The Congressman 2016

     Congressman Charlie Winship represents the state of Maine.  He was caught on video failing to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance at the opening of Congress.  He actually had his feet on a desk.  The media is taking him to the cleaners over one of America’s most cherished patriotic symbols.  Winship is working through a divorce with his wife and he feels his life is spiraling out of control.  He journeys to a remote island in the Atlantic with his aide Ben.  There is a battle going on between the residents and a corporation over the fishing grounds. 

     This coastal area of Maine is very beautiful but it can also be dangerous.  One common denominator about the news media, if there is any kind of story about someone or something, it can be blown way out of proportion!!   It is all in the name of ‘news’ reporting!!  There can be a LOT of backstabbing in politics too.  This film feels like a Lifetime or a Hallmark movie but it's not.  3* (This movie is OK) 

98 min, Drama directed by Jared Martin, Robert Mrazek with Treat Williams, Elizabeth Marvel, Ryan Merriman, Chris Conroy, George Hamilton, Marshall Bell Fritz Weaver, Jayne Atkinson, Kim Blacklock, Josh Mosztel.

Note:  Imdb 6.1 out of 10, 33% critic 41% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 242 reviews, Washington Post 1 ½* of 4*.

Special Note:  The directorial debut of former US Representative Robert Mrazek (D-NY).  Filmed in Augusta, Rockland and Monhegan Island, Maine.  Robert retired from Congress in 1993 amid accusations of impropriety during the 1992 House banking scandal.  Elizabeth Marvel is playing Madam President on Homeland, this current season and last season.  Some of the island of the residents did not want this film to be shot on the island.  Tensions eased when the island church was turned into a temporary theater and the first cut was shown.  All of the equipment on the lobster boats is real.  Actors spent two days learning how to handle baiting, lowering and raising the traps.  If not done properly, equipment or a hand can be lost!!

Kingsman: The Golden Circle 2017

     The first film Kingman: The Secret Service of 2015 was based on a comic book.  A psychotic criminal Poppy Adams blows up the headquarters for the Kingsman.  She is a dealer on the black market for many different type of illegal drugs.  The remaining Kingman agents flee to an allied secret organization based in Kentucky called Statesman.  The Kingsman and the Statesman groups will work together against the Golden Circle headed by Poppy.  Her most recent action is to lace her drugs with a toxin that first causes a blue rash to appear on her drug clients.  The next stage for the client is paralysis and then death.  Poppy is offering an antidote to the world if the President of the United States ends his country’s war on drugs.  She also wants her cartel to have immunity from prosecution.  The President believes it will be a blessing to have all illegal drug users disappear from the planet??

     My first comment is that Halle Berry as character Ginger Ale working for the Kingsman should’ve asked for a much better wig!!  I could say a LOT of things about it but I will restrain myself.  There is a LOT of action in this film and somewhat seems like a Bond film?  There is a LOT of CGI and there are some complaints that it is terrible.  Their preference would be hand to hand action instead.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

141 min, Action directed by Matthew Vaughn with Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Gordon Alexander, Hanna Alstrom, Calvin Demba, Thomas Turgoose, Tobi Bakare, Julianne Moore, Keith Allen, Michael Gambon.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, 52% critic 66% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1*, Amazon 3* with 776 reviews, Metacritc 44 out of 100 with 44 critics 6.5 out of 10 with 409 reviews, Empireonline 4* of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Surrey, London, Herforshire, Birmingham, England, UK; Valle d’Aosta and Mont Blanc, Alps, Italy; South Glamorgan, Whales, UK; Schwerin, Germany; Italy.  Bjorn Granath has the role as the King of Sweden and this is his last film.  He passed away in early 2017 after a short illness.  Director Matthew Vaughn revealed that there will be a third Kingman film.  The villain will be Dwayne Johnson and there may also be a Statesman spin-off.  The original cut had a run-time of three hours and forty minutes.  FOX asked Vaughn if he wanted to split the movie into two separate films?  He said no and edited out 79 minutes.  Julianne Moore said she based her character portrayal on Gene Hackman’s performance as Lex Luthor in the Superman films.  Estimated production budget was $104 million with a worldwide gross of $410.8 million for a profit of  $306.8 million.  Nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film with results pending.

Shadow of the Thin Man 1941

     Nick and Nora Charles are expecting an enjoyable afternoon at the nearby racetrack.  Their expectations are dashed when a jockey is found dead in the locker room.  He has been shot and the sound wasn’t heard because of the noise in the stands.  Lt. Abrams is Nick’s friend and he asks Nick to help him investigate.  Nick doesn’t want to spoil the good life he’s been enjoying without taking on cases but he changes his mind.  Major Scully ratchets up Nick’s interest by asking him to look into corruption and organized crime in gambling such as at the racetrack.

     I liked the scenes of San Francisco of this time period plus the cars, clothing, police uniforms, hairstyles and women’s hats.  Nora Charles is teased about her hats but they are not something usually seen except possibly in the UK at the Epsom Downs Racecourse in June?  There are too many sideline stories in this film, they are hard to follow and it’s difficult to keep track of the characters.  I still like Asta as the best character.   He is a male wire fox terrier with very good training.  He hides underneath a woman’s fur coat on the floor during a brawl!!  In the novels, the dog is a female schnauzer.  3* (This movie is OK)

97 min, Comedy directed by W.S. Van Dyke with William Powell, Myrna Loy, Barry Nelson, Donna Reed, Sam Levene, Alan Baxter, Henry O’Neill, Richard Hall, Stella Adler, Loring Smith Joseph Anthony, Lou Lubin, Louise Beavers, Asta.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 83% critic 78% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 83 reviews, TCM Leonard Maltin 3* out of 4* average user rating 4.17* out of 5*, deepfocusreview.com 3 1/2* of 4*.

Special Note:  Filmed at Golden Gate Fields, Berkeley; San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, San Francisco Bay; Culver City, California.  When Nick and Nora leave the Bay Bridge and travel to the racetrack, the view is authentic and historical.  They drive the then new East Shore Highway now called the East Shore Freeway.  Formerly it was US40 but now it is I-80.  This is the eleventh of fourteen films pairing William Powell and Myrna Loy.  This is the feature debut of Ava Gardner and she can be briefly seen standing by Nick’s car.  Filmed in just two weeks by director Van Dyke and he was nicknamed “One-Take Woody!!”

Alexander's Ragtime Band 1938

     The setting of this film is prior to WWI in 1917.  The family of Roger Grant and also his classical violin teacher are all disappointed that Roger is organizing a jazz band.  When the band is successful, they are surprised but they don’t relent on their pressure.  Stella Kirby is the female vocalist and she often clashes with Roger.  She doesn’t know that Charlie Dwyer, a singer and composer is in love with her.  Roger and Stella decide to get married but they get into one of their arguments.  Then, all the men of eligible age are called up for the war.  Stella thinks its over with Roger and she marries Charlie.

     It’s possible that 90 minutes of this film is music.  Don Ameche and Tyrone Power were already friends before signing for this film.  Alice Faye and Ameche and Faye and Power made other films together.  I liked the cars, clothing, hairstyles and time period of this film.  Both Faye and Merman wear beautiful gowns and shoes.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

106 min, Drama directed by Henry King, music by Irving Berlin starring Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Ethel Merman, Jack Haley, Jean Hersholt, Helen Westley, John Carradine, Paul Hurst, Wally Vernon, Ruth Terry, Douglas Fowley, Chick Chandler.

Note:  Imdb 7 out of 10, 80% critic 48% critic on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 82 reviews,

Special Note:  Filmed in Century City, Los Angeles, California.  This is a young Ethel Merman and she looks different in her later years.  Irving Berlin told Ethel he was so impressed with her talent that he would work with her again.  He wrote Annie Get Your Gun of 1946 and Call Me Madam of 1950 for Ethel.  Berlin singled out Alice Faye to play the female lead in this film.  Most of the film is fiction but one incident was taken from Berlin’s life.  He was drafted into the Army and he produced a Broadway show called Yip Yip Yaphank starring US Army servicemen.  He sang the song Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning.  Thirty-three Irving Berlin compositions were used in filming and only 3 didn’t make the final cut.  This film earned the second highest number of Academy Award nominations in 1938 with six.  Oscars were received for Best Original Musical, Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing and Best Story.

Anastasia 1956

     This film is based upon a play by Marcelle Maurette.  Russian exiles in Paris persuade a destitute and suicidal woman to pose as the heir to the Russian throne.  The plotters hope to collect ten million pounds from the Bank of England.  There is a problem with their plan when the woman begins to believe she is really Anastasia? 

     I always thought it was an interesting mystery about Anastasia.  Could it actually be possible that she survived the attempt to destroy the entire family of the Tsar Nicolas II?  He was the last emperor of Russia, crowned in 1896 and there had been three centuries of rule by the Romanov dynasty.  The meaning of her name is resurrection and it is of Greek origin.  The family was killed by members of the Cheka, the Bolshevik secret police at Yekaterinburg on July 17, 1918.  Anastasia was 17 years old and she was born in 1901.   The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 was lead by Vladimir LLich Ulanvo known as Lenin and he was the founder of the Russian Communist Party.  He was the first head of the Soviet Union and he spent the years leading up to 1917 in exile within Russia and abroad.  Analysis by DNA testing of bone fragments put solved the mystery that any of the royal family escaped execution.  3* (this movie is OK)

105 min, Bio directed by Anatole Litvak with Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, Helen Hayes, Akim Tamiroff, Martita Hunt, Felix Aylmer, Sacha Pitoeff, Ivan Desny, Natalie Schafer, Gregorie Gromoff, Karel Stepanek, Ina De La Haye.

Note:  Imdb 7.1 out of 10, 90% critic 77% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, TCM Leonard Maltin 4* out of 4* average user review 3.4* out of 5*, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 168 reviews,

Special Note:  Filmed in Copenhagen, Denmark; Hertfordshire, England, UK; Paris, France.  Ingrid Bergman’s was blacklisted in 1949 because of her affair with director Roberto Rossellini.  She had a child out of marriage and this is her comeback film.  This movie is also based on the story of Anna Anderson.  She was a woman who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia.  At the time of filming, the production team was not aware that the real Anna Anderson was still alive.  Later, a team flew to Germany and asked permission to use her name.  Ingrid Bergman won a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Anastasia.  Yul Brynner also won a Best Actor Oscar but his award was for King Mongkut in The King and I also of 1956.  There is another film with the same title from 1997.

The Hitman's Bodyguard 2017

     Michael Bryce is a triple-A rated executive protection agent.  He takes pride in this top tier rating.  All this falls by the wayside when his client is murdered after boarding a private jet.  Now, two years later, Bryce is reduced to a second-class bodyguard for hire status.  Gone is the OU16 LVA Jaguar and other exclusive perks.  Trying to prove himself, he takes a job working for Interpol to escort renowned international assassin Darius Kincaid from Manchester to The Hague.  Kincaid is the only witness able to testify against a tyrannical Belarusian dictator.

     This film is over the top with EVERYTHING!!  I think a few spectacular scenes are enough without them happening almost every second?  Isn’t fewer but the best a plus over mediocre on and on??  More concise editing is needed and every other word doesn’t need to be swearing?  Almost one hour of this film must be filled with swearing??  The other hour is filled with car crashes??  These numbers make the plot very thin!!  2* (I didn’t like this movie)

118 min, Action directed by Patrick Hughes with Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Elodie Yung, Tsuwayuki Saotome, Roy Hill, Richard E. Grant, Rod Hallett, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Nada Konakchieva, Nadia Konakchieva.  

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10, 40% critic 68% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2 ½*, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 911 reviews, Metacritic 47 out of 100 with 42 critics, 6.4 out of 10 with 220 reviews.

Special Note:  Interpol is not a supranational law enforcement agency and has no agents able to make arrests.  It is an international organization functioning as a network of criminal law enforcement agencies from different countries.  The watch worn by Michael Bryce in the opening scenes is a Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillion 5002P with a 2017 street price of $1.2 million.  A Porsche Cayenne is shown crashing into a Smart and pushing it into the water.  This video went viral and the back story changed to it being a stolen car in a real chase.  Originally intended as a drama, the script underwent a frantic 2-week rewrite to be re-imagined into a comedy just a few weeks prior to filming.  All police uniforms, logos and striping on police care are incorrect. 

The Shoes of the Fisherman 1068

     This film is based on a best-selling novel by Australian author Morris West.  The time frame is the 1980’s but the film was made in 1968.  Archbishop Kiril Lakota is a Russian from the Ukraine and he has spent 20 years of exile in a gulag in Siberia.  He was imprisoned because of his religious beliefs.  A request by the Vatican has given Lakota his freedom.  When he arrives in Rome, the current Pope makes him a Cardinal Priest.  This change will put him in the line of succession if the Pope dies.  A short time after, the Pope does die and the College of Cardinals vote seven times to name a new Pope.  They are deadlocked in their decision and the Cardinals elect Cardinal Kiril.  He will take the name Pope Kiril I.  There is the possibility of a nuclear confrontation between China and Russia.  The cause is widespread famine in China.  Famine was caused by trade restrictions imposed by the United States.  Pope Kiril I will play a major role in finding a resolution to the crisis.  He will also oversee the investigation of Father Telemond.

     Possibly it’s the age of this film or the subject but I could not get interested or focus my attention?  A second story line is a news reporter with self-doubts and a troubled marriage.  He has the same doubts about the Pope, the world crisis and Father Telemond.  The Vatican is concerned about the religious doctrine of Father Telemond.  He is questioned about his faith but Pope Kiril I would like for him to be his advisor.  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

162 min, Drama directed by Michael Anderson with Anthony Quinn Oskar Werner, David Janssen, Laurence Olivier, Vittorio De Sica, Leo McKern, John Gielgud, Barbara Jefford, Rosemary Dexter, Frank Finlay.

Note:  Imdb 7.2 out of 10, 43% critic 75% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 524 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed at PalaLottomatico, Rome, Lazio and Cinecitta Studios, Cinecitta, Rome, Lazio, Italy.  Ernest Borgnine wanted the role of Pope Kiril I and Richard Burton rejected the role in 1967.  The footage showing the arrival of the Cardinals and the crowds gathering in St. Peter’s Square are taken from newsreels and other archive films from 1963.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets 2017

     This film is based on the French comic book series Valerian and Laureline.  The setting film is the Century XXVIII on the space station Alpha.  The station is a city where beings from different planets live together to exchange their knowledge and culture.  In charge of keeping the peace are Major Valerian and his partner Sergeant Laureline.  They are assigned to a dangerous mission to retrieve the last species of converter.  They are able to bring the converter back to Alpha.  Unknown humanoids abduct Commander Arun Filitt and they intend to steal the converter.  The next mission for the Major and Sergeant will be to head to a forbidden infected area.

     This is a very imaginative and colorful film but I think 137 minutes is slightly too long.  Maybe there would've been more commercial success with a reduction in minutes and concise editing?  It’s interesting to see people popular in different areas of media in their roles here.  This could be compared to a more far out Avatar movie?  I originally thought Valerian was the name of one of the planets?  I can see how the concept was derived from a comic book series.  Especially with the magnificent creatures and the extravaganza of color.  Luc Besson began reading the comics when he was ten years old.

137 min, Action directed by Luc Besson with Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihana, Ethan Hawke, Herbie Hancock, Kris Wu, Sam Spruell, Alain Chabat, Rutger Hauer, Perter Hudson, Xavier Giannoli, Louis Leterrier.

Note:  Imdb 6.5 out of 10, 49% critic 54% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 3.5* out of 5* with 1971 reviews, Roger Ebert 4*, Metacritic  51 out of 100 with 45 critics 6.4 out of 10 with 494 reviews. Rolling Stone Peter Travers 2* out of 4*, The Guardian Wendy Ide 3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed at Studios de Paris, La Cite du Cinema, Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.  There are 200 different alien species in this film.  The director Luc Besson wrote a 600-page book describing all the species in detail.  Actors were required to read the book prior to filming.  There are 2,734 special effects shots.  In an opening scene, Captains are welcoming representatives of each different species aboard Alpha.  All the directors or writers that Luc Besson had worked with previously play these roles.  The final production budget was an estimated $180 million but a commercial failure with a gross of $225 million worldwide and the cause of the ousting of deputy CEO Edouard de Vesinne.  The previous record holder was for budget in France was Asterix at the Olympic Games of 2008 with a budget of $113 million.  Luc Besson also made The Fifth Element of 1997 and it was the most expensive film at that time in France. 

I Could Never Be Your Woman 2007

     Rosie is divorced and she has a thirteen-year-old daughter Izzie.  Adam is hired as an actor for the TV show You Go Girl.  Rosie is a scriptwriter and producer for the show.  Adam and Rosie start to like each other but Rosie is worried about their age difference.  Izzie has started to like Dylan and he is a boy in her class at school.  Rosie and Adam go on a date and they both lie about their ages.  Rosie says she’s 36 and Adam says he’s 32.  Rosie is actually 40 and Adam is 29.  Rosie and Adam are seeing each other but Rosie remains concerned about the age difference.

     There is a LOT going on back and forth in this film.  Some of the scenes are funny and others fall flat.  Rosie needs to make up her mind for herself and then stick with her decision.  I would not have continued to watch this film without something else to do at the same time?  2 ½* (This movie is OK)

97 min, Comedy directed by Amy Heckerling with Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, Sarah Alexander, Jon Lovitz, Fred Willard, Saoirse Ronan, Tracey Ullman, Yasmin Paige, Rory Copus, O.T. Fagbenie, Graham, Norton.

Note:  Imdb 6 Out of 10, 64% critic 44% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 4* out of 5* with 74 reviews, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 74 reviews, DeepFocus 3 1/2* out of 4*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Los Angeles, Pasadena, California; Buckinghamshire, London, England, UK.  Amy Heckerling was involved with the comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High of 1986.  Michelle Pfeiffer’s character is 40 but Michelle is actually 47 at the time of production.  Paul Rudd’s character is 29 but he is actually 36.  Stacey Dash is playing a teenager in the TV show and she is 40 years old.  The title is from Your Woman by the musical group White Town and the song is used in a scene.  The setting is the US but many of the cast members are well-known British actors playing Americans.

Crown Heights 2017

     This film was adapted from a This American Life podcast airing on NPR.  Colin Warner is from Trinidad and he is arrested for a murder that he didn’t commit.  The witnesses in the case give false testimony at his trial and he is sentenced to 15 years to life.  This happened to Colin on April 10, 1980 when he was 18 years old.  His best friend Carl King devotes all his spare time to proving Colin’s innocence.  Colin is having a difficult time adapting to being in prison for an undetermined amount of his life.  It’s a rough life in here and you can get beat up just by being there.  You can also have unwarranted charges brought against you on the inside.  The guards don’t mind getting together to give you the beating they think you deserve.

     This is a very moving film and you can see right away that Colin didn’t commit the crime he is accused of.  You wonder throughout the film how he will cope with his imprisonment and how much of his life will be behind bars.  There is a note at the end of the film stating that there may be 120,000 innocent people or more behind bars among 2.4 million prisoners.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

94 min, Bio directed by Matt Ruskin with Lakeith Stanfield, Nnamdi Asomugha, Natalie Paul, Luke Forbes, Adriane Lenox, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Carlos Hendricks, James Udom, Mohammed Ali, Natalie Paul, Zach Grenier, Josh Pais.

Note:  Imdb 6.3 out of 10, 78% critic 79% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, roger Ebert 3*, Metacritic 64 out of 100 with 25 critics, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 183 reviews.

Special Note:  This film won the Audience Award for US Dramatic Film in 2017.  Film Independent Spirit Award Nominee for Best Supporting may Actor.  Also known as Darker Than Blue.  Writer/Director Matt Ruskin worked closely with Colin and KC during production.  He also talked to some of the attorneys and key witnesses.  Lakewith Stanfield met with Colin multiple times to prepare for his role.  Shooting prison scenes were a challenge and some were shot in a jail located in Queens and others in a Staten Island decommissioned prison.  Other studios expressed an interest in this story but none followed through.  Some of the people personally involved with this story had a difficult time remembering details because of the amount of time that had passed.  There is another film with the same title from 2004.

Leap 2016

      This film begins in an orphanage in rural Brittany and then moves to Paris during the time the Eifel Tower was under construction in the 1880’s.  The tower was completed in 1889 and the Statue of Liberty was also made by Eifel and completed in 1894.  Felicie has always wanted to be a dancer and Victor has always wanted to be an inventor.  They meet in the orphanage and Victor comes up with a plan for them to escape to Paris.  Felicie meets Odette, she is a former prima ballerina but she had an accident and injured her leg.  Now she is a house cleaner and she agrees to teach ballet to Felicie.  Odette works for Regine Le Haut, a wealthy restaurant owner and also for the Paris Opera.  Regine’s daughter Camille is in competition with Felicie for the role of Clara in The Nutcracker.  The school’s exacting choreographer Merante is overseeing the ballet.  He dismisses the worst dancer in class every day.

     Both the animation and the story are good.  It tells the story of a girl and boy with disadvantaged backgrounds seeking the opportunity to fulfill their dreams.  They have successes and failures but they persevere despite the difficulties and opposition.  There is unfairness and then correction of these situations.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

89 min, Animation directed by Eric Summer and Eric Warin with the voices of Elle Fanning, Dane DeHaan, Carly Rae Jepsen, Maddie Ziegler, Terrence Scammell, Tamir Kapelian, Julie Khaner, Joe Sheridan, Elana Dunkelman.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, 37% critic 63% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1 1/2*, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 428 reviews, Pluggedin 4* out of 5*, Metacritic 48 out of 100 with 18 critics 6.3 out of 10 with 21 reviews.

Special Note:  This is a French-Canadian animation film.  The original title was Ballerina and changed to Leap in the US.  Eric Summer, Carol Noble and Laurent Zeitoun wrote the script.  The budget was estimated at $30 million and the gross was $106 million worldwide as of December 7, 2017.

Song of the Thin Man 1947

     The characters were in this film were created by Dashiell Hammett.  Nick and Nora Charles have not been working on cases as detectives but they are asked to look into the death of bandleader Tommy Drake.  Phil Brant and Janet Thayar have just eloped and Phil is a suspect.  Tommy was killed at a society dance attended by Nick and Nora. Drake was not very well liked and several people would benefit from his death.  Drake owned money to loan shark Al Amboy, Janet’s father dislikes Brant and he could have been framed for the murder?  Drake’s girlfriend may have been seeing clarinetist Buddy Hollis.  Drake and Hollis had a fistfight on stage during the dance.  Nick arranges for another party on the same boat to flush out suspects.

     I liked Asta, the dog owned by Nick and Nora.  They have a young son and the dog sneaks into bed with him every night.  I liked the clothing, hairstyles and cars of 1947.  I wasn’t sure who killed Drake so I just went along for the ride in this film.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)  

86 min, Comedy directed Edward Buzzell with William Powell, Myrna Loy, Keenan Wynn, Dean Stockwell, Phillip Reed, Patricia Morison, Leon Ames, Gloria Grahame, Jayne Meadows, Ralph Morgan, Bess Flowers, Don Taylor.

Note:  Imdb 7.1 out of 10, 80% critic 69% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 113 reviews, TCM Leonard Maltin 2.5* out of 4* user reviews 3.7* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Culver City, California.  This is the sixth and final film of the Thin Man movies released by MGM from 1934 to 1947.  Also, this is the last film for Myrna Loy for MGM.  Powell and Loy made fourteen films together and this is the thirteenth.  This film was a disappointment at the box office and a loss to MGM of $128,000 ($1.47 million in 2017 dollars).

Lost in America 1985

     David and Linda Howard live and work in LA.  David convinces Linda that they should quit their jobs, liquidate their assets and live like the movie Easy Rider.  David wanted a job and he didn’t get it so it’s pull the plug on everything.  They buy a Winnebago and the first place they stop is Las Vegas.  David wakes up and finds Linda isn’t in the hotel room.  She’s down in the casino and she’s lost ALL their money.  Now all they have is the motor home? 

     This couple is not living at all like Easy Rider??  This is two men and two motorcycles and they are killed in the ending??  A motor home doesn’t have the roughing it factor like two motorcycles!!  There are a LOT of funny moments and I was surprised that Linda turned gambler and lost all their money.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

91 min, Comedy directed by Albert Brooks with Julie Hagerty, Sylvia Farrel, Albert Brooks, Tina Kincaid, Candy Ann Brown, Maggie Roswell, Hans Wagner, Brandy Rubin, Michael Greene, Tom Tarpey, Robert Hughes, Raynold Gideon.

Note:  Imdb 7.1 out of 10, 97% critic 77% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 254 reviews, Metacritic 76 out of 100 with 9 critics.

Special Note:  Filmed in Stafford and Phoenix Arizona; Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada Border; Santa Clarita and Las Angeles, California; Atlanta Georgia; El Paso and Houston, Texas; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Las Vegas, Nevada; New York City, New York; Washington, District of Columbia.  Bill Murray was considered for the role of David Howard but he was heavily booked.  Garry Marshall has the role of the casino manager.  He was exasperated by take after take but then he saw frustration make his character funnier.  During the American cross country shoot, thirty cast and crew were crammed into just two Winnebagos and they stayed overnight in cheap motels.  By the time they got to Phoenix, Arizona, everyone had stopped talking to each other.  The co-writers worked on the script while they were on the road.  This film is No. 84 on the American Film Institute’s year 200 list of the funnies movies of all time.

The Slender Thread 1965

     This film was inspired by a Life Magazine article by Shana Alexander and it’s based on actual events.  Alan Newell is a psychology student attending college in Seattle, Washington.  He can get college credits for volunteering at a crisis center.  He is at the clinic alone, he receives a call from a woman and she has taken sleeping pills.  He continues to talk to her and he arranges for the telephone company to trace the call.  The police and fire department also get involved.  They all must work together to save Inga Dyson from dying.  She has husband and a young son, she feels they are lost to her and she has nothing to live for.  She can’t forgive herself for something she’s done and she feels her family cannot forgive her either.  She thinks she is better off dead??

     This is a black and white film.  The entire time that Alan is on the phone you don’t know what the outcome will be for Inga.  What happened in her life is shown in flashbacks.  During this time period it was much more difficult to trace a call because phone lines had to be traced through electro-mechanical telephone central office switches.  I liked the cars, clothing, the views of an older Seattle and the social mores of this time period.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

98 min, Drama directed by Sydney Pollack with Sidney Poitier, Anne Bancroft, Telly Savalas, Steen Hill, Edward Asner, Indus Arthur, Paul Newlan, Dabney Coleman, H. M. Wynant, Bob Hoy Greg Jarvis, Jason Wingreen.

Note:  Imdb 7.0 out of 10, 76% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 46 reviews, TCM user rating 4.3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed at Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, California; University of Washington, Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington.  The original title was Cross My Heart And Hope To Die and Elizabeth Ashley was cast in the role of Inga.  This is the feature film directorial debut of Sydney Pollack.  He previously did all his work with television.  Poitier and Bancroft do not appear on the screen together in any scene.  

Vacation from Marriage 1945

     Robert and Catherine Wilson have a quiet marriage in London until the beginning of WWII.  Robert enlists in the Navy and Cathy becomes a W.R.E.N, this stands for Women’s Royal Enlisted Naval Service.  It was formed in 1917 for WWI and was disbanded in 1919 and revived in 1939.  They serve three years in their positions and then they are given leave.

     Both Robert and Catherine are tested as individuals during their long separation during the war.  Robert believes he has had to do everything for Cathy and he doesn’t want to continue this way.  Cathy feels that Robert is a timid man and she doesn’t want to carry his dreary load anymore.  They don’t realize they are thinking exactly the same thing??  They both would like to get a divorce and start a new lives.  I thought this was interesting on the home front and also in their duties in the Navy.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

102 min, Drama directed by Alexander Korda with Robert Donat, Deborah Kerr, Glynis Johns, Ann Todd, Roland Culver, Elliott Mason, Eliot Makeham, Brefni O’Rorke, Ivor Barnard, Henry B. Longhurst, Bill Shine.

Note:  Imdb 7.1 out of 10, 64% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 4.4* out of 5* with 41 reviews, Leonard Maltin 3* out of 4* user rating 42.8* of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Denham Studios, Denham, Buckinghamsthire, England.  The film debut but uncredited of Sir Roger Moore.  This film was first shown November 1, 1956 on KTTV Channel 11 from Los Angeles, California.

The Stranger 1946

     FBI Agent Wilson is an investigator for the War Crimes Commission and he is seeking Franz Kindler.  He was the German mastermind of the Holocaust during WWII.  He has erased his identity but Wilson has arranged for his former Conrad to be released.  Wilson has followed Meinike to Harper, Connecticut.  Four other Germans have traveled to Harper.  Meinike is killed so Wilson will need to find another way to identify Kindler.  Antique clocks are a fascination for Kindler and there is one in Harper.  Wilson thinks he is closing in on an identification and he also thinks Kindler will start to sweat if he feels his past closing in on him.

     Franz Kindler is using the assumed name of Professor Charles Rankin and he has just married Mary Longstreet.  Mary doesn’t know anything about Charles except that he is a teacher.  After their ceremony, Charles goes out into the woods to bury a body?  Isn’t that what everyone does after they get married?  Wilson tries to talk to her but she doesn’t want to listen or believe anything he says.  Her father and her brother are more willing to listen and believe.   Orson Wells plays going crazy very well!!  He has the wild look on his face and his eyes.  He doesn’t want to consider that what Wilson says about him is true?  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

95 min, Crime directed by Orson Welles with Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, Orson Welles, Philip Merivale, Richard Long, Konstantin Shayne, Byron Keith, Billy House, Martha Wentworth.

Note:  Imdb 7.4 out of 10, 96% critic 80% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 4.1* out of 5* with 235 reviews, Leonard Maltin 3* out of 4* user reviews 3.2 out of 5, Slant Magazine 3* out of 4*.

Special Note:  Filmed at United Artists Studios, 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.  Originally Agnes Moorehead was to play the FBI agent.  This is the only film directed by Welles to show a profit in original release.  There is a scene of Loretta Young dangling dangerously many feet above a church floor.  This is not a special effect and she is being held by one hand.  The term Carthaginian peace is used and this means any peace treaty demanding total subjugation of the defeated side.  It is based on the defeat and total destruction of Carthage by Rome.  There are many poor versions of this film on the market because the original copyright was not renewed.  The New England town exterior sets were constructed on the back lot of the United Artists studio.  Life Magazine took some production shots of these sets for publication.  Included among the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list edited by Steven Schneider.

Wind River 2017

     This film is based on actual events.  Cory Lambert is a veteran tracker with the Fish and Wildlife Service.  He works on a remote Native American Reservation.  He tracks wolves killing sheep, mountain lions killing cattle and men killing women.  He is divorced from a Native American woman and they have a son.  They had a daughter but she was kidnapped and killed.  A crime has been committed on the reservation and FBI agent Jane Banner responds to investigate.  She’s from Florida and she doesn’t know about the cold, ice and snow of this area.

     This is a tough movie and the crime is tough too.  Jane and Cory work together on this crime and that’s probably the only way they could solve it.  All the problems about who has jurisdiction are true because the crime is on reservation land.  I didn’t know how this was going to play out and how the investigation would culminate?  4* (I really liked this movie)

107 min, Crime directed by Taylor Sheridan with Kelsey Asbille, Jeremy Renner, Julia Jones, Teo Briones, Apesanahkwat, Graham Greene, Elizabeth Olsen, Tantoo Cardinal, Eric Lange, Gil Brimingham, Althea Sam, Tokala Black Elk, Martin Sensmeier.

Note:  Imdb 7.8 out of 10, 87% critic 90% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 4.6* out of 5* with 1154 reviews, Metacritic 73 out of 100 with 44 critics 7.7 out of 10 with 244 reviews, Roger Ebert 3*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Park City Studios and Coalville, Utah; Wind River Reservation, Fremont County and Lander, Wyoming.  Shoshone tribal leaders visited Writer-director Taylor Sheridan on the set.  They related to him that at the time of filming there were 12 unsolved murders of young women on the reservation of about 6,000 people.  There is a quagmire about arrest and prosecution rights between native and non-native peoples.  The Wind River Reservation is the 7^th largest Indian reservation in the US.  An 8-minute standing ovation was received at the end of the premiere in the Un Certain Regard competition of the Cannes film festival.  This film is the third and final installment in Taylor Sheridan’s American Frontier trilogy.  The other films are Sicario of 2015 and Hell or High Water of 2016.  Elizabeth Olsen experienced snow blindness during filming.  Snowmobiles and snow cats were used and many times the snowy landscape had to be groomed afterwards.  The estimated budget was $11 million and gross US was $33,800,859 on 12/7/17.  There is another film with the same title from 2001.

Flatliners 1990

     Nelson, Rachel, David, William and Randy are medical students.  They begin to try to have near death experiences.  They each have their heart stopped and then they are revived.  Each one has a different experience but they start to deep memories of their childhood.  It’s something that they did or something that happened to them.  Their experiences begin to intensify and they begin to physically suffer from the memories. 

     Even thought this really didn’t happen, I thought it was rash and very dangerous to go to the brink of death and come back.  There seemed to be too many risks of not coming back.  When they started to experience problems, they didn’t talk about it or stop another person from doing the death procedure.  All their work to become doctors could’ve been shattered by these experiments.  I don’t think it was worth it!!  It was interested to see the actors when they were all young. 3* (This movie is OK) 

115 min, Drama directed by Joel Schumacher with Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Julia Roberts, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt, Kimberly Scott, Joshua Rudoy, Benjamin Mouton, Aeryk Egan, Kesha Reed, Hope Davis.

Note:  Imdb 6.6 out of 10, 48% critic 59% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 301 reviews, Metacritic 55 out of 100 with 10 critics 7.8 out of 10 with 8 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Chicago and Bensenville, Illinois; Cotati, Los Angeles and Burbank, California.  Also filmed on the campus of Loyola University in Chicago.  The students were hoping to see what accident victims report, a tunnel leading to a beautiful white light and friendly voices but this didn’t happen.  People attempting suicide report troubled, emotionally painful near-death experiences.  Michael Douglas was the producer of this film.  There is a remake of this film with Ellen Page and Diego Luna released in 2017.  The estimated budget was $26 million with a gross of $61 million in the US.  Kevin Bacon was 31, Kiefer Sutherland was 23, Julia Roberts 22, William Baldwin 27 and Oliver Platt was 30.

When I Find the Ocean 2008

     The time frame of this film is 1965 in Alabama when marches promoting civil rights were taking place.  Lily Strickland is ten years old and she has gone with her mother to live with her grandparents.  Her father was a sailor and he was lost at sea.  He was never found and that adds to their feelings of loss.  They didn’t get to bury him and pay their last respects.  Lily’s mother is planning to marry Dean.  What Lily’s mother doesn’t know is that his father abused Dean, he was raised with very strict discipline and he had severe punishments for mistakes.  Dean thinks Lily needs to be raised the same way.  He thinks her mother and grandparents are not correcting her enough for her mistakes.  Lily learns that the river by her grandparents’ house leads to the ocean.  She decides to take a small boat with her dog and her pet bunny.  She wants to see the ocean where her father sailed.
     This film is good but it can also try to force ideas down your throat instead of just presenting and talking about the ideas.  That’s my only complaint and I also wanted to do a LOT of beating on Dean!!  Lily’s mother needs to open her eyes and see what’s really going on.  It was nice to see Lee Majors in the role of Lily’s grandfather and Diane Ladd as Lily’s grandmother.  Author and actor Graham Greene is a friend of the grandparents.  George Lindsey has a role as Ed Barker and this is his final film.  There is at least one scene where you can tell Lily's bunny is a stuffed animal?  3* (This movie is OK)

104 min, Drama directed by Tonya S. Holly with Dan Beene, Sara Biddle, Anthony Brooks, Natalie Canerday, Bernie Casey, James Chambliss, James Chapman, Kenny Davis, Timothy Eddy, Dorian Flemming, Trent Friday, Joan Ghrigsby, Edie Hand.

Note:  Imdb 4.1 out of 10, 42% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 179 reviews.

Three Billboards Ouside Ebbing, Missouri 2017

     Mildred Hayes is protesting the lack of police action on a crime that was committed in Ebbing.  To give the police a jump-start, she arranges for three billboards on the way out of Ebbing to show a message about the stalled investigation.  William Willoughby is the town’s chief of police and a lot of townsfolk know he has pancreatic cancer.  The town has a majority of the people against Mildred and for William.  There is a dark spot in the police department.  Officer Dixon likes to use violence and he’s very mad about the billboards.  He’s even mad at businessman Red Welby for taking money form Mildred to create the billboard notices.

     I thought this movie was very good, both McDormand and Rockwell deserved Oscars for their roles.  It was nice to not know what this was about at the beginning of viewing.  I didn’t have any expectations or ideas about the plot.  I don’t want to give a lot of details to cheat other viewers from their open-minded experience.  I didn’t know where this was going or how it was going to turn out?  4* (I really liked this movie)

115 min, Crime directed by Martin McDonagh with Frances McCormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Caleb Landry Jones, Kerry Condon, Alejandro Barrios, Jason Redford, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Abbie Cornish, Riya May Atwood.

Note:  Imdb 8.3 out of 10, 92% critic 87% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 237 reviews Video 3.7* out of 5* with 282 reviews, Metacritic 88 of 100 with 50 critics 7.6 of 10 with 589 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Sylva, Black Mountain, Asheville, Maggie Valley, Dillsboro, Cullowhee and Clyde, North Carolina.  No scenes were filmed in Missouri and there isn't a town named Ebbing.  McDormand is married to director Joel Coen, the brother of Ethan Coen.  She was reluctant to take the role of Mildred but Joel convinced her it was a good part.  Martin McDonagh wrote the screenplay with Frances in mind.  The local people were welcome to watch the outdoor scenes as long as they were not disruptive.  Some residents were cast for background roles and some as stand-ins.  Often, there were nearly 100 people watching, the actors would sign autographs and take pictures during breaks.  Sam Rockwell wore padding to give his character a more stocky appearance.  Some of the businesses were closed shops that were made into other shops or given facades.  The Police Department building was formerly a consignment furniture store. 

A Woman Under the Influence 1974

     Nick Longhetti is a blue-collar worker in Los Angeles.  He’s a construction foreman and his wife Mable has mental instability.  They have three young children and Nick’s mother Margaret helps Nick with the children and Mable.  Nick is supposed to come home but he’s held up at work.  Mable goes out to a bar and she drinks a LOT.  Nick brings the workers home with him and Mable makes spaghetti.  This should be a normal activity but Mable isn’t normal and she makes the workers feel uncomfortable. 

     At times I wonder if it’s Mable with the mental problems or is it Nick?  There are moments when they are both unstable.  Nick reacts with a LOT of yelling.  Mable reacts with unusual behavior.  3* (This movie is OK)  

155 min, Drama directed by John Cassavetes with Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Fred Draper, Lady Rowlands, Katherine Cassavetes, Matthew Labyorteaux, Matthew Cassel, Christina Grisanti, Geroge Dunn, Mario Gallo, Eddie Shaw, Angelo Grisanti, Charles Horvath, James Joyce.

Note:  Imdb 8.2 out of 10, 95% critic 92% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*, Amazon 4.0* out of 5* with 88 reviews,

Special Note:  Filmed in Los Angeles, California.  A restored print was screened at the Castro Theater in San Francisco on April 26, 2009 as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Awards:  Golden Globe Best Actress Gena Rowlands, Grand Prix de I’UCC, KCFCC Best Actress Gena Rowlands, National Board of Review Best Actress Gena Rowlands, National Film Preservation Board, San Sebastian International Film Festival OCIC Award and Silver Seashell John Cassavetes, Best Actress Gena Rowlands.  Cassavetes and Rowlands are married.  John originally wrote this film as a play but Gena talked him into making a film.  She felt it was too harrowing and exhausting to play this role night after night.  Katherine Cassavetes is John’s mother.