G-Gz Movies

G. I. Jane (1997)  When a crusading chairperson of the military budget committee pressures the would be Navy secretary to begin full gender integration of the service, he offers the chance for a test case for a female trainee in a Navy SEAL-style training qualification. LT Jordan O'Neill is given the assignment, but no one expects her to succeed in an inhumanly punishing regime that has a standard 60% dropout rate for men. However, O'Neill is determined to prove everyone wrong.

Good not great but entertaining.

Galaxy Quest (1999)  The sci-fi television series Galaxy Quest, which took place aboard the intergalactic spaceship NSEA Protector, starred Jason Nesmith as suave Commander Peter Quincy Taggert, Gwen DeMarco as sexy communications person Lt. Tawny Madison (a role which consisted solely of repeating what the computer stated, much to Gwen's annoyance), Shakespearean trained Sir Alexander Dane as alien Dr. Lazarus, Fred Kwan as engineer Tech Sgt. Chen, and Tommy Webber as child gunner Laredo. Seventeen years after the show last aired, it lives on in the hearts of its rabid fans. However it lives on in infamy for its stars, who have not been able to find meaningful acting work since. Their current lives revolve around cashing in on however those roles will afford, which usually entails attending fan conventions or worse, such as shopping mall openings. Only Jason seems to relish his lot in life, until he finds out that his co-stars detest him because of his superior attitude as "the Commander".

A truly masterful satire about Star Trek and others. 

At the beginning of the film, Tommy's "You are so full of shit, man!" line was re-dubbed to "You are so full of it, man!" When faced with going through "the chompers", Gwen's "Well, fuck that!" was re-dubbed to say "Well, screw that!". These edits were to avoid a PG-13 rating. The original lines are still obvious when reading their lips.

The scene when Tim Allen is in a mens room overhearing how the cast of Galaxy Quest are nobodies and all the co-stars can't stand him mirrors an actual event in William Shatner's life. He discovered the exact same things about himself when he attended a Star Trek convention.

The Game (1997)  Nicholas Van Orton is a very wealthy San Francisco banker, but he is an absolute loner, even spending his birthday alone. In the year of his 48th birthday (the age his father committed suicide) his brother Conrad, who has gone long ago and surrendered to addictions of all kinds, suddenly returns and gives Nicholas a card giving him entry to unusual entertainment provided by something called Consumer Recreation Services (CRS). Giving up to curiosity, Nicholas visits CRS and all kinds of weird and bad things start to happen to him.

This is a good action suspense movie.  You care for the character but you don't know what advice to give him.  It holds your attention until the end.

In 95-96 I lived and worked in downtown San Francisco in the area where this movie was filmed.  I have eaten in the restaurant where the final scene is filmed many times.

Gattaca (1997)  In the not-too-distant future, a less-than-perfect man wants to travel to the stars. Society has categorized Vincent Freeman as less than suitable given his genetic make-up and he has become one of the underclass of humans that are only useful for menial jobs. To move ahead, he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a perfect genetic specimen who is a paraplegic as a result of a car accident. With professional advice, Vincent learns to deceive DNA and urine sample testing. Just when he is finally scheduled for a space mission, his program director is killed and the police begin an investigation, jeopardizing his secret.

Great movie exploring the possible misuse of DNA information and one man's determination to out wit the system.

Jude Law's character asks to be called by his middle name, Eugene. "Eugene" comes from the Greek for "well born," which he is. "Eugenics" (the science of improving the hereditary qualities of a race or breed) is the central theme of the film.

The film was shot under the title "The Eighth Day". This was a reference to the Biblical creation story, which states that the earth was created in six days and on the seventh day, God rested. The original title implies the tampering of man with what God has already made, and "The Eighth Day" is still the name of the center in the movie where the children are engineered, as noted on the DVD deleted scenes. By the time the much-delayed release of the film came around, the same title had been used by the Belgian film The Eighth Day. Because of this, writer-director Andrew Niccol was forced to choose a new title for his film.

George of the Jungle (1997)   This is the story of a baby named George, whoes plane crashed in the jungle; he stayed alive and was adopted by a wise ape. Life in the jungle is pretty sweet for George, until a beautiful, blonde American heiress, named Ursula Stanhope has traveled to Bukuvu from San Francisco is search of adventure and to get away from her intended, Lyle Van de Groot.  He pursues her anyway in hopes of capturing the legendary White Ape who is supposed to exist in the mountains. Ultimately, a romance blooms between Ursula and George, an extremely clumsy gorilla boy raised by an erudite ape. After they are found, Ursula takes George to the USA in San Fransisco. Meanwhile, Lyle and his devious trackers pursue schemes of their own to kidnap George's ape mentor.

Based on the cartoon series and quite good inspite of bad reviews.  It needs to be watched as a satircal peice making fun of the Tarzan movies and their ilk.

The General's Daughter (1999)  When a general's daughter, an army captain in psychological operations, is found murdered, two warrant officers are brought in to investigate. The young woman was staked down with tent poles, strangled, and presumably raped. But what the investigators find is even more bizarre, relating back to her days at West Point and involving the general himself and his aide. The daughter's one confidant also ends up as an apparent suicide and is assumed to be the culprit. Cover-ups and sexual scandals rampage throughout the film.

Good crime drama well acted by everyone but Travolta, sadly.

Get Shorty (1995)   Chili Palmer, a Miami mobster, loan-sharks for Ray Bones, a violent thug with a big chip on his shoulder. Ray sends Chili to Vegas after a bad debt, and a casino boss enlists Chili to find an even bigger deadbeat: Harry Zimm, Hollywood player and producer of low-budget horror films. In Tinseltown, Chili meets Harry, as well as his scream- queen leading lady, Karen Flores; Harry's drug-dealing financier, Bo Catlett; and Karen's ex, Martin Weir (aka "Shorty"), a big star with an ego to match. Chili finds his Mafioso skills lend themselves quite nicely to what he's always really wanted to do: producing movies.

Get Smart (2008)  American Maxwell Smart works for a Government spy agency in an administrative capacity. When the agency's head office is attacked, the Chief decides to assign Maxwell as a spy and partners him with sexy Agent 99, much to her chagrin. The duo nevertheless set off to combat their attackers by first parachuting off an airplane and landing in Russian territory - followed closely by a over seven foot tall, 400 pound goon, known simply as Dalip. The duo, handicapped by Maxwell's antics, will eventually have their identities compromised, and may be chalked up as casualties while back in America their attackers have already planted a bomb that is set-up to explode in a concert.

The film is dedicated to Don Adams and Edward Platt who had both passed away prior to production of this movie, in 2005 and 1974 respectively.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)  In 1900, strong-willed widow Lucy Muir goes to live in Gull Cottage by the British seaside, even though it appears to be haunted. Sure enough, that very night she meets the ghost of crusty former owner Captain Gregg...and refuses to be scared off. Indeed, they become friends and allies, after Lucy gets used to the idea of a man's ghost haunting her bedroom. But when a charming live man comes courting, Lucy and the captain must deal with their feelings for each other.

I saw this when I was five years old and liked it.  It is dark but wonderful.  There was a TV series of the same name but not as good.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samari (1999)  In Jersey City, an African American hit man follows "Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai." He lives alone, in simplicity with homing pigeons for company, calling himself Ghost Dog. His master, who saved his life eight years ago, is part of the local mob. When the boss' daughter witnesses one of Ghost Dog's hits, he becomes expendable. The first victims are his birds, and in response, Ghost Dog goes right at his attackers but does not want to harm his master or the young woman. On occasion, he talks with his best friend, a French-speaking Haitian who sells ice cream in the park, and with a child with whom he discusses books. Can he stay true to his code? And if he does, what is his fate?

The character of Nobody is played by Gary Farmer, who also played a character named Nobody in Dead Man. He has the same line in both movies: "Stupid fuckin' white man!"

In several scenes in the movie the main character can be seen wearing a shirt that has Chinese writing on it. The text is from the Qing dynasty and means "All things are impermanent, this is the rule of creation and destruction, once created already extinguished, silently ending is the path to happiness." (Pin yin: zhu xing wu chang, shi sheng mie fa, sheng mie mie yi, ji mie wei yue)

Ghostbusters (1984)  Three odd-ball scientists get kicked out of their cushy positions at a university in New York City where they studied the occult. They decide to set up shop in an old firehouse and become Ghostbusters, trapping pesky ghosts, spirits, haunts, and poltergeists for money. They wise-crack their way through the city, and stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, one which will release untold evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters are called on to save the Big Apple. 

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)  Connor Mead, a successful fashion photographer and a Lothario keen on casual sex, goes to his younger brother's wedding to convince him not to marry. He arrives at his dead uncle's estate during the rehearsal the night before the wedding; he starts in, taking his brother aside, trashing marriage. Later in the men's room, his uncle, who taught Connor all he knows about women, appears to him, confesses to have been wrong, and tells Connor that three ghosts will visit him that night: the ghosts of girlfriends past, present, and future. Connor has already set the breakup in motion. Can he learn anything from his life and fix what he's broken?

Not a great film, but it could have been.

The Gin Game (1981)   Set in an old folks home, senior citizen Weller Martin has the disease of Old Age, meets an old woman named Fonsia Dorsey who's diabetic. They both discuss issues such as society, the hospitals, money, families, and the folks home where they live, over a game of Gin Rummy. Fonsia has never played before so Weller teachers her, instantly she goes on a winning streak, making it very hard for Weller not to lose his temper. But he does.

This TV movie is essentially a film made from a play.  The acting skill is awesome.  The subject matter a bit difficult as it shows life ending with more of a whimper than a bang.

The Broadway production of The Gin Game by D.L. Coburn opened at the John Golden Theater in New York on October 6, 1977 and ran for 517 performances.

Hume Cronyn was nominated for the 1978 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Drama for The Gin Game as Weller Martin.

The play The Gin Game won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1978.
The Gin Game premiered at the American Theater Arts in Hollywood, California in September 1976 (directed by Kip Niven) and then was produced by Actor's Theater in Louisville, Kentucky before moving to Broadway.

The Girl in the Cafe (2005)  A May-December comedy becomes a political drama. Lawrence, a spindly, self-effacing civil servant, is a senior researcher for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, preparing for a G-8 summit that will determine the scope of the world's effort to reduce extreme poverty. In a crowded café, he chats awkwardly with Gina, a young Scot with time on her hands. They share a couple of meals, and he invites her to accompany him to the summit in Reykjavík. Once there, as romance blooms, Gina's past, Lawrence's work and proclivity to compromise, and the presence of ministers and presidents spur her to act.

In this movie you can learn why a woman needs several pairs of black shoes. 

Quote at the end of the movie: "Sometime it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation." Nelson Mandela, 2005

The Glenn Miller Story (1954) The unemployed trombone player Glenn Miller is always broken, chasing his sound to form his band and hocking his instrument in the pawn house to survive. When his friend Chummy MacGregor is hired to play in the band of Ben Pollack, the band-leader listens to one Glenn's composition and invites him to join his band. While traveling to New York, Glenn visits his former girlfriend Helen Berger, in Boulder, Colorado, and asks her to wait for him. Two years later he quits the band and proposes Helen that moves to New York to marry him. After the success of "Moonlight Serenade", Glenn Miller's band becomes worldwide known and Glenn and Helen and their two children have a very comfortable life. Duting the World War II, Glenn enlists in the army and travels to Europe to increase the moral of the allied troops. In the Christmas of 1944, he travels from London to Paris for a concert to be broadcast; however his plane is never found in the tragic flight.

The mystery of Glenn Miller's disappearance may have been resolved in recent years by the discovery of a RAF pilot's flight log. He was part of a flight returning from an aborted bombing raid that was ordered to drop their used bombs over the Channel. A small plane was observed straying into their path and was destroyed. That plane is now believed to be Miller's.

Goin' South (1978)  Henry Moon is captured for a capital offense by a posse when his horse quits while trying to escape to Mexico. He finds that there is a post-Civil War law in the small town that any single or widowed woman can save him from the gallows by marrying him. Julia Tate needs a man to help her work her mine and marries him. The sheriff makes it very clear to Moon what the consequences of his leaving Julia will be. The two begin to try to form a relationship based on necessity in which they have nothing in common.

Fluff but an all star cast. 

Barry Fitzgerald was nominated by the Academy for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards for the same performance, the only time this has ever happened. He won the Oscar in the supporting category but lost in the lead category to co-star Bing Crosby

The Golden Compass (2007)  It was no ordinary life for a young girl: living among scholars in the hallowed halls of Jordan College and tearing unsupervised through Oxford's motley streets on mad quests for adventure. But Lyra's greatest adventure would begin closer to home, the day she heard hushed talk of an extraordinary particle. Microscopic in size, the magical dust- discovered in the vast Arctic expanse of the North -was rumored to possess profound properties that could unite whole universes. But there were those who feared the particle and would stop at nothing to destroy it. Catapulted into the heart of a terrible struggle, Lyra was forced to seek aid from clans, 'gyptians, and formidable armored bears. And as she journeyed into unbelievable danger, she had not the faintest clue that she alone was destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle.

This is a good movie and good story.  It is way to scary for young children and not enough sex for older teenagers and adults.  It did not do as well at the box office, which is too bad as there are two more books in the series.

The name "Serafina Pekkala" originated when Philip Pullman browsed through a Finnish telephone directory.

The Golden Child (1986)  In an unknown location in Tibet, a young boy with mystical abilities, the Golden Child, receives badges of honor and demonstrates his power by reviving a dead bird, which is to become a constant companion. However, a band of villains led by a mysterious man breaks into the hidden temple, slaughters the monks and takes the boy away. Some time afterwards, a young woman named Kee Nang watches a Los Angeles TV show in which Chandler Jarrell, a social worker who is confronted by a young Asian woman who tells him that he is the Chosen One destined to save The Golden Child, the savior of all mankind, from the clutches of the evil demon Sardo Numspa, who won't rest until he sees to it that the boy is in his clutches. But Jarrell disbelieves the mysticism but he finds more and more evidence of demon worship as he starts investigating.

An almost good movie, still entertaining though.

John Carpenter was offered the job as director. He later went on to direct the similar film Big Trouble in Little China.

Gone With the Wind (1939)  This tale of the Old South from the start of the Civil War through to the period of reconstruction focuses on the beautiful Scarlett O'Hara. Before the start of the war life at the O'Hara plantation, Tara, could only be described as genteel. As for the young Scarlett, she is without doubt the most beautiful girl in the area and is always the belle of the ball. She is very much looking forward to a barbecue at the nearby Wilkes plantation as she will get to see the man she loves, Ashley Wilkes. She is more than a little dismayed when she hears that he is to marry his cousin Melanie Hamilton and in a fit of anger, she decides to marry Melanie's brother. War is soon declared and as always seems to be the case, men march off to battle thinking that it will only last a few weeks. Now living in Atlanta, Scarlett sees the ravages that war brings. She also becomes re-acquainted with Rhett Butler, whom she had first met at the Wilkes barbecue. Now a widow, she still pines for the married Ashley and dreams of his return. With the war lost however, she returns to Tara and faces the hardship of keeping her family together and Tara from being sold at auction to collect the taxes. She has becomes hardened and bitter and will do anything, including marrying her sister's beau, to ensure she will never again be poor and hungry. After becoming a widow for the second time, she finally marries the dashing Rhett but they soon find themselves working at cross-purposes, their relationship seemingly doomed from the outset.

Gone With the Wind is a great book.  If the entire book were made into a movie it would be 160 hours long.  It should have been a miniseries but in 1939 television was mostly a lab phenomena.  A great deal of mythos surrounding the movie and the book.  It is fun to research those.  Enjoy.

In 1975, I had not seen the movie although I had certainly heard about it and had seen a number of parodies about parts of it.  Sandy, my new girlfried and future wife thought the book was the best thing ever.  Scarlett was her hero.  So I saw a revival of the movie (I was being re-released about every 5 years).  I also read the book.

Good Bye Girl  (1977)  A divorced woman and her daughter come home to find that her boyfriend has left for an out of town job with no warning. This has happened before. The second surprise comes in the form of another actor who has sublet the apartment from her boyfriend (who did not mention the pair of females who would be in residence). After some negotiation the two decide to share the apartment even though she has vowed to stay away from actors.

Classic Neil Simon

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)   A new Disc Jockey is shipped from Crete to Vietnam to bring humor to Armed Forces Radio. He turns the studio on it's ear and becomes wildly popular with the troops but runs afoul of the middle management who think he isn't G.I. enough. While he is off the air, he tries to meet Vietnamese, especially girls, and begins to have brushes with the real war that never appear on the radio.

Adrian Cronauer character based more on DJs from Kwajalein than Vietnam BTW.

Goodfellas (1990)  This film views the mob lives of three pivotal figures in the 1960's and 70's New York. Henry Hill is a local boy turned gangster in a neighborhood full of the roughest and toughest. Tommy Devito is a pure bred gangster, who turns out to be Henry's best friend. Jimmy Conway puts the two of them together, and runs some of the biggest hijacks and burglaries the town has ever seen. After an extended jail sentence, Henry must sneak around the back of the local mob boss, Paulie Cicero, to live the life of luxury he has always dreamed of. In the end, the friends end up in a hell of a jam, and must do anything they can to save each other, and stay alive.

Another great movie worth seeing, once.

Gosford Park (2001)  Set in the 1930's the story takes place in an old fashioned English country house where a family has invited many of their friends up for a weekend shooting party. The story centers around the McCordle family, particularly the man of the house, William McCordle. Getting on in years William has become benefactor to many of his relatives and friends. As the weekend goes on and secrets are revealed, it seems everyone, above stairs and below, wants a piece of William and his money, but how far will they go to get it?

Great movie, essentially no plot, but lots of characters, lots of activity but no real action.  A murder mystery of sorts.  A period piece, generally I do not like such movies but Alman has a way of drawing you into his films.

In the DVD commentary, director Robert Altman states he included the F-word several times on purpose to get an R-rating because he didn't want kids to see the film - he thought kids wouldn't like the film so he wanted to keep them out (especially 14-year-old boys).  Having experience 14 year old boys many times, I applaude him.

Top

The Grass Harp (1995)  After his mother's death, Collin Fenwick goes to live with his father's cousins, the wealthy, avaricious, and controlling Verena Talbo, and her compliant, earthy sister Dolly. When a city slicker comes to town and convinces Verena to market Dolly's locally-famous tonic, Dolly finally gets some backbone, refuses to divulge the formula, and heads for a tree house with Collin and Catherine, the loyal maid. Verena, who has most of the town in her pocket, sics the law on the renegades. Dolly, Catherine, and Collin find a supporter in a retired judge, Charlie Cool, who's attracted to Dolly. Will Verena's venom win out? And what about that city slicker?

Great cast, good movie.

.

Grease (1978)  During a visit to America, Australian Sandy meets Danny Zuko at the beach and falls in love. She is heartbroken when Summer ends and she has to return home and their last kiss on the beach is a very emotional one. But fate lends a hand - her parents decide to stay in America and she finds herself attending the same school as Danny. But Danny at school is different from Danny at the beach. He is the leader of the T-Birds, a leather clad gang, and has a reputation to keep up. He can't be seen to fall in love with just one chick! Sandy is upset and seeks solace with some new friends she has made - a female gang called The Pink Ladies. But her prim and proper virginal ways do not fit in and she soon finds herself almost alone. A change must be made. Does she attempt to get her man by turning him into a jock? Or must she get rid of her "Sandra Dee" image?

This is a delightful musical for everyone.  It will make you remember the good and bad of high school and remind you of what you once were.

The Great Escape (1963)  In 1942, the Germans have built what they consider an escape-proof POW camp where they plan to house all the problem POWs, i.e. those that have made multiple escape attempts in the past. What the Germans don't realize is that they've put all the best escape minds in one location. If they can't escape, these POWs believe it is their military duty to make the enemy place as much effort into their confinement as possible to divert them from other war related pursuits. Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Bartlett plans not just a one or two man escape at a time like most escape attempts in the past have been, but a massive escape of two hundred fifty men through a series of tunnels - if one tunnel is found, they can focus on the others. Each escapee will be provided with a complete set of forged documents and standard clothing. With their reputations preceding them, each POW is assigned a specific task in carrying out the plan. Somewhat outside of the plot are Captain Hilts and Flying Officer Ives - who spent their first thirty days in camp in the cooler together - they who are unofficially assigned as the decoys who will make more rudimentary escape attempts. They ask Hilts to make a more serious task of reconnaissance of the local town if he ever does successfully escape, which of course means his recapture to bring the information back into camp and more time in the cooler. Beyond basic logistical problems and the Germans finding out what's going on, they have potential problems in certain POWs who may become liabilities dealing with their own personal issues.

Great Gatsby (1974)  Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.

Okay movie, should have been great.  Read the book.

The Great Race (1965)  In the early twentieth century, the Great Leslie - daredevil and all 'round Renaissance man always clad in white - has several world records to his name in daring feats of courage, always with the faithful Hezekiah by his side. Leslie's arch enemy is the dastardly Professor Fate - always clad in black - who is always trying either to outdo Leslie or thwart Leslie's attempts of daring, without success. Leslie suggests to the Webber Motor Car Company that they show their engineering expertise by building the supreme motor car for a New York to Paris race, that car which they ultimately name the Leslie Special after their inspiration. Not to be outdone, Fate, with his equally dastardly sidekick Max, also enters the race with what he considers his motor car masterpiece, the Hannibal Twin-8. Nothing is too dastardly an act in Fate's goal of winning. One of the other entries is the beautiful Maggie Dubois, a reporter covering the race for the New York Sentinel newspaper. An emancipated woman, Maggie initially tried to convince both Leslie and Fate to use her as their driving partner, both who refused, considering her among the weaker sex. Maggie however convinced the newspaper both to hire her and to sponsor their own car with her as the driver based on the internal struggle within the newspaper's ownership, which is similar to Maggie's own struggles. Maggie expects to win: in her logic, she is covering the entire race (which she does with the use of some primitive but effective technology), meaning she needs to be first at the finish line. Despite being emancipated, Maggie is not averse to using her feminine wiles to her advantage. Through the race, they come across a few adventures and obstacles. But being a long race with much interaction between the racers, their mindsets and priorities may change based on their time together.

The film starts with the dedication "For Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy". Opening credits are in the form of a turn of the century slide show, beginning with "Ladies kindly remove your hats". The WB logo is drawn on the hood of a car. When the main characters are introduced, Jack Lemmon is jeered (and sticks out his tongue in reply), Tony Curtis cheered and Natalie Wood gets dog whistles. There are various hiccups along the way: a fly is shooed off by a stick, the lights go out and a (real) hand with a match comes on. Other slides have to be adjusted by hand. When one of them starts to burn, "One moment please" is interjected. The producers' credit is upside down. The last slide turns into the opening shot of the movie.

The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)  To ensure a full profitable season, circus manager Brad Braden engages The Great Sebastian, though this moves his girlfriend Holly from her hard-won center trapeze spot. Holly and Sebastian begin a dangerous one-upmanship duel in the ring, while he pursues her on the ground. Subplots involve the secret past of Buttons the Clown and the efforts of racketeers to move in on the game concessions. Let the show begin!

The movie is often cited as the least deserved Best Picture winner ever. It is widely believed the film only won because many members of the Academy were reluctant to vote for the anti-McCarthyite western High Noon, whose screenwriter Carl Foreman had just been blacklisted from Hollywood.

The Green Berets (1968)  Col. Mike Kirby picks two teams of crack Green Berets for a mission in South Vietnam. First off is to build and control a camp that is trying to be taken by the enemy the second mission is to kidnap a North Vietnamese General .

Not a great pro war film.  The Vietnam war was very unpopular in 1968.  John Wayne was defintely an American film icon and supportive of the war.  This is worth seeing to understand that there were prowar (hawk) sentiments.  Full Metal Jacket is a better film to see the grittyness of the war.

The Green Mile (1999)  Paul Edgecomb is a slightly cynical veteran prison guard on Death row in the 1930's. His faith, and sanity, deteriorated by watching men live and die, Edgecomb is about to have a complete turn around in attitude. Enter John Coffey, He's eight feet tall. He has hands the size of waffle irons. He's been accused of the murder of two children... and he's afraid to sleep in a cell without a night-light. And Edgecomb, as well as the other prison guards - Brutus, a sympathetic guard, and Percy, a stuck up, perverse, and violent person, are in for a strange experience that involves intelligent mice, brutal executions, and the revelation about Coffey's innocence and his true identity.

Well crafted movie based on a book by Stephen King who called this film the single most faithful adaptation of his work.

The music played over the loudspeakers in the retirement home as Old Paul Edgecomb first walks out of his room is the same as the music the nurses played at medication time in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The music used is Mantovani's Charmaine.

Gremlins (1984)  When Billy Peltzer is given a small creature called a Mogwai by his father, he is unaware of the carnage he is about to encounter. There is a huge responsibility in looking after Gizmo as there are certain rules which must be followed. The Mogwai must be kept away from bright light, never made wet and never, ever be fed after midnight. When an accident occurs involving Gizmo and water, the next evolution stage of the Mogwai appears, and it isn't nice at all.

Definitely a good move at the edge of greatness.  Awesome story good special effects, a few parts a bit weak.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)  Martin Blank is a freelance hitman who starts to develop a conscience, which causes him to muff a couple of routine assignments. On the advice of his secretary and his psychiatrist, he attends his 10th year High School reunion in Grosse Pointe, Michigan (a Detroit suburb where he's also contracted to kill someone). Hot on his tail are a couple of over-enthusiastic federal agents, another assassin who wants to kill him, and Grocer, an assassin who wants him to join an "Assassin's Union."

Surpisingly good.

Grumpier Old Men (1995)  Things don't seem to change much in Wabasha County: Max and John are still fighting after 35 years, Grandpa still drinks, smokes, and chases women , and nobody's been able to catch the fabled "Catfish Hunter", a gigantic catfish that actually smiles at fishermen who try to snare it. Six months ago John married the new girl in town (Ariel), and people begin to suspect that Max might be missing something similar in his life. The only joy Max claims is left in his life is fishing, but that might change with the new owner of the bait shop.

Cute and entertaing, not much of a story line, but still fun to watch aging actors work at their craft.

Grumpy Old Men (1993)  John and Max are elderly men living next door to each other. They're continuously arguing and insulting each other, and have been this way for over 50 years. One day, Ariel, moves into the street. Both men are attracted to her, and their rivalry steps up a gear.

Funny but forgeable. Watch the outtakes for some funny stuff by Burgess Meredith.

Predictible but not well executed.  It does have some interesting insight into the Coast Guard.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (1967)  Joey Drayton brings her fiancé, Dr. John Prentice, home to sunny San Francisco to meet her affluent parents. Their liberal persuasions are now put to the test, for although the young man is an ideal choice (he's highly and internationally respected in the medical field, and he's impeccably mannered, handsome, well dressed and of a respectable California family), he's black. The film, which covers one busy day in the Drayton home, is essentially a drawing-room comedy, a series of cross-conversations between the young doctor and the girl's parents, and finally between all sets of parents and offspring. A simple dinner is extended to include the doctor's parents, who fly up from Los Angeles for the evening, and the crusty but benevolent old Irish priest, a friend of the family. Thus, the title of the film.

When the movie was conceived and launched by producer-director Stanley Kramer, one of Hollywood's greatest liberal movie-makers, intermarriage between African Americans and Caucasians was still illegal in 14 states. Towards the end of production, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Loving v. Virginia. The Loving decision was made on June 12, 1967, two days after the death of star Spencer Tracy, who had played a "phony" white liberal who grudgingly accepts his daughter's marriage to a black man. In Loving, the High Court unanimously ruled that anti-miscegenation marriage laws were unconstitutional. In his opinion, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote, "Marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival. To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discriminations. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State." Interestingly, Kramer kept in the line of the African American father played by Roy Glenn, who tells his son played by Sidney Poitier, "In 16 or 17 states you'll be breaking the law. You'll be criminals." This was probably because Kramer realized that, despite the change in the law, the couple would still be facing a great deal of prejudice requiring a stalwart love for their marriage to survive, which was the message Tracy's character gives in an eight-minute scene that is the climax of the movie. The scene summing up the theme of the movie was the last one the dying Tracy filmed for the movie, and it was the last time he would ever appear on film. It took a week to shoot the scene and at the end, he was given a standing ovation by the crew. He died a little over a fortnight after walking off of a sound-stage for the last time. He died 17 days later.

The Guns of Navarone (1961)  1943. With the battle of Stalingrad turning the war against them, the Germans are attempting to bully neutral Turkey into joining the Axis; to this end they have trapped 2,000 British soldiers on Kiros, an island in the Aegean, with only one sea route for evacuation, a sea route commanded by two gigantic German antiship batteries deployed in a massive cliffside bunker on the island of Navarone. Immune to air attack and too much for Allied battleships to suppress, the British muster Keith Mallory, a commando officer who has been working on occupied Crete for nearly two years and who is an expert mountaineer, to ferry a team of British commandos to the only area of Navarone that is not monitored by the Germans, a 400-foot cliff. Greek resistance is to meet the team inland and guide them around German patrols to the area of the German guns. However, the commanding officer of the British team suffers grave injury in the climb and Mallory must take control of the mission, despite clashes with explosives expert John Anthony Miller, who upon the arrival of the night of the raid finds his equipment has been sabotaged, thus exposing a traitor in the team's ranks.

Despite the narrated prologue (see Memorable Quotes) setting the "historical background", this is a work of fiction. There was no such mission, because there never were any guns of Navarone.

When the team stops German soldiers on a mountain road, pretending a vehicle breakdown, a soldier peeks through a canvas drape in the back of the German truck at the encounter. The soldier is played by a very young Harrison Ford.

A Guy Named Joe (1943)  Maj. Pete Sandidge is a very able pilot who seems to have a streak of luck as far as flying goes. World War II is raging and Pete has come out of it pretty so far. He even has a beautiful girlfriend Dorinda Durston, herself a qualified pilot who ferries aircraft to different bases. When Pete is killed however, he finds himself in heaven and learns that every pilot has a guardian angel. He returns to Earth where, unseen by anyone, he coaches a pilot-in-training Ted Randall. Ted is a pretty good kid and is coming along nicely but when he's shipped to New Guinea he runs into Dorinda who has remained faithful to her lost love. As Ted pursues her, Pete will have to decide what he wants to do about it.

Reportedly Steven Spielberg's favorite movie, he remade it in 1989 as Always. The remake included the three main characters (Pete Sandich, Durinda Durston and Al Yackey), plus the characters of "Ted" and "Nails."

Guys and Dolls (1955)  All the hot gamblers are in town, and they're all depending on Nathan Detroit to set up this week's incarnation of "The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York"; the only problem is, he needs $1000 to get the place. Throw in Sarah Brown, who's short on sinners at the mission she runs; Sky Masterson, who accepts Nathan's $1000 bet that he can't get Sarah Brown to go with him to Havana; Miss Adelaide, who wants Nathan to marry her; Police Lieutenant Brannigan, who always seems to appear at the wrong time; and the music/lyrics of Frank Loesser, and you've got quite a musical. Includes the songs: "Fugue for Tinhorns", "Luck Be a Lady", "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat".

Good musical comdey.  The male leads could have been better.  I have seen this redone in amateur theater that has been better performed.  Still it is worth seeing.

Gypsy (1962)  While the title suggest that this musical is about the famous stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, it is really about her hard-driven, determined stage mother, Mama Rose. In the beginning, Rose concentrates on her talented younger daughter, June, leaving older, less talented Louise in the cold. When June tires of being cute and runs away, Rose turns to Louise instead. Louise eventually does become "Gypsy", and Rose is left by herself, her aspirations for her kids realized, but her own show-business aspirations still unrealized.