Oscar

1991 farce starring Sylvester Stallone, Peter Riegert, Tim Curry, Marisa Tomei, Chazz PalPalminteri, Harry Shearer.

John Landis directed this farce buoyed by stellar cast.

You may not be inclined to check out a comedy starring Stallone but everyone shines in this one.

30's gangster Spats Provolone promises his father ( a cameo by Kirk Douglas) to go straight but complications arise. Mistaken identities, misplaced suitcases, all add to the mix.

Look for Tim Curry giving Stallone elocution lessons, Tomei adorable as spoiled daughter, Riegert doing his best Bugs Bunny, Palminteri as a dim-witted henchman, Harry Shearer as one of the Fannuci Brothers tailors ( "Is not a suit...is a Fannuci")

Definitely worth a look for the great job this cast does with wacked out characters and situations

Zombieland

Oh, the joys of indiscriminately blowing away flesh eating zombies!

2009 film from director Ruben Fleischer stars Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson.

Learn the rules of survival first then go on a road trip across country as Eisenberg seeks his parents, Stone looks for Playland amusement park, and Harrelson searches for a Twinkie...all trying to survive in a world gone crazy with zombies.

Great fun, funny...look for a great cameo by Bill Murray as...well, Bill Murray.

Pineapple Express

2008 film directed by David Gordon Green stars Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole.

Slacker process server witnesses a murder and has to go on the run accompanied by his weed dealer.

Very funny if you like stoner films...I do. Rogen and Franco are a 21st century Cheech and Chong.

Hysterical ending...all shot up and they go to the diner for breakfast before going to the hospital.

Adventures of Robin Hood

Forget Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner, this is the definitive Robin Hood.

Adventure, suspense, comedy, this has it all from Friar Tuck and Little John to great swashbuckling action.

Not to be missed.

Key Largo

Bogart and Bacall, 1948, also stars Edward G. Robinson, Lionel Barrymore. Directed by John Huston.

Not as much heat as "To Have and Have Not" but interesting nonetheless.

War vet traveling through Florida stops at hotel owned by the father and sister of a war buddy who never made it back. Complications arise when gangster takes over the off-season hotel just before a hurricane strikes.

Adaptation of the Maxwell Anderson play.

Chemistry between the stars is evident but supporting characters make this one something to watch.

Look for Jay Silverheels ("Tonto") in a bit part.

Experiment in Terror

1962 suspense film stars Glen Ford, Lee Remick, directed by Blake Edwards.

Gritty, tense movie about woman being extorted. FBI man Ford is on the case.

Interesting not just for atmosphere aided by Henry Mancini music but also for the fact that Edwards was mainly known for comedies. Yet he shows an adept hand at directing this chiller.

Worth a look.

Romeo is Bleeding

Gary Oldman and Lena Olin star in this Baz Luhrmann film from 1993. Definitely cool.

Noir atmosphere prevails in story of a crooked cop who is ordered to kill a VERY sexy hitwoman. Over the edge performances drive this dark tale. Not to everyone's taste but interesting and different.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0107983/

Year of the Dragon

Michael Cimino directed this 1985 cop flick starring Mickey Rourke.

Taut action film follows Vietnam vet NY cop whose prejudice against Asians is complicated by both a crime boss in China Town and his relationship with his mistress.

Taut drama with lots of atmosphere.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0090350/

Enchanted

2007 concoction directed by Kevin Lima starring Patrick Dempsey, Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Timothy Spall. A fractured fairy tale.

Starts as a Disney cartoon with all the cliches then takes a turn as Princess and other characters are whisked away to the real world.

Some cute "fish out of water" elements and charming. Parents may enjoy it more than the kids. Some genuine laughs but overly long.

Amy Adams is great as the princess and Timothy Spall is wonderful as the evil Queen's henchman. But the rest of the cast is outdone by a chipmonk!

www.imdb.com/title/tt0461770/

Avatar

James Cameron's blockbuster hit from 2009 just didn't do it for me. Is it woth seeing? Yes, for the visuals. Cameron envisioned a great looking movie with otherworldly characters, effects, and locations and I highly reccommend the 3-D version.

But the story? That's something else entirely. Elements of "Little Big Man", Cameron's own "The Abyss", and even "Fern Gully" made this film something that I felt I have seen before. Not a great calling card for the most successful film of all time.

So see it for the visuals and let the rest slide.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/

Crazy Heart

Scott Cooper directed this 2009 story of an alcoholic has been country singer who reassesses his life and relationships.

Stars Jeff Bridges who is perfect as "Bad" Blake, a outlaw country legend reminding me of Kris Kristofferson, Waylon, or even Merle Travis. Maggie Gyllenthaal stars as a reporter who ultimately leads to Bad's salvation, despite their doomed love affair.

Great acting. Great music. Three quarter's of a truly great movie...the last third or so seemed too pat for me. But I highly reccommend it anyway.

Look for Robert Duvall in a warm, heartfelt cameo.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1263670/

The Men Who Stare At Goats

George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey star in this film from 2009 directed by Grant Heslov.

Whacked for sure. Jeff Bridges becomes leader of a division of the military called the New Earh Army, a group of psychics with paranormal abilities who supposedly will end war by conquering foes by remote viewing, phasing through walls, etc. Discovered by reporter McGregor, he follows one of them into Iraq. Is the guy on to something or just crazy.

Compared by many to a Coen Brothers film, I didn't think it came close. But it has a great premise even if it didn't follow through.

Worth a peek.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234548/

Sicko

2007 film from Michael Moore skewers the health care industry.

Weaker than Moore's previous movies Roger & Me and Farenheit 911, this one still manages to make its point with irony and humor. And what a point it makes.

HMO and insurance company foul ups and immoral, if not illegal, business practises. Interesting segments on how other countries fare against us in terms of health, life expectancy, and health care costs as well as an amusing but eye opening trip to Cuba.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386032/

Amadeus

1984 Milos Forman film starring F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Jeffery Jones.

I never really liked opera 'til I saw this film.

Solieri is fustrated that he does not receive the respect as a composer that young Mozart does. And Mozart is such a jerk! How can God allow this to happen? And what will Solieri do about it.

Peter Shaffer wrote the script based on his play.

This is a brilliant fim and works on so many levels: as a study of the two personalities, on the nature of creating art, on faith and religion...and the music and opera sequences wonme over.

Long, but worth it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086879/

3:10 To Yuma

This is a remake of the 1957 classic. Watch both. Either way you can't go wrong.

Gripping, suspenseful western from 2007 directed by James Mangold and starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.

Poor, disbled farmer takes on the task of taking a muderer to a far off town to put him on a train to prison while the bad guy's gang tries to intercept them.

Both stars turn in great performances...Crowe is a bad guy you can't help but like. That is the probelm Bale faces as Crowe tries to psych him out along the way.

I had a couple problems with the ease in which Crowe gets the upper hand, but all in all a taut thriller with spurts of well shot action.

Both films, this one and the original from 1957, are well done action adventures with a psychological overtones.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381849/

Chocolat

Charming, good hearted film from 2000 directed by Lasse Hallstrom and starring Juliette Binoche, Alfred Molina, Johhny Depp, Carrie-Ann Moss, Lena Olin, Leslie Caron.

A woman and her daughter arrive in a small French town and prepare to open a chocolate shop during lent much to the dismay of the town's mayor.

This feel good movie is funny, romantic, and has a lot to say about acceptance of others. But most of all it is fun. The cast is wonderful. I have a crush on Binoche.

Definitely worth seeing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241303/

The Stunt Man

Man, has this film got it all...

1980 movie directed by Richard Rush is a thriller, drama, comedy, romance, action flick...about the only thing it isn't is a musical.

Starring Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback, and Barbara Hershey, The Stuntman is about a fugitive who comes upon a film set. Unwittingly causing the death of the film's stunt man, the convict is given refuge by the director if he replaces the stunt man.

Railsback is the fugitive. O'Toole absolutely steals the show as the director, who threatens, cajoles, does anything to get his way and to get his scenes shot.

Brilliant film, lots of fun and thought provoking.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081568/

Jacob's Ladder

1990 Adrian Lyne thriller stars Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Pena, Danny Aiello, Jason Alexander, Ving Rhames.

A real mind freak of amovie where Vietnam vet and current postman Robbins starts seeing what may or not be frightening fantasy creatures as well as his deceased son.

Makes you wonder what's real, what's not.

Sometimes frightening, this film is a wild ride.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099871/

Frantic

Harrison Ford and Emmanuelle Seigner star in this 1988 thriller from Roman Polanski.

American doctor in Paris for a convention tries to find his wife who has disappeared. He is aided by a woman he doesn't know, doesn't trust as she takes him through a Parisian underworld of crime, drugs, murder, and espionage.

Slows down occaissionally but has some good moments. Polanski co-wrote the script.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095174/

Liberty Heights

One of the films Barry Levinson made that take a semi-autobiograhical look at growing up in Baltimore during the 1950s. The others were "Avalon" and "Diner".

This warm hearted film from 1999 stars Adrien Brody, Bebe Neuwirth, Joe Montagna. Something of a drama with humor, it is also a romance as two brothers struggle with life, family, and the ladies they have crushes on.

Hysterical scene that takes place on Halloween.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165859/