| Babe (1995) Babe is a little pig who doesn't quite know his place in the world. With a bunch of odd friends, like Ferdinand the duck who thinks he is a rooster and Fly the dog he calls mom, Babe realizes that he has the makings to become the greatest sheep pig of all time, and Farmer Hogget Knows it. With the help of the sheep dogs Babe learns that a pig can be anything that he wants to be. When James Cromwell was handed the screenplay for Babe, he thumbed through it to see how many lines he had. He saw that he didn't have that many, he decided that he would do it as a nice easy film. What he didn't realize was that he would have more screen time in this film than any of his previous films. | ||
| Babes in Toyland (1934) Ollie Dee and Stanley Dum try to borrow money from their employer, the toymaker, to pay off the mortgage on Mother Peep's shoe and keep it and Little Bo Peep from the clutches of the evil Barnaby. When that fails, they trick Barnaby into marrying Stanley Dum instead of Bo Peep. Enraged, Barnaby unleashes the bogeymen from their caverns to destroy Toyland. Good Christmas fun with Laurel & Hardy. | ||
| Bag of Bones (2011) Bestselling novelist Mike Noonan, unable to cope after his wife's sudden death, returns to the couple's lakeside retreat in Maine, where he becomes involved in a custody battle between a young widow and her child's enormously wealthy grandfather. Mike inexplicably receives mysterious ghostly visitations, escalating nightmares and the realization that his late wife still has something to tell him. | ||
| Bad Santa (2003) "Bad Santa" is the story of two conmen who go on a road trip to malls dressed as Santa and his elf. Rather than spreading good cheer, the duo's motive is to rob each establishment, a strategy that becomes complicated when they encounter an 8-year-old who teaches them the true meaning of Christmas. This movie shouldn't have worked, but magically it does. You are quickly invested in the characters and hope for their redemption. | ||
| Balls of Fury (2007) The unsanctioned, underground, and unhinged world of extreme Ping-Pong, the competition is brutal and the stakes are deadly. Down-and-out former professional Ping-Pong phenom Randy Daytona is sucked into this maelstrom when FBI Agent Rodriguez recruits him for a secret mission. Randy is determined to bounce back and recapture his former glory, and to smoke out his father's killer - one of the FBI's Most Wanted, arch-fiend Feng. But, after two decades out of the game, Randy can't turn his life around and avenge his father's murder without a team of his own. He calls upon the spiritual guidance of blind Ping-Pong sage and restaurateur Wong, and the training expertise of Master Wong's wildly sexy niece Maggie, both of whom also have a dark history with Feng. All roads lead to Feng's mysterious jungle compound and the most unique Ping-Pong tournaments ever staged. Meant to be a comical farce but it strays from time to time and overworks the gags but seeing Christopher Walken in costumes that would have appealed to Ming the Merciless's gay brother is worth it. Having been a better than average ping pong player most of my life, I may have enjoyed this more than others will. | ||
| Bambi (1942) The animated story of Bambi, a young deer hailed as the 'Prince of the Forest' at his birth. As Bambi grows, he makes friends with the other animals of the forest, learns the skills needed to survive, and even finds love. One day, however, the hunters come, and Bambi must learn to be as brave as his father if he is to lead the other deer to safety. I saw this movie when I was two years old. It is damn scary to young children. They have no concept of death. The idea of losing your mother is terrifying. | ||
| Bananas (1971) In the Republic of San Marcos, in Latin America, the president is murdered in a Coup d'État promoted by General Emilio M. Vargas. In New York, the products tester Fielding Mellish meets the political activist Nancy and they have a love affair. Fielding has an unrequited love with Nancy, who believes that he is immature and without leadership. Fielding decides to travel to San Marcos and General Vargas plots a scheme the assassination of Fielding to be supported by the USA against the rebels led by Esposito. However the rebels save Fielding and train him in guerrilla warfare. General Vargas flees to the United States. Esposito deranges with the power and Fielding becomes the President of San Marcos. He wears a long beard and travels to USA seeking financial support to the country and he meets Nancy again, who falls in love with him. A very young Sylvester Stallone appears in the subway scene playing a hoodlum with another youngster. | ||
| Bandolero (1968) Posing as a hangman, Mace Bishop arrives in town with the intention of freeing a gang of outlaws, including his brother, from the gallows. Mace urges his younger brother to give up crime. The sheriff chases the brothers to Mexico. They join forces, however, against a group of Mexican bandits. | ||
| The Bank Dick (1940) Egbert Souse, "accent grave over the e", henpecked by his whole family, is recruited to replace a drunken film director, then seems to have captured a bank robber and is hired as guard in the Lompoc Bank, where Og Oggilby, his daughter's fiancée, is teller. Souse persuades Og to embezzle $500 to buy phony stock; then the bank examiner shows up. Can Souse keep him occupied for four days? The climax is an extended chase sequence. Near the beginning of the movie, Egbert Sousé is whistling "Listen to the Mockingbird" as he & Joe the Bartender enter the bar. Joe is played by Shemp Howard of The Three Stooges fame, and "Listen to the Mockingbird" was the Stooges' theme music. | ||
| The Bank Job (2008) In 1971, criminal Michael X blackmails the British government with compromising photos of members of parliament practicing kinky sex with prostitutes. He keeps the photos in a safe deposit box in the Lloyds Bank at Baker Street. The ambitious MI-5 Federal Agent Tim Everett plots a bold plan to retrieve the pictures in a heist of the bank. He arrests former model Martine Love in the airport trafficking drugs and offers security information to her to facilitate to rob of the bank. Martine goes to East London and meets her former lover, car dealer Terry Leather, who is married with two daughters but owes money to a dangerous loan shark, and tells him that the bank's alarm will be deactivated during a few days. Terry summons his friends and the team of amateurs succeeds in the heist. However, together with the money, the gang also steels the photos of Michael X; the book with the transactions with dirty cops of the Scotland Yard and the pornographer Lew Vogel; and photos of politicians in the Sonia Bern's brothel. Now different groups organize a manhunt to Terry and his friends with different objectives. Based on the true story of the 1971 Baker Street bank robbery which was hushed up at the time by of a Government gagging order. The real story of how one of the biggest robberies in British history took place. | ||
| Barbarella (1968) After an in-flight anti-gravity striptease (masked by the film's opening titles), Barbarella, a 41st century astronaut, lands on the planet Lythion and sets out to find the evil Durand Durand in the city of Sogo, where a new sin is invented every hour. There, she encounters such objects as the Exessive Machine, a genuine sex organ on which an accomplished artist of the keyboard, in this case, Durand Durand himself, can drive a victim to death by pleasure, a lesbian queen who, in her dream chamber, can make her fantasies take form, and a group of ladies smoking a giant hookah which, via a poor victim struggling in its glass globe, dispenses Essance of Man. You can't help but be impressed by the special effects crew and the various ways that were found to tear off what few clothes our heroine seemed to possess. Based on the popular French comic strip. This film is listed among The 100 Most Amusingly Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE. | ||
| Barefoot Contessa (1954) Has-been director Harry Dawes gets a new lease on his career when independently wealthy Kirk Edwards hires him to write and direct a film. They go to Madrid to find Maria Vargas, a dancer who will star in the film. Millionaire Alberto Bravano takes Maria from Kirk. Count Vincenzo Torlato-Favrini takes Maria from Alberto. Great cast. Always fun to watch Bogie work. | ||
| Barefoot in the Park (1967) Paul Bratter is Mister Straight. Corie is his new wife, who dedicates her life to the pursuit of fun. As the ecstasy of the honeymoon gives way to the reality of setting up housekeeping in a five-flight walk-up, the harmony of marriage turns to comical discord. The mother-in-law complains meekly. The upstairs middle-aged Lothario flirts. Joy turns to anguish. There is little doubt that the young people will kiss and make up by the end of the picture, just as there's little doubt that mother and the neighbor will find each other. | ||
| Barton Fink (1991) Barton Fink is a troubled New York playwright obsessed with bringing his new idea of "Theater of the Common Man" to the producers he loves to hate. After his first budding success his agent convinces him to travel to Los Angeles to write for Capital Pictures. When he arrives he checks into the dark Hotel Earle and meets with Capital Pictures President Jack Lipnick, who tells him of the movie he's writing: a B-Movie wrestling picture for Wallace Beery. Fink travels back to his hotel room to begin, but when he arrives he types one sentence and then falls into the horror of writer's block. He tries getting help from his neighbor, "Common Man" Charlie Meadows; famed writer Mayhew; Mayhew's girlfriend Audrey and producer Ben Geisler. But as Fink drifts further away from his script strange things start happening, and eventually two detectives show up at his door | ||
| Basic Instinct (1992) Nick Curran is in charge of the brutal murder of a rock star, who has been killed using an ice pick. All the evidence points to a beautiful woman, Catherine, as the main suspect of the crime. Catherine is a psychologist and she's written one crime novel, a story in which a similar crime is described. Curran goes to Catherine's house to interrogate her about the victim and what happened that night. Apparently, Catherine was a formal lover of the musician and she even spent that night with him, but she claims haven't killed him. Nick feels attracted immediately to Catherine, but she's a quite intelligent woman who manages to avoid his questions cleverly, using her physical attributes and seductive personality. Catherine has a romantic relationship with another woman, but that won't be an obstacle for Nick, who everyday seems to be much more interested in her. But Nick's been checked by a psychologist, Beth, who was his girlfriend in the past, because the detective had an alcohol problem. But the sexual attraction that Nick feels for Catherine, seems to provoke the problem reappears again. Nick becomes Catherine's lover, fact that threatens to hindered the investigation and puts in danger his life, discovering a wild sexuality never experimented before. Nick's convinced that Catherine is innocent, but maybe love and sex are blinding him in his way of unfolding the truth. | ||
| Batman (1989) Gotham City: dark, dangerous, 'protected' only by a mostly corrupt police department. Despite the best efforts of D.A. Harvey Dent and police commissioner Jim Gordon, the city becomes increasingly unsafe...until a Dark Knight arises. We all know criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot...so his disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. He becomes a bat. Enter Vicky Vale, a prize-winning photo journalist who wants to uncover the secret of the mysterious "bat-man". And enter Jack Napier, one-time enforcer for Boss Grissom, horribly disfigured after a firefight in a chemical factory...who, devoid of the last vestiges of sanity, seizes control of Gotham's underworld as the psychotic, unpredictable Clown Prince of Crime...the Joker. Gotham's only hope, it seems, lies in this dark, brooding vigilante. And just how does billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne fit into all of this? The Batman & Robin TV series had lost touch with the Dark Knight concept of Batman. This movie restored the Gothic Image of the comic book. It is the model for the many great Batman movies that follow. Nicholson is fun to watch as the Joker (not quite as scary as Heath Ledger's performance). Michael Keaton is a very believable playboy Bruce Wayne. Many have noted that anyone can wear the Batman costume. | ||
| Beaches (1988) When the New York child performer CC Bloom and San Fransisco rich kid Hillary meet in a holiday resort in Atlantic City, it marks the start of a lifetime friendship between them. The two keep in touch through letters for a number of years until Hillary, now a successful lawyer moves to New York to stay with struggling singer CC. The movie shows the various stages of their friendship and their romances including their love for the same man. Good bitter-sweet comedy with some great music. | ||
| Beau Geste (1926) Michael "Beau" Geste leaves England in disgrace and joins the infamous French Foreign Legion. He is reunited with his two brothers in North Africa, where they face greater danger from their own sadistic commander than from the rebellious Arabs. This was Paramount's biggest hit of 1926. | ||
| Beau Geste (1939) The orphan brothers Beau, John, and Digby Geste have lived in Brandon Abbas with their dear aunt Patricia Brandon, the also adopted Isobel Rivers and their cousin Augustus Brandon, since they were children. Lady Brandon is near bankruptcy paying the debts of the absent Sir Hector Brandon; the family's last remaining asset, apart from Brandon Abbas itself, is the huge "Blue Water" sapphire. When Sir Hector sends word that he will arrive in the property to sell the precious stone, Beau, John, Digby, Isobel and Augustus ask to see the "Blue Water". Lady Brandon brings the stone, but the lights go out and the sapphire is stolen. Lady Brandon promises to call the police on the next morning. One by one the Geste brothers flee, each leaving a note confessing the robbery. The brothers join the Foreign Legion and are sent to North Africa; Beau and John under the command of the cruel and sadistic Sergeant Markoff in Fort Zinderneuf in the Sahara Desert. After an unsuccessful mutiny against the brutal treatment of Markoff, the fort is attacked by Tuaregs and the men have to join forces to fight for their lives. At the film's world premiere, the first reel of the 1926 silent version of "Beau Geste" was shown just before the entire 1939 sound version, in an effort to demonstrate how far films had advanced in thirteen years. This almost backfired because the 1939 film apparently followed the 1926 one extremely closely, and some of the first-night critics were annoyed rather than pleased at this, feeling that the 1939 version should have been more imaginative. However, this did not keep the 1939 version from becoming a smash hit and a film classic. | ||
| Beauty and the Beast (1991) Prince Adam was cursed to a beast form by Enchantress who saw no love in his arrogant heart for others. The one way he could break the spell was to learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal from his enchanted rose fell, which would bloom until his twenty-first birthday. But who could ever learn to love a beast? Ten years later, Maurice, an inventor from a nearby village, becomes lost in the woods and seeks shelter in the Beast's castle, the Beast imprisons him for trespassing. His daughter Belle, a bookworm who dreams of life outside her provincial village, finds him trapped in the castle and offers her place in his stead. The Beast accepts with a promise she'll remain in the castle forever. In the beginning Belle views him as nothing more than a monster, he views her as difficult and stubborn. But the two soon taste the bitter-sweetness of finding you can change and learning you were wrong. Great retelling of an old tale. We are all beasts that hide our inner beauty....well most of us have some inner beauty. | ||
| Bedtime Story (1964) Benson, is a Casanova who despises women and invents all sorts of tricks to bed them and leave them. His favorite one is going through Germany posing as an American GI of Teunonic extraction. Whenever he spots a girl he likes, he takes a Polarod picture of her house, knocks on the door waving the photo and pretending to be on a pilgrimage to this very cottage his grandmother so vividly described. It is an infallible system for a hit-and-run seduction. Benson seems content with his game until he meets Jamison, a real operator who has learned to combine sex with money. Jamison poses as an exiled prince and not only gets women to share his bed but also to bestow their jewels on him for the sake of the counterrevolution. Benson decides to corner Jamison's market on sex plus finance. A contest develops, and whoever wins will dominate a small Riviera resort as "King of the Mountain," the film's original title. Remade in 1988 as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Marlon Brando said that he found co-star David Niven so funny, he often broke into uncontrollable laughter during filming, thus ruining many takes. It was so bad he would have to force himself not to look Niven in the eye during filming | ||
| Bee Movie (2007) Does good necessarily follow good intentions? Barry B. Benson, a bee who's just finished his education and hates the idea of picking a life-long vocation, meets a human, florist Vanessa Bloom, while buzzing about Manhattan. She takes him to a supermarket where Barry discovers shelves and shelves of honey. Realizing it has been taken from bees - who work tirelessly and exhaust themselves for their two cups a year - he follows the delivery truck back to the honey farm, gathers evidence, and files suit against humanity. But what if Barry wins and the honey is returned to the bees, who can then slack off? An ecological cataclysm? | ||
| Beetlejuice (1988) After Barbara and Adam Maitland were killed in a car crash, they find themselves trapped as ghosts in their beautiful New England farmhouse. Their peace is disrupted when a yuppie family, the Deetzs, buy their house. The Maitlands are too nice and harmless as ghosts and all their efforts to scare the Deetzs away were unsuccessful. They eventually turn to another ghost 'Beetlejuice' for help. All star cast. Very funny and can be watched over and over. | ||
| Before Sunrise (1995) A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one romantic evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together. | ||
| Before Sunset (2004) Jesse, a writer from the US, and Celine, a Frenchwoman working for an environment protection organization, acquainted nine years ago on the train from Budapest to Vienna, meet again when Jesse arrives in Paris for a reading of his new book. As they have only a few hours until his plane leaves, they stroll through Paris, talking about their experiences, views and whether they still love each other, although Jesse is already married with a kid. This movie takes place in real time with a number of long continous shots. Awesome film. | ||
| Being There (1979) A simple-minded gardener named Chance has spent all his life in the Washington D.C. house of an old man. When the man dies, Chance is put out on the street with no knowledge of the world except what he has learned from television. After a run in with a limousine, he ends up a guest of a woman (Eve) and her husband Ben, an influential but sickly businessman. Now called Chauncey Gardner, Chance becomes friend and confidante to Ben, and an unlikely political insider. This is Peter Sellers best work, Pink Panther not withstanding. It is slow paced but for good reason. The movie does not make fun of Chance's ignorance but embraces it as a new truth. | ||
Bell Book and Candle (1958) Gillian Holroyd is just your average, modern-day, witch, living in a New York apartment with her Siamese familiar, Pyewacket. But one day a handsome publisher, Shep Henderson walks into her building and Gillian decides she wants him--especially as it turns out he's marrying Merle Kittridge, an old poison penpal from Gillian's college days. So, Gillian casts a spell over Shep. But her powers are in danger of being exorcised by something stronger than the bell-book-and-candle routine: Love. Gillian's cat is named Pyewacket. This name has become a popular one for cats because of this movie, but few know its origin: Pyewacket was one of the familiar spirits of a witch detected by the "witchfinder general" Matthew Hopkins in March 1644 in the town of Maningtree, Essex, UK. He claimed he spied on the witches as they held their meeting close by his house, and heard them mention the name of a local woman. She was arrested and deprived of sleep for four nights, at the end of which she confessed and named her familiars, describing their forms. They were:
The title "Bell, Book and Candle" is a reference to excommunication, which is performed by bell, book and candle. It is opened with "Ring the bell, open the book, light the candle," and closed with "Ring the bell, close the book, quench the candle." A similar exorcism is required in the text adventure game Zork. | ||
| Top | The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) Father Chuck O'Malley is assigned as the pastor of an inner-city Catholic school and has to work with the dedicated, but stubborn, principal Sister Mary Benedict. O'Malley and Sister Mary Benedict quarrel frequently and he feels the school should be closed and the children sent to a nearby school with modern facilities but all of the sisters believe that God will provide for them. Specifically, they put their hopes on Horace P. Bogardus, a businessman who has built a modern building right next door to the school and who they hope will donate his new edifice to them. The production was overseen by a Catholic priest who served as an advisor during the shooting. While the final farewell sequence was being filmed, Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman decided to play a prank on him. They asked director Leo McCarey to allow one more take, and, as "Father O'Malley" and "Sister Benedict" said their last goodbyes, they embraced in a passionate kiss, while the offscreen priest-advisor jumped up roaring in protest. The song that Ingrid Bergman sings is "Varvindar Friska (Spring Breezes)", a traditional Swedish folk song for Walpurgisnight, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. | |
Ben-Hur (1959) When Prince Judah Ben-Hur hears that his childhood friend Messala has been named to command the Roman garrison of Jerusalem, he is thrilled. He soon finds, however, that his friend has changed and has become an arrogant conqueror, full of the grandeur of Rome. When Judah refuses to divulge the names of Jews who oppose Roman rule, Messala decides to make an example of him and sends him off as a galley slave. Through fate and good fortune, Judah survives the galleys and manages to return to Jerusalem in the hopes of finding his mother and sister, who were also imprisoned, and to seek revenge against his one-time friend. This is the only one of the three movies which have won 11 Academy Awards (the others being Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) to have won an Oscar for acting performances. MGM wanted an authentic-looking Roman boat for the live battle scenes. To design the boats, they hired a person who had spent his whole career studying Roman naval architecture. When he presented his designs to the MGM engineers, Mauro Zambuto (set engineer) exclaimed, "But this is top heavy! It will sink!" They built the boat anyway and launched it in the ocean, and at first it seemed to float. Then, however, a little wave came along, a wake from another boat, splashed against the highly unstable boat, and tipped it over. MGM then put the boat in a large pond with a huge painted sky backdrop. To steady the boat, they ran cables from the bottom of the boat to anchors on the bottom of the pond. Another problem concerned the color of the water in the pond holding the boat; it was too brown and murky. They hired a chemist to develop a dye to color the water Azure Mediterranean blue. The chemist dumped a huge sack of some powder into the pond, which, instead of turning the water blue, formed a hard crust on the surface of the water, which had to be chiselled off the boat at great expense. They finally found some dye that would make the water blue. During one of the battle scenes, an extra who fell into the water and spent a bit too much time there turned blue, and was kept on the MGM payroll until it wore off.
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| Bend of the River (1952) Two men with questionable pasts, Glyn McLyntock and his friend Cole, lead a wagon-train load of homesteaders from Missouri to the Oregon territory. They establish a settlement outside of Portland and as winter nears, it is necessary for McLyntock and Cole to rescue and deliver food and supplies being held in Portland by corrupt officials. On the trip back to the settlement, up river and over a mountain, Cole engineers a mutiny to divert the supplies to a gold mining camp for a handsome profit. In Finland this film is called "Maa vuorten takana", meaning "The Land Behind the Mountains" in English. | ||
| Benny & Joon (1993) In a small town, an auto mechanic named Benny is devoted to taking care of his mentally ill sister, Joon, who can barely function alone in the real world despite being a talented artist. This relatively stable situation is shaken up when Benny is obliged in a poker game to welcome another player's relative, Sam, to his home for a few days. When Sam arrives, he quickly makes an impression with his quietly eccentric ways which emulate the antics of the great silent movie comedian, Buster Keaton. Without Benny's full knowledge, Sam and Joon find themselves drawn to each other to the fullest degree. However when Benny finds out, it creates a rift in the siblings as they struggle to accept their relationship is profoundly changing with the presence of this odd newcomer. | ||
| Beowulf (2007) Set against the coming of Christianity, this is the story of the last hero: in 507, a monstrous troll wreaks havoc in the mead hall of the Danish king, Hrothgar. He offers rewards for the death of Grendel, so Beowulf, a great and boastful Geat warrior, arrives with his thanes. Beowulf sets aside his armor and awaits the monster; a fierce battle ensues that leads to Beowolf's entering the watery lair of Grendel's mother, where a devil's bargain awaits. Beowulf returns to Herot, the castle, and becomes king. Jump ahead many years, and the sins of the father are visited upon Beowulf and his kingdom. The hero must face his weakness and be heroic once again. Is the age of demons over? Okay movie, with a great cast, director and writers. It should have been a great movie but didn't make it. | ||
| Best in Show (2000) The owners (and handlers) of five show dogs head for the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. A film crew interviews them as they prepare for the trip, arrive at Philly's Taft Hotel, and compete. From Florida come the Flecks: she keeps running into old lovers. A wordless ancient in a wheelchair and his buxom trophy wife who may have a thing for the dog's handler own the two-time defending best in show, a poodle. From the piney woods of N.C. comes a fella who wants to be a ventriloquist. High-strung DINKs feud loudly in front of their Weimaraner. Two outré gay men from Tribeca round out the profiled owners. The dog show brings out the essence of the humans. Who will be best in show? | ||
| Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) Founded in 1910 just outside of the city limits of Gilbert located in Lanville County, Texas, the Chicken Ranch has for generations been known as the best whorehouse in Texas for its wholesome fun, strict moral code and cleanliness, all perpetuated by its original owner, Miss Wulla Jean. Seven years ago, Miss Wulla Jean passed on, leaving the Chicken Ranch to her favorite working girl, Miss Mona Stangley, who wants to keep the same traditions of Miss Wulla Jean. The Chicken Ranch has always had the unofficial blessing of the local authorities, who see the ranch providing an important community service, one which most in local authority have used at one time or another in their life. In fact, Miss Mona and Lanville County Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd have been in a relationship for years, Ed Earl who is Miss Mona's protector, albeit one with a hot temper and good ol' boy attitude that doesn't exactly match the needs of his law upholding position. Musical farce based on a true story. | ||
| Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Detroit cop Axel Foley is delighted when he receives a surprise visit from his best friend Mikey Tandino, who lives in California. Not long after Mikey arrives in Detroit, Mikey is killed, right in front of Axel, by a man named Zack. Axel follows Zack to Beverly Hills, California, where Beverly Hills police department Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil assigns Detective Billy Rosewood and Rosewood's partner, Sergeant John Taggart, to keep an eye on Axel. Axel visits his friend Jenny Summers, who works in an art gallery. With Jenny's help, Axel discovers that Zack works for Jenny's boss, Victor Maitland, the man who owns the art gallery. Maitland is a drug kingpin who is using the gallery as a front, and Maitland had Zack kill Mikey after Maitland accused Mikey of stealing some of Maitland's bonds. With the help of Jenny, Billy, and Taggart, Axel does what he can to make sure Maitland and Zack won't kill any more people. | ||
| Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Detroit cop Axel Foley is watching the news on TV when the reporter tells a story that Axel's friend, Beverly Hills police Captain Andrew Bogomil, has been shot by a tall woman. Axel heads out to Beverly Hills to visit Bogomil in the hospital, and this is where Axel is reunited with Bogomil's daughter Jan Bogomil. Axel is also reunited with Detective Billy Rosewood and Sergeant John Taggart. Billy and Taggart decide to let Axel help them find the woman who tried to kill Bogomil, even though abusive police chief Harold Lutz has been deliberately trying to find a reason to fire Billy and Taggart. Axel, Billy, and Taggart soon discover that the alphabet robberies, a series of robberies that have been going on in the area, are masterminded by weapons kingpin Maxwell Dent, and Dent had sent his fiancee Karla Fry to try to kill Bogomil because Bogomil had been after Dent. With this information, Axel, Billy, and Taggart try to find Dent and Karla. | ||
| Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) One night in Detroit, during a shoot-out at a chop shop, Detroit cop Axel Foley sees his boss, Inspector Douglas Todd, getting killed by a well dressed man. Using his last breath, Inspector Todd tells Axel to get the man who shot him, and Axel says that he will do that. Axel does some looking around, and finds the killer's vehicle at Wonder World, a theme park in Beverly Hills, California. In Beverly Hills, Axel is reunited with his friend Billy Rosewood, who tells Axel that John Taggart is now retired and living in Arizona. Billy is now the deputy director of operations for joint systems interdepartmental operational command (JSIOC). Billy also has a new partner named Jon Flint. Axel checks out Wonder World, which is owned by Dave "Uncle Dave" Thornton. At Wonder World, Axel rescues two kids who are stuck on a ride that broke down, and after this, Axel is taken to see the park's head of security, Ellis DeWald, and Axel recognizes DeWald as Inspector Todd's killer. Jon refuses to believe this, because DeWald is one of Jon's friends. Ellis runs a counterfeiting ring that uses the theme park as a front. Axel is also falling in love with Janice Perkins, who works at the park. When Dave gets shot by DeWald's men, Axel is accused of being the man who shot Dave. With the help of Billy and Jon, Axel sets out to prove his innocence and get revenge on DeWald. | ||
| Big (1988) A young boy makes a wish at a fairground machine to be big. He wakes up the following morning to find that his wish has been granted and his body has grown older and bigger over night. But he is still the same 12 year old kid on the inside. Now he must learn how to cope with the unfamiliar world of grown ups including getting a job, and having his first romantic encounter with a woman. What will he find out about this strange world? Although over 25 years old this movie has remained timeless. | ||
| Top | The Big Broadcast (1932) A radio-singer, Bing Hornsby, is none-too-concerned about his job, and an affair with Mona leads to his dismissal. When it appears Hornsby is getting and paying a lot of attention to his fiancée, Anita Rogers, station manager Leslie McWhinney buys the station, gives Hornsby his job back, and goes on a honeymoon with Anita. Top | |
| Top | The Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936) A cream-of-the-crop gathering of 1930's radio stars, who lend themselves to a storyline about a failing radio station which needs to put on a huge ratings winner to have any chance of continued operation. An interesting mixture of the stars whose fame continued to grow, those who became bit players in show business history, and those who have been forgotten entirely, except by us old farts of course. Top | |
| Top | The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) New ocean liner S.S. Gigantic is about to race its rival, the Colossal. Gigantic owner T.F. Bellows sends his brother S.B. on the Colossal, hoping he will cause trouble; delayed by a golf game, S.B. lands on Gigantic instead, and so does his unlucky daughter Martha. Meanwhile, radio emcee Buzz Fielding announces a series of musical acts and tries to juggle fiancée Dorothy and three ex-wives who've come for the ride. Can the Gigantic win against all handicaps? Will true love triumph? Before television there was no real way to see the radio stars of the time. Hollywood did a number of these type movies to trot out familiar "voices." First full length movie for Bob Hope, where he first sings his future theme song "Thanks for the Memories" with Shirley Ross. Top | |
| Top | Big Chill (1983) A seminal Thirty-Something movie in which a group of old college friends who are now all grown up and hardened by the big wide world come together for the funeral of Alex, a barely glimpsed corpse, who was at one time the brightest and the best of them, and yet who never managed to achieve half as much as any of the others. The friends use the occasion to reacquaint themselves with each other and to speculate as to what happened to their idealism which had been abundant when they were younger. A good coming of age movie with an all star cast. I saw this movie in 1983 as a date movie. My first date after my second divorce. Top | |
| Top | Big Fish (2003) This film follows the incredible life of Edward Bloom, through a series of flashbacks that begin when his son Will visits him for the last time. Edward is dying of cancer, and Will hasn't spoken to him for years because he believes him to be a liar that never really cared for his family. As Edward's story unfolds once again, Will tries to finally understand the truth about who his father really was. This is a really good film about relationships and being happy. Too many people see their own happiness in terms of external events and rewards. True happiness comes from within. Top | |
| Top | The Big Lebowski (1998) When "The Dude" Lebowski is mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, two thugs urinate on his rug to coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. While attempting to gain recompense for the ruined rug from his wealthy counterpart, he accepts a one-time job with high pay-off. He enlists the help of his bowling buddy, Walter, a gun-toting Jewish-convert with anger issues. Deception leads to more trouble, and it soon seems that everyone from porn empire tycoons to nihilists want something from The Dude. Top | |
| Top | Big Night (1996) Primo and Secondo are two brothers who have emigrated from Italy to open an Italian restaurant in America. Primo is the irascible and gifted chef, brilliant in his culinary genius, but determined not to squander his talent on making the routine dishes that customers expect. Secondo is the smooth front-man, trying to keep the restaurant financially afloat, despite few patrons other than a poor artist who pays with his paintings. The owner of the nearby Pascal's restaurant, enormously successful (despite its mediocre fare), offers a solution - he will call his friend, a big-time jazz musician, to play a special benefit at their restaurant. Primo begins to prepare his masterpiece, a feast of a lifetime, for the brothers' big night. I would recommend having dinner reservations at an Italian restaurant after you watch this. Top | |
| Top | The Big Sleep (1978) Set in England, rather than California, the story follows Raymond Chandler's book fairly closely otherwise. Philip Marlowe is asked by the elderly (and near death) General Sternwood to investigate an attempt at blackmail on one of his daughters. He soon finds that the attempt is half hearted at best and seems to be more connected with the disappearance of the other daughter's husband, Rusty Regan. Rusty's wife, seems unconcerned with his disappearance, further complicating the mystery. Only General Sternwood seems concerned as mobsters and hired killers continue to appear in the path of the investigation. Top | |
| Top | Big Trouble in Little China (1986) When Jack Burton wins a card game against his long time friend Wang, Wang explains that he doesn't have Jack's winnings on him, and he'll pay Jack later, due to the fact that he has pick up his girlfriend at the airport. Seeing as how Jack wants his money as soon as possible, he offers to give Wang a ride to the airport. Unfortunately for the both of them, Wang's girlfriend is kidnapped, due to the fact that she is a chinese woman with green eyes, and in order for an immortal creature named David LoPan to turn back into a mortal human, he must marry her. Now it's up to Jack Burton, Wang, and their friends to save her before it's too late. Both John Carpenter and Kurt Russell explain on the audio commentary that the test screening was so overwhelming positive that both of them expected it to be a big hit. However, 20th Century Fox put little into promoting the movie and it ended up being a box office bomb. However, it went on to be a huge cult hit through home video. Carpenter and Russell explained that the reason the studio did little to promote the film was because they didn't know how to. Critics panned it and some of their criticism is justified. Too many special effects, not enough character development, but it is still a good scifi/fantasy romp through San Francisco Chinatown. Top | |
| Top | Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) In the small town of San Dimas, a few miles away from Los Angeles, there are two nearly brain dead teenage boys going by the names of Bill S, Preston ESQ. and Ted Theodore Logan, they have a dream together of starting their own rock and roll band called the "Wyld Stallyns". Unfortunately, they are still in high school and on the verge of failing out of their school as well, and if they do not pass their upcoming history report, they will be separated as a result of Ted's father sending him to military school. But, what Bill and Ted do not know is that they must stay together to save the future. So, a man from the future named Rufus came to help them pass their report. So, both Bill and Ted decided to gather up historical figures which they need for their report. They are hoping that this will help them pass their report so they can stay together. Generally I have no use for Keanu Reeves, but he does play a complete moron rather well. Top | |
| Top | Biloxi Blues (1988) A New York City teenager named Eugene Jerome enlists in the US Army during the last year of World War II in 1945. Eugene is sent to basic training at Biloxi, Mississippi where he must live with a variety of fellow soldiers from all walks of life while also enduring the whims of a mentally unstable drill sergeant. A continuation of Brighton Beach Memoirs. Great cast and great story, late teenage angst movie. Walken's performance is brilliant. Top | |
| Top | The Birdcage (1996) Lies and deception -- it's all in the family when a man must convince his future in-laws that he's as uptight as they are. Armand and Albert have built the perfect life for themselves tending to their gaudy Miami nightclub. But their pastel tranquility is shaken when Armand's son announces that he's getting married to the daughter of ultra-conservative Senator Keeley . . . and they're all getting together for dinner! Can Armand and Albert transfer transform themselves into Mr. -- and Mrs. -- Family Values in time? It'll take the performance of their lives, but they'll do anything -- and everything -- to pull the chiffon over Keeley's eyes! Top | |
| Top | Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) In 1912, the notorious and violent prisoner Robert Franklin Stroud is transferred to the Leavenworth Prison convicted for murdering a man. When a guard cancels the visit of his mother Elizabeth Stroud due to a violation of the internal rules, he stabs and kills the guard and goes to trial three times. He is sentenced to be executed by the gallows, but his mother appeals to President Woodrow Wilson that commutes his sentence to life imprisonment. However, the warden Harvey Shoemaker decides to keep Stroud in the solitary for the rest of his life. One day, Stroud finds a sparrow that has fallen from the nest on the yard and he raises the bird until it is strong enough to fly. Stroud finds a motivation for his life raising and caring birds and becomes an expert in birds. He marries Stella Johnson and together they run a business, providing medicine developed by Stroud. But a few years after, Stroud is transferred to Alcatraz and has to leave his birds behind. Robert Stroud really should be known as the "Birdman of Leavenworth," since it was there that he kept his birds and did his research. He was not actually allowed any birds during his time at Alcatraz. He did continue to update his books at Alcatraz. Robert Stroud was actually imprisoned in cell #42 located in the D Block. According to Frank Heaney, a former prison guard (1948-51), Stroud was anything but the sympathetic character as portrayed by Burt Lancaster. He was an extremely difficult and demented inmate who, though highly intelligent, was a vicious killer and a psychopath. Top | |
| Top | Black Snake Moan 2006) In rural Mississippi, Lazarus, a former blues musician who survives by truck farming, finds a young girl nearly beaten to death near his home. She's the white-trash town tramp, molded by a life of sexual abuse at the hands of her father and verbal abuse from her mother, who seems to delight in reminding Rae of her mistake in not aborting her. Lazarus, who is also facing personal crisis at the dissolution of his marriage, nurses Rae back to health, providing her with gentle, fatherly advice as well as an education in blues music. Rae's boyfriend, Ronnie, goaded by the man who nearly beat Rae to death, misunderstands the relationship between Lazarus and Rae, and vows to kill him. Lazarus, exhibiting a street-smart understanding of violence and its motives, calls Ronnie's bluff, senses that he is as troubled as Rae, and becomes a guiding force in the young couple's resurrection. I was truly prepared to not like this movie. Black Snake Moan sounded like a similar blues song by Humble Pie, "One Eyed Trouser's Snake". I really liked the movie although the substance is difficult to deal with, and I had not yet learned how to incorporate "tough love" in to my mind set. (I grew up in a loving family.) I highly recommend this pix. Top | |
| Top | Black Snake Moan 2006) In rural Mississippi, Lazarus, a former blues musician who survives by truck farming, finds a young girl nearly beaten to death near his home. She's the white-trash town tramp, molded by a life of sexual abuse at the hands of her father and verbal abuse from her mother, who seems to delight in reminding Rae of her mistake in not aborting her. Lazarus, who is also facing personal crisis at the dissolution of his marriage, nurses Rae back to health, providing her with gentle, fatherly advice as well as an education in blues music. Rae's boyfriend, Ronnie, goaded by the man who nearly beat Rae to death, misunderstands the relationship between Lazarus and Rae, and vows to kill him. Lazarus, exhibiting a street-smart understanding of violence and its motives, calls Ronnie's bluff, senses that he is as troubled as Rae, and becomes a guiding force in the young couple's resurrection. I was truly prepared to not like this movie. Black Snake Moan sounded like a similar blues song by Humble Pie, "One Eyed Trouser's Snake". I really liked the movie although the substance is difficult to deal with, and I had not yet learned how to incorporate "tough love" in to my mind set. (I grew up in a loving family.) I highly recommend this pix. Top | |
| Top | Black Sunday 1960) A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant. Only the girl's brother and a handsome doctor stand in her way. One of the first movies I saw with my first wife. Top | |
| Top | Blade Runner (1982) In a cyberpunk vision of the future, man has developed the technology to create replicants, human clones used to serve in the colonies outside Earth but with fixed lifespans. In Los Angeles, 2019, Deckard is a Blade Runner, a cop who specialises in terminating replicants. Originally in retirement, he is forced to re-enter the force when six replicants escape from an offworld colony to Earth. The book and movie do great jobs of telling the same story in two very different ways. BTW Harrison Ford did not like the movie. Top | |
| Top | Blast from the Past(1999) In 1962 an eccentric scientist who, like so many people at the same, thought that a nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was possible, built a bomb shelter in his basement. During the Cuban missile crisis, when he thought things were going escalate took his pregnant wife into the bomb shelter. When a plane flying over lost control, the pilot bailed out and the plane crashed into their house which activated the shelter's locks (designed not to open for 35 years). She gives birth to a boy whom they name Adam. So Adam grows up being taught and exposed to all culture up to 1962. When the locks open, they're shocked to see how the world has changed they decide to stay inside. However their supplies have run out, so Adam goes out to get some more but gets lost and is helped by a girl called Eve. This movie had little chance to be great, but it is fun to watch the stars work. Top | |
| Top | Blaze (1989) This movie tells the story of the latter years of Earl Long, a flamboyant governor of Louisiana. The aging Earl, an unapologetic habitue of strip joints, falls in love with young stripper Blaze Starr. When Earl and Blaze move in together, Earl's opponents use this to attack his controversial political program, which included civil rights for blacks in the 1950's. Can Earl keep Blaze and retain control of the state? Funny piece of fluff based on a true story. The real Blaze Starr plays the mother. Top | |
| Top | Blazing Saddles (1974) The Ultimate Western Spoof. A town where everyone seems to be named Johnson is in the way of the railroad. In order to grab their land, Hedley Lemar, a politically connected nasty person, sends in his henchmen to make the town unlivable. After the sheriff is killed, the town demands a new sheriff from the Governor. Hedley convinces him to send the town the first Black sheriff in the west. Bart is a sophisticated urbanite who will have some difficulty winning over the townspeople. I went to a drive-in (for those of you under 50 it was a place to go watch movies in you car, unless you were a teenager then it was a place to make out) in 1974 to see the movie The Last of Sheila which was very good BTW. After Shelia finished I was determined to leave before some dumb cowboy movie came on. Fortunately many others had the same idea, I decided to wait a few minutes until the line and dust died down. I am glad I waited. Funniest movie I had seen in a long time. Top | |
| Top | Blithe Spirit (1945) To get background for a new book, author Charles and his second wife Ruth light-heartedly arrange for local mystic Madame Arcati to give a séance. The unfortunate result is that Charles' first wife Elvira returns from beyond the grave to make his life something of a misery. Ruth too gets increasingly irritated with her supernatural rival, but M.Arcati is at her wit's end as to how to sort things out. Following the success of the play in London and on Broadway, every studio in Hollywood wanted to make the movie of Blithe Spirit. However, Noel Coward took the project to his friend David Lean, with whom he had co-directed the Oscar-winning In Which We Serve. However, Coward was not at all happy with Lean's film of Blithe Spirit. He later asked Lean, "How the hell did you fuck up the best thing I ever did?" Top | |
| Top | Blue Hawaii (1961) Chad Gates has just gotten out of the Army, and is happy to be back in Hawaii with his surf-board, his beach buddies, and his girlfriend. His father wants him to go to work at the Great Southern Hawaiian Fruit Company, but Chad is reluctant. So Chad goes to work as a tour guide at his girlfriend's agency. Top | |
| Top | Body Double (1984) Jake comes home to find his girlfriend with another man and has to find a new place. In between his acting workshops and his job in a vampire B-movie, he scans the paper looking for anything. He happens to meet a fellow actor who needs a house sitter. Both are pleased with the arrangement that will have Jake staying in the house and for a sweetener, Frank shows him his 'favorite neighbor', a well built woman who strips with her window open each night. Jake becomes obsessed with meeting her and is able to help recover her purse from a thief, but shows his own phobia, he is incapacitated by claustrophobia when the thief runs through a tunnel. When Jake witnesses a murder, he finds out that the police love to pin crimes on peeping Toms. Jake discovers that here are just too many coincidences but must hunt them down himself without the police. I first saw this movie with a new girlfriend in Ellensburg about 1986. I didn't like the movie, but I saw it again in the 90s and it is a good movie. Top | |
| Top | Body Heat (1981) Ned Racine is a seedy small town lawyer in Florida. During a searing heatwave he's picked up by married Matty Walker. A passionate affair commences but it isn't long before they realise the only thing standing in their way is Matty's rich husband Edmund. A plot hatches to kill him but will they pull it off? An great movie, great cast. It will keep you guessing until the end. This gets better each time I watch it. Top | |
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) This is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his bandmates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day. On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Mike Myers/Christiane Amanpour (2018), Mike Myers said that during the making of Wayne's World (1992), he insisted that the song he and his friends listen to while driving would be "Bohemian Rhapsody". The producers felt it wouldn't be appropriate. Myers stood his ground, eventually threatening to quit the movie. Myers got his way, the movie became a huge hit, and the song reentered the charts, peaking at at #2 in the United States. The movie was credited for introducing Queen to a new audience. Myers also said that when he was offered a chance to appear in this movie, he accepted immediately without bothering to read the script. Ironically, his character, Ray Foster, is convinced no one will want to listen to "Bohemian Rhapsody" driving around in the car. Rami Malek landed the leading role because the producers liked his performance in Mr. Robot (2015) and his jawline reminded them of Mercury. | ||
| Top | The Bone Collector (1999) After an accident in a tunnel, a forensics expert is left as a quadriplegic who is able only to move his head and one finger. Setting his finger to a computer, he is able to manipulate his environment with the help of a loving nurse. Even so, fearing seizures that could leave him a vegetable, he plans his "transition" with the help of a hesitational doctor friend. That all changes when he is confronted with clues from a serial killer that obviously are pointed to forensics investigation. The case clearly re-invokes his interest in life. A sharp, young cop's quick thinking saves the first crime scene. Recognizing her talent for forensics, he brings her unwillingly into forensics detection. Through radio contact, she becomes his eyes and legs on the scene. Michael Rooker also appears as the police captain, who has bungled earlier killings by the serial killer and is more interested in the press than in good police work. Ed O'Neill and Luis Guzman are support staff who aid Washington and run interference with Rooker. Top | |
| Top | Bonnie and Clyde (1967) A bored small-town girl and a small-time bank robber leave in their wake a string of violent robberies and newspaper headlines that catch the imagination of the Depression-struck Mid-West in this take on the legendary crime spree of these archetypal lovers on the run. During the depression bankers were seen as evil and gangsters as modern Robin Hoods. Top | |
| Top | Born Free (1966) Joy Adamson and her husband, Kenya game warden George Adamson, raise Elsa, a lion cub. When Elsa approaches maturity, Joy determines she must re-educate Elsa to living in the wild so that the lioness can return to a free life. Based on a true story. Top | |
| Top | Born Yesterday (1950) Uncouth, loud-mouth junkyard tycoon Harry Brock descends upon Washington D.C. to buy himself a congressman or two, bringing with him his mistress, ex-showgirl Billie Dawn. Brock hires newspaperman Paul Verrall to see if he can soften her rough edges and make her more presentable in capital society. But Harry gets more than he bargained for as Billie absorbs Verall's lessons in U.S. history and not only comes to the realization that Harry is nothing but a two-bit, corrupt crook, but in the process also falls in love with her handsome tutor. The "teapot" referred to was "Teapot Dome Scandal", an unprecedented bribery scandal and investigation during the administration of President Warren G. Harding. Top | |
| Top | Born Yesterday (1993) A businessman shows up in Washington to lobby agendas that are friendly to his construction plans. His ditsy ex-showgirl bimbo proves to be an embarrassment in social situations, so he hires a reporter to teach her how to appear more intelligent. Soon it becomes apparent to the reporter that she isn't so stupid after all, and things become more complicated as she begins questioning the papers her sugar daddy keeps getting her to sign, and the reporter begins falling in love with her. Okay movie, should have been great. Good cast but it plays very flat. Fred Dalton Thompson, who plays Senator Hedges, went on to be elected Senator from Tennessee the following year (1994). Top | |
| Top | Bourne Identity (2002) Based very loosely on Robert Ludlum's novel, the Bourne Identity is the story of a man whose wounded body is discovered by fishermen who nurse him back to health. He can remember nothing and begins to try to rebuild his memory based on clues such as the Swiss bank account, the number of which, is implanted in his hip. He soon realizes that he is being hunted and takes off with Marie on a search to find out who he is and why he is being hunted. I like the movie and at my wife's suggestion read the book, which she liked better. Movie is awesome the book dated but good. Ludlum helped write the screenplay which updated it and made it more enjoyable as a film. Top | |
| Top | Bourne Supremacy (2004) After escaping from the emotional and physical pain he previously encountered. Jason Bourne and his girlfriend Marie begin a new life as far away as possible. But when an assassination attempt on Bourne goes horribly wrong, Bourne must re-enter the life he wanted to leave behind, in order to find out the truth why they are still after him. The middle piece of an endless trilogy, but amazingly good. Top | |
| Top | Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Bourne is once again brought out of hiding, this time inadvertently by London-based reporter Simon Ross who is trying to unveil Operation Blackbriar--an upgrade to Project Treadstone--in a series of newspaper columns. Bourne sets up a meeting with Ross and realizes instantly they're being scanned. Information from the reporter stirs a new set of memories, and Bourne must finally, ultimately, uncover his dark past whilst dodging The Company's best efforts in trying to eradicate him. Third installment and still an awesome movie. Top | |
| Top | Box of Moonlight (1996) Al Fountain, a middle-aged electrical engineer, is on the verge of a mid-life crisis, when he decides to take his time coming home from a business trip, rents a car, and heads out looking for a lake he remembers from his childhood. But his wandering takes him into the life of Kid, a free-spirited young man who helps Al escape from the routine of everyday life and find freedom to enjoy himself. One of the few movies I have seen with full male nudity. Top | |
| Top | The Boys from Brazil (1978) A young aspiring Nazi hunter is in Paraguay keeping an eye on Josef Mengele, a Nazi doctor who performed experiments on Jews during the war. The man has been calling famed Nazi hunter, Ezra Lieberman and Lieberman is annoyed by his calls. When Mengele has some guests he decides to bug his meeting. Just when he was about to get some details, Mengele finds the bug. So he runs off and calls Liberman and tells him that Mengele is planning to kill 96 men who are 65 years old all over the world. Just as he was going to tell Liberman more, Mengele finds him and kills him. Liberman receives some photos he sent of Mengele's guests, he recognizes some of them as Nazis so he decides to keep an eye out for a rash death of 65 year old men. Mengele upon learning of Liberman's snooping wants him killed but his superiors won't let him. When Liberman visits some of the homes of the men who are killed, he discovers that all of them have an adopted son who all resemble each other. Top | |
| Top | Boys on the Side (1995) Jane is a night club singer, out of work. Robin is a quirky real estate agent looking for a ride-share to accompany her to California. Her advertisement is answered by Jane, who at first was uncertain about her. A stop in Pittsburgh picks up a third, Holly, escaping a violent and drug-dealing partner. Girls on the road, reaching understanding, respect, and care for each other. But this trio is different - Jane a lesbian, Robin suffering with AIDS, Holly running from her past, seeking one-night stands and a good man. Charming movie with Whoppi in a different role. Top | |
| Top | Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) This version of Dracula is closely based on Bram Stoker's classic novel of the same name. A young lawyer (Jonathan Harker) is assigned to a gloomy village in the mists of eastern Europe. He is captured and imprisoned by the undead vampire Dracula, who travels to London, inspired by a photograph of Harker's betrothed, Mina Murray. In Britain, Dracula begins a reign of seduction and terror, draining the life from Mina's closest friend, Lucy Westenra. Lucy's friends gather together to try to drive Dracula away. Director Francis Ford Coppola was insistent that he didn't want to use any kind of elaborate special effects or computer trickery when making the movie. He initially hired a standard visual effects team, but they told him that the things he wanted to achieve were impossible without using modern digital technology. Coppola disagreed and fired them, replacing them with his 29 year old son Roman Coppola, who set about achieving some of the effects by using old-school cinematic trickery. A thorough exploration of these effects can be found on the 2007 Special Edition DVD in the In Camera: The Naïve Visual Effects of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' featurette and in the 'Heart of Darkness' article from Cinefax magazine (also found on the DVD), but some of the most interesting examples include: - When sitting in the train on his way to Transylvania, Jonathan Harker is looking at a map which appears superimposed on his face. This was a live effect achieved simply by projecting the image of the map onto actor Keanu Reeves' face on set. - In the same scene, outside the window, Dracula's eyes mysteriously appear in the sky, watching Harker as he travels. This was achieved by combining three separate shots. First, the shot of Gary Oldman's eyes was done with him wearing special makeup so that only his eyes would be visible when the image was projected onto the sky backdrop. The next shot involved the projection of the eyes onto the backdrop of the Carpathian Mountain set, making it appear as if two eyes are appearing in the sky. Then, a shot was taken of Keanu Reeves sitting in the train with the combined background/eye shot rear-projected through the window. - Another shot in this sequence involves a close up of Harker's journal with the train appearing to travel along the top of the book, blowing smoke across the pages. This was a forced perspective shot using a huge book and a tiny miniature train model. - After arriving in Translyvania, Harker is met by Dracula's carriage and the driver seems to magically reach out and lift Harker into the carriage. This shot was achieved by having the rider sitting on a camera crane which reached out and brought him towards Keanu Reeves. At the same time, the camera was moved to the right, so it appeared as if the rider's hand wasn't actually stretching, but was simply defying physics. For the lift, Reeves himself was also standing on a fake floor, which was in fact a movable rostrum which raised him up into the carriage. - As the carriage approaches the castle, there is a shot of the castle in the background as the carriage speeds along a narrow driveway. This was achieved by painting the image of the castle onto a piece of glass, and then positioning the glass in front of the camera whilst the scene of the carriage was shot on the sound stage. - The scene when Harker is shaving and Dracula approaches him from behind without a reflection in the mirror was shot by a classic technique as old as cinema itself. The actor with his back to the camera is actually Keanu Reeves double, not Reeves himself, and the 'mirror' is simply a hole in the wall, with the real Keanu Reeves standing on the other side in a portion of the set - hence when the hand touches the shoulder of the double there is no reflection to be seen because there is literally no mirror. - When Harker is exploring the castle, there is a shot of some rats walking on the ceiling upside-down whilst Keanu Reeves descends a staircase right-way-up. This was achieved by using a double exposure. First, the shot of the rats was done with the camera upside-down. Then the film was rewound and a matte box was placed in front of the lens so as to ensure only the correct portion of the image would be exposed. The camera was then turned right way up and the scene of Harker going down the stairs was shot. Due to the matte box, it appears as if the beam with the rats is above Reeves, and because it was shot upside-down, the rats appear to be defying gravity. - The first scenes in London after Dracula's arrival were shot with a real Pathé camera that was being hand cranked. It was also shot on a special Kodak stock to enhance the grain. There were no post-production effects added for this scene. - The scene when Dracula seems to magically catch Mina's bottle was shot by simply having two men and two bottles. On set Winona Ryder drops the bottle and Gary Oldman scoops down and catches it. The camera then pans up to reveal he is already holding it out to Mina seemingly without having raised his hand. In reality, the hand holding the bottle out is a double standing just behind Oldman, wearing identical gloves, and holding a completely different bottle. - For the scenes involving Dracula's POV, Francis Ford Coppola wanted to achieve something unusual, and it was ultimately decided to try to create something of staccato effect. These shots were created using an old piece of equipment rarely used today called an intervalometer. When shooting at 24fps, an intervalometer trims the end of certain frames, and prevents the exposure of certain frames here and there, creating the 'jumpy' effect seen in the scene. Again, this was all accomplished in-camera, no post-production effects were added to the scenes. Top | |
| Top | Brass Target (1978) General Patton tries to transfer the German gold stock to Frankfurt. But someone foils his plan. The military police begin to find the guilty. Good crime drama with a bit of history thrown in. General Patton died shortly after the end of WWII in a low speed impact. The Nazi gold was never found. Top | |
| Top | Brazil (1985) Sam Lowry is a harried technocrat in a futuristic society that is needlessly convoluted and inefficient. He dreams of a life where he can fly away from technology and overpowering bureaucracy, and spend eternity with the woman of his dreams. While trying to rectify the wrongful arrest of one Harry Buttle, Lowry meets the woman he is always chasing in his dreams, Jill Layton. Meanwhile, the bureaucracy has fingered him responsible for a rash of terrorist bombings, and both Sam and Jill's lives are put in danger. This is the second in Terry Gilliam's "Trilogy of Imagination". The first was Time Bandits, and the third was The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. All three films are about escapes from an awkward, ordered society, seen through the eyes of a child, a man in his 30s, and an elderly man. Top | |
| Top | The Breakfast Club (1985) When five high school students, Andrew, John, Allison, Brian, and Claire, meet in detention one day. The principal wants them to write an essay, and they think they are in for a boring 8 hours of doing nothing. At first, they argue and hate each other, but after smoking some marijuana, they pour their hearts out to each other, and tell about their fears, secrets, and their deepest emotions, and problems. Definitely a teenage angst movie, but well done. Makes me glad high school is over. I saw this in Ellensburg, WA with a girl friend. At the end of the movie, she told me to be still and just drive to the Yakama river. I did. For 30 minutes, she threw stones at the river with the intent of hurting it. I said nothing. Later I learned of her abuse as a child. She was a great psychologist, especially with children. Still she could not heal her own wounds. Top | |
| Top | Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) Struggling writer Paul Varjak moves into a New York apartment building and becomes intrigued by his pretty, quirky neighbor Holly Golightly. Holly's lifestyle confuses and fascinates Paul; in public she flits through parties with a sexy, sophisticated air, but when they're alone she changes into a sweetly vulnerable bundle of neuroses. One of the first love stories I saw as a freshly minted young adult. It is still charming 50 years later. Top | |
| Top | Bride and Prejudice (2004) A Bollywood-style update of Jane Austen's classic tale, in which Mrs. Bakshi is eager to find suitable husbands for her four unmarried daughters. When the rich single gentlemen Balraj and Darcy come to visit, the Bakshis have high hopes, though circumstance and boorish opinions threaten to get in the way of romance. This is a way over the top Bollywood musical. Young women will especially like the "There's no life, without wife." number. Make sure you watch the making of B&P on the DVD. Top | |
| Top | A Bridge Too Far (1977) Tells the story of operation Market Garden. A failed attempt by the allies in the latter stages of WWII to end the war quickly by securing three bridges in Holland allowing access over the Rhine into Germany. A combination of poor allied intelligence and the presence of two crack German panzer divisions meant that the final part of this operation (the bridge in Arnhem over the Rhine) was doomed to failure. Sadly a true story. Top | |
| Top | Bridget Jones Diary (2001) Bridget Jones is an average woman struggling against her age, her weight, her job, her lack of a man, and her many imperfections. As a New Year's Resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. The fireworks begin when her charming though disreputable boss takes an interest in the quirky Miss Jones. Thrown into the mix are Bridget's band of slightly eccentric friends and a rather disagreeable acquaintance who Bridget cannot seem to stop running into or help finding quietly attractive. A comedy romp version of Pride and Prejudice. Fluff but fun. Top | |
| Top | Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) The story picks up four weeks after the first film, and already Bridget Jones is becoming uncomfortable in her relationship with Mark Darcy. Apart from discovering that he's a conservative voter, she has to deal with a new boss, strange contractor, and the worst vacation of her life. Not as good as the first film but still entertaining. A lot like fried rice, good but not memorable. Top | |
| Top | Bridges of Madison County (1995) The path of Francesca Johnson's future seems destined when an unexpected fork in the road causes her to question everything she had come to expect from life. While her husband and children are away at the Illinois state fair in the summer of 1965, Robert Kincaid happens to turn into the Johnson farm and asks Francesca for directions to the Roseman Bridge. Francesca later learns that he was in Iowa on assignment from National Geographic magazine. She is reluctant seeing that he's a complete stranger and then she agrees to show him to the bridges and gradually she talks about her life from being a war-bride from Italy which sets the pace for this bittersweet and all-too-brief romance of her life. Through the pain of separation from her secret love and the stark isolation she feels as the details of her life consume her, she writes her thoughts of the four-day love affair which took up three journals. I first "heard" the book on NPR and didn't care for it. Later when several friends were saying how good the movie was I watched it, love it and then read the book. Top | |
| Top | Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986) Eugene, a young teenage Jewish boy, recalls his memoirs of his time as an adolescent youth. He lives with his parents, his aunt, two cousins, and his brother, Stanley, whom he looks up to and admires. He goes through the hardships of puberty, sexual fantasy, and living the life of a poor boy in a crowded house. Good Niel Simon comedy. The sequel is Biloxi Blues. Top | |
| Top | Broadcast News (1987) Basket-case network news producer Jane Craig falls for new reporter Tom Grunnick, a pretty boy who represents the trend towards entertainment news she despises. Aaron Altman, a talented but plain correspondent, carries an unrequited torch for Jane. Sparks fly between the three as the network prepares for big changes, and both the news and Jane must decide between style and substance. Very good harbinger of the demise of broadcast journalism. We now have newstainment and the folks at Fox News who tell us what to believe rather than doing any jouralistic work. TV and not the government has become "big brother". Top | |
| Top | Brokeback Mountain (2005) A raw, powerful story of two young men, a Wyoming ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 sheepherding in the harsh, high grasslands of contemporary Wyoming and form an unorthodox yet life-long bond--by turns ecstatic, bitter and conflicted. Heath Ledger's performance is awesome. This is a tough movie to watch, even once, but it is well done. Top | |
| Top | Broken Arrow (1996) Major Vic Deakins and Captain Riley Hale are Air Force pilots sent on a mission to fly a B-3 bomber carrying two live nuclear warheads to test for radiation emissions over a desert in Utah. The mission is messed up when Vic tries to kill Riley, and the airplane crashes in the desert. The warheads were made to survive crashes. Before the crash, Vic and Riley parachuted off of the airplane. Vic and his right hand man Emmitt Kelly (Howie Long) steal the two warheads, and they plan to detonate the two warheads in Salt Lake City unless they receive $250,000,000 from the government. Lost in the desert, Riley is found by park ranger Terry Carmichael, who decides to help him find Vic and Emmitt. Terry and Riley soon discover that Vic plans to send the warheads to Salt Lake City on a train, but Vic has only one warhead to use after one of the warheads explodes inside of an abandoned copper mine that Vic was using as a hideout. Then Terry and Riley discover that Vic is actually sending the remaining warhead to an even bigger target -- Denver, Colorado, not Salt Lake City. Can they stop the train before it reaches Denver? Broken Arrow is a military term for a lost nuke. Good story, ineffective portrayal. Top | |
| Top | Bronco Billy (1980) Bronco Billy's is a second rate traveling wild west show, owned and featuring as its headliner 'Bronco' Billy McCoy, a trick rider and sharp shooter. Despite the show not making any money and the performers often not getting paid, the troupe is loyal to Billy. Billy does not accept any criticism either about himself or the way he runs his show, but he does have a soft side, especially toward his younger fans and the disadvantaged. Of late, he has had problems retaining an assistant for his act. The latest of the assistants he picks up along their travels is Antoinette Lily, whose story he is unaware beyond knowing that she is a stranded yet fiery damsel in distress. In reality, she is an heiress who was abandoned by her husband of convenience. At the beginning, Miss Lily, as the troupe refers to her, is an unwilling participant in the show, she only wanting to get somewhere where she can get back to her life. But once she reads news of her husband whose current fate was orchestrated by her unscrupulous step-mother and her lawyer, Miss Lily believes she can get back at her family by staying with the show. Miss Lily and the rest of the troupe are often at odds with each other, but slowly mutual friendly feelings emerge as Miss Lily learns the stories behind the façade of each of the troupe members. Billy and Miss Lily eventually fall in love. But when they inadvertently run into Miss Lily's husband, both Miss Lily and Billy have to decide what lies in their future. Top | |
| Top | The Brothers Grimm (2005) In 1811, in a French occupied Germany, the crooks Brothers Grimm pretend to fight against evil witches and monsters to make money. However, they are arrested by Cavaldi and General Delatombe, but they have a chance to redeem themselves in the village of Marbaden, where ten young girls have vanished. Will and Jacob are guided by the local Angelika through an enchanted forest where they face the evil Mirror Queen that depends on the sacrifice of twelve girls in the eclipse to stay beautiful and young. Top | |
| Top | The Brothers McMullen (1995) This angst-filled tale of three Irish-Catholic brothers explores men's relationships with women. Three different situations are set up on parallel plotlines, with each brother facing a different kind of crisis. Their common bond as family, as well as close lifelong friends, allows them to express their feelings frankly and intimately, as they talk and discuss their concerns among each other. Jack finds himself in a marriage gone stale and under pressure to start a family that he does not yet feel ready for. Barry, dedicated to his film career and almost pathologically averse to any type of commitment in a relationship, is suddenly artistically successful and finds true love, both for the first time and both pulling him in opposite directions. Patrick is torn between his love for his religion and ethnic heritage and his love for Susan, his longtime Jewish girlfriend. Ultimately, they are all asked to resist temptation of one sort or another, with various poignant outcomes. Edward Burns gave Robert Redford a tape of this film in a NYC elevator and begged him to watch it. Redford said that Burns looked like a panhandler. "I get that all the time, but I thought, what the hell, that's what it's all about." He watched it, liked it, and the film went on to win at Sundance. Seamus Egan, who composed much of the music on the soundtrack, was on a tour of New England when his car broke down. He was put up for the night by a local couple he had never met, whose adult son happened to be visiting for the weekend. They loaned Seamus their own car so he could finish the tour. In gratitude, Seamus (and bluegrass musician Dirk Powell) gave them copies of their CDs, they only gift they could afford at the time. The son turned out to be Andy Yarme, a technician working on the film in New York. The CDs found their way to Ed Burns, who in turn called Seamus and asked if he could use some of the music on the film. After the film was picked up by Sundance, the music was remastered, and due to the increased budget, Sarah McLachlan was brought on board. Together, they re-wrote Seamus' instrumental "Weep Not For the Memories", creating the hit "I Will Remember You". McLachlan's video for the song following its release as a single cost three times to make as the entire Brothers McMullen production. The most profitable film on a percentage basis in 1995. It cost only $200,000 to make and grossed $13.4 million, 67 times it budget. Top | |
| Top | The Bucket List(2007) Corporate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. In the process, both of them heal each other, become unlikely friends, and ultimately find joy in life. A fun to watch movie but really those people dealing with chemotherapy don't really go off on adventures right from the hospital. Fun to watch two superstars tell a tale. Top | |
| Top | Bud Abbot and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) The world of freight handlers Wilbur Grey and Chick Young is turned upside down when the remains of Frankenstein's monster and Dracula arrive from Europe to be used in a house of horrors. Dracula awakens and escapes with the weakened monster, who he plans to re-energize with a new brain. Larry Talbot (the Wolfman) arrives from London in an attempt to thwart Dracula. Dracula's reluctant aide is the beautiful Dr. Sandra Mornay. Her reluctance is dispatched by Dracula's bite. Dracula and Sandra abduct Wilbur for his brain and recharge the monster in preparation for the operation. Chick and Talbot attempt to find and free Wilbur, but when the full moon rises all hell breaks loose with the Wolfman, Dracula, and Frankenstein all running rampant. Lou Costello did not want to film the movie, declaring, "No way I'll do that crap. My little girl could write something better than this." A $50,000 advance in salary and the signing of director Charles Barton, the team's good friend and the man whom some call their best director, convinced him otherwise. Boris Karloff was never approached to play the monster, but as a favor to Universal, he agreed to do publicity work for this film as long as he didn't have to see the film. In several photos taken by Universal's publicity department, he is seen standing in line purchasing a ticket at a theater in New York City where the film is playing, and in other stills, he is shown admiring the poster art for the film outside the theater lobby. Karloff later starred with Abbott & Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff as well as Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Top | |
| Top | Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976) Buffalo Bill plans to put on his own Wild West sideshow, and Chief Sitting Bull has agreed to appear in it. However, Sitting Bull has his own hidden agenda, involving the President and General Custer. Altman doesn't tell this tale very well. I wonder what he really hoped to say. As the film came out in 1976, film critics and others felt that this scathing indictment of Americana was made as a countermeasure to the celebratory atmosphere of the American bicentennial, but Robert Altman claimed in interviews that he did not intend for this to be a commentary on the bicentennial at all. Top | |
| Top | Bulworth (1998) Senator Jay Bulworth is facing speculation-induced financial ruin, so he puts out a contract on his own life in order to collect a large, new insurance policy for his family. Living each moment on borrowed time, he suddenly begins spouting raw, unfiltered--and sometimes offensive in word but satirical in spirit -- thoughts to shocked audiences and handlers in the speech of hip-hop music and culture. His newfound uninhibitedness and new relationship with Nina carry him on a journey of political and spiritual renewal. The only thing scarier that a politician lying to you is one telling the truth. Top | |
| Top | Bull Durham (1988) Veteran minor-league catcher Crash Davis is assigned to the Class A Durham Bulls to handle the team's star rookie, wild pitcher "Nuke" LaLoosh. Team groupie Annie Savoy romances both players, creating a comic triangle. Great story about the struggles to "make it in the show" tender funny comedy. Top | |
| Top | Bullets Over Broadway (1994) Set in 1920's New York City, this movie tells the story of idealistic young playwright David Shayne. Producer Julian Marx finally finds funding for the project from gangster Nick Valenti. The catch is that Nick's girl friend Olive Neal gets the part of a psychiatrist, and Olive is a bimbo who could never pass for a psychiatrist as well as being a dreadful actress. Agreeing to this first compromise is the first step to Broadway's complete seduction of David, who neglects longtime girl friend Ellen. Meanwhile David puts up with Warner Purcell, the leading man who is a compulsive eater, Helen Sinclair, the grand dame who wants her part jazzed up, and Cheech, Olive's interfering hitman / bodyguard. Eventually, the playwright must decide whether art or life is more important. All star cast. Directed by Woody Allen and very funny--probably because Woody did not cast himself in a role. Top | |
| Top | Burn After Reading (2008) Osbourne Cox, a Balkan expert, is fired at the CIA, so he begins a memoir. His wife wants a divorce and expects her lover, Harry, a philandering State Department marshal, to leave his wife. A diskette falls out of a gym bag at a Georgetown fitness center. Two employees there try to turn it into cash: Linda, who wants money for elective surgery, and Chad, an amiable goof. Information on the disc leads them to Osbourne who rejects their sales pitch; then they visit the Russian embassy. To sweeten the pot, they decide they need more of Osbourne's secrets. Meanwhile, Linda's boss likes her, and Harry's wife leaves for a book tour. All roads lead to Osbourne's house. Top | |
| Top | Bus Stop (1956) Innocent rodeo cowboy Bo falls in love with cafe singer Cherie in Phoenix. She tries to run away to Los Angeles but he finds her and forces her to board the bus to his home in Montana. When the bus stops at Grace's Diner the passengers learn that the road ahead is blocked. By now everyone knows of the kidnaping, but Bo is determined to have Cherie. The original Broadway production of "Bus Stop" by William Inge opened at the Music Box Theater in New York on March 2, 1955, ran for 478 performances and was nominated for the 1956 Tony Award for the Best Play. Top | |
| Top | Bus Stop (1982) Innocent rodeo cowboy Bo falls in love with cafe singer Cherie in Phoenix. She tries to run away to Los Angeles but he finds her and forces her to board the bus to his home in Montana. When the bus stops at Grace's Diner the passengers learn that the road ahead is blocked. By now everyone knows of the kidnaping, but Bo is determined to have Cherie. A remake of the 1955 Bus Stop based on the award winning play. Good cast, good story. Not quite excellent though. Top | |
| Top | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Butch and Sundance are the two leaders of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Butch is all ideas, Sundance is all action and skill. The west is becoming civilized and when Butch and Sundance rob a train once too often, a special posse begins trailing them no matter where they run. Over rock, through towns, across rivers, the group is always just behind them. When they finally escape through sheer luck, Butch has another idea, "Let's go to Bolivia". Based on the exploits of real historical characters. Top | |
| Top | The Butcher's Wife (1991) A clairvoyant thinks she's met her husband to be because she's seen him in her dreams. They marry quickly, and return to the husband's ("the butcher"), home in the city. She has a big impact on everyone she meets by anticipating their questions and actions and advising them on their love life. Her interference then brings her into contact with the real man of her dreams. Top |