X-Men Trilogy

This trilogy is one the best franchises to come out of Hollywood in years, with over forty years of source material to work with what do you expect. With the success of this movie series, it single handedly saved the future of other comic book stories to be transferred onto film. Not that I was a big X-Men fan but this series has revived the feeling that the action/fantasy/sci-fi movie is not dead and will possibly live out us all.
X-Men-With the partnering of CGI effects and actors with the talent to flesh out these characters this was a flawless shot to the moon. The story was perfect to show the fear and loathing between the Humans and the Mutants, and with just a hint of the back story for Wolverine wetted my appetite for more. With actors like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen leading these Mutants, the acting caliber is raised each time they walk into a scene, and the bar just keeps going higher. The fight sequences are classics from the comics and the expanse of the Marvel X-Men universe shows that any future movies would be rich in content and action.
X-2: X-Men United-The biggest thing that any sequel needs to do is keep things fresh but not to stray to far from the original concept that the audience gets lost. This movie basically picks up where the first one ends and that's the one of the best parts here, you could watch both films back to back and its as if there is no break in between. The other thing that this movie does very well and that's introducing new characters, and some of the best ones are seen here. Sometimes the introduction of someone new distorts the plot line, but here the characters just enhance the story.
X-3: The Last Stand-There were a lot of fears about this movie not the least of which was the change of directors, but the that doesn't take away from the fact that this is a very good movie. The further development of the core characters works here, but the killing off of some of them was not a good call. Since the X-Men universe is so large and populated by such an array of characters it is understandable that more new characters were introduced in this movie and others not brought back. The action sequences, especially the Danger Room, are superbly done and the visual effects are so flawless that they look as real as can be.
The large fan base that these movies are geared towards should be satisfied with the results that these three movies have brought. It has created a franchise and along with it a movie genre that was thought to be dead and regulated to television. But with the success of the X-Men series we will be seeing more and more comic book stories turned into movies.

Wedding Crashers

This movie shows how far you can get on a good lie, as long as you don't have to improvise to much along the way. The situations that are presented here are just the kind of things that two long time buddies would want to be a part of. Women, booze, parties, and more women are exactly what any red blooded male would want and this is almost a handbook on the correct path for this goal. After years of crashing weddings, love finally strikes down and flounders the crashers at a high profile wedding of a politicians daughter. The three standout actors in this comedy are Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Christopher Walken, who plays a great politician who seems oblivious to his families dysfunctions. Also keep your eyes open for Jane Seymour, she's the sexy wife to Walken's politician, and after all these years she's still a knockout. The family itself is so close to believability it's scary, from the undersexed wife to the oversexed daughter to the Goth son, who just happens to be a closet homosexual, to the elderly mother who seems to have had an affair with President Franklin Roosevelt, at times its just a little to close to home. Because it seems so real, the situations that occur are just that much more hilarious, and at times you'll be laughing so hard your sides will hurt.
This film was everything that I thought it would be, I laughed almost nonstop from beginning to end and the ending leaves enough open that a sequel is completely possible. After watching this movie you just might get the idea that you and a buddy or two should go out and crash a few weddings, but just remember never get emotionally involved and always, always have a solid back story.

Lucky Number Slevin

When crime thrillers are done right they are very good and you never see the twists and turns coming until its to late, this is one of those films. With heavy hitters like Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley you see characters that are almost tailor made for the actors, and having Josh Hartnet in the title role is just about as perfect as you can get. What starts out as a mistaken identity movie turns into a revenge film in the blink of an eye, and the twists don't end until the credits begin.An identity mix-up places an unsuspecting man, Slevin, into the middle of a mob war. The way that the camera angles are shot is superb, you're not suppose to know the identity of the actors at different points in the film and it works towards the final scenes when everything is revealed. Once you get sucked into the story its hard to look away, because if you do you may miss an important piece to the puzzle. Bruce Willis as the cold blooded killer is great he is at the top of his game here. Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley as the feuding crime bosses are perfect, the bitterness that each actor portrays from their character works to the point that neither wants to help each other at the very end.
The guessing that goes on in your head through out the entire movie helps with the storyline because once you think that you've got a solid theory it gets knocked down with the next scene. This is one of those movies that after you've seen it, you're going to want to watch it again just to see if there were things that you missed the first time around. Rent it or buy it, but see it, because it will be one of the best thrillers you see in a long time.

Simone

With the advancements in computer technology we can now make complete movies without any sets or actors, but the animation still looks a little off. This movie takes the innovation one step further to the point where there is no distinction between the real and the simulated. This movie also shows the way the some actors act like immature children when it comes to things that are written into their contracts, having the largest trailer on the set, all the red Mike and Ike's removed from a bowl of candy, etc. The addiction to a pop culture is examined here with stark reality and blatant truthfulness. The other thing that is shown is the lengths that one man will go to too have his dreams realized, even if it means breaking the rules of man and society.When a director is left with no alternatives to finish his film, he turns to a computer animated actress, Simone, to complete the project. As the fame goes to his head he realizes that Simone's life has become more real than his. Al Pacino as the director plays the role as only he can, with complete believability and with all the ear marks of someone trying to hold on to his career. The fame that is displayed is so over the top that its hard to believe that there are people out there that actually behave like that.
If this is truly the future of film making, I think we should really reexamine how far we want to continue in this direction. I think its great that computer technology has advanced to the point that the graphics are better, and that some simulations can be done so that actors, and stunt people, don't have to risk their lives. But the idea that they can be replaced completely is absurd, give me a live, flesh and blood person over a cold Sim any day.

Hard Rain

This is one of those movies that didn't get a lot of buzz when it came out originally, and even when it came to DVD it was released without any fanfare. With all the flooding that has happened around the nation in resent years, it maybe hard for some people to watch, but if you can get by the anxiety of the situations it's a very good film. Christian Slater in the lead role makes a good action star and should have gone on from here to do more but that never really happened. The other two strong performances are from Morgan Freeman and Randy Quaid, and its Quaid's acting that I was totally shocked by, it was better than I expected. Ed Asner as the old cranky senior security guard is a welcome surprise, since by 1998 he wasn't doing many movie pieces or television roles. An armored-car carrying three million dollars from evacuating banks along a flooding river is attacked and the lone surviving guard fights for his life and the safe delivery of the money. The scenes of the flooded out town are so realistic at times that you forget that this was shot on a sound stage. The constant threat of the rising water is a great catalyst and they use it very effectively, from the water for the emergency spill off to the breaking of the dam. The only problem that I could see here is that everyone's gun at one point or another is submerged in the water and not one of them misfires, that just seems a little odd.
The film is so fast paced that you really don't notice that the time has flown by. One of the reasons that I would re-watch a movie would be to see things that I missed the first time through, and this is definitely one of those movies, at times there's so much going on, you just have to watch it again.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Tis' the season of horror and terror of many types, to send a chill down your spine, and hopefully you'll walk away in the dawn with a smile on your face because your still alive. Of all the classics that come out this time of year there are only a handful that would be considered for children. But of that handful, and until recently that handful is getting bigger, this is by far the most memorable and the most fun. Since 1966 this story has delighted and entertained generation after generation of children and after all these years the tale of the Great Pumpkin has aged extremely well. Linus awaits this Halloween for the coming of the Great Pumpkin, and while he waits he puts up with the teasing of his peers for believing in such a character. This story and animation was Charles Schultz at his best, the characters that he had created in his Peanuts comic strips come to life with all of the mannerisms and quirks that his readers expect. The story alone is a wonderful look at the beliefs that we all had as children and how we would defend them to the bitter end. The animation in this annual classic is basic and doesn't look as clean as the animated movies and specials we see today, but the simplicity of the look goes hand in hand with the story and with the kindheartedness of the characters your drawn into a world that feels like a warm security blanket.
Most people have grown up with this classic and over time have begun to look at it as "I've seen it I don't need to see it again." But what this really is, is a slice of childhood that we're able to revisit unlike so many other things from the past. So even if you don't have children this is a video to see, it will remind you of the warm feelings that you had back then, and that those feelings can still be captured once again.

Tales from the Darkside - The Movie

This movie is a continuation of the successful TV series Tales from the Darkside, a horror anthology show that grabbed the audience and never let go. The stories that were shown were of the highest caliber of writing for television since the Twilight Zone in the 1950s. This film carried the tradition of the show on to the big screen with four amazing stories that work from the opening sequence.There are four stories that are in this movie, three segments and a wrap around stories, all having the twists and turns that are needed in good horror stories. The stories cover the spectrum from mummies to gargoyles to a cat from Hell. With stars like Steve Buscemi, Christian Slater, and David Johansen the stories move along at a pace that is perfect. All of the story are great but the wrap around story is really good . Starring Deborah Harry, of Blonde fame, as the witch in an updated Hansel and Gretel story is completely over the top and works to tie everything together.
At this time a year when your looking for a movie to watch if you haven't seen this before give it a shot. Its one of the movies that I would watch over and over just to see some of these actors in some of their best work. Over the years it hasn't lost any of its charm or humor, like a good bottle of wine it has aged quite well.

Grosse Pointe Blank

John Cusack is one of those actors that over the years he has gotten better and better. This movie shows just how good he is, the character is so multi-layered that a lot of actors would not be able to pull it off. When this film first came out I thought that it was an interesting idea but wasn't sure if it was going to be any good, boy was I wrong.A freelance assassin goes back home for his tenth High School reunion, and while there work on a last minute contract killing. The cast is perfect in this film with Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, Alan Arkin and Joan Cusack backing up John's hit man role. From the very beginning of the movie you see the chemistry of the characters gel just perfectly. The craziness of the situations is great and at every turn you think that things are going to work out for our hero but then something happens that seems completely believable.
Being a product of the 80s I have a strong fondness for this film, I've watched it over and over and have never gotten tied of it. From the soundtrack to the acting to the action there isn't anything that slows this movie down. This is one of those movies that you can sit down and watch with friends or family and enjoy it completely.

Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie

This film is something that my sister watches with my niece and she said that if I enjoyed the Heffalump movie, I might like this. She was right it's very fun and for a movie that is only an hour long there is a lot of story laid out. All of the main characters are here so that you feel quite familiar with the situations that come up. This Halloween is Lumpy's first and Roo and the gang want to show him what trick or treating is all about. With all of the mishaps that we have become familiar with over the years, every new adventure brings out the best in these characters, and ultimately ourselves. Friendships are something that we all need in our daily lives, but how many of us can say that our friendships are as strong as Roo's and Lumpy's. The story is very inventive and since the last movie got rid of the frightening Heffalumps, so a new ghoul had to be created, enter the Gobloon.
With the universe of Winnie the Pooh expanding , you start to wonder when will it stop, hopefully not any time soon. After watching this I can see why my niece loves it so much , its fun with characters that she loves and the scary story is just that a story and everyone is all right in the end. So if you need a little adventure in your holiday, find a friend and laugh along with the gang as they prove that "brave together, brave forever" is the motto we should all have.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

This is one of those movies that I first saw when my grandfather was watching it, It was one of the few non western or war films that he enjoyed. Even though he is known for his comedy work, it is one of the best drama films that I've seen Walter Matthau in. And the role of the cold blooded mastermind of the hijacking was superbly portrayed by Robert Shaw. With these two strong leading men this movie couldn't do anything but succeed. A band of four armed men hijack a New York subway train and hold the hostages for a million dollar ransom. The action starts at the very beginning and never stops until the final credits are run. This movie was filmed entirely in New York City and has the feel of what the city was like in the early seventies. Even though most of what happens in the movie could not happen now with all of the security that is now in place, it is fun to watch and remember that there was a time when life simpler, even for the criminals. This movie only took sixty-two days to shoot and is one of the best action films to come out of the early seventies.
If you've never seen this film, or have only seen the bad TV remake, it is well worth the time and effort to see some great actors doing their best work. If I had a list of my favorite films that I would repeatedly watch, this would be in the top ten.