Here are some movies we really like. Some are big budget films that everyone has heard about while others are smaller, low budget independents as well as direct to video gems. You can buy them (from Amazon), rent them (from NetFlix or Blockbuster), or in some cases. download or watch them online.
From the twisted genius mind of Michael Simmons comes the soon to be underground classic American Fetish (visit http://www.americanfetishfilm.com/ to see the online preview and to order the DVD).
Combining genres of film noir, beautifully shot BSDM fetishism with a touch of whimsy and a nod to Roman Polanski's Repulsion, the new "American Fetish" movie is a genre cracking thriller that will make you gasp for forgiveness ... or punishment. Who is the murderer? Who died and why?
American Fetish has great imagery that will live seared into the back of your brain for months. Yes the acting is a little spotty and the plot a bit convoluted but this romp through a cavalcade of fetishes, orgies and miscellaneous perversions is a fun way to spend a couple hours with the one you love to hurt the most. I liked it so much that I deserve a spanking...please.
"Nothing But The Truth" may be the sleeper video of 2009. Great writing, acting and directing. Excellent portrayal of powerful women making tough decisions. It is very loosely inspired by the Valerie Plume FBI agent scandal.
Kate Beckinsale and Academy Award® nominee Matt Dillon (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Crash, 2004) lead an all-star cast in this explosive story about a Washington, D.C. reporter who faces a possible jail sentence for outing a CIA agent and refusing to out her source. The all-star cast includes Academy Award nominees Alan Alda (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for The Aviator, 2004), Angela Bassett (Best Actress in a Leading Role for What's Love Got to Do with It, 1993); Emmy Award nominee David Schwimmer (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Friends, 1994), Golden Globe nominee Noah Wyle (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture for ER, 1997-99) and Vera Farmiga (The Departed).
"Let the Right One In" may be the best vampire flick ever. Vampires in Norway? Its a wonderful, sweet love story between a couple of teenagers. Of course, it has its gore and great moments of cinematic brilliance. We loved the scene of the cats attacking the recently awakened fledging vampire. Its incredible and even sort of funny.
Oscar, a 12-year-old fragile and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl he befriends, who moves into his building. When Oscar discovers that Eli is a vampire it does not deter his increasing feelings and confused emotions of a young adolescent.
Bad title - great film! "In The Electric Mist" is brilliantly written, directed and produced. A real sleeper. Lots of great New Orleans's atmosphere and post Katrina murder suspense. It stars Tommy Lee Jones as a world weary detective with high morals.
This is a very interesting movie that features Jean Claude Van Damme portraying a burnt out, move actor who is stumbling through the last years of his career. Its a totally intriguing look at stardom and Jean Claude. Its fascinating
" Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself in this meta-crime comedy that finds him garnering more headlines than he's had in years after stumbling into an in-progress bank heist. Down and out, with only straight-to-DVD titles under his belt and a recent job lost out to fellow has-been Steven Seagal, the aging action star returns to Belgium a broken man fresh from losing a custody case for his daughter in Hollywood. Upon his arrival, the bad news continues with a disastrous ATM encounter that leads him into the bank and straight into a robbery situation, for which he's about to be blamed. Soon, crowds grow outside on the street, with the cops quick to point the finger at him and his fans cheering for his release. The film garnered a cult following during its festival run and awarded Van Damme his first theatrical release in the States in almost a decade." ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Flash of Genius - This movie is a lot better than it sounds. It follows the sort of true story of one man's successful quest as he battles the corporate behemoths that stole his ideas and inventions.
"Greg Kinnear stars in director Marc Abraham's man-against-the-system docudrama Flash of Genius as inventor Robert Kearns, the visionary who developed the modern intermittent windshield wiper. Kearns submitted the invention to each of the big three auto companies, each of which promptly rejected it; the companies then turned around and put the device to use. The enraged inventor spent several decades attempting to collect on his patent, and mounting lawsuits that traveled all the way to the Supreme Court; he eventually collected over 30 million dollars for his obsession. Abraham co-authored the script with Scott Frank and Phillip Railsback, adapting an article by John Seabrook that originally appeared in The New Yorker. Dermot Mulroney plays Kinnear's best friend, with Lauren Graham rounding out the supporting cast." ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
"Body of Lies" is very dark, violent and vicious - if you like this sort of action filled, hard boiled New York Cop family dramas, you will love this. Not for kids, but a great evenings entertainment for adults. Its very well written and directed with some outstanding action sequences.
"Fresh off of their success with director Martin Scorsese's The Departed, star Leonardo DiCaprio and screenwriter William Monahan team with director Ridley Scott for this screen adaptation of David Ignatius' novel Body of Lies. When CIA operative Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) uncovers evidence indicating that a major terrorist leader may be operating out of Jordan, he enlists the aid of CIA veteran Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) in infiltrating the elusive saboteur's vast underground network. During the course of his dangerous mission, Ferris gradually comes to question how much he can trust his presumed allies -- who include not just Hoffman, but the outwardly helpful head of Jordanian intelligence as well." ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Even if you never saw the "Dead Like Me" TV show you will love this flick. It delivers a very unique and engrossing story concept with sweet acting and posse full of intriguing characters. Its funny and will make yout think about the divide between life and death without being overly pedantic.
"The strict reaper rules take a backseat to moving souls quickly and enjoying an existence without consequence when George and her colleagues get a new boss in this feature continuation of the cancelled television series Dead Like Me. There's a new boss in town, and that means a whole new way of operating for George and her fellow reapers. At first it seems like a blessing to see the rules relaxed a bit, but before long the gang discovers that death can be just as complicated as life. Now, while George's friends are all seduced by the allure of success, money, and fame, she makes the mistake of revealing her true identity to her living family. Whoever said death was easy, anyway?" ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
You can get the ShowTime Season packages at Amazon. Strongly recommended!
"Choke" is bizarre. Full of sex, con artists and strange practices, this is definitely a sleeper film for those who are looking something a bit different in entertainment. Read the book and watch the move.
"Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell) has got some problems -- when he's not at Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings hunting for women to bed, he masquerades as a choking victim in restaurants as a scheme to gather money from unsuspecting strangers, which he uses to keep his ailing mother (Anjelica Huston) in a high-end extended-care facility for her extreme dementia. But what happens when this messed up Colonial-era theme-park employee finds Mrs. Right in the guise of his mother's doctor -- and how can he give their relationship a try when she tells him he's the next coming of Jesus Christ? Based on Chuck Palahniuk's (Fight Club) pitch-black comedic novel, Choke is adapted and directed by David Mamet alumni Clark Gregg, whose career spans stage, screen, and TV work as well as a screenplay credit for Robert Zemeckis' 2000 thriller What Lies Beneath." ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
This is a wild movie - very sensuous, sexy and just slightly perverted.
Wild Things is the kind of lurid, trashy thriller that you'll either dive into with unabashed pleasure or turn away from in prudish disgust; it's entirely your choice, but we suggest the former option since it's obviously much more fun. The plot's so convoluted it's hardly worth describing, except to say that it's set in humid Florida and involves a respected high school teacher (Matt Dillon--yes, Matt Dillon as a teacher!) who is faced with accusations of rape by a student (Denise Richards, from Starship Troopers) who had been giving him the kind of attention most people would consider improper for such a "nice" young lady. Another student (Neve Campbell) raises a similar charge against the teacher, and that's when a police officer (Kevin Bacon) begins to investigate the allegations. Just when you think the movie's gone overboard with its shameless sex and absurdly twisted plot, in drops Bill Murray as an unscrupulous lawyer (of course) to spice things up with insurance scams and welcomed comic relief. As directed by John McNaughton (who has a way of making just the right moves with this kind of film noir melodrama), Wild Things is a bona fide guilty pleasure--the kind of movie you may be ashamed to enjoy, but what the heck, you'll enjoy it anyway. --Jeff Shannon
Gaia Selene
This is a very well produced, very well thought out documentary about space exploration and the future - and more specifically, how moon exploration and colonization may be the best solution for solving many of Earth's problems regarding the energy crisis, global warming and others. The ideas and concepts are very thought provoking and extremely interesting. This would be a great DVD to show to middle and high school students to ignite their interest in science and the potential of outer space. In addition, the political angle to space exploration is also examined as the moviemakers explain how Vietnam short-circuited America's move into space during the late 1960's and how the current Middle east wars and conflicts are sapping money and interest from space today. You can get more information at http://www.gaiaselene.com (MS)
Human Nature is the story of of one of the oddest love quadrangles ever. The leading woman (Patricia Arquette) has a bad problem with too much body hair, her lover and behavioral scientist (Tim Robbins) is trying to teach mice table etiquette to mice, his sex-bomb French laboratory assistant (Miranda Otto) has a big secret, and the engaging but feral man-creature (Rhys Ifans) who was raised in the wild like an ape. Also features Robert Forster, Mary Kay Place and Rosie Perez. The scene at Hooters is to die for.
Directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman, this film is quite odd, eccentric but enjoyable.
Nobel Son offers lots of twists and turns and sexy intrigue. A young man's moment of triumph is spoiled when he gets kidnapped before he can impress his father in this black comedy. Eli Michaelson (Alan Rickman), a well-respected scientist, has learned that he's won the Nobel Prize in chemistry, which is a mixed blessing for his friends and family; while Eli's ego is a bit strong under the best of circumstances, this affirmation of his talent and intelligence has made him insufferable. Eli's wife, Sarah (Mary Steenburgen), a talented forensic psychiatrist, is more than annoyed by Eli's fondness for extramarital affairs (and lack of concern about hiding them), while his son, Barkley (Bryan Greenberg), has spent much of his life struggling to live up to his dad's expectations, with little success. Barkley is about to receive his Ph.D, just in time for his father's prize ceremony, when he's abducted by a pair of hapless crooks. The kidnappers demand Eli's two-million-dollar Nobel honorarium in exchange for Barkley's safe return.
“24” season 3 set - I had never seen an episode of 24 on TV, but thanks to the DVD fad of releasing whole seasons as boxed sets, I became addicted around Xmas. Just finishing the released Season 3 set, there are some benefits they started doing for those who didn’t see it on TV. First off the quality of the DVD’s is superb with crystal clear (and occasionally, the intentional grainy) film images. But the coolest benefit is the usage of DVD technology to do things like commentary tracks, an old staple, but also a “branching version” of several (most) episodes. You can see extended and/or deleted scenes play during an episode, which rocks because so few DVD’s take advantage of the interactivity& functionality of the medium.
Betty Blue - Betty Blue (Beatrice Dalle) suffers from mental problems and is inclined to irrational bouts of passionate fury when she begins a steamy sexual relationship with Zorg (Jean-Hugues Anglade), a handyman and writer. Eventually, Betty's mental issues start to catch up to her. Will she and Zorg be able to start their life anew, or does Betty's instability mark the end of their relationship? Warning - there are lots of sex scenes in this flick - played au natural. Excellent directing and a wonderfully, convoluted plot with lots of surprises.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - This sequel to the hit movie Bridget Jones's Diary begins four weeks after the final events of the first film. The formerly single Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) discovers that life with her new beau, barrister Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), isn't everything it was cracked up to be, and neither is her new job as a news reporter for the "Sit Up Britain" television show. Co-stars Hugh Grant, Jacinda Barrett and Jim Broadbent. Not hilarious - but a great chick flick. The Magic Mushroom scene is a scream. (MS)
CatWoman- OK- so she got the Razzie for this. But it really ain't that bad. And watching Halle Berry sashay in tight leather was worth watching the entire movie. Discover how an unassuming woman named Patience Prince becomes the fiendish feline Catwoman (Halle Berry) in this purr-fect adventure movie. As Catwoman, Patience discovers she has the senses, speed, reflexes and perhaps even the nine lives of a cat, opening her to a thrilling and dangerous world where she vacillates between good and evil. Co-stars Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt and Frances Conroy. Sharon Stone is so good at being bad. This entire flick is like foreplay for the next CatWoman movie where I hope stuff actually happens...
CLOSER - Mike Nichols directed this and he is known best for actors and their performances in films like THE GRADUATE and REGARDING HENRY. Here we get to see Julia Roberts actually act, as there is no trace of her regular persona that permeates (and subsequently bores) most of her films. Clive Owen has a lot of material to work with and he earned his Golden Globe playing a dermatologist that goes from nice guy to evil by the end, whereas Jude Law plays the bastard who develops into sympathetic. The wild card of the film is the ever-lovable Natalie Portman. On a serious roll going from Garden State to Closer, playing quirky characters are all but culminated in this flick by her incredible magnetism on screen. CLOSER is for adults, as it explores sexual relations and focuses more on the male psyche's perception of women. This movie deals with sex in a very real, very honest way. Aside from a very suggestive (although ultimately visually tame) way where Natalie Portman's infamous nude scene was excised by director Nichols. Much like a favorite movie of mine, YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS, each character in the movie is fairly detestable, with little to cling to. About the only reliability is in that we are all flawed people who make mistakes too.(JF)
CONSTANTINE - I never read the comic on which it is based, so I have no real bias when watching this solely as a movie. It’s okay. The one flaw seems to be that Keanu has pigeon-holed himself as a psychic “Neo”, complete with black trench coat. I like movies with a pseudo religious theme, and Constantine doesn’t disappoint, although they brush past things like plot in favor of FX heavy depictions of Hell and CGI demons. In a rare move, the movie goes with some “less is more” showing angels’ wings only very briefly, yet that makes them all the more realistic and compelling. Keanu can kiss any chance of not being Neo away after this movie, but Rachel Wiez (2nd time playing damsel near “Whoa” with the 1996 movie Chain Reaction) and she emotes enough for both of them (I say that without any sarcasm). Worth seeing, but not the most original movie. (JF)
Danny Deckchair - This is great. Have you ever wanted to just get away from it all? Loopy Australian truck driver Danny (Rhys Ifans) hatches a novel way to escape his drab life after a fight with his girlfriend: He ties large helium-filled balloons to his deckchair and floats away into the sky. But a violent thunderstorm sends him hurtling out over the Outback, where he lands (as in the Wizard of Oz) in a small town where no one knows him. Meanwhile, the news media is in a frenzy about Danny's fantastic disappearance. (MS)
Dawn of Twilight - He is known as Twilight...Michael Thorn..A professional assassin...He has killed more times than he can even remember, but it is that past that now haunts him deeply.Only he knows his true name and the pain that resides in his heart.He seeks an end to his career or even his own life... but he has been given one last hit. Her name is Dawn.Twilight is shown only a single photograph... nothing else... He is given 24 hours to find her and kill her... but he is not alone...There is someone else after her as well...and if he finds her first...Twilight will follow her fate....but this woman is more than just another mark......more than he could ever suspect......and time is running out. (This film contains violent themes and strong language. Parental discretion is advised.). This film has it all - bad audio, poor lighting, amateurish cinematography and editing but it the music is good, the story is all right and the acting is competent. Get it here from CustomFlix.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman - Lamely directed by Darren Grant, this film zigzags from side to side from drama to outlandish comedy to sit com romance as it tells the story of a black woman and the philandering husband that did him wrong. Produced by Tyler Perry, who wrote the screenplay from his successful play, also portrays three of the lead characters in this film. The scenes where Tyler plays the gun-toting, dope smoking and the ever so wise Medea are the highlights of the movie. The scenes of black culture, celebration and family life work well while the abuse scenes and the corny romance between the wronged wife and her new knight in shining armor suck big time. The lighting is so-so, the editing is leaden and the pacing is plodding. I really wanted to love this film but left extremely disappointed. (MS)
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle- If you liked Dumb & Dumber and Dude Where's My Car, you'll love this movie. It's sort of like the Asian version of Cheech & Chong. Sure it doesn't make a whole lot of sense but there's lots of good site gags and jokes. Plus it boasts the world's cheesiest fake raccoon and animation; Sometimes, it takes a strange night to put everything into focus. That's what happens to Harold (John Cho), a Korean-American banker, and his roommate, Kumar (Kal Penn), an Indian-American med school student. Both men are at a crossroads in life, about to make major decisions that will affect the course of their future. They arrive at wisdom by accident as they drive around their New Jersey city to find the best stoner fix: White Castle burgers. (MS)
TRY NETFLIX - its the best for home video and movies
Hotel Rwanda - Shocking and enlightening. Amid the holocaust of internecine tribal fighting in Rwanda that sees the wanton and savage butchering of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, one ordinary man (Don Cheadle) musters the courage to save more than 1,000 helpless refugees by sheltering them in the hotel he manages. Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix co-star in this powerful film. directed by Terry George, Hotel Rwanda will make you cry. Luckily most of the violence happens off-screen but your imagination makes it even all the more chilling..
Incident of Loch Ness - The quiet town of Loch Ness is invaded by a gaggle of off-kilter filmmakers in this mockumentary of making a film about the making of a film. Funded by producer Zak Penn, eccentric German director Werner Herzog heads to Scotland to shoot a documentary about Loch Ness Monster lore. John Bailey also arrives to shoot a film that reveals Herzog's creative process. Meanwhile, it becomes apparent that Penn had ulterior motives in his casting choices, and both films begin to fall apart. Unfortunately this movie is slow and not very funny. Those looking for insight into how Werner Herzog works will also be disappointed.(MS)
MILLION DOLLAR BABY - Clint Eastwood always seems to age with such dignity. His latest directorial effort shows that he gets better as he goes. Following a story of an up & coming female boxer takes a few turns (not twists) that humanize the story. Hilary Swank shows a lot of charisma as the female boxer, and Morgan Freeman as a washed up boxer, now janitor whose relationship with Eastwood's trailer have so many precious, and loveable scenes that the movie rocks from start to finish. Clint Eastwood knows his acting range and he plays it as always with his inimitable style and charm. Morgan Freeman, similarly can only vary so much - but combined with great dialogue & situations, these two greats are magical when they just gently rib one another. Add on Hilary Swank's Southern charm and this movie goes for 15 rounds.
SPOILER ALERT: Now the issues raised in the movie have sparked many controversies. The whole topic of Euthanasia brought on a lot of religious groups spoiling the movie publicly by giving away the ending in broadcasts. I guess they are protecting the rights of fictitious characters & their right to live. even though they don't really exit & the situation never happened. Overall, I loved the movie. It's unexpected, humorous, and heartbreaking. (JF)
NEW SUIT is an incredibly funny little film that takes you on a journey inside the machine that is “Hollywood”. New Suit was an official selection at over a dozen film festivals, winning Best American Independent Film at The Fort Lauderdale Independent Film Festival, and the Platinum Award for Feature Film at Worldfest Houston. NEW SUIT was directed by François Velle (Comme des rois, L’instit), produced by Christina Zilber and Laurent Zilber (Joyride, The Nazi Officer’s Wife) and written by Craig Sherman. The film stars Jordan Bridges (Mona Lisa Smile, Frequency), Marisa Coughlan (I Love Your Work, Freddy Got FIngered), Heather Donahue (The Blair Witch Project, Boys and Girls), Benito Martinez (Million Dollar Baby), Dan Hedaya (Swimf@n, Clueless), and Paul McCrane (ER, The Shawshank Redemption).
Kevin Taylor (Bridges) is a young screenwriter with a dream, but his unfortunate reality is fetching coffee (and hookers) for a washed-up producer and listening to his blowhard colleagues' mouth off about scripts they've never read. One day he jokingly mentions a "hot" script that doesn't exists; his colleagues, unwilling to admit ignorance, pretend they know all about it. Soon half of Hollywood wants the script, while the other half pretends they've already gotten, read, loved, optioned and financed it. Deftly satirizing Hollywood's inane ability to embrace only the most (literally) hollow ideas, New Suit stylistically exposes the truth: It's not the package but the packaging that counts.
No fancy editing, no fancy camerawork - just a great story that really works. Available March 15, 2005. (MS)
RAY - Two and a Half hours seem to blow by pretty quickly with this movie. If you're not a fan of his music, the movie will probably seem annoying, but as someone rose on the songs, I loved every second of it. It will be a crime if Jaime Foxx doesn't win the Oscar for best actor. Foxx embodies every ounce of Ray Charles and carries on every minor tick and gesture of the "genius of soul". The film's non linear depiction of Ray Charles's life, jumping back & forth through time, works for this film and makes a nice reveal of many past ghosts in his life.
SPOILER - my only complaint kicks in near the end with an extremely out of place flashback/fantasy scene that very nearly destroyed the entire movie for me. The scene is mercifully brief but it did rip me completely out of the moment, and my suspension of disbelief took several minutes to regain.
Jamie Foxx, again I cannot praise him enough - was so convincing that many times I had to remind myself it was NOT Ray Charles on screen. The story flows well and has a lot of detail and you care about a very flawed, yet likeable main character. (JF)
Red Riding Hood - Written by Ovidio G. Assonitis (Choke Canyon, The Visitor) and Andrew Benker, and was directed by Giacomo Cimini. This riveting film stars Kathleen Archebald, Roberto Purvis (Exorcist: The Beginning, The Mark), Justine Powell, Marco Fiorini (The Listening), Susanna Satta, Fabio Sonnino and Arianna Iachatti. Great camerawork, music and editing, outstanding direction and acting. Even though I am unfamiliar with these actors or production team, I was quite impressed with this extremely stylish and occasionally violent flick. Loosely based on the classic Red Riding Hood story, it mixes humor, horror and pathos. The only thing I didn't like was the tacked on ending... Check it out - what do you think? (MS)
Rock And Roll Frankenstein - this is hilarious. Great concept and relatively well made for a low budget film. Its all about how an ambitious record producer cajoles his scientist nephew into constructing the world's greatest musician -- stitched out of body parts from late, great rock 'n' rollers. Along the way, they steal the hands of Jimi Hendrix, the brain of Elvis and other choice bits and pieces. But controlling this monstrosity (who has a "King"-sized ego, of course) is going to be difficult. Brian O'Hara directs. (MS)
SIDEWAYS - Ever since I saw ELECTION, I've admired writer/director Alexander Payne. Now the previews for SIDEWAYS made it seem like a hilarious comedy romp with Lowell from Wings riding shotgun with Paul Giamati, who has eternally been cast in side roles since appearing in Howard Stern's PRIVATE PARTS. Ultimately, the marketing department should be shot for selling this as a comedy. SIDEWAYS is at least equal parts drama and character study along with comedy. I daresay it has more drama weight than comedy on the filmic scale. Because of this, the film was disappointing, although it is a great film. Die marketing department! Die for deceiving me!
Now back to the film itself . two guys go to Wine Country to have a week vacation before one of them gets married, the other is a failed writer trying to find out who he is & what he will do with his life. Paul Giamati gives such a rich and magical performance, I swear it's a crime he didn't get a nomination for this. Every ounce of frustration & pain his character goes through can be seen on his face. His usual way of delivering lines for comedic affect are now used to show the hurt. Awesome. Now Virginia Madsen plays up to spec on her role as a wine enthusiast/waitress, and I dug it. Thomas Haden Church, best known as Lowell Mathers on TV's WINGS got an Oscar nomination for his role in SIDEWAYS as a struggling actor days before his wedding sewing wild oats. Strangely, Church has made his film career playing kinda the bad guy, and being not so nice (see short lived TV series NED & STACY, GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE, and DEMON KNIGHT). I guess the Academy is awarding him for being able to break away from LOWELL.
Again, this film is NOT singularly a comedy or a drama. It's both and shifts back & forth expertly. My only wish is that I hadn't been expecting a comedy (damn marketing people!). (JF)
Silver City- I had very high hopes for this modern poltical parody and parable but the film moves about too slowly and has a lot of dialog. Even though GW Bush isn't mentioned by name, there is a lot that Bush bashers will love in this flick. Down-home Dicky Pilager (Chris Cooper) can't put a coherent sentence together, but he's running for governor anyway, as a candidate for those looking for an approachable leader. But his campaign hits a snag when he hooks onto a corpse in the middle of a fishing photo op. Journalist Chuck Raven (Richard Dreyfuss) smells a stink -- and a story -- so he hires a gumshoe (Danny Huston) to find out who the corpse is and its connection to the politico. MS
Spy Girls combines Korean style and culture with US teen move genre, and results in a very enjoyable and often hilarious flick. Filmmaker Han-chun Park takes this parody of detective thrillers up a notch by adding flair and sometimes-bizarre humor. North Korean secret agent Hyo-jin (Jeong-hwa Kim) crosses the DMZ to catch a thief, but heroism isn't always easy -- or fun. Since cop work doesn't pay all that well, Hyo-jin must work a second job at a fast food restaurant, where she becomes a favorite among the young guys who patronize it. What will win out? Espionage, young love, of fear of North Korea? (MS)
The Story of the Weeping Camel (2004) - This unique documentary follows a Mongolian camel that's rejected her newborn white colt. Throughout her difficult delivery, the camel is aided by a family of shepherds, who instantly notice the mother's rejection and make valiant efforts to warm the mother to her child. Now, all hope lies with the family's two young boys, who must travel across the Gobi desert to find a healing musician. This is quite interesting but the birth scenes might be a bit too graphic for young kids. Strongly recommended. (MS)
The Stupid Show - The American Dream- The debut DVD of comedy group The Stupid Show, more than two years in the making. The Stupid Show has been making comedy since 1999 but has never stepped up into making a production of it's bizarre skits and public mischief. The American Dream is the finished product. Some skits are funny, some are dumb and some are really offensive. However, it's a great example of what a bunch of funny guys can do with a camcorder and some editing gear. Click Here - It's just $15.99 from CustomFlix. Check out the online trailer.
This Girls Life - A truly incredible and well-written flick that deals very sensitively with the life of a porn actress. Yes, there are adult subjects and some sex scenes, but overall this is truly a great and under-appreciated sleeper movie. Porn star Moon (Juliette Marquis) wants more out of life and sets out to get it in this highly lauded drama. The sole caretaker of her Parkinson's-afflicted father (James Woods), Moon has brains and heart, which is why her pals (Rosario Dawson & Kam Heskin) don't understand why she's still in the business. But a new love (Kip Pardue) and a chance encounter with a deranged fan (Michael Rapaport) encourage her to closely examine her choices. Great acting from newcomer Juliette Marquis and James Woods. Maybe the best James Woods has done for many a year.
Troy - Big, ponderous and long-winded. A good film to while away an evening with. Odd, I don't remember the Iliad being full of all these good looking young actor types. In 1193 B.C., Prince Paris of Troy (Orlando Bloom) kidnaps legendary beauty Helen (Diane Kruger) from her husband, King Menelaus of Sparta, setting the two nations on a collision course for war. The Greeks, including Achilles (Brad Pitt), marshal their entire armada, sail to Troy and begin a decade-long siege. Eric Bana plays Hector, the leader of the Trojan forces, and Sean Bean is the wily Ulysses (of Trojan Horse fame). (MS)
Vera Drake (2004) - Vera Drake (played by the amazingly talented Imelda Staunton) spends her days doting on her working-class family. But Vera also has a secret side: Her family and friends don't know that she visits women and helps them induce miscarriages for their unwanted pregnancies -- an illegal practice in 1950s England. When her crime is discovered by authorities, Vera's world quickly falls apart, deeply affecting both her and her family. Well acted and well written with strong emotional tuggings, this is a very slow movie without much of a punch. (MS)
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