Meet Joe Black - 1998

Universal Pictures, City Light Films

Directed by Martin Brest

Cast:

• Joe Black – Brad Pitt
• William Parish – Anthony Hopkins
• Drew – Jake Webber
• Susan Parrish – Claire Forlani
• Allison – Marcia Gay Harden
• Quince – Jeffrey Tambor

Story: A wealthy and successful man, William Parrish is about to turn sixty five years old. But about a week before, he wakes suddenly in the middle of the night and feels a pain in his left arm. He rises to go to his bathroom to splash some water on his face, and he hears a voice whisper “yes”, but in spite of being startled, he returns to his bed. The next day in the office he feels a deep pain in his chest, and once again hears the voice whispering “yes”. That evening he hears it again, and the voice continues this time, saying he is standing at the front door to his penthouse and would someone please let him in. When he finally confronts the man whose voice he has been hearing, the man says he has been giving Bill the answer to his question. The question is “Am I going to die?”, and the voice providing the answer is Death's, who has come to offer Bill a deal. Death would like a tour of the living, and in exchange, he will grant Bill more time.

Review: Inspired by Death Takes A Holiday, a classic stage play that many of my generation read as teens for either English or Drama class in high school, this film marks, for me, the coming of age of Brad Pitt as an actor with depth. I know some people will point to A River Runs Through It, or even Seven Years In Tibet as the films where Brad showed true ability, but Death Takes a Holiday is a pivotal film where he has to reach into the unknown and his past to portray a “stranger in a strange land.” and he does it with a remarkable freshness and style. As an amateur actor, I know the importance of any production is to give the audience the illusion of the first time. Brad does that beautifully in this film.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that he is surrounded by an incredible cast, lead by the incomparable Anthony Hopkins. Jake Webber demonstrates his range as well, as do both Marcia Gay Harden and Jeffrey Tambor. Somewhere beyond perfect is Claire Forlani's portrayal of Susan Parrish, the younger daughter and medical resident who is attracted to Pitt's character, first in his portrayal of the young attorney freshly arrived in the big city, and then as Death personified in Joe Black.

The plot is straightforward, the photography exceptional (try filming a sex scene without revealing any body parts that shouldn't be seen), and the sets are exquisite examples of architecture. While certainly not an action film, the film moves forward briskly, without needless exposition or character development beyond what is needed. Rated PG-13, thanks to that incredible photography, this is a film for contemplation and reflection, and offers no religious allegories to good or evil. I own a copy, and I think it will be regarded as collectible.

The Last Boy Scout - 1991

Geffen Pictures, Silver Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures

Directed by Tony Scott

Cast:

• Joe Hallenbeck – Bruce Willis
• Jimmy Dix – Damon Wayans
• Sarah Hallenbeck – Chelsea Fields
• Sheldon 'Shelly' Marcone – Noble Willingham
• Milo – Taylor Negron
• Darian Hallenbeck – Danielle Harris
• Cory – Halle Berry
• Mike Matthews – Bruce McGill
• Chet – Kim Coates

Story: Joe Hallenbeck is going through a really rough time in his life. The former Secret Service agent who once took two bullets for the President is now a alcoholic bum private detective who discovers his wife is sleeping with Mike Matthews, his best friend. Mike is also a detective and offers Joe five hundred dollars to handle a surveillance job, which he accepts even though he catches him in his bedroom closet with Sarah, his wife. As Mike is leaving, Joe gets the information on the job and stands by the curb to watch Mike leave. But when Mike gets in his car, it blows up. And the stripper he is hired to protect gets killed. The stripper's boyfriend, a former professional football player named Jimmy Dix, gets involved and together they work to solve the mystery that's getting people killed.

Review: Timeline in another dimension...has to be. Pro Football on a Friday Night with Bill Medley singing the theme song? Halle Berry dancing in a strip club with silver pasties? Anyone wanting to assassinate Jimmy Carter? (well, maybe) Talk about your fantasy summer action films. I think Tony Scott knew exactly what he was doing when he got Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) to write this incredibly fast paced film with lots of twists and turns. Willis and Damons work exceptionally well off each other, and its hard to tell who's the straight man and who's the comic in several of the exchanges. I'm not quite sure which characters have the shortest film time, but not many Bad Guys survive. Bruce McGill and Kim Coates are both excellent in brief but important roles, and Taylor Negron wins the award for most villainous bad guy of the 1990's, in my opinion. Now, if you're looking for plots that make sense, forget it. This is a shoot 'em up film where Willis gets to play the irascible grouch who is pissed off about losing his job and taking it out on the world. How bad is he? Every time someone calls him a bastard, his response is: “and then some!”. So we are not talking Oscar material, and we certainly aren't talking collectible, unless you are a big fan of Willis. (I admit it, I have a copy) Rated R for every conceivable reason in the book except maybe perversion with animals, this is definitely a see it once and enjoy the laughter and the action.

The Sum of All Fears - 2002

Paramount Pictures, Mace Neufeld Productions,MFP Munich Film Partners GmbH & Company I. Produktions KG

Directed by Phil Alden Robinson

Cast:

• Jack Ryan – Ben Affleck
• William Cabot – Morgan Freeman
• President Fowler – James Cromwell
• John Clark – Liev Schrieber
• NS Advisor Gene Revell – Bruce McGill
• President Nemerov – Ciaran Hinds
• Dr. Cathy Muller – Bridget Moynahan

Story: A young CIA analyst becomes embroiled in a conflict between the United States and Russia. Jack Ryan is the resident expert on the newly elected Russian President Nemerov, and is summoned by CIA director Cabot to provide background information. He accompanies Cabot to Moscow, and then joins him in a tour of a facility where nuclear warheads are being dismantled. Ryan's curiousity is peaked when he discovers three of the seventeen scientists who are supposed to be on duty at the facility are missing. The more he digs into this anomaly, the more he discovers, and he and his research team are the only people standing between World War Three.

Review: The fourth Tom Clancy novel to make it to the big screen, and the third actor to play Jack Ryan. This film falls short of expectations for several reasons. Since it is shot as a “prequel”of sorts to the previous films, Sum of all Fears seems somehow out of time with its predecessors. In this film, Jack Ryan is played by Ben Affleck, who is certainly no slouch in front of the camera. His portrayal of the the Clancy hero is good, and even meshes with the performance of Alec Baldwin in the first film of the series, Hunt for Red October. I guess my problem is Red October post dates Sum by a number of years, since in it Catherine and Jack are married with a daughter, yet the Soviets are still around. In Sum, Ryan and Cathy are still dating, only becoming engaged at the end of the film and the Soviet Union is long gone. From that standpoint alone, the timing is off sequence, which can make for a bit of a conflict for those of us who have read Clancy's novels, or seen the previous films. For the uninitiated, the film is terrific, and opens up the possibility of an entire new series (which was never pursued, apparently). Cromwell and Freeman are striking in their roles, as is Ciaran Hinds as the Russian President. The remaining cast, McGill, et. al., are intense when they need to be and absent when not needed. Which is the problem with a film like this, since you have so much action going on it is easy to get lost in it. Rated PG-13 for violence and language, the terrifying scene of a nuclear weapon going off in a crowded city is enough for all of us to consider whether or not to let the kids watch. Definitely not collectible, since the series was never continued and the film is out of sequence with the first three Clancy films. Rent it, don't buy it.

Virtuosity - 1995

Paramount Pictures

Directed by Brett Leonard

Cast:

• Lt. Parker Barnes – Denzel Washington
• Madison Carter – Kelly Lynch
• SID 6.7 – Russell Crowe
• William Cochran – William Forsythe
• Elizabeth Deane – Louise Fletcher
• Wallace – William Fichtner
• John Donovan – Costas Mandylor
• Kari Carter – Kaley Cuoco
• Clyde Riley – Kevin J. O'Connor
• Media Zone singer – Traci Lords

Story: Even good cops have bad days. Lt. Parker Barnes had one, and is in prison for murder. But he is still serving the department: he and another officer are test subjects in a virtual program for training police officers. The program is totally interactive with the officers, and there's even a bonus for Barnes, namely SID 6.7. SID is a constructed criminal, a combination of some of the most terrifying criminals in history, including Matthew Grimes, the man who kidnapped Barne's family and led to his incarceration. Barnes keeps winning in the simulations, outwitting SID 6.7 at every turn, but SID has developed his own personality and doesn't like to lose. SID finds a way out of the virtual world and begins a scheme of terror designed to play against his favorite opponent: Lt. Parker Barnes.

Review: Set in the very near future, Virtuosity explores the evil fantasy of every science fiction addict by bringing an evil virtual villain out of the computer and onto the streets. Seventeen years ago, this was a wild fantasy. Today, with the way we are going with computers, not so much. But you have to enjoy the acting in this one as well as the plot, which is somewhat original. The cast is eclectic, with the powerful Russell Crowe as the virtual bad guy, a two dimensional creature bent on death and destruction, and Crowe brings a frightening believability to the role. Denzel wasn't quite the heart throb at the time, but his portrayal of Parker Barnes is excellent, and we get to feel the characters emotions and angst as he is taunted again and again by this evil construct. Louise Fletcher is the uncaring, evil woman in charge of the virtual simulations, and she is perfectly opposed by Kelly Lynch (aka Mrs. John Travolta) throughout the film. A cameo by Traci Lords and an early performance by a 10 year old Kaley Cuoco (Penny on Big Bang Theory) round out an excellent cast and make for an entertaining film. Rated R for violence, language, and disturbing content, including sex, this is one for an afternoon or evening when you are tired of the run of the mill fare. Collectible? Not necessarily, but worth a rental.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon - 2009

Imprint Entertainment, Summit Entertainment, Sunswept Entertainment

Directed by Chris Weitz

Cast:

• Bella Swan – Kristen Stewart
• Edward Cullen – Robert Pattinson
• Jacob Black – Taylor Lautner
• Charlie Swan – Billy Burke
• Angela – Christian Serratos
• Alice Cullen – Ashley Greene
• Jasper Hale – Jackson Rathbone
• Aro – Michael Sheen
• Jane – Dakota Fanning

Story: Summer has ended and Bella is back to school, and so is Edward. The subject of his immortality has come to bear on Bella, and she is wanting to be turned. But Edward does not want to be the cause of her fall from grace, for he fears he is damned for all eternity for being what he is. After an incident where Bella is at the Cullen's home for her birthday party and accidentally cuts her finger, Edward decides it is best for Bella that he leaves. The Cullen's depart, and Bella falls into a deep depression. When she comes up for air, she discovers whenever she is in a dangerous situation, Edward appears as a spirit. She is so desperate to see him she continues to take risks, until she jumps off a clif into the sea and nearly drowns. Since Alice cannot see what has happened, Edward believes she is dead and no longer wants to live, so he travels to Italy to ask permission of the Volturie, the leading council of the vampires, to die. Bella arrives in the nick of time to save his life, but the only way Bella can be allowed to live is by becoming one of them.

Review: Yes, I know. I started with Breaking Dawn Part 1 and haven't even touched upon Twilight yet. My bad, I guess, but I find this second installment of the series much more intriguing than the first. Here we have actual drama, as real as a story about vampires can be, and real conflict. Bella is a teenage girl who acts like a teenage girl, and both Jacob and Edward act like teenage boys...which is sort of a real contradiction in Edward's case. I mean, after a couple of hundred years, don't you think a man might have some modicum of maturity? But maybe being a vampire retards your common sense in favor of your hormones. Hmmm. Wait a minute, what hormones? He's dead! Oh well, I could go on and on with the contradictions in this film, but who am I to rain on anyone's parade? This is a Romeo and Juliet set in the fantasy of seclusion and passion, a love that was written in the stars. The special effects are great, especially the transformation sequences with Jacob and the rest of the tribe. After all, you knew they were werewolves, right? And the addition of Michael Sheen as Aro, the head of the Volturie and Dakota Fanning as Jane, the evil inflicter of pain with a devilish smile, brings a new dimension of mystery to the story. Rated PG-13 for violence and dramatic action, this one is safe for the teens and even the 10 year old girls who are lovers of romance. Collectible if you have the original, and my wife and daughters own all four and are anxiously awaiting the fifth. (There you go, ladies, I reviewed it.)

Groundhog Day - 1993

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Directed by Harold Ramis

Cast:

• Phil – Bill Murray
• Rita – Andie MacDowell
• Larry – Chris Elliot
• Ned – Stephen Tobolowsky
• Buster – Brian Doyle-Murray

Story: Phil the Weatherman has a little problem. Okay, Phil the Weatherman has a lot of problems, but this particular one is unique. Phil is caught in a Karmic Loop. He has to keep living the same day over and over again until he gets it right. But he has no idea of what right is. Up until now, he has been a miserable excuse for a human being, selfish, self centered, and inconsiderate, thinking of other people as just a means to an end. His producer, Rita, and his cameraman, Larry, pretty much consider Phil as another never will be local broadcaster who works cheap enough to get by. For Phil, no matter what he does, he wakes up in the same room at six a.m. every morning. Slowly it dawns on him that he can do anything he wants, anything at all, and there are no consequences. Or are there?

Review: Groundhog Day is one of those films you either love or hate. No in between, no take it or leave it. Everyone has an opinion, and surprisingly they all appear to be valid. I fall on the “love it” side of the equation, but I am a huge Bill Murray fan. Everyone knows a Bill Murray, the guy who wants to do something just wrong enough to get him fired and just right enough to be fun. Bill's character in this film is at the stage in his life where he is totally focused on advancing his career, regardless of what happens to those around him, which is why he cannot advance his career. Chris Elliot as Larry the cameraman is resolved to his role in life, observing the lives of others and getting his paycheck at the end of the day. Maybe Chris wanted to try a straight role for once, maybe there was only room for one comedian in the film, but Chris actually contributes little to the film. Andie MacDowell is the naïve, wide eyed beginning producer who really doesn't care about her job as much as she cares about her own agenda. Only in her case, she isn't willing to step over or on people to get where she needs to be in life. Personally I like this film because it is an exhaustive study on the transition of a man through circumstance from an ass to a man. Rated PG for a couple of sexual situations and some violence, I'd say the teens would not be offended, but I doubt they will get it. Collectible if you like Murray, or just like an interesting play on Karma.

Flatliners - 1990

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Stonebridge Entertainment

Directed by Joel Schumacher

Cast:

• Nelson – Kiefer Sutherland
• David Labraccio – Kevin Bacon
• Rachael Mannus – Julia Roberts
• Joe Hurley – William Baldwin
• Randy Steckle – Oliver Platt
• Winnie Hicks – Kimberly Scott
• Billy Mahoney – Joshua Rudoy
• Anne Coldren – Hope Davis

Story: Five medical students are searching for proof of something beyond death. Nelson, the experiment's innovator and the leader of the five, has devised a plan to kill himself, temporarily, and be revived after a minute and a half of documented death. His classmates will then revive him and he can relate what happened. The experiment goes as planned, but there is one unforeseen complication. He brings his past sin with him. One by one, the students undergo the same experience, but they stay dead longer each time, and each of them brings something back with them. Each person finds the resolution in confronting the past, and each with terrifying results.

Review: Every time I think about this film, I have this flashback of Wednesday Addams about to electrocute Pugsly while playing a game called “Is there a God?” The premise of the film is that one could view the afterlife and come back with the ability to report on their findings. The idea that a medical school would admit or retain anyone who had these tendencies, let alone allow a sizable amount of expensive equipment to go unaccounted for, is ridiculous. Given that, I have to say the film has merit, but it is certainly not the merit of a sound plot. The acting, however, is superb, and every cast member should be applauded for their ability to rise to the occasion in this somewhat palatable “horror” film. Kiefer's ability to maintain his character's persona is exceptional, breaking at just the right moment in the film. Julia Roberts certainly gives us a performance rivaling her work in previous films, as well as adding an interesting perspective to the idea of guilt and redemption. Kevin Bacon is the glue than binds this band together, with his ability to maintain the focus of the five on the problems they are facing. Oliver Platt provides an interesting sort of comic relief, and William Baldwin brings his boyish demeanor into play with his particular sin, although you have to wonder how that character ever got into medical school. The sets really give us the “horror” feeling, and you have to give Joel Schumacher his props for his camera angles and framing of the these spooky rooms and buildings. Rated R for violence, sexual references and scenes, and language, definitely not one for the younger set. Wouldn't want to give anyone ideas.