The Young Lions

The Young Lions (1958) starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Dean Martin, Hope Lange, Barbara Rush. World War II study has Brando as a German who is conflicted about the war, Clift and Martin as American G.I.s who fight prejudice in basic training, then end up fighting together in Normandy. It's a pretty good movie, one of the better ones to look at WWII. It even shows the liberation of a concentration camp. (English subtitles are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B+

Adaptation

Adaptation (2002) starring Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton, Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Judy Greer. Directed by Spike Jonze. In a unique melding of screenwriter's and director's sensibilities, Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief is brought to the screen -- in unrecognizable form. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman becomes a character in his own screenplay, as he struggles to adapt The Orchid Thief into a movie. The book is a nonfiction account of John LaRoche, a real-life orchid collector who lives in Florida, and has scarcely any plot to speak of. It's beautifully written, however, which is probably why it got optioned to be made into a film. Kaufman apparently struggled with finding a way to convert the book into a movie, and ended up writing his struggles into the plot of the film. Jonze, to his credit, goes with the idea and enthusiastically directs it into this twisty, turny, weird movie. This is a crazy mixed-up film, and it won't be to everyone's taste. As for me, I was somewhat disappointed. (Subtitles are available in English, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B

Ace in the Hole

Ace in the Hole (1951) starring Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling. Cynical New Mexico reporter (Douglas) sees a chance to revivify his once-thriving career when he stumbles on an Indian ruin with a man trapped inside. He manipulates the situation to stretch out the story, so that he can reap more glory, but the strategy ends up backfiring on him. The whole story takes on a carnival atmosphere as people come from miles around to witness the rescue of the trapped man.  As a former newspaperman, I found this story less than believable, but it made its point fairly effectively. (Subtitles in English are available for the hearing-impaired, but not close captions.) Grade: B-   

The Abyss

The Abyss (1989) starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn. In an underwater sci-fi adventure, a crew of divers on an oil rig goes down to investigate a nuclear submarine which has been sunk. While investigating, one of the crew (Mastrantonio) sees an underwater UFO. Meanwhile, a Navy SEAL team which has been sent to check out the status of the nuclear sub begins to interfere with the crew of the oil rig. Biehn gets to pull his favorite assignment as an actor by playing a member of the SEAL diving team who gets "pressure psychosis." I watched the "extended" video version of the movie, which, at two hours and forty-five minutes, is a bit too long. Also, the film kind of goes overboard in depicting the underwater aliens and their concern for mankind. It would have been fine just to know they're there and that they are aware of us. Still, a rather enjoyable viewing experience. (Subtitles in English are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B        

About Schmidt

About Schmidt (2002) starring Jack Nicholson, Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, Kathy Bates. Shortly after Warren Schmidt (Nicholson) retires from his job in the insurance business, his wife dies, and he embarks on a personal journey of discovery which has plenty of funny aspects, as well as plenty of poignant facets. His daughter Jeannie (Davis) is on the verge of marrying a hopeless loser (Mulroney), and Schmidt decides that his mission in life is to stop the marriage from going forward. His attempts to intervene, however, only go to show what a chasm has opened between him and his daughter. This is a funny and sad movie, and Nicholson turns in a very good performance as Schmidt. I found it well worth the investment of time to watch. (Subtitles in English are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B+  

About a Boy

About a Boy (2002) starring Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult. A totally self-absorbed bachelor named Will (Grant), who lives off the royalties from a song his father wrote, decides to pose as a single dad in order to pick up women. What he doesn't count on is Marcus (Hoult), a 12-year-old boy who meets him and decides that he, Will, would make a good addition to the small family of Marcus and his mother (Collette). Marcus starts coming over to Will's flat uninvited and watching TV with him. Will resists, but eventually is won over. This movie is a pleasant story of how two people can form an attachment without the usual Hollywood trappings, and how that attachment can be a benefit to everyone involved. It's also a funny film. I enjoyed it quite a bit. (Subtitles for the hearing-impaired are offered on the disc.) Grade: B    

American Graffiti

American Graffiti (1973) starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul LeMat, Charlie Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Wolfman Jack, Harrison Ford. Written and directed by George Lucas. Outstanding, groundbreaking film is about a group of teens in 1962 and their activities on the last night of high school. The soundtrack of the movie is made up entirely of rock 'n' roll music from the era 1955-62, so this is a real nostalgia piece for those who went through their teens in the late '50s or early '60s. The film also launched the careers of many of the main actors who appear in it. The disc also features a fine making-of documentary which is over an hour long and includes all of the principals involved in the making of the movie. (Subtitles for the hearing-impaired are available, and the songs are captioned.) Grade: A    

You Can Count on Me

You Can Count on Me (2000) starring Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Rory Culkin. Directed by Kenneth Lonergan. Siblings Sammy (Linney) and Terry (Ruffalo) are orphaned at a young age, and this of course affects the whole course of both their lives. Sammy becomes ultra-responsible, trying to keep everything normal, while Terry becomes a classic fuck-up. When he comes to visit her in the small town where she lives, they get quickly entangled in each other's lives, and Uncle Terry forms a bond with Sammy's son (Culkin). Meanwhile, Sammy embarks on an ill-advised affair with her married boss (Broderick), and her long-suffering boyfriend asks her to marry him. The script is very well written and the movie is expertly directed. It's a small, dramatic story that is very well told and acted. Good film. (Both subtitles for the hearing-impaired and closed captions are available.) Grade: A-  

The Magnificent Ambersons

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) starring Tim Holt, Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Agnes Moorehead. Directed by Orson Welles. Story, set in 1873 and the following years, about two families -- one on the way up and one on the way down. It all starts with an innocent incident in which Morgan (Cotten) falls on his bass fiddle while courting Isabel Amberson (Costello). She marries a different man, one whom she does not truly love, and all the complications that follow arise from that one decision. The story is told rather elliptically, and the dialogue struck me as old-fashioned -- not always a fatal flaw, but in this case I think it detracted from the movie's effect. The film would probably benefit from repeated viewings. (Subtitles for the hearing-impaired are available, but not closed captions.) Grade: B

No Place on Earth

No Place on Earth (2012) Documentary. A true story of survival dating back to World War II, when 38 Jews managed to survive the Nazi occupation of Ukraine by hiding in a cave for 18 months. It's a rather well made film, mixing current action (five of the people who were in the cave still survive, and tell their story for the camera) with reenactment of what life in the cave was like. Those who survived the war in the cave now have 125 descendants, mostly in Canada and the United States. I found the movie to be moving and uplifting. (Subtitles in English for the hearing-impaired are available on the disc.) Grade: B+ 

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) starring Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Robert Morley, Terry-Thomas. Rather long but enjoyable comedy about a 1910 London-to-Paris air race, with international competition, cheating and romance. The filmmakers built several reproductions of actual early airplanes and used them in the film to nice effect. The humor is a bit broad, but it's all in good fun and the actual race is somewhat exciting. (Subtitles in English are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B

The Young Poisoner's Handbook

The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1995) starring Hugh O'Conor, Antony Sher, Ruth Sheen, Roger Lloyd Pack. Young Graham (O'Conor) decides to become the world's greatest poisoner, starting with his stepmother. The film goes on in some detail about his stay in a psychiatric facility after he is convicted of murder, but I had trouble following it because THIS FILM HAS NO SUBTITLES OR CLOSED CAPTIONS. Nothing. Nada. Zip. For that reason it gets a Grade: F

The Woman in Green

The Woman in Green (1945) starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Hillary Brooke, Henry Daniell. Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) faces off against Professor Moriarty (Daniell) and his female ally (Brooke), who have concocted a scheme which involves hypnotism, blackmail and murder. It's a rather well made movie, but the sticking point for me was the hypnotism aspect, which I found totally hokey. And why the movie is called The Woman in Green makes no sense, since the film is in black and white and no reference is ever made to the color of anyone's clothes. I'm not an aficionado of Holmes movies, but this one definitely falls short. (Subtitles in English are available for the hearing-impaired.) Grade: B-  

Pollyanna

Pollyanna (1960) starring Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman, Richard Egan, Karl Malden, Nancy Olson. A young orphan named Pollyanna (Mills) arrives in town to live with her Aunt Polly (Wyman). Although the town is divided and contentious, Pollyanna gradually wins them over with her optimistic "glad girl" philosophy of always finding something in any situation to be glad about. When tragedy befalls Pollyanna, the people of the town rally round her and lift her spirits. This is a good Disney movie, suitable for family viewing. (Subtitles in English are available on the disc, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B+     

42

42 (2013) starring Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, Lucas Black. In 1947, Branch Rickey (Ford), owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, decides it is time for an African-American to play major league baseball. The prospect he picks is Jackie Robinson (Boseman), who goes on to be the first black major leaguer in the modern era, not to mention rookie of the year for 1947. For anybody who loves baseball and social justice, this is bound to be a deeply moving film. My only criticism is that Boseman, a first-time lead actor, is a little lacking in charisma. Plus, the film ends at the finish of his first season, and I would have liked to see a little more of his career. Still, it's an excellent film. (Subtitles in English for the hearing-impaired are available on the disc.) Grade: A-

The Bad News Bears

The Bad News Bears (1976) starring Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, Vic Morrow, Joyce Van Patten, Jackie Earle Haley. Losing Little League team the Bears are taken over by Coach Buttermaker (Matthau), who brings in a ringer named Amanda (O'Neal) to pitch. He also brings in a ringer named Kelly (Haley) to play center field and hit, and the team actually makes it to the playoffs. There is no feel-good ending, however, and the team stays true to its basic character. The movie makes good use of musical themes from Bizet's Carmen. The script could use some work, but it's an entertaining and off-kilter sports film which is certainly worth seeing. (Subtitles in English are available on the disc.) Grade: B    

Woodstock

Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music (1970) Documentary. Performers featured in the film include Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Canned Heat, Country Joe McDonald, Ten Years After, Santana, John Sebastian, The Who, Janis Joplin, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. The music aside, the filmmakers interviewed young concert-goers as well as inhabitants of the surrounding area to get a balanced picture of what the experience was like. No movie can really hope to capture what it was like to be there, but this one comes as close as can be expected. Woodstock won the Academy Award for best documentary the year it was released. (Subtitles in English are included, and the songs are, blessedly, subtitled.) Grade: B+

Zodiac

Zodiac (2007) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey, Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Chloe Sevigny. Interesting drama about the so-called Zodiac killer, who terrorized San Francisco in the late 1960s, and the detectives and newspapermen who become obsessed with solving the case. Gyllenhaal in particular, as Robert Graysmith, the cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle who can't let go of the case years after the Zodiac has quit killing, stands out. Others in the cast give good performances, and the direction and attention to period detail is outstanding. This is a very involving movie which tells a riveting story. (Subtitles in English are available on the disc, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B+

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) starring Lon Chaney, Jr., Bela Lugosi, Lenore Aubert, Jane Randolph, Glenn Strange. Not only do Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein (Strange), they meet Dracula (Lugosi) and the Wolfman (Chaney) in this horror-comedy from Universal. I found it all rather silly, and the comedy routine of Abbott and Costello did not strike me as particularly clever or funny. Still, this is a film you almost have to see, just so you can say you've seen it. It's a classic of its type. (English subtitles for the hearing-impaired are available on the disc.) Grade: B  

The Young Victoria

The Young Victoria (2009) starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent. During a few years in the early 1800s, there was some doubt as to whether Victoria (Blunt) would become Queen at all. Her uncle, King William, wanted her to succeed him, but her mother (Richardson), and her mother's lover, tried to force a regency on her. She refused to buckle under, and the rest is history. More than that, though, this movie tells the story of the romancing of Victoria by Prince Albert (Friend), who, as it turned out, really loved her. When they eventually marry, it is almost an anticlimax, but they, as a couple, form the heart of the film. It's a well told tale, beautifully mounted, which it was a pleasure to watch. (Subtitles in English are provided on the disc for the hearing-impaired.) Grade: B+  

My Darling Clementine

My Darling Clementine (1946) starring Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature, Walter Brennan, Cathy Downs. Directed by John Ford. One of the great Westerns, stars Fonda as Wyatt Earp, Mature as Doc Holliday and Brennan as Old Man Clanton. Downs plays the Clementine of the title, and the woman Earp falls in love with. The movie is one long buildup to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, where Earp and Holliday wipe out the evil Clanton gang once and for all. An interesting feature of this disc is the Extra which compares Ford's original version to the cut that was eventually released in theaters. (Subtitles in English are available for the hearing-impaired.) Grade: A-

Bride of Frankenstein

Bride of Frankenstein (1935) starring Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson, Ernest Thesiger, Elsa Lanchester. Sequel to Frankenstein picks up where the first film left off, with the monster (Karloff)  miraculously surviving the fire at the mill, and with the sinister Dr. Pretorius (Thesiger) proposing to Baron Frankenstein (Clive) that he should create a female version of the monster. This film is an improvement on the original in almost every way, adding a musical score and better quality picture and sound. The movie also has a dry sense of humor, something the original lacked. The scene of the monster encountering a blind hermit in the woods is a classic, which would later be spoofed to great effect in Young Frankenstein. In this movie, the monster even learns to talk. (Subtitles in English for the hearing-impaired are available on the disc.) Grade: B+   

Frankenstein

Frankenstein (1931) starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff. The original monster movie, with Clive as the mad scientist, Henry Frankenstein, and Karloff as the monster he creates from dead body parts. Of course, he doesn't intend the monster to be a monster, it's just that his assistant provides him with an abnormal brain to use in his effort to revivify dead tissue. This is a classic, almost must-see movie, with many memorable moments. (Subtitles in English are available for the hard of hearing.) Grade: B  

Young Mr. Lincoln

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) starring Henry Fonda, Alice Brady. Directed by John Ford. Surprisingly effective look at a few days in the life of a young Abe Lincoln. Most of the film is taken up with a jury trial, in which Lincoln defends two brothers who are accused of killing a man. Fonda does a good job of portraying Lincoln during the days before he even dreamed of running for president. (The disc includes subtitles in English, which is a good thing because it doesn't have closed captions.) Grade: B+  

You Kill Me

You Kill Me (2007) starring Ben Kingsley, Tea Leoni, Luke Wilson, Philip Baker Hall, Dennis Farina. Lukewarm black comedy in which Kingsley plays a hit man who botches a job because he's an alcoholic. His Polish crime family banishes him from Buffalo to San Francisco, where he is supposed to dry out. There he meets a woman (Leoni) and falls in love. But there is still unfinished business in Buffalo, and he is obliged to go back and set things right. Attempt at comedy flops mostly because one has trouble feeling sympathy for a hit man. On top of that, it's just not believable, even if you accept the premise. (Subtitles in English for the hearing-impaired are available, which is a good thing because closed captions are not provided.) Grade: B-