Movie Review - "Mission:Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (2011) ****1/2

     Wow. One simple word....WOW. Those three little letters crossed my mind many times while watching the newest installment in the Mission:Impossible film franchise. This is a franchise that I have been a big fan of. The original film just missed making my top 100 list, it was one of the last cuts actually. The scene where Tom Cruise and his team of agents infiltrate the CIA headquarters is one of my favorite movie scenes ever. M:I 2 was a bit of a letdown but I enjoyed M:I 3 a lot as well. So I was excited for this newest installment and have been waiting patiently for a couple of months to see it. I've always been a fan of Tom Cruise, the actor. (Tom Cruise the "celebrity" hasn't often been the same case). When he is on his game, and isn't too full of himself, I think he's one of the funnest actors of our generation to watch. His performance as Ethan Hunt in M:I Ghost Protocol only strengthens that argument for me.

     Describing the plot of a M:I film is not the easiest thing to do. I think I may be able to perform brain surgery better. In a nutshell, there is a person of interest with the code name of "Cobalt" who wants to start a nuclear war between Russia and the United States. The movie opens with a team of IMF (Impossible Missions Force) agents breaking Ethan Hunt out of a prison in Moscow, Russia. (Don't ask) On the outside, Hunt receives a mission to infiltrate the Kremlin in order to gain information on "Cobalt". Hunt and his two sidekicks, Jane (Paula Patton) and Benji (Simon Pegg), soon find themselves undercover deep in the heart of the Russian military but the plan goes awry and must be aborted. The Kremlin is blown up and the Russians blame the IMF and the United States, leading to tensions that haven't been this high since the Cuban Missile Crisis. The President of the US activates Ghost Protocol which disavows the entire IMF, and the team finds themselves on the run without any help from the government. They pick up a fourth member along the way, an IMF analyst named Brandt (Jeremy Renner), who we can tell from the get-go has more to him than initially meets the eye. The 4 IMF agents track "Cobalt" to Dubai, where an exchange is scheduled to happen at the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. It's here where a lot of the jaw-dropping special effects and action take place, highlighted by Ethan scaling the outside of the building like Spiderman in a vertigo-inducing scene. Wow. Before the movie is over we also visit Mumbai, before arriving back home in the US.

     M:I - Ghost Protocol is a pure adrenaline rush from start to finish. The movie takes a break for five minutes here and there to setup what's coming next, but for the most part is action packed from start to finish. Most of the action defies logic of course, but this is one of those movies you just throw all of that garbage out the window and just go with it. I saw this movie in IMAX and if you get the opportunity to see it that way, I highly recommend it. Only about 30 minutes of the movie was filmed with IMAX technology but those are a tremendous 30 minutes. A lot of it occurs during the Burj Khalifa scene, which will immediately go with that CIA infiltration scene in the original as an instant classic. I'm not sure how the film will look on a regular screen, but I hope it doesn't lose its luster. I may give it a try, just to see the comparison. The film was directed by Brad Bird, a name you probably know but for a completely different type of film. All of Bird's previous directing work has been in animation, including the hits The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille, a personal favorite of mine. He would seem like an odd choice for this job, but he has pulled off a miraculous feat. It doesn't matter what kind of movie you make, when you're good, you're good. For a film that is so action packed, the acting is also superb here. We've mentioned Cruise already, but Renner is becoming one of my favorite actors to see on screen. He earned my vote as Best Actor back in 2010 for The Hurt Locker and I also enjoyed his role in The Town. Simon Pegg provides some well-timed comic relief as Benji and Paula Patton does a kick-butt (literally) job as Jane. I highly recommend this film. If you want a 2-hour escape where you can just sit back and say WOW repeatedly, this is your movie. One of my favorites of the year so far.

Movie Review - "Bridesmaids" (2011) ***1/2

     I can't remember what movie it was that I went to see earlier this year, but as I was walking through the theater, I saw a large cardboard advertisement for Bridesmaids. I distinctly remember rolling my eyes as I passed by it and thinking to myself, "Well, there's no way THAT will be any good." I paid no attention to any reviews or promotion for the film and I had forgotten about it as the summer went along. Fast forward to the past few weeks. We are in "Awards Season" where all the different critics associations start handing out their year-end honors for the films of 2011. Something started raising my eyebrow, Bridesmaids was being nominated, and even winning, some of these accolades. When the AFI (American Film Institute) named it as one of the 10 best films of the year, that really opened my eyes up and made me second guess myself on this film. So I rented it On Demand and decided to give it a shot. The old saying is true, "Don't judge a book by its cover".......or a movie, I guess.

     The film has a pretty simple storyline. Annie (Kristen Wiig) and Lillian (Maya Rudolph) are best friends since childhood. Things have not been going well for Annie. She's in a relationship with an uncommitted jerk named Ted (Jon Hamm), her cake bakery business has gone out of business, and she is struggling to pay even the smallest bills. So when her best friend tells her that she is getting married, Annie is obviously happy for Lillian, but there is definitely a little bit of jealously. Annie agrees to be the Maid of Honor though, she is Lillian's best friend after all. At the engagement party, we meet the other bridesmaids; Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Becca (Ellie Kemper), Megan (Melissa McCarthy), and Helen (Rose Byrne). Helen is Lillian's newest friend and is one of those "perfect" ladies that other ladies usually hate right away. It isn't long before Helen and Annie are butting heads over how to give Lillian the best wedding possible. Annie is sure that Helen is trying to replace her as Maid of Honor and will do anything to avoid that. All of these ladies want the best wedding possible for Lillian, but can they come together and bond before destroying the whole event before it happens?

     I was surprised by how much I laughed during this movie, it even had me doubled over a couple of times. The movie is directed by Paul Feig, who is best known for his work in television on such shows as "Freaks and Geeks", "The Office", and "Arrested Development". Bridesmaids marks his directorial debut in movies. The movie is produced by Judd Apatow, the famous producer/director who is responsible for many comedies over the last decade and a half, including 40-Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad, just to name a few. His movies are known for their raunchiness, so you'd think this would be something different. It's not. This movie is every bit as raunchy as his predecessors, maybe that's what appealed to me. This isn't a movie for the kiddos by any means!! There is a scene, which I have learned has already become legendary, where the bridesmaids have some food poisoning "issues" while trying on bridesmaids gowns. I was shocked to see this unfold before my eyes, but I couldn't stop laughing at the same time. This is something I would expect from a movie like The Hangover, not a "chick flick". All of the actresses perform admirably, but Melissa McCarthy is the standout in my opinion as Megan. Her character is a complete riot and I would not be shocked to see her pick up an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress. Wiig's performance is also getting some well-deserved attention but a Best Actress nomination seems like a long shot. I don't know, it was just missing that little something. Don't get me wrong though, she does a great job. I doubt Bridesmaids will make my top 10 list for the year, like it did with the AFI, but it's going to be darn close. This is a funny movie and I'm glad I got over my initial bias and gave it a shot. It was a fun two hours.

Movie Review - "The Muppets" (2011) ***1/2 (***** for sentimental value)

     Well, it feels good to be back reviewing movies on the blog. I've missed this the past few months. Hopefully I won't have any more long lapses and I hope you the reader finds something here that will have you coming back for future installments. For my first review of the blog reboot, I decided to go old school in a way. I'm one of those people who is very attached to his childhood. Quite often, I like to go back and revisit things that were popular when I was growing up. One of those things that I fondly remember is The Muppets. I grew up watching The Muppet Show on television, saw all of the Muppet movies when they came on television, heck I even became a huge Muppet Babies and Fraggle Rock fan. I just loved all things Muppets. I think it's safe to say that Muppets creator Jim Henson is behind only Star Wars creator George Lucas in shaping my childhood pop culture memories. So about a year ago when I first heard that a new movie was being made featuring the Muppets, I knew that was something I wanted to see. While I love the Muppets, the movies have been a bit hit or miss. My favorite is probably The Muppets Take Manhattan but the most recent film, Muppets From Space, was a bit lacking I thought. That being said, I was looking forward to this new installment with great anticipation.

     The Muppets stars Jason Segel and Amy Adams (absolutely beautiful as always, if I do say so myself), as Gary and Mary, a happy couple who has been dating almost 10 years yet still haven't gotten engaged, to Mary's disappointment. Gary has a brother named Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan. Gary surprises Walter one day by inviting him on a vacation that he had planned with Mary to Los Angeles. Gary says they can stop by the Muppet Studios while visiting L.A., which obviously excites Walter. Upon arriving, the trio learn a harsh reality. The Muppet Studios are worn down and a rich, oil tycoon named Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) is planning on buying the studios and tearing them down because he suspects oil is underneath the foundation. Walter learns that the only way to save the studios from the nefarious Richman is to come up with $10 million quickly. Walter, Mary and Gary come up with a plan to reunite the Muppet gang and have a telethon to raise money so they can save the studios. They visit Kermit to pitch the idea but he is down on it because the gang has all split up and went their separate ways because the Muppets are no longer important to anyone. They do eventually get Kermit to agree though and soon all of our favorites; Fozzie, Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Animal and the rest are back at it. Can they pull off a good show and raise enough money in time, or will evil Tex Richman get the last laugh? (maniacal laugh)

      So, is The Muppets a great movie? Yes....and No. From a story standpoint, I wasn't really invested. It's not like we don't know how it's going to turn out or anything. The acting is fine, nothing to write home about. Segel, Adams and Cooper all do good enough jobs, and there are a ton of cameos to look for throughout the picture which was a lot of fun. But this movie works simply for sentimental reasons. The characters could have been on screen reading the phone book and I would have had a smile on my face. It's just fun seeing Fozzie try to crack a joke. Or Piggy, being as sassy as ever. One of my favorite touches was seeing Animal in anger management class, now that's good stuff. By the time we get to a singing of "Rainbow Connection", I'm completely hooked and the smile won't leave my face. I may have even had a tear well up in my eye a time or two. The movie works tremendously in that sense. I specifically made a mental note to watch the children in the audience, to see how they reacted to this movie. While there was some rustling and fidgeting during the first 45 minutes or so, by the end of the film, you couldn't hear anyone talking or moving in that theater, the kids were hooked on the screen. That warmed my heart more than anything. The Muppets brought a lot of joy to people in my age range, I think some of you are probably smiling right now reading this, you know who you are. But this movie will allow the Muppets gang to reach a new generation of children and with some of the trash out there these days, that can only be a good thing. We need more of the Muppets.

The Blog: The Sequel

    Well, after disappearing for a few months, I've decided to wipe the dust off the movie blog and give it another shot. I had a lot of fun doing it when I started but I got kind of discouraged when it felt like nobody was coming unless I linked them to it. So I just decided to let it go and my suspicions were confirmed when nobody asked about it for two months. I guess it wasn't missed much. That's okay though. It's something I enjoy doing and that should be the only motivation I need. I love movies. I love watching them, I love talking about them, I love debating them. Hopefully, if I rebuild it, people will come. If not, that's okay though. For the two people who seemed interested, and you know who you are, this is for you.

Movie Review - "Rabbit Hole" (2010) ***1/2

     Well, this movie certainly hit home with me. Losing a child is probably one of the hardest things to ask anyone to deal with. As someone who has lost a child, it was very difficult for me, and still is sometimes. Over time I've come to accept it and it gets a little easier to deal with. But that first year or two is something you just can't quite describe. You go through so many different emotions, especially anger and grief, that it's easy to see how people that are really weak often get torn down by the process. You don't want to hear people say things like, "We know how you feel". No, you don't. You don't want to be around kids. You don't want to let go of things, but at the same time you don't want things around that will remind you of your child. It's so rough and each person handles it differently. Rabbit Hole is the story of how two characters named Becca and Howie handle it.

     Becca is played Nicole Kidman who earned an Oscar nomination for her role. Howie is played by Aaron Eckhart. As the movie opens, Becca and Howie seem like a happy couple, but it isn't long before we realize they are struggling a lot. Eight months ago, the couple lost their only child, a young boy who chased the family dog into the street and was hit by a car. (Thankfully, we are spared seeing this happen). They go to counseling sessions but Becca finds them useless, and quits going. Her way of handling things is very internal, we know she is thinking about it constantly, but she is backed away from the world. She starts trying to get rid of the constant reminders. She donates her child's clothes to Goodwill, takes colored pictures down off the refrigerator and spends time in her garden in solitude. Howie wants to talk about it more. He wants the memories of his child around and he wants to talk about it in class. These two ways of handling the situation will obviously clash, and when they do, the scenes happen abruptly and provide some of the most dramatic in the movie. They love each other, but don't know how to deal with things together. They each turn to a different person, someone they can talk to. For Howie, it's a lady named Gaby (Sandra Oh) from his help group sessions. The person Becca turns to, I will not reveal here because it's a brilliant move by the story, and it caught me off-guard. We don't know right away why this person is important to Becca, but when we learn the reason, it pushes this movie from good to very good for me. I think it's handled perfectly.


     This movie will not be for everyone. Like the previous film I reviewed, Blue Valentine, it deals with some serious subject matter and is not a "happy" movie by any means. The movie works because of the brilliant acting by Kidman and Eckhart. They are very real in these roles. They hit the emotions perfectly. I know, because as someone who has been through this, I could see similar reactions and emotions that I experienced myself. That they are able to play these roles so straight, without going over the top, is a testament to their acting abilities. The movie was directed by relative unknown, John Cameron Mitchell, and is based on a play by screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire. As it's going along, you may be thinking the movie will end one way, but you may be surprised by how it turns out. Personally, I thought ending scene was very well done. It's simple, but says a lot at the same time. I give this a high recommendation, give it a shot.

Movie Review - "Blue Valentine" (2010) ****

     When watching movies, nothing makes me happier than when  you get one of these small films that didn't get much recognition, and they end up exceeding your expectations big time. Blue Valentine is one of those films like that. Give me Blue Valentine over Transformers any day of the week. This movie got on my radar around Oscar season earlier this year. I kept hearing about it as a possible dark-horse candidate for a Best Picture nomination. It didn't end up receiving that nomination, but Michelle Williams picked up a Best Actress nomination for her performance and that made it a movie I wanted to see eventually. Fast forward to July, and I finally got the opportunity to watch it. I'm glad I did.

     The premise of the movie is pretty simple, it's basically a two person showcase. Ryan Gosling is Dean and Michelle Williams is Cindy, a couple that has been together for six years in a relationship that was once strong but has fallen apart. When we first see them, it is present day and they have a young daughter named Frankie. It's obvious from the start that both parents love Frankie, but Dean and Cindy are distant to each other. The present day events are broken up by looks into the couples past. They first meet at a retirement home; Cindy is a college student who is visiting her grandmother and Dean works for a moving company who is helping an elderly gentleman move into the home. There eyes connect and instantly there is a connection. Cindy has a boyfriend named Bobby (Mike Vogel), but she likes Dean's quirkiness and eventually the two start seeing more of each other. Things are going well for the young couple but hit a bump when Cindy finds out she's pregnant. Dean flips out at first and wants Cindy to have an abortion. As the procedure is about to take place, Cindy decides she can't go through with it and walks out. As the confused couple is riding home on a bus, Dean decides to accept this fate that has been handed down and wants to raise the baby with Cindy. Back in present time, the struggling duo decide to get away to a little motel to have a weekend together. While shopping for supplies, Cindy bumps into her old boyfriend Bobby and her feelings during this encounter confuse her any more. It eventually leads to conflict with Dean and we realize that this weekend together is almost a formality to saving a marriage that can't be saved. How the movie ends may or may not be as you expect it, I will leave that for you the viewer to decide.

     Blue Valentine is not an easy movie to watch, especially if you have been in a failed relationship. A lot of things on screen hit home for me, unfortunately. But not all movies are supposed to make you happy and feel good. Life is full of ups and downs and this is a film that focuses on the down times. So why does a movie like this work for me? This movie was destined to succeed or fail based strictly on the acting. Could you believe the characters? For me, it was a homerun. Gosling and Williams both give great performances. Williams earned every bit of her Best Actress nomination and I'd be hard pressed to keep my original Best Actress choice, Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone, in front of her. I think I may still give a slight edge to Lawrence, but it's really close. Gosling deserves kudos as well, he is very believable in this role. It's a performance that makes me want to go back and see some of his earlier works. I saw The Notebook, but that just didn't work for me. Maybe some other stuff will. The movie was directed by Derek Cianfrance, a relative newcomer. If he makes more films like this, he could become a directing star. I will keep my eyes open for more of his work. In closing, I think this is a great little film and one that slipped by most audiences unnoticed. Give it a chance, I think you may be surprised.

AMC Harry Potter Legendy Adventure

     4 nights. 8 movies. 19 hours 38 minutes worth of screen time.....These are the numbers that made up the Harry Potter Legendary Adventure, presented by AMC Theatres. I decided to take this journey, and it was one that gave me plenty of trepidation at first. My exposure to the Harry Potter universe prior to this adventure was very limited. I had not read any of the books and had only seen some of the first movie. I tried watching it twice on dvd, but both times I quit before it was over because I just didn't find it very exciting. There were portions that I thought were very boring and I had come to the conclusion that this movie just wasn't my cup of tea. So, why did I decide to not only try to watch the first one again, but also all 7 other films over the course of four days??

      One of the main reasons is I simply thought it was a good deal that AMC was offering. For $40 I was getting 8 movies, including 1 in 3-D, a custom lanyard, a collectible booklet, special Potter themed 3-D glasses, and a mini movie poster. I'm a sucker for little extras like that, so I thought the price was real nice. This blog was also another major factor in my decision. I think if I only talk about movies that I enjoy, that would make this blog pretty boring and defeat the purpose of what I wanted it to be from the start. I want this to inspire discussion. I figured if I saw these films, even if I didn't like them it would be a nice topic to give my opinions on, good or bad. I want to step outside the box and take chances more often, and this was a nice way to do that.

     Before I talk about the movies themselves, I want to take a quick moment to praise AMC theatres. They did a tremendous job running this event from start to finish. Managers would meet with us before the first movie each night and thank us for being there. They would give away prizes for answering trivia questions (one of the few times when I felt completely lost playing trivia). They monitored the door so other people couldn't get in and take advantage of the showings we had paid for. Even thought the theater was only half full all week, last night during the midnight showing of the finale, they did not open our theater up for anyone else even though they could have used the extra space. When you are sitting with the same 40 or so people for 19 hours plus during a week, you tend to form a bond with them. By the end of last night, we did feel like sort of a small family. I think that's pretty cool and AMC recognized that and respected it. They had every right to open that theater last night and chose not to. Kudos to them. I have done marathons with them before with the Best Picture Showcase the last three years, and I hope they continue to offer events like this. Here's a picture of the swag we received with our package.

     So let's talk about the movies now. I'm not going to do full reviews for each film, my fingers would absolutely fall off after that much typing. So I will be talking about the series as a whole, but I will take the time to grade and rank each film later. Like I said earlier, I went into this series with trepidation, but I am coming out of it extremely satisfied. I think this is a very good series and there are times where it is a ton of fun. It starts out with a whimper though, as I was pretty worried after night one. After making it through Sorcerer's Stone finally, I thought it was nothing great but better than I remember on dvd. Film two though, Chamber of Secrets, was a big failure to me. I was completely bored watching it and there was nothing about it that was memorable to me. After the first night I was worried that I had made a big mistake, and even considered calling it quits and eating the forty bucks. I'm glad I talked myself out of that decision.

     The movies really start hitting their mark with the third installment, Prisoner of Azkaban. From here on out, I found each of the remaining episodes ranged from slightly above average to great. As the kids get older, and the subject matter becomes a little darker, the story really hooked me and I found myself emotionally invested in the main characters. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint all give solid performances as the primary trio of the series; Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, respectively. But there are so many memorable secondary characters, I can't possibly name them all. In fact, while the acting is for the most part a success, I feel this is one of the problems with the series. There's just TOO many characters to keep track of. More than once I found myself confused by names or faces that sort of pop up out of nowhere, or certain characters would be in one movie, disappear for a film or two, and then show up again down the road. This became a bit much. I pretty much circled the main characters to the plot (or who I thought would be) and others I just sort of pushed to the side of my brain and tried not to think about too much.

     The other flaw, and this is the one that was the most noticeable to me, was there are stretches where the story really drags to me. There are times where the exposition goes on for so long that the more they explained, the less I understood. This reached it's peak in episode 2, where at the two hour mark I'm almost begging the movie to just DO something. It eventually does, but by then I had emotionally checked out and just didn't care. This also happens in episode 5, Order of the Phoenix. The first 1:45 of that movie were terribly boring to me. However, that film was saved by an amazing final 30 minutes or so that were some of the best scenes in the series, in my opinion. Even the better films would have short stretches where I found myself checking the time, and if I do that, that's usually an automatic half-star deduction from my rankings. I just simply think pacing is a problem here quite a bit and that's the issue with trying to adapt a movie from a book.

     Despite these flaws, I think this series overall is a success and my expectations were exceeded big time. I'm not sure that these are movies that I would watch multiple times, but I'm glad I gave them a chance and I respect the Potter story now. By the time it was over, I was actively rooting for certain characters. During the finale when one of the secondary characters steps up and pulls off a heroic sacrifice, I was clapping and cheering with the rest of the crowd. I did not expect that to happen when I started this. When one of the characters dies in the next to last film, I felt my eyes tearing up and I was shocked by how much it was affecting me. I think that is the biggest praise I can give to the Harry Potter films, I don't consider myself a Potter fan, but I got to a place where I cared about the characters and what happened to them. That's important and the series succeeded there. Is this Star Wars to me? No, and it's honestly not close, but that's not a bad thing. I'd have to give it some thought, but this MAY be the second best movie series I have seen. The fact that it got better as it went along is unique and a breath of fresh air. I'd prefer this over something like Lord of the Rings any time.

    The Harry Potter story is a great success. I'm glad I watched it the way I did, where I could keep everything fresh in my mind. The arc from beginning to end was clear for the most part. The road was a little congested at times, but I was happy when I arrived at my destination. I know there are people out there who don't feel like I have gotten the complete Potter experience because I won't read the books, and they are entitled to those opinions. But I'm a movie lover, that's my art form of choice. Potter author J.K. Rowling signed off on all these films and has said she is pleased with the outcomes. That's good enough for me. I don't need to know every minutiae of detail about the Potter universe. For those who do, I completely understand the love, being a Star Wars fan who does love the minutiae of that series. My exposure to Potter is these 8 movies, and I'm glad to have witnessed them all. I could have done a lot worse.

How I rank them:
1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (3rd movie)  -    ****
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (7th movie) -   ****
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (5th movie) -    ***1/2
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (8th movie) - ***1/2
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (4th movie) -  ***
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1st movie) - **1/2
7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (6th movie) - **1/2
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2nd movie) - *

    

Thoughts on the upcoming Harry Potter marathon

     Now that I got my top 100 films out of the way, It's time to move on to other reviews and projects. That starts tomorrow when I will be attending the Harry Potter movie marathon, presented by AMC Theatres. They are showing all 8 movies over a 4-night period, with 2 movies each night. It culminates on Thursday at midnight with the release of the newest film. I'm really excited about this opportunity, yet I'm worried about it too. My exposure to the Harry Potter universe is very limited. I have not read any of the books and I've only seen parts of the first movie. I've tried to watch it twice but haven't been able to finish it either time. It just didn't hook me like I thought it would. There were things about it I liked but the pacing was just off for me for some reason. So, if I didn't care for the first movie, why am I committing myself to watching all 8 films?! It's a good question.
     I guess I'm giving it a shot for a few different reasons. The marathon portion of it doesn't scare me that much. I've done the Best Picture Showcase with AMC the past few years so this won't be the first time having my butt glued to a theater seat for a long period of time. I also believe I'm getting a decent deal for seeing 8 movies in a theater. The price was only $40 and that includes all 8 pictures, along with a commemorative booklet, lanyard, and special Harry Potter 3-D glasses for viewing the final film. Hey, I'm all for freebies. I think that's quite a bit for $40. Probably the biggest reason is the fact that I do WANT to like this series. The two times I've tried watching the first film, I was home both times and there are a lot of distractions while at home. So if my mind ever starts to wander, it's too easy to pick up the the computer or something like that. At a theater, I should be a little more attentive, especially during a slower time in the movie. I'll be more invested in it. Hopefully I will like the first film better on the big screen and that will get me hooked in for the long run.
     I do fear though that I will not like it, and this will be $40 down the drain. Either way, it will be fun to take the chance and do some blogging about it. I'm looking forward to the experience, good or bad, and I hope you will come along with me for the journey. 

1 - "Star Wars" (1977)

     Shocking!!! Okay, anybody that has known me for more than about five minutes should have known what was number one on my list. Star Wars has been a part of my life from as early as I can remember. It came out when I was 2 years old, so I basically grew up with these movies. My earliest theater experience that I can remember is my Uncle Larry taking me to see The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, when I was five. I had almost every toy that came out and I would have epic battles in my room or in the backyard. If the yard in my parents house was ever dug up there would almost certainly be many remnants of figures that were victims during the great wars of my childhood. Thinking back on those days, life was just simpler then. It's for that reason why Star Wars is still such a huge part of my life today. I still have toys lying around. I have multiple versions of the movies on dvd and vhs (and soon to be Blu-ray!!). I go to conventions and hang out with "those" people who dress up. Having all of that stuff in my life appeals to that kid in me that I still have, and I hope I always have. I hope that I live to a nice old age and at that age, I hope I still love Star Wars as much as I did when I was five years old. It's a love that a lot of people don't understand, and that's perfectly fine. I just hope people out there are as passionate about "something" as I am about Star Wars. If you are, no matter how odd it may seem to others, always hang on to that passion.
      I think a basic plot synopsis is pretty useless in this case. If you are interested, you've probably already seen the movie. If you've always avoided these films, what I say probably isn't going to sway you. So it's useless. I think what I will do is answer that question I get a lot from people, "What's your favorite Star Wars film?". I figure this is the best forum to put that information out there for good. So in order, here is how I would rank them:
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. A New Hope (the "original", for the non-fans out there)
3. Revenge of the Sith
4. Return of the Jedi
5. The Phantom Menace
6. Attack of the Clones
    So there they are, that's how I would rank them. But don't put a lot of stock in it, I still love Attack of the Clones even though it's last. I would still rather watch that than most things out there. It lacks the heart that something like Empire Strikes Back has, at least in my opinion it does, but they are all part of one big story, and that's the story that I love. And it's the story that will always be a part of me, and I'm happy with that.

2 - "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)

     The Shawshank Redemption is a film that many people probably have high on their lists as well, especially guys. It is widely considered by movie fans as one of the greatest films ever made. What's ironic about that is that NOBODY saw this movie in the theaters. Well, a few people did, including me (multiple times), but it certainly didn't attract the masses. Made on a budget of $25 million, the movie went on to make only $28 million in its entire run. It was never in the top 5 for any week it was out. It is believed by some industry "experts" that the ambiguous title of the movie scared people away. Being a huge Stephen King fan, I knew right away what the movie was about when I saw it was being made. The movie is based on a novella by King, in his Different Seasons book, called "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption". (This book also gave us "The Body", which became the movie Stand By Me. Also on my list). So Shawshank was not popular with the movie crowd, but when it hit home video, it became one of the most rented films of all-time. The word-of-mouth started spreading and the movies popularity grew, and continues to grow to this day. It is rated the number 1 movie by users on IMDB.
     The movie takes primarily in fictitious Shawshank prison in Maine. Morgan Freeman is Red, a lifer in the prison due to his murder conviction when he was a younger man. Red is the guy in prison who get things for you from the outside. Whatever it is; cigarettes, playing cards, posters, Red can get it for you, for a small fee of course. He and his prison buddies hang out in the yard everyday, placing cigarette bets on anything they can think of. They even bet on the new prisoners when they arrive, to see which one will break down and cry first. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is one of these new prisoners. It's 1946, and Andy, who is a banker, has been found guilty of murdering his wife and her lover, and sentenced to life in prison. We know that Andy is actually innocent, due to a prologue in the film. Red bets Andy will be the first to break down, but that whole night, Andy never makes a peep. One guy does break down and is beaten to death by the brutal head prison guard Hadley (Clancy Brown). He rules the prison, overlooked by the warden Sam Norton (Bob Gunton). Andy keeps to himself at first, but eventually he approaches Red and they start to talk. Over time the two start to develop a friendship that last through many years in the prison.
      I will stop there with the plot summary. Most people have probably seen this movie, but if you haven't you deserve to witness the movies many surprises without being spoiled. The Shawshank Redemption is a great film, touching on themes of hope and freedom. No matter how strong the walls are holding us hostage, hope is the one thing people can't take away. This idea carries throughout the movie with the Andy character. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are both at their absolute best here. The chemistry the duo has together is perfect. In the book, Red's character is not black, but this is one instance where the movie works better than the book. Freeman as Red provides the narration for our film and he is the glue that holds everything together. The movie wouldn't be the same without him. Even though it is not number one on my list, I think The Shawshank Redemption is the greatest job of film-making ever.

3 - "JFK" (1991)

     In the summer of 1990, I went on a summer vacation with my family to Washington, D.C. It was a great trip. I got to see the White House, the Capitol, all the monuments and museums you could possibly want to. But something unexpected happened on this trip and would lead to one of those weird coincidences in life. We were walking along the National Mall when we saw a tent set up with a bunch of people under it and it was in a roped off area. There were a few people standing around outside of the ropes. We were curious so we headed over just to see what was going on. That ended up being a good decision. A security guy with a shirt that said JFK told us that they were filming a movie here and the people under the tent were the cast and crew taking a lunch break. We asked if anyone famous was there and the guy said Kevin Costner was. He pointed him out to us and sure enough he was sitting there eating lunch. What happened next was even more surprising. Costner finished up his meal and came out and met the few of us who had gathered around there. He didn't stay long, but I will always remember that moment. He didn't need to come out at all, but the fact that he did will always earn him some kudos in my book.
      Because of that moment, we ended up going to see the movie when it came out the following year and in one of those things you just can't explain, it ended up being one of the best movies I have ever seen. And 20 years later, that it has remained. The movie is based on the true story of New Orleans District Attorney, Jim Garrison (Costner), who is only person to bring someone to trial for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. While the history books have taught us that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in murdering Kennedy, there are many people out there who think that just isn't plausible. Garrison was one of those people and believed that the assassination was the result of a conspiracy plotted by the government and various extreme groups. Garrison's team calls many "facts" of the murder into question and there investigation falls primarily on one man, Clay Shaw (Tommy Lee Jones), a New Orleans socialite with government connections. JFK is directed by Oliver Stone, who does a brilliant job putting together a 3-hour movie that never once feels stale or bogged down. That is accomplished in the editing room where JFK won one of its two Oscars, the other being Cinematography. It was nominated for 6 other Oscars, including Best Picture. The movie does not hide its motives. Stone is a stout believer that there was a conspiracy in the murder and this film definitely tries to convince you. Whether you believe it or not, or just don't care either way, it's really not important to enjoying this film. The script and acting are top notch and will appeal to people, no matter what your beliefs on the event are. The cast is one of the strongest ever assembled and features supporting roles by Joe Pesci, John Candy, Sissy Spacek, Donald Sutherland, and Gary Oldman, among many others. I know this movie may not be for everyone (the profanity is abundant!), but for those who give it a shot, I think you may be surprised by what you find. A brilliant, thought-provoking look at one of the darkest moments in American history.

4 - "Field Of Dreams" (1989)

 

     What a magical movie this is. While football is America's favorite sport, baseball will ALWAYS be its national pastime. I love almost all sports, but nothing beats sitting in the stands taking in a baseball game. The sights, the sounds, the smells of a baseball game are second to none. Field of Dreams knows this and for an hour and forty-five minutes, it reminds us of why baseball is important to many of us. Kevin Costner stars as Ray Kinsella, an Iowa corn farmer, who while working in the fields one day hears a voice saying, "If you build it, he will come." He believes at first he may be going crazy, and doesn't get much sympathy from his wife or the local townspeople. He keeps hearing the voice but doesn't know what to do, until that is one night when he can't sleep, he gets a mental image of baseball player "Shoeless" Joe Jackson in his corn. Jackson was a member of the infamous 1919 Chicago "Black" Sox team. Eight members of that team, including Jackson, were paid by gamblers to throw the World Series on purpose. After finding out about the deal, baseball suspended all eight players for life and the event is still the blackest eye on a beautiful sport. After seeing the vision, Ray becomes convinced that the voice means he should build a baseball field in his corn. If he does, it means Shoeless Joe can come back to play. His wife Annie (Amy Madigan) thinks he may be crazy, but also thinks that he should follow his dreams and if he feels this is right, then he should do it. So he does, and he builds a beautiful field at that. Time passes with nothing happening. The bank starts to threaten the property and Ray feels like he may have made a mistake. But then one night, Shoeless Joe walks out of the corn and onto the field.

     I will stop there with the plot synopsis. The movie is one that should be experienced without knowing what to expect. Field of Dreams is smart in that for most of the movie we go along thinking the movie is about one thing, only to learn in the last five minutes that it's about something completely different. But we don't feel cheated at all, because the answer was right there in our face all along, we just didn't see it. When we learn what the movie is really about, it leads to one of the most touching scenes ever filmed in my opinion. It is very heartwarming and even the strongest guy might have a hard time choking back tears. I fully admit that I can't watch the end of this movie without crying a little bit. It just means so much to me. There are people who may see the end of it and not realize why I think it's such a big deal. But anyone who has ever had "a catch" will understand why it's so important. This one's for you dad. 

5 - "A Perfect World" (1993)

      On it's surface, A Perfect World could be a typical "guy" action movie. It has a prison break, a kidnapping, a couple of murders, a police chase across the state and a final showdown between good guy and bad guy. This movie could have have become just that and it may have gone on to make tons of money at the box office. Director Clint Eastwood throws us a curveball though. Yes, all of those things mentioned are in this movie...but it's not about them. Once you dig under the surface, you get the true roots of the story and what is there is a brilliant study into relationships, especially one between a father (or father figure) and a son. In an earlier blog, I defended Kevin Costner as an actor. I felt he has gotten a bad rap over the years and people don't realize how great, and popular, he was from the mid-80's to the mid-90's. Out of all the roles he has been in, I believe that this is the best acting he has ever done. He fits his character, Butch Haynes, perfectly and if I was giving out imaginary "all-time" Oscars, his performance here would probably win my Best Actor award. That's how I highly I think of this movie and the job he does in it.
     As the movie opens, Costner's Butch Haynes, and a fellow inmate, are escaping from jail. They manage to get out and go on the run. While looking for a car to steal, the other inmate, a guy named Pugh, breaks into a house and starts harassing a woman who is up cooking breakfast. The fracas causes the woman's children to wake up, one of them being a 9-year old boy named Phillip (T.J. Lowther). When the neighbors start to realize what is going on and try to help out, Haynes and Pugh escape, taking Phillip as a hostage. When they stop at a store later on, Pugh tries to molest Phillip and Haynes, not approving of harming the child, "takes care of" Pugh. Haynes and Phillip take off together, all the while being pursued by the Texas Rangers, led by Chief Red Garnett (Clint Eastwood). Garnett is joined by three fellow rangers, a criminologist (Laura Dern), and a silent, creepy sharpshooter (Bradley Whitford) who has been sent by the FBI to tag along. The team roams the roads of Texas in a Airglide Trailer that serves as the mobile command headquarters (this setup provides some of the funnier moments in the film), in search of Butch and the boy. As they drive across Texas, Phillip starts to admire Butch and doesn't fear him any longer. Phillip has only been raised by his mother, who has raised the family to be Jehovah's Witnesses so they don't participate in a lot of fun activities everyone else enjoys. This bothers Butch, who tells Phillip he has a right to experience things like the fair, trick-or-treating, and Christmas. Slowly, we see Butch becoming the father figure that Phillip has never had. But there is something deeper there, we learn Butch was not treated well by his parents when he was younger and he ended up going to jail at a young age, something that Garnett may have played a role in. Butch sees Phillip as a possible way to right the wrongs of his past somehow. With the two we get a nice message about treating your kids right, and maybe they won't end up being criminals later. Butch and Phillip end up developing a friendship that is believable and provides the main backbone of the story. The movie takes a turn towards the end, climaxing in a very intense scene at the farmhouse of a black family that shelters Butch and Phillip for a night. For those who haven't seen the film, I won't tell anything from this point, but the movie goes in a direction you may not expect it to or see coming. It's one of the many things about this movie that is brilliant.
     A Perfect World is a movie that will always have a profound impact on me. The messages here are well thought out and could lead to some great discussion, even long after the credits have rolled. Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner were both coming of Oscar successes heading into this movie, ironically both for Westerns; Unforgiven for Eastwood and Dances With Wolves for Costner. This movie didn't get the Oscar buzz but it's simply a better movie than either of those....and that's nothing those two actors should be ashamed of. A Perfect World is about as perfect as they come.

6 - "Saving Private Ryan" (1998)

     I've never been a big fan of war movies. The action scenes in a lot of them are fine, but what so many miss on is connecting with the human element of the characters. In the hands of a different director, Saving Private Ryan, could easily be clumped in with many other films of this genre. But Steven Spielberg doesn't let that happen, and what we are left with is not only a movie with fantastic action sequences, but some of the best pure character drama put on film. This movie will always be known for it's opening sequence, a fabulous depiction of the Normandy invasion on D-Day. The action is very intense and realistic, we almost feel like we were there that day on the beach. It is a masterpiece of special effects, sights and sound. While this scene is tremendous, I think this movie separates itself from the pack during it's quite times. Pay special attention to the church scene, when the guys are just sitting around talking. We get to know so much about them, so when things happen later in the film, we are emotionally connected to the characters. We get a scene in the church when the medic, Wade, is talking about his mother and how when he was young, she would come in late at night from work and want to see him for a few minutes, but he would pretend to be asleep. He mentions that he had no idea why he did that. Then later in the film.............(spoiler alert: skip ahead if you don't want to be spoiled).........................when the group tries to attack a bunker, Wade is shot and is fighting for his life. The guys are trying to save him and as he starts to pass away, Wade starts calling for his mother. This scene is so emotional anyways, but because of that conversation earlier in the film, when he starts crying for his mom, it's absolutely heartbreaking...................................(end spoiler alert)  It's because of scenes like that, and there are several others, that this movie really succeeds.
     The movie also raises a lot of questions that make for great debate. The premise of the story is that 3 brothers that have been killed in combat, and the mother is going to receive all 3 notices at the same time. There is a fourth brother, Pvt. James Ryan (Matt Damon), who is lost inside of France, the result of a missed parachute drop in Normandy. A decision is made to rescue Pvt. Ryan and get him back home to his mother. Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks) is assigned to lead a squad of 8 men whose only goal is to rescue 1 man. This leads to a question that will be asked throughout the film, "Why risk the lives of eight men to rescue just one?" Not everyone on the team is happy with the mission, and we understand their concerns. The team that Miller takes along is a brilliant collection of fine actors including Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, and Jeremy Davies. Each actor is perfectly cast in their respective role and we get to know each of them on a personal level, some more than others. Hanks is terrific as always, shocking news there. The movie picked up 5 Oscars, including Best Director for Spielberg, but it also missed out due to the Academy losing their minds this specific year. It lost Best Picture to Shakespeare in Love and Hanks lost the Best Actor award to Roberto Benigni for Life is Beautiful........(Academy, you should be ashamed of yourselves for these two awards. Your biggest misses that I have ever witnessed. Shameful)...........Saving Private Ryan is a masterpiece of cinema. Tremendous action combined with a brilliant cast and a screenplay that can't get much better. It's the perfect storm of film making and results in one of the greatest experiences I have ever had with a movie.

7 - "The Silence Of The Lambs" (1991)

 

     Best Adapted Screenplay - Ted Tally...Best Director - Johathan Demme...Best Actor - Anthony Hopkins...Best Actress - Jodie Foster...Best Picture........All well deserved.  The Silence of the Lambs is one of only three films to sweep all five major Oscar awards, the other two being It Happened One Night and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I didn't know much about the movie when it came out. I was just starting to get to the point where I was going to the theater on a regular basis, about once a week. I knew the movie was based on a book by Thomas Harris, and was about a serial killer, but that's about the gist of what I knew going in. When I came out of the theater from seeing it, I knew I had witnessed something great and I wanted to see it again. So I did, that same day, I turned right back around and went and saw it again (I paid twice of course!!) and it was even better the second time. Knowing the story now, I could sit back and pay attention to the acting, and boy what acting it is. Jodie Foster is my favorite actress and this movie is the primary reason why. I love other films such as The Accused, Contact, Maverick, Panic Room, Taxi Driver, and many others, but her performance as Clarice Starling in Silence is the best performance I have ever seen from a female on the big screen. She is matched by Anthony Hopkins, who picked up a Best Actor award for his role as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, despite being on the screen for just over 16 minutes. It's the shortest time on screen for a Best Actor winner. 

       The story revolves around Clarice, a young FBI trainee, who is brought in to help with a serial murder case. The killer is a vicious murderer dubbed Buffalo Bill, who skins his victims after he kills them. FBI agent Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) believes that another serial killer can help them on this case. Clarice is sent to visit with Hannibal Lecter, because Crawford feels Clarice would appeal to Lecter. The meetings between Clarice and Lecter provide the center point for this film, and the dialogue is some of the best ever written. The two play a cat and mouse game with Lecter giving Clarice clues to the puzzle, even if she doesn't know it at first. Clarice is not patient because she knows Buffalo Bill has another victim, the young daughter of a senator. Can Clarice get inside the head of Lecter and put together the clues to how to find the young girl before she becomes the next victim of Buffalo Bill. The Silence of the Lambs is a mesmerizing film. It plays on our fears; heights, bugs, the dark, being alone. It sinks its teeth in and doesn't let go until the end. One of the best ever made.

8 - "Halloween" (1978)

      Yes, there is a slasher film in my top 10. I realize that some people may not agree with this, but remember what I said from the beginning when I started this list. These are my "favorite" films and when you get this high on the list, you start getting to movies that I may look at closer than just a simple story. This movie has been a part of my life for the better part of 30 years and it has relevance other than what is on screen. What is on screen though is simply the scariest movie that I feel has ever been made. I saw Halloween for the first time at a very young age. My parents were not the kind that prevented me from watching a lot of things, they just stressed their teaching to me of what is real and what is make-believe. They almost made a mistake with this movie though as I had nightmares for weeks. But it toughened me up in the long run, and I remember wanting to watch a second time when it was on. After that, I wanted to see it again...and again...and again. I started to love this movie. It was one that my parents loved too, so they didn't mind watching it with me. When my sister became of an age to watch it, she loved it to. It was our family horror film!! To this day, I love horror movies. But I love "scary" movies most, one's that make you jump or wrap up in the blanket so you feel safe. I'm not a fan of gore movies which too many horror films have become. Halloween gets it right. There's very minimal blood, but there are plenty of scares.
     The movie is directed by the great John Carpenter and stars Jamie Lee Curtis, in her first major role, as Laurie Strode, a high school teenager who has plans to babysit a young boy on Halloween night. Laurie is the perfect "girl scout" who is smart, quiet and stays out of trouble. She has two friends, Annie and Lynda, who are just the opposite and seem to only think about sex. Annie also has plans to babysit on Halloween night, just across the road from where Laurie will be. What the girls don't know though, is that a mental patient, Michael Myers, who killed his sister when he was young, has escaped from an institution and has come back to his hometown of Haddonfield to continue his destruction. He is being hunted down by the doctor who worked with him without success for many years, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance). Loomis believes Myers is pure evil and will stop at nothing to do what he needs to. The local cops think Loomis is crazy himself but agree to work with him to track down Myers. As the body count starts to slowly rise, so does the suspense, which comes to a boiling point at the end when Laurie and Michael Myers have a showdown. Halloween is a horror film, a slasher pic in every sense of the word, but the movie has Hitchcockian levels of intensity and build up. What makes the intensity work, almost more than anything else in this movie, is the brilliant music, created by Carpenter himself. The Halloween theme song is so iconic now, and to this day, I still get a bit of a chill when it starts playing. It's just one of the many reasons why this movie will always be one of my favorites. If you want a good bloodbath, look elsewhere. If you want a movie that will just simply scare the heck out of you, look no further than Halloween.

9 - "Airplane!" (1980)

 

     I've sat here for movie after movie and explained why I loved each one. Acting usually plays a big part for me. Story, obviously, is a big one. Then you have things like music, special effects, cinematography, all of that good stuff. Well, you can throw it out the window for this movie. Airplane! is on here simply for the fact that it is the funniest movie ever made, pure and simple. I have seen this movie more times than I can possibly remember, but each time I see it it still feels fresh and as funny as the first time I saw it. Giving a plot description is pretty pointless as it just isn't important. Basically it's a bunch of people on an airplane flying to Chicago. They get food poisoning and a lot of the passengers and crew members get sick forcing a troubled ex-fighter pilot, with a drinking problem, to take control of the plane. That's all you need to know. Just sit back and go along with the ride. Airplane! became a trendsetter and spawned many movies that were known for their sight gags and dialogue that is eye-rolling. The Naked Gun and Hot Shots! films are direct descendants. But none can stand up to the ridiculousness of the original Airplane!.... I could sit here and go on for hours talking about this movie, but I'd probably start to bore you...(you thrust a sword into your abdomen)

    If that last line didn't make any sense, see the movie and you will understand. Just see the movie. Multiple times. It's great.

10 - "The Man In The Moon" (1991)

 

     There is a scene halfway through Robert Mulligan's coming-of-age film when Dani (Reese Witherspoon) and Court (Jason London) share a kiss for the first time. Her response to this event when asked how it was is one word, "Perfect". That same word ran through my mind when this movie was over, "Perfect". A couple of years ago I saw Reese Witherspoon giving an interview on a talk show and the host asked her if there was any role she had that she felt wasn't her best. That perhaps she even regretted. She mentioned this movie, which was her first main role, and stated she felt she was not that good in it. Reese, I respectfully disagree with you and even though it was your first role, I still think it's your best to this day. Witherspoon stars as Dani Trant, a 14-year old girl, growing up in rural Louisiana in the 1950's. She spends her carefree days listening to the records of her idol, Elvis Presley, and swimming in the pond nearby. She shares a room with her 17-year old sister Maureen (Emily Warfield), and on hot summer nights they sleep out on the porch and waste time talking about boys, and their futures. The two girls are raised by a pair of strict, but loving, parents; Matthew (Sam Waterston) and Abigail (Tess Harper). Things seem very simple in Dani's world, that is until 17-year old Court moves onto the farm down the road with his 2 younger brothers and widowed mother Marie (Gail Strickland). Dani meets Court for the first time at the pond and they can't stand each other at first. But as they happen to run into each other more and more, they start to become close. Eventually, the two will develop feelings for each other and they share their first kiss, that I mentioned above. Dani is on cloud nine at this point and takes down all of her Elvis posters in her room...she now has a real love. But then something interesting happens, Court comes over for dinner one night and he meets Maureen, the older sister. It's obvious Court and Maureen are perfect for each other, and they are in love at first sight. Dani feels hurt and rejected by this. 

      I feel it's best if I stop talking about the plot here for those haven't seen the film and want to. The movie takes some unexpected turns, and any one of those turns could have sent the movie off of a cliff. But it manages to survive all the way through and it hits every note perfectly. The film is definitely aimed towards women, and for a time, it was a staple on the Lifetime Network, but guys should not be discouraged from watching it at all. I obviously loved it and other guys I have talked to seem to agree with my thoughts on this movie. There are obvious comparisons to Robert Mulligan's other movie that appeared on my list just a few spots back, To Kill A Mockingbird. The tone and feel of both movies is similar. Mulligan knows how to capture life in the rural south and he proves it with these two films. I'm not sure what else I can say about the movie. The acting is great, the script is great, the cinematography is great, everything about it just works. It's..."Perfect"

11 - "A Few Good Men" (1992)

     (This one's for you Regenia!!) There's always room on the list for a good courtroom drama. I said previously in my review of Jerry Maguire that when he is on his A game, Tom Cruise can be a fabulous actor. While he is great in that film, I think he is at his best here. But he is not alone. Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore give standout performances as well. Cruise is Lt. Daniel Kaffee, a lawyer for U.S. Navy who has a record of plea bargaining cases and has never actually been to trial. Because of this, he is surprised when he is assigned the case of two U.S. Marines, Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson (Wolfgang Bodison) and Pfc. Louden Downey (James Marshall), who are accused of murdering a third marine. Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway (Demi Moore) and Lt. Sam Weinberg (Kevin Pollak) are assigned to assist Kaffee with the case. The trio head to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, where the incident took place. There they meet a trio of Marines who appear to know more than they originally let one. Col. Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson) runs Guantanamo Bay with an iron fist. It isn't long before Kaffee's team believes the murder may have been as the result of a "code red", which means the two accused men were ordered to do what they did. Kaffee wants to plea bargain the case down but the two accused men refuse to say they are guilty. This forces Kaffee into the courtroom to face off with the Marines. A Few Good Men is heavy on dialogue but the screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, based on a play he wrote, is brilliant and it never gets bogged down in legalese. We know the film is heading to a dramatic confrontation between Cruise and Nicholson, and when it gets to that point, it doesn't fail to deliver. The "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!" monologue is intense and features Nicholson at his best. If you've ever passed on this movie for any reason, do yourself a favor and catch it. The acting and the script are top notch and not to be missed.

12 - "Jaws" (1975)

     Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...What a great film. Steven Spielberg's Jaws was the first summer blockbuster and was the highest-grossing film in history for a couple of years, until a little space movie from George Lucas came out (we'll get into that more later...). The movie, based on a novel by Peter Benchley, caused millions of people who saw it to not go into the ocean again. The movie did nothing for beach businesses. Roy Scheider stars as Chief Brody, a cop from the city who has moved his family to the small town life of Amity Island, a fictional resort on the Atlantic Ocean. The 4th of July, the busiest time of the year for Amity, is just around the corner when a young lady is found dead on the beach. The coroner reports the death as being from a boat propeller. A young marine scientist and shark expert, Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), is brought in to investigate and determines right away that the death was due to a shark...a BIG shark. Brody and Hooper try to persuade the town mayor (Murray Hamilton) to close the beach but he denies the request. As tourists flock into the resort to open the summer, another attack happens, killing a little boy. This is the last straw and Brody decides to go after the shark. He hires a salty, old fisherman named Quint (Robert Shaw) to hunt down the shark. Quint, Brody and Hooper set out on their quest but soon realize they are up against an even more powerful force than they ever imagined. Jaws succeeds because the shooting of the film was a complete disaster. Originally the shark was supposed to appear more often but the thing would not work at inopportune times, causing Spielberg to shoot much of the film without the shark. This ended up being an unexpected victory. Because we don't see the shark until late in the movie, it helps build suspense and that is what makes this movie great. When we do finally see it though, we realize how much trouble the three guys are in. This leads us to a 30 minute showdown between man and shark at the end of the movie that was terrifying the first time I saw it. While the action is top notch, some of Jaws best scenes are when the shark is not being thought of. One night out on the sea, the three guys get drunk and start swapping stories and wounds. Quint tells of his adventures on the USS Indianapolis during World War II (a true event...google it for a VERY interesting read). This scene is one of my favorites of all time. Robert Shaw's delivery of the speech is simply fabulous. This film would not be complete without mentioning the Oscar winning score by the great John Williams. It just wouldn't be the same without his music. If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about.

13 - "Psycho" (1960)

    Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho is one of the most influential suspense/horror films of all time. It was the original slasher flick and it broke boundaries that no other film had dare do up to that point. The film stars Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, an unhappy office worker who wants to start a new life with her lover, Sam Loomis (John Gavin). When her boss asks her to go to the bank to deposit $40,000 cash that a customer has left with them, Marion sees her opportunity and decides to take the money and flee. She has a close call with a nosy cop who senses something is wrong, but she eventually gets him off her tale and drives into the night. She is on a deserted road when it starts to rain very hard. Unable to drive safely any longer, she happens upon the Bates Motel, a small, secluded motel in the middle of nowhere. The innkeeper, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), lives in a large house behind the motel. He comes down to meet Marion and provides her with a room, and also someone to talk to. Norman really likes Marion, but he doesn't pursue the relationship further because he doesn't feel his mother would approve of it....I think that's where I will stop for now, just in case someone hasn't seen the movie and wants to now. (Although the movie was made in 1960...let's get to it people). Psycho is pure Hitchcock; a slow intense build before ratcheting things up and shocking us. The movie will always be remembered for it's famous, or infamous, shower scene. I consider it one of the best scenes in cinema history. By today's standards, it is pretty tame, but back then it was extremely brutal and you just didn't see stuff like that. But Hitchcock was a trend setter, not a trend follower, and so many movies today in this genre owe a special gratitude to Mr. Hitchcock. Psycho was the original...and still one of the best.

14 - "October Sky" (1999)

    Here's another film that was missed by the masses and should be seen by everyone. The movie is based on the life of Homer Hickam, who would go from a life in a small coal-mining town in West Virginia to become an engineer for NASA. The film is based on his autobiography entitle "Rocket Boys". Homer, played by the wonderful Jake Gyllenhaal, is a bit of an underachiever in high school with not much of a future to look forward to. Almost every male in the town once they get out of school follows their fathers to the main job in town, the coal mines. Homer's father John (Chris Cooper) is the foreman of the mine, and while he loves his family, we sense he loves being in the mine more. This is what he was born to do. Homer is heading there as well, until one night in 1957 when the Russians launch Sputnik, the first man-made satellite. The townspeople all gather outside and watch to the skies as Sputnik races by. This signals a change in Homer's life. While most people think Sputnik is ultimately a device the Soviets will use to attack us, Homer is thrilled by it and becomes determined to go into space. Homer wants to make a rocket but he has never been good in math. He puts forth the effort though to learn and enlists the help of two people; his teacher Miss Riley (Laura Dern), and the school nerd Quentin (Chris Owen). Quentin is a math genius but is a loner so when he is approached by Homer, he is not receptive to helping at first. Eventually though, he sees Homer is not trying to pick on him and is sincerely interested in his help. Homer and Quentin are joined by two other schoolmates, Roy Lee (William Lee Scott) and O'Dell (Chad Lindberg), and these foursome make up the "rocket boys", who hope to enter the county science fair. Their first rocket is a disaster and they blow up the picket fence at Homer's house. After a couple of other misfires the boys start to get the hang of it though. As their rockets become bigger, they need more advanced supplies and turn to some of the townspeople to help. Homer's father is not happy with this and thinks his son is wasting his time with this "rocket stuff" and should be down in the mine. The relationship between Homer and his father provides the central backdrop to the story. Chris Cooper and Jake Gyllenhaal are both at their absolute best here, especially in the scenes they have together. Laura Dern is also fabulous in her small, but important, role as Homer's teacher who provides him with the inspiration he doesn't get from his father. October Sky is a very emotional film and it's hard to have dry eyes at the end. It teaches you to follow your dreams, even if the odds appear insurmountable.

15 - "Searching For Bobby Fischer" (1993)

     Whenever someone asks me for a movie recommendation, especially if they are looking for something that is good for the family, I almost always ask if they have seen Searching For Bobby Fischer. This is a perfect film that flew completely under the radar, probably due to it's title and subject matter, chess. If it flew under your radar, please correct that mistake and give this movie a shot. I think you will find a movie that shocks you with how great of a story it is. Bobby Fischer was the first American born player to win the World Chess championship. By the age of 13, he was already a legend in chess and is widely considered as the greatest player ever. The fact that he was socially awkward, often rude and disappeared for years at a time, only added to his mystique. I want to make one thing clear though. This movie is not about him or his life. He is only used as the backdrop of the story. The movie is actually based on the real life of Josh Waitzkin, a young chess prodigy in the late 80's and early 90's, who was believed to be the "next" Bobby Fischer, hence the name of the movie. Waitzkin is played by newcomer Max Pomeranc, who was not a trained actor but was an amateur chess player himself. You wouldn't know it from this movie though as he is absolutely charming in the lead role. The story opens with Josh, 7 years old at the time, playing in the park during his birthday. He sees some men playing a game he has never seen before, but he is immediately in awe of it. Josh eventually teaches himself the basics of the game just by watching people play. He meets up with a homeless guy named Vinnie (Laurence Fishburne) who sees the natural talent that Josh has and starts teaching him how to play the style that is played in the park; a fast-paced, attacking style that is meant to intimidate your opponent, but to have fun also. Josh's skill increases at a fast rate and his father Fred (Joe Mantegna) believes he needs more advanced teaching. He takes him to a chess instructor named Bruce Pandolfini (Ben Kingsley) who views chess differently than Vinnie. He sees chess as an art form and believes those who play it for fun are missing the point. He teaches Josh a methodical style of play, always looking many moves ahead. His methods don't include a lot of having fun. These two different styles will come back and play different roles throughout the movie. At this point, if you are turned off because of all the chess talk, don't be. While it may add a level of enjoyment if you have some basic knowledge of the game, it is not necessary at all. Someone who has never seen a chess match in their life can still find greatness here because the movie is more of how we relate to each other on an emotional level. The movie is also a must-see for any parents with kids in sports, music or any other extra-curricular activity. Kids emotions can be very fragile and if they are pushed too hard to be the best, they can forget the joy of the game. Let your kids be kids is one of the underlying themes of the movie...I fell like I've rambled on about this movie but it just shows how much I feel about it. I love this movie and if I could give a copy to anyone who hasn't seen it, I would. If you have Netflix, you can stream it instantly!! There's so many great lessons here and the film is just a joy and inspiration to see. I don't know what else to say....Just see it!! Take my word for it.

16 - "The Bodyguard" (1992)

     Yes, this movie is heavily criticized. Yes, it was nominated for a handful of Razzies (the anti-Oscars). No, I don't care. I love this movie and will continue to back it. Kevin Costner is Frank Farmer, a retired Secret Service agent who takes on the occasional personal protection job, but enjoys his time alone. He is approached one day about protecting Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston), a musical superstar who is being stalked and has recently had an attack that risked her life. Farmer doesn't want the job at first but reluctantly agrees to take it on. Things do not start out well as he and Rachel clash constantly on the best way to handle things. She eventually comes around to his ways though when another attempt is made on her life and Frank rescues her. He earns her trust and slowly a relationship starts to develop between the two, even though Frank knows this is a mistake. You should never get involved with your clients. As the threats continue, eventually targeted at Rachel's family, Frank becomes concerned that this is not just a simple deranged but perhaps someone more specialized. Costner and Whitney Houston both do a fine job in their respective roles. Houston's singing also provides much of the soundtrack to the film and what a great track it is. It's one of the movies that really benefits from its music. I know this movie isn't for everyone and it could be criticized for being on my list, especially this high. But there's just something about it that I bought into and I think it makes for a great thriller.

17 - "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946)

     Growing up in the 80's, I remember when from Thanksgiving to Christmas, you couldn't turn a television on without finding It's A Wonderful Life on somewhere. It was on some channel every night, usually multiple times. I never watched the movie during this time. It was that black-and-white movie that was clogging up my tv when more interesting stuff should have been on. Then around the mid-90's sometime I was sitting at home, there was nothing on the tube and this was just about to start. I decided to give it a try. Well, that ended up being a good choice and is now an annual must-watch at Christmas time. The movie stars the great Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a small town banker who is contemplating suicide as the movie opens. An angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), is sent down to rescue George and save his life. He does, but George still doesn't think he is worthy of living and believes everyone would be better off had he not been born. So Clarence does that. He takes George back in time and we saw how the town, and the people in it, would have turned out had George never been born. This is a movie that teaches us just how important each of us is, no matter how insignificant we think we may be. It's A Wonderful Life is directed by Frank Capra and is simply a joy of a film to watch. If you are like me and passed on this movie up to this point, do yourself a favor and give it a look sometime this holiday season.

18 - "Contact" (1997)

    Are there other life forms somewhere in the universe besides Earth? That's a question probably all of us has wondered about at one time or another. This is also a question posed many times in Robert Zemeckis's Contact. One answer given in the movie is "If it's only us...it seems like an awful waste of space." Contact is one of the movies on the list that I feel is hidden and probably not a lot of people have seen it. I hope this will change some minds as this is a tremendous movie that will leave you thinking about its issues long after the credits have finished rolling. It brings up the old science vs religion debate which may turn some people off, but the movie handles it the best way possible. It doesn't take sides and suggests that the two should work hand in hand. That is a very refreshing point-of-view, one I happen to share. Jodie Foster stars as Ellie Arroway, a scientist who studies the cosmos, searching for signals from space. She loses both of her parents at an early age and this has caused her to lose her faith in God. She meets Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey), a spiritual adviser to the President who believes God is the answer to everything. The two start to develop a relationship but Ellie cannot accept his point-of-view and ends up leaving him. Ellie is struggling with many things and her team is about to lose its funding. She goes out to spend some time by herself listening for signals...and suddenly one appears. Her team frantically goes into action trying to figure out what it is. After eliminating all common probabilities, they can deduce only one thing. This is a signal from another race....I could go into more of the plot here, but this is a movie that should be experienced. This is a film that can be enjoyed no matter what your beliefs are. I think one of the problems with both sides of the faith argument is we don't listen to each other. Ellie and Palmer are like that at first, but they learn to respect each others beliefs, even if they don't share them. That leads to a touching moment late in this film. I give Contact my highest recommendation. If you have skipped this for any reason, please give it a chance. We may never receive contact from another place during our lifetime....but what if we do?

19 - "To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962)

     To Kill A Mockingbird is one of those true rarities where the book and film are of equal quality. The novel written by Harper Lee is the best book I have ever read. If I was doing this list for books, it would be number 1. The movie doesn't quite reach that level but I still think it's five stars worth of perfection and is a must-see for everyone. This film works for many reasons, but there is a primary one: Gregory Peck. Peck won the Best Acting Oscar for his role as Atticus Finch, a widowed father of two children in rural Alabama during the Depression. Atticus is perhaps the best father character ever created. He loves his children very much and spends most of his time teaching them to be moral, upstanding citizens. He wants them to avoid fighting and thinking ill of others. He is quick to give his children a hug or talk with them when needed. Atticus is also a lawyer and he is called upon to defend a black man who has been falsely accused of rape. Atticus takes the case, because that is his job, but it brings stress to the family as the town is still racially divided. Jem and Finch, Atticus's two children, keep watch of their father and the trial from a distance, but alas they are still kids and their minds wander. They spend most of their time wandering about the strange house down the road that supposedly has a wild man named Boo Radley who lives there but is never seen. The place is like a haunted house to the children who go running past it every day. Eventually they get up enough nerve to run up and knock on the door. This cat and mouse game goes on throughout the movie. Ultimately we learn one of the movies great secrets, that not all things are as they appear to be. To Kill A Mockingbird is a fabulous film, and one that is appropriate for all ages.

20 - "Jerry Maguire" (1996)

     I can remember the first time I saw this movie. It was one of the strangest days I've ever had. I had just walked in and told the boss at my job at the time that I was quitting to protest a friend who had been unfairly fired. It was pretty stressful. I went over to that friends house and since neither of us had anything to do, we decided to get a bunch of movies. One of them happened to be Jerry Maguire. I had no desire to see it really. I had skipped it when it was in theaters, it looked like just a sappy romance to me. I don't know if it had something to do with my mood that day with what had happened but it just really hit the spot and was the pick-me-up I needed. Tom Cruise gets a bit of a bad rap but when he is on his game he actually is a very good actor. I believe he gives one of his best performances here as Jerry Maguire, a sports agent who has a bout with his conscience one night. He decides to change the way he approaches his work and becomes and advocate for the players he represents and isn't simply about the bottom line dollar. His approach is applauded by co-workers...but not his management and he is fired. He loses all of his clients except for one, Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.), an NFL Wide Receiver for the Arizona Cardinals. Tidwell is an average player but feels he is underpaid and wants to be shown the money he thinks he deserves. Jerry starts his new company with his secretary, Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger), who agrees with Jerry's approach and takes a leap-of-faith to join him. She is a single mom of a little boy named Ray (Jonathan Lipnicki) who adores Jerry, and it isn't long before Jerry and Dorothy are taking their relationship to another level. Jerry and Rod each has something they struggle with that the other can help out on: Rod is all about the money, and Jerry teaches him to play for the love of the game and the money will come...Jerry doesn't know how to express love and Rod who is happily married and knows how to treat his family tries to help Jerry out in that department. It's this relationship between agent and client where I think the movie really excels. Gooding picked up the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as the me-first Tidwell. The movie also picked up nominations for Cruise's acting, Editing, Writing and Best Picture. Jerry Maguire is a perfect little film that will make you laugh a lot, but it will also tug at your heart some. It might be the ultimate date movie that both parties can enjoy.

21 - "Stand By Me" (1986)

    Just like the previous film on the list, Good Will Hunting, I have already done a full review of Stand By Me on my blog back in March. It was one of my first posts actually. So please go back and read that to get my full thoughts on the film. Once again I just want to take a quick moment to praise the acting by the young men in this film, especially the late River Phoenix. What a future he had in front of him. It's such a shame he was lost due to some bad choices at a young age. He is brilliant in this film as Chris Chambers, the leader of the four boys who go searching for a dead body. Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell are also perfectly cast as Gordie, Teddy and Vern respectively. The movie is based on a novella by Stephen King titled "The Body" and is one of the best coming-of-age stories to hit the big screen. As I mentioned in my full review, I grew up with a group of kids very much like this, so it hits home and holds a special place in my heart. Stand By Me is simply a wonderful film, one of the best of the 80's, and a permanent fixture at the top portion of my list.

22 - "Good Will Hunting" (1997)

      Back in April, I did a full movie review of Good Will Hunting so please go back and read that to get my full thoughts on this wonderful film. I won't talk about it too much here but I just want to re-emphasize the great acting in this movie by Matt Damon and Robin Williams. I've never been a huge fan of Williams in his zany roles because I know how truly great of an actor he is when he does something like this. The scene outside in the park, after Will (Damon) and Sean's (Williams) first meeting, is acting 101 delivered courtesy of Robin Williams. He is matched scene for scene however by Damon, one of my favorite actors going today. The next time you watch this movie, pay close attention to the scenes where both of these actors are together and you can see how well they worked together and fed off each other. The final scene, which has been unfairly mocked as I mentioned previously, is a highlight on both of their resumes..."It's not your fault."...Put yourself in the shoes of someone who truly had a past like Will's and maybe those words shouldn't be mocked. I think it's a highly impactful moment and caps this movie off perfectly.

23 - "The Social Network" (2010)

    Surprised? I figure a few people might be. But if you followed me on Facebook (ironic, considering the movie) prior to my blog, you have heard me praise this movie quite a bit. I felt it was the highlight of a strong movie year that was 2010. I believe this film is a masterpiece in the script and dialogue department, courtesy of screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher. The Social Network tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg, played brilliantly by Jesse Eisenberg, the founder of Facebook, the most popular social networking site on the internet and worth billions of dollars. The movie revolves around two different lawsuits that have been filed against Zuckerberg, one by co-founder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) who was pushed out of the company, and the other by twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer) who claim Zuckerberg stole the idea for the website from them. We see parts of each hearing while flashing back to the creation of Facebook and how everything came together. Justin Timberlake has a great supporting role as Sean Parker, founder of Napster, who eventually became a partner of Zuckerberg. Whether you are a Facebook fan or not, the story is very interesting and because of that it makes the movie worth watching just for that. It is a little bit biased perhaps as the movie is based on a book that is written from Eduardo Saverin's point-of-view. Zuckerberg has come out and claimed parts of his portrayal are false, but we can tell from real-life interviews that he is a socially challenged person. Regardless, even if all of the facts are not accurate, it doesn't change the story. The Social Network is a film that just really connected with me. I know others have disagreed with me, and that's perfectly fine. But I will continue singing the praises of this movie and this is one that could eventually rise some on the list over time.