My Favorite Movies

The historical inaccuracies in this movie have been well documented in the past. Very little is known of the background to William Wallace, and what we do know comes mainly from an oral history originating after his death. Even what we do know is not translated accurately into the film. Perhaps the most glaring example of this is the Battle of Stirling Bridge, which is portrayed here without the bridge. This is seen as critical by historians since the bridge played a role in the Scottish victory.
However, as screenwriter Randall Wallace (who had never heard of his famous ancestor until a fateful trip to Scotland) said in a HISTORY channel documentary on the movie, the script holds true to the spirit of the Wallace history and technical issues finally proved prohibitive to filming the battle as it happened.
The movie follows the story of William Wallace who led his native Scots in a revolt against the English King Edward the Longshanks (played with wonderful villainous relish by Patrick McGoohan). In an effort to "breed" out the Scots, Edward re-instigates an old practice whereby the English Lord blesses a marriage by taking the newly wed bride into his bed on the wedding night.
Not willing to accept this Wallace and his bride (played by the impossibly beautiful Catherine McCormack) wed in secret. Then shortly after Wallace feels compelled to protect her from the lecherous advances of one of the Kings men, an action which leads to his bride being murdered by the English.
The reaction by Wallace is swift and brutal, and the Scots march down into England to wreak revenge on their occupiers. Some of the violence is very graphic with heads getting lobbed off and severed arms spurting blood, but the graphic depiction of violence is necessary given that battles in that time were usually fought in close proximity and were violent.
It's a story that I, as a native Scot, feel close to my heart and one that no doubt left an impact on the voters of Scotland who finally voted in the 1990s to partially secede from the United Kingdom to the extent that they now have their own parliament and are in control of most of their domestic policy.
Perhaps surprising given his stature as one of Hollywood's leading men, Gibson handles his directorial duties expertly and in fact was recognized by the Academy in 1996 with a Best Director Oscar. He manages to weave together all the elements in what was a gigantic undertaking and gets fantastic performances from all involved.

Ask your standard movie fan which Alistair MacLean adaptation they prefer and the vote would most likely be split between THE GUNS OF NAVARONE and WHERE EAGLES DARE, but, whilst I absolutely love the latter of those two, my personal favorite has been for many years WHEN EIGHT BELLS TOLL - a spy thriller penned by MacLean in the late 1960s and filmed with Anthony Hopkins in the lead role in 1971.
I saw the movie many years ago on British television and always longed to see it once more.
Watching it again after all these years my passion for this action adventure is unfailing, I consider this to be the best spy thriller that [Bond producers] EON Productions NEVER made.
With a simply superb cast that sees Hopkins joined by Robert Morley (as a rather snobbish boss) and Jack Hawkins (as a suspicious millionaire) this movie is simply brimming over with "Bondian" elements that include beautiful girls (bad and good), thrilling action, underwater battles, building suspense and a roaring soundtrack. It's the most entertaining couple of hours of spy thriller action that I have had the opportunity to enjoy in almost two decades.
Hopkins plays secret agent Calvert who travels to the coast of Scotland disguised as a marine biologist to investigate the disappearance of bullion ships in the Irish Sea. There he encounters a colorful array of characters, both friend and foe before a climactic battle in an underground boathouse.

Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood give solid performances as commando's parachuted behind enemy lines in this movie adapted for the screen by Alistair (Guns of Navarone) McLean, from his own novel.
The scenery is breathtaking and the action steller and after an admittedly slow start the action scenes really pick up in the latter half of the movie as Burton unravels a web of deceit and unmasking of traitors. He must then attampt to escape with his secrets with what would seem like the entire German army in hot pursuit.
Recommended for action fans, Clint Eastwood fans and people who like their Richard Burton dark, brooding and dangerous.

I remember seeing this movie at the theater. It was the depth of winter and the heating in the theater had broken down. Yet, to a wide-eyed 9 year old it didn't matter, because I was bundled up in a thick jacket having the time of my life watching this version of the Flash Gordon adventure. It was only three years after the original Star Wars movie and studios around the world were raiding their vaults for science fiction properties that had been gathering dust (Star Trek, Buck Rogers to name just a few). Unlike its competitors this movie chose not to compete directly with the high octance special effects of Star Wars and instead tried to recapture the feeling and atmosphere of the original series. This decision gives the film a campy charm, with the distinct impression that everyone is having a great time. Years later I got to meet Brian Blessed (who plays a Hawkman in this movie) and my suspicion was confirmed. Don't miss this one, it belongs in the DVD library of everyone who still has a little bit of a kid in them.

In this fun action-adventure Roger Moore leads a commando team that must come to the rescue of two oil rigs in the North Sea and a Norwegian cargo vessel that have been targeted with booby trapped bombs. Playing very much against type Moore's eccentric character "Ffolkes" doesn't like women and instead enjoys the company of cats.
The supporting cast of this movie is also extraordinary. James Mason plays a naval commander, David Hedison is the executive for the oil company and Anthony Perkins is the head of the terrorists. It is a tense, suspenseful adventure with the occassional light touch of humor and I highly recommend it.

This little known movie stars Tom Selleck as an American jewel cat thief in pre-World War II London. It's a great movie and has an incredible supporting cast including Bob Hoskins as a police officer doggedly on the title characters trail. Adding beauty to the movie is former Bond girl Jane Seymour as Selleck's girlfriend and the impossibly sexy Lauren Hutton as a Nazi.

When Kevin McClory teamed up with the Eon company to make the movie Thunderball in 1965 he was contractually obliged not to exercise his rights to the James Bond character for ten years, Sure enough in 1975 McClory started pitching a 007 script titled Warhead to all the competing studios, but it wasn't until 1983 that Never Say Never Again actually made it to the silver screen opening opposite the lame Roger Moore vehicle Octopussy. Never Say Never Again (a title suggested by Sean Connery's wife) has on display a variation of the plot that McClory had produced almost 20 years earlier.
Faced with not being able to include the iconic familiar gun-barrel sequence at the beginning of their 1983 Bond movie, Taliafilm (named after the wife of the producer and Rocky actress Talia Shire) had to cone up with their own graphic image. What they decided upon gives the first clue that we are about to experience something different, a breath of fresh air and a good kick up the rear end to a series of movies that had become stale through resorting to self-parody and recycled dialogue and villainy.
Yes, [NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN is a retelling of the THUNDERBALL storylines worked out between Fleming, Bryce, Whittingham and McClory. It's technically speaking not a remake of the 1954 picture though, but a different version of the story using characters that appeared in the earlier drafts (such as Fatima Blush).
And from the moment the screen fills up with all those 007's and the audience is drawn in, we know right away that Connery is back and better than ever, and looking much fitter than he did in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.
The title song has been attacked by 007 fans over the years, but I actually like it quite a lot (in direct comparison with the rest of the admittedly rather tame soundtrack). I have found myself over the past 20 years humming it to myself (sometimes at the most inopportune moments) and so it has obviously become seared into my consciousness as only a catchy tune can.
And here we come to what is the 1983 movie's pretitle sequence. But instead of interrupting the flow of the story with yet more images of nude women and silly fluorescent effects the titles play out for the action allowing the audience to immediately find its feet and settle into the pace of this thrilling picture.
Of course it's not the first time that we have seen Bond killed off in the opening minutes. We saw it first at the hands of Red Grant in 1963's FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and then again just four years later in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Here Bond is on a training mission and for those with keen eyes its really quite obvious (no muzzle fore from 007's gun). As such it works a little better in the little details, and when 007 rescues the leggy millionaires daughter held captive she plunges a knife into him.
It is at this point that the factor of a new M really pays off. We see Edward Fox sternly watching the exercise on tape. We see another unidentified character (presumably Tanner). Its not until the very last minute that Connery's 007 is revealed - alive and well.
Following on from a dressing down from M is one of my favorite sequences in the movie - namely Shrublands. It's a favorite of mine because we really get introduced to my favorite character in the movie Fatima Blush. The 1965 movie has Fiona Volpe, but Volpe lacked the super-charged charisma, biting wit and ego-maniacal psychotic nature that Barbara Carrera simply oozes as Blush.
Look at the tenderness she shows to Jack, followed immediately by her bashing his head against the wall. Witness her dispatching of Jack and then crooning over her pet snake, and who can forget her final confrontation with 007 - "guess where you get the first one."
Carrera steals every scene she is in. She dances on her way to kill Bonds French ally and like a black widow spider she seduces 007 and then attempts to kill him with a device to attract a special group of sharks attached to his air tanks.
The second highlight is the appearance of Indiana Jones alum Pat Roach as Count Lippe. Who cannot appreciate and revel in the fun fight in which Roach's Lippe plays the indestructible Jaws role, minus the embarrassing buffoonery that Richard Kiel brought to the EON franchise. Bond throws everything at Lippe to no avail and then in an amusing conclusion the character is blinded by Bond's urine falling back into a collection of glass cylinders and test tubes.
Connery's reaction is classic.
In an attempt perhaps to counter the familiarity of the group of has-been actors inhabiting the SIS offices in the EON series at the time, this Connery movie has the most impressive list of actors to inhabit any Bond movie. In addition to the already mentioned Connery, Fox, Carrera and Roach we also have the incredible Klaus Maria Brandeur as Largo, the revered Max Von Sydow and Bernie Casey as a black Felix Leiter (hey, why not?!).
Brandeur plays Largo with just the right amount of understated menace and Casey is probably the second best Leiter of the series (after Hedison). You really get the feeling that he and Connery's 007 are the best of buddies, their interactions and playful barbs appear genuinely affectionate and respectful of the other,
The one A-list actor who really lets down the rest of the team is Kim Basinger. She admittedly didn't have much to go on, but it is in this one respect that Claudine Auger and the 1965 EON effort takes the honors.
Some have said that it is with Bonds arrival in Nassau, that this movie tends to wander a little. I respectfully disagree. It is here that the majority of Carrera's scenes appear and here that Connery has his first confrontation with Largo. I have yet to really understand the computer game the two play, but it works nicely in building up some real tension and suspense (name a Moore 007 -villain scene that achieved the same level of pent up pressure - I can't). The final line from Connery - " I wouldn't know, I've never lost" is also probably one of the best 007 comebacks in the entire series.
Yes, this section of the movie also features some of the best dialogue, the promise of which had been ably shown in the brilliant Q-scene earlier in the picture. The lines come thick and fast and are genuinely witty in comparison with some of the gags in the Moore series of pictures. In addition Rowan Atkinson nicely doesn't outstay his welcome as comic relief and his "don't know his mother" line always makes me smile. Other gags that work include the cigarette lighter gag at the casino and the "your place or mine" bomb at the hotel.
The ending in Africa is over a little too soon and the small battle in the underground caverns lacks the scope of some of the 007 pictures. But I think it works well in the context of the rest of the picture and is not the confusing, overlong mess that really mars the 1965 effort. Its cleaner and tighter, just the way I like it.
Yes, even though Roger Moore is my favorite 007 actor, "Never Say Never Again" is my favorite 007 picture.
Irvin Kershner, who directed the best of the Star Wars movies, again brings us a franchises crowning achievement with a steady directing hand, incredible witty dialogue, superb performances by an amazing cast and Sean Connery returning revitalized after a 12 year absence from the role that made him famous.
It's the one 007 movie that I have watched more than any other.
After the movie was obtained by MGM-UA (the company that produces the EON production) there was talk among fans as to the possibility of the gun barrel sequence being added to make it part of the "canon", I for one do not think that this unique James Bond 007 movie should be tampered with in that manner.

Better known these days as the partner of American actor Johnny Depp, the incredibly beautiful French actress/singer/model Vanessa Paradis had a successful career of her own in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Skyrocketing to fame with her debut album "M&J" in 1987 at the age of 14, I was transfixed by her beauty and smoldering demeanor as she performed her first hit single "Joe Le Taxi" on the (now-defunct) British pop show "The Roxy" (think American Bandstand, but with a 1980s cool). I asked a French pen-pal of mine to collect all articles she could find on Paradis and she obliged and it was from one of these French clippings that I learned that Paradis had been signed to appear in the movie "Noce Blanche" (a.k.a. White Wedding).
I hoped and hoped that the movie would be released in my native United Kingdom and never saw it advertised or arrive at any of my local theaters. Perhaps I had misunderstood the French clipping, perhaps the movie had not been completed? It was a couple of years later that I learned that not only had Paradis completed the movie, but she had a very lucrative career overseas as an actress. Appearing in such movies as "Une Chance Sur Deaux" (a.k.a. Half a Chance), "Elisa" and "Un amour de sorcière" all the while continuing her music career with the awesome album "Bliss."
In recent years I have managed to track down DVDs of her live concert performance "Au Zenith" as well as DVDs of the excellent thriller "Une Chance Sur Deaux" and enjoyable "Un amour de sorcière." Yet, "Noce Blanche" seemed to evade me for several years.
Released in 1989 Paradis plays a parent-less, troubled, moody, but very smart 17-year-old student Mathilde Tessier who rarely shows up for class. The haggard 49-year-old philosophy professor François Hainaut (played by Bruno Cremer) takes an interest in her and resolves to tutor her.
Finally, and inevitably the two embark on an affair (understandably François is unable to resist Mathilde) and go to great lengths to keep it a secret from both François' wife and the school. Some may find it unrealistic that Mathilde would fall for François, but in the teacher she finds someone who cares for her and is willing to help her. Finally François decides to stay with his wife, much to the chagrin of Mathilde. The movie examines a range of emotions from anger, jealousy and love, and it is expertly scripted and directed by Jean-Claude Brisseau with incredible performances from both Paradis and Cremer all accompanied by a beautiful and at times haunting score.
Now, it may sound like a French version of "Fatal Attraction" but I will take "Noce Blanche" anyday. Not just because of the presence of Paradis, but the dour manner in which the proceedings are undertaken, and the incredible cinematography that include the shot of daylight streaming in over Paradis' body that was so provocative and memorable that it was the cover shot for the U.S. VHS release.
Of course there is a lot of nudity and the sight of a topless Vanessa Paradis makes this a worthwhile purchase anyway but Paradis really enlivens the film and turns in an impressive performance.
Recommended.

I was in middle school when this movie came out. It was 1981 and I had saved up my pocket money to pay for the bus ride into the city and the admission for a matinee to a movie that seemed so exciting and lively to me.
I had read the book 'The Game of X' by Robert Sheckley as well as the adaptation of the movie and imagined every scene in my head as I had gone through it. The movie was everything a young boy could have hoped for - a rollicking, comedic adventure with a very beautiful female Russian agent (Carrera) and a sinister KGB chief (played by Oliver Reed).
The only problem I have with this movie is the miscasting of Michael Crawford as Woody Wilkins, the cartoonist who helps out a friend of his at the CIA office in Paris. Englishman Crawford puts on the most exaggerated American accent imagineable, although admittedly he has the brilliant comedic timing necessary to pull off this role.
The CIA in France has a problem. They need a civilian to act as a courier to Istanbul. Of course Woody gets the job, but right from the start it's obvious he is taking his role just a little too seriously. By the time he arrives to meet his KGB contact in Turkey he has fully assumed the role of his cartoon creation - top CIA agent and superhero Condorman.
Barbara Carrera (who two years later would get to play a Bond girl - the very movies this one attempts to lampoon) plays KGB agent Natalia. Later, when she makes the decision to defect, the impressive Condorman comes to mind as the only CIA agent she will trust to handle her defection.
The only problem is the CIA does not have an agent with the codename Condorman.
What follows is an adventure filled race across Europe with enough gadgets to fill several Bond movies. There is some great car chases (performed by legendary French stunt driver Remy Julienne and his 16-man crew of drivers and mechanics), boat chases and along the way Crawford sports some of the most outrageous disguises in cinema history. It's all great fun and it's executed perfectly.
For high flying escapist entertainment they don't come much more downright enjoyable than this.
Recommended for all dreamers.

One of my favorite movies with Tom Selleck as a pilot and a very appealing, sexy Bess Armstrong as a spoilt heiress. Love it!

I saw this movie many years ago on television.
It's a 1984 movie that was inspired by the disappearance of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's son in a trans-Sahara rally, Brooke Sheilds plays Dale who enrolls in a trans-Africa auto race following the death of her father before being abducted by an Arabian sheik.
Directing the movie is Andrew V. McLaglen who also directed some other very entertaining adventure movies such as THE WILD GEESE, THE SEA WOLVES and one of my all-time favorite action adventure movies FFOLKES (Known as NORTH SEA HIJACK in Europe).
This movie seems lost between trying to appeal to both the RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK crowd and the Harlequin romantic drama fans and is somewhat successful on both counts,. Still some great imagery and beautiful photography are the definite high points in addition to a very appealing looking Sheilds.
Leave your brain at the door and sit back for some good old fashioned popcorn choming fun. I really do like this adventure romance movie. Plus its great to see Sir John Mills in one of his later roles.

Before she was the famous super sex-symbol that she has blossomed into, Lindsay Lohan was first introduced to movie audiences in this light hearted 1998 remake of the Disney classic.
Let me preface this review by saying that I saw this version first before I caught the remake. As I understand it that is critical to the appreciation of this movie - ie you'll prefer whichever version you saw first
I really loved this movie, it contained just enough light touches and humor without getting in the way of the character interplay. The premise is familiar to most by now and so I will not go into specifics, in this update we find an English girl and a Californian girl meeting at a New England summer camp and, after some humorous hijinks becoming friends and then realizing they are twins.
I saw this about four times in the movie theater and seem to end up drawm back to it about once a week. It joins the ranks of a very few select number of movies (1980s FLASH GORDON and NORTH SEA HIJACK come to mind) that I can watch over and over again.
I find it funny, chatming, delightful and one of those movies that gives me those nice warm fuzzy feelings all over. It also features a pretty good toe-tapping soundtrack which manages to combine modern hits (for 1998 at least) with the tried and true classics.
I would recommend this movie to anyone.

This is my personal favorite of the Roger Moore 007 movies so I was looking forward to the DVD to see what sort of commentary would be provided to go along with it. Here we are treated ti Producer Micheal Wilson, Designer Ken Adam and writer Chrostopher Wood recounting their memories of the movie in a screen-specific commentary. Added to this is a lengthy "Making of...." feature (over 40 minutes) that all in all combines to make this a movie that belongs in everyones DVD library. The movie iteself is intriguing with very satisfying action scenes, humor and the most beautiful actress ever to grace the movie screen - Barbara Bach...
The movie really has it all and we learn before the main titles that this is going to be a very different 007 movie from the ones that preceded it. In 1977 audiences rose to their feet to cheer what is still one of the most amazing stunts in motion picture history. Accompanied by a disco beat (that I like) Bond leaves the cabin of one of the EON series' sexiest femme fatales, is pursued by Russian assassins and then ski's off a mountain-top, apparently to his death. But no a parachute opens and our hero glides effortlessly across our screen and into the waiting hands of the main titles - perfect.
I've never been a fan of Bond in the main titles and this is unfortunately the one that started this trend. My favorite main title sequences are those in which 007 does not appear.
The sequence at the submarine base introduces us to a couple of recurring characters, first is Minster Frederick Gray and then Admiral Hargreaves (who would later be promoted to the position of M). These are two welcome additions and Gray's appearance in particular would help the series four years later when the series lost Bernard Lee.
We also are introduced to Gen. Gogol as head of the KGB. Gogol would return in each of the successive movies until 1987's THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS when actor Walter Gotell's health had deteriorated to such an extent that his part was rewritten to a mere cameo, while the chunk of his scenes went to John Rhys-Davies.
What follows is a mix of action (the car chase, battle inside the Liparus and train fight stand out), drama (confrontation in the hotel room in particular) and Moore getting to be ruthless (dispatching Sandor from the rooftop - "What a helpful chap.") Of course any review of the movie would be remiss not to mention the introduction of Jaws.
Jaws is a killing machine who, although clumsy, does not think twice about murdering his prey.
Many fans are admirers of Caroline Munro in this picture. For me, the main thing I like about her appearances are the looks it illicits from Bach's Amasova - are those flickers of jealousy?
Really, everything comes together perfectly, the perfect girl, some of the best action and drama, great locations and all the while Moore's great humor, it is in this movie that he delivers one of my all-time favorite 007 lines - "All those feathers and he still couldn't fly!"

There wasn't much further 007 could go as far as sci-fi wizardry and fantastic characters after the cartoonish MOONRAKER that had seen James Bond propelled into space.
What was called for was a `back to basics' approach that emphasized realism, exotic locations, less gadgetry, down to earth villains and a return to the ruthlessness that Roger Moore had exhibited in movies such as THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN and THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. What better way for the filmakers to return Bond to his roots than to tap into original Fleming source material.
Taking characters and situations from not only the Fleming novel FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, but also the keel-hauling sequence from LIVE AND LET DIE writers Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson wove together a complex and enticing cold war spy drama that included some of the staple setpieces underwater and on the slopes that had served the character so well in the past.
As the late John Brosnan noted in his review of the movie this production is essentially one long chase, but in the one solitary tip of the hat to the fantastic plots of the previous two movies, here the stakes could not be higher. Those stakes are the fate of all the British nuclear missiles in the polaris fleet. Forget the kidnapping of a few nuclear warheads in previous movies, here the balance of nuclear brinksmanship is at risk and ultimately the fate of the world.
This movie sports several of my favorite characters from the entire EON canon. Topol plays a brilliant, amiable Greek smuggler named Columbo and the good natured trust and friendship between him and Roger Moore's James Bond is clearly evident in every scene they share together. Noted British television actor Julian Glover plays Greek mercenary and chief villain Kristatos and I love the understated mannerisms and menace that literally oozes from every line. The movie also has one of the series most beautiful women with the appealing Carole Bouquet and this particular Bond fan had a huge crush on Lynn Holly Johnson who portrayed the chipper Bibi Dahl. Add these elements together and place it against the backdrop of the Italian Alps and the Adriatic and you have one of the best entries in the series.

You really cannot go wrong with any movie that stars Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Barbara Bach and Edward Fox and this movie - although blasted by the critics upon its release really is a great war movie.
Many saw this as a dissapointment due to its attachment to the Guns of Navarone, but if it is taken up on its own merits then one can see that this is really nothing more than a fun movie for funs sake, no serious character studies here and the movie is all the better for it.
Bond fans will notice a number of actors in this movie that had already occupied roles in the Bond franchise or would go on to appesar in the series. In addition to Shaw (from "From Russia With Love") and Bach (who was fresh off playing the Russian spy Anya Amasova in "The Spy Who Loved Me") and Edward Fox (who would go on to play M in the rogue 007 movie "Never Say Never Again") there is also Bach's co-star from "The Spy Who Loved Me" Richard Kiel, who was riding high as somewhat of a cultural icon (hey, he appeared in a Shredded Wheat TV commercial) after playing Jaws.
I suppose the Bond connection is most apparent in the choice of director with "Goldfinger"'s director Guy Hamilton handling the honors.
The plot of the movie is also very different from the MacLean book, but some good Boy's Own adventure. Shaw plays Mallory (yes the same character that Gregory Peck played in the original) and he and Fox's character (who was played by David Niven in the original) are sent into Yugoslavia to identify and kill a traitor from the first movie. So, they hop a ride along with Force 10 (headed by Ford's character) who are headed to the same location with the mission of destroying a key, strategic bridge. Of coursre things do not go entirely to plan, and soon the action begins to come thick and fast.
A movie that would get a lot more respect if it didn't have the name "Navarone" attached to it.

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When Harry Met Sally for teens, November 8, 2004


Misery loves company. I became addicted to this quirky, somewhat surreal romantic comedy when a long term relationship of mine ended. To watch Freddie Prinze Jr. and Claire Forlani as long-time friends navigate through the minefield of failed relationships and teen angst only to eventually consider getting together themselves seemed like the perfect anecdotal medecine to relieve what I was going through at that time. Yes, it's ultimately a funny and touching drama that taps into that need for comfortable feel good stories to put the sparkle back into life. Really, it bears more than a striking resemblance to WHEN HARRY MET SALLY in both structure and themes. (Is it a surprise they are both favorites of mine).
Ultimately my favorite part of the movie is the first half. The movie starts with a young Ryan and Jennifer meeting for the first time on a plane from New York to Los Angeles. Their encounter remains so memorable that five years later Ryan recognizes Jennifer during a football game. As luck would have it the two also eventually end up both in college at Berkeley and bump into each other in a series of When-Harry-Met-Sally-esque encounters over a number of years.
Prinze definitely plays against type here, he doesn't play a hotshot high school football star but instead Ryan is a difficult, unsure teen attempting to make his way through an engineering degree and Forlani is the confident, assured college girl who has no trouble getting dates, but is unable to maintain any long-term commitment.
Providing possibly his funniest performance is Jason Biggs (of American Pie fame) who plays Ryans college roommate Hunter (well that's not his real name but he feels it sounds better when picking up girls). From his introduction - getting stuck in a storage case to his eventual success in the girl department - his all too rare screen moments provide some great humor and lend a certain charm to the movie giving it an edge over the adult movie that so clearly inspired it.
I've seen this movie numerous times, its one of my guilty pleasures that speaks to me on so many levels.
Incidently if you have seen this movie on television the chances are that you have not seen it all. I have seen "Boys and Girls" shredded to bits on network tv.

Cruelly drubbed by many reviewers for folklore inaccuracies (Robin Hood's daughter is of noble blood etc), blatent historical inaccuracies (revealed in the final reel) and the Disney-fied vision of medieval life. This movie (originally made for television) is actually well worth a look and really not all that bad if taken for what it is (a fantasy re-imagining of the what if the good hearted English outlaw Robin Hood had a daughter who followed in her fathers footsteps). With some great acting - especially from Malcolm McDowell as the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham and rising Hollywood star Keira (King Arthur, Pirates of the Caribbean) Knightley as the title character Gwyn.
Revolving around the attempts of Robin Hood (and subsequently Gwyn) to safely transport King Richards illegitimate son Phillip to London in an effort to thwart Prince John's designs on the English throne. The movie has enough action to keep the young ones happy and enough drama and romance to make it a diverting picture for the adults.

The year 1940 was a grim one for Britain. With their backs up against the wall they were the lone country in Western Europe still resisting the onslaught of Nazi Germany. Many felt that German victory was a foregone conclusion and after appealing for peace with the island nation Hitler unleashed the luftwaffe on the country in an effort to pave the way for an eventual land invasion.
Outnumbering the British in the number of aircraft the Germans began bombing airfields in Britain in an attempt to immobilize the beleaguered Royal Air Force. In this battle for the skies the British pilots, the Free French and Polish exiles stood together and faced off the threat in heroic style.
Produced by Harry Saltzman, one of the men behind the James Bond movies and directed by Guy Hamiltom (who had performed a similar chore for Saltzman on "Goldfinger") the movie features a veritable who's who cast of British stars. Joining Michael Caine, Robert Shaw, Harry Andrews, Edward Fox, Ralph Richardson, Trevor Howard and Laurence Olivier was Canadian star Christopher Plummer and German actor Curt Jurgens (who would go on later to play a Bond villain).
Based loosely on the book "Dual of Eagles" Hamilton directs "Battle of Britain" with his usual flair and the colors are vivid.
"Battle of Britain" has been applauded for its accuracy. In short it is a triumph of sixties World War II filmmaking.

I saw this movie a long time ago on British TV and have often wondered if I had just imagined how good it was. But, seeing it again on cable it has all the magic that I remember and also the gorgeous Lesley-Anne Down.
The movie centers around the search for a stolen mummy and leads Down as archealogist Erica Barron into danger as she enters a world of corruption, smuggling and murder. The shots of Egypt are simply breathtaking and the movie serves up a generous portion of suspense from Erica attempting to flee a team of assassins towards the beginning of the movie to attempting to evade capture after escaping from a crypt in the second half of the picture.
Adding to the superb calibre of this movie are a number of very recognizable faces. In addition to Frank Langella (who had played the title role in DRACULA just a couple of years previous) to John Rhys-Davies (who would go on to play Sallah in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK) there is also Sir John Gielgud (who was perhaps best known to American audiences at that time as the butler in ARTHUR).
The movie actually opens in a prelude to the main story. We are in ancient Egypt and a group of thieves are attempting to break into the tomb of one of the Pharoah's. Captured, they meet terrible fates.
Fast forward to the 20th century and we meet Baron, who is writing a paper on the man who captures the thieves in the prelude, the advisor to Pharoah Seti 1 of the 19th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt.
Upon arrival in Egypt she is shown a rare statue of Pharoah Seti 1 by Gielgud's character (Abdu-Hamdi) before he is brutally murdered.
Nobody is quite as they seem and the game of trying to sort out true allegiences will keep you guessing to the closing minutes.
Highly recommended.

Vastly superior to its rather lackluster sequel ALLAN QUATERMAIN AND THER LOST CITY OF GOLD (which was actually filmed back-to-back with this production), this entertaining and fun loving tribute (or some might say rip-off) of the Indiana Jones movies benefits (unlike its follow-up) by the sure hand and capable direction of veteran J. Lee Thompson (of the original GUNS OF NAVARONE) and a suberp supporting cast that includes the always entertaining and eminently watchable John Rhys-Davies and Herbert Lom as the two main villains, a Turkish slaver and a World War I era German Colonel respectively.
Based very loosely on the classic H. Rider Haggard adventure novel of the same name, this movie features Richard Chamberlain as adventurer Allan Quaterman who is recruited by the sexy and gorgeous Jessie Huston (played by a pre-famous Sharon Stone) to rescue her father who has fallen into the villains hands in attempt to locate the fabled King Solomon's mines.
What follows is a fast paced, fun and thoroughly entertaining adventure with some eye popping stunts and some truly cheesy special effects.
No matter though, this movie promises high adventure and entertaining escapism. Movie fans will have fun spotting references to other movies of the 1980s from the Indiana Jones adventures to 1983s FOOTLOOSE and that movies game of unintentional chicken.
I was one of the (evidently) few who actually made it to see this movie in the theaters on its release in 1985 and one who instantly picked it up on VHS. Of course when the DVD was released in February of this year I was there to instantly pick it up. Still fun after almost 20 years.

In 1999 director Steven Sommers presented the hit movie THE MUMMY to movie audiences (which opened to an amazing weekend take of $43 million May 7th). With so much success a sequel THE MUMMY RETURNS (2001) was inevitable.
Sommers, a big fan of the classic Universal monster/horror movies made the movie as a homage to the earlier Universal movies and in 2004 he paid tribute to the other staples of the genre -Wolfman, Dracula and Frankenstein's monster - all in one movie. The movie VAN HELSING even had Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde in a cameo role at the outset of the movie fighting famed monster hunter Van Helsing - portrayed by Hollywood star Hugh Jackman.
Ignore what you may have read or heard about the movie, it's a thrill ride of a rollercoaster of a movie that owes more than a tip of the hat to both the Indiana Jones and James Bond franchises. The movie never lets up, traveling along at breakneck speed right to its tumultuous, suspenseful, wrist-clenching climax.
The movie opens in 1887 and follows legendary vampire hunter Gabriel Van Helsing as he travels to the mysterious land of Transylvannia - home to his most famed opponent Count Dracula and a land that has been overrun by werewolves and vampires.
Prior to his departure we have a scene unabashedly influenced by the Q-scenes from the James Bond series. Equipped with such `futuristic' weaponry and gadgets as an automatic `machine gun' style crossbow, Van Helsing, with comic relief Carl (played by David Wenham) as his bumbling assistant in tow, heads to investigate the reports coming out of eastern Europe.
Upon arrival Van Helsing meets Anna Valerious (played by the impossibly gorgeous Kate Beckinsale). Valerious is the last member of a family that is under a curse that can only be broken by the death of Dracula. After some initial mistrust Valerious realizes that Van Helsing shares her goal of defeating the evil count and the two enter into an alliance.
I admit that my initial interest in the movie was sparked by the involvement of Beckinsale. A fan of the British actress since I noticed her alongside Clare Danes in BROKEDOWN PALACE, I have enjoyed a number of her movies (SEREDIPITY and UNDERWORLD) and had to endure some terrible movies (PEARL HARBOR and TIPTOES). Thankfully VAN HELSING falls squarely in the positive column and ranks unquestionably as my favorite Beckinsale movie to date. She gives an excellent and stirring performance as a determined fighter of the monsters that inhabit her land.
Opposing Van Helsing, Carl and Valerious is one of the all-time best screen portrayals of Dracula in Richard Roxburgh. Roxburgh is simply superb and steals every scene he is in with his deliciously evil rockstar take on the character. Aiding Dracula are his three vampire brides (Josie Maran, Silvia Colloca and Elena Anaya) who fly around the country doing his bidding - the interplay between the three I found to be constantly entertaining. Also under the spell of the count is Wolf man (Will Kemp), a character Van Helsing has sworn to kill, but one which causes some emotional drama for Valerious and an interesting subplot for the movie.
With a budget of $148 million, Universal really threw a lot of effort into this movie and it shows. A total of 980 special effects accompanies some well honed action scenes, amazing stunts and sumptious costume design in a movie that really delivers the goods. It's an incredible trip that will leave you breathless until the end credits roll.
This movie was criticized widely for its improbable script. Yes, it's a B-movie script but then it is supposed to be. It's a homage to the black and white Universal classics. That's what you go expecting to see, only with updated special effects and a larger budget. In those respects this movie is a triumph. Sit back and enjoy and remember those wonderful Lon chaney and Bela Lugosi movies of yesteryear. This movie isn't one that works if you try to overthink it. It's fun and played to be fun.
Delivering possibly two of their best performances is Jackman and Beckinsale and I really felt a chemistry between the stars, easily more so than Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in the two MUMMY movies. Sommers sets his story against a spectacular scenic backdrop that worked for me as far more breathtaking than the desert vistas of Sommers most famous earlier work.
VAN HELSING is an achievement and my favorite movie of 2004.

I had never heard of this movie when it was released, but given my interest in the original "Highlander" (which Russell Mulcahy also directed), a like of the Sommers Mummy movies and an appreciation of Christopher Lee movies I decided to give 1999s TALE OF THE MUMMY a chance.
I am glad I did! This movie was not at all scary but like the Sommers original MUMMY movie a lot of fun with a good dose of suspense, intrigue and (something the other movie lacked) a great twist in the end.
Actually, in some respects I prefer this Jason Scott Lee fantasy adventure horror suspense movie.
Firstly in addition to the prelude which includes the Lee cameo, there were a number of recognizable names from British cinema - notably Honor Blackman, Jack Davenport and Sean Pertwee.
The movie lacked the flashy special effects of its more famous counterpart, but what it lacked in effects it more than makes up for in plot and real suspense. In many ways it is a superior movie with some great performances by all the principals - including the very beautiful Louise Lombard (who I felt bore a striking resemblance to Amanda Tapping of STARGATE SG-1 fame). Jack Davenport (often mentioned in fan circles as a possible replacement for Pierce Brosnan for the part of 007) also made an impression as a English detective attempting to solve a series of grisly murders in the British capital.
The story begins in 1940 with an expedition to Egypt. Sir Richard Turkel (Lee) is excited to hear that after nine months of digging, an entrance has been discovered to a tomb. Moments later however it is up to Turkel to sacrifice his own life in a (successful) attempt to seal off the tomb for (he hopes) all eternity.
Skip forward 59 years (it's never explained why it took over half a century) and Sir Richard's granddaughter Sam Turkel (Lombard) is on the verge of entering the tomb first discovered by her illustrious ancestor. The tomb we learn is that of Talos, a Greek religious cult leader who was sent into exile for practicing dark magic, and who subsequently found a new home in the Pharoah's Egyptian court.
The finds are transported back to London where they are put on display at the British Museum. Then, after what is believed to be a "break-in" a series of paticularly gruesome murders begin across the city.
The murder mystery is an interesting element in this movie, something that is missing from the Fraser-Weisz vehicle that was playing to packed theaters that summer. In fact, without giving too much away it's interesting how this mystery develops in the closing moments of TALE OF THE MUMMY.
Overall, I found this a very entertaining and enjoyable movie that should satisfy not only fantasy horror fans, but also mystery fans. Highly underrated it makes good use of location shooting and offers strong production values and an intelligent, engaging plot. You may not have heard of TALE OF THE MUMMY before but one things for sure - you will not soon forget it.
Recommended.

To me the definitive Hercule Poirot will always be Peter Ustinov, but in 1974 Albert Finney tackled the role in this excellent adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name and the movie continues to this day as one of my very favorite whodunnit's - thank goodness it is finally making its way to DVD.
Starring a cast that is simply incredible this movie set the standard for the Ustinov star studded movies that would follow (starting with 1978's DEATH ON THE NILE). Included on the list of stars are such names as Sean Connery, Jacqueline Bisset, Sir John Gielgud, Richard Widmark, Vanessa Redgrave, Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Perkins.
Aboard the Orient Express a businessman (played by Widmark) with a mysterious past is murdered in the middle of the night. Desperate to resolve the matter before they arrive at the next major stop on the line (to avoid a lengthy police investigation) Hercule Poirot is persuaded by an executive for the train company to begin his own investigation. An avalanche over the line gives Poirot plenty of time to interview all the passengers and make his conclusions as to the guilty party (or parties).
When Finney's Poirot faces off with the fellow passengers and describes his account of how the murder was committed and by whom you will be amazed - astounded. It's this very element and the star power of this movie that carries this intriguing mystery far above the standard whodunnit fare.
The movie is well plotted, the acting beyond reproach and the direction steady and inspired. MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS is a triumph in every respect, and when you consider it takes it's story from the worlds most read and respected mystery author it's not difficult to see why.

With Steven Spielberg in the producing chair it should come as no real susprise that 1985s YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES as a definite Indiana Jones influence to it - most specifically Spielberg's most recent entry (at that time) into the popular frnachise INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM. Nowhere is this more evident than in the ancient hidden temple setting where our young heroes uncover much of the villains evil plot.
For a Sherlockian the movie is a curious anomaly, but incredibly entertaining. We know from the books of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that Dr. Watson met Sherlock Holmes when both were in adulthood, yet this movie poses the irresistible `what-if' they had met earlier when both were in boarding school.
As one would expect with a movie from Spielberg's Amblin company, this movie is very colorful and filed with dazzling special effects - courtesy of Industrial Light and Magic. The plot essentially takes a back seat to the fun of spotting Holmesian references, watching his already developing deductive intellect solving puzzles and rooting for a bittersweet, blossoming romance between Holmes (played by Nicholas Rowe of LA FEMME MUSKETEER) and Elizabeth (Sophie Ward).
For what it's worth the central plot involves a poisoned darts, hallucinations, DaVinci inventions, a strange Egyptian religious cult and a mysterious secret several distinguished men have kept buried for years. It all makes for some very Spielbergesque style adventure entertainment that director Barry (RAIN MAN) Levinson manages to weave into an enjoyable and intriguing movie.
Sherlockian purists will likely find this premise hard to swallow, but as a diehard fan of the Great Detective, I for one had a great time with this movie.
Unquestionably the chracterization of Watson is influenced more by the Rathbone-Bruce movies of the 1930s and 1940s than Conan Doyles novels with this movie featuring Alan Cox in the part of the future doctor, a role he handles well with warmth and good humor.
Also of note in this movie is some wonderful period costumes and impressive sets.
With doses of mystery, fantasy, intrigue and adventure this movie is easy to recommend, not only for Sherlockians but for those of us who simply enjoy good, solid, fun movies.

Novelist Alistair MacLean, whose normal area of expertise is World War II thrillers such as "Where Eagles Dare" and "The Guns of Navarone", took a break from his wartime suspense novels to write an American western.
Here Charles Bronson plays a mysterious man held captive on board a train rolling through the bleak winter wilderness towards Breakheart Pass. Accused of a crime, all is not as it seems for Bronson's character Deacon, is he really a criminal or an undercover agent? With gun runners, government agents, deceitful officials and Indians, this action thriller really thrills and one could do worse than watch this on a rainy afternoon.
Highly recommended.

Among the selections of movies in the excellent Sherlock Holmes reference book `Sherlock Holmes on Screen: The Complete Film and TV History' by Alan Barnes is this 1986 Disney concoction that is equal part musical, comedy, thriller, suspense and children's movie. In fact, as Barnes points out, this feature has many more Holmesian elements than many live action movies that happen to have the character Sherlock Holmes among its cast list.
Indeed this clever animated movie owes a great deal to its literary roots and is based on Eve Titus' book `Basil of Baker Street.'
Living underneath the apartment of the famous Sherlock Holmes at 221 Baker Street is a mouse named Basil. Shaped primarily on the Rathbone interpretation of the character, Basil is the most famous detective in all of mousedom and is determined to track down his evil nemesis Prof. Ratigan (wonderfully played with obvious relish by Vincent Price).
Basil's chance comes when he is approached by the daughter of a kidnapped toymaker named Flaversham. Initially uninspired and uninterested in the girls search for her abducted father Basil becomes decidedly more interested when she reveals that one of those responsible is a bat with a peg leg.
The bat is a known as a henchman for Ratigan and soon Basil races off into another adventure to chase down the evil genius.
The animation in the movie is top notch, the songs lively and the humor - well funny, but where this movie falters a little is in pace. I would say it is just a little too long and slower paced than I expected. It's a very satisfying movie certainly, and a `must-own' for Sherlock Holmes fans (Basil Rathbone's voice is even heard in one scene), but there are moments where it seems to drag and other moments where you wish the characters would stop singing and just get on with developing the plot.
Great fun for the kids and people who are still a kid at heart.

In the 1960s it seemed to be all the fashion for a host of big name actors to appear in World War II movies. From THE LONGEST DAY to THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, THE DIRTY DOZEN, THE GREAT ESCAPE and BATTLE OF BRITAIN every big name actor made his appearance in big epic war pictures commemorating a war that, at that time, was still fresh in the memories of many.
From the extremely realistic (as much as Hollywood will allow) such as THE LONGEST DAY, BATTLE OF BRITAIN and (to a lesser extent) THE GREAT ESCAPE to the more Hollywood-ized versions of the war represented by THE GUNS OF NAVARONE and THE DIRTY DOZEN the quality of the movies was unquestionably epic in nature with varying degrees of historical accuracy.
Somewhere in-between the examples above falls BATTLE OF THE BULGE (1965) which purports to illustrate the events of the winter of 1944 in which the Nazi powers sought to separate the American frontlines from their supplies and reinforcements. The movie works well as far as mindless action entertainment and we have some truly great performances by Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw, Telly Savalas and Charles Bronsan, but it seems as though the script writers threw the history books in the trash and decided to write the battle as they would have liked it to have played out.
The result is some truly shocking historical inaccuracies. Firstly, the movie suggests that the Germans were running low on fuel and were desperate to capture Allied fuel depots. In fact the Nazi's had enough fuel for the offensive but suffered due to supply lines that were constantly being bombed by Alied aircraft.
The Malmedy Massacre is portrayed here as an organized slaughter of American GI's. In fact, this was not the case. The massacre certainly happened, but it was more of a spontaneous affair.
Another historical inaccuracy is in the portrayal of the German armor. The movie gives the impression that the assault was carried out exclusively with King Tiger tanks when in fact many more Panzer tanks were utilized in the offensive. Germany it appears did not have an overabundance of King Tigers.
Compounding the movies historical difficulties is the creation by the movie makers of characters to lead the German and American divisions. Most blatently obvious is the character of Col. Hessler (played by Robert Shaw). In fact the officer in charge was a Col. Joachim Peiper. The movie makers also created a fictional character - Lt. Col. Kiley - for Henry Fonda and a Gen. Grey for Robert Ryan and totally ignores the role of Gen. Patton in the struggle.
Where the movie gets it right is in the Battle of Bastogne, the use of English-speaking German special forces behind Alied lines to mess up logistics and the fact that the American forces were hopelessly overextended.
However, if you are not looking for a history lesson and instead would just like a comic-strip style action movie, then you can do a lot worse. Growing up and seeing this movie on television I found it exciting and exhirating. Taking top honors in the acting department is Robert Shaw as the cold and grittily determined Hessler. The scenes between him and his subordinate Cpl. Conrad (played by Hans Christian Blech) show the deep conflict in 1940s-era Germany between the fanatical Nazi's determined to carry on the fight and the regular citizenry who, although patriotic, wished only for an end to the conflict. The scenes are poignant and revealing and represent some of the best scenes in the movie.
Overall this movie is flawed, but its still enjoyable and thought provoking.

Among the current crop of female child actresses already or about to turn into hot properties for their impressive talent and major sex symbols for their knock-out looks is Amanda Bynes. Its an impressive class that includes the names Keira Knightley, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff and Kristen Bell. But Bynes is one actress who has already reached television stardom through her shows "The Amanda Show" and "What I Like About You" and at the age of 16 she traveled to Europe to appear in a movie appropriately titled "American Girl."
Before it was released (in early 2003) its title had been changed to "What a Girl Wants" and I sat there in a movie theater knowing little about it. I knew it had been filmed in my home country and starred Colin Firth who had been so good in "Bridget Jones' Diary," I came away impressed by the comic timing and the looks of an actress that would obviously in years-to-come set movie screens on fire.
"What a Girl Wants" is at its heart a story about a girl searching to find herself. Bynes plays Daphne Reynolds and her mother Libby is played by Mrs. John Travolta (Kelly Preston). The two live in New York City and Daphne spends her time helping out at weddings where her mother is a singer and longing to know a father she has never met. It is observing the father-daughter dance at one of these weddings (where the filmakers used real fathers and daughters) that our hearts go out to Daphne and she determines a drastic plan of action - traveling to London and confronting her absent father.
The movie has it all - heart, laughter, suspense, romance. Its culture clash theme has been done before and better (Crocodile Dundee for example) but we have so much emotion invested in Daphne's plight that we cannot help but become engrossed in this movie.
Jonathon Pryce proves that his villainous turn in "Tomorrow Never Dies" was no fluke by pulling out a great performance here as the political advisor of Daphne's father (Firth). Thing is, Firth's character -Henry - is running for political office and Pryce sees Daphne as a liability to his boss' career and her presence an obstacle to his becoming father-in-law to the wealthy and politically powerful Henry.

Director John McTiernan has had a checkered past as a movie maker. He has made some of the best movies to come out of Hollywood in recent years (`Die Hard' and `The Thomas Crown Affair') and yet he is also the one responsible for some of the worst big budget productions (`The 13th Warrior,' `Nomads' and `The Last Action Hero'). Thankfully for fans of the Tom Clancy novel on which `The Hunt for Red October' is based, this movie falls into the first category.
Sometime in the early 1980s I was looking through novels in the local bookstore searching for that one elusive book that would make a great birthday present for my mother. I came across a work by an author I had never heard of, and a novel that sounded as if it had an interesting `Firefox-like' plot. The author was Tom Clancy and the novel was `The Hunt for Red October.'
Fast forward several years and in 1990 Paramount Pictures released the Sean Connery/Alec Baldwin starring adaptation of the novel. The movie was a triumphant success, even given its longer than usual running time and its lack of real action (most of the actual action occurs in the final moments of the film). What held the movie together, and kept the viewers rapt attention, was the simply incredible acting and presence of Sean Connery as Soviet sub captain Marko Ramius and the building suspense and tension that pervades the well structured plot.
The plot centers on the plan by Ramius to, with the help of some fellow crewmembers, to defect to the United States, taking with him the newest sub in the Russian fleet - the Red October (named after the October revolution. The Red October is capable of running silent with a new propulsion system that makes it almost invisible to sonar. The Russians launch a mission to destroy the submarine and even tell the Americans that Ramius is a rogue in an attempt to elicit their help in sinking the ship.
The one American who doesn't believe the Russian story is CIA analyst Jack Ryan (played in this movie by Alec Baldwin). Having met Ramius previously and studied him he suspects the true intention of the Soviet captain. He must convince his bosses and eventually an American sub captain (played wonderfully by Scott Glenn) to trust him and give Ramius a chance.
Taut and at times nerve wrenching (the blind timed navigating through the underwater trenches), the `Hunt for Red October' is simply one of the best techno-thrillers to come out of Hollywood in the past two decades. Sticking fairly close to the Clancy novel, McTiernan keeps building the pressure and ratcheting up of the stakes until an explosive final confrontation off the Labrador coast.

Based on the character originally envisioned by British author Sax Rohmer, Christopher Lee made a total of five appearances in the 1960s as arch villain Fu Manchu. This entry (the first in the series) is by far the best, closely followed by the second `Brides of Fu Manchu.'
What makes this entry so enjoyable is the wonderful Nigel Green as Fu Manchu's greatest nemesis - Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard. In fact it is in the opening minutes of this movie that we see Smith invited by the Chinese government to witness the execution of Fu Manchu.
Fast forward a couple of months and Smith is sturdy in his belief that Fu Manchu survived and is behind a series of grisly crimes in western Europe. Then when a professors servant is found murdered in the same manner in which Fu Manchu's followers had practiced, Smith becomes even more convinced that he is up against the evil genius.
Through a series of machinations Smith learns that the professor has been kidnapped by Fu Manchu and is being forced to make a toxin that could wipe out most of the western world. Of course (in a plot device also used in the following `Brides of Fu Manchu') the professors daughter has also been captured and is being used to comply the professor to complete his task.
Directed with skill by Don Sharp this movie is fast-paced enough to overlook the plot holes and colorful enough to keep the fun factor umpped up to the ultimate degree. It's a visual feast and the movie is also helped by a tight script and some well drawn characters. I grew up watching these movies on British television and my memories did not disappoint me.
Also notable is the inclusion of one-time Bond girl Karin (You Only Live Twice) Dor ho turns in a strong performance as the professors daughter.
This is an ultimate Saturday afternoon movie to be watched relaxed in a recliner with a bag of popcorn in one hand and a soda in the other, all the while reveling in every outlandish moment.

For fans of Kate Beckinsale the movie "Haunted" is certainly a guilty pleasure - why guilty, not because it's a bad movie but simply because the young British actress has more nudity in this picture than in all her other movies combined.
Two years prior to this movie Beckinsale has her first topless scene in the movie "Uncovered," and here she throws all caution to the wind - along with most of her clothes. It's a somewhat uncharacteristically scary movie from Lewis Gilbert, the man who gave us some of the silliest James Bond movies such as "You Only Live Twice" and "Moonraker."
In this 1996 movie the ever-watchable Aidan Quinn plays Dr. Ash, a skeptic who accepts the invitation to investigate supernatural goings-on at a creepy country estate. Once there he begins to witness some unexplainable occurrences and for those of you looking for a twist in the end of your stories - this one has a doozey. Not to give too much away, but nothing is quite as it seems and this one gives they yet-to-be-made "Sixth Sense" a run for its money in more ways than one.
Adapted from the James Herbert novel this movie is probably one of my all-time favorite haunted house tales and joining Quinn and Beckinsale are the likes of Anthony Andrews, Anna Massey and John Gielgud (in what is essentially an extended cameo). It's a brilliant gothic tale with plenty to recommend about it. I saw it with my roomies, who are all horror-movie aficionado's and they all agreed it was a good show.
Is this movie scary - yes, does it thrill - yes it does that too. Is it a good purchase - yes, and if you are a Beckinsale fan it's a definite must for your collection.

I knew I was probably making a mistake late one night when I put the DVD of WIMBLEDON in my DVD player. As a big fan of both BRIDGET JONES' DIARY and NOTTING HILL I suspected the decision would mean few hours of precious sleep before stumbling out of the house on the way to work this morning.
Yep, I sat their engrossed in the unfolding drama, and yes it meant I was still happily glued to the movie as my alarm clock slid past 2 a.m., but this movie not only met my expectations but exceeded them in all its free-spirited warm fuzzies.
The story has been done before - boy meets girl, girls father attempts to keep them apart, boy loses girl and then well - you need to watch the movie for that answer. However this movie is a winner because the backdrop (Wimbledon) provides for some nerve wrenching moments and tension and the other movies of this ilk did not star Paul Bettany (the same actor who proved great comic timing in A KNIGHT'S TALE) and Kirsten Dunst. Dunst has never particularly impressed me before and I never found her terribly attractive, yet she looks stunningly gorgeous in this movie and plays her part of the young tennis protégé to perfection.
Bettany plays the part of a has-been tennis player named Peter Colt who (after being ranked #11 in the world some years before) wins a wildcard spot at Wimbledon which he accepts as a last hurrah before taking on the tennis pro position at a snooty English social club. There he meets up with aspiring young tennis star Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst) who is competing in her first Wimbledon under the watchful eye of her father (played by Sam Neill sporting a horrible American accent).
Following a mix up over rooms and some other comic misadventures the two gradually fall in love (although neither seems ready to admit it) and as Colt's game improves and he advances further into the tournament, Lizzie's game deteriorates.
I'm not sure if I bought Bettany and Dunst as a couple, the two certainly have a chemistry and Bettany is his usual charming self, but something about it didn't quite gel for me. But this is a minor quibble because everything else works perfectly and I don't think I have ever seen tennis portrayed so dramatically on screen. The movie also features a number of tennis greats in front of the camera (including Chris Evert and John McEnroe) to add a further sense pf realism to the proceedings.

The movie SAHARA proves on indisputable fact. Most reviewers would not know entertainment if it came along and bonked them on the head. The movie, based on the novel of the same name, is high-standard entertainment that has enough drama, humor and good natured fun to fill a couple of movies. It also avoids being pretentious unlike some other big budget movies I could mention.
This movie was unfairly targeted as an Indiana Jones clone. Sure the two have obvious comparisons - both searching for historic treasure - but the reviewers fail to comprehend that Cussler was writing Dirk Pitt novels over a decade before Harrison Ford donned the fedora and cracked the whip in 1981's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.
Pitt (and sidekick) Al Giodino are modern-day adventurers whose quest to explore the deep oceans often lead them into high adventure against improbable villains. Here, the two search for a civil-era Confederate iron-clad that Pitt firmly believes is in Africa. Of course everyone around him scoffs at the notion, but Pitts belief is further reinforced when he discovers a coin from the ship.
Joining Matthew Conaughey and Steve Zahn (as Pitt and Giordino respectively) is Penelope Cruz as a World Health Organization scientist out to investigate a mysterious plague - in a role which Cussler nominated Selma Hayek for. I have always found Cruz somewhat annoying in her other roles, but here she was actually a very appealing heroine.
The three take on a multi-millionaire industrialist and a two-bit African dictator and I found the journey of getting to the climactic confrontation to be highly entertaining.
I'm personally hoping to see one of Cussler's other novels (Night Probe) make it to the screen. That always seemed to me to be the most cinematic of the adventures and hopefully McConaughey and team get to film that one.
There are a number of differences between the filmed version of SAHARA and the Cussler book:
o In the movie Pitt is an ex-Navy Seal. In the novels, Pitt is a Major in the Air Force (technically, he is still on staff, but is "on loan" to Admiral Sandecker to work at NUMA).
o Dirk and Al are no longer former Air Force officers, on loan to NUMA as marine engineers/scientists. They are now ex-Navy SEALs who work for NUMA as treasure hunters. Ruins their credibility a bit, I think.
o NUMA is no longer a massive government agency dedicated to the preservation of lost nautical craft or concerned about the aquatic environment. It is a private-run organization dedicated to locating treasure and archeologic finds in aquatic areas. However there are hints at the end of the movie that NUMA may become more tied to the government.
o In the novel, Sahara begins for our heroes when they are confronted with the threat of the accelerated red tide. Along the way, they find out about the legend of a lost Confederate ironclad. In the movie, Dirk is, right off the bat, dedicated to finding the ironclad, giving him more the image of a shallow treasure hunter. It is during his search for the ship that he helps Eva Rojas in her search for the cause of the poisoned water and the accelerated red tide.
o The Rudi Gunn of the novels is Sandecker's enigmatic right-hand man. I say enigmatic because he is short, nerdy-looking, and appears rather unintimidating. However, he is a Naval officer who had served under Sandecker, and is EXTREMELY capable of handling himself in rough situations, holding his own with Dirk and Al. The film's Rudi is just a scientist, extremely nerdy, with no military experience.
o The humor is a little more dumbed down, I thought. There were several instances where Al acted quite a bit like...well, Steve Zahn.

In what was one of the most successful and infamous deceptions of World War II British intelligence fooled the entire Nazi war machine - and all with the help of a man who never existed.
The deceptions that British intelligence pulled off prior to the D-Day landings are now well-known and well documented - from Gen. Patton being in charge of a fake army to the use of double agents. The allies were able to keep vital German panzer tanks and troops away from the Normandy beaches as Hitler kept his attention on the Calais region.
Yet even before this British intelligence scored another coup by diverting German attention away from the imminent invasion of Sicily by making the Germans believe that Greece and perhaps Sardinia were the actual targets.
They did this by creating the man who never was. Taking the body of a man whose condition could be interpreted as having died from drowning, dressing him in clothes with accompanying documentation and casting him off from a submarine just off the coast of Spain. All with the goal that the body and the vital top secrets it carried being intercepted by the Nazi's.
It was an inspired scheme and this movie, in much the same vein as the similar true-life deception movie I WAS MONTY'S DOUBLE really shines. It's thoroughly entertaining and well acted throughout.

After a six-year absence it was with breathless excitement that I sat there in a darkened movie theater at the Mall of America in Minnesota waiting for that familiar gunbarrel sequence focusing on one of my favorite television and movie actors.
What followed was a great couple of hours with the best femme fatale in a 007 movie since 1983s Fatima Blush. Famke Janssen was so much fun as Xenia that she dominated the screen in every scene in which she appeared.
Brosnan throws himself into the role with vigor. With something definitely to prove after being denied the role eight years earlier he gives a rousing and thoroughly entertaining performance as the British secret agent. Brosnan never looked better and it's only a shame that he failed to live up to his initial promise with his subsequent movies.
Judi Dench gives the series, and all the tired old-boy M-scenes of previous movies, a shot in the arm with a fresh take on the part of Bond's boss. The dialogue was crisp and crackling and although the novelty has since worn off back in 1995 it was a welcome change.
One of my favorite young British actors Sean Bean (of the Sharpe series and `Stormy Monday') appeared as the main villain. It was great to finally get a good, involving fight back in the 007 movies as the two agents threw themselves around the lofty inclines of a radio transmitter.
Which brings me to - secret villains base. It's not quite a hollowed out volcano, but hiding the transmitter under a lake was a nice touch. The actual location has since appeared in a number of movies and television shows but at the time of GOLDENEYE's release it was exciting to see a return to the world of secret villains super-lairs.
One element I really liked was the score from Eric Serra. It was fresh, different and toe tapping good. Serra thankfully used the James Bond Theme sparingly (unlike some idiots I could mention) and I really enjoyed it.
Overall a good, solid James Bond movie that allowed the viewer to have a fun, entertaing ride along with the actors.

The movie DEATH HUNT turns history on its head, but in doing so it manages to deliver an entertaining movie that details the determination of two men in a manhunt across the Canadian tundra.
Directed by James Bond veteran Peter Hunt, who after working as an editor on the first few 007 pictures was promoted to director of the fan favorite ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and went on to direct such classics as GOLD and SHOUT AT THE DEVIL.
The movie DEATH HUNT provides Hunt the opportunity to reteam with his SHOUT AT THE DEVIL star Lee Marvin. Marvin plays a world-weary Canadian Mountie who is obligated (I use that word because Marvin's character seems to feel some sympathy for his quarry) to bring in a trapper (played by a quiet brooding Charles Bronsan) who is being harassed by some local thugs.
The execution of this story is excellent, the acting first-rate and the shots of the Yukon breathtaking. Where this movie does falter is in purporting to tell history by tying in the story of the Mad Trapper of Rat River into the fabric of the story - and in doing so unraveling all the history books tell us about the real incident.
Just type in `Mad Trapper of Rat River" on an Internet search engine to learn all you want to know about the 1931 incident, but everything we know about the real incident tells us that Albert Johnson was the guilty party. But here Johnson is portrayed as an innocent man whose pursuers use the charge of his being the mad trapper as an excuse to mobolize the law enforcement resources of the Yukon to catch him.
Given that nobody to this day really knows the identity of Johnson, the filmmakers invent a rather fanciful past for him. The character Marvin plays - Millen - was also shot and killed by Johnson in a shootout midway through the chase, but in the movie DEATH HUNT Marvin's character is in the chase to the very end.
Still, taken as a piece of fiction the movie DEATH HUNT is resounding stuff. I saw it on television some years ago and was hoping it would one day be released on DVD. Hunt is an expert at building suspense and a master at drama - and DEATH HUNT have both those elements in plentiful supply.
In addition to Marvin and Bronsan the movie also features an impressive supporting cast with young heartthrob of the late 1970s/1980s Andrew Stevens as a young, eager Mountie and Carl Weathers (of Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies fame) as another weary Mountie. Add to the mix Ed Lauter and Angie Dickinsoin and the pedigree of this feature is obvious.
So, the overall verdict? This is an entertaining action adventure with plenty of suspense and drama. Just don't expect an accurate history lesson.

I was sitting with a female friend of mine looking over a selection of DVDs to check out and we came across the latest martial arts superhero flick "ELEKTRA." Turning to me and pointing at the cover shot of Jennifer Garner she said to me "Now, I'm not into girls - but she is HOT!"
And that is a major draw for this movie - that and the impressive action scenes in which Garner puts her ALIAS tv show fighting chops to practice once more in a heart pounding series of set pieces.
But the main attraction (acknowledged reluctantly by Garner herself in pre-release publicity) is Garners super-sexy physique, nicely accented by the skin-tight red outfit she wears in the movie.
Serious and thought-provoking drama this is not - but to its credit it doesn't pretend to be. Sure there is character angst on the part of Elektra dealing with the death of her mother and the inner turmoil over being assigned to kill a young girl and her father. There is a lesbian subtext most visibly illustrated by the main female villainess giving Elektra (quite literally) the kiss of death and some character struggles on the part of the father and daughter. But for the most part the entire cast realize that this is pure popcorn fodder and act accordingly.
The plot (for what it is) revolves around the title character. An assassin for hire, she is a seemingly ghost-like figure who can evade high-tech security systems to get to her prey. Then while waiting for her next assignment she befriends a precocious young girl Abby (Kirsten Prout) and her protective father (played by Goran Visnjic). Eventually the orders arrive - the targets are the two. Feeling a connection with the young girl Elektra decides to protect them and the race is on as she attempts to keep one step ahead of the mystical criminal organization known only as The Hand.
Not surprisingly the actor who impressed me the most is the venerable Terence Stamp who plays Elektra's mentor Stick, also turning in a wonderful performance is the young Prout, who steals almost every scene in which she appears.
Directed by Rob Bowman, who proved he could direct action well in the excellent modern-day dragon picture REIGN OF FIRE, this movie moves along at a fair clip and does not outstay its welcome. Its not high drama or a romantic comedy - it's a no nonsense action flick that will appeal to ALIAS fans and most alpha-males who appreciate suspenseful, tension filled action scenes and shots of Garner in navel-revealing outfits.

In 1973 Roger Moore made a smooth transition from his most famous role - that of Simon Templar - to yet another literary character who had been made famous by another actor. Whereas the Saint had been immortalized by George Sanders in a series of movies much earlier (allowing Moore to make it his own in the highly successful television series), the memory of Sean Connery as James Bond was much more recent in the publics mind so Moore had his work cut out for him.
It is hardly surprising then that "Live and Let Die" plays it relatively safe. Moore went on record as saying that he read one line detailing how Bond had to kill once, but didn't very much like it (from the novel "Goldfinger"), and took his portrayal from that. In fact in his first couple of movies Moore plays the character much closer to his television Simon Templar persona than later in the series (the producers subsequently felt it was too close to Connery's interpretation of the role). This is a sad development as Moore never really had the chance to show he could play both charming and ruthless as he had plenty of chances to portray on The Saint.
Taking one of Fleming's most controversial novels (the villains are all black) the producers were faced with a vexing problem. They overcame this by not only giving Bond a black ally, but also allowing the villains to get the better of 007 on several occasions. They also threw in a redneck sheriff as comic relief for good measure.
The movie is essentially one long chase and in a definite break with tradition we are offered up a pretitles sequence in which James Bond does not appear. In the opening we see two British agents killed by ingenious means - first a man is killed at the United Nations through use of what can only be assumed a sound weapon and a second by snakebite on the Caribbean island of San Monique. James Bond (in only the second and last time we see a glimpse of his London apartment) is assigned by M to investigate.
What follows is a chase as Bond pursues the Prime Minister of San Monique Dr. Kananga and an underworld gang leader named Mr. Big across the United States to a fiery, explosive (literally) climax in the Caribbean. On the way our interepid hero must escape from all manner of tricky situations, such as being stranded on a tiny island surrounded by crocodiles. The action highlight is most probably a boat chase half way through the movie that has probably only been bested by an even better boat chase sequence in "Puppet on a Chain."
This movie does seem to have trouble deciding if it wants to be humorous or serious and I liked the introduction of the voodoo element that makes this a very unique 007 picture.
Truth be told, the initial Bond movie by Roger Moore is a mixed bag in my book. Whereas the supporting villains are excellent, the main villain is underwhelming and his plot (flooding the US with drugs) is rather ho-hum compared to bigger plots like destruction of the world (Moonraker) or the nuclear attack of British cities (For Your Eyes Only).
Roger Moore is also still finding his way in the part and apart from a few glimmers of what he would eventually deliver, the movie and his performance seems to be on remote control.

Based on the book and directed by Michael Crichton, this enjoyable caper movie from 1979 brings together a fantastic cast in an authentic 19th century Victorian environment to tell a story based around the true story of the first great train robbery. I saw this movie many years ago on British television and have always found it enjoyable so it was an easy buy for me.
In addition to a superb Sean Connery as the suave mastermind Edward Pierce (is Connery ever NOT suave) and the always amazing Donald Sutherland as his accomplice Agar, we also have Lesley-Anne Down as Miriam. Down was a favorite actress of mine from this era with movies like "The Pink Panther Strikes Again," "Rough Cut" and "Sphinx." Here she plays Connery's lover who is not afraid to use her quite incredible feminine charms to aid Pierce character.
Joining the three leads are such well known faces as British television celebrity Michael Elphick (as the railway guard who aids Pierce and Agar); Pamela Salem as Emily Trent (Salem would be reunited with Connery four years later in the rogue 007 film "Never Say Never Again") and Alan Webb as the bank president.
Filmed in Ireland with a modest budget of only $6 million, the script is intelligent, the action appropriate and the dialogue both witty and engaging. The showpiece stunt with Pierce on top of a moving train has since been copied many times since, including in the 1983 James Bond movie "Octopussy" with Roger Moore in the role that Sean Connery made famous). But this stunt sequence is distinctive in that Connery performed his own stunts. The train was supposed to be traveling only 35 miles-per-hour, but Connery argued that the train was actually moving much faster, an assertion that was confirmed by the helicopter pilot who measured the speed of the train at 55 miles-per-hour.
The movie, set in 1855, tells the story of the three conspirators attempts to steal $25 million in gold bullion that is being transported by train to pay British troops fighting in the Crimean War.
To gain access to the gold Pierce and Agar need copies to four keys and the bulk of the movie involves their efforts to obtain each key in what can be described as four separate caper tales.
The effort and difficulties facing the thieves is ably outlined by Connery in the opening narration to the movie:
"In the year 1855, England and France were at war with Russia in the Crimea. The English troops were paid in gold. Once a month, twenty-five thousand pounds in gold was loaded into strongboxes inside the London bank of Huddleston and Bradford and taken by trusted armed guards to the railway station. The convoy followed no fixed route or timetable. At the station, the gold was loaded into the luggage van of the Folkestone train for shipment to the coast and from there to the Crimea. The strongboxes were placed into two specially-built Chubb safes constructed of three-quarter inch tempered steel. Each safe weighed five hundred and fifty pounds. Each safe was fitted with two locks, requiring two keys, or four keys altogether. For security, each key was individually protected. Two keys were entrusted to the railway dispatcher who kept them locked in his office. A third was in the custody of Mr. Edgar Trent, president of the Huddleston and Bradford. And the fourth key was given to Mr. Henry Fowler, manager of the Huddleston and Bradford. The presence of so much gold in one place naturally aroused the interest of the English criminal elements. But in 1855 there had never been a robbery from a moving railway train."
There are some definite differences between the actual robbery on which Crichton based his work and the movie. The actual plot involved four criminals - Pierce, Agar, the railway guard Burgess, and a railway clerk named Tester and all four keys were kept on railroad premises in London and Folkestone. But as it turned out the two Foilkestone keys were not used. In addition the guard's van was not locked from the outside; Pierce and Agar were let in by Burgess, and a share of the loot was handed out to Tester at stations.

Outside of Bond fandom very few people know that Sean Connery was actually the second actor to play the character of James Bond. In the 1950s there had been a television production based around Ian Fleming's first spy novel "Casino Royale" in which American actor Barry Nelson had played 007 as a US spy with Clarence Leiter as his British counterpart.
Fast forward to the early 1960s and work is once again getting underway to bring the fictional spy to the screen. Cast in the lead role is what one UA executive referred to as a "lorry driver" and with a small budget (a measly $1 million) there seems to be little hope for the fledgling franchise. Yet when Doctor No (the final choice for the first of the series) hits screens it changes the film industry, sending reverberations the likes of which are still being felt today.
Staying largely faithful to the Fleming book of the same name (something that was not to last) the rather modest movie set screens afire, helped enormously by the performances of Sean Connery and Swiss beauty Ursula Andress. In fact for many, Andress is the quintessential Bond girl, establishing one of cinema's most iconic images as she emerges from the sea in a white bikini).
Right away the trademark violence is evident as three assassins murder a British operative and his pretty secretary in Jamaica. The break in communication has the British nervous and they send for their top agent.
Switch to a smoky casino in London. And we see the back of a man, his hands moving his cards about the table and then taking a cigarette out of its case. Lighting it he is fully revealed and the trademark line "Bond, James Bond" is heard on cinema screens for the very first time.
Arriving in Jamaica Bond learns that the missing operative was investigating the mysterious character of Doctor No who operates from a private island named Crab Key. Determined to learn the truth he arranges to sneak onto the island with his colleague Quarrel to discover the truth behind the disappearance.
Taken on its own Doctor No is a nice, taut, suspenseful movie with some wonderful performances from its leads. New York actor Joseph Wiseman is particularly chilling as the title character with his metal hands (some disfigurement or quirk has since become a necessity for Bond villains). Taken as the initial outing in a franchise the movie is a low-key effort that ably sets the stage for the films that were to follow. Today this movie rarely tops people's lists as a favorite in the series, but that is largely because in the ensuing years the Bond series came to mean spectacle and special effects, often at the expense of good storytelling.

The early 1980s was a time of high paranoia as East and West faced off against each other in an increasingly complex game of nuclear brinksmanship and Hollywood definitely took notice with a series of movies that seemed to fortell just how dangerous such machinations could be. Another genre popular in the early 1980s was films centered around the booming possibilities of computers, from Tron to The Last Stafighter, so it perhaps should not surprise anyone that these two genre's would be combined.
But what was surprising was that the final product, the 1983 movie WARGAMES starring a pre-Ferris Bueller Matthew Broderick, would be so entertaining and skillful in its execution. In fact the movie is perhaps the most consistently watchable and best thriller from the era, transcending its natural audience of teenage boys to encompass a more general appeal with its fast pace, technological wonders, interesting characterizations and tight plotting that remains to this day one of my favorite movies.
Although the computers and technology looks somewhat primitive by today's standards it was cutting edge for its day (a fact which leaves Broderick having to explain the process of computer networking to Ally Sheedy's character and the "computer geeks" explaining program back-doors). In fact in these days when home computers were in their infancy the plot seems incredibly tech savvy.
The movie starts with the arrival of two men at one of the sites tasked with launching nuclear missiles. Suddenly a message comes through ordering them to launch and believing the order to be genuine (its actually a training exercise) they prepare to follow out the command. The near-apocalyptic judgment and the hesitancy of the men in the silos lead the military to remove men from the sites and replace them with computers - a decision they will soon regret.
Switch to Broderick's character, a very smart high school student who is attempting to access a series of new computer games by connecting his computer to his telephone line and having it dial every number in the computer companies area code. Waiting for it to find another computer signal (anyone who ever had to sit through a dial-up connection will recognize the screeching sound of one computer talking to another) Broderick's character comes across what he believes to be the right number. And proceeds to play a game with the rather chilling title "Global Thermonuclear War."
Unbeknownst to him his "game" is a tactical scenario for the computer in charge of the United States' nuclear weapons silo's and his choice to play the part of the Soviet Union has set alarms ringing at NORAD.
What follows is a quite exhilirating against time to stop global Armageddon. There are no car chases, no shoot-em-ups - just good solid suspense and tension.

It's very rare for a sequel to eclipse its predecessor (The GODFATHER and X-MEN series feature examples along with THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and SPIDERMAN 2) but this movie comes close to being a better picture than the classic superhero movie that preceded it two years earlier, almost - but not quite.
Perhaps it is the fact that the two were originally shot back-to-back (before the Salkind brothers fired Director Richard Donner and brought in Richard Lester) but this movie shares a tone and panache of the first movie in the series that the subsequent films lacked. I suppose it is no surprise then that the upcoming (at the time of writing) big screen SUPERMAN RETURNS takes place after this entry thereby totally negating the slapstick SUPERMAN III and horrendous SUPERMAN IV.
At the beginning of the first movie we saw Superman's father Jor-El prosecute three criminals and send them out hurtling into space. These events are recounted at the beginning of this movie, and I still remember watching the opening in a darkened theater one night in the early 1980s, wondering if the first movie had accidentally been placed in to the projector.
These three criminals are led by the excellent Terence Stamp (who would later provide the voice of Jor-El in the SMALLVILLE television series) as Zod and included the very sexy Sarah Douglas as Ursa. They subsequently make their way the Moon and after decimating an Apollo crew head for Earth marveling at their superhuman abilities.
Meanwhile on Earth, after rescuing Lois Lane (played by the very appealing Margot Kidder who was the focus of a schoolboy crush on my part) from a hostage situation in Paris, Clark Kent is having an increasingly difficult time trying to keep his identity a secret. Then when Lois learns the truth the two get together, which forces Clark to turn in his powers - just at the very moment that Zod and his companions are arriving to wreak havoc.
Add to the mix Gene Hackman reprising his role as Lex Luthor (who has some of the best lines in the movie) and what follows is a highly entertaining action movie. Will Clark be able to get his powers back? Will he be able to defeat three with the same powers he has and will he be able to exact some payback on that guy at the diner who beat him up when he was powerless Clark Kent? My favorite scenes in the movie are those that center on the battle between Superman and the three supervillains as they duke it out on the streets of Metropolis (actually filmed in England on the studio backlot). The special effects look a little hokey today and the modelwork is very noticeable in some scenes, but this is good old fashioned fun and probably one of the best comic book movies ever committed to celluloid.

The movie Ray Harryhausen is perhaps best known for is JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, so it should not be surprising that after a decade of working on Sinbad pictures, the master of stop-motion animation returned to the Greek mythology universe. Here, in what proved to be his final movie is the story of Perseus and Andromeda in an all-star cast extravaganza.
Of course, even though this movie has perhaps one of the most impressive cast list of any Harryhausen movie, the true star here is the special effects. And in a world that is now dominated with computer-generated effects, the stop-motion Kraken or Pegasus look a little dated now, but I think that that is part of their charm.
There's something almost TOO perfect about CGI effects (though there are exceptions like the truly terrible parasurfing scene in 2002's DIE ANOTHER DAY), and the rather obvious two-headed dog and the snake-haired Medusa in this picture have a certain charm to them that is lost in today's cinema.
Yet, it would be remiss not to mention the cast of this movie. A relative unknown at the time the movie was made who went on to fame in TV's L.A. LAW and is possibly best known to audiences today as the villainous Aaron Echolls on VERONICA MARS is Harry Hamlin.
Joining Hamlin is some inspired casting in the parts of the Greek Gods. Who better to play Zeus than theater and film great Laurence Olivier and is there anyone more suited to play the Goddess of Love Aphrodite than former Bond girl (and Hamlin's real-life partner at the time) Ursula Andress. Rounding out the Gods is the famed British actress Maggie Smith who plays the sea goddess Thetis.
The movie starts with the only daughter of Acrisius (Danae) and her son Perseus being set adrift to die for her having a baby out of wedlock. Of course the father is Zeus and so he has the coffin in which Danae and Perseus were placed guided safely to a far away shore.
Years later a grown-up Perseus goes to sleep on the shore and wakes to find himself far away in the center of an amphitheater. There he meets the friendly playwright Ammon (played by screen great Burgess Meredith) and (understandably) falls in love with the princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker).
Unfortunately for Perseus, the princess had been engaged to Thetis' son, before he was punished for his cruelty by Zeus by being disfigured and banished to the swamps. Soon Perseus Is on a series of quests to tame the flying horse Pegasus, defeat and capture the head of Medusa and solving a series of riddles, all with the help of Zeus and the opposition of Thetis.
Of course the plot, which is actually comprised of several myths woven together, is simply a backdrop on which to feature all the incredible effects of Harryhausen and his team. All are very impressive, even the rather obtrusive and silly mechanical owl (which I found annoying as a child, and still find annoying today).
At the time of the release Harryhausen granted an interview with the British magazine Starburst in which he addressed his interest in mythology at the expense of science fiction (which was all the rage at that time in the wake of 1977's STAR WARS). Simply put, Harryhausen posited that science fiction would only be impressive for a set amount of time, whereas fantasy is timeless. I subscribe to this view. Harryhausen also talked about the sometimes very tedious nature of stop-motion saying that there were some days when he just couldn't face working on a couple of seconds of Kraken footage.

Some have dismissed this movie as one that delivers teen appeal, but little for anyone else. This is an assessment I disagree with. I first saw this movie when I was 27 and now in my 30s I still enjoy it. Sure, it may be a "guilty pleasure" but it's an entertaining one that delivers a delightful concoction of comedy, drama and romance combined with a good score. In fact this movie manages to deliver some timeless themes, all packaged into 100 minutes of teen excess.
It's not hard to understand why someone would have a crush on Jennifer Love Hewitt, even before she started being a regular on the phenomenally popular television show PARTY OF FIVE she had legions of fans. By time this coming-of-age movie was released in 1998, she not only had tremendous face recognition from the small screen, but also on the big screen, having just starred as the lead in the teen shocker I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.
Of course there's also the fact that she was one of the most attractive of all the teen actresses at that time.
So, perhaps she was the perfect actress to play the part of the one girl in school that every man wants to be with, and the particular attention of a schoolboy crush in CAN'T HARDLY WAIT. Although she does not share as much screen time as lead Ethan Embry, her presence is felt nearly every scene in the movie.
So, what's the movie about? It's the end of school and there's a party in town to celebrate - and everyone's going to be there. Destined to leave for a workshop with his idol Kurt Vonnegut the next day, Preston Meyers (Embry) sees this as the last chance to let his dream girl Amanda Beckett (Hewitt) know how he feels. Rumors abound around the school that her jock boyfriend has broken up with her and he sees this as a chance to finally deliver a love letter he has been working on since he first saw her years earlier.
But fate works in mysterious ways.
A young Seth Green (he had yet to achieve fame on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) sees this party as an opportunity for quite another reason - namely to get laid and he and he has a whole bag of stuff with him to ensure that everything goes smoothly - which of course it doesn't.
Geek William Lichter (Charlie Korsmo) sees the party as an opportunity to wreak revenge on a class bully that has been torturing him for years and in fact it is Korsmo's character and Green's character that offer most of the comedic interludes. While Embry is waxing poetic about his four year obsession with Hewitt, Green is getting locked in a bathroom with a girl and Korsmo is learning a new side to the bully.
Yes, there are several subplots going on in this movie, but the humor is infectious and the characters are both well rounded and engaging.