Movies that you may have easily missed, but really deserve an audience!

MAGNOLIA is another skillfully engineered movie from superstar director Paul Thomas Anderson (THERE WILL BE BLOOD, BOOGIE NIGHTS). MAGNOLIA is a sweeping epic that involves several interrelated plot lines covering 24 hours in Los Angeles . The main plot line revolves around two elderly men who are about to die, both have long been estranged from an adult child who they desperately want to make contact with and find some sort of peace before its too late. Earl Patridge - played brilliantly by Jason Robards - has a grown son who is a charismatic misogynist who gives talks to men on how to take every advantage of women Tom Cruise - not one of my favorite actors - gives, what I believe to be, his finest performance up to that point in his career (I thought he was terrific in COLLATERAL as well) as the nasty T.J. Mackey. His belief system can be summed up in this quote from the movie: "In this life, it's not what you hope for, it's not what you deserve - it's what you take!" One of his other rather disgusting catch phrases is: "Respect the cock! And tame the *beep* Tame it!" Jimmy Gator (played by Philip Baker Hall) plays the other elderly gentlemen and he yearns for a reunion with his coked out daughter, Linda Partridge (Julianne Moore) whose addiction has removed her emotionally from her father's life.

These are big universal, themes that have been dealt with in the movies since they first started putting actors on celluloid, but never quit like this. There are numerous subplots involving other family members, nurses, children, wives etc. and the story is woven together in a similar fashion to a Robert Altman film. Coincidence and choice also are major themes that are threaded throughout the movie. Sometimes one is cleverly disguised as the other. The weather also plays a major character in the film. Besides the previously mentioned cast members there are several other really outstanding performances - Phillip Seymour Hoffman is outstanding as the one truly kind soul in this epic film. John C. Rielly, who seems to have been reduced to playing awkward buffoons over the past several years reminds us of how good an actor he really is and I would welcome seeing him again in more serious roles. William H. Macy, Alfred Molina and Melora Walters performances all add weight to the movie. This is a movie where the characters are well presented allowing the audience to really become invested in them and their eventual outcome. The script is all but flawless and again the direction of Paul Thomas Anderson, who also wrote the screenplay is spot on. The movie runs for a little over three hours but it seems to go by much faster and after viewing the movie I think you will agree that every minute was vital to the total finished product. Please don't let the length of the movie scare you off. I, personally, try to never know the running length beforehand because it seems that when you know a movie is over 150 minutes your expectations are different (I seem to generally expect boredom).

This movie is truly close to being a perfect film possibly deserving a ten out of ten, but I thought the ending could have been handled a bit better so I'll go with 9.5 out of ten(plus I think you have to reserve a rating of ten for the once in a decade movie that truly knocks your socks off.).

. VCard. VOf all master filmmaker John Lynch's movie's, WILD AT HEART, I consider to be his finest work. I'm also a big fan of ERASERHEAD, but that movie almost belongs in a category of it's own. And I have seen INLAND EMPIRE only once, very late at night so I reserve the right to move that ahead of WILD AT HEART if that seems appropriate after a more aware viewing.

WILD AT HEART is the abundantly bizarre story of Sailor Ripley (Nicholas Cage) and Lulu Fortune (Laura Dern) too young lovers who can't stand to be apart from each other. As the movie opens Marietta, Lulu's mother, (played brilliantly by Dern's real mother, Diane ladd) is holding a fancy soiriee at her affluent home and she first tries to seduce Sailor in a mens room stall and then sends one of her goons to kill Sailor. Sailor is street tough and quick on his feet and beats his would be assailant to death right there in Marietta and Lulu's home, Lulu's mother admonishes Lulu to stay away "from that no good" Sailor Ripley. But Lulu's love for Sailor is just too much to keep them apart. Marietta is insane with envy and is hell-bent on keeping the too apart if it means killing Ripley. Of course, as we all know, don't we, that true love can not be denied. When Sailor is finely up for parole, Lulu, against his mother admonishments steals Marietta's car and goes to pick up sailor at the PeeDee correctional institute. And from that moment on they are on the run heading first south to New Orleans and then westward to California...both excited to finally be 'free.' Their first night on the run there is a key scene that get's the entire movie rolling. While hoping up ang overnighting it at a seedy motel. Sailor asks Peanut - his pet name for Lulu - if she is ready to go out dancing. Lulu is more than ready and she dresses somewhat provacitivley, which doesn't bother Sailor as he enjoys showing off his woman. They go to a rather seedy road house tavern and Sailor wears his "Elvis" sports coat. He pretty much takes over the joint and serenades Lulu with "Love Me Tender" - and Cage, to my amazement, did do his own singing and is extremely believable. Cage's dancing is equally entertaining (a frenetic amalgamation of Elvis meets Flea of THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS). Following the bar visit it is back to the road.

Laura Dern is so memorable in this role, I would be tempted with most other actresses to always identify her with this particular role. However...my opinion, Dern is so multifaceted that I have seen her in many other equally compelling, but totally different roles and she seems to be able to pull off the matronly school teacher just as well. Meanwhile, a hysterical and insane Marietta is employing everyone she can think of to track down her daughter and Sailor. She brings in her hesitant boyfriend - played by Dan Heyeda(one of our great character actors along with Harry Dean Stanton) to go after the couple and save her precious Lulu, but Heyeda has his own demons and finds it hard to follow though on Marietta's wishes. Marietta being a resourceful women, recruits a gangster and part time lover Marcellas Santos who assures Marietta that it will be no problem. As they move around the country they stay one step ahead of Marietta's henchman. Part of Santo's deal is that if he kills Sailor he also gets Marietta's permission to kill his perceived competition for Marietta's love, Dan Heyeda. Marietta filled with guilt, rage and hatred finally flies down to new Orleans to warn Johny(Heyeda) that Marcellas plans on kiling him but she's too late to prevent his assassination. Sailor and Lulu flee New Orleans but things are about to really get strange.

As they flee New Orleans, late at night, they come across a terribke car accident and find a bloodied women along the side of the road who dies in their presence. Before perishing it becomes apparent that the women is very badly unbalanced and Lulu takes this as a very bad omen. Running short on money they stop in the Little Town of Big Tuna in West Texas where they meet a real pack of top notch weirdos - think BLUE VELVET. They spend a very uncomfortable evening in their presence, particularly weird is William Defoe's character - Bobby Peru. Lulu tells sailor she is pregnant in light of all the sex they've been having and Bobby Peru deduces this tidbit when he tries to seduce Lulu when Sailor goes to get some grub. Booby Peru tries to convince Sailor to help him with his planned bank robbery as a way to relieve their financial situation. Next day they break into a bank where things go wrong and the cruel Bobby Peru informs Cage that he is one of the people hired by Marietta. Sailor goes to shoot Bobby but Bobby surreptitiously has removed the bullets from Sailor's gun. And as he gets ready to finish Sailor off the police show up and arrest Sailor, letting the silver tongued Bobby Peru off. Finally Sailor get's beat up by a gang that was sent by Marietta. As Sailor passes out he is visited by Glenda, the good witch of the north. Sailor is sent back to prison, this time for five and one half years. And he tells Lulu that maybe this time it is just too long to wait for him to get out. But of course true love can't be denied and when Sailor is finally released Lulu's again waiting for him this time with Sailor's son in tow. After Sailor has a chance to look at his son he starts walking off in the opposite direction but then turns and runs back to Lulu and their progeny and they drive off into the sunset.

This movie is something really special and you can sense that as you are watching the movie and great performances abound. Nick Cage - not one of my favorites - actually plays the role of his lifetime. And the lovely and uber talented Laura Dern is so convincing that you may be tempted to think of her in the future as that character. But the terrific performances don't stop there. Of particular note is Diane Ladd's performance as Lulu insanely, envious mother, Marietta. And Willaim DeFoe is so creepy and slimy as the nightmarish Booby Peru. If you have been avoiding John Lynch movies because they are often considered so obtuse give WILD AT HEART a shot. It has all the craziness, bizarreness and symbolism as Lynch's other movies but the plot is a bit more conventional and the movie is a bit more accessible for the average movie goer. One thing I really admire about John Lynch movies is that he accepts that the audience is intelligent and will understand his movies. This seems to be the exact opposite to the way main stream Hollywood likes to spoon feed the story to it's audiences, often dummying down their movies to the lowest common denominator. WILD AT HEART is definitely well worth a 9 out of 10 rating!!! Please treat yourself and watch this with the one you love.

PS: sorry about the length of the review. I wrote it very late at night and was struggling to stay awake.

MYSTERIOUS SKIN is one of the best written and well acted movies I've come across in many years. But like many truly memorable films it is rather depressing - definitely not a feel good movie.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of our very finest young actors (BRICK, INCEPTION) plays Neil, an arrogant, narcissistic teenager who has a gift for playing baseball, but only plays as a way to get what he wants from a studly coach who takes him back to his pad to indulge in video games, beer and soon enough physical intimacy. Shy and socially backward, good boy Brian is removed from the team by a smothering mother, which just reaffirms his neglectful father's opinion of his son as a failure and a "sissy." Neil and his platonic friend Wendy befriend Brian and Neil encourages 'coach' to invite Brian back to his house for fun and games. Following several abusive encounters with "coach" Brian begins to suffer form recurring nightmares and nose-bleeds and to escape his emotional torment he starts to believe that he is being abducted by aliens. Meanwhile Neil turns his gay talents into a profit making business eventually heading off to New York where the easy money and good times turn into bad times and much worse. Brian becomes a model student in college and searches for answers to his nightmares in alien abduction theories. Through a college friend, Eric, a gay boy who admires Neil, he finally discovers the answers that have remained hidden to him for all these years.

This is not an easy movie to watch and I squirmed through many of the scenes. The director tackles so many difficult issues it's amazing that he squeezed it so well into 105 minutes. But it is a compelling story that is worth telling and very much worth seeing. Gordon-LeVitt is masterful as the sadly twisted Neil and Brady Corbett(FUNNY GAMES) is equally convincing as the shy and searching Brian. This movie deserves to be a top ten film of the decade, but, once again be forewarned; it exposes ugly issues to the light of day. If you are a real fan of film making as an art form then MYSTERIOUS SKIN is a must see.

9 out of 10 stars.

This is becoming an ongoing theme in a lot of my top movies and maybe there is something to be said for that! Once again the story is far from a feel good story. In many ways it is a sad, even tragic story of loss in a small town and the unfortunate way it effects everyone differently. If memory serves me correctly this is a Canadian made film but it is equally powerful in any location.

It's basically the story of a small rural quiet town that is torn apart when a horrible bus accident kills a majority of the community's children. A horrible premise, but it does make for dramatic and moving film making. A lawyer from outside the area visits the community and tries to stir up the parent's of the deceased children's anger so he can launch a class action lawsuit for his own profits as well as theirs, or so he claims. Problem is the town folks are so paralyzed by the tragedy that no one can seem to agree on what their next course of action should be, except for one young survivor who is now bond to a wheelchair and through her amazing courage will lead them to the sweet hereafter. There are fragmented stories and subplot's that actually add to the movie in their own way from the lawyers own demons involving his daughter and their estrangement to the way the different sets of parents attempts to deal with their grief.

I don't really want to give away anymore than that except to say this is an exceptional movie that will haunt you but also give you an idea of what hope really means even years after seeing the movie.

This movie is probably deserving of 10 out of 10.

II admit it. I'm a sucker for really iphigh brow Sci-fi, especially when it's along the lines of DARK CITY. For anyone who has yet to see it prepare yourself foe a unique experience. Rufus Sewell plays Robert Murdoch, a young man who wakes up in his (or maybe not his) bathtub with a dead body in the other room and a live goldfish flipping around on the floor. When he realizes that he doesn't know quite where he is or for that matter just who he is he grabs his clothes and heads out the door. Soon he realizes he can't remember his wife or just what she looks like. As a matter he can't remember much of anything. As if this isn't strange eonough there is no sunshine in Dark City but no one seems the least bit concerned. Everybody falls to sleep at midnight (they don't even realize it) and these ghaslty gray complected men and boys in long black leather trenchcoats seem to just glide across the floor as they go about their midnight 'tunning'. You see they are after souls for energy because their home planet is running out of an energy source and it would seem harvested souls is the best solution. With one twist after another and a very creepy overall feel, DARK CITY is surreal sci-fi film making at it's very best. This is one of those movies that words just don't do justice. Also stars William Hurt, Jennifer Connelley and Kiefer Sutherland in a memorable role. This is definitley in my top fifty all-time. And is deserving of a 9 out of 10

The PROFESSIONAL (Also known as LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL) ranks right up there as one of my all-time favotite films. Algerian born Jean Reno, the great Gary Oldman and a 12 year old Natalie Portman give top-notch performances in this delicious movie about revenge, kindness, evil and retribution. Reno is fantastic and Oldman was made for this the role of a crooked DEA cop. But the young Natalie Portman all but steals the movie. When a quiet Italian hitman rescues a foul mouthed 12 year from Oldman's crooked task force he finds out about parts of himself long forgotten. With loads of over-the-top action, a great time is in store for you when you pick up a copy of THE PROFESIONAL. This movie has a high 'stand up and cheer factor' and grades out at 9-10 in my book.

If this isn't Guillermo del Toro master work than I don't know what is. The movie is in Spanish with sub-tittles but don't let that deter you from watching this amazing film. You could probably watch it without the sub-tittles and still understand the gist of it.

The story takes place in 1944 Fascist Spain, a young girl with a very fertile imagination and a love of fairy-tales is sent with her pregnant mother to live with a sadistic captain who desires a son and will serve as her new stepfather. She ventures off at night to meet with a "fawn-fairy" who tells the little girl that she is actually a princess, but to prove her royalty she must complete three gruesome tasks. If she fails she will never meet her true father, the king and will not fulfill her destiny as Princess of the Forest.

I won't give anything away as it would spoil the ending for the viewer. Suffice it to say the fantasy scenes are beautifully shot and equally frightening - it's really not for kids, but for adults who still are kids at heart. The entire movie is beautifully shot and the parallel story lines between fantasy and reality blend so perfectly. Del Torro seemingly did not use much if any CGI but used good old fashion costuming and puppetry for the most part. And the story itself is wonderful and full of meaning. This is a movie well worth purchasing as you will want to watch it again and again - each time noticing something that you missed in previous viewings. Compared to the Narnia movies and others of that ilk this blows them out of the water. Well deserving of 9 stars out of 10.

For me the fountain was one of the best movie of 2006. I know a lot of people would be quick to debate that - including a lot of critics - but i thought the movie was beautifully shot, well written and intellectually challenging. In many ways the movie is the same story told in three different time periods by the same actors. In the present or maybe I should say in our times is Tommy a cancer researcher desperately looking for a cure for his wife Izzi's terminal cancer. The story moves back and forth about 1000 years in both directions. In the past tommy is Tomas a conquistador during the period of Queen Isabel and the inquisitions. In the past Izzi is Queen Isabel and as the inquisition is sweeping across Spain. Queen Isabel summons Tomas to her chambers with a plan to save her country she wants Tomas to go to America (Mayan country to be more specific) and find The Tree of Life, so she can free his captive Queen. And in the future - approximately 1000 years Tom is a type of astronaut who ascends to the Heavens in a type of space bubble that includes the Tree of Life - and as he continues towards a famous Mayan dying star, referred by the Mayans as Xibalbá, wrapped in a nebula. During his trip he experiences hallucinations of his now dead wife Izzi an through his trip he hopes to meet her in eternity. This is just a brief thumbnail sketch of what the movie is about, a full explanation would take much longer than the time I'm willing to give to it. Suffice it to say there is a lot of symbolism, along with Mayan war chiefs, scenes from the inquisitions additional subplots and on and on. It is not an easy movie to tie a bow around with a simple explanation. An example is while Izzi is slowly dying she is also writing a book about the inquisition period in Spain and it just so happens there is a Conquistador by the name of Tomas in her book who is searching for the fountain of youth among the Mayans. Tommy also thinks he may have found a cure for his lovely wife when an execration from a piece of tree bark from Central America proves very successful in arresting the brain cancer in a monkey - coincidently the same type of cancer his wife is suffering from.

Many people had problems with this Darren Aronofsky movie ranging from not understanding the movie or trying to over interpret the movie. Aronofsky, as usual, shoots this movie absolutely beautifully, using color, tone, symbolism and sharp dialog throughout. For me it was another masterpiece and a real work of love. The movie had been in the works for many years. Back in 2002 they were ready to start shooting with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett as the leads and a budget of 75 million dollars. However during pre-production Pitt and Aronofsky had creative differences and the project fell through. It was resurrected in 2005 with a much smaller budget of 35 million and Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz (Aronofsy's current wife) took over the leads. One last interesting fact pertains to the very end of the movie...watch it through the credits as it also tells a story. I have to give The Fountain 8 out of 10. Again that's just my opinion.

THE MUSIC OF CHANCE was one of my favorite books in my younger days. The author, Paul Auster, is probably one of the four or five best writers of contemporary fiction and this was a great novella. When I heard it was going to be made into a movie I was excited and at the same time ready to be disappointed.

This is not your typical movie, with predictable plot lines and aimed at the largest audience. Instead it is a piece of art that appears to start out moving in one direction and, without a hiccup, is suddenly headed for much deeper, darker waters. Mandy Patinkin plays Nashe, a recently retired fireman who after inheriting a considerable amount of money sets off for a cross country trip hoping to find out who he really is. As his trip is nearing it's end without supplying the hoped for answers he picks up a smooth talking hitch-hiker, Pozzi, played by James Spader. Pozzi turns out to be a real card shark, always looking for one big score. Pozzi talks Nasche into bank rolling him in a high stakes poker game against two elderly old millionaires - by way of the lottery - Flower and Stone. Nasche is at first skeptical, but this seems to be a no brain-er and a way to keep himself on the road indefinitely. When Pozzi can't seem to win a hand Nashe, not a gambler in the least, gets pulled into the game. Eventually Pozzi and Nashe loss everything and the final bet is for their freedom if they win, and if they lose? Well I don't want to spoil it for those who decide to check it out, but it is nothing nearly as simple and as straight forward as you might guess.

Like in his books, an Auster movie, under the right director, will take you for an unexpected ride in which you are never quite sure what is around the next corner. Please check out this movie if indie films with some brains appeal to you!

David Lynch's cult classic ERASERHEAD is a movie that in many ways is hard to defend as great film making. But great film making it really is if given a chance. The plot - and yes there is one - is really secondary in this case to what you see and interpreted on the screen. Is it a nightmare of some not too distant future, a fantasy of images and thoughts or is it something more? I'll leave that up to you to decide. The story is that of one Henry Spencer who lives in a dark industrialized place where he is just trying to survive his life and the harrowing experiences and things that haunt it including a girlfriend who Henry gets pregnant and she delivers a frighteningly bizarre mutant baby. To really say much more is unfair to the viewer. To truly appreciate ERASERHEAD you have to have an open mind and a fertile imagination. If you prefer movies where all plot lines lead to one final tidy conclusion you won't like this movie. I even find it hard to say that I enjoyed it. Enjoy and this movie have very little in common. But I appreciated the movie a great deal for what it was more than what it wasn't. And just what it was I'll leave that up to you. In an unexplainable way this movie is very gratifying in a unique and artistic way and is totally deserving of it's almost cult following. You can watch this movie 25 times and when you watch it for the 26th you will still come across something that you missed out on in all the previous viewings. ERASERHEAD isn't so much a punch in the face as it is a kick to the solar-plexus. Grading it on a scale of 1 to 10 seems like folly so just see it!

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was first a bestselling novel by Swedish author Stieg Larson. He followed this up with two more novels with the same characters and called it The Millennium Trilogy. Sadly, )he had a fourth book in the series three quarters of the way finished with extensive notes and outlines for a fifth and sixth book.) he died of a massive heart attack at the young age of fifty. The books quickly became an international sensation and all three novels have been number one best sellers. In 2009, Swedish director Niels Arden Oplev, to the delight of the books many fans, brought THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO to the big screen. I am usually disappointed when I read a really great book that gets made into a feature length movie and I imagine that many of you have experienced the same. Not to worry. Not only did Oplev make a film that is true to the book, but he made a truly outstanding movie that stands on it's own. Even though I read the book and knew going in all the twists and turns, I was - never the less - totally caught up in the movie almost as if I had never even read the book. I'm sure that there are some 'purists' out there who would want to disagree. But see the movie for yourself and I think you will find a movie that is not only a well told story of mystery and suspense but a movie that also captures the dark undertones and themes that were such an important part of the book.

Forty years ago, a young Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. The body was never found, but her uncle, the family patriarch, Henrik Vanger remains convinced that his lovely niece was not only murdered; but murdered by a member of the Vanger clan, a truly dysfunctional lot. Harriet use to give her uncle a pressed and framed flower every year on her birthday. And when her next birthday roled around, to Henrick's great surprise and distress, he received a pressed flower, framed, via the mail and that has continued right up to the present day. There was never a note or anything to give him any indication who was sending him these 'presents. Not even the postmarks on the parcel revealed anything as to the origination of the parcels. Since they were mailed from different locals from around the world. As Henrick feels he is getting too old to continue to pursue what has become his own personal obsession. he decides to hire disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist, the publisher and writer for an esteemed Swedish economic magazine, Millennium, in which he had recently published a scathing indictment on a powerful Swedish business tycoon. He was sued and lost in court a slander case initiated by the Swedish power broker and in doing so had stepped down from his positions with the magazine. He was looking at an eventual three months in jail and decided it was in the best interest of the magazine that he stepped down until he served his sentence an things had a chance to blow over. Henrick, having had Blomkvist investigated, decided that this was precisely the right man for the job. He invites Mikael up to his island mansion where he proposes that Blomkvist is the ideal candidate to write a history of the Vanger family and as a secondary endeavor to look into the disappearance of his niece - of course Henrick used the idea of a family history to lure in the bright Blomkvist. His real interest was for the journalist to discover his nieces murderer. Blomkvist is at first not interested but as Vanger tells his story Blomkvist finds himself being drawn in by the opportunity to research the famous Vanger financial empire and finally agrees to do the job when Vanger offers him an enormous sum of money and free reign to follow up with unfettered access to all of the Vangner family papers. Blomkvist is set up in a small cottage right on the grounds of the Vanger estate and gets to work immediately. It's not long before he realizes Vanger's number one interest is the strange circumstances surrounding Harriets disappearance. And Mikael finds the story equally as fascinating.

As he starts researching his subject he soon enough realizes that his computer has been hacked into and the culprit is one Lisbeth Salander - played brilliantly by the Swedish actress Noomi Rapace. Salander knows a lot about Blomkvist as she was the one who had done the "background check" on Mikeal prior to his being hired. Salander is the real star of the movie. A twenty something troubled young women - we only receive bits and pieces of why she is so troubled - Salander has numerous piercings and a large dragon tattoo that covers her entire back. She generally dresses all in black and has a very goth look about her from the hairstyle to the piercings to the all black wardrobe right down to the Doc Marten black boots. While Blomkvist isn't too pleased that Salander gained acess to all his computer files he is fascinated by this young troubled women and her hacking skills would come in handy if he could convince her to work for him on the Vanger project. Which she hesitantly agrees to.

This pretty well sets up the entire movie. As salander and Blomkvist - played by Michael Nyqvist - dig into the investigation they link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. They also develop a complex and sometimes baffling relationship as their work brings them together. But the Vanger's are a very private and secretive clan with more than their share of very dark skeletons in their own closets and as Mikael and Lisbeth start to close in on this old family secret they must decide just how far they are willing to go to both discover the answer to Henrick's obsession and eventually to protect themselves.

The story is this and so much more. Lisbeth it turns out suffered something very traumatic as a child (at this point we are only given bits and pieces of her history0 which has shaped her entire life and personality and her story is as central to the movie as is the mystery of the long lost niece Harriet Vanger. We see the ways Lisbeth's life has been effected by these dark memories in some brutally frank scenes. As a troubled young women she is in a program instituted by the Swedish government that requires her to have a guardian to "help her with her affairs." Her newest guardian turns out to be a perverted creep who Lisbeth handles in her own unique way. I tell you this to just give you some idea about the intensity and depth of her character. She makes sure he get's what he has coming, but be forewarned: This is not an American made movie where sex is often simply thrown in for titillation. No, in this movie there are some very frank scenes involving sexuality that are brutal and in your face and they do belong in the picture. But if you are easily offended be forewarned. I really can not say enough good things about this movie. While the current version is over dubbed in English it is so skillfully done that it is not even minutely distracting. One last pont that I find rather curious. David Fincher - of FIGHT CLUB and SE7EN fame - has recently completed a big budget Hollywood version of the same name that will come out at Christmas time this year. My question is why? It's not like the material is so nebulas that it's open to several interperetaions. And strangely enough Finchner has used big name actors who look very similar to their Swedish counterparts. The only way I can understand his making such a remake so close to the original is if he is assuming that the only people that saw the Swedish version were lovers of the book and there is still a large enough group of people who have never seen the Swedish version. I'll be curious to view Finchner's effort, which I'm sure will be well done. But is it really necessary? The following stories to DRAGON TATTOO, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE and THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS NEST are also Swedish films and both have now been overdubbed and are available for viewing. DRAGON TATTOO is available on Netflix for immediate download and again I can't recommend enough. It is first and foremost a suspense/mystery/thriller but for what it is, it's truly a wonderful experience. I give it 9 out of 10 and apologize for the length of this review. Do yourself a big favor and see this movie ASAP!!!

OWNING MAHOWNY is one of those little indeprndant "art-house" movies that turns out to be so good you almost want to keep it for yourself, but you can't help but reccommend it to your co-workers, friends and fellow movie buffs. OWNING MAHOWNY is the true story of Dan Mahowny, an unassuming 24 year-old rising star in Canada's financial machine. To his co-workers he was a quiet, somewhat sloppily dressed, shooting star in the banking indusrty. To his client's he was a brilliant, astute, decisive and helpful young man. And to his girl friend (Minnie Driver)he was a reserved, pudgy, responsible sweetheart of a guy...at least he was at one time. But none of them knew the Dan Mahowny that the Casino's liked. The unassuming gentleman who managed to go through 18 million dollars in about that same number of months.

Okay, I might even be saying the same thing at this point: "How does that story make for a top of the line movie?" I'm not sure how myself, but in the case of Dan Mahowny it rises right up there to near the top. I'd have to give 8 and 1/2 carpet brownies out of 10!

Made on a shoestring budget of 10,000 dollars PRIMER was shot in Shane Caruth's spare time as money became available. He wrote the movie, directed it, was the co-star (with a close friend), edited it, did the musical score...well you get the idea. This was truly a small indie film if ever there was one. The storyline is a bit more complicated. Four geekified buddies run a little cottage industry out of one of the friends garage making error-checking devices that aren't exactly bringing in big dollars. As they continue to try to come up with something that will bring in larger profits, two of the friends happen across something that is potentially so valuable that they are afraid to share it with anybody. I don't want to spoil the plot for any future viewers (though the plot gets rather complicated and it may take several viewings to "get it" anyhow) so I'll proceed cautiously. Suffice it to say that what the two main characters discover has been a dream of man for a long time. The discovery they make carries with it not only a lot of excitement for the buddies but a lot of responsibility. In addition to the intriguing technological plot there is an even more compelling moral plot - when you always want what you can't have, what do you want when you can seemingly have anything you want?

Primer can be a real mind-bender, so pay close attention - I think I'll watch it again after writing this little blurb - and it still may take multiple viewings to put all the puzzle pieces together. But it is well worth the effort. While the movie does have that "indie" feel, it is still so well made that it is hard to imagine it was completed on such an amazingly small budget. Now all fans of PRIMER are anxiously anticipating Caruth's next project. Don't miss this one if you like really sophisticated sci-fi. I'd rate PRIMER a 7.5 out of 10!

This movie, based on actual events, was the film that put Hillary Swank's name on the map. In BOYS DON'T CRY Brandon Teena (played so marvelously by Hillary Swank) is the popular new kid in town, a big deal when the town is a one-red-light town in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska. He 'hangs' with the guys doing those small town guy things like getting drunk, racing cars, cussing and shooting pool. And he charms the pants off the young women of the town (pun intended) who can't recall ever meeting a kinder, gentler more compassionate young man. Life is good for Brandon. No one seemingly knows the baggage he/she carries with him/her every day. He finally feels accepted as one of the guys and he's dating hometown beauty, Lana. However Brandon has chosen to not mention- rightly or wrongly - certain facets of himself. It's not that he's wanted in a neighboring county for passing bad checks, or driving without a license. No, Brandon Teena was actually born a women, Teena Brandon, and she had been living her whole life hiding behind this secret. Things are going so well for Brandon/Teena that he/she feels he has truly been accepted and for a brief period leaves her guard down. When his new friends find out about the truth, what results is what is to be expected: insults, name calling, humiliation and ostracization. Brandon life is all but torn apart. But she didn't survive this long by not being courageous and she falls in love with a girl(played with absolute brilliance, who in her own way, has a lot of courage and is willing to stand on her own beliefs.

This movie is well deserving, of any lover of quality movies, to be viewed. After watching it once I have little doubt that you, like myself, will be anxious to view it again. This is great moviemaking and deserves to be seen repeatedly. Thank goodness for 52" LED televisions, surround sound systems and PS3's - for streaming Netfix, Vudu and the like. BOY'S DON'T CRY is deserving of a much wider audience and is easily an 8.5 out of 10. Please don't hesitate in seeing this modern day classic.

THE FALL is one of those rare movies that you may never have heard of, but given he chance it will knock your socks off. If you like surrealism (a touch of Dali) a sophisticated story line and hard to forget characters than this movie will probably be one you would come away from feeling fully satiated. The movie takes place sometime in the 1920's in a rehabilitation hospital facility where an injured stunt man, who seems to be in a spiraling downward, state of depression, begins to tell a fellow patient - a five or six year old precocious little girl with a broken arm (played superbly by the adorable Catinca Untaru) - a fantastical story about five mythical heroes that starts to come to life in the little girls fertile imagination Thanks to his deteriorating mental situation and her fertile young mind the line between reality and fantasy becomes more and more blurred. The stunt man is so depressed that at one point he tries to get the little girl to swipe some morphine from a nurses cart so she can end it all but she will have none of it because she wants to know how the story ends, and gradually the fantasy turns more and more real as it progresses until that fine line between fantasy and reality becomes indistinguishable. To tell much more would be to give away a very satisfying ending, so I won't do that. But the film is truly remarkable on so many levels. Let me just say that in the fantasy world the stunt man and the little girl unite to take on a common enemy that personifies evil for both characters.

THE FALL is one of those very few movies that after seeing it you will realize it is unlike anything else you have ever seen. It is surely one of the wildest indulgences a director has ever given himself and the best part of all it works. To try to describe it is really most unjust because words just can not do fair judgement to images and in THE FALL the images are lush, colorful, extravagant and delight fall. You will want more, but this is a once and done deal. My understanding is that the director - Tarsem - shot the movie over four years and in 28 different countries. Also when I heard there was no CGI used I was floored. There are scenes where you would think were impossible without the use of CGI. Another note...Tarsem, is also responsible for the movie THE CELL which co-starred Jennifer Lopez. Don't let the fact that J-Lo played the lead, the movie is a delight. But there is some similarity in his use of images in both movies, although THE CELL is much more conventional. I also would just guess that Tarsem has a fixation on the artist M.C. Escher. See the movie and I think you will understand. I give THE FALLl an 8.5 out of 10, and it may even deserve to be a notch higher. If you like surrealism please see THE FALL, if you don't like surrealism, see the movie anyhow...it is truly mesmerizing.

One of my absolute favorite movies of all-time. Maybe not the best (well, no it's not the best, probably not even all that close to my top 10 best movies ever). But for sheer entertainment value as well as replay value, V FOR VENDETTA, is one of small handful of all-time favorites. It's one of no more than 2 or 3 movies that I have watched ten or more times...I've probably seen it a good 20 times if not more. The story is adapted from the Alan Moore Graphic Novel of the same name and I felt, despite it's many critics it was very true to the book while being current as well. For those who thought it should be just like the book...not practical. Unless you want to watch an 11 hour movie. Hugo Weaving, despite wearing a Guy Fawkes mask through out the entire film was fantastic in being able to convey the essence of the character. Natalie Portman was superb as usual and John Hurt excelled as the evil dictator. But Stephen Rea, as the seemingly slow-footed slueth and Stephen Fry, as the British Johnny Carson really stole the movie from an acting standpoint. For an apocyliptic, totalatarian, sci-fi action drama, V FOR VENDETTA is very hard to beat. And to be honest probably doesn't belong on this list because it is fairly well known. But as one of my favorite 25 movies of all-time I could not help but put it on my list. If you haven't seen it prepare yourself to be blown away!!! And that's a good thing! Some will really challenge this, but I give V FOR VENDETTA a 10 out of 10. The movie, to me, didn't have a weak spot from start to finish.

Bb/DECEIVER is one of those movies that after watching it causes you to wander how in the world it never made it as a first run movie. Tim Roth, superb as always, plays Wayland, a textile heir with a brilliant, mind is accused of the murder of a prostitute, Elizabeth(Renee Zelwegger) whose body was found cut in two in the park. The two detectives who bring him in for questioning - the experienced Kennesaw(Michael Rooker) and the less experienced Phillip Braxton(Chris Penn) who both have skeletons in their own closets - are convinced they have the right man. Wayland is a heavy drinker and compulsive liar who suffers from seizures when under stress as well as memory loss and outbreaks of violence. During questioning he seemingly is able to outwit the detectives and ends up being let go after the first round of questioning. Wayland is very resourceful and is able to discover the detectives darkest secrets prior to his next run in with the detectives. It turns out Braxton is a compulsive gambler who is $20,000 in debt to Mook(Ellen Burstyn) and Kennesaw has trouble with his wife(Rosanna Arquete) and has a history with the dead prostitute, Elizabeth.

In his second go round with the detectives Wayland agrees to a polygraph exam but continues to toy with the cops. When Wayland seems close to admitting his guilt he suddenly goes into a seizure, where he often acts bizarrely. The detectives have been forewarned by Wayland's doctor to never touch him during a seizure. Kennesaw, thinking Wayland is faking it, grabs him and Wayland almost kills Kennesaw. This state of affairs has Kennesaw really anxious to pin the murder on Wayland.

As the movie moves to it's conclusion Braxton, in fear for his and his family's well being asks Kennesaw for a loan to get "The Mook" off his back. Kennesaw can loan him half of the twenty grand so Braxton sees as the only way out the idea of borrowing the additional 10 grand from Wayland. At about the same time we find out that Kennesaw was with the prostitute Elizabeth the night of her horrific murder. The ending will knock your socks off as everything you thought you knew is turned upside down. While the final twist is a big part of what makes the movie it is also the movies one weakness in my opinion. The acting is superb throughout with the possible exception of Chris Penn, but the movie is very much worth seeing. I'd give it a solid 7.5 seizures out of 10.

Blood Simple is a great example of the Coen Brothers at their very best. When a tavern owner in Texas is convinced his wife is cheating on him he hires a shady private dick to get to the bottom of things. M. Emmit Walsh gives an Oscar worthy performance as the P.I. who above all else is looking out for his own interests and if this means playing both sides of the fence - so be it. Don Hedaya and Frances McDormand also give top notch, if a bit subdued, performances in this twisting, turning tale of envy, greed, murder and revenge. The surprise twists come seemingly fast and furious at the first viewing. But if you watch it a second time, or really pay attention the first time you will find that the Coen's left just enough little clues that the story is not as complex as it first appears. Blood Simple has a delightful 'rawness' about it that later Coen brother's efforts seem to lack. I think it's time for me to watch it again...7.5 out of 10.

If you, like me, find yourself drawn to psychological, suspenseful, dark, yet intellectual movies i.e. MYSTERIOUS SKIN, THE SWEET HEREAFTER, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, WILD AT HEART and the like. Then you are most definitely a candidate for membership in THE UNITED STATES OF LELAND fan club. While I can't call THE UNITED STATES OF LELAND a perfect film devoid of any shortcomings, I will say that compared to most current fare being churned out by the big studios, THE UNITED STATES OF LELAND stands head and shoulders above the senseless lather that most movies seem to be about now days. This was also Ryan Gosling's first big role and you can see the talent all ready there that has made him into an up and coming leading man. The movie also has many other excellent performances which help to make the movie work. Dan Cheadle plays a teacher/counselor in the juvenile detention center that Leland has been assigned. At first Cheadle's motives for wanting to help the boy seem translucent enough - he hopes to write a book about the evil that permeates todays youth and use Leland as example A. But as he gets to know Leland he feels real empathy for the troubled young man and genuinely hopes that he can make a difference. The story itself is about a young, quiet, rather intellectual young man, Leland P. Fitgerald who is very troubled with depression, sadness and a sense of doom and gloom. One day the troubled teen, with no apparent motive or reasoning, stabs and kills an autistic youth. This throws the two families involved plus the entire, small town into a state of shock and turmoil. There is a great need among the townsfolk, the police and numerous individuals on why such a nice16 year old young man would do such a heinous thing. But Leland's motives just aren't satisfiable to most. Why would a kid commit such a blatantly cruel act of violence. As Pearl (Cheadle) get's closer and closer to Leland his book idea goes by the wayside and he takes a genuine interest in helping the troubled youth discover what motives lie behind his horrendously brutal act. And though this may sound bizarre you may very well start empathizing with the troubled Leland as he struggles to discover what could make him become such a monster. Amazingly enough, to me at least is the weakness of Kevin Spacey's character. Spacey plays Leland's dad a world renowned author who never had much time for any members of his family, particularly Leland, because Leland was simply too much work for the narcissistic author. That whole part of the storyline just sounds so clichéd, and if it was going to have any real meaning to the story, it should have been fleshed out much better. It just comes off as too convenient. Leland's problems go much deeper than a part-time father.

The real story finally comes down to the time Pearl (Cheadle was very good per usual) spends trying to understand what makes Leland tick. And when Pearl finally realizes there will be no "Leland Book," but he wants to help Leland anyway, some real humanity finally starts to shine through all the previous confusion. You do get some idea about why Leland may have done what he did, but the story is equally about Pearl's inner demons and how he goes from his selfish interest's in Leland's story to putting Leland's cries for help ahead of his own interests as the more important issue. All in all it's a very provocative movie that will really make you think about life and living it in ways that aren't always pleasant. It is not a perfect movie, but there is enough meat on the bone to make it a movie worthy of your consideration. I'd give it 7.5 Milli-grams of Thorazine out of 10.

I would guess BLUE VELVET is the one movie if you had to pick one that really put David Lynch of the film making map. I've seen all his movies with the exception of LOST HIGHWAY, which try as I might I could not set still long enough to discover neither the rhyme nor reason for even having made that movie. Let's face it, any movie that starts out with a young, tender, adolescent boy just happening across a severed ear in a near by park, is probably a good reson to expect something a bit unusual. And unusual BLUE VELVET IS. Just like in many Lynchonian epics one wierd circumstance leads yo another. Always play close attention, never assume anything and you should be in for quite some ride if you don't wear your saftey suit to the screenmg before entering. For young Jeffrey Beaumont he is about to discover the tarnsihed underbelly of his once iddlylic suburban existence. Not at all satisfied with the investigation teams progress, the police chiefs daughter (plated by the absolutely lovely and uber talented Laura Dern) decide to carry out their own investigation. The prime character of their investigation turn out to be a quite but beautiful and amazingly, mysterious and sensuous young women who is involved with an evil and very pretentious man neither of which Jeffrey can keep his eyes off of. Jeffrey, more out of his own curiosity than civic duty, continues to ply the olice Chief for information, but the Chief tells Jeffrey this is an ongoing police investigation just added to Jeffrey's curiosity. Leaving the Chief's house he runs into none other than the Chiefs daughter, Sandy Williams, She tells him details she's overheard about the case plus the name of a women that is supposedly under intense scrutiny, Dorothy Valens, who also lives in the neighbrood. Somehow Kyle MacLachlan's character Jeffrey Beaumont comes up with the bright idea of slipping into the room of the mysterious lounge singer Dorothy Vallens in hopes of finding some clues about what might be going on between Vallens and the strange and sickly fascinating Frank Booth. Jeffry quickly finds himself mixed up much deeper than he had ever hoped to be. Often lending a sympathetic ear to Dorthy Vallnes he frequently finds himself "hiding out in her closet with Frank being the perverse and very sinister person that he really is. The ending comes at you in a whirlwind of bizarre and unexpected happenings that will leave you sitting there watching the credits scroll down the screen as you are try to come to some sort of mental conclusion as to exactly what it is you just experienced, and it 'is' an experience. After all it's BLUE VELVET and deserves to be contemplated and discussed. BLUE VELVET is a mind bender and will linger with you for years after you see it just once. It is truly a power house of a movie...please make sure to put this on your must see list and don't delay in seeing it. A very solid 9 out of 10 ears for BLUE VELVET.

::DONNIE DARKO has taken on the tittle of "Cult Classic" after the past ten years deservedly or not. The first time I saw Darko I must admit to really enjoying the movie. It was fresh, different and yet oddly entertaining and extremely well shot. Over these past ten years the movie has become such a "Cult Favorite" that I think a lot of people are starting to dismiss it for just how brilliant this movie really is.. Jake Gylenhaal is terrific as the very mixed up and mildly disturbed high school student. Who often finds himself wondering around in a sort of dream state. He has a friend "Frank" a giant rabbit who continues to tell Donnie the world is coming to an end very soon and compels Donnie to do mischievous deeds that one has to suppose are out of kilter with his normal behavior. Donnie also appears incapable at times of balancing these hallucinations with the reality around him. He struggles to get along with his parents, his siblings and his peers but he does find a kindred soul, in Gretchen Ross (played by Jena Malone) a girl who just moved into the school district after her parents could no longer get along. Donnie asks Gretchen if she "wants to go with him" and Gretchen asks, "Go where?" and Donnie feels an immediate kinship with her. As previously mentioned, Donnie has a fiend named Frank, a giant bunny rabbit with an eerily, frightening rabbit head mask, whom only Donnie can see. When an engine falls off an air plane which crashes through Donnie's bedroom in the middle of the night, Donnie's not there. Both the inexplicable "missing engine" which the FAA can not clear up, and Donnie's just happening to not be there seem to have been precipitated by some sort of supernatural powers. Donnie's apparent mental illness, which is explored by his psychotherapist - there are some very funny scenes involving Donnie's therapist and Donnie, which at the least will make you snicker - doesn't really seem to be going anywhere.

Included in the movie are several small but relevant side plots involving various minor characters. Patrick Swayze plays a self help guru who the school's ulta-conservative chearleader instructor has a crush on whether for the right or the wrong reason. Who knows. Than there is the little old lady in town who all the kids pick on except for Donnie, whose genuinely kind heart goes out of his way to be kind to (She happens to be Roberta Sparrow - an author who years early wrote a book on the potential of time travel) and she religiously checks her mail several times a day even though she never gets any mail. there continue to be lot's of strange goings on when it comes to Donnie. Frank continues to show up more and more always with an accurate countdown until the end of the world. And Donnie continues to follow through on Frank's orders...burning down Patrick Swayzes house, Jamming the school toilets with toilet paper, Planting an Axe right in the center of the high school mascot - an over sized bulldog sitting on it's haunches. To try to retell the story in this limited space is really futile. In closing let me just say that the entire movie, as crazy as it sounds, pulls everything together so cunningly and yet doesn't insult the audience. DONNIE DARKO deserves to be called a Cult Classic as much as any movie does. As I statedat the beginning of this review, The movie has become so well known in some circles that now you have critics for the sake of wanting to be different. The attitude that "I'm so highbrow, DONNIE DARKO is just too mundane for my tastes. It's just so much high school angst that it's rather droll. To anyone who wants to take that stand the more power to you, but who are you really trying to impress. Maybe movies like EL TOPO, HOLY MOUNTAIN and ANTICHRIST may be more to your tastes. Give DARKO his due, an 8.5 out of 10 make sense to me!!! PS...Don't bother spending the time investment watching S. DARKO, it is sure to disappoint .

THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR is one of those movies that really catches you off guard - in a good way. I had never heard of the movie and rented it based on the front and rear covers. I got far more than my monies worth. This movie is in many ways truly tragic but still has a weird comedic element that shines through at times. Jeff Bridges (absolutely superb as usual) plays Ted Cole one half of a fractured and irreparable relationship with the lovely and talented Kim Bassinger who plays his wife Marion Cole. The story is based on about one third of John Irving's best seller Widow For One Year. I admit to not reading the book so I can't make any comparisons - but honestly, when a movie is this good, who cares. The movie covers one summer of the lives of the Cole's in the ritzy East Hampton's. Ted is a very successful - and extremely eccentric - children's book author and his wife Marion is merely a shell of her former self. It just so happens that the Cole's lost twin boys about 14 years ago in a horrific car accident when both were in their teenage years. To try to save the marriage they have a little girl (about 5 in the movie) played marvelously by Elle Fannong, but instead of bringing them closer together the child has just widened the chasm between the two. That summer Ted hires on an assistant, mainly a driver, as Ted has lost his licence due to too many DUI's. The strange thing is the kid looks remarkably like one of their deceased sons, and you are never quite sure what Ted's motives are. He obviously knew that it might help fill a void in Marion's heart that he no longer could or he may have purposely hired the young man because he knew Marion would fall for him and thus give him ammo in a custody hearing that looked to be inevitable. The once great marriage is now doomed due to Bassinger's inability to deal with the deaths, her despondency and her inability to be intimate, meanwhile Ted doodles as an artist also and has affairs with most of the women he gets to pose for him. Minnie Driver is the subject during this particular summer of their life and brings a unique comedic elements to the movie. As the summer wears on Eddie(the young teen who is Ted's assistant) falls in love with Marion and Marion connects with him on some level and makes love to him frequently...amazingly this doesn't come across as gratuitous but is actually tender and fills a void in her heart. Eddie turns out to be a pawn in both their lives as they are trying to find a way out and he is the catalyst for their eventual breakup. This review does not do the movie justice and I apologize for that. It is equally for men and women alike...please don't mistake this as a date movie. This is deep drama at it's very best with a few hilarious scenes thrown in that work very well. I won't give away the ending because the movie is that good and is one of my favorites of that genre. With Bridges recent success I now consider him one of the finest actors plying his craft. Do yourself a favor and please make it a point to see this movie. It's a 9.5 out of 10 in my book.

As stated previously, I believe in the review of PRIMER or DARK CITY, I am a real fan of Sci-Fi that takes place in the present and is reality based for the most part. THE LOST ROOM was actually a six part SciFi channel mini-series(six hours in total) mini series that actually looked good in the previews. Normally the Sci-Fi channels original programming leaves me disappointed. In the case of THE LOST ROOM the opposite was true...I wanted more. Another mini-series a weekly series, whatever. I just knew after watching it for the first time I knew I wanted more. Once I watched it again on DVD my attitude only intensified. This is great Sci-Fi. Be it the big screen or cable TV, THE LOST ROOM deserved all the accolades it has received. To give a thumbnail of this terrific story will not be easy so bear with me. Peter Krause plays a Pittsburgh detective who is given an unexplainable case to try to crack. When he realizes that a youngster who he looks out for my have witnesses what happened he brings him in for questioning. When Krause steps out of the interrogation room for 30 seconds and returns the young man is inexplicably gone. Running away the boy gets hit by a car and Krause finds a motel key in his pocket with the number 10 he doesn't know what to make of it. That is until he accidentally uses the 'key' and realizes after he opens the door the key takes you to whatever place you were thinking of. Close the door again and open it and the room resets back into a plain motel room. One evening he catches his daughter playing with the key and she goes into the room and the door gets closed on her. When Krause opens the door in a panic the room has rest and his daughter is gone. Of course Krause will stop at nothing to get his daughter back. As he searches for answers he discovers that there are a number of seemingly mundane items that have very weird effects. A comb that stops time for 5 seconds, a glass eye that can heal or destroy human flesh, a bus ticket that sends the person who is touched by it to somewhere out in the western desert states. He finds out that all these items were in a motel room 10 out in the west when something unearthly happened almost 50 years before and since that time there have been various cabels trying to collect the items. Some think if you get all the items you can know the mind of God. Other groups think the items are too dangerous and need to be gathered and destroyed. Krause only interest is getting his daughter back.

Over the final three episodes Krause is able to unearth more and more information, but as long as he has such a powerful "object" his life is in danger as well. He realizes that he has to find that room and find out what happened in that room some 50 years ago. Was it a tear in the fabric of time? A bumping together of two parallel universes? He finally finds the motel now empty and decrepit except there is no room 10, the last room is numbered 9. Krause wants only one thing, his daughter. With further snooping he finally discovers there is one "prime object" and to get her back he needs that "prime object." The "prime object" turns out to be a person. All the "objects" were in that room and belonged to the "prime object" when the event happened. There are several sub plots woven through the story and each has it's merit. The story is very tight and logical or as logical as it can be. The acting is top notch, in addition to Krause, Elle Fanning plays his daughter, Kevin Pollak plays an entrepreneur who has his own reasons for wanting the objects. Julianna Margolis, Dennis Christopher (Batman's commissioner Gordon and Ann Cusack all add to the quality of the movie/mini-series.

I found myself thinking about the story for months and months and still watch the entire mini-series every so often. Almost 10,000 votes on IMDB have given it an average of 8.3. That's close enough for me as I gave it 8 out of 10 motel keys! If you like great Sci-fi (or non-alien sci-fi please do yourself a favor and get a copy (pretty cheap on Amazon.com...though the DVD has almost no bonus material!

WE DON"T LIVE HERE ANYMORE is a movie I picked for one very simple reason. I'm a big fan of Laura Dern who plays the wife of Peter Krause and Mark Ruffalo who plays the husband of Naomi Watts. (At least as best as my memory serves me they are the pairings, after all these years I could well be wrong) WE DON"T LIVE HERE ANYMORE is based on two short stories by Andre Dubus. If his names sounds familiar, it is probably because the fantastic film IN THE BEDROOM is based on another of his stories. This is not a touchy, feely good movie nor is it meant to be. At it's core it's the story of two married couples who by all outward appearances have it all: the nice suburban house on a wooded lot, a great neighborhood, two new cars in the garage..blah, blah, blah. The couples have formed a very close bound over the years and they all bring something different to the group dynamic. But despite how great their lives look on the outside, on the inside life is not all red roses and chocolates. It is very much like real life. Marrige takes constant hard work and maintenance and neither couple has been doing a great job at putting in the required work to make their marriages what they once were.

BOTTLE ROCKET was talented writer/director Wes Anderson's(THE ROYAL TANNENBAUM'S, THE DARJEELING LIMITED & THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU) first movie and still ranks right up there with his very best. It is one of my all-time favorite comedies - others include KISS KISS BANG BANG, RUNNING WITH SICCORS & Anderson's other movies) - and I'm not a big fan of comedies in the movies because most of the time they fall far short of the mark. In BOTTLE ROCKET 3 odd-ball friends - played by Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson and Robert Musgrave - come up with an elaborate plan for a small robbery and then to go on the lam. James Cain is great as Mr. Henry who has a small lawn upkeep business but impresses the three young men with his stories of a life of crime. Along the way anything and everything goes wrong for the "gangsters" and the movie is one laugh after another. There is such an innocence about all three "bad guys" which makes them so like-able, but pathetic as stick up men. This movie belongs in everyone's collection as it was the real birth of a whole new genera of comedies. But the now 15 year old BOTTLE ROCKET beats all its imitators hands down. It deserves 8 out of 10 bottle rockets.

RESERVOIR DOGS was Quentin Tarantino break out movie and many, myself included, still think it is one of his best. At it's essence it's really a fairly simple gangster/heist movie about a jewelry heist gone terribly wrong. The story comes down to six criminals, all unknown to each other, are hired by a crime boss, to carry out a big - easy - diamond heist. No one knows anyone else's name as they are given false names by color...Mr. White, Mr. Brown, Mr. Pink (who is none too happy with his moniker), Mr. Green and so on. This way anonymity is maintained, trust becomes much less an issue and on the off chance something goes south no one can rat anyone else out. Sounds simple and straight forward enough, but as we all know life is never quite as simple and straight forward as we would like. And neither is the case in this terrific crime caper. To everyone's surprise, the police just happen to show up at just the time the caper is taking place. Panic and paranoia quickly spread. One criminal and several policeman as well as a bystander or two take hits in a violently bloody shootout. When the crew starts to arrive at their predetermined rendezvous point suspicion runs rampant and every smells a rat. The question quickly becomes who is smelling the right rat and who is slick enough to keep the others off his tail. Tarentino did a master fall job of casting this movie using the likes of the often brilliant Steve Buscemi (Mr. Pink), Harvey Keitel (to me the poor mans Robert DeNiro - as Mr. White), Tim Roth master-fall as always as Mr. Orange, Michael Madsen as the sadistic Mr. Blonde, along with Chris Penn as the boss's son and Joe Cabot as the "Boss." As the movie moves along at breakneck speed we get hints and tips to who may be the snitch, only to find out in the next scene the mistake of presumption as Tarentino weaves together a brilliant but bloody masterstroke of a story. This is Tarantino doing what he does best, mixes violence with dark humor and jumping forward and backward in time to keep you guessing but also to keep the story tight. I saw DOGS before PULP FICTION (most people saw them the other way around) and you have to not expect another PULP FICTION if you have all ready seen that movie. Because RESERVOIR DOGS is a totally different movie. There is one especially gritty scene involving Madsen and his switchblade and a human ear that you may want to watch through splayed fingers, but the amazing thing is you never actually see the violence, it's the possibility of violence rather than the violence itself that makes for such an alluring scene and film.

Ultimately, the movie is like a really good breakfast, totally satisfying and leaving you feeling plenty full. This may someday be considered the first of a new breed of crime movies, only time will tell if that will happen. But I would give RESERVOIR DOGS a 9 out of 10 or perhaps an 8.5 out of 10. Pretty much depends on the mood when I'm watching it. If you like movies like WAY OF THE GUN, PULP FICTION or THE USUAL SUSPECTS don't let this movie pass you by. It belongs in your personal movie library should you have one, because it deserves numerous watchings. It is also unlike any of Tarantino's other films. This movie is like a well polished Jack Boot to the groin.

SEXY BEAST is one of those movies I picked up at Blockbuster when it seemed like I couldn't find anything that really looked good that I had not all ready seen. In that way it was a real flier...all I knew going into this movie was that it featured two of my favorite British actors Sir Ben Kingsley and the ever intimidating Roy Winstone. Obviously I'm really glad I just pulled it off the rack...what a treat. Ben Kingsley plays the wickedly evil Don Logan who goes to Spain to recruit his one time, now retired partner, safe cracking, Gal Dove(Winstone), for one more big job. Gal Dove wants nothing to do with "one more job" but you just don't say no to the ruthlessly brutal Don Logan. The back and forth between Kingsley and Winstone is so raw and powerful it actually made me half nervous. And Logan is a persistent bugger, not hesitating to terrify Gal's new cheeky friends or his lovely new wife. Gal finely gets persuaded by Logan's persistent intrusions and of course no good comes of it. But what makes the movie is not the plot but the incredible characters, especially Kingsley and Winstone. In many ways this movie is more a very dark comedy than a caper yarn as I said before, the plot is almost secondary. The movie is really all about the relationship between good and evil. These lads from across the pond can act, don't miss it. 7.5 out of 10 black eyes.

A Brief Note: If you are a fan of Kingsley's, and aren't we all, also check out the very funny YOU KILL ME.

CODE 46 is proof, once again, that you don't need a giant budget to produce a very viewable and interesting movie. CODE 46 falls under the Science Fiction category, but the science fiction elements while both interesting and integral to the movie, it is the story of the two main characters and their fine performances that make this movie really work. At it's core CODE 46 is a love story that takes place in a not so distant future dystopian type setting, where mega-cities are highly guarded and outside of these mega-cities life continues to be scratched out in bleak, brown desert type Shanty Towns. How the world got like this we are not told nor is it of any real relavance to the story - a guess would be that there was some type of worldwide health crisis/global crisis that bought about a global super government. The totalitarian government - The Sphinx - strictly monitors travel and no one can enter the mega-cities without a "papella,' a kind of Brave New World passport. The peak that the film gives you into the future is rather interesting, language seems to have become somewhat globalized as a lot of people speak a sort of mish-mash of English mixed with other languages. The people who are banned from the 'cities' while having to scratch out a poor living do enjoy a freedom that city dwellers are denied. Tim Robbins plays William Geld, a family man who seems very detached as he goes about his daily job as a government investigator. Geld is sent to the Mega-City of Shanghai to investigate a possible forged papelles ring. On his trip he meets a spry young women named Maria (played wonderfully by Samantha Morton). Although he quickly surmises that Maria is an integral part of the forgery ring, he finds himself quickly falling in love with the some what shy and tender Maria, for she fills a void in his own home life and for once seems to feel very much alive when in her presence. They experience a brief (his papella is good for only 24 hours) but torrid affair, and he feels pulled strongly in two directions. On the one hand Maria gives him something he knows he will never have in his current relationship but he also knows to pursue the affair is foolishness as 'big-brother' is everywhere.

He does decide to return home but hides her involvement in the forgery ring. Once home he spends seemingly every waking hour thinking of what it would be like to have a life with Maria but sees it as an impossibility. Then a week later he is sent back to Shanghai as the investigation is reopened. What happens next would give away the conclusion of the story. So let me just say this: He reconnects with Maria and finds himself in some real hot water with very limited options. The ending dovetails really well with the rest of the story and leaves you if not overly happy at least satisfied, which can't be said for a lot of movies today when, very often, the ending to a movie is determined by showing the movie to 'sample' audiences and determining the ending based on a questionnaire that the sample audience are asked to complete. A method which I find rather pathetic. But a method Hollywood big wigs seem to like especially when some of these mega blockbusters are working with near 100 million dollar budgets. The nice thing about most low budget movies is that the director and producers aren't beholden to anyone.

CODE 46 was truly a pleasant surprise and the acting was so appropriate to the mood of the movie. Tim Robbins seems to have been born to play roles exactly like this - intellectually curious people whose outward behavior is often subdued as they try to deal with an oppressive government, workplace, society etc. I highly recommend you see CODE 46 and decide on your own whether it is your cup of tea. I'd give it 8 papellas out of 10.

Icek you have never heard of THE BIG LEBOWSKI which is now going on 13 years old, than you have either been living in a cave or you never see a movie. I still see people sporting "the Dude" tee shirts - I am one of them. And you can still find plenty of "Dude" apparel still available on-line. I can see rock-band tee shirts out lasting the bands, but how many movie tee shirts do you see at all? Of course, just because a movie has it's own tee shirt does not it a great movie make. But it's probably a fair indicator. For you folk not in the know, "The Dude" is a character Jeff Bridges made famous in one of those semi-psychodrama dark comedies they so excel out. And like all great Coen Brothers movies THE BIG LEBOWSKI is unlike any other. Oh you'll se some of the Coen Brothers regulars like Jeff Bridges, John Goldman, Steve Buscemi and John Turturro (I often wonder what actor/actress has appeared in the most Coen Brother's movies - my guess would be either Francis McDormand, John Goodman or John Turturro - but that's a question for a different time and place, unless someone wants to leave a comment, of course.). This time around the movie is pretty much a straight, if dark comedy, and it works on every level. Great character's who you can take an interest in. Great dialog, no body can deliver lines like Buscemi, Goldman and Bridges and here you have all three as best buddies - bowling buddies at that. And great dramatic shoots.

The movie itself can be summed up pretty simply, like any good Coen brothers movie, but there is really nothing simple about it. In respect to brevity I will attempt to just give you the quickie thumbnail version: When "The Dude" Lebowski, in a serious case of mistaken identity, is mistakingly identified for a millionaire Lebowski, two toughs urinate on his rug in hopes of coercing into paying a debt "The Dude" knows nothing about. While attempting to collect fair compensation for his ruined rug, he accepts a one time cash offer to help out the wealthy Lebowski. The Dude recruits his two best buds, Walter (Goodman), a gun-toting, jewish convert, with serious anger issues and Donnie (Buscemi) a quiet, pathetic guy who is actually the voice of reason, if such a word can be used when referring to this three-some. One thing leads to another and deception leads to mayhem and before you know it the Dude and his crew are up to thier backsides in violent nil-hists, porn empire tycoons and sort of ex-wives. As everything unravels for the three, everything also comes together and by the end of the movie they somehow save their own bacon - don't sat bacon around Walter. one performance that deserves special attention is John Tuturro's depiction of bowling guru Jesus Quintana. His key scene alone makes the movie worth the price of admission.

This movie is insanely funny, smart, satirical and just a flat out good time. It get's an 8 out of 10 in my book, seven days a week; all night long. Just remember Always "respect the Dude."

A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD is a story by pulitzer prize winning author Michael Cunningham (also responsible for the novel THE HOURS as well as the screenplay by the movie of the same name) about the 12 year close friendship of two teen boys - who couldn't be more different - who over the course of the movie become men. If you are a fan of Colin Farrell, and I am not ashamed to say I am especially after seeing him in some of his more brilliant movies like IN BRUGES and THE WAY BACK, and I still think his performance in PHONE BOOTH was superb regardless of what one may think of the movie - then this is a must see movie. And if you are not a fan of Farrell, this movie may change your mind.

Sissy Spacek is perfectly cast in the roles of Alice Glover, the mother of Jonathan Glover (Dallas Roberts gives a very convincing performance). But the real star of the picture and the character everybody in the movie revolves around is Bobby Morrow (Colin Farrell makes this movie as he plays the role of Bobby Morrow). The two boys have a very unique, if unusual relationship. And unlike many movie's these days everything about the dynamic of their relationship is not spelled out for you - yes you need to pay attention. Are both boys straight? I soneone 'acting' gay hoping to impress the other? Are they both straight but curious about the others sexuality? One thing we do know, they share an uncommon bond that helps them get through lifes up and downs. The story starts off with the two younger boys - early on played by different actors -galavanting around their home area the suburbs of Cleveland Ohio. As they mature and experiment with the things adolescents often finds themselves doing. They meet a third partner to add to their very exclusive little group. The run into Clare (played by Robin Wright Penn) a bohemian type who dyes her hair all sorts of colors and is totally enamored with the two young men taking them to New York with her to see how much they are in tune with her own lifestyle. As much as Clare thinks that she is the 'lead' dog in their little entourage it is the ever kind and sweet Bobby, who, whether he realizes it or not is the real puppet master of this quirky threesome. The film chronicles lives of loves, hates, trials and loses as the two young boys turn into men. The real question id what will happen to this three legged tripod of a friendship if one leg is removed. Well if you want to know you will have to see the move. And the ending is not only unexpected, but unlike so many movies it's not simply contrived but will have you thinking about it long after you leave the theater. It sounds so cliche-d when I write this review. But believe me, it is not. The movie is abound with touching moments but don't bother trying to figure out how it will end...it will just be a wasted effort, Quo-dos to the people who were brave enough to make such a courageous movie. It is easily deserving of more acclaim, but then it might not have made it onto my list. This movie easily garners 8 points out of a possible 10.

BUFFALO 66 is a quirky, well acted tightly made little gem of a movie, starring Vincent Gallo and Christinna Ricci with a great supporting cast including Ben Gazarra (as Gallo's/Billy's dad), Anjelica Huston (as Billy's mother), as well as Rosanna Arquette, Alex Karras, Jan-Michael Vincent and Mickey Rourke. Billy Brown is just out of jail and doesn't have two nickel's to rub together, but he is full of BS which he puts to good use. He wants to return to his hometown of Buffalo, NY to see his parents and show them what a success he has become(evidently they never even cared enough to know that he was in jail for he past several years...for the Brown family has but one passion The NFL's Buffalo Bills). Billy kidnaps Ricci at her dance class and talks her into pretending to be his wife for his visit home. She agrees and Mom and Pop love her. Ben Gazzara (Billy's dad) at one point takes her into an extra room and seranades her and tries to grab a feel, meanwhile Billy's mom is ignoring him as the Bill's game is on the tube. Ricci informs the family that Billy is quite the businessman and they are expecting their first baby. Things go from bad to worse as Billy's true motives for returning to Buffalo are revealed - he wants to kill ex-Bill's kicker Scott Norwood who many blame for at least 2 of their 4 consecutive Super Bowl loses. Norwood now owns a strip-club in a seedy section of Buffalo and Billy has designs on evening some bizarre personal score. This movie is indeed art house film making at it's best, and Gallo's dialouge is both dead serious and darkly comical. It's only problem was the enormous ego of Gallo. He plays the lead, directed the movie, produced the movie and wrote and performed the music in the movie. Made on a measly (when compared to other movies) 1.5 million dollar budget it only ever opened on two screens. But thanks to VHS and later DVD's it began to garner a cult fooling that's well deserved. I'm really not sure where I would rank this movie, somedays it seems like it deserves to be a top 10 of all time and yet at other times it seems to just barely sneak into the top 100. Regardless, it is most definitely worth seeing. If you enjoy this film make sure to skip THE BROWN BUNNY, a disgusting piece of pornographic narcissism that should be destroyed in a firey pit!