C-Cz movies

Cabaret (1972)  Cambridge University student Brian Roberts arrives in Berlin in 1931 to complete his German studies. Without much money, he plans on making a living teaching English while living in an inexpensive rooming house, where he befriends another of the tenants, American Sally Bowles. She is outwardly a flamboyant, perpetually happy person who works as a singer at the decadent Kit Kat Klub, a cabaret styled venue. Sally's outward façade is matched by that of the Klub, overseen by the omnipresent Master of Ceremonies. Sally draws Brian into her world, and initially wants him to be one of her many lovers, until she learns that he is a homosexual, albeit a celibate one. Among their other friends are his students, the poor Fritz Wendel, who wants to be a gigolo to live a comfortable life, and the straight-laced and beautiful Natalia Landauer, a Jewish heiress. Fritz initially sees Natalia as his money ticket, but eventually falls for her. However Natalia is suspect of his motives and cannot overcome their religious differences. Also into Sally and Brian's life comes the wealthy Baron Maximilian von Heune, who has the same outlook on life as Sally, but who has the money to support it. Max is willing to lavish his new friends with gifts and his favors. Around them all is the Nazi uprising, to which they seem to pay little attention or care. But they ultimately learn that life in all its good and particularly bad continues to happen to them and around them.

Awesome movie, but I liked the play better.  I saw it in Portland, Oregon in 1989.  Joel Grey was still performing quite good especially for a youngster of 67.

The Caine Mutiny (1954)  During the WWII, onboard a small insignificant ship in the U.S. Pacific Fleet, an event occurs unlike any that the United States Navy has ever experianced. A Ship's Captain is removed from his command by his Executive Officer in an apparent outright act of mutiny. As the trial of the mutineers unfold, it is then learned that the Captain of the ship was mentally unstable, perhaps even insane. The Navy must then decide: was the Caine Mutiny a criminal act? Or an act of courage to save a ship from destruction at the hands of her Captain.

An awesome performance by an all star cast. Great story about loyalty.

Call of the Wild (1935)  Jack Thornton has trouble winning enough at cards for the stake he needs to get to the Alaska gold fields. His luck changes when he pays $250 for Buck, a sled dog that is part wolf to keep him from being shot by an arrogant Englishman also headed for the Yukon. En route to the Yukon with Shorty Houlihan -- who spent time in jail for opening someone else's letter with a map of where gold is to be found -- Jack rescues a woman whose husband was the addressee of that letter. Buck helps Jack win a $1,000 bet to get the supplies he needs. And when Jack and Claire Blake pet Buck one night, fingers touch.

Apparently more than fingers touched as Loretta Young had a romance with Clark Gable while making this film, resulting in the birth of an out-of-wedlock daughter, Judy Lewis. For years, Ms. Young claimed she went away for a while, found the girl and adopted her. In 1994, Judy Lewis revealed the truth (which had long been the subject of speculation because of her resemblance to both parents) in her book "Uncommon Knowledge".   Some children find out as the grow older that they are adopted.  Judy found out she wasn't adopted.  In 2003, I owned a brick-and-mortar eBay store.  We provided a service to sell items on eBay for people who didn't want to be bothered or thought it was too hard.   Originally the movie was to be shot in Sierras in California but the snow there was already melting, so they relocated to Mt. Baker in Washington State.  The cast and crew would frequent the only restaurant in the lodge.  A waitress there (sorry I cannot remember her name) got many pictures and autographs of most of the cast and crew.  Most of the autographs were in pencil, but Loretta and Clark signed with a fountain pen.  Her grandson asked us to sell her autograph book.  We did.  I am still sorry I didn't just buy it from him. 

Call Northside 777 (1948)  When a woman places an ad in the Chicago Times offering a $5,000 reward for information that will exonerate her son, the newspaper assigns report P.J. McNeal to look into case. He learns that 11 years earlier, Frank Wiecek was convicted of killing an on duty police officer in a speakeasy and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. McNeal is quite skeptical as to his innocence and only slowly comes to realize that there was a miscarriage of justice. The real question is whether he can find evidence that would convince the pardon board and obtain Wiecek's release.

Camelot (1967)  Merlin taught King Arthur well. He establishes the perfect kingdom of Camelot, the best knights in the world at the Round Table, and even finds himself a kind, loving wife in Queen Guenevere. Then, along comes the French knight, Lancelot. At first hated by all, he eventually proves himself and becomes the King's best friend and the best knight of the Round Table. He also becomes the Queen's lover, no matter how guilty both feel. Alas, Camelot cannot last! For Mordred, the king's treacherous illegitimate son, catches on, and works to undo everything Arthur worked for.

The Candidate (1972)  Idealistic young lawyer Bill McKay (Robert Redford), thoroughly involved with civil rights, legal aid and ecology, agrees to run for the U.S. Senate - not to win, he tells himself, but to bring vital issues before the voters. He despises political deals and compromises, but when the possibility of victory overshadows what seemed like certain defeat, his integrity begins to weaken. A fascinating and dynamic character study showing all the inner conflicts of a decent man torn between his ambition and his conscience. It tells what it costs - emotionally, morally, financially - to run for public office, and conveys all the doubts, all the self deceptions and ultimately all the cynicism of a man who knows he has sold out for something he isn't sure he really wants. Oscar-winning screenplay by Jeremy Lardner.

Captain Ron (1992)  A family in Chicago inherits the yacht formerly owned by Clark Gable. They decide to sail it from the island of Ste. Pomme de Terre to Miami, and they sail with the assistance of Captain Ron and their lives will never be the same again.

Carbine Williams (1952)  This is the story of David Marshall 'Marsh' Williams, the real life inventor of the world famous M-1 Carbine automatic riffle used in WWII. It all started when Marsh, who was one to do things his way, was caught distilling moonshine, and was accused and convicted of shooting a federal officer in the process. This at first placed him in the chain gang which labeled him as a hard case. Later, to make room for those more deserving, he was moved to a prison farm, where he came under the direction of Captain H.T. Peoples. The Captain was a mild mannered warden, who did not shy from discipline when necessary, but also believed that given the opportunity, most men will respond to good. Believing that Marsh was just such a person, the Captain gave him every opportunity to reform, so much so, that he eventually allowed Marsh to work in the tool shop on his spare time to develop and build by hand, a working riffle, inside the prison farm itself.

I saw this when I was nine years old and liked it then.

Carnal Knowledge (1971)  The film traces the sexual and emotional confusion of two men from their Amherst College days in the fifties through the Kennedy sixties, up to the Vietnam era. Jonathan, a successful tax attorney and Sandy, a physician, personify two extremes of self-delusion and self-aggrandizement: Jonathan makes the mistake of thinking sex is love, and embarks on a lifetime of sexual conquest; Sandy dedicates himself to the pursuit of an idealized woman and the dreamy spiritual completeness to be found therein. In Bobbie Jonathan finds a partner whose masochism compliments his selfishness and emotional ambivalence. Jonathan does not want her to hold a job, but neither does he like the fact that she spends all day in bed sleeping, or watching TV. Sandy falls in love with his first college romance, Susan; they marry and have children. But Sandy is haunted by the fear that he was too hasty, even though he and Susan lead a happy domestic life and strive to reinvigorate their sex life by making love "in all seven rooms" of their apartment. With Jonathan's help, he enters into an affair with Cindy, a tough professional woman who turns Sandy off because she is too overbearing.

When Jack Nicholson would get ready to play his nude scenes, he'd prepare everyone on set by warning, "Here comes Big Steve!"  

Cars (2006)  Successful rookie racer Lightning McQueen has, to his pleasure, just won a 3-way tie with elder rival Chick Hicks and champ "The King", but is also proud and unappreciative of long-time (mostly older) supporters enough to have his ignored pit-crew desert him. Accidentally lost en route to California for the tie-breaker, he crashes through Radiator Springs on Route 66, destroying the road and some property. Forced to remain in town until he repairs them, he's stuck in a small community whose tight-knit inhabitants accept neither his selfishness nor bad attitude. Refusing to respect them initially, he eventually returns the friendship of redneck Mater and falls in love with Sally, but can't seem to get gruff Doc Hudson, who keeps a painful secret, to change his mind about him. Soon Lightning learns the inhabitants of the town as a whole, who are almost a secret to the outside world, also had a past now painfully absent, and tries to help them enjoy it once more.

Lots of subtle subtexts in the movie.  You will have to watch it several times to catch them all.

Cars II (2011)  After Mater gets his best friend, star race car Lightning McQueen, a spot in the very first World Grand Prix, he is given the job of pit crew chief. But while they are in Japan, Mater crosses paths with Holly Shiftwell, a spy searching for an American spy. Unknown to Mater, the American spy attached a tracking device on him while being attacked. Thinking the tow truck is the spy, Holly and another spy, Finn McMissile, take Mater around the world to find and stop an evil plot created by "lemons," old cars considered ugly.

Loses much of the "newness" of the first movie.  It is still worth seeing.

Casablanca (1942) In WWII Casablanca, Rick Blaine, exiled American and former freedom fighter, runs the most popular nightspot in town. The cynical lone wolf Blaine comes into the possession of valuable letters of transit. When Nazi Major Strasser arrives in Casablanca, the sycophantic police Captain Renault does what he can to please him, including detaining Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo. Much to Rick's surprise, Lazslo arrives with Ilsa, Rick's one time love. Rick is very bitter towards Ilsa, who ran out on him in Paris, but when he learns she had good reason to, they plan to run off together again using the letters of transit. Well, that was their original plan.

A timeless masterpiece.  Visit IMDB.com for details on movie trivia, including Carrotblanca starring Buggs Bunny.

Cast Away (2000)  Chuck Noland is a Fed-Ex manager who demands that everything must be on time and travels the world to make sure punctuality is on top of everything else. He has a girlfriend, Kelly, with whom he is deeply in love with and family he hardly sees. When work intrudes on Christmas Eve, Chuck has a quick gift exchange in the car and kisses Kelly goodbye. He boards a delivery plane going overseas which gets caught in a horrendous storm and crashes into the Pacific. The sole survivor Chuck washes up on a remote island along with several Fed-Ex packages that he must use for supplies. With limited luxury, he adapts to the island over the course of 1,500 nights. When Chuck finally sees his chance he rafts out on the ocean and fortunately is spotted. After a bittersweet welcome-back reception, Chuck finds Kelly has married another man and has children. But he is missing more than her. For all his life his objective was work. For four years, it was survival. Now Chuck is compelled to live.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)  The fifth Tennessee Williams play to reach the screen, wealthy Mississippi plantation owner Big Daddy Pollitt, unaware that he's dying of cancer and disturbed by the strained and childless marriage of his favored alcoholic son Brick and his other son, Gooper, whose wife is about to bring forth another in the endless line of little "no-neck monsters," celebrates his sixty-fifth birthday with his family. Brick's wife, Maggie, beautiful and desirable, tries unsuccessfully to coax her husband away from the bottle, while alternately enticing him and taunting him about his obsession with his deceased best friend and the guilt about their relationship. The seamy tensions reach a climax when the truth of Big Daddy's health is revealed, and he and Brick manage to resolve their differences.

Tennessee Williams wrote the role of Big Daddy with Burl Ives in mind. Prior to the original stage production, Ives was known primarily as a folk singer, and many within the theatre community question Williams' decision. Ives won rave reviews in the role on both stage and screen, and went on to a long and prestigious acting career.

Catch and Release (2006)  After the sudden death of her fiancé, Gray Wheeler finds comfort in the company of his friends: lighthearted and comic Sam, hyper-responsible Dennis, and, oddly enough, his old childhood buddy Fritz, an irresponsible playboy whom she'd previously pegged as one of the least reliable people in the world. As secrets about her supposedly perfect fiancé emerge, Gray comes to see new sides of the man she thought she knew, and at the same time, finds herself drawn to the last man she ever expected to fall for.

Although this is not a Kevin Smith film, almost all of Smith's trademark elements can be found in it. There's the "sh" joke (he says "fancy, shmancy"), the number 37, reference to comics and superheroes and references to Star Wars.

Chaplin (1992)  The biography of Charlie Chaplin, filmmaker extraordinaire. From his formative years in England to his highest successes in America, Charlie's life, work, and loves are followed. While his screen characters were extremely hilarious, the man behind "The Little Tramp" was constantly haunted by a sense of loss.

Follow the link above for a bio about a larger than life man.

Chariots of Fire (1981)  The true story of two British track athletes competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics. One is a devout Scottish missionary who runs for God, the other is a Jewish student at Cambridge who runs for fame and to escape prejudice.

One of the best movies ever.  Makes you want to try harder.

Charlotte's Web (1973)  This is the story of a little pig named Wilbur who was born a runt, and Mr. Arable decides to kill it! His daughter Fern begs him to let the helpless little pig live. Her father decides to let Fern keep him as a pet. Wilbur meets a bunch of new friends including Charlotte. Once Wilbur turns five weeks old Fern has no choice but to sell him to another farm. Mr. and Mrs. Arable calls up Fern's uncle Mr. Homer L. Zuckerman. Meanwhile, Wilbur has notice that Mr. Zuckerman and Lurvy are plotting to kill him! So he hatches a plan with his dear friend Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider. It's up to Charlotte to save Wilbur's life before he'll end up on the dinner table at Christmastime!

Good movie.  Not as suitable for young children as you might expect.

Charlotte's Web (2006)  This is the story of a little pig named Wilbur who was born a runt, and Mr. Arable decides to kill it! His daughter Fern begs him to let the helpless little pig live. Her father decides to let Fern keep him as a pet. Wilbur meets a bunch of new friends including Charlotte. Once Wilbur turns five weeks old Fern has no choice but to sell him to another farm. Mr. and Mrs. Arable calls up Fern's uncle Mr. Homer L. Zuckerman. Meanwhile, Wilbur has notice that Mr. Zuckerman and Lurvy are plotting to kill him! So he hatches a plan with his dear friend Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider. It's up to Charlotte to save Wilbur's life before he'll end up on the dinner table at Christmastime!

Remake of the 1973 movie.  Using live actors and real pigs (more than 50).  Not quite as good as the original but very close.

Chasing Amy (1997)  Holden and Banky are two average guys who just need someone to bring out their hidden secrets. Enter Alyssa Jones and Hooper LaMont, two homosexuals who are slightly more experienced than the former two. Together, Hooper and Alyssa show Holden and Banky that being gay isn't as bad as they might think. Meanwhile, Holden develops an 'untainted' love for Alyssa, one which she finally sees in him as well, taking Holden on a journey through the complexities of love in the 90s.  

Cheap Detective (1978)  Lou Peckinpaugh, the Cheap detective has entered a world that is half Casablanca and half Maltese Falcon. A parody of Bogart's films in which Lou goes through a series of scenes from the two movies trying to keep ahead of the police who think he killed his partner and find the black bird.

Great Neil Simon with an awesome cast.  I saw this movie on a vacation to Colorado Springs.

Cheyenne Autum (1964)  When the government agency fails to deliver even the meager supplies due by treaty to the proud Cheyenne tribe in their barren desert reserve, the starving Indians have taken more abuse than it's worth and break it too by embarking on a 1,500 miles journey back to their ancestral hunting grounds. US Cavalry Capt. Thomas Archer is charged with their retrieval, but during the hunt grows to respect their noble courage, and decides to help them.

According to both John Ford and James Stewart, Ford added the segment with Stewart in place of an intermission. Ford didn't want people leaving the auditorium to go the bathroom or concessions counter, even though the film was long, and so he came up with the Wyatt Earp segment. He later quipped to Stewart that the actor was the "best intermission" in the movies.

Cheyene Social Club (1970)  John is working as a cow poke for very little money with his friend Harley when he gets word his brother, DJ, has left him The Cheyenne Social Club. He and Harley ride for nearly a thousand miles to his inheritance only to find he is now the owner of a first class brothel.

James Stewart agreed to do the film and suggested to the producers that they offer the part of Harley to his good friend, Henry Fonda. Fonda read the script and agreed to do it but he had one suggestion. In the opening sequence, when the two ride to Cheyenne, his character had no dialog in the script. Fonda innocently asked to give his character something to say. The writer, James Lee Barrett, came up with the speech Fonda gives. For years after the film was released, the sign that hung in the club listing the names of the girls hung in Barrett's home as a memento.

Chicago (2002)  Fame hungry Roxie Hart dreams of a life on the Vaudville stage, and spends her nights jazzing it up in the bright lights of Chicago, continually hoping that she'll find her lucky break, and be shot into 1920's stardom, so able to flee her boring husband Amos. In awe of seductive club singer Velma Kelly (who is subsequantly arrested for the murder of her husband and sister - after discovering their affair), Roxie meets Fred Cassely a man who convinces her he can 'make her showbiz career take off'. However after Roxie has undergone the 'casting couch' treatment, and Fred has had his wicked way with her, he reveals that he has no more connections in showbusiness than she does. This is the final straw for Roxie, and her constant anger at rejection explodes. She shoots Fred Cassely and kills him. Upon discovering her infidelity, Roxie's husband Amos refuses to take the blame for the murder and Roxie is sent to jail, pending hanging. In jail she finally meets tabloid darling Velma Kelly, currently receiving huge media attention for the double murder she committed earlier in the tale. Sharing the clink with Velma, are a collection of other sly females, all awaiting trial for the murders of their own partners. Velma is aloof to Roxie, however the prison Warden Mrs Morton offers Roxie the opportunity of representation by slick Chicago lawyer Billy Flynn. Billy is more a showbiz P. R agent than a legal lawyer and minipulates the tabloids into thinking Roxie is no more than an innocent 'good time girl' who took the wrong path, than a scheming murderess. The tabloids go crazy for the new girl on the cell block, and Roxie finally becomes a star. However due to Roxie's new found fame, Velma is forgotten about. She is forced to approach Roxie with an offer of a part in her Vaudville act (filling the gap left by her murdered sister), but Roxie turns down her offer flat, thinking she needs no support in topping the bill. However, just as Velma's star fell, so does Roxie's, when Go-to-hell Kitty arrives at the jail on a multiple murder charge, the press forget Roxie and now she and Velma are in the same boat. With one more trick up her sleave Roxie manages to bring the media attention back onto her, and her day in court arrives. Billy is now ready to play the ultimate showman!

Adapted from a 1975 musical play directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, whose other credits include the films Cabaret, Lenny and All That Jazz. The stage musical "Chicago" premiered at the 46th Street Theatre (now known as the Richard Rodgers Theatre) in New York on May 12, 1975 and ran for 936 performances. Its opening night cast included Jerry Orbach as Billy Flynn, Chita Rivera as Velma Kelly (Rivera later played Roxie Hart in a 1990s London production and also has a bit part in this film), Gwen Verdon as Roxie Hart and Barney Martin as Amos Hart. A 1996 Broadway revival of the musical was even more successful and is still running as of this date (Oct. 2008).

Chicken Little (2005)  After Chicken Little causes widespread panic--when he mistakes a falling acorn for a piece of the sky--the young chicken is determined to restore his reputation. But just as things are starting to go his way, a real piece of the sky lands on his head. Chicken Little and his band of misfit friends, Abby Mallard (aka Ugly Duckling), Runt of the Litter and Fish Out of Water, attempt to save the world without sending the town into a whole new panic.

Fluff but fun for kids.

Chicken Run (2000)  Ginger is one of the chickens at the Tweedy Egg Farm, who is capable of escaping (and desperately wants to) but is constantly being held back by her incompetent partners. One night, feeling failed and depressed after a chicken is axed, she wanders out to the gate, where she sees a rooster triumphantly flying through the air. After crashing and injuring his wing, Ginger takes him in and learns he's Rocky Rhodes, a cocky American who enjoys freedom - in fact, he escaped from a circus when she found him. In exchange for protecting him when the circus arrives asking for him, Ginger makes a deal with Rocky that he will teach them to fly so they can escape. Taking advantage of the situation, Rocky woos the chicken, irritating Ginger "Doll-Face" and organizer Officer Fowler, formerly of the Royal Air Force, in the process. Meanwhile, the Tweedys have purchased a machine to make chicken pies with, intending to cook every last one of them.

There are many subtlies in this movie.  If you have seen movies like The Great Escape, 12 O'Clock High and Stalag 17 you will get most of the in jokes.  If not, you should see them, then rewatch Chicken Run.  Incredibly funny movie.

The China Syndrome (1979)  KTLA Television human interest reporter Kimberly Wells aspires to do hard hitting news stories, whereas station brass wants to keep her in her current position; they're more concerned about the color, length and style of her hair than her investigative abilities. While doing a human interest story at the Ventana nuclear power plant, she may have stumbled onto her dream story when on-site she witnesses what she thinks is a near nuclear disaster. Her freelance cameraman and friend, Richard Adams, clandestinely films the event as it unfolds in Ventana's control room. However, station brass quashes the story due in part to liability issues. Although disappointed, Kimberly initially follows her boss' directives as she wants to protect her career path, whereas Richard wants to use the film to really find out what happened. Uncovering the truth hits an early snag when the regulatory commission reports that the plant faced no major issue during the incident. Both Kimberly and Richard believe the quick and favorable report was due to the fact that development of another nuclear power plant is currently going through the public consultation process. Back at the plant, Jack Godell, the supervisor on duty in the control room during the incident, believes that something indeed is wrong with the plant due to the event, when he felt a tremor on-site. His beliefs are strengthened due to some radioactive leak in the plant from an unknown source and the discovery of some falsified documents, the latter which he knows may be a threat to his life by the perpetrators. Jack, with Kimberly and Richard's help, does whatever he can to get his story into the public consciousness to avert what he thinks is a potential nuclear meltdown at the plant. But the power company is determined to keep Jack quiet and to protect their billion dollar investment, namely Ventana.

The term China Syndrome refers to the false belief that a hot nuclear reactor core could melt down and continue down through the center of the earth hitting China.  This couldn't happen for a varity of reasons.  And, drilling down through the center of anywhere in the United States would pop you up in the Indian Ocean.

Considering the problems at Three Mile Island in 1979 this movie is modeled fairly closely to that incident. 

Chinatown (1974) JJ 'Jake' Gittes is a private detective who seems to specialize in matrimonial cases. He is hired by Evelyn Mulwray when she suspects her husband Hollis, builder of the city's water supply system, of having an affair. Gittes does what he does best and photographs him with a young girl but in the ensuing scandal, it seems he was hired by an impersonator and not the real Mrs. Mulwray. When Mr. Mulwray is found dead, Jake is plunged into a complex web of deceit involving murder, incest and municipal corruption all related to the city's water supply.

Great movie, great cast.  Lots of plot twists to keep you entertained throughout the movie.

Chocolat (2000)  1960, small town France. Vianne Rocher and her pre-teen daughter move into town and open a chocolate shop just as lent is beginning. The town's small-minded mayor can't accept this and does his best to shut her down, but her warm personality and incredible chocolates manage to win over many townsfolk. Things get shaken up even more when a group of river drifters, led by Roux, stop into town (to the even greater distress of the mayor) and Vianne takes up with him. Meanwhile, she's been helping Josephine out of her abusive marriage and her equally freethinking landlord, Amande Voisin, get together with her grandson, Luc, whose mother doesn't approve of Amande's ways.

This is a must see movie.  It is a feel good movie too.  Lots of characters to root for.  Multiple paths to redemption.

A Christmas Story (1983)  It's Christmas time and there's only one thing on Ralphie Parker's Christmas list this year: a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-Shot, Range Model Air Rifle, but many obstacles stand in the way of his dream because every adult that he confronts keeps telling him he'll shoot his eye out. Meanwhile The Old Man just got a major award (a lamp shaped like a woman's leg), and Mom is making sure The Old Man doesn't come near her turkey, Ralphie's friend gets his tongue stuck to a flag pole, and Ralphie utters the f-word infront of his father. Christmas is drawing nearer and Ralphie visits Santa at the department store in hopes of asking him for his dream gift. Will he receive it? Let's hope so.

This is a story for everyone.  It is remenisent of a Christmas Carol because it trasports us all back to our own personal Ghosts of Christmas past.  Extremely funny yet heartwarming.

The Cider House Rules (1999)  Homer is an orphan in remote St. Cloud, Maine. Never adopted, he becomes the favorite of orphanage director Dr. Larch, who imparts his full medical knowledge on Homer, who becomes a skilled, albeit unlicensed, physician. But Homer yearns for a self-chosen life outside the orphanage. When Wally and pregnant Candy visit the orphanage Dr. Larch provides medically safe, albeit illegal, abortions Homer leaves with them to work on Wally's family apple farm. Wally goes off to war, leaving Homer and Candy alone together. Homer learns about life and love in the cider house. Dr. Larch has other hopes for him.  Which path is the right one.

This is almost a best film ever.  I may change my mind and upgrade this.  It is a coming of age movie about a flawed hero.  The acting is superb.  Well deserved Academy Award for Michael Caine.  There are lots of characters to root for in this dynamic but sad movie.

City of Angels (1998)  Seth is an angel who accompanies the spirits of the recently dead to the ever after. Seth has never been human and so has has never experienced touch or taste. When in the hospital however he comes across Dr. Maggie Rice, a brilliant young heart surgeon who is devoted to her profession and her patients. Seth has the power to let himself be seen but Maggie finds him far too mysterious. Seth also meets a patient, Nathaniel Messinger, who has news for him - he too was once an angel like Seth but chose to fall to Earth and become human. Seth makes a decision on his future, which does not turn out as he had expected.

City Slickers (1991)  Mitch is a middle aged big-city radio ads salesman. He and his friends Ed and Phil are having mid-life crisis. They decide the best birthday gift is to go on a two week holiday in the wild west driving cattle from New Mexico to Colorado. There they meet cowboy Curly who not only teaches them how to become real cowboys, but also one or two other things about life in the open air of the west.

The story that Billy Crystal tells about his "best day" of his life going to a Yankee game with his father is a true story from his childhood. He notes at one point that, "I still have the program." Not only does he really still have it, but he got Mickey Mantle to autograph it twice: once at the game that day and once again some 20 years later on a talk show they were both guests on.

Cinderella (1977)  An adaptation of the fairy tale, Cinderella traces the misadventures of our heroine, who, via the help of her "fairy" (i.e. gay) godmother, is granted heightened sexual prowess to win over Prince Charming. After a blindfolded orgy at the royal castle, the nerdy Prince must sleep with every willing woman in his kingdom until he finds that one, mysterious lover who so "stood out" on the night of the sex Ball.

What is far less that perfect movie doing in Gary's must see list?  Well it is a satire of the Cinderalla story (which in many ways is a cruel hoax on young women, more on that in my future blog).  Originally an X rated movie.  The producers ended up with a cult hit, so they recut it to be "R" rated.  Lots of nudity and more sex of course but many, many jokes.  Some of them a bit dated.  Enjoy.

Cinderalla (1950)  In a far away, long ago kingdom, Cinderella is living happily with her mother and father until her mother dies. Cinderella's father remarries a cold, cruel woman who has two daughters, Drizella and Anastasia. When the father dies, Cinderella's wicked stepmother turns her into a virtual servant in her own house. Meanwhile, across town in the castle, the King determines that his son the Prince should find a suitable bride and provide him with a required number of grandchildren. So the King invites every eligible maiden in the kingdom to a fancy dress ball, where his son will be able to choose his bride. Cinderella has no suitable party dress for a ball, but her friends the mice, lead by Jaques and Gus, and the birds lend a hand in making her one, a dress the evil stepsisters immediately tear apart on the evening of the ball. At this point, enter the Fairy Godmother, the pumpkin carriage, the royal ball, the stroke of midnight, the glass slipper, and the rest, as they say, is fairy tale history.

This is Disney doing what Disney does best.  Tell a familiar family tale that is good for families.  Any real film buff has to see this movie.

Citizen Kane (1941)  A group of reporters who are trying to decipher the last word ever spoke by Charles Foster Kane, the millionaire newspaper tycoon: "Rosebud." The film begins with a news reel detailing Kane's life for the masses, and then from there, we are shown flashbacks from Kane's life. As the reporters investigate further, the viewers see a display of a fascinating man's rise to fame, and how he eventually fell off the "top of the world."

An obvious biography of William Randolph Hearst, who was not amused by director Orson Welles masterpiece and he took punative measures against Welles.  Even though Citizen Kane remains in the top ten best films, it was not a box office success. 

Rosebud is not what the movie suggests.  A very good trivia question.

City Lights (1931) A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind girl. Her family is in financial trouble. The tramp's on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.  

Ranked #1 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Romantic Comedy".

Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)  At a time in prehistory when Neanderthals shared the Earth with early Homo sapiens, a band of cave-dwellers adopt blond and blue-eyed Ayla, a child of the "Others". As Ayla matures into a young woman of spirit and courage (unlike other women of the clan), she must fight for survival against the jealous bigotry of Broud, who will one day be clan leader. Based on Jean M. Auel's popular book, there is minimal narration; subtitles translate the Neanderthal gestures and primitive spoken language.

Great book, rather poor movie but parts of it are quite good.  Too hoeky of an ending in my opinion.  Nominated for an Oscar for makeup. 

Clash of the Titans (1981)  Perseus is the favored son of the god Zeus, but he has unwittingly ticked off the sea goddess Thetis. Just to make things worse, Perseus falls in love with the lovely Princess Andromeda, who used to be engaged to Thetis's son. Soon Perseus is off on one quest after another, with Zeus helping, Thetis hindering, and lots of innocent bystanders getting stabbed, drowned, and squished.

Not great but especially good special effects for the times.

The Titans were the gods who preceded the Olympians in power. Kronos (also spelled Cronus) and Atlas were the most famous Titans. Ironically, none of the Titans from Greek mythology appear in Clash of the Titans.  In the movie the Titans are the Norse Kraken (who never appeared in Greek mythology at all) and Medusa (who was never considered a Titan by the Greeks).

Cleopatra (1963)  In 48 B.C., Caesar pursues Pompey from Pharsalia to Egypt. Ptolemy, now supreme ruler after deposing his older sister, Cleopatra, attempts to gain favor with Caesar by presenting the conquerer with the head of Pompey, borne by his governors, Pothinos and Achillas. To win Caesar's support from her brother, Cleopatra hides herself in a rug, which Apollodorus, her servant, presents to Caesar. The Roman is immediately infatuated; banishing Ptolemy, he declares Cleopatra Egypt's sole ruler and takes her as his mistress. A son, Caesarion, is born of their union. Caesar, however, must return to Italy. Although he is briefly reunited with Cleopatra during a magnificent reception for the queen in Rome, Caesar is assassinated shortly thereafter, and Cleopatra returns to Egypt. When Mark Antony, Caesar's protégé, beholds Cleopatra aboard her elaborate barge at Tarsus some years later, he is smitten and becomes both her lover and military ally. Their liaison notwithstanding, Antony, to consolidate his position in Rome, marries Octavia, sister of the ambitious Octavian. The marriage satisfies no one. Cleopatra is infuriated, and Antony, tiring of his Roman wife, returns to Egypt. There he flaunts his liaison by marrying Cleopatra in a public ceremony. Sensing Antony's weakness, Octavian attacks and defeats his forces at Actium. Alarmed, Cleopatra withdraws her fleet and seeks refuge in her tomb.

Joseph L. Mankiewicz hoped that the film would be released as two separate pictures, "Caesar and Cleopatra" followed by "Antony and Cleopatra." Each was to run approximately three hours. 20th Century-Fox decided against this, and released the film we know today. It runs just over four hours. It is hoped that the missing two hours will be located and that one day a six-hour 'director's cut' will be available.

Clerks (1994)  Dante Hicks is a clerk at a local convenience store in New Jersey. On one particular Saturday morning, he gets called in on his day off. Once there, he must deal with multiple problems. The shutters outside won't open. His ex-girlfriend, whom he is still in love with, is getting married. His girlfriend, who bugs him about starting college, has revealed certain, uh...stuff about her past. His boss hasn't come in to take his place. He has a hockey game at 2 o'clock. Another ex has died, and today's the last day he can go to her wake. He must deal with customers that aren't so intelligent. His friend, Randal, a clerk at the video store next door, is even less dedicated to his job than Dante, and is always bothering Dante's customers. And the biggest problem of them all: HE'S NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE THERE TODAY!! Can Dante manage it all?

Clerks is a raunchy movie from the brilliant twisted mind of Kevin Smith.

Clerks II (2006) In New Jersey, when Dante arrives to open the convenience store "Quick Stop Groceries" for another labor day, he finds the place on fire. Dante and his friend, Randal, find another job at the fast food restaurant Mooby's, managed by Becky, and work with the Christian employee Elias. Drug dealers Jay and Silent Bob also move their traffic spot to this new location. Dante is planning a new life in Florida getting married with his fiancée Emma while his friend Becky is a woman that does not believe in romantic love. On the eve of Dante's departure to Florida, Randal decides to throw a farewell/bachelor party for his best friend. However, things go wrong and Dante rethinks his future.

Cliffhanger (1993)  A group of thieves led by Eric Qualen hijack a $100,000,000 delivery en route to a Denver credit union. Their plan to transfer the money mid-air to collaborators in another plane goes awry, and the hijackers crash land and lose the money in the surrounding mountains. They radio for help, and former ranger Gabe Walker and his partner Hal Tucker answer the call. Qualen and his men have a high-tech tracking device that shows them the locations of the three cases of missing money, but they need help traveling through the mountains, so they force Gabe and Hal to be their guides. Forced to scale a rock face in the middle of a snow storm, Gabe grabs some of the money and escapes. Gabe knows Qualen will kill Hal as soon as Qualen has the remaining cash, so, with fellow ranger Jessie Deighan, Gabe tries to reach the money before Qualen does.

Poor acting, poor dircting, good cast (mostly) awesome scenery.  Still interesting to see John Lithgow playing a bad guy.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)  Protagonist Alex is an "ultraviolent" youth in futuristic Britain. As with all luck, his eventually runs out and he's arrested and convicted of murder and rape. While in prison, Alex learns of an experimental program in which convicts are programed to detest violence. If he goes through the program his sentence will be reduced and he will be back on the streets sooner than expected. But Alex's ordeals are far from over once he hits the mean streets of Britain that he had a hand in creating.

One of only two movies rated X on its original release (the other being Midnight Cowboy) to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)  At only thirteen years of age, Loretta Webb marries Doolittle Lynn and is soon responsible for a sizeable family. Loretta appears destined to a life of homemaking, but Doolittle recognises his wife's musical talent, and buys her a guitar as an anniversary present one year. This gift sets Loretta Lynn on the gruelling, tumultuous path to country music greatness.

My mother was a coal miner's daughter from Kentucky.  Her dad didn't want her to marry a coal miner so when she graduated from high school he put her on a train for Detroit.

Cocoon (1985)  Meet Art, Ben and Joe. Three simple, aging senior citizens who like to swim in an unguarded swimming pool next door from the old folks home they live in. So one day while they are swimming, they feel energized and "ready to take on the world!" What they don't know is that the pool was recently rented by four alien Antareans living incognito as humans. Art, Ben, Joe and their friends soon discover this and offer to help the Antareans return the cocoons back to Antarea; and as a reward, they are offered something unusually magnificent.

Okay movie with a great cast.  Should have been better though.

College Swing (1938)  It's 1738, and Gracie Alden (Gracie Allen) of the powerful Alden family fails to graduate from the college founded by her grandfather for the ninth year in a row, so he leaves it in his will to the first female of the family to graduate within 200 years. At the deadline, in 1938, another Gracie Alden, the last girl of the line, is having trouble with her studies, so she hires fast-talking Bud Brady (Bob Hope) to help her. Her efforts are opposed by woman-hating professor Hubert Dash (Edward Everett Horton) and his secretary George Jones (George Burns), who don't want to see their beloved college fall into the hands of an empty-headed nit-wit like Gracie.

When by hook and by crook Gracie manages to pass her exam and becomes the owner of the college, she does away with entrance exams, hires a bunch of incompetent but kooky teachers, and turns the place into a jumpin' jitterbugging joint complete with swing bands and remote radio broadcasts.

Another Hollywood movie to showcase radio stars of the time.  Fluff but enjoable.
 

Color of Money (1986)  Eddie "Fast Eddy" Felson, a former pool player forced into retirement by gangsters (as seen in The Hustler,) finds himself, self-respect, and finally, redemption when he enters a relationship with young pool player Tom Cruise very similar to his own early career. As they travel together, Fast Eddy realizes how much he had lost, and can see the inevitable finale of their relationship as history begins to repeat itself. In an effort to avert tragedy, Eddy severs their relationship, and returns to his first love, pool. Finally, in a big Atlantic City tournament, Cruise returns the favor, and teaches Eddy the final lesson that allows him to finish his quest of re-discovery. 

Color Purple (1985) This film follows the life of Celie, a young black girl growing up in the early 1900's. The first time we see Celie, she is 14 - and pregnant - by her father. We stay with her for the next 30 years of her tough life.

Received 11 Oscar nominations but won none, which caused many complaints of racism.
 

Collateral (2004)  LA cabbie Max Durocher is the type of person who can wax poetic about other people's lives, which impresses U.S. Justice Department prosecutor Annie Farrell, one of his fares, so much that she gives him her telephone number at the end of her ride. Although a dedicated man as seen through the efficiency in which he does his work, he can't or won't translate that eloquence into a better life for himself. He deludes himself into believing that his now twelve year cabbie job is temporary and that someday he will own his own limousine service. He even lies to his hospitalized mother that he already owns one, with a further lie that he tells her as such primarily to make her happy, rather than the truth which is that he won't do anything to achieve that dream. One night, Max picks up a well dressed man named Vincent, who asks Max to be his only fare for the evening. For a flat fee of $600.

Good crime drama, well acted.  Typical extended ending that you often now see.

Come September (1961)  Wealthy industrialist Robert Talbot arrives early for his annual vacation at his luxurious Italian villa to find three problems lying in wait for him. Firstly, his long-time girlfriend Lisa Fellini has given up waiting for him to pop the question and has decided to marry another man. Secondly, the major domo of his villa, Maurice Clavell, has turned the estate into a posh hotel to make some easy money while the boss isn't around. And, finally, the current guests of the "hotel" are a group of young American girls trying to fend off a gang of oversexed boys, led by Tony, who are 'laying siege' at the outer walls of the villa. Talbot, to his own surprise, finds himself becoming an overprotective chaperone.

Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee met and fell in love while filming this movie and shortly afterward got married.  

I got to meet Bobby Darin in April of 1960 in Washington D.C.  He was always an excellent entertainer.

Con Air (1997)  Cameron Poe, who is a highly decorated United States Army Ranger came to his home of Alabama to his wife, Tricia. only to run into a few drunken regulars at where Tricia works. Cameron unknowingly kills one of the drunks and was sent to a federal penitentiary for involuntary manslaughter for seven years. Then, Cameron became eligible for parole and can now go home to his wife and daughter, Casey. Unfortunately, Cameron has to share a prison airplane with some of the most dangerous criminals in the country, who somehow took control of the plane and are now planning to escape the country with the plane. Cameron has to find a way to stop them while playing along. Meanwhile, United States Marshal Vincent Larkin is trying to help Cameron get free and stop the criminals including, Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom.

Predictible crime-action-drama with a great cast.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949)  While on a castle tour, American Hank Martin recounts a fabulous tale to Lord Pendragon about his journey back in time to the court of King Arthur. Working in his blacksmith's shop some years before, he was thrown from his horse and lost consciousness awaking in Camelot. He falls in love with the beautiful Alisande La Carteloise who is betrothed to Sir Lancelot. He is forced to meet him on the jousting field but betters him in his own comical way. Allisande doesn't appreciate his manner however and has to win her all over again. After helping King Arthur save his kingdom from the evil Merlin, he re-awakens in his own time.

Contact (1997)  Dr. Eleanor Arroway has spent her life searching for truth in the study of radio astronomy. Palmer Joss has spent his searching for truth through faith in God. When Ellie discovers a stunning message from an extraterrestrial intelligence, they and everyone on Earth will be forced to challenge their own assumptions. In the inevitable first contact, will humankind be able to find a compromise between science and belief?

A bit overdone.  Lots of talent and some great moments, still just short of a great movie.  I used to live in Socorro near where the array of antennas are that do look for information in the universe.

Cool Hand Luke (1967)  Lucas Jackson, natural born world shaker, someone with more guts than brains, a man who refuses to conform to the rules he has been given. Sent to a prison camp for a misdemeanor Luke soon gains respect and becomes an idol. He has some fun in jail doing things for the hell of it, after his mother dies the Bosses put him in the box afraid he might want to attend the funeral. When he gets out he runs and gets caught and runs and gets caught, the bosses try to break him but he just won't break.

The movie's line "What we've got here is failure to communicate." was voted as the #11 movie quote by the American Film Institute. When Frank Pierson wrote that dialog to be delivered by a an uneducated, redneck prison guard, he worried that people wouldn't find it authentic. So he wrote a biography of the guard, explaining that in order to advance to a higher grade in the system, he had been required to take criminology courses, thus exposing him to the kind of academic vocabulary that would justify him using the 'communicate' phrase. But as it turned out, no one questioned the line or needed to read the fictional account.

While passing by the prison camp set, a San Joaquin County building inspector thought it was a recently constructed migrant worker's complex, and posted "condemned" notices on the buildings for not being up to code.

The opening scene, where Luke is cutting off the heads of parking meters, was filmed in Lodi, California. After the filming, the city did not replace the meters, and for many years afterward, you could go there and see a block long row of metal posts, sans meters.

Cool Runnings (1993)  Irving Blitzer disgraced himself when putting extra weights into his team's sled in the Olympics, resulting in his gold medal being taken away from him. Years later, Derice Bannock, son to a former friend of Irv, fails to qualify for the 100-yard sprint for the Olympics due to a stupid accident. But when he hears of Irving Blitzer living also on Jamaica, Derice decides to go to the Games anyway, if not as a sprinter, then as a bobsledder. After some starting problems, the first Jamaican bobsledding team is formed and heads for Calgary. In the freezing weather Derice, Sanka, Junior and Yul are only laughed at, since nobody can take a Jamaican bobsledding team led by a disgraced trainer seriously. But team spirit and a healthy self confidence may lead to a few surprises in the upcoming Winter Games.

Based on a true story of the Jamacian Bobsled Team. 

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)  The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents-townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors-all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

A little long on special effects and short on dialog.  Good cast but doesn't quite live up to expectations.  Still worth watching.

Coyote Ugly (2000)  When young Violet finally follows her dream and moves to New York to become a songwriter, she knows little about the big city. All her efforts to get a demo tape to a producer are useless, additionally her apartment is broken in to, leaving her with nothing. But a coincidence leads her to Coyote Ugly, a night club where only beautiful women call the shots, using their female attraction to drive the guests just crazy. Violet manages to get a position and starts learning the ways of the city. After getting in trouble because of a misunderstanding, Violet's new friend Kevin tries to rid her of her stage fear so that she can perform her songs herself. Violet's father Bill does not like her new job as well as her leaving him, but it's all part of growing up.

Okay movie that could have been great; struggles with trying to be funny or serious dosen't quite achieve either.  I ended up likeing the film, although I was predisposed to not like it.

Crash (2004) People are born with good hearts, but they grow up and learn prejudices. "Crash" is a movie that brings out bigotry and racial stereotypes. The movie is set in Los Angeles, a city with a cultural mix of every nationality. The story begins when several people are involved in a multi-car accident. From that point, we are taken back to the day before the crash, seeing the lives of several characters, and the problems each encounters during that day. Citizen Kane (1941) 

Best movie ever.  Makes you want to be a better person.

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)  Ophthalmologist Judah Rosenthal has had an affair with Dolores for several years, and now she threatens to ruin his life if he doesn't marry her. When his brother Jack suggests to have Dolores murdered, Judah is faced with a big moral dilemma: destruction of his life or murder. Meanwhile, documentary filmmaker Clifford Stern is trying to make a film of a philosophy professor, but instead he's commissioned to make a portrait of successful TV producer and brother-in-law Lester, who to Clifford represents everything that he despises.

One of Woody Allen's best movies even with him in it.

Lester is based on Larry Gelbart, whom both Woody Allen and Alan Alda worked with and reportedly disliked because of his despotic ways. Lester's various comments such as "Comedy is tragedy plus time" and "If it bends, it's funny; if it breaks, it's not funny" were actual Gelbart quotes. In spite of this reputed dislike for Gelbart, Allen called him "the best comedy writer that I ever knew and one of the best guys" in a statement shortly following Gelbart's death, and Alda said, "Larry's genius for writing changed my life because I got to speak his lines -- lines that were so good they'll be with us for a long, long time; but his other genius -- his immense talent for being good company -- is a light that's gone out and we're all sitting here in the dark." (from the Los Angeles Times obituary)

Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)  CW Briggs is a veteran insurance investigator, with many successes. Betty Ann Fitzgerald is a new employee in the company he works for, with the task of reorganizing the office. They don't like each other - or at least that's what they think. During a night out with the rest of the office employees, they go to watch Voltan, a magician who secretly hypnotizes both of them, in order to use them for his dirty schemes. The next evening already, Briggs makes his first robbery, and when he wakes up in the morning he has no memory of it. Things get really complicated when he starts investigating the case. Will he be able to uncover... himself?

It would have been much better if Woody Allen had not cast himself in the movie.