Run Silent Run Deep 1958

     This film is based on a novel written by Edward L. Beach and it is the American equivalent of the German film Das Boot.  The captain of a submarine sunk by the Japanese during WWII is finally given a chance to skipper another sub after a year of working a desk job.  His single minded determination for revenge against the destroyer that sunk his previous vessel puts his new crew in unnecessary danger.  

     In the opening scene, the U.S. submarine is detected by a Japanese Destroyer.  The order is given to dive.  Then, there is an explosion and the captain and some crew members are seen among the wreckage.  Japanese depth charges could only do such catastrophic damage if detonated within 15 or so feet from a subs hull.  Also Japanese depth charges before 1943 only had two depth settings, 100 and 200 feet.  Any such destruction of a sub at 100 feet would mean none of the crew would survive?  5* (I really liked this movie)

 
93 min, Action directed by Robert Wise, written by John Gay and Edward L. Beach with Clark Cable, Burt Lancaster, Jack Warden, Brad Dexter, Don Rickles, Nick Cravat, Joe Maross, Mary LaRoche, Eddie Foy III, Rudy Bond.


Note:  Goodreads gives the book 4.19* out of 5* with 4083 ratings and 105 reviews, Imdb 7.3 out of 10 with 10,181 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 100% with 9 critics 79% with 5570 audience scores, Letterboxd 3.5* out of 5*, Blu-ray Steven Cohen 3 1/2* (story 3 1/2* video 4*, audio 3 1/2*) Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 737 reviews.

Special Note:  Director Robert Wise observed that while Clark Gable was a highly professional actor, he didn't want to work past 5:00 pm because at this stage in his life, he seemed to be tired and wrung out by 5 PM.   Also, Clark Gable was ill during filming and his head violently shakes in several scenes.  It is believed this shaking was caused by his chronic alcoholism and smoking four packs of cigarettes a day.  There were also rumors that he had Parkinson's disease?  The real submarine captain that Clark Gable's character was based on, Captain Edward L. Beach, was only 23 years old at the time of the events depicted.  Despite receiving generally favorable reviews, this film proved to be only a moderate hit at the box office. This may have been partly due to the fact that it was released at the same time as Teacher’s Pet (1958) also starring Clark Gable?

Mistakes:  When Lt. Jim Bledsoe decides to return to the Bungo Straits towards the end of the film (at around 1h 15 mins) the submarine does a U-turn.  As it does maneuver, this you can clearly see what appears to be an American aircraft carrier in the distance on the horizon.  A submarine operating in hostile territory never 'pings' or uses its active sonar.  The pings can be picked up by enemy submarines, surface ships and homed in on.  This action would be similar to calling out or making other noises on land.  The action of the film takes place in 1943 but the song "It's Been a Long, Long Time" featured in one of the scenes was written and copyrighted by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn in 1945?
 

Ollie Hopnoodles’s Haven of Bliss 1988

     This film is a sequel to the film A Christmas Story and the time period is the 1950’s.  It’s summertime in Hohman Indiana and 14-year-old Ralph Parker can't wait to get his first job!!  His friends Schwartz and Flick are less enthusiastic and the job turns into a nightmare!!  This movie is presided over by the story's author, Jean Shepherd in hilariously unconvincing movie makeup.  Ralph's dad can hardly wait for the family's upcoming fishing vacation in Michigan at Ollie Hopnoodles’s Haven of Bliss resort!!  They will need to drive their old car through a sea of troubles to get there.  Fuzzhead, the dog runs away and joins a wealthy family to the consternation of Mom!!  She patiently handles ultra whiner little-brother Randy and buys a whirligig as a consolation.

     I actually know families that take everything but the kitchen sink when they went on road trips!!  This is before the days of campers and motorhomes with everything including the kitchen sink!!  This movie actually contains three plot lines, one about Ralph taking a summer job, one about the family losing their dog and the final story about the family car trip to Michigan for some fishing.  This is familiar territory for a lot families in this time period.  They are born, live, vacation and also work in the same area their entire lives!!

     The job subplot isn't bad but the dog story comes from a little out of left field.  The vacation story is the over-arching story and the road trip part of the movie will be very familiar to any good red-blooded, red-meat eating, red-car driving Midwesterner!!  Also, with two children, there is usually a responsible older child and there is the cranky whiny younger child!!  5* (I really liked this movie)

89 min, Comedy directed by Dick Bartlett and written by Jean Shepherd with James Sikking, Dorothy Lyman, Jean Shepherd, Jerry O’Connell, Jason Clarke Adams, Cameron Johann, Ross Eldridge, Bill MacDonald, Majorie O’Neill-Butler, Edward Logan, W. Clapham Murray, Frank T. Wells, Peter Gerety, Robert J. Colonna, Arnie Cox.

Note:  Goodreads gives the book 4.33* out of 5* with 3 ratings, Imdb 7.1* out of 10* with 435 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 96% with 895 audience scores, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 29 ratings, Letterboxd 3.3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  The dog Fuzzhead was portrayed by Jean Shepherd’s real-life dog Daphne.  The same fridge that Ralphie and his friends carry up flight after flight of stairs is seen again later in the movie. This time it is abandoned by the side of a road in the woods??  The Parkers' car is a 1946-1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster.  Jean Shepherd is also the writer on A Christmas Story 1983.

Mistakes:  Modern cars can be seen throughout the film?  Items in the film (cans and bags) have barcode symbols and they didn't exist in the 1950s.  Near the end, when the family is stopped at a railroad crossing, the caboose on the train is Burlington Northern, this wasn't operating until 1971.  At the beginning of the movie when the mother is making breakfast, a Crock Pot can be seen on a shelf.  Crock Pots were not invented until 1971.  The Reward poster for Fuzzhead shows an all-digit phone number.  In the 1950s, all phone numbers had a two-letter exchange name followed by 5 numbers.  The story takes place in Indiana but Texas license plates can be seen on many of the cars!!  (I am surprised at the large number of mistakes!!)
 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2018

      How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has been adapted for the screen before.  Boris Karloff voiced the furry green grump in 1966.  Jim Carrey at his charmless worst starred in the horror-show 2000 live-action movie.  Now, comes another animation that takes up the book’s message that you can’t buy Christmas and tops it up with noisy, wacky capering, squishing and flattening Seuss’s universe into yet another kids’ movie.  This film is more plush, posh and upscale!!

     Benedict Cumberbatch with an American accent does a decent job voicing the Grinch.  He lives on a mountain high above the gingerbread-pretty town of Whovillle where festive goodwill is spreading like an epidemic.  Like that other noted Christmas-hater, Scrooge there’s an explanation for his shriveled heart that’s rooted in the Grinch’s backstory.  He grew up unloved in an orphanage where Christmas came not even once a year.

     To destroy the fun for everyone else, this year the Grinch is still impersonating Santa to steal the town’s presents.  At the same time, cute-as-a-button Cindy Lou (Cameron Seely) devises a plan to trap Santa as he comes down the chimney.  She wants to be doubly sure her Christmas wishes come true.

     As the narrator, Pharrell Williams delivers Seuss’s sing-song rhymes beautifully and the animation is tip-top.  There are also a couple of scenes that put Cumberbatch to work.  In the best of them, the Grinch ventures into town to do his grocery shopping.  He's stamping on the town folks Christmas cheer and merriment with malicious glee.

     More bah-humbuggery – which is his rational response to the wall-to-wall Christmas shoppers – and less zany antics here would have done the job better.  As it is, the movie may leave you feeling as if you’ve been standing on an escalator for 90 minutes during the Christmas rush.

      This movie is appropriate for most younger viewers with many more scenes of physical comedy than genuine peril (though there is a scene in which it looks like the Grinch will fall over a mountain but of course he's saved).  Expect lots of falls from heights, catapulting through the air, speeding on sleds, etc.  The Grinch ends up in his underwear in a brief scene and a naked Who is seen behind a cookie that's strategically placed to obscure anything inappropriate.  Like Seuss' original, this is a story about kindness, compassion, love, and generosity being the true meaning of Christmas.  5* (I really liked this movie)

95 min, Animation directed by Yarrow Cheney, Scott Mossier and written by Michael LeSieur, Tommy Swerdlow with Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely, Rasida Jones, Pharrell Williams, Tristan O’Hare, Kenan Thompson, Sam Lavagnino, Ramone Hamilton, Angela Lansbury, Scarlett Estevez, Michael Beattie, Lori Alan, Carlos Alazraqui, Dough Burch, Tuck Cavadini, Tucker Chandler, Townsend Coleman, Meilee Condron, Abby Cradron, Brian T. Delaney.

Note:  Imdb 6.3* out of 5* with 53,399 reviews, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Cath Clarke, RollingStone 2* out of 5* Pewter Travers, chicagotribune.com 2.5* out of 5* Katie Walsh, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, 3* out of 5*, age 6+, 1* education, sexy stuff, language, 3* violence & scariness, 4* positive message, role models.

‘7500’ 2020

      The Emergency Code for a plane hijacking is 7500.  This is an intense thriller and told from the cockpit of a flight from Berlin to Paris.  It begins with the everyday routine in the cockpit of an Airbus A319.  Co-pilot Tobias Ellis is preparing the plane for take-off and this procedure is without incident.  Then, we hear shouting in the passenger cabin.  A group of young men try and storm the cockpit and among them is 18-year old Vedat.  A fight begins between the crew and the attackers.  There is the desire on the one hand to save individual lives and on the other hand to avert an even bigger catastrophe.  The cockpit door becomes a battleground and Tobias ends up being the arbiter over life and death. 

     Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in the role of copilot on a hijacked flight from Berlin to Paris.  An Islamist terrorist enters the cockpit and Levitt is stabbed in the left arm.  The hijackers made knives from glass wrapped with duct tape because the metal detectors would have sensed a metal object.  There are two hijackers outside the cockpit and they are constantly banging on the door to try to force it open?  There are 85 passengers, two pilots and the flight attendants.  Another complication is that one of the flight attendants is the girlfriend and mother of the cop-pilot’s child!!  
     
     I found the constant banging on the cockpit door to be very annoying!!  The next tactic by the hijackers is to have Russian Roulette with the passengers!!  I knew that would be their next step because their goal is to get into the cockpit!!  The co-pilot has contacted air traffic control and they have cautioned  him repeatedly that he must not open the cockpit door no matter what the hijackers say or threaten to do!!  The tension is ratcheting up both for the people in the film and the viewers too.
 
    This is an adult movie and not for any teens of any age or younger children!!  There is intense violence with lots of stabbing, fighting, struggling, kicking and grappling.   Plus, there are bloody wounds and lots of blood.  Characters die and one is shot.  Characters are bashed with fire extinguishers, kicked in the head and smashed with doors.  Language is strong, there's some flirting and a kiss.  The movie is very tense and gripping but also shocking and unsettling.  Death has meaning here and it's an experience that mature viewers won't soon forget.  I found this film to be way up on the intense scale and I could see where it was leading.  As a result, I must give this film a lower rating even though the plot and acting are very good.  2* (I didn’t like this movie)      

93 min, Action directed and written by Patrick Vollrath and also written by Senad Halibasic with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Omid Memar, Aylin Tezel, Carlo Kitzlinger, Murathan Muslu, Aurelie Thepaut, Paul Wollin, Hicham Sebiai, Cornel Nussbaum, Passar Hariky, Denis Schmidt, Christoph Wielinger, Max Schimmelpfennig, Anna Suk Marie Klischies.

Note:  Imdb 6.3* out of 10* withRollingStone 2 1/2* out of 5* Peter Travers, Rotten Tomatoes 70% with 149 critics 52% with 398 audience scores, Metacritic 58 out of 100 with 23 critics 6.1 out of 10 with 29 ratings, RollingStone 2 1/1* out of 5* Peter Travers. Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson, 4* out of 5*, age 15+, 1* sex, 2* positive messages and role models, 4* violence, language, Roger Ebert 2* Brian Tallerico, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Mark Kermode.

Special Note:  The director wanted a hyper realistic atmosphere to the film.  Rather than directing his actors on technical details like where to sit, stand, or move for the best shot or lighting, he allowed them to improvise.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt said it was brutal and challenging at times but it let him truly immerse himself in his character.  This movie was not filmed on a set or with set pieces, it was shot on a real plane that the production company bought.  Carlo Kitzlinger, who played the captain of the plane, is actually a real pilot and he flew for Lufthansa Airlines for many years.  He assisted Joseph Gordon-Levitt with becoming a pilot for the role.  The film's title alludes to squawk code 7500.  In the event of a hijacking, the pilot inputs (squawks) the code into the transponder.  This is an onboard electronic device used to identify the aircraft on air traffic control (ATC) radar monitoring systems.  Squawk code 7500 silently alerts ATC of the situation without the hijacker's knowledge.

Mistakes:  When Tobias is talking to Vedat (a highjacker), Tobias has a single tear roll down his cheek out of the corner of his right eye.  In the next shot and subsequent ones, his cheek is dry?  When landing the airplane, the altimeter shows 1000 feet, however the radar altimeter shows  2400 feet.  A radar altimeter shows exactly how close to the ground you are while the altimeter shows how many feet above sea level the airplane is flying.  In the beginning of the film, when they show all of the security camera footage from the airport, in the lower left-hand corner it is labelled as "BERLIN AIRPORT".  Since this is a German airport, the security system would most likely be set up in German or even as bilingual?

The 3:10 to Yuma 2007

     This film is based on a short story by Elmore Leonard.  Rancher Dan Evans heads into Bisbee to clear up issues concerning the sale of his land.  Dan witnesses the closing events of a stagecoach robbery led by famed outlaw Ben Wade.  Shortly thereafter, Wade is captured by the law in Bisbee and Evans finds himself as one of the escorts.  He will take Wade to the 3:10 to Yuma train in Contention for a reward of $200.  Evans' effort to take Wade to the station is in part an effort to save his land but also part of an inner battle.  He wants to show that he can be more than just a naive rancher in the eyes of his impetuous and gun slinging son William Evans.  The transport to Contention is hazardous and filled with ambushes by Indians, pursuits by Wade's vengeful gang and Wade's own conniving and surreptitious demeanor that makes the ride all the more intense.

     This western stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale and both of these actors will appeal to teens.  It is a remake of a 1957 film with Glenn Ford film.  This new version has added plenty of shoot-outs and bloodshed for 21st-century audiences.  But, the bloody scenes are counterbalanced by a lot of conversation between the outlaw and his captors.  One of the characters is a slightly rebellious teenager and for the most part he is ashamed of his father.  There's one brief love scene, one bar scene and some language.  5* (I liked this movie)

122 min, Action directed by James Mangold and written by Halstead Welles, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Elmore Leonard with Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Logan Lerman, Dallas Roberts, Ben Foster, Peter Fonda, Vinessa Shaw, Alan Tudyk, Luce Rains, Gretchen Mol, Lennie Loftin, Rio Alexander, Johnny Whitworth, Shawn Howell, Pat Ricotti, Tamon Frank.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10 with 287,198 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes, 89% with 223 critics 86% with 394,444 audience scores, Roger Ebert 4*, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, empireonline 3* out of 5* William Thomas, Metacritic 76 out of 100 with 37 critic reviews, 7.3 out of 10 with 468 user scores, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 3722 reviews, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen 4* out of 5*, age 15+, 3* sex, language, drinking, drugs & smoking 5* violence, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw,

Special Note:  The weekend before the shooting was scheduled to wrap, a freak storm dumped nearly two feet of snow on the drought plagued town.  Laborers shoveled the snow from the buildings' balconies and roofs and distributed eighty-nine dump trucks worth of dry soil on the ground.  Backhoes created an eight foot tall rampart of snow just beyond camera sight lines for the remaining six days of shooting.  Warned about the pain of surgery, Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda) tells Doc Potter (Alan Tudyk) that it's not the first time he's been shot.  In real life, Peter Fonda accidentally shot himself in the stomach when he was ten.  Russell Crowe was director James Mangold’s first choice for the role of Ben Wade.  Tom Cruise dropped out of talks for the film, putting it into turn around and it was the casting of Crowe that got the production back up and running.

Mistakes:  During the stagecoach robbery, modern tire tracks can be seen in the dirt in a few shots.  The song that Ben Wade sings, "they're gonna hang me in the morning..." is called The Arizona Killer and dates from 1995.  It is a version of an older song, The Tennessee Killer but even the older version was unknown before 1942.  There are dialogue references to "gunslingers," a term which did not exist until the 1920s.  Author Glendon Swarthout says at the time of the film such men would have been referred to as "shootists," "pistoleers," or simply "gunmen."


 

The Kite Runner 2007

      This film is based on a novel by Khaled Hosseini.  Amir has spent years in California and he returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan.  Amir learned that Hassan’s son is in trouble.  In the 70's in Afghanistan, a Pushtun boy Amir and a Hazara boy Hassan are raised together in Amir's father's house.  Hassan is his loyal friend and the son of their Hazara servant Ali.  They are playing and kiting on the streets of a peaceful Kabul.  Amir feels that his wise and good father Baba blames him for the death of his mother during his delivery.  Amir also feels that his father loves and prefers Hassan to him.  In return, Amir feels a great respect for his father's best friend Rahim Khan.  Rahim supports Amir’s intention to become a writer.  After Amir is the winner in a competition of kiting, Hassan runs to bring a kite to Amir.  He is beaten and raped by the brutal Assef in an empty street as he is trying to protect Amir's kite.  The coward Amir witness the assault but does not help the loyal Hassam.  On the day after his birthday party, Amir hides his new watch in Hassam's bed to frame the boy as a thief and force his father to fire Ali.  This act releases his conscience from the recall of his own cowardice and betrayal.

     This film is an unforgettable but heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant.   The setting is in a country that is in the process of being destroyed.  It is also about the high price of betrayal and also the possibility of redemption.  It is an exploration of the power of fathers over sons, their loves, sacrifices and lies!!  A very complex story taking place in a country with complex and rigid social structures.  This drama focuses on children's experiences and the themes are very mature.  Children are repeatedly in peril and there's a disturbing but not explicit scene in which a young boy is attacked by older boys.  Several scenes show warfare with explosions, gunfire and bloody bodies during the Soviet invasion.  Other scenes depict Taliban oppression including a public stoning, beatings and the taunting of civilians.  One hanged body is visible on the street and there is a brief tirade full of language.  5* (I really liked this movie)

128 min, Drama directed by Marc Forster and written by David Benioff with Khalid Abdalla, Atossa Leoni, Shaun Toub, Sayed Jafar Masihulah Gharibzada, Zekeria Ebrahimi, Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada, Mir Mahmoud Shah Hashimi, Homayoun Ershadi, Nabi Tanha, Elham and Bahram Ehsas, Tamim Nawabi, Mohamad Nabi Attai, Mohamad Nadir Sarwari, Mustafa Haidari.

Note:  Goodreads gives the book 4.30* out of 5* with 2,455,457 ratings and 74,481 reviews, Imdb 7.6* out of 10* with 77,110 reviews, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 14,247 reviews, Common Sense Media Cynthia Fuchs, 3* out of 5*, age 15+, 3* sex, language, driving, drugs & smoking 5* violence, Metacritic 61 out of 100 with 34 critics, 7.8 out of 10 with 87 user scores.

Special Note:  Most of the Afghanistan scenes were shot in Kashgar and Tashkurgan in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.  The DVD commentary mentions that scenes shot in Kashgar include: the kite tournament, the mosque where Amir prays and Rahim Khan's apartment in Peshawar, Pakistan.  Scenes shot in Tashkurgan include the opening scenes of a kite duel, the boys running the kite, the pomegranate tree and the Taliban compound where Amir meets Sohrab.  The wedding and the soccer match were shot in Beijing.  The San Francisco bar scene was shot in China.  In the book, the servant boy Hassan had a cleft upper lip, this flaw was left out of the film because it would have required two hours of makeup every day.  It would also have been difficult for the boy to act in the makeup.  Director Mark Forster didn't want to put the boy through it and it wasn't essential to the script.

The Princess and the Frog 2009

      This film is a modern day retelling of the classic story The Frog Prince.  The Princess and the Frog follows the lives of arrogant carefree Prince Naveen, hardworking waitress Tiana and the crossing paths of their lives.  Prince Naveen is transformed into a frog by a conniving voodoo magician and Tiana is transformed after kissing amphibian royalty.  With the help of a trumpet-playing alligator, a Cajun firefly and an elderly blind lady who lives in a boat in a tree, Naveen and Tiana must race to break the spell in order to fulfill their dreams.
     The Princess and the Frog is Disney's first movie to feature an African-American heroine, Tiana.  The New Orleans-set story is a spin on the classic fairy tale about the princess who finds true love when she kisses an enchanted amphibian but there's more to this tale than just romance.  Tiana is a resourceful, hardworking heroine who's a strong role model and is one of the first Disney heroines who doesn't have to be rescued by a man.  While some have been concerned that the movie might reinforce stereotypes and it's true that many of the supporting characters feel shallow.  Plus, the movie's voodoo subplot is far from subtle.  Overall, the film does a good job of adding diversity to Disney’s hit parade roster.  But, while the movie is kid-friendly on the whole, the villain and his shadowy spirit henchmen can be quite scary.  One important character does die which makes it a little too intense for younger viewers.  5* (I really liked this movie)

97 min, Animation directed and written by Ron Clements and John Musker with Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey, Bruno Campos Michael-Leon Wooley, Jennifer Cody, Jim Cummings, Peter Bartlett, Jennifer Lewis, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Elizabeth Dampier.

Note:  Imdb 7/1* out of 10* with 123, 075 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 85% with 200 critics 74% audience scores with 261,251 audience scores, Common Sense Media, S. Jhoanna Robledo, 3* out of 5*, age 6+, 1* sexy stuff and  drinking, drugs, smoking, 2* violence & scariness, 3* positive messages, role models, consumerism, Roger Ebert 3*, Metacritic 73 out of 100 with 29 critic reviews, 7.4 out of 10 with 227 user scores, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 6691 reviews.

Special Note:  The prologue takes place in November of 1912, as indicated by the newspaper with the headline, "Wilson Elected," referring to President Woodrow Wilson being read by a streetcar passenger.  This is Walt Disney Animation Studio's first musical film in which all of the voice actors do both the speaking and singing parts since Beauty and the Beast (1991).  The animation style was influenced primarily by Lady and the Tramp (1955) for the city scenes and Bambi (1942) for the bayou scenes.  Those films were, in the directors' opinion, "the peak of animation in the classic Disney animation style."  The first Disney film since The Lion King (1994) to have more than one song be nominated for Best Original song at the Academy Awards.

Mistakes:  During the opening musical number, Big Daddy holds up a newspaper while in the car revealing a number of headlines including, "Ford Corporation Introduces Trimotor" and Gertrude Ederle Readies to Swim the English Channel."  Neither of these events, nor Mardi Gras for that matter, took place on the newspaper's supposed date of April 25th 1926.  The Trimotor first flew in June 1926, Ederle wouldn't swim the English Channel until August 6th and Mardi Gras in 1926 fell on February 16th?  There are at least two references to "Bananas Foster," a dish that wasn't introduced until 1951?  When Lou tells Naveen "NO" after listing the many threats of the bayou, it does not match up with his lips moving on the screen. The sound is just a little bit late? 

The Golden Compass 2007

      This film is based on the first book in Phillip Pullman’s best-selling trilogy.  It was not an ordinary life for a young girl living among scholars in the hallowed halls of Jordan College.  She ran unsupervised through Oxford's motley streets on mad quests for adventure.  But Lyra's greatest adventure would begin closer to home.  It was the day she heard hushed talk of an extraordinary new particle.  Microscopic in size, the magical dust was discovered in the vast Arctic expanse of the North.  It was rumored to possess profound properties that could unite whole universes.  But, there were those who feared this particle and would stop at nothing to destroy it.  Catapulted into the heart of a terrible struggle, Lyra was forced to seek aid from clans, ‘gyptians' and formidable armored bears.  Gyptians are an ethnic group and they made their homes in the Fens of Britain.  And, as she journeyed into unbelievable danger, she did not have the faintest clue that she alone was destined to win or to losethis more-than-mortal battle!!
     
     This action-packed fantasy based on the first book will feel threatening to young children.  Animals and children are in constant peril and young children will be upset by the threatened separation of the furry animals (daemons) and humans.  There are also many tense and violent scenes!!  Chases, fierce and growling animals, shootings, as well as a fairly graphic battle between two enormous polar bears (one knocks the other's jaw off).  And, there's a major clash between children and adult troops that includes guns, arrows, swords, clubs, chains, hooks and explosions.  The main character is a 12-year-old girl who goes up against evil forces to save her friends.  Although some religious groups have urged a boycott of this film based on its allegedly anti-Christian content, there is no specific language or imagery related to Christianity.
     
     There are problems with this film!!  Some thoughts by viewers are that it is anti-Catholic, it guts the backbone of the book, the story has been watered down and rushed, special effects are cheesy, the story goes off on tangents, it introduces things but never says what they are and it is not the next Lord of the Rings.  4* (I liked this movie)

113 min, Adventure directed and written by Chris Weitz with Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Ben Walker, Freddie Highmore, Ian McKellen, Eva Green, Jim Carter, Tom Courtenay, Ian McShane, Sam Elliott, Christopher Lee, Kristin Scott Thomas, Edward de Souza, Kathy Bates.  

Reviews:  Goodreads gives the book 3.99* out of 5* with 1,299,388 ratings and 22,498 reviews, Imdb 6.1* out of 10* with 178,331, Rotten Tomatoes 42% with 198 critics 51% with 350,616 audience scores, Common Sense Media Cynthia Fuchs age 12+ 3* violence, 3* drinking, drugs & smoking, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 1707 reviews, RollingStone 1 1/2* Peter Travers.
 
Special Note:  George R.R. Martin cited this movie as one of the reasons he wanted the Game of Thrones (2011) to be shown as a television series rather than movies.  Despite prominent billing, Sir Christopher Lee only had one line.  Daniel Craig did most of his own stunts especially in the Swiss glaciers.  Philip Pullman, author of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, originally wanted Jason Isaacs to play Lord Asriel, Nicole Kidman to play Mrs. Coulter and Samuel L. Jackson  to play Lee Scoresby.  

Mistakes:  Right before Lord Asriel is captured, he slides over a cliff of ice.  In the first shot of him when he reaches the bottom at 42:11, he has a large scrape on one side of his face but in the next and following scenes it is gone?  When Lord Asriel is walking through the snow before he gets captured, he reaches with his right hand to pull down his goggles at 40:58.  In a closer shot also at 40:58, it shows him pulling them off with his left hand?  The first shot of Lyra in the Experimental Station is a reverse angle of her walking through a doorway with double doors at 01:22:35.  When the shot changes to the front at 01:22:42, the doors are closed?

Wonder Wheel 2017

     There is a LOT of drama, arguing and tension in this film!!  The setting is in Coney Island and the location becomes one of the characters.  Ginny’s son from a previous marriage is always starting fires and he needs therapy to try stop this from constantly happening?  Ginny is married to Humpty.  Mickey likes Ginny until he meets Carolina.  Mickey is the lifeguard at the beach.  Ginny and Carolina live together, they both work at a clam shack and there is friction.  Humpty is very worried about his adult daughter Carolina!!  She married a gangster and to keep from receiving a sentence for crimes, she sings about her husband to get herself off.  Ginny.  Humpty thinks her husband will send men to get even with Carolina?  Twice, the goons Angelo and Nick stop in to talk to Humpty about the whereabouts of Carolina!!  
     
     This is a dark drama Woody Allen drama.  It doesn’t have any nudity or on-screen violence but it's not intended for kids.  It deals with serious themes of adultery, suicide, murder and the consequences for past actions.  Mob killings and domestic abuse are discussed and implied but not shown.  The only child character is a pyromaniac and he’s headed for serious trouble.  Drinking and smoking are presented negatively but are part of the building stress of the film's third act.  Language is infrequent but included and there are also some insults and derogatory ethnic terms.  As usual for an Allen film, it's packed with well-known actors, including Kate Winslet, Jim Belushi, Juno Temple and Justin Timberlake.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)
     
161 min, Drama directed and written by Woody Allen with Justin Timberlake, Juno Temple, Robert C. Kirk, Kate Winslet, Jim Belushi, Jack Gore, Tommy Nohilly, Tony Sirico, Steve Schirripa, John Doumanian, Tom Guiry, Max Casella, Gregory Dann, Bobby Slayton, Michael Zegarski.

Note:  Imdb 6.2* out of 10* with 24,881 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 31% with 199 critics 41% with 1675 ratings, The Irish Times 3* out of 5*, Roger Ebert 1 1/2* Glenn Kenny, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, RollingStone 3* out of 4* Peter Travers, 4* out of 5* Michael Ordona, age 15+, 1* positive messages, positive role models, violence, 2* sex, language, 3* drinking drugs & smoking,

Special Note:  The title, Wonder Wheel, in addition to referring to the Coney Island Ferris Wheel, is metaphorical for the characters' behaviors and mindsets.  When describing the title, Woody Allen stated "The view is beautiful from the Wonder Wheel, but you're going no place?"  It has an element of romance to it, an element of beauty to it but ultimately, an element of futility.”  With the exception of Ginny and Humpty's apartment, the movie was shot entirely on location at Coney Island.  Many of the existing businesses were altered to resemble shops or restaurants from the 1950s.  The Wonder Wheel is still in operation but the Parachute Drop, seen in the background ceased operation in 1964 and survives only as a tower.  It's nicknamed the Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn.  Angelo and Nick are acted by Tony Sirico and Steve Schirripa.  Previously they worked with Tony Soprano in the Sopranos series.  

Mistakes:  When Justin Timberlake is on his lifeguard stand talking to Kate Winslet, a modern tanker cruises by in the distance.  The benches on the boardwalk are a new design and they were installed a few years ago after the boardwalk was repaired.  In the street scene near the elevated train there is an older type fire hydrant which has an anti-tamper top that was not used until the 1990's.  

Closing the Ring 2007

      This film consists of three intertwined stories of lost and unspoken love plus the resulting secrets are presented.  In the first story, it begins in 1941 and takes place in Branagan Michigan.  Twenty-one year old Ethel Ann socializes primarily with three male friends and they are all in love with her!!  But, she only loves one man, Teddy Gordon and their mutual love is known within the group.  Her parents would never approve of Teddy because he is a poor country boy and he is building a house for her.   Eventually, he will be able to show her parents that he is worth something in his love for her.  Their relationship is interrupted by the entry of the U.S. into the World War I and all three men are going into battle.  Before their departure, the three men enter into a pact that Ethel Ann doesn’t know about??  In story two, it also takes place in Branagan but the setting is 1991.  World War II U.S. Army Air Forces veteran, septuagenarian Chuck Harris, has just passed away after an illness.  His friends always considered him to be the reliable one.  His death leaves a void in his family as there has always been Chuck in the mix!!

     Richard Attenborough is an actor’s director and his career highs have been due to actors such as Ben Kingsley in Gandhi and Robert Downey Jr. in Chaplin.  In this film, he is focused on Shirley MacLaine.  At times, this story can be confusing because the time jumps are between 1941 and 1991.  Also, between Michigan and Belfast, WWII airmen and IRA bombings.  Attenborough was born May 8, 1926 in Isleworth Middlesex (now part of west London) and he grew up on the campus of the University College Leicester.  He passed away August 24 2014 just prior to his 91st birthday from a stroke he was not able to recover from in 2013.   5* (I really liked this movie)

119 min, Drama, directed by Richard Attenborough and written by Peter Woodward with Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Dylan Roberts, Gene Dinovi, Neve Campbell, Allan Hawco, Peter Postlethwaite, Martin McCann, Steve Franks, Chris Benson, John Travers,George Shane, Kirsty Stuart, Marie Jones, Karen Lewis-Atenborough.

Note:  Imdb 6.5* out of 5* with 4346 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 32% with 19 critics 58% with 3227 audience scores, BBC 2* of 4* reviewer rating 4*of 5* user rating, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 159 reviews, empireonline 3* out of 5* Alan Morrison

Special Note:  This was Richard Attenborough’s final film as a director before his death at the age of 90.  Construction workers at a demolition site in Belfast where filming took place were told to put the tearing down the houses on hold and leave some standing for scenes of this movie.  The remainder of the houses were then blown up as if they were destroyed by bombs in World War II.  The B-17 used is the "Yankee Lady", owned and operated by the Yankee Air Museum of Ypsilanti Michigan.  This aircraft also appeared in Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).  The B-17 named "Sally B" also made an appearance.  Attenborough had disappointments in the films In Love and War and Grey Owl?

Mistakes:  The B-17 being shown off in Michigan in 1941 is actually a B-17G and the final model.  In reality, this plane did not have its first flight until 1943 and the "chin gun" is the give-away of the date.

Australia 2008

     The setting of this film is in northern Australia at the beginning of World War II.  An English aristocrat inherits a sprawling cattle ranch the size of Maryland.  Soon after, English cattle barons plot to takeover her land.  She reluctantly makes a pact with a rough and tumble stock man in order to protect her new property from the takeover plot.  As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over hundreds of miles of unforgiving landscape, they experience first hand the bombing of Darwin Australia by Japanese forces.  These same forces attacked Pearl Harbor only months earlier. 

     This historical melodrama stars popular Aussies Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.  Even with that level of celebrity wattage, it's unlikely to attract tweens and younger teens.  Older teens, especially mature girls, may be drawn to the romance played up in advertising.  This film deals with mature themes like racism, greed, war, class consciousness and sexual politics.  The violence is realistic and occasionally bloody with characters speared, shot, burned, drowned and beaten.  The characters' sexual chemistry and tension turns into several passionate kisses and a love-making scene with bare shoulders, a man's chest and a with a woman's underwear, back and legs all visible.  The Northern Territory is portrayed as full of hard-drinking, aboriginal-hating men and demure high-society couples.  Mature teens who see this film will learn about Australia's role in World War II and how the country historically treated its indigenous people.  5* (I really liked this movie)

 

165 min, Adventure directed and written by Baz Luhrmann and also written by Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood and Richard Flanagan with Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Shea Adams, Eddie Baroo, Ray Barrett, Tony Barry, Jamal Sydney Bednarz, Damian Bradford, Bryan Brown, Nathin Butler, Tara Carpenter, Rebecca Chatfield, Lillian Crombie, Max Cullen, Essie Davis, Arthur Dignam.
         

Note:  Rotten Tomatoes 55% with 223 critics 65% with 261,517 audience scores, Imdb 6.6* out of 10* with 118,756 reviews, Metacritic 53 out of 100 with 38 critic reviews 6.9 out of 10 with  225 user scores, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, 3* out of 5*, age 15+, 1* messages 2* role models & sex, 3* language, drinking, drugs & smoking, 4* violence, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 3097 reviews.
 
Special Note:  In an interview that aired October 16, 2008, Hugh Jackman told 60 minutes (1979) that Nicole Kidman agreed to star in the film without reading the script.  According to Jackman, she told him at a Super Bowl party that she had to be in the movie.  When Jackman told her he didn't even have a script, Kidman told him to forget the script, because Baz Luhrmann was directing.  Nicole  saved Hugh Jackman from a poisonous scorpion on the set.  She noticed the scorpion crawling up his leg.  She calmly told him not to move, stooped down, scooped the arachnid into her hat, walked over to the woods and released it.  Everyone applauded, then they asked why she hadn't just stomped on it.  She replied, 'I would never kill an animal. Every creature here has its purpose. This one just didn't belong in Hugh's bag!"  Over 1,500 wild horses were used for this movie.  Four different horses played the drover's horse.  

Mistakes:  After the title, when the animated globe switches from Australia to Europe, Germany has modern borders?  In 1939 the Third Reich included what is now western Poland, East Prussia/Koenigsberg (now Kaliningrad) next to Lithuania, Austria, and Sudetenland.  Late in the film, the barman has crates of Victoria Bitter.  It wasn't available outside the Australian state of Victoria until the 1970s.  The Zeros did not carry bombs, they carried auxiliary or drop tanks for long range missions, in the movie they show the Zeros dropping the tanks as bombs.

Complete Unknown 2016

     This shape-shifting tale of the perils and the pleasures of self-reinvention begins at a dinner party.  Tom's (Michael Shannon) co-worker arrives with an intriguing date, Alice (Rachel Weisz).  Tom is convinced he knows her but she refuses to acknowledge their history.  When Alice makes a hasty exit, Tom sets off after her.  What follows is an all-night odyssey shared by two people, one needing to change his life, the other questioning how to stop changing.

     We see Alice in a number of completely different settings and jobs, emergency room nurse, magician's assistant, pianist, etc.  Who is this person?  After the opening credits, we get to know Alice and she is now a biologist in New York.  She takes an interest in a guy at the cafeteria and it's not long before they become friends.  They go to a dinner party to celebrate the birthday of her friend's co-worker (Michael Shannon).  Shockingly, the co-worker recognizes her from a prior life of 15 years ago and he confronts her.  Why did she vanish without a trace all those years ago?  Why did she come back?  What she begins to tell him is a very interesting story!!  Tom doesn’t know if he believes what Alice is telling him about her life?  He does know that Alice vanished from his life 15 years ago?  He wants to know why she vanished and why did she come back? 

 
     This film focuses on the issues of identity.  Who are you and how can you change that if you want to be different?  There are a lot of complex discussions often accompanied by wine and stronger drinks, they are also about complicated and mature themes.  There's occasional swearing and some suggestive comments as well as kissing.  Things never get too strange but the movie's concepts and subject matter may be most interesting to adults and older teens. 5* (I really liked this movie)

91 min, Drama directed and written by Joshua Marston and also written by Julian Sheppard with Erin Drake, Rachel Weisz, Hansel Tan, FaTye, Zach Appelman, Michael Shannon, Michael Chernus, Azita Ghanizada, Omar Metwally, Frank De Julio, Condola Rashad, Chris Lowell, Tessa Albertson, Kelly AuCoin, Kathy Bates.

Note:  Imdb 5.4* out of 10* with 5641 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 52% with 75 critics 24% with 967 audience scores, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo, 3* out of 5*, age 15+, 1* messages, role models, violence, sex, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking, 4* language, Roger Ebert 2* Glenn Kenny, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Lanre Baker, Indie Wire Grade C- David Ehrlich.

A Christmas Story 1983

      This film is based on the novel In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd.  Christmas is approaching and nine year-old Ralphie wants only one thing!!  A Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun!!  When he mentions it at the dinner table, his mother's immediate reaction is that he'll shoot his eye out??   He then decides on the same perfect idea to tell his teacher about what he wants but her reaction is just like his mother’s??  He fantasizes about what it would be like to be Red Ryder and catch the bad guys. When the big day arrives, he gets lots of presents under the tree including a lovely gift from his aunt that his mother just adores.  But what about the BB gun?

     The setting of this movie is the 1940’s.  It offers a sense of nostalgia and a view of earlier times plus what it means to be a kid at Christmas.  I always remember that the dad in this movie gets a lamp with a woman’s leg as the base?  I didn’t know this previously but the lamp was inspired an old-school soft drink, Nehi soda.  An advertisement featured two shapely disembodied legs up to the knee.  Also, before this film was made there was a series of short stories about a company whose name was a play on words involving the lady’s knee??  Replicas of the leg lamp have become prized awards for fans.  

     Both kids and adults use and discuss strong language.  Later Ralphie is punished for swearing by having his mouth washed out with soap!!  Ralphie is bullied and he beats up his nemesis but he feels bad about it later.  A child sticks his tongue out on a flagpole because of a dare and the fire department has to come to releases his tongue from the frozen surface!!  There are dated stereotypes about Asian people and their usage of English in a Chinese restaurant.  There is also a Christmas Story 2 from 2012 with 4.1* out of 5* on Amazon with1001 reviews.  5* (I really liked this movie because of the funny moments)

93 min, Comedy directed by written Bob Clark and written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown with Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz, Jean Shepherd, Ian Petrella, Tedde Moore, R.D. Robb, Zack Ward,Yano Anaya, Jeff Gillen, Peter Billingsley, Colin Fox, Paul Hubbard, Leslie Carlson, Jim Hunter, Patty Johnson, Drew Hocevar, David Edward Dwayne McLean.

Note:  Imdb 7.9* out of 10* with 129,207 reviews, Common Sense Medai Nell Minow, age 8+ 5*, 1* educational role models, consumerism, drinking, drugs & smoking, sexy stuff, 2* violence & scariness, 3* language, 3* positive messages, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 18,471 reviews.

 
Special Note:  According to director Bob Clark and also the Daisy Rifle historians speaking on the Special Edition DVD documentary of the history of the Red Ryder BB Gun, the model rifle as described by Ralphie in the film is a mistake?  When Jean Shepard originally wrote the story of Ralphie and his gun for her novel, he had written about the gun based on his childhood experiences but had miss-remembered the details of the Red Ryder BB Gun?  Specifically, the weapon did not have a compass or "This thing which tells time" (As Ralphie refers to the sundial).  Those features were a part of another BB Gun model made around the same time.  According to Bob Clark, no one realized this mistake until it came time to feature the gun in the film.  Then they were informed by the Daisy Rifle Company about their error.  The gun used in the film is actually a custom made hybrid to match Shepard’s memories. 

Mistakes:  Before Ralphie and Randy get in line to visit Santa in Higbee's Department store, the Wizard of Ozcharacters pass by.  The witch tries to talk to Ralphie and he won't interact with her because he's busy 'thinking'.   Watch Randy's face in this scene as he comes out of character for a moment and smiles at a scared little girl and she is also off camera.  She was afraid of the witch during rehearsal and never really was able to handle seeing the witch!! 

Frosty the Snowman 1969

     A discarded silk top hat becomes the focus of a struggle between a washed-up stage magician and a group of school children after it magically brings a snowman to life.  Realizing that newly-living Frosty will melt in the spring unless he takes refuge in a colder climate, Frosty and a young girl Karen stow away on a freight train headed for the North Pole.  Little do they know that the magician is following them and he wants his hat back?  This animated short is based on the popular Christmas song of the same name.
     This classic holiday cartoon has a few mildly perilous and sad scenes and one villain in the form of a bumbling magician.  Frosty occasionally loses the magic hat that brings him to life.  The small-town kids are sad when Frosty is just an ordinary snowman instead of their friendly walking and talking pal.  Frosty's young friend Karen runs away from home in order to help Frosty.  She truly believes she will only be gone for a little while and no one will notice that she is gone?  After a few short scenes, Karen is in danger of freezing in the refrigerated box car.  In the saddest scene, Frosty completely melts and Karen believes he's gone forever.  But, this is a family holiday movie so of course he's not gone forever!!  This movie is often paired with Frosty Returns a sequel from 1992 that isn't nearly as fun?  5* (I really liked this movie)

25 min, animation directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. written by Romeo Muller with the voices of Jackie Vernon, Billy De Wolfe, Jimmy Durante, Paul Frees, June Foray.

Note:  Imdb 7.3* out of 10* with 15,323 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 73% with 15 critics 72% with 354,137 audience scores, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 500 reviews, Common Sense Media, Ellen Dendy, age 3+, Letterboxd 3.2* out of 5*.

Special Note:  This movie begins with children going to school on Christmas Eve and this was common up until the mid-60s.  One of the main street stores is Steve's Tailor Shop.  This aired for the first time on the 28th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor?

Mistakes:  When building Frosty, two boys talk to Karen.  One boy says "We're building a snowman, Karen.”  The other boy says "You make the head.”  When they speak these lines, their mouths continue moving after they're finished talking?  When Frosty carries Karen into the greenhouse, his mouth never moves when he says, "Besides, I've been needing to take off a little weight, anyway."  Professor Hinkle somehow manages to blow out a campfire with a single breath of air?
 

A Charlie Brown Christmas 1965

      From the first time you see this, you know there is something very different about this animated Christmas special that sets it apart from others.  Maybe it was the fact that it actually gives the true meaning of Christmas by having Linus quote Luke 2:8-14.  Also, maybe because it is able to capture the charm and whit of the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz.  Maybe it was the jazzy background music by Vince Guaraldi.  Maybe it was all the above?  I'm going say it is all of the above!!  To this day I still find this Christmas special to be a very touching one.

    Linus Van Pelt:  Luke 2:8-14, ”for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

     The only problem I have with this movie is it includes the words stupid, blockhead and shows meanness, bullying, anxiety, depression, screaming threatening to punch with fists or slug and verbal abuse.  A discussion afterwards about behavior among children is a good idea?  There are positive messages about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, coming together to sing carols and decorating a tree.  5* (I really liked this movie)

30 min, animated, directed by Bill Melendez and written by Charles M. Schulz with the voices of Chris J.L. Doran, Tracy Stratford, Geoffrey Omstein, Ann Altieri, Chris Doran, Karen Mendelson, Sally Dryer, Peter Robbins, Bill Melendez, Cathy Steinberg.

Note:  Imdb 9* out of 108 with 144 reviews, Common Sense Media 5*, age 3+, 4* positive, 3* role models, Amazon 4.9* out of 5* with 6712 ratings. Letterboxd 4.1* out of 5* with 133 fans.

Special Note:  Cathy Steinberg, who did the voice of Sally Brown had not yet learned to read at the time of production.  She was told her words, often a word or syllable at a time and that which explains the rather choppy delivery of the line, "All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share".   This movie broke many of the rules prevalent for animated holiday specials during the 1960s:  It didn't make use of a laugh track, real children were used for the character voices instead of adult actors imitating children's voices and Biblical references were used to illustrate the true meaning of Christmas. 

Mistakes:  When Schroeder and Lucy are discussing what Beethoven contributed, he stops playing the piano, but the piano doesn't stop right away. When Charlie Brown and Linus go looking for a Christmas tree, Linus taps on a metal tree and says "This one really brings Christmas close to a person". The tree makes a sound the second before he taps on it, not when he taps on it.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! 1966

     This film is based on a book by Dr. Seuss.  This made-for-TV Christmas special is a classic.  It is about a Christmas-hating Grinch who wants to make everyone as miserable on Christmas as he is.  This poor, small-hearted Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas through the loving Whos in Whoville.  The grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.  Bitter and hateful, the Grinch is irritated at the thought of the nearby village having a happy time celebrating Christmas.  Disguised as Santa Claus with his dog made to look like a reindeer, he raids the village to steal all the Christmas things!!  The village will be sure to have a sad Christmas this year!!  The Grinch is very BAD!!  He takes all their gifts, the Christmas tree, the Yule log and all the food from the refrigerator!!  

     This is an animated version of the classic children's tale and it is read line-by-line by Boris Karloff with moments of extremely mild peril.  The Grinch's dog is treated poorly, he is slammed into snow drifts and run over by the sleigh.  Very young or sensitive children may become a little upset at the Grinch stealing all the Whos' Christmas presents.  But there's far more to recommend in this perennial favorite than there is to worry about.  It's practically required holiday viewing for families that celebrate Christmas.  5* (I really liked this movie)

26 min, Animation, directed by Chuck Jones and Ben Washam, written by Irv Spector and Bob Ogle with the voices of Boris Karloff as the narrator and the Grinch voice, June Foray as Cindy Lou Who, Dal McKennon as Max, Thurl Ravenscroft as the singer of You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.

Note:  Imdb 8.3* out of 10* with 44,205 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 100% with 25 critics 97% with 109 audience scores, Common Sense Media Heather Boerner, 5*, age 4+, 3* positive, 2* role models, 1* violence & scariness, Letterboxd 3.9* out of 5* with 49 reviews, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 6492 reviews.

 
Special Note:  Dr. Seuss wrote the lyrics to all the songs.  Thurl Ravenscroft as the singer of the song, is best known as the voice of Tony the Tiger in numerous Frosted Flakes TV commercials. Thurl was picked to sing because his voice is an extremely deep bass.  Boris Karloff’s voice changes when he speaks for the Grinch.  Originally, he spoke in his "Narrator" voice throughout.  After recording was completed, the highs in his voice were mechanically removed for the Grinch giving him the gravelly voice heard in the finished version.  The lyrics to the song "Fahoo Foraze" were made to imitate classical Latin.  After the special aired, the studio received letters asking for a translation from people who believed them to be real Latin words.  Dr. Seuss disputed casting Boris Karloff because he thought that he would make the Grinch too scary?

Mistakes:  When the Grinch regains his strength to prevent the sleigh from falling off Mt. Crumpet, he lifts the sleigh over his head.  Max the dog is left on the snow at first (when the sleigh is first raised) but then jumps up to the runner a moment later.  When Max clings to the Grinch, the Grinch lowers Max to his feet and makes him keep running.  There is a sound effect when the Grinch removes his 1st foot, but not his 2nd.  When the three chefs are bringing the meal to the table one of their hats keeps switching between white and blue.
 

The Water Horse 2007

     This film is based on a book by Dick King-Smith.  A lonely young boy finds an interesting egg along the shores of Loch Ness?  His curiosity leads him to protect it and he wants to figure out what will come out of the egg?  He didn't realize that it would turn into something magical!!  Amazingly, the Water Horse is growing ten times its size every day.  It is getting more and more difficult to keep his new friend a secret!!  The boy and the water horse form a strong bond and relationship together in this interesting story.

     This adaptation of the popular book by Babe author Dick King-Smith has a very different plot line than the original story?  There is escalating violence within a WWII-era setting.  The water horse becomes truly dangerous when fully grown in an old-school King Kong way.  It lashes out at people with snapping jaws and this leads the British soldiers to open fire.  There is darkness, imagery and the music can be intense and scary.  The boy appears to be drowning when he is sucked under the water.  There is thunder, lightening and creepy music with flashes of gargoyle/stature faces when the egg hatches.  The Germans are invading close to the house and one man is shown standing over the bloody body of a dead deer.  Additionally, the boy’s mother played by Emily Watson has a permanent facial expression of dismay, anxiety and sometimes boredom.     

 
112 min, Adventure directed by Jay Russell and written by Robert Nelson Jacobs with Bruce Allpress, Geraldine Brophy, Eddie Campbell, Ben Chaplin, Peter Corrigan, Brian Cox, Carl Dixon, Alex Etel, Nathan Christopher Haase, Craig Hall, Ian Harcourt, Rex Hurst, William Johnson, Megan Katherine, Elliot Lawless. 

Note:  Common Sense Media Charles Cassady Jr., 3* out of 5*, age 7+, 3* violence & scariness, 3* drinking, drugs & smoking, Rotten Tomatoes 74% with 90 critics 62% with 48,690 audience scores, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, Metacritic 71 out of 100 with 24 critic reviews, 7.5 out of 10 with 62 user scores, The Guardian 2* out of 4* Peter Bradshaw, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 1336 reviews.

Special Note:  The famous "Surgeon's Photo" of a monster in Loch Ness was published in newspapers around the world in 1934.  It plays an important part in this story where it is claimed to be the first photo created in 1942. 

Mistakes:  In an early scene, Angus pulls out a first aid kit and the bandage on top is labeled Telfa.  This film is set in 1942 and Telfa bandages weren't marketed by the Kendall Company/Curity until 1954.  In the workshop, Angus has a toy ship which is clearly seen and is the SS America.  This ship was launched in 1940 and would have been relatively unknown in Europe.
 

  

The Lie 2018

     This film is a remake of the 2015 film Wir Monster written by Marcus Seibert and Sebastian Ko.  It is also a Blumhouse production.  In this drama, a father and his 15 year old daughter are on their way to dance camp when they spot the daughter's best friend on the side of the road.  Britney is waiting for bus to take her to the same camp.  When they stop to offer Britney a ride, their good intentions soon result in terrible consequences.  The family quickly closes ranks and decides not to tell anybody what happened after they picked up Britney.  But, secrets rarely stay quiet for long!!  They soon find themselves faced with an impossible choice that will alter the course of their lives forever.
 

     The father and daughter don’t end up going to the camp because hey turn around instead.  Her mother Rebecca is angry at her ex-husband Jay for not taking Kayla to the camp as was planned.  Jay explained that there was an incidence after they picked up Britney?  Sam is Britney’s father and he calls Rebecca when he learns that Britney didn’t arrive at the camp?  Rebecca tells Sam that Kayla was sick and they turned around.  She also tells Sam that Jay has taken Kayla to their doctor and Sam won’t be able to see them or talk to them at the moment.  Tensions escalate between Sam, Rebecca and Jay.  There is a twist near the end that I did not see coming?? 

     Kayla’s parents are divorced and they go to extreme lengths to protect Kayla.  There is an attempted murder by drowning, a man is hit and killed by a car, there are punches in a quick skirmish, a teen girl cuts herself and she has scars.  There is profanity and beer drinking plus extensive lying.  3* (This movie is OK)

97 min, Crime directed and written by Veela Sud with Peter Sarsgaard, Mirelle Enos, Joey King, Cas Anvar, Patti Kim, Nicholas Lea, Devery Jacobs, Dani Kind, Alan Van Sprang, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, Vesper Rusk, Skyla Fowler, Kate Carlin, David Cowgill Matt Adler.

Note:  Imdb 5.8* out of 10* with 8325 reviews, Rotten tomatoes 42% with 71 critics 36% with 242 user ratings, Roger Ebert 1 1/2* Nick Allen, Metacritic 45 out of 100 with 13 critics 4.6 out of 10 with 5 ratings, Slant Magazine 2 1/2* out of 4* Chuck Bowen, empire online 3* out of 5* Al Horner, Amazon 3.1* out of 5* with 1664 reviews, Common Sense Media Brian Costello, 3* out of 5*, age 15+, 3* violence, 1* sex, 3* language, 1* drinking, drugs & smoking.

Special Note:  This Canadian film premiered at TIFF in Toronto in September 2018.  

Minor Mistake:  When Jay and Rebecca wake up on the couch they are both barefoot.  She opens the blinds and then sits at the table where he is already seated.  She is still barefoot but he has shoes on.
 

All Roads Lead Home 2008

     This film is about Belle, she is a 12 year old girl and her mother dies in an automobile accident.  Her father Cody struggles with the loss of his wife and he is working hard to raise his Belle.  She mistakenly believes her father is partly responsible for her mother's death?   Belle's maternal grandfather Hock is a changed man since losing his daughter in the accident.  He finds it difficult to have a relationship with Belle since she is a constant reminder of the loss of her mother.  It is Atticus, the new puppy who will change Belle's life and the lives of those who love her.

     It is raining very hard and Belle’s mother runs into a tree beside the road.  Both Cody and Belle are passengers in the car, they are both in the back seat but they have minor injuries.  Belle becomes withdrawn and is sent to live with her grandfather.   It is because Belle is having difficulty in school and she is still grieving over her mother.  Her father tries to cope but he is still grieving too.  Belle is  in trouble before she leaves to stay at with her grandfather for releasing all the animals in the local animal shelter.  This action has been published in the local newspaper and her father Cody works for animal control.  The Major is disturbed by how this reflects on the image of the city.  Somewhat of a soap opera feel at times?  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)  

108 min, Drama directed by Dennis Fallon and written by Douglas Delaney with Peter Coyote, Jason London, Vivien Cardone, Peter Boyle, Patton Oswalt, Vanessa Branch, Evan Parke, April Bowlby, Bruce Heinrich, Allan Kayser, Shannon Knopke, Walter Coppage, Stephen Milton, Peter Fopeano, Joe Backer.

Note:  Imdb 5.8* out of 10 with 723 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 14% with 7 critics 54% with 472 audience scores, dove.org 1* sex, 2* language, 1* violence, drugs, nudity, other (mature themes of dealing with death), Common Sense Media, Nancy Davis Kho, 2* out of 5*, age 10+, Amazon   4* out of 5* with 115 reviews, Letterboxd 3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  CW Feed & Seed the fictitious veterinary feed supply company is named after Charles W. Nelson the Executive Producer of the film.  Students of Indian Trail Junior High School in Olathe, KS and some of their parents and teachers were used as extras in some of the scenes.  This movie went through several name changes before settling on All Roads Lead Home.  One of the names was More than Puppy Love 2: Shadows of Atticus.  This is the name of the new puppy at Hock’s ranch.  The Skyline Hotel, where part of the movie was set, was an actual hotel in Kansas City.   It was demolished shortly after the release of this film in 2008 to make way for a condominium complex.  Peter Boyle is in the role of Poovey as the owner of the Skyline Hotel and this is his last film.  He had a long career as the father on Everybody Loves Raymond.  
 

Crazy Heart 2009

    This movie is based on a novel written by Thomas Cobb.  Bad Blake is a broken-down and hard-living country music singer.   He’s had too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times.  But, Bad Blake can't help but turn his life around with the help of Jean.  She is a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician.

     Middle-aged musician Bad Blake has a failing career and a major drinking problem.  The excessive alcohol use is also contributing to the slide of his career.  This film is clearly aimed at adults unless teens have an interest in classic country music or actor Colin Farrell.  There is plenty of food for thought and some good music.  Some very strong language especially during the first half of the film.  Tons of drinking plus drunk driving.  Nothing turns around until the main character has an important wake-up call that sobers him up more ways than one!!  5* (I really liked this movie)

112 min, Drama directed and written by Scott Cooper and also written by Thomas Cobb with Jeff Bridge, James Keane, Anna Felix, Paul Herman, Tom Bower, Ryan Bingham, Beth Grant, Rick Dial, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Debrianna Mansini, Jerry Handy, Jack Nation, Ryil Adamson, J. Michael Oliva, David Manzanares.

Note:  Imdb 7.2* out of 10* with 83,647 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 90% with 210 critics 76% with 123,796 audience scores, Metacritic 83 out of 100 with 32 critic reviews, 7.5 out of 10 with 191 user scores, Roger Ebert 4*, RollingStone 3* out of 4* Peter Travers, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 1274 reviews, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson age 14+, 3* out of 5*, 2* positive, 1* violence, 3* sex and language, 1* consumerism, 5* drinking, drugs & smoking.

Special Note:  Jeff Bridges initially turned down his role because it didn’t contain any music?  His friend T Bone Burnett convinced him to do it anyway.  Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell did their own singing  with the assistance of voice coach Roger Love.  In preparation for the climactic concert scene, writer and director Scott Cooper approached country singer Toby Keith about filming a live segment of this film during Keith's half-time break in Albuquerque's Journal Pavilion.  Keith is thanked in the credits.  The production had ten minutes to film Bridges and Farrell performing in front of five cameras and an audience of 12,000 fans.  Cooper's insistence on the element of surprise paid off when the audience went ballistic upon discovering the unexpected stars in the guest spot.  Farrell's appearance on stage further fueled the mass hysteria as cell phone cameras lit up the auditorium.  The whole extravaganza was posted on YouTube within a matter of a few hours.

Mistakes:  When Bad Blake parks in front of his house after he gets home after his recovery he parks his car illegally?  He parks within three feet of the stop sign on the corner and this is a violation in most states of the United States?  The first time Bad Blake leaves Jean's house, the left front fender of the Suburban says “Silverado”.   The second time he leaves Jean's house, after a roll over accident, it says "Scottsdale" which means they used at least two trucks.  When Bad Blake jumps off stage to dance with a fan, he hurriedly puts his guitar back on to continue the song. The guitar strap is twisted but in the rest of the shots it is straightened out again?
 

Black Box 2020

     After losing his wife and his memory in a car accident six months ago, a single father undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is?  Nolan Wright’s wife was killed and Nolan received extensive brain damage in the accident.  He is trying to get his memories and his mind together for the sake of his daughter Ava.  She is almost like a very young mother to Nolan.  There are many things that he can’t remember and he also can’t keep track of ordinary daily events in his life.  Ava reminds him about appointments and picking her up from school.  Nolan is really trying everything he can to recover from his injuries and have a normal life.

    Nolan’s best friend Dr. Gary Yeboah has Nolan’s back and they talk about his recovery.  Gary is upbeat about Nolan’s efforts, he works in the hospital where Nolan is getting treatment and he understands the confusion of a brain injury.   Nolan is not a violent person and he is not even temperamental?  Everyday, he wakes up to see a hole in the wall where he is supposed to have punched it?  There are twists in this film that I didn’t see coming.  There are some science fiction elements and also some scenes verging on mild horror thrills!!   

     This movie has left out the gore and the blood but it has disturbing images plus a dark and  menacing atmosphere.  Most disturbing is the human-like monster that walks bent over backwards on all fours? Limbs bend in every direction along with the sounds of bones breaking?  This monster attacks, chokes and is included along with the memories Nolan is trying to rediscover.  There are also a few jump scares, a fistfight but it doesn't show any blows or kicks landing but a severe beating is implied and a bloody face is shown afterward.  Strong language is very rare and it is mild.  A man has a pack of cigarettes and his daughter tells him he doesn't smoke but this is part of his memory loss.  All main characters are Black and they are positive representations of affluent professionals.  There are strong bonds of family and friendships that are emphasized.  5* (I really liked this movie)

100 min, Mystery directed, written by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour and also written by Stephen Herman with Mamoudou Athie, Phylicia Rashad, Amanda Christine, Tosin Morohunfola, Charmaine Bingwa, Troy James, Han Soto, Andrea Cohen, Gretchen Koerner, Donald Elise Watkins, Najah Bradley, Nyah Marie Johnson, Crystal Rae, Betsy Borrego, Justin David.

Note:  Imdb 6.1* out of 10* with 6783 reviews, empire online 3* out of 5* Al Horner, Roger Ebert 3* Nick Allen, indiewire Grade B- by Eric Kohn, Metacritic 62 out of 100 with 11 critics 6 out of 10 with 10 user scores, Common Sense Media review by Andrea Beach, 3* out of 5*, age 16+, 1* positive messages, drinking, drugs & smoking, 4* role models, violence, 3* language, Amazon 3.5* out of 5* with 24 ratings,  

Special Note:  Tosin Morohunfola and Troy James both have portrayed characters from DC and CW shows.  Morohunfola played Instant on Black Lightning and James played Peter Merkel/Ragdoll on The Flash.  This movie was produced by Blumhouse Productions and they are mainly known for horror films such as Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister, The Purge, Oculus, The Gift, Split, Get Out and Happy Death.  I was very GLAD that this film was not as frightening as some of their films can be!!!

Knocked Up 2007

     When Alison Scott is promoted in her E! Television job, she goes to a night-club to celebrate with her older married sister Debbie.  Alison meets the pothead and reckless Ben Stone.  While having  small talk with Ben, Debbie's husband Pete calls her to tell her that their daughter has chicken pox.  Debbie leaves the night-club but Allison stays behind with Ben.  They are drinking and dancing all night.  She becomes completely wasted and they end up having a one night stand.  Ben does not use a condom and eight weeks later, Allison discovers that she is pregnant!!  She calls Ben and they decide to try to form a relationship and have the baby.   However, Ben must grow up first to raise a family of his own with Alison. 

 
     My first complaint about this film is the abrasiveness of the title because there are many other choices!!  What about This Could Happen to You or Drinking can Have Consequences for just two examples?  My second complaint is that the plot is very raunchy!!  What are the actual odds that Alison and Ben could be lasting and compatible lifetime partners?  

     This film has and has earned an R rating with drug use, strong language constantly, nudity and nonstop explicit conversations about sex.  There is a cavalier attitude toward casual sex, turning it into a spectator sport, glamorizing drug use, showcasing gratuitous female nudity and constant F bombs.  The only up side are a few warm moments, valuing life and family plus accepting responsibility for your mistakes.  

     Teenagers will want to see this but the main character and his roommates spend nearly all of their time high on marijuana.  The physiological and mental aspects of pregnancy are often discussed.  On the bright side, after watching all of this, it's a good bet that teens could be much less likely to risk having unprotected sex? They may even appreciate what their mothers went through during their birth?  It could also lead to discussions about going into adulthood and the complications of spontaneous sexual encounters?  3* (This movie is OK)

 
Note:  Imdb 6.9* out of 10* with 348,697 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 90% with 252 critics 83% with 2,084,946 audience scores, ReelViews 3 1/2* James Berardinelli, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, 4* out of 5*, age 17+, 1* positive, role models, 5* sex, language, drinking, drugs & smoking, 3* consumerism, RollingStone 3 1/2* Peter Travers, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, 4.7* out of 5* with 91 ratings.  

Special Note:  The kids who play Debbie and Pete's children are the real-life children of Leslie Mann and her husband, director Judd Apatow.  The actors who play Ben's friends all keep their real first names for their character's names.  This movie was originally going to be a follow up to The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) with Seth Rogan and company reprising their roles as the Smart Tech team.   

Mistakes:  When Ben and Pete are in the Las Vegas hotel room, the Sands Hotel is seen out the window.  The Sands was demolished in 1996 to make way for the Venetian.  Some of the characters talk about seeing Spider-Man 3 but Knocked UP came out in theaters four weeks prior to this movie's release?  Later in the movie, Allison interviews celebrities at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards but this is old news and took place a year before this movie came out in theaters? 

Radioactive 2019

     This film is based upon a graphic novel written by Lauren Redniss titled Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout.  It is about the incredible true story of Marie Sklodowska-Curie and her Nobel Prize-winning work that changed the world.  This is director Marjane Satrapi's first film based on a graphic novel that she did not write.  Two of her films "Persepolis" and "Chicken with Plums" are based on graphic novels written solely by Redniss.  
Marie has a magnetic and brilliant personality plus she is a two-time Nobel Prize-winning physicist and chemist.  She is feisty and no-nonsense, fragile and impulsive working in a man’s world.  Curie is very smart, she knows what she is doing and what she wants to do.  She doesn’t let the men put her in their perceived place or station!!  The young Polish immigrant born Maria Sklodowska and the man who goes on to become her lab partner, husband and the father of her two daughters, French scientist Pierre Curie explained many technical things to each other (as well as their feelings).  

   Over time, the Curie’s attain acclaim and fame but they work very hard to reach these goals.  They discover two new elements they have named radium and polonium.  Plus, they have two daughters, Eve and Irene.  Despite their dual discoveries, only Pierre is accepting the Nobel prize in Stockholm in 1903, Marie is not allowed to attend the ceremony.  I found this film and the information about the Curie’s very interesting and informative.  

     In this film there is love and a steady, supportive relationship between Marie and Pierre.  He is heavily involved in her discoveries.  Marie is inspiring, displaying great compassion and sacrifice to help others during World War I.  There are themes of conflict, violence is alluded to throughout and the devastating effects of war are evident.  Marie's discoveries are used by others for destructive gains for atomic bombs and this is something that weighs heavily on her conscience.  Other uses are positive and the healing and diagnosis of illnesses.  Some characters suffer and die from radiation poisoning.  There's brief nudity when two characters run naked toward a lake and there is kissing. Characters drink and some background characters smoke.  5* (I really  liked this movie)
 

109 min, Bio directed by Marjane Satrapi and written by Jack Thorne with Rosamund Pike, Yvette Feuer, Mirjam Novak, Ralph Berkin, Sam Riley, Simon Russell BEale, Sian Brooke, Faye Bradbrook, Drew Jacoby, Aneurin Barnard, Harriet Turnbull, Georgina Rich, Elise Alexandre.

Note:  Imdb 6.2* out of 10* with 7288 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 61% with 142 critics 47% with 144 audience scores, Metacritic 56 out of 100 with 31 critics 5.7 out of 10 with 11 ratings, Roger Ebert Christy Lemire 2*, RollingStone 3 1/2* out of 5* Peter Travers, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Amazon 3* out of 5* with 1397 reviews, Common Sense Media Stefan Pape, age 13+, 2* out of 5*, 3* positive, violence, sex, 4* told models, 2* language, 1* drinking, drugs & smoking.


Special Note:  Rosamund Pike (Marie) and Harriet Turnbull (Young Marie) also starred as mother and daughter in the 2014 film, What We Did On Our Holiday.  Gabriel Lippmann was the doctoral advisor of Marie and Pierre.  Pierre was also the advisor of Paul Langevin.  Langevin, in turn, was the advisor of Irène and Frédéric Joliot-Curie.  Both the Curies experienced radium burns, accidentally and voluntarily, they were exposed to extensive doses of radiation while conducting their research.  They experienced radiation sickness and Marie Curie died of aplastic anemia in 1934.  Even now, all their papers from the 1890s and even her cookbooks are too dangerous to touch.  Their laboratory books are kept in special lead boxes and people who want to see them must wear protective clothing.  If Pierre Curie not been killed, it is likely that he would have eventually died of the effects of radiation the same as his wife, their daughter Irene, and her husband Frédéric Joliot.  Eve Curie Labouisse died at the age of 102, she was a journalist and she wrote a bestselling biography about her mother.
 

The New World 2005

     Captain Smith is spared a mutinous hanging sentence after Captain Newport's ship arrives in the year of 1607 to found Jamestown, an English colony in Virginia.  The initially friendly natives, who have no personal property concept, turn hostile after a 'theft' is 'punished' violently immediately.  During an armed exploration, Smith is captured but spared when the Chief's favorite daughter Pocahontas pleads for the stranger.  He soon becomes her lover and he learns to love their naive 'savage' way of harmonious life.  Ultimately, he returns to the grim fort where he would starve but Pocahontas has arranged for Indian generosity.  But, each side soon brands their own lover a traitor.  She is banished and he is flogged as an introduction to the life of a slave.  Changes happen again, leading Smith to accept a northern mission and Pocahontas to become anglicized.  Pocahontas becomes the mother of aristocratic John Rolfe's son and John is her new lover.

     The Indians stared in disbelief when they first saw the English ships.  The English were awed by the somber beauty of the new land and the strangeness of the people.  They called the Indians the Naturals but they didn’t really understand how well the term applied.  The Indians live and thrive because they submit to the realities of their land and the English nearly die because they are ignorant and arrogant.  Nature is in the foreground, instead of using it as a picturesque backdrop as other stories might have done.  Pocahontas is driven by curiosity about these strange visitors and empathy with their plight as strangers to the land.  She has admiration for Smith's reckless and intrepid courage.  She does not fall in love with him but she saves his life when he is about to killed by an order from her father as the chief.  Smith doesn't have regard for women and he is not fair with Pocahontas.  She later meets John Rolfe and in him she finds loyalty and honesty.

     The focus of this film is on a clash of civilizations.  European and Native Indian beginning in 1607.  In the new colony there is difficulty in intercultural communication.  There are battle scenes with guns, spear, tomahawks, explosions and bloody bodies.  There are long passages without language that might be dull for some younger viewers?  It does show the spirituality of the Native Americans, their integration with the natural world, family relationships, tribal life, generosity and intelligence.  Long nature scenes and the internal dialogs of Pocahontas and John Smith are the best parts of this film.  5* (I really liked this movie)

135 min, biography directed and written by Terrence Malick with Colin Farrell, Q’orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, David Thewlis, York van Wageningen, Raoul Max Trujillo, Michael Greyeyes, Kalani Queypo, Noah Taylor.

Note:  Imdb 6.7 out of 10 with 82,292 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 63% with 188 critics 58% with 148,108 audience scores, Slant Magazine 4* Ed Gonzalez, Roger Ebert 4*,  Common Sense Media Cynthia Fuchs, 3* out of 5*, age 13+, 3* violence, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 1615 reviews.

Special Note:  This is the second Pocahontas movie Christian Bale has been involved with.  He provided the voice for Thomas in the Disney animated film Pocahontas of 1995.  In an interview, Bale spoke of the eccentric directing styles of Terrence Malick.  Bale said that he wanted to see what Malick would do if he just walked out of a shot and towards the crew.  Malick followed Christian with the camera and as Bale put it, the crew were running?  They were diving behind bushes to get away from the camera.  Because of Malick’s habit of cutting and editing his films repeatedly, much of the music that James Horner wrote for this film never made it to the final cut except for a few fragments.  In an interview, Horner said that Malick loved his score but had no clue about what to do with it?  He concluded that working with Malick was "the most disappointing experience I've ever had with a man" and that "I never felt so letdown by a filmmaker in my life!!!"  

Mistakes:  In the early portion of the movie, the natives are shown harvesting corn (maize), the ears of the corn are far larger than a human hand.  At the time of the Jamestown colony, native corn was typically the size of a human thumb and rarely ever bigger.  Large ears of corn such as pictured in the movie are a product of seed selection and genetic research.  This mostly practiced beginning in the 1860s.  In the film, John Smith is seen wearing tattoos. This film is set in the early1600s and the practice of tattooing was abandoned in Europe at that time and was not readopted until the late 18th century.   A pier that is covered with wood boards shows signs of modern machining processes on them?  

The Girl 2012

     Ashley is single mother and she loses custody of her young son while struggling to make ends meet in Texas.  She is a 20-something mother and she is still reeling from her son's placement into Social Services custody.   She finally takes control of her own fate after meeting a desperate Mexican girl who lost her mother during a border crossing.  Ashley was sneaking Mexicans over the border into the US.  This is the first time she has attempted to make money in this dangerous way.  A surprise visit from her truck-driver father presents the idea of an opportunity to make some quick cash as a coyote.  

     She has recently lost her job at a big box store in Austin and she has an edge because she speaks Spanish.  In reality, Ashley doesn’t know what she is doing!!  She believes the Mexicans can wade across the river because it is at a low level.  When she returns to get them, she finds out that is not the case!!  Determined not to get involved, Ashley tries in vain to keep her distance from the girl.  Eventually she finds her conscience stirred by the innocent child's plight and abandoning her isn’t an option.  Over the next few days, Ashley joins the frightened child in attempting to locate her missing mother.

     I knew right away Ashley was taking a BIG chance smuggling people across the border.  Ever professionals have encountered problems doing this illegal activity.  I wanted to yell that she should not get involved and that I knew it would not end well.  Ashley yelled at her father when she found out he was smuggling Mexicans into the US in his semi-trailer.  He said it was no big deal and he wanted the extra money!!  Ashley should have stopped herself from this action when she saw sniffer dogs are used to find people hidden in vehicles!!!  3 1/2* (I liked this movie) 

95 min, Crime directed and written by David Riker with Abbie Cornish, Geoffrey Rivas, Austin West, Annalee Jefferies, Will Patton Giovanna Zacarias, Luci Christian, Harold Torres, Javier Zaragoza, Abel Lopez Marroquin, Angles Cruz, Maritza Santiago Hernandez.

Note:  Imdb 6.2 out of 10 with 1225 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 53% with 19 critics 45% with 363 audience scores, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 67 ratings, The Austin Chronicle 2 1/2* out of 5*, indiewire.com B- Rodrigo Perez.

Special Note:  There is another movie from 2012 with the same title about the working relationship of Alfred Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren.  Also, the 1998 film Laciudad told the story of four Hispanic immigrants living in New York City and it has many of the same themes.

House of Sand and Fog 2003

     This film is based on a novel written by Andre Dubus III.   Kathy is an emotionally broken woman.  She suddenly finds herself homeless after her house is wrongly repossessed and auctioned. Seeking respite from his marriage, Lester is a sympathetic sheriff's deputy and he comes to the aid of Kathy.  He also becomes intimately involved in her situation.  Soon, Behrani, a proud emigrant Iranian and his family move into the house.  They find their new lives burdened by harassment from the team of Lester and Kathy as they attempt to reclaim her former home.  The once prosperous Iranian colonel denies Kathy's pleas to get her house back.   He knows his recent purchase promises a profitable return and a better future for his adolescent son and his wife.  But latent consequences lie beneath Behrani's well intentioned plan.  Kathy's emotions spiral out of control and her actions spark a tragic chain of events.   Will anyone be unscathed in the struggles of the House of Sand and Fog .
     Kathy has experienced the breakup of her marriage and she retreats to her house.  She was left the house by her father and her brother in their wills.  For added insulation from the world she has started a practice of not opening her mail.  Then she endures this emotional drama between her family and another family over the struggle for ownership of her house.  The plot of this film very deep plus extremely dark and depressing.  Kathy sees her house as a refuge and she feels safe inside the house.  The fight between Kathy and Behrani isn’t about money but it is about a home and a retreat from the world.       
     This movie has extreme, graphic and tragic violence including murder, attempted and successful suicides, domestic abuse and an accidental shooting.  Characters drink and smoke, including an alcoholic character who ends a period of sobriety and returns to drink.  Characters use very strong language and there are many harsh and painful confrontations.  5* (I really liked this movie) 

126 min, Crime directed and written by Vadim Perelman and also written by Andre Dubus III and Shawn  Lawrence Otto with Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard, Frances Fisher, Kim Dickens, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jonathan Ahdout, Navi Rawat, Carlos Gomez, Kia Jam, Jaleh Modjallal, Samira Damavandi, Matthew Simonian, Namrata Singh Gujral, Nasser Faris.

Note:  Goodreads give the book 3.85* out of 5* with 126,026 ratings and 4100 reviews, Imdb 7.5 out of 64,807 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 74% with 182 critics 83% with 42,509 audience scores, Common Sense Media Nell Minow, age 17+, 4* out of 5*, 5* violence, sex, language, 3* drinking, drugs, smoking, Roger Ebert 4*, empireonline 3* out of 5* Angie Errigo, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 613 reviews.

Special Note:  Author Andre Dubus III received more than one hundred offers from movie studios who wanted to make his book into a movie.  Sir Ben Kingsley was given a copy of the novel by author Andre Dubus III’s wife.  This was before Ben was approached to star in the movie. 

Mistakes:  There is a boom mic clearly visible in numerous scenes near the beginning of the movie, it can be distracting because it is so visible unless it has been corrected before the DVD release?  The Newspaper Auction Notice: Seized Property for Sale reads "2BR", yet the man showing the house says it has three bedrooms?