Platoon (1986) *****

Between 1986 and 1987 three major films were released about the Vietnam War: Hamburger Hill, Full Metal Jacket, and Platoon. All were haunting, depressing films that finally gave the audience a feeling of what that war really was about. Platoon was probably the most celebrated of this trio. The film follows Pvt. Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) and his tour in Vietnam. The Platoon he's assigned to is separated into two factions, one led by the sadistic Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger) and the down to earth Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe). As the film progresses the rivalry builds up until it finally explodes.

Platoon is probably one of the finest acted war films ever. Director Oliver Stone had the actors go through their own basic training before shooting the film and it helped them develop what amounts to their exhaustion that all of them feel in this film. They drag you to hell with them as they travel further and further toward death. A finely acted film.

What sets Platoon above other Vietnam war films is how personal it is. Oliver Stone wrote this film as a semi-autobiographical rebuttal to John Wayne's The Green Berets back in the mid 1970's. Stone nursed this film for a decade and his personal association with it shows on screen. What Stone shows the audience is the ideals that numerous young men went to Southeast Asia with and how all of that was flushed down the toilet as these men never knew who the enemy really was. Platoon is a chronicle of how wars with no real purpose never accomplish anything but mindless lunacy.

April Fool's Day (1986) ***

April Fool's Day is yet another film that turns a holiday into a slaughter for teenagers. The story is about a group of privileged college students that spend the weekend on a secluded island at their wealthy friend Muffy's (Deborah Foreman) home. After goofing off on the ferry causes a serious accident to an employee of the barge, students begin to disappear one by one as the rest of the group begin to realize that there's more amiss than meets the eye.

The beginning of the film feels like your standard B horror film, seeming to borrow from a little killer in the woods film called The Final Terror from five years earlier. With April Fool's Day you get more than the standard fare. The film just seems more polished with higher production values than most horror films of the era. It's predictable, yet tries to keep itself unpredictable enough that you question yourself as you go through the film. April Fool's Day is an acceptable film on many levels and will leave you more entertained than the typical slash and burn films.

Elf (2003) ***1/2

Will Ferrell does his Christmas movie in Elf, a film that isn't quite as filled with the holiday mush that comes with Christmas movies. Ferrell plays Buddy, a human that ends up in the North Pole as a baby and is raised as an elf for the next 30 years. He learns about his dad (James Caan) and goes to New York to meet him.
You can tell that this movie is going to be full of the usual sentiment of a fish out of water story and it essential is sprinkled with the standard holiday messages that Hollywood seems to use to cleanse its soul every November and December. What makes this move a little better than average is one thing:

James Caan.

That's right. James Caan. The man. The myth. The Legend. He just looks like he's ready to punch someone throughout the entire film. And that's what makes this an above average holiday flick.

Caan.

Land Of The Dead (2005) ***1/2

OK entry from George Romero in his Living Dead saga. Civilization has totally collapsed and the world is ruled by the undead except in a walled city that is-shock-split into a class system that provides as much drama as the zombies do.

Romero actually gets some big name talent for this installment (John Leguizamo and Dennis Hopper being the top stars) and a higher budget to give us a glossy and polished dead film that screams of social commentary (as did the first three). What makes this film different from those is that the undead are learning and remembering their old human behaviors. They can solve problems instead of drooling their way into some pretty young things jugular which gives and interesting take to the genre that Romero has invented.

I wouldn't call this the best film of the Dead saga, though it seems unfair to call it the worst either. It is the weakest of the saga, but the one thing you can give George Romero credit for is that he has the ability to recreate his creation every time he steps into that world of rotten, walking flesh. A true genius at his creation. Land of the Dead isn't his greatest work, but compared to some of the other horror product (and regurgitation) that's in the market today it is vastly superior.

Zack And Miri Make A Porno (2008) ****

Kevin Smith delivers a hilarious flick with Zack and Miri Make A Porno which details the trials of a couple of losers trying to eliminate their credit problems by making a pornographic movie.

Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks play the title characters who end up without heat, water, and the possibility of no place to live when they devise their idea. They enlist a group of pseudo-pornostars (including Smith regulars Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson) to create their get out of debt scheme to work.

You must remember that this is a Kevin Smith movie so it's going to be raunchy, filthy, and full of the most vulgar dialogue you'll hear this year. That's what makes this so funny. In everyone there's a thirteen year old boy dying to get out and talk about basic bodily functions and what Skinamax film runs after 9 PM. It's a film about discovery that you never have to leave the coffee shop on your perverted, vulgar trip.

Hamlet 2 (2008) ****

I've never really liked the inspiration teacher films. You know the ones. Stand and Deliver, Mr. Holland's Opus, and so on (Lean on Me is excluded from this list). What Hamlet 2 does is take that sub genre and turn it upside down by making the teacher a pathetic moron and letting the students learn from his mistakes.

Steve Coogan plays Dana Marchz, a washed up actor who is a drama teacher in Tuscon. His class is usually two students and his poorly attended plays are usually stage remakes of big Hollywood movies. When he gets a large influx of students he goes into Mr. Holland mode, even though none of the kids respond to him. It's not until the drama program gets eliminated by budget cuts that he gets the kids motivated by making an over the top sequel to William Shakespeare's Hamlet which includes a time machine and appearances by Einstein and Jesus Christ.

Hamlet 2 is not like watching a person stumble into something bigger and better than himself. He train wrecks into it. He sinks the Titanic into it. Dana's life is literally falling apart around him and this little play ends up a redemption tale somewhat with him ironically playing the role of a current trendsetter Jesus Christ who appears in the musical number "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" which will be in your head for days after seeing this movie. I'm humming it right now. The film accomplishes the parody of those mentor movies but ends up in the same place- giving something to their students, even if it is offensive and not politically correct. It's one of those movies that's funny, but it's not turned on trying to get laughs every five minutes. It gets them anyway. And no, I'm not giving this praise because of my Elisabeth Shue fetish.

Tropic Thunder (2008) ****

Tropic Thunder is about a cast of actors who after flubbing up a major war film production are dropped into the jungle to film "guerrilla style", but when everything gets screwed up they end up in their own war zone.

Ben Stiller directed Tropic Thunder and it's probably his best film ever. He plays the over the top action star Tug Speekman, a man with a career in the toilet. jack Black plays the white Eddie Murphy who is battling a drug addiction that compromises the "operation". Robert Downey, Jr. plays Kirk Lazarus, a Australian method actor who is playing a black soldier in Vietnam. Downey deserves an Oscar nomination for this. There, I said it. Another actor who has his best role in years in Tropic Thunder is Tom Cruise. He plays a great pissed off, bald, overweight producer. It's not a cameo, it's a big part of the film.

Hollywood sure does get crucified in Tropic Thunder. Producers, agents, directors, writers, actors all get unflattering portrayals. The sad part is that you know that some of this stuff is probably true. Tropic Thunder is a hilarious look into the "world" of big budget, big star action flicks. Over the top? Yes, but that's what movies are for.

Ghost Town (2008) ****

I'll admit it. I like Ricky Gervais. I like smart ass Brits and the comedic rhythm that comes with them. In Ghost Town he plays super anti-social dentist Bertram Pincus (with a name like that no wonder he's anti-social). Dr. Pincus ends up going in for a common colonoscopy, but ends up dying on the table for a few minutes. That's not the problem though. His problem is when he wakes up he sees dead people. And they all want something. Pincus ends up getting cornered by Frank (Greg Kinnear) a ghost who promises him that he can make them all leave him alone if he can help him break up the his widow Gwen (Tea Leoni) and her new fiance (Bill Campbell).

Yes, the basic premise is from Ghost, but with Ghost Town see a man rise from the malaise that his life has become. He had to drop dead to live again. Like I said Gervais will make you laugh in the beginning by being such a jerk and in the end by being a charming jerk. He's risen from the dead. Even though the story could be a little tighter Ghost Town is a good almost romantic comedy. Almost? It doesn't quite get there and there is sentiment but not mushy sentiment. A good, laid back comedy.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) ****

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is like a John Cusack film, except raunchier and less Peter Gabriel.

Peter is dumped by his TV star girlfriend (Kirsten Bell) and decides to take a trip to Hawaii where... his girlfriend has gone with her new boyfriend. Peter plays The Lonely Guy so well in the beginning that I expect Charles Grodin to show up and say hi. As he meets an odd assortment of characters and gets sweet with one of the employees (Mila Kunis) he begins to realize that there is life and love after Sarah Marshall.

This film is a close relative to a typical Adam Sandler romantic comedy except it has better writing, better, direction, better acting, and is actually funny. It may not be as funny as some of this gangs other work, but Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the most pleasing date movie that's been released this year.

Righteous Kill (2008) ****

Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro have done a lot of crap in the last decade or so. I'm not a Meet the Parents fan and I haven't touched 88 Minutes yet (I'll probably see it Tuesday) but I still have to respect these two guys (even after Rocky and Bullwinkle and Gigli). At least they're not Nicholas Cage.

So after 1995's Heat DeNiro and Pacino are together again in Righteous Kill, which is the story of a vigilante serial killer who may be a cop and the guys that are after him (DeNiro and Pacino). That's the plot, so I won't delve into anymore. To be honest, the plot is almost Lifetime TV-ish and the film isn't directed with much zeal considering it's New York City. The thing that saves this film is DeNiro, Pacino, and the supporting cast including John Leguizamo, Donnie Wahlburg, Carla Gugino, and Brian Dennehy. The acting saves what would otherwise be a forgettable film in the $5 bin at Wal Mart. The plot is predictable and a little elementary. but it's still just so damn fascinating to see Pacino and DeNiro together on screen honing their craft.

Righteous Kill is an average cop drama with above average actors. You shouldn't see this movie for the story. Just watch it for the acting from everyone involved (except 50 Cent). The pair still have their chops, they're just running into that Dustin Hoffman phase of their career: all the get are below average scripts. They're still great actors.

And they're not Nicholas Cage.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) ****

Don't let Ang Lee's 2003 film Hulk drive you away from this film. The Incredible Hulk is like a bandage on the first film (you can call this a sequel to that film, but I tend to see it as a sequel to a film that was never made).

The Incredible Hulk isn't a mere smash and trash film. A large portion of the film delves into the feeling of alone that Banner has to deal with as he finds a way to cure himself. The film acts as a ying yang: one man wants the power while the other does not.

Tim "Mr. Orange" Roth plays Blonskey, who ends up as the only competition for the Hulk. Liv Tyler gives life to the role of Betty Ross. William Hurt's performance was the one that shocked me. Who would have thought that William Hurt would act rings around Sam Elliott in the role of the hard ass, cigar chomping General Ross.

It's not quite the film that Iron Man was, but the fact that Marvel is producing their own films now hopefully means that we'll never see another debacle like Spider-man 3. Marvel honors their characters, be them good or bad. You have to toast Marvel for that.

Be Kind Rewind (2008) ****

Be Kind Rewind is one of those movies for people who like movies. I don't know what it is about the nostalgia of old mom and pop video stores that carried VHS tapes, laser discs, and (SHOCK) Beta.
When a small video store/thrift shops entire inventory of VHS tapes are erased by a magnetic Jack Black the chase is on for Mos Def to satisfy the one regular customer they have left. So they remake the films themselves with cardboard special effects and no editing at all. What amazes the pair is that suddenly everyone wants their favorite movies "sweded" by the pair.

Be Kind Rewind is a film that is just as sentimental as it is funny. The underlying plot is that the old owner of the building (played by Danny Glover) is fighting with the city to save his home. Scenes with Jack Black and Mos Def remaking King Kong (notice the irony in that) are intertwined with scenes of Glover trying vainly to find ways to streamline his business to keep the building.

As I said, Be Kind Rewind is a nostalgic journey for those of us that remember the big, bulky video tape cladden mom and pop stores where you could get flicks like I Spit On Your Grave and Crawlspace without having to actually purchase the thing off Amazon. The smell of old cardboard cases that have faded with sunlight brings back memories of 60 seconds of silence before an FBI warning and using this thing called a tracking button.

I Am Legend (2007) ****

I Am Legend is about military scientist Robert Neville (Will Smith) who is the lone uninfected survivor of a man made plague in the middle of Manhattan. His mission is to develop a cure and end the catastrophe that man has brought upon himself, but he's not alone in NYC- the infected turn into hairless, cannibalistic night prowlers who can not come out in the daylight.

The first thing that you realize when watching I Am Legend is how good Will Smith is in it. Yes, he does things that I call Smithisms, but overall he's very good and very solid in the role of Robert Neville. The story is well presented and tightly packaged: what could have been a three hours opus to man's mistakes is trimmed into a sleek action piece that still gives you a little bit of a message.

The one thing that drags the film down are the special effects. Now before I bash them I have to say that the effects of a Manhattan that's been deserted for three years are simply amazing. It's the infected that look like bad renders from a Playstation 2 game. They pull you out of the film and one has to wonder if conventional make-up with CGI touch-ups would have been better.

I will warn you that there are two endings for I Am Legend and unlike most films each ending is very different. After seeing both this is probably the first time that I can say that I don't really like one over the other. Both have their good points and bad. Overall the film is a nice action/psychological/thriller/drama that pulls you into a realistic post apocalyptic world that could be a few years away.

Scoop (2006) ****

A Woody Allen project that even though it doesn't play as good as his classics like Annie Hall and Manhattan still gives us a story with a twist that is a breath of fresh air compared to many of the features that are coming out today. A diamond in the rough that doesn't leave you sighing over a cliche that you've seen a thousand times (unless your talking about Woody's acting). Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johanson, and great Ian McShane (who I wish was in the film more) give the film and acting boost.

I can't forget to throw out the fact that Julian Glover, the man that played some of the greatest villains of the 1980's makes an appearance (Empire as General Veers, For Your Eyes Only as Kristatos, and Last Crusade as Walter Donovan).

Mr. Brooks (2007) ****

Kevin Costner goes against type in this 2007 thriller about a businessman who has a little addiction on the side- murder. With his alter ego Marshall (devilishly played by William Hurt) Mr. Brooks succumbs to his needs and murders a couple in the throws of passion. The always careful Mr. Brooks made one mistake this time- he was spotted by a photographer (Dane Cook) across the street and this, coupled with problems with his daughter, causes Mr. Brooks psychotic world to spin out of control.

Mr. Brooks is a great thriller that has steadily grown in popularity since its initial theatrical release. Costner is able to turn on and off the viscous creature that stirs in him.

The real standout is the actor who gives that creature depth and a presence. William Hurt steals the show Mr. Brooks alter-ego Marshall. He is the evil that men do. He is that devil that sits on your shoulder, yet there are a few instances where he seems to be the more subdued of the pair. Dane Cook and Demi Moore also give solid supporting performances as well.

If Hitchcock was still alive he would have made Mr. Brooks. Would it be better? Probably, but it has that flair that makes this film unique compared to the other thrillers that have come out in the last few years. You're rooting for the villain, aren't you?

I'm Not There (2007) ****

I'm Not There is the biography of Bob Dylan. And it isn't. Now you're probably wondering what in the hell I'm talking about, so let me explain. The film takes segments of Dylan's life and rewrites them into little stories that are related to each other... and not. Writer/director Todd Haynes gives us a film that isn't your typical music bio-pic, but something that's just as much of an enigma as Bob Dylan himself is. In this case six Bobs are better than one and with the cast that's playing Dylan(s) you can't really go wrong with this flick.

My Bloody Valentine (1981) *1/2

What at first appears as an interesting premise for a horror movie quickly derails due to bad acting, bad direction, and a bad script. My Bloody Valentine is about a town that's haunted by a miner that was trapped after being abandoned for a Valentine's Day dance. The miner named Harry Warden came back and murdered those responsible, vowing that he would return to kill if the town ever celebrated Valentine's Day again. Jump 20 years later and the town is planning on celebrating Valentine's Day for the first time since the slaughter. And lo and behold guess what happens? That's right, killing.

Like I said, the basic premise is interesting. You look forward to see how this slasher will play out. The problem that pops up rather early is the acting. It's god awful, even by horror movie standards. I've seen more style at a 1st grade Christmas program. The thing is that you're not sure if the actors are actually that bad or if the script doesn't give them much to work with. It's filled with your standard horror movie cliches that even in 1981 were well worn to no end. Some of the dialogue says it all.

My Bloody Valentine is yet another attempt to cash in on the Halloween slasher phenomenon. The '80's were filled with these flicks and very few of them were very interesting other than having something to watch on cable on the weekends. This film is a Canadian import that fails are being the real thing.

Venus (2006) ****

Venus is the story of how two aging actors (Peter O'Toole and Leslie Philips) lives are turned upside down by a teenager relative of Philip's character Ian. O'Toole plays Maurice, a seventy-something how becomes infatuated with her, but not really to the point of lust. Maurice sees her as a work of art, in some cases perfection and in others a piece that needs to be molded some more.

O'Toole's performance is fantastic and dare I say he should have gotten the Oscar for this one. The film isn't on par of Lawrence of Arabia, but his performance certainly is- a haunting look at an actor that's become a legend on stage but has failed in the other aspects of his life. He is a stranger to himself and "Venus" is a means to introduction.
In the middle of this veteran cast you have Jodie Whittaker playing Jessie a.k.a. Venus. Whittaker takes the role and runs with it (she was 25 at the time of the film) and her past career has her following in the shadowy footsteps of O'Toole and the other veteran cast members.

Even though the script for Venus can be a little ho-hum at times, the acting is what really makes this into a superior film that I would recommend seeing. Is it Peter O'Toole's swan song? I certainly hope not.

Zodiac (2007) ****

Zodiac isn't just a film about the Bay Area's Zodiac killer of the late '60's and early '70's. It's a film about the men that become obsessed with finding and understanding the killer. The film follows two cops (Dermot Mulroney and Anthony Edwards), a reporter (Robert Downey, Jr.) and a cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) who all become wrapped up in the Zodiac murders and the obsession that comes with the hunt.

What's interesting about Zodiac is that it shows how each of the four deal with the neverending case with the story mainly focused on Mulroney and Gyllenhaal's characters. The cop is obsessed with duty and catching the perp. The cartoonist is obsessed with the case as almost a sick hobby that ends up totally consuming his life.

Directed by David Fincher, who gave us the great Fight Club, Zodiac is a dark tale that shows a San Francisco that will quickly remind you of Don Siegel's version of the city in Dirty Harry (the film was based on the Zodiac case and makes an appearance in this film). But in the end the film is about the people that had to deal with the case and the toll that years of searching and loose ends takes on people for a long period of time. Sure, Zodiac can be creepy at times, but it's also a dark people piece finely acted by the cast.

Hollywoodland (2006) ****

When I was four or five years old I watched George Reeves as Superman every morning before school. You have to remember that this was almost 25 years after he first donned the cape and tights. I didn't know about the suicide, I just assumed that he was Christopher Reeve's dad (I was 5 remember?)

Hollywoodland isn't just a look at George Reeves (Ben Affleck) suicide. It's also a look at trying to make it in show business in the 1950's. Actors tried to sneak into pictures in Variety and studio bosses pulled the strings on what the public believed that their stars identities were.

Hollywoodland follows a private detective (Adrian Brody) who ends up in the employ of George Reeves' mother who believes that her son has been murdered. Intercut with flashbacks Brody follows that tale of the last few years of Reeves' life that involve the wife of a studio boss (Diane Lane), his fiance (Robin Tunney), and a vice president for MGM (Bob Hoskins).

The film is about the downward spiral of George Reeves, but it doesn't answer the question of was it murder or suicide. It just sums up the evidence and lets you decide. What I found interesting is that the cinematography tends to mimic the style of the 1950's- dull, yet colorful as if it was a bridge between black and white and color.

Hollywoodland is a great period/whodunnit film that doesn't really suffer from any major problems. A great cast and crew make this a dine film that shows us what Superman had hiding underneath that spitcurl.

Candy (2006) ****

Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish star as two twentysomething heroine addicts in Australian director Neil Armfield's Candy, the story of how drugs affect the couple love and lives. Cornish plays the title character who has fallen for the poet Dan and also proceeds to fall into the drug induced haze that Dan has slipped into. Ledger is amazing as Dan, the drug addict who doesn't know how to do anything except write poems and score smack. Geoffrey Rush also graces us once again playing Dan's father figure Casper, a drug creating organic chemist who looks after the pair in a weird way.

Candy gracefully tells the story of how this pair fell in and out of love with eachother and how drugs were always the underlying theme throughout their relationship. They seem unable to function without the fix almost as if heroine is the glue that holds them together. A depressing view, yet not to the point of being preachy. This film would probably work better than many of the Just Say No ads that have ran for the last 20 years. Begging, mooching, stealing, and hooking are all ways of life for the pair as they go through their young lives in a daze. A sad, thought provoking look that deserves some attention.

Evil Dead 2 (1987) ****

Evil Dead 2 is a weird film being that it re-makes the first film during the first 10 minutes of what I call the "Last Time On..." moment. I know people call the film a total remake, but it's a sequel ala Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street, which you could also consider remakes of the original.

Bruce Campbell returns as Ash who ends up spending a second night in the Tennessee cabin from hell. This time the doctors daughter, an assistant, and two bumpkin locals show up and the hilarity ensues. yes, i said the hilarity ensues because Evil Dead 2 is more like a slapstick horror film that will give you more chuckles and the occasional scare thrown in. This is the film that made Bruce Campbell a star as he beats himself and hams his way into the vortex of hell.

Sam Raimi has a lot more to work with this time around as the special effects and camera work are more modern instead of the piecemeal work on the first film. Those shots that kids see in the Spider-man films started with this film as Raimi works his cabin throughout the small, confined space of the cabin.

Evil Dead 2 would have been called The Three Stooges Meets Night of the Living Dead Exorcists if Larry, Moe, and Curly had lived long enough. It's one of those movies that crosses genres and that's why it's developed the cult following it has. It's one of those rare sequels that equals it's original source material.

Die Hard (1988) ****

In 1988 Bruce Willis was the guy that was on Moonlighting. Then he did a big budget action movie called Die Hard and the rest is history. The film is about an New York cop (Willis) who travels to Los Angeles in an attempt to reconcile with his wife (bonnie Bedelia) for Christmas. He travels to her office which is in the 3oth floor of a sky scraper in downtown L.A. Fate steps in as a group of Germans led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) commits a terrorist act. It's up to McClane to stop them from the inside.

Die Hard is part of the genre of 1980's high action films that were the standard in the decade. Arnie, Stallone, and the others were the kings of stuff blowing up. Die Hard was part of that mold, yet it seems to be above the others. It's hard to pinpoint why. It's full of gratuitous stuff blowing up, profanity, one liners, and bullet ridden bad guys like all the others, but this one is more watchable than most. Maybe it's becaue Willis wasn't as musclebound as Arnie and Stallone. They were pictured as super human beings while Willis is just a New York cop with a receding hairline. It's a fairly well written film that's shot for action by John McTiernan.

It spawned three more sequels, none of which lived up to the original. Die Hard was that one diamond in the rough of high octane action films that were big 20 plus years ago. Hell, it's still getting sequels.

The Dirty Dozen (1967) ****

The Dirty Dozen is a war movie that was released in an era when the country was divided on the war in Vietnam and it shows. Much of the dialogue throughout The Dirty Dozen is filled with shots at the brass who are making stupid decisions and wasting lives. The film is about a rebel major (Lee Marvin in another bad ass role) who is volunteered to lead an assignment behind the lines as a prelude to D-Day. He is to put together a small unit of soldiers from men sentenced to death or decades in prison for an attack on a French chateau that's full of German high command.

The film feels as if it's trying to be The Great Escape, but doesn't quite get it. Yes, Charles Bronson is back playing another Polish character. Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, and Jim Brown are the highlights of the dozen with Ernest Borgnine playing the general that sends Marvin on his mission and George Kennedy as the major that seems to be the voice of reason between Marvin's charcter and the brass. It's a great cast and a good script, though it seems to lull during the initial training phase the film builds up into a harrowing climax that leaves you on the edge of your seat as they take the chateau. It's this 20 minute sequences that real makes this a great film.

The Dirty Dozen is one of those World War II films that raised its head from the pool of hundreds of WWII films that have been released during the last sixty years. The story is implausible, yet the characters are engaging with some wit thrown in for good measure. It may not be the greatest war film, but it deserves recognition as a film filled with action and a bit of sarcasm at the guys that make the decisions.

RoboCop (1987) ****

Robocop is one of those movies where the concept sounds totally stupid on paper, yet on the screen it works beautifully. Peter Weller plays the title character, who is built from the remains of a murdered Detroit police officer by the corporation that has taken over law enforcement in the city.

The film is a social commentary wrapped into an action film that actually has more than one plot point going at a time. You have the robotic hero fighting crime, you have the cut throats in the ivory towers, and you have Robocop dealing with a past that he doesn't really remember. All of this interplays with the commentary on corporate America and the media nicely as the film draws to its explosive conclusion.

When I first heard of Robocop many, many, many years ago I expected a low rent Terminator, but what I got was a film that was a few rungs higher than your average '80's sci-fi action picture. A film that is still fresh and vibrant over 20 years later.

Day of the Dead (1985) ****

Day of the Dead is the third act of of George Romero's original Dead trilogy. Night of the Living Dead was the first encounter. Dawn of the Dead was civilization coming to grips with these events. Day of the Dead deals with a civilization collapsed from the outbreak that has consumed the world.

The story is about a group of military and science personnel who inhabit an underground base. Their purpose is to figure out a way to stop the dead epidemic. After just a month in this bunker the tension has reached a boiling point as the inhabitants are dwindling due to accidents and the belief that the head doctor is just taking his time in finding a solution.

A virtual gore fest with effects by the God of Blood Tom Savini (who also worked on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th) Day of the Dead is, like its predecessors, more about the conflicts between the remaining living than with the dead themselves. The living dead are like a huge MacGuffin while the interactions take center stage.

Even though it's not as great as Night or Dawn, Day of the Dead still represents Romero doing his best work. His the master of the zombie film.

The Pink Panther (1963) ****

I don't know what it is about David Niven but you can't root against the guy, He could play Judas and he would still play it with such charm that you wouldn't believe that he was the bad guy. That's the David Niven you get in the Pink Panther, though the other stand out in the film is the legendary Peter Sellers.

The film is about a jewel thief called The Phantom who Insp. Jacques Clouseau (Sellers) has been chasing for the better part of a decade. He sees his chance to catch him by keeping close to Princess Dala (Claudia Cardinale) who is the holder of the famous Pink Panther diamond. The Phantom is there in the person of Sir Charles Lytton (Niven) who is prepared to steal the diamond from the princess through his suave demeanor and charm.

On the surface the Pink Panther feels like one of those '50's and '60's pseudo sex romps that promises a roll in the hay but never produces. Those films were like the cushioned soft core porn of the Leave It To beaver generation. Two people in the same bed!?!?! Shame! The Pink Panther rises above that from the performances of Niven, Sellers, Cardinale, Capucine (as Mrs. Clouseau), and a young Robert Wagner as the newphew of Sir Lytton. It's actually a funny film with Seller's stealing the show one bit after another. It's not as much of a time capsule as some of the other films of its era have become. A classic that started a twenty year franchise.

Eraserhead (1977) ****

I could try to tell you what Eraserhead is about but why bother. That's for you to decide. It's different things to different people. To me, it's a sick, twisted, nightmarish love story.

Let's get beyond what one person thinks because it doesn't matter. You will see something that no one has seen before when you watch. Technically speaking Eraserhead is a great piece of film making. The use of light and shadow throughout the film kept reminding me of Citizen Kane. Yes, I'm comparing Eraserhead to Citizen Kane and there is no stretch to doing that. Both films are achievements in cinematography, especially since Eraserhead was shot in an old horse stable.

The main thing about Eraserhead is that it forces you to decide what it's about. That's what is great about Lynch films: they make you have to think.

The Evil Dead (1982) ****

Low budget horror at its finest, The Evil Dead brings us our first glimpse of Sam Raimi and "The Chin" Bruce Campbell in a film that like a down home Exorcist.

A group of five youths (line borrowed from TCM '73) head for a cabin in the Tennessee mountains only to discover the work of a researcher and the now legendary Book of the Dead and, of course, this is where the fun begins.
It's true that the dialogue and some of the situations that occur are not developed very well, the sheer terror of the film is 100% right on. The idea of a cabin in the woods where your nemesis is the woods is an unfathomable concept for someone to digest. Raimi uses this perfectly as the group get picked away one by one, but it's not the standard horror fare of the survivor finding bodies strewn all over the place. It is this lucky person that has to perform the final cut to save himself.

The Evil Dead is a classic horror film that has grown beyond its hokey beginnings in the hills of Tennessee. A creepy film that will have your heart racing throughout its 87 minute running time.

Lost Highway (1997) ****

Even though it's not as approachable as Blue Velvet or a total masterpiece like Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway once again represents the way David Lynch attacks filmmaking. He doesn't us a linear line from beginning to end. He shoots right for the heart and blows it to pieces.

I'm not even going to start describing the plot- that would take forever and you wouldn't understand it anyway. The film deals with jazz musician Fred (Bill Pullman) and his emotions. Guilt, jealousy, rage, obsession. That's what the film's about and it all manifests itself into a demon keeping a tally in the butchers bill.

Lynch's shots are great throughout the film and the details I noticed made me realize how in tune he is to his films. I never realized until watching Lost Highway that I had never actually heard the "boot-up" of a VCR in a film before. It's all in the details.

Lost Highway isn't David Lynch's best work, but it does deliver a little thought process time that only a David Lynch film can do.

Network (1976) ****

Peter Finch won an Oscar from beyond the grave for his performance as the manic newscaster Howard Beale in Sydney Lumet's Network, an honor that was quite deserved. Network is about the UBS network, the fourth place gutterball station that decides to fire Finch's character which prompts him to announce that he plans to kill himself on the air in a week. This one act by Beale causes UBS to take a hard left turn into a no mans land of network news and entertainment by turning Beale into a prophet/variety star that posts some of the biggest ratings in television history. An excellent cast featuring William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Robert DuVall, and Ned Beatty go along for the ride.

Network is one of those pre-Star Wars 1970's films that tells us that the world is a manipulated piece of shit. This time focusing on how the world of television has dictated how we live our lives. Here's a crazy old man that tells you his truth, the prophet of the tube. Peter Finch's performance is amazing as he stops the illusions and expresses how he feels about the tube world he has been a part of for so many years.

Looking back at Network thirty plus years later and it seems very prophetic in the way that television has gone, mainly in the last decade. This film predicted the reality TV craze, especially programs like Cops and America's Most Wanted. Network is a great film with great actors and a story that's almost as crazy as the shows UBS puts on the air.

Midnight Run (1988) ****

Midnight Run is a buddy/road picture that is reminiscent of the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby films of years gone by. Robert DeNiro makes is first comedic role as foul mouthed bounty hunter Jack Walsh, who is sent after a bail jumper played by Charles Grodin who has taken millions of dollars from a mobster (Dennis Farina) and given most of the film to charity. The chase is on as the mob, the FBI (led by Yaphet Kotto) and another bounty hunter (John Ashton) pursue the pair from New York City to Los Angeles.

Midnight Run is a great action/comedy film. Let's call it what the Cannonball Run tried to be. DeNiro was still in his prime with this film and plays the crusty Jack Walsh with his usual precision (at least twenty years ago). It's the interaction between DeNiro and Grodin that steals the show. These two are the definition of oil and water and most of their conversations end up in hilarity because DeNiro just can't take it anymore. DeNiro and Grodin play off each other nicely.

I was surprised by how well this film has aged, other than the fact that DeNiro's character smokes in airports, on buses, etc. Most of the films of this vintage tend to date themselves with obscure '80's references, such as Martin Brest's film prior to this one Beverly Hills Cop. Midnight Run is still as fresh as it was 20 years ago. A great picture that shows how versatile DeNiro could be.

The Sandlot (1993) ***

The Sandlot is an effective tween comedy about a group of kids who play baseball in a sandlot during the summer of 1962 and the misadventures they encounter along the way. It's a nice little romp that wan't made for awards or deep seeded thought- it's just there to entertain the entire family.

And, of course, I played in a sandlot 8 hours a day, all summer long just like the guys in this film, so it's kind of like a walk down memory lane (except I was in the '80's).

Insomnia (2002) ****

Insomnia is Christopher Nolan's follow-up to Memento that deals with L.A. homicide detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and his trip with his partner Hap (Martin Donovan) to the remote Alaskan town of Nightmute where a 17 year old girl has been brutally beaten to death. As the film and the investigations progresses Dormer falls further down a spiral caused by an internal investigation back home, the games played by a local author/suspect (Robin Williams), and the fact that the sun never sets in this land way north of the border. Hillary Swank rounds out the cast as Detective Ellie Burr, a cop start struck by Dormer's legendary status.

The script is a remake of an earlier European film with Nolan moving the setting to northern Alaska which gives quite a few great background pieces while saving others, such as a gray, fog filled beach cabin as a place to be apprehensive about. Swank is great as the detective eager to please her mentor. She almost has a Mayberryesque presence but she's far smarter than her comrades at the police station. Robin Williams continues his pattern of playing psychos in Insomnia, but this one's different. He's more a recluse that finds himself in a situation that pushes him over the edge. The madness was there, he just needed something to give him a push. Al Pacino literally looks like he's been awake for days. The dizzying shots of a mind without sleep are great from Nolan, but you can just tell in Pacino's eyes that his minds on the brink due to lack of sleep. He's almost like a dead man walking.

Insomnia is a great thriller that has twists and turns along the way, but no real huge surprises that are so prevalent today. It doesn't try to shock you. It just follows a spiral to the end of the road.

Escape From new York (1981) ****

One of the great bleak future flicks John Carpenter's Escape from New York is a tour into an urban hell that civilization created for itself. In 1997 (yeah, I know) the island of Manhattan has been turned into an overgrown Alcatraz surrounded by a state driven national police force. When Air Force One goes down in the Big Apple the police enlist Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell in the role that got him out of the pastel colors of the Walt Disney Company) to infiltrate the island and save the President.
Though the film seems a bit dated it is one of John Carpenter's better offerings and holds your attention throughout the film. Russell is great as Snake, but it's the supporting cast that's amazing. Ernest Borgnine. Harry Dean Stanton. Issac Hayes. Donald Pleasence. Tom "Halloween III" Atkins. But there is one actor that steals the show and that's Lee Van Cleef. All I can say about The Bad is when a helicopter of troops lands in the city they are all clad in body armor, helmets, and loaded to bear with weapons. Lee Van Cleef walks in with his sleeves rolled up not even packing a piece. He is the true bad ass in this picture.
Escape from New York is one of those films that's a borderline classic. Everyone's seen it yet they don't give it much credence, which is understandable. It's a pure popcorn flick with some great action, snappy lines, and an over the top plot that people savor when they go to the movies.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) ****

When you get beyond the cult following, latex, and screaming profanities at the screen and just look at the Rocky Horror Picture Show you see a sentimental journey into old B-movies. How fitting that this one should be its king (or queen).

The opening song is a trip down memory lane of old sci-fi flicks and their stars leading up to present day. What's striking about RHPS is how it is a representation of the 1970's. Who came first? Frank N. Furter or Ziggy Stardust? Total '70's excess.

But the best way to watch this film is at the theater with a group of people. RHPS is the 1950's B-movie set to 1970's sensibilities and continues to live on beyond the eras it represents.

Magnum Force (1973) ****

The first sequel in the Dirty Harry franchise is packed with a tone of young talent. David Soul, Robert Urich, and Tim Matheson appear in very early roles, but it doesn't stop there. The writers on this piece are John Milius (who did writing for both Jaws and Apocalypse Now) and the infamous Michael Cimino (before he won the Oscar for The Deer Hunter and killed a studio with Heaven's Gate).

Major crime lords are being murdered in San Francisco and Dirty Harry is back on the case to end the reign of gangland terror. But it turns out to be more than that- the killers are actually cops.
Magnum Force is a blatant reply to the outcry that surrounded the original Dirty Harry film. Harry was blasted as a right wing avenger that lived according his own law. Magnum Force shows that Harry could have stepped beyond that line and that what he does, though unorthodox, gets the job done within the bounds of the system. Magnum Force is more of a rebuttal than a sequel.

Eastwood returns in the role that made him uber-famous with gusto and even though the film isn't as gritty as the original (hell, this one is almost polished) it still gets the point across that police work isn't the glamour job that everyone thinks it is.

The Thing (1982) ****

John Carpenter's remake of the 1952 film The Thing From Outer Space (starring Gunsmoke's James Arness) plays almost like an Agatha Christie novel. You don't know who's going to get dismembered next.

After a Norwegian helicopter unceremoniously busts into an American encampment in Antarctica the camp becomes a haven for hostility and distrust as The Thing begins to mimic members of the party. Kurt Russell leads the cast as MacReady, a helicopter pilot who ends up leading the camp as they fight The Thing.

This is an age old tale told with a sci-fi twist that is bolster by some great special effects. Considering his recent work this is one of Carpenter's best efforts, though not as good as Halloween. A solid film with a very good ensemble cast.

Midnight Express (1978) ****

When you hear of a movie that's set in a Turkish prison the first thing that pops into your mind is "man love". Sorry, that's not what Midnight Express is about. Alan Parker's film is an examination of Billy Hayes' five years in hell. Brad Davis burns brightly in the lead and is supported by Randy Quaid and a great John Hurt. Parker's dark memoir of this Hades will send you reeling as Hayes is beaten down further and further into he finally goes off the wall. A great piece of film.

Dazed and Confused (1994) ****

Dazed and Confused is the story of the last day of school in 1976 and the impact it has on the lives of the students of a small suburban town. Drugs, muscle cars, drugs, arena rock, drugs, feathered hair, and we can't forget the drugs permeate this film from writer/director Richard Linklater.

When looking at the film from the outside it seems to be yet another teenage sex comedy like Porky's a decade before it and American Pie a decade after it. But what Linklater has created amounts to a modern retelling of the 1973 film American Graffiti, instead of it being 1962 it's 1976- a whole different era but the same old problems. This film could have fallen into the forgotten realm of teen sex comedy, but it has more of a heart than is apparent by the stoner images on the box. Dazed and Confused could have taken the low road and made a mint, but went on the less traveled road of telling a good story with characters that are more than just flat bread.

The Beguiled (1970) ****

The Beguiled is the film that taught Clint Eastwood that a man has to know his limitations. The film is about a Union soldier that is found by one of the young schoolgirls that are studying at a boarding school in the south during the Civil War. Regional and sexual tensions ensue as the film builds toward its conclusion of who is the predator and who is the prey.

This is not your typical Clint Eastwood/Don Siegel film. The story is reminiscent of Edgar Alan Poe, a dark, sexy tale about how a mans urges dig him deeper and deeper into trouble. The Beguiled seems to be an attempt at giving Eastwood a more dramatic turn on screen, but the problem is that he doesn't look very comfortable while doing it. The rest of the cast give us great performances as southern girls locked away by the war between the states and Siegel uses the eerie surroundings as an unconscious reminder of what lurks in the school.

The great thing about The Beguiled is that there are no heroes and villains. Everyone is guilty of something throughout the film, which makes the film a great sociology project. It shows us the evil that men (or women) do.

The Omen (1976) ****

The Omen is one of the creepiest movies I've ever seen. Once you see it the images stick with you like driving by a horrible car accident late at night. It's one of those films that has an impression that doesn't last hours or days- it lasts years.

Gregory Peck plays Ambassador Robert Thorn, who in a quick moment is talked into substituting an orphaned child for his own stillborn son because his wife won't be able to handle the loss of the child. Everything seems fine until Damien's fifth birthday when things begin to go haywire for the Thorns as the forces of evil work their way into handing this child the sole control of the Thorn families power and wealth.

Gregory Peck is Gregory Peck. It doesn't get any better than the man who put a face on Atticus Finch. It's amazing that he would take this kind of film, but by tossing this off as a mere horror film is really an insult. Lee Remick plays Thorn's wife, who we sympathize with at the beginning but soon feel a little hostility toward as the film continues. Their relationship on screen is really the only sticking point. There's no real chemistry there and this causes the only flaw in the film.

Directed by Richard Donner this film isn't your typical Vincent Price/Christopher Lee vampire film. It's a total experience. It isn't filmed on the moors in the middle of the night. Most of the horror is right out there in the middle of the day, even occuring at birthday parties. Satan doesn't care about the time of day it is. At times the film feels almost chaotic when the real horror is happening and that's exactly what Donner wants. Get comfortable and then rattling you to your core.

But the most important of The Omen is Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack. The ancient sounding choirs and over the top orchestrations are enough to run shivers down your spine. This is probably the best thriller soundtrack ever written and it triples the atmosphere of the film itself. It sounds like you're in hell.

I first saw this film in the mid 1980's and it left a lasting impression on me. Most films of this genre are good for a few hours of fright after viewing, but The Omen is a film that was built layer by layer and iced with a soundtrack that will drive you insane. That's the kind of horror movie you want.

Angel Heart (1987) ****

Alan Parker is one of those guys that doesn't try to do the same thing twice (the guy did The Wall for Christ sakes). What he does with Angel Heart is take a well worn formula (the gum shoe detective) and give it a bit of a twist (supernatural voodoo) that gives us a film that keeps us riveted as we follow Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) from Brooklyn to New Orleans to Hell.

Angel is hired by the mysterious Louis Cypher (Robert DeNiro who seems to have transformed into Scorsese on coke) to find a mysterious musician who owes him a debt. The simple plot follows Angel through many places and many corpses until the revelation is uncovered.

Simple. Yet complex. You sit through most of the film thinking it's a basic private dick dick, but it soon becomes more complicated than that. That's why the film works. The script is good, though there are some scenes that seem to need prodding along. Parker's world is dirty, but not dark. He shines the light on the dirt, keeping the film from going to noirish. Rourke and DeNiro are great with DeNiro playing a true Cypher throughout the film.

Overall Angel Heart is another great piece of film making from Alan Parker. The film does have a twist ending before we expected twist endings that is still a bit predictable, but the ride getting there is always half the fun.

Marathon Man (1976) ****

Marathon Man starts out as a political thriller, but turns into a high intensity heist film starring Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, and William Devane. Hoffman plays grad student Babe Levy who, after being haunted by the suicide of his fathers suicide years before, falls into a former Nazi doctors (Olivier) quest to claim the diamonds that were used as payment for release from a concentration camp years before.

Even though the story isn't as tight as it could have been and Scheider is way underused, Marathon Man is a Hitchcockian thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat as we follow Hoffman's pacifist character through situations he's not prepared to deal with.
One of the ironic things about the film is that it has a pseudo Hitchcock plot and it stars the lead in his first American film (Olivier in Rebecca) and one of the leads in his final film (Devanne in Family Plot).

Wag The Dog (1997) ****

Before Meet the Fockers De Niro and Hoffman came together in the political comedy Wag the Dog. De Niro plays a spin doctor for an incumbent President seeking re-election who is facing a sex scandal. He enlists the help of a Hollywood producer (Hoffman) and his clan to produce a war to deflect the public eye from the indiscretion.

Yes, the film is a comedy but what's really scary is that you can really see how this could be happening right now. Do you really trust the government enough to believe that these two guys don't have real life counterparts on the payroll.You'll laugh at the absurdity, but it will still seem possible. This is a more mature Dave or The American President. There isn't really a happy ending in sight. The goal is for everyone to keep their job.

A good movie for election year viewing.

The Return of the Living Dead (1985) ****

Return of the Living Dead is a parody of the George Romero Living Dead films that instead of a depressing, feeling of dread throughout the picture, we get an almost comic book style film with wit.

In Return the film Night of the Living Dead is actually a fictionalized account of what happened at a V.A. hospital during a chemical spill. Two medical warehouse employees (James Karen and Thom Matthews) stumble on some barrels containing zombies that have been accidentally delivered to the warehouse. When the seal breaks on the canister we are treated to the terror that can only come with the living dead rising from the grave.

What's great about this film is that where a Romero zombie film is deadly serious, Return doesn't take itself seriously at all. The characters are way over the top, especially the teenagers who are so stereotyped within themselves you'll wonder why they're hanging out together in the first place. Clu Gulager plays the stereotypical boss trying to cover his ass when the tanks are compromised and Don Calfa sealed his cult status by playing the mortician Ernie who carries around a German pistol and smokes a pipe. These are the kind of over the top characters that I'm talking about. Return of the Living Dead is a parody of a genre that long needed one.

I'm not calling Return a masterpiece. It's far from it. But what it represents is a film that not only scares you, but makes you laugh and this formula has been reused time and again (Freddy Krueger's comedic switch, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) but Return is the perfect example of that. Over the top actors and over the top acting with great effects and directorial style make this film a cut above in a genre that has been glutted with pure garbage.

Up In Smoke (1978) ****

This is where the stoner film began.Up in Smoke has a basic plot. Two guys are trying to score weed for 90 minutes. What they inadvertently score on the way is an upholstery warehouse van made of marijuana. Let the fun begin.

There's not much you can say about Up in Smoke. It's not Olivier style acting but it is a hilarious movie full of those wonderful quotables that only goog movies have. A must for cult viewing.

I knew that the legendary Strother Martin was in this, I forgot that Tom Skerritt was, and didn't even know that Harry Dean Stanton had his role as the deputy trying to sell Chong pills was cut from the film.

Shaun of the Dead (2004) ****

Simon Pegg plays the title character in Shaun of the Dead, a hilarious take on the zombie genre that George A. Romero created. This spoof isn't related to the current crop of spoof films that flood the market during the summer- this one is actually funny.

Shaun is almost out of his 20's, works in a dead end job, and just broke up with his girlfriend. After sulking overnight he encounters with his flat mate a Night of the Living Dead-esque scenario and makes plans to save his mom and ex-girlfriend from the undead beats and hole up in his favorite pub. Of course his plans gets totally messed up along the way.
Fans of Romero will appreciate the film, but even if you haven't seen a Dead movie you'll find the film hilarious while offering a few scares for the sadists in the audiences. Plus the cultural references aren't limited to Romero. Be on the look out for them.

Shaun of the Dead is a great horror flick without being an S&M roller coaster for 90 minutes. It makes you laugh and it means to.

GoldenEye (1995) ****

Pierce Brosnan takes over the mantle of 007 in a very strong Bond adventure. After the control module for a Russian space weapon called Goldeneye is stolen it's up to Bond to find out who has control of system leading him to a Russian computer programmer and a long, lost double o agent.

Brosnan had been groomed for this role for about a decade before he even got a check from Eon. Everyone knew he would eventually play Bond and he didn't disppoint in this film. Goldeneye does harken back to an earlier kind of 007 movie. The rugged darkness is still there, but it hides in the shadows as some of the age old Bondisms from Moore and Connery make a return.

Goldeneye features a great villain in Sean Bean, who could have been a 007 candidate and a story that is more over the top than the Dalton years. World domination is back.

Goldeneye is a return to form for the Bond franchise with a good story and some fast paced action.

2010: The Year We make Contact (1984) ****

You can't start a review of 2010 without referring to Kubrick's masterpiece 2001. What Kubrick created with that film was create an opera with the stars, polishing the story by Arthur Clarke and giving us a film that's a feast for the senses and in typically Kubrick fashion leaves us with more questions than answers when the closing credits roll.

What 2010 does is try to explain what happened to Discovery in the nine years since HAL seemed to go mad and Dave Bowman disappeared. The world is on the brink of destruction between the United States and the Soviet Union (you have to remember this is 1984), but there is one moment of cooperation between the two countries when there is interest to investigate the monolith and the Discovery by the Soviets. The Soviets can get there faster, but the U.S. knows the systems better. The standard Rocky IV "us vs. them" mentality begins as the crew featuring Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, and Helen Mirren revive HAL and try to discover what happened near Jupiter nine years before.

The first thing you need to do when watching this film is to distance yourself from Kubrick's vision in 2001. You will be disappointed and feel negative from the opening credits. Look at this film as a sequel to Clarke's story (which Clarke wrote, along with several sequels). The film explains things while leaving others still under a veil of mystery. I've always been an opponent to explaining every aspect of a film with its sequel, but with 2010 it seems less like a crutch than with other films that have done this (I'm looking at you Halloween II).

2010 is a solid sci-fi tale with some breathtaking effects (even though the dreaded black boxes appear in some shots). It's only crime is that it was a follow up to 2001 and, to be perfectly honest, there is no follow up to that film.