Starman

Starman (1984) starring Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith. In response to Voyager II, launched in 1977, an alien (Bridges) comes to visit Earth. He takes human form as Scott, Jenny's (Allen) dead husband. The movie paints a really ugly picture of the human race, as just about all the alien encounters is hostility. But humanity is exonerated by the actions of a few, and the film has a fully satisfying ending. Bridges was nominated for an Oscar for his work as an alien in a human body. The subtitles and closed captions are adequate. Grade: A-

Secondhand Lions

Secondhand Lions (2003) starring Michael Caine, Robert Duvall, Haley Joel Osment, Kyra Sedgewick. Young Walter (Osment) is dropped off at his two great-uncles' (Caine, Duvall) house in the country by his irresponsible mother (Sedgewick). At first he is not welcomed by the two old bachelors, but soon they begin to bond. This is an almost-but-not-quite-great movie, which if you buy into it you will really love. Me, I found it a little too hard to swallow, especially the part where the British Caine plays a Texas good-ol'-boy. Nevertheless, it's an honest film, with plenty to like, and a minimum of sex and violence. Osment is winning, as always. There are good subtitles, as well as closed captions. Grade: B

Sea Wife

Sea Wife (1957) starring Richard Burton, Joan Collins, Basil Sydney. Set during World War II, Burton and Collins survive a ship being torpedoed, and he falls in love with her afterwards, not knowing she is a nun. His name becomes "Biscuit," because he dispenses the biscuits in their life raft. She is called "Sea Wife," another name for a mermaid. Why Sea Wife chooses to keep the fact that she's a nun a secret never became clear to me while watching the movie. I didn't think the chemistry between Burton and Collins was particularly good. I found the ending particularly unsatisfying. The film has good subtitles and closed captions. Grade: B-

Sea of Love

Sea of Love (1989) starring Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman. Pacino plays a Manhattan detective named Frank Keller with his 20 years in who catches a case of a serial killer. The twist: The killer is a woman who meets her victims through the singles ads, and kills them while a 45-rpm record of "Sea of Love" plays on the turntable. Barkin plays the chief suspect, Helen, and Goodman is a detective who gets teamed up with Pacino on the investigation. Trouble arises when Frank falls in lust with Helen. This is a real thriller with enough twists thrown in to keep any viewer involved. The whole cast does a fine job with their acting assignments, and Pacino and Barkin have great chemistry on screen. The only problem I had with the movie was the ending, which I felt didn't quite follow from what went before. But it wasn't enough to spoil my enjoyment of the movie. The subtitles that come with the disc are unobtrusive. Closed captions are not offered. Grade: A-

Searching for Bobby Fischer

Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) starring Joe Mantegna, Max Pomeranc, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne. A father (Mantegna) discovers that his son Josh (Pomeranc) is a chess whiz, and enters him into competition. But Josh is a reluctant competitor, preferring to play for the love and fun of the game. Josh's father hires a chess teacher, Bruce, (Kingsley) for him; and Bruce tries to teach Josh to have contempt for his opponents, even to hate them. Based on the true story of Josh Waitzkin, this is an excellent movie about the drive to win and its costs. I'd seen it before, but the ending is better than I remembered. The film has good subtitles as well as closed captions. Grade: A-

The Searchers

The Searchers (1956) starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood. Directed by John Ford. In 1868 in Texas, a family is wiped out by Comanche Indians; Ethan Edwards (Wayne) and his "nephew" Marty (Hunter) go in search of his two nieces, who were kidnapped by the Comanches. But after years of searching, when they finally do find his youngest niece, Debbie (Wood), she's "no longer white" because she has been made the wife of a Comanche chief, Scar. Edwards is prevented from killing her by Marty, and they lose track of her again. This is a fine Western, beautifully photographed and shot amid gorgeous scenery. Wayne said this was his favorite of all the many Westerns he made with Ford directing. English subtitles are available, as well as closed captions. Grade: B+

The Sea Hawk

The Sea Hawk (1940) starring Errol Flynn, Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, Donald Crisp. It's 1585, and Spain is on the move, hoping to conquer the known world; only England stands in her way. It's up to English pirates ("sea hawks") like Captain Thorpe (Flynn) to hector the Spanish ships wherever they can be found. Queen Elizabeth, of course, is officially opposed to the actions of the sea hawks -- but Spain is building a great Armada, and England needs Spanish loot to build a fleet and be prepared. This is a standard English swashbuckler, with plenty of stirring action and court intrigue. Flynn is in his prime here (31 when the film was made) and acquits himself well. Marshall plays his love interest, and Rains stars as the Spanish ambassador to England. It's interesting to note that the movie was made in 1940 -- a time when England was facing off, not with Spain, but with Germany. The film's a bit dated, but Errol Flynn entertains. Good subtitles and closed captions. Grade: B

Scoop

Scoop (2006) starring Woody Allen, Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane. Written and directed by Woody Allen. A recently deceased reporter (McShane) comes back as a ghost to tell college journalism student Sondra Pransky (Johansson) about a serial killer. She recruits a magician who calls himself the Great Splendini (Allen) to help her pursue the suspected killer, Peter Lyman (Jackman). Naturally, Sondra falls in love with Peter, and someone else soon confesses to the serial killings. But -- the plot thickens. This movie is pretty typical Woody Allen fare from recent years. There are a few funny moments, but the plot has holes you could drive a truck through, and it's generally only mildly satisfying fare. It seems mainly designed as a vehicle for Johansson, who Allen clearly has a thing for, but no harm is done. The subtitles included with the movie are pretty good. Grade: B

The Scarlet Claw

The Scarlet Claw (1944) starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce. Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Bruce) investigate a mysterious murder in a French-Canadian village. The killing is preceded by a lot of supernatural mumbo-jumbo which Holmes, of course, doesn't buy. The famous detective is, however, surprisingly quick to employ a gun when he spies a suspect in the fog. Much to my disappointment, Holmes does not wear a deerstalker hat. The subtitles are at best adequate, with frequent misspellings and mistakes in grammar. Closed captions are not available. Grade: B

Scandal Sheet

Scandal Sheet (1952) starring Broderick Crawford, Donna Reed, John Derek. Ambitious newspaper editor Mark Chapman (Crawford) accidentally kills the wife he deserted 20 years ago, then finds star reporter Steve McCleary (Derek) investigating the apparent murder. As a tabloid editor, Chapman is forced to give the story big play, all the while trying to hinder the investigation. Meanwhile, a features writer (Reed) has a crucial connection which may end up getting Chapman pinched. The idea behind this movie is a good one, but the dialogue is really phony-sounding, at least to my ear. Still, I couldn't help but feel the tension ratcheting up as the vice tightened around Crawford. The subtitles are good. Grade: B

The School of Rock

The School of Rock (2003) starring Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, Sarah Silverman. Loser and aspiring rock musician Black, desperate for rent money, "borrows" a substitute teaching gig from a friend. He soon learns that the kids in his class have mad musical skills and begins teaching them about rock 'n' roll. Cusack plays the principal of the school, who of course is slightly uptight. Black is very entertaining as the fake substitute teacher who wants to get his kids into the "Battle of the Bands." The chemistry between Black and the students is great. This is a fun movie. It's interesting to see Silverman in a "straight" role -- she plays the hectoring girlfriend who wants to throw Black out. The subtitles are very good, and closed captions are also available. Grade: B+

The Concert

The Concert (2009) starring Aleksei Guskov, Melanie Laurent. Fallen Russian maestro Andrei Filipov (Guskov), ousted by the Communists 30 years ago, sees an opportunity to play in Paris -- masquerading as the Bolshoi. Pulling all the strings he can, he gets his old orchestra together and manages to get them on a flight to France. Once in Paris, however, the members of the orchestra go a little wild. Meanwhile, the violinist (Laurent) that Filipov has insisted on getting for the concert turns out to have deep, hidden roots in the Bolshoi Orchestra. Somehow, through performing the Tchaikovsky concerto that her mother originally performed, she realizes her parenthood. I think maybe you have to be Russian or French to completely "get" this movie. Still, it was rather entertaining. Lots of language options are offered, including watching it in the original French and Russian, dubbed into English, with or without subtitles for the hearing impaired. Very well done. Grade: B+

Schizopolis

Schizopolis (1997) starring Steven Soderbergh, Betsy Brantley, David Jensen. Written and directed by Steven Soderbergh. A weird collection of non sequiters and verbal gags, this movie is definitely not for everyone. It's a commendable attempt to make something bizarrely different that still entertains, but I'm afraid it fails. I can't recommend this film. Grade: B-

Schindler's List

Schindler's List (1993) starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Steven Spielberg. During World War II, German industrialist Oskar Schindler (Neeson) hires Jews to work in his war goods factory because they are cheaper than Poles. Only gradually does he begin to see his Jewish workers as human beings, whom he can save from Nazi death camps by keeping them employed in his business. There are many unforgettable scenes in this movie, which I regard as one of the best ever made about the Holocaust. Scratch that -- it is simply one of the best film's ever made, period. Powerful and moving, artfully made, it shows a facet of the history which we must never forget. The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. The subtitles are good; closed captions are not offered. Grade: A

Salvatore Giuliano

Salvatore Giuliano (1961) starring Frank Wolff, Salvo Randone, Federico Zardi. Between 1945 and 1950, Salvatore Giuliano was the most wanted criminal in Sicily. In 1950 he was killed, and this documentary-like drama starts from that point and looks backward at his career as an outlaw. At first supposedly fighting for the independence of Sicily, he later becomes just a criminal in the streets -- although he is a folk hero to many Sicilians. In Italian, with English subtitles. The subtitles are gray against a black-and-white background. Very hard to read. Grade: C

Another Year

Another Year (2010) starring Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Peter Wight, Imelda Staunton. Tom and Gerri (Broadbent and Sheen), a happily married older couple, spend time with their various dysfunctional friends over the course of a year. There's one birth and one death, and a lot of time is spent on Gerri's mixed-up alcoholic friend Mary (Manville), who traverses part of her general downward spiral during the year that the movie encompasses. The acting in this film is superb, and although the pace is slow, the viewer gradually becomes enmeshed in the lives of the characters on the screen. The subtitles are very good. Closed captions are not supplied. Grade: A

True Grit

True Grit (2010) starring Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. After drifter Tom Chaney (Brolin) kills her father, Mattie Ross (Steinfeld) hires marshal Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn (Bridges) to bring the killer to justice. A Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Damon), also chasing Chaney, comes along for the ride. The three venture into Indian territory looking for their man. There, they find ruffians and bad men of all sorts. Having read the book, I was ready to be disappointed, but I found that the movie has retained the essentials (except for Mattie's voice; she narrates the first-person novel). The only criticism I have is that the film could have been just a little longer and included more of the drama that comes near the end of the book. Subtitles are included, as well as closed captions. Grade: A-

Scenes from a Marriage

Scenes from a Marriage (1973) starring Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson. Directed by Ingmar Bergman. Happily married couple Marianne (Ullmann) and Johan (Josephson) witness the disintegration of a friend couple's marriage. Then one day Johan announces to Marianne that he has fallen in love with someone else. Through the years, Johan and Marianne fall in and out of love with others, but they keep meeting up with each other, making love and then fighting. Although I had a hard time liking Johan, and couldn't quite see why Marianne kept seeing him, I still felt involved in the movie and in the characters' lives. Originally a six-hour TV miniseries in Sweden, the movie is almost three hours long. Ullmann is dynamite. The film is in Swedish, with English subtitles. Grade: A

Scarface

Scarface (1932) starring Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, George Raft, Boris Karloff. Directed by Howard Hawks. The "grandaddy of all gangster films" tells a fictionalized version of the criminal career of Al Capone, though the names are changed. All kinds of politics went into the making and distribution of this movie, which was produced by Howard Hughes, and they are explained in an Introduction and an Alternate Ending. For film buffs this is a must-see movie, although the 1932 production values leave much to be desired. The subtitles included on the disc are pretty good. There are no closed captions. Grade: B

Scaramouche

Scaramouche (1952) starring Stewart Granger, Eleanor Parker, Janet Leigh, Mel Ferrer. On the eve of the French Revolution, the bastard Andre Moreau (Granger) swears vengeance on the aristrocrat who killed his best friend. While training for the sword fight, Moreau disguises himself as Scaramouche, a clown in a traveling show. The movie is full of devilry, sometimes for comic effect, and lots of scenes of sword-fighting. There are also some interesting turns of plot in which Moreau thinks one character is his sibling, but it turns out to be someone else -- the most unexpected of all. Although this is an old film with even older themes, it doesn't fail to entertain. The main flaw is the ending, which feels a bit rushed. The movie also has English subtitles for the hearing-impaired, as well as closed captions. Grade: A-

Sayonara

Sayonara (1957) starring Marlon Brando, Ricardo Montalban, Miiko Taka, Miyoshi Umeki, Red Buttons, James Garner. In 1951, during the Korean War, a hotshot American fighter pilot (Brando) goes on leave to Japan to meet his American fiancee. While there, he falls in love with a Japanese entertainer named Hana-Ogi (Taka). Fraternizing with the Japanese is strongly discouraged by the authorities, and it seems that their love is doomed from the start. This movie has very high production values and is well-acted. It attempts to condense a James Michener novel into two and a half hours and is only partially successful. Buttons and Umeki won Oscars for Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress. All in all, a very involving evening's entertainment. No English subtitles, but closed captions are available. Grade: B+