Super Troopers - nobody - December 29

The trailer looked pretty funny and the movie had its moments but basically it was bad.

Pale Kings and Princes - Robert Ulrich - December 26

Can't find a picture. This is a movie of the old "Spenser for Hire" tv series. It's not bad but shows its age.

The Devil Wears Prada - Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway -
December 23

The acting was pretty good but it was like a one-joke comedy, one was a bitch and the other tried hard, and that was the whole movie.The costumes were nice, though.

Bread and Tulips - Italian - December 19

This is a flick about a wife whose husband is the worst, treats her like dirt and has a mistress. While on vacation he jumps on the bus and doesn't notice that she has missed it until the next stop. She plans to catch the next bus but then decides to have a vacation without him. Then the fun begins.

Raising Helen - Kate Hudson - December 8

This is another movie about a single man/woman forced into raising a child or children. This one had nothing new.

Eight Below - unknowns except Jason Biggs - December 5

This is a Walt Disney movie so one has to accept that everyone is a good guy and everything turns out all right in the end. Still, it wasn't a bad movie.

Brokeback Mountain - Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal - November 29

According to Julie this was done really well. However two guys groping each other on a mountain is not my idea of entertainment. I retired with a good book. Julie said I should have given it more time, it got better.

Antonia's Line - Dutch actors - November 22

This is one foreign flick where the subtitles didn't interfere with the movie. It's an often amusing and sometimes moving movie about an extended family in the Netherlands. It captures four generations but mostly it captures the audience.

The Life of David Gale - Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney - November 18

The excellent cast does an excellent job. This is a story about two people (Spacey, Linney) who are trying to repeal the death penalty in Texas (a herculean task). She is murdered and he is accused of it and a magazine reporter (Winslet) is assigned to cover the story and it gets suspenseful and takes a couple of turns before a surprise ending. Basically a very entertaining flick.

Cape of Good Hope - Debbie Brown - November 17

This is the story of three love affairs that have problems. It's a "feel good" movie so everything works out in the end. It's done pretty well by a bunch of unknowns (to me) but Debbie Brown is excellent.

A Love Song for Bobby Long - John Travolta, Scarlet Johanssen - November 15

I thought it was pretty good but Julie had mixed feelings. It's a story about a professor (Travolta) who has a drinking problem and ends up as "poor white trash" in New Orleans. Years ago he has an affair with the mother of a young girl (Johanssen) and when the mother dies her funeral brings them together. You can guess the rest of the story but I thought it was well acted.

Thank You for Smoking -Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello - November 8

The book was really good but the movie is just ok. The lead, Aaron Eckhart, is pretty good and I like Maria Bello but as a whole it doesn't hang together well.

Dirty Pretty Things - Chjwetel Ejiofor, Audry Tautou - October 20

The subject of the film is very current, illegal immigrants. In this case we witness the problems and dangers faced by two "illegals" in London. It's not my usual light fare but is pretty graphic and nasty. It's well done and portrays a side that doesn't get much press.

The Cooler - William Macy, Alec Baldwin - October 17

Macy plays a great loser and Baldwin is an even better bad guy. The chick (Maria Bello) is pretty good as the love interest. Macy is such a loser that the casino hires him to go around and bring bad luck to anyone who is having a hot streak. This works fine until he falls in love and it is reciprocated then he brings good luck which is not what the casino manager, Baldwin, wants. All in all a pretty good bit of entertainment. You'd like it, Dave.

V for Vendetta - Others - October 12

As a rule I'm not big on science fiction or a lot of cg but this flick does it well and it is not too intrusive or diverting. I wonder if our two- or multi-party system of government would ever evolve into a dictatorship. Hmmm.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Others - October 7

This is really a children's movie but would give the younger ones nighmares. There's quite a bit of blood and violence for a younger audience. Julie and I fell asleep about half way through so watched the second half the next night and managed to reach the end. It's a fable with special effects.

Just Like Heaven - Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo - October 4

This is another flick that mixes a character in heaven with one on earth. Only this one isn't dead yet just in a coma so isn't really in heaven maybe only in limbo. It's what you might expect from a "romantic comedy" but well acted with a couple of minor twisits to make it interesting. It's a good flick for kicking back and letting the mind go into neutral.

An Unfinished Life - Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, Morgan Freeman - September 30

J-Lo was pretty good in this and the young girl who played her daughter was terrific. Jean's (J-Lo) husband was killed in an automobile accident when Jean was driving and his father (Redford) has never forgiven her. Ten years after the accident Jean flees her abusive boyfriend and the only place she knows where to go is the father's ranch. Now all sorts of emotions come into play and it's really well done.

A History of Violence - William Hurt, Ed Harris - September 26

"Violence", I guess so. But it fit the story, it was not gratuitous and just for its own sake. It was an important part and heightened the suspense. The two leads are unknowns (to me) but good and Ed Harris and Willam Hurt had smaller parts but were terrific. I can see why Dave liked this movie. Was he part of a witness protection thing?

Garden State - Natalie Portman and ?? - September 20

I like Natalie Portman I just don't like her movies. This one is much too wordy as everyone has some sort of hangup. At times it's amusing but mostly boring. Time for some better movies, ones with good casts and good buzz.

Man on a Train - ??? - September 16

Subtitles are good in that I don't have to depend on my hearing but they're bad in that I miss the action while trying to read them. Again. I didn't have to read as much as in the previous movie because I slept through much of it. Yeah, boring and slow moving.

And Now, Ladies and Gentlemen - Jeremy Irons - September 12

Subtitles are good in that I don't have to depend on my hearing but they're bad in that I miss the action while trying to read them. A high class jewel thief, Irons, meets a jazz singer and turns semi good guy. The soundtrack is great but the movie is rather slow moving.

Inside Man - Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, Clive Owen - September 6

In the course of a bank robbery the thieves take everyone in the bank hostage. Denzel is the cop, Jodie is the negotiator, and Clive is the lead thief. There are a few twists which make this very entertaining.

Nanny MacPhee - Emma Thomson, Colin Firth - August 30

This is a fairy tale about a widower who has seven children who are really bad to the point that no nanny will stay. As a fairy tale about children I imagine it is very popular amongst the seven and eight year old children. I've passed that stage.

Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang - Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer - August 26

This is a comedy where a lot of bad guys get shot but I couldn't quite understand the plot or the relationship all the characters had to each other. This confusion took some of the enjoyment away. I can't recommend it. We're going to have to be a little more discriminating on our choice of movies from Netflix.

Down With Love - Rene Zellwegger - August 21

This is a take-off on the old Rock Hudson/Doris Day movies. With that in mind it wasn't too bad but that premise began to wear well before the end. The girl believes that if you take love out of the equation women can be every bit as competitive in business as men. Naturally she falls in love. I can't recommend it.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Sean Connery -
August 15

"In Victorian England, a madman is hell-bent on destroying the world, and only an auspicious league of literary heroes -- among them Allan Quatermain, Tom Sawyer and Captain Nemo -- can stop him. Will they succeed?" This is the blurb on Netflix. Will they succeed? Who cares. This is a boring CG movie that plays more like a comic book with about as much or less plot. The ennui wasn't even relieved by any T's and A's.

The World's Fastest Indian - Anthony Hopkins – August 8

This is a very entertaing movie about a New Zealander (Hopkins) who has restored a 1920's-era Indian motorcycle and yearns to go to the Bonneville salt flats to see how fast it will go. It is based on a true story and the cast is loaded with memorable characters well acted.

Good Night and Good Luck - George Clooney – August 1

For a movie with no color, no T's and A's, no romance, no mystery, and no humor it was pretty good. The timeframe was the middle 50's when I was a senior in highschool and we watched the McArthy hearings. The hearings and Edward R. Morrow became part of our civics class. The cinematography was interesting if at times disconcerting.

Flightplan - Jodie Foster – July 28

Well acted but a farfetched story. The plane was huge, well over 400 passengers with two decks and a bar-lounge. The movie was about 95% in the plane. Jodie's daughter disappeared while on the plane and all the crew said she was never on the plane. Jodie goes ballistic and a couple of bad actors show up.

Fun with Dick and Jane - Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni – July 25

It took a while for this movie to get going but there were some funny moments. One of the funniest scenes was a deleted scene in the Special Features section. Tea Leoni is one of the funniest actresses in movies.

Munich - Stephen Spielberg – July 21

This is a very bloody look at Israel's revenge for the Olympic killings.

Match Point - Scarlett Johannsen – July 20

Woody Allen wrote and directed and his mark is all over it. An ambitious tennis pro ingratiates himself into a wealthy family with an agreeable daughter. He soon savors the heights of sexuality and moneyality. But he pays a price. Scarlett is hot!

Memoirs of a Geisha – July 19

This is one that Julie wanted to see because she enjoyed the book. I didn't read the book but the movie wasn't my kind. It could be considered an interesting piece of history if you are interested in that kind of history. I'm not.

Deep Blue – fish – July 16

This is a fascinating movie about the inhabitants of the oceans. The photography is amazing and the special feature showing the making of Deep Blue was as interesting as the movie. I was a little disappointed in that they didn't train any of the fish to act like humans. Oh well.

Duma – Africans – July 12

It amazes me how animals can be trained to act like humans in certain situations. In this case it's a cheeta who's mother is killed in the jungle and the kitten shows up in a farmyard. The family adopts it and the son gets very close so it's tough to return it to the wild when it gets older. The story is the journey that the boy and the cheeta take to reach an appropriate wild area for the cheeta.

Undertaking Betty – Christopher Walken and other English actors – July 6

An enjoyable English comedy where they run into all sorts of problems trying to fake a funeral. A sit-back, slip-into-neutral and enjoy type of movie. It requires no effort.

Hitch – Will Smith, Eva Mendes – July 2

Will Smith helps men get their mate but has trouble with his intended. Eva Mendes is pretty good and hot.

Enigma – Kate Winslet – June 28

There have been more than one movie about the breaking of the WWII German code with the Enigma machine but this one took a slightly different tack. Kate Winslet wasn't the "beautiful girl" here but played the office clerk with glasses and cardigan sweater (she's still hot). How come military brass and FBI are always protrayed as idiots?

Just Friends – unknowns (and likely to stay that way) – June 25

This movie was boring. It was supposed to be funny but all attempts at humor fell flat. I can't remember what I read or saw that prompted me to see it. I wonder if Netflix has a way of awarding minus stars.

Proof – Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins – June 20

This movie was well acted. It provides "proof" that genius is right next to madness. This is the story of a mathematics genius (Hopkins) and his daughter (Paltrow). She takes care of him as he drifts from genius to madness.

The Family Stone – Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Luke Wilson – June 16

This is a good movie. Every character has a personality and plays to it. Sarah Jessica is terrific as an uptight city type about to be engaged to one of the Stone family. He brings her home for Christmas to meet the family each of whom has their own problem. It's so good Julie said she could even watch it again sometime.

Meet the Fockers – Ben Stiller – June 13

Most of this movie was just awful attempts at humor. It was boring with an occassional bit to raise a smile otherwise a waste of time. I've never liked the parts played by Ben Stiller and still don't.

Wedding Crashers – Vince Vaughn and others - June 8

Pretty low level comedy but funny just the same. They did what many of us would have liked to do before marriage. I always thought that weddings are a very horny occassion but I couldn't say the same for funerals.

Million Dollar Baby – Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman – June 5

I'm not a boxing fan but this was well done and I could put up with the mayhem. It was interesting in that half the movie was humorous and the second half was serious/sad. I would give it four stars.

Mrs. Henderson Presents – Judith Dench, Bob Hoskins – May 31

This is a classic British comedy full of playful tongue-in-cheek lines so that you become enamoured with the characters before moving into more serious matters; and though the movie takes place during the fire-bombing of London, it emphasizes not the evils of the world but some of the fun things that should be enjoyed. Though the script is well-written in its back and forth word-play, it is the characters that make the film and the superb acting gives everything its depth and nuance that connects the viewer to these people and their intertwining lives. Heavy, huh?

North Country – Charlize Theron, Frances McDormond, Woody Harrelson – May 25

This movie is based on a true case of sexual harrassment in a coal company in northern Minnesota. It's presentation is very brutal and graphic but well done. Usually I watch movies to be entertained which means nothing heavy but this got pretty good reviews and Julie wanted to see it, so... The bottom line is, I was entertained. Now I can watch something a little lighter.

March of the Penguins – penguins – May 22

This movie is a documentary of the sex life of the Antartic penguin. It's not something I search for but friends said it's a good flick and Julie wanted to see it so... The photography was fantastic and the geography is hard to believe. For some reason or other the herd (flock?) of penguins have to travel 70 miles to a spot where the men and women get together to reproduce. After laying one egg the female takes off and goes 70 miles back to water to feed (they're very hungry at this point) and the male is left to keep the egg warm in the very sub-zero weather. The women get back to camp about the time the babies hatch so the men can leave and feed. Then they trek the 70 miles back to where they came from. Ain't nature grand? The movie was well done but would have made a great 20 minute short.

Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – animated – May 17

This movie had many funny moments but it's hard to maintain a good level of interest for the length of the movie. The Special Feature on how they made the movie was equally entertaining. All the characters, and there are quite a few, are made from a clay-like substance which they film, then change slightly and film again, then change slightly and film again, then change slightly and film again, then change...you get the idea. It took them five years to make the movie and that's moving fast.

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