Topic: DSigs What I'm Watching

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

So .. there are 2 of use.  Must account for the full box office numbers it made <G>

DSig

3 actually. It has Lea Thompson and a stop motion monster. Either one would have been enough for me... ;-)
But then I never read the comic, so I didn'lt get upset by the liberties the writers took.

Make that 4.
I even prefer it to the sequels of BttF.

[DSig]

That is really cool .. i couldn't have imagined there would be 4 of us <G>  Thank got for the internet

Dsig

[DSig]

Bell, Book and Candle: Columbia Classics (1958/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Columbia TriStar Home Video (United States) Director: Richard Quine Writing: Daniel Taradash (Screenwriter), John Van Druten (Original Material By) Length: 103 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
James Stewart (1908) as Shepherd Henderson
Kim Novak as Gillian Holroyd
Jack Lemmon as Nicky Holroyd
Ernie Kovacs as Sidney Redlitch
Hermione Gingold as Bianca De Pass

Plot:
Meet Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak), Greenwich Village's most seductive sorceress. Powerful, glamrous, and a wee bit bored, Gillian knows that witches can't fall in love. But they can have fun...especially if their lover belongs to another woman! So when Gillian discovers handsome new neighbor Shep Henderson (James Stewart) is the fiance of an old college nemesis (Janice Rule), she promptly puts the befuddled publisher under her spell. But while her sex may have heated up Shep's heart, it has also unthawed her own, leading to a romantic compilation that not even Pyewacket – Gillian's mind-reading cat – could have foreseen.

Presented in an eye-popping Technicolor® transfer that beautifully captures James Wong Howe's stunning cinematography, BELL, BOOK and CANDLE – co-starring Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold and Elsa Lanchester – is "a delightful spoof on witchcraft with the cast members at their very best. ***" (The Motion Picture Guide)!

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

The film opens during the Christmas holiday season. Greenwich Village witch Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak), a free spirit with a penchant for going barefoot, has been unlucky in love and restless in life. She admires from afar her neighbor, publisher Shep Henderson (James Stewart), who one day walks into her gallery of primitive art to use the telephone. When she learns he is about to marry an old college enemy of hers, Merle Kittridge (Janice Rule), she takes revenge by casting a love spell on him while falling for him herself. She must eventually make a stark choice, as witches who fall in love lose their supernatural powers. Gillian's cat and familiar, Pyewacket, becomes agitated and leaves her when she decides in Shep's favor.

Sidney Redlitch (Ernie Kovacs), the author of the best-selling book Magic in Mexico, arrives in Shep's office (thanks to a little magic) after Gillian discovers Shep's interest in meeting him. Redlitch is researching a book on witches in New York, and acquires an "inside" collaborator when Gillian's warlock brother Nicky (Jack Lemmon) volunteers his services in exchange for a portion of the proceeds.

Gillian uses her magic to make Shep lose interest in Nicky and Redlitch's book and then confesses her identity as a witch to Shep. He becomes angry, believing that she enchanted him just to spite Merle, and the two quarrel. Gillian threatens to cast various spells on Merle (such as making her fall in love with the first man that walks into her apartment), but finds that she has lost her powers because of her love for Shep. Meanwhile, he finds that he literally cannot leave Gillian, because of the spell. To escape, he turns to another witch, Bianca de Passe (Hermione Gingold), who breaks the spell. Shep confronts Gillian and leaves her heartbroken. He then tries unsuccessfully to explain to Merle that Gillian is a witch. Months later, Shep returns and discovers that Gillian has lost her magic powers because of her love for him. The two are reconciled.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Production Notes
• Closed Captioned
• Vintage Advertising

My Thoughts:

'Bell, Book and Candle' (1958) is an offbeat romantic comedy  written by Daniel Taradash ('From Here to Eternity' (1953), 'Don't Bother to Knock' (1952), 'Picnic' (1955) and others) and directed by Richard Quine whose credits include 'The World of Suzie Wong' (1960), 'The Notorious Landlady' (1962) among others.

Stars include James Stewart (Shepherd 'Shep' Henderson), Kim Novak (Gillian "Gil" Holroyd), Jack Lemmon (Nicky Holroyd), Ernie Kovacs (Sidney Redlitch) and Elsa Lanchester (Aunt Queenie Holroyd). In supporting rolls are Hermione Gingold (Bianca de Passe), Janice Rule (Merle Kittridge) and Howard McNear as (Andy White).

James Stewart stared in such classics as 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington', 'The Philadelphia Story', 'Harvey', 'It's a Wonderful Life', 'Rear Window', 'Rope', 'The Man Who Knew Too Much', 'The Shop Around the Corner', 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' and 'Vertigo' plus many many more.

Kim Novak stared in 'Picnic' (1955), 'The Man with the Golden Arm' (1955), 'Pal Joey' (1957), 'Vertigo' with James Stewart (1958), 'Strangers When We Meet' (1960), 'The Notorious Landlady' (1962), 'Boys' Night Out' (1962) and 'Of Human Bondage' (1964) among others.

Jack Lemmon was just coming off 'Cowboy' (1958) with Glenn Ford and had done 'Mister Roberts' (1955) just 3 years earlier.

This is a great romantic comedy from the era ('50s and '60s) that gave us some great ones. The writing is tight and the characters are quirky and even has 'beatnik' like jazz.

I have not seen this one for a very long time, probably when it first came out on VHS. I love the characters in this ... even Elsa Lanchester who is the archetype for crazy Aunt Claira in 'Bewitched'.

This is a very fun watch who anyone who likes good entertainment .. period pieces.

Rating: 4of5 stars

[DSig]

Back to the Future: The Complete Trilogy (1985/United States) Wikipedia Universal Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Writing: Length: 342 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: Subtitles:

Stars:


Plot:
Presented by filmmaking legend Steven Spielberg, directed by Oscar® winner Robert Zemeckis, and starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, the phenomenally popular Back to the Future films literally changed the future of the adventure movie genre. Now, this unprecedented Back to the Future DVD Trilogy immerses you in all the breathtaking action, groundbreaking comedy and sheer movie-making magic of one of the most brilliantly inventive, wildly entertaining motion picture triumphs in Hollywood history!

From Wikipeida:

Back to the Future (1985)
Seventeen year old Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time from 1985 to 1955 in a time machine built from a DeLorean by eccentric scientist Emmett "Doc" Brown, when attacked by Libyans from whom Brown stole the plutonium which gives the flux capacitor the 1.21 gigawatts needed for time travel. Upon arriving in 1955, Marty inadvertently causes his mother Lorraine to fall in love with him, rather than with his father George McFly, beginning a paradox that would cause Marty to disappear from existence. With no additional plutonium to power the time machine, Marty must find the 1955 version of Doc Brown to help him reunite his parents and return to 1985. The efforts of Biff Tannen, George's bully and future employer, further complicates Marty's situation, until Marty successfully causes his parents to fall in love and simultaneously convinces George to finally stand up to Biff. Returning to the future via a 1.21 gigawatt lightning strike that jumpstarts the machine, Marty discovers a vastly improved future for the McFly family, as Biff is now their auto detailer rather than George's boss. Despite Doc's insistence on not knowing details of the future, a note Marty leaves in his pocket in the past saves him from being killed by the terrorists. However, in the film's final moments, Doc Brown appears in a modified version of the Delorean, and tells Marty that he must travel to the future to undo some situation caused by Marty's children.

Back to the Future Part II (1989)
The series continues as Doc Brown travels with Marty to the year 2015 where he has discovered Marty's family is in ruins. Marty buys a sports almanac containing the outcomes of 50 years worth (1950–2000) of sporting events. However, Doc catches him and throws the almanac in the trash, where the aged Biff Tannen finds it. While Marty and Doc are at Marty's future house, Old Biff steals the DeLorean time machine and gives the book to his younger self just before he goes to the dance at the end of the first movie. When Doc and Marty return to 1985, they find that Biff has used the almanac's knowledge for financial gain, which allows him to turn Courthouse Square into a 27 story casino, take over Hill Valley, get away with the murder of Marty's father, and later marry Marty's mother. Marty learns that Biff was given the book by old Biff on November 12, 1955, so he and Doc go back to that date in order to steal the almanac from Biff before he can use it to destroy their lives. They accomplish this in a complex fashion, often crossing their own past-selves' paths. When the duo are about to travel back to 1985, a lightning bolt strikes the DeLorean and activates the time circuits, sending Doc back to 1885 and leaving Marty stranded once again in 1955.

Back to the Future Part III (1990)
After finding out that Doc Brown is trapped in 1885, Marty sets out to find the 1955 Doc to help him fix the DeLorean (which has been waiting for him in a mineshaft for 70 years) and restore it to working order. Learning that Doc gets shot in 1885 by Biff's Great-Grandfather, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, Marty travels back in time to save Doc (who has become a blacksmith) and bring him back to the future. Unfortunately, an arrow has ripped a hole in the fuel line, emptying the gas tank and rendering the DeLorean engine useless. Furthermore, Doc falls in love with schoolteacher Clara Clayton, and considers staying in 1885. Marty must convince Doc to come back with him and find a way to get back to his time before it's too late. After several dramatic action scenes involving a speeding locomotive, Marty returns to 1985 in the restored DeLorean. It appears on a train track as planned, and Marty jumps out just in time to see the DeLorean time machine destroyed by a modern train. He worries that Doc has been lost in the past forever, when suddenly Doc Brown appears in a new time machine, modeled after a locomotive. He introduces Marty to Clara (to whom he is now married) and his two sons, Jules and Verne. When Marty asks if Doc and his family are going to the future, Doc replies that he's "already been there." The locomotive flies across the sky and disappears, ending the trilogy.

Extras:

My Thoughts:

The 'Back to the Future' (franchise) consists of 3 action/comedy scifi films written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis (both of whom worked on many films together). Bob Gale was also one of the producers and Robert Zemeckis was the director. There are 3 films which are 'Back to the Future' (1985), 'Back to the Future Part II' (1989) and 'Back to the Future Part III' (1990) with the last 2 films being filmed back to back.

All 3 films star 'Michael J. Fox' (Marty McFly, Marty Mcfly, Jr and Marlene McFly in 'Back to the Future Part II' and Seamus McFly in 'Back to the Future Part III'), Christopher Lloyd (Dr. Emmett Brown), Lea Thompson (Lorraine Baines and Maggie McFly in 'Back to the Future Part III'), Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen in all 3, Griff Tannen in 'Back to the Future Part II' and Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen in 'Back to the Future Part III').

Also in multiple roles are Elisabeth Shue (Jennifer Parker) who took the role over for 'Back to the Future Part II' and 'Back to the Future Part II', James Tolkan (Mr. Strickland in 'Back to the Future Part' and 'Back to the Future Part II') and (Chief Marshal James Strickland in 'Back to the Future Part III').

I just got the trilogy in a box set and sat down and watched all 3 of them in a row. I don't think they have lost a thing since they came out. Michael J. Fox and Christoper Lloyd are great together. The three movies have great acting, writing and directing and a lot of action in the last one. Luckily there is no real need for special effects to what there is isn't overly done. I have to give this a 4of5 stars for the ingenuity of the series and just plain fun.

Rating: 4of5

[DSig]

Where the Wild Things Are (2009/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Spike Jonze Writing: Spike Jonze (Screenwriter), Dave Eggers (Screenwriter) Length: 101 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Max Records as Max
Pepita Emmerichs as Claire
Max Pfeifer as Claire's Friend
Madeline Greaves as Claire's Friend
Joshua Jay as Claire's Friend

Plot:
Nine-year-old Max runs away from home and sails across the sea to become king of a wondrous realm of gigantic fuzzy monsters – but being king may not be as carefree as it looks! Filmmaker Spike Jonze directs a magical, visually astonishing film version of Maurice Sendak's celebrated classic exploring the joyous and wild rumpus of the time and place we call childhood.

** Complete Plot **

(click to show/hide)

Max (Max Records), a lonely nine-year-old boy[4] with an active imagination whose parents are divorced, wears a wolf costume and chases his dog. His older sister, Claire (Pepita Emmerichs), does nothing when her friends crush Max's snow fort (with him inside) during a snowball fight. Out of frustration Max messes up her bedroom and destroys a frame that he had made for her. Max's teacher Mr. Elliot (Steve Mouzakis) teaches him and his classmates about the eventual death of the sun. His mother, Connie (Catherine Keener) invites her boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo) to dinner. Max becomes upset with his mother for not coming to the fort he made in his room. He wears his wolf costume, acts like an animal, and demands to be fed. When his mother gets upset, he throws a tantrum and bites her on the shoulder. She yells at him and he runs away, scared by what transpired. At the edge of a pond Max finds a small boat that he boards.

The pond becomes an ocean. Max reaches an island. Still in his wolf costume, he stumbles upon a group of seven large, monstrous creatures. One of them, Carol, is in the middle of a destructive tantrum caused by his girlfriend—a female wild thing named K.W.—leaving while the others attempt to stop him. As Carol wreaks havoc Max tries to join the mayhem, but soon finds himself facing the suspicious anger of the Wild Things. When they contemplate eating him, Max convinces them that he is a "great king with magical powers" capable of bringing harmony to the group. They crown him as their king. Shortly after, K.W. arrives, and Max declares a "wild rumpus", in which the Wild Things smash trees and tackle each other.

The Wild Things introduce themselves as Carol, Ira, Judith, Alexander, Douglas, Bernard and K.W., piling on one another before going to sleep, with Max at the center. Carol takes Max on a tour of the island, showing him a model Carol built depicting what he wishes the island looked like. Inspired by this, Max orders the construction of an enormous fort, with Carol in charge of construction. As Max bonds with Carol, K.W. brings her two friends Bob and Terry—owls—to the fort. Disagreement ensues as Carol feels the togetherness of their group is threatened by the outsiders. To release their frustrations, Max divides the tribe into "good guys" and "bad guys" for a dirt-clod fight, but Alexander is hurt during the game. Tension mounts between the Wild Things as it becomes obvious Max favors some of the Wild Things over others. After an argument between K.W. and Carol, K.W. leaves.

Max finds Alexander alone in the fort and has a conversation with him. Alexander reveals that he always suspected that Max is not a king with magical powers, but warns him to never let Carol know. Max's secret is exposed when Carol throws another tantrum and Douglas tries to make him accept the fact that Max was never a king. Carol becomes enraged. Then he chases Max into the forest and threatens to eat him. Max is saved by K.W., who hides him in her stomach. Carol and K.W. have an argument over Carol's misbehavior. After Carol leaves, K.W. explains that their lives are difficult, with Carol's tantrums making things worse. Max realizes what his mother is going through, and decides to leave the island.

Max finds the crushed remains of Carol's model island, and leaves a token of affection for him to find. He finds Carol and tells him he is going home because he is not a king. The other Wild Things escort Max to his boat. Carol runs to join them after finding Max's token, and arrives in time to see him off. He starts to howl and Max howls back, then all the other Wild Things join in. Carol looks at K.W. and she smiles kindly at him. Returning home, Max is embraced by his distraught mother, who gives him a bowl of hot soup, a glass of milk and a piece of cake and sits with him as he eats. He watches as she falls asleep.

Extras:

• Featurettes
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

'Where the Wild Things Are' (2009) is an adaptation of Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book 'Where the Wild Things Are'. With the screenplay by Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers and Directed by Spike Jonze who directed the quirky comedy 'Adaptation' (2002) and the great film 'Being John Malkovich' (1999).

Staring Max Records (Max) and the voices of James Gandolfini (Carol), Lauren Ambrose (K.W.), Chris Cooper (Douglas), Forest Whitaker (Ira), Catherine O'Hara (Judith), Paul Dano (Alexander) and Michael Berry, Jr. The Bull). Also with Catherine Keener (Connie), Pepita Emmerichs (Claire), Mark Ruffalo (Connie's boyfriend) and Steve Mouzakis (Mr. Elliott).

I remember reading this to my daughter when she was young and loving the characters. The movie, tho not completely like the book, does carry the flavor of the book in characters and style although it may seem a little more 'depressed' or dark. It was given a PG rating for mild violence. Although I don't think it should be particularily scary for children .. it does have monsters and they roar etc so parents be aware. I really like this movie. The story and imagery are fascinating.

 I heartily recommend this to everyone.

Rating: 4of5 stars

[Achim]

The movie, tho not completely like the book, does carry the flavor of the book in characters and style although it may seem a little more 'depressed' or dark.

I never read the book, but seeing how it was clearly based on a story for children I was quite surprised how dark or at least sad some of the parts were. In a certain way it also got quite scary around the climax... Since the moral is still aimed at children it made me wonder if the film missed its target audience a bit by making it too dark

[DSig]

<G> from an interview in 2009 ..

"The main goal," says Jonze, "wasn't to make a children's movie. I wanted to make a movie about childhood."
Bob Thompson, Canwest News Service
Published: Saturday, October 17, 2009

The wikipedia article is pretty good on this.  A lot of review information and Jonze's thinking on the subject.  'Where the Wild Things Are'

DSig

[DSig]

Breakheart Pass (1975/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia MGM Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Tom Gries Writing: Alistair MacLean (Writer) Length: 95 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: French, Spanish

Stars:
Charles Bronson as Deakin
Ben Johnson (1918) as Pearce
Richard Crenna as Governor Fairchild
Jill Ireland as Marcia
Charles Durning as O'Brien

Plot:
Charles Bronson ('The Magnificent Seven', 'Death Wish') is at his dynamic, heroic best in this suspenseful, action-packed mystery/western based on the best-selling novel by Alistair MacLean ('Where Eagles Dare'). With a powerful cast that includes Ben Johnson ('The Last Picture Show'), Richard Crenna ('First Blood'), Jill Ireland ('Death Wish II') and Charles Durning ('Tootsie'), 'Breakheart Pass' throws open the throttle for run-away excitement!

At the height of the frontier era, a locomotive races through the Rocky Mountains on a classified mission to a remote Army post. But one by one, the passengers are being murdered! Their only hope is John Deakin (Bronson), a mysterious prisoner-in-transit who must fight for his life — and the lives of everyone on the train — as he uncovers a deadly secret that explodes in a torrent of shocking revelations, explosive brawls and blazing gun battles.

** Complete Plot **

(click to show/hide)

In the 1870s, residents of the garrison at the Fort Humboldt Army outpost are supposedly suffering from a diphtheria epidemic. A train is heading towards the fort filled with reinforcements and medical supplies. There are also civilian passengers on the train – Nevada governor Fairchild and his mistress Marica (Jill Ireland), among others.

The train stops briefly in Myrtle, where it takes on board a local lawman and his prisoner, John Deakin (Charles Bronson), a notorious outlaw who was identified via a picture in a newspaper article. However, Deakin is actually an undercover federal agent along with his partner, the Reverend, and he discovers en route that there is no epidemic at the outpost and the "epidemic" is actually a conspiracy between a group of killers and a tribe of Indians.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Closed Captioned
• Interactive Menus

My Thoughts:

'Breakheart Pass' (1975) is directed by Tom Gries ('Will Penny' (1968), 'Breakout' (1975) also staring Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland) and 'Helter Skelter' (1976). It was written by Alistair MacLean ('The Guns of Navarone' (1957), 'Night without End' (1959), 'The Satan Bug' (1962) and many others.

'Breakheart Pass' stars Charles Bronson (Deakin), Ben Johnson (Pearce), Jill Ireland (Marica), Richard Crenna (Governor Fairchild) and Charles Durning (O'Brien).

Charles Bronson is probably best known for his roles in 'Once Upon a Time in the West' (1968), 'The Magnificent Seven' (1960), 'The Dirty Dozen' (1967), 'The Great Escape' (1963), 'The Mechanic' (1972), 'Mr. Majestyk' (1974) and the popular Death Wish series. I really like this movie. It is a Charles Bronson movie so there is a lot of hitting, shooting and killing. Not always a lot of plot and the acting is usually not the greatest. But I do enjoy him.

And the other actors aren't bad. I liked Richard Crenna in 'And the Sea will Tell' (1991) a great made for tv movie, among other things. Ben Johnson and Charles Durning are great character actors and do a good job here. Jill Ireland married Charles Bronson and appeared in several of his movies. She always appears 'stiff' to me but usually does a find job.

Once again simple entertainment .. not designed to cause one to think a lot.

Rating: 3of5 stars

[DSig]

Firewall: Widescreen Edition (2005/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Richard Loncraine Writing: Joe Forte (Writer) Length: 105 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Harrison Ford (1942) as Jack Stanfield
Virginia Madsen as Beth Stanfield
Carly Schroeder as Sarah Stanfield
Jimmy Bennett as Andy Stanfield
Gail Ann Lewis as Bank Employee #1

Plot:
It's an ordinary day at Landrock Pacific Bank – ordinary for everyone but I.T. expert Jack Stanfield. His wife and children are held hostage at home. Their kidnappers have one demand: Jack must heist $100 million from the ultra-secure system he designed. And they'll be watching every move he makes.

Showing the Everyman vulnerability, strength and resourcefulness that make him one of film's most appealing heroes, Harrison Ford portrays Stanfield in this cyber-edged race against time. Paul Bettany (The Da Vinci Code) co-stars as an ice-blooded crime mastermind. And Virginia Madsen (Sideways) plays Stanfield's wife, who disregards her own terror to protect her children. The criminals' plan is airtight. They figure they can't lose. But they overlook one thing: the desperation of a man with everything to lose.

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

The film opens with Jack Stanfield (Harrison Ford) leaving his house, loving wife Beth (Virginia Madsen) and two children, to his job at Landrock Pacific Bank in downtown Seattle. The day goes smoothly until Jack is visited by a collection agency, claiming that he owes $95,000 in debts to their online gambling site. He trusts a colleague to take care of it (as he is convinced of some form of identity theft) and goes out for dinner with colleague Harry and potential employer, Bill Cox (Paul Bettany). After the meal, Harry leaves in a taxi and Jack gets in his car. Unexpectedly, Cox follows him into the back seat. Cox then goes on to tell Jack that his family is being held hostage at their home to ensure Jack's cooperation. He then points a gun to Jack's head and forces him to drive home.

Upon their arrival, Jack sees that, although his family is unharmed, they are under heavy watch by Cox's henchmen. Jack is not told what to do until the next morning, when he is told that he must give Cox $10,000 each from the bank's 10,000 largest depositors ($100 million total). He is outfitted with audio and video devices in the form of a pen and a body microphone, making any intentions to resist useless.

Once at work, Cox makes a surprise visit, reintroducing himself as Bill Redmond. Next, Jack gives him a tour of the facilities and security system. On the way back home, Jack attempts to bribe a henchman into betraying Cox, yet this only results in Cox killing the man. The Stanfields attempt an escape, but the plan fails just barely. In retaliation, Cox tricks the Stanfields' son Andy with a cookie containing nut products. Because he's allergic, Andy goes into anaphylactic shock. Cox withholds the treatment (an EpiPen), until Jack acquiesces to their plan.

The next day, Cox forces Jack to fire his secretary Janet Stone (Mary Lynn Rajskub) fearing she is growing suspicious. Jack downloads the files for the $100 million onto his daughter Sarah's iPod mini hard drive and then initiates a wire transfer to send the money to Cox's offshore accounts. Before leaving, Jack uses an employee's camera phone to take a picture of the account information on the screen. Cox then sets about wiping his tracks clean, deleting security data and surveillance tapes and using a virus to put the network on the entire building into disarray, setting Jack up to take the fall for the embezzlement. Returning home, Jack finds the house empty except for Liam, one of Cox's men.

Realizing Liam is still around for no reason other than to kill him, Jack turns to survival instinct; he pushes Liam over a chair, grabs a heavy glass blender, and viciously beats him in the head with three blows, killing him. He then tries to call Harry using Liam's unmonitored cell phone but cannot reach his friend. Instead, he sneaks into Harry's apartment to wait for his friend's return. Both Cox and Harry enter. Cox suddenly shoots Harry from behind, using the gun he had earlier confiscated from Jack. Because of this, along with a message planted on Harry's answering machine by Beth as she is held at gunpoint, it appears that Jack killed Harry in a jealous rage over Beth.

Jack runs to the only ally he has left: his "fired" secretary Janet. He asks her for help, and she provides him with transportation to a late-night branch of the bank at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. There, he uses the picture from the phone he took earlier to get access to Cox's account and calls him. Jack tells him that there’s been a change of plans: he has hacked into his Cayman Island accounts and is stripping five accounts, $20,000,000 apiece. Cox tries forcing Jack to put the money back, but it is a futile threat. Jack informs Cox that he will get his money when he gets his family. Next, Jack tells Cox that he will call him when the banks open to make the exchange before hanging up on him. During the conversation, Jack hears the family dog in the background, and realizes that the family can be located and followed by the GPS tracking unit in the dog's collar. This leads him and Janet to an abandoned house. He leaves Janet on the road to call the police.

Cox shoots one of his henchmen (Vel) who had compassion for the hostages and removed the Stanfields' tape gags after Andy began to suffocate. Another henchman (Vince Vieluf) chases after Sarah, Jack runs into the chaser with Janet's car, hurling him into an RV, which then explodes, burning the RV, killing him and destroying Janet's car. Cox, seeing that the tide is turning against him, panics and takes Beth and Andy to the upper level of the house. Jack scales the side of the house, destroys a window and comes to rescue his wife and son, tackling Cox to the floor and forcing him to a final showdown. After a long and grueling struggle with Cox, Jack finally gains the upper hand, impaling him through the back with a pickaxe, and winning his family's freedom.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Interviews
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

'Firewall' (2006) is a thriller written by Joe Forte (this is his only writing film credit to this point) and directed by Richard Loncraine (the very funny 'The Missionary' (1982) among others).

It stars Harrison Ford ('American Graffiti' (1973), 'Star Wars Episode Trilogy (first 3) (1977, 1980 and 1983), 'The Frisco Kid' (1979) one of my favorites with Gene Wilder, and the Indiana Jones trilogy ('Raiders of the Lost Arc' (1981), 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' (1989) and 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008) plus many many more) and Paul Bettany ('A Knight's Tale' (2001) with Heath Ledger, 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001), 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World' (2003), 'The Reckoning' (2003), 'Dogville' 2003 and 'Legion' (2010) among others.

This is an action thriller and overall I like this movie. I am a Harrison Ford fan but sometimes he seems to just play himself. Paul Bettany is a very very good bad guy in this. He has the menacing thing down pat. Although the formula of the movie is 'standard' it does watch well with a few twists.

I recommend this to Harrison Ford fans and anyone who likes thrillers.

Rating: 3of5 stars

[DSig]

Nine ½ Weeks: Original Uncut, Uncensored Version! (1986/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Adrian Lyne Writing: Elizabeth McNeill (Original Material By), Patricia Knop (Screenwriter), Zalman King (Screenwriter), Sarah Kernochan (Screenwriter) Length: 117 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Mickey Rourke as John
Kim Basinger as Elizabeth
Margaret Whitton as Molly
David Margulies as Harvey
Christine Baranski as Thea

Plot:
Elizabeth (Academy Award® winner* Kim Basinger) is a Soho gallery worker, romantically uninvolved since a painful divorce. John (Mickey Rourke) is a wealthy commodities broker, emotionally alone no matter who he's with. A chance meeting draws them into each other's worlds. Obsession takes them further into a mutual world of eroticism and emotional awakenings.

With visual flair, director Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction, 1998's Lolita) explores extremes of passion and surrender in 9½ Weeks, presented in an expanded version with footage not seen in U.S. theatrical release. Passion fades. But something John and Elizabeth will always carry inside is the impact of their 9½ Weeks.

*1997: Best Supporting Actress for L.A. Confidential.

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

The title of the film refers to the duration of a relationship between Wall Street arbitrageur John Gray (Mickey Rourke) and divorced SoHo art gallery employee Elizabeth McGraw (Kim Basinger). The two meet and have a volatile and somewhat kinky sex life.

They try a variety of sexual and erotic acts, such as a scene in which John titillates a blindfolded Elizabeth's body with ice; a scene in which John spoonfeeds Elizabeth various kinds of food while her eyes are closed; a scene in which Elizabeth takes off a tuxedo and fake moustache and has sex with John in a rainy alley; and Basinger's striptease to Randy Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On", as performed by Joe Cocker. Most of these erotic scenes were parodied or served as the inspiration for some music videos, like Sheena Easton's 1989 song "Days Like This" and Sarah Connor's 2007 "Sexual Healing".

The film details a sexual downward spiral as John pushes Elizabeth's boundaries toward her eventual emotional breakdown. He often manipulates her into getting what he wants during sex and sometimes abuses her.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Closed Captioned
• Additional Footage

My Thoughts:

'91/2 Weeks' is directed by Adrian Lyne ('Foxes' (1980), 'Flashdance' (1983), 'Fatal Attraction' (1987), 'Jacob's Ladder' (1990), 'Indecent Proposal' (1993), 'Lolita' (1997) and 'Unfaithful' (2002) very good and very erotic movies).

It stars Mickey Rourke (John Grey) ('Diner' (1983), 'Desperate Hours' (1991), 'Wild Orchid' (1989), 'Sin City' (2006) and 'The Wrestler' (2008)) and Kim Basinger (Elizabeth McGraw) ('Mother Lode' (1982), 'Never Say Never Again' (1983), 'The Natural' (1984), 'Nadine' (1987), 'Bless the Child' (2000), 'The Door in the Floor' (2004) among many more. Also staring are Margaret Whitton (Molly), David Margulies (Harvey), Christine Baranski (Thea) and Karen Young (Sue).

This is an erotic drama about chance meetings and abusive relationships. Although it wont be for everyone it is very well done in acting, direction and script. If you like this type of movie (how will you know until you see it) then I recommend that you watch it.

Once again, this is not for everyone.

Rating: 3.5of5

[DSig]

American Psycho: Uncut Version: Killer Collector's Edition (2000/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Director: Mary Harron Writing: Bret Easton Ellis (Original Material By), Mary Harron (Screenwriter), Guinevere Turner (Screenwriter) Length: 102 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital EX: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman
Justin Theroux as Timothy Bryce
Josh Lucas as Craig McDermott
Bill Sage as David Van Patten
Chloë Sevigny as Jean

Plot:
Patrick Bateman ('Christian Bale') is a Wall Street yuppie, obsessed with success, status and style, with a stunning fiancée ('Reese Witherspoon'). He is also a psychotic killer who rapes, murders and dismembers both strangers and acquaintances without provocation or purpose. Based on the controversial novel by Bret Easton Ellis, the film offers a sharp satire to the dark side of yuppie culture in the '80s, while setting forth a vision that is both terrifying and chilling.

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

The film opens in a haute cuisine restaurant with wealthy Wall Street businessmen Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), Timothy Bryce (Justin Theroux), David Van Patten (Bill Sage), and Craig McDermott (Josh Lucas). They discuss their envy of a successful associate named Paul Allen before purchasing an expensive lunch. Late at night, the four go to a club, where Patrick reveals his psychopathic nature to a female bartender when she refuses to accept his beverage ticket.

The film cuts to Bateman's apartment, where he describes, in detail, his daily morning routine, which includes exercise, healthy food and an extensive body cleansing ritual. After a meal at a restaurant with his fiancée Evelyn Williams (Reese Witherspoon), Courtney Rawlinson (Samantha Mathis), her fiancé Luis Carruthers (Matt Ross), and Bryce, in which Patrick reveals to the viewer that he is having an affair with Courtney, he murders a woman. Patrick later treats a drug-addled Courtney to dinner at Barcadia, although he convinces her that it is Dorsia, a more upscale restaurant where he was unable to get a reservation. The next morning, Patrick and his associates flaunt their business cards in a display of utter vanity; although, despite Bateman's attempts, he is captivated by Paul Allen's (Jared Leto) card. Following this, he murders a homeless man (Reg E. Cathey) and his dog in an alleyway in a fit of frustrated rage.

At a Christmas party, Patrick makes plans to have dinner with Paul, who had earlier mistaken Patrick for a comparable associate named Marcus. At dinner, Paul unknowingly angers Bateman further by critiquing the restaurant, which Patrick chose so as not to be seen together, and boasting that he could've gotten them into Dorsia. Bateman gets Paul extremely drunk and leads him back to his apartment. While playing Huey Lewis and the News' "Hip to Be Square," Patrick ambushes Paul and murders him with an axe. In the morning, after Patrick has acquired Paul's apartment, and made others believe Paul is in London, he is met by Donald Kimball (Willem Dafoe), a detective searching for the truth about Paul's mysterious disappearance (although it is unclear whether Kimball suspects Patrick or not).

Patrick then has a violent threesome with two hookers. The next day, Luis Carruthers reveals his new business card, sending Bateman over the edge. Bateman tries to kill Luis in the restroom, but cannot bring himself to strangle him. Luis mistakes the attempted murder for a sexual advance and, revealing that he is a closeted homosexual, declares his love for Patrick, who is disgusted and immediately flees in a panic.

After murdering a blonde model, Patrick invites his secretary Jean (Chloë Sevigny) to dinner at Dorsia after pretending to reserve a table. When Jean arrives at the apartment for drinks, Patrick, unbeknownst to Jean, intends to murder her and holds a nail gun to the back of her head. However, upon receiving an answering machine message from his fiancee, he decides not to kill her and asks her to leave before she gets "hurt". Following another luncheon with Kimball, Patrick has a threesome with his old friend Elizabeth and "Christie" (Cara Seymour), one of the hookers from before (who notes she may still require surgery as a result of her previous visit), at Paul's apartment. In the middle of having sex, Christie realizes that Patrick has killed Elizabeth and tries to flee the apartment. In the process of her departure, she discovers a multitude of female corpses and "Die Yuppie Scum" scrawled on the wall in blood. Bateman then murders her with a chainsaw by dropping it down a flight of steps as she attempted to flee.

The next day, Patrick abruptly breaks off his engagement with Evelyn. That night, Bateman is using an ATM when he imagines that the machine demands he "feed it a stray cat." Bateman attempts to shoot a cat but is stopped by a woman, whom he murders instead. A police chase ensues, but Bateman destroys the police cars by shooting their gas tanks, causing explosions that kill the pursuing officers. He then attempts to flee to his office, but he accidentally enters the wrong office building, and murders a security guard and a janitor. Upon reaching his office he calls his lawyer, Harold. Bateman leaves a lengthy answering machine message, confessing, in detail, most of his murders. He then ends with, "I guess I'm a pretty sick guy."

The following morning, Patrick visits Paul's apartment again. Expecting to see a collection of corpses, he is surprised when he finds that the apartment is completely vacant and being offered for sale by a realtor. She views him as an intruder and tells him to leave immediately, not to cause trouble, and to never return. Bateman complies, stating he has no plans to. As Patrick goes to meet with his colleagues and lawyer, Jean finds detailed drawings of murders and rapes in Bateman's office journal.

At the same time, Bateman sees Harold, while attending a restaurant with his friends, and tries to convince him that he is Patrick Bateman and a serial killer. However, despite his pleas, Harold mistakes him for another colleague named Davis and sees his confession as a sick joke. He denies the concept that Paul was murdered, since he lunched with him in London only 10 days before. Bateman realizes that he will continue to escape the punishment he deserves. He laments that there has been no catharsis and that he still remains a mystery to himself. Although he regrets that nothing has been gained, he still wants his pain to be inflicted on others. The film ends with him finishing his inner monologue by stating, "This confession has meant nothing."

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

'American Psycho' (2000) is a psycho thriller from Director Mary Harron ('I Shot Andy Warhol' (1996), 'The Notorious Bettie Page' (2006) and 'The Moth Diaries' (2011) and written by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner based on the book of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. It stars Christian Bale ('Empire of the Sun' (1987), 'Shaft' (2000), 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' (2001), 'Reign of Fire' (2002) and 'Batman Begins' (2005), 'Dark Knight Rises' (2012) among many others). Among the co-stars are Willem Dafoe (Donald Kimball), Reese Witherspoon (Evelyn Williams) who had a very small role here, Chloë Sevigny (Jean), Jared Leto (Paul Allen), Justin Theroux (Timothy Bryce), Josh Lucas (Craig McDermott), Cara Seymour (Christie), Samantha Mathis (Courtney Rawlinson), Guinevere Turner (Elizabeth), Bill Sage (David Van Patten) and Matt Ross (Luis Carruthers).

This movie is a psycho sexual thriller which is primarily from the perspective of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). I believe it is supposed to be satirical in nature, about the excesses of the '80s, but i don't think it worked very well on that level.  It is an interesting portrait of a man over the edge of madness.

I really like these types of movies .. the path of a man going man (possibly the best one i have seen is 'Falling Down' (1993) staring Michael Douglas). The collapse of an otherwise intelligent person stepping into the depths of insanity i have always found interesting. But the story here doesn't really give us anything on the character. What caused the journey .. what was the precipitating event??

I think it was well acted, especially by Christian Bale. The direction and filming is good. I just wish there was more to the character. I would love to understand him. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the genre.

Rating: 3of5 stars

[Achim]

This movie is a psycho sexual thriller which is primarily from the perspective of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). I believe it is supposed to be satirical in nature, about the excesses of the '80s, but i don't think it worked very well on that level.

Yes, I believe it was meant as satire. Problem for me was that as a European I didn't know many of those references, yet some stuff is still rather funny to watch (like the name card sequence).

But the story here doesn't really give us anything on the character. What caused the journey .. what was the precipitating event??

I think that was the point though, it is also the same in the book if I remember correctly. Bateman's behavior is shown, but not explained. He is somewhat unhinged to begin with and then simply goes completely off the rails as the story unfolds. As always, the scarier psycho killers in movies are the ones without a particular motivation.

[Jimmy]

As always, the scarier psycho killers in movies are the ones without a particular motivation.

Just like in real life, nothing scarier than someone who kills just for the hell of it

[DSig]

But the story here doesn't really give us anything on the character. What caused the journey .. what was the precipitating event??

I think that was the point though, it is also the same in the book if I remember correctly. Bateman's behavior is shown, but not explained. He is somewhat unhinged to begin with and then simply goes completely off the rails as the story unfolds. As always, the scarier psycho killers in movies are the ones without a particular motivation.

But the flip side of that is that it is hard to vest anything in a character like that.  You can only watch

DSig

[DSig]

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Widescreen Collection (1962/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Paramount Home Entertainment (United States) Director: John Ford Writing: James Warner Bellah (Screenwriter), Willis Goldbeck (Screenwriter), Dorothy M. Johnson (Original Material By) Length: 123 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English

Stars:
John Wayne as Tom Doniphon
James Stewart as Ransom Stoddard
Vera Miles as Hallie Stoddard
Lee Marvin as Liberty Valance
Edmond O'Brien as Dutton Peabody

Plot:
Ranking with Stagecoach as one of the greatest of its genre, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is the modern-day western to beat all westerns. John Ford, whose very name is synonymous with "westerns," directed the ideal cast. Jimmy Stewart plays the bungling but charming big-city lawyer determined to rid the fair village of Shinbone of its number one nuisance and bad man: Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). And as if all that weren't enough, the biggest star that ever aimed a six-shooter plays the Man of the title: John Wayne. Super sincere Stewart and rugged rancher Wayne also share the same love interest (Vera Miles). One gets the gunman, but the other gets the gal.

** Complete Plot (with spoilers) **

(click to show/hide)

Elderly U.S. Senator Ransom "Rance" Stoddard (Stewart) and his wife Hallie arrive by train in the small western town of Shinbone, to attend the funeral of an apparent nobody, a local rancher named Tom Doniphon. As they pay their respects to the dead man at the undertaker's establishment, the senator is interrupted with a request for a newspaper interview. Stoddard grants the request and Hallie goes off with a friend to visit a burned-down house with obvious significance to her.

As the interview with the local reporter begins, the film flashes back several decades into the past as Stoddard reflects on his first arrival at Shinbone by stagecoach to establish a law practice.

A gang of outlaws, led by gunfighter Liberty Valance (Marvin), hold up the stagecoach. Stoddard is brutally beaten, left for dead and later rescued by Doniphon (Wayne). Stoddard is nursed back to health by restaurant owner Peter Ericson (John Qualen), his wife Nora (Jeanette Nolan) and daughter, Hallie (Vera Miles). It later emerges that Hallie is Doniphon's love interest.

Shinbone's townsfolk are regularly menaced by Valance and his gang. Local marshal Link Appleyard (Andy Devine) is ill prepared and unwilling to enforce the law. Doniphon is the only local courageous enough to challenge Valance's lawless behavior. On one occasion, Doniphon even intervenes on Stoddard's behalf, when Valance publicly humiliates the inept Easterner.

Stoddard is an advocate for justice under the law, not man. He earns the respect and affection of Hallie when he offers to teach her to read after he discovers, to her embarrassment, she's had no formal education. Stoddard's influence on Hallie and the town is further evidenced when he begins a school for the townspeople with Hallie's help.

In Shinbone, the local newspaper editor-publisher Dutton Peabody (Edmond O'Brien) writes a story about local ranch owners' opposition to the territory's potential statehood. Valance convinces the ranchers that if they'll hire him, he can get elected as a delegate to represent the cattlemen's interest. Shinbone's residents meet to elect two delegates to send to the statehood convention at the territorial capital. Valance attempts to bully the townspeople into electing him as a delegate. Eventually, Stoddard and Peabody are chosen. Valance assaults and badly beats Peabody after an unflattering newspaper article is published. Sensing that Valance is out of control, Stoddard accepts a challenge to a gun duel despite his complete lack of skills. Stoddard miraculously kills Valance with one shot, to the surprise of everyone, including himself. Hallie responds with tearful affection. Doniphon congratulates Stoddard on his success, but sees how Hallie lovingly cares for Stoddard's wounds.

Sensing that he has lost Hallie's affections, Doniphon gets drunk in the saloon and drives out Valance's men, who have been calling for Stoddard to be lynched. The barman tries to tell Doniphon's farmhand Pompey that, as a black man, he cannot be served, to which Doniphon angrily shouts: "Who says he can't? Pour yourself a drink, Pompey". Pompey instead drags Doniphon home, where the latter sets fire to an uncompleted bedroom he was adding to his house in anticipation of marrying Hallie. The resulting fire destroys the entire house.

Stoddard is hailed as "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and based on this achievement, is nominated as the local representative to the statehood convention. Stoddard is reluctant to serve based upon his notoriety for killing a man in a gunfight. At this point, in a flashback within the original flashback, Doniphon tells Stoddard that it was he (Doniphon), hidden across the street, who shot and killed Valance in cold blood, and not Stoddard in self-defense. When asked, Doniphon replies he did it for Hallie, realizing that she wanted Stoddard to live and that "she's your girl now". Pushing Stoddard to go back and accept the nomination, Doniphon says, "You taught her to read and write, now give her something to read and write about!"

Stoddard returns to the convention and is chosen as representative. He marries Hallie and eventually becomes the governor of the new state. He then becomes a two term U.S. senator, then the American ambassador to Great Britain, a U.S. senator again, and at the time of Doniphon's funeral is the favorite for his party's nomination as vice president.

The film returns to the present day and the interview ends. The newspaper man, understanding now the truth about the killing of Valance, burns his notes stating: "This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend".

Stoddard and Hallie board the train for Washington, melancholy about the lie that led to their prosperous life. With the area becoming more and more civilized, Stoddard decides, to Hallie's delight, to retire from politics and return to the territory to set up a law practice. When Stoddard thanks the train conductor for the train ride to and from D.C. and the many courtesies extended to him by the railroad, the conductor says, "Nothing's too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance!" Upon hearing the comment, Stoddard stares off thoughtfully into the distance.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' (1962) is directed by John Ford ('The Grapes of Wrath' (1940), 'The Quiet Man' (1952), 'Stagecoach' (1939), 'The Searchers' (1956) and also 'Wee Willie Winkie' (1937) with Shirley Temple) among many others. It was written by James Warner Bellah (who worked on many John Ford films) and Willis Goldbeck ('Young Dr. Kildare' (1938) and 'Ten Tall Men' (1951) among others) from a story by Dorthy M. Johnson (she wrote 2 additional great stories that would become movies 'A Man Called Horse' (1950) and The Hanging Tree (1957)).

It stars John Wayne, James Stewart and Vera Miles. It features Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Woody Strode, Andy Devine, John Carradine and Lee Van Cleef. This is a great western and a good drama. James Stewart plays a lawyer who doesn't understand that the gun had a place in 'law and order' in the west even during the 1870's. John Wayne plays .. well John Wayne (actually Doniphon (Donovan) in them movie). Vera Miles plays the love interest for John Wayne but she is interested in James Stewart.

This is a good sound movie, filmed in black and white. The film had to be filmed on the sound stages of Paramount studios. Since Ford couldn't use the scenery in building ambiance for his film he use black and white and shadows to do the work. The script is good, the acting is good and overall I think it is a 4 star movie.

Rating: 4of5 stars