My Favorite Movies

One of the most important cinematic achievements of the 20th century, a visually sumptuous and dramatically charged movie masterpiece. Francis Ford Coppola 's brilliant and controversial Vietnam war epic, about a intelligence assassin Captain Willard, played by Martin Sheen in a haunting tour-de-force performance who is given a hazardous mission upriver into Cambodia to track down and terminate with " extreme prejudice," a renegade officer who has gone insane Colonel Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando in a superbly effective performance who leads his legion of Montaghard tribesmen on random genocide missions, the trip up river becomes a mesmerizing odyssey full of surreal encounters, this classic film has some of the most remarkable scenes ever filmed, one of them being the famous Huey helicopter gunship attack on a Vietcong village, led by Robert Duvall in a monumental Oscar-nominated performance, as Lt.. Col. Kilgore who loves to play Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" as his fleet of helicopter gunships bombards the villagers, Kilgore's line that he "loves the smell of napalm in the morning" is one of the most oft-quoted lines in the annals of the cinema. Impeccable performances from the supporting cast that includes Frederic Forrest, Dennis Hopper, Samuel Bottoms, Albert Hall, Lawrence Fishburne, Harrison Ford and G.D. Spradlin, staggering Oscar winning cinematography by Vittorio Storaro, with a perfectly eerie and insidious score by Carmine Coppola & Francis Ford Coppola, and a magnificent production design by Dean Tavoularis. Francis Ford Coppola masterful direction captures the true hellishness and insanity of the Vietnam war, a truly unforgettable and stunning hallucinogenic movie experience, that earned 8 Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture and Best Director: Francis Ford Coppola "Apocalypse Now" is number 28, on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest films ever made. Highly Recommended.

Director Don Siegel's landmark, trend-setting classic police thriller which is one of the most defining films of the 1970s. Clint Eastwood delivers a bold, charismatic performance in the iconic role that made him an international superstar as the laconic, hard-boiled, uncompromising San Francisco police inspector from the homicide division "Dirty" Harry Callahan, who's cocky cynicism and inset sense of self-justice makes his character realistic and likable despite his flaws, from the very first scene we get the impression that Callahan is the kind of guy who will go against the rules and do things his way to get the bad guys, often at the exasperation of his superiors. "I shoot the bastard, that's my policy" he tells the mayor and it sticks throughout the film, his dialogue with criminals is delivered behind the barrel of a devastatingly lethal foot-long Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum pistol, the most powerful handgun in the world, he taunts one wounded bank robber with the film's most famous line, "Do you feel lucky?," Well, do ya, punk?" Callahan is out to stop a psychopathic sniper and sadist named Scorpio, one of the most heinous villains in cinematic history, he is brilliantly played by Andy Robinson in a unforgettably chilling performance who has murdered a young women and has threatens to continue shooting innocent people, killing one a day until the city pays him the ransom of a $100,000, Callahan will stop at nothing to put an end to Scorpio murderous spree. Superlative supporting performances by Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni, John Vernon and John Larch. Brilliantly filmed on location in San Francisco, with energetic and stylish direction by Don Siegel, gritty and haunting cinematography by Bruce Surtees and a wonderful jazzy score by Lalo Schifrin. This is the original rogue cop movie and a milestone in its genre, but it is the powerful macho mystique conveyed by Eastwood's superb performance that makes this film so memorable. Highly Recommended.

Stanley Kubrick's provocative, flamboyantly brilliant, groundbreaking, future-shock classic, which is based on the novel by Anthony Burgess, is a stunning political allegory about a vicious sadistic antihero named Alex DeLarge, played by Malcolm McDowell in a mesmerizing star-making turn, which is one of the most compelling performances ever captured on film, McDowell completely dominates this entire motion picture. The story take place in a dehumanization British totalitarian state of the near future, where crime is totally out of control forcing peaceful citizens to be imprisoned in their own homes at night, Alex is a young man with a penchant for ultraviolence and a taste for Beethoven's music, he is also the leader of the "Droogs," a brutal gang of amoral hooligans who on a typical evening would step off to the Korova milkbar for a spiked, hallucinogenic drink concoction called milk-plus, served from the nipped breasts of coin-operated mannequins, which automatically laces the milk with drugs to sharpen them up for a night of sado-sexual escapades, which includes beatings, Pillaging, and raping helpless victims, Alex's good time at the tragic expense of others is about to end, when he finally commits murder and is sent to prison where he is brainwashed by the government to become a proper citizen, making him as helpless as his former victims. Only Stanley Kubrick's masterful hand could make an audience empathize with such a cold-blooded sadist as Alex DeLarge, all the characters in the movie use a futuristic slang conisisting of Russian mixed with English, it is called "Nadsat", invented by the author Anthony Burgess, visually dazzling thanks to the extraordinary cinematography by John Alcott, there is a exceptional synthesized electronic score by Wendy Carlos, and John Barry's luridly-colorful set designs are superb. A highly unsettling masterwork, which won the New York Film Critic's Best Picture and Director awards, and earned 4 Academy Awards nominations for Best Picture, Director: Stanley Kubrick, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium: Stanley Kubrick, and Film Editing: Bill Butler. "A Clockwork Orange" is number 46, on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest films ever made. Highly Recommended.

A brilliant visionary masterpiece and one of the most influentail sci-fi films of all time, meticulously crafted and masterfully directed by Ridley Scott, it has become an enduring cult-classic. Harrison Ford stars in a superlative performance of great moral ambuiguity, as the hard-boiled and world weary Rick Deckard an ex-special policeman known as a "Blade Runner," in a hellish Los Angeles of the future circa 2019, where it is always night and the smog-choked dark skies pour acid rain on the littered, overcrowded, neon-splattered streets, while airborne police patrol cars called spinners, fly through the canyons created by the awesome mile-high skyscrapers. Deckard specializes in tracking down and terminating replicants, genetically-engineered humanoids, who are virtually identical to a human being, they posses superior strength and agility, and are at least equal in intelligence to the genetic engineers who created them, replicants are used on the off-world colonies as slave laborers, soldiers, and prostitutes and are forbidden on Earth under penalty of death. Deckard who is retired was the best Blade Runner on the force, he is pressed back into service by his seedy former boss Bryant, wonderfully played by veteran character actor M. Emmet Walsh, because of four especially dangerous replicants that have escape to Earth on a stolen spacecraft after having slaughtered 23 people, they are seeking their creator the reptilian Dr. Eldon Tyell, terrifically played by Joe Turkel who is the czar of the shadowy Tyrell Corporation where the replicants are manufactured to make him extend their short 4-year life span, because their time is almost up, the leader of the group is a powerful, massive albino-looking replicant named Roy Batty, played by Rutger Hauser in a sensational career-defining performance, that is so compelling and charimatic that he steals the entire picture hands down, Deckard tracks down Batty, and they have final brutal life and death confrontation on a rooftop that is totally unforgettable, the other replicants are well-played by the late Brion James, Daryl Hannah, and Joanna Cassidy, special kudos must go to the beautiful Sean Young, who delivers a memorable turn as Rachel, the new replicant experiment, and Deckard's love interest, the rest of the supporting cast all deliver exceptional performances they include Edward James Olmos, William Sanderson, James Hong and Morgan Paull. Stunning, eye-popping Oscar nominated pre-CGI visual effects by Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricih and David Dryer, using optical effects, matte painting, animation and exquisitely detailed miniatures to create a truly dazzling vision of a very dark oppressive future world, captivating cinematography by the late Jordan Croneweth and a haunting and mesmerizing score by Greek composer Vangelis, this was Scott's second landmark film, his first being "Alien" which revolutionized the genre, "Blade Runner" created the cyberpunk genre and single-handedly changed the look of science fiction forever, it fully and richly deserves its reputation, a timeless and utterly astonishing film. Note: "Blade Runner" has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being a culturally and historically significant motion picture, a must-see! Highly Recommended.

Martin Scorsese's supreme artistic masterwork is a extraordinary and compelling film of enormous power and rare distinction, a searing biography of middleweight boxing champion Jake La Motta, his rise to glory in the 1940s, his personal battles due to numerous inner demons and his fall as a lounge lizard parody of his former self in the 1950s, it stars Robert De Niro in one of the most astonishing performance ever recorded on film, he completely immersed himself in the ultimate method-acting tour-de-force, as a young lean Jake LaMotta, he rigorously trained with the real Jake LaMotta mastering his crouched in-close style of boxing to become a completely convincing fighter, he gain 60 pounds to play the bloated boxer in his later years, i was not surprised when De Niro won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor for this legendary performance. The brutal, visceral, no-holds-barred, highly stylized fight sequences are some the best ever filmed, showing devastating blows hitting the bodies of the fighters and blood spraying out of their faces, it captures the intensity of the bouts with considerable force, the unforgettable climactic fight between LaMotta and Sugar Ray Robinson is one the bloodiest and most gut-wrenching scenes ever. Michael Chapman's stunning black & white cinematography is magnificent, the lighting of the film was made hash and stark, to provide an expressionistic look and feel to the savage violence in the ring, absolutely impeccable supporting performances from Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, and Frank Vincent, Martin Scorsese's masterful direction is exhilarating, editor Thelma Schoonmaker won a Oscar here for her dazzling work, the period recreation is flawless. This film connects on primal themes with a brilliant Mardik Martin and Paul Schrader script which is rooted in contrary pulls of ambition, lust and redemption. "Raging Bull" has been crowned with so many critical laurels and awards, that another word of praise seems hopelessly redundant, let's just say that it puts to shame virtually any American film made since then, required viewing for anyone who truly loves the cinematic arts. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director: Martin Scorsese, Best Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci, Best Supporting Actress: Cathy Moriaty. "Raging Bull" is number 24, on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest films ever made. Highly Recommended

A remarkably rewarding and ingeniously constructed motion picture that is immensely entertaining and marvelously directed with great style by George Roy Hill, with a exquisite, intricate and witty original screenplay by David S. Ward, that throws twist after twist at us, and keeps us fascinated and glued to the screen, the film takes place in Joliet, Illinois circa 1936, It re-teams Paul Newman and Robert Redford who each deliver brilliant and delightfully colorful performances as Henry Gondoriff and Johnny Hooker a pair of con artists out to swindle a ruthless Irish racketeer named Doyle Lonnegan, played by Robert Shaw in a tour-de-force performance out of $500,000 dollars as payback for the murder of Redford's mentor and partner Luther Coleman, nicely played by Robert Earl Jones, Gondoriff and Hooker assemble a small army of grifters to help in finally breaking Lonnegan for good. The great musical score by Marvin Hamlisch is a memorable Oscar winning adaptation of Scott Joplin's ragtime classics, that sets the mood for the film and instantly makes it come alive, the cast propels this film into lasting greatness, Newman and Redford have tremendous chemistry together and the dynamics between them is fantastic, they are one of the greatest film acting duos of all-time, impeccable supporting performances by Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan, Harold Gould, Dana Elcar, and Jack Kehoe, special kudos must go to Robert Shaw for his intensely commanding performance as Lonnegan, who's simple stare is unnerving. Splendid cinematography by Robert Surtees, with fabulous art direction by Henry Burnstead, and superb costume designs by Edith Head, this exuberant comedy has a great wrap up scene as Gondoriff and Hooker prepare to rip-off the big-bundle from Lonnegan, in one of the most inventive schemes ever depicted in cinematic history. Winner of 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director: George Roy Hill, Best Art Direction: Henry Burnstead, James W. Payne, Best Costume Design: Edith head, Best Film Editing: William Reynold, Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and / or Adaption Marvin Hamlisch, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay David S. Ward. Highly Recommended.

A profoundly disturbing psychological horror story about urban alienation, and finally madness, Robert De Niro's magnificent performance as a embittered, lonely Vietnam Marine veteran who drives a taxi at night while turning into an urban guerrilla is one of the most chilling, and repellent characters in the history of modern films. Martin Scorsese establishes himself as one of the most gifted directors of his generation with this unforgettable masterpiece, a cold-blooded tale of one man's lurid decent into the abyss of psychosis, and despair is undeniably powerful, but tough to watch, the hypnotic cinematography of Michael Chapman who introduces us to the hellish New York City of the mid-1970s, and it's nighttime environment full of whores, junkies, pimps, hoodlums, thieves and assorted maniacs, who are all elements in the world of Travis Bickle, the "Taxi Driver". Paul Schrader's arresting original screenplay is sensational, as is the late Bernard Herrmann's brilliant haunting score, memorable supporting performances by Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle, and Cybill Shepherd. The shocking climactic sequence when the "Taxi Driver" finally loses it, is brutal, horrific and cinematically brilliant, this film has it's place in history not just as a great work of cinematic art, but also because of the infamous John Hinckley jr. who felt so connected to the main character in the film Travis Bickle, that it inspired him to attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, when he shot him to prove his love to actress Jodie Foster, who played a 12 year old prostitute in the film, Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity, his attorney concluded the defense by playing the movie for the jury. One of the greatest achievements in the history of the American cinema. Nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor: Robert De Niro, Best Supporting Actress: Jodie Foster, and Best Original Score: Bernard Herrmann. "Taxi Driver" is number 47, on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest films ever made. Highly Recommended.

After ten years, seven films and 6.4 billion dollars at the box office these beloved films based on J. K. Rowling's phenomenally successful books have become the most successful movie franchise in cinematic history, this magnificent epic motion picture and series finale is the crowning achievement to this globally popular movie franchise, it is masterfully directed by David Yates with a pitch-perfect exciting screenplay by Steve Kloves, it concerns Harry Potter, exquisitely played by Daniel Radcliffe in a performance of true conviction and heart who's character has matured from a innocent, wide-eyed boy to a selfless courageous adult who now must finally square off against his deadly arch-nemesis the Dark Lord Voldemort, brilliantly played by Ralph Fiennes in a chilling iconic performance that is truly one for the ages, Harry attempts with the help of his two best friends Ron and Hermione, wonderful played by the sly Rupert Grint and the lovely Emma Watson to locate the remaining Horcruxes enchanted objects that if destroyed would make the Dark Lord mortally vulnerable, it becomes a race against time for our young bespectacled hero who's magical world is being torn apart by the monstrously evil Voldemort, Harry and his cohorts must cope with staggering and heartbreaking losses, with the deaths of some cherished characters, as their beloved school of Hogwarts itself is under brutal siege, which leads to some moving and lump-in-the-throat moments that are truly heartfelt, but the cataclysmic final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort is a true show-stopper, the film also reveals the motives guiding the actions of the mysterious and enigmatic Professor Severus Snape, memorably played by Alan Rickman. Uniformly impeccable performances from the rest of the cast which includes Evanna Lynch, Dormhnall Gleeson, John Hurt, Helena Bonham Carter, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, David Thewis, Julie Waters, Emma Thompsom, Robbie Coltrance, Warwick Davis, and Michael Gambon. A majestic musical score by Alexander Desplat, and stunning cinematography by Eduardo Serra, the extraordinarily impressive special visual effects adds a spellbinding potency to this spectacular fantasy saga, which is an intensely pleasurable and completely engaging conclusion to a pop-culture phenomenon that will indelible leave its mark on cinema history, a must-see event! Highly Recommended.

An American classic and a stunning adaptation of Ken Kesey"s novel, hilarious, compelling, heartbreaking and extremely moving, it is also a total triumph for Jack Nicholson who deservedly won an Academy Award for Best Actor as the rebellious Randle Patrick McMurphy, who is serving time in a state mental hospital pretending to be crazy in order to escape being incarcerated and avoid hard labor at the work farm. Randle represents everything that is ant-establishment and he inspires his fellow patients to rebel against the cruel authoritarian rules of the heartless head nurse Mildred Ratched, played by Louise Fletcher who is beyond brilliant in her Oscar winning performance, she manages to be almost always unpleasant and insensitive. The acting is astonishing throughout, but Nicholson is really breathtaking; there not a false note in his remarkable portrait, this film also launched the careers of many great character actors like Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif who all give superlative performances here, special kudos must be given to the late Will Sampson who delivers a truly memorable performance as Chief Bromden. Flawlessly produced by Michael Douglas & Saul Zaentz with masterfully direction by Milos Forman and a magnificent screenplay by Lawrence Haubman and Bo Goldman. Winner of 5 Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Director: Milos Forman, Best Actor: Jack Nicholson, Best Actress: Louise Fletcher, Best Screenplay Adaption from other material: Lawrence Hauben & Bo Hauben. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is number 20, on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest films ever made. Highly Recommended.

A fantasmagorical thrill-a-minute epic that is one of the greatest adventure films of all-time, brilliantly directed by Steven Spielberg with a ingeniously plotted story by George Lucas and a fabulously fun screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan that is also a clear homage to the cliffhanger Saturday-matinee serials of the 1930s and 1940s. It concerns a death defying archeologist and idealistic university professor named Indiana Jones, played exquisitely and with real gusto by Harrison Ford, who turns this character into one of the most beloved and iconic action heroes in cinematic history, our hero Indiana is sent on a secret mission by the United States government to track down the legendary and long missing Ark of the Covenant, which said to contain awesome destructive supernatural powers that can make any army invincible, he must located it before the dastardly Nazis unearth it and use it as the ultimate weapon to take over the world. The supporting cast all deliver terrific characterizations they include Denholm Elliott, Paul Freeman, Wolf Kahler, John Rhys-Davies, Ronald Lacey, Anthony Higgins and Alfred Molina in his film debut, the action sequences and stunt work are breathtaking and there is a few marvelous chases, fights and general derring-do involving the repeated rescue of our heroine Indy's ex-girlfriend Marion Ravenwood, played wonderfully by Karen Allen that are absolutely priceless. The special visual effects created for the climactic payoff scene demonstrating the deadly unearthly powers of the Ark are truly spectacular and unforgettable, John Williams magnificent score is peerless. Stunning cinematography by Douglas Slocombe that is unforgettable. A truly remarkable achievement that earned 8 Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture and Best Director: Steven Spielberg. Highly Recommended.

A gargantuan, visually stunning and lavishly mounted old-fashioned sword and sandals epic spectacle, which is the first bona-fide one in four decades, this beloved often imitated critically acclaimed blockbuster started the modern renaissance of the sword and sandals cinema, it is full of intrigue and heroism, stylish, breathtaking with masterful direction by Ridley Scott and an intelligent screenplay that is filled with memorable dialogue by David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson. The film opens in the forests of Germania circa 180 A.D., in a spectacular and bloody battle of unbridled brutality, General Maximus Decimus Meridus, played by Russell Crowe who is simply magnificent in a brilliant Oscar-winning performance of great physicality and emotional depth, he turns Maximus into a hero of mythic proportions, this is the film that propelled Crowe into the realm of international superstardom, he commands his legion of Roman soldiers to "unleash hell" on the barbarian hordes, with a deluge of arrows and catapults flinging flaming canisters that set their savage adversaries and their protective woods on fire, after Maximus has crushed Rome's enemies, he is summoned by the aging and dying emperor Marcus Aurelius, played with subtle and grace by the late Richard Harris, in a regal turn, who in private names Maximus "Protector of Rome," and tries to hand over his authority to Maximus, he does not want his son Commodes to inherit the throne because his son is not a moral man, and he recognizes Commodes for what he is, a weak, selfish, sniveling, immature tyrant, he is played by Joaquin Phoenix who delivers a superlative performance that is appropriately hateful and full of venom, Phoenix creates a genuinely treacherous and loathsome villain who hates Maximus and lusts after his own sister, Lucilla wonderfully played by the Danish beauty Connie Nielsen. Commodus murders his father assumes his power and orders Maximus executed, along with his wife and young son, escaping his execution and fleeing to his farm, Maximus discovers his family murdered, he is then captured by slave-traders and sold to Proximo, who is unforgettably played by the late Oliver Reed with such intense relish that he steals every scene he appears in, he is a pragmatic owner of gladiatorial slaves, who he routinely sends to their deaths in the province arena, so he could profit from their demise. After making his name as a gladiator with his ingenious fighting skill in the provinces, Maximus who is known only as "The Spaniard," is taken to Rome where he is forced to continue his enslaved life fighting to the death in the colosseum, there Maximus finally sees a chance to avenge the murders of his wife and son, he becomes a crowd favorite and threatens Commodus with his popularity, Commodus is shocked to see him still alive, and knows he cannot kill him right off because of the crowd, who now loves Maximus, he also knows that the only way to kill him is in the arena, the best part of this film takes place in the arena of the Colosseum with some extraordinary fight sequences, which includes deadly lady archers on chariots, ferocious man-eating Bengal tigers in the arena, and a jaw-dropping, suspenseful sword fight between Maximus and a massive, hulking gladiator named Tigris the Gaul, who is the only undefeated champion in Roman history, he is superbly played by character actor Sven-Ole Thorsen, there are impeccable supporting performances from Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, David Schofleid, John Sharpnel, and David Hemmings, Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrards deliver a lush, soulful musical score, gorgeous cinematography by John Mathieson, with a stupendous production design by Arthur Max, and a striking costume design by Janty Yates, the incredible Oscar-winning CGI visual effects recreate ancient Rome in all of her majestic glory. A remarkable cinematic achievement that is a total triumph for Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe. Winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor: Russell Crowe. Highly Recommended.

One of the greatest America films ever made and a landmark western saga of enormous scope and poetic beauty, brilliantly directed by John Ford. It concerns an ex-Confederate soldier named Ethan Edwards, played by John Wayne in a towering multi-layered performance which projects complete conviction and deep inner torment; his family have been massacred by Comanches Indians and his favorite little niece has been kidnapped by them. He goes on a obsessive five-year search to find his captured niece, Edwards is man with dark motivations, and so full of racial hatred towards the Indians that he would prefer to kill his own niece rather than allow her to live as a Comanche squaw. Everything works in this masterpiece, a moving and insightful script by Frank Nigent, and a magnificent score by Max Steiner, the color scenery, it was shot in VistaVision in director John Ford's favorite and most famous location, Monument Valley a vast, breathtaking expanse of towering canyons full of beauty and grandeur, amazing cinematography by Winton C. Hoch and truly memorable performances from its impeccable ensemble cast which includes Jeffrey Hunter in solid turn as the callow and courageous Martin Pawley, Vera Miles as the beautiful and feisty Laurie Jorensen, Ward Bond superb as the fearless Texas Ranger Captain & preacher, Reverend Samuel Johnston Clayton, Natalie Wood in a wonderful early performance as the older Debbie Edwards, Ken Curtis in an excellent turn as Vera Miles' geeky guitar picking suitor, Charlie McCorry and Hank Worden who is priceless as the cerebrally challenged but endearing Mose Harper. This film was a personal favorite of John Wayne, so much so that he even named a son Ethan after the character he played in the film. "The Searchers" is a milestone in the annals of the cinema and one for the ages. Highly Recommended.

A marvelously entertaining western classic with John Wayne's brilliant larger-than-life Academy Award winning performance as the totally fearless one-eyed, hard-drinking, cantankerous U.S. Marshall Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn who is hired by a feisty headstrong young girl named Mattie Ross, played superbly by Kim Darby to find a man called Tom Chaney, nicely played by character actor Jeff Corey who murdered her father, trouble begins when Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn and a inexperienced Texas Ranger named La Boeuf, played by country singer Glen Campbell in a solid turn who is looking for the same man for separate murder in Texas, conflicts ensue between young Mattie and the La Boeuf, who is thirsty for the bounty money on Chaney. What makes "True Grit" work is the fine direction by veteran director Henry Hathaway and the many memorable moments, but none more spectacular and thrilling than when Cogburn charges through a wide meadow into the villainous Ned Pepper, played by Robert Duvall in a superb early performance and his three cutthroats with his horses reins clenched between his teeth firing a pistol with one hand and cocking a rifle by twirling it with the other then firing it at the bad guys, it is one of the greatest showdowns in cinematic history from the man that defined the American western hero and still does! There are superlative supporting performances by Stother Martin, Dennis Hopper, Alfred Ryder, Ron Soble, James Westerfield, But this film's reputation rest on John Wayne's iconic performance which is truly one of his finest, Elmer Bernstein's lush score is terrific as is Lucien Ballard's stunning cinematography. A vivid and stirring motion picture smoothly written and extremely well-crafted. Note: The Coens Brothers have remade "True Grit," with Oscar winner Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn it will be released in December 2010. Highly Recommended.

An absorbing and totally engrossing western drama meticulously-crafted and expertly directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, who wisely did not try to reproduce or "reinvent" the beloved 1969 John Wayne film classic, instead they went back to the source on which it was based Charles Portis' novel, the resulting motion picture is nothing less than a work of cinematic art. Jeff Bridges completely throws himself into the role of ornery, one-eyed, trigger-happy, whiskey soaked lone wolf, U.S. Marshall Rueben 'Rooster" Cogburn and delivers a bravura performance, he brings a gritty nobleness to the character, Bridges also managed the remarkable feat of taking the iconic Oscar-winning role for John Wayne and turning it into something brand new. Marshall Cogburn is hired by 14-year-old Mattie Ross who is tough and wise beyond her years, she is played by Hailee Steinfeld who is a revelation in her terrific screen debut to find her father's killer, a man named Tom Chaney played by Josh Brolin in a chilling turn, Cogburn and Mattie head towards the Indian territory with a pompous, motor-mouth Texas Ranger played by Matt Damon in a wonderfully sly performance, they come upon Chaney with a scarred criminal named "Lucky" Ned Pepper who is played excellently by character actor Barry Pepper and his gang of cutthoats, all leading to a gripping and memorable finale confrontation. A brilliant script by the Coen brothers that is full of colorful dialogue that is sharp and witty, some great action scenes and gunfights and there is great artistry in the gorgeous cinematography by Roger Deakins. Easily one of the finest and most accomplished American motion pictures of the year that has a emotional resonance that lingers long after the film is over. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director: The Coen Brothers, Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, and Best Supporting Actress: Harilee Steinfeld. Highly Recommended.

The quintessential only-in-New York film masterfully directed by Sidney Lumet which is outrageous and sensational the sort of film you can't take your eyes off of, a gripping and sometimes grotesque true story about a Brooklyn bank robbery that occurred on August 22, 1972 in the early morning heat of a scorching New York midsummer day, when gunmen posing as customers enter a local bank, the simple robbery should have taken ten minutes, ten hours later they were still inside, it mushroomed into a citywide incident and media circus with a neighborhood cheering section that almost turns into a riot. Al Pacino is magnificent in the difficult role of Sonny, the desperate leader of the gunmen who is robbing the bank in order to pay for his gay lover's sex change operation, Pacino's amazing Oscar nominated performance is a spellbinding demonstration of his range, subtlety and depth as a actor he peels back the layers of Sonny's personality and makes us feel the desperation that has driven Sonny to risk everything in one grab for the money he thinks will straighten out his absurdly complicated and sadly unfulfilled life, the late great character actor John Cazale is equally memorable as Sal, Sonny's slow-witted partner in crime, he delivers a brilliant low-key performance, Chris Sarandon is marvelous in a unforgettable Oscar nominated performance as Sonny's pathetic male 'wife' Leon and Charles Durning is excellent in an impressive performance as Detective Sergeant Moretti the harassed police officer in charge who is trying prevent disaster. Frank Pierson won a Oscar for his complex and outstanding original screenplay which is full of sizzling dialogue, terrific cinematography by Victor J. Kemper with extraordinary editing by Dede Allen. This American classic earned six Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture, Director: Sidney Lumet, Best Actor: Al Pacino, Best Supporting Actor: Chris Sarandon, Best Film Editing: Dede Allen, Best Original Screenplay: Frank Pierson. Highly Recommended.

Sir Sean Connery will always be the quintessential Bond and this is one his best films as 007, the plot involves a sinister amoral tycoon Auric Goldfinger played with great panache by German actor Gert Frobe who brings a considerable amount class and menace to the title role. Goldfinger plans to irradiated the gold reserves of the United States by exploding a small nuclear device inside Fort Knox and obliterating the world economy as well as corning the gold market. Sean Connery is in top form and is the epitome of cool in his portrayal of Bond, tough, charismatic and ultra-suave, as Goldfinger's pilot and Bond's sexy foil the wonderfully named Pussy Galore is one of the all time best Bond girls, Honor Blackman plays the judo skilled, no nonsense woman with real spirit and intelligence, and Goldfinger's bodyguard/Assassin Oddjob played so memorably by Hawaiian wrestler Harold Sakata, he is mute, nearly invulnerable with an evil grin and a lethal steel razor edged bowler hat, that when toss could cut the head of a marble statue. It should be mentioned that this film featured the debut of the beloved "Q" the late Desmond Llewellyn the inventor of Bond's spy hardware and Bond's first spy gadget; the Aston Martin, a sports car laden with headlight machine guns, smokescreen, oil slick, bulletproof shield and a passenger side ejector seat. Outstanding production design by Ken Adam and a brilliant score by John Barry. Goldfinger set records at the time as the fastest grossing film in history, making back it's $3,000,000 production cost in just two weeks in only 67 screens, there is an unforgettable title song that give the franchise it's first worldwide No.1 hit song, sung by the incomparable Shirley Bassey. This film is one of the most enjoyable of all the Bond films and richly deserves it's classic status. Highly Recommended.

A magnificent, sprawling epic adaptation of the first part of J.R.R. Tolken's classic trilogy about Frodo Baggins, the Hobbit chosen to destroy a powerful evil ring that threatens all life on Middle-Earth by casting the ring into the volcanic fires of Mount Doom, he and eight companions will make the dangerous journey, but the evil Lord Sauron wants the ring so he can assume physical form again and enslave the people of Middle-Earth forever. The actors that breathe life into these characters are amazing, beginning with Elijah Wood as Frodo who delivers a captivating and heartfelt performance, Ian McKellen's brilliant Oscar nominated portrayal of the wizard Gandalf the Grey is nothing short of awe-inspiring, Viggo Mortenson delivers a striking and intense performance as the courageous Aragorn, the rest of the cast that includes Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Dominic Monaghan, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaver and Sean Bean all deliver performance that are perfect. Intelligent, exhilarating and beautifully directed by Peter Jackson, this a phenomenal production with stunning visual effects, a truly breathtaking achievement that is the movie event of the decade. Won Oscars for Makeup, Special Visual Effects, Cinematography by Andrew Lesnie and Original Score by Howard Shore. Highly Recommended.

James Cameron's "Avatar" is a phenomenal achievement, a gorgeous and truly breathtaking sci-fi epic. The captivating tale of the Na'vi a peaceful alien race of blue-skinned 12 foot tall giants with golden eyes who's planet Pandora is the only known source of a very special mineral that can save the Earth, now the Na'vi must fight for their survival against Earth's aerial hi-tech armies of Marines who will stop at nothing to possess the mineral. A stunning array of technical wizardry and innovation by Cameron and his team who invented a new revolutionary breakthrough 3D-process for this epic that has to be seen to be believed, extraordinary Oscar winning cinematography by Mauro Fiore and Oscar winning Art direction by Nick Bassett, Robert Bavin and Robert Bavin, the amazing Oscar winning CGI visual effects are peerless. Exceptional performances by Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriquez and Stephen Lang who standouts as a truly hateful villain, there is a wonderfully lush and beautiful score by James Horner. By all means see this film in " 3D Imax" to fully appreciate James Cameron's technical marvel and the best film of 2009. Note: "Avatar" sinks "Titanic" 13-year-old record of $1.8 billion and tops $2.7 Billion and counting at the world wide box office and is now the highest grossing film in cinematic history! Highly Recommended.

A wonderful, absolutely delightful comedy fantasy classic, with Jimmy Stewart in one of his finest roles, he is totally masterful in a Oscar nominated performance as the whimsical Elwood P. Dowd whose best friend and companion is a six-foot invisible rabbit named "Harvey," who is actually 6'3" foot tall. Elwood lives with his straight-laced sister Veta Louise Simmons, played by Josephine Hull who is primarily known for her superb stage work, but here she literally steals the film with her brilliant and tremendously funny Oscar winning performance she is a total joy. Veta is continually embarrassed by Elwood and his faithful invisible companion who are ruining her plan's to marry off her bashful daughter Myrtle Mae, nicely played by Victoria Horne, Veta reluctantly decides to commit Elwood to a mental hospital but when she confesses to the psychiatrist there, that every once in a great while she also sees this big white rabbit named "Harvery," they end up institutionalize her instead. Fine direction by Henry Koster and exceptional supporting performances by Peggy Dow, Charles Drake, Cecil Kellaway, Wallace Ford, William Lynn and Jesse White who is a standout as the mental hospital orderly Marvin Wilson. There is real heart and thought put into this film, that is so full of hope, optimism, warmth and humor. "Harvey" needs to exist, and the real magic of this movie is that it succeeds in making us believe that he does! Mary Chase and Oscar Brodney adapted Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Josephine Hull and Jesse White re-create their Broadway roles. One of my all time favorites films period. Highly Recommended.

An uproarious heartfelt comedy classic from the 80s and a wonderful poignant drama, Dustin Hoffman in the performance of his career delivers a truly spectacular and amazing portrayal which is a well-conceived comedy coup, it brought him a richly deserved Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, he plays Michael Dorsey a straight talented actor who can't get a job because of his demanding nature and his temperament which antagonizes everybody, when his agent played with great comic flair by the film's director, the late great Sydney Pollack tells him that he is unemployable, he gets a dress and wig and gets a job playing a tough minded hospital administrator in a television soap opera and ends up becoming America's hottest new soap actress. The beautiful Jessica Lange won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her deft and dramatic performance as Julie, the soap actress whom Hoffman falls in love with. The rest of the cast is brilliant with great comedic moments of their own they include Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Geena Davis in her film debut and Bill Murray who is totally hilarious as Hoffman's sarcastic roommate. One of Pollack's best films, which makes good use of great New York City locations, exquisite cinematography by Owen Roizman and a excellent score by Dave Grusin. Simply put one of the funniest American films ever made that earned 10 Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture, Director: Sydney Pollack, Best Actor: Dustin Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress:Teri Garr. Highly Recommended.

Winner of seven 1970 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for George C. Scott 's monumental performance as one of the Twentieth century's greatest military geniuses General George S. Patton is one the finest in the history of the cinema. A milestone in screen biographies: Scott totally captures the essence of Patton who was tough, cultured, fearless, resilient, patriotic, bull-headed, charming and uncompromising. It's a gutsy, honest and fascinating portrait of 'a pure warrior, and a magnificent anachronism, who loved war. Patton was the greatest field General of World War II, he was also the most feared by the the Nazis, more than any other Allied General. The film boasts a series of brilliantly staged battle sequences, tracing Patton's career in the North African, Sicilian, and European campaigns. Stunningly directed by Franklin J. Schaffner with a tremendous supporting performance by Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley one of Patton's closest friends. An exquisite Oscar winning screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North, this was a real breakthrough for Coppola, who went on to write and direct "The Godfather". Jerry Goldsmith wrote one of his finest scores for this film. Extraordinary cinematography by Fred J. Koenekamp, who shot the film in beautiful 70mm widescreen. A stirring and spectacular epic. Highly Recommended.

One of the biggest box office sensations of all time, a modern classic masterpiece that launched director Steven Spielberg's career, this film became a phenomenon that has the distinction of being the first film to break the $100,000,000 mark, which made it the first summer blockbuster, It profoundly changed the way movies are made and marketed. The suspenseful tale of a island resort town in New England that has been terrorized by deadly shark attacks from a monstrous great white shark, this film builds the tension methodically and unerringly and pays off with one of the scariest finales in film history. Special kudos must go to the exceptional performances of Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Steven Spielberg's dazzling direction, there is a masterful and now legendary Oscar winning score by composer John Williams that brilliantly underscores the anticipatory danger the audience feels well before the shark is ever seen. Verna Fields scores big with her amazing Oscar winning editing and Bill Butler's cinematography is exquisite. An American landmark film. Highly Recommended.

One of the funniest and most shattering motion pictures ever made, Stanely Krubrick's celebrated black comedy about a insane U.S. Air Force General named Jack D. Ripper, played brilliantly by Sterling Hayden who is determined to save the free world personally from a imagined Communist takeover by launching a B-52 thermonuclear bomb attack on Russia, Kubrick gets a half dozen exquisite comic performances from his fine cast beginning with the late great Peter Sellers' fabulous Oscar nominated performance, he was one of the greatest comic actors in the history of the modern cinema and here he impressively plays three roles as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake a British officer, United States President Merkin Muffley and Dr. Strangelove a crippled ex-Nazi whose black-gloved wooded arm constantly threatens to give President Muffley a Nazi salute, It is a wondrous display of his acting brilliance, George C. Scott as General 'Buck' Turgidson delivers what must be the comic performance of the decade, he is absolutely hilarious screwing-up his face assuming ape-like stances and often ending his speeches with his gestures frozen. Slim Pickens is a hoot as U.S. B-52 bomber pilot, Maj. T.J. "King" Kong who is on a routine flight pattern when he gets the order to drop his hydrogen bombs Russia from General Ripper, but things really go crazy when the Soviet Ambassador de Sadesky shows up at "War Room" and informs President Muffley and his staff that the Soviets have a "Doomsday Machine" that will destroy the entire world if the Russians are attacked.There is outstanding supporting performances by James Earl Jones, Keenan Wynn and Tracy Reed, masterful direction by Stanley Kubrick with a marvelously funny screenplay by Stanley Kubrick, Peter George and Terry Southern. An unforgettable madcap landmark classic masterpiece that won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director: Stanley Kubrick and the Writers Guild of America Award: Stanley Kubrick, Peter George & Terry Southern. It also earned 4 Academy Awards nominations including: Best Picture, Best Director: Stanley Kubrick, Best Actor: Peter Sellers, Best Screenplay, based on material from another Medium: Stanley Kubrick, Peter George & Terry Southern. "Dr. Strangelove" has been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry for being a culturally and historically significant motion picture. Highly Recommended.

A delightful, side-splitting and heartwarming old-fashioned screwball comedy exquisitely written and directed by the late Steve Gordon, with a brilliantly funny Oscar nominated performance by the late Dudley Moore who is so endearing as Arthur Bach a spoiled drunken millionaire playboy who is at risk of losing his massive $750,000,000 dollar inheritance, if he doesn't marry a boring heiress who he does not love and cannot stand, she has been handpicked for him by his old money father and his dotty grandmother, but lots of complications occur soon after when Arthur falls in love with a feisty waitress named Linda Marolla, played superbly by Liza Minnelli who is the perfect foil for Moore they have real chemistry together. Sir John Gielgud is absolutely priceless in his unforgettable Oscar winning performance as Hodson, Arthur's protective acid-tongued valet, his comic timing is perfect and he is a total joy and steals every scene he is in. Superlative supporting performances by Geraldine Fitzgerald, Jill Eikenberry, Stephen Elliott, Ted Ross, Barney Martin, Anne De Salvo, and Lou Jacobi, there is more genuine laughs in this gem of a film then most comedies put together. The memorable Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) earned an Oscar. A true 80s classic. Highly Recommended.

Pure adrenalin, a spectacular high-octane spy thriller which goes back to the roots and shows how James Bond got his license to kill, this film introduces us to the new Bond who is played by the astonishing Daniel Craig who gives a performance of such spellbinding scalding intensity that you'll swear he was born to play the role, he is a physical force to be reckon with and those piercing blue eyes of his burn right through the screen, he is without doubt the best Bond since the original which was played by screen legend Sir Sean Connery. This time Bond is pitted against Le Chiffre, a evil banker to the world's terrorist organizations played memorably by Mads Mikkelsen who gives a brilliant cold-blooded performance, Le Chiffre is planning to raise money in a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro at Casino Royale. "M" played wonderfully by Dame Judi Dench assigns 007 to play against him, knowing that if Le Chiffre loses it will cause havoc in his organization, she also assigns the beguiling Vasper Lynd an MI-6 accountant to finance Bond's card game and keep a watchful eye on him, Vesper is beautifully played by the sexy Eva Green who is one of the best Bond women in long time and is also one of the most intelligent, her chemistry with Bond is both moving and genuine. Exceptional direction by Martin Campbell and utterly superb supporting performances by Jerry Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian and Isaach De Bankole'. Terrific action sequences with seamless stunts that are truly breathtaking, Craig doing most of them himself. Phil Meheux's cinematography is totally stunning. A lean, mean, sophisticated thrill-ride that is not to be miss! Highly Recommended.

Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" is without doubt one of the finest and most spectacular comic book movies ever filmed, Christian Bale reprises his role of the Batman with another intense and first-rate performance, but it is the late Heath Ledger who totally dominates this film with his now legendary Oscar winning performance as the nefarious Joker. Special kudos must be given to Aaron Eckhart for his impressive turn as Harvey Dent, and as the chilling revenge seeking psychotic known as "Two Face". Superior supporting performances by Sir Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Eric Roberts, and Michael Jai White. Christopher Nolan's masterful direction brings the Batman mythology to full life. Brilliant cinematography by Wally Pfister along with a powerful musical score by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer. Surprising twists a creepy atmosphere and a smashing climax makes this a truly unforgettable film. Highly Recommended.

One of the most celebrated musicals of all time a brilliant film adaptation of the landmark Broadway hit musical with brilliant Oscar winning direction by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. It concerns a rival white gang called the "Jets" and the Puerto Rican gang named the "Sharks" in a west side New York City ghetto becomes a spectacular cinematic musical. Jerome Robbins magnificent choreography in this modern Romeo and Juliet story. The unforgettable and legendary Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondhiem score which is exquisite and and the impeccable performances from Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Simon Oakland, William Bramley, Ned Glass, and Jon Astin. Special kudos must go to Rita Moreno and George Charkiris for the stunning Oscar winning turna as Anita & Bernado. This masterpiece deservedly won of 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Alfred Hitchcock's classic masterwork of murder and madness. Terrific suspense and a outstanding break-through performance by Anthony Perkins, a legendary score by Bernard Herrmann. One of the all time great films.

One of the greatest adventure film classics ever filmed and the definitive swashbuckler, brilliantly directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. The dashing and charismatic Errol Fynn is the quintessential Robin Hood, in the most memorable role of his career, and one of the most iconic performances in cinematic history. A glorious Technicolor film overflowing with spectacle and breathtaking scenes of action, drama and humor. It is a dark time in the kingdom when the cruel and decadent Prince John, has declared himself Regent of England by self-appointment, after his brother Richard, the Lion Hearted has been captured and imprisoned in Austria by Emperor Leopold. Prince John is played with a superb sarcastic malice by Claude Rains, one of the finest character actors of all time. Prince John along with the wicked aristocratic Sir Guy of Gisbourne, Basil Rathbone in an exceptional performance, and the bumbling Sheriff of Nottingham, played marvelously by Melville Cooper, plan to tax the peasants into poverty, to raise a ransom to save the king, but in reality they are just lining their own pockets, and buying they way to the throne. It's is now up to Robin and his men to stop this wicked conspiracy. The gorgeous Olivia de Havilland is luminous as Maid Marian, in a truly elegant performance, the rest of the supporting cast all deliver superlative performances they included Patric Knowles, Eugene Pallette, Alan Hale, Ian Hunter, and Una O' Connor. The color cinematography by Tony Gaudio and Sol Polito is astonishingly beautiful. The climatic sword-fight between Flynn and Rathbone is one of the most famous scenes in all of filmdom. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's outstanding score won an Academy Award, as did the art direction and editing. A triumphant and delightful tale of high-adventure. Highly Recommended.

This film became a cultural phenomenon and a box office mega-hit. John Travolta's sexy, super-cool Oscar nominated performance as disco king Tony Manero made him into an overnight sensation. The Bee Gees memorably great music and Travolta's amazing dance sequences are totally dazzling, are some of the best ever filmed makes this movie a highly enjoyable trip back to the disco era of the late 1970's.

A milestone realistic police drama and action-filled thriller based on a true story, sheer entertainment and gripping suspense. Gene Hackman's knockout Oscar winning performance and a great supporting cast with the late Roy Scheider a standout in a fine performance as Hackman's partner, remarkable direction by William Friedkin and exquisitely photographed by Owen Roizman. A nail-biting climax featuring one of the best car chases ever filmed. Winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

A brutal, suspenseful classic noir masterpiece where a revenge-seeking convict who has just been release from prison after serving an eight-year term for rape and assault, he preys upon the sensibilities of the small-town attorney who help put him away, Gregory Peck in a superlative performance as the righteous attorney Sam Bowden who is terrorized by the convict Max Cady, a psychotic-rapist who is more animal than a man, he is chillingly played by Robert Mitchum in a brilliant study in sadism, Bowden is a man of the law who is respected and admired and now is forced to examine his own values and sink lower than he thought possible in order to protect his family from the pursuit of the monstrous Cady, who is now stalking his beautiful wife, played nicely by Polly Bergen and his teenaged daughter, played by young Lori Martin in a excellent turn. Bowden is legally powerless to keep Cady from playing his deadly game of cat and mouse, but all the these events will lead to a heart-stopping climax aboard a houseboat on the Cape Fear river. Brilliant direction by J. Lee Thompsom with a outstanding supporting performances by Martin Balsam, Telly Savalas and Barrie Chasse, but Robert Mitchum steals the film outright he creates a unstoppable force of pure hate, a representation of all we fear and loathe in a almost graceful subtlety, he is evil to core, Mitchum so immersed himself so fully into the skin and psyche of this beast of a man that he never seems like he's acting. A magnificently haunting score by Bernard Herrmann and stunning black & white cinematography by Sam Leavitt. This is dark cinema at its best. Highly Recommended.

Brian DePalma's controversal blood-soaked gangster epic, about Tony Montana a small time hood who emmigrated from Cuba after Fidel Castro opened the port of Mariel Habor in 1980, he connects with Frank Lopez a local crime boss, nicely played by Robert Loggia and guns his way to the top of the Miami underworld where he finds power and becomes the richest most feared drug kingpin in Florida, Al Pacino's incredibly vivid portrayal of the explosive Tony Montana who's murderous temperament knows no restraint is one of his greatest and most iconic performances, the acting in this motion picture is exceptional and transcends the gruesome violence and the insane profanity that runs throughout the film, the supporting cast is marvelous beginning with Steven Bauer as Manolo Ribera, Pacino's best friend and partner in crime, it is a auspicious acting debut that earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, the beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer in a solid performance as Elvira, Lopez's cokehead mistress and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio who delivers a superlative performance as Pacino's sister Gina. Special kudos must go to the late character actor Paul Shenar who delivers a truly compelling performance as the suave Colombian druglord Alejandro Sosa, but this is Pacino's picture all the way and he is electrifying and dominates this entire film. Astute direction by Brian DePalma, and stunning cinematography by John A. Alonzo, the production design by Edward Richardson is spectacular and the original synthesized score by Giorgio Moroder is superbly haunting. This classic modern gangster saga has become a pop-culture phenomenon and one of the greatest cult-hits in cinematic history. Highly Recommended.

A spectacular, grand entertainment that is skillfully directed by Richard Donner, which is the first big-budget screen adaptation of the legendary comic book superhero created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, tracing the life of the "Man of Steel" from his doomed planet of Krypton as a infant to his arrival on Earth as a young boy, through his teenage years in Smallville, and finally his adult life in Metropolis as Clark Kent, a mild-manner reporter for the Daily Planet, the late Christopher Reeve has to be one of the most perfect casting choices in cinematic history, he will always be remembered for this iconic role, and for his brilliant, intelligent and affectionate portrayal of Superman, Marlon Brando delivers an inspired performance as Superman's father Jor-El, in a grand extended cameo that is truly memorable, even after he dies his presence is felt thought-out the film, and Gene Hackman makes a great comic foil for Superman, as the criminal genius Lex Luthor, who has a gigantic narcissistic ego, Margot Kidder is absolutely priceless as the tough, smart, sassy and independent Lois Lane, and the on-screen chemistry between Reeve and Kidder has real heart and soul, and they are wonderful together, the supporting cast all deliver exceptional performances they include Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Trevor Howard, Terence Stamp, Susannah York, Jeff East, Valerie Perrine, Maria Schell, and Marc McClure. The plot concerns Lex Luthor who's sinister plan is to reprogram two military nuclear missiles, and target the San Andreas fault to sink California into the sea, and make billions with his property holdings which will be the new beach front after California is destroyed, the visual effects which are all pre-CGI are masterful, they won a special Academy Award for best achievement in visual effects, John Williams fabulous score cements the excellence of this film, and the main title theme is one of the most recognizable in annuals of the cinema, sumptuous set designs by the late John Barry, and gorgeous sweeping panoramic cinematography by the late Geoffrey Unsworth. Evocative, imaginative and a real winner. Highly Recommended.

A gritty, absorbing well-crafted British crime drama set in modern day Britain, Harry Brown played by screen legend Sir Michael Caine in commanding and artfully controlled performance is a pensioner and ex-serviceman who is a modest law abiding citizen, he lives alone in the hellish London council estates which have been ravaged by drugs and crime, his only companion is his best friend Leonard, played nicely by David Bradley, when he is brutally murdered by some drug dealing low-life hoodlums it pushes Harry to the breaking point, Harry was a marine in Northern Ireland and his killing ways were put to rest along time ago but the murder of his friend has brought them back in full force, he becomes a merciless vigilante dispensing his own personal brand of justice and so he begins his campaign of deadly retribution against the hoodlums, Caine at age 77 brings his formidable acting skill and experience of over a half century into the role of Harry Brown, conflicted and sometimes frail other times emotionally unstable and aggressive, this is a real showcase for the old master and he completely dominates this engrossing motion picture. Excellent directorial debut by Daniel Barber with solid supporting performances by Emily Mortimer, Charlie Creed-Miles, Ben Drew, Iain Glen, Sean Harris and Jack O' Connell, a most intriguing revenge thriller and one of year's very best films. Highly Recommended.

A totally delightful, cherished classic American motion picture that has become synonymous with the celebrating of the Christmas holiday. During the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade their Santa turns up falling down drunk, Doris Walker the Macy's supervisor in charge of the event played by the beautiful Maureen O'Hara, in a radiant performance reluctantly hires a old cultured gentleman with twinkling eyes and a big snowy beard, played by Edmund Gwenn who delivers a charismatic show-stopping Oscar winning performance that is truly magical and endearing as Kris Kringle, he takes over for the drunk Santa, and becomes an instead hit with the crowds of adults and children, so they hire him to be the Santa at the Macy's flagship department store on 34th street, while working one day he meets Miss Waker's unbelieving daughter Susan played superbly by little Natalie Wood in a amazing performance and becomes determine to make her believe in him. Everything is fine until he comes up against the store's neurotic personnel psychologist superbly played by Porter Hall, who thinks that Kris should be fired because he is crazy believing himself to be Santa Claus. Kris is declared insane and it's up to his friend and lawyer Fred Gailey, played wonderfully by John Payne and Miss Walker and her daughter Susan help him out of this mess. Astute direction by George Seaton with superlative supporting performances by Jerome Cowan, Gene Lockhart, Harry Antrim, Herbert Heyes, William Frawley and Thelma Ritter in her screen debut, but the film belongs completely to Edmund Gwenn and his unforgettable gem of a performance he is a total joy! This is my personal favorite Christmas film. Highly Recommended.

Walt Disney Pictures mega million dollar production of "Tron: Legacy" does not disappoint, it is a spectacular 3D, mind-blowing, enormously entertaining visual effects extravaganza that is more than a worthy sequel to the 1982 cult sci-fi classic "Tron," Sam Flynn played superbly by Garrett Hedlund is the son of Kevin Flynn the genius video game developer from the first film, played again magnificently by Jeff Bridges in the dual roles of Flynn and his tyrannical creation Clu. 20 year ago Flynn mysteriously disappeared without a trace leaving his young son waiting for him to come home, cut to the present where his son is now a 27-year-old man who has inherited his father's multibillion dollar hi-tech business empire, Sam looks into the disappearance of his father and discovers his father's hidden workroom, he inadvertently gets teleported on to "the Grid," a virtual utopia in a digital cyber-world that his father created, there he finds his beloved father who now is a bearded exiled god imprisoned in his cyberworld by his own look alike creation Clu, an ultimate program designed to be perfect, it has gone rogue and now threatens not only the cyberworld but our real world as well, the villainous Clu which is a stunning digtalized computer-generated younger version of Jeff Bridges is both menacing and engaging, it is also a truly striking visual effect itself. The supporting performances are all first-rate they included the sexy Olivia Wide as Kevin Flynn's cyberworld warrior & assistant Quorra, Michael Sheen as Castor a flamboyant and sinister club owner in "The Grid", and there's a nice cameo by Bruce Boxletitner as Alan Bradley & Tron, but the emotional anchor and the film's biggest strength is the chemistry shared between Jeff Bridges and Garrett Hedlund as father and son, it is effective and moving. The production design is extraordinary, the wondrous yet menacing world of "The Grid" with its hypnotic grandeur and dark blue hues, towering skyscrapers, there is a fabulous techno score by Daft Punk that is very memorable, the awesome cutting-edge visual effects are intoxicating and the action sequences are jaw-dropping with the light cycles' combat races, the deadly gladiatorial disk wars, as well as the skybattles which are amazing, Joseph Kosinki makes an impressive directorial debut with this technological tour-de-force, a motion picture of sheer brilliance! End of line..........Highly Recommended.

Irwin Allen's magnificent production of "The Towering Inferno" is one of the greatest disaster films ever made, an awesome multimillion-dollar all-star epic spectacle, it concerns the Glass Tower an architectural marvel which is the world's tallest building, a 138 story golden monolith of glass and steel that completely dominates the San Francisco skyline, it proudly awaits its glamorous gala dedicatory ceremonies, leaders of politics, society and the entertainment world are all in hand to witness the unveiling of this towering colossus, but of the eve of skyscraper's debut, Doug Roberts the architect who designed the building, played by Paul Newman in a solid and charismatic performance is not too enthusiastic because of a defective burnt wire found in the basement system control panel by the building's maintenance crew, Roberts discovers that there is a larger problem, cut-rate wiring runs throughout the building and it could start electrical fires breaking-out everywhere, Roberts contacts the builder James Duncan played superbly by William Holden and pleads for him to postpone the building's dedication, Duncan refuses and a fire does breakout in a storage room on the 81st floor, which quickly spreads and hits the gas lines causing a massive explosion and firet traps 300 guests in the building's penthouse ballroom on the 135th floor, Steve McQueen brilliantly plays the heroic Fire Chief Michael O'Hallorhan who along with Roberts must fine a way of getting those people down before the out of control fire reaches them. Terrific direction by John Guillermin with Irwin Allen marvelously directing the film's spectacular action sequences which includes the incredible torrential climatic ending where enormous top-floor water tanks are blown up releasing a million gallions of water in a last-ditch effort to put out the raging fires. Exquisite supporting performances from Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, Susan Blakely, Jennifer Jones, Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner, Jack Collins, Norman Burton and Felton Perry. The extraordinary Oscar nominated pre-CGI special effects by L.B. Abbott and Matthew Yuricich are very impressive, the pyrotechnics are gripping and the optical effects, matte paintings and miniatures all add realism and help create a threatening atmosphere of calamity, the film has sensational stunts thanks to the superb 25 stuntmen and stuntwomen under the supervision of coordinator Paul Stader they performed more than 200 individual stunts for this film, gorgeous Oscar winning cinematography by Fred J. Koenekamf and a wonderfully dynamic score by John Williams. A suspenseful, well-crafted cinematic gem of the early 70s that earned 8 Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture. Highly Recommended.

Director David Lean's magnificent epic spectacle which is one of the most visually stunning motion pictures of all-time thanks to the extraordinary Oscar-winning cinematography by Freddie Young, he captures the beauty of the desert like it has never been shown before. It concerns the exploits of the legendary T.E. Lawrence and his emergence from odd and out of place British army officer to respected and feared leader of the Arab resistance, which he led against the Turkish empire during World War I, a remarkable film on many counts: screenwriter Robert Bolt's intelligent screenplay, Peter O'Toole's brilliant star film debut as Lawrence his portrayal captures many of the nuances and character subtleties of this complex, insecure and deeply troubled hero who struggled all of his life with his homosexual tendencies, it is truly a unforgettable performance. There are also flawless galvanizing supporting performances from Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Omar Sharif, Claude Rains, Arthur Kennedy, Anthony Quayle, and Jose Ferrer. Maurice Jarre delivers a majestic original score, and Anne V. Coates' film editing is tremendous. Richly textured, exquisitely and meticulously directed by David Lean. Winner of 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. "Lawrence of Arabia" is number 5, on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest films ever made. Highly Recommended.

An engrossing classic American noir that concerns a ruthless, sadistic, all-powerful gossip columnist named J.J. Hunsecker, brilliantly played by Burt Lancaster in one of his finest performances and his unscrupulous press agent Sidney Falco, masterfully played by Tony Curtis in a performance that showed him to be a first-rate actor and just not another handsome Hollywood face, his slick, opportunistic Sidney Falco who would do anything to curry favor with Hunsecker, it is a memorable characterization by Curtis that is the backbone of this gripping drama of big-city corruption. Another standout performance is by Susan Harrison who superbly plays Hunsecker's tormented teenaged sister Susan, whom he harbors incestuous feelings for, a bristling and compelling screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman from the novelette by Ernest Lehman that has vivid and hard-boiled dialogue with lines like, "i'd hate to take a bite out of you," Hunsecker tells Tony Curtis's poisonous press agent Sidney Falco, "you're a cookie filled with arsenic. Soulful supporting performances by Martin Milner, Sam Levene, Barbara Nichols, Jeff Donnell, Joseph Leon and Edith Atwaier, taut direction by Alexander Mackendrick and a superb jazz score by Elmer Bernstein, exquisite black & white cinematography by James Wong Howe that perfectly captures the New York City nightlife of the late 1950s.This film has been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry and the American Film Institute has selected Burt Lancaster's character J.J. Hunsecker as No.35, on its list of the top 50 villains in cinematic history. Highly Recommended.

An extraordinary, groundbreaking, unique and brilliantly funny special effects extravaganza that is brilliantly directed by Robert Zemeckis. It's 1947 in Hollywood and a down-and-out private detective Eddie Valiant, played by the incomparable Bob Hoskins who delivers a virtuoso performance here, is hired to find proof that gag factory mogul and owner of Toontown Marvin Acme, delightfully played by Studdy Kaye is playing pattycake with the super sexy toon Jessica Rabbit, the wife of Maroon Cartoon superstar Roger Rabbit, when Acme is found murdered all fingers point to Roger and the evil Judge Doom, played by Christopher Lloyd in a deliciously sinister performance is on a mission to bring in Roger so he can personally executed him, now Roger with the help of Valiant must clear his name of this murder accusation before the Judge Doom can fine him. This film is a technical miracle with a incredible blend of live-action and animation that is seamlessly mixed, great cameos by many famous cartoon stars such as Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, Bugs Bunny, Dumbo, Porky Pig, Donald Duck, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, etc. There is a Terrific snappy performance by Joanna Cassidy as Dolores, Valiant's loyal girlfriend, the vocal performances are nothing short of miraculous; Charles Fleischer is perfect as the zany Roger, Kathleen Turner makes Jessica into one of the most sensual animated characters ever created with her sexy sultry voice, and Amy Irving beautifully does Jessica's singing voice for the show-stopping song "Why don't you do right.". A breathtaking experience and a wondrous film deserving the term "classic!" Winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects, Best Visual Effects and a Special Achievement in Animation in Direction. Highly Recommended.

A mega-blockbuster sequel that is significantly better than the original film in terms of pure kinetic action and thrills, Robert Downey Jr. returns as the seductive, cocky billionaire playboy Industrialist Tony Stark who is now enjoying his new found fame after announcing to the world at the end of the first film that he is Iron Man, his heroic antics has turned him into a media darling and he has become a global troubleshooter that has captured the attention of the United States government who wants to copy and weaponize the Iron Man armored suit, he also has made some true new enemies, one of them being a brilliant but psychotic Russian scientist named Ivan Vanko who has his own personal reason for bringing Stark down, he is played by Mickey Rourke in a compelling performance he gives the movie a terrific jolt of power that elevates it every time he appears on the screen, there is a spectacular fight between the vengeful Russian and Stark when he shows up with his new invention his own version of the chest "arc" reactor that powers a pair of deadly lightning whips at the Manaco Grand Prix raceway where Stark is racing, he cuts Stark's speeding car in half with one lash of his whips, the other foe is a weapons manufacturer named Justin Hammer, played by Sam Rockwell in wonderfully sleaze performance who hires Vanko to create a mechanize army of solder droids to vanquish Iron Man. Lots of amazing technical wizardry and stupendous visual effects by George Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic but the film's biggest asset is Robert Downey Jr.'s irrepressible charm and the gravity his performance brings to the proceedings, the rest of cast all give exceptional performances Gwyneth Paltrow is superb as Stark's loyal assistant Pepper Potts his more than efficient love match, they have real chemistry together, the smoking hot Scarlett Johansson is terrific as the mysterious Nastaha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow, Don Cheadle is good as Stark's pal Lt. Col. Jim Rhodes who is the new superhero War Machine and Samuel L. Jackson appears in a nice extended cameo as Nick Fury, this film also shows Stark's deeper involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D., the super-secret organization that will set-up the upcoming "The Avengers" film, the movie is visually ravishing thanks to Matthew Libatique's impeccable cinematography, director John Favreau has given us an exhilarating and highly satisfying sequel. Highly Recommended.

Sidney Lumet brilliantly directs Paddy Chayefsky's searing, perceptive and prophetic satire about a fourth rate television network UBS; and its news anchorman Howard Beale who's has gone insane, superbly played by the late Peter Finch who became the first actor ever to win posthumous Oscar for his mesmerizing performance and the avaricious UBS network bastards who capitalize on his madness, along with a heartless, ambitious programing executive named Diana Christensen, played brilliantly by Faye Dunaway in her Oscar winning performance who cares only about ratings, she builds a entire show around the maniacal newscaster as the "Mad Prophet of the Airwaves" who wants all us to become "Mad as Hell!," Beal's show becomes the number one show on television. Chayefsky won a Oscar for his stellar screenplay, the entire cast is amazing particularly William Holden in wonderfully dramatic Oscar nominated performance as Max Schumacher, the head of the news department and Beale's concerned best friend, it is one the finest performances of his career. Superior supporting performances by Robert Duvall as Frank Hackett the network hatchet man, Ned Beatty as Arthur Jensen the evangelistical chairman of the board and Beatrice Straight in a moving Oscar winning turn as Holden's embittered wife Louise Schumacher. Innovative cinematography by Owen Roizman, with razor-sharp editing by Alan Heim. This film is more relevant today than when it was originally released, it predicted today's rash of trash television, shock-laden news broadcast and low-brow reality shows.
A frighteningly funny American cultural landmark classic. Winner of 4 Academy Awards including Best Actor: Peter Finch, Best Actress: Faye Dunaway, Best Supporting Actress: Beatrice Straight, Best Screenplay: Paddy Chayefsky. "Network" is number 64, on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest films ever made. Highly Recommended.

Lorranine Hansberry's moving Broadway play is expertly brought to the sliver screen by director Daniel Petire, it concerns the Youngers, a Negro family attempting to break away from their small crowded ghetto apartment in Chicago, due to a $10,000 life insurance check from their late father. Walter Lee played superbly by Sidney Poitier in a truly impressive performance wants to invest the money in a liquor store with some of his partner friends. Lena his widowed mother, played brilliantly with authority and compassion by Claudia McNeil want to buy a house, and give the rest of the money to her daughter Beneatha, played wonderfully by Diana Sands so she could complete her medical school, Lena totally refuses to put any of the money in Walter Lee's liquor store dream. Walter Lee is left agonizing over his mother's decision, and is shocked to fine out that his wife, played by Rudy Dee in a wonderfully radiant and heartfelt performance is expecting a new child, Walter Lee takes the money and is ripped off by one of his partners, leave him with nothing, which now threatens to tear his family apart. It is practically a photographed play, adhering closely to the original, the dialogue is pungent and direct, thanks to Hansberry's outstanding screenplay from her own play. Their are superlative supporting performances by Ivan Dixon, Louis Gossett Jr, Stephen Perry, John Fiedler, Joel Fluellen. Roy E. Glenn Sr. and Ray Studds. A richly detailed slice of life, and a rewarding cinematic experience. Highly Recommended.

One of Woody Allen's finest and funniest films concerning neurotic New Yorkers, beginning with Woody Allen in top form as Mickey, a hypochondriac TV producer who thinks he is on the verge of dying, which changes his life forever, his ex-wife Hannah, played superbly by Mia Farrow who is currently married to guilt-ridden cad and successful accountant named Elliott, played magnificently by Sir Michael Caine in a priceless Oscar winner performance, he has never been so vulnerable and endearing on the screen, Elliott has fallen madly in love was Hannah's sister Lee, played with a tender subtle by Barbara Hershey in one of the best performances of career, she lives with a cynical, condescending hermit, artist named Frederick, played brilliantly by the legendary Max von Sydow, then there is the proverbial black sleep of the family Holly, the cocaine-addicted sister that is a complete failure in almost everything she tries, she is played by Dianne Wiest in a superlative Oscar winning performance, that is full of spunk and sympathy. As Hannah's parents Maureen O'Sulllivan, Mia Farrow's real-life mom delivers a fabulous scene stealing performance as her floozy mother, and the late Lloyd Nolan is very memorable as the father, in his last screen appearance. A majestic supporting cast all deliver fabulous performances they include Daniel Stern, Sam Waterson, Richard Jenkins, Paul Bates, Julie Kavner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bobby Short, John Turturro, Tony Roberts, and Joanna Gleason. Woody Allen's masterful direction and glorious Oscar winning screenplay, captures all the drama and brimming laughter in this unequivocal classic film. Winner of 3 Academy Awards, Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Best Supporting Actor: Michael Caine, Best Supporting Actress" Dianne Wiest. Highly Recommended.

Burt Reynolds stars and superbly directs this atmospheric, volatile cop thriller which is one of most engrossing and stylish of the early 80s, concerning a Atlanta cop named Sharky, played with a solid conviction by Burt Reynolds who is at his charismatic best here, his gung-ho tactics on a narcotics case gets a civilian shot which gets him demoted to the Vice Squad, there he forms a colorful crew into a machine aimed at bringing down a powerful cimelord named Victor D'Anton, played with a silky elegance by the late Vittorio Gassman who has his hooks into a gubernatorial candidate named Hotchkins, nicely played by Earl Holliman, the beautiful and super sexy Rachel Ward wonderfully plays Dominoe, a $1000 a night hooker who has enough dirt on both the crimelord Victor and his puppet Hotckins to put them away for good which has put her life in danger, Sharky is staking out her penthouse apartment with his crew, he is protecting her but also slowly falling for her. The superlative supporting cast all deliver outstanding characterizations they include Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Bernie Casey, Darryl Hickman, Richard Libertini, John Fiedler and Val Avery, special kudos must be given to Henry Silva for his truly creepy performance as Victor's psychotic, drug-addicted hit-man brother. Astute direction by Reynolds with dazzling cinematography by the late William A. Fraker, there is a great amount humor along with some brutal and superbly-staged action sequences including shoot-outs, an all out fight with a pair of ninja assassins on a houseboat and a hair-raising torture scene, the film also features a superb urban jazz soundtrack that includes songs and music by Sarah Vaughan, The Crusaders, Doc Severinson, Chet Baker, The Manhattan Transfer and Julie London. A gritty and riveting rollercoaster crime drama. . Highly Recommended.

A spellbinding cinematic masterpiece with outstanding performances, the strange tale of George and Martha, played by Richard Burton in a magnificent Oscar nominated turn as the middle-aged emotionally spent spouse, and Elizabeth Taylor in her towering Oscar winning performance as the foul-mouthed, vitriolic, denigrating, yet seductive wife, they are two sadomasochists who use words as weapons, aiming their alcoholic viciousness at themselves and their house-guests for the evening, a young professor played superbly by George Segal in a excellent Oscar nominated performance, and his nervous mousy wife wonderfully played by Sandy Dennis in a moving Oscar winning turn. they are all indulging in an all-night orgy of booze and sexual innuendos, the unsuspecting guests gradually undergo a transformation and eventual loss of innocence in this profoundly dark, moody, and occasionally shocking film, brilliant direction by Mike Nichols in his directorial debut, with extraordinary Oscar winning black & white cinematography by Haskell Wexler, the exceptional Art Direction and Costume Design also won Oscars, there is a beautifully haunting score by Alex North. A unforgettable landmark film that broke many Hollywood taboos for adult material. Nominated for 13 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Director. Highly Recommended.

The greatest underwater epic ever filmed that is unique and totally original, written and meticulously directed by James Cameron. Towards the end of the Cold War the U.S.S. Montana a American nuclear submarine mysteriously crashes against a undersea canyon and goes down in 2,000 feet of water, a Navy SEAL team expedition is dispatched to unearth the sunken nuclear submarine with the help of "Deep Core," a deep-sea underwater drilling oil platform rig run by Ed Harris, during their rescue mission they discover that they are not alone and that a unearthly presence that lays deep beneath them and is starting to rise. Cameron creates tension and plenty of suspense with his incredible action sequences and his claustrophobic underwater sets that make it all seem so astonishingly real that it will take your breath away, Mikael Salomon's cinematography is truly stunning, there are strong characterizations and intensely emotional acting from the entire cast who are all terrific, Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are the true standouts and they deliver brilliant performances and are absolutely electric together, another high-point performance is by character actor Michael Biehn, as the slowly-going-insane leader of the SEAL team who is suffering from pressure-induced psychosis, he gives one of the most realistic portrayal of a delusional man ever committed to the screen. A superlative score by Alan Silvestri and dazzling Oscar-winning visual effects that are truly mesmerizing, like a lot of Cameron's hits this film was also an innovator in visual effects, particularly with the water-tentacle sequence which was the first modern-day computer-generated digital matte sequence. "The Abyss" is spectacular one-of-a-kind cinemaitic entertainment by one of the great visionary directors of our time. Highly Recommended.

One of the finest prison films ever made that is a gripping true story, and a inspirational and compelling classic, starring Burt Lancaster in a powerful Oscar nominated performance, which is one of the greatest acting accomplishments of his distinguished career, as convict Robert Stroud who during his lifetime of solitary confinement becomes a world-renowned bird authority while serving time for murder. It all began when he finds a feeble sparrow in the isolation yard and brings his newfound companion to his cell and nurses it back to heath. Despite having only a third grade education and no hope for parole, Stroud achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind prison walls by becoming a master ornithologist. Superior adult drama with brilliant direction by John Frankenheimer and extraordinary supporting performances by Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter, Neville Brand, Betty Field and Telly Savalas. Exquisite black & white cinematography by Burnett Guffey and a excellent score by Elmer Bernstein. A rewarding cinematic experience that earned four Academy Awards nominations: Best Actor: Burt Lancaster, Best Supporting Actor: Telly Savalas, Best Supporting Actress: Thelma Ritter, Best Supporting Actress: Betty Field. Highly Recommended.

A fascinating, emotionally powerful crime drama brilliantly directed by Sidney Lumet, scripted by Jay Presson Allen & Sidney Lumet based on a true story and starring Treat Williams in the performance of his career as undercover narcotics cop Daniel Ciello who decides to reveal the corruption within his unit, this taut excellently crafted film constitutes a social drama about the law, the lawless and the raging forces at work in New York City. "Prince" is a complex detailed look at the process by which one man who starts out to redeem himself by reveling some truths, the moral dilemma that Ciello faces as a informant, who fines himself more a victim than a hero as he is drawn step-by-step into giving information about his police partners that would ultimately destroy them. Stupendous character portrayers by a game cast that includes Richard Foronyy, Don Billett, Kenny Marino, Carmine Caridi, Tony Page,Bob Balaban, James Tolkan, and Lindsay with the late Jerry Orbach a standout as Gus Levy a tough no-nonsense detective who was Ciello best friend before he turned into a informant. Painstakingly detailed, with excellent use of New York locations, beautifully photographed by Andrzej Bartkowiak with superb editing by Jack Fitzstephens. A complex, and engrossing motion picture by an American master filmmaker Lumet. Winner of the New York Film Circle Award, Best Director: Sidney Lumet. Golden Globe Awards nominations, Best Picture, Best Director: Sidney Lumet, Best Actor: Treat Williams. Academy Awards nomination: Best Adapted Screenplay: Jay Presson Allen and Sidney Lumet. Highly Recommended.

An atmospheric thriller masterfully directed by Peter Weir, it concerns a recently widowed Amish mother named Rachel, excellently played by Kelly McGillis and her young angelic son Samuel, wonderfully played by Lukas Haas in his impressive film debut, on a trip to the big city they wait for a connecting train to Baltimore at the Philadelphia central station, Samuel witnesses the brutal murder of a undercover narcotics police officer in the men's room of the train station, enter Harrison Ford in a sensational Oscar nominated performance as the hard-boiled detective John Book who has been asigned to investigate the killing he becomes involved with both the case and the boy's mother, but when Book gets wounded in a shootout with one of the crooked cops McFee, chillingly played by Danny Glover who murdered the undercover narcotics police officer, he then realizes that he cannot trust his police department superior Paul Schaeffer, superbly played by character actor Josef Sommer, he whisks Samuel and Rachel away and takes them back to their Amish community in Pennsylvania where he hides out in the child's home for a time, but the crooked cops are hot on his trail and are determined to silence both Book and young Samuel leading to a gripping and suspenseful climactic showdown. Impeccable supporting performances by Alexander Godunov, Brent Jennings, Patti LuPone, Timothy Carhart, Richard Chaves, and Viggo Mortensen in his film debut. Special kudos must be given to the late Jan Rubes for his terrific and endearing performance as Samuel's beloved grandfather Eli Lapp. A brilliant literate, balanced script that won Oscars for Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley, a haunting and absolutely stunning score by the Maurice Jarre, beautifully filmed with gorgeous cinematography by John Seale. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director: Peter Weir, Best Actor: Harrison Ford, Best Original Screenplay: Earl W. Wallace, William Kelley & Pamela Wallace, Best Art Direction: Stan Jolley, John H, Anderson, Best Original Score: Maurice Jarre, Best Cinematography: John Seale. One of the most perceptive motion pictures dealing with the nature of violence in years. Highly Recommended.

A brilliant stylish action-thriller by french director Luc Besson in his U.S. debut, about a 12 year-old girl named Mathida, played by young Natalie Portman in her amazing film debut she delivers a beautiful and mature performance and manages to transform from a frightened child to a capable young woman out to avenge the brutal murders of her entire family by a group of crooked cops led by a sadistic, psychotic, drug-addicted DEA agent named Stansfield, gloriously played by Gary Oldman in grand flamboyant performance, Mathida is rescued by her mysterious, emotionless, childlike neighbor Leon, played superbly by Jean Reno in a truly compelling performance who is a "cleaner,' a super deadly professional assassin who becomes her reluctant savior and guardian, Leon and Mathilda develop a special deep friendship and for the first time in his lonely life, Leon discovers what it is like to have someone you care about more than his own life. Mathilda wants Leon to teach her his lethal skills of the trade and help her track down Stansfield and his murderous crew, but Stansfield is already trying to track Mathida down to kill her because she is the only living witness to her families massacre. The film become a suspenseful and deadly game of cat and mouse leading to a exciting, pulse-pounding climatic finale that will have you on the edge-of-your-seat, expertly directed by Luc Besson with dazzling cinematography by Thierry Arbogast and clever editing by Sylvie Landra, Eric Serra original score is exquisite. Highly Recommended.

Legendary director Cecil B. DeMille's sweeping classic spectacle which is a unforgettable Hollywood biblical epic. It concerns the life of Moses from his birth to his abandonment through his being found in the Nile river in a water ark by the Egyptian Princess Bithiah the sister to the Pharaoh Sethi and through Moses's manhood as the Prince of Egypt, his slavery and his tremendous trails in leading the Hebrews out of bondage and from Egypt. Vivid storytelling with a mixture of spectacular pageantry and drama, bolstered by an exceptional all-star cast beginning with Charlton Heston's dynamic lead performance as Moses with his powerful presence and his rich commanding voice, Yul Brynner is perfection as the arrogant and hateful Rameses, Anne Baxter is terrific as the sexy and scheming Nefertiri, Edward G. Robinson is superb as the nefarious Hebrew overseer Dathan, John Derek delivers a robust performance as the heroic Joshua, the stone cutter. Vincent Price is wonderfully evil as sadistic, whip wielding Baka, the master building and Sir Cedric Hardwicke in brilliant and endearing turn as the Pharaoh Sethi. Magnificent production design and art direction by Aibert Nozaki, Hal Pereir and Walter Tyler, opulent sets with ravishing cinematography by Loyal Griggs and fabulous costume designs by Edith Head & Arnold Frberg and Elmer Bernstein's majestic score. Groundbreaking Oscar winning visual effects by John P. Fulton that are still effective today, including the memorable parting of the Red Sea, to get this effect, shots of the actual Red Sea were matched with shots of dump tanks pouring huge amounts of water into a Paramount tank set, when the footage was reversed the water seemed to part, the careful blending of these two shots produced the desired effect. The combined footage took 18 months to film, at a cost of a million dollars, this would be the great DeMille's most ambitious and successful film of his amazing career at a cost of $13,500,000 with location shots in the Middle East and the Sanai Peninsula with 25,000 extras for the stunning scenes of the exodus and at the age of 75, it would be his last motion picture but what a finale, it earned 7 Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture. Highly Recommended.

A remarkable movie biography of the 18th century musical genius Wolf Amadeus Mozart. A lavishly mounted and visually stunning screen version of the award winning Broadway hit, about the musical prodigy Mozart was expanded and restructured by playwright Peter Sahaffer and the film's director Milos Forman. It concerns the envious court composer Antonio Salieri, who so appreciated Mozart's genius that it made him insanely jealous of the younger rival compomser's extraordinary talents, the script gives us a thought-provoking premise could Salieri 's mad jealously somehow have led to Mozart's mysterious death at the age of 35? Marvelously directed by Milos Forman with magnificent performances from a hand-picked cast especially from F. Murray Abraham in his powerful, virtuoso Oscar winning turn as the aging, guilt-ridden Salieri and Tom Hulce's wonderfully controlled artful Oscar nominated performance as the gifted but childish and totally undisciplined Mozart, there is also great supporting turns from Jeffery Jones as Emperor Joseph II, Elizabeth Berridge as Constance, Mozart's wife, and Roy Dotrice as Leopold Mozart's father. Among the film's glories are the many passages of Mozart's immortal sublime music and the intensely elegant cinematography by Miroslav Ondricek, beautifully filmed on location in Czechoslovakia. "Amadeus" is a wonder to behold for both the eyes and the ears. Winner of 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director: Milos Forman, Best Actor: F. Murray Abraham, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium: Peter Shaffer. Highly Recommended.

A devastating, searing true life war story focusing on the war reporting of New York Times correspondent Sydney Schanberg, played by Sam Waterston in a superlative Oscar nominated performance, he won a Pulizer Prize for his coverage of the civil war in Cambodia before its capital, Phnom Phenh, fell to the Khmer Rouge in 1975. Stunningly photographed on location in Thailand, directed with great skill and intelligence by Roland Joffe, with powerful Oscar winning cinematography by Christopher Menges, who captures the full horror of this Asian holocaust, in which about three million Cambodians perished, in a inhuman campaign of ethnic cleansing by the tyrant Pol Pot. Lacerating scenes include those involving Schanberg's desperate attempts to free his friend and Cambodian assistant, Dith Pran, played by the late Dr. Haing S. Nigor, who in real life was a survivor of this human tragedy, he delivers a heartfelt and unforgettable Oscar winning performance, he is left behind in the chaos, and must survive the living nightmare of the Khmer Rouge's "re-education camp.' a contemporary version of hell on earth. The film also features exceptional supporting performances by John Malkovich, Julian Sands, Craig T. Nelson, Athol Fugard, Spalding Gary and Bill Paterson. A poignant and intensely moving film, which is one of the most powerful haunting motion pictures ever made on the subject of the Vietnam War. Winner of 3 Academy Awards, Best Supporting Actor: Dr. Haing S. Ngor, Best Cinematography: Christopher Menges, Best Film Editing: Jim Clark. Note: On Feburuary 25, 1996 Dr. Haing S. Nor was found murdered in the garage of his apartment building, shot to death at the age of 55, in Los Angeles, it is very sad and ironic that a man who endured and survived 4 years of imprisonment, torture and starvation during the Khmer Rogue atrocities in his homeland, and struggled to be free, should die so brutally. His relatives and friends believe that his killing was revenge for his opposition of the Khmer Rogue. Highly Recommend.

An engaging, very funny black comedy gem from the mid 70s, expertly directed by the late Peter Yates. It concerns a privately owned ambulance company called the F&B ambulance company, and there intense competition with their rival the Unity ambulance company for a contract with City of Los Angeles. Bill Cosby steals the film outright with his hilarious performance as "Mother", the streetwise seen-it-all EMT, who is forced to partner up with a shady suspended cop nick-named "Speed", nicely played by Harvey Keitel, and the smoking hot "Jugs," the radio dispatcher who has high aspirations of becoming the first women driver and EMT, played wonderfully by the super sexy and sultry Raquel Welch, special kudos must go to the superb character actor Allen Garfield for his memorable comic performance, as Harry Fishbine the neurotic and money-hungry owner of the F & B ambulance company, and the excellent Larry Hagman, as Murdoch a sleazy, oversexed ambulance driver. The supporting all deliver marvelous performances they included L.Q. Jones, Bruce Davidson, Dick Butkus, Miilt Kamen, Barra Grant, Allan Warnick, and Valerie Curtin. Great music soundtrack with many songs from the period, A cool, raunchy film that is an intelligent mix of slapstick and drama. Highly Recommended.

Director Todd Phillips's "The Hangover" is one of the most outrageous and inspired successful comedies in years, if your looking for out of control laughter this is your movie! When two best friends and the brother of the fiancee take a stag road trip to Las Vegas for a big blow-out bachelor party, all is well until they wake up next morning after a night of wild revelry in their incredible suite at Ceasars Palace, to find the groom missing, a tiger in the bathroom, a crying baby in the closet and one of the them missing a tooth. With no memory of the previous night's events they must retrace their steps to locate the missing groom. The screenplay by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore is hilarious unpredictable and full of surprises, the four main characters played by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helm, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifanakis have great chemistry together and give masterful comic performances. I absolutely loved this movie which is a first-rate entertainment that guarantees laughs. (Golden Globe winner for Best Comedy) Highly Recommended.

A total laugh riot that is relentlessly funny with inspired and masterful comic performances by Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, this time the 'Wolfpack' Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug jet off to Thailand for Stu's wedding, they want sometime to themselves before the wedding so they bring along Stu's sixteen-year-old future brother-in-law, Teddy, nicely played by Mason Lee. Stu promises only one beer with the guys then they are to call it a night, but it happens again, the boys wake up in a strange room in a seedy hotel with no recollection of the debauchery that occurred the night before, only this time Stu fines that he has a tattoo on his face like Mike Tyson, and discovers that his teenaged brother-in-law is missing and that there's a drug-dealing monkey in the room, then there is the welcome return of their effete nemesis from the original film Mr. Chow, he is played brilliantly again by Ken Jeong who is absolutely hilarious and delivers a comic performance of such pure genius that he steals the entire film hands down, the strange man-child like Alan, played by Zack Galifianakis and the nerdy Stu, played by Ed Helms have scenes of serious madcap hilarity. Bradley Cooper, as Phil turns in a appealing and charismatic performance trying to keep it all together, and fine the missing teen, the new film's seedy Bangkok locales have some down and dirty funny scenes in a whorehouse club, that will shock the hell out of you, but the jokes actually improve as the picture moves on to its side-splitting climax. I really loved this film, and i can't remember the last time that i laugh so hard, so don't listen to the naysayers, and don't try to analyze this film to much, just go with it, and enjoy the ride. Note: "The Hangover, Part II" has already broken a record for the all-time highest grossing opening for a comedy, it also just got the green light for another sequel and final film, Part lll. Highly Recommended.

John Carpenter's finest achievement as a director and without a doubt his most intelligent and beguiling film, a science-fiction odyssey about an alien who's space vessel has been shot down by Air Force jets after entering earth's atmosphere and the space vessel crash lands in the Wisconsin forest, the Starman, played wonderfully by Jeff Bridges who delivers a mesmerizing Oscar nominated performance arrives at the remote cabin of a distraught young widow named Jenny Hayden, who is still grieving over the recent death of her husband Scott Hayden, she is beautifully played by Karen Allen, the Starman finds a photo album and samples DNA from a lock of hair from Jenny's dead husband; he then clones the physical form of the deceased Scott Hayden, Jenny responds at first with shock and fear at the slight of her husband, the Starman forces Jenny on interstate road trip to Arizona to be picked up by his mothership in three days or he'll die, along the trip Jenny's fear turns to sympathy and finally love and the Starman learns what it means to be a man in love for he has developed a deep passon for Jenny Hayden. But they must watch out for the government agents and the military who are hot on their trail and consider the Starman a dangerous alien threat! The chemistry between Bridges and Allen rings true and is extremely moving. Solid supporting performances by Charles Martin Smith and the late Richard Jaeckel, but it is Jeff Bridges's brilliant and sublime performance that makes this film a must-see, there is a marvelous synthesizer score by Jack Nitzche. A witty, resonant heartwarming fantasy. Highly Recommended. Academy Awards nomination for Best Actor: Jeff Bridges and Golden Globe Awards nominations for Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Best Original Score-Motion Picture: Jack Nitzsche.

A magnificent murder-romance thriller with exceptional characterizations, Andrew Davis brilliantly directs this contemporary spin on Alfred Hitchcock's "Dail M for Murder". Michael Douglas delivers one of his finest performances as a cut-throat millionaire financier and control freak Steven Taylor, who discovers that his most precious asset his wife Emily, played beautifully by Gwyneth Paltrow has been having a affair with a struggling young artist David Shaw, Viggo Mortensen in a superb turn. Revenge takes on my twists in this impeccably filmed thriller, when Douglas begins to set-up the perfect murder, by hiring his wife's lover to kill her, in order for him to inherit her multi-million dollar trust fund. Outstanding supporting performances by David Suchet, Sarita Choudhury, Constance Towers, Michael P. Moran, and Novella Nelson. But the film is dominated by Douglas who is absolutely perfect, stone-cold and menacing in this role, he manages to be ruthlessy evil and emote boyish charm with his well-known pout. Filmed on location in New York City, the production values are lavish and well-crafted. James Newton Howard moody score is excellent, as is Dariugz Wolski's striking cinematography. Exciting and suspenseful, a must-see. Highly Recommended.

A literate, gripping and handsomely mounted supernatural horror thriller that is brilliantly directed by Richard Donner, it became a surprise box office hit during its release back in 1976 and went on to become a classic horror film. It concerns Robert Thorn a wealthy American Ambassador to Great Britain, he is played by the late great Gregory Peck who delivers a superlative performance of great dignity, Thorn has arranges for an orphan infant boy to be substituted for his own stillborn son without telling his wife Cathy about it, she is played by the beautiful and magnetic Lee Remick who gives a superb performance as his tragic wife, all seems well for some five years but during their son Damien's outdoor birthday party, his nanny commits suicide by hanging herself in front of Damien and all of the shocked guests, she stands on the edge of the roof of the Thorn's mansion and shouts out to him, Look at me, Damien, its all for you! then she jumps to her death breaking her neck instantly and shattering a window of the mansion with her dead body. A new replacement nanny has been sent to the Thorns, a Mrs, Baylock who is in reality a protector sent by Satan to look after Damien, she is played superbly by Billie Whitelaw in a genuinely scary performance. Robert Thorn gets some ominous warnings from a priest from Rome who saids that he witness the birth of Damien and that he his not what he seems to be, a photographer well played by the veteran British character actor David Warner becomes involved in this building dark mystery, inexplicable deaths begin occurring all around them and finally a mysterious archaeologist named Bugenhagen, played nicely by Leo McKern confirms what Thorn already suspects that his beloved son is the spawn of Satan, the Antichrist. The film is immensely aided by Jerry Goldsmith haunting Oscar winning original score, featuring the unforgettable title song "Ave Satani," which is a chilling 10th century black mass. A suspenseful and compelling screenplay by David Seltzer, Gilbert Taylor's colorful cinematography is outstanding. A frighting and well crafted horror gem. Highly Recommended.

A brooding, thought-provoking dark western by star/director Clint Eastwood, It begins with a scorched plateau then suddenly a shadow of a man on horseback emerges out of the wary distant heat vapors galloping towards the lakefront town of Largo, the mysterious stranger slowly rides through town with a hardened look on his face and unknown intentions, the townspeople are cowering weaklings who look upon the nameless stranger with fear especially after he has killed three hired gunmen single-handedly, when they foolishly try to pick a fight with him, Clint Eastwood delivers a compelling and memorable performance as the stranger who the townspeople have now hired to protect them from three revenge-seeking criminals who get out of prison in a few days and are responsible for the murder of the town's sheriff who they bull whipped to death in front of all the townspeople, various indications throughout this film suggest that the unstoppable stranger is some sort of reincarnation of the murdered sheriff an embodiment of pure deadly retribution. Astute direction by Clint Eastwood and superb supporting performances by Verna Bloom, Marianna Hill, Mitchell Ryan, Jack Ging, Geoffrey Lewis, and Anthony James. Special kudos must go to Billy Curtis for his solid turn as Mordecai the town midget, the film is also accented by a haunting score by Dee Barton and excellent cinematography by Bruce Surtees. An exceptionally entertaning motion picture and one of Clint Eastwood's finest early directorial achievements. Highly Recommended.

A striking adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel "I Am Legend," that has become a sci-fi cult classic. Charlton Heston in a superlative performance plays Colonel Robert Neville, a government researcher who has survived the the ultimate biological weapon, which has released a deadly plague that ravaged humanity due to a apocalyptic war between China and Russia that has infected the entire world, he alone has survived because of an experimental vaccine that he injected himself with when his helicopter crash landed, the other survivors are plague victims that have mutated into nocturnal, light-hating, pale skinned, white-eyed psychopaths, who are led by the sinister Matthias, played superbly by veteran character actor Anthony Zerbe, who delivers a compelling performance as the charismatic infected leader of the murderous mutant hordes who called themselves "The Family." Matthias is hell-bent on destroying Neville who is the last remnant of the old civilization that produced the plague, and caused the punishment that befall mankind. Neville rides around the sunlit city streets that was once Los Angeles in his convertible car foraging for supplies, but he must make sure he returns to his fortified townhouse before sundown, for that is when Matthias and his mutations wake-up and hunt for him. Neville by chance discovers that he is not alone, in a department store he meets a feisty young Afro-wearing, gun-toting black woman named Lisa, nicely played by Rosalind Cash, she is member of a band of rural uninfected survivors that includes some heathy young children and her friend and co-guardian of the kids Dutch, well played by Paul Koslo, who have avoided Matthias and his "Family," together with Lisa, Dutch, the children and Neville hope to escape to the mountains and fine a cure, but Matthias will never give up his quest to kill Neville. Some excellent action scenes, superb cinematography by Russell Metty and a good moody score by Ron Grainer, it is very amusing to look at the dated costumes, decor, vehicles, 8- track tape players and slang speech of that time period, which makes this gem of a movie all the more enjoyable. "The Omega Man" remains an entertaining, thought-provoking pure piece of 70s pop culture. Highly Recommended.

A colossal star-studded lavishly mounted spectacle directed with great skill by Stanley Kubrick. It concerns the slave revolt against the Romans led by the rebellious Thracian slave named Spartacus, played by Kirk Douglas in brilliant that is one the finest performances of his distinguished career, he brings a no-holds-barred intensity and genuine emotional depth to the role, a magnificent supporting cast all deliver exceptional performances they include Sir Laurence Olivier in superlative performance as the tyrannical Roman General Crassus, Charles Laughton is terrific in a sly performance as Roman Senator Gracchus, Peter Ustinov is priceless in his scene-stealing Academy Award winning role of obsequious, cowardly slave-trader Batiatus, the beautiful Jean Simmons delivers a radiant performance as the slave girl Varinia, who becomes the love of Spartacus' life and a young Tony Curtis in a wonderfully dynamic performance as the sensitive runaway slave Antoninus. Stanley Kubrick handles this mammoth story without losing sight of the personal drama involved, a brilliant literate script by Dalton Trumbo. The film has some exciting graphic and visceral fight scenes set in the gladiatorial school's area that includes the memorable fight to the death between Kirk Douglas' Spartacus and a towering, powerful black slave named Draba, played excellently by Woody Strode and in the stunning climactic and bloody battle between slaves and the Roman legions, with some 10,000 extras filling the screen giving the scene a breathtaking grandeur. Spectacular Oscar winning cinematography by Russell Metty and Oscar winning art direction and costume design, a truly phenomenal score by Alex North. "Spartacus" is an unforgettable triumph for Kubrick and a landmark classic of cinematic artistry. Highly Recommended.

Walt Disney's classic epic version of Jules Verne's nautical tale with Kirk Douglas in a impressive and charismatic performance as the robust harpooner Ned Land, who along with two other shipwrecked survivors, a scientist Professor Aronnax and his apprentice Conseli, played beautifully by Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre are taken captive by the mysterious Captain Nemo, brilliantly portrayed by James Mason and are plunged into a series of incredible events aboard Nemo's cosmic-powered submarine the Nautilus, a technological self-sustaining wonder that gives Nemo compete mastery of the seven seas circa 1868. Wavering between genius and madness, Nemo has launched a deadly crusade across the oceans of the world to destroy all ships of war. The film is superbly directed by Richard Fleischer it was Disney's first live-action film and the most expensive film ever produced at the time. It has memorable action scenes, especially the battle between Nemo and his men against a monstrous giant squid. Magnificent Oscar winning visual effects by Peter Ellenshaw and Ralph Hammeras and gorgeous Oscar winning art direction by John Meehan and Emile Kuri and fabulous original score by Paul Smith, a truly breathtaking achievement in every respect. Highly Recommended. Special Note: Around the time that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was released the United States Navy launched it's first nuclear submarine, as a tribute to Julies Verne, they named the ship the "Nautilus". Walt Disney could not have gotten better publicity if it paid for it. The film went on to become a huge hit with the critics and a box office sensation. Highly Recommended.

A visually stunning and most enjoyable nostalgic film that is based on the character from the famous radio shows of the 30s & 40s, it concerns a murderous master criminal named Lamont Cranston, who controlled all the opium across Asia, he has been given a chance to redeem himself by a powerful Tibetan mystic that empowered him with an ancient mind-control technique that gave him the power of invisibility and the ability to cloud the minds of men, the reformed Cranston's penance for his own evil past and deeds would be to take this power and go out into world and fight evil, some seven years later Cranston is in New York City where he masquerades as a rich decadent playboy, but by night he transforms into the dark, mysterious crime-fighting vigilante known only as "the Shadow," he wears a big black hat and cape with a red scarf covering his elongated face up to his piercing eyes, he also carries two huge enormously lethal sliver automatic handguns. The role of Lamont Cranston and his dark alter-ego the Shadow is perfectly played by Alec Baldwin, in a low-key brilliantly understated performance, this time the Shadow must battle an evil megalomaniac Shiwan Khan, who is the last descendant of the legendary Genghis Khan, he possesses the same mind-control powers as the Shadow, he is played by John Lone in a fine turn as this new formidable arch villain who is planning on conquering the world, using his extraordinary mental powers and the aid of a atomic weapon that he is making Dr. Lane, superbly played by Sir Ian McKellen, a military researcher assemble for him, now it is up to the Shadow to stop Khan from destroying New York City and capturing the rest of the world. An exceptional supporting cast that includes Penelope Ann Miller in a alluring performance as the sexy Margo Lang the late Peter Boyle who gives a wonderful performance as Moe Shrevnitz the cabbie sidekick of the Shadow, Jonathan Winters as police chief Wainwright Barth delivers a droll performance and Tim Curry who gives a deliciously amusing turn as the sleazy Farley Claymore, solid direction by Russell Mulcahy and a fabulous original score by Jerry Goldsmith, a magnificent production design by Joseph C. Nemec III with cinematography by Stephen H. Burum that is exquisite, a entertaining fantasy that is filled with dazzling visual effects and tongue in cheek humor. Highly Recommended.

A dynamite, high-octane, old-fashioned macho action film with a sensational iconic cast of old school ass-kickers, led by the amazing Sylvester Stallone, who at age 64 still has a fearsome action-figure musculature, he is first-rate as the Barney "The Schizo" Ross the team leader of The Expendables, a highly trained team of lethal mercenaries that specializes in impossible missions, they are now gearing up to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow a brutal dictator General Gaza, chillingly played by David Zayas. Savvy direction by Stallone with outstanding cinematography by Jeffrey L. Kimball, the cast makes a believable team who keep each other alive, their chemistry works and will keep the audience captivated, Jason Statham as Stallone's cohort, Lee Christmas is superb, Jet Li is terrific with his incredible Martial Arts skill, Dolph Lundgren as Gunner Jensen is solid and imposing, Mickey Rourke is exceptional as a ex-Expendable named "Tool", there is also two memorable cameos by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, the supporting cast all deliver credible performances, they include Eric Roberts,Terry Crew, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Randy Couture. This film will not disappoint action fans it has spectacular and explosive cutting-edge action sequences, It is much more graphic and gory than most current action films but let's face if killing people is your job, it is not going to be pretty. Relentlessly exciting, it grabs by the throat and won't let go, without doubt this year's best action film. Bravo Stallone! Highly Recommended.

Director John Boorman's powerfully gripping film based on James Dickey's best selling novel; Dickey wrote the captivating and richly-layered screenplay, about four businessmen who set out on a whitewater rafting trip down a wild Georgia river, but their adventure soon becomes a nightmare of survival when they encounter two demented mountain men, chillingly played by the late Bill McKinney and Herbert Coward. Their innocent nature trip turns into a life and death struggle lace with murder. Fascinating and highly suspenseful throughout with beautiful cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond, superbly acted by the entire cast particularly Burt Reynolds in the finest dynamic performance of his career, as the strong-willed leader of the men, Jon Voight in a marvelous turn as the sensitive man who finds he wants to release his primitive instincts when his life is at sake. Ned Beatty delivers a superlative performance in his screen debut as the city slicker member of the group who is brutally raped by Bill McKinney's menacing mountain man; in the first on screen depiction of a male rape, and a solid Ronny Cox the quiet family man who is completely overwhelmed by the grueling events. John Boorman's brilliant direction has triumphantly turned Dickey's acclaimed novel into a thrilling and inspired cinematic work and a landmark American film. Nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director: John Boorman, Best Film Editing: Tom Priestley. Highly Recommended.

A landmark classic sci-fi/horror film magnificently directed by Ridley Scott, which contains one of the most original and terrifying screen monsters in the history of the cinema. The story concerns the crew of the commercial towing vehicle 'Nostromo' a gigantic 800 foot long space-tug towing a massive cargo platform that contains 20,000,000 tons of mineral ore; they were returning home to Earth but the ship's onboard computer Mother has awaken the crew from their cryo-sleep to investigate a signal of unknown origin coming from a remote and desolate planetoid named LV-426, the Nostromo sets down on the planet and three of the crew Captain Dallas, played by Tom Sherritt in a terrific low-key turn, Kane, played by John Hurt who is superb and a solid Veronica Cartwright as Lambert go out into the inhospitable surface to investigate the source of the signal, they discover a huge derelict extraterrestrial spaceship, inside they discover a giant dead alien life form sitting in a gunners chair, Kane fines a huge chamber full with thousands of leathery egg-like objects, Kane gets to close to one and a face-hugging parasite bursts out of the egg pod and attaches itself to Kane's face, they return to the ship with Kane in a coma and the parasite still on his face, over the strong objections of the warrant officer Ellen Ripley, played by a young Sigourney Weaver in her breakthrough role, she delivers a striking performance; she does not want him back in because he must first be quarantine for 24 hours; but science officer Ash ignoring Ripley completely opens the airlock and lets Kane and the others back in the ship, in the medical sick bay the parasite eventually falls off and dies Kane wakes up from his coma amazingly fine, but later during dinner Kane begins to convulse violently and a small chest busting creature bursts through his chest and scrambles away, it grows into a monstrously lethal creature that is now stalking the crew one at time. Superlative supporting performances by Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto and Harry Dean Stanton.This film tapped into our deepest fears of "something" hiding in the dark, in the unseen corridors of our mind, lurking there from our childhood. The Alien is brilliantly invisioned by Swiss artist H.R. Giger who won an Oscar for his unique Alien design; Giger's creation is a true walking horror, a 7 foot tall reptilian-like creature with a huge phallic head, and a retractable secondary mouth that has two rows of razor sharp chrome teeth. Technically spectacular with marvelous Oscar winning visual effects and a subtle and evocative score by Jerry Goldsmith that is chilling. A unforgettable and brilliant nightmare. Highly Recommended.

A Warner Brothers classic, that richly deserves a place among the pantheon of great boxing films, it tells the true-life story of James J. "Gentlemen Jim" Corbett, the colorful Irish-American boxer who became the first heavyweight champion of the world, under the new Marquis of Queensberry rules. The story follows Corbett played by Errol Flynn who delivers one of the finest and most charismatic performances of his career, as a ambitious bank clerk in San Francisco, who thru chance will fight the ex-boxing champion of England and win. That will eventually lead to a fearsome fight with the heavyweight champion of the world, the great John L. Sullivan a legendary ring king played by Ward Bond in brilliant larger-than-life performance which is one of the finest moments in his distinguished career. The film is also a fascinating look at the early days of boxing as a outlaw sport, with some exciting and realistic fight sequences, which well-staged and are highly effective. Flynn was actually an accomplished boxer and you can see it was him doing all of his stunts and no doubles, this role was Errol Flynn's favorite, he trained rigorously to master Corbett's gliding footwork, his deft jabbing and lighting left-hooking that were all Corbett trademarks. Magnificent supporting performances from Alexis Smith, Jack Carson, Alan Hale, William Frawley, Minor Watson, and John Loder. Superlative direction by Raoul Walsh and impressive production values, convincingly recreating San Francisco circa 1887. A Knockout entertainment. Highly Recommended.

The incomparable George C. Scott delivers a magnificent Oscar nominated performance in this brilliant, ferocious funny dark satire by Paddy Chayefsky who won an Oscar for his biting witty screenplay, which concerns a Metropolitan Hospital in New York City that is beset by murder, madness and mayhem, Scott plays a brilliant but cynical doctor who going though a mid-life crisis of monumental proportions, his life is a shambles, his marriage is over and his children don't speak to him anymore, his beloved teaching Hospital is falling apart, he is also on the blink of a nervous breakdown and to complicate things more Scott begins to fall in love with a patient's seductively charming daughter played superbly by Diana Rigg who saves him from himself. But there is a sinister mystery happening in the Hospital, staff members, doctors and nurses are being murdered by someone who is making it all look like accidents. Fine direction by Arthur Hiller with excellent supporting performances by Bernard Hughes, Nancy Marchand, Stephen Elliott, Donald Harron, Robert Blossom, Robert Walden, Frances Sternhagen and Richard Dysart. A memorable, provocative and immensely entertaining black comedy. Highly Recommended.

Sergio Leone's monumental western epic masterpiece is a singularly engaging work of cinematic art. The film begins with a stunning fifteen minute opening credit sequence featuring American character actors Jack Elam and Woody Strode who are superb and some unknown european actor, they play three hired gunmen waiting for the train to arrive at a desolate train depot so they can kill a mysterious harmonica playing stranger, played superbly by Charles Bronson in a intense nearly wordless performance who is after a merciless blue-eyed sadistic killer named Frank, who savagely tortured and murdered his brother, it was Frank who dispatched the three gunmen to take out Bronson unsuccessfully, for Bronson was so fast with his pistol that he killed all three of the gunmen in a blink of an eye, Frank is played brilliantly by Henry Fonda in a unforgettable performance as one of coldest and most blackhearted villains in screen history. Frank is working for a ruthless railroad magnate named Morton, well-played by Gabrielle Ferzetti who wants all the prime land owned by a young beautiful widow, played by the sexy and ravishing Claudia Cardinale who is waiting for the railroad to come through unaware she's been targeted by Frank, this murderous psychopath with no conscience has no problem annihilating a entire family, children included. Jason Robards delivers a fine performance as a half-breed named Cheyenne, a infamous bandit who is falsely accused of those terrible murders. Magnificent direction by Sergio Leone, sumptuous cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli and a fabulous score by Ennio Morricone. A glorious film that is one of the greatest westerns ever made period. Highly Recommended.

A good sci-fi action film which is very entertaining and nicely directed by by Danny Cannon which is based on the series of popular British comic books, concerning a bleak fascist-like future world in the third millennium, where the Earth has been devastated by ecological chaos and has transformed into a poisonous scorched desert, known as "The Cursed Earth," nations were all in upheaval and millions of people have crowded into a few "Mega Cities," a hellish urban environment where roving bands of street savages created violence the justice system could not control, a new order is created to rule society an all-powerful elite force that is empowered to dispense both justice and punishment they were the police, jury and executioner all in one, they were "The Judges." The most notorious law enforcer of Mega City One is Judge Dredd, engagingly played by Sylvester Stallone who is well-suited for this role and has real fun with some inspired self-mocking humor, he is a fearless, emotionless, badass that is rigidly devoted to the Law and is the most feared and respected of all the Street Judges. The villainous Rico a nemesis from Judge Dredd's past intensely played by Armand Assante in a enjoyable and superb scene-stealing performance, he chews the scenery fervently and is a delight to watch and a corrupt and power-hungry senior Judge named Griffin, played solidly by German actor Jurgen Prochnow, together they framed Judge Dredd with a murder he did not commit, Dredd is arrested and is sent to prison for life, surviving a air shuttle crash on the way to prison with another prisoner named Fergie who he arrested and judged before his arrest, he is wonderfully played by Rob Schneider who provides good comic relief as the wise-cracking reluctant sidekick, now together Dredd and Fergie must go back to the walled Mega City One and stop Rico and Griffin and clear his name. There are excellent supporting performances by Diane Lane, Joan Chen and a standout turn by the great Swiss character actor Max Von Sydow who delivers a regal performance as Chief Justice Fargo, Dredd's mentor and surrogate father. Great shoot-'em-up action sequences and luxuriant visual effects with stunning cinematography by Adrian Biddle. A enjoyable popcorn diversion, that is well worth seeing. Highly Recommended.

An 80s classic that is a well-crafted and truly uplifting film that is superbly directed byTaylor Hackford, it was a surprise box-office smash hit at the time of its release, it also established Richard Gere as a major motion picture star due to his sensational breakout performance as Zack Mayo, a selfish, hardened, rebellious loner who enters the Officers Candidate School to become a Naval Aviator, but first he most undergo thirteen torturous weeks of training at the hands of the imperious, unrelenting, tough-as-nails but sympathetic drill instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, played by Louis Gossett Jr. in a phenomenal muti-layered Oscar winning performance, it will be Foley who will be pivotal in the personal growth of Mayo, he will teach him that no man is an island and can make it alone, Mayo will learn the importance of discipline, friendship and teamwork he befriends another candidate named Sid Worley who will becomes his best friend, he is wonderfully played by David Keith. Foley warns all of his young candidates about the local girls who will do anything to catch themselves a husband who is a Naval Aviator, which is the answer to their dreams of escaping their life of drudgery at the paper mill, Mayo and Sid begin dating two of the town girls Paula and Lynette, played by Debra Winger in a luminous Oscar nominated performance and Lisa Blount who delivers a solid turn. Mayo who has had great hardship in his life as a youth with the suicide of his mother and having to be raised in the Philippines by his estranged amoral womanizing alcoholic father, played excellently by Robert Loggia is now beginning to slowly fall in love for the first in his life with Paula, while his best friend Sid struggles with a very different fate. Richard Gere and Debra Winger have a real chemistry that is electric, their scenes together are tender and genuinely moving and their steamy sex scenes are realistic and beautifully photographed. Excellent musical score by Jack Nitzsche with a knockout Oscar winning song "Up Where We Belong," sung by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warren. This film has it all romance, anguish, humor and a potent heartfelt ending that packs a real emotional wallop. Highly Recommended.

J.J. Abrams wonderfully brilliant sci-fi thriller is also a sweet-natured coming of age story, centering around a group of pre-teen friends from a small Ohio town in the summer of 1979, who witness a catastrophic freight train crash while filming a zombie movie for the upcoming Cleveland film festival at the train depot, with their DeJur electra Super 8 camera, the crash causes the escape of a monstrous extraterrestrial life form of unbelievable power, that will cause a military shut down of the entire area, and will set in motion a series of lethal attacks, mysterious disappearances, and weird occurrences that will throw the town into complete chaos. What makes this film work so well is the great storytelling and the exceptional direction by Abrams, as well as the extraordinary performances that he gets out of his young cast, beginning with Joel Courtney, as Joe Lamb who is still experiencing the grief of his mother's accidental death at her factory work place, it is a very impressive debut performance that is realistic and vulnerable, and Elle Fanning, as Alice Dainard who will become Joel's first love, she delivers a natural and heartfelt star-making turn that is truly unforgettable, Riley Griffins gives a wonderfully amusing performance as Charles, Joel's best friend and the obsessive director of the zombie film, among the adult cast Kyle Chandler is terrific as Jackson Lamb, Joel's father and the town's deputy sheriff, and Noah Emmerich as the sinister Air Force Colonel Nelec, turns in a superb performance as the ruthless head of military operations who will stop at nothing to recapture the extraterrestrial creature. Abrams's excellent screenplay captures the youthful innocence and wistfulness of the film's young protagonists, and the fear and tension of the townsfolk, Michael Giacchino's sensational score soars with excitement and emotional that builds suspense, marvelous cinematography by Larry Fong. A delightfully nostalgic entertainment that is one of the year's very best films. Note: Over the film's ending credits we finally see the kid's completed zombie movie, called "The Case," it is priceless and hilariously funny, a total gem!

A marvelously fascinating and exhilarating prequel exploring the origins of Professor X and Magneto, excellently directed by Matthew Vaughn who directed last year's delightful comic book film "Kick Ass." The film provides us with the early history of the X-Men characters and blends them with a dark time in our history during the turbulent 1960s, the Cold War and the threat of nuclear holocaust, this is when we first meet the young Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr who bonds with him over their superior mutant powers and their advantages over humankind and becomes his best friend before becoming his future archenemy Magneto, Professor Xavier promotes education and understanding for his fellow mutants, to live in peace with the humans, while Magneto's ideology is be the ruling class over humankind, for they cannot be trusted and are inferior to the mutants.The entire cast is exceptional and elevate this epic with their fabulous performances, beginning with James McAvoy as Professor Xavier, he delivers a brilliant, passionate performance which is rich in character and depth, Michael Fassbender has a commanding presence and delivers a complex and unforgettably intense turn as the human hating mutant Magneto, which is by far this film's best performance, but special kudos must go to the bright, talented young actor Nicholas Hoult as Beast, he truly delivers a compelling performance, Kevin Bacon gives a wickedly entertaining performance as a demented Nazi doctor named Sebastian Shaw, who liked to experiment on Jews during World World II, but now is especially interested in mutants for his own personal reasons, and let us not forget Jennifer Lawrence as Raven/Mystique who deserves praise for her impressive performance, January Jones as Emma Frost is also superb and sexy as hell. Spellbinding visual effects with gripping action sequences, gorgeous cinematography by John Mathleson and a exquisite score by Henry Jackman. "X-Men: First Class" is easily one finest comic book films ever made and a absolute stunner. Highly Recommended.

An evocative, intelligent sci-fi thriller based on the Dean Koontz novel, concerning a new revolutionary supercomputer called Proteus IV which is capable of intellectual grow, it thinks and has become self-aware, developed by a brilliant cybernetics genius Dr. Alex Harris, played superbly by character actor Fritz Weaver, Proteus IV is imbued with its own will to live and to procreate, Dr. Harris's young wife Susan, played by Julie Christie in a compelling and richly layered performance unknowingly will become the target of Proteus IV's plans it taps into the home terminals of Harris's high-tech residence taking control of everything in the house including the computerized security system, Susan is now a prisoner in her own home and is completely helpless, it will become a battle of wits between Susan and her remorseless computerized nemesis who is capable of extreme violence and psychological cruelty, she tries many different ways to escape but fails every time, but soon to her horror she will realize Proteus IV's true intentions and with the help of a robotic wheelchair that has one mechanical arm, it will build a hexagonal probe to impregnate Susan with its "Seed," Susan will bear a child destined to rule the world, but first Susan most under go a series of dehumanizing and tortuous physical and mental tests, Proteus IV has taken lethal steps against anybody interfering with the inception and the birth of its child, it will kill anyone! Astute direction by Donald Cammel, special kudos must go to Robert Vaughn for his chilling voice performance as Proteus IV, the late Jerry Fielding's eerily haunting score is perfect, marvelous cinematography by Bill Butler and a impressive production design by Edward C. Carfagno. An intriguing, thought-provoking film about a man-made entity trying to achieve life! Highly Recommended.

An intriguing, inventive thriller which is one of Brian DePalma's finest and most under-appreciated films. It concerns a motion picture soundman Jack Terry, played brilliantly by John Travolta in a dynamic performance of great subtly who was a former police technician and know makes his liviing creating sound effects for third-rate slashers films, one night Jack is standing on a small bridge in a Philadelphia park that overlooks a road he is recording some new ambient sounds when he hears a speeding car approaching he points his microphone at the direction of the oncoming car and hears a gunshot and then a blowout, the car skids off the roadway and crashes into a lake, Jack does not know it yet but he has inadvertently recorded the murder of a sitting governor and leading presidential hopeful, Jacks runs down and dives into the lake, where he sees a young woman banging on the glass trying to get out of the submerged car, he also sees the lifeless body of of a man, he grabs a rock and breaks in the car window rescuing the woman, later at the hospital he discovers that the dead man was the governor and meets with the young woman who's name is Sally, superbly played by Nancy Allen in a amusing performance. A young John Lithgow impressively plays the nefarious and cunning assassin who is making sure he ties off all loose ends, by discrediting Terry and killing Sally, now Terry must race against time to try to save Sally from this psychotic killer. Splendid direction by Brian DePalma with exquisite camerawork by the great cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond who's work in this film is truly remarkable, he utilizes all of DePalma's favorite trademark techniques of slow motion, crane shots, extreme close-ups and wide angle shots. A savvy piece of entertainment, that is suspenseful and well-crafted. Highly Recommended.

A stylish action-packed and spectacularly bloody horror film skillfully directed by Stephen Norrington, with a superb ultra-cool performance by Wesley Snipes who is perfectly cast as the badass relentless urban-vigilante and merciless vampire hunter named Blade, he is armed to the teeth with big automatic guns, swords, garlic and sliver filled bullets, silver-edge weapons and titanium spikes, he is part human and part vampire, he has all of their strengthen and none of their weakness and he can also walk in daylight. Blade is based on the Marvel Comics book character created by Marv Wolfman, Blade is a perfect superhuman warrior who's personal crusade is to exterminate all vampires due to his hatred for them, Blade's mother was attacked and bitten by a vampire just before she gave birth to him, he is out to avenge his dead mother and protect humankind from the evil vampire nation, Snipes brings a dark mystique to the character of Blade, he makes a fabulous entrance in the beginning of the film at a secret underground disco where he rescues a human from devoured by dozens of bloodlusting vampires, the camera pans slowly from his boots to show him wearing sun glasses and impressively deck out in a long gleaming leather trenchcoat and wearing black body armor, as he removes his sun glasses and smiles, all hell breaks loose, in a amazing fight sequence, Blade uses his incredible Martial Arts skills and his silver weaponry on all the rampaging vampires, wiping out most of them that did not run away, he uncovers a plot by a villainous megalomaniacal vampire named Decon Frost, chillingly played by Stephen Drorff who is planing to make a serious power play against the ancient vampire council and take it over, by attempting to rise the voracious blood god La Marga, in a bid for ultimate power and world domination.There is a marvelous supporting performance by Kris Kristofferson as Whistler, Blade's mentor and weapons maker, the rest of the cast all deliver solid performances it includes N'Bushe Wright, Donal Logue, Udo Kier, Arly Jover, and Traci Lords, the production design by Kirk M. Petrucceli and cinematography by Theo van de Sande are absolutely stunning. A full-tilt adrenaline pumping thriller. Highly Recommended.

An extraordinary gangster epic brilliantly directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, it concerns a blacked-hearted mobster named Tom Reagan, played by Gabriel Byre in a superlative performance of great subtlety, Tom has his own personal code of ethics known only to himself, he is the right-man to a powerful Irish Mob kingpin and political boss named Leo O' Bannon, played to the hilt by the great British actor Albert Finney in a absolutely phenomenal performance, he steals every scene he is in. Tom's secret relationship with Leo's gal pal, Verna Bernbaum played wonderfully played by Marcia Gay Harden in her screen debut will test his loyalty to Leo, he has a major falling out with Leo over Verna, he then forges a shaky alliance with Leo's chief rivals, a psychotic Italian mobster named Johnny Casper, played by Jon Polito in an impressive performance and his sadistic lieutenant Eddie Dane, played by J.E. Freeman in a solid turn who are threatening Leo's racket. Impeccable supporting performances from Danny Aiello III, Joey Ancona, Michael Badalucco, Steve Buscemi, Kevin Dearie, and Esteban Fernandez, with special kudos to John Turturro who delivers a noteworthy performance, as Verna's slimly gay brother Bernie Bernbaum. There is a tour-de-force scene of sheer filmmaking brilliance, when two Tommy gun armed assassins try to murder Leo in his own home, it is one of the finest gun battle action scenes i have ever seen, where Finney's kingpin character shows why he is still number one, it is a truly an unforgettable sequence. The period recreation is flawless, a intelligent and fascinating screenplay by Joel & Ethan Coen, there is stunning cinematography by Barry Sonnenfeld and a magnificent production design by Dennis Gassner, Carter Burwell's musical score is quite beautiful. A must-see, intense and riveting a glorious entertainment. Highly Recommended.

A hard-hitting powerful drama and richly textured film by Walter Hill in his auspicious directorial debut, a engrossing tale about a middle-aged drifter and bare-knuckle street-fighter named Chaney, who is a quite man of great integrity and few words, and an absolute master when comes to his amazing fighting skill, he is memorably played by Charles Bronson in one of the finest performances of his long career. Chaney gets caught up in the brutal illegal bare-fisted fight game of New Orleans during the Great Depression, he is out to make some quick money the only way he knows how, with his fists. Chaney approaches a slick small-time hustler named Speed, played by James Coburn who delivers a wonderfully colorful performance, and convinces him to be his manager and arrange bouts for him for a piece of the action, by knocking out his opponent in first few seconds of the first round, of his very first fight, impressed by Chaney fighting ability Speeds plans for a big money fight with the local champion, a grinning muscle bound giant nicknamed Skinhead, superbly played by character actor Robert Tessier, in a sensationally choreographed fight sequence in a steel-mesh inclosed bull pen at warehouse, Chaney wins more than a few fights, but Speed's carelessness with his money and indebtedness to a gang of cutthroats, put his very life on the line, if Chaney does not have one last fight with a monstrous fighter named Street, played by Nick Dimitri in a chilling cold-blooded performance who they have brought in special from Chicago just to take on the unbeatable Chaney.The final bone crushing climatic match between Chaney and Street is truly spectacular, it is one of the best hand-to-hand combat sequences in cinematic history, brutal and intense. There are two terrific supporting performances by Strother Martin, as opium addicted ex-medical student named Poe, and Jill Ireland as a lonely street walker named Luby Simpson. Marvelous cinematography by Phillp H. Lathrop, and a splendid score by Barry DeVorzon, a compelling and utterly winning motion picture. Highly Recommended.

A rich, emotionally engaging sci-fi blockbuster that is also a visual effects tour-de-force. It concerns Dr. Will Rodman a young San Francisco scientist, played by James Franco in a solid, charismatic performance who is attempting to develop a cure for Alzheimer's, an illness that his own father, superbly played by John Lithgow is suffering from, a female chimpanzee test subject has responded to a serum that Dr. Rodman has developed, it seems to have the power to rejuvenate the brain and has the additive effect of drastically increasing the intelligence of the subject, unfortunately the test subject runs amok and is killed, but not before giving birth to her baby chimp, Dr. Rodman secretly brings the chimp home for observation, and his father Charles who once was a literature professor names the baby ape Caesar, years later after being raised by Dr. Rodman and his girlfriend Caroline, played by the lovely Freida Pinto and his father, it becomes clear that the heightened intelligence exhibited by the mother chimp has been genetically passed onto Caesar, a violent incident has Caesar tranferferred to a primate holding center, where the trouble really begins as Caesar puts his intellect to work and plans a mass primate breakout with his fellow apes, but first he will steal Dr. Rodman's serum to share with orangutans, chimps and gorillas, Caesar begins his total rebellion against his cruel human masters, and he will forever change our world for this is the birth of "The Planet of the Apes!" The supporting performances are all top-notch they include Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Kanrin Konoval, Terry Notary, special kudos must go to the amazing Andy Serkis for his truly fantastic motion-capture performance, he brings a intensity and humanity to his portrayal of Caesar, which was originally played by the late great Roddy McDowell in the 1972 sci-fi hit "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes." There is exceptional direction by Rupert Wyatt and an splendid script by Rupert Wyatt, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, with exquisite cinematography by Andrew Lesnie, the incredible CGI visual effects by New Zealand's WETA are astounding, the body movements and facial expressions of the digital apes are so realistic, the action-set pieces and ape battle scenes are exciting and haunting, especially the epic battle sequence on the Golden Gate Bridge which is a real stunner. One of this year's very best films. Highly Recommended.

A spectacular comic-book adventure movie that features a muscular, red blooded, all-American hero, Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America, he is brilliantly played by Chris Evans who is so perfectly casted in the role, he captures the character's earnestness and humility, as well as his old-fashioned gung ho spirit and patriotism. Joe Johnson's direction is right on target, and he gives us a truly enjoyable, exciting and meticulously crafted motion picture, the story is set in 1942 where a short, skinny, asthmatic 98-pound weakling from Brooklyn, named Steve Rogers has tried to enlist to fight in "World War II, but has been rejected numerous times by the Army, unlike his best friend "Bucky" Barnes, nicely played by Sabastian Stan who has been shipped off to the battlefields in Europe. Rogers is undersized but has the heart of a lion, he hates bullies, and never back away or gives up in a fight, Rogers volunteers to participate in an super-soldier experiment run by Dr. Abraham Erkstine, superbly played by Stanley Tucci, he gets pumped up with a secret bulkification serum and "Vita" rays, resulting in a full-fledge physical transformation, Rogers emerges from a metal cocoon a muscle-bound 6'2 foot hulking man with super-human strength, Rogers has become the ultimate soldier who soon must combat a new nemesis the "Red Skull," memorably played by the great genre character actor Hugo Weaver, in a deliciously evil performance he is a former Nazi super soldier, and now the head of a world conquering organization called "Hydra. Special kudos must be given to Tommy Lee Jones's wonderfully gruff performance as Roger's cranky boss Colonel Chester Phillips. The film keeps things light and exciting with rousing action sequences and stunning visual effects, magnificent period recreation and a breathtaking production design by Rick Heinrichs, glorious cinematography by Shelly Johnson with an exquisite score by Alan Silvestri. A sparkling piece of entertainment, that is a total triumph! Highly Recommended.

A unique, rip-roaring crowd-pleaser of pure escapism with a impeccable hand-picked cast and solid direction by Jon Favreau. This hybird sci-fi--western, action-adventure truly immerses you in two worlds at once, and delivers a highly enjoyable time, the story opens in New Mexico Territory, circa 1873, where a nameless, amnesiac outlaw gunslinger, played brilliantly by a steely-eyed Daniel Craig wakes up in the desert wearing an strange-looking wrist shackle, trying to figure out who he is and why he has a open wound on his side under his rib cage, he wanders into the mining town of Absolution, he learns that his name is Jake Lonergan and he's wanted for arson, robbery and murder, and worse he also stole a pile of gold from a ruthless cattle baron named Colonel Dolarhyde, played wonderfully by Harrison Ford in a welcome return to rugged action form, Percy the dim-witted bully son of Colonel Dolarhyde played superbly by Paul Dano, tries to pick a fight with Jake, and quickly finds out the hard way that it was a big mistake to try, Jake and Percy both end up getting arrested by the town sheriff, nicely played by Keith Carradine but before they can be shipped off to a federal marshall, a group of 10-winged extraterrestrial skyships swoop down into Absolution and start blasting the town, during the attack Percy and the wife of "Doc" a saloon owner, played wonderfully by Sam Rockwell who brings real character-actor chops to the role get adducted among others by the aliens. Jake discovers that the wrist shackle is an alien-weapon, and he use it against one of the attacking skyships, knocking it out of the sky and sending it crashing to the ground, a enraged Colonel Dolarhyde joins forces with Jake, Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford make a dynamite team, and they work beautifully together they rounds up a posse to search for and rescue their kidnapped kin and other townsfolk along with Doc. The rest of the game cast all deliver intriguing performances which includes the sexy Olivia Wilde, as a mysterious young women named Ella who has a secret of her own, Adam Beach as Nat Colorado the brave and loyal Native American adopted son of Colonel Dolarhyde, and Clancy Brown as a preacher named Meacham, they all must go up against a merciless and murderous alien foe, there are several tremendous action sequences leading to an awesome climactic final battle between our horseback riding cowboys who are now joining forces with their former enemy the Apache Indians to battle the malevolent aliens. Exciting with terrific visual effects and extraordinary cinematograpy by Matthew Libatique, as well as a wonderful score by Harry Gregson-Williiam. A marvelous cinematic pleasure to experience. Highly Recommended.

A masterpiece. One of the most brilliant musical ever made and certainty the definitive version of Sally Bowles, the original character in Christopher Isherwood's 1939 book about the life in pre-World War II Berlin. The late great Bob Fosse's unique and inspired film version of the legendary Broadway musical hit, won him an Academy Award for his masterfully direction which is flawless, and Liza Minnelli playing Sally Bowles, a flamboyant American singer and dancer, who's life is fueled by drink and one night stands, delivers the performance of her career which won her a Academy Award for Best Actress for her unforgettable bravura turn, she is the catalyst that enlivens this classic motion picture by her gifts of dramatic acting, and she becomes bigger than than life when belting out songs with her glorious voice, Joel Grey won a Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his dazzling performance as the smirking androgynous Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub, he is the personification of a decadence beyond good and evil, and he steals every scene he appears in. Michael York delivers a superlative performance as Brian Roberts, a young handsome bisexual Englishman who studied at Cambridge and hopes to become a teacher he befriends Sally, and they become roommates and special friends, excellent supporting performances by Helum Griem, Marisa Berenson, Fritz Wepper, Kathryn Doby, George Hartmann and Estrongo Nachama. Bob Fosse's exquisitely choreographed musical stage numbers are fabulously kinky and bathed in eroticism and gleeful decadence. The film's handling of the political material during Hitler's rise to power is done with great style and integrity, thanks to Jay Presson Allen's splendid screenplay, there is remarkable cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth, and a wonderful and haunting score by John Kander. A thought-provoking cinematic work of pure genius. Winner of 8 Academy Awards including Best Director: Bob Fosse, Best Actress: Liza Minnelli, Best Supporting Actor: Joel Grey, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Rolf Zehetbauer, Hans Jurgen Kiebach, Herbert Strabel, Best Cinematography: Geoffrey Unsworth, Best Film Editing: David Bretherton, Best Music, Scoring Original Song Score and/or Adaptation: David Hildyard. Highly Recommended.

A thrilling, fun-filled and well-crafted period fantasy adventure film from Walt Disney Pictures, about a young test pilot from Los Angeles circa 1938, played by Bill Campbell in a terrific performance who happens upon a experimental rocket pack that was designed by Howard Hughes and stolen from his factory, because of the obvious military applications the rocket pack is being sought by agents for Nazi Germany, led by a Hollywood screen star who is really a dastardly secret Nazi spy he is played by Timothy Dalton in brilliant scene- stealing performance, fine direction by Joe Johnson and outstanding supporting performances by Alan Arkin, Jennifer Connery, Paul Sorvino, Ed Lauter, John Handy and Terry O' Quinn. Fabulous pre-CGI visual effects, a beautiful soaring score by James Horner, gorgeous set design by Christopher Burian-Mohr and stunning cinematography by Hiro Narita. A high-flying adventure that truly captures the essence of the old-fashioned cliffhangers of the 1930s. Highly Recommended.

Christopher Nolan's "Inception" is a mind-bending metaphysical spectacular with a great ensemble cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio in a beautifully calibrated performance, he brilliantly plays Dom Cobb the leader of a team of high-tech corporate espionage expert who can "steal" any secret from a target's mind by entering their dreams and extracting them. Marvelous supporting performances by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard, Pete Postlethwaite and Sir Michael Caine. The film is bursting with fantastic surreal imagery and breathtaking Oscar winning visual effects that will have your eyes glued to the screen, Hans Zimmer's electronically haunting score is superb, director Christopher Nolan brilliantly ratchets up the suspense with his technical virtuosity as he seamlessly shifts from dreams to reality. Special kudos must be given to Wally Pfister's spellbinding Oscar winning cinematography and Lee Smith razor sharp editing. This captivating artistic movie masterpiece is an instead classic, that earned 8 Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan. Highly Recommended.

Michael Douglas delivers a mesmerizing performance as William Foster, in this tragic tale of a man that has been driven over the edge, divorced and estranged from his wife and little girl he also has been fired from his job as a engineer in the defense industry, one morning stuck in a traffic jam on a freeway in the sizzling summer heat he snaps and abandons his car and starts walking slowly towards the streets of Los Angeles, there he begins to vent his rage like a wounded animal, he starts lashing out at society injustices with increasingly violent acts, his odyssey begins when he trashes the grocery store of a irate Korean owner who has over charged him for a can of Coke, a belligerent fake war veteran who really is just pan-handling for quick cash bugs and presses him for money, each one of these encounters chip away at what remains of his tolerance and sanity, he then has tense confrontation with members of a Mexican gang in which he takes a gym bag filled with guns from them after they try to kill him in a drive by shooting but end up missing him and crashing their car. There is a priceless scene with Douglas at a Whammy Burger joint where he orders breakfast but they are now serving the lunch menu, he makes them change the menu back to breakfast again with help of a machine gun from the gym bag, but things really take an ugly and deadly turn when he meets a racist, homophobic neo-Nazi owner of a surplus value center, chilling played by Frederic Forrest. Robert Duvall gives an superlative performance as a veteran cop on his last day on the force before retiring who begins to put together the pieces of this mysterious crime spree that is plaguing the city by a seriously emotionally disturbed man who is described as a white man in a white shirt and tie, wearing glasses and carrying a gym bag. Fine direction by Joel Schumacher with terrific supporting performances by Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin, Lois Smith, Raymond J. Barry, and Vondie Curtis-Hall, but its Michael Douglas's astonishing show-stopping performance that is the heart of this motion picture and it is one of the most memorable roles of his distinguish career, exquisite photography by Andzej Bartkowiak and a superb score by James Newton Howard, A thought-provoking and unsettling gem from the early 90s. Highly Recommended.

A entertaining old-fashioned horror film with some wicked humor, skillfully directed by Tom Holland. About a frantic horror movie-obsessed teenager named Charley Brewster, played superbly by William Ragsdale who discovers that his suave new neighbor Jerry Dandridge, played superbly and with a chilling charm by Chris Sarandon who is a real vampire complete with a ghoulish human servant, no one believes him not his girlfriend Amy or his manic best friend Evil Ed and especially not the police, in desperation Charlie turns to Peter Vincent a has been horror actor who was famous for playing a great vampire killer in motion pictures, but is now a low-rent host for a third rate television horror show, he is brilliantly played by the late Roddy McDowell who delivers a wonderful portrayal of the cowardly Vincent, his character's name is a homage to the two great horror actors Peter Cushing and Vincent Price he is now forced to become a real hero and help Charley defeat the evil vampire Dandride. Excellent supporting performances by Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys, Dorothy Feilding, Jonathan Stark and Art Evans, marvelous pre-CGI visual effects by Robert Edlund and some truly scary makeup effects by Ken Diaz, Brad Fedel's score is perfectly spooky. A delightful 80s gem, that is a hell of a lot of fun! Note: "Fright Night" is being reworked into a darker version for a 2011 release, it will star Colin Farrell as the vampire Jerry Dandridge and Anton Yelchin as Charley Brewster with David Tennant as Peter Vincent. Highly Recommended.

Writer, director Paul Thomas Anderson has marvelously crafted and directed an extraordinary modern epic masterpiece that is compelling drama dealing with the turbulent behind the scenes story of a extended family of pornographers during the mid 70s & early 80s in the San Fernando Valley, it is also the tale of Eddie Adams, played by the versatile Mark Wahlberg in stunning career-making performance who is a 17-year-old disaffected youth with a formidable 13 inch sex organ that helps him become an overnight porn-film sensation known as Dirk Digger, he was a busboy who was discovered working in a disco nightclub by a idealistic veteran porn filmmaker, director named Jack Horner, masterfully played by Burt Reynolds in a brilliant Oscar nominated performance, Horner truly believes that his films are an art form and along with his new porn superstar Dirk Digger and the backing of his moneyman partner the Colonel James, played superbly by the late Robert Ridgely his hardcore empire becomes an enormous success, but Diggler's rise to fame has its costs and soon Driggler finds himself addicted to cocaine and involved in crime and violence. The magnificent ensemble cast all give impeccable performances they included Juilanne Moore, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Luis Guzman, Alfred Molina, Ricky Jay, Phillip Baker Hall and Thomas Jane, slick storytelling with terrific dialogue, thanks to Anderson splendid original screenplay, and exquisite cinematography by Robert Elswit, the film also features a remarkably nostalgic soundtrack, a provocative and intriguing motion picture, quick-witted, richly layered and deliriously entertaining, a must-see. Highly Recommended.

Despite its age of over three quarters of century this horror classic from Universal Studios which is based on H.G. Wells novel and brilliantly directed by James Whale, still captures the imagination, Claude Rains delivers a magnificent performance in his sensational screen debut, as a chemist Dr. Jack Griffin who has discovered a serum that has successfully made him invisible, but unknown to him the formula has a serious side effect which is eroding his sanity, until he has become a murderous megalomanic with a mad desire to rule the world, after Griffin assaults an inn keeper by throwing him down a flight of stairs, he begins to commit increasingly more heinous acts, which includes murdering a policeman and throwing two men of a cliff, as well as derailing a entire passenger train into a river which caused 100 deaths, the police are helpless in trying to stop Dr.Griffin, who is now roaming the countryside murdering people at will. Outstanding supporting performances by Gloria Stuart, Henry Travers, William Harrigan, E.E. Clive, Forrester Harvey and Una O'Connor who is a standout in a superbly hysterical performance as a excitable tavern keeper, who has a scream that can wake the dead, she is the films great comic relief, Claude Rains is invisible throughout the film or wrapped in bandages and wearing oversized sunglasses, we only see his face for a few seconds at the films final moments, Rains rich distinctive and dramatic voice is his only acting tool, which lends both authority and panache to his role, the then groundbreaking special effects by John P. Fulton are excellent and still effective, a intelligent, sophisticated well-crafted horror drama from a bygone era. Highly Recommended.

A spectacular, action-packed, gothic cult classic that is brilliantly directed by Alex Proyas with the late Brandon Lee's sensationally vibrant performance, he delivers a charismatic star-making turn as Eric Draven, a young rock guitarist who along with his lovely fiancee was brutally murdered by inner-city thugs working for a depraved incestuous crime lord named Top Dollar, played with great menace by the gravel voiced character actor Michael Wincott, who creates one of the most memorable screen villains of the decade. One year after his death he rises from the grave seeking vengeance; he is guided by a mysterious spectral crow which makes him invincible, he is out to kill everyone of the sadistic scum that took his life and that of his lady love, based on the graphic comic book series by James O' Barr with superb performances from the the entire cast which includes Ernie Hudson, David Patrick Kelly, Angel David, Rochelle Davis, Ling Bai, Michael Massee, Jon Polito, and Tony Todd. There is a great urban-hell production design by Alex McDowell, a visual compelling film thanks to neo-expressionistic cinematography by Dariusz Wolski that help create a hypnotic, dark atmosphere of a doom society without hope, the talented Brandon Lee was the son of the late great Martial Arts legend Bruce Lee, he sadly was killed during the filming of this movie in a freak on set accident, "The Crow" is a tragic but fitting memorial to the young Lee who was only 28-years-old at the time of his death, he could have been a major star had he lived, the film is dedicated to Lee and his fiancee Eliza. A genuinely nightmarish motion picture that is a milestone in its genre. Highly Recommended.

Martin Scorsese's stylish and visual stunning remake of the 1962 classic thriller of the same name which starred Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. The story concerns the sadistic psychopathic rapist Max Cady, played with a brilliant intensity by Robert De Niro in a chilling Oscar and Golden Globe nominated performance he has returned after serving 14 years in prison for the brutal sexual assault of a young girl to exact his revenge against a former public defender Sam Bowden, played solidly by Nick Notle in one of his finest performances whom he blames for his conviction due to a purposefully faulty defense during his trail, Cady begins a deadly game of cat and mouse with Sam and his wife Leigh and their daughter Danielle, wonderfully played by Jessica Lange and young Juliette Lewis who is a revelation in a exquisite Oscar nominated performance. Sam is legally powerless to keep Cady from tormenting him and his family, a terrible set of circumstances will lead to a heart-stopping climax abroad a houseboat on "Cape Fear," that is one of the most suspenseful and hair-rising confrontations ever filmed. Energetically directed by Martin Scorsese with remarkable cinematography by Freddie Francis, and razor-sharp editing by Thelma Schoomaker, the late Bernard Hermann's haunting original score is newly recorded by Elmer Bernstein to great effect, special kudos must go to Elaine & Saul Bass for the brilliantly surreal opening title sequence, exceptional supporting performances by Joe Don Baker, Illleana Douglas, Fred Dalton Thompsom and Zully Montero, terrific cameos by Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam who all starred in the original film, but this motion picture belongs to De Niro hands down his Max Cady is an unstoppable force of pure retribution, a monster of almost inhuman strength and resilience, it is truly a frightening and unforgettable performance. Riveting, this film will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last frame! Highly Recommended.

A unique, claustrophobic thriller that is an engrossing and highly suspenseful slickly executed film with meticulous direction by David Fincher. A mother named Meg Altman, played by Jodie Foster in a superlative star performance who is newly separated from her extremely rich older husband who is a pharmaceutical tycoon, moves into a huge brownstone townhouse in Manhattan with her teenaged daughter Sarah, nicely played by a very young Kristen Stewart, the residence has 3 floors, an elevator, 8 bedrooms, 6 working fireplaces and a "panic room" an impenetrable cement and steel encased safe room with surveillance video monitors, a separate buried phone line and a motorized sliding reinforced steel door that is secured by solid core dead bolts and a motion sensitive closing system, that evening while Meg and Sarah are sleeping, a trio of intruders thinking that the place is still empty break in, Meg notices them on surveillance monitor and runs to Sarah's room and her and Sarah with the intruders chasing them manage to make it to the panic room locking themselves in, the trio of intruders are terrifically played by Forest Whitaker as Bumham, the security technician who helped build the panic room, Jared Leto as Junior, the manic leader of the group and country singer Dwight Yoakam as Raoul, the nearly-silent sadistic sociopath with an itchy trigger finger, they have come to steal something specific unfortunately what they what is in the panic room, a cat and mouse game of wills ensues as Meg desperately tries to find a way to summon help as the intruders try to get her out. The unforgettable and extraordinary cinematography by Conrad Hall & Darius Khondji is truly breathtaking with amazing swooping shots down stairwell, up skylights and room to room, in air vents and through walls, Fincher has a grand-time creating an white-knuckle atmosphere of prolonged tension and dread, there is marvelous editing by James Haywood & Angus Wall and a brilliant score by Howard Shore. A pulse-pounding throughly entertaining motion picture, a must-see. Highly Recommended.

A masterful, intelligent and exciting cold war technothriller based on Tom Clancy's first best-selling novel which is brilliantly directed by John McTiernan. It takes place in the year 1984 and concerns Captain Marko Ramius one of Russia's top sub commanders, played to perfection by screen legend Sir Sean Connery in one of his finest performances, Ramius is planning to defect to the Untied States during the maiden voyage of the Red October, a new supersecret technologically superior Soviet nuclear submarine, which has a unique revolutionary propulsion system, a mageto-hydrodynamic drive or caterpillar, that enable the Red October to run virtually silent, making it undetectable to sonar which allows the sub to approach by stealth and shower its targets with multiple independent warheads with little or no warning before impact, the Russian's have sent thier entire naval and air commands to find the Red October and destroy her before it can reach America, they even have told the American government that Captain Ramius has gone insane and is planning to attack the United States with his nuclear missiles, but a lone CIA analyst named Jack Ryan, played by a young Alec Baldwin in a terrific performance of understated elegance, he believes that Ramius is really trying to defect, it now has become a race against time for Ryan for he has been aloud only three days by his superiors to prove his theory, he must go out to the Atlantic and make contact was Ramius and find out what his true intensions really are, before the United States is force to join the hunt for Red October with the Russians and sunk her. An extraordinary supporting cast all deliver superb performances they include Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill, Joss Ackland, Richard Jordan, Peter Firth, Courney B. Vance, Stellan Skarsgard, Tim Curry, and Fred Dalton Thompson, fascinating dialogue from a brilliant screenplay by Larry Ferguson & Donald Stewart makes the events of the story seem plausible, the cinematography by Jan de Bont is truly stunning, there is a striking musical score by Basil Poledoruris, and the production design by Terence Marsh is phenomenal, "The Hunt for Red October" is an engrossing 90s classic that is simply one of the best submarine thrillers ever filmed. Highly Recommended.

J.J. Abrams highly anticipated prequel to classic iconic pop culture franchise Star Trek, is a wonder to behold full of thrills and sheer spectacle, the dynamic young cast is exquisite beginning with Chris Pine who has real star quality as the young and rebellious James Tiberius Kirk, perfectly capturing the characters cockiness and charisma, Zachary Quinto is sensational as young Mr. Spock, he brings a new intensity and occasional rage to the legendary role, Karl Urban is brilliant as the harried and crusty Dr. Leonard "Bone" McCoy, John Chu is terrific as a kick-ass, sword wielding Sulu, Zoe Saldana is wonderfully saucy and super-sexy as Uhura, Simon Pegg is hilarious as chief engineer Montgomery Scott, Anton Yelchin delivers a superlative turn as the charming 17-year old Russian prodigy named Pavel Chekov, and in a grand extended cameo Leonard Nimoy delivers a lovely and moving performance as the elder Spock, that serves as the films heart and soul and gives this new franchise a real kick-off. Eric Bana is truly memorable in a chilling performance as the time-traveling, tattooed psychopathic Romulan commander, Captain Nero, who seeks revenge on Mr. Spock and the Federation for the destruction of his home world, Nero plan to create black holes with red matter to destroy the Federation one planet at a time. Flawless direction by J.J. Abrams and exquisite cinematography by Daniel Mindel, a stunning production design by Scott Chambliss. George Lucas's industrial Light & Magic is responsible for the film's spectacular Oscar nominated CGI visual effects; the film did win an Oscar for Best Makeup. A phenomenal entertainment and one of the most satisfying and profitable motion pictures of 2009, it is also one of the best sci-fi films of the last ten years. Highly Recommended.

A sophisticated and quick-witted World War II revenge fantasy that is absolutely riveting, exquisitely written and brilliantly directed by Quentin Tarantino. It concerns a squad of of Nazi-scalping Jewish American soldiers led by Lt. Aldo Raine, superbly played by Brad Pitt who delivers viciously colorful performance, his harden men are known to the enemy as "The Basterds" a merciless eight-men bushwhacking guerrilla army that take no prisoners, but instead leave behind the disemboweled, dismembered, and disfigured bodies of Nazi soldiers as their calling card, needless to say that Adolf Hitler's German army greatly fears them, Lt. Raine's mission is to aide a turncoat German actress named Bridget von Hammersmark, played Diane Kruger in a superlative performance and the owner of cinema named Shosanna Dreyfus, wonderfully played by Melanie Laurent who is secretly a Jew, and who's family was brutally murder by the sadistic Col. Hans "The Jew Hunter" Landa played by Christoph Waltz in a fabulous scene-stealing Oscar winning performance there plot is to take down the German high-command including Adolf Hitler himself who will be attending along with others, a high-profile premiere at Dreyfus's cinema of a propaganda film, by blowing-up and burning down the theatre and killing as many Nazi officers as they can. The cast all delivered solid performances, but special kudos must go to Michael Fassbender as the dapper British Officer Lt. Archie Hicox, Eli Roth's chilling baseball-bat-wielding Sgt. Donnie "The Bear Jew" Donowitz and Til Schweiger's memorable psychotic Hugo Stigliz, majestic cinematography by Robert Richardson, and remarkable editing by Sally Menke. Deliriously sublime and just plain glorious, a classic for a new generation, that was nominated for 8 Academy Awards inluding Best Picture, Best Director: Quentin Tarantino, Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson, Best Film Editing: Sally Menke, Best Sound, and Best Sound Mixing. Highly Recommended.

A rousing and uplifting high-concept blockbuster that is one of the most viscerally exciting films of the year, and a fabulously moving underdog story that will have audiences cheering on their feet, it is set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has replaced human beings, with remote-controlled, 8 foot tall, 2,000 pound robots. Hugh Jackman superbly plays Charlie Kenton, in a wonderfully charismatic performance which is genuinely charming, a former boxer turned small-time struggling hustler who barely makes a living in the underground world of robotic boxing, he is always in need of money so he travel from venue to venue with gigantic robotic gladiators to fight other steel foes before screaming crowds. He discovers that his former girlfriend has died leaving him with Max, played terrifically by Dakota Goyo in a energetic and appealing turn, his 11-year-old son he never knew, Charlie reluctantly agrees to let the kid who is a die-hard bot-boxing fan join him on the road, where their father and son bonding will occur, one day looking around a old junkyard for spare parts they fine an early-model automaton named Atom, who they will repair and train into a ring sensation and a ticket to the big time and big money, the chemistry between Jackman and young Goyo is undeniable and heartwarming, the nail-biting conclusion when the heroic Atom meets the invincible World Champion-Bot named Zeus, a monstrous mass of deadly steel for the final no-holds-barred battle is truly thrilling. "Real Steel" is brilliantly directed by Shawn Levy who gives us a emotionally compelling film that really packs a punch, loosely based on Richard Matheson's short story, "Steel" which he first adapted into a classic episode of Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" that starred the late great Lee Marvin. Excellent supporting performances by the stunningly beautiful Evangeline Lilly, Kevin Durand, Anthony Mackie, Hope Davis, James Rebhom and Karl Yune. Spectacular CGI visual effects wih motion capture used in the bot-boxing sequences by professional boxers that were choreographed by Sugar Ray Leonard, so that the fights would look as realistic as possible, as well as some amazing animatronics effects all give this film its unique look and style. A crowd-pleasing winner all the way! Highly Recommended.

One of the all-time great sci-fi classic films which is taunt, scary, relentlessly exciting and brilliantly directed by Don Siegal. It concerns the townspeople of Santa Mira, California who are acting dreadfully strange, vacant and emotionless to the point that their own families and friends don't recognized them, they act as if they aren't human, when Dr. Miles Bennell, played by Kevin McCarthy in a superb charismatic performance is called back from a out of town trip because several of his patients are complaining about family members who are not who they appear to be, Dr. Bennel is puzzled by his patient's disturbing behavior, he slowly begin to investigate and unravel this bizarre mystery that is plaguing his patients and some of the other townspeople, unfortunately he discovers to late that almost the entire town has been taken over by an extraterrestrial life form which looks like giant "seed pods" that contain the formless aliens that have been systematically taking over the townspeople whenever they fell a sleep the alien life form takes over their minds and destroys the original bodies of their victims recreating perfect duplicate bodies and the only tell-tale sign of them is that they have no emotions. Now Dr. Bennell and his love interest Beckly Driscoll, played by the beautiful Dana Wynter in a fine performance and their good friends Jack and Theodora Delicec, nicely by King Donovan and Carolyn Jones are what's left to warn the world of this deadly invasion. A tight, suspenseful screenplay by Daniel Mainwaring with magnificent black & white noirish cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks the film has many memorable scenes, but the most famous and unforgettable one is when Dr. Bennell who has escaped death at the hands of the alien humanoid impostures is running down the middle of a busy highway struggling to convince passing motorists screaming out warnings to them "They're Here," "They're Here," Your Next," Your Next!" A truly tantalizing film that masterfully taps into to our fear and natural paranoia. Highly Recommended.

Sam Peckinpah's harrowing and astonishing western classic is nothing short of true cinematic work of art, it concerns a band ruthless robbers who are lead by an aging outlaw named Pike Bishop, played by the late great William Holden, in a larger-than-life performance which is one of the finest of his distinguished career, he and his men are masquerading as soldiers riding through a dry Mexican town, they plan to rob the railway office of its payroll, but find themselves ambushed by a gang of cut-throat bounty hunters who were hired by the railroad, who has been pursuing Pike's band, they are lead by Pike's former friend turned nemesis Deke Thornton, played to perfection by veteran character actor Robert Ryan, special kudos must be given to Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones for their memorable performances as two scummy, psychotic, sadistic killers working for Thornton, who are always arguing as to which one of them killed who, and delight in stealing dead men's boots, as well as cutting the fingers off the dead to get at their rings, and removing the gold teeth from their dead victims mouths. The ambush turns into a ferocious gunfight and a bloodbath, where many innocent bystanders are slaughtered in the deadly crossfire in one of this film's most famous sequences which displays Peckinpah's hallmark style, the use of slow-motion to prolong the killing turning it into a "ballet of death", also using point of view shots, quick-cuts and off-center close ups to intensify the action of that unforgettable shootout sequence. The rest of Pike's men includes Dutch, his fearless right-hand men played superbly Ernest Borgnine, the brothers Lyle and Techor Gorch, wonderfully played by Warren Oates and Ben Johnson and the Mexican idealist Angel, well-played by Jaime Sanchez, their failed attempted robbery has them fleeing deeper into Mexico with Thornton's bounty hunters right behind them, Pike and his "Wild Bunch" will hijack a U.S. ammunition train which is crossing through the broader into Mexico for its weapons to supply the revolutionary army of Pancho Villa, but first they must deal with a vicious, corrupt Mexican general named Mapache, excellently played by Emilio Fernandez, it will all end in a final extraordinary show-stopping sequence in a Mexican courtyard where Pike and his men with gun drawn will face hundreds of surprised Mexicans, it is clear that they are surrounded, outgunned and are about to die, they know this! but decide to go out in a blaze of glory, taking as many as they can, it is without doubt one the greatest scene of blood shed and slaughter ever filmed. An American Masterpiece. Highly Recommended.

A totally delightful and hilariously funny 80's mega-hit comedy, starring the late great Rodney Dangerflield who delivers a masterful laugh-out-loud comic performance that completely dominates this film as Thornton Melon a self-made multi-millionaire clothing manufacturer who has a chain of a 150 Tall & Fat stores nationwide he enrolls in his beloved son Jason's college in order to encourage him not to drop out, Jason who is superbly played by Keith Gordon is somewhat of a misfit there and is completely miserable at the school. Dangerfield's outrageous misadventures at the college as he tries to help his son are moments of pure comic brilliance some of the highlights include Rodney's rendition of "Twist & Shout" with a local rock band and him joining the school swimming team to win a championship not mention Rodney reciting Dylan Thomas at a school oral exam, there are also heartfelt father & son moments between Dangerfield and Gordon that are quite moving, their chemistry rings true. The supporting cast are all impeccable they include Sally Kellerman's brilliant performance as Diane Turner the sexy English teacher that Rodney falls like a rock for, a solid Burt Young as Lou, Rodney's best friend and ape-like bodyguard, a young Robert Downey Jr. turns in a very amusing performance as Jason's oddball friend Derek Lutz, Paxton Whitehead is a hoot as Rodney's nemeses Professor Philip Barbay and Adrienne Barbeau delivers a mermorable turn as Rodney's bitch-wife from hell, the lovely Terry Farrell turns a sweet performance as Jason's love interest Valerie, William Zaba is perfect as the frat-boy asshole named Chaz, the great character actor M. Emmet Walsh delivers a wonderful down to earth turn as swimming Coach Tumbbull, Ned Beatty is totally priceless as "Dean Martin," but special kudos must go to the late stand-up comic Sam Kinison in a brief scene-stealing role as American history Professor Terguson a shell-shocked Vietnam war veteran that has the tendency to go completely nuts in his classroom, Kinison is a laugh riot in this role. A extremely entertaining, feel-good film with some truly classic Dangerfield one-liners but the key to this film's enormous success is that Rodney's character is so damn lovable and endearing, this film is one of my personal all-time favorite motion pictures. Highly Recommended.

Michael Mann's dazzlingly stylish and intelligent thriller which follows a complex character study about a Los Angeles cab driver named Max, who is self-delusional and dreams of starting his own unique limo service, he is played superbly by Jamie Foxx in sensational Oscar nominated performance, and a mysterious gray-haired man who gets into to his cab named Vincent, played by Tom Cruise who is a revelation in a brilliant and believable depiction of stone-cold profession hit-man who is as charming as he is deadly, this is Cruise's finest dramatic performance in years. The film begins on a warm evening when Max picks up in his cab a beautiful Africa-American woman named Annie, wonderfully played by Jada Pinkett Smith who is a district attorney, prosecuter working on a huge federal case, Max charms Annie into a conversation thats ends up with her giving him her telephone number at the end of the ride, as Annie leaves the cab, a sharply dressed Vincent gets in and explains to Max that he is in town for a short period on business and offers him $600 to chauffeur him around, Max will soon realize that he must cooperate with Vincent's demands in order to stay alive, he and his lethal passenger begin to go from location to location assassinating the marks on his list. One of the most talented filmmakers of his generation Michael Mann does not disappoint, his phenomenal direction really keeps the tension and the suspense up throughout this fine thriller, but it is Cruise & Foxx that keep us entranced and they are absolutely electrifying together, their are also some marvelous supporting performances by Barry Shabaka, Bruce McGill, Irma P. Hall, Javier Bardem, and a standout turn by Mark Ruffalo as a quick-witted detective who stumbles on to the trail of Viincent's murder spree. The extraordinary groundbreaking high-definition video camerawork by cinematographers Paul Cameron and Dion Beebe is truly amazing, capturing nighttime L.A. like its never been seen before. A Richly-layer, expertly crafted motion picture that is immensely entertaining. Highly Recommened.

In late october of 1978 a small low-budget horror film opened that would become a classic and change the face of it's genre forever, John Carpenter's "Halloween" would rightly become the father of the modern slasher film. As the film opens Michael Meyers a six-year-old boy watches his teenaged sister sneak upstairs with her boyfriend to have sex, after the boyfriend has departed Michael takes a butcher's knife from the kitchen drawer, he picks up a clown mask from the floor and puts it on, then he goes upstairs and stabs his sister to death, he then runs down the stairs and out of the house and right into his patients, who take the clown mask off and call his name, Michael just stands there staring into space still holding the bloody butcher's knife in his hand that he just murdered his older sister with, 15 years later Michael has been institutionalized to asylum for the criminally insane for more than ten years, he escapes the day before Halloween, his doctor Sam Loomis, played superbly by the late great British character actor Donald Pleasence knows that Michael is the embodiment of pure evil, Loomis races against time to get to Michael's hometown of Haddonfield, knowing that he will return there to to kill again. The film features a very young Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut, she is excellent as the teenager that Michael is fixated on murdering, the film is brilliantly written and directed by John Carpenter with great skill, and the suspense runs high throughout the film. Carpenter makes a real ominous inhuman villain out of Michael, who is truly scary, always wearing a white mask he stole from a store, he kills without making a sound, his movements are slow and zombie-like, he is always concealed by shadows, Carpenter also wrote the chilling memorable score, its main theme is one of the most recognized in annals of cinematic history. An iconic masterpiece that is often imitated but never duplicated. Highly Recommended.

An imaginative dark cult classic and one of John Carpenter's finest films, starring Kurt Russell in a superlative performance as the iconic genre bad-ass Snake Plissken, a notorious one-eyed master criminal and former Special Forces war hero who is coerced into a dangerous and daring rescue mission into Manhattan island which has been converted into a walled super-maximum security prison for the entire country that houses the most brutal and murderous convicts in America. Air Force One with the President of the Untied States, wonderfully played by the late great British character actor Donald Pleasence abroad has been hijacked by a lone anti-government suicidal rebel, the President has ejected from the plane in a escape pod when it crashed inside that forbidding prison where he is instantly taken hostage by an army of thugs who's psychotic leader calls himself The Duke of New York, well played by the late Isaac Hayes, he plans to demand their release in exchange for the President, now Snake must fine the President and a very special cassette tape, but time is running out he has only 24 hours to succeed or two explosive charges planted inside his neck will kill him! He most search whats left of the decayed city and locate and rescue the President with the cassette tape in order to save his own life and get a full pardon. The film benefits greatly from the exquisite supporting performances by Lee Van Cleff, Ernest Borgnine, Adrienne Barbeau, Harry Dean Stanton and Tom Atkins. Solid direction by John Carpenter, good suspense, marvelous production design by Joe Alves, outstanding pre-CGI visual effects, it's impressive model, miniatures and matte work are by New World's special effects studio in Venice, a vivid electronic score by John Carpenter and a climactic finale chase that will keep you riveted. A singularly engaging sci-fi action thriller that delivers pure entertainment. Highly Recommended.

A spellbinding classic horror film with masterful direction by Brian DePalma, based on Stephen King's first best selling novel. It concerns a painfully shy, tortured high-school misfit named Carrie White, played to perfection by Sissy Spacek in a devastatingly brilliant Oscar nominated performance of great emotional depth. Carrie has no friends and is rejected by all of her classmates and picked on by just about everyone at the school, especially the sadistic glam-bitch Chris Hargenson, played superbly by Nancy Allen who is so wonderfully hateful in the role. To farther complicate matters at home she is a virtual prisoner because of her religiously fanatical mother Margaret White, played memorably by Piper Laurie who received an Oscar nomination for her chilling and unforgettable turn. Carrie hides a dark secret that she possesses the power of telekinesis, she can move objects with the power of her mind, Chris with the help of her dim-witted boyfriend Billy Nolan, played nicely by a young John Travolta in an early role, plan a monstrous joke on Carrie that will take place at the school prom, it will finally push Carrie over the edge making her unleash her deadly power and wrath on her tormentors, causing all hell to break loose in the famed climatic finale, which turns into a orgy of fire, blood and death. The supporting cast all deliver exceptional performances they include Amy Irving, William Katt, Betty Buckley, Sidney Lassick and Pricilla Pointer, the film also benefits greatly from an amusing and witty screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen and the exquisite cinematography by Mario Tosi, the haunting original musical score by Pino Donaggio is very effective. One of the true artistic gems of the horror genre. Highly Recommenced.

A sprawling epic masterpiece of great artistic vision that is undeniably the finest sequel ever filmed, masterfully directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is a brilliant continuation to what surely is the greatest gangster saga of all-time.Telling the tale of two generations of the Corleone family; that of Michael Corleone, played marvelously by Al Pacino in tour-de-force Oscar nominated performance who has now consolidated the power handed down to him by his father the late Don Vito Corleone. The film flashes back and forth between the early life of the young Don Vito, played superbly by Robert DeNiro in a breakout Oscar winning performance of great dignity, and the ongoing story of the embattled family after his death. Young Vito struggles to make a living for his family in New York's Little Italy in 1917, where he meets and befriends a young Peter Clemenza, well-played by the late Bruno Kirby a neighborhood thief, together with a few associates they begin their criminal operations of petty thievery, but always looking out and helping the people of their neighborhood. Vito is forced to kill the local Black Hand, the brutal Don Fanucci, played solidly by Gastone Moschin who now wants a piece of the action from Vito and his partners, he is also the snake that oppresses and victimizes the people of the neighborhood shaking them down for what little money they have, with Don Fanucci's murder Vito's communal stature grows as does his power. Shift to 1958 where Don Michael Corleone is now based in Lake Tahoe and rules his vast empire with an iron fist, he is increasing distrustful and paranoid, he also has become cold, ruthless and unemotional. An attempted assassination makes Michael realizes that Hyman Roth, played brilliantly by Lee Strasberg in Oscar nominated performance an old ally that once worked for his father is now trying kill him. Michael must find the traitor in his family, as well as deal with a federal indictment, and his failing marriage to Kay Adams, played wonderfully by Diane Keaton. Tremendous supporting performances by Robert Duvall, John Cazale, Talie Shire, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Richard Bright, Marianna Hill and Dominic Chianese. A complex and vivid Oscar winning screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo, extraordinary cinematography by Gordon Willis, lavish Oscar winning production design by Dean Tavoulars, and a dynamic Oscar winning original score by Nino Rota & Carmine Coppola. flawless period recreation. Winner of 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director: Francis Ford Coppola. Highly Recommended.

A wonderfully hilarious mid 80s caper comedy that became a monster box-office hit from the creators of "Airplane," it concerns a loathsome millionaire named Sam Stone, played by Danny DeVito in a comic tour-de-force performance who is planning to murder his spoilled ever richer wife Barbara, played to the hilt by Bette Milder who an absolute laugh riot, so he can take up with his mistress Carol, well played by sexy Anita Morris, but before Sam can kill Barbara, he comes home to find that she has been abducted by two hapless kidnapers Ken & Sandy Kessler, marvelously played by Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater, who bring a sweet endearing quality to their characterizations of the impoverished couple that are trying to get back at Sam for stealing Sandy's design for spandex miniskirts that made him a millionaire, Ken calls Sam and demands $500,000 for the return of his wife or she will be killed, Sam who hates his wife was passion refuses to pay for her release, in the hopes that the kidnappers will kill her and save him the trouble of doing it himself, Sam keeps refusing to pay, as Ken repeatedly calls him again and again, in the meantime Barbara has made Ken & Sandy's life a living hell with her repeated escape attempts and her none stop bitching & whining. Splendid supporting performances by Art Evans, J.E. Freeman, William G. Schilling, and Bill Pullman in his film-debut is very funny as Anita Morris's dim-witted boy-toy lover, the terrific co-direction by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker is inspired, and they give this film twists and triple-twists that not only surprising but keep us laughing throughout the hold movie. A side-splitting farce that is a true crowd pleaser. Highly Recommended.

The most original and audacious motion picture in decades, Quentin Tarantino's ultraviolent, sophisticated, enthralling and quick-witted pop culture masterpiece is a classic for a new generation, brilliantly directed and written with stunning dialogue by Quentin Tranantino who won a richly earned Academy Award along with Roger Avary for their remarkably screenplay. A total must-see with an unbeatable ensemble cast led by John Travolta in a grand comeback performance as Vincent Vega, a heroin loving, burger eating hit man, it totally reignited his career and earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his dynamic characterization , and Samuel L. Jackson's electrifying powerhouse performance as Jules Winnfield, Vega's philosophical partner which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his memorable turn, they have been sent to retrieve a very special and mysterious briefcase from some petty crooks, Bruce Willis superbly plays an aging boxer named Butch Coolidge who double crosses a ruthless gangster named Marsellus Wallace, played by Ving Rhames in an impressive turn, Butch does not take a dive and throw a fight the way he was suppose to, in fact he ends up killing Wallace's fighter who was suppose to win in the ring, now he is on the run for his life. Later Vincent must look after Mrs. Wallace, played by the beautiful Uma Thurman who delivers a marvelous Oscar nominated performance for Best Supporting Actress, Vincent is to show her a goodtime while her husband is out of town, but things take a turn for the worse when she ends up accidentally overdosing on Vincent's powerful heroin, Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer as Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, a pair of gun-toting robbers who are ripping-off a diner in the opening and closing moments of the film are absolutely terrific together, the rest of the supporting cast all deliver exceptional performances they include Harvey Keitel, Eric Stolz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Maria de Medeiors, Frank Whaley, Paul Calderon, Steve Buscemi and there is a wonderful cameo by Quentin Tarantino as Jimmie of Toluca Lake.This dazzling gem of a film is a testament to Quentin Tarantino's pure genius as a filmmaker. It won the 1994 Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and 7 Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture. "Pulp Fiction" is number 94 on the American Film Institue's list of the 100 greatest films ever made. Highly Recommended.

The final film in the legendary "Dirty Harry" franchise is a solid, gritty cop thriller with Clint Eastwood in top form as an older but still potent, world weary, no nonsense police inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan with his infamous .44 magnum pistol that makes punks run for their lives, this time Harry is looking for a serial killer who is killing off high profile victims, he also discovers that there is a twisted game being played called "The Dead Pool" where players pick the celebrities who might die, some of the serial killer's victims are on the lists of some the players which includes a young Liam Neeson, who superbly plays a hack horror film director named Peter Swan who is a top suspect, and Patricia Clarkson is excellent as television news reporter Samantha Walker who becomes romantically involved with Harry, there is a memorable cameo by Jim Carrey in an early performance as a rock star, drug addict who is shooting a music video that is being directed by Swan, Carrey is singing and dancing to the Guns & Roses hit song "Welcome to the Jungle". There is also a very inventive and suspenseful car chase sequence that involves Harry and his partner nicely played by Evan C. Kim, being pursued through the streets of San Francisco by a bomb laden radio controlled toy car, fine direction by Buddy Van Horn, the film has all the mayhem, violence and wisecracks that made the franchise famous and a lot of fun, Harry's new catchphrase in this film is "You're shit out of luck" and for all scumbag criminals they sure are, goodbye "Harry" it's been a great ride! Highly Recommended.

One of the finest and most riveting American films ever made, based on Mario Puzo best selling novel. Set in 1945 on Long Island it tells the tale of a criminal dynasty with an absolutely superlative Oscar winner performance by the late great Marlon Brando (1924-2004) as Don Vito Corleone the aging head of the most powerful Mafia clan in the United States, his youngest son Michael, played brilliantly by Al Pacino in breakout Oscar nominated star-making performance has just returned from World War II and is attending the wedding of his sister Connie, played wonderfully by Talia Shire, the joyful family occasion is short lived because of a ruthless drug dealer named Virgil Sollozzo, well played by character actor Al Lettieri, who is looking for financial support as well as protection from the Corleone family, when Don Vito refuses and turns down Sollozzo's request, Sollozzo tries to have Don Vito assassinated by two hit men, who gun him down outside a fruit stand, the Don survives the hit barely, this will set a series of deadly events into play and full scale Mob war will begin. The film is faultlessly performed by an impeccable cast that includes James Caan, Robert Duvall, Richard Castellano, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton and Abe Vigoda, exquisite direction by Francis Ford Coppola, breathtakingly filmed with beautiful on location sequences shot in Sicily, masterful cinematography by Gordon Willis, Nino Rota's unforgettable musical score is powerfully haunting. This is one of the few rare times where the film is better than the book. "The Godfather" is a history-making cinematic masterpiece. Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Best Actor: Marlon Brando, and Screenplay: Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Highly Recommended.

A thrilling and highly entertaining fifth entry for Sir Sean Connery who delivers a commanding performance as James Bond, director Lewis Gilbert fashions a throughly enjoyable slice of escapism brimming over with witty dialogue and amazing action sequences. "You Only Live Twice" takes place entirely in Japan, this time the criminal organization SPECTRE is backed by Red China, where from a Japanese island they send a mysterious specially designed intruder rocket to hijack American and Russian spacecraft by shallowing them up and bring them back to a secret volcano rocket base in the sea of Japan pushing both superpowers to the brink of World War III, Bond is sent to Japan to discover who is behind the hijackings in space and stop them, Bond's ally in Japan is Tiger Tanaka wonderfully played by Tetsuro Tamba, the youthful head of the Japanese Secret Service he and Bond forged a strong working relationship. For the very first time we see number one the evil head of SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Biofeld superbly played by legendary character Donald Pleasence he takes the movie to a higher level with his portrayal of this vicious megalomanic, the climactic assault of the volcano base by Bond and Tanaka's Ninja army is one the most spectacular action sequences in the history of the cinema, Ken Adam deserves to be showered with accolades for his magnificent set designs, the pinnacle being the gigantic volcano rocket base which is breathtaking, Freddie Young's extraordinary cinematography, John Barry's beautiful score, a great title song sung by Nancy Sinatra and Maurice Binder's excellent main title design all add up to a fantastic, fast-pace, pull-out-all-stops action filled Bond adventure. Highly Recommended.