Silkwood

Silkwood (1983) starring Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, Cher. Karen Silkwood (Streep), a worker at an Oklahoma nuclear processing plant, is exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. Soon, she is involved with the union and is carrying on an investigation of safety conditions at the plant. Her boyfriend Drew (Russell) leaves her at first, but later returns to support her. Cher plays Dolly, Karen's lesbian roommate. The story, based in fact, does not have a happy ending, but it is compellingly told, and calls into question the legitimacy of nuclear power as a viable source of energy. Streep, as always, is excellent in the lead role. The disc offers subtitles in English, as well as closed captions. Grade: B+

Silent Running

Silent Running (1971) starring Bruce Dern. In the distant future, space ships carry the precious cargo of the last remaining trees and plants from planet Earth. Lowell (Dern) is one of the astronauts tending to the forest. When the order comes from Earth to destroy the last remaining greenery, Lowell runs off the rails. Sound interesting? It's not. This is one of the most boring movies I've ever seen. Very little happens, and when something does happen, it looks like the film was made by amateurs. To its credit, this movie does have pretty good subtitles, but that is about all it has going for it. Grade: C-

The Silence of the Lambs

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn. FBI candidate Clarice Starling (Foster) is recruited into the hunt for a serial killer dubbed Buffalo Bill by the media. Her boss (Glenn) sends her to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins), another serial killer who is now a prisoner in an ultra-high security jail. This movie is a taut thriller, with plenty of spine-tingling chills and never a dull moment. The film uses a little deceptive editing at a couple of points to heighten the suspense, but overall it is nearly without flaw. The ending is truly creepy and will stay with you. Good subtitles, plus closed captions. Grade: A-

Sideways

Sideways (2004) starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh. Best friends Miles (Giamatti) and Jack (Church) travel to California wine country to celebrate one last week together before Jack gets married. Miles, who has never recovered from his divorce, just wants to taste some wine, eat some good food and play some golf. Jack, on the other hand, wants to get laid one last time before he gets hitched. He ends up in a wild, mid-life crisis type of relationship with Stephanie (Oh), while Miles finds himself in a more serious, low-key affair with Maya (Madsen). This movie is a delight from beginning to end, and the ending, while not a standard Hollywood happy ending, gives the viewer just enough hope. The subtitles are adequate; the closed captions are good. Grade: A

The Best Years of Our Lives

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) starring Harold Russell, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo. Three veterans returning from World War II have a difficult time adjusting to civilian life. Homer (Russell) has lost both hands; Al (March) drinks to forget; and Fred (Andrews) suffers from symptoms of what is now known as PTSD. The movie won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Russell, a real veteran who lost both his hands in the war, won an Honorary Oscar. The disc lacks English subtitles, but does have closed captions. Grade: A-

The Larry Sanders Show

The Larry Sanders Show (1992) starring Garry Shandling, Rip Torn, Jeffrey Tambor. Four episodes from the first season of "The Larry Sanders Show" are featured on this disc. The show stars Shandling as Larry Sanders, star of a fictional late-night talk show. The guest stars are too many to mention, but suffice it to say that many of them are hilarious making fun of themselves -- and of showbiz. "The Larry Sanders Show" first aired on HBO from '92-'98, so the actors are free to use language that could not be heard on a network show. "TLSS" is a classic in a genre all its own. The DVD features subtitles in English, as well as closed captions. Grade: A

Short Eyes

Short Eyes (1977) starring Bruce Davison, Jose Perez. Man (Davison) is convicted of molesting a child, goes to prison, discovers hell on earth. The title is prison slang for "child molester." This movie, which has a lot of African-American cast members, cries out for subtitles in English, but it has none, nor does it have closed captions. Grade: F

Shoot the Piano Player

Shoot the Piano Player (1960) starring Charles Aznavour. Directed by Francois Truffaut. French film about Charlie (Aznavour), a former concert pianist, who is now tickling the ivories in a Parisian saloon. One day his brother stumbles in, pursued by two mobsters, and Charlie gets swept up in his brother's troubles. This is ultimately a bleak movie with little humor and two deaths. Although I found it watchable I didn't find it ultimately satisfying. It's in French, with English subtitles. Grade: B

Win Win

Win Win (2010) starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan. Hapless part-time wrestling coach Mike (Giamatti), who is also a lawyer, gets named guardian to an old man named Leo. Mike is after the monthly stipend of $1,500, but in the bargain ends up playing host to Leo's grandson, Kyle. Kyle, it turns out, is a talented wrestler. Unfortunately, just as he is entering his big wrestling match, his mother -- fresh out of rehab -- shows up wanting to take him home. This is not a simple, feel-good movie, but it delivers emotionally. There are funny moments, but also very serious moments. Giamatti and Ryan deliver strong performances. The disc has English subtitles for the hearing-impaired, as well as closed captions. Grade: B

Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks (1990) starring Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Sheryl Lee. Directed by David Lynch. MacLachlan stars as FBI agent Dale Cooper, and Ontkean plays Sheriff Harry S. Truman as the series opens with the discovery of the body of local homecoming queen Laura Palmer (Lee). If you were of an age in 1990, you'll remember the "Who killed Laura Palmer?" rage that briefly swept the nation. This, the pilot episode, is a reminder of the great potential the series had -- a potential that was eventually wasted after Lynch abandoned the project and others tried to carry it to completion. The disc features good subtitles, as well as closed captions. Grade: A

The Shop Around the Corner

The Shop Around the Corner (1940) starring Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan. In the original "You've Got Mail," Klara (Sullavan) and Alfred (Stewart) are a pair of pen pals who don't realize that they know each other. While writing beautiful letters to each other, discussing philosophy, literature, art and love, in person they don't get along. You might even say they don't like each other. But when Alfred discovers that Klara is the one who has been writing him these letters, his attitude changes. The movie has a couple of sub-plots that keep things interesting, and Stewart cements his place as a leading man. Sullavan is not beautiful, but has an every-gal appeal. It's an enjoyable, if old-fashioned, film. The disc features excellent subtitles, as well as closed captions. Grade: A-

Shoeshine

Shoeshine (1946) starring Rinaldo Smerdoni, Franco Interlenghi. Directed by Vittorio De Sica. In poverty-stricken postwar Italy, two young friends try to survive by shining shoes. But the boys also get involved in black-market sales of stolen goods, and end up getting arrested and sent to juvenile detention. Juvenile detention is, of course, a hellhole. The youths are put in different cells, and the authorities manage to turn them against each other. This movie, shot in the Italian style known as neorealism, depicts the difficulty of life in Italy after World War II. The country was devastated and occupied by American military forces. As with much neorealism, this film tends to look at things through the eyes of children. It's an interesting movie, well told and involving. The film is in Italian, with English subtitles that are only adequate. Grade: B+

Shock Corridor

Shock Corridor (1963) starring Peter Breck, Constance Towers, Gene Evans, James Best. Newspaper reporter (Breck) gets admitted to a mental hospital with hopes of solving a murder, winning Pulitzer prize. The script is ridiculous, the acting is terrible, and this disc has no subtitles for the hearing-impaired and no closed captions. Grade: F

The Shipping News

The Shipping News (2001) starring Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Scott Glenn, Cate Blanchett. Distraught over the death of his first love (Blanchett), Quoyle (Spacey), not knowing what to do with himself, moves with his aunt (Dench) to their ancestral home in Newfoundland. There, solely on the strength of his name, he is hired as a reporter by the editor (Glenn) of the local newspaper. Based on the novel by E. Annie Proulx, this movie has loads of local color and interesting characters. I can't remember how like the book it is, but I recognized certain scenes, certainly. The acting is uniformly good, and the ending is satisfying. The disc has good English subtitles for the hearing-impaired, as well as closed captions. Grade: B+

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre (2011) starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench, Jamie Bell, Amelia Clarkson, Sally Hawkins. Charlotte Bronte's novel is adapted for the screen once again. I must admit, I haven't read the novel, but I get the sense that only a fragment of it has made it into this movie. As with most books, it would be impossible to contain the whole novel in a two-hour movie. This one concentrates on the years that Jane spends at Thornfield with Mr. Rochester, and the reveal of his ugly secret. I can only say that I wasn't much moved by this adaptation. The "passion" between Jane and Rochester seemed bloodless, and the film was too sketchy to ever capture my interest fully. It's a good movie, not great. The subtitles, in English for the hearing-impaired, are adequate. Grade: B

Meek's Cutoff

Meek's Cutoff (2010) starring Michelle Williams, Shirley Henderson, Zoe Kazan, Bruce Greenwood, Will Patton. A small group of pioneers travels the Oregon Trail in 1845; but their guide, Stephen Meek, seems to have led them astray, and they are starting to run short of water. The movie starts to get interesting when they somehow manage to capture a Native American who crosses their path. Can he -- will he -- lead them to water? The answer is ... we'll never know. The film abruptly ends with no resolution, which is a high price to pay for a movie experience that has been so slow-paced, tedious and boring. I was really disappointed with this film, which was supposedly based on a true story. If it's based on a true story, where's the story? It does have subtitles for the hearing-impaired, but does not have closed captions, which are generally easier to read. Grade: C

Ship of Fools

Ship of Fools (1965) starring Vivien Leigh, Oskar Werner, Simone Signoret, Jose Ferrer, Lee Marvin. In 1933, a German passenger ship departs Mexico for Bremerhaven, Germany, with a varied cast of passengers and crew making the voyage, each for their own reasons. Nazism has already infected some of the German passengers, but it is in its early stages, and the word "Nazi" is never spoken. Of course, there are some American passengers on board, and they have their roles to play. The people are merely human, and by this movie's measure we are all fools. This was Leigh's last film -- she died in 1967. English subtitles are available, as well as closed captions. Grade: B

A Hard Day's Night

A Hard Day's Night (1964) starring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr. The Beatles' first movie stars the Fab Four pretty much being themselves. Many Beatles songs are featured on the soundtrack, all circa 1964. The film has become a nostalgic romp for Beatles fans, and especially for those who were in their teens when the Beatles came out, the Grade has to be: A

Shine

Shine (1996) starring Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, Lynn Redgrave. Young Australian piano prodigy David Helfgott (Taylor) wins scholarships to study in America and later London, but his possessive, abusive father (Mueller-Stahl) forbids him to go. He goes to London anyway and is disowned. As a dysfunctional adult, David (Rush) ends up institutionalized, but later returns to his music and even finds love (Redgrave). Rush won an Oscar for his performance as the adult David. This is a good film, the music is certainly enjoyable; my only pick is that Rush's manner of speaking is so rapid and hard to follow. But that may be because of my poor hearing as much as his rapid talking. The disc includes English subtitles, as well as closed captions. Grade: B+

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) starring John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson. Directed by John Ford. In the 1870s, right after Custer's Last Stand, Captain Nathan Brittles (Wayne) leads a troop of soldiers against Indians out west. Judging his last mission a failure, Brittles retires from the cavalry and heads out west towards California. But the Indians are still on the warpath and Brittles ends up on one last mission with the cavalry. This is kind of a sentimental Western, with very little actual fighting between Indians and cavalry. It's mostly about the relationships among the men of the cavalry -- and one particular young woman (Dru). I found it pretty entertaining for the most part, but I'm not one to go all soppy about John Wayne. The disc has good subtitles, as well as closed captions. Grade: B

She's So Lovely

She's So Lovely (1997) starring Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn. Male half of a married couple gets committed to a mental institution for ten years after committing a violent crime; comes out and tries to reclaim his wife, who has remarried. This is one of the stupidest movies I've sat through in my entire life. The script is idiotic and the acting is atrocious. The only reason it doesn't get an F is because it has good subtitles and closed captions. Plus there are a few funny moments. Grade: D

Sherrybaby

Sherrybaby (2006) starring Maggie Gyllenhaal. Sherry Swanson (Gyllenhaal) is released from prison on parole, and tries to resume being a mother to her five-year-old daughter. But it's all academic, because this disc has NO subtitles for the hearing-impaired, and NO closed captions. Grade: F

Sherman's March

Sherman's March (1986), documentary. Directed by Ross McElwee. Ostensibly a movie about Sherman's march to the sea during the Civil War, this is more of a study of director McElwee's love life, and why all his relationships fail. It also evolves into an examination of Southern womanhood, and why they are the way they are. Could it be that McElwee's relationships fail because he relates to women (and seemingly everyone) through his camera? So it would seem. This film is at least a half-hour too long, and lacks the all-important feature of subtitles for the hearing-impaired. No closed captions either. Still, for the most part, I found it absorbing. Grade: B-

Shall We Dance?

Shall We Dance? (1996) starring Koji Yakusho. Japanese businessman Shohei (Yakusho), during his daily commute, sees a beautiful woman looking out of the window of a dance studio. From this comes the germ of an idea -- maybe he should take ballroom dancing lessons! In Japanese culture, ballroom dancing is considered somehow shameful, like a public show of affection. Plus, Shohei starts his ballroom dancing lessons without telling his wife and daughter. Soon, he finds himself entering a competition, though it is far from a sure thing that he has the skills. This is a happy, feel-good movie that provides an enjoyable evening's entertainment -- and who knows, you may just want to kick up your heels and dance after you see it. It's in mostly Japanese, with English subtitles. The disc even provides an option of English subtitles for the hearing-impaired -- a first, in my experience. Grade: B+

Shall We Dance

Shall We Dance (1937) starring Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers. American Pete Peters (Astaire), who goes by the ballet stage name of Petrov, falls in love with jazz dancer Linda Keene (Rogers) during a trans-Atlantic crossing. Naturally, Peters and Keene end up dancing with each other, and even go so far as to get married. The music for this movie is by George and Ira Gershwin, and there are some standards here, including "They Can't Take That Away from Me." Overall, this film is lightweight piffle, but it's good quality piffle. Subtitles in English are available on the disc, as well as closed captions. Grade: B