The Omen - 666

When a remake of a classic film is done most people expect more than just the retelling of the original story, and unfortunately that is all we get here. The retelling of this story goes as far as copying dialog and scenes straight from the first film. In 1976, when the original Omen came out, the eeriness and the creepiness just bled off the screen, here there just isn't anything that makes the movie frightening.An American ambassador and his wife adopt a newborn child, and unbeknownst to them he is the son of the Devil. I don't usually comment on the added features to DVDs, mainly because they don't have any real effect on the film itself, but I have to say something here. One of the special features is for extended scenes and an alternate ending, the alternate ending isn't what it seems, it's the same ending just with three extra shoots put in, and you still have the same ending. The acting here isn't worth the effort, the child isn't as creepy as the child in the original, at least there you actually thought that he was the Devil's son. At times during the film there are scenes that could have been enhanced by the use of music, to bring out the creepiness, but all you get is dead air and a feeling emptiness. As I've said the scenes and dialog isn't even that original and isn't worth the time to watch.
If you haven't seen the original it's worth finding, you'll enjoy your self more. Seeing film veterans Gregory Peck and Lee Remick as the ambassador and his wife lend more credence to the story and the acting to bring out more in the film. Save your time and save your money here, I'm sure that there will be other uses for it.

The 'Burbs

When it comes to comedy horror, this movie ranks right up there in the top ten. With Tom Hanks leading the cast, everyone involved shows their best comedic acting, from Bruce Dern to Carrie Fisher. Joe Dante heads this little visit into suburbia, and the laughs never stop from the opening credits. It's a dark look at the way we deal with our neighbors on an every day basis, and it also shows that even as adults, peer pressure can be an all powerful force.A small neighborhood is the setting where a strange family has moved into, and the neighbors think that something is sinister is going on. The sight gags and prat falls seem to be as natural in the situations as are the actors themselves. With each turn of events the story seems to get weirder but then you're given a believable explanation and you think that everything is going to all right. Once you see the characters here you begin to realize that there are some of these people living in your own neighborhood, so watch out.
Ultimately this movie points out that maybe the most dangerous people in the neighborhood are not the new residents but the families that are already there. Everyone has been on one or both sides of this issue at one time or another, so before you go digging up your neighbor's basement looking for dead bodies just remember, check for the gas lines before you start.

Over the Hedge

Animation films have come a long way since I was a kid; from the Japanese anime to the modern computer generated these films have entertained and amazed us. In recent years some really good movies have been made for kids and adults, Over the Hedge ranks right up there with the best. The voice over work that is performed here is done some top-notch actors who have fun with their roles. From Bruce Willis' raccoon to Garry Shandling's tortoise to William Shatner's possum to Wanda Sykes' skunk, the acting is superb. After waking up from hibernation a small group of animals discover that their forest has been replaced by suburbia. Some of the observations that are made about the humans are quite funny and quite accurate, some of the statements that are made are harsh but the truth usually is. There are a few instances that harkens back to the days of the old Warner Bros. cartoons, case in point the skunk that is dressed up to look like a cat, and after all these years it's still funny. The underlying theme here is that family comes in all forms and that we shouldn't be to quick to judge an others viewpoint.
This film should go down, as one of the best-animated films; the kids as well as the adults will enjoy it. The reality here though is the stark situation of the animals habitat being encroached on by the humans, this is the honest truth of the movie since we see it in our everyday lives.

The Corpse Bride

This movie harkens back to the times when stop motion photography was the norm for special effects in films, and the story itself seems like it comes right out of Edgar Allen Poe's library. Tim Burton's earlier film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, was sheer genius when it came out and now with the Corpse Bride he shows that lightning can indeed strike twice. The voice acting here is flawless; every performance is top notch and could not be made any better. This is truly a great story, it has all of the elements that it needs, romance, humor, and a murder mystery that is perfect to tie the whole thing together. Victor is nervous about his impending wedding, and while practicing his vows accidentally marries a mysterious dead bride. If the afterlife is as lively as it is portrayed here then people wouldn't mind dying, the music is catchy and the neighbors are relatively quiet. As the story moves you along you get the feeling that there will be a happy ending but with who, the living or the dead, and you find out its both. With the photography playing with the light and shadows it is easy to miss some of the effects that are done so you may have to watch it a few times in order to catch everything.
This movie is an instant classic for the season and is so enjoyable and fun that the kids will fall in love with it. I hope this will not be the end of the stop motion movies that Burton does, he does it so well it's as if Ray Harryhausen, the master of stop motion photography, for those who don't know, himself was working on the project. Just watch out for that little voice you hear in your head, it may not be your conscious it might be the your very own maggot giving you advice.

Waist Deep

Movies about parents doing whatever they have too, to get their child or children back have always shown some of the better dramatic acting that any actor has to offer. This film is no different, set in Los Angeles against a completely urban background its Tyrese Gibson that shines through all the negative energy and situations that are presented to him. This falls into that genre of Hip-Hop action films that have been coming out over the past five years or so, and this one has risen to the top.When his son is kidnapped O2 must do what ever he can to get him back, including outsmarting rival gangs and the police. The action sequences that are performed are very well choreographed and keeps the movie going. From the opening scenes to the closing credits this is a highly charged and powerful film, once the story starts you can't look away, it draws you in and never lets go. The music is as strong in this film as the acting and this is a perfect example of the music fitting the movie. The ending is a little predictable and corny but down deep this is trying to be a family film, what would you expect.
Love is the strongest emotion that we experience, and the display of the emotion between father and son in this movie is overpowering. Even though its rated R this is a family film, take away the violence and the harsh language its almost a film that Disney would have put together. So if the kids are old enough, and can understand things in a rated R film I think this is one to sit down with them and watch it together.

Memoirs of a Geisha

This is one of those films that once you start watching it you just can't look away, the artistry within it is amazing. From the sets to the costumes this is a visually stunning film, the effort that was applied here is evident from the opening scenes. Based on the novel by Arthur Golden the world of the Geisha is opened to bear all for the world to see. All of the acting is superb and flawless, as the characters grow in age, as well as wisdom, you are taken on a journey that you will not soon forget.After a nine-year-old girl with stunning beauty is sold to a Kyoto Geisha house, she must endure harsh treatment and a world at war as she blossoms into the Geisha she is destined to become. Some of the punishments that are handed out during the film are a little extreme but for the time frame and the situations that are being played out they work. The sets look like they were taken right from that time in Japanese history, they look so authentic that you would almost believe that they were always there. The love story that this played out here is drawn out through the whole movie, and in true movie magic when the story is completed there is a happy ending.
After watching this movie I noticed in the credits that the film was based on Golden's book and was amazed that so much information about a completely female world, and point of view, was actually written by a man. The massive amount of research that must have gone into this story shows and it is understandable why this was such a well-received movie by the audience and the critics. This is definitely a movie to sit and watch with a loved one, the story is compelling and thought provoking about a life that we, as outsiders, until now knew very little about.

Once Upon a Time in the West

When you talk about great westerns, a large part of the conversation has to wrap around Sergio Leone's contribution to the genre. His most well known pictures are the Man with no Name series, starring Clint Eastwood, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Where those films set the precedent for westerns to come, this movie, in its own right, shows that the art of filmmaking is beyond just sets and dialog. With two anti-heroes and a villain, this movie grabs you by the collar and never lets go.The railroad is coming to the West and some men will do just about anything to anyone so that they will be the ones on top. The brightest star in this cast is Henry Fonda playing the villain, a ruthless psychopath who is willing to kill small children, and with Jason Robards and Charles Bronson playing the two anti-heroes the chemistry is totally explosive. The movie was completely shot in America, Utah and Arizona, on the local Indian Reservations, so the scenery is as breathtaking as it can be. The gunfights are classic Leone as well as the costumes for each character; you almost forget that your watching a fictional story and not something based on real life. Like in all of Leone's films the music is a major component in the movie and the tempo of the film keeps pace with it, which is no small feat.
The shear brilliance of having Fonda play the blackest character of his career, and pull it off as if it was second nature, totally goes to Leone, for convincing him to do the part. Not that I'm a big Western genre fan, but I do have some favorites, and even though it took me years to finally see a complete version of this film, it ranks right at the top of my list. If you like Westerns, and have never seen this film before, you should find it and watch it, this film just reinforces the idea that Sergio Leone was one of the greatest film makers of our time.

Up in Smoke

At the height of their careers, Cheech and Chong had turned the listening public into the most drug savvy people in America. In 1978, they brought the best of their talents to the big screen and you almost could get high just from watching the movie. Some of their best characters were brought out, and to finally see the skits that we all had been listening to for so long was great. Watching these two characters is like being visited by your favorite uncles and just going along for the ride with them. The misadventures of Pedro and the Man begin with a search for weed in Los Angeles which get them into more trouble than either of them are aware of. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are great as their drugged out alter egos and Stacy Keach as the straight-laced Sgt. Stedenko is perfect, he plays off of the two of them with just the right flair. The premise of having weed transformed into polymer plastic is a little far fetched, and when you see the van made of it, its even more ridiculous. The situations that are in the movie are a little on the far-fetched side of reality but still some of it is believable and totally with in the realm of possibilities.
Unfortunately of all the movies that the pair has done over the years, this is the only one that was met with any success, the other movies that they did were fun but nothing quite compared to "Up in Smoke." This is definitely one of those movies that over the years most people say that they have seen it but have never really gone back to it to watch it again. After all this time it still holds onto its humor and is completely re-watchable, I say find a copy, watch it, straight or high it doesn't matter, and enjoy yourself, it's a trip you'll never forget.

They Live

It's always great to find an old classic that you haven't seen in years and you enjoy it every bit as when you first saw it. This movie is one of the jewels of John Carpenter's career that has been running strong since Halloween was released in the seventies. Having Roddy Piper star as the action lead here was a stroke of genius, he plays the rugged construction worker to a tee and when it comes time to kick ass, well what can I say, he does have some experience there. Using science fiction to talk about current social situations isn't new, but how Carpenter uses it here is very well done. A lone drifter discovers that aliens are slowly taking control of the government and the rich upper class, and keeping the rest of us in line through manipulation and subliminal messages. This is not a big special effects movie but what they do use is very good and not over done. One of the best lines in a sci-fi movie is used here, "I've come to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum," the line is delivered straight forward by Piper and works for the situation and the character. The movie moves so fast that you don't even realize that an hour and a half has gone by, and by the end your left breathless and wanting more.
If you've never seen this film, you're definitely been missing out, it's one of those hidden gems that most people have heard about but haven't seen. I wish that Piper had gone on to do other action films, he shines here and comes across as a seasoned actor, and given the right role he could have soared into stardom. But what we're left with is a project that showcases the excellent talent of one of the greatest directors that we've seen in years and the budding talent of an actor who could rival the likes of Willis or Schwarzenegger

Under the Tuscan Sun

Destiny is something that most of us believe in but don't admit to it openly, here they take the concept and turn it into a life learning story. This movie is loosely based on Frances Mayes's book Under the Tuscan Sun and is completely enjoyable from beginning to end. Growing up in an Italian family, I saw a lot of things in the movie that my family does to this very day, and that alone was enough to show how traditions are handed down from generation to generation. The scenery that is used throughout the movie is stunning; it's like watching postcards of the Italian countryside come to life. After her divorce Frances goes to Italy for a vacation, and while there she buys a villa and begins to put her life back together. The story moves right along and doesn't get held up with any of the obvious traps that you would expect from a movie like this. None of the situations seem out of place in this film, even the clash of modern society with that of the old world are easy to except and are completely believable. When the decrepit villa is finally transformed, you realize, along with the main character, that the life lessons that were being taught all come from hard work and perseverance. Diane Lane is superb in the lead role and plays the character to the point that makes you feel for her every time something goes wrong, which is quite often.
This definitely is one of those movies that most guys would steer clear of, but if you ever want to sit down and watch something with someone you love, this is a really good one to start with. After everything is said and done, this movie leaves you with the feeling that, there is always the possibility that something good is going to happen. Above everything else this movie proves the old saying with a little twist, "When life gives you lemons, you make limonita."

Time Bandits

With the blending of history, reality, and fantasy this movie takes us from the heights of Creation to the depths of Evil and every step of the way the comedy is straightforward and hilarious. This film is Terry Gilliam at the top of his game, with the help of some Monty Python alumni, John Cleese and Michael Palin; Time Bandits goes down as a classic adventure/comedy of all time. Even years after its release the comedy is still fresh and funny and just doesn't seem to get old. With the idea that the Supreme Being botched the job with creating the world in six days, you begin to wonder if its possible that maybe there is a reason for all the strangeness around.With a stolen map of the holes in time, a band of would be criminals take to robbing history one item at a time. With music by ex-Beatle George Harrison this film has some great situations that role into each other and seem to be totally believable. The effects are a little crude by today's standards but it fits like a glove and helps the film keep its believability. The two guest appearances of Shelley Duvall and Sean Connery helped draw an audience to this unlikely adventure, but once the audience was hooked that was it, they were reeled in and never wanted to leave.
The ideas from the Monty Python show were everywhere in the film and the characters from history were all dragged into a new light. From Robin Hood to Napoleon to the Ancient Greeks no one is safe from these bandits. The humor is relatively clean and the situations are not graphic, so it's a movie that you could sit down with the kids and watch and have some fun.

Spaceballs

Standing on the top of a hill of comedy/parody movies is Mel Brooks, and the best of what he has done over the years culminated with this film. No science fiction movie was safe from being made fun of here, even the over merchandising of related products is examined. The main movie that is made fun of is Star Wars but it doesn't stop there, there are references to everything from Star Trek to Transformers to The Wizard of Oz and everything in between. The planet Spaceball is running out of air and plan to steal the air from a neighboring planet. With characters like the terrible Dark Helmet, Pizza the Hutt, Barf the half-man/half-dog, and the powerful Yogurt the laughs are boundless. As you watch the film you can actually pick out scenes and situations that are directly from the original movies, and they are dealt with in such a way that you can't have anything but fun. The cast of actors gathered together for this little romp is nothing short of genius, with John Candy and Bill Pullman leading the way.
This was one of the last parody films that Brooks did, other than Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and ranks right up there as one of his best. To see all of the characters from different movies portrayed in a humorous light is so much fun, that after all these years you still laugh until your sides hurt. The movie was originally made in 1987, but with almost twenty years under its belt it hasn't aged, and will probably go down as one of the best comedies of all time.

Yojimbo

This movie is the original Japanese film that Clint Eastwood's A Fistful of Dollars was based on, and its one of the great samurai stories that were made in the sixties. There is a soft spot in my heart for the Japanese movies of the fifties, sixties and seventies, but they were hard to find unless you wanted to pay an arm and a leg, but now that they are all coming out on DVD the audience base will increase as more and more people get to see these classics.A masterless samurai finds himself in a feud torn village and begins to work both sides against each other for his own benefit. Set in 1860 Japan, the film is in black and white and this lends to the feel of the movie. Where the fight scenes are a lot of swordplay, the lack of color fits and helps the movie. There isn't a lot of bloodshed shown and what little there is isn't overpowering as in some later Japanese films. The director of this film is Akira Kurosawa has done some wonderful films like Ran and Seven Samurai, and this film ranks right up at the top.
There have been a lot of American movies made that were originally from foreign shores, but it seems that the best of the action films that are remade come from Japan. Now with companies like Netflix expanding their inventory of films to include more and more foreign made movies the audience will be able to finally see the movies that some of us have only heard about. If you haven't seen this film but have enjoyed the Eastwood film over the years, I would recommend that you find a copy of Yojimbo; it will be well worth your time and effort.

Aladdin Trilogy

The Aladdin trilogy was Disney's attempt to create a franchise outside of their main animated characters from a movie. The movies worked so well with their target audience that an animated series was done for television, but my focus here is on the three movies and those alone.
Aladdin - The use of CGI effects for different aspects of the story helped this movie by giving it a little bit of a realistic feel. The voice acting is very well done but everyone is overshadowed by Robin Williams as the Genie. With Williams' flamboyance for improv the Genie character took on a life of it's own, and some of the things that he did was so original and funny, the animators had to draw them into the scenes. Jafar as the villain is just perfect, even years later you can still see why he became a classic from the moment he comes on the screen.
The Return of Jafar - Bringing back Jafar for the sequel was a natural, with him being the most evil Genie that you could imagine. Seeing the dark side of the magic world does have its advantages, the things that you could come up with are boundless. Here they give you the complete opposite of the good Genie from the e first film and it works. The story is strong and it ends up being a worthy sequel, only down fall here is that Williams did not return as the good Genie and the character suffers for the loss. The change in animation is enough to be noticed but the change doesn't take away the magic of the story.
King of Thieves - Out of the three movies this by far is the worst, the story is weak from the very beginning and the fact that Aladdin and Jasmine are just getting married is a little odd, weren't they getting married at the end of the first movie. The return of Robin Williams as the Genie isn't enough to save this film; it should have been thrown into the trash heap and left for dead. As in the second movie the animation was changed again, and this time it actually looks like something from twenty years prior to it's release.
This series could have been better but when the first movie is such a huge hit, it's hard to follow up with a film that's as good or better. Disney should learn from their mistakes, when working towards a franchise they need to keep to the original formula and not waver one iota. After watching these films I can honestly say that the first movie is the best and I don't think that I will ever watch the other two for any reason. I'm sure that the kids will love them, but since I don't have any, Return of Jafar and King of Thieves won't be making it into my library.

Edmond

The deconstruction of a character in a movie is usually set over a time of days, in this film it's a matter of hours and moves right along. The movie itself is only an hour and twenty minutes but it moves so fast and so much happens that you don't realize that its only been a short amount of time. This film is inspired by the David Mamet play, and is so gritty and realistic that you could almost believe it was based on a true story.After being told by a fortuneteller that he should change his life, Edmond starts his quest but doesn't realize that it's a descent into his own personal Hell. The character of Edmond isn't pushed to the edge of the emotional cliff, he walks there freely thinking that is his destiny, and what a dark destiny it is. The style of the scenes are slap in the face realistic and believeable nothing is left to the imagination. Normally in movies we see the detruction of a character's life over time, days, weeks, months, years, but here everything happens in one night and runs the full spectrum of situations and emaotions.
This movie would be my suggestion to anyone learning to be an actor, the range of emotion that William H. Macy displays is exactly what most actors are striveing for in their craft. This is an interesting film with the twists and turns that in some cases are the extreme, but we can all identify with Edmond at one point or another. Hopefully none of us would go to the extremes that he does on his journey, hopefully I said, hopefully.

Downfall

World War II movies have always had a spot deep in my heart, both my grandfathers fought in the war and survived. Over the years there have been a great many films done about different battles and from different view points, American, Japanese, German, etc. In 2002 a documentary entitled "Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary" introduced the world to the dictator's stenographer, Traudl Junge, two years later director Oliver Hirschbiegal brought her story to life. The final days of the Third Reich have come to Hitler's bunker and the story that follows is from the point of view of his secretary. The realistic war situations of the soldiers and the generals were painstakingly recreated here with breathtaking results. As Hitler starts to lose control and he begins to see traitors everywhere, you are given a glimpse into the mind of a madman that you won't soon forget. This is one of those movies that we all know the ending but you just can't wait to get there and see how the director is going to present it.
If you enjoy World War II movies like "Das Boot" and "Patton", you'll enjoy this one; it's got the feel of an authentic story from the other side of the war. There is no English soundtrack for this movie, so you should be prepared for the subtitles throughout the film. I've added this to my favorites list under the subject of WWII, its just one of those films that grabs your attention and you just can't look away.

Videodrome

For those of you who remember the hay day of the videocassette and cable television, you'll probably remember this movie with some fondness. This is one of David Cronenberg's best films from the eighties; it showed us the dark side of the video industry and the possibility that subliminal messages were being added to the video signal. Of course the idea of completely controlling an individual by mind control is total fantasy, or is it. Sex, violence, murder, a new evolution in television has come and its complete control of the viewers minds is the prize its after. With the idea that people could be brain washed by remote, this film took on a dimension in horror that, at the time, was new and totally thought provoking. The blending of reality and hallucination is so complete here that you never quite know where the real world ends and the fantasy begins. James Woods is perfect as the cable programmer in search of the next great thing on cable to offer his audience. This is also Deborah Harry's first major film appearance and after you see her in this role its hard to believe that she didn't do much more acting after.
I'm a big fan of David Cronenberg's work and the earlier films that he did are by far some of the best horror movies out in the market today. The film itself is a little dated since technology has taken us past the videocassette era, and on to the DVD and beyond. But think about it, if the idea of broadcasting a subliminal signal over a cable wire were questionable, how much easier would it be to send that signal from a space satellite to your dish at home directly.

Slap Shot

When you talk about sports films the best ones are usually comedies, that's not to say that there aren't any sports dramas that are good, it's just that the comedies are better. Then when you break it down there isn't that many hockey films, but the few that there is this one tops the list. In an age where the paying audience covets brutality over skill, we are shown that with a little blood the world could be your oyster. When a fifth rate hockey team finds their future in question, their coach changes the game plan and turns the hometown and the sport on its ear. Paul Newman as the ageing coach works so well you believe that he has been playing the sport for years. Even with Newman's name as the draw, the true stars of this film are the Hanson brothers. Once the Hanson's are introduced you know there is going to be trouble, but when they take to the ice the real fun begins. Some of the action is so fast paced you have to watch it a second time just to see it again just to be sure of yourself of what happened.
This is one of those films from the seventies that looks a little dated with the cloths and cars, but once the action starts and the fun begins you completely forget how old the movie is. The fight scenes are the way I remember hockey from the seventies, some skill but a lot of blood. I know there are other hockey films out there but when you put them all together Slap Shot rises to the top like cream from churned milk. So in this new season of sharpened blades lets sit back and enjoy at least one good game on the ice.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The feeling that your life is rushed has always been a problem for many people around the holidays, and the people that have to travel for their jobs its even more so. Hence the perfect situation of an Abbot and Costello kind of comedy, and playing the two comedic leads, Steve Martin and John Candy. Both at the height of their careers at the time, this movie showed that both actors could play a drama role and still keeps the audience interested in the story. When his flight home for Thanksgiving is canceled, Neil Page must grin and bear it with his new loud mouthed traveling companion, Del Griffith. The main two characters are like oil and water, but that doesn't them from becoming life long friends. The acting is pure genius, Martin and Candy play off of each other so well its like watching old friends who have known each other for years. The situations that the two are thrust into are a little extreme but completely believable, right up to the driving the burned out car down the highway. Almost every mode of travel is used in this film short of bicycles and horse and buggy, but what do you want its winter and its snowing.
Its sad that Candy died, it would have been nice to see these two come together again and do more films, whether it was comedy or drama. This is one of the few movies that I enjoy watching at Thanksgiving time, not just for the hilarious comedy but to remind myself that in the long run I don't have to travel for the holidays. But the underlying story is about the love of family and the lengths that we go too to be with them.

The Birdcage

Most of the time when an American movie is remade from a successful foreign film there are more failures than winners, but this is one of those winning moments that go down as a great film. The original French film was titled "La Cage aux Folles" and was so successful it spawned two sequels that were just as good. The remake, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in the two lead roles, was sheer genius; they play off of each other as if this was all second nature. The situations that are presented in the film are, in some cases, over the top but they all come off as believable and, pardon the pun, straightforward.When a gay couples son comes home and announces that he's getting married, from there the disasters and the fun are just beginning. The characters that are used in this comedy were altered very little from the original French versions; making them American was probably the biggest change. Gene Hackman as the straight-laced politician trying to save his career plays great against Williams and Lane, and Lane dressed up as the mother is perfect, you almost forget that it's a man in drag. The make-up that was done for this movie is almost flawless, almost every man that is in drag for the film without a doubt looks like a woman, and that makes it work even better.
I'm sure that most people that have seen this film have to agree that its one of the best comedies from the nineties, and unfortunately a sequel was never made. But in the long run that just makes this film even more enjoyable, with the uniqueness of being the only one. If you're looking for something to laugh about this is definitely the movie to watch, whether you've seen it before or not, the laughs just don't stop.