's on a Broadway stage creating dances or behind a camera lens but is clueless on how to deal with regular life and the little imperfections that most regular folks are able to cope with and accept.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gC0nxU3Llfg/TutDjCN-FyI/AAAAAAAAB8U/fqTGHj-g0go/s1600/All+That+Jazz+Reinking+1979.JPG
Roy Scheider delivers a brilliant performance as the Fosse alter-ego Joe Gideon, who is trying to stage a new Broadway musical and put the finishing touches on a movie he directed and the stress of all this work puts him in the hospital after a heart attack. This story was based on the period in Fosse's career when he was beginning to mount the musical Chicago for Gwen Verdon and was still editing his 1974 film Lenny with Dustin Hoffman and had a heart attack shortly afterwards.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13704&stc=1&d=1397747076
This film sucks you in from the beginning with shots of dancers warming up onstage as the opening bars of George Benson's "On Broadway" begin to fill the audio. Soon the camera pulls back to reveal hundreds of dancers onstage as Gideon weeds out the dancers he wants to cast in "NY to LA", the fictionalized version of Chicago. This number is just brilliant and is a wonderful introduction into the world of NY theater auditions for the uninitiated. Fosse, is, more than anything, a choreographer, and his dance direction in this film is nothing short of astonishing. I can watch the "Take Off With Us/Air-Rotica" scene over and over again and never tire of it. I also enjoyed when Ann Reinking (as Joe's girlfriend, basically playing herself) and Erzsebet Foldi (playing Joe's daughter, Michelle (Nicole))do a dance for Joe to Peter Allen's "Everything Old is New Again" in his living room. Joe's fantasy production numbers after he enters the hospital are also dazzling, especially long-legged Reinking's rendition of "You Better Change your Ways".
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13705&stc=1&d=1397747163
There are also small quiet moments in the film that are equally effective, in particular a lovely scene in a dance studio with Joe and his daughter where she tries to talk him into getting married and giving her a little brother. This is not a side of Gideon we see much of (Fosse either) and it is a lovely moment. Jessica Lange's ethereal quality was used to great advantage in her small but showy role as Joe's Angelique. Leland Palmer (who starred in Fosse's Pippin on Broadway) registers as Audrey Paris, Joe's ex-wife and Michelle's mother, a fictionalized Gwen Verdon. Her scene with Scheider in the dance studio where she calls him on his constant infidelity is a gem.

Cliff Gorman scores as Davis Newman, the star of Joe's film, THE STAND UP (this film's version of Lenny), who is seen visiting Gideon in the hospital and psychoanalyzing him at the same time.
http://silvervelvetsky.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/all-that-jazz-7.jpg
The "Bye Bye Love" finale is a little over the top and WAY too long but I like the end of it when he says goodbye to everyone before his death (especially loved the looks exchanged with John Lithgow and his hug with daughter Michelle). All in all, All that Jazzis a must for Fosse-ites and fans of musical theater..whether it's stage or screen. Not as good as Cabaret, but still a unique movie experience to be savored. 4

[cricket]

I only saw it once and don't remember it too well; I just remember thinking it was great.

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13706&stc=1&d=1397747635
A Love Song for Bobby Long is a somber and lumbering story that makes the mistake of thinking the story and characters presented here are a lot more interesting than they really are.

This is the story of a young girl named Percy(Scarlett Johansson)who, upon learning of her mother's death, journeys to New Orleans to claim her mother's home and, upon her arrival, finds an alcoholic former college professor (John Travolta) and an alcoholic former writer (Gabriel Macht) living there.
http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/187796/187796_full.jpg
The rest of the movie is a long and not terribly interesting character study of these three characters and how they eventually bond. The primary problem with this film is that the most interesting character in the story is already dead at the beginning of the film. Her relationship with the three main characters is fuzzy at the beginning of the film and kept fuzzy throughout most of the film's running time and for some reason this seems deliberate. Perhaps if we had known a little more about the relationships Percy's mom had with these people, the film might have been more successful in sustaining our interest. I have never been much of a proponent of flashback as a film making technique, but this is one story that really could have used a flashback or two that might have shed some light into the relationship this woman had with Percy and with these two men. We eventually are given some insight into the kind of woman this was; unfortunately, by the time this happens, we are bored to death and really don't care anymore.
https://mettelray.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/alsfbl4.jpg
The actors work very hard at keeping the proceedings watchable but they are fighting a very talky and unimaginative screenplay. Despite Scarlett Johansson's strongest performance to date and Travolta's first serious foray into the category of "Character actor", the whole thing comes off like a photographed stage play...bad Tennessee Williams and about 45 minutes before the credits roll, we just want the characters to drink enough to pass out so we don't have to listen to them anymore. 2

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13707&stc=1&d=1397748044
A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy was Woody Allen's amusing variation on the Ingmar Bergman classic Smiles of a Summer Night which had been previously re-worked as a Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim called A Little Night Music.

This film is about three couples at the turn of the century who gather at one of their country homes for the weekend and it is clear at the beginning of the story that these three couples are hopelessly mismatched and we see the very human foibles that split up and mix up these three couples during this memorable weekend in the country.
http://withoutmuchfanfareornotice.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/a-midsummerssex-comedy.jpg
Woody and Mary Steenburgen play the hosts for the weekend, a seemingly happily married couple whose happiness is clearly surface deep. Tony Roberts plays a womanizing physician and Woody's best pal who arrives for the weekend with his nurse (Julia Hagerty). In her first screen pairing with Woody Allen, Mia Farrow plays a former flame of Woody's who has arrived with her much older fiancée (Jose Ferrer) who she is scheduled to marry on Monday. Watching these three couples fuss and fumble all over each other in an attempt to be with the person they really want to be with is what makes this charming period comedy work.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13708&stc=1&d=1397748095
As always in Woody's films, music is crucial in setting the mood and Woody has chosen some classic Mendelsohhn pieces that set the perfect mood for the piece. The performances are uniformly fine, with Roberts a standout. Not one of Woody's better known films, but if you'd like to see where his relationship with Mia began, take a look. 3

[Gideon58]

http://themotionpictures.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/03.jpg
Rosalind Russell turned in the most dazzling performance of her career in 1958's Auntie Mame.
This classic was released the year I was born, but it has become one of my favorites and is part of my permanent video collection. Based on the memoirs of Patrick Dennis, this brilliant episodic film chronicles the relationship between Mame Dennis, a stylish, eccentric, and bombastic Greenwich village socialite and her young nephew, Patrick, who is brought to live with Mame as a child after the death of Mame's brother.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13709&stc=1&d=1397749585

It is evident from the beginning that Mame hasn't a clue how to be a mother but her immediate unconditional love for Patrick is evident as well and even though we know Mame would walk through fire for Patrick, we also know that at some point Mame will screw up or suffocate Patrick in her loving but iron grasp.
http://thehoopla.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Auntie-Mame.jpg
Russell is perfection in what seems to be a tailor-made role and was clearly robbed of the Oscar that alluded her for her whole career. Coral Browne garners major laughs throughout as Vera Charles, an alcoholic actress and Mame's best friend. Forrest Tucker is a charmer as Beaurogard Jackson Pickett Burnside, an oil millionaire who romances Mame and Peggy Cass steals every scene she is in with her Oscar-nominated performance as Agnes Gooch, the stenographer hired to write Mame's memoirs.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13710&stc=1&d=1397749636
This long, episodic film, lovingly directed by Morton DeCosta, was later turned into the Broadway musical MAME which won Angela Lansbury a Tony Award and that musical was later turned into a movie starring Lucille Ball, but my advice is...stick with the original. "Life is a banquet...and most poor suckers are starving to death!" 4.5

[honeykid]

I don't think it's even good, 2.5 at best. Some of the final scenes are downright embarassing in their laughable melodrama. I know it wasn't Lumet's intention, but that's how I see it.
^^This.^^ I'd probably go 2

I don't understand the love this gets. :shrug:

[Lucas]

Excellent review. I too really liked this film.

[Matteo]

It's my favourite of Cronenberg's work (who I am, admittedly, not a fan of).

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

I really didn't care for this. The dialogue was some of the worst I've ever heard, and the acting was mostly atrocious, and nothing else was interesting enough to save the movie for me.

[Lucas]

That saying "to each his own" is so accurate. Could you maybe interpret specifically why you hated this film? In my eyes there was nothing wrong with the acting,and the dialogue was perfectly fine. The film was fast paced and was well shot. Easy 7.5 or 8 from me.

[Deadite]

It was pretty good. Based on a graphic novel. Guess that's why it was stylized despite the serious theme.

[Gideon58]

Along Came Polly is an entertaining romantic comedy filled with laughs starring Ben Stiller as Rueben Pfeffer, a tightly wound insurance agent, whose bride cheats on him on his honeymoon and upon returning home, embarks on a romance with a free-spirited girl (Jennifer Aniston) who he knew in junior high school.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13735&stc=1&d=1397910175
This breezy comedy is a total delight with a surprisingly fresh screenplay that has Stiller uncharacteristically pulling it in and allowing leading lady Aniston to shine.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13713&stc=1&d=1397750216Phillip Seymour Hoffman steals every scene he is in as Sandy, Rueben's best friend,a former child actor who hasn't worked in years but is still so self-absorbed he has decided to film his own "E-True Hollywood Story" and then sell it to E. In a role that appears to have been written for Jack Black, Hoffman garners big belly laughs every time he appears on the screen, from a rehearsal for "Jesus Christ Superstar" to a silly two on two basketball game, to a last minute substitution for Rueben at a very important business meeting, Hoffman delivers one of the funniest supporting performances I've seen in years. Debra Messing has the thankless role of the cheating bride and Hank Azaria is quite buff as the object of Messing's lust.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13714&stc=1&d=1397750270
There are also funny contributions from Alec Baldwin as Rueben's boss and Michele Lee and Bob Dishy as his parents. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but a marvelous cast at the top of their game, make the film worth your time. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13716&stc=1&d=1397750658

When you see the names De Niro and Crystal on a marquee the assumption would be that Crystal is going to be providing the laughs, but it's just the opposite in Analyze This, a sharp and amusing comedy which, IMO, proves Robert De Niro, in addition to being a great actor, is also one of the funniest people on the planet. I did not say a good comic actor, I said funny.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-s2u3TlNTX3g/TYZICj2DwpI/AAAAAAAAAYw/iUrD3IyI5aE/s1600/unaterapia2.jpg
The man is funny and he had me on the floor for the majority of the film as Paul Vitti, a mob boss who has allowed the pressures of his work take such a physical and emotional toll on him that he begins therapy with Dr. Ben Sobel (Crystal)and then implants himself smack dab in the middle of Dr. Ben's life, forsaking all other patients.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13717&stc=1&d=1397750712

Crystal hits all the right notes as Dr. Sobel, but it is De Niro who makes this film so special with his grandiose send-up of several characters he has played in the past. De Niro and Crystal get help from a strong supporting cast including Lisa Kudrow, Bill Macy, Pat Cooper, and especially the late Joe Vitrelli as Jelly, Vitti's stooge, who steals every scene he is in. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/Movie_poster_Anchorman_The_Legend_of_Ron_Burgundy.jpg
Achorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy confirmed my long dormant suspicion that Ferrell is a comic genius who had been so underrated up to this point. I have not laughed so hard at a movie since Young Frankenstein, and like that classic, no matter how many times I watch this movie, I'm laughin g out loud.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13719&stc=1&d=1397755061
Ferrell plays Ron Burgundy, a self-absorbed TV news anchorman working at a San Diego TV station in the 1970's who finds his world as king of the 6:00 news rocked by the arrival of Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), a woman who longs to be a news anchor; however, in the 1970's, this was pretty much unheard of. The relationship between Ron and Veronica is very entertaining but the lion's share of the laughs in this film come from Ferrell, who I am convinced improvised approximately 60% of this movie, but the stuff that works clearly outweighs the stuff that doesn't.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13720&stc=1&d=1397755398
The 1970's are lovingly recreated here with settings, costumes, and some wonderful forgotten and not forgotten music from the 70's (wait until you see this film's cover of the classic "Afternoon Delight").
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13721&stc=1&d=1397755925
This movie is just one comic highlight after another, including the "trip to Pleasuretown", Ron's jazz flute solo, and the news anchor rumble in the alley. Ferrell is a riot and Applegate shows a surprising gift for slapstick comedy and there is a scene-stealing performance from Steve Carell as Brick, the weatherman on Ron's news team. One of the funniest movies I have ever seen and every time it comes on, I have to watch and I have to laugh. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13722&stc=1&d=1397758943
Anchors Aweigh is an entertaining MGM musical that fans of the genre will enjoy but I wouldn't rate it up there with classics like Singin in the Rain or The Band Wagon.

This was the first of three musicals that Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra appeared in together. Kelly and Sinatra play Joe Brady and Clarence Doolittle, respectively, two sailors on leave in Hollywood who befriend a young boy (Dean Stockwell)who introduces them to his attractive young aunt (Kathryn Grayson) a struggling actress who is working as an extra at MGM. Though both guys are initially attracted to Grayson, she eventually voices a preference to Joe but Clarence later hooks up with a waitress (Pamela Britton)who, he learns is from his hometown of Brooklyn.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13723&stc=1&d=1397759242

The paper-thin plot leaves room for several great musical numbers including "We Hate to Leave", Joe and Clarence's lament to their fellow sailors as they're leaving the ship; Grayson's torrid rendition of "Jalousie"; Sinatra's dreamy rendition of "I Fall in Love Too Easily" (a number which is sadly deleted from some prints of this film), and "The Worry Song", a fantasy dance that Kelly does with animated Jerry the Mouse from Tom and Jerry fame. Kelly also does a sort of Kissing Bandit fantasy ballet which rivals his Pirate's Ballet in the later The Pirate.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13724&stc=1&d=1397759308
Kelly is in peak form here, in a robust and energetic performance that earned him his only Oscar nomination for Best Actor and Sinatra's endearingly shy character here is undeniably sexy. An entertaining diversion for fans of the MGM musical factory. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13725&stc=1&d=1397760767
1950's Annie Get Your Gun was originally planned to star Judy Garland in the title role; however Garland had just finished a stint in rehab and doctors recommended a year off. Instead she was given two weeks off and was assigned to report to wardrobe tests for the film. She even filmed a few scenes and a couple of musical numbers (which are included on the DVD), but Garland looks worn and haggard and she clearly was in no shape, physically or emotionally to work, so she was replaced by that bundle of bombastic( an adjective which I think the actress has the patent on)energy, Betty Hutton, who makes the most of this role and the classic Irving Berlin score.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mslzt7-TTO4/TxCR4gvB4jI/AAAAAAAAEp8/0i_3L5qKQjw/s640/Annie_Get_Your_Gun_Keel+and+Hutton.jpg
I have to admit I wouldn't have minded hearing Garland's interpretation of "I've Got the Sun in the Morning" or "They Say that Falling in Love" (Hutton's weakest moment) but for the most part Hutton shines as Annie and gets solid support from handsome Howard Keel as Frank Butler. Their duet "Anything you can do" is another highlight. A first rate stage musical gets first rate screen treatment from the MGM dream factory. 3.5

[cricket]

Along Came Polly was harmless fun; nothing great, but enjoyable.

Despite my love for Robert De Niro, I was not taken with Analyze This at all. Maybe one I need to give a 2nd watch.

Anchorman I thought was great in a lot of ways but the silly fights between rival news stations severely hurt this film for me.

[honeykid]

I thought Analyze This! was quite good. I've only seen it twice and not since 1999, but it's big claim to fame, for me, is that it stopped me watching The Soprano's when it started. Well, that and the fact I missed the first episode and thought it was a mini-series and, therefore, didn't bother with the next few episodes. By the time I'd realised my mistake, it was a good 5 or 6 episodes in. :facepalm: I finally watched it last year. :D

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13726&stc=1&d=1397761215
Another of my guilty pleasures is Airport, the 1970 all-star cast drama based on the best selling novel by Arthur Hailey. This soapy potboiler follows multiple stories throughout a busy metropolitan airport. Subplots that appeared in the book naturally had to be watered down or removed entirely, but that was to be expected in telling a story of such size back in the late 60's. However, after 35 years, I still find this film a lot of fun to watch (even though it really should be experienced in a theater). Burt Lancaster is all stone-faced authority as Mel Bakersfield, the airport manager who neglects his wife (Dana Wynter) while lusting after his passenger relations agent (Jean Seberg).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13727&stc=1&d=1397761345
Dean Martin almost gives an actual performance as Vernon Demarest, the smooth-talking pilot who also neglects his wife (Barbara Hale) while having an affair with a stewardess (the lovely Jacqueline Bisset)whom he has impregnated. George Kennedy began his long association with the character of Joe Patroni here(he would play the role in three subsequent sequels). Van Heflin is extremely effective as D.O. Guerrero, the sad and twisted man who plans to blow up an airliner.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13728&stc=1&d=1397761394
Helen Hayes won an Oscar playing Ada Quonsett, a little old lady who stows away on the plane, but that Oscar should have gone to Maureen Stapleton, who is just devastating as Guerrero's wife, who is totally dismayed about her husband's plan and is tragically heartbreaking during one brief scene near the end of the film. For those who like their adventure films spiced with some somewhat corny, soap suds, put your brain in check and have your fill with Airport. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13738&stc=1&d=1397910811
Tom Cruise followed up his smashing success in the classic Risky Business with All the Right Moves, a quiet and moving drama in which Cruise plays Stefan Djordjevic, a somewhat sexist and dim-witted high school senior whose convinced that his prowess on the football field will allow him to go to college anywhere he wants, providing a one-way ticket out of the tiny, sleepy mining town where he lives where the entire town attends every game.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13736&stc=1&d=1397910475
Stefan's college plans get derailed when, after a confrontation with his coach (Craig T. Nelson), Stefan gets thrown off the team and the coach has him blackballed to the point where no college will talk to him. Cruise's interpretation of Jorjevich is quietly impressive because this character is nothing like Joel Goodson, his character in Risky Business. Stefan is cocky, sexist, self-absorbed, and not terribly likable, but Cruise still manages to infuse the character with sympathy.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13737&stc=1&d=1397910524
Nelson is solid as the coach (nothing like his TV coach)and strong support is also provided by Lea Thompson as Stefan's girlfriend, the late Christopher Penn as Stefan's buddy who has to give up his football aspirations when he gets his girlfriend pregnant, Charles Cioffi as Stefan's dad and especially Paul Carafotes as Stefan's explosive buddy, "The Vooch". Nothing earth-shattering here, but it did prove that Cruise had the range to play different kinds of character. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13739&stc=1&d=1397911037

A richly textured character study wrapped inside of surprisingly original story, As Good as it Gets was a striking and emotionally charged motion picture experience that will take the viewer through a myriad of emotions and find them trying to catch their breath and collect themselves as the credits roll.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13740&stc=1&d=1397911103

This unusual story revolving around three disparate characters who IRL would probably never cross paths except for the fact that two of them live in the same building and one of them hangs where the third works. Jack Nicholson won his third Oscar, giving one of his most dazzling performances as Melvin, a sexist, homophobic, anal-attentive, germophobic, anti-social writer who it seems has been living a fishbowl existence which has brought him to the belief that the earth was put here to serve and accommodate him and his needs.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13741&stc=1&d=1397911215

Marvin finds himself accidentally involved with Simon (Greg Kinnear, who should have won an Oscar), a sensitive, gay artist who lives in Marvin's building and becomes part of his life when Marvin is forced to care for Simon's dog after Simon gets beaten up by some thugs through a set-up by a sleazy bisexual con-artist (Skeet Ulrich). Helen Hunt won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Carol, a workaholic waitress with a sickly son who is Marvin's favorite waitress at his favorite restaurant. Any more details as to how these three people's lives intersect would spoil one of the most entertaining and delicious stories that was also nominated for Best Picture of 1997. A one-of-a-kind motion picture experience that must be seen and savored. 4

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13742&stc=1&d=1397911419

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13743&stc=1&d=1397911537

Ann-Margaret turned in one of the best performances of her career in the 1984 TV version of A Streetcar Named Desire, a well-mounted remake of the Tennessee Williams play that became the 1951 classic film that made a star out of Marlon Brando and won a 2nd Oscar for Vivian Leigh.

Ann-Margaret gives an intense and chilling interpretation of Blanche, the mentally fragile southern belle who is brutalized by her boor of a brother-in-law (Treat Williams)when she arrives in New Orleans to visit her sister Stella (Beverly D'Angelo). Ann-Margret has never lost herself in a role the way she lost herself in this one, a performance that lacks the china-doll fragility of Leigh's Blanche but adds an underlying layer of strength that was missing from Leigh's interpretation. Treat Williams lacks the electricity that Brando brought to Stanley but D'Angelo brilliantly conveys the tattered emotions of the conflicted Stella.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9olPm-sjOs4/TXVTj3RKl_I/AAAAAAAAAbI/cNL80hSSdB0/s1600/AStreetcarNamedDesire.jpg
The other plus of this production is that it restores the original Tennessee Williams ending to the play which was drastically changed in the theatrical film in order for the story to be more acceptable to audiences in 1951; however, it completely dilutes the power of the original piece but it is restored to its original beauty here and packs the emotional punch felt by audience at the 1947 premiere of the play. Coupled with the performances of Ann-Margret and Beverly D'Angelo, this is a remake which can proudly stand up next to the original. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13744&stc=1&d=1397911735
A Very Brady Sequel was the 1996 sequel to The Brady Bunch Movie which tries to touch upon all the episodes of the classic TV series that the first movie didn't. The paper-thin premise of this sequel centers on the appearance of a shady con-man (Tim Matheson) who arrives on the Bradys' doorstep claiming to be Carol's long-lost first husband, Roy, who, according to this film's opening scene, was lost at sea. The con-man is really there to get his hands on a statue that has sat in the background of every episode of the TV show and we now learn that it is part of a set and worth a lot of money.
http://www.caseengaines.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/A-Very-Brady-Sequel-3779.jpg
But the funniest part of this movie for me is a subplot in which after Roy's arrival, Greg (Christopher Daniel Barnes) and Marcia (Christine Taylor) learn they may not be brother and sister and start lusting after each other. This is, of course, a knowing wink to all those who have read Barry Williams' book Growing up Brady where he confesses to having been madly in love with Maureen McCormick and had trouble looking at her in a sisterly way when they were working. This movie addresses this in a hysterical scene where Greg and Marcia are sharing the room in the attic and start undressing in silhouette. This scene is cleverly shot and perfectly performed by Barnes and Taylor.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13745&stc=1&d=1397911782
The rest of the cast has settled comfortably into their roles for this sequel, especially Gary Cole, who is just spooky as Robert Reed as Mike Brady and Jennifer Elise Cox, who steals every scene she is in as Jan. The fun peters out before a truly lame finale, but for true fans, there is fun to be had here. 2.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13746&stc=1&d=1397911862
Beautiful Girls, is director Ted Demme's superficially entertaining excursion into Big Chill/Return of the Secaucus Seven territory that centers on a struggling pianist named Willie (Timothy Hutton) who, while having second thoughts about his engagement, decides to return to the snow-covered Minnesota suburb of his birth to attend his high school reunion and his varied encounters with his buddies from high school.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ncpjqjimmTA/T0cXymu-TqI/AAAAAAAAGGQ/DMophjy7s2Q/s1600/beautiful20girls1.jpg
There are, of course, several stories going on here, the most interesting being a triangle with Willie's best friend (Matt Dillon)juggling his current girlfriend (Mira Sorvino) and his married mistress (Lauren Holly) who he claims to have broken up with and Willie's fascination with a 12 year old girl who lives next door. This variation on a theme is no more or no less entertaining than any of the others, but it does boast an attractive cast, with a star-making turn by young Natalie Portman as the aforementioned 12 year old...the kind of role that Portman would soon be playing in her sleep. Uma Thurman, Michael Rapaport, Max Perlich, Rosie O'Donnell, and Martha Plimpton also have their moments in the sun. And if you don't blink, you'll see a very young David Arquette playing Willie's little brother. It's not Merchant Ivory, but there's some clever writing and the cast works hard for your attention. 3
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13747&stc=1&d=1397911916

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13748&stc=1&d=1397912145

Because I Said So is a tired retread of so many so called romantic comedies that is made tolerable because of Diane Keaton's presence in the starring role.

Keaton plays Daphne Wilder, an effervescent single mom of three, approaching her 60th birthday, who places an ad on the internet to find a prospective mate for her youngest daughter Milly (Mandy Moore). She finds one guy (Tom Everett Scott) who she thinks is perfect but there's another guy (Gabriel Macht) who thinks he's perfect and Milly ends up dating both of them, to her mothers dismay. Nothing terribly exciting here, but Keaton somehow magically elevates this film to a point where you start to believe it is something special. Something about Mandy Moore has always bothered me and this film has not changed my opinion of her. Macht, who last made an impression in A Love Song for Bobby Long, is charming but is fighting the script every step of the way. With a more interesting screenplay, this could have been a minor classic, but as is, the undeniable screen charisma of Diane Keaton does make it worth checking out. 2.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13749&stc=1&d=1397912330
After strong, scene-stealing performances in 48 hrs and Trading Places, Eddie Murphy firmly established himself as a superstar with Beverly Hills Cop.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13750&stc=1&d=1397912403
With a script originally intended for Sylvester Stallone, Murphy commands the screen in one of the greatest, single comic performances ever captured on screen, splashed against the backdrop of an action movie that is still riveting from start to finish. Murphy plays Axel Foley, a Detroit police officer who travels to Beverly Hills after a childhood buddy (James Russo) is murdered in his hallway, shortly after arriving in Detroit from Beverly Hills.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13751&stc=1&d=1397912488
Of course, this motivates Axel to hop in his crappy blue Chevy and travel to Beverly Hills. where he finds himself the ultimate fish out of water, and immediately butting heads with the Beverly Hills police department, but finding help from a childhood friend (Lisa Eilbacher), who is actually working for the man Axel is looking for, an extremely powerful and dangerous drug dealer named Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff). Things get sticky because Axel can't prove anything and can't get help from the Beverly Hills police so he and a couple of detectives are on their own to prove that Axel's instincts are on the money.

What could have been a standard cops and robbers adventure turned into something much more with the casting of Murphy in the starring role. I shudder at the thought of what this film would have been like with its intended star Stallone, but something tells me the screenplay was probably severly revamped when Murphy came on board...thank God.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wSKd4aCr_bE/maxresdefault.jpg
Murphy gives a thousand mega-watt performance here, blowing everyone off the screen with the exception of Judge Reinhold as Beverly Hills cop Billy Rosewood and the then unknown Bronson Pinchot as Serge, a gay receptionist in an art gallery. Twenty two years later, this is still Murphy's best performance and best movie and I don't think he will ever match it and shouldn't even try. An instant classic. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13752&stc=1&d=1397913368

Two time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey is the heart and soul of Beyond the Sea, the glossy and engrossing film biography of the late crooner Bobby Darin, chronicling Darin's life from his battle with a life-threatening disease as a child, his incredible music career, his marriage to actress Sandra Dee, and the expected downfall of his career that we usually see in movies like this.

Spacey produced,directed,and co-wrote this spectacular look at the singer who, more than anything, wanted to be "bigger than Sinatra." The love and respect that Spacey has for the subject is glaringly apparent, not only from the care and obvious expense that went into the project, but from Spacey's energetic and vivid portrayal of Darin (and yes, he does most of his own singing too).
http://omnipotent-film-critic.com/img/beyond-3.jpg
I can't recall the last time I have seen an artist work so hard at making a movie work, but Spacey's tireless dedication to this project shows in the finished product. Spacey's performance lights up the screen in one of the most entertaining showbiz biopics ever.

How accurate is the film in regards to the facts of Darin's life and career? I don't know and I don't care, all I know is that I found this movie richly entertaining and can watch it over and over again.

All of Darin's music is on display here, including "Splish Splash","Mack the Knife" and the title tune, which is effectively used to frame Darin's courtship of Dee in the film. Speaking of which, this was the one serious flaw in the film, the totally unconvincing and lifeless performance of Kate Bosworth as Sandra Dee, but Spacey does receive effective support from John Goodman as his manager, Bob Hoskins as his devoted brother-in-law and Caroline Aaron as his sister. Grandly entertaining from start to finish and a must for Darin and Spacey fans. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13753&stc=1&d=1397913415

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13754&stc=1&d=1397913539

Adam Sandler works another variation of his angry man-child character to great effect in Billy Madison a silly and improbable comedy that does provide laughs. Sandler plays Billy, who is the spoiled son of a zillionaire (Darren McGavin), who sits around the pool all day drinking beer and looking at girlie magazines, save the occasional trip to a neighbor's house to leave a flaming bag of dog poop at his front door.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13755&stc=1&d=1397913600

Billy's dad wants to leave him the company but his ass-kissing assistant (Bradley Whitford) insists that Billy is an idiot, at which time Mr. Madison must admit to Billy that he only graduated from high school because Madison paid all of his teachers to give him passing grades. Billy then proposes to his dad that he go back to school, starting in the 1st grade, and spend two weeks in each grade until he graduates in order to get control of the company. There is comic potential in this story and Sandler does his best to mine the gold that is there. Sandler has a good supporting cast behind him including McGavin, Whitford, Chris Farley (very funny as a bus driver), Norm McDonald, Theresa Merritt, and Joshua Mostel. Bridgette Wilson makes an attractive romantic interest as Billy's third grade teacher and there is even a very clever musical number thrown in that provides laughs. Love the game of dodge ball with the first graders too. A must for Sandler fans and watchable for everyone else. 3

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13756&stc=1&d=1397913682

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13757&stc=1&d=1397913845
Blades of Glory is another side-splittingly funny sports-oriented comedy from the demented mind of Will Ferrell that is the funniest film he has made since ANCHORMAN. This non-stop laugh riot stars Ferrell as Chaz Michael Michaels and Jon Heder (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE) as Jimmy McElroy, two professional figure skaters and mortal enemies who find themselves banned from singles competition in the Olympics and after three years away from competition, are convinced to return to Olympic competition as the first male-male pairs skating duo in history.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13758&stc=1&d=1397913899
This hilarious premise provides the backdrop for one of the funniest comedies I've seen in quite a while, full of outrageous physical comedy, silly homo erotic moments, and some silly sight gags made all the sillier by some intentionally cheesy looking special effects. Ferrell has rarely been funnier and has a surprisingly solid screen chemistry with Heder, who makes the most of the best role he's had in quite awhile. There are also funny supporting turns from Will Arnett and Amy Poehler as a brother and sisters pairs team who are threatened by the new team, Craig T.Nelson as Chaz and Jimmy's coach and Romany Malco (The 40-Year Old Virgin) as their choreographer. A riot from start to finish. Don't miss this one. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13759&stc=1&d=1397914059

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13760&stc=1&d=1397914304

Filled with non-stop laughs from start to finish, Blazing Saddles is Mel Brooks' comic masterpiece about a bumbling govenor who wants control of a tiny western hamlet called Rock Ridge where all the citizens have the last name of Johnson. He hopes to scare them out of their town by sending a black man (Cleavon Little) to be the new sheriff and that's where the fun begins.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13761&stc=1&d=1397914359

Like most of Mel Brooks work, this movie has something to offend everyone and makes no apologies about it. The movie could be considered racially offensive by some ultra sensitive but it's done with such humor and such in the spirit of the silly and entertaining story that is being presented that being offended seems silly. Not to mention the fact there is constant breaking of the 4th wall, another Brooks staple, that reminds us constantly that we are watching a movie and nothing here is to be taken seriously and we certainly don't.

This movie is a true classic with one of the most quotable screenplays ever (Richard Pryor was one of the screenwriters) and features a perfect cast. Writer-director Brooks has a dual role as the dim-witted governor and a yiddish speaking Indian chief; Harvey Korman is brilliant as the governor's stooge Hedley Lamarr; Gene Wilder became a star playing the drunken ex-gunfighter who saves the day at the last minute; and Madeline Kahn's turn as chanteuse/spy Lilli Von Schtupp is nothing short of brilliant and earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13762&stc=1&d=1397914416

Dom DeLuise is also very funny as a prominent figure in the film's off-the-wall finale. Highlights include Kahn's musical number, "I'm Tired", the campfire scene (enough said), the slaves rendition of a Negro spiritual, the governor's staff meeting and the one-of-a-kind finale. An instant classic and make sure you see an unedited print...a director's cut would be a dream. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13763&stc=1&d=1397914880

One of Eddie Murphy's best performances in one of his least seen films was the 1992 winner Boomerang. This smart and sophisticated romantic comedy stars Eddie as Marcus Graham, a womanizing advertising executive who loves the thrill of the chase where women are concerned, but once he has completed the chase, he is ready to move on. His sexual exploits have made him the center of his circle of friends (Martin Lawrence, a paranoid racist, and David Alan Grier, an insecure milquetoast) who live vicariously through him and admire his style as the ultimate player. Everything changes for Marcus when he acquires a new boss named Jacqueline (Robin Givens), Marcus is enamored of Jacqueline, but is completely thrown by the fact that Jacqueline is a female version of himself, a player who avoids commitment and uses Marcus when it is convenient for her. Throw into the mix another co-worker of Marcus named Angela (Halle Berry) who is nuts about him, but he doesn't know she's alive.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13764&stc=1&d=1397914919

Everything works here and it is so refreshing to see a movie with a predominately black cast where the characters are people with brains and real jobs. Murphy exudes mass amounts of sex appeal in one of his best roles and Halle Berry, though allegedly playing a plain Jane, just couldn't come off that way if she tried. This might have been one place where the film erred...I just didn't buy Berry as the sweet thing who Murphy takes for granted in favor of the flaming sexpot Givens, whose character actually turns out to be a complete bitch.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13765&stc=1&d=1397914975
There are some wonderful comic bits contributed along the way by Grace Jones, Geoffrey Holder, Tisha Campbell, and the legendary Eartha Kitt, memorable as an aging cosmetics queen with the hots for Marcus. A winning and original take on the Battle of the Sexes that is entertaining from start to finish. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13766&stc=1&d=1397915683
A luminous performance by Audrey Hepburn that earned her a fourth Best Actress Oscar nomination, Breakfast at Tiffany's is the glittering 1961 comedy-drama based on a story by Truman Capote which follows the misadventures of a good time girl named Holly Golightly a completely beguiling and exasperatng party girl who isn't actually a prostitute but is not above accepting $50.00 for "the powder room" from gentleman who desire her company.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13767&stc=1&d=1397915845

Holly is a girl for the moment...her apartment, though having lived there for years, looks like she just moved in three days ago and she refuses to give her cat a real name because it implies commitment. Holly's perfectly isolated but satisfactory existence is interrupted when she meets a struggling writer (George Peppard), whose fascination with Holly leads him to want her to unpack and name the cat. Hollywood folklore claims that Holly's story was cleaned up considerably for 1961 movie audiences who probably couldn't have handled Capote's story in its raw form.

I think if this movie were ever remade today, it would stick more to the original story where Holly would be a prostitute and Paul Varjak (Peppard's character) would be gay. If the truth be told, I think the relationship would be a lot more interesting if Paul were gay, but 1961 movie audiences were not having that, so we get a more standard love story. The story as it is an entertaining one, lovingly mounted by director Blake Edwards with a deft screenplay and charming performances from the stars.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13768&stc=1&d=1397915949
Solid support is provided by Martin Balsam, Patricia Neal (in a wonderfully stylish turn as Varjak's "benefactress"), Buddy Ebsen, and Elvia Allman. Only Mickey Rooney misses the boat as Holly's Japanese landlord. It's definitely a watered down version of its original source, but it is also one of the most romantic and endearing films of the 1960's that cemented Audrey Hepburn's position as Hollywood royalty forever and introduced a song that would become a pop standard called "Moon River" that would win an Oscar for Song of the Year. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13769&stc=1&d=1397916015

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13770&stc=1&d=1397916694

Brighton Beach Memoirs was the first of a trilogy of plays that Neil Simon wrote about his own life, renaming himself Eugene Morris Jerome. This play was a Broadway smash and made a star and Tony Award winner out of Matthew Broderick.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13771&stc=1&d=1397916741

When it was time to bring the play to the screen, Broderick was unavailable because he was back on Broadway in the second play of the trilogy, BILOXI BLUES, so Jonathan Silverman was pegged to star in the film version as Eugene, the slightly neurotic teen going through puberty and other realities of being a Jewish teen during WWII with the help of his loving family. Silverman makes a suitable replacement for Broderick and seems quite at ease speaking directly to the camera.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/brighton-beach-memoirs/w448/brighton-beach-memoirs.jpg?1293227555
I'm one of the few who really liked Blythe Danner as his strong willed mother...maybe the accent was a bit much, but Danner infuses the character with warmth and strength and Bob Dishy has one of his best roles as Eugene's father, a quiet tower of strength whose world weariness never allows him to neglect his family. Judith Ivey plays Danner's sister, a lonely woman whose lack of self-esteem seems to have stemmed from feeling she has lived in her sister's shadow her whole life and Brian Drillinger also scores as Stanley, Eugene's older brother, who loses his paycheck gambling and then loses his job and doesn't know how to tell Mom and Dad. Gene Saks directs with a loving, if loose hand and the film could have been more tightly paced, but the performances of Silverman, Danner, and Dishy made it worth my time. 3.5

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13772&stc=1&d=1397916789

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13773&stc=1&d=1397916968

Brokeback Mountain is a masterpiece of storytelling that takes some uncomfortable topics and situations and places them in the context of a moving and beautiful story. This is the story of Ennis Delmar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), two cowboys whose isolated summer sheep herding assignment turns them from strangers to friends to lovers in the matter of a couple of months.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13775&stc=1&d=1397917121

After their assignment is over they are separated for four years, in which time they both marry and have children. They are then reunited and it's like no time has passed at all. Unfortunately, Ennis' wife, Alma (Michelle Williams)witnesses their passionate reunion and chooses to live with the secret instead of confronting Ennis. What we then see is two people who seem to genuinely love each other, kept apart by circumstance.
http://lovelace-media.imgix.net/uploads/141/2977f740-7f02-0131-ef04-42aab1726324.jpg?
The word love never passes between Ennis and Jack. Ennis calls it "this thing." The men claim to be straight after their first encounter (though I have my doubts about Jack). The words "gay" or "homosexual" appear nowhere in the screenplay, though the word "queer" is used once. What we see more than the passion these men share when they're together is the passion they long for when they are apart. Ang Lee's sensitive and detailed Oscar-winning direction captures every nuance of emotion and passion between these two men without preaching to us or taking a stand on the underlying issues here. Ledger and Gyllenhaal give breathtaking, Oscar-worthy performances and receive solid support from Williams as Alma and Anne Hathaway as Jack's wife, Lorene. For me, this movie is above everything else, a love story, a beautiful, moving, emotionally charged love story where the protagonists just happen to be men. 5

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13776&stc=1&d=1397917259

[Gideon58]

http://static8.opensubtitles.org/gfx/thumbs/6/2/3/8/0068326.jpg
Butterflies are Free is the delightful 1972 film adaptation of the Leonard Gershe play about a young man who has been blind from birth (Edward Albert)who moves into his own apartment and almost instantly falls in love with his kooky next door neighbor (Goldie Hawn), a flighty free spirit who has trouble with anything resembling commitment, which he turns a blind eye (so to speak) to but is picked up immediately by his clingy, over-tective mother (Eileen Heckart).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13777&stc=1&d=1397917807
This breezy comedy still holds up pretty well for a film that's over 30 years old, thanks to an enchanting performance from Hawn in one of her earliest roles and a flawless supporting turn from Eileen Heckart as the mother-from-hell, who swoops in to protect her baby boy from this evil woman. Heckart underplays her role so beautifully here, a perfect supporting performance that won her a richly deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. I love when she first meets Jill, who is in her underwear, and Jill explains that she came over so her son could help her with her blouse to which Heckart replies, with the sweetest smile on her face, "Where is your blouse?" Some were surprised by Heckart's Oscar win here, but for me this performance is the definition of "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role."
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13778&stc=1&d=1397917873
Edward Albert, son of GREEN ACRES' Eddie Albert, made an impressive screen debut here as Donny, the young man between these two women. Albert won a Golden Globe for Outstanding Newcomer for his work here but it is the work of Hawn and the divine Ms. Heckart that make this film worth watching. 3.5

[Gideon58]

California Suite is the 1978 film adaptation of Neil Simons' quartet of one-acts set at a swank Los Angeles hotel.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13779&stc=1&d=1397917996
Out of the four stories, the strongest is "Visitors from London" which stars Maggie Smith as an actress in town for the Academy Awards after receiving her first nomination, in deep denial about her in-name only marriage to a closeted antique dealer (Michael Caine). Smith delivers a flawless comedy performance that ironically won her her second Oscar, this time for Best Supporting Actress. Caine is just as effective in this bittersweet tale.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13780&stc=1&d=1397918064
"Visitors from New York" stars Jane Fonda as a workaholic New Yorker who has flown to California to retrieve her daughter (Dana Plato) who ran away from home to move in with Fonda's ex (Alan Alda). Fonda's character is a little on the unsympathetic side but she and Alda make their scenes work. "Visitors from Philadelphia" stars Walter Matthau as a man in town for a convention who tries to conceal from his visiting wife (Elaine May) that there's a passed out hooker in his bed. This episode is pure slapstick with little substance but Matthau makes it bearable. The other episode "Visitors from Chicago" stars Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, Sheila Frazier, and Gloria Gifford as two couples vacationing together who get involved in some silly travel situations. This is definitely the weakest of the four playlets and looks like it should be in another movie of its own. A well-mounted, but spotty effort at best, California Suite is worth the rental for the glorious performance of Maggie Smith alone. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13781&stc=1&d=1397918133

[cricket]

Great reviews!

I agree with you on All the Right Moves, As Good as it Gets, Boomerang, Billy Madison, Beverly Hills Cop, and Blazing Saddles.

I couldn't get into Blades of Glory and shut it off pretty quick. Maybe one I'll try again.

[Kaki]

ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY solidified for me my long-dormant suspicion that Ferrell is a comic genius who had been so underrated up to this point.

I hope you're kidding.

I REALLY hope you're kidding.

[Gideon58]

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is the 1958 film version of Tennessee Williams' classic Broadway play, that is still powerful entertainment despite a watered down screenplay.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13782&stc=1&d=1397918502

The story follows the Pollitt family, headed by Big Daddy, who has just returned to his southern plantation after an extended hospital stay in time for his 60th birthday party where his family will gather and long hidden resentments, greed, machinations, manipulations, and, of course, secrets will rear their ugly head.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13783&stc=1&d=1397918888

Big Daddy has two sons: Gooper is a brown-nosing, if well-intentioned moron who desperately seeks his father's approval so he can inherit the estate someday and bows to his father's every demand and keeps Big Daddy awash in grandchildren. Despite all his good intentions, Big Daddy can't stand Gooper or his grasping and perpetually pregnant wife or his obnoxious children. Gooper's brother Brick is an alcoholic loser who has arrived at the plantation for the birthday party, but has injured his leg trying to relive his youth as a track star and lays up in his bedroom drinking and ignoring his beautiful wife Maggie, who Big Daddy adores and continues to pressure for grandchildren, but Maggie can't get Brick to touch her since the death of his college buddy, Skipper.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13784&stc=1&d=1397918939

Williams' play makes no bones about the fact that Brick and Skipper were lovers, but all references to homosexuality were dropped in the screenplay, making much of Brick's motivations for distancing himself from Maggie unclear, but making the film suitable for 1958 film audiences.

Despite the watered down screenplay, the film is still an emotionally-charged experience thanks to the taut direction of Richard Brooks and sterling performances from an all-star cast. Paul Newman has rarely been better as the tortured Brick and Elizabeth Taylor is a revelation as sexual dynamo Maggie the Cat. During production, Taylor lost third hubby Mike Todd in a plane crash and Taylor apparently channeled her grief into her work, producing one of her finest performances. She and Newman both received richly deserved Oscar nominations. Newman should have won. Burl Ives is brilliant as Big Daddy. Ives ironically won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for that year, but for another film (The Big Country). Jack Carson also gave one of his strongest performances as Gooper as did Madeline Sherwood, playing his obnoxious wife, Mae. Judith Anderson is heartbreaking as Big Mama and Larry Gates has his moments as Big Daddy's doctor, who is forced to reveal that Big Daddy is dying. Though slightly diluted from its original source, still a powerful movie experience that merits multiple viewings. Don't miss this one. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13785&stc=1&d=1397919018

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13786&stc=1&d=1397919666
Change of Habit was the film that marked the final film appearance of the Pelvis, playing an idealistic young doctor in a ghetto neighborhood, who happens to sing and play the guitar who receives assistance at his clinic from the three young nuns (Mary Tyler Moore, Jane Elliot, Barbara McNair), who the doc tries to teach the ways of the streets circa 1969.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16019&stc=1&d=1403877423
The story is silly mainly because Elvis is not even close to believable as a doctor and Moore is not much more credible as a nun. Elliot does have some funny moments as the rebel of the trio of nuns and Elvis does sing a couple of songs, but other than that, this film is pretty forgettable. 2

[Gideon58]

CHAPTER TWO
http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/chapter-two-1980/large_fAubdJzP0hzORmGNWxt5exyXykZ.jpg
Chapter Two is a long and rambling film version of one of Neil Simon's best plays. Like Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues, this story is based on a part of Neil Simon's own life. James Caan plays George Schneider, a fictionalized Simon, a writer who has just returned from a trip around the world after the death of his wife. Sadly, George made the mistake of visiting all of the places he traveled with his late wife and it has apparently not aided his grieving process.
http://cdn.filmschoolrejects.com/images/Picture-12.png
At the urging of his brother, Leo (well-played by Joseph Bologna), George agrees to go on a blind date with an attractive divorcée named Jennie McLaine (Marsha Mason). Their first date is actually over the phone but they do eventually come face to face and move into a whirlwind romance which leads to a quick engagement and marriage...perhaps too quick because shortly into his new marriage, George realizes he really hasn't finished grieving over his first wife and begins to push Jennie away.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13788&stc=1&d=1397919913
Simon's first wife passed away and he eventually met and married Marsha Mason, so essentially, Mason is playing herself here and not surprisingly does it pretty effectively. However, in attempt to expand the play for the screen, it has become labored and way too long...the scenes of George and Jennie on their honeymoon go on way too long and bring the film to a dead halt.

Another problem is James Caan's wooden performance as George. Caan never seems to grasp the rhythm of Simon's writing and makes George a little too melancholy. Bologna is solid, as always, as is an anorexic looking Valerie Harper, who appears as Jennie's best friend, Faye. If you're a Marsha Mason fan, it's worth checking out, others beware. 2
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15318&stc=1&d=1401480026

[Gideon58]

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is Tim Burton's dark adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel, which was turned into Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory back in 1971, with Gene Wilder in the title role.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13789&stc=1&d=1397920356
The story is basically the same. Five children from around the world find golden tickets inside candy bars made by world famous candy maker Willie Wonka, which allow them a tour inside the never before open to the public factory, led by Wonka himself, in which the children learn some rather unsettling lessons about being a kid. It should be mentioned that this review comes from someone who never read the book but was a huge fan of the 1971 film. This film does have a solid fan base because the story is more closely connected to the book than the first film was, but that doesn't necessarily make it a better film.

I had a lot of problems with this film, the primary one being Burton and Johnny Depp's interpretation of the character of Willie Wonka, which clearly had to be a collaborative effort. As dark as the book might have been, I have always felt that this was supposed to be a children's story and that Wonka should be an appealing character to children. Depp works very hard at producing a completely unique interpretation of the character but this Wonka comes off as hating children, which I found troubling. There is a mean-spiritedness to this Wonka that was absent in Gene Wilder's characterization. He's not a nice person and why the children would be so enamored of him here makes no sense.
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo337/AndreiShareTheFiles/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactoryWSD-3.png
The children are nastier than they were in the original as well...Mike Teevee, in particular, is one of the nastiest children I have ever seen in a movie. I also found something rather unsettling about the fact that the Oompa Loompas were all played by a single actor (Deep Roy).

On the plus side, I thought Freddie Highmore was absolutely wonderful in the pivotal role of Charlie, the only good little boy in the bunch. Highmore makes Charlie the only really likable character in the movie and the only actor from this version I preferred from the 71 version.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13790&stc=1&d=1397920411
Another thing I liked in this version is that we get to see the other four children leaving the factory after the tour, which we didn't in the '71 film. In the first film, you get the feeling that they might be dead...a lesson from Wonka which is also troubling. Mention should also be made of an impressive turn by the great Christopher Lee, playing Wonka's father...a character we never met in the '71 film but whose presence here does provide some insight into this Wonka's personality.

The songs are dark and dreary but the film does boast impressive art and set direction. A mixed bag to be sure, but you'll probably like it better if you never saw the '71 film. 2

[Gideon58]

CHICAGO
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e0/Chicagopostercast.jpg/220px-Chicagopostercast.jpg
The 2002 screen version of the Kander/Ebb/Fosse Broadway musical Chicago was a long time coming but well worth the wait.

This amazing musical became the first musical to win the Oscar for Best Picture since 1968 and helped to pave the way for the return of musicals to the big screen.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13791&stc=1&d=1397920567
When the film rights were first purchased for this musical over 20 years ago, Goldie Hawn and Liza Minnelli had been announced to be the stars, which gives you a good idea as to how long this project stayed on the shelf. Thank God, Harvey Fierstein, Miramax, and the amazing Rob Marshall finally found a way to bring the project to fruition.

This dark and slightly jaundiced musical traces the tale of two ladies Roxie Hart (Renee Zellwegger) and Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who have committed murder and use their notoriety as murderesses to become stars. Richard Gere plays the slightly unscrupulous lawyer who is trying to keep both girls from being convicted of murder in order to collect his fat fee.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13792&stc=1&d=1397920640
In the stage musical, the scenes are introduced as vaudeville acts and director Marshall cleverly legitimized this set-up for the film by making the entire film a dream of Roxie's by opening the film with a closeup of Zellweger's lovely blue eye which segues directly onto the stage of the Onyx, the nightclub where Zeta-Jones (in an electrifying performance that won her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar)is seen washing the blood off her hands before going onstage to perform the show's signature song, "All that Jazz" while Roxie is seen murdering her scummy lover (Dominic West) and trying to get her husband (John C. Reilly) to cover for her.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13793&stc=1&d=1397920690
This film is a feast for the eyes and ears and Marshall has definitely channeled Bob Fosse in his staging of the musical numbers. "Cell Block Tango", "They Both Reached for the Gun", "Roxie", "Razzle Dazzle", and "All I Care About" are just amazing.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16020&stc=1&d=1403877703
The performances are uniformly first-rate, with special mention to Queen Latifah as Mama and John C. Reilly as Roxie's husband, Amos, who stops the show with "Mr. Cellophane." Five numbers from the original score have been cut but there was only one ("Class") that I really missed. Otherwise, this musical is a must-see. I think even people who don't like musicals might even enjoy this one. A joy from start to finish. 4.5

[Gideon58]

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was a splashy and lushly mounted musical, based on a children's book by Ian Fleming (!)which the producers were hoping would strike the same gold as Mary Poppins but wasn't nearly as good.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13794&stc=1&d=1403791042
Dick Van Dyke, four years after Mary Poppins, stars as Caractacus Potts, an eccentric inventor with two small children, who buys and restores an old car and through story he tells his children, becomes a magical car that can float on water and fly in the air. Just as he was in Mary Poppins, Van Dyke is the only American actor among an all-English cast (though he wisely doesn't attempt an accent this time) in this fluffy children's musical that children can still get pleasure from; however, for most of us who grew up on it, has not aged too well.
http://ourownocean.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/vlcsnap-2492157.png?w=600
The lackluster songs are by Richard M.and Robert B. Sherman who also wrote the songs for Mary Poppins and the dances are choreographed by POPPINS choreographers Marc Breaux and DeeDee Wood.

Sally Ann Howes is a lovely leading lady with a Bond-girl-type character name, Truly Scrumptious. James Robertson Justice plays her father, a candy manufacturer, Benny Hill is a toymaker, Gerte Frobe(GOLDFINGER) plays an evil baron who loves to play with toys and Anna Quayle plays his children-hating baroness. There's also a delightful turn by Lionel Jeffries as Van Dyke's equally eccentric grandfather. Robert Helpmann is bone-chilling as the Child Catcher, a character who still gives me nightmares. A little too sappy for grown-ups now, but it might still keep unruly children still for a couple of hours. 3

[Gideon58]

CLUELESS
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/Clueless.jpg
Clueless is a breezy and entertaining teen comedy that follows a group of rich, spoiled California teenagers through their version of teen angst (we should all have had teen years this difficult).

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13795&stc=1&d=1397921116

Alicia Silverstone delivers a star-making performance as Cher, the spoiled and self-absorbed daughter of a Beverly Hills attorney who bought his daughter a jeep before she got a license. Stacey Dash, plays Cher's best friend, Dionne. As Cher explains, "This is my best friend, Dionne...we were both named after great singers of the past who now do infomercials." This is an endlessly entertaining film filled with great laughs that introduces an entire new facet of "teenspeak" which I won't spoil by getting into here.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13796&stc=1&d=1397921166

A wonderful supporting cast of fresh-scrubbed faces, some of whom would become stars later includes Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison (SCRUBS), Breckin Meyer, Paul Rudd, and Jeremy Sisto. There are also expert comic turns from Dan Hedaya, in one of his sharpest performances as Cher's father, Wallace Shawn as a stuffed shirt debate teacher and screenwriter Twink Caplan, who is very funny as the fellow faculty member Shawn falls for, Miss Giest. A delight from start to finish filled with laughs, all accompanied by a rocking music score. 3.5

[Gideon58]

COACH CARTER
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13797&stc=1&d=1397922854
Coach Carter is an inspiring and richly entertaining film, based on a true story. This is the story of Ken Carter, a man who returns to his high school alma mater to become the new basketball coach. Carter creates priorities for the guys on the team by presenting them with a contract that they must sign and honor if they are to play on the team. The contract states that they are to maintain a 2.3 GPA, go to their classes every day, sit in the front row of their classes,and wear a tie on game day. As much as Carter loves the game of basketball, he still feels their education should be the guys' number one priority. The team, which had a 4-22 record the preceding season, racks up 15 victories in a row until Carter learns that a couple of the team members are not keeping up their GPA. He then puts a lock on the gym door and cancels all games until the guys get their grades up. The furor this causes in the small town is understandable, since basketball scholarships are probably the only way these inner city kids are going to be able to go to college, but Carter is determined to send the message that there is life after basketball.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13798&stc=1&d=1397923067
Samuel L. Jackson turns in a commanding performance, as always, in the title role, as the man who cares what happens to the guys after they hang up their sneakers. Jackson's performance and a screenplay that's a bit preachy but does offer surprises make this film more than worth your time. 3.5

[Gideon58]

COLD TURKEY
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13799&stc=1&d=1397923185

Before he changed prime time television forever as the creator of shows like ALL IN THE FAMILY,MAUDE,THE JEFFERSON,GOOD TIMES,and ONE DAY AT A TIME, Norman Lear hit a bullseye as the director and co-writer of Cold Turkey, a savage black comedy which takes a wicked swipe at the tobacco industry, thanks to a razor sharp screenplay and a first rate comic cast.

This dark satire follows what happens when a tobacco company, so secure about the popularity of their product, decides to announce a nationwide contest where they agree to award $25,000,000 to any town where the entire population of the town can quit smoking for 30 days.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13800&stc=1&d=1397923261

A small mid western hamlet called Eagle Rock,Iowa decides to take up the challenge, led by the town's energetic minister, Rev. Clayton Brooks (superbly played by Dick Van Dyke). Some citizens are quick to balk at Brooks' challenge because he doesn't smoke and therefore it is no sacrifice to him. Brooks, a former smoker, silences these nay-sayers by agreeing to start smoking again until the contest starts, getting re-addicted and therefore making the same sacrifice he's asking the citizens of Eagle Rock to make.

This lays the foundation for some outrageously funny scenes,including Brooks' efforts to get one citizen (Tom Poston) to participate who refuses not to mention how Brooks deals with finding a substitute for smoking after the contest starts.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13801&stc=1&d=1397923359

The first rate supporting cast includes Pippa Scott as Mrs. Brooks, Vincent Gardenia as the Mayor, Edward Everett Horton as the head of the Tobacco company, Jean Stapleton as the mayor's wife, and memorable comic bits also contributed by Bob and Ray, Barnard Hughes, Barbara Cason, Graham Jarvis, Judith Lowry, and Paul Benedict. A smart and nearly forgotten comedy classic that still holds up, thanks to the genius that is Norman Lear. 3.5

[Gideon58]

COMING TO AMERICA
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/38/ComingtoAmerica1988MoviePoster.jpg/215px-ComingtoAmerica1988MoviePoster.jpg
Eddie Murphy had one of his biggest hits with Coming to America, an expensive and somewhat entertaining comedy which found Eddie playing the crown prince of a fictional African country who travels to Queens, New York to find himself a wife after deciding that he's tired of being waited on hand and foot and not thrilled about having no say in the wife that has been selected for him. Eddie's Prince Akeem and his manservant Semi (Arsenio Hall) arrive in Queens, pretending to be broke and get jobs at a fast food restaurant where Akeem falls for the owner's daughter (Shari Headley).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13802&stc=1&d=1397923684
This film is lavishly produced and well cast (James Earl Jones and the late Madge Sinclair are perfect as Akeem's parents, the King and Queen)but there's a certain emptiness about the whole thing that doesn't sustain a film of such length and expense.
http://www.thefashionablyfamous.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Coming-to-America_Eddie-Murphy-James-Earl-Jones-Madge-Sinclair-mid.jpg
Murphy is charming as Prince Akeem and he also gets to shine in one fabulous scene in a barbershop where he and Hall play everyone in the scene, but the film does not sustain interest until the end.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13803&stc=1&d=1397923829
Eddie later became involved in a lawsuit that claimed he stole the idea of the film from someone else which also casts a pall over the film which makes it hard to view all these years later, but it was one of Eddie's biggest hits and for his hardcore fans, there are laughs to be found, but personally, I think Eddie has done better work (Boomerang, The Distinguished Gentleman, Bowfinger, Beverly Hills Cop, Dreamgirls), but judge for yourself. 2.5

[Gideon58]

CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Though most Woody-philes consider Annie Hall to be his masterpiece, I have to go with Crimes and Misdemeanors, the caustic and brilliant 1989 comedy drama about the ambiguity of the moral choices we, as humans, must make and the consequences of said choices.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13804&stc=1&d=1397924125

This beautifully mounted film tells two different stories that initially seem to have nothing to do with each other, but Woody's genius as a writer does eventually bring the two stories together.

One story stars Martin Landau as a wealthy opthamologist who finds his comfortable life threatened when his mistress of two years (Anjelica Huston) begins making loud noises about going to his wife (the lovely Claire Bloom) about their affair and some financial misdeeds she also has knowledge of. Feeling he has no other choice, Landau turns to his mob-connected brother (the late Jerry Orbach) for assistance in handling the problem.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13805&stc=1&d=1397924168
The other story finds Woody as a financially strapped documentary filmmaker who agrees to shoot a sort of "cinema verite'" about his brother-in-law, an obnoxious, egomaniacal television star/producer(Alan Alda, in one of his best performances) while, in the process, falls for one of Alda's producers (Mia Farrow). The story fascinates as we watch the effect the choices these characters make and how the consequences of said choices slap them in the face.

The only physical linking between the two stories is the character of a rabbi with failing eyesight, played by Sam Waterston, who is Woody's other brother-in-law and Landau's best friend and moral barometer.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vZdsXP81QlQ/S65exEblzXI/AAAAAAAABM4/YDGnPOxksNk/s1600/cm.jpg
Allen won Oscars for his screenplays for Annie Hall and Hannah and her SIsters, but I think his work here trumps both of those scripts...an incisive and funny story with smart and haunting dialogue. The performances are superb right down the line with standout work from Landau, who received a richly deserved Oscar nomination for his tortured Judah, the man haunted by his choices and Alda, playing one of the most unlikable characters I've seen in films in quite awhile. Anjelica Huston seems a little too mature and intelligent a presence for her role, but she somehow makes the character vulnerable and believable.

Mention should also be made of Joanna Gleason and Caroline Aaron who appear as Woody's wife and sister, respectively. In a word, a masterpiece that is a must for budding Woody-philes and for anyone studying the art of screen writing. 4.5

[Deadite]

Did you really write all these? :suspicious:

[mark f]

He wrote them at IMDb a few years ago, and now that he's joined here, we're getting them. :)

[Daniel M]

Your writing seems really good, but what I would say, and I am sure others will agree with me, is that you should perhaps just add a little bit to the posts in terms of layout. At the moment its large blocks of texts, maybe just include a bold title of the film at the top and a poster from the wikipedia page or an image from the film, it's fairly simple but it allows people to distinguish between your posts and spot what films you're reviewing easily :)

[Gideon58]

CARRIE (1976)
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13807&stc=1&d=1397924331
Carrie is a slightly campy, but extremely effective thriller, based on the novel by Stephen King, which chronicles the adventures of Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), an introverted high school student who is completely ostracized by her schoolmates and antagonized at home by her psycho mom (Piper Laurie)until she discovers she has telekinesis...the power to move things with her mind and how, once she learns how to channel this power, exacts some horrifying revenge on everyone who has wronged her.
http://www.hitandrun.gr/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/carrie-prom.jpg?003218
Spacek is a revelation in the role that officially made her a superstar and Laurie is equally as riveting as her mother. Both actresses received Oscar nominations for their performances. The film also features effective support from Nancy Allen, John Travolta, Betty Buckley, Sidney Lassick, William Katt and Amy Irving as others caught in Carrie's orbit of revenge. An instant classic upon release that still packs a wallop today. 3.5

[Gideon58]

DAMN YANKEES
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13808&stc=1&d=1397924413

Gwen Verdon was a Broadway legend with long gorgeous legs and an undeniable stage and screen charisma. Her legendary stage career earned her four Tony Awards, thanks in no small part to her long time Svengali and ex-husband Bob Fosse. Sadly, the only time Verdon was allowed to bring a role she created on Broadway to the big screen was in Damn Yankees, the sparkling 1958 film adaptation of the Richard Ross-Jerry Adler musical about a middle-aged baseball fan named Joe Boyd (Robert Shafer)who sells his soul to the devil for his favorite team, the Washington Senators, to win the pennant.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15979&stc=1&d=1403791298
The devil, apparently in desperate need of converts, appears in Joe's living room in the form of a Mr. Applegate (Ray Walston)and changes Joe Boyd into Joe Hardy (Tab Hunter), a young and unbeatable baseball player who helps lead the Senators to the pennant until he starts to get homesick and Applegate sends in his # 1 agent/witch named Lola (Verdon) to distract Joe.

The film is well-mounted by Broadway legend George Abbott and Verdon and Ralston effectively reprise their Tony-Award winning stage roles and Fosse is even showcased, dancing in a rare duet with wife Verdon on "Who's Got the Pain?" and trust and believe, seeing Fosse and Verdon dance together is worth the price of admission alone.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13809&stc=1&d=1397924761

Other great songs in the score include "Whatever Lola Wants", "Heart","Those Were the Good Old Days", and "Shoeless Joe From Hannibal Mo". Not the greatest musical ever made, but Verdon, Ralston, and Fosse's brilliant choreography make it worth watching and re-watching. 3.5

[Gideon58]

DATE MOVIE
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13810&stc=1&d=1397925013
Presumably from the people who brought you Scary Movie, Date Movie is a an amusing take-off on the genre of film-making most commonly referred to as the "Chick Flick." This film follows the romance between a former fatty named Julia Jones (Alyson Hannigan)and a young man named Grant Funkyordoter (Adam Campbell). As expected, this film takes pretty accurate pot-shots at films like When Harry Met Sally, Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, Bridget Jones' Diary, and [I]My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Hannigan, a proven farceur thanks to her work in the American PIE movies and the CBS series HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, plays Julia with sincerity and energy and Adam Campbell, who looks like David Spade and sounds like Hugh Grant, perfectly inhabits the role of Adam. There are also funny bits contributed along the way by Eddie Griffin, Fred Willard, Jennifer Collidge (in a dead-on spoof of Streisand in Meet the Fockers), Sophie Monk, and Tony Cox. It's become fashionable to trash films of this ilk, but it held my attention and made me laugh and if you're looking for a film that will tickle the funny bone, laughs can be had here. 3

[Gideon58]

DE-LOVELY
http://www.iceposter.com/thumbs/MOV_2c67be1c_b.jpg
De-Lovely is a lush and sumptuously mounted musical biography of composer Cole Porter, light years away from the Cary Grant version called Night and Day.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13811&stc=1&d=1397926212
This grandly entertaining musical features Kevin Kline, in the performance of his career, as the divinely decadent Cole Porter, who was as well known for his sexual shenanigans as he was for his amazing music. The film chronicles Cole's development as a composer and his marriage to Linda (Ashley Judd), a woman who married Cole despite his rumored bisexuality.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13812&stc=1&d=1397926263
Apparently, Linda's love for Cole was more about what the name Mrs. Cole Porter would mean for her than an overwhelming desire to be the love of Cole's life. I later learned that, in real life, Linda was much older than Cole, which makes her acceptance of his lifestyle more understandable, but the casting of Judd as Linda makes this film more audience-friendly and that's OK. Kline and Judd light up the screen here and I have never found Judd more appealing on screen than she was in this movie.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13813&stc=1&d=1397926301
No biography of Porter would be complete without the music and all of Porter's finest work is on display here, performed by a glittering array of guest performers including Elvis Costello, Cheryl Crow, Natalie Cole, and Alanis Morrisette. The imaginatively staged musical numbers include "Anything Goes", "Well, Did you Evah", "Begin the Beguine","Love for Sale", "Be a Clown", "Blow Gabriel Blow", "So in Love" and the title tune.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13814&stc=1&d=1397926372
The film is directed with loving attention to period detail and features Oscar-worthy art direction and costume design. A feast for the eyes and ears, De-Lovely is a must for musical theater addicts, as well as fans of Kline and Cole Porter. 3.5

[Gideon58]

DERAILED
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13815&stc=1&d=1397926748
Derailed is a valiant attempt at Hitchcockian suspense that succeeds about halfway through the film and then falls apart. Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston star as two strangers who meet on a commuter train and are immediately attracted to each other. They plan to cheat on their respective spouses and plan a clandestine meeting at a seedy downtown hotel to consummate their lust. They forget to put the chain on the door and are interrupted by a stranger (Vincent Cassell), who bursts into their room, robs and beats Owen and rapes Aniston and then leaves as mysteriously as he departs.

The film worked for me up until this point, but then degenerates into a silly tale of repeated blackmail and valiant attempts by Owen to keep his almost-affair a secret, which includes using the money he has saved for his daughter's diabetes treatment to insure Cassell's silence after he shows up at his home, a la Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction.

As Owen's #1 priority becomes keeping his own secret, the story just gets sillier and sillier and we have clearly lost interest by the end. The selfishness of Owen's characters sucks away any likability the character had and Owen's mannered performance seems to consist mainly of trying to cover up his English accent. Aniston makes a strong attempt at playing a Stanwyck-type femme fatale but never completely convinces and Cassell's acting is way over the top as well. For hardcore Owen and Aniston fans only. 2

[Gideon58]

DICK TRACY (1990)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9d/Dick_tracy1.jpg/220px-Dick_tracy1.jpg
Bringing comic books to the screen is a rather recent trend in cinema but it looks like it is definitely here to stay and one of the best offerings of this genre was the 1990 version of Dick Tracy, Warren Beatty's colorful and smart re-thinking of the square-jawed comic book character. Beatty has mounted a beauty of a film here that is gorgeous to look at (the film won an Art Direction Oscar for its flawless and dazzling settings as well as for Costume Design).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13816&stc=1&d=1397926849
Beatty has also wisely chosen to underplay and let his huge, all-star cast shine in their various roles and above them all is Al Pacino, who walks away with the film effortlessly with his completely over the top but totally watchable performance as Big Boy Caprice, I don't think Pacino has ever been funnier on film and even received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his efforts.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13817&stc=1&d=1397926981
Madonna also leaves an impression as Breathless Mahoney (one of my all time favorite movie character names)as do Paul Sorvino as Lips Manlin, and Mandy Patinkin as 88 Keys among others.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13818&stc=1&d=1397927098
Patinkin and Madonna give effective service to the songs by Broadway genius Stephen Sondheim (one of them, "Sooner or Later", also won an Oscar). Though fairly predictable, Dick Tracy is a colorful and entertaining ride through comic book land that is definitely worth a look. A treat for the eye and ear. 4

[Gideon58]

DISAPPEARING ACTS
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2088/2881/1600/Disappearing%20Acts_s.jpg
Disappearing Acts is the 2000 HBO TV movie, based on the novel by Terry McMillan (Waiting to Exhale)that examines the relationship that develops between an uneducated and unemployed contractor (Wesley Snipes) and a music teacher/aspiring song writer (Sanaa Lathan) that becomes extremely complicated when he gets her pregnant but is unable to support her.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13819&stc=1&d=1397927500
Sadly, this movie is an excruciatingly real look at relationships between black couples in society today (and before anyone calls me a bigot, I am black)...two people drawn together by sexual heat and think that this enough to keep them together until the realities of a relationship begin to rear their ugly heads, such as the the woman becoming primary bread winner and supporting both her and her man, but not wanting to give up the sex either. Not to mention the fact that these people are from two completely different worlds...Lathan's circle of friends are all intelligent folk with jobs who feel Lathan is being dragged down by a relationship whose only glue is sex.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13820&stc=1&d=1397927558
What happens between Snipes' Franklin and Lathan's Zora is not pretty, but it is undeniably real. It should also be mentioned that one unique aspect of McMillan's novel is that it is written in first person from Franklin and Zora's alternating points of view...one chapter is written by Franklin and the next by Zora, throughout the novel and this fresh perspective of looking at what happens to these people from both sides is lost in the film; however, Snipes and Lathan have never been sexier on screen and it is their chemistry that makes this movie watchable, even if you do end up taking sides, and, trust, you will end up taking sides. 3

[Gideon58]

DOWN & OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13659&stc=1&d=1397927616
Down and Out in Beverly Hills is a smart American remake of the French film Bondu Saved From Drowning updated to modern day Beverly Hills. In this version, a homeless man accidentally wanders onto the property of a wealthy Beverly Hills family and tries to drown himself in their pool. Upon rescue, the family takes pity on him and take him in but the bum gets a little too comfortable and begins biting the hand that feeds him (in more ways than one).

Nick Nolte gives a rock solid performance as Jerry, the homeless bum who ends up running the Whiteman home. Nolte has rarely been so convincing in a role...apparently he spent several weeks on the streets of LA pretending to be homeless in preparation for the role. Richard Dreyfuss plays Dave Whiteman, the wealthy owner of a hanger company who takes Jerry in and initially envies Jerry's freedom before Jerry goes too far. Bette Midler is very funny as Dave's social climbing wife Barbara and Tracy Nelson plays their snooty college student daughter. Evan Richards also has some funny moments as the Whiteman son, Max.
http://emanuellevy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Down_and_Out_in_Beverly_Hills_4_nolte_mazursky.jpg
Paul Mazursky's spirited direction (Mazursky also cameos as one of Dave's fat-cat friends)and a clever screenplay help to make this one of the more entertaining comedy confections from the 80's. There is also a scene-stealing performance by a dog named Mike, who plays the Whiteman family pet, Matisse. 3.5

[Gideon58]

DOWN WITH LOVE
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13823&stc=1&d=1397928262
Down with Love is a lavish, cleverly-written tribute to the comedies made by Doris Day and Rock Hudson during the late 50's and early 60's, most specifically, a nod to their first outing Pillow Talk, the film which redefined Doris' career and earned her first and only Oscar nomination.

In this smart lampoon of that movie, Renee Zellweger shines as Barbara Novak, a small town girl who writes a best selling book, comes to Manhattan to promote it and gets involved with a playboy writer named Catcher Block (Ewan MacGregor) who keeps avoiding her until he sees her and then pretends to be someone else to romance her. Anyone who has ever seen Pillow Talk will recognize this plot line and this story is a perfect send up of it. The director here even utilizes the split screen technique introduced in Pillow Talk to put Barbara and Catcher in even more compromising positions than Rock and Doris shared.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13821&stc=1&d=1397927855
David Hyde Pierce channels Tony Randall brilliantly and Sarah Poulson is no Thelma Ritter, but she does provide some grins as Barbara's gal pal.

The film is beautifully mounted with Oscar-worthy sets and costumes. The costumes especially were robbed of an Oscar. A delightful romantic comedy that recalls a wonderful time gone by in cinema history. If you liked Pillow Talk, you'll love Down with Love. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13822&stc=1&d=1397928162

[Gideon58]

DREAMGIRLS
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Dreamgirls.jpg
Dreamgirls is the dazzling 2006 film version of the Broadway musical that traces the meteoric rise of a girls singing trio throughout the 60's and 70's which most people believe is a thinly disguised version of the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13824&stc=1&d=1397929157
This glittering film version is the story of Deena, Effie, and Laurelle, a trio known as the Dreamettes who are discovered at a talent contest by a slick music promoter-wanna-be named Curtis Taylor Jr. Curtis gets the Dreamettes a job as backup singers for a singer named James "Thunder" Early, a lounge lizard whose talent seems to be outweighed by his ego, womanizing and partying. Early and the Dreamettes achieve a modicum of success when Curtis makes the key decision to make the girls their own act , change their name to the Dreams, and having Deena sing the lead instead of Effie because, even though Effie is the one with the amazing pipes, Deena is thin and beautiful and will look better on album covers and it is this critical move that changes the lives of all the characters involved forever.

The Broadway musical made a star out of Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role of Effie on Broadway and it has now done the same for American IDOL-cast-off Jennifer Hudson, who dominates the screen as Effie, in one of the most electrifying film debuts ever captured on film.
http://www.killermoviereviews.com/wp-content/uploads/DreamGirlsHudsonKnowles.jpg
Hudson is a revelation in this role and completely dominates the proceedings with her powerhouse performance that rivets you to the screen in the musical and non-musical sequences. Hudson is, of course, a powerhouse vocalist and her performance of the show's best song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is, arguably, the greatest musical number ever presented in a movie. I was in tears halfway through it and when I saw the film, the audience applauded at the end of the number, something you don't see in movie theaters very often. Hudson's astonishing film debut won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13825&stc=1&d=1397929610
Eddie Murphy also received his first Oscar nomination for his performance as James Early, a bombastic and hard-driving performer, who seems to be patterned after the late James Brown. Murphy seems to be having a ball here, creating a character who is alternately endearing and tragic. Murphy also proves to be an accomplished vocalist, making his musical numbers come vividly to life here.

Jamie Foxx scores in the unsympathetic role of Curtis, the slimy promoter who never is completely honest about his third rate status in this business and never doubts any of the lousy, life-altering decisions he makes for James and the girls.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15605&stc=1&d=1402147485
The only weak spot in the film for me is the performance by Beyonce in the pivotal role of Deena, the reluctant star who turns self-assured Diva as the years pass by. In a role clearly patterned after Diana Ross, Beyonce definitely looks the part. The camera loves her and she looks stunning spread across a 40-foot screen, but the girl is no actress. This film features Oscar worthy art and costume design. The costumes in particular are stunning, perfectly recalling the look of 60's Motown and the score wonderfully recalls the Motown sound.

Surprisingly, the weakest musical moments are two songs that were written especially for the movie, "Patience" is a lame duet sung by Jimmy and Laurelle (Anoka Noni Rose) that just slows the movie down and "Listen" seems to have been inserted just to give Beyonce's character a solo. These are minor infractions though...Dreamgirlsis a rock solid adaptation of a Broadway musical that will have you laughing, cheering, crying, singing, and looking forward to seeing it again. 4

[Gideon58]

EASTER PARADE
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13826&stc=1&d=1397930599

Easter Parade is one of my very favorite films to come out of the MGM stables during the 40's and 50's, but I can't help but imagine if the film had come to fruition as originally planned. Gene Kelly was originally signed to play Don Hewes, but due to an injury (one story said he broke his ankle during a dance rehearsal and another said it was during a softball game), Fred Astaire, who had announced his retirement the previous year, agreed to replace him for the opportunity to work with Garland.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13827&stc=1&d=1397930656

Vincente Minnelli had originally been pegged to direct the film, but Garland's therapist advised that it was not a good idea for her and her then husband to work together as they were having a lot of problems during this time. Garland was also at the height of her drug addiction during this film and her frighteningly frail appearance in this film cannot hide that, but Garland manages to turn in a charming performance as Hannah Brown, the chorus girl groomed for stardom by Astaire's Don Hewes after his bitchy partner, Nadine Hale (Ann Miller) dumps him to sign with the Ziegfeld Follies as a solo act. Peter Lawford is also thrown into the mix as a wealthy playboy and friend of Don's who falls madly in love with Hannah, who only has eyes for Don.

I am forever grateful that this film brought Astaire out of retirement because he is at the top of his form here, from the opening number "Drum Crazy" to the spectacular "Steppin Out With My Baby". Garland is wonderful especially the classic duet with Astaire "A Couple of Swells" and a heartbreaking ballad called "Better Luck Next Time."

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13828&stc=1&d=1397930732

This film was so successful that MGM made two more attempts to pair Garland and Astaire. Garland became very ill when she was signed to star with Astaire in The Barkleys of Broadway which paved the way for the final teaming of Astaire with Ginger Rogers. They again tried to team them for Royal Wedding when June Allyson became pregnant; however Garland was constantly late to the set or wasn't showing up at all and Astaire was not having that so she was replaced by Jane Powell. So Easter Parade was the only time we got to see these two legends perform together. 4

[Gideon58]

ENCHANTED
The 2007 film Enchanted is a deft and imaginative musical/comedy/fantasy that breaks several cinematic rules in its execution of a richly entertaining story that intrigues and delights the viewer.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13829&stc=1&d=1397931136
The film opens as an animated fairy tale where we meet Giselle, a princess who, shortly before her marriage to Prince Edward, is magically transported to modern day Manhattan, thanks to Edward's mother, the requisite Evil Queen, where she is befriended by an attractive attorney and single dad.

Giselle's fish out of water experiences in Manhattan blend seamlessly with the arrival of Prince Edward, the queen's henchmen, and the Evil Queen herself, who also arrive in New York to return Giselle to the kingdom of Andulasia.

The story takes most of the turns it's expected to, but the journey there is the fun here, as the cinematic chestnut known as the fish out of water, is dusted off and refashioned into a contemporary fantasy filled with child-like imagination and adult sensibility.
http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6400000/Enchanted-movie-2007-giselle-6438260-1600-900.jpg
Amy Adams is perfection as Giselle, the princess transported to modern times who believes that love is everything, animals clean house, and pigeons deliver flowers. Adams' wide eyed sincerity and clear as a bell singing voice help to make this performance the flawless marriage of actress and character. Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden are attractive as the single dad who Giselle falls for and her fairy tale prince who wants her back. Timothy Spall provides some funny moments as the Queen's henchman and there is a brief, but fabulous scenery-chewing turn by Susan Sarandon as the Evil Queen. Tony winner Idina Menzel (WICKED) also scores as Dempsey's girlfriend .

The film is energetically directed by Kevin Lima and the surprisingly clever song score is provided by Alan Mencken (The Little Mermaid) and Stephen Schwartz (Pippin, Godspell). Top it off with some top-notch visual effects and cinema's most durable sidekick, Pip the Chipmunk and you have all the ingredients for a first-rate adult fairy tale that provides some big laughs in addition to the expected warm-fuzzy feelings. 3.5

[Gideon58]

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13830&stc=1&d=1397932256

An instant underground classic, Escape from New York was a stylish and exciting futuristic action drama centered on a prisoner named Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) who has been assigned to rescue the kidnapped President of the United States on a very tight timetable. Russell created his most memorable character in Snake and makes this film thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Russell receives solid support from Isaac Hayes, Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasance, Adrienne Barbeau (wife of the film's director director John Carpenter), and Ernest Borgnine, providing unexpected comic relief as a cab driver. If you've never seen this sleeper, you're in for a treat. A real roller coaster ride that's totally engrossing and so much fun. 3.5http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13831&stc=1&d=1397932325

[Gideon58]

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13832&stc=1&d=1397932495Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was an imaginative and entertaining 2004 comedy about a milquetoast (Jim Carrey) who accidentally learns that his ex-girlfriend (Kate Winslet) went to a mysterious company and had their relationship completely erased from her memory and he is so resentful of this, that he decides to do the same. During this process we are treated to various flashbacks and flashforwards which come at a lightning pace documenting this wild and twisted relationship.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hZdl2FFp0eA/maxresdefault.jpg
The real star of this film is its Oscar winning screenplay...an intelligent and totally original screenplay that demands attention be paid to dialogue and detail. Jim Carrey delivers his best performance since The Truman Show and Kate Winslet received an Oscar nomination for her luminous performance as his independent-minded girlfriend. A truly unique film experience for those who are game. 4

[Gideon58]

EXTREMITIES
https://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/94/MPW-47036
Extremities is the disturbing, yet riveting screen version of a play by William Mastriosimone (who adapted his own play for the screen) about a woman who is attacked in her car one night by a would-be rapist on her way home and is terrified when she realizes the man got her purse and knows where she lives. After her roommates leave for work the next day, the guy shows up at her home and attempts to rape her.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13833&stc=1&d=1397933172

The story takes a surprising twist when, at one point, the woman turns the tables on the man and is able to overpower him; but when she realizes there is no way that attempted rape can be proven and if the man is arrested, he will just get off, she decides to keep him prisoner in the house until she can get a confession out of him. Far-fetched? Maybe. Disturbing? Definitely, but there's a wonderfully claustrophobic feel about this film, especially the middle with just the woman and her attacker, that you can't help but feel completely a part of what's going on.

I did not see the play on Broadway, but I would imagine a piece like this works better onstage, but that doesn't make this film any less riveting an experience.

Farrah Fawcett, one of the last actresses to do the role on Broadway, was awarded the role of Marjorie in the film version and delivers a taut and deeply moving performance as the victim who refuses to be a victim. Many critics found Fawcett's performance to be one-note, but for me, Marjorie is a woman completely numbed by what she has been through and the performance works for me.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13834&stc=1&d=1397933220

James Russo, in the performance of his career, is slimy and menacing as the would-be rapist who finds Marjorie to be much more of a challenge than he assumed.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16021&stc=1&d=1403878040
Alfre Woodard and Diana Scarwid co-star as Marjorie's roommates, who come home after Marjorie has overpowered the guy and has him tied up and stuffed in their fireplace upon their arrival. And it's the arrival of the roommates that take the story to an unexpected level because they didn't see what we saw Marjorie go through and therefore, think she should call the police and let them handle the guy. Not for the faint of heart, but if you can stand it, a gripping film experience anchored by a lead performance that will surprise you. 3.5

[Gideon58]

FAILURE TO LAUNCH
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13835&stc=1&d=1397933629Failure to Launch is a clever and very entertaining romantic comedy based on an American phenomena that, inexplicably, doesn't get talked about much but is refreshingly brought out of the closet here.

Matthew McConaughey stars as Tripp, a 35 year-old,commitment-phobic, man/child who works as a boat broker and still lives at home with his parents. A supposed chance meeting with a woman named Paula leads Tripp to think he might be in love...unbeknownst to him, Paula was actually hired by his parents to seduce him so that he will move out of the house.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15894&stc=1&d=1403273449
Granted, this clever premise is also problematic in that it forces the viewer to sympathize with characters who are doing unsympathetic things. If you can accept the fact that there is no legitimate reason why Tripp should be living at home (he originally stayed at home to recover from the death of an ex)anymore AND you can accept the arrogance of Paula who claims latest client Tripp is a classic case AND that she can make ANY man want to move out his parents' house AND you can accept that instead of just kicking Tripp out, his parents go to these lengths to get him out of the house, this movie is a lot of fun.

Tom Dey's spirited direction is a big plus and the cast is wonderful. Matthew McConaughey, an actor whose made more bad movies in the last decade or two than most working actors today, has not been this appealing in years and Sarah Jessica Parker somehow manages to make the arrogant Paula extremely likable. Justin Bartha and Bradley Cooper are very funny as Ace and Demo, Tripp's two best friends, who ALSO live at home with their parents and Zooey Deschanel steals every scene she is in as Kit, Paula's dark-spirited roommate. The casting of Terry Bradshaw and Kathy Bates as Tripp's parents is nothing short of genius...the chemistry between Bradshaw and Bates is kinetic and they bring even more humor and warmth to their roles than the script allows.

There is one funny scene after another and even though you can see where this one is going pretty quickly, the journey is a lot of fun. If you're an adult living at home, or you're a parent of an adult living at home, this film is a must. Both sides of the issue are presented here...purely for laughs. 3

[Gideon58]

FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH
A nearly flawless teen comedy, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is the classic, raunchy, episodic look at an eclectic group of high school students at a California high school. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13836&stc=1&d=1397934291

Multiple storylines are showcased in this now classic comedy which include a shy movie theater usher (Brian Backer) trying to get a date with a pizza waitress named Stacy, not realizing she is really smitten with his BFF Mike Damone (Robert Romanus); Stacy's older brother Brad finds himself in financial trouble with his new car when he loses his long time job in a fast food joint and the perpetually stoned Jeff Spiccoli (Sean Penn) might miss the big end of the year dance because he is flunking history and his tight-assed history teacher might keep him from attending.

A clever screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on his own masquerade as a high school student and spirited direction by Amy Heckerling help to keep this classic fresh and funny 25 years after its release and with a perfect, hand-picked cast, some of whom became big stars: http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13838&stc=1&d=1397934492Jennifer Jason Leigh as the virginal Stacy Hamilton; Judge Reinhold as Bad; the luscious Phoebe Cates as Stacy's girlfriend Linda, who offers Stacy lots of bad advice on men; and Sean Penn, absolutely memorable and stealing every scene he's in as Jeff Spiccoli. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13837&stc=1&d=1397934371

Crowe and Heckerling seamlessly interlace these characters through multiple story lines to great effect. The film also features one of the best soundtracks of an 80's film and brief appearances by future stars like Forrest Whitaker, Amanda Wyss, James Russo, Eric Stolz, Vincent Schiavelli, Anthony Edwards, and Nicolas Cage. Anyway you slice it, a classic. Beware of edited versions...a Director's cut would be a dream. 4

[cricket]

Off this page I love Escape From New York, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Down and out in Beverly Hills, and Extremities.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was just ok for me.

[Gideon58]

FATAL INSTINCT
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13840&stc=1&d=1397934791

Fatal Instinct is a side-splittingly funny spoof of film noir dramas, in the AIRPLANE/NAKED GUN mode that offers affectionate winks at films like Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Cape Fear, offering consistent laughs thanks, in part, to the self-assured direction of comedy icon Carl Reiner.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16157&stc=1&d=1404740646
Reiner smartly chose to cast strong actors instead of pure comics whose uncanny ability to play the funny material with completely straight faces is what makes the film so funny.

Armand Assante is surprisingly funny as Ned Ravine, a cop and a lawyer who is being cheated on by a scheming wife (Kate Nelligan), being pursued by a sexy client (Sean Young)and being loved from afar by his faithful secretary (Sherilyn Fenn). There are also funny turns from Christopheer McDonald as Nelligan's dim-witted lover, James Remar, in a perfect take off of Max Cady from Cape Fear, and Tony Randall as a judge.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15319&stc=1&d=1403791664
The gags come fast and furious and most of them work, there's even a very funny cameo by Bob Euker, as a color commentator for a trial. Just sit back, relax, don't think about it too much and there's a lot of fun to be had here. 3

[Gideon58]

FATHER'S DAY
Robin Williams and Billy Crystal are two of the funniest men in the business and it is their own brilliance as comedians that makes Father's Day worth a look. In this rather lame comedy, a woman named Colette (a miscast Natassia Kinski)has a fight with her son (bland newcomer Charlie Hofheimer)who runs away from home to follow his girlfriend who is following a touring rock band.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13841&stc=1&d=1397935028
While the boy's father (Bruce Greenwood) sets out to find him, Colette calls two men from her past (Crystal, Williams)who she had affairs with years ago, tells both men that the boy is their son to get them to help in the search for the boy. Crystal is a successful attorney fresh into his third marriage (to Julia Louis Dreyfuss) and Williams is a suicidal writer who has a gun to his head when Colette calls. The plot takes all the routes you would expect but Williams and Crystal are so funny that you don't mind taking the ride. I suspect large portions of their scenes together are improvised and nobody does that better than these two. When these two are off-screen, the movie comes to a screeching halt, but when they are on, they somehow manage to make this convoluted mess worth sitting through. No classic, but Williams and Crystal fans might want to check it out. 2

[Gideon58]

Michael J. Fox offers one of his strongest performance s in For Love or Money, a predictable yet entertaining comedy that bears more than a passing resemblance to the 1960 classic The Apartment. Fox plays Doug, the slick concierge at a fancy Manhattan hotel who becomes caught between an unscrupulous businessman (Anthony Higgins), who he's hoping will help to finance his dream of his own hotel and his mistress (Gabrielle Anwar), a department store clerk and aspiring singer who refuses to accept the fact that the man is married and will never leave his wife. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13842&stc=1&d=1397935418

Fox gives his best performance since Back to the Future as a fast talking yet utterly charming con artist with impeccable people skills which have become both a benefit and a detriment where his work is concerned. Anwar is an attractive leading lady and Higgins is appropriately smarmy as the villain of the piece. An intelligent screenplay and noteworthy supporting turns by Michael Tucker as a hotel guest and Fyvesh Finkle as a senile bell hop are icing on the cake for this smart little comedy that went virtually unnoticed at the time of its release but provides breezy entertainment. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13843&stc=1&d=1397936624
Bette Midler proves that she can single-handedly make a film worth watching in For the Boys, an overlong but rewarding comedy-drama with music which chronicles the relationship between singer Dixie Leonard and comic Eddie Sparks (James Caan), a character clearly patterned after Bob Hope, which begins during a WWII USO tour and concludes in the present where the glamorously aging couple are being reunited for a television special.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13844&stc=1&d=1397936677

Bette received her second Best Actress Oscar nomination for her commanding performance here, She lights up the screen whether Dixie is upstaging Eddie in front of thousands of troops during WWII, cursing out sponsors during her and Eddie's television show, or tearing Eddie a new one when she thinks he is trying to steal her son away from her.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13845&stc=1&d=1397936724
As expected, she makes the most of her musical moments in the film with "Stuff Like that There" and "Come Rain or Come Shine" as standouts. Caan works hard in the role of Eddie Sparks, managing to make a pretty despicable character rather likable for the majority of the story. The only big mistake here was director Mark Rydell's casting of his real-life son, Christopher in the pivotal role of Dixie's adult son. Rydell's lifeless performance is a major detriment to an important part of the film, but for the most part, For the Boys is grand entertainment, thanks to the Divine Miss M. 3.5

[Gideon58]

From the people who brought us Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, and A Mighty Wind, comes For Your Consideration, an extremely smart and deliciously funny satire that skewers Hollywood and more specifically, "the business of show business."
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13846&stc=1&d=1397937124
The razor-sharp screenplay by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy centers on the production of a movie called "Home for Purim", the story of a family gathering for this Jewish Holiday during WWII who are rocked by the arrival of the daughter with her lesbian lover. The film stars Marilyn Hack (Catherine O'Hara), an actress who burst onto the Hollywood scene with a smash hit movie in 1989 and then disappeared; and Victor Alan Miller (Harry Shearer), an actor who has spent the majority of his career playing a hot dog in a series of TV commercials, but as filming of the movie-within-a-movie progresses, the film starts to generate Oscar buzz for Marilyn and that's where the fun begins.

To reveal any more plot would be criminal,but suffice it to say that Guest and Levy have turned a jaundiced eye on Hollywood and given us a deft look into the inner workings of Hollywood and the silliness and unpredictability that often materializes in that mad pursuit of box office receipts and award recognition.
http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/for-your-consideration-2006/hero_EB20061116REVIEWS611160301AR.jpg
O'Hara turns in the performance of her career as Marilyn Hack and yes, the performance is Oscar-worthy as does Harry Shearer, taking his most significant role in the Guest company since SPINAL TAP and making Victor sweet and vulnerable. Director Guest also doubles as the director of the film and Levy is very amusing as Victor's agent. Laughs are also provided by Parker Posey as Callie Webb, the self-absorbed actress playing Marilyn and Victor's movie daughter, Jennifer Coolidge as the film's clueless producer, and Fred Williard and Jane Lynch as a pair of reporters from an "Entertainment Tonight" sort of show. For those fascinated with the inner workings of Hollywood, this film is a must and a comedic joy from start to finish. 4

[Gideon58]

Jessica Lange was robbed of an Academy Award for her mesmerizing performance in the 1982 film, Frances, a relatively gripping character study/biography of the late 1930's actress Frances Farmer, who, after being ostracized from Hollywood, ended up being declared insane, institutionalized, and lobotomized, according to this screenplay.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13847&stc=1&d=1397937451

Not knowing a lot about the actress before the release of this film, I have never been sure of how factual it is (I always got the feeling that the Harry York character, played by Sam Shepherd, was fictional), but how many screen biographies are big on the facts? Sometimes facts are glossed over and/or ignored for the sake of preserving or igniting drama.

Whether or not this is true is for those who knew Farmer to say. I did see an interview once with Farmer's nephew (?) who was very pleased with Lange's interpretation of Farmer and that is exactly why this film is worth seeing.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13848&stc=1&d=1397937497

Despite a meandering screenplay, turgid direction, and a feeling the movie is about 30 minutes too long, this movie is worth seeing for one reason and one reason only...the riveting performance by Jessica Lange.
http://www.bronxbanterblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/frances-1982-08-g.jpg
She is in virtually every frame of this movie and makes every single moment vivid, striking, and achingly real. This film should be shown to acting classes on a daily basis...maybe the best performance by an actress in a leading role in the 1980's. Not a great film, but an amazing performance by a consummate actress that must be seen to be believed. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13849&stc=1&d=1397938227

Every time a film is made about a real-life figure, particularly a show business figure, people love to complain that the movie is not accurate regarding the facts of that person's life. If the truth be told, if movie biographies were strictly about the facts, no one would go to see them, because for the most part, the facts don't make for great entertainment and Fanny Brice is no exception.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13850&stc=1&d=1397938346

The 1968 musical Funny Girl has been maligned for years because it is not a very accurate representation of the facts of Fanny Brice's life. If you want to learn about Fanny Brice's life, read a biography or go on the internet, but if you want to see an amazing movie musical spotlighting a legendary performer at the beginning of her amazing career, then you can't beat Funny Girl, the 1968 musical based on the 1964 Broadway musical that made Barbra Streisand a star.

Streisand tied with Katharine Hepburn for the Best Actress Oscar for this charismatic star turn as the young girl from Henry Street who becomes a big star of the Ziegfeld Follies and has a heartbreaking romance with a charming gambler named Nick Arnstein, played by Omar Sharif.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13851&stc=1&d=1397938654

Streisand is in practically every frame of this film and never makes you wish otherwise...one of the great performances in the history of cinema...whether she is defying Florenz Ziegfeld by refusing to appear in the finale or chasing an ocean liner to be with Nick, Streisand gives the one-woman performance of a lifetime here.
http://www.nyfcc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/funny.jpg
Directed by Oscar-winner William Wyler, Streisand is lovingly photographed and effectively showcases the Jule Styne-Bob Merrill score, which includes classics like "People" and "Don't Rain On My Parade". Some changes have been made in the score from the stage musical but Streisand makes it all work and the finale "My Man" is just devastating. It's not an accurate biography of the vaudeville legend, but as a dazzling and entertaining movie musical, it's hard to top this one. 4.5

[Gideon58]

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is the sparkling 1953 musical comedy based on the Broadway musical that made Carol Channing a star and here does the same thing for another blonde...namely Marilyn Monroe. Monroe shines in the ultimate dumb blonde role: Lorelei Lee, who along with best pal Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) are a couple of showgirls traveling on an ocean liner to Paris being tailed by a private detective hired by the father of Lorelai's latest beau, to get the goods on her.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13852&stc=1&d=1397939252
The razor-thin plot is so not the issue here. The issue is the performances by the film's stars that absolutely light up the screen. Monroe, in particular, found the role of a lifetime here as Lorelei Lee, the seemingly dim-witted gold digger with a nose for diamonds and rich men, who has no shame about using her obvious physical assets to get what she wants. This is the role that most people look to when they say that Monroe was just a "dumb blonde", but if you watch closely, Monroe is just playing a "dumb blonde" and doing it better than probably anyone ever did. And never was there a clearer example of why the camera just loved Monroe.

Though the film is clearly Monroe's showcase, Jane Russell never allows herself to be blown off the screen and performs impressively alongside Monroe as the wisecracking Dorothy Shaw. Russell proves to have the same skill with a wisecrack that actresses like Thelma Ritter and Eve Arden did.
http://en.vogue.fr/uploads/images/thumbs/201341/marilyn_monroe_et_jane_russell_portant_des_robes_rouges_brod__es_par_william_travilla_pour_le_film_g entlemen_prefer_blondes__1953__estimation__7_500___15_000_euros_236355211_north_545x.1
Elliott Reed, Tommy Noonan, Charles Coburn, and young George Winslow offer solid support in supporting roles as the various men (and boys) involved in the misadventures of Lorelei and Dorothy.

Musical highlights include the ladies' opening number, "Two Little Girls from Little Rock", "Bye Bye Baby", "Ain't Anybody Here for Love?", and Monroe's "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend", has become a permanent part of cinema pop culture.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13853&stc=1&d=1397939326
Aided by breezy direction from Howard Hawks, this is a delightful musical comedy classic which features two beautiful and talented ladies front and center at the peak of their charm.
4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15897&stc=1&d=1403274004
Spike Lee, in my mind a hit and miss director, hit a bullseye with Get on the Bus. This engrossing 1996 comedy-drama follows a group of black men who take a bus trip from a Los Angeles suburb, en route to the Million Man March in Washington DC.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13891&stc=1&d=1398343921

I love movies that focus on fictional characters involved in a real life event and Lee has put together a most interesting collection of characters and thrown them together for this personal journey to a history-making event.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13892&stc=1&d=1398344041

Some of the finest African American talent has been assembled to make this story work. Andre Braugher shines as Flip, a self-absorbed actor, waiting to hear about the results of an audition, who you have to really wonder why he is even interested in attending the march. Isaiah Washington plays a closeted homosexual whose soon to be ex-lover (Harry Lennix) pretty much outs him in front of everyone on the bus. A father (Thomas Jefferson Byrd) is accompanied by his son (De'Aundre Bonds) who, because of a court order, has to be in shackles for the entire trip. Hill Harper plays a film student who has decided to film the march for a school project. Roger Guevenor Smith plays a light-skinned black cop who confronts a Muslim passenger (Gabriel Casseus) who has a record and still has a warrant on his head.

Richard Belzer plays the paranoid Caucasian driver of the bus whose discomfort with the assignment forces him to quit a couple of hours into the trip forcing the trip leader (the always solid Charles S. Dutton) to take over driving the bus and Ossie Davis adds a touch of dignity as Pop, the only passenger on the bus who was probably at the first march on Washington in the 60's.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13893&stc=1&d=1398344096

This is a delicious ensemble peace, lovingly directed and skillfully acted with a music score that is a Motown lover's dream. A minor classic that, if given the opportunity, will move you.
3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13894&stc=1&d=1398344780
Godspell is the 1973 film version of the off-Broadway musical based on the Gospel according to St. Matthew that has probably been performed on stage more than any other musical in the history of theater.

The film version is a relatively faithful rendering of the Broadway musical, which is sort of comic-book re-telling of the last days of Jesus Christ in which Jesus, wearing clown makeup and a Superman T-shirt is followed around New York city by a group of bouncy young disciples who abandon their hum drum lives to follow their new savior.

The musical score by Stephen Schwartz, a classic in and of its self, includes "Day by Day", "All For the Best", "Turn Back O'Man" , and "O Bless the Lord My Soul".
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1871/2060/1600/1973%20Godspell%20Sheep%20goats.jpg
Victor Garber had his first significant film role as Jesus and the film also features five members of the original off-Broadway cast (it should be mentioned that four actors in this film are no longer with us). The film makes effective use of NYC locations with some imaginative staging for several numbers , most notably a portion of "All for the Best" taking place on the giant jumbo-tron in Times Square.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13895&stc=1&d=1403104036
"Learn Your Lessons Well" and "We Beseech Thee" were not included in the film and a new song "Beautiful City" was added in hopes of garnering a Best Song Oscar nomination, but really adds nothing to the story, but for fans of the stage musical, the movie will not disappoint. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13896&stc=1&d=1398345327

Goodbye Charlie was a slightly smarmy but very funny comedy from the 60's that I grew up with. This was the story of a womanizing cad named Charlie Sorel, who one night is partying on a yacht and romances a married woman. He is caught by her husband who shoots Charlie, who falls overboard into the ocean. Charlie's body is not immediately located but a memorial service is held, attended by his best friend George (Tony Curtis) and some of the women Charlie romanced over the years.

A couple of days later a woman (Debbie Reynolds) is found naked on the beach outside of Charlie's apartment, where George is sorting out Charlie's things. We soon learn that this woman is a female reincarnation of Charlie Sorel, apparently God's ironic way of punishing Charlie for the dreadful way he treated women all his life. Charlie initially freaks out at the idea of being a woman but soon shows he hasn't learned a thing and reverts to the old Charlie even though he is a woman now.
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/Bo2VEBl-k24/hqdefault.jpg
I was just a kid when this film first hit theaters but I still thought it was pretty funny. Reynolds and Curtis are energetic in the lead roles and are well-supported by Walter Matthau as the guy who shot Charlie, Pat Boone as a schnook who found and falls in love with the reincarnated Charlie and Joanna Barnes and Ellen MacRae as two of the women in old Charlie's life. BTW, Ellen MacRae later changed her name to Ellen Burstyn.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13897&stc=1&d=1398345410

It's no cinematic masterpiece, but it will make you laugh. Remade many years later as SWITCH. 2.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13898&stc=1&d=1398346298

The 2000 recording of the British revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar was dazzling from start to finish...a beautiful revival of the classic rock opera that shows exactly how to revive a classic musical...this production has re-thought the show for the new millennium, giving it some new visual trappings, through some inventive staging, has refocused the relationships in the show, but most of important of all when reviving a musical, it has remained true to the original piece.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13899&stc=1&d=1398346350

This rock opera chronicling the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ was first brought to the screen in 1973 by director Norman Jewison, who copped out a bit by presenting the story as a show being presented by a group of traveling players...no such breaking of the 4th wall here...directors Gale Edwards and Nick Morris have opted not only to present the story as real and in a somewhat contemporized setting, but thanks to some effective staging and camera-work, have focused the show where I always thought it really belonged...on the twisted relationship between Jesus and Judas Iscariot, which I have always felt was the crux of this musical but tends to get lost in most productions of this show due to a lack of actual vocal interaction between the two characters, but putting the show on tape allows camera-work to come into play beautifully, adding an entire new texture to this tragic relationship, perfectly conveying the conflicted emotions of love and guilt and resentment both these men supposedly felt for each other.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13900&stc=1&d=1398346406

The classic Webber/Rice score is presented intact and includes "Heaven On Their Minds", "I Don't Know How to Love Him", "Everything's Alright", "King Herod's Song", "Hosanna", and "Superstar." Contemporary settings are a big plus here...the office where Ciaphas does "This Jesus Must Die" seems to be a definite wink to Darth Vader in STAR WARS and the idea of Pilate actually being undressed and in bed for "Pilate's Dream" was inspired.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13901&stc=1&d=1398346548
The entire cast is first rate with special nods to Glenn Carter (Jesus) Jerome Pradon (Judas), Fred Johanson (a bone-chilling Pilate) and Michael Schaeffer (Annas). For fans of the show a must see and it could make converts of non-fans. Breathtaking from start to finish. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13902&stc=1&d=1398346810

South Pacific has never been one of my favorite musicals so I was initially unenthused at the thought of watching a concert version done live from Carnegie Hall, but decided to give it a chance when I learned that Brian Stokes Mitchell would be singing Emile DeBeque.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15899&stc=1&d=1403274276
As I suspected, Brian Stokes Mitchell's rich baritone and the role of DeBeque were a perfect fit, his rich, dark brown tone seemed to fill every inch of Carnegie Hall...his rendition of "This Nearly was Mine" literally stopped the show. Never one of my favorite songs, Stokes Mitchell, as he did when he played Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, puts his own stamp on the song and I swear a chill went down my spine as he concluded the piece.

Stokes Mitchell was flawless, as always, but the real surprise for me in this concert version was Reba McIntire singing Nellie Forbush. McIntire, who starred as Annie Oakley in Annie Get your Gun on Broadway, made a surprisingly effective Nellie. Her marked southern drawl was less of a distraction in a concert version than I think it might have become in a full production.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15898&stc=1&d=1403274224
McIntire's interpretation of the songs was energetic and she acceptably masked the fact that "A Wonderful Guy" and "Honey Bun" were both a little out of her range. Lillias White was brilliant as Bloody Mary, one of the few times I have heard "Bali H'ai" and "Happy Talk" completely belted...her voice was lush and controlled and I don't think I have ever been so moved by "Bali H'ai" before.

Jason Daniely's rendition of "Younger than Springtime" as Lt. Cable was lovely, but when the music stopped and he had to actually speak dialogue, he became stiff and uncomfortable to watch and I think Alec Baldwin was just miscast as Luther Billis. But the breathtaking musicianship of Brian Stokes Mitchell and Lillias White made this concert worth watching. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13904&stc=1&d=1398347766
After their brief encounter in Scarface, Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer were reunited for Frankie and Johnny, a charming romantic comedy about an ex-con hired to work at a restaurant where he falls in love with one of the waitresses there.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13903&stc=1&d=1398347513
I absolutely love this move...Pacino has rarely been more sexy and appealing on screen and no matter how much they tried to make her look like a Plain Jane, Michelle Pfeiffer is just beautiful and also gives a very affecting performance as the repressed Frankie, afraid to release the love she has to give due to a troubled romantic past. Pacino and Pfeiffer make the most of a clever script, buoyed by Garry Marshall's sure-footed direction and solid comic support from Nathan Lane, Kate Nelligan (hysterically funny as another waitress at the restaurant) and Marshall's good luck charm, Hector Elizondo, as the restaurant owner. A warm romantic comedy with an unexpectedly quiet denoument. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15349&stc=1&d=1401502722

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13905&stc=1&d=1398349165

Run, do not walk to see Hairspray, the dazzling and exuberant 2007 film version of the Broadway musical based on the 1988 cult classic directed by John Waters that introduced Rikki Lake to the world.

This is the story of Tracy Turnblad, a wide-eyed and pleasingly plump high schooler growing up in Baltimore in the racially turbulent 1960's who finally realizes her dream of being a dancer on her favorite TV show, THE CORNY COLLINS SHOW,an "American Bandstand" type music show that extols the virtues of being young and white in America in the 60's.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13906&stc=1&d=1398349231

One day a month, the show has what they call "Negro Day" where they feature exclusively black artists and black dancers. Tracy's innocent remark that she "wishes every day was Negro Day" makes her a surprising but willing symbol for the civil rights movement in 1960's Baltimore.

Director Adam Shankman has expanded the Broadway musical beautifully for the large screen and also provided the superb choreography for the toe-tapping musical numbers. This musical sucks you in right from the beginning...I found myself singing along with the characters on the screen and I didn't even know the words to the songs, that's how deliciously contagious this film is.

A product of a nationwide talent search, young Nikki Blonsky makes a sparkling film debut in the role of Tracy...her fresh scrubbed enthusiasm and her clear-as-a-bell singing voice are a perfect fit with the role of Tracy. Her opening number "Good Morning Baltimore" energetically begins the story and has the audience in love with Tracy immediately.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i80ZtlNsvJE/TiquRKt2CXI/AAAAAAAAAgE/tQEZmrQ6PIk/s640/hairspray.jpg
John Travolta works very hard to be believable in the role of Edna Turnblad, Tracy's introverted but loving mother, a role originated in the Waters film by transvestite Divine. No, you never completely forget that it's Travolta under all that makeup and padding, but he completely commits to the role and brings Edna vividly to life.

Michelle Pfeiffer is perfection as the villianness of the piece, Velma Von Tussle, the manager of the TV station where The Corny Collins show is taped and Brittany Snow, who played the good girl in John Tucker Must Die proves she can be bad as Velma's daughter and Tracy's arch enemy,Amber. Elijah Kelley (so memorable in Take the Lead) is sexy and charismatic as Seaweed, Tracy's black pal who falls for Tracy's best friend Penny (Amanda Bynes).

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13907&stc=1&d=1398349282

Christopher Walken is delightful as Tracy's dad and Queen Latifah is effective as Seaweed's mom, who is the host of The Corny Collins Show on Negro Day. Mention should also be made of a brief but very funny turn by Emmy winner Allison Janney as Penny's mother and if you don't blink, you will even see a brief cameo by the original film's director, John Waters.

Musical highlights include the previously mentioned "Good Morning Baltimore", "The Darker the Berry, the Sweeter the Juice", "I Know Where I've Been" and "You Can't Stop the Beat". Hairspray is a musical with a message, but it's never preachy and the message is not delivered with a sledgehammer, but with a song and smile and some amazing dance moves. An instant classic that will motivate multiple viewings. A winner. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13908&stc=1&d=1398350844

I'm hot and cold with Woody Allen. I like one movie he makes and hate the next. I also admit to preferring latter Woody (post 1980) to early Woody.Hannah and her Sisters is probably my favorite Woody Allen film...the prototypical Woody Allen film revolving around several neurotic New Yorkers and how their lives intersect bound together by the thread of three sisters (Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, Dianne Wiest)and the various people and events that invade their lives.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13909&stc=1&d=1398350913

Allen appears as a writer (surprise) who actually marries two of the sisters at various points in the story. Michael Caine won an Oscar for his charming performance as Mia's current husband, who has been secretly lusting after sister Hershey for years. Caine has rarely appeared more vulnerable and endearing on screen.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13910&stc=1&d=1398350966

Dianne Wiest also won an Oscar for her powerhouse performance as the proverbial black sheep of the family, the sister who never seems to be able to get her life together or figure out what she wants to do with it. Most of the performances are on target; only Max Von Sydow misses the boat in a creepy performance as Hershey's current roommate/hermit.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13911&stc=1&d=1398351029

Mia's real-life mom, Maureen O'Sullivan, turns in a scene-stealing performance as the sisters' Mom and the late Lloyd Nolan made his final film appearance as their dad. To say much more would give too much away, but if you love Woody Allen, this film is a must. A charming oscar winning screenplay and a lovely ending, all set to some beautiful music.
5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13912&stc=1&d=1398351517
Definitely not for all tastes, but a riveting film experience for those who are game, Hard Candy is a severely intense and claustrophobic two-character drama that will have you either riveted to your seat or running from the room. Ellen Page (Juno)delivers a powerhouse performance as Hayley, a 14-year old girl who communicates online with a photographer (Patrick Wilson) a man she suspects is a pedophile, arranges to meet him in person, drugs him and plans to punish him for what appears to be his intended seduction of her by castrating him.
http://38.media.tumblr.com/e88a004914adedf60c04f4d926513f8b/tumblr_mfal81R8y21qixuo1o1_500.png
The captor/captive interplay here recalls films like Misery and Extremeties but descends to an entirely unique level of ugliness due to the callously cavalier attitude of the captor and the hopeless desperation of the captive, whose complete powerlessness and panic is heartbreaking to watch. To reveal anymore of the story would just be wrong, but it should be noted that the film boasts solid direction and a smart screenplay, though the camera-work does get a bit dizzying at times. Page commands the screen in an Oscar-worthy performance that induces chills and hisses and is perfectly complimented by Wilson's emasculated victim. A one-of-kind motion picture experience that will leave you breathless and limp. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13913&stc=1&d=1398351745

Produced at a point in his career where he had the juice to do whatever he wanted, Eddie Murphy took on the task of producing, directing, co-writing and starring in Harlem Nights, an expensive-looking but ultimately empty gangster saga about a group of black nightclub owners/gangsters running a ritzy club during the 1930's, headed by a wisecracking hot shot (Eddie Murphy)and his adopted father (Richard Pryor) and their attempts to avoid being overrun by white gangsters who think they are taking over turf that, it seems, they think is rightfully theirs, simply by virtue of their color.

This was an idea that probably looked great on paper but it definitely lost something in the translation. This was a vanity piece for Eddie and I think he spreads himself a little too thin trying to be the whole show here.
http://www.bet.com/content/dam/betcom/images/2013/01/Celebs-01-01-01-15/011113-celebs-80s-black-cinema-harlem-nights.jpg.custom1200x675x20.dimg
Admittedly, it was a pleasure seeing Murphy and Pryor together on screen, but the rest of the large supporting cast, including Arsenio Hall, Redd Foxx, Della Reese, Michael Lerner, Danny Aiello, Jasmine Guy, Thomas Mikal Ford, Stan Shaw, and Eddie's brother, are really given precious little to do (though I will admit Murphy's fight scene with Della Reese is hysterically funny and probably, the movie's best scene).

Murphy clearly poured a lot of money into this film and a good deal of it shows on screen. The art and set direction are impressive and the breathtaking costumes should have won an Oscar, but this one was a big miss for Eddie as he definitely tried to wear too many hats.
1.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13914&stc=1&d=1398362806

Gene Kelly directed the 1969 film version of Hello Dolly!, the musical version of the Thornton Wilder play "The Matchmaker" featuring music by Jerry Herman (Mame, La Cage Aux Folles). http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13915&stc=1&d=1398362870
This big but empty film version is the story of a widowed matchmaker named Dolly Gallagher Levi, who has arranged a potential mate for a wealthy Yonkers businessman but then decides that she wants him for herself.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13916&stc=1&d=1398362949

Barbra Streisand is miscast as Dolly Levi. Barbra, who was 26 at the time, takes on a role meant for an actress in her 50's. I don't blame Streisand entirely; some blame must rest with director Kelly, as Streisand's characterization is all over the place...it's part Mae West, part Yente the Matchmaker and part Barbra. Walter Matthau's casting as Yonkers businessman Horace Vandegelder looks good on paper, but he and Streisand have absolutely no on screen chemistry at all. It's been well-documented over the years that Streisand and Matthau did not get along at all during the making of this film and this tension does show on screen.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13917&stc=1&d=1398363037

There have been minor changes to Herman's score, including one song actually written for Herman's other famous musical, Mame, called "Love is only Love" that brings the film to a screeching halt.

The film doesn't really come alive until the Waiter's Ballet, imaginatively choreographed by Michael Kidd and Barbra's dynamite rendition of "So Long, Dearie" but these two highlights happen about two hours into the film and it's a long wait getting to them.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13918&stc=1&d=1398363141

A classic Broadway musical makes a limp transition to the big screen, thanks primarily to overblown and unfocused direction from MGM icon Gene Kelly. 2.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15900&stc=1&d=1403274502

High Anxiety is Mel Brooks' brassy and brilliant salute to the work of Alfred Hitchcock. Brooks plays Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke, a psychiatrist who gets appointed to run a mental hospital called The Psycho Neuro Institute for the Very, Very Nervous where he gets involved with nutty patients, shady staff members, and is forced to confront a childhood trauma. It goes without saying that this film will hold more appeal for folks familiar with Hitchcock's work, but even those who aren't should recognize Brooks' obvious nods to Psycho, Vertigo and The Birds.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13919&stc=1&d=1398367814
Brooks is amusing as Thorndyke and has surrounded himself with his usual nutty repertory company: Madeline Kahn plays love interest Victoria Brisbane; Harvey Korman is very funny as Institute bad guy and freak Dr. Charles Montague; Cloris Leachman is hysterically funny as the evil and kinky Nurse Diesel; Ron Carey as Thorndyke's sidekick, Brophy; Dick Van Patten as Thorndyke's predecessor, and Charlie Callas as a patient who thinks he's a dog.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13920&stc=1&d=1398367884

There is also a very funny cameo by one of the film's co-writers, future Oscar winning director Barry Levinson (Rain Man).

As he usually does in the films in which he appears, Mel gives himself a classic musical moment, performing the title song in a piano bar, definitely one of the film's highlights. It's not quite up there with Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, but fans of Brooks and Hitchcock should eat it up. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13921&stc=1&d=1398368056

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13923&stc=1&d=1398450771
Though it's not considered a classic like Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein, there are a lot of laughs to be found in Mel Brooks' History of the World Part I, a zany,if inconsistent look at Biblical times, the Stone Age, Ancient Rome, the Spanish Inquisition, and the French Revolution as seen through Brooks' demented brain. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13924&stc=1&d=1398450839The film is not as all encompassing as its title implies, but Mel gives his own twisted vision to these particular times in earth's history, which includes Mel himself in four different roles, including Moses and his own version of Louis XIV (It's Good to be the King). Mel gathers his usual nutty repertory company together and laughs are provided by Sid Ceasar (very funny as a caveman), Madeline Kahn and Dom DeLuise (hysterical as Cleopatra and Ceasar), Gregory Hines, Cloris Leachman, and Harvey Korman as Count De Money ("That's De Monay!!!). http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13925&stc=1&d=1398450887As always in his films, music is key and the Spanish Inquisition is presented here as a mammoth production number that is guaranteed to either amuse or offend,depending on your mood. Hard-core Brooks fans will love it, others be warned...there's something to offend everyone here. 3
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13926&stc=1&d=1398450972

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13928&stc=1&d=1398452482
Hit the Deck is MGM's 1955 remake of a 1930 musical about sailors on leave and the girls they romance, which despite the accustomed MGM gloss and some nice songs by Vincent Youmans, still fails to make the impact of a Singin in the Rain or The Band Wagon. The paper-thin story finds Vic Damone romancing Jane Powell, Russ Tamblyn chasing Debbie Reynolds and an energetic Ann Miller finds herself involved with the forever wooden Tony Martin.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14540&stc=1&d=1400024591
The score includes "Sometimes I'm Happy" a dreamy ballad crooned by Damone, "I Know that You Know" a cute duet with Damone and Powell and the rousing "Hallelujah!" led by the effervescent Kay Armen. My favorite number in the film is a 3-way duet sung by the six leads called "Why Oh Why?", but none of this makes up for the fact that this is one of the weakest products from the MGM dream factory. 2.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13929&stc=1&d=1398452546

[Gideon58]

Hollywood Ending is one of Woody Allen's more realistic yet hysterically funny movies that takes a scathingly accurate look at the place Woody hates more than any other...Hollywood.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13930&stc=1&d=1398453409

As the ultimate New Yorker, this film may seem a bit strange for Woody but he really makes it work. Woody plays Val Waxman, an Academy Award winning director who hasn't made a movie in 12 years. Thanks to his ex-wife (Tea Leoni), Val is given the opportunity to direct a big budget private eye film noir drama; however, he has so much anxiety about returning to work after so long, that the day before he begins shooting, he develops psychosomatic blindness and tries to shoot the film while blind, without anyone knowing.

This premise is a wonderful set up for a lot of great gags and most are quite effective. Woody's incisive script takes the expected pot shots at Hollywood but stays within the framework of a very amusing story.

Woody is surrounded by a strong cast including Debra Messing, very funny as Woody's current girlfriend who demands a role in the movie, Treat Williams as the cold-blooded studio exec who is also engaged to Leoni, director Mark Rydell as Woody's agent, George Hamilton in a surprisingly deft turn as a film exec, Tiffani Theissen as an oversexed starlet and fashion designer Isaac Mizahari as an obsessive set designer, who wants to re-build New York for the movie rather than film there. There are a lot of laughs to be had here in this very funny movie with a lovely and warm ending that will bring a smile to your face. 3
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13931&stc=1&d=1398453486

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16022&stc=1&d=1403878601
Hollywoodland is an entertaining and riveting look at Hollywood during the studio system days, which turns out to be a perfect marriage of biopic and crime thriller, based on the death of actor George Reeves. Reeves was the handsome and talented actor who made his film debut in Gone with the Wind but didn't become a household name until he accepted the starring role in a 1950's TV show called The Adventures of Superman

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13932&stc=1&d=1398455320

Reeves death is documented in Hollywood legend as suicide, however, this movie offers evidence that could support the theory that Reeves was murdered. And from this premise, this movie cleverly offers the viewer two very riveting stories: first we have the story of Reeves, an actor who may not have been as good as he believed he was, whose career was pretty much at a stand still until he was offered the role of Superman.

According to Paul Bernbaum's carefully crafted screenplay, Reeves was the boy toy of Toni Mannix, the high strung wife of MGM General Manager Eddie Mannix, who may have thrown roadblocks in Reeves' career path to keep him dependent on her. And even though Reeves achieved a whole new level of fame as Superman, he is depicted here as hating every minute of it.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13933&stc=1&d=1398455438

The other half of the story takes place after Reeves death where we meet a 2nd rate private dick named Louis Simo, who has been hired by Reeves' mother to prove that Reeves was murdered and it is the seamless blending of these two stories that make this film so compelling.

Allan Coulter's direction is rich in scope and creativity and he has pulled four powerhouse performances from his cast that keep this film sizzling: Adrien Brody is deliciously charismatic as Louis Simo, the world weary private detective who does summon images of Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum.
http://www.moviestarspicture.com/photos/ben-affleck/ben-affleck-in-movie-hollywoodland.jpg
Diane Lane, in her best performance since Unfaithful, chews up the scenery as the decadent diva Toni Mannix and Bob Hoskins makes the most of his somewhat underdeveloped role as Eddie Mannix; towering above all, in the film's biggest surprise, is a superb performance by Ben Affleck, yes, Ben Affleck, as the tortured and tragic Reeves...Affleck has never been more compelling on screen in a performance that should have gotten him an Oscar nomination ...Affleck completely loses himself in this role, peeling away the layers of Reeves for us, like an open sore, making Reeves a raw nerve to be savored with caution. Mention should also be made of a memorable supporting turn by Lois Smith as Reeves' mother.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13934&stc=1&d=1398455971

First rate production design and costumes beautifully recreate the old Hollywood of the 1950's that some of us still miss. My only problem with the story is that after offering several other theories as to how Reeves may have died, the movie cops out at the end and seems to state that he killed himself after all...the film loses a rating point for that IMO, but other than that, a real movie buff's movie that will enthrall and, if you're in the right mindset, might even evoke some tears. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13935&stc=1&d=1398456259
Every once in a while when you sit down in front of the TV to be entertained, you don't want to have to think or analyze or correlate anything that you're watching. Sometimes you just want to put your brain on hold and watch pretty people in pretty costumes having pretty problems. If you like to indulge in mindless potboilers every now and then have your fill with the 1985 miniseries Hollywood Wives, the trashy multi-episodic miniseries based on the equally trashy Jackie Collins novel.
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/eQbjiVUkQvI/maxresdefault.jpg
The story follows a select circle of Hollywood friends, acquaintances, newcomers, secret holders, adulterers and their various escapades. Now, let's see if I can remember all of this...Steve Forrest is an actor looking for a comeback and neglecting wife Candice Bergen while having an affair with Mary Crosby...producer/director Anthony Hopkins is cheating on screenwriter wife Stefanie Powers with blackmailing bimbo Suzanne Somers...Andrew Stevens and wife Catherine Mary Stewart move to Hollywood so that he can begin a career as an actor but she's the one who ends up having a career, being drafted by the studio head (Rod Steiger) who wants her for the lead in a film that Hopkins promised to Somers. When Stevens' career goes nowhere, he gets hired by Roddy McDowell to be a male escort to make ends meet. Stevens by the way, has a dual role as a psycho who comes to Hollywood to find the mother that gave him up for adoption many years ago.
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTLrjj5IoFdn95BweBKp-8Nw7u8gd1awzoPrJpH1ZSiA-ndFORL
Those are the main story lines so if you're in the mood for some mindless eye candy, sit back and enjoy. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13936&stc=1&d=1398457631
Sandra Bullock commands the screen in Hope Floats, a surprisingly effective comedy-drama about a former prom queen turned single mom, who, upon learning of her husband's infidelity, returns to her hometown with her daughter in tow and moves in with her mother and learns life is not so easy for an aging prom queen.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13937&stc=1&d=1398457695
This film boasts a deft screenplay that is beautifully realized by the director and cast. Bullock gives one of her richest performances as a woman who must start over and is clueless as to where to begin and must also face the wrath of those she wronged as prom queen and haven't forgotten the way she treated them. Gena Rowlands does an Oscar-worthy turn as Bullock's mom, a robust and vibrant woman who loves having her daughter home but won't take her nonsense either. As a big Rowlands fans, I have to say there are few films where I have enjoyed her more. Mae Whitman is a revelation as Bullock's daughter and Harry Connick Jr. shines as the hometown hunk with a hankering for the prom queen.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13938&stc=1&d=1398457777
An emotionally charged comedy-drama that sucked me in from the beginning and evolved into a loving character study of a woman re-examining her past and fearing her future. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13940&stc=1&d=1398458124
For those who prefer their entertainment on the mindless side, check out the 1978 comedy Hooper which stars Burt Reynolds as an over the hill stuntman having his thunder stolen by a young up and coming stuntman (Jan-Michael Vincent). There are crazy car stunts, a good bar fight, and some funny dialogue. Sally Field is decorative window dressing and there are wonderful supporting performances from Robert Klein as an egomaniacal film director, John Marley as an aggravated studio head, and best of all, Brian Keith as a retired stuntman and Field's father.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pndVInA6ylA/UwwkspZFIbI/AAAAAAAANls/R97unwnvtuQ/s1600/vlcsnap-2014-02-21-23h40m32s95.jpg
Check your brain at the door and just have a good old time with the life of a Hollywood stuntman. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14543&stc=1&d=1400025259
How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying is the 1967 film version of the Pulitzer Prize winning 1960 Broadway musical that broke Broadway box office records and made a star out of Robert Morse. Morse was thankfully allowed to recreate his Broadway role in this exuberant film version as J. Pierpont Finch, an ambitious young window washer who, through the aid of the title book, cleverly manages to work his way up the corporate ladder at World Wide Wickets, Inc.
http://porchlightmusictheatre.org/storage/fosse.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1399680685690
Morse lights up the screen in the best role of his career. He sadly never really got a role of this caliber again and I've never been able to figure out why. He gives a smart and brassy performance and is well-supported by 20's crooner Rudy Vallee, also reprising his Broadway role as company president JB Biggley and Michele Lee as devoted secretary/girlfriend Rosemary Pilkington. There is also standout work by Anthony Teague as company brown-noser Bud Frump and Maureen Arthur as Miss La Rue, Biggley's outspoken mistress whose physicals assets clearly outweigh her secretarial skills.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14544&stc=1&d=1400025313
David Swift's fast-paced direction is a plus as is Bob Fosse's inventive choreography. Sadly, the original score has been severely tampered with and several great songs from the stage show have been cut, but we still have "How to", "The Company Way", "A Secretary is not a Toy", "It's been a long day", and the show's most famous song, "I Believe in You." A clever and entertaining screen adaptation of a classic Broadway musical. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13941&stc=1&d=1398458631

[cricket]

Cool to see a mention of Hooper; it's one of my childhood favorites that I've seen many times.

Hard Candy is my type of movie, but I didn't care for it. I found it more lame than intense.

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13956&stc=1&d=1398519956
Sean Penn's riveting, Oscar-nominated performance is the centerpiece of I am Sam, a manipulative but nevertheless deeply affecting drama about a mentally retarded man trying to secure official custody of his daughter (Dakota Fanning)with the help of a savvy attorney (Michelle Pfeiffer), who is a single parent herself.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13957&stc=1&d=1398520021
This film is a complete manipulation in terms of story and writing and characters, but the manipulation works. Penn is remarkable and Pfeiffer offers one of her strongest performances as the lawyer who learns as much from Sam as he does from her. Fanning makes a strong impression as Sam's daughter, one of her first major roles. Mention should also be made of supporting turns from Richard Schiff as the cold-blooded prosecutor in Sam's case and Laura Dern as the woman who wants to legally adopt Fanning. It's nothing groundbreaking or original, but it definitely tugs at the heartstrings. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13958&stc=1&d=1398520081

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13959&stc=1&d=1398521057
One of the most pleasant surprises I've had as a film-goer was seeing In Good Company, a surprisingly smart sleeper that, in my opinion, was not marketed properly. The trailers for this film made it look like a sneering sex comedy, which it is not at all. This is a deft look at corporate takeovers, ageism, family values, and yuppiedom...things that Hollywood's most cherished demographic can definitely relate to but marketing dropped the ball here and tried to sell the film as something it isn't.

Dennis Quaid plays a 50ish advertising executive for a sports magazine, father of two with one on the way, who gets downsized during a corporate buyout of the magazine and loses his position to a 26-year old hotshot (Topher Grace) who doesn't know anything about sports or sports magazines, but knows how to woo clients, make money, and keep a sharp eye on the bottom line. And as sharp as the young man is in the board room, he is equally inept in his personal life (or what there is of it) until he meets Quaid's nubile, young daughter (Scarlett Johannsen).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13960&stc=1&d=1398521155
Quaid is solid, as usual, but the real story here is Topher Grace, who walks off with this film in a charismatic star turn as Carter Duryea, the young corporate hotshot who is a whiz in business but is clueless outside the office. Grace is a revelation in this film,making every moment count, whether he is trying to rally his new employees behind him in his first meeting with them (a scene so realistic Grace appears to be improvising) or at home talking to his goldfish, calling old high school buddies who he has nothing in common with anymore, or trying to keep his wife (Selma Blair) from divorcing him.

Solid support is also provided by Marg Helgenberger as Quaid's wife, Clark Gregg as Grace's boss, and especially David Paymer, memorable as a co-worker of Quaid's who he is forced to fire. A rock solid screenplay and a haunting musical score are the finishing touches to this very special film that is definitely not for all tastes, but for the folks who like a little meat with their movie, rewards are to be found here. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13961&stc=1&d=1398522665
In her Shoes is an entertaining and engrossing comedy drama about two sisters named Maggie and Rose. Maggie (Cameron Diaz) is a flighty, irresponsible party girl who can't hold onto a job, is not above picking people's pockets for money, and completely dependent on her power over men to get what she wants. Rose (Toni Collette)is a workaholic lawyer who loves her sister but has grown weary of cleaning up Maggie's messes. A fed-up Rose finally throws Maggie out of her house and Maggie ends up on the doorstep of her grandmother, Ella (Shirley MacLaine)who she never knew because of a falling-out she had with Maggie and Rose's dad.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13962&stc=1&d=1398522740

What we then see is the sisters becoming a little more like each other as they drift apart. Ella forces Maggie to grow up and get a job while Rose lightens up, quits her job and falls in love with a co-worker (Mark Feuerstein).

This film is a warm look at family dynamics and how no matter what they may put you through, family is family and that never changes. Cameron Diaz gives the best performance of her career as Maggie and Toni Collette is solid, as always, as Rose.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13963&stc=1&d=1398522799
MacLaine gives an Oscar-worthy turn as Ella, who reminded me so much of Aurora in Terms of Endearment. Ken Howard has one of the best roles of his career as the girls' father and Candice Azzara is superb as the stepmother from hell. The film is a little long, but it is never uninteresting and sustains interest until the end. If you have a sister, after watching this movie, you will want to get on the phone and tell her how much you love her. Don't miss this one. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13964&stc=1&d=1398525407

Adam Sandler and Kevin James (The King of Queens) provide big laughs in I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry, an uproariously funny comedy that, though not terribly concerned with being politically correct, will make you laugh in spite of yourself.

Sandler is Chuck and James play Larry, best friends and firemen who have seen each other through everything, including the death of Larry's wife. After a recent brush with death in a bad fire, Larry becomes concerned that his current insurance benefits will not properly provide for his children in the event of his death and learns that the only way he can properly provide for his children is to enter into a domestic partnership with Chuck, where they would pretend to be gay lovers and actually marry.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13965&stc=1&d=1398525470

Laying aside the fact that I can't imagine two heterosexual men ever doing this in real life, it does lay the groundwork for one of the funniest comedies I have seen in years. Gay stereotypes are perpetuated at every turn but there is nothing mean-spirited about it making the incredible premise plausible.

Also thrown into the mix are Larry's son, whose interests seem to be limited to tap dancing, baking, and auditioning for the school musical, and a pretty attorney (Jessica Biel) who catches Chuck's eye but unfortunately he has to conceal his feelings about her.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13966&stc=1&d=1398525515

Mention should also be made of a hilarious supporting turn from Ving Rhames as a fellow firefighter who is inspired to come out of the closet, after being inspired by Chuck and Larry's relationship. Primarily, it is the inspired comic teaming of Adam Sandler and Kevin James that makes this one work. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13967&stc=1&d=1398526538
Inside Daisy Clover is an oft-maligned, oft-misunderstood, but still fascinating drama from the 1960's that definitely began to earn second looks after the passing of its leading lady.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13968&stc=1&d=1398526590
Curiously, this is a film that every young actress in Hollywood in 1965 wanted to do and screen tested for, including Elizabeth Hartman and Patty Duke.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13969&stc=1&d=1398526732
The role of a 15 year old tomboy who dreams of and eventually becomes a movie star finally went to Natalie Wood, who works very hard to lose herself in the role. Wood never quite pulls off the tomboy thing, but she doesn't shy away from it either, delivering a gutsy performance as a young dreamer who is reminded of reality on a daily basis through the responsibility of taking care of her senile mother, beautifully played by Ruth Gordon.

After achieving movie stardom with the help of a Svengali-type producer (Christopher Plummer), she does find romance with a charismatic young movie star (Robert Redford); however, this romance is short-lived. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13970&stc=1&d=1398526798

This movie is so 1960's...the promotional film within a film to introduce Daisy to Hollywood is absolutely hilarious...it's just something you never see anymore and Daisy's meltdown in a sound booth in the movie studio borders on laughable, but if you're fan of Wood, or the 60's or old fashioned Hollywood glamour, you can get your fill with this one. 2.5

[Gideon58]

Inside Man is a convoluted and confusing crime drama that offers way too many questions and not enough answers. I've always considered Spike Lee a hit and miss director and this one was a big miss for me.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13971&stc=1&d=1398527194
This confusing and emotionally manipulative drama follows what appears to be a bank robbery that turns into a hostage situation except that the hostages don't seem to be the #1 priority of anyone outside this bank.

Denzel Washington, in his fourth outing with director Lee, delivers one of his most unconvincing performances as Detective Keith Frazier, a badly dressed hostage negotiator who seems more worried about some pending charges from IAB regarding a prior case than he is about these hostages. Christopher Plummer plays the President of the Board of Directors of the bank whose only concern seems to be a safe deposit box inside the bank that he doesn't want anyone to know about and he dispatches Jodie Foster to get it out of the bank before the robbers find it.

There's just way too much that's left unexplained here...its never really made clear who Jodie Foster's character works for and she also seems to have her own agenda which has nothing to do with the hostages.

Basically, what Lee has given us here is a hostage drama where no one seems to care about the hostages. Washington comes off as forced but Clive Owen, who plays the mastermind behind the robbery, comes off as the most likable character in the film.

The film also suffers due to overblown direction, a convoluted screenplay, one of the worst musical scores I have ever heard, and an ending that leaves a bad taste in the mouth. A big disappointment from Lee and Washington,who have both done better work. 2

[Gideon58]

A surprisingly smart comedy from Joel and Ethan Cohen, Intolerable Cruelty is a deft and entertaining comedy about the relationship that develops between a fast talking attorney (George Clooney) and a man-eating gold digger (Catherine Zeta-Jones)who eats husbands for lunch.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13972&stc=1&d=1398528310
This delightful throwback to the Tracy-Hepburn, Grant-Russell comedies of the 40's and 50's moves at a nice pace and is anchored by a razor sharp performance by Clooney, who has rarely been more appealing on screen. Clooney does everything right here and his performance alone makes this film worth seeing, but Zeta-Jones never allows herself to be overshadowed by him in one of her more venomous characterizations.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13973&stc=1&d=1398528365
Worthwhile bits are also contributed by Geoffrey Rush, Billy Bob Thornton, Richard Jenkins, and Edward Herrmann. One of the most underrated comedies ever made which is a definite must-see for Clooney fans. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13982&stc=1&d=1398537630

Into the Wild is a terribly sad and emotionally gripping cinematic journey, incredibly based on a true story, about a young man named Christopher Johnson McCandless. who after graduating from college, decides to forsake his cushy upper middle class lifestyle, change his name to Alexander Supertramp, and journey across country,with nothing but the clothes on his back, with his eventual goal being to travel to the Alaskan wilderness.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13983&stc=1&d=1398537776

Sean Penn's meticulous direction and eloquent screenplay take us on a cinematic journey quite unlike anything we've seen before. This is not an easy watch...there are several moments in this film depicting what Chris has to do to survive in the wilderness that completely redefine the phrase "roughing it" and definitely make this a film not for all tastes. but if you can stomach it, the journey is worth it and will leave a lump in the throat.

Emile Hirsch is impressive in the physically and emotionally demanding role of Chris, probably the strongest performance of his career. Oscar winners William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden appear as Chris' parents and Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, and in a performance that earned him his first Oscar nomination, Hal Holbrook, also score in brief supporting roles. The film is also beautifully photographed with some breathtaking scenery but it is the work of Penn and Hirsch that make this deliberate journey worth your time. 4

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13984&stc=1&d=1398537848

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13986&stc=1&d=1398538933
Halle Berry won an Emmy for her performance in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge a lavish TV movie (that should have been a theatrical release) that chronicles the tragic life and seesaw show business career of the legendary Dorothy Dandridge, Hollywood's first true African American movie star and the first black actress ever to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role (for Carmen Jones).

This film economically chronicles Dandridge's humble beginnings as a child of sexual abuse who becomes a nightclub singer and eventually a major film star despite her race, which threw up all kinds of road blocks along the way. In addition to her show business struggles, we see her romances with one of the Nicholas Brothers as well as an affair with Carmen Jones director Otto Preminger.

Berry finally found a role where her natural beauty worked for her...her resemblance to Dandridge is quite striking, especially in one scene where she is filming a scene for Carmen Jones. The film also reveals Dandridge's inner demons, which manifested themselves through drugs and alcohol and eventually led to her tragic early death. HBO spared no expense in bringing this tragic star's life to the screen and it paid off in a lush and entertaining film worthy of theatrical release. 3

[Gideon58]

Writing team Charles Shyer and Nancy Meyers scored a bullseye with Irreconcilable Differences, a surprisingly smart and amusing comedy that blended the family dysfunction comedy with the "inside Hollywood" type of comedy and the results is quite entertaining. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13987&stc=1&d=1398540000
Our story begins with 10-year old KC Brotzky (Drew Barrymore)arriving in a Los Angeles courtroom where she is suing for emancipation from her divorced parents,filmmakers Albert and Lucy Brotzky (Ryan O'Neal and Shelley Long). The film then flashes back to the beginning of Albert and Lucy's relationship,showcasing the first smash hit film they made together, followed by another film during which Albert has an affair with the leading lady (Sharon Stone,very funny in one of her earliest roles)and how the making of this film tore Albert and Lucy apart. Albert and his new love then make a "Gone With the Wind"-type spectacle that bombs at the box office and things just go from bad to worse with poor little KC caught in the middle and tired of being a bargaining chip between her parents. O'Neal delivers what is probably the best performance of his career and Long is a good match for him. Aided by a deft screenplay, O'Neal, Long, and Barrymore deliver a nearly forgotten gem here which delivers warm family laughs and takes accurate potshots at Hollywood as well. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13988&stc=1&d=1398540057

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13995&stc=1&d=1398541536
Though Pulp Fiction is definitely Quentin Tarantino's stylish masterpiece full of cinematic flair and magicianship, Tarantino also proved to be a master storyteller with his severely underrated follow-up Jackie Brown, a richly entertaining story of LA criminals and low-lifes that may not contain the cinematic trickery of Fiction, but is a textbook example of telling a great story on film.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13996&stc=1&d=1398541789
And it's not so much the story itself, but the way it unfolds with its introduction of characters which are alternately detailed and murky, but done in a style that keeps you glued to the screen and greedily anticipating what's going to happen.

Tarantino's story centers around the title character, a 44-year old flight attendant (Pam Grier) whose double life and shady past are the linchpin of an elaborate story of her struggle to get out from under the thumb of a sleazy weapons dealer (flawlessly portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13997&stc=1&d=1398541890
Once again, Tarantino tells his story from the far reaching points of an octagon, where each point of the octagon appears to have no connection to the next but it all manages to flow into one smoothly executed climax displayed from several points of view.

Tarantino's deft screenplay rivals his Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction screenplay and his direction is as stylish as ever. As always, Tarantino's penchant for stunt casting pays off, especially with the casting of 70's action heroine Grier (who still looks fantastic) in the title role. Grier is smart, sexy, and completely commands the screen without ever going over the top.

Tarantino also revived the near comatose career of Robert Forster by casting him as Max Cherry, the cool-headed bails bondsman who befriends Jackie. Forster's smooth and controlled performance actually earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, though the whole cast works at Oscar level.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13998&stc=1&d=1398542103
Also providing solid support are Michael Keaton (one of his best performances), Michael Bowen, Bridget Fonda, Chris Tucker, and especially Robert De Nio, having a ball playing Jackson's old buddy who re-enters his life. And it's all backed up by some of the most amazing Motown music from the 1960's that will evoke memories by itself. Tarantino and company hit a bullseye here. 4

[Gideon58]

Jagged Edge is a slick, but unconvincing courtroom thriller about a former criminal attorney (Glenn Close) brought back to criminal law to defend a rich industrialist (Jeff Bridges)accused of murdering his wife.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14104&stc=1&d=1398947818
The film is unconvincing because there is no viable explanation as to why Close's Teddy Barnes believes that Bridges' character is innocent, other than his word. Barnes left criminal law because she hated defending the guilty and yet she takes Bridges' case without question because he pretends to cry when they revisit the murder scene and because he flirts with her, despite every piece of evidence regarding to the case points to him from jump.

She finds out mid-trial that he lies about an extra-marital affair he had and yet continues to defend him. Courtroom dramas like this only work if you believe in the innocence of the accused up to some point and I never did.

Close and Bridges work hard to convince in their roles and they do have strong support from Robert Loggia (Best Supporting Actor nominee) as Close's world-weary detective, Peter Coyote as the slimy prosecutor and Close's former employer, John Dehner as the judge and Leigh Taylor Young as a key witness. If you don't look at the story too closely, it is watchable. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14105&stc=1&d=1398951469

Tom Cruise had one of his best roles and earned his second Oscar Nomination for Best Actor for his charismatic Jerry Maguire, a richly entertaining comedy drama that is a seamless blend of character study and romantic comedy.

Jerry is a driven and ambitious sports agent for an international agency that represents professional athletes in all sports who has a crisis of conscience that motivates him to write a "mission statement", which turns out to be more of a defiant manifesto blasting everything that is wrong in his business. he distributes his "memo" throughout the office and though it gets faint praise initially, it does end up getting him fired from the agency.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14106&stc=1&d=1398951558

We then see Jerry try to continue his business though he only has one client who agrees to stick with him. Director-writer Cameron Crowe (Fast Tines at Ridgemont High, Almost Famous) solidified his position as a master cinematic storyteller with this epic story told on an intimate scale.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14107&stc=1&d=1398951631

His extremely deft screenplay is sharply delivered by a perfect cast. This role seems tailor-made for Cruise and he makes the most of it. Cuba Gooding Jr. won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his star-making performance as Rod Tidwell, Jerry's most loyal client; Renee Zelwegger was the find of the year as Dorothy Boyd, the secretary from the agency who follows Jerry when he's fired and agrees to work for him and eventually falls for him; Bonnie Hunt scores as Dorothy's sister as does Kelly Preston, in one of her best performances as Jerry's shark of an ex-fiancée. Regina King should have received an Oscar nomination for her solid performance as Tidwell's wife, Marcy; Jay Mohr is quite funny as Bob Sugarman, a rival agent who is battling Jerry to represent another football player (Jerry O'Connell)who is being watched over by his protective dad (Beau Bridges).

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14108&stc=1&d=1398951867

A rare gem from the 1990's that is not only grandly entertaining, but vividly real...there's nothing false or affected here (though some might find Gooding's Tidwell a little over the top), this film is one of those rare treats that is long, but you hardly feel it. A real treat and a must for Cruise fans. 4.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14110&stc=1&d=1398953593

Jesus Christ Supestar is the 1973 film version of the Broadway musical based on the album of the rock opera that put composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice on the map. This musical retelling of the last seven days in the life of Jesus is an opera in the truest sense of the word (there is only one spoken line in this film) and, in a rare occurrence for movie musicals, the original score has been transcribed to the screen intact.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14164&stc=1&d=1399049386

Director Norman Jewison has filled the movie with interesting visual trappings to indulge the believers and has also presented this story in a way that allows the viewer to decide whether or not to believe. He sets the entire film up as a group of theatrical players arriving at a desert location on a bus, unloading costumes and scenery and putting on a musical production about Jesus. At the end, they are observed getting back on the bus and leaving. What's interesting to me is that Ted Neeley, the actor who plays Jesus, is neither seen getting off the bus at the beginning of the movie nor getting back on the bus at the end, so take from that what you will.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14111&stc=1&d=1398953850

The movie is beautifully filmed with an energetic young cast. Neely is effective as Jesus and sings the role well, with his soliloquy, "Gesthsemene" being especially impressive. The late Carl Anderson is electrifying as Judas and makes "Heaven on their Minds", "Damned for All Time" and "Superstar" memorable musical highlights. Kudos as well to Bob Bingham as a chilling Ciaphas, Kurt Yaghjian as a menacing Annas, Barry Dennen as the tortured Pontius Pilate, and Joshua Mostel, who stops the show with "King Herod's Song." Jewison's solid direction and some inspired choreography by Rob Iscove help to make this one of the best musicals transferred to the big screen. For the initiated and open-minded, a one-of-a-kind motion picture experience. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14113&stc=1&d=1398954515
Directed by Betty Thomas (The Brady Bunch Movie), John Tucker Most Die is a breezy little piece of fluff about a high school stud (Jesse Metcalfe, ex-John, Desperate Housewives) who is juggling three different girls, who all are part of different cliques, so they never really communicate, until fate brings the three ladies together and they learn the truth. The girls initially want to snipe at each other, but another girl (Brittany Snow)who has witnessed John in action, suggest the girls get revenge instead of getting mad and a plan is initiated to methodically destroy John Tucker's credibility as a human being, but the plan gets out of hand and heads in directions that no one anticipated.
http://criticsandbuilders.typepad.com/.a/6a00d834515e0d69e20168e89768c9970c-pi
Thomas' energetic and imaginative direction is a big plus in making this pretty predictable comedy worth sitting through. There's no question that the camera loves Metcalfe and he works hard in the title role and Brittany Snow does display some solid leading lady potential as soon as she figures out she's not Hillary Duff. The film does provide laughs but the title character doesn't really learn the lesson he should and without that payoff, the film just leaves a bad aftertaste. 2

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14115&stc=1&d=1398955986
Just Friends was a hugely disappointing comedy that had the potential to be something really special but lost its way somehow. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as a former fatty who returns to his small hometown in New Jersey ten years after graduating from high school...rich, successful, and most importantly, thin and attempts to rekindle a romance with a girl (Amy Smart)who kept him in "The Friends Zone" in high school.
http://www.cinemit.com/images/justfriendswide.jpg
The expected story path where the newly skinny person returns home to show off the new and improved version of himself goes terribly awry here because our hero is just not very likable and it's not the way he's written or the way Reynolds portrays him...it's a perfect melding of both. This character does some really unpleasant things and treats everyone in his path in a very shabby manner and Reynolds'performance is so over-the-top that it grates on the nerves. There are two memorable supporting turns by Anna Faris as a wigged-out client of Reynolds and Christopher Marquette as his little brother, but otherwise I'd take a pass on this unpleasant and unfunny film experience that works extremely hard for laughs but generates precious few. 2
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14116&stc=1&d=1398956104

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14117&stc=1&d=1398957523

Just Like Heaven is a charming romantic fantasy, which despite some inconsistencies in the areas of story and continuity, still manages to make the viewer buy what the filmmakers are selling. Mark Ruffalo plays a young widower who sublets a San Francisco apartment and shortly after moving in, meets what he believes is a ghost (Reese Witherspoon)who claims that he is living in her apartment. When it is apparent that she is not alive but she hasn't gone to the afterlife either, Ruffalo and Witherspoon decide to figure out what's going on and learn that she is alive, but she has been in a coma for three months following a car accident and while trying to figure out how to meld her spirit with her body again, they, of course, fall in love. There are minor details in the film that don't make sense. For example, when Witherspoon is in the apartment, she is unable to pick up the telephone, but when she's in a bar with Ruffalo, she is able to knock beer mugs and shot glasses out of his hands to keep him from drinking. When they find out that Reese's character is in a coma, he tells the doctor that he was her boyfriend but is not questioned about the fact that he is showing up three months after the accident occurred. And though Ruffalo is the only one we think can see her, at one point, we're supposed to believe that her five year old niece can, but these are minor quibbles in an otherwise enchanting romantic comedy.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14118&stc=1&d=1398957574

Reese Witherspoon has never been better (and that includes her Oscar-winning turn in Walk the Line) and Ruffalo is a sexy and delicious leading man. There is also a very funny turn from Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite)as an employee of a Psychic bookstore, who even though he can't see or hear Witherspoon, is able to sense her presence and what she is feeling. It's a lovely little romantic comedy as long as you don't think about it too much. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14119&stc=1&d=1398962575I think I may have been one of the few people who saw this film in the theaters, but I really enjoyed Kiss me Goodbye, a lighthearted comedy about a widow (Sally Field) preparing to remarry, who, days before her wedding, is visited by the ghost of her deceased first husband (James Caan), who was a Broadway director and choreographer. The story goes to all the familiar places that you would expect it to, but it is played with such an exuberant energy that you can't help but start to care for these people. Field and Caan are in top form and Jeff Bridges is at his adorably nerdy best as Field's new fiancée (a precursor to his performance in The Mirror has Two Faces). There's also a brief, but memorable turn by the late Claire Trevor as Field's mother. A charming romantic fantasy that will grow on you upon repeated viewings. 3

[Gideon58]

Lackawanna Blues is an entertaining, engrossing, emotionally-charged HBO-TV movie based on the childhood memories of actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson (who also appears in a small role).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14120&stc=1&d=1398962756
This joyous motion picture experience is centered around Santiago-Hudson's childhood guardian, Rachel "Nanny" Crosby, a strong, big-hearted black woman who ran a boarding house in upstate New York during the 1950's. Nanny was a one-woman social service organization whose boarding house was filled with drunks, derelicts, cripples, drug addicts, misfits, and everyone else in town who needed a hand-up instead of a hand-out.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16024&stc=1&d=1403882068
The crux of the story revolves around Nanny's relationship with young Ruben (beautifully played by Marcus Franklin),a boy whose divorced parents were unable to raise the boy properly so Nanny took him in. S. Epatha Merkeson, who has been wasted for years in the thankless role of Lieutenant Van Buren on NBC's Law & Order, turns in a powerhouse performance as Nanny, the neighborhood mother-figure whose boarding house became a symbol for the downtrodden black folks in her town. Merkeson is nothing short of magnificent, in a performance that earned her a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16025&stc=1&d=1403882187
Merkeson is backed by an impressive all-star cast that includes Terrance Howard (brilliant and heartbreaking as Nanny's husband), Louis Gossett Jr., Rosie Perez, Jimmy Smits, Delroy Lindo, Macy Gray, Michael K. Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Henry Simmons, Patricia Wettig, Ernie Hudson, Mos Def, and Hill Harper as the adult Ruben. Colorful and exciting, beautifully photographed and exquisitely scored, this is one of a kind motion picture experience that works on all levels, but if for no other reason, is worth seeing for the electrifying starring performance by S. Epatha Merkeson, who is given the role of a lifetime and makes the most of it. 4

[Gideon58]

Lady Sings the Blues was the heavily fictionalized film biography of legendary cabaret chanteuse Billie Holliday, who rose to great stardom as one of the great blues impressionists of our time but, sadly, was never able to completely escape the multiple demons which haunted her for her entire life. Diana Ross made an impressive film debut in the role of Lady Day, which garnered her an Oscar nomination.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14121&stc=1&d=1398963291
Though her opening scenes playing Billie as a teenager are silly and unconvincing, Ross delivers a riveting performance for the most part, guided by her Svengali Berry Gordy, who makes a brief cameo appearance as a drug dealer. Billy Dee Williams officially became a star with his charismatic turn as Louis McKay, Billie's true love and Richard Pryor also received an Oscar nomination for his funny and caustic performance as "Piano Man", Billie's best friend and piano player, who was chasing demons of his own.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14819&stc=1&d=1400348687
The film is lavishly mounted with Ross draped in some stunning costumes that definitely merited Oscar attention. Ross gets plenty of opportunities to sing and though she really doesn't sound anything like Holliday did, she does capture the spirit of this tragic songbird.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14122&stc=1&d=1398963346
It's not a great guide as far as providing facts about Holliday's life. It seems to gloss over Holliday's alleged early days as a prostitute and her drug abuse, but it's a grand example of storytelling on screen with a riveting leading character who will capture your heart. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14123&stc=1&d=1398967138
Last Holiday is a rather lame remake of an old Alec Guiness comedy that stars Queen Latifah as Georgia Byrd, a department store employee who finds out she's dying and decides to travel to Europe and blow all her money, not knowing her fantasy man/fellow employee (LL Cool J)has been fantasizing about her as much as she's been thinking about him.

This film is so predictable that I could practically recite the dialogue along with the actors. Queen Latifah works very hard at making her Plain Jane character funny and believable, but her performance comes off as forced and annoying. LL Cool J shows solid leading man potential in a thankless role that's a waste of his and our time.

There are plot holes you can drive a truck through, but the film does boast an impressive supporting cast including Gereard Depardieu as a world famous chef who befriends Georgia, Giancarlo Esposito as a US Senator from Georgia's hometown, who happens to be vacationing in the same European spot Georgia travels to, where she learns he is in bed with a ruthless, wealthy businessman (a surprisingly effective Timothy Hutton, cleverly cast against type), who is also dealing with a very discontent mistress (Alicia Witt). There's some gorgeous scenery and the supporting cast is fun; however, unless you're a hardcore Queen Latifah fan, I'd pass on this one. 2

[Gideon58]

Legs was a relatively entertaining TV movie that revolved around the auditioning process for the legendary Rockettes, the world's most famous chorus line, focusing on three women auditioning for the famous chorus line for the first time. Deborah Geffner, Maureen Teefy, and Shanna Reed head the cast as the three hopefuls who seemed to have pinned their entire lives on getting into the Rockettes. Geffner, who was so memorable a few years prior in All that Jazz, as Vicky, the dancer Joe Gideon only cast because he wanted to have sex with her and Reed are well-cast in this movie and are wonderful dancers. Teefy, a very talented actress but not really a dancer, just seems a little out of her element here. The film also benefits from appearances by former 20th Century Fox dancer Sheree North as a former Rockette and Broadway legend Gwen Verdon as the Rockettes choreographer. For those fascinated with anything dealing with musical theater and/or the dance, a must...others be forewarned. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14125&stc=1&d=1398967725
Though made near the end of MGM's Golden years, 1957's Les Girls was a stylish and entertaining musical that brought to mind the Japanese tale "Rashomon" where we are given one story told from three very different points of view.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14126&stc=1&d=1398967823
The film opens with Lady Sybil Wren (the late great Kay Kendall), an elegant British bombshell, being taken to court for libel after the publication of a book she wrote about her experiences as the member of a song and dance troupe known as Les Girls.

What we then get is a flashback where we meet Barry Nichols (Gene Kelly)the leader of the act and his girls, the aforementioned Sybil, a bubbly American named Joy (Mitzi Gaynor)and an exotic French beauty named Angele (Taina Elg). According to Sybil, Barry toyed with her affections, making her think he loved her, but Angele's version of the story reveals he made her feel the same way, but Barry, now married to Joy, does finally take the stand and tells his version of what happened, which is apparently what really happened.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14127&stc=1&d=1398968053
Stylish direction by George Cukor, a surprisingly meaty screenplay for an MGM musical, and some great musical sequences make for an offbeat but nonetheless richly entertaining film, which, if truth be told, is effortlessly stolen by Kay Kendall, whose luminous performance as Sybil lights up the screen, especially in a riotous comic duet she performs with Kelly called "You're Just Too Too.." Kendall was a supremely gifted actress taken from us much too soon and this film is ample proof of that. A nearly forgotten and underrated MGM classic. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.cchs165.jacksn.k12.il.us/sep/SEP2010/webpractice/student12/Movie-Poster-Liar-Liar.jpg
Jim Carrey does what he does best in Liar, Liar, a clever and amusing comedy about a divorced workaholic lawyer who keeps disappointing his young son to the point where, at his 5th birthday party, he makes a wish that his dad can't tell a lie for a whole day and the wish actually comes true, and losing the ability to lie turns out to seriously impede his chances of winning a big case. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14128&stc=1&d=1398968405With the help of a smart script and sure-footed direction by Tom Shadyac, Carrey turns in one of his most entertaining performances as the poor sap has to avoid a whole lot of people who he didn't realize he lies to on a regular basis. There are some effective supporting turns from Maura Tierney as Carrey's ex, Jason Bernard as a judge, Anne Haney as his secretary, and especially Jennifer Tilly as his voluptuous client. Young Justin Cooper is adorable as Carrey's son,Max. This film also gets my vote for funniest outtakes shown during the closing credits...they're almost funnier than the movie. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14129&stc=1&d=1398968473

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14138&stc=1&d=1398971772
There have been a lot of show business biographies put on film, but for the most part, they are sketchy and fictionalized. Judy Garland was a show business legend, who even though much has been written about her, a definitive film biography has alluded us. An NBC TV movie was made in the 80's called Rainbow, but it only covered Garland's childhood to the time she was cast in The Wizard of Oz.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14139&stc=1&d=1398971832
At long last, we finally were gifted with a surprisingly factual and lavishly produced TV movie called Life with Judy Garland: Me and my Shadows, a two-part mini-series, based on a book by Garland's daughter, Lorna Luft, who also serves as the film's narrator, which chronicles Garland's life from her first audition for MGM to her tragic death in 1969.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14140&stc=1&d=1398971927
Most show biz biopics tend to fictionalize material for dramatic effect or lack of knowledge of the facts, but I trust the facts presented here because there are several events recreated here that I have actually heard Garland herself talk about in interviews.

Some things are omitted and/ or glossed over (Her first marriage to David Rose is barely mentioned), but when you only have 2 hours and 45 minutes to tell the story, some fact-trimming is necessary.

The filmmakers wisely chose two actresses to play the teenage and adult Garland. Tammy Blanchard and Judy Davis both won Emmys for their work as young Frances Gumm and the adult Judy Garland. Davis, in particular, is astonishing in a powerhouse performance that just gets richer and more complex upon repeat viewings.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14141&stc=1&d=1398972005
Another wise decision to dub original Garland recordings for Davis' singing voice further enhances the power of the piece. I read that prior to shooting, Davis watched every movie Garland made and as much concert footage as she could get her hands on and her homework pays off in spades here. Her recreations of "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me in St Louis and "The Man that Got Away" from A Star is Born are positively spooky.

Victor Garber gives the performance of his career as Judy's volatile third husband, Sid Luft. Hugh Laurie is a little too masculine as Judy's 2nd hubby, Vincente Minnelli, whose rumored bisexuality prior to meeting Judy is part of Hollywood folklore.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14142&stc=1&d=1398972071
There is also solid work from Sonja Smits and John Benjamin Hickey as Judy's good friends, Kay Thompson and Roger Edens and by Dwayne Addams as a young Mickey Rooney. There is also a memorable turn from Marsha Mason as Ethel Gumm, Judy's hard-nosed mother. A hauntingly accurate look at the tragic life of, arguably, Hollywood's greatest creation, whose very human troubles never allowed her to live up to the creation. 4.5

[Gideon58]

Michael J. Fox's considerable on screen charm was used to good advantage in Life with Mikey, in which he played the former child star of a sitcom called "Life with Mikey" who now is partnered with his brother (Nathan Lane) in running a children's talent agency, even though his brother does most of the work. Things look up when Mike literally bumps into 10-year old shoplifter (Kristina Vidal)who Mike sees as a possible gold mine for their agency and does manage to get her a lucrative commercial deal as cookie salesgirl.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14143&stc=1&d=1398972274
This movie is watchable thanks to a charming performance by Fox, who imbues his own experience as a former child star into this character and this performance.

It's very sad whenever you watch Mike go into one of his stories about his days on the sitcom and how whoever he's sharing it with looks completely bored. Lane offers comic relief as Mike's brother and Cyndi Lauper steals every scene she is in as the agency's receptionist.

There are also some laugh-out-loud hysterical sequences of children with varying levels of talent auditioning for the agency. Between these scenes and Fox's performance, this film can hold your interest. 3

[Gideon58]

http://imgs.downloadiz2.com/images/80905240297902079138.jpg
Life in suburbia is never as it seems. Lurking not far behind the doors of those identical little ranch houses with the picket fences and the perfectly manicured lawns are lost ambition and dead passion. Even at the local playground, the parents playing with their children are not always living the portrait of domestic bliss they are trying to present.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14144&stc=1&d=1398972675
Life is full of dreams deferred and buried secrets and this seems to be the crux of Todd Field's Little Children, the haunting and powerful story of a cross section of people who, somewhere along the way, gave up, settled, compromised, or erred and cannot find their way back to the lives they originally planned.

Todd Field's bold and evocative screenplay focuses on five characters: Sarah is the embodiment of the term "Desperate Housewife", a lonely woman trapped in a loveless marriage, the possessor of a Masters Degree in Literature, the obvious product of an ambition that got lost along the way to her marriage and raising an adorable daughter; Brad is a husband and father whose desire to be a lawyer has begun to fade due to two failed attempts to pass the bar and now seems content being Mr. Mom, raising his son and allowing his wife Kathy, a documentary filmmaker, to be the family's primary breadwinner; Ronnie is an emotionally shredded pedophile trying to eek out a viable existence in a neighborhood where he has been publicly labeled a sexual predator; Larry is an ex-cop trying to forget an accidental shooting that derailed his career by making Ronnie's life a living hell.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14145&stc=1&d=1398972758
Kate Winslet received an Oscar nomination for her Sarah: a woman whose discontent with her own life has her screaming on the inside. Patrick Wilson (Phantom of the Opera; Hard Candy) offers one of his best performances as Brad, the emasculated house husband who finds release in an affair with Sarah: Jennifer Connelly turns in the performance of her career as Brad's wife: and in the movie comeback of a lifetime, Jackie Earle Haley, in his first film in decades, is mesmerizing as Ronnie, a shell of a human being who is trying to start over again. Haley'astonishing work here earned him an Oscar nomination as well.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14146&stc=1&d=1398972846
Despite the title, this is a truly adult film, not for the squeamish or the faint of heart, but for those who are game, a challenging and gripping film that haunts long after the credits roll. 4.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14147&stc=1&d=1398973075
Little Manhattan is a surprisingly clever and adult romantic comedy, with a clever screenplay in the tradition of some of Woody Allen's best work, except that the protagonists are children. Josh Hutcherson plays Gabe, a 10-year old New Yorker who falls head over heels in love with Rosemary (Charlie Ray), an 11-year old girl in his karate class. The romantic ups and downs between these two are delightfully chronicled here, thanks to a winning screenplay accentuated by Gabe's off-screen narration, which ranks with some of Woody Allen's best narrations. Hutcherson and Ray are completely convincing in their roles and you can't help but cheer for them throughout. Cynthia Nixon and Bradley Whitford co-star as Gabe's parents, who are separated, but still residing in the same apartment. A winning adult romantic comedy with children as the leads. Give this one a look, it might surprise you. 3.5

[Gideon58]

The surprise hit of 2006, Little Miss Sunshine is a lovely little movie that took family dysfunction and delightfully stood it on its ear in this warm comedy drama that, if caught in the right mood, will bring up equal parts laughter and tears.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14148&stc=1&d=1398973541
This is the story of little Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin), a little girl who lives in Albuquerque who learns she is going to be a finalist in a California children's beauty pageant called Little Miss Sunshine and the road trip that Olive's family takes to get her there in a broken down VW bus that the family has to push to get started.

Michael Arndt's crisp, Oscar-winning screenplay brilliantly captures a family in shreds, on the edge of self-destruction, brought back to the possibility of life by having a potential beauty queen in the family. Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris effectively put us right inside that VW bus and have created a family unit you feel for.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15980&stc=1&d=1403792256
The cast is first rate: Greg Kinnear is Richard, Olive's workaholic dad who unknowingly has put a lot of unnecessary pressure on his daughter. Toni Collette, as always, is vividly real as Cheryl, Olive's mom and the family referee. I love Collette because she's one of those rare actresses you never see "acting."

Alan Arkin won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his amusing turn as Olive's foul-mouthed, heroin-snorting grandfather and Steve Carell is also Oscar worthy in a dazzling performance as Olive's gay uncle, who has just been released from a mental hospital after a suicide attempt. Newcomer Paul Dano also makes a strong impression as Dwayne, Olive's big brother who hates his family and is on a vow of silence until he gets accepted into the air force academy.

There are many laughs along this offbeat road trip and the story does take a couple of dark turns, but nothing out of the realm of reality for this story. The Hoovers do get to the pageant but the story even takes a couple of twists there that we don't see coming and, BTW, a bouquet to veteran character actress Beth Grant, who is hysterically funny as one of the pageant judges.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14149&stc=1&d=1398973618
And needless to say, Abigail Breslin is a revelation as Olive, a performance endearing enough to earn her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The film was also nominated for Best Picture and after you see it, you'll understand why. Don't miss this gem of a sleeper. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14150&stc=1&d=1398974303
Living it Up is a reworking of the Carole Lombard classic Nothing Sacred now tailored to the talents of the 50's greatest movie team, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Lewis takes on the Lombard role as Homer Flagg, a small town schnook, who after exposure to radiation, believes he is dying and when word spreads all the way to Manhattan of his misfortune, a reporter for a big New York paper decides to treat Homer to a vacation in the Big Apple, sort of a final fling before Homer meets his maker.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16026&stc=1&d=1403883394
Martin plays Steve, Homer's doctor, who discovers before the arrival of the reporter, that Homer isn't really dying, but agrees to play along so that Homer can go to New York and is even more willing to play along when he meets the reporter, played by the lovely Janet Leigh.

Growing up in the 60's, I had seen Jerry Lewis movies and I had seen Dean Martin movies, but I was almost an adult by the time I learned that they had made movies as a team. This laugh-a-minute comedy was my first exposure to them as a team and it is my favorite outing of theirs and is a part of my permanent video collection.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14151&stc=1&d=1398974365
Martin and Lewis are a well-oiled machine and Janet Leigh makes a lovely leading lady There's also a great comic turn by comic veteran Fred Clark as Leigh's boss, whose character name is Oliver Stone! Sheree North also makes a memorable cameo at a jitterbug contest. But this is a Martin and Lewis show all the way, highlights including Dino's crooning of a love song to a photo of Audrey Hepburn and the duo's now classic "Every Street's a Boulevard in Old New York." This is Martin and Lewis in their prime and a comedy classic that's still funny fifty years later. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14152&stc=1&d=1398974808
Losing Isaiah is a moving and well-acted drama that takes a hot-button issue to an emotionally manipulative level but will involve you to the point of taking sides. Halle Berry plays a crack addict who, one night desperate to get high, leaves her newborn baby in a pile of garbage and when she returns after her mission, finds the baby gone.

The baby is rescued and is eventually taken home and raised by a sensitive social worker (Jessica Lange) who decides to raise and adopt the hyper-active, crack-addicted baby as her own. In the meantime, Berry gets clean, wants her baby back and takes Lange to court to regain custody of her son.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14153&stc=1&d=1398974895
This is an involving story that provides a balanced account of an emotional issue and if you're really paying attention, you will find your alliance with the protagonists in this story switching from time to time.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14154&stc=1&d=1398974971
Lange is solid, as always, and Halle Berry works hard at being convincing as a reformed junkie. Strong support is provided by Samuel L. Jackson and LaWanda Richardson (the real-life spouse of Jackson)as Lange and Berry's attorneys, David Straithern as Lange's husband, and Daisy Prince as Lange's daughter. No matter how hard you try to remain neutral, this film will suck you in and find you taking sides. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14155&stc=1&d=1398975323
Lost Horizon is the dreadful 1973 musical remake of the 1937 film classic about five passengers.on a snowy journey on a plane that crashes in an exotic fantasy land where the weather is always beautiful and no one ever grows old.

This idea probably looked a lot better on paper than the finished product, but it is a definite curio. It features static direction by Charles Jarrot and some really awful Burt Bacherach/Hal David songs like "The World is a Circle", "Share the Joy", "The Things I Will Not Miss", and "Reflections".

The obviously embarrassed all-star cast includes Peter Finch, Liv Ullmann, Michael York, Olivia Hussey, George Kennedy, Sally Kellerman, James Shigeta, Bobby Van,John Gielgud, and even Charles Boyer. I have never seen a musical put together with more non-singers and non-dancers in the cast in my life...what were these people thinking? 1.5

[Gideon58]

Love Me or Leave Me was MGM's lush and richly entertaining biography of 1920's torch singer Ruth Etting.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14156&stc=1&d=1398975671
Though not big on the facts, it is a wonderfully compelling drama with music chronicling the rise of the troubled young torch singer, who, according to this film's screenplay, had a trouble getting her career going until she met a gangster named Jimmy "The Gimp" Snyder (James Cagney), whose dangerous exterior melted in Etting's presence escalating to his Svengali-like grip on her career and her personal life. Etting tries to retain her independence until it is implied that Jimmy rapes her and Etting becomes,in Jimmy's mind, his possession.

It is the relationship between the two, slightly complicated by a warm-hearted pianist (Cameron Mitchell)that makes up the crux of the story here. Cagney has rarely been more electrifying on screen and received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor but Day matches him scene for scene, in what is easily the finest performance of her career,but for some reason,the Academy overlooked her.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14820&stc=1&d=1400349060
Day, who was loaned to MGM from Warners for this, is smoldering, intense, and sexier than she has ever been on screen. The scene where she stands alone on a nightclub stage, in a tight, black dress, dripping in sequins and fringe,and belts out the classic "Ten Cents a Dance" is worth the price of admission alone.

If you're looking for facts about Ruth Etting's life, read a book, but if you're looking for supreme entertainment, don't miss this one. A must for Day and Cagney fans. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14157&stc=1&d=1398975963One of Woody Allen's best films was the quietly beautiful Manhattan, an economic and cleverly mounted comedy drama which stars Woody as a divorced writer (Allen) who is having an affair with a high school student (Mariel Hemingway) but feels the relationship is dead-end and then drifts into a relationship with his best friend's mistress (Diane Keaton).
http://21tattoo.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/manhattan7-jpeg2.jpg
This is classic Woody, filled with snappy dialogue, unexpected plot twists and sparkling performances, especially by Keaton, Hemingway (who was nominated for an Oscar), and Michael Murphy as Woody's best friend...and it's all filmed in glorious black and white. I don't think the city that Woody loves so dearly has ever looked more glorious than it does in this film...this is definitely Woody's valentine to New York and it is a film made with delicacy and grace and, like most of Woody's films, features a beautiful musical score, a loving tribute to the magic of George Gershwin. If you're a Woody-phile, this one is a must. 4.5

[Gideon58]

Martin & Lewis was the 2002 TV movie that traced the rise and eventual destruction of one of the greatest show business teams in Hollywood history. Even though I have always felt Martin and Lewis are worthy subjects of a theatrical biopic, I will take this over nothing.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14165&stc=1&d=1399050230
This movie starts in the 1940's and showcases the beginning of both of these show business legends and implies that both were struggling and about to go under when, according to this film, both were booked at the same club and Lewis inserted himself into Martin's act and the audience thought they were so funny together that they became an act that sold out nightclubs and eventually segued into a lucrative movie career.

I don't know for sure how close it is to the truth, but this film depicts Jerry Lewis as an insecure, career-driven ego maniac who sincerely thought he was the brains of the act and that they would be nowhere without him and Martin is the guy who just sort of allowed Lewis to push and prod him through their success until Lewis' ego got to be too much for Dean to take. Whether or not this is what really happened, I guess only Dean and Jerry can say for sure, but it made for an immensely entertaining TV movie that had me riveted from start to finish.

Sean Hayes received an Emmy nomination for his nearly flawless recreation of Jerry Lewis, from an insecure unknown comic begging for his dad's approval to the egomaniac whose insecurities, paranoia, and control issues drove Martin and everyone else to the edge.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14166&stc=1&d=1399050294
Jeremy Northam's powerhouse turn as Dean Martin matches Hayes note for note. Martin's singing voice is dubbed in for the musical sequences, but the rest is Northam, who brings Martin's easy and laid back persona beautifully to life here. He may not really resemble Martin physically, but Martin's personality, spirit and even his speaking voice were on the money for me here and the interaction between Northam and Hayes is kinetic here...a joy to watch.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14821&stc=1&d=1400349272
Mention should also be made of Paula Cale as Dean's first wife, Bettya and to Kate Levering as Dean's second wife, Jeanne. This TV movie was a triumph and one of the few times I wished a film could have been longer. This one definitely left me wanting more. I'm still hoping it will inspire a theatrical look at this legendary team. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14167&stc=1&d=1399051115
Mask is the 1985 comedy-drama based on the true story of Rocky Dennis, a sensitive and highly intelligent teenager who, because of a debilitating disease, has a severely disfigured face that has made him an outcast outside of his family and the social circle surrounding them (basically a biker gang, who are savagely protective of Rocky).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14168&stc=1&d=1399051218
The film focuses primarily on Rocky's relationship with his mother Rusty (Cher), a free-spirited independent woman whose history of drug and alcohol abuse and sexual promiscuity has been such a concern to Rocky that it's sometimes hard to tell who's raising who in the Dennis household.

The film basically unfolds as a series of vignettes, highlighting the ups and downs of Rocky and Rusty's relationship, which seems to rise above everything else that happens in their lives. No matter what Rocky and Rusty go through, their love for each other rises above everything and makes all their fallacies fade to the background.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14169&stc=1&d=1399051314
Peter Bogdonovich's evocative direction is a big plus here, knowing where to mine the laughs and the tears and the film contains plenty of both. Cher gives the performance of her career as Rusty Dennis (even better than her Oscar winning turn in MOONSTRUCK) and an unrecognizable Eric Stoltz hits all the right notes as the soulful and intelligent Rocky. Sam Elliott is solid as Rusty's on-again, off-again boyfriend Gar and Laura Dern shines as a blind girl who Rocky falls for.

Mention should also be made of Dennis Burkley as a slow-witted family friend and of Richard Dysart and the late Estelle Getty who register in one scene as Rusty's parents. Don't miss this lovely emotional drama that perfectly blends laughter and tears to maximum effect. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14170&stc=1&d=1399051387

[cricket]

Mask is great.

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14171&stc=1&d=1399052066
Meet Me In St. Louis is a colorful and entertaining 1944 musical surrounding the oh-so-simple events in the life of the Smith family, in St. Louis, excited about having the World's Fair come to their sleepy little hamlet but worried about their impending move from St. Louis due to Mr. Smith's job transferring him away from their beloved home.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14172&stc=1&d=1399052151
Judy Garland was at her career peak and never looked more beautiful on screen than here portraying the second eldest Smith daughter, Esther, trying to deal with the idea of moving from St. Louis just when she has found love with the boy next door (the forever bland Tom Drake). Leon Ames and Mary Astor offer strong support as Esther's parents and Margaret O'Brien steals every scene she's in as youngest Smith daughter Tootie.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14173&stc=1&d=1399052348
A meticulously crafted film, with Judy offering three of her finest song performances with "The Trolley Song","The Boy Next Door" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Her duet with O'Brien, "Under the Bamboo Tree" is also a delight. This was the film that first brought Judy Garland together with 2nd husband Vincente Minnelli and his love for her is evident here...this film is Vincente's exquisite valentine to Judy. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14174&stc=1&d=1399052880
Meet the Parents was the surprise hit of 2000 that firmly established comic credentials for dramatic actor Robert DeNiro and put Ben Stiller on the map. Ben plays Greg Focker, a male nurse who after becoming engaged to a schoolteacher (Teri Polo) nervously agrees to accompany her to her sister's wedding in order to meet his future father-in-law (DeNiro).
http://images.amcnetworks.com/blogs.amctv.com/wp-content/uploads/2000/01/Meet-the-Parents.gif
Greg is naturally freaking out and try as he may, once he and Dad meet, everything that can go wrong for Greg does and it just gets worse for him as the story progresses. Stiller is wonderful as the hassled and harried everyman whose intentions are always good but the end results are never what he planned.

But the real surprise here is two-time Oscar winner DeNiro in a deft comic turn as Jack Burns, the father-in-law from hell who turns out to be a former CIA agent. DeNiro proves to be equally adept at comedy here, instinctively knowing when to take center stage and when to let young Stiller shine. Polo is attractive as Pam, the woman caught between these two guys and Blythe Danner is lovely as Jack's wife and Pam's mother.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14175&stc=1&d=1399052971
Owen Wilson also provides some grins as Pam's ex-fiancée who Jack adores. Though the misery that gets heaped on Greg throughout the length of the film seems to be a bit much, the smart screenplay and attractive cast make for an entertaining comic romp. Followed by a sequel called Meet the Fockers.. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14177&stc=1&d=1399054617
Mermaids is an enchanting and heartwarming comedy set in the 1960's about a free-spirited (read: trashy)woman struggling to raise her two daughters (who have different fathers) in a small New England town during the early 60's, as seen through the eyes of the elder daughter.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14178&stc=1&d=1399054718
Cher delivers one of the best performances of her career as the off-the-wall Rachel Flax, an independent, way-ahead-of-her-time, aging party girl who sometimes puts her own good time ahead of the welfare of her daughters. Winona Ryder is appealing as Rachel's elder daughter, Charlotte, who is so embarrassed by her mother that she refers to her in her off-screen narration as "Mrs. Flax" and Christina Ricci already begins to show the gifted actress she would turn into as Charlotte's little sister Katie. Bob Hoskins is also solid, as always, as the man who is smitten with Rachel but she keeps trying to keep at arm's length.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14179&stc=1&d=1399054819
Director Richard Benjamin really hits a bullseye here...recreating a turbulent period in history by contrasting it with a central character who seems to be oblivious of all that is going on except for in her own little world and backing the whole story with some wonderful music from the 1960's and Cher's cover of "The Shoop Shoop Song" during the closing credits is the bomb. An absolute delight from start to finish. Don't miss it. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14180&stc=1&d=1399055506
A step above the average "chick flick", Message in a Bottle is a beautiful contemporary love story with characters that you come to care about and a story that is emotionally manipulative but richly entertaining. The story follows a divorced, Chicago newspaper researcher (Robin Wright Penn) who, while jogging on the beach, actually finds a typed message in a bottle that actually washed onto the beach.

The message in the bottle is so moving that our heroine is determined to find out who sent it and after some brief investigative efforts, finds out the note was sent by a widowed boat builder (Kevin Costner)who lives off the coast of South Carolina. The meeting of these two lonely people sparks the best love story since The Way We Were .
http://nicholassparks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/kevin_costner_robin_wright_penn_message_in_a_bottle_002.jpeg
Costner is sensitive and enigmatic as the lonely widower and Wright Penn offers one of her best performances as the researcher whose heart is melted by the man. There's also a grand and stylish supporting turn by Paul Newman as Costner's father which is just icing on the cake to this beautifully photographed romantic drama that will induce tears if you catch it in the right frame of mind. A winner. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13658&d=1397570319 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=13658&d=1397570319)
Five years after the success of "10", Blake Edwards and Dudley Moore hit another bullseye with Micki & Maude, a stylish and very funny romantic comedy about a newsmagazine reporter named Rob Salinger (Moore) married to a workaholic attorney named Micki (Ann Reinking) who longs to be a father and when Micki's job keeps interfering with their baby-making plans, Rob begins an affair with an attractive and funny cellist named Maude (Amy Irving) who he gets pregnant. He agrees to divorce Micki and marry Maude until Micki announces she is also pregnant. Since Micki's pregnancy is high risk, he doesn't want to stress her out so he marries Maude without divorcing Micki and that's when his life becomes complicated to no end.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/micki-maude/w448/micki-maude.jpg?1309699348
The three stars are absolutely wonderful in their roles. Moore won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy. Richard Mulligan, George Gaynes, and Wallace Shawn offer strong support as Moore's boss and as the ladies' doctors. Though the film is a little on the long side, it remains thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end with one of Moore's best performances. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15901&stc=1&d=1403275455

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14181&stc=1&d=1399057063
Woody Allen struck gold and made a star out of a second generation actress in Mighty Aphrodite, a sophisticated and engaging romantic comedy about an upwardly mobile New York couple (Allen, Helena Bonham Carter) who decide to adopt a child. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14182&stc=1&d=1399057137Soon after, Bonham Carter drifts into an affair with an arrogant creep (Peter Weller) and they divorce, Allen then becomes curious about his son's biological mother and decides to track her down. She turns out to be a not-too-bright prostitute/porn star (Mira Sorvino).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14183&stc=1&d=1399057201
This is one of Woody's most enjoyable outings, seamlessly blending real life and fantasy as instead of Woody's usual voice over narration, the action of the story is actually commented on by an actual Greek chorus, led by Oscar winners F. Murray Abraham and Olympia Dukakis. Woody delivers an on target script and a charming performance and made a star out of Mira Sorvino, daughter of Paul Sorvino, whose charismatic performance as the dim-witted mother of Woody's son, won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14184&stc=1&d=1399057265
A must for Woody-philes and for fans of sophisticated romantic comedy with Woody's typical warm ending with a twist. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14188&stc=1&d=1399057948
Sean Penn's mesmerizing Oscar winning performance is the centerpiece of Milk, the 2008 biopic about Harvey Milk, the tireless crusader of gay rights who became the first openly gay male to run for public office.

Director Gus van Sant has mounted this intimate story on a massive canvas, utilizing stock news footage, gay activism education/information, and an intelligent, Oscar winning screenplay by Dustin Lance Black to tell this compelling and emotionally charged tale of the man who put his entire life on the back burner as well as at a great personal risk to himself, to further the issue of gay rights. It would nice if homophobia could be put aside long enough for the heterosexual population to see a film like this and possibly gain a better understanding of this constantly tortured minority.
https://robsmovievault.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/2008_milk_002.jpg
Sean Penn won a richly deserved 2nd Best Actor Oscar for his passionate and fiery turn as this tireless Messiah for gay causes. The film also features a trio of sterling supporting performances from Emile Hirsch as a teen hustler that Milk converts into one of his followers, James Franco as Milk's lover who gets lost in Harvey's political shuffle, and especially Josh Brolin, in a brilliant performance that earned him a supporting nomination as Dan White, the conflicted, heterosexual San Francisco supervisor who worked alongside and against Milk simultaneously, leading to both their downfalls.

A beautifully mounted film with a strong message that never becomes preachy, but stays with you long after the credits roll, featuring the performance of Sean Penn's distinguished career. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14189&stc=1&d=1399058045

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14190&stc=1&d=1399058282Milk Money is a lovely and sentimental romantic comedy about a precocious pre-teen who decides to set up his widowed father with a warm-hearted prostitute, who is on the run from some bad people. This film is a warm slice of contemporary Americana, beautifully conveying small town sensibilities and their positive and negative effects on the fictional hamlet of Middleton.

The story is simple (though it does take Dad a little too long to figure out what this girl does for a living)and the environmental subplot is underdeveloped, but the movie is filled with believable characters and funny scenes, including one very funny scene where the boy uses the hooker as a visual aide for a school project on the female anatomy.
http://welookawesome.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/500full1.jpg
Melanie Griffith shines in a tailor-made role as V, the proverbial hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold, in her most appealing performance since WORKING GIRL and Ed Harris is charming and sexy as the dad. Michael Patrick Carter is utterly charming as the boy and Malcolm McDowell and Anne Heche offer funny supporting turns as a gangster and his ditzy moll, V's best friend. An entertaining romantic comedy that's beauty lies in its simplicity. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14191&stc=1&d=1399058532
A richly-detailed screenplay and superb performances by the stars are the main selling points of. For One More Day, an exquisite and deeply moving TV fantasy about a desperate and lonely drunk named Chick Benetto,who, at the moment he is about to commit suicide, encounters the ghost of his mother, who has been dead for nine years. Still racked with guilt about not being there when his mother died, this man is given the opportunity to spend one final day with his loving mother.
http://static.oprah.com/images/tows/200712/20071205/20071205_201_350x263.jpg
The intricate screenplay effectively shows the specific events in Chick's life that have led him to his suicide attempt and then flashes back and forth through various parts of his life from early childhood to his blossoming career as a professional baseball player to illustrate the downward spiral his life took, apparently affected by the separation of his parents. His mother is portrayed as a luminous free spirit whose exuberance for life was constantly being crushed by her chauvinistic, neanderthal husband who felt she was making Chick soft.

The screenplay allows us to see Chick at various highs and lows during his life and allows Chick the opportunity to ask his mother all those things about his parents' separation that he never got the opportunity to ask.
http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Mitch-Alboms-For-One-More-Day-movie-01.jpg
Emmy winner Michael Imperioli (THE SOPRANOS)delivers a powerful and delicately layered performance as the tortured Chick and Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn is luminous, as always, as the ghostly mom who materializes when her son needs her the most. OK, there were little problems I had with logic and continuity such as Mom's abilities to tend to Chick's wounds even though she is a ghost and that Imperioli is a little too young to appear to have done all the things Chick is supposed to have done, but I allowed this lovely story to envelop me in the emotions it evoked and forgive the inconsistencies.

This movie should be shown annually on Mother's Day to remind us all how special our mothers are. But above all it is the sublime performances of Burstyn and Imperioli that make this such a rewarding film experience. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14192&stc=1&d=1399062641
A well-worn movie premise gets a fresh coat of paint in Monster-in-Law, a laugh-packed comedy confection that made history as it marked the return to the big screen of two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda, in her first film in 16 years. Fonda plays Viola Fields, a Barbara Walters-type television journalist who has been married four times and gets fired from her talk show and has a nervous breakdown after attacking a guest on air.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14194&stc=1&d=1399062815
Upon her return home, she learns that her son is getting married and after meeting her future daughter-in-law, makes it her mission in life to make sure this wedding never happens. Fonda commands the screen here in a brilliant comic tour-de-force that overpowers just about everything else going on in the movie.

Jennifer Lopez works hard in the role of Charlie, Viola's future daughter-in-law and Michael Vartan is not much more than eye candy in his role as Fonda's doctor-son, but they both take a backseat to Fonda here and do try very hard not to fade into the woodwork.
http://c2.thejournal.ie/media/2011/06/MONSTER-390x285.jpg
The only actors who don't get blown off the screen by Fonda are Wanda Sykes, who has some of the funniest lines in the movie as Viola's assistant Ruby and Broadway legend Elaine Stritch, who shines in a brief cameo as one of Viola's former mother-in-laws, but this is Fonda's show all the way, and if this film shows anything, it's that Fonda has not lost any of her ability to command the screen during her 16-year absence and I hope more roles are coming her way. If for no other reason,Monster-in-Law must be treasured for the powerhouse comedy performance by a Hollywood icon who has been away from the screen much too long. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14193&stc=1&d=1399062702

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14195&stc=1&d=1399063436
The final film project of Marilyn Monroe, Something's Got to Give, was shelved after months of dealing with the temperamental and troublesome Monroe, 20th Century Fox fired Marilyn, the film was shelved, and Marilyn was dead a few months later.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14545&stc=1&d=1400025683
The project was later revived and revamped as a vehicle for Doris Day and the result was Move Over Darling, a predictable but watchable comedy in which Doris plays Ellen Arden, a woman who has been stranded on a deserted island for five years and is finally rescued, only to return home and find that her husband has had her declared legally dead and is preparing to marry someone else.http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14196&stc=1&d=1399063506
This story is as old as the hills, dating back to the old Irene Dunne comedy My Favorite Wife, but Day is always watchable and works extremely well with James Garner, who is sexy and charismatic as Ellen's husband, Nicholas. Polly Bergen is very funny as Nicholas' new fiancée, the self-absorbed Bianca and the always reliable Thelma Ritter steals every scene she is in as Nicholas' mother.

The film is tamer than the original Monroe vehicle, but the material has been perfectly revamped for Doris Day and she works hard at making the film worth watching. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14197&stc=1&d=1399064164
Mr. Deeds is Adam Sandler's breezy re-thinking of the Gary Cooper classic Mr. Deeds goes to Town.. In this version, Sandler plays Longfellow Deeds, a small town schnook who works in a pizza parlor and writes greeting cards, who learns that he is the only living relative of an eccentric millionaire named Preston Blake, who dies and leaves Deeds 40 million dollars. Deeds must then travel to New York to sign papers regarding the estate and gets involved with a TV tabloid reporter (Winona Ryder), who is pretending to be a nurse in order to get a story on him but falls for him in the process.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14198&stc=1&d=1399064222
Sandler has rarely been more likable on screen, making Deeds warm and extremely likable and though she's no Jean Arthur, Ryder proves to be an intelligent screen presence and one of Sandler's best leading ladies. Peter Gallagher is appropriately slimy as Chuck Cedar, Blake's CEO who wants to steal the company from Deeds and there's also great bits offered by John Turturro as Deeds' butler and Conchata Farrell as his best friend back home. Exuberant direction and a deft screenplay are the final touches to one of Sandler's best efforts and a respectful valentine to the film it salutes. 3.5http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14199&stc=1&d=1399064289

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14205&stc=1&d=1399122822
Michael Keaton officially became a star with Mr.Mom, a warm and funny family comedy which stars Keaton as Jack Butler, an automotive engineer who gets laid off and can't seem to get another job anywhere else. In order to make ends meet, Jack's wife, Caroline (Teri Garr), who gave up a brief career in advertising to be a stay-at-home Mom, decides to go back to work and is instantly hired at an advertising agency, which forces Jack to settle into being the stay-at-home Dad.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14206&stc=1&d=1399122877
It's hilarious watching Jack cluelessly trying to deal with his kids, shopping, laundry, and other domestic duties. Jack even manages to get addicted to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and teaches the other moms in the neighborhood how to play poker. Meanwhile, Caroline gets promoted after 20 minutes on the job and is forced to fend off the advances of her slimy boss, played to perfection by Martin Mull.
http://content.internetvideoarchive.com/content/photos/009/000402_5.jpg
This film contains one hilarious scene after another as Jack starts to lose his self-esteem, reduced to dealing with dirty diapers and a vacuum cleaner with a life of its own. Garr is in top form and there is a fun turn by Ann Jillian as an amorous neighbor who has the hots for Jack. This film is a joy from start to finish, thanks to a clever screenplay and the impeccable comic timing of Michael Keaton. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14207&stc=1&d=1399123544
In addition to being the film which turned out to be the genesis for the greatest media circus since OJ, Mr. & Mrs. Smith is one of the most richly entertaining, though highly improbable, action adventure yarns to come down the pike in quite a while and was responsible for creating a media firestorm which has come to be known as "Brangelina."
http://modeyv2.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/mr-mrs-smith-opening-scene.jpg
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star as John and Jane Smith, married assassins who have somehow been able to keep their occupations from each other for five (or six) years of marriage because they work for different organizations. Things heat up when they are both assigned to the same case in an effort by their respective agencies to take each other out and that's where the fun begins.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14208&stc=1&d=1399123597
If you don't think about it at all and just let the story flow over you, fun can be had here. The film boasts energetic direction, a surprisingly deft screenplay, a superb musical score, enough technical gadgetry to make James Bond proud and yes, the on screen chemistry between the leads is positively kinetic...it just about burns a hole in the screen.
http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BNjcwMDYwMjEzMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTYzMTc2MQ@@._V1_CR0,29,304,171_AL_UX477_CR0,0,477,268_AL_.jpg
Brangelina make a white hot team and if you keep an open mind, this a richly entertaining fantasy-action-adventure that is an entertaining roller coaster ride right to the end credits. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=16408&stc=1&d=1405788639
Robin Williams is a gutsy daring performer who likes to take chances as a performer but every now and then he goes strictly main stream, trying to reach the broadest audience base possible and he accomplished this in spades with Mrs. Doubtfire, a delightful Disneyesque comedy about an out of work actor who disguises himself as a woman (thanks to an Oscar winning makeup job) in order to be hired by his ex-wife (Sally Field)to be housekeeper to his kids.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14210&stc=1&d=1399124463
Williams delivers one of his most on-target comedic performances,much of which I'm sure was improvised. The scene with Anne Haney in the employment office where he does all the different voices I'm sure came right off the top of Robin's head as did his private kids' show in the empty TV studio with the toy dinosaurs, but even on script, Williams makes this work and has you routing for Daniel to be reunited with his children (and how adorable was Mara Wilson in this movie?).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14211&stc=1&d=1399124612
Sally Field plays the thankless role of the somewhat callous ex with sincerity and Pierce Brosnan is charming as the new man in Field's life. Harvey Fierstein also provides chuckles as Daniel's gay brother who provides him with Mrs. Doubtfire's look. A charming and funny comedy the whole family can enjoy together. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14212&stc=1&d=1399125033Mamma Mia! is a joyous musical romp, the film version of the long running Broadway musical based on the music of 70's pop group Abba.

The film stars Meryl Streep as Donna, the lusty and free spirited innkeeper who runs a broken down hotel in the Greek Islands, who is rocked by the arrival of three former suitors (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard)in Greece for the wedding of Donna's daughter, Sophie, not knowing that one of them is really Sophie's father, though Donna is not sure which one is the real Daddy.
http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/Universal/MammaMia/mm7_L.jpg
This paper-thin plot line serves as the basis for an amusing and spirited musical journey exploring Donna's regrets about her past and Sophie's search for a future identity through knowing who her real father is.

Filmed on location in the Greek Islands, the film is visually stunning and should really be experienced on a big screen. Streep, as always, commands the screen as Donna, giving a rich performance that almost makes you forget you're watching a musical.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/07/06/arts/gold_2_600.jpg
Amanda Seyfried is charming as Sophie offering an impressive turn in her first real leading role. There are also a pair of razor sharp supporting performances from Christine Baranski and Julie Walters as Donna's best friends, also in town for the wedding. The film features beautiful location photography and some very inventive staging of musical numbers, which include "Dancing Queen", " In a Rich Man's World", "The Winner Takes it All", "Our Last Summer", "Take a Chance on Me", and of course, the title tune. Not for all tastes, but for fans of musicals and Streep, a must. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14213&stc=1&d=1399128008
Probably one of the funniest comedies of the 1970's was Neil Simons' 1976 comedy Murder by Death in which Simon assembles his own versions of great fictional detectives who are brought together by a flamboyant millionaire named Lionel Twain (Truman Capote), who end up trying to solve Twain's murder. Peter Falk plays Sam Diamond who is accompanied by his secretary, Tess (Eileen Brennan). David Niven and Maggie Smith play Dick and Dora Charleston. Elsa Lanchester plays Jessica Marbles, Peter Sellers plays Sidney Wang, and James Coco plays Milos Perrier.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14214&stc=1&d=1399128082
The film also features Alec Guiness as a blind butler and Nancy Walker as a deaf maid (they have the funniest scene in the movie when they are trying to communicate with each other which because of their respective handicaps is impossible but it's funny to watch). Smart script, great performances and watch out for that triple whammy reverse ending. It's a doozy. 4

[Gideon58]

Must Love Dogs is a so-so romantic comedy that tries so hard to be hip and contemporary with only lukewarm results. This comedy follows the bumpy road to romance between a divorced boat builder (John Cusack) and a divorced schoolteacher (Diane Lane), who meet through submitting their romantic profiles on PerfectMatch.com.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14215&stc=1&d=1399128551
The story stumbles onto all the romantic complications that one would expect from such a tired plot re-tread, but interest manages to be sustained for the most part. John Cusack's enormous screen charisma is put to its ultimate test here and is quite charming as the hopeless romantic addicted to Dr. Zhivago, despite having such a pedestrian screenplay to work with.

Lane has always struck me as a dramatic actress and clearly seems out of her element here. She works very hard at trying to be funny here and it just didn't work for me.
http://image.xyface.com/image/m/movie-must-love-dogs/must-love-dogs-103562.jpg
There is a solid supporting cast though, led by the wonderful Christopher Plummer as Lane's skirt-chasing dad. Other great bits are contributed by Dermot Mulroney, Elizabeth Perkins, and the incomparable Stockard Channing. The entire family singing the theme from the THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY and Lane jumping in a lake to swim to Cusack's boat are embarrassing to say the least, but Cusack and the strong supporting cast make it worth a peek. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14216&stc=1&d=1399129212
Julia Roberts' considerable on screen charisma anchors My Best Friend's Weddiddng, a romantic comedy with a twist that may or may not have you cheering for our girl to come out on top. Roberts plays a food critic named Julianne who learns that her ex-boyfriend Michael (Dermot Mulroney) is getting married and he asks her to come to the wedding and be his "Best Man."
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FvJMbz4vgNY/maxresdefault.jpg
Upon her arrival for the wedding festivities and meeting the bride-to-be, Kim (Cameron Diaz), Julianne decides that she wants Michael back and pulls out every dirty trick she can think of to break them up. This mission gets complicated when the fiancée asks Julianne to be her maid of honor.
http://screenrobot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/my-best-friends-wedding-inset.jpg
There are a lot of comic situations that arise from this premise, but it is a little unsettling as well because, deep down, we know that what Julianne is doing is wrong, but part of us wants her to win, whether we want to admit it or not, because Roberts still manages to evoke our sympathies as Julianne, especially when we learn that it is Julianne who broke off the relationship with Michael and that his new fiancée gives him everything that Julianne couldn't...like the ability to be affectionate in public, but seeing Michael so happy ignites the Mr. Hyde in Julianne. She even asks her gay best friend, George (Rupert Everett) to pretend to be her fiancée to make Michael jealous. The scene where George tells Kim's family how he and Julianne met is hysterical.

Whether or not Julianne succeeds in her mission should not be revealed here for those who haven't seen the film,but know that the film works for the most part thanks to some smart writing, a winning performance by Roberts and a scene-stealing turn by Everett as George. It's not PRETTY WOMAN, but if you accept that going in , it's a pleasant ride. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14219&d=1399129414

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14220&stc=1&d=1399130916
My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a beautifully mounted romantic and family comedy that was a do or die project for its star, Nia Vardolos, who also wrote the screenplay. Vardolos plays Toulah, a plain-Jane Greek girl, who feels trapped in the life that her family seems to have trapped her in until she gets a makeover, goes to school, takes over her aunt's travel agency and actually meets her Prince Charming, who is not Greek (horrors!).
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bkFIPLIOGL8/Sr0T7U9yFII/AAAAAAAAk1Y/a6tgvVM5Nl8/s400/Big-Fat-Greek-Life_l.jpg
Vardolos has written a smart and engaging comedy with a main character who you instantly relate to and route for. Vardolos is a revelation in the role of Toulah...there is not a false note in her performance and she makes Toulah someone we have to care for instantly.
http://cdn-media.hollywood.com/images/l/bigfatgreekwedding-10th-anniversary.jpg
John Corbett (Aidan on SEX AND THE CITY) makes a perfect Prince Charming and Lanie Kazan takes her patented Jewish mother turn and gives it a Greek accent as Toulah's mom. Michael Constantine charms as Toulah's father and Andrea Martin steals every scene she's in as Toulah's aunt. A near perfect screen comedy that became a contemporary movie classic. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14223&stc=1&d=1399132135
My Cousin Vinny is an entertaining and laugh-packed comedy confection that stars Joe Pesci as a New York tough who somehow barely passed the bar exam but has yet to try a case, who is asked to come down south to redneck country to defend his young cousin (Ralph Macchio)and his friend (Mitchell Whitfield), who have been wrongfully accused of murder.

Pesci shines in this twisted fish-out-of-water story as the inexperienced lawyer with the mafia sensibility, completely clueless about the ways of people down south and their ultra-conservative methods of upholding the law. Marisa Tomei won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her scene-stealing performance as Pesci's brash and loud-mouthed girlfriend who accompanies him down south. The late Fred Gwynne gives the performance of his career as the judge on the case and the late Lane Smith is effective as the prosecuting attorney, though Austin Pendleton is a bit much as a public defender with a stuttering problem.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14224&stc=1&d=1399132209
This is a minor quibble though in one of the best comedies ever made. Tomei won an Oscar but Pesci still commands the screen in one the most perfectly timed comic performances to grace the silver screen in a long time. Pay particular attention as he questions a severely near-sighted old lady and offers the jury lessons on the preparation of grits. A supremely entertaining comedy that just gets better with multiple viewings. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14225&stc=1&d=1399132801
My Fair Lady is the 1964 film version of the Lerner and Lowe Broadway musical, based on Shaw's Pygmalion, that won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, beating out films like Mary Poppins and Dr. Strangelove and finally garnering a Best Director Oscar for the legendary George Cukor.

For those who've been living under a rock since the 1960's, this is the story of a cockney flower girl named Eliza Doolittle who is transformed into a sophisticated lady through the art of learning how to speak properly by a phonetics professor named Henry Higgins.
http://classichollywoodcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Rex-and-Audrey-in-My-fair-Lady.jpg
Rex Harrison won the Best Actor Oscar for recreating his Broadway role as Professor Higgins, the confirmed bachelor who allows his new creation to get under his skin.

Eyebrows were raised in Hollywood when the role of Eliza Doolittle went to Audrey Hepburn, instead of the role's originator, Julie Andrews, who earned sweet revenge by winning the Best Actress Oscar the same year for Mary Poppins. Hepburn is lovely as the transformed Eliza, but is less convincing as the dirty-faced cockney flower girl. Hepburn's singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon, who also sang for Natalie Wood in West Side Story and for Deborah Kerr in The King & I. Wilfred Hyde-White and Gladys Cooper provide solid support as Higgins' friend who helps with the transformation and as Higgins' mother, who befriends Eliza when she really needs a friend.
http://image.nola.com/home/nola-media/width960/img/tpphotos/photo/2015/10/13/-7f963ad6f5141408.jpg
This movie is exquisitely mounted, with Oscar-winning production design and stunning, Oscar-winning costumes by Cecil Beaton. The original score to the musical comes to the screen almost completely intact, highlights being "Wouldn't it be Loverly", "I've Grown Accustomed to her Face", "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "Just You Wait." This is a textbook example of how to bring a Broadway musical to the screen. A joy from start to finish. 4.5

[Gideon58]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/93/Mystic_River_poster.jpg
For my money, Clint Eastwood's crowning achievement as a director, Mystic River, examining lost youth and other kinds of loss that sweep their way through a small Massachusetts town where everyone knows everyone.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14227&stc=1&d=1399134020
This story opens on a quiet day in Mystic River when three young boys, Jimmy, Dave, and Sean are approached by a pedophile, they force Dave into their car and he is sexually abused for several days before escaping. The story then finds these childhood friends as adults still living in the same town, though their lives have drifted away from each other somewhat.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14228&stc=1&d=1399134088
Jimmy (Sean Penn)is now a small business owner content in his 2nd marriage (Laura Linney)and raising three daughters. Dave (Tim Robbins) is also married and raising a son. Sean (Kevin Bacon) is now a Mystic River police officer whose wife left him, but likes to call him on the phone and not say anything.

The three men's lives reconnect when Jimmy eldest daughter (Emmy Rossum) is brutally murdered and, as Sean investigates the crime, Dave begins to come into focus as the primary suspect.

Clint Eastwood won a richly deserved Oscar for Best Director as he has incorporated rich detail in painting this intimate story of troubled small town Americana on an epic canvas and pulled remarkable performances from his hand-picked cast. Sean Penn finally won a Best Actor Oscar for his powerhouse performance and Tim Robbins' Dave earned a Supporting Actor statue.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14229&stc=1&d=1399134158
They receive rock solid support from Bacon, Linney, Marcia Gay Harden as Dave's wife, and Laurence Fishburne as Sean's partner. One of those rare and beautiful occurrences where a film turns out to be just as riveting as the book it's based on. An instant classic not to be missed. 5

[Gideon58]

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTE4NVgxMjAw/z/Oh4AAMXQlgtSrl1S/$_35.JPG
One of the best films to come out of the 1970's was originally made for television. My Sweet Charlie was a sensitive and intense film originally broadcast on NBC directed by Lamont Johnson with a solid screenplay by famed television writing team Richard Levinson and William Link. The film stars Patty Duke as Marlene, a 17-year old, southern, bigoted, uneducated girl, who, upon learning she's pregnant, runs away from home and finds refuge in one of those boarded up summer houses on the Carolina coast.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14230&stc=1&d=1403186250
Her solitude is broken when Charlie (Al Freeman Jr.) also arrives at the house. Charlie is a well-spoken, intelligent, African American attorney who is also seeking refuge because we learn he is on the run and it is the relationship that develops between these two polar opposites brought together by circumstance that forms the basis of this involving story as we watch instant mistrust and resentment between these two people trapped for very different reasons turn to trust and respect each other.

Patty Duke won an Emmy for her superb performance and Al Freeman Jr.'s equally memorable performance earned him a nomination as well. Detailed direction by Johnson and a meticulously crafted script are just icing on the cake. A groundbreaking film from the 70's that earned so much acclaim that it was actually released theatrically overseas. A classic, pure and simple. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14263&stc=1&d=1399555150
New York New York was a lavishly mounted 1977 musical which was the first foray into the genre for director Martin Scorsese, fresh off his triumph in Taxi Driver. Scorsese was rumored to be dating Liza Minnelli at the time, which supposedly was the genesis of this movie and Liza's disastrous Broadway show The Act.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14264&stc=1&d=1399555210
This film is loosely based on the real life relationship of singer Cleo Laine and musician John Dankworth and bares more than a passing resemblance to Minnelli's mother's classic A Star is Born. This throwback to the MGM musicals of the 40's and 50's starred Minnelli as Francine Evans, a band singer in the 40's who has a whirlwind romance with a second rate saxophone player named Jimmy Doyle (Robert DeNiro), an explosive and unpredictable musician whose ego was bigger than his talent but did have a way with the ladies and sweeps Francine off her feet into a whirlwind romance and eventual marriage (the scene where Jimmy proposes to Francine is so funny). Francine then becomes a huge star, leaving Jimmy in the dust and it's more than his ego can bare.

The plot line is not the only thing in this movie reminiscent of A Star is Born. Minnelli is made up to look exactly like her mother in the 1954 classic. Watch her in the scene where she sings "But the World Goes Round" and check out her costume when she's singing the title tune...it's eerily similar to something Garland wore in the '54 film.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14265&stc=1&d=1399555332
There is also a huge production number called "Happy Endings", which was cut during initial release, that bares more than a passing resemblance to Garland's "Born in a Trunk" number in
A Star is Born It should be noted that "Happy Endings" was restored to the film during a later re-release and it is spectacular; however, despite all these similarities to the '54 classic, Scorsese does put his own stamp on this, presenting the character of Jimmy Doyle as a violent, sometimes abusive, insensitive heel who thinks women are 2nd class citizens and is never able to accept the fact that Francine became the major star he didn't.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15154&stc=1&d=1400954437
Actually, musical numbers aside, Minnelli offers one of her strongest performances as Francine and DeNiro, as always, is riveting as Jimmy Doyle. Music is everywhere here, like another character in the story. The score is a combination of big band hits of the 40's and new John Kander-Fred Ebb songs, including the title tune, which a certain blue-eyed crooner later turned into a number one record.

The film also boasts extraordinary, Oscar-worthy production design by Boris Leven and costumes by Theodora Van Runkle. It's not for everyone and probably not for the average Scorsese fan, but for fans of the stars and the genre, it's a curio worth a look...and try to find a director's cut if available. 3

[cricket]

Mystic River is an awesome film; I can't believe it didn't make the millennium list.

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14267&stc=1&d=1399555745
Joel and Ethan Cohen brought home the Academy Award for Best Picture of 2007 with No Country for Old Men, a dark and chilling suspense thriller which takes the classic cat and mouse chase genre to an entirely new level.

The film stars Josh Brolin, in his finest performance to date, as a schnook who happens upon the remains of a brutal crime scene, where he finds several dead bodies, a huge shipment of heroine, and a case containing two million dollars and the consequences of his fatalistic decision to take off with the money, prompting his being hunted by a cold-blooded assassin named Anton Chagur (Jarvier Bardem), who will stop at nothing to get his money back. Throw in a laid back Texan sheriff (played to perfection by Tommy Lee Jones)assigned to the case and you have all the ingredients of a first class thriller.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14268&stc=1&d=1399555829
This gritty and uncompromising drama pulls no punches and offers no easy solutions to a myriad of questions it raises, most notably, "Did this guy really think he could get away with stealing two million dollars?"

The film is dark and atmospheric, creating such a height of suspense that there is virtually no music score and you really don't miss it. The suspense created by the story propels the film itself. Jarvier Bardem won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his bone-chilling performance as Chagur, the deadly and apparently conscience-free killer chasing Brolin. Bardem creates one of the most terrifying cinematic villains ever, whose brutality is only surpassed by his unpredictability.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14269&stc=1&d=1399555879
The Cohens have crafted an intricate story that does peter out toward the end, but for the majority of its running time, will have you literally holding your breath. Not quite up the standards of their classic
Fargo, the film is still practically a classic that improves upon repeat viewings and reinforces Joel and Ethan Cohen as filmmakers to be reckoned with. 4.5

[Gideon58]

After his charismatic, Oscar-nominated turn in Dreamgirls, Eddie Murphy's follow-up film,Norbit, was a disappointment to say the least. Eddie does work hard here, playing three separate roles in this broad romantic comedy that ineffectively tries to balance slapstick with genuine characters.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14270&stc=1&d=1399556191
Murphy plays Norbit, a small-town nerd trapped in a marriage to an overweight, overbearing shrew named Rasputia (also Murphy)whose unexpected reunion with his childhood sweetheart (Thandie Newton)who has moved back to town, thrusts him in the middle of a convoluted love triangle. Murphy is also unrecognizable as Mr.Wong,the owner of the orphanage where Norbit grew up.

There are scattered laughs here and there, but the film does have problems like a really lame screenplay that could have used some tightening (the film is about 20 minutes too long) and the fact that the character of Rasputia has no redeeming qualities whatsoever and a good comic villain(ness)needs some element of sympathy and Rasputia has none.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14271&stc=1&d=1399556326
On the plus side, Murphy is adorable as Norbit, the sweetest character Murphy has done since Sherman Klump and Newton is a lovely leading lady. There are also a pair of scene stealing supporting turns from Eddie Griffin and Kat Williams as a pair of pimps turned rib shack owners and Cuba Gooding Jr. is seen to good advantage in his best role since winning an Oscar for JERRY MAGUIRE, but the story is so silly and the character of Rasputia is so repulsive that it's difficult to commit to the story, but Eddie definitely gets an "A" for effort. 1.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14719&stc=1&d=1400265401
Normal was a taboo-shattering TV movie made by HBO that shocked some, offended others, and moved me deeply.

This movie, directed and written by Jane Anderson, based on her play, focuses on Irma and Roy Applewood, a small town couple who have been married for over 25 years, have two children and are considered pillars of their community. Roy passes out at a church function one day and Irma thinks there's something physically wrong with him, but it is revealed that Roy has developed a physical illness related to the stress he has put on himself by keeping a secret about himself buried for all these years. Roy finally admits to Irma that he has always felt that he is a woman trapped in a man's body and that he wants to have a sex change operation.

Now the twist in this story is that Roy does not want to end his relationship with Irma and even though her entire world has been turned upside down, Irma can't walk away from Roy either and watching these two people deal with this painful revelation is the crux of this story.

Roy initially moves out but he realizes he still loves Irma and still wants to be a father to his daughter so he returns home, begins hormone treatments, and starts experimenting with women's clothing in a gradual manner. Of course, this affects all parts of his life drastically...there is a heartbreaking scene where he shows up at his blue collar job wearing earrings and gets beat up because of it.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14274&stc=1&d=1399556869
This movie is deeply moving as we watch Roy's inner torment as he tries to be true to himself without destroying his family and watching Irma trying to accept what Roy is going through even though it has completely ripped her world and her whole belief system to shreds. Not to mention Roy and Irma's kids, who have completely different reactions to what is going on.

Tom Wilkenson and Jessica Lange deliver two powerhouse performances as Roy and Irma that should have won them both Emmy awards. Hayden Pannetiere lights up the screen as their daughter and Joseph Sikora is solid as their son. Clancy Brown also registers as Roy's boss, who upon learning of Roy's secret, seizes the opportunity to act on some long buried feelings he has always had for Irma.

This movie is about tolerance and requires an open mind and patience, as it asks as many questions as it answers. A special film experience for the adult film-goer. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14276&stc=1&d=1399557489
Not Another Teen Movie is an on-target lampoon of the teen-angst movies of the 80's made by the likes of John Hughes and Chris Columbus that practically took over the movie business during this period.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14277&stc=1&d=1399557558
This hilarious comedy, whose primary plot resembles the Freddie Prinze Jr. movie SHE'S ALL THAT, takes place at John Hughes High School (where else?) and follows the rocky, on-again, off-again romance between hunky jock Jake (Chris Evans)and the brainy bookworm/artist Janey (Chyler Leigh). Janie's perverted, drunken, lazy bum of a dad, perfectly played by Randy Quaid, resembles Molly Ringwald's dad in PRETTY IN PINK and Jake's sister, Catherine, is an on target dig at Sarah Michelle Gellar's character in CRUEL INTENTIONS.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14278&stc=1&d=1399557614
If you watch closely, you will also observe affectionate winks at THE BREAKFAST CLUB, ST. ELMO'S FIRE, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU,SIXTEEN CANDLES, BRING IT ON, and LEGALLY BLONDE among others. There is one gag after another and they don't all work, but they come at such a lightning pace, the duds can be overlooked. Needless to say, if you haven't seen the movies being lampooned, most of the film will be meaningless to you, but if you know the movies, there is no way you cannot be entertained by this on-target spoof.

Performances are energetic and over the top with special nods to Quaid, Jaime Pressley as a bitchy cheerleader, and Eric Christian Austin as Jake's competition for Janey. There's even an amusing cameo appearance by the queen of 80's teen angst, Molly Ringwald. For solid "you don't have to think about them" laughs, you can't beat this one. 3
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14279&stc=1&d=1399557669

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14280&stc=1&d=1399558236
Notes on a Scandal is the exquisite film adaptation of the novel by Zoe Heller which is a searing and gut-wrenching examination of the fine line between friendship and obsession and how the inability to walk that line can cost so much.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/15/arts/15age.xlarge1.jpg
Dame Judi Dench plays Barbara, the central character and our host for the story, a veteran teacher at a proper British prep school who develops an attraction to Sheba (Cate Blanchett), a Bohemian free-spirited newcomer to the faculty who is married with two children. Barbara's attraction to Sheba begins to cross the line into obsession when she learns of Sheba's affair with a student and decides to use this information to her advantage.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14281&stc=1&d=1399558342
To reveal any more here would just be wrong, but this is the springboard for a showcase for two of our greatest living actresses guided by the skillful direction of Richard Eyre. Dench, in particular, is nothing short of extraordinary as Barbara, a character who is part Jean Brodie and part Blanche DuBois...all crisp and starched British authority on the outside and still smoldering with the sexual longings of a twenty-year old on the inside. Dench creates a full-bodied character here, aided by director Eyre. Some of Dench's most powerful moments in the film have nothing to do with dialogue...watch her as she prepares for her first dinner party at Sheba's home or as she watches Sheba dealing with other teachers at the school or as she mourns the death of her cat,Portia.
http://91.207.61.14/m/uploads/v_p_images/2006/01/2799_1_screenshot.png
Don't get me wrong, Dench makes her dialogue work too, whether it is her beautifully-written narration or her confrontations with Sheba when she first learns of the affair or when she learns that Sheba has not stopped the affair after agreeing to do so.

Blanchett makes every moment she has on screen work as well, with particular kudos going to her scenes of rejecting Barbara's first subtle sexual advance, her trying to end the affair with the student and her final explosive confrontation with Barbara.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14282&stc=1&d=1399558409
With the assistance of crisp direction and a solid screenplay adaptation by Patrick Marber, Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett create one of the most dynamic acting teams I've seen in decades and are the primary selling point of this one-of-a-kind motion picture experience. 4.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14283&stc=1&d=1399559169
Nothing in Common was a smart and sentimental comedy drama that offered a pre-Oscar'ed Tom Hanks one of his best earlier roles. Hanks plays David Basner, an advertising executive whose lightning-quick advancement at his company becomes hampered when he has to start taking care of his father (Jackie Gleason, in his final film role)who has become completely helpless after his wife (Eva Maria Saint) has left him.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14284&stc=1&d=1399559223
This comedy takes some pointed and effective jabs at the advertising industry and still manages to be a warm family story as well. Hanks beautifully walks a fine line between comedy and drama in one of his better and nearly forgotten performances. Gleason is abrasive as the dad, but Saint is lovely as the mom. Sela Ward, Bess Armstrong, and Barry Corbin are also effective in supporting roles and the ending has been known to produce a few tears. An intelligent and heartwarming look at the choices that we sometimes have to make regarding career and family. 3.5

[Gideon58]

Nurse Betty is a delicious black comedy that is an affectionate send-up of the film noir genre that takes some effective swipes at the television industry as well.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14285&stc=1&d=1399560465
Renee Zellweger stars as Betty, a sweet-natured waitress and housewife who is a devoted follower of a soap opera called "A Reason to Love." One evening, while watching her tape of today's episode, Betty witnesses the brutal murder of her slimy, drug-dealer husband (Aaron Eckhart)by a pair of ruthless hit men (Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock). This incident causes a microchip in Betty's mind to blow and she packs her bags and decides to drive to Los Angeles to find Dr. David Ravelle, her favorite character on the soap, with the hit men hot on her trail, who have to take out the only witness to their crime.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14286&stc=1&d=1399561013
This comedy makes all the right moves, thanks to a very clever screenplay and wonderful performances from a perfect cast. Zellweger is absolutely enchanting as Betty, an endearing performance that earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy. Freeman is charming as a surprisingly sensitive hit man and Rock, as always, steals every scene he is in as Freeman's explosive young partner. Greg Kinnear offers a charismatic turn as George McCord, the actor who plays Dr.David Ravelle and finds himself enamored with Betty. Allison Janney, Kathleen Wilhoite, and Crispin Glover offer effective support as well in this delightful comedy that is warm, witty, smart, and heartbreaking. Don't miss this sleeper. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14287&stc=1&d=1399561065

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14291&stc=1&d=1399562373She came out of the box running, winning an Oscar for her film debut and has been struggling for respect as an actress ever since, having been unable to capitalize on Funny Girl. She came close with The Way We Were, but continued to allude the respect her talent merited. Barbra Streisand finally found a plum role, hired a talented director, surrounded herself with a superb supporting cast, and handed in the best performance of her career in Nuts, an intense and riveting drama definitely not for all tastes but a bold viewing choice for fans of the performer and not-quite-sold film goers who are willing to have an open mind and give her a chance.

Streisand wisely put a portion of her ego in check and had the sense to hire the gifted Martin Ritt (Hud; Norma Rae)to guide her in this intense drama about a prostitute named Claudia Draper, whose explosive temper and outrageous personality are misinterpreted as mental illness and finds herself committed and deemed incapable of standing trial when she is arrested for murdering one of her johns (Leslie Nielsen).
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6041/14nuts002lw6.jpg
What I love about this film is that it presents the audience with evidence to support both sides and then allows the film-goer to make their own decision as to whether or not Claudia is crazy. As the details of Claudia's life unfold before us, evidence definitely supports mental defect, but Claudia says she is perfectly sane and wants her day in court because she killed the john in self-defense.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14292&stc=1&d=1399562411
Though Streisand has allowed Ritt to direct, Streisand the producer's presence is definitely felt, especially during Claudia's final monologue in court, shot in loving close-up. Streisand is backed up by a first rate cast including Richard Dreyfuss as her defense attorney, Maureen Stapleton as her mother, and Karl Malden as her stepfather, but this is Streisand's show all the way, a searing and extraordinary performance that permeates the screen and scratches at your heart. For Streisand fans, a must. 7.5/10

[Gideon58]

After directing heavy dramas like Traffic (which won him an Oscar) and Erin Brockovich, Steven Soderbergh decided to lighten up a little with this delightful remake of the 1960 rat pack classic, Ocean's Eleven.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14293&stc=1&d=1399562829

George Clooney steps into Frank Sinatra's shoes as Danny Ocean, the ex-con who gets together with a large crew of cronies to rob three Las Vegas Casinos owned by a Las Vegas bigwig (Andy Garcia) who is now dating Danny's ex-wife (Julia Roberts). The screenplay is a little on the complex side and sometimes it's a little hard to keep track of what Danny and his crew are doing, but the film is so great to look at and the cast appears to be having so much fun, you really just let little plotting devices slide and just go with it. Clooney has never appeared so smooth and slick on screen and is backed by a great cast including Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, and in a casting stroke of genius as a veteran con man, comic legend Carl Reiner.

A slick and stylish crime caper that looks great and is wonderful mindless fun for a Saturday night movie rental. Followed by a pair of inferior sequels. 7/10

[Gideon58]

Oklahoma! is the beautifully mounted, 1955 film version of the history-making 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical which was basically the first Broadway offering to use music and dance to advance the story.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14294&stc=1&d=1399563354
Based on the book "Green Grow the Lilacs" this musical, set right before the title territory was to become a state, focuses on a romantic triangle between a charming cowboy named Curly, a pretty farm girl named Laurey, and a ranch hand on Laurey's farm named Jud Fry. Gordon MacRae is charming as Curly, Shirley Jones (in her film debut) makes a lovely Laurey and Rod Steiger is memorably creepy as Jud.

The film also features Gene Nelson as Curly's pal Will Parker, Charlotte Greenwood as Laurey's Aunt Eller, Eddie Albert as a Persian (?) traveling salesman named Ali Hakim and the incomparable Gloria Grahame as Ado Annie, Laurey's best friend and Will's girl. The film features most of Agnes DeMille's original choreography intact, including the amazing 20-minute dream ballet, featuring lead dancers James Mitchell and Bambi Lynn.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14295&stc=1&d=1399563448
The score has not been tampered with too much...only two songs from the show were not used in the movie though they can be heard as background music. Fred Zinneman's direction is one of his greatest achievements, helping to make this musical a classic not to be missed. 8/10
http://img.rp.vhd.me/4518211_l1.jpg

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14296&stc=1&d=1399564346
The final musical directed by the legendary Vicnente Minnelli, On a Clear Day You can See Forever, is the expensive and lumbering 1970 film version of the 1965 Broadway musical, revamped to fit the talents of Barbra Streisand.
http://nauvalyazid.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/on-a-clear-day-you-can-see-forever.jpeg
In her third feature film, Barbra plays Daisy Gamble, a college student who we learn has ESP and the ability to make plants grow VERY quickly, who seeks the help of a college professor, Dr. Marc Chabot (Yves Montand) in helping her to quit smoking via hypnosis. While under hypnosis, Chabot discovers Daisy had a previous life as a 17th century temptress named Melinda Tentrees, who he falls in love with, but has to deal with the dull and annoying Daisy to get to the ever fascinating Melinda.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14297&stc=1&d=1399564395
This inventive Broadway musical has been dramatically re-tooled into a Barbra vehicle and despite Minnelli's still evident eye for color and cinema landscape, this long lumbering film fails to sustain interest until the end, despite some lovely scenery and breathtaking period costuming by the legendary Cecil Beaton.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14298&stc=1&d=1399564442
Streisand and Montand have no chemistry whatsoever and Bob Newhart, Simon Oakland, Larry Blyden, Elaine Giftos, and Jack Nicholson (!?!)are wasted in pointless supporting roles. The severely tampered with Burton Lane-EY Harbug score includes "Hurry, It's Lovely Up Here", "What did I have that I Don't Have?", "Melinda", and "Come Back to Me." A song called "Go to Sleep", written especially for the film, features Streisand doing a duet with herself. For hard-core Streisand addicts only. 5.5/10

[Gideon58]

On Golden Pond was the beautifully realized 1981 drama that made history by having three Hollywood icons sharing the screen for the first time- Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, and Jane Fonda.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14299&stc=1&d=1399564716
In this luminous and beautifully photographed drama. Fonda and Hepburn play Norman and Ethel Thayer, an elderly couple who come out to their cabin by the lake for the summer as part of their celebration of Norman's 80th birthday.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14547&stc=1&d=1400026298
Enter into the picture the Thayers' estranged daughter Chelsea, played by Jane Fonda, who arrives with fiancée and future stepson in tow and this is where the drama begins as we not only watch Norman deal with the impending reality of his birthday and his fear of dying but watching Chelsea trying to make a real connection with her father and a young boy (Doug McKeon) try to bring out the young man in Norman as Chelsea asks her parents to keep him for the summer. The real meat of this film is watching the relationship between Norman and the boy and how it just makes Norman more terrified about his fear of dying. There is an absolutely heartbreaking scene where Norman goes out to pick berries, stays out past dark and can't find his way back to the cabin that anyone over the age of 50 might feel hits a little too close to home.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14300&stc=1&d=1399564757
There's not a false move here thanks to a solid Oscar-winning screenplay by Ernest Thompson based on his own play and sensitive direction by Mark Rydell. Henry Fonda finally won the Oscar that alluded him his whole career for his work here and Hepburn won her fourth Oscar as well A timeless celebration of life and love that is always worth watching and if you've never seen it, sit back and behold a couple of acting legends commanding the screen with an authority that is so rare these days. 4.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14301&stc=1&d=1399565685
Much has been written over the years regarding the 'one-note" performances of Marsha Mason. Four of these "one-note" performances earned Mason Oscar nominations and IMO this is the best of those four. Only When I Laugh is Neil Simon's big screen re-working of his own play THE GINGERBREAD LADY.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Fy0Z0MQtL._SX300_.jpg
Marsha Mason plays Georgia Hines, an actress recently released from rehab, trying to get her career going again, trying to re-establish a relationship with her daughter (Kristy McNichol) and trying to stay sober and not really doing a great job with any of them. Mason hits all the right notes here and makes Georgia a flawed and realistic human being. Some of Mason's best moments involve no dialogue at all...there is a wonderful scene about 2/3 of the way through the film where an on-the-edge Georgia is walking the streets of Manhattan around dusk and it seem like every other storefront she passes is a bar. She then stops at an interior pay phone to call her doctor from rehab; however, he is not present and Georgia doesn't want to talk to the doctor who does answer the phone. This scene is extremely well-played by Mason and I think it's the scene that probably nailed the Oscar nomination for her.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14302&stc=1&d=1399565744
Kristy McNichol charms, as always, as Polly, Georgia's self-sufficient daughter who still yearns to be Mommie's little girl sometimes. James Coco and Joan Hackett also deliver Oscar nominated performances as Georgia's best friends, Jimmy, an unemployed actor and Toby, a vain, society beauty trying to cope with the fact that her best years have passed her by. Hackett is particularly impressive as the fading beauty whose fragile ego doesn't keep her from kicking Georgia in the ass when she needs it.

Though Simon definitely has stronger screenplays under his belt, Only When I Laugh is worth seeing if for no other reason, the strong performances by the four leads, three of which earned Oscar nominations. 3.5

[Gideon58]

On the Town is the splashy 1949 film adaptation of the Leonard Bernstein Broadway musical, which has now been tailored to fit the MGM stable of stars.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14304&stc=1&d=1399566397
Co-directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, this film made history as the first musical to actually do some filming on location in Manhattan. The story is simple: three sailors (Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin) have a 24-hour leave in New York and are looking for romance. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14305&stc=1&d=1399566442Betty Garrett plays a female cabbie who has the hots for Sinatra and Munshin falls for an anthropology student played by Ann Miller. Kelly sees a poster in the subway for this month's "Miss Turnstiles" (Vera-Ellen) and decides to spend the whole day looking for her. This thin plot allows room for some memorable musical numbers including the classic, "New York, New York", Miller's memorable "Find Me a Primitive Man" and a fun duet with Sinatra and Garrett called "Come up to My Place". Actually "My Place" and "New York" are the only songs from the original Broadway show, but why carp? It's a musical classic that is a delight from start to finish. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14306&stc=1&d=1399566494

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14548&stc=1&d=1400026532
In Our Sons, Oscar winner Julie Andrews made her TV movie debut as a wealthy socialite who is asked by her gay son (Hugh Grant) to travel to the town of Fayetteville to find the mother (Ann-Margret) of his lover (Zeljko Ivanek), who is dying of AIDS and wants to see his mother before he dies. This movie shows all four characters going through a myriad of emotions as not only does Andrews have to deal with the fact that her own son is gay and that his lover is dying, she is forced into bonding with this stranger, who not only knew nothing about her son being gay, but now that she knows, wants nothing to do with him and seems curiously unmoved by the fact that her son is dying. Also complicating matters is a clash of social classes as Andrews finds Ann-Margret's character to be uneducated white trash who resents this wealthy woman's intrusion into her life, which ignites some very powerful emotions between the two women. Equally moving are the scenes between the two lovers.

This movie is well-directed and acted and brings up quite a few unpleasant questions regarding homosexuality and AIDS. An adult motion picture drama that tackles some unpleasant subject matter but is well worth watching for the adult and open minded. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14308&stc=1&d=1399567171
In Panic Room, Oscar winner Jodie Foster manages to channel her undeniably strong on screen charisma into what is basically a damsel in distress drama. Foster plays a divorced mom of a teenager, who has just moved into a new house, who becomes terrorized by a trio of thieves looking for some booty left by the previous owner of the house in the panic room, a large steel-enclosed room that once it is entered and the door is closed, it is completely impenetrable, which becomes a problem when Foster and her daughter choose to hide from the intruders in said panic room.
http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/movie/panic_room/28.jpg
Also factoring in the drama is the fact that the daughter is diabetic and requires periodic shots of insulin. The film has a real claustrophobic feel to it since the action pretty much stays inside the house and a good deal of the action plays out in that one room, but the cat and mouse game between Foster and the thieves works, primarily due to Foster, who brings so much more to the role than written and Forrest Whitaker, solid as always, as one of the thieves who does appear to have some semblance of a conscience.

It's not terribly original, but it is watchable, thanks to the performances of Foster and Whitaker 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14309&stc=1&d=1399569410
Payback is wildly entertaining nod to the film noir drama that puts a great star smack dab in the middle of a great story and he totally runs with it. This dark and delicious film stars Mel Gibson as Porter, a former Mafioso who was left for dead by a former running partner and robbed of his half of a heist ($70,000.00)and Porter's single-minded quest to get his money back, not concerned with what he has to do or who he has to kill to get it. The funny thing about the story is that all the people who stand in his way can't believe Porter is going to all this trouble for only $70,000.00...which is chump change where mob money is concerned, but this doesn't concern Porter, who just wants it back, no more, no less. Gibson appears to be thoroughly enjoying himself here, in one of his most off-beat and engaging characterizations.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14310&stc=1&d=1399569478
Effective support is provided by Maria Bello, James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Gregg Henry, David Paymer, William Devane, John Glover, and a brief but memorable turn from Lucy Lieu. The cinematography is dark and dreary(it almost looks like it's in B&W, but's it not)but it fits the style of the film perfectly.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15981&stc=1&d=1403792999
The story is simple and straightforward and will keep you engrossed until the final credits roll...an under-appreciated sleeper that got by a lot of people. 7/10

[Gideon58]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-opTEmMA5FaA/TbYgSb0CxPI/AAAAAAAAASE/LLxvBy00fxk/s1600/pillowtalk50th.jpg
By 1958, Doris Day's career was on the downslide and something drastic needed to be done to revive her career. 1959'S Pillow Talk redefined Doris' image and created an entirely new genre of the "will she or won't she" sex comedy as well as introducing one of the greatest romantic screen couplings in history...Doris Day and Rock Hudson.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14311&stc=1&d=1399570083
Day plays Jan Morrow, an interior decorator who shares her phone line with Brad Allen (Hudson) a song-writing playboy who ties up Doris' phone by singing love songs (actually the same song) over the phone to the parade of women in his life. Day's attempts to get a private phone line fail and she and Hudson begrudgingly come up with a system to share the phone which Hudson doesn't stick to.

Tony Randall plays Jonathan Forbes, a rich playboy who is a client of Doris' and Rock's best friend, who is crazy about Doris but she doesn't feel the same way. One night, Brad discovers Jan at a nightclub and knowing she already hates him, pretends to be a wealthy Texan in order to romance her and this is where the fun begins.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14312&stc=1&d=1399570696
Yes, the story is dated because party lines are a thing of the past but it is the linchpin upon which this story delightfully plays out. Director Michael Gordon cleverly uses split-screen images to put Doris and Rock together on screen in seemingly compromising positions, very adult for 1959 and watching Brad pretending to be cowboy Rex Stetson, trying to romance Jan while Brad tries to advise Jan over the phone about what a cad Rex is, is a lot of fun.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14322&stc=1&d=1399577988
Day lights up the screen here, in a luminous performance that earned her her first and only Oscar nomination. Hudson, previously only seen in dramatic films up to this point, turns out to be gifted a farceur and interviews in his later years, always credited Doris for teaching him how to do comedy. Randall is comic perfection as Jonathan as is Thelma Ritter, who was also nominated for an Oscar for her work as Jan's housekeeper. The film's extremely clever screenplay did earn an Oscar.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14313&stc=1&d=1399570759
A delight from start to finish that introduced a new movie couple that would give Fred and Ginger and Spencer and Kate a run for their money. The film was brilliantly re-imagined some thirty years later as Down with Love. 4

[Gideon58]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/39/Pleasantville_ver5.jpg
Pleasantville had to be one of the biggest surprises I've ever had at the movies. This is a movie that constantly flies in the face of cinematic normality,defying all the rules of big screen storytelling and making us accept everything that us going on. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14314&stc=1&d=1399571268
This superbly mounted and completely winning fantasy starred Toby Maguire and Reese Witherspoon as a contemporary teenage brother and sister who are magically transported into a black and white television show called "Pleasantville", a show similar to "Leave it to Beaver" or "The Andy Griffith Show", where everyone in the town knows each other, where the fire department only saves cats from trees and where there are no pages in books or toilets in bathrooms.

Maguire's character is a "Pleasantville" trivia expert so he knows everyone there and everything that's going to happen but sis Witherspoon is a stranger in a strange land whose introduction of 1990's sensibilities to the citizens of this town brings about extraordinary change. What is interesting is the interaction between Maguire and Witherspoon with the characters from the sitcom and how some citizens are open to the changes that are going on and how some aren't.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14315&stc=1&d=1399571327
The film is beautifully made (the art direction, set direction, and cinematography are Oscar-worthy). The integration of color and black and white photography is absolutely glorious. The film also possesses a very smart screenplay and superb performances, the best of which is by Joan Allen, who is luminous as Betty, the mother in the sitcom who is shocked at first but learns to accept the 1990's coming to Pleasantville.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14316&stc=1&d=1399571401
Yes, it may borrow from other movies, but there is a freshness and originality to this movie that is most engaging and anytime with Don Knotts is time well spent. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14317&stc=1&d=1399571639
Poseidon is the 2006 theatrical remake of the 1972 classic about an ocean liner that is capsized by a 90-foot tidal wave on New Year's Eve and the struggle for a handful of passengers to get to the bottom (top) of the boat before it sinks. Irwin Allen's widow, Sheila is listed in the opening credits as Executive Producer, which surprised me because I cannot believe that she actually put her seal of approval on this.

This re-thinking, as opposed to a remake, really only borrows the basic premise of the original. In '72 the Poseidon was an old barge on its last legs making what was supposed to be its final voyage. Here, the Poseidon is a state of the art ocean liner that appears to have something like seven or eight decks. The ship includes scenic elevators and there is a casino and a disco.

The opening shot of the movie where the camera sweeps around the ship is breathtaking, but director Wolfgang Petersen's obsession with getting to the sinking meant other sacrifices and the main one was too little exposition that didn't allow us time to care about these people before the ship turned over. We've barely been introduced to the characters when the tidal wave hits and as the journey to survival begins, we really don't care because the characters here don't even begin to resemble the characters in the original and it's hard to care about what happens to them.
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6723/1495/1600/poseidon1.jpg
Two of the few likable characters in the movie, a gambler named Lucky Larry, played by Kevin Dillon and a galley worker played by Freddy Rodriguez, are eliminated early on and the rest of the survivors are pretty intolerable. There is a mother and son played by Jacinda Barrett and Jimmy Bennet (Harrison Ford's son in Firewall)who you just want to strangle 20 minutes into the movie.

The movie features state of the art special effects, but after the ship turns over, it becomes completely devoid of interest because we don't learn enough about these characters to care about them the way we cared about Hackman's priest and Shelley Winters' little old lady swimming champ. The best thing about the movie is that it clocks in under 90 minutes. 2

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14318&stc=1&d=1399572040
Postcards from he Edge is a glittering all-star comedy based on the best selling book by Carrie Fisher that chronicles a particular difficult period in Fisher's life and her relationship with mom Debbie Reynolds. In this fictionalized version of the events in Fisher's life, Meryl Streep plays Suzanne, an actress who has just been released from rehab on the condition that she be under the custody and roof of her mother, a former actress (Shirley MacLaine) and what happens when she finally gets her first chance to work after coming out of rehab. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14319&stc=1&d=1399572098This story is smart and funny and features a wonderful cast including Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss,Rob Reiner,Conrad Bain, Mary Wickes, Annette Bening, Gary Morton, and CCH Pounder, but it is really the amazing performances by Streep and MacLaine, guided b y the master directorial hand of Mike Nichols, that make this movie work. Both ladies are also given opportunities to sing and make the most of them. The song "I"m Checkin' Out" which Meryl sings at the end of the movie, received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song as did Streep for Best Actress. 8/10
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14320&stc=1&d=1399572182

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14323&stc=1&d=1399578309
Pretty in Pink was the hip and stylish teen angst comedy-drama where writer John Hughes continued his cinematic love affair with Molly Ringwald which blends the expected teen angst with a sharp look at the class system at the high school level. Ringwald plays Andy, an honor student from the wrong side of the tracks who falls for Blaine (Andrew McCarthy)a rich kid who goes to Andy's school and the tension that arises from their individual social circles when Blaine asks Andy to the prom.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uPg0e6R7ROU/UBW5bo69rZI/AAAAAAAAnbM/PD0UZKrT3kU/s1600/picture-9.png
One of Hughes' better efforts thanks to a smart screenplay and charismatic performances. Rock solid supporting performances come from James Spader, at his oily best as Blaine's insensitive best friend who harbors a secret attraction to Andy; Annie Potts as Andy's ditzy best friend/employer, and especially Jon Cryer, in the scene-stealing performance of a lifetime as Duckie, Andy's best friend who wishes he were more, but it is Ringwald's Andy who is the heart of this movie, a character who will melt your heart and arouse instant empathy for the angst she is subjected to here. One of the best teen films from the 80's. 7.5/10
http://i.azcentral.com/thingstodo/movies/images/41880/41880_ae.jpg

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14326&stc=1&d=1399578890
Primal Fear features Edward Norton in his first major role. Norton is nothing short of astonishing as a former Chicago alter boy who has been accused of murdering a celebrated priest with a checkered past.

Richard Gere has one of his best roles as Martin Vale, an arrogant yet capable attorney who agrees to defend Norton because of what the victory would do for his resume more than belief in the young man's innocence.

It is the complicated twist and turns of the trial, Gere's surprisingly solid interpretation of a rather complex character and most of all, the amazing performance of Edward Norton, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor that make this film sizzle.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14327&stc=1&d=1399578988
Mention should also be made of a strong supporting cast including Laura Linney as the prosecuting attorney and former protégé of Vale's, Alfre Woodard as the judge, Frances McDormand as a court-appointed therapist, and Andre Braugher as Vale's leg man. Steve Shagan's solid screenplay and Gregory Hoblit's uncompromising direction are the final touches on one of the better courtroom dramas of the 90's but what you really go away from this film remembering above all else is the performance by Edward Norton that made him a star. 7.5/10

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14328&stc=1&d=1399579430
A woefully underrated and probably under-appreciated film, Prime was one of the great surprises of 2005 for me.

This smartly written comedy-drama stars the divine Meryl Streep as Dr. Lisa Metzger, a Jewish psychiatrist who one day must deal with the fact that one of her patients (Uma Thurman), a 37- year old divorcée, is dating her 23 year old son. This film didn't do great business at the box office and I have a feeling it might have been because the film is not filled with belly-laughs; however, it did have me smiling from start to finish.
http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/prime-2005/hero_EB20051027REVIEWS510270305AR.jpg
If for no other reason, the film is worth seeing for a beautifully understated performance by Master Thespian Streep. In the hands of an ordinary actress, the role of a Jewish mother and psychiatrist could have become very slapsticky and over the top but Streep keeps a tight rein on the character, never allowing her to become a stereotype. Streep never resorts to mugging or cheap theatrics but can say more with a furtive look or a turn of the head than most actresses can do with 20 pages of dialogue. Watch her in the scene where you see it dawning on Lisa that her patient is dating her son, an average actress could have made this seem so silly, but Streep so beautifully internalizes Lisa's shock and disbelief at what she learns, it's a delight to watch and should be required viewing for all acting students.

Uma Thurman turns in what I believe is the best performance of her career, a full-bodied performance as an independent career woman on the outside whose interior struggles keep her a mess and hunky Bryan Greenburg shows definite leading man potential as son and lover David.
http://filmphilosophy.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/prime-2-sophia-vaccari.jpg
This movie was a delightful surprise from first time writer-director Ben Younger who seems to have a promising grasp on the concept of romantic comedy. A quiet, well-acted, stylish, and sexy comedy that will keep a smile on your face. 7/10

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14329&stc=1&d=1399579984Private Parts is the hysterically funny and raunchy film version of the autobiography of the self-proclaimed "King of All Media"- Howard Stern which is a comedic chronicle of his rise from college communications student to the #1 radio disc jockey in New York, who has shocked audiences and kept the FCC on their toes for years with his shocking and outrageous on the air antics that have offended audiences, sponsors, and even his own family with equal opportunity.

Breezily directed by Betty Thomas (THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE), Stern offers a comic tour-De-force here, playing himself and recreating some of his most outrageous radio stunts, aided by radio cohorts Robin Quivers and Fred Norris, also playing themselves.

Stern is backed up by a solid cast including Mary McCormick (lovely as Stern's wife Allison), Michael Murphy, Allison Janney, Jonathan Hadary, Paul Hecht, and towering above them all, Paul Giamatti, who officially became a movie star with his roll-on-the floor funny turn as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton, Howard's program director at WNBC, who challenges Stern at every turn but never gets the best of him.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14330&stc=1&d=1399580039
The film is hysterical from start to finish and features cameo appearances from John Stamos, Mia Farrow, Carol Alt, Ozzy Ozbourne, Dee Snider, AC/DC, and another of Stern's radio buddies, Stuttering John. A laugh-out loud comedy that entertains right through the closing credits. Not for the kids. Beware of edited prints. 3.5
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=15982&stc=1&d=1403793462

[Gideon58]

Rain Man is the riveting and emotionally-charged drama about family and brotherhood that evoked laughs, tears, and Oscars. This was the story of Charlie Babbit(Tom Cruise), a self-absorbed and cocky man with his own private auto business whose business is in financial shambles. Charlie experiences mixed emotions when he learns his wealthy father has just passed away and travels across country for his funeral and the reading of the will, but is disgusted when he learns that his father's 3 million dollar estate has been put in a trust.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14332&stc=1&d=1399580439
Investigating the trust, Charlie is shocked to learn about a brother named Raymond (Dustin Hoffman)who he never even knew existed, who is autistic and institutionalized. Thinking it's his only way to get his share of the money, Charlie sneaks Raymond out of the institution launching an emotional and intense journey where Charlie gets to know and eventually bond with his brother.

Barry Levinson's masterful and meticulous direction won him the Oscar for Best Director. Dustin Hoffman won his 2nd Best Actor Oscar for his haunting performance as the autistic Raymond...Hoffman is nothing short of amazing here as he completely loses himself in this role. Tom Cruise gives a razor sharp performance as the self-absorbed Charlie...Cruise was supposed to be submitted for a supporting Oscar but felt his role was a leading role and refused to be submitted in the supporting category. I think if he had been nominated in the supporting category he would have won...it was his finest work to date (his only performance better than this one was in MAGNOLIA).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14331&stc=1&d=1399580341
Watching the slow development of the relationship between these two brothers is an emotional and rewarding experience and trust me, tears will be shed along the way. The richly deserved Oscar-winning Best Picture of 1988..an instant classic. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14333&stc=1&d=1399580811

A well-worn comic premise is revived with some success in Raising Helen, a watchable family comedy that has the breezy direction of Garry Marshall and a charismatic cast working for it. Kate Hudson stars as Helen Harris, a Manhattan bachelorette who works at a modeling agency who finds her life turned upside down when she is awarded custody of her sister's three children after her sister's sudden death in a car accident. Also thrown into the mix is an underdeveloped romance with a hunky pastor, played by John Corbett (Sex and the City). The story plays out pretty much as expected though the screenplay attempts to encompass too much. Marshall's direction is strong and Hudson's charm is undeniable. Joan Cusack, as always, steals every scene she's in as Helen's sister Jenny, a tightly-wound supermom who thinks she should have gotten custody of the kids. Helen Mirren (in a refreshing change of pace) and Marshall's good luck charm, Hector Elizondo provide some amusing moments as Helen's two employers during the course of the story. The kids are well-played by Hayden Pannetierre, Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Abigail's real-life older brother, Spencer. Like most of Marshall's films, it's a little too long, but laughter and warmth can be found here. 6/10

[Gideon58]

Director Ron Howard hit a bullseye with Ransom, a taut and emotionally charged drama that will have you riveted to the screen thanks to a multi-textured story and some superb performances.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14334&stc=1&d=1399581250
This intense drama stars Mel Gibson as a self-made millionaire, owner of an airline, whose questionable methods in averting a strike at his airline, have indirectly led to the kidnapping of his son. Howard has a wonderful screenplay to work with where nothing is in black and white...the characters are three-dimensional here with personal agendas and hidden motivations that don't always match what their character is doing on the surface.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14335&stc=1&d=1399581324
Gibson's self-made millionaire is presented as a flawed human being who has made mistakes and is willing to admit his part in what has happened to his son and even the kidnappers aren't a cohesive unit...there is infighting and resentments among them and you're never sure if they're going to stay together and keep their eye on the prize.

The screenplay brings us to what we think is the end of the story and we are left unsatisfied...or so we think. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat right to fade-out and the performances are flawless right down the line. This is one of Gibson's best performances and Rene Russo is strong and vulnerable as his wife. Gary Sinese delivers one of the slimiest villains to ever grace the silver screen as the highly intelligent but clearly evil kidnapper and Lili Taylor, Donnie Wahlberg, Evan Handler, and Liev Schrieber are quite unsettling as his crew, whose true allegiances are not always clear. Delroy Lindo also offers one of his best performances as the police officer assigned to the case and there's a brief but effective turn by Dan Hedaya as a con Gibson thinks might be responsible. Brawley Nolte, real-life son of actor Nick Nolte, plays the victim of the kidnapping. An Americanized version of a French film, this was a triumph for director Ron Howard and everyone involved. Everything works here. 8/10
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14336&stc=1&d=1399581372

[Gideon58]

Ray is the riveting and richly entertaining film biography of blind musical icon Ray Charles, from his more than humble beginnings in rural Mississippi to his eventual super stardom as one of the leading R&B artists of this century.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14337&stc=1&d=1399582000
Lovingly directed by Taylor Hackford, this film paints Charles as a man who, from childbirth had it instilled in him that he was not to allow his blindness to be a roadblock in achieving anything that he wanted to achieve and that remaining independent in spirit would get him where he wanted to be and would take away the liability of his handicap.

Taylor Hackford has always been a very self-indulgent director whose work (AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, WHITE KNIGHTS, DELORES CLAIBORNE, etc.)has always been meticulous in detail to the point where a 90 minute movie ends up being two and a half hours, and this movie is no exception. Almost two hours into the story, the film has only reached the year 1958, but interest is sustained due to some extraordinary performances, mainly the dazzling Oscar-winning performance by Jamie Foxx in the title role.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14338&stc=1&d=1399582054
Foxx is nothing short of miraculous in his interpretation of Charles, a brilliant melding of acting genius and impersonation that is positively haunting in its accuracy for those of us who grew up with Ray. The elements of impersonation never become mimicry and Foxx's work in this role is nothing short of extraordinary...some of Ray's music is dubbed with Charles' voice and Jamie does some singing too but Foxx's performance is so precise, it's hard to tell when Ray is singing and when Foxx is.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dv0Hqts8lxM/Tgk9FoXWUYI/AAAAAAAABms/4kjwoyS1TD8/s1600/Jamie_Foxx.jpg
Kerry Washington turns in a vivid performance as Ray's devoted wife, a patient church-loving woman who puts up with a lot (downplayed in this screenplay)but remains loyal to the man. Clifton Powell is very good as the leader of Ray's band and there is a powerhouse turn by Regina King, in a performance that should have earned her a Supporting Actress nomination, as one of Ray's back-up singers, who Ray has an affair with and gets pregnant. King has not been seen to such good advantage since JERRY MAGUIRE. There is also a mesmerizing and heartbreaking performance by Sharon Warren as Ray's no-nonsense mother.

Yes, the movie is about 30 minutes too long and the screenplay downplays and/or glosses over the downside of Ray's life, his drug abuse and womanizing in particular (the film portrays Ray as fathering one illegitimate child even though IRL he fathered about six I believe), but I think this was out of respect to the subject, who was still alive at the time this film was being made.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14339&stc=1&d=1399582116
And there is plenty of Ray's music to revel in like "What I Say?", "Hit the Road Jack", "Georgia on my Mind", and "I Can't Stop Loving You". I love the scene where Ray is recording a new song and he's sent the backup singers home already and records all the back-up vocals himself. It's a little long and rambling, but still one of the best biopics of a real life showbiz figure to be mounted in years. 4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14340&stc=1&d=1399582770
Rent is the exuberant 2005 film version of the long running Broadway musical, loosely based on the opera LaBoheme, that swept the 1997 Tony Awards, which follows an eclectic group of Greenwich Village residents navigating the choppy waters of life that include drug addiction, homelessness, AIDS, commitment phobias, and other realities of life for New Yorkers, as well as the rest of us.
http://www.qwipster.net/rent.jpg
The standout element of this musical for me is the amazing musical score by the late Jonathan Larson. The song score for this story is alternately in-your-face and haunting, perfectly blending rich melodies with rapid-fire, almost rap-like patter that brings to mind rock operas like Jesus Christ Superstar. The talented cast (several from the Broadway show)includes Anthony Rapp as Mark, a documentary filmmaker, Adam Pascal as Roger, a songwriter who falls for a stripper with a heroine addiction named Mimi (Rosario Dawson), Tony Winner Idina Munzel (WICKED) as Maureen, a free-spirited, lesbian performance artist and Tracie Thomas as her new lover, Joanne, and a pair of memorable turns from Wilson Jermaine Heredia and Jesse L, Martin as a drag queen and hustler, both afflicted with AIDS, who fall for each other. Those who only know Martin for his work on NBC's LAW & ORDER will be in for quite the surprise as this role is about as far removed from Lt. Ed Green as you can imagine.
http://www.2flashgames.com/mp/2005_Rent/2005_rent_002.jpg
I liked that director Chris Columbus took the chance of utilizing most of the original Broadway cast in bringing this musical to the screen. With the exceptions of Rosario Dawson ad Tracie Thomas, the other leads came straight from the Broadway production, even though few of them were movie names. An actor who plays the same character for eight performances a week for several years is going to understand that character better than anyone and I think this is why this musical works so well...these actors have inhabited these characters for a long time and make the moviegoer care about them and possibly seek out the original stage version.

Standout musical numbers include the now classic "Seasons of Love", "The Tango Maureen", "Take Me or Leave Me", "Light My Candle" and "Will I ?", a touching allegory performed at an AIDS support group. Now I'm sure those who saw Rent on stage will have a plethora of complaints about this film version but as someone who didn't, this film version was a joy. 3.5

[cricket]

Thumbs up for Panic Room, Primal Fear, Private Parts, and Pretty in Pink.

[Gideon58]

Resurrection features my favorite Ellen Burstyn performance and that's saying a lot since I adore Ellen Burstyn and her work but I was deeply moved by her extraordinary performance in 1981's Resurrection, based on the true story of Edna Mae McCauley, a woman who gets into a horrific car accident which she barely survives (a journey which includes an out of body experience to the white light), but upon her return to the living, she is shocked to discover she has the ability to heal people with terminal illnesses and handicaps. http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14341&stc=1&d=1399583039

Burstyn manages to imbue Edna with this lovely humanity which never allows her to exploit or take advantage of her special gift. Burstyn is so special in this film, she gives the character so much heart and makes her achingly real, despite her special gift.
http://nhne-pulse.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Ellen-Burstyn-Resurrection.jpg
There is one amazing scene, which is burned in my memory forever, where she heals someone of a disfiguring illness and allows the illness to enter her own body and temporarily inhabit her own body. Burstyn commits so completely to this scene and it's harrowing to watch. Resurrection is a very special movie experience. 8/10

[Gideon58]

The ultimate "Misfits Revenge" movie, Revenge of the Nerds became an instant classic in 1984, with some of the most memorable scenes and quotable dialogue since Young Frankenstein.http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14342&stc=1&d=1399583410
This raunchy comedy follows a group of oddball college students who are thrown together by circumstance and exposed to constant humiliation and ridicule by the jock fraternity on campus and how they get their ultimate pay back.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14720&stc=1&d=1400265806
Yes, the film is predictable as they come as we've seen this formula a million times, but it's watchable thanks to some wonderful set pieces, outrageous dialogue and on target performances by Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Curtis Armstrong (memorable as Booger), John Goodman, Ted McGinley (no that is not a misprint), Larry B. Scott, and Timothy Busfield. Standout scenes include the "Wonder Joint" Party and the Lamda's musical performance during the big Olympic competition. A hilarious comedy that demands repeated viewings. 7.5/10
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14343&stc=1&d=1399583473

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14352&stc=1&d=1399657656

Ringmaster is a crude and raunchy fictionalized "behind the scenes" look at the production of an episode of THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW, the daytime talk show that makes stars out of ordinary trailer trash who love to come on the show and air their dirty laundry in front of a national television audience.

If you can accept the completely fabricated premise in which this story is presented, you might find some laughs here. This film shamelessly perpetrates the myth that Jerry and his staff recruit the guests for the show and do nothing else. It seems to claim that Jerry and his staff have nothing to do with the outrageous on stage shenanigans and that it is all spontaneous and unplanned, which we know for a fact is not true.

If you can accept that the entire premise of this film is based on this huge lie, then it is easy to go along with the story of two separate groups of trailer trash being booked on the show. Jerry plays himself with as much sincerity as the plastic screenplay allows. Emmy winner Jaime Pressley (MY NAME IS EARL)and Wendy Raquel Robinson (THE GAME)offer energetic lead performances as the two protagonists in the separate stories being booked on the show. As stupid as this movie is, I still found myself laughing. There are laughs throughout and I have a feeling this film is going to be added to my "guilty pleasure" list because I found myself laughing despite the fact that I felt like I shouldn't be. 5.5/10

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14353&stc=1&d=1399658119
Risky Business is the smart and sexy 1983 teen comedy that brought intelligence to the genre and made a bonafide movie star out of Tom Cruise. Cruise is utterly winning as Joel Goodson, a high school senior excited about the prospect of having the house to himself when his parents go out of town for a few days; but things go from bad to worse when Joel crosses paths with a nubile prostitute (Rebecca DeMornay). This surprise hit brought an element of sophistication that was absent from a lot of the teen comedies that were populating the screen in the 1980's.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14354&stc=1&d=1399658186
This movie boasts a smart screenplay, imaginative direction, a memorable musical score, and on-target performances from Cruise, DeMornay, Curtis Armstrong, Joe Pantoliano (memorable as a slimy pimp), Bronson Pinchot, and Janet Carroll. Tom's sexy underwear dance to "Old Time Rock and Roll" has become Hollywood folklore. An instant classic upon release that still holds up over 20 years later. 7.5/10

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14355&stc=1&d=1399658990
Roxanne was a 1987 comic reworking of the classic play CYRANO DE BERGERAC, starring Steve Martin as CD Bales, the fire chief in a small mountain town in Colorado called Nelson, who feels a lack of self-esteem because of his big nose; however, is easily the most intelligent citizen in the town and practically runs it though no one seems to know. CD falls in love with Roxanne Kowalski (Daryl Hannah), a beautiful astrology student who comes to Nelson for the summer, but Roxanne falls for Chris McConnell (Rick Rossovich) a handsome and hunky fireman who can't put two sentences together, but when CD coaches Chris on how to woo Roxanne, she falls hard, not realizing that it's CD's words, not Chris' that are making her swoon.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14356&stc=1&d=1399659066
This intelligent comedy is not only hysterically funny but is genuinely warm with some wonderfully romantic and tender moments. CD's speech to Roxanne as he hides in the bushes pretending to be Chris is so beautifully written and performed that it almost brings a tear to the eye. On the other hand, Martin is rolling-on-the-floor funny in a bar scene where a bully makes fun of his nose and he has to come up with 20 different insults centered on a big nose. I've always been under the impression that this scene was Martin's brainchild and probably wasn't in the original script but it is the scene that everyone who sees this film remembers.

It's Martin's little moments with Darryl Hannah's Roxanne, when he's bursting inside to tell her how he feels but just can't, that make this film so engaging. Steve Martin's performance in this film is just remarkable and many, myself included, felt he should have received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He did not, of course, because we all know the Academy looks down on comedy performances. At the 1988 Oscar ceremony, host Chevy Chase came onstage wearing a huge fake nose as a jab at the Academy for not nominating Martin.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14357&stc=1&d=1399659153
Fred Schepisi's inspired direction, lovely scenery and solid support from Rossovich, Shelley Duval, Michael J. Pollard, and Fred Willard are icing on the cake. Don't blink or you'll miss a brief appearance by a very young Damon Wayons as a fireman who works for CD. One of the great film comedies of the 80's...if you've never seen it, treat yourself. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14358&d=1399659281 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14358&d=1399659281)

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14359&stc=1&d=1399660021
Royal Wedding was a colorful and splashy MGM musical that turned out to be one of Fred Astaire's best offerings, despite the initial trouble insuring a leading lady for the project.

The film was originally planned for Fred and June Allyson, who had to drop out when she learned she was pregnant. Judy Garland was then approached, as the studio had been anxious to reunite her with Astaire since their triumph in Easter Parade, but Judy began her now-famous behavior patterns of showing up late on the set all the time or not at all, and Astaire was not having that, so Jane Powell was finally brought in to take the role.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14362&stc=1&d=1399660304
Astaire and Powell play Tom and Ellen Bowen, a brother and sister song and dance team who have been tapped to perform at the royal wedding in London (I believe it's the Queen who has requested they perform), so they take a cruise ship to London. On the ship Ellen meets a debonair playboy (Peter Lawford) and at the London auditions, Tom falls for a dancer (Sarah Churchill)who he casts in the chorus of his show.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14360&stc=1&d=1399660106
This breezy plot provides the backdrop for several showstopping numbers, the most famous of which is "You're all the World to Me" in which Astaire, while staring at a photo of Churchill, is so head over heels in love that he dances on the floor, the walls, and the ceiling. Movie historians have argued for years about how this scene was done. I don't know and don't care...it's such a joyous expression of love through dance that nothing else really matters.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14361&stc=1&d=1399660239
Astaire also has a solo called "Sunday Jumps" where his partner is a hat rack and, as always, Fred makes his partner look good. There's also a showstopping duet with Astaire and Powell called "How Could you Believe me when I said I loved you when you know I've been a liar all my life?" which features Fred as a slick gangster and a surprising Powell, as a brunette, gum-chewing floozy. Liner notes from the soundtrack album claim that this song was written by composers Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane in a limo on the way to the studio one day. Despite a wooden performance from Sarah Churchill, daughter of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, this musical is a joy and one of the best from the MGM stable. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14363&stc=1&d=1399660358

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14364&stc=1&d=1399662667
Rumor Has It is a delicious and richly entertaining romantic comedy which stars Jennifer Aniston as Sarah Huttinger, an obituary writer who travels to her hometown of Pasadena with her fiancée for her little sister's wedding and stumbles upon some facts about her deceased mother that lead her to believe that mom was the inspiration for the Elaine Robinson character in The Graduate and that grandma is the real Mrs. Robinson.

Sarah learns that her mother spent the week before marrying her dad in Mexico with a Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner)who is supposedly the real Benjamin Braddock and thinks he might be her biological father.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14365&stc=1&d=1399662786
OK, the plot is a little far-fetched but Rob Reiner's breezy direction and the smart and charismatic performance from Jennifer Aniston make this improbable story more than watchable. Costner's easy going charm perfectly inhabits the role of Beau Burroughs and Shirley MacLaine steals every scene she's in as Sarah's grandma. MacLaine can play this kind of role in her sleep by now but she never fails to command the screen and garner big laughs.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14366&stc=1&d=1399662852
Richard Jenkins, Mark Ruffalo, Mena Suvari, and Kathy Bates round out this first rate cast as Sarah's father, fiancée, sister, and aunt, respectively. A completely captivating romantic comedy that generates big laughs and warm sentiment. Just put your brain in check and enjoy. 7/10

[Gideon58]

Nine years after their smash Pretty Woman, director Garry Marshall reunited his stars, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, in Runaway Bride, a watchable 1999 romantic comedy which is more than anything, a reunion of the Pretty Woman stars (including Marshall good luck charm Hector Elizondo) in a featherweight comedy that borrows liberally from more than half a dozen superior romantic comedies that I can think of, including Pretty Woman.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14367&stc=1&d=1399663236
Roberts plays Maggie, a small town free spirit who has a reputation for planning large elaborate weddings and leaving the groom at the altar at the very last second. When Maggie gets engaged for the fourth time, word of her story reaches a big city newspaper writer (Gere) who decides to come to Maggie's intimate little hamlet to cover the wedding and well, you can guess the rest.

The on screen charisma between Gere and Roberts is still there, but this time they have a rather limp screenplay to work with that doesn't really play to their strengths as farceurs.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14368&stc=1&d=1400266045In addition to Elizondo, Joan Cusack does steal every scene she is in as Maggie's best friend and there are also effective turns from Paul Dooley as Maggie's dad and Christopher Meloni as fiancée #4. It's passable comic fare, but if you're looking for another Pretty Woman, you will be disappointed. 3

[Gideon58]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TCFNXV2ZL.jpg
Ruthless People was one of the funniest comedies to come out of the 1980's and it just seemed to get funnier and funnier with repeat viewings.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14371&stc=1&d=1399664141
This clever and completely winning comedy stars Danny DeVito as Sam Stone, an unscrupulous owner of a fashion company whose theft of a fashion idea from a young struggling designer turned him into a billionaire. In an attempt to exact revenge, the designer and her husband decide to kidnap Stone's wife, Barbara (Bette Midler)for an enormous ransom. Unknown to the poor couple, Sam can't stand Barbara and refuses to pay the ransom. This is just the beginning and to reveal anymore to the uninitiated would be criminal, but this sets the stage for a raucously funny comedy that became an instant classic.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14372&stc=1&d=1399664250
DeVito and Midler deliver razor sharp performances as the Stones. Helen Slater and Judge Reinhold are charming as the hapless designer and her husband. Also thrown in the mix are the late Anita Morris as Devito's sexy mistress and Bill Pullman, in one of his earliest roles, as the goof ball she's seeing on the side. This film generates laughs throughout with a few surprise twists and turns leading to a finale which will have you cheering. 4
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14373&stc=1&d=1399664310

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14374&stc=1&d=1399665002
Same Time Next Year is the 1978 film version of the long running Broadway play by Bernard Slade that follows the relationship between Doris and George, two people, married to others, who meet annually for a romantic weekend tryst at a New England Inn once a year for twenty-five years, even though this story only chronicles their meetings every five years, starting in the 1950's and ending in the 1970's.

Ellen Burstyn recreates her Tony-Award winning role in the Broadway play as Doris, a sweet and gentle soul who we see grow from painfully shy romantic to free-spirited hippie to smart and confident businesswoman over the course of the story. Alan Alda replaces Charles Grodin in the role of George, a lovable stuffed shirt who turns into a completely different person when he's with Doris.
http://derricklferguson.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/600full-same-time-next-year-screenshot1.jpg
Each vignette has its own special charm...my favorite is the year they meet and they can't have sex because Doris is pregnant. Burstyn's rich performance earned her an Oscar nomination and Alda matches her note for note. Mention should also be made of the beautiful love theme for the film sung by Johnny Mathis and Jane Olivor, "The Last Time I Felt Like This". A film for the romantic in all of us. 4

[Gideon58]

Sideways is an offbeat but completely winning character study revolving around a quartet of quirky California folk who have a common interest: love of fine wine.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14375&stc=1&d=1399665295
The primary character here is a teacher and aspiring novelist named Miles (Paul Giamatti)who has a passion for wine and for literature and decides to take his best pal, Jack (Thomas Haden Church)on a road trip through California's wine country a week before he is to get married. On this trip Miles reconnects with an intelligent and free-spirited waitress (Virginia Madsen) while Jack has an affair with a quirky wine expert (Sandra Oh), which turns bad when she learns Jack is engaged.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14376&stc=1&d=1399665369
This original comedy drama has an intelligent and humorous screenplay by Alexander Payne (ELECTION)that earned an Oscar and features completely winning performances by its cast: Church and Madsen both received Oscar nominations for their charismatic turns here, but oddly, Paul Giamatti was overlooked for one of the most brilliant lead performances of the year as Miles, a rich and complex characterization that takes on new meaning with every viewing.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14377&stc=1&d=1399665432
These characters are not perfect and there is a lot of questionable behavior glamorized here (Miles stealing money from his mother, Jack sleeping with another woman a week before his wedding, Miles' constant drinking and driving), but Payne makes these characters so warm and engaging that you're able to forgive the behaviors somewhat and revel in the sophisticated dialogue and on-target performances, especially Giamatti, who didn't even get a nomination, a real puzzler to me.

The film also features exquisite photography of the California wine country, which is almost like a another character in the story and an inventive and jazzy musical score that fits the film perfectly. If you're fan of Payne or Woody Allen, you will love Sideways, which has that same loopy Woody sensibility that you can't help but get caught up in.
4

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14378&stc=1&d=1399665757
She's Having a Baby was an imaginative and charming 1988 comedy that follows a young couple from courtship through parenthood via some amusing vignettes and clever fantasy sequences that effectively break the fourth wall and constantly remind us that we are watching a movie, but this idea is set up from the beginning through the narration and internal fantasies of lead character Jefferson "Jake" Briggs (Kevin Bacon, in one of his most appealing post-Footloose role).

Bacon's chemistry with the lovely Elizabath McGovern (whatever happened to her?) is undeniable and early into the film you really find yourself rooting for this couple. Alec Baldwin had one of his best early roles here as Jake's slightly slimy college buddy.

There a lot of very funny and imaginative scenes in the film, which are mostly a product of Jake's mind, which I found kind of novel for a John Hughes film...love the production number with the lawn mowers and Jake's in-laws coaching him on what to do during sex, not to mention's Jake's internal re-writing of his wedding vows.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14379&stc=1&d=1399665823
Both Holland Taylor and the late Cathryn Damon score as Jake and Christy's moms and William Windom is amusing as Christy's dad, who cuts Jake no slack whatsoever.

I think I liked this movie better than the average viewer...maybe because I really like Kevin Bacon and he's practically in every scene, but I think even for non-Bacon fans, there are smiles, chuckles, and warm fuzzy feelings to be found by taking in the story of Jake and Kristy Briggs. And make sure you stay tuned through the closing credits. 3.5

[Gideon58]

http://trueclassics.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/silent-movie-poster.jpg
Mel Brooks decided to break some new ground with Silent Movie, an actual silent movie in which Brooks plays Mel Funn, a movie director who decides he wants to make a silent movie and his misadventures as he attempts to find stars for his project.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14380&stc=1&d=1399666135
It's a cute idea that grows tired rather quickly but there are some laughs here and there. Dom DeLuise and Marty Feldman are very funny as Mel's assistants who accompany him on this journey and Bernadette Peters makes a lovely, silent romantic interest.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14381&stc=1&d=1399666205Paul Newman, James Caan, Burt Reynolds, Anne Bancroft,Liza Minnelli, and Marcel Marceau make cameo appearances as the stars Funn tries to recruit for his movie. Reynolds' scene is especially hilarious. Mel has definitely made better films, but mediocre Mel Brooks is better than none at all. Beware of edited prints. 3

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14382&stc=1&d=1399666980
No movie studio made better musicals than MGM during the 1940's and 1950's but the golden crown in their musical stable was definitely 1952's Singin in the Rain, an instant classic that was an affectionate look at a difficult time of transition in Hollywood...the advent of talkies taking over for silent films.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14384&stc=1&d=1399667148
Gene Kelly plays Don Lockwood, a silent film star who has made several films with the glamorous Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), both of whom are thrown for a loop when "The Jazz Singer" is released and is a smash hit. The studio then decides to turn their latest silent feature, "The Dueling Cavalier" into a musical but there is one huge problem: Lina has a speaking and singing voice like nails on a chalkboard. Enter Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), a young chorus girl with lofty theatrical ambitions who agrees to dub Lina's vocals for the film and falls for Don in the process, much to the chagrin of Lina, who believes the fan magazine stories that Don is in love with her.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14383&stc=1&d=1399667075
This simple yet clever story provides the backdrop for MGM's greatest triumph which became an instant classic upon release. Kelly is charming and charismatic as Lockwood and works well with Donald O'Connor, who plays his best friend Cosmo Brown.

Debbie Reynolds, 18 years old at the time, is completely winning as Kathy and Jean Hagen earned the film's only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her brilliant comic turn as Lina Lamont, the glamorous, vein glamour queen whose ego far outweighs her talent.

Musical highlights include two dance numbers with Kelly and O'Connor, "Fit as a Fiddle" and "Moses" which allow the viewer to compare and contrast the different but equally dazzling dance styles of these two artists; O'Connor's hysterical solo, "Make Em Laugh", Kelly and Reynolds' lovely pas de deux, "You were Meant for Me", and of course, Kelly's title tune, which is practically Hollywood folklore now.

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14385&stc=1&d=1399667232
And notice must also be taken of "Broadway Ballet" a 20-minute fantasy/production number which features a special appearance by the divinely long-legged Cyd Charisse. No true lover of movie musicals should miss this one...it's simply, sensational. 5

[Gideon58]

http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14386&stc=1&d=1399667488
Six Weeks is a soapy melodrama made watchable thanks to an interesting story and charismatic stars, that might make you cry if you catch it in the right of frame of mind. Dudley Moore gives a nicely understated performance as Patrick Dalton, an unconventional congressional candidate, who is married and has a son, who finds himself a little more emotionally involved than he should be with a wealthy industrialist (Mary Tyler Moore) and her daughter (Katherine Healy), an aspiring dancer who is enamored with Dalton and wants to work on his campaign.

A somewhat soapy screenplay is made palatable thanks to a surprisingly understated performance from Moore and the charm of young Healy, who is not only a charming actress but an amazing dancer. And Mary Tyler Moore has never looked more beautiful than she does in this film. 2.5

[Gideon58]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/87/Cover_of_the_movie_Small_Sacrifices.jpg
Farrah Fawcett's Emmy-nominated performance is the centerpiece of Small Sacrifices, a riveting, ABC mini-series based on the true story of Diane Downs, a cold-blooded woman who was sent to jail for murdering two of her three children.

This teleplay presents Downs as the lonely, divorced working mother of three who appears on the outside to be a devoted and loving mother but has no qualms about putting her own needs first when the opportunity presents itself.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14388&stc=1&d=1399667868
While working at a post office, Diane begins a romance with one of her co-workers, Lew Lewiston (Ryan O'Neal)and things are going well until Diane learns that Lew doesn't like kids and has no desire to be a stepfather so Diane decides to kill her children. Fortunately, her elder daughter, somehow survives the brutal shooting and is taken into protective custody not only to protect her from further harm by her mother but to use her to help build a case to convict her mother.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14387&stc=1&d=1399667804
Fawcett gives the performance of her career...an icy, heartless bitch who shouts of her innocence throughout the proceedings, even though all evidence points to her and has the nerve to be baffled by the fact that her daughter wants nothing to do with her.
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/LQFkrgrMQ38/0.jpg
O'Neal's role here is more in the way of stunt casting as he was Fawcett's real life romance at the time and is wasted in a thankless role, but there are two solid performances from John Shea and Gordon Clapp as the two police detectives caught in the deadly cat and mouse game of trying to slip Diane up in order to nail her for this horrendous crime. Despite it's almost three-hour length, I found this movie fascinating from start to finish, thanks primarily to a powerhouse performance from Farrah Fawcett who got the role of her career and ran with it. 4

[Gideon58]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b5/Small_time_crooks.jpg/220px-Small_time_crooks.jpg
Small Time Crooks is an underrated gem from the Woody Allen library that's not a classic in the sense of Annie Hall or Manhattan, but is still funny and worth watching. Woody plays an inept former crook who is bored with playing it straight and decides to plan a bank robbery with the help of some buddies (Michael Rappaport,Jon Lovitz, Tony Darrow).
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14390&stc=1&d=1399668487
They decide to hit the bank by burrowing from underneath via an abandoned bakery next door and Woody's wife (Tracy Ullmann) provides a front for them by opening up a gourmet cookie store. In a classic Allen plot twist, they bungle the robbery but the cookies become a smash,making Woody and Tracy millionaires;however,they learn that money does not guarantee social acceptance.
http://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=14389&stc=1&d=1399668288
Woody tells an entertaining story here with a master hand...he offers one of his funniest screenplays anchored by razor-sharp direction and,as usual, a wonderful hand-picked cast. Woody and Ullmann are absolutely hysterical together and mention should also be made of supporting turns by Hugh Grant and the fabulous Elainie May, who steals every scene she's in. It takes a little while to get going, but stick with it...it will be worth it. 3.5