Movies

On November 14, 1959 two men broke into a country home in a small Kansas town. If they were in search of something, that was vastly overshadowed by what they did. On that night so many years ago, the two men brutally murdered the family living there. Details of the four people murdered made their way into the New York Times and I am sure caught the attention of many. One man in particular was moved enough to want to write about it. He wanted to learn everything he could and write an article on how the town was reacting to this tragedy. After arriving in Kansas and talking to a few people, he realized there was too much material for an article. He would have to write a book. This movie tells Truman Capote's story as he researches and writes his novel In Cold Blood.

Capote used the fame acquired from best-selling fiction novels, the name popularized from them, and his publisher's deep pockets to obtain unrestricted access to information and to the two men charged with the crime. From there he used his manipulative personality and his supercharged drive to write this book to pry into the lives of Richard Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith; the convicted.

At first glance, I had decided not to see Capote. My movie watcher-actor relationship with Philip Seymour Hoffman has never been strong. He has been in good movies (Almost Famous, Patch Adams), but I have never had much respect for his work in them. I have never seen any archive footage of Truman Capote, so I cannot speak to how well Hoffman played Capote. Trueness to the character aside, I was very impressed with Hoffman's performance. Too often I find his characters devoid of emotion. That may be the way they are written, but it comes across to me as attributed to Hoffman. As Truman Capote he felt, and he felt deeply. You may not like it, but you will feel along with him as you watch Capote.

Clifton Collins Jr. is a name that I wish more people knew. In Capote Collins has a very important role; he was cast as Perry Smith, the convicted young man to which Truman Capote devotes the most time. Based on the amount of on screen time he had, I hate to say that I thought it unfortunate that he had such a small role. When I say that, I mean that I am disappointed by how few speaking parts he had, but that was the nature of his character and the will of the makers of the movie. I think he has talent and decent potential. He has worked with big names earlier in his career, Samuel L. Jackson in 187 and Robert Redford in The Last Castle, but I think landing the role in Capote was his biggest step forward. Maybe after seeing Capote you will finally remember the name Clifton Collins, Jr.

Catherine Keener plays Capote's long time friend and research assistant Nell Harper Lee. That name may ring familiar, if it does it will be most likely from the book she wrote while she helped Truman Capote work on his. Her book was titled To Kill A Mockingbird. If you have seen Keener in other movies, you may know her as a strong willed, patient woman. This holds true in Capote as well.

The movie really makes you want to like Truman Capote, it his Truman himself that fights to make you dislike him. As the protagonist watchers struggle with him to get information, but it is his choices of what to do with that information that causes conflict. What I learned from the movie Capote is that Truman Capote was a very self-absorbed man. Each and everything he did in his adult life appeared to be self-serving or not worth his time. You see the relationships he has developed. We get to know two the two people closest in his life, yet even their friendship is at his convenience. They see the good in him and wish to share it with him, but more often than not it seems to be buried beneath his own motives.

This book was not a part of his life, rather it was his life as he wrote it and it left irreparable damage once this chapter in his life was closed. It consumed him and you may take solace as it seems he does see the error in his ways at the end. Hindsight is 20/20, so they say. We are led to believe he could not forgive himself; it will be on a case by case basis whether we as viewers, now privy to the details, can forgive him.

The movie was very graphic, so I do warn you about that, but if it is actually possible, I must say the graphic nature of Capote was done tastefully and it did serve a purpose. There was nothing gratuitous about it.

I liked Capote very much. I love profound movies, and Capote certainly was that. I recommend you see this in the theater if you have the chance. If not, on DVD will have to suffice.

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Wet Hot American Summer

Camp Firewood. 1981. It's the last day of camp and everyone is busy. Camp director Beth (Janeane Garofalo) is trying to keep order while falling in love with astrophysicist Henry (David Hyde Pierce). Henry is trying to save the camp from being hit by a piece of SKYLAB hurtling toward Earth. Camp counselor Coop is in love with Katie, who is in love with lifeguard Andy. If that's not enough, there's a waterfall rescue, talking vegetable cans, the misfits, the cool kids...and more!

It's a star-filled, laugh-a-minute, crazy comedy. Summer camp was never this much fun!

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Lester Bangs: The only true currency in this bankrupt world... is what you share with someone else when you're uncool.

Rumack: Captain, how soon can you land? Captain Oveur: I can't tell. Rumack: You can tell me. I'm a doctor. Captain Oveur: No. I mean I'm just not sure. Rumack: Well, can't you take a guess? Captain Oveur: Well, not for another two hours. Rumack: You can't take a guess for another two hours?

At the risk of bragging about my awe-inspiring social calendar, I will divulge just one juicy tidbit. When I go to the movies, more often than not I go alone. You are jealous, I am flattered and no, you cannot touch me.

It has become second nature to me and I do not think twice anymore about going alone. For a long time I had my reservations about going stag to the movies, but then I realized that it is no big deal. It is not like we are going to talk during the movie anyway, right? So what is the point of having to have someone next to you? All it would really mean is that I have to share my popcorn. Not cool. There are certain movies and genres of movies where it makes more or less sense to see them alone as opposed to in a group.

It is legitimate to request company to a horror movie; you will get no arguments from me if you need an arm to squeeze at the scary parts.

Some people feel that in the scenario of a good knee-slapping comedy it is best to have an escort. I will agree that it may be better, but I have become comfortable enough on my own to still belt out with laughter even though I am alone. I did use to struggle with that and would sit tight lipped. I found myself not enjoying movies as much as I felt they deserved. I saw one funny movie on my own, then again with friends. The difference was amazing. The movie hadn't changed, but I laughed out loud much more the second time. With that experience, my inhibitions about laughing by myself went out the window. You may say that the solution to my problem was to find friends with which to go to the movies, I chose to teach myself to laugh on my own. So I'm a touch anti-social. Moving on...

There are also movies where I am glad to see them alone. There is less distraction when the seats on either side of you are empty. You are able to feel isolated. When you lose yourself in the story, you needn't worry about leaving someone behind. A movie with a more profound story, I like to be alone with my thoughts. I want to let all of it soak in.

And you cannot deny the convenience factor of a dateless movie. I have no plans tonight. I want to see a movie. I pick out a movie. I pick out a time. The spontaneity is a luxury of which I take full advantage (even if it angers someone...).

It really isn't as bad as some people make it out to be. You might not feel comfortable walking into a romantic comedy...date movie...ok fine, chick flick on your own. That might not be baby steps towards being able to go to the movies solo.

Try it. You never know. You might like it.

Johnny was a pool hustler, one of the best, until he discovered how his manager Joe had ruined his life. He left Joe in the hands of some heavy-duty drug dealers and split the scene. Now he's trying to go legit, save his relationship with his girlfriend Tara, and maybe even save his life.

Johnny's younger brother Danny is eager to follow in his footsteps -- eager enough to find himself deep in debt to Joe, who has returned with a new poolhall protege. When Danny robs a store to pay back Joe, it's time for his big brother to take his cue. The final game has a payoff that's bigger than money, bigger than life, bigger than either player can imagine. Because somewhere on the edge of the 8-ball waits a man's soul.

Think Rounders and The Color of Money. Though recommended, I kept my expectations relatively low. Had I been expecting a smash hit, I would have been let down. Since I wasn't, I was able to enjoy the movie.

The acting was...a little rough around the edges, but I do not think it was meant to earn nominations for any awards. The key was the suspense it built around the final showdown and the antics of Johnny's brother and his friends.

I hate to say that I thought we could expect a little more out of Chazz Palminteri, but how often do you get to see Rick Schroder hustle pool?

I wouldn't implore you to rush out and see this right away, but if someone has a copy and wants to watch it you needn't run and/or hide.

Hey, it has Christopher Walken, how bad could it be?
Don't answer that.

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Scientists begin to go missing. One who fears he is next tries to enlist the help of a reporter (Gwyneth Paltrow), but fearing the danger is too great he leaves her with little. In this futuristic 1930s (40s?) setting she decides to team up with ace fighter pilot Joe Sullivan (Jude Law) better known as the Sky Captain. With his help, and that of Joe's inventive sidekick (Giovanni Ribisi) they attempt to find out where the scientists are disappearing to and who is launching these disastrous attacks on cities around the world...using giant robots.

The movie was styled after sci-fi movies from days gone by. It was interesting to see how they made the movie look, but that was the movie's only redeeming factor. The creators gave the movie characteristics of science fiction films your father or even granfather would have watched. What they didn't give the movie were characteristics of a good movie. I don't feel all that badly telling you that I thought this movie was pretty awful.

You look at the cast and maybe just maybe the movie would be good. The acting was forced, the plot could not have been more predictable and the writing was weak. Jude Law was fine; my expectations of him are never high. Give me a casting veto in Hollywood and Gwyneth Paltrow would never get another job. My expectations for her are even lower than those for Law, though in this movie she still somehow managed to not meet them. And my saving grace, Mr. Ribisi. I thought for sure he was going to do what he does so well and thus make me forget the male and female leads, but he had too small of a part.

I am admittedly stubborn and that partly manifests itself through my unwillingness to turn off a movie when I am not enjoying it. This movie almost changed that. Within almost the first five minutes I had my first knee jerk reaction to turn it off. I suppressed the urge and finished the movie...maybe turning it off wouldn't have been such a bad idea.

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Miracle Max: Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world . . . except for a nice M.L.T., mutton lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean, and the tomatoes are ripe, they're so perky, I love that.

After a few days displeasure at not having been in attendance at the midnight showing as the movie opened, I finally got the chance to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

This is the movie based upon the fourth installment of J.K. Rowling's ever-popular series. In this volume we see Harry Potter compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament and in the movie we see little else.

I will not launch into my usual diatribe about the slaughter of innocent literary beauty for the betterment of cinema. For once I will spare you. I am trying to get better. Happy now?

With more than 700 pages of text to tackle, it is just not feasible to bring it all to the screen. It is a fact of life, one that I am trying to come to terms with. I tried not to focus on things that were different between the two versions but one thing that I cannot get past is simply how some scenes are stretched out and I blame Peter Jackson and George Lucas for giving us this new trend towards panoramic views and hard dramatic pauses. My only question is why can't you eliminate one or sixteen of those and add just one of the details you left out of the book?

With the movie being so directed towards the Tri-Wizard Tournament, there is little time for the furtherance of any characters or relationships between them. Regarding characters, here are my feelings on the movie:

1) Just take out the scene with Sirius in the fire. You never once talked about who he was, nor the relationship he has with Harry. You rely solely on the viewers having seen the previous movie(s). Odds are they have seen them, I understand that. Not only was he not brought up later, but the only thing of note that he tells Harry during their talk is to keep his friends close. The irony of this comment was lost on Harry as he was feuding with Ron and it seemed lost on the audience as well. This scene was essentially worthless.

2) What a great job this movie did in really letting the two young men who play the twins shine! The boys who play Fred and George Weasley were very well used in this, the fourth movie. They are practically the only two characters who are allowed to blossom. These two have really done an outstanding job as Fred and George in all of the movies, but in number 4 more than in the others you see how charming they can be; a trait very central to the characters they portray.

3) What a dweeb Cedric Diggory was. He makes a huge splash at the beginning of the movie as our heroes head to the portkey on the hill. He drops out of the tree because...well I guess because that is what big men on campus do. His character is what I feel is best equated to the star high school quarterback. Athletic, good looking, charismatic... When introduced, you have the impression he is each of those things and more. As the movie progresses he bears more and more resemblance to Edward, Prince of Wales, son of Longshanks, King of England in the movie Braveheart. No, that is not a positive comparison.

4) While the argument can be made that Richard Harris was just better suited for the role than Michael Gambon, I think that is not the point. The point is that the character of Albus Dumbledore just does not translate well. Take him off the page and he is a fish out of water flopping around on screen. The Headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has such a presence. Without having read the books you may not understand that there is no better word for it, and to use presence I find is rather perfect.

5) Though I cannot think of anything that could have been better, I thought the makeup done for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was pretty weak. He is the most powerful wizard ever, right? Can't we make him look a little more intimidating and less like a slimy version of Beast in the old Beauty & The Beast TV series.

6) Was it me or did the students from Durmslang (Viktor Krum and his classmates) dress more like Klingons than Wizards?

Anyway, I did like the movie. I know after reading above you doubt that somewhat, but believe me. For at last the first five-sixths of it, the makers of the movie had me on the edge of my seat as the author does with each page of her books. For the remaining one-sixth...the movie just ended too abruptly. The tournament is over and all of a sudden so is the movie.

Overall: good film. The question was posed to me after seeing it was which of the four movies is my favorite. My answer is as non-committal as I always am. The movies are just too hard to compare. The first two really do such an excellent job of setting the mood of the fun and magic that is not just Harry Potter, but the fun and magic of the stories created by J.K. Rowling as well. Meaning that the stories are fun, but so is the feeling generated by them. I felt the need to separate the two for emphasis, get over it. The third movie (other than being not good) begins to really set the tone. The story moves much more quickly after the first two books. That was evident in the third movie and would have been if they had incorporated more of the story from the book in the fourth (ok ok, that was a cheap shot, I am sorry).

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Will Ferrell's trademark off-the-wall lunacy kicks in for a comedy sure to score big with the whole family! Phil Weston (Ferrell) is a mild-mannered suburban dad - who's suddenly transformed into a caffeine-fueled sports maniac when he becomes the coach of his son's unruly soccer team. But when the championship pits Phil's underdog team against the squad coached by his own domineering dad (Oscar winner Robert Duvall), it's game on for the most uproarious mismatch of the season! Suit up for fun, Ferrell-style, with the comedy Ebert & Roeper give "Two Thumbs Up!"

Recipe to make Kicking & Screaming:
Take 3 parts Mighty Ducks add equal parts of Bad News Bears and Little Giants. Mix well in a bowl and add a splash of soccer. Let sit overnight.

They even did the Flying V! Why wasn't Emelio Estevez cast in this movie? At least give the guy a cameo...

I am sorry, but I was not entertained by this movie. My expectations were low, and even they were not met. I laughed at two, maybe three parts, but that was all. More than anything, the feeling that came over me was one of anxious anticipation of the end credits. I guess if you have little kids this could be a fun movie but even in that vein I think it was still too shallow.

Will Ferrell takes over as head coach of his son's soccer team when the regular coach leaves his post. With no qualifications except being the son of a good soccer coach, he starts from square one. The lesson is not to get too competitive in sports and to always remember to have fun on the field, but they really did a poor job of relaying this message. To help teach the boys how to play well and together Ferrell enlists the aid of his father's neighbor (an NFL hall of fame coach) who brings little more to the picture than his name, but he does help Ferrell pick up a nasty addiction to coffee.

The caffeine habit Ferrell develops was absolutely pointless to the story. Not only did it not add humor, but I think it only was in the story as filler. How do you make a short movie a little longer? Why not add a few scenes in a coffee shop? I know I am reaching a bit here, but if this was an attempt to make kids not want to drink coffee I would wonder how they received funding to make this movie.

Overall the movie was not horrible. I watched it with my sister and she enjoyed it. She said she was entertained the whole time. I was not, but we can't win them all.

What kind of favor do you owe someone when you, as Robert Duvall, agree to make a movie like this? "Hi, I'm Robert Duvall, maybe you have seen one of the movies I was in. Godfather? Apocalypse Now? Kicking & Screaming?" Here is how that is acceptable: "Grandpa, will you make a movie with Will Ferrell?" Done.

Don't see Kicking & Screaming. Just let it fade into the annals of cinematic history as it if never happened. And yes, I do realize that I was far too critical of a kids movie.

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Hotel Rwanda

Don Cheadle gives "the performance of a lifetime" (Los Angeles Times) in this "remarkable" (Newsweek) and "profoundly affecting" (Houston Chronicle) true story of one man's brave stance against savagery during the 1994 Rwandan conflict. Co-starring Sophie Okonedo and Nick Nolte, Hotel Rwanda is "the kind of film that can change the world" (Joel Siegel, "Good Morning America").

As his country descends into madness, five-star-hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (Cheadle) sets out to save his family. But when he sees that the world will not intervene in the massacre of minority Tutsis, he finds the courage to open his hotel to over 1,200 refugees. Now, with a rabid militia at the gates, he has only his wits and words to help keep them alive another hour...another day...

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An aspiring film maker struggles against his own personal demons as well as external forces. In his quest to make his first feature length film we see how he encounters influence of drugs, alcohol, gambling, a dysfunctional family, and his own poverty.

To raise the capital for his first movie, he decides he must complete the short he started 10 years earlier, "Coven". "Coven" is in line with the short films he has made growing up and they are all the model for the full length movie he wants to make in the future. His genre is "B" Horror flicks.

He enlists the aid of friends to help as stand in extras, stage hands and film editors. Everyone is inspired by his determination to see the project through to the end and they never give up on him, though sometimes it was not easy to stay.

I had a class my senior year of college with a kid who suggested that I see this movie. I believe his words were something to the effect of "It's awesome." I must apologize to him for I must have missed something huge, for it fell well short of the billing he gave it.

Not even I can deny the impressive nature of Mark's (our struggling film maker) character. He is so driven to make his movie(s)...that or equally as driven to not work 8-5 in the factory. His knowledge of what it takes to actually make a movie seems a bit wasted on the crew with which he surrounded himself, but you get what you pay for I guess.

I enjoyed a laugh or two at how absolutely obscene the language could be between Mark and his family and friends. I fought with my own sense of political correctness as I tried not to laugh at one character's stories of substance abuse. Truth be told, that was the funniest part of the movie, but how horrible is it to laugh at someone sharing that part of their life?

I was entertained, but I just don't think that is enough for me to suggest this as a "Watch" movie. Though something inside me leads me to believe that I might take some criticism for this one. If you end up in a situation when someone has it and wants to watch it, go nuts. But there is no need to seek it out.

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A woman, psychiatrist by day and best-selling author by night, gets caught up when one of her patients confides in her that he is in trouble. She promises to help him, but what can she do to make a $25,000 gambling debt disappear? Seemingly without alternative, she goes to see Mike, the man to whom the money is owed, in his club, The House of Games.

For helping Mike in a matter concerning a poker game she had interrupted with her visit, he agrees to forgive the debt her patient owes. Almost from the minute she meets him she begins a new education and a relationship develops between them of teacher and student; one with an overwhelming desire to learn, the other with a tremendous wealth of experience in the confidence game. At her request, Mike begins to teach her the ropes; a few parlor tricks at first before she finds herself in the middle of one of Mike's biggest scores.

Though the movie came out in 1987, it has only been on my radar for about two years. Back in Philadelphia, a good friend (Dr. Bob) would hold "movie night" at his house periodically. One night I had the honor of introducing the movie Confidence, one of my favorites, to the others. When it was over, I believe the gentleman's name was Bill who suggested to me that I see House of Games. It took me awhile, but I finally got around to it.

If you could not tell from the brief synopsis I wrote above, the movie is about the art of the con, grifting, the confidence game, call it whatever you want. Many movies have been made on the subject, some better than others. A few I would recommend to you are Confidence, The Sting and Matchstick Men (in that order). If you are interested in the genre, or maybe you just like David Mamet movies, I also recommend House of Games.

I do not normally like the work Joe Mantegna does, unfortunately. I do think he did very well in this movie (as Mike), all things considered. Overall the acting was pretty bad, but your primary focus should be the story which I thought was very well thought out. It does make you wonder if Mamet or co-writer Jonathan Katz had a bad experience with a psychiatrist which led to the exploitation of any parallels between psychiatry and grifting...

I liked House of Games.

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Danny Deckchair is the story of an atypical cement worker from Australia. Despite his occasional wild idea, his girlfriend refers to him as one of the little people. She needs a little more excitement in her life. Learning this, however by accident, sends Danny into an emotional whirlwind. He devises his next big plan: to strap large helium-filled balloons to his deckchair until he can actually lift off the ground. His plan goes awry and before he knows what happened Danny is soaring among the clouds without his means of getting back down.

Danny Morgan, now the media darling "Danny Deckchair", has gone missing after his hair brained scheme floated him away. No one knows what happened to him. They have no idea that he landed in a far off town full of people who like to live as simply as he.

The race is on, two-fold. One part is the effort by his girlfriend to find him again (since he is now big news, a somebody), and the second is by Danny to remain relatively unknown to his new friends and thus able to leave his old life behind.

Danny Morgan is played by Rhys Ifans, maybe best known for his role in Notting Hill as Spike, Hugh Grant's flatmate. If you are familiar with any of his other work, you probably are not surprised when I tell you how well I thought he did. He has a very likeable on screen presence.

I do not want to inflate anyone's expectations (pun intended, sorry), but I was very impressed by Danny Deckchair. It had been awhile since I had seen a movie I enjoyed as much as this. Fun story. Funny movie. I liked this one. Check it out.

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Harrison Ford and River Phoenix star in a movie (directed by Peter Weir) about civilization. The movie starts as Phoenix narrates an introduction of his father (Ford). "He dropped out of Harvard, to get an education" (para.). He has a knack for anything mechanical, always inventing. Whereas he could be making millions of dollars from his creations, he works on a farm and tinkers in his spare time. One result of such tinkering is a machine that makes ice from fire, no electricity required. On a whim, he decides to head into the jungle and bring ice to societies that have never known its pleasures.

Mosquito Coast was a title once reviewed in the original forums, but lost in the hack incident. I couldn't remember if it was a positive or negative one, though I know where I will make my stance.

Charlie: My father often talked of things being revealed - that was true invention, he said. Revealing something's use, and magnifying it; discovering its imperfections, improving it, and putting it to work for you. God had left the world incomplete, he said, and it was man's job to understand how it worked, to tinker with it, and to finish it. I think that was why he hated missionaries so much - because they taught people to put up with their earthly burdens. For father, there were no burdens that couldn't be fitted with a set of wheels, or rudders, or a system of pulleys.

Harrison Ford's character could have used his intelligence and creativity to really make a difference in peoples lives, which he did for awhile. Based upon that, I think this movie could have been so much more. I do not want to go into too much detail, but I will tell you that he does become obsessed with his quest to bring ice into the jungle to be set before people who have never experienced such a thing.

Once the conflict arises about whether or not to move back to the United States the movie took a serious downturn. I was relatively entertained up until that point, but not at all after. I found myself unable to avoid feeling embarrassed for Ford's character and the way he acted. I am happy to send this movie back. Bring on the next one. It was not horrible, I just feel as though it fell short. Fell short of what, I am not sure, but it was missing something.

Let me save you the almost 2 hours of your life. Watch something else.

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Dark Helmet: What's the matter, Colonel Sandurz? CHICKEN?

Grave of the Fireflies

Why do fireflies die so young?

It is post-war Japan, just weeks before the American occupation. In the city of Kobe, a boy lies dying in a train station. Beside his body lies a small candy container. A janitor, unsure what to make of its ashy contents, pitches it into the night. As fireflies float softly around it, the ghostly images of the boy and his little sister appear…
Flashback to a short time earlier. Orphaned and homeless from a fire-bomb attack on their city, 14-year-old Seita and his 4-year-old sister, Setsuko, set out to survive in the face of a society that is no longer able to protect them. Forced to live in an abandoned bomb shelter in the Japanese countryside, they slowly come to realize that they can never escape the hardships of war, or even find enough food to survive.

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Terry: You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody...

I am told that this story originated as an Eastern European folk tale. A young man (Johnny Depp), promised by his family to give his hand in marriage finds himself in a most unfortunate situation. In his nervousness he meanders into the forest to clear his head before the wedding. The end result of his trip into the trees is less of a clear head and more of a new bride; a Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter).

Now married to the Corpse Bride, he is taken to the city of the dead and left wondering if he will ever see the light of day again, let alone the woman he was to marry.

Tim Burton's movies exude style. Whether he uses actors or stop-motion animation, you are in for a treat. Corpse Bride is no exception, it is a visual schmorgesbord.

The music was done by Danny Elfman, whose name should speak for itself. If it doesn't, the man's resume is quite impressive. The songs were fun, though a little muffled. It was hard to tell if it was the fault of the theater in which I watched, or the songs themselves. It was such that the backround voices and music sometimes drowned out lead vocals. This left me lost during a song or two but I was able to move on.

I will chalk it up to a flaw in the story of old, and not in the representation presented by Tim Burton, but I do not believe I was the only one who found himself in a dilemma towards the end. Watching the movie you see the feelings Victor (Depp) has for Victoria, the woman he is to marry. You obviously pull for him to find a way to be with her, right? Well right....kinda. What about Corpse Bride? It was not her wish for fate to lead her to this place, so how can you have Victor turn his back on her?

I will not tell you the resolution, but I will say that I thought it a bit lacking. Overall, however, the movie was good. I am glad I went to see Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

Burton left me with another dilemma, though less intentionally. Here I am torn between wanting to see more of the stop-motion animation like Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas and wanting more (Johnny Depp starred) movies like Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow...and Ed Wood (you think these two like working together?).

I guess I will opt for both, but while we all wait I think you will have fun at Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

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Based on a true life story, The Motorcycle Diaries is an inspiring and thrilling adventure that traces the youthful origins of a revolutionary spirit. The film follows two daring friends, Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Gael Garcia Bernal, Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna), who hop on the back of a beat-up motorcycle for a breathtaking and exciting road trip across Latin America. From executive producer Robert Redford and acclaimed director Walter Salles (Central Station) comes a life-changing journey that critics are hailing as "Magnificent!" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone)

Based on a "true life story." If you pick up the same double meaning I found there, give yourself a cookie. It is a story based in true life, but also a story of a true life. You can play with the emphasis as you say the words. Based on a true life-story or based on a true-life story. I love that.

Take two young men with futures nearly as bright as they can be, and set them loose on a journey across a continent with nothing but their own stubborn unwillingness to quit to get them from point A to point B.

It took me far too long to see this movie. I wanted to from the first preview I saw and I make no excuses for the delay. All I can tell you is that you should not wait as I did. This was truly a beautiful movie and any praise it has received in the past along with any it gets in the future is more than merited. And I will go ahead and say it: Gael Garcia Bernal is probably the most likeable on screen personality of our generation.

Some may disagree with the actions Ernesto Guevara took later in his life, many of which resulting from experiences gained on the trip chronicled in this movie. I respect this opinion, but I do not think that should prevent you from seeing and even enjoying The Motorcycle Diaries.

I found it a bit odd that there was so little emphasis on the danger involved in two young men traveling around South America with no money and even less outdoor experience, but the movie was not about the literal journey. The figurative journey that both men took was special to witness. The kindness and compassion that especially Guevara exhibited towards others was moving.

Go rent, or even buy The Motorcycle Diaries. I recommend this one to you all, even in consideration of the relatively harsh language used at times. (This movie is subtitled.)

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Featuring Liv Tyler, Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Crudup, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Baker. Directed by Pat O'Connor. In a small Illinois town in 1957, the Abbott daughters are attracted to the widowed school teacher's sons, but can't break away from their father and his money. The sons have their own reasons for wanting to bring the father down.

Billy Crudup plays Joaquin Phoenix's big brother as they grow up down the street from the Abbotts, a family that is the talk of the town. The Abbott family name has more social equity than either of the two boys can fathom, yet it fascinates them.

Everyone in town has stories of how and why the boys' father died so many years ago and why their mother has no friends. The boys themselves also have differing opinions on each subject and they lead to different opinions of the Abbotts in turn.

Can these two boys ever make anything of themselves? Can they elevate themselves to the status of the Abbotts?

Seeing this cast, put together back in 1997 (when Liv Tyler was the biggest name among them), work together was neat. I really like Billy Crudup, since I thought he did an AMAZING job in Jesus' Son, but was surprised by this movie. He was still good, I am just used to rooting for him...and against Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator), but it was the opposite to some extent in Inventing the Abbotts.

I also have a slightly difficult time watching any movie with Liv Tyler in it. Really the only movies I have liked that she's been in are Jersey Girl and Plunkett & Macleane (and she had a pretty small role in the latter). The beautiful Jennifer Connelly played a character more in line with the end of Requiem for a Dream, and the polar opposite of Labyrinth, which stands as my favorite of her work. The girls play two of the Abbott daughters, talk of the town and object of each boy's desire.

There is one person in particular who I am sure had an "it's about time" look on her face when I admitted to finally having see Inventing the Abbotts. I thought it was good. The plot is much deeper than they let on in the synopsis, and I tried not to go into too much more detail as it is really a story you should see unfold for yourself. Did you catch that? Or should I repeat that you should see this one?

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Mel Brooks Appreciation Month!

Blazing Saddles | Buy it from Amazon |

MEL BROOKS' COMIC SAGA OF COWBOYS AND IMBECILES.

The railroad's bound to run right through the sleep town of Rock Ridge. Land there will be worth a fortune - but the townfolk already own their land. How do you drive them out? Send in the roughest, toughest, meanest, leanest gang you've got...and appoint a new sheriff you figure will last about 24 hours.

But that's not really the plot of Blazing Saddles, just the pretext. Once Mel Brooks' lunatic film - many call it his best - gets under way, logic is lost in a blizzard of gags, jokes, quips, puns, howlers, growlers, and outrageous assaults upon good taste - or any taste at all.

Cleavon Little as the new lawman, Gene Wilder as the wacko Waco Kid, Brooks himself as dimwitted politico and Madeline Kahn in her Marlene Dietrich sendup that earned an Academy Award nomination all give this sagebrush saga their lunatic best. And when Blazing Saddles can't contain itself at the finale, it just proves the Old West will never be the same!

Young Frankenstein | Buy it from Amazon |

Mel Brooks' monstrously crazy tribute to Mary Shelley's classic pokes hilarious fun at just about every Frankenstein movie ever made. Summoned by a will to his late grandfather's castle in Transylvania, young Dr. Frankenstein (GENE WILDER) soon discovers the scientist's step-by-step manual explaining how to bring a corpse to life. Assisted by the hunchbacked Igor (MARTY FELDMAN) and the curvaceous Inga (TERI GARR), he creates a monster (PETER BOYLE) who only wants to be loved. CLORIS LEACHMAN, MADELINE KAHN, KENNETH MARS, and GENE HACKMAN co-star in this inspired vision of lunacy.

Mel Brooks' History of the World Part I | Buy it from Amazon |

Mel Brooks' uproarious version of history proves nothing is sacred as he takes us on a laugh-filled look at what really happened throughout time. His delirious romp features everything from a wild send-up of "2001" to the real stories behind the Roman Empire (Brooks portrays a stand-up philosopher at Caesar's Palace), the French Revolution (Brooks reigns as King Louis XVI) and the Spanish Inquisition (a splashy song-and-dance number with monks and swimming nuns.) It's Mel and company at their hilarious best.

Spaceballs | Buy it from Amazon |

May the farce be with you in this hysterically funny space oddity, created by comic genius Mel Brooks, that will send you into hyperspace with fits of laughter! Lampooning everything from Star Wars to Star Trek, this outrageous send-up of epic sci-fi movies is full of cosmic crazies who score "eight trillion on the laugh meter" (Gene Shallit, NBC-TV)!

Fearless - and clueless - space heroes Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half man/half dog sidekick Barf (John Candy) wage interstellar warfare to free Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) from the evil clutches of Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis). On the way to the rescue - in their Winnebago - they confront the huge, gooey Pizza The Hutt (voice of Dom De Luise), sassy robot Dot Matrix (voice of Joan Rivers) and a wise little creature named Yogurt (Brooks), who teaches them the mystical power of "The Schwartz" in order to bring peace - and merchandising rights - to the entire galaxy!

A man who teaches dateless wonders how to become irresistible to women learns just how hard it can be to do it yourself in this romantic comedy. When a guy in New York City wants to make the right impression with a certain lady, Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Will Smith) is the man he calls. Hitch has made a career out of coordinating a man's first three dates so that they'll show him to his best advantage (for a price, of course), and more than a few have taken women to the altar they first started courting with Hitch's help. But Hitch discovers his own romantic limitations when he falls for Sara (Eva Mendes), a journalist who has her own ideas about romance, and might just expose Hitch's underground business to the world. In the midst of all this, Hitch has his hands full with Albert, a sweet but socially inept man who has enlisted Hitch's services.

Two funny men team up to bring you a funny movie. Kevin James enlists the help of Will Smith, the "Date Doctor", to impress the woman he desires. James is not the only man in New York who seeks out Hitch. He does not give all of the tools, just the tips necessary to get you through the first three dates, then you are on your own.

Will Smith throughout his career has played characters so smooth, so charming, that you cannot help but smile at some of the moves he makes. Where Hitch fell short for me was not doing enough of this. Only one scene has Smith at the bar, with Michael Rappaport of all people, where he approaches a beautiful woman. What I wanted was Hitch, a romantic comedy, to focus more on the comedy and less on the romantic.

Kevin James, a hilarious stand-up comedian and star of TV's King of Queens, was more awkward than funny. They could have cast someone far less talented in his role and done just as well. He was overqualified.

Quick spoiler, so close your eyes if you've not yet seen the movie. I was very disappointed that Kevin James actually got the girl he sought after. I thought the right move would be to show her as more than meets the eye, to the disappointment of James, then have him meet the unlikely love of his life in Casey, friend of Hitch's girl.

The movie started out very well, but then slowly tapered off. Was it good? Yes. Could they have simply done more with it? Absolutely.

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Warren: Who glued these quarters down? A.J.: I did. Warren: What the hell for, man? A.J.: I don't feel that I need to explain my art to you, Warren.

Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey (American Beauty) stars with Oscar nominee Kate Winslet (Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) in a powerfully gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller hailed as "provocative!" (ABC-TV) An electrifying, suspenseful journey into deadly conspiracy and murderous deception begins when a respected professor who may - or may not - be guilty is charged with a brutal crime. The Life of David Gale is a brilliantly unpredictable thriller, which builds relentlessly to a shocking final twist guaranteed to blow you away!

For two years I have had a coworker asking me on a semi-frequent basis, "Have you watched The Life of David Gale, yet?" I finally told her I have now seen it. I hope she is able to sleep better.

We have a man who has been a well known public figurehead (Spacey) in opposition of the death penalty (in Texas no less) sitting, rather ironically, on Death Row for murder. He has remained silent about his case, though now wants to talk. He offers exclusive rights for an interview to one publication and requests the journalist by name (Winslet).

She is given the opportunity to speak with him in a series of three two-hour blocks. One each day for the three days prior to his execution. What he tells her over the course of these talks is a story of his divorce, not having custody of his son, and his life as a professor of philosophy. When she walks in to meet with him the first time, she has a pre-determined opinion of him and his crime. Will that change as they talk?

Gale tells her that he wants her to find the truth, though she denies there is any more truth than what has been introduced at trial. Maybe he can make her believe otherwise.

The movie was ok; nothing to write home about. The acting was surprisingly poor. For two people who had received such impressive accolades, I would generally expect much more. Nothing seemed at all rehearsed. It was as if everyone was reading their lines for the first time. There was a lack of feeling in almost every word spoken. The saving grace was Laura Linney (<3). I thought she was good.

The story itself was entertaining enough, though a touch predictable. I am not one to sit and try to figure things out ahead of time. I do not want to ruin the story for myself, but this time I didn't have much choice. The pieces all practically fell right into place. I hate to say the quote in the synopsis touting the movie as "a brilliantly unpredictable thriller" is not entirely true...

I was entertained. I will not try and pretend I wasn't. I cannot deny the feeling I had when the movie was over that they could have done a lot more with it, however. I am not in a huge rush to see this one again, but I cannot think of any good reason(s) why most people wouldn't enjoy it.

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From the creators of the Academy Award winning Spirited Away comes the visually stunning The Cat Returns.

Haru, a schoolgirl bored by her ordinary routine, saves the life of an unusual cat, and suddenly her world is transformed beyond anything she ever imagined. The Cat King rewards her good deed with a flurry of presents, including a very shocking proposal of marriage to his son! Haru then embarks on an unexpected journey to the Kingdom of Cats, where her eyes are opened to a whole other world and her destiny is uncertain. To change her fate, she'll need to learn to believe in herself and, in the process, she will learn to appreciate her everyday life.

Featuring the sensational voice talents of Anne Hathaway, Cary Elwes, Peter Boyle and Elliott Gould, The Cat Returns is a magical animated adventure that will delight and inspire everyone.

Another film from Studio Ghibli, The Cat Returns is a fun little film about believing in yourself. With that as the theme, the movie spent surprisingly little time portraying this lesson and focused more on the rest of this far-fetched, if not enjoyable, story.

A young girl saves a cat from being run over by a truck. This unusual cat turns out to be son of the Cat King. One of the many generous gifts she receives from the king is the offer of his son's hand in marriage.

Before she knows it, she finds herself enlisting the aid of another unusual cat, known as Baron. Baron, with the voice of Cary Elwes, is a very distinguished and daring gentleman (gentlecat?) who goes the extra mile to save young Haru.

Bored by her "normal" day to day life, Haru struggles to believe in herself. It is this change within herself, coupled with the help of the Baron, which saves her from the Cat Kingdom.

Like Kiki's Delivery Service and others, The Cat Returns has a low rating (G, PG). I will not necessarily go so far as to say they are children's movies, though they are geared more towards children. They are fun to watch and are cute stories. There is not much more than that to take away, even though as with everything Studio Ghibli has given us, The Cat Returns was very visually pleasing. The animation was beautiful.

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Acclaimed writer/director Jon Favreau stars as a struggling actor about to enter a weirdly comic twilight zone. After agreeing to deliver a mysterious suitcase to a remote desert truck stop in exchange for $25K, John Person (Favreau) finds himself trapped in a bizarre world of unusual characters. Is the whole town mad, or are the loony locals the only sane things about this strange parallel universe called The Big Empty?

Jon Favreau, ironically or not, plays an actor who has not found work in awhile. Between casting auditions, he scrapes by as a courier. As he was just sitting down to calculate just how many thousands of dollars he is currently in debt, a knock comes at his door. The "crazy" neighbor from down the hall comes to Favreau with the proposition of a financial clean slate. If he will deliver a package to Baker, California, he will be given the money to pay off his credit cards.

Accepting the job, the story is about the people that he meets while waiting to make his "drop" to a mysterious man known only as Cowboy. The small desert community is full of crazy people who speak frequently about alien abductions. Are they crazy, though? Or are they the only ones that know the truth?

Ok. I know the plot does not sound like a movie that is terribly exciting, but at least it was really really bad. It is not a long list, nor is it a distinguished one, but The Big Empty has made my list of Worst Movies.

I decided to watch The Big Empty based solely on cast. Jon Favreau, in this man's opinion has done good things (Swingers, Made, PCU). And...I may or may not have somewhat of a schoolboy crush on Rachael Leigh Cook. Is that such a crime?

So my desire to dunk Rachael Leigh Cook's pigtails in my inkwell is not a crime, but making this movie should have been. I know I am being harsh, but I can see no reason why either Jon Favreau or Joey Lauren Adams would agree to be a part of such a film. The way I have it figured out is that Favreau owed the Director a favor. Sort of a "get me a date with your sister...and fine, I'll be in your stupid movie" type of favor. Ms. Adams has bills to pay like the rest of us. She just needed a little something to tide her over until the next Kevin Smith picture. And yes, I will admit it, Rachael does not really have a strong track record with making good movies. It makes sense to me that she was in this one. There is no mystery there.

If I can keep just one other person from making the mistake I did in seeing The Big Empty, then I have succeeded as a person. The hours spent watching movies and toiling over my reviews will at that point all be worth it. On the contrary, if I cannot deter you from seeing this movie then I apologize in advance for failing you. But it is not my apology that you should seek, it is that of EVERYONE who played part in making this movie.

And now let us never speak of this one again...

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Why?

Clapping in the theater at the end of a good movie is as effective as yelling at your television as you watch your team play poorly, yet if I had to pick one of the two that bothered me, it is the applause.

It does not happen frequently; at least not in my experience (and I attend my fair share of movies). But when it does, boy does it get under my skin. The last time it happened was when I saw The Aristocrats! and before then was The Polar Express.

Do people expect the director and/or lead to come out from behind a curtain for a bow? Is there a subculture of theater clappers? Is this something learned from parents? How does one develop into a theater clapper? Is there an elaborate recruitment process by which new generations of theater clappers are selected? I think answers to some of these questions might lead to a seedy underbelly of cinema. Maybe the path to the theater clapper elite would reveal organized crime and corruption that goes all the way to the top! Imagine the possibilities...

Leave well enough alone, you say? Not me.

Oh how I would love to pick the brain of one of them. Do you think it would be frowned upon if I began to go to the movies with a harpoon in hopes of capturing one? Imagine the studies that could be conducted. All in the name of science! I wonder if my prisoner would then be able to be reconditioned. Could we train them to NOT clap after movies? That certainly would be ideal.

Maybe it is not even for the movie itself, but rather the projector operator. This I can get on board with, I guess next time I will applaud you, too. You sure switch the reels well.

Did I really lay out parallels between clapping at the end of a good movie and La CosaNostra? Ok, maybe I am a little too hung up on this.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Director Terry Gilliam ("Brazil") and an all-star cast, including John Neville, Eric Idle, Oliver Reed and Uma Thurman, deliver this tale of the enchanting adventures of Baron von Munchausen on his journey in a hot air balloon to search for his old comrades-at-arms.

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A man walks into a talent agent's office to promote his family act. He describes for the agent what the act consists of and when asked what they call their act, the man says, "The Aristocrats!"

I know it doesn't look funny. It also has one of the weakest punch lines since the creation of humor, but that is not the point. The point is that for a story that lasts anywhere between 30 seconds and upwards of 15-20 minutes, it is not about the punch line.

That is a joke that has been passed through the close circles of stand up comedy for generations. Comedians tell this joke when they get together with other comedians. Every veteran comedian not only has heard it at some point in their career, but now even has their own adaptation which they tell frequently, though never on stage. They go on to say that stand up comedy is not about jokes, it is about telling funny occurrences. Jokes are for hack comedians. Few exceptions have been made, one of which was Gilbert Gottfried at the Hugh Hefner Roast.

Comedians Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette decided to make a documentary involving 100 of their friends; the biggest names in comedy. The idea was to have everyone talk about the aura surrounding this joke. Everyone knows it. Everyone has an opinion on it. Everyone has their own versio