W-Wz Movies

Waitress (2007)  Jenna is unhappily married, squirreling away money, and hoping to win a pie-baking contest so, with the prize money, she'll have enough cash to leave her husband Earl. She finds herself pregnant, which throws her plans awry. She bakes phenomenal pies at Joe's diner, listens to old Joe's wisdom, tolerates her sour boss Cal, is friends with Dawn and Becky (her fellow waitresses), and finds a mutual attraction with the new doctor in town. As the pregnancy advances, life with Earl seems less tolerable, a way out less clear, and the affair with the doctor complicated by his marriage. What options does a waitress have?

Sadly Adriene Shelly was killed just after the movie was completed when a burglar broke into her apartment.

War Games (1983)  The US Air Force has decided to change their missile strike planning and command procedure from a human directed one, where in simulations many officers were unwilling to "turn the key" upon order, to an intelligent computer process, which takes that fallible human factor out of the equation. This change has its supporters, such as NORAD chief engineer John McKittrick who suggested it, and its detractors, such as Air Force General Beringer. The system chosen is called the War Operation Plan Response, or WOPR for short, developed by brilliant but now deceased scientist Stephen Falken, who programmed the system to learn continually through game simulations. Meanwhile, David Lightman, an intelligent but academically unmotivated Seattle based high school student, is a computer whiz. In trying to hack into a video game software company, he unknowingly hacks into WOPR using one of the listed games, Falken's Maze, as the path to discovering the system's back door password, Joshua, the name of Stephen Falken's son who died at age five. David and his new friend, popular but equally unmotivated student Jennifer Mack, believe he's hacked into a games company and they start to play the most intriguing game listed, namely Global Thermonuclear War. David and Jennifer soon realize that what they are doing is not a game when news of simulated attacks on the US, exactly the type David and Jennifer plotted in the "game", hits the media. David believes he's in even more trouble when Joshua calls him back, still playing the game, with its ultimate goal of winning. WOPR or Joshua, in playing the game, is still simulating Soviet attacks on the US, which Beringer believes to be real and who orders appropriate responses against the Soviets. As the authorities close in on David, with people like McKittrick believing him to be a spy, David tries to enlist the help of the one person who knows Joshua's end goal and can probably stop Joshua from achieving that goal, while he needs to elude capture by the authorities.

The NORAD command center built for the movie was the most expensive set ever constructed up to that time, built at the cost of one million dollars. The producers were not allowed into the actual NORAD command center, so they had to imagine what it was like. In the DVD commentary, director John Badham notes that the actual NORAD command center isn't nearly as elaborate as the one in the movie; he refers to the movie set as "NORAD's wet dream of itself."

NORAD HQ set was built in the Cascades, the "Oregon" airport was really Boeing Field, "Goose Island" is really Anderson Island in the southern part of Puget Sound (all in Washington). The last ferry off the island really is at 6:30, and you really are stuck there if you miss it.

The scene where Matthew Broderick is picked up by the FBI was filmed at 7Eleven in Big Bear, CA.

According to John Badham, the scene of the jeep trying to crash through the gate at NORAD and turning over was an actual accident. The jeep was supposed to continue through the gate. They added the scene of the characters running from the jeep and down the tunnel and used the botched jeep stunt.

War of the Roses (1989)  A levelheaded lawyer, Gavin D'Amato, has a worried client sitting in his office. This client is going through a divorce, obviously his first. So to make sure this quiet unnamed man plays his cards right, Gavin tells him the story of what happened to a colleague and former client: Oliver Rose. Oliver was a fair-game law student who met Barbara, a gymnast who lived for the thrill of the moment. They both shared a love for exquisite possessions and married right away. Their differences finally caught up with them after 18 years, and they ended up in a bitter divorce. But divorce was anything but a solution, as custody of their possessions escalated beyond anyone's, even Gavin's help.

DeVito directs this film and narrates via his character, Gavin.  This is a great story and well told.  It begins with a fantastic love story and like most "Hapily Ever Afters" it starts to come apart.  Pay close attention in the final scene in the house.

The Way We Were (1973)  This classic film starts out with Katie and Hubbell meeting up after 20 years. There is a flashback showing you that they went to the same college and that they came from two different worlds. Kattie worked her way through as a speaker trying to show the world that there can be peace that we need to change ourselves and to help others in need. Hubbell on the other hand was a athlete who could do everything. But when Hubbell published a small book he then joined the military and went off to fight for his country. After 20 years fate throws them together again where he needs a place to sleep and she ends up making them both dinner the next night and then they become each other's best friend and soon their serious boy/girl friend. As Katie tries to push Hubbell to be his best and to write another book he then meets up with his old friend JJ. While Kattie is fine where she is, Hubbell wants to go to Hollywood and become a screen writer and they start to make a movie. But along the way a new surprise comes,(you will have to watch to find out). Causing a rift between them, that soon turns into a giant hole no one can repair. They drift apart but as time passes they meet again she is married and he is with another girl. It all worked out for the best they agreed and went their separate ways but not without saying goodbye.

Winner of two academy awards.

Wayne's World (1992)  Wayne Campbell is a heavy metal fanatic living in a suburban Chicago neighborhood. On a Friday Night, Wayne and his eccentric best friend, Garth Algar hosts "Wayne's World", a public cable network TV show in Wayne's basement and is very popular. "Wayne's World" catches the attention of handsome TV network executive Ben Oliver who wants "Wayne's World" on his television network in downtown Chicago and sponsored by billionaire Noah Vandahoff, one of the largest owners in the arcade business. With "Wayne's World" now on a Prime Time TV network, Wayne and Garth find themselves moving up big time and Wayne finds himself falling in love with Cassandra Wong, a Chinese-American lead singer of a heavy metal band. But Ben has a hidden agenda and plans on ruining their show and he bids to steal Cassandra from Wayne if Wayne and Garth do not make a success in making "Wayne's World" #1 in the TV ratings. Wayne and Garth finds the show isn't the same and Wayne plans to help Cassandra make it big time with her career.

The scene where Wayne's ex-girlfriend Stacy (Lara Flynn Boyle) tries to patch up their relationship by buying him a gun rack, is based on some truth. Mike Myers once dated a girl who apparently broke up with him due to his preoccupation with his comedy. A week later, after some thought, she tried to reconcile by buying Mike a gun-rack. To her, this was an absurd joke that she had hoped Mike would appreciate. He didn't, and the two remained apart. When the movie was released, and Mike's ex viewed the movie with her new steady boyfriend, she was mortified not only to learn that the gun-rack anecdote had been written into the film, but also she was shocked to see that the main characters referred to the Stacy character as a 'psycho hose-beast'. Some time later, Myers telephoned his former girl, attempting to apologize for including a very detracting version of her in the movie.

The Wedding Banquet (1993)  A gay Taiwanese-American man is in a happy long term relationship in Manhattan, but his parents in Taiwan are always pressuring him to marry. His tenant, a young Chinese girl needs to marry an American citizen to obtain her green card, so a deal is made. Complications arise when the joyous parents arrive for the wedding and a huge cross-cultural banquet is arranged to celebrate.

Well told love story.

Ang Lee wrote the film six years before it was made, and five years before his first film, Pushing Hands.

Wedding Crashers (2005)  Divorce mediators John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey are business partners and lifelong friends who share one truly unique springtime hobby--crashing weddings! Whatever the ethnicity of the wedding party--Jewish, Italian, Irish, Chinese, Hindu--the charismatic and charming duo always have clever back stories for inquisitive guests and inevitably become the hit of every reception, where they strictly adhere to their proven rules of wedding crashing to meet and pick up women aroused by the very thought of marriage. At the tail end of another successful season of toasting brides and grooms, Jeremy learns that the daughter of Treasury Secretary William Cleary and his wife, Kathleen, is getting married in what is sure to be the Washington D.C. social event of the year. After infiltrating the lavish affair, John and Jeremy quickly set their sights on two bridesmaids, Claire and Gloria Cleary. With the lavish reception in full swing, Jeremy works his game plan to perfection in seducing Gloria, but John's flirtation banter with Claire is unexpectedly impeded by her pompous, Ivy League boyfriend Sack. Having uncharacteristically fallen hard and fast for Claire, John convinces a resistant Jeremy to bend the crashing rules and accept an invitation to an extended weekend party at the Cleary family compound. Once at the palatial waterfront estate, John and Jeremy endure a multitude of comical mishaps at the hands of the dysfunctional members of the Cleary family, but also learn a few unexpected lessons about love and relationships.

Great comedy, great cast, a bit stuck for a good ending.

The Rules of Wedding Crashing: Rule #1: Never leave a fellow Crasher behind. Crashers take care of their own. Rule #2: Never use your real name. Rule #3: Never confess. Rule #4: No one goes home alone. Rule #5: Never let a girl come between you and a fellow Crasher. Rule #6: Do not sit in the corner and sulk. It draws attention in a negative way. Draw attention to yourself, but on your own terms. Rule #7: Blend in by standing out. Rule #8: Be the life of the party. Rule #9: Whatever it takes to get in, get in. Rule #10: Invitations are for pussies. Rule #11: Sensitive is good. Rule #12: When it stops being fun, break something. Rule #13: Bridesmaids are desperate - console them. Rule #14: You're a distant relative of a dead cousin. Rule #15: Fight the urge to tell the truth. Rule #16: Always have an up-to-date family tree. Rule #17: Every female wedding guest deserves a wedding night. Rule #18: You love animals and children. Rule #19: Toast in the native language if you know the native language and have practiced the toast. Do not wing it. Rule #20: The older the better, the younger the better (See rule below) Rule #21: Definitely make sure she's 18. Rule #22: You have a wedding and a reception to seal the deal. Period. No overtime. Rule #23: There's nothing wrong with having seconds. Provided there's enough women to go around. Rule #24: If you get outted, leave calmly. Do not run. Rule #25: You understand she heard that, but that's not what you meant. Rule #26: Of course you love her. Rule #27: Don't over drink. The machinery must work in order to close. Rule #28: Make sure there's an open bar. Rule #29: Always be a team player. Everyone needs a little help now and again. Rule #30: Know the playbook so you can call an audible. Rule #31: If you call an audible, always make sure your fellow Crashers know. Rule #32: Don't commit to a relative unless you're absolutely sure that they have a pulse. Rule #33: Never go back to your place. Rule #34: Be gone by sunrise. Rule #35: Breakfast is for closers. Rule #36: Your favorite movie is "The English Patient". Rule #37: At the reception, one hard drink or two beers max. A drunk crasher is a sloppy crasher. Rule #38: Never hit on the bride! It's a one-way ticket to the pavement. Rule #39: The way to a woman's bed is through the dance floor. Rule #40: Dance with old folks and the kids. The girls will think you're "sweet." Rule #41: Try not to break anything, unless you're not having fun. Rule #42: At the service, sit in the fifth row. It's close enough to wedding party to seem like you're an invited guest. Never sit in the back. The back row just smells like crashing. Rule #43: Create an air of mystery that involves some painful experience when interacting with the girl you're after, but don't talk about it. Allude to it. Then walk away, She'll follow. Rule #44: Always remember your fake name! Rule #45: The Rules of Wedding Crashing are sacred. Don't sully them by "improvising." Rule #46: You forgot your invitation in your rush to get to the church. Rule #47: Make sure all the single women at the wedding know you're there because you've just suffered either a terrible breakup or the death of your fiancée. Rule #48: Always work the following into a conversation: "Yeah, I have tons of money. But how does one buy happiness?" Rule #49: Be pensive! It draws out the "healer" in women. Rule #50: Always pull out in time. Rule #51: Tell any woman you're interested in that you'd love to stay, but you promised to help out at the homeless shelter today. Rule #52: Get choked up during the service. The girls will think you're "sensitive". Bring a slice of onion or artificial tears if necessary. Rule #53: Avoid virgins. They're too clingy. Rule #54: If pressed, tell people you're related to Uncle Ned. Everyone has an Uncle Ned. Rule #55: Don't fixate on one woman. ALWAYS have a back-up. Rule #56: When seeing a rival crasher, do not interact. Merely acknowledge each other with a tug on the earlobe and gracefully move on. Rule #57: The Ferrari's in the shop. Rule #58: If two rival crashers pick the same girl, the crasher with the least seniority will respectfully yield. Rule #59: No "chicken dancing" - no exceptions. Rule #60: When crashing out of state, request permission from a local Wedding Crasher chapter. Rule #61: No more than two weddings a weekend. More and your game gets sloppy. Rule #62: Bring an extra umbrella when it rains. Courtesy opens more legs than charm. Rule #63: Always save room for cake. Rule #64: When your crash partner fails, you fail. No man is an island. Rule #65: Smile! You're having the time of your life. Rule #66: Mix it up a little. You can't always be the man with the haunted past. Rule #67: No sex on the altar. Confessionals, okay. Chair lofts, better. Rule #68: Two shut-outs in a row? It's time to take a week off. Ask yourself: what is getting in the way of my happiness? Rule #69: Research, research, research the wedding party. And when you are done researching, research some more. Rule #70: Studies show that women have a more developed sense of smell. Breath mints: small cost, big yield. Rule #71: No excuses. Play like a champion! Rule #72: In case of emergency, refer to the playbook. Rule #73: Gilrs in hats tend to be proper and rarely give it up. Rule #74: Keep interactions with the parents of the bride to a minimum. Rule #75: Carry extra protection. Rule #76: The unmarried female rabbi - is she fair game? Of course she is. Rule #77: The tables furthest from the kitchen always get served dinner first. Rule #78: Stop, look, listen. At weddings. In life. Rule #79: Occasionally bring a real gift. You're getting sex without having to buy dinner, so you can afford a blender. Rule #80: Always think ahead, but always stay in the moment. Reconcile this paradox and you'll not only get the girl, you might also get peace of mind. Rule #81: Don't let the ring bearer bum your smokes. His parents may start to ask questions. Rule #82: Stay clear of the wedding planner. They may recognize you and start to wonder. Rule #83: Don't use the "I have two months to live" bit - not cool, not effective. Rule #84: Shoes say a lot about a man. Rule #85: Always choose large weddings. More choice. Easier to blend. Rule #86: You're from out of town. ALWAYS. Rule #87: Know something about the place you say you are from. Texas is played out. For some reason, New Hampshire seems to work. Rule #88: Of course you dream of one day having children. Rule #89: Never dance to "What I Like About You." It's long past time to let that song go. Someone will request it at every wedding. Don't dance to it. No matter how hot she is. Rule #90: Tell the bride's friends and family that you are family of the groom and vice-versa. Rule #91: Only take one car. You never know when you'll need to make a fast escape. Rule #92: Deep down, most people hate themselves. This knowledge is the key to most bedroom doors. Rule #93: Try not to show off on the dance floor. That means you Jeremy. Rule #94: Etiquette isn't old-fashioned, it's sexy. Rule #95: Catholic weddings - the classic dilemma: painfully long ceremony, horny girls. Rule #96: The newspaper Wedding Announcements are your racing form. Choose carefully. Rule #97: Be judicious with cologne. Citrus tones are best. Rule #98: Save the tuxes for "the big show" only. Rule #99: Avoid women who were psychology majors in college. Rule #100: No periwinkle colored ties, please. Rule #101: Always have an early "appointment" the next morning. Rule #102: Be well groomed and well-mannered. Rule #103: Never cockblock a fellow crasher. Cockblocking an invited guest is okay. Rule #104: Eat plentiful, digest your food. You'll need the energy for later. Rule #105: Know when to abandon ship if it ain't floating. Rule #106: Know your swing and salsa dancing. Girls love to get twisted around. Rule #107: Always carry an assortment of placecards to match any wedding design. Rule #108: Make sure your magic trick and balloon animal skills are not rusty. If the kids love it, the girls will too. Rule #109: Never reveal your true identity. Rule #110: Never walk away from a crasher in a funny jacket. By decree of Chazz Reingold, Creator of the Rules of Wedding Crashing, revised from 1989 in October 2004, the following bits of slang are no longer acceptable: "it's all good," "hey, no worries," and any sentence that involves anyone getting "their freak on." (Source: DVD "The Rules of Wedding Crashing" text gallery bonus feature.)

The Wedding Planner (2001)  Mary Fiore is the wedding planner. She's ambitious, hard-working, extremely organized, and she knows exactly what to do and say to make any wedding a spectacular event. Bt when Mary falls (literally) for a handsome doctor her busy yet uncomplicated life is turned upside down - he's the groom in the biggest wedding of her career! Will she help him walk down the aisle with his internet tycoon girlfriend, or will Mary finally get to be the bride herself? When it comes to love, you can never plan what's going to happen.

Enough star power to make this straight forward comedic tale believable, but the director fails to pull it off.  Winner of a Razzie Award for bad acting.

Weekend at Bernies (1998)  Two young men are trying to make their way in a corporation. One on charm, the other on hard work. When they go to the president (Bernie) with a serious financial error on a printout, he pretends to be thrilled and invites them to his beach house for the weekend. He actually plans on having them killed. Bernie is also fooling around with the girlfriend of his mafia partner. When the partner has Bernie killed, the boys end up having to pretend Bernie is still alive as the frustrated hit man tries time and time again to complete the job.

Terry Kiser got an Academy Award nomination for his portral as a corpse.

Weird Science (1989)  Two unpopular teenagers, Gary and Wyatt, fail at all attempts to be accepted by their peers. Their desperation to be liked leads them to "create" a woman via their computer. Their living and breathing creation is a gorgeous woman, Lisa, whose purpose is to boost their confidence level by putting them into situations which require Gary and Wyatt to act like men. On their road to becoming accepted, they encounter many hilarious obstacles, which gives the movie an overall sense of silliness.

Robert Downey, Jr. in a bit role in this movie.

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990) Although Roxy left town more than fifteen years ago, her memory has never faded. Her expected return starts to impact a number of lives, including that of her former partner Denton Webb. But it is Dinky, the adopted daughter of the Bossettis and ignored by most of her classmates as a strange loner, who may be most changed. She is convinced she is Roxie's secret child.

Not great but enjoyable fluff.  It does make fun of small town hero worship.

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)  Seventh grade Benjamin Franklin Junior High School student Dawn Wiener is a social outcast who wants to be liked. At school, she is often bullied and called Wiener Dog. The other social outcasts don't want to associate with her. Her teachers don't even seem to like her. And at home, her parents, especially her mother, favors Dawn's younger sister, the ballerina princess-like Missy, or Dawn's older brother, the nerdish Mark who at least has a focus on the goal of getting into a good college. Because of this lack of attention at home, Dawn will often use the bullying tactics used on her by others on Missy, which gets her into even more trouble with her parents. Dawn's want for social acceptance leads her quietly to foster the attention of one of her primary school bullies, Brandon McCarthy, a boy from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks who always threatens to rape her. But Dawn's focus on Brandon lessens when Mark enlists the services of older popular student Steve Rodgers for his mediocre band (in exchange for help at school). Because he doesn't shun her, Dawn works toward the goal of getting Steve to be her boyfriend.

Another teen angst movie but well worth the time to watch, once.

Welcome to Mooseport (2004)  Monroe "Eagle" Cole is a former U.S. President ready to settle into a quaint little town named Mooseport. He's ready to take in the lion's share of endorsement deals and speaking engagements while developing his own presidential library. Meanwhile, Handy Harrison is a local hardware store owner with a girlfriend ready to throw in the towel on their relationship. Just as Monroe is offered the local mayor's position, he's found an unlikely opponent in Handy. But ultimately, both men have a lot to lose when the stakes are raised and a simple competition turns into an all out war.

As people live longer and presidents get elected younger, there will be many movie opportunities to exploit their adventures in the movies.

What a Way to Go (1964)  This black comedy opens with Louisa Foster donating a multimillion dollar check to the IRS. The tax department thinks she's crazy and sends her to a psychiatrist. She then discusses her four marriages, in which all of her husbands became incredibly rich and died prematurely because of their drive to be rich.

This would be the final film for Margaret Dumont.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962)  In a tale that almost redefines sibling rivalry, faded actresses Blanche and 'Baby' Jane Hudson live together. Jane was by far the most famous when she performed with their father in vaudeville but as they got older, it was Blanche who became the finer actress, which Jane still resents. Blanche is now confined to a wheelchair - Jane ran her over with the car while drunk, even though she has no memory of it - and Jane is firmly in control. As time goes by, Jane exercises greater and greater control over her sister, intercepting her letters and ensuring that few if anyone from the outside has any contact with her. As Jane slowly loses her mind, she torments her sister going to ever greater extremes.

I saw this picture when station at Goose Bay, Canada.  It was intense but wonderful.  Dusty, my parrot, thinks it is a barbaric movie.

What Women Want (2000)  Nick Marshall, Playboy and Hot Shot in advertising, thinks he's God's gift to women. After a little accident, he discovers that he is suddenly able to hear what women really think. First, Nick is pretty disappointed when he discovers that his beloved macho behaviour does not exactly contribute to being desired. Then, his upcoming dream position in the company is being given to a new team member: Darcy, not only a woman, but a man-eating one, also is a very talented ad expert. So, Nick decides to sabotage his new boss by reading her thoughts and selling her ideas as his own. Unfortunately, love gets in his way.

Outrageously funny, good stars, a bit predictable but worth seeing more than once.  When I saw this in the theater in Port Angeles, the three women behind me said what women want is Mel Gibson.

When Harry Met Sally (1989)  Harry and Sally meet when she gives him a ride to New York after they both graduate from the University of Chicago. The film jumps through their lives as they both search for love, but fail, bumping into each other time and time again. Finally a close friendship blooms between them, and they both like having a friend of the opposite sex. But then they are confronted with the problem: "Can a man and a woman be friends, without sex getting in the way?"

Like so many films that ask interesting questions, it fails to answer it definitively.

According to screenwriter Nora Ephron the infamous "I'll have what she's having" line was actually suggested by Billy Crystal.

The orgasm scene was filmed at Katz's Deli, an actual restaurant on New York's E. Houston Street. The table at which the scene was filmed now has a plaque on it that reads, "Where harry met sally... hope you have what she had!"

Estelle Reiner:  The woman who says "I'll have what she's having" after Sally's faked orgasm is director Rob Reiner's mother, who had to audition for the role.

When Time Ran Out (1980)   Tourists are surprised by a volcanic eruption in a lonesome hotel in the Caribic. The hotel owner ignores all warnings and advises his guests to wait for a rescue team. Only a small group follows expert Hank to reach higher regions. They start an adventurous journey across the island.

Not a great movie, still fun to watch the stars work.  It could have been better with better directing.

Paul Newman confessed in interviews towards the end of his life that this film was the only one he ever did for the money. He referred to it as "that volcano movie" and said that he and most of the cast knew it would be a bomb from day one. Many believe that part of his salary from this movie was used as seed money for a salad dressing business he was setting up with author A.E. Hotchner, with 100% of the profits, after taxes, going to educational and charitable organizations. Their company, Newman's Own, established in 1982, has raised over $260 million for charities all over the world, and continues to grow and prosper to this day.

Wild Hogs (2007)  Four middle-aged men decide to take a road trip from Cincinnati to the Pacific in order to get away from their lives which are leading them nowhere. Taking their motorcycles, these "Wild Hogs" tear up the road and eventually stop in New Mexico for a drink not knowing that the bar belongs to the "Del Fuegos", a mean biker gang. When the Del Fuegos steal a bike that belongs to the Wild Hogs, the four men form a plan to steal their bike back.

Not a great flick, but a great cast.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

(1971)  Adolescent Charlie Bucket is a good, hard working boy. His washerwoman mother is barely able to eke out a living to support Charlie and Charlie's bedridden grandparents Grandma Georgina, Grandpa George, Grandma Josephine, and Grandpa Joe, the latter to whom Charlie has a special bond. They live in the town where the mysterious, reclusive and genius Willy Wonka runs his chocolate factory. Wonka has not been seen in years as he closed his factory to public access after his competitors, most specifically Arthur Slugworth, infiltrated the factory to steal his candy secrets. However, Wonka is once again opening his factory, but only to five people and a guest apiece, each who will be given a lifetime supply of chocolate. Those five will be those that find one of the five golden tickets hidden inside Wonka chocolate bars. Although Charlie's chances of getting a golden ticket are remote at best - especially against a glutton, a spoiled peanut heiress, a gum fanatic and a television fanatic - Charlie wants it more than anyone else and is the small dream which is keeping his spirit alive. Those that eventually get the golden tickets will be exposed to all of Wonka's magical secrets, the latest rumored to be that of the everlasting gobstopper, a candy that never gets smaller. But they will also be treated to an experience that some will hopefully learn from. And one will learn the real reason for Wonka providing access to the factory. But if five are allowed access, others may also try to gain access, such as a devious Slugworth, who will be ruined if the gobstopper hits the markets before he finds out its secret.

Wings (1927)  In 1917, Jack Powell is a young man with passion for cars. His next door neighbor is Mary Preston, who is in deep love for him, but Jack does not notice her. Jack indeed loves Sylvia Lewis, but she is in love with the rich David Armstrong. When USA enters in World War I, Jack and David join the Air Force to fight in France and become pals. Mary joins the Women's Motor Corp, trying to be close to Jack. But it is war, and a tragedy happen between the two friends.

First on screen kiss between two men.  Look for Gary Cooper in a bit part.

Winning (1969)  Frank Capua is a rising star on the race circuit who dreams of winning the big one--the Indianapolis 500. But to get there he runs the risk of losing his wife Elora to his rival, Luther Erding, and strains the relationship with his stepson.

The crash sequence at the beginning of the Indianapolis 500 was from the 1966 race. In this sequence, A.J. Foyt can be seen climbing over the first turn fence to escape the crash site.

The winning car of Frank Capua (Paul Newman) is painted to resemble the #3 Rislone Special driven to victory in the 1968 Indy 500 by Bobby Unser. Unser makes a cameo appearance, congratulating Capua on his victory.

Wit (2005)  Vivian Bearing, a demanding and uncompromising professor of 17th century English poetry specializing in the holy sonnets of John Donne, is diagnosed with advanced (stage 4) metastatic ovarian cancer. Being an academic, she treats the news with a certain matter-of-factness much like she would her own research. Indeed, her medical team - the renowned Dr. Harvey Kelekian and his fellow, Dr. Jason Posner, who happens to be an ex-student of hers - do treat her solely like a research experiment, with a "live at all cost" mentality. The doctors recommend an experimental treatment of aggressive chemotherapy, to which she agrees. In part out of her own choice but in part out of her own personal circumstances, she decides to go through the treatment alone. But as her treatment progresses, she wishes she had some more truly caring human interaction from people who see her as a person and not just a research experiment. 

This is an awesome but tough movie.  Emma Thompson takes you into the world of someone struggling with cancer.  I highly recommend it.

Witness (1985)  Young Amish widow Rachel Lapp is taking her young son Samuel to Philadelphia for the first time. While in a washroom at the train station, Samuel sees two men savagely murder a third. The detective assigned to the homicide case is Det. John Book who informs them that the murdered man was a police officer. It isn't long before the young boy fingers Philadelphia narcotics officer McFee as the murderer. Book soon discovers that McFee was involved in the theft of something called P2P, an ingredient used in the making of methamphetamine. Shortly after Book tells his boss this information, McFee comes after Book and wounds him in a shootout. Book determines that the best way to avoid detection is to blend in with the Amish community, which he does, working with them on their farms and helping with building a new barn. But the corrupt cops Book has exposed are determined to keep their dirty work a secret, and they come looking for Book & Samuel to silence them for good.

Although he once again plays a heroic man with a gun, Witness was the first starring role that broke Harrison Ford away from the science fiction and fantasy genres that made him famous and gave him his first and only Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

In the scene where Book sits down to early morning breakfast with the Lapps, he quips, "Honey, that's great coffee," shocking Rachel by seeming to refer to her as "honey". He then explains that this was a joke, from some commercial. Among the personal quotes for Harrison Ford appears the basis for this line when the actor was commenting on the early days of his career: "I started by chasing a Folger's commercial. But I just somehow couldn't manage to say, 'Honey, that's a great cup of coffee'".

Wizard of Oz (1939)  In this charming film based on the popular L. Frank Baum stories, Dorothy and her dog Toto are caught in a tornado's path and somehow end up in the land of Oz. Here she meets some memorable friends and foes in her journey to meet the Wizard of Oz who everyone says can help her return home and possibly grant her new friends their goals of a brain, heart and courage.

Nominated for best picture but lost to Gone With the Wind.  I saw this several times on black and white TV.  I did get to see a restored version in the theater in Tehachipi, Californina in 2002.  It should have won best picture (sorry Sandy).

Of course, the book is better.

Where the Money Is (2000)  Legendary bank robber Henry Manning pushes his luck too far and ends up in prison, where he suffers a massive stroke. He is transferred to a nursing home, in the care of Carol Ann McKay, a high school prom queen who married her boyfriend Wayne, the star of her school's football team, and whose glamour days are well behind her. After a few of her personal effects mysteriously disappear, Carol Ann starts to suspect that Henry isn't as sick as he seems, and she and Wayne are soon working with Henry to plan his last and greatest score.

Well acted and a different and difficult role for Paul Newman.

Wolf (1994)   Worn down and out of luck, aging publisher Will Randall is at the end of his rope when a younger co-worker snatches both his job and wife out from under his nose. But after being bit by a wolf, Will suddenly finds himself energized, more competitive than ever, and possessed with amazingly heightened senses. Meanwhile, the beautiful daughter of his shrewd boss begins to fall for him - without realizing that the man she's begun to love is gradually turning into the creature by which he was bit.

Great cast.  Old story, but well told.

A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)  Marie St. Clair believes she has been jilted by her artist fiance Jean when he fails to meet her at the railway station. She goes off to Paris alone. A year later, mistress of wealthy Pierre Revel, she meets Jean again. Misinterpreting events she bounces back and forth between apparent security and true love. Also misinterpreting, Jean commits suicide.

On New Year's Day 1924, Edna Purviance was at a party with oil tycoon Courtland Dines and Mabel Normand when Normand's chauffeur, "defending Mabel Normand's honor" shot Dines with a gun owned by Mabel Normand. Dines refused to testify at the trial where the chauffeur (Horrace Greer, who was an escapee from a chain gang living under an assumed name) was found not guilty. As a result of Purviance's arms-length relationship to this scandal, this film was banned in several US cities.

First of only two films Charles Chaplin directed in which he did not take a starring role. The second was A Countess from Hong Kong.

The re-issue of this film, with a musical score and new cut by Charles Chaplin, was the last work of his entire film career. By then the 87-year-old Chaplin was visibly frail, but still walking. His score was aided by arranger Eric James, and he took a small theme from Monsieur Verdoux, but most of the score was Chaplin's. The film was re-issued posthumously in 1977 with the new score to overwhelming critical and public praise. At that time many critics praised it (as in the trailer) as one of the best films ever made.

WUSA (1970)  Rheinhardt, a cynical drifter, gets a job as an announcer for right-wing radio station WUSA in New Orleans. Rheinhardt is content to parrot WUSA's reactionary editorial stance on the air, even if he doesn't agree with it. Rheinhardt finds his cynical detachment challenged by a lady friend, Geraldine, and by Rainey, a neighbor and troubled idealist who becomes aware of WUSA's sinister, hidden purpose. And when events start spinning out of control, even Rheinhardt finds he must take a stand.